Brunch at Home

If you know New Yorkers, you know that we love our brunch.  Each weekend, sometime between 11 AM and 4 PM, we roll out of bed and head out to one of our favorite brunch joints--and there are many.

The thing about brunch in the City is that it can get really expensive, really fast.  $20 per person, with drinks, is about as cheap as they come; this afternoon, my honey and I dropped $37 each for a delicious brunch at a nearby restaurant.


So, in an effort to save a bit o' cash (since we are getting married in a few months, and the budget somehow keeps growing), I decided to cook us a restaurant-style brunch here at home.  


Check out what we ate . . . avocado, cheddar, and veggie omelette for me; ham and cheddar for him.

Sauteed zucchini, onions, and red peppers, ready to fill my omelette.  I sauteed them in ghee instead of olive oil, which gave them a nice blackening, almost like they were caramelizing. Were they?  Someone out there can tell me for sure!

Yes, that's cheese that you see!  Tillamook Extra Sharp Cheddar is especially delicious when you are eating cheese for the first time in six months!  One of the unexpected benefits of cutting out grains and sugar.

I was very proud when my omelette slid out of the pan perfectly.  Added some Boars Head bacon on the side (they didn't have any organic--sad) for a delicious combo.

a ham and cheese beauty for the love of my life

He likes to eat off of plastic plates.  I don't.  I like placemats.  He could do without them.  To each our own.

I've been avoiding having real brunches lately, as I assumed I'd miss the grains (in delicious whole-grain toast) and sugar (in some preserves, juices, and brunch-friendly cocktails).  I always choose savory egg dishes over the sweet, pancake-type ones anyway, and now that I'm not eating anything with sugar or flour, it's great to know I can still have a fulfilling brunch without feeling like I'm sacrificing a great eating experience.


I was a little pooped from teaching yoga all morning, grocery shopping, and then cooking, so there were no drinks with our brunch . . . but later, I did some juicing, which I'll plan to share soon.


My omelette was inspired by one I had at a great bar last week--bacon, peppers, onions, and cheddar--and expanded from there depending on what I had in the fridge. I'd love to hear what others have done to create a restaurant-like experience at home.  In many cases, it's just as delicious to cook it yourself.

Brunch for dinner, anyone?
More soon,
Francie

An Eating Rollercoaster

Eating's been tough lately.

I've been dealing with some digestive challenges that have led to a lifestyle change I never thought I'd make:  a very strict diet.


I hate the connotations of the word "diet."  I'm not trying to lose weight, to fit into my wedding dress, or to be a "skinny girl."  In fact, if I didn't have to, I wouldn't have changed a thing about my eating (except to become more adventurous!). Instead, this decision was spurred by the recommendation of an integrative health specialist who I am working with in hopes of curing some long-term digestive issues (otherwise known as IBS, or Irritable Bowel Syndrome--horrible name, I know, but a lot of us out there know it well. And by long-term, we're talking half my life here.)


So, for the first time in my life, I have completely given up grains and refined sugar.  Giving up the sugar isn't so bad; eating grain-free seems like torture at times.


And more than anything else, I've been shocked by the emotions that have come with this experience.  When you pride yourself on eating what you want, and you're suddenly very restricted; and when you go a few days feeling fine and then spend 48 hours on your back because you're weak and in pain--your emotions are thrown into relief.  During this challenging time, I also find myself more present than ever, a feeling that reminds me of a period when I meditated at least 20 minutes each day.  And, on some days, my stomach feels better than it has in years.


It's called the Gut and Psychology diet (GAPS), and I have this to say about the title:  They're not joking. These two words together describe what I've been going through as I follow it.  You can read about it here:  http://www.gapsdiet.com/
I don't know how how permanent some of these changes will be--I'm following this for another week or so, then meeting with the specialist again to determine what our next steps are--but I do know that it's important for me to share it with you, the people I love, because it's a huge part of my life right now, and I need your support. 


And most of all, I feel confident that this journey will turn into something grand--that somehow, it's leading more toward a more whole life.

Check out these pictures of some of the things I can eat at the moment.  And thanks for being there. Sharing this experience will help keep me sane.


Eat what you can, and enjoy it . . .
Francie

A very green stir-fry (sauceless and riceless, but with fresh ginger)

Chicken really isn't very pretty cooked by itself, but I had to keep some of the stir-fry vegetarian.

I sprinkled cashews atop the aforementioned stir-fry.  Can't have roasted/salted nuts, so these were raw.

One of my most decadent meals of late--eggs sauteed with ghee, which is this amazing thing called clarified butter.  I don't understand it yet, but I love it!

Rediscovering a childhood favorite (that I don't ever remember eating as a child):  ants on a log.  The peanut butter has nothing but peanuts--it's Brad's Organic, a brand I really like. 

Thank goodness for Red Jacket Orchards Apple Strawberry Juice--I bought a case this week and have been downing at least one of these a day.  They are made with only fruit and are a true treat!

I can have pickles!  Very exciting for this pickle-lover.  These beauties were homemade by my friend Kyle.  They are sweet, sour, and a bit spicy all at the same time!

Proof that one can stick to this diet when eating NYC take-out:  a delicious beef burger, avocado, steamed string beans, and a homemade pickle.  My most filling meal so far!

Winetasting . . . in Winter

It's been a tough winter here in NYC.  Even now, as we get tastes of spring every few days, the cold weather seems to keep coming back.  So, when things get really cold, a person has two choices--hunker down, or get creative.  When I'm not hunkering down, I prefer the latter. :-)

Not too long ago, some good friends and I had this creative idea for beating the winter blues:  a winetasting tour in Long Island, complete with a limo.  There were eight of us--four couples, cheesy but true.  And speaking of cheese, one of the best parts of the deal was that we could bring our own lunch. Because business is slow at these vineyards in winter, we were even allowed to spread out our picnic at one of our tasting locations, Vineyard 48 (typically, they don't allow you to bring your own food--you have to buy theirs).  We got to choose 3-4 vineyards from a list (clearly we chose 4), and we were thrilled to find out that the limo driver would pick us up in Manhattan, at a location of our choice.  SCORE!

This is the limo in Manhattan.  I just wanted to prove that it picked us up in Manhattan. For those who don't live here, that's a Gristedes behind the limo.  (No, I don't buy my groceries there--unless I'm really desperate.)

Our first stop, Macari Vineyards.  Can't wait to go back in the summer--this place is beautiful.

eatin' it up at Vineyard 48

the other side of the table

shot of our food--fruit salad, veggies and chips with hummus, cheese, salami . . .

How pretty are these wine bottles?

tasting port at Osprey's Landing--that's my silly friend Trenton in the background.  Don't mind him.  Liked this port so much I bought a bottle, which we then shared over dinner a week later.

Our last stop, with some solid wines.

white on white

snacking on chocolate on the way back

Miriam and I show off our truffles.

The price wasn't bad for a day's getaway--about $100 each person including the limo and all tastings--and the experience was, as Mastercard would say . . . priceless.

Can't wait to head back in the summer!

Stay tuned,

Francie