sweet summertime

i got this rack/shelf thinger at a garage sale last summer and was using it for a bookshelf. however, with the new apt next semester, i thought i'd try it out as a spice rack. i'm not sure where i'll be able to put it, but it works much better than the cabinet for housing spices.


this summer, i've been eating an absurd amount of salad [and asparagus and eventually bell peppers]. however, there is something so satisfying about going to the garden, picking out my food and then preparing it. there is something so incredibly real about knowing exactly where your food is coming from. and it is refreshing. and so you will see a lot of salad--numerous ones despite the many that i haven't taken photos of.

this one has pineapple, cilantro [3 HUGE bundles at fiesta market for $1], onion, oregano [from my little window sill plant], dill, thyme, radish, and mushroom. it's topped off with white wine vinegar and balsamic vinegarette. simple, yet great as dressing.


i got to craving some chocolate or something sweet and i was trying to think of something that wasn't terrible for me, but still delicious. i remembered seeing hershey's syrup on the list of vegan items that peta's website contains. so, i piled some pretzels and a banana on a plate and topped it with a drizzle of the stuff. it was completely satisfying and incredibly delicious.


this lovely bag of puffed red wheat has been an extremely pleasant discovery. this entire bag cost a dollar, 1 c. equals 70 calories and there is no sugar in it. i whip it up with a little soy milk, banana, and about a Tbsp of pumpkin butter. it crackles like rice crispies which i think is great!


my mom&&dad worked a flea market over the weekend and so i went to keep my mom company and help out. i decided to make some guacamole with the two remaining avocados i had sitting on the counter. it was fabulous. i put garlic, garden onion, garden lettuce, and cilantro in the food processor. i mashed up the avocado and added some olive oil and lemon juice. then combined them and topped it with some cayenne pepper.



then i made a little sandwich for myself.

i found this teapot at a garage sale the other day && had to buy it. i'm planning a tea party for my best friend's little daughter and this will be excellent especially with the dishes i already have.

what's your favorite thing about summer??

i have been mostly eating a lot of salad, nuts, apricots, and dates. i visited my friend in chicago for her bday so i needed portable food. thus, i had a pumpkin butter and banana sandwich. it was divine.

my brother is an awesome griller, so he placed my little concoction on the grill for me. first, i put onion, garlic, radish, liquid smoke, and spicy brown mustard in the food processor. then i put mushrooms, radish, and asparagus in the dish and drizzled with olive oil. after i mixed in the onion/garlic/radish concoction. i was worried about how it might turn out, but i enjoyed it.


my brother and i took a 20 mile bike ride yesterday. it was exhausting, but quite refreshing! afterwards, we grilled out. i made mimosas!





avocados. i have rediscovered them recently and i am delighted to have done so. i went to a thai restaurant w. a friend and had leftovers so i decided to mix the rice and various veggies with onion, avocado, and cilantro. it was delicious.

this life is so lovely

it must be a crime to enjoy summer so much. i am currently in my room listening to the brewing storm--thunder, lightning--all so close. normally, they are scary happenings for me, but today i find them incredibly romantic.

this is one bunch of the several i have been picking out of my dad's garden. i think asparagus has got to be my favorite.


this salad consists of radish, onion, and lettuce from my dad's garden. having these items readily available is so convenient and i am so grateful for that.


i wanted a variation of the salad i had yesterday [^^] so i made one with fruit. i have always enjoyed the alternating tastes of salty and sweet so this salad did the trick.
this is a variation of the salad. we have so much lettuce i don't want to go to waste so i decided to mix it up with this as a little snack.
my breakfasts have been amazing lately. below is cinnamon life with soy milk and bananas. i don't have soy milk very often and cereal barely ever. this is a nice treat.
i made pumpkin waffles for my mom yesterday. they have slivers of almond and shavings of chocolate on them. they weren't as good as when i make them with coconut milk. i find the flavor of vanilla extract, maple syrup and coconut cannot be beat. still, they are delightful.

good eats&&great treats!

this is my latest bright idea: i have been wanting a rootbeer float for a few weeks now. and i wondered if i could substitue ice cream for my banana ice cream. AND I CAN!!!! you cannot believe how happy this made me. the diet A&W became all foamy and creamy with the addition of the banana ice cream. i have been eating these multiple times a day b/c they are so delicious. the banana flavor is so slight that it seems like i'm eating the floats my dad used to make us back in the day. what a great memory and what a wonderful alteration i made! i'm so happy about my discovery.
eating from my dad's garden is one of the best things about summer.we had lots of leftover veggies so i made curry. stir-fried radishes are really great, if you haven't ever tried them, you probably should!
also with the leftover veggies, i made stale bread soup. i put this in the freezer in order to have some time to finish everything else. it looks gross, but it tastes GREAT.
using the leftover fruit for flavoring my water is delicious! this is one of several.

this little tub of hummus was delicious with a spicy kick. and i am not embarrassed to admit that i ate the entire tub in one sitting.... with these fabulous chips i found on a shopping trip with my mom, aunt, and cousin. they are made of garbonzo beans and adul (i think that's what they are called) beans. they are so delicious and fulfill my quest to eat less fat. they have far fewer calories and fat compared with regular chips and they taste so great! i think i'm going to order them in bulk so i have a constant supply.

ever since the YMCA auction and dinner, i have been craving eggplant. mine were not as deliciouus as the ones prepared for me, but they were not bad. i want to make some babganoush sometime soon.

a graduation celebration overview...

first and foremost, this is my little pride & joy right here. it's a vegan chocolate cake--double layered with chocolate frosting. this cake was the moist-est cake i have ever eaten. i was so surprised b/c i had great difficulty with the pans and mixing it at 12AM. not to mention that it was after an extremely stressful day of graduation, giving directions, and waking up at 5:30. none of that matters b/c there was very little cake left and i was given many compliments in its regards.

the funny thing about this cake is that it has been in our family for ages and it is 'naturally' vegan [as i like to say].


my aunt made her absolutely delicious baked beans. she made a special little tray of vegan ones for me! i can't even tell you how great they taste. she uses a special [&secret recipe] but i do know she uses ketchup, maple syrup, mustard, and brown sugar. i think i'm glad i don't know the recipe b/c i would be eating them all day, everyday.
this is a pasta that has also been in our family for quite some time. it has vinegar, mustard, garlic salt, onions, and cucumbers in it. sooooooo simple, yet so good.
my other aunt made these baked oyster crackers. they are seasoned with garlic powder, dill, and a package of some veggie dip [she kindly checked to make sure it was vegan].
i used a french bread recipe that i used for t-giving last year. i made half the flour whole wheat though for a nice little touch.

i made stuffed shells for the first time ever. i also received quite a few compliments for these so i was pleased. you know, everyone wants to try the vegan food. this was no exception. i stuffed them with tofu and spinach that was marinated for a day or so in garlic, dijon mustard, and liquid smoke. they weren't bad. i have a ton more food pictures i need to get up, but this was my priority. what a great weekend!

uploading these photos required much effort, but here they are!

i'm having trouble uploading photos again, but i am going to try my patience until it gets finished.

i made sushi the other day. and then i realized how much i hate these seaweed wraps. i always get a sick feeling after eating this type. oh well. the spring rolls were delicious though! i made a thai peanut sauce to go with it. it's just a basic recipe w. vinegar, pb, onion, garlic, cayenne pepper, chili powder, and lime juice. it was pretty good for just throwing the ingredients in the food processor and then heating them on the stove.

i made 'tarts' sometime in the past week, although i can't remember when. actually, i just wanted to see what phyllo dough would taste like with coconut milk. ummm...might i say tremendous!?

i had used phyllo dough sometime back in the winter to make these pizza roll like items. this time, i used muffin tins and placed the phyllo in them. i smothered them in coconut milk and baked them for like 30 minutes. then i used the food proccessor on some frozen bananas and strawberries. spooned that into the cooled holders and sprinkled with walnuts and shredded coconut. they were so good that i am not allowed to make them for a long time b/c i will eat all of them.

my dad even ate one [he never tries ANYTHING i make]. he said they were good. i was amazed.
i hope the weather is nice where you are...it's been so cold here and it's driving me mad!

home is grand && these are the reasons why...

i have been trying to upload photos for the past 4 days, but the internet is extremely shady here so i finally succeeded today.

these are frozen mango and cherries. i 'snacked' on these the first night home--and by snacked i mean ate half of each bag.the coffee everyday is terrible for me, but it's honestly what i look forward to. the morning routine i have going is pretty blissful for me right now so i am going to go with it.
last friday, i apartment shopped all day. good news is that i got everything squared away and i had a delicious meal at thai pavillion. i am going to be frequenting that place many times next year. the actual dish looked much tastier than the leftovers.
this is asparagus from my dad's garden. it is covered in liquid smoke, onion and garlic powder, and garlic. i shouldn't have cooked the garlic, rather i should have added it afterwards as i normally do. still so great!
the glassware i am using was my great aunt's. it's from the depression era and is called---wait for it--depression glass. it's been sitting in my mom's china cabinet so i asked if i could use it. i thought it was pretty cool.

we grilled out for mother's day. my brother is an expert griller. i marinated the red peppers, onions, and asparagus in spicy dijon mustard, a bit of soy sauce, olive oil, and onion and garlic powder overnight. he grilled everything for about 10-15 minutes. it was so delicious! my mom really enjoyed the onions. :)

i've been in the mood for an icecream like treat so i've been making the frozen banana concocotion in the food processor quite a bit. i don't use the food processor as much as i thought i would. sorta wish i didn't get it, but i guess it's worth it for this:
this is a little drink i made. [non-alcoholic]. haha. it has diet 7up, a little bit of lime juice and water. so, bascially it is watered down diet 7up. but i like it...