Drum Roll Please

My oh my! Things have been pretty busy for me lately, and all I want to do is take a nap. Just one, please. I actually fell asleep in class the other day while we were sitting at the conference table. Oops! Atleast I had my head up, right? Anyway, I’ve been meaning to do this for quite some time now, and I finally got around to making one… a review page! You can check it out at the top of my blog or just click here. I have a couple of exciting new ones I’ll be sharing with you all soon!

Now what has this busy lady been up to in the kitchen?

Chickpea burger served in a pita bread.

To go with the chickpea burger I stuffed the pita bread with baby spinach, avocado, cherry tomatoes, onion jam, and BBQ sauce.

Nom nom nom!

I like to make batches of things that are easy to take with me, and that are tasty as well! Whether it’s vegetarian burgers, noodle dishes, or pasta bakes. CHOW is a great site to find recipes. I know some of you have asked some of my favorite places to get recipes, and that is one of them. Epicurious, The Post Punk Kitchen, VegWeb, and of course fellow bloggers have great recipes up their sleeves as well. Most of the time I’ll look up a single ingredient and I’ll stumble upon great recipes that way. Anyone have any favorite recipes for when you’re on-the-go you’d like to share?

Oh and that onion jam I mentioned above?

I finally got around to making some! Not quite as “jammy”, but it sure adds lots of a flavor! Onion jam is a must-have condiment if you like sandwiches. It makes things extra-special.

Banana-Cashew Balls

I saw this recipe on Susan’s blog, and I must say that these were mighty tasty!

I liked how these tasted different from the usual “ball” recipes out there.

The banana pulp gave so much flavor, and the oats made it this taste so comforting. I felt like I was eating yummy baby food. Just give me a blankie and a bottle, and I’d be good to go… take a nap.

Vegan Fudge Love

When Katie shared her tasty recipe for chocolate fudge I knew I had to make it! Each ingredient is something I would eat on its own, or mixed with something else (cocoa powder and cinnamon alone… no thank you). Since I didn’t have coconut butter on hand I just made some. All of the flavors were able to shine through, so if you like the ingredients then go ahead and try to make it. Just the thought of making my own fudge made me happy. The flavor possibilities are endless, and Katie knows that too!

Speaking of love… on Valentine’s Day I woke up to this sweet gift my roommate left for me.

Later that day we planned to have a Valentine’s Day dinner date.

I thought that would be a nice time to try out Buitoni’s Pasta Riserva.

As part of the Tastemaker’s Program I was given the chance, through Foodbuzz and Buitoni, to try out Buitoni’s Riserva line. The wild mushroom agnolotti ravioli sounded like something I’d really enjoy. Stuffed pastas are my favorite!

Dinner is served!

To go with the ravioli I made Giada’s balsamic brown butter sauce, and served it with sautéed peas, lacinto kale, toasted walnuts, and grated blend of three cheeses.

My lovely date.

Why hello there!

Emily’s father has a vineyard and started bottling his own wine–cheers to scuppernongs!

Mmm ravioli!

The raviolis were huge, and actually quite flavorful. I wanted to keep the accompanying sauce simple so I could really get a taste of what I was eating. It was simple, but I think it complimented the pasta very well. It was earthy, but didn’t taste like dirt! Something my teeth could sink into, and that I could chew on forever. Emily agreed! Verdict? Delicious! Now how’s that for fast, convenient, and tasty ?

During the few days of warm weather I had tacos!

I filled them with black beans cooked with spices and onions, goat cheese, Trader Joe’s tomato-less salsa, avocado slices, lettuce, and lime juice. Warm weather… please stay! I love soups and all, but lately I’ve been craving lots of fresh foods like salads, juicy peaches, and cold sandwiches.

A flavor of Kombucha I hadn’t tried before.

Notice the 99-cent price tag. My parents live near a discount health-food store, and they brought up a bottle for me when they came to visit. If only there were more discount health-food stores in the world… Sometimes it annoys me how organic or all-natural things can be overpriced. It’s funny because these things are just reverting to the good old-fashioned way of doing things.

Another refreshing meal enjoyed on an unusually warm day.

I’ve forgotten how wonderful pasta salads are. I used the rest of my box of mini farfalle to make Kristin’s farfalle with broccoli and feta. I threw in some cherry tomatoes for a burst of more flavor. Serving this with extra olive oil drizzled on top really does something wonderful to this dish. When does an extra drizzling not do that?

So now is the time to announce a couple of winners!

First up, the winner of the Farm Rich & Gardein vouchers + a special surprise giveaway is the very thoughtful Lindsay! And now the winner of the Three Sisters Cereal giveaway is… the lovely Eloise! Congratulations to the both of you! Just e-mail me your addresses and your prizes await you.

Much love to everyone!

Hello, Hallo, Hola!

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

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

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

A live update! With Matilda and some hot chocolate.

Now let’s rerererewind!

Awhile ago I had received a mysteriously large shipment…

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

Toast for breakfast, capital idea!

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

Now in sandwich form.

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

Around that time I also made some vegan parsley pesto.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Perfect for a lady!

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

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

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

On the Topic of Food and Blogging

Hi everyone! Remember when I mentioned that I would be participating in Foodbuzz’s Project Food Blog challenge? Well, the time has arrived! The first challenge is to make a post about what defines me as a food blogger, and why I have what it takes to be the next food blog star.

Where to start? I’m a foodie because I find myself frequently mentioning how wonderful food can be throughout the day. Food is truly nourishing for the mind, body, and soul. I am a food blogger because I love sharing that same appreciation with people all around the world. Actually, because of blogging I’ve had the honor of having a friend’s mother’s secret baked ziti recipe passed down to me! As a food blogger I’m constantly being introduced to new ways of trying and preparing what I eat. Sometimes I’ll include a goofy step by step tutorial on how to enjoy some of the delicious things I’ve stumbled upon. Moreover, the artist inside of me flourishes when it comes to making magic in the kitchen. Looking back on my posts I can definitely see that I pay attention to the way things look. I firmly believe that we eat with our eyes first. When you go out to eat, doesn’t the meal just seem that much better when it’s presented well? I figure that I don’t have to go to a restaurant to feast on food that looks nice; I can do that myself! And you bet I’ll be taking a picture of it!

As far as having what it takes to be the next food blog star… I can try to express how my heart and eyes light up at the mention of this coveted title! Part of the reason I blog is because I care. Some readers have expressed to me that my blog has the ability to put them at ease or given them inspiration; these things alone remind me why blogging makes me happy. Each post is a piece of me, and when someone can sense my spirit through my words and pictures, well I’ve done my part. Also, since I am a conscious eater, I like to inform myself and others of observations, philosophies, and other useful information that I’ve found. I enjoy giving my readers “food for thought”, and vice versa. As people we learn something new everyday, right? Which brings me to another reason. I have this… illuminated curiosity that leads my taste buds to uncharted territories. Picture a young lady sitting at the table with countless ingredients out, taste-testing different flavor combinations. My journey with food has sparked some exciting culinary experiments, strange but delicious combinations, and recently using food to heal. No matter what though I never feel alone on my food adventures because I get to share them with you all!

Bagels for breakfast!

One half of the bagel was topped with tahini + honey, and the other had ghee + fig preserves. Both were sprinkled with cinnamon, naturally! May I also mention that these multi-grain bagels from Rudi’s Organic Bakery were so yummy? Okay, good because they were!

I also enjoyed some fresh figs and dates with Greek yogurt and cinnamon

More comfort food!

I made a spiced red lentil dhal, served over a sweet potato with ghee. On the side I stir-fried some red cabbage and yellow onions, then threw in some mango chutney and fresh thyme.

I also recently tried out a new-to-me Coconut Bliss flavor, Pineapple Coconut.

You can tell by my face that me and this pint are up to no good, mwahaha! Well, that is if being bad means not sharing. I still can’t get over how Coconut Bliss gets their dairy-free ice cream to be so creamy!

I made a granola the other day–inspired by two beauties.

After seeing Averie’s granola re-created in Kristie’s post, I felt compelled to finally make some! I haven’t made my own batch in awhile, and I had been craving granola for a couple of weeks. I knew that buying just any old granola wouldn’t satisfy me though. Does anyone else have that problem? It’s not that I’m a picky-eater, I just know what I want. And sometimes what I want cannot be found in stores. Anyway, on Averie’s recipe page I saw Bekah’s recipe for her Coconut Chia Granola. I actually had the pleasure of tasting this before, since this lovely lady sent me a delicious batch she made herself! Looking at the two recipes had my mouth watering, and I knew that I just had to combine them. Especially since I had just won a big of chia seeds from one of Averie’s amazing giveaways!

Best of Both Worlds Granola

3 cups old-fashioned oats

2/3 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

1/4 cup pumpkin seed butter, or nut butter of choice

1/4 cup almond oil

1/2 cup brown sugar, or preferred sweetener

1 tsp vanilla extract

Cinnamon, to taste

2 tbl chia seeds

1. Melt the nut butter and brown sugar on the stove using a heavy-bottom pan. Turn the heat off.

2. Mix in the oil, coconut flakes, chia seeds, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Then add the oats.

3. Bake at 375 F for 25-30 minutes. I periodically tossed the granola around while it was baking to keep it from burning.

Check out the clusters!

I’ve been enjoying this plain, with yogurt, sprinkled over my oatmeal, and even almond milk. And on that delicious note…

Being in the kitchen can be fun!

Remember, voting opens at  6 AM Pacific Time, September 20th through 6 PM Pacific Time September 23rd. My profile can be found here! And don’t worry, I’ll definitely be reminding you all to vote hehe. It’ll be like leaving milk and cookies out for Santa to make sure I get some presents!

At the Top of Your Game

I’m glad to see that so many are in the same boat as me! That’s one of the reasons why I love keeping up with my blog and others as well. It’s helped me realize even more how we are all human! We have more in common than what meets the eye.

My beautiful friend came over for a special dinner on Friday.

While we were talking about being a single young woman, the World Cup, and whatever random things popped into our heads…

I was cutting the vegetables.

We were taste-testers that night!

Courtesy of Foodbuzz and Buitoni! I love pasta, especially anything stuffed like ravioli, tortellini, and cannelloni. I went to the grocery store and traded my voucher in for the four cheese & spinach ravioli with tomato basil sauce. Sounds appetizing doesn’t it?

Before you knew it, dinner was served.

Ze pasta.

I bulked it up with veggies and garnished it with some fresh basil.

Yummm

The verdict? I was actually pretty satisfied with the taste! I loved the cheesiness–I could actually taste the different cheeses–and the large raviolis!. The sauce could’ve been a little thicker though and I did add some salt and pepper to it, but I tend to do that anyway. I would definitely recommend this if you like pasta and find yourself sometimes pressed for time. A warning though! It is on the pricey side, or maybe I’m just not used to buying frozen meals? When I went to Buitoni’s website I found a coupon so that helps out! One day I want to make my own stuffed pasta! And my friend was satisfied as well! She’s a pasta lover like me, and it was so much fun to partake in this taste-testing adventure together.

We made an impromptu decision to go the movies--it was starting in five minutes!

This is what happens when I ask "Mom, can you take a picture of us?" Action-shot!

We wanted to watch “Grown-Ups” but it was already sold out, so we decided on “Knight and Day”. It was actually a pretty funny movie and I realized that I hadn’t seen an action movie in a long time! Within the first action scene I couldn’t help but burst out, “WHOA!!! OH MY GOSH!” I definitely laughed out loud at some of the one-liners and cheesiness in the movie. I love feel-good movies. Who doesn’t?

When we got home from the movies we formed an ice cream brigade.

Aye aye captain, more Coconut Bliss in my life! And you know what? Everyone loved it! I’m pretty sure my mom has been mentioning it everyday. The other day we went for a nighttime stroll along the beach and as we started heading back home she mentioned that she wanted ice cream. I pointed out the ice cream shop right across the street and she said, “no I want the coconut one we had the other day!” I sadly had to break the news to her that we didn’t have anymore. I think Luna and Larry’s creation is going to be a new staple in our household.

The next day I pulled out a delicious surprise!

My dad went for his long run on the beach and stopped by the German bakery. Usually he brings back a yummy loaf of freshly baked bread or maybe some German chocolates… but that day he brought back a bag of brötchen!!! You don’t know how happy this made my family. We so dearly miss going to the bakery first thing in the morning and picking up a variety of fresh bread rolls. No bread rolls in the world can top the beloved brötchen. I don’t care what anyone says haha! We could come back from the bakery and lay out a spread of toppings for our bread. Deli slices, cheeses, butter, cream cheese, marmalades, fruits, tomato slices, herbs… the works! Just sit down at the table, grab your roll from the basket, and enjoy to your heart’s content.

Remember the curried sweet potato and tofu dish I made?

Well I made it again, and this time my parents got to try it as well. That time around it was more satisfying because someone besides myself enjoyed it as well.

Brötchen!!!

And my dad made a delicious salad to go with the meal!

With baby spinach, tiny but incredibly flavorful bell peppers, avocado, baby mango (extra sweet!), cherry tomatoes, onion, and olive oil.

Germany getting third place...

My mom ran over to get my camera to take a picture of the television hahaha! They are great team full of young players, so I hope that in four years they’ll be the best! World-Class. Then I started to think about how these top soccer players must feel. On top of the world, and like nothing can bring them down? I would! But you know what? The great thing is that I think most of us have those moments from time to time. Those moments where everything just seems right in the world, and you couldn’t care for anything else except the now. Fill in the blank: I am a world-class ___________. Let’s see… I’m a world-class always-smiling-creative extraordinaire!

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?

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!