Week gone by

Wow! The week has just flown by, I don't even know where the time went! Looking at the upcoming weeks I'm not seeing anything slowing down.

But, before I get ahead of myself, some of last weekends eats:

As I mentioned in my previous post, last Sunday prior to traveling back in time to Medieval Times, I had a delicious meal at Josies West with my friend Ryan. This was the first time I've been to Josie's for brunch, and was really impressed with the options. I've said this before, but Josie's West is by far a better option than Josie's East, from the space to the food, West is definitely the better option.

For brunch, they provide a pear puree, and a raisin bread with a cinnamon sugar topping. When the bread was originally served, I thought it would be similar to a crumb cake, or at least have a hard cinnamon sugar crust.

It ended up being a pretty dry raisin bread with little flavor. Even the crust was pretty boring and devoid of taste, and I could hardly taste the cinnamon. The pear puree was pretty good so I took a few bites to enjoy the spread.

For my main course I ordered the Organic Three Grain Vegetable Cheeseburger which consisted of quinoa, bulgur, and couscous. On the side I opted for the fresh fruit. It was so yummy and ridiculously filling; however, maybe not a dish to order if you're on a date because the burger was a bit sticky and got all into my teeth. Actually, this burger was so good, it might be worth the teeth cleaning.

This weekend is Open House New York. A free weekend in New York which offers a chance to celebrate New York's architecture and design by opening the doors of several of the city's best private and public buildings, gardens, and more for free! Check out details http://www.ohny.org/. I'm volunteering at Parson's The School for Design, School of Constructed Environments. Otherwise not sure what I'm going to checkout. I also need to run quite a bit of errands and finish my poster for the two conferences I'm attending next week.

Yep, I get to go to Southern California and Chicago next week, yay the benefits of science!

Off to plan my day tomorrow.

Nicole

Falling into Fall

Hey all! Hope you had a wonderful weekend. Mine flew by but was pretty productive. I had some pretty good eats which I will post later in the week but today is all about the Medieval Festival which took place at Fort Tyron park. For those unfamiliar with New York it's located at 190th st on the Westside and absolutely beautiful.

I mean look at this view looking over into New Jersey, it's gorgeous! Rockefeller actually bought the land in Jersey facing the park to prevent future development and preserve the view for future generations. The park is also home to the Cloisters, which is one of my favorite museums in the city.

So what exactly occurs at a New York City Medieval Festival? Well giant turkey legs seemed to be a must for several attendees. As soon as we walked in I spotted the huge legs and people surrounded the consumer to find out where they could purchase their own. Walking a bit more we spotted the BBQ line, with the major feature of smoked turkey legs.

I went to the festival with my friend Ryan who is responsible for these pictures, thank you Ryan! We went to Josie's West before coming to the fair so I wasn't at all hungry. Although, even if I was hungry I would have probably waited until I left to eat. The food was not particularly special to me, and there were few healthy options, especially for non meat eaters like myself. I think apart from the turkey legs we saw several venders selling fried dough, french fries, and chocolate cake. The latter of which I later confirmed with another friend to most likely be Entenmann's. Also not sure how medieval any of those eats are...

But the entertainment was pretty good. Lost of musicians, even some with their adorable children:

There was also jousting which was by far my favorite event, even though the knight I was cheering for lost:

My knight is the one in the yellow, who somehow lost to the older man in red. I guess experience pays off!

We got to this event about 10 minutes before it started, which apparently late if you wanted to sit; so Susan, Dana, and I stood along the stands. We were able to see a decent amount. I caught Ryan taking our pictures:

All in all a pretty fun and FREE event in the city, I definitely recommend checking it out in the future. I mean look at the size of this crowd, clearly it must be worthwhile!

Nicole

hodgepodge

Happy October, can't believe another month has gone by (and bunny bunny)!!

I finally made it to the new Yankee Stadium this Tuesday thanks to my friend Crissy who won tickets. I'm not really a big baseball fan but was excited to check out the site and available eats. After a few innings, actually it might have been after 1, I was ready to wander and see my food options. I did my homework ahead of time and knew that apart from the traditional hot dog, popcorn, soft pretzel, and peanuts, I would also find:

- Johnny Rockets

-Brother Jimmy's BBQ

-Moe's Southwest Grill (burritos and nachos)

-Lobel's of New York, Deli which serves a rotating meat sandwich, Tuesday was roast beef I believe. The line for the place was wrapped around!

-Carl's Philly Cheesesteak

-Sushi and Noodle Bar

-Carvel's Ice Cream

-Garlic French Fries (they also cell regular fries and cheese fries)

-Farmer's Market (as Crissy pointed out I doubt it was organic, but at least they had decently priced produce!!)

After walking and looking at our options Crissy ordered a pulled pork sandwich from Brother Jimmy's and I opted for the garlic fries:

Crissy took this picture with her camera phone, I really didn't think there was so much ketchup on them...haha oh well. Also, it's a good thing I had no one to kiss that night, because the garlic is piled on, but it was worth every bite!

When we returned to the seats, I was surprised to find myself pretty into the game. I think Jeter's use of Jay Z's "Empire State of Mind" as his night's anthem might have helped...I'm loving that song right now.

-----------------------------------------

Ok, moving on to a totally different subject, and hence the title hodgepodge...

A couple of weeks ago I received a few samples of stevia made by SweetLeaf, including the packeted sweetener as well as flavored liquid sweetener in the flavors of Root Beer, Chocolate Raspberry, and English Toffee (just two pictured below):

I first tried the packeted version in my coffee. I was not a fan! I felt that it added a filmy consistency to the coffee. Since I had this coffee at the same seminar in which I received the samples, I figured that coffee could have been off. When I tried the sweetener once more in my morning tea, I had the same opinion.

Next up the liquid sweeteners, which I was a bit hesitant to try after my first couple of experiences. So, english toffee into coffee, once again no. Ok, well the spokesmen told me the root beer flavor into seltzer would taste like a root beer soda. No seltzer in my cabinets so I tried it in regular tap water. The instructions said 1 drop/2mL of liquid. Well I thought one of the problems with my like of the product was that it was also too sweet (I tend not to add sugar to my tea or coffee) so I halved the amount. Weellll...

I actually liked it a lot! The last few days half my water consumption has included either root beer or chocolate raspberry flavoring (haven't tried the toffee since the coffee incident).

Next I need to try root beer in seltzer. Any good ideas for the english toffee? I don't think I want toffee flavored water, but it could be okay.

Nicole

Missing the Music

Hey all, so this Blog is called Soundztastee...well where has the music gone? After listening to "Where the Wild Things Are" Soundtrack by Karen O and the Kids I was inspired to write a bit about it.

I first saw the preview for "Where the Wild Things Are" when I went to see Harry Potter, and while I did get warm feelings about this children's classic coming to the theatre I also fell in love with the first single "All is Love." I thought something sounded familiar with the beat and the female voice, when I found out Karen O was the artist behind the soundtrack I wasn't surprised. The third song off the album, "Capsize" is even more Yeah Yeah Yeah's like than "All is Love." For me that means I want to get up and dance around, kick my legs, throw my arms, maybe a more muted version than I would during the "Y-Control" chorus, but you get the idea.

Who exactly are the Kids? In some songs, they are clearly kids but according to Rolling Stone the other children rockers include her YYYs bandmates Brian Chase and Nick Zinner along with Tristan Bechet (Services), Bradford Cox (Deerhunter), Dean Fertita (Queens of the Stone Age, The Dead Weather, The Raconteurs), Aaron Hemphill (Liars), Greg Kurstin (The Bird and the Bee), Jack Lawrence (The Dead Weather, The Raconteurs, The Greenhornes), Oscar Michel (Gris Gris), and Imaad Wasif (New Folk Implosion, Alaska).

So overall what do I think of the soundtrack? Well I am a Karen O fan so maybe I'm a bit impartial, but I really do love it. I must admit she almost lost me with Track 4, "Worried Shoes." While I understand the need for slow songs particularly for this movie, maybe one of the Kids could have stepped up a bit and taken the lead. Karen O just did not do it justice.

Nicole

Home sweet home

Last week I took a break from the big apple and went home to Philadelphia for the weekend. I actually live in the suburb of Philadelphia, about 40/45 minutes outside of the city.

While there I got to play with my doggies, the old man Poochie(I think he's 14 years old):

And the young lady, Lucy:

One thing I love about going home is not having to think about what to cook for lunch or dinner. While I love to cook, sometimes it's nice to have a break. My mom found some new recipes she wanted to try out while I was home. First up was a Peach Salsa Pizza. This was a 4 ingredient dish and quick cooking, perfect for lunch. The key players included:

1. Pilsbury pizza crust spread out and flattened on a baking sheet.

2.Peach salsa used as a tomato sauce replacement.

3. Mozzarella cheese melted on top.

4. Bell peppers chopped up for a topping.

This pizza was amazing! This particular salsa was spicy and with the natural sweetness of the peach, which was enhanced after cooking, the flavors combined to create a party in my mouth.

Next up was a Quinoa fruit salad, in the mix included:

1 cup quinoa

2 cups water

2/3 cups each of pecans and dried cherries

1 chopped apple

2 tablespoons of olive oil

2 tablespoons of lemon juice

1 table spoon of honey

salt and pepper to taste

Rinse the quinoa for a minute or two under cold water. Bring the 2 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. Add the quinoa, and reduce to simmer and cover. Cook for about 20-25 minutes until tender. Meanwhile mix together the oil, lemon juice, and honey to make the dressing. Add cooked quinoa and the remaining ingredients. Voila!

The Vegan's Hundred

I came across this list from Kathy at Healthy. Happy. Life. Basically it's a challenge to try and discover new foods.  She got the idea from the Omnivore's Hundred, but here we have food items such as Aloe Vera compared to Snake, which is found on the omnivore's list.  

Take the challenge with me by either following the below or simply commenting on what food items you're excited to try!

The Vegan's Hundred

Here’s what I want you to do:

1) Copy this list into your blog or social networking site profile, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out or italicize any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment on this post linking to your results.

I hope you will join this vegan foodie tasting adventure. 
Post the link to your list in the comments-if you have any questions, leave them in the comments as well!

...lets show the omnivores that the question "what do vegans eat?" definitely has over 100 amazing answers...!

The HHL Vegan Hundred:

1. Molasses
2. Cactus/Nopales
3. Scrambled Tofu
4. Grilled Portobella Caps 
5. Fresh Ground Horseradish 
6. Sweet Potato Biscuits
7. Arepa
8. Vegan Cole Slaw
9. Ginger Carrot Soup
10. Fiddlehead Ferns
11. Roasted Elephant Garlic 
12. Umeboshi 
13. Almond Butter Toast
14. Aloe Vera 
15. H and H Bagel NYC 
16. Slow Roasted Butternut Squash 
17. White truffle 
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes 
19. Freshly ground wasabi 
20. Coconut Milk Ice Cream (not store bought)
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Orchard fresh pressed apple cider
23. Organic California Mango (in season Sept-Oct only)
24. Quinoa
25. Papaya Smoothie
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet (habanero) pepper (just a bite!...hot!
27. Goji Berry Tea
28. Fennel
29. Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie
30. Radishes and Vegan Buttery Spread
31. Starfruit
32. Oven fresh Sourdough bread
33. Sangria made with premium fruit and juices
34. Sauerkraut
35. Acai Smoothie
36. Blue Foot Mushrooms
37. Vegan Cupcake from Babycakes nyc
38. Sweet Potatoes and Tempeh combo
39. Falafel
40. Spelt Crust Pizza
41. Salt and Pepper Oyster Mushrooms
42. Jicama Slaw
43. Pumpkin Edamame Ginger Dumplings
44. Hemp Milk
45. Rose Champagne
46. Fuyu
47. Raw Avocado-Coconut Soup
48. Tofu Pesto Sandwich
49. Apple-Lemon-Ginger-Cayenne fresh-pressed juice...with Extra Ginger
50. Grilled Seitan
51. Prickly pear
52. Fresh Pressed Almond Milk
53. Concord Grapes off the vine
54. Ramps
55. Coconut Water fresh from a young coconut
56. Organic Arugula
57. Vidalia Onion
58. Sampler of organic produce from Diamond Organics
59. Honeycrisp Apple
60. Poi
61. Vegan Campfire-toasted Smores
62. Grape seed Oil
63. Farm fresh-picked Peach
64. Freshly-made pita bread with freshly-made hummus
65. Chestnut Snack Packs
66. Fresh Guava
67. Mint Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
68. Raw Mallomar from One Lucky Duck, NYC
69. Fried plantains
70. Mache
71. Golden Beets
72. Barrel-Fresh Pickles
73. Liquid Smoke
74. Meyer Lemon
75. Veggie Paella
76. Vegan Lasagna (raw optional)
77. Kombucha
78. Homemade Soy Milk
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Lychee Bellini
81. Tempeh Bacon
82. Sprouted Grain Bread
83. Lemon Pepper Tempeh
84. Vanilla Bean
85. Watercress
86. Carrot you pulled out of the ground yourself
87. Vegan In-Season Fruit Pie
88. Flowers
89. Corn Chowder
90. High Quality Vegan Raw Chocolate
91. Yellow fuzz-free Kiwi
92. White Flesh Grapefruit
93. harissa
94. Coconut Oil
95. Jackfruit
96. Homemade Risotto
97. Spirulina
98. Seedless 'Pixie' Tangerine
99. Gourmet Sorbet, not store bought
100. Fresh Plucked English Peas

My list is below:

1. Molasses
2. Cactus/Nopales
3. Scrambled Tofu
4. Grilled Portobella Caps 
5. Fresh Ground Horseradish 
6. Sweet Potato Biscuits
7. Arepa
8. Vegan Cole Slaw
9. Ginger Carrot Soup
10. Fiddlehead Ferns
11. Roasted Elephant Garlic 
12. Umeboshi 
13. Almond Butter Toast
14. Aloe Vera 
15. H and H Bagel NYC 
16. Slow Roasted Butternut Squash 
17. White truffle 
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes 
19. Freshly ground wasabi 
20. Coconut Milk Ice Cream (not store bought)
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Orchard fresh pressed apple cider
23. Organic California Mango (in season Sept-Oct only)
24. Quinoa
25. Papaya Smoothie
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet (habanero) pepper (just a bite!...hot!
27. Goji Berry Tea
28. Fennel
29. Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie
30. Radishes and Vegan Buttery Spread
31. Starfruit
32. Oven fresh Sourdough bread
33. Sangria made with premium fruit and juices
34. Sauerkraut
35. Acai Smoothie
36. Blue Foot Mushrooms
37. Vegan Cupcake from Babycakes nyc
38. Sweet Potatoes and Tempeh combo
39. Falafel
40. Spelt Crust Pizza
41. Salt and Pepper Oyster Mushrooms
42. Jicama Slaw
43. Pumpkin Edamame Ginger Dumplings
44. Hemp Milk
45. Rose Champagne
46. Fuyu
47. Raw Avocado-Coconut Soup
48. Tofu Pesto Sandwich
49. Apple-Lemon-Ginger-Cayenne fresh-pressed juice...with Extra Ginger
50. Grilled Seitan
51. Prickly pear
52. Fresh Pressed Almond Milk
53. Concord Grapes off the vine
54. Ramps
55. Coconut Water fresh from a young coconut
56. Organic Arugula
57. Vidalia Onion
58. Sampler of organic produce from Diamond Organics
59. Honeycrisp Apple
60. Poi
61. Vegan Campfire-toasted Smores
62. Grape seed Oil
63. Farm fresh-picked Peach
64. Freshly-made pita bread with freshly-made hummus
65. Chestnut Snack Packs
66. Fresh Guava
67. Mint Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
68. Raw Mallomar from One Lucky Duck, NYC
69. Fried plantains
70. Mache
71. Golden Beets
72. Barrel-Fresh Pickles
73. Liquid Smoke
74. Meyer Lemon
75. Veggie Paella
76. Vegan Lasagna (raw optional)
77. Kombucha
78. Homemade Soy Milk
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Lychee Bellini
81. Tempeh Bacon
82. Sprouted Grain Bread
83. Lemon Pepper Tempeh
84. Vanilla Bean
85. Watercress
86. Carrot you pulled out of the ground yourself
87. Vegan In-Season Fruit Pie
88. Flowers
89. Corn Chowder
90. High Quality Vegan Raw Chocolate
91. Yellow fuzz-free Kiwi
92. White Flesh Grapefruit
93. harissa
94. Coconut Oil
95. Jackfruit
96. Homemade Risotto
97. Spirulina
98. Seedless 'Pixie' Tangerine
99. Gourmet Sorbet, not store bought
100. Fresh Plucked English Peas

Nicole

A few things that make me smile

I'm having one of those days where things don't go terribly wrong but they just don't seem to go right either, including losing my school ID... hopefully someone turns it into security so I can easily retrieve it in the morning.  Fingers crossed (told you I'm superstitious :-/)! 

At moments like this, a few things help me to shake off the woes of the day.

1. Good music, always!  Right now I'm listening to "Atlantis to Interzone" by the Klaxons.  

2. Giraffes which are my favorite animal.  Below is a book marker my friend's mom picked up.   Thanks Mrs. Kowalyk! 

3. Something with cinnamon, I absolutely love cinnamon!  What's not to love?  Studies have shown:

a. Just 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon/day can lower LDL cholesterol.

b. Cinnamon may have a regulatory effect on blood sugar, may benefit those with type 2 diabetes. 

c.It is a great source of manganese, fiber, iron, and calcium.

d.It has an anti-clotting effect on the blood.

e.Smelling cinnamon boosts cognitive function and memory.

...and that's just to name a few! 

For my cinnamon serving I covered my plain yogurt with the spice along with  granola "sprinkles."

4. Another thing that brings a smile to my face is dinner with friends!  Yesterday two of my friends from NYU came over so I whipped up Rachel Ray's Sloppy Veg-Head Joe.  I took the picture tonight when I used the leftovers for dinner.  There are a lot more peppers in the leftovers, I should have added some additional beans.

I also made a creamy mashed potato and leek soup.  Creamy because I blended the potatoes and leeks after simmering in the pot for a few minutes and then returned the blend to the pot. I also used homemade vegetable broth rather than chicken broth.  Simply used broth I had from cooking cabbage, celery, and carrots earlier in the week.

Current song-"White Winter Hymnal" by Fleet Foxes which really has me happy because it reminds me of All Points West.  I'm already missing summer and it's not even officially fall for a few more days.

Nicole