The Bee’s Knees

What’s the yellow stuff?

I recently started sprinkling bee pollen over my breakfasts. Luckily, the local bee pollen around here is slightly sweet, and I think it’s because the fruits here are sweeter. I’ve tried bee pollen from Virginia and it just tastes bad. Must be those dogwoods! Anyway, in a previous post I subtly mentioned that I decided to go off the birth control pill. It had been on my mind for awhile, but when reading “Must Have Been Something I Ate” I made my final decision. I’m a simple, no-nonsense kind of person, and the birth control pill started to seem more like nonsense. I also want to see where my body is at and functioning without synthetic hormones being produced.

So I did some reading on how to rebalance hormones, and some advice for stopping the pill. I found out that:

Shen Nung, a Chinese emperor from around 2,735 B.C., assembled an encyclopedia that included some of the benefits of bee products, including information claiming that bee pollen can slow down the aging process (Source).

Bee pollen has been talked about in Egyptian texts and the Bible. Pythagoras, Hippocrates and Pliny the Elder, all credited as the fathers of western medicine, prescribed bee pollen along with other traditional health practitioners due to the property of healing contained within the pollen (Source).

Studies have shown that bee pollen helps restore the health of female reproductive system and relief from the discomfort of PMS. Sounds like something that could help me during this transition! I’ll be sharing some tidbits I come across along the way, and things I’ve been incorporating in my life (and diet) that are related to this topic.

Maple cornmeal muffins and a veggie bean dish.

These muffins were so tasty with a spread of whipped sweet cream butter. The recipe for these muffins? Well, here you go!

Maple Oat and Cornmeal Muffins

makes 12 muffins

Ingredients

2 Ener-G egg replacer “eggs”

1 cup milk

1/4 cup coconut oil

1 1/2 cups cornmeal

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup oat flour

1/4 cup maple syrup

1. Heat oven to 450 F. Grease muffin cups.

2. In large bowl, combine all the ingredients; mix well. Pour batter into greased muffin tin.

3. Bake at 450 F for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

And some for crumbling on top.

Also enjoyed with a bit of sweetness

Honey Greek yogurt, raspberries, and sliced almonds

This is what I’m talking about.

So good!

More muffins!

I had been wanting to make Kelsey’s Banana Chocolate Chunk muffins for quite some time now and I finally got around to making them. Instead of using milk I spiked them with eggnog. I thought of Natalie and her post about how she isn’t afraid to let herself get creative and really takes her personal likes into account. Hence I added more cinnamon, and ground up a bar of 70% dark chocolate!

I saved myself the one with the gooiest bit of chocolate.

First bite!

And it was scrumptious.

I recently gave sprouting my first go.

Sprouting these sunflower seeds was a success! It was like a science experiment, and when I saw that they were indeed sprouting I felt accomplished.

Everything Sprouts Salad

I made another one of Peggy K’s recipes from her book “Must Have Been Something I Ate.” This was one of those salads that you could bring to a get together and it would hold its own. Definitely not a “side salad” because this became the center of my meal it was so good!

This salad was full of living things!

It had sunflower seed sprouts, mixed greens, alfalfa sprouts, avocado, cucumber, red bell pepper, arame, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, hemp seeds, and kelp granules. It’s a lot of stuff for a salad but it’s not hard to throw together. The salad also has to two choices for dressings and I chose the one with olive oil, balsamic, lemon juice, dried oregano, sea salt and black pepper, and dijon mustard. You can also add hummus to make it a creamier dressing. I did that the next day with the leftovers and it was so good!

A wonderful palette.

If you guys have any advice on coming off the pill, or have some insight I would greatly appreciate it!

And in other news, the “Must Have Been Something I Ate” Giveaway is still going on so don’t forget to enter if you haven’t yet! This book is definitely worth a read, and Peggy K’s knowledge can be passed on to someone else.

p.s. I’ll be flying to Toronto next week, and New York from there for another week! I’ll finally be able meet up with one of my favorite bloggers, Gillian.

When Life Gives You…

Hey everybody! Thanks so much for the compliments on the blue… dress? I forgot to say that it’s actually a blouse haha, but that doesn’t really matter! But finding some matching bottoms does, and I’m on the hunt for some. Oh, and Matilda says thank you as well. She knows she’s a little cutie-patootie, but she never minds being reminded by others. Also, I found an unused notebook sitting around the house so I’ve already been compiling some things for my cookbook. I’ll definitely keep you posted on how it’s coming along!

A new grain for breakfast?

My mom recently came down with a stomach virus–uh oh–so she had to have things that were easier on the tummy for her. That’s when we realized we had a bag of Bob’s Red Mill 10-grain cereal. This is made with stone ground high protein hard red wheat, rye, triticale, oat bran, oats, corn, barley, soy beans, brown rice, millet, and flaxseed. I really liked it! The flavor that stood out to me the most was the corn. I thought about what fruits would go well with this. I opted for a sliced banana, and dried fruits like dates, golden raisins, and cranberries. Then I decided to put a big spoonful of my favorite crunchy peanut butter on top!

And what could this be?

The other day when perusing through Whole Food’s bulk bins I spotted Toffee Almond granola. Uh… what else is there to do besides fill a baggie up with it? Well, besides taste-testing it first, nothing! It is so so SO yummy, especially with Greek yogurt, sliced banana + dried dates, and chocolate almond butter. I also picked up another granola, but I’ll save that for another time!

Greetings!

Last weekend I went to a belly dancing party hosted by my mom’s friend.

Pulling out some moves I learned from belly dancing classes.

This furry little friend made lots of photo opts!

Doh! Too cute to be real!

She is one of my favorite people that I’ve met at our family friends’ house.

The wonderful hostess herself!

The decorations were awesome.

And some of the yummy food.

The princess woke up!

And we made a toast–laheim!

Oh hi!

Then the belly dancer came!

Only a few of us were filled in on the secret. And the people who weren’t in the know were definitely surprised!

In awe

And then the rest of us joined in.

Then the dancers took a break to pose for the camera hehe.

The party was so much fun, and themed parties are my favorite! My friends and I use to throw themed parties a lot when we were in high school. One party we never got to throw was one called the “Dream Team” party. Basically, we’d go as whoever we thought was the coolest person dead or alive. Maybe it should’ve been called “The Impossible Cool”.

The next day was Father’s Day I had something in mind.

I saw this as the perfect opportunity to give a shot at grilling. I have definitely eaten grilled things, but I’ve never been the one behind the heat. This was also a chance to try some goodies sent to me courtesy of Foodbuzz and Nature’s Pride. They sent me their new Premium Harvest line: country white bakery buns and deli rolls, and whole wheat bakery buns.

It was father-daughter bonding time.

Yum yum

The veggie spread…

Grilled eggplant with mango chutney, grilled key lime ginger glazed chayote, and the famous parsnip fries. Wow, the fries were delicious and everyone fell in love. We loved them so much that we actually asked “who gets the last one?”

“Okay okay.. I guess you can have it since it’s Father’s Day”

My plate

I made a batch of snobby joe lentils and grilled sun-dried tomatoes and onions to go with the country white deli rolls, and all of the veggies plus some goat cheese. I thought the deli rolls smelled sweet so I wanted to try them ASAP. They went on the grill as well, and they did not disappoint.

None of the meal disappointed!

And look! I picked a pocket-sized papaya the other day!

The tree has produced papayas of all shapes and sizes!

The country white bakery bun with a homemade backyard black bean burger.

I was intrigued by the use of cornmeal in this recipe, which turned out to be delicious. It was kind of freaky though how much this bean burger resembled an actual hamburger. Topped with avocado, baby spinach, and ketchup in a bun it was ready to be eaten! This Nature’s Pride bun wasn’t bad, but nothing really stood out about it. Since I didn’t want to waste these buns, I looked up different ways that I could make use of them and I got lots of results! There were suggestions like bread pudding and French toast. I opted for a very simple solution…

Enter the incredibly easy croutons!

You know what? I would buy these bakery buns just to make these croutons because they are addicting!

Leftover Bakery Bun Croutons

-Three bakery buns

-6 Tbl Olive oil

-1/2 tsp sea salt

-1/2 tsp dried oregano

-1/2 tsp garlic powder

-1/2 tsp onion powder

-1/4 tsp black pepper

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 F.

2. Take the three bakery buns and slice them into cubes.

3. Mix the olive oil with the seasonings. Then toss the bread cubes in the mix, making sure they’re coated.

4. Put into the oven for 15 minutes, turning them over half way through.

Then just see how long these croutons will last before they disappear. Afterwards I thought of trying them with parmesan next.

Another bun, hun.

Last but not least, I tried Nature’s Pride whole wheat bakery buns. I liked these better than the country white actually. I usually prefer things that taste grainier, but my favorite from all three were the country white deli rolls. Although they weren’t grainy, they were sweet and had sesame seeds on top. The country white bakery buns didn’t have anything special like that. Maybe they can try adding sesame seeds to the buns as well?

And another bean burger.

Having all these buns in the house, got me looking at bean burger recipes. So I made another variation. These vegan bean burgers caught my eye when they were featured on Kath’s blog. You should definitely give these a try! I loved how some of the beans were kept whole which gave them a great texture. The spices also included cinnamon (which is one of my favorites), coriander, and cumin. I would say that this bean burger recipe is creative, and those are usually the types of recipes I’m drawn to… something with a twist! Also, read the comments on that page for suggestions on adding and substituting ingredients.

These may look pretty...

But I kind of messed up!

I stumbled upon Katie’s Banana Chip Muffin recipe, and changed some things around. I added sesame seeds and used oat flour and brown sugar instead of what was originally called for. Because I over-baked them the white chocolate chips melted into oblivion–oops. I also thought these were mini-muffins, but I only had a regular muffin tin so I tried to spread the batter out more. I knew it looked like too little batter for each muffin, but I went ahead with it anyway. Later on I found out that they were indeed suppose to be regular-sized muffins. Oh well!

When life gives you bad muffins... make toasted crumbs?

In summer, the song sings itself

Words by American poet, William Carlos Williams. Usually summer for me means lots of relaxing and “me” time. I’ll admit that I’m not totally use to all the me time, and sometimes I find myself trying to push it away. There are things I wish I could be doing… especially when I see a lot of my friends that stay up in Virginia have those get-togethers on perfect summer nights. But you know what? Then I stop for a moment and look around me. During these long breaks I usually set up little projects for myself to keep me occupied. Usually they involve the kitchen, house decorating, spending more time practicing yoga and dancing, and making some art. I also take this time to read, learn about different subjects, and trying to watch television. Yes, I said trying to watch television! Up at school I don’t have a tv (I prefer it this way, plus I think they’re ugly to look at when they’re not on). So whenever I’m down in Florida I get a dose of pop culture and I finally get clued in on what and who everyone else is talking about! Anyway, I really went off on a tangent! This summer I came up with another project: compiling a cookbook! That means I’m actually going to look back on my entries, and from now on I will take notes as I conjure up spells… I mean recipes in the kitchen. Tomorrow I am going to see if I have any extra notebooks lying around the house! Does anyone out there have any advice? I would greatly appreciate it!

Another great thrift store find--a bowl fit for a king cost me only fifty cents!

Irish steel cut oats again.

I let them cool down in the fridge for a bit and mixed in some banana slices + for topping along with crunch peanut butter and chocolate almond butter. My mouth was very very happy.

This time I fried the bananas in ghee with cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger.

Then I added some cashew-macadamia butter and sesame seeds to my bowl of oats. Either of these breakfast bowls would be great to get me going and ready for a…

A shopping adventure with my little nugget

Lounging around in my favorite store!

That harness makes her look like she was a gift sent from up above!

We took a food break.

Have you guys ever heard of Maoz?

“Maoz Vegetarian is an international, quick service vegetarian restaurant chain, which brought to the world the delicious Maoz sandwich: FALAFEL.
Our menu is strictly vegetarian and is based on simplicity, freshness and care.”

They only have 12 locations in the United States, but more worldwide. I’m lucky enough to have the only location in the southern United States right in my backyard… in a mall food court of all places! I love their sweet potato fries dipped in their garlic sauce. Yum!

I dressed it with their garlic sauce and cilantro dressing.

Another great thing is that you can choose your fillings!

I opted to fill mine with carrot salad, beet salad, cole slaw, and the falafels automatically come in the pita. After we finished our delicious sandwiches we checked each others teeth to make sure there were no random green things. All good!

And of course I did not leave my favorite store empty-handed.

I fell in love with the vibrant blue and asymmetric cut.

My new shirt is as vibrant as beets.

This was my first time roasting golden beets. I can’t explain how excited I was! Something about beautiful foods just gets to me. I roasted the beets and tossed them in olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper. Then I whipped up a honey-dijon vinaigrette and sprinkled on some goat cheese. Next time I will make some candied pecans to go with this!

Also a very colorful bowl: sweet potato and butternut squash soup with coconut milk.

I almost always prefer thick soups to broths.

With this post I can see that the artist in me never disappears.

I am just naturally drawn to colors! I cooked some rotini, and simmered zucchini, red onion, cannellini beans, red bell pepper in a tomato sauce with balsamic vinegar. Then I garnished it with fresh basil, sliced sun-dried tomatoes, toasted pine nuts, goat cheese, and a drizzle of white truffle oil. Later on I also threw in some parmesan and the taste just made sense. Don’t forget the ground black pepper!

Very very appetizing.

How appetizing?

Buon appetito! Ne voglio ancora?

“Are there any seconds?”

For dinner I wanted to do something special...

Matilda was of course included!

This was the star of the show that night.

I cracked open a book of mine that I have unintentionally been neglecting, The Conscious Cook by Chef Tal Ronnen!

Very Green Salad with Cucumber, Kohlrabi, Sweet Onion and Herb Vinaigrette

This salad was perfect for eating outside and cooling down our bodies. Making the herb vinaigrette was so pleasant, and I couldn’t help but breathe in the sweet aroma of all the herbs and other ingredients. Eating the raw kohlrabi brought back memories of having it so many times when I was still living in Germany. Do any of you have any familiar tastes that make you nostalgic?

After eating our dinner we just sat around in the backyard and listened to the soothing sounds of bossa nova and a rain storm. It was incredibly relaxing and perfect for unwinding on a Friday evening. I believe summer is here and this oh-so chic little lady explained the feelings of this sweltering season perfectly: “I love those days when you actually prefer to ask for frapuccinos or something that has to do with ice or ice cream, and when the only “hot” thing allowed… is YOU. (all of you, not just me).”

And one more thing I’d like to share to mark the days of more sun

Still Soaking Up the Sun

Where has the time gone? It’s seeming to escape me! Anyway let me get down to business. Where was I? Ah yes, recapping my spring break in Florida!

Lots of overnight oats were had, and my friend even tried it (and liked it!)

She also started putting nut butters in her oats! There’s no looking back now hehe.

I made my overnight oats with something new my parents had in their fridge.

At first when I tried the Wild Wood Soyogurt itself I didn’t really like it. But it started to grow on me, and it definitely didn’t taste funky in my overnight oats. So the oats were soaked in this yogurt with raisins, rose water, and cinnamon. Topped in the morning with coconut milk, pistachios, and a sliced banana.

Packed sandwiches, nuts, and some veggies for the beach.

It was so windy that my sandwich became a real “sand”wich! After the beach we headed to the local discount healthfood store.

I got some new things to try...

I also snagged a can of organic pumpkin puree since it’s rare to find one nowadays. I also finally got myself some of my favorite candies… Ginger People’s crystallized ginger m’mmm. I love letting these soak in my tea. I also spotted the Luna protein bar and I got the flavor that appealed to me the most (cookie dough). It was okay, but I don’t think I’m really into the texture of those kinds of bars. I’m more of a whole ingredient bar lady. All of the other goodies are new to me except for the coconut water.

I also stocked my freezer up. Can you tell I'm a college girl?

My favorite sandwich bread for PB&Js!

My friend couldn't decide which chocolate to get so I made it easy for her and exclaimed at this one! SOOO DELICIOUS!

I just had to marvel at the colors!

I had the leftover curried tofu my mom made, a sweet potato with cinnamon and coconut oil, and a salad with a homemade blueberry vinaigrette. Delicious thrown together meal.

More overnight oats + aloe vera on the side

Toppings: coconut milk, Kashi GoLean Crunch, sliced banana, pistachios, and a strawberry compote with honey

Holy yum! I loved the various textures in this breakfast and the fresh flavors. Strawberries and bananas are a fruit combination that never fail.

I made us a nice lunch before we headed out to go shopping!

This turned out to be so flavorful!

I wanted to fix the tofu so it’d be like orange chicken. I found a recipe that sounded good, then added some veggies and cooked some egg noodles. Then we were out!

I took her to Paul, a french bakery franchise.

Rainforest Cafe can get a little crazy... especially if I'm there!

Let’s just say I had a lot of fun going around the store with the hand puppets they sell. What can I say? My imagination is still going strong.

Tried on an amazing Alexander Wang dress.

We had a very successful shopping trip, and left the mall elated with the "shopper's high".

Check it out!!!

We got home and had dinner.

Mom made rotkohl (red cabbage) with apples, pan-heated parathas, avocado, and I quickly fried some tofu with a Key Lime Ginger sauce.

And while I was in Florida I enjoyed dates (organic on sale for $1!) with the cashew-macadamia butter I made for my mom.

I have to admit, that date looks inappropriate, but I’ll just leave it at that haha. Anyway, I’m still not done recapping my break down in Florida. So hold on to your seats because there’s more to come. I just hope my next post is sooner than later! Next thing you know it’s going to be April already.

Warmer Days

Greetings earthlings!

Thank you Erin for passing this award on to me awhile ago. It’s about time I get around to passing it on to a few other creative writers, wouldn’t you say?

Here are the rules:
1. Thank the person who gave this to you.
2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
3. Link to the person who nominated you.
4. Tell up to six outrageous lies about yourself, and at least one outrageous truth.
5. Nominate seven “Creative Writers” who might have fun coming up with outrageous lies.
6. Post links to the seven blogs you nominate.

1. One time I started a fight in the girl’s bathroom in high school.
2. I have never worn green socks.
3. I always drool uncontrollably at the sight of a handsome guy.
4. I made out with one of the band members of my favorite bands.
5. I use to be a big “witch”.
6. I’ve eaten cow intestines.
7. I hate avocados.

Which one’s the truth?
I’m passing this on to these ladies:
Karina

Jess

another awesome Jessica

Lauren

Jenny

Katie

and last but in no way least, Holly

I asked my friend, Kelley, if she wanted me to make her oats in the morning.

I cooked her oats in almond milk and cinnamon. Then I swirled in some coconut oil and topped it off with banana slices and mango. I also spooned on a bit of Naturally More peanut butter. I’ve never tried this kind and it was very yummy! It wasn’t completely creamy and not super crunchy either.

I opted for something more refreshing.

I opted for granola, Greek yogurt, and Ezekiel toast. My parents didn’t have butter in the house (what?!) except for ghee aka clarified butter. It has a different taste than butter, but I liked it!

Ghee is considered sacred in India.

Mom made lunch again!

She wanted to try a new grain she bought at the store–amaranth. She made curry chicken for everyone and a tofu version for me. The amaranth itself was plain, but mixed with the tofu curry was much better and gave an interesting texture.

In Florida, avocado is a must with every meal.

Then we got ready to go out!

I think Matilda felt left out.

We went out to go dancing.

There was an artist painting a large mural that night in one of the dance rooms. They also had dancers that were painted from head-to-toe, a drag queen performance, people dressed up as squires, and many more theatrics. It was so much fun. We ended up meeting the artist’s agent and the club owner, then danced around in VIP till we decided to head home–daylight savings time hit us!

They took a couple pictures of us.

Lunch was a team effort.

I stir-fried some kale, mushrooms, and zucchini in a garlic & ginger paste + Soyvay sauce. My mom made her specialty curried fava beans in coconut milk. I also had some toast with peanut butter and a slice of Cabot’s cheddar.

Then we headed to Calle Ocho

Calle Ocho is basically a huge annual block party in the middle of Little Havana down in Miami. There’s lots of music, dancing, food, and people!

The crowd

Getting one of my favorite things–arepas de choclo (sweet corn cakes filled with mozzarella)

Gettin’ down

We also got sweet plantains.

My mom found some $$ on the ground–finders, keepers!

Then we were headed to south beach.

Driving down Ocean Dr. on a Sunday night.

24-Hour Diner

With a HUGE menu…

And a little market inside as well.

My adorable soul sista!

We ended up leaving because it was getting late and my mom was getting super antsy. Oi! But it was a nice little discovery, and I’m hoping to go back there one day. I hope all of you are having a wonderful week. Guess what? Tomorrow is Friday! Woo hoo!

Remember That Time?

I’m doing something special with this post–inspired by others’ blasts from the past. Hold on tight ladies and gentlemen, it may be a bump ride!

I became a jet setter at four months old--flying from Germany to Colombia

In the mountains in the Bavarian region of Germany.

Being a coquette in the English Garden.

Princess Katharina? Simply too exhausted to walk any further I ended up being carried around the Pergamon Museum in Berlin. Mwahaha!

Glamor shots and missing front teeth go hand in hand don't you think?

Fondue!

Wow such a long time ago--this was when the London Eye was put up.

Friends since we were babies--standing in one of the neighborhoods of our hometown.

Thirteen years old, taking a cat nap before I venture out around Paris again.

Spinach soup all over my face--proof I always loved my veggies.

Who knew I’d grow up and cook my grandma’s delicious soups myself. Now let’s blast forward to the… near present!

Favorite snack as of late: granola + some soymilk + banana peanut butter + microwave = warm bowl of pure goodness.

Homemade falafel balls + homemade tzatziki over a salad, and a nice warm chunk of garlic buttered Italian bread.

Frozen caramel Oikos

I followed Katie’s advice and this lady definitely knows what she’s talking about!

Classes cancelled on Monday = Pancakes for breakfast!

I loosely followed Kath’s recipe for whole wheat yogurt pancakes. Some of them I made with bananas, chocolate chips, and even blackberries.

Pancakes themselves had coconut oil then the other toppings came: fro-yo, caramelized banana slices, cinnamon, sliced almonds, and maple syrup.

Monday was a day of killer eats!

I made mushroom-manchego quesadillas and I made my own salsa verde. I also made a salad with a sesame oil + honey + lime juice dressing. This lunch was incredibly delicious and I don’t think I’ve ever had a quesadilla quite like this.

I wish I could share these with you!

The manchego was aged six months so one would call it curado. In other words, cured, which gave it a nice nutty and tangy flavor that went well with the juicy cremini mushrooms and fresh salsa verde.

I de-seeded a pomegranate the old-fashioned way--a calming activity for me that takes patience.

My friend said she was craving Asian noodles the other day--which reminded me that I have some noodles just sitting in my pantry.

Maybe some of you remember when I use a freebie coupon to try out a Gardein product. I tried the beefless tips since a recipe I made a while ago called for them specifically. Hmm… how to use the rest? I made a sesame “beef” noodle stir-fry with mushrooms and bell peppers over egg noodles.

Chopstick action!

Yogurt + Cranberry and Walnut granola + caramelized blood orange

I tried Liz's favorite Phinney 3400 flavor.

This was curiously delicious! An interesting combination for sure, not just with flavor, but textures as well. This was so nice to have melt in my mouth and then I’d discover the bits of fennel throughout. Have you guys checked out Theo 3400 Phinney flavors? I told Liz that I carried this bar with me the whole day and would have wonderful little moments just savouring it and imagining that everyone else should be jealous!

Getting ready to face the snow with my Russian hat and walk to my classes.

Canton "beef" and pineapple

I followed this recipe that caught my eye. My roommate’s boyfriend said that whatever I was cooking smelled yummy, and I agreed! So that was the last of my bag of Gardein beefless tips and I’ll give you the review. The first time I tried them they didn’t really seem that strong in beef flavor, mind you I hadn’t had cow’s meat since I could count my age with both hands. However, with these last two recipes, that flavor came back to me. I was thrown off by this a little bit, but that’s the point of the product, right? Well, not to throw you off, but to recreate the flavor. They succeeded, but personally I like to stick to non-imitation products. However, this line caught my eye because they offered things I hadn’t seen available to vegetarians before and as everyone knows–I’m very very curious! Moreover, I think this product would be wonderful for meat-eaters trying to cut down on their consumption of red-meat without having to say good-bye to the flavor.

So there you have it folks! This post was all over the place and I feel like it should already be the end of the week. Is anyone else feeling the same way? Anyway, I hope you’re all enjoying it nonetheless!

p.s. for all those grilled cheese lovers out there (I’m looking at you Lauren) I found this inspirational story over here. I promise you won’t be disappointed. Perhaps you’ll be left with a rumbling tummy saying, “feed me.”

Out and About

K for Katharina

I found a delicious yogurt...

I still have a few freebie coupons from Oikos left and I was on the hunt for the strawberry flavor. Much to my delight I finally found it! I couldn’t wait to try to it because the blueberry one was great. So what’d I think? This was so good! Sometimes those fruit at the bottom yogurts taste really artificial and have a strange texture. But this blended so well with the tart and creamy Greek yogurt.  Now I’m on the search for the caramel flavor!

Another recipe from The Conscious Cook

Asian Tacos with Kinpira and Spinach-Sesame Salad

I didn’t follow this recipe exactly, but it still came out delicious. I didn’t shape the won tons like tacos because I didn’t feel like it, and I substituted rutabaga for burdock root. I also used kale instead of spinach for the side salad. The seitan was cooked with freshly grated ginger and garlic and other various flavor enhancing items. This was such a satisfying lunch. Partly because it felt like a mini-project since there were so many steps.

Me and my roommate started finally decorating the living room!

And she also baked something

Cottage cheese muffins from 101 Cookbooks

These had cottage cheese, parmesan, almond flour, sun-dried tomatoes, eggs, and basil. I surprisingly liked them because I usually don’t like eggy things. However, this did cause my stomach to act up. Eggs + Katharina = Indigestion.

Tada!

Went with one of my favorite ladies to see a salsa band play at this eco-chic restaurant called Balliceaux.

The band

That night, right before the last song, a man asked me if I wanted to dance. That was the first time I said yes. I’m glad I did because I danced salsa in a way I’ve never danced it before. The music and the setting had a great vibe and I felt on top of the world. Being up front and feeling the beat of the conga and the song being brought to life by the playful trumpet, I felt it in my soul and out through my feet. I noticed that I had been smiling so much that my mouth got dry… I could feel the sweat forming in the creases of my pants. He had me doing triple turns and then go right back to the swing of things at the very front. Then the final song ended with a dip but the thrill lasted and left me wide awake at 2:30 in the morning.

I came home to make some hot chocolate with the marshmallows Maya sent me--in my special cup!

Inspired cinnamon breakfast

When I saw Sam’s bowl of cream of wheat I knew I had to have a bowl for myself soon. It looks kind of funky because I used a vanilla protein powder that has spirulina. This was so delicious. I topped it with a diced apple, Sunland’s caramel peanut butter, granola, and homemade cinnamon-sugar wonton crisps.

I have been in the mood for salads!

I guess Florida left me craving fresh foods! I made a salad with romaine, corn, Southwest Sunshine burger topped with Sun-dried tomato mustard, and BBQ sauce. Yum!

A dog and a cat!

To celebrate my dad’s birthday we were invited to a family friend’s home for dinner. How sweet of them to have us over!

My dad and his favorite... salmon!

Knowing I love my vegetables--they made a delicious salad, and baked some biscuits on the side.

The orange blob is the most delicious sweet potato mash. It’s the one I made before from “The Conscious Cook”. It has sweet potato, cashew cream, chipotle pepper, butter (Earth Balance if you’re vegan), and s&p. I think this is my favorite mash.

Dinner time!

She was trying to open the jar of Red Pepper Jelly she got from Alabama.

Never had it before but it always sounded interesting--it was like a sweet and spicy sauce.

The chef and his dessert!

His pie turned out wonderfully! It was so fresh tasting and had such a great lime flavor.

Posin'

"Smell it!"

He fell for it hahaha! Sucker!

Afterwards I met up with some friends at a bar.

And I took my first shot of tequila with "training wheels".

Only with my lady!

Last night I had two people offer to cook for me! What a treat!

This does not happen often so I happily agreed. Well, I made a compromise. I decided to have dinner with the girls and then later I would go to my other friend’s place for dessert.

The bottom half--and the lone slipper in the back.

When I arrived at my friend’s house I got a text from yet another friend asking if I wanted to go to this awesome Cuban restaurant a couple blocks down. Was there a blue moon or something? Three dinner invitations in one night? Sadly, I had to turn down the last one.

Waiting like little kids for "mommy" to cook us dinner.

She made us a seasoned pasta dish with mushrooms, feta, parmesan, and caesar dressing.

I brought some seasoned seitan and sprinkled some dill weed on top + Sugar Cookie tea!

I have a love-hate relationship with Jack the cat.

Then she offered to make us dessert!

Banana bruleed in a brown sugar sauce + vanilla ice cream + chocolate chips (but the rum was missing) = BEST MOM EVER RECIPE!!!

She knows how to take care of her babies.

Then I went to my other friend's house for dessert and wine.

Spiced pear compote with maple syrup. When I say spiced I don't just mean cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. There was also cayenne!

There was some leftoever and I had it with part of my breakfast. Guess what? My friend made me breakfast too! I had a bowl of cooked homemade grain mix with sunflower seed butter and the spiced pear compote + more maple syrup. I also had an orange and tried my first meyer lemon. It was actually really delicious and nice to have someone make me something for a change. Don’t get me wrong–I love to cook, but sometimes I like to be treated to. Who doesn’t?

Well this was my first week back in Richmond and I must say it’s been full of fun and has left me anticipating this upcoming semester. AHHHHHHH!!! I hope you all had a wonderful week. I’m going to have to catch up on all you lovely people’s lives now.

Inspired Eats

Hello hello there! I am so happy to say that these past few days have been awesome. I think it’s the whole mentality I’m trying to maintain to get me through the winter.  It was actually the title for a recent post of mine, “life is what you make of it.” The winter doesn’t have to suck the life out of me (okay I’m being dramatic here), but instead I focus on what I’m doing now and all the positives of this holiday season. And all your answers really stuck with me and reminded me of so many things I have to smile about. Don’t we all?

Here are few of my reasons, inspired by some of you, in the past couple of days.

A different version of frozen yogurt

I took a container of So Delicious coconut milk yogurt and stuck it in the freezer.

Two cookies for good measure!

The night I received the package I had a couple of Holly’s homemade vegan pumpkin molasses cookies. Wow! These were so good, I’m glad she shared her recipe.

Inspired by two very special ladies.

The other day I saw that Maya and Eliza had each made a bowl of gingerbread-inspired oats. Do I need to explain? This is why I love breakfast. When I’ve had a delicious breakfast then I know it’s going to be a good day.

On my day off from classes I felt like dressing-up.

One of my favorite scarves - it makes me feel like Mozart.

And a skirt I should wear more often.

Along with some dark grey tights and red Mary Janes flats.

I had recently gotten a ton of basil.

So I decided to make a pesto. Rather than using raw pine nuts I toasted them first and it really made a difference in the flavor.

Afternoon snack

These are the Apple Grahams that came in the package Holly sent me. I’ve tried them plain, with the medley jam she also sent me, pumpkin butter, dipped in Sugar Cookie tea, and pumpkin spice soymilk. I have yet to crumble them on a nice warm bowl of oatmeal.

Almost forgot about lunch!

For lunch I tried another Gardein product. This time it was the chick’n scallopini. I really liked how they lightly-seasoned these, and they were also a really nice size. There are some vegetarian products out there that give such small portions and that can be frustrating. I decided to cook up the rest of cauliflower and chick’n scallopini in a Sweet Pepper and Coconut cooking sauce. Served with Nishiki rice. So good that even my little Moofia toy wanted some.

I recently picked up a new item at the grocery store.

What could it be? A rutabaga! I’m pretty sure I’ve never tried one before. My darling darling, Brooke, said this was one veggie I needed to try. She recommended to try them with cranberries, so of course I listened! I roasted the rutabaga and an apple with sugar, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. I also had a Tofurky Kielbasa decorated with ketchup, beer-brewed mustard, and a bit of sweet relish. Yum! I definitely was looking up more rutabaga recipes after this.

This was a special bowl of oatmeal...

In Brooke’s survey one of the questions was, “bowl of hot cereal you have been wanting to try.” And I answered a banana rum cake-inspired oatmeal. Lynn thought it sounded good too, so I decided to make it! I made my way to the liquor store and got a miniature bottle of Captain Morgan’s spiced rum. I did not prepare my oatmeal as I usually do because I additionally cooked it with a couple spoonfuls of spiced rum and a bruleed banana. I topped it with a sliced banana, some pecans, New Morning Honey Grahams, and a ZenSoy banana pudding cup.

I even mixed spiced rum in the banana pudding!

I wanted to be drunk for my Taoism class! Kidding of course!

I hadn't worn this blazer in ages!

Lunch was surprisingly yummy.

I wanted to try out something different for the wee bit of kale I had left. It was just enough to help make this sandwich (I just boiled it). I assembled the sandwich with French Meadow Bakery’s gluten-free sandwich bread, cashew butter, kale, and pumpkin butter. This was a new combination I thought of and wanted to try out; I think some onion jam would’ve definitely sealed the deal, but this was delicious as well. I had some of the leftover hummus from Brittany’s sandwich recipe – perfect for the broccoli!

Bright and early on a Saturday!

Since I have to wake up really early on a Saturday morning (and I hadn’t gotten home on Friday till 4:30 am), I just want as much sleep as I can get. So when I woke up I quickly put my breakfast together. I tried another 18 Rabbits flavor that was sent to me; that morning I decided to try the “Nibble a Sultana” bar. I had it with a container of vanilla Greek yogurt, a diced apple, and cinnamon. I’ve seen sultanas baked with apples in little tarts. This bar didn’t have that same perfect granola-y flavor the other one had. It was okay, but I probably wouldn’t buy it for myself.

Carrots and rutabaga mash + sandwich

With the rest of my rutabaga I followed Brooke’s advice again and made a mash out of it! I stumbled upon this recipe and I knew it would be nothing short of delicious. However, I ended up sprinkling on some pumpkin pie spice and mixed some coconut oil in as well. This had me licking my bowl clean. The sandwich was inspired by a local coffee-shop item on their menu. It had my homemade basil pesto, Gardein chick’n scallopini, roasted red peppers, and goat cheese. Wow! Do any of you ever recreate restaurant recipes?

I just had to!

After going on a long walk excursion with a friend I came home to work on my project.

And I got kind of side-tracked...

Okay, really side-tracked!

Then I finally got back to work.

Then, next thing you know dinnertime rolled around! I had become so focused that I had totally lost track of time.

Yin and Yang

I made sweet and sour lentils and had it with leftover Nishiki rice and coconut oil.

Korean-Russian Carrot Salad

I’ve had this recipe saved for a really long time and totally forgot about it! This tasted very different from what I usually eat, sweet and spicy, but it was a very pleasant change.

Later that night I ended up going to some of my friends’ art exhibit and met up with another friend. Afterwards we went to a birthday celebration and eventually I came back home and I woke up with two thoughts on my mind. “I have on last night’s makeup” and “April’s pumpkin French toast sticks.”

An example of a perfectly delicious Sunday breakfast.

April’s recipe also calls for a peanut butter frosting. I changed it around a bit and made it vegan by omitting the eggs, and used Pumpkin Spice soymilk (highly recommended!!!) and a thickening agent. I used two thick slices of Rudi’s 100% Whole Wheat bread. The toppings include: diced apple, more pumpkin pie spice, and some Apple & Maple syrup. This breakfast was such a great way to start a beautiful day.

Well now I’m off to enjoy the sun and walk to the Farmer’s Market with Matilda. I hope you all had a relaxing and fun weekend! I’ll leave you all with a clip from a new hit TV series aka a video recording I made:

Original Video – More videos at TinyPic

Much love!

Happiness Often Sneaks in Through a Door You Didn’t Know You Left Open

Hi guys! I’ve been quite a busy girl lately – thanks to school. I’m learning so many things this semester that I want to share with other people! That’s always a good sign, don’t you think? I haven’t just been on the “learning” end of the deal either though. I’ve done some teaching as well! Not necessarily in a classroom setting, but instead I’ve been flourishing in my interests and sharing them with other people. For instance, now a lot of people know that I actually have a passion for cooking; I decided to make a cooking album on Facebook. I think a lot of people were surprised! I’ve also made a new friend that I met at a yoga class. It’s nice to meet people in a setting where you are doing something you truly enjoy, because you’ve got that in common. Then when you hang out and get to know each other, the friendship just grows into something incredible! And now that I’ve been kind of absent for a couple days, I think it’s only fair to share with you all what I’ve been up to. Can’t leave my friends in the dark now can I?

Banana ricotta soft-serve makes my day!

I topped the “soft-serve” with Zoe’s Cinnamon Raisin Granola, some more banana slices, and chocolate sprinkles. I’ve seen a lot of bloggers incorporate chocolate chips in their breakfasts, and this is me making due with what I’ve got! Actually, it’s very appropriate since underneath it all is an “ice cream” of sorts.

A parfait in honor of K!

I changed the ingredients just a smidge for the banana ricotta soft-serve. Rather than vanilla extract, I used coconut extract. Wow! This was also heavenly. I got the soft-serve to stay in it’splace by putting an apple slice underneath – improvising here folks! So what are the layers? Let me start from top to bottom: crunchy peanut butter, Erewhon’s Cocoa Crispy Brown Rice, banana ricotta soft-serve, apple slice, and some more of the cocoa crispies.

For this meal I wanted to do something out of the ordinary.

I used romaine as a sort of platter.

Then I decided to make rolls.. wraps.. not sure what to call this.

I love the freshness of this! I never cease to be amazed by the color palette nature offers us.

I also tried to make another interesting sandwich combo to go along with the romaine... boats?

This sandwich is on Cranberry Cinnamon Swirl bread and filled with eggplant, cheddar cheese, and mango chutney. I wasn’t sure if the eggplant would taste good with my favorite grilled cheese combo. How was it? Incredible!!! Definitely worth boasting about. I just remembered at a restaurant I went to they had breaded eggplant with an apricot coulis – so I thought I could try this. I’m glad I did!s

Now they look like dumplings! And I'm apparently trying to mimic them?

A beautiful snack.

Ak-mak crackers with cream cheese and edamame hummus, sprouts, grape tomatoes, and cucumber slices. Yum!

I made myself a pizza with polenta crust.

I roasted eggplant, parsnips (first time trying them!), and grape tomatoes; sautéed the onion. Then I just plopped some ricotta on and it all went into the toaster oven. After it was done baking I garnished it with some basil. I really like parsnips… a lot! Funny story with the basil. I got those leaves from a basil plant that’s growing out of a crack in a sidewalk. The plant is huge and full of delicious leaves! Nature’s way of breaking through despite what man builds on top.

Unfortunately, the crust didn't bake completely, so I ate this beautiful mess.

After happily eating my personal “pizza” I headed over to David Schultz’s CD release show. At the beginning they showed a brief documentary of their recording process, and their experience of life as musicians.

Now he's got a band!

Hanging out with my new friend, Emily. I also saw some old ones!

On Sunday I gave my baby, Matilda, a bath!

She's cute no matter what!

More sunshine!

This salad consisted of a Falafel Sunshine burger, red onion, tomato, an apple, avocado, sprouts, romaine, and cilantro dressing. Oh! I also squirted some ketchup on the burger. The addition of the apple in the salad was awesome! On the side I had the rest of the apple with a glass of cold soymilk. Perfect for an unexpectedly hot day. Oh man, I feel really stupid. In my review of the Sunshine burgers I said that they had corn. Well, that’s what it looked like! Then I read the ingredients and I believe those are actually lentils. So sorry for the misinformation. My opinion on how great these are didn’t change though – so no worries about that.

My Sunday was filled with lots of studying! But I managed to squeeze in a dinner at the school cafeteria with a friend. Since I don’t have a meal plan, I rarely end up going. My friend, Jonathan, invited me to dinner and we got to catch up on things. I also gave him advice on finding a roommate and which rental companies to stay away from. This is his first year in college so he had a lot of questions, and I had a lot to say!

Hi Jonathan!

Shafer!

Everytime I go here, I feel like it’s my first time. There are just so many choices – they even have a vegan and gluten-free area.

Food! Food! Food!

I got a bowl filled with snap peas, mushrooms, water chestnuts, onions, cucumbers, chickpeas, and hummus. I love their hummus! I actually was planning on bringing a tupperware with me to hijack some, but I forgot it at home. My bad! I also got another plate filled with spiced carrots, veggie pizza, mock ribs in BBQ sauce and peppers, a slice of Italian bread, a vegetable medley pasta (completely tasteless). I also tried some gluten-free French toast sticks – they were awful! I can’t remember the last time I ate something that disgusting. I was actually contemplating spitting it out, but we were in a public place.

He left me a little surprise on my camera!

Let’s see… what other things can I share with you all? Oh yes! I’m not sure if you guys know Jenny but she has an awesome blog that will make you hungry just looking at it! Recently, she put together a “best of” oatmeal post. Check it out! You will be inspired by all the wonderful creations all the bloggers have concocted. And trust me, this is way better than any “Best of” VH1 ever aired.

As for me, I’ve got my critique I told you all about, tomorrow! I’m looking forward to it now. Things are finally starting to calm down a little with my schoolwork load. And in 2 weeks I will be going to my parents’ house down in Florida for my 4-day weekend!

p.s. I just want to say hi to any new readers! HI!!! Here’s to a wonderful week! For some reason I feel like I’m on cloud nine; anybody want to come along for the ride?

Another First

The missing flavor is Lemon Ginger (tried that awhile ago)

The lovely people over at Kardea generously sent me 4 of their bars to sample. A lot of their products are known to aide in cholesterol management. I know Cheerio’s help with that too, but these my dear readers, are the bomb.com. I’ve already decided that I’m going to try the Banana Walnut bar last because I like to save the best for last. Although, I have a feeling it really wouldn’t matter because so far out of the ones I’ve tried, they’re awesome. A lot of bars taste good, but they don’t quite live up to the name of their flavors. However, these bars actually taste like what they’re named. The Lemon Ginger bar wasn’t overwhelming at all – it was just right.

Next up was Cranberry Almond.

I’m not sure if the strange look of it is because it was delivered to me when it was really hot out. Cranberry check. Almond check. These don’t even taste like nutritional bars (in a very good way)! Just delicious. I’ll give you guys some info on these bars:

Banana Walnut, Chai Spice, Cranberry Almond, and Lemon Ginger

Plant Sterols-1 gram

Total Fiber-7 grams with 5 grams Soluble Fiber

Heart Healthy Soluble Fiber-3grams

Protein-7 grams with 3.5 grams Soy Protein

Vegetarian-Friendly (Chai Spice & Banana Walnut Are Vegan)

Kosher Certified

Only 150 Calories/Bar

No Trans Fats

Lower Glycemic Formulation

I’m surprised that these bars haven’t caught on with a lot of folks actually. They are truly delicious, and good for your heart!

So guys, what have I been up to?

Last Saturday my friend organized an eating contest at a park, and I was the judge/scooper. What’d they have to eat? Mashed potatoes! All participants had to bring in a bag. Kim also brought fake bacon bits, which was a good idea. And I kindly offered my assistance to anyone who felt they could no longer fulfill their “duties”.

Huge piles!

Kim's got her game face and Rodman jersey on.

Let the eating begin!

Serving it soup kitchen style.

Tuning out to keep from... well, you know.

The victory bite!

Tiara didn’t really look too happy, but atleast she won! This girl kicks butt.

Later that night I decided to bake around the witching hour. Well, more like 3 hours before because supposedly the witching hour is at 3 am.

Cinnamon-Raisin Biscotti

I was browing through biscotti recipes and found one that I had the ingredients for. I wanted to make lemon ginger biscotti but, alas, I had no crystallized ginger and I’m sure this was something my neighbor wouldn’t have had either. The aroma of these wafting in the apartment as they were baking and I was studying… it made my life a little sweeter.

Can you believe I baked these in my toaster oven?

Perfect sidekick for a bowl of oats.

Like my girl, Janetha, I love cinnamon. I went a little crazy with it and this is why -ladies and gentlemen- my oats are brown. I put a big spoonful of peanut butter and a little one of my Date and Almond Creme spread. To add the finishing touch to this bowl of oats, I bruleed some bananas a la Katie! The cinnamon is hogging the spotlight though.

The last of my peanut butter!

I tried to do this blob of peanut butter justice by making a bowl of PB&J oats. Holla at the peanut butter queen, Jenny! As I was saying goodbye to one jar of yummy goodness, I said hello to Crofter’s Blueberry Superfruit spread. Ah so good, and I could see the tiny blueberries in there. I don’t bother with jellies that don’t even have an inkling of a fruit, but Crofter’s spreads are jam packed with real fruits. Did ya catch that?

I’ve really been inspired by everyone’s blogs lately, and last week I was reading Sophia’s blog and she had posted a recipe that seemed way too good to just look at.

Kabocha Soup with Bacon and Goat Cheese

Unfortunately, the fake bacon bits that were brought the eating contest were finished off, so I couldn’t sprinkle them on! So I made the best of it and blended in some ketchup, smoke sauce, and Worcestershire. How do you say that word anyway?

A big mug of soup, cinnamon + coconut oil + almond milk + brown rice, tomato slices + roasted red pepper hummus.

I kept the skin on so that's why it's green... I also thought I could do a swirly affect with the cream.

Hey Sophia… this was awesome!!! I love this girl’s blog. Not only does she have a refined taste for things that taste delicious, but she also shares a piece of her mind and heart with her readers in every post.

Oh... and this mug is absurdly HUGE!

There are so many bloggers to talk about in this post. I had the chance to actually meet a fellow blogger yesterday. If you guys don’t know her already, I met up with Brittany from Eating Bird Food. It’s always neat to see when you guys meet up with other bloggers. Some of you hit it off and became partners in crime like Brooke and Kailey! Holly and Angharad too! All the meet-ups just seemed like so much fun. Brittany and I agreed to meet up at Ipanema, a vegetarian and vegan restaurant. I was so excited when she suggested we go there – hell yeah girl! I love that place, and a couple of my friends work there as well.

The only menu in the place is written on the chalkboard.

This place reminds me of Germany because you walk down, like walking into a Ratskeller. A Ratskeller is basically a tavern below street level and it’s the city hall’s basement. When Brittany walked through the door I immediately though, “oh my gosh she’s so pretty and adorable!” We looked through the menu and when we decided on what we wanted, we made our way into one of the booths.

Indian pizza

Service was rather fast that night! Oh gosh, I can’t remember exactly what this entailed, but I’ll give it a shot. I ordered an Indian pizza with a curry sauce, zucchini, cauliflower, red onions, and paneer. The sauce was strangely zesty and for some reason I was envisioning a red or orange curry sauce. It was good, but I probably wouldn’t order it again. The side salad’s dressing was yummy though! I tried some of what Brittany ordered as well. She got their Thai carrot soup, which resembled baby food haha! But it was very tasty. She also got a spinach salad with pears, gorgonzola, and pecans. That combination is always a winner in my book.

It was getting late and after talking it up, we asked for our checks. Brittany, it was so nice meeting you! You’re so kind and polite – can’t wait till our puppies meet! And next time, I’m taking more pictures!

She also gave me a baggie of tomatoes grown with TLC.

These are delicious by the way! I love popping little tomatoes in my mouth. You take one bite and BOOM there’s a burst of flavor.

Well guys, I’m going to save some stuff for my next post. I tend to get carried away with my posts, and I don’t want anyone to be overwhelmed with my kitchen adventures haha! Since I mentioned so many other bloggers in this post, I think it’s appropriate to spread the word on this bit of exciting Blogworld news:

Foodbuzz has announced its 1st-Annual Foodbuzz Blog Awards!

The categories are:

Best Overall Blog

Best New Blog

Best Wine Blog

Best Cocktail/Spirits Blog

Best Baking Blog

Best Food Photography Blog

Best Visual Blog (graphic design)

Best Writing Voice

Best Healthy Living Blog

Best Green/Sustainable blog

Best Family Blog

Best Recipe Blog

Best Blogger Humanitarian Effort

Best Community Blog Effort

Most Humorous Food Blog

They’ve also got another section!

Blogger you’d most want to:

1. Take to dinner

2. Cook a meal for you

3. Be your personal Sommelier

4. Create you a cocktail

5. Watch on Food Network

6. Watch on Iron Chef

7. See open up their own restaurant

8. See their blog made into a movie

So go out there and vote everyone!

It’s Wednesday everyone! Is it just me or did it feel like the end of the week on Monday and Tuesday? Well, now we’re finally getting there!