I’ve been working on this recipe for a few weeks and really wanted to get it JUST RIGHT for you guys. Remember that tasting I …
salad
Basil Cashew Chicken Salad
A few years ago, when I worked for a telecommunications company located just outside of College Park, I really loved to grab lunch at a …
Avocado Tomato Salad
The fun thing about cooking – sometimes your cravings can drive you to be creative.Â
"just like your [Italian] Mama makes…"
My title is a quote from one of Giovanni’s Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria‘s reviews. My husband and I went for a late dinner last night and had such a fun time.
When I first heard Ruben talking about Giovanni’s I just assumed it was a pizzeria where his townie friends hung out. I deeply regret that thought now that I have experienced the atmosphere, which comes with great conversation and the nicest staff I’ve ever dealt with at a local chain.
I had a couple of these (left)- I don’t know what it was, but it was very sweet and my favorite color 🙂
I also had their Chicken Parmesan (Dinner portion), which comes with a house salad and garlic bread. I did not get my garlic bread, but
the rest of my experience (not to mention large portion sizes) was going so great I didn’t even realize it until today. No real complaint there , but I will be craving the bread now. Also, we sat at the bar so I can understand the bartender forgetting if they do not usually serve food and just drinks.
If you ever come here, please please have their house dressing with your salad. It’s also available for purchase to take home and I honestly think it is AMAZING!
Ruben had a stuffed pizza – I took a bite and it was pretty good. The texture was perfect.
When our visit was finally over and we were leaving I noticed something – a very important something. There was a woman coming into the restaurant with what seemed to be her elderly father. The little Italian man could barely walk, but I could still see his enthusiasm about getting inside Giovanni’s. I realized if this little Italian man was coming to eat here, they MUST know what they’re doing!
Related Links:
Giovanni’s Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria (Official Website)
——->I was kinda bummed that their online survey
and feedback forms aren’t working right now.
Urbanspoon page (for location I visited)
Now go support this place!
Zulaika H.
Easy lunch that will keep all week in the fridge!
I read this article on thedailymuse.com and I was just shocked that I hadn’t discovered this great way to make a lunch (Link to article below).
I’ve tried almost all the recipes, but my favorite remains to be the Caprese Pasta Salad. Mine is pictured below.
Caprese Pasta Salad Ingredients (as per article)
- 2 tbsp basil pesto (homemade or store-bought)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 ½ oz fresh mozzarella, chopped into bite sized pieces
- 2 oz cooked penne pasta
- ½ cup fresh spinach leaves
- ½ cup fresh basil, chopped
My reason for sharing is simply how easy to prep these are. I prepared these on Sunday and here I am eating it at work for lunch on Friday – tastes great every day of the week. It’s filling, but also tastes so fresh and healthy.
Related links:
The direct link to the article titled “The Best New Way to Bring Your Lunch”Â
Thanks for reading and please let me know if you end up trying these! You will definitely not regret it. Furthermore, think of all the possible recipes for this! Go ahead, Pinterest it – I dare you.
Zulaika H.
Sparkpeople.com – Lose weight the right way
I’ve been feeling a little health conscious these days. Planning meals (lunches especially) has become a bit of a hobby. Here’s what a sample lunch looks like for me these days. The nutritional information is below in case anyone was wondering – not sure how healthy it really is. But it’s good 🙂
The nutritional information was gathered by using Sparkpeople.com – a weight loss/healthy social networking website I’ve been part of since 2007.
Want to know how many calories you ate today? Use this quick search!
Food Search:
I encourage you to logon and find me ZULAIKAH – the site is really easy to use and has SO MANY resources as well as trackers to help you learn what to do and what not to do. The most important feature of Sparkpeople to me is the social feature in which you find so many people who are motivating and friendly – wanting only your support in return.
Good luck,
Zulaika
Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo Pasta
Today I really wanted to do something different – we have rice, beans and meat pretty often. The only problem with doing different things is everyone isn’t always a fan of “new” ingredients (like broccoli, spices, etc.).
For this I used:
- Chicken breast (one, skinless)
- broccoli (about a cup)
- Pasta (medium shells)
- Alfredo sauce (a jar from the store)
- Seasoning (as needed)
First, I put the broccoli to boil in some water in a small saucepan.
Then I cut the meat into 1 in. square pieces. Seasoned. And put into another saucepan to cook. This can also be done by stir fry (probably a better option for flavor).
Once the chicken and broccoli were taken care of, I put in the pasta to boil. I usually use 3/4 cup of pasta per person and that is usually enough for (the three of) us.
Once the broccoli, meat and pasta are all cooked (in about 10-15 minutes all should be done), I combine everything in a pan and add the Alfredo sauce. I keep this on low to medium heat for about 5 minutes* and then it’s all done and ready to serve.
*This would be a good time to toast garlic bread or toss a quick salad.
Here’s what my dinner plate looked like.
If you have the same problem (with trying new things), I encourage you to cook the new stuff anyway (unless there are alergies). Offer your family variety often enough, and you may be surprised at what they are willing to try, and eventually like.
Thanks for reading,
Zulaika
Grunt work, fun work
I’m having lunch and really enjoying it though my choices aren’t the healthiest. But the onion rings are SO good here LOL. I don’t think I’ll be eating the burger though…So I’m at A School and my training group is on hold due to our small size (and the holiday yesterday). This means that, for the week, we are janitors. Now this may sound horrible, but it really isn’t. My first assignment was to sweep the third deck of the female house (building).
Done!
Then after some light lollygagging I got the assignment to weed the garden by the quarterdeck (which I love to do anyhow). I can’t walk by it now without feeling a sense of pride – it looks good. That’s all I’m saying! Haha
Now when I get back from my lunch break I’ll work some more ’til about 3:30 p.m. Then we’re off for the day until we muster before bedtime. And this is what I’ll do for the rest of the week.
I plan to hit the gym or go for a run this afternoon.
P.S. The milk tastes like water so I’m not finishing that. But this white cheddar broccoli cheese soup is pretty good. Salad last…
Talk later,
Zoolsterr
