Fruity boozy things. This Southern Tier orange twist ale had zero orange flavor but it did taste like a nice vanilla milkshake.
I have been considering a coconut water cocktail for months and it always sounds a bit gaggy but I think this combo worked – coconut water and limoncello plus vodka and yuzu seltzer.
My favorite popcorn combo – butter, salt, gochugaru, furikake, and a bit of sugar.
These Trader Joe’s jalapeño and cream cheese wontons were even better than expected. Decently spicy and cheesy and crispy.
Brooklyn Dip and Burger makes my favorite chicken in Long Island. These popcorn chicken tenders with Memphis dry rub are addictive.
“Oh chicken salad” <– Name that Scrubs scene! Shredded chicken breast and thighs with Greek yogurt, mayo, dijon mustard, paprika, celery seed, dried cherries, toasted pecans, celery, and green onion. Plus snap peas sauteed with lemon, butter, and togarashi and topped with edible flowers.
Mediterranean bowls. Roasted brussel sprouts / turkey meatballs with harissa and black olives / tabbouli / feta cheese / homemade pomegranate molasses.
This week’s coffee situation was some combination of one-all of these salted caramel things with iced Bones Coffee Jamaican Me Crazy. Also one day I added coconut milk!
Berry smoothie with frozen dark cherries, fresh blueberries, and vanilla protein powder.
Many good yogurt bowls this week. This one was plain skyr with watermelon plum, blueberries, Heritage Flakes, and salted caramel granola.
Plain skyr with plum, poppy seed filling, and orange mandarin passionfruit jam.
Trader Joe’s maple pancake corn puffs are perfectly savory and sweet.
Turkey-cheese roll up – Lavash bread with smoked turkey, extra-sharp cheddar, garlic hummus, and leftover roasted green beans.
Baked tofu and roasted broccoli with homemade ranch dip (mayo, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, and ranch seasoning). The tofu was Trader Joe’s super-firm that I marinated in pickle juice and coated in pulverized potato chips, roasted seaweed, sesame seeds, and panko.
A very loose but tasty take on callaloo made with frozen spinach and broccoli (plus yellow onion, scotch bonnet pepper, ginger, urfa chili, coconut milk, crab, and turkey bacon).
Topped with pickled ginger and this soursop hot sauce from home.
And paired with rum and Coke slushies, my greatest boozy creation.
I made a great rillete (aka fish dip) in the food processor with canned sockeye salmon, smoked trout, mayo, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, chili crisp, smoked paprika, and celery seed. Scooped with orange bell pepper, cucumbers, 12 Tides everything kelp chips, and Trader Joe’s spicy tempura seaweed snacks.
Jalapeño popper turkey burgers (I mixed the cheese in and these were fantastic!), roasted cauliflower, and a big pile of crispy baked fries. Plus an array of dipping sauces (ketchup, a quick honey mustard, and leftover ranch).
Some things from this week that weren’t pizza (but are mostly fruit and/or yogurt and/or dessert) –
Cherry cheesecake Chobani yogurt and a sumo orange. 5.5/10 – I need to accept that I mostly prefer the flavor of plain yogurts. That said, I added granola and the texture was fantastic.
Loaded yogurt bowl. Plain Greek with peanut butter, a Reese’s caramel peanut butter big cup (!!), granola, and blueberries.
Berry smoothie. This was good, I don’t know why the dog looks so dubious. Frozen cherries and berries blended with water, vanilla protein powder, and matcha tea powder.
Trader Joe’s had several pizza-flavored crunchy snacks and obviously that spawned a whole theme week for dinner –
Pizza Party kettle chips. 7.5/10 – they were excellently seasoned but ultimately I didn’t love how tomato-y these were.
Pizza flavored baked crisps. 6.5/10 – these were a bit too airy for me but Adam was a fan.
Homemade pizza bagels. Everything egg bagels with marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, and turkey pepperoni. Plus some heirloom tomato.
Homemade pizza bites. This recipe – I skipped the basil but added turkey pepperoni, gochugaru, and ranch seasoning. Plus roasted broccoli and cauliflower and a homemade blue cheese dip (Greek yogurt, mayo, lemon juice, ranch seasoning, and blue cheese crumbles).
Supreme pizza inspired nachos. Pizza party chips with mozzarella, sharp cheddar, Trader Joe’s plant-based pepperoni, chicken parmesan sausage, red onion, green bell pepper, and mushrooms. This was a spot-on flavor match! Plus marinara/chili oil for dipping.
Actual pizza. We got takeout from Dario’s and loved it. Eggplant and ricotta / birria / spicy chicken and peppers. This was the best eggplant pizza I’ve ever had.
Fun things from this week – we finished watching the series Detroiters and loved every minute, Tim Robbinson is a gem / I got up early on Friday to run before work and it left me in such a good mood all day / we had really good topping options in the house (see below) and therefore had really good snacks!
I saw a lot of love for this vanilla Shamrock Farms protein shake online so I tried it in a coffee – delicious!
Iced matcha with yuzu marmalade and yuzu lemon seltzer.
Smoothie with frozen cherries, vanilla protein powder, butterfly pea tea, and chocolate milk.
Cookie x cookie yogurt bowls, plain skyr with granola, oat butter, and blackberries.
P.S. Family yogurt bowl hour!
No Meating seitan vegan jerky. This had great flavor but the texture verged on too chewy.
Apple whiskey with yuzu marmalade and seltzer.
This new Ben & Jerry’s flavor is a 10/10; all ice cream needs a pretzel swirl!
Rice cakes with Chinese broccoli, egg, seitan vegan chicken, and a pad see ew style sauce.
I liked this bowl so much I ate it for dinner two nights in a row. Baked chicken (we’ve been doing variations of this recipe and it always turns out perfect) reheated in a skillet with butter and buffalo sauce on top of homemade cole slaw.
No post from me last week because we were on VACATION. It was perfect! We went home to the Virgin Islands and got to start every single morning with a run and/or iced coffee and/or breakfast right on the water. Then we came back to New York and had a fancy stay at the Wall Street Hotel and an amazing meal at their restaurant (La Marchande).
Highlights from this week included…
Valentine’s things! Like heart-shaped candies.
Chocolate cherry protein bar from 88 Acres.
Chocolate covered cherry smoothie – plain Greek yogurt, frozen dark cherries, and chocolate milk.
Chocolate cherry cookies – this recipe with the addition of chopped cocktail cherries.
I paired this wonderfully pink peach apricot rose soda with vodka and edible glitter!
Do these winter citrus fruits count as on-theme because I love them? My last two juicy crunch tangerines were a bit lackluster though, so sumo mandarins have regained the number one spot in my heart.
Yogurt bowl with juicy crunch tangerine, canned peaches, blueberry jam, and granola.
Snack plate – pimento cheese dip scooped with mini cucumbers, baby carrots, and white cheddar popcorn chips.
This week’s dinners were all – a) fantastic and b) served in bowls. Butter chicken inspired tofu. Extra-firm tofu marinated in tomato sauce, olive oil, ginger, curry powder, and smoked paprika then sauteed. For the sauce I cooked the marinade with yellow onion, fresno chili, butter, tomato paste, and a big splash of half and half. Served with a quick cucumber and tomato salad (tossed with lemon juice, olive oil, pepper, and Sichuan pepper salt) and a blend of brown rice and riced cauliflower.
Cava inspired bowls. Leftover rice/cauliflower / leftover cucumber tomato salad / marinated grilled artichoke hearts / honey harissa baked chicken (we use this recipe as our base and it is perfect) / baby corn / Cava crazy feta dip.
Bowls very-loosely inspired by Bún thịt nướng. Whole-wheat vermicelli noodles / roasted brussel sprouts / tomatoes / chicken breast cooked in the crockpot with water, soy sauce, lime juice, honey, and ginger / topped with Nước chấm sauce and chili crisp.
Blogging a day early… My New Years Eve celebration of choice has always been going to bed at a reasonable hour and starting the new year refreshed. We are finishing our year with junk food and a nice bottle of champagne 🙂
The cinnamon bun Chamberlain Coffee didn’t have enough flavor for us but the grapefruit elderflower Aura Bora is my favorite.
We met up with friends for coffee, a Bayside walk, and crepes. Mine had red bean, matcha ice cream, strawberries, and chocolate sauce. Plus I got a jasmine tea with an ice-bear.
Mexican street corn popcorn. I don’t love pre-popped popcorn but this variety was well-seasoned and a bit spicy.
Caramel on caramel. Great caramels that my parents made and even better Reese’s caramel big cups (sorry guys, yours would have won against a lesser candy!).
We’ve decided these Ben & Jerry’s s’mores cookie dough bites were the very best buy/new find of the year.
We were impressed with this Trader Joe’s orange chicken rice bowl.
Trader Joe’s frozen fish sticks (these I would not buy again) with roasted broccoli and delicata squash.
We made scones! Chocolate chip and dried cherry. They were yummy and so easy.
Brunch at Agi’s Counter in Brooklyn. Dirty Ovaltine was a hit.
We were head over heels for these palacsinta – Hungarian crepes layered with honey butter and wine poached figs.
We also shared the hashbrown with trout roe and scallion sour cream.
And the confit tuna melt sandwich. It came with great house-made pickles.
Sugar Hill Creamery. We tried a split scoop of the Unicorn (vanilla with birthday cake and sprinkles) and the Don Cartagnea (cream cheese ice cream with guava and croissant).
But really we were there for the hot chocolate! Topped with torched marshmallow fluff!! This couldn’t compare with drinking chocolate but it was definitely the best hot chocolate I’ve ever tasted. It was dark and bitter in a way that really complemented the fluff.
See also – I ended my weekend with a scoop of this dark chocolate and mint Ben & Jerry’s topped with fluff at home.
Chopped turkey sandwiches in nacho form – one of my best dinner ideas yet. A mix of smoked turkey, honey maple turkey, sharp cheddar, garlic sauteed baby broccoli, pepperoncinis, smoked paprika, salt and pepper, mayo, and yellow mustard; chopped and baked on top of Kettle pepperoncini chips.
Leftover rice casserole and broccoli salad plus Whole Foods’ pimento mac and cheese balls. This plate got doused with Cholula and honey.
Take-out from Datz Deli for some 10/10 Caribbean food. Wonderfully spicy jerk chicken and the best baked mac and cheese I’ve gotten in NY (mind you, not as good as my favorite from Pueblo back home). Plus we shared one of the sandwiches they are famous for – stewed oxtail and mac and cheese stuffed into a chicken patty stuffed into a coconut bread. Every component was perfect and together it was a dream! Plus roasted romanesco on the side.
Monday was my birthday! Obviously I had a stash of on-theme treats. Milk Bar ice cream (10/10; it has a frosting ribbon!) / BelliWelli bar (8/10) / Made Good granola bar (9.5/10) / Premier Protein protein shake (4/10).
See also – my birthday gift to myself was ordering some of these delicious cocktail cherries I had in Traverse City, MI.
Other fun treats included huckleberry gummy bears from CO.
Mango-passionfruit fruit leather.
Homemade (mini) blueberry cobbler! I used a New York Times Recipe. Topped with ice cream.
You know my birthday dinner choice was Roast take-out (enjoyed in front of “I Think You Should Leave,” of course!). I got a bbq chicken crunch wrap (sharp cheddar, pepper jack, avocado, crispy tortillas, chicken, and chipotle ranch) and fries with house sauce. Plus homemade spicy sesame green beans (steamed/blistered and sauteed with gojuchang, tahini, and sesame seeds).
This week’s dinners were all wins. Korean steamed eggs with brown rice, sauteed bok choy, roasted zucchini, and chili crisp.
Jumeokbap. I used brown rice and added Sriracha. And made mine giant! With leftover green beans (so good cold!) and cucumber tossed with gojuchang, sugar, and rice vinegar.
