lychee | Katharina's Food Adventures

Oi! A lot has been going on for me since I last updated. Lots of it was stressful. First off, my apartment situation was totally up in the air, and it seemed like my potential room mates were impossible to contact. Does anyone find that lots of people avoid being straight forward if they’re the bearers of the words, “I can’t” or “no”? Honestly, I’d rather have a straight forward answer than none at all because instead you’re left waiting, and with certain things you just can’t do that. But you know what? I also realized that I have to watch out for myself, and if I did all I could to inform them of the situation then my ship could sail. Fortunately, eventually it all got straightened out and I have a place to live when I go back up to Virginia. I was so stressed out about this that I even forgot my pin code as I was checking out at the store–brain fart! Then I had my recent computer melt down. I’m glad to report that I have a new hard drive (more room than ever before hoorah)!

During these past couple of weeks I found myself repeating one of my mantras to my self, “rise above the stress.” Some times though it was really hard, and things got under my skin very easily. It’s funny because I was totally aware of my irritability and I didn’t like it, but at the time I couldn’t help it. I think it’s totally healthy to express an array of feelings be them happy, sad, frustrated, or simply content. My frustration to led to mini-outbursts which are quite humorous looking back on them now. It’s like when my mom gets so snappy and annoyed when she’s hungry–my dad and I have learned to not take it personally, and quickly find her something to munch on! Anyway, my point with this is that it’s okay to not be happy all the time. Whenever a friend of mine is crying, I let them cry and not because I like to see that, but because it’s good to just get it out. Jump for joy, sulk in disappointment, but whatever it is… acknowledge it. Then… let it go. Life keeps coming at you so remember to keep your eyes open, or you may miss something.

Ah, now that I got that out, how about we start with a bowl of pumpkin country spice granola.

With Greek yogurt, a diced apple, and medjool dates, please. Oh! And don’t forget the peanut butter!

Or toasted coconut flakes perhaps?

You never know what treasures you may find for sale on the side of the road…

Lychee grown in someone's backyard!

The vendor gave my dad some hope and advice, so now we're trying to grow a date tree!

You know what else happened recently that was exciting? Guess!

Getting warmer...

Here's a hint: a table for two and free champagne for the ladies till 8:30...

Look at who I got the pleasure of meeting!

Maya was in Miami for a few days for a conference, and I was so happy to get to meet another blogger! This was especially exciting because I’ve never had a blogger meet-up in Florida. Hellooo, are there any south Florida bloggers out there?

I picked up m’lady from her hotel and then we headed over to Coconut Grove–a perfect place for people watching. We decided to go to GreenStreet Cafe, and when we got there we knew we had to sit outside. Anywhere we want… really? Of course we decided to sit on these snazzy lounge seats they had.

Two mamacitas enjoying a perfect evening in Miami.

I ordered the "Fig Salad, Mixed Greens, Dried Figs, Tomatoes, Aged Cheese, Pita, Caramelized Pecans"

Maya ordered the vegetarian pizza with: Fresh Tomato Sauce, Broccoli, Eggplant, Mushroom, and Goat Cheese

We asked if they could substitute goat cheese instead of what was on the menu. The waitress happily customized the order for us–free of charge! Lots of places make you pay extra for something little like that. Naturally, we split our plates and both were oh so good! We agreed, however, that the fig salad was the star of the show. We couldn’t get enough! Maya and I talked for hours. No joke, we could’ve talked our heads off if we had more time.

Creepy looking boats

After our dinner we walked around Coconut Grove and ended up just wandering off to the residential area that brought us to another part of the world. It felt like a mix of Spain with the jungles of South America. We both swore we smelled paella as we were walking past a villa. At one point it started to drizzle, but it was so refreshing. Eventually, I had to take her back and we said our… see you laters! That’s one of the greatest things about meeting other bloggers… I never feel like I’m just meeting that person. Instead I feel like I’ve already known them for ages!

A hop and a skip over to my beloved German restaurant...

They opened early for the soccer game--that means breakfast!

And yes, beer was being served in the early hours of the day!

Deutschland had a victory!

I can’t wait to watch them play with Argentina on Sunday!

After the Germany vs. England game we headed over to a Colombian restaurant to watch Argentina vs. Mexico.

At first I was nervous about Argentina’s win over Mexico because they are such an amazing team, but you know what? Either way it will be a great match. Let’s just hope Germany wins though hehehe!

And I leave you with this...

I’m working on fine-tuning the recipe for these bars. I’ve already made a second batch and they are so much better than the first. I’m loving coming up with the different combinations, and figuring out what I need more or less of. I’m actually hoping to sell these, and I know my mom’s friends at her work are interested! What are some of your favorite combinations for bars and granola?

I have so many shout-outs to make in this post! So let me begin by saying a big hello to our favorite chocolate-covered vegan, Katie. I was looking for recipes to use up some of the carrot pulp leftover from my dad’s juicing extravaganza:

Dad is busy juicing. To all of you that like to buy your brews at Trader Joe's try out Lindemans Belgian Framboise beer with raspberries.

What to do? What to do?

I finally found the perfect recipe! I made a variation of her 24-Carrot Gold Muffins. Instead of muffins, I just made bread. “Same great flavor, just different look.”

Look at all those carrot fibers!

I of course had this as part of my delicious breakfast this morning, but I’ll save that for the next post!

Now moving right along. This next recipe I tried came from another beloved vegan, Gena! After reading all the rave reviews for her Italian “raw cheese”, I knew I had to give it a try. I finally got my hands on some raw cashews.

Enter the infinite abyss of goodness.

The first step involved getting the cashews to the right consistency. Now I know where the cheesy flavor comes from! So what’d I decide to make?

A new take on pizza! Polenta rounds and...

... topped with tomato sauce.

Excuse my super cheesy smile. My mom got really into taking pictures of me, and I was just ready to try this! I also quickly sliced some zucchini and cooked it in a Sherry Red Wine Barbeque sauce.

Mom and Dad couldn't wait either!

We thought Mom's poses were funny!

Oh my! Gena, this recipe was to die for. I’m definitely going to be making this more often. If you haven’t tried it, you should! It’s incredibly easy to make. At the end of the meal I asked my parents how they enjoyed their gluten-free and vegan meal. I follow neither a vegan or gluten-free lifestyle, but I think it’s always interesting to try new things – although I am a vegetarian. Luckily, my parents are very open-minded as well when it comes to food. But in the end we all agree that taste is key! And this meal was one that I wished could’ve lasted forever. Not only was it delicious, but we were all in a good, light-hearted mood. The right way to end a Sunday.

Remember how I asked you guys which nut butter you guys recommended? Well, thanks Jenny for sharing this link with us, I think I’m going to go with a jar of 365 peanut butter. The other day I went to the local discount healthfood store. As I was making my way down the nut butter aisle to see what they had, I stumbled upon a fairly priced jar of almond butter. I’ve missed my almond butter so much. Surprise, surprise, it was a jar of Blue Diamond! Kailey, I tried this as soon as I got home, and I understand why you love it so much! My mom asked me what it was. How to answer her… to share or not to share? I shared, and she answered. One word came from her mouth. “YUM!!!”

I also found another product at the store that I’ve seen on VeggieGirl’s blog.

Living Harvest Hempmilk

I don’t think I could drink a cup of this alone. But like I said before, don’t knock it till you try it. It’s a shame because it’s super nutritious and sounds interesting. So what am I going to do with the rest of this carton? I’m using it to add to my smoothies, as most of the flavor comes from the fruits I add in and not really the “milk” I use – unless it’s coconut milk! Oh! At this discount healthfood store I discovered that they sell boxes of Kashi Go-Lean cereal for – get this – $1.67! I’m definitely stocking up before I head back up to Richmond.

Yesterday, I decided to sign up for one more class for the next semester. So these are the classes I’m going to be taking:

Readings in Literature

Taoism

Intermediate Sculpture

Basic Video

Introduction to World Cinema (This is a Saturday class but I heard the teacher is awesome, oh and incredibly good looking!)

Zoe Foods product reviews

: The motherload!

: Thanks so much Kim! Your generosity is overwhelming.

: Uh oh! I sense the only child syndrome surfacing.

So far I’ve tried a few things from my big box of goodies!

: I tried the Chocolate Peanut Butter Bliss bar.

Alongside I had a bowl of Bircher Muesli soaked in fig yogurt, topped with fruits and pecans. The bar is so yummy! I wish I took a picture of what it looked like. I could see the little crispy grains and it wasn’t overwhelmingly sweet. I definitely didn’t want to leave my tummy feeling sour before my yoga class. The balance between peanut butter and chocolate was pulled off successfully with this bar! Moreover, they’re also full of protein, fiber, and contain Omega-3’s! I gave a bite for my mom to try as well and she very much enjoyed it. She’s not a picky eater, but I can vouch for her that these are indeed yummy! I’ve never seen them in stores though, so that might be an issue, but Zoe Foods does have an online store. Here’s a link to the following retailers that do carry their bars.

However, there is a product of theirs that I do see in stores often.

Next up is Zoe's Granola!

I’ve been looking forward to trying out their granola for a long time! So I made it extra special by making a red wine reduction for some beautiful peach slices. Which granola do I try first? Cranberries Currants, Honey Almond, or Cinnamon Raisin? Decisions decisions. I opted for Honey Almond over some fresh yogurt! Okay, I admit that I knew what I would be getting myself into even before my first bite. I’m happy to report that my intuition failed me not! I loved this breakfast so much.

Lastly, I tried the Chocolate Delight bar.

However, I am not the biggest fan of chocolate on chocolate. It didn’t taste horrible, just not my cup of tea. I gave it to my parents since I would hate for food to go to waste. Luckily, my parents enjoyed this one! I think you have to really like chocolate to want this bar. So for all you super chocolate lovers, you might just find a new addition to indulge your little tastebuds.

I still have more Zoe Foods products to review, so keep an eye out!

Okay, so I think most have you noticed my inner-artist jump out of me and on to my plates! I am a person who’s very much into living an aesthetically pleasing life. Maybe I should go into design? Well I’m majoring in sculpture + extended media already, so I guess I am designing things. I’m a sucker for packaging i.e. L’Occitane. My favorite store is Anthropologie not only because of what they sell, but every time I go in there I feel like I’m being transfered into another world. I even pour my shampoos, spices, whatever I can think of – into glass containers I find at thrift stores. Oh man, do I take this too far? Well, I guess not as long as I’m enjoying it, right? Right!

So anyway, this brings me to my love of colors and vibrancy. I think nature offers all of that and I love to reap what this wonderful world sows. Which brings me to some more lovely eats based on nature, color, and simplicity.

: There’s something so satisfying about having a nice cup of loose tea.

: A nice way to start the day.

A bowl of coffee oats with bananas, coconut shreds, a gooseberry, and some white chocolate chips.

: What’s inside?

: No, not an alien egg! It’s lychee.

: Drumroll please

: A gooseberry! I’m starting to feel like a magician with cheap tricks.

A nice glass of some juice my dad made with a scoop of Edy's Tart Honey yogurt blend.: I love that a papaya can act as it’s own bowl.

: Fig yogurt topped with papaya chunks, blueberries, and granola.

: Toast with goat cheese, dried tomato bits, and avocado.

So I’m going to go against all these pictures of fresh food. But it definitely goes with the theme of good tasting food! Someone not too long brought to my attention that you can order chalupas and gorditas at Taco Bell with beans. That means, all these years I haven’t been eating them are now gone. I don’t get cravings for Taco Bell, but when I’m on a road trip, it makes life a lot easier. So on the drive down to Florida I knew what I wanted for dinner. I had my parents find a Taco Bell, and ordered myself a Baja Vegetarian Gordita and it was so yummy! It didn’t fill me up at all, but I had packed other things that helped do the trick. Just wanted to pass the word along to anyone else who did not know this.

Whew! This post was hard work to organize. But I love sharing with you guys, and I love what I learn from all of you. Everyone is different, but I can still see the inspiration we all get from each other’s wonderful eats.

p.s. If you haven’t tried Edy’s tart honey yogurt blend, I highly suggest it! I can’t wait to try out other flavors. I’m thinking I might have a slice of carrot bread and a some Edy’s before I go to bed.