Happy Wednesday!
Dark chocolate peanut butter cups are making me quite happy today.
And pictures of dark chocolate peanut butter cups are making for a fantastic I’m feeling lazy post introduction. 
I’m feeling happy; I’m feeling lazy; and I’m feeling obligated to share the fact that I’m head over heels in love with these bites of bliss. Justin’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups are addictingly delicious (addictingly is a word for the purposes of food conversation), aaaaand they’re organic! (Which means they’re healthy, right?).
I’ve had a wonderful first week in Boise! The sun has been shining every day, and I’ve been spending lots of time with three of my favorite sunny ladies:
Cali.
The beautiful bride-to-be, Katie.
And of course, my lovely mother!
Mom dominated the above monster burger at Fork a few nights ago. Look at the size of that thing! Ittwas half the width of her chest! I snagged a few bites and think it might possibly be the second best restaurant hamburger I’ve ever tasted (In-N-Out holds #1 prize though). The chef smashed an entire avocado on top of the patty…an ENTIRE avocado.
The Parmesan fries that accompanied it were quite tasty too.
My salmon salad was nothing to write home about, but I did enjoy a perfectly grilled piece of salmon at Bardenay Saturday evening!
Let’s take a look.
The salmon was seasoned with garlic, salt and pepper, which is just how I like it. Thank you, chef, for not gettin’ all saucy on me! Don’t get my wrong, I love fancy fish too, but I truly enjoy it most when the real flavors shine.
It was the “skinny” cocktails, however, that captured my heart during both restaurant meals. Bardenay’s Skinny Mojito (fresh lime juice, white rum, mint and seltzer water), and Fork’s Mango Limeade (lime vodka, mango, fresh lime juice and seltzer water) were both light and refreshing—perfect for sweltering 100-degree evenings.
I especially loved that both drinks were sweetened with stevia instead of sugar.
I’ve noticed that restaurants are increasingly adding light drink options to their menus, which is fantastic. I think we can thank Bethenny Frankel for kicking off this trend.
And speaking of Bethenny Frankel’s cocktails, my mom is now officially hooked on the Skinny Girl White Cranberry Cosmo. We drank 2/3 of a bottle together last night!
But don’t you worry. We weren’t chugging.
Our delicious white cranberry cosmos were sipped slowly while we enjoyed an even more delicious summer salad.
This is hands down my all time favorite combination.
Raspberry Walnut Avocado Lemon-Chicken Salad with Goat Cheese.
And hands down the longest salad name as well?
Here’s went into was in the mix:
- Mixed greens
- Goat cheese
- Walnuts
- Avocado
- Raspberries
- Red onion
I topped everything with a fresh raspberry vinaigrette. I’ve been trying to reduce the amount of unhealthy oils from my diet (I’m looking at you, soybean!), so I took matters into my own hands and created a homemade dressing by adapting this recipe.
FRESH RASPBERRY VINAIGRETTE
makes about 1 cup
1 1/3 cups fresh raspberries
1 T. apple cider vinegar
2 t. dijon mustard
2 t. olive oil
1 packet stevia
1/3 cup low sodium organic chicken broth (you could also substitute vegetable broth or water + salt)
1. Mix everything together in a blender or food processor until smooth and thick. Serve over salad greens.
I bet the vinaigrette would be fantastic made with strawberries or blackberries as well!
*****
FROYO: NEVER AGAIN?
I was reading the Huffington Post the other day, and stumbled upon an article that caught my eye: 5 Foods This Dietitian Would Never Eat. In the article, Kristin Kirkpatrick lists why the following five foods are nutritional nightmares:
1. Fat free or reduced fat foods (that come in a package)
2. Animal products with “unnatural” feed sources
3. Frozen yogurt from a self-serve establishment
4. Fiber bars (such as Fiber One)
5. Specialty Coffee Drinks
I actually agree with her reasoning on all five points. Kirkpatrick acknowledges that frozen yogurt is lower in calories than ice cream, but notes that it’s the bowl size that makes self-serve places so “dangerous.”
“The biggest problem with these establishments is the enormous bowl that is handed to you when you walk in the door.”
about 1 cup of frozen yogurt inside a HUGE bowl
Um, yeah. Point taken. This bowl was larger than the palm of my hand! According to the attendant at Aspen Leaf, the “small” bowls hold 3 cups of yogurt!
BUT, I don’t think the bowl size alone should necessitate swearing off froyo forever! A few extra swirls of the creamy stuff every now and then can be good for the soul.
I’m an advocate of fro-yo in moderation. And froyo moderation in moderation too.
HUGS!!!
What’s your favorite salad combination?
The best hamburger you’ve ever eaten?
What do you think about the dietitian’s take on the 5 foods she’d never eat? Would you ever give up fro-yo? Do you prefer self serve places or places where an attendant serves you?
Pinkberry is my favorite place to get yogurt, so I guess I’ll go with the latter. But swirling my own takes me back to my days working behind the counter at TCBY!
The post My Favorite Salad (and the Fro-yo Debate) appeared first on Nourish and Flourish.