Small plates & a big honor...

So we had an ever so smallllllllllll break in the weather yesterday, and thanks to my shortened work hours on Fridays during the summer (YEAH!) I was able to sneak away for a leisurely al fresco lunch with a friend at Princeton's Mediterra...

The funny thing was that we had went to Mediterra with the intentions of completely savoring in their tapas menu.  But that plan was thwarted when we discovered that the menu is only available at dinner.  Bummer!  So what else could we do but make our OWN small plates lunch with help from the appetizer menuJ 

First up was the prosciutto, mozzarella & broccoli rabe pesto bruschetta...crunchy bread and gooey toppings??  I was happy alreadyJ

Next up was the cornmeal dusted calamari with little zucchini strips mixed in...

I loved the textures and POP from the cornmeal, but my favorite part of this dish was the lemon aoili dipping sauce (which is JUST out of 'photo range'J)  The tart and tangy flavors went so well with the mellow cornmeal batter.

But the one thing my hands kept reaching for again & again (and again) was the black bean hummus in the Mezze sampler!  So good!!  The trio also included some red pepper (very good)  and artichoke parmigiana hummus (not a fanL) 

 

And because man ladies who lunch can't exist on appetizers alone, we also split the spinach & avocado salad with cracked wheat lentils & raisin vinaigrette.  This was soooo light & cool.  I especially loved the slight crunch of the lentils (not a bad crouton swap, no??) and of course, the creamy avocado. 

So a really nice 'lemons into lemonade' lunch, don't cha think?  And besides, with this kinda company, who could go wrong?? J

Isn't my friend's son a peanut???  Love that face!  (ps-Hi Sonny!  Sorry you had school yesterdayL)

And when in Rome Princeton on a summer or ANY day, there is NO WAY that Bent Spoon isn't going to happen.  Again I found myself DROOLING over the cupcake display, but summer calls for ice cream and we gladly obliged!  This time I satisfied my sweet tooth with a scoop of creme fraiche (sooooo sweet & creamy) and a surprise pick on my part: the ginger cookie... 

Normally something I would never order, but was so happy I did.  It was SUPER SPICY from the ginger ice cream, but my favorite part was the swirled in chunks of ginger wafer cookies.  Sooooo refreshing!

And speaking of Bent Spoon AND hot days...I forgot to tell you that I also made a quick trip there the other day during lunch break to coooool off from one of those gross 90+/900% humidity days.  Just check out my hair just BARELY being able to "hold it together" ...J 

But the the buttery salted caramel & malted vanilla ice cream mixed with chocolate covered ice cream cone pieces made it worth my near hair catastropheJ  Bent Spoon is the perfect cure for a hot day in Jersey!J

Anyway, anyway...enough about ice creamJ  So I'm up bright and early this morning to post this blog before we head out soon for our day in the city.  I started the day a little while ago with ANOTHER version of the 'Cap'n Crunch swaps' from Kashi..... 

Mixed with Almond Milk = pure heaven in a bowlJ  It's a tough call on which one I like the most. 

And for 100 calories for 3/4 cup...can't go wrong! 

And in "blog news," the sweet Marguerite @ Cajun Delights, the expert in all things Cajun & a fellow yogi, GRACIOUSLY awarded me with these awesome blogger awards!!!  I am completely FLOORED!  Marguerite's blog is a veritable wealth of AMAZING Cajun dishes and a great showcase of all the fun she has in her life on the bayouJ  I am always awed, inspired (and maybe a little jealous of all the funJ) every time I read her blog!  A definite MUST READ!  Stop by and tell her I sent yaJ

Thank you again, Marguerite...or should I say: Merci beaucoup! J

And now I get to pass these awards on to 10 food bloggers that I recently have discovered.  Check em out!  They are ALL awesome and inspiring!! J 

(in no particular order)

1.- Angie @ Successful Together

2.-Kathleen @ Gonna Want Seconds

3.-Katie @ This Chick Cooks

4.-Rohini @ Food Served with Love & Calories

5.-Nikki @ A Chef in Training

6.-Allison @ Allie's Clean Plate Club

7.-The lovely ladies @ WTF: What Tasty Food  

8.-The awesome Pastry Chef's Baking

9.-Luiz @ Cooking with Friends

10.-And last but not least, I must give this award back to Amee @ Amee's Savory Dish who gave me my first blogger award everJ  

Alright...now I must get my day started (AKA...a visit with Bob Harper before we hit the townJ)  Have a great Saturday, eveyone!