Tag Archives: 18 rabbits

From Yours Truly

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26

Happy middle of the week everybody! Isn’t it funny how time just seems to fly by once Wednesday rolls around? You know what else has been rolling around besides the days? I noticed on some blogs that there has been this incredible message being spread. Recently, I’ve come across some incredible posts that just really resonated with me. Rebekah gave us a piece of her mind last week, Jessica is stepping a foot forward towards some wonderful changes, and Jenny has been posting a great series of LIFT posts. I find most blogs to be really inspiring and I love how they are glimpses of how wonderful some people in this world can be! I’m definitely a person who sees the goodness in everyone. What can I say? Anyway, a lot of posts that have been floating around recently have provoked my thoughts–in a good way. Recently, I’ve been thinking about acceptance, willpower, and rooting for yourself. I’ve had my fair share of of Chicken Soup for Whatever Soul moments in my life, but I’m still standing… with both feet on the ground. There were times when I did fall. In fact there were times I hit rock bottom. But who hasn’t? During those times it was hard to see or even fathom the idea that things would get better. I was blind to the fact that things could get better, but it was up to me. Of course, the love from friends and family helps, but at the end of the day… it’s only you that sees the world through your set of eyes. For the most part, we know what things are best for us. So why is it that sometimes we don’t do those things? Sometimes we do the complete opposite! Looking back on the times I hit the pavement hard, I am astounded by the wasted energy I put into not doing what I knew would help me. It was almost as if I wanted to stay in the black hole because at the time it just seemed like “too much” to deal with. Well guess what? One miserable day I was sitting down and I looked at the people around me. I thought to myself, “I want that. I want to be free like they are and not worry about these things anymore. I deserve to be happy!” I was right! We all deserve that. Eventually, I started taking steps towards getting my spirit back. I knew I was not the empty shell I decided to make my home a couple years back. At first, everything felt so scary and foreign to me, but overtime I saw that the more I did these things that were actually good for me, the easier they became. And eventually, it felt natural. I didn’t even think twice about it! I was starting to see that I should have more compassion towards myself, which led to self-acceptance. By working through the storm, I am now able to appreciate so many aspects of life, this world, and beyond. Maybe the child inside of me will never die. I really don’t mind seeing the world through the same set of wide eyes for the rest of my life. I believe people can still keep that innocence and simultaneously learn from their “mistakes”. Just live and let go. Anyway, you see, after you’ve picked yourself up, brushed off your knees… that’s when you realize that scrapes and bruises are only temporary, and that aching hearts do heal. But it’s up to you! And you’re wonderful.

And so are these granola bars!

Breakfast on the go!

I finally used the forgotten tempeh that was sitting in my freezer for months!

I made some maple-ginger grilled tempeh with coconut oil and tarragon.

Perfect for sandwiches as well!

Inside an olive roll + mayo + creme of dates and almonds + onions + romaine

Pumpkin seed butter + maple syrup sandwich

Remember how I said that I wasn’t too keen on the taste of pumpkin seed butter? Well that was the case until I tried the Futter’s pumpkin seed butter that Liz sent me. Whoa! Second chances can be a good thing. I also love the color–it makes me feel like a kid again. Remember when they came out with green ketchup? Green eggs and ham? But of course there are foods that are normally green… like beautiful artichokes!

Filming a video for my final piece.

Guess what this is!

When the lovely Katie posted a recipe for a breakfast pizzert (pizza + dessert), I bookmarked it right away! Since I didn’t have pastry flour I opted for a mix of corn meal and whole wheat flour. I wanted to make something reminiscent of a shortcake, so strawberries were obvious. I plan on making another one soon and I know the perfect fruit to use for the corn meal and whole wheat flour combo. You’ll just have to wait and see!

What a lovely breakfast, don't you think?

Topped it with a sliced banana, more strawberries, coconut oil, and chocolate hazelnut butter + a side of Greek yogurt

I've also recently whipped up my own batch of refried beans!

I spiced mine up with some freshly ground up dried chipotle peppers. Also since I didn’t have any avocados on hand I opted for something I did have: avocado oil! I “borrowed” this from my parents’ kitchen, and have just decided that I’m never giving it back! Sorry guys, but atleast you’re always loaded with actual avocados (avocados are so cheap in Florida).

We now interrupt this post with some fashion!

My friend taught me that in the fashion department they call this "naked clothes". I love it!

My what long handle you have!

Perfect for OIBAJ (oats in a BIG ASS jar)

The other day when I was putting some burnt coconut butter on my sweet potato I realized that it was that time again! This time I did things differently. I made my bowl of oatmeal the night before so they would cool down–as I’ve shared before I tend to start sweating like a mad man when the weather gets hot and I have warm oatmeal–and I mixed in the protein powder after I cooked the oatmeal. Anyway, in the morning I mixed in the oats with the coconut butter little by little. I also  sliced a banana and mango in there, and then topped it all with some shredded coconut. This was the perhaps the creamiest oatmeal breakfast I’ve ever had! No lie! On that note, I’ll leave you all with my last piece of this semester for my advanced sculpture class.

I loved that I made something that was larger than me!

Much larger! I made a “raft” and sewed a patchwork sheet to project my short film up on to it.

Detail shot of the mica flakes + paint on the raft

I think knots in wood are beautiful.

Here’s a question for you: when you find it hard to believe in yourself, what do you do?

Celebrations and the Wonderful World of Fast Meals

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Hello everybody! Let me start off this post with a review. Awhile ago I was contacted  by the kind people over at Farm Rich to try out some of their frozen snacks. Taking a look at their site, I was excited about the choices so I happily accepted! Not to mention I love snacking. I went to the store to redeem my coupon and I chose the mozzarella bites. I was sad to not see as many choices as I had seen on the website. Another thing to note is the price. I noticed that these were expensive, and I really couldn’t imagine myself shelling out that much for snacks. There is a bright side though! I did like these little bites! They’re even better if you serve them with an awesome marinara sauce or in my case, artichoke scarpetta. Look at how ooey-gooey the mozzarella is–yum!

Mozzarella bites!
What are these egg-shaped balls?

Delicious Armenian red lentil patties. Here I served them with tamarind-date chutney, diced onion, and flat-leaf parsley. The recipe is easy and doesn’t take much time to make.

I had this Amy’s tamale pie as a yummy nighttime snack while baking…
Baklava!

It was one of my best friend’s birthday recently so I made her one of her favorite desserts. This lady has great taste. I have never made anything with puff pastry before so this was definitely fun. Since she’s quite picky about what makes good baklava I was a bit nervous. I’m the same way when it comes to my two favorites: tiramisu and carrot cake.

Delicious and birthday girl approved!
We went to a local sushi place to celebrate.
Best miso soup ever and mine had lots of tofu.

Bean Curd Roll

Oshinko Roll

I learned a neat trick from my friend’s boyfriend: mix a bit of wasabi into the soy sauce for dipping. I also announced to everyone at the table that if someone didn’t like pickled ginger they could pass them over to me!

Group shot--sans birthday girl!

Afterwards we headed to a bar/restaurant that happened to be having “Psychedelic Night” with really awesome color oil projections. I was being a social butterfly that night since I ended up knowing a ton of people at the place.

The leftover chopped pecans + honey sauce from the baklava baking extravaganza was perfect for topping a bowl of oats.

Busy lady = boxed meals!

I prepared a box of Annie’s Shells and White Cheddar. I added some cooked chopped spinach, pine nuts, garlic salt, and black pepper.

Now I’m going to fill out a survey that the hottie boombalottie, Ayla, passed on to me!

Favorite cookie?

Okay… I have a few.. Bountiful Vegan’s lemon snickerdoodle, Samoas, Immaculate Baking Co.’s pumpkin gingerlies, and freshly baked chewy and moist spiced oatmeal cookies

Favorite way to eat oatmeal?

In a jar!

Favorite snack?

Lately I’ve been loving snacking on these apple-banana muffins I made (put some of my hemp protein powder to good use) with maple syrup, apples and bananas + peanut butter

Favorite sandwich combo?

Tricky tricky! I’ll just say mango chutney and sharp cheddar grilled on pumpernickel bread. Oh gosh I also love banana + Nutella sandwiches.

Are you a vegetarian?

Indeed I am

Favorite vegetarian product?

Sunshine burgers!

Favorite yogurt?

Greek and Danonino (one of my favorites since childhood)

Favorite fruit?

I can’t just pick one you know… mango, bananas, dark sweet cherries, papaya, gala apples, and dates

Favorite dried fruit?

Cranberries, pineapple, and bananas

Favorite veggie?

Romaine, carrots, butternut squash

Favorite comfort food meal?

Mom’s secret red lentil recipe

Favorite restaurant?

I don’t believe I have one… I have favorites depending on the cuisine, but my favorite cuisines are Indian, Thai, and Mediterranean

Favorite beverage?

Hmm… I don’t really have one but I really enjoyed a nice refreshing pack of coconut water today!

Favorite way to take your coffee at home?

I don’t usually drink coffee, but I like it black

Favorite cracker?

Animal crackers!

Favorite dessert?

Tiramisu and carrot cake

Favorite condiment?

Bone Suckin’ BBQ Sauce–thick style baby!

Favorite way to eat tortilla chips?

With guacamole, black bean salsa, cheese, and sour cream

Favorite fast food restaurant?

There’s this fast food place in Florida called Pollo Tropical and they make really great yuca fries!

Do you watch food network?

Not really… I rarely watch television

Favorite food network show?

I’ve seen Ina Garten’s show and I liked it!

Favorite salad combo?

Romaine for sure, some great cheese, onions, tomato, pears, and a slightly sweet vinaigrette

Do you like Panera?

Sure, I like their bread bowl soups actually.

Favorite bagel?

Cinnamon and sugar bagel with cream cheese please

Do you like cream cheese or peanut butter on your bagel?

Cream cheese!!!

Favorite bar?

Granola bar = 18 Rabbits, etc. = Boomi Bar

Favorite peanut butter?

Whole Food’s 365 crunchy peanut butter (and it’s cheap!)

Favorite almond butter?

Blue Diamond crunchy

Favorite cereal?

I love Kashi Go-Lean Crunch!

What milk product do you use on your cereal?

It depends… either soy milk or almond milk

Favorite nut?

Pistachios

Favorite candy?

Watermelon Jolly Ranchers and Werther’s Originals

Favorite ethnic food?

Indian!

Favorite tea?

Coconut Almond and Richmond Blend

Favorite indulgence?

German chocolate

Do you like margaritas?

I don’t care for them

Favorite margarita?

I don’t have one

Do you like pickles?

Why yes I do!

Are you into spicy food?

Not really spicy

Do you like banana peppers?

Yes! I love them.

Favorite way to eat a banana?

With chocolate hazelnut butter or peanut butter

Favorite way to eat an apple?

With peanut butter!

Favorite apple variety?

Gala!

Are you good at eating with chopsticks?

Indeed, I don’t have to ask for a fork.

Favorite fruit juice?

I love peach nectar

Favorite alcoholic beverage?

Root beer + Stoli vanilla

Favorite tropical fruit?

I love so many of them! My dad is flying up this weekend and packing a delicious papaya from their own tree!

Hands down favorite food ever?

My dad’s latkes… actually I’m torn between his potato pancakes and this German restaurant’s (with apple sauce and sour cream of course).

This was a lot of fun! I am going to tag some lovely people: Lauren, Sophia, Mitri, and Gillian!

So it’s a new week and I started it out by walking around feeling like a zombie all day. But today was a hectic day in terms of my academics and I’m glad it’s behind me. Stay tuned in my next post to see my piece for my final critique of the semester! Hope all is well my dear friends.

Still Ringing in the New Year

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Hello hello! How has everyone spent the first couple days of the new year? Feeling refreshed? I know that I have with the cold weather that’s been going on in Florida. What is this madness? Speaking of madness, I’m going to do a quick recap of my New Years Eve.

My friend wanted her snazzy dress to be a bit shorter.

Yep, the Christmas tree is still up!

And I got those sassy shoes I showed you all earlier!

She's such a beauty queen.

Happy new year to you!

And happy new year to us!

And that was the last picture of the night!

It was quite a night! First off we wasted some time waiting in front of our friends’ condo because they said they’d be down. Big misunderstanding! I guess they meant driving down because then they let us know they were stuck in traffic. So we ended up walking to the club past a scary cemetery, suspicious people, and honking cars. Finally we got there and it was midnight! Champagne was on the house and we did a lot of what we do best – dancing! We also made toasts to friendship, being a lady and ruling the world, and just living life to the fullest! Can you believe I spent the night prancing around in 5 1/2 inch heels?

I used mulling spice for apple cider to make this bowl of oats.

Baked BBQ tofu + Baked butternut squash with coconut oil, maple syrup, and cinnamon + Roasted red pepper mashed potatoes

Lazy dinner, but DELICIOUS

Roasted garlic and herb potatoes and in that bowl is something I quickly threw together. It’s a very odd combination of things: pureed butternut squash, coconut milk, coconut oil, cinnamon, and vanilla protein powder!

It was so good I decided to make it again the next day.

And then it hit me! It tasted like warm homemade arroz con leche.

Later on I made chocolate avocado pudding with a couple of avocados that needed to be used.

A bright breakfast! Just mixed in some pumpkin puree with yogurt.

I decided to make another recipe from Chef Tal Ronnen’s ‘The Conscious Cook’.

Cajun seasoning

Vegan rémoulade

Deeelicious.

Cajun Portobello with Avocado and Rémoulade

Wow! Every bite of this sandwich was delicious and so full of flavor. I love how these recipes are all hearty and filling but they’re so fresh tasting!

I got a package and Matilda was curious to see what was inside...

This was such a sweet surprise!

Liz sent me a delicious package with some her favorite goodies. From fashion to food this lady has great taste! Seriously Liz, this was such a nice surprise and I could totally picture you pulling off surprise parties with style.

MATILDA!!! She just wanted to say hello ;)

For dinner I wanted to make another recipe from ‘The Conscious Cookbook’. I’m on a mission to cook every recipe in that book!

Mediterranean Chickpea Wrap

Aye aye aye this was spicy! My hand slipped a bit with the chili powder. Not to mention, when I got the chili powder I got from the Indian supermarket the storeowner warned me that it was hotter than usual.

Since my mom wanted chickpeas as well I roasted some with onions in coconut oil, maple syrup, and cinnamon.

I also had some eggplant parmigiana with the leftover vegan rémoulade.

I had a special treat for breakfast the other day!

The kind folks from 18 Rabbits have come out with a new flavor and I was lucky enough to be sent a flavor to sample and review. The flavor? Belle bananas foster! I love all the fun names they come up with for their flavors.

So what'd I think?

I thought it was a delicious granola bar but I think they could do more to up the caramel flavor that banana’s foster is known for. But don’t get me wrong, this bar was by no means blah. The caramelized banana helped and I love the sweetness that dates add. And the texture! Yum! This time I also saw the cacao nibs. Lucky for you all you can now try this flavor out since they hit Peet’s Coffee & Tea today! I believe you can also request to have it available at your nearest Whole Foods. Being the banana-ra-ma-mama that I am, I know I will be getting  this flavor again because it just tasted so good.

Check out the texture and all those yummy ingredients.

After having a few bites alone (so I can give you all a true review) I crumbled it over some yogurt and banana slices. MORE BANANAS!

18 Rabbits still make the number one granola bars in my book!

So it’s Monday and many of you probably had to unwillingly wake up to go about business today. Well I hope it won’t be so bad and that the magic of the thought of a new year is still lingering.

Ketchup

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I have quite a few things to catch you all up on!

First off,

Matilda, my mother, and I sleeping together in my twin-size bed

Our breakfast for her last day in town.

What was served? I made oatmeal with cinnamon and a bruleed banana + shredded coconut for my mom. She also wanted some of the bread we had gotten from the brasserie with sunflower seed butter. I opted for an end piece with marmalade and butter. I also tried a Heart Thrive. This time it was the raisin flavor and it was so good! It was delicious alone and crumbled over vanilla Greek yogurt + persimmon + cashew butter. We both had cups of warm pumpkin spice soymilk with pumpkin spice! We just dilly-dallied around the apartment and took Matilda on a walk.

Mom's breakfast

And mine

Then lunch time rolled around…

Gluten-free pizza crust with roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, portobello, and goat cheese.

After we got ready, we were off to the studio!

Wishing I didn't have to spend my last day with my mom at the studio.

But before I dropped her off at the airport we were able to meet up with one my bests for some coffee.

Beautiful smiles all around!

All three of us

Being silly

I was sad when I dropped my mom off at the airport but luckily I’ll be flying down to Florida tomorrow till Sunday!

Lazy Sundays

I had a Rudi’s Organic English Muffin – these are so good! One half with cashew butter and the other half with Creme of Almonds and Dates spread. I also had vanilla Greek yogurt with marmalade and some slices of bananas. I also saved some banana slices for my English Muffin. My sweet tooth was calling my name that morning and I had a Marzipan candy and I tried a Newman’s Own Organic dark chocolate peppermint cup. This one was so good! I did some things around the apartment and spent most of my day painting.

More pizza!

Yummy dinner

I had some of the baguette from the brasserie with basil pesto, and a mock tuna made with soybeans. I also had a sliced up a carrot and look at that beautiful persimmon! I’m glad I decided to cut it that way.

I tried someone's favorite nighttime snack.

Well not just someone, but I tried Jessica’s favorite! Warmed up applesauce with cinnamon, melted chocolate chips, a crumbled graham cracker, and since I didn’t have almond butter I just used cashew. Girl, now I know why this snack is at the top of your list.

Spreading the love on Monday.

What a great way to start a Monday – with heart-shaped goodies! I tried the date Heart Thrive that morning. The date flavor wasn’t as intense as some of the other flavors I’ve tried. Maybe it was just me, but it seemed off. I had it over vanilla Greek yogurt, a sliced banana, and cashew butter. Mixed in with everything else it was good, but alone I didn’t really like it.

Baguette action

This sandwich was composed of: a beer-brat Tofurky sausage, homemade tomato sauce, red onions, and relish. Yum! I love using a baguette as the bread for a sandwich.

I obviously couldn't get enough!

So later on I snacked on some more with a baked apple + cinnamon, goat cheese, and honey!

I also got an incredibly sweet package in the mail!

From one of the sweetest girls around, Mitri! Her package warmed my heart and kept a smile on my face for the rest of the day.

Little delicious treats and wonders tucked inside.

Thank you so much! Don’t you love acts of kindness? Especially through snailmail! Since Tuesday was around the corner, I spent most of my day kicking major booty in the studio. Tuesday = my final critique of the semester!

Breakfast on-the-go

This is why bars are perfect sometimes! I tried the last 18 rabbits granola bar – Haute Diggity Date. This was incredibly delicious and is right up there with the first one I tried. The one that made me think, “this is what a granola bar is suppose to taste like.” Thank you for sending me these bars to review! I am so glad that I did because I will definitely find myself getting these in the future.

So now I will share with you what my piece for this semester’s final critique looked like. Now keep in mind that being there in person is an entirely different experience – as is with most art. I also had a Nag Champa incense burning which definitely added to the piece itself. I had originally wanted to set it up in various open fields and document my interaction in the space. Then I realized how little time I had, and I was debating doing a performance piece with it instead. However, nothing specific came to mind and I never force myself into anything when it comes to my art. So I just let it be, but I will set it up outside and film that in my leisure time.

Balancing on itself

Mitri’s beautiful box of goodies found its way into my piece! Can you spy it?

Watercolors on fabric + burlap

Interesting angle the stripped branches made.

The whole experience was meditative for me, and the environment I built is meditative as well. What a great place to relax…

Where do you all like to go to relax?

p.s. check out Katie’s amazing giveaway!

What Makes You Smile?

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I’m going to start this post off with something that made me smile about a second ago. I just had a most delicious cup of tea I got at a coffeeshop. I had green tea with jasmine & lemon.

So remember when I said that I always say I’m going to get a rain jacket and I don’t, and then it rains?

I finally got one!

When I got back from shopping I started to make my lunch.

I baked some sweet potato fries with Old Bay seasoning and cumin. I also baked some Gardein chick’n tenders as well. I squirted ketchup on both and sprinkled some curry powder on as well. I made something of Sophia’s but with a different texture. Rather than make her kabocha soup with bacon and goat cheese- I made it a mash with coconut oil. I also subbed out the bacon for fakin’ bits. And that cute little chocolate cup? This time I tried a Newman’s Own Organic Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups. It tasted good, but I wasn’t too keen on the gooey peanut butter middle. I was hoping it would be a bit more solid.

Look at what I got in the mail!

Awhile back Kashi was giving out free samples on their site. You know I jumped on that offer!

I've also been working on my project.

I started carving some wood yesterday. And after about 6 hours of that I realized I want to keep my thumb – it was so sore!

Granola bar!

I tried another 18 Rabbit granola bar that was graciously sent to me. This time it was the Funky Figs & Cherries. First off, I love the names of the flavors – they’re so much fun! I just heated it up and crumbled it over some vanilla Greek yogurt, and dark sweet cherries. This one was also very granola-y, however the first flavor I tried (Cheeky Cherry Chocolate) is the best so far. I swore I also tasted some chocolate in this one. Silly me didn’t check the ingredients though! Oh well, what matters is that it tasted good, right?

I had a little mishap with my lunch.

I had been cooking some kale on the stove and I went away and completely forgot about cooking, until I smelled something burning! I quickly ran into the kitchen and took it off the burner. Although it shriveled up a lot, it still tasted very good. May I suggest sautéing kale in a mix of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, and s&p? I also toasted a quick sandwich: goat cheese, basil pesto, and tomato with balsamic vinegar.

Yesterday, I got a bit of relaxing time in. I just did some beauty things and had dinner roasting and boiling away in the mean time.

My one person casserole dish.

I roasted some kabocha chunks, and boiled some edamame and quinoa pasta. I tossed it all in coconut oil, lime juice and s&p, then drizzled on some tamarind-date chutney. One word: yum. I haven’t had edamame in forever and I just found a great edamame succotash recipe I must try.

Now we're a little more caught up now.

This morning I decided to try the cranberry flavored Heart Thrive. I crumbled it over some vanilla Greek yogurt mixed with pumpkin puree. I also drizzled on some cashew butter and tossed in a handful of dried cranberries. To make the Heart Thrive less dry I heated it up in the microwave and spread on a bit of coconut oil. I must say I really enjoyed this flavor! It was perfectly tart and had a much stronger flavor than the others I tried.

Lots of blue today!

I wore my favorite blouse and these cool navy blue velvety pants…

And they're cuffed!

I only had one class today, so that left me with plenty of time to run errands and prepare some things for when my mom arrives tomorrow. I’m so excited!

Quick lunch

I got home and I was so hungry so I had some hemp brownie bites while I quickly prepared my lunch. No, not special brownies! I followed a BBQ Shepard’s Pie recipe from the Sunshine Burgers website with the BBQ flavor. Basically, I roasted corn, some cubed potato bits, and mozzarella in the oven. Afterwards I just drizzled on some BBQ sauce. I also had it with some beautiful blanched kale. I love that green!

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I’m excited. Although I’m having a rather untraditional Thanksgiving (when is it not?), it’s going to be so nice to be with my mother. Since her flight comes in around 2, we’ll be having a Thanksgiving dinner. Which means she’ll be helping me in the kitchen! We make a great team. Anyway, I wanted to know what makes you all smile? I know for myself, it’s mostly the little things that cheer me up. For instance, when I take Matilda on walks I always notice the little quirks about Richmond. There are a lot of characters around here and they definitely make sure to leave their mark. Things like painted ice cream cones cut out of cardboard hanging on a string over a telephone line. I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving! Aside from having delicious food, I think the most important part is to enjoy being with people you care about. And being around those people can make a world seemingly filled with troubles, a much better place.

I’ll leave you all with some ideas from Kate Spade: 20 Ways to Merry-Make.

Inspired Eats

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

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

A different version of frozen yogurt

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

Two cookies for good measure!

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

Inspired by two very special ladies.

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

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

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

And a skirt I should wear more often.

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

I had recently gotten a ton of basil.

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

Afternoon snack

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

Almost forgot about lunch!

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

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

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

This was a special bowl of oatmeal...

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

I even mixed spiced rum in the banana pudding!

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

I hadn't worn this blazer in ages!

Lunch was surprisingly yummy.

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

Bright and early on a Saturday!

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

Carrots and rutabaga mash + sandwich

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

I just had to!

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

And I got kind of side-tracked...

Okay, really side-tracked!

Then I finally got back to work.

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

Yin and Yang

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

Korean-Russian Carrot Salad

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

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

An example of a perfectly delicious Sunday breakfast.

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

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

[gigya width="440" height="420" src="http://v6.tinypic.com/player.swf?file=e0l46a&s=6" quality="high" flashvars="gig_lt=1258755181799&gig_pt=1258755196207&gig_g=1&gig_n=wordpress" wmode="tranparent" ]
Original Video – More videos at TinyPic

Much love!

Busy as a Bee

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28

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??