I Really Mean It

Posted on December 7, 2011 by Katharina

While thinking about what I wanted to write a post about (as I do with every post because I don’t just ‘wham bam thank you ma’am’ anything) it occurred to me at a random moment (as with most things) what the topic at hand would be: inspiration. On a sidenote: I find that most brilliant ideas come while doing the most monotonous things like sitting on a toilet. Imagine a toilet couch. Better yet, a toilet chaise. I’d be full of ideas! I’ve noticed that lately, especially, I’ve been surrounded by things that have been opening my eyes with even more wonder.

: Beautiful fruits

This particular apple tasted like an Asian pear, and supposedly has more vitamin C than an orange! There’s a little juicy plum to tag along.

: When one of my best friends introduced to me Balthazar’s ‘Ginger-Citrus Tea’, I knew I had to recreate it at home.

It’s a very comforting and awakening recipe, as the ginger has a bold presence. Just pouring a cup of it makes me feel better, like wrapping up in a Swayter. Luckily, Balthazar’s spilled their secret for this precious recipe.

: Aside from tea and fruits, the friends I’ve been making since I moved to New York have all been so wonderful.

I’ve had instances recently that have shown me when someone is not a real friend, but the true golden hearts shined brightly . Those golden hearts help me stay hopeful and are reminders of the compassion that exists in this world.

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Basil Green with Envy

Posted on November 13, 2009 by Katharina

I wrote to Maggie earlier that I took a break from looking at food blogs for a bit. It’s silly really, but it made me crave all those wonderful veggies and fruits you guys all put together… EVEN MORE! I’m not into the idea of chewing my arm off ; how would I write these posts?! Anyway, I was very interested by the feedback I got from you all in my last post. Eliza had made a very great point! She said, “but we all deserve to eat the way we enjoy.” This is so true. Although this past week and a half really made me realize that my situation wasn’t that bad, I know that when I can then why not? When I have money to get groceries I make a list, but if something interesting catches my eye then into the cart it goes! Thank goodness I do this because when I thought I had nothing, I had plenty! But in general, I do a really good job of saving money and not spending mindlessly.

A few nights ago, my friend invited me over to watch a crazy BBC documentary called “America’s Most Hated Family”. It was about the people of Westboro Baptist Church. They’re the ones that picket outside of soldier’s funerals with very distasteful slogans. It was mind-boggling and interesting to watch. Afterwards, we turned on Julie & Julia. We didn’t get to finish it, but I really want to!

: This little set-up was waiting for me when I got there!

Don’t you just love how hanging out with friends can make problems magically disappear? I never tried Sake before and I learned that heating it up is actually an insult to the artisan. Basically, heating Sake up is like adding salt to a dish that’s been served.

: Breakfast!

For breakfast I had something different! I toasted a Rudi’s Organic English muffin, one of the samples sent to me by the company. My roommate’s boyfriend asked what I had made in the oven. It was just an English muffin! Well, not just an English muffin. This one happened to be incredibly yummy! Especially with cashew butter and some raspberry preserves. I also had a ZenSoy Vanilla Soy on the Go and a hemp brownie bite. A what?! Okay first let me say that these soy milk-to-go packets are genius and make me feel like a school kid again. Now back to the hemp brownie. I was sent some samples of French Meadow Bakery products and those were one of the goodies sent to me.

: The motherload! Please pass on some sandwich recipes.

The hemp brownie bite was awesome! Brownies are something I’m picky about, but the texture of this one was just right. And the taste? As funky as a hemp brownie sounds, there was nothing off-putting about it!

: More bread and a chocolate protein shake with some coffee mixed in.

I tried another slice of Rudi’s bread, but this time I chose the Cinnamon Raisin bread. I spread on some coconut oil. Well I do love the thick slices each load seems to have, but I think the cinnamon flavor could’ve been stronger.

: Creme of Almond and Date spread made this just right.

: I’ve also been sampling some sweets.

Since the incredible package of Newman’s Own Organics came in at the right time, I thought what better way to munch my way through the days with some cookies!

First up are the Champion Chip Cookies! The flavors I got were Double Chocolate Mint Chip, Chocolate Chocolate Chip, and Espresso Chocolate Chip. I’m not a big fan of the Chocolate Chocolate variation, but the rest are right up my alley! I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the Double Chocolate Mint Chip cookies!

Second batch? Hmm… let’s go with the Hermits. I tried the Original and Cinnamon flavor. Both are good, but I personally preferred the Original ones. Not sure why though. I bet the Ginger Hermits are delicious – I love ginger!

Now on to the Fig Newmans! The only difference between the two I got is that one is fat-free and the other is low-fat. There’s was no apparent difference to me as far as taste goes. So I guess it’s just what you prefer as far as fat-content goes.

Last but certainly not least are the Alphabet Cookies. Maybe I’m boring when it comes to cookies, but these were my favorite! They’re so simple but so good. I want to spell my full name out, including my middle name, and then eat it. Thank goodness I’ve got a really long name.

: Breakfast this morning…

This time I tried a slice of Rudi’s 100% Whole Wheat bread. I love love love the thick slices. I usually buy artisan bread, but I really think Rudi’s makes great bread for morning toast. And we can’t ignore that indulgent looking cup in the back! That, my dears, is a ZenSoy Chocolate/Vanilla Swirl pudding cup. I’m turning into a kid again and if eating these pudding cups are a sign, then I don’t mind one bit. More please!

Aside from it being a glorious day because it’s Friday, I was able to get groceries today!

: I didn’t cook at all, but I fully enjoyed!

I chose the crunchiest and crispiest things to munch on as far as fresh foods go. I love carrots and apples with peanut butter. I also had a delicious Southwestern Sunshine Burger and munched on some Newman’s Own Organics pretzel sticks. Nom nom nom!

Later on…

: More apples!

I sliced up 2 apples and crumbled on a Cinnamon Hermit, and into the microwave it went.

I try not to dwell on things, so I just went about my rainy days looking at fashion magazines and going to my classes (of course). Aside from the dreadful weather the tropical storm has caused over here, I’ve been trying to remain positive. This brings me to my truth of this post.

The weather deeply affects my mood. During the winter I embellish the idea of this season by reminding myself of all the cute clothes I get to wear and this is season of giving. I’ll snuggle with Matilda even more, but the truth is that deep down inside I just don’t feel the same. It’s like I allow some part of my spirit to escape me. I just can’t help but feel like it’s me against nature when I walk out the door – not a good feeling. What do you all do to keep a positive outlook during the bittercold months? Or does it even bother you at all?

Terra Incognita

Posted on July 2, 2009 by Katharina

So many have you been trying out the lovely Emily’s Pbu recipe. I have yet to try it, but it sounds delicious! And some have been making an “Abu” version… I can’t help but think that it’s pronounced like Aladdin’s monkey! Anyhow, I found another recipe that some of you may enjoy: homemade almond “nutella”. This one is definitely more decadent, but we all have room for decadence in our lives! Especially in the form of something yummy.

Now on to other matters. Remember how I made Katie’s 24-Carrot Gold recipe? Well, I decided to make a batch of muffins the other day and I added in some extras. Oh say… some orange juice, ginger, and a splash of amaretto!

I wanted to share the goodness, so I went to visit my best friend at work to bring her a special delivery. But before I went out I had to get dressed!

I decided that a proper delivery girl should wear a skirt from my favorite store! Apparently I was too lazy to iron.

I also put some colorful earrings I made!

I also put on the colorful earrings I made.

A pair of new shoes to get me through my errands.

Then I was off to make the delivery!

I wish I had fancy handwriting skills.

Looking extra sassy with some lip color!

She texted me later saying she loved the muffins! I packed four for her family, but she ate most of them haha. But this is a compliment because that means they were that good. Oh! How could I forget what I promised in my last post?

I had some slices of bread as part of my breakfast the other day!

I had some slices of carrot bread as part of my breakfast the other day!

One slice has coconut oil and the other is topped with almond butter. Ahh! Ants seem to have gotten on them, but I didn’t let them ruin this picnic. No, I just ate them! I also made a parfait – inspired by this lovely lady – with layers of yogurt, blackberries, and apple butter topped off with muesli. Look at those strawberries! They look like they might just burst like Violet in Willy Wonka.

What else could I do with the leftover pulp? I decided to try to make an Indian-inspired dish called Gajar ka halwa. I made a less sweet version though, since I didn’t really want to make a dessert.

I included bits of paneer, roasted cashews, raisins, and a bit of coconut oil.

Carrots for breakfast?

I made a bowl of oats mixed in with the pulp. I really liked the halwa dish so I made a similar version by adding a dash of cardamom and coconut oil. The pulp made this bowl of oats double in size! It was an amazing feeling having that huge bowl of oats all for myself. What’s that on the side? I baked a persimmon with cinnamon and put a dollop of yogurt on top.

I finished another book!

There are so many excerpts I want to share with you guys! But I’ll leave you with at least one:

I don’t think it’s merely willpower that makes you able to do something. The world isn’t that simple.To tell the truth, I don’t even think there’s that much correlation between my running every day and whether or not I have a strong will. I think I’ve been able to run for more than twenty years for a simple reason: It suits me.

Yesterday was an incredibly hot day, and I was lounging around outside. I probably shouldn’t have been because I had a headache. I’m pretty sure I was experiencing the side effects from the medication I was on while I had to do my five-day test. Thank goodness that’s over! Anyway, I knew I wanted to make something fresh for lunch. Not too long ago I had found a recipe that sounded perfect for intense heat and a hungry tummy.

Mango and Avocado Salad was the star of my lunch.

Afterward, I took Matilda to the dog park. It was muggy outside and she didn’t want to leave my side! I don’t blame her though because the other dogs there were all misbehaving. I don’t understand why people bring their dogs to the park if they can’t keep an eye on them. There was one crazy dog that put Matilda on her back and started harassing her. She didn’t like that all and she froze. It was shocking and I quickly picked Matilda up and walked away. I was really annoyed and I couldn’t believe that happened. I tried finding a telephone number for the park to complain because the rules should be enforced. I’m all about dogs being able to rome free and play around, but when an animal is violent towards another – it’s a different story. Anyway, Matilda calmed down and I snapped a few pictures before we left.

Sitting pretty

It almost looks like a horse ring!

Well, it seems like many of you have a lot of exciting plans for the long weekend. The family and I were going to go on a beach get-away to the other coast, but we’re postponing it till next weekend. I can’t wait! It’ll be so nice to wake up and have the beach right in front of us. My parents live about 20 minutes away from the beach here, but the beaches on the other side of Florida are so beautiful. Picture sandy white beaches, a calm ocean, barely a soul there. I love the ocean. Actually, not too long ago I went skinny-dipping in the ocean and it was one of the most liberating feelings! It was so nice to just be free and not feel self-conscious about anything. The body is an amazing thing. Yet so many fight against it, rather than love and appreciate it. Appreciation is a hard thing to do sometimes. Often times I find myself getting wrapped up in little worries like dirty dishes, planning ahead, “what if someone doesn’t like me?” But then I look around and those worries are hushed to nothing but a white noise. Not only am I blessed with what I already have, but I am also grateful for the endless possibilities this world offers! There are so many things to try. Terra incognita – unknown land, and there’s so much of it! That’s one of the great things about life is that it can be full of wonder. It all depends on how you look at it.