Tag Archives: heart thrive

Oh Happy Day

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37

Before I say anything in this post I just want to give a warm welcome to some new readers! I am so glad that you all have found my blog and may it bring a smile to your face. So if you’re a reader and haven’t said hello, please don’t be shy. I love discovering new blogs and learning more about all the interesting folks out there! So let’s all dive right in, shall we?

Leftover pasta + manchego

Simply stated, I am a lover of cheese.

One of my best friends surprised me with a little Valentine gift!
Crispy, milky, and deliciously sweet.

Now that we’re on the topic of chocolate, and I happen to be sitting on a throne made of decadent chocolate, it’s only natural to share!

3400 Phinney Hazelnut Crunch

Wow! Can’t quite recall when the last time was that I bit into a milk chocolate bar with such a great flavor. The crunchy hazelnut, the sweet milky chocolate, and the subtle salty twist won me over with the first bite.

Coconut Curry milk chocolate

Stained wrapper

Wonderfully complex. The curry flavor wasn’t just from the curry powder, but rather a blend of coriander, turmeric, mustard, cumin, fenugreek, paprika, red pepper, cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves. So you can imagine…

More leftovers!

It’s amazing what one can do with leftovers. I used the rest of the angel hair pasta for this dish. I sauteed some mushrooms with onions and then simmered them in a tomato sauce with balsamic vinegar. Using the rest of the sage and pumpkin seed crust mix I made awhile ago, I dredged some tofu in it and baked it till it was nice and crispy on the outside. I also tossed in some pine nuts and the very very last of the sage and pumpkin seed mix.

Delicious!

Now I ALWAYS pack snacks for on-the-go, because you never know when hunger may strike!

More spicy black bean burger goodness.

I only have one bean burger left! This one I had with roasted red pepper, onions, ketchup, cilantro, pepper jelly, and melted manchego.

I got home from my night class and I just wanted something comforting so I made a cup of hot cocoa with creamy, thick almond milk.

With a warm cranberry Heart Thrive topped with coconut butter.

The last of the manchego put to great use!

I made a sandwich on this delicious bread (has dried cranberries, sprouted grains, and various nuts and seeds). I filled it with melted manchego, pepper jelly, roasted red pepper, onions, and sweet basil. I also decided to sprinkle on some nutritional yeast on the kale.

Close up was in order.

Then it was time to take my dad to airport.

It's not goodbye, just see you later!

I came home, relaxed, and got ready for a date!

We went to his favorite place... a little Vietnamese restaurant.

The woman already knew his order!

A big bowl of vegetarian pho.

I’m usually not a fan of brothy soups, I prefer thick purees. I tried his soup though and I would definitely order it for myself next time I go there. I thought it was really cool that the plate full of herbs, sprouts, and lime wedges were to rip apart and put in the soup; as much or as little as you’d like because not everyone’s tastes are the same.

I ordered fried tofu in a sweet and spicy lemongrass sauce with steamed rice.

The place may seem like a hole in a wall, but lots of times those restaurants have the best food! There’s a place down the street actually that serves Korean food and I swear the owner is a mother to everyone. If you’re sick she’ll give you extra helpings. These places seem so cozy that you could eat there alone and just hang out for hours. As for the date, it went well, but no romantic sparks. However, I’m going to keep hanging out with him because I think he’s a good friend and you never know what could happen!

Tiramisu for breakfast anyone?

I tried to recreate one of my favorite desserts in oatmeal form after seeing all of Katie’s creative recipes on her blog. Seriously, this little lady is endlessly creative and she has so much positive energy I can feel it through her words! I cooked my oatmeal in chocolate protein powder and instant coffee. Since I didn’t have mascarpone I subbed in some cream cheese, and added that while the oats were cooking. I topped it with coconut butter, more coffee granules, and a lady finger. Not quite like tiramisu but definitely reminiscent; delicious nonetheless!

On this sunny and re-energizing day I decided to tackle some recipes I had been eyeing for quite some time.

Those recipes, my dears, come straight from The Conscious Cook. I took a break from this book for awhile because I missed making up my own things.

Tomato bisque--another recipe of Chef Tal's that calls for cashew cream.

And focaccia with caramelized onions.

For the focaccia I opted to do 50/50 unbleached all-purpose flour and whole wheat. The dough ended up being enough for two large loaves. One for me and one for my roommate! Might I also add… I’m just going to say it flat out: this was my favorite meal all week and I don’t think anything can top it. Nope, can’t even try. The tomato soup was thick and full of flavors from the herbs and bay leaf it simmered with. I ripped off another piece of the bread to scoop up the very last drops of my soup. Foodgasm at it’s finest. And a pat on the back for me… on both sides! Seriously, I’ve forgotten how amazing and satisfying homemade bread is. As I was kneading it, I was reminded of how much fun the process is.

Speaking of being proud of myself, I came across a very inspiring post that Maggie wrote about believing. Click here to check it out. Her message really resonated with me and I felt it throughout the whole day as the sun was giving off it’s glorious and comforting rays. Wow, it’s not even Friday and I’m already celebrating! I hope you’re all in the same boat. Where should we sail?

Build Me Up Butternut

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The other day I received a package with no return address and a secret admirer was the sender.

My heart leapt with joy because I knew it had finally arrived! My friend–whom I stayed with when I was in New York–had sent me a package awhile ago. I knew it was from her when I read that it was to her chickpea; she’s deathly allergic to them so it was a joke. Isn’t that unfortunate though? To be allergic to chickpeas… Oi!

There was a surprise beneath every layer.

A canister of delicious chai tea and handmade stationary!

I am seriously blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful people. Really and truly, every day I am given so many reasons to smile. From random bump-ins on the street, to constant messages from dear friends, and to comments I get from you all. Speaking of comments, my mom finally left her first reply in my last post! Whenever I’m in Florida we sit around the kitchen table and I’ll read my posts out loud to them. This blog makes them smile :)

It just so happened that before I opened the package I turned on the burner to heat some water for a cup of tea.

The chai tea was delicious and flavorful with all its spices. I had it with a warm lemon poppyseed Heart Thrive + coconut oil. After the picture was snapped I decided to spread on some cranberry preserves as well. This is the best way I’ve enjoyed this flavor of Heart Thrive. For some reason, it just tasted better this time around.

Dinner was something I was very much looking forward to... more so than usual.

Not too long ago while blogreading I checked up to see if the lovely Angharad was still alive and kickin’. Indeed she was because I saw a new recipe that I knew I had to recreate! Ladies and gentlemen, introducing the spicy black bean burger. This sounded like an amazing recipe to make on a Sunday night, since it’d be convenient to have these available on busy days. That night I had it in a handmade flour tortilla with bell peppers, homemade salsa verde, cilantro, and since I had no sour cream on hand I just used Greek yogurt. This was actually a surprisingly good substitute since the yogurt is thick and tart. As the patties were baking, my roommate and her boyfriend exclaimed how good it smelled. Well now I can say that they taste even better than they smell! Though the truth is, I don’t think Angharad could ever give us a bad recipe even if she tried.

A new twist on my favorite snack as of late.

Instead of using granola I nuked a crumbled lemon poppyseed Heart Thrive in the microwave with some soymilk till it got nice and soft. Then I added white chocolate chips and cashew butter. I am so glad I opened up this glorious bag of white chocolate chips!

Another surprise in the mail from a very dear friend of mine.

I’ve heard so many praises about this cookbook and now I know why!!! There are so many incredible sounding recipes, where’s a girl to start?! Thanks so much Liz! The ideal situation would be to invite every single one of you over and we’d all choose a bunch of recipes, then hunt and gather, and prepare and enjoy a most glorious feast. Imagine that? Being surrounded by that many awesome people and amazing food.

Breakfast on my critique day.

After having my critique (my piece was the only left to be critiqued) postponed three times–I was ready to get it over with! But I knew I had to start the day on a delicious note and the rest would fall into place. I had a bowl of yogurt, mango bits, pomegranate arils, a warm apricot Heart Thrive + coconut oil, and Sunland’s banana peanut butter.

Yeah, I think a yogurt mess was a great decision!

Oh and the crit went really well!!! It’s always nice to hear other perspectives and suggestions. The class actually answered one of my doubts of whether or not I should’ve made the video longer–they wished it was!

I cut a butternut squash and I left for five minutes and look what happened! Whoa!

More randomness!

I had to have another  spicy black bean burgers! This time I filled the handmade tortilla with butternut squash, avocado, cilantro, manchego cheese, tomato sauce, and red pepper jelly. Can I get a witness?? This was so pleasing to every kind of taste; sweet, savoury, spicy, tangy, straight up delicious.

Tart fro-yo + One Lucky Duck's raw blonde macaroon = A delicious new take on Sweet-tart!

Couldn't get enough of the butternut!

When I was looking for falafel recipes I stumbled upon a few sweet potato ones. So this led me to making a falafel wrap with butternut squash, cucumber slices, tomato slices, avocado, cilantro, fresh tzatziki, onions, and lettuce. Yum yum yum and more yum!

A very productive study date!

Leftover yogurt pancakes

One of them was a banana pancake and I chopped some dark chocolate on top. Coconut oil, cinnamon, and Apple & Maple syrup was spread on all the pancakes. The other two pancakes were topped with diced apples and confectioner’s sugar mixed with nutmeg. On the side I also made a dip for the apples; a mixture of Sunland’s banana peanut butter and yogurt. I’ve seen this done on some blogs so I thought I’d give it a try–and I shall try, try again. This was good!

Sometimes I like to get up close but never too personal.

Speaking of chocolate, this is what the fig, fennel, and almond dark chocolate bar looks like.

Tried something totally new...

I have never had buffalo wings in my life so when I saw that I had one more Gardein freebie coupon left, I thought I’d give their vegan “buffalo wings” a chance. But I had no idea what they were usually served with. After “researching” it I decided to transform my tzatziki sauce into a ranch dressing by adding some extra ingredients. I also made some Old Bay season yam fries; and steamed some kale, seasoned it, massaged it in olive oil, and topped with avocado slices. Spicy!!! I can’t tell you if these were authentic tasting or not, but I can tell you that I liked them! The texture wasn’t too funky (+ no bones!) and you could taste the vinegar in the sauce, which I didn’t mind. Actually, after looking up some buffalo wings recipes, vinegar is a common ingredient.

Crumbled granola nuggets + soymilk + Cacao Bliss; warmed up in the microwave.

Whenever I pull out my personal casserole dish I swear the stars instantly align!

In the dish: roasted butternut squash and yam (tossed in coconut oil and cinnamon) + avocado + kale + homemade falafel balls + tzatziki mixed with tamarind-date chutney + cilantro. Random and flavorful. I love the sweet and spicy combo of the tamarind-date chutney; it brought the tzatziki to whole other level.

After my last post, the rest of the week seemed to fly by. Something or someone out there is listening! It’s Friday and I have no idea what my weekend plans are. My choices are: go up to Charlottesville or stay snowed in the comfort of my own home. We’ll see, we’ll see. Now if only I could stock up on this no matter how my weekend pans out…

I know a few all of you will appreciate this!

Matilda and I wish you a joyous weekend!

Peek-a-boo

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These past few days have been filled with so much excitement and inspiration. Art Basel really left me feeling like a changed person! Wow, I have never been around so much eye candy in my life. Not to mention, the people watching was incredible. I saw this couple waiting in the women’s line for the restroom fixing their outfits:

Apparently they do this every year. (the picture is from a past Art Basel)

So many people were walking pieces of art themselves. I also had other moments which didn’t quite feel real. Sidenote: Val Kilmer looks totally different now!

Okay, so I will do my best to catch you up!

I tried the Lemon Poppyseed Heart Thrive that morning. The last one of the bunch that was graciously sent to me. I saved it for last because many of you told me it’s your favorite. I really wasn’t too keen on the flavor of this one – it had an odd soapy after-taste. I had this with vanilla Greek yogurt, ginger syrup, pineapple tidbits, and cashew butter. Overall, I enjoyed these vegan suncakes. My favorites were: Cranberry, Chocolate Chip, and Raisin! And don’t forget, if you order them online you can mention my blog. They also have a section of the site that has serving suggestions. (Cream cheese + brown sugar over a warm Heart Thrive = yumm!)

Sandweech!

Goat cheese with dried cranberries and toasted pine nuts

I finally arrived in Florida close to 11 pm. It was nice to just relax and talk in the kitchen with my mom, while fulfilling my duty and finishing the pint of vanilla bean ice cream with amaretto. The next morning I woke up and I realized my window was open all night. I had to smile to myself that this can happen in December. I went into the most spacious room in the house and did some yoga. Then I had…

One of my favorite cereals!

I love the Kashi GoLean Crunch! I haven’t tried the honey almond flax flavor (love it). I think bananas are the perfect fruit for this cereal. Along with some rose green tea and I’m set to go!

I packed a sandwich for my dad

Incredible Vermont Cheddar, tomato, and horseradish sauce. It was just missing some green, even cilantro.

Lunch and snack for me

Inside the wrap: crunchy peanut butter, apricot marmalade, and Asian pear slices. I also had a lentil soup with some bread for dipping.

Ready to go to Art Basel!
On the way down there
Art Basel Miami Beach 2009

I actually had to check my camera in because they weren’t allowed. Don’t worry though, I eventually my camera went undetected through security mwahaha!

The Garden Cafe

The first day I was overwhelmed and left with a high! So much incredible art, who can help but be left with a glorious dizzy spell.

More of my favorite cereal

I sprinkled on a medley of nuts: pistachios, pecans, cashews, and almonds. On the side I had a bowl of yogurt with kiwi and the most delicious papaya I’ve ever tasted. Organic and straight from the papaya tree my parents have been growing in the backyard!

Another packed lunch

I made myself a similar sandwich to my dad’s from the day before. Tomato slices, Vermont cheddar with cracked black pepper, horseradish sauce, and olive tapenade. I usually don’t like olives but this particular tapenade is the exception. I also made some rotkohl with chunky spiced apple sauce and coconut oil.

Day 2!

I totally lost track of the time…

But I made it for dinner!

My mom boiled sweet potatoes; good thinking! I topped mine with coconut oil, cinnamon, and pineapple bits. I also had some more Vermont cheddar, tomato, avocado, and leftover rotkohl.

It was a Friday night so you know what that meant…

A long night of dancing in Miami!

I’ll be seeing more of this lady in a week!

Soul sister!

I got home very late, but I woke up early and eager for my third day attending Art Basel. This time I was going with my parents and a family friend. It was nice to view all the artwork alone for the first couple of days, but I found myself wishing I had someone to discuss things with. So on Saturday I was blessed with the gift of gab! But before all that happened, breakfast had to be eaten.

Can’t get enough
And can’t get enough sandwiches with this cheese!

Avocado, Vermont cheddar + cracked black pepper, tomato slices, and horseradish sauce. I also made a teriyaki stir-fry with yellow squash and snowpeas.

My mom can make oatmeal look yummy when it’s cooking!

Sneaking in my camera was a success on day 3! I took so many pictures of the art, so I’ve decided that I will be spreading them out over the next couple of posts. Seeing this stuff in person is mind-blowing.

Close-up of a painting – these were in relief

Everything seemed to be suspended

Perfect for an on-the-go snack!

The strawberry Fruition bar is my favorite flavor from the new ProBar line.

Two gorgeous women!

The bistro was packed!

My dad, Paula, and my mom!

So much art!

After 6 + hours of walking around and taking everything in, we headed over to Lincoln Road Mall for some dinner. We went to a couple shops, but before we had dinner we had to make a pit stop…

Ghirardelli!

Giving out peppermint bark - can you hear the sleigh bells?

It was funny because I saw they had peppermint bark when I looked at their ad outside. Right after that thought my mom’s friend announced they were giving out samples of it. I squealed with excitement!!!

We went to a Cuban restaurant

We decided to go to Yuca, we had passed it many times and it always seemed to draw the crowd in. Come here on a Friday night and you get a night of salsa dancing!

Lovely ladies!

I love this picture of us!

Warm bread with a sweet garlic butter

Ravioli Yucalotti

“Homemade spinach and ricotta ravioli with a cream of black bean, and infused with goat cheese” This was so delicious! I just realized I forgot to take a picture of dessert. But I’ll tell you what it was. A Tres Leches de Turron: “‘A yuca original’ sponge cake with Spanish ‘Turrón de Jijona’,  served with our homemade guava cream cheese ice cream” So good! The sponge cake tasted like a meringue.

I decided to spend my last night in Florida just relaxing because I had to take up at 4 am to catch my flight back up to Richmond. I only have a few exams left and then I go back to Florida on Friday. The sunshine is waiting for me, and I’ll be sure to share it all with you. I have so many things to look forward to in these upcoming weeks.

What exciting things do you all anticipate? Can you believe 2009 is almost over?

Ketchup

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I have quite a few things to catch you all up on!

First off,

Matilda, my mother, and I sleeping together in my twin-size bed

Our breakfast for her last day in town.

What was served? I made oatmeal with cinnamon and a bruleed banana + shredded coconut for my mom. She also wanted some of the bread we had gotten from the brasserie with sunflower seed butter. I opted for an end piece with marmalade and butter. I also tried a Heart Thrive. This time it was the raisin flavor and it was so good! It was delicious alone and crumbled over vanilla Greek yogurt + persimmon + cashew butter. We both had cups of warm pumpkin spice soymilk with pumpkin spice! We just dilly-dallied around the apartment and took Matilda on a walk.

Mom's breakfast

And mine

Then lunch time rolled around…

Gluten-free pizza crust with roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, portobello, and goat cheese.

After we got ready, we were off to the studio!

Wishing I didn't have to spend my last day with my mom at the studio.

But before I dropped her off at the airport we were able to meet up with one my bests for some coffee.

Beautiful smiles all around!

All three of us

Being silly

I was sad when I dropped my mom off at the airport but luckily I’ll be flying down to Florida tomorrow till Sunday!

Lazy Sundays

I had a Rudi’s Organic English Muffin – these are so good! One half with cashew butter and the other half with Creme of Almonds and Dates spread. I also had vanilla Greek yogurt with marmalade and some slices of bananas. I also saved some banana slices for my English Muffin. My sweet tooth was calling my name that morning and I had a Marzipan candy and I tried a Newman’s Own Organic dark chocolate peppermint cup. This one was so good! I did some things around the apartment and spent most of my day painting.

More pizza!

Yummy dinner

I had some of the baguette from the brasserie with basil pesto, and a mock tuna made with soybeans. I also had a sliced up a carrot and look at that beautiful persimmon! I’m glad I decided to cut it that way.

I tried someone's favorite nighttime snack.

Well not just someone, but I tried Jessica’s favorite! Warmed up applesauce with cinnamon, melted chocolate chips, a crumbled graham cracker, and since I didn’t have almond butter I just used cashew. Girl, now I know why this snack is at the top of your list.

Spreading the love on Monday.

What a great way to start a Monday – with heart-shaped goodies! I tried the date Heart Thrive that morning. The date flavor wasn’t as intense as some of the other flavors I’ve tried. Maybe it was just me, but it seemed off. I had it over vanilla Greek yogurt, a sliced banana, and cashew butter. Mixed in with everything else it was good, but alone I didn’t really like it.

Baguette action

This sandwich was composed of: a beer-brat Tofurky sausage, homemade tomato sauce, red onions, and relish. Yum! I love using a baguette as the bread for a sandwich.

I obviously couldn't get enough!

So later on I snacked on some more with a baked apple + cinnamon, goat cheese, and honey!

I also got an incredibly sweet package in the mail!

From one of the sweetest girls around, Mitri! Her package warmed my heart and kept a smile on my face for the rest of the day.

Little delicious treats and wonders tucked inside.

Thank you so much! Don’t you love acts of kindness? Especially through snailmail! Since Tuesday was around the corner, I spent most of my day kicking major booty in the studio. Tuesday = my final critique of the semester!

Breakfast on-the-go

This is why bars are perfect sometimes! I tried the last 18 rabbits granola bar – Haute Diggity Date. This was incredibly delicious and is right up there with the first one I tried. The one that made me think, “this is what a granola bar is suppose to taste like.” Thank you for sending me these bars to review! I am so glad that I did because I will definitely find myself getting these in the future.

So now I will share with you what my piece for this semester’s final critique looked like. Now keep in mind that being there in person is an entirely different experience – as is with most art. I also had a Nag Champa incense burning which definitely added to the piece itself. I had originally wanted to set it up in various open fields and document my interaction in the space. Then I realized how little time I had, and I was debating doing a performance piece with it instead. However, nothing specific came to mind and I never force myself into anything when it comes to my art. So I just let it be, but I will set it up outside and film that in my leisure time.

Balancing on itself

Mitri’s beautiful box of goodies found its way into my piece! Can you spy it?

Watercolors on fabric + burlap

Interesting angle the stripped branches made.

The whole experience was meditative for me, and the environment I built is meditative as well. What a great place to relax…

Where do you all like to go to relax?

p.s. check out Katie’s amazing giveaway!

It’s a State of Mind

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It’s been far too long since my vivacious mother has graced the pages of my blog! When I think of my mom I think of what someone who has a passion for life. She has this youthfulness about her and I believe it can be a state of mind. How you carry and perceive yourself really reflects a lot on how people see you. This brings me to my number one fashion tip: wear it with confidence! When you’ve finally decided what outfit you want to wear, or if you just threw something on, don’t forget to walk out your door with a good amount of self-esteem and work it!

First off I started my Thanksgiving day with some homemade granola!

I used the soybean pulp, coconut oil, honey, shredded coconut, vanilla extract

I used the soybean pulp, coconut oil, honey, shredded coconut, and vanilla extract

Granola + vanilla Greek yogurt/pumpkin puree + raisins

After straightening the apartment up and running some errands, I picked up my mother at the airport and gave her a tour of the place. It didn’t take too long though since it’s quite small. She came bearing gifts from her recent trip to Germany!

German goodies!

Neela definitely understands that Germans have mastered the art of baking bread and Kuchen! Oh and making chocolate too!

Choco Gummibaerchen

Then we started cooking up a storm for our Thanksgiving dinner.

Mom also helped!

Then we set my coffee table and sat on pillows.

Looking cute!

Shall we eat?

This was on the menu:

First time trying Swiss chard!

Swiss chard with toasted pine nuts and raisins

Indian-spiced Kabocha mash

Stollen my mom brought back from her trip to Germany

Sage and pumpkin seed encrusted "chick'n" with cranberry cabernet sauce

I used Gardein scallopinis for the “chick’n”. I also baked some maple cornbread and mushroom gravy.

All together and what have you got?

Afterwards we went on a walk with Matilda.

Then we watched Breakfast at Tiffany’s. I had never seen that movie, and now I see why so many people love it!

Next morning, mom and daughter breakfast

My mom had some of the gourmet cashew toffee Holly sent me, a Fig Newman, banana, toast with sunflower seed butter (her first time trying it), and an arepa con choclo. Her and I actually split the delicious arepa. For myself I tried the chocolate Heart Thrive over some vanilla Greek yogurt, cashew butter, some Newman’s Own Organic dark chocolate, and a sliced banana. I think the Heart Thrives are getting better and better with each new flavor I try. I heated this one up and I loved the melted chocolate. This one in particular tastes like a cookie. Can you guess which kind? Then we got ready for some shopping!

Dressing room photoshoots - commence!

I tried on this incredible black dress!

So awesome!

Since I’m going to Art Basel this coming weekend, I need to come up with an extravagant outfit!

I'm thinking something along the lines of what I wore to my "End of the World" party.

Also tried on an incredible top.

A dress like in Breakfast at Tiffany's!

My mom likes playing with my camera!

Matilda went shopping with us too!

We were being goofy in the store!

On to the next store – my favorite!

Of course Anthropologie has adorable ceramic egg trays! (far right)

Now it's Mom's turn to model!

I think she wanted to go to the dog bakery!

She makes me smile

Now both of us!

Awesome overalls!

A shame they were too small.

A gypsy shawl!

Then we went to Sur la Table

The cooking class that day was entirely based around chocolate. Katie, I thought of you!

Minus my feet being cut-off, my mom took a cool picture!

We were done shopping and decided to head home for some lunch. Well the day before my mom flew in I had decided to bake something for us.

The ingredients!

I used French Meadow Bakery’s gluten-free pizza crust! Pizza 1: basil pesto pizza sauce, goat cheese, caramelized onions (in brown sugar), portobello, roasted eggplant. Pizza 2: basil pesto pizza sauce, goat cheese, caramelized onions (in brown sugar), portobello, roasted red pepper and artichokes.

The pizza I made!

Pizza No. 1

I must say that I was surprised at how normal the crust tasted. In fact, it didn’t occur to me till later that, “Oh yeah! This is gluten-free crust. Wow!” After lunch we were headed out again and I had forgotten something so I went back. Then I realized I had locked us out of the apartment and my roommate was out of town. Oops! Thank goodness through some guardian angels were watching out for me and my neighbors walked into the building at the right moment. They had a way of getting me into my apartment. Imagine poor Matilda waiting for us!

Dinnertime!

We each had Sunshine Burgers topped with diced tomato, seasoned avocado, and ketchup. I also sauteed some kale in balsamic vinegar and honey + grated parmesan. Lastly, we split a beautiful persimmon! I asked my mom what she thought of the Sunshine Burger. Her response: “DELICIOUS!” After dinner we got ready to go to the movies.

And I packed some movie snacks for us.

We went to go see Julie & Julia.

The movie made me smile so much because I totally feel the same way!

The movie theater itself is so beautiful!

After the movie we wanted to go get some drinks.

We went to this French brasserie called Can Can

My friend was working so she took some pictures of me and my mom.

They brought out the bread - They ended up giving us a free baguette and another loaf!

A toast to us!

With a blackberry Bellini for me and an Indian Summer for my mom.

We also ordered a dessert.

A sweet potato tart with cranberry ice cream and a ginger creme anglaise.

A sweet potato tart with ginger creme anglaise and cranberry ice cream.

After a couple of hours of talking we headed home and laid our little heads to rest.

You are all so sweet and I’m incredibly thankful for each and every single one of you. I can’t remember exactly what sparked me to start a blog, but whatever that reason is – it doesn’t really matter. What matters is that it brought me here, with a bunch of wonderful friends. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are enjoying all the delicious leftovers. Cooking shouldn’t be a problem for the next few days!

What Makes You Smile?

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27

I’m going to start this post off with something that made me smile about a second ago. I just had a most delicious cup of tea I got at a coffeeshop. I had green tea with jasmine & lemon.

So remember when I said that I always say I’m going to get a rain jacket and I don’t, and then it rains?

I finally got one!

When I got back from shopping I started to make my lunch.

I baked some sweet potato fries with Old Bay seasoning and cumin. I also baked some Gardein chick’n tenders as well. I squirted ketchup on both and sprinkled some curry powder on as well. I made something of Sophia’s but with a different texture. Rather than make her kabocha soup with bacon and goat cheese- I made it a mash with coconut oil. I also subbed out the bacon for fakin’ bits. And that cute little chocolate cup? This time I tried a Newman’s Own Organic Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups. It tasted good, but I wasn’t too keen on the gooey peanut butter middle. I was hoping it would be a bit more solid.

Look at what I got in the mail!

Awhile back Kashi was giving out free samples on their site. You know I jumped on that offer!

I've also been working on my project.

I started carving some wood yesterday. And after about 6 hours of that I realized I want to keep my thumb – it was so sore!

Granola bar!

I tried another 18 Rabbit granola bar that was graciously sent to me. This time it was the Funky Figs & Cherries. First off, I love the names of the flavors – they’re so much fun! I just heated it up and crumbled it over some vanilla Greek yogurt, and dark sweet cherries. This one was also very granola-y, however the first flavor I tried (Cheeky Cherry Chocolate) is the best so far. I swore I also tasted some chocolate in this one. Silly me didn’t check the ingredients though! Oh well, what matters is that it tasted good, right?

I had a little mishap with my lunch.

I had been cooking some kale on the stove and I went away and completely forgot about cooking, until I smelled something burning! I quickly ran into the kitchen and took it off the burner. Although it shriveled up a lot, it still tasted very good. May I suggest sautéing kale in a mix of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, and s&p? I also toasted a quick sandwich: goat cheese, basil pesto, and tomato with balsamic vinegar.

Yesterday, I got a bit of relaxing time in. I just did some beauty things and had dinner roasting and boiling away in the mean time.

My one person casserole dish.

I roasted some kabocha chunks, and boiled some edamame and quinoa pasta. I tossed it all in coconut oil, lime juice and s&p, then drizzled on some tamarind-date chutney. One word: yum. I haven’t had edamame in forever and I just found a great edamame succotash recipe I must try.

Now we're a little more caught up now.

This morning I decided to try the cranberry flavored Heart Thrive. I crumbled it over some vanilla Greek yogurt mixed with pumpkin puree. I also drizzled on some cashew butter and tossed in a handful of dried cranberries. To make the Heart Thrive less dry I heated it up in the microwave and spread on a bit of coconut oil. I must say I really enjoyed this flavor! It was perfectly tart and had a much stronger flavor than the others I tried.

Lots of blue today!

I wore my favorite blouse and these cool navy blue velvety pants…

And they're cuffed!

I only had one class today, so that left me with plenty of time to run errands and prepare some things for when my mom arrives tomorrow. I’m so excited!

Quick lunch

I got home and I was so hungry so I had some hemp brownie bites while I quickly prepared my lunch. No, not special brownies! I followed a BBQ Shepard’s Pie recipe from the Sunshine Burgers website with the BBQ flavor. Basically, I roasted corn, some cubed potato bits, and mozzarella in the oven. Afterwards I just drizzled on some BBQ sauce. I also had it with some beautiful blanched kale. I love that green!

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I’m excited. Although I’m having a rather untraditional Thanksgiving (when is it not?), it’s going to be so nice to be with my mother. Since her flight comes in around 2, we’ll be having a Thanksgiving dinner. Which means she’ll be helping me in the kitchen! We make a great team. Anyway, I wanted to know what makes you all smile? I know for myself, it’s mostly the little things that cheer me up. For instance, when I take Matilda on walks I always notice the little quirks about Richmond. There are a lot of characters around here and they definitely make sure to leave their mark. Things like painted ice cream cones cut out of cardboard hanging on a string over a telephone line. I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving! Aside from having delicious food, I think the most important part is to enjoy being with people you care about. And being around those people can make a world seemingly filled with troubles, a much better place.

I’ll leave you all with some ideas from Kate Spade: 20 Ways to Merry-Make.

To love oneself is the beginning of a life-long romance

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23

- Oscar Wilde

Ladies and gentlemen step right up! Wait a minute. This isn’t a circus! But you are more than welcome to come and read.

Hmm… where did we leave off? A-ha! After my breakfast fit for a king princess I got ready to venture over to the Farmer’s Market. I packed Matilda some treats since it was going to be a long walk.

I wore a skirt I found at a vintage punk store in St. Marks.

And some red shoes for a POP of color.

Then we were off!

Looking for the goods.

I had a couple things I was looking for: kale, persimmons, and winter squashes. They only had kale so I whipped out a quarter and paid. It was funny because the lady just held the bag in her hand and she mentally weighed it. Then I just went browsing around the other booths. On Sundays the Farmer’s Market has mostly artisan and vintage items.

I love those shopping bags that say "Thank You" all over them. Thank you thank you thank you!

On the way home I decided to walk a different way and I saw some pretty neat things.

There were plants in each segment.

A sushi restaurant - I think they're trying to be a best-kept secret.

My little nugget.

Pumpkin kale soup + toast + cashew toffee

I mixed in some coconut oil and my leftover sweet & sour lentils in the soup to make it heartier. On the toast is the delicious medley jam Holly sent me, and I had some plain slices with butter. Sometimes I just want simplicity. Maybe I’m coo-coo but often times I’ll eat things plain because I don’t want to forget what it tastes like. I feel like if I forgot what something essentially tasted like then that would interfere with my knack for thinking of flavor combinations. Anyway, I also munched on the cashew toffee, and I realized that it’s read “Christine’s” and not “Christmas” (what I previously thought).

Afterwards lunch I felt like shopping. I got something so I can be a Russian snow-bunny. I got a lot of painting done as well, and went to the grocery store to get some more things.

Faux fur can be chic too!

Lazy Sundays call for lazy dinners.

I roasted some kabocha (finally found one again) and carrot slices. I put coconut oil on half of the kabocha chunks and sunflower seed butter on the other half, but I drizzled all of them with maple syrup. The roasted carrot slices were delicious and I just put sea salt on them! I also baked a Barbeque Sunshine burger. I really enjoyed the distinct flavor this one had! I definitely tasted the smoke flavoring, and it’s really interesting to see the combination of ingredients they use to get that barbeque flavor. I topped it with my favorite BBQ-sauce.

Well, right now it’s a rainy Monday morning and I’m about to head off to finally get a rain jacket! I always say I will, then don’t and then it rains. But before I go I’ll leave you all with this morning’s breakfast.

Woke up to a little love.

I tried the Apple Heart Thrive this time around. I had it with vanilla Greek yogurt (ridiculous sale price=me stocking up), apple sauce + cinnamon, Newman’s Own Organic dried apples, and crunchy peanut butter. So far the one quip about these Heart Thrive bars is that they are drier than I prefer. There’s  nothing wrong with the flavor, just the dryness factor. Atleast I’ve got things like coconut oil and nut butters to moisten them. I also have to make a note about Newman’s Own Organic dried fruit. They are awesome! They’re not overly dry how some dried fruits can be. There’s still a chewiness and plumpness to them.

Okay so I hope you all have a wonderful beginning to a fabulous week! I know everyone must be excited about Thanksgiving break and getting to enjoy all the seasonal eats. My mom is flying into town on Thursday and I can’t wait for some mother + daughter + Matilda time! Not to mention, it really helps turn away any winter blues when I hang out with someone (my mom) that thinks I’m the coolest girl on this side of the galaxy. My mom is like a ray of energy and can make anyone feel special and cared about. She also loves herself and what’s not to love? It’s only natural that as her daughter she’s given me plenty of her infectious injections of self-love and acceptance.

What do you all have planned for Thanksgiving Day? Any recipes you’re trying out or recommend?

Busy as a Bee

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28

Hello everyone! This week turned out to be a good week to not have a computer aka distraction. I have spent the past few days literally being on the go from the moment I wake up till I pass out at night reading my books for school. However, there were some quick breaks where I could quickly read some posts on my iPhone. I always feel weird using my iPhone for internet purposes though… it’s a tiny computer!

Anyway, moving on.

Busy Tuesdays!

Last week I received a package from 18 Rabbits for me to review their granola bars. Perfect for my Tuesdays because I don’t have time to make breakfast. I didn’t realize how red everything was! So let’s get to the review shall we? This is how a granola bar is suppose to taste. It seemed there was no skimping on anything when making this bar, and it was just sweet enough. I tried the Cheeky Cherry Chocolate bar. I loved the plump dried cherries, but I couldn’t really taste the chocolate. Nonetheless, this was the best granola bar I’ve had in maybe ever? I could easily crumble this over some yogurt and enjoy every bite.

Then I got dressed and excited about my outfit!

You ever have those days where your outfit is just perfect and you want to run a billion errands because the world needs to know how cool you are? I wore these shoes I found, they’re actually Timberland boys’ shoes. So they’re not as clunky as the popular ones.

They look a bit like these except more muted.

Then I had a two hour break in between my class and got some groceries. Sometimes I go to the salad bar when I want produce but not too much of it. Afterall, I’m only grocery shopping for one.

Feta cheese, roasted red peppers, and artichoke hearts.

I had to gather materials for my sculpture, and that involved looking for big branches. I knew the perfect place.

The great outdoors.

I thought I'd share some of my coolness with Matilda.

She's so elegant!

My baby is growing up.

I brought a little snack with me.

I’m sure you’ve all heard of the vegan energy bars, Heart Thrive. I had packed the apricot flavor and I was eager to try it! Especially after hearing all the rave reviews. What’d I think? I loved the texture and how it wasn’t sticky at all, but it was a bit dry. It was also nice to bite into bits of dried fruit which made it extra chewy. Oh and if you guys are interested in ordering them don’t forget to mention my blog! I can’t wait to try the other flavors.

Since they're vegan I felt safe sharing some with Matilda.

Dinner time!

I sautéed the rest of my kale in sesame oil and sprinkled on some toasted sesame seeds afterwards. I’m loving the sautéed kale! I also made an award-winning sandwich that night. A Veggie Stuffed Hummus Sandwich; This is Brittany’s, a fellow Richmond blogger and sweetheart, creation. This is the recipe that got her spot in the last Foodbuzz Festival in San Francisco!

And I got to taste why it was a winner!

Wednesday's breakfast...

I made a vanilla protein shake and sprinkled some cinnamon on top. I also added in a sliced banana and an apricot Heart Thrive. I decided to spread some coconut oil on the Heart Thrive this time and it made it deliciously moist.

A little something special. I decided to wear a vintage brooch that day.

I met up with one of my best friends for lunch that day.

I’d been at the European Market once to eat, and many time to just browse their gourmet market. I’m going to give you all a link to their menu because I have a feeling you will be inspired by their sandwiches. Here you go! Yeah they’ve got sandwiches with combinations like turkey, apple, fig jam & Teleggio cheese with aioli on baguette (can easily be adapted for vegetarians).

Check out the chocolates!

Neela they have Milka und Kinderschokoladen! They also had Rittersport and Marzipan for my favorite twins. I know Katie would love this too! Actually, who wouldn’t? Germans make the best chocolate in my opinion.

They also have many wines and beers.

She also had a cute little vintage strawberry brooch!

I ordered the Spanish Garden Sandwich and a house salad.

The sandwich had zucchini, eggplant, tomato, fresh basil, greens & idiazabal cheese on ciabatta. I never had idiazabal cheese before but it reminded me of manchego and the man at the market said it comes from the same area.

And she ordered the Arc de Triumph with a side of Butternut Squash & Apple Curry.

That sandwich consisted of roasted turkey, brie & bacon on baguette with aioli. I’m glad she’s one of my best friends because I did not hesitate to ask if I could try the curry. Yum!!! What a great lunch to have before I headed to my Literature class.

Then my day got even better!

The incredible Holly sent me a package full of Wisconsin goodness! She also wrote me an incredibly sweet letter. Thank you so much Holly. You have no idea how excited I was when I saw this package sitting in all it’s glory on my kitchen counter… just waiting for me! The goods? Apple grahams, a medley jam, cashew Christmas gourmet toffee, and homemade vegan pumpkin molasses cookies. This little lady rules!

Oo a new bar to try out.

Someone at ProBar had contacted me asking if I wanted to try out their new line of bars called Fruition. Of course! I love ProBars, so why not? Can you believe each bar packs in 2 servings of fruit? Here’s a little more info on the bars from their site.

“fruition™ is the latest addition to the PROBAR family. This fruit-based, superfood snack bar is designed to be satisfying on-the-go without the extra fat and calories. fruition is the marriage of dates, oats, chia seeds and cashews in 4 mouth-watering real fruit flavors. With superb fruit flavors, robust texture and blend of organic ingredients, fruition is Simply Real.”

So this was the Strawberry flavor. I really enjoyed the taste. It reminded me of a NutriGrain bar but not as dry and a bit denser in flavor.

Well ladies and gentlemen, that’s it for this post! I’ve got something fun in store for you all in the next one. Let’s just say there’s going to be a bit more life to it. I hope you all had a great week. Do any of you have anything planned for the weekend??