Tag Archives: Breakfast

What’s For Lunch!?

I am not exactly a fan of lunch.

Breakfast — love it! Brunch — gotta have it! Dinner — favorite meal of the day! But, lunch… eh, I’m not exactly pleased with my options.

The only time I have ever loved a sandwich was when I was in Italy (seriously, I’m not kidding), other wise please don’t ever ask me if I want a sandwich! *Blah* *Barf* *Don’t Like It*

To tell you the truth… I munch on snacks like popcorn, crackers, carrot sticks, bananas, apples, and anything else that’s not too messy to have at my desk. Prepping a salad is easy, but not very filling. And, left overs are probably the meanest thing to put your coworkers through — the smell of heating up last night’s dinner smells foul and is considered a gaggable scent in my book.

So I am picky with my lunches — which is why I am thrilled to have discovered a new afternoon snack! Chobani now has a brilliant product that has hit grocery store refrigerators — Flip! Flip is made up of two things: a flavor of Chobani Greek yogurt and a small container made up of ingredients to mix into your Greek yogurt to add extra flavor and texture.

chobani flip

Personally, I’m hooked on the Vanilla Golden Crunch. What could be better than smooth vanilla Greek yogurt with crunchy corn flakes, honey oats and delicious pecans!? It’s the perfect quick and easy addition to my afternoon snacks. Oh, and, it’s not messy and I don’t feel guilty eating it! *YUM*

Homemade Granola

The inspiration behind making my own homemade granola: spotting a $1.99 bag of coconut flakes in Trader Joe’s this weekend. First of all, do you know how delicious coconut flakes are all on their own? The second these were spotted, my friend Stevie told me how they would be perfect in granola. What a brilliant friend I have!
So I bought a bag and was told that Sunny Anderson’s granola was a fantastic recipe to go off of. But, if I’m going to make some homemade granola, I’m going to make it with the ingredients I love most. Inspired by Sunny’s recipe, I took the base of her granola and molded into my own personal Happy Trails granola combo.

homemade granola recipe

Here’s how I made it:

  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees
  2. On the stove, heat up 1/4 cup vegetable oil + 1/2 cup maple syrup (the good stuff, folks. no Aunt Jemima crap) + 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Whisk these 3 ingredients together just until they start to bubble. Remove from stove and let cool
  3. In a mixing bowl, stir together 3 cups rolled oats + 1/4 dark brown sugar + a pinch or two of salt +1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  4. Once cooled, pour the vegetable oil/maple syrup/cinnamon combo over top of the mixing bowl ingredients. Be sure to mix these well.
  5. In a small bowl whisk together 2 egg whites and pour over top of the other ingredients. Mix all ingredients well.
  6. Spread the granola out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper
  7. Bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven and flip the oats. Repeat this 4 times. This will take a total of 40 minutes.
  8. Remove granola from the oven and let the ingredients cool.
  9. Once cooled, add 1/2 cup of dried cranberries + 1/4 cup coconut flakes to the mixture.

If you want more flavor — here are a few other fabulous ingredient ideas: dried banana chips, dried mango (for a summer-time granola), slivered almonds instead of walnuts, sunflower seeds, pistachios, and honey. And if you have a massive sweet tooth — throw in some chocolate chunks!

This granola on top of just regular plain yogurt is to-die-for! But of course it tastes fabulous on raspberry yogurt too!

Hawaiian Breakfast

You hear the saying all the time — breakfast, it’s the most important meal of the day. And to us, it truly is! We. Do. Not. Mess. With. Breakfast. Or, at least we didn’t while we were in Hawaii. Every day was a buffet-style breakfast and the first morning I was there I was a bit overwhelmed with what to pick. I had been on the longest travel day of my life (seriously, I was traveling for about 23 hours and only was eating snack foods the entire trip) so I naturally wanted something that would fill me up quickly… So, I went for the banana pancakes with coconut syrup. Yes, they are just as amazing as they sound. This coconut syrup is brilliant and I am playing around with recipes at home right now so I can eventually share with you a concoction you can enjoy at home.

coconut syrup

passion fruit

But, as the days went on I had the opportunity to scout everything out at the buffet — french toast, breakfast burritos, every type of fruit you can imagine, Hawaiian made granola. You name it — it was there! So, the best technique for breakfast came down to this: get the food that you absolutely have to have, share it with anyone at the table, and eat off of other people’s plates so you get to taste a little bit of everything. Don’t worry, I’m not that crazy, I wasn’t eating off of a stranger’s plate (I just plate fork war with my boyfriend over the Nutella stuffed french toast).

best crispy hashbrowns

Something we discovered that wasn’t at the buffet was an unbelievable crispy hashbrown that the kitchen was happy to whip together for us. I swear, whenever I eat a great hashbrown the rest of my breakfast is fantastic — whenever I eat a crappy hashbrown (or home fries) the rest of my meal goes down the drain. So there you have it — the way I judge a breakfast. Don’t hate me.

strawberry smoothies

One of the treats that the Four Seasons in Wailea had for us was every morning the breakfast buffet had some sort of smoothie sampling. One day the smoothie was made with kale, another day oranges, and another day strawberries and bananas. Some I preferred more than others, but it has inspired me to whip out my juicer at home to help me blend together some homemade smoothies made with only the freshest ingredients!

Hot Granola

This past weekend I posted about a breakfast dish I had — Hot Granola. I’m telling ya, folks, if you want to see the food I’m eating way before I blog about it — follow me on Instagram! A few of my Instagram followers saw this picture and couldn’t help but ask, “how on earth does someone recreate this dish?” And I’m over here blogging this post wondering the exact same thing.

For the past several months I have been baking and cooking with rolled oats. But I have never had hot granola before. So, I’m opening up a forum of discussion to talk about the best way to recreate a hot granola dish that I’m dying to make at home. Feel free to venture to the “Contact Me” tab if you aren’t wanting to share any recipes with other bloggers, or simply comment on today’s post.

hot granola

This specific hot granola that I ate for breakfast last weekend was filled with hearty flavors — raisins and almond slivers also added some extra texture to the dish. The consistency was filling but didn’t weigh me down… I’m thinking it would be the perfect breakfast to consume before heading out for some wintery activities. 1. It will warm you up before you bolt out into the cold and 2. It gives you the perfect amount of energy to stay active for hours before having to eat again. Oh — and did I mention that it’s healthy? Full of whole grains and just a little bit of spices to give it that bold flavor — it’s a guilty-free start to your day!

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Chicago’s Pancake House

My boyfriend is from Chicago and I always look forward to our trips back to the Midwest to visit his family. Not only do I love his family, but I have come to love Chicago as well (don’t tell any of my New York friends). Chicago is full of friendly & energetic people, the crowd is both young and old (if you want to call people “old”), and the city is spectacularly clean (unlike NYC).

We have also had many exciting culinary experiences in the city of Chicago (remember my post on Joe’s?). Of course I am now dying to go to Giuliana & Bill Rancic’s new restaurant, but this trip to Chicago didn’t give us any time to squeeze in a dinner out on the town (we were in town for a wedding). So, we settled for a tasty breakfast instead of dinner.

In the downtown section of Chicago we walked from the new Waldorf Astoria to the Pancake House, which was only a few blocks away from each other. Architecture in Chicago is very different than typical New York City buildings — I love how you can see everything in Chicago all on one block no less… You’ll see the newly designed buildings that have a more “green” and exotic style, you’ll see the old-school (yet gorgeous) town houses, and then you’ll see a random little building like the Pancake House that looks like someone’s personal country-style home. So adorable!

Luckily we arrived before a huge rush — although the restaurant was already packed and we ended up waiting for about 15 minutes. The orange juice that was sipped down before our food arrived was freshly squeezed and exceptionally refreshing! We ordered the Apple Pancake and the Dutch Baby to share with the entire table — these two dishes are signature plates that you must order to get the full experience. I love apples, so of course I knew I would enjoy the Apple Pancake. I guess I wasn’t expecting how much I would love it though. Think of two things: apple pie, and cinnamon pancakes. Now, put the two together. That’s exactly what the Apple Pancake is… fluffy pancakes with rich cinnamon-glazed granny apple slices. It’s also a great dish to share with everyone, it’s easy to cut and isn’t as messy as you might expect!

I wasn’t as big of a fan of the Dutch Baby, probably because my boyfriend ordered it as “The Dutch Pancake.” Having spent time in The Netherlands, I expected to have more of a classic Dutch-style pancake… and that’s not what the Dutch Baby is.

I recently watched an episode of “The Barefoot Contessa” where Ina baked her pancakes in the oven (brilliant, I have to say). When she took the pancakes out of the oven they were extremely fluffed up and the outside of the pancake was much higher than the middle. That’s exactly what this Dutch Baby looked like. Covered with whipped butter, lemon, and powdered sugar, the Dutch Baby is crispier on the edges and softer in the middle. The flavor wasn’t anything spectacular and was fairly bland.

I ordered a skillet that had the following in the dish: hash browns on the bottom, green pepper, red pepper, onion, and pepper jack cheese, topped with 2 eggs that were cooked over-easy. Once I punctured the egg and let the egg yolk run out all over the hash browns, veggies and cheese I knew the flavors would infuse perfectly together. And I was right! The pepper jack cheese add a beautiful spice to the plate — it was nothing overwhelming, but a little heat makes eggs taste great (wouldn’t you agree?). Quickly my boyfriend’s fork made its way over to my skillet and he enjoyed the dish just as much as I did!

I hope we are able to go back the next time we are in Chicago! The prices were very reasonable and the service was extremely attentive. Bravo Pancake House, bravo!

Norma’s at Le Parker Meridien

It feels like it has been forever since I got out for brunch. Typically on the weekends I will make breakfast for my boyfriend because he loves my french toast… but this past weekend I managed to indulge myself ! It’s always so nice when someone else cooks for you and you are given some time off in the kitchen.

I met with a friend who lives on the Upper West Side. Since I live on the west side too (down in Chelsea) we decided to pick a spot that would allow us to meet in the middle. So, what’s better than a big breakfast at Norma’s inside a hotel in Midtown called Le Parker Meridien?

I have been here once before and loved the food! But it’s been a long time since I had first gone to this restaurant and I didn’t remember the menu. There was so much to pick from and I usually go right for the egg dishes on the menu because I love that when you order some sort of egg plate there is 9 out of 10 times home fries and some times toast that’s included. The best part about that type of plate is you have multiple flavors all in one order. But for some reason I decided to order something completely different — the Very Berry Brioche French Toast.

Le Parker Meridien food at Normas

When the french toast was placed in front of me I was instantly in a daze over the sweet aroma. Sprinkled with powdered sugar and several berries, I knew I made the perfect choice for breakfast. I instantly cut into it and scooped up my first bite. There are even more berries stuffed on the inside of the bread and when I took my first bite I nearly burned the roof of my mouth. Actually, I didn’t almost burn it … I did burn it! So even though I was impatient I decided to wait to eat. I poured some Vermont maple syrup on top and let that soak in as the temperature of the food cooled down. Then, I dove back in! Scooping up the fluffy brioche bread seasoned with all the typical French Toast ingredients, loads of raspberries, blackberries and blueberries, and of course I always dunked the fork full of berries and bread into a puddle of syrup before gobbling it down.

Every plate at Norma’s is large and scrumptious. Yes, the prices can get a bit pricey (on average $25-30 dollars a plate) but the amount of food you get will satisfy you. You might even be able to get away splitting a plate, there’s that much food!

Cooking Eggs, Creatively

I’m a major fan of the “Egg in a Hole” sort of breakfast dish. Why is this so darn tasty? I have no clue. Why is it so darn appealing? Well, an egg in a hole is just so adorable!

I couldn’t help but get a little creative with my egg cooking the other week — so I gave it a shot to cook up an egg not in a hole of bread, rather in the a slice of pepper. Obviously, the larger the pepper, the better! My biggest tips: be sure to cut the pepper nice and thick, other wise when you crack the egg and pour it into the pepper it will spill over the top if the pepper isn’t tall enough. Also, be sure to slice the pepper evenly because if it isn’t then the egg can also spill from the bottom. It’s also a good idea to let the pepper start to cook first so it has a solid bottom.

After cooking my egg in a pepper (with a pinch of salt and pepper to season), I placed it on top of a piece of simple toast. I sprinkled 1/2 teaspoon of parm cheese over top and then ate!

So simple, yet so delish! You have to love these simple, silly ideas! I believe I received my inspiration from a Tumblr photo I saw months ago. I’m now trying to think of other ideas for breakfast… What else can you cook an egg in?

a fun way to cook an egg

The Highliner in Chelsea

It’s taken me so long to put up posts! So sorry everyone! The holidays have been crazy and time wasn’t exactly on my side when it came to blogging.

So… here’s a new post!

I love it when my mom and dad come to visit me in New York City — it means so much to me to have them here and to show them around the neighborhood I live in. My mom recently came to visit me (sadly, my dad couldn’t join) and we lucked out with 50 degrees and sunny for our Saturday weather! Such a gorgeous weekend to be in NYC!

We had lunch in Madison Square Park, at Shake Shack of course! And we spent the entire day walking around the city. Since I live in Manhattan, my weekends don’t include walking around all day and getting stuck in the touristy sections of the city. I’m on a schedule, I have errands to run, I have to go grocery shopping, and cleaning my apartment is always on the list of things to get done on the weekend. So it was a treat to be outside on a sunny Saturday gallivanting around town with my mother.

For the first year while living in Chelsea, the old Empire Diner had been boarded up. It was such a miserable looking spot to walk by… it looked as if the famous diner was abandoned and the never-will-be-forgotten landmark would be lost forever. Then, this past summer it was reopened, not as the Empire Diner (so sad), but as The Highliner. On the outside of the restaurant the original letters that spell “Diner” were kept, but the word “Empire” was taken down. The outside has stayed the same — a vintage diner look building, with silver lining that frames the building. The inside however has changed. The old school looking furniture — diners’ chairs, round spinning stools at the breakfast bar, and classic vintage diner tables crowd the petite restaurant. But with a modern update, everything is brand new.

The Highliner brunch

My mother and I shuffled in rather early on a Sunday to sneak in some breakfast/brunch before she headed home. Luckily, we made it before the brunch rush (we got there at 9:30 a.m.) and we had no problem getting a table… actually there were so many open tables we could pick our seating location ourselves! I still can’t believe I was awake at 9:30, let alone groomed and at a restaurant!

We both ordered the same thing, and why wouldn’t we!? The Egg-In-A-Hole, which described on the menu is “asparagus. mushrooms. goat cheese fondue.” And for only $9, how could you go wrong?

The egg-in-a-hole came quickly. The bread was clearly sliced fresh, it was nice and thick and fluffy and housed a perfectly cooked egg right on the inside. It was fully cooked, no runny anything! And it was placed on top of the goat cheese fondue. I would cut into the egg and bread and scoop up some of the creamy cheesy fondue and spoon on top some of the chopped asparagus and mushrooms. All of the flavors together made for one heck of a rich bite. If it wasn’t for the goat cheese fondue, the dish would be just a simple bland unoriginal plate of flavors I could have made at home. Everything was perfectly cooked — the veggies al dente and the bread perfectly seasoned with a nice crisp crunch on the outside.

The Highliner also brews one heck of a tasty cup of coffee too! And I promise you their lattes will wake you right up!

Honestly, it’s tempting not to go every morning!

P.S. I will admit I’ve had their burger, I had it when they first opened this past summer and I was not a fan. The meat wasn’t highend like it should have been. I didn’t want to give up on the diner and I have discovered their breakfast/brunch menu is the best. Maybe one day I’ll give their dinner menu another chance.

Labeling Junk Food!?

I eat an orange every day at work!

After stuffing my face over a five day period at Thanksgiving time, I returned home and made what I think is a fantastic alteration in my diet. My day begins with some sort of protein and something whole grain. I have to have a full stomach when I get to work other wise my brain just doesn’t function.

When it comes to lunch in New York City it can get a little annoying. I work in Midtown Manhattan and everything is over priced and kind of unhealthy (Midtown Manhattan is also the 5th Avenue shopping area and Times Square… so yes, if you are a tourist and decide to never leave this area, you will be ripped off and honestly you probably won’t experience good food). If I want to get a healthy salad that hardly fills me up I will be paying at least $13! How outrageous! So, I have discovered if I eat a filling breakfast, I will find myself getting a little hungry around 2 p.m. or so.

I always carry in my bag a 100 calorie bag of popcorn. When I am ready for a snack I just pop it in the microwave in the little kitchen in my office. (Yes, I’m the d-bag that makes a good portion of the office smell like tasty popcorn. Sorry!) But I am also eating one banana and one orange every afternoon. Honestly, I hate bananas, I used to gag over them. But as an adult I do realize how healthy bananas are so I have learned to eat them.

And from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. I am drinking nothing but Green Tea. I keep googling “benefits to green tea” and I am always shocked (and excited) over the facts and stats of what I find.

When I get home I have been eating a fairly healthy dinner. It’s always loaded with green vegetables. I’m obsessed with spinach, I love artichokes, asparagus, squash, and cauliflower. I often go to the grocery store twice a week so I can pick up fresh vegetables and fruit — it also helps me never waste… I find if I buy in bulk, food will end up spoiling before I get to it and it goes to waste. Of course I splurge on whatever I eat for dinner on the weekends — but obviously I eat the proper portion sizes.

Before Thanksgiving I was drinking maybe 2 Coca Colas a day. I love Coke, it’s so refreshing and tasty. In college, if I had a hangover, I would drink one Coke and feel immediate relief… no joke! But I cute soda out of my life and I miss the fizzy carbonation. I now drink only mandarin orange seltzer water to get my fizzy fix. There are no artificial anything in it and there isn’t a single calorie! I love it!

When I read an article on Packaging Digest, I was pretty shocked at what the text said. “Health experts are calling for junk food and fizzy drinks to have ‘exercise labels’ on their packaging to inform people how much physical exercise would need to be taken to burn off the sky-high calorie and fat content.”

This made me think: if this label was on my Coke can, I probably would have stopped drinking soda a long time ago. Have you ever seen that commercial about how if you drink one soda a day for a year, you are technically consuming 50 pounds of sugar! WOAH! That’s a lot of freakin sugar!

What is everyone thinking about this article and what it says? Do you think that it will help children (and adults) break away from their junk food habits? And do you think that this labeling rule will eventually be a requirement for all junk food companies?

Breakfast For Dinner, Anyone?


I love dinner foods, really, I do. But there are some nights that breakfast just seems easier to make. And some times I just can’t avoid my breakfast food cravings. For years as a kid I “hated breakfast.” Yup, I can’t believe that I can even say those words any more — but I did, I claimed that I hated breakfast [foods]. Maybe it was because scrambled eggs were the only style of eggs that was introduced to me as a kid (I’m a sunny-side-up, fried-egg, or egg-whites sort of gal these days). And whenever breakfast was made in my home, it usually meant the smell of bacon would stench the air (my sister loves bacon, and I have always hated it from day one).

Now I know how to cook some delicious breakfast fajitas made with tomatoes, avocados, onion, egg-whites, a little bit of cheese, and peppers on whole wheat fajita bread (it can’t get any healthier, and tastier than that right there)!!!! I also have finally mastered whipping up a stack of insanely flavorful french toast (one of my boyfriend’s favorites, we make it every weekend)…

So… naturally, I have breakfast on my mind right now. Which is why I have opted to have breakfast at 8 p.m. tonight. Breakfast for dinner = music to my ears.

I know I am not the only one out there that loves breakfast for dinner… right?