Bites & Brews

Green with Envy

2011-03-02T18:47:00.000-08:00

I cannot get full.

I hurried to work today in the hopes of snagging some plain oatmeal (we have oatmeal in the office) with raisins and the peanut butter I keep in my desk. We were out of plain, so I had to go for Apples & Cinnamon. This was difficult for me because it was DELICIOUSLY sweet. I managed. (I didn't take a photo)

Lunch: It was at Rosa Mexicano with some work people. I happily consumed some guac and chips, and a corn tortilla. For my entree, I had the Ensalada de la Calle con Atun al Pastor. Yes, that! I'm sure you know it well. For those who don't, it is basically a mango, pineapple, and jicama-based salad (I was expecting lettuce, but there were only three leaves) with barbecued tuna loin, toasted pumpkin seeds, all tossed in a honey-lime vinaigrette. It was aight. (I also didn't take a photo)

Dinner: A salad with croutons (x2), a piece of leftover french bread from Sunday, and some slices of pepper jack. And a Dove dark chocolate square, of course.

With the green apples & cinnamon oatmeal packet, the lunch full of guac, and the two salads at dinner, it was a pretty green day.

Somewhere in there I had two tequila, orange juice, and basil drinks. They were delicious and not green.

I brought lunch that I didn't get to eat, and tomorrow I'm going out as well, but I'll probably eat it Friday, so you'll get to see the oh-so-exciting photo then.

Surprise Sushi

2011-03-01T18:12:00.000-08:00

Anytime I'm surprised with food, it pretty much makes my day. Tuesday was an added bonus because I had sushi for dinner (for which I wasn't planning) AND I got to hang out with my awesome friend.

I started the day off with a weight lifting session at the gym, followed by a rice-egg-leftover roasted broccoli-Thai chili sauce breakfast.

I also found out that Saved by the Bell is still on in the mornings. I had a mini panic attack for about a month, because we got a new TV and the channel changed (HD things). Thank goodness. My outlook on life has changed.

Lunch was spinach, tomato basil pasta sauce, two turkey meatballs, and a half of an everything bagel with butter. It shows up a lot in my life. (no photo)

Dinner - spicy tuna roll, eel cucumber roll, and salmon roll. Half price. Win.

My friend's was prettier, but I bet mine was more delicious.

Monday Funday?

2011-02-28T19:06:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was great, today was also great, but in a much different way. It was great in a rainy Monday kind of way. Now, to the food!

Breakfast: Maple & Brown Sugar oatmeal from the office (not something I normally do, because I'd rather have peanut butter in my oatmeal)
Snack numero uno: A serving of almonds
Lunch: Spinach, pasta sauce, two turkey meatballs, and a half of a scooped out wheat bagel with butter (something I normally do)
Snack numero dos: trail mix from the office
Snack numero tres: an apple

No photos for the above.

I went to spinning, which was techno-filled. The instructor didn't turn on the fan, so every time he came around, I tried to catch his eye and twirled my finger around while pointing at the fan. This never worked, although I'm sure the 20-or-so people on the other side of the room got some amusement out of it.

I was starving when I got home, so...
Dinner: Leftover roasted butternut squash soup (recipe below) w/ some roasted cauliflower and Thai chili sauce

French bread with salsa jack cheese slices & salad with multigrain pita chips

There is probably a Dove Dark Chocolate square in my future. And in YOUR future, there is a Dogfish Head Pangea review sometime later this week!

Roasted Butternut Squash & Pear Soup:
3 lbs butternut squash (peeled, 1-inch chunks)
1.5 lbs Bartlett pears (peeled, 1-inch chunks)
1 onion (1-inch chunks)
Olive oil (to coat and roast the above)
4 cups of vegetable broth
Salt & Pepper to taste

Heat the oven to 400 degrees and roast the squash, pears, and onions (which have been tossed in olive oil) for 45 - 50 minutes or until soft. I opened the oven and mixed them around once or twice. Transfer them to a pot or a blender (in bathes if necessary). Using a food processor, blender, or immersion blender, puree with the vegetable broth until smooth. Add the salt and pepper. I usually serve it with roasted veggies and some Thai chili sauce.

Finally - A Brew

2011-02-27T18:06:00.000-08:00

I'm posting this on Monday, but it's actually for Sunday. I wouldn't consider my Sunday busy, I just didn't quite get around to blogging. I spent a little while napping on the couch, snuggling with the pet. It was time consuming.

Diner Breakfast: (no photo) omelet w/ tomatoes, onions, feta, and tabasco
home fries
slice of wheat toast with butter
two cups of coffee with milk.

Whole Foods Lunch: While I was getting some treats for Oscar gathering, I picked up this gem from the Whole Foods hot bar
Wheat protein cooked in some spices
Fried(ish) rice with peas and carrots. It was surprisingly not greasy, although definitely white rice.

Party Dinner: I have decided that a party means me + at least 2 other people. This means, we had a party. I had a little bit of everything.

TIME FOR BREWS!

What: Frosty's Winter Wheat Wine
Who: Chelsea Brewing Company
Details: "With dark aromas of heavy malted wheat and some dark fruit paired with a smooth light wheat flavor, this beer is warming and surprisingly drinkable"
Cost: $11.99 for 64oz
Thoughts: it was more bitter than I was expecting (I guess barley wines are hoppier than I thought?), but surprisingly drinkable (ha) and definitely smooth. I can't say I tasted the fruit. Overall, it was ok, but not something I would want to drink on a regular basis.
Food: Um, Pita Chips. It didn't seem to go well with any of the cheeses we had...

Saturday Dinner

2011-02-26T18:22:00.000-08:00

After my delicious chicken sandwich, I had some oatmeal with bananas, peanut butter, and raisins.

Oh yeah, and some wine.

You Always Win, Truffle Fries

2011-02-26T15:42:00.000-08:00

After my short (very short) run, I headed out with the roomie for some festivities around the city. An amazing lunch also happened.

Snack for the road:
Smart Puffs, an apple, and water.

Lunch pre-improv show:
We were walking around, looking for a place to kill time, and we happened upon Bouley Studio in Tribeca. We were only looking for a quick lunch, and it ended up being incredibly filling and delicious.

I went with the chicken avocado sandwich (thinly sliced red onions, thinly sliced cucumbers, avocado, lettuce, tomato, delicious roasted chicken, mayo, whole grain mustard, all on a crusty baguette).

And, the truffle fries. They've got a hold on me. The roommate bought them, I ate them. They had parmesan on them, too. Ah-mazing.

He got a "mini" burger, but we decided that it wasn't so mini.

There may or may not be wine in my future tonight, but you can count on a brew or two tomorrow.

Breakfast Fail

2011-02-26T09:07:00.000-08:00

So I gobbled down my breakfast before I could take a photo. I guess that's what a light dinner does!

It was two slices of Arnold 100% whole wheat light toast. One with Earth Balance spread and low sugar strawberry jelly, the other with Skippy Natural Peanut Butter & Honey from the Union Square Farmer's Market. Delish.

The aftermath:

Now off to attempt a run. With a 15k at the end of March, I should probably get moving!

Light Dinner

2011-02-25T20:47:00.000-08:00

I think I finally did it! I ate enough to not feel super hungry! I don't know what was going on, but I was feeling hungry for a reason other than calorie intake (I was consuming enough). At around 7, when I would normally have dinner, I wasn't feeling it, so I listened to my body and waited.

At about 9, I started to feel hungry, so I went in for some roasted butternut squash & pear soup (I'll post the recipe this week), that I made a few weeks ago and froze, with some roasted cauliflower and chili sauce.

Neverending Lunch

2011-02-25T15:32:00.000-08:00

Recently, I've been hungry. Really hungry. The past few days, I just can't seem to eat enough. Today, I was working from home so I moved from my computer in the living room, back to the kitchen, back to the living room, back to the kitchen...you get the idea.

Since I was away last weekend, I didn't get the chance to do any strategic grocery shopping, so on Thursday, I stocked up on zucchini, broccoli, and cauliflower. I knew I had some eggs and brown rice at home. I whipped up this little number to (attempt to) keep myself full until dinner. It worked out for a little while.

In the pictures:
1/4 cup brown rice (measured dry, then cooked)
1 egg, over medium
Thai chili sauce
Roasted cauliflower (on a pan with some olive oil, oven set to about 400 for 15ish minutes)

Not pictured: Roasted broccoli

I mixed them all together in the bowl. The broccoli adds some color, so I'll snap a photo with that the next time I eat it, which will probably be tomorrow.

After my egg feast, I had some leftover arugula and prosciutto pizza from last night, a couple of servings of Pirate's Booty, a few bites of light mint chocolate chip ice cream, a Dove Dark Chocolate Square, and I think that's it.

No brews yet, but don't worry, they're coming.

Good Morning...Sunshine?

2011-02-25T09:26:00.000-08:00

I woke up to a rainy New York morning. Ain't no thang, because I whipped up this little number. I was getting tired of yogurt + honey, so I wanted to get some sweetness from elsewhere. I blended a banana with some Trader Joe's Fat Free Greek yogurt (plain). I added a few Quaker Oatmeal Squares (there were some sample left in my building a few weeks ago).

Off to the vet with the animal! She's going to love the rain and the bus ride. I can tell she's excited.

Welcome to Bites & Brews

2011-02-25T08:20:00.000-08:00

So glad you're here! This is the first of many posts to come, chronicling the food and beer I put into my stomach on a regular basis. It's part healthy living, part beer tasting and pairing, because life is all about balance.

Glad you're along for the ride and I hope you enjoy!