Always looking for sunshine, figuratively and lite Always looking for sunshine, figuratively and literally. Sometimes we don’t have to look very far and it finds us. ☀️
It didn’t take much to get me to @mikespastasand It didn’t take much to get me to @mikespastasandwichshoppe when a friend texted me a screenshot of their cheese butter. Up until last week I had never even heard of cheese butter but just two days later, I’m driving an hour round trip to get some. 😂 I was never one to succumb to peer pressure (I didn’t have my first drink until I was 21!), but when it comes to food finds, I am very easily intrigued. After all, that’s how I’ve discovered some of my favorite bites over the years … lardo from @butlerandtheboard, a spicy Italian sausage, and my love of chicharron. If you haven’t visited Mike’s in Nutley, it’s worth a visit. While there, I also got a small tray of meatballs (a bargain at $10!) and a delicious mortadella sandwich that is worth a round trip. ✨
The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter nee The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter need a little bit of color, so here you go. 😍 Love this chest of drawers. Discovered it buried in a local shop and bought it specifically for the green color (one of my favorites). Vintage Coke crate was a $10 score from a garage sale place on Facebook some ten years ago. And the assorted markers in Roy G Biv order (natch) that aren’t used anymore because my kids have sadly left that phase. 🙃
Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo s Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo style, hope you had a good one! ✨
A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if I wanted her to bring me back anything. Would you believe me if I told you I asked for salt? I love picking up different varieties, whether we’re traveling or I’m just visiting a new shop. Maddie grabbed me a super cute one from her trip to Paris last year, and the Magic Unicorn Salt I get locally is another favorite. What’s yours?
One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a serious case of FOMO on the daily, gets hiccups more than anyone we know and has perpetual bed head. She’s quite the unique roommate but may be exactly what our home needed. 💛
I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw th I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw that @njdotcom had picked six bagel shops at the “best in the state,” and one was reasonably local, all the sudden I needed one. I was never one to fall prey to peer pressure, but I’m very definitely a marketer’s dream. 😂 Alfa Bagels is on Route 10 in Randolph and has a good assortment of bagels, including all the usual suspects, but with a few others like rainbow, Asiago and French Toast throw in for good measure. Their bagels always seem to have a nice chew, which I appreciate and I love their sesame one. My go-to order lately is a double toasted flagel with lox spread and tomato. Their lox spread is a little ho hum, but the bagel is delish. Check them out next time you’ve got a craving (or get motivated by a local news story 😝). What’s your bagel order?
✌🏻 ✌🏻
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Sweetnicks

Food and Life

Hot Dogs with Tomato Avocado Relish

August 16, 2010 · Clean Eating, Narrative

Dinner... And So It Was

My friend Beth and I are a little addicted to avocados.  It’s not even a new thing, but it certainly falls right in line with clean eating, so I have zero guilt about it.  If I have to have an addiction (and Nick and I were just talking about good addictions tonight), I think this is an excellent one to have.  Hellooooo Good Fat!

“I think I need an avocado intervention,” she said last week.  Nothing doin’.  I’m not giving up avocados, and I don’t think she is any time soon either.  But avocados on hot dogs?  Yep, why not?

When The Ex has the kids on his weekends, I always ask Nick what he wants for dinner when they come home on Sunday nights.  Sometimes he lets me choose and doesn’t want anything in particular.  Sometimes he’s very specific about what he wants.  Even though he had hot dogs over the weekend, he wanted them again Sunday night when they came home.  And I wanted them too.  But could I really make them so I could eat them without feeling guilt?

These days, while I work my own little program, I don’t want to deprive myself too much, because I think that’s one of the surest ways to hop on Failure Road.  Instead, I try to think of ways to get creative and have what I want, but in a retooled way, in an effort to absolve myself of all the guilt.  Or most of it anyway.  And so it was with these hot dogs.

For starters, I used whole wheat hot dog buns.  Let’s face it.  There’s little difference in the taste and it’s so much better for you.  White bread = bad.  And then all natural hot dogs.  Next I decided I wanted to get some vegetables into the mix, but how?   I didn’t want to go the usual route of something like caramelized onions and sauteed or grilled peppers.  I wanted to keep it fresh.  Light.  Summery.  I ended up creating a recipe for a Tomato Avocado Relish and it was just the ticket.  Full of all the goodness that summer offers us with the juicy red ripe tomatoes and the fresh-from-the-garden basil.  Buttery, creaminess from the diced avocados.  A teeniest pinch of heat from the dash of hot sauce.  Something that you totally wouldn’t have thought to put up on the top of a hot dog, but after you try it, there’s no going back.

So the message?  You can have have your cake and eat it too.  Or in this case, your hot dog.  Kids were happy.  I was happy.  Dinner doesn’t get better than that.

Hot Dog with Avocado Tomato Relish

Project 365
August 16, 2010, Photo #147

Sunset

It seems only fitting that with yesterday being the one year anniversary of being back in this house, today’s photo of the day features something from our neighborhood.  It never fails.  Every time we come around the corner, on our way home from the gym or wherever else, the sky is doing something incredibly beautiful and I kick myself for not having my camera with me.  This time, we went home, got the camera and came back out.  Of course, the original formations in the sky were gone in the five minutes that it took to get home, get the camera and get back on the road (the sun was peeking through some thunder clouds and making these gorgeous streaks in the sky), but we’ll settle for this beautiful sunset instead.

Tomato Avocado Relish
Recipe courtesy of Cate O’Malley

1/4 cup chopped tomatoes (I used grape tomatoes)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh basil, rough chopped
1 small shallot, finely diced
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
juice of one whole lemon
1 avocado, diced
dash of hot sauce
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a bowl, whisk together olive oil, basil, shallots, garlic, hot sauce and lemon and lime juice.   Gently fold in the tomatoes and avocados, being careful as you mix so the avocados don’t get mushy.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve on top of your hot dog.  Also tastes great on a tortilla chip too!

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Posted In: Clean Eating, Narrative · Tagged: Clean Eating, hot dogs, Tomato Avocado Relish

Comments

  1. Joanne says

    August 17, 2010 at 6:22 am

    I’m not a hot dog fan, but I bet this relish would be great over some chicken sausage! I love your idea of letting yourself eat what you crave, but in a healthier form. Restriction is never the way to go!

    Reply
  2. beth says

    August 17, 2010 at 8:08 am

    oh i’m not giving them up. i just thought having close to half of one at each meal on one day may have been a teensey bit on the side of overload. but give them up? never. in fact, there is one in the office kitchen right now waiting for me for lunch.
    what kind/brand of hotdogs did you make?

    Reply
  3. Ramona says

    August 17, 2010 at 9:54 am

    I was confused as to how hot dogs = clean eating. But then saw you used all natural hot dogs. Will have to see if they are available around here…..

    Looks fantastic.

    Reply
  4. Kris #40 says

    August 17, 2010 at 10:20 am

    mmmm, mmmmm! That hot dog is talking to me! Hot dogs are usually a staple at our house (quick and easy to make) for the kids. If I eat them, I usually by the Hebrew National 97% fat free ones. I will have to try this relish with them.

    Love the sky photo! I’m always amazed with the sky right there. Last time we went for a walk I did bring the camera along.

    Reply
  5. mandy says

    August 17, 2010 at 11:08 am

    I havent had a hot dog in ages. It does sound good. I never would have thought to use avacados as a topping though. Sounds great!

    Reply
  6. Shannon says

    August 17, 2010 at 12:18 pm

    ooh, what a fabulous topper! i’m not usually big on hot dogs, but it would certainly spice up some plain jane grilled chicken, or even work on burgers or chicken sausage!

    Reply
  7. Bridgett says

    August 17, 2010 at 6:37 pm

    I used to crave hot dogs like crazy when I was younger. I wish my mom had been as creative as you! They look wonderful.

    Reply
  8. linda says

    May 9, 2011 at 12:33 pm

    had this at citizens bank park in philly…….BOY WAS IT GOOOOOOD…..now if im grilling i put this on my dog

    Reply

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Always looking for sunshine, figuratively and lite Always looking for sunshine, figuratively and literally. Sometimes we don’t have to look very far and it finds us. ☀️
It didn’t take much to get me to @mikespastasand It didn’t take much to get me to @mikespastasandwichshoppe when a friend texted me a screenshot of their cheese butter. Up until last week I had never even heard of cheese butter but just two days later, I’m driving an hour round trip to get some. 😂 I was never one to succumb to peer pressure (I didn’t have my first drink until I was 21!), but when it comes to food finds, I am very easily intrigued. After all, that’s how I’ve discovered some of my favorite bites over the years … lardo from @butlerandtheboard, a spicy Italian sausage, and my love of chicharron. If you haven’t visited Mike’s in Nutley, it’s worth a visit. While there, I also got a small tray of meatballs (a bargain at $10!) and a delicious mortadella sandwich that is worth a round trip. ✨
The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter nee The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter need a little bit of color, so here you go. 😍 Love this chest of drawers. Discovered it buried in a local shop and bought it specifically for the green color (one of my favorites). Vintage Coke crate was a $10 score from a garage sale place on Facebook some ten years ago. And the assorted markers in Roy G Biv order (natch) that aren’t used anymore because my kids have sadly left that phase. 🙃
Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo s Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo style, hope you had a good one! ✨

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Always looking for sunshine, figuratively and lite Always looking for sunshine, figuratively and literally. Sometimes we don’t have to look very far and it finds us. ☀️
It didn’t take much to get me to @mikespastasand It didn’t take much to get me to @mikespastasandwichshoppe when a friend texted me a screenshot of their cheese butter. Up until last week I had never even heard of cheese butter but just two days later, I’m driving an hour round trip to get some. 😂 I was never one to succumb to peer pressure (I didn’t have my first drink until I was 21!), but when it comes to food finds, I am very easily intrigued. After all, that’s how I’ve discovered some of my favorite bites over the years … lardo from @butlerandtheboard, a spicy Italian sausage, and my love of chicharron. If you haven’t visited Mike’s in Nutley, it’s worth a visit. While there, I also got a small tray of meatballs (a bargain at $10!) and a delicious mortadella sandwich that is worth a round trip. ✨
The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter nee The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter need a little bit of color, so here you go. 😍 Love this chest of drawers. Discovered it buried in a local shop and bought it specifically for the green color (one of my favorites). Vintage Coke crate was a $10 score from a garage sale place on Facebook some ten years ago. And the assorted markers in Roy G Biv order (natch) that aren’t used anymore because my kids have sadly left that phase. 🙃
Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo s Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo style, hope you had a good one! ✨
A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if I wanted her to bring me back anything. Would you believe me if I told you I asked for salt? I love picking up different varieties, whether we’re traveling or I’m just visiting a new shop. Maddie grabbed me a super cute one from her trip to Paris last year, and the Magic Unicorn Salt I get locally is another favorite. What’s yours?
One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a serious case of FOMO on the daily, gets hiccups more than anyone we know and has perpetual bed head. She’s quite the unique roommate but may be exactly what our home needed. 💛
I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw th I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw that @njdotcom had picked six bagel shops at the “best in the state,” and one was reasonably local, all the sudden I needed one. I was never one to fall prey to peer pressure, but I’m very definitely a marketer’s dream. 😂 Alfa Bagels is on Route 10 in Randolph and has a good assortment of bagels, including all the usual suspects, but with a few others like rainbow, Asiago and French Toast throw in for good measure. Their bagels always seem to have a nice chew, which I appreciate and I love their sesame one. My go-to order lately is a double toasted flagel with lox spread and tomato. Their lox spread is a little ho hum, but the bagel is delish. Check them out next time you’ve got a craving (or get motivated by a local news story 😝). What’s your bagel order?
✌🏻 ✌🏻

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