Weekly Highlights

I don’t have enough pictures to constitute a wrap-up post this week, but I am going to share some of the highlights.  What you’re not seeing is all of the meals that I purchased out – which was pretty much all of them.  Also three million pieces of gummy candy, give or take.

This week was very busy; I literally just was not home most nights to cook my own food.  And the few I was home, Adam was working at night so my motivation to cook my own food was quite low.  One day I had last-minute shopping errands.  One day I had a professional development on nutrition for cardiovascular disease (<– it was great!) that kept me in Manhattan until after 10 pm, meaning I didn’t get back home again until almost midnight.  And one day I had to go back to the salon to fix my janky hair.

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I couldn’t get a good picture, but all of the color bled out of the front leaving me with gray/green pieces that looked highly unprofessional.  Now I’m back to boring brown and the purple will be sorely missed!

Here were some of the very best bites from this week…

Rice bowls three days straight?  Why not?

DSC08779

DSC08781DSC08795A strawberry aloe yogurt drink that I split with Adam.

DSC08796

A fantasmic cup of Quatro Leches (Tres Leches plus dulce de leche) that I found at the grocery store.

DSC08783

A delicious packed work lunch of oatmeal with kettle-cooked apples.

DSC08774

DSC08775DSC08771And last, but certainly not least, a Creamy Pink Grapefruit Spritzer.  Which, ps, Adam liked so much he actually asked for the recipe and made one on his own.

DSC08788

That’s all, folks!  I have looks of kitchen time planned for my weekend so I promise the next wrap-up will have a little more tofu meat.

Weekend Wrap-Up; Equations With Pie

Happy Monday, all!  Did everyone else enjoy Pi Day on Friday (March 14 –>  3/14  –>  3.14)?  People usually celebrate the date by eating pie and/or pizza{pie}.  We went with the sweet variety, though now that I think about it we had pizza over the weekend too.

In random order, here are the eats I have to share…

lunch

Friday at work.

DSC08672

A pepperoni and cheese snack box,

DSC08674

and a GT’s Synergy Grape Chia Kombucha.

DSC08676

We got lunch at Noodle & Co. while running errands on Saturday.

DSC08724

DSC08725I got the Japanese pan noodles – caramelized udon noodles in a sweet soy sauce, broccoli, carrots, shiitake mushrooms, Asian sprouts, black sesame and cilantro.

DSC08730

I paid for extra veggies, which got me a whopping 3 tiny pieces of broccoli.  We were not impressed.

dinner

Easy dinner on Friday to leave room for pie.

DSC08680

Eggs scrambled with kale and corn.

DSC08683

Pizza on Saturday.  My half was topped with mushroom.

DSC08732

I got my veggies in the form of Sweet Greens.

DSC08722

Sunday was Chipotle take-out.

DSC08762

I planned on saving half of my meal for Adam (he was working the night shift) but I ended up eating every single bite of rice bowl and chips!

DSC08767

It doesn’t look like much, but my “meat” was sofritas – shredded tofu braised with chiles, poblanos, and spices – and it was delicious.

brunch

Au Bon Pain debuted a new seasonal Spring Menu on March 10th and they sent me a gift certificate so I could review their newest bakery item.  – please note: I was able to sample the new items free of charge.  I was not provided further compensation for this post.  All opinions are my own. –

Adam and I decided to do a late Sunday morning brunch.

DSC08743

Coffee – a skim, iced Caffé Viennese – and a Sweet Cheese CroisBun, aka their new croissant and sweet bun hybrid.

DSC08747

The outside was wonderfully flakey and sweet but the inside was what really shined.  The sweet cheese was sooooo moist – the main reason I usually don’t eat Danish is because they tend to get dried out, but this was amazing.  There was a sweet cheese and strawberry variety that looked yummy too.

I also got a Sesame Ginger Chicken Salad.

DSC08737

DSC08739Very good as well.  The seasoning on the chicken provided so much flavor.  Other options from the new menu include a Chicken Wasabi Wrap and Black Currant Iced Tea that I quite want to try.

snackage

Pi Day celebration from Four & Twenty Blackbirds.

DSC08686

DSC08678I got our slices to-go but the space was super adorable and I am dying to go back.

Oatmeal black bottom – I didn’t love the texture of the oats within the pie but Adam was a big fan –

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Salted honey – custard with the perfect balance of salt and sweet –

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Lemon chess – my favorite variety; packed with pucker –

DSC08694

We were both very pleased.  And we sat on the couch, holding hands, eating pie, and watching tv, so it was pretty much the best night ever.

And on Saturday I put the leftover lemon chess pie in vanilla bean Greek yogurt.

DSC08736

Perfection.

On Sunday, a girlfriend and I went to a gelato making class.

DSC08748

DSC08751DSC08753We came home with 4 pints each.

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The class was fun, but I’m honestly not that thrilled with the taste/quality of my pints.  At least we went on a Groupon.

The highlight of my weekend – other than time with the husband, obvs – was getting my hands on this:

DSC08755

Diet cherry coke slurpee, for the win!  It tasted like dreams.  Even my friend, who’s not an addict like I am, said it was tasty.

What was the highlight of your weekend?

Weekly Wrap-Up; Lots Of Leftovers

You saw most of this week’s eats yesterday, so this post is just to fill in the gaps.  What you’re not seeing – the coffee.  I was terrible about bedtime this week and the result was constant coffee consumption.  This work week ended up being particularly busy, so it was serendipitous that I was extra-caffeinated.

snacks

Numi Cardamom Pu-erh Tea with skim milk.

DSC07413Valentine’s style Junior Mints.

DSC07375Junior Mints are my favorite chocolate candy, second only to York and Pep bars, and these were shaped like freaking hearts!  Too exciting.

Popcorn with caramel and turkey bacon.

DSC07298Does that goodness need more explanation?

stuff I didn’t cook

Brunch at Biscuits and BBQ.

DSC07307DSC07299Adam went super Southern with chicken and waffles,

DSC07300while I got the bbq chicken sandwich.

DSC07303It was good, but I was expecting the meat to be pulled and smothered and I probably would have ordered differently if I’d known it wasn’t.  At least the serving was giant; Adam ate my 2nd half for lunch the next day.

We were mostly there for dessert anyway.  I read a review in the Times that said Biscuits and BBQ had some of the best key lime pie the reviewer had ever tasted.

DSC07305Yep.  Key lime pie is my favorite dessert and this was definitely one of the best slices I’ve had.  The only way it could have been better is if the traditional crust was a graham cracker crust – the way my mom makes it – because I like my extra-sweet with a side of extra-sweet!

Sushi take-out from Kisso.

DSC07327I went with two boring, cooked rolls (both with tempura!) but Adam said his chirashi was the best he’s ever had.

leftovers for lunch

Since I made a different recipe each night for my book review, I ended up with lots of leftovers for lunches.  Eating tapenade and tofu egg salad on my lunch break felt fancy!

A packaged lunch.

DSC07336Roasted seaweed.

DSC07338A Strawberry Apple Crusher.

DSC07341And some Bumblebee Spicy Thai Chili Tuna with crackers.

DSC07340I loooove that tuna, it is so flavorful.

An eggless lunch.

DSC07364Leftover eggless egg salad.

DSC07369Scooped with pita chips.

DSC07371With a side of green grapes.

DSC07373Crudités for lunch.

DSC07378Leftover lentil tapenade with celery and baby carrots.

DSC07391A giant honeycrisp.

DSC07385And baby Lindt HELLO bars.

DSC07382a dinner

The night I was left to my own devices in the kitchen I made mac and cheese and trees for dinner.

DSC07428Just a box of this adorable winter shapes mac and cheese with 0% Greek yogurt, smoked paprika, a tin of Bella cayenne pepper smoked sardines, and broccoli roasted with truffle salt.

DSC07408DSC07426Gussied up box macaroni is the best easy dinner.

What’s your go-to order when you’re channeling the deep South?  Adam does chicken and waffles while I like pulled chicken and fried okra.

Livin’ Lean With Trader Joe’s {Book Review}

I recently was contacted about doing a review of Jamie Davidson’s new book, Livin’ Lean with Trader Joe’s.  Since January is the month of resolutions to eat better/lose weight/get healthy/et al, it seemed like the perfect time to share my thoughts with you guys.  I even have a sample recipe for you.

Livin' Lean with Trader Joe'sNote – I was sent a PDF copy of the book to review, free of charge.  All opinions are my own.  I was not provided with further compensation for this post.

About: The Author

Jamie has a master’s degree in Exercise Physiology and has been teaching people how to eat nutritiously and conveniently for over 20 years.  She is also the author of Quick and Healthy Meals from Trader Joe’s and Simmering Solutions, Healthy Slow-Cooker Recipes.  I don’t believe that she has any formal chef training, but she is quite adept at putting together meals that are balanced and flavorful while still being healthy.  While I think that Registered Dietitians should be the gold standard source for nutrition advice, Jamie’s background makes her far more qualified than most of the other authors of this season’s diet advice.

My Thoughts: The Book

Two thumbs up!  Adam and I loved all of the recipes that we tried – they were tasty, healthy, and a snap to prepare.

The first few chapters of the book focus on Jamie’s advice for weight loss and healthy living, followed by a comprehensive collection of more than 150 recipes.  As a Registered Dietitian, I think that her philosophy is solid.  She promotes exercise and a balanced diet (note – “diet” as in a lifestyle or way of eating, not meaning a short-term, quick-fix “diet”) and doesn’t make outrageous claims.  She does a great job of explaining why and how her recipes can help you lose weight.

Many of the recipes are simple assembly and prep, and if you are a more advanced cook this book may be too basic for you.  But if you are struggling in the kitchen or have made a recent commitment to prepare healthier meals – whether you are looking to lose weight or just lead a healthy life – I wholeheartedly recommend purchasing this book.

The Goods: Recipes I Made

{1} Lentil Tapenade (Wrap).

DSC07322This recipe combined some of Adam’s favorite flavors – lentils, olive tapenade, and feta – that I would not have thought to put together on my own.  It took less than 5 minutes to throw together and we loved the final result.

The recipe was for a wrap, but we made a (double) batch of the spread and served it as part of a cheese plate instead.

DSC07325Lentil tapenade, buffalo blue cheese kettle chips, green grapes, pesto gouda, and an amazing goat’s milk cheddar.

{2} BBQ Chicken over Polenta.

DSC07407This was one of those basic prep recipes; not something I would normally look for in a cookbook but a great find on a late night when I would have ordered take-out (for 8 billion calories) but spent 5 minutes throwing this together instead (for less than 200 calories a serving with 16 grams of protein).

Served with green beans.

DSC07400DSC07396FYI, I did skew my serving ratio a bit towards chicken versus polenta.

{3} Really Low Fat Greek Yogurt Dressing.

DSC07354Served on a salad, obviously.  With romaine, smoked almonds, raisins, and pesto gouda.  I liked the tang of this a lot.  And I loved that there were only about 35 calories a serving, because the husband tends to coat his salads in dressing.

DSC07352Served with…

{4} Eggless Egg Salad.

DSC07361This was our favorite recipe of the bunch.  It has a tofu base, but an avowed tofu hater wouldn’t know it was in there until you told them.  I don’t usually put so many veggies in my egg salad (though I totally should) so I tasted this before I added in most of the produce and yep, it tasted just like egg salad!

DSC07348This was delicious, and vegan to boot.  Definitely a recipe I plan on making again.  And you can make it too, since Jamie said it was ok to share the recipe with you guys (click on the image to enlarge) –

Eggless Egg SaladDSC07344Did you make any health related resolutions this New Years?

Weekly Wrap-Up; One Day Late

Usually I get these posts up by Friday, but that implies that I was moderately functional on Thursday night.  This week, I was not.  In spite of being insanely tired all week (I got into a bad sleep habit pattern that snowballed), I did do pretty well on the food front – breakfasts most days, fancy-feeling dinners, the works.

work

Speaking of work…  It’s going well.  I feel like I am fully settled into my position.  I am definitely missing the inpatient setting a lot, but I do feel like I’m getting to make a positive impact.  Part of the reason I’m so passionate about pediatrics (my long-term career goals center around nutrition support  and pediatrics) is because nutrition is so crucial during periods of growth.  Well, working with prenatal patients means I’m counseling adults who are growing{babies!}.  My clinic sees a great variety of clients; among other things, I’ve gotten to deal with anemia, diabetes, hyperemesis gravidarum, and pica.  I’m still waiting on vegan diets, eating disorders, and maternal pku.

On a less serious note, I decided to stop Fashion Fridays.  I’m just not that fashionable.  And I’m really not that good with my camera, which meant I was taking blurry pictures that weren’t highlighting the cool details that make me love my outfits.  I doubt anyone but my mom will miss this feature, but I just wanted to explain why it was going away.

breakfast

Coconut Macaroon Larabar and a short non-fat salted caramel hot chocolate.

DSC07179DSC07195Breakfast from the cafeteria.

DSC07228Kashi Caramelized Onion Hummus Crisps and an apple.  I enjoyed both.

Non-fat iced caramel flan latte.

DSC07243This wasn’t as exciting as I wanted it to be.  I asked for no whipped cream and they skipped my caramel drizzle too.

Two servings of S’mores Krave cereal with blackberries and unsweetened vanilla almond milk.

DSC07281I didn’t like the original version of this cereal when I tried it last year but the s’mores kind is quite tasty.  And for a “sugar cereal” it’s not even terrible, with 10 g of sugar per serving.

lunch

Monday.

DSC071830% Fage with mango and soursoup,

DSC07189a super juicy pear,

DSC07188dried clementines,

DSC07191and Duane Reade milk chocolate with toffee and sea salt.

DSC07193Tuesday, I ran out of time to pack.

DSC07220A Chicken and Greens Cesar from Starbucks.  I loved the use of kale in here, I didn’t know a Cesar could feel so healthy.

DSC07225And a Strawberry Apple Crusher from TJ.

DSC07221Wednesday.

DSC07230Hickory smoked tuna with crackers,

DSC07234and salted milk chocolate and a pear for dessert.

DSC07238For Thursday, a jar of fresh pineapple.

DSC07259A sandwich of Applegate Farms roasted turkey, dijon, and light jarlsberg on an everything ciabatta flatbread,

DSC07256and some sesame roasted seaweed.

DSC07263My coworkers were very curious about the seaweed; two of them even were brave enough to taste it, not that they ended up being big fans.

I didn’t have my camera yesterday, but I bought a slice of veggie pizza from the cafeteria for lunch.  And, um, I also bought a doughnut for breakfast.  I almost never eat doughnuts (I didn’t grow up with them) but I had randomly reeeeeeeeally been craving one so it was serendipitous that the cafeteria had cinnamon twists on the morning I couldn’t pack breakfast.

dinner

A fancy night.

DSC07206We topped salmon with meyer lemon and this Dark Horse Smoked Brown Sugar before baking.  We hardly ever make fresh fish at home and this was such a treat!  The texture of properly baked salmon is swoon-worthy.

DSC07197DSC07211With a side of roasted broccoli,

DSC07213and potatoes – mashed with butter, goat cheese, and tons of dijon mustard.

DSC07216It was a great meal.

A tired night – I was too sleepy on Tuesday to even bother with dinner.  Refer down to the “snacks” list below 🙂

A sandwich night.

DSC07276Smokey tofu sandwiches were a total win.

DSC07265We topped ciabatta flatbread with smokey tofu, light muenster cheese, and turkey bacon.  The tofu was baked with a sauce I threw together – ketchup, maple syrup, and liquid smoke – and it turned out great.

DSC07268DSC07273Plus green beans.

DSC07271A restaurant night.

DSC07287Those are the complimentary yam chips that Laverne sets out, by the way, and they are fantastic.

For my meal, I ordered the Drunken Noodles with shrimp, extra spicy.

DSC07291Oh boy, did they ever deliver on spice!  The noodles were exactly to my liking, which is to say, almost unbearably hot!  Adam took a tiny taste and was not happy.  Thai iced tea helped me to cool down a bit.

DSC07289And after dinner we went out for giant cups of froyo.  Sadly, the evening took a sharp turn downhill from there.  I made myself a much bigger froyo than I usually do, loaded up with all sorts of toppings, including, apparently, something that didn’t agree with me.  Even if you’ve never thrown up after eating the spiciest meal of your life you can probably still picture it.  I basically rolled around on the floor and screamed.  <– sorry, husband!

snack

When I sent Adam to “the fancy store” to pick up salmon, he came home with this 26 month aged Beemster Dutch cheese as a surprise.

DSC07199Do you see those salt crystals?!  Love.  We didn’t even use crackers, just ate big chunks all week long.

Vivaloe Watermelon Aloe.  Surprisingly, Adam liked this even more than I did.

DSC07241We both have been missing the variety of boba we could get in bubble tea in Buffalo and the chunks of aloe are a nice substitute.

Onto the chocolate portion of our show… My last Alter Eco Velvet Truffle.

DSC07285I’m amazed these lasted so long in the house (they are outstanding), but it seemed like we just kept on bringing home new treats.

Like the Lime Splash Lindt bar that I obviously had to buy because, hello, it’s new.

DSC07293Two thumbs up.  And I know that the cover photo makes him look like a creeper, but I’m currently loving Grant Achatz’s memoir, Life, On The Line.

Finally, my (sugared up) take on Something Swanky’s Single Serve Skinny Brownie Batter.

DSC072445.3 oz vanilla Greek yogurt + 1 Tbsp brown sugar + 1/2 Tbsp granulated sugar + 1 and 1/2 Tbsp almond meal + 1 Tbsp Dutch cocoa powder = brain exploding goodness!

Weekend Wrap-Up; Snowmageddon

Hey there!  I hope all of my East Coast (US) readers are keeping warm!  Long Island didn’t get hit as badly with snow as predicted, but getting to and from work on Friday was definitely pretty insane.

Here’s some of what I ate when I wasn’t shivering…

Lunch packed for work on Friday.

DSC07115Leftovers of my spin on Hoppin’ John on top of leftover farro,

DSC07122with cola candies,

DSC07120and tangerines.

DSC07117I actually ate the tangerines on my train ride home, alongside a nice, warm espresso.

DSC07127Coffee was very loved this weekend.  I also had a cinnamon brown sugar iced latte from Dunkin Donuts {love, love, loved},

DSC07153DSC07150and a hazelnut iced coffee – with sugar, skim milk, and a dash of vanilla creamer – from Bagel Boss {I can’t really speak to their bagels but I’m obsessed with their iced coffee}.

DSC07170Aaaaaand a different iced latte from Starbucks that I didn’t photograph because it was getting ridiculous.  Yes, I recently became extra in love with coffee.  No, I won’t switch from iced no matter how cold it gets.

A delicious dinner on Friday night.

DSC07134I made “miso stoup” for the first time and was thrilled with the results.  Not totally traditional, but with ingredients we had on hand.  And extra “chunky” because it was our whole meal and not just a side.

DSC07130Miso Soup, Basically  serves 2 – 3

  • 3 cups chicken broth  (you could totally use veggie broth if you want to keep things vegetarian)
  • 3 heaping Tbsp miso paste
  • 2. 5 oz firm tofu, cubed
  • 1/2 cup sliced green onions
  • 1 pint sliced shiitake mushrooms
  • .6 oz roasted seaweed, crumbled
  1. Bring broth to a simmer in a medium pot over medium-high heat.
  2. Add miso to broth and whisk until no lumps remain.
  3. Add remaining ingredients to pan and simmer an additional 3 – 5 minutes.

DSC07139We loved it.

Not so delicious fondue for dinner on Saturday night.

DSC07155We split a lemon cream pie martini that wasn’t terrible.

DSC07157And for fondue we ordered the sharp cheese,

DSC07160and the caramel pecan chocolate (though I’m fairly certain they left out our caramel).

DSC07161DSC07164Both were fairly meh.  The bread cubes were terrible and we only got two each of the other dippers so if you liked something you couldn’t even try it again because then the other person didn’t get any.  We cashed in a Groupon to Simply Fondue and even with the $ off it was still pretty darn expensive.  Boo.

Random but good things include:  A bowl of Nature’s Path Heritage Flakes with blackberries and unsweetened vanilla almond milk.

DSC07147A Suede Imperial Porter from Stone {I couldn’t taste the honey but the floral scent was amazing},

DSC07132And a big bowl of popcorn with truffle salt.

DSC07167DSC07165Oh jeez, the truffle popcorn.  Insane.  Usually Adam turns his nose up at my bowls of popcorn but this time he was more than happy to share.

Yesterday we did a late, great brunch.  My guava mimosa was quite tasty.

DSC07173We were visiting friends in Williamsburg and they took us to Simple.  We all had wonderful meals.

DSC07177I got the Vegetable Burger – Sautéed spinach, mushroom, zucchini, pepper, onion, garlic.  It was more of a pile of veggies than a burger, particularly once I ordered it sans bun.  It was also delicious, especially when topped with Danish blue cheese.  And the fries on the side were nice and crispy!

P.S. You have until 2 pm EST to enter my Eggland’s Best giveaway.

Weekly Wrap-Up; Merry Christmas

I hope all of my Christmas-celebrating readers had a merry week!  We celebrated one day early, but had a lovely Christmas all the same.  Our best one ever, maybe!  Lots of nibbles are missing from this post (candy! Chinese food!), but here are the basics from the week –

Fashion Friday

Short week celebration flair.

DSC06696DSC06701DSC06704Christmas Eve.

DSC06719‘Twas the day after Christmas and all through the office…

DSC06908Breakfast and Lunch

An on-theme Luna Bar.

DSC067162% Fage with Honey, an apple, and a leftover ABP chocolate peppermint shortbread.  I also bought a piece of pizza from the cafeteria but I didn’t have my camera with me.

DSC06706DSC06710DSC06714DSC06708Leftover pizza that was in my mouth before it could make it to the plate.  x3

DSC06782The last of the 0% plain Chobani with sliced banana, cinnamon, nutmeg, and maple syrup.

DSC06906An apple, Chinese candy, and a tasty turkey sandwich of Applegate Farms smoked turkey, light Jarlsberg, and dijon on a bagel thin.

DSC06871DSC06867DSC06869DSC06864Snacks Galore

The husband and I shared a Peppermint Dazzler.

DSC06724Also adorably tiny chocolate Santas.

DSC06860This halvah came in my stocking (thanks, mom!).

DSC06784Dinner

Adam worked all day on Christmas but we both had half days on the 24th so we celebrated a day early!  Honestly the best gift of all was getting to spend a weekday afternoon with my husband.

But our new tradition of (homemade) pizza for Christmas Eve dinner was pretty great too!

DSC06749We tried our hand at 2 ingredient pizza dough.

DSC06736Topped with marinara, tons of sautéed mushrooms and green onions, and freshly grated gouda.

DSC06744DSC06755I’m always a fan of sautéed mushrooms (and gouda!) but the dough was out of this world.  I quickly declared this the 2nd best pizza I’ve ever had and the best meal of the month.

With our pizza we drank big glasses of eggnog,

DSC06730DSC06727DSC06732and split a Shiner Cheer.

DSC06757The beer was so peachy good.

Opening presents was a ton of fun.  Our families were too good to us.

DSC06740We’re terrible at waiting so we exchanged anniversary presents (ours is this Saturday) that night as well.  The modern 6th wedding anniversary present is candy – the traditional is iron – so that’s what we gave each other.  Adam’s snack shelf has ruthlessly encroached onto coffee territory.

DSC06771For Webster we spent $20 replacing an old favorite, Pig.

DSC06759New Pig was rated 8/10 on the durability scale.  He lasted less than 3 minutes.

pigThe dog is a monster.

I was home on Christmas, so I spent hours in the kitchen making homemade tomato sauce.  Served on pesto tortelloni from TJ’s.

DSC06893I don’t know quite what went wrong, other than too much onion and crushed red pepper, but I basically made homemade salsa.

DSC06897This was not a success.

Dinner for last night was supposed to be more “pasta sauce,” but I just could not bring myself to eat it again.  Instead we got Thai take-out; Pad See Ew and Cashew Shrimp.

DSC06913DSC06910Much better.

What is your Christmas dinner tradition?

Weekly Wrap-Up; Burritos And A Birthday

I’m (almost) through my 2nd week!  How long do you think I’ll have to be back at work before I stop counting?  My guess is at least a month.

About the title… The birthday was Adam’s.  My husband turned 28 on Wednesday so for the next 6 months I’ll stop being the older woman.

adam4That picture is from BDL; i.e the years Before Doctor Life.  He is on a very busy rotation now so unfortunately we didn’t have time for anything too festive.  He got a disgusting amount of Taco Bell and we watched “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas.”

The burritos were from Red’s All Natural.

reds all naturalThey recently sent me some free-product coupons so that I could try out the goods.  All Red’s products are 100% all-natural, preservative-free and made with antibiotic-free and hormone-free meat and rBGH-free cheese.  I love the company’s philosophy and practices and I liked the burritos too (though admittedly not quite as much as their ideals).

So far I’ve tried two varieties.  I microwaved one burrito and baked the other.  The nuked one was a little mushy, but not at all chewy like some lower-quality tortillas tend to get in the microwave.  The one I baked got perfectly crispy and nice.  Both had good ingredient combinations but sadly I found the flavors to be a bit one-note.  It is also worth pointing out that the burritos are giant, more than 500 calories each which is a lot for one meal component.  However, they are also very, very filling – I shared both of mine with Adam because I could not finish.  If you have someone to split with they are a great option but if you are purchasing them to eat alone just be mindful.  <– they also have 5 oz burritos available in some varieties!

Overall, I am giving the two I tried a positive review (just not glowing).  I am looking forward to trying some of the other varieties and I will definitely be sharing them on the blog when I do.

Fashion Friday

A new polka dot dress, from the Gap.

DSC06344I tilted my head funny in the picture, but I actually got several compliments on my bun piled high on my head.

DSC06398I usually don’t button my cardigans, but I liked it here.

DSC06448Another new dress.  It’s cuter in person than in the picture.  The husband loved it and bought it for me with some of his birthday money ❤

DSC06422The Gap sales rack has been very kind to me this season.  Even with my newbies, however, I’ve pretty much gone through my entire closet in the two weeks, so we’ll see how long “Fashion Friday” continues to last.

Breakfast

Cookie Dough Balance Bar.

DSC06363I think they changed the recipe again.  It’s not quite as glorious as my old memories, but a big improvement over the really gross ones I was finding a year or so ago.

Giant coffee.

DSC06424I was cashing in on a freebie so I went all out.  Venti, non-fat, iced latte with 2 shots each gingerbread, white chocolate, and (extra) espresso.

Chocolate Peppermint Stick Luna Bar.

DSC06445I never eat this flavor because it feels so seasonal, but it is one of the best.  The mint is nice and cool.

Lunch

Monday.  Looks like breakfast but was actually lunch.  Quaker Cherry Pistachio Oatmeal.

DSC06340And the big apple a big apple.

DSC06341I’ve got to buy more oat go-cups; this was super portable and easy to just fill up with hot water in the cafeteria.

Tuesday.

DSC06357Pizza with mushrooms and black olives.

DSC06360And grapes.

DSC06361These grapes are HUGE.  They’re a seedless “holiday” variety.

Wednesday.

DSC06390More leftovers.

DSC06397Tangerines.

DSC06393I promise, that cabbage was so much better than it looks.

Thursday.

DSC06432More grapes.

DSC06430And an everything bagel thin with leftover smoked tofu and light havarti.

DSC06425I left this “raw” and the thins are definitely much, much better when toasted.

Snacks

Just like last week, picture lots of lunch assembly bites.  This first one was an after dinner treat though.  Looks like a root beer float…

DSC06374But actually it’s Vanilla Porter with French vanilla ice cream.

DSC06371I was pretty proud of this idea but it probably would have been a little better in milkshake form with a mix of beer and milk.

An Andes tree.

DSC06347This was weirdly exciting.  I’ve really been craving mint lately.

These gorgonzola cracker crisps have been a favorite for munching.

DSC06402I love how big the serving size is here.

Dinner

Best dinner of the week, hands down.

DSC06381Soy Boy organic Smoked Tofu that I sautéed in evoo.

DSC06384With shredded (frozen) cabbage that we cooked in canola oil with salty peanuts and fresh edamame.  We dumped in a bunch of miso orange dressing at the end and let it reduce, and the whole thing was heavenly.

DSC06387I never seem to repeat meals any more but I do really want to make this again.

Salad and a burrito.

DSC06413Romaine with groats and maple tarragon dressing.

DSC06416Red’s Turkey Burrito.

DSC06410DSC06418This was the one I microwaved.

Cereal night on Adam’s birthday.

DSC06436Two servings of Love Crunch Gingerbread Granola with vanilla almond milk and sliced banana.

DSC06439Plus a big glass of eggnog during “The Grinch.”

DSC06443This meal was missing vegetables, but that just didn’t feel festive!  Thankfully this was the day I had my veggie-heavy lunch.

Chicken Burrito.

DSC06451Apparently that was the only picture I have from last night?!  I meant to eat it with salad but ended up having cheese and crackers instead.

Do you have any exciting plans for this upcoming weekend?