Restaurant Review: Heidi's

Have I mentioned before how much we love going to brunch around here? The multitude of choices at reasonable prices, its like the best of both worlds. Our friends Ben and Angie also enjoy brunching so we sometimes meet up for a double date. One Sunday morning this Fall we all met at Heidi's on my "suggestion" as a place to try out (I will have to give props to Mpls - St Paul Magazine for the heads up).

Being smart we decided to go on a Sunday morning in hopes that it wasn't too crowded. Score one of us, it wasn't! After we were seated everyone (except me) ordered bottomless coffee, reminding us of college when people would drive 45 minutes to the nearest Perkin's at 11 pm at night and do the same thing. To put into perspective as to why anyone would drive that far that late for coffee: We went to college in a small town where everything closed at 8 pm. Got it? Thought so.

Back to Heidi's, after receiving our drinks the waiter brought us out Banana Muffins with whipped salted butter on the house! You heard that right: On. The. House. Just because. Score two for us. They were delicious to say the least. The tops were as crisp and sweet as muffin tops get, and the middle was chewy and full of banana flavor. I'm not sure what kind of salt they use in their butter but that butter was AMAZING!

Chocolate - Peanut Butter Oatmeal (Stovetop Version)

Want a breakfast that tastes a whole lot like a no-bake cookie? I'm talking the ones that pop up around Christmas time and consist of oats, cocoa powder, butter, peanut butter, and sugar. Those have always been one of my favorites. So imagine my delight when I unexpectedly bit into its breakfast-y doppelgänger after making up measurements of ingredients in my head hoping for something edible. 

I like to think this version is a bit healthier, as it contains just a smidgen of oil (its optional at that) and not too much sugar. I was in a hurry, so I used pb2 (powdered peanut butter) instead of regular peanut butter. You can certainly use regular peanut butter, it will probably just be a little harder to incorporate. Dollops of peanut butter floating around a bowl of hot oats? Nothin' wrong with that!

Just as a side note: the longer you let it sit, the thicker it gets but its delicious either way.

Chocolate - Peanut Butter Oatmeal (Stovetop Version)

Serves 1

Ingredients:

1 cup milk of choice (I used Almond Breeze: Almond Coconut. Has anyone else tried it? Addicted, I am!)

Pinch of salt

1/2 cup oats

2 tablespoons pb2*

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

1 teaspoon coconut oil, optional

2 tablespoons maple syrup

Directions:

Combine milk and salt in a saucepan and heat over medium heat. Once it starts boiling add oats, pb2, cocoa powder, and coconut oil; stir to combine.

Cook for 3-5 minutes, or until desired consistency. Remove from heat and stir in maple syrup.

Pour into a bowl and serve.

Enjoy :)

If you want a more peanut butter-y oat breakfast, check this recipe out!

Gingerbread Oatmeal

Just when I thought nothing would ever top my double dark chocolate-peanut butter oatmeal...

I was looking for something "Christmas-y" but healthy to make for breakfast Christmas morning.  Something sweet, but with a different flavor profile from all the holiday cookies I had been baking, when it occurred to me that I had yet to bake anything gingerbread related. Immediately I googled "gingerbread breakfast" and got a hit for gingerbread pancakes. While those sounded amazing, they also sounded more time consuming than desired after a run. Quickly remembering that oatmeal is one of my favorite foods ever I googled "gingerbread oatmeal" hoping for a recipe to at least get me started, seasonings wise.  

And oh boy, did I ever hit the jack pot! I only deviated slightly from the recipe I found online but don't want to be one of those people who review recipes but  I didn't prepare the oatmeal as specifically stated. Regardless, my version turned out absolutely divine and I have no doubt the original is just as tasty.

Sound the alarm. We have a new favorite oatmeal recipe here folks.

Gingerbread Oatmeal
Adapted from here

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups milk of choice

1 1/2 cups thick cut oats

1 tablespoon coconut oil

5-6 tablespoons maple syrup

2 teaspoons black strap molasses

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Bring milk and salt to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Once boiling add everything else, stirring to combine well.

Bring back to a boil then reduce heat to low.

Cook until desired thickness, stirring often. This will take about 3-5 minutes.

Remove from heat, divide between bowls, and serve.

Enjoy :)

Greek Yogurt Pancakes

I wanted to call this blog post something way longer albeit much more accurate (Chocolately Protein Packed Greek Yogurt Pancakes), but settled with  "Greek Yogurt Pancakes" to save everyone some brain power. You're welcome. Just know that the title doesn't emphasize the facts that this recipe is choco-rific and much more nutritious than normal pancakes.

I was originally given this recipe from my sister-in-law, Elisa, a couple months ago by her handing me a recipe card and saying "let me know what you think" leaving me with no indication of how these would turn out. Being the curious creature that I am, these were made for dinner the next day. Here is a screenshot of the conversation Elisa and I had afterwards:

To summarize: These are pancakes, made with greek yogurt, and actually taste close to the real deal. These are pancakes with a pretty decent amount of protein, meaning I won't be hungry an hour and a half later, very little flour, and no sugar. Sign me up.

Fast forward to this past Saturday when we were looking for an excuse to open our container of Wallaby Greek Yogurt (our favorite), the pancakes popped into my head and Mark was more than willing to oblige. While I was mixing the ingredients I remembered that I had an unopened container of Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa and decided to experiment. Can you really go wrong with adding chocolate to pancakes? I think not.

Turns out I thought right. The biggest difference I could tell between actual pancakes and these was that these were a bit harder to cut through. Rubbery might be the right word, but it seems so off-putting. Either way, these were enjoyed and will be made again.

We topped ours with the usual butter and syrup but feel free to do whatever you want. I have a feeling peanut butter would be a really good topping.

Oatmeal Two Ways: One Savory, One Sweet (Travel Friendly)

This past weekend Mark and I had the pleasure of having a little getaway. While we had looked forward to this getaway, I was a little worried about finding something filling and nutritious with the continental breakfast provided at the hotel. Sure, we could have gone out for breakfast, but it made financial sense to take advantage of the meal provided. Besides, having one healthy meal a day negates all the other unhealthy (but delectable) food I ate for the rest of the trip, right? Challenge: Accepted.

Anywho, getting back to my quest of finding a hidden gem in the enriched white flour, HFCS laden breakfast options available....

The first morning we awoke 30 minutes before breakfast ended so we hurried down to find a very limited quantity of items left. Mark chose a bowl of Fruit Loops and a waffle, which I nibbled on as well (oh, nostalgia). As for me, I immediately noticed the fruit bowl filled with oranges and apples. Given I eat approximately 1,468 apples a week, I switched it up and went with an orange. But the important part of this fruit bowl story is that it gave me notice to my saving breakfast grace for the next three days: instant oatmeal.

Now normally, I am strictly a thick cut oats kind of girl but sometimes compromises are needed. I grabbed two of the original flavored packets and simultaneously had a stroke of genius. Remembering that I just so happened to pack a couple gingerbread flavored tea bags (obsession of the moment) and some stevia packets I raced up to my room and grabbed a tea bag and a stevia packet. The stevia packet isn't necessary since they usually have sugar packets readily available.

This trifeca of ingredients created the sweet version of the two oatmeal recipes I am excited to share with you today.

Hotel Breakfast Style Gingerbread Oatmeal

Serves 1

Ingredients:

2 packets of unflavored instant oatmeal

1 1/4 cups hot water

1 gingerbread flavored tea bag

1/2-1 packet sweetener of choice

Directions:

Steep tea bag in hot water for 5-10 minutes (peel and eat orange during this time).

Remove tea bag and add packets of oatmeal. Stir to dampen oats and place in microwave for 1-1:30 minutes.

Remove from microwave and stir in sweetener packet.

Enjoy :)

Muffin Frittatas (3 Kinds!)

Now that I work outside the home having quick, healthy breakfasts readily available has become essential. I no longer have 30 minutes to make something every morning, so I have started prepping meals on Sundays while watching football. This recipe is a take off the english muffin breakfast sandwiches I posted awhile ago, except these include all the vegetables and meat right in one package. This makes is really convenient because all I have to do is toast an english muffin, slice some cheese, throw one of these muffin frittatas in between and I'm good to go.

I made 3 different kinds of frittatas here: 1 only sausage (for Mark), 2 just vegetables and black beans, and 4 with everything. Having these different varieties will help from getting bored throughout the week. As for the range in the servings section, it all depends on how you are planning to enjoy these bad boys. Obviously having one with an english muffin or a bowl of cereal is plenty, but if you don't have time I would recommend eating 2 or 3 with a piece of fruit for a full meal.

Muffin Frittatas

Serves 3-7

Ingredients:

1/2 cup kale, chopped

1/4 cup broccoli florets, chopped

1/2 carrot, diced

1/2 bell pepper, diced

1/4 cup onion, diced

1/4 pound sausage

1/3 cup black beans

3 eggs

1/4 cup milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Chop up all the vegetables and onion, set aside. Heat a little bit of oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add vegetables and onion and cook until vegetables are soft.

In a different pan cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink. Spray 7 slots of a muffin pan with cooking spray and set aside.

Scramble eggs and milk in a bowl. Place sausage into the bottom of 5 slots of the muffin pan. Spoon vegetable mixture equally into 5 or 6 slots and distribute black beans into all 7 slots. Pour egg and milk mixture into each slot to fill 3/4 way.

Place pan in oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully fork out muffin frittatas. Allow to cool and then store either in the fridge or freezer for on-the-go meals.

Enjoy :)

Caramelized Cinnamon Apple Breakfast Quinoa

As much as I love having oatmeal or egg sandwiches for breakfast, every once in a while, like this past weekend, I want something different. The answer to this problem came rather easily as Mark and I both found the same recipe to try.

Since the recipe combined our favorite grain (quinoa) and our favorite fruit (apple) it seemed like a great thing to try. However, we didn't have the raisins or the nuts that the recipe called for so we tweaked it ever so slightly to work with what we had on hand.

We really enjoyed the end result, but agree that it is better topped with the warmed milk. This dish was a light but filling diversion from our breakfast routine that I am sure we will make again.

Ingredients needed

Quinoa boiling

Apples caramelizing

Mine topped with almond milk and maple syrup

Caramelized Cinnamon Apple Breakfast Quinoa
Adapted from here 

Serves 2

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup dry quinoa

3/4 cup water

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, divided

1/2 cup applesauce (homemade or unsweetened)

1 small apple, diced

1 teaspoon coconut oil (or vegetable oil)

1 teaspoon brown sugar

warm milk*, optional

maple syrup, optional

Directions:

Combine quinoa, water, and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, cover, and lower heat to simmer for about 15 minutes or until quinoa is done.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar and turn heat to low. Core and dice apple, then add to the brown sugar mixture. Cook on low for 5 minutes or until apples are starting to get tender.

Divide quinoa equally between two bowls. Top with 1/4 cup applesauce and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon each. Add apples and serve hot.

Mix and top with warmed milk and maple syrup, if desired.

Enjoy :)

*Notes:

Use non-dairy milk, such as almond or soy, to make vegan friendly.

Sweet Potato Hash For One

3-lb bags of sweet potatoes were on sale at the grocery store the other week, naturally I bought it. Then we got super busy being that it was Restaurant Week and all, to make a long story short come Friday we still had a 3-lb bag of sweet potatoes to use up....

This recipe is a product of that predicament.

Fried potatoes with onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, and tomatoes topped with an egg... Yes, its just as good as it sounds. Add a little cayenne pepper and the dish becomes especially appreciated after a run in 20 degree weather. It was flavorful and the epitome of fall eating.

Make it. Now.

Wish I would have taken a picture while it was still in the pan

Well I am off to think of other ways to live off sweet potatoes for the upcoming week. Having to come up with ways to use up sweet potatoes, feel bad for me please :).

Sweet Potato Hash For One
Adapted from here

Serves 1

Ingredients:

1 small sweet potato, cubed

1/4 cup onion, chopped

1/4 cup mushrooms, chopped

1/4 cup bell pepper, chopped

1 roma tomato, chopped

1 egg

sprinkle of cayenne pepper

salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat a little olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sweet potatoes & onions, cover, and cooked until soft.

Uncover and add mushrooms, bell pepper, tomato, cayenne, salt & pepper. Cook for 5 minutes more or until mushrooms and bell pepper are soft.

Make a hole in the middle of the pan and crack an egg into it, cover and cook for 3-5 minutes more until the whites are set.

Carefully plate and serve.

Enjoy :)

Be'wiched Deli

Dessert

Restaurants with the word "deli" in the title always get my attention. To me a deli is a place sure to have sandwiches, one of my favorite meals because they are endlessly customizable, quick, and, cheap leaving everyone satisfied. Obviously when I first heard of Be'Wiched Deli in the Warehouse District I thought it would be a great restaurant for Mark and me, no research necessary. Upon further inquiry (aka googling) I inserted it on the top of my "must-try" restaurants.

One day earlier this summer I happened to have a doctors appointment right around lunch time, so Mark blocked off a chunk of the afternoon and we hopped on the bus down to the restaurant. When we arrived it wasn't too busy, but filling up quickly. The place was set up a lot like a diner, complete with a display case full of baked goods, booth seating, and a chalk board at the counter menu.

After mulling over the menu for a few minutes (they have some unique and tasty sounding sandwiches) Mark settled on the smoked turkey on ciabatta and I went with the cup of soup and 1/2 sandwich combination of tomato gazpacho & veggie burger.

Baked Banana Bread French Toast

Now that you have the recipe for my banana bread you can make baked banana bread french toast! At first Mark was iffy about using banana bread as the base, but after one bite he became a believer.

Getting my bread sliced

Ready for the oven

Time to dig in

This was a great breakfast: a comfort dish without being too hard on the body.

And that banana bread? Gets better and better every time I take a bite.

Baked Banana Bread French Toast

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

4 slices banana bread

1 egg + 1 egg white

1/4 cup milk

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

dash of salt

Directions:

The night before, leave the bread out to get stale.

The next morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a bowl big enough to hold everything mix together eggs & egg whites, milk, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and salt.

Break apart banana bread into bite size pieces and submerge in egg mixture; set aside.

In a small dish melt butter and mix in brown sugar.

Spray two 1-cup ramekins with cooking spray.

Pour banana bread batter evenly into ramekins and pour brown sugar mixture on top.

Place in oven and bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve hot with toppings of choice.

Enjoy :)

Banana Bread - As Healthy As I Ever Want It

This past weekend Mark and I were craving french toast but were fresh out of bread. This caused a major conflict for us because we try to only go to the grocery store twice a week, once on Sunday for weekly shopping and once on Wednesday to restock our empty apple inventory... it was Saturday. For normal people just making a loaf of bread to use would probably be an option and a delicious problem solver, but unfortunately I have yet to master the skill of working with yeast. I don't know what it is but nothing ever turns out when I try using yeast. A bread making class is in my future. In the meantime I must get a little creative (or so I think until I do a google search).

Regardless, we ended up happy and with french toast on Sunday morning.

I decided to make a healthified banana bread and use it as the french toast base. Now, I'm not crazy enough to think that lowering the amount of oil and replacing the sugar with honey makes banana bread something I can eat and eat, we wanted a comfort food breakfast and thats what we had. However, in terms of calories and added sugar this recipe is much lower than most while still being tasty (a slice of this has about 100 calories while a slice of Starbucks banana bread has almost 500!). So take it for what you will and remember healthier versions of your favorite treats are still treats and enjoy them accordingly.

Steps off soapbox.

Getting back to this banana bread: I used less sweetener because I made it with very ripe bananas, cut the oil down to just 2 teaspoons, and used half whole wheat/half all-purpose flour. The result was a soft, moist bread that tasted sweet enough to be a dessert and light enough for a snack. It was perfect for the baked french toast I made the next morning (recipe here).

The eggs were for the french toast, not the bread

Yum!

Topped with butter and honey

As for the leftovers? They will be used as peanut butter and jelly sandwich bread for a post workout snack shortly!

Yum.

Banana Bread - As "Healthy" As I Ever Want It

Makes 1 loaf,
Serves 10-12

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups flour (I did 1/2 WW and 1/2 all purpose)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon, optional

1/4 teaspoon salt

2-3 ripe bananas, mashed

1/4 cup applesauce

1/4 cup honey (I used a little less)

2 teaspoons oil (coconut or canola)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a large bowl mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.

In a smaller bowl mix together mashed bananas, applesauce, honey, oil, and vanilla.

Add wet ingredients to dry and stir well to combine.

Lightly spray a 9" by 4" loaf pan with cooking spray.

Pour batter into pan and place in preheated oven.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until top is golden brown.

Enjoy :)

Restaurant Review: Colossal Cafe (St. Paul Location)

Our food ticket (named after streets in St. Paul)

Apparently we couldn't get enough of St. Paul because two days after Meritage we found ourselves back in our not-so-old stomping grounds! We met up with our friends Ben & Angie who had been telling us about this restaurant called Colossal Cafe (as seen on Diners, Driver Ins and Dives*) that apparently served up a mean brunch menu. *I should note that they do have a Minneapolis location but it only accepts cash and we didn't have enough on hand.*

Doing brunch had been on our summer bucket list so meeting up one Saturday after our Farmer's Market trip was an excellent opportunity to fulfill that bullet point on our list. On the ride to the restaurant Ben & Angie warned us that the place was small and had fend-for-yourself seating, something that would have thrown me off had I not been briefed beforehand. Sure enough and true to the description the place was small and extremely busy. Knowing we were newbies, Ben & Angie ordered quickly and hustled to find us seating while Mark and I mulled over the menu. After finally ordering we took our seats on the two stools at the bar that Ben & Angie had secured for us and waited for our food to arrive.

Mark went with a full stack of flappers complete with apple, brie, honey and walnuts on top. I wish I could have snapped a picture of the look on my face when Mark's HUGE plateful of yeast-based pancakes arrived. They were smothered in the above mentioned toppings and were delicious.... for a few bites. After a while they were just too heavy for me. As luck would have it Mark loved them, especially the thickness of the pancakes. He could see how these flappers worked as sandwich bread (one of the ways you can order any of the sandwiches on the menu). Mark also thought the brie was a great addition to the pancake toppings. However, he noted that there was just too much honey. The honey was literally covering the plate, he couldn't even eat the bottom flapper due to the saturation.

Ready to dig into his stack of flappers

Close up of the apple, brie, walnut flappers with honey

I ordered the artichoke, spinach, tomato, and feta frittata. It was wonderful, eggs with vegetables and cheese... the ideal "Tara" meal if one were to exist. The ingredients mixed together to form the perfect flavor tones. The tanginess of the artichoke, the saltiness of the feta, and the mellow undertones of the spinach and tomato thoroughly satisfied my palate. It came with two slices of lightly buttered homemade toast which were obviously an appreciated and enjoyed side.

My yummy frittata

Mark and I really liked the food and were grateful we had chaperones to lead the way through our busy first Colossal experience. Next time I would probably order the frittata again (THAT good), and I bet Mark would order one of their savory sandwiches on a flapper.

Notes:

*The Minneapolis location is the one featured on Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives.

7.14.12

My Favorite Breakfast Sandwich (For Now)

My Monday-Friday breakfast is usually one of two things: cold oatmeal or an egg sandwich. Both are extremely easy to make, delicious, and fill me up after my workout.

One day I will get around to posting the cold oatmeal recipe (maybe when I don't prep it at 11:00 pm I will remember to take pictures!), but for today it will be an egg sandwich that I seriously can not get enough of. It has cheese, vegetables, avocado, and garlic smushed between two slices of bread.

There are endless possibilities for twists you could make on this sandwich to turn it into your own. It's also one of those recipes you could make a couple servings of ahead of time for on-the-go meals.

It's delightful! I hope you agree.

Whole Wheat Strawberry-Banana Muffins

So things got kind of hectic around here last week. One thing after another came up, before I could breath it was Friday and I had about 1/2 lb of VERY ripe strawberries in the refrigerator. My first instinct was to eat them right then and there, but then I remembered seeing a recipe for banana peach muffins earlier in the week that I really wanted to try. So I just replaced the peaches with strawberries.

Problem solved. Q.E.D. (I know that isn't being used correctly, it's an inside joke).

I played around just a little with the recipe by lowering the amount of maple syrup and replacing half the oil with applesauce. Not because the recipe wasn't healthy enough as is, but because I had (still have) some applesauce that needed to be used and I like to play around with recipes to make them my own. Following exact directions is so 3rd grade, am I right?

The result was phenomenal (in my opinion). The nutty flavor of the whole wheat flour and the grainy texture of the thick cut oats mixed with maple syrup, mashed banana, and slices of fresh strawberry.... Muffins make any crazy week infinitely better; I decided.

These are light enough to be part of a breakfast, small enough to be an afternoon snack, and sweet enough to be a dessert.

These also freeze well. Just put leftovers in an airtight container and place them in the freezer. When you crave one, take it out and defrost in the microwave!

It's my new go-to muffin recipe and I can't wait to try them with other kinds of fresh fruit.

Whole Wheat Strawberry-Banana Muffins
Adapted slightly from here

Serves 12-14

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup thick cut oats

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup applesauce

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

2-3 ripe bananas, mashed (I always keep frozen ripe ones in my freezer)

1/2-1 Ib strawberries, sliced

1 teaspoon cinnamon, optional but recommended, preferably Saigon cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine flour, oats, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl.

In a separate smaller bowl combine applesauce, oil, maple syrup, mashed bananas.

Mix wet ingredients into dry, then add sliced strawberries and fold gently until barely combined.

Either line a muffin pan with liners or spray pan with cooking spray and fill 3/4 of the way full.

Bake for 20-22 minutes or until golden brown and the sweet aroma of baking fills your house.

Serve warm or cold. Both are delicious.

Enjoy :)

Double Dark Chocolate-Peanut Butter Baked Oatmeal

Peanut butter-chocolate gooeyness

Raise your hand if all of the following apply to you:

1. You like chocolate
2. You like peanut butter
3. You like oatmeal
4. You are a fan of healthy, filling breakfast recipes that have no added sugar

If, like me, you are raising your hand and guilty as charged this recipe is for you! It's so rich and chocolately you will feel almost like you are eating dessert instead of breakfast. Almost.

Dig in!

I baked mine, but I am sure it would work just fine on the stove top, or even as overnight oats.

Double Dark Chocolate-Peanut Butter Baked Oatmeal

Inspired by these

Serves 1

Ingredients:

1/2 cup oatmeal

1/2-1 tablespoon dark cocoa powder

pinch of salt

1/2 mashed banana (or 1/4 cup applesauce)

1/4 cup milk (I used almond)

1 tablespoon peanut butter, divided

1-2 tablespoons dark chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a small bowl combine oatmeal, cocoa powder, and salt. Then add mashed banana, milk, chocolate chips and 1/2 tablespoon of peanut butter* stirring until well incorporated.

Pour mixture into 1 cup ramekin and place in the oven.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Top with other 1/2 tablespoon peanut butter and enjoy :).

Notes:

*You might want to warm peanut butter for 10 seconds in the microwave to make it easier to incorporate.

Restaurant Review Grand Marais Edition: Cascade Restaurant & Pub (Breakfast Experience)

Before we departed Grand Marais and headed into what would becoming a hell of a trip home, we had one more meal to eat: breakfast at the Cascade Restaurant & Pub. If you recall from our second "restaurants of Grand Marais" review, we had quite the pleasant experience on our trip there for dinner (just look at Mark's face in the pictures). Needless to say, we were very much looking forward to having breakfast there. We knew that we would be having breakfast there sometime on our trip because the LivingSocial deal we purchased included a free breakfast at the lodge restaurant.

So after we were informed of the severity of the storm we went to the restaurant to eat and come up with our game plan. After we were seated we started to examine the menu. I was still feeling the effects of all the deep-fried, indulging food from the day before (funny how your body will tell you when its had enough, huh?) so I stuck to a simple breakfast of two scrambled eggs, hash browns, ham, and marble rye toast.

My "lighter" breakfast

I was iffy about ordering scrambled eggs at a restaurant, usually I just don't like them but I needed something that would be light on my tummy. So imagine my excitement when I took a bite and actually liked them. I wasn't appalled by their appearance and didn't gag when I put them in my mouth. That, my friends, earns the Cascade Restaurant & Pub kudos in my book. The marble rye toast was very tasty, as expected. Not much to say about it except I guess Grand Marais knows their way around a loaf of marble rye. The hash browns were crispy on top, but soft underneath, just the way I think hash browns should be. Of course, after eating the hash browns at The Oceanaire I had to see if they passed the Tabasco test. They did. I can't speak on the piece of ham as I gave it to Mark, but he seemed to enjoy it.

As for Mark, he continued his tradition (it can be a tradition after one visit, right?) of ordering the delicious, indulgent cafe style food by asking for the biscuits & gravy with scrambled eggs. His eyes lit up when the set his plate in front of him filled with biscuits soaked in gravy, scrambled eggs nestled against the gravy, and an orange slice on the side. Once again he cleared his plate and licked it clean and noted that it was "quality cafe fare". I sampled a few (or more) bites and was particularly fond of the peppered sausage gravy. I just think its the perfect breakfast gravy, especially for dipping eggs in.

Mark's breakfast

We have nothing but good memories of both the Cascade Lodge and the restaurant. It was a pleasant experience and everyone was extremely kind. We would definitely recommend both places to anyone who wants to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Other Grand Marais Posts:

Grand Marais Part 1

Grand Marais Part 2

Grand Marais Part 3

Dockside Fish Market Review

Cascade Restaurant & Pub Review

World's Best Donuts Review

Hughie's Tacos Review

My Sister's Place Review

6.20.12

Easy Individual Vegetable Frittatas (a.k.a. Mega Frittata Muffins)

On the weekends we try to come up with something besides cold cuts and salads for lunch because as much as we love sandwiches and salads, having a couple days break is nice. We like to try and use the same basic ingredients (usually the leftover meat and veggies from the week), just in more creative ways. This past Sunday I was in a pinch for time and was going to resort to sandwiches but was cravings eggs so I threw together individual vegetable frittatas using frozen veggies (to save time). Both Mark and I liked them well enough so here is my very basic recipe for the dish that Mark named "mega frittata muffins". I can't wait to play around with it! I will be posting updates and variations as I try these with different meats, vegetables, cheeses, and spices.

Easy Individual Vegetable Frittatas

Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 eggs

4 egg whites

1/4 small onion, chopped

1/2 cup frozen chopped broccoli

1/2 cup frozen peas, carrots, lima beans mix

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon cooking oil

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

salt & pepper

Directions:


Place two 1 cup ramekins in a larger baking dish and set in oven. Turn oven on to 450 degrees.

In a small skillet heat oil over medium heat, add onion, and cook until translucent; set aside.

In a bowl whisk together eggs, egg whites, milk, garlic powder, cumin, red pepper flakes, and salt & pepper.

In a separate bowl place frozen veggies and microwave until thawed, then add to egg mix.

Once onions cool, add them to egg mix.

After the oven has preheated, remove ramekins  and spray with cooking spray.

Carefully pour 1/2 mixture into each ramekin and place back in oven.

Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until pouffy, golden brown, and knife comes out clean.

Serve with buttered toast and enjoy :)

Restaurant Review Grand Marais Edition: World's Best Donuts

I just want to say that I don't think we had a bad meal during our time in Grand Marais. We did our research before we went and it definitely paid off. That being said, there has only been one food item I have craved ever since we got home... Like seriously jonesing for. That food item would be the donuts from World's Best Donuts. I'm not sure if its just that I NEVER eat donuts (usually don't like them) or if they really are the world's best, but whatever it is I want them on a daily basis.

The day we arrived we had walked past World's Best Donuts where Mark spotted a cutout stand in of a viking look-alike with the word "Skizzle" across his chest. He declared right then, in spite of not knowing what it was, that he was getting one.

We planned on a trip to World's Best Donuts for the morning after we arrived. Being the spaz that I am, I wanted to get there as soon as they opened shop to gobble up the freshest donuts. That meant waking up at 6 am to do a 40 minute run and then driving into town. Either Mark was just as excited as I was for donuts or he loves me THAT much, because he was up and at 'em.

Weekend Recap

Friday Evening (7.13.12): Got some running around out of the way and made some much needed purchases

Mark's new tea pot, $10 at Macy's!

Mark's new work pants, $30 at Macy's!

Can't wait! And of course we are going with Daren and Jeff.

Trip to Grand Marais (part 3)

A new "river" formed from the flash flood aftermath of the storm

We woke up the next morning around 7:30 and went into Grand Marais one last time to run out to the lighthouse. As we were driving into town we noticed the ponds of water that had formed from the storm on the side of the road, but we were somehow still oblivious to the day we were about to have.

We parked in the pharmacy lot, located on a slight uphill and got out to start our run. Just as we started Mark slipped on the curb and fell onto the street twisting his ankle. He stumbled to his feet and said "I'm done" and that was that. We got back into the car and drove over to the gas station in hopes of finding an ace bandage to wrap his ankle in for the long car ride home. Unfortunately we struck out and since it was before 8 am none of the stores were open.

Mark's swollen ankle