Foodie Friday: Honeymooning in Paris

I truly believe that my feelings of blogging post-honeymoon made it far too real that I have to come back to real life. I didn’t want to come back from the honeymoon; in fact, I still don’t want to be back. But here I am [guess I have to be a grown up again, huh?]. And it’s time to finally recap some of my amazing experiences!

Honeymooning in Paris

Nathan and I are huge fans of Anthony Bourdain. We watch all of his shows and when it came time to research restaurants for the honeymoon, that definitely came into play. I recall watching his Paris episode of The Layover and seeing a place called L’Avant Comptoir. I was immediately intrigued by the small [some may call it cozy] atmosphere, the shared bread baskets [oh my gracious, the bread in Paris..!], and the menu—cards with pictures and names hanging down from the ceiling.

The whole restaurant!

The menu hanging from the ceiling.

This was a place I had to go. Every time we talked about Paris, I told Nathan I wanted to go to the place with the hanging menu. And I am so glad we did! In fact, we liked it so much, we went back a second time!

We lucked out both times, getting spots right up at the main bar area [on the left in the photo above]. We ordered a couple glasses of wine and fudged our way through ordering a few plates to share. My apologies for the picture quality.. tight quarters called for the easiest camera I could grab [my phone] and the fastest picture I could take!

Beef carpaccio

Fried chicken & frites [Nathan's fave!]

Fabulous cheese & fig preserves

Chocolate pot de creme

Holy cow. It was absolutely amazing! I only stole a bite or two of the chicken because I know how much Nathan loves fried chicken. I stuck to the beef and cheese.. no complaints here! It was also one of the cheapest meals we had in Paris! All of the plus 2 glasses of wine for 29€. Seriously, we couldn’t even find lunch for that cheap!

Our second time back we were a bit more adventurous. We’d already filled up on a couple beers beforehand so we weren’t quite as hungry.

Andouille

Foie gras

Neither of us ever had foie gras before but we saw someone order it the first time and I decided we had to give it a try. It was fantastic! It had a nice sear on it and was paired with roasted red pepper and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. If that’s what all foie gras tastes like, I could eat it all day long!

If Nathan and I make it back to Paris, I will definitely be stopping here again [whether he knows it or not!] It was not only some of my favorite food that we had on the honeymoon, it was also one [or two] of my favorite experiences. If you’re going to be traveling, hit up Mr. Bourdain for some tips. He knows his stuff!

Food for Thought

Are you a fan of Anthony Bourdain? Do you ever consider any of the traveling food shows when you go away?

Guest Post: Powercakes Lemon Carrot Poppy Seed Cookies

It’s Friday!! And that means another Foodie Friday guest post. Today’s post is from Kasey at Powercakes.

Talk about inspirational, this girl is not too far out of college and is in the works of starting her own business (which I can’t wait to learn more about!) Over the past year or so, Kasey has teamed up with Heather for challenges that I’ve mentioned so many times before, like the plantPOWER challenge. These challenges have totally changed the way I look at food and how I eat and it’s something I could never thank these two ladies for enough! Kasey is also the creator of the amazing tahini nooch sauce that I eat all the time! Yum!

With that said, I’m so excited to share this fun recipe that Kasey created for Mother’s Day (aka my wedding day ). Hope you enjoy!

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Hey everyone! My name is Kasey & I blog over at http://powercakes.net about healthy eating, fitness, & clean recipes! I am a certified personal trainer who is passionate about helping others & being true to myself! I embrace everyone for who they are and their choices they make. I think being different is beautiful! I have a passion for cooking & baking to correspond with my active lifestyle to properly fuel my fitness. I think it’s so important to enjoy foods & try to find a balance! If you’d like to follow me please check out my social media outlets so we can be in touch!

Lemon Carrot Poppy Seed Cookies

[gluten free, egg free, dairy free, nut free, plant based, loaded with power]

Makes 12-14 cookies

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup grated carrots
• 1 large banana
• Zest & juice from 1 lemon
• 1/3 cup poppy seeds
• 1 + 1/2 cup buckwheat groat flour
  • [buckwheat groats blended to make flour]
  • You can sub flour of choice [oat flour, buckwheat flour, whole wheat flour]
• 1/4 cup ground flax
• 2 TB Lucuma Powder [natural sweetness]
  • or sub 3-4 TB coconut sugar or sweetener of choice
  • Lucuma is an alternative sweetener that is packed with minerals and vitamins.
  • Great addition to recipes, smoothies, yogurt, milkshakes, or desserts!
• 1 TB Maca Powder
  • optional [makes it creamy & adds more power]
• 1/2 cup almond milk or milk of choice
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 + 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 15 drops of liquid stevia or stevia to taste

These can be enjoyed as single snack…

OR you can stack some up & pretend they are powercakes

I happen to think that pure maple syrup would be absolutely delish on these!

Directions:

[preheat oven to 375 degrees]

1. Pulse the buckwheat groats in a good processor until flour consistency & add into a bowl.

2. Add your wet ingredients [banana, milk, vanilla, lemon juice, lemon zest] into the processor & blend until creamy.

3. Pour wet ingredients into a bowl & combine with all dry ingredients + grated carrots.

4. The batter will be thick & absorb the liquid.

5. I used a small ice cream scoop to portion out the cookies & then flattened them down with the back of the scoop!

6. Bake on parchment paper or greased cookie sheet at 375 degrees for about 12-15 minutes until lightly browned.

7. Let cool & ENJOY!

These were so delish with some nut butter spread on top or [peanut fluff]! I would bag two of them up & take them in my gym bag on to the go for a pre-workout snack!

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I also wanted to give a special one year shout out to the boyfriend Corey!

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How cute are those two?! Thanks again to Kasey for sharing this delicious recipe and always being so #fitfluential!

Food for Thought

How would you eat your lemon carrot poppy seed cookies? I love the idea of spreading nut butter on top!

What I Ate Wednesday: Quick Honeymoon Update

Pizza.

I just ate a whole pizza for lunch.

I can’t tell you the last time I had pizza, but damnit, I’m in Italy and it was lunch time. And it was absolutely incredible.

Now excuse me while I pass out. It is almost time for more wine, biscotti, pasta, and gelato after all

Guest Post: The Smart Kitchen Crunchy Spinach Salad with Salty Sweet Tahini Vinaigrette

I’ve recently found a new favorite blogger and I knew when I was looking for guest bloggers that she was one I had to share with you! Sarah of The Smart Kitchen is always sharing delicious recipes and fun tidbits of her life. And she’s clearly a nut butter-lover like me.. she even has her own line of nutty butters! [Note to self: buy some soon!]

The recipe that Sarah is sharing with us today sounds so tasty I almost can’t wait to come home to make it! …..almost.

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Hi y’all! My name is Sarah, but the ladies of the healthy living blog world--or at least the handful who consistently read my blog–know me as Miss Smart. I blog over at The Smart Kitchen, where I spend an absurd amount of time using my food processor, shopping at every grocery store in town on the hunt for manager’s specials, attempting to figure out four thousand ways to use the same ingredient, eating an excessive amount of nut butter straight from the jar…and, literally, licking my plate in restaurants. [No. Seriously.]

I was thrilled to have Brittany ask me to submit a guest post as she is honeymooning this month, and while I would rather be honeymooning myself–heck, y’all, I’d settle for a nice boy taking me out to dinner –I am happy to be able to take a little virtual vacation.

I say “submit” instead of “write” a guest post, because what I often like to do when I go ‘a-visiting’ is find and old post or recipe that deserves to see the light of day Google reader again. Today’s recipe and post is a Glee-style mash-up of a nostalgic family favorite, reinvented not once, but twice, both for my blog, and the blog of a local magazine I was writing for last spring.

My aunt Elizabeth is a master hostess. She is the kind of woman who can decide one afternoon to throw a cocktail party for 50, and by 6 o’clock, have drinks at the ready, appetizers laid out, and be dressed and ready to greet her guests with such nonchalance you’d think she’d been preparing for four weeks, instead of four hours.

So when it comes to recipes for entertaining, I always turn to her tried and true formulas--stored (not very safely) in my binder of family recipes--of ease, taste, versatility and appeal.

And there right on top, in the section labeled “salads,” is the unnamed, known only as “that salad Aunt Elizabeth makes,” deliciousness that once, at a potluck where I served it, inspired a guest to proclaim, “I don’t even like salad, and I’m going back for seconds!”The original recipe calls for a base of spinach and shredded cabbage.As all great hostesses know, what shortcuts you take are between you and the four walls of your kitchen, so you can buy bags of baby spinach AND bags of shredded cabbage and save yourself time. [The original recipe, in fact, calls for that.] Since cabbage happened to be on sale, and lasts for years in the fridge,* I went ahead and shredded half of a head in my food processor.

*I am not a certified doctor. Do not trust me on this.All that’s left to do now is chop up somegreen onions…. …and sprinkle on some sliced or slivered almonds, sesame seeds, and the dry ramen noodles (sans seasoning packet) stereotypically favored by starving artists, twenty-something bachelors, and Brother Smart when he was 15 years old.

Except I forgot the ramen.

I did, however, have a number of green apples that had accumulated in my lunch bag throughout the week as, whenever I walked through the teacher’s lounge it seemed appropriate to take another one. [They were free. They were there. I obviously subconsciously knew I would need them later.] Since I was already changing things up from the original, I decided I might as well just keep on Smart Kitchen-izing the traditional. Once I had photographed the standard salad and dressing, I added the aforementioned apples, and got to work on a NEW dressing.Instead of adding canola oil to the combination of vinegar, pepper, sugar, and seasoned salt…

Aunt Elizabeth would use Lawry’s. Penzey’s was found in my moving boxes first.

…I took a hint from the sesame seeds in the salad and added tahini (and tahini oil) instead!Now the salad was good before. But this Salty Sweet Tahini Vinaigrette concoction? Well that is the stuff of tastebud tantalizing dreams, I tell you!Before serving—and Aunt Elizabeth says to always serve a salad dressed*–whisk it up quite a bit to make sure the tahini has inflitrated the vinegar.

*Makes sense, really. You wouldn’t show up to the party naked, would you?But since this whole ‘whisking’ of dressing in a bowl concept doesn’t really do it for me, I filled up a jar and shook it out instead.

And yes, I did go back for seconds.*

*And pack thirds for lunch!

Crunchy Spinach Salad w. Salty Sweet Tahini Vinaigrette*

*Note: I’ve cut the recipe down here for a 2-4 serving size.

For the salad:

• One half 10.oz-package baby spinach (or regular spinach, loosely chopped)
• 2-3 cups shredded cabbage (or 1/2 package angel hair cole slaw cabbage)
• 3 green onions, sliced (whites and light greens)
• 3 Tbsp. sliced almonds
• 1 small green apples, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. sesame seeds
  Ramen noodles, dry, crumbled (optional)

For the tahini vinaigrette:

• 4 Tbsp. tahini
• 1 1/3 cup cider or rice vinegar
• 4 Tbsp. sugar
• 2 tsp. seasoning salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper

Layer salad ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl (or jar), whisk (or shake) together dressing ingredients. Just before serving, whisk (or shake) dressing again and pour over salad!

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Like I said, I almost can’t wait to come home to try this salad. I have a feeling it’ll be a new go-to. Thanks again, Sarah!

Food for Thought

What is your favorite salad combination?

Guest Post: Itz Linz Rainbow Salad

Happy Foodie Friday! I’m back with another guest post from Lindsay of Itz Linz. This girl is great; I found her blog more recently and love all of her fun stories and her workout posts definitely keep me motivated! Not to mention she posts so delicious food too.. always a plus! I figured it was only appropriate to share her beautiful rainbow salad to kick off the weekend. How delicious does this look?!

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Hi all! Itz Linz here and can I get an “AMEN” to the fact that I’m totally jealous of Brittany and her honeymoon right now? For now I’ll just pretend like I’m back on the beach… #wishfulthinking

While I’m certainly no food blogger, food photographer, or food connoisseur like Brittany is, I do know how to throw together fast, easy, healthy, and tasty meals. One of my favorites is a rainbow salad, and with summer nearing I thought it’d be perfect to share with you today!

Rainbow salads do take a bit of prep work, but if you designate an hour or so each week, you’ll be able to throw together these salads in no time flat. There is so much variety with the foods that can be used, I never get bored. And let’s be real… they look pretty, too!

So how do you make a rainbow salad? Well, you buy tons of fresh fruits and veggies, clean ‘em and chop ‘em up! The more colors the better. Itz not called a rainbow salad for nothing! I love all colors of peppers, carrots, corn, onion, celery, and carrots. Nuts and seeds provide you with healthy fats and a crunch – sunflower seeds are my favorite.

If you’re a sweets fan like me, then you’ll appreciate a bit of sweetness in your salad. We don’t have to go all sugar crazy, but if we get sugars from naturally sweet foods, then we’re all good. Raisins and apples are both good options, and I’m thinking watermelon will be perfect for the summer.

Iceberg lettuce is so yesterday. It provides zero nutritional value and is just plain boring. You have way more options than you think for a salad base. Shredded cabbage, spiralized squash or zucchini, spinach, or broccoli slaw are the best.

Don’t forget the protein! When eating a salad for a meal, you must add some type of protein to keep you full. Any type of lean meat will work, such as chicken or fish, and tuna is an easy option, as well. Beans, beans, the magical fruit are a wonderful source of protein, too! There’s a million and one types of beans, so pick your favorite.

Alright, so you’re loaded with fresh fruits and vegetables, you’ve got a good protein source, now itz time for the dressing. Don’t lose it all with the bottled stuff. Itz easy to make your own out of a few ingredients. If you mash an avocado, you’ll get a totally creamy dressing. Make sure you add fresh lemon juice to prevent browning. I also like using plain Greek yogurt in my dressing; plus, it increases the protein content. Play around with what flavors and combinations you like. Sometimes I add red pepper for a spicy kick, other times I add fresh lime juice for a tang. Itz whatever you please!

What are your favorite ingredients for a rainbow salad?

Thanks for having me at Barr & Table! Check me out at Itz Linz, on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

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Thanks again for sharing this tasty recipe, Lindsay!

Guest Post: Carrots ‘N’ Cake 10 Tasty Cookie Recipes

If you don’t know Tina from Carrots ‘N’ Cake, you should really get on that! Her blog is one of my faves to read daily. She posts so many awesome recipes, workouts, and pictures of her adorable pug, Murphy! You may recognize the name from my many shout outs to her Sweet Breakfast Scramble that I couldn’t enough of! I’m so glad to be featuring Tina in today’s guest post and I hope you love all of these mouth-watering cookie recipes as much as I do!

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Hi! My name is Tina, and I blog at Carrots ‘N’ Cake.

CNC is where I share my love for healthy living by documenting my meals and workout (and photos of my pug). While I try to pack the most nutrients possible into each meal, I have a number of favorites that are not necessarily “healthy,” but are still delicious and fun to eat. If eaten in moderation, I believe that the “bad” foods can be part of a well-balanced diet. With that said, here are ten of my favorite cookie recipes. Hopefully, you will love them as much as I do!

3-Minute Oatmeal Raisin Cookie

Banana Oatmeal Chip Cookies

Butterscotch Chip Cookies

Cherry-Walnut Almond Flour Cookies

Chewy Cherry Oatmeal Cookies

Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Cookies

Gluten-Free Trail Mix Cookies

Loaded Pumpkin Cookies

Reeses Pieces Peanut Butter Cookies

Salted Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Thanks again to Tina for sharing these delicious recipes!

Food for Thought

What’s your favorite go-to cookie recipe?

Hitched

WE DID IT!!

We’re finally married! It was an incredible day that flew by just as everyone told us it would. I couldn’t have imagined anything better but now it’s time to pack up and head out with my husband!

Enjoy the guest posts and I will see you in 2 weeks Au revoir and arrivederci!

No Big Deal

I know I’ve left you high and dry recently, but I promise it’s all for a good reason..

I’m getting married tomorrow!!

It’s true.. this cute guy and I are going to be walking down the aisle tomorrow evening and then jet-setting to France and Italy for two weeks. It’s a tough life we live, but hey, someone’s gotta do it!

In the meantime, I’ve asked a few of my favorite bloggers to write guest posts while I’m gone. Hope you enjoy the tasty treats they’ve prepared and shared and I will see you when I’m a married lady!

Can you tell I’m excited?!

Foodie Friday: Tropical Mango Salsa & Cinco de Mayo Recipe Roundup

Cinco de Mayo is this Sunday! And in the interest of continuing on the fun pinning spree from yesterday, I thought I’d share some of my top Cinco pins along with a new recipe.

Tropical Mango Salsa

Serves 4-6

Ingredients
- 4 champagne mangoes
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1/2 red onion
- 1 jalapeno pepper; with or without ribs depending on how spicy you like it!
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- Salt & pepper to taste

Directions
Dice the mangoes, bell pepper, and onion into 1/2″ pieces and finely mince the jalapeno and garlic. Add the white wine vinegar, salt, and pepper and stir gently.

You can eat this right away or let it sit for about 15 minutes to let the flavors combine. I love easy recipes

More Recipes for Your Pinning Pleasure!

Summer Salsa

5-Minute Chunky Guacamole

Jalapeno Popper Dip

Sweet Potato Burrito Smothered with Avocado Salsa Verde

Mexican Stuffed Pepper

Grilled Fish Tacos

Mexican Adobo Rubbed Grilled Pork Tenderloin

Tequila Lime Flank Steak Fajita Salad with Chile Lime Vinaigrette

Alfajores – Dulce de Leche Sandwich Cookies

Margarita Cupcakes

Talenti Frozen Sangria

Food for Thought

What are your Cinco de Mayo plans?

Pin It Party

It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Pinterest. I mean, really, I must have said it about 100 times on here! When I saw that Lindsay was having a Pin It Party, I knew I had to jump in.. although choosing just 5 recipes was not easy. I definitely play favorites!

Savory

Buddha’s Feast with Spicy Thai Peanut Sauce*

Grilled Chicken Cemitas & Garlic-Chipotle Love

Chipotle Lime Sweet Potato Tofu Burgers

Sweet

Maple Cinnamon Walnut Butter

Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Bark

Can I throw another one in? I shouldn’t but I can’t help myself..

Peanut Butter Wonderful Powerballs

Don’t forget to check out all of Lindsay’s awesome posts to pin! What are you waiting for? Start pinning!!

Food for Thought

What is your most favorite recipe you’ve pinned?