You’ll notice my meals this week weren’t quite as *exciting* or *adventurous* as last week, but that’s okay. Between starting my last semester of grad school (!!!) and unexpectedly having to replace my laptop (booo) I wasn’t left with a whole lot of free time for cooking or experimenting in the kitchen. But, fortunately a little weekend prep work and some freezer meals came to my rescue and made for some easy and delicious eats.
Breakfasts this week were nothing out of the ordinary. If you happen to be following me on Instagram, then you likely already know that I’m a pretty big fan of siggis yogurt (simple ingredients and amazing taste!). I had a few in my fridge that were nearing their expiration dates, so breakfasts this week were a no-brainer.
I filled this bowl with 2% siggis Pumpkin (RIP to one of my favorite seasonal flavors!) and topped it with chia seeds, pomegranate arils, sliced banana, leftover cinnamon roasted acorn squash, homemade granola, and a drizzle of peanut butter. You may be cringing at the thought of putting acorn squash on yogurt, but don’t knock it till you try it!
Smoothies also made an appearance in the breakfast rotation this week, thanks to the mini heat wave we experienced here in Ohio. I rarely ever measure the ingredients in my smoothies, but here’s a little run-down of what went into the blender: frozen banana, frozen wild blueberries, 4% siggis blueberry yogurt, frozen spinach, frozen zucchini, ground flaxseed, oats, cacao powder, powdered peanut butter, unsweetened vanilla almond milk, and a drizzle of maple syrup. Topped with chia seeds, homemade granola, shredded coconut, and more PB. It may look like pond scum, but I promise it tasted WAY better than it looks. Oh smoothie bowls, how I’ve missed you!
If you caught my post on Friday, then you can probably already guess what my lunches this week looked like. I made a batch of my Pomegranate Farro Mason Jar Salads over the weekend and ended up eating it for lunch almost every day this week. I’m usually not one for eating the same meal over and over again, but I seriously could not get enough of this salad! I ran out of mason jars, so a few of the salads were eaten out of regular Tupperware containers, but I promise they tasted just as good 😉
In case you haven’t caught on by now, convenience was the name of the game this week. So, when I wasn’t munching on pre-made salads, I kept things simple with leftovers from the freezer and avocado toast (my go-to when I’m short on time!) I prepped these Broccoli Cheddar Quinoa Bites last week using leftover ham and immediately popped them in the freezer. I used this recipe as a guide, but made a few modifications: I used 3 whole eggs in place of the 2 egg/2 egg white combo, broccoli instead of zucchini, sautéed yellow onion in place of green onion, and a few sprinkles of dried parsley in place of the fresh. I also baked them in a regular sized muffin tin and they turned out SO good! I have a feeling I’ll be recreating these with different flavor combos in the near future.
Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes tour of ClusterTruck, a delivery-only restaurant that recently expanded to downtown Columbus. The concept behind this business is pretty simple (bring fresh, quality food to you), but their delivery is what makes them unique. ClusterTruck uses technology to alert your driver when the food is going into the oven, so your driver is waiting and ready to go with your food the moment it’s ready. No more soggy, lukewarm delivery food! Their menu is inspired by food trucks and includes everything from Breakfast Burritos to Salads to Pad Thai and Mac & Cheese (all made in house from scratch). Unfortunately, their delivery radius is still pretty small, but it’s a great concept for anyone who lives or works in downtown Columbus!
Other dinners this week included pizza with friends and more leftovers from the freezer. I had some leftover Curried Beet & Quinoa Veggie Burgers in the freezer that needed to be used up, so we had those for dinner two nights this week. Kyle ate his on a bun, while I tossed mine on top of a bed of spinach with a hodgepodge of leftover roasted veggies and Pomegranate Balsamic Vinaigrette. Plus a side of (unpictured) Rosemary Triscuits with hummus. Simple, easy, delicious!
I was on the go a lot this week, so snacks were mostly prepackaged convenience foods (nothing wrong with that, though!) GoMacro sent me a few of their new flavors to try out and they’ve been making for the perfect afternoon pick-me-up, especially when they’re paired with a cup of hot tea (and side of chipped nail polish). I’ve been a fan of this brand ever since I tried some of their bars at FNCE this year and their new flavors definitely did not disappoint. The Blueberry Cashew flavor reminds me of a blueberry muffin!
Despite all of the yummy meals that were had this week, it was dessert that took the cake (no pun intended). Dan, the mastermind behind Indulgence Ice Cream, was kind enough to provide me with some samples of his homemade ice cream last week and YOU GUYS – this stuff is incredible! Not only are all of his ice creams handmade and free of preservatives and other additives, but they’re also made with high quality ingredients, like homemade nut butters and fruit compotes. Plus, there’s just nothing like homemade small batch ice cream, amiright?!
Kyle and I have been capping off most nights with a little ice cream tasting party (gotta balance out all of those salads, right?!) and we still can’t seem to decide on our favorite flavors. A few top contenders are: Vanilla Chocolate Chip with Raspberry Swirl (reminds me of one of my favorite flavors as a kid!), Mascarpone with Bourbon Roasted Cherries (uhhh, need I say more?!), Cashew Caramel (homemade cashew butter AND homemade caramel?! count me in), and Belgian Bliss (cookie. butter. ice. cream.). Now do you see why I can’t pick just one favorite?!
If you’re local to Columbus, you can find some of Dan’s ice creams, gelatos, and on rotation at La Tavola in Grandview (and a few other rotating restaurants) or you can also request private orders through his Instagram and Facebook accounts. Yay for supporting small local (and yummy) businesses!
Alright, that does it for this week! Hope you all have a great week! xo
Hey, Kara these recipe seems awesome I will definitely try them all.
Thanks, Supriya! Let me know what you think 🙂