Totally Intrigued :: Mantry

As I spend yet another night thumbing through Pinterest on my iPhone, I stop dead in my tracks at the sight of this:

Photo found here.

What is it???

man·try noun \ˈmantrēe\
1 : the modern man’s pantry

So I did what any sane person would do. Clicked over to the blog it was originally pinned from, scrolled through the post, ooohed and ahhhed over the contents, then googled the corporate website to place my first order.

mantry.com

Until I saw the hefty price tag. A whopping $75/month. Per month, y'all.

I'm going to make the "responsible adult"decision to wait until I can afford to spend $900 annually on a box of goodies, because God only knows once we start we definitely won't be able to stop.

I have to say though, Ross and I are both thoroughly intrigued by the September box's contents and by what the February box could possibly behold. The possibilities are endless, and I'm anxious to get my fingers on whatever comes next.  

{Oh wait, this is for men? Phshhh. Femantry? I'm on it.}

Weekend Notes :: 1.27.13

For a weekend that started without plans, it turned it to be pretty spectacular. Words can't describe the joy I feel when I wake up each day to sunny skies and 70° weather, otherwise known as winter in Florida.

Weekend Highlights

Kicking off Saturday morning with a bloody mary at 9am, followed by lots of beer {hey, it's the weekend and it's the beach}
Eating raw oysters, boiled peanuts and beer for lunch
Taking Dexter for a long, aimless walk until we ran out of new paths to take
Bringing chairs and a sweater to the western most end of the beach to watch the sunset {popcorn and more beer in tow}

His + Hers Chef Salad

Ross and I were both raised in the way that if we didn't eat the food made for us then we just weren't going to eat. I choked down many florets of broccoli and seemingly endless mounds of english peas as a result, only to grow to love essentially ever food I've ever come in contact with {yes, including broccoli and english peas}. 

...and so the tradition continues. If I'm in the kitchen and I'm making a salad, guess what? Ross is eating a salad too.  The good news is that we both love salads. Ross loves nothing more than to start every meal with a salad, and I love nothing more than to make a meal out of a salad.

Over time we've come to a consensus on a few make-at-home salads that satisfy both of our salad requirements. My salads must always include avocado {always!} and his must include a substantial amount of protein if meant to keep him full until the next meal. So here's the answer {one of them anyway}, a not-so-classic Chef Salad. {Who doesn't love a Chef Salad?}

His + Hers Chef Salad

1 heart of romaine lettuce, chopped

1 1/2 cups baby spinach, chopped

1 carrot, shredded with a vegetable peeler

1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved

2 tbsp feta cheese, crumbled

1/2 cup chopped roasted turkey

2 hard boiled eggs

1 avocado, sliced

1/2 cup mandarin oranges
salt and pepper

balsamic dressing to taste

Ingredient Swap :: Pasta for Spaghetti Squash

I am a pasta fiend. It's truly amazing to me that I have no Italian in my blood, considering how much pasta I'm willing and able to consume when left to my own devices.

I realized long ago that regular ol' pasta wasn't doing anything for my health or my figure, and switched to a whole wheat alternative whenever possible.  This is obviously a great way to sneak whole grains into your favorite dishes, but I've recently dabbled in a nearly carb-free, all natural alternative to carbohydrate heavy pasta dishes: spaghetti squash. 

If you've never cooked spaghetti squash, I'll give you the rundown. You slice it in half, scoop out the seeds and bake it in the oven until tender. When you're ready to eat you just run a fork through the squash and it pulls apart to look like spaghetti or angel hair pasta. 

1 cup Spaghetti Squash "Pasta"

42 calories

10 grams of carbohydrates

2.2 grams of fiber

{bonus: gluten free}

1 cup Pasta

221 calories

42 grams of carbohydrates

2.5 grams of fiber

No, spaghetti squash doesn't actually taste like pasta, but the shape and texture it has beneath a scoop of bolognese sauce mimics that of your every day boxed angel hair.  We all have our favorite spaghetti recipes, so I'll withhold mine and urge you to swap your pasta for spaghetti squash. If you need a basic recipe to follow though, you know Martha Stewart has a recipe for everything.

Sunday Supper :: Pan Seared Cobia

I am a huge proponent for Sunday Supper. Although most people don't consider this a tradition, because it really just happens organically when you have the entire day to make a meal, this has become an end-of-weekend ritual in our tiny household.

This week, I was inspired by this image I came across on Pinterest:

Learn more about this meal here.

I love the rustic feel of this meal, and of course I'm partial to seafood - the bread and butter {aside from tourism} of this once sleepy fishing town I call home.

So off to the seafood market I went to collect the ingredients for our Sunday Supper.  But rather than purchasing Striped Sea Bass {as seen above}, I went with two filets of Cobia - a meaty fish that holds up to the spices and sauces Ross and I were currently craving.

Sunday Supper Menu: 1.20.13

Pan Seared Cobia with Thai Sweet Chili Reduction

Rosemary Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Crispy Shallots

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

__________

Pair this with Chateau St. Michelle Riesling and you've got yourself a healthy and flavorful meal to kick off the week. 

P.S. I was pleasantly surprised to not end up in a food coma after cleaning my plate, just delightfully full with room for dessert.