Are there any foods out there that you know are good for you, but you just haven’t had the chance to try or eat?  Well, for me, that list is pretty long.  Ever since I started reading blogs and writing one of my own, I’ve come to the realization that I’ll never be able to run out of healthy foods to eat.  I love this fact!  When I’m in the produce aisle at the grocery store, I take my time wandering around because I enjoy looking at all the new items just waiting for me to select them.   I get so excited about trying new foods, and I get even more pumped when I discover that I love the new foods and can then incorporate them into my repertoire.  Is Healthy Chow a foodie dork, or what?!

Image Credit – sodahead.com

One of my most recent loves is Swiss chard.  I’ve seen this leafy green on more blogs and websites than the cast of The Jersey Shore and I finally decided to give it a shot.  Plus, Swiss chard is packed with vitamins (vitamins A, C, E and K, magnesium, iron and potassium to name a few) and nutrients.  It’s high in antioxidants, promotes cardiovascular health and helps your body produce energy.  But to be perfectly honest, my grandmother used to cook Swiss chard quite a lot when I was a child.  Thus, this technically wasn’t a brand new food for me.  However, being that I haven’t eaten Swiss chard in decades and I didn’t remember what it tasted like, I considered it uncharted territory.  While I was anxious to try this ‘vegetable valedictorian’, I’ll have to admit that a bunch of it sat in my fridge for more than a week.  I’m not quite sure why?  I guess I just wanted to find the ‘perfect’ recipe for my veggie.  But just what is ‘perfect’?  I had no clue (can you imagine?!).  But because I didn’t want my ‘leafy green‘ to turn into a ‘leafy brown‘, I knew I had to execute, and I had to execute fast.    That said, I decided to combine the new with one of my old favorites.  I figured if I could spruce up an oldie and give it a boost in nutritional value, I couldn’t lose (or miss).

Talk about leafy and green!

Can’t Miss Swiss Chard & Bean Pasta
Serves 4

• 4 – 5 oz. of whole wheat pasta (I used a mixture of angel hair and rigatoni)
• 1 bunch of Swiss chard, rinsed and chopped into bite-sized pieces*
• 1 cup of frozen cubed butternut squash
• 1 TSP of minced garlic
• few dashes of garlic powder
• 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water (you probably won’t need all of this)
• 1 TBSP of olive oil
• 1/2 cup of cooked cannellini beans (I used canned - rinsed and drained)
• 1/2 TSP of red pepper flakes (you can use more or less based on your preference)
• few dashes of parmesan cheese (grated, shredded, whichever you have on hand)
• s&p

1) Begin cooking your pasta according to the directions.  You’ll want to cook it al dente.

2) Add your butternut squash to the boiling pasta pot about two minutes before your pasta is done cooking.  Make sure to reserve about about a 1/2 cup of the pasta water.   Drain and rinse.

It kinda looks like chunks of mango floating in my pasta!

3) While your pasta is cooking, your can begin cooking your Swiss chard.  In a large skillet, add about an inch of water and heat on high.  When the water comes to a boil, add your Swiss chard.  Turn down your heat to medium and place a lid on your skillet.  Let your Swiss chard steam for about 7-10 minutes, or until the steams and leaves have softened.

Time for a steam bath…

*To chop Swiss chard, line up all the stems and cut off about 1/2 inch from the bottom.  You want to remove any of the dried out and brown edges.  While holding the base of the stem with one hand (making a fist), use your other hand to rip the leaves off of the stem by quickly running your hand over the leaves.  They should come off pretty easily.  Then, chop the leaves and stems into bite-sized pieces.

4) When your Swiss chard is finished steaming, drain out most of the water.  Add the garlic and garlic powder to the skillet and give it a good stir.

Steamed with minced garlic…

5) Add your cooked pasta and butternut squash to the skillet.  Add your olive oil and stir to blend everything together.  If the pasta is a bit dry, add some of your reserved pasta water to the skillet.  I would add about 1/4 cup first, and then add more if necessary.

6) Add your cannellini beans, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.  Gently mix everything together.  Add more seasoning to taste.

There’s a whole lotta everything in this recipe!

Makin’ it a little spicy!

7) Once everything is well-blended and warm, plate it and top with parmesan cheese.  Enjoy!

Loving all the flavors and colors!

So good and so good for you!

I don’t know about you, but I can’t not like pasta.  I <3 all carbs and pasta may just be on the top of that list.  But, one serving of pasta (about 2/3 of a cup dry) just doesn’t fill this hungry Healthy Chow.  I could honestly eat a pound of pasta in one sitting.  But we all know that that isn’t the healthiest thing to do.  By bulking up my pasta dishes with tons of vegetables, beans and other forms of protein, I can trick myself into getting full and being satisfied with only one serving of my favorite carb delight.  This recipe definitely achieved that goal.  My stomach was happy, as well as my taste buds.  The Swiss chard was delicious!  Swiss chard has a mildly bitter and salty taste, but it’s not one that’s offensive.  In fact, I liked it because this flavor was so unique.  The butternut squash gave this dish a subtle sweetness, while the buttery tasting cannellini beans gave this dish some needed depth.  And obviously, when you top anything (especially a carb) with parmesan cheese, food goes from tasting fine to fantastic!

Looks like a good bite to me!

I’m so glad that I finally tried Swiss chard.  What was I waiting for? It was so simple to make and made me happy knowing I was cooking and enjoying such a healthy food.  While this vegetable tasted great in my pasta, I know I would like it just as much steamed as a side.  Similar to spinach, Swiss chard doesn’t require much seasoning or spice in order for it to taste good (IMHO).  I even sampled a few pieces while it was raw, and loved it.  Now I can understand why this green has been all the rage.  It’s nutritious, delicious, easy to prepare and won’t be chard on your wallet.  Hahaha!  In fact, this vegetable is so wonderful that I not only give it a thumbs up, but it might just deserve a fist pump!

This weekend, I’m attending a food photography seminar (organized by the wonderful Kerstin from Cake, Batter and Bowl) along with some other local food bloggers.  I’m so excited!  We were told to bring any item of food that we’re having issues photographing.  I’m not quite sure what to bring?  Is there anything you have trouble photographing?

***Would you like to win a $200 Visa Giftcard?  Check out Cheat Day News and Reviews to find out how!***

Namasté,
Nicole

I’m not quite sure what happened?  Healthy Chow is a gal who loves her sleep and doesn’t usually have a hard time catching her Z’s.  However, after having a fun-filled Christmas Eve night, I could not fall asleep.  Perhaps it was the excitement of Christmas on the horizon that kept me wide awake?  Or, maybe it was all the sugar and carbs I had that prevented me be able to watch the back of my eyelids? Whichever the case was, I think I slept for about two hours total and was ready to greet the day at 3:30am!  INSANE! I tried to just rest and take some deep breaths in order to calm my mind, but I guess my mind just wasn’t having any of it.  That said, I decided to get out of bed at 6am.  I’m surprised I didn’t see or hear Santa coming down my chimney?  Hehehehehe!

Image Credit – christmas.howstuffworks.com

Much like the day before, I spent the whole day hanging out with my two hot friends – my stove and my oven.  Dang, were they on fie-yah!  Christmas dinner was going to be at MHC’s (Mother Healthy Chow) house and while she and my aunt were going to be cooking the main entrées, a roast beef and a turkey, I was in charge of bringing a hot appetizer, a yummy vegetable dish, a unique lasagna and a fun dessert.  Because Healthy Chow is a girl who likes to makes things as easy as possible for herself, I made a double-batch of the key lime pie I made on Christmas Eve, so that dessert for Christmas Day would be all set.  And I also made the same hot app – it was tasty the day before, so why not recreate the same hit?  For my new dishes, I made 1.5 trays of pumpkin and sausage lasagna and a broccoli casserole.  Hoooo-weeeee!  It’s a good thing I was running on pure adrenaline because much like the day before, I finished up my cooking just in the St. Nick of time!

When my sister and I arrived at MHC and Darrell’s home, we were greeted by the bright view of the ocean, as well as the hosts of the party and the wafting smell of deliciously home-cooked food! Apparently, MHC was on the same schedule as her daughter.  She must have greeted the sun on Christmas morning with the amount of food she had cooked and all the beautiful decorations in their home.  I love the toasty feeling of homes on holidays when they’re filled with family.  They’re so inviting and full of love, a gift that no kind of money can buy.

Uncle Victor, my cousins and Patrick revving up their appetites

My sister, my aunt, MHC and my uncle checking out the view

The not-so-childlike kids’ table

Fresh kielbasa brought by my aunt, a festive bean dip made by Michelle and the remnants of my bite-sized biscuit cups (I guess the hungry mouths were working faster than my picture snapping abilities)

Carve up that bird, Auntie!

Once all of our family members had arrived, it was time to be seated for dinner.  We were all working up such a frenzy in the kitchen (my mother was getting all the last-minute details in order, my aunt was in charge of gravy making and meat carving, Michelle was cooking up her corn bread stuffing and I was heating up my prepared dishes), that it was almost sundown by the time the dinner bell rang.  But that’s perfectly fine, because while I was busy as a bee in the kitchen, I was working up a hunger that could give a mean sting!

A feast for king and queens

Succulent roasted turkey courtesy of my Aunt Joanie

My cheesy broccoli casserole topped with whole wheat panko breadcrumbs

A bowl of delight – mashed potatoes!

My pumpkin and sausage lasagna – more cheesy goodness!

Michelle’s savory herbed cornbread stuffing

MHC’s roast beef – juicy and cooked to perfection!

And I thought there was only going to be a ham on Christmas Eve!

Everyone waiting for the blogger to finish snapping her pictures…

My dinner plate

Garlicky-lemon caesar salad

Much like the previous night, once dinner was over, we slowly migrated to dessert.  And if I thought dinner was already grandiose enough, dessert was definitely fighting for a place in the spotlight.  Darrell’s dad brought over three huge desserts from Montillio’s Bakery: a strawberry shortcake, a chocolate layer cake and a blueberry pie.  There were also my Aunt Mary’s mini pecan tarts, a tiramisu, as well as my key lime pie.  Sah-weet! And to go along with our dessert, MHC played coffee barista again and made us all our very own cappuccinos and mocha lattes.  You can’t beat that!

Berries and cream = heaven!

How festive!

Check out all those blueberries!

The Montillio’s Bakery trio along with my key lime pie and a tiramisu

Hmmm, fantastically frothy!

Can we give you a few Bucks for being our Star?

Too much turkey, Patrick?

And what’s a holiday without a few holiday pictures?  Not a complete one in my book!

MHC and her helpers

Our gracious hosts for the evening

Look, Mom!  I can take a picture of myself!

To conclude the night, we exchanged a few gifts, as well as many smiles.  I was so excited to give my mother and Darrell their gifts, as I knew my selections were spot-on this year.  You know how when you see something, it just feels right and you know it’s the perfect gift? Well, this happened twice for me.  Can you believe?!

What could it be?

Nambé Kissing Salt and Pepper Shakers!

And…

A set of Nambé Twist Coasters!

And finally, Burberry rain boots!  How chic!

Strut your stuff, MHC!

Ah, and that concludes another Christmas.  While I think I worked harder this year than any other year, I couldn’t have been more happy and satisfied.  Being able to provide deliciously home-cooked food for your family on the holidays is truly a feeling of which I hope to have more.  That synergy that exists when family is working together to achieve a common goal is something I want to experience as much as I can.  No matter if it’s Christmas or any other day, it’s a feeling and spirit that can’t be beat or bought.  Thank you again, Mom and Darrell, for a wonderful Christmas!  Love you!

Even though I had my share of Christmas sweets, I didn’t have one Christmas cookie this year.  Can you believe?  Do you have a favorite cookie recipe?  If so, what is it?  I’m participating in a cookie swap and I could use some suggestions.  Thanks!

Namasté,
Nicole

***Find out the winner to my jewelry giveaway at the end of this post.  But if you like food, you won’t want to miss out on all my TDay dinner pics!***

Thanksgiving day started off much earlier than usual for me, as I got up before the crack of dawn to squeeze in two hot yoga classes.  I know what you’re thinking. You’re not the only person who thinks I’m crazy.  But if I don’t exercise before I knowingly have a big meal, then I just don’t feel right.  And because I love my aunt’s cooking and usually only get this one day out of the year to have her cooking, I wanted to be able to fully enjoy myself.  Thus, a sweaty workout was on the agenda!  While taking two challenging classes so early on in the day was tough, it was certainly worth it.  My Thanksgiving dinner was out-of-this-world delicious and I savored each and every bite.

When my mother and I (thanks for the ride, MHC!) arrived at my aunt and uncle’s house, we were immediately greeted by my family and the heavenly aroma of turkey and all the scrumptious side dishes whose deliciousness I could only imagine.  In order to hold our growing appetites down, we gladly nibbled on appetizers consisting of a crudité platter with spinach dip, roasted almonds, sushi (brought by MHC) and a traditional fried Chinese dumpling, which I haven’t had the pleasure of eating in several years.  Needless to say, we were all kept quite busy enjoying the appetizers and each other’s company as the main course was getting its final preparation.  My aunt and uncle have a beautiful home with a large open area kitchen and living room.  While the television may have been on in the background, it was certainly no comparison to the entertainment that was being held in the kitchen.  My aunt is a fabulous cook and watching her in her element is not only a treat, but also a terrific learning experience.  My cousin, Brendon, takes after his mother and is also a natural in the kitchen.  I’m glad I was able to capture some of the dinner magic in action!

As a Thanksgiving tradition, my cousins and I always take pictures around the turkey.  This year was no exception.  In fact, this was one of the first time in years that all of the cousins were present (there was always someone away at college).  My cousins are such characters; each one is hilarious and has a great personality.  I really enjoy the time I spend with them and can’t believe they are no longer the little ‘babies’ I used to help watch when I was younger.  In fact, my sister and I are the oldest and yet, we are now the shortest!  Too funny!

After our brief photography sesh, we happily sat down for dinner.  And boy, was it a spread!  While there were 14 guests at the dinner table, we had enough food to feed a small army.  I tried to sample a little bit of everything, but with dessert lurking in the background, I knew I had to pace myself and reserve some of that precious real estate.  Everything, as usual, was wonderful and cooked to perfection.  While the traditional Thanksgiving favorites like roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, puréed butternut squash, stuffing, corn and baked sweet and russet potatoes made appearances at the table, there were also some other delightful sides such as orzo with baby spinach, cremini mushrooms and pancetta, haricots verts with caramelized onions and roasted brussels sprouts with dried cranberries, pecans, chickpeas and got cheese (made by yours truly).  There were even three different kinds of cranberry sauce!  To say the least, our Thanksgiving dinner was like whoa!

My dinner plate (I had another piece of turkey and a scoop of orzo for seconds!)

And not to be out done by dinner, coffee and dessert took center stage just as we had enough time to digest our turkey and the fixings.  It’s safe to say that I didn’t need to eat anymore for the day, but when there’s a fresh apple pie with vanilla ice cream, personal-sized chocolate fallen cakes and apple crisps, double-ginger cupcakes, a custard pie, miniature pecan tarts and an apple-caramel cake, how can you resist?  Well, I certainly could not!  Everything was divine and intermingled quite nicely with the savory foods that were peacefully resting in my belly.

My dessert plate (I had a few bites of chocolate cake as well!)

As with every Thanksgiving, this one was filled with good laughs, fun times and delicious food.  I’m so grateful to have such a wonderful family and to be able to spend the holiday in their presence.  While many in this country have to travel, either by hours in a car, bus, train or plane, my family is local and always willing to host Thanksgiving dinner.  When you have great company and more than enough food, what more could you ask for?  Thanksgiving is about giving thanks for the amazing things for which we are thankful in our lives.  It’s too bad that we only have one day out of the year dedicated to this, when in reality it should be 365 days of the year.  I’m thankful for so much in my life and I’ll admit, sometimes I do forget to express my gratitude.  That said, I want to say to my aunt, uncle and cousin, I appreciate all that you do for our family every year and thanks for giving us a home to celebrate this special holiday.

***And finally, the winner of my earring giveaway is…***

Those are really pretty! So my go to outfit for the holiday season is a brown DVF wrap dress. These would actually look great with it!!

Congratulations Trish!  Please email me at healthychow@gmail.com with your contact information, so I can get your little sparklies to you just in time for your first holiday party!  Thanks to everyone for participating!  And if you didn’t win this time, don’t fret!  I’ll be sure to do another jewelry giveaway soon!

What’s your favorite holiday?  Why?  Are you looking forward to winter?

Namasté,
Nicole

I don’t know about you all but when I’m hungry, I’m hungry! If I don’t have something quick to reheat or make in the fridge when the dinner bell (or the breakfast, brunch or lunch bell) rings, my fingers start getting itchy and I reach for those crunchy snacks (and I’m not talking about the baby carrot or celery kind either!).  And then I figure if I can’t whip up something that’s quick and healthy, I might as well just eat snacks for dinner or get some greasy easy takeout (there are way too many convenience options when you live in a college area).  I wish I could say that this doesn’t happen too often, but that wouldn’t be honest.  And then one day as I was doing some blog reading, I came across a post from The BroccoliHut.  If you aren’t already a reader of Caroline’s blog, you should check her out!  She’s quite creative in the kitchen and makes some killer hummus.  But what caught my eye that day was Caroline’s fast and hearty soup.  Not only did it look and sound delicious, but it was something that I could totally put together in that instant.  I had the exact same ingredients in my cupboard and fridge and yet, the idea never came to me.  That’s why I love all you creative and expressive bloggers! You always know how to inspire me and you always know how to shake some sense into me!

I love Trader Joe’s Soups: Carrot Ginger and Latin Style Black Bean

The nutritional facts

Not bad, huh?

Spicin’ up my soup!

My The Broccoli Hut-Inspired Soup (thanks Caroline!)
Serves 1

• 1 cup of Trader Joe’s Carrot Ginger Soup
• few dashes of curry powder
• few dashes of cumin
• 2 TSP of freshly grated ginger (I love fresh ginger – but this can be omitted)
• 1/4 cup of chickpeas (I used canned)
• 1 cup of frozen cauliflower florets
• 1 cup of frozen cubed butternut squash
• handful of spinach leaves
• salt
• white pepper

1) In a medium saucepan, heat the carrot ginger soup on medium heat.  Add the curry powder, cumin and freshly grated ginger.  Give the soup a stir to get the seasonings well-blended.

2) Once the soup starts to heat up, add the chickpeas and frozen vegetables.  Stir the soup well to make sure all the frozen veggies get heated.

3) Add the spinach to the soup and stir.  Once the spinach starts to wilt, cover the saucepan with a lid.  Turn the heat down to medium-low and let the soup simmer for another few minutes.

4) Eat immediately!

I’m so happy that this soup came together in a hurry because my appetite was growing by the second!  But instead of my usual mindless snacking (OK, I admit I had a few raw almonds), I saved my appetite for this hearty soup.  And boy, was it worth the wait!  Similar to the soup I made a few weeks back, the seasonings and ginger were the show stoppers of this soup.  The curry powder and ginger added a nice warmth to the soup without it being spicy.  But having chunks of cauliflower and butternut squash to sink my teeth into while eating this soup (versus drinking/sipping) made me feel fulfilled and satisfied.  Adding the chickpeas to the soup was a great way to get some protein into this meal.  Plus, I love the way chickpeas taste with spinach.  Is that just me? Being a visual person, I also enjoyed seeing the orange, dark green, beige and white colors mixed together.  It’s so much more interesting when your food looks good, in addition to it tasting good!

I’m not quite sure why I have a tendency to feel a healthy meal can’t come together in a few minutes.  It’s really not that I don’t think it’s possible, it’s that I don’t think I will have the ability to pull it all together.  I tend to rely on recipes and ideas that I see online and in magazines and cookbooks, so when I have to pull something out of thin air, it’s not as easy as I would like.  But, I’m learning and I thank all you healthy living/food bloggers for always pushing me to do so in your own special ways.  Those Trader Joe’s boxed soups are a staple in my house and I tend to just eat them as they are.  I never dreamed that these little boxed wonders could be transformed into a speedy and simple meal.  But that’s the beauty of cooking!  You can take something as plain as soup and with a bit of creativity and experimenting, you can have something as wonderful as this meal.  There are no right’s or wrong’s; if it tastes good, you win! No one ever told me that ‘cooking’ meant having to slave over a hot stove for hours upon hours, for some reason, I just had this preconceived notion.  But after being inspired by Caroline and realizing that there is magic in simplicity, I know there’s a whole other world to explore when you can think outside of the box.

Speaking of  ‘my soup in a box’ (or that famous skit brought to you by JT and Andy Samberg), what’s your favorite SNL skit?

***Do you like sparkly things?  Well, if you do, you’re in luck!  Check out my giveaway!***

***BTW, if you like natural sodas, go and check out the Zevia giveaway on Morgan’s blog.  Better hurry up, it ends tomorrow, 11/20!***

Namasté,
Nicole

Back for some more New York City action, huh?  Well, I can’t blame you!  In yesterday’s post, I gave you the lowdown on our first day and night in the big city.  Boy, did we have a great time!  We checked into our lovely and fabulously located hotel, we had a quick and delicious lunch at Cranberry Café, we witnessed the grandeur that Times Square has to offer and we enjoyed a laugh-filled dinner at Connolly’s Pub and Restaurant.  But that was just the tip of the iceberg! Thank goodness, we all got our much needed beauty rest.

After getting a good night’s sleep in preparation for our Sunday celebratory festivities, we were refreshed and had a full tank of gas, just rearing to go.  With our breakfast scheduled at 9:30am, I knew we had to be up by no later than 8am to get our day started.  However, I’m not sure if it was the cool temperature in our hotel room or the fact that I was electrified by the fact that we were in the New York, but I was wide awake at 7am (that’s not a normal thing without an alarm clock for Healthy Chow).  Patrick must have been on the same sleeping pattern as me, because he was also ready to greet the day before the alarm went off.  That said, we jumped into our workout clothes and made good use of the hotel’s fitness center.

The Millennium Broadway Hotel’s fitness center was pretty impressive.  There were two separate areas to work out in: one was for weights and weight training and the other was for cardio.  The gym was clean and had multiple televisions available for use.  Other than two other people, Patrick, David and I were the only ones in the gym.  It was great! No lines and no incessant yapping from other guests.  Plus, I got to stare at the tops of the New York City buildings as I was speedwalking and working up a good lather.  With a few yoga stretches, 25 minutes of speedwalking and regular walking on the treadmill and some cool down stretching, I was completely energized.  While I got a good workout in, I probably could have pushed myself further.  But, I also didn’t want to be tired (or sore) for the rest of the day.  My quick cardio session was just enough to get my blood pumping and to do some much needed detoxification.

Wow, it looks like we both worked up a good sweat!

After quickly showering and getting dressed, we only had a few moments to spare before it was breakfast time.  And this wasn’t just any ordinary breakfast, it was a special breakfast for a special girl.  In addition, breakfast wasn’t going to be served at just any ol’ restaurant, it was being held at a place that is undeniably, a little girl’s fantasy.  For Casey’s 5th birthday party, Lisa and David planned a breakfast at none other than American Girl Place.  I really wasn’t sure what to expect, but when we arrived, I was blown away.  To be able to see all the children so giddy with excitement and joy was truly endearing.  Plus, this place was amazing and huge! There were about four or five floors filled with shopping, activities for girls and their dolls, a restaurant and more shopping.  I could not believe how popular this store was – it was filled to the brim with families and dolls! Crazy!

Our breakfast destination!

Not only did the guest of honor, Casey, have a blast at her birthday party, but we all did as well.  The staff was hospitable, friendly and prompt.  In a large restaurant with so many customers, one usually expects and receives less-than-stellar service and not-so-great food.  This was the complete opposite!  Our main server, Anthony, couldn’t have been more accommodating and polite.  Plus, the menu offered more than ‘kid friendly’ options and everyone seemed quite pleased with their selections and the quality of the food.  The decorum of the dining area was also fantastic.  I felt like a doll living in a dollhouse or at least, a big (but not that big) little girl having her dreams come true.  As the conversation flowed, the coffee flowed and the good times and laughter were continuously being rolled out much like our hot breakfast entrées.  There were even souvenirs (a hair elastic with a hot pink bow) for all the guests and fun little conversational question cards available at the table.  It’s truly a blessing to be able to spend time with your family and to be able to be in the presence of such wonderful company.  I can only imagine the greatness that both Dan and Ellen felt just watching their family interact and have such a joyous time and knowing that this all stemmed from the love they created 40 years ago.

The guest of honor with her dolls

Taylor with her Papa

Taylor with Grammy

Who’s the bigger doll?

Everyone smile for the camera and say, “Healthy Chow!”

How’s that smoothie?

The American Girl Breakfast Menu

My Breakfast: Eggs Benedict Florentine - poached eggs served with wilted spinach and English muffin topped with hollandaise sauce (I had mine on the side) and accompanied by home-style potatoes and fresh fruit

Flower Power Pancakes with Fresh Bananas and Whipped Cream – served with fresh fruit and sausage links (and some Country Breakfast Eggs)

Country Breakfast - scrambled eggs with home-style potatoes, onions, sausage and peppers topped with cheddar cheese and served with a side of avocado, salsa and sour cream

Classic French Toast – topped with warm apples and cinnamon fresh fruit kabob, served with a side of apple wood smoked bacon and maple syrup

Chocolate Mousse Flowerpot with Butterfly Cookie

The whole gang

Question: Who would you want to trade places with for one day?  Why?

Taylor’s Answer: “I pick you, Nicole, because you’re a lot of fun and you look like a teenager.  For real!”

Too much!

Once breakfast was over, the gang broke free to explore the rest of American Girl Place.  While the little ladies got their shopping on, I managed to check things out and get a lay of the land.  Holy moly, words can’t describe the magnitude of this place.  If you have an American Girl doll, this is the place to go for your doll.  There is everything and anything you could possibly want or need here for your American Girl.  I think both Taylor and Casey were more than happy with their purchases.

An hour and a half?!

The Doll Hair Salon

After getting back to the hotel to drop off our purchases, we freshened up and decided to make a trip to the Empire State Building.  While most of the group was in on visiting this tourist attraction, some decided to make good use of the amazing weather and make a visit to Central Park.  Since my MIL and I love shopping and enjoy each other’s company (we share the same sense of humor!), we decided to branch off from the group and have some mother-in-law and daughter-in-law time.  We ventured off and hit some of the nearby shops as the rest of the group made the trip to the top of the Empire State Building.  Patrick was in the Empire State Building group and thus, became the interim photographer for my blog.  He did a pretty fancy job snapping some great pics.  Thanks Patrick!

By the time all of our tours were over, it was late in the afternoon.  But with our dinner reservation at 6:30pm, we had only a few moments to rest and recharge.  But when you’re in New York, who needs to rest, right?  For our final dinner and celebration in the big city, we decided to have dinner at the Italian restaurant, Becco (thanks for the recommendation, Billy!).  Becco was about a ten minute walk from our hotel, which was key since it was about 6:15pm by the time we left.  We made it just in time and with even a few minutes to spare! While we all congregated in front of the restaurant, we decided it was the perfect time to take a group photo. Don’t you love it when you can grab a complete stranger off the street and ask them to take a picture and it actually turns out well?

What a night to remember!

Becco’s menu was incredible! There were so many delectable sounding choices and quite fairly priced for a New York City restaurant.  After much deliberating both to myself and out loud, I finally chose the Pesce Spada (grilled swordfish paired with spaghetti squash, stewed cherry tomatoes, roasted pumpkin seeds & pumpkin seed oil).  It was divine and certainly had its fair portion of both vegetables and fish.  Not to mention the swordfish was grilled to perfection and the stewed cherry tomatoes were deliciously sweet.  While I originally thought I had ordered ‘the best’ entrée on the menu, I soon questioned my belief after sampling some of Patrick’s Sinfonia di Paste (Becco’s renowned unlimited table side service of Becco’s Chef’s Three Daily Pasta Preparations) and David’s Costolette di Maiale alla Maniera dello Chef (brined double cut pork chop grilled, topped with figs poached in Apianae & roasted fingerling potatoes), I soon realized that there was just more than one ‘best’ entrée at Becco.  Actually, everyone was more than thoroughly pleased with both the food and the service at this restaurant.  You really could not go wrong with any item ordered off the Becco menu.  Our waitress, Anne, was a pleasure and was gracious throughout our entire meal.  And while the food was excellent, the restaurant itself was quite charming as well.  It had a rustic feel and almost felt like a North End restaurant with it’s exposed brick and close fitting dining area.

Our coat check tag and table reservation number from breakfast- both were 40, like Dan and Ellen’s anniversary!

Fresh mozzarella with roasted red peppers, toasted pine nuts & golden raisins

Fresh prosciutto

Caesar salad – very tasty but way too much dressing for my liking…

Now that’s a meatball!

Pesce Spada – Grilled swordfish paired with spaghetti squash, stewed cherry tomatoes, roasted pumpkin seeds & pumpkin seed oil

Costolette di Maiale alla Maniera dello Chef - Brined double cut pork chop grilled, topped with figs poached in Apianae & roasted fingerling potatoes

Sinfonia di Paste - Becco’s renowned unlimited table side service of Becco’s Chef’s Three Daily Pasta Preparations

Trancio di Salmone – Pan-seared salmon with braised cauliflower & extra virgin olive oil

Bistecca – Grilled Black Angus rib eye, dry-aged & rubbed with porcini mushrooms
with garlic mashed potatoes & seasonal vegetables

Of course, we had to have dessert!

Happy 40th Anniversary!

Once dinner was over, we made our way through Times Square once again to get one last look at the the city lights.  They were as bright as ever and the city was even more jammed with people than when we last saw it.  I saw a bunch of cameras and even brighter lights at the center of Times Square and people clamoring around as though there was something being filmed.  As we made our way over, I realized that it was Entertainment Tonight’s The Insider being filmed.  With my MIL, Ellen, being a huge fan of The View, as soon as I realized it was Star Jones sitting on stage, I just knew this would be one of the highlights of her trip.  Not only was Ellen excited to see Star, but she was even more thrilled to see that the guest anchor was none other than Levi Johnston! Ellen, I will have to admit, Levi was pretty cute!

Hey there!

Our trip to New York City was certainly a memorable one.  We shared as many laughs and smiles as we did bites of food and dessert.  When you’re in a special city celebrating occasions such as a wedding anniversary and a birthday with your entire family, everyone is lucky enough to receive a gift.  I am truly blessed to have such a wonderful family and to have been able to be a part of the New York trip.  It is sure to go down as one of my favorite family vacations.  And while we were able to see so many sights and do so many things in the city, there was one common theme that remained throughout and that was love.  Like the lights in Times Square that brighten up the sky morning, noon and night, and guide the city’s people, it is the love of family and the love between an extraordinary couple, like Dan and Ellen, that remains a constant and continues to fuel the fire of life.

What’s your favorite city you’ve ever visited?  Do you wish you could live there or would you rather keep it as a favorite vacation spot?

Namasté,
Nicole