Food(less) Journey

Doesn't this look like a really naughty food? It's not. When I buy a container of cocoa powder I try to find new ways to use it. Last time I had a tub I made truffles, black bean brownies, hot cocoa and a few other things that shall remain nameless. Ever on a quest to incorporate more chocolate into my life I thought "why not a smoothie?" This is not your grandmas smoothie. Im not really sure what that phrase means, but it seems applicable. Since I usually drink (sometimes chew) a smoothie instead of eating a meal, I require that my smoothies are packed with nutrients, flavor and are filling to boot. For some reason people assume chocolate is bad for you, but that is because they are used to the awful commercial chocolate which is so diluted with milk and sugar it can hardly be called chocolate. Some health benefits of cocoa: Enhances mood: The regular consumption of pure cocoa uplifts mood and also keeps an individual more active. It improves ones life by giving ene...

I like to make recipes as simple as possible with as few ingredients, but without compromising any of the flavor. On top of that I like to find ways to warm up my favorite summer recipes for those chilly days of winter. This is what it looked like outside when I thought of this one. Brisk! This recipe is great cold as a hummus, but oh so yummy baked! They are full of flavor and definitely addictive. I dont have a photo of them because its hard to stop eating them long enough to snap a pick. Enjoy! Inspired by Oh She Glows blog. Baked Hummus Bites: One can chickpeas (drained and rinsed) 1/4 cup Tahini 1/4 cup sesame seeds (optional but delicious) 3 cloves of garlic (crushed) 1/4 c olive oil 1/2 t ground cumin 1/3 c fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 2 lemons) 1/2 T salt For Hummus: - Blend all ingredients until they are fully combined. - Taste and adjust seasoning, but remember the flavor will be richer after its had a chance to sit in the fridge. -If the consistency is too thick for yo...

I was always scared to make lentil soup. The recipes I found were so long and just seemed too much for a weeknight or even a weekend. I thought of trying it in the slow cooker briefly before abandoning the idea that I would ever actually make my beloved lentil soup. But then it happened. I accidentally made lentil soup. I needed dinner, but wasn't feeling like cooking (hard to believe but it happens). So, I threw 1 cup lentils, a smidge (approximately 1 and half teaspoons) of dried garlic, oregano and onion, a tablespoon of salsa verde and half a cup of frozen mixed greens (Whole Foods Brand Organic collard, kale and mustard greens blend) in an oven safe bowl then popped it in the oven loosely covered in foil. And this is what came out: A wonderfully seasoned, hearty, delicious lentil soup. You should go make some acidental soup tonight. You won't be sorry. And in other news... Are you longing for wonderful minty (but not in a toothpastey kind of way) tea? Please see the image ...

What do you do when it looks like this outside and you just can't stay home? Put on a cozy sweater (and a few other layers of clothing) and head out into the wild winter weather. Days like these are perfect for cuddling with a warm scone, a cup of tea and a great book. But as I mentioned I had to leave the house for a noble and good reason: volunteer work. So, I really could not stay home. And let's face it: We cannot rely on comfort food alone to keep us sane in the winter time. If we did that in the North Eastern United States we would all weigh 300lbs (that is the abbreviation of pounds, but it stands for "lotsa blubber sam"...true story). Enter the non-edible comfort. The first non-edible comfort I'd like to share with you is this beautiful set of creature(comfort)s: Alba Botanica lip balm: Coconut Cream (green), Pineapple Quench (yellow), and Passion Fruit (red) They are shy and insisted on being photographed in low light...another true story Well, it's n...

All this crappy weather calls for a virtual trip to Hawaii. Yay! So let's go on a submarine ride. Me and aunty were thrilled with the prospect as evidenced by the rediculous picture below. (The lighting in the sub caused our true colors to come out. Apparently we are both descendent of smurfs. Shocking! But we always had our theories about great grandpa...) Ironically we got upgraded to the delixe tour because all they had was a japanese language tour. So we were spared the witty (read: annoying) banter of the guide as we waited for the sub to dock. And we had to wear headphones to understand the tour, but that did not affect the amazingness of what we saw. And in all likelihood we had a more detailed tour because a recording is more detailed. We were gagging a bit at the price of the excursion under the sea. It's an amazing jaunt, dont get me wrong, but you are definitely paying for oxygen. Yet, this lady chose to nap for most of the ride: Only we would end up at a vietnamese ...

Yesterday I had cake, but I'll have to talk about it another day because right now Im trying to figure out a reason to make chocolate cupcakes with pb frosting. Isnt there some event coming up that I need to bake for? Oh wait my parents anniversary is this week. And even though they will be out of town on that day I think that is as good as any an excuse to bake something as yummy as my cupcakes. Well that problem is solved. Now what was I talking about? Oh right...Soup! SO the co-op is having a special this week: $1 off every size of soup. And Im trying to be economical so I had a small mushroom barley soup. This soup is creamy and delicious filled with barley mushrooms, onions, celery, pepper, etc. 12 ounces of yumminess for only 1.99. And look at the size of this mushroom! And if you have to eat lunch at a desk it should really be as comforting as this. Especially on a rainy day like today.

While in Hawaii we went to the Dole Pineapple plantation. At first I was kind of outraged to think that there are pineapples in slavery in this day and age (granted it was 2009), but then I found out that plantation is just a special term for farm. So then I had to erase thoughts of pineapples in chains singing hymms while drips of pineapple juice glistens on their overworked brow. As well as the idea that the unique pattern on pineapples comes from massa's whip. Feel free to sing along with: Swing low sweet mandoline coming forth to choppa me home.... Anyhoo, it was a cute little spot. There was a big selection of food and goods in the store and not all pineapple flavored. I love pineapple as much as the next person (probably more), but after an hour of eating pineapple I want something salty. I would have had more pictures, but it took me a while to figure out how much money I was willing to drop to ship fresh pineapples back to my home on the mainland. It cost $78 + a boatload o...

On the way back to Waikiki from the North Shore my party stopped at the Polynesian Cultural Center on the Windward Side of Oahu. It's only an hour from North Shore and definitely worth the stop. In one spot you travel to six villages. Each village is representative of a different polynesian island nations: Aotearoa (New Zealand), Hawaii, Tahiti, Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga. Have you ever wondered how coconut milk is made? Step 1: Find a shirtless guy to climb a coconut tree for you. They are all over the place on the island of Oahu (shirtless guys and coconut trees): Step 2: Crack the coconut remove the meat and process using the husks and enormous arm muscles. I leave with you another fabulous "tour" guide from the cultural center. If you check out their official website his picture is all over it. http://www.polynesia.com/