Food(less) Journey

Went to Mercurio's to use my Groupon and had this plate of deliciousness. Antipasto Plate...yummmmm.....   Several types of olives, red pepper, spicy pickled banana peppers and 2 toasts.   Delicious!   Coconut Crack....   Here is a nice little snack aptly named Coconut Crack. The coconut butter was quite addictive on its own (or with apple). But something about heating it and drizzling on cracklebred then drizzling with honey that takes it over the edge.   The coconut butter is raw and organic and as we all know is totally a yummy coworker!   For the newbies reading: A yummy coworker is a food that is as delicious as it is nutritious.   Notice the word "crack" in the name..don't say i didn't warn you.. Easy dinner.... Red lentils (1/4 c lentils prepared according to the package) with warmed tomatoes (1/2 c) and "Mexican blend" seasoning  (1T). Served over tortilla chips. Try not to...

 So, really embarrassing story to share...... I know the month is going rather quickly (didja notice?) But Wednesday I thought it was going at a "week for a day" type pace. Got to work and was looking at the calendar and thought to myself "I cant believe its the 22nd already!" But that just didn't seem right so I looked again and it said "Friday 22nd" It was actually "Wednesday the 13th" but someone thought it would be fun to switch the calendar and not switch it back. Great coworkers :-/ But anyway here are some of the goodies in my surprise Freewill bags: In other news..... The cactus is blooming! A delicious lunch I had the other day....... Auntie Person wanted to go to Sam's after the Sunday meeting and I would have died or bought a 50 pound bag of crackers if i went to Sam's hungry, so I suggested we stop for lunch at Green Mango (yay to having two centrally located Green Mango's) I had...

Have you ever been obsesssed with a particular food? Remember the kale and golden beet salad I had yesterday? It was so delicious! It had a very light creaminess to it that came from the addition of TAHINI to the recipe. I started eating it and noticed the creaminess and half expected to find something gnarly (dairy and my stomach have been enemies ever since I stopped eating red meat) when i checked the ingredients, but lo and behold it was my old friend Tahini. I have always had an unnatural affection for sesame seeds. Like eating them out of the jar, asking people for a few off of their bagel, eating a sesame bagel almost every morning for a year, buying a jar of sesame oil and then hoarding it until it expired type of affection. And don't get me started on sesame bars, which are basically just honey, sesame seeds and corn syrup cooked down into a taffy of delicious tooth killing yumminess! Whew! I need a cold shower! Well, fast forward a little over a decade to when I was intro...

I always like to think im above the hype. Like that old "an apple a day.." rant that teachers figuratively (if you went to public school) pounded into students about how they would magically avoid all forms of illness if they ate the apple that came with their lunch instead of chucking it across the lunchroom**. BUT....I feel a bit healthier for eating an apple. Not being one to enjoy following the crowd I try to eat my apples in a very naughty way. This makes me feel better about feeling better for eating an apple. BUT....Being that I strive to only eat things that work with my body, you know I had to take a naughty recipe and make it Healthy Coworker. With the recipe as-is you can eat it for breakfast, be fueled til lunch, and not feel bad about it. **I was more of an apple chucker and not because I didnt like fruit. The apples they served us were obviously Genetically Modified to perfectly fit our hands and to be mass produced (there were so many apples!!!!). And even thou...

Vanilla ice cream with peanut butter and chocolate! OH boy! I would have eaten just the pb and chocolate, but I figured I could use some more calcium in my diet so i had the soy cream as well. What is it about peanut butter thats slightly warm and melty and chocolate that makes one go weak in the knees? Ummm..who cares it's delicioius! A more technical answer would be that peanut butter is a protein and fills the desire for something "salty" while the chocolate produces happy endorphines in the brain and fills the need for something sweet. But lets not get too technical. Food is fun and tastes fabulous. An added perk is that this particular combination gives you a lovely dose of calcium and protein (from soy and peanuts). If you really feel like getting healthy with it throw some roasted almonds on top. Enough with the chatting! My goodies are melting!

Quinoa is one of those yummy versatile foods that can really change up humdrum recipes or just throw some variety into your diet for very little dough. Italian Quinoa with Chickplease Put 1/4 c Quinoa in an oven safe dish with 1 c water 1/2 c diced tomatoes 2t italian seasoning and 1/4 c chickpeas. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with 1/2 t sea salt. Devour like a lady......

I can no longer hide my feelings for you. They are too strong and deep to deny anymore. My adoration is becoming quite obvious to my friends. I talk about you all the time and its not hard to ascertain that you are the reason I smile so much. You are a bit rough around the edges. But inside you are so smooth and sweet. Some would say you arent much to look at, but I could stare at you all day and night. You are so sweet! I can't imagine my life without you. We've been working together for quite a few years now, but only recently did I realize how deep my feelings are for you and how wonderful you make me feel. Some would say your personality is one dimensional, but you have so many sides. You seemed only one way when I met you but i have seen so many sides of you. You beautiful bowl of oatmeal! You boost my iron and brighten my morning. You warm me up and help me face the cold winter morning. But there is so much more to you than just a breakfast cereal. You make a delicious co...

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)...