the circles of life

I couldn’t help myself…

From the morning we awoke from our slumber

And walking, stepped into the car

There’s more to crave than can ever be craved

More to eat than can ever be eaten

There’s far too much to indulge in here

More to taste than can ever be tasted

green tea, healthy me

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

 

the eggstravagant burger

This, my friends, is off the charts insane. I don’t know what came over me on this particular morning. I  mean, clearly, I don’t always eat the healthiest of things but I typically would never have gone this far. But I did. And I have no regrets.

The Committed Pig in Morristown is really the cutest place for breakfast and brunch. It’s small with a homey feel. On a Sunday, it’s important to get to this place early if you don’t want to wait on a long line.

Except, it’s  worth the wait so you should just go anyway no matter the time.

Anyway, first comes coffee. Not just a cup of coffee but a huge thermos of coffee given to you so that you can refill your cup as often as you’d like. I know you’re thinking, “That probably doesn’t stay fresh or hot”. But it does and it’s an awesome way to avoid the whole “wait for your waitress to come refill your cup” ordeal.

After sitting at the table for at least 10 minutes debating what to have for breakfast…

omelette you decide

It’s a very rare opportunity that I get to indulge in a delicious breakfast. For one, I wake up, get ready, commute to my job, and start working every morning all before 7 am during the week. On the weekends, I take the extra morning time to make sure I get a good workout in at the gym. (I have to-look at the stuff I eat).

Then, there are moments in time when a friend says she will commute 40+ minutes to go to a breakfast spot by me so that I can write a blog post (and for gossip purposes, of course), and I’m all for it!

We decided to go over the the Skylark Diner in Edison, NJ. You may have heard of this before because Guy Fieri visited this spot on his show “Diners Drive-Ins and Dives“. Guy’s main topic about this diner was the fact that it had a full service bar serving specialty cocktails, beer, and wine- which of course is a plus. However, the breakfast here is also one to talk about.

Spoiler alert:

dream cheese

After an all nighter sleep over with your girlfriends, the best thing to have in the morning is for someone to take care of breakfast for you. Something that is fast, easy, and delicious.

So, what’s a girl to do? You stop at Morristown Bagel and Deli to help you wake up and get enough energy to help you make it through the day.

Did I hit the jackpot with this place or what? Not only are the bagels freshly rolled and baked to perfection, but they also have a plethora of cream cheeses to choose from. Yes, I prefer cream cheese on a bagel to butter. It’s just the way I am.

Here are some examples of what they have to offer: Walnut Raisin, Bacon Scallion, Jalapeño Cheddar, Lox Spread, Strawberry Spread or Sundried Tomato Spread.

I said I wanted something easy but they make it extremely difficult to pick a cream cheese. The struggle was real at the decision moment.

bae goals

As I continue my search east and west, north and south for some creative bagels, I decided one morning to stop by a place that I pass everyday to get to work- Bagel Garden in Branchburg, NJ. 

It could be that I wake up at the crack of dawn, or that I am on autopilot for most of the morning, possibly even the fact that it is on the opposite side of the road for me that I never really considered messing up my morning routine to stop here. I mean God forbid that I make a left turn.

That’s asking alot from a person who has OCD. (Did I just make things weird for you? I’m 100% comfortable with my OCD and you should be too. I think it’s one of my best qualities. Wow-the power of positivity is really rocking my world lately).

But I learned many lessons that one fateful morning when I ventured out of my normal routine, made a left turn into a parking lot, and arrived at my job 5 minutes later than usual…

Some of the best things that happen are a result of breaking out of your comfort zone.

As I walked through the door at Bagel Garden, I was drawn to one thing and one thing only. It was all I could see. The “Power Bagel”. This 7-grain bagel with walnuts, raisins, and honey has ALOT to offer me.It’s everything I’ve been looking for. It provides me with a great balance of crunch, healthiness, sweetness, and savoriness all in a perfectly formed carb. (I’m a libra so I loved when things are balanced.)

 single       taken      HUNGRY

In all seriousness though, the bagel is a gentle giant. It looks tough and means business on the outside, but one bite and you enter into a dream world. The raisins and nuts keep things interesting by providing a bit of sweetness but also a little bit of edge in every bite. I feel strong and healthy. I don’t feel guilty about my detour at all. I actually feel like I am unstoppable, on top of the world, nothing can take me down now- I’ve acquired super powers. It’s helped me be the best me possible. Who knew something so powerful was in such close proximation?

Sometimes you don’t realize that what you want is staring right at your car every morning.

Location details: Bagel Garden, 1021 US Hwy 202 N, Branchburg, NJ 08876

 

 

jalapeno grill

((You actually have to say that pun out loud in order to get it. Try it!))

Bagels, along with macaroni and cheese, are one of the few things that I absolutely cannot say “no” to when they are in front of me. I have to have it and if I don’t, I drive myself crazy with cravings until I can have my own. So, it’s better to just cave in to the bagel and have one when I want one.

Typically, I enjoy a good everything bagel because I love all of the savory flavors that are induced into your mouth at one time. Ever since seeing the many, many awesome posts from The Bagel Store in Brooklyn, I’m on the hunt for something fun and creative in New Jersey. I’m sure nothing will beat the Bagel Store’s rainbow bagel but there has to be something different but delicious out there for me. After googling and yelping for many, many days, I finally decided that the first new bagel place I wanted to try was “Knot Just Bagels” in Woodbridge, NJ. 

Knot Just Bagels received rave reviews for their french toast bagel. And although intriguing, I was more interested in the “Cheddar Jalapeño” review.  It looked delicious with pieces of jalapeño all throughout the cooked dough and topped with cheddar cheese baked right into the center of the bagel. I had also heard from locals in the area that although their french toast bagel was the most popular, all of their specialty bagels are gone by 9am on the weekends. So, I not only had serious cravings but now a sense of urgency to fulfill these cravings.

top o’ the morning to ya

Unfortunately, my friend, Maria lives pretty far from me and I wish she lived around the corner so that we could see each other more often. Fortunately, she has many good places by her to eat! Like this one, The Twisted Elm in Elmwood Park, NJ. So a group of girls, who love each other a brunch, decided to get together.

From the outside, this place doesn’t look like it’s going to be anything special, but once you walk inside your completely transported to a quaint, rustic, dining area. The place’s decor has its own little quirks, like different colored mugs, but it just adds to the place’s authentic charm.

donut judge me

August 20, 2015

I’m back at it. Donuts.  I know you’re probably thinking “You just started, you can’t duplicate food yet”. Well, I just did and you’ll be thankful.

ps: Don’t judge me for eating so many donuts. I’m just trying to enjoy my life.

I’ve only been tagged in one photo on my Instagram account (shutupandeatwithme_nj) for this blog since I started about two months ago. The photo is a beautiful picture from Dana’s Desserts of Montclair Bread Company’s Donuts. Boy am I glad she tagged me in this picture. Even just looking at it now sends sugar cravings throughout my brain. I knew I wanted to try these donuts and I finally got the opportunity.

you donut know how much i love you so

wrap battle: round 1

August 11, 2015

I love wraps. Why do I love wraps so much? Wraps are very versatile. You can have wraps for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It’s true that you could have a sandwich for any of these meals but it just doesn’t seem right to me.  Wraps provide a little bit of variety to your ordinary deli visit. You can choose any ingredients that you want to put into a perfect little pouch. You can eat them without feeling SUPER guilty because the wrap itself is so thin unlike a thick roll, and this allows you to fully enjoy the flavors that lie within.

Aside from eating, I like to go to the gym to workout. One of my weekend routines is going to the gym early Saturday morning followed by breakfast (or lunch depending on the actual time and what I am craving) at a local deli. Super Duper Deli’s Breakfast wraps are honestly the best breakfast wraps I’ve ever had.