Leavin' On a Jet Plane . . .

So my sweetie is gone for an important business trip, and I miss him muchly. Ok, ok, it's not for that long, just today til the weekend. He even stopped by to say a quick good morning and give me a kiss before his flight. (Girl chorus, "awww"). But I'm so used to  - we're so used to - seeing each other every day, and usually over one or two meals or at least a quick drink after work or a morning hello before our days begin that it feels weird to think "huh, what am I going to do for lunch??" Or dinner. Or even breakfast as we've been known to have all three together some days. Yes, we're that couple. We give each other schmoopy cards (he even came up with a Chinese Panda pen pal, "Peter Panda," who writes to Luke - how sweet is that??) and I get flowers and he gets homemade goodies brought to the office when he pulls an all-nighter, and we write each other emails and send quotes that make one of us think of the other . . . that kind of stuff. Yes, we text each other good night and good morning every day. It works for us.

So today, I did make my own breakfast (toast with avocado and swiss, yum) and lunch was solved when a dear friend of mine had me write some copy for him for his upcoming photography show (he needed help with his Artist Bio) and bought me lunch at Jalisco (I'm still supposed to eat fairly "bland" so chicken soup worked). Now I'm getting prettified at my dear hairdresser's . . . and contemplating what to do for dinner. Cook at home? Might be a nice change. I am sure I actually do have some good stuff I could rustle up. Go to one of our regular spots so it kinda feels like he's here? Hmm, maybe a little too co-dependent, or just either routine or not-the-same. Try someplace new (I have no problems going places solo, don't get me wrong)? Hmmm. . . decisions, decisions.

He has a business dinner and I'll figure it out here - I'm sure we'd rather be at one of our regular spots instead - but it's kind of nice to miss someone you love, and look forward to your next meal together. I'm just sorry he'll miss my 'do looking it's best tonight - but that's what cell phone pics you text your boy are for, right?

I hope you have someone you love to connect with over good food, whether it's eats at one of the Food Truck lunches or dinners, take-out Chinese from your favorite place, bar food at that favorite neighborhood spot where they all know you, or fancier digs and dishes from a favorite place like Paul's (see pic from last night's dinner!) . . . and if you miss a few meals together, take care of yourself and look forward to picking things back up when you're reunited. And maybe have a sweet or silly card on hand for your beloved.

That's how we roll, anyway, and it's pretty sweet, and savory.

Yours,
Love Bites,
Carrie Neal

He wanted Surf 'n I wanted Turf - Paul's had the perfect combination (plus veggies and fries and all kinds of sauces!).

Wheat Belly

Wheat Belly

So, I am absolutely FASCINATED by this topic: wheat. Bear with me (and check out this book summary my sweet and clever friend Kim shared on FB - go to The Healing Project- Wheat Belly) . . .

The author of Wheat Belly, William Davis, MD, posits that it is wheat that is responsible for . . . well, a lot of our physical (and emotional/psychological!!) ailments. Could this be true?? I don't think I eat a lot of wheat but reading the facts about its impact on glucose/insulin levels alone was enough to give me pause about what I DO eat, wheat-wise . . . and with my recent health scare (an e-coli based kidney infection) and associated symptoms from my experience, many of which rang true with examples Dr. Davis gave of what wheat can do and cause in your body, it's got me thinking . . .

Eggs - no increase in blood sugar levels. Full-fat cheese and good fats like avocado - excellent. Wheat-based products, particularly in the most "modern" versions, which have changed substantially in the last century, to the products (muffins, bagels, etc - did you know that the Average American, based on studies, consumes almost the equivalent, in wheat volume, of a loaf of bread a day??? I was shocked.) we now know and commonly eat . . . more glucose than a Snickers!! Wow.
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I am going to have to mull this over - I mean, I love my pizza and my quesadilla habits, but what if cutting out wheat (ie, following the recommended diet suggestions in Chapter 14) totally changed how my body feels, looks, operates . . . it is a fascinating concept.

Read it and let me know what YOU think! Food for thought, indeed, to me.

Yours,
Love Bites,
Carrie Neal

Wheat Belly by William Davis, MD

The Sweetest Thing

The Sweetest Thing

See, he and I met over food. A local place that we both went, often, near his office and back in my very early days of writing food reviews, etc. This was about six+ years ago. Occasional happenstance on encountering each other turned into a friendship; it developed over the years.

Oh, he heard all my tales and travails - from "he's a nice guy, but..." to "OMG, he is totally crazy (note: that was definitely not an embellishment)"  . . . we knew each other well, let's say.

Then - something changed - spring, the air, too-good of a pizza that day we met for lunch . . . and it was on. And over the last five months - I've realized I'm in love with my best friend. This man knows me. He knows the good - the bad - the . . .everything. We're weirdly dorky in the same ways (he has this habit of telling stories where he mentions people's names with first and last; we both use words like "rubbish" . . . that sort of thing) and we are "foodie" in the same way - we can order something to share or split, decide on a dish, get  eat-in or to-go . . .it's seamless, the way we are about food - which is especially meaningful to me, given both my food history (he knows all my weird proclivities and past experience) and my love of "good stuff." We have one to three meals most days, together, and whether it's eggs or pizza or a good steak  - it just works.

I love him.

I love that he gets me, and I love that alot of our relationship is spent contemplating each other (and tackling the world's problems) over food. He's like my dad - stands up from the table, has me order first, always asks what I want- and either decides for us when he knows I want him to, or acquiesces to what I want . . . whether it's a grilled artichoke, a filet, or sushi  . . . or chicken fingers . . . whether it's food or love, it all works for me.

Maybe I got it right this time??

Yours,
Love Bites,
Carrie Neal

Oh, Yelp-y Love!

Oh, Yelp-y Love!

I have so many thoughts in my head right now, but one of the most recurring themes is the fantabulous dinner I had last night at Briza - with some of my most favorite "foodie" friends.

See, I'm a dork about certain things. Like vocabulary words and shoes . . . and good food. And my love for writing and chronicling "everything" met its match when I discovered Yelp five (!!! Time flies!!!) years back. As an "Elite" reviewer, I get lots of perks- special events, fun functions, the general "credibility" of having an opinion that means something (and I have loved reviewing on Yelp as an adjacent act to my paid writing reviews, whether resto or other. . . ) but last night . . . Was. Special.

Those of us who are "Elite"for five years or more get "Gold" status and last night there was a very, very, very (can I just say "wow"??) special dinner for the OG's (Original Golds, Atlanta Version) at Briza.

It was amazing. The service was exceptional - the company (we Yelpers think we're pretty cool but the 16 of us that were there - yeah, we rocked) was even better - and the food was excellent. We had a four-course, wine-paired dinner and it was just . . . awesome. I tend to dislike "fixed" menus in general because when there isn't a choice, usually what's up for one or more courses is not something I would order- this was the total opposite. Honestly? I'd order every dish they picked for me on a next-visit (and I plan to, because it was all so good AND because we got a gift certificate as part of our thank-you-goodie-bag!!) A starter of ahi tuna (meaty but small, perfectly sized, with kale chips!), a delicious pumpkin soup (creamy, yummy. and served in this cool mason jar with a flip-top lid) and a NY strip with a baked potato ("serrated" not "fluffed" and with a piece of bacon between each "slice"- OMG!) . . . I foisted my dessert off on my dining neighbor, not having much of a sweet tooth and being so happy with what I'd had.

Food + Friends = Fun. Simple equation, proven true (yet again) last night. Some people don't understand my relationship with Yelp - but if you've met the people I have through this site, and become friends online and in real-life, and you get to experience the kind of events I do as an Elite Yelper - you know what I mean about FFF.

I'm so glad my relationship with food has evolved through the years (no more anorexic teen eating an apple a day or melting fat-free cheese on a bagel- harrumph!), and that I have the privilege of writing about my dining escapades (on Yelp and other sites, some paid!!) and living out this passion I have . . . Because food is love - especially when in good company. And sharing the "tale" of it, well, that's a savory feeling to me.

Yours,
Love Bites,
Carrie Neal

Briza: a Midtown spot you must try!

Nugget Love

I'm gonna come out and say it loud and proud: I support Chick-Fil-A. As a business, for their right to exercise "philosophy" as they see fit (as long as they follow legal and ethical standards) and for their generous donations to a lot of people and organizations in our country.

However, I was disturbed today by two things: 1) all the posts on FB, etc about the "reversal" of position on organizations CFA supports/doesn't, and the whole "internal memo" discussion, and 2) the behavior I witnessed by a manager at one of my local CFA stores.

It was about 4:30 today, and I needed a snack since I'd only had half a bagel with cheese and avocado about 10:30, so I stopped at this particular Chick-Fil-A; it's one I've gone to over the years, and it's always been typically consistent (ie, busy, nice staff, great product). Nuggets and a diet Lemonade sounded perfect.

There were only four of us in line/at the register at the time - three young, black, dreadlocked guys and me. One of the guys totally smelled like pot. They all had kind of an awkward time ordering. Assumptions (reasonably made, I think) aside, I found the manager's behavior to be . . . over-eager. A tad too inquiring and, actually, patronizing. Repeated questions to the guys - "Was that a Chick-Fil-A sauce you wanted, or honey mustard?" and "Did you want a small lemonade or a medium?," etc - and then to me, "Ma'am, if you'll step over here, Allyce will be with you shortly" - duh, there were only four of us there, so I assumed she'd get to me in just a minute. The weird thing was - it wasn't like he was being racist or sexist or anything - except overcompensating - as if there had been some CFA manager conference call this morning and everyone was told to cow-tow to whomever came in the door and take it to the mattresses, so to speak.

Again, I fully support Chick-Fil-A as a business. But they need to make their business practices about what they've always been about- great food and superb service - and not listen to the "noise" out there, and serve people of every color, creed, gender-orientation, etc with equanimity and aplomb. I think that's possible- I think that's the kind of organization CFA really is. We shall see how they decide to (continue to) do business . . .

Yours,
Love Bites,
Carrie Neal

Ahh, love me some Chick-Fil-A nuggets!

Happy heart, Happy tummy . . .

I got out of the hospital a little over a week ago (Sunday the 9th) and as I've mentioned, so many people dear to me have tended to me in every way that I can never thank them enough.

Groceries brought - thank you, darling Godmother - house cleaned and supplies like water and diet Sprite and such supplied - thank you, sweet Mother - and friends who took me out for lunch or dinner.  All kinds of good souls checking in on me to make sure I'm eating, sleeping, etc and getting better and taking good care of myself.

I keep mentioning my hospital stay in posts because I can't quite believe I was sick enough to be kept for almost six days, and to go through all the things (tests, vital stats, etc) I did - it's surreal. I've done a lot to my body over the years - from abusing it with underfeeding to excercise purgatory . . . but I've always been "ok." Or so I thought.

Well, maybe in my 30s,"it" has caught up with me. It's time to . . . sleep, to eat even better (I've been a pretty healthy eater over the last few years but now it's clear I have to step up my game). So today, when I had a banana for breakfast with some OJ (I found out during my hospital stay I was dangerously Potassium deficient) and then an early-ish lunch of a grilled artichoke and a lean beef slider with ketchup, mustard and lots of water . . . I feel like I'm covering my bases better. Thankfully, I have the Boy and my family and friends who alternately cajole, check-in and convince me to a) eat something, b) eat something good and healthy for me, c) pace myself and not get stressed, just take it bite by bite and d) keep working on being healthy.

See, food and love and health -  it all rolls together when you let it. And I promise to let it. I am so thankful for the people tending to me and to the God who has guarded this body for 36 years - it's time for me to make sure I take good care of it for me, for Him, and for all of those who care about me.

Yours,
Love Bites,
Carrie Neal

Yummy beef sliders at Cheesecake Factory!

A Huge "Thank You" - from the heart and stomach . . .

I am a lucky and blessed girl. And despite some very real and fast-impending challenges upon me, I have to stop and recognize that there are so many people in my life who love me, who worry about and pray for me, who are there for me in ways big and small . . . I'm overwhelmed by it, truly.

Since I've been out of the hospital, I've been grateful that a number of dear people in my life have made it a point to take me to lunch or dinner, buy me healthy food to stock my fridge, check to see if I'm actually eating said groceries (or at all) and if I'm able to keep my food and meds down. Not only do I appreciate all of this - but I will admit that I need it. I need people who care asking after my eating habits and offering whatever they can (that chicken soup I love from Jalisco? bananas for upping my potassium per doctor's orders? to get out of the house at least for a bit and be around people and order whatever sounds good on the menu? My family and friends are wily, persistent and, kind, and don't easily take "no" for an answer when they know their stubborn girl needs more of a nudge than normal).

And partly because of their collective efforts (it scares me a little that now so many have each other's numbers and could easily work out some crazy shenanigans with me likely being none the wiser), and partly because of my own resolve to get healthy, food has once again proven a key link in the circles of life and happiness.

Now, off to brunch with a dear old friend and her husband - what could be better than a Fried Green Tomato "BLT" on a sunny patio with old friends? Today, nothing. Oh, indeed, I am a lucky girl.

Yours,
Love Bites,
Carrie Neal

Love MoSaic's Fried Green Tomato sandwich (add bacon, of course!!)

"Delivery!"

This girl has had a rough week or so. A follow-up doctor's visit last Wednesday turned into a do-not-pass-go, go-straight-to-the-ER episode that resulted in my five-day staycation at Piedmont Hospital. Eep!

Sparing you all the gory details, I'll just say that somehow e-coli infected my bladder, then my blood and it turned into a severe kidney infection. My stats and vitals were all over the place - from crazy high blood pressure to scary low, a heart rate as high as 144 bpm, fever up to 104, and excruciating pain throughout my stomach and lower back. It was quite the ordeal.

I often have a hard time keeping food, drink and medicine down when stressed (and I was a little stressed mentally and obviously physically to say the least, here!) and I get particularly nauseous to boot so even if I feel a little hungry and want to try to eat, it's not often a success.

Hospital food also tends to be less tasty than my usual daily fare. It's not terrible, but you can't expect a hospital food service to match Bistro Niko, right?

Tilapia with orange sauce courtesy of Piedmont Hospital's dining service

But! I lucked out and had other delivery services available. Living so close to Piedmont and having parents, a boyfriend and other friends also in close proximity meant that I got spoiled by having treats from my usual haunts brought to me. My troops did anything that they could to entice me to eat. Daddy brought lunch one day, my favorite turkey sandwich from Panera (just turkey, romaine, Swiss and cucumbers on French) and a CamiCakes red velvet cupcake (sooo yummy!) . . . Mom brought a stash of diet coke and one day a breakfast plate from Another Broken Egg with scrambled eggs, bacon, an English muffin and tomato slices . . . The Boy really outdid himself with another breakfast from ABE one morning, a "date night" spread of a Houston's smorgasbord of my favorite things - the smoked salmon app, the Club Salad with my requested moderations. . . Fellini's pizza and salad (and "Ronin") for another date night . . . a steak and side of pasta from Brio for a third. I might not have eaten much of any of their treats, but they were so thoughtful to take care of me, I tried, and at least I kept what I did manage to eat down. And felt a little stronger with each meal. And felt even more grateful to have the people who love me taking care of me in this particular way.

Houston's yummy Club Salad for me and a grilled salmon steak for him  (my fave smoked salmon app not shown) - mmmm, such a treat!

Grocery delivery! Maybe those bananas will help boost my very low potassium level, along with the supplements.

Daddy knows just how I like my turkey sandwich from Panera and the CamiCakes was a sweet touch!

While I was gone, my mom was sweet enough to clean my apartment and do my laundry - and "clean out" my fridge as she saw fit. I came home to a pristine fridge - missing a few of what I consider staples. My energy level is definitely not up to par yet, and the thought of grocery shopping was more than I could handle. So when my sweet Godmother called yesterday to see how I was and what she could do for me, as bad as I can be about accepting help, when she suggested she come over to visit, then maybe we make a grocery list and she could run get me a few things I'd need and like. . . under the circumstances, I said "yes, please" to another angel in my life.

Food can be healing in so many ways - obviously, for its nutritional content, but also for its comfort factor. It can be made or delivered with love. It can be extended as a peace offering or as something to give when  there's little else you can do. It really does cover a multitude of sins, "fix" (at least temporarily) one's current ills, bring smiles to faces and create an opportunity for people to connect.

That, my friends, is a perfect kind of delivery in my book.

Yours,

Love Bites,

Carrie Neal

Love Soup

So, I may have the sweetest boyfriend in the world. He does many nice things for me - on a big scale like trips and stuff - but it's the little things that make me smile the most and know how much he loves me. When he brings me a card, or slides one into the writing contract he printed out for me, or makes me brunch, or like today . . . I have been feeling pretty stressed and very lousy lately for various reasons and did not sleep at all last night. I'll spare you details of the other physical complaints I have and my anxiety over tomorrow's doctor's appointment, but he was my hero today.

He and I usually have anywhere from one to three meals a day together, at pretty nice spots. We also do casual, or take out occasionally and we had planned on lunch today when he had a break at work. Given the holiday weekend, today is his Monday so it's been hectic. After the awful, restless night I had and how I was still not feeling better by around 11am, a special delivery sounded so nice. And I didn't have any Advil type product (for day or night use- I am not supposed to take Tylenol/acetaminophen products). About an hour later, I had my favorite Mexican chicken soup and a supply of pain relievers for now and for tonight so hopefully I can sleep.

I managed to get down about half the soup - he is always encouraging me to eat, in a non-aggressive way - and we'll do something about dinner later. That, my friends, is love soup.

Yours,
Love Bites,
Carrie Neal

I so love Jalisco's Mexican chicken soup!

Oh, My . . .He-Artichoke

The Boy knows how to feed me. We dine out almost daily, and often for multiple meals. We have a few favorite haunts and since we dine so easily together - by that I mean, we quite naturally decide on what to order, what to share, etc (which is sooo wonderful). He is always gracious about what I want but also voices his opinion when strong on the subject of ordering this vs. that; it is a perfect combination. He also knows about my past eating struggles (I'm sure we'll get into that in future posts) and is patient with me when I'm indecisive and also knows when to take the lead when I mean it when I say, "You decide what to get for us."

After my meeting at Parental HQ yesterday, we met up for a late lunch at one of our recent favorite spots. I was hungry but a bit emotional so I left it to him to order something for us.

We've gotten in the habit of starting with the roasted artichoke appetizer at this spot before we decide on something else (he knows I can be peckish if we don't get something started, depending on the time of day or how in-the-mood-for-a-specific-something I'm feeling). It is delicious.

What I didn't know about the grand artichoke (until I did some research just now) is that it has restorative/digestive powers related to the kidneys, liver, and gallbladder.They are also good for fighting high cholesterol. And here, I just thought they were yummy!!  You can learn a lot at Lifescripts site (http://www.lifescripts.com)  if you want to learn more about the lovely artichoke.

Sometimes, a good meal with a favorite food is just what the doctor (or the Boyfriend) ordered.

Next time you see grilled artichokes on a menu somewhere, or want to add a "different" vegetable to your rotation at home (hmmm, pasta? grilling? so many choices) . . . consider going for it!

Yours,
Love Bites,
Carrie Neal

Grilled artichoke with herb aioli

Fortification

So today, I have a Serious Talk on deck with my parents. You know, the kind about life issues, and money, and Where Carrie Neal Is Going. This made me alternately nauseous and yet cognizant that some fortification pre-Geneva Convention was probably a smart idea. Oh, and I also spent the morning sending out resumes, creating alternate resume versions (you know, one focused on writing, one on my restaurant work, a collective one updated . . .) and cover letters. Talk about stress! And I don't tend to eat well when I'm really stressed, but in the spirit of trying to take care of my body and mind. . .

To what did I turn? The incredible, edible egg, of course! I love eggs in many forms, from scrambled to fried and I love them maybe a little bit more in some form of a sandwich. Today's concoction, inspired by the tasty site Hannah and Bryan's Sweet Tea & Stilettos (see pic and link below), consisted of fried egg, some yellow and red tomato I had on hand, a little avocado and a slice of Swiss. On my favorite Nature's Own butter bread (when I'm going down and dirty simple, this is my go to pick rather than something fancier). I didn't wrap mine up in parchment and tie it with a ribbon - if I was gonna eat, it needed to happen pronto after creation! - but it turned out tasty.

I managed to eat most of it (ok, not quite half, but Sir Doggus, as we call Luke around here, got a few nibbles so it wasn't a complete waste). Feeling at least a little fortified and marginally calmer about the pending conversation, I can face the day.

They say breakfast is the meal of champions - well, I need to be a champ today. I guess technically I had brunch versus breakfast . . . I can leave home in a bit feeling fortified. Sometimes you just have to feed yourself right and pray for the best.

Yours,
Love Bites,
Carrie Neal

Fried Egg BLT from http://www.hannahandbryan.blogspot.com

Food For A Friend

I have a friend who is on bed rest, possibly until her December due date. This friend is actually someone I'd only known online via Yelp til today. When I took her food and other treats and we had a wonderful visit.

Since I have a little time on my hands, when I saw that she had posted about her situation and asked for suggestions of places that delivered or were nearby for family and friends to pick things up for her - just so she didn't always have to eat hospital food (though when I saw the menu of her choices, I was impressed - but anything that's the same gets old, so I totally get it!) - I offered to make her something, whatever she wanted. I'm good with pasta dishes, casseroles, a few other things. And while I'm chronically bad at accepting help (I mean, I've only let the boy bring me food when I needed something maybe twice), I love doing nice things for others and when I make an offer - well, like I said to her, "I wouldn't offer if I didn't mean it." (Hmm, perhaps I should take my own words to heart when someone asks me what I need??). She thought muffins and fresh fruit sounded great. And tea. No one likes those "fruit cups" the hospital serves, or bland tea, and since the Boy liked the muffins I made him the other day so much, it was game on!

I got up this morning and made my blueberry muffins, and put together a goody bag. A couple boxes of (decaf) flavored tea so she had some choices, fresh strawberries and (score, as she loves it!) a couple of kiwi. Threw in a good new book - if you haven't read Emily Giffin's newest book, Where We Belong, do!) and a few DVD's (a "Law & Order" season, "16 Candles," and the winner since she has not seen it, "Eat, Pray, Love"- score!) and I was off to play foodie fairy friend.

It's no fun being cooped up, so to speak, but if there's a small way you can care for someone - well, it does this girl's heart good.

Yours,
Love Bites,
Carrie Neal