On the Brink

Greetings everyone! Before I jump right into the post I wanted to give a special hello to my new readers. I’ve noticed some new faces have been gracing the comments section, and it always brightens my day even more when that happens. So hello, and if you haven’t commented yet but are a reader, I’d love to hear from you!

I’ve been making a batch of bite-sized treats using dates on a weekly basis.

I try to change the recipe up so they don’t become monotonous. This particular week I stumbled upon Allison’s Coconut Pretzel Energy Bites recipe, and was inspired to make something very similar. Rather than using pretzels, which I did not have, I used sesame sticks. Do any of you guys have any yummy bite-sized recipes you’d like to share?

Banana pops

They’re back! The recipe is incredibly simple, and incredibly tasty. I’m talking only three ingredients kind of simple. Check it out here.

Just what I need on a hot day.

I think little Matilda was expecting a banana pop too, and not a leaf.

Since my dining experience, I’ve been inspired to make beautiful salads at home.

I’ve also been trying to clean out my pantry, but having fun with it by finding new ways to eat my staples. Take yellow split peas for instance. I usually just cook them as a soup (delicious mind you), but I’ve been craving cooler foods so when I saw this Greek fava dip recipe I knew that was on my to-do list.

And don’t let the name of the recipe fool you–no fava beans were involved.

However, fava beans use to be used for this old recipe, but yellow split peas are easier to cook so that’s what is used today. The fava of Santorini is the most sought after, but is quite hard to find.

Anybody want to join me in the search?

In other news, guess what I’ve given another chance.

Grapefruits! I recently discovered that the trick to eating them is to completely peel off the skin, only eating the pulp. After I tried a slice utilizing my new found knowledge, I realized that I do like them! As I mentioned earlier in this post, lately I’ve been craving much cooler foods, so making grapefruit tarragon sorbet sounded like a great idea! Indeed it was.

Getting the liquid out of the coconut.

For Cinco de Mayo I wanted to make a coconut margarita recipe to celebrate with some friends. Sadly, at the store they didn’t have any cream of coconut so I decided to just make my own.

This coconut doesn’t know what it’s in for.

Dun dun dun

Well, that was easy.

Freshly grated coconut meat!

The process isn’t too difficult, but it does have a lot of steps. Though I’ve found that I’ve gotten the most enjoyment out of things when they are totally made from scratch.

And of course when they’re shared with lovely friends!

Cheers!

Pear and date compote with toasted & salted hemp seeds over oatmeal.

Now that I have time to have breakfast in the comfort of my own home I thought I’d enjoy it by leisurely making a compote, and toast some hemp seeds.

Mango, chocolate hazelnut butter, and freshly grated coconut meat.

Enjoyed in a goblet.

It’s nice to not have to eat breakfast out of a mason jar almost every morning.

Dinner is served.

This was a Thai-inspired soba noodle dish with vegetables, edamame, coconut milk, chile, curry leaves, a homemade paste out of garlic, galangal, and other things I can’t remember. Oops! I guess that’s what happens when you throw things together.

More coconut love!

Last project for my fashion photography class.

I’m almost done with the semester. Wait, wait, wait. I’m almost done with my undergrad! I still have two more critiques left, and then finito. I’m very excited for my future, and relishing in all of the wonderful things that are happening right now. My step-dad put it in a way that I couldn’t have said it better myself, “right now you are celebrating who you are and where you’re at in life.” I feel like I’m radiating this happiness that’s inside of me because everywhere I go, there’s been a blue jay on my shoulder.

Hope there’s been one on yours!

Following “Orders”

You know what I’ve noticed lately? I haven’t been posting about the foods that have tickled my sweet tooth. To be honest, for the most part they haven’t been worth mentioning from the usual “oats-in-a-jar” for morning classes, bowls of cereals, or date-balls. But there is one thing that is extra-special to me and makes me antsy whenever I run out, and that’s homemade granola! I munch on granola all day: with meals, between meals, before meals, after meals. You get the point. Most of the time I end up finishing a batch before I think to snap a picture.

Clumpy & Crisp Applesauce Granola

Clumpy and crisp are two things that I love about granola. I was perusing through Kickpleat’s blog, and as soon as I saw this recipe I clicked on it to see what it entailed. Hmm.. I could check off the entire ingredient list! That was a nod from the heavens to make it happen! However, I did make a few changes. Rather than using olive oil I used almond oil, used half oats/half cornflakes, and I also threw in some cashews to the nut mix.

Delicious and addictive

Much like these chewy coconut flapjacks.

What a fun name for these! If you are oat-obsessed like the title of the recipe’s post says, then these are for you. Well, if you love sweet, chewy, and sticky delicious things in general then these are for you too; they are also what the British call “flapjacks”. I know some of you may be thinking, “but those don’t look like pancakes.” That is correct. These are definitely not pancakes. No offense to them because I love those kinds of flapjacks too!

For serious oat lovers!

I snuck in some cornflakes to these as well. I swear ever since I tried the Bakery on Main granolas, I’ve been adding cornflakes even to recipes that sort-of resemble the tree-hugging snack. But who doesn’t want to eat tree-hugging snacks when they taste like baklava?! When my roommate pointed that out, my eyes lit up and suddenly I could taste it. She was right!

Don't believe me?

You need to make these as soon as possible, and try for yourself.

Now moving on to more sweet things, shall we?

I spy poppy seeds...

But not just poppy seeds! When I had spied Katie’s recipe for these Lil’ Lemon Muffins, off to the kitchen I went. These scrumptious little treats didn’t stick around for very long. With this warm weather it was nice to have something baked that tasted light and uplifting.

This was a recipe I had been seeing in a lot of posts recently.

Heather’s famous Cookie Dough Smoothie  recipe caught my eye because of two words: cookie and dough. I usually am not in the mood for smoothies for breakfast unless I had a long night or if that just happens to float my boat that day. When I saw this recipe, my boat decided to come in the next day.

It was surprisingly filling for a smoothie...

but it didn’t quite taste like cookie dough to me. Maybe something was off in how I made it? I didn’t use coconut milk, but I mixed in some coconut shreds to try and make up for it. Oh well, who knows.

More cookies!

These were inspired by a lovely lady I mentioned earlier and a delicious cookie–samoas! I saw Katie’s recipe for Samoas Larabars and next thing I knew I was wiping drool off my chin. There’s only one Girl Scout cookie that I love and I think it’s pretty obvious which one it is. I pretty much followed her recipe, but I crushed up some Three Sisters Cereal Graham Crackerz and mixed it in with the batch after the other ingredients went in the food processor. So that was supposed to be the “cookie” part in a samoa.Then I rolled them in shredded coconut, and took a most delicious bite into one of these. Me oh my, my obsessions list just keeps getting longer!

And now, since I always eat my vegetables...

This was a very simple recipe that I threw together, wanting to use the newly purchased jar of herbes de provence.

Provençal Potato Salad

Ingredients

-1.5 lb. bag of assorted fingerling potatoes, diced

-2-2 1/2 cups cooked cannellini beans

-cooking oil of choice

-1 yellow onion, sliced

-2 garlic cloves, minced

-10 oz. mushrooms, sliced

-1 zucchini squash, sliced

-2 tbl white cooking wine

-1-2 tsp herbes de provence

-sea salt and pepper, to taste

1. Boil the potatoes till tender, but make sure not to overcook them! The last thing we want are overcooked veggies… or overcooked anything for that matter.

2. Heat the pan, and then heat the oil. Cook the onions and garlic till the onions are translucent. Once they are cooked you can add the potatoes and cooking wine. Cook for about two minutes.

3. Add the sliced zucchini, and cook for a few minutes until the squash starts to get tender. That’s when you throw in the mushrooms, beans, and the herbes de provence. Let everything cook together for a couple more minutes–mushrooms don’t take that long to cook.

4. Now ask yourself how salty and peppery would you like your dish, and then enjoy!

Note: on second thought I decided to throw in some avocado and French green beans, and served it cold as a salad.

Much better.

Do you ever have that recipe in a cookbook that you keep meaning to try, and the page is permanently creased because you still haven’t gotten around to it?

Well, I finally made this one: chickpea and sweet potato curry.

My mom’s friend gave me William Sonoma’s vegetarian cookbook a couple years ago for my birthday, and I’ve slowly been checking off the recipes I wanted to try. This particular recipe always stuck out to me, but I never seemed to have all of the ingredients on hand. Okay so I have something to tell you. I love to cook, bake, follow recipes, make my own… the whole shebang! But I usually don’t go out of my way to get all the ingredients I need for a certain recipe. The recipes I gravitate towards are based off of things I already have, not things that I need to go out and buy. There is the rare occasion though when there’s a recipe that I’m just dying to make and I will go out and buy the 3 tubs of mascarpone for it! This may come to a surprise to some of you, but I’m actually a very practical person (who knows how to have fun). I like to keep things simple. I’m a one block of cheese at a time kind of person. Definitely not a hoarder, and I rarely have the impulse to buy something on a whim. However, when I do get something on a whim I don’t feel bad about it–hello balance! Anyway, I think that kind of practicality has led me to get creative with the things I do have on hand, or maybe that childlike sense of wonder just never left. What kinds of sandwiches can I make with this cheese? How can I prepare something in a new way? With a new flavor? In an unexpected cuisine? I do have a lot of ingredients on hand though, but they’re all things that I use–not to be left in the cupboards to collect dust. You’d find all sorts of spices, dried herbs, legumes, oils from almond to avocado to truffle, a 10 lb. bag of basmati, nuts, a 2 lb. tub of dates… those are just a few of my kitchen staples. Perhaps, I will do a post on my kitchen staples. I know Holly has expressed interest in that a few times.

My taste buds were happy that I finally had all of the ingredients on hand.

Speaking of new ways to eat things...a new way to eat red lentils!

I usually eat red lentils as a dhal, a soup, or curry. I’ve been wanting to venture out though so last week I made a hummus, and this week I prepared them as part of a salad… an Indian inspired Rice Red Lentil Salad. I don’t have peanuts so I used pistachios instead, and it turned out wonderfully! Refreshing, slightly sweet, full of flavor, and just what I’ve been in the mood for. When you make this recipe you can’t forget to make the dressing! That would be like yin with no yang, which is impossible.

I know I always share recipes with you all, but this one is an order!

Come to think of it, this post is full of “orders”. I’ve been quite the queen when it comes to cooking up delicious recipes and coming up with some of my own if I do say so myself. I hope you’ve all enjoyed feasting with your eyes, and will soon head to the kitchen to create something tasty to eat! Who knows… maybe you’ll follow one of my “orders”? Or maybe you have one that you’d love to share.

Taking It In

Hey everyone! Sorry for pulling my disappearing act on you guys without a heads up, but as we all know sometimes life just sweeps you up off your feet and you just have to go for the ride. So I’m taking this moment to say hello!

Hello!

Awhile ago I was going through a “roasted beets and grilled goat cheese sandwich” phase. That’s pretty specific isn’t it? Goat cheese and beets are typically paired together so why not sandwich the wonderful duo in between two slices of bread?

I’ve also been enjoying red lentil curries.

Can you spy the curry leaf? Mix in some basmati rice and you’ve got yourself a tasty meal.

Enjoyed the last of this jar of tahini.

I don’t think I’ll find a jar of this discounted at $1.99 anytime soon. But that’s okay because…

Welcome to Buttermilk Pancake Mountain!

Home of the world’s fluffiest pancakes.

Enjoy it the old fashion way, stacked high with maple syrup and butter.

Mmm yes… maple syrup.

Baking powder is the trick to getting them so fluffy.

Half and half

I love options!

I had medjool dates on hand and there were two recipes I had in mind. Averie’s No-Bake Oatmeal Raisin Carrot Cake Bites and Almond, Date, and Coconut Energy Balls. Before I even looked at the ingredients I bookmarked Averie’s recipe, and they were incredibly delicious! Probably one of my favorite high-raw recipes I’ve made so far. The energy balls were sweet and salty with a nutty undertone that I absolutely loved. I’ve been using that recipe, but making small changes like using cashews/pecans instead of almonds. Making small treats like this are really convenient for any kind of lifestyle, especially if you’re busy, and they’re just my taste.

Recently, I completed something ambitious and that my heart really wanted to do. A lot of people helped make it possible so I wanted to give thanks in one of my favorite ways–food!

Rolled in shredded coconut the coconut-date balls also make great little gifts.

Or thank someone special with Gratitude Granola.

Wonderful clusters

Gratitude Granola (adapted from Jeaneatte Orda’s Everyday Granola recipe)

Ingredients

1 3/4 cup rolled oats

1 3/4 cup corn flakes, crushed

1/2 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup flax seed
3 tbl ground flax seed
1 cup dried shredded coconut
1 cup combination of walnuts, almonds, and cashews, roughly chopped
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
2 tbl cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
pinch nutmeg
1/2 tsp of sea salt
1/4 cup almond or coconut oil
1/4 cup apple sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325ºF. Combine all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In another bowl stir the in the oil, applesauce, brown sugar, honey, and vanilla together. Mix the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients, stirring well.

2. Lay the mixture out on a baking sheet, and put in the oven for 15-20 minutes, occasionally stirring it. Once it’s done let it cool and store in a container.

 

The honorable duty of taste-tester before you gift it to someone.

Seal of approval

The ambitious project involved driving out to the mountains…

To this retreat center…

Setting up at 5 in the morning with enthusiastic friends…

Running around to solve technical difficulties.

And finally it worked!

Whenever spring comes around I always think of Chip even more. Chip was my boyfriend during my last year of high school, but he was taken from this world in a very violent way. Since we never actually broke up so it felt really weird at first. He was a very special person and I don’t think I’ll ever meet anyone like him, but that’s okay. He ended up inspiring kindness and innocence in many who never got the chance to meet him, so I guess when he was once told that he’d be a great teacher… it was in a way that no one could ever imagine. The inspiration for this came from the idea of writing him a letter, but as a video instead. I believe in a higher power (although I’m not sure what it is) and that there is an afterlife, so the sky is a very meaningful thing to me. We were on top of a hill in the mountains and it felt like you were on top of the world. There was a white “screen”/sheet that I made so it was like the ceiling of an open tent. As the sun rose the projected video faded and the letter was sent. Chip helped me believe in some kind of heaven, and the goodness that’s deep, deep in our souls.

I think he got my message.

When was the last time you felt most alive?

Pass It On

Thank you for all the well wishes everyone! Taking it easy this weekend was a good idea, so I can feel and look well-rested for RVA Fashion Week’s casting today. They’ll be figuring out which models will work for each show. I’ve also got a photo shoot to go to later this day for my fashion photography class. Anyway, the other day I noticed that I haven’t posted any breakfasts lately, but that’s not to say that I haven’t been eating it. Afterall, it is my favorite meal of the day! Since I have class in the mornings Monday through Thursday, I usually just make OIAJ or something else convenient (i.e. bagels!) the night before and bring that to class with me.

However, it is nice that I get a few days in the week where I don’t have to have breakfast on the go.

Oatmeal topped with banana slices, my favorite pumpkin butter, and toasted & salted hemp seeds. Toasted hemp seeds can go with anything! I’ve been trying to use up my jars of fruit butters and jams by using them as a sweetener for my oatmeal.

Caramelized anything is fine by me!

I thought of Erica this particular morning, and was inspired to top my usual bowl of oatmeal with something special. Rather than simply slicing some apples and leaving it at that, I caramelized them. First I heated some coconut oil on a pan and then sautéed the apple slices, dates, and cinnamon sticks. After cooking them for a bit I added a splash of apple juice.

This bit of deliciousness was topped with pistachios and honey to boot!

Now on to lunch, dinner, and some lovely side dishes.

Honey Glazed Carrots

This was a recipe from “The Flexitarian Cookbook” that I finally got around to making. Rather than cooking them in regular butter though, I used ghee. This changed the flavor a bit, and in combination with the honey… I just wanted more.

Parmesan-roasted Parsnips

I haven’t made a recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks in awhile! Maybe some of you can guess which book it is, but for those of you who can’t it’s Simon Rimmer’s “The Accidental Vegetarian“. I wanted to marry him because the recipes in this book are so good. He still hasn’t proposed to me, and I’m not the kind of girl who sits around waiting. But that won’t stop me from cooking up his incredible recipes!

Addictive!

Almost a mish-mosh, but not quite.

I had lots of scallions leftover and the first thing that came to mind was Thai food. Then I started thinking of recipes involving noodles since I have a lot to use up. I ended up making a spicy Thai peanut sauce to go with some random veggies I had on hand, fried tofu, and a combination of rice and soba noodles. I’d bring this with me to class, and by now whenever I pull out my meals my mates ask me what I brought this time. They also remark on how everything I bring smells so good. Well, I can assure you that not only do my meals smell good, but they taste good too.

Soup for the season

This past week I made a batch of Angharad’s curried squash and carrot soup. This sounded like one of those soups I see in stores that I don’t buy because I’d rather make them on my own. I usually don’t end up making them, and I’m just left with a reminder whenever I stumble upon one of those convenient soups. This kind of soup was new to me though. I had never made a soup with summer squash, and I was wondering how well the flavors would hold up. The curry added just enough spice, but didn’t stand alone. I find that curry picks up other flavors, and goes well with so many things. Take tabasco sauce (not a big fan), for instance, it just cuts right through everything–so acidic!

A cup of Colombian hot chocolate aka the best hot chocolate.

Why is this the best? Well, first off it’s made using a chocolate tablet vs. cocoa powder. That automatically makes it tastier. I’m going to tell you how my grandma makes it. First she pours milk (almond for me, please) into a chocolatera (and aluminum pitcher), and brings it to a boil on the stove. She’ll let me skim off the yummy layer that forms on top, which is called nata in Spanish. There is a cake that is tediously made entirely of those delicious layers called postre de natas. After the milk is boiling she puts in the tablet of Colombian chocolate and takes a molinillo (a wooden whisker) to froth the melted chocolate. Then it’s lovingly poured into a cup for whomever is dear to you, that includes yourself! In Colombia it’s typical to let a chunk of queso blanco melt in the cup of rich, frothy hot chocolate.

I think you should try it.

The other day I brought in a non-conventional battery to my class.

This was a for a mini-project for my time-based sculpture class to help us think outside of the box. Food can be fuel, and I remembered reading a recipe in Brendan Brazier’s “Thrive:…” that offered fast energy. I didn’t bother explaining the science behind the dates and coconut oil to my class. Instead I just let them enjoy, which they did! Speaking of energy I have a little challenge for you…

 

Sometimes Things Can Look Like More Than What They Are…

And there can be beauty in that. In a way that’s what makes the seemingly simple and little things stand out. Recently, I’ve been noticing that the food I’ve been putting together has some sort of rustic or “very much like the land” look to it.

Pumpkin pie spice roasted chickpeas, Greek yogurt, banana, dried dates and pineapple.

Dates, hazelnut butter, banana, dates, pumpkin pie space, and raw cacao nibs

A mountainous landscape or just a new combination for my secret oat-bar/muffin recipe: dried apples, dates, dried cranberries, walnuts, cashews, chocolate chips, and a blend of tea masala and pumpkin pie spices.

Notice anything by now?

I don’t know if you noticed it, but I realized that lots of my foods have been resembling landscapes. Perhaps it’s been coming from the time I’ve been spending outside recently. Observing the seasons in their transition phases is always something interesting, and beautiful to witness. And now that my time with technology isn’t as readily-available (laptop situation still up in the air, but thank you to a dear friend of mine for letting me borrow his!), more time has magically appeared for me to enjoy these things.

The other day in my sculpture class, my professor took us on a field-trip (haven’t been on one of those in awhile) to a foundry and an art collectors’ private collection.

I was transported to another era and sometimes what looked like a destroyed city.

Things that look like they’ve just taken in a lot…

Afterwards, we went to the private collection of a very dynamic husband and wife. It was such a refreshing and reminding visit to see people enjoying art on their own time. There are people who support and find beauty in what artists make. Oftentimes, some get caught up in the “joke” of being an artist, and don’t see that it can be a reality. This is sort of random, but as an artist I believe; I have faith that a person can make it. Of course, I also understand that a person can very many different routes. Some sculptors sometimes make those molds you see at dentist’s office. Who knows! Anyway, the thing going on in my life have really gotten me to reflect on the idea of beauty, and what it can bring out in us. I recently went over Confucianism. One of the points brought up was that the human spirit can feel uplifted if surrounded by beautiful things. This can nature, the arts, whatever you may find beautiful. Off the top of my head I find this in nature, fashion, food, art, parallels in our universe, and people. What do you find beauty in?

There's some to be found in the smile that leaves a dinner party with a sweet reminder.

 

Or in the beautiful friend that greets you with a thoughtful bouquet of flowers!

 

Finding beauty in nature that led me to finding a beauty in food.

Toasted hemp seeds with sea salt, pumpkin pie spice, and shredded coconut

And the nice thing is that you don’t have to look too far.

 

There Are Many Things to Admire

Good day to you and Autumn!

My friend (also happens to be my roommate) and I went exploring the other day.

We went to a museum that had been undergoing renovations for many years. Both of us were taken away by the beauty of the Art Noveau pieces. Imagine being completely surrounded in a world where everything around you is breathtaking.

Like these stained glass windows that were built for someone’s home.

On the topic of being surrounded by beautiful things. I’m sure many of you know about Project Food Blog by now. Well, you know what? It didn’t occur to me how many connections I would making with new people! It’s really wonderful. I love that I’ve been able to check out so many other posts, and nod my head in understanding throughout. It always amazes how much people are alike, but sometimes we feel alone or like “no one understands.” Of course there are differences that make us unique, but there are certain things that I like to call “universal truths.” Here are some posts that really struck a chord with me:

Liv is further pursuing her passion for cooking.

Heather has known about her calling in the kitchen since she was a wee one!

I often find myself thinking that me and Lauren share a brain.

Amanda has got these incredible recipes that make me swear that I can taste them already!

Who wouldn’t fall in love with Kelsey?

Liren makes a great point about proudly being an emotional eater.

Gillian’s charm will never fade.

I’m always wishing I could hang out with Lynn when I read her blog.

Sophia has got this gift with words and coming up with awesome recipes!

If you’re a food blogger you’ll definitely relate to Sabrina’s post.

I love Maggie’s embracing vibe.

There are so many more wonderful entries out there, and can click here to check them out.

Let’s continue admiring beautiful things, shall we?

The other day I was in the store, and I bought the rest of the peaches that were left. I felt like I was stealing them! Here I sliced one over some spiced oatmeal, with banana slices, walnuts, chocolate almond butter, and sunflower seed butter. I’ve been missing the crunch of whole nuts! I love nut butters, but sometimes I want some crunch.

Roasted chickpeas for breakfast?

I was inspired by Brittany’s cinnamon roasted chickpea recipe and this roasted chickpea recipe as well. I basically used the spices that Brittany used, tahini, honey, and sea salt. The smell was so wonderful when roasting, and just hard to ignore! I love the coating the tahini gave these chickpeas after roasting. Chickpeas are so versatile; I thought I’d share a link with you that has a bunch of recipes on how to make them in different ways… sweet or savoury! “15 More Ways To Flavor Roasted Chickpeas“

Coincidence! I made pumpkin pie inspired bowl of oats on the first day of autumn.

I cooked the usual oats with pumpkin puree, in the morning I cut up some dates and crystallized ginger cubes. Then I topped it off with the pumpkin pie spiced roasted chickpeas, more almond milk and spices, brown sugar, walnut nut butter, and tahini. Oof this bowl was delicious! I love starting off a new day with yummy things like this.

I made another great recipe from “The Veganomicon”

It’s been awhile since I last cooked a recipe from this book. I had gotten a head of cauliflower at the store with intentions of making a curry, so I went through my cookbooks in search of one. I decided on the Red Lentil Cauliflower Curry, but de-veganized it by using ghee. I just can’t get over how wonderful ghee is! This recipe called for a surprising ingredient: parsnips! Cooking curries is such a great experience since they are so aromatic. So far I’ve served this with basmati rice, sweet potatoes with curry-ketchup (pictured above), and now I’m wanting to try it with naan bread.

The other day I made the best burrito I’ve had in awhile… make that ever!

I prepared some black beans with rice, onions, sweet pickled mango, garlic, sweet pepper jelly, cumin, cinnamon, and ketchup (hey I had no tomatoes on hand!). Topped it with diced avocado, corn, cilantro, and Greek yogurt (or sour cream if you have that).

Got to wrapping.

And with that, I was off to class!

Who knew I could spice up a burrito’s flavor so much? Thank goodness for curiosity because this was indeed the best bean burrito I’ve ever had. What’s something that recently made you wonder and try something new?

p.s. the last day for voting for the first Project Food Blog challenge is tomorrow so make sure to get your votes in! Fingers crossed!

p.s.s. I just had my first critique of the semester for the video I made. You can watch it by clicking this link, and let me know what you think! Thank you.

Not Counting Down the Days

Hello everyone! As I mentioned in my last post, I am back up at school. Although my classes haven’t started yet, I’ve been getting ready for this coming semester. I’ve been having so much fun since being back here. Reconnecting with my friends, and making new ones everyday! Seriously, every day has brought me a new adventure. Anyway, I wanted to talk about how I’ve been doing on my journey to strengthen my liver. I haven’t been doing this for a month quite, but almost! I thought a month sounded like a good amount of time to let my body adjust and do a lot of healing. Does this mean I’m just going to stop after the month has gone by? No, I will continue this, but not so focused on certain foods. While browsing Foodbuzz I stumbled across an interesting article written by RD and writer of  the blog Practical Nutrition, Nour. There was one sentence that really resonated with me: “Enjoy them for the color, taste, aroma, and the whole meal experience, and think less of how they could physiologically affect your body from the inside” I know that recently I’ve been including little tidbits about the various foods I’ve been eating. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with that, but when I’m eating my meal I don’t actually think about those tidbits. When I eat I usually just think of how colorful the food is and the flavors! Everything I’ve been eating has tasted delicious, and that’s something that will never change. After all, isn’t that why people really love food? I’m a creature of introspection–constantly reflecting and observing the world around me and realizing that I’m in it… a part of it. So I choose to live my life as nobly and as compassionately as possible. I care about myself as much as I care about others–and that’s a lot. And isn’t it wonderful that one of the ways I can take care of myself is through food?

Moreover, I’ve got some exciting news to share with you all (more exciting news at the end of the post as well)! I’m sure some of you have heard of Foodbuzz’s Project Food Blog. Since I’m participating, I will be completing the various challenges the judges have come up with. This is going to be so much fun! I hope that you will support me and vote for the entries I submit! I’ll definitely keep you all updated on how it goes down. It would be a dream come true if I became the next food blog star.

The last meal I cooked in Florida.

Sounds dramatic! I decided to cook the red kale loosely using the same recipe that I like to use for other greens. I also made a delicious and aromatic batch of red lentil and date dhal inspired by this recipe, served it over a slighty spicy and spiced sweet potato and butternut squash purée. Once it was served I took a bit of ghee and just let it melt on top.

Rich in flavor and undeniably satisfying.

On my last day in Florida I got to hang out with a good friend of mine that was visiting from Virginia!

We soaked up the South Beach sun and time was of little importance to us. Living in the moment.

Literally overflowing bowl of oats

Overflowing with coconut milk!

First actual night back in Richmond means...

Great food (chili con corn with veggies, provolone, tortilla strips, served over lentils and rice)

And even greater friends!

Even though most of us lead separate lives now, we never forget our friendship.

A feeble attempt at making coconut butter--just wasn't the same.

My meals have been consisting of a lot of green and yellow colors lately--also a failed attempt at molding the rice and lentils.

The yellowness comes from cooking the onions and garlic in turmeric. Remember the wonderful benefits of turmeric? “In both Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicine, it is considered a digestive bitter and a carminative. It can be incorporated into foods, including rice and bean dishes, to improve digestion and reduce gas and bloating. It is a cholagogue, stimulating bile production in the liver and encouraging excretion of bile via the gallbladder.” I’ve even heard that it’s good for alleviating arthritic conditions and menstrual cramps!

Yellow green... green yellow!

Garlic, onions, turmeric, artichoke hearts, kale beans, quinoa, shredded mango chutney and sweet mango pickle, flax oil, and cilantro. Ah yes, I cooked a grain besides rice! You know me, I like to keep things different or else I get bored. I’m a gemini, what can I say?

And can you believe that I found a 2 lb. tub of dates at the Indian store for $4.99?

Talk about a great deal! I’ve been loving them dipped in the “coconut butter” I attempted to make, with other nut butters, in cooking, and just plain! Actually, the other day when I had a friend over I asked if he had ever tried dates before. That night he was introduced to nature’s candy, and it brought a smile to my face when he asked if it was okay if he could have another one. Of course! Who am I to be a hog when I’ve got 2 pounds of dates?

Okay so I wanted to keep this post from bursting at the seams with what I’ve been up to–mission… kind of accomplished. But I have been bursting at the seams! I’ve been very eager to share with you all that I’m hosting a giveaway!!! I haven’t had one on my blog in such a long time. I was contacted by Kroeger Herbs to give you all the opportunity to win a bottle of their Serenity and Healthy Gut herbal combinations. They were kind enough to ask me which of their products I thought you all would benefit from the most. I remembered in one of my past posts that many of you mentioned that unnecessary stress makes its way into your lives, and I also know that many of you also have some tummy issues; so I thought these two products would be great! Now here’s what you have to do to have a chance at winning (yoohoo!):

1. Go to their site and comment on this post telling me something you learned.

Additional entries (don’t forget to comment on this post telling me you did these things):

2. Sign up for their newsletter.

3. Follow them on Facebook.

4. Follow them on Twitter.

Make sure to get your entries in by Friday, August 27. Best of luck everyone!

Things I’ve Been Loving

Baked sweet plantains with sea salt, cinnamon, and coconut oil

Homemade Pecan Butter

I’ve been eating this with dates, oatmeal, sweet potato, bananas, and even carrots!

A beautiful hyacinth

OIAJ with my favorite peanut butter

Tea...

... with crystallized ginger.

Wicked!

Coconut water and dates!

Amy's kitchen goodies!

Note: do not just microwave this! I highly suggest toasting it so it gets a crunchy crust.

Salads!

The warm weather has made me in the mood for delicious salads. I’ve been loving avocado and Drew’s Lemon Goddess dressing in most of them. Dr. Kracker’s crackers have been the perfect sidekicks. The kind folks there contacted me to find out if I’d like to sample and review their crackers. No problem!

Fire Roasted Crisps

These have tart sun-dried tomatoes, sweet potato, and black sesame seeds. They were okay, but I think they could use something salty to give them more flavor; perhaps up the cheddar cheese?

Yum!

The Hummus Maximus crackers were delicious! These are one of my favorites out of the savory flavors. You can even see the seeds! Another interesting thing is that these are made with spelt and chickpea flour.

Homemade smoky chipotle hummus made with avocado oil!

My next post is going to be so exciting! I haven’t told you all, but I am currently hanging out with Liz and her family. We’ve been celebrating her birthday all weekend! So yes, just expect an awesome post hehehe.

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.

I’ve Got Questions; Have You Got Answers?

Wow, March definitely crept up on us… actually this whole year seems to be flying by so far. This just means spring is making its way here sooner! My weekend was spent re-working my sculpture, writing essays and proposals, and squeezing in some much needed hang out time. Also this weekend, some of my friends were playing at a Haiti Benefit house show–DIY style! My Monday actually started out on a strange note; when I awoke I was greeted to the sight of swollen face… well the right side anyhow. Since I wanted to get that checked out by a doctor right away I had to miss my make-up critique, but I’m not stressing out about it. Health comes before school!

Nom nom--cheers to that!

Betty Lou’s Apricot Fruit Bar Pie = deliciously sweet and tangy, especially crumbled over yogurt, caramelized banana slices, and Sunland’s caramel peanut butter. I love how crumbling the bar makes it really resemble a pie of sorts. That morning’s breakfast’s  “placemat” was an old magazine I was flipping through. While browsing, I stumbled across an interesting article that stressed the importance of eating throughout the day to keep energy levels up. I think most of food bloggers are into the habit of eating every few hours, but it seems that most people don’t. Lots of times I overhear people say that they haven’t eaten all day or since breakfast, and I wonder if they’re totally exaggerating or if they’re zombies. My body’s hunger cues chime in like clockwork, or sometimes even earlier. Lately, I find that my body is requiring even more than before. Am I turning into a boy? Hehe! Anyway, if my belly calls for something earlier than usual than I’ll have a snack to hold me over, and the hunger usually comes back around my usual mealtimes anyway. Works like a charm!

Actually, this brings me to a question I have for all of you: What are some savory snack ideas, and what are some of your favorite filling snacks?

Some dried fruits I've been enjoying: mangos, cranberries, and figs!

Now that my schedule has gotten even busier, more on-the-go meals have been had.

Usually, I don’t care for leftovers, but now they are a blessing. I get to enjoy home-cooked food on the go! I packed a bunch of steamed kale, sweet potato with cinnamon, a cute little jar filled with coconut butter for the potato, and the butternut squash casserole. I also packed a Cranberry Apple Boomi Bar (reminded me of how delicious autumn tastes). I actually got in trouble for eating in class; is it my fault I came prepared?  Just kidding! Anywho, this new class is during one of my usual mealtimes and I don’t like to wait to the point where I’m starving. My hunger escalates pretty quickly so I’m hoping I won’t get in trouble for bringing a more snacky-looking meal. I’m thinking Greek yogurt, a dense bar, and some fruit/veggies. It presents to be an issue on Tuesdays because I literally have a class right after. I’m open to any ideas you all have!

MORE PIE!

This time around I tried the Betty Lou’s Blueberry Fruit Bar. I had this with yogurt, banana slices, and warmed up cashew butter. Holy yum! Now I’ve officially tried all their fruit bar flavors, and I must say that I was truly pleased with every single one of them. I don’t know how they managed to make them gluten-free and taste like a yummy slice of pie, but they did. If you look into their products you will see how many allergies they take into consideration; they take people into consideration. I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with one of Betty Lou’s sons and I can tell he has a genuine passion for life, family, health, and people; and yes, Betty Lou is a real person and also seems to have a zest for life from what I’ve heard. Companies like this are hard to find, but when I do, I definitely stand behind them!

My new cheese mistress, Fontina, makes her debut.

And she went all out! Dare I say, I think this may be the best pizza I’ve ever had. The thick crust the focaccia gave it reminded me of Sicilian pizza–so good!

Melted over the last of my homemade focaccia, tomato sauce, tomato slices, caramelized onions and butternut squash, and cracked pepper.

I've been putting my hemp protein powder to good use!

I decided to try a recipe that was actually written on the bag: berries, banana (I opted for the fruits to be frozen), milk (whichever you prefer), and the hemp protein powder of course. I’ve already repeated this recipe, and feel free to change up the fruits if you wish (but I suggest keeping the banana). Anyone have any hemp protein powder recipes they’d like to share?

While browsing through Ayurvedic recipes I stumbled upon this little charm...

Date + ginger powder + almond. I’ve also tried this combo with cashew butter, and I highly suggest you try it! When I was reading on Ayurveda, I stumbled upon a very interesting article that I thought was worth sharing: “The Spirit of Cooking”. I agree with a lot of points Harish Johari brought up, and I was introduced to new information as well: “if it weren’t for spices, America might never have been discovered.”

I’ve got quite a few things to look forward to this month: the fashion show coming up on Saturday, my mom is flying into town on Friday. I’m also taking a road trip with one of my best friends down to Florida for spring break. Then at the end of the month I’m going to see Wicked! I hope March has been treating you all well so far!