April 29, 2013

Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Muffins

It’s been fairly chilly lately. And very rainy. I’m ready for warm spring weather, bike rides, farmers markets, and fresh seasonal fruits and veggies. It’s getting closer, but mother nature has decided to keep us waiting a bit longer. Must. Be. Patient. (i’m not good at that)

Spring also gives us a push towards rejuvenation, towards wanting to treat our bodies better and gear up for the heat and activity that’s about to greet us in the coming weeks…or it’s just that we don’t want to shove these jiggly, sun-deprived thunder thighs into a pair of shorts. (for real, i’m not ready, not even close)

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April 21, 2013

Spicy BBQ Tempeh Joe’s

Sloppy Joe’s…you either love ’em or hate ’em. I love them; my husband hates them. He thinks they’re annoying and unnecessary. They’re messy; they drip all over your hands. As you eat them, you’re increasingly left with less between the bun and more on the plate…but that’s one of the things I love about them! When you’re finished noshing the sauce-soaked bun, you get to scoop up all the sloppy-laced fixins that lay strewn about on your plate. Maybe you politely scrape them up with a spoon…maybe you dig in with your fingers and shove the fallen goodies in your face. I’m just sayin.

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April 15, 2013

Asparagus & Quinoa Salad with Orange Vinaigrette

This salad highlights the transition from winter to spring by combining tangy, juicy oranges with tender, nearly-sweet emerald spears of asparagus. It’s the baton hand-off in the relay of seasonal life. Orange tips it’s hat in farewell while asparagus extends it’s arms in a welcome “Hello”…Spring has arrived!

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April 10, 2013

Greenest of Greens Veggie Dip

I am a very lucky mother…my son loves spinach. It was the first veggie we fed him when he was a baby and he’s gobbled it up ever since. But spinach usually gets a bad wrap from kids…they say it looks gross and tastes weird. Well, they’re wrong. And sometimes you just have to look them straight in the eye and tell them that. “Hey buddy, you’re wrong, spinach is awesome, it’s a superfood!” Yeah, go the superhero route. And throw in the word epic, they’re saying that these days…totally.

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April 2, 2013

Roasted Carrot Risotto

I was recently given a huge amount of carrots (we’re talking about the size of a small toddler) from a couple farmer friends of mine. The carrots had surprisingly survived the winter and I got to be one of the lucky recipients. My family loves carrots…in a major Bugs Bunny sort of way. So aside from packing them in lunches, I’ve been coming up with recipes that feature these lovely, orange-gold vitamin A-packed veggies. I’ve made a Spinach, Carrot and Brussels Sprout Pizza, Indian-spiced Carrot and Black Bean Stew, and Carrots and Brussels Sprouts with Penne and Peanut Sauce. We might be starting to turn orange at this point…I guess we’d fit in with the tanning-for-spring-break crowd. And yet, we just can’t get enough.

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