Happy weekend!! I don't know about you guys, but this week seriously kicked my butt. I was super busy and there has been a lot going on (mostly good things), so I was very happy to wake up this morning and not jump out of bed to write a to-do list. Although I did finish school work first thing in the morning, the rest of my day so far has been nothing but relaxing. I went for a hike with my little family, and stopped by the farmers' market to pick up some local goodies - oh, and eat about 1/2 pound of fresh figs on the way home. So yummy! Helllloooo longest sweet potato I've ever seen - should be perfect for homemade fries! In light of feeling drained from the week, I just came up with a rule for myself: Nothing mentally taxing for the rest of the day. I'll think about ... [Read More]
Archives for March 2014
Red Swiss Chard, Chickpea & Leek Soup {vegan}
When I was younger, I wasn't quite as into health as I am now. Luckily, I grew up in a health-conscious family with parents who exercised often and ate well. Our dinners almost always include nutritious vegetables. I remember feeling embarrassed as a kid when my friends came over and we didn't have an abundance of Oreos and Doritos in our pantry to nosh on like most of their houses did. I used to roll my eyes at my mom when she would take a bite of something super healthy and say, "Mmmm delicious! And it's so good for you!" I was convinced that she sabotaged herself into loving vegetables because of their nutrition content. Keep in mind, I became a vegetarian at age 10, and while I ate veggies and had a decently healthy diet for a kid, I wasn't exactly in love with broccoli and ... [Read More]
Banana Chocolate Buckwheat Pancakes [Vegan & Gluten Free]
Being the big pancake lover that I am, I obviously couldn't let National Pancake Day pass me by without whipping up a new flapjack recipe! Before talking about my yummy creation, I want to share a picture of the newest addition to my family -- a baby boy name Daniel Richard! I became an aunt for the third time this morning when my younger brother Danny and his girlfriend welcomed him into the world. How precious of a little face right? Being across the country from my loved ones is hard when things happen with my family. I would love to hold him while he's so tiny, but I'll have to wait a few months for my next trip to the East coast to meet him. Moving onto other happy things, pancakes... When I picked up some buckwheat flour at my local health food store yesterday, I immediately had ... [Read More]
Vegetarian & Gluten Free Eating in South Lake Tahoe
When planning my getaway to South Lake Tahoe, I was a little worried about being able to find gluten free, vegetarian options available. After doing a bit of research, I was happy to see that there are a number of restaurants in the area that offer eats suitable to my diet. Since I had a long weekend full of wonderful eats, I thought I'd share some of my dining experiences with you all, so here we go! The first night we were in town, we had dinner at Blue Angel Cafe, a cozy, crowded restaurant that offers a little bit of everything, including menu items clearly marked 'gluten free' -- which is great for a newbie GF girl like myself who isn't all that experienced in eating out since beginning to experiment with eating gluten free a month ago. I ordered a quinoa & bean bowl, which ... [Read More]
Mediterranean Pasta with Lemon Ricotta [Gluten Free]
Happy March! Doesn't it feel like February just flew by? Since I began trying out a gluten free diet (a discussion on my experience with going gluten free to come soon!), I've tried a bunch of different GF pastas. I know that some people feel ehh about pasta and can take it or leave it, but I am not one of those people. Two of the GF pasta brands that I've liked thus far are Tinkyada and TruRoots. I don't care for that overly corn-y taste to some of the gluten free pastas, and these two brands are on-point with offering a similar tasting pasta alternative to the real, gluten-filled kind. My carb-loving self enjoys whipping up healthy, yummy pasta dishes, and I didn't want to be completely missing my pasta fill just because I'm experimenting with a gluten free diet. For this dinner, ... [Read More]