There is nothing more comforting than a cup of hot tea and a muffin straight from the oven. These never-ending winter days have me craving lots of warm foods, and these muffins fit the bill! There is a terrific bakery in Boston called Flour. Basically everything they make is delicious and their banana bread is no exception. I got their … [Read more...]
Almond & Oat Protein Balls
Finding healthy snacks always seems to be challenging. I'm one of those people who needs to eat frequently. If I go too long between meals I enter the land of hangry (hungry + angry) and it isn't pretty for anyone involved. I try to keep lots of nuts, veggie snack bags, and fresh fruit on hand, but in my opinion you can never have too many … [Read more...]
Simple Smoothie Recipes
It is smoothie season! That may seem counterintuitive given the freezing temps, but New Year's resolutions about eating more veggies, losing weight, and pumping up nutrients have lots of people reaching for their blenders. I was recently invited by fellow-blogger, Vyana, to contribute smoothie recipes to her New Year's Seven Day Chakra Cleanse … [Read more...]
Cracking Walnuts
It was a rainy day in southern France and I sat around cracking walnuts with my godfather. There is something deeply soothing about a repetitive motion like cracking nuts - it keeps the hands busy and allows the mind to wander. It is perfect for long conversations or contemplative thoughts. In this case it was the former, but when my hands are … [Read more...]
Making Croissants
I'm taking cooking classes at Cook'n with Class (terrible name, but excellent Parisian cooking school). This morning was French baking and I was blown away by the process of making croissants. First of all, the croissants we made were delicious and rival those found in bakeries around the city. I wasn't totally sure what to expect from this … [Read more...]
The Medicinal Benefits of Honey
Honey has popped up a few times since we've been in Paris and provided the perfect reminder of it's potent healing properties. Honey first appeared when we were walking through the Luxembourg Gardens. Amazingly they have a working hive in the garden filled with the cutest little huts for the bees. I am impressed by this commitment to actually … [Read more...]
Mom’s Oatmeal Carrot Cookies
I'm generally not much of a baker because it involves too much measuring -- I prefer to work based on feel. That being said, there are definitely a few things I make time to bake. My mom's oatmeal carrot cookies are one of the best baked treats out there -- they are delicious and are actually pretty good for you! Ingredients: 1 cup … [Read more...]
Italian Prune Plum Jam
I recently had canning weekend with my sister. We made all sorts of things, but one of the highlights was plum jam made with Italian prune plums. Prune plums are one of my favorite summer treats - I end up eating 4 or 5 of them per day when they're in the height of their season. I find them to have a more distinctive flavor than regular plums … [Read more...]
Ceylon Cinnamon
I recently returned from an amazing trip to Costa Rica (hence the lack of blogging the past few weeks). My mom and I went on a mother/daughter adventure to celebrate her 60th birthday. We had a wonderful time exploring a new part of the world, testing our bravery on tiny dirt roads and zip lines, seeing incredible wildlife, and relaxing on … [Read more...]
Lemon Ginger Apple Butter
I really love apples. There is something about the fall tradition of going out on a sunny day and visiting an orchard. It's actually probably the food Americans are most familiar with harvesting themselves. Way to start the trend apples! We recently went out and picked a ton of apples. I saved quite a few for eating as-is, and decided to try … [Read more...]