It’s Really Not That Bad

Maggie started this thing called “truth week”, and each day she’s tagged somebody to tell the truth. Well she had tagged Mitri and then the Queen of Oats tagged me! So here goes.

The truth is that this week has been hard and I’ve done some reevaluating. I’d say my relationship with food now is a pretty healthy one, but I think this week has been a challenge for me. I’d say… my lack of funds led me to panic for a hot second. I’m use to being able to buy fresh foods and cooking each day. Well, I haven’t been able to spend money for over a week now and I didn’t mind at first because I hadn’t run out of produce. All my frozen produce is gone as well now. And that’s what got me thinking. I have plenty of things in my pantry, I just got so antsy about the fact that – oh my gosh – I have no fresh food. Fresh foods are the only things I really crave too. Weird, I know. I always have a bag of carrots on hand because they’re refreshing, tasty, and I’ve loved carrots ever since I was little. I might’ve said it before but when I was little I swore I was part bunny. I mean… I’ve got raisins and other dried fruits at least and this is only temporary. I’m hoping to get money in a couple of days and I’ll be buying some vegetables and fruits again. It got me to thinking how fortunate and picky I actually am. There are people that live off rice and beans every day. I am so fortunate to have a wide variety of things to choose from. I’ve got grains like rice and oats, nut butters, canned legumes, the package of Sunshine Burgers, Tofurky, and other yummy things. I was also able to use my soymilk maker to make some almond milk this morning. But I guess I got upset because I couldn’t have something. And when you can’t have something… you want it even more, and it almost seems like nothing else matters. So, that is my truth for today. And lots of things I have are simply luxuries, and now I really see what the necessities are. I just had to get that out of my system. Hmm… the bright side? Hey Janetha, I’m also taking part in your “clean out the pantry” challenge!

Hooray for seasonal items.

I heated up the Iced Gingerbread Clif bar and enjoyed every bite with sips of a cup of ZenSoy chocolate soymilk I warmed up. The people over at ZenSoy sent me a gracious sampler package not too long ago. I’m going to do a full review on them soon.

More Nishiki rice!

Last week I used my batch of okara (the pulp leftover when I made soy milk) to make a vegetarian meatloaf based on this recipe. I didn’t have any vegetarian “ground beef” on hand so I used a can of beans instead. I just melted some mozzarella on top and went a little crazy with the ketchup.

Quinoa pasta

I finished off my can of chickpeas and frozen spinach. Actually, a little ray of sunshine inspired me for last night’s dinner. Maya is quite the chef! The things her and her sister, Eliza, whip up make me so hungry! I saw she had a recipe for Spinach Ricotta Pine Nut Pasta. I didn’t have ricotta, but I pretty much had everything else. I just grated some parmesan on top and sprinkled on some pine nuts. Now I feel so silly for freaking out.

Breakfast this morning

I had a bowl of Farina with a ton of raisins and some cinnamons. I also decided to mix in a Banana ZenSoy pudding cup and a glob of cashew butter. Afterwards I attempted to make some almond milk for the first time.

Too watery, but I'll get it down next time.

Now I've just got to look up what I can do with almond pulp.

I went to the UPS station to pick up some packages that were sent to me, but too large to fit in my apartment complex’s box. Seriously, once I got home and opened these packages up, I counted my blessings again. On the topic of being grateful, check out Operation Chocolate-Covered Kindness!

Exploding package!

The folks from Newman’s Own Organics sent me an incredibly generous package for me to sample and review on here. Wow!

I was even more excited to see that Matilda had some treats for her as well!!!!

Matilda sampled the Peanut Butter flavored treats and she gave it two paws way up!

Awhile ago I had used my last freebie coupon Tofurky sent to me. What’d I choose to get? The beer brat “sausages”! I tried it with beer mustard, ketchup, and sweet relish, and by itself! Yum yum yum. I’ve read that some of you didn’t like the other flavors except for the beer brats. I, however, do like the other sausage flavors and this one as well!

So there’s really been no cooking for me but I have been munching my way through tasty snacks! I hope you are all enjoying your Wednesday aka “hump day”.

Oh, and before I forget, I’d like to tag Holly to partake in “truth week”!

Betty Who?

Betty Lou’s!

Sampler Package

Awhile ago I got the opportunity to sample a variety of Betty Lou’s snacks. I’m sure some of you have seen some their all-natural snacks at your local grocery store. I can tell you as a college student, pre-packaged snacks are a must for me. I have time to make meals, but what I eat in between is usually something I don’t whip up in the kitchen. Moreover, I usually opt for foods that will keep my energy levels up and going. Which is where these snacks come in the picture.

If you go to their site and see what they have available, you’ll notice they cater to plenty of specialty-diets (wheat corn and dairy-free, no cholesterol, organic, vegan, etc.). On top of that they’ve got a wide array of snacks to choose from. Another interesting thing to note: nothing is made with refined sugar; Perhaps why energy levels don’t crash. I guarantee you’ll find something that’ll spark your interest.

Krispy Bites

First thought? It resembled a Rice Krispy bar, but it’s gluten-free and vegan. Wow! I could taste the peanut butter right off the bat. As a peanut butter lover there are no complaints here. This was an unexpected surprise. Then I read the ingredients and saw that peanut butter was on the list. I actually did a double take at how short the list was. I also love how flavor is bold and delicious and definitely lingers – just makes the goodness last longer once you’re done enjoying this little treat. I just wish it were a bit bigger.

Cranberry Crave Chewy Granola Cookie

Hippy Happy Apple Granola Bar

Aside from the awesome packaging, the whiff I got upon opening the wrapper was so comforting – I think it comes from the maple sugar. I knew I was in for a treat. You could eat this on it’s own, but I can also imagine it would be great crumbled on some yogurt. The cranberry’s tartness helped keep this bar from verging on too sweet. It really did taste like I was eating some kind of dessert. The apple one didn’t have too strong of an apple flavor, just a hint of it. It tasted good nonetheless, and it was bit chewier than the other one. And to make everyone happy, both are vegan!

Jumbo Apricot Fruit Bar

Crumbled over some yogurt, almonds, and tropical fruits.

This reminded me a of a fig Newton. I could tell there were real chunks of apricot in there as well because it was very chewy, moist, and dense. This bar is also quite tart.

Jumbo Blueberry Fruit Bar

This bar wasn’t too sweet or tart, but it tasted like I was biting into a blueberry slice of deliciousness. I loved how it  wasn’t super gooey even after I heated it up.

Spirulina Ginseng Nut Butter Ball

After taking a bite.

Almond Nut Butter Ball

Cashew Pecan Nut Butter Ball

Don’t be  thrown off by the green color of the Spirulina Ginseng Nut Butter Ball. This was good but I don’t know what to compare it to as far as flavors go. Oh! And those are bits of almonds coating it. I love how the nut butter ball has bits of almonds around it the delicious glob of almond butter. It’s not messy at all, and if you like almonds, then this is for you. It’s like those candies you get that have goodness on the inside and out! This is how bursts of energy come – wabam! I enjoyed the Cashew Pecan one while I was at the airport waiting for my flight. I absolutely love the texture of these Nut Butter Balls! I think these are the most common Betty Lou’s products I’ve seen in stores. You should check out the other flavors like Coconut Macadamia! There’s even a high-protein Almond Butter Ball!

Organic Almond Patty

Just showing off some yummy snacks!

This was one delicious chocolate almond butter patty! Need I say more?

I’d like to thank the people at Betty Lou’s for sending me such a great sampler package. I thoroughly enjoyed tasting my way through all the snacks, and I wish I could share the goodness with you all. I guess giving my opinion is the best I can do for right now. So next time you’re out and you see one of many Betty Lou’s snacks – try one!

The Beauty in Friendship

Looking back on this past weekend, I did a lot of catching up! On Sunday I met up with another friend of mine. She had been gone for a year studying up in Delaware and she’s been back in town for awhile. Let’s just say a reunion had been long overdue!

Sunday bowl of oats

Sundays are the only day of the week where I can let my body tell me when it’s time to wake up. As a natural early-riser, I practically jumped out of bed when I read 8:54 on the clock. I knew just what I wanted for breakfast. Awhile ago I had hurriedly scribbled down a recipe for Jamaican oats. The green color comes from the vanilla protein powder I use. Aside from that, this bowl of oats contains a mashed up banana, pineapple, banana slices, almonds, coconut shreds, and some good old-fashioned Canadian maple syrup.

Sunday lunch

I love Nishiki rice, especially topped with almonds! I got to use a new ingredient in this meal; Gardein’s seasoned bites! The people over at Gardein generously gave me some freebie coupons to try out their plant-based proteins. If you check out their website, they have so many wonderful sounding foods! I cooked some broccoli then added in the seasoned bites. Lastly, I added my favorite BBQ sauce to the mix. Yum!

After doing some of my usual Sunday chores I called my friend up to see what she wanted to do. The invite to her apartment was gladly accepted! Her entire family has a keen sense of style when it comes to home decor.

See what I mean when it comes to decorating?

The smell of freshly baked cookies is always heavenly.

The day Molly gets a dog is the day I know that prayers can really be answered!

She also showed me her pride and joy... an avocado plant!

Speaking of dogs, Molly’s got a gig as a dog-sitter for a woman that lives close-by. So we ventured over to the woman’s house and took care of some pooches.

Lucky dogs!

Matilda and T went on a walk together. The start of a new friendship?

We headed back and I decided to leave when the sun went down. I’m not the best nighttime driver. I came home to a quiet apartment and made myself some dinner with the rest of the Gardein seasoned bites. My mom has this mix that she grinds up and it always smells so good when she cooks it with chicken. Since I don’t eat chicken, I just admire the smell. But now that I had these little bites to work with I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to make something similar.

I cooked the seasoned bites in ground up cinnamon bark, peppercorns, and bay leaves.

After cooking the bites and the okra I simmered it in a Sweet Peppers & Coconut cooking sauce; served with Nishiki rice.

Let’s see… today was an unusual Monday. I was feeling extremely motivated and extra spunky! Why? Because it was 77 degrees and sunny!

This necklace gives any old outfit some oomph (I spy a cute pup in the background)

After I got back from practicing some stick-combat in my Taoism class, I took Matilda on a walk to a hip thrift store called Rumors. I tried on some pants, but I didn’t really find any that fit right. Afterwards, I headed back and whipped up a quick lunch before my Apocalyptic Literature class (we’re currently reading about zombies).

Two things that made me feel special today: awesome necklace and painted nails.

Ooo another Sunshine Burger!

I recently picked up the Southwest Sunshine Burgers. I really think that this brand makes the best veggieburgers I’ve come across. I also really appreciate the simplicity and use of whole foods that go into these burgers. I am going to check out some recipes they have on their website! I just tried this one with some BBQ sauce (which also made a perfect dip for the okra). I met up with my friend Molly again and we picked up some applications at an outdoor shopping mall.

Nishiki rice again!

It’s just so wonderfully sticky! I cooked some chickpeas, broccoli, and okra in a spicy Tomato & Coriander sauce.

Maya, the lovely American Gourmande, posted an interesting question in her last post that I thought was definitely worth sharing with all of you (in case you don’t read her wonderful blog).

“Has there been a misunderstanding lately in your life that communication cleared up?“

Sunday is the golden clasp that binds together the volume of the week

Hello lovely people! I hope you’ve all had an enjoyable weekend so far.

As I said in my last post, I’ve been trying out recipes from my newest cookbook, The Accidental Vegetarian. So far the recipes I’ve made have all been delicious.

Goat’s Cheese and Mango

+ honey, mint, olive oil, and sesame seeds on toast

Matilda is styling a cowl neck sweater.

After Matilda and I okayed our outfits we went to a few vintage shops around the area. I am currently in search of a hat like this…

They've always got interesting window displays.

Two nights ago it was First Friday around here. I’ve mentioned it before on the blog, but it’s a night where all the galleries in the area show off their new exhibitions. The streets, venues, and restaurants are all busy with people dressed to impress.

I decided to wear this Renaissance inspired blouse.

I went with the pup and hung out with my roommate the gallery she works at for most of the time. Matilda was definitely the star of the night. Everyone just went up to her like she had some sort of magnetic powers. I’m almost certain that she possesses some unearthly gift that makes her so incredibly captivating.

A lazy bowl for breakfast.

Saturday mornings for me usually mean an effortless breakfast before my 9 am class. I just warmed up some soymilk with Nature’s Path vanilla almond granola and strawberries. Effortless but delicious! Some of you have mentioned that their Pumpkin and Peanut Butter flavor granolas are yummy. I think I know which two flavors I will be trying out next!

Another Accidental Vegetarian recipe!

The recipe was Moroccan Spaghetti, but I didn’t have any spaghetti on hand so I just used penne. I spiced the sauce and chickpeas with turmeric, cinnamon, and cumin.  I made sure not to use too many mint or cilantro leaves. The chopped almonds added a nice crunch to my lunch. I decided to go on a nice walk with Matilda to meet up with an old friend of mine for some serious catching up over some apple cider.

Did you guys know that Ina Garten absolutely hates cilantro? She refuses to use it in any of her recipes. So if you Googled the words cilantro and Ina Garten, you would come up with no recipe but rather information on how much she dislikes this herb. I use to not like cilantro either, but over time I guess you could say that it’s become an acquired taste.

Is there something any of you use to dislike, but have later come to appreciate?

None for you!

We headed back home before it got too dark and cold.

The colors of the leaves made everything have a shade of red.

My friend and I caught up on all our guy issues and reminisced over high school memories from 7 years ago. It’s crazy to think how time seems to be going by faster and faster. For time most part I just stay in the present, but sometimes I get overwhelmed with thoughts about my future and where I want to end up in life.

She gave me a wonderful gift she picked up while she was in Canada a few months ago.

I’m a sucker for packaging and this is just so darling!

Speaking of darlings, check out Katie’s generous giveaway. Moreover, don’t forget to stop by and read about the Operation Chocolate-Covered Kindness.

Just a little cake humour on a Sunday!

I found this picture on the Serious Eats site and it’s called Osgood pie; perhaps because it’s “oh so good”.

Flavors with a Twist

Overflowing oatmeal

I loosely followed Katie Goodman’s recipe for Cherry and Tangerine Oatmeal. This bowl was all sorts of delicious. I even gnawed on the cinnamon stick a bit.

All done!

I left part of the tangerine peel for added flavor.

I’m feeling better and thank you all for your well wishes! Your wishes made their way over to me and I started to get in the cooking mood again. There are some recipes I’ve been dying to try out from my newest cookbook purchase, The Accidental Vegetarian.

Sweet Potato & Pineapple Sandwich

The recipe can actually be found online over here. I used a Japanese sweet potato, added some black beans, and a ready made Sweet Peppers & Coconut cooking sauce.

Last night I felt like baking! I found an interesting recipe online that used applesauce, but I realized afterwards that I didn’t have any on hand. So what’d I do? I made a quick homemade version. I veganized the recipe by using egg-replacer. When I bought the hemp protein powder my dad suggested I use it in baking. I took his advice and subbed out some of the flour for the powder. I was a little weary of doing this because Mitri had noted that it makes things taste very “green”. Actually, looking back on it, this recipe was tweaked around a lot. I finally got around to using the NuNaturals Stevia Baking Blend that was generously sent to me, and I must say that it works very well! Before it was sent to bake in the oven I crumbled on some brown sugar.

Vegan Zucchini Loaf

Enjoyed for breakfast this morning.

I spread coconut oil on one slice, and Artisana Cacao Bliss on the other.

And now it’s time for the anticipated Boomi Bar review!

Almond Protein Plus

This bar was dry but not brittle with just the right amount of sweetness. It had an interesting texture – hand rolled. I love that there are only 3-ingredients, the first one being almonds, and it has a whopping 12 g of protein; it really affects the taste of the bar (in a good way).

Cashew protein plus: Strangely greasy to touch, not sure why, but it made it less dry and a bit chewier. I love the combination of cashew and honey. If cashews are your thing, you will love this. *11 g of protein

Apricot Cashew: The dried apricot shines through in this bar.

Cranberry Apple: This bar reminded me of the great flavors that come out in fall cooking. Once again, sweet but not overpowering.

Fruit and Nuts: Not me favorite, but for a fruit and nut bar I must say it was quite tasty. So if you like that combination – go for it!

Walnut Pecan: Holy yum! This has fall goodness and comfort all over it! Reminded me of a pie.

Cashew Almond: Love the combination of these nuts with dates! Not too sticky, just the right amount of crunch. Doesn’t fall apart everywhere either.

Healthy Hazel: Hazelnuts are a nut I don’t get to eat very often, but I love it each time. The dried cranberries really stood out to me and in combination with the hazelnuts… this was yummy!

Walnut Date: Wow! I love the taste of walnuts. It definitely stands out in this bar… and mixed with dates – delicious. I love the sweetness the dates offer. Perfect for a fall day.

Perfect Pumpkin

The first bite was incredible!!! Pumpkin seeds galore, the combination of dried fruits made it chewy. They used dates, raisins, apricot, and cranberries. I definitely recommend this bar simply for the taste. But there are many nutritious benefits to this bar as well. I think they should make more bars like this that are also high in protein (9 g).

Macadamia Paradise: The bar itself looked interesting, but the array of flavors when I bit into it were awesome. So far these bars are delicious, and since they’re hand-rolled you can see all the ingredients and they don’t look like some machine just pooped them out.

Pineapple Ginger: Initial thought? Holy crap! I think it’s official, these bars give Larabars a run for their money. Yes, I said it! Greed will get the best of me with this bar because I am not sharing it! It’s not too sweet and the combination of pineapple and ginger is genius. I love biting into almonds and these are so soft and chewy. Thank goodness because that means when I have dentures, I can still eat these!

Moreover, to celebrate their new website, Divine Foods is, for a limited time only, offering a $5.00 savings off any online order when you use discount code WEBSITE before you checkout.

Before I wish you all a happy Friday and the beginning of a wonderful weekend, please take a moment to check out Operation Chocolate-Covered Kindness. Katie is hosting a Page View Charity Drive hoping to help those in need. If you could visit the page and spread the word, that would be incredible!

“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” – Dr. Seuss

Riding Out the Common Cold

G’day to you! I am currently fighting a cold so I’ve just been trying to get my rest and taking it easy.

Being sick… not cool.

The other day I busted out this wonderful contraption I so often forget I have…

Behold the soymilk maker!

My mom’s friend never used the machine so she gave it to my mom – I think she knew there was a vegetarian in my mom’s household. I can make other milks with this machine as well. My next endeavor? Almond milk! I tried making oat milk once, but it was very watered down. Once it’s done working it’s magic, an electronic version of ‘Ode to Joy’ echoes around the apartment. The result is very “soybean-y” in flavor. I personally don’t mind it, but some friends of mine do.

Excuse me, I had just woken up and was still in my robe! But that’s a huge cup!

Had to wait for it to cool down completely before putting it into the carafe.

I also get this leftover stuff called okara.

Okara can be used to make tofu and an assortment of other things.

M’mmm a bowl of chocolaty goodness.

I added in a packet of hot cocoa to my usual oatmeal mix and a drowning glob of cashew butter.

Speaking of chocolate, Katie, our favorite chocolate-covered friend is hosting a Page View Charity Drive. So hop on over to this site, Operation Chocolate-Covered Kindness, to find out more information and how to help out others in need. Afterall it’s the season of giving and reflecting on what we are thankful for.

The other day I was feeling quite lazy and I decided to finally bake the frozen Kashi pizza that’d been sitting in my freezer since I moved into my apartment.

Sicilian Veggie

It sounded good, but I wasn’t fond of this flavor. I’m always weary of the way frozen pizzas taste and I usually don’t get them because of this. However, I have heard many good things about Amy’s frozen pizza. One thing I do recommend from Kashi’s frozen food selection is the Mayan Harvest Bake. I did have leftovers so I tried to make the best of it by personalizing it.

Defeats the purpose of it being cheese-less, but it was calling for melted mozzarella, sliced tomato, and some mushrooms.

This time I crumbled on some goat’s cheese, mushrooms, and threw on kernels of hominy.

In case you’re wondering, that’s the best BBQ sauce on the broccoli.

Here are some things I’ve been enjoying with my batch of homemade soymilk.

Breakfast was inspired by a pear strudel recipe I stumbled upon.

I used Nature’s Path vanilla almond granola with soymilk, and topped it with a pear, date, and goat cheese crumbles. Then it all went into the microwave, which is why the pear slices look brown.

I sweetened this steaming cup and sprinkled on some pumpkin pie spice.

A new bowl!

Another special bowl I found the other day. I mixed in a packet of U.S. Mill’s cinnamon raisin oatmeal with soymilk. Then it was topped with a sliced banana and the last of my sample of Artisana coconut butter. And what’s in the teapot? A few cups worth of replenishing green tea.

I also prepared a batch of miso soup with dulse flakes, mushrooms, onion, and tofu for a speedier recovery.

What's this?

Well, I finally got around to opening up the box of Aztec Crunchy Corn & Amaranth cereal that the lovely folks over at U.S. Mills sent to me. I tried it alone first to give you guys an honest opinion. My honest opinion? I would prefer it mixed with another cereal. So that’s exactly what I did.

I mixed the cereal with Nature’s Path hemp plus granola, warm soymilk, and wild blueberries. I think corn and blueberries are very yummy together.

Ahem, I will let you all digest for a bit by sharing bits and pieces of my week so far.

Last week's critique had to carry over to this week.

Later followed by going to Richmond's Capitol Square to admire some masterpieces.

A friend of mine asked if I wanted to help him pick out some vegetables. Isn’t that funny? I agreed and we headed over to Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods. I got some new things for me to try out – I’ll be divulging those in another post!

He says he's not good at baking so he relies on mixes.

Feeling better already I decided to get ready and go to a coffeeshop.

I also went on a bike ride today with my friend through Hollywood Cemetery. It’s such a beautiful place and overlooks the James River. Legend has it that a vampire is buried there. A strange coincidence happened while I was there…

I was unknowingly lying under this!

I don’t believe there is a cure for the common cold, but I do believe there are things to aid in a speedy recovery. Some things I’ve been doing? Getting fresh air and rest, staying hydrated with water and tea, getting enough vitamin C, and eating miso soup. Anything that’s comforting. Another thing that helps is mind over matter and snuggling with this stuffed animal…

Matilda!

I hope you are all having a wonderful Wednesday. And don’t forget to checkout Averie’s amazing chia seed giveaway!

The Apple of My Eye

Hello everybody! I hope you all enjoyed your weekend and for those of you that celebrate Halloween, I hope it was spooky!

The celebration started early for me with a bowl of pumpkin oats!

I think this bowl was too small to contain this porridge of goodness! I sliced a banana, dried cranberries, drizzled on some ginger syrup, and sprinkled a bit of pumpkin pie spice. My big glob of cashew butter just started sinking into the delicious abyss!

Can you make out the face?

I roasted some kabocha and filled it with random things! I saw a can of white hominy which caught my attention because I remembered wanting to try it when I read about on Mitri’s blog. I am now a fan of the big kernels! Seriously, since blogging I have tried so many new foods and I love it. Okay so what’s in this random mishmosh? Cooked cannellini beans, red onions, quinoa macaroni shells, white hominy, pine nuts, parmesan, and salt. Really simple and yummy.

Spooky S'mores Z-bar

Ran a bunch of errands with my friend before the nighttime festivities commenced!

I got two new dishes from Crate & Barrel when I went on my search for tights. Funny thing, I never found the tights I was looking for! But I was a happy girl nonetheless.

My new casserole dish!

When I saw the casserole dish I knew it’d be perfect to fit some of my meals. I made another random mix of things inspired by pumpkin pasta. I had some leftover quinoa macaroni shells, red onions, cannellini beans, kabocha, all sautéed and cooked with a splash of white wine, sweet basil, salt and freshly cracked black peppercorns. Then I topped it off with some grated parmesan. As I was enjoying this random mix, I couldn’t help but think how much more satisfying it felt eating from my new casserole dish and it was all for me! I also felt like calling my mom and telling her what I was having for dinner because it was so good! But we mustn’t forget the beautiful avocado on the side! I’m so glad I saw these were on sale. Sometimes when I go grocery shopping I make squeals of excitement when I see a great deal. You can imagine when I saw the kabocha on sale as well!

I was Prince John from Disney's Robin Hood

Alas, it was too late for me to go trick-or-treating, but before I headed out for the night I took Matilda on a walk in my costume. Maybe someone would think I was awesome and give me candy! That’s what I love about Halloween. You see things that just don’t make sense! How often are you waiting in line behind Darth Vader to pay for a pack of gum ? I ended up going to a hip-hop/hyphy show with some friends. Afterwards there was a “rager”, but first we had to go through the downpour that was going on outside. At least my apartment was close to the party so I changed from my soaking wet costume into some glam-clothes, but I still kept my crown on of course! So I danced the rest of the night away into daylight savings time. My Halloween didn’t end till 6 in the morning and I ended up falling asleep to the old version of “The Hills Have Eyes”.

Now on to other matters. Since my giveaway has all of the Prana Bar flavors I think it’s only appropriate to give you all a review of these babies; which the people at Divine Foods generously sent to me. First for some background information from their site:

“Divine Foods believes that satisfying our taste buds with healthy food satisfies mind and body. Divine Foods manufacturing facility is free of wheat, cane sugar, GMO’s, meat, eggs and peanuts ensuring our products are gluten-free, soy-free and vegetarian.”

So this makes it a safe bet for many different food allergies!

Look at all the ingredients!

Apricot Pumpkin: It was kind of.. floppy? It tasted good and very dense. You can definitely tell there’s date paste – which is interesting and I liked that. I liked the chewiness. It’s also 75% raw – not 100% but if you follow a high-raw diet then I think these would be suitable.

Apricot Goji: The apricot flavor definitely isn’t as intense as the Apricot Pumpkin flavor. I’d say this has a nuttier flavor. This wasn’t also wasn’t as mushy as the other one, so that makes me think that maybe I had the other one sitting in the sun on my desk for too long.

Cashew Almond: Not my favorite, but I did like the texture. Seemed more solid than the others.

Pear Ginseng: I always confuse ginger with ginseng so I was expecting something else, but I was delightfully surprised. Definitely not too sweet, but has just enough sweetness to make you want to save it for last!

Apple Pie:  Whoa mama! This really tasted like a slice of apple pie! The cinnamon and apple flavors really shine through in this bar. Is something that tastes like this really suppose to give me energy? Heck yes!

Coconut Acai: I think this was my favorite! Actually, it definitely was. I could taste the coconut shreds combined with the sweetness from the date paste and agave – delicious!

I hope this review was hopeful for you all. If you are drawn to any of the names of the bars, then you’ll probably enjoy them. But say, for example, you don’t like apricots, you probably won’t like the apricot flavors. As for availability, I haven’t seen these in stores as much as other health bars, but you can always buy them online from their site – which also offers a mixed flavors box. I also have another exciting review coming up from their other product, Boomi Bar. So far I have been thoroughly impressed with all the Divine Foods products I’ve been lucky to try. And yes, I do consider myself lucky. Speaking of luck…

And now to announce the apple of my giveaway’s eye!

Drum roll please…

Virginia from The Hot Dog Battle!

Congrats m’lady. I’ll be e-mailing you today to get your package sent to you ASAP.

I hope you are all starting your week off on a positive note. This past weekend was full of rain and clouds, but at least Monday’s weather is much better! I’ll leave you all with a little quote that may cheer you up.

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”  - Theodore Roosevelt

Feeling Quite Ghoulish

In honor of one of my favorite holidays, Halloween, this is going to be a post full of spooky things and autumnal eats!

My first bowl of pumpkin oats!

I just mixed in pumpkin puree with oats, vanilla protein powder, dried cranberries, NuNaturals vanilla liquid, and pumpkin pie spice. Once that was done cooking I topped with with pecans, Butterfingers, and ginger syrup. Yum!

After I was done enjoying my bowl of pumpkin oats, I put on some spooky tights.

More pumpkin goodness.

So I was roasting some acorn squash while I took Matilda on a walk. When I got back I realized I hadn’t even plugged the toaster oven, so no acorn squash for lunch! I improvised and made a mess out of bulgur, sautéed onions and garlic, chickpeas, pumpkin pie spice, coconut oil, and pumpkin butter. Totally random but still yummy.

I actually roasted the acorn squash this time!

The only differences in this bulgur mix was the addition of raisins and subtraction of pumpkin. The acorn squash was baked with maple syrup, cinnamon, and butter.

The black hole!

Kind of like a cherry crumble.

I had a bowl of Nature’s Path vanilla almond granola with sweet dark cherries in warm soymilk.

Fall colors!

I tried a sample packet I got in Florida.

This is an all plant protein made by LifeTime. I tried the vanilla flavor and I was pleasantly surprised. I expected it to have a super “green” taste, but it didn’t at all and it was so yummy and thick. I tried it plain first, then I blended a banana after my taste-testing.

Lunch!

Lunch was delicious! I had a sweet potato with Artisana’s coconut butter a la Liz. Homegirl knows what’s up! This was incredible. I am going to have to get myself a full-size jar of this stuff. One the side I had a mound of wilted spinach and chickpeas cooked in a spicy tomato and cardamom cooking sauce. I dressed it up with some crushed cashews.

Dinner

This was incredibly delicious! I got the recipe from Molly Wizenberg’s blog, Orangette. The recipe? Warm Butternut and Chickpea Salad with Tahini! I used the last of the sample of tahini from Artisana. On the side I had a Japanese sweet potato with butter and 1/2 garlic powder (too lazy to saute garlic), the other 1/2 cinnamon. Japanese sweet potatoes are so delicious!

And here’s what I did with the last of my free white acorn squash…

I adapted my favorite Yummy Mummy, Cate’s white beans and Lebanese cous cous stuffed acorn squash recipe. Since I didn’t have cous cous on hand I just used bulgur.  The acorn squash was too small to fit all the stuffing so I just put th rest of it in a bowl and eventually made it an acorn squash delicious-mess.

Sweet potato and ricotta toasted sandwich.

I roasted some kabocha with cinnamon and maple syrup. Then I put some Artisana coconut butter on each wedge. In the back is some sweet potato with the coconut butter and a sprinkling of cinnamon as well. And my burnt toast? It’s a sweet potato and ricotta toasted sandwich! The original recipe calls for rye bread but I just used whole wheat since I don’t have rye bread. I also realized I forgot the spinach! Oh well! In the mug is a new tea I got: chocolate hazelnut!

Now on for some real Halloween frights! I had a reunion with an old friend of mine and he brought two other friends along. It was my first time meeting them but we had such a bonding experience! We went to a haunted hayride. Actually we visited three different attractions. We were chased by scary creatures with chainsaws, had to go through pitch black mazes while people and other things jumped out and surprised us. At some points we had to get down on our knees and crawl!

Driving to certain doom…

Down a dark and winding country road.

All smiles!

The place is actually a berry farm.

Nightmare numero uno

They took us on a really long hayride out to the woods in the middle of nowhere!

Oh yes he dared!

We’re like naive little baby chickens!

Still naive!

David is such an incredible person bursting with life!

The woods!

So we decided to take a break from being scared out of our minds and stopped for a photoshoot.

Hilarious!

He's such an actor!

I’m suppose to be the scary one, but I look terrified!

He was good at being creepy.

And Iman got to kiss one of the scary guys!

Moreover, don’t forget to enter my 101st Post Giveaway. You have until tomorrow noon time EST to enter!

I hope you all have a wonderful and safe Halloween! I’m hoping to go trick-or-treating. I just have to remember to smile really big! And of course there’s a costume in store.

p.s. Make sure to check out Krissy’s glo-ing giveaway!

101 Dalmations!

This is why I believe the number 101 is better than 100! This is reason why I decided to have a giveaway to celebrate this special occassion. Definitely special enough!

Original Video – More videos at TinyPic

Yeah that’s actually my contained version of my excitement! I know I’ve expressed it quite a few times what this blog and all you friends out there mean to me. So what’s my way of celebrating this special occassion? With a snip-it of what it’s like to live in my life for a couple days and a special surprise at the end from yours truly. I’ll be honest, these last couple of days have been rough. But I had a reminder of how much harder things can get when I learned some sad news relating to someone I know. It really helped me push through, and helped me to stay motivated to rise above the stress. Anyway, here’s a little glimpse starting from Saturday night…

Scarves really help out when coming up with an impromptu costume!

Warm soy milk with Nature's Path Hemp Plus granola and sliced banana.

A nice way to start a grey chilly Sunday. I swear Nature’s Path makes some awesome granolas for something that comes out of a cereal box. Usually I find those granolas to really be lacking. The two flavors I’ve tried – Vanilla Almond Flax Plus and Hemp Plus are nothing short of delicious.

I decided to go out and check my mail, since I’m special and I get mail on Sundays. I really just forgot to check the day before, but let’s pretend.

From one of my most favorite and admirable people ever!

I had forgotten my driver’s license and cash in her purse from the night we went clubbing in Miami. I got way more than that! One time someone complimented her on her sweater and she asked if they’d like to have it. This girl means what she says. I had mentioned that I liked her keychain cover, and she remembered that.

Gio is one year old!

I did some things around the apartment and before I knew it my tummy was growling for lunch!

Penne with Artichoke hearts, spinach, parmesan, ricotta, and pine nuts.

I stumbled upon this yummy site full of pasta recipes. I was feeling kind of down and out after some studio time and some “old/new” crush heartache (he decided to go MIA), so I called a good girlfriend of mine to do some retail therapy.

Note: it's a big deal if I wear my hair up.

Jeez Matilda!

But she can also be a little lady.

Picking up my friend and admiring the leaves.

Matilda welcomes all passengers!

We picked up some coffee and headed to the doggy store. I got Matilda some goodies!

A couple pumpkin "pup"cake cookies, a spooky cookie, and a new harness (finally!)

Then we headed to Anthropologie! And what did Matilda do the second we got there? Peed, of course! It was weird because she had never done that before.

Some things I tried on...

Being sneaky taking pictures in the dressing room. I always feel like this is forbidden.

Super cool shirt!

Here’s a new addition to my necklace collection

Why hello there!

My friend snapped some pictures of us crossing the James River on the way home.

Appreciating the fall season.

Got home and cooked some dinner.

I vaguely followed the recipe for pasta with ricotta, basil, and tomato. On the side are some hot butter and garlic artichokes with grated parmesan. Later I prepared my meals for the next day so I could spend all day in the studio.

Ah, Monday Monday…

I had some European style plain yogurt with Crofter’s raspberry superfruit spread, cranberry cinnamon swirl toast with cream cheese, pumpkin butter, and some slices with Artisana tahini and agave nectar. Oh! And can’t forget the apple I had already started biting into. May I just add that tahini + honey or agave = the bomb.com?

Then it was off to my morning Taoism class - first day of learning some exercises with sticks.

Then I stopped by my apartment real quick to get a snack and the rest of my goods.

Graham-wiches!

U.S. Mills sent me these awhile ago and I finally got around to trying them. I got to try the Honey Graham & Vanilla Creme sandwich cookies and the Chocolate Graham & Peanut Butter Creme kind. Both were seriously so good.

Sandwich cookie powers unite!

Then it was time for my "Kick Ass in the Studio Day"

Then I took a break to go to my Literature class.

I came prepared!

I made banana dahl + coconut oil with brown rice and vanilla butternut squash mash with cinnamon and ricotta.

All mixed together.

Some of the butt-kicking that went on.

Energy bar break!

Have you guys ever tried the Prana Bars by Divine Foods? Well, I was lucky enough to be sent some to sample for a review, which I will be posting later. The sneak preview – this flavor was incredibly delicious and I could definitely taste and even see the coconut shreds. The sweetness mainly comes from the date paste and agave I believe.

After having a dance party while setting up my piece in one of the critique rooms, I finally got home around 9 pm and let Matilda out to take care of her business.

So Tuesday rolled around the corner and it was critique day. Dun dun dun.

Random breakfast

I crushed up Trader Joe’s peanut butter filled pretzels, a fun-size Butterfingers, vanilla yogurt, and Crofter’s raspberry superfruit spread. I had an orange for a vitamin-c boost since I was feeling under-the-weather.

Crit Room 3

All that stuff on the table and in front of it on the floor fit into someone's Nissan Sentra.

And my sculpture... it also had a sound piece to it.

I was so scared about this critique… nauseous scared.. I wanted to go against my perfectionist tendencies as an artist, and just experiment and go with the flow. That felt so uncomfortable, so a lot of insecurities rose up. However, much to my surprise, the critique did not make me cry, nor did I actually throw up.

So now here’s the surprise! I decided to have a giveaway in celebration of this blog’s 101st post. The prize?

Lots of goodies!

A Sunshine Burger baseball cap so you can rep the best veggieburgers in town. A Nature’s Path Optimum Blueberry Flax and Soy bar (yummy icing). All the Prana Bars which are vegan, high-raw, and delicious. There are also some coupons and a vitamin case. Last but not least, I’ll also be sneaking in some other goodies but that’s a secret.

So what do you have to do?

1. Tell me your favorite recipe! It can be a sandwich, yogurt-mess, bowl of oatmeal bliss, dessert, whatever your hearts desire! I will recreate the winner’s favorite  - and no worries if it’s not vegetarian. Where there’s a will there’s a way!

2. Link back to this contest.

3. Add me to your blogroll.

And please let me know if you do numbers 2 & 3. The contest will end on Saturday noon time EST. Thanks and good luck!

p.s. All you folks that have been treating yourself to Pumpkin ice cream, try it with walnuts!!! Speaking of sweets, I will be updating my recipe page so you can see the recipe for the scones! Enjoy your Wednesday everybody; we’re in the middle of the wave and it’s smooth riding from here.

Joy of Baking

I forgot to mention that Mitri’s mom’s baked ziti recipe, the one I feared would send my tummy ailments over the top, actually left me feeling 100% better the next day. This would be my cure; Who would’ve thought?

Ah my tummy finally started to not act all funky on me.

I tried some Artisana Walnut Butter on cranberry cinnamon swirl toast. I don’t thing there’s a single Artisana nut butter that I’ve tried that I haven’t absolutely loved. And I love cinnamon-anything toast for breakfast; especially the smell when it’s toasting! I also smeared on some of my favorite pumpkin butter and cream cheese on two slices. Oh! That’s also a bowl of European style yogurt with Crofter’s superfruit spread.

Thank goodness for leftovers! I enjoyed Mitri’s mother’s baked ziti recipe for lunch, and I gave my dad the other half to have at work the next day. SO GOOD!

I visited the Caribbean the other day... kind of!

I followed this recipe for a taste of Haiti: Polenta, Beans, and Coconut or Maya Moulen Kole Ak Pwa Ak Kokoye, or Polenta aux Haricots Rouges et a la Noix de Coco. The above picture has the addition of tamarind-date chutney, but my favorite way to eat this was with melted cheese!

Let’s take a break from the food for a New York minute. The other day I went on a bike ride with my friend and Matilda on an unusually beautiful day.

We stumbled upon one of the many secrets parts spread out among the old Victorian neighborhood.

Pretty solid jungle gym!

Uh oh this was a lot longer than what he thought.

Is he going to attempt it?

Let go!

He went zooming down.

Yeah!

Matilda and the dog on the balcony were having a conversation.

Cray-cray!

My little warrior.

While we were at the park, the woman who helped keep it from being knocked down came and talked to us. She told us about events that are in the works, then she was summoned by her little son telling her the kitchen was beeping. “That means the rice is done cooking!”

Matilda was in her element running around and exploring.

Then we headed over to Strawberry St.

Might I also add that I bumped into my ex on this street. I was just trying to send brainwaves to my friend hoping he would hurry up!

Remember this from your childhood?

I had a bowl of Farina creamy hot wheat cereal. I mixed in one of sample packs of rice protein powder, NuNaturals vanilla liquid, and cinnamon. On top I sliced a banana and finished the rest of my Artisana walnut butter sampler. I tried to make something inspired by banana-walnut bread. Eating the Farina was so comforting as I felt the chilly morning through the window pane.

And something to wear on a chilly day.

I forgot I had these!

After I got back from my Taoism class I wanted to bake something!

I decided to bake some pumpkin pie spiced dried cranberries, and ricotta cheese scones.

Mixing!

In to the toaster oven you guys go!

And shortly after these little guys were ready, and smelling better than ever!

I had a friend in my Literature class that I wanted to give some scones to.

That’s the thing I love about baking – it’s just so easy to share. Maybe it comes from the infectious smells that come from the oven whenever something delicious is baking.

Enjoyed for breakfast the next morning!

I spread on a dollop of ricotta + pumpkin butter on one scone, and the other I tried with coconut oil. I don’t think I could ever go wrong with coconut oil. Afterwards, since it was my free day I decided to walk over to my friend’s place of work. She works downtown in the heart of the medical campus of my school. I had a special delivery to make, so that meant dressing up! This is part of the work criteria when you work for Katharina’s version of FedEx.

This dress is rather large, but I love it anyhow!

One of the problems I encounter as a member of Petite People crew.

The back that had me at hello.

I have been wearing some of the Forgotten Shoes this week.

I’m so sorry for my absence this week. I have been studying for a mid-term and working like a busy bee in the studio. But I have been trying to keep up with everyone’s blog because I just can’t get enough of you all!

Now here’s something for you all to chew on. The other day as I was browsing for recipes I stumbled upon an Ayurvedic recipe site, and I noticed they use the word pacify when it came to eating. Why not pacify ourselves? Afterall, we deserve it.

p.s. Next post is super special! This is my 100th post, but 101 is so much better. So don’t miss it, okay???