Nourish and Flourish

Catching Up Time! (+ My Favorite Packaged Foods!)

Hi!! I'm still alive--promise! (And missing you all more than you know!). Life has been BUSY...I'm currently searching for a new apartment, finishing up grad school technicalities (I've decided to stay in DC for my master's!) working full time at Sweetgreen, and enjoying every minute living in a city I love, surrounded by people I love more.

There's so much to share, so how about a mini-slideshow?

Idaho State Society STOMP!

Basically a bunch of DC-living Idahoans gathered together and danced into the wee hours of the night to Blue Grass and Country music!

fellow plaid-loving Idahoans...my brother is in the middle


Uncle Kent's Visit--Dinner at Bistro La Bonne

Mussels!

  Moules Marinieres--steamed in white wine, shallots, garlic & parsley

I'm not a huge fan of mussels' texture, but the wine-butter sauce these were cooked in was scrumptious!

Pave de Saumon au Jus de Langouste--salmon filet with forestiere mash, ratatouille & lobster bisque sauce

INCREDIBLE salmon entree! Everything was cooked perfectly, and the flavors--including the lobster bisque sauce, which I was skeptical about--really melded togther well. 

I enjoyed Bistro La Bonne, and will definitely return in the near future. It's hard to believe, but this was the first TRULY French restaurant I've ever dined at!

And No French meal is complete without roses from a monsieur lover unlce! :-)

   

Blogger Meet Up: Dinner at Neyla

Last night I met Lauren, from Biochemista, for a fantastic meal at Neyla in Georgetown. Lauren and I have been trying to get together for over a month, but our crazy schedules kept multiple dinner dates from atually happening! I guess sixth time's the charm!

I completely forgot to snap a picture of Lauren, but not to worry, I'm sure she'll be appearing on the blog again very soon! We had so much fun chatting!

For my entree, I chose the shrimp kebab:

Jumbo Shrimp Kebab--Lemon/Oregano/Arugula Salad

Laura went with the chicken kebab:

Chicken Shish Taouk--Chicken Kabob/Garlic/ Lemon

And check out the bread basket!

I'd love to snag one--or 10! How much fun would it be to cook dinner and serve it to your guests in these?

And speaking of cooking...

Or the lack thereof...!!

There are 58 "must-make" recipes flagged in my Bookmarks tab. 58!

Oh dear.

And there are nearly fourteen times as many blog posts that I want to read!

Eep!

In a perfect world my tastebuds would be tantalized by home-cooked dinners every night of the week. I would cook one, maybe two, of these recipes each day, and sit down and savor them with a glass of sweet wine while reading blogs and finding more recipes to bookmark.

My passion for getting creative in the kitchen is just as strong as ever, but the reality is that made-from-scratch meals have become more of the exception than the rule in my life over the past month. I finally understand what it's like to come home after a full day of work and--brace yourself--be too exhausted to cook. *gasp!*

Plus, check out my kitchen...

Hehe. Messy and man-ified! Not so conducive to cooking! And this is a good day!

I live with two undergraduate boys who are just learning how to carry their dishes to the sink. Next week we're going to work on loading them into the dishwasher. ;-) (**Brett and Jhaan, you know I love you!**).

Fortunately this kitchen situation is temporary! As I mentioned, I'm currently looking for a permanent place to live--a place where I can cook again! :-)

Don't get me wrong, I still turn on the stove most nights of the week. It's just that my meals generally require no more than 10-minutes cooking time. Eggs + cheese + greens is my go-to fuel.

sauteed Swiss chard in olive oil and garlic, scrambled egg, Laughing Cow Blue Cheese wedge

one egg + two egg whites, spinach, feta and mushroom omelet

Unless, that is, I turn to something that's been prepared for me.

The infamous TV dinner.

Don't worry, I haven't stooped this low (yet!). We have access to thousands of packaged food items that are slapped with "good-for-you" food labels. The challenege is determining which of these foods truly are healthy. 

The cover of the November issue of Women's Health magazine promises readers a list of "The Healthiest Foods for Women."

It turns out that this list is really a complilation of "The 125 Best Packaged Foods."

Nonetheless, I was excited to read this article, as I was hoping to find some new-to-me products worth trying.

First on the list?

 

Skinny Cow Strawberry Cheesecake ice cream cups

Followed by...

  Smart Ones Peanut Butter Cup Sundae

Weight Watchers Chocolate Creme Cake

Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers Rotini and Zesty Marinara Sauce

Special K Fruit Crisps

DiGiorno 200-Calorie Portions Cheese and Tomato Pizza

Fiber One Lowfat Cottage Cheese

(do we really need to add fiber to cottage cheese?)

What do you think about these picks?

I was surprised and slightly dissapointed. While none of these foods is inherently bad--in fact they're far from it--I don't think that they deserve "health food" awards.  Women's Health gave each of these picks a blue dot, which, according to the color code accompanying the article, indicates that they "promote weight loss."

That's what really hit a raw nerve.

Guys, I used to buy into the hype surrounding "diet" packaged foods. Let me tell you, they in no way promoted weight loss. Instead they left me feeling unsatisfied and craving the real thing. My package of Hostess 100 calorie pack cupcakes would turn into two...three...four!

There are so many better-for-you, artificial ingredient-free picks out there!

So, I present my own (very short) list of "The Healthiest Tastiest Packaged Real Foods for Women."

Disclaimer:

I like these foods because they contain real, recognizable ingredients. These are not "wonder foods," but they sure are tasty! I've just included those that I've eaten in the past two weeks and that I regularly stock in my apartment.

Alexia Sides Chipotle Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Just throw on the stove and serve with grilled chicken and a salad!

Stahlbush Island Farms Frozen Butternut Squash

I love it sauteed with a red onions and a touch of olive oil, then topped with feta cheese.

Lundberg Creamy Parmesan Risotto
AMAZING!! If you love risotto, TRY THIS!!!

Trader Joe's Chile Lime Chicken Burgers (no link)

 

Totally yummy! Serve with a big dollop of guacamole! Melted cheddar on top takes it to another level :-)

Al Fresco Spinach and Feta Chicken Sausage

 

The tastiest chicken sausage I've tried.

Amy's Cheese Enchilada Meal

Tastes SO indulgent, but isn't! Possibly the BEST Amy's entree.

Haagen Dazs Tart Natural Frozen Yogurt

I think that this is the CREAMIEST frozen yogurt available in the grocery store. Sure, it doesn't replace the soft stuff you get at a fro yo shop, but when it's slightly melted (zap it in the microwave for 20 seconds), it sure comes close!

Ok, props to you if you're still with me! I apologize for the super long post! There's so much I've wanted to share lately, but there's been so little time.

I hope you all are enjoying your last week of October!

Much love, good eating and healthy, happy living! <3 xoxo

What's your favorite easy go-to meal?

 

The Cookie Dough Coerce

Happy Columbus Day! I hope you're enjoying your long weekend, if you're so lucky to have one!

Last night I enjoyed another tapas meal at La Tasca with one of my college roommates. Whitney transferred to University of Texas after her sophomore year, but moved back to DC after graduation to start a job. It's been almost a year since we've seen each other, so we had a lot of catching up to do!

I forgot to snap a picture, so this will have to do--taken at my 24th birthday party last year. Whitney is on the right.

Anyhoo, back to dinner...Somehow, between our banter, we managed to select four tapas to share (and sangria, of course!).

Paella De Verduras: a miniature paella with assorted seasonal fresh vegetables

Esparragos Verdes A La Plancha grilled asparagus with extra virgin olive oil and sea salt

Brocheta De Pollo skewers of grilled chicken breast marinated in andalusian spices, with roasted red peppers

Vieiras Al Cava grilled scallops in a creamy sparkling wine sauce

All of these small plates were good, but nothing to write home about. The paella was well seasoned, but had a tomato base, which I wasn't expecting. Traditional paella rice is yellow because it's cooked with saffron---a version I think I prefer. The chicken was very flavorful, but a bit dry, and the scallops were well done, but quite rich! The asparagus, possibly my favorite of the four, was cooked simply: grilled with sea salt and olive oil! 

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After running post-dinner errands, I returned home ready for "dessert"!

The other day a cookie jar arrived in the mail!

I was pretty excited because, since moving back to Washington DC (sans all my cooking supplies), I've had no place to store my baked goods, save for large ziploc bags and plastic tupperware.

This little jar will be perfect for storing holiday cookies!

As thrilled as I was about the cute jar, I was just as excited to sample what was inside. 

 

A few weeks ago, Zone Perfect contacted me about trying their new line of cookie dough-inspired nutrition bars. I love cookie dough, and I've been a bit of a bar fiend for quite some time, so of course, I obliged! :-)

Fortunately I was able to coerce my roommate Brett into sampling the bars with me. As self-proclaimed "NON-healthfood junkie" who loves Popeye's fried chicken and Chinese takeout, I thought he'd be able to offer a slightly more discriminating point of view.

However, before trying the bars, I persuaded him to wet his palate with a Vosgues' Mo's Bacon Bar. 

He was slightly skeptical...

The taste...

Success! He liked it! The Bacon Bar is becoming one of my own guilty indulgences, and I'm trying to get others to partake in the fun. :-p

I digress...back to those bars!

First up was the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.                                                                                 

Brett: "It's doughy."

Me: "Mmm, I like the texture contrast between the soft bar and the mini chocolate chips."

Next up: Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Dough

 

Brett: "This tastes more like an actual cookie than the chocolate chip version."

Me: "Agreed. This could almost pass for Peppridge Farm!"

 The final flavor was Peanut Butter Cookie Dough.

Brett: "It tastes like peanut butter."

Me: "Yeah, I think it's supposed to."

Brett: "I mean, it has little pieces of real peanuts in it, which add to the peanutty taste."

Me: "Yeah, I'm a fan of real peanuts."

Overall, we both enjoyed all three bars. They're relatively small, but dense, so they fill you up. Each one contains 10 grams of protein, so they'd make a good snack when your sweet tooth comes knocking and you need something to hold you over till dinner. Even though oatmeal raisin cookies typically aren't my favorite, I found the Zone Perfect version tastier than the other two.

I asked Brett to rank them in order from most favorite to least favorite:

1. Oatmeal Raisin

2. Chocolate Chip 

3. Peanut Butter 

If you'd like to try the bars, look for them in your local grocery store, or check out www.facebook.com/zoneperfect every Thursday through November 1st for a month of "Cookie Doughlicious Surprises." You could win a free sample!

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I tried another new-to-me product this week...

Garden Lites Roasted Vegetable Souffle is definitely WAY too light for a meal, but it makes a wonderful snack!

If you try this, I highly recommend you split it open and top it with sharp cheddar like this:
 

Cheese always makes tasty foods TASTIER! :-p

I hope you're all enjoying beautiful fall weather in your neck of the woods! We had a gorgeous weekend in Washington, DC, and I'm crossing my fingers that the 70 degree temperatures will be sticking around awhile.

***HUGS***

What's your favorite cookie dough or cookie dough-inspired food?

Peanut butter chocolate chip cookie dough for me!

Any fun new food finds you'd like to share?

Pumpkin, You're So Cheesy

Hold on to your pies, pumpkins, because this post is packed with orange squash!

I've really missed you all! Truly! It's amazing how blogging begins to impact every facet of your life--I think about friends, food, workouts, my body etc. differently because of your wise words. And even if you aren't a blogger, I'm constantly thinking about my readers and the impact my words and thoughts may carry in your lives. I love the blogging community, I love blogging, and even though I've been a bit of a blogging break, in no way am I kissing blogging byebye. :-)

The truth is, I've been focusing my energy on mastering the ropes of life in Washington, DC. The past two weeks have been some of the fastest, craziest and busiest of my life. I left my job at Barnes and Noble, to take a position at Sweetgreen--an eco-friendly salad and frozen yogurt bar that sources most of its food locally. It's an AMAZING place to work, and I am in love with my co-workers and the company's mission! Check out Sweetgreen's website! (And if you live near DC, please stop by and say hello! I promise to mix up a mean salad for you!). 

In addition to studying hard and playing hard, I've also been re-evaluating my plans for next year. I may be staying in DC for grad school instead of heading west to California! More on that in a coming post. :-)

But let's talk about one of the more important things in life---like the amazing fuel that keeps us going during crazy times like these!

Now, it's no secret that I love frozen yogurt...My Twitter name is froyofoodie, and I've been known to down a pint of the stuff in one evening.

It's a rare occasion, however, that I don't have to open my wallet to feed the addiction.

But when you ask for a sample and are given this tower of soft serve, who needs to buy a cup?

 

Largest sample ever!!

Fro yo coupled with cupcakes = great combo! (Ufortunately the cupcakes weren't free!). :-)

I couldn't eat it fast enough! Drip, drip, drip.

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It's now October, which means my shelves are stocked with this...

One of the best compliments to pumpkin, in my opinion, is CHEESE.

Over the past few weeks I've been drooling over Starbucks' pumpkin cream cheese muffins, so I decided to try mixing up my own version.

These were delicious!! Please try them! 

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

adapted from Taste of Home

Ingredients

• 1 package (8 ounces) light cream cheese, softened
• 1 egg (or 1/4 cup egg beaters)
• 1 tablespoon sugar 
• 
  MUFFIN:
• 2-1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or gluten free baking mix)
• 3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 24 pecan halves, optional

Directions

• For the filling, in a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, egg and sugar until smooth; set aside. In a large bowl, combine the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt. Beat the eggs, sugar, pumpkin and oil; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.
• Divide half of the batter among 24 greased or paper-lined muffin cups. Drop filling by teaspoonfuls over batter. Top with remaining batter. 
• 
  
• Bake at 350° for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Yield: about 2 dozen.

***If you're too tired or lazy to make the muffins above, how about buying a muffin and slathering this on top?

Pumpkin Cream Cheese

It looks kind of gross, but it's SO tasty! Promise!

• 1  8-ounce package light or fat free cream cheese, softened
• 1/2  cup canned pumpkin
• 1/4  cup sugar
• 3/4  teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2  teaspoon vanilla 

Mix everything together and store in the refrigerator. It's delicious on top of toast, bagels, or used to fill crepes or egg crepes. Or, if you're feeling really indulgent, eat it straight up like mousse! Mmm.

***One more pumpkin-cheese combo you may like...

Easy Pumpkin Protein Pancakes

• 1 pouch instant oatmeal (or equivalent--maybe 1/3 cup?)
• 1/4 cup  pumpkin
• 1/4 cup egg beaters (or two eggs)
• 1/3 cup cottage cheese
• sweetener of choice
• vanilla, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice etc. to taste 

Blend everything in a blender or Magic Bullet. Cook on a griddle like you would regular pancakes. 

Note: the batter will be very thick!

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Newsflash: This may be the most exciting non-food-related news of the week! 

For all of you want-to-be-brides, brides-to-be, Disney princess lovers or all of the above....

Your dreams have come true! You can now have a happily-ever-after wedding by donning one of Disney's new princess-inspired wedding dresses! (Go to the website and click "See Us on Disney Living" to see the dresses). 

Ok, that's all for today! I'm going to do my best to be a more devout blogger, reader and commenter this month. :-)

Would you wear a Disney princess dress on your wedding day? Which princess/dress would you pick?

I don't think I'm that much of a Disney devotee! ;-) I've always loved Ariel, but I'm not a huge fan of her dress. I think I'd go with Belle's dress. 

AND

What's your favorite way to eat pumpkin?

Healthy: mixed with whipped cottage cheese. Unhealthy: pumpkin cheesecake