Eating Under the Sun

Posted on June 16, 2010 by Katharina

Many of you asked about my opinion on the chia seeds. I have no idea how much they normally cost, but my parents are fortunate to live close to a discount healthfood store. Actually, I just checked and you can order things online, check it out here: Tunie’s. As for taste? I’m not sure if they have a distinct flavor or not, but I do like the bit of crunch they offer. I like having different textures in my meals though. As for what their benefits are, I honestly didn’t know until I saw the package. Did you know that the Aztecs ate them for strength? They’re also an excellent source of omega fatty acids and dietary fiber.

Lots of hummus has been consumed--my parents had a couple tubs of Sabra in the fridge!

Hummus in sandwiches, hummus as a dip, hummus straight up! I love using sautéed veggies in sandwiches, but cool cucumbers and tomatoes are wonderfully refreshing as well. With a bit of freshly ground black peppercorns and I’m a happy camper.

So moist and scrumptious from the coconut milk.

I had bookmarked this Tropical Applesauce Muffin ages ago and I stumbled upon it again. However, I forgot that I left my muffin pan at my friend’s house so I just made them into squares. They sure don’t look like muffins but they definitely tasted great! I also recommend using brown sugar instead of regular–that’s just my personal taste.

Drinking out of silly straws is also my taste.

I’ve been having delicious smoothies practically everyday. What goes into the blender?

-3/4 cup almond milk (whatever milk you desire)

-1/2 frozen banana

-1/2 cup frozen blueberries (or frozen fruit of choice)

-2 spoonfuls of coconut milk (I suggest using the regular kind)

-protein powder or Greek yogurt

-lots of ice!

1. Mix it together and voila! I’m addicted! I’ve also tried it with just a 1/2 a cup of almond milk and it comes out more like a soft-serve. No complaints here!

Peach and banana variation with a lady finger to boot!

Or in smoothie form as well--whatever floats your boat that day.

What do these treasures from my parents' garden behold?

Vibrantly colored heirloom tomatoes!

Try these with fried capers, chopped basil, and toss it all in olive oil. Then season with sea salt and black pepper. So simple, refreshing, and delicious. I’m telling you that fried capers are delicious and have this wonderful saltiness.

Thai basil as well

I saw a helpless yucca root sitting on my parents counter.

I took matters into my own hands and made yucca fries! A warning though: boil these first because they can be poisonous if you don’t cook them properly beforehand. I tossed them in coconut oil, a citrus marinade, some sea salt, and the yucca fries were served!

Sorry if you don't like feet (I don't) and you just lost your appetite, but I got my first pedicure ever!

The nail salon had my favorite kind of crackers on hand so I took some extra home with me!

More tropical inspired food--plantains!

I’ve been sprinkling them with cinnamon and sea salt, frying them, and then tossing them in coconut oil.

I also took a trip down memory lane because I haven't had French lentils in ages.

Ever since my family has gotten into Indian food we’d been giving red lentils a lot of attention. So it’s been years and I think it was nice to have some other lentils for a change.

My mom suggested we cook butter beans.

So I caramelized some onions and cooked them with dried thyme, shredded mango chutney, butter beans, and sweet potato. I added coconut oil afterwards and let’s just say that ever since my mom fried tofu with shredded mango chutney and thyme, she’s had me hooked! I asked her how she came up with the combination and she simply said, “I don’t know.” That’s good enough for me because sometimes the best things don’t have a reason. They just sort of… happen!

What are some your rhymes with no reason?

I also tried the shredded mango chutney with dried thyme combo with chickpeas!

Still amazing! And you know what else are amazing? Baked sweet potatoes! Especially with coconut oil, cinnamon, and maple syrup. Even better? Add some goat cheese and you’re in for a treat.

A treat even a vampire would enjoy!

Ve vant to suck your blood... er I mean ve vant to eat your sweet potatoes!

We threw a surprise birthday party for a friend of ours--complete with grilling!

Make a wish!

Beautiful birthday cake? Check!

I just realized that I didn’t get a birthday cake for my past birthday. Maybe I should get on that. Better late than never, right?

Look what this vampire found!

The other day I went to the local Italian market and you know I checked the chocolate aisle! I spotted this incredible bar and you know what’s funny? I actually stumbled upon a review of this bar earlier that day! I think everyone around me could tell how excited I was about this because everyone was smiling along with me. Dark chocolate with banana? Yes, please.

Made with actual banana pulp!

Consensus? Excuse me while I break off another piece to refresh my memory… okay back! Ah yes, I’m actually going to write a live review! Well the taste is fabulous no doubt about that. The level is sweetness is right on point and the banana is not overwhelming. My only wish is that it would melt a little more smoothly in my mouth, but I can deal!

What do you think?

My bad! I forgot that puppies can't have chocolate.

I didn't mean to rub it in your face, Matilda.

Speaking of faces, my mom and I did some at-home spa treatment complete with monster masks and gooey hair!

Kind of resembles the cilantro dressing I made the other day, don't you think?

This dressing is deliciously refreshing, tangy, and goes well with goat cheese! I vaguely followed a recipe in my tapas cookbook, so I’ll share with you what I remember since I basically just eyeballed everything.

Cilantro Dressing

-2 garlic cloves

-ground cumin, not too much!

-a lot of chopped cilantro leaves

-a bit less than 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

-2 tbl apple cider vinegar

-salt and pepper

1. Put the garlic, cumin, and cilantro in a food processor, and pulse until well mixed.

2. Add 1 tbl at a time of the extra virgin olive oil. Throughout this process, using a spatula, scrape down the side of the bowl. Keep adding the oil until it has all been incorporated and the dressing has slightly thickened.

3. Add the vinegar to the dressing and process for a minute, or until blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Oh my goodness what a mouthful of a post! I still have more things to share with you all. But until then have a fabulous Wednesday, and treat yourself to something that may have inspired you today.

The Savory and the Sweet

Posted on March 4, 2010 by Katharina

Thank you all for your two cents on my last post. So many of your inputs were so helpful and encouraging. Really, I think my confidence levels have gone up a lot since I started this blog. I just get a really awesome sense of community and genuine care in the blog-o-sphere. There are a lot of times where I imagine a giant meet-up would ensue and the world wouldn’t even know what hit it. Wabam! Anyway, I have to catch you all up on something that’s totally slipped my mind–chocolate! How did chocolate slip my mind? Maybe because it’s in my belly.

Chai Tea Milk Chocolate

Oh yes, this indeed satisfied my sweet tooth. You could taste the various spices in this creamy chocolate bar. I actually let this melt in my mouth and just let the flavors unravel.

The much anticipated Bread & Chocolate dark chocolate!

I was so eager to try this one out since it sounded so interesting and very different from the other flavors. However, I think I built my expectations up a little too high. This wasn’t bad tasting, just sort of a letdown. It was a bit too acidic for my taste but I did appreciate the texture of the bread in the chocolate. Out of all the Theo 3400 Phinney flavors I tried the Hazelnut Crunch milk chocolate was by far my favorite. The saltiness from the toffee, crunchiness from the nuts, and the sweetness from everything else all embedded in a delicious milky chocolate, just spells out amazing!

Now the last of the Newman's Own chocolates!

I finally can say that I have tried everything that the more than generous folks over at Newman’s Own sent me awhile ago. Yes indeed. Let’s start out with the Espresso dark chocolate. Honestly, this bar was not for me. It didn’t really melt in my mouth and I was expecting there to be more of an espresso taste. The flavor did hit me… eventually, it was more like the aftertaste. Now on to the Mocha milk chocolate… that one was so yummy! It really did taste like a mocha but in chocolate bar form, which means it melts in your mouth! Yum! I think my favorite ones from the chocolates are the Mocha milk chocolate and the Orange dark chocolate.

The other day I used up the last of the bag of Udi's Au Naturel granola.

I had it with yogurt, diced apple, and cinnamon sprinkled on top. On the side I had one of my favorite combos: apple + peanut butter!

A Golden Smacker

This Betty Lou’s snack is appropriately named–the taste was golden! What is a Golden Smacker exactly? It’s a patty with peanut butter covered in dark chocolate. Now where can you go wrong with that? I absolutely loved the texture of the filling and I even spotted some raisins as well. This was so delicious and satisfying to munch on. I really savored this because it was just too good to just gobble up–even though that would be easy too! More please! Betty Lou’s also has a milk chocolate flavor if that’s more your taste.

I love lentils!

I cooked these lentils using my mom’s secret recipe and adding some twists of my own–bay leaves, coconut oil, sauteed onions and garlic. However, the rest will remain a secret mwahaha! Anyway, I cooked some rice with cinnamon sticks and cardamom pods to go along with the lentils. This hit the spot! Out of all the lentils, red is my favorite by far. And I had plenty of leftovers; perfect for a busy week. To go along with the rice and lentil combo, I steamed a buttload of kale and had some dates + ginger + cashew butter.

I bought this jar of sweet mango pickle on sale for 99 cents awhile ago, but have yet to find something to serve it with.

With the lentils? Nay. Any ideas?

Dinner on-the-go I tried something else from Amy's kitchen!

I think it’s safe to say that whoever was around me in this class was jealous because it smelled really good, and it tasted even better! Not to mention, burritos are so convenient and not messy… unless you order a mondo one at Chipotle! Luckily, in this class I do not get in trouble for eating. Sidenote: later on in this post you’ll see my solution to packing something for the class I got in trouble in.

After running some errands with my dad (yay he's in town), I came home hungry but I didn't know what to have.

Then it occured to me that there is no wrong time to have a sweet potato. Plus, I just replenished my supply and this was the last one in the old bag. I just microwaved it and topped it with coconut butter, cinnamon, and I smeared a bit of Sunland’s banana peanut butter to be a taste-tester. Do any of you do this? Some times I’ll have something with half of it topped with one preserve and the other half with another flavor–this usually happens when I can’t decide or I’m just feeling curious. Oh, and for the record, the banana peanut butter with the sweet potato was awesome!

Inspired by chocolate-covered strawberries!

I know one chica that would love the sound of this! I cooked my oats in the rest of my almond milk and coconut oil. Then I topped this creamy bowl of goodness with April’s protein brownie batter recipe and threw in some beautiful strawberries. This all mixed together was so good. The other night I also tried a different variation of the protein batter recipe by using vanilla protein powder + cashew butter. I don’t think you can make a bad decision when it comes to this recipe. It’s so simple yet so delicious!

Leftovers + Whole Foods hot bar goodies!

When I was running errands with my dad the night before I spotted a dish that I’ve only seen and tried once at Whole Foods. I loved it when I tried it and I always checked to see if they had it. But that night, they finally did! It’s a spicy eggplant and tomato dish + I wanted to try the tofu korma. My dad brought up a lot of avocados from Florida = an avocado a day for me yay! I love avocados but they’re so expensive up here that I don’t buy them often unless I see them on sale. However, in Florida they are incredibly cheap–we’re talking 30 cents each at some places!

The tofu korma was the bomb diggity! It had me craving basmati rice and naan + some other delicious Indian food!

Savory snack time!

I topped a Seedlander Dr. Kracker cracker with cottage cheese, kale, avocado, s & p. This was simple, fresh, and I recommend it! I picked up some cottage cheese at the store the other day, and I’m glad I did. I’ve forgotten how practical and tasty it can be. By the way, if you haven’t tried Dr. Kracker’s crackers then you are missing out! These are so flavorful even on their own. They are a bit pricey, but I found them on sale at TJ Maxx so I figured “what the hey!”

Now presenting the solution to my no-eating-in-class problemo!

Obviously, I did not follow that rule. It did, however, inspire some sneakiness and turned into “Operation This Isn’t a Meal It’s a ‘Snack’”. I also forgot to mention that while running errands with my dad, Whole Foods had a 33.5 oz tub of Greek yogurt that was promptly put in my basket! So yes, as of late I have been relishing in that tub of Greek goodness. I also bought a set of tupperware with a twist on lid to ensure no spills! When it’s on, this girl knows just what to do! So I filled the container with Greek yogurt, diced apple, and cinnamon. Then I brought this amazing bar to crumble into, what would evolve into a delicious yog-mess. I wish I could’ve snapped a picture of this bar! You could see the ingredients, and I even spied some dried apples! I was actually worried upon opening the wrapper that the aroma would waft on over to my professor and that he would catch me red-handed. Mouth full I would say, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Anyway, back to the bar. This is a very different product from all the Betty Lou’s reviews I’ve done so far. I think the packaging itself goes along with the fun and light-hearted attitude the company seems to have. And the flavor? It has everything a chewy granola bar should have! Oats, maple, cinnamon, fruits, nuts, and seeds! Now I know why it’s called a Harmony Bar! FYI: “Operation This Isn’t a Meal It’s a ‘Snack’” was a success!

Okay, so I fear this post has a lot of words and pictures and I don’t want to overwhelm anybody. Although I do have so much more to share! But no worries, there’s always a next post. Also, I have really taken your advice on making a to-do list to heart. It has made managing my time so much easier and tasks just seem less daunting. It also helps that I’m checking some things off steadily. Many weights being lifted off my shoulders = easier to breathe. That reminds me! We are over that mid-week hill and now we’re just rolling down to Friday! Actually before I end this post I’m going to sneak in one more picture because I can’t contain my excitement.

From the fashion show rehearsal!

I brought my camera this time and I still almost forgot to take a picture. I cannot express how excited I am for this! It’s on Saturday–so close!!! We got our choreography down, did a lot of run throughs, scheduled our hair and makeup appointments, and overall just had fun.

p.s. my next post I’ll be sharing my re-worked sculpture!

p.s.s. my dear friend, Katie Anne, suggested I make a cheese post and I think that’s a really great idea! So I’ll be working on that. Does anyone else have any themed post ideas they’d like to see me write?

Still Ringing in the New Year

Posted on January 4, 2010 by Katharina

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.

Inspired Eats

Posted on November 21, 2009 by Katharina

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!

Great Things Come in Small Packages

Posted on September 18, 2009 by Katharina

Bahaha an old warped picture from Photobooth - because it's Friday and everyone's smile should be that big!

Oats with bananas mashed in + Asian pear + biscotti + cashew butter

I am just going to do all my posts like this: breakfast-y foods first, then the rest just fall in place.

Waffle Pancake Wednesday

On the side is a chocolate protein shake I made with mixed berries and rolled oats for kicks.

I had pancakes for breakfast on Wednesday instead of waffles, Janetha.

These pancakes were HUGE! Almost the size of a plate. So I cut one in half and decided to do two different toppings. One side has coconut oil, apple slices, cinnamon, and confectioner’s sugar with nutmeg. The other half was just buttered, apple slices, cinnamon, and maple syrup. I sprinkled the last of my rolled oats on the whole shebang. I kept alternating between the two because I loved both sides equally. But which side was lucky enough to be my last bite?

Last week I received a package in the mail!

I’m sure you guys have seen Late July at your grocery store, but have you tried their stuff out? They’re organic snacks and a very family oriented company. Companies that care are an A+ in my book. I was sent their new Mini Sandwich Cookies to try out. The flavors are: milk chocolate and white chocolate. The website says that they are melt in your mouth good, and I agree. I also enjoyed washing down these cookies with a warm glass of almond milk. Yes, these are tiny (my hands are just bigger now that I’m a “big kid”), but it’s so fun to feel little again. If any of you Mommies or Daddies out there are trying to shy your kids away from chemical-laden treats, but don’t want to eliminate sweets – these are worth trying!

Cute!

“Seven different endangered animals are featured on the cookies and 10% of the profits go to the Jane Goodall Institute to help with their efforts in endangered animal awareness.”

My favorite grilled cheese sandwich!

I hope by now you all know what’s in this sandwich. Mango chutney + cheddar cheese. Rather than using pumpernickel bread -which I didn’t have- I used 2 slices of the Spelt loaf I bought last week. While eating this sandwich I realized this bread is the perfect grilled cheese bread. I’ve said it before, but bakery bread just tastes so good. But I’d imagine the best bread would come straight out of Mia’s oven! What’s that peeking in to the left of the sandwich?

Why hello there tasty salad.

While Kim and I were in the kitchen making dinner, she offered me some of her Lime tortilla chips. Then I thought, this would be awesome on my salad! I love edamame, and after seeing edamame hummus at Trader Joe’s I want to make some of my own.

Lately, I’ve been making myself a cup of agua de panela with a squeeze of lemon juice. What’s panela? It’s whole cane sugar, basically, unrefined sucrose. I just googled it, and this how someone described it, “a sweetener that tastes like a cross between molasses and brown sugar.”

I bought this box last time I went down to Colombia.

Running low, uh oh.

I’m sure you can find this at a Latin food market. Who knows, with the international food aisles the chain supermarkets have now, you may even find it there!

A Jamaican inspired meal.

While browsing the internet for tempeh recipes, I came upon one for Jamaican jerk tempeh. I’ve always wanted to try jerk something, so of course I decided to give this recipe a whirl. I found some others that asked for apricot juice instead of OJ. I think apricot is a better choice because of the sweetness. Since I didn’t have a lot of those spices on hand (crazy!) I used my tea masala. Tea masala has a bunch of Indian spices. I served it on brown rice I cooked with cinnamon, and once served I mixed in coconut oil. On the side I made a tomato, cucumber, and onion salad.

Since I baked the tempeh and it was rather dry, I spread on some tamarind-date chutney.

Such an exciting meal with an array of flavors. Sweet, citrusy, savoury, and a spicy kick.

I’ve been making more use of my toaster oven, now that I discovered that I can actually bake with it.

Toasted kabocha seeds with brown sugar and cinnamon.

I baked the kabocha with butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar then sprinkled some of it’s seeds for decoration. Then I assembled some Ak-mak crackers, spread some creamy gorgonzola, agave, red onion, Asian pear slices, and a sprinkling of more cinnamon. I haven’t had these Armenian crackers in so long! They’ve been sitting in my cabinet and I forgot all about them. It took me forever to finish this plate. An hour later I realized I was still eating. I find that when I eat alone, I finish rather quickly. But with this meal I took my time, and I didn’t even have to try.

So here’s my heart to heart for you guys:

The topic I want to share with you all is about “being on top of things.” There are responsibilities that I can’t ignore; like taking care of my beloved Matilda. I’m ready, but it’s hard when others around me don’t quite get it. Which is why I probably feel more at ease around older people because they don’t see my responsibleness as pooping on the party. But there is a crazy, fun-loving side to me as well! I’m starting to get it back. I think I explained before that I went through a period in my life where I became overly practical and cut out so many things. It was such a bleak moment, simply a moment… that I don’t want to go back to. I enjoy the feeling that I get from knowing that I’m flourishing again and walking down the street with my head up high and shoulders back ready to take on whatever is ahead of me.

Oh, and to fill you guys in on my school shtuff:

Not suppose to be eating in my studio!

In that big tupperware I layered a lot of kabocha, brown rice + coconut oil, and leftovers from my Jamaican jerk tempeh with tamarind-date chutney. And a little jar of roasted seeds!

Next week is my first critique of the semester in my main sculpture class. I’m kind of nervous because I’m making a video for it, and I know that some people might be like… why didn’t she make a sculpture? Well, I might make one – I just haven’t really thought of anything yet. I don’t really search for ideas, they just come to me. Hopefully, as I’m editing the video I’ll be knocked out of my chair by an idea that hit me!

Staring contest or crotch shot

Na-na-na-na-boo-boo, getting ready to do upward dog.

Stay tuned for the next post because I plan on featuring a culinary adventure I will be attempting tonight. Happy Friday everyone!

Another First

Posted on September 16, 2009 by Katharina

The missing flavor is Lemon Ginger (tried that awhile ago)

The lovely people over at Kardea generously sent me 4 of their bars to sample. A lot of their products are known to aide in cholesterol management. I know Cheerio’s help with that too, but these my dear readers, are the bomb.com. I’ve already decided that I’m going to try the Banana Walnut bar last because I like to save the best for last. Although, I have a feeling it really wouldn’t matter because so far out of the ones I’ve tried, they’re awesome. A lot of bars taste good, but they don’t quite live up to the name of their flavors. However, these bars actually taste like what they’re named. The Lemon Ginger bar wasn’t overwhelming at all – it was just right.

Next up was Cranberry Almond.

I’m not sure if the strange look of it is because it was delivered to me when it was really hot out. Cranberry check. Almond check. These don’t even taste like nutritional bars (in a very good way)! Just delicious. I’ll give you guys some info on these bars:

Banana Walnut, Chai Spice, Cranberry Almond, and Lemon Ginger

Plant Sterols-1 gram

Total Fiber-7 grams with 5 grams Soluble Fiber

Heart Healthy Soluble Fiber-3grams

Protein-7 grams with 3.5 grams Soy Protein

Vegetarian-Friendly (Chai Spice & Banana Walnut Are Vegan)

Kosher Certified

Only 150 Calories/Bar

No Trans Fats

Lower Glycemic Formulation

I’m surprised that these bars haven’t caught on with a lot of folks actually. They are truly delicious, and good for your heart!

So guys, what have I been up to?

Last Saturday my friend organized an eating contest at a park, and I was the judge/scooper. What’d they have to eat? Mashed potatoes! All participants had to bring in a bag. Kim also brought fake bacon bits, which was a good idea. And I kindly offered my assistance to anyone who felt they could no longer fulfill their “duties”.

Huge piles!

Kim's got her game face and Rodman jersey on.

Let the eating begin!

Serving it soup kitchen style.

Tuning out to keep from... well, you know.

The victory bite!

Tiara didn’t really look too happy, but atleast she won! This girl kicks butt.

Later that night I decided to bake around the witching hour. Well, more like 3 hours before because supposedly the witching hour is at 3 am.

Cinnamon-Raisin Biscotti

I was browing through biscotti recipes and found one that I had the ingredients for. I wanted to make lemon ginger biscotti but, alas, I had no crystallized ginger and I’m sure this was something my neighbor wouldn’t have had either. The aroma of these wafting in the apartment as they were baking and I was studying… it made my life a little sweeter.

Can you believe I baked these in my toaster oven?

Perfect sidekick for a bowl of oats.

Like my girl, Janetha, I love cinnamon. I went a little crazy with it and this is why -ladies and gentlemen- my oats are brown. I put a big spoonful of peanut butter and a little one of my Date and Almond Creme spread. To add the finishing touch to this bowl of oats, I bruleed some bananas a la Katie! The cinnamon is hogging the spotlight though.

The last of my peanut butter!

I tried to do this blob of peanut butter justice by making a bowl of PB&J oats. Holla at the peanut butter queen, Jenny! As I was saying goodbye to one jar of yummy goodness, I said hello to Crofter’s Blueberry Superfruit spread. Ah so good, and I could see the tiny blueberries in there. I don’t bother with jellies that don’t even have an inkling of a fruit, but Crofter’s spreads are jam packed with real fruits. Did ya catch that?

I’ve really been inspired by everyone’s blogs lately, and last week I was reading Sophia’s blog and she had posted a recipe that seemed way too good to just look at.

Kabocha Soup with Bacon and Goat Cheese

Unfortunately, the fake bacon bits that were brought the eating contest were finished off, so I couldn’t sprinkle them on! So I made the best of it and blended in some ketchup, smoke sauce, and Worcestershire. How do you say that word anyway?

A big mug of soup, cinnamon + coconut oil + almond milk + brown rice, tomato slices + roasted red pepper hummus.

I kept the skin on so that's why it's green... I also thought I could do a swirly affect with the cream.

Hey Sophia… this was awesome!!! I love this girl’s blog. Not only does she have a refined taste for things that taste delicious, but she also shares a piece of her mind and heart with her readers in every post.

Oh... and this mug is absurdly HUGE!

There are so many bloggers to talk about in this post. I had the chance to actually meet a fellow blogger yesterday. If you guys don’t know her already, I met up with Brittany from Eating Bird Food. It’s always neat to see when you guys meet up with other bloggers. Some of you hit it off and became partners in crime like Brooke and Kailey! Holly and Angharad too! All the meet-ups just seemed like so much fun. Brittany and I agreed to meet up at Ipanema, a vegetarian and vegan restaurant. I was so excited when she suggested we go there – hell yeah girl! I love that place, and a couple of my friends work there as well.

The only menu in the place is written on the chalkboard.

This place reminds me of Germany because you walk down, like walking into a Ratskeller. A Ratskeller is basically a tavern below street level and it’s the city hall’s basement. When Brittany walked through the door I immediately though, “oh my gosh she’s so pretty and adorable!” We looked through the menu and when we decided on what we wanted, we made our way into one of the booths.

Indian pizza

Service was rather fast that night! Oh gosh, I can’t remember exactly what this entailed, but I’ll give it a shot. I ordered an Indian pizza with a curry sauce, zucchini, cauliflower, red onions, and paneer. The sauce was strangely zesty and for some reason I was envisioning a red or orange curry sauce. It was good, but I probably wouldn’t order it again. The side salad’s dressing was yummy though! I tried some of what Brittany ordered as well. She got their Thai carrot soup, which resembled baby food haha! But it was very tasty. She also got a spinach salad with pears, gorgonzola, and pecans. That combination is always a winner in my book.

It was getting late and after talking it up, we asked for our checks. Brittany, it was so nice meeting you! You’re so kind and polite – can’t wait till our puppies meet! And next time, I’m taking more pictures!

She also gave me a baggie of tomatoes grown with TLC.

These are delicious by the way! I love popping little tomatoes in my mouth. You take one bite and BOOM there’s a burst of flavor.

Well guys, I’m going to save some stuff for my next post. I tend to get carried away with my posts, and I don’t want anyone to be overwhelmed with my kitchen adventures haha! Since I mentioned so many other bloggers in this post, I think it’s appropriate to spread the word on this bit of exciting Blogworld news:

Foodbuzz has announced its 1st-Annual Foodbuzz Blog Awards!

The categories are:

Best Overall Blog

Best New Blog

Best Wine Blog

Best Cocktail/Spirits Blog

Best Baking Blog

Best Food Photography Blog

Best Visual Blog (graphic design)

Best Writing Voice

Best Healthy Living Blog

Best Green/Sustainable blog

Best Family Blog

Best Recipe Blog

Best Blogger Humanitarian Effort

Best Community Blog Effort

Most Humorous Food Blog

They’ve also got another section!

Blogger you’d most want to:

1. Take to dinner

2. Cook a meal for you

3. Be your personal Sommelier

4. Create you a cocktail

5. Watch on Food Network

6. Watch on Iron Chef

7. See open up their own restaurant

8. See their blog made into a movie

So go out there and vote everyone!

It’s Wednesday everyone! Is it just me or did it feel like the end of the week on Monday and Tuesday? Well, now we’re finally getting there!

Off to a Good Start

Posted on September 13, 2009 by Katharina

I’ll start this post off the same way I start my day – with breakfast!

: I baked some lemon poppyseed mini-muffins.

I tried some samples of the Artisana nut butters. I’m going to make a bold statement right now, but I’m just gonna go right ahead and put it out there. I haven’t tried all of the samples, but I feel that I can officially say that these nut butters are the bomb! If you’re a nut butter person, you will love these no questions asked. The nuts are all ground to perfection and have such a great consistency. I can actually taste each nuts’ unique flavor! I’m using the word “nuts” too much! So let’s move on, shall we?

: A delicious bowl of Zoe’s Honey Almond granola with extra almonds, coconut shreds, and mango over yogurt.

Next up is a recipe I got from a website called Culinary Competitor: Vegetarian Black Bean Chili with Bulgur.

: The chili with a dollop of sour cream and cilantro, and a side of buttered peas and…

I also got to try something new! A Vitalicious Golden Corn VitaTop. I’ve always wanted to try this flavor because I love cornbread and these VitaTops just look so dainty! This was really good, and went perfectly with my meal. Oh gosh, almost forgot to review the recipe for you guys. TRY IT! I loved the addition of bulgur, which made it heartier. Eat it with some cornbread, or if you’ve got one of these yummy Tops on hand. I’m getting bossy! But for real guys…

Since we’re on the topic of VitaTops, I’ve been able to try a couple more flavors out.

: Double Chocolate Dream – those are white chocolate chips.

Doing it up photo collage style like Angharad! I admit that I was hestitant to try these because I read the words “double chocolate dream.” And for the most part, I’m not a big fan of double chocolate anything. However, I do love white chocolate and I think the addition of those chips really made it awesome. Not to mention this was warm, pillowy, moist, and gooey!

: About to enjoy bite number two… after I put the camera down!

: I decided to try another uber-chocolate flavor…

Deep Chocolate! I didn’t like this one as much as the one with white chocolate chips. But I did enjoy the melted chocolate! For some reason I look yellow in that picture (flash?). I’ve also tried the brownie, and I was happy that they were bigger than the VitaTops. The only complaint so far that I have about the VitaTops is that they’re just a few bites of goodness. I guess that’s the trade off? For myself, I enjoy these as part of a yummy snack, or an extra to my meal. If I were having these as part of a breakfast I would definitely have to have two. I’m not a calorie counter, but I do know that my breakfast carbs have to be over 100 calories… unless I want to be hungry again in an hour. I actually have a question regarding morning hunger, that I’ll get to on another post. Anywho, I’d imagine that these are wonderful for dieters because you don’t have to “splurge” to have a flavorful treat (they don’t skimp on flavor). You can have your cake, and eat it too! (Any cake really, whatever your little tastebuds desire!)

Let’s see… what else have I been eating lately? Oh! The other day I marinated some tempeh to make a “BLT”. If any of you guys have any awesome tempeh recipes, please, send them on over!

: This meal just looks funky!

: Close-up

I just followed this recipe for the tempeh marinade.

: This one I decided to glaze with maple syrup.

First Friday was awhile ago over here in my corner of the world. First Friday is when the galleries around here show off the new works they have up, and tons of people walk around and take it all in. Sometimes you see some real characters – the area’s eccentrics. Love it! Anyway, as you all know Matilda is practically attached to my hip so of course she went to this event with me! No one at any of the galleries has ever objected. I think it’s because she’s so freaking cute. But here are some pictures after the art and a show.

: My friend calls her “little bean”… “get back in your can.”

: I spy a 40!

Another furry friend!

Matilda would be so jealous if she saw this picture up. I think Sophia looks funny with her bat wings and squinty eyes. This was the night my entire zipcode experienced a blackout, so I went to my friend’s house. When the power came back we watched this murder mystery called Brick. This movie was so classical in the way it was shot… don’t really see mystery films made this way anymore.

Back to some more eats! The other day I was at the bookstore browsing through magazines that I didn’t want to pay for. I had my handy dandy Moleskin and copied down an interesting recipe I saw in a Vegetarian Times issue: ginger-miso yam wraps. This was my first time trying collard greens, and I tried them RAW!

: Look how pretty!

This was so nice to look at and prepare. Collard greens remind me of the Cabbage Patch Kids. I made a slight change to the recipe, and poured in some coconut milk.

: Filled with so much goodness.

: with a side of carrots sautéed in coconut oil and later toasted some coconut shreds and cinnamon.

: Some more mock tuna goodness.

I decided to add some variety to my eats by getting a bag of tortilla chips. Yay! I wish I had a cheese grater so I could make nachos. Well, I kind of made some the other day by cutting squares to put on each chip haha. But I prefer a messy, melted, gooey explosiong when it comes to nachos.

Then I added some goat cheese after I started eating...

I happened to be reading Janetha’s blog while I was eating this, and saw that she made a tuna melt sandwich with goat cheese. Awesome idea, girl!

An apple, cheddar, "bacon", and roasted onion sandwich.

An apple, cheddar, "bacon", and onion sandwich.

I also spread some pumpkin butter on this great bread. This spelt bread tastes really good – perfect for sandwiches. On the side I sautéed some yellow squash in coconut oil and toasted some coconut shreds. To melt the cheese I put my sandwich in the toaster oven since I don’t have a griller. The crispness from the apple and onions, the crunch from the bread, and the smoky “bacon” with cheddar were awesome all together!

A chocolate banana pop.

Oops! It looks like I didn’t really clean the mold that well… there’s some OJ at the tip. For these pops I just added some chocolate sprinkles to the warm, melted banana + coconut milk/shreds mush. Naturally, the sprinkles melted and spread their love throughout. I love the creaminess of these pops, and the texture the coconut shreds add to them as well.

A cup of hot cocoa made with coconut milk and some cinnamon.

Do you love the foam? I use the chocolate tablets that you have to put in the blender with boiling milk. Nothing beats my grandma’s hot chocolate though. She does it the old-fashioned way by boiling the milk on the stove. Then she pours it into her old tin pitcher and gets to crackin’ with her over-sized pestle to crush the chocolate. Then she whirls it around to make it foamy. My grandma has such strong arms: hot cocoa to strength train = lots of great hugs for the granddaughter.

So now the moment you’ve all been waiting for! It’s time to announce the winner of the U.S. Mills giveaway. First off, I loved reading everyone’s ideas – most of you enjoy it with yogurt and fruits. If you haven’t tried it yet, I suggest you make peanut butter balls by just coating a blob of peanut butter in cereal. Example, if you guys have a cereal that tastes corny you can also add in some coconut shreds to the peanut butter blobs. Anyway, I’m like an annoying commercial right now when all you want is to get back to the show! Okay, okay, and the winner is…

Aileen!

Congrats girl! I’m going to send you an e-mail to notify you. Thank you all for participating. I hope you all enjoyed it, and maybe some of you with a gluten intolerance now know there are cereals for everybody! Moreover, I was able to stumble on to some blogs I haven’t read before – maybe I should have more giveaways?

I hope you all enjoy the rest of your Sunday, and don’t forget to give yourself some TLC.

Katharina's Food Adventures

Tag Archives: cinnamon