Tag: Organic

Picnics and Packed Lunch

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I almost hate to admit it, but when it comes to food, I am one of those gals who believes that presentation is everything. I believe whole-heartedly in the importance of eating nutrient-dense, unprocessed, whole foods, as close to nature as you can possibly get. I believe that simple is best. But there is something about the presentation that can make or break a meal for me. I need it to be lovely. I really do. You know that picture perfect picnic kind of set-up? It almost doesn’t matter what the meal is, if it’s beautiful to look at I want to eat it. Superficial, I know, but there is just something about beautiful food.

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Surviving Sick Day

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From month to month, year to year, we follow the cycle of seasons.  Food, clothing, activities and daily life all seem to have their transitional points along this seasonal cycle. Winter celebrations, spring break, summer vacation, fall fashion. Ski sweaters and root veggies, short sleeves and daffodils, hiking boots and stone fruits, backpacks and apples. We all have our favorite points along this cycle, we all look forward to our own favorite season. But flu season? No one looks forward to flu season.

Orange and Greens and Coconut Cream

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I haven’t written about food in a while. And I can’t say it’s because I haven’t been spending time in the kitchen. A large portion of my everyday is devoted to preparing produce, cooking up recipes, washing dishes, washing dishes, washing dishes. That hasn’t changed. I grocery shop on a daily basis and our produce box is still providing us with weekly organic delights. But still, things have been feeling a little uninspired in that favorite nook of mine lately. New recipes are at a standstill. Homemade energy bars and hummus have been replaced with the packaged variety. Meals are cooked and consumed without even a thought to pause and pose them for photos. My heart just hasn’t been in it lately, I don’t know why. Yesterday morning I happened to emerge from my cave of an office just in time to catch that one, elusive stream of morning sunlight as it made it’s brief daily pass by the kitchen window. And I suddenly realized that my recent lack of inspiration and creativity in the kitchen is simply a matter of light. It is the light that brings color to my foodie realm.

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Clouds and Cookies

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When I was a child, my grandma would always send the family a big tin or two of homemade goodies for the holidays.  Date pinwheels, persimmon cookies, chocolate covered pretzels and chocolate chip cookies…the contents never varied.  Opening that tin always felt like saying hello to old friends and getting a big, warm hug from Grandma.  The chocolate-covered pretzels were my personal favorite, but I always wondered about those persimmon cookies…what, on earth, is a persimmon?

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Protein-Packed Pumpkin Spice Granola

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By now you may have caught on to the fact that I have been anxiously awaiting Autumn’s arrival (sorry, I don’t mean to complain).  And for just a brief moment, I allowed myself to believe that the glorious moment of seasonal transition was finally upon us…only to find myself, once again, sweating up a storm, shrugging the long sleeves and cranking the cooler.  Oh well, what can you do?  Sigh.  Over the years in these desert parts, I have come to realize that summer does not easily give way to fall.  However, in a delightful moment of fall fervor, I totally and completely embraced the mood and indulged in creating some autumn spiced eats to commemorate that fleeting, teasing moment.  Among the goodies was this protein-packed raw pumpkin granola, too tasty not to share.

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Autumn Spiced Butternut and Apple Soup

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Yesterday morning I woke up early.  Too early for a Saturday.  I couldn’t imagine why this body of mine insisted on rising at the crack of dawn on this particular day, when sleeping late was the simplest and most important goal.  I stumbled and grumbled my way to the kitchen to brew the coffee and let the dogs out.  When I opened the door I was hit by the most delightful sensation…the morning air was so cool and crisp.  I dare say, it was downright chilly.  Oh, yay!  Autumn!  It’s here, it’s finally here!  I felt a celebration was in order, so I decided to commemorate this moment of autumnal bliss with a warm pot of seasonal soup.

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