Today is the last day to enter my giveaway for a copy of the Tone It Up Beach Babe DVD! Check out my thoughts on the post and enter if you are interested!
It’s time to do another not–daily–eats take on Jen‘s What I Ate Wednesday (WIAW). I’ve already done that, and if I shared typical workday eats each WIAW, this blog would be Snoozeville, Population: ALL OF YOU.
Did you catch the Tone It Up Beach Babe DVD giveaway I posted yesterday? You have until tomorrow (Wednesday 1/9) night to enter!
My younger sister Hannah is headed back to school at the University of Tennessee today, and I’m so glad we got to do something special together on Sunday night – hit up Mohegan Sun for Restaurant Week! You may recall that a reader Megan won a $50 gift card to Mohegan Sun in a recent giveaway I did, and the casino was kind enough to offer me the same to help fund a trip to one of their restaurants during the current Restaurant Week (Sunday 1/6-Friday 1/11). It’s easiest for me to make the 45 minute drive on a day I don’t have work, so Sunday was the obvious choice of time to visit.
Finally I have reached the point where I can start telling you about my trip to Florida – and I’ve already been in Florida for more than two full days! Funny how that happens when you’re busy having a good time!
While my dad and I were eating dinner in Boston, my sister texted me to tell me we’d be flying first class on the way to Florida. I hadn’t flown first class since I was an infant on my mom’s lap, so I was pretty pumped. Turns out they were trying to get us out of coach to make room for more people on the plane, and my dad has mucho reward points, so upgraded we were!
I don’t care if it’s obvious I haven’t flown first!
My best friend Lidia and I had tickets to go see The Connecticut Forum‘s Vision and Brilliance panel at the Bushnell for a couple of months, and finally the big night arrived this past Saturday. Here’s the event description, from the Forum’s website:
“This live, unscripted panel conversation brings together a diverse group of popular experts, each with their own unique field of study and view of the world. The Forum will be fast paced and surprising, as [the panelists] discuss their own work, and so much more… technology, science, design, new ideas, our changing world and possibilities for our future. Bring your sense of wonder to this conversation with big thinkers and visionary minds.”
The moderator and panel, ready to discuss vision and brilliance.
Remember to enter my giveaway for a Sprigs Banjees AKA a running wallet! Entries close tomorrow night!
I have never partaken in a traditional What-I-Ate-In-A-Day WIAW. The only ones I’ve done are wordless and/or photo-dumps. Lazy Susan up in here. Well, no longer! I still need to recap Thanksgiving and Jenn made the nifty graphic below that fits my needs perfectly. How can I not partake in this week’s What I Ate on Thanksgiving Wednesday?!
For those who have struggled/are struggling with disordered eating, Thanksgiving can be a nightmare. And last year, while I had fun at the beginning of the day, it did not end too well and I spent the following days hating on and being really mean to myself. But I know with 100% certainty that I am in a better place this year, and so I went into Thanksgiving 2012 with a positive attitude. I completed part of a spin class and some strength training when I woke up, then proceeded to spend the morning doing what I traditionally do on Turkey Day – sitting on my butt, drinking coffee, watching the parade, and scouting out Black Friday deals.
Circulars and plain Chobani with strawberries…sunshine streamin’ in!
So G coffee in a snowman mug!
My delightfully lazy morning flew by and before I knew it, it was time to get ready and head over to the home of our family friends the Gerbers; that’s where we spent the holiday last year too!
My sister did my hair!
In exchange, I let her borrow one of my ideeli tops 😉
Parents and I before we left – you may recognize the dress from Fashion Friday!
I was totally ready to chow down when we arrived! And there were SO many different wines. I definitely switched it up throughout the afternoon/evening. I started with a Chilean Cabernet. Later, Chianti and Chardonnay were consumed (not together…)
Before and after dinner, I also sipped on some Disaronno, a new-to-me Italian liqueur It’s flavored with herbs and fruits, and soaked in apricot kernel oil. SO FREAKING GOOD. I give props to my ex, Joe, for contributing this stuff to the meal.
Proud new fan.
Yes, I invited my ex-boyfriend to Thanksgiving. Again. He typically pops up at these family gatherings (and hence on the blog). I’m gonna ask you not to ask. At least we’re friends!
Where were we? Oh yeah. Libations!
Someone take the Disaronno away from this girl!
Playing around with my friend’s hipster glasses! I like them actually…
And I DID mention apps, right?
Holy incredible! My dietitian-to-be friend Meg made this spinach & artichoke heaven.
CHEESE. And veggies of course! But I was more interested in mixing the cheese with those nuts.
We “kids” did the chatting while the parents did the work. I never really cook at all so what will happen on the day I have to do my entire Thanksgiving dinner?! I know what will happen, no one will show up.
Mom and Mrs. Gerber in the kitchen!
Mr. Gerber AKA Uncle Steve carving that bird!
Do not ask me how we cooked our turkey, because I have no clue! Last year we had one from the oven and one deep-fried, but this year it was just in the oven. That is all I know.
I did both white and dark meat – you know me, always variety!
Turkey is good and all but on Thanksgiving, I prefer sides. I know many of you are on the same team as me.
Meg prepared this INCREDIBLE kale salad with walnuts and Bosc pears. Trust the RD-to-be to get the kale in!
Salad after being dressed with maple vinaigrette, along with my mom’s amazing cranberry orange relish.
Mrs. Gerber’s legendary/epic/famous/etc sausage stuffing. It’s so good.
Store-bought rolls. Meh, I skipped ’em.
Meg’s cousin (also named Meg) was joining us from NYC since her family lives all the way in Michigan. She is vegan so we had an arrangement of butter-free sides for her. I enjoyed them too!
Butternut squash – that’s it! No butter, no nothin’, and I didn’t even want mashed potatoes after having this!
Butter-free green beans!
Butter-free mashed taters were also available, but we all know what those look like and I didn’t want any, so not photo.
You can’t even see them here…they’re covered by a green oven mitt!
My (first) plate!
We went around the table and said what we were thankful for, and this is the first year I can remember being actually moved by that “routine” and putting real thought into it when it was my turn. I blame Heather for turning me into a sap.
Oh, thanks Joe.
I chose to share that I am thankful to have parents and siblings I can truly call my best friends, and I am thankful to have the opportunity to live out my passions every day. Ain’t it the truth! Dinner was relaxing and everyone went back for seconds. I was quite full upon finishing my meal and wasn’t alone, so some of us settled in to watch “Magic Mike” (or half-watch, I was already getting exhausted and it was 6PM) while our stomachs made room for dessert (and Disaronno).
DESSERT.
Yup, fantastic dessert spread. My tooth leans more toward savory than sweet but I had seconds of dessert. Total food baby afterward but I was not having too hard of a time focusing on the family and friends surrounding me, the memories we were making with each passing second, and the growth and strength I was exhibiting by not being TOO food-focused on Thanksgiving. Yes I thought a lot about how much I ate and how full I felt, but I also was able to effectively talk back to myself and try to respond to each negative thought with a kind one.
Jessica‘s pumpkin chocolate chip cookies made an appearance as they did last year. so did some pumpkin dark chocolate chip oat cranberry cookies (mouthful of words and delicousness).
The cake/pie/piece of delight on the left was brought by cousin Meg from NYC, from a famous bakery that I unfortunately cannot recall the name of. My mom made the pumpkin muffins on the right, with cinnamon icing.
What’s Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie (right) and how about throwing in PB chocolate pie for good measure (left)?
I had at least one taste of each dessert! And have been enjoying the leftovers of both sweet and savory Thanksgiving food ever since. It makes the holiday feel like it isn’t going to end!
Zesty Carrots
I saved my favorite veggie side for last…my mom’s Zesty Carrots! I wanted to end this post with the recipe because this is such a unique, not necessarily Thanksgiving-like side that can be made any time of year!
Ingredients:
Directions:
Which part of my Thanksgiving would you have picked first for your plate?
Did you try any non-traditional Thanksgiving food this year?
What’d you do on Thursday, 11/22/12 if you do not celebrate Turkey Day?
I’m so glad you guys liked my Sprigs Earbags giveaway! Thank you to all who participated. I’m excited to announce that the winner is…
…Ali of Miles With Style!
Thank you for entering Ali – now you can seriously get your style on while piling on those miles. I will contact you for shipping info!
I know that the big Thanksgiving holiday was this past weekend and everyone is back to work and “real life” today. I also know that the blog world is going to be flooded with Thanksgiving food (in fact, it already is). I love reading about what everyone else did for Thanksgiving, but I also still need to finish my Mohegan Sun weekend recap. So my Turkey Day talk will come, but for now, we have some catching up to do!
Shoe shot – but you probably noticed our room’s bathroom’s pretty tile floor.
Now let’s see…where were we? Oh right! Maria and I were in our hotel room on the 32nd floor of the Mohegan Sun Casino hotel, pampering ourselves and prepping for an epic tasting dinner with other bloggers at Todd English’s Tuscany!
Got to wear a Forever 21 dress I hadn’t worn in forever!
I could not believe that my hair worked out on my first try!
We went downstairs a little early for craps and Christmas. Yes, Christmas.
Mohegan is already decked out for the holidays and Maria and I had to get a photo in front of the tree in our outfits.
We both planned outfits with a pop of color – love it! But I wish I’d taken off my purse for this photo.
I am a conservative craps player so I only ended up winning $10, but I also got a free Jack Daniel’s Manhattan while playing, so I consider this round of gambling a major win!
I love this glass structure in the center of the casino shops!
Our tasting dinner was set up in one of Tuscany’s private dining rooms. Maria and I both arrived hungry and ready to fill our bellies, but Tuscany was more ready than us. We were in for a seriously epic amount of food.
We bloggers also had the pleasure of dining with the woman who brought us all together for the weekend, PR Manager Michelle Williams. We have been working together on events and giveaways for more than half a year now and it was wonderful to finally get the chance to meet in person and talk food, marketing, family, romance…you know, the usual!
The epic menu!
We were first served crusty Italian bread with a seriously awe-inspiring white bean puree and olive tapenade. I’m not sure how I managed to hold off on having a piece until the first glass of wine was poured, but somehow I did.
Our first wine was a white blend of Riesling, Moscato, and Chardonnay. I normally am not a fan of anything Moscato-related but the Riesling and Chardonnay balanced it out. This glass sure went down easily.
The antipasto course of passed appetizers was easily enough food for my dinner. Maria and I looked at each other as the plates were being taken away and said, “How are we going to fit anything else?!”
Antipasta Della Casa
I legitimately would come back to Tuscany and just order this entire platter for myself. It was hard to save room and not kill it.
Calamari Fritti with a Chipotle Cream Sauce
Calamari is often all the same to me because it just all tastes fried. This calamari didn’t stand out too much (the best I’ve ever had is still at J. Gilbert’s because it includes the barely-fried octopus-looking calamari that I adore) but the chipotle sauce – man oh man! Pretty darn good.
Fig, prosciutto, and balsamic flatbread.
Though I prefer my flatbreads to be served on crispier, thinner crusts, the above flatbread’s flavor combo was hard not to love. I’m a prosciutto fanatic!
Tuscan Salad and Trefethen 2010 Chardonnay
I chose the Tuscan Salad of greens, roasted red peppers, artichokes, olives, onions, and lemon vinaigrette for my salad course. Very impressive! I like a restaurant starter salad that doesn’t slack on the ingredients. The Chardonnay went so well with the vinaigrette.
Double-fistin’ – it’s what I do.
Before I knew it I was being poured the next wine – Apothic Red – and hadn’t even finished my Chardonnay yet. Had to double up! The next course, pasta, featured choice of two dishes – clam linguine or ricotta gnocchi. The latter has been on my to-try list for eons, so it was a no-brainer.
Ummm…when can I eat gnocchi again?! The ricotta was to die for but those potato pillows, ahhh. Not surprised I loved this dish since I am a potato fanatic (as well as the previously mentioned prosciutto…me thinks I need to eat a pizza topped with both). That sauce was certainly fabulous and the homemade ricotta, don’t get me started. Wait, I already am.
Me and Anne!
My other seatmate Anne ordered the clam linguine, and she let me take a shot of her dish. I didn’t try any because I could barely fit my food as it was at this point (and we still had the entrees to come…) but I heard great things about it! I’m just not a plain pasta person – my palate craves too much excitement!
Major thanks to Tina for helping me learn more about my camera’s settings before I took this photo.
Then came the entrees. Yes, more food. I didn’t finish my gnocchi and knew I couldn’t finish this dish, but I want to come back to Tuscany so I can order it again and enjoy an entire portion during a normal-sized meal!
Crispy (seriously, so crispy) salmon with bacon Brussels sprouts, clams, and Parmesan polenta.
Maria and I couldn’t get over how crispy this fish was. I want to know Todd English’s secret! Yes obviously Maria and I ordered the same thing for the entire meal.
Insta-twins! Shared our meals one after the other.
The entree was served with DaVinci Chianti, which I’ve actually had before at Bertucci’s. I adore Chianti! It has such a robust flavor.
Maria, I, and the rest of the girls found our third/fourth/fifth stomachs the moment we caught glimpses of the desserts! First, each of us was served a mini fallen chocolate cake with a scoop of the most delicious, simple Tahitian vanilla ice cream and raspberry puree. It had been forever since I’d just enjoyed a scoop of vanilla ice cream instead of a more “complex” flavor. Though I am all about the complex, it felt so nice to go back to the vanilla days of my childhood and mix the ice cream with the warm, molten syrup center of the chocolate cake. There was no way I wouldn’t finish every last bite.
Do you spy the green sprig below the ice cream? I am not sure what herb it was but it paired quite interestingly with this dish!
Did you really think we were done? NOT A CHANCE. I couldn’t pass up one each of the cannolis and another Italian pastry (I’d call it a croissant with cannoli filling – anyone know what that is called?) on the below tray. EDIT: Thanks to Sara for sharing that the pastry is called a “sfogliatelle”, which means many leaves in Italian. If you look at it you can see why it has that name! I packed up some more of both to bring home to the fam.
The sfogliatelle is next to the cannolis!
AND end meal. Finally, right?! Like I said before, I really want to go back to Tuscany now to enjoy a “normal” sized meal so that I can eat every last bite and not leave with a food baby. But believe me, this food baby was welcomed. I am honestly so proud of myself for enjoying every bite of this meal that I wanted to, knowing I don’t do it all the time, and sleeping quite peacefully that night.
A huge part of that was the fact that I felt so special, appreciated, and in my element during the meal and the entire weekend. I was in the company of good friends who are also bloggers I admire and have read for – in some cases – years! I was the guest of one of my favorite CT destinations and got the chance to try so many authentic Italian dishes at a new-to-me restaurant. And the best part? I didn’t have to do the 45 minute drive back home afterward! 😛
Some of the girls headed out for shopping after the meal wound down (and after we spent a bit more time sitting, digesting, and chatting), but Maria and I were so ready for bedtime.
Pretty sure about ten of these photos were taken.
When we got back to our room, Maria and I had a case of the wine sillies that was sparked by the donning of my matchy-matchy Victoria’s Secret flannel jammies.
Two thumbs up for fancy-pants pajamas!
We decided that the giant…things on our bed looked like foam rollers. Anyone know what they’re called?
What is this thing?!
Sadly, it didn’t function as a foam roller.
Boo!
Alas, we cheered up and settled in for TV, girl talk, and not too long after, bed. We awoke the next morning like the early birds we are, checked out of the hotel, and checked back into reality. And while reality is always nice to return to, I have to admit that I was texting Maria later that night saying, “I miss Mohegan!”
Thank you to Mohegan Sun, Tuscany, and Michelle for an enchanting evening and Saturday in general!
Though I received accommodations and this meal free of charge, all thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this post.
Which dish would you have most liked to try?
Have you ever dined with other bloggers?
Have you ever done any gambling?
Remember to enter my giveaway for a pair of Sprigs Earbags before it ends tomorrow night!
We certainly live in a small world…I recently discovered that my friend Maria of the Glastonbury Rotary Club, who I met through blogging about events of theirs like the Lobster Fest, has a niece (Teresa) who just so happens to be an owner of The Spicy Green Bean here in town. She and her wife Kasha (the head chef) run this hole-in-the wall style restaurant/deli, which is open for lunch on weekdays, breakfast on weekends, and dinner Thursday-Saturday. The dinner menu changes every week, so it’s always fresh; it’s also called Kooky Konkoctions, so it’s always creative. Oh, and it’s always BYOB. This place has Caitlin written all over it!
I love the lights!
I actually have already been for dinner once before and had a great experience, but after Maria introduced me to Teresa on Facebook one day I offered to come in again so I could write a classic Cait Plus Ate restaurant review. Thankfully, Teresa and Kasha were open to having me – and my mom – for dinner this past Thursday night.
Just call her Vanna White!
We brought a bottle of Cameron Hughes Lot 258 Malbec (2010, Mendoza, Argentina).
Spicy Green Bean charges no cork fee!
Upon being seated in the adorable restaurant, my mom and I were served a special surprise from Kasha – her famous shortribs in a spicy BBQ sauce. My mom was hesitant to dig in at first – she does not normally join me on my adventurous foodie outings and while she is in love with her favorite foods, she isn’t used to trying new ones without someone to “reassure” her that she’ll like them. Well, I reassured her plenty.
Go Mom!
Mom loved these shortribs – and so did I! The meat practically fell off the bone and the BBQ sauce was the perfect amount of spicy. Yes my mouth was on fire after I finished my rib, but in a pleasant way, if that makes any sense.
Step one – be served amazing shortribs.
Second step…demolish.
Step three…no chance.
For our next “surprise”, my mom and I were served an app from the week’s dinner menu – Krazy Korean pancakes!
Asian-infused batter tossed with shrimp, crab, and tangy kimchi. Lightly fried and served with a soy rice vinegar sauce.
I had actually been dying to try this app but didn’t order it with my entree because I didn’t think I’d be able to finish both. So this sampler size portion was perfect! Again, the kimchi gave it a kick, but a fitting amount. I could definitely taste the shrimp and crab, so the dish certainly wasn’t too batter-dominated or overly fried. Some menus lie when they say dishes are “lightly fried”, but Spicy Green Bean is an Honest Abe…they cannot tell a lie!
Double fistin dishes!
I was savoring and enjoying each bite, a bit too slowly, because my entree’s starter salad came out before I knew it. And what a salad it was! I am always so very impressed by a restaurant that gives me a salad with some meat to it (only no actual meat..). Crispy sweet potato (I think) straws FTW! And the vinaigrette rocked!
My mom and I wanted to get in more veggies and go with some #plantPOWER-style sides, but there were not really many on the menu. No problem…Kasha kindly whipped us up a root veggie medley to go with each of our entrees. And let me tell you, it was one of the most wonderful veggie sides I have ever tasted! So much garlic, and wonderful EVOO.
DROOL. I miss it.
For her entree my mom chose a sandwich she got on her only other visit to the Spicy Green Bean; she loved it that much she had to have it again. She also shared some bites with me and I can see why! Behold the Bean’s veggie burger topped with pickles, tomato, lettuce, and red onions. With spicy brown mustard on the side of COURSE.
An interior with barely any filler, and a perfectly crisp, crunchy exterior.
I chose a seafood entree (duh): sole topped with spinach, with the sherried lemon butter on the side. The tomatoes also ended up coming on the side in the butter, but I picked them out and after dabbing off the excess, enjoyed them in all their red glory.
I do have to admit that I was a little put off by the fact that the sole came fried. I had asked our waitress at the start of the meal if it was a fried fish, and she told me it was not, just lightly sauteed. However it wasn’t really a big deal because I peeled off the fried portion and enjoyed the white, moist fish flesh within. It’s all good!
Cheers to family and food!
The Spicy Green Bean also caters and even does Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners! The order deadline for those has passed but my mom and I got a kick out of checking out the tasty (and quite affordable) menu. I wouldn’t mind having the Bean prepare my Turkey Day feast!
The walls are covered with locally made art by J. Silver Graphics. The originals on the walls are even for sale! Oh, and J. Silver does beer pong tables. You’re welcome for that info. Unique Christmas gift, holla!
The white boards on the right list the daily specials and soups. The selection of the latter sounded quite cozy and comforting!
Kasha offered us dessert (and even more foodie surprises…oof!) but my mom and I were too full and declined. We were overwhelmed by the kindness, genuine enthusiasm, and passion the Spicy Green Bean employees have for the restaurant, the menu, the people that come in…everything! I can’t recommend this restaurant enough and am so psyched to finally make it to a BYOB breakfast soon…thank you to Kasha, Teresa, Maria, and everyone else at the Spicy Green Bean who made my night out with my mom possible – and positively palatable!
Though I received a couple of samples during this meal free of charge, all thoughts and opinions are completely my own.
Which of the foodie features in this post would you most want to try?
Do you have any local “hole in the wall” style restaurants like this in your home town? How about BYOB?
In September I visited New Haven for my third Taste of New Haven tour, in the city’s Theater District. I owe you guys a recap but am low on time, hence a lovely Wordless Wednesday. Thank goodness for days of the week that start with “w”, right Meg? Sorry for no mention of Halloween, but I’m saving that til Friday (mua ha ha suspense).
Started out with a cocktail sampling at The Wine Thief with my pals Ripe!
Taste of New Haven owner/tour guide Colin Caplan, Jeff from Ripe, and moi!
Our first restaurant stop, Temple Grille, had something MADE for me…a build your own salad card!
Honestly one of the worst cocktails I’ve EVER tasted. I think it was a Cranberry Vodka but I tasted Cranberry Blah.
However the food was fantastic! Waffle & sweet potato fries, plus an ahi tuna sandwich on some delish wheat bread.
My favorite spot on the tour – Kitchen Zinc! No surprise since my fave food is pizza. The white bean salad on the left (with roasted tomatoes, basil pesto, roasted radicchio, pearl mozz) blew my mind.
The classic Margherita pizza! Adored this place’s thin crust.
My favorite pie – the Broccoli Rabe with roasted garlic, ricotta salata, mozzarella, and local Salemme hot pepper flakes. It had quite a kick!
My (first) plate.
Of course Jeff was my tour companion!
I actually enjoyed this fall beer enough to go back for a second glass!
The tour included a visit to Elm City Kettle Corn on the streets of Yale campus!
I don’t even really like kettle corn, but this was pretty yummy! We all got samples!
Stops at historical sites are scattered throughout the tour. Colin has written books on New Haven and knows so much!
We each got to try a gourmet Chocopologie chocolate. I chose the one with the dried rose petal!
Our last stop was Kelly’s, a gastropub that had pretty good food AND accommodated me with wine instead of beer! I had a mini salad, pulled pork sandwich, and fried brie.
Our last bite was mochi from The Mochi Store! I thought it was okay but this was Jeff’s fave part of the tour.
If you’re free tonight, head to the Taste of New Haven website to register for the Trick-Or-Eat Spooky Tour! It starts at 7PM and runs to the spooky hour of 11PM. Nosh on scary good eats and learn about the city’s haunted history!
Have you ever been on a food tour?
Which of these bites would you have wanted to try most?
I’m so happy that you all enjoyed my recap of the CT NOW Love Your Body 5K! Not only am I proud to have run it in less than 30 minutes, but I am still feeling inspired by the message behind the event. Being surrounded by so many others who share my passion for self love is pretty powerful.
I went to visit Heather a couple of weeks ago (you can read about some of our shenanigans on her blog) and came home with some amazing new memories created with her, her boyfriend Matty, and her best friend Raquel. But I also came home with far less money (lose) and a crapload of foodie treasures (win). Obviously I decided to share said treasures with you today just so I could use alliteration in this post title.
Of course whenever visiting Heather, we make it a point to visit Wildflour, a vegan bakery, cafe, and juice bar, while blogging in bliss. The vegan eats at this place are incredible and if you are ever in the Providence, RI area, I highly recommend passing on any of the restaurants by the mall and making the short drive to Pawtucket, RI to visit Wildflour (and the vegan restaurant next door, Garden Grille). Whenever I go there I leave with $30-$50 worth of goodies to take home and devour (as slowly as I can because I want it to last). This trip was no different. Here’s my haul:
I threw MANY of these goodies into my lunch salad beasts and am in fact still working through the soba noodles (my first time having them and they are very interesting but it’s taking me awhile to use them since I’m not a huge noodle person). Pictured above is the entire container of the tofu “tuna” salad, thrown into a bowl and amped up with more greens and veggies. It was incredible!
I dreamed of dipping the pineapple coconut jerky into plain Chobani from the moment I purchased it, and that’s just what I did for a nighttime snack. However I was foolish to think the four pieces of jerky above would be enough with all that Chobani. I ended up polishing off the whole bag on that fine evening 🙂
The flatbread was a great carby option for me this past Saturday when my stomach wasn’t feeling well, and I enjoyed half the kale chips on the way home from Heather’s (great road trip snack) and half at work one day while at my desk typing away.
I’ve tried the Dino Smoothie (almond butter, banana, almond milk, spinach, kale, blueberry) at Wildflour before and though I ADORE it, I wanted to go for something new and had a mean green craving! So this time while blogging there I snacked on the Sillyantro (spinach, kale, parsley, cucumber, OJ, ginger). The ginger was just what my sensitive stomach needed and the OJ was the perfect hint of fruit to balance out those greens. I wish a juice bar like this existed near me!
I always get a large black slow-pour coffee and vegan scone to keep me company as I blog with Heather, but they didn’t have my usual (spinach and mushroom) that day. No worries, another savory beauty awaited me…the above broccoli cheddar (vegan of course) scone. Holy moly! I always dip my scone in that heavenly coffee and was happy to try a new flavor.
Wildflour was also bustin’ out the free samples that day. I’m not a huge raspberry fan but the above gluten-free razberry cheesecake brownie sample rocked my world. The real star though was a sample of this beauty…
That seems like a steep price but I’d say it’s worth every penny. The above pumpkin cheesecake is made with tofu and Heather promised it’d make me swoon. My BB never breaks a promise!
The two of us also made a fun little trip to Whole Foods, where I happened upon a gem I’ve been anxiously awaiting to try since I first heard about it a month ago…the limited edition Cedar’s PUMPKIN SPICE HUMMUS! I also purchased two squeeze packs of Justin’s Honey and Vanilla Almond Butters – perfect for sampling these new-to-me flavors. Heather also gifted me with a jar of garlic-stuffed olives she had at her house, because she knows olive garlic (haaaaa).
I have been dipping many-a-vegetable into the hummus. So incredible. I love dipping savory food into a slightly-sweet dip. Last night I was even dipping chicken into it.
I was pretty proud of the below epic snack combo that I came up with at work one day last week. I peeled the banana, put vanilla almond butter on each bite, and topped it off a pretzel stick. Legendary! I just finished the vanilla yesterday and next up will be the honey AB.
Finally, Heather, Matty, and I ventured to Trader Joe’s right before I went home so that she could do some grocery shopping and I could shop for things I didn’t need.
And okay, I was in Massachusetts in the company of TJ’s wine. So much CHEAP wine. In CT, our grocery stores can’t sell wine (we only just got Sunday sales, talk about behind on the times). So I picked up the above three bottles of Charles Shaw (Cabernet, Merlot, Shiraz) for $2.99 each and the Blue Fin 2011 Pinot Noir for $3.99. You may recall that I sampled the Cab recently and was super impressed. Can’t wait to give the Merlot and Shiraz a spin. Also had the Pinot Noir and wow, I sure can see why it was a whole dollar more expensive 😛 GREAT stuff and I don’t even usually like Pinot Noir (too light).
Mother-daughter wine glass sizes 🙂
FINALLY my last Tuesday treasure in foodie land is the below gem from my town’s farmers’ market. I spontaneously stopped by on Saturday after the 5K (notice my Team #AmazingMe tee!) since it’s right by my usual weekend study spot, Daybreak Coffee Roasters. Can you believe this guy was just $3?! He was in a bucket with a bunch of other smaller butternut squash that were the same price. NO brainer, I picked out the biggest squash in the pile! Just to make my girl Lisa proud of me. And apparently it was the last day of the market so good thing I stopped by! Hello fate.
Oh how I love a vegetable that’s bigger than my head.
My mom is away for the week but once she returns, we have big plans for this big squash. I hear that the skin tastes tres gross so does anyone have any tips on easy squash peeling-and-roasting? Who has some recipes I can try? I already know I want to do quesadillas but need more ideas because this is one big squash!
Which of my Wildflour goodies would you like to munch (or sip) on most?
What was your last gem of a find from Whole Foods and/or TJ’s?
Tell me about your most recent farmers’ market purchase!
I’m glad you guys enjoyed my posts from earlier this week on Manchester’s Market Grille and my town’s Apple Fest. I also can’t thank you enough for your support and feedback as I update you all on my stomach stuff. Latest news – I went yesterday for blood tests for parasites, bacterial intestinal infections, and a whole slew of other stuff. I’m currently awaiting the results. And if the results are “nothing is wrong”, I’ll be pretty upset. But I’m trying not to think that way because stress only exacerbates the discomfort. I WILL find an answer!
Now, let’s get to the meat of today’s post. Or shall I say the seafood, if we are bring protein-type-specific.
I love me some Whole Foods – I have loved these grocery stores even before they put me in their North Atlantic region’s holiday magazine 😉 #brag #sorrynotsorry And my local Whole Foods are especially kind to me. Case in point: Whole Foods West Hartford (in Blueback Square) gave me the gift of four pounds of shrimp to sample in a dinner recipe in honor of tomorrow’s one-day sale!
Guess what’s inside?!
The above bag contained four pounds of farm-cooked white shrimp, raised in Thailand under responsible farming techniques and strict environmental condition standards. They contained no preservatives and were noticeably fresh. And they came already peeled and de-veined, so the only prep needed was to de-tail.
An inside-bag view.
Usually these little guys are $14.99/pound, but for tomorrow’s one-day sale (Friday 10/19 only!) you can get them for $6.99/pound! If I were you I’d make it a point to get over to Whole Foods West Hartford (Blueback or Bishop’s Corner) or Glastonbury tomorrow so you can start your weekend on a seafood frenzy.
Probably what Meg‘s fridge looks like.
My mom and I decided to use the shrimp in a Shrimp Creole recipe my mom got from one of her oldest friends. It was even written on a slip of paper from a Palm City Elementary notepad. As in, my elementary school. Holy 12-year-old notepad!
This recipe is satisfying, healthy, and packs quite the protein-punch!
Ingredients:
Directions:
Before addition of shrimp and mushroom soup.
Beautiful shrimpies ready to go.
Final combo simmering away.
Ridiculously easy, right? Just get past that that ingredient prep (chopping) and it’s a matter of mixing ingredients together and hands-free simmering. Something that did require work, however, was our choice of side. My mom attempted to fix us some spaghetti squash. The problem is, she did so while drinking wine. When you mix this with cooking…
Waltzing with wine.
…sometimes you get burnt spaghetti squash.
Uhhh…
Hey, you guys know I love carcinogen-filled food. It tasted pretty good…well, what was salvageable (aka the bowl above).
Wasting time showering between workouts and meals? Child’s play.
I can’t lie, my mom did most of the cooking. But I stirred! And I provided the wine. I got it from the Trader Joe’s at Patriot Place in Foxboro, MA when I went to visit Heather this past weekend. This Cabernet Sauvignon was $2.99. And you know what? It was quite good!
This does NOT taste like it cost $2.99!
My mom totally agreed. I was thankful to be having a good stomach day and enjoyed my wine, Shrimp Creole, and burnt spaghetti squash alongside half a baked potato with more Creole sauce. Oh, and the fireplace and REVENGE!
Cozy fireplace meal 🙂 And I spy my Big Bird plate…
The recipe was a total success and my lucky father got to enjoy the leftovers last night. They tasted just as good as night one!
So remember, if this recipe tempted you and you are a Hartford, CT area local, I highly recommend hightailing it to Whole Foods West Hartford (Blueback or Bishop’s Corner) or Glastonbury to take advantage of the one-day sale (Friday 10/19 only) and pay only $6.99/pound for this delish shrimp, instead of $14.99/pound!
And if you aren’t a local, you can pick up some shrimp and make this yourself. Be sure to share with me on Twitter, Instagram, and/or Facebook if you do!
Thanks to Whole Foods West Hartford for providing me with the shrimp for this recipe! I received this shrimp free of charge, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Have you ever gotten to take advantage of a crazy-good Whole Foods (or any other grocery store) sale? What’d you buy?
Do you enjoy cooking with and/or eating shrimp? What’s your favorite recipe? (Meg, no need to answer the first question).
I’m a 28 year old full-time working girl living in Boston (previously lived in Connecticut). I’m passionate about food/drink, restaurants, self-love, fitness, and the ever-present search for balance. I write about that journey on this blog – I hope you enjoy!
