just another reminder to stop and appreciate the flowers.
hey friends!
it’s been a while… and i have lots to fill you in on. for now, i wanted to share some of my favorite beers with you. i’m discovering more all the time, as north carolina has some great microbrews!
although you can catch me drinking sam adams’ octoberfest beer pretty much all the way through thanksgiving, i have a few other kinds of beers i like to drink this time of year…
flying dog does a great belgian-style IPA, which helps me transition from summer to fall…
this was an interesting ale… i haven’t seen it since this one time i tried it…
happy new year, friends!
in honour of resolutions and commitments to a healthier life and all that jazz… and just because i truly believe in this lifestyle, i want to present a gentle reminder – don’t forget to “eat the rainbow!” as in : plenty of colourful foods, including lots of fruits and vegetables!
some things i’ve been enjoying lately:
– baked purple sweet potato
– roasted cabbage w/ bacon bits
– kaniwa w/ sautéed garlic and onion
– slow-cooked smoked ham and green beans
—
nom nom!
happy wednesday, gang!
it seems like italian food, festivals, wine, and celebrations are everywhere i look this time of year… did i miss a memo!? anyway, i’m all for it. i love me some good pasta, and i used to be so intimated by cooking it… but not anymore!
i just wanted to share this pretty pasta dish i made recently… as the temps cool down, i will transition into more hearty foods like squash, soups, potatoes, root veggies, and the like… but for now, i am still holding on to lighter fare with dishes like this – a simple pasta salad with italian sausage.
cook and drain pasta of choice… these little orechiette {which means “little ear”} are so fun, so i chose them!
then simply chop up all your ingredients, and drizzle in your favourite vinaigrette like italian or french dressing… something with a little punch. toss all the ingredients together, sprinkle with tons of freshly-grated parmigiano reggiano… and admire the rainbow of food you’re about to eat!
this keeps well in the fridge and is a great option for batch-cooking for lunches, etc.
nom nom!
eat the rainbow!
farm-fresh veggies and homemade ranch dip with simple greek yogurt and herbs.
colourful mixed bell peppers, olives, sugar snap peas, baby carrots, and mini cucumbers.
nom nom!!
it’s been a while since i’ve done a post about a vitamix smoothie! however, it’s that time of year when i find myself wanting to eat a little less and drink a little more. the heat of the summer causes us to sweat out toxins and i find that my body craves the freshness of a cold fruit smoothie to help replenish vital minerals.
berry-cream vitamix smoothie : frozen blueberries, blackberries, cherries, and peaches, with fresh dates and coconut milk
do you sometimes do what i do?
…catch myself feeling guilty for not drinking more smoothies, so i’ll run out and buy a bunch of stuff to make them with, but then i don’t make nearly as many smoothies as i said i would, and those yummy ingredients go bad in the fridge. and nothing upsets me more than wasting food! {and money, for that matter!}
well, may i suggest something i do in order to avoid wasting precious resources?! just keep canned or boxed coconut milk in the house and/or fridge! you can purchase coconut milk in aseptic {shelf-stable} containers. why coconut milk? well, i personally prefer coconut milk for the healthy fat content as well as the the fact that the coconut is pretty much one of the most amazing things on the planet! not only is coconut milk loaded with vitamins and minerals, it’s also great for your heart, your hair, your skin, your nails… shall i go on?! furthermore, i’ve created the habit of freezing any overripe fruits that i buy, and that way i always have the two main ingredients i need to make a smoothie!
of course, you can also add in spinach or kale to get a little extra vitamins and nutrients. for this concoction, i kept it pure and simple. just frozen blueberries, blackberries, cherries, and peaches blended with fresh dates and coconut milk. it’s light and fresh and only gently sweet. dates are nature’s candy! they are loaded with potassium and create a little sweetness without adding in unnecessary calories or sugar. and this smoothie is perfectly refreshing on a hot summer afternoon!
drink the rainbow!
i made these yummy cookies in 2012 for the holiday, and it’s become a tradition ever since.
it’s no secret to those who know me well, that i am not a good baker. i can whip up things in the kitchen over a skillet pretty amazingly, but one can’t “wing it” when baking… it is a legit science! and i respect that… i just can’t seem to nail it.
but i did with these cookies! Continue reading
between farmer’s markets, my new job, and cool new people in my life – i’m one blessed {and grateful!} lady! ❤
perhaps you may know by now, that i have a major affinity for salt. himalayan pink salt being my top pick… in fact, i love salt so much that sometimes people buy it for me or bring it back from france as a gift… {how lucky am i!?}
this beautiful salt is called “black lava” and i recently discovered the most interesting thing about it. apparently, it is simply salt from the hawaiian shore that has been “infused” with activated charcoal… typically from coconuts. WHAT! did you know that??!! crazy! therefore, this awesome salt is also very detoxifying and has been used in spas across the country. furthermore, i discovered that it is considered a “finishing salt”… which i must’ve known instinctively {thanks to my intuitive-eating lifestyle}, because i totally just put some on this delicious tomato the other day and devoured it…
it has a slight smokey flavour and i just love the colour!
definitely nab some up if you find it in your specialty department or store. it’s worth the extra expense, and the trace mineral content is also very high in this salt, which just adds to its awesomeness.
i can’t seem to get enough of these gorgeous locally-grown organic and adorable cherry tomatoes, lately…
i fotograph and write about these amazing little gems all the time… i just think they are so beautiful! and they are so incredibly delicious! so flavourful and juicy! i just pop ’em in my mouth like candy… nature’s candy!
nom nom…
and i put them in everything – my salads, my risotto, my frittatas, my sauces, my {awesome} zucchini strips…
these little red ones look kinda like strawberries… teehehe
FOOD IS SO COOL!!!!! 😀
i think it’s so cool that so many things grow wild up here… asparagus, morel mushrooms…
…and raspberries!
a look inside my {colourful} lunchbox – volume 2
– lemon pepper smoked salmon chunks
– noosa brand yoghurt with vanilla almond granola
– steamed chioggia beets
– nut thins crackers : almond flavour
– sauteed swiss chard with garlic
– tomato, mushroom, and spinach amaranth porridge
– a few slices of premium salami
—
“plumango” vitamix smoothie :
– 1 fresh plum
– 1/4 cup dried mango
– 1/4 organic banana
– 1/4 cup frozen cherries
– 1/4 cup fresh spinach
– 1 teaspoon flax seeds
– 1 cup almond milk
no, it’s not a typo. i called this dish “rainbow rainbow quinoa because… well – look at it. 😉
i wanted to use up some stuff in the fridge – like my shredded carrots and leftover cabbage… both of which, to me, can be a challenge to use up for one person. i find that quinoa is a great “anything goes” kind of dish. so when i’m looking to use up fresh veggies, i usually throw them in with quinoa. another reason i love quinoa is because it is a complete protein. basically what that means is it contains all 9 essential amino acids. this makes it a great grain for vegans or vegetarians.
rainbow rainbow quinoa – ingredients :
– 1/2 cup rinsed rainbow quinoa
– 1/2 cup chopped red cabbage
– 1/2 cup shredded carrots
– 1/4 finely chopped onion
– 2 cloves diced garlic
– 1 cup raw baby spinach
a look inside my {colourful} lunchbox :
– natural raw almonds
– fresh asparagus sauteed in olive oil
– large colourful salad w/ italian vinaigrette
– savory parmigiano reggiano baked chicken
– steamed zucchini medallions
– pastrami turkey strips and parm reggi chunks
– fresh organic strawberries
{i just love my laptop lunches bento box!} 😀
i noticed a few new followers have joined the fun – thank you and welcome!
in case you don’t know this about me, i love to eat anything with colour. i believe in living by the motto… well, a lot of “mottos” really – but one of them is “eat the rainbow.” if your food has colour naturally, it is good for you! this dish definitely meshes with that motto. i whipped it up last week when i was doing a short veggie cleanse. i just love mushrooms – do you?!
this is a great vegan dish, or a healthy random way to get in a ton of veggies all at once. sometimes i’ll construct meals entirely of vegetables… this one i just made up on the spot, when inspired by the fresh-looking produce in the market.
simple ingredients : portabella mushrooms, zucchini, purple cabbage, shredded carrots.
i’m fascinated by the intricate insides of certain vegetables – like cabbage. Continue reading
how’s that for a title?!
vitamix-ing {and really, smoothie-making in general} is all about experimenting. sometimes you nail it. sometimes you don’t. more times than not, it turns out amazing… like in this case. 🙂
purple-ish vitamix smoothie :
– 1/4 cup frozen blackberries
– 1/4 cup frozen pineapple
– 1/4 cup red/purple cabbage
– 1 pitted date {for sweetness}
– 2-3 dehydrated apple wedges {i like to dehydrate stuff}
– 1/2 – 2/3 cup coconut milk
– splash of orange juice
– sprinkle in a little raw protein powder
—
and the fact that it tastes amazing is a huge bonus to how incredibly healthy and good for you it is!! 😀
check out that colour!!!
this is one colourful dish! and fun to eat, too!
simple ingredients :
– 1 pound organic grass-fed beef {i choose 85%}
– 1/2 pound fingerling potatoes {any potato will do, i just had leftovers}
– 1 medium shallot
– handful sugar snap peas, shelled
– organic shredded cheese of choice {i went with cheddar}
tell me you’ve tried these before?! i’m pretty sure i’ve mentioned them at least once or twice on this here blog of mine… they are definitely a staple in my home! what’s better than colourful carbohydrates?!
i was a little surprised and way excited when i spotted this multi-coloured pack at the market. my favourite way to prepare them is to simply drizzle them with tons of olive oil and S&P and roast them in a 400 degree oven for about a half hour…
the finished product is a sheen, tender and sweet potato ready for poppin!
they make an excellent side dish, and are also great in soups.
food & foto 