After three weeks of quasi-working, it’s hard to get back into the swing of things. First, we had the bad weather which had work canceled and/or I was working from home. Then we had Christmas week and New Year’s week… what’s this? 5 consecutive days of work? My brain is struggling to catch up.

It’s January 6th. Every muscle in my body is a wreck thanks to my Jillian Michaels exercise DVD, I can still taste my dessert chocolate, and I have been speaking a bit more slowly to try to avoid my “like”s. I think I’m in good shape, being that we’re only 6 days in. We’ll see where I am in 3 months. :)

This weekend Jim and I took a field trip to a store in North Portland called The Meadow. The Meadow is a lovely store on many fronts. First off, it’s located on a strip that includes one of my favorite quick-food restaurants, Laughing Planet. After eating my favorite meal there (vegan Caesar salad, hold the parm and a cup of chili with focaccia) we wandered into The Meadow.

The Meadow is a gourmet store, specializing in fine chocolates, finishing salts, exotic olive oils, wine and fresh cut flowers. The smell as you enter is absolutely intoxicating. Yes, the idea can border a bit on pretentious-foodie, but it’s what’s on the inside that counts. And a wall of high quality chocolate is what’s really important, no?

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Their selection of dark chocolate is impressive. Overwhelming to be exact. I stood there, with my mouth agape, while Jim gave up and sat in an overstuffed chair, while I tried to make a selection. I settled on one bar, given all that I have at home to work through. I selected the Belgian Dolfin Dark Chocolate with Earl Grey. It’s very aromatic and melts nicely. Next time I will be investing in the sampler pack of some of their finishing salts. You’ve never tasted salt like this before.

For my post-workout dinner tonight, I whipped together a quick but satisfying meal. I sauteed some purple kale in a little bit of olive oil with minced garlic. I threw in some chickpeas and quinoa and called it good. Topped it off with a sprinkle of Parma and a slice of garlic bread on the side, it was a great meal in under 5 minutes (the quinoa was pre-cooked). Yes, the bread is naturally that alarming shade of yellow from just some Earth Balance and a little crushed garlic.

purple kale, quinoa and choc almond milk

In the background you can see my favorite dinner-time drink, chocolate almond milk, displayed in a vintage Welch’s jelly jar. Jim’s mother found them in some box while purging things she’d saved from his childhood and brought them the last time she visited. I am pterodactyl and Jim is brontosaurus, no exceptions. :)

Well, that’s all I got for now. I have a textbook calling my name upstairs so I’m off to study!

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0 Responses to Back to life, back to reality…

  1. Hi, Krispycheks-
    Love your writing style! I just bought some RED quinoa, which I didn’t know existed, and am dying to make something with it!

  2. jumbleberryjam says:

    Now that’s my kind of store! And I think it’s brilliant that you’re working on becoming a chocolate connoisseur. Nothing finer (well, except maybe red wine ;-). Can’t wait to get back to Seattle so I can start making day trips to your fine city!!

  3. jessy says:

    oh my gosh – the Welch’s glasses just took me back about 15 years! wow! i totally had those when i was younger! i wonder if my mom still has some in our attic?! i’ve gotta ask her! yay!

    your kale-chickpea-quinoa dish sounds really good and nice ‘n simple, too! perfect! (did i mention it looks super yummy!) nice job on working out!

    i would be soooo overwhelmed in that store as well. chocolate with earl grey?! i do love me some earl grey. hooray for keeping your resolutions! i’m still going strong with mine as well!

  4. Are you serious?! They used to put pterodactyls on Welch’s jelly jars? That’s too cute. And the chocolate almond milk sounds sooo appealing right now. It’s really hot outside around here. Every aspect of your 5-minute meal looks wonderful, in fact. Pass the garlic bread, please!

    Oh wow, the pretentious foodie store sounds like fun! Do you have a favorite brand of chocolate? I really really like Guittard chocolate chips.

    • krispycheks says:

      Yeah, they used to put all kinds of images on the jars. I think there were different series with different animal themes. They periodically made them through the early 1990s at least, because my brothers had some.

  5. Vegetation says:

    Mmmmm chocolate. I love chocolate anything!

    And your dinner sounds and look fab! Plus extra points because it’s quick 😀

    Continued good luck with your resolutions! Sounds like you’re doing well with them.

  6. Carrie says:

    You’re back! I didn’t even know until right this minute. Ok, well, maybe 5 or 10 minutes ago. I was catching up on what you’ve posted so far. One of my resolutions is to purge! Don’t you just feel so weighted down by all the “stuff”? I can’t wait to get rid of it.