Travel

I Took The Night Off

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Last night I took the night off from cooking, from my cleanse and from all other household duties to take advantage of Vermont Restaurant Week.  A month ago before I decided to work on a new cleanse I had made reservations for the Hubz and I at The Bearded Frog for restaurant week and since proceeds go to a good cause and the restaurant isn’t in our normal price range we decided to take advantage of their three course tasting menu.  Here are the details on Vermont Restaurant Week from their site:

Q. What is Vermont Restaurant Week?
A. From April 29-May 5, participating restaurants will offer special, prix-fixe menus showcasing their chefs’ greatest dishes. Those menus will feature discounted, three-course “tasting-style” dinners (e.g. appetizer, entreé and dessert) priced at $15, $25 or $35 per person. The week also includes a special calendar of special, food-themed events.

Q. How does Vermont Foodbank benefit?
A. 10% of the proceeds from event admissions, sponsorships and restaurant participation fees will be donated to Vermont Foodbank. Restaurant-goers can donate $10 via text messageor make a web donation in our Virtual Food Drive will be launched on this website to allow diners to donate to the Foodbank.

Originally we were going to try a few different restaurants but then decided due to the cleanse and the fact that the other restaurants that interested us are ones we visit often that it would be best to choose just one.  After perusing the veggie friendly menus on the Vermont Restaurant Week site we settled on The Bearded Frog, the only menu that actually said they had a vegan option.  We had heard great things about the restaurant but had never visited it due to the fact that it isn’t close to our home and that there is one vegan option that goes for $19 a plate.

We arrived at the restaurant and were promptly seated out our reserved table in the corner, which I really loved because it up’d the romance factor along with the dim lighting and warm colors.  We placed a drink order, prosecco for me and beer for him, and then we got down to business and ordered from the tasting menu (the only vegan options in each category). 

Appetizer Course: The salad was very simple yet fresh and the lemon-herb vinaigrette was truly delicious. We paired it with some fresh bread with oil and vinegar instead of the butter and the blue cheese crostini that was to go with the salad.

Appetizer: Baby Mixed Greens With lemon-herb vinaigrette

Bread with olive oil and balsamic

Entree Course: For our entree we enjoyed the vegan version of Spicy Corn and Black Bean Pudding With blue-corn tortilla, dirty rice, avocado compound butter, tofu tomato purée. Instead of the avocado compound butter we received a guacamole. The dish was really delicious however if that is what you get for $19 on the regular menu I’d rather stay home and re-create it for $5.

Entree: Spicy Corn and Black Bean Pudding With blue-corn tortilla, dirty rice, guacamole, tofu tomato purée.

Dessert Course: I would have to say the dessert was probably my favorite thing on the menu and something that I would definitely spend the money to come back and have again. The vegan dessert option was a trio of sorbets which included avocado lime, strawberry & 30 year old aged balsamic and mango violet. All three were really amazing but the show stopper was the avocado lime. It was super creamy and tasted just like ice cream, the Hubz and I both just couldn’t stop raving about it all night….honestly I still can’t stop raving about it.

Dessert Course: trio of sorbets which included avocado lime, strawberry & 30 year old aged balsamic and mango violet

Overall: We had a really wonderful time at The Bearded Frog and the food was really delicious.  I am not sure that I would go back for dinner due to the high price of the vegan option but I would go back every day just for the sorbet.  On another note I saw a number of really beautiful plates of food coming out of the kitchen and if you are vegetarian try the (unfortunately note vegan) crispy tofu cakes because they probably taste as good as they looked.

Eating Healthy While On Vacation

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The Hubz and I love to travel however one of the biggest challenges when traveling is eating. Here are my tips for eating well on vacation:

The Hubz & I in DC- November 2010

Planes, Trains & Buses

  • Plan where you/what are going to en route
    • Avoid fast foods
    • Bring a picnic with you; pack sandwiches, fruit and a vegetables.
  • Pack healthy snacks
    • Who food energy bars, whole grain crackers with nut butter, homemade trail mix, hummus and veggies
  • Avoid becoming dehydrated on flights by avoiding soda, alcohol, juice and coffee; instead sip club soda or water.

Healthy Eats at Jet Blue Terminal at JFK Airport

Road Trip

  • Pack a cooler with healthy foods
    • Fruit
    • Vegetables & Hummus
    • Bean Salads
    • Nuts & Seeds
    • Whole Grain Bread & Crackers
    • Fruit Spreads & Nut Butters
  • Stop at markets along the way and restock your cooler with healthy foods
  • If your only option is fast food look for the healthiest options
    • Order off the kids menu
    • Look for places with salad bars, vegetable sides, wraps or sandwiches.
      • Healthier Fast Food Options:
        • Panera- try the great selection of salads, soups and sandwiches
        • Au Bon Pain- try their great selection of vegan soups and salads
        • Chipotle- stick to the veggie burrito bowls or salads, however avoid the dairy, chips and tortillas.
        • Boloco- they offer brown rice, whole wheat wraps, organic tofu and a great selection of veggies, however avoid sugar and high calorie sauces, instead top yours with a fresh salsa and tons of veggies.
    • Scope out grocery store and health food stores prepared foods and salad bars.

Road Trips Snacks - Girls Weekend 2010

Room Service & Restaurants

  • Enjoy a soup or salad with and appetizer or share an entree- this will help in controlling portions; you can still enjoy delicious food but you will be saving your wallet and waistline.
  • Avoid the mini bar; Stock your hotel room with healthy snacks so you won’t be tempted to eat the high calorie (and high priced) snacks that the hotel stocks in your room.
  • Do research; if you take nothing else away from this post it should be this.  Take the time to research restaurants, cafes, coffee shops, natural food stores and markets before you travel.  You will be able to make more conscious choices if you already know your options.  You will also be able to scope out the best places to eat so you can enjoy your experience to it’s fullest.

Hotel Room Breakfast- Oats w/nut butter & figs

    Cruising

    • Stick to your regular eating schedule; I know I already said this above and it applies to any vacations but while cruising (and visiting all inclusive resorts) this is when it is most important to stick to your schedule.  You will have food available to you 24 hours a day and for many this means over indulging.  Additionally remember to only eat when you’re hungry!
    • Load up on fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
    • Limit your desserts
    • Avoid too may sugary drinks, stick to light beers, wine and clear drinks.  If you want something fruity try seltzer with your choice of clear alcohol and a splash of fruit juice.  Also don’t forget to make sure you stay hydrated! Drink your water!

    Hubz and I crusing- i kept dried fruit snacks in my bag (you can see them popping out if you look hard)

    Top Healthy Eating Travel Tips:

    • Stick to your regular eating schedule
    • Stock up on healthy snacks
    • Make conscious decisions when choosing to enjoy a poolside drink or that special indulgence dessert
    • Do you research! Find restaurants and health food markets at your destination that have healthy options.

    What are you top healthy travel tips?

    Date Night at The Scuffer

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    Yesterday the rain finally took a break and it was hot and sunny out. I decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather and did C25K day one of week 2. It was a great run/walk and I am excited to keep going and finally running my first 5k. Yes you read correctly I am (finally) going to run a 5k! The Hubz and I are going to run the Old Port Half Marathon & 5k together and our friends are running the 1/2 marathon. We are both really excited and are working to get up to running a full 5k. If you are running this left me know!

    After a hot and sweaty run the Hubz and I decided to take advantage of the beautiful night and head downtown for a beer and half of veggie burgers at The Scuffer. We were hoping to sit on the patio but of course we weren’t the only ones out to enjoy the beautiful weather so we had to sit inside. The beer and half off veggie burgers was (almost) worth sacrificing sitting out in the beautiful weather.

    It’s funny The Scuffer has been around for years, it used to be The Rusty Scuffer – I think it changed owners and the name changed (correct me if I’m wrong) and we had never thought to go there until a few months ago.  A few months ago we were looking for somewhere new to go and I just happened to check out their menu online and saw that on Wednesday’s they have half off burgers with a drink purchase, so I called and asked if their veggie burger was vegan and it is (oh and it’s homemade too double win).   The other thing that I love about The Scuffer is their extensive beer menu that is filled with local beers and a number of great microbrews and their prices are really good too.

    Last night the Hubz and I both got veggie burgers with fries and no bun and we each ordered a beer.  I wanted the Dogfish Aprihop but they were all out (because it’s just that good) so I decided to go with McNeil’s Extra Special Bitter and the Hubz got the Rock Art Midnight Madness; we really liked both of them. Overall we had a great date night out at The Scuffer and will continue going on for the Wednesday special because you just can’t beat the beer, the burger and the prices.

    Vermont Vegan: Vermont Pub & Brewery

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    Vermont Pub & Brewery (VPB) is a popular spot among locals and guests to Burlington.  They have a variety of housemade brews and serve local wines.  As most people know it can be hard to find vegan options when dining out especially at a brew pub but VPB has exceed expectations with their list of vegan friendly items check it out:

     

     

     

     

     

    Vermont Pub and Brewery Vegan Options

    • Soup, Salad & Chili:
      • Mesclun Salad
      • Spinach Salad
      • Caesar Salad – without cheese & with House Vinaigrette or Oil & Vinegar
    • Appetizers:
      • Spud Skins – plain
      • Salsa & Chips
    • On The Side:
      • Basket of Brewhouse Fries
      • Sweet Potato Fries
      • Beer-Battered Onion Rings
    • Hot Sandwiches:
      • Veggie Mushroom Philly – without cheese (with bread, not roll)
      • Portabella Mushroom – without cheese (with bread, no bun)
      • VPB Wrap – without cheese
      • Toasted BLT – Lettuce & Tomato (no bacon)
    • Brewery Sandwich Fare:
      • Vegetarian Rolli Polli – without cheese
    • Desserts:
      • Apple Crisp

    So the next time you are in Burlington and want good food, local beer and a fun atmosphere I recommend you head to VPB!

    Snowcation…..I’d Rather Be On Vacation

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    “Vermont Shuts Down

    With Snow Over the Top”

    With headlines like the one above I can’t help but want to go on vacation. The Hubz and I are heading to Portland for VidaVeganCon but we are looking forward to an adventurous vacation, preferably with no snow in 2012.  So we have been thinking about it and are compiling a list of destinations and hopes of figuring out the costs so we can start saving our pennies now. This is where you come in- I am looking for any suggestions you have the only requirements are:

    1. NO SNOW (or at least no more than on the tip tops of mountains)
    2. Adventurous and/or eco-tour or a place that we can participate in things like hiking, ziplines, surfing, other outdoors activities.

    So what ideas do you have? Have you done any adventure or eco-tours?

    You Had Me At Cornbread

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    This past Saturday we finally made it to Angelica Kitchen, a restaurant that has been on my “To Try” list for years. We met up with my girlfriend Cate for lunch at noon which was perfect timing because the place filled up quickly and within 20 minutes there was a long waiting list. It took a while or us to make a decision as to what we wanted to get because there are so many really yummy sounding dishes on the menu.

    To start the Hubz and I ordered the Angelica Cornbread, a wheat free cornbread that I have heard raving reviews about on a number of blogs. Now this is not your traditionally fluffy cornbread, it is dense and filled with whole grains. It is really delicious and worth the raving about. We also ordered a side of the miso tahini spread to go with it; it was good but the cornbread would have been fine on it’s own.

    For my main dish I decided to go with the special of the day which was tofu with a chickpea miso sauce, veggies, quinoa pilaf and an Asian guacamole. I thought that the dish was really good and I loved the Asian guacamole; then again I love anything with avocado. Although the dish was really tasty and made with high quality ingredients I have to say at $16 the dish was a little pricey for what I got but oh well it was still delicious and (almost) worth it.

    The Hubz went with the Thai Me Up entree which is An All Raw Entree – delicate strands of daikon radish, butternut squash & carrot, on a bed of garlic-lemon marinated kale, dressed with Thai tahini sauce. This dish was absolutely incredible and I am so jealous that I didn’t get it. We both really loved the noodles and the sauce but the star was the garlic-lemon marinated kale; it was incredible. This is a dish that I would recommend you order whether as the entree or the smaller appetizer version.

    Cate ordered the Warm Roasted Vegetable Salad A seasonal selection of roasted vegetables tossed with arugula
    in a balsamic vinaigrette and garnished with garlic crostini spread with creamy hummus. I only tried a small bite of one of the veggies which was really tasty so I can’t really tell you overall how the dish was but lets just say there wasn’t anything left when Cate was done. Cate also got a soy chai tea which she raved about and went back for seconds.

    Overall this has easily become one of my favorite restaurants in NYC; I think that the price can be a little high for everyday eating but it is a great spot to visit when you are in the city. I am ready to head back and try everything else on the menu.

    Go Nuts Dough Nuts!

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    The first time I ever went to Babycakes NYC I was disappointed by the cupcakes, finding them dry and just not as exciting as I had hoped they would be.  Since then I haven’t had much of an interest in visiting Babycakes until I heard about their donuts.  Since  you don’t come across vegan donuts everyday the Hubz and I decided since we were already in the neighbourhood that we would stop in and try a few.

    After much debate and a little help from the girl behind the counter we decided on the french toast and the salted caramel along with one their heart shaped chocolate covered coconut mound.  Immediately after we walked out the door we decided to dive right in and started with the french toast donut.  The donut was out of this world! It tasted just like french toast! It was warm and mapley and caramely and oh so good.  Next we tried the salted caramel which was also super sticky and delicious.  We both agreed though that the french toast was the better of the two.

    We held out on the chocolate coconut mound until the next day after a three hour trip to Ikea.  It was the perfect treat after a crazy shopping trip.  It honestly tasted just like a Mounds Bar but better. Unfortunately I didn’t get a photo, oh well.

    All in all Babycakes redeemed themselves and we will be back!