cherries | Katharina's Food Adventures

I’m going to start this post off with something that made me smile about a second ago. I just had a most delicious cup of tea I got at a coffeeshop. I had green tea with jasmine & lemon.

So remember when I said that I always say I’m going to get a rain jacket and I don’t, and then it rains?

I finally got one!

When I got back from shopping I started to make my lunch.

I baked some sweet potato fries with Old Bay seasoning and cumin. I also baked some Gardein chick’n tenders as well. I squirted ketchup on both and sprinkled some curry powder on as well. I made something of Sophia’s but with a different texture. Rather than make her kabocha soup with bacon and goat cheese– I made it a mash with coconut oil. I also subbed out the bacon for fakin’ bits. And that cute little chocolate cup? This time I tried a Newman’s Own Organic Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups. It tasted good, but I wasn’t too keen on the gooey peanut butter middle. I was hoping it would be a bit more solid.

Look at what I got in the mail!

Awhile back Kashi was giving out free samples on their site. You know I jumped on that offer!

I've also been working on my project.

I started carving some wood yesterday. And after about 6 hours of that I realized I want to keep my thumb – it was so sore!

Granola bar!

I tried another 18 Rabbit granola bar that was graciously sent to me. This time it was the Funky Figs & Cherries. First off, I love the names of the flavors – they’re so much fun! I just heated it up and crumbled it over some vanilla Greek yogurt, and dark sweet cherries. This one was also very granola-y, however the first flavor I tried (Cheeky Cherry Chocolate) is the best so far. I swore I also tasted some chocolate in this one. Silly me didn’t check the ingredients though! Oh well, what matters is that it tasted good, right?

I had a little mishap with my lunch.

I had been cooking some kale on the stove and I went away and completely forgot about cooking, until I smelled something burning! I quickly ran into the kitchen and took it off the burner. Although it shriveled up a lot, it still tasted very good. May I suggest sautéing kale in a mix of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, and s&p? I also toasted a quick sandwich: goat cheese, basil pesto, and tomato with balsamic vinegar.

Yesterday, I got a bit of relaxing time in. I just did some beauty things and had dinner roasting and boiling away in the mean time.

My one person casserole dish.

I roasted some kabocha chunks, and boiled some edamame and quinoa pasta. I tossed it all in coconut oil, lime juice and s&p, then drizzled on some tamarind-date chutney. One word: yum. I haven’t had edamame in forever and I just found a great edamame succotash recipe I must try.

Now we're a little more caught up now.

This morning I decided to try the cranberry flavored Heart Thrive. I crumbled it over some vanilla Greek yogurt mixed with pumpkin puree. I also drizzled on some cashew butter and tossed in a handful of dried cranberries. To make the Heart Thrive less dry I heated it up in the microwave and spread on a bit of coconut oil. I must say I really enjoyed this flavor! It was perfectly tart and had a much stronger flavor than the others I tried.

Lots of blue today!

I wore my favorite blouse and these cool navy blue velvety pants…

And they're cuffed!

I only had one class today, so that left me with plenty of time to run errands and prepare some things for when my mom arrives tomorrow. I’m so excited!

Quick lunch

I got home and I was so hungry so I had some hemp brownie bites while I quickly prepared my lunch. No, not special brownies! I followed a BBQ Shepard’s Pie recipe from the Sunshine Burgers website with the BBQ flavor. Basically, I roasted corn, some cubed potato bits, and mozzarella in the oven. Afterwards I just drizzled on some BBQ sauce. I also had it with some beautiful blanched kale. I love that green!

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I’m excited. Although I’m having a rather untraditional Thanksgiving (when is it not?), it’s going to be so nice to be with my mother. Since her flight comes in around 2, we’ll be having a Thanksgiving dinner. Which means she’ll be helping me in the kitchen! We make a great team. Anyway, I wanted to know what makes you all smile? I know for myself, it’s mostly the little things that cheer me up. For instance, when I take Matilda on walks I always notice the little quirks about Richmond. There are a lot of characters around here and they definitely make sure to leave their mark. Things like painted ice cream cones cut out of cardboard hanging on a string over a telephone line. I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving! Aside from having delicious food, I think the most important part is to enjoy being with people you care about. And being around those people can make a world seemingly filled with troubles, a much better place.

I’ll leave you all with some ideas from Kate Spade: 20 Ways to Merry-Make.

As I’m sitting here typing this I’m enjoying a nice cup of French vanilla coffee with a splash of vanilla almond milk while it’s pouring outside. I usually don’t drink coffee, so this is a treat! I’m actually glad it’s raining because that’ll help make the temperatures more bearable. I can’t believe I rode my bike to store yesterday in 100+ degree weather. It actually didn’t feel that hot though. Anyway, I think this is the perfect time to share some wonderful breakfast creations I’ve been making. Of course they involve oats and a some granola too!

What the heck those oats are yellow!

Gingery Bango Oats

1/2 cup oatmeal (or more)

1 cup liquid (water, milk, milk alternative)

1 scoop banana protein powder (I used Spiru-tein)

1 cup mango chunks

1 Tbl crystallized ginger

1. Boil the cup of water, milk, what have you. Stir in the protein powder. That’s when the yellow kicks in!

2. Once it has reached it’s boiling point, stir in the oats. Now stir every once in awhile until the oats are done cooking.

3. Serve and mix in the mango chunks and crystallized ginger.

Oatmeal a la Heather.

I opted for frozen mango chunks!

Heather’s wonderful idea: using the jar as a bowl for a final farewell to Barney. I definitely wanted to get as much of out of this $10 jar of almond butter as I could. The love affair was amazing while it lasted, but Barney is too high maintenance for me! I think I’d prefer a simpler man who doesn’t want to go on such expensive dates.

So tropical!

Mango and banana make an awesome crime fighting team. Hungry stomachs around the world, beware!

Such a refreshing breakfast with a cup of green tea.

A yummy bowl of Hemp Bliss Granola, strawberries, and plain yogurt. I always start out my day with a cup of green tea.

I love the colorful bottle.

The white peach slices make for a beautiful presentation!

Peach and Banana Oats infused with Rose Water

1/2 cup oatmeal (or more)

1 cup liquid (water, milk, milk alternative)

1 scoop vanilla protein powder

1 sliced peach

1/2 sliced banana

Sliced Almonds

Splash of Rose Water

1. Boil the cup of water, milk, what have you with the protein powder.

2. Once it has reached it’s boiling point, stir in the oats.

3. Serve and mix in the peach and banana slices, and the rose water. Then sprinkle the almonds on top.

I saved the best for last! I'll call this delectable creation Cherry Almond and Ginger Oats

I saved the best for last! I'll call this delectable creation Ginger Cherry-Almond Oats

Ginger Cherry-Almond Oats

1/2 cup oatmeal (or more if you’re hungry)

1 cup liquid (water, milk, milk alternative)

1 scoop vanilla protein powder (optional but if you omit this then add in 1 tsp vanilla extract)

Smidge sweetner of choice (I used stevia)

Sliced Almonds

1 cup cherries (I used frozen to cool the oatmeal down)

1 Tbl crystallized ginger

1. Boil the cup of water, milk, what have you. Stir in the protein powder, almonds, and sweetener.

2. Once it’s boiling stir in the oats. You know the drill!

3. When it’s done cooking, serve in your favorite bowl and mix in the cherries and crystallized ginger.

Note: You guys don’t have to use protein powder, but since I need to make sure I’m getting enough protein I include it. It makes for a much creamier and thicker oatmeal.

Look at my make-shift bookmark! Noticed the empty bowl in the background?

I finished reading Sputnik Sweetheart by Haruki Murakami. I’ve heard a lot about this author and this was my first book of his that I’ve read. The only japanese literature I’ve read are poems and proverbial stories. I’m not sure if his style is typical of contemporary Japanese authors, but I definitely enjoyed the book. I can only imagine all the books he’s read and experiences he’s had because the imagery and language in his writing is wonderful! I’ve been trying to do a lot of summer reading. Actually, I want to read more in general. I know that during my semesters it’s hard to read a book that’s not required for classes, but I’ve managed to. However, I know I could read more. The imagination grows the more one reads. I know I sound like a total nerd, but I’m all about never losing my imagination. I think it’s more important than preserving my skin! But I think my mom would disagree.

Anybody have any book recommendations?

Here’s a song you guys can dance around your room to and pretend you’re a rockstar!

St. Vincent – Actor out of work