Squash Your Winter Blues

by Emily

It’s a short work-week for me because tonight I head to Ohio to celebrate my grandmother’s NINETY-FOURTH birthday! She moved into an assisted living facility that she loves since I last saw her and I am so excited to catch-up!

Highlights from an incredibly tasty week…

Pumpkin smoothie – pumpkin puree, cottage cheese, maple syrup, cinnamon, and ice.

We consumed our spookiest pumpkin beers while watching Goosebumps (Roadsmary’s Baby – 9/10 and Howling Gourds – Adam’s favorite). Also mystery-flavor, black-tinted Fanta!

I made a batch of the best-ever pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.

It’s Pumpkin Month but my apple line-up was top-notch. Snap Dragon, Cosmic Crisp, and Lady Alice.

These Trader Joe’s Crunchy Curls are probably the most satisfying snack food; 12/10, perfect crunch, texture, and flavor.

How cute are these little strawberry gummies I found at Target??!

Pumpkin chili! Ground turkey, pink beans, yellow onion, bell peppers, chicken broth, pumpkin puree, tomato paste, fish sauce, soy sauce, salt and pepper, urfa chili, gochugaru, smoked paprika, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Topped with cheese, sour cream, and pickled jalopenos.

Plus we snacked on Trader Joe’s pumpkin tortilla chips with salsa while we cooked.

Egg tofu with mushroom gravy. I used shitake and brown beech mushrooms and served on top of riced cauliflower. We loved this (especially topped with Sriracha and chili crisp).

Winter veggie sheet-pan hash. I roasted butternut squash, Trader Joe’s cruciferous crunch mix, and chicken and mushroom sausages with sweet and spicy candied pecans and sharp-cheddar. Topped with a miso maple mustard vinaigrette.

20Oct2023

Maple Month?!

by Emily

Highlights from the week…

Pumpkin protein smoothie. Pumpkin puree, cottage cheese, vanilla protein powder, maple, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Pumpkin beers. We served these in a glasses with a cinnamon brown sugar rim!

Chobani pumpkin spice Greek yogurt with caramel apple granola and jumbo blueberries.

I also enjoyed the pumpkin crisp Flip.

A trio of maple treats! Maple is a year-round food (too good to limit to one month!) but it was fun to do a theme dessert. These were all wonderful, by the way, the candy bar was one of the best we’ve ever had.

~~Cocktail~~ chip hour a la Trader Joe’s – their best potato chips with everything and the elote dip.

Spicy pumpkin pasta. Whole-wheat elbows with sauteed ground turkey with sour cream, pumpkin puree, and chili crisp. Plus roasted baby cauliflower.

Trader Joe’s spicy pumpkin samosas (11/10!) with roasted orange and purple cauliflower. I made a dipping sauce with sour cream, maple, harissa, and lime.

Macaroni and cheese cups with leftover cauliflower and a buffalo-ranch sauce.

P.S. Fellow millennials – We have been loving the new Goosebumps series and highly recommend it! So campy but sweet and we really like they way they’ve fit multiple titles into one cohesive story. P.P.S. Hubie Halloween on Netflix is also delightful.

2Oct2023

Pie Not Spice

by Emily

It’s Pumpkin Month! Over the years I’ve accepted that I like pumpkin but not pumpkin spice. That said, with the numerous varieties of pumpkin beers that exist now I still had a pretty giant gourd cache this year.

P.S. Sunday night Adam and I went on a seasonal date to buy a big pumpkin and try the Wendy’s pumpkin spice frosty (the initial flavor was an 8/10 but the aftertaste was too much spice. I also tried the new nacho chicken sandwich – also only ok)

Highlights from the weekend included…

Green protein smoothie – frozen chopped spinach and banana blended with a Premier Protein cake batter.

This bar has been one of my top-three favorites for more than five years.

Spicy rice cake snack. These were almost too spicy and very satisfying.

These Trader Joe’s brigadeiros were good but not great.

This dirt cake Ben & Jerry’s was very good but not great.

Meanwhile, this ice cream cozy my mom bought me for my birthday is one of the best things we own!

Salad night. Romaine / baby bell peppers / Trader Joe’s strawberry basil vinaigrette / Beecher’s Flagship cheddar / dried cherries / bacon-seasoned crunchy mung beans / super-firm tofu that I shredded; tossed with canola oil, white pepper, and Sichuan pepper salt; and roasted.

Sandwich and salad night; Adam and I split two things from Roast. The weekly special – bbq brisket, cheddar, crispy onions, peach slaw, and a cherry pepper aioli on a brioche roll.

The bbq chicken salad with ranch, avocado, roasted corn, crispy tortilla strips, and pepperjack.

Chicken tacos from Burrito Blvd – with zucchini, tomato, roasted corn, cheese, and chipotle aioli.

21Aug2023

We Had Fun-Fetti

by Emily

Highlights from a very wonderful weekend…

Cafe Grumpy iced latte with oatmilk and blackberry syrup.

Are you admiring my sleeve? Last weekend Adam and I bought a $10 kit from Target and tie-dyed our own shirts!

Caffe Valencia Roosevelt – iced latte with frothed milk and vanilla and toasted marshmallow.

Green protein smoothie. Premiere Protein cake batter with frozen banana, grapes, and spinach.

Taiyaki. I got custard-filled, hojicha ice cream, condensed milk, and sprinkles.

Best cake ever from Butterfield. Super dense funfetti with two kinds of frosting; the cookies and cream layer was life-changing.

Lunch at Kayle.

Beef sliders on ube rolls.

Beef Tapa meal – seared tri-tip marinated with soy sauce and garlic with chili plus rice and a fried egg. And a side of roasted eggplant.

Plus, of course, halo halo. (10/10, best I’ve had in the city)

Dry-aged cheese burger from Mighties.

Spicy cumin lamb hand-torn noodles from Xi’an Famous Foods. These noodles are a large part of why I feel like I can never live outside of New York; 1,000/10.

18Aug2023

Minnows And Salmon

by Emily

Highlights from the past week…

Blue Bottle‘s Nola Shakerato is a work of art.

Smoothie with cottage cheese, peaches, mixed berries, and water.

Sandwich on garlic naan with sliced turkey, cheddar, and soft-scrambled eggs.

We ordered a whole spread of treats at Patisserie Tomoko, our new favorite dessert spot in Williamsburg. Yuzu cheesecake / black sesame red bean mochi / pumpkin pie. All 10/10!

Plus their special, the yuzuchoco float – yuzu sorbet, yuzu ice cream, and yuzu seltzer with a salted chocolate popsicle.

We ended up with these Trader Joe’s chocolate-covered peanut butter pretzels by mistake (sorry, Dad, they didn’t fit in your birthday box!) but Adam and I both love them.

Dinner at Minnows. We got fun drinks including an old-school frozen grasshopper.

Adam and I adored everything we got here. We shared a smashburger with pimento cheese.

Hushpuppies with salted honey butter.

A “big salad” with corn, pepitas, fennel, cojita, and citrus thyme vinaigrette.

Collard greens.

Adam surprised me with a sourdough croissant from Winner (YUM) so I made breakfast tasting plates for dinner. With roasted asparagus, a medium-boiled egg, Trader Joe’s hot-smoked salmon, and a horseradish dipping sauce.

Creamy mushroom pasta. Whole-wheat spaghetti with crispy sauteed oyster mushrooms and maitake mushrooms and a sauce made with cream cheese, gojuchang, and lemon juice. I topped mine with kelp flakes.

Baked buffalo chicken meatballs (with blue cheese and cream cheese!) and roasted broccoli with a horseradish ranch dipping sauce.

13Jul2023

Coke, Callaloo, Cashew

by Emily

Highlights from a yummy week…

A fantastic smoothie; frozen cherries and strawberries with cottage cheese and water.

7/11 Day. I ruined my Coke slurpee with unfrozen lemon but it’s still my favorite holiday.

Rum and Coke slush! Coke ice cubes blended with golden rum and key lime juice.

These Tid Bits fruit bites are delicious and surprisingly high in fiber and protein.

Cashews aren’t usually my go-to but I loved these for snacking this week.

Hands-down our household’s favorite snack right now are the Trader Joe’s lentil curls. They are so satisfying!

Dinner sucesses this week were 100% thanks to this beef bacon.

Sandwiches with bacon, Kewpie, and local heirloom tomatoes. Plus roasted zucchini and extra tomato on the side.

Callaloo is traditionally made with amaranth leaves and salt pork but this version with spinach and beef bacon was a delight. Plus crab, yellow onion, hot pepper, ginger, garlic, urfa, and coconut milk. I topped my bowl with hot pepper jelly.

No bacon but still a winner – turkey meatloaf. A riff on this recipe with gojuchang, ketchup, sisig seasoning, green onion, and sharp cheddar. Plus roasted cabbage with tahini and chili crisp.

This post is a day early because I am taking a long weekend and heading to Colorado tonight! My youngest cousin is getting married! And I am spending a few extra days exploring Denver with my mom.

23Jun2023

Wonton More

by Emily

It was a tasty week, great snacks and even better dinners! Highlights included…

A beautiful latte with espresso, butterfly pea tea, and sweetened condensed milk.

Smoothie success – cottage cheese, frozen banana and cherries, ube extract.

See also – blueberry Greek yogurt, frozen blueberries and grapes, butterfly pea tea.

Still obsessed with these Belli-Welli bars. I finally shared one with Adam, who was not a fan, but I think they taste great.

It turns out my favorite dried fruit is kiwi; the texture and taste of these was so satisfying.

Rainer cherries (swoon) plus Haribo berries gummies.

See also – these Honest gummies are wonderfully juicy and chewy; not the best gummy I’ve ever eaten but hands-down the best fruit snacks.

Creamy lemonade – fresh lemon and lime with sweetened condensed milk and lemon seltzer.

These alcoholic Frescas are a 9.5/10 – perfectly balanced and just sweet enough.

Pinch of Yum‘s bbq salmon plus roasted Japanese sweet potato and roasted cabbage dressed in a mix of honey, rice vinegar, and Caribbean hot pepper sauce.

Korean rice cakes sauteed with tomato sauce and gojuchang, plus roasted zucchini, shredded chicken, and sharp cheddar.

Homemade baked wontons. Our filling was fresh crab and roasted cabbage and green onion with soy sauce, white pepper, and hot pepper jelly. Plus roasted cauliflower and dumpling sauce.

Salad success – baby kale, this dressing, leftover cabbage, baby bell peppers, chicken breast, cashews, homemade baked wonton crips, and furikake.

Homemade baked wonton chips (these are going to become a staple!) seasoned with szechuan pepper salt and togarashi plus baby bell peppers and pimento cheese. Full disclose, I went back for thirds!

23May2023

In Paradise

by Emily

This past weekend Adam and I… lost our minds over the beautiful flowers all over Park Slope / went to a Filipino/JapanFest street fair / checked off two restauarants on my “lauded cheeseburgers” list. Highlights included…

Birthday cake smoothie bowl from Juice Press. I kept seeing the advertisement for this and I couldn’t help myself! The smoothie was meh but the Out Haus birthday cake granola butter was perfection.

Marvelous by Fred – mini meringue with coffee and hazelnuts.

Ice cream from Teo’s – coffee crunch and sprinkles. Great texture, I love an egg-heavy ice cream base.

Street fair finds. Ube and calmansi juice was a surprisingly sucessful combo.

Okonomiyaki.

Mini twinkie with jackfruit and Frooty Pebbles.

Drinks at The Warren. I loved my Madame Brown with bourbon, passionfruit, sour, and egg whites. We also had the best (unphotographed) deviled eggs I’ve ever eaten; I want to come back here for dinner immediately.