Summer time is coming! Although it doesn’t actually feel like it or even look like it here in New Jersey, I’m preparing for the rain to clear, the temperature to rise, and the sun to shine. For those of you who know me, I’m a planner so this completely makes sense. Bikini season is coming!
What better way to plan for that bathing suit weather than to begin by eating healthy. I once read (a meme on pinterest) that abs are made in the kitchen, not in the gym. I’m not exactly sure how accurate that statement is but when I skip a gym day, I certainly believe I can make up for it by eating healthy(er).
On this day, I didn’t eat breakfast, skipped the gym, worked on my meditation by laying in bed extra long, and finally got up to meet my friend for a long awaited, healthy brunch at Raymond’s in Montclair.
This is such a cute little diner type restaurant that hosts a large crowd. Because it wasn’t raining and the table was available, my friend and I decided to eat outside. The menu has a variety of options and it was honestly hard to decide what I actually wanted to eat. Being the good food stalker that I am, I looked around at other people’s plates to see what they were ordering. Let’s just say, it didn’t help because everything looked so good!
Since again, it was slightly chilly, I decided to order a warm beverage. A matcha green tea latte.
If you’ve never heard of matcha, it is a VERY healthy version of green tea. And regular green tea is already healthy. It has protein, fiber, caffeine, iron, potassium, and vitamin C! Matcha is made from pulverized green tea leaves. The powder dissolves in boiling water or milk. This really gives the drink a frothy, and grassy type taste. I know grassy doesn’t sound that great but if you add a little bit of sugar or honey-it’s amazing! I’ve tried to make matcha lattes at home, it’s good but it isn’t this good! I certainly can’t make that fancy milk design-that’s for sure.
Going with the green theme, I decided to order the avocado toast. This is also something I’ve tried to make at home because it looks so good in those pinterest posts but it just never comes out the way I expect it too.
This was amazing! A large piece of ciabatta toast held a heaping pile of avocado, tomato salsa, and two perfectly cooked poached eggs. For garnish, paprika. On the side, salsas and pickled vegetables. This dish is simple but intricate. Bite by bite, you cut through the crunchy toast and the smooth mashed avocado. When you get to the egg, the yolk runs all over your plate and works as a perfect, buttery, dipping sauce. This not only satisfied your taste buds but also yours eyes. The colors of bright, green, red, orange, and yellow could brighten any sort of day.
After I finished my last bite, just as I predicted, the clouds started to part and the sun was shining. Good thing, I was prepared.
I absolutely want to go to Raymond’s again. I love any place that can make healthy options just as delicious and satisfying as a basket of mozzarella sticks. It’s a perfect lazy Sunday eatery.
For more information visit: Raymond’s NJ
shut up and eat with me 