FoodFash

Adventure Begins in the Kitchen

Last Of The Cafe Hey Days

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Am I sad that limited grocery runs mean more Cafe Hey lunch excursions for the next TEN days?  Absolutely not!  I used today as the first of many excuses to mangia mangia on new-to-me menu items I’ve neglected over the past few years.

Seeing Mushroom Miso soup as the soup du jour meant only one thing:  my favorite specials board knows me all too well.  I ordered the cup of warmth and a half of the hummus and fresh veggie sandwich.  I waited patiently for my order, catching up on my Scramble with Friends  queue (KVGator, add me!), thinking about how I take Cuban bread for granted.

And then I spotted this “local is the new black” sign and got a little giddy.  Because I appreciate local businesses.  Because supporting local businesses is something my mom has encouraged for as long as I can remember.  And what do you know… I’m ten days away from living in a place where local isn’t the new black, it just IS.

Spicetastic Salad

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Salads are so much more satisfying with cheese.  Spicy cheese.  Like…  Hot habanero cheese.

I stopped at the market on my way home from running on Bayshore Blvd and wandered the aisles hoping for inspiration.  We never really found one another, me and inspiration, but a simple salad started sounding really darn good when nothing else came to mind.

Over a bed of mixed greens (super greens according to the package), I layered 1/3 can of black beans, a generous portion of fresh salsa, one serving of shredded hot habanero cheese, and a dollop of sour cream.  Now that cheese and I are friends again, I have a feeling that fun salads are making a come back in my life!

As far as the run, I got a tad closer to gauging 3.1 miles and a tad farther from a pace in the 10’s.  Perhaps I shouldn’t take three weeks off next time!

Did you take a break from working out during the holidays?  How was your first workout of the new year?

Leisurely Lunching

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My friend Katie flew in today for our friend Ryan’s 30th birthday bash and we took it upon ourselves to have a leisurely day before the festivities begin.  Lunch at noon?  Healthy?  Yes.  Oh how I love the new year!

And as much as I love the new year, I love Restaurant BT even more.  It’s the freshest fancy in town.  We know this.

We found a little table outside, caught each other up on the latest happenings, and sipped on refreshing cucumber water.  I dominated the conversation with news that I had just submitted an application for an AWESOME townhouse in downtown Austin.  Fingers crossed they accept the offer!

I stuck with my usual, the tofu Vietnamese salad with a side of hoisin and sriracha.  Katie went for the chicken pho, which looked flawless.

We cleared our plates and headed over to my friend Griffin’s boutique to continue with the lady of leisure theme we had not so accidentally fallen in to.

Hope your weekend is filled with the good stuff!

Bayshore And Dinner?

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I’ve created my own tradition of totally cheating on the last day of a cleanse.  I’m “good” all day and then dinner-time comes around and I just know I deserve sushi.  Today was no exception.  Right after work, I texted Robbie “Bayshore and dinner?”.

We walked a chilly four miles and then headed to Soho Sushi, which was wayyy too crowded, so we headed to The Rack, which was also way too crowded.  Thursday night at The Rack is $20 all you can eat sushi (select rolls), random American food, and all you can drink.  Despite the crowd, we found an empty table in a dark, dark corner.  So dark we needed the flashlight app to read the menu!

Robbie did the twenty dollar deal and I ordered the same exact thing as the last time: the avocado tuna dish and the veggie delight roll.  And no beers for me, just lots and lots of water.  Why is it so much easier to chug water at a restaurant than it is at home?  Is it the straw?  The ice?  The lemon?

I couldn’t tell whether the portions were larger this time or my stomach had shrunk after days of juicing, but either way I went to town on my meal.  Dee-lish.

And when the check came?  $20.12.  I smiled and scribbled my name, knowing this is going to be such a good year!

Do little “signs” like this make you happy?