Happy Friday from FLORIDA!
Finn and I hopped on a plane yesterday evening to spend the weekend with my family. We can only stay until Sunday so it’s a quick trip but I am THRILLED to be here.
As usual, I am behind on recent eats so what I have for you today is from last week…but it’s too good not to share! These meals were mostly farmers market inspired from the big trip I did a couple of weekends ago. It felt a lot like soaking up the end of all the summer seasonal things with a touch of fall creeping in.
BREAKFAST
Plain FAGE Total 5% with honey, Purely Elizabeth granola, these cool Tiger figs from Trader Joe’s and peanut butter.
Another Thrive! smoothie. I blended this one with lots of coconut water for a very green and hydrating smoothie.
The cup says two servings but I drink the whole thing on my own. I don’t understand how a smoothie can ever be two servings, haha. I always suck them down so fast and wish there was more! That’s why I eat them in a bowl so often with toppings. Slows me down and fills me up more. (Also why I generously add nut butter to many of my smoothies.)
LUNCH
Heirloom tomato, avocado and cheese on honey wheat with Duke’s mayo. Mountain apple on the side. I bought these apples at the farmers market and good lord…they are AMAZING! They taste nothing like the apples I buy at the store. They are so, so crisp and packed with flavor.
Another tomato and avocado creation but open-faced on sourdough and minus the cheese. Another mountain apple on the side.
Mixed lettuce blend from the farmers market with cucumber, cherry tomatoes, pipits, shredded cheese, avocado and a quinoa crunch veggie burger from ALDI. For the dressing, I whisked a little water into Tessamae’s Creamy Ranch so that it was more like a vinaigrette and would cover the soft, tender lettuce blend without weighing it down.
One last salad. Another lettuce blend (this one a spicy mix) from the farmers market with heirloom tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, diced apple, Tiger figs, dried cranberries, pistachios and avocado. I tossed this lettuce in a honey dijon balsamic vinaigrette.
DINNER
File this under not pretty but tastes delicious. Homemade meatloaf with roasted cauliflower and buttered egg noodles. I made the meatloaf and the noodles for Finn. 🙂
I didn’t really follow a recipe for this meatloaf but if you haven’t tried my veggie-packed turkey meatloaf, you must!
Another night, another meatloaf dinner. This one had more interesting side items! I roasted okra and cooked a pot of fresh field peas from the farmers market. This Georgia girl LOVES fresh peas! I cooked them with onion and bacon. Mmmmmm!
There was a long day in the middle of this week that resulted in me saying “forget about all the fresh produce I have in the fridge and give me a grilled cheese.” White cheddar, muenster, avocado, bacon and fig preserves on sourdough. Cooked in a cast iron skillet with Kerrygold salted butter.
Finally, I made a big pot of green coconut curry one night with all my remaining farmers market veggies and served it over brown rice. Into the curry went…chicken thighs, onion, okra, eggplant, tomatoes and a sweet red pepper.
DESSERT
It had been FAR too long since I’d enjoyed a slice of carrot cake from Laurel Market. 🙂
What summer foods are you sad to say farewell to?
What fall foods are you looking forward to?
All of your meals look tasty. I can’t wait for cooler weather to come so I can make pots of soup. Enjoy your long weekend in Florida!
I love when you share your eats. It gives me such good meal ideas. Also, I was in Charlotte this past summer for an internship and fell in love with Laurel Market. Have a slice of cake for me! 🙂
That carrot ? cake always looks amazing! Will definitely miss the cucumbers tomatoes and basil in my husband’s garden. I also belong to a community Garden and we have had a great bounty of summer veggies. Time to bring out the crockpot for soups!
Great post, love all your eats! They all look so yummy!
-Kate
https://daysofkate.com/
All of your meals look sooo good! So this is kind of a random question, but have you ever considered moving to Florida to be closer to family? Asking because I’m in a situation where I am debating moving down south to be closer to my parents for various reasons (they’re getting older, I’m all the way in new england etc) but I’ve established myself here with my job etc. I constantly find myself flying down there and I’m so torn on what to do! Just curious if you’ve ever thought about it. Have a great rest of your weekend Jen! 🙂