Food(less) Journey

There's nothing like beautiful, exotic looking local produce to knock the S.A.D. blues away! Spring is just around the corner (I know thats hard to believe with a foot of snow outside...however...) and very soon our gardens will once again be giving us some beautiful yumminess to offset our grocery bill and make us ooohhh and aaahhh over their deliciousness. The above picture is of some home grown peppers that my friends sister grew in her garden last year. He texted me the photo of these unique peppers that go from yellow to purple (may be the other way around...it was a while ago). Can you belive it's almost february? Like literally four days away. THere's just Sat Sun Mon oh wait! Its only 3 days away. Well, time to work on my January goals before the month is over. :-)

Add stir fry to the list of foods that everyone thinks a person who eats a plant based diet should eat everyday. But I really don't. Actually I rarely eat it. If I had a wok the story might be different. If I had a bottle of Tamari or Teryaki in the cupboard the story would definitely be different. If they was a bottle of sesame teryaki the story would be over and everyone would be heading home for the evening. But when it is stir fry day at the co-op it is a completely different story. They make this yum yum yummy tempeh fried rice and a variety of stir fried veggies you can throw on top. Ummm...yum... I just need to say that again. This is not my lunch for today, but now that im writing about it I wish it was. The co-op should bottle and sell their stir fry sauce. Do you hear that co-op?

Oh how i really really like thee! That being said I very rarely eat pasta, since the realy delicious pasta is not exactly a yummy coworker. At least not for me. Pasta in my body creates some very intense cravings for sweet stuff. And Im not talking about dates. More like triple chocolate diabetes on a plate. But when I go out with friends I usually do so on a naughty day so I can indulge in delights that I wouldnt normally. But remember that even on naughty days I stick to moderate portions(it is possible to gain weight by overeating evn if only one day a week). On the above pictured day I went to Buca di Beppo with some friends and had a "side of spaghetti" (not to be confused with the "small spaghetti" which serves 3(and yes I used to skip lunch and eat a small for dinner..naughty)). I also indulged in some house bread dipped in olive oil and balsamic vin. Seriously delicious! Buca's marianara is the yummiest and freshest tasting pasta sauce I have ever had at...

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......

Im craving salad. This is very weird for me. I rarely eat salad. I never crave salad. I think I ate way too many wimpy sad salads made of the somewhat nutrient deficient iceburg lettuce. Dont get me wrong I love a bowl filled to the brim with yummy fresh veggies drizzled with a fresh vin, but it's not something I crave. I think the prevalence of snow is causing a longing for the days of summmer...hence the salad craving. I would try the whole "eat local" thing, but I feel like I have SAD and the summery country imports in the grocery store are just what I need to make me feel better. A fruit smoothie is just what the doctor ordered. Of course the doctor in this case doesnt have an MD, but thats how i like it. Strawberry Spoon Smoothie So thick you'll need a spoon for it!! 1 frozen banana, sliced 5 frozen strawberries 1 t cinamon 1 c almond milk 5 dates 2 T flax meal Blend til smooth top with flax meal and grab a spoon.

Mmm..Tofu. Admittedly the first few times I had tofu I said "eww..tofu" But then I had it prepared just right for my taste at the time and I havent looked back since. My first impression of tofu was as it looks above: a white block of flavorless "stuff". But then I came to realize that it is really a blank slate of endless food possiblities Fried tofu, General tso's tofu, shake and bake tofu, tofu scramble. These were my first encounters with tofu after i started liking it. Three of these ways i prepared myself. Look what tofu can turn into: veganyumyum.com tofufortwo.net When i started eating a more plant based diet tofu was $3 and I was broke. I knew I had to get the cooking right or I would have to eat something that was inedible rather than waste $3. Witht he advent of diet acceptance the market value of tofu has changed and you can find a tub of tofu for $1.50 at you local Trader Joe's (I love you Joe! Call me! Let's make lunch!). So go buy a few tu...