And I used leftover poppy seed filling in a yogurt bowl with lemon skry, granola, blackberries, and cinnamon.
For dinners this week we made some old favorites (and got a lot of take-out!). Buffalo blue cheese black bean burgers. With roasted cauliflower and broccoli.
Vanilla bean iced latte with a cookie dough Perfect Bar.
Cookie dough iced coffee with cookie dough!
Still obsessed with these Kishu mandarins. They are so easy to peel!
Still obsessed with these brown sugar boba ice cream bars.
I bought every marshmallow cookie at Brookfield. Dulce de leche marshmallow sandwich cookie and a Lucky Charms bar.
We made taro milk shakes.
I cooked dinner every night this week! Quesadillas with kimchi, Kewpie, and Oaxaca cheese. Plus sautéed bok choy with Sichuan pepper salt.
Sweet potato waffle fries with pastrami-smoked salmon, bonito flakes, Kewpie, Sriracha, and furikake. Plus a quick-pickled cucumber salad on the side.
Roasted cauliflower rice topped with roasted yellow bell peppers and sweet onions, Wild Planet chorizo-spiced tuna, Oaxaca cheese, sour cream, and salsa. This was delicious and I will likely never sauté peppers and onions again.
Chicken salad (a blend of breast and thigh meat) with mayo, kimchi, and toasted slivered almonds. Plus roasted brussel sprouts and off-screen sourdough toast.
A very-berry smoothie. Frozen triple berry blend plus grapes, chia, brown sugar, and ube flavoring.
Some exceptionally good bars (plus mandarin oranges). Both were filling, sweet but not saccharine, and had a nice chewiness. 10/10, would buy both again!
Fun lattes from Grind House. This was raffaello-inspired, with coconut and white chocolate.
Still on my take-out sandwich obsession. This was a bbq chicken crunch wrap.
Homemade pasta. Whole-wheat spaghetti with sautéed mushrooms and ground turkey with smoked paprika, mace, and garlic plus sour cream and parmesan.
Taco night. Seasoned ground turkey on flour tortillas with sour cream and Whole Foods’ roasted chipotle salsa (our favorite). Plus tiny tomatoes and roasted cauliflower.
The week after Christmas is still an acceptable time for eggnog coffee.
See also – I made a chestnut iced latte. Strong espresso plus half and half with chestnut paste, sugar, vanilla bean, cinnamon, and mace.
This grape kombucha was wonderfully juicy.
See also – rainbow sherbet Hi-Chews.
Whole Food’s peanut butter and jelly bites plus mandarins.
Christmas dinner leftovers – roasted brussel sprouts with duck sausage, sharp cheddar, and chili flakes.
We might actually be addicted to Roast Sandwiches. I’ve been getting take-out from them at least once a week the past month and I think about their roast beef sandwiches constantly. This was a bbq chicken crunch wrap.
Sautéed maple sriracha kale with an herby bean salad. Great Northern beans with green onion, turkey bacon, garlic oil, Sichuan pepper salt, and tons of fresh mint and cilantro.
An even fancier salad. Sautéed kale with garlic and balsamic vinaigrette topped with roasted beets, deglet dates, pomegranate, honey goat cheese, and crumbled beef bacon.
P.S. Starting tomorrow Adam and I are both on vacation together for a week!
Very surprised by how good these seasonal white chocolate pretzel m&m’s were. I shared them at work and my coworkers were all also impressed.
My mother-in-law bought us chocolate covered pretzel sticks that are also dipped in caramel!
This egg nog beer was obviously the most “me” booze I’ve ever purchased, but also one of the best beers I’ve had all year! Abomination Brewing‘s Fog Nog – a double IPA brewed with lactose and spices.
Trader Joe’s sriracha shrimp bowl frozen meal. Topped with tons of extra sriracha, Kewpie mayo, and maple almonds.
Salmon roll inspired bowls. Farro topped with spicy salmon salad (canned fish with mayo, sriracha, and rice vinegar), sautéed zucchini spirals, chili flakes, and furikake.
Udon noodles // sautéed celery, bok choy, and green onion // sautéed ground turkey // stir-fried with egg and a homemade sauce including tomato paste and spicy bean paste.
A take on this cheesy rice porridge. We added extra broth and shredded chicken and topped it with urfa chili paste.
Trader Joe’s spicy Mexican-style riced cauliflower stir-fried with eggs and garlic olive oil. Plus roasted green beans and garlic knots.
Eggnog and peppermint are two of my all-time favorite flavors so naturally December is one of my favorite food months. Here are some of the items I’ve been stockpiling for the celebration –
On-theme things from this week include…
Coffee combo. The chobani oat nog is the best vegan egg nog I’ve tried but not as good as the traditional stuff.
Holiday kombucha with a holiday crisp barebell and a Lady Alice apple.
Hanco’s peppermint iced tea! With herbal jelly and strawberry jelly hearts (aka the best bubble tea combo).
Holiday ice creams at Ample Hills. Coquito and Co – coquito ice cream with rum, cinnamon, and nutmeg and homemade coconut cheesecake chunks // Festival of Lights – cream cheese ice cream with raspberry rugelach.
Dinner and drinks at Sleyenda, Leyenda‘s holiday pop-up! They decorate to the nines and serve a specialty cocktail menu all month.
We had coquito, obviously, plus my favorite drink of all-time – The Candy Striper – a frozen blend of Novo Fogo silver cachaça, coconut, maple, vanilla, lemon, peppermint, and cardamom.
Bonus – Coffee with cardamom and amazing Yemeni pastries at Diwan Cafe. This was stuffed with cheese and smothered in honey!
What an odd-feeling week; Adam and I came back from vacation and then immediately both went to work on Saturday, then it was a holiday week which always feels special even though we both worked, and tomorrow we are heading to Pennsylvania for a belated holiday celebration with all of my in-laws. But first, tonight we are meeting out of town friends for Her Name is Han, which should be quite fun.
Highlights from the week include – mostly things that were on-theme!
I want to say I don’t have a limited/seasonal release item problem but this year I stockpiled things that were on-theme for Thanksgiving, so you tell me. My Christmas collection is also pretty robust.
I needed special coffee to ease back into work so I pulled out Hudson Opera House Espresso beans from our last trip to Hudson Roastery.
Perfect Bar’s new chocolate toffee flavor was yummy (still can’t compete with the cookie dough one though).
See also – I liked Barebell’s holiday crisp even better. I couldn’t totally identify the flavor profile – coconut? – but it was creamy and delicious.
Yogurt bowl. With pumpkin seed butter, cranberry sauce, and maple and almond butter granola.
Peanut brittle Reese’s?! I actually loved these (still not as good as the pretzel cups!).
Homemade bbq turkey and black bean chili. Topped with cheese, cranberry sauce, and Trader Joe’s hot and sweet jalapenos.
Plus herbed stuffing veggie chips.
Salads. Sweet baby lettuce with black garlic balsamic vinaigrette, Trader Joe’s maple roasted almonds, smoked turkey, and roasted butternut squash.
Plus a mix of stuffing chips; we much preferred Trader Joe’s to the Whole Foods version.
Nachos! Stuffing chips with cheese, cranberry sauce, and smoked turkey.
Highlights from the last week, mostly fun drinks and good sandwiches on Trader Joe’s sourdough…
A new style of Kind bar, in dark chocolate peanut butter.
Sparkling matcha with a calmansi soda.
Seaweed chips plus sparkling yuzu.
A super easy paloma. I am 11/10 about finding tiny Squirt cans.
These tiny Trader Joe’s gummi bears are as delicious as they are adorable.
Out-of-town friends were here this Sunday and we spent an afternoon taking a long walk through Greenpoint – Williamsburg with stops for coffee and ice cream – the apple pie with cheddar caramel from Odd Fellows.
Tuna melts and roasted brussel sprouts. Tuna salad with mayo, stone-ground mustard, and capers, plus cheddar.
The turkey sandwich I’ve been waiting for all fall – with cheddar and pumpkin butter. Plus roasted broccoli with garlic and chili flakes.
P.S. It was a short week because I spent the first half in Ohio celebrating my grandmother’s NINETY-SECOND birthday. She’s amazing and it was an amazing trip!
P.P.S. Also I was home for several meals that didn’t get photographed because apparently we are obsessed with Roast Sandwich Shop and will order and eat their bbq chicken crunch wrap multiple days in a row!
Eating Chalk 