Nourish and Flourish

Tapas For Two and a Bit of Bacon

I think I fell in back in love with food during the summer I spent living in Spain before my sophomore year of high school.

BACK in love? Well, yes. The previous year I'd begun to view breakfast, lunch and dinner as dreaded blocks of time during the day that I just had to get through. 

But Spain changed me. 

I marveled at the Spaniards' ability to sit and savor their meals. Eating wasn't just something that happened three times per day, rather,it was a time to commune with family and friends for hours--eating, laughing, enjoying--with no agenda to be had. It was in Spain that I let my inhibitions fly away (until I returned to the U.S., that is) and discorvered just how fun, delicious and satisfying REAL food can be!

My favorite part of the culinary scene in Spain was tapas time--the period between lunch and dinner when people gather for appetizers. Most nights of the week, around five-o'clock, my host family would take me to a little bar down the street where we'd enjoy tortilla, jamon and croquettas. It became a habit that I missed tremendously once I was home.

So naturally I'm a huge fan of the increasing number of tapas restaurants in the United States!

A few nights ago, I was able to try a new-to-me Spanish restaurant in Georgetown called Bodega.

And guess who joined me?

Alex from I Eat Asphalt!

Thank goodness she'd made a reservation, because when we arrived, the restaurant was bustling! We were immediately ushered to our table in the garden patio in the back of the restaurant. 

After chatting for 15 minutes (fortunately our waitress--a Penelope Cruz look-alike--was patient!) we decided to take a look at the menu. 

Everything sounded good! It was tough choosing just four tapas to share! 

We started with this:

Escalibada Catalana Roasted Eggplant, peppers & onion Salad 

Before you say, ewww, hear me out. The roasted vegetables--accented with coarse sea salt and adorned with full-bodied olive oil--practically melted in my mouth. The sweet onion (second from left) was my favorite of the four blobs. :-)

Next up was Espinacas A La Catalana.

Espinacas A La Catalana sautéed spinach with pine nuts, apples & raisins

This tapa can be found at most Spanish restaurants...and for good reason! The combination of sweet fruit and savory dressing is delicious.

We also ordered two seafood dishes:

Arroz Meloso Al Azafrán Con Gambas creamy saffron rice with grilled shrimp

Bacalao a la Bilbaina con Lentejas de León Sautéed Cod Filet with Olive Oil, León Lentils, Garlic and Parsley 

The cod was just okay. It tasted like it had been soaking in a salty marinade for a bit too long. However the Arroz Melroso  was INCREDIBLE! The rice was cooked with cream and saffron, creating a risotto-like consistency. Next time I go to Bodega I think I'll order three plates of this and call it a meal. :-)

Afterward, we moseyed our way onto M St., where we discovered a Haagen Dazs cart offering free samples!  I tried the raspberry sorbet, which was one of my favorites as a little girl.

And then, as good bloggers do, we asked a fellow ice cream sampler to snap our picture.

I'm so glad I had the opportunity to meet Alex! She is just as sweet in person as she seems on her blog, and she shares my interest in nutrtion policy, dietetics and sustainable food.

A few days later we met again to peruse the produce offerings at Eastern Market.

 

HOLY (moldy?) PUMPKIN!!

Wait, what's a chocolate bar doing amongst the produce pictures? And a chocolate bar with BACON at that? :-p

Yep, I went there.

I haven't had bacon in years, but somehow consuming it with chocolate was too intriguing to resist. Alex and I shared this Vosgues Mo's Bacon Bar as a post-market treat.

I'm a huge fan of the salty/sweet combination, so I thought this bar was quite tasty. However it was hard for me to detect the bacon flavor. The Vosgues Woolloomooloo bar is still my favorite!

Where else have I been going lately?

Edy's rolls out this delicious flavor only once a year, so I have to get my fix while I can!

Hope you're all having a fantastic week! 

What food are you enjoying right now?

Fashion and Food Weekend

Happy new week!

Life has been a bit of a rat race lately, so I set one goal for myself over the weekend: RELAX. 

The pool at my apartment building is open for just one more week, so I had every intention of plunking down and doing this:

_{Soaking up the rays in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, 2008}

But there were several weekend events that I just couldn't pass up! In fact, I spent NO time at the pool. Once again, city life swallowed me whole. :-p

On Friday, Elaina and I hit up Georgetown for Fashion's Night Out...

The Betsey Johnson convertible

Let's just pretend that this was our mode of transport for the evening. ;-)

The streets were filled with fashionistas, tourists, Cirque du Soleil performers, dancers, musicians etc. etc. It was quite the people-watching experience! Stores stayed open late--until 11:00--and in addition to offering major deals, retailers were handing out goodies such as free champagne, Vitamin Water Zero and cupcakes!

I was good and bought NOTHING! But I still enjoyed posing with a bling bag...

   

For the record, this bag is SO NOT ME. Which is what made flaunting it around the Betsey Johnson store SO much fun. :-)

Saturday we traded our heels for Birkenstocks and checked out DC Veg Fest.

I befriended a waving carrot...

(He even gave me a hug!)

Many vegan vendors and companies were there...

I sampled a nutrition bar (undocumented) and energy drink at the Vega booth.

Vegan pudding...bleh, I'll stick with the real stuff! Soyummi tasted gummy to me, and I wasn't too fond of the lime flavor that they were sampling.

This raw foods booth was the highlight!

I snagged the LAST plate of "lasagna" from Elizabeth's Gone Raw!

Zucchini noodles, nut ricotta, spinach and raw tomato sauce. 

It was actually quite tasty!

In addition to sampling food, I chatted with a vegan dietitian about the differences between plant and animal protein. While I am not convinced that I should become a vegetarian, he offered great insight. I also snagged some literature about vegan diets that spell out how to achieve all RDA's for an entirely plant-based diet.

After perusing the Veg Fest booths, we headed over to Cone-E-Island for fro yo.

   

I made strawberry cheesecake by combining cheesecake and strawberry flavors. (the strawberry is hiding!)

All in all, it was a fantastic Saturday afternoon.

Now,I 'd like to share some kitchen creations from the past week.

As part of the Fresh Eats on a Dime challenge, I was forced to make do with the groceries stashed in the fridge from last week's under $50 shop. I have a tendency to take extra trips to the store to buy whatever I'm craving on a particular day, but this week I've stuck to my guns. :-)

The result: deeelicious eats!

Exhibit A: Thai Chicken Curry

First I sauteed chicken and red onions in olive oil...

 

Then added torn Swiss chard and about 1/4 cup of TJ's Thai Red Curry Sauce.

(I highly recommend you run to TJ's right now and buy a bottle for yourself!)

The sauce also makes a great salad dressing.

_{Thai chicken salad snack}

Exhibit B: Butternut Squash Saute with Caramelized Onions and Feta 

My new favorite combination!

I bought a bag of frozen butternut squash last week and have been enjoying it tremendously!

Such an easy, simple, delicious side...Just pull the desired amount out of the bag and throw it on the stove with a smidge of olive oil. Once the squash is browned, top it with feta or parmesan. The contrast between the tangy/salty cheese and the sweet squash is quite tasty. :-)

Served with scrambled eggs and pan-roasted asparagus.

Exhibit C: Polenta with melted cheddar and sauteed mushrooms

Served with TJ's roasted turkey and sauteed spinach.

Tomorrow I'm heading to the grocery store to shop for week two of the challenge. I'm looking forward to another creative week in the kitchen. :-)

******************************************************************************************************

Before I go, I'd like to share something that's been on my mind over the past week. A few bloggers have written insightful posts about the comparison trap--in regards to exercise and food--and the dangers that accompany measuring your diet or fitness regimen with somebody else's. 

This topic really hits home with me because there was a time when I was a slave to comparing. If someone ate less than me, I'd convince myself that I was a pig. I'd listen intently as others told me what they had or hadn't eaten, and I'd adjust my meals accordingly.

I truly believed that what others ate somehow affected me.

But you know what I've realized over the past month? My wellness decisions are no longer dictated by petty remarks from others.

I completely believe and embrace the philosophy that all that matters is how YOU take care of YOUR body. What another person chooses to eat, or how long they choose to work out, has NOTHING to do with you.

It's a simple, yet liberating realization! So next time you see something on someone else's blog, or you receive a comment from a friend or family member that makes you question your own healthy habits, (i.e. "she exercises so much more than me!" or "oh my gosh, that's all she eats? I should reduce my portions..."), please take a minute to reflect upon, and affirm, your own healthy habits. :-)

Ok, that's all loves, MAKE YOUR MONDAY MARVELOUS!! <3 <3 <3

The Cow Who Wanted to Be a Hamburger (But I didn't want it to!)

If this blog were a saucepan...

It would be hanging out on the back burner.

:-/

Life has taken over!!!

By the time I've returned from work and settled in for the evening, I'm too tired to type! I want to veg with my roommates or read about your lives!                            

So for now, a picture post is going to have to suffice (with a few words sprinkled in here and there!)

In the past week I've...

Moved across the country

(Don't you love this map? It's hanging in the living room of my friend, Elaina's apartment...I want one!)

Eaten CAKE

SERIOUS CAKE!

Yep, I tried it! AMAZING. The wheat didn't bother me too much either! How could it, when you're tastebuds are experiencing moist, chocolatey euphoria?

Birthday partied!

Elaina turned 23, so we celebrated with champagne mimosas at POV, located on the rooftop of The W Hotel.

_{(their picture, not mine!)}

SWANKY digs, eh?

 _{With my new roommate, Jen!}

_{With the birthday girl}

Check out the views we enjoyed of the Washington Monument...

_{(The pictures don't do it justice!)}

And the White House...

What a fun night!

This week I also...

Ate an EXPENSIVE salad with a plastic fork

 _{Grilled Tilapia Salad}

Why did this order-at-the-counter salad cost me $25?

Because the guacamole and salsa "extras" were $5 each! That should be illegal!

It was tasty though. And you better believe that I got my money's worth...Every morsel of food in that picture was consumed! 

Next time I eat at Surfside, I think I'll bring my own guacamole!

Rekindled my relationship with Amy

The secret to taking this tamale pie from good to GREAT is adding cheese!

 

No food shot here because, well, the Mattar Tofu meal isn't easy on the eyes. I'm awarding Amy's an award for the least visually appealing, yet most delicious frozen entrees!

Bought ground beef for the first time in YEARS

Can't beat that price! (And don't fear, it's organic)

(By the way, I carry this notepad in my bag!)

I was planning on making a taco salad with the meat, but before I got to it, I spotted an ad for the DC Shorts Film Festival. This is one of the featured films:

 

Just watch it. :-)

After viewing the video, I just couldn't do it--I couldn't cook the poor cow.

I WILL be using that ground beef though, because this month I am dedicating myself to a strict grocery budget. I'm joining Alycia's Fresh Eats on a Dime Challenge, which means I'm committing to three weeks of "cheap eats."

According to Alycia, the premise behind Fresh Eats on a Dime is this:

"A mission to prove that healthy eating doesn’t have to be expensive! Anyone can afford it – even you."

Alycia has set her budget at $35/week, however living in the center of a large city without a car makes it difficult for me to bargain shop at stores like Walmart and Target. For that reason, my weekly grocery budget for the rest of the month will be $50. I'll be posting my receipts and pics of my groceries, as well as the meals I create with them here. I'm excited to share them with you!

I hope you all had fantastic Labor Day weekends!

Do you have a budget-friendly recipe you'd like to share?