Food(less) Journey

What is it about August that makes people run out and put on sweaters? It is still hovering in the mid-80s yet people are acting like the advent of August suddenly made temperatures sweater-worthy. I don't get it. Maybe after all the swealter heat that made everyone undeniably uncomfortable people are longing for cooler temps and the sweet comfort a cozy sweater provides. But this is not a fashion blog, so, lets talk food! Sunday I ate a restaurant that made me wish I was going to be in Spain for more than a few hour layover. Some friends and I went to a restaurant called Barcelona. The visit got off to a bumpy start due to the lack of dollar signs on the menu. But the ambiance of the place and beautiful view of the river and marina was enough distraction to lower the pulse. I will be going back to this place, but it will definitely be during lunch time. They served 3 kinds of bread with pesto and an olive tapenade as well as spanish potatoes instead of just the...

I've been busy busy busy, but I've been keeping track of what Ive been eating. So, here is three years worth of eats. Okay maybe its only 2 weeks, but it feels like 3 years since i spoke to you... And no I did not miss you :-) July 20 July 21 July 22 - Fri B: L: 2 pieces pizza with tomato garlic onion soy daiya D:tortilla chips and salsa tortilla chips and pico de gallo (chiles) July 23 - Sat B: strawberry smoothie L: 1 spelt pancake, vegan biscuit, seasoned potatos, steamed kale D: Trader Joes veggie dumplings with soyaki July 24- Sun B: quinoa unsweetened almond milk cinnamon strawberries L: steamed greens D: yellow squash zuchini sundired tomatoes chicpeas cabbage strawberrymlk July 25 - Mon B: T pb and pretzels L: veg sub from jimmy johns ( ugh white hoagie bread is so not appealing ) D: zuchini and cabbage saute July 26 - Tues B: cucumber L: roasted potatoes and quinoa chickpea and roasted zuchini from WF D: Cheesey greens and chickpea July 27 -WEd July 28 - Thurs b: quin...

This is what it looks like above my desk: The old workplace is getting a much needed face lift so, although it is rather noisey and disruptive, Im trying to see the end afterward. The dental department is already done and looks seriously fabulous and totally state of the art. Ive been MIA due to some serious trip planning, hosting a little Soergels farm/ JW Historical Tour of Pgh, and tryine to keep everyone from stressing out. Not an easy task but no one is in a straight jacket so it must be going pretty good. :-) Tuesday July 12 B: * Smoothie L: dates and olive chips D: * Garbanzo bean cinnamon pancakes topped with blended dates and walnuts Wednesday July 13 B: * dates L: * Trader Joes Pad Thai * Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Larabar D: * Garbanzo Bean Cinnamon Pancakes topped with blended dates and walnut pieces * Almonds with a smidge of Turbinado and sea salt * broccoli Thursday July 14 B: * Blueberry smoothie * Almonds pan toasted in olive oil topped with sea salt L: * Dates * bee...

I say part 1 because my trip to Italy in September will most decidedly be a serious carb fest part 2. One of my mothers friends purchased a loaf of Olive Bread, but didn't like it and was kind enough to pass it on to her, but she also sent some cheesy bread, so Olive is all for me. I eat a bit every time I visit my parents. And despite the fact that it was Olive Bread I drizzled on some olive oil. The slight saltiness of the olives was enough that i didn't even need to sprinkle on salt. It was decadently delicious in a savory kind of way. A great treat! I don't eat bread often but when I do....I know I know I sound like a broken record...but I want it to be something truly special. This bread is! Friday July 8 B: Heart Thrive - Chocolate ( from Coffee Tree Roasters..These would be great with a hot cup of tea or ice tea or just some ice water as they are a touch dry to eat on their own, but still delicious! And the ingredient list is rather impressive too (OATS, BROWN RICE S...

Do you ever feel like not eating, but then you make something really tasty and completely off the cuff? Yeah that was me on July 5th (and various other days).. I woke up a little later than usual and just had no appetite... Also, no real food. So I had some peanuts and got some things done while thinking about what i had that could turn into a reasonably healthy and filling meal. Bottom of the bag Trader Joe's long-grain brown rice, black barley and daikon radish seeds some Restaurant Style Salsa and a can of black beans. I think I can work with that... I cooked the rice put it in a bowl and then heated the beans with some salsa. I put that on the rice ,mixed and topped it with more salsa...Yum! I love inventing recipes that turn out delicious. Especially when I'm doing some On the fly scraping the bottom of the grocery barrel cooking. :-) It was so good I had it again for dinner. Well, that and I really didnt have anything else to eat other than garbanzo flour and im trying no...

Friday July 1st B: * 2 Banana and 2T Peanut Butter L: * Chickpeas spinach and Italian sea salt ( My alarm went off at 7:30 and my bus comes at 7:47, so I had time to shower, dress, open a can of chickpeas, pour them in a microwave safe carrying bowl, throw in some spinach and some seasonings and run out the door. Exciting !) D: * Sunflower pesto pasta(semolina pasta, organic baby spinach, basil, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, sunflower seeds, organic garlic , sea salt) * Thai broccoli salad (broccoli, Red pepper, scallions, cilantro, orange juice, mirin, tamari, sesame oil, ginger, garlic) ( Seriously tasty! If not for the price I would get it again and again, but I will try to make this at home if i get a deal on fresh broccoli.) * sunflower cookie (organic oats, organic sunflower seeds, clover honey, organic tahini, organic spelt flour)( Not really a cookie in my opinion as it wasn't sweet enough. They could tout this as a meal replacement or protein snack .) Saturday, Jul...

So I ate at this restaurant about 300 years ago (around the second weekend of June to be more specific). Some friends were going and were nice enough to include me in the little field trip. On the way out the door it started pouring rain from the sky. It was like a scene from one of those movies where the antagonist (or the protagonist who is having a bad day) stands under a window and has a bucket dumped on his head. On top of the nice soaking getting from the house into the car, my friend who was kind enough to drive has a broken air unit so the front windows had to be cracked and since I was sitting in the back seat I got an extra little shower. What an adventure! Warning for the claustrophobic: Its a very homey restaurant. But that is right up my alley so I really liked the coziness of the place. My group was in a corner booth,so it felt private even though you could hear everything neighboring tables were saying. But the food is delicious! And I was pleasantly surprised to find ve...