Monday, May 30, 2011

My Shredded Carrots

I am a bulk buyer... Love the "big warehouse stores".  Costco, would be a preferred name for a puppy.

I got a rather LARGE bag of carrots a few weeks back with "big intentions" of things to do.  I got as far as shredding them with my food processor.  But they sat... ready for sprinkling into salads, or into eggs, or what have you.  A few times, they actually made it into the turkey meatloaf I made last Monday, and some turkey burgers I made a few days before that.  But still, a bulk of the them sat in a mountainous pile in one of my best Tupperware.

I was looking yesterday on the web for "quick", "Easy", "Few" ingredients to make... But nothing really jumped out.  They all either required cooking (I don't really care for cooked carrots unless in meatloaf or turkey burgers), or they all had sugar.

So, I improvised...

I made this quick little salad up since I'm about to go to an impromptu bbq. I have found the best way for me to NOT suffer on my new eating plan, is to bring my own delicious food.


Ingredients:

shredded carrots
raisins 
apple cider vinigar
agave nectar
salt
cinnamon 

I tossed the apple cider vinegar, salt and agave into a bowl to dilute the nectar, and disperse the salt.  Then I tossed over the carrots that I already sprinkled with raisins.  Shook it up, then added a few shakes of cinnamon just for a little something different.

It COULD use a crunch... but I'm not there yet.  I already have some slivered almonds in another dish, otherwise, I might have thrown those in.  None the less, I think this tastes good on its own, or perhaps tomorrow, I can throw some of this into a bowl of romaine lettuce.

This taste good with some peanuts thrown in! I've been doing that at work! 

Sunday, May 29, 2011

My Buffet of Flavors


Almond -- (used mostly in my spelt pancakes and my oatmeal!)
Peppermint
Rose
Ginger
Almond
Star Anise
Lemon
Vanilla
Chocolate
Orange
Clove
Lavender
Cinnamon
Vanilla -- (used in mostly everything)
Peppermint -- (used most often in my hot chocolate)
Coconut (artificial... scandalous, but will do for now)

Sunday Pancakes! 2nd flip

So last Sunday was Orange Pancakes... This Sunday.... COCONUT!

I am obsessed with coconut. I always have been!  Ever since putting on the coconut scented sunscreen/sun tan lotion as a child, and having a coconut scented shampoo, I have always loved coconut.  Almond joys, pina coladas.  You name it, I love it!

As an adult, I fall hard for Coconut Curry ANYTHING at the local Indian and Thai restaurants.  The more coconut milk, the better! I dream of bathing in coconut milk... feels very Grecian to me...

A few years ago, Brian and I were tipped off to in insane breakfast must stop up in Bishop.  Most people don't have a reason to go to Bishop,  many of you have no idea where Bishop even is... But up in Bishop... South of Mammoth, is the town of Bishop.  And there, lives Jacks Waffle Shop.  So small a place, in the middle of nowhere (sorry people of Bishop)  that they have no website.  But they do have plenty of people making reference TO Jack's on websites such as Yelp and MenuClub.com.

Brian was tipped off about Jack's a few years ago from a traveling colleague in the printing business. 'spoke of a place where they imbed bacon into the waffles... 'Nough said.  On our 4th of July camping get a way a few years back, we mecca'd out to Jacks.  And were horrified when said bacon waffles were NOT on the menu.  We looked at each other when handed the menu and almost just left, but the blue-haired waitress was already pouring our coffee and so I decided to speak up.  Thanks Rachel Ray for that tip.

Me:         "So... we hear word down in LA of bacon in your waffles..."
Waitress: "Oh yeah, we still make them, just not on the menu any longer"
Me:         "cool!"
Waitress:  "We also have coconut filled ones too"
Me:         "We will take 1 of each!"


Below is a picture of Brian eating his bacon waffles... but sadly, I did not document the coconut ones. Very unlike me!

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But ever since then, I was intrigued with the notion of coconut in my breakfast foods... And today, birthed variation #3 of my spelt pancakes...

Coconut Spelt Pancakes

Ingredients:

2 cups of spelt flour                               
½ cup of almond meal                           
¾  tsp of salt                                          
3 tsp baking powder                                      
2 cups of room temperature milk   (1 1/2 cups for thicker pancakes)                   
2 room temperature eggs                           
2 Tbsp coconut oil room temperature (should be in liquid form) or canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp coconut extract 
2 tsp agave nectar
½ cup of shredded unsweetened coconut 

Pretty much... mix all together and pour out on to hot griddle to your size preference.

We ate today with some amazingly sweet strawberries from Trader Joes.  Add to a cup of coffee and breakfast was delectable. I have enough left overs too for a week's worth of quick go-to pre-yoga sustenance!