Tag Archives: goat cheese

Sharing The Love

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Earlier this month I received a Reader Appreciation Award from the lovely, Catherine over at “Sur les traces d’une gaspésienne gourmande…” Her blog is quite wonderful, and a place where she shares her various passions. It’s also a great blog to practice your French if you’re learning, or perhaps you already read it fluently!

1. Include the award logo somewhere in your blog.
2. Answer these 10 questions, below, for fun if you want to.
3. Nominate 10 to 12 blogs you enjoy. Or you pick the number.
4. Pay the love forward: Provide your nominee’s link in your post and comment on their blog to let them know they’ve been included and invited to participate.
5. Pay the love back with gratitude and a link to the blogger(s) who nominated you.

Les Questions:

1. What is your favorite color?

Hmm… somewhere in the green spectrum. For clothes I love off-whites and grays even though I know those technically aren’t colors.

2. What is your favorite animal?

Elephants! I don’t know why, but I’m just attracted to them.

3. What is your favorite non-alcoholic drink?

Right now? Infusing water with fresh herbs, ginger, and lime… and just letting it chill.

4. Do you prefer Facebook or Twitter?

Twitter. It’s a lot more conversational, and I use it as a digital notepad sometimes too. Still got my handy dandy journalist’s pad though.

5. What is your favorite pattern?

I like delicate patterns… like flower prints that are sparse, small polka-dots, thin stripes. And rather than varying colors they vary texture and are monochrome in color. But I don’t really have a favorite.

6. Do you prefer getting or giving présents?

Giving! I really like the energy of being the giver. I appreciate if someone gifts me something as well though.

7. What is your favorite number?

Seven is a number that has repeated itself in my life, and I really like the number 648.

8. What is your favorite day of the week?

Mmm… I don’t have one. Maybe Saturday or Sunday because people are enjoying the day more.

9. What is your favorite flower?

White and the sort of faded blue hydrangeas

10. What’s your passion?

Oh boy! I’d say that it is my passion to share the human experience, and an understanding and appreciation for the universe. I do this through my art, writing, sharing recipes, conversation, and soon-to-be by also being a holistic health coach. I sense my greater purpose in being a part of something that is helping to preserve the things that are timeless, although sometimes forgotten. Like love.

Now who to pass the award on to… Melissa, Brittany, Gillian, Lauren, Kristina, Alexia, Natalie and Emily

Speaking of love, here are a few things I’ve been loving as of late…

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I Really Mean It

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While thinking about what I wanted to write a post about (as I do with every post because I don’t just ‘wham bam thank you ma’am’ anything) it occurred to me at a random moment (as with most things) what the topic at hand would be: inspiration. On a sidenote: I find that most brilliant ideas come while doing the most monotonous things like sitting on a toilet. Imagine a toilet couch. Better yet, a toilet chaise. I’d be full of ideas! I’ve noticed that lately, especially, I’ve been surrounded by things that have been opening my eyes with even more wonder.

Beautiful fruits

This particular apple tasted like an Asian pear, and supposedly has more vitamin C than an orange! There’s a little juicy plum to tag along.

When one of my best friends introduced to me Balthazar’s ‘Ginger-Citrus Tea’, I knew I had to recreate it at home.

It’s a very comforting and awakening recipe, as the ginger has a bold presence. Just pouring a cup of it makes me feel better, like wrapping up in a Swayter. Luckily, Balthazar’s spilled their secret for this precious recipe.

Aside from tea and fruits, the friends I’ve been making since I moved to New York have all been so wonderful.

I’ve had instances recently that have shown me when someone is not a real friend, but the true golden hearts shined brightly . Those golden hearts help me stay hopeful and are reminders of the compassion that exists in this world.

Continue reading →

Taking It In

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Hey everyone! Sorry for pulling my disappearing act on you guys without a heads up, but as we all know sometimes life just sweeps you up off your feet and you just have to go for the ride. So I’m taking this moment to say hello!

Hello!

Awhile ago I was going through a “roasted beets and grilled goat cheese sandwich” phase. That’s pretty specific isn’t it? Goat cheese and beets are typically paired together so why not sandwich the wonderful duo in between two slices of bread?

I’ve also been enjoying red lentil curries.

Can you spy the curry leaf? Mix in some basmati rice and you’ve got yourself a tasty meal.

Enjoyed the last of this jar of tahini.

I don’t think I’ll find a jar of this discounted at $1.99 anytime soon. But that’s okay because…

Welcome to Buttermilk Pancake Mountain!
Home of the world’s fluffiest pancakes.
Enjoy it the old fashion way, stacked high with maple syrup and butter.
Mmm yes… maple syrup.
Baking powder is the trick to getting them so fluffy.
Half and half
I love options!

I had medjool dates on hand and there were two recipes I had in mind. Averie’s No-Bake Oatmeal Raisin Carrot Cake Bites and Almond, Date, and Coconut Energy Balls. Before I even looked at the ingredients I bookmarked Averie’s recipe, and they were incredibly delicious! Probably one of my favorite high-raw recipes I’ve made so far. The energy balls were sweet and salty with a nutty undertone that I absolutely loved. I’ve been using that recipe, but making small changes like using cashews/pecans instead of almonds. Making small treats like this are really convenient for any kind of lifestyle, especially if you’re busy, and they’re just my taste.

Recently, I completed something ambitious and that my heart really wanted to do. A lot of people helped make it possible so I wanted to give thanks in one of my favorite ways–food!

Rolled in shredded coconut the coconut-date balls also make great little gifts.
Or thank someone special with Gratitude Granola.
Wonderful clusters

Gratitude Granola (adapted from Jeaneatte Orda’s Everyday Granola recipe)

Ingredients

1 3/4 cup rolled oats

1 3/4 cup corn flakes, crushed

1/2 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup flax seed
3 tbl ground flax seed
1 cup dried shredded coconut
1 cup combination of walnuts, almonds, and cashews, roughly chopped
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
2 tbl cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
pinch nutmeg
1/2 tsp of sea salt
1/4 cup almond or coconut oil
1/4 cup apple sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325ºF. Combine all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In another bowl stir the in the oil, applesauce, brown sugar, honey, and vanilla together. Mix the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients, stirring well.

2. Lay the mixture out on a baking sheet, and put in the oven for 15-20 minutes, occasionally stirring it. Once it’s done let it cool and store in a container.

 

The honorable duty of taste-tester before you gift it to someone.
Seal of approval
The ambitious project involved driving out to the mountains…
To this retreat center…
Setting up at 5 in the morning with enthusiastic friends…
Running around to solve technical difficulties.
And finally it worked!

Whenever spring comes around I always think of Chip even more. Chip was my boyfriend during my last year of high school, but he was taken from this world in a very violent way. Since we never actually broke up so it felt really weird at first. He was a very special person and I don’t think I’ll ever meet anyone like him, but that’s okay. He ended up inspiring kindness and innocence in many who never got the chance to meet him, so I guess when he was once told that he’d be a great teacher… it was in a way that no one could ever imagine. The inspiration for this came from the idea of writing him a letter, but as a video instead. I believe in a higher power (although I’m not sure what it is) and that there is an afterlife, so the sky is a very meaningful thing to me. We were on top of a hill in the mountains and it felt like you were on top of the world. There was a white “screen”/sheet that I made so it was like the ceiling of an open tent. As the sun rose the projected video faded and the letter was sent. Chip helped me believe in some kind of heaven, and the goodness that’s deep, deep in our souls.

I think he got my message.

When was the last time you felt most alive?

The Meaningful Ones

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Thinking about the warm weather, and coming back to cold weather has been on my mind lately. I try not to let the weather bring me down, but sometimes it’s hard! Something I thought about the other day is that weather is humbling for me. Weather and mother nature are greater than our expectations of it. Wind can make fun of me when it pushes me forward or gets me eating my own hair. The breeze welcomes me to relax into it. When it rains sometimes I imagine that clouds are just giant sprinklers and I can run through them. Whatever it may be like outside, it’s bigger than me and I’m okay with that.

I loved being able to have the windows open in the morning and breathing in fresh air.

Stepping outside and feeling warmth on my skin.

Brötchen for breakfast.

My parents frequent the several German bakeries in their area and always bring home things that are nostalgic for me.

Hopefully soon I’ll be back over in Germany walking to the bakery and bringing home some freshly baked rolls!
Over the break I also tried some local bee pollen.

This had such a curious taste, and I can’t really explain it but I’m not complaining.

I had to buy another bar because little Matilda ate the entire bar one night!

By some miracle she did not get sick at all! That whole bar is twice the amount that is toxic for her, and I don’t know how she managed to eat something that is almost as long as her. She’s a supa freak! [Supa freak, supa freakayyy! Ow!]

Chilled oatmeal, incognito chopped dates, diced apple, Greek yogurt, honey, bee pollen, and…
Toasted hemp seeds with sea salt-yum.
We went to a place where you could browse through a long list of beers.

I am all about options, and I chose a pear cider. This was so yummy, and tasted like an “older kid’s” version of pear juice in a box.

Followed by the one blurry picture before my camera died.
Threw together a random lunch

Raw red Russian kale with dressing, leftover yellow split pea soup, and…

During the week I made a batch of refried beans and coconut-sesame seed rice.

The coconut-sesame seed rice recipe is from my “Ayurvedic Cooking for Westerners” book, and I’ll give you a brief description so maybe you can give it a try! Cook some basmati rice with ghee and salt. Then when the rice is done cooking, heat up some ghee in a small pan and fry equal amounts of shredded coconut and sesame seeds till they’re lightly browned. Mix in with the cooked rice, salt to taste, and garnish with cilantro. I’ve posted about this recipe before. It’s so simple and incredibly flavorful!

Guess who joined us halfway through the week!

Emily was staying a few hours away from us for a few days, and then she decided she was ready for girl time!

Ohh the beach, how I love you!
One of the days after soaking in some sun I wanted to share, in my humble opinion, one of the best ice creams.
Mmm vanilla island coconut ice cream

This is going to sound corny, but this really is coconut bliss.

And they all agreed!

Apparently Coconut Bliss has come out with four new flavors, and one of them is on my radar–ginger cookie caramel!

During my break I wanted to take on a culinary challenge.

I had bookmarked Marni’s White, Red, and Green Italian Braid recipe awhile ago, and I thought this was a good time to finally make it!

Mix it well!
My fillings of choice: homemade pesto, tomato sauce, (all marinated) roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes, mozzarella, and goat cheese.
No parchment paper made this step a bit tricky.
But the challenge was completed!
Delicious! You could make this bread on a free night and have slices throughout the week when you’re on-the-go.
We also spent some time strolling along and people watching.
Found charming streets
A hideaway perhaps?
A special dinner was in order–to celebrate my mother’s recent promotion.

She’s such an intelligent woman and is so dedicated to what she does! Hearing her stories from work and her benevolent attitude towards the people that work for her makes me proud.

My mom had fun taking pictures of us girls goofing off, and I’m pretty sure she was being silly behind the camera too.
Coconut curry bursting with tofu, pineapples, and vegetables.

I hadn’t gone out for Thai food in such a long time! I requested that they also add some grated ginger, and much to my delight I saw AND tasted that they actually did. I’m never afraid to make special requests. If you’re polite about it then why not? I was left feeling satisfied and with yummy leftovers.

There was a special dinner the next night as well.

I steamed a bundle of asparagus and sprinkled on sea salt, drizzling of lemon juice, and a pat of butter. For the mushrooms I sautéed onions and garlic, then I turned down the heat and threw in the mushrooms with some salt and herbes de provence. Once the mushrooms softened I turned the heat down to low and mixed in a splash of balsamic, a few spoonfuls of goat cheese and Greek yogurt, and some cracked peppercorns. Let it simmer for a bit so the flavors blend together. Now the mashed potatoes were just a basic recipe but there was a special ingredient: black truffle salt. I served that with a pat of butter as well.

Filled with lots of love…
For my friends and family!
We were sad to leave and so was Lone Duck.
But I hope they come down with me again soon!
I love my friends with all my heart.

Spending the week with them in paradise was wonderful. I live with Emily right now, and we just have such a great understanding and appreciation for each other. I always feel funny just calling her my roommate because she is so much more than that to me. She is someone that I can stand in flamingo stance with while talking about our thoughts on life and the world around us. Sway is also one of the coolest ladies that I’ve ever met. She lives further up north so I don’t get to see her that often, but it’s always really nice when we do. We’ll have the same thoughts or do the same things as each other and it can be really freaky sometimes, but I love it! Actually, there was a week where I was eating lots of roasted beets and grilled goat cheese sandwiches, and when I told her that she told me that she had been making them too! It’s so awesome to be so connected with someone. These ladies are so easy to be around, and I can’t think of a time where we felt like making a fuss towards each other. I bet that the people they encounter in their lives can’t help but feel touched and graced by their presence. Both of them are so special and  thinking about them and that they are in my life brings me peace.

I think we all have those special people in ours lives that seem to complete us.

Drum Roll Please

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My oh my! Things have been pretty busy for me lately, and all I want to do is take a nap. Just one, please. I actually fell asleep in class the other day while we were sitting at the conference table. Oops! Atleast I had my head up, right? Anyway, I’ve been meaning to do this for quite some time now, and I finally got around to making one… a review page! You can check it out at the top of my blog or just click here. I have a couple of exciting new ones I’ll be sharing with you all soon!

Now what has this busy lady been up to in the kitchen?

Chickpea burger served in a pita bread.

To go with the chickpea burger I stuffed the pita bread with baby spinach, avocado, cherry tomatoes, onion jam, and BBQ sauce.

Nom nom nom!

I like to make batches of things that are easy to take with me, and that are tasty as well! Whether it’s vegetarian burgers, noodle dishes, or pasta bakes. CHOW is a great site to find recipes. I know some of you have asked some of my favorite places to get recipes, and that is one of them. Epicurious, The Post Punk Kitchen, VegWeb, and of course fellow bloggers have great recipes up their sleeves as well. Most of the time I’ll look up a single ingredient and I’ll stumble upon great recipes that way. Anyone have any favorite recipes for when you’re on-the-go you’d like to share?

Oh and that onion jam I mentioned above?

I finally got around to making some! Not quite as “jammy”, but it sure adds lots of a flavor! Onion jam is a must-have condiment if you like sandwiches. It makes things extra-special.

Banana-Cashew Balls

I saw this recipe on Susan’s blog, and I must say that these were mighty tasty!

I liked how these tasted different from the usual “ball” recipes out there.

The banana pulp gave so much flavor, and the oats made it this taste so comforting. I felt like I was eating yummy baby food. Just give me a blankie and a bottle, and I’d be good to go… take a nap.

Vegan Fudge Love

When Katie shared her tasty recipe for chocolate fudge I knew I had to make it! Each ingredient is something I would eat on its own, or mixed with something else (cocoa powder and cinnamon alone… no thank you). Since I didn’t have coconut butter on hand I just made some. All of the flavors were able to shine through, so if you like the ingredients then go ahead and try to make it. Just the thought of making my own fudge made me happy. The flavor possibilities are endless, and Katie knows that too!

Speaking of love… on Valentine’s Day I woke up to this sweet gift my roommate left for me.

Later that day we planned to have a Valentine’s Day dinner date.

I thought that would be a nice time to try out Buitoni’s Pasta Riserva.

As part of the Tastemaker’s Program I was given the chance, through Foodbuzz and Buitoni, to try out Buitoni’s Riserva line. The wild mushroom agnolotti ravioli sounded like something I’d really enjoy. Stuffed pastas are my favorite!

Dinner is served!

To go with the ravioli I made Giada’s balsamic brown butter sauce, and served it with sautéed peas, lacinto kale, toasted walnuts, and grated blend of three cheeses.

My lovely date.
Why hello there!
Emily’s father has a vineyard and started bottling his own wine–cheers to scuppernongs!
Mmm ravioli!

The raviolis were huge, and actually quite flavorful. I wanted to keep the accompanying sauce simple so I could really get a taste of what I was eating. It was simple, but I think it complimented the pasta very well. It was earthy, but didn’t taste like dirt! Something my teeth could sink into, and that I could chew on forever. Emily agreed! Verdict? Delicious! Now how’s that for fast, convenient, and tasty ?

During the few days of warm weather I had tacos!

I filled them with black beans cooked with spices and onions, goat cheese, Trader Joe’s tomato-less salsa, avocado slices, lettuce, and lime juice. Warm weather… please stay! I love soups and all, but lately I’ve been craving lots of fresh foods like salads, juicy peaches, and cold sandwiches.

A flavor of Kombucha I hadn’t tried before.

Notice the 99-cent price tag. My parents live near a discount health-food store, and they brought up a bottle for me when they came to visit. If only there were more discount health-food stores in the world… Sometimes it annoys me how organic or all-natural things can be overpriced. It’s funny because these things are just reverting to the good old-fashioned way of doing things.

Another refreshing meal enjoyed on an unusually warm day.

I’ve forgotten how wonderful pasta salads are. I used the rest of my box of mini farfalle to make Kristin’s farfalle with broccoli and feta. I threw in some cherry tomatoes for a burst of more flavor. Serving this with extra olive oil drizzled on top really does something wonderful to this dish. When does an extra drizzling not do that?

So now is the time to announce a couple of winners!

First up, the winner of the Farm Rich & Gardein vouchers + a special surprise giveaway is the very thoughtful Lindsay! And now the winner of the Three Sisters Cereal giveaway is… the lovely Eloise! Congratulations to the both of you! Just e-mail me your addresses and your prizes await you.

Much love to everyone!

A Friend is One of the Best Things You Can Be, cont'd.

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I’m still feeling the warm welcome back and I love it! I had missed blogging and reading about all of you! Each of you has your own style of writing and I almost get the sense that some of you are right there in front of me–in person, obviously not on a screen haha. Anyway,  keeping with the spirit of the last post I’m going to flash back to wonderful times with friends, and what that entailed!

When my mom came to visit, it involved special breakfasts like these...

A bowl of oatmeal topped with beautiful berries, Futter’s hazelnut butter, thick and creamy coconut milk, and the jewel of it all–Coconut Bliss’s Chocolate Hazelnut Fudge. If you haven’t eaten ice cream for breakfast, then I highly recommend you do. In fact…

You should also try ice cream in your hot chocolate... with sprinkles to boot!

It’ll melt into your cup of hot chocolate, making it creamier and even more delicious!

When Maya had come to visit she left me with a jar of peanut butter, and I had OIAJ!

So thank you, Maya! Note: if the container is plastic the oats aren’t actually cooked in the jar. This may seem obvious but you never know who may think otherwise.

I went to my first wedding shower for a dear friend of mine.

Check out her bridal “throne”.

There was even a cake decorating contest, which was so much fun.

Behold, our beautiful creation!

Afterwards my mother and I met up with some good friends for wine, laughs, and...

Being up to no good!

The next morning I went on a walk with my beautiful mother in a quaint neighborhood along the James River.

Lucky for my mother, Virginia was experiencing unusually warm weather when she came to visit me back in November. She’s a big baby when it comes to cold weather, but it’s kind of adorable and funny to see her bundle up when it’s in the low 60′s

Holding my little naked nugget (she had gone to the groomers).

Once my mom left I felt a little empty because I’m so close to her. There have also been some very shaky things going on with my family, and during that time I remember they were really in a dark place. When my mom came to visit I just wanted her to know that there are people in this world that will love her no matter what. I wanted to show her what it felt like to have someone care for you, and not have constant strife. It was heartbreaking to send her off because I knew what she would be going back to, and all I could do was wish that she’d be okay.

But life went on...

and I had to let myself just enjoy the moment. Do you ever get like that? Where something seems so all encompassing that it’s hard to step outside of it? One thing I’ve really experienced through these tough times is that I can step outside of it. I just have to let myself. It sounds easy, but the build up to that moment where you let go… is hard. But once you do it, it’s so freeing.

Plus, I had nice little reminders of my mom, like her new found love for goat cheese; pictured here with some jam on a bagel.

Goat cheese works just as well as cream cheese… if not better! The other half of the bagel had butter, lots of brown sugar, and cinnamon!

I’ve said it before, but I like to surround my self with things that do something for my soul. Whether it’s the music I listen to, the way I walk, the food I eat, the people I call friends, the strangers I say hello to, the outfit (or costume) I decide to wear on any given day. Lighting a candle because it fits my mood, sitting in a chair with a book because I plan on falling asleep, or looking at something someone else seems to notice. Appreciating the things that sometimes have nothing to do with me. When I first heard this quote by Nancy Stark Smith something in me just clicked, “the earth is bigger than you, so you might as well coordinate with it.“

In this case, the power lies in the homemade relish to make a sandwich extra special!

In Katharina fashion, I took this beautiful and delicious sandwich with me to class, and I thought to myself "I would."

The recipe is “The Veganomicon’s” Roasted Eggplant Muffuletta Sandwich with the addition of smoked gouda… making this not vegan. Seriously though, this sandwich was hitting every inch of my tongue’s palate making fireworks go off. Since the recipe calls to let the sandwich sit for awhile (overnight if you have time), it allows all of the flavors from the relish and roasted veggies to soak in. This is why leftover’s usually taste so great!

Before we knew it, Christmas was already on its way and we put up an Adventskalendar!

We split a yummy milk chocolate every day to countdown till the 24th!

I felt like a little kid again, knocking on my roommate’s door splitting the chocolate with her. Or when she’d peek in to give me the other half on a given day. It’s such a wonderful thing that this little lady is in my life. We had met in a yoga class a couple years back, and who would’ve thought we’d end up living together! She’s such a special person in this world, and someone I feel at harmony with. I’m so lucky to have her just a few steps away, and honored that she sees the same in me.

We all know that food can be comforting as well... corn and sweet potato soup.

I got out my book filled with hundreds of soup recipes to soothe some winter blues. Soups just seem to be the ultimate comfort food during the winter. It turned out looking a bit greenish-brown, but that’s just because of the vegetable bouillon. Anyway, the point is that it was yummy, especially because I love corn and sweet potatoes! The texture from pureeing half of it and mixing in the rest of the vegetable chunks was satisfying as well.

Warm sandwiches are what it's all about.

A chickpea cutlet, goat cheese, green pepper jelly, roasted red-peppers, and wilted greens sandwiched between two slices of toasted whole-grain bread. This sandwich was so good that I exclaimed to my friend in class that she should have a bite! That way someone else would understand why I was making “mmmm” sounds while eating.

I also went to a restaurant downtown that I never heard of before called LuLu's.

The restaurant played off of Richmond’s architecture and city skyline, which I thought was really neat. And who wouldn’t love a place called LuLu’s? If you’re in the area you should definitely check them out. They’ve got a wonderful menu with so many choices, it’s incredible. They’ve got dishes from Moroccan-spiced grilled quail, mezze platters, to arancini.

Notice the letters are actually buildings.

I wanted something comforting for that chilly night, so I ordered the tomato soup with a grilled pimento cheese sandwich.

This is what I call a sophisticated big kid’s meal, don’t you think? It was so tasty, and it was the first time I ever had this traditional combination! You bet I dipped the grilled cheese in the thick tomato soup. Biting into this sandwich filled with ooey-gooey thick cheese i crispy buttered bread was perfect! Actually, before I ordered the soup I wanted to make sure that it was made with a vegetable broth. The waiter thought I meant to ask the chef what vegetables they had used, and he came back with an answer which was more than what I had asked for, “he made the stock out of the vegetables we had in the house, but he can’t remember which ones”. I guess that means that they make everything out of scratch, which always impresses me.

Everyone was ready to eat and enjoy!

We also ordered some desserts to share: an almond tart with homemade whipped cream.

This heavenly slice of pumpkin roll had me saying, "oh my goodness" multiple times.

It was by far the best dessert I’d had since I could remember!

Baking means sharing in my book!

I made a batch of moist vegan pumpkin chocolate, chocolate chip muffins.

I also went out to eat with one of my closest friends and his incredible mother.

We went to one of my favorite places, Cafe Gutenberg, and I ended up ordering what I had gotten last time because I loved it so much…

The vegan caeser salad made with romaine, hearts of palm, grape tomatoes, grilled tofu, and a lemon-caper dressing.

I saw that they also had rolls made by a local bakery, so I asked if I could have that to go with my salad. The tofu they use is the best in the world, and comes from a local commune called Twin Oaks.

Remember those yummy mozzarella bites I featured awhile ago from Farm Rich?

Not only do these taste good, but they’re made with real cheese. Honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way. If you’re interested in more information about their products like ingredients and methods, you can check out their FAQ site here. Anyway, the people over at Farm Rich kindly gave me another opportunity to try them, and they also sent me a voucher to share with a lucky reader! I also wanted to include some other things, so I thought I’d throw in a voucher for Gardein, and also a mystery prize that I’ll make especially for the winner.

It's giveaway time!

Here’s how you can enter:

1. Go to their site and comment on this post telling me one of their products you’d like to try.

Additional entries (don’t forget to comment on this post telling me you did these things):

2. Follow them on Facebook.

3. Follow them on Twitter.

4. You can also link back to this post on your blog, and make sure to let me know!

Make sure to get your entries in by Tuesday, January 18. Best of luck everyone!

A Very Happy Belly Helps Make a Very Happy Heart

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Greetings everyone! Today is the start of another week, but it’s not just any old Monday. Oh no! Today is the day that voting for Project Food Blog opens. You can check out my profile here, so don’t forget to vote hehe. Also check out all of the other entries as well! I’ve been awaiting this day with much anticipation.

Can't you tell?

A watermelon caught my eye at store, and I had to make sure that I got to have some of this refreshing fruit at least once while the weather is still warm! I’ve also been eating things that are a… “happy medium” between summer and fall. For example…

Baked oatmeal with figs and banana, then topped with almond butter and Coconut Bliss ice cream.

Warm soups like this quick Cuban black bean soup recipe from my "Ayurvedic Cooking for Westerners" book.

I threw in some rice, diced avocado, tomato, and cilantro to make it complete. I love simple recipes that satisfy my taste buds!

A delicious smoothie made without ice, since I'm kind of sensitive about harshly cold things.

Whenever I go out to eat I always ask for water with no ice, please. Anyway, the Chocolate Almond Smoothie recipe from Brendan Brazier’s book, “Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life” (that’s a mouthful) immediately caught my eye the first time I skimmed through the recipes. When making this, I noticed that there was no added sugar. It called for medjool dates though so I was interested in how it would end up tasting. Verdict? I’m definitely going to be making this again!

The other day I met up with some classy ladies at a great local restaurant.

I don’t go out to eat often, but when I do I like to eat very well! And by well I mean incredibly delicious. The last time I went to Cafe Gutenberg was with another friend from New York, and we got to enjoy our breakfasts seated in a comfy nook with pillows overlooking the market. I remember the food being so tasty, and I figured it was time I pay this place another visit. I remember in high school coming here and ordering steamed milk with a shot of mint syrup (TRY IT!). Anyway, the menu makes it hard to choose, boasting things like pumpkin spiced waffles with whipped cream, scramble on a corncake (which I had ordered before, veganized with tofu), sandwiches using artisan rolls, and plenty of delicious cheeses. They also have vegan options for much of the menu as well, such as vegan biscuits and gravy. Can you tell that this place puts thought into their menu?

My dates decided to split some appetizers so they could try different things.

The hand cut frites with fresh herbs, parmesan, and truffle honey.

Sounds good, but I think these fries were actually just herbed and had salt and pepper.

Nonetheless, these were so good!

We all can attest to that!

Beets served with goat cheese, house baguette, and greens.

How beautiful! Two of my favorite things on one plate: beets and goat cheese!

Fondue! Steamed vegetables, house baguette, and Vermont cheddar gravy.

The green onions and wild mushrooms were my favorite things to dip!

I felt like ordering an entree so I got the vegan caesar salad with a house baguette on the side!

I usually don’t order salads when I go out to eat unless I’ve heard great things through the grape vine, or it just sounds too delicious to pass up. Hearing only great things about this salad, I had to try it. Oh my goodness! It’s not the kind of salad that sounds undeniably incredible, but it definitely tasted like one! I never had tofu that was actually so rich in flavor, nor had I ever tried hearts of palms! Maybe the tastiness of the tofu had to do with the fact that it came from the local food commune, Twin Oaks. The lemon-caper dressing was perfect for this as well, especially mixed with the juices that burst out of those little grape tomatoes. The house baguette definitely helped in soaking up every last bit of this wonderful meal. All of us were so glad that we went there to eat, and moseyed on out feeling wonderfully spoiled.

Voting for Project Food Blog goes from 6 AM Pacific Time September 20th through 6 PM Pacific Time September 23rd. So make sure to get your votes in during that time! Once again, click here to check out my profile, and here’s a reminder going back to my last post aka the first challenge. Everyone’s posts for the first challenge are so inspiring, and I wish the best of luck to everyone participating!!!

In summer, the song sings itself

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Words by American poet, William Carlos Williams. Usually summer for me means lots of relaxing and “me” time. I’ll admit that I’m not totally use to all the me time, and sometimes I find myself trying to push it away. There are things I wish I could be doing… especially when I see a lot of my friends that stay up in Virginia have those get-togethers on perfect summer nights. But you know what? Then I stop for a moment and look around me. During these long breaks I usually set up little projects for myself to keep me occupied. Usually they involve the kitchen, house decorating, spending more time practicing yoga and dancing, and making some art. I also take this time to read, learn about different subjects, and trying to watch television. Yes, I said trying to watch television! Up at school I don’t have a tv (I prefer it this way, plus I think they’re ugly to look at when they’re not on). So whenever I’m down in Florida I get a dose of pop culture and I finally get clued in on what and who everyone else is talking about! Anyway, I really went off on a tangent! This summer I came up with another project: compiling a cookbook! That means I’m actually going to look back on my entries, and from now on I will take notes as I conjure up spells… I mean recipes in the kitchen. Tomorrow I am going to see if I have any extra notebooks lying around the house! Does anyone out there have any advice? I would greatly appreciate it!

Another great thrift store find--a bowl fit for a king cost me only fifty cents!

Irish steel cut oats again.

I let them cool down in the fridge for a bit and mixed in some banana slices + for topping along with crunch peanut butter and chocolate almond butter. My mouth was very very happy.

This time I fried the bananas in ghee with cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger.

Then I added some cashew-macadamia butter and sesame seeds to my bowl of oats. Either of these breakfast bowls would be great to get me going and ready for a…

A shopping adventure with my little nugget

Lounging around in my favorite store!

That harness makes her look like she was a gift sent from up above!

We took a food break.

Have you guys ever heard of Maoz?

“Maoz Vegetarian is an international, quick service vegetarian restaurant chain, which brought to the world the delicious Maoz sandwich: FALAFEL.
Our menu is strictly vegetarian and is based on simplicity, freshness and care.”

They only have 12 locations in the United States, but more worldwide. I’m lucky enough to have the only location in the southern United States right in my backyard… in a mall food court of all places! I love their sweet potato fries dipped in their garlic sauce. Yum!

I dressed it with their garlic sauce and cilantro dressing.

Another great thing is that you can choose your fillings!

I opted to fill mine with carrot salad, beet salad, cole slaw, and the falafels automatically come in the pita. After we finished our delicious sandwiches we checked each others teeth to make sure there were no random green things. All good!

And of course I did not leave my favorite store empty-handed.

I fell in love with the vibrant blue and asymmetric cut.

My new shirt is as vibrant as beets.

This was my first time roasting golden beets. I can’t explain how excited I was! Something about beautiful foods just gets to me. I roasted the beets and tossed them in olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper. Then I whipped up a honey-dijon vinaigrette and sprinkled on some goat cheese. Next time I will make some candied pecans to go with this!

Also a very colorful bowl: sweet potato and butternut squash soup with coconut milk.

I almost always prefer thick soups to broths.

With this post I can see that the artist in me never disappears.

I am just naturally drawn to colors! I cooked some rotini, and simmered zucchini, red onion, cannellini beans, red bell pepper in a tomato sauce with balsamic vinegar. Then I garnished it with fresh basil, sliced sun-dried tomatoes, toasted pine nuts, goat cheese, and a drizzle of white truffle oil. Later on I also threw in some parmesan and the taste just made sense. Don’t forget the ground black pepper!

Very very appetizing.

How appetizing?

Buon appetito! Ne voglio ancora?

“Are there any seconds?”

For dinner I wanted to do something special...

Matilda was of course included!

This was the star of the show that night.

I cracked open a book of mine that I have unintentionally been neglecting, The Conscious Cook by Chef Tal Ronnen!

Very Green Salad with Cucumber, Kohlrabi, Sweet Onion and Herb Vinaigrette

This salad was perfect for eating outside and cooling down our bodies. Making the herb vinaigrette was so pleasant, and I couldn’t help but breathe in the sweet aroma of all the herbs and other ingredients. Eating the raw kohlrabi brought back memories of having it so many times when I was still living in Germany. Do any of you have any familiar tastes that make you nostalgic?

After eating our dinner we just sat around in the backyard and listened to the soothing sounds of bossa nova and a rain storm. It was incredibly relaxing and perfect for unwinding on a Friday evening. I believe summer is here and this oh-so chic little lady explained the feelings of this sweltering season perfectly: “I love those days when you actually prefer to ask for frapuccinos or something that has to do with ice or ice cream, and when the only “hot” thing allowed… is YOU. (all of you, not just me).”

And one more thing I’d like to share to mark the days of more sun

Just Checking In

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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

Chocolate Filled Everythings Exist

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Hello hello there! I’m going to start this post off the best way I know how.

Yeah I'm going to say it... this was a bomb ass breakfast!

Cold oatmeal and in the morning I mixed in a few big spoonfuls of pecan butter, cinnamon, NuNaturals liquid vanilla , and a sliced banana and pear. Holy yum every bite of this was delicious.

Hummus with a special ingredient...

Horseradish cream!

This gave it a nice kick!

Some Belgian beer to go with my dinner!

Fruitful hehehe

Roasted and seasoned sweet potatoes go well with salads, don't you think?

Then I was headed to a show!

We wanted more from the Screaming Females!

A bowl of Udi's granola, Greek yogurt, frozen strawberries and peaches, and blobs of almond butter

I also think I spy banana slices in there as well…

Noteworthy snack: Dr. Kracker's Apple Crisps + goat cheese + honey

And a noteworthy night...

Friday nights are pretty much dubbed Girls’ Night Out for me! I was wearing some of my favorite things and I was feeling on top of the world. Later that night, I guess when I had taken my blazer off in the car it somehow managed to escape because I lost it. I was so upset! I kept reminding myself that it was just a material thing, then the voice “but it’s one of your favorite things!” would creep up. What’s a girl to do? Have a friend that gets a funny feeling and finds it on the road in front of her apartment the following night… unharmed! Yay!

My Sunday was spent at the river with a good friend of mine and talking about freedom.

Matilda came too and she actually went swimming around for a bit.

I've also been hunting and gathering material for my final project for my sculpture class.

I also attended an award ceremony the sculpture department hosts annually.

Walked into the holy land...

That expression sums it up!

As soon as you walk into this chocolate shop… the tantalizing smell finds its way to your nose!

Huge jars upon huge jars of goodies lined up along the entire store!

YEAH!!!

There were even drawers with even more chocolate-covered goodies.

Katie! Where were you?!

I really wonder how much chocolate is covering each square foot of this place.

I really wonder how much chocolate covers each square foot of this place.

Look at how cute these are.

Every kind of truffle to feed the imagination...

And giant bars of chocolate... to make your own!

Eventually we made our way out of the store and also tried on some cute outfits at different boutiques. We also made a pit stop at this place I’d never seen before.

A new Greek place!

Opa! Now here’s another thing to celebrate ladies and gentlemen… it’s Friday!!! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.