Catching a Breath

I have been a busy busy girl lately! So let’s jump right in!

Smoky Chipotle and Roasted Red-Pepper Hummus

An interesting mix: Kale, Potato, Tofurky Kielbasa, tomato, and cilantro

When I was frying the potatoes I thought my mom had given me the Bratkartofeln seasoning, but then I realized it seemed different. She had actually given me a salad seasoning! So I decided to throw in some other spices like curry and mustard.

Then my friend picked me up and we headed to the new two-story XXI!

We spent hours in that store and here are some things I tried on…

A pretty one-shoulder top

Super cute skirt alert!

Then we finally got home and got ready for a night of dancing!

Crazy girls on the loose!

We met up at our friend’s place for some honey wine and then headed out. The place had a ridiculous line that actually went around the block so we decided to go somewhere else. Just going with flow! Who knows what the night could behold.

I stayed over my friend's place and he dropped me off in the morning and as a thank you I made breakfast: baked oatmeal!!!

I don’t think he’d ever had anything like it before.

I pretty much spent my Saturday cleaning and baking.

I made April’s famous bread. Whenever I see it on her blog I always think about how good it looks! I didn’t have flaxseed however, but she said protein powder would work as a substitution. So I made a protein powder blend of: chocolate, vanila, and hemp. So moist and yummy!

Enjoyed with coconut oil, granola, almonds, and soymilk.

And with coconut oil and Almond and Date Creme (look at the whole almond on the left!)

Dinnah time!

Take notes when I tell you what I did with the veggies. I boiled the kale, roasted the butternut squash with cinnamon and cracked black pepper. Then I sauteed some red onion and mixed the veggies together. For the finishing touch I drizzled on some Apple & Maple syrup and sprinkled on some sunflower seeds. I also got to try another flavor of Popchips. That time around I tried the salt and pepper potato chips–yum! I really liked the little kick the pepper gave it. Definitely not lacking in flavor. I’d also like to report that the sour cream & onion Popchips are my favorite and the runner up is the cheddar! I was disappointed with the barbeque flavor though. I also tried the parmesan & garlic which was interesting but I think it could’ve been kicked up a knotch.

Then I got dressed up to go to a "dress up as your favorite decade" ska show.

Actually, Saturday night involved lots of good music. First I went to some friends’ house show and I was left in a trance because of how dreamy all the music was. Then I went to the themed ska show and got funky! Not only did I get funky but they also held a “Best Costume” contest. Whoa! Unexpected but I just went up stage and brought out my inner old Hollywood glam-girl. Guess who got the crowd roaring and ended up winning? It felt so awesome being on stage and listening to everyone really loving it! So much fun.

Diamonds are a girls best friend.

I wore some vintage clip-on earrings given to me by the boutique's storeowner back when I was in 10th grade.

I was going for the glamorous days of the 1940's.

And a little sneak-peak of the future--black polish.

Continuing on... honeydew melon and pomegranate arils are so refreshing.

Winning sandwich combo + roasted butternut squash tossed in coconut oil, pumpkin pie spice, and brown sugar

Sandwich: Smoky Chipotle and Roasted Red-pepper hummus + avocado-yogurt & cumin + tomato + red onion + cilantro

Breakfast for dinner

I made a bowl of “carrot cake” cream of wheat + dates + crushed cookie + pecans + coconut oil

Thank goodness for these on busy school days!

I tried a new Probar I picked up while I was in Florida–knew these would come in handy. I hadn’t tried Art’s Original Blend before, but I will definitely be trying it again and again. I love biting into Probars because they are so chewy and dense with chunky ingredients. I mean… check out that jumbo carob chip! A blend of some seriously yummy things, how could one go wrong?

Funky town sandwich: pumpkin seed butter + honey and the other slice smeared with preserves.

Many sandwiches have been had over these past couple of days, but I'm not complaining.

This particular one stands out though because I used roasted butternut squash (tossed in coconut oil and spices) + Sunland’s caramel peanut butter + a bit of cottage cheese. I highly advise you try this ASAP. I think any nut butter will work, so no worries if you don’t have a specific one on hand. In fact, I plan on trying this out with cashew butter next!

Phew! Okay so that was a lot. Today was my sculpture class’s first critique and I plan on posting the video I made on the internet soon. I’ll let you guys know when I do that! Moreover, tonight I went to a model call for a runway show that will showcase local talents and what not at a local art gallery. Oh! I also had my first Seminar in Hinduism class. I’ve always been really interested in Indian culture and I know religion is a very big part of it. Last semester I took a Taoism class and loved it; now I’ll be learning about Hinduism. I think it’s important to introduce oneself to new ideas because you never know what you could be missing out on. Life–for me–is a journey that also involves spirituality and it’s something that I really enjoy expanding upon. It helps me feel more alive.

Even Artichokes Have Hearts

Awhile back I was contacted to review a new ProBar product. Have you all ever heard of their fruition bars? These bars aren’t a whole meal replacement bar like the original ProBars, but they make a perfect little snack.

fruition!

Peach – The first flavor I tasted on my tongue was the peach. M’mm good!

Blueberry – I love blueberries! And this reminded me of a chewy version of a blueberry muffin.

Cran-Raspberry – This bar was slightly tart from the cranberries but it was still sweet as well.

Strawberry – This one was my favorite! It kind of reminded me Nutri-grain bar but without the weird slimy filling – it was actually way better!

Moreover, you could tell these bars were made with real fruits and not artificial flavoring. All of these bars had a yummy chewy texture and they didn’t crumble everywhere. I loved that! The chewiness meant that the goodness just lasted a little longer.

Strawberry was my favorite!

Here is some more information from their website:

-Two servings of fruit in every bar-

-Snack Size: 160 calories per bar-

-4 grams of fiber, 2 grams of fat-

-Certified Organic by QAI-

-Dense with antioxidants and Omegas from Chia Seeds-

Another Chef Tal Ronnen recipe... Hmm what could it be?

Grilled artichoke with Caesar dressing

Why hello there!

The Caesar dressing was so easy to make and incredibly delicious! I think a lot of the flavor came from the addition of capers. Eating the artichoke was so much fun! It’s about as time consuming as eating a pomegranate. And what’s that on the other plate? Well I decided to make something from another great cookbook of mine – The Accidental Vegetarian.

Pumpkin Enchiladas with Mole sauce

The recipe is actually available online over here. Let me tell you though… grinding up the chillies, coriander seeds, sesame seeds, almonds, peppercorns and cloves emitted this heavenly smell. This was such a great lunch. I felt like some eccentric foodie having a delicious lunch for one. Maybe I am?

Breakfast time!

I tried another Udi’s granola out this morning. Sorry Liz, I didn’t go with your pick but I will tomorrow because I found something today that’ll go along perfectly with the cranberry flavor. Okay so what flavor was I just so eager to try this morning? I tried the Hawaiian flavor “with ginger-toasted macadamias, pineapple, and coconut, you can feel the warm sunshine in each bite.” I had it over vanilla yogurt + banana + and drizzled with rich and creamy coconut milk. This was the bomb.com! Oh my gosh biting into pineapple and coconut bits THEN toasted macadamias. Iar just now realized that they were ginger-toasted! This made me think of my girl, Maya over in Hawaii. By the way she recently completed an amazing marathon!

I went to Target and I FINALLY found this holiday flavors.

I’ve seen them on some of your blogs and I wouldn’t have known about these if it weren’t for you guys! I was so happy and I carried them all in my arms like a baby to the cashier.

Not your average PB&J

So remember how I said that Sunland’s Dark Chocolate Peanut butter was lacking in the peanut flavor? Well I must’ve not had a big enough spoonful because today I made a sandwich and scooped on 2 gigantic spoonfuls of this stuff on some toast. Then I microwaved it to get it a bit gooey. I licked the spoon clean and my tastebuds were awakened! What was I thinking the other day? This was so good. I decided to extend chocolate-covered day over into today and I spread some of the strawberry jam Holly had sent to me on the other slice of toast. This was like having a chocolate-covered strawberry sandwich + peanut butter! Can I get a witness?

I also tried the Sugar Cookie yogurt.

It really just tasted like vanilla yogurt though. Meh. But the other flavors actually sound better so I’m keeping my fingers crossed!

Also, since it’s the season of giving I thought I’d mention that Holly has been trying to raise money to build a well for a village in Cambodia. I’m so glad that my belief that people are good is confirmed everyday and we are so blessed! You can check out the  charity over here. The goal is almost reached! So if you can help out in anyway, even just spreading the word – because you never know who can stumble upon this – will help!

To go along with my last post I found a link that I hope all will enjoy! So check it out – Recipe Inspiration. I hope you all make the most of your weekend be it relaxing to the max or partying it up day and night! Just remember John Lennon’s words, “time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted.”

Peek-a-boo

These past few days have been filled with so much excitement and inspiration. Art Basel really left me feeling like a changed person! Wow, I have never been around so much eye candy in my life. Not to mention, the people watching was incredible. I saw this couple waiting in the women’s line for the restroom fixing their outfits:

Apparently they do this every year. (the picture is from a past Art Basel)

So many people were walking pieces of art themselves. I also had other moments which didn’t quite feel real. Sidenote: Val Kilmer looks totally different now!

Okay, so I will do my best to catch you up!

I tried the Lemon Poppyseed Heart Thrive that morning. The last one of the bunch that was graciously sent to me. I saved it for last because many of you told me it’s your favorite. I really wasn’t too keen on the flavor of this one – it had an odd soapy after-taste. I had this with vanilla Greek yogurt, ginger syrup, pineapple tidbits, and cashew butter. Overall, I enjoyed these vegan suncakes. My favorites were: Cranberry, Chocolate Chip, and Raisin! And don’t forget, if you order them online you can mention my blog. They also have a section of the site that has serving suggestions. (Cream cheese + brown sugar over a warm Heart Thrive = yumm!)

Sandweech!

Goat cheese with dried cranberries and toasted pine nuts

I finally arrived in Florida close to 11 pm. It was nice to just relax and talk in the kitchen with my mom, while fulfilling my duty and finishing the pint of vanilla bean ice cream with amaretto. The next morning I woke up and I realized my window was open all night. I had to smile to myself that this can happen in December. I went into the most spacious room in the house and did some yoga. Then I had…

One of my favorite cereals!

I love the Kashi GoLean Crunch! I haven’t tried the honey almond flax flavor (love it). I think bananas are the perfect fruit for this cereal. Along with some rose green tea and I’m set to go!

I packed a sandwich for my dad

Incredible Vermont Cheddar, tomato, and horseradish sauce. It was just missing some green, even cilantro.

Lunch and snack for me

Inside the wrap: crunchy peanut butter, apricot marmalade, and Asian pear slices. I also had a lentil soup with some bread for dipping.

Ready to go to Art Basel!

On the way down there

Art Basel Miami Beach 2009

I actually had to check my camera in because they weren’t allowed. Don’t worry though, I eventually my camera went undetected through security mwahaha!

The Garden Cafe

The first day I was overwhelmed and left with a high! So much incredible art, who can help but be left with a glorious dizzy spell.

More of my favorite cereal

I sprinkled on a medley of nuts: pistachios, pecans, cashews, and almonds. On the side I had a bowl of yogurt with kiwi and the most delicious papaya I’ve ever tasted. Organic and straight from the papaya tree my parents have been growing in the backyard!

Another packed lunch

I made myself a similar sandwich to my dad’s from the day before. Tomato slices, Vermont cheddar with cracked black pepper, horseradish sauce, and olive tapenade. I usually don’t like olives but this particular tapenade is the exception. I also made some rotkohl with chunky spiced apple sauce and coconut oil.

Day 2!

I totally lost track of the time…

But I made it for dinner!

My mom boiled sweet potatoes; good thinking! I topped mine with coconut oil, cinnamon, and pineapple bits. I also had some more Vermont cheddar, tomato, avocado, and leftover rotkohl.

It was a Friday night so you know what that meant…

A long night of dancing in Miami!

I’ll be seeing more of this lady in a week!

Soul sister!

I got home very late, but I woke up early and eager for my third day attending Art Basel. This time I was going with my parents and a family friend. It was nice to view all the artwork alone for the first couple of days, but I found myself wishing I had someone to discuss things with. So on Saturday I was blessed with the gift of gab! But before all that happened, breakfast had to be eaten.

Can’t get enough

And can’t get enough sandwiches with this cheese!

Avocado, Vermont cheddar + cracked black pepper, tomato slices, and horseradish sauce. I also made a teriyaki stir-fry with yellow squash and snowpeas.

My mom can make oatmeal look yummy when it’s cooking!

Sneaking in my camera was a success on day 3! I took so many pictures of the art, so I’ve decided that I will be spreading them out over the next couple of posts. Seeing this stuff in person is mind-blowing.

Close-up of a painting – these were in relief

Everything seemed to be suspended

Perfect for an on-the-go snack!

The strawberry Fruition bar is my favorite flavor from the new ProBar line.

Two gorgeous women!

The bistro was packed!

My dad, Paula, and my mom!

So much art!

After 6 + hours of walking around and taking everything in, we headed over to Lincoln Road Mall for some dinner. We went to a couple shops, but before we had dinner we had to make a pit stop…

Ghirardelli!

Giving out peppermint bark - can you hear the sleigh bells?

It was funny because I saw they had peppermint bark when I looked at their ad outside. Right after that thought my mom’s friend announced they were giving out samples of it. I squealed with excitement!!!

We went to a Cuban restaurant

We decided to go to Yuca, we had passed it many times and it always seemed to draw the crowd in. Come here on a Friday night and you get a night of salsa dancing!

Lovely ladies!

I love this picture of us!

Warm bread with a sweet garlic butter

Ravioli Yucalotti

“Homemade spinach and ricotta ravioli with a cream of black bean, and infused with goat cheese” This was so delicious! I just realized I forgot to take a picture of dessert. But I’ll tell you what it was. A Tres Leches de Turron: “‘A yuca original’ sponge cake with Spanish ‘Turrón de Jijona’,  served with our homemade guava cream cheese ice cream” So good! The sponge cake tasted like a meringue.

I decided to spend my last night in Florida just relaxing because I had to take up at 4 am to catch my flight back up to Richmond. I only have a few exams left and then I go back to Florida on Friday. The sunshine is waiting for me, and I’ll be sure to share it all with you. I have so many things to look forward to in these upcoming weeks.

What exciting things do you all anticipate? Can you believe 2009 is almost over?

Busy as a Bee

Hello everyone! This week turned out to be a good week to not have a computer aka distraction. I have spent the past few days literally being on the go from the moment I wake up till I pass out at night reading my books for school. However, there were some quick breaks where I could quickly read some posts on my iPhone. I always feel weird using my iPhone for internet purposes though… it’s a tiny computer!

Anyway, moving on.

Busy Tuesdays!

Last week I received a package from 18 Rabbits for me to review their granola bars. Perfect for my Tuesdays because I don’t have time to make breakfast. I didn’t realize how red everything was! So let’s get to the review shall we? This is how a granola bar is suppose to taste. It seemed there was no skimping on anything when making this bar, and it was just sweet enough. I tried the Cheeky Cherry Chocolate bar. I loved the plump dried cherries, but I couldn’t really taste the chocolate. Nonetheless, this was the best granola bar I’ve had in maybe ever? I could easily crumble this over some yogurt and enjoy every bite.

Then I got dressed and excited about my outfit!

You ever have those days where your outfit is just perfect and you want to run a billion errands because the world needs to know how cool you are? I wore these shoes I found, they’re actually Timberland boys’ shoes. So they’re not as clunky as the popular ones.

They look a bit like these except more muted.

Then I had a two hour break in between my class and got some groceries. Sometimes I go to the salad bar when I want produce but not too much of it. Afterall, I’m only grocery shopping for one.

Feta cheese, roasted red peppers, and artichoke hearts.

I had to gather materials for my sculpture, and that involved looking for big branches. I knew the perfect place.

The great outdoors.

I thought I'd share some of my coolness with Matilda.

She's so elegant!

My baby is growing up.

I brought a little snack with me.

I’m sure you’ve all heard of the vegan energy bars, Heart Thrive. I had packed the apricot flavor and I was eager to try it! Especially after hearing all the rave reviews. What’d I think? I loved the texture and how it wasn’t sticky at all, but it was a bit dry. It was also nice to bite into bits of dried fruit which made it extra chewy. Oh and if you guys are interested in ordering them don’t forget to mention my blog! I can’t wait to try the other flavors.

Since they're vegan I felt safe sharing some with Matilda.

Dinner time!

I sautéed the rest of my kale in sesame oil and sprinkled on some toasted sesame seeds afterwards. I’m loving the sautéed kale! I also made an award-winning sandwich that night. A Veggie Stuffed Hummus Sandwich; This is Brittany’s, a fellow Richmond blogger and sweetheart, creation. This is the recipe that got her spot in the last Foodbuzz Festival in San Francisco!

And I got to taste why it was a winner!

Wednesday's breakfast...

I made a vanilla protein shake and sprinkled some cinnamon on top. I also added in a sliced banana and an apricot Heart Thrive. I decided to spread some coconut oil on the Heart Thrive this time and it made it deliciously moist.

A little something special. I decided to wear a vintage brooch that day.

I met up with one of my best friends for lunch that day.

I’d been at the European Market once to eat, and many time to just browse their gourmet market. I’m going to give you all a link to their menu because I have a feeling you will be inspired by their sandwiches. Here you go! Yeah they’ve got sandwiches with combinations like turkey, apple, fig jam & Teleggio cheese with aioli on baguette (can easily be adapted for vegetarians).

Check out the chocolates!

Neela they have Milka und Kinderschokoladen! They also had Rittersport and Marzipan for my favorite twins. I know Katie would love this too! Actually, who wouldn’t? Germans make the best chocolate in my opinion.

They also have many wines and beers.

She also had a cute little vintage strawberry brooch!

I ordered the Spanish Garden Sandwich and a house salad.

The sandwich had zucchini, eggplant, tomato, fresh basil, greens & idiazabal cheese on ciabatta. I never had idiazabal cheese before but it reminded me of manchego and the man at the market said it comes from the same area.

And she ordered the Arc de Triumph with a side of Butternut Squash & Apple Curry.

That sandwich consisted of roasted turkey, brie & bacon on baguette with aioli. I’m glad she’s one of my best friends because I did not hesitate to ask if I could try the curry. Yum!!! What a great lunch to have before I headed to my Literature class.

Then my day got even better!

The incredible Holly sent me a package full of Wisconsin goodness! She also wrote me an incredibly sweet letter. Thank you so much Holly. You have no idea how excited I was when I saw this package sitting in all it’s glory on my kitchen counter… just waiting for me! The goods? Apple grahams, a medley jam, cashew Christmas gourmet toffee, and homemade vegan pumpkin molasses cookies. This little lady rules!

Oo a new bar to try out.

Someone at ProBar had contacted me asking if I wanted to try out their new line of bars called Fruition. Of course! I love ProBars, so why not? Can you believe each bar packs in 2 servings of fruit? Here’s a little more info on the bars from their site.

“fruition™ is the latest addition to the PROBAR family. This fruit-based, superfood snack bar is designed to be satisfying on-the-go without the extra fat and calories. fruition is the marriage of dates, oats, chia seeds and cashews in 4 mouth-watering real fruit flavors. With superb fruit flavors, robust texture and blend of organic ingredients, fruition is Simply Real.”

So this was the Strawberry flavor. I really enjoyed the taste. It reminded me of a NutriGrain bar but not as dry and a bit denser in flavor.

Well ladies and gentlemen, that’s it for this post! I’ve got something fun in store for you all in the next one. Let’s just say there’s going to be a bit more life to it. I hope you all had a great week. Do any of you have anything planned for the weekend??

Change of Pace

I’m going to rewind on my eats a bit because I’ve been skipping around. Remember that pumpkin & lentil curry me and my friend made?

This is what I did with my leftovers.

Since it was pretty thick it made a good filler for a wrap. The curry was just re-heated with some coconut oil and I also grilled an apple with cinnamon, then spread on some Crofter’s superfruit spread (pomegranates and black currants blended with red grapes and morello cherries).

Cran-Lemon Twister

Well, this was the last ProBar out of my sampler package. I have to say, I was not disappointed with these bars. The first bite I took out of this one I literally made the “mmm” noise. It definitely has a zing and gave my tastebuds a little twist they’re not use to. Some of the ingredients in this bar are cranberries, lemon, papaya, and pineapple. There are so many other ProBar flavors I didn’t get to try, and I really want to. I guess I will be starting a new collection?

Dun dun dun… the mandolin slicer.

I bought a butternut squash not too long ago, and I knew exactly what things I wanted to make with it!

Butternut squash fries!

I seasoned them with salt and some Old Bay. On the side I followed Happy Herbivore‘s spicy chickpea spread recipe. You must try this! It is incredibly easy to make, requires no cookibng, and is great as a sandwich filler, dip, or even alone. In the very back is the famous potato salad from Mrs. Marshall’s Carytown Cafe.

I mixed in some vegan mayo and ketchup to make it more like a “fries” dip.

Butternut squash mash

I was reading Lauren‘s blog one day and saw that she made butternut squash mash, and it just sounded so good! I mixed in some coconut oil, vanilla, sugar, and I topped it off with coconut shreds. I had to wait for it to cool down – this was steaming hot!

More butternut squash fries!

I baked these with freshly grated parmesan then I grated some more on afterwards. I served it with my last ooey-gooey arepa con choclo (sweet corn cake with farmer’s cheese). But I plan on re-stocking while I’m in Florida. There’s a Colombian cafe that makes delicious arepas. But my dad said they changed the cook so they’re a bit different now. We’ll see.

Pumpkin penne with homemade pumpkin puree

I have no idea how I stumbled upon this recipe, but I’m glad I did. I didn’t have sour cream so I used cream cheese instead. Logical substitute, right?I got to try out another Tofurky product – the Italian sausages. I really like the seasonings they used for these sausages! I’m also glad there is a vegetarian version of these out there because I feel like this recipe would be incomplete without that ingredient. Delicious and easy!

Just like Mitri, I will continue to eat my orange foods to maintain my olive complexion! I have another fall colored dish for you. I’m so use to seeing green in my vegetable portions!

Root vegetables and chickpeas

I followed a recipe sent to me through the Kardea newsletter. This is just something I made a big batch out of convenience. I plan on serving it with rosemary infused white rice. For a more rustic dish you could serve it with wild rice, or any other grain your prefer. I bet even roasting some potatoes and almonds in this would be delicious as well.

Matilda also got a special somethin’ somethin’ from Trader Joe’s!

I almost forgot! Here’s the food porn I promised!

Mmm so creamy

Hmm… what to do with my strawberry Chobani?

Breakfast the other day was like a banana split!

I heated up a Vitalicious brownie, sliced a banana, sprinkled on some cashews and sprinkles of course! Topped it off with a scoop of fro-yo. On the side I had some cranberry cinnamon swirl toast with cream cheese and 1/2 with Crofter’s superfruit spread and the other 1/2 with Creme of Almond & Dates.

Up close and personal

Explosion!

Holly, look it’s a yog-mess!

Today I fly to Florida! Actually, the other night when I double-checked my itenerary I realized that there was a very big mistake. My dad had booked my flight as if I were departing from Florida tomorrow and flying back there on Sunday. Oops dad! You mixed them up. He was able to work it out I guess. Anywho, I’m so excited!

Some of you may be experiencing the harsh weather already, so don’t forget to bundle up!

Matilda says so!

p.s. Does anyone have any penne and pesto recipes they’d like to share? Thanks a bunch!

p.s.s. Keep the questions coming! I hope to have a video up by tomorrow. Special post for Friday!

Over that Hill

It’s Wednesday everybody – can I get a witness??

Maple Pecan

The first bite into this ProBar was “meh” but then the second, third, fourth bite- you get the point – afterwards the flavors really started to come out. There is a warm nuttiness to it; due to the mix of peanut butter, pecans, sunflower seeds, brazil nuts cashews, and coconut perhaps? There are also some dark chocolate chips in there as well, which I enjoyed biting into. I also saw that they used cardamom seed, nutmeg, fenugreek, and nutmeg. Practically everything is organic in this bar even down to the orange oil. Speaking of spices. I made my favorite okra recipe the other day:

Check out that turmeric action.

Vendakkai Poriyal

You can find the link to this in my recipe section.

Vendakkai Poriyal with coconut oil and a very crispy sandwich!

Cheddar cheese, tomato slices, tamarind-date chutney on Cranberry Cinnamon Swirl bread.

I ended up taking the tomato slices out because I felt it kept the real combination from shining – cheddar cheese and tamarind-date chutney. Those two together are awesome! If you want, you could even just make a grilled cheese sandwich and have some chutney out for dipping. Kind of like a tomato soup, although I wouldn’t advise eating the chutney like a soup.

Now let’s move on to some sweeter things.

Last but not least

I saved the Banana Walnut Kardea bar for last. I heated it up, but this time I kept an eye on it. It wasn’t bad at all – although it wasn’t my favorite and I was half-expecting it to be the best. Don’t get me wrong it was good, but there’s definitely room for improvement.

Oh lala

The other morning I knew exactly what I wanted. I tried the AppleBerry VitaTop. I actually really liked this one! I tried it plain so I could give you all an honest opinion. Unlike the other bran tops, this was very yummy! I came prepared to liven the bowl up though, just in case. It really wasn’t necessary because it was tasty on its own, but I guess it doesn’t hurt! I also tried Nature’s Path Flax Plus® Maple Pecan Crunch. I spot a pecan! This cereal is definitely a whole grain cereal but they were able to keep it from being bland by using just enough maple syrup and other sweeteners – not to mention the pecans! What else is in this bowl? I heated some apple slices and sprinkled them with cinnamon and threw in some more almonds into the mix. This was all sitting pretty on a Plain Chobani pillow.

I also poured on some Maple & Apple Syrup

All together now... YUM!

What else is sweet?

Getting some cash for taking a survey!

This was so crisp I thought it was fake.

I think fall is finally starting to peek through; I’m not ready yet though!  I still have to bring up a lot of my warm clothes up from Florida, and take some jackets to the dry cleaners. Ay Dios mio! (That’s for you Sarah!)

Oh! Don’t forget to submit your cheese recipe for the First Day of the Month Giveaway over at The Biggest Diabetic Loser. The contest ends today! There’s also another giveaway going for a Paris care package on at Gillian‘s blog here. Oh lala!

My favorite grilled cheese sandwich!

An oldie but a goodie – Grilled Mango Chutney and Cheddar Cheese Sandwich

p.s. Thank you all for being so kind, and I’m glad we feel the same way! Moreover, Matilda’s ego is now the size of a blimp, but that’s okay because she really is that cute. You guys should see her in action though. Actually, I have a video of her from one of our walks. I posted it before, but I’ll post it again in case someone missed it: Matilda’s Walk.

p.s.s. Tammy over at Defining Wellness gave me the honor of being featured on her blog for a series she does called “Behind the Blogs.” You can check it out here.

There cannot be a stressful crisis next week. My schedule is already full!

Hello everyone! Today is Friday, the end of another week. These past 2 weeks have been very overwhelming for me, but sometimes that happens. However, I’m use to just 1 week of madness rather than 2 consecutive weeks; it almost seems as if there’s no end! I’m almost expecting something else to pop up. Uh oh, I shouldn’t jinx myself. Yesterday I was riding my bike and in the middle of the intersection my only working brake decided to break. I put my feet on the ground, but it was scary because I thought a car was coming. So right now I have no bike, and that just means I’m walking around everywhere. The only problem with walking everywhere is that it takes a lot of time up. While I’m on my walks though, I allow that to be my “me time” of the day, since the other hours are spent using my brain to do schoolwork. Good news – my bike should be fixed by tomorrow and the weather has been nice.

Now that the weather is starting to cool down I'm using a better moisturizer.

For years I wouldn’t use body lotion, but since I started taking better care of myself, I’ve incorporated this into my daily morning routine.

Ice cream for breakfast!

Hey Sarah, I finally remembered to have some good old ice cream with my oatmeal. I also decided to incorporate it in a breakfast similar to a “peach crisp” Sarah made to get her day started. Good idea!!! I also blended my oats with the last of my ricotta and Zoe’s Granola – leaving in style.

Spaghetti squash with Lemon Garlic Sauce and Ricotta

This was my first time trying this squash, and I loosely followed this recipe. As you can see I used more than just a dollop of ricotta. I also got to try out the soon-to-be discontinued CLIF nectar bar: lemon vanilla cashew flavor. One question: why are they discontinuing them? This bar was so good!!! And the squash was…

SO much fun to eat!

I ran to my roommate to show her how cool this was. Not to mention, less dishes! What’d I do with the other half? Here are some clues:

Holla at the steal! I got the last two packages.

This was also at the Manager's Special price of $1.69!

This time I served it with a Tofurky Kielbasa sausage, tomatoes with balsamic vinegar and EVOO, red onions, and freshly grated parmesan.

I’d never tried the Tofurky sausages before, but I had a feeling it would be yummy. I think this would be wonderful with a potato salad, or some rotkohl. I can’t believe that there is so much flavor in a vegetarian alternative product. I’ve had Veggiedogs before, but these are more substantial. I can’t wait to try their other flavors!

Yesterday I got a phone call from the UPS man, and when I walked downstairs my eyes popped out of my head at the size of the package I had received. Hmm.. what could it be?

Greek yogurt!

It’s been so long since I’ve had Greek yogurt in my life, and I miss it so. It’s really just a matter of cost really that keeps me from buying it. But you know what, an occasional “splurge” shouldn’t be a big deal. I just hate being 100% financially dependent on my parents – I feel like such a burden – so I try my hardest to save. Anyway, I’ve never tried Chobani’s Greek yogurt, so of course I had to try one ASAP!

The pineapple flavor.

So. Good! It had an awesome texture and actual pineapple chunks. I’m so glad they sent me 2 containers because this was awesome. I can’t wait to try another flavor out. Furthermore, I can’t believe this has 13 g of protein! Great for vegetarians, great for anyone and everyone!

For dinner I had something simple, and comforting.

The pine nuts and raisins were nice, and I got to use up the rest of my sprouts.

A simple tomato and cheddar cheese sandwich on buttered bread.

For a nighttime snack I tried the Banana Nut VitaTop.

With it's partner in crime, peanut butter - the crunchy kind!

I am not really a fan of this VitaTop. I felt it was lacking in flavor incomparison to the other ones I’ve tried. I thought the peanut butter might salvage it, but I guess not all of them can be winners. Maybe it’s because banana bread is usually some mom’s secret stellar  recipe, that this VitaTop just seemed off.

I’m not the only one that’s getting to eat treats though!

I want it!

A cheese biscuit for my little nugget.

Get in muh belly!

I'm such a tease.

She's just too cute.

I’ll leave you all with just one more goodie I got to try.

Superfood Slam

This time I tried one of Art’s Original Flavors. Wow! I am still loving how you can see every ingredient. This may not look too appetizing but don’t be fooled. Some of the unique ingredients in this bar are barley grass, dates, acai, peanut butter, and chocolate. There’s was so much goodness going on in my mouth when I was eating this bar. So far, I’ve enjoyed every flavor I’ve tried. Perhaps, you just can’t go wrong!

Now we're both satisfied!

Well everyone, I hope you all had an enjoyable week and have some fun things to look forward to this weekend. Tonight marks the first Friday of October, which means all the galleries around here have new exhibitions. I’ll be doing the First Friday Artwalk.

What are you all doing to kick off the month of October?

Your Imagination, My Dear Fellow, is Worth More Than You Imagine

Hey everyone! Good news on the critique. A friend of mine actually wanted to sit in on my classes critique just to get a feel for them again. He was able to brush up on his analyzing skills. Critiques are always heavy days for me, and I usually end up with a headache. You get to hear so many perspectives, insights, and you just learn so many new things. Another interesting thing you get to observe is the manner in which different people think. It’s funny how we can view the world. Anyway, my video got a lot of discussion – a whole hour! Usually I end up feeling disappointed with critiques because I get nothing from it, or I don’t even realize what happened. But I did a lot of self-discovering and revealing about why and what my short films evoke.

While I was setting up I got to try a flavor of ProBar that’s new to me: Cocoa Pistachio

Neat artwork on the packaging.

I snapped a picture beforehand so you guys could see what I was talking about, when I said you could see every ingredient.

Oh my gosh; this was so yummy! I’ve really enjoyed the random chocolate chip bits in the ProBars I’ve tried. Pistachios are also one of my favorite nuts, so my expectations were pretty high – and met! It’s a mix of pistachios, peanuts, dark chocolate chips, and sunflower seeds. This bar + a cup of soymilk and an apple successfully kept my my hunger at bay for about 3 hours. But I think my body works like clockwork. My hunger usually chimes in before 3 hours or right on the dot – it’s funny. I agree with Holly though, what’s up with it just being half the size of the wrapper? Want to know some information on this bar?

Gourmet meal replacement

Unique taste of pistachios with chocolate is irresistible

Balanced blend of carbs, good fats and protein

Certified Organic, 100% Vegan

5 g of fiber and same nutritional benefits as Original Collection

As a college student, bars are such a convenience to me – as with any busy person I can imagine. So far, my experience with ProBars, is that they are very delicious, nutritious, and  satisfying!

Projecting my piece on to the wall.

Here’s the link again if you guys wanted to check it out: Who Am I Becoming

My friend that visited the class is on the right.

After our critique we got a 2 hour break and I made this messy deal…

Roasted eggplant, ricotta, tomato sauce, sautéed red onion, and basil.

The class met up again after 2 hours and we headed over to one of the school-funded art spaces to see Richard Carlyon’s retrospective. He was a dancer and artist who ended up teaching in the area for about 40 years when he thought he lost his dancer’s body.

You can get a sense of his background as a dancer by the way he places the canvases.

He also drew very interesting diagrams and made videos as well.

The class got out about 30 mins. early so I got a head start on my many errands. I took way longer than expected! I guess that can happen, especially if one of your stops is TJ Maxx. The day really felt like Autumn had arrived, so I made some comfort food, but I wanted to try something I’ve seen around the blogosphere.

Green oats!

I used the Original Amazing Grass Meal packet to turn this bowl of oats green. I also mashed in a banana, NuNaturals liquid vanilla, and coconut oil! I feel like everyone’s bowl or cup of something green tastes different so I’m going to spare the details and just say that I was pleasantly surprised! I was contemplating whether or not I should mash the banana in because “what if” it tasted like crap? Then it’s bye bye yummy banana.

I also tried Lindeman's Framboise dark cherry flavor.

I seriously forgot that it was beer and beer makes you drunk; so I got a little buzzed about 10 minutes after hahaha, then I put two and two together. Oh! And I didn’t drink the whole bottle hehe.

Anyway, so far this week it seems a lot easier to breathe. I had a photoshoot with a friend of mine – I haven’t done one of those in a long time! I feel like I need to have a creative outlet with other people so I get more dynamics going on. Sometimes working by myself gets to feel like I’m running in circles.

He has a lot of neat camera equipment.

You can check out his site here. The first picture with the blue velvet pants was from the shoot we did; and you can find a couple more over on this site. It’s so weird for me to be in front of the lens! I really worked on just getting comfortable – so I ended up talking a lot.

Let’s eat now shall we?

I used up the rest of my edamame hummus.

In this wrap is roasted eggplant, sprouts, NatureNaise, grape tomatoes, and red onions. Since I don’t have a grill press I just used a pan and heated up each side. This was so delicious!

Roasted parsnips, almonds, and another interesting sandwich!

Don't let the ordinary looks of this sandwich deceive you...

The other day when I was browsing through pizza recipes that had ricotta cheese, I stumbled upon one called Peach-ricotta pizza. Well I made it in sandwich form, but the secret ingredient is the addition of cilantro. Since I didn’t have fresh cilantro on hand, I just subbed in Trader Joe’s cilantro dressing. Wow! I would have never thought of cilantro, but it took this sandwich to another level. It’s funny how the simple addition of one surprise can change everything; this also applies to other things on a much broader scale.

I feel like I try something new everyday!

Before I forget! I wanted to share an entertaining site I found earlier today. I was looking up ways to prepare a certain squash (you’ll find out next post), and I stumbled upon this little gem: 50 Ways to Eat More Produce. I think these ideas work well for adults and kids alike. So check it out.

p.s. Marina asked if I was studying culinary arts – I wish!!! Another friend of mine actually asked me that same question, and I think it’s a sign that I should look into it – perhaps a summer program? I’m actually majoring in sculpture, so I guess that’s why I’m so visually oriented.

Happy Wednesday everyone!!!

Another Part of Me

Hello everyone! This is an exciting post for me because I get to introduce you all to a part of my life that is very important to me. As I’ve mentioned in my ‘About Me‘ page, art drives and shapes every aspect of my life. Which is why my plates look the way they do! I can’t help but consider color, placement, things like that. Obsessive? Not to me. I just enjoy making things that are aesthetically pleasing. Anyway, today was my sculpture class’s first critique of the semester. Unfortunately, we ran out of time before we could get to a couple of our pieces – including mine. So, I’ll report back to you all once that’s done.

Critique days are my crazy days. It becomes my one and only real priority, so that means no cooking for me!

Thank goodness for these babies!

The folks at ProBar gave me a nice little package not too long ago. What better time to bust out my first bar on a day where everything is just too cray-cray.

“Apple Cinnamon Crunch is a flavor reminiscent of Mom’s homemade apple pie with just the right combination of sweet apples, nuts, and a dash of cinnamon. This bar is so good it might compliment your next Thanksgiving dinner.”

I was a bit weary of this because I feel dessert-y bars are hard to pull off. So how was my first bite into this dense bar? Delicious! I believe their choices of nuts, dried fruits, and the most wonderful surprise – carob chips – were perfectly combined. This was even better with a pack of soymilk and a couple of peaches. I wish I took a picture of what the bar actually looked like! It had the texture that I love in bars – you could see every ingredient, like whole almonds and sesame seeds. However, I would call it Apple Cinnamon Chew, as it was very chewy. But maybe they thought “crunch” just sounded better. My overall review? If you are considering trying a ProBar, or aren’t sure which flavor to get – try this one!

All their bars are made from whole, organic, raw foods, and 100% vegan.

I also got to try some other new things today. I went to Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods the other day with my dad, since he’s in town, and picked up some new items.

So many bars!

On Katie‘s blog I read that Clif nectar bars were going to be discontinued. I had never tried these bars, but I feel the need to know what these bars taste like. I also picked up 2 others that I’ve seen floating around blogland. I tried the MoJo sweet-n-salty bar as a snack today. Meh, it wasn’t horrible, but I don’t see myself buying it again. Isn’t there a PB&J flavor though? I do want to know how that one tastes.

Peaches born and raised here? Yes ma'am!

So much to talk about here folks.

I picked up some pine nuts because pesto recipes have been dancing around my head. Dried cranberries because summer is officially over (say it isn’t so!). I’m so excited to try these falafel patties – garlic sauce recipe hunt begins after this post. I highly recommend buying Lindemans Framboise beer in any flavor! I’m thinking… Mrs. Marshall’s Carytown Cafe for the best potato salad (no lie) + Kielbasa? Look at those sprouts! There are garbanzo, alfalfa, red lentil, and another sprout I can’t remember!

One old best friend and one new best friend in my life.

I love 365’s crunchy peanut butter. I should also mention that a jar of this is less than $2! I also bought myself a jar of Trader Joe’s Sunflower Seed Butter. After I tried it at my friend’s house I vowed that I would pick up a jar the next time I would venture out to TJ’s. It’s goodness is overwhelming, and my tastebuds are so happy whenever I eat it. This more than makes up for the other day when I accidentally burned my tongue – sorry tastebuds!

Still pretending it's fresh out of the oven.

While I was at Whole Foods, me and my dad smelled some heavenly aroma wafting through the bulk bins. We knew it was coming from the bakery! After we checked out the hot-bar, we moseyed on over to the breads. My dad got straight to the point and said he smelled something spiced and wondered what it was. Well, they told us they just got done baking a loaf of pumpkin bread. They were testing out the recipe = we are the guinea pigs. They wanted us to let them know if it had too much salt, too much sugar, any input we had. Umm… I felt like a horrible critic because my vocabulary failed me while I chewed, smiled with my eyes, and gave them a thumbs up. I saved a portion of the generous slices they gave us…

A nighttime snack!

Mashed kabocha with coconut oil, brown sugar, and cinnamon topped with vanilla fro-yo and the rest of the pumpkin bread. Just a little something to treat myself before the BIG CRIT DAY! Here are some pictures of some of the pieces:

I noticed how cool it looked when she was taking a picture of her piece from that point.

Hey everybody, it's me!

First attempt to get out.

The way I came into the world... I think. Or was it the stork?

At this point I was hoping not too much of my buttcrack would show.

Free!

Now it’s time to meet my professor!

This man is incredible! I’m not sure how one human can have so much information coming from so many different places in his head, but he manages. Sometimes when he’s talking he closes his eyes, pauses for literally a good minute, gathers his thoughts, and then decides to say something.

Oh and afterwards we learned what the title of that particular piece was; “The Fucking Part of Life” haha!

Katharina, where are these breakfast pictures you promised in your last post? Alright, alright:

Ricotta, warmed up apple chunks with cinnamon, topped with Zoe's granola + toast on the side.

Beautiful figs on toast with cream cheese, honey, and cinnamon.

Lauren, inspired me to pick up some beautiful fruits at the grocery store. She always incorporates a wide variety of fruits in veggies, and I love it!

This is the first time I blended oats with ricotta; certainly not my last!

Since we’re on the topic of figs, I’m gonna go there!

I got to try something new!

I heated up a Chocolate Fig VitaTop and served it with some fresh figs, and a cup of almond milk. The almond milk is in that cute chickadee cup in the back. Back to the muffin tops. I didn’t think the flavor was bad, it was mostly very dry though. With each bite, I kept wishing I had ice cream – something to moisten it a bit. I’m on the fence on whether or not I should recommend this products. I have another one, and I’ll give you another review.

Moving right along… warning, this is a superb bowl of oats. Superb.

Everything looks so pillowy.

What’s that sitting on top? I whirled up a frozen banana, ricotta cheese, vanilla extract, and a bit of stevia. This is much like Gena’s soft-serve, but more volumunious and creamier. It was an incredible way to start the morning with a warm bowl of oats with coconut oil. I suggest crushing some candied walnuts if you really want to take this up a notch.

I licked my blender and bowl clean it was so good.

I don’t think anyone figured out what the surprise green mushy stuff I made was. Well, now I will reveal to you all – drum roll please…

Edamame hummus!!!

I followed this recipe, and it came out wonderfully. I love the color and the flavor the sesame oil adds to it as well. The first time I saw this was at Trader Joe’s, and I was thinking about how ridiculously simple this must be to make. It is!

Yin and yang

Here are some ways I’ve been eating it:

My lunch looks more like a snack plate.

In a sandwich layered with cream cheese, spinach, red onion, tomato, sprouts, and the edamame hummus.

It would probably be really yummy if I added something smokey to the sandwich, or maybe I’ll test the waters like Mitri and spread a nutbutter on – sunflower seed butter anyone?

What's that?

I think Matilda approves.

Although my critique hasn’t happened yet, I’ll show it you all anyway. And let me know what you guys think!

Who am I Becoming