Wednesday, August 1, 2012

WIAW: Summer Staples

While this may be the first time I’ve participated in WIAW here at Live Beautifully, I did have a chance to join in last week’s fun when filling in for my friend Marisa. If you don’t know the premise - WIAW, or What I Ate Wednesday, is a link up to share a full day of eats hosted by Jenn at Peas and Crayons! Really, that’s all there is to it. (But if you want to know more, and perhaps you want to join in on the fun, too.. then jump over here and take a look.)

Each month, there is a new theme. Last month’s? Exercise.. August’s? Summer staples. While my boyfriend may drag me to the gym each and every morning, I don’t think my measly three miles are worth bragging about and so, I’m glad to be starting off with a theme I know all too much about. 

But let’s get down to it, huh? Here’s what we ate on Monday:


Breakfast

Scrambled Eggs with Shredded Cheddar
& Cheesy Grits with Crumbled Bacon
An Organic Chai Latte with Almond Milk
[a summer (and fall.. and winter.. and spring..) staple]

Truth be told, we love grits. Last week, I thought I was struggling with corn as a potential new food allergy. I mourned for a few hours over losing the ability to eat Mexican food and grits. Then, I decided to give it one more shot with tacos. (Hey, I had already bought the ingredients earlier that week! And I was dying to try out a new roasted corn, avocado & tomato salsa recipe!) Apparently, the problem isn’t corn so for this morning, grits were back on the menu.

Lunch

Turkey Burger with Stone Ground Mustard, Mayo, Lettuce, Tomato & Onion
Roasted Red Potatoes
[and lots of ice water - a definite summer staple in our dry climate!]

Each week, we make a trip to Butte. Though it isn’t much, I anxiously await it every week as a chance to get out of our little town, a chance to go out to eat and a chance to spend some time in the car with nothing but pretty scenery, some good music & Trevor. This week we went back to the Hummingbird Cafe and, I remembered my camera. While we love their outdoor seating, I begged for an inside table - lately, I’ve had no luck. Montana has been full of hail-bearing thunderstorms for the past two weeks and I wasn’t about to me caught in one for the third time in a week. While I think the Hummingbird wins for cutest decor in the area, I was disappointed with my lunch (and their chai) and I don’t know that we’ll be back.

Afternoon Snack


Watermelon will always be my favorite summer treat - always. Thankfully, Trevor isn’t a fan so that means enjoying an entire small watermelon every two days by myself (okay.. I share some with Buddy.. he loves it!). I had spent the entire day begging for a sweet and cold treat - but the only ice cream option in town is Dairy Queen (not my favorite.) I truly wanted frozen yogurt but in rural Montana? I don’t think so. Thankfully Albertson’s has featured small watermelons for $1.99 all week! This was my second in four days. I might have a problem.. but at least two watermelons is healthier than two containers of ice cream.... right?

Dinner



Grilled Sirloin with Seared Diver Scallops
Served over a Broccoli Puree
and Sweet Tea
[another summer staple.. and one that you can make yourself]

Our main reason for visiting Butte yesterday was to choose bathroom flooring (finally), but luckily for us - the flooring store is located right next to one of the best butcher shops in the area, The Meat Block. Our friends had been raving about their prices and quality and when we saw the location, we couldn’t believe the odds. After deciding on a neutral stone textured flooring and talking over the next steps of installation, we stopped at the Meat Block before heading home. To our surprise, we found scallops! Yes, they were frozen but they were fresh frozen rather than processed and produced by a large corporation. We also picked up two huge sirloins and decided on Surf & Turf for dinner. Though Trevor insists I can’t tell the secrets of the broccoli puree, he told me to point out that we soaked our scallops in almond milk.

Speaking of that boyfriend of mine.. he’s making me out as a liar since just last week, I claimed that I don’t eat red meat often and now, steak, two weeks in a row? I’ll blame it on my newest stomach problems. After ending up at the emergency room this weekend, and getting terribly sick from most everything I try to eat, it seems that meat, fresh vegetables and lots of fruit are it for me. (And well, Trevor just loves steak.) Plus, we had company as our friend Pat and his dad, who is in town from upstate New York, came to join us. 

Dessert


Unfortunately, I was still sick from lunch and so we didn’t enjoy any real dessert. (This girl needed a nap before company arrived.) I had been eyeing up this recipe for Honey Roasted Peaches and a little dinner party seemed like the perfect occasion. Perhaps they’ll make an appearance next week?

Instead, we treated ourselves to an off-roading adventure through our favorite paths. (Sadly those paths including driving through the local cemetary. I always feel awkward but last night, we saw a gentleman taking a jog through the aisles of graves, so I guess being in a truck is somewhat better..?) When I say we treated ourselves, I really mean a more literal translation of "Trevor treated himself". I ended up covered in mud, as did the Tahoe.


Fortunately, I did get to have my own treat for the night - a 97% on a finance exam and even more luckily, I made Trevor promise me ice cream if I aced it... but of course, Dairy Queen was closed. Instead, he treated me to a back yard camp fire and the way I saw it, I figured if I aced that exam, the world must be ending and so I wanted to do it right, so I snuggled into a blanket and sat outside with my boys and a Crisp Apple Hornsby’s Cider (yum). But, two days have passed and we’re still here, so I’m hoping that means the ice cream I was promised is on the agenda for tonight! Even if it is from Dairy Queen.... 

20 comments:

  1. Welcome to WIAW! Great first post!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Jennifer! I'm so glad you decided to join the QiAW-party,it's always great to see new faces here for sure! ;)
    Your photos are awesome,especially your watermelon looks so fresh and delicious... Yum!
    And I hope you get your ice cream today,of course... Ice cream's always great!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! I’m enjoying checking out new blogs as part of this, too! As for the ice cream.. I’m keeping my fingers crossed! I’ve already sent the “ice cream. tonight. yes?” text to the boyfriend ;]

      Delete
  3. Ohhh your almond milk latte sounds good! Apparently there is a place in my neighborhood that serves them but I haven't gotten to try one yet!!

    Watermelon is a fantastic summer treat!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I wish more coffee shops carried almond milk as an option! But you should definitely try it - it makes a thicker consistency.. perhaps even thicker than whole milk.. but it’s creamy and with just a hint of almond. Yum!

      Delete
  4. I will no longer hear complaints about "no good food in Montana" when you live with a chef! Also, hope you feel better! Take it easy. So glad you decided to join WIAW!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! Our newest speculation is that poultry makes me sick?! Weird, right? But.. of course I live with a chef who only cooks once a week! He spends his evenings trying to convince ME to go to culinary school. We joke that our backyard IS the best place in Montana to eat. ;]

      Delete
  5. Happy WIAW! I love your photos! Your breakfast looks tasty. I have only had grits once in my life and I don't really remember them. Your breakfast has inspired me to find a recipe and make some grits. :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I had never tried grits but one of our favorite restaurants on the beach served truffle parmesan grits this spring as their starch with fresh fish and shrimp with chorizo... I fell in LOVE. They’re so easy and versatile. I just throw in butter, salt, pepper and some shredded cheese - perfect for dinner or breakfast!

      Delete
  6. I'm visiting you back, and I love the look of your blog. So pretty and the pictures are great!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much for stopping by! I just redesigned my blog this weekend so that comment means alot!

      Delete
  7. I too am visiting you back and I am astounded! Your photos are so gorgeous and the food is right up my alley. Thank you for revealing your blog to me! Ill certainly be a regular..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for taking the time to visit! I've been thinking of a catchy non-wheat blog title for you, since it's no wheat for me too, but I haven't thought of anything clever, yet ;)

      Delete
  8. I was just introduced to the world of Grits this past year (I'm a New England girl going to a southern college haha) and LOVE them.
    Your photography is beautiful by the way

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Moving to the south will definitely do that to you! And thank you so much!

      Delete
  9. Welcome to the WIAW party! :) Your eats look great! I would love a breakfast like that right now.. even though its almost midnight here in Germany. :P

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It’s so funny how time differences work! I know that’s a random reply but it’s just intriguing. Worse yet is bloggers from around the world being in different seasons! But thanks for the warm welcome!

      Delete
  10. Never had scallops before, but I have seen so many gorgeous, enticing pictures of them all over the food world! What other protein source would you compare them to texture and taste wise?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow, that’s tough! I actually had never tried a scallop until I started to work at a french restaurant where seafood was our speciality and it’s a food I really miss being away from the coast! The closest thing I can compare them to is shrimp but that’s not very adequate. They are like shrimp in texture except softer and I don’t want to say spongier but they have a “bounce” to them if you would squeeze them - hopefully that makes sense. For taste, they have a mild taste that’s obviously similar to other seafood but not fishy at all. Scallops are quite sweet compared to other seafoods - I love mine with saffron, though!

      Delete