Hello, Hallo, Hola!

Surprise, surprise! Oh boy, where do I start? It’s been quite awhile, and I’ve got a lot to share. Everything starts from somewhere so I’ll just start with this…

The past couple of months have been hard for me. For awhile it seemed like all of the conveniences in my life started disappearing one by one. You know when you feel like everything in the world is falling out right from underneath you? That’s how I felt for awhile. But you know what? Over the years I’ve learned from my past demons that talking about how you feel is important. Say it out loud to a friend. That’s partly what they’re there for, and it’s wonderful! Yeah, everyone knows that someone out there in this world has it worse, but it doesn’t make things any better when you just want to vent. As cheesy as this sounds, I get by with a little help from my friends. I hesitated at first to share my burdens with my friends because I had been betrayed a couple times in the past by “best friends”. I think I’m at a point in my life though where I know to choose my friends wisely, and I definitely have. Time and time again my friends reassured me that they will be there for me, and that it’s okay. What a relief. I also reminded myself of the strength I have inside me, the blessings that will always be in my life, and the notion that life goes on. Whatever happens, happens.

Anyway, I know that was really vague, but I’ll talk about it more in my catching up posts.

A live update! With Matilda and some hot chocolate.

Now let’s rerererewind!

Awhile ago I had received a mysteriously large shipment…

Foodbuzz had offered to try out some loaves of Nature’s Pride OvenClassics recipe as part of their Tastemaker program. Oh all of the wonderful things I could use bread for!

Toast for breakfast, capital idea!

One slice of honey wheat with butter, and a slice of the oatmeal kind with mascarpone and honey (oh fancy!). Two thumbs up for both slices! Especially the buttered one.

Now in sandwich form.

The slices were a bit too big for my bean burger, but I didn’t mind. It still tasted good! Usually I go for bakery or sprouted breads, but there’s no comparison when it comes to buttered toast. This kind of bread is perfect for that!  And of course it’s good for other yummy things too. Now that I’m thinking about it… I wish I had made French toast with them!

Around that time I also made some vegan parsley pesto.

I’m not the biggest fan of parsley, but I had a bunch of it just sitting in my fridge. Things don’t go to waste when I’m around… not under my roof. That’s when I decided to make the pesto! Something I would surely like, and I wouldn’t be letting the parsley just wilt away. Pesto can be used for so many things! In sandwiches, as a pasta dressing, a dip for crackers, mixed with an aoli, or whatever else you can think of!

Looking good with some linguine, veggies, and grated pecorino!

Something else I like to make at home... hummus.

Not just ordinary hummus though. For a little kick I made it with some horseradish cream. If that’s your thing you should definitely try it. Just follow a basic hummus recipe, and add in the horseradish cream to your liking.

Spaghetti with a creamy mushroom sauce--more pasta please!

I finally got around to making this recipe that I’ve had my eye on, and I had all of the ingredients on hand. Fantastico!

Now let's hop on over to the opposite end of the taste spectrum!

Remember when I made those raw energy truffles? The ones that reminded me of those delicious Ferrero Rocher chocolates? Well I decided to make some using dates, Bellagio’s gourmet white chocolate cocoa mix, dried strawberries, pistachios, and cashews. Each time I popped one into my mouth I smiled and wished that it could last forever! So satisfying and sweet. Yum!

Perfect for a lady!

(for Halloween I was inspired by the art noveau illustrations by Alphonse Mucha)

And for all sorts of other characters! (from Halloween)

So with that I just want to let you all know that I am back in the swing of things, and I can blog again! There’s no way I would disappear on you guys for forever. Expect some flashbacks and other exciting surprises that I can’t wait to share with everybody. I’m so excited to click the post button! I haven’t done this in awhile! 1… 2… 3… AH!