Tag Archives: sauce

Peasy Pesto Pasta

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It’s already after 11 pm and the alarm is going off before 6 am tomorrow, yikes!  This day needs a speedy post.

Workout – 40 minutes on the stationary bike at  random level 6

Breakfast – Banana brulee yogurt.

In a small skillet I cooked a sliced banana with 1/2 Tbsp butter and 2 tsp brown sugar.  I put the gooey, caramelized banana on top of a bowl of Wegman’s 0% Plain Greek Yogurt.

The sweet and tangy tastes went perfectly together.

Lunch – a bagel sandwich.

A cinnamon raisin Bagel Thin topped with jalapeño cream cheese and two slices of Applegate Farms smoked turkey.

I ate a slice of turkey in the morning as I was assembling my sandwich, it’s great.

I also had a Golden Delicious apple.

Snack – a mini bag of kettle corn.

Dinner – 2 oz of bow tie pasta with slices of roasted zucchini and peasy pesto (see below).

I love pesto so flipping much!  Bow ties with pesto are one of my major food memories from my childhood.  My aunt makes the best pesto I’ve ever had but she’s a great cook so that’s not surprising.

Peasy Pesto, makes 4 – 8 servings

  • 10 oz frozen peas, thawed and drained
  • 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
  • 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  1. Place peas and oil in food processor and process until homogenous, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
  2. Add remaining ingredients and pulse until well combined.

It was such a pretty green, I just couldn’t help taking pictures of it!

Two Beers And A Book

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We’re still waiting on Spring but the weather has warmed up enough that walks are pleasurable.  We took several today so I’m a happy camper.

This morning’s breakfast was a winner.

I topped a plain Siggi’s with melted Dark Chocolate Dreams pb (2 Tbsp) and strawberry jam (~1 Tbsp).

It looked just like an ice cream sundae!  Tasted like one too.

Lunch didn’t happen – the husband got to come home at the last minute and he took me on a walking date – but when I got home from school I sank my teeth into this juicy Bartlett pear.

Produce is so flipping good this time of year.

And a 100-calorie bag of kettle corn.

Which is good any time of year.

Dinner looked a lot like Monday’s; white girl broad rice noodles with broccoli, and a spicy sauce.

I stir-fried ~1 serving of noodles and 2 cups roasted broccoli in 1/2 Tbsp evoo and a sauce [made out of 1/2 Tbsp sugar + 1/2 Tbsp tamari + 1/2 Tbsp Sriracha + 2 Tbsp rice vinegar] .

It was nice and spicy.

I’ve already got the rest of my evening planned –

A Blue Moon Spring Blonde Wheat Ale, a Shock Top Lemon Shandy, and book 2 of the Hunger Games, Catching Fire.

White Girl Broad Rice Noodles

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If I had to name my favorite foods, Pad See Eiw would top the list every time.  It beats out baby carrots and even jalapeño nachos, though it’s worth noting that diet pop isn’t a contender because it’s considered a necessity.  Broad rice noodles have the best chew.  If you get a well made dish of Pad See Eiw the noodles are almost like marshmallows, but in a delicious, savory way.

Tragically, I’ve never been able to find broad rice noodles on sale for the home cook.  I’ve searched at Thai markets in Buffalo, Brooklyn, and Toronto with no luck.  I haven’t given up hope but I’m not too broken up about it either.  I figure that the universe is just telling me that we need to go out for Thai more often.  Plus, I’ve found a white girl substitution that works in a pinch –

lasagna noodles

You simply cook the noodles according to the package directions, drain and cool, chop into large squares, and stir fry.  The flavor and texture aren’t identical to broad rice noodles but they are good.  It’s the closest I’ve come to approximating that great chew at home.

For tonight’s meal I made “broad rice noodles” with veggies and a spicy basil sauce.  The final dish was chewy, spicy, healthy, and a little sweet and sour; we were big fans!

To make the meal, I used 1 Tbsp canola oil to stir fry 2 servings of chopped lasagna noodles, 3 small heads roasted broccoli, 2 roasted zucchini, and 2 eggs.  Then I tossed everything in a spicy basil sauce and cooked it all for another 3 minutes.

spicy basil sauce

  • 2 Tbsp finely chopped basil
  • 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp tamari
  • 1 Tbsp sugar
  • 1 Tbsp Sriracha

Dinner was great but I’ve been a hungry mungry all afternoon and my stomach is still growling!  Before dinner I made myself a sliced green apple with 2 Tbsp Trader Joe’s Cookie Butter.

The cookie butter is tasty but it’s not exactly like Biscoff Spread.  I still can’t put my finger on what the difference is.

When I was still hungry an hour after dinner I made myself a serving of Ritz crackers with 1 oz of melted Cabot 50% Reduced Sharp Cheddar.

Yummy, but not very filling.  We don’t have a ton of options in the house though and I’ve definitly consumed enough calories for the day so I’ve decided to suck it up and just go hungry.  Hopefully when I get back to work I’ll get distracted and my stomach will give it a rest!

Are you a broad rice noodle fan?

Humbolt Fog

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Last night’s sleep session was a disaster.  Usually my sleep issues are related to falling asleep but lately if I get woken up I can’t fall back to sleep either.  The dog woke us up in the middle of the night and it took me at least another hour of tossing and turning to get back to rest.  The husband brought home some sort of bug from the hospital and my throat was killing me.

I overslept today and the morning was rushed but I managed to do what I needed to do, mostly.  I was heading to the gym after 9 am so sticking with my monthly goal I ate a small breakfast before I left.  A few sips of strawberry Powerade Zero,

and a half of a Vanilla Almond Luna Bar.

I didn’t have much time at the gym but something was better than nothing.  20 minutes on the elliptical at random level 7.

After a quick walk home and an even quicker shower I made a Lemon Cookie Smoothie for breakfast.

The last time I made it was apparently a dark and stormy night and I wanted a chance to get some better less awful photographs for the recipe page.

It probably wasn’t my best use of time though; I made it halfway through my smoothie before I had to throw it away and rush out the door.  I didn’t have time to pack lunch and having half a smoothie digesting in my stomach just made my hunger stronger all afternoon.

I got out of clinic a bit early and when I spotted a Manhattan Bagel on the drive home it felt like an oasis in the desert.

I was eating the chips that came with my meal before I was even out of the parking lot.

But chips only seemed to anger the beast (aka my stomach) and I ended up eating my bagel on the ride home!

Eating while driving is sort of nice because instead of dreading red lights you can use them to shove food into your face.  And my bagel was quite enjoyable; I got a veggie sandwich on a rye bagel.

Red onion, lettuce, tomato, banana peppers, veggie cream cheese, and a little bit of chipotle mayo.  I thought the veggies were pretty weak but the bagel was super chewy and good.

I had my 2nd to last shift at work this evening and then I came home to an easy salad dinner.

I needed a vehicle for a veggie, a fruit, and this amazing looking cheese, and salad fit the bill.

This Cypress Grove Humbolt Fog Chevre was delicious.  Sadly the blue cheese and goat cheese were in layers and not the hybrid mixture I was hoping for, but both were quite tasty.

Along with chunk of cheese I had romaine lettuce, groats, chopped honey crisp apple, and Stubbs BBQ Sauce for dressing.

Those ingredients sound strange together but it worked.

I’ll see y’all in the am for some running and some baking!

Resoultions Check In: March

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Hello, weekend!  Another week ends and another visitor rolls into town, my brother-in-law is with us until Sunday afternoon (whee!).  But the fun began before he even arrived.

First, not fun – I didn’t post yesterday because I was so tired I felt practically brainless.  I made it through school, and a meeting, and a night shift at work, but when I walked out into the snow at 9pm I burst into tears and proceeded to cry the whole way home!  I knew it was insane but I just couldn’t stop.  On the drive I even said aloud through my tears, “you are crazy cakes, cut it out before you get pulled over.”  Then I came home to the boys playing poker and I stayed up until midnight watching terrible made-for-tv movies and eating Easter candy.  We have our final week of work coming up but I am going to do my damndest to catch up on sleep this next week.

Now, fun – we got to go indoor rock climbing this morning.

We bought a Groupon with another couple and even though Michelle and Patrick made Adam and me look like fat losers we all had a great time.

We were there for two hours before all four of us cried uncle.  I was terrible, weak and flailing, but I loved every minute of it.  I want to focus on arms for the next few months and then go back and try again.

We were near the “good” Wegmans so we stopped on the way home for lunch and grocery shopping.

Fried food abounded but I managed to put together a healthy lunch.  Chicken pot stickers.

Asian style veggies, brussels sprouts, butternut squash.

Pineapple, watermelon, and grapes.

And then we shopped and I didn’t buy Ben and Jerry’s because they didn’t have the new Greek yogurt flavors and I’ve decided that next week I’m going to buy like a million flavors of B&J’s so my freezer is full of choices.

After decorating my blog with run-on sentences (see above) I decorated the apartment for Easter (see below).

I can’t wait until we live in a grown-up house and I can really decorate for holidays.  The main thing holding me back now is the lack of storage space for decorations.

For dinner we broadened my brother-in-law’s horizons and took him to the Indian place.  He’s a fan!  Adam and I split a mango lassi.

And we had paneer pakora (fried cheese) to start.

I ate what’s shown plus another half piece with sauce.

For my main meal I ordered extra-spicy chicken vindaloo which came with rice and a side of veggies.

Here were my servings –

I also ate all of the veggies minus the potatoes and a small piece of stolen naan.

After dinner the boys dropped me off at home alone.  The reason my BIL came into town this weekend was to see The Wrath of the Titans with Adam.  The plan was for me to stay home and get some work done but instead I took a freezing walk and made Katie’s Chocolate Toffee Pretzels.

But the night’s not over yet; I may do some work or drink a beer or both!

Resolutions Check In: March

Um.  Meh?  Not a good month.  But on the plus side I did identify a few things that are holding me back.

1. Workout a minimum of three times per week.

Fail.  Total fail.  I have an old issue with my foot that has been a problem lately and my foot hurts and it’s numb and it’s scary but really that’s no excuse.  I did my typical routine of “Oh, I can’t run?  Guess I better sit on my ass and do nothing.”  I think, thankfully, that I can run again now though.  My specific goal for April is to workout every Monday of this month.  I need to get my weeks off to a better start.

2. Continue to read at least one book a month, for a minimum total of 30 books this year.

13. The Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins

Win.  I wish I had read more but I fulfilled the minimum and I’m well on my way to 30 books this year.  Plus I adored The Hunger Games.

3. Put the time and effort into my school work that I can be proud of each week.

Pass.  I got a 98% on my stats test and I scored well above the average on my other exams.  But I haven’t been working ahead as much as I’d like.

4. Continue working on being a positive person.

Pass.  My specific goal was the March Back Home No Take-out Challenge.  We met our goal but we only did the challenge for three weeks which isn’t all that impressive.  For April – eat breakfast every day.  I know how important breakfast is but lately it’s been eating lost in the shuffle.  I’ll be happier and healthier if I at least shove half a Lara Bar into my backpack.

I Have To Grudgingly Admit

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… I love, love, loved The Hunger Games!  We are reading it for book club and I’d been resisting, but I got in bed with it last night at 11 and couldn’t stop reading until I was done!  My late night meant I missed my run this morning but it was still totally worth it.  I need to get my hands on the next two books asap.

Breakfast was a bowl of cereal (a mix) with vanilla almond milk.

Plus a pear.

We ran around all afternoon, including a trip to the mecca.

Squeee!  I didn’t buy even a tenth of what I wanted but still came away with a few goodies, including this Zico Chocolate Coconut Water.

I wasn’t sure what to expect but I think this might be my new favorite thing.  The taste sort of reminded me of a chocolate egg cream.  I hope this becomes available in Buffalo soon!

Our meals for the day were eaten at chains, but both were good.  Lunch came from Panera Bread.

I got a soup and salad combo.  A half serving of brocoli cheddar soup.

And a half Thai chopped chicken salad.

With an apple as my side.

And part of a cookie to finish.

I made it through the drive back to the house but then my late night hit me hard and I ended up taking an afternoon nap.  I’m still feeling pretty tired and my mom and I have another 7-hour drive home tomorrow so I’ve got to get to bed early tonight (as in the minute I publish this post!).

Dinner was at Red Lobster.

I started with a side salad with balsamic vinegar on the side,

and of course a cheddar biscuit.

The salad was watery so I ignored it in favor of the biscuit which was delicious (of course!).

I did another combination for my main meal.

The stuffed flounder – which wasn’t as good as my meal last night at Outback,

and coconut shrimp – which came with tasty piña colada sauce.

I wasn’t expecting to get such a platter of food!  I managed half of the fish and 4 of the shrimp, plus all of my side of cole slaw.

All that’s left to eat is sugar plums!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day

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I may have had water at the beer garden but I did manage to sneak some booze into my St. Patrick’s Day.

Iced coffee with Tres Leches Liqueur and Silk Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk.

I enjoyed my beverage on a walk with the husband and the dog.  It was warm enough to do this –

Spring has sprung!

We all made sure to get our green on today,

even Mother Earth.

It was the perfect day for a walk and apparently we weren’t the only ones who thought so because the sidewalks were packed.  Or maybe people just heard that the Co-op was giving out free carrot cake samples?

It was a fruitful day, I also snagged some samples at the grocery store.  Some peanuts, fresh squeezed blood orange juice, and a big hunk of cheese in addition to the cake.

I also had a pear,

and a 0% Oikos Greek Yogurt with Caramel on the bottom.

Awhile back I complained about the texture changes in Stonyfield yogurt and a company rep sweetly offered to send me some coupons for products I might like more.  You can assume that the next few Oikos products I mention were freebies.  This caramel Oikos was delicious and the texture was perfect, smooth and decadent.

I topped it with a handful of Heath Bar crumbles and it made a great afternoon treat.

I was pretty hungry all afternoon so we ended up making an early, easy dinner.

Tricolor six cheese tortellini with marinara sauce, and roasted sliced mushrooms and shredded zucchini.

Tasty, tasty.  I kept my portion on the small side because my evening plans include a HUGE bowl of popcorn.  Also Stargate: Atlantis.  A real party animal, that’s what I am!

What did you do for St. Patrick’s Day?

My Meal At T.G.I.Friday’s

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Disclaimer – I was given the opportunity to sample the new menu at TGIF free of charge.  As always, my thoughts are my own.

The other day I had the opportunity to try the new menu at T.G.I.Friday’s.    The new menu is currently out in Buffalo, Minneapolis, and Denver and a group of local bloggers were given the opportunity to come and taste some of the new dishes.  I brought my friend Kim along and we had a really great time.

There is a T.G.I.Friday’s across the street from campus at UMiami and there was a year in undergrad when Adam and I were going pretty much weekly.  I’d get the pecan crusted chicken salad, every single time.  But it’s been awhile and I’ve not had very good luck with chains locally.  I have to be honest that when the offer came in I wasn’t expecting to be all that impressed.  But here’s the thing – everything we tried was great!  Like, everything.  And I realize that those dishes were being put out specifically to serve to a group of local food bloggers, but I was impressed enough that I plan on going back on my own.

You can read about the items here so I’m not going to waste your time by regurgitating the menu.  Instead, I’ll share a few of my thoughts.  We had the opportunity to ask questions and I did my best to ensure that vegetarian dishes were truely vegetarian.  I loved how many options were available for non-meat eaters.  There were also some good-looking beef dishes added to the menu, but since I didn’t taste them myself I’m not going to comment on them.

Peach Sweet Tea.

This was made with peach puree, agave, and black tea.  I’m not the hugest sweet tea fan but this wasn’t too-too sweet and you could taste that the peaches were not fake.

Heavenly Hummus Dip

The hummus was made with roasted red pepper paste which gave a nice layer of flavor under the tahini.  It was topped with goat cheese crumbles which is not a combo I would have expected.  The flavor was good, but very garlicy so be aware if that’s not your thing.  We were told that the hummus is made fresh every day.  It was served fresh with pita toasts that seemed very fresh as well.

Warm Pretzels with Beer Cheese Dipping Sauce

This was my favorite appetizer (duh!).  I know that not everyone is as obsessed with movie theatre pretzel bites as I am, but I promise this app feels fancier than that.  The pretzels are supremely soft and they are brushed with a basil butter that gives them this great, unidentifiable taste (I had to ask).  The beer cheese sauce wasn’t gritty or too sour.  Ask for no bacon on top if you don’t eat pork.  They recently changed from cooking the sauce with bacon to sprinkling it on top so that this accommodation could be made.

Ahi Tuna with Avocado Crisps

I took a bite of this expecting to spit it out and ended up eating the entire thing.  Seared ahi tuna is served on top of tortilla crisps with Sriracha, guacamole, lemon vinaigrette, and a fresh jalapeño.  The blend of flavors and textures really helped me get over the fact that I was eating raw fish.  I loved the fresh jalapeño on top; it gave great crunch and the guacamole helped to mellow out the heat.

I don’t have a photo of the Sedona Black Bean Burger but I wanted to mention it because it was amazing.  It’s a black bean burger topped with chipotle mayo, avocado, and great thick-sliced pickles.  The burger had a nice texture and held together perfectly and the sandwich had just the right amount of spice.  This felt nice and meaty but is actually a good vegetarian option (it’s not vegan because egg whites are used in the bean patties).

Grilled Vegetable Dagwood

I should say right now that the three sandwich options were my three favorites.  This sandwich was fantasmic and Kim and I both made ourselves a little sick because we just couldn’t stop taking bites of it. Two pieces of extra-soft pita were stuffed with spinach, goat cheese, roasted veggies (eggplant!), and mango chutney.  You never see mango chutney on American menus and it really adds a lot of flavor to any dish.

Turkey Cranberry Rueben

What, what?!  It’s a Rueban… and it’s made with turkey so I don’t have to request a menu change… and it has cranberries?  Sign me up!  Actually the cranberry component was in cranberry jalapeño slaw and cranberry jalapeño thousand island dressing, which is even better.  I liked that it had a Goldilocks amount of turkey on it (not too little or too much) but I do recommend requesting that it be grilled without butter.

Victory Garden Pasta

Whole wheat penne with veggies (brocoli, mushrooms, olives! and more) and goat cheese in a lemon sauce.  If you request no goat cheese this one would be vegan.  The pasta was not my cup of tea but that’s just my taste preference because it was Kim’s favorite.  I love the throwback name.

Overall, I was very impressed the amount and variety of veggies that made it onto the new menu.  And I like that the prices are still pretty low in spite of some “fancier” additions, i.e. avocado and goat cheese.  It’s sort of awkward to write a review that doesn’t say anything bad because I think my readers will assume that I’m lying, but I promise that my experience was genuinely just a good one.  If you get try the new menu for yourself please let me know what you think!

What is your favorite chain restaurant?