I JUST DISCOVERED HEAVEN!!!!! Holy god, thank you Lord! South Bend Chocolate Company Malt Balls! The absolute best cure for Monday blues!
Malt Balls!
Malt Balls
delicious
Mushroom Torte
Torte / Quiche / Pie = All the same deliciousness. Especially when made by my Mama. Yep, the best cook in the world gave me a lesson on how to make tortes. Unbelievably tasty, and a home-run for any dinner / lunch / brunch dinner party. (My mom is such a pro in the kitchen that she made 8 of these tortes — all different fillings — in ONE afternoon. IF ONLY I had the charisma, talent, and energy that she has!) This torte was one of my favorites: mushroom. It is not simple, not vegan, gluten-free, or light — but it is full of flavor and a perfect addition to your plate. Center stage. This recipe was found from the Nordic Bakery Cookbook, which is amazing.
Jacobsen Salty Black Licorice
Enamored with anything Oregonian and delicious, I recently stumbled upon (in my mother’s kitchen) the most INCREDIBLE, tasty unusual, and delicious treat, made by a Local Company, Jacobsen Salt Co. A little background: my parents met and married in Stockholm, Sweden, 42 years ago. I also lived there as a 5 year old for a year. Soooo, I feel a connection to anything Swedish (add that to my long list of special connections: Oregon, Paris, hippy, etc..) One of the many Swedish food loves is black licorice, and especially salted black licorice. It is definitely an acquired taste, but if you do like it, you LOVE it. And my mother is royally obsessed with black licorice and stocks up on it when in Scandinavia. So it was a treat for her to find her favorite candy made by a local company. Hip hip hooray!
Catchy name, classy presentation.
Raw Chocolate Coconut Bites
I know I have a lot of haters of my healthy desserts (mainly, my husband, father, and brother…see the pattern), but THIS HEALTHY DESSERT is a must-make and must-eat. And not to be hated on. Even my father ate it and asked for more (true story). So, do me a favor and make it. I found the recipe off of my new-to-me-favorite-healthy-food-blog, Deliciously Ella. With a little bit of creative editing, here is the recipe for Raw Chocolate Coconut Bites. Yes, they are vegan. No, they are not nut-free. Yes, they are delicious. Yes, I promise.
Ingredients:
Two Ingredient Pancake
OK. I’m jumping on the bandwagon. In recent weeks, I have seen a couple blog posts on “two ingredient pancakes.” I tried them, and you MUST give them a shot. They taste and look like pancakes, but they aren’t. Truly magical.
Ingredients:
BOOM. Two ingredients.
Hampton Popcorn Co.
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.
Cougar Cheese
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!
Green Bean Salad
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!
Red Hook Lobster Pound
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.
Maui Babe
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.
Powdered Peanut Butter
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
Tuna Artichoke Salad
GP’s Lalo Cookies
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.
Lucy’s Whey
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.
Dang Coconut Chips
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.
Ayurvedic Apropos Pumpkin Cookies
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.
Four & Twenty Blackbirds
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.
Mu Mu Muesli
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.
Broccoli Slaw
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:
OMilk
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
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:
Candy Store
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.
Scandinavian Obsession
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!
Seltzer Syrup
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!
3 Chia Products
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.
