Archive for ‘Coffee’

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July 19, 2012

Collin Comes to Town :: Part 1 – Seattle Restaurants

by Stephanie

So as I mentioned in my quick recap of my goings-on in July, my darling boyfriend took a whole 12 days off from work to come visit me on the other side of the country!  He must like me or something? ;)

It’s 2,554 miles from Rochester to Wenatchee – 500 miles 5 times over.  Although, he definitely did not walk, duh.

Prior to his visit, we created a google map {which I highly recommend you do before your next vacation – helped keep us so organized} of all the locations, and restaurants, and tourist traps we wanted to visit, which I then took and created an itinerary for us based on what was closest to what.  jam. packed.

On our first day, we decided that it was critical that we hit up The 5 Point Cafe for celebratory morning mimosas.

“Alcoholics Serving Alcoholics.”

And they ain’t lyin’. There were dudes in there drinking beer and mixed drinks at 8 in the morning. So being on vacation and all, we joined right in and placed orders for pint glass mimosas with our obviously hung over waiter. It was the day after the Fourth of July, after all. #nothatin’

The place had tons of stuff to look at. The walls were covered with stickers. And there were bras thrown on some sort of moose head…

C-Love checking out the scenery.

Not the location of mother’s day brunch, but certainly a fun way to kick off vacation. Plus, the food rocked!

It may have just been the giant mimosa talking…

I got a vegetarian scramble {with vegetarian bacon – who woulda guessed at a place like this!  Seattle rocked it out in the vegetarian arena.  Major props.} and C-dawg got a huge omelet. We split some pancakes.

A successful first meal for sure. In fact, we ate great all.trip.long.

Here are the highlights of the places we ate and drank for any of you traveling to the Seattle area:

After 5 Point, we headed down to Pike’s Place Market, but first we needed to stop and get coffee.

Well, coffee and a doughnut.

That would be a maple bar [for you poor, deprived East Coast folks] something, I could not believe, Collin had never tried before.  Delicious.

Next up: Pike’s Place Market!

Which we will save for the next installment.

Until then…

Rock it out!

Posted in Breakfast, Coffee, Dining Out, Dinner, Lunch, New Things, Vegetarian | 4 Comments »

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March 30, 2012

It’s a Party!

by Stephanie

Well hello baby loves.

Last night we celebrated something awesome… KATIE’S Birthday!

We went to Lento, which was absolutely divine.

Here is a brief description found on their website:

“A truly gourmet experience, everything from the bread on your table to the dessert at the end of your meal is made completely from scratch.  Lento features daily menu changes along with an emphasis on locally grown and organic food.“

The food, drinks, and company was amazing.

We, of course, started out with a round of drinks.  And to our delight, Thursday nights are buy one cocktail, get the second free!

Greyhound
Grapefruit Vodka, grapefruit juice, grapefruit bitters

Something Wicked…
Kaffir Lime Vodka, coconut rum, carrot, orange, cilantro

Pisco Sour
Pisco, lemon, lime, egg white, bitters

I’ve been on a Pisco Sour kick lately.  While this was good, I think I still prefer Good Luck’s.

Next up was a variety of oysters on the half shell.

Katie had to convince both Annie and I to give them a try…

We both worked up the courage to give them a go!  I’ll try anything once!

Definitely a success! They were very good!

Our meals arrived shortly after…

Annie: Parsnip and spinach cakes with curried lentils in a carrot ginger sauce (vegan)

Katie: Spicy shrimp coconut soup with rice and cilantro

Stephanie: Cavatelli pasta, wild mushrooms, Red Russian kale, tomato sauce, Pecorino Romano topped with toasted bread crumbs (Obviously, I was not following my low FODMAPs diet last night!)

Oh my goodness. This was to. die. for. The rich flavors, the exquisite combination of textures, ohhhhh… I can’t wait for lunch time leftovers! My mouth is watering.

More oysters!

More drinks!

The Red Queen
Mandarin Blossom Vodka, peach blossom liqueur, blood orange syrup, lime

The Main Squeeze
Chinaco Blanco Tequila, Aperol, grapefruit, lime, ginger

We can’t forget dessert!

Espresso ice cream filled profiteroles.

All three of us are coffee addicts, so the dessert decision was an easy one to make.

Then it was across the courtyard to Salena’s for birthday margaritas!

Margaritas must be had on birthday’s.  It’s a rule.

Happy Birthday Katie!

Now time to run, cook, and rest up before part 2 of the celebration!  Oh yes, nutrition girls know how to do it up right!

Have a great Friday!

Posted in Coffee, Dining Out, Dinner, Friends, Local, New Things, Nutrition Major, Parties, Rochester, Vegan, Vegetarian | 2 Comments »

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December 12, 2011

Coffee Sweet Coffee

by Stephanie

I don’t know about you, but on Monday mornings coffee is my lifeblood.

I actually prefer my coffee with milk and sugar. ;)

 

Coffee sometimes gets a bad rep.  I get a lot of people asking me, should I be cutting coffee out of my diet?

 

When those words leave their lips, my world comes screeching to a halt.

I try desperately try not to look at them like this…

I resist the urge to exclaim, “You must be crazy!”

I calmly respond, “Coffee has lots of beneficial properties!”

 

Phew. Dodged that bullet.

 

So unless your coffee looks like this…

I say drink up!

 

Coffee Fun Facts

  • In the US, 150 million people over the age of 18 drink coffee
  • A 12 oz skim latte can have as much as 30% your total daily calcium needs
  • Coffee in moderation has shown to decrease the risk for heart disease, diabetes, dementia, and other diseases
  • Coffee contains antioxidants which help fight cancer-causing free radicals
  • Researchers have found that coffee increases student concentration (that’s reason enough for me!)
  • Women who drink coffee have a lower risk for depression

 

Remember, as with all good things, it’s all about moderation!  Don’t forget that coffee is also a diuretic, so follow you morning cup o’ joe with a big glass of water!

 

Happy Monday!

Posted in Coffee, Nutritional Factoid | 2 Comments »

April 23, 2011

Q&A: Cream and Sugar Kickstart Alternatives

by Stephanie

I received this great question from one of my readers:

Morning Routine:

I realize 9 times out of 10, I start my day with about 2 tablespoons of refined sugar and about 4 ounces of fatty cream.  I’m talking about my morning coffee of course.

I’m sure a lot of people will tell you, “There is no way I’m giving up my morning coffee and I don’t want to drink it black either.”
So with that, What are some healthy alternatives to the Cream and Sugar kickstart?

I LOVE this question. Love, love love! I am a firm believer in nixing the white stuff in your diet.

Let’s talk natural alternatives. 

Agave nectar: Sweeter than honey, but a more neutral taste.  Available in liquid form. Agave will easily dissolve in cold drinks (iced coffee, anyone?)  Agave nectar is extracted from the Blue Agave Cactus. Raw agave syrup has a low glycemic index and is absorbed into the body much slower than sugar. It eliminates the highs and lows experienced with eating refined sugar.   
60 calories per 1 Tbs.

Honey: Honey in coffee? Sounds weird, but it’s delicious! It’s sweeter than sugar and available in liquid (which is what I use) and crystal form. Derived from the nectar of flowers gathered by bees. Very romantic, no? Anti-bacterial and anti-microbial. 
64 calories per 1 Tbs.

Molasses: I LOVE molasses – but not in my coffee. Good to know it’s out there, though.It’s unrefined/unprocessed and make sure to use the unsulfured stuff.  
58 calories per 1 Tbs.

Sucanat:   It is dehydrated, unprocessed sugar cane juice in the form of fine, ground golden-brown crystals. It’s better for baking and will dissolve quicker. Since it maintains its innate molasses, Sucanat has been proven to possess the most nutritional content of any sweetener from the sugar cane plant. The molasses adds a certain richness and also contains significant amounts of iron and calcium. Sucanat possesses far fewer calories than white sugar.  
45 calories per 1 Tbs.

Turbinado: You’ve seen me use this in my B. Bread Recipe. It comes in coarse ground crystals, which require a good stir in your morning coffee to get it all to dissolve.  When making Turbinado, the juice from the sugar cane plant is extracted, heated and then turned into crystals. This type of sugar does not preserve much of its original molasses content, although it is often used in recipes as a substitute for brown sugar. Like Sucanat, Turbinado also contains far fewer calories than white sugar.  
45 calories per 1 Tbs.

Sugar is easy.  Creamer is a little more difficult…

Cream or creamers can have anywhere from 40-90 calories. In addition, some contain saturated fat and/or trans fat. Yikes!

Skim milk: is the obvious best choice at only 10 calories per 2 tablespoons, but making the jump from full-fat to skim can be jarring.  Ease your way down starting with 2%, then 1% and finally down to skim.  Give your tastebuds time to re-adjust!


If you still turn your nose up to the thought of adding skim milk, there are a few other options:

Fat-Free Evaporated Milk:  Obviously this is a more processed choice and definitely not natural, but if you are looking for a creamier alternative, try this.   
25 calories per 2 Tbs.

Soy Creamer: Once again, more processed.  It has less fat and calories than your typical whole milk creamer, but some preservatives, stabilizers, and a little added sugar. BUT it’s Vegetarian!  
30 calories per 2 Tbs.

  

Coconut Milk:  Go with unsweetened. Preservatives and stabilizers in this too. TONS of health benefits adding a little coconut into the diet. Source of vitamins, minerals and electrolytes. Also, vegetarian.
15 calories per 2 Tbs.

So there you go!  A few options to try out and see which one tastes best to you! TASTE TEST! :)

Posted in Breakfast, Coffee, Nutritional Factoid, Q and A | 3 Comments »

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