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!

An honor & a delay...

Hey everyone!  Sorry for my delay...hope this week is flying for you like it's flying for me! J

So now I have to back track to my Monday night salad and just check out this beauty...

• Red Leaf lettuce
• Strawberries
• Feta Cheese
• Scallions
• Diced Basil
• Balsamic Vinegar 

And despite the fact that I left work on Monday night and it was absolutely FREEZING (OK...not "freezing"...but certainly not cropped pants/flip flop appropriate!) this salad was a bright little glimmer of sunshineJ  Those sweet strawberries are such little gems...they've been part of my daily diet since SaturdayJ

And since that cold weather continued into yesterday, once I felt that chilly weather I was cravin some Apple Cheddar soup somethin fierce! 

I swapped some ingredients from last time, including a sweet potato instead of white... 

And some of my favorite English Cheddar with caramelized onions.....

I have to say, I don't know if it was SHARP enough to go up against all the sweet ingredients, but who can complain with that fabulousness?

Between the sweet apples, butternut squash & sweet potato along with the savory sage, this pot just smelled like heavenly Fall!

Boiled up and hit with the handheld blender, it made for a silky & creamy soup = HIT. THE. SPOT!  Especially with a little help from the Trader Joe's pretzel breadJ

And since I told you that I was going to share with you my "detox" lunches....well, they haven't varied but both days have pretty much looked like this:

I go through a love/hate thing with celery & peanut butter.  This week-lovin it.  Next week-who knows?J  But I always love me some watermelon, 2% cheese and Vitatops!

OK...so confession time.  Why did this blog post take me so long??  Well, first...I might say a VERY rousing THANK YOU to the adorable Amee at Amee's Savory Dish for giving me my first blog award!!! 

 Thanks Amee!  And visit her page....her dishes and tips are awesome! 

Sooooo...Step 2 of the award is:

1. You thank the person that awarded it to you and list a link back to the blogger
2. Tell 7 things about yourself
3. Pay it forward by sending it to your favorite recently found new bloggers
4. Contact the blogger that you have awarded and make them aware

#1.-"Thank Amee": check

#2.- Seven Things about myself = 1 day blog hold up! Jhahahahahahhaa....I drew a total BLANK on that one for some reasonJ  But here's what I came up with after 24 hoursJ

Seven things about me:

1. I never loved school more than when I attended Temple University for my degree in Film & Media Arts.  
2. One of my favorite experiences was interning for Joel Silver's production company on the Warner Bros. lot in Los Angeles after graduating. 
3. I love traveling more than almost anything else in the world (not counting my husband and family, of course) and my favorite place so far was the sunset bar at hotel LaMariposa in Costa Rica. 
4. If I could go anywhere tomorrow it would be the Amalfi Coast and then to Cape Town, South AfricaJ  
5. I scrapbook the entire year as a Christmas gift to Scott every year.  This causes massive stress and late nights from October to December, but it's worth itJ
6. I'm slightly obsessed with all things "The Shining" and can't wait to visit the Stanley hotel one dayJ 
7. I'm pretty sure my version of heaven will involve the people I love, fall foliage, sunsets and lots & lots of coconutJ hahahahahahha

And now, my favorite part, paying it forward!

Miriam at Meatless meals for Meat Eaters
Faith & Daisies
Heather at Mom Says Just One Bite
Karen at Tasty Trials
Angie at The American Homemaker
Aipip at US Masala
Lynn at Life of a Foodie and her Family
The dynamic duo at Tadka Pasta
Rachel at Rachel's Recipe Reviews

And last but not least, my fellow Jersey gals:
Kim at Piece of Cake Decorating
Jess at Forgiving Martha
Amanda at Our Italian Kitchen

Phew...alrighty!  Now that you've heard all THAT, I hope you guys have a GREAT Wednesday! J