Super Salad

by Emily

We are 85% moved to NYC and the move went swimmingly! Plus we had a fantastic time at our friends’ wedding.

Here were the highlights from this week…

These new Trader Joe’s chocolate covered espresso beans are my new favorite thing. They have the perfect ratio of bean to candy and the chocolate coating isn’t waxy at all.

Ridiculously good cake from Marie Bette; chocolate with salted caramel frosting.

This cranberry sour ale was a total winner.

I got a smoked chicken quesadilla from Asado that was shockingly good. Plus fries with queso!

I had an amazing salad bowl from Mezeh. Mixed greens // veggie kefta // tabouleh // olives // red cabbage slaw // cucumber // caramelized eggplant // roasted corn // baba ganoush // harissa and tzatziki dressings.

Plus we made wonderful salads at home. TJ’s cruciferous crunch mix // spicy peanut vinaigrette // sesame honey cashews // hot smoked salmon // hard-boiled eggs. I made the eggs in the oven because we don’t have any pots and they came out great!

Finally, we met my cousin and her fiance for dinner at Maya. I had catfish with sweet potato fries and garlic broccoli. Plus we shared a cheese plate (with pickled apples!) and peanut butter pie.

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21Jun2019

On The Move

by Emily

It was an odd week here because we are moving all of our stuff to New York today. Note – we’re not moving, all of our stuff is moving; we’re living out of suitcases in Charlottesville for the next month+. Anyway, I was afraid to dirty anything in the kitchen while we were trying to sort and pack so 90% of our food this week came in a take-out box.

Here were the highlights…

Coffee combo – Starbucks Komodo Dragon blend with sweetened condensed milk.

This month’s Snack Crate from Poland.

Poke bowl from Poke Bowl. Sushi rice with tofu, krab, cucumber, edamame, spicy mayo, seaweed salad, green onions, and onion crisps.

Dumplings from Got Dumplings. More seaweed salad plus tofu dumplings and curry chicken dumplings.

One night we did sneak away from packing to get dinner and play in trivia night at Firefly.

I had a mango margarita and totchos – tater tots with house-made cheese sauce, avocado, pico de gallo, black beans, and sour cream.

We are crossing our fingers for a smooth move today and then tomorrow we’re heading to Pennsylvania for some friends’ wedding. Hope everyone has a nice weekend!

15Apr2019

Bowls On Bowls

by Emily

Seven wins from the past seven days…

{1} Peeps coffee creamer!! It tastes like vanilla marshmallow!!! But they should have made it pink.

{2} Speaking of marshmallow, I made cereal bars with Trader Joe’s neapolitan cereal. I brought them to a work event and they were a hit. I used my go-to recipe but took things up a notch with the addition of vanilla bean paste.

{3} I placed a super exciting order with the Mexican Candy Lady. The standout so far has been these flan gummies.

{4} Berry breakfast bowls. Liebe strawberry quark (<– this was 10/10, btw, super creamy and delicious!) / fresh blackberries / granola / cacao bliss.

{5} Cava bowls are currently our favorite take-out, there are a ton of toppings to choose from. This was greens / tzatziki / crazy feta spread / harissa / roasted vegetables / grilled chicken / pickled onion / cabbage slaw / chopped cucumber / kalamata olives / and green harissa dressing. Plus a side of really yummy house-made pita chips.

{6} I made my own bowls too. Roasted sweet potato / bok choy sauteed with garlic and green onion / candy salmon / fried egg.

{7} A take on okonomiyaki – pancakes stuffed with roasted cabbage and corn. Topped with mayo and Sriracha.

8Apr2019

Party Peeps

by Emily

7 highlights from the last 7 days…

Chocolate chip banana bar. I found it in our hospital’s cafeteria but apparently it’s such a new product it hasn’t made it to the website yet.

Crazy freeze-dried fruits from Trader Joe’s. The dragonfruit wasn’t a fit for my tastes but the grapes were sweet and amazing.

Birthday cake Peeps! Look at their adorable sprinkled butts!

Kung Fu Tea. Almond milk tea (half sweet, extra ice) with Oreo and aloe jelly.

Squid ink pasta with tahini sauce, 5 spice tofu, roasted zucchini, and chili oil.

Slow-cooked parmesan garlic chicken and potatoes + broccoli. We didn’t brown our chicken and it still came out great.

Greek salad – romaine and cucumber with TJ’s Greek feta dressing, green olives, crispy cheese bites, and roasted chickpeas.

Have a great week!

28Sep2018

Flavors Of Fall

by Emily

Next week is the start of Pumpkin Month!! But first, here’s a collection of “fall flavored” things –

The maple Mars bar was a disappointment. (Mom, sorry, it came as part of a Snack Crate, I cannot get you one).

But the pecan pie granola was a delight, especially paired with a Trader Joe’s caramel apple Greek yogurt!

More apple goodness, this Rave variety was crispy and sweet.

And in other packaged goods new, I obsessively searched for this Oreo coffee creamer for the past 2 months before I finally got my hands on it. <– worth it

Pimento cheese and crackers at Grit.

I put leftover bbq chicken on a yummy salad. With butter lettuce, honey mustard dressing, cashews, and cucumber.

This frozen meal from Trader Joe’s remains the best chile relleno of my life.

My in-laws were in town a few days this week and we had a great time seeing them. Including a trip to Asian buffet. I had really tasty seaweed salad and the best egg tart I’ve ever eaten. Here were my fist and last plates (with several in between!).

10Aug2018

Tahini Rose

by Emily

Highlights from this week…

The coffee stand at my hospital makes a fantastic iced latte.

I put rose water and cream (and red food coloring) in my home-brewed coffee this week and it was pretty exciting.

I bought these protein cookies expecting to hate them (but I can’t pass up anything that is supposed to taste like birthday cake!) and was very pleasantly surprised.

Still loving this Trader Joe’s olive medley.

Milk-filled snacks are the best. Israeli chocolates and Korean cookies.

I went to a bbq at my cousin’s house and brought flourless chocolate tahini cookies. Just chocolate tahini, sugar, and egg.

My buffalo blue cheese black bean burgers for dinner.

With roasted broccoli, baby carrots, and a side of ranch.

Plus two super fun summery and fruity beers. Watermelon and pina colada goses.

Buffalo chicken cheese fries = sweet potato fries / blue cheese and cheddar / shredded chicken with buffalo sauce / ranch. Plus roasted green beans.

A salad from Cooking Light. We did arugula, shredded chicken, cucumber, roasted chickpeas, and parsley pesto.

15Jun2018

Last Day

by Emily

Holy frick. It’s my last day of work today!!

It’s been a weird last week – I’ve actually been crazy busy because a coworker is out sick so I’ve been covering additional units. Usually you don’t do much patient care on your final day, but I’m planning on squeezing in a pretty full morning before I start my exit paperwork. Plus I’ve been wrapping up various projects, including an hour-long presentation on critical care nutrition guidelines that I gave to the residents covering the ICUs.

It’d be nice to have some time to decompress but the last two weeks of June are going to be insane with the move. And in busy-ness that is fun, my parents are coming into town tomorrow for a final city visit. And then Adam’s family is joining us to celebrate his graduation next week!

Busy, busy, busy, busy, busy! <– name that movie

Here were the highlights from my last week of work…

{fun in bottled coffee} Cold brew from Trader Joe’s.

Pecan cold brew from Chameleon Coffee.

{fruit forward snacks} Fresh watermelon chunks with TJ’s cucumber watermelon mint Greek yogurt.

The last of the ambrosia my coworker made me. I for sure ate out every single piece of palm seed.

{vegetables masquerading as chips/fries} Roasted green bean “cheese fries” with ketchup and mayo. I’ll be honest, I wanted Kewpie mayo for years and finally bought a bottle the month before this move and now I’m looking for any excuse, no matter how flimsy, to use it.

Spinach and parmesan tzatziki dip scooped with sugar snap peas and baby carrots.

{good foods and goodbyes with coworkers} An after-work walk to DeKalb Market Hall for Ample Hills. Baby I was Churned This Way.

Lunch at Bolivian Llama Party in the Ashland. I had a fried seitan sandwich and we split insanely good cilantro cheese fries.

{New York must-eats} A poppy seed bagel with jalapeno-cheddar cream cheese from La Bagel Delight. <– eaten on the walk to work, key feature

Shaved ice from Grace Street. We swooned over black sesame ice with sweetened condensed milk, honey boba, and mochi. <– all-time best boba and mochi in the city/world

Hand-pulled noodles from Xi’an Famous Foods. Extra spicy for me, with smashed cucumber salad. The chew factor here is just perfection.

I ♥ New York.

Eating Chalk

Tag Archives: cucumber

Super Salad

On The Move

Bowls On Bowls

Party Peeps

Flavors Of Fall

Tahini Rose

Last Day