Spotlight On. . . Kumquats!

The other day in Whole Foods, my eye spied one of my most favorite, hard-to-find, seasonal fruits ever– the tiny, but mighty kumquat!  Sold in containers similar to strawberries or raspberries, I was quick to snatch up a carton of those juicy nuggets of citrusy goodness!

For those of you who are unfamiliar, kumquats resemble itty-bitty oranges, and while there is not one-hundred percent agreement kumquats are in the citrus family, the majority of  botanists do agree these are citrus fruits. A little history for you (since I am a history teacher, you know):  kumquats originate from China, and they are a Chinese symbol of prosperity.  Eventually the kumquat made its way to Europe and the United States, and there are only a handful of kumquat varieties that grow today, the most common being the Nagami kumquat, which is likely what you will find in your average grocery store.

Moving on (history is cool and all, but what about the flavor?), kumquats are absolutely mouth-watering, in a practically literal sense!  The kumquat is meant to just be popped in your mouth, rind and all, and the slighty bittersweet rind serves as a nice foil to the sour flesh.  If you are a fan of sweet and sour fruits, like pineapples and mangos, I think you just may love the kumquat!

As you can imagine, kumquats of course serve as excellent source of Vitamin C and fiber.  Nine kumquats will provide you with ninety calories, nine grams of fiber, three grams of protein, and one-hundred percent of your Vitamin C needs.  For such a sour-patch-kid-candy-tasting-like fruit, that’s not bad at all!  (Source)

In terms of use, honestly, I have never eaten a kumquat any other way but whole, tossed in my mouth like an olive or grape.  However, I bet there are tons of uses for the humble kumquat, such as turned into marmalades, jams and jellies, in salads, or even candied, like you would do to ginger.  Oh, a candied kumquat– yes please– especially if it’s on top of a cheesecake!

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If you see a package of kumquats, please, give them a go.  They’re a fun seasonal fruit that hopefully will bring you some prosperity if eaten!  My favorite way to enjoy the kumquat is sparingly– I only eat one or two at a time along with other fruits so I can make the carton last as long as humanly possible!

Have you ever tried a kumquat?  If so, what did you think?

Writing It Out As Motivation

I’m going to start today’s post with a question– do you ever have those things you kind of have to do, but in no way, shape, or form can muster up the motivation or energy to tackle the task?  I am in that situation, and let me tell you, it’s weighing on me– badly!

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I have a ton of stuff to do over the next week, most of it work-related, and quite frankly, I have zero motivation to get it done.  It’s not the usual planning lessons, teaching, correcting papers kind of work; rather, it’s extra stuff I am required to do besides my day-to-day teaching activities.  Up until now, I have been a card-carrying member of procrastination nation regarding this chore, but it’s definitely time to get my act in gear, so I created myself a bit of a plan to get it all done by next week.  It’s not rocket science– I need to work on it at least one hour a day, after school and on the weekends, until next Wednesday night.  That’s not so bad, right?  That’s what I tell myself anyway.  I am writing it here though to keep me accountable, because if I say it on the blog, it must be done!

Moving on, I have been pretty good at tackling stuff lately besides that big, stressful task.  Particularly, my workouts have been pretty solid since Saturday.  Let’s recap, shall we?

Saturday:  10 mile run, with 2 mile cool-down walk, walk with husband

Sunday:  8 mile run

Monday:  70 mins elliptical with handles machine; biceps, triceps, and shoulders lifting

Tuesday:  60 mins crosstrainer/elliptical like machine

Wednesday: 6 mile run, followed by 2 miles of walking, legs lifting

I think writing it all out is fantastic motivation to continue my workout streak.  When I see what I have done in black and white, it definitely serves as inspiration, since I don’t want to write that I skipped a planned workout!  It’s a simple technique, but it works.

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In other “write it out” news, last night I found myself in need of making a quick and easy dinner that would take under forty minutes to prepare.  As you know, I prefer to do my cooking on weekends, but with all the holiday party madness as of late, food prep fell off my radar on Sunday.  I scoured my brain for an easy, hearty recipe, and I remembered how simple and fast it was to make Mama Pea’s Spicy African Peanut Stew!  Since the majority of the ingredients are canned pantry staples (chickpeas, fire roasted tomatoes, light coconut milk), I was able to toss it together in a matter of minutes, with minimal chopping/washing etc. . . It came out fantastic, as per usual!

A major pantry staple!

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As far as “writing it out,” as soon as I used an ingredient in the recipe, I immediately wrote it on my shopping list, so I would not forget to stock up next time I went to the grocery store.  Having a full pantry is key to quick and easy dinners,  so when desperate situations arise, you can always create a meal out of your pantry store.  In fact, Mama Pea’s healthful stew really only required a single fresh ingredient– a sweet potato– and everything else can easily come from your pantry.  I make it a point to write items down on my shopping list as soon as I deplete my supply so I can ensure I always have it on hand!  As the theme of this post suggests– write it out people– as soon as you run out!

Well, I suppose that is enough randomness for the day! 

What do you “write out” in order to keep your motivation high?

A Rhode Island Treasure

The other day, my husband and I decided to go to random stores and browse, with no intention to buy anything whatsoever. We went to Dick’s Sporting Goods, The Sports Authority (where I showed him my b-ball dribbling skillz), and Ocean State Job Lot, a close-out store known as “the home of adventure shopping.”

 

 

(Source)Now, I know most of my readers have never heard of Ocean State Job Lot before, as it’s a Rhode Island/nearby Massachusetts thing, but I’m sure almost every state has something similar. It’s basically a few steps above a dollar store in my opinion, in which you can find the most random things for cheap. Much of the stuff they sell is of a decent quality, but there’s a lot of junk for sale too! The best part about Ocean State Job Lot, though, is their food section. Again, you can find the most random things ever, but much of their stock is good stuff! In fact, they sell many exotic/unique/imported/foreign food brands, so it wouldn’t be unusual, for example, to find cookies from England or sauces from India. It’s a great place for foodies to poke around and score a prize or two!

So as we were browsing around, we turned down one aisle, and I was immediately floored and literally unable to move. Here’s what I saw:

 

Oh wait, there was more!

 

If you can’t figure out what I was gasping over, it was an entire aisle of Bob’s Red Mill products. Mind you, this aisle was home to about ten times the number of Bob’s Red Mill products I’ve seen at my larger, local Whole Foods! For those of you who are unfamiliar, Bob’s Red Mill is a company known for selling a huge variety of whole grains, flours, bean and grain mixes, seeds, etc. . . I saw bags of grains, beans, and flours I didn’t even know Bob’s Red Mill sold! On top of that, nearly half of the selection was gluten-free!

 

If I had to try and list all of the varieties of Bob’s products I saw, I couldn’t, as it was just so overwhelming! Here’s just some of the things I recall lusting over:

Buckwheat flour
Quinoa
Brown sesame seeds
Corn meal, of various grinds
Soy flour
Sweet rice
Bean and grain soup mixes
Many, many hot cereal mixes
Various granola blends
TVP
Cookie mixes
Bread mixes
and all kinds of other grains, cereals, flours, and mixes!Did I mention they were much cheaper than if you were to purchase these products at Whole Foods? Yes, they were.

I still am in awe at my jackpot find, in Job Lot of all places. I now have a new source for all my grains, dried beans, flours, and the like! I can’t wait to go back and stock up!

Do you have stores similar to Ocean State Job Lot where you live? If so, what goodies can you find there?

My Holiday Wish List

As an adult, I can pretty much buy whatever I want, whenever I want (within financial reason of course!).  In other words, I feel a bit silly creating a wish list of things I want because I can get these things for myself, and I likely will purchase these items for myself in the very near future.  However, I am definitely one of those people who has a thought to buy something, and then forgets about it in a day or two.  I just want to make a list so I do not forget the things I do want to treat myself with over this holiday season!

1)  Compression socks/sleeves:

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Lately, my calves have been cramping a lot, especially at night when I sleep.  Also, I find that my legs have not been recovering from my runs as quickly as I would like, so I figured compression socks or sleeves may be an easy solution.  I haven’t done a ton of research on brands, but Zensah compression socks seems to be what a lot of bloggers own, so I think that’ll be my first choice.  I think a trip to the running store is in order this week!

2)  Heating Pad for Abdominal area: 

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Weird, I know!  Do they even exist?  I assume so,  but I am not quite sure what brand or type to look for.  The reason I desire such a pad is that I have a very sensitive tummy, and often experience pain and cramping in my abdomen.  I have heard that heat applied to the stomach area can sometimes ease symptoms, so again, I figure it’s an easy enough way to try to soothe my stomach!  My mom claims she saw some on QVC that are microwaveable, which would be a fantastic option!

3)  A facial

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My skin has been so dry lately, that it needs a mega-dose of professionally applied moisture!  Nevermind the fact I am getting older every second, but I really want to take care of my skin the best that I can, and having an all-natural, spa facial is just the ticket I need to get a good jump start on a solid skin care routine.  Admittedly, I have been a bit lazy with my skin care routine, which typically includes whatever bar soap is in the shower, followed by an all-natural, alcohol-free toner and an all-natural moisturizer I picked up from Whole Foods.  I can’t remember the name right now, but it has SPF in it too.  I just want  to “start over” in a sense with my skin, and get a nice, relaxing, and rejuvenating facial, just so I can remember how nice my skin can look when it is fully moisturized!

4)  Love Grown Foods Granola:

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I am so not going to lie– I just bought the variety pack of this granola off of Amazon!  As you know, I heart granola and eat it every day.  While my heart will always belong to Paleonola, I have read so much about the Love Grown brand on a ton of other blogs, and my curiosity has been peaked!  Since it isn’t sold in Rhode Island yet, on-line ordering is my only option.  I am on my last bag of Paleonola, so I figured this would be a nice change of pace!

5)  Long Sleeve T-Shirts from Target:

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This is such a lame item to have on my wish list, but I wear long sleeved t-shirts under my shirts nearly every day!  I have multiple colors, and probably five of the same white ones in my rotation.  And guess what. . . I want more!  Such a necessary staple of winter dressing/layering!

Looking over this list, I guess I don’t ask for too many extravagant things– no jewelery, expensive clothes or fancy cars!  Just some running gear, good food, something for the aches and pains, nice skin, and the ability to layer freely!  I’m sure there’s a lot more on my wish list, but I can’t think of it right now!  Maybe there will be a part two to this post. . .

What’s on your holiday wish list?

My “Dancing Deer” Dessert

My rest day Friday equaled a wonderful run yesterday– I did ten miles, with a few miles of walking afterwards to cool down.  My legs and lungs felt fresh and strong, and it gave me such a great feeling of accomplishment to kick off the weekend. 

Part of my Friday night fuel for my run included a very delicious dessert following my non-falafel feast!  Once again, after my marathon correcting session, I peeled myself off of the couch to go to Whole Foods for the sole purpose of finding a good dessert for the evening.  Walking in there at this time of year is kind of a dessert wonderland– there are way too many tempting options! 

My eye quickly fell on a new-to-me product from a company whose brownies I die for!  The latest Dancing Deer Baking Company dessert I spotted involved my absolute favorite dessert combination as of late– sea salt and caramel.    Check out this concoction:

Caramel sea salt squares?  Yes please!  Now, of course, I can’t eat a brownie or bar without ice cream, so I also picked up a container of Haagen Daz Cookies N’ Cream ice cream.  Unfortunately (or fortunately?), I couldn’t stop there–

Ooops.  I also bought a bag of white chocolate chips and a container of chocolate-covered mini graham crackers.  I envisioned in my mind an epic sundae of sorts, full of my favorite dessert flavors.  I could not for the life of my edit my purchases, and pretty much placed in my basket anything that looked good!

After dinner, I began to construct my masterpiece.  I layered one caramel sea salt bar (and a small piece of peanut brownie leftover from last week) with a few scoops of cookies n’ cream.  I sprinkled on some white choco chips and of course, placed a few milk chocolate grahams on the side as a crunchy garnish.  It was pretty epic!

I warmed up the bar and brownie a bit in the microwave first, so I had a perfect combination of tastes, temperatures, and textures.  The caramel sea salt bar was fantastic, and had the flavor of a snickerdoodle, but the texture of an oooey gooey brownie.  The white choco chips provided the necessary chunky texture I love in any sundae, while the grahams served as the crunch factor.  Chocolate in the form of the oreos in the ice cream and the small piece of pb brownie too gave a nice, almost bitter flavor contrast to the super sweetness of everything else.  Let’s just say it was perfect.

I love my Friday night desserts!  It gives me something to look forward to all week, while also being just over the top enough to not make me want such rich foods for the rest of the week!  Craving satisfied!

What’s your favorite assemble-at-home dessert that satisfies your innermost sweet tooth?

Gingerbread Men Whoopie Pies

On Friday, I came home after work and literally corrected essays for four hours, from 2 to 6.  By the time I was done, my hand hurt and my head was spinning.  I knew I had to pick up my husband from the train station at 7, and I was in charge of ordering pizza, salad (for me) and a sandwich (for him) so that we could get it on the way home.  As you may know, I always like a special dessert on Friday nights, so I used the one hour I had between finishing correcting and picking up the husband to head to Whole Foods, solely on the hunt for a yummy dessert.  I debated over a peanut butter brownie, a tiramisu slice, and a mini salted pecan cheesecake, but then a spotted something in the dessert case I hadn’t ever seen before, and I had to have it!

But first, let me show you my dinner, which you have probably seen many times on this blog before, since it is my favorite take-out pizza and salad from Pizza Gourmet, on Hope Street in Providence.

Pear and gorgonzola salad, with candied walnuts and a pineapple vinaigrette (I ate half!):

Margherita pizza on whole wheat crust, complete with tomatoes, basil, fresh mozzarella, shredded cheese, pesto, and balsamic reduction:

Now here’s the mystery dessert (which is actually not such a mystery since I named this post after it!):

With the cover off:

Two in a package, but I only wanted one, since they were pretty big to begin with!

Isn’t that the cutest dessert ever?  I could not believe they were selling gingerbread men whoopie pies in their pastry case.  How could I not try one?

I served mine with a few scoops of vanilla bean coconut milk ice cream, and dug in immediately.

I am usually quite skeptical of whoopie pies in general.  While the concept is obviously wonderful, usually I find the cake part to be too dry, or the filling to be too sweet and not smooth enough.  This whoopie pie, though, blew away my expectations.  The gingerbread cake was moist and spicy sweet, while the cream was silky and not too sugary.  Along with the vanilla coconut ice cream, it was a perfectly indulgent dessert that still did not feel to heavy as I was eating it.  Definitely a dessert win!

The best part is, I have one more whoopie pie left!

Do you like whoopie pies?  Have you tried any unusually flavored whoopie pies?

Laurel Hill Seven Grain Blend

Call me a nerd, call me a foodie. . . call me anything you like, but I cannot help but get extremely excited whenever I spot a new grain in Whole Foods to experiment with.  In this case, I discovered a new-to-me whole grain blend composed of not one, not two, but seven different whole grains in one package!  Thanks to the folks at Laurel Hill Foods, a local company based in Attleboro, Massachusetts, I was able to eat seven different types of grains in one shot!

I have purchased some of their specialty grains before, like their black barley, and I really appreciate the somewhat unusual selection of grains this company sells.  The last time I was in Whole Foods, I spotted the seven grain blend variety, and I knew I had to try it– in one little bag, you get rye berries, wheat berries, bulgur, buckwheat groats, spelt, pearled barley, and brown rice.  I decided to throw it in the rice cooker (one cup grains to two and a half cups water), and see what happened! 

About forty minutes later, all of the water was absorbed, and I was greeted by beautiful, fluffy grains, to be used in various incarnations throughout the week!

The best thing about this mix is the combinations of all the various grain textures.  I feared it would be too heavy or that the grains would not cook enough in forty minutes, which is the cooking time suggested by the package directions.  However, the end result was a chewy, just-soft-enough-but-not-too soft medley of delicious, nutty grains!

As far as nutritional stats, this mix boasts five grams of fiber and five grams of protein per serving!  In fact, I bet it would be fantastic as a breakfast cereal, maybe cooked in some form of milk and served with maple syrup and banana!  Heavenly!

I decided to eat this seven grain mix along with my pinto bean and plantain stew.  Here’s a pic, although it is a tad difficult to detect the grains through all of that stew!  Trust me, they are there!

This was definitely a new product win!  My only gripe with Laurel Hill Seven Grain Blend is the bag is a bit too small– I think I am going to have to stock up on this stuff!

What is your favorite grain?

How Vegetarian-Friendly Omnivores Do Thanksgiving Right

This post is more of a tribute to my incredible father in law and sister, who both put on lovely and tasty Thanksgiving day feasts.  While today, I feel like a blimp ready to explode, I will never, ever regret the fact I indulged in two full-on Thanksgiving day dinners.  It was soo worth the pain I now feel!

So, unfortunately, I did not snap any pics of the food at my husband’s dad’s house, but I can certainly give you a run-down of all I ate there.  My father in law is so sweet– he is always so concerned about what I can eat, seeing as how I am the only vegetarian in the bunch, so he always ensures there are plenty of options and also tried to prepare of many of his traditionally meat-infused dishes in a vegetarian manner.

At Thanksgiving feast part 1, I enjoyed:

simple but tasty mashed butternut squash, a fantastic broccoli cheese cornbread, vegetarian cranberry and orange savory stuffing, rosemary mashed potatoes, grainy rolls, green bean casserole, carrot bundt cake with cream cheese frosting, and vanilla bundt cake with white chocolate frosting. 

After a seven mile run, plus some more exercise with my husband later, I was soo hungry for this lunch-time meal.  As I should do every year, I tried to be moderate and keep in mind the fact I would be eating again in a few hours.  However, I quickly realized there was no need to be too moderate– it’s Thanksgiving, right?

After a few hours, we made way to my sister’s house, where I devoured Thanksgiving feast part 2.  Since I was with only close family, I found many more opportunities to snap pictures of everything I ate!  There were only seven of us, but the amount of options was overwhelming!

Let’s start with the apps: 

Seven-layer dip, with vegetarian refried beans, sour cream, cheese, salsa, olives, lettuce, and tomatoes, served with chips of course!

Bruschetta, made with French bread, and a yummy mix of tomatoes, balsamic, herbs, garlic, red onions, and melty cheese

For mains and sides:

The best cheesy corn casserole ever!

Roasted brussies

Chipotle mashed sweet potatoes

Baked cheesy spinach ziti

A version of spanikopita, except made with collards instead of spinach!  Such a great idea, as the collards had an amazing texture– not too firm, yet not mushy at all!

My plate:

Of course, there was another round of dessert!

Paula Deen’s ooey gooey pumpkin butter cake, which is a cross between pumpkin pie/cheesecake/yellow cake.  Let’s just say two sticks of butter go into the recipe– you know it must be outrageously decadent!

Pumpkin bread

And, lastly, some pecan pie and peppermint ice cream, eaten separately but on the same plate!

Major, major props to my awesome sister, who put on this show all by herself!  The amount of care and love she puts into her food speaks volumes about her in general– she is the sweetest, bestest, greatest sister ever, and I am so thankful to have her as my big sis who guides me through life!!!

I should also note she made a big-a** turkey with homemade stuffing, but since it was not vegetarian, they failed to make it to the blog.  Oh, and she served as bartender too, mixing up margaritas and dark and stormies, but since I don’t drink, they too failed to be photographed!

The best part of my Thanksgiving (and believe me, all if it was good!) was of course hanging out with all of my family from both sides.  I am so incredibly fortunate to have the best in-laws ever, whom I love with all my heart, and are so fun and loving.  I truly sometimes think I married my husband more for his family than him (just kidding of course!).  I know holidays for many become a lot about obligation, but I feel so lucky that it’s not that case for me at all.  In fact, I  can’t wait to see my family and look forward to holidays where I can stay up late and just totally hang out with everyone without worrying about getting up early the next day!

As far as my family goes, I live to hang out my mom, sister, her husband, and my nephews.  We even managed to skype in my bro, who lives in D. C.!  My mom is my best friend, so anytime with her is quality! My nephews bring so much fun to the day, and I even managed to catch some of their shenanigans on film!

Here they are, playing their Nintendo 3DS.  They each have one, but I love how they kind of play one together, with one actually playing, and the other giving advice!

Here’s what I thought would be a nice family pic:

Bunny ears, of course!

And lastly, my favorite picture, which just illustrates the love and pure happiness we all felt yesterday:

What a day, what a day!  Best Thanksgiving ever!  Thanks to my husband’s amazing family and my bomb diggity sister for all the food, fun, and good times yesterday.  Also, I want to give a special shout-out to my awesome sister-in-law, Jill, who lives in California:  we missed you and can’t wait to see you! 

Now it Black Friday, and I am recovering from all the food yesterday (while secretly also happy I have some leftovers for later!).  There will be no shopping for me today–it’s kind of the last thing I feel like doing.  Rather, hubby and I are going to relax now and  go see the new Twilight movie later!  I love holiday weekends!!

How was your day yesterday?  Any Black Friday shop-a-ganzas today?

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

I just wanted to drop in on this day to say Happy Thanksgiving to all!  I hope you a beautiful day, no matter how you spend it!

There are so many things I am thankful for that it would be a futile effort to attempt to list them all out now.  However, I will state the things I am most thankful for:  my family and friends, who I love dearly and will do anything for, my health, my work, and the fact I am fortunate enough to live my life everyday with happiness, love, and joy.  A few random occurrences over the past few days have reminded me to be thankful for all I have.

Two nights ago, I was watching television before dinner while my husband was working.  Just an ordinary Tuesday night, right?  Moments later, I heard sounds which I first thought were some sort of continuous gunshot.  I quickly hurried to my window to peak outside, and here’s what I saw:

Those were not the sounds of gunshots– they were the booming sounds of fireworks!  Full-fledged, Fourth of July style fireworks on a Tuesday night outside of my window!  Turns out, it was my city’s birthday, and the celebration of Providence included a fireworks show!  As I enjoyed the show from my living room, I felt an immense sense of gratitude for being able to experience that moment in time.  It just reminded me of how lucky I am for where and how I live. 

Just yesterday, I took my two nephews to Target, so they could each buy some pre-Thanksgiving day presents for themselves.  I adore my nephews, and I relish any time I get to spend with them and make them happy.  After they went on a little shopping spree, I dropped them off back at their house.  My oldest nephew, Prem, insisted I wait one minute so he could give me something to give to my mom, whom he calls Nani.  Of course I waited, and this is what he presented me with to deliver to my mom:

A birthday card for my mother, whose birthday was a good two weeks ago,  He had not seen her to personally give it to her, but two weeks later, he wanted to make sure she received it.  Take a look inside:

A closer look:

The poem reads, “Happy B.day Nani, You are 61!  Hope your party is a lot of fun!”

Upon closer inspection, I noticed he left a little gift for her as well, tucked right into a paper pocket he stapled on the card:

Yes, that would be a five dollar bill.  My nephew, age 10, gave my mom his allowance for the week for her birthday.  I nearly died!  I told him he didn’t have to do that– he replied that he wanted to, since he knows how she does for him.  The simple act of giving my mom his allowance, which I know is a big sacrifice for him, just melted my heart.  Once again, I realized just how fortunate I am to have such amazing little kids on my life!  I am so proud to be their aunt!

I  didn’t want to leave you with a warm and fuzzy post that did not involve food, so here’s a quick shot of the desserts I am bringing to my two Thanksgiving feasts today:

Whole Foods Pumpkin Pie

Whole Foods Pecan Pie

Vanilla Bundt Cake, also from Whole Foods

Finally, some assorted giant cookies from Whole Foods as well!

In a few hours from now, I plan on wringing every last drop of fun from my two Thanksgivings, celebrating with my favorite people in the world.  For that, I am truly thankful!

Have a wonderful day!

Papa Razzi

On Saturday night, my husband and I finally hit the town for our long anticipated date night!  When I say hit the town, I mean go out to eat, which is about as wild as we get these days.  We decided to dine at one of our fall/winter favorites, Papa Razzi, a Massachusetts and Rhode Island “chain” restaurant that serves up comforting Italian cuisine in a casual, yet elegant setting. 

I put chain in quotes because there are multiple locations in nearby Mass and only one in Rhode Island, and it really does not have the feel of a chain at all.  It’s warm and bustling, with tons of families enjoying their classic and eclectic Italian dishes, made of the freshest of ingredients.  My husband and I always make it a point to frequent this restaurant in the cooler months, as it is just so warm, cozy, and intimate, despite the fact that it is actually quite large!

Every table is outfitted with its signature spicy olive oil, which I love!

Upon being seated, a large piece of fluffy, warm, herby foccacia is brought to the table for each diner.  Dipped in oil, it’s one of my favorite pre-meal bread offerings of all time!

I killed this piece, plus half of another one, while we waited for our favorite appetizer, the bruschetta mozzarella.

Look at that pile of goodness!  You have their fresh foccacia doused with the best balsamic dressing ever plus extra olive oil.  Then, layers of fresh tomatoes, caramelized onions, and chunks of fresh mozzarella are mounded on top.  I served myself half of this monstrosity, and devoured every last crumb!  My hefty portion looked like this:

The bruschetta is a wonderful blend of soft, chewy, tangy, sweet, crunchy, and melt-in-your mouth flavors and textures!  It is perhaps my most favorite bruschetta of all time!  (So far, I have twice stated that this restaurant offers something that is “my most favorite of all time”)!  FYI, this bruschetta was off menu for a while, but we asked and found we coud still order it.  Thankfully, though, it’s back in print!

Moving on, for my entree, I ordered their Insalata Campo, which consisted of well-dressed greens in a balsamic vinaigrette, topped with not-too-pungent gorgonzola cheese and dried cranberries.  The dressing, which I believe is the same dressing the bruschetta drowned in, made this salad.  So did the cheese and cranberries.

I ate about half of this bad-boy, and began to contemplate dessert.

So, the whole dessert thing was quite traumatic, but ultimately, it worked out.  See, Papa Razzi is known for an epic brownie sundae with huge pieces of warm chocolate brownie topped with tons of vanilla ice cream, candied walnuts, and caramel sauce.  I order it every time we go to this restaurant.  However, if you recall, I had a brownie for dessert the night before, and felt like I should order something different.  I asked the waitress about the apple crisp, and she said it was her favorite.  I was concerned it would have too many chunks of apple, which I am not a fan of when it comes to apple desserts.  I prefer the apple pieces to be small and so well-cooked, they melt in your mouth.  She convinced me I would approve of the apple texture in the apple crisp, and she even promised to doctor it up with some extra caramel sauce and candied walnuts.  I went ahead and ordered it.  A few minutes later, I looked like this:

I was upset.  And sad.  And antsy.  That’s right folks, I had dessert remorse.  I started to second guess my order.  Apple crisp?  Compared to an unparalleled brownie sundae?  WHAT WAS I THINKING?

I even went so far as to demand my husband go ahead and order the sundae so I could have both.  He refused.  I was left to face my own choices, and deal with the consequences.  Maybe the apple crisp would be terrible– at least I would know for the next time.

Five minutes later, the apple crisp arrived:

I hesitantly took my first bite, careful to get a bit of the crisp topping, candied walnuts, ice cream, and of course apple.  Moments later, here’s what I looked like:

Pure bliss!  The apple was so caramelized, it literally blended into the rest of the dessert!  The crisp was chunky and full of nuts and oats, while the ice cream was the perfect cool, creamy contrast to the piping hot cinnamon-sweet apples.  This crisp was definitely finished off in the oven, as the topping had a nice crust to it that formed a perfect foil to the ooey-gooey innards of the dessert.  In all seriousness, this apple crisp was so well concocted, that I was a fan immediately.  It is so good to know I have not one, but two unbelievable dessert options at Papa Razzi.  Here’s to trying new things!

The meal, beginning to end, could not have been more comforting and satisfying,  I cannot wait to go back when there’s some snow on the ground!

Do you like apple-y desserts?  If so, do you like your apples firm or gooey and soft?