Lobster, And Marrow, And Boba, Oh My!

The past three days were the best of 2013, and I have so much to say.  We ended every day so exhausted/satisfied/full and blogging just felt like an impossible feat.  But how can I not blog two of my favorite meals in Buffalo?  I may not get to say as much as I’d like, but at least this post will help put my memories all in one place.  If I had to state the theme of this post succinctly, it would be – I really, deeply, emphatically love good food.

This weekend we were lucky enough to have a visit from some of my Maryland family, my aunt and one cousin.  They are some of the best people I know and I loved getting to share and explore Buffalo with them.

On the way to the airport, I drank a Zico Chocolate Coconut Water,

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and split a Cascadian Farm Crunchy Oats & Honey Granola Bar with the husband.

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When we got home I put out a little meze spread for lunch.

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Cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumber with pink salt, baby carrots, Wegman’s roasted garlic hummus, and tamari almonds.

My plate, x2:

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I also ate the bread ends off of a loaf I sliced up to make Adam a sandwich.

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I need to do raw veggie spreads more often; this was a very satisfying lunch.

We took a wander down Elmwood to show the fam where I work and play, and stopped at Ashker’s for wonderfully velvety espresso.

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With skim milk and sugar.

Then we were off to the falls!

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We lucked out with the perfect weather – cold enough to scare away the crowds but warm enough that you could really take your time to appreciate Mother Nature.

Speaking of Mothers, that’s where we had dinner!

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Mother’s restaurant is 10 steps from our old apartment but we never made it a priority because we thought it was steak house.  The menu was mostly meat, but that didn’t keep me from having an absolutely fantastic meal.

Bread with salted butter.

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Glass of wine, a Chablis that I enjoyed far more than I was expecting to.

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Salad.

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My picture quality went downhill at this point but the quality of food kept shooting up.

For an appetizer we all split the gnocchi.

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Potato gnocchi with portobello, lump crab, peas, and a white truffle sauce.

My portion, x2.

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All of those components are great on their own but together they became something amazing.  Best gnocchi I’ve ever had; it was pillowy beyond my wildest dreams.

For my entrée: “sautéed red snapper fillet with gulf shrimp, mushrooms, artichokes, scallions, lemon butter sauce, and microgreen salad.

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It also came with asparagus and perfectly roasted potatoes.

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The dish was wonderful and the portion was gigantic (Adam actually ate the other half of my fish for dinner tonight!).  Certainly a meal worth going back for.

But the best bites I took were actually from the husband’s dish.

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The black (squid ink) pasta I could live without, but the scallops – like the gnocchi – were the best I’ve ever had.  They were cooked to perfection, with a nice crust and creamy middle.  Adam must love me a whole lot to have given me as many bites as he did!

– . – . – I need to stop and do some foreshadowing here: the meal at Mother’s was not even the best meal of their visit!

Monday morning my aunt and I walked Webster to The Spot for some coffees.  The baristas gave me a gorgeous drink and were super sweet about the dog in my arms.

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Tall skim latte, to go.

Back at home, I had a big bowl of Cascadian Farms Berry Cobbler Granola with fresh blackberries and homemade vanilla cashew milk.

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While it clearly couldn’t compete with our dinners, this meal was pretty flipping good.  I’m thinking that the cashew milk may be worth the effort after all.

The weather had shifted back to winter by that point so we spent our afternoon walking around the mall.  My aunt bought me a couple of new work pieces at Old Navy – – can you believe I start school next week?!

You have to do self-serve froyo when you’re at the mall.  I did a small amount of plain tart and coconut yogurt, a medium amount of fresh fruit, and tons of popping boba.

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Is it sick that both bubble tea and self-serve froyo make an appearance on my “must have” list for next year’s move?

For dinner, we met the husband at Seabar.

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I could talk about how fun the decor is, but when the food is this awesome, who really cares?

I got a spicy bloody mary to drink.

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I know keep saying this, but seriously – best blood mary I’ve ever had!

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It came loaded with Tabasco, Franks, and Sriracha.

My impetus for dragging everyone to Seabar was simple – “Bourdain’s Last Meal.”

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Marrow, foie gras torchon, (and pork belly which I requested come on a separate plate), and toasted bread for spreading.

***This post is far too long already for me to go into my food philosophy.  In short – yes, I ate marrow and yes, I still won’t eat read meatIf you would like me to post more about it just ask and I gladly will. 

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Trying marrow has been on my life list for years and it was like nothing I’ve ever tasted before.  I totally concur with its description as “the world’s best butter.”  We all shared the appetizer but I will totally cop to eating a lion’s share of the marrow.  Also, I spread marrow between two toasts and ate it like a small, ridiculously decadent sandwich.

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And then I closed my eyes and swooned.

Actually, I spent most of the meal with my eyes closed tight, straining to help my taste buds make the most of every flavor.  I hate to knock my favorite place in Brooklyn off of the top, but this meal was the best I’ve ever eaten.

My family raved about their sushi – inventive combos composed of incredibly fresh fish – but my entrée was by far the best plate at the table.

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“Lobster  Ramen – Handmade Noodles, Lobster Broth Poached Egg, Shiitakes, Pickled Vegetable”

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None of us could get over the texture of the lobster and the noodles were out of this world.  Also, the pickled vegetables were nothing to frown at, but they were hard to focus on with poached lobster sitting at the table.  When I took my first bite of homemade noodle with egg yolk broken on top I was pretty sure I would die of happiness.

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And I haven’t even mentioned the broth yet.  I shared many bites and was more than generous with my lobster claws, all while threatening everyone not to spill a drop.  Then when all that was left was broth, I sucked it up with my straw!  I regret nothing.

I ate a dark chocolate peanut butter santa when we got home.

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And I collapsed into bed, basically drunk on marrow.

This morning we pulled ourselves out of our food comas and drove over to East Aurora.  I know I don’t actually live in EA, but I always want to bring visitors to Taste.

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I had the Santa’s Sleigh with skim milk.

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A peppermint tea latte with white chocolate and a hint of coconut.  It was delicious!

We were just admiring the cool industrial vibe when… I dropped my camera on the concrete floor.  Please note – I stayed amazing calm, but if my memory card had broken too and I’d lost the pictures for this post I definitely would have cried.

I’m going to end my blogging here, because I just can’t see tacking cell phone photos on the end of this lengthy post.

Broken cameras be damned, we had a nice day.  I managed to get buffalo wings into my aunt and cousin before they had to head to the airport.  I had a good day of work.  Adam and I shared a Dole Whip at the mall.  And many (many) hours later, I have a new camera.  So tomorrow, we can start all over again.

What/where was your best meal?  Have you ever tasted something so good you had to shut your eyes?

Keeping Time

Here is a highlights post for Monday and Tuesday… I think… Adam and I stayed up past 3am several days in a row and I’ve been slightly confused about time ever since.  Case in point: I spent Friday rushing around to accommodate the post office’s reduced Saturday hours.  Then Saturday night I took a Sunday night pill.

And I really must be losing my mind because yesterday I went to the gym.  And I want to go back again tomorrow!

{highlights}

We ate a lot (a lot!) of good food the last few days, here were the really great bites –

Pizza and salad.  Romaine with black beans, groats, green pepper and peanut sauce.  Pizza Hut’s extra cheese for the win.

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Pecan turtle tart from the co-op.

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A sweet snack plate; aka 2 green dragon apples, melted pb and Biscoff for dipping, and the last of the cheese straws.

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A killer chocolate banana smoothie.

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A few notes on the smoothie – it was made with a Smoothie Mixer that I was sent to sample.

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Nativas Naturals joined forces with William Sonoma to create a new line of organic superfood smoothie blends.  From WS –

The Antioxidants Smoothie Mixer is a sweet-tangy blend of organic superfruits including goji, acai, pomegranate, camu and blueberry. These superfruits contain an abundance of antioxidants. We suggest mixing this gluten-free blend with frozen berries, mango, orange juice and honey.

The Omega-3 Smoothie Mixer is a fruity blend that combines three fiber-rich sprouted seeds and grains (chia, flax and brown rice) with cranberries. The gluten-free blend provides a plentiful supply of plant-based essential fatty acids (Omega 3, 6 and 9). Julie Morris, our Executive Chef, likes to mix it with frozen berries, yogurt, almond milk, honey and vanilla.

The rich, chocolaty Protein Smoothie Mixer features three of the most nutrient-dense superfoods in the world (hemp, cacao and maca) and a delicious low-glycemic natural sweetener from Peru (lucuma). This kosher blended powder is a nourishing source of protein and omegas, as well as antioxidants found in the feel-good cacao. Blend this gluten-free Smoothie Mixer with a banana, peanut butter, non-milk of your choice and honey.

I received an e-mail offering me a chance to try one of the blends and I chose the protein one because I know that my breakfasts could use a little more protein for staying power.

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I decided to the blend in a simple smoothie first – Silk Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk, frozen bananas, Protein Smoothie Mixer, and a bit of honey.  Adam and I both thought that the smoothies were great.  The powder blends in easily and gives the smoothie a nice hint of chocolate.  I took a few sips from the blender before I added the honey (which was mostly for Adam’s benefit) and determined that I would not normally feel the need to sweeten it.  Two thumbs up!  Let’s be real though, the smoothie was good, but it was nowhere near as awesome as my new cup.

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Do you ever get confused about what day it is?  I’m almost looking forward to going back to school just so I’ll have some clue of what’s happening around me!

On The Goal

I stayed up way too late last night waiting for Adam to get home, but that didn’t stop me from crossing not one, but two items off of my birthday goal list.  See, who needs New Year’s resolutions?

But first, I made us a fancy weekend breakfast.

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Actually, first I put Uggs (and a fleece I found in the dirty clothes section of Adam’s suitcase) over my pj’s to go out to Starbucks to buy Adam a coffee.

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I’m a frumpy good wife.

After the public embarrassment, I made us eggnog french toast.

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Two slices of whole wheat bread soaked in 1 large egg + 1 white, a big pour of eggnog (~1/2 cup?), 1 tsp of vanilla, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.  After a quick visit to a hot skillet greased with butter, I topped my slice with berries.

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And maple syrup.

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Delish!  I wish eggnog was a year-round treat so I could make this french toast again.

My iced coffee was from my fridge, not The Spot, but I like to reuse my cups.

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1 cup of Chameleon Cold Brew with a lot of Silk Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk and a little of sweetened almond and cashew cream.

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The cup was okay but the cream was disgusting and the rest of the carton went straight to the trash.

Also in the garbage?  This honey basil seed drink.

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The frog egg texture worked for us, but the flavor did not.

My to-go lunch was much more successful.

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A riff on the black-eyed pea salad I want to eat for the rest of my life; black beans with chopped green pepper, pineapple salsa, and the last of the Kerrygold Vintage Cheddar.

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Not as good as the original, but still worth eating.  And it helped me achieve one of my birthday goals…

First on the list?  Building a snowman!

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This was my 2nd snowman ever.  And my first was a inches-tall affair, decorated with buttons that were subsequently stolen, when I was three years old and in the states for a funeral; so I’m not sure that counts.

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We used green pepper pieces from my lunch for eyes.

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2nd achievement unlocked?  A trip to the Buffalo Museum of Science.

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It seemed like the perfect museum to attend with a small child, but Adam and I were ready to go well within an hour.  I’m glad I went, but I never want to go back.

I got some produce into the afternoon in the form of juice.

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Kale, spinach, carrot, and apple.  It was tasty but sadly light on the greens.

Dinner was popcorn at a movie!  A cheddar and caramel mix from a specialty shop in the mall.

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I really wanted this one,

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but Adam and I shared (3-1, my favor) this size instead.

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We saw “Parental Guidance” and thought that the snacks were better than the show.  Also, I’m very sad to report that we saw “This Is 40” on our anniversary and hated it.  Jude Apatow, I so want to love you!  Apparently we are not quite ready for kids?

What was the worst movie (or best!) you’ve seen recently?

Fresh Fage French Onion Dip

I did not end up watching tv last night but I didn’t go to bed for hours either.  I also did not eat my coconut butter snack.

Instead I had it for breakfast.

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The Artisana Cacao Bliss packet was delicious!  The taste and texture reminded me of crumbly chocolate frosting.  Plus it was super filling.  I have two more of the packets and I’m very much looking forward to them.  And yes, that is a soda in the back of the picture; breakfast didn’t happen until near noon.  As it always goes the day after a migraine, my eats were all over the place today.

I got up late in a daze, made some important school calls, and then rushed out of the house to run time-sensitive errands.  By the time I made my way to Wegman’s it was after 4:00 and I was starving.  Hot bar to the rescue.

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Asian wokery veggies, watermelon, and pineapple.

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A little bit of sweet and sour pineapple chili chicken plus a Thai chicken spring roll.

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And I snagged these adorable cupcake gummies from the bulk bins.

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They were like little vanilla-berry pillows.

Dinner round 1 was a taco salad.

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A romaine base topped with chopped green pepper, black beans, a handful of crushed Beanitos, chopped Cabot 50% light sharp cheddar, and a big scoop of Wegman’s pineapple salsa.

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I gave my bowl a 30 second nuke in the microwave a few bites in and it made it even better.  I think I prefer Wegman’s version of the pineapple salsa to Newman’s Own’s; the sweetness and the spice are both a little less intense.

Dinner round 2 was lightened up chips and dip.

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2 servings of ruffles,

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and a bowl of Fresh Fage French Onion Dip.

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I’ve been craving french onion dip (with freshly caramelized onions!) for days so I decided to try my hand a lighter version.  I included the recipe for the dip at the bottom of this post.  It was really delicious!

Dessert was a mini pack of strawberry-filled koala cookies and a serving of Skinny Cow Peanut Butter Cream Filled Chocolates.

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Both were good, but I have got to cut back on the sugar.  I have been soooooo hungry this week and it’s driving me crazy.

Adam has been out-of-town the past few days and he gets back tonight = yay!!!!!  We have two fun days planned this weekend and I can’t wait.

Fresh Fage French Onion Dip, serves 1-2 (Or more, if you’re into smaller – i.e. 2-3 Tbsp – servings.  For 1-2 people this recipe makes a large enough bowl of dip to really scoop your chips into.)

  1. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add butter and oil to heated pan.  When butter is completely melted, stir in the onion and pinch of salt.  Cook 5 – 7 minutes until onions caramelize, stirring occasionally.  Remove caramelized onions from heat and let cool for 1 – 3 minutes before adding to yogurt.
  2. Place yogurt in a large bowl.  Add onions, Worcestershire, onion powder, and remaining salt and stir until well-combined.  Serve with carrot sticks or ruffled chips.

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What is your favorite kind of dip?  I’m a buffalo chicken dip girl myself, gotta embrace the homeland!

3 > 2

I am working my way through a migraine and I want to hurry to bed with a magazine.  An episode of “30 Rock” may or may not happen first though…

Yesterday was the worst day of the year (hardy har; see what I did there? it’s not really hyperbole because there have only been three days).  I was cranky and out-of-control-hungry all day long and the only things I managed to do were stuff my face and sulk.  I vowed that the 3rd would be better than the 2nd, and even with my migraine today was a good day.  Woop.

I did start with a good breakfast.

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1 serving of Cascadian Farm Berry Cobbler Granola topped with 2 handfuls of blueberries and blackberries, a sprinkle of toasted coconut, and Silk Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk.

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This is the breakfast that’s grrrrrrreat!

I brought my 2nd aloe drink from Aloic to work with me.

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Super refreshing.

For lunch I packed some old beans.  They were jolly good.  <– are you slapping your knee yet?  3/4 cup black-eyed peas with a big handful of chopped green pepper, a small handful of smoked almonds, and 1 oz-ish chopped Kerrygold vintage cheddar; seasoned with salt and a few dashes of green Tabasco.

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The mix of flavors and textures in this quick salad was so tasty and satisfying.  Definitely a dish I need to recreate when I’m packing lunches for my big girl job for the rest of the year my life.

*no photograph available* I ate at least 10 mini candy canes during my shift and gave myself the worst sore throat.  It was a slow day and I didn’t get much sleep so sugar was the only way I could stay awake.  Terrible.

And I’m just now realizing that the massive sugar intake is probably what led to my migraine.  Goddamnit.

I was already starting to feel off when I headed home from work so I picked up a slice of Buffalo chicken pizza for dinner.

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With blue cheese, plus a mound of baby carrots from home.

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I really could have split that giant slice with Adam (that is in fact 1 Zetti’s slice cut in half, not two normal-size slices) but he’s not here and I have no self-control so I ate the whole thing!

I’m also going to eat this packet of Artisana Cacao Bliss for dessert.

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I’ll have to let you know how it is in the morning.  I tried to heat it up a little and took things too far so now I’m waiting for it to resolidify.

Hope everyone has a good night!

Hello, 2013

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a great first day.  I started my year the best way possible – a long morning in bed with my husband and dog and an afternoon spent cleaning every trace of 2012 away from the apartment.  He vacuumed and put away Christmas decorations and I organized and put away the Christmas presents.  I also did some electronics cleaning; my cell phone, bookmarks, and google reader are sparkling.  I even cleaned up my desktop.

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Tomorrow I just have to organize my school stuff from last semester.  I’ve got to start getting ready for the next (last!) semester; I go back to school in 20 days!

We started our day with smoothies for a late breakfast.

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For two: 1.5 cups Silk Soy, 1.5 frozen bananas, 1/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut, and 1 Tbsp coconut oil went into the blender.

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It was yummy!  I got the coconut oil idea from Jenna Marbles and I think it was a good addition.

Lunch came in snack plate form.  Roasted green beans.

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And a sweet plate.

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Sliced honeycrisp,

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smoked almonds,

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and the last cherry cheesecake brownie.

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The mouthfuls with almond and brownie were great.  I am not going to post the brownie recipe because it is cobbled together from a few sources but I am working on something similar that should be amazing.

I also had a small coffee – with lots of skim milk and vanilla sugar – when we went to Wegmans in the afternoon.

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We may have made a grocery trip, but dinner was still pieced together from random things left in the fridge.  Thankfully, it ended up being delicious.

Cornmeal crusted tofu.

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I marinated pieces of 3/4 of a block of extra-firm tofu in Stubbs BBQ sauce all afternoon and then tossed the pieces in cornmeal (aka raw polenta) and corn starch and sautéed them in a bit of canola oil.  We loved them, the crust was perfection!  I dipped mine in honey.

Roasted asparagus.

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With cooking spray, salt, and a bit of lemon.

Lucky quinoa salad.

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I cooked 1/2 cup of quinoa, tossed it with 1 cup of canned black-eyed peas {for New Year’s luck!}, the leftover bbq sauce from the tofu, and some chopped green pepper.  It was like a quick and dirty hoppin’ john.

For dessert we opened up the chocolate cream biscuit cookies we bought at Vineeta.

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One serving each and I’m excited to eat the last three tomorrow.  They were quite good.

How’d you spend the first day of 2013?

Oh Baby Please Don’t Snow

Hello, again.  I didn’t blog the two days after Christmas because I got hit with a winter cold.  I’m still feeling badly but I’m definitely on the mend.  And yesterday was our 10th/5th anniversary!  10 years of being together and 5 of being married; they line up exactly because we made a point of getting married on our previous anniversary.

We spent yesterday doing our favorite things (sushi, froyo, a movie…) and just enjoying each other’s company.  I don’t talk about it a lot on the blog, but I am so fortunate to have Adam in my life and I could not be happier.  We both feel unbelievably lucky to get to be together.  We watched our wedding video this morning and had a great time reminiscing.  I’m going to try to get it up on YouTube if I can because it’s also hilarious!  And there’s great footage of my grandpa giving a toast (a poem he wrote for the event) that made me cry.  It is so amazing that we have his voice on record, it makes our wedding video all the more special to me.

Breakfast today was a big bowl of cereals.

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All Bran Bran Buds, the last serving of Cascadian Farms Dark Chocolate Almond Granola (Adam ate through this stuff in a hurry!), toasted coconut, and skim milk.

I also had the rest of the dip (4-5 Tbsp?) with some kettle chips.

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And this cookie butter candy bar that I found in the back of the pantry while putting away Christmas gifts.

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Score!

The afternoon brought nachos (with black beans and salsa).

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We need “tv watching food” for our “How I Met Your Mother Marathon.”  <– it’s good, but no “Scrubs”

To drink, I had the organic aloe vera drink from Aloic.

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I have missed aloe drinks like crazy since we moved away from Brooklyn (where you find find them in every bodega, in fabulous combinations with tasty tropical fruits) so when Aloic offered to send me two bottles to try I happily accepted.  Here are the stats –

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The drink’s taste was crisp and clean; it went down easy!  And the pieces of aloe were fun to chew.  If you’ve never tried an aloe drink with pulp, the closest comparison I can think of is the jelly that often comes with bubble tea.  Delicious.

And I ate the last of the tree pasta with salt and evoo.

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I really need to consume some veggies but my cold is making everything healthy sound terrible.  Also, I have yet to go back to hot yoga and I can feel my wallet weeping with every missed class during my unlimited Groupon period.

I’m not going to post dinner, because I’m not sure yet what we’re having.  Instead two updates –

1. The weather – it is freaking snowing!

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That was the view from inside the car before Adam dug us out yesterday so we could go on our anniversary date.

2. My hair – it’s freaking purple!

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I continue to lose dye with each shower (that’s clearly not right) and as the color gets lighter it becomes much more noticeable.

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I love it!

Use Your Noggin

Hello, hello!  The days I’m excited to blog are always the same days I’m utterly exhausted.  Go figure.  Saturday was a symphony of holiday flavors but also a 9+ hour day at work.  Instead of posting last night I had a total tantrum and passed out fully dressed… so here is a 2-day recap.

Remember when I said “Saturday was a symphony of holiday flavors”?  You know, like five seconds ago.  Well, my day went eggnog –> candy cane –> gingerbread; bam!

Nog based overnight oats for breakfast.

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I put 1/4 cup oats, 1/2 cup Silk Soy Nog, and 1 Tbsp chia seeds in the fridge overnight, then Saturday morning I added 1 sliced banana and a big dash of Christmas sprinkles.

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So festive and delicious.  Also, holy frick, I love chia seeds so much.

My candy cane came in the form of a Peppermint Stick Clif Bar during work.

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This is Clif’s best seasonal flavor by far.  The bar has the perfect amount of peppermint.

Gingerbread was a cupcake surprise from the husband.

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He had an appointment near Fairy Cakes in the afternoon and he brought me home a gingerbread stout cupcake with cream cheese icing.

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It was ridiculous good, maybe the best cupcake I’ve ever had!  The cake had a great ratio of spice to sweet and was so fluffy and moist.  I shared one big bite with Adam but downed the rest with gusto.

The rest of the day’s eats were out of season, but still good.  From fall I borrowed an apple and a Blue Moon Pumpkin Ale.

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I split the beer with Adam and ate the apple on my own.

I guess nachos are actually appropriate for any season, right?

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Adam and I shared a tray, straight from the oven.  We topped scoop-style tortilla chips with roasted brocoli and green pepper, Newman’s Own Pineapple Salsa, and Cabot Reserve Aged Cheddar.

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We loved them.  He was a little iffy on roasted brocoli as a nacho topping but it was delicious.  And I was worried about that type of cheese versus a regular cheddar, but that ended up being perfect too.  And the pineapple salsa is hands-down the best jarred salsa I’ve ever had.

Blah, blah, blah, and then I started having a fit and had to go to bed.  I didn’t get anywhere near enough sleep during the weeks Adam was gone and I’m still really freaking tired.

Sunday was a super hungry day and I ate a ton of crap.  A brunch of sorts, was low-fat coffee yogurt with honey roasted peanuts and honey,

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a few pieces of toffee candy from home,

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and several handfuls (about 3 servings or 250 calories worth) of dried turkey.

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During work I drank a Starbucks Vanilla Doubleshot.

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Working with crowds of Christmas shoppers is exhausting but also really rewarding.  Five different people today thanked me effusively for my help and that was a really good feeling.  Actually, one super hot guy told another customer that I was fantastic and I about died!

Adam picked me up after work for a fun treat.

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Bubble tea from Gin Gin!  Best bubble tea I’ve ever had, and I’ve tried a lot.  I got a medium red bean milk tea with regular and popping boba (the purple one is Adam’s taro).

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We both swooned over how good they were and finished our drinks in the car long before we made it home.  And we called my mom on speaker on the drive and drove her crazy scraping through our ice for errant tapiocas!

Dinner was pizza.

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And we shared a beer.

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We were gearing up for a long night of baking.

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I’m giving my co-workers all pies for Christmas and we are not even close to finished still.  Sorry, husband!

We made smoothies mid-baking for strength.  Frozen strawberries and blackberries blended with So Delicious Mint Chocolate Coconut Milk.

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And I’ve done a little nibbling while we baked.

I have a holiday breakfast with work tomorrow and then I’m spending Christmas Eve on the couch with Adam.  I have two days off in a row for the holiday and I am so excited to spend them with my boys!

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Did you give any handmade gifts this season?