Tag Archives: hummus

For the Love of Chickpeas

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Greetings, friends! I apologize for my sporadic posting as of late. A lot of things have been going on in my life, and not even my friends that are closest to me are filled in on all of that business. It feels kind of crazy actually, but I am well!

See!

For my blog I’ve been figuring out how to weave my backlog of things to share with you all so it doesn’t seem so random. Themed posts came to mind, and that’s the direction I’m going in for right now until things have settled more and the posts have caught up with my current life. Phew! I am starting to sound more like a strategist right now! Oh that is all part of my plan… not really. I think all the job searching, formal writing, and business matters have gotten to me. Anyway, like all good strategists I’ve got to get the job done! So onward with the post.

The title of this post is straightforward about my sentiments, and the recipes that you’re going to  want to make! Yes, you will want to make these.

This may be featured as a “Thanksgiving” recipe, but I actually whipped this up during the summertime.

Chickpeas were an unexpected ingredient in this recipe.

And did you know that allspice is actually a dried fruit?

I didn’t! Not until I saw this container of these peppercorn-like things in my parents’ cupboard.

So what was this mysterious (not in a cafeteria lunch way) dish I made?

Butternut Squash Mash with Mango, Ginger, and Allspice, which you can easily make veg-friendly by omitting the pancetta. If you love flavorful things, and want to taste butternut squash in a way you haven’t before then I suggest this recipe. It’s very easy to make, and can also be used as a love spell.

This pot was just big enough!
Another “warming” dish during the summertime as if South Florida heat isn’t enough.
African Bean Soup

The common addition of peanuts and peanut butter in African soups really does add something wonderful to them. This one in particular left my family wanting more. Luckily, the recipe makes eight servings, which can be eaten in one sitting.

I am, for the most part, not a fan of parsley.

However, Italian flat leaf parsley walks the fine line for me, and it crossed over to my good side in this tabouli recipe. I’ve also been trying to cook with different grains to add more variety to my family’s diet. They say consistency is key, but sometimes being so consistent can give people an upset tummy.

I added chickpeas, well, for the love of chickpeas!
Now for a sweet take on chickpeas.

I made Katie’s ‘Blondie Batter Dip‘, and you want to know how long a batch lasted me? Let’s just say I managed to incorporate it into a lot of things…

Folding it into homemade strawberry-banana soft-serve.

Plus, eating it by the spoonful like it was pudding, you can imagine a batch didn’t last me too long.

I also made up a hummus recipe

Cilantro Hummus

This is a very fresh and flavorful hummus, which is just what I need to liven my tastes!

Ingredients

-2 cups of cooked chickpeas, reserve some of the cooking liquid*

-2 cloves garlic, crushed

-1 tsp fresh ginger, minced

-juice of 1 large lemon

-2 tbl tahini

-1/2 cup chopped cilantro, you’re gonna love it!

-2 tbl cumin

-2-3 tbl extra virgin olive oil

-atleast a 1/2 tsp of sea salt

*a big can of chickpeas can be used as well

Directions

1. Puree the chickpeas in the food processor, with about 1/4 cup of the reserved liquid to a chunky consistency.

2. Add the ingredients from the garlic to the cumin in the order in which they are listed. Blend until smooth.

3. Pour the olive oil and sea salt in the puree, and mix well.

What’s your favorite chickpea recipe? Do you even like chickpeas?

Sharing the Sun with My Friends

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Hi everyone! I hope you are all doing well. It’s been a little while since my last post, and a lot has happened in the world, hasn’t it? Before I jump into my post I just wanted to share some links with you all that help towards the relief efforts over in Japan. When the news kept unfolding during the first couple of days my mind couldn’t help but wonder how the people in Japan were handling the situation. I know that Eastern thought is very different from the western mentality. While some in the west may be frantic, I had a feeling that the people in Japan were trying to be calm and collected about the situation. I think they already have a sense that the world is much bigger than they are, and that catastrophic things in nature are a part of it. Well, that’s just my thinking. Here are some links though that you all may be interested in:

Charity Navigator

American Red Cross

Search Dog Foundation

Direct Relief International

Last week I was in Florida with two close friends of mine for spring break. Oh my goodness, I wish we could all go back, but life doesn’t always work out like that. Atleast we have memories and pictures to look back on though, right?

We were ready to leave the cold weather behind.
A good way to use up the last of some Greek yogurt.
Pit stop for munchies.
Pit stop to escape a major creep that was harassing us on the highway.

We finally made it home after a lot of scary incidents. By the time we got my parents house all we wanted to do was go to sleep.

The next morning I woke up and I knew I wanted something refreshing.
Chilled oatmeal, diced apple, Greek yogurt, mixed nuts, and honey.
Papaya from our tree and an arepa de choclo from the local Colombian bakery
Then I found this gem in the cupboards.
My parents got honey from a local beekeeper.

This was one of the best honeys I’ve ever tasted. It was thick and had such a wonderful unique flavor. Whenever I get honey I try keep it local as it also helps with allergies. Later on we strolled along Mizner Park, an outdoor place for shopping, dining, and entertainment.

We stopped by a heavenly store.

As soon as I saw the words “Spice & Tea Exchange” I knew we had to go in. After oh-ing and ah-ing at all the wonderful blends of herbs and spices we settled on some to take home with us: almond cookie tea, blood orange smoothie tea, berry white tea, and black truffle salt. All of these things smelled deliciously potent, and my imagination started to get carried away.

After dinner we enjoyed some treats my step-dad brought back from the German bakery: cherry quark küchen and rhubarb quark küchen.
The next day involved the beach!
Packed some rye bread, homemade hummus, and some other goodies.
For dinner I made a cous cous, bean, and vegetable salad.

Add some goat cheese for the final ‘pow’.

Dinner was followed by spooky beauty treatments.
That was also the night before Matilda would shrink down to three times this size.

Despite it being warm, I felt like making yellow split pea soup.

You can click over here for the recipe. It’s simple and delicious.

Especially when you've got buttered rye bread for dipping.

One of my favorite parts of this trip was getting to hang out with some of my best friends.

They are the kind of people that are okay with sitting in silence, and don’t mind when I want to vent. Plus, they know how to have fun! Here’s a quote that sums up what I love about these ladies:

“Your friendships should be low maintenance. Life is stressful enough with work, relationships and family. You don’t need someone in your life that you dread contact with.“

-J. Harvey

Speaking of friends, I’d like to give a shout out to the beautiful, Jen! She used to write a food blog, and now she is back with a new blog! She’s also attending culinary school so it’ll be exciting to read about what she’s learning. Check it out here.

Oh and Matilda wanted me to show you guys her new look.

Stay tuned for the next recap!

p.s. my mother nominated me for a contest on Perricone’s site on Facebook, and I’d greatly appreciate it if you click this link and “like” my picture! But first you have to have “like” the Perricone MD page on Facebook. Thank you very much!

Food that Feels Like a Kiss on the Forehead

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It’s September 10, and I’m feeling a bit torn. The idea of fall is a really romantic one, but I’m going to miss being greeted by the sun and being able to just walk out the door without bundling up. However, since the seasons seem to be switching places right now, the weather has been cooling off some. All in all, I will say it has been agreeable! Beautiful! Over the years I’ve observed how we all connect with the weather, and how it affects us. I’ve noticed that in places where it’s warm year-round, the people have a more care-free attitude. Whereas in colder parts of the world, the people seem to be more reserved. And the in-betweens? Well they seem to have an easier time when it comes to making adjustments. I think that the seasons play a role in regulating our moods, and how we approach life. The warmer seasons allow us to flourish, while the colder seasons help us develop our sense of being rooted. How do you all feel about the seasons?

Comforting bowls for breakfast

I recently got an electric pressure-cooker and I decided to cook up some soybeans I had on hand for when I want to make soymilk. I was thinking of ways that I could incorporate them into sweet and savoury meals. For this breakfast I served them with oats, frozen banana slices, plumped raisins, dates, cinnamon, almond and coconut butter, and honey for good measure. This was such a yummy combination, and I liked the texture the beans gave–nor crunchy nor mushy, but in between.

A little bit of this and a little bit of that.

This reminded me of a congee actually. M’mm congee. I made a lotus seed congee last time the weather was cooler, and I remember loving the flavor and comfort I felt. “In traditional Chinese medicine, foods are prescribed for their effects on organs, blood, yin, yang, and Qi, the major players in our physical and emotional health. Foods such as rice, seaweed, sweet potatoes, and bananas nourish our yin, which in turn hydrates and nourishes organs. Think of a parched plant; after a good watering it becomes more tumescent. Eating yin-enhancing foods nourishes the body in a way that simple drinking water cannot.” Perhaps this is why I feel more at ease after having those kinds of foods.

Almost the same mix-ins, but this time I let everything sit together for awhile.

I also opted to use a combination of the homemade sunflower seed butter and almond butter. What an excellent choice! I can’t quite put my finger on it, but the sunflower seed butter I made reminds me of a certain candy I’ve had before. Speaking of sweets…

Chocolate was on this weeks grocery list!

Last time I was by the chocolate store I was with Matilda. Then someone had opened the door and the dizzying smell of chocolate swirled its way to my nose, and I looked down at Matilda in hopelessness. It would be torture for her, not to mention they wouldn’t  allow her inside in the first place! Yesterday I was by the chocolate store, and I purposely left Matilda behind because this mama needed to get some “grocery shopping” done.

After spending over an hour at the chocolate store with my friend I finally decided on some that I wanted to take home.

Remember those “truffles” I made? Well I picked up some white chocolate hot cocoa powder so I could make a different variation! I also picked up some other chocolates that were new to me, and one that was and always will be dear to my heart. Kinder Schockoladen are what grilled cheese sandwiches may be to some of you. That and Milka Schokoladen bring back memories. I’ll never be “too old” to enjoy these… heck, I’ll never be too old for anything!

I took a friend's advice and added something special to this sandwich!

Fi had mentioned that she likes adding apple chutney with hummus, so I figured I would give it a try. I made a sandwich with some shredded mango chutney, “What Do I Remind You Of” hummus, red cabbage, and cilantro. This lady knows what she is talking about! The combination of hummus and chutney will leave you wanting more, and by all means go with your gut feeling!

I've recently discovered my favorite way to eat collard greens.

Sauteed with onions, and cherry or sun-dried tomatoes. Then when you’re done, dress it Italian vinaigrette.

I made myself a khichari of split mung bean soup, basmati rice, and ghee

I was feeling like I needed to just comfort myself, and I’ve found that this recipe I found in the “Ayurvedic Cooking for Westerners” book helps me feel at ease. “Persons recuperating are often recommended khichari, a combination of rice and mung beans, because of their ability to provide a good level of nourishment without overtaxing the digestion.” Do any of you pay attention to when you feel like your body needs a bit of a “break”? When I’ve been out and about, doing new things, trying new things… my body finds a way to tell me to slow down and take it easy.

For more information on the tri-doshic mung bean, click here!

And since I mentioned ghee, I figure this is a good time to let you all know that I actually made this ghee. It’s really very simple, but it’s one of those things that one might find themselves buying despite how easy it is to make. Another example of that would be hummus!

It's key that you get unsalted butter, and it's recommended that it be either local or organic.

Melt the sticks of butter in a heavy-bottom pan.

Bring to a boil, then put it on low-heat.

It's important to keep stirring so the bottom doesn't get burned; do this for about 15 minutes.

Then get your strainer and containers ready!

I let the ghee sit for a little bit to cool down. Then I strained the clarified butter into the bowl, and I strained it a second time into the jar.

The finished product!

After it cooled down, I put it in the fridge and it hardened–which is totally normal. I am so proud of myself! Ghee is one of my favorite things when it comes to food. Its taste is incomparable, and it’s awesome in salty or sweet dishes. If you haven’t tried ghee yet, I highly suggest it. It will take your meal to another level, I promise.

Well everyone, this felt like a post that

Fear has a large shadow, but he himself is small

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Hello, hello lovely people! I see that we all love our grilled veggies, but more importantly the friends that we have made through blogging. Some times I wish that the distances weren’t so long because I would love to have the chance to meet all of the friends I’ve made through this. I definitely think the commonalities go way beyond food, and there’s just something more.

Beautiful summer peaches
Mixed with oats, Greek yogurt, ground flax seed, and the fig tartlet “filling”
A mish-mosh breakfast bowl, with homemade sunflower seed butter!

My usual bowl of oats with random things piled on… sounds good! Here I threw in frozen banana slices, the last of the fig tartlet “filling”, pumpkin seed butter, homemade sunflower seed butter, and cinnamon. The sunflower seed butter tasted really good, especially since I added honey when making it. However, next time I need to mix it with oil. I’ve found that with nuts and seeds that don’t have as much fat in them naturally need that extra “oomph” from additional oil. For instance, when I make macadamia nut butter, macadamias have enough oils in them to have a semi-gooey consistency when made into a nut butter. Next time!

I made up a random delicious hummus recipe!

When I first tried this I thought “hmm… this kind of tastes like sausage.” Then I had my roommate try it and she mentioned that it reminded her of beef jerky. Who knows! This hummus recipe definitely has a flavor reminiscent of something.

“What Do I Remind You Of” Hummus

1 can of chickpeas, drained

a bit of water

1 dried chipotle pepper, broken into pieces

a few splashes of hickory smoke

1-2 tsp curry powder

2 tbl olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1. Pour the chickpeas into the food processor, and start processing them with a little water so they get broken up.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients–except for the olive oil, salt, and pepper–and mix. Then add the olive oil and mix. Add salt and pepper to your liking and mix again.

And I certainly haven’t forgotten about my beloved sweet potatoes.
Baked these “cheetahs” tossed in olive oil, turmeric, and curry; then sprinkled with blackened Old Bay seasoning.
I haven’t made collard wraps in ages!
M’mm yummy filling!

I love collard greens! They look like the leaves from the cabbages for the cabbage patch dolls. This time when I was making my wraps I thought of what it would be like to steam them; kind of like dim sum–little packets of deliciousness! Did you know that ”collard greens provide us with this cholesterol-lowering benefit whether they are raw or cooked. However, a recent study has shown that the cholesterol-lowering ability of raw collard greens improves significantly when they are steamed.” A sign that I should make them kind of like dim sum. “One cup of boiled collard greens has about 119% of the daily value of vitamin A, 58% of vitamin C, and 880% of vitamin K. Vitamin A is an important nutrient for the eyes, vitamin C is essential for healthy skin, and vitamin K is necessary for the blood to clot. You can read more here: collard greens benefits.

Yesterday, my friends and I went on an adventure!
How peaceful looking…
But really each of us had to face a fear.
The rope swing…

It was funny how some of us weren’t that nervous at first, but as soon as we were nestled on to a step our fears set in. We had many countdowns, many words of encouragement, and lots of laughs!

And I did it too!
Meet my new roommate! Unfortunately, she ended up leaving the river with a battle-scar.
All in all it was a fun day though.
Eventually, it was time for the troopers to head back home.

It was really helpful following through that day because of the help of my friends, and feeling comforted by the thought that it was going to be okay. There was a point where I just had to stop thinking, stop looking around, down, and just do it! Have you guys faced some sort-of fear recently?

Looking Forward

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Hello everybody! Recently, I’ve made some relieving discoveries in my life lately. Most of my past days have been spent researching… (and decorating)! Researching what? Well, it all started out with a painful pimple I got last week. The day after the nasty bugger popped up I had to think to myself, “what did I have the other day that might’ve been different?” Hmm… I’m pretty sure it was all of those cookies and chocolates I had when I went to Ikea. Over the months of observing what could be triggering breakouts… stress, periods, or even foods, I realized that it was mostly processed sugars triggered my breakouts. I definitely knew hard liquors did it for me, but when the next morning I woke up with a painful pimple on my cheek I had an inkling it was the all of the sweets I had the day prior. And that’s when Detective Katharina showed up. After reading many studies, books, and articles; I came to a possible answer. Let’s just say I was enlightened. I don’t believe it’s the sugars that directly trigger my breakouts, but rather that my liver isn’t as strong. Which is why the things that the liver normally processes out, pretty much come out on my face. I’ve dealt with this problem for years, and I’ve been longing for clear skin for so long. No matter how many creams I’ve been prescribed, they never seemed to tackle the issue. And I believe it’s because the doctors really only assessed the problem at a superficial level. The body is a wonderful thing, and communicates to us in many ways. Sometimes the real source of it is further than what meets the eye. I’ve been reading a book on Ayurveda–when am I not reading something about Ayurveda–and it makes so much sense. My approach to things in general is a very holistic one. Rather than only focusing on one component, I look at how it might be connected to something else, and maybe the solution lies within that. Gosh, I have so much to say on this, but I think my upcoming posts will give me more of an opportunity to talk about this more. Perhaps I’ll make a video post… yes? I wanted to share that with you, but let’s move on to some feasting for the eyes that will maybe inspire you to create a feast for you taste buds and belly!

This…
with the sweet addition of my long forgotten lavender honey…
All together now… yum!
When was the last time I had a bowl of “carrot cake” oats?
Oh, it’s been too long!
I spy something golden…
It’s all in the details.
Next thing you know I was transported to someone else’s living room.
Ikea’s living room that is.

It was also the day before I had my “epiphany”. But back to my day at Ikea… After hours of looking and shopping around we went back to my friend’s house.

Isn’t her kitty adorable?
And kind of crazy too!
My friend wanted to surprise her mom with a newly decorated and rearranged home!
A little more to the right…
Look what I did! Her little sister let me use her glow-in-the dark marker set.

It’s a blind contour drawing of her kitty when she was sitting on my bags, if you couldn’t tell hehehe.

Eventually I came home and I was inspired and still in my zone…
My friend had given me decorating fever!

Check out the new bowl! Banana and peanut butter is a classic combination.

With coconut? I think you can already guess what I’m going to say.

I went to the store and recruited my army.

Together, I think we will be victorious!

Here are some foods that your liver will be giving you extra thanks for: broccoli, watercress, kale, celery, artichoke, carrots, turmeric, garlic, onions, mango, beets, berries, oranges, spinach, Swiss chard, and the list goes on! Also, fresh squeezed lemon juice in warm water first thing in the morning helps produce bile. How could I almost forget! Papaya is also on that list. Hooray for having a papaya tree in my backyard! I’m so happy that there are so many foods that will help strengthen my liver.

Omega-3's are your friend.

Since I’m a vegetarian I did some research on ways I can get great sources of plant-based Omega-3′s. It’s also important to note that the ratio of Omega-3′s is higher than the Omega-6′s in your source. Some examples would be flaxseed (ground or oil), chia seeds, and hemp seeds.

Also got a new plate and placemat as well.

More importantly, what's on the plate?

Kidney beans cooked and mashed with spices and herbs like cinnamon, oregano, a bit of chili, and cumin. I served it with a fresh salad, rice, avocado, and cilantro. I also poured on some flaxseed oil–my liver said thank you!

A grateful liver breakfast... that sounds gross actually, but this wasn't!

I purchased some golden flaxseeds at the store the other day and ground them to reap their benefits. Mandiee has this all the time, and it definitely sparked my curiosity! I served it over oats mixed with another ingredient which is now apart of the “usual”. Enter maca powder, known for its hormone balancing properties. I’ve known that my hormones have been out of whack since last summer when I went through a long period of medical testing. Come to think of it, I don’t remember mentioning it on my blog. I decided to bring this issue to the forefront though because you know what? You never know who may be going through something similar, and it may help them out! Anyway, this bowl was incredibly delicious with all the cherries, blueberries, kefir, pumpkin seed butter, the whole kit and caboodle. Surprisingly, the maca powder did not make this bowl of overnight oats taste icky.

Such a delicious soup and calming as well.

As soon as I read the words “Butternut Squash Pear Soup” from Joy’s list of fantastic recipes, I knew I had to make it. Not to mention, this was incredibly easy to make. Just the simple addition of pear took this soup to another level. I also served it at a temperature that felt comfortable for the warm weather–not completely chilled and slightly warm.

An incredibly creamy hummus... and it's homemade?

I added in a special ingredient to this classic hummus recipe. Actually, I added in a few! While making the artichoke hummus I kept a reader’s comment in mind. Awhile back when I posted my sun-dried tomato hummus recipe, I remembered that Phoebe had shared this greatly appreciated tidbit with me: “the secret to amazing hummus is blending your together the lemon juice , oil, garlic and tahini in the food processor to make an emulsion, before you add in the chickpeas, then (this is the secret bit) you add a tablespoon or two of plain greek yoghurt, its typical of turkish hummus, and absolutely delicious!” So I did just that. You must take her word for it!

A "snacky" lunch

I finally decided to pick up a box of Mary’s Gone Crackers when I was at the store the other day. The fact that they have flax seeds in them is just another incentive! Have any of you tried them? I was thinking of getting the black pepper or caraway flavor, but I opted to stick to the original since it was my first time trying them. I just steamed some kale and broccoli, cut up a carrot, some cherry tomatoes, and marinated artichokes. Served with artichoke hummus and flax seed oil drizzled on everything! Honestly, it’s amazing because I can already see changes in my skin, and I’m not the only one commenting on its noticeable clarity.

Since I like to keep things light, airy, and fun–not dark, dreary, and dull; the mentality of focusing on what I can have versus what I can’t have will make this easier. No strict regimen for me! Not to mention, I’m so excited about clear skin and new recipes that I think my positive outlook will help greatly on my little journey. By the way, if you have any recipes that you’d like to share that crossed your mind when reading this post, please let me know! Just because I’m going to have to be more concentrated on certain foods, doesn’t mean my eats have to become boring and routine. I like to add that “spice to life” no matter what may come my way.  Plus, in the end I know that once I reach the light at the end of the so-called tunnel, it’ll all be worth it. Afterall, it’s not something that is going to take forever.

What do you have to look forward to?

p.s. any advice is always greatly appreciated!

Remember Me?

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Oh wow! I can’t believe it’s already June. It’s been awhile since my last post hasn’t it? Well, there’s a lot to catch up on. I foresee recap posts in the near future! And don’t worry I won’t disappear on you again. I have quite a bit of catching up to do myself.

Let me just rewind a couple weeks back to when I was at the beach. I mostly ate a lot of…

Sun-dried tomato hummus!

Almonds, honey, dried cranberries, and white chocolate chip granola

And platefuls of delicious pasta dishes!

Now here are pictures of some of the fun that was had!

Losing my Chat Roulette virginity!

There I go making everyone lose their balance.

Headed out to go dancing!

Texting wars were had.

Hole in the wall places.

She was happy to have a warm meal.

That's right girl!

I spy a domestic hottie!

Now I spy lots of hotties!

Being sneaky and capturing some brave guys on the beach.

Lots and lots of relaxing

Okay let's see if I can get a good one!

Wee!

Limitless

Catching the sunset while eating

On the hunt for ice cream

The beach trip was exactly what I needed. Despite being in a house full of estrogen (which can often be a recipe for disaster), it was relaxing. I’d wake up and leisurely make breakfast then hang around. I was able to do yoga outside on the deck and get the full effect of sun salutations. After lunch we’d all cross the street and we were already on the beach. Our hungry bellies would guide us back to the house and we’d just hang around till the nightfall. The witching hour meant card games, movies with heart throbs and lessons for life… just hanging out with friends. Some nights we would go out and dance, and I’m always up for that! The day I got back from the beach I had to do my laundry, pack, and organize some last minute things because my flight to New York was just a few hours away. Luckily, I finished all the tasks at hand and caught my flight. I can’t wait to share my recent trip to New York with all of you.

In latest news, Late July is giving away coupons and the chance to win an organic beach bag filled with organic goodies for your summer road trips this summer!

To enter send an email to offers@latejuly.com with your mailing address and post a comment on Facebook or at www.latejuly.com to tell them where you’d like to take your family this summer or please share a special trip experience from the past. Their trip this year was their favorite, but they’re hoping to get a few good ideas from you for next year. All submissions will get coupons, but their favorite will also WIN a Late July Beach Bag filled with at least $50 worth of Late July Organic Snacks, a $25 iTunes gift card and they’ll also carbon offset your trip!

p.s. while I was on my mini-hiatus I turned 22! The big two-two? What will this year behold for me? Who knows, but I’m looking forward to it! Stay tuned for my New York recap. I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the season!

Giving Nature Credit

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Hello everyone! So I survived the semester and I’m currently at the beach for the week with my ladies. First night was so much fun. I lost my Chat Roulette virginity. Let’s just say that we did our fair share if screaming in shock! I also may not be posting regularly since I’m at the beach and the day I get back is the day I fly to New York!

Anywho, there are a few beliefs I have and one of them is that I don’t think it should cost an arm and a leg to eat well. Especially when essentially most of the things I eat come straight from nature. I’d like to say that I eat well. When I say well I mean that I don’t sacrifice good taste just because something has nutritional value. Shots of wheat grass? No thank you. Maybe I’m a food snob, but I don’t care because I eat what I like and try new things as well. Sometimes I give things a second chance like my beloved brussels sprouts. And there are some things that I loved in my childhood that never get old. As a college student and a lover of food I’ve learned how to cook deliciously on a budget. I’ve learned that hummus is a cinch to make and usually ends up tasting better than what I get at the store–aside from Sabra’s miraculously creamy hummus. Some secrets are just too good to give out I guess. Oh well, I have a few of my own too!

I made my own creamy tomato sauce recipe!

And I am definitely sharing this one! Although I must warn you that the measurements aren’t precise because as usual when I cook, I just put in things by my taste. Mine turned out more like an arrabiata (spicy sauce) since I was generous with the black pepper. Oh! And it’s also vegan. Since I didn’t have any creamer on hand I opted to make a vegan alternative I’ve done many a time and have loved each time: cashew cream.

Vegan Creamy Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

Canola oil for cooking

3/4 cup onion, finely diced

1 bay leaf

1/8 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

Sea salt

2 large cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press

1 grated carrot stick

1 8 oz can tomato sauce

Sliced sun-dried tomatoes

A little less than 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 28 oz can diced tomatoes with juice

1/3 cup cashew cream

Fresh ground black pepper

Dried sweet basil and tarragon

1. Heat pan first then canola oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, bay leaf, pepper flakes, and salt and cook, uncovered, stirring often, until onion is soft and beginning to turn golden.

2. Add garlic and cook until aromatic, about 1 minute. Increase heat to medium-high, add tomato sauce, grated carrot, dried basil, tarragon, and sun-dried tomatoes and cook, stirring constantly, until slightly darkened, about 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Add balsamic vinegar and cook, stirring often for about 2 minutes. Add can of crushed tomatoes and bring to the boil.

4. Reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, stirring often, until sauce reduces and is thickened, about 25 to 30 minutes.

5. When sauce has thickened, remove and discard bay leaf. Stir in the cashew cream, and cook until warmed through, about 1 minute. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.

Voila!

I served the sauce with sautéed garlic, yellow squash, onion, mushrooms, and cannellini beans over penne pasta.

Up next…

I also made another batch of granola!

Honey Cranberry-Almond Granola

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups oatmeal

1/4 cup chopped almonds

1/3 cup honey

1 1/2 tbl canola oil

1 tbl almond extract

1/2 cup dried cranberries

Shredded coconut

White chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients except the dried cranberries, shredded coconut, and white chocolate chips.

3. Spread out the granola on a nonstick baking sheet.

4. Bake the granola for about 30 minutes, stirring every 8 minutes or so. Halfway through sprinkle on the shredded coconut when stirring. Remove from oven, allow to cool.

5. Once cool mix in the dried cranberries and white chocolate chips

It’s so easy! I love coming up with combinations, and they’re perfect as yummy gifts. Just think of the flavors a loved one enjoys and make their very own mix. You can put it in a mason jar with a delightful tag, and I’m sure the lucky recipient will name their first-born after you.

Almonds, dried cranberries, and white chocolate chips is one of my favorite combinations.

And…

Homemade hummus too?!

Sun-dried Tomato Hummus

Ingredients

4 garlic cloves, minced and then mashed

2 15-oz cans of garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed

1/4 cup avocado oil

Sun-dried tomatoes

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 cup water

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1. In a food processor, combine the mashed garlic, garbanzo beans, sun-dried tomatoes, lemon juice, 1/2 cup water. Process until smooth.

2. Slowly add in the avocado oil. Add salt, starting at a half a teaspoon, to taste.

Serve with anything your heart desires.

Gosh it feels good to share my own recipes with you all again! During the semester it’s hard for me to actually sit down and think about that. Even though I’m an only child, I love to share. So being able to share these recipes is awesome–from my kitchen to yours!

A Cabinet Full of…

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You were so good to me!

You better believe this OIAJ was fantastic! Sunland’s caramel peanut butter with apples and oats? Like caramel apples minus the stickyness that gets on your teeth.

Another jar...

This time it was Sunland’s dark chocolate peanut butter. This was so delicious! I sliced a banana and put in a handful of raisins. I thought to myself “hmm… what are somethings that taste good covered in chocolate?” I always forget about raisins!

Just for the sake of having something to feast your eyes on.

More more more!

This time I got to use a jar of Blue Diamond’s crunchy almond butter. I also spiced it with my tea masala. The jar was too small to fit the peach slices and mango chunks so I just took bites of each as I ate the OIAJ. Hopefully I continue to be a lucky girl with the OIAJ. I’d actually like to try sweet potatoes in jar–saw the idea over at this cutie’s blog!

Sandwich on-the-go: avocado mixed with hummus + tomato + onion

Favorite outfit last week!

This is what I was wearing actually when I almost got hit by a car and flew off my bike. My knees and legs got cut up and bruised but atleast no pants were ripped!

Tried a new veggie burger...

I’ve seen many of you rave about Amy’s veggie burgers so I knew I had to give them a try. This is the Texas veggie burger in a ciabatta roll with Bone Suckin’ BBQ sauce + vegan mayo, onions, and lettuce. I think the veggie burger was definitely yummy tasting.

Afterwards I met up with an old friend at the river!

The warm weather has been off and on. We were lucky that day to get lots of warmth and sun.

Ze river

What the heck are those green things?

Well those are pumpkin seed butter balls. I just took 1 cup of pumpkin seed butter, lots of cinnamon and honey, and mixed it all together. Then I left them in the freezer to harden. They have a distinct flavor but I think the honey and cinnamon helped balance the pumpkin seed butter flavor. Plus, I really love the color!

Well, this semester is quickly coming to an end and I’ve had lots of projects/assignments, exams, projects in progress, celebrations, and life in general going on. Even though I’ve been really busy, I’ve loved it! This is going to sound weird but I feel like I’m being eaten by the creativity monster. Hehe don’t worry it’s a good thing. I also know the warm weather makes it easier for me to just go out there. I hope everyone is doing well and also enjoying life.

“Contentment is not the fulfillment of what you want, but the realization of how much you already have.”

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.

It’s Pudding Time

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Hello everybody! As promised, this post is a recap of the shenanigans me and Liz were up to during my visit. As many of you know, her birthday was earlier this week! So if you haven’t wished her a happy birthday yet, don’t forget heheh. So let the celebration begin!

Liz and her family picked me up at the airport and we were off to dinner!

Two stylish peas in a pod!

We went to this chic restaurant called Red, The Steakhouse.

The olive oil and parmesan cheese dip for the bread.

So good!

Four cheese baked mac-n-cheese, potatoes au gratin, sautéed broccoli and garlic, sautéed spinach, and seared killbuck valley mushrooms. Um… yum?!

Strike a pose!

So let me just say that Liz’s mom has serious decorating skills, and their home truly feels like a home. There’s so much character in everything and I could spend days just looking at all the little treasures.

I stayed in the "Bates Motel"

AHHH!!!

Liz had some of my favorites ready for me for breakfast!

The Udi’s granola was basically a sunken island in the sea of almond milk. I sliced in a banana and scooped in some chocolate almond butter. This was so yummy! I also tried Futters‘ chocolate hazelnut butter and their chocolate pecan butter. Holy crap these were awesome!!! Not just the flavor, but there was a distinct texture to these nut butters that I loved.

Both in our zones hahaha.

Then we took Chooey for a walk on an unusually warm morning.

Liz's mom taking care of the pretty flower arrangement.

And before you know it, it was lunchtime!

Look! She's simply glowing!

Amazing fresh pita bread and a yummy dip with olive oil, sesame seeds, thyme, and marjoram.

Let me just note that I loved that every place we went to had a dip that was different from the norm.

The baba

Yum!

Falafels with a tahini sauce, spicy hummos (best hummos ever), and the garlic spinach which was sautéed spinach with toasted pine nuts and onions. This was such a delicious lunch! Definitely the kind of food I’m in the mood for when the weather starts to warm up.

After lunch we headed to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Outside in the crazy wind!

Rockin' out!

At the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame we got to see this really cool movie of all the musicians that have been inducted up until 2010. It was especially neat because you got to see all the stars’ outfits, lyrics, and other memorabilia as well.

Then we headed to the previous night's restaurant's neighbor... Moxie!

Her sweet parents!

Delicious veggies!

The best broccolini I’ve ever had, brussel sprouts, and we couldn’t get enough of the killbuck valley mushrooms!

The spread...

Liz’s mom and I ordered some tea because were tea ladies hehe. They also had this seeded bread that I enjoyed with a white bean dip and some herbed butter. After dinner we headed to one of the area’s malls.

We made a stop at the chocolate store.

Look at all of those candied apples!

I picked the biggest and juiciest chocolate-covered strawberry! Which also happened to be deformed.

When we came home it was time to try one of the raw vegan "moon pies" that Liz's friend sent for her birthday.

Deliciously rich!

The birthday girl modeling her birthday present! I'm glad she liked it hehehe.

That morning I got to meet one of Liz’s brothers and his family.

There was an Easter egg hunt for the boys.

Keeping her eyes on the road.

And look who we ended up behind!

We obviously couldn't get enough of Taza!

This girl's got a lightbulb in her because she keeps glowing haha!

Liz got a refreshing Falafel salad and a side of spicy hummos.

That day they garnished the hummos with chickpeas!

My turn!

I ordered a falafel-hummos roll that came with pickled turnips and seasoned fries. Incredible! But what else could I expect?

Then we were off to Whole Foods to pick up some of Liz's staples and some new things to try as well!

When we came home, it was time to open up the Easter baskets her mom had put together for us!

Then it was getting close to the time of my departure. So soon?!

Chooey escorted us to the airport!

I love you Liz!

The "never let go" pose!

Now I understand why Theo is one of her favorite brands of chocolate.

And a yummy grawnola bar sample from One Lucky Duck.

Also, check out the video of us that VeggieDad filmed! I can’t help but have a big cheesy smile whenever I watch it. It just makes me really happy to think about the past weekend with Liz and her family. They are such wonderful people, and I’m lucky to have her as one of my best friends!