Veggies Out: Day 3 & 4: My accidental Meat Meal!

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During the past few months, I’ve really given a lot of thought to the food I’m putting into my mouth and how it’s used. Not in an over complex way, but more obvious – If I eat a sugary snack at 3pm, it will feed my addiction for sugar (and I definitely have one) and I’ll just want more. Simple and obvious, but I still want something sweet. Probably out of boredom the dreaded desk job brings.

I can’t seem to cut out all sugar though, but being aware of its effect helps limit my intake. Plus, do you know how long it takes to burn off 100 calories?!

So, in this challenge, I’m not just focused on omitting meat but really focus on what I am eating and how it makes me feel. Fresh ingredients with little preservatives, fresh herbs to season food, limited salt, oil, sauce. Let the flavor shine through organically, so to speak.

So, ontoDay 3 of our meatless challenge!

I worked from home, so had a bit more time in the morning. I made scrambled eggs (no cheese, yogurt or milk, we eat way too much dairy!), on 1/2 a toasted sundried tomato tortilla, topped with a fresh, hot, salsa. And of course, Tapatilo sauce! And all the pills, daily vitamins we’ve taken for years: B12, C, glucosamine and chondroitin (for my running & Mike’s physical job), a womnen’s daily and a b complex. Kind of ironic that we had just received the TIME magazine with the highly discussed Bitter Pill article. A must read about how medial bills are killing us, although the food to health relationship wasn’t mentioned….makes you scratch your head!

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Now, the food. The salsa, which I bought at Weis Market for $4, is fresh and super tasty. And wouldn’t you know, I recognized all the ingredients!

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The remainder of the day consisted of a salad topped with a lentil and rice pilaf mixture I had made over the weekend (it’s good to have easy-to-serve protein around). I topped off the salad with plain balsamic vinegar and paired it with a garlic and onion pop cake. A tangy, crunchy, nutty meal. Mike, who is home making a wood cabinet, ate granola and Greek yogurt. Probiotics!

Later in the evening, I cooked shrimp with garlic and cilantro mixed with spicy Thai rice noodles. Yummmmmm. It was delicious! And remember, Mike and I are not giving up fish or seafood. For those strict vegetarians, I commend you in your journey. I’m taking it one ecosystem at a time.

That being said, day 4 took a surprising turn as I ventured out in the evening to a Vietnamese restaurant with a girlfriend. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

The day started on a positive, clean note. Mike and I had discussed if either one of us had been feeling any different. The general consensus: not really. I felt a bit more alert, not sluggish, but I have freakish amounts of energy, so that may have been a normal thing.

I went off to work, eating my pop cake, banana and chunky peanut butter breakfast. I’ve cut down my coffee intake (knowing caffeine is an inflammatory agent) so had my one coffee-to-go cup (as Mike calls it) and washed down my desk breakfast with lemon herbal tea and water.

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Lunch consisted of a 30 min spin class, followed by a 39 min core max class (kicked my arse!) with the main course consisting of leftover orzo & tofu parm. After that kinda workout, I would eat anything, but damn this was good!

That evening, I was meeting a girlfriend at Pho & Beyond, a little Byob in Willow Grove. My first time here and I could tell by the aroma that hit us in the face it was gonna be good. We walked in, opened our bottle of wine and looked at the huge menu. It was full of meat!!! DAMNIT! The did, however, have quite a bit of tofu options, veggie dishes and meatless appetizers, so all good….or so I thought!

The traditional Vietnamese dish is Pho, so naturally I wanted to try that. Searching the menu, they all contained meat. Except the homemade wonton noodle dish, Súp Hoành Thánh. Perfect! We ordered the vegetarian spring rolls to start, so we were set. They came out and were huge, ridiculously chocked full of fresh ingredients and served with a peanut dipping sauce. Oh, I was happy!

Onto the main dish…

0306131823Served with a side dish of bean sprouts and jalapeño peppers, plus two sauces (one sweet, one a bit spicy) the dish came out pipping hot. Egg noodles, scallions, cilantro, fresh line, homemade wonton. FILLED WITH CHICKEN! I bit into one and immediately realized the meat mistake. DOH! It was delicious though, so as not to be a food-waster, I finished that one, and ate around the rest.

My first slip up in the Veggie challenge and it was only 4 days in!! Mike has let me know that he is winning the 30-day without meat challenge. Touché Mike. Touché.

Veggied Out: Day 2 of Our Month without Meat

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Mike and I wanted to see if we could go without meat for a month. To lose some weight, embrace a more peaceful way of eating and in some ways, I think to challenge ourselves. On a regular week, we’re pretty healthy eaters to begin with…salads, lots of water thought the day, and plenty of veggies to accompany the main dish, which three to four times a week was sans meat anyway. So, why not see if we could do it full-time, for a month? Game on!

Thing is, I wanted to be realistic. The feelings and in-humaness of the animal treatment around meat consumption, well, I had never had them before. I love meat, love food and believe that creating food that bursts with flavor is a beautiful thing. Having watched Vegucated and Food Matters, I truly feel I want to adopt a lot of these principles – educating myself on the products I’m ingesting, treating my body as a machine, being conscious of how animals and humans are sharing this planet and asking why we are allowed to treat them in such a way, without much thought. It’s terrifying the way the meat-industry is allowed to operate, truly upsetting. On the flip side, I believe in supporting local farms, farmers who are making their living treating their livestock as humanely as possible, without steroids and the brutality of mass-production methods. It got me wanting to do something about it. The tears cried over these movies is sweet and all, but I told myself, ‘Ok, so take action, because all crying does is mean I feel something. Big deal!’

Admitting to myself that I wanted to change, but being realistic about my ability, I wanted to turn these feelings into viable, proactive actions. I started looking into a food-coop (haven’t settled on one yet, but am considering Weavers Way, as it’s close), I researched skin cream that doesn’t test on animals and found Pangea which uses all organic, sustainable products and has a really cool philosophy. Little steps taken are better than no steps at all I guess. Sometimes I get ahead of myself, so wanted to keep it realistic, but keep it moving.

Day 2 of our challenge:

For breakfast, I had my usual banana, peanut butter and rice cakes, although I did treat myself to these really tasty blueberry rice cakes. At 16 calories per cake, it’s an awesome alternative to bread. They’re a bit more expensive, but I love them, even though Mike thinks I basically am buying air. What does he know!?

Mike went for the homemade quiche we made this Sunday. Diced tomatoes, sautéed shallots & portabello mushroom, with a bit of Greek yogurt mixed in with the egg. Pour it in a pilsbury pie crust and top with some sliced Swiss and it was on!

For lunch, I had 45 minutes of spin class, followed by a bag of raw green beans and a half of a veggie wrap. Portabello mushroom, roasted red pepper, lettuce and mozzarella. I polished that off with a 100 calorie pack of dark chocolate covered blueberries (best find at BJs ever!) Mikes lunch consisted of peanuts. He was busy in the garage making a cabinet, so who has time to eat while woodworking is going on!?

That being said, by the time I got home, he was ravenous and already worried that his hunger was caused by lack of meat. All in his head, I told him. Eat some lunch tomorrow, then tell me how starving you are. Men! Dinner tonight was delicious and super easy, as I had prepared the main dish on Sunday. Feeling pretty good and taking little steps.

Snap peas, goat cheese, dates and mixed green salad

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Carrot & Ginger soup

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Garlic & pea purée toast topped with some cheddar cheese

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Veggied Out: Day 1 of Our Month without Meat

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One of my favorite things to do is cook, wether it be after a long day of work or on a Sunday afternoon. My love affair of food has been a long time in the making, developed over years of budding tastes, refined palette, and branching out of my comfort zone. Food has always interested me, especially the eating part of it. When I was young, the four main food groups came into play in almost every meal and eating my fruits and vegetables wasn’t negotiable. In fact, my love and appreciation for fresh, healthy food began at a tender age and has only grown throughout the years, especially now that the grocery shopping happens when I write out the list and round up Mike.

Lately, I’ve been even more conscious of what I’m consuming, making healthier choices as I’ve started to think of my body as a machine. Why wouldn’t you want to put only the best fuel in, especially if you want the best performance? Makes sense. And with very little effort, I wove in 3 -4 vegetarian meals throughout the week. With Pinterest, my Cooking Light subscription, and the Internet, finding meatless dishes is fun, a challenge even and so much healthier.

So, after a night in, after we ate homemade chicken kiev, we settled in to watch the movie Vegucated, a documentary of a New York Vegan who recruits three other New Yorkers to take a 6 week Vegan challenge. No meat, dairy, animal bi-products. Plus, an education on the cruelty of animals used in the meat and dairy industry. Needless to say, I had to watch in installments, as the documentary is quite upsetting. Once the movie ended, I knew I wanted to increase the plant based foods we were cooking and eating and decrease if not eliminate the animals I consume. Mike let me know that no one turns Vegan in a matter of moments and realistically he was right, but something had to change. And that brings us to the 30 day challenge.

30 days. No meat. All vegetarian, with the exception of fish. I mean, I’m just trying to be realistic here, so figured it was a start to cut out meat. It’s going to be a challenge for us both, Mike even more so, but think we can definitely do it.

Day 1 Dinner: Tofu parmesan with a side of Mushroom & Shallot Orzo in a tomato basil sauce.

Dining Hungry

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One of my biggest pet peeves as a frequenter of restaurants is leaving hungry.    Sounds obvious, right, absurd even, but it happens all the same. Not only do you enter an eating establishment with the notion that you will leave fed, you hope to leave satisfied on certain levels, those being different for every person. For me, those levels include: quality, service, taste, and the obvious one, filling of your belly. Seems reasonable I think. Although, I will admit the average American’s idea of portions ie what will constitute full borders on disgusting. That being said, I don’t consider myself an average American in this way (and most ways, but that’s another story).

There are other factors that I’d consider icing on the dining-out cake, the things that make an establishment sparkle, so to speak.  Ambiance, good water service (I’m freakishly thirsty, as is Mike), BYOB, reasonably-priced, enough to take home. These are not required, however, to make an impression; I’ve eaten at many a fine restaurant that lacked in one area or another.  But, oh how these things help!

So, tonight’s venture led me to Rittenhouse Square, where my beautifully food-obsessed girlfriend had selected a dining experience for the girls to partake in. Location, location, location. Mike was left home, to fend for himself meaning he would be eating peanut butter crackers for dinner.

The Rittenhouse address alone knocks several of my usual factors off the list instantly, before even walking through the doors. Out goes reasonably priced & BYOB. No biggie, some of the other big guys promise to stand up in their place. It’s almost guaranteed there will be ambiance, good service, quality. I don’t like to assume, but like to go in with an open-minded dinner’s palette.

Rittenhouse Tavern, located at 251 South  18th Street, dazzled with its ambiance, and we sat out in the lovely courtyard, despite the scorching heat.

The service, impeccable, with our waiter promptly bringing water and giving us just enough time to decide on things. Quick & plentiful water service, our cups never dry. So, there’s always that. Now, onto the most important things…the food & drink!

My girl had researched the cocktail list and ensured me they were worth ordering. All three of us ordered the Tavern lemonade, a quenching homemade tartness with rum & mint. The reputation proceeded the beverage! Delicious!

The menu (littered with delectable goodies) boasted extremely high prices which I tried to skim over, as I had brought my appetite. I tried to set my frugalness aside. Bar snacks & starters were selected:

White Bean Toast

Pickled Vegetables

Roasted and Fresh Baby Beets

The taste, delicious. Perfect blend of select ingredients that were fresh, prepared with care and beautifully presented. The portion to price ratio, however, left much to be desired. For even one person, these meager portions would have been questionable.  I’ve had dishes elsewhere that rivaled, if not out-ranked, for half the price and twice the portion. Just leaves you wondering if the location really overshadows it all.

For entrees, both girlfriends got the chilled soup, while I ordered something I thought would be more substantial; the Arctic Char. Once again, the meals tasted great, and I noted the presentation and art of preparation; it   just left our wallets quite a bit lighter than when we waltzed into the beautiful space. In this quaint garden, in one of the highest-priced neighborhoods in Philly, I paid the check, got up to walk to the train, and tried to visualize  what I could make for dinner when I got home.

I’m a firm believer in paying for quality, creation, good food. I don’t believe they need to be synonymous.

Next time, I’m picking the restaurant!

Snap Happy

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It’s pretty easy to get caught up in the week, letting the trivial work, chore, errand messiness fog your happy goggles, especially if you’ve had a doozie of one. More and more these days I think about how happiness should permeate every area of your life, no matter what, although I’m not quite sure how to completely block out the messiness that spills into our happy. Realistically we get pissed. Let’s be honest, we’re human and things have a way of working in, no matter how positive we try to stay. One thing that I’ve taken note of as having an everlasting positive affect on my well-being: pictures. It’s a way to capture a moment of enjoyment, of deliciousness, of creation, of love and carry it with you.

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Little things are snap worthy, as long as enjoyment follows. Take this shot, from last weeks menu selection. In an effort to eat vegetarian one to two times a week, I made white bean burgers, with jalapeño cheddar, baked zucchini and Omaha Steak potato cakes. A pretty simple meal that we cooked together, which happens to be the best way, in my opinion, to end your day; creating a meal with someone who enjoys the art of feast ad much as you. Then we have the below, yet another tasty meal caught in image form, cause sometimes you just need a little spice! (Spicy Thai shrimp with rice noodles & snap peas!)

Sometimes, it’s a moment that takes your breathe away, something that stops you in your tracks (and not much does now a days, lets be honest!). If you’re the kind of person who doesn’t have to look hard for these moments, you can find beauty in the simple things…a bleeding sky from a sinking sun, a rainbow after a short rain storm, the fabulous meal you just prepared.

Revel in the small moments that bring a smile to your lips and if you’re lucky, your camera will capture a portion of that!

Backyard Brews

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One of my favorite things to do involves checking out new local spots (or at least new to me!). I’m really not picky, needing just a few key points to entice me:

  • Relatively close in proximity to our house (30-40 minutes)
  • Unique in some way, offering a fresh outtake
  • Full of good food & spirit.  

Well happy Friday!

Mike and I ventured locally to a new brewery just a hop, skip and a Harley ride away in Ambler a few Friday’s ago and found all of the above. Tucked behind the main drag, looking more like someone’s house-warming, stood an old Victorian, now converted into the dearest little brewery ya ever did see! Forrest & Main Brewing Company  overflowed with people Friday, but the welcoming ambiance felt more like a friends living room rather than a new restaurant, complete with a baby playing on a quilt spread out in the front yard. The bar/living room housed old-fashioned sconces, chandeliers and beautifully refinished hard-wood floors. We nestled in after ordering two cask beers and knew we had found a treasure! Hell, they had bacon popcorn on the menu!!

Waiting for an outside table proved to be the right move cause we were sitting just as the sun was setting. A picturesque setting for anyone looking for a little different. Sometimes you don’t have to travel far to go far! Cheese plate with pickled veggies completely hit the spot, with the vinegary munchies just right, paired with whole grain mustard and sharp cheddar cheese. The perfect compliment to the gorgeous evening’s adventure.

We are truly lucky to live so close to so many local gems…makes our adventures plentiful!

Goin’ to Carloina

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It’s what we were doing on Memorial Day weekend, plus one of James Taylor’s most beautiful songs!  This weekend not only kicks off one of the greatest seasons, but means a long weekend and a built in day off for those of us who yearn to get away. So where to? With a sister down in Charleston, South Carolina, the answer was simple: we were heading south!

Destinations:
Charleston, for a carriage ride and historical tours
Magnolias
Folly Beach
Fort Sumter
Magnolia Plantation
Hanks Seafood

The road trip started at 4:30 am, Thursday, May 24th. With two huge coffees in hand, we ushered our sleepy babies into the car and were off on our Carolina adventure

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I had planned pretty extensively,  mapping out stops  along the way, and a slue of activities once we arrived. Charleston has endless historical sites, mansion tours, surrounding plantations and the restaurants…oh the restaurants! The question of whether or not we’d be able to fit it all into 3 full days and nights wasn’t negotiable; we simply had to!

I do have to point out that I had free range when planning, as Mike will be the first to tell you he’s not a planner, but is up for anything. Having to squeeze in two agendas has never been an issue and complaining about the activity on deck never happens A perfect duo of explorative push and pull.

So, after a stop in Alexandria for a French country breakfast and another break at a dog park  in Raleigh, where the pups got to romp, chase squirrels and stretch their paws, we arrived at Mike’s sister Sara’s house…A 12 hour trip never felt better!

We dumped our stuff, walked the dogs, then headed out For some local flavor at Señor Tequilas.  Massive cervesas, margaritas and fajitas were ordered. Yum! Great salsa, spice & service. South Carolina makes a good first impression. Next stop:Total Wine, to load up on vacation thirst quenchers. Mike’s eyes lit up when he saw the rows & rows of craft beer you could buy in six pack form or a la carte…this would take awhile!

Fat Tire, Dales Deviant & Pale Ale, Ranger IPA, Westbrook IPA (made & brewed in SC!), Hop Stoopid (Lagunitas), Apita Strawberry wheat. Think that should suffice! First day in Charleston, huge success…off to bed (after a Dale’s of course!)

No sleeping in on this vacation…Up early (the joys of traveling with the dogs!) to start day 1 ofCharleston fun. The carriage tour, right in the heart of the Charleston rainbow market, would be our first stop. First things first though…breakfast! We popped into the first breakfast joint we saw, X and ordered some southern eats…biscuits & gravy, yogurt parfait and cheddar eggs on a biscuit. Deeeelicious!

Bellies full of biscuits, Mike, Sara and I hopped on the first private carriage we saw for the bargain price of $125  (a group tour runs about $25 per person, but you have to deal with another12-16 sweaty tourists….totally with it in my opinion to ride comfy!)


Our guide, Ann,  explained that the city of Charleston told them the route they’d take by pulling a lottery style ball out of the most popular routes bucket. Sara, who had been on two previous carriage tours told us she had never been on the same route, a fact I thought pretty interesting, given there is so much to see here!

Henry, Ann’s trusty stead, galloped merrily around the city while she explained the towns history, fun facts and a bit of Tom Foolery. Some funCharleston trivia:

St. Phillips Church is crooked due to earthquakes and has been rebuilt several times (the original structure was burned, then rebuilt only to be damaged in a hurricane).

Many of the beautiful houses have two front doors, one an entrance into the house one an entrance to the piazza, where if closed meant the lady of the house was ‘indisposed’ and you shouldn’t come calling. by the way, indisposed meant a few buttons undone, a petty coat or two shed, ankles exposed. These poor southern women!

We noticed some of the wood picket fences in front of the houses have brick walls under them, known as a badge of honor, for they used to be wrought iron fences that were torn off during the Civil War in an effort to aide in the confederates fight. We all know how that turned out!

Many of the larger homes have pineapple statues outside, a symbol of wealth and welcome. The wealthy women of merchants weren’t allowed to entertain while their husbands were away (another beautiful rule for the ladies!) and pineapples atop the fence post meant my husband is home from his exotic travels…come on over!

Blue porch ceilings are found throughout Charleston, to ward off ghosts of course!

After an informative ride, we’re let off and head toward the south end of Charleston, where we stumble upon the Exchange. We decide to stay for the exchange & dungeon tour, where we learned about the exposed city of Charleston, how the prison held both men & women during the revolutionary war, that the pirate Isaac Haynes was captured & spent his last night, and how the exchange served as a bustling greeting center of commerce. Really cool stuff!

Rainbow Row up next, a beautiful collage of gorgeous homes, each a different color than the next, then straight on past White Point Gardens & the Ashley river, round the South battery & to the Calhoun Mansion. This tour is not to be missed! The house, still owned by a private family, doesn’t have a square inch that’s not covered with paintings, sculptures, statues, trinkets, antiques, antique furniture…you name it, the house has it!

A quick lunch at Charleston Crab House, where we had an amazing rooftop view of the market, then home to rest, walk the dogs & clean up for the night’s dinner outing: Magnolias!

Parking can be a bit of a snafu downtown, but the restaurant had  a lot reserved for patrons heading to alone of the three sister restaurants. Perky hostess signed us in and welcomed us to the bar, where a mojito, 4:20 sweet water IPA, red wine and captain & diet were sipped until seated. A beautifully lively bar, but our table called and the hostess showed us into a gorgeous, cool back dinning room; the perfect ambiance for a celebratory evening. Impeccable food, wi e and service. Two bottles of Caymus perfectly paired with pan seared scallops served atop corn hoes cakes, caramelized bacon, cream sauce, sautéed spinach & balsamic syrup, followed by Sweet Chili rubbed Ahi Tuna with mango jalapeño salsa atop two pepperjack egg rolls & creole remoulade. That was just mine! Mike had Carolina Carpetbagger: twin fillets of beef with fried oysters, portabello mushroom bordelaise & béarnaise sauce. Phenomenal!

Post dinner, we headed to Grill 225 for a night cap, an amazing rooftop bar with a club like feel. The one caveat: they had wind blocks up, blocking the cool breeze & making the view less spectacular…just a little less. All-in-all a deliciously decadent meal!

Day 2 in Charleston began a bit slower,  with breakfast & coffee a-la home. Fueled up on breakfast burritos (thanks to Señor Tequilas leftovers) we packed up the pooches & went to James Island County park. Two huge areas for the dogs to run around in, complete with two areas to bound into the lake…aka doggies heaven!


The beautiful weather screamed beach, so after the dogs were efficiently wore out, we dropped them home, changed into suits and headed to Folly beach! the traffic, we made it there by 2:00. After finding parking, we strolled into town in search of nourishment. I had researched a few restaurants, so when we passed the Black Magic cafe, it was set. Crisp & fresh ingredients & outside seating. Done & done! My sun dried tomato wrap was stuffed with chick peas, bean sprouts, tomatoes, pesto, feta cheese & lettuce. Hit the spot! Now onto the beach, where we swam in the perfectly tempered ocean, sunned and waited for our jet skies. The ocean waves made a bumpy ride, one I was not too fond of with Mr. Speed driving, but quite enjoyable while I drove (7 miles an hour is quite respectable, thank you very much!) after the sun, surf and sand, what’s better than grillin!? Nothin at all.

After washing the beach off, homemade marinades were made & shrimp, sausage, corn & veggies were grilled to perfection.  The boys craved ice cream after the low country bbq, so Sara took us to Ye Old Ice cream  Parlor. Malts & sundaes topped us off. A perfect ending to a sun-filled day.


Day three began early…the Fort Sumter ferry left at 9:30 and we would be on it! Windy is an understatement and as we boarded I actually took of my dangling earrings for fear of mangling my face!


The sea, choppy & wild, opened up and in the distance we saw the Fort, where the first shot of the Civil War was fired. A beautiful day at sea and 30 minutes later we found ourselves on solid ground & touring Sumter. An incredible structure and history indeed and another gorgeous day, despite the earlier forecast. There’s an expression in Charleston that if you don’t like the weather, wait 30 minutes and it’ll change. Well, after the ferry ride back, it hadn’t, and a day at sea can only be followed by one thing: Carolina BBQ!

Conveniently placed on the way back to Sara’s, we hit up fiery Ron’s Home Team’s BBQ….a cool bar that serves incredible Food complete with homemade hot sauces (yes, plural!) on each table. The BBQ taco topped with jalapeño slaw & chipotle mayo left nothing to be desired…a few squirts of hot sauce & I was sold! Sweet Water 4:20 IPA helped cool our pallets.

Sufficiently BBQ’d, a nap would be the next logical step, but no time! Magnolia Plantation was the last big ticket item on my punch list, so we rallied towards the Plantation & gardens. On our way in, a nice guy pulled us aside & gave us two admittance stickers, a $30 value! Love when people surprise you with small & random acts of kindness. Mike reminded me that karma is everywhere.

First thing we were drawn to, being the water babies we are…the boat tour! Paying separate for that ($8 a piece) we toured the inlet around the massive Plantation. We spotted Egrets, blue herons, all kinds of birds and several gators! Sticky weather made the breeze on the water much needed and after docking, Mike and I headed into the shade of the gardens, where a multitude of vegetation grew, along with statues of beatifically garden goddesses, small ponds and bridges and huge trees dripping with Spanish moss.

We stumbled upon the observation deck, so climbed to the top to survey the beautiful span of marsh. A gorgeous piece of land, where I could definitely spend more time in! The days heat finally made us call it quits, so we headed back & napped before our final night out.

The last night of vacation is a magical thing…the anticipation of heading home to your own space mixed with the happiness felt in your new digs, muddled with all of the things you didn’t do. Mike and I dressed in our fancy pants clothes and headed to Hank’s Seafood, one of the  gorgeous restaurants in this beautiful city.  We could have spent a month there just eating (and that would have been ok!)

Lucky with the parking again, we walked in to have a wonderful, decadent last meal. To start we got the tuna tartare with jalapeno, shallots, lemon and herbs and a special salad, with granny apples and white parsnips.  I was truly blown away by the tartare! It was a HUGE helping of perfect tuna, served with veggie chips and a delicious mix of spice and zest. After those yummy morsels, we had a helping of clams, swimming in a heavenly white wine broth with garlic and herbs. Oh yes, we had our fill of pre-meal…now onto the main course!

Two words: Seasonal Scallops. Cooked perfectly, served with shiitake mushrooms, seasonal greens, fried mashed potatoes, ginger lime coriander vinaigrette. Amazing!  Mike got the Roast grouper with lobster risotto, which also wowed. The meal helped put the final stamp of, “we’re definitely coming back to Charleston!”

 

An amazing trip to a new city, one in which I know we’ll be back to!

A Week Measured in Food & Drink

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Most weeks are scattered with good, tasty things: recipes to try, restaurants to frequent, wine to swirl, beer to quench our thirst. Fun should not be reserved for the weekend, nor should it limit itself to dining out. Cooking for me soothes and excites, eases me out of my work-mentality into my creative realm. It may seem like work to some, and that I understand; the dishes, the preparation, the time it takes to make a damn recipe could be spent more happily munching on aperitifs. For me, the act of planning out a meal, a dining experience, that in itself is the snack before the meal. Paired with a tasty glass of wine or refreshing bottle of brew, it’s the perfect evening.  Sunday’s kick off our week and with the rain we had, it was a perfect excuse to stay in and make something with a little heat.

When I’m pressed for time, or more realistically imagination, I like to take recipes from Cooking Light.  I’ve said that Cooking Light magazine is my porn. I feel very strongly about this. Having asked for a subscription for Christmas for the past several years, I’ve accumulated quite the collection and for some reason can’t seem to part with them. So, I started ransacking the magazines, ripping recipes that made my mouth salivate and eyes bulge, storing them in a black folder with slip covers for each category: fish, meat, appetizers, sauces, etc. When I’m in the mood to cook, when I’m feeling antsy or anxious, or in a funk, I reach for this black folder and suddenly I have a task. To eat, drink and be merry.

Often a week that’s not fully immersed in entertainment, quickly becomes flavored with food. I’ll select one, two, four recipes to sprinkle throughout the week and that becomes our entertainment. Mike, our happy kitchen’s sue chef, happily chops, dices and minces whatever needed for the recipe at hand. All while listening to Reggae, the happy music as he calls it.

Picking recipes that have interesting, exotic ingredients helps make the act of cooking livelier. With an Asian grocery store around the corner, the Orient often finds it’s way into our home. Chili paste, fish sauce, sriracha, hot chili peppers, bean sprouts, wonton wrappers….they say variety is the spice of life and we do like it spicy!  One of our favorite   spots to eat, Chiangmai, serves amazing Thai food with just the right amount of heat for most normal people who like spice. Who said we were normal?!  Mike often likes to cry through his meals though, asking the beautiful waitresses to make it 6 hot peppers. If he leaves with his tongue numb, he’s happy. It’s fun to try to replicate that kind of flavor at home, although I’ve not mastered it quite yet.

 

 

Our kitchen really is one of the happiest places in the house. Whether we’re trying to copy-cat a favorite dish found during one of our adventures, creating a new taste thrill, or throwing together anything edible, the kitchen’s the place to be.  Just bring your empty glasses, your hungry bellies, your cleansed palate and you’ll be sure to leave with a smile on your face.

No Eggs for Breakfast

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I woke up early today to a bed full of dogs. It’s a typical morning routine, although it being 6:15 on a Sunday gave me slight pause about going back to bed.  When you have dogs, you get used to waking up when they do. I’ve heard they’re a lot like kids that way. Ah, the joys of parenthood.

So, I’m up and with one whine from Winnie, I’m at ‘em.

Breakfast possibilities lunge into my mind instantaniously and while I latch leashes to both dogs for their morning walk, my mind fills with ideas. All the while, Mike sleeps, completely unaware of my kitchen fantasies.

Crepes with jam filling. No, crepes with a goat cheese scramble. No, French toast with cinnamon infused butter…oh, sweet weekend breakfast! But wait, what exactly do we have in the house?

Open the fridge to begin the madness…

DOH! Beer. Leftovers from the week. Sour cream. No eggs.

Well, you may think I’d wave the white flag and head to Frank & Eddy’s for breakfast sandwiches. No one would blame me. It would be an expectable thing, even a down right normal thing to do.  No eggs? No cooking.

But this no egg dilemma did not bother me, oh quite the contrary. It titillated me, made my already food laiden mind race frantically. Pulling out items that were breakfast appropriate, eyeing the fresh foods we hadn’t eaten the week before, a meal started to come together.

No eggs for breakfast challenge accepted.

On the Menu (aka what was acceptable to eat & available in the fridge)

Crusty Baguette

2 heaping tablespoons of Chobani Greek Yogurt

Misty Creek Goat Cheese, crumbled

1 Tomato

1 Garlic clove, minced

1 Shallot, minced

Sea Salt

Fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven (I used the toaster oven) 375

1. First, I dampened the crusty baguette ever so slightly. I keep bread in the fridge, so it keeps longer, so it had gotten pretty hard. Wrapping it in tin foil, I popped it in the toaster oven & set the timer for 15 minutes

2. I drizzled a small frying pan with virgin olive oil, heated it over medium heat, then added the minced garlic & shallot, sauteing for 5 minutes

3.  In a bowl, I added the yogurt, sauteed garlic & shallots with a dash of sea salt & a few cranks of pepper

 

4. I sliced the tomato, then sliced it again (hey, 1 tomato can go far!) and pulled the toasted baguette out of the oven & cut it lengthwise

5. Slathering the yogurt mixture on the warm bread, I then topped the mixture with the crumbled goat cheese & tomatoes

 

A call from Mike let me know it was breakfast time.

“What are you cooking, we don’t even have any food!?”  Oh, you silly man!

 

Never doubt a woman with an appetite and an imagination!

Our Colorado Ski Adventure

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I wrote this blog back in March 2012, with the intention of it being the first of our documented adventures. Enjoy!

With rain pouring down in the city of brotherly love, Mike and I head to the airport with bags jam-packed full of what I’m praying keeps us warm, we officially have started our Ski City part Deux vacation (Part une took place over New Years).

Destinations:
Oskar Blues Brewery, Longmont Colorado
Winter Park & Mary Jane ski resort, Colorado
Dillan Dam Brewery, Dillan Colorado
Steamboat ski resort, SteamboatSprings Colorado
Fort Colin’s Brewery, Gravity Ten Twenty

Deciding to forgo Septa, we decide to drive from Conshohocken to Smart Park, a park & shuttle service in Essington Park. The coupon stated $6.95 Per day, and with 5 days away, the final price came out cheaper than the two trains we would have had to take via Septa.  Tack on the convenience of having your car when your plane touches down on home soil, and we were sold.
Unfortunately they were full, but pointed us to a neighboring shuttle service, ExpressPark South, where they’d validate the coupon too. No hiccups here!

Boots off. iPad out. Liquids exposed. Take off your belt sir. Breezed through Airport security…after Mike passed through 3 times. 4th times a charm & no patting down!

Flight delayed? No problem! Cantina Laredo had fresh salsa, chips and cervezas waiting. Vacation has begun-High-five! Pacifico & Corona Lights all around!

Finally boarding. Southwest really does a fantastic job, boarding quickly & politely, despite the urge to shake the people who can’t seem to get into the right boarding order. There are signs people!

Aboard the plane, boredom hits and Mike gets antsy. I give him an assignment- list all the craft breweries in Colorado that he’s sampled. Now, we’re talking-he’s off and running! Oskar Blue, Wyncoop, Tommyknockers, Great Divide, Breckenridge brewing co, Backcountry Brewery…all stellar choices & great places to visit!

Landed! We’re scooped up by my bro-in-law & ushered to rent skis (Sports Authority hooked it up!) then to Oskar Blues, one of our favorites we’ve never been to.  Dale’s Pale Ale (6.5%) and Deviant Dale’s (8.5%) went down smoothly, not too hoppy & über refreshing. Habenero wings came, a great recommendation by the bartender, with crispy, not too spicy flavor. A perfect way to start the ski city vaca. Off to bed to prepare for day one at Winter Park & Mary Jane.

Up and at’em! My sister, Heidi, Mike and I are raring’ to go and after a quick breakfast, hugs& kisses to my niece and nephew, we are off to Winter Park & Mary Jane. Beautiful snow covered roads that slice into the mountains carry us there and even though at times, it seemed as though the winters conditions would prevent it, we finally made it there, in one piece. Pulling into a free parking lot on the Mary Jane side of the mountain, Heidi explained that this mountain brought the locals and claimed the phrase No Pain, No Jane. I guess we came to ski, so go big or go home!

Über heady conditions. Taking but one break all day, to refuel at the lunch rock where we scarfed two cold plays (hollowed out bread bowls of fresh baked loafs heaped full of hearty chili then topped with jalapeños, onions & cheese…holy breathe batman!) and a Jane’s Addiction (slow-pulled pork atop a potato bun paired with slaw) the first day of skiing proved successful: 15  runs, 5 hours, no lines, no waiting and ski  up to the car. Now on to the Dillian Dam Brewery to hook up with the rest of our pose (bro-in-law Aaron had to be a poor working stiff, then scoop up the tots).

Ahhh beer! After the day we had, the extra pale ale & seasonal IPA hit the spot. To satisfy our hunger, the ahi tuna wrap with sushi grade tuna, Thai noodles and peanut dipping sauce did the trick. Officially wiped, we headed the short distance to Silverton, where our ski condo awaited. To ward off soreness (or should I say more soreness) a quick Yoga session (lead by myself, courteously of moves I learned from Dorothy O & Rodney Yi) we could officially call it a night…and fall into a ski-induced coma.

Skiing day two! Not so bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as day one, Mike and I stumbled out to slurp coffee and prepare for our day at Copper. Being awoken at 3:00am by a Bella (Ben and Ella) ruckus couldn’t slow us down! Bro-in law, Mike and me head out to Cooper, where an epic day unfolded. After a full day, we packed it in and headed to Steamboat, where part duex of our Colorado ski Adventure took place.