Vacation Part 1/3

by Emily

We’re on vacation! Friday through next Sunday Adam and I have 10 glorious days off together!! We’re spending time in New Orleans and next weekend we’re doing a staycation in the city.

You can tell we’re in vacation-mode because we ate 90% of our meals out of the house and with drinks and dessert and have been purchasing all of the coffees.

Espresso at Variety.

New Orleans cold brew at Blue Bottle.

Espresso at Mixtape.

Iced coffee and a chocolate croissant at L’imprimerie.

Drinking chocolate at Devocion.

Dinner at Sally Roots. Booze face.

I got jerk chicken ramen! Chicken broth, yummy jerk chicken, noodles, fish cakes, bamboo, spinach, and wood ear mushroom.

We did dessert at Guadalupe Inn. Drinks with meh chocolate tres leche cakes and churros stuffed with fabulous goat milk caramel.

Best brunch of the year at Rider. Safe Word of the Day and Covet Thy Neighbor’s Drink.

The Cure = crispy rice and lentil cakes, duck confit, cilantro, hoisin, sriracha, and poached egg. Adam had lox and fries, a combo you didn’t know how much you needed.

Dessert at Odd Fellows. Crème brulee and banofee ice creams with brown butter cake crumbs on top.

Pretty damn good brunch at Forrest Point. This drink was named “Fancy Pants,” Flor de Cana, Wild Turkey, Pedro Ximenez sherry, pineapple, lemon, Lapsang Souchong, star anise, cinnamon, and demerara sugar!

Chilaquiles!

Skillet s’mores with Fernet.

I did manage to make some dinners at home – chicken enchilada casserole. I loosely followed this recipe from Jo Cooks, with brown rice and the addition of green chilis. With roasted zucchini on the side and chips for dipping.

Other things that are making me happy… this assortment of cola-flavored goodies. The gum was great the seltzer was too plain.

We found (freshly made) coquito at a bar in Bushwick! It tastes like coconut eggnog and joy.

The Body Shop sent me this sweet holiday gift. Fantastic eyeshadow and delightful smelling things. FYI – they are offering a bunch of gift sets that will contribute to rainforest conservation, I recommend everything strawberry.

Happiest thing of all? I’m on vacation!

5Nov2016

Bites And Frights

by Emily

How in the world is it November??? I promise not to spend the rest of this year talking about how the year is running out, but it really is blowing my mind.

On the agenda before January? Christmas shopping, finding the perfect day planner for 2017, and plans for three out-of-town trips right in a row.

Presently, I’m waiting for Adam to get home so we can go to brunch. And these were the highlights from the past week…

I actually did a pretty good job with capturing things this week minus a plethora more of nachos and iced coffees. I tried a new blend from Birch.

Espresso and a KIND bar.

Coffee, chai latte, and an almond croissant.

I found a white chocolate seltzer for my Halloween lunch. It didn’t have much flavor, but my oatmeal was good – with chia seeds, chocolate-covered cacao nibs, and candy corn, plus I stirred in pumpkin puree and Greek yogurt cream cheese at the end.

Other lunches centered around this sweet box of samples from LÄRABAR. They offered me a chance to try their newest product – BITES, “truffle-like bites made from real food to satisfy your sweet craving.” The bites are vegan, gluten-free, kosher, and only use Fair Trade Certified™ cocoa and coffee.

We tried three of four flavors (I’m saving mint chocolate for December, aka Peppermint Month) and were big fans. Cherry Chocolate Chip was enjoyable but not our favorite, I thought Double Chocolate Brownie was fudgy and great next to coffee, and Adam loved the fact that Chocolate Macaroon was coated in coconut flour.

I had a serving of brownie bites with a Noosa pumpkin yogurt and some gum drop grapes(!!) for lunch.

Coconut macaroon went with plain yogurt with yummy chocolate tahini on top.

This week’s snack highlights were nut and seed centric.

Also, of course, candy. Another product review, Magic Candy Factory sent me a super exciting sample –

That’s my name! I think this company is really exciting, you can choose from 100’s of shapes, or write a custom message, and MCF will 3D print you a gummy. The candy is vegan (no dairy, no gelatin), gluten-free, nut-free, and kosher. Most importantly, it’s delicious.

We tried sublime strawberry and Adam declared this his favorite gummy candy of all time.

Orange and black nachos for Halloween. TJ’s pumpkin chips topped with cheddar, olives, black beans, and shredded chicken.

Plus pumpkin beers and Peeps. Warlock was fantastic this year.

For the rest of the week, I made a big batch of pumpkin seed pesto. Served on pizza with cheddar and sliced turkey, I promise it was tastier than it looked. With a pea sprout salad.

And we tossed the rest of the pesto with pumpkin-shaped pasta, parmesan, shredded chicken, and roasted cauliflower. Almost nothing is better than pesto pasta.

Enjoy your weekend!

26Sep2016

This Is The Past Week

by Emily

The week since I last posted included – a 6 am-start work day with a blissful 3 pm return home // a limp, due to a minor biopsy on one of my toes // a free trip to the Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum thanks to a Smithsonian “Museum Day” promotion // a one day weekend with a Sunday at work // two trips to the Gotham West Market // the return of most of my fall tv shows! // dessert once a day at a minimum // tons of cuddle time with Webster // etc, etc.

{highlights}

My current coffee favorite – espresso on ice with a chocolate milk carton.

Harmless Harvest coconut water with a peanut butter chocolate chip Zing bar. Two thumbs up x2.

Maple brown sugar Peeps. I know I’m disgusting but I kind of loved these, they are gritty in the best possible way.

Iced hibiscus apple cider at Argo Tea. I was limping through Manhattan on an especially hot day at this hit the spot.

Sushi burrito. Stuffed with brown rice, tofu, spicy tobanjan mayo, carrot and daikon pickles, seaweed salad, and red pepper. Their marinated silky tofu is the best tofu I’ve ever tasted.

Hail Mary. Root beer and rum for Adam and housemade cherry cola with whisky for me.

We shared two veggies – fried green tomatoes,

and fantastic charred greens (with anchovy crumbs, plum molasses, and buttermilk).

Mostly we were there for dessert.

“Mile-high” funfetti cake with salted caramel buttercream and giant housemade sprinkles!

Bareburger. I got a collard greens Caesar salad and buffalo chicken bites.

Last night we made a Southern-flavors-inspired buttermilk-laced feast. Apple cider for cooking fuel.

Oven-fried buttermilk chicken tenders and roasted green beans with homemade honey mustard.

Buttermilk pie in a Biscoff cookie crust.

YUM!

5Sep2016

Semi-Vacation

by Emily

Adam has been on vacation for the past two weeks which means that, even though I’ve been at work most of the days, it feels like I’ve been on vacation for the past two weeks. Nice! Husband time is the best and getting to see him immediately before and after work (versus him going in while I’m asleep and coming home after dinner is made) is better than any white sand beach.

I mostly spent the past week making googly eyes at Adam. But also, per usual, we walked and ate a ton when I wasn’t busy at work. Here were the top ten eats for the week/end…

{1} Caramel coffee at home.

{2} Coconut coffee from Konditori.

{3} Brunch at Colonie. Duck hash for two.

With aioli, a poached egg, and the best fried potatoes.

{4} Drinks at Grand Army.

The best round included this Under the Sea – Batavia Arrak agricole rum, navy-strength rum, absinthe, cinnamon, coconut, lime, and blue curacao.

{5} Fruity beers at home.

We recently discovered that we adore New Belgium and their watermelon lime ale did not disappoint.

{6} Key lime pie.

Adam explored the North Fork one day – and loved it – and brought me home some of the best pie.

{7} Mamey ice cream.

I made a sundae with maple peanut butter, granola, and sprinkles.

{8} Ice cream with apple cider caramel. Ample Hills is celebrating Roald Dahl this month.

Enjoyed September 1st to celebrate the first day of Apple Month.

{9} Buffalo chicken quinoa bowls.

I stirred sautéed onion, carrots, and celery into quinoa and topped it with fancy blue cheese and buffalo chicken dip.

{10} Seafood extravaganza at Littleneck. We shared lobster and crab rolls.

The very best dish of the night was this charred broccolini.

With anchovy, lemon, and chili flakes.

{bonus} Dinner at Oiji. I didn’t take a single picture but Adam and I enjoyed one of our favorite meals of all time there. Among other things, we had a transcendent mushroom salad and honey butter chips that blew our minds.

24Aug2016

Three Day Weekend Staycation

by Emily

Not only was I off last Friday for a three-day weekend, but Adam started a 2-week vacation and was free to hang out with me all three days as well! We had originally thought about taking a trip to Boston but the hotel situation was prohibitively expensive and we live in the best city on Earth so it made more sense to do a staycation instead. Basically we had a three day long date! We walked and ate and repeated until we were sunburnt, stuffed, and smiling.

Friday: we took the train to the new-ish Hudson Yards Station.

Walked around Chelsea and got coffees at the up and coming Chelsea Terminal Warehouse. Walked along the Highline.

Walked through Greenwich Village. Watched the sunset at Chelsea Piers.

Saturday: we drove into Dumbo. Walked across the Brooklyn Bridge.

Took the free ferry to Ikea and spent an hour playing design a dream home (we did not have a couples fight, probably because all we needed to purchase was Swedish gummy candy from the bulk bins).

Spent the afternoon exploring Red Hook.

Sunday: we stopped for coffees in Floral Park. Got brunch in Park Slope. Walked a bit in Carrol Gardens.

Ate nachos in bed and watched NCIS.

I had to be choosy or this post would be ~~too long~~ even longer because we stopped at at least ten different spots for coffees and ice creams alone, but her were were the culinary highlights…

Cold brew from Brooklyn Roasting Company.

Aussie iced coffee from Bluestone Lane.

It was boiling hot all weekend and we drank about a million beverages, including an ultra-hydrating product sample – coconut water from Harmless Harvest.

They sent me some free product coupons and cute cups in exchange for this post.

Harmless Harvest is my favorite coconut water anyway – the company is Fair for Life certified, the flavor is sweet and not “gaggy” like some brands can be, and the bottles are often pink*! – so I happily accepted. *Per the company – “Coconut water is clear when bottled but contains a variety of antioxidants which can turn pink once they interact with sunlight.”

I was told to include a photo of myself enjoying the coconut water and while I tried pick a picture Adam was busy guzzling down my drink, so clearly Harmless Harvest gets a thumbs up from him as well!

Adobo-ritos with chicken and kimchi fried rice from 2nd City. We also had really fantastic calamansi lime jello shots.

Our first time at Dominique Ansel. I thought the pastry was meh but we also tried the burrata soft serve (with balsamic caramel and a macerated strawberry) and it was mind-blowing.

Black sesame cream mochi. We also picked up some cola gummies!

Seafood lunch at Brooklyn Crab. We got beers and view.

Simple but wonderful salad to start, bibb lettuce with sweet and spicy pepitas and a maple goat cheese vinaigrette.

I got a blue crab roll with Old Bay mayo.

Steve’s Key Lime Pie, finally, I have wanted to go here since our original move to Brooklyn.

The swingle – aka key lime pie on a stick dipped in chocolate! – did not disappoint.

Brunch at Bricolage.

Bloody Mary.

I got the vegetarian crepe with king oyster and maitake mushrooms, bean sprouts, and fried eggs. Served rolled up in lettuce leaves with fresh mint and a spicy sauce.

Coke float soft-serve at Milk Bar.

Only two more days until the next weekend – this one’s going to be a four day doozy!

19Aug2016

Time Crunch

by Emily

Remember when I said seven days of work in a row wouldn’t be too bad? I’m old now. I am tired. I don’t have a ton to share because 2/4 dinners this week were Chipotle. And I only cooked one of the two non-Chipotle nights, the other we walked the dog to get milkshakes and then I got into bed the minute we got home at 7:30, fully dressed.

Coffee, obviously. Starbucks pro tip – order the cold brew “with room, no water” so you can ensure it doesn’t get too diluted behind the counter. I put milk in my coffee anyway so I’d rather temper the concentrate strength myself.

With almonds.

I’m still dying over the Grady’s Cold Brew with fat-free half & half and milk.

My lunches this week were centered around a generous box of freeze-dried fruits samples from Crunchies. The products are vegan, gluten-free, and kosher, and they contain no added sugars or flavorings, just fruits that have undergone a low-pressure drying process. Bonus – Crunchies sources the fruits directly from the farmers who grow them.

the free products were my only compensation for this post, all my own opinions, blah blah

We buy a lot of freeze-dried fruit because Adam often packs it for work so we were excited to try some new options.

Lows – raspberry. Too seedy and sour/bitter. To be fair, I don’t like any of the freeze-dried raspberries I’ve tried and I don’t love fresh raspberries.

High – everything else! These were the best freeze-dried fruits we’ve tasted. The strawberries weren’t too sweet or sour – no mouth pucker, the banana flavor was super strong, the grapes were sweet and a bit chewy, as were the pineapples. 10/10.

I enjoyed the fruits in yogurt bowls for lunch (I took half the bag and Adam took the other half with him). Plain Siggi’s, strawberry banana, Nonni’s dark chocolate banana.

0% Fage, raspberries, pom seeds, maple peanut butter.

Vanilla yogurt, grapes, pom seeds.

2% Fage, pineapple, coconut butter.

And here’s my only dinner photo, turkey and eggs.

Ground turkey sautéed with celery, evoo, tomato paste, Sriracha, brown sugar, and fish sauce. Topped with soft scrambled eggs. I made Adam a similar but less spicy dish for breakfast when he got home from work and he loved it.

Now I have a three-day weekend!

22Jul2016

Birthday Week Eats

by Emily

I turn 31 this Sunday so this week is my birthday week. My parents timed their summer visit for this weekend so I’m off of work today and Monday and I’m pretty sure the four-day weekend will be the best gift I’ve ever given myself. I also pulled out this stash of cake flavored stuff I’ve been hoarding all year –

The Airhead wins as my favorite, it has sprinkles in it!

My other eats included…

Coffee.

We’ve had some big changes at work – that squeezed even more work into each day – and on top of them one of my coworkers has been out all week and I’ve been responsible for covering both intensive care units. <– I have needed so much coffee.

I didn’t have time to pack lunch one day and I cobbled together a pretty great reuben-ish wrap sandwich in the cafeteria – sliced turkey, swiss, cole slaw, pickles, and thousand island.

Yogurt lunches reign supreme. Plain Siggi’s with blackberries and coconut butter.

Cake yogurt with KIND maple granola and blackberries.

Have you done Chobani’s “Find Your Flavor Soulmate” flow chart?

What combo does your heart sing for? My answers lead me to sweet and spicy but as much as I love some sweet with my heat spiced yogurt just doesn’t appeal to me. Sweet with sweet is much more my speed. Like this Almond Coco Loco Flip that knocked my socks off with how fantastically creamy it was.

Speaking of sweet… I am still completely obsessed with Justin’s peanut butter cups, in all forms.

And I made the David Lebowitz chocolate chip cookies so my parents could try them, not that there are many left!

Best meal of the week – I made a variation on this recipe with turkey bacon, chopped spinach, and fresh mint. It was still delicious as cold leftovers.

Salad night. Romaine with ranch / turkey bacon / shrimp / carrots / tomato / fresh mint / swiss.

Paired with chips and dip because I’m fancy.

I picked my parents up from the airport last night. JFK is a nightmare so we stayed in Long Island afterwards and grabbed dinner at a little diner near their hotel. I actually got a pretty yummy Greek meal.

Salad with spinach pie.

Have a great weekend!

1Jul2016

Weekly Wrap-Up

by Emily

Loves of Late

Family time: My parents were taking a quick vacation in Philadelphia this week and I took a mini road trip and drove up to spend the day with them! I love the Magic Garden mosaics.

TV: Rizzoli and Isles is on it’s final season and we have been loving it. It is the most unrealistic of the cop shows that I enjoy but it’s also very funny and heartwarming. All seasons are streaming on Hulu and I highly recommend going back to the beginning and giving it a watch. Also, the first three episodes of Documentary Now. Adam and I thought the 1st season went quickly downhill but the very first episodes are comedy gold.

Coffee: the beans we bought at Birch are fantastic, even when brewed in our crappy coffee pot at home.

Every time I go to Reading Terminal I hit Old City Coffee.

Also in Philly, I finally tried La Columbe.

Stuff: My new planner! I love new planners in general because I’m a dork but this one has shiny cut outs on the front. (from Blue Sky, fyi, but I couldn’t find it listed on the website)

I also just bought a shirt with cut outs on it, apparently that’s my summer trend.

The day I visited my parents we walked around the city all day and it was just so darn hot that we ended up buying me a new outfit so I could take the world’s most refreshing shower before dinner.

Eats

Coffee, duh! More cups than were shown above, obviously.

Terrible picture of the yummy pecan pastries a coworker brought it. She cut back on sugar which can leave baked goods overly tough but these ended up tasting like a pastry-scone hybrid.

Yogurt bowl – plain Greek with chopped red plum, granola, chia, and sprinkles.

Oatmeal bowl – with dark chocolate cacao nibs, chia, and coconut butter. Plus an apple on the side.

Chia pudding. The fizzy coconut water was horrible, btw.

When in Philly, (chicken) cheesesteak.

Pocky stick snack.

Turkey cheese roll ups.

Dinner at Devon Seafood with my parents.

I had the bouillabaisse.

Chipotle night, midweek road trips tire you out. My burrito was stuffed with chicken, pinto beans, peppers, cheese, sour cream, corn salsa, and lettuce.

Best for last, the one thing I actually cooked myself!

White quinoa / red lentils with lemon, tomato paste, and ginger / roasted zucchini and garlic sautéed mushrooms.

Have a great weekend!

Eating Chalk

Tag Archives: coconut

Vacation Part 1/3

Bites And Frights

This Is The Past Week

Semi-Vacation

Three Day Weekend Staycation

Time Crunch

the free products were my only compensation for this post, all my own opinions, blah blah

Birthday Week Eats

Weekly Wrap-Up

Loves of Late

Eats