What I Ate Wednesday #103: Mostly Recyclables

I’ve been slacking. But I’m blaming my phone. It’s time for a new phone for sure and I’ve been keeping it plugged in pretty much all the time. That said, it’s not in always in my hand to take quick pictures of my food so today’s WIAW is [almost] all about the recycled pictures. Thank goodness I eat so much of the same food all the time, right?

Monday was another flip day at Athleta so that meant another early morning. I didn’t get my workout in at the gym, but with all of the running around we do at the store and lugging boxes of new merchandise, I think it’s safe to say I did, in fact, get a workout in for the day!

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[Pre-Workout]

I have a new bite recipe to share! It’ll be up later this week but for now, I’m trying not to eat the whole container. Often times, pre-workout snacks focus more on healthy fats and carbs to fuel the workout so when I’m making my bites, I try to stick with a coconut/peanut flour and peanut butter base. Makes for a delicious and creamy treat! –>

[Breakfast]

Protein rocks! <– [Best commercial ever.] But for real, this is my favorite breakfast, workout or not. It has the perfect balance of protein, carbs, and fat for refueling and keeps me full for hours. It was just what I needed.. especially piping hot at 5:30 am.

[Morning Snack]

Source

After all of my running around, I scarfed down a Salted Caramel ThinkThin bar. I’ve always loved ThinkThin but this new bar is by far my favorite. It’s basically like a little treat!

[Lunch]

Big ass salad, anyone? I pretty much throw the contents of my fridge on top of whatever greens we have and call it lunch. They mostly end up looking like this because wouldn’t it be the worst to have a salad without avocado?! I always make sure to have 4-6 oz of protein and some healthy fats with my 10 tons of veggies.

[Afternoon Snack]

I’m so bad about drinking water when I’m at work. Because I’m running around, I can’t have my water bottle with me all the time. I got home and chugged some homemade kombucha that I’ve been rationing out until my next batch is ready. Thankfully, we’re all a go for the second fermentation and in just a few more days I’ll have another gallon’s worth!

[Dinner]

Something new! Nathan’s been requesting buffalo chicken and I figured roasted broccoli and okra would compliment nicely. I’d never made okra before but decided to give it a shot. I ended up eating pretty much the whole batch so I’d call it a success.. for me, at least.

[Evening Snack]

Carbs and fats [clearly in nut butter form] are easily my faves so I think it’s the perfect way to end the night. I’m really digging the chunky peanut butter right now too!

And even though this is from last night, not Monday, I thought I’d share anyway..

because how can I keep my homemade peanut butter cups all to myself? 😉

Food for Thought

Are you a food creature of habit or do you switch it up regularly?

What I Ate Wednesday #26 – Doing It Up Miami Style!

Have you entered my KIND Snacks giveaway? It ends tomorrow night.. don’t miss out!

Friday night, Nathan and I jet setted to Florida for a long weekend. I have family in the Ft. Lauderdale area so it’s always nice to be able to get away and go visit them, especially this time of year when it’s freezing at home! And since it’s not enough to just go to Florida, we planned a full day in Miami; completely revolving around food, of course!

We spent the day roaming South Beach with completely full stomachs. Seriously, this was not planned well. We had far too much food at every stop! But I guess if that’s my only complaint, it’s not so bad 😉

[Brunch]
Yardbird

“A house of worship to farm-fresh ingredients, classic Southern cooking, culture and hospitality.”

This place is great! I loved the decor and all of the little touches, from the clever chalkboard drawings, right down to the paper napkin ring.

The staff was super friendly and really helped to make the experience so enjoyable and relaxing. I think my eyes lit up when we walked in and didn’t stop until we left. The kitchen was open to the restaurant and I loved being able to see everything being made and brought out. I definitely tried to scope everything out as it went by!

Shares
Butter Lettuce and Grilled Mango salad with smoked pecans and benne seed vinaigrette.
Chilled Watermelon with cayenne pepper, lemon, and herbs.

His
Mama’s Chicken Biscuits with homemade pepper jelly and house-pickled cucumber, onion, and okra.
Coffee

Hers
Egg-white omelette with caramelized onions, muenster cheese, and smoked pork, topped with pimento cheese sauce. Buttermilk biscuit and fresh fruit on the side.
Coffee

Thoughts
The salad was tasty and I would recommend it if you’re looking for a light, refreshing salad. Next time, we would definitely look for something that packs a little more punch. Same idea goes for the watermelon; we like bold flavor!

Best biscuit ever? I think we both agreed on that one. It was light and flaky. Just the right consistency to peel layer by layer. The chicken was perfectly fried and the homemade pepper jelly was slightly sweet and spicy which was the perfect compliment. The omelette was chock full of mix-ins and flavor. I’d never had pimento cheese before but I think this may have converted me.

Overall, it was a great experience. I would definitely recommend a visit if you’re in South Beach and I’ll definitely be back again!

[Lunch/Snack]
Our eyes were bigger than our stomachs during brunch, but somehow we managed to put away all of that food. Which meant when lunch time rolled around, we weren’t hungry. Joe’s Stone Crabs were part of the original plan, but not being able to buy 1 or 2 for a little snack meant I skipped them all together.

Instead, we went over to the Hofbrauhaus.

It had been a few hours and we’d done a few miles of walking so it was more-than-time for some beer. Or 1 liter each. And with all of that beer, clearly you need something to wash down!

Enter the meat and cheese platter with a side of soft-baked pretzel. Good thing we had the tiniest bit of room in our stomachs for this mound of deliciousness! We had no idea there would be so much food. But once again, we finished it. All of it.

And it’s worth noting, the people watching in Miami is second to none! You get a great view from the outdoor seating at this place.

[Pick-Me-Up]
Nathan has not stopped telling me about Aroma Coffee since he went to Israel 2 years ago. It’s the only coffee shop over there and they have the best coffee. So when he saw there was an Aroma Coffee in Miami, we had to stop in. And who doesn’t need a little iced cappuccino after a liter of beer?

[Dinner]
With no room left in our stomachs, we made our way over to Michael’s Genuine. It was featured on The Layover so we knew we had to check it out.

Unlike brunch, this time, we shared everything! We started with the Crispy Pig Ear. And if you can forget what you’re eating, it’s really delicious! They’re perfectly spiced and wonderfully crispy (just like the name!)

Next, we got the Crispy Sweet & Spicy Pork Belly with kimchi, crushed peanuts, and pea shoots. I love anything peanut so I was really digging the flavor and crunch on this.

Finally, for our meal we ordered the Grilled Leg of Lamb with salsa verde and the Wood-Roasted Brussel Sprouts with pancetta and lemon aioli. Unfortunately, I have to admit that this part of the meal fell flat. I was disappointed with the portion size of the lamb for the price, not to mention, it was cold when it came out. It wasn’t seasoned well and didn’t have tons of flavor. The brussel sprouts were good, but not anything really special.

In an attempt to make up for the lamb, we were comped a dessert of chocolate cake topped with ice cream and whipped cream. This happened to be the best part of the entire meal (and also the part that I didn’t photograph!)

With such a high price tag, I don’t think we would go back. The whole experience felt a bit over-hyped and even though we had a decent dinner, I’m sure we could have spent half as much and enjoyed ourselves much more elsewhere.

Overall, we had a great day in Miami. We were filled to the gills the entire time and couldn’t get enough of the sunshine and summery weather! Not exactly what you think of around the holidays, but a nice change of pace.

Food for Thought

Have you ever been to any of these restaurants? Have you ever gone to a restaurant that was recommended by someone famous and found that it didn’t live up to the hype?