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Appetites and Adventures

Cherry-O’s

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CNN posted an article yesterday on the healthiest fast-food breakfasts.  Naturally, I was curious after the nasty bowl of oatmeal I had at McDonald’s a few weeks ago.

This over-sweetened soupy bowl of oats was #6 on the list.  The apple/raisins/brown sugar all come on the side, but the girl at the counter added them without asking when she added the hot water.  Fail. It has 290 calories and 5g of protein, which is not terrible (some nuts would be a welcome addition to bulk it up) but it would have been better if it tasted good.

Some of these options sound good – like the Dunkin’ Donuts Wake-Up Wrap – but why do the eggs always have to look so fake???

What surprises me is that the article doesn’t mention sugar content.  I don’t like beginning my day on a sugar high, and McD’s oatmeal had 32g of sugar!

*Steps off platform*

Kudos to fast food restaurants for offering some healthier options.  There’s definitely room for improvement, but it’s good to know there are choices if you are pressed for time and in need of breakfast.

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Lately, I’m craving cherries.  It could have something to do with this deliciousness.  (I just made this lemon-cherry vegan “cheese”… it is no joke, y’all.)

Technically these are cherry oats… but Cherry O’s sound sound much more fun!  Let’s be honest, I need fun in my liquid-y diet.


I LOVED these.  This is possibly my favorite fruit-oat combo to date.

Cherry-O’s

  • 1/2 C oatmeal
  • 1/2 C unsweetened almond milk
  • 1/2 C water
  • 1/2 C frozen cherries
  • 1/2 banana
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • Shake of salt

Combine all ingredients in a pot and heat over medium-high heat, stirring combine and mashing mash bananas and cherries as the mixture heats.  Cook until done, stirring occasionally.  The slower you cook them, the fluffier they are!

Don’t forget the cherry on top. 🙂

***

It is February.  It is also 70 degrees and sunny.  Mother Nature, you are redeeming yourself today.

What is your favorite spring-like weather activity?

I don’t plan to be inside at all today. This calls for a hike!


Kabocha Chipotle Soup

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Congratulations on making it to yet another Friday!

In honor of the end of the week, my yearning for solid food, and of my friend beginning my day by asking for restaurant recs, I have decided to make a list…

Top 5 places I would eat this weekend if I could chew:

1. Empire State South (999 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30309, 404-541-1105) – Hugh Acheson (of 5 & 10 – Athens, GA fame) has struck again.  The staff was incredibly accommodating on V-Day weekend, straining some incredibly flavorful white bean soup and serving a side of celery root puree for my chewing needs.  I also enjoyed a whisky-based Brown Derby cocktail. When I go back, that ricotta dumpling is mine.

Source: atlantabearingsguide.com

2. Victory Sandwich Bar (280 Elizabeth Street, Atlanta, 770-676-7287) – I don’t think they have a website yet, but I can confirm they do have the following:

  • Jack and coke slushies
  • Punching bag (for the angry drunk in you)
  • $4 sandwiches

Source: first-bite.com

3. Holeman & Finch (2277 Peachtree Road, Suite B, Atlanta, GA 30309, 404-948-1175) – I would eat here every night if I could.  This place makes 24 burgers.  They don’t serve them until 10p.  You need to be there by 830p to “reserve” one.

Yes, you will wait.  Yes, it will be chaos.  YES, it is worth it. (Secret: Sunday brunch begins at 12:30p… the burgers are served without bounds.)

Source: Gourmet

Do yourself a favor and try other menu items – they’re ALL good.  And let Greg Best, the rockstar behind the bar, serve you drinks of his choosing.  Trust will serve you well at this fine establishment.

4. La Pietra Cucina (One Peachtree Pointe, 1545 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30309, 404-888-8709) – Hands down the best pasta in Atlanta.  To start, don’t miss the Proscuitto di Parma with the house-made ricotta and pineapple mostarda.  Then Carla’s Tagliatelle.  Then one of everything for dessert.


Charcuterie.  A glass (or 2) of Amarone. Find a better way to enjoy National Drink Wine Day.  I dare you.

5. Top Flr (674 Myrtle St., Atlanta, GA, 404 685-3110) – Top Flr is one of my “go to” places in town for dinner (read my short review here).  They have a solid wine list, a wide variety of food, and a relaxing, funky atmosphere.  However, this weekend they are getting a special shout out because Sunday will begin their brunch service!  The brunch menu hasn’t been announced yet, but I cannot wait to see what they come up with!

One of my all-time favorite restaurant review quotes comes from Besha Rodell @ Creative Loafing’s coverage of this fine establishment:

“Top Flr is what happens when the kids who used to wait tables and bartend in other people’s restaurants grow up and become their own bosses.”

Back to your regularly scheduled programming…

Surprise!  Its another soup recipe.  But this one has a new squash!!!

Kabocha squash (which means “Japanese pumpkin”).  They look like this:

They are Japanese in origin and have a potato-like texture.  They have an earthy taste and are sweet (though not quite as much as a butternut squash).

Verdict: I’d eat it again.  

In the soup below, the sweet squash went perfectly with the heat from the chipotle.  The carrot and coriander also complimented the sweetness, making the taste more complex.  Topped with avocado, it was like a fiesta in my mouth.  (That’s what she said.)

Kabocha Chipotle Soup

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil (I used Sweetwater Habanero-infused)
  • 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 C spinach
  • 1 medium kabocha squash, cooked
  • 2.5 C vegetable broth
  • 3/4 C water
  • 1 chipotle pepper from a can of peppers in adobo sauce
  • Handful cilantro
  • 1 tsp coriander
  • S + P, to taste
  • Avocado slices, for garnish

Heat the oil in a large saucepan.  Add the onion and carrots, sautéing until tender (~7-8 mins).  Add garlic and saute just a minute more (careful not to burn the garlic!).  Add the pumpkin, spinach, broth, water, chipotle pepper, and cilantro.

Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring to combine.  Reduce temp, bringing soup to a simmer until the spinach wilts and flavors combines (~5-10 mins).

Puree the mixture using an immersion blender or stand blender until smooth.  Add seasonings to taste.

Ladle into bowls and garnished with avocado, cilantro, sour cream (or greek yogurt!), red pepper flakes, diced tomato, crumbled tortilla chips, etc… you get the idea!

***

Creative food = fun!  Jack and Coke Slushies.  Pineapple with you ricotta and prosciutto.  New squash (as opposed to New Coke, which was a terrible idea).

What’s your favorite unexpected combo/dish/drink?

TGIF

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I almost posted “TGIF.”  Nothing else.

It had been a loooong week, but it did end well.

Dinner @ Sufi’s Kitchen tonight was really good.  I got to catch up with an old friend and tried a new dish.

Source: www.sufisatlanta.com

 

We ordered the Sufi’s Special as an app – sauteed eggplant with onion, garlic, chickpeas, and spicy tomato sauce.  The server kept warning us that it was really spicy.  It wasn’t. There was just a tinge of heat on the end.

Source: www.sufisatlanta.com

 

It was served with a fantastic flat bread (made fresh in-house).  It was baked in a stone oven that gave it a perfect crunchy char.  This was accompanied by the traditional dish filled with thyme, basil, mint, feta, butter, olives, walnuts, cucumbers, and radishes.  My favorite thing about Persian restaurants is this hodge-podge dish.  It is fun to try different combos with whatever app you order.

For dinner, they offer a Chicken Kabob Salad.  Normally, kabobs are served over a giant place of saffron rice.  The rice is good (I love saffron), but I’m not a huge rice fan so the salad offering was perfect.  I loved the chicken – it was perfectly grilled.  Plenty moist (ewwww… she said moist!) and still retained it’s lemony-marinade flavoring.

 

We ordered the Pomegranate Cheesecake for dessert at the urging of our waitress.

***Warning*** They give you the hard-sell bringing out the tray of pornographic irresistible desserts.

Pass on the dessert. It wasn’t worth it. Go next door to R. Thomas for that chocolate chip-banana cake instead.

 

Their wine list is sub-par… BUT you can BYOW and there is no corking fee.

I’ll take that any day!

 

No pics – we got caught up in conversation and flat out forgot. 🙁

Verdict: Worth a visit.  Don’t miss out on the appetizers.  Pass on the dessert.  Next time I’m trying the chicken-pomegranate stew.

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This coming week is the Atlanta Rollergirls’ Debutante Brawl.

All are welcome!  We can’t wait to debut our new rookies to Atlanta the world!

***

Apparently it is Super Bowl weekend.  I don’t watch pro-football (love college ball… can’t get into NFL).

Who should I bet on???

 

Calories on Your Menu

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There has been a recent push to include the calorie count on menu items at chain restaurants.  New York City chains have been doing this for quite some time, but I haven’t seen a lot of it in Georgia.  At a recent visit to IHOP was the first time I’d encountered it (thus ruining an already mediocre experience).

Did I really want to know that my Harvest ‘N Nuts pancakes were 1020 calories before adding syrup?!

Honestly, it is really rare that I eat at chain restaurants.  I love food and I generally find that local restaurants have more interesting items made with fresher ingredients.  I know there are exceptions to this – hello, Seasons 52 – but as a general rule, my belly supports the local economy.

All of this to say that I was ambushed surprised by calories on my Longhorn menu last night.

I was in a small town without many other options for food, so to the chain we went.  As far as chains go, Longhorn isn’t terrible.  What is terrible: trying to order food at Longhorn when you know how caloric it is.  They even listed the calories in desserts (Caramel Apple Goldrush = 1640 calories) and specialty drinks (Pomegranate Margarita = 440 calories).

30+ minutes later, we finally settled on dinner items.  My Sierra Chicken was one of the lowest calorie items on the list (410 calories). It wasn’t terrible… except that I think the Dead Sea has less salt content than my dinner did.

Given the impact calories staring at us in the face had on my dinner companion and me, I asked the waitress she has noticed a difference in the way people order since the menu addition.  She said it did a little on dinner items, but dessert sales were the most hard-hit.

On one hand I think its great to know what you are eating (the calorie counts for the salads were SCARY). On the other, do I really want to know?!

What if my local, independently-owned restaurants began doing this?  It would certainly put a damper on my experience.

Another problem is that calorie counts aren’t all that matter.  My chicken, for example.  410 calories isn’t terrible, but the sodium content must have been out of this world.  What about fat?  Or carbs?  How about the redeeming qualities like protein and vitamins?

The impact could have a really cool effect – will restaurants began offering healthier options or adjusting current items to improve calorie content?  Or here’s a novel idea – how about offering single-serving portions?

As a country we could obviously benefit from better food options, or at least hard-to-ignore information about what we’re about to eat.

At least Georgia isn’t the worst…

***

What do you think?  Do you know to know or is ignorance bliss?  Would this impact they way you order?


Top Flr + Jackie Warner DVD

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Yesterday turned out to be a lot warmer than it looked! 

 

I am so glad I got my run in then becasue it is COLD and windy today.

The run:

  • Distance: 6.15 miles
  • Time: 52:03

 

I’m pretty happy with that!    The ING Half-Marathon this spring is seeming like a better idea…

After that run, I deserved a good meal.  🙂

Last night I went to one of my favorite restaurants, Top Flr, with one of my favorite people.

Added bonus: I only paid $35 + tip for a $80 meal thanks to The Green Half.

 

Here’s what we ate with some notes:

Pan Roasted Chicken, Brussel Kim Chi, Soy Reduction – The brussels were great – just right right amount of heat.  The chicken was ok… I would have liked a little more meat and less bone.

Garlicky Chinese Long Beans in a Oyster Mushroom and Miso sauce – Long beans may be my new favorite veggie.  They retained a nice, crispy bites after being cooked lightly and coated in the mushroom sauce.

New Zealand Lamb Chops, Minted Syrup – I love good lamb, and this was perfect.  The outside was encrusted in salt and pepper, giving it a good crunch.  They were not overdone (lamb is best on the rare side of medium-rare).  The minted syrup was a little too sweet for me, but I really liked that they left the mint nearly raw.

Night & Day Quinoa, Tomato, Curried Onion & Raisin Chutney – This black and white quinoa mix was served cold, but I think they could have gotten a better “pop” from the flavor if it had been warmed.  I barely got any curry flavor and the chutney was non-existent.  Should have gotten the kale.

I enjoyed a 2006 Burgundy (forgot to write down the name = fail), and my dining partner-in-crime had my favorite cocktail: Yellow Roses.  Yellow roses is a martini made up of Top Flr’s house-made lavender-infused vodka, honey, and a fresh lemon juice. 

Dessert: we split a chocolate peanut butter bar with strawberry jam.  It was okay… there are better choices there.  The jam made the dessert, but there wasn’t enough of it.  They should have given it its own layer in the bar.  That would have given the dessert the sweetness needed to make it the jam.

The sad thing about Top Flr is the lighting – it is impossible to take a good picture in there.  Sorry. 🙁

We were going to a movie, but after an eventful dinner (our whole corner of the restaurant ended up becoming dining BFFs and sharing tastes) we felt like keeping the energy level up.  So we went country dancing.

Confession: I love to two-step.

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This morning I had time to make one of my favorite breakfasts.  The good way.

Oatmeal on the stove top.

I shared this pot with a friend before testing out Jackie Warner’s new workout DVD.

Our topping selection:

 

  • Blue Diamond Crunchy Almond Butter
  • TJ’s Valencia Peanut Butter
  • MaraNatha Cashew Butter
  • Merrilly Pumpkin Butter
  • Almonds
  • Pecans
  • Pumpkin Seeds

 

 

In my oatmeal (makes 2):

  • 1/2 C Multi-grain Oats
  • 1/2 C McCann’s Irish Oatmeal
  • 2 C Water
  • 1 Banana
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp Ginger
  • 1/2 tsp Nutmeg

I topped mine with almond butter, pumpkin butter, pumpkin seeds, and pecans.  Delish and filling!

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The Jackie Warner Xtreme Timesaver DVD was a good one.  Definitely a go-to full-body quickie workout when I don’t have to hit the gym.

 

It was only 30 minutes (with a warm up and stretch!) and I worked up a little sweat.  Lots of full-body moves so you are getting the most bang for your buck.

It was pretty quad and shoulder intense, but hit all the high points.

It would have been harder if I had heavier weights… since I was in my living room, I was using soup cans.

***

Bet I looked really hard core with my chicken noodle!  🙂

 

Figgy Wild Rice and Mushrooms

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My favorite day of the week is Funday.

Ok, it’s the only day I really adore.

It all started with sleeping in, which I LOVE.  I can rarely stay asleep past 9a any more, which was the case this morning.  However, I turned back over and didn’t wake up again until 1030a.  *insert sigh of happiness*

This luxury was followed by a hot cup o’ tea and Man vs. Food – in Atlanta!  Adam Richman ate the Double Bypass burger at The Vortex.  This burger is “topped with 2 fried eggs, 6 slices of American cheese, and 8 slices of bacon.”  Served between 2 grilled low-fat cheese sandwiches.

Mr. Richman needs a cleanse after that one. 🙂

After drooling over red meat some TV watching, I made a tasty salad with grapefruit, daikon, cucumber, guac, and grilled chicken.

Mmmm… chicken returns!

And a little bit of my new favorite soup for dessert.

Butternut Apple Soupy Goodness

Then it was looking rainy… so I went shopping.  It couldn’t be helped – it was Gap’s 30% off Friends and Family!  Reusable and good at Gap, Old Navy, and Banana Republic

You better believe I made good use of it at all 3! 🙂

Tonight I adapted KERF’s Stuffing.  The SP Cleanse doesn’t allow bread or nuts (oh sweet peanut butter, how I miss thee…), so I had to make a few adjustments.

Cooking on the stove top

Now that I’m on the the lean protein portion of the cleanse, I added grilled chicken.  You could easily leave it out though.  My version is gluten and nut-free.

This dish was one I’ll definitely make again!  The wild rice and mushrooms had a great earthy taste.  I was tempted to just serve it as a stir-fry without adding the broth and putting it in the oven.  That would have been a mistake – those additions gave the dish a creamy texture you don’t want to miss.  The figs provided just the right amount of sweetness, too.

Crisped in the oven

Served with sauteed garlicky mustard greens

Wild Rice with Figs & Mushrooms

  • 1 1/2 C Wild rice (cooked)
  • 2 T EVOO
  • 2 T butter (I used black truffle butter)
  • 3 Celery stalks, chopped (about 1 1/2 C)
  • 1/3 C Yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 C Mushrooms, sliced (I used a mix of shiitake, baby bella, and oyster)
  • 2 Garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 Rosemary springs, chopped (about 3 T)
  • 4-5 Sage leaves, chopped (about 4 T)
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 6 Fresh figs, quartered
  • 2 Chicken breasts, grilled and chopped
  • 1 1/2 C Vegetable broth

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt butter and oil in a large iron (oven-proof) skillet over medium heat.  Add celery and onion.  Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until celery and onion are tender.

Add garlic, rosemary, sage, salt, pepper and mushrooms.  Cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are tender.

Add cooked rice and stir.  Then add figs and chicken, tossing evenly to combine.  Pour in broth.  Cook until just warmed through, about 3-4 mins.

Cover the skillet with foil and bake for 10 mins. Remove foil and bake 10 more mins, until top is slightly crisped and broth is (mostly) absorbed.

***

Figs are fun.

Are you a fig-fan?

Do you ever sleep in?

Halloween and Squash

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First the fun part – Halloween in San Francisco.

I woke up and ran through the city – along the Embarcadero and through Chinatown.  I didn’t save it on my watch, but it was something like 5.1 miles in 43 mins.  Not bad with all the hills!

Then the day was ON.  After a few minutes in Urban Outfitters where we purchased sumos, Mallory and I had an awesome brunch at Orson (Elizabeth Falkner from Top Chef’s restaurant).

Sumo Thumb Wrestling

We had some “Apple Juice.”

Waiter... there's a sumo in my drink!

Then some toast.

French toast, maple syrup, pumpkin pie butter, and cinnamon cream

And some eggs.

Eggs benedict on house-made english muffin, canadian bacon, spinach, and cheddar mornay sauce

We opted to pass on dessert.

What better way to spend Halloween than at a famous prison?!

Arriving at Alcatraz

Apparently Native Americans occupied the island for 19 months from 1969-1971.  All the history surrounding Alcatraz was really neat.

The Sumos enjoyed the view

Gorgeous day for prison!

I wore stripes, ironically.

Back in San Fran, we took a looooog walk.

Coit Tower

Somehow we ended up in Chinatown right at snack time.

Pork Sticky Buns

The Sumos felt at home

We finally made it home and spent the next hour rushing around to get ready for Halloween!

It was a lazy costume year

We walked through the Mission to get dinner.  Kids there trick-or-treat at businesses (the neighborhood isn’t safe conducive to the pastime).

They aren't as well stocked as Laura would have hoped.

Pit stop for ice cream at Humphry Solcombe before dinner (priorities, people!).

Bacon in ice cream. Brilliant.

Once we devoured finished our dessert, we headed to El Metate for dinner.

El Metate = El Tasty

Tacos with corn tortillas are my favorite.  I ordered one veggie and one salsa verde shredded pork.  The tortilla chips on the side were freshly baked into a nice, thick chip.  The spicy array of treats from the salsa bar were delish too.

Taco heaven

My friends had the veggie burrito and the fried chicken.  Do yourself a favor and don’t ever get the fried chicken.  It was sinfully good and I’ll be craving it for a looooong time.  The guac was also hauntingly good.

Finally, we were off to celebrate All Hallows Eve and oogle other people’s costumes!

The Sumos are party animals!

Now that I’ve posted about all that food… what am I eating on the detox?!

… 

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Tag team, back again

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The last 3.5 days in San Francisco have been one amazing whirlwind of fabulousness. 

Every time I go to the west coast, I wonder why I  live on the east coast.

 

I’m trying hard to play catch up at work, upload pictures, and begin a 21 day journey.

The San Fran recap may will happen much like the next 21 days – one day at a time.

First of all: we arrived.  Mallory and I landed in San Fran and were greeted by our friend Laura.  Then we hit the hotel, freshened up, and sampled a local beverage or two.

Then we trekked down to the Ferry building to see Critical Mass.

This is not a mandatory church service.

On the 4th Friday of every month, cyclists gather in the area to take over the streets, asserting their right to space on the road.

Lucky for us, they also dress up when the 4th Friday falls on Halloween weekend. 🙂

I didn’t get a good picture of the riders, but this is the Ferry Building all lit up in orange in honor of the Giants.

Finally, it was dinner time.  Laura lead us to a restaurant called Eureka where we ate like kings.  Seriously.  Dessert was grilled banana bread with peanut butter ice cream.  Entitles “The Elvis.”

Long live The King.

My Dinner: Duck & Pistachio Terrine with Crostini, Mustard, Pickled Onions & Cornichons.  Rich.  Like a king.

So… what is this 21 day journey?  Wellll… I’m sleepy, but I leave you with a hint:

 

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