I have grown up in a family in which the only meat eaten in the house was chicken, turkey, or seafood. I have lived this way for nearly 20 years and have watched my parents cook up some delicious meals, but to become the cook I want to be, I have widened my food palate.
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I knew I was going to love the Cucumbers With Feta Cheese Dressing from The Garden Fresh Cookbook by the title alone.
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Any dish with avocados in the title, and I’m sold. In need of comfort food after a long week, I made my list of ingredients and headed to the store so that I could make Chicken With Avocado and Almonds from The Garden-Fresh Cookbook.
read moreA Dressing Too Good to Stay in the Fridge
May 2, 2011
This is a must-try from The Garden-Fresh Cookbook—a must! I couldn’t help myself from sneaking a spoonful of the Mint Salad Dressing after it was ready. I also licked the whisk . . . lettuce isn’t even needed.
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I knew this blog post would come, yes readers: I had my first disaster in the kitchen. While prepping my ingredients for Black Bean Soup With Grapefruit from The Garden-Fresh Cookbook (page 45), I burned my beans!
read moreKitchen Humor and Smoothie Mustaches
April 27, 2011
The house phone rang as I was peeling a banana for my Mint Mango Smoothie; my sister was calling from college. She was having a bad day— one of those terrible-horrible-no-good-very-bad days. To help, I did what I do best: humor.
read moreFarmers’ Markets: Jacks-of-All-Trades
April 25, 2011
Springtime means time for farmers’ markets! Cities are bursting with small and large street markets, and for my Sunday adventure, I headed to a farmers’ market in a hub near downtown Seattle called Fremont. It’s great to see that the definition of a farmers’ market has transformed into not just fruit and veggies, but also a local gathering of people sharing their hobbies and talents.
read moreRise and Shine! Time for Granola With Sunflower Seeds!
April 22, 2011
Good morning, readers! I woke up bright and early with a to-do list about a foot long— time to start the day! As always, I turned the coffee machine on, fed the cats, and caught a look at myself in the mirror with bangs sticking upright. While I was waking up, I decided that Granola With Sunflower Seeds from The Garden-Fresh Cookbook, paired with vanilla yogurt, would make a perfect breakfast.
read moreThe Sun Brings Out Pale Legs and a Healthy Herb Garden
April 20, 2011
After weeks of rainy weather and a hint of sunshine in the Pacific Northwest, I began to see life in my bag of herbs! If you are just joining me: A few weeks ago, I took advice straight out of The Garden-Fresh Cookbook and turned an ordinary bag of potting soil into a “grow bag.” The plants, like myself, are basking in the good weather. I’m happy to report that while my herbs are still small, they are healthy and happy!
read moreA College Snack Grows Up: Apple Cheese Bread Recipe
April 18, 2011
Sliced apples and cheddar cheese used to be my go-to snack while spending late evenings on campus. No, I didn’t live off this diet alone, there was always an Americano in hand!
read moreStubbornness for Spice
April 15, 2011
I think I got my love for spicy food from my dad: I would watch him shake the hot sauce or spoon the chile peppers, grumbling “not spicy enough” under his breath while beads of sweat started to form just above his brow. I took it as a challenge, thinking that if it’s not spicy enough for him, it’s not spicy enough for me. This theory has resulted in a few miserable nights over the years as I try all the tricks to relieve the agony: drink milk, eat bananas, and never, never drink water—it’ll spread the fire!
read moreA Garden Trend: Edible Flowers
April 13, 2011
While tending to my separate vegetable, potato, and herb gardens (the last, grown in a bag) keeps me plenty busy, I recently started a new project that also will be used in the kitchen . . . edible flowers! I saw this idea in The Garden Fresh Cookbook and couldn’t wait to get my pots ready!
read moreLet Them Eat Tomato Cake
April 11, 2011
Ever wake up feeling like treating yourself to something special? This morning, after a run in the rain, I decided to indulge with the Fresh Tomato Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting from The Garden-Fresh Cookbook.
My parents were skeptical: “Seriously? Tomato cake?” I nodded while sifting flour into the mixture. I had never tried, or even heard of, a tomato cake, but figured I wouldn’t feel too guilty munching on this kind of cake in the A.M. hours.
read moreCreating My Own Farmers’ Market in My Backyard
April 8, 2011
As I wrote about in my last post, I’ve been preparing for a new garden! With the weeds pulled and the soil loose, it was time to start gardening! The Northwest’s weather, which has brought a steady downpour of rain, has made it a challenge to get in a full day of working outside. Because of that, my garden has been prepared over the course of a week at the rate of about an hour a day.
read moreDinner Rush Hour: Thai Chicken With Linguine Recipe
April 6, 2011
Making dinnertime into family time has been something I have talked about before, and on a recent weeknight I turned to my Garden-Fresh Cookbook to find just the right dish. It had to be easy to make, healthy, and packed with flavor. And did I mention filling? I had just returned from a long run, and I was hungry!
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