Lovely Meals Lately: 09-23-2020

Happy Wednesday, pals! How's it hanging? I'm so grateful for this amazing weather as it starts to get a bit more chilly in the morning. We've had the windows open all day and it's magical.

Onto the eats!

Lovely Meals and Snacks Lately

Wild rice and sweet potato kale salad for the perfect fall lunch!

I've been digging Dave's Killer Bread cinnamon raisin toast with almond butter. I usually pair it with a slice of avocado toast and scrambled eggs for sweet and savory. Plus come fresh cantaloupe!

We started the day last Saturday with slices of apple cinnamon swirl bread and coffee then went on a long walk on one of our favorite trails.

Afterwards we got brunch at Katalina's. I usually do breakfast tacos but I was craving a grilled cheese like woah. This one had Amish cheddar and habanero peach jam on buttery old world loaf with roasted tomato soup. Totally hit the spot!

We also shared the Nutella stuffed pancake balls, obviously. Amazing!

Peanut noodles with broccoli...an amazing recipe that's coming in two weeks! I paired it with salmon (the wild frozen sockeye from ALDI) which I defrosted and then marinated in soy sauce, sesame oil, maple syrup, lime juice, and ginger then baked at 375F for about 12 minutes.

I'm obsessed with these peanut butter cocoa puffs. I bought a regular size box and Jeff and I FLEW threw it. If we're eating it for breakfast we'll mix it with Cheerios or something, but I also love it with chilly almond milk as a post-dinner treat.

I made these double chocolate brownie cookie sort of things with applesauce so they have a soft texture...not good enough to share yet but still really tasty! Excellent with hot chocolate might I add.

Alchemy's new Banh Mi with mushroom pate, carrot cilantro slaw, cucumber, micro greens, and sriracha aioli is SOOOO good. I crave it!

Blueberry cacao smoothie with peanut butter and cacao nibs. Good afternoon snack!

I've been craving warm drinks in the middle of the afternoon. Since I always reach my coffee limit in the morning, hot chocolate has been a fab option.

To make, I soak five dates in hot water til they're nice and soft and then blend them in the Nutribullet with 2 cups of store-bought macadamia nut milk (so creamy!), 2 heaping tbsp cacao powder, and a big pinch of salt and cinnamon. Then I pour the mixture in a pot and heat over the stove until hot. Turn off the heat and stir in a good splash of vanilla extract. Soooo good!

I have leftover cooked farro in the freezer so when I was craving a fall salad for lunch, I knew it would come in handy. I took chopped lettuce that was already in the salad spinner in the fridge and added a diced apple, green onions, pepitas, goat cheese, and Marzetti's Tastefully dressed Honeycrisp apple dressing. I have an actual recipe for this salad coming soon! Butternut squash soup on the side.

We got Paulie Gee's infamous "square" pizza for the first time and OMG, it was literally one of the best pizza experiences I've ever had. With warm honey, fresh basil, and an incredible sourdough crust, we already can't wait to order it again this weekend.

Salmon burgers with lemony olive oil kale and this insanely good honey butter cornbread.

Things I’m Loving Lately

CRUSHING: Jeff got me this Trade Coffee subscription for my birthday and we love getting to try new, high-quality coffee each month from around the U.S.! It's such a treat every time it arrives.

WEARING: I tested out these cute neutral sneaks and they're SO comfortable. I wore them on a 3-mile walk and they were perfect. I'm also obsessed with these black boots and love that they're waterproof for the winter..

READING: I'm almost done with The School of Essential Ingredients on Audible. I'm enjoying it and I love how the writer talks about food, but it's not one of my all-time favorites! I'd say it's a good light read if you love food and want a break from heavy thrillers. I know I prefer books that leave me hanging or where I'm so into the characters that i can't wait to read again in the morning. I’m still reading American Dirt on my Kindle and it's great! It definitely makes me grateful for the freedom and safety we have in the U.S.

WATCHING: We love Instant Hotel for a light-hearted, funny watch. It was cool seeing all the different places in Australia, too! Now we're watching Yellowstone and loving it. Definitely more serious as it's a drama.

Enjoy your week!