Spring Break Eating Adventures

Travel necessities: Comfy jeans, big tote, coffee, and healthy snacks (Vest: J.Crew Sweater: Madewell Jeans: BlankNYC Ring: BaubleBar Watch: Kate Spade Bag: Michael Kors

We maaaaaaaade it #SB2k16 #puntacana

Jokes, I’m definitely not currently on a tropical island with the rest of my grade guzzling down Mai Tais at 9:30 in the morning, but that’s okay! I am honestly completely content with sitting at my kitchen table, getting my much needed morning dosage of caffeine and petting my dog’s head with my foot (I think he likes it?) while my Mum suggests that my presence is somewhat of an inconvenience and that I’m actually just making a perpetual mess and eating all the food. I personally disagree, I would say I’m quite a delight to have around.

I’ll admit, I’ve definitely slacked on upholding my ~seniorly~ responsibilities and expectations, like participating in Tuesday Senior Nights (at least I think those are on Tuesdays? Maybe Wednesdays?), going to every sporting event possible because I’m just mere months away from graduating, and of course, going on a wild and inevitably weird Spring Break trip. I always imagined that this would be the life I would live during my final year in college, but I guess my priorities have changed. Because you wanna know what sounds great to me now these days? Being in my bed (like all the freaking time), coloring in my v trendy adult coloring books, waking up sans hangover, and spending my money on food instead of cheap beer and Uber rides. And channeling all of my pent up craziness into one single weekend per month. That weekend being this upcoming one, cause hey, St. Patty’s in Chicago.

So really, to me, this is going to be a week well spent. So far, I’ve eaten a ton of great food and hopefully have spent enough time with my dog (Oliver, a.k.a. Ollie, Bugga, Lamby, Lashes, Bobo) for him to remember that I still exist.

Since being home I’ve caught up on a ton of sleep and eaten everything I can get my hands on. I also convinced my Mum to spend $32 on a 2 oz. tin of matcha powder and $15 on a hand crafted jar of vanilla cinnamon sunflower butter from my local swanky grocery store, because these are luxuries that do not exactly fit within my college student budget.

Here’s what I’ve been nomming these days:

Exhibit A: Not quite SoCal standards, but a nonetheless amazing berry and spinach smoothie bowl topped with nanas, cinnamon, shredded coconut, cacao nibs, and Trader Joes’ Super Seeds & Ancient Grain mix- it’s a mixture of sprouted buckwheat, millet, chia seeds, flax seed, quinoa, and other great stuff. Packed with fiber, protein, omega 3 fatty-acids. Seriously, buy it, it’s bomb.

Exhibit B: My one true love (I actually have maybe 12 “one true loves” but you get the point) Naf Naf. Or as I like to say it, nafnafnafnafnafnaf. It’s essentially a Mediterranean-food Chipotle featuring shwarma, falafel, and pita bread. I could eat nothing but this Buddha’s feast bowl for the rest of my life and be a happy girl.

Exhibit C: Eatly. I no joke love Eatly more than I like most people. Eatly is literally a magical place. Here, you can get lost in their aisles of wine, pasta, bread, and various olive oils while double fisting glasses of wine (actually no one else does this but me). You can hit up their gelato bar, their chocolate counter, their NUTELLA crepe bar (like okay bye), as well as eat at any one of their several restaurants. You can also try and feel ~healthy~ after stuffing your face with carbs by grabbing some liquidized fruit n’ veggies at their juice bar. Did I mention you can just walk around the freaking place while sipping on wine? And they have an in-store brewery. It’s utter craziness. The fact that a place this perfect does indeed exist will never cease to amaze me. Like I said, magic. Go to here.  They also have like fourteen thousand in-store restaurants you can eat at. My parents and I tried out Il Pesce & Le Verdure, which offers more fish and veggie based dishes, and all I can say is damn, it was good. I got what was described as “ultimate comfort food.” Cheese and creamy polenta topped with shrimp and spices and unidentifiable green stuff. And oh wow, was I into it. #cleanplateclub

Exhibit D: Do you like pizza?? (If not, there’s the door) Have you been to Blaze Pizza?? It’s essentially Chipotle-style make your own za, and let me tell you, here, dreams really do come true. You pick your crust, you pick your sauce, you pick your cheese, you pick all the toppings your little heart could ever desire, do a little happy dance, and they fire it up for ya in their wood-fired pizza oven. And boom. As you can see I loaded mine up with veggies because vegetables are ~important~ And also tons of ricotta and mozz because I’m not one of those sickos who calls a cheese-less pizza a pizza. Cheese, major key guys.

So, as you can see, it’s been a very important last few days here in the Chi and already shaping up to be a great week. I got a dog to pet and people to buy me food and I might not be passed out on the beach, but I am one happy camper.

#springbreakforeverbitches

Xo, Meghan