Hello Yellow

Good Morning!

I just wanted check in this morning with ya! I am so busy right now that I feel like I am going non-stop. I love it though! When I am not busy I feel like my life is crawling by...Busy makes the day go by faster which means it makes the weekend come faster! I am taking Monday off (for no reason at all) so a long weekend is what is in store for me, boy I cant wait! Let's go back for a minute though.

Over the weekend I bought a new laptop! Yay! With the new camera I couldn't download my pictures because are so high quality! I have had the same laptop for about 6 years now and well, it was about time! I shopped around Saturday and found one that had all the requirements that I had. I gave Best Buy one more shot...and to my surprise they were helpful and had me walking out with my new computer in under a hour. I am pleased so far with my purchase!

It is pretty sweet looking at a screen that is not half broken ;)

Looks like I am moving on up!

This post is going to be all over the place but you know how I roll by now...A few things that I want to talk about since we are on the topic of entertainment is T.V. I haven't really talked about this too much but I feel the need today...You all know by now that I have moved into my own place and it is p-e-r-f-e-c-t (for me). There was a couple of surprises when I moved in, naturally. One of the surprises that I got when I moved in was that there was cable "included". Ok, so I could be stealing it, I have no idea! All I know is I plugged the t.v. in and the screen started talking. I have one problem though. I HATE T.V.!!!! I will admit, when I found that I had free cable I was jumping around like a kid. I haven't had cable in 7 years and I will admit, it changed my life when we decided to cut it off.

Well, one hour of t.v. has now turned into about two a night for me. I know that in the grand scheme of things that isn't that bad and with all that I do I may deserve a little "down time" before bed. Except one thing...I HATE IT. I have decided something just now actually. When I get home today, I am "cutting it off." I thought about this a day or so ago. I had a little day dream of myself calling the cable company and saying "I think that I am stealing free cable, could you come out and disconnect it from my house please." I laughed at my desk at the thought of making that phone call. I even thought about video taping going to the store and begging for the free brain sucker be taken away from me. That would be hilarious to me. Only.

Well, I am not ready to actually dive in however I am ready to go half way. When I get home the t.v. will be connected to the dvd player (right now I can only have cable and no dvd player because there is only one connection to the t.v. and I don't have a box). No, I don't want your box. Thanks though :)

By doing this I will loose the cable and gain a dvd player to watch a movie if I want. I am ready. I have had a full month of cable bliss. I have literally not gone out in 4 weeks. 4 weekends have passed me by and it is because I have found myself on the couch eating and watching the crap on the tube. It just feels comforting and after a few hours it just makes sense to stay put. NO MORE!!! This is not going to continue to happen... R.I.P. life sucker, known as my T.V. You wont be missed.

Ok so on to other things! Still on the entertainment topic before moving on to eats. Music! I have a new love in my life (not the tube).

Bon Iver, will you be my boyfriend???

So that I can dump your ass and then you can write yet another amazing album in a tin shack crying about how much you once loved me. No worries, I will let you ;)

Seriously though, this album is amazing. I am sure that I am totally late on the music front but if you haven't herd of this guy or this album, get it now. It is dreamy. It is the absolute PERFECT hangout, make out, cookout or workout to album. Ok, maybe not "workout" but you get the idea, I have done yoga with it on though! This album was given to me (by my dear Karen) over the winter and made me cry the first time I heard it. It is magical. I don't rave about new music ever. I am a Neil Young old school 60's and 70's lover. I do come across some gems from time to time and this my friends is worth the purchase. You can thank me later! This guy got dumped, traveled to the mountains and stayed in a tin shack covered in snow while he recorded this album. Everything you hear is him. It's great!

Ok so finally!!! On to eats, lets just do a photo story shall we? What I have been eating for Breakfast:

English sprouted muffin with jam and smart balance. Ezekiel toast with a egg and almond butter and pumpkin on the other slice.
Oat bran, almond milk and raisins. Breakfast always has been and always will be my favorite meal of the day. If I am going to allow myself to get away with something it is at breakfast.

Lunches:

Hummus and veggies, hummus and veggies and more hummus and veggies. It is all that I want these days, I cant help it. My hummus recipe rocks!

Snacks:

Dinners:

Lettuce wraps galore! You know me....when I like something I go for it!

Evening munchies:

Frozen watermelon. Thank god Spring is here!!! I missed my fruit!!!

Frozen grapes. They are the perfect all natural Popsicles! I love love love frozen fresh fruit!

This is it guys and gals! My rant for the day and my eats for the week! I hope you enjoyed the post today. I will be reviewing products like crazy this week so you may or may not hear about what is going on with me until next week. More than likely not though, you know I cant stay away.

Question of the day...

Do you watch t.v.? If so how many hours a day? If you have a good story on how you broke the habit, tell me!

See you next time!

-Heather

Jk Grain-Free Gourmet

Here is Jodi Bager's story and how JK Grain-Free Gourmet products were created:
In 2000, I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, a life-destroying intestinal disease. I began searching for a drug-free way to treat my condition and felt that changing my diet could be the key to controlling the disease that had literally taken my life away.
During my search for answers, I was directed to the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD), which is outlined inBreaking the Vicious Cycle by Elaine Gottschall. This book taught me the link between food and intestinal diseases, and how to make what I ate my ally, not my enemy.
Following the SCD meant eliminating all complex carbohydrates from my diet, including refined sugar. This initially seemed daunting, but my health was well worth it. I began to cook and bake with the some of the foods I was allowed: nuts, seeds, eggs, meat, vegetables, fruit and honey — within days I felt better. I am now in remission and completely drug-free.
It is this journey to health through diet that inspired Grain-Free JK Gourmet’s delicious, nutritious products and the two bestselling cookbooks that I co-authored with Jenny Lass: Grain-Free Gourmet: Delicious Recipes for Healthy Living (Whitecap Books, 2005) and Everyday Grain-Free Gourmet: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner (Whitecap Books, 2008).

Please check out their site! They have an amazing variety of grain-free gourmet products. From biscotti to granola, they have it all!

www.jkgourmet.com

I was sent a package of granola that knocked my socks off! I was so excited that it had my favorite in it, cashews!

Cranberry Cashew

Their wholesome cranberries are sweetened with apple juice concentrate instead of sugar, which gives them a unique dark purple colour and allows some of their original tartness to shine through. They have also added large, whole cashews for a flavour combination that is both sweet and tart.

Ingredients:Cranberries infused with unsweetened apple juice concentrate, sunflower seeds, cashews, almonds, unsweetened coconut, honey, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds.

I looked at the nutritional label and was pleased! Their grain-free granola has the perfect balance of protein and carbs with enough fiber to really stick with you! I topped off my yogurt with this mix and it was awesome! Whoooo Hooo! A grain-free granola that is actually good! I loved it! I loved how crunchy it was and not too sweet. This granola is so good you can eat it alone or use it as a topper or even as a cereal! Two thumbs up from me!

Thank you so much Steven for sending me this wonderful product. Now I want to try the other flavors! Looks like you just may have me hooked!

If you are looking for a good quality grain-free granola or a company that has high standards and healthy JK grain free gourmet is the place to go. Fast shipping, great customer service and folks that care about your well being. You cant ask for more! Let me know if you have tried these products and if you have a recipe idea! I would love to make something with the rest of my granola....it is going fast though ;)

See you tomorrow! Enjoy this beautiful weather!

-Heather

Muve over...I got a Gruve!

The people over at muve.me sent me a GRUVE! I am so excited about this gadget! Let me tell you about it first though.

At Muve, Inc. they are driven by a single purpose: to reverse the global obesity epidemic. That's why we're dedicated to providing healthy and sustainable weight loss solutions that are scientifically tested and validated.The past 20 years have witnessed significant changes in lifestyle: Americans are moving and exercising less while maintaining at least the same caloric intake. Sedentary activities such as desk jobs, watching television and long hours sitting in traffic are some of the environmental changes that have combined to discourage physical activity and increase weight gain. They offer innovative weight management solutions that work. Their solutions have been tested and proven in the lab and in the real world. They are leading a muvement that brings hope and the promise of a healthier, happier world.

When I found this company and this product I just knew that I had to try it out for myself. This is so great because finally I will get a real idea of how many calories I really burn in a day. Sometimes I think that I over estimate. I sit at work most of the day and while my workouts are intense I am just not sure if I am really getting enough movement. Sorry. Muvement ;)

Here's the deal: Gruve is an amazing piece of technology!! This little device provides you with a personalized, quantifiable measure of your activities and the calories you burn throughout your day.The Gruve uses an omnidirectional accelerometer to measure activity intensity and duration. Synchronizing your Gruve device with our Gruve web site gives you the ability to view your own daily calorie burn and track your weight loss progress.When you start wearing your Gruve™ you can begin downloading your data to our interactive web site Gruve Online to track your daily progress. Our Gruve web site easily transfers data from your Gruve device and shows how you are doing in reaching your goals, minute by minute, hour by hour and day by day. Using our patented color-coded tracker, you will quickly see when you are meeting your daily caloric burn goals to lose weight. You will even learn how many calories you burn doing different activities such as mowing the lawn, grocery shopping, washing the car or walking up a flight of stairs.

Your Personal Network
When you log into your Gruve Online, you will quickly notice that your daily caloric burn goal has been set based on a number of personal factors, not some generic formula like other programs. Losing weight is as simple as reaching your personalized Get to Green™ goal each day.
Your personal home page with a weekly view of your progress
Access your personal health statistics such as blood pressure, weight and cholesterol.
View your personal calorie burn goal and the calories you have burned today

Goal Tracking Made Easy
With our Get to Green color coding system, you can easily see how you are tracking toward your daily caloric burn goal. Charts are easy to understand and provide you with both calorie burn and activity intensity views of your activities. Review your progress down to the minute or look at your trends over an entire month. It's easy, fun and motivating!!
View your caloric burn for each hour or in total for a day.
Review your activity intensity levels over the course of an hour or day.
Easy to understand color coding system tells you your status at any point during the day.

Easy & Secure Access
Access to Gruve Online is easy through any computer connected to the web. With your secured user ID and password, you can access your personal network from just about anywhere and feel confident that your information is secure.
Easy online registration and secured login.
Access from any computer with web access.

Wow, isnt this thing cool! No...this is not my tummy...HA!

I am going to be posting my results and what I find as I go. I have been playing around with this gadget though for a week now and it is sooooo cool! I love it! Joel, thanks so very much for sending me this! I give it two thumbs up. If you are looking for something that is more sophisticated than a heart rate monitor then this is the product for you.

PLEASE go to www.muve.me to see for yourself what all the fuss is about!

-Heather

Kay's Naturals

Kay's Naturals sent me over a package full of protein packed snacks. Over the weekend I put these snacks to the test! Kay’s is dedicated to bringing a better alternative to traditional snacks and cereals to the health and fitness conscious consumer. Our products are delicious, made with all-natural soy protein and high-fiber. These products can help to sustain energy, manage weight loss, and stabilize blood sugar. They are an option for all ages and lifestyles and for anyone seeking sources of protein in their diets, including people with diabetes, bariatric patients, body builders, vegetarians, the elderly, and children. They are ideal for the office, sports, on the road, and at home. Kay's naturals snacks are right up my alley!

I REALLY liked the protein cereal! I never eat cereal (most have tons of sugar and HFC in it so I opt out). This brand however is great! Here is a small bowl of Kay's cereal... I poured this bowl and it just looked sad...I was thinking "It shouldn't need anything extra because it has the perfect balance of carbs and protein...However, a I just couldn't help myself. Much better. Greek yogurt, almond butter and some added granola made it a sweet treat (or dinner in my case.) This is one, ONE of the reasons why I like being single. Two words. Cereal Dinner. Yeah, at this time in my life, I can get away with it. I know that I will be looking back one day and say "Damn....I wish I could go back to my apartment, alone, eating cereal for dinner." Hell, you never know...THIS could be my life forever. I wouldn't mind ;)

After this poor excuse for a dinner (a girl cant be cooking gourmet dinners EVERY night, or can she???) I decided to top it off with some crappy t.v. and slippers. It happens....a lot.


I liked these snacks so much that I bought another sample pack of all there offerings. I am excited to have some on the go protein snacks that are good for me. Taking fruit and nuts with me has always been my go to on the run snack but now that it is getting hot, I am more prone to grabbing one of Kay's snacks. Warm apples at the bottom of my purse is just not appetizing. Sorry, but it has happened a time or two. Once I left a apple in my car and it literally baked it. I bit into it and it tasted like I baked it in the oven for 40 minutes and then let it cool. It was pretty good honestly but I highly down my Volvo station wagon will be a apple baking machine.

The other snacks that were included from Kay's Naturals were:
Pretzels of different flavors. My favorite was the sweet cinnamon. I thought that sweet cinnamon pretzels would be weird but they were wonderful. You know that I have a sweet tooth and these were a great crunchy snack. The Jalapeno honey were a close second.

The protein chips were great too. Barbecue, lemon heb and white cheddar were so good. I don't eat chips often so these were a healthy treat for me. I am not in to packaging of any kind really but I must say...These were the exception. I almost always had one of these packs in my purse over the weekend while I was running around. I have to say Kay, keep up the good work! You sold me!

For the first 1oo customers that go to their site and put's the "sample pack" in their cart it is FREE!!! You better hurry!!!

http://www.kaysnaturals.com/

Thanks again for sending me some great protein filled snacks! They went to good use! I cant wait to get my package this week to have more on hand!

See you tomorrow! Get ready guys...it is smoothie season and I made some pretty darn good ones!

Question of the day:
What do you think of dating services? I am in no way asking this for myself! Just so you know. It just seems that a few of my friends go on these things and some hate them and some have great success. I just cant seem to think of it positively. I am too much of a romantic at heart anyway, I always have believed that when something is suppose to happen, it will. But really, what do you think about these. I catch myself watching that show "Millionaire Matchmaker" and the show makes me laugh every time.
See ya!
xoxoxoxo
-Heather

My New Love.

Hello readers! Welcome to part-two of my Easter dinner! Yesterday I told you that I had a whirled wind of an experience cooking some new to me produce. One of which I have seen for years. Fennel! I have made bread and other recipes using dried fennel or fennel seeds but I have yet to use the bulb it self. I have always just thought of fennel as a herb. I accidentally purchased a organic fennel for what I thought would be going into Hugh Acheson's recipe using Cardone. Once I got home and pulled out the ingredient list, I was sadly mistaken.

I was upset at first that I bought something that A: I didn't know how to cook and B: wasn't going to be in the recipe. After thinking about it (and always trying to find the positive in any negative situation I find myself in) I thought "well, fennel was just meant to be experimented with!"

I was right. Let me tell you now....I could kick myself for not buying one earlier. Fennel, you are my new love! When I find something that I like, I use it over and over again. While my sauce for the Cardone dish was simmering I pulled out the fennel and decided I would have a little fun. I looked at it, smelled it and tasted it raw to get a idea of what this beauty was all about. Fennel yields both a herb and a spice. All plant parts are edible: roots, stalks and leaves, with the spice coming from the dried seeds. A native to the Mediterranean, Fennel is an ancient and common plant known to the ancient Greeks and spread throughout Europe by Imperial Rome. It is also grown in India, the Orient, Australia, South America and has become naturalized in the US. It has been called the “meeting’ seed” by the Puritans who would chew it during their long church services. The name derives from the Latin foeniculum, meaning “little hay”. I looked into the nutritional info since my computer was handy. Here is what I found:

I was excited to see that both Cardone and Fennel had a lot to offer! A nutritious Easter dinner was definitely in order, even with the butter and cream involved ;)

The Cardone dish once again.

After thinking for a second I thought. I could look at some recipes on line on how to cook it BUT why take the fun out of it! I knew that it had a licorice flavor and that it was crunchy and slightly sweet. I was going to make a raw fennel salad of sorts but decided that I would roast it in the oven instead. I had no idea what to use as far as marinading goes so I just went with my gut. What I was about to stumble upon was one of the most delicious surprises I have found this year. Remember when I first had a persimmon? Well, this doesn't even compare....Gasp!

Prepare yourself for a super easy but most delicious fennel recipe.

First chop the bulb off. Once separate then slice the end of the bulb as well. Then I cut the bulb in half and sliced it thinly. There is a "core" to it I have found so I just cut that piece out (I am sure that it is edible though).

Evenly, I placed the fennel on the baking pan and drizzled some cold pressed extra virgin olive oil a top.

I then layered some cranberries, pine nuts and onion to the mix. I stuck it in the oven for about 10 minutes while I made the "sauce". I made a balsamic glaze to cook the fennel with. Until this morning, I had no idea such a thing even existed. I just brain stormed in the kitchen with the things that I had on hand. Here is the best balsamic glaze that I have ever tried....Ok, it's the only one that I have ever tried but I have to say, it is damn good on fennel. For some reason something tells me that it would be great on ice cream. Call me weird but that sounds good to me...Balsamic glaze over vanilla bean ice cream....I may be on to something. Here's the recipe.

Balsamic Glaze for Roasted Fennel.

-1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar

-2 table spoons of chopped ginger

-3 table spoons of agave nectar

-a dash of cinnamon

Blend it and what you have is a thick sauce like glaze for just about anything. I tossed the already warm fennel, onion, cranberries and pine nuts in it and what came out of the oven just 15 minutes later was amazing.

25 minutes of total cooking time! I am amazed still that this is my first experience with fennel and I was able to make a recipe that was great! I looked on-line this morning and it turns out, my gut was right on. I did exactly what others have done when roasting fennel. I love it when that happens! Here is the Cardone with the roasted fennel as a side.

I don't like this picture...It has no real color to it and it just makes the food look bland. There was nothing bland about either dish. They complimented each other so well! These two side dishes are perfect with fish, such as Sea Bass! (I am a bad blogger and didnt capture it. Heck, I was worn out by all the cooking to take anymore pictures!)

MMMmmMMMMMmmmm! I did save the top part of the Fennel to dry and use as a herb for future cooking. I am sure that the stalks much like leeks would make a good soup stock. My next fennel experience will be eatin raw. I see myself making a shredded fennel salad with walnuts, cucumber, fresh lemon, balsamic vinegar and some other goodies. Doesn't that sound like a summer time treat!

I am so glad that you came back for part two! If you have yet to try Fennel please do yourself a favor and go out and buy one now. Just give my easy roasting recipe a try, you wont be sorry you did!

Please let me know what you think if you try it out!

-Heather

Artichoke’s Cousin is a Tasty Delicacy.

I have a hilarious story to tell you all. Get ready for a monster of a post! This one is going to be a two-parter so you will have to come back tomorrow to get the full details!

OK here we go....it wasn't hilarious at the time but I am laughing about it now. Have you ever had something go completely wrong but it turned out to be completely right? This may not make any sense to you now, keep reading and you will get the picture.

On Friday afternoon I got another recipe from Chef Hugh Acheson to create. I was given a vegetable called a Cardone. For a vegetable that is truly unique and flavorful, Cardone (pronounced car-doan-ee), should be a lot better known. Actually, its reputation is beginning to grow, as cooks who try Cardone once are usually hooked. This cousin of the Artichoke, also known as Cardoon (pronounced car-dune), is grown for its edible stalks, much like Celery. However, Cardone is not eaten raw. Traditionally cultivated and served in the Mediterranean regions of Europe, it is deep fried (often as part of a Christmas feast), sauteed, or steamed for salads. This delightful vegetable is a member of the thistle family and is also a close relative of the Globe Artichoke. Many consider Cardone a delicacy, including the Italians and French, who have revered the plant for more than 300 years. Cardone is low in calories and has no fat or cholesterol. High in fiber, it provides six percent of the daily requirement of calcium and four percent of iron.
After reading a bit about this wonderful vegetable I was more than excited to put it to good use! When I got home I was going to sit in the fridge but since I wasn't going to be using it until Saturday I decided to just let it hang out. I cut the bottom of the plant off and then stuck it in some water with squeezed lemon. I moved this pitcher filled Cardone all around the house. It spend most of it's time on my kitchen window seal with the flowers. I am weird...I know. Here are some preparation & handling guidelines if you do happen to stumble upon this plant.
How to Store
Place Cardone in the crisper section of your refrigerator wrapped in plastic. Cardone stalks are long and you may need to cut them in half to fit into the refrigerator. Cardone should last about five to seven days in the refrigerator. Refrigerator's never do well for me. I prefer to soak veggies first and let them air dry if at all possible. Sticking them in the fridge usually sucks the life out of them. Cardone's are very hardy so I knew that it could handle sitting out for a while
How to Prepare
Rinse the stalks well. Trim the ends and remove strings from the big stalks, just as you would with Celery. Discard any discolored, outer stalks. Remove any of the small leaves that run up the center of the stalks. Slice crosswise into 1- to 2-inch lengths.Because Cardone can have a slightly bitter aftertaste, it is recommended you soak it in salted water (about 1 tablespoon for each 1 /2 gallon) for an hour or so before cooking. Drain well; rinse, if you will be using the Cardone slices with other salty ingredients.
How to Cook
You can steam Cardone stalks, simmer them in water, vegetable or chicken stock, or microwave in a small amount of water, covered, in a microwaveable bowl until tender. Exact cooking time will depend on the size of the slices and cooking method. Check doneness by poking a slice with the tip of a knife or fork to see if it is tender.These are just some ideas for you if you ever come across a Cardone and think "what the heck do I do with this!" Now you know.

After a day of letting the celery on steroids hang out in my house. I was more than ready to really see what this thing was made of. First, I had to go get some of the items that the recipe called for that I didn't have on hand...

Two grocery stores and almost 2 hours later, I was back at home. I got to EarthFare and went to pull out the ingredient list and realized that I didnt have it with me!!! I thought to myself "I got this." After all, I probably read the recipe 12 times before heading to the store. I walked into the store and grabbed three items that I knew Kroger wouldn't have. Fresh thyme, fennel and chili pepper flake. Of course, because it was Saturday the day before Easter, it was a mad house. I was prepared though. I had my I-pod. I always have my ears plugged....I go to almost all stores with my trustee gadget. I just like to put the ear phones in, put on some good music and completely zone out. Having head phones on while you are doing something like grocery shopping (which can be hell at times) becomes my own little experience when I have some good tunes on and no other noises to interfere. Again, I may be weird.

Anyway, the store was crazy. I stood in line for what felt like forever. After Earth Fare to went on to Kroger. I picked up the other items and FINALLY arrived home. I was so excited! I was looking forward to a Saturday night of cooking and relaxing all day. I knew that it was going to take a while to get the Cardone prepared so I was ready to dig right in. I changed clothes, poured a glass of wine and decided I would get started. I must admit... Being a blogger at times can take a simple meal and make it complicated! I love it though, dont get me wrong. I knew that I needed to take some "before" pictures before I started cooking so out came the camera. I snapped a few pictures of the lovely items I was going use in Chef Acheson's recipe.

I was so happy that his recipe called for fennel. I have never cooked with real fennel and had no idea what it tasted like. I have used fennel seeds but never the bulb itself. I was literally hopping around the house as I snapped these. I was however REALLY starting to get hungry so I got on with it.

I pulled out the recipe and started reading.

"Oh no. Your kidding, right?" I said to myself. After reading for about 2 seconds I immediately picked up on the fact that the recipe called for LEEK not FENNEL. AHHHHHHH!!!! I couldn't believe that I bought a fennel, not a leek. Crap. I hungry and pissed. I picked up the phone and called a friend. "Wanna meet me for dinner?"

Yes, I bailed on the dish for food that would be ready in 30 minutes. Sorry. I had to obey the stomach...I was seriously annoyed with myself all evening. After thinking about it though, I realized that I was suppose to get the fennel. After all, it's not everyday that find a vegetable that I haven't tried before...This bulb came into my life for a reason. It was meant to be I feel. I ate dinner, went home and passed out. I wanted to stay out but because I was so hungry for so long after I ate, I got sleeeeeepy. I'm lame, I know. Another Friday night bites the dust.

Easter morning I woke up and was determined to make the recipe. Hugh...you didn't know the trouble I would be getting myself into did ya? I swear so far every dish of yours that I have made has caused me to have a crazy experience. After going for a run I went back to the grocery store and to find LEEKS this time, not fennel.

I found them, ran home and off to the park I went. Sorry, but gorgeous afternoons are not meant to be cooped up in the kitchen. As you can see from yesterday's post, I went to the park. It was perfect and I wasn't going to miss out! After a few hours at the park I came home to give it one last shot. Thank goodness I never give up!

Cardone's take some work to prepare. I mean WORK! I was told by Hugh and the internet that I needed to peel the thistle like stalks and then once peeled, soak them in lemon water so that it wouldn't cause them to turn brown. Man...I had no idea what I was getting myself into...I pulled the stalks apart, stripped the leaves off and started to use my potato peeler to get the outer layer off. After about 5 minutes of trying my best with the peeler I realized...I have a crappy peeler. I was stuck, again.

I called a friend that lived in the neighborhood and ran by to steal ahis heavy duty peeler. When I got home I tried using his and found it was no better. Finally, I just broke out a knife and widdeld it down myself. Note to self: Peelers don't work on Cardone, don't even try. After I peeled and cut the Cardone each stalk was placed in the lemon water as I worked through them.

Looks like Celery right?!?

Once finished, I got a pot and boiled the heck out of them. While they were boiling I got the sauce ready for the casserole. First, I poured myself a glass of wine. Naturally.

2002, RAKA red was had and boy, it was good. Purple. Deep and still surprisingly youthful,fleshy,ripe and open nose.Quite spicy with lovely lush black berries,very complete and refreshing with good length. This wine was a little too good ;)

Really good wine in a ridiculous mermaid wine glass is just the way it is at my house. I lived in Japan for a few years and my mother picked these wine glasses out when we lived there. It's one of her favorite things from overseas. She never used them once. A few months ago when I went home for a visit, I totally snagged them. I love them because they are small glasses and well...you cant go wrong with mermaids.

The sauce was quickly made.

This is a bad picture, I do admit but OMG....it tasted amazing!!! I LOVED this sauce soooo much. I am so glad that I was given the Cardone for the sauce alone! I will be using the sauce again and again for other recipes for sure. I could almost see this cream sauce in a pasta dish. Leek is the green that you see.

Of course I cant go into the entire process but the final product was heaven! Cardone really does taste like artichoke.

I had the most amazing Easter dinner ever!Cardone layered with a cream sauce, cheese and later topped with bread crumbs was to die for. After baking for a while it filled my house with the most amazing aroma. I absolutely loved Hugh's recipe. I am amazed every time how darn good it is. I think we have the same taste or something ;) I will be posting other pictures of the dish on tomorrow's post so check back!

Thanks Hugh for bringing me the Cardone! As always, your dishes made me work for it! The fava beans much like the Cardone was work to prepare but oh so worth it in the end. I think I have a idea as to why 5 & 10 is expensive, it takes some elbow grease to get the final product! I love it though, it makes me appreciate every bite :)

After three trips to the grocery store, some sweat and tears (not really on the tears part....however, I could have cried when I realized I got fennel instead of leek). I came out with a dish that totally blew me away and you are only seeing PART of it!

So whatever happened to the fennel that I bought? Well, my friends you will have to come back tomorrow to see what I did with it AND to see the full plate for my Easter dinner. I will say this....it will be worth the wait.

See you tomorrow with the second part of my post!

-Heather

All Fool's Day.

This morning I woke up to these two guys... I am really hoping that they are a couple, but you never know. This guy and gal totally made my morning! Maybe a omen? They were so cool to look at. I ran in and grabbed my camera as quickly as I could. This is not the best shot in the world but non the less pretty darn good for it being spur of the moment. They were right over my bedroom cuddling all night hopefully. I gotta say....my dreams lately have been very interesting to say the least. I have had four dreams back to back about the same kind of thing. It is weird. Never has that happend to me. It is interesting to me what comes out in dreams. You really find out what your mind is really thinking about. Let's just say food has been on my mind!

With that being said, I have had a interesting request. A reader wanted me to take a picture of the inside of my fridge. At first I thought...ummmm, really? There is not that much in it! I go to the grocery store almost every other day because I eat a ton of fresh veggies and fruits and dont like to have it just sitting in the fridge. Most of the time the things in my fridge are eaten that day or the next. It is never stocked really. But you asked! I deliver! I could have taken all the produce out of the bags to make it look pretty but it's a fridge...pretty is not in his vocabulary. This is it folks...I have to say...I laughed when you asked me for the picture. I thought at first..."wait, is that too personal?" but then I thought "awww, who cares! I mean, it's not my dresser drawers or anything..." Dont ask.

Now that you know what that looks like lets move on shall we...I got some products in the mail and devoured them in a matter of days. You know how I do. Here's the run down:

VeganEssentials is an online store located in Waukesha, Wisconsin. We have been in business since early 1998 and are one of the USA’s oldest cruelty-free retailers, filling the needs of vegans worldwide for nearly a decade. They are a vegan owned and operated store that specializes in only offering the highest quality animal-free products, and our mission is to offer unparalleled service and selection all in one location, making us a one-stop shopping destination for all things vegan. Founded by Courtney and Sue Ernster, our product selection was originally only available through printed catalogs, but over the years we have evolved to be internet-based for showcasing our product selection in order to reduce paper waste and make shopping as fast and easy as possible. They've grown to a staff of 8 to serve the vegan community by offering the largest selection of cruelty-free items in one location while making your shopping experience pleasant and convenient. We want to get you what you need as quickly as possible when you’re in need of products that are free from animal ingredients and animal testing. Every product that leaves their store is a vote in favor of supporting cruelty-free options to make for a kinder planet! Here is the link to visit yourself!

www.veganessentials.com

Colleen was kind enough to send me a few samples from the site and some of them were quite interesting...

Real Berry Organic Fruit Bar:

Which I did not like. This bar had the worse fake fruit taste ever. I am sorry but I couldnt even finish this. I liked the fact that it was organic and 100 cals and I really wanted to like it but I didnt. I gotta be honest here.

I also got:

Real Green Organic Fruit! Veggie Bar:

Even worse. I like "green" foods. I love amazing grass bars and that is about as "green" of a taste I can take. I even put greens in my smoothies so I am not one to be sensitive to a "green taste". However, there was nothing "green" about this bar. It just was awful. Again...it broke my heart not to finish this one either.

Ok, on to the things I DID like. I hate saying that I dont like something and please know that this is just my opinion.

I got: I Love spirlina! So I loved this ball of energy. It was great. I was surprised out filling it was and happy to see that it had 6 grams of fiber in it.

Nibmor dark raw chocolate bar....Now your talkin to me. It was divine! I could eat a million of these....ok maybe not but I want to ;)

I really liked the texture. It is the melt in your mouth chocolate bar of my dreams. The taste was really bold so a little went a long way.

Last I tried:

Organic, Raw, Healthy, Delightful Pure Bar. Ummmm, yeah. I think that is me on the package... This is the best bar I have ever tried in my life! I really liked it cold. I had it in the fridge for a couple of days and just the other morning decided that it was time to taste it. I was only going to have half but as soon as I took a bite, my eye widened amd I was sold. So much that I contacted the company. I have got to try the other flavors now. I cant find them here in Athens though :(

I am getting a box for those on the go snacks that I need to have with me. These will not disapoint, promise!

I really thought that the customer service was gret from vegan essentials. They were totally nice enough to send me an array for things which I liked. They have so many things to offer on their site! If you are vegan or if you are wanting to transistion to become a vegan please take a peak at their products. They have almost everything you could want!

Thanks so much for reading! I will see ya soon. I have some really great reviews coming up AND I will be making even more dishes to share with you!

-Heather

-Heather