Happy Wednesday!
Whew! After one and a half months of traveling, it feels really good to settle back into a routine in Washington DC.
I always find that I grow bored of routine after a couple of months, yet when I’m not living my “normal schedule” for a couple of weeks, I begin to crave the structure and consistency.
As such, egg white puffs have made a comeback!
I seriously LOVE this breakfast!
Yesterday morning began with 5 egg whites, beat until super fluffy, then baked for 4-5 minutes at 400. Before baking, I folded in a tablespoon of Parmesan cheese, which added a nutty punch of flavor. I also sautéed spinach, arugula, cherry tomatoes, and red onion in a touch of butter, and plated it with a side of my favorite vanilla almond granola.
I think I’ll be eating this all week. Breakfast is one meal I can do over and over and over again without growing tired. Consistency.
However just because I’m loving consistency right now, doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy out-of-the-ordinary treats in Boston!
After enjoying the most amazing sushi dinner of my entire life on Saturday night, I had no expectations for Sunday’s eats.
But I should have, because I was blown away once again!
I had originally planned on eating a clean breakfast in my room Sunday morning, but after checking out the spread, I had no choice other than to modify those plans.
I’m so glad I did. The vegetable-cheese frittata was far more delicious than the egg whites I had in my room ;)! I also enjoyed a few handfuls of Lovegrown granola and dried papaya.
(Sidenote: I really dislike dried fruit. Like, really really dislike it! However, for some reason I had an urge to give it another try Sunday morning. Verdict: dried papaya is nature’s candy! I’m pretty sure this stuff was “candied” (i.e. sugar was added), but all that mattered was that it was delicious.)
After breakfast, I snuck in a quick 20 minute run on the treadmill in the hotel’s beautiful gym
and then said goodbye to my girls!
I wish these ladies lived closer! Someday.
Since Katie, Lisa, Linz and I had evening flights, we decided to make the most of our extra hours and walk into Cambridge for lunch.
Meg and Chelsea raved about the Kale Kale Salad at Tory Row, so we knew exactly where we wanted to dine.
Nearly everything on the menu appealed to me, especially the grilled tandoori chicken skewer with cucumber raita, but since Meg and I are taste-bud buddies, I knew I wouldn’t forgive myself if I didn’t heed her recommendation.
Oh. My. Gosh. This salad was even better than I imagined! The picture doesn’t come close to describing how tantalizing this salad is.
Yes I said tantalizing.
The balanced proportion of grilled kale—which tasted like kale chips—and raw kale was perfect; the pecorino Romano contributed a slightly savory/salty, yet not too sharp nuttiness; and the ground almonds were nearly sweet. And then there was the dressing. It was described as “light lemon,” but I thought “creamy garlic” would have been more accurate description. Either way, it was incredible.
After falling in love with my kale salad, I was ready to fall in love with Cambridge! Lisa and Linz had to leave, but Katie and I had a few more hours to burn, so we set out to explore the city streets.
I was most curious about the Curious George shop, which is apparently the only one in the world! Curious George was one of my favorite book characters when I was young.
Inside I came across a unique copy of Pride and Prejudice, one of my all-time favorite novels. Had there been more room in my suitcase, I definitely would have purchased this!
Our next stop was a candy shop, which also sold touristy items. I was bummed that I didn’t have an opportunity to enjoy a famous lobster roll while I was in Boston (next time!), so a lobster hat had to do.
And then there were the cupcakes at Sweet.
So tempting.
But I had other plans.
Pinkberry recently debuted a new flavor, chocolate hazelnut, which I was excited to sample.
It certainly was delicious, but I ultimately couldn’t pass up peanut butter, my all-time favorite flavor.
Peanut butter fro-yo/chocolate shavings/hazelnuts/chocolate drizzle.
Do I need to say more?
Man. Why can’t this be healthy?
Oh wait, it’s health food for the soul.
Around 5:00, Katie and I ventured back to the hotel and caught a cab to the airport.
(Cabs in Boston are super expensive! A 15 minute ride cost $40! In DC, it would be half that price!)
I’m glad my flight was delayed an hour because security lines were two hours long! By the time I was through the scanners and buzzers, my stomach was growling like crazy!
I surveyed my options (pizza, burritos and hamburgers), and finally settled on a snacky hodgepodge dinner from Cibo. I snagged the last Chobani yogurt, two hard boiled eggs, and a veggie snack-pack (celery, carrots and cherry tomatoes).
I also enjoyed a Dark Chocolate Nuts & Sea Salt KIND Bar, which I’d picked up at GNC earlier in the day.
Considering my love of all things sweet + salty, this became my new favorite KIND Bar after the first bite.
The snacky “dinner” was surprisingly satisfying. Even though I paid waaaay more than I should have for these items (total: $18!), I was relieved to find some healthy options in the airport.
Once I arrived home in DC, I unpacked everything (two hours worth of unpacking! I’m one of those people who has to put everything away immediately, no matter how tired I am!), and then sat down to a plate of vanilla casein fudge, topped with peanut butter.
Some foods are just never going to be pretty. As hard as you try.
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Aaaaand that concludes the Boston recap posts! Thank you for being patient while I gabbed about my weekend; I truly had the time of my life, and wanted to share my experiences with you. I still can’t get over the incredible friendships and bonds that are made through blogging. I truly LOVE connecting with each and every one of you!! Thank you so much for reading; the thoughts, opinions, advice and funny stories you share always brighten my day!
LOVE YOU ALL! <3
This post was part of What I Ate Wednesday. Don’t miss out on the party over at Peas & Crayons!
Questions for you:
What’s your “consistent” breakfast? In other words, what do you look forward to eating most when you’ve been away from home for awhile?
When you’re traveling, do you tend to bring breakfast foods with you?
I always do because healthy eating options are often very slim at hotels!
Who were your favorite book characters when you were young? Favorite novel of all time?
Besides Curious GeorgeI had so many favorites: Amelia Bedelia, Winnie the Pooh, Angelina Ballerina, Ramona (Beverly Cleary books), The Babysitters Club (especially the Karen books!), and all the American Girl dolls.
The post Noshing in Cambridge: Grilled Kale Salad and Peanut Butter Pinkberry appeared first on Nourish and Flourish.