A Way To Start The Day

I reminded Matilda of how lovable she is…

"What else did you expect?"

This is true.. I should also note that Matilda is no ordinary dog. No, I have to lure her with treats to go out for walks, and she doesn’t settle for just any kind of food, toy, or other dog. She can also eat an entire bar of dark chocolate without repercussions. Lucky her, but I don’t want to go through the experience of the latter again.

And definitely not with this pot of chocolate.

When I came across Ashley’s recipe for ‘Chocolate Coconut Fudge Sauce‘, I went to the store to fetch some coconut milk to make it later that day. The coconut milk was incredibly thick, so I knew this was going to be a yummy, decadent affair.

Chocolate-dipped strawberry?

Yes, please. I’m not exaggerating when I say that this jar was nearly empty by the end of the morning.

Since it’s Friday and the weekend is beginning, I thought I’d share some breakfast ideas with you.

Katie’s ‘Deep-Dish Cookie Pie

It's very moist on the inside and crusty along the edges.

Some people like their cookies crunchy all the way through, but I like to have a little bit of both worlds. Something that will melt in my mouth, but with a crunch my teeth I have to bite through first.

Topped with goat's milk yogurt and berries, and a cup of green tea.

I'm going to tell you a little secret...

This cookie pie is mostly made with beans! Red bean cakes anyone?

Around the table for a more traditional breakfast

Continue reading

A Friend is One of the Best Things You Can Be

Pardon my belated wishes, but I hope everyone had wonderful holidays! Usually the holiday season means a time for more reflection, and being surrounded by people that I love. Take family for instance. Sometimes they get on your last nerve, but at the end of the day you love them so much that you could just burst! In my last post I talked about how meaningful friends are. Well I thought it would be nice to dedicate a post to just that!

Back in mid-November I had a very special friend stay with me for the weekend.

Many of you may recognize this special friend of mine as the lovely face behind The Collegiate Gourmande. Awhile ago she recounted her visit in this really sweet post right over here. Anyway, her and I have “known” each other for awhile now, and we got to meet up for the first time over the summer in Miami. Now she was staying at my place in Richmond for the weekend. It wasn’t just any weekend though! We were running the SunTrust half-marathon. When she arrived a stranger beat me to a proper greeting with a kiss on the cheek haha!

The first night here, we cooked up a storm!

Voila! A homemade naan pizza topped with spinach sauce, okra, and chickpeas with a side of yellow curry spiced lentil soup

The idea for the spicy spinach sauce came from Emily, and Maya already had it bookmarked! Actually, she had a list of things we could possibly whip up in the kitchen. I love this girl and her enthusiastic spirit! The naan bread was actually from a batch I made earlier that week.

Naan bread is so easy to make at home--next time I want to make it with a hint of cilantro and garlic--topped with ghee and you're ready to bite in!

To go with an appetizing bowl of Thai-style lentil and coconut soup

Coconut milk? Check.

Scallions? Check.

Now back to Maya’s visit!

We ended the meal with a special treat...

the ever-popular Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Balls! These were so so SO so good! We went to bed “early” since the race was bright and early in the morning. Since I was fighting a cold at the time I had been taking care of myself the week prior to the race–Mucinex works wonders! We ended up running to the race to make sure we got there in time… you know just warming-up.

Maya had a picture taken of us with her phone after the race!

Look what I found! Tissue in hand to blow my runny nose.

It was my first race and it was such an incredible feeling. There was this force inside me that made me feel like I was on top of the world. It really made me feel positive of my capabilities despite the struggles that were very present in my life at that time. Plus, it was awesome to celebrate with a dear friend! We made our way home with those silly shiny “capes” that resemble foil a bit. After the race we took it easy for a bit, and made our way to a charming part of town in Richmond called ‘Carytown’.

That night we made a dinner fit for champions!

We roasted some green beans, and had mashed sweet potatoes with coconut milk topped with cajun chickpea cakes from Eats Well With Others. And that salad you see on the side there is Maya’s wonderful creation! A spinach salad with dried cranberries, honey crisp apples, pomegranate seeds. She even made the dressing: almond butter balsamic dressing! Oh my goodness this meal had so many flavors, and it was all divine! Just what we needed after a race.

How we do!

Aha! I found you!

We spent the rest of the night laughing and talking into the morning. She had to leave early the next morning, but she left me so many beautiful reminders. I mentioned her post earlier, but I really have to say it again. It truly touched my heart. I guess that’s just her way! A true friend you can count on? A friend that is understanding and doesn’t mind one bit? A friend that lets you know that it’s alright. That’s Maya for you, and she’s so much more.

She also left me this tasty reminder!

Which I have been enjoying on just about everything! Thank you, Maya!

I also went on a trip to NYC with my class (the bus actually belongs to one of my classmates).

The captain of the ship!

I saw NYC in a different light on the High Line.

Beautiful, isn't it?

Since this was a class with art students, naturally we scoped out some galleries and museums.

Even a gallery for the homeless to submit their art.

The sleek New Museum.

On one of the nights we all got together at our professor's friends' giant shared studio and...

Played music...

and had a delicious homemade feast!

Man, his friends sure can cook and bake! There was roasted ham, stew, pasta, vegetable dishes, best banana bread ever, pies, cakes, garlic bread, hummus… gosh so many things! The trip was a lot of fun. It was nice to see some friends up there, and also getting to know some of my fellow classmates a little better. By the way, in Williamsburg there’s a place called The Alligator Lounge that has a great deal: buy a beer and you get a free pizza! Not just any pizza, but a personal pan! So if you’re in the Brooklyn area, make sure to hit that up!

I had another special visitor for Thanksgiving!

On Thanksgiving we headed to the breathtaking Blue Ridge Mountains.

I packed us a bag of yummy things to take with us!

For me: a sandwich with smoked gouda, sauteed spinach and onions, apple slices, and honey.

For my mom: spinach, egg, honey, apple slices, and goat cheese.

Do you think she liked it?

It's such a big world.

It felt so nice to be breathing fresh air.

Coming through!

As we headed back the sun decided to come out. Doesn't this look like the cover of Big Fish?

Matilda let out a roar that the whole world could hear!

I wanted my mom to taste how special honeycrisp apples are.

Pooped and heading back home to make a low-key Thanksgiving dinner.

I made a special recipe that night from an e-cookbook that was sent to me to review.

The e-cookbook is titled “The Flexitarian Cookbook” and features many recipes from various contributors that can be adjusted to fit your dietary needs or mood whether you vegan, vegetarian, or an omnivore. The recipes sound so appetizing and the pictures that are featured are so beautiful and drool-worthy. I’ll be featuring more recipes I’ve tried from this e-cookbook, and a more detailed review.

The recipe that stood out the most for me, with ingredients like pumpkin, peaches, and pecorino.

Not even finished and it smelled delicious.

And Thanksgiving dinner was served!

Sauteed collard greens, onions, and garlic, with fruit & nut chutney.

Interesting

Our tastebuds and bellies were in for the best thing we had eaten in awhile.

Almost forgot the pecorino!

Oh my goodness. My mother and I kept exclaiming how incredible this dish was. It’s suppose to be served in a small pumpkin, but I made do with what I had (butternut squash) and it still turned out to be a phenomenal dish. The mix of ingredients (the peach being the most surprising) was spot on!

Lebkuchen filled with as much love as a cookie can handle!

This is probably the most nostalgic food and smell from Germany for me. Lebkuchen is a traditional German treat that’s similar to gingerbread. At the Christmas Market you will see tons of heart-shaped cookies hanging up, ready to be given to someone’s beloved one.

Photo taken from here

Stay tuned for the next post since it’s a continuation on the topic of friendship and also catching up! I hope you all had a wonderful week, and a great start to a new year. Until next time, much love!

Sometimes Things Can Look Like More Than What They Are…

And there can be beauty in that. In a way that’s what makes the seemingly simple and little things stand out. Recently, I’ve been noticing that the food I’ve been putting together has some sort of rustic or “very much like the land” look to it.

Pumpkin pie spice roasted chickpeas, Greek yogurt, banana, dried dates and pineapple.
Dates, hazelnut butter, banana, dates, pumpkin pie space, and raw cacao nibs
A mountainous landscape or just a new combination for my secret oat-bar/muffin recipe: dried apples, dates, dried cranberries, walnuts, cashews, chocolate chips, and a blend of tea masala and pumpkin pie spices.
Notice anything by now?

I don’t know if you noticed it, but I realized that lots of my foods have been resembling landscapes. Perhaps it’s been coming from the time I’ve been spending outside recently. Observing the seasons in their transition phases is always something interesting, and beautiful to witness. And now that my time with technology isn’t as readily-available (laptop situation still up in the air, but thank you to a dear friend of mine for letting me borrow his!), more time has magically appeared for me to enjoy these things.

The other day in my sculpture class, my professor took us on a field-trip (haven’t been on one of those in awhile) to a foundry and an art collectors’ private collection.

I was transported to another era and sometimes what looked like a destroyed city.
Things that look like they’ve just taken in a lot…

Afterwards, we went to the private collection of a very dynamic husband and wife. It was such a refreshing and reminding visit to see people enjoying art on their own time. There are people who support and find beauty in what artists make. Oftentimes, some get caught up in the “joke” of being an artist, and don’t see that it can be a reality. This is sort of random, but as an artist I believe; I have faith that a person can make it. Of course, I also understand that a person can very many different routes. Some sculptors sometimes make those molds you see at dentist’s office. Who knows! Anyway, the thing going on in my life have really gotten me to reflect on the idea of beauty, and what it can bring out in us. I recently went over Confucianism. One of the points brought up was that the human spirit can feel uplifted if surrounded by beautiful things. This can nature, the arts, whatever you may find beautiful. Off the top of my head I find this in nature, fashion, food, art, parallels in our universe, and people. What do you find beauty in?

There's some to be found in the smile that leaves a dinner party with a sweet reminder.

 

Or in the beautiful friend that greets you with a thoughtful bouquet of flowers!

 

Finding beauty in nature that led me to finding a beauty in food.

Toasted hemp seeds with sea salt, pumpkin pie spice, and shredded coconut

And the nice thing is that you don’t have to look too far.

 

Life is What You Make of It

Hi everyone! I hope your week has started off on a good note. I know mine has. Aside from my computer crashing, things have been looking up. After a week of no sun and dreary weather, the weather gods decided to give us the gift of sunshine and warmth. Thank goodness! I think this is just what I needed to reenergize myself for this busy week. Without my computer I will find myself with less distractions. But I’ll do my best to keep you all updated – hence I am sitting in the toasty Fine Arts building’s computer lab. So many computers buzzing!

I’ll start off with my Saturday night. I was going to go to some experimental sound art show, but I wasn’t really in the mood for that. Instead I called up one of my best friends to see what she was up to.

Driving to meet up with them.

Strawberry Street Market's selection of beers. They even had a Honey Basil kind.

We ended up going to our friend's house for a house show.

The band seemed to be cooped up in this one room – I think they should’ve played in the middle. But a friend of mine came out of that room with a bloody nose but the biggest smile on her face!

I tried to capture the crowd surfing that was going on haha

I didn’t want to get back too late because I was planning on going hiking the next day.

So I ended up heading back around 3 in the morning.

Not a bowl of oats!

My tummy wasn’t feeling too well the next day so I wanted to take it easy. I had some leftover okara from when I made soymilk when I got home super late. Yeah, I made soymilk around 3 am… Anyway, I mixed it with pumpkin butter, stevia, and cinnamon. I topped it with a sliced apple, dates, some more pumpkin butter, and the last of the Artisana almond butter.

Matilda, down.

Aw!!! How can anyone resist?

Some things I packed for my hiking trip!

I made myself a PB&J sandwich using Rudi’s Wheat & Oat bread. Oh my gosh this bread is so good by the way. It’s perfect for sandwiches – especially a classic PB&J. I love how thick the slices make it so much more satisfying to bite into. When I was making my sandwich I had trouble deciding which jam to use. I remembered that Boysenberry jam is one of my favorites, but I currently do not have it in stock.

Well guess what? My computer crashed  and I knew that I would have to take care of that before I went on any hiking trip. And the sun was shining so brightly on Sunday I knew I didn’t want to be indoors.

This necklace spoke for my excitement about the weather!

I headed over to my nearest Apple store and I ended up making an appointment for today (Monday). By the time I was done with that, my friends that were going to go with me either a) didn’t want to anymore or b) didn’t answer. But you know what? I still wanted to go hiking so I went. I called up a good friend of mine that is usually up for doing stuff. I didn’t get to go to the Shenandoah Valley like I had planned, but atleast I got to go exploring and get some easy hiking in.

Crossing the bridge to Belle Isle.

The hiking begins!

My shoes along with the wet mud were not a good combination, but it was fun nonetheless. I love adventures!

I think Matilda does too.

I love letting Matilda off the leash so she can sniff around as she pleases. She’s so cute because she never strays too far. When she was walking ahead of us she kept stopping and looking back to make sure we were still there. What would she do if we decided to play hide-n-seek with her?

There's a pond on the isle.

I just thought these pods were beautiful.

The James River is really high right now from all the rain.

Admiring the sky.

I love being out in nature and being amazed by it. Nature is beautiful and it doesn’t have to try.

City skylines can be amazing too.

Dinner

This time I just sautéed the kale with white cooking wine and seasonings. I also had some of my leftover “meatloaf” I made with the okara. Last but not least I made a recipe inspired by Katie’s mashed cauliflower. I pureed mine with salt & pepper, nutritional yeast, and soymilk. Then I served it with some all-natural butter. Yum!

Then it was time for some homework!

This is a part of what I’m working on for my sculpture project.

I'm not much of a painter, but I think it's fun. I haven't done it in years!

Monday mornings

This breakfast was interesting. I wanted to use up the rest of my okara, so I mixed it with a ZenSoy banana pudding cup. By the way, I think the banana pudding flavor is my favorite. I heated that up till it liquified and then dumped on some Aztec Crunch Corn & Amaranth cereal. Excuse my half-eaten apple that I enjoyed with my favorite crunchy peanut butter.

I assembled my sandwich the night before because I knew I would be pressed for time today.

I also sautéed some kale with raisins and toasted pine nuts. I love toasted pine nuts!

Le Sandwich

I used two slices of French Meadow Bakery’s Woman’s Bread. What’s so special about Woman’s Bread? According to the site, “with 14 grams of protein and 2.6 mg of soy isoflavones per serving, Women’s Bread contains key nutrients for women’s health. Sprouted grains bursting with vital nutrients and vitamins are easy to digest. Dried cranberries provide an antioxidant boost.” I enjoyed the dried cranberries very much! Okay so what’s in between the bread? Portobello mushrooms, basil, red onion, cream cheese, fakin’ bacon bits, and tomato paste + honey.

After my readings in apocalyptic Literature class I wanted to go exploring around Belle Isle some more. Apparently I just couldn’t get enough and the weather was gorgeous! It was so much fun not knowing where I was going but taking random trails that would lead me to who knows where! Afterwards I came home and showered and did some pampering.

Tea tree and spearmint mask - ah so refreshing.

And dinner time rolled around.

I didn’t really feel like cooking tonight. Well, I guess I did cook the cauliflower mash with garlic and herb, but that barely counts! So I just baked some Gardein “chicken” tenders in the oven and seasoned with Old Bay blackened seasoning, and ketchup + curry. Curry ketchup is delicious. All you have to do is mix in some curry powder with ketchup – simple! It reminds me of buying pomme frites on the streets in Germany served with with curry ketchup. Please excuse me toasts for being shy. I promise they are delicious once you meet them. Tonight I wanted to try French Meadow Bakery’s Gluten-Free Multigrain bread. That’s a mouthful! Anyway, the bread was seriously delicious! I just spread on some butter on one slice, and butter and fruit spread on the other. I can’t explain really how tasty this bread was. Just biting into it was awesome and I can’t believe it has no wheat. Can you see the all the little flaxseeds? So good! I highly recommend this bread, even if you don’t have a gluten intolerance.

Lastly, the ever so lovely Brooke tagged me to fill out a little survey she made up! Here goes…

1. favorite variety of apple? Gala

2. apples dipped in? Peanut butter… or caramel! How about  both?

3. favorite way to enjoy pumpkin? Pumpkin oatmeal, pumpkin and ginger cookies, and pumpkin penne

4. favorite soup? with crackers or bread? My mom’s spinach soup with fresh crusty bread.

5. do you eat orange foods all year round? Not consciously, but the time of year doesn’t stop me from eating them that’s for sure.

6. most used spice in your autumn cooking: Cinnamon and tarragon

7. you are baking some homemade bread, what flavor combination of bread would you like to make? Oh my gosh! Some sort of spiced bread. How about a spiced bread with almonds and cranberries. However, I recently stumbled upon a garlic pull-apart bread recipe.

8. favorite autumn vegetables and ways to eat it? Winter squashes out the wazoo! Recently, I’ve been digging cauliflower and kale

9. hot chocolate, hot cider, coffee or tea? Hot chocolate made with coconut milk. And I love this one tea called Richmond Blend. It’s a black tea with cinnamon, orange peel, and cloves. It’s out of this world and actually has an intense flavor on it’s own. Not to mention the cinnamon helps keep me warm during the cold months.

10. favorite seasonal dessert? I think it’s a tie between double-layer pumpkin cheesecake and sweet potato pie.

11. lets make a fall stew! pick any 6 ingredients to create your one: Sweet potato, onions, carrots, kale, curry, and white truffle oil

12. pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts or almonds to snack on? Almonds!!!

13. popcorn flavor/seasoning? Cinnamon & sugar or nutritional yeast

14. bowl of hot cereal you have been wanting to try: A banana rum cake inspired one! I actually just came up with this.

15. post a link to a recipe that you recently bookmarked. April’s pumpkin French toast!

Anyway, I just wanted to fill you all in on how my weekend went and how my week started. I’m going to try to keep up with all you lovely people! I hope you all are doing well and keeping your chins up. Remember, as William James once said “…Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact.”

Like Driving down Old Seven Mile Bridge

I have so many shout-outs to make in this post! So let me begin by saying a big hello to our favorite chocolate-covered vegan, Katie. I was looking for recipes to use up some of the carrot pulp leftover from my dad’s juicing extravaganza:

Dad is busy juicing. To all of you that like to buy your brews at Trader Joe's try out Lindemans Belgian Framboise beer with raspberries.

Dad is busy juicing. To all of you that like to buy your brews at Trader Joe's try out Lindemans Belgian Framboise beer with raspberries.

What to do? What to do?

What to do? What to do?

I finally found the perfect recipe! I made a variation of her 24-Carrot Gold Muffins. Instead of muffins, I just made bread. “Same great flavor, just different look.”

IMG_5167

IMG_5165Look at all those carrot fibers!

I of course had this as part of my delicious breakfast this morning, but I’ll save that for the next post!

Now moving right along. This next recipe I tried came from another beloved vegan, Gena! After reading all the rave reviews for her Italian “raw cheese”, I knew I had to give it a try. I finally got my hands on some raw cashews.

Enter the infinite abyss of goodness.

Enter the infinite abyss of goodness.

The first step involved getting the cashews to the right consistency. Now I know where the cheesy flavor comes from! So what’d I decide to make?

Polenta rounds and...

A new take on pizza! Polenta rounds and...

...topped with tomato sauce.

... topped with tomato sauce.

Excuse my super cheesy smile. My mom got really into taking pictures of me, and I was just ready to try this! I also quickly sliced some zucchini and cooked it in a Sherry Red Wine Barbeque sauce.

Mom and Dad couldn't wait either!

Mom and Dad couldn't wait either!

IMG_5123

We thought Mom's poses were funny!

Oh my! Gena, this recipe was to die for. I’m definitely going to be making this more often. If you haven’t tried it, you should! It’s incredibly easy to make. At the end of the meal I asked my parents how they enjoyed their gluten-free and vegan meal. I follow neither a vegan or gluten-free lifestyle, but I think it’s always interesting to try new things – although I am a vegetarian. Luckily, my parents are very open-minded as well when it comes to food. But in the end we all agree that taste is key! And this meal was one that I wished could’ve lasted forever. Not only was it delicious, but we were all in a good, light-hearted mood. The right way to end a Sunday.

Remember how I asked you guys which nut butter you guys recommended? Well, thanks Jenny for sharing this link with us, I think I’m going to go with a jar of  365 peanut butter.  The other day I went to the local discount healthfood store. As I was making my way down the nut butter aisle to see what they had, I stumbled upon a fairly priced jar of almond butter. I’ve missed my almond butter so much. Surprise, surprise, it was a jar of Blue Diamond! Kailey, I tried this as soon as I got home, and I understand why you love it so much! My mom asked me what it was. How to answer her… to share or not to share? I shared, and she answered. One word came from her mouth. “YUM!!!”

I also found another product at the store that I’ve seen on VeggieGirl’s blog.

Living Harvest Hempmilk

Living Harvest Hempmilk

I don’t think I could drink a cup of this alone. But like I said before, don’t knock it till you try it. It’s a shame because it’s super nutritious and sounds interesting. So what am I going to do with the rest of this carton? I’m using it to add to my smoothies, as most of the flavor comes from the fruits I add in and not really the “milk” I use – unless it’s coconut milk! Oh! At this discount healthfood store I discovered that they sell boxes of Kashi Go-Lean cereal for – get this - $1.67! I’m definitely stocking up before I head back up to Richmond.

Yesterday, I decided to sign up for one more class for the next semester. So these are the classes I’m going to be taking:

Readings in Literature

Taoism

Intermediate Sculpture

Basic Video

Introduction to World Cinema (This is a Saturday class but I heard the teacher is awesome, oh and incredibly good looking!)

Zoe Foods product reviews

The motherload!
The motherload!
Thanks so much Kim! Your generosity is overwhelming.
Thanks so much Kim! Your generosity is overwhelming.
Uh oh! I sense the only child syndrome surfacing.
Uh oh! I sense the only child syndrome surfacing.

So far I’ve tried a few things from my big box of goodies!

I tried the Chocolate Peanut Butter Bliss bar.
I tried the Chocolate Peanut Butter Bliss bar.

Alongside I had a bowl of Bircher Muesli soaked in fig yogurt, topped with fruits and pecans. The bar is so yummy! I wish I took a picture of what it looked like. I could see the little crispy grains and it wasn’t overwhelmingly sweet. I definitely didn’t want to leave my tummy feeling sour before my yoga class. The balance between peanut butter and chocolate was pulled off successfully with this bar! Moreover, they’re also full of protein, fiber, and contain Omega-3′s! I gave a bite for my mom to try as well and she very much enjoyed it. She’s not a picky eater, but I can vouch for her that these are indeed yummy! I’ve never seen them in stores though, so that might be an issue, but Zoe Foods does have an online store. Here’s a link to the following retailers that do carry their bars.

However, there is a product of theirs that I do see in stores often.

Next up is Zoe's Granola!

Next up is Zoe's Granola!

I’ve been looking forward to trying out their granola for a long time! So I made it extra special by making a red wine reduction for some beautiful peach slices. Which granola do I try first? Cranberries Currants, Honey Almond, or Cinnamon Raisin? Decisions decisions. I opted for Honey Almond over some fresh yogurt! Okay, I admit that I knew what I would be getting myself into even before my first bite. I’m happy to report that my intuition failed me not! I loved this breakfast so much.

Lastly, I tried the Chocolate Delight bar.

Lastly, I tried the Chocolate Delight bar.

However, I am not the biggest fan of chocolate on chocolate. It didn’t taste horrible, just not my cup of tea. I gave it to my parents since I would hate for food to go to waste. Luckily, my parents enjoyed this one! I think you have to really like chocolate to want this bar. So for all you super chocolate lovers, you might just find a new addition to indulge your little tastebuds.

I still have more Zoe Foods products to review, so keep an eye out!

Okay, so I think most have you noticed my inner-artist jump out of me and on to my plates! I am a person who’s very much into living an aesthetically pleasing life. Maybe I should go into design? Well I’m majoring in sculpture + extended media already, so I guess I am designing things. I’m a sucker for packaging i.e. L’Occitane. My favorite store is Anthropologie not only because of what they sell, but every time I go in there I feel like I’m being transfered into another world. I even pour my shampoos, spices, whatever I can think of – into glass containers I find at thrift stores. Oh man, do I take this too far? Well, I guess not as long as I’m enjoying it, right? Right!

So anyway, this brings me to my love of colors and vibrancy. I think nature offers all of that and I love to reap what this wonderful world sows. Which brings me to some more lovely eats based on nature, color, and simplicity.

There's something so satisfying about having a nice cup of loose tea.
There’s something so satisfying about having a nice cup of loose tea.
A nice way to start the day.
A nice way to start the day.

A bowl of coffee oats with bananas, coconut shreds, a gooseberry, and some white chocolate chips.

Lychee
What’s inside?
No, not an egg! It's lychee.
No, not an alien egg! It’s lychee.
Drumroll please
Drumroll please
A gooseberry! I'm starting to feel like a magician with cheap tricks.
A gooseberry! I’m starting to feel like a magician with cheap tricks.
A nice glass of some juice my dad made with a scoop of Edy's Tart Honey ice cream.

A nice glass of some juice my dad made with a scoop of Edy's Tart Honey yogurt blend.

I love that a papaya can act as it's own bowl.

I love that a papaya can act as it’s own bowl.
Fig yogurt topped with papaya chunks, blueberries, and granola.
Fig yogurt topped with papaya chunks, blueberries, and granola.
Toast with goat cheese, dried tomato bits, and avocado.
Toast with goat cheese, dried tomato bits, and avocado.

So I’m going to go against all these pictures of fresh food. But it definitely goes with the theme of good tasting food! Someone not too long brought to my attention that you can order chalupas and gorditas at Taco Bell with beans. That means, all these years I haven’t been eating them are now gone. I don’t get cravings for Taco Bell, but when I’m on a road trip, it makes life a lot easier. So on the drive down to Florida I knew what I wanted for dinner. I had my parents find a Taco Bell, and ordered myself a Baja Vegetarian Gordita and it was so yummy! It didn’t fill me up at all, but I had packed other things that helped do the trick. Just wanted to pass the word along to anyone else who did not know this.

Whew! This post was hard work to organize. But I love sharing with you guys, and I love what I learn from all of you. Everyone is different, but I can still see the inspiration we all get from each other’s wonderful eats.

p.s. If you haven’t tried Edy’s tart honey yogurt blend, I highly suggest it! I can’t wait to try out other flavors. I’m thinking I might have a slice of carrot bread and a some Edy’s before I go to bed.