I'm still here!

Hi guys!

I'm just posting to let you know that I'm still around! I'll be back to posting after the weekend (Mikey and I have company at the moment, so we're entertaining).

Pasta and Cupcakes and Banana Bread, OH MY

We'll start off with yesterday :), but first, I should mention that Monday night I AGAIN had to have another midnight bowl of cereal- it's a terribly delicious habit. It was Nature's Path Maple Sunrise- the best!


Tuesday:


For some reason I woke feeling starving despite the fact I had a late night bowl of cereal, so before heading out to class, I grabbed the other half of the Odwalla bar from the day before. It helped keep my stomach growls at bay through my morning lecture class, but as soon as I got out of it, I was really hungry again. Mikey and I had a delicious lunch at Specialty's Cafe & Bakery and I even managed t snap a picture of the infamous sandwich I always get (though I only remembered after I inhaled the first half, hah!):

My version of "The Vegetarian" contains:

• avocado
• cukes
• pickles
• red onion
• tomato
• lettuce
• bell pepper
• sprouts
• mushroms
• whole grain mustard
• swiss cheese

While we we in the UVillage, we picked up a couple cupcakes from Trophy Cupcakes to enjoy for dessert later. I got Chocolate Peanut Butter :)!

Then I had to quickly read a critical essay before going to my afternoon English class.

After class I was super sleepy so it was nap time for a couple of hours :D.

Afterwards, Mikey and I headed into Bellevue to go shopping at the mall at then grab dinner at Maggiano's because we had a $20 gift certificate to use.

I got a special that included:

• bow-tie pasta
• chicken
• asparagus
• spinach
• sundried tomatoes
• parmigiano reggiano
• and a delicious parmesan broth

Their potions are HUGE so I only ate about half, but I was happy to be able to box the rest up and take it home. I also had my fair share of the bread and olive oil/balsamic on the table.

At around 11, we decided to break out the cupcakes. I enjoyed mine with a tall glass of milk- sooo delicious! I loved the peanut butter frosting! It was sprinkled with a crumbled peanut/sugar/salt mixture that was wonderful, but could have been a bit saltier.

Wednesday (today):

After my morning class, Mikey and I headed over to Panera for an early-ish (11am) lunch. I got the You-Pick-2 with a 1/2 Greek Salad and their tasty Pesto Garden Vegetable Soup with a Whole Grain Baguette. Mmmm!

After my afternoon class today, I did some baking. I made a glorious Chocolate-Peanut Butter Banana Bread that you will see over on my other blog in the next couple of days.

I snacked on a couple baby Anzac Biscuits, and then decided it was dinner time.

Dinner was leftover pasta from Maggiano's with a small piece of buttered french bread on the side- the best!

And, naturally, I had to a have piece of the banana bread that I baked for dessert with a glass of milk :)

Recap :)

Let's talk about the last few days!


First things first, at around midnight on Saturday night, I got hungry again (crazy after my huge dinner, I know). I decided on a small bowl of Nature's Path Flax Plus Pumpkin Raisin Crunch. 

This cereal is so unique and tasty. I absolutely love Nature's Path products!


Sunday:


For breakfast/lunch I had a delicious bowl of Fage 0% Greek yogurt topped with 1/2 an Odwalla Sweet & Salty Almond Bar, 1 1/2 tablespoons of Crofter's Superfruit Spread in Europe, a nanner, and 1 tablespoon of crunchy Barney Butter warmed in the microwave.

Filling and delicious!


A bit later I snacked on a Manchego and Marcona Almond Cracker as well as a teeny Anzac Biscuit (not pictured).

For dinner, Mikey and I were both craving burgers and decided on The Ram. I got the "All-American" burger: a USDA prime patty topped with cheddar, pickle chips, lettuce, tomato, onion, mayo, mustard, and ketchup. Served with a side of sweet potato fries and BBQ sauce for dipping.


It was SO good- just what I wanted. In fact, I actually ate the whole thing, hah, which I never do.


Monday (today, lol):


After my morning class, Mikey and I headed over to Panera where I got my oh-so-predictable You-Pick-2 (1/2 Greek salad and Chicken Noodle Soup with a Whole Grain Baguette). Ordinary, yet wonderful!


I snacked on a couple Anzac Biscuits a bit later (they are addictive!), and then finally decided on what to have for dinner: the last of my leftover pizza (2 small pieces) and a simple salad.

The salad included:

• baby arugula
• sliced crimini mushrooms
• parmigiano reggiano cheese
• a couple crumbled Garlic Melba Toasts
• simple vinaigrette made from: whole grain mustard, dijon, sherry vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, and freshly ground pepper

It was an awesome salad, if I do say so myself.

Lobster at a Steak House

Let's get straight to the food, shall we?


Lunch today was pizza leftover from last night. I had two small pieces of "Seattle Cheese Festival Primo" pizza (see post below for description). 

I also had two Anzac Biscuits- 1 super tiny, and one medium one. These are SO good!

For dinner, we joined Mikey's parents and his step-brother Matt at Daniel's Broiler for Matt's birthday. It's a SUPER nice steak house and I usually order steak when I go there, but tonight I opted for their Lobster Cobb Salad which I also get quite a bit and it is ammmmaaazzing (and at 30-freakin'-dollars for a salad it should be!).

The salad included bitter greens (like frisee and endive), bacon, lobster (lots!), spiced pecans, dried currants, avocado, bacon, hard-boiled egg, and club dressing. Mmm!!! (I also had some of their wonderful bread and butter with dinner.)


We also naturally had to get dessert. Mikey and I split this big 'ol Coconut Fudge Sundae!

It was coconut ice cream in a bowl lined with fudge and then coconut sprinkled on top. It was to-die-for!

It's the Weekend!

Alrighty, so what have I been up to the last few days?


Thursday:


I grabbed a delicious granola bar before my two afternoon classes of the day. These Earnest East (formerly Honest Foods) bars are SO amazing. I first tried the Almond Trail Mix flavor at Veg Fest this year, and then went out and bought every flavor! They are all made with almond butter so they are super delicious. This Cran Lemon Zest flavor was both refreshing and energy-packed, loved it!

After my classes, Mikey and I went to Panera where I got the You-Pick-2 (surprise, surprise). I got the Greek Salad, BUT instead of my usual chicken soup, I got the 1/2 Mediterranean Veggie sandwich with a whole grain baguette on the side.

I used to always get the Mediterranean Veggie with my You-Pick-2 in high school. I love the Tomato Basil bread it is on because it is oddly sweet.


Dinner was Pita Pit again, lol. I eat the same things all the time. My pita was my usual hummus pita with loads of veggies and feta and Kettle Sea Salt and Vinegar chips on the side- no picture be cause I was lazy.


Friday:


Friday I woke up and had an amazing bowl of Nature's Path Maple Sunrise cereal with a sliced banana, skim milk, and some Justin's Maple Almond Butter- perfection!

Then I was in the kitchen the whole day making food for Mikey's curling league. I made mini quiches, mini chocolate cheesecakes (will be on the other blog soon), and MORE brownies (these will be up on the other blog tonight). Naturally I had to try everything I was making to make sure it was good :P, which held me over until super duper late after Mikey's curling game. 


When we finally got home at like midnight we ordered Pagliacci's! I got the seasonal offering pizza which was called the "Seattle Cheese Festival Primo." It included: mozzarella, aged Italian provolone, caramelized onion, radicchio, and fresh tomatoes on an olive oil and garlic base. I cannot tell you how good it was! I had 3 pieces of my small sized pizza, along with a tiny bit of the caesar salad that we got for free!


Ayways, I'll be back tonight to tell you about the amazing dinner I will be having (undoubtedly a nice big steak) at Daniel's Broiler!

Seattle Restaurant Week- The Dahlia Lounge (and other eats)

I got up suuuuper early this morning (no idea why, I got like zero sleep) at like 6:45, and since I didn't have class until 9:30, I decided to make a delicious breakfast- steel-cut oats!

The mix included (everything after the salt added after cooking):

• 1/4 cup Bob's Red Mill gluten-free steel-cut oats
• 3/4 cup water
• pinch of sea salt
• about a tbsp Justin's Maple Almond Butter (SO amazing!)
• maybe a tsp of coconut oil
• sprinkling of cocoa nibs
• about a tbsp Crofter's Superfruit in Europe

I absolutely LOVE steel-cut oats people! So much texture- these are heads and shoulders above regular rolled oats. Also, this combo was heaven!

I also may have had to sneak an Anzac biscuit while the oats were cooking:

This week (Monday 19 through next Thursday 29) is Seattle Restaurant Week! More than 125 (super nice) Seattle-area restaurants are offer $25 three-course dinners. BUT, some of the places are also offering $15 three-course lunches! Naturally I wanted to eat at every restaurant participating, alas, there is not enough time, nor do I have enough money.

Anyways, I thought that $15 for three courses was incredibly reasonable so today Mikey and I tried out the famous Tom Douglas's Dahlia Lounge for lunch.

Oh. My. God. Best lunch of my life, no joke.

Here's what I got:

They brought us Homemade bread and butter to start

Grilled Local Asparagus with Shaved Parmesan and Lemon

Chilled Pan-Seared Albacore Tuna with Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes, Cracked Olives, Bitter Greens, Citrus, and a Harissa Vinaigrette

Triple Coconut Cream Pie with Shaved White Chocolate and Toasted Coconut

I would have expected to pay at least $30 for this meal. It was absolutely out-of-this-world good. Everything in the entree paired together so remarkably. 

And just for fun, here is what Mikey got:

Tom's Tasty Tomato Soup with Brown Butter Croutons (REALLY good)

Char Sui Pork with Mushroom Fried Rice, Gai Lan, and Hot Chinese Mustard

Tom's World Famous Creme Caramel (that little crispy thing on top was heaven)

If you are looking for a place to try out for Seattle Restaurant Week, GO HERE!

For dinner, all I could think about was the delicious pita I had last week, so we got Pita Pit!

Of course I got my typical pita:

• whole wheat pita
• hummus
• feta
• shredded lettuce
• sprouts
• mushrooms
• green pepper
• cukes
• banana peppers (my fave!)
• jalapenos
• "secret sauce"
• s&p

Served up with Kettle Sea Salt and Vinegar chips, obviously :P Yummy in my tummy!

Salads galore!

Told you I'd be back :)


Lunch today was Panera! I, of course, got my usual You-Pick-2 of a Greek salad and Chicken Noodle Soup with a Whole Grain Baguette on the side.

Sooo yummy! Scooping the salad up with the baguette is an absolute must, in case you were unsure on that, hah.

I went to Whole Foods tonight to pick up a few things and decided that I wanted their salad bar for dinner!

My salad (which was excellent) included:

• a ton of mixed greens on the bottom
• a small scoop of a pre-made arugula/parmesan/grape tomato salad
• a small scoop of a pre-made mixed greens/candied pecan/blue cheese salad
• a few strips of steak (looks like more than it is)
• a sprinkling of sunflower seeds
• a tiny scoop of a kale/seed/currant salad
• a few cubes of feta
• 3 croutons (hah)
• 1 marinated mushroom
• 3 radish slices
• 1 hardboiled egg

I also had a itty-bitty Anzac Biscuit (which the recipe for will be up on the other blog shortly). These are the most delicious cookies ever.

Sorry + Changes

First of all, I'm super sorry for not posting. Things have been crazy with school, but I got my first Archaeology test done for the quarter and I think I aced it! Whoo!
As for the changes, I don't think I will be posting each and every day on this blog anymore (remember I also have Spache the Spatula), but I will certainly be posting at least every other day (no more super long breaks without notice). Hopefully that's acceptable :).


Anyways, I wanted to share this salad that I had a few days ago. It was SO amazing!

It included:

• baby arugula
• crisp prosciutto di parma (it's not bacon)
• Patacabra goat cheese
• Marcona almonds
• Membrillo vinaigrette (2 tbsp quince paste, 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, fresh ground pepper)

I also had two of those little Manchego and Marcona Almond Crackers on the side. Best. Salad. Ever.

Also, I went to see Conan live (for the Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour) on Sunday and it was extremely entertaining. He was hilarious, as usual, and Dave Matthews even stopped by and played a song. Fun!

I've also been on a baking rampage lately (see my other blog + more to come). I don't know what's got into me, hah. Needless to say it's probably not great for losing weight but you have to indulge every now and again.

So, that's just a brief update. Back to blogging tonight!

P-P-P-P-PITAAA!

Howdy!

I didn't eat today until I got back from my afternoon class/errands at around three. But my oh my it was delicious. First thing was first, as soon as I walked in the door I went for one of my heavenly Cinnamon Hazelnut Brownies. They are simply irresistible.

After I had gobbled down half of the brownie I decided I should get some real food too, so I poured a nice big bowl of Nature's Path Crunchy Maple Sunrise Cereal (seriously this is like my new favorite cereal) topped with a nanner and milk!

At around 7 I snacked on some Marcona almonds, and at 9 I had a study session at the university for my archaeology test of Friday.


After I got back, Mikey and I decided to grab Pita Pit for dinner! I cannot even begin to tell you how much I love Pita Pit.

I got a whole wheat pita with:

• hummus
• feta cheese
• lettuce
• sprouts
• green peppers
• banana peppers
• mushrooms
• tomatoes
• cucumbers
• "secret sauce" (basically a vinaigrette)

I also had some Sea Salt & Vinegar Kettle potato chips on the side. I ALWAYS eat salt and vinegar chips with my Pita Pit. I like to stuff the chips into my pitas for extra crunch!

I want Pizza, P-I-Z-Z-A!

Let's get straight to the good stuff- the grub!

Lunch today was Spanish-inspired. I had a prosciutto, baby arugula and chive goat cream cheese (leftover from these) panini, served up with some Spanish olives, marcona almonds, and a Manchego and Marcona Almond Cracker!

Part-way through I got the awesome idea to spread some membrillo (quince paste) on the panini- GREAT idea!

Then I was off to my afternoon class. Upon returning, I NEEDED one of these babies (Cinnamon Hazelnut Brownie) with a small glass of skim milk:

Guys, these brownies are out of this world!

Dinner tonight was pizza. I haven't had pizza in so long and have been craving it like crazy for the past week. Mikey and I got a large pizza with our two favorite toppings- mushrooms and pineapple. Mmmm!

I also made myself a big salad so that I wouldn't eat too much pizza (I've been known to eat like 6 slices...). It included:

• a ton of mixed lettuce (it had matchstick carrots, cabbage, etc.)
• fresh cilantro
• red bell pepper
• dried oregano
• extra virgin olive oil
• red wine vinegar
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper

SUCH a good dinner!

BTW, I had to go back for a 3rd piece of pizza later, hah.