Tag Archives: creativity

Following “Orders”

Posted on by

26

You know what I’ve noticed lately? I haven’t been posting about the foods that have tickled my sweet tooth. To be honest, for the most part they haven’t been worth mentioning from the usual “oats-in-a-jar” for morning classes, bowls of cereals, or date-balls. But there is one thing that is extra-special to me and makes me antsy whenever I run out, and that’s homemade granola! I munch on granola all day: with meals, between meals, before meals, after meals. You get the point. Most of the time I end up finishing a batch before I think to snap a picture.

Clumpy & Crisp Applesauce Granola

Clumpy and crisp are two things that I love about granola. I was perusing through Kickpleat’s blog, and as soon as I saw this recipe I clicked on it to see what it entailed. Hmm.. I could check off the entire ingredient list! That was a nod from the heavens to make it happen! However, I did make a few changes. Rather than using olive oil I used almond oil, used half oats/half cornflakes, and I also threw in some cashews to the nut mix.

Delicious and addictive

Much like these chewy coconut flapjacks.

What a fun name for these! If you are oat-obsessed like the title of the recipe’s post says, then these are for you. Well, if you love sweet, chewy, and sticky delicious things in general then these are for you too; they are also what the British call “flapjacks”. I know some of you may be thinking, “but those don’t look like pancakes.” That is correct. These are definitely not pancakes. No offense to them because I love those kinds of flapjacks too!

For serious oat lovers!

I snuck in some cornflakes to these as well. I swear ever since I tried the Bakery on Main granolas, I’ve been adding cornflakes even to recipes that sort-of resemble the tree-hugging snack. But who doesn’t want to eat tree-hugging snacks when they taste like baklava?! When my roommate pointed that out, my eyes lit up and suddenly I could taste it. She was right!

Don't believe me?

You need to make these as soon as possible, and try for yourself.

Now moving on to more sweet things, shall we?

I spy poppy seeds...

But not just poppy seeds! When I had spied Katie’s recipe for these Lil’ Lemon Muffins, off to the kitchen I went. These scrumptious little treats didn’t stick around for very long. With this warm weather it was nice to have something baked that tasted light and uplifting.

This was a recipe I had been seeing in a lot of posts recently.

Heather’s famous Cookie Dough Smoothie  recipe caught my eye because of two words: cookie and dough. I usually am not in the mood for smoothies for breakfast unless I had a long night or if that just happens to float my boat that day. When I saw this recipe, my boat decided to come in the next day.

It was surprisingly filling for a smoothie...

but it didn’t quite taste like cookie dough to me. Maybe something was off in how I made it? I didn’t use coconut milk, but I mixed in some coconut shreds to try and make up for it. Oh well, who knows.

More cookies!

These were inspired by a lovely lady I mentioned earlier and a delicious cookie–samoas! I saw Katie’s recipe for Samoas Larabars and next thing I knew I was wiping drool off my chin. There’s only one Girl Scout cookie that I love and I think it’s pretty obvious which one it is. I pretty much followed her recipe, but I crushed up some Three Sisters Cereal Graham Crackerz and mixed it in with the batch after the other ingredients went in the food processor. So that was supposed to be the “cookie” part in a samoa.Then I rolled them in shredded coconut, and took a most delicious bite into one of these. Me oh my, my obsessions list just keeps getting longer!

And now, since I always eat my vegetables...

This was a very simple recipe that I threw together, wanting to use the newly purchased jar of herbes de provence.

Provençal Potato Salad

Ingredients

-1.5 lb. bag of assorted fingerling potatoes, diced

-2-2 1/2 cups cooked cannellini beans

-cooking oil of choice

-1 yellow onion, sliced

-2 garlic cloves, minced

-10 oz. mushrooms, sliced

-1 zucchini squash, sliced

-2 tbl white cooking wine

-1-2 tsp herbes de provence

-sea salt and pepper, to taste

1. Boil the potatoes till tender, but make sure not to overcook them! The last thing we want are overcooked veggies… or overcooked anything for that matter.

2. Heat the pan, and then heat the oil. Cook the onions and garlic till the onions are translucent. Once they are cooked you can add the potatoes and cooking wine. Cook for about two minutes.

3. Add the sliced zucchini, and cook for a few minutes until the squash starts to get tender. That’s when you throw in the mushrooms, beans, and the herbes de provence. Let everything cook together for a couple more minutes–mushrooms don’t take that long to cook.

4. Now ask yourself how salty and peppery would you like your dish, and then enjoy!

Note: on second thought I decided to throw in some avocado and French green beans, and served it cold as a salad.

Much better.

Do you ever have that recipe in a cookbook that you keep meaning to try, and the page is permanently creased because you still haven’t gotten around to it?

Well, I finally made this one: chickpea and sweet potato curry.

My mom’s friend gave me William Sonoma’s vegetarian cookbook a couple years ago for my birthday, and I’ve slowly been checking off the recipes I wanted to try. This particular recipe always stuck out to me, but I never seemed to have all of the ingredients on hand. Okay so I have something to tell you. I love to cook, bake, follow recipes, make my own… the whole shebang! But I usually don’t go out of my way to get all the ingredients I need for a certain recipe. The recipes I gravitate towards are based off of things I already have, not things that I need to go out and buy. There is the rare occasion though when there’s a recipe that I’m just dying to make and I will go out and buy the 3 tubs of mascarpone for it! This may come to a surprise to some of you, but I’m actually a very practical person (who knows how to have fun). I like to keep things simple. I’m a one block of cheese at a time kind of person. Definitely not a hoarder, and I rarely have the impulse to buy something on a whim. However, when I do get something on a whim I don’t feel bad about it–hello balance! Anyway, I think that kind of practicality has led me to get creative with the things I do have on hand, or maybe that childlike sense of wonder just never left. What kinds of sandwiches can I make with this cheese? How can I prepare something in a new way? With a new flavor? In an unexpected cuisine? I do have a lot of ingredients on hand though, but they’re all things that I use–not to be left in the cupboards to collect dust. You’d find all sorts of spices, dried herbs, legumes, oils from almond to avocado to truffle, a 10 lb. bag of basmati, nuts, a 2 lb. tub of dates… those are just a few of my kitchen staples. Perhaps, I will do a post on my kitchen staples. I know Holly has expressed interest in that a few times.

My taste buds were happy that I finally had all of the ingredients on hand.

Speaking of new ways to eat things...a new way to eat red lentils!

I usually eat red lentils as a dhal, a soup, or curry. I’ve been wanting to venture out though so last week I made a hummus, and this week I prepared them as part of a salad… an Indian inspired Rice Red Lentil Salad. I don’t have peanuts so I used pistachios instead, and it turned out wonderfully! Refreshing, slightly sweet, full of flavor, and just what I’ve been in the mood for. When you make this recipe you can’t forget to make the dressing! That would be like yin with no yang, which is impossible.

I know I always share recipes with you all, but this one is an order!

Come to think of it, this post is full of “orders”. I’ve been quite the queen when it comes to cooking up delicious recipes and coming up with some of my own if I do say so myself. I hope you’ve all enjoyed feasting with your eyes, and will soon head to the kitchen to create something tasty to eat! Who knows… maybe you’ll follow one of my “orders”? Or maybe you have one that you’d love to share.

The Scientist is Back

Posted on by

21

Hello everyone! I hope you all enjoyed your three-day weekend if you were lucky to have one. I spent most of my extra day off catching up on a lot of reading I had been putting off, but at least I got to read while sitting on a shaded patio at a coffeeshop with my little furry friend.

Hi everybody!

She’s actually passed out right now… as usual.

These make my heart sing just by looking at them.

I saw a recipe for raw energy truffles on Emmie’s blog and I literally got up and made these after reading her post. I used a combination which consisted mostly of cashews, then pecans and pistachios. I also decided to roll only some of them in cocoa powder. I really want to try this recipe using different variations of powders and nuts. Next up on my list is white chocolate + strawberries + cashews. Now that I’m thinking about it… these also remind me of the beautiful babies Katie and many others have been making!

Even though there wasn't a hazelnut in sight, I swear these reminded me of my beloved Ferrero Rocher chocolates.

That’s saying a lot considering Ferrero Rocher chocolates are one of my favorite little confections ever! *This includes the Ferrero Garden variation–I never forget about “coconut” anything. Actually, I just entered their monthly sweepstake for a free case of their chocolates.

I had almost completely forgotten the wonderful invention of wraps!

I stuffed this wrap with some “What Do I Remind You Of” Hummus, fig preserves, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, walnut dressing, and basil. While making this wrap I asked my roommate if she thought fig preserves would taste good with this. Ladies and gentlemen, at that moment I knew that the scientist was really back! For awhile, I had been putting things together that would obviously taste good together. The point is… I wasn’t sure with this one. Well, I’m glad I just went ahead and tried it! It offered a delicious sweetness that I’d imagine you can find at a meal consisting of tapas–sweetness paired with an ultra-flavorful cured meat. Of course, this is a vegetarian version, and maybe not quite as sophisticated looking. Afterall, the purpose of my making a wrap in the first place was to have something I could eat in class without looking like a slob, or sounding like a goat. How do you all like to get creative?

Somehow the hummus always ends up squeezing its way out of my sandwiches.

Well, what went in this sandwich? “What Do I Remind You Of” Hummus, sun-dried tomatoes, chunky walnut dressing, sweet peppers, and pecorino romano cheese. Now let me talk about the bread. When I saw the loaves of Alvarado Street Bakery Bread at the store, I was curious about why I’ve seen it on blogs… what made it so special? This made a really tasty sandwich bread, and I usually love sprouted breads because of the dense texture, which made this a winner in that category. But it wasn’t so dense that I felt like I had to bust out a toothpick after every bite. The loaf I got, sprouted California style bread, also has a bit of sweetness too. May I recommend spreading tahini + honey on some toasted slices of this bread?

Figs are also something else that just leave me in awe.

“The Romans held figs in high regard and planted them in all the lands they conquered, including what are now France and England.” I can see why!

Can turn any bowl of grains into a sophisticated affair served with coconut milk, almond frangipane kream, honey, and cinnamon.

This time I had this sensuous fruit with oats, an apple, plumped golden raisins, walnuts, and cinnamon.

I can’t wait to share my next post with you! Over the Labor Day Weekend I made something that made me truly proud of myself! Here’s a hint: it’s actually something quite simple, but not something people in the western world usually make at home.

Capturing the Spark

Posted on by

30

I’m going to rewind a bit to… two weekends ago! My mother and I had a photoshoot the NuSkin “Keep My Age a Secret” challenge we’ll be participating in. It was fun to have that bonding time with her, and being the one in front of the camera this time. Anyway, here are some pictures!

 

Might I also add that I'm not wearing foundation...

 

My skin is definitely reaping the benefits of taking extra care of my liver!

 

I'll keep you updated on what happens.

 

Now on the food front… for breakfast I’ve been enjoying a medley of fruits!

 

Papaya, peaches, and frozen banana slices!

 

 

Peaches, blueberries, dates, and papaya!

 

 

The fruits were piled so high I almost forgot there were oats under there--just kidding!

 

 

B-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l! Apricot, frozen banana, and blueberries.

 

 

Mixing the Greek yogurt, oats, and fruits together.

 

 

The big kahuna--my favorite!

 

I bought a bag of apricots at the store the other day. They’re so hard to find down here! Is anyone else having trouble finding certain foods that are in season? I remember last year when there was a shortage on canned pumpkin during the holiday season–uh oh! Anyway, here’s a little interesting fact I found on these little stone fruits: “Apricot fruits are very useful to those people, who suffer from anemia. Only 100 g of fresh apricot fruit has the same effect on blood flow as 250 g of fresh liver.” They’re also an excellent source of beta-carotene and are useful for reducing infections or skin problems.

My chicka, Liz, sent me this very helpful link the other day: “Ayurvedic Healing Foods“! One of the tidbits reminded me of my friend in New York who’d peel almond skins because of what her cousin, who’s an Ayurvedic practioner, recommended. And I actually thought of her when I was making this recipe…

 

Naked almonds!

 

“Ayurveda recommends blanching and peeling almonds“

 

I stole their clothes down by the river mwahaha.

 

 

Ani Phyo's Almond Frangipane

 

I made a batch of this recipe so I could make fig tartlets, and this is also delicious on its own or with some fruit–like peaches! I’m just loving peaches right now if you can’t tell.

 

Another recipe from Ani Phyo's dessert book.

 

I had bookmarked her spiced blueberry cobbler recipe. This was so so SO good, and topping it with coconut ice kream (also from this book) made it that much better! I really can’t believe how simple and delicious these recipes are. I’ve renewed this book from the library twice already.

 

This treat is baked however, and it's my own recipe.

 

This week I was inspired by a Hawaiian combination of raisins and pistachios. I used golden raisins, dried cranberries, and pistachios for my secret oat bar recipe. Verdict? Deliciously chewy, moist, and sweet. Making these bars with different variations has become a weekly ritual for me. I set aside some time either Sunday night or Monday morning and get to baking. I love experimenting with different combinations, and with the delicious smells wafting through the air… who wouldn’t make this a weekly tradition?

 

Also baked, but not sweet.

 

I tossed these cheetah rounds in coconut oil, then seasoned them with turmeric, curry, and salt. YUM! I love curry powder so much. Have you ever tried adding some to ketchup? It’s so yummy!

 

A sandweech!

 

I stuffed this sandwich with homemade 15-bean hummus, marinated artichoke, spinach, and mini bell-peppers. For the mixed bean hummus I added extra curry powder because what the original recipe called for just wasn’t enough for me.

 

 

Dino kale salad!

 

I wondered what raw dino kale tasted like. What else went into this salad? Some mixed bean hummus, sun-dried tomatoes, shallot, and sweet vidalia onion dressing. So how was it raw? Not bad, not bad at all.

 

 

And cooked following one of my favorite ways to eat kale...

 

Fry some onions, shallots, and garlic. Then I threw in the dino kale, spinach, cherry tomatoes, golden raisins, mixed beans, and a splash of balsamic. After it was done cooking I poured on some flaxseed oil to get my dose for the meal hehe. I had also roasted some butternut squash tossed in coconut oil and simply salted. I’ve been trying to spice up my meals a bit, since I noticed that my meals were getting pretty boring. They tasted good, but they were lacking creativity.

 

 

Inspired by a Colombian recipe

 

The other day my mom was browsing her Colombian cookbook. She had left the beans to soak overnight, but she didn’t have time to make the recipe–bandeja paisa. It’s basically a platter of various foods from the Paisa region of Colombia. I figured that she wanted to cook the frijoles part of this platter. I read the recipe after I had already cooked the beans, and I realized I would have to change it a bit. Since it called for the beans to be cooked with the ingredients, but no big deal. I just decided to fry the onions, grated carrot, tomato “salsa”, smashed banana, and the beans of course. Then I seasoned it with salt , pepper, and lots of cumin! Garnish it with scallions and you’re set. My mom was very happy when she got home from work, and she had this waiting for her. Note: I used ghee for the frying, and I highly suggest it. I have been loving the flavor that ghee lends to everything I’ve used it in; just imagine a deeper butter flavor. From toast, rice, sweet potatoes, or traditional Colombian recipes–ghee will liven anything up! Even your body. “Indians regard the substance as very important as it could boost overall body strength, beauty, and luster.” Additionally, it’s lactose-free so those with allergies to milk can enjoy this as well.

 

 

Must get the creative juices flowing...

 

 

I put together a mish-mosh dinner: baked sweet potato + ghee + flaxseed oil, roasted beets + olive oil and seasoning, mixed bean hummus, and random celery stalks.

 

 

Not so creative, but it still tastes good!

 

Maybe you noticed the apron I’m sporting here. The last time I roasted beets I had a little accident and nearly stained my shirt. If beets are on the menu, then I definitely plan on wearing an apron! What are some kitchen mishaps you learned a lesson from?

Looking Forward

Posted on by

23

Hello everybody! Recently, I’ve made some relieving discoveries in my life lately. Most of my past days have been spent researching… (and decorating)! Researching what? Well, it all started out with a painful pimple I got last week. The day after the nasty bugger popped up I had to think to myself, “what did I have the other day that might’ve been different?” Hmm… I’m pretty sure it was all of those cookies and chocolates I had when I went to Ikea. Over the months of observing what could be triggering breakouts… stress, periods, or even foods, I realized that it was mostly processed sugars triggered my breakouts. I definitely knew hard liquors did it for me, but when the next morning I woke up with a painful pimple on my cheek I had an inkling it was the all of the sweets I had the day prior. And that’s when Detective Katharina showed up. After reading many studies, books, and articles; I came to a possible answer. Let’s just say I was enlightened. I don’t believe it’s the sugars that directly trigger my breakouts, but rather that my liver isn’t as strong. Which is why the things that the liver normally processes out, pretty much come out on my face. I’ve dealt with this problem for years, and I’ve been longing for clear skin for so long. No matter how many creams I’ve been prescribed, they never seemed to tackle the issue. And I believe it’s because the doctors really only assessed the problem at a superficial level. The body is a wonderful thing, and communicates to us in many ways. Sometimes the real source of it is further than what meets the eye. I’ve been reading a book on Ayurveda–when am I not reading something about Ayurveda–and it makes so much sense. My approach to things in general is a very holistic one. Rather than only focusing on one component, I look at how it might be connected to something else, and maybe the solution lies within that. Gosh, I have so much to say on this, but I think my upcoming posts will give me more of an opportunity to talk about this more. Perhaps I’ll make a video post… yes? I wanted to share that with you, but let’s move on to some feasting for the eyes that will maybe inspire you to create a feast for you taste buds and belly!

This…
with the sweet addition of my long forgotten lavender honey…
All together now… yum!
When was the last time I had a bowl of “carrot cake” oats?
Oh, it’s been too long!
I spy something golden…
It’s all in the details.
Next thing you know I was transported to someone else’s living room.
Ikea’s living room that is.

It was also the day before I had my “epiphany”. But back to my day at Ikea… After hours of looking and shopping around we went back to my friend’s house.

Isn’t her kitty adorable?
And kind of crazy too!
My friend wanted to surprise her mom with a newly decorated and rearranged home!
A little more to the right…
Look what I did! Her little sister let me use her glow-in-the dark marker set.

It’s a blind contour drawing of her kitty when she was sitting on my bags, if you couldn’t tell hehehe.

Eventually I came home and I was inspired and still in my zone…
My friend had given me decorating fever!

Check out the new bowl! Banana and peanut butter is a classic combination.

With coconut? I think you can already guess what I’m going to say.

I went to the store and recruited my army.

Together, I think we will be victorious!

Here are some foods that your liver will be giving you extra thanks for: broccoli, watercress, kale, celery, artichoke, carrots, turmeric, garlic, onions, mango, beets, berries, oranges, spinach, Swiss chard, and the list goes on! Also, fresh squeezed lemon juice in warm water first thing in the morning helps produce bile. How could I almost forget! Papaya is also on that list. Hooray for having a papaya tree in my backyard! I’m so happy that there are so many foods that will help strengthen my liver.

Omega-3's are your friend.

Since I’m a vegetarian I did some research on ways I can get great sources of plant-based Omega-3’s. It’s also important to note that the ratio of Omega-3’s is higher than the Omega-6’s in your source. Some examples would be flaxseed (ground or oil), chia seeds, and hemp seeds.

Also got a new plate and placemat as well.

More importantly, what's on the plate?

Kidney beans cooked and mashed with spices and herbs like cinnamon, oregano, a bit of chili, and cumin. I served it with a fresh salad, rice, avocado, and cilantro. I also poured on some flaxseed oil–my liver said thank you!

A grateful liver breakfast... that sounds gross actually, but this wasn't!

I purchased some golden flaxseeds at the store the other day and ground them to reap their benefits. Mandiee has this all the time, and it definitely sparked my curiosity! I served it over oats mixed with another ingredient which is now apart of the “usual”. Enter maca powder, known for its hormone balancing properties. I’ve known that my hormones have been out of whack since last summer when I went through a long period of medical testing. Come to think of it, I don’t remember mentioning it on my blog. I decided to bring this issue to the forefront though because you know what? You never know who may be going through something similar, and it may help them out! Anyway, this bowl was incredibly delicious with all the cherries, blueberries, kefir, pumpkin seed butter, the whole kit and caboodle. Surprisingly, the maca powder did not make this bowl of overnight oats taste icky.

Such a delicious soup and calming as well.

As soon as I read the words “Butternut Squash Pear Soup” from Joy’s list of fantastic recipes, I knew I had to make it. Not to mention, this was incredibly easy to make. Just the simple addition of pear took this soup to another level. I also served it at a temperature that felt comfortable for the warm weather–not completely chilled and slightly warm.

An incredibly creamy hummus... and it's homemade?

I added in a special ingredient to this classic hummus recipe. Actually, I added in a few! While making the artichoke hummus I kept a reader’s comment in mind. Awhile back when I posted my sun-dried tomato hummus recipe, I remembered that Phoebe had shared this greatly appreciated tidbit with me: “the secret to amazing hummus is blending your together the lemon juice , oil, garlic and tahini in the food processor to make an emulsion, before you add in the chickpeas, then (this is the secret bit) you add a tablespoon or two of plain greek yoghurt, its typical of turkish hummus, and absolutely delicious!” So I did just that. You must take her word for it!

A "snacky" lunch

I finally decided to pick up a box of Mary’s Gone Crackers when I was at the store the other day. The fact that they have flax seeds in them is just another incentive! Have any of you tried them? I was thinking of getting the black pepper or caraway flavor, but I opted to stick to the original since it was my first time trying them. I just steamed some kale and broccoli, cut up a carrot, some cherry tomatoes, and marinated artichokes. Served with artichoke hummus and flax seed oil drizzled on everything! Honestly, it’s amazing because I can already see changes in my skin, and I’m not the only one commenting on its noticeable clarity.

Since I like to keep things light, airy, and fun–not dark, dreary, and dull; the mentality of focusing on what I can have versus what I can’t have will make this easier. No strict regimen for me! Not to mention, I’m so excited about clear skin and new recipes that I think my positive outlook will help greatly on my little journey. By the way, if you have any recipes that you’d like to share that crossed your mind when reading this post, please let me know! Just because I’m going to have to be more concentrated on certain foods, doesn’t mean my eats have to become boring and routine. I like to add that “spice to life” no matter what may come my way.  Plus, in the end I know that once I reach the light at the end of the so-called tunnel, it’ll all be worth it. Afterall, it’s not something that is going to take forever.

What do you have to look forward to?

p.s. any advice is always greatly appreciated!