Her Philly

A lifestyle blog for young women dining, shopping, playing & living in the city of Philadelphia.

My Favorite Places in Philly

Since I’ve moved to this city, my mind is constantly consumed with various running lists of my favorite places in Philly. Plus, my lists of “places I must try ASAP” seem to be never-ending (to the dismay of my bank account). I think these unconquerable lists always come back to the fact that there are simply so many places to fall in love with, and once you find a gem, it’s hard not to keep coming back.

Some of you may be familiar with a little local bloggers group I’m a part of called PHLBloggers. We recently participated in a fun event where each of us compiled all of the reasons why we love Philly, and the lists came out great! I wanted to share with you my list of current Philly favorites (plus: two bonus spots I’ve fallen in love with since our lists were published). Enjoy!

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5 Things You’ve Gotta Try At Whole Foods

I am a Whole Foods Market (929 South Street) addict. My addiction partially stems from the fact that I like to know where my food comes from & feel better about its production, but also because they really have very unique, specialty items. Each time I visit, I discover new things I absolutely love. And despite every human around me saying “wow, isn’t that store so expensive?,” I have found the prices are reasonable enough to propel my addiction further.

Here are five of my favorite gems I’ve found at Whole Foods lately.

5. Chia Pod® in Vanilla Bean

I’ll admit, I had no idea what this was when I picked it up. But I heard great things about Chia seeds (good for cholesterol, lots of fiber & Omega 3), so I gave the vanilla variety a try. The packaging is great (it has a spoon in the lid) for running out the door to work, and the flavor is amazing. The texture might throw you off at first, but trust me on this one.

4. SeaSnax

Never did I ever think I would enjoy chomping on dried seaweed, but when looking for something crunchy to bring with my lunch, I gave SeaSnax a try. Each package has 16 calories and is made with seaweed, salt & olive oil. They are kind of . . .  loud . . . to eat in the office, but they also keep you occupied for awhile.

3. Cypress Grove Chevre Midnight Moon

One of the best things about Whole Foods is the cheese counter. After a quick sampling over a year ago, I fell in love with this goat’s milk cheese. It is creamy and delicious, and I normally ask for a small piece (under $5) to pair with some wine & crackers.

2. Peanut Butter Puffins

I was never really a cereal person until I tried Puffins. The peanut butter flavor is my favorite, and they’re perfect for me because they take a long time to get soggy in soy milk. When I get distracted while getting ready for work, they’re still OK to eat when I come back to the bowl. (My life is a first world problem.)

1. Tofu Shirataki

These noodles became my BFF during my first low-carb kick. They literally have 3 grams of carbs and no cholesterol. They come in a refrigerated packet that you have to cut & drain and then WASH, thoroughly. They do not need to be cooked, but I have found they taste best if you put them in with the sauce & veggies overnight and let them sit to absorb the flavor. Let me be clear, these do not taste anywhere near as good as real, carb-containing pasta, but they are a great alternative.

What gems have you scored at Whole Foods lately?

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Whole Foods Dinner: Salmon, Guacamole, Bacon & Arugula Sandwiches

One of my favorite things about living in the city is the amazing access to good food – whether it be fab restaurants, delicious markets or even great grocery stores – anything & everything is within walking distance. So since the weather has been beautiful the past two days and I was in desperate need of a supermarket run, my boyfriend Jordan & I headed down to Whole Foods Market on South Street.

I had pre-selected a recipe to try for dinner from my new cookbook, “Foolproof,” from Barefoot Contessa. I purchased it to get myself to free shipping while shopping online @ Barnes & Noble on Black Friday, and was infatuated upon first read. So, I decided to adapt one of Ina’s recipes for last night’s dinner!

And here is the yumminess I came up with: Salmon ,Guacamole, Bacon & Arugula sandwiches.

Salon, Guacamole, Bacon & Arugula sandwich

I am going to give you the recipe in the terms of my aspiring chef brain only. Keep those expectations low 🙂

Salmon: we bought 2 6 oz fillets of tequila lime salmon at Whole Foods. Preheated the over at 375 degrees. Sprayed some tin foil with cooking spray and wrapped each piece individually. Stuck on top row of oven for 20 minutes.

Bacon: Line a baking sheet with foil and turn the edges up. Using a package of applewood smoked bacon, place strips on the foil so none are overlapping. Bake for ~15 minutes and remove from grease immediately. Place on paper towel to dry. (I don’t even know what I ever did before I saw this “recipe” for how to bake bacon on Pinterest. It comes out 100% perfectly EVERY TIME.)

Guacamole: 2 avocados, half of a lime, salt, pepper, cilantro, 2 chopped up garlic cloves, and stir. Y-U-M.

Bread: we bought “Organic Prairie Bread” from Whole Foods – and it is literally perfection. Toasted that baby up in the toaster oven for crispy perfection.

To assemble, smother both sides of the toast with guac. Place a few pieces of arugula on either side, followed by your bacon & salmon. Combine together, slice, and enjoy!

Salon, Guacamole, Bacon & Arugula sandwich

Again, I really love that I can run to Whole Foods, grab yummy & fresh foods, come home & cook a new recipe at a reasonable hour. This recipe was definitely a success, and I can’t wait to pick up more adaptations from my new cookbook!

What are your favorite recipes to cook on a weekday? I’d love to hear them!

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