Tag Archives: mascarpone

Embark Upon…

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There have been some things going on in my life that I haven’t really touched on in my blog because I’ve been trying to catch up to myself. It seems hard to get caught up since life still keeps on going and all. What have I been keeping on the down low? Well, for starters I’m moving to New York City next week. Also known to some as “the center of the world”. I think it’d be interesting if people experienced New York at least once in their lives. Even just for visiting. Some people want to live there and experience being the hub of millions of things everyday. That’s where I’m at, for right now. It may not be easy, but that’s not what I want anyway. Easy is for when I’m bored.

Right now I’m enjoying the last bit of Florida by spending the weekend on the other coast. A place where I can actually catch the pink sun disappear over the water in a matter of seconds right before my eyes. A place where I can have the windows open at night and only hear the waves. Where I can have the eucalyptus steam room all to myself before I tuck into bed; Or I can run down to the lobby and make a s’more before I get some shut eye. Yeah, I’m just soaking it all up.

If I look away I might miss it.

Source.

Now for this post I’ve got a special treat for you. I think this post describes why I see cooking as an adventure. This was one of those afternoons where I just really wanted to make something special, and take my precious time.

Hunt and gather for the ingredients.

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Who Would’ve Thought

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Hello everybody! I wanted to update you all, and let you know that I won’t be posting as frequently. I won’t be getting a laptop until the end of November or December, so I’m taking a deep breath until then. It seems like recently my life has involved practicing letting go of modern conveniences like cars and computers. It’s been very refreshing actually to live life at a more human pace. Of course these things are useful, but when do we start becoming dependent on them. Take cell phones for instance. You send a text message or make a phone call, and it expresses this notion that this person should always be available. I guess in a sense I’m claiming my time back and becoming more creative with it. Even just sitting there and doing nothing is absolutely fine by me.

When modern conveniences leave your side for a bit, do those moments seem like a blessing in disguise for you?

Playing hide-and-seek...

Or pretending I'm a wild animal on the loose!

Oh my gosh! Ants have attacked my breakfast!

Oops, those are just chocolate sprinkles.

A delicious bowl of lentil curry with aromatic basmati rice.

Sitting down and eating with no distractions...

Enjoying some of the best bread ever from a German bakery.

Spread on a thick layer of mascarpone and pumpkin butter, and you're in for a treat!

And top some yogurt off with homemade granola.

I made this batch using a simple recipe I found in , but made it special by also adding in puffed millet and chia seeds.

Making it feel more like October by making a batch of pumpkin pie hummus.

I haven’t made pumpkin pie hummus in ages! I had a friend try it, and he said that it tasted like pumpkin pie filling. Perfect! This morning I served it over a warming bowl of oatmeal, along with medjool dates, walnuts, granola, and cinnamon. I like thinking of all of the different kinds of hummus flavors I can make, and who knew that a sweet hummus would be a success! Try it out and let me know what you think.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. I’m hoping to go apple picking with some of my best friends up in the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains. I’m going to make sure to take in all of that fresh air and beautiful scenery while I’m there.

Oh wait! Here’s a random question before you go! Name an item of food, i.e. pasta, squash, lentils, apple… you get the picture!

p.s. I ended up not advancing to the next round of the Project Food Blog challenge, but I wanted to thank you all for your support! It was really wonderful to see that people had faith in me and were excited about it like I was. Also, I ended up getting to do my favorite challenge anyway (the dinner party)!

The Extra Special Things

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Oh my goodness! I made it into the third challenge! Thank you so much for supporting me. Honestly, the amount of support and encouragement I’ve been given has floored me. I’m very much looking forward to the next challenge. It’s actually coming up very soon, but I’m trying to not let it stress me out to the point where I feel like it’s a daunting task to face. Nope, won’t go there. Moving on is incredibly exciting, yet humbling at the same time. I think it’s because I know that it’s not just all me. So yes, I just want to express again how grateful I am to everyone: the panel, my fellow contestants, and of course all of my friends.

Remember the tasty little bites I posted in my last entry?

Some of you were asking if I made them, and indeed those muffins are homemade! I just used my secret oat-bar recipe that I’m continuously experimenting with, but made them into scrumptious little muffins instead. Also, topped with coconut butter makes them extra tasty! Actually, doesn’t it make anything tastier?

Bubbling kitchen experiments?

This adventure was quite a simple one, but hadn’t been done! I looked up recipes using the keywords: figs and apples. That’s when I stumbled upon this delicious apple-fig compote recipe. The smell was incredibly comforting; Imagine the scent of a fruity elixir dancing through the air. Well, it really felt like it was an elixir because when I served it over some oats in the morning, I was so happy to be awake and enjoying that delicious meal. I enjoyed it so much that I found myself boasting about my wonderful breakfast throughout the day.

The most delicious thing I've ever served over a bowl of oatmeal!!!

Then topped with Greek yogurt, chopped walnuts, dates, and ground cinnamon.

Seriously go make a compote to add to your breakfast, or simply to enjoy alone--you will be so happy you did!

I got myself a tub of mascarpone and used it instead of cream cheese on my bagels.

I smeared one half with mascarpone & honey, and the other half with mascarpone & fig preserves. What a special ingredient for something as simple as a bagel, but who says you’ve got wait for a special occasion to enjoy the things you love. What’s something extra special to you that you like to enjoy on any occasion? I also had a bowl of Greek yogurt topped with a medley of fruits, granola, walnuts, tahini, and honey.

I made a deconstructed version of Veganomicon's BBQ Seitan and Coleslaw Sandwich.

I was risking a bellyache by eating raw cabbage, but I love slaws and it was a risk I was willing to take.

I think my taste buds were way too happy for my belly to even notice because I felt a-okay.

Oh my beautiful beets...

I loosely followed this recipe for “caramelized beets with caraway seeds & walnuts“. I didn’t have caraway seeds on hand so I used cumin instead, and I tossed in some roasted butternut squash as well. The fall harvest is something I definitely don’t mind. What are some of your favorite things about fall?

I felt like using one of my special bowls for this soup!

The other night I made a big batch of roasted butternut squash and sweet potato soup. Oh me oh my! Roasting the vegetables beforehand really does add flavor to this recipe, and it turned out so thick and creamy–my favorite! I served it with some chickpeas roasted in coconut oil & cinnamon, and a bit of tarragon.

Gosh, I have really been treating myself with all of these tasty dishes! I’m glad that I can share the recipes with you all… well except for my secret oat “bar/muffin” recipe of course mwahaha. Maybe one day… maybe. Anyhoo, I hope you all enjoy this crisp and chilly weekend. Just thinking about Sunday makes me all giddy inside; you’ll know what I mean by tomorrow! Is there anything exciting going on for you?