Tag Archives: futters’ nut butters

Who Does Your Future Belong To?

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26

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!

It’s a Beautiful Morning

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24

Wow so I can’t believe that it’s already mid-June and I’m catching you all up on what I’ve been up to since the end of May aka since I’ve been in Florida. Before soaking up the sun, my mornings have consisted of eats like these

Papaya from our very own backyard and something else local...

A mix from a local bakery that has actual bird seeds in it!

Hey Brittany, I’m eating bird food too! Okay so that was corny, but I couldn’t help it! Anyway, this mix has scraps of their bread, oats, sunflower seeds, bird seeds, and who knows what else! I’ve enjoyed it with cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, fresh fruits. And the above picture has cottage cheese with honey mixed in, a lot of cinnamon, and a nice big spoonful of the cashew-macadamia nut butter I made for my mom awhile ago.

Strawberries drizzled with coconut milk, dark chocolate hazelnut butter, and the last brownie crumbs!

And you can't go wrong with cinnamon, banana, peanut butter, honey, and the creamy addition of coconut milk!

I love my coconut milk.

You also can’t go wrong with cinnamon, pear, and hazelnuts.

Look at what I found in my parents' pantry!

This should look familiar to some of you. I was so eager to try them since I had never had them before. Actually, I had just the recipe in mind! I’ve always had my eye on Jessica’s chia-icing.

First attempt didn't go so well... I think it's because I used Kefir.

I also tried Irish steel-cut oats as well and I love the texture and nutiness!

It tasted good and I was excited about trying the chia seeds so the consistency didn't matter to me!

But I wasn’t going to give up either. I bought some Greek yogurt at the store and I attempted to make the chia-icing yet again.

And this time with peaches, cashew-macadamia butter, almonds, and amaretto syrup.

Much better!

Look at the treasure I found at the thrift store!

Everything in the store was 50% off that day so I got this whole set for $10–there’re four of each in the set.

This makes me want to have people over for a nice breakfast.

I looked this up online and found out that these are actually collector's items!

I also got this little tea cup.

Have you guys had any amazing finds recently?

And of course I made a special breakfast soon after getting the set!

I made crêpes stuffed with sweetened ricotta cottage cheese (only thing on hand) and cinnamon. I topped them with fresh strawberries, chocolate hazelnut butter, more cinnamon, and a drizzle of amaretto syrup. I think this is a true example of eating with the eyes first. Then my mouth got a taste and it was strange because I’d never heard fireworks go off in the morning.

Can you tell that breakfast is my favorite meal of the day? If my mornings have been starting out like this then you can imagine what I’ve been feasting on throughout the day. Let’s just say that I’ve been taking advantage of the kitchen, my mom’s cooking, and being so close to the tropics.

From Yours Truly

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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?

Just Checking In

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23

Oh hi, excuse me as I am typing this while I’m underneath a pile of wood, textbooks, novels, and more paper! Remember me? It’s only been a week since my last post but so much has been going on. Lots of getting down and dirty at the studio! I can’t wait to show you all my final piece. My critique is on Monday so it’s coming up soon! I’m actually going to start filming the video piece for my structure tomorrow. Anywho, on with the show!

Thank you all for the compliments on my outfit! A couple of you asked where I got the skirt from, and Holly you guessed it! Anthropologie of course! Am I that predictable? Hehehe. Also the backpack was a gift from my grandparents from a random street market down in Colombia.

A necklace I permanently borrowed from my mom!

This woman she knows actually makes jewelry and this is one of her pieces and there’s a matching bracelet as well. I just realized that in the picture of me dancing below I’m wearing another necklace the woman made. I love how they’re eye-catching but fun at the same time.

Oh! And a little tip for OIAJ: I like to bust out the jar when I have what my eye says is about 2-3 tbl of the nut butter left. I also cook my oats separately and stir it in little by little so the nut butter gets mixed in really well!

I forgot to mention that a couple weekends ago I let my inner dancing queen out and ended up with wet, sweaty shoes!

Now on to some eats from these past couple of weeks. Randomness commence!

Greek yogurt + granola + lots of blueberries + cinnamon + a special nut butter...

Ohhh yes!

While I was visiting my soul sista’, Liz, I saw she had an amazing assortment of nut butters to choose from. Her favorite brand is Futters’, can’t you tell? I loved these so much and she was kind enough to ship them to me! Complete with a super sweet card that’s sitting on my kitchen counter that I see every morning. Having meaningful reminders of my friends (especially the ones that are far away) always comfort me.

Chocolate pecan butter + Greek yogurt + granola + banana slices + dried figs + cinnamon

Figs and chocolate-anything are such a great combination!

Also great on toast!

I like to cut my toast in half so I can try more spreads such as : butter, butter + marmalade, chocolate pecan butter, chocolate pecan butter + Mymoune’s Crème of Dates with Almonds.

Sadly, my coconut butter burned!

Good thing I've got a jar of Cacao Bliss as back up!

Maple-roasted roasted brussels sprouts and shallots with goat cheese

For the brussels sprouts I just sort of followed this recipe.

Since the weather has been sunny I felt like making one of my favorite chickpea recipes!

Mock tuna salad–simple and yummy

More chickpea goodness!

I followed smitten kitchen’s chana masala recipe and served it on top of some basmati rice + coconut oil. I love the fragrance basmati rice gives off when it’s cooking.

I had a frozen chickpea cutlet I made awhile back and it came in handy!

Romaine + chopped yellow onions + tomato slices + my favorite BBQ sauce + Lemony Goddess dressing + goat cheese

This doesn't even look like chickpeas have anything to do with it!

But they most definitely do. I stumbled across a beet hummus recipe not too long ago. I love beets, so naturally I gave this a try. Note: this was so so so good with Dr. Kracker’s apple crisps.

Boy do I have a lot to catch you all up on! Stay tuned for my next post, which will hopefully be sooner than later. Much love to you all.

“A crust eaten in peace is better than a banquet partaken in anxiety.” -Aesop