I have developed an affliction. Indeed I have developed a cruel affliction for someone who likes cooking and eating. No, I haven’t lost my tongue or been forced onto to a diet of shredded wheat and Pot Noodles. No, I haven’t been forced to cook on a ceramic hob at all times, been told to give up alcohol or – God forbid – lost my internet connection. Instead, I have discovered that I have an intolerance. Yep. Bad.

But…before you all shout back “I knew it all along,” and “that explains everything,” it’s not one of your new-aged diagnoses or intolerances, (where one pierces one’s elbow with a bee-sting, stands on a pebble for fifteen minutes and urinates the diagnosis onto rice paper before concluding that a wheat-free diet is in order). Rather boringly, I Googled it and found it straight away.

First, the symptoms (and they are grim, food lovers, believe me – although not in a toiletry way, so you can keep eating your lunch). After doing my friends at You Tuba a favour, by cooking for them at their recording session on Sunday, I noticed that my food began to taste funny. Not wanting to alarm the dozen or so people who had eaten my food, I kept it to myself. After no complaints from them I began to think that perhaps I’d burnt my tongue, or that my fillings were coming out. Indeed, the taste was pretty metallic and sour, as if I was slowly poisoning myself. Over the next few days this continued, and as I cooked and ate I checked that those cooking and eating with me weren’t experiencing the same thing. When it became clear that they weren’t I began to worry. Should I prepare myself for a massive toothache, go to the doctor, or maybe draw up a last will and testament? No, I decided. Google it was then…

The answer came pretty quickly, as it often does. Apparently, quite a few people have been getting this reaction, suffering a bitter taste when they eat or drink anything, even when they clean their teeth. According to various sources, this is getting more prevalent. Worryingly, it can last from between a few days and several weeks.

And the culprit? Pine nuts. Bloody pine nuts. Supposed to be good for you. Bah! I made and ate pesto on Thursday, and had a handful as a little graze on Friday. Damn it! They are off the menu!

Pine nuts = Pine Mouth. No thanks!

The reasons for this reaction, and it’s apparent growth in numbers worldwide, is unclear. It doesn’t seem to be an allergy and it might only come from certain batches (the Chinese have been implicated, but there is insufficient evidence). Needless to say, and especially with the festive season approaching, I’m pining for a return to normal…

Further reading on the great pine nut mystery!

• Why nuts leave a bitter taste
• The Great Pine Nut Mystery
• The Pine Nut Menace
• Taste disturbances after pine nut ingestion

1. paul and john
treemiesters
balloonhands
noo wayy
laughing
most of our way
through the monotony
and when that doesn’t work
i’m locked into the bathroom
singing beulah land

2. burning walnuts
for the pesto
twice

3. sheet tray of potatoes
450 degrees
meets bare arm
shock of heat
pink patching and spreading across skin

4. the undeniable
mathematical
and scientific approach
to poetry
including charts and
computations

5. how quick
sun slips
stopping
halfway there
to fetch bike light
from bag
to be seen
in the thick dark

6. the poem
that killed
the whole room
with sister in the last stanza
i don’t need to tell you
what she’s doing
in the doorway
at the rescue missison

7. this is not a love affair
but i am tortured and passionate

8. the essay
that refuses
to write itself

9. gelato for dinner
kitchen laughter for dessert

10. scalloped hanky
of so many feathers
tucked into
back right pocket

heyo!  so, it is almost midnight  and that means this one is going to be a quickie!

thanks for all your props on my thanksgiving feast creations!  i still have visions of sugar plum fairies sweet potato galette dancing around in my head!  thursday will be a lot more mellow when it comes to dinner~and probably a lot more traditional.  but i do want to make some whole wheat rolls and was wondering if anyone has a good recipe? eh? eh?

oh yeah, i am trying to be speedy.  that’s right. here goes!

meal 1: mighty maple protein oatmeal+oat bran

i found some bob’s red mill oat bran in my work kitchen today and so i decided to go halfsies with the rolled oats and oat bran.  i love the volume and texture oat bran creates!

meal 2: pesto + ww linguine + ground turkey + mushsrooms + steamfresh veggies

so this pasta was leftover from saturday.. i toss in about 1/3 bag of steamfresh mixed veggies to up the serving size.

p.s. i am addicted to houndstooth, as you can see with the bowl my pasta was in.

no.. not that kind of houndstooth!  although randy the basset hound has some nice tooth(s)

i mean the kind that is on my mouse pad.

and multiple notebooks.

and my postits & postit holder.

and my recipe box.

you get the idea.

my boss offered me his season tickets to tonight’s jazz game so i checked with marshall and we decided to go.  marshall’s grandpa’s birthday is tomorrow so it actually worked out perfect.

that mean it had to race home from work so i could still sneak in a workout.  it was lower body strength training today but since i was short on time i swapped my weight workout for some HIIT on the treadmill!

• incline=0
• 1 min 5.0
• 1 min 5.5
• 1 min 6.0
• 1 min 6.5
• 1 min 7.0
• 1 min 7.5
• incline=0.5
• 1 min 6.0
• 1 min 6.5
• 1 min 7.0
• 1 min 7.5
• incline=1.0
• 1 min 6.0
• 1 min 6.5
• 1 min 7.0
• 1 min 7.5
• incline=1.5
• 1 min 6.0
• 1 min 6.5
• 1 min 7.0
• 1 min 7.5
• 1 min 9.0
• incline=0
• 1 min 3.0

the end. hot mess.

went home, showered my mess of a self off and hurried and got ready!

i was out the door but not before whipping up something to eat..

meal 3: turkey & LCL sandwich on nature’s pride whole wheat with yellow mustard

all wrapped up for the road!  i took a pear with me and i also made marshall a sandwich~i was picking him up and knew he was hungry.

the game was fun! my boss has pretty great season ticket seats.

it was really random, i looked to my left and spotted my 3 friends!  if you can see a girl in a red beanie then you win. instead of “where’s waldo?” it is “where’s amber?”  and if you do spot her.. tell her she is crazy for not liking pumpkin pie and whipped cream

i promise i am not stoned and that is marshall, his grandpa and his dad!

side note: the dude sitting next to me ate a whole thing of nachoes, a pretzel with nacho cheese, a tub of popcorn AND a slice of pizza. and soda. i am not one to judge but that was a little ridiculous if you ask me.  not to mention it probably cost him over $50 for it all!

after the game i was super hungry..came home and had part of this, the other part marshall stole..

peach chobani!

my favorite!!

my room is SO cold so i decided it was time to bust out the flannel sheets!  what do you know..

they are houndstooth!

i decided to take a few more photos around my room and bathroom of other random houndstooth stuff i have…

clearly i have a problem. i didn’t even bother photographing the houndstooth shoes.. flats, heels, wedges..sigh.

i am going to bed now.

before i go.. did you know that if a costco employee cuts his/her thumb off in the meat chopping department, they get $5 million.. and also get fired? interesting, no?

my roomie, marshall and i got into a deep discussion about how much each finger would be worth losing. their pinkies are worth $50,000 but i told them i would need half a million to part with a pinkie.

Qs~

1. are you obsessed with anything? houndstooth for me. if it is houndstooth and i see it, you can bet i will buy it. even if i don’t need it! when i broke my arm, my sister made me a houndstooth sling!!

2. how much money would you need to chop off and sell your pinkie? or is it pinky?

one more work day for me!

xo. janetha b.

I woke up this morning craving everything and decided on scrambled egg with tomato ketchup and a slice of toast with blackberry jam, perfect and satisfied those cravings.

I needed a bright colourful breakfast plate after waking up to a dull, dreary day.

For lunch, I took a falafel burger to work, to add to this salad I bought in the canteen.

Today’s exercise  Badminton.  It’s been a while since my Mum and I played, what with my neck and then being busy at work. We really enjoyed whizzing around the court pretending to be the “Williams Sisters” (I know that’s tennis but I don’t know any famous Badminton players)

When we got home I had a quick snack of sliced apple with peanut butter and then made dinner for me and Mum.

I talked my Mum into trying tofu.  I know there’s no way my Dad would try it being the meat lover he is (remember the steak) so I thought as he’s out, this would be a great time to convert her. So I marinated the tofu in soy sauce, ginger, garlic and chilli powder and then pan fried.

I used Simply Life’s pesto recipe to go with the tofu.  How can something so simple taste so good, I recommend everyone to try this if you like basil, nuts and cheese (and who doesn’t )

And added it to some tofu pieces served with sweet potato and broccoli.  I’m pleased to say she enjoyed it very much and hopefully will be joining me in “Veggie for a Day” at least once a week.

I saved some tofu for tomorrows packed lunch.  I love it when I can make a meal on an evening and use the leftovers for my work lunches.  Sometimes I plan it that way too.  Do you make more so you have leftovers for another day?

ブリックレーンのOld Truman Breweryにあるカジュアル・イタリアン、Al Volo（アル・ヴォロ）。NUDE ESPRESSO CAFEやROSA’Sと同じ通り、Hanbury Street沿いから入ったところにある駐車場にある。明るく暖かみのあるインテリアは、センス良くモダンにまとめられており、居心地もいい。ランチタイムとディナータイムの間もキッチンをクローズしないので、遅いランチや小腹が空いた時にも便利。スタッフの多くはイタリア人で、あまり忙しくない時間だったからか、テーブルで楽しくお喋りしていた。

Al Voloでは、antipasti（前菜）、Bruschette（ブルスケッタ）、Zuppa（スープ）Piadine（ピアディーナ）, Pasta（手作りのフレッシュパスタとDe Cecco乾燥パスタのチョイス）、Secondi（メイン）、Insalata（サラダ）、 Contorni（サイドディッシュ）、Pizze（ピザ）、Dolci（デザート）と、軽食からちゃんとした食事まで、幅広いメニューの中から選べる。秋のシーズンメニューの中から私たちが今日オーダーしたのは、Penne all’arrabbiata（ペンネ・アラビアータ）とTagliatelle al pesto siciliano piccante（プラムトマト、薫製リコッタチーズ、松の実、アーモンド、にんにく、唐辛子、生バジルを使った、スパイシーなシチリア風ペストのタリアテッレ）。クリーミーなタリアテッレのソースは、不味くはないけれど、何とも言えない不思議な味。でも手作りの生タリアテッレは悪くない。アラビアータはパスタの正統派、完熟トマトの自然な甘みが美味しい一品だ。食後のエスプレッソとカプチーノは、イタリア人の店だけあって、上出来だった。

毎日オープンしているが、Sunday UpMarketとThe Backyard Marketが開かれる日曜日は大変混むので、ゆっくり食事したければ、マケーット開催中は避けるのがベター。

Al Volo is a casual Italian restaurant in the Old Truman Brewery in Brick Lane, and it is facing the parking space on Hanbury Street, the same street of NUDE ESPRESSO CAFE and ROSA’S. This airy and cheerful restaurant is decorated modern and in good taste. They don’t close kitchen in between lunch time and dinner time, and it is good place to go for late lunch or snacks. Most of the staffs are Italians, and they enjoyed chatting as it was not a busy time when we went.

Their wide range of menu offers anything you want from Italian restaurant from nibbles to mains – antipasti (appetiszers), Bruschette, Zuppa (soup), Piadine (thin bread sandwich), Pasta (handmade fresh pastas and De Cecco dry pastas), Secondi (mains), Insalata (salads), Contorni (side dishes), Pizze (Pizza) and Dolci (sweets). From their Autumn menu, today we ordered Penne all’arrabbiata and Tagliatelle al pesto Siciliano piccante (spicy pest0 of plum tomatoes, smoked ricotta cheese, pine kernels, almonds, garlic, chilli pepper and fresh basil) – photo. Creamy Sicilian style pesto sauce was not terrible but I don’t know what to think – it is unfamiliar taste for me. However, handmade tagliatelle was not bad. Penne with nice and sweet sauce made of ripen tomatoes was pretty good – we loved it. Their espresso and cappuccino after the meal were very good – we can count on an Italian-operated place!

Al Volo opens everyday but can be very busy when Sunday UpMarket and The Backyard Market are held on Sundays, so better avoid Sunday during the markets, if you want to relax without hassle.

At least I have one part of my life back – the computer is now reconnected. Now if I can get all 3000 of my books back inside the house everything will be hunky.

And, since I have a crapload of work to do tonight, I’m going to let the pictures speak for themselves. Here’s some food that I’ve eaten during the past 2 days:

Whole grain waffle with banana and almond butter…

Smoothie! Pomegranate, mango, banana, and kiwi…

Whole wheat tandoori naan with hummus, a babybel cheese, and some clementines…

Chicken with pesto, angel hair pasta, baby bellas and artichoke hearts…

That’s all I got for now – but I did my Thanksgiving shopping run today, the details of which require a whole ‘nother blog altogether. So stayed tuned!

Making James Beard’s Basil Lasagna takes, as you might guess, lasagna noodles and basil — more properly, basil in the form of pesto, the sauce made from basil, garlic, pine nuts, parsley, oil and Parmesan cheese. It also, as you might similarly guess, takes some eggs and ricotta cheese, as well as more Parmesan and mozzarella. From there, we build on his recipe a bit. For one thing, it calls for only two layers of lasagna noodles; we’re using four. For another, we’re kicking up the cheese factor by alternating layers of fresh provolone and mozzarella with layers of fresh Parmesan and mozzarella between the noodles and the pesto-ricotta mix. Third, we’re adding just a touch of lemon zest to heighten the flavor. We even drizzled a little Mornay sauce around the edges for a finishing touch. Come in and see what a hint of lemon does for a pesto lasagna!

While I have early memories of devouring cherry tomatoes straight from the vine of my next door neighbor’s garden, sun dried tomatoes mark a more recent acquisition to my vegetable repertoire.

A great tidbit, not only does sun drying make it possible to enjoy tomatoes year round, but the sun drying process (which originated in tile roofs in Italy) does NOT deplete tomatoes of their nutritional value. So your favorite accompaniment for crostini, pasta, pizza or flatbread is still full of lycopene and Vitamin C.

Why not branch out and whip up some easy smoked mozzarella and sun-dried tomato cigars, pesto topped warm potato salad primavera, or a sun-dried tomato and goat cheese frittata (breakfast is the new dinner!)

This is basically the same recipe as the pasta bake, but with better photos. I made two lasagnas, one for us to eat NOW and one for Thanksgiving.

For 2 9 x 13 lasagnas

1 box lasagna noodles (18)

2.5 jars pasta sauce (this time I cheated and used Wholefood’s Mushroom Marinara and Tomato Basil sauces)

4 cans chickpeas,  rinsed and drained

3/4 cup lemon juice

6-8 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup tahini

2 TBL olive oil

1/4 cup water

1 12 oz. package arugula

4 TBL nutritional yeast

1/4 cup water

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400.

First, make the arugula pesto. Blend arugula, nutritional yeast, 2-3 garlic cloves, and 1/4 cup water until smooth. Set aside.

Next, make the hummus. Blend garlic, lemon juice, tahini, olive oil, salt and pepper. Add chickpeas and water. Blend until smooth. Add more water or lemon juice until hummus is your desired texture.

In a 9 x 13 pan, layer the ingredients in this order:

1. Sauce, noodles, hummus, pesto

2. Sauce, noodles, hummus, pesto

3. Sauce, noodles, sauce

Bake for one hour and 15 minutes, covered with foil (with slits). Or if you are planning to freeze one or more of these babies, bake only 1 hour, then allow to cool, cover in plastic wrap and foil and freeze.

Pistachios pulverized into pesto is nothing new, nor is their marriage to cranberries in the world of sweets, but how about zinging them together with whole coriander seeds and lime zest to make a heavenly pesto?

Since the rice last weekend steamed with coriander, I have been completely distracted. The coriander comes across as a really rich, intense lime flavor, not at all subtle. The heavenly scent of limes and all things green has been floating through my subconscious for days.

Today at the co-op, I spotted in tandem, a bag of green, raw pistachios and a container of dried cranberries. The hint of burgundy reflected from the pistachios and called for the partnership. The two were married, and as matron of honor, stood the whole coriander seed followed in train by a smattering of lime zest bridesmaids. To officiate the ceremony were the pair, olive oil and garlic, a combo designed to marry flavors of all sorts. Lime juice and a little salt provided a bright and festive tone to the occasion. In the end, the sweet-tart dried cranberry and the rich, stoic pistachio lived together in delicious bliss. Try it. It’s REALLY good!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup raw shelled pistachios
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries, reconstituted
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. whole coriander seeds
• zest one lime
• juice from one lime

Directions: Put cranberries in a bowl with a little water. Microwave for two minutes to soften. Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until a fine paste forms.

My first attempt at making gnocchi was not as seamless or effortless as I had anticipated. It is definitely not something you want to rush. My doorbell rang and I had to greet my first guest with my hands still covered with lumpy mash potato. Far from ideal… But we live and learn, and hopefully I can steer you away from some of my errors.

Rule number one: Give yourself at least an hour and a half for preparation because if you are a perfectionist, rushing this will be nothing but stressful. In theory it is a very easy recipe.

What you need:
500g potatoes, peeeled and chopped
200g plain flour
Salt and pepper
palmful of chopped basil

What you do:
I found several recipes for homemade gnocchi, some involving egg and some without. In one recipe it advised using egg if you were making gnocchi for the first time because it acts as a binding agent. On the downside, it makes the meal much heavier. As my Italian friend said – “You won’t be able to move for two days”. So, despite being an amateur I resisted the temptation to use eggs and I suggest you do the same. It’s not that hard.

First boil the potatoes for about 25 mins or until ready to mash. Drain out the water mash them until very smooth with no lumps. Gradually add the flour in stages kneading it all together until it binds to make a smooth sticky dough. Season with salt and pepper and add some chopped basil to add some colour. You could use any herbs.

Sprinkle some flour on a clean flat surface and roll our the dough into long thin sausages. Cut into pieces about 2cm thick and press a fork onto the top if you want to try and get a decorative (and professional looking) pattern. I have to admit my pattern was barely noticeable once the dish was ready but it was still worth the try. Once you have all your gnocchi beautifully formed, bring a pot of salted water to boil and add the gnocchi in stages. It only needs a minute or so in the water. As soon as it rises to the surface spoon it out of the water.  Serve immediately with a generous serving of homemade pesto over the top. I also added a dollop of ricotta to give that extra moisture. Have fresh parmesan on the table to add if necessary.

ugh. SO. just had a big scare! i had a whole post typed up.. just had to insert my photos~ and i get some black screen on my laptop saying there is some sort of error and something or other is corrupt.

eek.

i was sure all my files and photos were long gone. history.  i spent an hour recovering my system…

we all crossed our fingers (and paws) that everything would be safe and sound.

well.. lucky for me, it was! now i am going to go grab my portable hard drive and do some surrrious backing up!

the bad news? well, i lost my whole post.. grumble. it was so long!

i am afraid to say.. you are going to get the shortened version via a list. sorry charlies, i just don’t have it in me tonight.

1. thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for all the incredible comments, insight and wise words left on my last post. that is why i love blogging so much.. the feedback i get from all of you really impresses me and i feel so fortunate to be acquainted with all of you smart ladies! so yes, thanks much. xo

2. yesterday i mentioned that i got a new gadget! here it is:

meet “the baby computer” (as my mom and i call them) aka a netbook. this will make blogging away from home so much easier.. and if my laptop ever DOES bite the dust (as i was afraid it might tonight).. i have backup now

3. yesterday’s workout was rad. 12 minutes on the treadmill @ 15% incline at 4 MPH, 20 minutes HIIT on the treadmill ranging from 6.0 to 7.5 MPH and maxing out at 9 MPH on the final minute. 22 minutes on the bike while reading my new mags: oxygen and real simple. hooray for them FINALLY finding their way to my new address!

4. yesterday’s dinner was whole foods salad bar with a little added protein from the seafood counter~6 ounces of shrimp.. doused in TJ’s sesame ginger dressing of amazingness.

5. today has been an incredibly productive day! i got all but one box unpacked in my room! yesss. confession: i still have 5 or 6 boxes in the garage to unpack, but hey.. out of sight, out of mind, right? right.

6. i had not one but two almond milk lattes today. in a snowman mug. and there is no snow outside. i’m sad about that.

7. i had a fanfreakingtastic workout today! i did some research online and with some tips from susan’s blog and the oxygen website and a few ideas of my own, i put together a fun total body workout. here is how it went down:

i completed each exercise block 3 times through and then moved onto the next. in bold, after the move, i am going to list the main muscles the move worked.. of course, there were other muscles working (such as glutes during a step up) but i am just going to list the targeted muscles.

5 minutes/0.5 mile warm up on treadmill

block A:

• romanian deadlift to bent over row 15 reps hamstrings & upper/lower back
• step up with knee raise and dumbbell bicep curl (8# dbs) 24 reps (12 each leg) quads & biceps
• split squat with forward reach (8# dbs) 24 reps (12 each leg) quads, hamstrings, glutes & upper back

block B:

• dumbbell pullover to crunch 15 reps upper back & abs
• single leg bench dips 24 reps (12 each leg) triceps & quads + hip stabilization & core
• bridge with dumbbell chest press 15 reps chest, hamstrings & glutes

block C:

• oblique twists w/ 10# plate on decline bench 50 reps obliques
• lower abdominal crunches on decline bench 50 reps lower abs
• wide stance squat with front raise (8# dbs) 15 reps quads & shoulders

block D:

• seated calf raises @ 30# 15 reps calves
• walking lunge with 10# plate oblique twist 20 reps

10 minutes on stairmill

this workout took an hour including the warmup and stairmill. it was so awesome! i am going to do the same routine next saturday but try to up some of the weights to make it more challenging.  i loved combining the muscle groups during my workout. it was lots of fun it was a little rough as i have DOMS in my hamstrings (from last tuesday!) and my chest/triceps.

8. i made a yummy dinner tonight using some of my foodbuzz fest swag!!

i used some whole wheat linguine, 93% lean ground turkey, basil & oregano diced tomatoes & sliced mushrooms and tossed it all with the pesto.  served the pasta alongside some steamed broccoli with a side of bad lighting..

9. instead of doing anything exciting.. i spent the evening recovering my computer. bah. so happy it worked!

10. deb posted a really fantastic flashback friday post and you all need to go read it. now. please and thanks

11. tay also posted a fun disney flashback friday post, check it out!

12. i need to tell you guys about a little somethanggg called operation chocolate-covered kindness…

katie is raising money through page view compensation to donate to charity!  i have copied and pasted this from her post~

What can you do to help?

• Spread the word!  If you have a blog, please help me (Katie) get the word out by blogging about, or even just mentioning, the “Operation Chocolate-Covered Kindness” page view charity drive on your blog.  (Feel free to use the logo as well.)

• Throughout the month, blog about, and link to, ANY chocolatecoveredkatie.com post (such as a Chocolate-Covered Recipe).  Each time someone clicks on any link to my (Katie’s) blog, more money will be earned for the cause.  Good time to make Fudge Babies or Peanut Butter Babies, perhaps?  Or Banana Butter… or Melted Banana Trick oats?

• During the month, click on as many pages/links on my blog as you can.  Each post you click on, and each link you follow, earns more money for the charity drive.  Or, when you see my (Katie’s) posts in Google Reader, simply click on the posts instead of reading them in Google Reader format (which doesn’t translate to any page views).

• Browse the Chocolate-Covered Recipes, read up on processed foods or veganism for omnivores in the FAQ section, find every flavor oatmeal imaginable in All-things-Oatmeal, see “My Life in Cupcakes” in the About Me section, check out the Most Popular, or just peruse old posts. 

so please spread the word and click for some chocolate-covered fundraising love!

13. the incredible and beautiful quinn posted a RAD tidbit the other day.. there is actually a recipe analyzer that you can simply type the ingredients of a recipe into a post and it will quickly calculate the recipe stats and display a nutrition label AND give the recipe a letter grade! check quinn’s post out here and you can find the recipe analyzer here. thanks quinn!

14. my family is having thanksgiving dinner tomorrow!my sister and brother have off years as far as being at my parents’ house goes.. so we are celebrating early so we can all be together i am attempting six different recipes! including angharad’s savory mushroom bread pudding and a sweet potato & goat cheese galette. mmmm. can’t wait!

okay. soo.. that is the shortened version (can you even imagine what the original one was like?!) i hope you are all enjoying your weekend! i know i still have emails and blog posts to get to.. but for now, i have HAD IT with laptop land see you tomorrow!!

Qs~

1. where will you be spending thanksgiving this year? and with who? my fam is celebrating tomorrow but on actual thanksgiving i will be at my mom’s for round two turkey dinner! it will just be my mom, dad, grandma, marshall & me.

2. do you back up your files? what is your method? and how often? tonight’s debacle was a wake up call.. i need to back up my photos riiiight now! i have a portable hard drive that i use.

sorry this was not very entertaining! i was a little discouraged after losing post #1.. better luck next time

xo. janetha b.

Nu när det finns väldigt fin basilika i stora buntar på torget kan man lika gärna göra pesto. Det tar 5 minuter. Resultatet kan inte jämföras med något från en burk.

Tag följande:

+

Rosta pinjenötterna i torr stekpanna. Mixa med parmesanost och en hutt olivolja. Tänk inte på att osten är olika på bilden, det var bara för att jag måste flisa loss det hårda närmast skalet med kniv.

Varken osten eller nötterna tar skada av att bli trashade. Men mixar du basilikan länge blir den militärgrön och smakar gräs. Så kör i den efteråt.

Mixar du vitlök länge blir den besk. Ta den allra sist.

Mängderna är viktiga:

MYCKET basilika, parmesanost, pinjenötter (gärna mer nötter än jag hade den här gången).

LITE olivolja och vitlök.

Det är hemligheten med en god pesto.

Till denna mängd allt annat hade jag två ganska små vitlöksklyftor. Mer blir inte bra. Pesto går ut på en skön harmoni av smaker som du lätt dödar med för mycket vitlök. Don’t go there.

Salta, peppra ev lite. Jag gillar lite pepparsprutt.

Här kommer nästa hemlighet. När du använder peston till pasta, gör såhär:

Lägg en rejäl klutt i botten på en stor skål som gärna är värmd. Häll på en slatt pastavatten från ditt nästan färdiga pastakok och rör ut peston. Det ska inte bli vattnigt, men ordentligt löst. Sen häller du av pastan, rör ihop den noga med peston och ställer fram det hela på bordet to the tune of dina gästers orgiastiska vrål.

Peston ska smaksätta pastan. Pastan ska inte simma i peston. Det är viktigt.

Man kan såklart göra mycket annat med peston. Jag täckte pangasiusfileer med den och körde i ugnen.

Det blev för fettigt, jag la på för tjockt.

Vad är dealen med pangasius? Världens bästa fisk som villigt spelar färsk trots att den kommer från en fryspåse för typ 40 spänn. Förstör den ekosystem? Rycker undan försörjningen för fattiga änkor? Påskyndar växthuseffekten? Bara säg, jag vet ju att det måste vara någon hake.

Till vänster på bilden ett vinterfika som fick spela sallad. Gillade kombinationen med det andra mer i huvudet än i verkligheten.

Hello hello there! I am so happy to say that these past few days have been awesome. I think it’s the whole mentality I’m trying to maintain to get me through the winter.  It was actually the title for a recent post of mine, “life is what you make of it.” The winter doesn’t have to suck the life out of me (okay I’m being dramatic here), but instead I focus on what I’m doing now and all the positives of this holiday season. And all your answers really stuck with me and reminded me of so many things I have to smile about. Don’t we all?

Here are few of my reasons, inspired by some of you, in the past couple of days.

A different version of frozen yogurt

I took a container of So Delicious coconut milk yogurt and stuck it in the freezer.

Two cookies for good measure!

The night I received the package I had a couple of Holly’s homemade vegan pumpkin molasses cookies. Wow! These were so good, I’m glad she shared her recipe.

Inspired by two very special ladies.

The other day I saw that Maya and Eliza had each made a bowl of gingerbread-inspired oats. Do I need to explain? This is why I love breakfast. When I’ve had a delicious breakfast then I know it’s going to be a good day.

On my day off from classes I felt like dressing-up.

One of my favorite scarves - it makes me feel like Mozart.

And a skirt I should wear more often.

Along with some dark grey tights and red Mary Janes flats.

I had recently gotten a ton of basil.

So I decided to make a pesto. Rather than using raw pine nuts I toasted them first and it really made a difference in the flavor.

Afternoon snack

These are the Apple Grahams that came in the package Holly sent me. I’ve tried them plain, with the medley jam she also sent me, pumpkin butter, dipped in Sugar Cookie tea, and pumpkin spice soymilk. I have yet to crumble them on a nice warm bowl of oatmeal.

Almost forgot about lunch!

For lunch I tried another Gardein product. This time it was the chick’n scallopini. I really liked how they lightly-seasoned these, and they were also a really nice size. There are some vegetarian products out there that give such small portions and that can be frustrating. I decided to cook up the rest of cauliflower and chick’n scallopini in a Sweet Pepper and Coconut cooking sauce. Served with Nishiki rice. So good that even my little Moofia toy wanted some.

I recently picked up a new item at the grocery store.

What could it be? A rutabaga! I’m pretty sure I’ve never tried one before. My darling darling, Brooke, said this was one veggie I needed to try. She recommended to try them with cranberries, so of course I listened! I roasted the rutabaga and an apple with sugar, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. I also had a Tofurky Kielbasa decorated with ketchup, beer-brewed mustard, and a bit of sweet relish. Yum! I definitely was looking up more rutabaga recipes after this.

This was a special bowl of oatmeal...

In Brooke’s survey one of the questions was, “bowl of hot cereal you have been wanting to try.” And I answered a banana rum cake-inspired oatmeal. Lynn thought it sounded good too, so I decided to make it! I made my way to the liquor store and got a miniature bottle of Captain Morgan’s spiced rum. I did not prepare my oatmeal as I usually do because I additionally cooked it with a couple spoonfuls of spiced rum and a bruleed banana. I topped it with a sliced banana, some pecans, New Morning Honey Grahams, and a ZenSoy banana pudding cup.

I even mixed spiced rum in the banana pudding!

I wanted to be drunk for my Taoism class! Kidding of course!

I hadn't worn this blazer in ages!

Lunch was surprisingly yummy.

I wanted to try out something different for the wee bit of kale I had left. It was just enough to help make this sandwich (I just boiled it). I assembled the sandwich with French Meadow Bakery’s gluten-free sandwich bread, cashew butter, kale, and pumpkin butter. This was a new combination I thought of and wanted to try out; I think some onion jam would’ve definitely sealed the deal, but this was delicious as well. I had some of the leftover hummus from Brittany’s sandwich recipe – perfect for the broccoli!

Bright and early on a Saturday!

Since I have to wake up really early on a Saturday morning (and I hadn’t gotten home on Friday till 4:30 am), I just want as much sleep as I can get. So when I woke up I quickly put my breakfast together. I tried another 18 Rabbits flavor that was sent to me; that morning I decided to try the “Nibble a Sultana” bar. I had it with a container of vanilla Greek yogurt, a diced apple, and cinnamon. I’ve seen sultanas baked with apples in little tarts. This bar didn’t have that same perfect granola-y flavor the other one had. It was okay, but I probably wouldn’t buy it for myself.

Carrots and rutabaga mash + sandwich

With the rest of my rutabaga I followed Brooke’s advice again and made a mash out of it! I stumbled upon this recipe and I knew it would be nothing short of delicious. However, I ended up sprinkling on some pumpkin pie spice and mixed some coconut oil in as well. This had me licking my bowl clean. The sandwich was inspired by a local coffee-shop item on their menu. It had my homemade basil pesto, Gardein chick’n scallopini, roasted red peppers, and goat cheese. Wow! Do any of you ever recreate restaurant recipes?

I just had to!

After going on a long walk excursion with a friend I came home to work on my project.

And I got kind of side-tracked...

Okay, really side-tracked!

Then I finally got back to work.

Then, next thing you know dinnertime rolled around! I had become so focused that I had totally lost track of time.

Yin and Yang

I made sweet and sour lentils and had it with leftover Nishiki rice and coconut oil.

Korean-Russian Carrot Salad

I’ve had this recipe saved for a really long time and totally forgot about it! This tasted very different from what I usually eat, sweet and spicy, but it was a very pleasant change.

Later that night I ended up going to some of my friends’ art exhibit and met up with another friend. Afterwards we went to a birthday celebration and eventually I came back home and I woke up with two thoughts on my mind. “I have on last night’s makeup” and “April’s pumpkin French toast sticks.”

An example of a perfectly delicious Sunday breakfast.

April’s recipe also calls for a peanut butter frosting. I changed it around a bit and made it vegan by omitting the eggs, and used Pumpkin Spice soymilk (highly recommended!!!) and a thickening agent. I used two thick slices of Rudi’s 100% Whole Wheat bread. The toppings include: diced apple, more pumpkin pie spice, and some Apple & Maple syrup. This breakfast was such a great way to start a beautiful day.

Well now I’m off to enjoy the sun and walk to the Farmer’s Market with Matilda. I hope you all had a relaxing and fun weekend! I’ll leave you all with a clip from a new hit TV series aka a video recording I made:

Original Video – More videos at TinyPic

Much love!

It’s been a long week. I don’t talk much about my day job here, but I run a nonprofit, the Community Resource Center, in Nashville. We basically give really good stuff to other nonprofits for their clients. And the closer it gets to Christmas, the more stuff they need. This, unfortunately, has coincided with my son’s inability to keep out of the refrigerator for at least two minutes. So, about mid-week, the cupboard was bare. Or rather the refrigerator was empty (well, except for my wine!). Which forced me to buy lunch.

Normally, I take my lunch to work. This is partly due to the fact that I make really good lunches and partly because there aren’t a lot of places to eat around a warehouse district. I make turkey and arugula mayonnaise sandwiches. I make Chinese chicken salad. I make what Noah calls “green noodles” – thin spaghetti with pesto, toasted pine nuts and grated Asiago cheese.

But this week, I ended up eating a lot of fast food and I remembered why it is that I hate it so much. It’s not good. Not at all. Oh, you think it’s good while you’re eating it because it’s full of fat and who doesn’t like fat? But about an hour later you start to realize you just ate a bunch of processed junk that is rambling around in your body and won’t leave. For days.

So here’s my wall of shame. Wednesday it was KFC. I used to love KFC when I lived at home and my mother had never gotten within 100 yards of frying chicken. I did love it Wednesday at about 1:30 p.m. I regretted it bitterly about 5 p.m. No supper for me that night. The chicken had come home to roost.

Thursday: Junior Whopper and fries from Burger King. I actually have a story about Whoppers. When I was about ten, my mother became very agitated with excitement one day and announced that we were driving to Skokie, about 20 miles away, to visit this new and exotic restaurant called Burger King. Mom did love her burgers. Not to cook them, of course. Just to eat them. So I’ve always held the Whopper in high esteem as an essential food memory. I don’t know why, especially after I eat one. And Burger King fries? Not so much. If you’re going to visit fry-town, journey to Steak and Shake or Five Guys.

So, today, just to how much fat I could pack away, it was Krystal’s chili. I actually believed for a second that it would be healthier than a slider. For a moment.

I present this sad tableau to you because I haven’t had time to cook all week and I know you’ve been wondering where I’ve been for the last two days. I’ve been giving away shampoo and detergent and soap to nonprofit agencies who can’t afford to buy necessities like these for their clients. I’ve been driving a U-Haul to a major retailer to pick up the coolest donation ever that will make everyone’s Christmas brighter in my world of poor people who constantly do without a little sparkle in their lives. I’ve been unloading chairs for schools whose children have nowhere to sit. And I’ve been writing grants to get more moola to get more stuff.

This weekend, it’s back to homemade. It’s back to quality. I’m sleeping in tomorrow. And then I’m cooking.

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Close Up

This is one addictive and simply delicious recipe for all of you pesto lovers. I was introduced to pesto at my Aunt’s house one evening. My husband and I was immediately hooked to the deliciousness of this sauce. We shopped for it and amazed at how expensive pesto is. So I decided to look for an easy recipe since it would be my first attempt at making it. The recipe that jumped out of me had one of my favourite things in the recipe, GARLIC. That night, with all the right ingredients ready, I made this awesome sauce. I did make my usual alterations to the recipe to fit my taste buds and my pocketbook. Everyone knows how expensive pine and Brazilian nuts are, so I substituted those nuts for that super-food, almonds. This is one recipe that you can make quickly and easily using a blender or food processor. You can use it in so many other recipes, like Pesto Bread sticks. It also makes for a great dip or spread. I ended up mixing pesto in with wheat penne. The second time I made this, I served the pesto over vegetables, chopped cooked chicken and linguini. Very yummy!

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Ingredients:

• 3 Cups Chopped Fresh Basil Leaves

• 1 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (for a thicker pesto, reduce oil by 1/4 Cup)

• 3/4 Cup Almonds (original recipe calls for 1/2 Cup Pine & 1/8 Cup Brazilian Nuts)

• 2/3 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese (you may substitute ready to use cheese like Kraft Parmesan Cheese)

• 3 Tablespoons Minced or Chopped Garlic (original recipe calls for 2 Tablespoons)

• 1/2 Teaspoon Chili Powder

Directions:

1. Place the clean basil into blender or food processor.
2. Pour 1 Tablespoon of oil in with basil and blend into a paste.
3. Gradually add nuts, cheese, garlic and chili powder.
4. Slowly pour remaining oil into blender/food processor.
5. Blend ingredients until smooth and well combined.
6. Scrape sides and continue to blend on medium speed for about 2-3 minutes.
7. For best taste, pesto should be heated up in the meal it’s being prepared with.
8. Serve as soon as possible.
9. ENJOY!

Served!

I have been tasked with appetizers for our Thanksgiving get-together this year and found this little number via foodgawker (which is fabulous, if you have never heard of it before). It is Thanksgiving afterall, so can you really ever have too many potatoes? I think not. I plan on eating them all day as a matter of fact.

POTATO BRUSCHETTA
recipe and photo via Diet, Dessert and Dogs

• 3-4 large round (rather than oval) potatoes, washed and cut into disks about 1/2″ thick
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• fine sea salt, to taste
• basil-pine nut pesto, as desired (about 3/4 cup)– homemade or store bought
• 2-3 large ripe tomatoes, diced
• more extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• 2-3 leaves fresh basil, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 400F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper, or spray with nonstick cooking spray.

Put potatoes in a large bowl and sprinkle with the olive oil and sea salt to taste.  Toss until potatoes are evenly coated. Place the rounds on the cookie sheet and roast in the preheated oven for 30-45 minutes, until tender and beginning to brown on the edges.  It’s nice if you can turn the disks over about halfway through, but not essential.

Once the potatoes are cooked, remove them from the oven and allow to cool for 3-5 minutes until they are cool enough to handle.  Top each disk with 1-2 tsp of pesto, a good mound of tomato, a slice or two of basil, and a thin drizzle of olive oil.  Serve while still warm or at room temperature.

Homemade pesto is one of my most recent revelations. It tastes incredibly fresh, is easy to make and what’s more, if you have any lactose intolerant friends (as I do) then you can make it without cheese and it still tastes perfecto. Traditionally pesto is made with pine nuts (which also make a popular allergy) but you can use cashews nuts too.

What you need:
2 cloves garlic
2 cups basil leaves
2 cups cashews or pine nuts or mixture!
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup grated parmesan (optional – freshly grated please!)
salt ‘n’ peppa to taste (not really necessary if you use parmesan)

What you do:
Chop it all up in stages. Garlic first, gradually adding basil and nuts. Use a food processor if you are feeling particularly lazy or like it very smooth but I find the slightly chunky texture of handchopping has a more rustic feel. If you are going to add parmesan throw it in once everything is well chopped. Otherwise add a little salt and pepper to taste. Now compress it all into a bowl and drizzle the olive oil over it. Stir it up when you are ready to use.

Serving suggestions:
On crostini or slices of baguette with a sliver or sundried tomato and parmesan shaving to decorate
With any sort of pasta
On a baked potato
Stuffed into a full chicken breast before roasting
Layered with ricotta, basil and spinach to make a fresh vegetable lasagne
On homemade gnocchi. Watch this space. I made some last night!

DEJEMOS VOLAR LA IMAGINACIÒN

Partiendo del clásico  “pesto “   uno puede dejar volar la imaginación  y comenzar a  combinar  diferentes  hierbas  y  frutos secos ,a agregar especias  , todo esta permitido  , utilizar diferentes aceites   dependiendo de el resto de ingredientes  de manera  a  lograr una salsa  que deje   a todos los aromas y sabores    expresarse .
Un mortero de mármol   junto  con un pilón en madera  seria  los utensilios  perfectos para preparar el pesto  ,  en primer lugar uno tritura las hierbas  y  los frutos secos un poco de sal  , y de  forma circular  con el pilón     uno  pasa unos   minutos   hasta lograr una pasta  , sin abusar mucho del tiempo para no oxidar las hierbas ,  digamos que es una mezcla de dulzura  y  fuerza  en su justa medida . Luego  se agrega el aceite  .
Para los mas  impacientes el  mixer es una solución rápida  ,   uno  deja caer  todos los ingredientes   sin el aceite en el recipiente  , unas cuantas  pulsaciones  y  luego el aceite    y listo , el sabor no es el mismo  todo  hay que decirlo  pero  no esta nada mal .
O podemos tambien como   en esta receta   picar   todo   a  mano  . El pesto , se puede guardar una semana  o un poco mas   , en el frigo   en un frasco hermético y cubriendolo de una fina capa de aceite .
Este  pesto  de  berros  y avellanas ,  va de maravilla   como  acompañamiento de un queso fresco de cabra ,    que podemos agregar  luego a  una pasta     , o  simplemente  con un trozo de    pan ,    una  baguette crocante  !

We all know the benefits of healthier eating, so we won’t bore you with the blah, blah, blah.  We will say that there is a completely different satisfaction that comes from eating healthier.  We love our cheesey pizzas, fluffy cakes, buttery cookies, crispy calzones, and ketchup dipped French fries as much, if not more, than you, but usually those meals and snacks can leave you feeling empty.  Sounds odd that heavy, high calorie foods can do that, but it’s true.  A belly full of empty calories affects you immediately (hello, sugar high or deathly stomachaches!), but a belly full of the good stuff leaves you vibrant, satisfied and guiltless.  It’s nice to have those types of meals to remind you that eating smart can still taste good.  Might as well squeeze a few healthy meals in between those pizza slices and French fries when you can.

This was one of those ‘clean out the fridge’ meals to create a delicious hodge podge dinner. You can use regular couscous, but the whole wheat variety obviously has a boost of nutrients. Imagine eating a plate of veggies and whole wheat pasta bits (yes, couscous is more pasta than grain), knowing that you’ve gotten more fiber than you could imagine in one meal. Outstanding. You could always serve this with a side of grilled chicken or fish if you’d really like to round out the meal.

Update:  This giveaway had to be changed due to a minor setback.  No worries.  There is a replacement.  We received a bottle of MonaVie, and we want to give it to you!  It’s a super antioxidant packed juice that you can drink straight up or mix into smoothies.  If it’s the weekend, and you need a little boost, use it for a cocktail.  You’ll be taking in loads of vitamins, so it can’t be a bad thing.  We’ll announce the winner on Monday, November 30th.  The week after Thanksgiving will be perfect to load up on more good stuff.

Couscous and Pesto Veggies – Serves 6
2 cups whole wheat couscous
1 large red bell pepper, sliced
2 zucchini, halved and sliced
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup prepared pesto
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Olive oil
Kosher salt

1.  Cook couscous according to package directions.  Set aside.

2.  As couscous cooks, swirl a bit of olive oil in a wide pan and when hot, add bell peppers, zucchini, tomatoes, onions, red pepper flakes and garlic.  Toss to coat everything with olive oil and cook until veggies begin to soften, approximately 2-3 minutes.

3.  Add pesto to couscous, stirring to mix.  Cook another 2-3 minutes.

4.  Add couscous to vegetables and fold everything together.  Sprinkle lemon juice over couscous.  Salt to taste.

Click HERE for printable recipe.