Tag Archives: cauliflower

For The Love Of Vegetables

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Ever since I was little I always remember having a love for vegetables. Whether it was my grandmother’s sopa de auyama or a plain bag of carrots and lettuce, I was known to be a veggie monster. Or perhaps I thought I was a bunny?

Proof lies in the spinach beard I proudly showed off for the camera

Although I don’t have it often, one of my all-time favorite breakfasts is a plateful of latkes. I would usually just eat them with applesauce, but people also serve them with sour cream. My dad likes to add corn to them when he makes them–something I definitely recommend trying.

Over the weekend I went on a full-blown cooking storm, and I’m pretty sure that’s what I spent most of my time doing. But really there’s not a day that goes by where I don’t prepare something. Anyway, I had stumbled upon a recipe for Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers. Having just used the sweet potatoes for another recipe, I used delicata squash instead. Besides it had been hanging around for too long. For the spices I used a ‘blackened seasoning’ blend, nutritional yeast, and thyme.

After the veggie burgers were done, and I had gone on a late night run (my prime running time), by the time I came back… I don’t know what it was but I decided that the veggie burgers would be great for breakfast! Not just that, but instead of serving them as a patty I thought they’d be interesting as pancakes. Something reminiscent of potato pancakes or latkes.

Something was missing...

It needed something to contrast in color and in flavor.

Aha!

I love how spring onions are a mild yet put a skip in a dish’s walk. They tasted good, but were a bit dry even if I had served them as veggie burgers. Next time I’ll experiment by adding in some eggs and oil to the equation.

So remember I said I was part bunny when I was little?

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Who Does Your Future Belong To?

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Hello hello! Greetings with another post–a much anticipated one at that. I haven’t been on the computer much lately, but you know what means. I’m brimming with things to share!

Lately I’ve been feeling like my pumpkin kabocha has turned into a carriage.

I’ll explain what I mean later…

Because a steamed carriage just doesn’t make sense, but it definitely tastes good!

I steamed it with thyme, and ground all-spice. I didn’t know that you could steam herbs! I guess in reality, you can really steam anything, even nuts.

This may explain why my palms and the bottoms of my feet are rosy.

I was inspired by Averie’s sweet-and-sour honey lemon tofu. However, instead of baking the tofu I fried it, but I followed her cue and used mango chutney and lemon. I sprinkled on some sesame seeds and cilantro for the final touch.

A great idea!

I took Mel’s advice on spreading Nutella on the brötchen. Although this wasn’t Nutella per se, it was close enough as it was, after-all, chocolate hazelnut butter. This was so delicious and went perfectly together! I decided to simply spread a date on one of the halves.

Alongside came a bowl of Greek yogurt with chia seeds and a medley of fruits.

Getting ready to go out for Wednesday ladies' night!

The dress...

The shoes...

And a picture courtesy of my iPhone hehehe

I think I may be one of the few people who drinks a glass of wine and doesn’t get sleepy, but instead dances their butts off long enough to get some blisters. Anyone care to join me? I guess you don’t have to get blisters though!

A delicious breakfast to revive me sounded really nice at the time.

Actually, when does that not?

In the mix: overnight oats with dried cranberries and chia seeds, a diced pear, cinnamon, chocolate almond butter, and puffed millet

Another bar variation!

I can't believe that this bar tasted like a delicious, fruity wine!

I used a mix of oats, puffed millet, and puffed corn for the grains in this bar. I also added some grated chocolate, dried fruits, pecans, and more mixed nuts to the continuously evolving secret recipe.

And a pick-me up lunch!

I made a sun-dried tomato cauliflower mash, since my mom has never tried this vegetable in that form. Eating anything mashed is such a comfort food for me. Maybe because it’s like baby food… but tastes way better!

I highly recommend this recipe!

I recently received a newsletter from the Vegetarian Times and saw they had a recipe for smoke baby portobello sliders. The picture looked appetizing alone, and I happen to get some portobellos on sale at the market. This was sweet, smoky, juicy, savoury, and just wonderful to bite into. The herbes de Provence gave it a great sweet, flowery, and Italian flavor. I love how portobellos really suck up the flavors of the rubs and marinades because otherwise they would be too earthy for me on it’s own. I actually prefer my mushrooms cooked unless I’m dipping raw ones into hummus or my favorite BBQ sauce. I also suggest that if you try this recipe, use a bread that isn’t whole wheat. Maybe it’s just me, but I can’t imagine these flavors going well with a grainy bread.

I also thought that maybe a smoothie with some leftover pulp from juicing + the usual ingredients would make my lethargy go away.

Unfortunately, I was feeling under the weather pretty much the whole day, until I took an afternoon cat-nap.

Another portobello recipe!

I found a great recipe in the Veganomicon, Portobello Salad with a Spicy Mustard Dressing. This was delicious, and I don’t think I can ever get over how great the texture of this mushroom is.

So this is how my Friday started out...

A nice but very wavey day at the beach--perfect for the surfers!

The waves here are just good for simply riding… unless there’s a hurricane. That’s another story! A lot of people get arrested because they’re not suppose to be out there when the weather is that bad. Their dangerous, but their probably the best that Florida can get!

Then it was time to continue the dancing from the other night!

We went to go see a new talent signed to one my favorite DJ’s (Steve Aoki) label, Dim-Mak records. It was so much fun and so many things went our way that night.

While trying to find parking in South Beach and as soon as I said "someone please pull out just for me".. reverse lights came on and we had a spot!

That’s when I knew that things would go my way. We headed over to this place…

Got there, got through the ropes no problem

We payed, but then somehow one of the doormen knew we payed called us back and had the cashier give us our money back because “we were with Norman”. Whoever Norman is…(?) thanks! After dancing our feet off we headed back to the car and met a friendly stranger. Actually, at that late hour… almost everyone is friendly. I can’t tell you how many people I walked by that put their hands out for a high-five. I loved it! Anyway, friendly stranger encounter brings me to the next day.

First I had to get refreshed with this perfect summer breakfast.

Somehow I managed to wake up in time for my favorite yoga class.

Overnight oats topped with Cacao Bliss banana "soft-serve", macadamia nut butter, coconut shreds, and sprinkles of course.

I love the crunch those little sprinkles add!

After yoga class and lunch, I got ready and dressed!

It’s about time I made a debut with this blouse! Oh my goodness, this top is insanely vibrant and a new favorite. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten so many ooh’s and ahh’s from a single item of clothing. It was funny because at one point when we were heading up to the W Hotel, I saw these women looking at me, and making the motion around the shoulder and literally gasping with a smile. Which makes sense because guess what was going on this past week? Mercedes-Benz Swim Fashion Week! I headed to the W Hotel to catch some of the action.

Of course I brought one of my partners in crime!

A glorious hallway filled with beautiful swimwear.

A suite with a great view is the perfect environment to get work done, right?

As soon as we got there, they generously offered to make us some drinks.

I’m not the biggest fan of tequila, but one of the guys promised that it would be the best tequila I had ever tasted. He was actually right! No foul face was made, and I was happy with my slice of sweet orange dipped in cinnamon to have afterwards. Then a very handsome (that’s an understatement people) gentleman offered to make me another drink. Uh… you had me before hello!

The view from the balcony was so nice.

See you soon!

It was a really nice evening, and I got to meet a lot of new people! I think the best part was that it encouraged me even more to pursue my dreams. Whatever it is, whatever I want… I can make it happen! Oh gosh I’m biting my tongue right now because I still have lots to share! Until next post, “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.” Yes, I think Henry David Thoreau had the right idea!

Life is What You Make of It

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Hi everyone! I hope your week has started off on a good note. I know mine has. Aside from my computer crashing, things have been looking up. After a week of no sun and dreary weather, the weather gods decided to give us the gift of sunshine and warmth. Thank goodness! I think this is just what I needed to reenergize myself for this busy week. Without my computer I will find myself with less distractions. But I’ll do my best to keep you all updated – hence I am sitting in the toasty Fine Arts building’s computer lab. So many computers buzzing!

I’ll start off with my Saturday night. I was going to go to some experimental sound art show, but I wasn’t really in the mood for that. Instead I called up one of my best friends to see what she was up to.

Driving to meet up with them.

Strawberry Street Market's selection of beers. They even had a Honey Basil kind.

We ended up going to our friend's house for a house show.

The band seemed to be cooped up in this one room – I think they should’ve played in the middle. But a friend of mine came out of that room with a bloody nose but the biggest smile on her face!

I tried to capture the crowd surfing that was going on haha

I didn’t want to get back too late because I was planning on going hiking the next day.

So I ended up heading back around 3 in the morning.

Not a bowl of oats!

My tummy wasn’t feeling too well the next day so I wanted to take it easy. I had some leftover okara from when I made soymilk when I got home super late. Yeah, I made soymilk around 3 am… Anyway, I mixed it with pumpkin butter, stevia, and cinnamon. I topped it with a sliced apple, dates, some more pumpkin butter, and the last of the Artisana almond butter.

Matilda, down.

Aw!!! How can anyone resist?

Some things I packed for my hiking trip!

I made myself a PB&J sandwich using Rudi’s Wheat & Oat bread. Oh my gosh this bread is so good by the way. It’s perfect for sandwiches – especially a classic PB&J. I love how thick the slices make it so much more satisfying to bite into. When I was making my sandwich I had trouble deciding which jam to use. I remembered that Boysenberry jam is one of my favorites, but I currently do not have it in stock.

Well guess what? My computer crashed  and I knew that I would have to take care of that before I went on any hiking trip. And the sun was shining so brightly on Sunday I knew I didn’t want to be indoors.

This necklace spoke for my excitement about the weather!

I headed over to my nearest Apple store and I ended up making an appointment for today (Monday). By the time I was done with that, my friends that were going to go with me either a) didn’t want to anymore or b) didn’t answer. But you know what? I still wanted to go hiking so I went. I called up a good friend of mine that is usually up for doing stuff. I didn’t get to go to the Shenandoah Valley like I had planned, but atleast I got to go exploring and get some easy hiking in.

Crossing the bridge to Belle Isle.

The hiking begins!

My shoes along with the wet mud were not a good combination, but it was fun nonetheless. I love adventures!

I think Matilda does too.

I love letting Matilda off the leash so she can sniff around as she pleases. She’s so cute because she never strays too far. When she was walking ahead of us she kept stopping and looking back to make sure we were still there. What would she do if we decided to play hide-n-seek with her?

There's a pond on the isle.

I just thought these pods were beautiful.

The James River is really high right now from all the rain.

Admiring the sky.

I love being out in nature and being amazed by it. Nature is beautiful and it doesn’t have to try.

City skylines can be amazing too.

Dinner

This time I just sautéed the kale with white cooking wine and seasonings. I also had some of my leftover “meatloaf” I made with the okara. Last but not least I made a recipe inspired by Katie’s mashed cauliflower. I pureed mine with salt & pepper, nutritional yeast, and soymilk. Then I served it with some all-natural butter. Yum!

Then it was time for some homework!

This is a part of what I’m working on for my sculpture project.

I'm not much of a painter, but I think it's fun. I haven't done it in years!

Monday mornings

This breakfast was interesting. I wanted to use up the rest of my okara, so I mixed it with a ZenSoy banana pudding cup. By the way, I think the banana pudding flavor is my favorite. I heated that up till it liquified and then dumped on some Aztec Crunch Corn & Amaranth cereal. Excuse my half-eaten apple that I enjoyed with my favorite crunchy peanut butter.

I assembled my sandwich the night before because I knew I would be pressed for time today.

I also sautéed some kale with raisins and toasted pine nuts. I love toasted pine nuts!

Le Sandwich

I used two slices of French Meadow Bakery’s Woman’s Bread. What’s so special about Woman’s Bread? According to the site, “with 14 grams of protein and 2.6 mg of soy isoflavones per serving, Women’s Bread contains key nutrients for women’s health. Sprouted grains bursting with vital nutrients and vitamins are easy to digest. Dried cranberries provide an antioxidant boost.” I enjoyed the dried cranberries very much! Okay so what’s in between the bread? Portobello mushrooms, basil, red onion, cream cheese, fakin’ bacon bits, and tomato paste + honey.

After my readings in apocalyptic Literature class I wanted to go exploring around Belle Isle some more. Apparently I just couldn’t get enough and the weather was gorgeous! It was so much fun not knowing where I was going but taking random trails that would lead me to who knows where! Afterwards I came home and showered and did some pampering.

Tea tree and spearmint mask - ah so refreshing.

And dinner time rolled around.

I didn’t really feel like cooking tonight. Well, I guess I did cook the cauliflower mash with garlic and herb, but that barely counts! So I just baked some Gardein “chicken” tenders in the oven and seasoned with Old Bay blackened seasoning, and ketchup + curry. Curry ketchup is delicious. All you have to do is mix in some curry powder with ketchup – simple! It reminds me of buying pomme frites on the streets in Germany served with with curry ketchup. Please excuse me toasts for being shy. I promise they are delicious once you meet them. Tonight I wanted to try French Meadow Bakery’s Gluten-Free Multigrain bread. That’s a mouthful! Anyway, the bread was seriously delicious! I just spread on some butter on one slice, and butter and fruit spread on the other. I can’t explain really how tasty this bread was. Just biting into it was awesome and I can’t believe it has no wheat. Can you see the all the little flaxseeds? So good! I highly recommend this bread, even if you don’t have a gluten intolerance.

Lastly, the ever so lovely Brooke tagged me to fill out a little survey she made up! Here goes…

1. favorite variety of apple? Gala

2. apples dipped in? Peanut butter… or caramel! How about  both?

3. favorite way to enjoy pumpkin? Pumpkin oatmeal, pumpkin and ginger cookies, and pumpkin penne

4. favorite soup? with crackers or bread? My mom’s spinach soup with fresh crusty bread.

5. do you eat orange foods all year round? Not consciously, but the time of year doesn’t stop me from eating them that’s for sure.

6. most used spice in your autumn cooking: Cinnamon and tarragon

7. you are baking some homemade bread, what flavor combination of bread would you like to make? Oh my gosh! Some sort of spiced bread. How about a spiced bread with almonds and cranberries. However, I recently stumbled upon a garlic pull-apart bread recipe.

8. favorite autumn vegetables and ways to eat it? Winter squashes out the wazoo! Recently, I’ve been digging cauliflower and kale

9. hot chocolate, hot cider, coffee or tea? Hot chocolate made with coconut milk. And I love this one tea called Richmond Blend. It’s a black tea with cinnamon, orange peel, and cloves. It’s out of this world and actually has an intense flavor on it’s own. Not to mention the cinnamon helps keep me warm during the cold months.

10. favorite seasonal dessert? I think it’s a tie between double-layer pumpkin cheesecake and sweet potato pie.

11. lets make a fall stew! pick any 6 ingredients to create your one: Sweet potato, onions, carrots, kale, curry, and white truffle oil

12. pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts or almonds to snack on? Almonds!!!

13. popcorn flavor/seasoning? Cinnamon & sugar or nutritional yeast

14. bowl of hot cereal you have been wanting to try: A banana rum cake inspired one! I actually just came up with this.

15. post a link to a recipe that you recently bookmarked. April’s pumpkin French toast!

Anyway, I just wanted to fill you all in on how my weekend went and how my week started. I’m going to try to keep up with all you lovely people! I hope you all are doing well and keeping your chins up. Remember, as William James once said “…Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact.”

When Life Gives You Awesome Bread

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Make sandwiches!

But first let me start out with the little treat.

A cold Milano cookie.

A cold Milano cookie.

I’ve never had these before, and this is what I think. Where have I been?!

A nice thick slice of Sullivan St. Bakery's multi-grain pullman bread.

A nice thick slice of Sullivan St. Bakery's multi-grain pullman bread.

I love cream cheese with fruit preserves. By the way, Crofter’s has a new line that I’ve been dying to try. I discovered that a thing such as yumberries exist! So far I’ve tried two of these flavors, and I must say they are full of fruity goodness. I love when fruit spreads have actual fruits in them!

Super cute jars!

Super cute continent jars!

A breakfast sandwich with bananas, peanut butter, and pumpkin butter.

An incredible breakfast sandwich with bananas, peanut butter, and pumpkin butter.

The multi-grain bread also worked well with more savoury ingredients as well.

Topped with pepper jack - accompanied by zucchini with sweet-n-sour cashews, and black beans and corn with chunks of Hanover tomatoes.

Topped with pepper jack - accompanied by zucchini with sweet-n-sour cashews, and black beans and corn recipe with chunks of Hanover tomatoes.

If you guys haven’t tried it yet, I suggest you put cumin on your black beans along with garlic.

A homemade bulgur veggieburger.

A homemade bulgur veggieburger with lime mayonnaise.

Now that school is back in session, I have been making recipes that I can store and don’t mind having leftovers. As you can see I’ve got a wonderful array of fresh vegetables! I’ve been reading everyone’s posts about the transition of summer to fall. I’m going to miss my salads dearly. I absolutely love buying a large head of romaine, and creating some wonderful salads with it. Adding corn is a must! I’ve even added frozen corn, and to me it’s even more satisfying on those hot summer days.

After taking a bite I thought scooping some corn kernels would be the perfect touch!

After taking a bite I thought scooping some corn kernels would be the perfect touch!

Speaking of salads. My roommate spotted an incredible dressing that I highly suggest you pick up at your nearest Trader Joe’s!

Cilantro Salad Dressing

Cilantro Salad Dressing

A salad for the heck of it!

A salad for the heck of it!

Now on to the next loaf of bread – the pane de ruccia. That’s the bread I was holding above my head like the holy grail in my last post. It’s 70% sourdough and 30% wholegrain. What does this mean to me? Well, I don’t judge by numbers, I’m just judging by taste! Is there some sort of genie that can grant me a wish – oh say… make this bread last forever?

A delicious snack

A delicious snack

I spread some creamy gorgonzola, grilled an Asian pear, then drizzled honey atop and sprinkled some almond bits for the finishing touch!

I also tried out Trader Joe's peanut satay sauce.

I also tried out Trader Joe's peanut satay sauce.

This sandwich is demanding a close-up!

This sandwich is demanding a close-up!

I layered on some homemade chipotle-tomato spread, grilled eggplant, melted provolone, tomato slices, avocado, red onion, and cilantro. I might as well just say it right now, but I have become sandwich queen!

This is where the cilantro craze started.

This is where the cilantro craze started.

Another diva sandwich!

Another diva sandwich!

For this sandwich I followed the Spiced-Up Grilled Cheese recipe I found on The Kitchen Sink blog. I wish I had used the New York cheddar though.

More eggplant goodness, and I used the chipotle "ketchup" to dip these crispy eggplant chunks.

More eggplant goodness, and I used the chipotle "ketchup" to dip these crispy eggplant chunks.

I made a spread with avocado, nutritional yeast, yogurt, and cumin.

I made a spread with avocado, nutritional yeast, yogurt, and cumin.

Pumpkin butter, gorgonzola, and red onions. Kept company by

Pumpkin butter, creamy gorgonzola, and red onions. Kept company by some veggies and a dipping sauce I made with nutritional yeast, miso, ketchup, and I forgot what else- oops!

More bulgur veggieburger goodness! Cauliflower and corn with peanut sauce.

More bulgur veggieburger goodness! Cauliflower and corn with peanut sauce.

Okay, so I must share this recipe with you guys. Especially for all you folks looking for foods to make ahead of time out of convenience. I followed a recipe for Bulgur Veggieburgers with Lime Mayonnaise from Gourmet.com - which is an incredible source for delicious recipes! It was so much fun making these, and I got to bust out my new mini food-processor my parents got me. I was honestly surprised at how well these turned out because last time I tried to make any sort of patty, they sadly ended up being crumbly. Moreover, they were so easy to make!

Lots of layers.

Lots of layers.

Yummy mush

Yummy mush

Anyway, where was I? Oh yes! More bread.

Cream cheese with apple slices and cinnamon.

Cream cheese with apple slices and cinnamon.

I put some red onion after taking a bite and coming to the conclusion that something was missing.

I put some red onion after taking a bite and coming to the conclusion that something was missing.

I used that Creme of Dates and Almonds I found at Dean & Deluca.

I used that Creme of Dates and Almonds I found at Dean & Deluca.

On top of some cream cheese, and the other slice just has butter.

On top of some cream cheese, and the other slice just has natural butter.

Another note, I suggest – for cream cheese – not to use the diet kinds. I don’t know why, but out of all those diet-y products, I think the cream cheese ones shouldn’t exist. They’re really horrible tasting. Personally, I stray away from diet-type products in general because they usually have far less taste than the regular products, and way more ingredients*. Sorry if I sound like I’m on a high horse. Just putting in my two cents.

Gosh, I have so much to catch you guys up on! It’s just hard since school started, but I promise I will get you guys up to speed. I have so much that I want to share!

Matilda in her kangaroo pouch I use for our bike rides together.

Matilda in her kangaroo pouch I use for our bike rides together.

I’m sending you all lots of love and hugs!

*In the end it all comes down to taste. If you like it, and it happens to be something with a longer ingredient list than the wait at the doctors – then that’s okay too! Non-diet foods are just my personal preference because they generally taste better, and are more filling.

Whoa mama!

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So this post is going to be full of pictures! I finally got ahold of a memory card reader. Without further ado, I present you with the pictures that have been MIA.

Remember when I said I made my first green smoothie?

This tasted very yummy, but I ended up feeling sick to my stomach about an hour after.
This tasted very yummy, but I ended up feeling sick to my stomach about an hour after.

Awhile ago I had visited one of my roommate’s family and I got to try a bunch of wonderful food from the Philippines. They have this wonderful treat called Ube. What is that? Well it’s basically a purple yam and it tastes hella good. If you know of any Philippino stores, you should try some desserts with ube in them. If you don’t have one nearby, you can always go to an Asian market, and I’m sure they will at least have ube jam. It’s seriously worth trying.

Ube mixed with coconut make this ice cream to die for!
Ube mixed with coconut make this ice cream to die for!
I made Gena's Cauliflower salad with a sweet potato topped with shredded coconut and cinnamon.
I made Gena’s cauliflower salad with a sweet potato topped with shredded coconut and cinnamon.

This salad was wonderful! I loved the surprising addition of the golden raisins. It added a sweetness, but it was subtle enough to go well with everything else.

A yummy bowl of chickpeas, roasted red peppers, and coconut basmati rice with coconut oil.
A yummy bowl of chickpeas, roasted red peppers & onions, over coconut wild rice with coconut oil.
I followed Ramya's recipe for okra veggie.
I followed Ramya’s recipe for Vendakkai Poriyal.
I mixed the veggies with a bowl of coconut basmati rice and coconut oil.
I mixed the veggies with chickpeas over coconut basmati rice and coconut oil.

If you like okra you have to try this recipe! If you don’t like okra you have to try this recipe! Everyone should just do it.

Here’s some more chickpea lovin’.

I made a salad with chickpeas, onions, and BBQ sauce. To go along with my salad I made some spaghetti aglio e olio.

I made a salad with chickpeas, onions, raisins, and BBQ sauce. To go along with my salad I made some spaghetti aglio e olio.

The spaghetti aglio e olio was a recipe I found on Rouxbe. It’s an online instructional cookbook.

During my “recent picture hiatus” I went to the river with my friend, Steph, and some other people. It was so much fun! Thank goodness she was a camp counselor because she helped get the fire going and had a wonderful idea for roasting our veggies.

Hi Steph!

Hi Steph!

This was the secret location tucked away in one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in Richmond.

This was the secret location tucked away in one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in Richmond.

Steph had the idea of putting our veggies in personal "pockets".

Steph had the idea of putting our veggies in personal "pockets".

While we were at the river I let Matilda loose and guess what she did? She bolted towards the water. At first I was afraid because I didn’t know what to expect. Matilda was a natural and she had so much fun swimming around.

There she goes!

There she goes!

I also brought along some Philippino treats. They look like eggs - green eggs and ham!

I also brought along some Philippino treats. They look like eggs - green eggs and ham!

This past weekend my parents flew up to kidnap me. It also happened to be the weekend of Richmond’s Vegetarian Festival. It was such a hot day, but since it was at a park we were able to sit in the shade a lot. I got to sample a lot of things. Among these samples I tried Tofutti’s cuties. These were delicious and perfect for a hot day! The two flavors I sampled were key lime and wild berry.

We were able try different things from a variety of vendors.

We were able to try different things from a variety of vendors. Lunch was like traveling around the world with plates from the Mediterranean, Ethiopia, and Thailand.

So many people! So much heat!

So many people! So much heat!

Matilda came with us. She got some treats and plenty of water as well.

Matilda came with us. She got some treats and plenty of water as well.

After the festival I decided to take my mom to Trader Joe’s. The last time she had gone to one was over a decade ago! She was so happy I took her there, but she was a little bummed that they don’t have one in Florida. Trader Joe needs to make his way down here! We got a bunch of things, and since we knew we had a long driving day ahead of us we got some travel food. My dad picked out a blackberry Belgian beer that I said I would split with him since we had to do a raincheck for Father’s Day.

Hmm... what's this? Trader Joe's horseradish hummus!

Hmm... what's this? Trader Joe's horseradish hummus!

The verdict? Me likey a lot! And so did everyone else.

The verdict? Me likey a lot! And so did everyone else.

Yesterday, I arrived at my parent’s house, and of course I always get excited to see what they have. I usually don’t buy crackers, so I was eager to try these. I tried some Harvest Grain Simplyfit crackers. I could make like Kailey and just munch on these straight out of the box! So of course I had some for lunch today. I’ve never tried Kashi’s TLC crackers, but I’d imagine these are just as delicious. They also use 10 whole grains and seeds (like quinoa).

On another note, there are a few perks I’ve discovered since blogging. The main one being all the wonderful people I have encountered! Everyone seems so friendly and open to new things, and I love that! You guys rule! Another perk is getting samples. I hate buying a whole box of something and I end up not liking it. It makes sense to sample something before you dive in, right? Unless you know you’re going to like it, or simply don’t mind. So let’s get to the good stuff!

The generous people at Kay’s Naturals were more than happy to send me some samples of the products.

I'd say they were more than generous!

I'd say they were more than generous!

So far I’ve tried all the cereals, and tonight I plan on trying some more. I’ve liked everything, but my favorite would have to be the Honey Almond Protein Cereal. I loved having it with almond milk and a caramelized banana. Thanks so much for the package, Lindsey! I was seriously blown away when I saw all that was sent to me.

Next up, Michelle, over at Alternative Baking Co. hooked me up with some delicious vegan cookies.

IMG_4577

 

Opening the letter!

Opening the letter!

They sent me a Colossal Chocolate Chip cookie, and their cookie of the season - Coconut Macaroon.

They sent me a Colossal Chocolate Chip cookie, and their cookie of the season - Coconut Macaroon.

Wow! Which one do I try first? I love anything coconut so of course I couldn’t get enough of the coconut macaroon. The chocolate chip cookie was incredible as well; it tasted like unbaked cookie dough! I loved everything about these cookies. They were chewy just how I like them, and huge just how cookies should be. Thank you so much Michelle!

Lastly, Annette over at Sun Warrior sent me some sample packets of their protein powder. She sent me the vanilla and chocolate flavors. I haven’t tried those yet, but I will definitely report back. 

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Does anyone have any suggestions for some yummy shakes?

I’m going to save all my breakfast eats for my next post. Yes, they are that good!

I hope you are all enjoying the rest of your Monday. Now let’s all face the rest of the week!