Forgive me, Joe, for all my past doubts.

Imagine my surprise when I spotted this bag of fiddlehead ferns, on a refrigerated shelf nestled right next to the bags of kale and spinach, at my local Trader Joe’s. This hefty, 10-oz bag is free of pesticides and cost me a whopping $3.49. They were [...]]]>

Forgive me, Joe, for all my past doubts.

Imagine my surprise when I spotted this bag of fiddlehead ferns, on a refrigerated shelf nestled right next to the bags of kale and spinach, at my local Trader Joe’s. This hefty, 10-oz bag is free of pesticides and cost me a whopping $3.49. They were $16.99/ lb at the gourmet market where I last saw these green spiral cuties… I love a good deal. Sigh.

Fiddleheads taste a lot like asparagus, but look so much cooler. Anything you serve them with will instantly elevate your dish to hyper chicness on appearance alone. Just look!

The other night, I made dinner the other night loosely based on this recipe for a Creole-style pasta. I used regular onions instead of scallions, sautéed mushrooms instead of truffle oil, soba noodles in place of angel hair pasta, and served parmesan on the side for dining companions. We sprinkled Cajun seasoning on the noodles (something I don’t think I would ever have thought to do) and they were delicious!   

To snack on lately, I’ve been eating these sesame truffles. With only five ingredients, they are super easy to make, and so yummy!

I reduced the agave by half, and found them to be sweet enough for dessert.

I’ve been cooking up a storm this week. It’s so good to be back in the kitchen… my bones itch for it when I’m away.

Reading list:

A Richer Life By Seeing The Glass Half Full

13 Disturbing Facts About McDonald’s

Have you ever tried a fiddlehead fern? What fun finds have you happened upon recently?

It’s been gray and rainy here these past couple days. Cloudy skies, thunder and lighting all make for a perfect excuse to curl up with a good book and a hot mug of tea.

This past weekend, however, was one for the books! It was in the 70s and 80s all day, with bright [...]]]>

It’s been gray and rainy here these past couple days. Cloudy skies, thunder and lighting all make for a perfect excuse to curl up with a good book and a hot mug of tea.

This past weekend, however, was one for the books! It was in the 70s and 80s all day, with bright blue skies and a light breeze in the air. It seemed as if all of New York was in Central Park, so we put on our summer clothes and went out to join them.

Don’t forget your sunscreen!

We met a few friends for a little pot-luck in the grass. I always tell myself I’ll take more advantage of the city’s parks, and am so glad to have already done so early in the season!

We were all happy as dogs.

Leaving the park, I hopped the L to Brooklyn to join some friends in helping Rebecca celebrate the end of her lease.

Once Anna got her guns under control, we made our way up to the roof to sip cold beer, sparkling red wine (fact, not fiction), and eat some munchies.

There was fresh fruit salad, tropical salsa, cheese and honey, and spreadable pizza.   

Yeah, I brought that one. My love for cheesy crust seems to be growing exponentially, so I thought: why not make a dip that will turn any surface into a vehicle for pizza-love? So I made it happen. It sounds weird, but trust me with this one. And with good-for-you ingredients like white beans, tomatoes, fresh basil and tahini, you won’t have the same knot in your stomach you get after a few too many slices of the Domino’s pizza you knocked back with that Natty Light. No judgments… just saying.

PIZZA DIP

Makes 3 cups

• 2-1/2 c. cooked white beans
• 1 T lemon juice
• 1 T tahini
• 1 T olive oil
• 4 T tomato paste
• 1/4 c. sundried tomatoes, packed (and drained, if stored in oil)
• 1/3 c. nutritional yeast
• 1/3 c. fresh basil, packed
• 1/2 t dried oregano
• 1/2 t dried thyme
• 1/2 t red pepper flakes

Combine beans, lemon juice, tahini, olive oil, and tomato paste in a food processor until nearly smooth.   

Pulse in nutritional yeast and herbs until well-combined.   

Serve with fresh vegetables, pita, or tortilla chips. Heat with cheese in a folded tortilla for a delicious quesadilla (I’ve done this three times already). Spread on unbaked pizza crust for a tomato sauce alternative. Eat straight-up, with a spoon.

Get crazy! It’s pizza-in-a-bowl, after all.

Back in New York! It was nice to be out of town, but it’s good to be home. Here is the winner of the FoodTrients giveaway, so I don’t leave ya hanging:

Congrats, Liz! Please send me your mailing address so we can get that out to you.

—

Catching up? Here’s what you missed!

A beautiful [...]]]>

Back in New York! It was nice to be out of town, but it’s good to be home. Here is the winner of the FoodTrients giveaway, so I don’t leave ya hanging:

Congrats, Liz! Please send me your mailing address so we can get that out to you.

—

Catching up? Here’s what you missed!

A beautiful wedding in Indiana

Art and culture in Portland, Maine

Veg-friendly finds in Portland

One of the fun parts of travel is finding a place to stay. After quite a bit of research, we chose a bed & breakfast rather than a a hotel. I love bed & breakfasts. They’re so much more intimate and comfortable than hotels, which all tend to look the same. Because we’re still in the “off-season” (before Memorial Day) we were able to find some really good rates online. We finally settled on the West End Inn, located in an area of Portland filled with historic houses and brick sidewalks. The inn is run by Deb and Scott Devlin, who really made us feel like we’d found a home-away-from-home with them.

We stayed in Room 2, which was tastefully sea-themed and absolutely gorgeous. Four poster bed? Check! Crustacean pillows? Double check!

The rooms were cheerfully decorated with bright colors and lots of windows.

The dining room was warm and inviting…

… and I scouted out a few comfy spots to read.

B travels a lot for work, so we brought along the car-chargeable refrigerator he recently purchased to make healthy eating on the road a little easier.

We didn’t know what the food situation was going to be like, and it’s nice to be able to keep things like leftovers and snackables around. (And bottles and bottles of juice!)

Food ended up being the least of our worries, and breakfast at the inn became one of my favorite times of the day. I’d sit at a little corner table in one of the dining room’s cozy nooks, lingering with my book over hot tea.

Before we arrived, we called the inn to tell them we were non meat-eaters and see if we should plan on bringing our own food. Deb and Scott, who used to run a restaurant, assured us they were experienced with vegetarian and vegan cooking and we’d have no problem. And boy, did we luck out with our meals!

Each morning, we were greeted with a coffee and tea bar, freshly baked muffins still warm from the oven, granola, Greek yogurt and organic juices. The muffins (adjusted to be made vegan) were some of the best I’ve ever had. Each morning we were served a different flavor, from blueberry to blackberry-orange to banana to apple-walnut.

While we waited for our entrées, each guest was served a fresh fruit cup. B had to be at work quite early and wasn’t expecting to eat breakfast at all. However, Deb and Scott were up with him each morning with a hot breakfast and a fresh pot of coffee. He reported delicious omelets, fritattas, and eggy scrambles that fueled him up for the day.

We were given at least two options each morning for breakfast, and all of my selections were scrumptious.

Steel-cut oats with caramelized apples, dried cherries, granola, almond milk + maple syrup; apple-walnut muffin

Vegan blueberry pancakes with wild Maine blueberries and strawberries

Tofu scramble with spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms and onions; oven-roasted potatoes, sourdough toast with Earth Balance

In the afternoon for tea-time, out came the cookies! Most days we had chocolate-chip, but on our last night they had a little something extra.

I hope you can tell from this glowing review how nice our stay at the West End Inn was. Everything was incredibly comfortable and relaxing, and we were so appreciative of the hospitality. Deb and Scott went out of their way to accommodate us, and it really made our experience special.

VEG-FRIENDLY PORTLAND

Stay: West End Inn, 146 Pine St.

Eat: Green Elephant, 608 Congress St. Asian-fusian vegetarian bistro

Local Sprouts, 649 Congress St. Local and organic cafe and co-op. Stocks dairy and vegan desserts from Bomb Diggity Bakery

Silly’s, 40 Washington Ave. Huge selection of meat, vegetarian and vegan comfort food, from almond-goat cheese pizza to forearm-sized burritos. Ridiculous vegan-friendly milkshakes and desserts, as well as a notable beer and wine list

Pepperclub, 78 Middle St. Seasonal meat, fish, vegetarian/ vegan menu with a 4-course $20-30 prix-fixe menu. Vegan desserts!

Coffee/ Dessert: Yordprom, 722 Congress St. Thai-American coffee shop serving food as well; stocks rice, soy and almond milk in addition to dairy

Market House Coffee, 28 Monument Square. Located in the Public Market House collective, serves rice, soy and almond milk as well as desserts from Bomb Diggity Bakery

Silly’s

Local Sprouts

Do you enjoy spending the night in a hotel? Have you ever stayed in a bed & breakfast?

I really like this place. It’s quaint and quiet…

… but also has a fun downtown area right near the water.

There are also plenty of cute spots for a solo gal like me to plunk herself down with a good book and a hot mug and relax for a few hours. Yordprom, a Thai-American [...]]]>

I really like this place. It’s quaint and quiet…

… but also has a fun downtown area right near the water.

There are also plenty of cute spots for a solo gal like me to plunk herself down with a good book and a hot mug and relax for a few hours. Yordprom, a Thai-American coffee shop near our Bed & Breakfast, makes fabulous green tea lattés (my latest liquid addiction). The café is also dog-friendly, and you’ll meet Yordprom’s mascot Jasper, a giant golden retriever!

After a few wrong turns (yes, even with Googl Maps on my phone, I still get lost all the time) I finally tracked down the Public Market House, a collective of boutique vendors similar to New York’s Chelsea Market. In addition to a small grocery, the two floors of shops tempt you with everything from cupcakes to burritos to fresh juice. And, of course, coffee and tea!

Yesterday afternoon, I had the pleasure of dining with my good friend Sarah, who lives about an hour outside of Portland. We went from hardly seeing each other at all to getting together twice within two months! It was so good to see her. We got a little goofy, as you can see…

We went to Local Sprouts, where I’ve now been four times and am just a few days away from being mayor on Foursquare. What can I say? I really like this place!

I took our server’s suggestion and ordered the tempeh wrap instead of what I was really in the mood for (a vegan BLT). It was supposed to come wrapped up with beets, carrots, tomatoes, greens, and miso-tahini sauce, but both the sauce and beets were missing. Instead of speaking up as I should have (a side effect of years of working in the restaurant industry is that I never want to hassle the servers), I doused my wrap in hot sauce and ketchup and ended up with a huge, red, soupy mess. Blegh! (I still love Local Sprouts, though, and will probably head over there on our way out of town .)

For dinner a couple nights ago, B and I went to Green Elephant, a vegetarian fusian restaurant that literally every local we spoke to recommended. It was even featured in the food issue of Maine magazine, and is known as “the” place to go if you’re a vegetarian in Portland.

To start, we shared an order of roti canai: Indian-style pancake with curry dip. I first had this at Penang in New York (they have chicken and vegetarian versions) and I have to warn you: it’s really addictive! And really yummy.

For my entrée, I ordered the Panang Curry Vegetable + Tempeh: Thai eggplant, red + green pepper, zucchini, broccoli, carrots, buttercup squash, Thai basil, lime leaves and tempeh in a coconut milk curry. It was served with brown Jasmine rice, and rather than fill up on sauce, I picked all of my veggies and bites of tempeh out of the curry and ate it with the rice.

For our last night in Portland, we went to Silly’s. The beer specialist at Whole Foods referred us here for “vegetarian junk food,” but they serve meat as well and had some really interesting looking items.

The menu was completely overwhelming, and we had a really tough time choosing what to order!

A tin cup of IPA for him, a goblet of Merlot for her.

Fried pickles to start! I’m not a huge fan of the actual fry part (I don’t even really like French fries) so I picked most of the batter off before dipping it into the dairy-free dip our (extremely nice) server brought us.

We both ordered personal pizzas for dinner. B’s Love Goat came with caramelized onions, a blend of cheeses, fresh tomatoes, goat cheese, almonds and a drizzle of honey.

My Cactus Jack was almost twice as thick, with spicy salsa, herbed tempeh topping (this contained nuts and seeds), vegan cheddar and Mozzarella, spinach, caramelized onions and tomatoes. It was really good… there was a lot going on here! I’m kind of obsessed with vegan cheese (Silly’s uses Daiya brand, which is considered to be the best on the market because it actually melts and stretches like real cheese) and am really excited to dig into my leftovers.

We were pretty stuffed, but ordered the motherload of desserts to try: a triple-layer vegan chocolate with rich vanilla frosting. It was divine. Even as the box arrived for us to pack the better half of it to go, I couldn’t stop myself from picking at the remaining crumbs on the plate. Mm-mm-good!

It’s been a twice-a-day-dessert kind of week here. Gotta sample all of the local goods! I tried the whoopie pie (vegan) from Local Sprouts (made by Bomb Diggity Bakery). It was good, but was a little stale… I’d seen it on the shelf a day before, and it probably would have been better fresh.

The Chocolate Love Cookie (vegan, also by Bomb Diggity Bakery) that I picked up at Market House Coffee, however, was delicious. You can bet I’ll be trying to recreate that one at home!

We’ve had a great time here in Maine these past few days. It’s been so nice to get to know the city more, sample the food (duh!), catch up with Sarah and spend time with B. I’ll be back tomorrow with details about the gem of a Bed & Breakfast we found… if you’re in the area, it’s not to be missed!

See ya later, Portland.

Have a great weekend! What are you up to?

This past weekend, my parents and I flew to Indianapolis, to attend the wedding of our very good family friend, Julia, and her now-husband, Danny. It was a beautiful ceremony.

My mom is a Hoosier, so a lot of her friends and their families live in and around Indiana. After a canceled flight and [...]]]>

This past weekend, my parents and I flew to Indianapolis, to attend the wedding of our very good family friend, Julia, and her now-husband, Danny. It was a beautiful ceremony.

My mom is a Hoosier, so a lot of her friends and their families live in and around Indiana. After a canceled flight and a lucky re-booking, we arrived at the rehearsal dinner just in time to say hi to everyone before we sat down to eat.

This was also the occasion of my first alcoholic beverage (I had a glass of Chardonnay) in a month! Don’t worry, I haven’t gone too crazy .

I stayed with Jenny, my oldest friend. We see each other every year in Michigan, but it’s never enough. We’re trying to plan another trip later in the year, though! Here we are in 1989…

Probably around 1999 (pictured with our friend Bill)…

… and just a few days ago, in 2012! Time surely flies.

On Saturday morning, Jenny took us to Tulip Noir, a cute and surprising café that was only a short drive away. The menu is extensive, featuring not only a seasonal supply of fruits and vegetables, but a changing list of teas and coffees as well!

My taste for coffee hasn’t quite returned, so I opted for a hot matcha cup with steamed almond milk. I was impressed that they not only offered soy, but a soy alternative! I also greatly appreciated that I was able to substitute tempeh for the usual eggs in my delicious veggie hash (carrots, red bell pepper, sweet and white potatoes, and onion served on a bed of spinach with a slice of whole grain baguette).

Jenny ordered a glass of the daily iced tea (which I believe was pomegranate-peach) and eggs benedict (sans ham), which looked pretty good as well.

We stopped at Target before the wedding, where I picked up these amazingly comfortable platform wedges. The run big, so I bought a 9 instead of a 10. They look a lot like the shoes I’ve seen on the Shopbop, J. Crew and Madewell websites, but you can’t beat the $25 price tag!

The wedding took place at the Indianapolis Art Center, a chic but relaxed venue with both indoor and outdoor areas.

Julia looked beautiful.

We all kept talking about how happy the bride and groom were! And the newlyweds’ joy was contagious: all of the guests were relaxed and confident that this will be a fabulous marriage. I’m turning into a bit of a sap when it comes to weddings!

It was a really fun wedding. The best part was getting to spend time with my family and friends, like my cousins Abby and Bere (they’re twins!). I’m lucky enough to get them three times this year: Easter, the wedding, and over July 4th in Michigan.

Like mother, like daughter:

Jenny and I found the photobooth…

As the party wound down, I grabbed my second (third?) piece of cake for the road. Julia’s aunt baked two fabulous cakes: chocolate buttercream, and vanilla-raspberry. Now, I’m usually a chocolate girl the whole way, but the vanilla was out. of. this. world.

A perfect wedding on a perfect weekend.

Do you like weddings? If you’re married, what was yours like?

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot more about the food we eat and how it affects our bodies. How we feel shortly after a meal, and, in the long-term, how the decisions we make today will shape our future health.

And so it came as a timely coincident that I was asked to review [...]]]>

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot more about the food we eat and how it affects our bodies. How we feel shortly after a meal, and, in the long-term, how the decisions we make today will shape our future health.

And so it came as a timely coincident that I was asked to review FoodTrients, a new cookbook dedicated to the idea that specific ingredients have anti-aging properties that can encourage a long, healthy life.

Grace O, the creator of FoodTrients, has always been conscious of the connection between nutrition and health. She grew up in Southeast Asia; her father was a physician and her mother ran a cooking school. Today, she owns and operates nursing facilities in the United States, employing the ideas she outlines in FoodTrients: antioxidants found in vegetables and fruit can reduce our risk of cancer, Omega-3 fatty acids can lower our cholesterol and fight depression, foods like ginger turmeric can reduce inflammation, and Vitamin E can keep our skin healthy.

Each recipe in the book features fresh ingredients and highlights the FoodTrient(s)- a food “essential to age-defying and healthful living- in play. This Spinach and Grapefruit Salad, for example, combines all five of the FoodTrients Grace O has identified and contributes the following properties: Anti-Inflammatory, Antioxidant, Disease-Preventing, Immunity Booster, Mind and Beauty.

Inspired by a FoodTrients recipe for Mango Tapioca, I created my own Pineapple-Chia Parfait.

While I enjoyed this for dessert (a slightly lighter alternative to the cake slices I’ve made part of my nightly ritual), this makes a refreshing breakfast or anytime snack.

—

PINEAPPLE CHIA PARFAIT

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 2 T chia* seeds
• 1/2 t vanilla extract
• 1 t agave nectar or maple syrup
• 1/2 t cinnamon
• 3/4 c. water
• 2 c. frozen pineapple (you can use fresh, but you won’t get a sorbet-like consistency)
• 1 c. almond milk
• shredded coconut, for garnish (optional)

Combine chia, vanilla, agave or maple syrup, cinnamon, and water in a bowl and mix well. Let sit for 30 minutes.

Blend pineapple and almond milk together until smooth.

Layer chia and pineapple mixtures in a glass and top with shredded coconut. Enjoy!

Chia seeds- one of my all-time favorite ingredients that I consume daily in my oatmeal, yogurt, smoothies, etc.- are high in Omega-3 fatty acids and are a great alternative vegetarian and vegan alternative to fish and fish oil supplements.

—

In the morning, turn your leftovers into a tropical breakfast bowl! Pour one serving into a cheery dish and top with your favorite fruit, granola, nuts or nut butter. Below, I used LoveGrown Granola’s Sweet Cranberry Pecan and Trader Joe’s Peanut Butter with Flaxseeds.

Want your own copy of the FoodTrients cookbook? One winner will receive the book and a FoodTrients apron so you can stop picking chocolate and cookie crumbs off your clothes. (Ahem, I don’t know who that happens to….)

To enter, leave a comment below about a health benefit of one food you ate today. I had oatmeal for breakfast, which is chock-full of soluble fiber and can help lower cholesterol, enhance digestion, and reduce the risk of heart disease.

For an additional entry, Tweet the following: @Lilveggiepatch is hosting a @FoodTrients giveaway!

I will pick a winner on Friday, May 18. Good luck!

Last night my mom and I had a relaxing evening. Manicures, pedicures, 10 minute massages… life is good! After pampering ourselves, we walked over to Zen Palate, a plant-based trio of restaurants that have been around since 1991. We sat in the back room, which had a floor-to-ceiling window that was very, well… [...]]]>

Last night my mom and I had a relaxing evening. Manicures, pedicures, 10 minute massages… life is good! After pampering ourselves, we walked over to Zen Palate, a plant-based trio of restaurants that have been around since 1991. We sat in the back room, which had a floor-to-ceiling window that was very, well… zen!

A lot of the items on the menu rely on meat substitutes, which I’m not a huge fan of, but we found several items on the menu that looked enticing. We ended up both ordering the South by Southeast: beans and hearty soy croquettes served with a light & spicy Vietnamese-style lemongrass sauce, with moo-shoo rolls and blanched veggies. We both gobbled our dishes right up! The croquettes tasted a bit like a lentil loaf (the vegetarian version of meatloaf) and the kidney bean/barley mix was smokey-sweet, with a light barbeque flavor. Nom nom nom!

My dad and I also recently returned to the Green Bean Café, one of my new favorite haunts. We both ordered the same thing as well: the Organic Spicy Glazed Tempeh with sweet potato, steamed vegetables, spiced glazed gravy. Dee-lish! I need to get more adventurous with tempeh; whenever I have it at a restaurant, I love it. And it’s been a while since I’ve made this Sweet Potato Stuffed with Caramelized Tempeh and Sautéed Kale…

For dessert, I took home a goji berry-filled macaroon, which was almost as good as Gina’s.

Ooh! Before I forget, I want to show you my most recent new-to-me food find! I spotted this almond milk “yogurt” at Whole Foods the other day and brought it home to try out in my Overnight Oats.

It’s a little sweet on its own (and high in sugar) but it was great for breakfast! I’m glad to see so many non-dairy options cropping up.

In non-food news, yesterday I went for my free haircut a Bumble and Bumble University. This was my second time at the school (I got some ombre highlights about a month and a half ago) and had a great experience! I’ve been growing my hair out for a while, so it was all pretty much one length. Flat and lifeless.

My stylist (who’s been cutting hair for 13 years, so I wasn’t nervous… shout-out to Rob at Art & Science in Chicago!) took off about two inches and gave me a lot of layers all over. He also re-shaped my bangs, which I’d been growing up. It’s an easy haircut- the below photo was taken after showering at night and letting everything air-dry- and I think makes me look, overall, a lot healthier.

And speeeeeeeaking of healthy, as of Wednesday morning I am officially off of antibiotics. No more nurses and bi-weekly blood-drawings, no more IVs, and hopefully soon, no more side effects of the medicine I was on. My PICC line has been removed (it didn’t hurt much, just gave me the heebie jeebies) and other than a few scabs and scars scattered across my body, it’s hard to to tell anything happened nearly three weeks ago. Craziness!

So in celebration, I’m featured on the Cold-EEZE website as their May Wellness Guru! Check it out for my tips on how to fight a cold and stay happy when you’re not feeling so hot. Hint: one of them involves a fuzzy friend!

Well, I’m off to finish packing for the wedding! I’m terrible about waiting until the last minute, as you can see…

Have a great weekend! What have you got planned?

Well, I don’t have to turn over my V-card just yet.

My avocado love has returned with a vengeance, so we can all sit back and continue to breathe normally. Whew! That was a close one.

This slaw was inspired by the view from my window. I live in an apartment building right off one [...]]]>

Well, I don’t have to turn over my V-card just yet.

My avocado love has returned with a vengeance, so we can all sit back and continue to breathe normally. Whew! That was a close one.

This slaw was inspired by the view from my window. I live in an apartment building right off one of New York City’s large parks, a luxury which I have, in the past, taken for granted. Now, though, I find myself remarking over and over about just how, well, green everything is! It’s almost as if I went to sleep and woke up to a new season. Which is kind of what happened.

And so, I have a new dish for you to add to your Spring repertoire. It’s light and flavorful, with just a little kick. In a single bite you’ll find sweetness, a bit of tang, nutty crunch, and a hit of silk. It’s satisfying without being heavy, and while festive, is simple enough for an easy weekday lunch.

THAI-STYLE GREEN SLAW WITH SPICED COCONUT-MINT DRESSING

Makes 2 large or 4 small servings

Green Slaw

• 1 bulb fennel, leaves trimmed, thinly sliced into 1-inch pieces
• 1 Granny Smith apple, grated or thinly sliced and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 avocado, diced

Spiced Coconut- Mint Dressing

• 2 t roasted peanuts, crushed with the back of a knife
• 1 T fresh mint, coarsely chopped, plus a few sprigs for garnish
• 1 scallion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 c. rice wine vinegar
• 2 T coconut oil
• 1/2 t hot chili sesame oil

In a medium-sized bowl, gently mix fennel, apple and avocado together.

In a small bowl, whisk all dressing ingredients together. Pour over slaw and mix well. Garnish each portion with a mint sprig and serve chilled or at room temperature.

Enjoy in the park for a picnic lunch. If you can’t get away, sit as close to a window as possible. Daydream.

In other parks and wildlife news, I just saw Cameron Crowe’s latest, We Bought A Zoo. It’s a quiet film with subtle performances; I loved it. And, as is always true of Crowe’s movies, the soundtrack was great.

source

What does Spring look like out YOUR window?

Well, the cooking bug has got me again! And thank goodness. To be honest, I was a little worried it would take a lot longer for me to want to get back in the kitchen. Luckily, all it took was a trip to Whole Foods. I got serious crazy eyes, and came back [...]]]>

Well, the cooking bug has got me again! And thank goodness. To be honest, I was a little worried it would take a lot longer for me to want to get back in the kitchen. Luckily, all it took was a trip to Whole Foods. I got serious crazy eyes, and came back with a lot of groceries. When will there be enough time to eat them?!

As I’ve mentioned a little before, my appetite’s changed a bit. Whereas I used to make big, mixing bowl-sized salads for lunch nearly every day, I’ve been eating a lot more sandwiches and hot dishes lately. Still, it’s really important for us to “eat the rainbow” and get a variety of fruits and vegetables every day, especially when we’re sick and our immune systems aren’t quite what they should be. So I’ve been doing my best to both listen to what my body is craving and eat healthful, veggie- and protein-filled meals.

Thanks to the cookbooks I took out from the library, I’ve had a lot of great inspiration. A couple nights ago, I flipped through Heidi Swanson’s latest cookbook (which I will probably end up shelling out the $23 for), Super Natural Everyday. This simple recipe for Miso-Curry Delicata Squash jumped right out at me.

Delicata squash isn’t in season right now, but sweet potatoes worked just as well. I loved the mix of tangy miso and spicy-sweet Thai red curry, and the toasted pepitas added a smoky crunch! that amped everything up a notch. Served over rice, it was the perfect weeknight dinner. I know I sound like a broken record, but grain bowls have become my new ideal comfort food.

While the potatoes were roasting, I got started on breakfast for the next morning: Gena’s version of Bircher Muesli. It’s a lot like what my Overnight Oats look like when I use almond milk instead of yogurt, something I’ve been doing a lot more lately. I first heard of Bircher Muesli about three years ago, when the physical therapist I was seeing for my ITBS told me about the big batch of oats, fruit, nuts and yogurt he makes a big batch of once a week and scoops a portion of each morning for breakfast.

Chia seeds, almonds, fresh apples, dried goji berries, and dried cherries (I substituted these for mulberries)? Hard to go wrong. It was a deliciously filling ready-made breakfast.

I also spent a few minutes peeling oranges! B is one of those people that has to have a tall glass of orange juice every morning for breakfast, and lately has taken to squeezing his own rather than buying the sugary stuff from the grocery store. I, on the other hand, am a person who’d rather eat the fruit than drink the juice. That is, I was until this whole meningitis thing happened. Now, I’ll drink just about any cold beverage (excluding cold ones) you put in front of me… especially fresh OJ.

There are still quite a few recipes I’ve got bookmarked to make, but time is running out! We’re going to a wedding this weekend, and are planning to be out of town next week as well. Time to get cooking!

What did you eat for breakfast today?