Truly a sugar addict, my heart and mind fell in love when I was recently gifted a tin of Hampton Popcorn. I had NO IDEA that popcorn could taste SOOOO good. A nibble here, a handful there, and in no time, the gallon tin was almost empty. I can’t even begin to explain the deliciousness of this guilty pleasure.
Classic, classy blue and white tin. With HEAVEN inside.
Cheese from a can???? YUP, that’s right. And amazing, high quality cheese, too. So delicious that you will want to eat the entire can in one sitting!
Jackpot! Pot of gold! Cougar Gold!
All of my favorite recipes are originally made by my favorite chef, my mama. My mother is hands down the most inventive, creative, and talented chef in the kitchen (among many other traits and accomplishments). And this green bean salad has been in her repertoire for years, and as a result has become one of my go-to-salads. It is fresh, easy, healthy, and good in any season. Enjoy!
This past weekend, the family went on an adventure to Red Hook (Brooklyn) to satisfy my craving for a lobster roll (not pregnant, just hungry). AND HOT DAMN, this lobster roll did not disappoint. Unbelievably delicious. KNOCK OUT GOOD.
Wanna be a Maui Babe? I certainly do! And my only shot of becoming one is by using Maui Babe products! Created in Hawaii, the lotions, sunscreen and after-sun products are luxurious, soothing, and have the best SCENT EVER. All of the ingredients are natural and found on the island of Hawaii itself.
I consume a ridiculous amount of peanut butter (true fact: a friend calls me the “Peanut Butter Princess”) as it is filling, energy rich, protein dense, and DELICIOUS. I eat it year round, especially during marathon training season. My one reservation about peanut butter is the massive amounts of fat and oil…so when I found PB2 in Whole Foods, it was a DREAM COME TRUE! (I had to pinch myself).
PB2
Yep, another Gwyneth Paltrow recipe. I can’t help myself!!!! I love her recipes and ingredients so much!!! Plus if I eat like her, I will look like her, right? These cookies are the bomb (yep, used that word, say what 2003). They are dense, sweet, healthy, and hit-the-spot. They are more like a granola bar than a cookie. But healthy snack trumps oreos anyday.
The Upper East Side of NYC has a new cheese shop! And it’s beyond amazing! Lucy’s Whey recently opened in Carnegie Hill, joining stores in Chelsea Market and East Hampton.
Hope everyone had a nice weekend….I ended up getting the stomach flu on Friday….and let me tell you it was SO
UNFUN. Beyond unfun. Horrible. Horrific. Nightmare. Barf. Gross. Gulp. NEVER AGAIN. Oh My Goodness. Luckily, I had a devoted and loving husband; understanding and caring children; and wonderful, supportive friends. And I was better in no time at all!
I woke up to these beautiful flowers, which of course put a smile on my face.
The New Year is an opportunity to listen to your body and eat according to your dosha, your imbalances, the season, and the Ayurvedic composition. Currently in Vata season (and being a true Vata person), warm, homey, sturdy foods such as pumpkin and sweet potato provide balance and nourishment. So when I came across these pumpkin vegan cookies, I couldn’t wait to give them a shot.
Even with Thanksgiving behind us, there is no such thing as TOO much pie! Especially pie from Four & Twenty Blackbirds. Located in the Gowanus section of Brooklyn (439 3rd Avenue), this pie shop was founded in 2010 by sisters and pie makers Melissa and Emily Elsen. And my oh my, do they know how to bake! So scrumptious and delicious. So many choices to choose form.
Outside the pie shop with old school gothic lettering.
As a sucker for all granola, I am also obsessed with muesli. Although very similar, they are not the same thing. Both granola and muesli contain oats, fruits and nuts, but muesli is raw, whereas granola is baked. People enjoy muesli like they do granola (served with milk, sprinkled over yogurt, drowned in kefir) or they soak it overnight (in milk or yogurt) to create a cool, porridge-like consistency. Both of my parents (foreign born) eat muesli almost every morning (except for Saturdays when Papa Proskurowski makes his famous omelet) so I have been around different forms of muesli all my life. And Mu Mu Muesli, my friends, is one of the best. The best.
THIS IS SO GOOD OMG SO GOOD OMG YOU HAVE TO MAKE IT NOW! Do you hear my enthusiasm? Yeppers — so good that you will HAVE A NEW LOVE IN YOUR LIFE! BROCCOLI ! So awesome. This recipe is from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook (buy it NOW. Make this broccoli dish first, and then BUY THIS BOOK!)
Ingredients:
I always learn about the coolest and newest products from friend and contributing editor, Ali Berlin. So, no surprise, that Ali has found my newest obsession. Thanks, Ali, take it away!
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OMilk is by far my favorite milk ever. It is made from NUTS, is thick and creamy, sweet and fresh and is made with care, love and mastery right here in Brooklyn. I don’t drink dairy milk but even when I did, it always left me wanting something different. OMilk hits the spot.
Italian Tuna Salad! Incredibly tasty, zesty, and protein-packed. Great as a sandwich or on top of some lettuce for a salad, and so easy to make. Win-win!
Ingredients:
I am a health freak as I love my gym, nature, fresh air, chia seeds, coconut, and vegan concoctions. And yet, I am a sucker for candy, too. I KNOW, right? Hard to believe, but I love it. I hoard Halloween candy all year because I love the shiny wrappers and the delicious, chocolatey, oh-so-sweet treats inside. Drooling now. And it is so cliche, but a candy store to me, is well, like one big candy store. I can’t just look, and I want to taste everything — it all looks delicious and I NEED. EVERYTHING. THEN. AND. NOW. SHAKE. SHAKE. CONVULSIONS.
Picturesque Sockerbit in the West Village of NYC.
My obsession with Scandinavia continues! Brooklyn, Portland, and Scandinavia = creative, hip, modern, and IT places. Here are my current top Scandinavian food finds.
Kaviar in a tube!
SIMPLE SYRUP TIMES A THOUSAND! Morris Kitchen is a Brooklyn based company that makes exotic and tasty syrup for cooking and cocktails. A versatile product that enhances any plain, simple drink.
Rhubarb!
Currently obsessed with chia seeds. Because, hey, why not? But really, they have a lot of good things from them (like their omega 3 oils!), which make you healthier, right??? That simple! Eat em, and you will be long, lean, healthy, and beautiful! So here are my favorite chia products. On trend!
Chia! DELICIOUS treats that turn you into a health nut.
Officially sweets-obsessed, nothing makes me happier (and sugar-drunk) than eating Gooey Butter cake. This little piece of heaven was first introduced to me by my fabulous friend, Heidi-ho, a native St. Louis, mother, lawyer, *AND* an amazing chef and baker. Heidi grew up eating this cake, which is traditionally made in her hometown. It is the perfect combination of a brownie and a flourless chocolate cake… but without the chocolate.
Yep, folks, this is for reals. SO RIDICULOUSLY SCRUMPTIOUS.
Yes, I am on an Oregon kick, but as it’s my home state, I can’t help but NOT be. Recently, there have been so many wonderful products that have emerged from Oregon, and one of the best is Dave’s Killer Bread. Not only is the story of Dave’s Killer Bread fascinating, but the bread itself is a winner. The organic bread has more protein, fewer carbohydrates and a little less sodium than most of its commercial counterparts.
Ken and I recently took a day trip to Portland for some shopping and dining. We were fortunate to have the grandparents to babysit, so we could wander around the city like we did pre-kids. It was heavenly. And our visit to Pok Pok, was one of the highlights. Pok Pok has been in all the food magazines and blogs, thanks to their Portland flagship and their NYC opening last year. Talk of the town! We love venturing to new, hip restaurants in New York, but the restaurant has so much buzz (and no reservations) that it is a little difficult to plan. So Portland Pok Pok was the perfect place (how many sea shells at the sea shore). Continue Reading
Fruit crisps might not be the most photogenic dessert, but they sure are delicious. Even if they look gloopy and mushy (which they are), they still remind me of easy, relaxing, summer nights. This recipe for Peach Crisps was adapted from Alice Waters’ The Art of Simple Food and can be used for any fruit crisp (raspberry, apple, blueberry, rhubarb, the sky is the limit!)
Ingredients:
Since I love granola, quinoa, and making granola, I thought trying out a recipe for quinoa granola would be a no-brainer. If you have been out of the health loop in the past several years, quinoa is considered to be a super food and one of the most healthy ingredients out there. It is protein packed, full of fiber, rich in magnesium, high in iron, and is overall magical. I first read a recipe for quinoa granola in Gwyneth Paltrow’s cookbook, but it took me months to find “quinoa flakes.” Once I found them, I was ready to go. And let me tell you…. quinoa granola is heavenly, light, sweet, crunchy and perfection.
Ingredients:
Quinoa Flakes!
* 1/2 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
* 1/2 cup of maple syrup
* 3 cups of quinoa flakes
* 1 cup of shredded coconut
* 1/2 cup of sliced almonds
* sea salt
* 1/2 cup of chopped dates
Directions:
* Preheat oven to 400 degrees
* In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil and the maple syrup.
I do not recommend licking the whisk / spoon after this combination.
* Then, add the quinoa flakes and mix, followed by the coconut and almonds.
Kinda like cookie dough?
* On a parchment paper lined pan, spread the mixture out evenly. Place in the oven for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally and checking to make sure it is not burned.
Lined up evenly.
