Sour Apple

Highlights from this week included – Trader Joe’s sourdough sliced bread, Apple Month stuff, vegan junk food, end of summer veggies…

Cinnamon apple chia oats. <– I also had a(n unphotographed) bar with chia seeds this week, I need to remember to eat more chia, it’s delicious!

Cinnamon apple Over Easy bar.

Zestar apple with a salted caramel Noosa yogurt.

Salted maple kettle corn and freeze-dried fuji apples. P.S. The Trader Joe’s freeze-dried fruits are superior to all others.

Not apple-themed but still amazing – these Snacklins vegan pork rinds. I scooped crab dip with them and it was my favorite snack of the week!

Bacon egg and cheese sandwich for brinner. Toasted sourdough with mayo, yellow mustard, honey-maple sliced turkey, sharp cheddar, turkey bacon, and a fried egg. Plus yellow peach and heirloom tomatoes. Plus on-theme chocolates.

This was supposed to be a roast beef sandwich but our stores were all out?! Sourdough with pastrami-style turkey (probably better than my original plan!), black garlic and horseradish mayo, and sharp cheddar. With roasted orange and purple cauliflower.

Vegan chicken nuggets and roasted zucchini and yellow squash dipped in Bitchin’ Sauce.

A take on callaloo with turkey bacon and crab.

Sort Of Rad

I worked the past three days, so no weekend for me, but I did make time for some yummy food! Highlights include…

Deconstructed apple smiles – an apple with mini marshmallows and a peanut butter breakfast bar. <– recommend

A yogurt bowl with peach, plum, and peanut butter.

Leftovers assortment for a work snack – hard-boiled egg, chicken sausage, radish, bell pepper, and Russian dressing.

Chamoy candies!

Egg salad (with mayo, honey dijon, paprika, and horseradish) plus mini cucumbers, radish, and bell pepper.

Leftover sheet-pan hash topped with havarti cheese, Kewpie, diced radish, pickled jalapenos, and Korean chili flake.

Spicy wok-fried green beans with cheesy scrambled eggs, vegan pork floss, and chili crisp.

Peanut Butter And…

Highlights from the past week – mostly things with peanut butter…

This Oatmega bar was good, if a bit fishy.

Summery yogurt bowl – plan skyr with peanut butter, granola, and tons of stone fruit (apricot, red plum, and white peach).

My co-workers were head over heels for these cookies! This peanut butter chocolate chip recipe + mini marshmallows.

Whole Foods chicken nuggets and honey mustard with roasted brussel sprouts.

Leftover chicken chilaquiles (we made a big batch and froze some a few weeks ago) with scrambled egg, sour cream, cheddar, and hot sauce.

Plus a paloma sour, which I loved.

P.S. As of tomorrow Adam and I are both on vacation! Woo-hoo! My family is coming to visit for a bit and then we’re heading back to Virginia. I’m not planning on carrying a camera but my Instagram should have the highlights.

Mostly Vegan

Five highlights from a low-key weekend…

A perfect snack plate.

Plant-based jerky.

These gummies were – a) delightfully mini; b) some of the best textured candy I’ve ever eaten; c) how I fueled for a longer run; d) all of the above.

x2 double IPAs.

A super quick Trader Joe’s meal – cheese tortellini, cheddar, artichoke hearts, tuna fish and dorado, balsamic fig dressing.

Black Sesame

I’m late — I worked the weekend and it knocked me out — but last week was too yummy not to post! Tons of ube, black sesame, and homemade fried shallots, oh my!

Highlights included…

Vietnamese coffee combo all week.

See also, phin-brewed coffee with sweetened condensed milk and black sesame paste.

Cookie dough Perfect Bar and a fresh peach = my new favorite breakfast combo.

Calpis filled marshmallows.

Everything new and ube from Trader Joe’s! P.S. we made epic sundaes with those items plus sliced banana, frosted flakes, sweetened condensed milk, and black sesame paste.

We have loved everything we’ve tried from Fat Orange Cat, particularly this sour double IPA.

Udon noodles / roasted zucchini, shredded rainbow carrot, green onion / ground turkey / sauce including doubangijang (spicy bean paste), chili crisp, tahini, soy sauce, and rice vinegar / fried shallots.

Roasted eggplant with shallot oil and sumac / roasted super firm tofu / sauce including tahini, black sesame paste, gojuchang, lemon, maple, and rice vinegar / green onion and fried shallots.

Baked chicken thighs / roasted green cabbage with carrots and green onion plus tons of fresh mint and cilantro / Nuoc Cham / fried shallots.

Soursop And Szechuan Peppers

Today is my 1st day back in at the hospital after a day off and a two-day stint of project days at home.  I had to recertify in ServSafe and I had a big task to work on (updating the Nutrition Department’s Clinical Practice Guidelines to be more current/evidence-based) so my boss let me work from home, which was lovely.   I got to leisurely brew Phin coffee and sip while I worked!  Plus I ate a million snacks.  <– Normally I sit in the ICUs and wear an N-95 for most of the day so I took full advantage of having a free face!

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Highlights included…

The company that makes the instant espresso we love for Dalgona coffees also makes a really good espresso roast.

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Plain Greek yogurt bowl with blackberries, peach, cashew butter, and a chopped up Bueno Bar.  <– I realize it is ridiculous to stir a candy bar into your lunch but this was breath-takingly good and I’m glad I did it!

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Vanilla skyr yogurt bowl with blackberries, black plum, cashew butter, coconut chips, and starry sprinkles.

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Adam and I had to go into Manhattan for a doctor’s appointment so we stopped by Bibble and Sip for a cream puff.  A cream puff topped with crème brûlée and filled with milk tea cream and boba!

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I snacked on nuts every day this week.  These sweet Thai chili almonds were a favorite.

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Still obsessed with Hal’s caffeinated cola seltzer.

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Adam and are both head over heels for these dinner mints.  We made it through 12 years of marriage before we realized we are both fans of these guys!

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This soursop ice cream was possibly the very best packaged ice cream I’ve ever tasted.

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I topped this cheese enchilada meal with more cheese, sour cream, and Crystal hot sauce and it was 10/10.  P.S. I highly recommend Amy’s frozen meal options, this one is good even if you aren’t over the top about it.

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There’s a newish poke place in our neighborhood that lets you add a thousand toppings.  This was white rice with crabcake, tofu, eel sauce, spicy mayo, cucumber, shiitakes, shredded carrot, string bean, green onion, tamago (shredded egg omelet), oshinko (pickled veggies), inari (tofu skin), garlic crisps, and lotus chips.

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Blistered green beans – sauteed with garlic, ginger, and chili oil – with Trader Joe’s mini chicken and cilantro wontons.

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Have a great – safe, distanced – weekend!

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Virginia Vacation

My week off from work has been pretty great so far!

Monday was my birthday.  I kept tradition going and enjoyed my free Starbucks birthday drink (quad nonfat iced latte) with sprinkles on top.

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Adam and I took a quick three day trip to Virginia.  Road trip essentials include…

Snacks (highlights were sweet chili Doritos and Koru apples).

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Coffee (mojito black tie from Peet’s aka cold brew with sweetened condensed milk and mint).

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Music.  I full-on head banged down the highway for a few hours thanks to our excellent music selections, including Betty Who, The Offspring, and this Regrettes song I’m obsessed with –

Richmond food highlights…

The coffee at Black Hand might be our all-time favorite.  We swooned over our choices and left with several bags of beans.

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Lunch at Urban Farmhouse.  I had a pimento cheese grilled cheese with local tomato and salad with cucumber, mint, and feta.

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One of my cousins lives in Charlottesville and she drove down for the day to spend my birthday with me.  We had an amazing dinner at Saison.  My Fuentes Fizz was smoky and delicious – Mezcal, Velvet Falernum, Cherry Herring, lime, grapefruit, egg whites, and soda water.

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We shared grilled okra and peaches to start.

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And I had the crispy rice bowl with fermented chili sauce, oyster mushrooms, pickled vegetables, and a poached egg.

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Dessert was just ridiculous.

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Panna cotta with honey glass and honey powder!

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Charlottesville food highlights…

Bagels at Bodo’s, where they ship in New York water for their dough.  I had an everything bagel with olive cream cheese and it was wonderful.

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Froyo at Arch’s.  Dulce de leche and cake batter with Oreos and a huge scoop of gooey brownie batter on top.

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We had dinner at Mas with my cousin and her boyfriend.

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I was too busy enjoying the company to take pictures (plus we ordered a million different plates!) but everything was fantastic.  The shrimp were out of this world.

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Now TODAY, I get to go pick up both Webster and my parents!  Enjoy the rest of your week!

It’s Hot Outside And I Want Ice Cream And Iced Coffee

Here’s a looong post because it’s been a looong time since I last posted!  20 things from the past 10 days…

{1-4} Cool Coffees.  New Orleans iced coffees from Homecoming and Otha’s.

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Toasted marshmallow iced latte from Sweetie Pies on Main.

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Homemade frappe with dark roast, milk, ice, and birthday cake ice cream (<– I enjoyed the Halo Top a surprising amount, and would definitely buy it again).

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{5-6} Decadent Doughnuts.  Nutella beignet from Maman.

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Rose and marmalade doughnut from Polka Dot.  <– one of the best doughnuts either of us had ever eaten

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{7-10} Work Bites.  Piñata apple, salted caramel Doubleshot, and an ancho pepper turkey stick.

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Almond water (<– yuck!), chocolate hazelnut croissant, and a smitten apple.

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Vanilla bean yogurt with white peach and crumbled cookies (<– the recipe I always make with butterscotch and dark chocolate chips and walnuts).

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TJ’s avocado citrus yogurt with fresh mango and a peanut butter Larabar on the side.

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{11-12} Lunch in Greenpoint.  Greenpoint Fish and Lobster.

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Watermelon lemonade with cava.

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Grilled bluefish tacos with citrus cabbage, chipotle-lime mayo, radishes, and cilantro on grilled corn tortillas.

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Greenpoint Beer and Ale.  I got the honey saison.

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{13} Quality Eats at Quality Eats.  French toast cocktail (<– extra points for the punny name!) = bourbon, maple syrup, cinnamon, egg white, and prosecco.

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I had fried eggs with avocado and salsa rosa, and a perfectly dressed salad.

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And we had the s’mores ice cream sundae for dessert, with burnt marshmallow ice cream.

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{14-17} Winner Dinners.  Kimichi quesadillas.  I stuffed wonderfully soft tortillas with a mix of sharp cheddar, chopped kimchi, and mayo.

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Served with sour cream, roasted zucchini, and a weisse beer with lychee and pink guava.

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Bean and cheese tacos.  With watermelon beer and seltzer.  I cooked pinto beans in a skillet with evoo, salt, pepper, curry powder, and cayenne, then mashed them up with a spoon.

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With sour cream, salsa, Mexican cheese blend, and sautéed onions and green pepper.

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Chicken wing pasta.  Whole wheat shells / shredded chicken / peas / habanero wing sauce / cream cheese / blue cheese.

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Our first trip to Win Son = the best meal of this post.

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I got the Breakfast of Champions drink with peanut milk, toasted sesame, rum, rum cream, and toasted coconut.

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Fried eggplant with black vinegar, kefir cheese, and spiced cashews.  <– maybe my favorite thing I’ve eaten this year

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Sesame noodles with scallions and oyster mushrooms.  Plus a metric ton of chili oil.

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{18-20} Delicious Desserts.  Molly’s Cupcake for raw cake batter stuffed yellow cake.

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Bubble tea at Yaya Tea.  Guava black tea with yogurt popping boba and mango stars.  <– new favorite boba spot

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Ice and Vice seasonal flavor, No Whey – labne ice cream with burnt honey and preserved lemon.  This was so refreshing!

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Enjoy the rest of your week!

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