Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Why didn't anyone tell me....

...how incredible almond butter is?

I thought peanut butter was addictive...now I have been led into this whole new world. Thankfully, Costco sells a massive jar for a reasonable five dollars and sixty cents. SO worth it.

I won't go into an extensive list of what you can have with almond butter...but if I did...the list would be long. :)
















Another new joy that has been brought into my life (yes, it really is all about the simple things):
Kind bars
The best part about these bars is the ingredient deck. Nothing but pure, natural ingredients. This was a cranberry almond bar. I picked it up at Starbucks just out of curiousity. Yummy

Good Eats.





Good eats. Sushi & a glass of 7 deadly zins…or two.

…to be honest, I did share this gorgeous meal with a special someone. But the wine was all mine. I love this zinfandel with sushi. Perfect combo.

What are we eating? Lobster roll, T2 maki and a spicy scallop roll. What’s in these rolls?

Heaven. :)

Condiments Make Life Better.

QUICK - If you had to choose your two favorite condiments - what would they be?!


                                   PIECE.OF.CAKE.




















Exhibit A) GARLIC (andlotsofit)
Exhibit B) SRIRACHA. Haven’t had it/heard it/practiced the religion? Well, start now. Cuz it is GOOOOOD.

Granola Experience.

Vermont is filled with Granola. No, not just hippies. Real granola. One of my favorite things about these Green Mountains, are the number of Farmer’s Markets during summertime. You can drive down the state, and find yourself in a variety of different markets, filled with beautiful produce, flowers, and granola by the bucket-full.

Granola is one of those beautiful things that requires very little skill and allows you to be as creative as you’d like. Today was a rainy day. March is never quite “spring time” in Vermont, but it is safe to say that I’ve been dreaming of spring. Spring becomes Summer and Summer means Farmer’s Markets. Something to look forward to.

Anyway, today marks my first granola venture. Despite the fact that it was a little crunchy, I’d say it tasted pretty dang good. Try it yourself!
Ingredients:
4 cups old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup chopped unsalted almonds
1/2 cup unsalted sunflower seeds
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup flax seeds
1/2 cup pepitas (raw)
1 stick unsalted butter
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
Instructions:
Preheat over to 350 degrees.
Combine oats, almonds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, pepitas, cinnamon, salt and raisins in a bowl.
 Heat butter, honey, brown sugar and vanilla extract over low heat until melted.


Stir butter mixture into dry mix and combine until covered.
Spread granola over greased baking sheet.
Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees, stirring with spatula periodically.



Remove from oven, cool, and enjoy with milk or yogurt.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Happy Sunday.


Have you noticed a trend? I can’t get enough of Adele. And I’m so happy to hear her voice on the radio more.

Happy Sunday. Was an awesome weekend with friends. Had an incredible swedish massage (birthday present reserved for the perfect weekend) and brunch with the mother. Still no warm weather. 3 weeks and counting until our local Farmer’s Market opens. Bring it on.

Anyway, happy listening.

C is for Creemee.

…need I say more?

Tonight ended with a large creemee. Black raspberry dipped in chocolate - to be exact. My last visit (not so long ago) consisted of a maple creemee. Real VT maple. No photo of tonight’s treat …. it was devoured too quickly. :)

Each night should end with a black raspberry/chocolate creemee. Wish I didn't feel that way. . . my wallet and my teeth would thank me.

But really. Creemees make everything better. Everything.

Looks Are Deceiving.

Ravenous doesn’t even cut it when trying to describe how hungry I have been all week. I don’t know if it has been the changing weather, but this girl has put away more food than she’s proud of. Not so cute.
Tonight was about convenience and vegetables.

Red lentils cooked in vegan bouillon, stir fried with onions, mushrooms and broccoli.
Might not look pretty, but tasted delicious! I don’t often cook with lentils, but I might start to make a point of it. Of course, there was also a salad and my favorite part….


Baked sweet pot with peanut butter. A little piece of heaven.

The night is finished with a few bites of chunky monkey and a movie in bed.

Almost the weekend! :)

Best Thing I Ever Ate.


Handmade potato gnocchi in a truffled sauce with sausage, sweet Vermont cream and Grana Padano cheese.

Are you drooling yet?

This is honest to god the best thing I ever ate. So good that I am dreaming of it 1 month later. T and I went to our favorite Italian restaurant to celebrate our 3 year anniversary in March. He had an equally amazing meal - Braised wild boar, imported porcini mushrooms, red wine, sage, rosemary, aromatics and a touch of cream with handmade potato gnocchi.

We ate every last bite.

And a celebration it was. Mmmmm.

Happy Holidays!


Today is one of the happiest days of the year: FREE CONE DAY!

I hope you celebrated with a scoop of Ben & Jerry’s.

Peace, Love & Ice Cream :)

Things to Make a Hungry Girl Happy on a Rainy Monday.

This rainy Monday marked the first warm day thus far. I came home to a hungry man and a growling stomach. Recipe for success is as follows…

Baked garlic tofu, steamed brussel sprouts and ….drum roll please….peanut butter sweet potato. Yep. Baked sweet potato with a spoonful of peanut butter. I have a problem, but I’m okay with it.

 After my belly was rested…I craved a little salt.



 Or should I say a massive bowl of pepper/garlic popcorn? (sorry for the bluriness…kinda jumped face-first in the bowl…)

Goodnight now. :)

Chocolate.

If you can appreciate a good beer, you will like this one. Not only because it is delicious - but also because it tastes like chocolate. Yes. This chocolate stout made my Friday evening just a little more beautiful. I’d tell you to try it with french fries and a vegie burger (like myself), but I can promise you that this would taste good with just about anything.

Oh, and did I mention it is 11% alcohol? yeek. Drink with caution. :)
Life is a balance of holding on and letting go.

-Keith Urban
 Missing this Hawaiian sunrise.
Cheesy people love cheesy quotes. The only thing better than cheesy quotes are cheesy magnetic quotes. My fridge is covered with a few lovely magnets.

Be Happy For This Moment. This Moment Is Your Life.” and many others. Buuuuttt today, my favorite magnet has to be this one. Maybe it hits close to home. Maybe it’s just true. All I know is that this is the perfect magnet for today. :)

Eat Your Greens, Sweetheart.

I don’t know about you, but to me, cold weather equates to comfort food. Cold weather hits (or in our case, lingers for eternity) and I want to crawl into a bowl of mac and cheese and stay there for awhile. A long while.

In an effort to avoid this fantasy of life in a massive bowl of warm cheese and noodles… I turn to kale. I know, I know. You’re thinking that this makes little sense. Transitioning from a bowl of heaven to KALE, of all things. Whelp, a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do to avoid some sort of heart failure.
My best bud gave me a secret that turns kale from yuck to yum. If you haven’t tried kale chips, you really should give it a whirl.

Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Wash kale and rip leaves off one at a time.
  3. Lay kale flat on a baking sheet and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Add salt, pepper and garlic as desired.
  4. Bake kale for about 15 minutes, until crisped and delicious.
  5. Enjoy on their own - no utensils necessary.  :)

 *While these may not look appetizing, they are delicious. Give ‘em a chance, will ya?

Nostalgia.

Girl Scout season is deadly. Frozen thin mints … even more deadly.

I remember when I used to eat a box of these things in one sitting. Why oh why can’t I do that anymore? hmmm.

Nostalgia in a box. It is a wonderful thing.

Shout Out To Teddie.

My heart belongs to Teddie. It’s true. My peanut butter obsession has gotten somewhat out of hand. Peanut butter has become the add-in to many things…some of which can’t actually be normal.

Apples. Bananas. Bread. Rice Cakes. Granola. Oatmeal. Yogurt. Popcorn. Cheese. Spoons. Knives. Fingers.

… you catch my drift? Me and Teddie - we’re good pals.

If you are too busy to laugh, you are too busy.

-Proverb

Lazy Tofu.

Nothing is better than a lazy day with friends.

Step 1: Start with brunch. Exhibit A - tofu scrammble at the greatest breakfast joint in town.
Step 2: take a walk (due to incredible pain in belly)
Step 3: Shop
Step 4: Maple creemee (on opening creemee day - that’s right)
Step 5: Nap/Wine/Movie/Whatever else makes you coo.

Happy Flowers.

These flowers make my kitchen table look very happy. :)

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins.

Sundays are my favorite. But I am really craving Spring time Sundays. Better yet…Summer Sundays. I guess I’ll just have to make believe that it’s not 30 degrees outside. Brrr. Lemon Poppy Seed muffins make me think of Spring, so they were on the menu for this chilly Sunday.

Lemon Poppy Seed muffins with lemon glaze
Makes 12 Muffins
For the Muffins:
2/3 cup sugar
Grated zest 2 lemons
Juice of 1 lemon
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream - whichever you prefer)
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
For the Icing:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line 12 molds in a regular-size muffin pan with paper muffin cups.
In a large bowl, rub the sugar and lemon zest together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist and the fragrance of lemon strong.
Whisk in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk the sour cream, eggs, vanilla, lemon juice and melted butter together until well blended.
Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and, with a rubber spatula, gently but quickly stir to blend.
Stir in the poppy seeds.

Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a thin knife inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean.
Cool the muffins completely before icing them.

To make the icing:
Put the confectioners’ sugar in a small bowl and add about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the lemon juice. 
Stir with a spoon to moisten the sugar, then add enough lemon juice, to get an icing that is thin enough to drizzle from the tip of the spoon.
 Drizzle lines of icing over the tops of the muffins or coat the tops entirely.


Love.


J’adore my fellow bloggers, for sharing beautiful words like these.

I don’t know what I want to do with my life, I just know I want to do it. I want to see my world. I want to meet every single person breathing on this earth. I want to give everyone a hug or a handshake and I want to make someone’s life a little easier. I want to be different than the people I know because that’s what makes us beautiful.

-unknown.

Secret Ingredient.


SHHH! What is your secret ingredient?

The secret to creamy, delicious guacamole? Plain chobani yogurt. I am a chobani addict at heart, so I had no problem spending my afternoon reading chobani recipes. St. Patty’s day called for something green, so guacamole it was! This guacamole is packed with essential fats and protein. Delicious.

Guacamole con chobani 2 ripe avacados
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 tbls fresh lime juice
1 1/2 tsp fresh cilantro
1/2 cup plain chobani yogurt
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1 small plum tomato, chopped
a dash of salt and pepper
Serve with warm, homemade pita chips!

Your Wish Is My Command.

I wrote my last blog under the impression that Vermont was not cool enough to have a cupcake shop. Little did I know that My Little Cupcake thrived in Essex, Vermont. You would think that this piece of knowledge would be the best thing to happen to me on a Wednesday. Nope. This was one of many wonderful things to happen to me on my birthday. :)

What else?
 I had a very special day, thanks to several wonderful friends.

Cupcake Entrepreneur.

… CUPCAKES.
This town is missing a cupcake boutique. I know, I know. You’re thinking “you and every other small town in the world.” When I visited NYC a few weeks ago, I started to think that it was just a big town, filled with people who consider cupcake shops to be high-fashion cuisine. Why? Because they are. The cupcake trend is a good one and I vote for it to stay.
Today’s cupcake obsession obviously sparked from reading thousands among thousands of cupcake recipes. Red Velvet. Baileys Irish Cream. Buttercream stuffed. etc. etc. Some of these cupcakes are true works of art. And cupcake trees are even better.
Come & drool with me..puhleeeze…




 …and thank you. :)

Listen to Yogi.


 Yogi Tea message of the day:

“Appreciate yourself and honor your soul.”

Happy Sunday. How will you honor yourself today?

I choose nutella crepes. Because the tea told me to…

Peanut Butter Oats.



As a child, my Mother tried to force feed oatmeal to both my brothers and I. The only way we would consume the hot mush is with about 1 cup of brown sugar and a 1/2 carton of half & half. Mmm. Health food. These days, I work to create a healthier version of my childhood feast. Here goes it!
Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal1/2 cup cooked oatmeal
1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup vanilla almond or soy milk


1 TBSP creamy peanut butter
1 banana, sliced
2 TSBP greek yogurt (or extra milk, if you so prefer)
1/8 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions:
  • Bowl 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup almond/soy milk.
  • Thinly slice 1/2 of banana into boiling liquid. 
  • Stir in 1/2 cup oats. Stir vigorously for 5 minutes.
  • Remove from heat - add 1/8 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • Add your greek yogurt or extra almond milk and remaining half of sliced banana.
  • Drizzle 1 tbls peanut butter across oatmeal.
  • DEVOUR.

Dreaming of Italy.


Mmm Cappuccino. My new addiction. I dream of Italy. Someday soon.

I’ll quit coffee.  It won’t be easy drinking my Bailey’s straight, but I’ll get used to it.  It’ll still be the best part of waking up.
-Will and Grace

Hummus is gooooood.


After eating a meat-free diet for over 5 years, I took it upon myself to find new sources of protein. I introduced myself to the beautiful chick pea (also known as the garbanzo bean). Chick peas are filled with protein, iron, fiber and they are low in fat and calories. They are delicious. Even more delicious - hummus. Hummus is a popular food from the Middle East, made of cooked chick peas, tahini, lemon and other delicious ingredients. I have played with several different varieties, and have grown to love this particular recipe the best:
  • 1 1/2 cloves garlic (the more garlic the better)
  • 1 (19 ounce) can garbanzo beans, 3 tbls the liquid reserved
  • 4 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons tahini
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • black pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes (to taste)
Drizzle 1 tbls of extra virgin olive oil over the bowl. Serve with warm pizza and/or fresh vegies. Enjoy. Lick the bowl. No one will judge you.

Banana Muffin Goodness.

I’ve been living in my new apartment for a little over a week now and I happen to be falling in love with the beautiful & spacious kitchen. The counter top space is glorious and the shelving is even more magnificent. Silly, I know. But this kitchen is my new friend.
Saturday afternoon was spent on the cold and icy mountain, followed by brews at a local pub. And Sunday? Sunday was all about the muffins.

Banana Oat Muffins

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups wheat flour
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • a dash of cinnamon
  • 1 egg
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 2/3 cup apple sauce (substitute for vegetable oil)
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup mashed bananas (a little extra goes a long way)

Directions

  1. Combine flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, soda, and salt.
  2. In a large bowl, beat the egg lightly. Stir in the milk, apple sauce, and vanilla. Add the mashed banana, and combine thoroughly. Stir the flour mixture into the banana mixture until just combined. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper bake cups, and divide the batter among them.
  3. Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon on top of muffins.
  4. Bake at 400 degrees F  for 18 to 20 minutes.
  5. Serve warm with a nice tab of butter. ENJOY!
Calories per serving: 0     Fat per serving: 0

Yogi.

Sitting Indian style, enjoying a hot cup of tea on a cold Monday evening - reminds me that tomorrow marks a re-introduction to the world of yoga. It is easy to forget about the simple pleasures of yoga, but once re-introduced to the slow breathing and tranquil state of mind - one is easily reminded of yoga’s beautiful craft.

Looking forward to my re-introduction.

Yogi Tea message of the day: “Serve humanity so that people feel we are kind to them.”

Adele Is Superb.

Be Ambitious.

Someone once told me that blogging was food for the soul. Obviously this person was a blogger, themself. Living in a cyber world, jotting down random thoughts about life, new movies they had seen, and beautiful clothes they had purchased. I have been a blog-reader, myself, but never actually took part in the act. Today I work up with a plan to be ambitious. I guess today is the day.