Shiek Burritoes and Kabobs

Today after church we decided to use a Scoutmob for lunch. We wanted to keep it cheap, and try somewhere new. We decided to try Sheik Burritos and Kabobs. I had seen this place on Piedmont before across form the Gorilla car wash, but I had never heard of ANYONE going or anything else about it. James and ended up having a great lunch... they specialize in fresh all natural foods - it is a southwestern style/Persian flare. We had this really good roasted eggplant dip as a starter... SO GOOD.  We also had this Persian style hamburger that was in a flat bread... really good! The staff is very friendly, they work hard to create a community environment in the restaurant. The tables are community style, we sat with another group for part of the meal. Normally I do not like community seating, but today it just seemed normal! James really enjoyed the experience, and I am excited to have discovered a low price alternative lunch spot!

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Tonight we made Buffalo Chicken Pizza with Susanne and Stewart. I guess I should say Susanne and I made it! I have to say it was quite tasty!

James and I tried 2 new places for lunch this weekend, we ate on the wild side!
My good friend Kate told me about Lee's Bakery on Buford Highway. She said the portions were large, but I was blown away at just how large they were! James and I def. could have split a bowl of soup... but of course we each got one. The bowl was prob 3 bowls worth of authentic "Pho" or Beff Noodle soup.

Saturday afternoon we went to Lee's Bakery on Buford Highway - AMAZING! We got authentic Vietnamese noodle bowls and sandwiches for only $6.50. You know you are in a good spot when actual when a complete ethnic hole in the wall is packed!

LAST DAY OF CLASSES!!!

After what everyone said was going to be a long summer, the end is finally in sight!! I am about to go to my science final... ( more like more college level cell bio final!) and then to art - To celebrate being done we are eating with some of my favorites tonight... a concert tomorrow, and then to Chattanooga to celebrate Chrissy and Drew's wedding!!!! There is a bright light past organelles and cell tissue!

GACE UPDATE!

I PASSED!!! I know I complained in an earlier post, so I decided to update the few people that are probably reading this!

We got our scores last week via email. My scores arrived during my science class... several of us were pushing away our anxiety as a guest speaker droned on about pressure in water bottles.. and whatever else! Honestly, I was out to lunch that day! The second class got out, I said my good byes and headed across campus toward my car.  I had told myself I was not going to open the email until I was alone, well that did not happen! I got impulsive and opened it right there in the quad.. and them screamed across the lawn I PASSED!!! My friends were about 100 yards ahead of me and they cheered with joy...
Now I just need to get through 4 more days of deadlines for papers, projects, lesson plans, and test... and then I will have a week long break!!

I do have a great food post to share later though!

some food truck pics!

The Food Trucks

This past Wednesday I went to the Atlanta Food Trucks. I have been wanting to check out these trucks for quite some time... and it was exactly what I had hoped for! Jennifer, Kate, and I all went together - which is always a fun time! On Wednesday night in Atlanta the food trucks are in Virginia Highlands, and on Tuesday at the Howell Mill Food Park.  The trucks drive all over Atlanta - if you follow the Atlanta Street  Food  Coalition on Twitter like me, then you will easily be able to track them down anytime!  The website is http://www.atlantastreetfood.com.  The King of Pops was there, we had to chase him down bc the cart was already on the guys truck!!
I wish I had taken pictures! I know some of you only read to the bottom if I have pictures!!

We ate Tex Tacos, and also at Yumbi!
http://www.texstacos.com/

Sweet Auburn BBQ is opening up a store front in the Sweet Auburn Market, we were invited to the opening... free BBQ, Beer, and Blue Grass! How could you beat that!?!

Panhar

A few months ago we went to Panahar with some friends. This is a great Bangladeshi Restaurant that lets you bring in your on alcohol!

Jennifer does a great presentation with the different entrees!

Toast in Lincoln Park - Chicago

On Sunday morning we got up and went to brunch in Lincoln Park.  We were excited to some of the neighborhoods surrounding down town Chicago.  Joseph Yelped the restaurant that we ended up going to Toast.  We got on the train, and walked to this quaint restaurant which had a VERY long wait. People in Chicago truly enjoy a good brunch on Sunday mornings.  One of the main reasons the wait was so long was there were not very many tables.  I was totally fine with the wait because it gave us time to go explore the neighborhood! I love walking around unfamiliar cities, especially when you are about to eat a large meal!

today...

Today was one of those days you wish you could get back in bed and start the whole day over! Susanne and went to Peachtree City, GA to take our certification test for teaching.  Somehow in the middle of June I wind up with a cold -- and this did not mix well with the standardized test.  Susanne and I waited in the Sandy Creek High School cafeteria like cattle waiting for the slaughter... for a good 3o minutes, until they released the heard of anxious test takers to their assigned test taking rooms.  Susanne and I inch down the hallway to face or destiny, and out no where pop up my friend Alex from class... it felt somewhat of a comfort to see my school friends -- we were in this together! Well, we finally sit down in our assigned seats, and have a long list of instructions read to us before we could begin the test.

FINALLY the moment arrived where we are allowed to begin the GACE.  I had been studying for this test for weeks, I was nervous... and my stomach was making sure I knew that I was really nervous... I was trying to ignore the nervous jabs of pain as i worked my way through the problems of the GACE.

4 hours go by and one by one people begin to hand in their tests.  I am always one of the last people to be finished, so what would be different on this day.  Susanne and I meet back up in the hallway after passing in our test and give a huge sigh of relief... but are we relieved? it was not a walk in the park... it was mentally exhausting! We drove home contemplating what a whirl wind we were just put through... After getting off the exit, Susanne decided she was going to go and sit on her couch all night and think about nothing. I decided to go home and do the same. Before the test I had high aspirations of celebrating the burden being lifted from my shoulders, but all i wanted to do was sit on the couch.  My nose being so stuffy does not make for a good celebration after all!

James went to Verde and got the take out for us... it is just so darn convenient .  I got some great soup to help clear my nose, which worked for a few minutes... but solve my stuffy nose problem!
Does anyone have any advice?

I have confidence that tomorrow is going to be a better day -- no test anxiety, no test, no drive to south atlanta.

James and Pizza

Tonight James and I had a miscommunication via text.... which turned out to be a great thing! He offered to make us gourmet pizza on the grill... I instantly shot down the idea because I was trying to be healthy... He interpreted my text as "No, I do not want to eat healthy..." so - he jets off to publix to gather supplies for his first attempt at pizza on the grill.  I meanwhile think we are having something very healthy, without a pizza involved. I get a text about an hour later asking where our rolling pin is... I worry for a moment that he might have misunderstood my text about having pizza for dinner.  I am enjoying a spontaneous cocktail with a friend... and casually shrug off this text - surly he is just wondering where the rolling pin is post move right?

Well - I get in the car to drive home, and I call James to report that I am on the way home. He proudly says "dinner will be ready in 25 minutes, and you know what we are having"... I said "no... I have no idea what we are having?~! " Well, it turned out to be pizza on the grill... and let me tell you  --- it was delish!
 The pizza was packed with vegetables that he has grilled before putting them on the pizza, so they were nice and soft! I hate when veggies get all dried out on pizzas!  When I walked in the door I could tell James felt really bad for making something I was not excited about... BUT - it turned out great... miscommunication happen... we are all human - and who can really interpret my texts all the time anyways? Anyone still reading knows, sometimes I saw things in a way that totally make sense to me, but not to anyone else!
I am glad we ate pizza tonight, and so glad that James took the time to make something he wanted to make. I am thankful for my husband who is willing to deal with my choppy communication patterns... As we all know if we stop trying to understand how the other communicate we are doomed!

Skillet Barbecue Shrimp

cooking light recipe

The other night James and I were trying to figure out what we could make without going to the store.  I feel like we always end up needing 2 ingredients at least in some recipe that I am trying to make that night. I guess you could say I have not perfected planning our meals for the week ahead... That would be too easy! Anyways, James' parents had given us some really good shrimp from Jacksonville last time we were there. I wanted to make them... and I flipped through my favorite cooking light cook book --- and I found this great... and VERY easy recipe for Barbecue Shrimp.  WE HAD ALL THE Ingredients too!!!!

this can be made in under 15 minutes!!

We peeled our shrimp prior to cooking... but how good do they look in the picture?

we served the shrimp with Couscous, and Brussel sprouts! 

this was a great - quick meal... I was surprised at how good it was... we will be making this again! Thank you for the shrimp Brent's!!!

Deep Dish Pizza

James and I walked to Giordanos Pizza for some of Chicago's ever so famous deep dish pizza. Giordanos has won best stuffed pizza several times.  They have several locations around the downtown area, but Joseph strongly suggest that we patron at the original location... along with 100's of other tourist!
Giordanos was chosen "best pizza in America" by NBC, and get this... I just read that you can have a Giordanos pizza delivered to your door anywhere in America! WHAT?>? Come on --- that takes the excitement out of getting to eat at the best pizza place in America.
So - James and walk past the location that is right where we were to get to the original... bc the original is the best ( so they say) as we are walking it starts misting rain, and the winds have picked up significantly since the morning... we just wanted to get there!! We walk in and it is PACKED - of course it is packed it is Saturday at the "best pizza place in the world!" So we are determined to wait. They have their wait times down to an art, you go ahead and place your order before you sit down so that the pizza will be ready to come out shortly after you are seated.  We decided on getting the small veggie stuffed pizza. I thought we needed some veggies mixed in with all that cheese we were about to eat.  After placing our order we inched our way toward to crowded bar, and shared a beer from the local brewery while we waited on our table. Goose Island is the name of the local Chicago Brewery in case you all were curious. They have great beer options, one that is called 312 is most like Blue Moon.
Anyways, we were finally seated and our pizza came out in a flash.  We both devoured two slices of thick, cheesy goodness! I have to say it was good - but I am not a stuffed pizza kina person! After eating there I timidly admitted that I did not see what all the hype was about and several people quickly agreed. I think stuffed pizza is something that we all need to try in our lives, but in the end think crust or regular hand tossed will remain my favorite!

CHICAGO!

James and I spent last weekend in Chicago,  and we had a great time! We stayed with our friend Joseph, who generously shared his cozy apartment with us! He lives right downtown in what they call the Loop.  The view from his Apartment was amazing, he lives on the 36th floor of a high rise.


Joseph and I realized that we shared something in common --- trying new restaurants! He has loved living in Chicago and trying the 1,000's of different dining options! I was blown away by all the different places there were to eat!!! How does one ever begin to pick where to eat! Apparently YELP is really big in Chicago, Joseph uses it often when he is looking for a new place to try.  I have never really used Yelp in Atlanta, but I think I will start!!

We did LOTS of walking in Chicago, which maybe counter acted some of the eating!!!

Falafel on Flat Bread

YUM

I bought these the other day at Trader Joe's, and then promptly purchased wheat flat bread and hummus.  I decided to make myself a Falafel wrap.  I must say it was very tasty!  James was envious! He was too hungry, so made himself lunch before I got home... if he had only waited an extra ten minutes he could have enjoyed this as well! I just heated two Falafel in the microwave for 1 minute, then put them inside the flat bread with some hummus on one side. I then used our panini press to warm it up! SO good!

1st year of marriage

I have had a request to incorporate some of my experiences with food into my first year of marriage... James is the best because he is always up to try anything... except soy. Apparently men are not supposed to eat this! Thanks to Uncle Scott, James now has several food phobias!  So the night I tried to go vegan --- he was all worried about eating estrogen! whoops - For the most part he is very go with the flow and will eat anything! Our marriage would be really different if he were a picky eater....  how sad is that?! I might like food too much...

More to come later!

Orsay In Jacksonville.

I have been slacking on all of this blogging recently. I also realized all the typos from previous entries.... whoops.

We went to Jacksonville to celebrate a slew of March Birthdays on Saturday night. On Friday night we went to Orsay, a restaurant I had heard great things about.  I was excited to finally try the new "hot spot" in Avondale.  

Spinach Salad - green apples, candied pecans, bacon, and blue cheese! 

 For our main course Gail, John, and I all got the special fish - it was really good - and much healthier than most of the options on the menu! I left feeling satisfied... not to much food - just the right amount!

Sea Bass - with fingerling potatoes, artichokes, and green beans!

James got the Duck -- it had a bed of lentils underneath, and something like apple sauce under that! The one bite I had was very good!!!

I enjoyed Orsay, and would of course recommend it for a special occasion! Like you son and daughter in law in being in town of course!! The seating can be tight, we had a table move from next to us... hopefully they just wanted more space! Otherwise I only have good things to say. The service is great, quick - and friendly... Go if you are ever in the area!

Pizza

What is your favorite pizza place in Atlanta? James and I just enjoyed a quick lunch at Fellines on Peachtree - and I just really enjoyed it! We decided to get a whole veggie pizza because whole pizzas just taste SO much better than if you just buy a slice! Yes - a little more expensive... BUT so much better!!! James likes to eat non breakfast items for breakfast, so I am sure he will be toasting pizza tomorrow morning... I am dreading my alarm clock going off tomorrow for the first time in over a week. I am excited about the time change though!!!

Cafe Istanbul

James and I went to dinner with Scotty and Lauren the other night at Cafe Istanbul.  Cafe Istanbul is a Turkish restaurant that also has a Hookah Lounge.  Scotty and Laurent were excited to have an ethnic dining experience, and we are always up for trying any cuisine! I did not realize that you literally sit on the floor at Turkish restaurants.  I had never been to a restaurant like this before - but really enjoyed it!

We started the meal with some babaganush and pita bread! DELISH! this before, it was fun! We sat at low tables with big pillows.  I appreciate chairs, but I was happy to try it for a meal!  We also had a belly dancer that would shake herself around as we ate every few minutes! 

• Roasted Eggplant Salad
• • $5.95
• Roasted eggplant with onions, parsley, tomatoes, garlic and herbs.

 Although I do not think you go to this place for the food - or the service! I enjoyed my food - but was not blown away.

• Manti
• • $13.50
• Hand made Turkish pasta shells each stuffed with broiled lamb cooked and topped with a garlic yogurt sauce,melted butter and red crushed pepper. ( what James got)

I could not find a description of what I got! 

I will say this place was interesting! A large family came in around 9:30 and they brought babies!!! and children... as a teacher I was feeling that we were out late on a school night -- -then to see little kids!!! I was annoyed.... they needed to be asleep!!!

You can find Cafe Istanbul out at 1850 Lawrenceville Highway

I imagine that this would be a HOT spot on the weekends.... I think everyone should experience this place if you are up for a cultural dining experience. James and I enjoyed dining with the Candlers and look forward to more food adventures in the future!

Veggie Land

I have gotten behind on my foodie post! The week before James and I left for vacation I went to Veggie Land with some of my favs... Susanne, CM, and Hannah.
We decided to go to dinner for small group that night - but we wanted to stay healthy and cheap... what did we settle on but Veggie Land. I was impressed with how affordable it was - How often do you leave a restaurant for under $8.00 at dinner time?  I guess having no meat - and no alcohol really helps cut down the bill!
The atmosphere at Veggie Land is less than welcoming. The sign outside is halfway burned out, and it is neon green and maybe orange!  You walk inside and there is a dimly lit room with tile floors and dark green table tops. The staff was very friendly, the waitress and the cook appeared to be married.  Veggie Land would be a great place to run in and get take out during the week. I think a lot of their clients lean towards takeout because of the atmosphere. I plan to grab dinner here on occasion, they have a veggie burger that looks AMAZING --- I was having orders remorse for not getting it! Also the sweet potatoes looked very good as well.
I ended up getting the veggie stir fry.  I added veggie chicken - and it tasted VERY healthy. I was expecting it to be covered in sauce, but all you really saw was the broccoli and other veggies! It had some seasoning on it though - I guess not covering things in sauce helps keeps a healthy dish healthy! Susanne had some tofu,black bean curry dish, which I was a little jealous of! Hannah got some pasta dish that did not appear to have much taste - but it did turn out to be tasty as well.

After eating such a healthy dinner we felt the need to get frozen yogurt. We headed for Menchies on Roswell Road.  Atlanta has become saturated with fro yo places in the last year... Menchies is great though - I have not gotten a chance to try all of the fro yo establishments... but as it warms up i have a feeling i will be picking it up more and more!!

Veggie Land
211 Pharr Rd NE # B
Atlanta, GA 30305-2269(404) 231-3111

Local Three

Local Three opened in December of 2010 - and it has been a successful to the Northside Parkway - West Paces Ferry dining options. 3290 Northside Drive ( it took the place of Joel)
 James and I decided to leave the comfort of groupons and scoutmob's to try this wonderful new eatery!  It was WELL worth eating without a discount!!!
From Local Three's website "Our Daily Operating Philosophy is Straightforward: People Matter Most. Local Is Priority. Seasonal Makes Sense. Authenticity Rules. Quality Governs. Delicious. Trumps. Pretense Loses. Comfort Feels Good. Appreciation Tastes Better. Prudence Sustains It All."

They cook what is in season - because that is what taste best! They also buy local produce and meats when possible! 

James and I had  a great experience at Local Three - the server we had Mary was VERY helpful and understanding... I had a hard time picking what wine I wanted to drink... she brought me several samples --- and after the 4th one we found something that I wanted to drink a whole glass of. I think they are more known for their big beer selection!

Chicken Liver Mousse a.k.a "Meat Butter" Grilled Bread, House Made Jam ( This was very good - so random - but we decided to try it and found it very tasty) We also split a spinach salad with Butternut squash shavings and shaved Parmesan They have daily appetizers that are smaller portions sizes - I had a great rabbit appetizer that had round noodles, and it was sort of a stew. James got the "The McDowell" two patties, special sauce, on a seasame seedless bun and A LOT of homemade fries!!! $11 this is really good - I was happy to only have a bite - but would def cure any hamburger craving and it fits right in with the craze going on now for hamburgers! Local Three

$6

Guest Blogger gives his 2 cents on some foodie adventures

48 Hours in Lynchburg, VA

So this week I had to fly to VA to distribute to one of my Frito-Lay accounts. I go to a lot of places all over the country but out of all the places I visit, I would say Lynchburg and one other destination are my favorites. Call me crazy but Lynchburg is one cool little town.

Three things make a good business trip.

1.) Nice People.

2.) Good Food and Beverage

3.) Pretty Scenery

Lynchburg is all those things. Nice people are pretty self explanatory. Despite the loss of some big industry Lynchburg is starting to resurrect itself as an artsy/technology driven city. And 2007 it was ranked the number 1 in the Top 10 Digital Cities.

Fodder: The food is surprisingly good,of the restaurants I have visited two top the list as being fantastic!

Waterstone Pizza: Casual dining at its finest. Waterstone fire roasted pizza is not your average pizza joint. Offering the best in fresh ingredients. Appetizers, gourmet salads, pastas, sandwiches, pizza and desserts wash down perfectly with our very own Jefferson Street Brewery draught beer or one of many one-of-a-kind martinis. Their unique atmosphere is sure to keep you coming back for more. 

http://www.waterstonepizza.com/

Their pizza is fantastic, cooked in a fire brick oven, the whole kitchen is open for patrons to view. No secrets about where their fresh ingredients come from. This trip I avoided temptation and went with a Steak House Salad.

Shoemakers American Grille: When you walk through the doors of Shoemakers American Grille, you are struck with an ambiance that just can’t be duplicated. From the exposed brick lining the interior walls, to the sleek, yet welcoming, décor, Shoemakers American Grille will quickly become your downtown favorite. Tucked away along the bank of the James River, Shoemakers offers the chic, uptown feel without leaving the Southern comfort of home. Think it just can’t get any better? Just wait until you try the food. http://www.shoemakersdining.com/

I was really hungry considering my breakfast was a muffin so I went with the Monte Christo, a personal vice that I can hopefully keep hidden for another year.

Two other spots I need to try are Robin Alexander American Bistro and Jimmy’s on the James. I hear they have very good food as well, maybe next time. “Life is too short to eat the same thing twice” MJ and James’ new Brent Family Motto. Beats the heck out of “Silentio et Diligentia” (with silence and diligence)

The Jefferson Street Brewery: Rarely am I any place that has any of the larger microbrews available. Being in a town that has its own microbrewery on tap in the restaurants is a real treat! Good American Pale Ale, not a huge fan of their wheat beer, maybe if I had warmer weather I would reconsider.

http://www.jeffersonstreetbrewery.com/

Another surprising thing about Lynchburg is its nice hotels. I don’t mean they are resorts but certainly some of the nicest ones I’ve stayed in on someone else’s tab. The Craddock Terry Hotel (have not stayed but looked around it) is located in the same building the once major American shoe manufacturer operated from. This is a small boutique hotel but don’t let the size fool you, this former factory building is full of upscale charm. http://www.craddockterryhotel.com/

5 Stars

The two I have stayed in are also mentionable. The Kirkely Hotel and the Holiday Inn Down Town are also upscale. My definition of upscale business lodging is a large flat screen TV, with large rooms, and a hot breakfast.

http://www.kirkleyhotel.com

http://www.holidayinn.com/hotels/us/en/lynchburg/lyhcp/hoteldetail?hotelCode=lyhcp

Both 3 Stars Respectively

by James Brent

Basil's with Blake!

Last Thursday night Blake and I went to Basil's.  We used a Scoutmob that was expiring that day... nothing like waiting till the last minute! I had so much fun - and the food for the most part was wonderful! We had one bad appetizer, which I will tell you more about below.
FYI - Scoutmob users - Basil's is putting out another Scoutmob in the spring sometime... SO be on the lookout!
Basil's is located in Buckhead on Grandview Ave, right across from Anis.  They are located in an old house,  it is very cozy on the inside with a wood burning fireplace to warm you on a cold night! During the warmer months they have a great deck, which they heat during the winter.

Blake and I started our meal with Crab Fritters - Sounds delicious right? Uh... not so much - I hate to even talk about them because the rest of the meal was so good! Just do not order these if you find yourself at Basil's!

Crab Fritters with Honey Mustard dipping sauce. If you know me you know I LOVE honey mustard!!!
They were like eating an undercooked hush puppy.... was there even any crab in the fried balls??

I ordered the Salmon with roasted vegetable ratatouille with pesto on top.  DELISH! I am not sure all the vegetables that were in the Ratatouille but this dish totally made up for our BAD app!

Blake ordered the pork tenderloin - I believe it had a fig preserve on top.  It was served with mashed potatoes and broccoli!

Thanks to Blake who shared a great meal with me! I look forward to sharing another one with you soon!

Could you be a Veganist?

Yesterday Oprah did a show on being a Vegan.  Oprah challenged her whole studio to go vegan for just one week.  She got 378 people to participate... Vegan means - that you can not eat anything that comes from an animal so NO meat, No eggs, No milk, no fish...
Oprah's staff all raved about how great they felt after completing the challenge... just one week and they could really tell a difference in their energy levels, digestive systems, and many of them lost a significant amount of weight... and it was only 7 days!!!
I became interested in this way of eating... I know that it is not realistic to become a vegan, much less a vegetarian all of the sudden, but I did find that there are some really good meat substitutes - if for no other reason you should try them just to add some variety into your cooking! Lets be honest chicken breast gets old!
I decided while James was out of town to experiment with Tofurkey Gourmet Sausages.  Tofurkey

Yesterday I had learned that this sausage was quite tasty with pasta and marinara sauce.  I added some peppers and onions to my tomato basil sauce - it was DELISH!!!

saute sausage, peppers, and onions

serve over pasta! and enjoy!

pour in the tomato basil sauce - or whatever type of sauce you prefer

Shrimp Fajitas with good friends!

Last Friday I decided it would be fun to host a few of our good friends for dinner. Earlier this year I heard a sermon on hospitality that has really seemed to stick with me.  The Lord does not care about how nice our home is, or what nice things we have to share with our guests... What the Lord cares about is that we show others hospitality.  I hope James and I did just that... but I guess that could be out for debate!
I decided to make shrimp and chicken fajitas...

Kate and Jennifer - two of my favorite teachers! YAY its Friday... 

YUM

I got this recipe from Cooking Light -

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 1 1/2  cups  red bell pepper strips
• 2  teaspoons  bottled minced garlic
• 1  small red onion, vertically sliced
• 1/2  cup  bottled green salsa
• 1  teaspoon  ground coriander
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1 1/2  pounds  peeled and deveined large shrimp
• 8  (6-inch) corn tortillas
• 2  tablespoons  chopped fresh cilantro

• Preparation

  Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add bell pepper, garlic, and onion; sauté 4 minutes. Stir in salsa, coriander, salt, and shrimp; sauté 2 minutes or until shrimp are done. Arrange about 1/2 cup shrimp mixture down center of each tortilla; sprinkle each tortilla with 1 1/2 teaspoons cilantro.

•  http://www.cookinglight.com/food/quick-healthy/20-minute-shrimp-recipes-00400000052322/page20.html

Quinoa and Black Beans

Tonight I decided to make Quinoa - I always have all these ideas about what I am going to make and then by the time dinner arrives I want something totally different!  One day I will start planning out the week and stick to the week -- but life is to unpredictable right now.
James liked this meal - but I think he would have preferred to have some meat.  I was planning on serving it as a side, but when I saw how much was in the pan I decided to make it the main course!

I always forget to take pictures throughout the process!

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and saute until lightly browned.
2. Mix quinoa into the saucepan and cover with vegetable broth. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes,
3. Stir frozen corn into the saucepan, and continue to simmer about 5 minutes until heated through. Mix in the black beans and cilantro.

I decided to serve this with a spinach salad, mainly because it is what we had in the fridge! The salad just had Parmesan cheese, pumpkin seeds, and a home made vinaigrette that I made last night.

Salad Dressing - this is just a guess on the recipe -- really just made it up! 

Olive Oil (1/2 cup)

Dijon Mustard (2 tbs)

Red Wine Vinegar( 4tsP)

Honey (Tsp)

Other reviewers of this recipe said that you can serve it hot or cold - and it it for several days!!! I am looking forward to having something healthy in the fridge!! 

Salsa and black bean soup

I just made this salsa and black bean soup that I had seen on a few other blogs... One being my sister in law's mom-b.blogspot.com and she got it from the blog http://annies-eats.net/2007/10/14/black-bean-and-salsa-soup/

I am serving it to some friends tomorrow night, so  hopefully everyone will enjoy it!
This soup was one of the easiest things I have ever made if you do not count trying to figure out the food processor!!! James had to step in and show me how to work it!! I had not attempted to use it before tonight --- I think I got it down now!

4th and Swift = AMAZING

Saturday night James and I went to 4th and Swift for dinner.  We saw this meal as a big treat, we have really tried to stay away from nice places... but when I saw that there was a Half Off Depot  deal for the restaurant I had to buy it! 4th and Swift is located on North Avenue in the Old Fourth Ward neighborhood.  The Old Fourth Ward is the birth place of Martin Luther King ( something I just learned!) The menu at 4th and Swift changes daily depending on what local produce is available.  The chef also has a vegetable garden on his back deck and he uses the produce grown at the restaurant.  4th and Swift is also ranked in Atlanta's top restaurants!

I HIGHLY recommend going if you have a special occasion coming up!!!

Agricole Shrub | 9 St. James Agricole Rhum, Appleton )two types of special rum, grapefruit yuzu shrub, lime and ginger beer! I decided I wanted a fun drink since we were at such a neat place... and it was totally worth it!! All of the specialty cocktails are very detailed... and have all this house made stuff in them --- I wanted to try them ALL!


James and I split a salad with squash, pistachios, goat cheese, and boston bibb lettuce. I think we forgot to take a picture.  The salad was amazing though!  


For dinner we both had specials 
I had the Pan Roasted Oregon Inlet Flounder - 

Preserved Lemon Risotto, Detroit Red Beets, Turnip Greens, Hen of the Woods MushroomsRu

This is the Duck - which was SO good as well. I know there were sweet potatoes --- but not sure what else was underneath it!(
it is really hard to see the food because the lighting was so low in the restaurant! 
For dessert:Lemon
Lemon Madeleine Cake, Meringue Stick, Lemon Curd, Lemon-Basil Sorbet, Black Pepper Panna Cotta  DELISH!!!!

James and I really enjoyed 4th and Swift!!!

Over priced and not that good

I feel like I need to blog... but have not really been anywhere blog worthy this week...
I went to dinner tonight at Cherokee - I use to love eating there when I was little, but now i just feel like it is not very good --- and really expensive... My grandmother also brought her boyfriend who requires a walker -- The Grant Room is not a loud place... so I felt like our conversation was being overheard by everyone else eating there... I guess this post is pointless... so please do not stop reading!! BUT my point is if you are going to be an exclusive country club you should at least have GOOD expensive food!!!!

The school lunch today at St.Martin's was amazing! I am not sure what 2nd grader needs to eat seafood paella for lunch - but hey I am not complaining!! Our chef created a menu around Argentina - very tasty!

Urban PL8

Today James and I went to Urban PL8 with a Scoutmob for brunch.  On our way we helped a little old lady dislodge her car from the icy roads... Well I say we but it was really James!!  The lady had a flat tire after getting unstuck but refused to pull over... Stubborn!!

I love Urban PL8... They are a restaurant that really tries to be healthy, which I appreciate!

Here is the review from Scoutmob!
The Scoop: Gluten-free, Paleo-friendly, Vegan, Vegetarian, Locavore, healthy food eaters in general: if you’ve yet to discover the quality cuisine happening over on Huff Road at Urban pL8, let us introduce you to a new favorite. Betsy Pitts, with her Atlanta culinary pedigree (she opened Floataway Café, was sous-chef at Bacchanalia and worked with Shaun Doty for another number of years), opened this modern, minimalist space to provide high quality food that wasn’t high on the price, but ishealthy, local and delicious. She soon found that her regular crowd was coming back for those Paleo-friendly favorites (all those Crossfit diehards out there) or the gluten-free options, so she decided to expand the menu to cater more to those specialties. And just because you have no idea what any of that healthy jargon means, it doesn’t matter. Judging by the Angus Beef Double Cheeseburger, the Vietnamese Banh Mi, the Krispy Kreme doughnuts for dessert, the full list of small-batch cocktails and bottomless mimosas during brunch, Betsy and the Urban Pl8 crew haven’t forgotten how to excite the taste buds as well.
www.scoutmob.com 

  The atmosphere is not very inviting, but I think that the food over rides that downfall.  We had to sit at the bar - not ideal... but no biggie!

I had a hard time deciding on what to order... I decided to go with the crab cake and eggs.

the crab cake sits on a whole wheat English muffin, then there is a poached egg on top with fresh veggies! YUM! It also came with roasted sweet potatoes - a healthy alternative to hash browns! this was $12.25 - but with the scoutmob it would only be $6!

 huevos rancheros* 8.25
2 farms fried eggs, pico de gallo, corn tortilla, pinto cake, spicy sour cream, cilantro 

If you know James you could have predicted this order!! They were amazing!! The pinto cake was really good and something different... I feel like you always see black bean cakes but not pinto bean cakes!

I also decided to have a mimosa at the last minute. Sitting at the bar made me have an impulse order! The bar tender told me about how they use this fancy orange juice that is $6.00 a gallon. The mimosas are bottomless at brunch too... so they champagne is Cooks - but the nice OJ should make up for that right?! 

I think you should all try UrbanPL8 if you have not already... Again you need to be patient with the set up of the place... there are a lot of tables right by the door which is hard when it is FREEZING outside!!!