Bird vs Bird Seed

If you are a current reader of my blog, you know that I've been on a food journey for quite some time. I'll try just about anything to feel as healthy as possible while still maintaining an entertaining and delicious experience.

In be past 2 months I've been dabbling in all things above and beyond just "gluten-free." Now, being gluten-free is nothing to balk at but at this point it's easy for me. The more you know how to be gluten-free, the more ways you know how to cheat being healthy (chips, snickers bars, candy in general...). It was time to up the anty.

I started with giving up cow dairy. That means no milk, no cow cheese (goat cheese still in the game), no ice cream, etc. I found it pretty easy as there are so many almond milk and coconut alternatives that are either just as tasty or better.

That gets me to the past two weeks. I have entered into a realm that I swore up and down I would never do as a gluten-free devotee. I went gluten-free vegan. Madness.

As a fairly savvy social media 30 something, I have become addicted to Instagram. Often I would post the gluten free food or restaurants that I have been to and tagged them with the proper monikers. And in return I would get likes or followers that are also interested in gluten-free living. One day as I was tooling around the "discovery" page I started seeing a new hashtag #veganmofo. 

Other than its apparent inappropriateness of the name, it seemed like a movement of some sort. And in fact it was. September is "Vegan month of food." There are people all over the world (literally) snapping pics and blogging about Veganism. And as I kept digging I realized there are thousands of people posting recipes daily. I was completely consumed by all the content and pretty pictures. I was in. Like all in. I've already made 3 plus recipes, have visited 5 vegan restaurants and posted 5 plus pics.

Now getting to the title of this post. In the midst of week 1 of Veganism, my cubemate/work partner in crime started a new diet as well. She is trying to reach the pure state of ketosis by giving up sugar 100%. As a recovering candy/sugar addict I see that as impossible. I'd liken the diet to the Atkins diet. She eats meat/salad/eggs/bacon/cheese. Pretty much the exact opposite of my diet.

Within our almost 2 weeks I have gained weight and she has lost weight. But this isn't about weight. This is about reaching optimal heath. I fear she is building up plaque in her arteries and she feels I'm consuming foods that are turing all to sugar (and then in turn fat). I feel like I'm a cancer fighting machine!

The diet wars begin. Stay tuned for updates in our challenge.

PB&J Smoothie

I have to start this food post by saying that this recipe is a complete rip of Protein Bar's "Pier-nut Butter & Jelly" smoothie...I hope they don't mind!

I don't normally crave smoothies during the work day however I was meeting a colleague for a quick meeting and rather than grab coffee on a hot day, a smoothie felt like a better option to get outside and enjoy the nice weather.

I ordered this smoothie and it was instant love. I can't even remember what I said in the meeting. I fell so in love that I had to recreate for home when I normally crave a smoothie post weekend lakefront run.

PBJ Smoothie

Dairy/Gluten free 

3/4 Cup Frozen Blueberries

1/4 Cup Frozen Strawberries

1/3 Banana

1 Scoop Vanilla Soy Protein

1 Cup Almond Milk

1 Large Spoonful Almond Butter

2-3 Ice Cubes

Throw it all into a blender and blend for at least a minute. Add a few tablespoons of water if your smoothie is too thick.

Yum.

Another Week Another Salad

As I mentioned in previous posts, I like to start off each work with the best of intentions. I get in a workout, I detox from alcohol and I have some kind of meat/vegetable combo for dinner.

Nothing unusual about this particular salad that I was prepping until I sat down to eat. This salad just looked pretty. In addition, the chicken was perfectly moist & seasoned and the salad leaves unique.

I introduce you to the Mache salad w/ BBQ smoked chicken, roasted red pepper & a Dijon balsamic vinaigrette.

Rise and Shine it's Florida Time

The title of this post is compliments of Ingrid Mackey...my Mom and fellow beach lover. My parents bought a timeshare in Marco Island, FL in the mid-80's and it became our regular vacation spot growing up. It's on the Gulf side in SW Florida in close proximity to Clear Water, Naples and Ft. Myers. As an adult I've had the luck of rekindling memories, most recently as an impromptu extended Mother's Day weekend.

As with any trip, even this sun soaked filled trip, it's all about the food food food. Now Marco is not notoriously know for its culinary adventures but they have seriously stepped up their game in the past few years.

Here are a few highlights:

Quinn's on the Beach 

Oh the sweet sweet Pina Colada. For me it is vacation in a cup. It's a requirement for any vacation. Per tradition, the 1st day Mom and I arrived in Marco, I dragged her over to the Marriott next door to grab a quick bite and a cocktail. Not only was the Pina Colada delicous, we were quite pleased with the ceviche and the arugula, watermelon, feta & shrimp salad. It was really the perfect start.

Starbucks! Ok I know this is not exciting, but when you are in a coffee dead zone, Starbucks is an oasis for a quick cup and Kind bar.

CJ's on the Bay 

Located in the new condo complex along Collier you'll find Starbucks and CJ's on the Bay. CJ's is a fish restaurant nestled along the boats. CJ's is by no means fine dining, but does provide a great outside patio, friendly waitstaff and fresh fish. Overall didn't blow our minds but was a great casual dinner.

Sal e Pepe 
Wow! Where do I start. This may be one of the best meals I've had all year. Located directly next to our condo building is a new hotel called Marco Beach (constructed in the past couple years). This Italian restaurant had it all. Beautiful patio with an ocean view, bold Super Tuscans by the glass, unique grilled squid, tender scallops with a beautiful mushroom sauce and for Mom a cavatelli (some type of fish ragu) that she is still salivating over.

Korals 

Sushi Takeout? Yup. Sometimes you just need a light take-out dinner while on vacation. The Marriott once again fit the bill for a quick good meal. The sushi menu was fairly extensive, the waitstaff was friendly & quick and the food itself was decent. A great option for a light dinner at the bar or take-out. And can't beat the location.

Baleen 
Mom and I took a quick overnight trip on our last night to Naples to go to a restaurant recommended by a friend. Located in a super cute almost Southern style hotel La Playa sits Baleen. Baleen I'd say is a New American/fish restaurant that has a great patio overlooking the grounds, beach and water. We had a lovely table with a friendly waitress. I can't say the food was as good as Sal e Pepe but definitely exceeded our expectations for SW FL. Mom ordered the Mother's Day prefix w/ a delish & unique gazpacho, a fish dish and finished with a creme brulee (the waitress was nice enough to subsitute for gluten free so that I could join in diving in). I had a ceviche that was fresh but a little tart and once again shocker the scallops which were perfectly cooked. This would be a great location for drinks before going out. Very relaxing with great views.


Happy Mother's Day Mom! What a great trip.

RPM Italian

For some time, I've been wanting to try out RPM Italian. Not necessarily because of the food rave reviews, but because being the pop culture junkie I am....it is Guiliana & Bill Rancic's new digs (and every celebrity to come through Chicago has made a stop).

Last week I made a reservation figuring I would find something gluten-free and edible on the menu, but was pleasantly surprised they had an entire gluten-free menu. A big one at that. I could have a flurry of appetizers, pastas, meats, fished, sides etc. 

Since I was with my alternative eating partner in crime, my Dad, I convinced him to go gluten-free and pescatarian for the meal so that we could share everything (he being the non-meat eater).

We decided on 4 dishes:

-A mushroom risotto

-Homemade g-free pappardelle w/ an Italian cheese, pepper  and ramps sauce

-Salmon w/ a pesto sauce

-Grilled prawns

What can I say, we absolutely dove in and couldn't stop eating. The risotto was perfectly cooked and seasoned. The mushrooms were so flavorful and plump. The pappardelle was so delicate and light you couldn't believe it could be any better (meaning non-gluten free). The Salmon was light, but could have used a touch more pesto sauce (but I fared perfectly fine by pairing the bites w/ the pasta or risotto). And lastly, the grilled prawns were good sized, flavorful and meaty.

A Mackey being a Mackey, we both ordered dessert: gelato (for Dad) and sorbet (for me). As you can tell by the photo it was a mountain of chocolate sorbet that I only successfully made it through half....and let me tell you it was so smooth is tasted like ice cream (and don't you just love that long spoon?).

Well done RPM, greatly exceeded my expectations for a "Celebrity" restaurant.

Food or Fuel

Today was a day that at times...I had two distinctly different needs for food.

Mid day, after running various errands, I needed fuel. I needed meat specifically. My meal did not have to be heavy, it just had to be protein rich, quick and sustainable. And what I mean by sustainable is that I wanted to abstain from hunger for 5 hours. I had plans to hit the dog park and had work to do. I decided on chicken salad from Whole Foods. No bread, obviously. I chose the curried salad filled with delicious Indian spices, big chunks of chicken, slivers of almonds and tiny raisins.

Later, for dinner, I needed food for the soul. When I was also at WF I also picked up one of my favorite frozen pizzas (Against the Grain). I chose the version with a pesto sauce as I'm trying to reduce my acidic intake. I needed a carb loaded rich flaky indulgence. I needed something to trigger all the senses. I mean it was Saturday. This day of all days is the time to do so. The weekend begs for indulgent foods that you can enjoy and lust after the rest of the week to get you excited for the next.

Your body tells you what it wants. Listen to it. Not your brain, it can lead you astray. It's not about what you should have, it's about what your body needs.

Prasino~ Brunch

I'm not sure what came first, Sex and the City or the weekend ladies brunch craze...but it has become a staple.

At least a few times a month I get together with girlfriends for gossip, mimosas and brunch, emphasis on the mimosa. (My friend Nicky post brunch pictured below)

Chicago is an amazing brunch town. There are endless options in each neighborhood. Although I've spent most of my time in Lincoln Park, I've tried to branch out to other areas of time to seek out new options.

I've found myself at the same brunch place twice in the past couple months due to some key elements...

Prasino offers:
-Fairly easy neighborhood parking
-Delicious classic mimosas and bellinis
-A gluten free marked menu (and vegetarian). And all the food is amazingly delicious and a ton of gluten free options including pancakes.
-The ability to make a reservation! This is killer as most places the hostess will greet you with an hour and a half wait list.

You'll find it on Division in Wicker Park or La Grange if suburbia is more your scene.