Tag Archives: light

{a holiday haiku}

24 Dec

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sometimes the best gift

can’t be put into a box…

unwrap love all year.

{wild rice with lemon chicken, shallots, and tomatoes}

24 Feb

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it’s a little sad for me to admit that i just haven’t been cooking as much lately. i lovelovelovelovelove my tiny home, don’t get me wrong… but it has been a bit of a challenge to fotograph my recipes in action within 180 square feet.

so, i’ve just had to change the way i do things a little. and that’s okay.  i’m super forever inspired by one of my favourite bloggers – i mean she’s cute as a button, and she is into the same stuff i’m into regarding eating healthy and with the seasons.  i love her style of fotography as well; so simple and elegant and she’s such a new yorker – so classy.

i’m still working out the kinks to finding the perfect way to fotograph inside the tiny home – but for now, here’s a simple recipe i made up this weekend that turned out delicious! Continue reading

{meatless mondays – farmers market pasta!}

24 Jun

oh my goodness was this a lovely meal. the whole day was lovely yesterday : there was such amazing energy in the air!  that supermoon energy was flowing all around me and through me, it was awesome!!!!  did any of you get a chance to see the super moon?  it was too cloudy here, so i will have to camp out next year 🙂  but i definitely still felt the energy this weekend!!!!

i took a little trip to a farmers market a little north of me in search of some kirby cucumbers to make pickles with.  no luck in that department, unfortunately… however i did discover some amazing things while there! and with most of the ingredients i purchased yesterday, i made this incredible pasta dish!

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farmers market pasta.

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most everything in this dish was purchased fresh from the market yesterday…

– garlic chive pasta from pappardelle’s {amazing!!  family-owned company and they have over 100 kinds of pasta!}

– organic heirloom tomatoes

– garlic scapes

– volcanic garlic {i can’t wait to blog about this!}

– fresh chives from my friend’s yard

– basil dressing, cream cheese, tomato paste, and a little parmesan {not from the market, but perfect to have in the fridge for this dish :)) Continue reading

{meatless mondays : quinoa pasta w/ sauteed ramps, simmered pear tomatoes, & fresh english peas}

17 Jun

that’s a mouthful, and a really long title for a blog…but that is essentially what is in this dish, and to leave out any part just seamed wrong.  those are all amazing and wonderful things and when you put them all together you get this incredible dish :

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super healthy, keeps well in the fridge, easy to make, delicious… cute. 🙂

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i mean, seriously though – it’s cute… sure – it’s pasta, but it’s cute. 😛

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i’ve mentioned this pasta before – i love it for a bunch of reasons, including the fact that it is non-gmo, organic, and gluten-free. Continue reading

{just some jams i have on repeat lately… and maybe a random foto of my cat}

14 Jun

i maybe have bounced around my apartment a few times dancing and singing along…

and alanis is just awesome – plus this song just makes me feel thankful for a lot of things…

and here’s callee – finding the only sunbeam in the house at the time :

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she’s so damn cute!!

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{meatless mondays : seasonal english peas simmered in a san marzano sauce}

6 May

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a co-worker suggested i try this recipe when i said, “what should i do with the delicious english peas i bought today?”

it’s a pretty basic recipe – with a special ingredient of cinnamon… which i must admit, i don’t really ever use in my cooking – unless a recipe specifically calls for it.  i don’t keep in the pantry or anything… although, i am really wanting an organic spice rack – should anyone be wondering what to randomly gift me 🙂

what i love about this recipe is the simplicity – and i was surprised at how nicely the cinnamon complimented the overall dish.  the key is always adding a little at a time… the rice also brought the dish together – i used simple jasmine rice for this dish.  i like the texture and flavour.

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ingredients :

– organic authentic san marzano tomatoes {canned}

– fresh garlic

– olive oil

– ground cinnamon

– basmati or jasmine rice Continue reading

{thirsty thursday} – the “tunacado sammy”

20 Sep

i like to make up names for my food…

i can’t remember where i picked this idea up… maybe it was during my cleanse, i was talking to someone about dairy and particularly mayonnaise and how i don’t really like it and i wish there was a better dressing for my tuna sandwiches. then i heard about trying an avocado in place of dressing – and HOLY SMOKES!  what a better sammy it makes!

so, here’s the extremely simple recipe : Continue reading

{meatless monday} — audrey michelle’s simple house salad

17 Sep

sometimes, i just want crunch, texture, tangy, salty, slightly cheesy, light food.  and usually i crave a salad.  i eat really well, generally speaking.  i have a healthy, well-balanced diet.  and so if i’m craving something, i listen to that craving.  i have noticed i’ll crave something like this simple salad after i’ve loaded up on too many carbs or rich proteins.  it’s like my body finds a way to tell me i need the balance… so cool.

i’ve been kind of a slacker eater this past week.  i was up in the mountains for work a couple weeks ago and the company gave us a pretty hefty per diem for food, so i just splurged.  plus, it’s a 3-hour ride so we snacked and snacked! also, uhm… continental breakfast!?  yes, please.  every morning! Continue reading

{meatless monday} roasted rainbow zucchini pizza strips

3 Sep

HAPPY LABOR DAY!  hope you are enjoying the weekend – getting some late sunshine, firing up the grill one last time, taking a final dip in the pool, and of course, eating and drinking!

i thought i’d share a fun recipe in honor of the holiday weekend.

these were super fun and easy to make. i made some in the past, but wanted to try a little different approach this time – mostly, more colour. i love zucchini anyway, but the inspiration for this dish was to use up some of the cream cheese i had in the fridge as well as a few of the tomatoes i had lying around – never want those to go to waste!!!  when i spotted the multicolour ones at work, i had to snag them up.  it’s too bad there aren’t too many “blue” foods, or i would’ve made a slightly more festive version 🙂 Continue reading

{thirsty thursday} – homemade salsa, guacamole, and ginger ale {{and GO BRONCOS!}}

30 Aug

i like making stuff myself.

salsa and guac are always so easy, super healthy, and a hit for any occasion.  i sometimes just like to have it sitting out while i’m preparing dinner or of course, during any football game. i’m so happy it’s preseason!  the broncos are playing super late tonight, so i look forward to catching the game!!!

Continue reading

{meatless monday} – simple and colourful pasta salad

27 Aug

i heart italian dressing.

and i’m always trying to find ways to put in on things.  i would like to come up with a recipe of my own and just make it at home, but somehow i don’t seem to get the combinations right, it’s frustrating.  so i just buy whole foods’ brand.  and it’s probably just about the same cost as buying the ingredients to make yourself, to be honest.  plus i love a light summer salad for dinner, but those days are almost over – womp womp.

mostly i just had this stuff lying around, so i put it all together with some veggie pasta and VIOLA!  something to put italian dressing on!  Continue reading

{meatless monday} – super easy and pretty rainbow tacos

20 Aug

these could not be simpler.  nor more delicious and healthy and light and good for you.

– whole wheat locally made tortillas, warm them up if you like

– organic black beans, drained and slightly heated via stovetop w/ a little S&P

– fresh avocado, chopped

– organic cherry tomatoes, chopped

– organic sharp cheddar cheese, shredded {normally i’d buy white, but the colour is only from annatto and i’m down with that, because it makes the rainbow in my rainbow tacos look really great…}

– sweet onion, diced Continue reading

{meatless monday} – spaghetti squash w/ spinach

13 Aug

i heart spaghetti squash.  a lot.

i love the texture, the colour, the crunch… it’s a great vegan option — in fact, why didn’t i make this on my cleanse?! i think it wasn’t available in organic at the time… anyway, here are the {uber-simple} ingredients i used :

Continue reading

{meatless monday} – sweet potato, carrot, & falafel open-faced pitas

6 Aug

good morning, happy monday, hope you all had a nice weekend.

i was delightfully lazy yesterday, glued to the couch and the olympics most of the day.  i completely heart sundays for that reason.  if i want to go somewhere, i can – but mostly it’s just my day to rest… and eat.  🙂

this dish was created because i always keep falafel in the house – it’s one of my protein staples, and i love love love it!  i also had another bunch of the purple carrots – and i know they compliment sweet potatoes well.  i had almond milk in the fridge, and i keep the spice on hand because i love curry spice!  i didn’t have any tomatoes around, so i used tomato paste for a little extra flavour : Continue reading

meatless monday – “nutri-tatoes”

30 Jul

i’m not feeling very well at all today.  so this is going to be a quick and to-the-point post.  a simple vegan recipe that i feel the whole family will love…

super easy to make, too. keeps well in the fridge, can be reheated, and of course – good for you! i had these quite a few times on my cleanse, as i could feel my body needing the protein. Continue reading

black bean quinoa w/ heirloom tomatoes and pale lager

23 Jul

yep, that says pale lager.  i had beer, too!!  🙂

so, this was my first “solid” meal after my cleanse.  this was the first grain and/or legume i had in 7 days!  so weird. hard to believe i made it through that cleanse.  the middle ground was definitely the hardest, but today i feel great!  i also did a ton of “other” cleansing last night to include a calcium bentonite clay mask, mustard seed bath, sage-smudging, and meditation by candlelight and incense.  i literally feel anew today.  it’s a weird space to be in, actually. i’m not entirely sure what the next step is.  kind of a void, if you will.  but it’s not a negative thing. it’s just that i feel so fresh and new and it’s like i want to reinvent myself and the world around me… i can’t help but think of one of my favourite bloggers when i say that – it’s like i want to create a new mantra for my life… and so i will.

today it started with gratitude, snuggles from my kitty, yoga {this video is similar to my morning practice – also what got me started doing yoga!}, and a detox tea.

last night for dinner, this is what went down : Continue reading

“i see you” {AKA audrey michelle’s very emotional, real, and cathartic DIY cleanse update}

21 Jul

well, here it is – the official “end” i suppose.

{oh and by the way, this is one LONG AND WORDY POST!  be forewarned.}

i made it 5 whole days {entering my 6th now} eating only raw or steamed organic fruits and vegetables, juice, water and kombucha.  funny thing is, i don’t think i’m going to stop.  i had absolutely no idea how this cleanse would effect me – i certainly didn’t fathom it effecting me more on an emotional level than physical.  and i dare say – spiritual.  it almost brings tears to my eyes {again} as i write this.

yesterday was rough.  the worst day to date.  so why the hell would i want to keep putting myself through this?! good question… Continue reading

zucchini pizza strips

11 Jul

food can be fun.

i love it when i see a recipe or look at a vegetable a different way and say, “what if i tried it like this…”  because typically, i’m a creature of habit.  when i find something that works for me, i stick with it.  i often don’t sway.  in fact, i had been using the same ranch dressing for like, 7 years.  annies organic cowgirl ranch.  i love the stuff.  but then one day a co-worker suggested this other brand {with less fat, made from yogurt, and still so tasty} and now THAT is my new favourite – haha.  i guess my point is, sometimes i get tunnel vision. but this blog has helped me to rethink ways of preparing food.  i always chop my veggies into 1-2 inch pieces, and steam them or saute them.  sometimes i’ll roast them all together.  but never did it occur to me to cut zucchini into strips and serve it like a pizza slice!!  what! Continue reading

stuffed belgian endive leaves w/ seasonal english peas

25 Jun

this was a seriously fun dish!  easy to make – fresh, light, healthy, perfect for summer on the patio.  easy clean-up.  can be served as an appetizer or main course if you make extra and serve with a light salad or steamed veggie. perhaps some organic carrots or corn would compliment this nicely… stick with the whole texture theme 😉 Continue reading

italian qrunch patty smothered in homemade tomato sauce

19 Jun

as i’ve mentioned before, i love love love my Qrunch burgers. i was thrilled to discover this week that they are locally made here in colorado!  hooray!  the owners were super kind enough to even feature my last qrunch blog on their facebook page!

i was thrilled to discover a new flavour had come out! the italian version is similar to the original but with a little extra kick and spice and goes so well with this dish i created!!  🙂   Continue reading