7 Food Aspirations for 2022 + Recent Eats!

Hello and welcome to the first recent eats recap of 2022. It’s been just over a month since I shared my last one with you so what you see here will span the course of several weeks.

Before I dive into my recent eats, I do have some food aspirations for the year that I’d like to share with you.

2022 FOOD ASPIRATIONS

1. Continuing to eat/cook the majority of our meals at home. Preparing meals for myself has always been one of my greatest acts of self-care. I truly feel my best this way. Also, I grew up eating most of our meals at home so going out was a big deal and I like that.
2. Bake more bread…and try new whole wheat and multigrain recipes. Also, try more sourdough starter recipes (like these amazing looking cinnamon rolls and more pizza crust trials)
3. Cooking more dinner recipes instead of going for bowls or simple protein + sides all the time. (I’ll still eat those often, I just want to do more recipe making!)
4. Sit down at the table for meals with Finn more often.
5. Establish a weekly baking tradition with Finn – anything from homemade granola bars to cookies to muffins.
6. Try some new Charlotte restaurants. I have my eye on El Puro, Prime Fish, Mariposa, Halal Street Food, Botiwalla and Plant Joy.
7. Getting more creative with lunches. This is doable since I mostly work from home. My key is going to be prepping ahead of time or starting earlier than I think I need to because I end up being SO hungry for lunch that I snack on too many chips/crackers while throwing together the easiest thing I can.

I’d love to hear some of your food aspirations for the new year!

BREAKFAST

Believe it or not, I’ve been on quite the egg kick for breakfast lately. I recently ate scrambled eggs four days in a row when we were in Florida. The key for me is that they have to have cottage cheese mixed in (bonus if it’s Good Culture) and they have to be cooked in salted butter (bonus if it’s Kerrygold or Vital Farms).

Another scrambled egg breakfast. These were also cooked with cottage cheese and topped with sauerkraut. Half a Dave’s Killer bagel on the side with butter and cream cheese. Who else is loving mandarins right now?

I still do a good number of smoothies. The combo I’ve been digging lately is frozen cherries, frozen blueberries, frozen raspberries, frozen bananas, frozen spinach or cauliflower rice, plain greek yogurt, half of a big medjool date, almond butter, coconut water, oat milk and Purely Elizabeth Maple Almond Butter Granola.

Finn has gotten to where he asks for smoothies several times a week and it makes me so happy because it’s one of the only ways I can get him to do fruits and veggies. I never put frozen spinach in there (because he makes the smoothie with me) but I do put the cauliflower rice in and tell him it’s “white sprinkles.”

LUNCH

This lunch bowl wins MVP for this recap. Leftover steamed white rice, steamed broccoli, a fried egg, Cedar’s Feta Dip, Cedar’s Plain Hommus, avocado, shredded cheddar cheese and hot sauce. I know I’ve mentioned this recently but I’m LOVING steamed broccoli right now.

This was quite the salad creation. Spinach, quinoa, beets, pomegranate seeds, goat cheese, pecans, dried cranberries and avocado with an apple cider vinaigrette from Whole Foods.

Dave’s Killer Bread Good Seed Thin-Sliced with cream cheese, avocado, cottage cheese scrambled eggs and sauerkraut. I guess I’ve been on a bigger egg kick than I thought lately!

Another egg on toast combo. This one on Verdant’s whole wheat.

I made a pot of cauliflower soup before Christmas. Here’s a bowl with avocado toast.

This is the Farmer’s Daughter bowl from Village Juice. Spinach, brown rice, apples, chicken, roasted sweet potatoes and almonds with a balsamic dijon and roasted carrot vinaigrette. Need to recreate this one at home.

Lastly, I had been craving an Italian-ish sandwich for weeks. This is avocado, ham, salami, pepperoncini, Colby jack, mayo and spicy mustard on Dave’s Killer Bread Good Seed Thin Sliced. I cooked it on air broil in my Ninja Foodi Oven.

Another sandwich on the way to hike on New Year’s Day. Mayo, avocado, ham, dill pickles and Colby jack. Apples and chips on the side.

DINNER

Sushi delivered from a local spot. I had been craving it for weeks so splurged on Uber Eats (I had Finn and couldn’t go out to pick it up) but honestly it wasn’t worth the double price I paid for the convenience of delivery.

Air fried tofu over steamed rice with sautéed spinach, avocado, hummus and avocado Tzatziki from Trader Joe’s.

Southwestern chopped salad kit from The Fresh Market add shredded cheddar, avocado and a little ranch dressing. Topped with Trader Joe’s gluten-free chicken nuggets. Y’all know I don’t care about gluten-free but I just like these nuggets.

This bowl was so good! Steamed rice, melty cheddar, steamed broccoli, an air-fried Quinoa Crunch veggie burger from ALDI, hummus, Trader Joe’s Pepita Salsa and hot sauce. I am new to TJ’s Pepita Salsa and it’s good stuff. Much more saucy than salsa-y. Will be a new staple!

Dinner out (on the patio) with Dorie at The Crunkleton. We had the most delicious spread of French onion soup, salad and fries. I grew up loving French onion soup but rarely eat it these days. It was so homey and comforting.

Speaking of soup, I made Ina’s Tuscan White Bean Soup this week. Easy, economical and makes a ton. Especially delicious served with toasted sourdough for dipping.

Quinoa topped with roasted sweet potatoes, roasted chicken sausage, roasted brussel sprouts, shredded cheese and that same TJ’s pepita salsa.

ETC

There has been a LOT of ETC lately including these macrons from Amelie’s. They were divine. I always think I don’t really like macrons until I am reminded that there are really good macrons and then I ooh and aah over them.

The most delightful gingerbread cupcake from Suarez on a night that Finn and I were out for a sweet treat and pick out a new Christmas book at the bookstore date. That’s definitely going to be a holiday tradition. It was a fun night for us the week before Christmas.

And that wraps it up! Let’s transition to some discussion topics…

QUESTIONS

Do you have any food goals/aspirations for the new year? 

What’s your favorite way to cook/eat eggs? 

Do you like French Onion Soup? What’s your favorite kind of soup? (Don’t know that I could pick)

Do you like macrons?