Before I say anything in this post I just want to give a warm welcome to some new readers! I am so glad that you all have found my blog and may it bring a smile to your face. So if you’re a reader and haven’t said hello, please don’t be shy. I love discovering new blogs and learning more about all the interesting folks out there! So let’s all dive right in, shall we?

Simply stated, I am a lover of cheese.

Now that we’re on the topic of chocolate, and I happen to be sitting on a throne made of decadent chocolate, it’s only natural to share!

Wow! Can’t quite recall when the last time was that I bit into a milk chocolate bar with such a great flavor. The crunchy hazelnut, the sweet milky chocolate, and the subtle salty twist won me over with the first bite.

Coconut Curry milk chocolate

Stained wrapper

Wonderfully complex. The curry flavor wasn’t just from the curry powder, but rather a blend of coriander, turmeric, mustard, cumin, fenugreek, paprika, red pepper, cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves. So you can imagine…

More leftovers!

It’s amazing what one can do with leftovers. I used the rest of the angel hair pasta for this dish. I sauteed some mushrooms with onions and then simmered them in a tomato sauce with balsamic vinegar. Using the rest of the sage and pumpkin seed crust mix I made awhile ago, I dredged some tofu in it and baked it till it was nice and crispy on the outside. I also tossed in some pine nuts and the very very last of the sage and pumpkin seed mix.

Delicious!

Now I ALWAYS pack snacks for on-the-go, because you never know when hunger may strike!

More spicy black bean burger goodness.

I only have one bean burger left! This one I had with roasted red pepper, onions, ketchup, cilantro, pepper jelly, and melted manchego.

I got home from my night class and I just wanted something comforting so I made a cup of hot cocoa with creamy, thick almond milk.

With a warm cranberry Heart Thrive topped with coconut butter.

The last of the manchego put to great use!

I made a sandwich on this delicious bread (has dried cranberries, sprouted grains, and various nuts and seeds). I filled it with melted manchego, pepper jelly, roasted red pepper, onions, and sweet basil. I also decided to sprinkle on some nutritional yeast on the kale.

Close up was in order.

Then it was time to take my dad to airport.

It's not goodbye, just see you later!

I came home, relaxed, and got ready for a date!

We went to his favorite place... a little Vietnamese restaurant.

The woman already knew his order!

A big bowl of vegetarian pho.

I’m usually not a fan of brothy soups, I prefer thick purees. I tried his soup though and I would definitely order it for myself next time I go there. I thought it was really cool that the plate full of herbs, sprouts, and lime wedges were to rip apart and put in the soup; as much or as little as you’d like because not everyone’s tastes are the same.

I ordered fried tofu in a sweet and spicy lemongrass sauce with steamed rice.

The place may seem like a hole in a wall, but lots of times those restaurants have the best food! There’s a place down the street actually that serves Korean food and I swear the owner is a mother to everyone. If you’re sick she’ll give you extra helpings. These places seem so cozy that you could eat there alone and just hang out for hours. As for the date, it went well, but no romantic sparks. However, I’m going to keep hanging out with him because I think he’s a good friend and you never know what could happen!

Tiramisu for breakfast anyone?

I tried to recreate one of my favorite desserts in oatmeal form after seeing all of Katie’s creative recipes on her blog. Seriously, this little lady is endlessly creative and she has so much positive energy I can feel it through her words! I cooked my oatmeal in chocolate protein powder and instant coffee. Since I didn’t have mascarpone I subbed in some cream cheese, and added that while the oats were cooking. I topped it with coconut butter, more coffee granules, and a lady finger. Not quite like tiramisu but definitely reminiscent; delicious nonetheless!

On this sunny and re-energizing day I decided to tackle some recipes I had been eyeing for quite some time.

Those recipes, my dears, come straight from The Conscious Cook. I took a break from this book for awhile because I missed making up my own things.

Tomato bisque--another recipe of Chef Tal's that calls for cashew cream.

And focaccia with caramelized onions.

For the focaccia I opted to do 50/50 unbleached all-purpose flour and whole wheat. The dough ended up being enough for two large loaves. One for me and one for my roommate! Might I also add… I’m just going to say it flat out: this was my favorite meal all week and I don’t think anything can top it. Nope, can’t even try. The tomato soup was thick and full of flavors from the herbs and bay leaf it simmered with. I ripped off another piece of the bread to scoop up the very last drops of my soup. Foodgasm at it’s finest. And a pat on the back for me… on both sides! Seriously, I’ve forgotten how amazing and satisfying homemade bread is. As I was kneading it, I was reminded of how much fun the process is.

Speaking of being proud of myself, I came across a very inspiring post that Maggie wrote about believing. Click here to check it out. Her message really resonated with me and I felt it throughout the whole day as the sun was giving off it’s glorious and comforting rays. Wow, it’s not even Friday and I’m already celebrating! I hope you’re all in the same boat. Where should we sail?