beyond meat vegan korean “beef”
I recently returned from Camp Blogaway where I not only made new friends, but got to try new things. One product I was particularly excited about was Beyond Meat, a line of meat substitutes made with non-GMO pea protein. Brand ambassador Priscilla Willis of She's...
chilled fennel and grapefruit soup
Our friend, Meredith Smith, is the winemaker for Sawtooth Winery and every now and then we're not only given a sneak peek but are actually invited to influence what wines get put into bottles. She brings various versions of a wine in unmarked bottles, we taste, make...
secret ingredient brownies
Sometimes it's ok to keep secrets from your loved ones. Like what is in that box with the big shiny bow under the Christmas tree. Or that surprise party you're planning. And definitely when you're packing favorite dessert items full of things that are actually good...
blank canvas granola
I call this homemade granola recipe "blank canvas granola" because really it's just a suggestion and totally adaptable to your tastes...or what you have in the cupboard. Really you don't even need a recipe for it. All you really need What you do need is your favorite...
kung pao popcorn
It started in art school where there wasn't on-campus living, social activities or even a cafeteria. I lived alone in a small studio apartment on the edge of downtown Portland where the winter evenings were bone chillingly cold and shiny black with rain. This is when...
how to clean the juicer less
I may be the last person to the fresh juice party but now that I'm there I'm kicking up my heels. It all started when I was in California visiting a friend and we pulled out her very cool juicer and made a pitcher of the most delicious mix of practically everything in...
chai pumpkin smoothie
Smoothies are just milkshakes with a better reputation. Or at least they can be. Sure, they carry this yoga-pant-wearing, Whole-Food-shopping, healthier-than-thou connotation but often include sugar-laden yogurt (regular or frozen), lots of fruit (more sugar) and some...
homemade herbal chai
When the days are gray and cold nothing warms up both me and the house like a batch of caffeine free, homemade herbal chai. There's something so comforting about having a pot simmering on the stove, infusing the air with the rich scents of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger,...
the you’ll-never-buy-crackers-again crackers
I may never buy crackers again. It's just that simple. These are so easy to make. So easy to modify with different seasonings. Crispy and crunchy and perfect for transporting dip (as shown in my last post). Even my husband, who is suspect of anything "healthy", was...
No Bean Spiced Carrot Hummus
I'm alway a proponent of trying to find more ways to work vegetables into my diet and trying to keep foods as whole and clean as possible. Crackers are one of my favorite things – crispy, crunchy and a perfect carrier for other yummy things. They also tend to be...
Smoky Cheater
The title of the book jumped out at me from the bookstore shelf. One-Hour Cheese. I've been learning how to make cheese now for over a year and besides a very few – ricotta, mozzarella and goat cheese – most endeavors are whole evening affairs – if not longer – so a...
gorgonzola cheese balls with hazelnuts
It's barely the middle of November and we've already attended our first holiday party. It was like a scrimmage leading up to the regular season that kicks off with Thanksgiving and runs through New Year's. I'm always looking for unique appetizer recipes that are short...
chickpea, quinoa and roasted yam salad
Keeping it healthy, for me, is all in the preparedness. If I'm ravished and the first thing I see is a box of crackers, that's what gets inhaled. So most Sundays I try to carve out a little time to fill the fridge with healthy go-to's and hopefully keep myself from...
zucchini manicotti
Who needs a farmer's market when I have my parents? You'd think from the size of their garden that they are the soul provider for a third world nation – not two 80-somethings that should be spending their days on a cruise ship or, at the very least, with their feet up...
embracing eggplant
I want to like eggplant. Really, I do. I love their color. Their shape. I like to grow them watching the little purple flower turn into this graceful vegetable. How, I wonder, does something so beautiful to look at taste so blah? And maybe it's not even the taste so...
grilled proscuitto wrapped asparagus
Sometimes you just have to come up with an appetizer (or main course, or dessert) on the fly and it's times like these I hope that well-stocked fridge and pantry I always try to keep pays off. My friend Julie's mom, Sarah, called this "punting" and years ago now I can...
a shot of summer
We're having a gorgeous Indian summer here in Boise, and the kitchen counter continues to be littered with tomatoes picked fresh from the vine. Recently I helped out with the food for a baby shower and bruschetta is about as plentiful as tomatoes these days so I was...
cabécou cheese
When I first cracked the pages of Artisan Cheese Making at Home by Mary Karlin, I knew I was a goner. Not only do I love cheese (so much I married a cheesehead) but the photos in this book are 100% drool worthy. Making cheese can be a bit of an endeavor though so I'm...