Words by American poet, William Carlos Williams. Usually summer for me means lots of relaxing and “me” time. I’ll admit that I’m not totally use to all the me time, and sometimes I find myself trying to push it away. There are things I wish I could be doing… especially when I see a lot of my friends that stay up in Virginia have those get-togethers on perfect summer nights. But you know what? Then I stop for a moment and look around me. During these long breaks I usually set up little projects for myself to keep me occupied. Usually they involve the kitchen, house decorating, spending more time practicing yoga and dancing, and making some art. I also take this time to read, learn about different subjects, and trying to watch television. Yes, I said trying to watch television! Up at school I don’t have a tv (I prefer it this way, plus I think they’re ugly to look at when they’re not on). So whenever I’m down in Florida I get a dose of pop culture and I finally get clued in on what and who everyone else is talking about! Anyway, I really went off on a tangent! This summer I came up with another project: compiling a cookbook! That means I’m actually going to look back on my entries, and from now on I will take notes as I conjure up spells… I mean recipes in the kitchen. Tomorrow I am going to see if I have any extra notebooks lying around the house! Does anyone out there have any advice? I would greatly appreciate it!
Another great thrift store find--a bowl fit for a king cost me only fifty cents!
Irish steel cut oats again.
I let them cool down in the fridge for a bit and mixed in some banana slices + for topping along with crunch peanut butter and chocolate almond butter. My mouth was very very happy.
This time I fried the bananas in ghee with cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger.
Then I added some cashew-macadamia butter and sesame seeds to my bowl of oats. Either of these breakfast bowls would be great to get me going and ready for a…
A shopping adventure with my little nugget
Lounging around in my favorite store!
That harness makes her look like she was a gift sent from up above!
We took a food break.
Have you guys ever heard of Maoz?
“Maoz Vegetarian is an international, quick service vegetarian restaurant chain, which brought to the world the delicious Maoz sandwich: FALAFEL.
Our menu is strictly vegetarian and is based on simplicity, freshness and care.”
They only have 12 locations in the United States, but more worldwide. I’m lucky enough to have the only location in the southern United States right in my backyard… in a mall food court of all places! I love their sweet potato fries dipped in their garlic sauce. Yum!
I dressed it with their garlic sauce and cilantro dressing.
Another great thing is that you can choose your fillings!
I opted to fill mine with carrot salad, beet salad, cole slaw, and the falafels automatically come in the pita. After we finished our delicious sandwiches we checked each others teeth to make sure there were no random green things. All good!
And of course I did not leave my favorite store empty-handed.
I fell in love with the vibrant blue and asymmetric cut.
My new shirt is as vibrant as beets.
This was my first time roasting golden beets. I can’t explain how excited I was! Something about beautiful foods just gets to me. I roasted the beets and tossed them in olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper. Then I whipped up a honey-dijon vinaigrette and sprinkled on some goat cheese. Next time I will make some candied pecans to go with this!
Also a very colorful bowl: sweet potato and butternut squash soup with coconut milk.
I almost always prefer thick soups to broths.
With this post I can see that the artist in me never disappears.
I am just naturally drawn to colors! I cooked some rotini, and simmered zucchini, red onion, cannellini beans, red bell pepper in a tomato sauce with balsamic vinegar. Then I garnished it with fresh basil, sliced sun-dried tomatoes, toasted pine nuts, goat cheese, and a drizzle of white truffle oil. Later on I also threw in some parmesan and the taste just made sense. Don’t forget the ground black pepper!
Very very appetizing.
How appetizing?
Buon appetito! Ne voglio ancora?
“Are there any seconds?”
For dinner I wanted to do something special...
Matilda was of course included!
This was the star of the show that night.
I cracked open a book of mine that I have unintentionally been neglecting, The Conscious Cook by Chef Tal Ronnen!
Very Green Salad with Cucumber, Kohlrabi, Sweet Onion and Herb Vinaigrette
This salad was perfect for eating outside and cooling down our bodies. Making the herb vinaigrette was so pleasant, and I couldn’t help but breathe in the sweet aroma of all the herbs and other ingredients. Eating the raw kohlrabi brought back memories of having it so many times when I was still living in Germany. Do any of you have any familiar tastes that make you nostalgic?
After eating our dinner we just sat around in the backyard and listened to the soothing sounds of bossa nova and a rain storm. It was incredibly relaxing and perfect for unwinding on a Friday evening. I believe summer is here and this oh-so chic little lady explained the feelings of this sweltering season perfectly: “I love those days when you actually prefer to ask for frapuccinos or something that has to do with ice or ice cream, and when the only “hot” thing allowed… is YOU. (all of you, not just me).”
And one more thing I’d like to share to mark the days of more sun
