tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13532622300236138262024-03-14T07:02:27.752-07:00Cups O' HealthA college girl's quest for health through one of her favorite things: food. Oh, and lots and lots of tea.Sonjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17188963659883064126noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1353262230023613826.post-25018766181454392472012-11-10T06:47:00.002-08:002012-11-10T06:48:22.669-08:00Lemon-Kissed Cocoa Date BitesSo you know those yummy and simple Larabars, that are oh-so-expensive for like...barely three bites of bar? Turns out, super easy to create for cheap in your own home. Now I know this isn't a new concept - homemade larabars and snacks using dates is an old concept. But rightly so! Dates are called "nature's candy" for a reason, and they're good for you, too! So I decided to make my own spin on the concept. I had two requirements - 1) Nut free, since nuts are sometimes hard on my stomach and 2) Lemon! Lemon larabars are one of my favorites.<br />
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So I made...<br />
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Lemon-Kissed date bites! Which could also be shaped into bars, but I found the little ball shapes to be a nice snacking size.<br />
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You'll need...<br />
<ul>
<li>10 soft, pitted, dried dates</li>
<li>1 tbs cocoa powder</li>
<li>1/4 cup oats</li>
<li>1/2 a lemon (squeezed for juice)</li>
</ul>
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It's very easy - simply put all ingredients into a food processor and blender, and blend until it reaches a mushy consistency that will hold together. Form into bars or little balls or whatever shape you like! Try cookie cutters for fun shapes (like <i>unicorns</i> or ninjas!) maybe. Then eat, or store in the fridge in an airtight container for an on-the-go snack later.</div>
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Enjoy!</div>
Sonjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17188963659883064126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1353262230023613826.post-85038520950329394862012-10-14T10:08:00.000-07:002012-10-14T13:58:56.818-07:00Vegan Alfredo Pasta Recipe<br />
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You'll need...</div>
<ul>
<li>Half a package Mori-Nu firm silken tofu (about 6oz)</li>
<li>1 Tablespoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar</li>
<li>2 Tablespoons dijon mustard</li>
<li>2-3 Tablespoons nutritional yeast</li>
<li>Pinch of cumin</li>
<li>Pinch of dry basil</li>
<li>Salt & pepper to taste (I used herbamare)</li>
<li>Pasta of choice (I used spinach & brown rice pasta - gluten free)</li>
<li>Veggies add-ins of choice (I used a bag of frozen peas, you can use anything you like here...throw in your leftover veggies of the season, like asparagus, or toss in some spinach, carrots, green beans... find your perfect combo!)</li>
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First, cook your pasta according to package directions. Depending on how saucy (oh la la) you like your noodles, this sauce should cover about 3-4 servings of pasta, so keep that in mind. It reheats well. Once your pasta is almost finished cooking, you can toss in any frozen veggies (if using) to thaw them out and warm them up. If using fresh vegetables, you can either steam them and add them in later or blanch them in the water to warm them if you like.</div>
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The second part is the sauce. Pull out your blender and add all ingredients above, excepting salt, pasta, and veggies. Blend until you reach a smooth, creamy consistency. Taste and season again to your liking.</div>
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Finally, just portion out your pasta and veggies and pour some sauce on top. Enjoy! It's super simple, quick, and delicious - without all the heavy dairy and plus a good bit of protein.<br />
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Sonjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17188963659883064126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1353262230023613826.post-59740279967990963612012-09-09T08:33:00.000-07:002012-09-09T11:23:32.519-07:00Lentil "Pulled Pork"So last week my "running out of groceries cuz I just got back from Atlanta and the best weekend of my life" situation led to a rather excellent discovery food wise. I say "discovery" because I'm not sure what follows qualifies exactly as a recipe...it's just too easy!<br />
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But as the story goes, before I'd left for the long weekend, I'd bought a pack of lentils thinking - oh, these are so lovely and protein-packed I simply <i>must</i> find something to do with them! (Inner me is sometimes British) I'd also had the great luck of getting a 1$ bottle of chipotle BBQ sauce from Earthfare (seriously, if you have an EF near you...go! Sign up! The deals are amazing!) And, finally, I had some Ezekiel bread I'd taken with me on my trip for on-the-go almond butter and jelly sandwiches. Yum!<br />
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So, what's a girl to do with no time to go shopping and a need to fuel up before rehearsal?<br />
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She creates a lentil BBQ sandwich!<br />
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...which ends up tasting like pulled pork. I kid you not. It even had the same mouth feel. But it's a lot healthier ;)<br />
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Okay, here's what you'll need.<br />
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<u>Lentil "Pulled Pork" Sandwich</u><br />
(makes approx. 2 servings)<br />
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<ul>
<li>A cup of cooked lentils</li>
<li>Your favorite BBQ sauce (as mentioned, I used EarthFare's chipotle BBQ), to taste</li>
<li>Honey or agave (optional)</li>
<li>Bread (sliced, a bun, garlic toast, or simply eat it straight!)</li>
</ul>
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<b>The Process:</b><br />
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Place your cooked lentils in a bowl. If they're not warm fresh from being cooked, now might be a good time to give 'em a little zap in the microwave. Take a fork and mash them up well - not all lentils have to be broken up, but you want a mushy, "pulled" texture that will go well between two slices of bread :)<br />
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Then, add your BBQ sauce. You can add as much or as little as you like - I kinda eyeballed it myself, but I'll guess I added maybe half a cup.<br />
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Next, taste it. For me it was a little too much spice kick - I was trying to clear out a cold, but I didn't want my tongue on fire! - so I added just a little spoonful of honey to offset it. And it was done!<br />
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I slapped a couple large spoonfuls between two pieces of toasted bread and bit in...perfect! And if you just try a forkful or a spoonful with your eyes closed, you could almost swear it was traditional BBQ. Or maybe that's just me. Let me know what you think if you end up trying this!<br />
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Have a wonderful week guys! I'm gonna go start my Sunday off right with a homemade chai tea latte and baked oatmeal...mmm...</div>
<br />Sonjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17188963659883064126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1353262230023613826.post-81377040958213260472012-07-09T10:01:00.000-07:002012-07-09T10:01:38.725-07:00Garbanzo-Pesto SandwichYou know that point right before you go grocery shopping, where you're sort of at a loss as to what to eat but you're not quite ready to hit the store? Well, sometimes that place inspires some great creations in the world of noms.<br />
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For instance, this afternoon I invented a whole new sandwich! I had a bit of leftover pesto (but I was out of pasta! Oh no!) and two whole-grain wraps...but not much else.<br />
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Luckily we have a nicely stocked pantry, and there's almost always some veggies around, so I had a can of garbanzo beans and some lettuce and tomato to create a meal out of.<br />
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It may sound strange, thinking garbanzos would make a good sandwich, but I was inspired.<br />
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What You Need...</div>
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<ul>
<li>One wrap of your choice (I used a multi-grain tortilla like wrap, same kind I use to make personal pizzas)</li>
<li>Half a can of garbanzo beans</li>
<li>Lettuce of your choice (I recommend a fairly strong lettuce - spring mix will probably wilt under the heat)</li>
<li>Tomatoes</li>
<li>Pre-made pesto (vegan recipe to come)</li>
<li>Earth Balance vegan margarine</li>
<li>Any accents you like - for example, I added a few capers for a zing</li>
</ul>
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Directions...</div>
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Drain and rinse your garbanzos, and then take half (or the portion size you would like) and mash them a bit with a fork. Add a tablespoon or two of pesto and mix well. Then, take your tortilla and smooth on a bit more pesto, then your lettuce and tomato. You've created the bed for your garbanzo mix, so add that next and then perhaps your capers or olives, or any extra veggies you might like. Fold over your tortilla to make a sort of taco shape. Then, spread Earth Balance on one side. Just as if you were making a grilled cheese, place the Earth Balance-side down in a hot pan. Then spread Earth Balance on the other side, and once the pan-down side is browned, flip and brown the other side! It doesn't take too long, maybe 15-30 seconds on either side depending on how crisp you like it. Then just cut in half and enjoy!</div>
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It's super delicious. Super quick and easy. And with a nice, short ingredient list...perfect for a last-minute meal. You could always use a different sauce that you have on hand as well - maybe some veganaise, marinara even? Or if you're not a vegan, some added cheese would probably be great!</div>
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<br />Sonjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17188963659883064126noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1353262230023613826.post-10562398801584350572012-06-12T06:06:00.000-07:002012-06-12T06:06:34.505-07:00Pizza Fusion<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRAVniW6JeLKS96IvoglhkQTJgnQvFrYMnqK2ZMbPGau-EYkzwUvytoSKAlpi3DhQQKeZCbHxP7PiegQz4ToMDid37aswH3G_z_MOjb2-pSLGzhxq3IsCmUBSnpQOG9LgrQ59c2a7Wz3s/s1600/IMG_0920.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRAVniW6JeLKS96IvoglhkQTJgnQvFrYMnqK2ZMbPGau-EYkzwUvytoSKAlpi3DhQQKeZCbHxP7PiegQz4ToMDid37aswH3G_z_MOjb2-pSLGzhxq3IsCmUBSnpQOG9LgrQ59c2a7Wz3s/s400/IMG_0920.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Pizza is amazing. We all know this. Several of my friends appeared very distressed on my behalf when I told them I was going vegan, professing their dismay that, "But...you can't have pizza..."<br />
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Oh ho ho my lovely and well-meaning friends. Of course I can have pizza! Not only is pizza without cheese and loaded with veggies a fine option, there are some lovely vegan cheeses out in today's world.<br />
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Daiya has what I've found to be the best, most usable and cheese-like brand and I finally found a restaurant that would go through the effort of making a vegan pizza with it on my behalf! (I did not want to try the mozzarella version at about 5-6 dollars a bag without being sure I liked it first) <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Pizza Fusion's hybrid delivery vehicles :)</span></div>
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Pizza Fusion is amazing, and for more than just the (absolutely phenomenal multi-grain thin crust) pizza. This hip little restaurant is all about going green as well as providing healthy, mostly organic and all-natural options for vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores alike!<br />
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They had several little signs around the place detailing their environment-saving efforts, which include building their booths out of reclaimed wood and using hybrid vehicles for delivery.<br />
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Even their bathrooms were green (in the environmental sense).<br />
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The place itself was very attractive and cool, and as I've mentioned the food was incredible and so satisfying. My mom order a vegan pizza as well and loved it! The leftovers were even better, in both our opinions.<br />
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I'd highly recommend this place. They have a few different locations, so look em up and see if you can try it out.<br />
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There's also apparently a pizza joint that offers Daiya cheese pizzas near my university ... I'll have to check that out sometime, but I just don't know if it will compare to the magic of Pizza Fusion ;)<br />
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Happy noms!<br />
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</div>Sonjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17188963659883064126noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1353262230023613826.post-36795577134343800892012-05-22T06:06:00.002-07:002012-05-22T06:06:24.772-07:00Insta-Foods Take 5I have been the absolute worst in updating the blog. I'll admit, I fell off the blogging wagon - and that is all thanks to my last show. Being involved in theatre is time-consuming, hard work, and sometimes so stressful you'd rather not do anything but the work, sleep, and eat. So I ended up just not having time. But the show ended April 1st...<br />
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So the rest is just my lazy self. And in part finishing out my junior year of college, but let's be honest. I was lazy.<br />
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Let's hop back into it with something easy - another instagram foods report!<br />
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<ol>
<li>One of Chocolate Covered Katie's chocolate frosting shots, made for my mother as a little mother's day treat. This stuff is delicious - a smooth, chocolatey (and healthy!) chocolate mousse.</li>
<li>Oh She Glows's version of vegan mac-and-cheese. This has pumpkin in it! And nutritional yeast instead of expensive non-dairy cheese :) With kale and pea mix-ins. Soooo good.</li>
<li>My first meal from Sweet Pea Cafe, a restaurant I'd been meaning to try for awhile. It's all-vegan and my new addiction. This is a "cheez" quesadilla with sweet potato fries, which are to die for.</li>
<li>Brunch at Sweet Pea! Breakfast tofu scramble quesadilla with roasted potatoes. My mouth waters just thinking of their food (their black bean quinoa burger is THE BEST).</li>
<li>Home-made blue corn tacos - black beans, salsa, avocado...yummy.</li>
<li>Soul Veg's BBQ tofu plate with sweet carrots and hebrew rice...avec a side of cornbread. All vegan...and so.so.so good. It's hearty southern soul - made vegan!</li>
<li>My roommate and I made a pizza together. Using the Peas and Thank You crust recipe and topped with simply sauce, mushrooms, and olives. Yes please.</li>
<li>Mom and I stumbled upon a cute little cafe last weekend while walking in town and I was pleasantly surprised to find this roasted veggie wrap on the menu. I asked to do it without the cheese, and the guy making it was very understanding since he's also lactose intolerant! It was a great find for sure.</li>
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You know, looking over this it's odd because...9 times out of 10 I eat at home and make my own food! I guess restaurant food is just much prettier. That and I eat a lot of the same stuff...don't want to bore anybody ;)</div>
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Well thank you for reading! Expect more posts soon - product finds, restaurant reviews (what can I say? visiting the parents means I eat well!), maybe even some recipes...</div>
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<br /></div>Sonjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17188963659883064126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1353262230023613826.post-26203483983306677582012-03-14T17:51:00.000-07:002012-03-14T17:51:21.390-07:00Home Life: Going to the FarmI am a big supporter of local, organic farming and produce. I know it's not always plausible (believe me, I know - college student here) to buy fresh and organic, but it can be very beneficial to your health and taste buds to stop by a local produce market once in awhile. My mother and father are lucky enough to have a local organic farm in their area, which they subscribe to. My mom goes once a week!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXUjCHYgTjhkvdmHIfeQEnGGl8pMiVI05_4yh6AZ_C8rAx01Uv7fZvJ9iEhVvVzXm5wr6DEeRflNZ-ZMtmEx-vau5sWedK30GFG4AE5B8na4RvvYfWIYksVSS9nkpo-A-GstUW1puDm24/s1600/IMG_0490.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXUjCHYgTjhkvdmHIfeQEnGGl8pMiVI05_4yh6AZ_C8rAx01Uv7fZvJ9iEhVvVzXm5wr6DEeRflNZ-ZMtmEx-vau5sWedK30GFG4AE5B8na4RvvYfWIYksVSS9nkpo-A-GstUW1puDm24/s320/IMG_0490.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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During my break last week, I was lucky enough to make the trip with her, my sister, and my niece. It's a lovely operation with tons and tons of delicious and colorful produce. They also sell homemade goat cheese, goat's milk soap, jam, and fresh farm eggs. Plus, they even had baby chicks this time!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">D'awwh.</span></div>
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They didn't have any of my favorite (sweet potatoes) left (sad face), but we got plenty of awesome goods. I picked out some lettuce, swiss chard, yellow squash, and beets that were of course taken back to college with me. My sister got some corn to take home with her, and we also picked out some nice tomatoes and broccoli for use in salads that week. Nom nom nom.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia2dj4Pey7gYBN37iaUyW3sIs9ECfJw3u-5SnIncPRe4TM1eureo1d5ETti4Rtj6xtIDYZWMRT9gu82pGZkX44Nq9eOG9X4cFwx0xypQ7RGYgm01Y8mFtqyNMPvHOTzJx59oE_U2FPL6k/s1600/IMG_0491.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia2dj4Pey7gYBN37iaUyW3sIs9ECfJw3u-5SnIncPRe4TM1eureo1d5ETti4Rtj6xtIDYZWMRT9gu82pGZkX44Nq9eOG9X4cFwx0xypQ7RGYgm01Y8mFtqyNMPvHOTzJx59oE_U2FPL6k/s320/IMG_0491.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Oh, and a cucumber shaped like a crescent moon...really brings me back to my Sailor Moon days.</span></div>
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Seriously. Veggies are <i>so good </i>fresh and straight from the source. It really makes a difference! It's really sad to me that it's so much harder to find and buy organic produce when it's crazy better for us<i> and</i> better tasting. My mother, who has a strong distaste for raw broccoli, loves it from the farm! Also, some produce from the supermarket is so inundated with pesticides and other chemicals that it can make us sick if we consume a lot of it. And you <i>need</i> a lot of veggies.</div>
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...or I do, at least ^_^</div>
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And farms are just great places to be sometimes. Ahh, nature.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmDSQ0uD6McwowgmVtOie2-vt6KOonHIVPF-1FlDB148ztyxrqUtJNyTCG2INcUBonHUAcEePgPjZjdNQxiBj-1BoyDlszdEGPWrbYoei9wyuBr-c8chgtA0KFF_SW_yjFhOfXOiTFqg4/s1600/IMG_0508.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmDSQ0uD6McwowgmVtOie2-vt6KOonHIVPF-1FlDB148ztyxrqUtJNyTCG2INcUBonHUAcEePgPjZjdNQxiBj-1BoyDlszdEGPWrbYoei9wyuBr-c8chgtA0KFF_SW_yjFhOfXOiTFqg4/s320/IMG_0508.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">And my niece loves it, too!</span></div>
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<br />Sonjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17188963659883064126noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1353262230023613826.post-61654811957014805662012-03-04T08:03:00.000-08:002012-03-04T08:03:47.585-08:00Crazy for Coconuts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHezRduRG6Y-ysK4gYUBKHbg2PYj3fufF0njq-iYT7ach4BcFjJV3tOFaKO7TJ2EcBQzXg-oVQEm7Azquml5lVpTshAhALUZw9bPQB-LqEi3HO3ciuFKU66hicQ4kPRV-bBDFrN706YF0/s1600/IMG_0424.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHezRduRG6Y-ysK4gYUBKHbg2PYj3fufF0njq-iYT7ach4BcFjJV3tOFaKO7TJ2EcBQzXg-oVQEm7Azquml5lVpTshAhALUZw9bPQB-LqEi3HO3ciuFKU66hicQ4kPRV-bBDFrN706YF0/s320/IMG_0424.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnxUV5GBaE3t4uT7OVmyzQsP6BO9hbSL0BAViurnR7ZyNaN4zm20q_klwKvOxEkByfM0WH5hUutk-FZ7F_gozuT0XNlWJp6uEC4iWyS7_8c8XO-cfbG043jHR8pCTOv5y4qrpWewjqQHI/s1600/IMG_0425.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnxUV5GBaE3t4uT7OVmyzQsP6BO9hbSL0BAViurnR7ZyNaN4zm20q_klwKvOxEkByfM0WH5hUutk-FZ7F_gozuT0XNlWJp6uEC4iWyS7_8c8XO-cfbG043jHR8pCTOv5y4qrpWewjqQHI/s320/IMG_0425.jpg" width="240" /></a> </div>
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So for awhile now it's been a deep wish of mine to drink a coconut. Yes, drink a coconut. I also want to try coconut butter and buy myself a jar of coconut oil and just <i>eat coconut </i>(but I mean, I'm not obsessed or anything...) but mostly I have been trying forever to get a straw and a coconut and go to town.</div>
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Here's the story: in my home town there's a little outdoor market on Saturdays where the "coconut man" sets up his booth and dishes out coconuts in which he's cut holes. It's like a little tropical drink, no cleaning up cups required! But we always go to the chiropractor first and <i>we always miss him.</i></div>
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But yesterday, luck was on my side:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpwjhylphwWul1THG-25H4YxR8rqqyXB23dTaTDiBgDGeVp1Cu2R0jAPA1-BYWtACmJnLzgJSjBWR11VVgWZ4EVSwFKKIpFdwSUs3gPJRhQsF1zJmFdjv9LmmoD5km8xfSkdlaR1ArwTg/s1600/IMG_0426.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpwjhylphwWul1THG-25H4YxR8rqqyXB23dTaTDiBgDGeVp1Cu2R0jAPA1-BYWtACmJnLzgJSjBWR11VVgWZ4EVSwFKKIpFdwSUs3gPJRhQsF1zJmFdjv9LmmoD5km8xfSkdlaR1ArwTg/s320/IMG_0426.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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And I ended up with my heart's desire:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEufI2pGOvrFUX0q5McWT4htMYQAs98bd-5sMBYEo58NeRCcOJMymg-UFnrXyvsDyj-27D-OuXtlGPiykkt4de45t1Yi0n4fczJ57ASDqBHyQDZQPVbjyuH2Rdk8rHVtBLvuDKrTr1IS0/s1600/IMG_0428.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEufI2pGOvrFUX0q5McWT4htMYQAs98bd-5sMBYEo58NeRCcOJMymg-UFnrXyvsDyj-27D-OuXtlGPiykkt4de45t1Yi0n4fczJ57ASDqBHyQDZQPVbjyuH2Rdk8rHVtBLvuDKrTr1IS0/s320/IMG_0428.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Mmm. A dream come true. It actually seems pretty easy to do yourself, so I guess if I stumble across any coconuts in my local supermarket I can try it. I'll let you know what happens. With that and with the leftover coconut ;)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkZbJ4ifnP6fUCAaG6tmMhvzZvS-hBwMlbynzf5UJAk-FAKvxjVbSGKAbcX9zuHjogW09WKySx-X8XQegmgI4QGosZdtEIc26kdtdNcHloOWeLLfsJy4HpSpnvpwGSFdkj92H-2tUHsto/s1600/IMG_0434.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkZbJ4ifnP6fUCAaG6tmMhvzZvS-hBwMlbynzf5UJAk-FAKvxjVbSGKAbcX9zuHjogW09WKySx-X8XQegmgI4QGosZdtEIc26kdtdNcHloOWeLLfsJy4HpSpnvpwGSFdkj92H-2tUHsto/s320/IMG_0434.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Oh, and Saturdays at home also often mean a Whole Foods stop. I piled so many different things in there, I honestly couldn't tell you what some of it is. I know there's cranberry cous-cous, hummus & cucumbers, a mango and hearts of palm salad, balsamic tofu, basmati rice, asparagus, black-eyed peas, and kale hidden somewhere...</div>
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Gosh I love Whole Foods.</div>
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What are some of the foods you can't wait to try?</div>
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<i>Sonja</i></div>
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<br />Sonjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17188963659883064126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1353262230023613826.post-21944143448146391962012-03-02T17:38:00.000-08:002012-03-02T17:38:36.279-08:00PB Crave ReviewSo, via the twittermonster, I was given a rather exciting opportunity. I'll admit that when I first got a twitter I was dubious - and peer pressured into it - but I'll give a hearty thumbs up to anything that gets me closer to peanut butter. That's right, ladies and gentleman, twitter helped me receive free peanut butter. And we all know how I feel about <a href="http://cupsohealth.blogspot.com/2012/01/nut-butters-natures-gift-to-me.html" target="_blank">nut butters</a>.<br />
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PB Crave, previously known as PB Loco, has come back with four new flavors and an exciting charity project. They asked via their twitter if any bloggers would be willing to review their product in exchange for free samples - and who was I to turn away this PBlicious opportunity?<br />
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Anyway my samples arrived in the mail only a few days ago and I was so excited I immediately tore into them to discover not any mere sample - but four. beautiful. jars.<br />
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And I had a spoonful of each on the spot. So let's get started.<br />
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<b>#1: Coco Bananas</b><br />
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This is the PB I was most excited for, because there is very little I love more than a PB/Banana/Chocolate combo. I have PB and Banana together almost every morning, and <i>certainly</i> every day.<br />
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<u>The Verdict:</u><b> </b>It's good, but it surprisingly ended up being my least-favorite flavor. Like all four flavors, it had an excellent creamy quality (possibly due to the melo honey) and I adored the little chocolate chips inside. The chips, as opposed to cocoa flavoring, added a nice texture and pop of chocolate. However the banana flavor was not all how I hoped it would be. It is an all-natural flavoring, but it still leaves sort of an artificial aftertaste. Still delicious, but a bit disappointing.<br />
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<b>#2: Choco Choco</b><br />
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The double-chocolate peanut butter. I am all for more chocolate. Those little lumps are the chocolate chips! :)<br />
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<u>The Verdict: </u>Yum. Yum yum yum. I had this one (and coco bananas, as pictured above) on some toast after the initial taste test and I adored how easily it went onto the bread, and how some of the chocolate chips melted into the spread and added an extra kick of chocolate to it all.<br />
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<b>#3: Razzle Dazzle</b><br />
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This one had white & dark chocolate along with raspberry flavor. I apologize for not getting a better picture of the texture of it, I realized last minute I'd not taken one when I taste-tested! Shameful. And then I had to leave my apartment for the day...so I snapped a quick pic in order to get this post out ASAP.<br />
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<u>The Verdict:</u> I really liked it - it had a nice light fruity pop. The flavoring did still left a bit of an aftertaste like the banana one but it wasn't overwhelming. And I'd never seen a berry-infused PB before! I was very impressed by the creativity in this PB recipe.<br />
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<b>#4: Cookie Nookie </b><br />
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A cookie dough flavored PB...uh, count me in. Admit it, doesn't this idea intrigue you?<br />
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<u>The Verdict:</u> My <i>favorite. </i>I love it. It's got a nice decadent flavor, which you'd expect from the name. It doesn't lose its PB-quality while still having a great chocolate chip cookie punch. I want a spoonful...like now. Excuse me, I have to run into the kitchen.<br />
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<b>The Health Stats</b><br />
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A disclaimer, guys: these PBs are not vegan. I know my blog is very vegan, but I don't consider myself a stringent vegan I was not going to turn down free PB. Anyways, I consider my diet more plant-based than vegan, meaning I stick to plant-based and whole foods whenever possible, but I don't restrict myself. And I have honey every day. So. Non-vegan PBs. Onwards.<br />
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All four peanut butters are all-natural, made with Mel-o honey and Belgian chocolate. They are <i>free</i> of gluten, added sugar, trans fat, and high fructose corn syrup.<br />
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They are all 180 calories per serving (2 Tablespoons). Naturally most of those calories come from fat - it is peanut butter after all. But I firmly believe a bit of peanut butter is a good, filling snack or addition to a meal. Fat is not necessarily bad for you guys. Unless it's all you eat. And treat yourself with the added chocolate!<br />
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<b>The Charity</b><br />
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PB Crave gives a minimum 2% of their profits to <a href="http://www.projectpeanutbutter.org/PPB/Project_Peanut_Butter.html" target="_blank">Project Peanut Butter</a>, a charity whose goal is to treat and save malnourished children. This, I think, is the best part of their company and the strongest reason why they are worth trying. So many children go without what we mostly take for granted, and we can help with these small gestures. And give our taste buds a little treat as well ;)<br />
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You can also vote here in Walmart's Get on the Shelf competition to help them further this goal: <a href="http://www.getontheshelf.com/product/4878/PB-Crave" target="_blank">www.getontheshelf.com/product/4878/PB-Crave </a><br />
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So there you have it. Expect a cookie recipe using one of these PBs soon! I'm thinking maybe Razzle Dazzle...<br />
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*disclaimer: I was not paid for this review of PB Crave's products, and my opinions are entirely my own.<br />
<br />Sonjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17188963659883064126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1353262230023613826.post-58449526247081904492012-02-28T16:28:00.000-08:002012-02-28T16:28:01.954-08:00Insta-Foods Take Four<strike>yes I only do these when I am running out of time for anything else</strike><br />
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<ol>
<li style="text-align: left;">Blended PB & Banana Oatmeal - a very typical breakfast of mine, especially on chilly mornings.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Endangered Species Chocolate Bars: Turtle (dark w/ blueberries) and Lemur (dark w/ raw cacao nibs) - been craving them for awhiiiile. Noms.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Vegan strawberry cupcake, made & consumed for V-Day.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Vegan strawberry pancakes! Had to use up those strawberries somehow ;)</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">A salad of mixed greens, olives, tomatoes, snap peas and hummus/apple cider vinegar dressing, topped with black beans.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">My rainy day treat to myself: a grilled banana-almond butter-apricot jam sandwich.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Cucumbers, carrots, green beans, & homemade brown rice chips - all for an excuse to eat a ton of hummus, of course!</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Seasoned black beans on a bed of spinach and quinoa. With a side glass of carrot juice that I'd already consumed most of...along with a slice of Ezekial bread toast (I am <i>loving</i> Ezekial bread right now) coated in apricot jam.</li>
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<strike><br /></strike>Sonjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17188963659883064126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1353262230023613826.post-50721805436001077122012-02-25T09:49:00.000-08:002012-02-25T09:49:38.051-08:00The Alien Spawn<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Seriously. If I handed one of these to you with no explanation, you would totally think I'd discovered an extraterrestrial life form, wouldn't you? Or perhaps an alien's noms.<br />
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But no, this is a real vegetable. My mom brought it to me straight from the organic farm she subscribes to back home. It's called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanesco_broccoli" target="_blank">romanesco broccoli</a>, and is also known as Roman cauliflower. Which is a very apt name, since that's pretty much what it tastes like. A broccoli-cauliflower fusion. My roommate ended up dubbing it "cauliccoli" 'cuz the name's been a bit hard to remember, and I like it.<br />
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Since it was my first time trying "cauliccoli", I didn't go too crazy and simply roasted it at 400 for about 10 minutes. All that adorned these crazy cauliflower kids was a drizzle of olive oil and some of my prized himalayan pink salt.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Honestly, I'm not OCD about my food touching, this was just for photographic purposes.</span></div>
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I had the maybe-alien veggie alongside a vegan mushroom-rice veggie burger (topped with another product new to me, nutritional yeast, which I approve of - and some ketchup and pickles for the burger). I ended up utilizing the ketchup for the cauliccoli as well, which hey...everything's good with ketchup.<br />
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Pretty much, anyway.<br />
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So have you made any new food/product discoveries lately?<br />
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<i>Sonja</i></div>Sonjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17188963659883064126noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1353262230023613826.post-16346424346805952532012-02-23T09:31:00.000-08:002012-02-23T09:31:55.626-08:00A Weekend With MommabearA review ... in noms. ;)<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Homemade banana bread :)</span></div>
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My lovely mother was in town for a visit this weekend, which of course meant a weekend full of great company, and great food!<br />
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She rolled into town Friday around 3, which gave us plenty of time to grab dinner before my night rehearsal. We decided to go to Soul Veg - a completely vegan cafe downtown. I'd only had the pleasure of going once, and my mom had never been. Now, while she's not a vegan/vegetarian like I am, she loves her veggies and rarely eats meat anyway. So she was totally open for it!<br />
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We both chose their "live salad platter" option - I chose the toppings of seaweed, cous cous, and spinach. She's not such a spinach fan and chose bean curd instead. It all was served atop of salad of greens, tomatoes, and onions. (She also had a ginger-citrus punch that was.so.good.likeomg.)<br />
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As you can see, we loved them so much we plowed through them before I remembered to take a picture! Oops.<br />
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But I <i>did </i>take a picture of the amazing vegan apple pie we snacked on for dessert...<br />
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To quote my mom, "This is <i>not </i>missing a thing!"<i> </i>More proof that a vegan diet is not a boring diet!<br />
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On Saturday we tried out a new coffee place in town, where I decided to spoil myself by ordering a (definitely not vegan) nutella sandwich on cinnamon-raisin bread along with my traditional morning tea. Hey, you only live once, and there wasn't any Justin's Chocolate-Hazelnut butter around!<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">One of these days I'll remember: picture first, eat later.</span></div>
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My mom <i>loved </i>her Peru Coffee. Not so jazzed about her sandwich. Perhaps it was the extreme excess of onions...?<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Seriously, the onions owned this sandwich. They probably planted a flag somewhere in there.</span></div>
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For lunch...it was Earthfare salad bar all the way (cuz I just had to get tons of healthy, yummy groceries while my momma was in town!). I won't even go into my three (!) bags of groceries, but om nom salad bar + juice bar.<br />
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Honestly there was a lot piled on here that I don't remember exactly. The highlight was the cranberry quinoa and kale. Sounds weird, was delicious. And I loved my juice (a carrot-beet-cucumber-ginger combo) as well. Oh oh, and the brussel sprouts. No, I'm not kidding.<br />
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For dinner Mom and I elected to cook a recipe from <i>Peas and Thank You</i>, Mama Pea's falafel with tzatki sauce.<br />
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Honestly...I wasn't super impressed. The sauce was too garlicky and the falafel not very flavorful, although I did enjoy it leftover dunked into ketchup. The biggest letdown was Food For Life's Brown Rice Tortillas...very chewy and stiff. But I saved the day by cutting the rest up and making them into delicious chips!<br />
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And for Sunday breakfast we had some good old oatmeal from the coffee place. I can always count on oatmeal. It is my bestest breakfast friend ;)<br />
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...and then she had to go back home. Boo! I love it when my parents are in town, and it's always sad to see them go. But hey, I'm an adult and that's how it is, right? Right. Totally an adult over here.<br />
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What are your favorite types of places to eat out or take your parents/friends/significant others for a treat?<br />
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<i>Sonja</i></div>
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<br /></div>Sonjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17188963659883064126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1353262230023613826.post-86744650311846196882012-02-11T19:46:00.000-08:002012-02-11T19:46:47.116-08:00Coconut Oil Cookies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Thank you, <a href="http://bakecraftlove.com/" target="_blank">Michele</a>, for introducing me to coconut oil. Michele is an old roommate of mine and my best friend up here at college. Plus she's a talented and lovely blogger than everyone should check out! Michi and I spent last Saturday together working on a project of hers and exploring pet stores and World Market. At the end of our day, we decided to make one of Chocolate Covered Katie's recipes (of course).<br />
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We didn't have all the ingredients for the one we chose, so we ended up modifying just a bit. From chocolate cookies stuffed with pumpkin, came coconut oil cookies stuffed with pumpkin-chocolate-peanut butter. Yeah.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">I'm falling in love all over again just looking at these pictures.</span></div>
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Here's Katie's <a href="http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2011/10/14/chocolate-cookies-filled-with-pumpkin-pie/" target="_blank">original recipe</a>.</div>
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The substitutions made were leaving out the cocoa powder we didn't have and using chocolate peanut butter in place of regular peanut butter. But the most important <i>addition</i> was the use of coconut oil (new obsession alert). Katie doesn't specify in her recipe what oil she used, but I wouldn't recommend any other. Especially without the cocoa powder. Because it gave these cookies such <i>flavor </i>and also a really nice softness. Ugh. Delicious. Seriously. Myself, Michele, and her boyfriend Stephen all enjoyed them. I even shared some with my roommate and her parents, and they loved them too! </div>
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Make these cookies. Either Katie's way or ours, I'm sure it will be amazing.</div>
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<br />Sonjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17188963659883064126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1353262230023613826.post-50998207129287386902012-02-10T10:38:00.000-08:002012-02-10T10:38:06.024-08:00Insta-Foods Take Three<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've been way too neglectful of this blog lately because I've just started rehearsals for my next show, but maybe a quick instagram post will sort of make up for it ;)</div>
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1. Kettle corn, purchased at the Renaissance Faire I attended with a few friends two weekends ago. Honestly, not sure it was vegan, and it definitely wasn't healthy in the amount consumed (Laurie and I ate nearly the whole bag just on the two hour ride home) but - it was a faire! At least I brought my own lunch and avoided fried noms. No foodie regrets.</div>
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2. Brunch at a nearby all-vegan cafe. That's tofu scramble, broccoli, "sausage" patties (from the taste/texture, I think quinoa and black bean possibly), biscuits, and "cheesy" grits. Yum. And one plate made me three meals - so much food!</div>
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3. Chocolate Covered Katie's <a href="http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2012/01/18/totally-addictive-cornbread/#comments" target="_blank">vegan cornbread</a>, topped with PB & Co's white chocolate peanut butter and apricot jam. It was delish, but I think I got the texture wrong. Too much applesauce.</div>
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4. Morning oatmeal, my usual fare. This time with cinnamon, banana, & berries as a topping.</div>
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5. Chocolate Covered Katie's <a href="http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2011/10/07/hot-apple-pie-pancakes/" target="_blank">apple pie pancakes </a>with sugar-free maple syrup. Yeah, I make a lot of Katie's recipes. Because they're <i>amazing.</i></div>
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6. Outback Steakhouse's Hearts of Mahi dish. My roommate's lovely parents took us both out to dinner, and well, I figured a bit of fish couldn't hurt me. It was my first animal product in about a month; it was topped with artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, and served with veggies. Yum.</div>Sonjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17188963659883064126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1353262230023613826.post-8990318716497128302012-02-07T18:43:00.000-08:002012-02-07T18:43:56.691-08:00Berry Banana Bonanza Oatmeal<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">I have a confession to make: I <i>love </i>breakfast. </div></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ON9W_HV-qfAmedpU-ndY29p5mrL-WMFp3t1j_Auc5y46LZhyWgRI0dLWL5Ji0g-RQc91UfInRMkFS247oTV1ZPYS4ZKS3IHF1xuYbsbTkCiDdgETbIT5fLyv5coZt1AqbtsRhw_BbSA/s1600/IMG_0299.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ON9W_HV-qfAmedpU-ndY29p5mrL-WMFp3t1j_Auc5y46LZhyWgRI0dLWL5Ji0g-RQc91UfInRMkFS247oTV1ZPYS4ZKS3IHF1xuYbsbTkCiDdgETbIT5fLyv5coZt1AqbtsRhw_BbSA/s320/IMG_0299.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Breakfast is what encourages me most to get out of bed in the morning and get my day going. I would be such a grumpypants without it. Even so, my breakfasts are not extremely varied due to time constraints (i.e. college and my lazy butt not wanting to get up at 7 am to make pancakes and whatnot) and I usually revert to either cereal or oatmeal.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My favorite cereals are Whole-O's or Barbara's Honey Rice Puffins with sliced banana, almond milk, cinnamon, and a drizzle of honey. This rarely varies. But my oatmeal...I can do anything with my oatmeal.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Including mixing in applesauce, nut butters, banana, honey, maple syrup, raisins...and <i>berries</i>. Sometimes I just throw them in, but lately I've been using my new food processor (the Ninja) to blend it up a bit and really get the flavors mixed it. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Monday morning I created the "berry banana bonanza"*</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It involves...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><ul><li>2 handfuls frozen mixed berries (blueberry, blackberry, strawberry)</li>
<li>One sliced banana</li>
<li>Cooked stovetop oats</li>
<li>Cinnamon (to taste, I like a <i>lot</i>)</li>
<li>Tablespoon of honey</li>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It was very simple. I cooked the oats, threw them in my Ninja with half the banana, the berries, cinnamon, and the honey. Blended it until I liked the creamy texture, put it in a bowl, and threw the rest of the banana on top. Easy peasy and very delicious. Should definitely give your morning a vitamin C kick should you try it ;)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">What are some of your favorite breakfast foods/oatmeal mix-ins?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><i>Sonja</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">*many thanks to my lovely roommate Nicole for the title</div>Sonjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17188963659883064126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1353262230023613826.post-52342026219398613102012-02-02T09:15:00.000-08:002012-02-02T09:15:52.011-08:00New Nuts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7lmK6AR6MfYQvBfrbB2qkXlELcJl5JrVWnbtIWTWqguqXvyhY5C0-7tKxv2qNd4zsRIpQnAGPT_8R2oAmg9ATAeaUG_99M_shI5Dz_JNJypgeLU3mfRPHJHpyX7VmBc05TJeBTOsvTlo/s1600/IMG_0256.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7lmK6AR6MfYQvBfrbB2qkXlELcJl5JrVWnbtIWTWqguqXvyhY5C0-7tKxv2qNd4zsRIpQnAGPT_8R2oAmg9ATAeaUG_99M_shI5Dz_JNJypgeLU3mfRPHJHpyX7VmBc05TJeBTOsvTlo/s320/IMG_0256.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Hazelnuts, that is.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>The Product: </b>Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter. It's basically an all-natural vegan answer to Nutella - a product that most people with a pulse adore. I've tried Justin's Maple Almond Nut Butter in the past and adored it, so I was pretty excited to try another variety, <i>especially </i>one with chocolate in the title.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Even so, I am a cheapsie college student (and jars run 8-9 dollars, eep!) so I only bought the sample packet. As you can see from the rather attractive picture of me above nomming on it. Do you like my robe? I wear it all the time. Really.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>The Verdict: </b>I tried it on toast, but do you see what I ended up doing? Just slurping it straight out of the package. It was delicious. I would say a lot like Nutella except a tad less sweet (a plus in my book, since Nutella always felt like more of a dessert than a spread for sandwiches and such) and the texture was a little less smooth. That's fairly normal with naturally processed nut butters, so nothing I wasn't expecting. It still spread wonderfully on the toast. All in all, a great buy! I'll probably splurge for a jar very soon...</div>Sonjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17188963659883064126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1353262230023613826.post-44567838452379562592012-01-31T16:22:00.000-08:002012-01-31T16:34:31.887-08:00What's In My Pantry?If this were a vlog or fancy home cooking show, this would be the point at which the catchy jingle plays. You know, like a pretty little ding and then a chorus of voices all "what's in my pantryyyyyy tonight, Sonja?" (and then a kitten enacting cartoon violence).<br />
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Five points to Ravenclaw if you got that reference!*<br />
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Today I'd like to share with you guys a run-down of the items I typically keep on hand in my pantry/fridge. My typical groceries. I find I'm always very interested in this sort of thing when perusing other blogs/cookbooks - it's good to get an idea of ingredient staples so mealtimes don't become such guesswork, and more of a combining of favorites. And of course so I always have items on hand to make yummy goodies!<br />
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<div style="text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipjmNgPNFQNXL65I1sml9yVtRv4myTLCUpl5SwmnZt5gSJfrc6W_8WDjLqUcKANrdLtz9Icc2_dto_fzeegjQXuATXRcGoe_YkYmtUQ5xza46XTqfQWl-51fka0FUF7vNX-L_dUy0Fhig/s1600/IMG_0195.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipjmNgPNFQNXL65I1sml9yVtRv4myTLCUpl5SwmnZt5gSJfrc6W_8WDjLqUcKANrdLtz9Icc2_dto_fzeegjQXuATXRcGoe_YkYmtUQ5xza46XTqfQWl-51fka0FUF7vNX-L_dUy0Fhig/s320/IMG_0195.JPG" width="320" /> </a></div><div style="text-align: left; text-decoration: underline;"><u>Pantry #1</u></div><div style="text-align: left; text-decoration: underline;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://cupsohealth.blogspot.com/2012/01/nut-butters-natures-gift-to-me.html" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank">Nut Butters</a><span style="text-align: center;">, always plural (Please don't fall over from shock)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: right;">Organic Publix applesauce, unsweetened</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: right;">Raisins/Amazins/Dried fruit</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: right;">Almonds or other nuts</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: right;">Pasta & pasta sauce (gluten free; good for a quick dinner)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: right;">Brown rice/quinoa/sweet potatoes</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: right;">Vitamins (C and D) & probiotic capsules</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: right;">Canned beans (garbanzo, black beans)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: right;">Organic honey, preferably raw</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: right;">Canned soup for another quick dinner option (Amy's or Wolfgang Puck's)</span></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirKrmnrTZS5-nITi4AajT7mJT7-3vGAHC9Q9eaMaN57xnqaveSBACgll9etSotMdBjMYHPfk3KAaW4kz1I10IubPfq4Lu_B6uoP3k-lpjmvvDueOtqXlS588K0nvtvzZOIAhuqOClkvR8/s1600/IMG_0197.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirKrmnrTZS5-nITi4AajT7mJT7-3vGAHC9Q9eaMaN57xnqaveSBACgll9etSotMdBjMYHPfk3KAaW4kz1I10IubPfq4Lu_B6uoP3k-lpjmvvDueOtqXlS588K0nvtvzZOIAhuqOClkvR8/s320/IMG_0197.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not fully pictured (there's a section above & underneath)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><u>Pantry #2 (shared with my roomies)</u><br />
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<a href="http://cupsohealth.blogspot.com/2012/01/tea.html" target="_blank">My tea collection</a><br />
Flaxseeds<br />
Bananas<br />
Apples<br />
Cereal (Whole O's, Honey Rice Puffins)<br />
Rolled oats<br />
Oil (Canola/Veggie/Olive)<br />
Spices (Cinnamon's my fave!)<br />
Himalayan Pink Salt<br />
Gluten-free flour<br />
Agave nectar<br />
Baking soda/powder, cocoa powder<br />
Chocolate chips :)</div><div><br />
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</u></div></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJpcSEtoz4XK1dnMaR0R0gYGFUR1TNnpaBdnuVhA1uC3TjyZUQkbSnaV1GGYJwi4Rp84SalhgCzeOXJteZhyql-UpUmM0pgTyPSwT2Q-1GW9cX4v99-Pw7op35OIOB5MUX9-xYwimqCE8/s1600/IMG_0201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJpcSEtoz4XK1dnMaR0R0gYGFUR1TNnpaBdnuVhA1uC3TjyZUQkbSnaV1GGYJwi4Rp84SalhgCzeOXJteZhyql-UpUmM0pgTyPSwT2Q-1GW9cX4v99-Pw7op35OIOB5MUX9-xYwimqCE8/s320/IMG_0201.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: right;"><u>Fridge</u></div></div><div style="text-align: right;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: right;">Almond milk, unsweetened</div><div style="text-align: right;">Greens, greens, greens (spinach, salad mix, kale, swiss chard)</div><div style="text-align: right;">Carrots</div><div style="text-align: right;">Cucumber</div><div style="text-align: right;">Any fruits or veggies that are on sale/in season/catch my eyes</div><div style="text-align: right;">Hummus (usually Sabra classic, occasionally I make my own)</div><div style="text-align: right;">Earth Balance vegan butter spread</div><div style="text-align: right;">Firm tofu, tofu noodles</div><div style="text-align: right;">Apple Cider Vinegar</div><div style="text-align: right;">Balsamic Vinaigrette</div></div></div><div><div style="text-align: right;"><u><br />
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</u></div><div style="text-align: right;"><u>Freezer</u></div><div style="text-align: right;">Veggie burgers/patties</div><div style="text-align: right;">Frozen veggies</div><div style="text-align: right;">Frozen berries</div></div><div><div><br />
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And that's the basics, folks. Soon I'll put up a post about my typical day-to-day eats so you can get an idea of just what I make out of all these goodies! I tend to repeat meals a lot once I find something I like, but it is neat how many different things I can make out of that (relatively) short list above.<br />
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What are some of your pantry must-haves?<br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><i>Sonja</i></div><br />
*See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craig_Ferguson" target="_blank">The Most Awesome Late Night Show Host Ever</a>. Points not exchangeable for Slytherin, Gryffindor, or Hufflepuff credit.Sonjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17188963659883064126noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1353262230023613826.post-44303241558659194122012-01-29T13:56:00.000-08:002012-01-29T13:56:03.551-08:00Sushi MeSushi is awesome. I've not <i>always </i>liked it, but taste buds change and now it's almost a constant craving. Since I couldn't stomach even the idea of raw fish, I've always stuck to either veggie, tofu, or smoked salmon rolls. This made it an easy food to continue eating after I cut out meat, since veggie rolls are delicious! I've tried a few different sushi places, and sometimes the veggies combos are a little sparse and disappointing (read: only cucumber, carrot, and avocado at one place. Um, what? I paid five dollars for this roll!).<br />
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But I recently visited a cafe downtown with my friends, and this was by far the best veggie roll I've ever had.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMBghZgF6xIYztCvkdMI7lUz52RD7GqDhbIXepxSdK6o6h_QLl3jICx1ae7U0PHFdD9ZNU9pSQled-Yy_l5F0bnU2VyaLN8lIIzrk3k3wP_ULgwoBEXBAuBA941yOZcjheC3Aujh9aBZ4/s1600/IMG_0179.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMBghZgF6xIYztCvkdMI7lUz52RD7GqDhbIXepxSdK6o6h_QLl3jICx1ae7U0PHFdD9ZNU9pSQled-Yy_l5F0bnU2VyaLN8lIIzrk3k3wP_ULgwoBEXBAuBA941yOZcjheC3Aujh9aBZ4/s400/IMG_0179.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful presentation, too. <strike>Except for at the end where I already dug in. Oops!</strike></td></tr>
</tbody></table>This roll was stuffed with veggies - avocado, carrot, cucumber, AND asparagus plus two veggies I couldn't actually place. One was soft, brownish, and sweet but I don't think it was onion and the other was, I think, some type of pickled Japanese veggie.<br />
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</div><div>I apologize for my inadequate knowledge in these areas. My brain often eats before it inspects...</div><div><br />
</div><div>Two of my friends also sampled different types of sushi and were very pleased, while Laurie (who'd previously been to the restaurant) ordered a stir-fry she already knew she loved.</div><div><br />
</div><div>My friend Jess had the lobster mac and cheese:</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcwGM4q_fCy2XDoAZfza8ihSiRndrdlKzSPbX3zlXp4t4M9vwvr0h73CaBByvxDG1lCn2dPzkv0_4JbV-IG96Cj6CKesHqmsaSWpSpAwDmK7nuKJEleSmooXM4rj8N_SWOGoeLYGXfKuQ/s1600/IMG_0181.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcwGM4q_fCy2XDoAZfza8ihSiRndrdlKzSPbX3zlXp4t4M9vwvr0h73CaBByvxDG1lCn2dPzkv0_4JbV-IG96Cj6CKesHqmsaSWpSpAwDmK7nuKJEleSmooXM4rj8N_SWOGoeLYGXfKuQ/s320/IMG_0181.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Needless to say, she loved it.</span></div><div><br />
</div><div>I didn't sample it myself of course, but it looked way more delicious than my iPhone camera gives it credit for.</div><div><br />
</div><div>All in all, a very pleasant experience. I hadn't dined out in awhile due to both budgeting and my dietary issues so it was great! I'd been super nervous that I would find an appropriate vegan option but all was well :)</div><div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">What are some of your favorite foods when going out to eat?</div><div style="text-align: right;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: right;"><i>Sonja</i></div><div><br />
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</div>Sonjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17188963659883064126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1353262230023613826.post-77780073319048150652012-01-26T20:01:00.000-08:002012-01-26T20:01:53.270-08:00The Bakery DreamI think it's about time we talk about something:<br />
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The Bakery.<br />
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The Bakery is very special to me. To own and operate The Bakery is my dream. More specifically, it's the dream of my hometown bestie, Liz (you know, staunch supporter of <a href="http://cupsohealth.blogspot.com/2012/01/carrot-juice.html" target="_blank">carrot juice</a>) and myself.<br />
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The Bakery has a real name, but I'm afraid that's top secret for now. Don't want it squirreled away from us before we can even begin!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPKve41_wtTJZ873DD29MIPTk65ayMP08RjQW04FcmX_kwtGF3RlzyTUO22wiTyi9DYC05_GIU5Z4ACBGTxOsR5TggdUPadWlih36qj2gSy19ay1Vm81avs7qeMijO9xMaDWOBBZ1rBeA/s1600/229974_1695808351028_1112400157_31460667_7196045_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPKve41_wtTJZ873DD29MIPTk65ayMP08RjQW04FcmX_kwtGF3RlzyTUO22wiTyi9DYC05_GIU5Z4ACBGTxOsR5TggdUPadWlih36qj2gSy19ay1Vm81avs7qeMijO9xMaDWOBBZ1rBeA/s320/229974_1695808351028_1112400157_31460667_7196045_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Liz and I, after having re-created The Portal Cake in delicious German Chocolate form.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Liz and I have been friends and baking partners for some time now, and we've known each other since eighth grade (we're both college juniors currently). It wasn't until about senior year of high school The Bakery Dream began to be realized, however. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV7w7YS_L8QYhAq_RDZxhKr2-wj0AyAor-CfBxmuFEcaXuzn1k6UhfVdw9hVPAPMs4yjE_m9GfyWjBJY1aoOSMREs_Wc60uF3Q1fj3LimnlUITAFY2NHMFJMGuTGTlCzcsBwfkzHAhv50/s1600/IMG_0060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV7w7YS_L8QYhAq_RDZxhKr2-wj0AyAor-CfBxmuFEcaXuzn1k6UhfVdw9hVPAPMs4yjE_m9GfyWjBJY1aoOSMREs_Wc60uF3Q1fj3LimnlUITAFY2NHMFJMGuTGTlCzcsBwfkzHAhv50/s320/IMG_0060.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Our brie-apple tarts avec a sprig of mint.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We love to bake. For ourselves, for family, for fun: nearly every time we get together (and that's a lot, when we're both at home visiting parents) we make <i>something </i>delicious. We enjoy both creating our own recipes based on cravings and tackling more complex ones like tiramisu, biscotti, and souffles.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJoEga8wqTKAW0ZPMTLVYGCMs1roBqAfhzHo2nn0-DE6TyW-Xnl3I_tDQGlaaE_vRHtjLfgNFgd4y-8kZIIX0dFNfg-tGQB4gR-dPeoFqhFl91io9FqL7ulfyzeAXaDJgGZpixM6VAufk/s320/IMG_0559.jpg" width="240" /> <span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtGH9b1YDl3G1D_0CZ_1TMFJiCZjiT9ehTAuj2BlDJwEUlWTCJwaYVhbvjnIi7-HIRx-VMweHZG20tmkeyU5AF8M26GT6n9IrBX6vUC8Rhwu8oWZIp8nfSd3HGGdGz7cvB26S9nGvmSBg/s1600/strawburrypie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtGH9b1YDl3G1D_0CZ_1TMFJiCZjiT9ehTAuj2BlDJwEUlWTCJwaYVhbvjnIi7-HIRx-VMweHZG20tmkeyU5AF8M26GT6n9IrBX6vUC8Rhwu8oWZIp8nfSd3HGGdGz7cvB26S9nGvmSBg/s320/strawburrypie.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">One of our favorite go-to treats is pie, particularly apple or strawberry.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We'll make anything. Cupcakes, candy, cookies, tarts...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_O-lO-gZVFNreUFSdFVhVgYVK1RNS660BbAJ_8BLzAZIxsxKWRT57UQWp0PwpwLa-gohIU7hT-ahteQjWML5Ixc5rwgySF-XYyBDkm25SryY5UNIlYF1PwtHM_kscTc0GItufUxL4Gj4/s1600/163246_1518079107908_1112400157_31176115_2032776_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_O-lO-gZVFNreUFSdFVhVgYVK1RNS660BbAJ_8BLzAZIxsxKWRT57UQWp0PwpwLa-gohIU7hT-ahteQjWML5Ixc5rwgySF-XYyBDkm25SryY5UNIlYF1PwtHM_kscTc0GItufUxL4Gj4/s320/163246_1518079107908_1112400157_31176115_2032776_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Fancy pear, white wine, and caramel...things?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh198hoF-muRyhnXRdqdO4EWOiYx2GGG2kCO-_OwUhRMS-9hLNs1I7b8MRqdUfpEz2ZuaozcxbtPrP8o_8hy52pHC0rVrPag-JiXcaEV0ccDZhg8Ibn4pYaywT0eB5NGiAqRpyJ12boJhw/s1600/IMG_0034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh198hoF-muRyhnXRdqdO4EWOiYx2GGG2kCO-_OwUhRMS-9hLNs1I7b8MRqdUfpEz2ZuaozcxbtPrP8o_8hy52pHC0rVrPag-JiXcaEV0ccDZhg8Ibn4pYaywT0eB5NGiAqRpyJ12boJhw/s320/IMG_0034.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">We've even made <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prZm1RECvSw" target="_blank">Grace Helbig's </a>sweet weenies for a fun experiment. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Spoiler alert: they're <i>awesome</i>.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Whatever you want, we want to have at our bakery. The idea is to own the bakery together later in lives, after each of us has sampled our respective careers. It's sort of...the perfect way to settle down, in our eyes.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Maybe some day we'll even be on cupcake wars! Keep an eye out ;)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><i>Sonja</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Sonjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17188963659883064126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1353262230023613826.post-51946337042583485842012-01-24T12:43:00.000-08:002012-01-24T12:43:19.029-08:00Carrot JuiceCan I introduce you to one of my very good friends?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqH4rYbzyj_4c1Sh9eoQ8xwmws5UNy7X4YyOzgA-DkmqzGWRX94ZT7Q3saX1GLE5KU12N_Yrp3NlqG9fMSptvdFYd_Xvkq1zEnWJt6WBQT9MfkkErBNRCc_Ydzr5EwYLj3v5U8AsyzYAE/s1600/IMG_0172.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqH4rYbzyj_4c1Sh9eoQ8xwmws5UNy7X4YyOzgA-DkmqzGWRX94ZT7Q3saX1GLE5KU12N_Yrp3NlqG9fMSptvdFYd_Xvkq1zEnWJt6WBQT9MfkkErBNRCc_Ydzr5EwYLj3v5U8AsyzYAE/s400/IMG_0172.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Odwalla's organic is my favorite brand, but Boathouse is a good (read: cheaper) alternative.</span></div><br />
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People of the internet, meet Mr. Carrot Juice. Good Sir Juice has been my very tasty and healthy companion over the last few weeks. My colonics doctor recommended this to me over winter break for the health benefits, and though I'd never had it straight carrot before (as a child I loved <a href="http://www.americansoy.com/VruitMain.html" target="_blank">Vruit's</a> carrot-apple juice) I immediately stopped by Whole Foods and bought a half-gallon of Odwalla's organic carrot juice.<br />
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It helped that my sweetie hometown bestie, Liz, had recently bought a juicer and was already raving about the fresh carrot juice she'd been consuming by the barrel. Liz and I have extraordinarily similar tastes.<br />
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So I dove in, confident I would like it.<br />
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I <i>love </i>it.<i> </i>Carrot juice is so smooth but not thin, with a refreshing natural sweetness. Give me a cup and it's gone in minutes - I can't help it! It's truly a fabulous drink, with so many benefits, including:<br />
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<ul><li>Improvement of the function/detoxification of the liver & digestive tract</li>
<li>Rich in vitamins & minerals such as vitamin E, vitamin A, potassium, and beta-carotene</li>
<li>It is a very calorie-light juice that needs no added sugar</li>
<li>It is good for the skin and has anti-aging properties</li>
<li>It's delicious!</li>
</ul><br />
It's also a great addition to my favorite banana apple smoothie!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqYqbdTqI71_5rJ_h0z5MGaARn1mFpD8J-xCmjJBFtlIzj9bE6MifAvsd6L-cRTtcYNaq203HXQGYVevaO406XT7zGUX3NjpTc0F0oa7k-L4EBHuEIcmEgbDyA3Yf_UrcfJ4l01nGURh4/s1600/IMG_0154.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqYqbdTqI71_5rJ_h0z5MGaARn1mFpD8J-xCmjJBFtlIzj9bE6MifAvsd6L-cRTtcYNaq203HXQGYVevaO406XT7zGUX3NjpTc0F0oa7k-L4EBHuEIcmEgbDyA3Yf_UrcfJ4l01nGURh4/s320/IMG_0154.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Delicious. A perfect pick-me-up while doing homework, as you can see in the background...<br />
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Well, I'd better get back to that, I suppose! Happy healthy drinking!<br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><i>Sonja</i></div>Sonjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17188963659883064126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1353262230023613826.post-47666249558187907222012-01-21T16:00:00.000-08:002012-01-21T16:00:02.057-08:00Insta-Foods Take Two<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"> <img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB5-RR3npFLqFfFyojt5Q0Nsvj2aky1-6hfzP_taDCL8I10SZb89yHzAyTz7_wEXKGG5tv5KQorneEFdsh0skK-MR6Zzh4UsST7bj3Grg_mkwRAxQNU_FDVdcTvvttm-EdZTXfOo8QfUs/s200/IMG_0163.JPG" width="200" /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1QLFvIvjReQpOJew39SbsMJSsrfT4C3c4cumRjvuBJC_CqZTufT-CowVvCKrnOaJI0SbGUz-IaVxZJxjmsG0EpsvkTj1w86HxeheTpospRjKC73IYHspTVkzeaxWvLPszZQDRQdV-ho0/s1600/IMG_0173.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1QLFvIvjReQpOJew39SbsMJSsrfT4C3c4cumRjvuBJC_CqZTufT-CowVvCKrnOaJI0SbGUz-IaVxZJxjmsG0EpsvkTj1w86HxeheTpospRjKC73IYHspTVkzeaxWvLPszZQDRQdV-ho0/s200/IMG_0173.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9CTd-mx2uLjSgMjdZMAS_ahfcuipohIIv5CTWK-6xgtj1f_AsSIxNkH-Q7tYJe96zV2LZtGXlZUvOzDleksiHWJCdrkGwK64KSrGDLoof8jn3bWZI4ty8nAQ2a2KNsTp7pAmAjPUgbqM/s200/IMG_0161.JPG" width="200" /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMrs8wP0ASLVi7e723cJwTgWQaFJVx2Y8A8aiGGaiBxexsQ3TSr8R3IeB-PrBd1t4ifc2qA6wWbXVaZ-bfV1wMBs7vzzbmYZG6IMFJk7EFy3IVSmLwE0hBdoutascPIKkopK5c_ff08gI/s1600/IMG_0160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMrs8wP0ASLVi7e723cJwTgWQaFJVx2Y8A8aiGGaiBxexsQ3TSr8R3IeB-PrBd1t4ifc2qA6wWbXVaZ-bfV1wMBs7vzzbmYZG6IMFJk7EFy3IVSmLwE0hBdoutascPIKkopK5c_ff08gI/s200/IMG_0160.JPG" width="200" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYExdUmNMEiRloUYIl8S7r7ELHysluEBgev9vRs8Mr8z8c2QkUjnQPjcRQ2AVwXgZFsuSaupg0WmKERW9CH4n85e7MS7VbOn3AqeLAzU88G5GZP3FGUoL_DyDLFeMDNaNxh3LWqlby-fk/s1600/IMG_0174.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYExdUmNMEiRloUYIl8S7r7ELHysluEBgev9vRs8Mr8z8c2QkUjnQPjcRQ2AVwXgZFsuSaupg0WmKERW9CH4n85e7MS7VbOn3AqeLAzU88G5GZP3FGUoL_DyDLFeMDNaNxh3LWqlby-fk/s200/IMG_0174.JPG" width="200" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRxwfV0loSrgWqwjMQ-txD8mQ7SlXoHCHwheCxvlBJddivUDJiyBvo8dblFx5v-AuSri1n0xdnGHjcqfDCJh1UCW96M9cGPFUK_QBL-tJzNQz05yE3ctGXgnM3d1Dni7cEkaST5eeTTxY/s1600/IMG_0165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRxwfV0loSrgWqwjMQ-txD8mQ7SlXoHCHwheCxvlBJddivUDJiyBvo8dblFx5v-AuSri1n0xdnGHjcqfDCJh1UCW96M9cGPFUK_QBL-tJzNQz05yE3ctGXgnM3d1Dni7cEkaST5eeTTxY/s200/IMG_0165.JPG" width="200" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6TJg-lgC5VhrvJdTBOmesTskLPDg5C89ll1TN8kRa4RmyXjolIJ1BRNUjbLJXizOGinTJ3ox45ZDy6D3W5idOJr7-1MZi3ejJrvv5I3nqUUxKY7w7nOd0Ky7cS2amWw-fqkJ4aM39RQ4/s1600/IMG_0169.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6TJg-lgC5VhrvJdTBOmesTskLPDg5C89ll1TN8kRa4RmyXjolIJ1BRNUjbLJXizOGinTJ3ox45ZDy6D3W5idOJr7-1MZi3ejJrvv5I3nqUUxKY7w7nOd0Ky7cS2amWw-fqkJ4aM39RQ4/s200/IMG_0169.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1. Vegan grilled cheese with tomatoes, using Daiya cheddar shreds and Genius gluten-free bread (free thanks to an Earthfare deal).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">2. Purple cabbage, sweet potato, and pea stir-fry since I had lots of purple cabbage to use up. A little depleted cuz I sort of started eating before remembering to take a photo...oops!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">3. Carrot-apple-banana smoothie in my lovely mason jar :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">4. Date stuffed with cinnamon raisin peanut butter - I put nut butter wherever I can! I got the idea from <a href="http://www.healthfulsense.com/" target="_blank">Healthful Sense</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">5. Honey-rice <a href="http://www.barbarasbakery.com/cereals-puffins/" target="_blank">Puffins</a> with almond milk, sliced 'nanner, cinnamon, and a drizzle of honey - yumm. I love trying a new cereal. Bonus: this one's nice and crunchy <i>and </i>gluten-free!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">6. <i>Amy's </i>Organic black bean vegetable soup with corn tortilla chips ~ perfect winter dinner.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">7. My roommate's pumpkin chocolate chip bread. So. Delicious. The only non-vegan item pictured, but she made it herself! I had to indulge.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Sonjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17188963659883064126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1353262230023613826.post-21083931761707164502012-01-20T13:06:00.000-08:002012-01-20T13:07:30.243-08:00Nut Butters: Nature's Gift to Me<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkkUny8S1FGmaXRssNOzUOcq44ZMm29V-V7hB4cFb59zBWz79DmGiw1QZt6DPgMum_3UmhlXUoRc1Fajkp8936wThoYeGdsWD_3RpvpSIMiuNHJaVvC6GZQ84upzRbGanjaB_vjbYYyKg/s1600/IMG_0152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkkUny8S1FGmaXRssNOzUOcq44ZMm29V-V7hB4cFb59zBWz79DmGiw1QZt6DPgMum_3UmhlXUoRc1Fajkp8936wThoYeGdsWD_3RpvpSIMiuNHJaVvC6GZQ84upzRbGanjaB_vjbYYyKg/s320/IMG_0152.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">PB & Co's White Chocolate Wonderfall<i> </i>Peanut Butter</span></div><br />
Or is it George Washington Carver's gift? Is that a myth? (I don't know, Mythbusters doesn't do that kind of stuff and that's where I get my reliable myth-related info) Well, whoever invented nut butters, they're like...my hero.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKE1_GQLLCL3WWKh6vQAHB3puVmkuF-YyPr3cEvo1TWt161GSLKHOQHcim_Zn49Bu1-_bQch_kikLNdannD8q5p1J2BxIeGHQL3OsLBo0DnByPMVs-Z9xEicFsCeyPP5rYMMbo6eQYHEw/s1600/IMG_0148.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKE1_GQLLCL3WWKh6vQAHB3puVmkuF-YyPr3cEvo1TWt161GSLKHOQHcim_Zn49Bu1-_bQch_kikLNdannD8q5p1J2BxIeGHQL3OsLBo0DnByPMVs-Z9xEicFsCeyPP5rYMMbo6eQYHEw/s320/IMG_0148.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">My current Nut Butter collection. Please excuse the naked Barney almond butter on the end - it recently got cleaned out ;)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I <i>love </i>nut butters. All kinds. Almond's my particular favorite, but I'm also addicted to <a href="http://ilovepeanutbutter.com/" target="_blank">Peanut Butter & Co's </a>line of amazing flavored peanut butters. I've also tried soy butter (err...not for me) and sunflower seed butter (good!). There's a "grind your own nut butter" machine at my local health food store that I am <i>itching </i>to try it out - maybe make my own first taste of cashew butter?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Seriously though, this stuff is<i> goooood</i>. I love putting it on my gluten-free toast for breakfast or a snack, or stirring it into my morning bowl of oats (PB & Co's Cinnamon Raisin variety is heavenly in oatmeal). Occasionally I will just eat it straight off the spoon. It's one of my little indulgences, aside from a serious case of chocolate lovin' every now and then.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Because let's admit: while I eat my nut butters gluten-free, vegan, and as all-natural and sugar-light as possible...they're not exactly your typical <i>fruits et legumes</i> (fruits and veggies. Gotta find some way to use my college French!). I strive not to make this a daily indulgence, since I could easily overeat this stuff. Still I believe that once in awhile...you should make your tongue happy! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">What are some of your favorite indulgences?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><i>Sonja</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Sonjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17188963659883064126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1353262230023613826.post-17652702277964693512012-01-18T15:12:00.000-08:002012-01-18T15:12:48.852-08:00Vegan Mac-n-Cheese<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqJEKFnlERRixdiIrcR4NBhIg_jqL2hKAZ8FBzq56uRT38CP91VchkauixnlMx9tIqXNtwpZ4wiq4e-ILO-FmLi552VpHexSApFAg-5HqZdG2D8F7fP059iACsuzwsTdrhiHWJVCoL86M/s1600/IMG_0143.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqJEKFnlERRixdiIrcR4NBhIg_jqL2hKAZ8FBzq56uRT38CP91VchkauixnlMx9tIqXNtwpZ4wiq4e-ILO-FmLi552VpHexSApFAg-5HqZdG2D8F7fP059iACsuzwsTdrhiHWJVCoL86M/s320/IMG_0143.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One of my absolute favorite comfort foods is macaroni and cheese. I love it as a warm, filling dinner. Which makes it a perfect winter or after-riding meal. Luckily, Monday was both. Although it was a pretty warm MLK day, I still had quite a work out riding a horse named Dezzy who was...shall we say...pokey, and I needed some delicious carbs to refuel!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And thus it was the perfect night to try out the vegan mac-n-cheese from Sarah Mattheny's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Peas-Thank-You-Simple-Meatless/dp/0373892403/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326822888&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Peas and Thank You </a>cookbook. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAuqoiFCNjSsNpJtA80FUNaDtBhKuBUOptzPxz-bhYqdaI4g8X26IVqNN6VR3ERy0kv5jn5ExWfLyneLrOAwCbkjUGN0vXmjHLNNQzRGTSLQPANc82MTSg6g6EMUYqB492rJA93EfcQA8/s1600/IMG_0137.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAuqoiFCNjSsNpJtA80FUNaDtBhKuBUOptzPxz-bhYqdaI4g8X26IVqNN6VR3ERy0kv5jn5ExWfLyneLrOAwCbkjUGN0vXmjHLNNQzRGTSLQPANc82MTSg6g6EMUYqB492rJA93EfcQA8/s320/IMG_0137.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1dLGF7GHqhnsK075YxqT3uPC_s0hdkLy8ap5zbJt1uveCEaEwr0BWVaPoacBrW5DyFzCLGw9WuDxokoKjI9CooRJAVWgvBCucB9W-QSFFLO3-qeazURF_1ED9ybauTf5u38ieKd2G9G4/s1600/IMG_0135.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1dLGF7GHqhnsK075YxqT3uPC_s0hdkLy8ap5zbJt1uveCEaEwr0BWVaPoacBrW5DyFzCLGw9WuDxokoKjI9CooRJAVWgvBCucB9W-QSFFLO3-qeazURF_1ED9ybauTf5u38ieKd2G9G4/s320/IMG_0135.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I also used some gluten-free pasta I had in the pantry, so this recipe was vegan and gluten-free. Win! The dish turned out a little paler than I expected to see (probably too used to Kraft dayglo orange) but the texture was nice and smooth. It was definitely a different taste, but it <i>was </i>cheesy, it melted well (Daiya cheese came highly recommended, and I approve. I plan to use it to make a grilled cheese later this week) and it was delicious. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Probably an acquired taste for some (don't go into it expecting the same old mac-n-cheese) but definitely worth a try if you're looking for a healthier, easier-on-the-body version of this classic meal.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">What are some of your favorite vegan versions of traditional dishes?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><i>Sonja</i></div>Sonjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17188963659883064126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1353262230023613826.post-30888901718516211712012-01-15T14:18:00.000-08:002012-01-20T20:30:56.993-08:00Tea<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhkkaLDsr78f0Se5y5kkk5xeqH0_uUvfHIWLvfJXEf1AHd4_Ff_IAWRKewODyGwV0PjJHqjdHFrFhO7w3KLEqKszYFlyftSphjsR1f3t-YIHyW6GgJVFnqkWTJCLIDzJ6HXRACT-GMM2U/s1600/134545107587414444_Wgdn2gOA_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhkkaLDsr78f0Se5y5kkk5xeqH0_uUvfHIWLvfJXEf1AHd4_Ff_IAWRKewODyGwV0PjJHqjdHFrFhO7w3KLEqKszYFlyftSphjsR1f3t-YIHyW6GgJVFnqkWTJCLIDzJ6HXRACT-GMM2U/s320/134545107587414444_Wgdn2gOA_c.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Picture found on <a href="http://pintrest.com/">Pintrest</a>.</span></div><br />
Just the word makes me want to start singing "these are a few of my favorite things..." at the top of my little lungs. But I won't, because I am in general a respectful roommate.</div><div><br />
</div><div>I'll just wait until I'm in the theatre building.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Anyway, we're here to talk about <i>tea</i>. The wonderful beverage that inspired the name of this blog. Some people are 70 % water. I'm 70% tea. I drink <i>at least</i> six cups a day. And not just straight black tea for the caffeine my friends, oh no. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Would you like to see my tea collection?</div><div><br />
</div><div>From before Christmas:</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ-Zya4oGxqwC-XTtjNMv16MkipDC-YJ8-5YO2ZrYnnu_UTiy6YyHjaaDM51IEpvyz7g5cVSDodmOyVHT6gny2ZwFrMOGAWAxCVmy7VUNH13Kk_dyLESOMF92xtvjqk3AzN4MEsRnAA-4/s1600/6db1a39e246a11e19e4a12313813ffc0_7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ-Zya4oGxqwC-XTtjNMv16MkipDC-YJ8-5YO2ZrYnnu_UTiy6YyHjaaDM51IEpvyz7g5cVSDodmOyVHT6gny2ZwFrMOGAWAxCVmy7VUNH13Kk_dyLESOMF92xtvjqk3AzN4MEsRnAA-4/s320/6db1a39e246a11e19e4a12313813ffc0_7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div>And after:</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGp6nSAOvp5OraaP0f60LLhv0j58QU93vQMx8NHtaYWl7yqGdlpFjMo4iBlPqfIIk1CTxg_Gprqu-YiAmoz7W0k5YxXZM1TqPaCl0KKaPanYwIJMFOkGBk-wmfZ5wMFpY5zCd30VpKb2s/s1600/394273_2509568494523_1112400157_32068835_1882706913_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGp6nSAOvp5OraaP0f60LLhv0j58QU93vQMx8NHtaYWl7yqGdlpFjMo4iBlPqfIIk1CTxg_Gprqu-YiAmoz7W0k5YxXZM1TqPaCl0KKaPanYwIJMFOkGBk-wmfZ5wMFpY5zCd30VpKb2s/s320/394273_2509568494523_1112400157_32068835_1882706913_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div>I know, I know. I'm dangerously low.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Seriously, I love the stuff. Especially in the colder winter months, but honestly I could have it any time. I like it iced too - there was a period when I'd ask every single waiter whether the restaurant had raspberry iced tea when I went out to dinner. This was before I was a cheap college student and only ordered water, of course. </div><div><br />
</div><div>And I love nearly every variety too - chai, green, English breakfast, peppermint, chamomile, an array of herbal creations...you can't disappoint me with tea. You just can not. <i>I carry emergency tea packets in my purse.</i></div><div><br />
</div><div>Tea is the food to my soul. And yes, I'm drinking some right now.</div><div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">So, what are some of your favorite kinds of tea?<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><i>Sonja</i></div></div><div><br />
</div>Sonjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17188963659883064126noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1353262230023613826.post-8241235186515765332012-01-15T13:45:00.000-08:002012-01-17T09:22:02.097-08:00Energy bars?Yes.<br />
<br />
Sort of.<br />
<br />
Well, maybe. You decide.<br />
<br />
Here's the story: I got this crazy idea in my head that I wanted to make my own snack bars. Preferably raw and vegan. These turned out to be vegan, but not raw. Not a complete success...however, cheaper than buying pre-packaged bars and a lot more healthy too! I did some research before beginning to put my ideas to the test, and ended up with this ingredient list:<br />
<br />
<ul><li>Raw almonds (1/2 cup)</li>
<li>Pumpkin seeds (1/2 cup)</li>
<li>Whole organic flax seeds (1/3 cup)*</li>
<li>Agave syrup (tablespoon and a half)</li>
<li>Cinnamon (teaspoon)</li>
<li>Dried plums (cut up)</li>
<li>Dark chocolate chips (made without milk)</li>
</ul><div><span style="font-size: x-small;">*would have been 1/2 a cup if not for the misfortune described below</span></div><div><br />
</div><div>I bought the majority of these on the cheap from the bulk foods section of my local health store (I love you Earth Fare, oh yes I do...) excepting the organic cinnamon, organic flax seeds, and dried plums I already had on hand. The recipe I looked at online called for some different ingredients, a lot more of each, and (here's the kicker) a food dehydrator.</div><div><br />
</div><div>I'm a college student. I don't have a dehydrator. So I used a toaster oven (at 200 degrees instead of the 145 that was recommended for the food dehydrator). And that's where the recipe stopped being raw, I guess. But it prevailed!</div><div><br />
</div><div><u>Recipe breakdown:</u></div><div><br />
</div><div>First I soaked the almonds, pumpkin seeds, and flax seeds overnight:</div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW-i-e4tfUQ-j5WOOJl1Eh7S1Bv5xWOOOMRFfXqK3PN932Z6iGvwtfN9tEM-wBv01Fk8tsvQkR2D-_mOqTdGD9ICPaHSNg8IlUZCHJaK7B-LU09wq37b6ZlY10OAFgpYhMKkEsGuk8-Ro/s1600/IMG_0120.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW-i-e4tfUQ-j5WOOJl1Eh7S1Bv5xWOOOMRFfXqK3PN932Z6iGvwtfN9tEM-wBv01Fk8tsvQkR2D-_mOqTdGD9ICPaHSNg8IlUZCHJaK7B-LU09wq37b6ZlY10OAFgpYhMKkEsGuk8-Ro/s320/IMG_0120.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Yes, in cups, because...how else are you supposed to do it?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Then in the morning I drained the almonds & pumpkin seeds and proceeded to mash them up using my beloved hand immersion blender. A food processor or a blender would have been more practical, except I (again) don't have one. So I substituted and threw a cloth over the bowl to keep bits in...this resulted in sort of a blind stabbing process for blending up the almonds and pumpkin seeds into a chunky paste, but it worked.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFpzZDDMYqd7rDLdTKLl-JgC3dGvzWrCEE6Ehv5d2drR4-whgvL3X7TtsxxuYXH9DDxYqOYqlZO427vEmcBlk_o8uSrPauGOijS4N7_21Er1-5gUHKVVYJKo5t4hPQLm73K24VEAJnWP0/s1600/IMG_0124.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFpzZDDMYqd7rDLdTKLl-JgC3dGvzWrCEE6Ehv5d2drR4-whgvL3X7TtsxxuYXH9DDxYqOYqlZO427vEmcBlk_o8uSrPauGOijS4N7_21Er1-5gUHKVVYJKo5t4hPQLm73K24VEAJnWP0/s320/IMG_0124.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Until that happened, but I'm gonna pin this one on gravity.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That little mishap resulted in me losing about half the chunky almond-pumpkin seed mix, but it's okay. I made it work. I'm notorious for this. Usually I'm crazy precise and organized, but when it comes to recipes...sometimes I just like to just test my skills and try things. Go with the flow, man.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1pXo8EceYZbq_MFaQDI4VY91VcA3xH6WyIPIe6tx4_so5BkxxtmG76us5-f93KSqqmcFmcVAju8_gMgkWZ_1S4n1cccNTJyFgAE4D2XGFzlnx3Noll8T3enFmBPiNZBLkN00H_9ElBgI/s1600/IMG_0123.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1pXo8EceYZbq_MFaQDI4VY91VcA3xH6WyIPIe6tx4_so5BkxxtmG76us5-f93KSqqmcFmcVAju8_gMgkWZ_1S4n1cccNTJyFgAE4D2XGFzlnx3Noll8T3enFmBPiNZBLkN00H_9ElBgI/s320/IMG_0123.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The aforementioned chunky paste</span>.<span style="font-size: xx-small;"> and yes that is a cup of tea.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So now came time to add the flax seeds & agave. Since I had less mix than planned (and yes I washed the hand blender, no worries), I used less flax seeds. They were a bit complicated to drain, since they're too small to properly use a colander, and the process generally involved a lot of awkward water pouring and shifting between bowls.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9cjG7wdRos2KxkwdM_ISLdUttKwhP4_hNAwWoYh5wmF4r95h3JfKYA0BM8_9vZQdH2hGz3JaoHFjHKRzj5PQomM9CxKxgI1Cut6OMIGFPF8nPvAF-3TCNFGtsVm0y9UHeR_BZe1G4BLs/s1600/IMG_0125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9cjG7wdRos2KxkwdM_ISLdUttKwhP4_hNAwWoYh5wmF4r95h3JfKYA0BM8_9vZQdH2hGz3JaoHFjHKRzj5PQomM9CxKxgI1Cut6OMIGFPF8nPvAF-3TCNFGtsVm0y9UHeR_BZe1G4BLs/s320/IMG_0125.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The flax seeds, after soaking, had this weird slimy texture that was sort of gross but also sort of cool. You know what I mean, we've all been there.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I took 1/3 a cup of flaxseeds and about a tablespoon and a half of the agave syrup, and stirred them into the mixture. I then added a heaping teaspoon of cinnamon. After all that was mixed into a sticky paste (sounds soooo appetizing, I know, but trust me it smells awesome) I stirred in a handful of chopped-up dried plums and dark chocolate chips.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9gtiSzSuTuSgjWqtKxJCKsok4msT_EOKpYEQe9x1o6weAVPMZFwnO5HY3BAYwA_Jw8OFhRO4LEXD_WBSme5Ds_ilKtuSR2G7mrqCvPm-CIKTFErEL1R6h-nOvpMzAEvk7siRBfq53Sb4/s1600/IMG_0128.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9gtiSzSuTuSgjWqtKxJCKsok4msT_EOKpYEQe9x1o6weAVPMZFwnO5HY3BAYwA_Jw8OFhRO4LEXD_WBSme5Ds_ilKtuSR2G7mrqCvPm-CIKTFErEL1R6h-nOvpMzAEvk7siRBfq53Sb4/s320/IMG_0128.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I spread the mixture onto a little toaster-oven tray like so, nice and flat and even.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And since I had no idea how long to cook it, I chose a lovely 45 minutes. Then I cut it into squares (whatever size you prefer, mine were a few inches long and maybe two across) and stuck it back in for another 15 or so minutes. When I liked the texture, I flipped the bars and cooked the other side of them for another 15.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Then it was done! (according to my completely unexpert opinion)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHXpnZBgDoRxY-w-gT-Wdjdj-kUTFiX61jSuAjdIHE1TfJ6RveAOPiAqOl-PZdBDnI-ytvKtvNQ5GaaLgGYkZeJmp-pT0F9NFILtiODKt_gpmPqPT5sVdB62BNg5PE9c0DbulJha9p6gY/s1600/IMG_0131.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHXpnZBgDoRxY-w-gT-Wdjdj-kUTFiX61jSuAjdIHE1TfJ6RveAOPiAqOl-PZdBDnI-ytvKtvNQ5GaaLgGYkZeJmp-pT0F9NFILtiODKt_gpmPqPT5sVdB62BNg5PE9c0DbulJha9p6gY/s320/IMG_0131.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The finished product!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">You know, I was tentative after all the mishaps, but these turned out pretty good! A little soft, but the nuts and seeds made for a nice texture. They had great flavor because of the cinnamon and a touch of sweetness from the agave. The chocolate made them a bit messier than I had intended, but all in all...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I liked it, and even took some along to my riding lesson yesterday. Food success. Let me know if you decide to make them, or something like them, and how it turns out! I think you could really mix it up with this recipe - use whatever seeds, nuts, fruits, etcetera you like! Happy experimenting :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><i>Sonja</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Sonjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17188963659883064126noreply@blogger.com0