Meatless Mondays: Scones!

I love chocolate and pumpkin. So when a friend of mine told me there was a healthy pumpkin chocolate chip scone recipe out there, I had to try it. Yesterday, my friends and I gathered in my kitchen to make the scones. Some of us (okay, it was me) were skeptical with ingredients like protein powder, but the scones were amazing!

They may not be perfect triangles, but don't be fooled, they are delicious.

We used this recipe and added a bag of dark chocolate chips to the batter. Best. Breakfast. Ever.

Meatless Monday: What to pack in a meatless lunchbox when you are sick of Trader Joe's frozen meals...

In November I found two tolerable frozen meatless meals to take to work for lunch. They were great for a few weeks. But nothing lasts forever, even if it is frozen. Fortunately my officemate had a brilliant idea - wraps. You can put whatever you want in them, they never get soggy and they are easy to make, minus the part where you have to wrap them up.  (It's harder than it looks.)

Today's delicious wrap

Carmine's: Big in Every Way

When New York import Carmine's opened in DC, food critics and bloggers summed it up in one word: big. 

They were right.

Carmine's Chinatown location is spacious, bustling and loud. The service is negligent and rude in a big way.  And the plates are massive, barely containing the overflowing portions. The monster ravioli was very good, but the eggplant Parmesan was only memorable for being several stories high. The calamari was endless, but far too salty.  Overall, Carmine's was a big disappointment.

Restaurant Week

The best way to start of the new year is by trying a new restaurant. January 17-23, some of DC's best restaurants will offer $20.11 lunches and $35.11 dinners!

Normally I announce the best week in January as soon as it's announced, but this year I dropped the ball a bit. It's still not too late to make reservations though!  Just go to OpenTable.

Meatless Monday: Corn and Potato Chowder at last...

Over a month ago, I promised to write about my Meatless Monday making Corn and Potato Chowder.  Fortunately there were no near death experiences, and the recipe was easy and delicious.  Since I don't have a Dutch Oven, I used a big soup pot, which worked very well.  The prep work was the longest step because even with a Slap Chop, I am the world's slowest chopper.

Once everything was prepped and all the ingredients were out, I was ready to start cooking!

 

First I had to boil the veggies and spices....

once the potatoes were tender, it was time to add in the half and half, chopped parsley, and salt.

The delicious end result!