fruit and vegetable fun

...for funny signs at the farmers market.  i did not try said very sweet peach, but if that comparison helps this vendor move product, good for him. 

dear lisa,
you're as cool as a cucumber, and if friends were flowers, i'd pick you.

i probably shouldn't quit my day job to start writing garden copy anytime soon.  my own mother in law is pretty cool, though. 

and at least this guy wasn't selling garlic. 

aggressive baby watchers

...for wilbur and babe and all their friends.  i may not be an animal person, but these newborn piglets made me swoon.  apparently, others find them swoonworthy as well.  the husband took this photo at the oc fair this past weekend, and we literally had to throw elbows to get up close enough to take a picture.  people are sort of aggressive about viewing cute babies {i totally get that}.  these little guys had been born only the day before, and mama looked spent.

my favorite part of this picture is not the several piglets nursing, but actually the rogue piggy in the upper left corner probably doing something he's not supposed to be doing.  what a rebel.   

although upon second look, maybe he's just shy.  i'd hide from aggressive baby watchers, too, if i was him.   

cauliflower biscuit fails

...for kitchen fails.  these cauliflower biscuit - muffin hybrids looked so festive in their little muffin liners.  i followed the pin to the letter, and they smelled good in the oven.  they came out sort of potato pancake-esq, with a hashbrown like consistency.  the husband was not a fan, so i ate his plus my own and thought i'd created a viable afternoon snack option. 

and then it took me a week to make my way through the batch.  that would be one dozen in six days.  that's a lot of cauliflower. 

i chalk this kitchen miss up to several things; my lowered standards for baked things when using low carb ingredients, my hollow sounding insistence that nutritional yeast is really similar to cheese {it's so not}, and the pervasive online paleo attitude that cauliflower is a wonder vegetable.  rice, pizza crust, muffins, alfredo sauce... i've seen caulirecipes for all of these.

so i hope to impart the following important points in this post:
* the ricer attachment on my food processor is great.  i would like to begin ricing other veggies on a semi regular basis.
* cauliflower is a versatile vegetable, but let's call a spade a spade.
* these might have been tastier had i added real cheese.  and bacon.  
* if anyone has any ways to use up nutritional yeast, please comment.  my dairy allergic self thanks you in advance.


 

built to amaze

...for lions, tigers and bears, even if we only actually saw one out of three.  every summer we see the circus, and each time i try and shake off the fact that we are 30- something childless adults enjoying the saturday matinee.  there is just so much good stuff.  acrobats, elephants, dogs, basketball playing unicyclists {they were a.maz.ing.}, and that was only the first act.  we dutifully buy peanuts and cotton candy and wear the souvenir circus hat around the house once we get home, and we always have a great time.

previous circus blog post here.  we really like our hats, apparently.   

zucchini chips

...for snacktime.  i picked up a couple of zucchini last week at the grocer, and over the next few days, watched them sit in our fridge until they were within an inch of their lives.  finally, not wanting to lose them, i followed  this pin  and made squash chips in our dehydrator.  dehydrating is something i've watched the husband do forever {homemade beef jerky}, but never actually tried myself.  to any fellow dehydrator-phobes {just me?  bueller?}, it is super easy.  thinly slice whatever you're drying, season well, spread out, leave overnight, and eat.  tasty and crunchy, i've been enjoying these during my daily 3pm munch time. 

that said, potato chips they are not.  pringles shouldn't be nervous quite yet.

also, be aware that cleaning said dehydrator is a project in itself.  it makes you feel like instead of veggies, you should be drying something a little more decadent.  dehydrated  cupcakes, ftw.

say om

 

...for zen {or at least the aspiration of such}.  i tend to let anxiety and what-ifs get the best of me too often, and it's gotten to the point where falling asleep is seriously hampered by the monkey chatter in my mind.  so for the past few weeks, the husband and i have been meditating each night before bed.  we set the timer for ten minutes, situate ourselves on pillows and go.  and by go, i mean stop and pay mindful attention.  

i'll admit, most nights the monkey chatter wins.  i haven't quite found that place of peacefulness where the only thing i'm focused on is inhaling and exhaling.  in fact, i feel like julia roberts throughout the pray section of eat, pray, love when she's trying to do her hour long 4 am meditating in india.  trying being the operative word.

i'd like to build a regular meditation habit, even if it takes awhile to enter the zen zone.  it is super relaxing, though.  especially when i lie on the floor like i'm taking a nap.  i think buddha was more of a criss cross applesauce meditator.  but to each his om, er  own. 

  

coconut pistachio snoball cookie bites

...for yummy snacks.  i'm always looking for ways to use up some of our random fridge and pantry ingredients.  you know the ones...you buy something for one recipe and then it just sits there taking up space indefinitely.  chinese five spice powder, i'm looking at you.  {two full containers, and i can't use more than a teaspoon at a time}.

moving on. 

i've had leftover unsweetened coconut flakes for months now, but i couldn't figure out a good use up for them.  i was tinkering around last weekend when i decided to play with a "cookie" recipe i'd pinned many moons ago.  i made two variations, and was able to use the coconut flakes in batch #2.  these are not so much cookies, as little dough bites.  fragile, but worth it for ease of making.  the only bad part about them is the stomach ache which follows eating too many at once.  trust me.

peanut butter cookie bites {slightly adapted from peanutbutterfingers.com}
1 egg
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sweetener {i used splenda, but you could use sugar, honey, agave, etc.}

mix all ingredients together then roll into fifteen or so 1 inch thick dough balls
bake in 350* oven for ten to twelve minutes
check for doneness with a toothpick and then let cool for ten minutes 

and if you're feeling fancy {do it.  totally worth the extra step}
pistachio coconut cookie bites
same recipe as above, except substitute pistachio butter {grind two cups pistachios in the food processor for several minutes to make one cup butter} for peanut butter
after rolling into dough balls and before baking, roll the balls around in a few tablespoons of unsweetened shredded coconut flakes
coconut flakes will become toasted and delicious in the oven, as well as make the bites look pretty

both of these treats are yummy, as well as low carb, gluten free, paleo friendly {pb is not paleo, but you could use almond butter}, and can be refrigerated or frozen for several days.

get snacking!