JSQ in the Kitchen: Southwestern Black Bean Salad

In keeping with my Resolution to cook more, I whipped up one of my favorite recipes last night and can I please just tell you...Skinnytaste.com NEVER LETS ME DOWN. Every recipe is amazing, and Gina (who I just fangirl over constantly on this blog and on Pinterest) lists the Weight Watchers points and calories for every meal.

While this Southwestern Black Bean Salad recipe is totally more of a Summertime hit, if you're craving protein-rich beans, sweet corn, or avocados (which is every day of the year for me) this salad is super easy to whip up on a weeknight. And if you're cooking for one like I am, it also stores well in the fridge for a few days so you can nibble on it all week. Personally, I use 1 cup of it (4 Weight Watchers PointsPlus) as a salsa (I double the amount of tomato in the recipe to achieve this effect) that I pair with Original Flavor Pop Chips for a touch of saltiness (and only 3 more PointsPlus). This is quite honestly my favorite snack, and today I even brought it for lunch!

NOW, Skinnytaste is even a cookbook. I obviously own a copy that I bought the day it became available at Barnes & Noble, and even gave a copy to my mom for Christmas. If I really wanted to learn to cook, I could just cook my way through the Skinnytaste cookbook a la Julie & Julia...Totally kidding, but actually 62% serious. Bon Appetit! 

ColumBucket List: pizza with Pizza

My goodbye tour of Columbus kicked off a few weeks ago, when my amaaaazing bestie threw me the most incredible surprise bash with all my friends at our favorite local watering hole, Zeno's. Since then, I've been trying to mentally wrap my head around the fact that each time I do something I love around this town, it will most likely be for the last time! (Of course I'll visit...but for now, it's time to say goodbye!) While I'll certainly miss friends and co-workers, I'm confident that we'll stay in touch. So the thing that is hitting me the hardest is leaving behind some of my favorite quintessential Columbus foods!

If you were ever lucky enough to be a South campus student at Ohio State, you know perfectly well that the best pizza in this entire town comes from Adriatico's. It claims to be New York style, so I'm praying I'll find something comparable, but who knows!? I've been an avid customer since freshman year when their friendly door was just a block or two away from my dorm. The number has been programmed into every cellphone I've had since I was 19. I have to say, it will be pretty weird to not see it located as #2 on my contact list... Cate and I have our order down to an absolute science. A Medium thick-crust pizza, always covered with green & red peppers and onions. Half with black olives for me, and the other half with pepperoni for my non-vegetarian pal. And, of course, an order of breadsticks with garlic sauce and pizza sauce and a 2-liter bottle of Diet Coke.

Then, last halloween, we met a lovely man (pictured above, mid-chew) named Will, who, as luck would have it, happened to be dressed like pizza! I'm serious. He was dressed like a slice of pizza...if pizza happened to accessorize its look with a worn out, blue Kentucky hat. And, very unfortunately for him, we kept making him hang out with us, and the nickname "Pizza" just stuck! Now, over a year later, I can honestly say I love Pizza almost as much as I love pizza. See what I did there? The proper noun and all? So I couldn't think of a better way to spend our last evening together (before he jets off to his medical school interviews tomorrow and misses the opportunity to help me lift heavy boxes into my Uhaul truck...) than by splitting an Adriatico's pizza! A farewell to both the #1 pizzas in my life!

Note: Pizza happens to like his pizza with pepperoni and green olives, which I will just never understand...I'm willing to overlook the blatant cannibalism, but green olives? Never. 10 more days!!

Chit Chat

Another amazing meal shared with friends during my weekend in New York City was at the fabulously quirky Chat 'n Chew. Located on 16th street, between 5th Avenue and West Union Square, it is nestled in  the Flatiron district of Manhattan. While the Frying Pan ran on ambiance and view, this restaurant had me singing its praises for the fantastic eats. After a long morning of walking and theatre-ticket-purchasing, we were salivating for their appetizers, including macaroni & cheese and sweet potato fries paired with a spicy ketchup! For my meal, I had this fantastic vegetarian chili, topped with guacamole, and surrounded by a perimeter of homebaked tortilla chips. I can't speak highly enough about this restaurant. For you Columbus folks, it reminded me a lot of Betty's. It was far and away my favorite meal in NYC.

Photos clockwise from top left
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Have a Holly Jolly Christmas

It's Christmas morning! 

I just finished a batch of blueberry streusel muffins, helped my mom bake breakfast strata, and chopped up vegetables for a veggie pizza for brunch. All the while, I was watching two of my favorite old movies, Every Girl Should Be Married and Meet Me in St. Louis. I am perfectly happy today and I hope you all are too. Lots of love this Christmas season, from me to you!

{Image from Folksy}

Vegetable Chic

This fruit and vegetable table from Amy Atlas Events is truly awe-inspiring. I have never seen anything so classically chic in my life.

{Photos via Amy Atlas Blog}

Local Spotlight: Pattycake Bakery

Now, I'm sure all of you Columbus residents have heard about the deliciousness that is Pattycake Bakery in Clintonville. All of their delicious desserts and treats are vegan, some are even gluten-free or naturally sweetened, and everything is 100% tasty. Here are some pictures of their food, including buckeye bars, raw vegan cheesecake, and naturally sweetened cupcakes. 

{All photos from Pattycake Bakery's blog}

Check their website out, and be sure to stop in if you're in our neck of the woods. They are located at 3009 N. High Street Columbus, OH 43202. Visit their blog for more updates on what's new with them! 

It's Official

After much contemplation, and few months of quasi-practice paired with a lot of reading up on nutrition, I have decided to take the plunge and go Vegetarian. I am very excited about this change in my life, and have already noticed myself feeling better and better as I slowly eliminated meat from my diet. Now I am going to go all the way and cut it out entirely. I am definitely a beginner in this endeavor, so if anyone has any advice, I would love to hear it!