The Bigger Picture

Hello everyone! I have some delicious things to share with you!

Roasted green beans with almonds is one of my favorite side dishes as of late.
Roasting things in general is something I’ve been loving lately.

It doesn’t require active participation in the kitchen, so it’s perfect for making something delicious when you also need to be doing something else. Shown above is a chickpea cutlet (recipe from Veganomicon) with fig preserves, red potatoes and chickpeas fried with bratkartoffel würzer, and roasted brussels sprouts with a sweet mustard dressing. I can’t begin to explain how deliciously savory and sweet this meal was.

Let me explain…

This is a seasoning my mom’s friend sent over from Germany, and it has all of these wonderful ingredients: salt, paprika, onion, curry, pepper, marjoram, pimento, ginger, cloves, and sugar. You just fry the potatoes with these seasonigs, some diced onions and voila! You have yourself a meal to remember. Actually, this meal made me feel very nostalgic of Germany, and I thought of my two Prinzessins, Neela and Mel.

More roasting, chickpeas, potatoes, and chickpea cutlets!

But still different! I can’t remember the last time I had mashed potatoes, but I have been missing out. I simply followed a recipe in my ayurvedic cookbook for regular mashed potatoes, but I added in some other spices and garlic. Once I served it I let some ghee just melt into this comforting mash. Also served with a chickpea cutlet with fig preserves (thanks to this lady’s recommendation), roasted chickpeas and broccoli, and cilantro for garnish (and flavor!).

All together now–yum!
Taking a moment with a tranquil cup of orange blossom tea, while finishing up a crafting project.
Breakfast just elevated up to whole other level!

I was so excited when I saw this bowl at the thrift store the other day. I remember over a year ago pining over it and thinking how it was so perfect for me since breakfast is my favorite meal of the day.

Many delicious breakfasts to be had with my spilt milk bowl: oats, diced apple, dates, crunchy peanut butter, sliced banana, almonds, cinnamon, and honey!
Behold, the honeycrisp! Now I know why people love these apples so much.
Funky deconstructed sushi bowl

I just threw together some cooked rice, edamame, nori, wakame, a grated carrot, vegan mayo, sesame seeds, Bragg’s, cilantro, and pickled ginger of course! Totally random and yummy.

Recently, I did a performance/video/projection piece.

This semester has been really wonderful for me so far. I’ve explored and challenged my mind, my body, and my craft in so many different ways. I usually have a hard time asking for favors, and in my dance class I’m constantly asking for favors. Let me explain what I mean. In other words I’ve gotten use to literally giving my weight to others, and taking weight from other as well. It feels great, and has helped me realize that things just go along smoother when you do share your weight. Because if you hesitate and hold back, then it makes it difficult for the other person to understand what you want to do. In the end you’re left with a balance. I guess my point is that in my classes I’ve found so many parallels that I can apply to my life, and not just in the classroom. What are some things you’ve learned recently that could be applied to the grand scheme of things?

Long Letters to My Dear Friends

Good day to you!

Dinner is served.

I tried out another Veganomicon recipe; one of Neela’s favorites from the book–the chickpea cutlets. I definitely understand why. They’re simple to make and are so versatile! I also steamed some Nishiki rice to go along with the mushroom mutter masala. I’ve missed Indian food and all of its wonderful spices!

All mixed together and voila! A tasty dish.
I noticed Matilda was channeling her inner-yogi again.
You know what this means!
This calls for drastic measures–a spoon long enough for a jar.
Banana PB&J OIAJ

Funny story: while making the OIAJ the container toppled over and spilled everywhere. Luckily the peanut butter was still in the bottom so that survived. But I told myself not to get upset, just clean it up, and that I could just make some more. No big.

Then lunchtime rolled around.

I’ve seen Holly put sweet potato in her sandwiches and I also remembered when I made a sweet potato and ricotta toasted sandwich as well. These things lead me to topping the Garden Herb Sunshine Burger with a sweet potato and ketchup. A very wise choice indeed!

This little bugger helped me through my philosophy exam.

This was a Betty Lou’s High Protein Almond Nut Butter ball. This was so delicious and the texture was awesome. I loved the creaminess of it and the bit of crunch as well. Almost looks like a classic Drumstick doesn’t it? Anyhow, this snack boasts a whopping 12g of protein! These babies are gluten-free and do not contain wheat, corn, soy, and are non-GMO. On the flip side, because they have whey protein they’re not vegan friendly. However, vegans don’t have to feel left out because they do have some treats for you all! Anyway, if you’re looking to up your protein intake with something yummy, definitely keep your eyes peeled.

Actually, the very kind folks at Betty Lou’s sent me some of their products to try out a while ago; remember that? Now since some of their snacks are gluten-free, I was given another opportunity to sample them out. Would they still have that same great taste?

I tried a new Jumbo Fruit Bar flavor: STRAWBERRY!

Check it. It’s gluten-free! Okay, as soon as I opened up the wrapper the sweet smell of strawberries was the first thing I noticed. It was soft and chewy, but not messy and sticky. The best part? It tasted like a delicious baked good!

Crumbled over some yogurt with sunflowers seeds for crunch.

Matilda was curious.

This was the Cashew Pecan nut butter ball. First ingredient? Cashew butter! Um, yum? I love these because they’re like biting into those peanut butter balls you can make for kids. Chewy on the inside and crunchy on the outside. Well, they’re obviously not just for kids anymore! Another plus, I was able to take this snack with me while I was on-the-go.

Peanut butter ball

Heck they even peanut butter balls! For some reason though I didn’t like the flavor as much as the other ones. I couldn’t really put my finger on it. Well, I still have some more to sample so I will keep you all updated! Don’t forget to check out their website to see what other products they have that may catch your eye. I feel like they’ve got something for everyone’s tastes.

Then I got ready to go to a modern dance performance with a friend.

Smile for the camera!

The show was awesome! The costumes went well with each performance and just extended each movement further. I wish I could’ve taken pictures of the performances! All in all, I was left with a smile and the yearning to dance.

Afterwards, we went to an Ethiopian restaurant to meet up with a friend/her boyfriend. Aren’t they cute?!
We talked over some yummy chai tea.
For breakfast I wanted to try something new–yoatgurt!

I cooked my oats with a bit of cinnamon, stevia, and vanilla extract. The oatmeal and the yogurt had to share a bowl and I topped them with a sliced banana, coconut butter, and Sunland’s caramel peanut butter.

The yogurt made the oats extra creamy!
After breakfast I went to a contact improv dance class.

It was so much fun. I can already tell that my body will be bruised and sore tomorrow. But I needed to move, extend, and stretch my body like that. It’s been awhile since I moved my body like that without hesitation. Speaking of not hesitating, I was also able to tap into my acrobatics and gymnastics background and do a flip down someone’s back.  Great way to start my Saturday!

Vegan Caesar Salad from The Conscious Cook

This recipe was so simple to put together. It called for focaccia which would be used as croutons. I also added in a chickpea cutlet from the Veganomicon.

So that’s what I’ve been up to for the past couple of days + working on a sculpture project and completing my headache of a philosophy exam. I wish I could post more often because sometimes I think my posts are overflowing with things. I’m hoping school will settle down a bit and that spring break will make its way over here pronto! In the meantime, just see my posts as really long letters to catch you up on what goes on! I hope you all had a fabulous weekend and that the weather was gorgeous wherever you may have been. What did you all do?