Sandwich Week (Take Ten Thousand)

This was our best Sandwich Week yet! We also had some good snacks and fantastic veggie sides. Highlights included…

We tried and loved the new Ralph’s Coffee location. I made an affogato with espresso and their coffee/vanilla soft serve.

Weird Tea – good not great but a nice level of sweetness.

Tropical skyrs. The guava Siggi’s was surprisingly disappointing but the mango passionfruit Icelandic Provisions was top-notch.

With blueberries, blackberries, and cookie dough granola.

We had leftover Cheez-Its from our tofu (<– that sentence is funny. P.S. The extra-toasted variety is great) and I made this unhinged plate of microwave nachos.

Cabot seriously sharp cheddar popcorn. I usually don’t care for cheesy popcorn outside of Chicago mix but this was so sharp.

Whole Food’s lemon and yuzu jam cookie.

Another week of me really enjoying both of these chewy snacks.

Turkey and cheese, french-toasted. Trader Joe’s sourdough sandwich bread, jam, smoked sliced turkey, and sharp cheddar, french-toasted. With roasted brussel sprouts that I sauteed with red onion, baby bell pepper, butter, honey, and harissa.

Turkey and cheese, chopped. How have I never had a chopped sandwich like this before? It was amazing. We chopped together smoked turkey, maple roasted turkey, sharp cheddar, leftover garlic baby broccoli, banana peppers, yellow mustard, mayo, and paprika. On sub rolls.

Tuna, blended. We took our tuna salad to the next level by putting it in the food processer; with smoked trout, mayo, and capers. On sourdough with avocado and pickled red onion. Plus garlic sauteed baby broccoli; I topped mine with butter-toasted cheez-its and baby bell peppers sauteed with candied jalopenos.

Eggs, doubled. My dad and I had a conversation awhile back wondering why no one makes egg sandwiches with more than one kind of egg? They absolutely should! This was a soft-scrambled egg and a fried egg, with yellow mustard, mayo, and sharp cheddar, on sourdough. Plus roasted baby cauliflower.

Pho Real

It was a short workweek because I spent Monday-Wednesday in Ohio. My grandma is moving and I went help pack up/visit with her and my mom! Here were some random things I’ve enjoyed since I got back home…

Pocket latte – coffee chocolate bar with caffeine.

This real latte was better. New York Beanery‘s monthly special is a mint mocha. We also had a pretty amazing creme brulee latte.

Fruity, extra-creamy yogurts. The fig was too lemon-y for my tastes but the marionberry was perfect.

Buttered popcorn with togarashi, furikake, and brown sugar.

Yogurt soju 9/10 and yuzu jelly sake 20/10.

We tried and loved a new-to-us Vietnamese spot in Long Island – Sup. Bang bang chicken salad.

Vietnamese iced coffee (with also had a great strawberry tea) and green papaya salad.

I got beef pho.

Ruthie’s BK

Highlights from the weekend…

Whole Foods is doing a chocolate strawberry latte special.

Glazed birthday cake cake doughnut from House of Doughnuts. Delicious!

After we received the blog samples from Prospector Popcorn we immediately bought more bags with our own money. The maple walnut ice cream flavor was as good as I expected.

I wish I had taken interior photos at Clover Club because the space was gorgeous. I had a Bloody Mary.

And a chocolate souffle sundae.

I got too excited to take more photos but this was amazing Kadai paneer from Taste of Chennai – the best Indian food we’ve ever eaten.

Our favorite meal took place at my new favorite restaurant – Ruthie’s. Grilled broccoli salad with pecorino, cashews, and a cherry vinaigrette.

Roasted beets, with dill, ranch, and trout roe.

Dry-aged burger with pickles, cheddar, and horseradish aioli and a side of (swoon) beef fat fries.

Gojuchang And Reese’s

Some highlights from an exceptionally yummy week! We had some bonkers-good snacks and dinners the past few days…

Sumo mandarins and new Hunnyz apples – perfectly sweet and with a balanced texture, not super crisp but not at all mealy.

Yuzu beverages, both winners. I mixed the High Tide sparkling water with iced matcha and the Lunar hard seltzer with vodka.

Crispy lentils. I loved how roasty these were.

Snack Mates pizza and chicken and waffle flavored meat sticks. These were great.

Strawberry chocolate mochi. This was definitely the best packaged mochi I’ve tried.

The Reese’s Big Cups continue to be the ultimate candy; this new Reese’s Puffs variety was a 10/10. My personal ranking is potato chip > puffs > pretzel. Meanwhile, we liked these so much we bought a box of Puffs and I was very underwhelmed by them in cereal bowl form.

I don’t accept many product samples for the blog these days but this was truly the perfect fit – Prospector Popcorn. The flavors were delicious (the Belgian chocolate toffee was my favorite), they were super fresh, and none of the coatings contain palm oil. We truly loved these and have already ordered more bags with our own money. Huge bonus – this company is a non-profit dedicated to employing people with disabilities (74% of their current workforce).

Korean chicken bowls. Sliced chicken thighs marinated in gojuchang, soy sauce, garlic, and brown sugar and sauted in canola oil. With green onion, sesame seeds, and chopped roasted baby cauliflower.

Salads. Green lettuce with balsamic vinaigrette, crispy lentils, roasted carrots (rainbow baby carrots roasted with butter, evoo, honey, cinnamon, smoked paprika, and urfa pepper), and a fried egg.

Pizza bites (this recipe – we loved it!), garlic turkey meatballs, and roasted romanesco with pizza sauce for dipping.

Pizza-inspired tteokbokki. Rice cakes / roasted cabbage and red onion / green onions / shredded chicken breast / pizza sauce with gojuchang, gochugaru, sugar, evoo, and water / pizza blend shredded cheese.

Hello, 2023

The year’s been good so far! I started my 1/1/23 with a quick run before work to get things started on the right foot and had cold brew with sweetened condensed milk next for a sweet year. <– I made those traditions up but I love them. I also worked several lucky-for-the-new-year foods into our meals this week – cabbage, greens, noodles, and black eyed peas.

Highlights from the 1st week of the year included…

Coffee from Hawaii.

Surprisingly wonderful mochi doughnuts from Paris Baguette. The cinnamon one was stuffed with red bean.

Homemade popcorn with butter, furikake, togarashi, white sesame seeds, and salt/sugar.

Another hit from my favorite beer company (Abomination Brewing). This marshmallow IPA was great, though not as good as Fog Nog. I drank it on a date walk with Adam to get froyo topped with marshmallows, so that was perfect.

We also enjoyed this Mai Tai inspired sour from Mast Landing.

We celebrated New Year’s Eve by eating tons of Chinese take-out and falling asleep before 10pm (my very favorite way to spend NYE!). Zouji Dumpling House is my new favorite Chinese spot – we ordered a million things and loved it all. This leftovers dinner plate was scallion pancake / house chili oil / pan-fried lamb dumplings / veggie dumplings with cabbage, radish, and rice noodles / dry stir-fried cauliflower with onion, pepper, and garlic / Kung Pow chicken / and a scoop of sourkraut for luck.

Our favorite black-eyed-pea salad. With Kerrygold Dubliner cheese, Crystal hot sauce, and diced green bell pepper. Plus some roasted baby cauliflower.

Whole-wheat vermicelli noodles with zoodles, shredded chicken, and nước chấm. Topped with Sriracha.

Congee (brown rice cooked for an hour and a half in turkey stock) / layered with collard greens sauteed with green onion and ginger / and ground turkey sauteed with white onion, garlic, and Korean pepper / topped with chili crisp and green onions.

Popeye’s take-out with roasted broccoli from home. Biscuit, fries, nuggets with great sauces, and some of the best mac and cheese I’ve eaten in the States! Is Popeye’s my favorite restaurant? I want to be embarassed to be considering that but I probably should be more embarassed by the fact that this wasn’t the only time I ordered this this week!! The nuggets are shockingly good leftover.

Goodbye, 2022

Adam and I ended the year on a celebratory note with our fifteen year wedding anniversary! I thank my lucky stars everyday – realistically about 20 times a day! – that he’s my person! We had two fun nights that unfortunately I didn’t take a single photo of – at trip to Sundays in Brooklyn for their Snow Days pop-up (including themed cocktails, upscale popcorn, a giant burger, and fantastic roasted honeynut squash) and an evening of pizza take-out and tv in bed (an activity so wonderful I mentioned it in my wedding vows!).

Other highlights from last week included…

Jelly doughnut iced coffee for the last day of Hanukkah. Iced coffee with blueberry preserves and skim milk frothed with cinnamon, cocoa powder, and brown sugar.

Yogurt bowl – plain Greek with kiwi, persimmon, and vanilla almond granola.

Even more exciting than fresh persimmons is the start of citrus season; this Cara Cara was delicious and I also just bought a bunch of Sumos.

Snacks we brought home from Hawaii. Honolulu Cookie Company makes the best shortbread I’ve ever eaten.

Mochi and furikake seasoned popcorn.

Also these vegan gummies my mom put in my stocking were 10/10.

I’ve been seeing this ramen all over Instagram and I had to try it. Even with the addition of Kewpie and an egg it was almost too spicy for me!

A homecooked dinner. Roasted cauliflower and chopped onion / roasted chickpeas / fresh mint / tossed in honey, rice vinegar, and smoked paprika.

PB&J

Highlights from the weekend include…

Peanut butter and jelly protein bites – good.

Peanut butter and jelly Chip cookie – better.

An epic seasonal Southern Tier combo. *swoon*

Not seasonal but still good – Trader Joe’s starfruit sparkling water.

PSA – Whole Foods’ unseasoned microwaved popcorn is perfect. This bowl was both buttered and seasoned!

There is a new sushi spot near us and I am obsessed with their avocado bomb (stuffed with spicy tuna).

A simple but satisfying sandwich – smoked turkey, gouda, and mayo on a whole-wheat bun. Plus a mountain on roasted green beans.

Take Me Out

I work all this weekend but we do have some fun Long Island dinners planned. Highlights from this past week included – lots of take-out and homecooked meals better suited for fall!

Smoothie time – plain Greek yogurt, frozen strawberries, chocolate almond milk, and taro powder.

I made beer bread, which meant I spent the week very happily snacking on beer bread with cheese.

Adam and I were both fans of this kettle corn.

Chinese take-out leftovers – sesame noodles and fried tofu.

Wednesday Adam and I both worked exceptionally long days and we salvaged the evening with a cocktail walk and an agressive amount of Mighty Quinn take-out. The leftovers made a great lunch. Burnt end fries, corn fritters, and mac and cheese fritters.

Homemade soup. Chicken, broth, tomato paste, urfa chili paste, diced tomatoes, kidney beans, and zucchini.

Sheet pan hash. Japanese sweet potato, zucchini, fennel bulb, sweet onion, chicken kale pesto sausage, sharp cheddar, and pesto.