Food(less) Journey

Have you ever been afraid to purchase a food item because it seemed tricky to prepare? Honey its 2010! You can find a tutorial for almost any food on the internet so don't be afraid to experiment and play with your food. Today we will address a very serious topic. De-pitting an avocado. You will save oodles of pennies learning how to do this yourself instead of relying on a restaurant to prepare your avo-based goodies for you. Cut along the pit: Twist the two sides and seperate them: Hack knife into pit and twist to remove (If that sounds too intimidating use a spoon and slide it around the edge of the pit to pop it out): Optional Step: Create a funny face with your avo sides: Slice length wise then cross-wise being careful not to pierce the skin of the avocado: Slide a spoon along the inside edge of the avo skin to release the pieces into a bowl, onto a plate, or directly into your mouth. Not wasn't that easy? Have fun with your new power over the avo. And remember "with...

Another relaxation tool that beats stress and keeps my hands busy is jewelry making. Crafts that involve your hands can distract you from stressors. More importantly they can keep your hands busy so that you cannot put food into your mouth with them. Although I have heard that people who are desperate for a nosh will eat without their hands... How odd... No offense... Okay actually I dont care if that offends you because 1) that is quite odd 2) there are some things you should never do with your feet when you have hands 3) because i said so. But I digress... I know you are just chomping at the bit to see what I've made. Okay maybe you arent but im going to show you anyway so... The bottom three bracelets were made using a weaving technique that I may or may not show you how to do in a future post. Depends on how generous Im feeling when I do or dont get around to typing that posting... Did I mention I also sell do-it-yourself jewelry making kits? Call me! Seriously!

I have a very serious adoration for all things Greek, culinarially speaking. A current food obsession of mine is mujadara, a yummy dish of lentils and rice cooked with cumin and topped with carmelized or frenchfried onions. The classic Greek flavors are fresh and vibrant including olive oil, lemon, oregano and thyme so that even something heavy like lentils taste light. Never being one to settle for delicious i took it to the next level adding avocado. But then I got a little crazy and decided to try a further variation by cooking the lentils with quinoa adding tomatoes mushroom and Trader Joes 21 Seasoning blend then topping it with avocado and adding some Food Should Taste Good Olive chips on the side. This would make a great dip for an easy appetizer tray, but its so yummy in a bowl eaten with a spoon, which is how i had it for lunch today. Very yum! Confused Mujarada 1) Add 1/2 c lentils and 2 T quinoa to 2c boiling water. 2) When the lentils are half done add in 1t of seasoning...

A few weeks ago a good friend and I took a little field trip to a lovely little spot that serves a lovely spot of tea. Upon arriving at Parkers UK Connection , a tea house that is quite literally a converted house, we were greeted by the owners and ushered into the tea room. We were the only customers as it was quite near closing time, but you would not have known closing time was so emminent from the fine greeting we received. Pictured above is the very pretty table arrangement including fresh cut flowers and charming sugar bowl. The excessively obliging hostess (Mrs. Parker to be precise) suggested I try the beans on toast and offered to include a baby greens salad with vin to round out the meal. I have wanted to try this inherently UK dish for ages, but was hesitant to say the least. It was surprisingly good! And doesn't it look adorable: In the background of the above picture my tea bag is in its proper place. Resting peacefully on its own little plate. Very cute indeed! My f...

In my attempts to reduce my stress load I have rediscovered one of my favorite de-stressors: relaxing with a hot cup of tea. Ive read wonderful things about the relaxing benefits of Earl Grey tea spiked with Bergamot. I have to admit I'm a bit of a tea snob. I like to be able to see the composition of the tea in the bag. I find it thrilling to look in the tea bag and see bits of dried orange and lemongrass. This, of course, can do terrible things to ones wallet. So, in the interest of pinching pennies (sounds gruesome for those poor pennies) I considered the lower costing teas. To be perfectly honest I was not hopeful when I selected this tea. But for a change the tea that cost the least ($2.99) was surprisingly good (Mind you i was shopping at Whole Foods and its pretty hard to buy an awful product there). Bigelow Tea has a wonderful quality to its taste even though it is not a whole leaf tea. And as I was perusing the tea boxes I noticed that it is one of the few teas that has ac...

Don't you love it when you discover a great new site?? Well I didn't exactly discover it like Columbus. I wasn't on a boat. And there was no attempt at a hostile takeover. I didnt give anyone the flu. Ummm... You get the point. The website is called Auntie's Beads. To be perfectly honest (not that I am anything but that) the name immediately endeared them to me. I make jewelry with my aunt. Awww.... They don't have the biggest collection I've ever seen, but that definitely works to their advantage since everything they have is beautiful and so much of it is very unique. Definitely check out their "pendant section"! Just click on the logo below to go straight to the site. You won't be sorry! I can't wait to get my first order in! I will show you what I make with all my beading booty!

This post is not about that cutie in the cubicle near you because 1) it's kind of creepy to describe people as yummy unless the people in question are made out of gingerbread 2) this is not a dating blog 3) because i said so. "Yummy coworkers" are foods that work with your body and not against it. Agave - Sweet, Yummy and low glycemic Almonds, Walnuts - Beneficial for cardiovascular health Almond Butter - Delicious Decadent with all the benefits of almonds Flax Seeds and Flax Oil - Fiber, heart healthy, skin, hair, nails and rich in Omega-3's Tofu - protein, calcium Whole Fruits and Vegetables- fiber, vitamins, nutrients, water and so much more. Another great thing about these yummy coworkers (sometimes called secret weapons) is that they are so versatile in their uses. Nuts for example are delicious roasted and ligthly salted or mixed with dry seasoning for added flavor. In their raw form they can be made into butter or cream (i.e. cashew cream, more on that later)...

For the record no I have not suddenly become rich and started buying expensive processed food! These were on sale at whole foods and i downloaded a $1.00 off coupon from the Gardein website (no longer available). I've had another of their products (the marinara Chicken Good Stuff...weird name but delicious product) so I decided to use the coupons. I had two coupons so i bought one package of the Marinara chicken and one package of the buffalo wings. Here's how you prepare them......... Brown them in a pan with 1T oil over medium high heat: Throw on the sauce (which has been thawing in a bowl of hot water): Plate it (with Trader Joe's "Water" and "Flax" crackers): In my opinion... They were pretty good. The sauce was spicy, but the spiciness didn't overpower the flavor at all. The texture of the chicken was spot on for a boneless chicken wing. I'm going to have to try springing them on a meat eater to see just how convincing the texture is for the...

Plain Soy yogurt with dates and ground flax seeds.... Yum! Soy is not my favorite yogurt, but who can afford coconut milk yogurt? Maybe if i got a coupon book i would buy it more regularly..... *hint* *hint* *hint*

There are so many uses for the wonderful avocado. A few of them I have not tried yet (such as using an avocado in a smoothie), but I have tried them sliced on a sandwich, sliced and sprinkled with salt and pepper, mashed and mixed with diced tomatoes and onions, guacamole, etc There are so many ways to eat an avocado. If you google "avocado recipe" you get over 3 million results, so obviously Im not the only one with an obsession. And not only is it delicious it has loads of health benefits as well. According to those expert fellas they have vitamin E, vitamin C, folate, fiber, iron, potassium, lutein and beta-carotene. Here's one use: Verde Avocado Salad Vin: 1/4 c olive oil 1 t sea salt 1/4 c HERDEZ® Salsa Verde Veg: 2 avocado's chopped 1 cup chopped cucumber 1 c cherry tomatoes sliced in half 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed Toss the Veg ingredients in a bowl. Mix the vin ingredients in a seperate bowl. Pour the Vin over the Veg. How to use it: 1) eat it out of...

Another common question veg people get is: What do you eat for breakfast? Although I would like to reply tree bark, I have become very efficient of rattling off my list of favorite breakfast foods: pancakes, hashbrowns, veggie tofu scramble, smoothie, oatmeal, cream of wheat, fruit soup, leftovers, quiche, cereal and almond milk. All of these things are pretty run of the mill food-wise, but they always elicit surprised looks from my listeners. I think this is mostly because people think of eating Veg as being very restricted. But at this point i eat pretty much everything i did when i wasnt veg, but in a healthier vegetable based form. My fave brunch menu: Quiche, blueberry pancakes, Tofurky italian sausage, fruit compote and hashbrowns. Blueberry Pancakes: makes 6 regular sized pancakes 1 cup flour 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar 2 tablespoons baking powder 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/2 t cinnamon 1 t vanilla 1 cup soymilk 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1/2 c frozen or fresh blueberries Mix dry ...

It is so important to start the day by breaking fast. Think about it. When you wake up when was the last time you ate? If you stop eating at a reasonable hour it might have been 10 hours since you body was refueld. What would happen if you didnt refuel your car for 10 days? Our bodies need fuel to run properly. It really disturbs me when I ask someone what they had for breakfast and they say coffee. Not that you have to have a full 3 course meal when you wake up , but please give your body something to work with. Coffee has enough caffeine to give us a false sense of energy, but think of the strain you are putting on your body. Im not a fan of eating in the morning and the less sleep i get the more I feel this way. But I have come to accept that food really is fuel for the body. So, if i really can't deal with having food I will make a smoothie (frozen blueberries, fresh bananas, dates and almonds if i feel like chewing). Or just have tea and toast with a fruit spread or drizzled w...

Pictures! Naughty Pictures cake made with white flour and sugar ice cream Nice Pictures coconut milk ice cream larabar pb cookie yogurt with dates and agave Im afraid of getting sued tho so most of the pictures will be of food ive made unless i can get permission. If you like what you see then you should hire me to cater your next dinner party. Or hire me to teach you to incorporate more veggies into your families diet. Call me! My rates are very reasonable and drop when you purchase food items. Need help with shopping? Field trip! I also do shopping consultations.

Hi. My name is Stephanie....And Im addicted to CHipotle. ITs been 30 days since the last time I got high off that delciousness...er I mean that terrible burrito bowl. Sike! Im so not quitting Chipotle. But Im going to be a semi-traitor and show you how to make your own at home. Ingredients for everything: -2 cups Steamed rice -2 tomatoes, chopped or diced - 1 cup sweet corn -2 lime -1 lemon -2 jalepenos, diced - 1 red pepper - black beans - cumin - garlic -sea salt - romaine lettuce -2 big red onion, one sliced the other chopped -1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped stems and all -2 ripe avocados, chopped or cut into chunks or mashed, however you like it Black Beans Simmer 1 can black beans sprinkled with 1t cumin and 1t garlic powder (or 1 cloves of garlic) and 1/2 t sea salt. Rice Cook the rice Remove from heat Mix in the juice of 1 lime, half the lemon, 2t of sea salt Put the lid back on and let the heat of the rice cause the flavors to become one with the rice. While that happening make...

I often hear this question in two context: 1)a non-vegan being snarky about my unfamiliar looking meal 2) a new vegan befuddled by what rolls off my tongue as a somewhat experienced veg-head. I think the biggest mistake you can make in any new endeavor is immediately starting at level 3. Think of a brand new skier hopping on the slopes and immediately going for one marked with a jack rabbit. Stupid and disheartening when said skier is run over or simply out skiied. Food is the same way. If you are incorporating new vegetable based foods in your diet why not try decreasing meat intake slowly and simply eating more healthful plant based foods (i.e. Have a chicken salad for lunch instead of a burger. Have fish tacos for dinner instead of a steak.). Since meat is addictive it requires weaning for some. Quitting meat cold turkey (pardon the pun) and running to the store to buy tempeh and seiten is bold, but can be disheartening (i.e.gross) if you dont know how to prepare these items. To sta...