Marie

Peanut Butter Oat Bread

Published on April 27, 2011April 29, 2011 by Marie2 Comments

I have a confession to make… I don’t like Jif Peanut Butter. I’m a Skippy girl, always have been, always will be. But the other day at the grocery store, they didn’t have any of my beloved Skippy Reduced Fat. (I’m not a full-fat PB lover either.) So I opted for the Jif Reduced Fat instead.

Right out of the jar, I immediately wasn’t happy. Skippy PB has a way of inviting you back for more, which is probably why the jar is always half gone the day I open it. I had a tablespoon of Jif on a piece of toast and to be honest, the burnt bread was the better of the two. Sad. Either way, last night, I was determined to use some of this peanut butter just to get it OUT of the pantry. Who knew that I would love the finished product?

Every once in a while I get the urge to bake something out of ingredients I already have in my house. A lot of the time, I won’t have every ingredient a recipe calls for and I end up making a quick trip to the store just for a tablespoon of one thing. But yesterday, the whole jar of Jif Reduced Fat was sitting in my cabinet begging to be used. Begging. I also had a cylinder of Old-Fashioned Oats that haven’t been touched in a while. My idea? Peanut Butter Oat Bread.

It was a simple recipe that made the whole kitchen smell like a toasted peanut butter sandwich. Divine. Chewy from the oats and loaded with peanut butter flavor, it’s more of a breakfast bread than a dessert but hey, to each his own.

What’s your favorite peanut butter?
Up there with Skippy Reduced Fat, I also enjoy Better ‘n Peanut Butter Low Sodium spread.

Peanut Butter Oat Bread
Adapted from Cooks.com

1.5 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup Old-Fashioned Oats
1/2 cup Splenda
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 TB baking powder
1 cup smooth peanut butter (whichever your favorite)
1/4 cup liquid egg substitute
1 cup milk (I used 1%)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9in x 5in x 3in loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In a bowl, combine flour, oats, sugar, Splenda, baking powder and salt. Add the peanut butter and mix until crumbly (I dug in with my clean hands).

In a seperate bowl, whisk milk, vanilla and egg substitute until combined. Stir wet mixture into dry until just moistened. (I know, I know.. this is totally a no-no in Baking 101 but it’s better to use all of the dry ingredients and a little less of the wet in this case!)

Bake in preheated oven for 55-60 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Cool before serving.

Weekend & Easter Recap

Published on April 25, 2011April 25, 2011 by MarieLeave a comment

Happy Easter Monday everyone! Too bad it’s not an actual holiday… I’m pretty sure we could all use an extra day to come out of our food-induced comas.

My weekend was full of friends and family and I loved every minute of it. After work on Friday, my sister and I decided to spend some quality time together. We hit the gym for a bit before getting Panera for dinner (I’ll have the You Pick 2: Black Bean Soup & 1/2 Chicken Thai Salad, no wontons, dressing on the side, please!) and went to see the movie Water for Elephants. It was one of the best movies I’ve ever seen. The storyline was typical of a romance but the acting was wonderful and I have a soft spot for elephants anyway. Go. See. It.

After the movie, I headed to Medford to meet up with some friends for Friday night in Boston. I would have to advise you to skip Kitty O’Shea’s the next time you want a bar/club scene. Needless to say, the bouncers there are inappropriate, rude and very inconsiderate. No details necessary, just keep that in mind.

Saturday morning included an iced coffee and spending time with my sister before meeting up with some high school friends for lunch at Bertucci’s (Salad Vivaldi con Pollo & Bello is highly recommended..just saying). I don’t know how I ever let my communication with these girls go. We caught up on everything from college life to life now. We’re older and wiser, but still those high school jokes are still as hysterical.

Later that night, I met up with the boyfriend and we decided to head to Grassfields in Danvers for dinner. Little did we know that is the identical twin to one of our favorite restaurants a few towns away. Who knew? Regardless, I got the Surf & Turf broiled scallops and steak tips (medium rare of course) with a double side of veggies. The scallops were dusted with a combination of spices that were out of this world and the steak tips were gently marinated and cooked to perfection. And the veggies? Crisp tender and NOT slathered in butter, thank goodness. We highly recommend it for a casual, inexpensive date night. Oh, and try the pomegranate margarita – you will not be disappointed.

Easter Sunday rolled around and I was out of bed by 8:30 to go to mass with my family. It was beautiful, as the St. Pius V Parish masses always are. Communion takes a bit longer than normal Sunday service because of how packed the church is but our priest’s homily was short, sweet and meaningful.

We headed home and I made breakfast: Egga-Pinwheels from Hungry Girl. The first carb-y thing I’ve had in 40 days. It was heavenly and healthy which is always a nice combo. It was similar to a ham-egg-cheese traditional breakfast sandwich but with way better nutritional info!

I also made HG red velvet cupcakes with my own buttercream (made with Brummel & Brown spread). Unfortunately I didn’t get a picture of the cupcakes but it was curiously warm outside yesterday and after piping beautiful swirls of buttercream on my cupcakes, it quickly melted ALL. OVER. THE. PLACE. Still tasted good even though I was pissed about it. And of course my family would say that “it’s not how they look, it’s how they taste, Rie.” Yeah, yeah. Good thing they were yummy – that could have been just embarassing.

Can you tell we are Italian?

After dessert, I headed to Stephen’s and had more wine and his mom’s Italian cookies. I swear, I could eat an entire batch of those things. Made with anise and almond extracts, they are little pillows of confectionary genius. An old family recipe. Utter perfection.

Overall, it was a successful weekend and I look forward to getting my butt to the gym today and spending the next 2 weeks in body detox. Fine with me!

Also! Here are a few things coming up that I am getting excited about:
– My first 5K : Saturday, May 14th @ 10AM
– NDA Staff Meeting in Oklahoma: Friday-Monday, May 27th-30th
– My First DanceWorks Boston show: Thursday & Friday, June 2nd & 3rd
– BAHAMAS: June 11th-18th

Egga-Pinwheels
Adapted from Hungry Girl

1 package (roll) of Pillsbury Seamless Creations Crescent Dough
6 slices lean deli ham (blotted dry with paper towels to get rid of excess moisture)
1 cup Egg Beaters
3 slices fat-free American cheese, torn into pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a frying pan with nonstick cooking spray and bring to medium heat. Scramble cup of Egg Beaters until fully cooked and set aside.

Roll out dough on a clean, flat surface dusted with flour. Roll out until dough is about 1/4th inch think and even with the shorter sides to the left and right. Lay ham evenly over the dough leaving a 1-2 inch border on the right side only. Evenly spread scrambled eggs over the ham and sprinkle the cheese over the egg.

Starting on the left side of the doll, roll the dough tightly and seal both sides and the middle. With a sharp knife, slice the roll into 8 disks. Lay flat on a baking sheet sprayed with nonstick spray and bake in oven 15-20 minutes, until dough is puffed and golden brown.

Weekly Gratitude

Published on April 22, 2011 by Marie2 Comments

Hooray for Friday! I know I’ve only had a 4-day work week (so spoiled..) but I’m really excited about this weekend. It’s Easter .. duh .. and that means spending time with my family, eating good food and being thankful… I figured a Friday Weekly Gratitude was appropriate.

Thank you to my sister, Melissa. She’s home from college for Easter break and man, she’s a funny kid. She came with me to 2 nights of dance practice and totally showed me up in hip-hop. I told her to stop being better at it than me. She doesn’t listen.
Thank you to Marathon Monday for giving me the day off from work and giving me something else to strive for. Those Boston runners are incredible!
Thank you to the sun. It’s nice to finally see you. Would you mind warming the Boston area up just a bit more?
Thank you to flip-flops. I’ve missed you.
Thank you to Boston University’s Accepted Student’s Day. It was so well-organized and everyone running it was beyond helpful. I know I am making the right decision to go there for graduate school and I pray that I get picked to study abroad in London next summer to cover the Olympics! ::Fingers crossed::
Thank you to my high school friends who have recently gotten back in touch. We’re getting together tomorrow and it’ll be so great to talk and catch up after a long time apart.
Thank you again to the people I work with. The days go by faster and the crazors are a little easier to deal with because of you.
Thank you to my Nuna for everything she has given me. Most recently paying my (very expensive) BU deposit. She is amazing.
Thank you to my grandmother… another Easter with us and still going strong. She is the cornerstone of our family. We love you Grammy.
Thank you to Easter Sunday. A day of love, family and faith.

My Blogger Cards Are Here!

Published on April 21, 2011April 21, 2011 by Marie3 Comments

Yay!!

At the Boston Brunchers event a few weeks ago, almost all of the other bloggers came prepared with their own cards. I felt a little out of the loop. Why didn’t I think of it before? Instead of googling aimlessly looking for sites, a blogger card (similiar to a standard business card) is one of the best ways to spread the word about your blog. Dur.

I immediately went onto the VistaPrint website and started designing. I’ll admit I’m not the artsy-est person alive. I’m probably the least artsy person alive. Nevertheless, the website made it so easy. I found a design I liked, plugged in my info and clicked the “Send Order” button (with free shipping, of course) and that was that. Inexpensive, cute and perfect to give out to anyone and everyone!

Like ’em?

Veggie Lasagna & 3-Ingredient Chicken

Published on April 20, 2011 by Marie2 Comments

So I’ve been on a Hungry Girl kick lately. I want to make everything in her new 300 Under 300 cookbook and I’ve been trekking right along. Tuesday nights are my biggest cooking nights during the week because after work and the gym, all I want to do is make new recipes for my family. So far, they have turned out pretty well.

I decided on a complex, no-noodle veggie lasagna recipe with so-simple-I-could-make-it-with-my-eyes-closed bacon & ranch chicken. I say the lasagna was a bit complex because it requires a good amount of prepping before the actual oven cooking begins. It was worth it. It takes about 30 minutes to cook at 425 degrees so when there was about 15-20 minutes left on the timer, I slid the chicken in too.

Now, just a heads up about the serving size. Obviously, it’s one chicken breast per person but the lasagna also serves 4. When I read the recipe in the HG cookbook, it said 4 SUPER-HUGE portions. I didn’t believe her. I mean, an 8×8 isn’t that big. The portions can’t be that big either. How wrong I was. I couldn’t even eat the whole portion. You’ve been warned.

No-Noodle Veggie Lasagna
Adapted from Hungry Girl

Ingredients:
1 large eggplant, ends cut off and sliced lengthwise into wide, long strips
2 large portobello mushroom caps, stems removed, sliced
3 medium zucchini, ends cut off and sliced lengthwise into thin, long strips
2 cups crushed tomatoes with basil
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 (16-ounce) package chopped spinach, thawed, drained and thoroughly dried
2 TB liquid egg subsititute
1/8 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
2 TB reduced-fat parm-style topping

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Bring a large skillet to high heat and spray generously with nonstick cooking spray. Lay some paper towels next to the stovetop to drain excess liquid from veggies as they cook.

Cook as many zucchini and mushrooms you can lay flat in the pan at a time for 2-3 minutes per side. Remove to paper towels. Continue until all zucchini and mushrooms are cooked, respraying in between each batch. Cook the eggplant 4-5 minutes per side, also respraying in between batches.

Next, stir garlic powder and onion powder into the crushed tomatoes. In a seperate big bowl, combine the spinach, ricotta cheese, salt, pepper and egg substitute and mix thoroughly.

To assemble: Spray a deep 8×8 baking dish with nonstick spray. Even spread 1 cup of crushed tomatoes on the bottom of the dish. Layer half of the veggies over the tomatoes, eggplant first, then zucchini, then mushrooms. Top veggies with half of the spinach-cheese mixture. Lay the rest of the veggies over the spinach-cheese mixture in the same order as before, followed by the rest of the spinach and cheese. Top with the remaining crushed tomatoes and spread evenly. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese and parm-style cheese over the crushed tomatoes.

Place on a large baking sheet and pop in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, until heated through and the cheeese on top is bubbly and golden brown.

Bacon & Ranch Chicken
From Hungry Girl

Ingredients:
4 (5-ounce) lean chicken breast cutlets
2 TB dry ranch dressing mix (I used DIPS)
2 TB real bacon bits

Spray a small baking sheet with nonstick spray. Lay the chicken on the sheet and spray the tops with nonstick spray as well. Rub 1/2 TB of ranch mix on each breast, front and back, and repeat with 1/2 TB bacon bits for each. Lay flat on the baking sheet and bake in preheated oven until cooked through and tender, 15-20 minutes.

Marathon Monday

Published on April 19, 2011April 19, 2011 by Marie2 Comments

Just a quick post to say CONGRATULATIONS to all who ran the Boston Marathon today. When I went into Boston for dance practice tonight, I saw lots of black and green Adidas Marathon jackets, medals, and accomplished, happy faces. I won’t lie – I was SO jealous. It was on the way home from practice on the train that I made a hasty but doable decision..

I.Want.To.Run.A.Boston.

I know, I know… it’s a far off dream, but it’s a dream nonetheless. I want to be part of the very small percentage of the human race who runs those 26.6 miles, up heartbreak hill, through whatever New England weather has in store for them.

It may not be soon (baby steps, people, baby steps) but someday, I will run that marathon and cross that finish line. Someday.

Runner’s Motivation…

Published on April 14, 2011 by Marie1 Comment

…at it’s finest.

Today’s training: Walk 5 minutes, run 10 minutes, walk 3 minutes, run 10 minutes, walk 7 minutes uphill. Total: 35 minutes. Followed by some weight training/circuit training and I have GaGa rehearsal tonight.

New music courtesy of Christine’s Weekend Playlist and rocking some new Cropped Running/Yoga Pants via Target (so comfy.. go buy them.)

Oh and thanks to BU’s Accepted Student’s Day tomorrow, today is my Friday at work.

Get. It.

My Not-So-Lazy Weekend

Published on April 12, 2011April 12, 2011 by Marie2 Comments

This past weekend, I decided to forgo sleeping in until 2pm and managed to pull myself out of bed early enough to have a productive two days.

On Saturday morning, after an quick and easy breakfast of a banana and my favorite yogurt (Light & Fit 80-calorie Vanilla!), I watched the tube for a bit before completing a Jillian Michael’s workout DVD and taking a quick jog around the neighorhood. Sweaty and pumped up, I showered and decided to grab a coffee and visit my Grammy.

During my visit, my Aunt Deb reminded me of the KitchenAid Stand Mixer (the one that was my Grammy’s that she was giving to me) and I noticed it sitting on the kitchen table. I had completely forgotten about it (seriously, how could I?) I dragged it home (it’s a heavy sucker) and immediately began figuring out ways to use it right then and there when an opportunity presented itself.. more about that in a bit.

My boyfriend, Stephen, and I had made plans for Saturday night to cook dinner together at his house and spend the night drinking wine and watching movies. When our parents caught wind of this, they decided to join in the fun (and gave me an excuse to make chocolate cupcakes with buttercream frosting in my new mixing toy.) Let me preface – my parents and Stephen’s parents get along well, really really well. Like they’re best friends. I don’t hate it.

When Stephen mentioned to me that his mom had a Weight Watcher’s recipe for Turkey Chili, I knew it was going to be a good dinner. Unfortunately, he and I planned on (and executed) a double batch of the stuff before realizing that our parents ordered pizza instead. Minor blunder. The chili, which we added extra veggies to on top of what the recipe called for, was hearty, warming and simply delicious. I made Hungry Girl Cornbread Muffins to go with it.

Oh and the cupcakes? Hungry Girl’s recipe (I know, I’m on an HG kick. I love her, what can I say?) for simple chocolate-y cupcakes and my own simple buttercream. I dusted some green sugar sprinkles over the top. For some reason, maybe the use of the mixer or maybe I just didn’t add enough powdered sugar this time, but my frosting was, well… very thin, this time around. Still delicious and very shiny but not the thick buttercream I am used to. Oh well, they got eaten anyway.

I spent the rest of the night drinking a new red wine, Black Opal Cabernet (circa Australia 2009), which was deep and full with cherry flavor. It defintiely wasn’t my favorite of all time but for approximately $7.99 and a night with the fam, I would drink it again. It paired nicely with the chili anyway.

Waking up Sunday morning posed a bit more of a dilemma. I pulled myself out of bed around 8:30, called Stephen to make sure he was awake, made him promise me that he would be ready for the gym when I picked him up in an hour and sleepily made my way downstairs.

Since I don’t like to eat heavy before the gym, I grabbed an apple and plopped on the couch to watch Hairspray. Before I knew it, I was changing into my gym clothes and getting my iPod ready, all the while the Couch to 5K Week 5, Day 3 lured – no, haunted – every thought in my mind.

At the gym, we met up with our two friends and I immediately hit the tread. My friend Kimmy is using the Couch to 5K training plan too but the lucky bi-otch is in the early stages where you run 90 seconds and walk 2 minutes. Man, I miss those days. I began with my 5 minute walk that ended all too quickly. With my music set and my sweatshirt covering the timer, I kicked my run into a higher gear (approximately 10:54/mile) and just ran.

20 minutes later (my quota for the day), I was sweaty, out of breath and feeling GREAT. I even got high-fives from Kim during the last 2 minutes because I thought my lungs were going to explode. But overall, I felt accomplished and was elated telling Stephen and Kim’s boyfriend, Matt, about my epic run. Yes, epic. Whatever – it was epic to me.

After parting from the other couple, I dropped Stephen off at his house and went home to shower. I spent the rest of the afternoon in the Boston University Barnes & Noble in Boston with Kim… aka wandering around the BU section trying to decide what to buy. I finally decided on a red t-shirt, a red sweatshirt, 3 car stickers and a shot glass. Grand total: $80.. well played BU, well played.

At least my car looks cool.

That night, I went back to Stephen’s (I kinda like the kid…) and we watched Little Fockers with his parents and sister, Nina. It was hysterical; go rent it.

Overall, it was quite a successful and productive weekend. Hopefully next weekend will be too!

Oh – by the way, today is my friend/co-worker, Tracie’s 40th birthday.

Happy Birthday Work Mama!

Turkey/Veggie Chili (HUGE AMOUNT. Great for leftovers and parties)
Adapted from Weight Watchers

Ingredients:
2 pound lean ground turkey (94% fat free works great)
2 (14.9 ounce) can black beans (not drained.. you’ll need the liquid)
3 (14.9 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes
3 (14.9 ounce) cans fat-free, low sodium beef broth
8 ounces whole button mushrooms, quartered
1 small onion, chopped
2 red bell peppers, chopped
1 jalepeno, seeds and veins removed, finely chopped
2 zucchinis, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 yellow summer squash, cut into bite-sized pieces

Brown turkey in large pot sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

Add all vegetables and canned items and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.

Lower the heat and let simmer at least 1 hour.

Serve hot with cornbread muffins. If desired, sprinkle parm cheese over individual servings.

Cornbread Mega-Muffins
From Hungry Girl’s 300 Under 300

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup Splenda
1/4 cup granulated sugar (optional.. I accidentally left it out and they still tasted good)
1 TB baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 small can (8 ounces) cream-style corn
3/4 cup egg substitute
3/4 fat-free plain Greek yogurt (I used Chobani)

Preheat oven to 375.

Combine flour, cornmeal, Splenda, sugar (if using), baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Mix well and set aside. In a seperate medium bowl, mix corn, egg substitute, and yogurt. Whisk thoroughly. Add contents of medium bowl to the large one and mix until completely combined.

Generously spray 9 cups of a 12-cup muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray. Evenly distribute batter among the cups (they will be FULL.. that’s okay!)

Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool and enjoy.

Weekly Gratitude

Published on April 11, 2011 by Marie1 Comment

I realized that I missed my Weekly Gratitude post last week so I’ll do two this week! It’s always good to be extra thankful.

Thank you to the spring weather. The snow has finally melted, the chill is leaving the air and I can enjoy being outside again. I feel the summertime approaching and man, it feels good.
Thank you to my friends Alyse and Swy, without whom I would have been flying solo in Zumba class and looked pretty ridiculous dressed in full-blown 80’s getup dancing in a club a few weekends ago. Oh and for Blitzkrieg, because somebody’s gotta be Germany.
Thank you to my friend Kimmy for being an awesome gym date and shopping buddy. I couldn’t have run 20 straight minutes and dropped $80 at the BU bookstore without her!
Thank you to my Mom who was more than supportive when I told her that I signed up for my first 5K race in May. I knew she’d be happy for me but when she offered to come for the race and cheer me on at the end, I was elated.
Thank you to my Dad for being absolutely hysterical whenever we are with company. He knows how to light up any conversation and make people laugh. Must be where I get it from.
Thank you to the Stonehill College Dance Team for making me one of their own. They are not only a beautiful group of dancers (my younger sister included) but they are genuine, kind girls who know how to make someone like me feel loved. Congrats on your top 5 ranking at Nationals, ladies. You earned it!
And thank you to my wonderful boyfriend, Stephen. I told him I’d sneak him into these posts every once in a while and since he just started reading my blog, maybe he’ll catch this one. He is everything I could ask for in a guy and then some. Not many people could put up with me the way he does and he loves me unconditionally for the person (..and pain in the ass) that I am. He is simply amazing.

Sunday Brunch at the Biltmore

Published on April 10, 2011 by Marie1 Comment

Last Sunday, after waiting about 3 weeks for the Boston Brunchers’ event, I finally made my way down to Newton to where my friend and fellow blogger, Megan, lives (in an adorable apartment I might add.) Megan and I went to college together and when she found out I too write a food blog, she was more than supportive. I mentioned to her that I wanted to get more involved in the food blogging world and when she won two tickets to this event, she didn’t hesitate to ask me. If that isn’t blogger love, I don’t know what is.

When we arrived at the Biltmore Bar & Grill, the host took us through the front bar to the back part of the restaurant. There were vintage signs and old-fashion art plastered on the walls and our long table was set with flowers and a white tablecloth. I must admit, I was pretty jittery all morning in anticipation of the brunch. Since it was my first time meeting all the other guests (minus Megan), I wasn’t sure how I would fit in with the seasoned bloggers.

My anxiety quickly diminished as I sat down at the table. The others immediately introduced themselves and I recognized a few of them from their blogs. I could feel my face turn a not-so-subtle shade of fuschia as I told them who I was and I what the title of my blog is. They welcomed me with open arms and I knew it was going to be a good morning. My fellow bloggers included Megan, of course, Corey, Krista, Kimmy, Justin, Amanda, Carolyn, Josie, Katy, Michelle, and our wonderful host, Renee.

–Oh! And by the way… since my camera doesn’t want to cooperate and upload my photos into my computer for actual use, all of the photos in this blog post are courtesy of Renee. (Thank you!!)

When the restaurant host came out with paddles of sample cocktails, I was instantly intrigued. The first was a homemade Bloody Mary, the second, a Mimosa, made with the restaurant’s freshly squeezed OJ. I’m not really a huge fan of tomato juice so I only had one small sip of the Bloody Mary but the Mimosa blew me away. I had to restrain myself from draining the glass in one gulp. Someone sign me up to juice oranges in that place if it means I can drink those everyday.

The first course consisted of a lobster frittatta. Now – I rarely eat lobster. I don’t love it when it’s merely dipped in butter but throw it in a soup or on the top of fluffy egg and cheese and call me SOLD. The egg itself was crispy on top and along the edges and creamy (yet light) in the center. I immediately ate the green tendrils off the top. As tempted as I was, I knew I couldn’t eat the full amount of every course so I dug into about half the frittatta, picked off and ate all the lobster, and prepared for the next course.

Before I go any further, I have a confession to make. It’s no surprise now (although it was to my fellow brunchers) that I gave up carbs for Lent. Now, I don’t really believe in the whole “You can have what you gave up for Lent on Sundays” and I haven’t used it as an excuse at all this Lent with the exception of this past Sunday. I could not justify being at this beautiful brunch with complimentary food from an obviously very talented chef and at least not TRY it. I think you’ll forgive me when you see what’s coming up.

When the second course came out, so did my Lenten secret. Nevertheless, my new friends were not judgemental, just awestruck. The plate in front of me held a (very large) chive biscuit topped with a poached egg (perfectly runny, just how I like it) and a jalepeno cheese sauce. I carefully broke the yoke, letting it ooze down the sides of the biscuit. I sloshed the mixture onto a piece of egg white and a bit of chive biscuit and let the whole thing melt into my tastebuds. Now normally, I don’t eat eggs (only egg beaters) or just avoid the yokes, but I couldn’t resist the golden hue of the egg mixed with the cheese sauce. It was all-around heavenly. This time, I ate the whole egg and all of the sauce with a few bites of the biscuit, but sadly had to leave most of it behind.

Course three was a play on a popular dish: Pigs in a Blanket. Instead of the mini hotdogs wrapped in crescent dough we all remember from childhood, this piggy was a maple breakfast sausage wrapped in a warm buttermilk pancake. It was served with apple-maple syrup. Okay, I know this might be a stretch but the syrup just might have been my favorite thing about the ENTIRE brunch; I kid you not. It was thinner than regular maple syrup and infused with an apple-cider taste that was uncomparable to any syrup I have ever had. As I said multiple times during the brunch, I could drink a vat of the stuff. Sure I’d be on a sugar overload after and probably feel sick, but hey, this syrup was WORTH it. The actual pancake/sausage combo was delicious as well. Sweet syrup, savory meat and fluffy pancakes are always a good combo in my book.

Next up: Chicken & Waffles. I won’t lie – I was nervous about this one. I don’t never eat fried chicken or waffles. Although I am aware of the Southern significance of the dish and despite the fact I have been to the South more times than I can remember, I had not yet had it. But when the waitress set the plate down in front of me, I was pleasantly surprised. The fried chicken was crisp not not oily at all. The waffles were sweet and both were accompanied by the same apple-maple syrup I swooned over in the previous course. The host told us that normally, our plate of 1 piece of chicken and 1 waffle was just one-third of the normal sized meal. Granted, I was already filled with 3 courses prior to trying the chicken and waffles but the thought of eating triple the amount dumbfounded me.

Finally, the last course, our “dessert” was served. A simple parfait of homemade granola, fresh berries and a dollop of fresh whipped cream garnished with a strawberry finished the tasting menu. The granola was crunchy and slightly sweet and was the perfect accompaniment to the tart berries and thick whipped cream. It might just have been my favorite course at the brunch.
Overall, the Biltmore Bar & Grille provided delicious food, excellent, friendly service, an ecclectic atmosphere and an experience that I will not soon forget. I plan on attending many more Boston Bruncher events in the future and hope to see my new friends there as well!