Category: My Favorite Eats

Sushi Girl

Whether I am travelling to a new city or town, or just socializing in or around Greater New Haven, anyone who knows me knows I love me some sushi!  And It doesn’t take long to get me in a “sushi mood” where I like to check out a new sushi restaurant.   However, an old fave will get me every time (smile).

 

 

What I enjoy with my sushi is one or more of the following:

  • edamame with sea salt
  • miso soup
  • iceberg lettuce salad with ginger dressing
  • super hot green tea

 

And usually when I crave sushi it involves a date of some sort.  Whether it’s me and my partner, me and a client, me and one of my relatives, me and one of my good friends or me and a co-worker, a sushi day usually turns into a good sleeping night (smile).

 

 

So here are the sushi restaurants I have eaten in once, twice and some even more than three times.  These are my faves, not necessarily everyone else’s faves…

 

For all-you-can-eat, I like Sushi Palace in Orange, CT.  The sushi and sashimi is always fresh so it never tastes like it’s been sitting out all day…

 

 

For specialty rolls, I prefer Dozo Asian Bistro and Sushi in the Westville section of New Haven, CT.   The sushi looks as appetizing as it tastes plus it’s big, juicy and delish!

 

 

For those exotic looking specialty rolls, I like to go to Pink Basil in Olde Mystic, CT.  They never disappoint and the outdoor seating in the warmer months is a huge draw.

 

 

Although pricey, the specialty sushi rolls at Sushi Koya in the Mohegan Sun Casino are to die for.

 

Yummy!!!!

Me and my partner James spend a lot of time in Lewes, DE, (because his mother lives there) and especially as the weather gets warmer.   Last Summer we went to The Cultured Pearl in nearby Rehoboth Beach for the most delicious and colorful sushi in town.  It’s expensive though, especially during “the Season.”

 

Sushi in Rehoboth Beach, DE

 

When my niece Dimitrica was traveling from North Carolina to Massachusetts for business last year, she stopped in Connecticut to visit me.  She too is a fan of sushi so I couldn’t help but treat her to one of my local faves:   Tokyo Sushi II in North Haven, CT.   The interior may look like a pizza parlor but the sushi is out-of-this-world good!!!

 

 

Social media is a great avenue for a new restaurant to post food pics and I must admit that Soga Sushi’s awesome food pics on FB got me there!   It’s located right in North Haven, CT so me and my partner stopped in last weekend after a long day of running errands.   The sushi did not disappoint and the complimentary tasty orange slices afterwards were a nice touch (smile).

 

Me and my partner recently went to see Office Hour at the Long Wharf Theater and afterwards headed to one of my super faves:  Kumo New Haven where the sushi is always fresh, always good!

Me and my partner love to go to the movies any time of the year so we headed over to Iron Chef after a Saturday matinee at Holiday Stadium 10 Cinemas in Wallingford, CT.   This restaurant was well recommended by a “sushi friend” and it truly was delish!

 

It’s no secret that Olde Mistick Village is one of my favorite shopping destinations in Southeastern Connecticut so when I’m down that way, Go Fish is one of my two fave sushi restaurant Go-To’s…

 

 

So whether you are stuck on Sushi like me, or just craving something uniqely different for lunch or dinner, Japanese is the way to go!

 

Sincerely,

 

 

TVFL

 

 

My Clean Living Life – Part IV

I am a super proud Colon Cancer Survivor(since August of 2011) so eating “clean” is an essential part of my life.   I’m also Lactose Intolerant so I’m ever mindful of making the right food and beverage choices.

Here are just some of the products I find make it easier for me to lead a dairy-free life:

I eat cereal every morning so milk is a major part of my diet.  Before I even realized I was Lactose Intolerant I had already made the switch from whole milk to 2% milk and then finally to 1% milk so switching over to Almond Breeze Almondmilk (Original and Unsweetened) plant based milk suits me just fine.

I love love love cheese so I was super excited when I found out I could still have cheddar cheese, a personal fave, as well as any of the “hard” cheeses as they are easier to digest than the “soft” cheeses and therefore do not upset my stomach.  For cheddar cheese, I prefer the CABOT brand…

When it comes to yogurt there are so many options today but I tend to gravitate towards Yoplait lactose free yogurt as it just tastes better than most of the other dairy-free brands flooding the market.

I used to love to slap a dollop of whipped creme on top of my pie or cake during the holidays.  Instead of using whipped creme, try this simple recipe to make your own dairy -free version:

 

  • Use one can of full-fat coconut milk (Thai Kitchen organic Coconut Milk is a good brand to use)
  • Plus one tablespoon of  local honey for sweetener (optional)

Whisk the two ingredients together for up to 4 minutes and you’re good to go!

 

During the dog days of Summer (which is honestly the only time I think of ice cream) one of my fave dairy-free choices is Breyers Lactose Free Natural Vanilla as it’s simply delicious.

 

 

If you are a salad lover like me, scratch the heavy blue cheese or ranch dressings (or other milk-based dressings) and switch over to the lighter Balsamic Vinaigrette (Wish Bone makes a tasty version…)

Delish salad!

 

And finally,  I’m an avid snacker so I found that Hummus easily takes the place of  creme (“soft”) cheese, it is way better for you plus it tastes good too!  Sabra Classic Hummus (or its many equally delicious varieties) makes a healthy satisfying dip whether you’re snacking on raw veggies, crackers, pretzels, and/or baked chips.  Yummy!

 

So whether you are Lactose intolerant like me or not, Bon Appetit!

 

Sincerely,

 

 

TVFL

 

 

 

F is for Festivals!

Today is Friday, September 22nd, or as my good friend and News 8 Chief Meteorologist Gil Simmons would say,  it is the “Autumnal Equinox.”   Fancy!  And really just another way of saying Fall (smile).   Fall in Connecticut means it’s that time when folks can truly enjoy festivals, fairs, carnivals and outdoor expos.

Speaking of festivals, on Saturday, September 16th I had the distinct pleasure of attending the 10th annual Garlic Festival at Olde Mistick Village in Mystic, CT.

Free admission and free parking so I expected it was going to be crazy busy and I was  so-ooooooo right…

 

 

I must admit I’ve always had a fondness  for Mystic…you see I grew up in Groton, CT (right next door to Mystic) so I spent a lot of time in that town (especially while in high school) visiting friends, eating Mystic Pizza, working after school at the ABC Film Lab, hanging out at “The Village,” as we called Olde Mistick Village back in the day,  walking downtown during the annual Mystic Arts and Crafts Fair, chilling out at the Marina, visiting the Seaport, watching my sister Casandra conduct tours during her kick a– Summer job at the Mystic Aquarium, etc…

So I was looking forward to spending time at The Village once again, albeit now through the eyes of my middle-aged old self (smile).

On that particular Saturday, as luck would have it, the weather was sunny and delightful – – perfect for walking around and enjoying the sights and sounds.

 

 

Folks (couples, singles, families, dogs, and babies) came from all over Connecticut and beyond.

 

 

 

One of the first things I did was head over to the duck pond.  I was not disappointed…

 

 

Sampled the wide varieties of olive oil and artisanal honey at Sticky Situations, which was jam-packed with folk!

 

 

Bought a souvenir gift from Sophia’s Magical Christmas Shop.

 

 

Hung out at Franklin’s General Store for free samples of delish fudge and the experience of a trip back in time…

 

Spent time at Garden Store Specialties to check out the whimsical gifts for the lawn and garden.

 

 

Even made time for lunch with my client Joyce at my new fave, Pink Basil…delish!

 

 

Enjoyed a ‘cold one’ at Jealous Monk, a social hall and beer garden.

 

 

Garlic galore!  You cannot get away from it – which is of course the whole point (smile).

 

 

You don’t even need to like the taste of garlic to attend this annual festival as there is truly something for everyone.   There’s live entertainment, farm fresh goodies, specialty food carts, vendors, crafters, artists and even authors.  And it all takes place at the coolest Village in Connecticut!

 

Enjoy the season!

 

Sincerely,

 

TVFL

 

 

Island Time – Discovering my Happy Place…

I was having a tough time deciding where to go away on vacation this year as funds were tiiiiight!   However I kept at it as I knew we both needed and wanted a place far far away from Connecticut to unwind and decompress.   And we were looking for a place that involved the sun, the sand, and the beach.

As luck would have it, my friend and broadcast industry colleague Marnie listed her Freeport, Bahamas timeshare on Social Media.  Turns out that she and her family were not able to use their 2 weeks this year.  So she ended up selling me a one bedroom condominium unit for one of those two weeks for just $750 – the price of  their maintenance fees!    We were, however,  on our own for airfare, ground transportation, food and drinks…

We chose the last week of May (which included the Memorial Day holiday) to go on our 7 day vacation so that we could use 4  of my vacation days instead of 5 (smile).

We flew from Bradley International Airport on Saturday May 27th and returned the following Saturday, June 3rd.

We arrived at Island Seas Resort on the Saturday (2 flights and one taxi cab ride later) at midday and boy were we starving!

It didn’t take us long to discover that there was only one bar and grille at the resort (Coconuts Bar and Grille) and one restaurant (Seagrape Grille).

We also found out from our new “friends” that the resort’s Wi-Fi, although ‘free’ in the units, was at best, ‘spotty.’    They did however tell us it was completely clear as long as you were poolside…

 

Our new vacation “friends” – we hadn’t even changed out of our traveling gear yet!

 

Enjoying good but pricey resort food

 

So after inhaling our lunch at Coconuts we finally headed to our unit.   Island Seas Resort consists of 10 buildings – all named after mammals – we were booked at Dolphin and found, to our surprise, that our building was just one of two buildings on the resort that were deemed ocean side!!  Yay!

 

Long shot of the two oceanside buildings on Island Seas Resort

 

We literally had an ocean view – we walked right out of our balcony deck into the sand – yay!

 

On Monday morning we (and a bunch of other resort couples) took advantage of the complimentary shuttle into Port LuCaya for the Island Seas Grocery Run.  It was a trip though because we had exactly one hour to shop for groceries or we would be forced to take a cab back.   I felt like we (and the other couples from the resort) were all on a reality game show as we dashed around with our shopping carts from one aisle to the next frantically searching for the right food and other stuff to make it through the week.   Not easy  to do when you first of all don’t know the store, or  the merchandise, or the prices.   If it wasn’t so serious  it would have been funny but at the time we were on a ‘mission’ (smile).

 

Lucky for us our Condo had a kitchenette
The 1 bedroom oceanside unit was comfy and spacious

 

On Tuesday night, after spending all day on the beach, we headed to the ‘Bonfire on the Beach’ event which we heard cost just 20 bucks and included BBQ, 2 drinks, and live entertainment.

On our way to “Bonfire on the Beach” – we could not help but take advantage of this beautiful beachy backdrop and perfect photo op

 

On Wednesday (after finding out that we could not participate in any of the tours that we were looking to book due the effects of Hurricane Matthew) we spent the day at Port LuCaya Outdoor Marketplace for shopping and the much talked about fresh conch salad at the marina…we inhaled the yummy fresh conch salad prepared right before your eyes!

 

We were officially on Island Time now and can I tell you?!?   It was sooooo nice sleeping in late every morning despite being greeted at the crack of dawn with bright rays of sunshine and 80 degree temps.

Picture perfect weather each and every morning
Can’t help but take selfies when its this nice out!

 

And how freeing it was regularly sporting shorts, tank tops and flip-flops and eating fattening fried foods (smile).

 

The buffalo wings were to die for!
The fried conch balls were heavenly!

 

And I won’t lie, decisions still had to be made, so here is what became the biggest decision of our loooong, leisurely sunny days…

 

The ocean…

 

Or the pool…

 

At night our decisions were a tad simpler:

 

The Mango Bahama Mama or the Frozen Strawberry Margarita…

 

By the way, before I forget, here are some good local spots to support that are within walking distance of the resort and which serve up authentic Bahamian food and drinks:

The $2 dollar Bar at the end of the beach (wish I had a picture of it…)

and Michelle’s Kitchen located right on the beach – mouthwatering island grub & good prices!

 

Michelle’s Kitchen – good prices!
Delicious food!!!
Michele’s Kitchen is the best!

 

On our final night (Friday) we took the last free shuttle from the resort back to Port LuCaya Marketplace for some outdoor shopping/dining/bars/marina activities.  We had just spent the entire day there a couple of days earlier but had heard  it was much more interesting and exciting at night.

 

It took us while to find a restaurant to eat dinner at as there were so many to choose from — each with attractive food and drink specials — but we finally settled on Agave and were not disappointed…

 

Dinner and Drinks at Agave Restaurant – delish!

 

Afterwards we walked down to the marina to hear live entertainment.  We saw and heard a really talented 3 piece band at Port LuCaya Marketplace.

We ended up taking a cab back to the resort as it was late and the resort’s shuttle service had already ended at 615pm.  It was real easy hailing a cab and it felt very safe.

We awoke early the next morning (Saturday) and made preparations to leave.  We felt sad saying goodbye to the cool ocean breezes, the bright sunshine and the lazy, carefree days.   Truly our new Happy Place…

 

Sincerely,

 

TVFL

 

 

Fresh is Best!

In spite of the fickle pre-Summer weather this month, my work and social life (which are both calendar-driven as opposed to season-driven) appear to be getting busier and busier.

 

 

At the same time this girl (with her history of colon cancer) absolutely needs to find the time to eat healthy in order to stay healthy.

 

 

While I do enjoy eating the healthy dishes that I prepare in the crock pot, or buying, heating and eating Amy’s organic canned goods, or even micro-waving and eating clean frozen meals, it’s beginning to get monotonous…

In a perfect world, I would have my own personal chef…ready, willing and able to whip me up a variety of fresh and healthy dishes that taste as good as they look (smile).

Lucky for me I found the next best thing through my early morning conversations with Margot, my gym friend.

Margot suggested I look into the Fresh Meal Plan.  It’s offered at all of the Edge Fitness Centers in Connecticut.   And it’s ‘the nation’s largest farm-to-table meal plan service with free delivery to your doorstep.‘   What ultimately sold me on it though (outside of the obvious benefits) was that all Edge Fitness members receive 10 percent off the weekly rate of $109 for the first 6 weeks and, THIS IS HUGE,  we could cancel at any time!

Here’s how it works:

You register by logging onto FMP’s website

Once online you can read all about the program including  the history of its Founders, FAQs and testimonials.   They even have a phone number to call and  talk to a live person who explains how everything works.   Once I was satisfied with all the answers to my own questions I was ready to begin.

The first thing I did was decide on one of four meal plans:  Traditional, Paleo, Signature or Vegetarian.  Each of the meal plans come with a featured image  and each plan is detailed in full so that you truly understand what you are signing up for.   This also helps you to decide which meal plan is right for your lifestyle.  However, no matter which meal plan you initially choose, FMP gives you the option to pick and choose meals from any one of the 4 meal plans!

I chose the Paleo meal plan because, for the most part, me hungry but me still needs to eat clean-healthy (smile).

 

 

Selecting your weekly meals:

This must be done on a desktop or laptop computer, not a mobile device.  Simply log onto the FMP website and select your healthy meals for the following week.

Here’s what I chose for my first week of 10 prepared, ready to heat-and-eat meals  (1 lunch; 1 dinner per day):

Korean BBQ Pork Chop

Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry (pictured)

Roasted Mediterranean Mahi

Miami Cuban Turkey Burger

Truffle Steak Frite

Panca and Chive Turkey Meatloaf

Chicken Caprese Salad

Blackened Mango Mahi Tacos

Spartan Bison Burger

Kung Pao Chicken

 

Free Delivery right to your doorstep!

On Mondays by 7am a local courier delivers the first 6 meals and on Thursdays by 7am the remaining 4 meals are delivered.

All of these meals come neatly packed with 2 disposable ice packs inside an insulated cooler bag.

They are all stored in bake-friendly disposable containers.

For the best in fresh, you should refrigerate them immediately.

The now empty insulated cooler bag is left outside on your doorstep the day before your next delivery.   The containers and ice packs are yours to keep or dispose of as you wish.  Easy breezy 🙂

Again, I pre-paid $98.10 for the week or $9.81 per meal for my first week of 10 meals which is not too shabby considering the fact that I did not have to grocery shop, do prep work or spend precious quality time in the kitchen (smile).

And the taste — Yummy!  The size however was small – honestly I felt like I could eat 2 meals at a time…

 

 

So far I’ve had the Truffle Steak Frite with Sweet Potatoes and Green Salad and the Chicken Teriyaki Stir Fry with Broccoli.  All of the Paleo meals are high protein, low-fat and low calories (less than 400 calories!)

My only caution is that the food is soooooo good that it may be difficult to go back to your normal, regular diet.  Outside of that I have just two words:

 

Sincerely,

 

 

TVFL