Plan B

Due to our late breakfast, I was interested in a lighter lunch. I decided on a snacky yogurt bowl consisting of foods I usually have for breakfast.

• plain nonfat Chobani greek yogurt
• handful of Peanut Butter Puffins
• 1 banana
• small glob of Mighty Maple PB

A simply fantastic combination, and the perfect amount of food to hold me over until dinner.

After reminiscing about our delectable grilled meal last night, John and I decided to buy a little hibachi grill. Our grand plans to grill dinner tonight were scratched due to strong winds (the same winds we enjoyed on an Esplanade walk this afternoon wouldn’t be quite as enjoyable when trying to light a bbq).

Plan B quickly evolved: use our indoor stovetop grill! This was actually the first time we put the “grill” to use, and luckily it was a successful trial run.

John took some action shots of me using one of my favorite kitchen utensils – a corn “stripper”.

Simply place the blade at the top of an ear of corn, and “strip” the kernels off.

The kernels are collected in the attached container. Easy, and accident-proof!

I skillet-roasted the corn kernels in an olive oil cooking spray-coated skillet over medium heat for about 10 minutes.

For the shrimp, and scallops, I threaded them onto wooden skewers, and marinated them in a mixture of:

• extra virgin olive oil
• freshly squeezed lemon juice
• s&p
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• paprika

I cooked them over high heat for a few minutes per side – until opaque through the center.

I also roasted asparagus spears coated with olive oil cooking spray and sprinkled with s&p and red pepper flakes (400* for 15-20 minutes).

We each had a glass of this wine during dinner:

Everything was really tasty! John said the shrimp tasted like they came off of a legit grill, and the scallops were perfectly cooked through.

The sweet corn & spicy asparagus were lovely side dishes.

I cooled my mouth off with a few scoops of Stonyfield Farms Gotta Have Java nonfat frozen yogurt with a sprinkling of carob chips.

Here’s to another summery dinner!

Trident Cafe

I woke up this morning to blue skies and bright sunshine! I enjoyed a cup of coffee with Roxie:

Once John woke up, we walked over to Trident Booksellers & Cafe for a late breakfast. We haven’t gone out for breakfast in quite some time – so we were overdue for a breakfast date. There was a diner right off of Lafayette’s campus that John and I would frequent on lazy weekend mornings during college. Ah, I miss those days!

Trident is easy to overlook from the street, but once inside, you realize what a little gem it is! Food & books are two of my favorite things, so I know I’ll be coming back here.

Because I already had my caffeine fix, I started off with the Backache: a ginger fizz made with ginger root, apple and seltzer.

This refreshing drink was pretty good! I like how the all-natural flavors really shone through. At $4.75, it was a bit pricey, but it was tasty and fun to drink.

My entree choice was a no-brainer. In fact, John knew what I was going to order before I verbalized my decision (he knows me that well).

Apple Brie [egg white] Omelette: New England-style [egg white] omelette made with apples & creamy brie, served with [whole wheat] toast.

YUM. What a genius flavor combination for an omelette add-in! There was an abundance of slightly tart Granny Smith apple pieces running throughout the fluffy egg whites, and just enough creamy brie cheese to add a bit of decadence. I ate one piece of dry whole wheat toast, and the whole omelette. Yes, the WHOLE omelette. One of the things I love about egg white omelets is the high volume but low calorie base. Unlike the heavy, greasy omelets from our college diner, this light omelette didn’t leave me feeling weighed-down.

I will definitely be returning to this adorable cafe to work my way through their extensive menu!

Summer Beverages, a Grilled Feast, & Good Friends

This post is a bit delayed, but John and I were exhausted once we got back from dinner at Brian & Lindsay’s house.

Over the course of the night, I sipped on 2 glasses of pinot grigio – a perfectly light and crisp summer beverage!

I snacked on 3 or 4 tortilla chip “scoops” with a delicious salsa – I think it was from the Stonewall Kitchen Line; might have been this one.

While the girls chatted about all things wedding, (Brian and Lindsay’s wedding is in July, and one of the other couples there has been married for nearly 2 years), the guys were hard at work firing up the grill.

I snuck an action shot:

The goods:

• zucchini & summer squash
• red potatoes
• lemon pepper chicken
• corn & black bean salad

The chicken was extremely tasty – perfectly juicy with a succulent marinade. The corn & black bean salad was also really good; the ideal accompaniment to our grilled feast.

I stole a few sips of this beer from John:

We picked up a Sam Seasonal variety pack out in Reading, and I couldn’t wait to taste this Blackberry beer. It was fantastic! Not overly fruity, this beer is another perfect summer beverage.

The cookies I made yesterday were laid out after dinner, and I indulged in one. Everyone seemed to enjoy these vegan chocolate and peanut butter goodies.

As always, it was a blast to see our friends – I just wish we lived closer so we could hang out more often!