Getting up and seeing the moon makes me tired.
I dutifully packed my bag and headed to the Midwest.
Perfected packing for a one day meeting:
- Breakfast
- Sweater (conference rooms are COLD)
- BlackBerry (try not to lose it… again)
- Heels (wear flats for running through the airport)
- Laptop
- Charger
- Files
to bake into cake later
16 hours later I was back home in that South after a successful day of meetings!
I did forget one thing… I didn’t take pictures of anything I ate after breakfast. Breakfast was really the only thing picture-worthy though.
Instead I’m posting a WIA Sunday-thru-Tuesday for WIAW.
Breakfast:
I brought my own… but treated myself to Starbucks while waiting to board the plane and eat. Technically the client treated me, but who’s counting.
Tip: add a little sweet in your coffee without adding much in the way of sugar and calories by ordering a black coffee (in this case an Americano) with light whip on top.
Sprinkle with a bit of cinnamon and nutmeg to add a little “fall” flavor.
Need other ideas to entertain yourself while waiting to board? Take pictures of unsuspecting travelers in matching Hawaiian shirts. Priceless.
Upon boarding, it was time to enjoy BYOB on a plane. That’s bring your own beer breakfast.
I finally copied took the advice of Sarah @ Smart Kitchen and made my own yogurt in a recycled cup.
This container of orange fall deliciousness is Sweet Potato Greek Yogurt. I don’t understand how every yogurt maker out there doesn’t offer this flavor – it may be the best idea ever. Do you hear me, Atlanta Farm Fresh???
Add some vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg and it’s like pie filling you can shamelessly eat for breakfast. Recipe at the end of this post.
Lunch:
Here’s the part where I add some previous meals to replace the eats that weren’t worthy of picturing. 🙂
Vegetable Chickpea Soup. Vegan, gluten-free, and damn good.
This recipe will be up tomorrow!!!
Snacks:
Not pictured, but snack time was pretty junky good:
- Chocolate-Toffee Think Thin bar (side note: I’m sad – they changed the recipe and they aren’t as good. I won’t be buying them again. 🙁 )
- A few of my co-worker’s chips
- Fun Size M&Ms (free in first class)
- Beer (again, cheers to the upgrade!)
Dinner:
I was craving pasta on Sunday night so I took a little trip to Decatur to give No.246 another chance (I was totally underwhelmed the first time). Round 2 was much better! I sat at the bar, which turned out to be a great decision. The bartender, Brenda made some great suggestions and I enjoyed our conversation
I began with a tasty salad of radicchio, endive, granny smith apples, walnuts, and bacon (not pictured). The pasta I chose was a Trofie. Trofie is made with flour and water (no eggs). It’s hand-rolled into little squiggly shapes. 246 serves it with a chicken liver, pork, and beef bolognese.
At first it was just good… then Brenda gave me some chili infused olive oil. That kicked it up and notch and gave the dish the “pop” it needed to succeed.
Pairing: Nebbiolo, Damilano, Alba 2008 – this was a great suggestion from Brenda. It is a bigger wine, stony/earthy taste. It stood up well to the meaty pasta dish. OMG I’m going to be in Alba in a couple of weeks!!!
No. 246 is on it’s way. The basics are there, the kitchen just need to get over this apparent fear of spices.
For a more delicious eats, check out the round up at Peas and Crayons!
Sweet Potato Greek Yogurt
- 1/2 baked sweet potato, peeled
- 1/2 C Greek yogurt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 5-6 drops NuNaturals Pure Liquid Vanilla Stevia
- 1-2 tsp unsweetened almond milk
Combine everything in a blender (I used my Magic Bullet) and mix until smooth. You may need to add more liquid to achieve desired consistency.
Top with nuts of your choice and enjoy!
Note: you can make this ahead – I did. The flavors melded and intensified overnight.
***
Can you tell I’m ready for fall by the looks of these dishes?!
What foods (if any) do you bring on planes?
What’s your favorite pasta dish?
Thanks for the coffee tip… sounds so good right about now as I’m up w/ a sick baby =( Love Love sweet potatoes w/ greek yogurt… definitely one of my favorite combos. It’s so creamy AND super filling!! I have another sweet potato pudding post scheduled for tomorrow using peanut flour in place of the peanut butter I used in the original sweet potato pudding recipe. If you haven’t tried stirring peanut flour into sweet potatoes you gotta try it… amazing!!
That sweet potatoe Greek yogurt looks amazing! I’ll totally try it out sometime.
Can’t wait for the vegetable chickpea soup recipie 🙂
Sweet potato Greek yogurt? Fabulous! 🙂 I haven’t tried that, but now I need ot go find myself a sweet potato. 🙂 Yum! I’m jealous of your fun flight and I sweat that picture of the travelers in matching Hawaiian shirts could be my parents. 🙂
Ha!
Mmmmm that yogurt does look pretty awesome!
Love the BYOB Idea. And that sweet potato greek yogurt looks genius!
LOVE that pic of the matching shirts people!!
Oh my goodness I am seriously loving that sweet potato yogurt recipe!! I am absolutely trying this soon
O’ dawn thirty rise time there…..skerrry.
What a cool flavor of yogurt….going to have to give this a whirl.
People watching in the airport is so much fun. What a whirlwind schedule you have!
I liked No. 246’s food but I still think the space is way too cramped!
Love the sweet potato yogurt recipe! So great. I sprinkle cinnamon on my coffee year-round. It’s not only a wonderful non-sugar flavour enhancer, it also has a number of additional health benefits including blood glucose stabilization (improving insulin resistance).
I LOVE to bring my own food on planes…I never think that the options in airports will be healthy enough for my standards (although I know a trusty Starbucks will always be available). I love the yogurt idea and may have to put it to use for my kids…the LOVE yogurt.
You soup looks fantastic I LOVE all of the kale in it 🙂 That stuff makes me happy as my post today has an “Ode to Kale.”
Hahahah those shirts cracked me UP! I swear, the airport is such a good place for people watching 😉
Oh my gosh that yogurt looks so cool!!! I’ve been obsessed with sweet potatoes lately!
And also, I think yogurt makers should let us bloggers develop their new flavors for them 😉
I couldn’t agree more! Maybe one of them will read thins and hire us on to their new product teams… 🙂
Sweet potatoe greek yogurt sounds soo good! I would love to try it sometime! 🙂
I always bring snacks on the plane, such as trail mix, snack bars, fruit etc. And, if theres a Starbucks in the aiport I love buying the Perfect Oatmeal to eat while im on the plane 🙂
Why didn’t I think to make my own yogurt? Great idea! Favorite pasta dish? Um…I don’t think I’ve met a pasta I didn’t like, to be sure. I can’t wait to see your pics from Italy. When I was there I didn’t get to see much and I know you’ll have great pics. 🙂
Hooray! I love the yogurt…I made a sweet potato one once and you’re right, it is incredible. 🙂
Bahaha! Matching Hawaiian shirts 😀 So silly and yet adorable.
I’m in love with the idea of that sweet potato yogurt and can’t wait to try it out. I’ve never tried the BYOB on the airplanes only because I thought food wasn’t supposed to be brought on. Guess I’ll have to look into that because it sure is slim pickins in the airport for breakfast.
I’m way excited for your Italy trip!!! 🙂
You can bring food as long as it isn’t liquid (or over 3 oz). I wondered if they’d count yogurt as a liquid, but they didn’t same anything.
This post is great. You are hilarious. All the food you describe sounds yummy. I’ve never thought of ordering coffee that way, and now I’m on it!! Have a great trip in Italy.
Thank you! I neglected to mention the downside of ordering coffee like that… I have to make myself refrain from eating all the whipped cream off the top in the first 30 seconds. 🙂
Sweet tater greek yogurt sounds AMAZING! If you ever have a business meeting in Pittsburgh I want to meet up!!!
Sign me up too! 😉
Of course!!! I’ll try to get on a NE project sometime… seems like I’m always in the Midwest!
Hahah crackberry! I like it! I had mine stolen and was without it for a week, I literally felt lost!! Love the sweet potato greek yoghurt idea!
I love fall food!! that yogurt sounds really good. I’m such a fan of both greek yogurt and sweet potatoes that I think that would hit the spot.
I’m actually not a pasta person at all. I prefer my carbs in breakfast form.
What is your job? Do you travel a lot?
and I totally photograph strangers. and write about them 🙂
I’m a consultant – I travel quite a bit. Hooray for airline rewards programs! 🙂
Classic picture of the travelers in the matching hawaiian shirts!
Also for the wine pairing selection of the Damilano Nebbiolo…very very solid wine. 🙂
Agreed! I’m a huge fan of the Piedmont region in general.
Ooohhh I can’t wait to try that sweet potato yogurt! I am ready for fall too :]
My favorite pasta is bolognese all the way! I’ll have to try No. 246. La Tavola has my favorite in Atlanta though.
For the airplane, I almost always bring granola bars or trail mix of some sort. I also bring peanut butter and fruit. I don’t know how you handle traveling so much! It seems like it takes so much preparation.
PS love the picture of the matching hawaiian shirts!
La Tavola is awesome! Their meatballs are awesome but I really love that flourless chocolate cake. 🙂
I always bring bars & fruit. Sometimes nut butter or full meals.
Yum oh yum! Your eats looks really good! Espcially sweet potato yoghurt! Never thought of that before. But it makes sence that it is delicious. Hello, it is sweet potato after all 😉
Favorit pasta dish? Pasta with homemade pesto and roasted pumpkin! SO good!
Ohhh, that yogurt sounds so good! I’m saving this one! This would be great to take to work! I’m glad I can make it the night before!
That yogurt is an amazing idea!
I love being in first class, good food and drinks 😉
Sweet potato yogurt sounds fantastic! I always get starbucks in airports. It’s my little treat to myself 😉 And I always have larabars and fruit for snacks on the airplane!
I love anything pumpkin. Funny pics of travelers along the way.
That greek yogurt sounds interesting. Where did you find it?
Thanks! I made it with plain Greek yogurt you can find at (almost) any grocery store.
HIGH FIVE! That sweet potato looks amazepants!
P.S. I recently went on a work trip and was able to buy a large soy decaf soy latte on work. It made me ecstatic.