Potato Hash

This is the perfect breakfast for a lazy weekend. Chop up bacon and saute over medium heat until crispy. Toss in a handful of onions and cook until caramelized. Add tiny baby bite-sized potatoes and a few large pinches of sea salt & freshly ground black pepper.
Cook until potatoes are soft through and golden brown, approximately 20-30 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh parsley, grated Parmesan and serve with your favorite style of eggs.

This dish highlights the potato and is simple to create dairy-free and vegan, simply leave out the bacon and the Parmesan, load up with bell peppers or add a few sweet potatoes or winter squash.

Have a fabulous weekend & Buon Appetito!

Bittersweet Molten Cakes

Good For All Cake

Gooey globs of chocolate ooze out from within these classic decadent cakes. Bittersweet Molten Cakes are one of Travis' favorites. Typically for his birthday we'll serve with a dollop of vanilla spiked whipped cream or raw milk ice cream and fresh raspberries.

Today I baked with a batch of Theo Chocolate 70% Dark Chocolate and Theo Jane Goodall 70% Dark Chocolate. These little lovelies are a throwback to my CCA days. I made the classic cakes as well as a gluten & dairy-free version. Both beckon for more chocolate.

Quinoa Or Chocolate?

Well the days of detoxing have ended......that is until next Spring; when the flowers are in full bloom, I shall find myself embarking on another journey of cleansing my organs.

I have to say after this 21 day cleanse, I wasn't craving anything that could possibly be thought of as naughty!

All quite suitable in fact, the type of ingredients that one is proud to crave. Quinoa and Spinach, no Chocolate, no Coffee, no Sugar, OH MY!

With my work, I'm surrounded by one of the world's finest organic fair-trade chocolates and I still don't eat nearly as much as I used to.

I'm constantly surrounded by delicious scents wafting up from the roasting of cocoa beans or the creation of a new confection flavor and if anything this helps with cravings as opposed to feeding into the craving.

In fact during the detox cleanse, I loved (well I always thoroughly enjoy this) but I ABSOLUTELY LOVED brewing coffee for Travis! The dark, earthiness of the coffee beans, the rich intoxicating scent of the hot water hitting the ground beans.....awwwww.

Detox Nibbles

Here is a peek at the dishes I've been creating lately for the Detox.
Recipes will soon follow.

Shredded Chicken & Cabbage Slaw

Chickpea Salad

Lemon Basil Toasted Quinoa & Millet

Welcome To Detoxville

My mom and I are in the middle of a Detox Purification Program. We've created a barter system, I plan all of the menus and cook all allergen-free dishes and she supplies me with the cleansing supplements.

In the real world, outside of Detoxville, I've been put to the test. I've baked several batches of brownies for family and I recently visited a local chocolate store with loads of samples; none of which I even attempted to eat, as I distracted myself with the deliciously scented body lotions and facial cleansers!! This my fellow blog readers is HUGE for me! As I eat chocolate daily!

On my shopping/cooking days I find I don't have a lot of time to feed myself so I stop at our local natural foods market and pick up their Red Lentil Patties with a side of Cilantro Sauce. They are a perfect power snack. They also work beautifully as an appetizer or stack up well served with a spinach salad for a main dish. I've decided to replicate the little delicacies, let me know what you think!

Stay Away From Wildfires!!

We are finally settled and back home in Washington. Happily leaving the Wildfire Season behind us. We are looking forward to the crisp Autumn weather and leaves changing, rather than flames licking at our back door.

Sunday August 30, 2009 at 6:45AM
Moving Day
An orange glow slipped through our blinds and tip-toed around our boxes making itself cozy curled up near the windows. I opened our front door and the smoke barged right in.
If you ignored the heat & weird orange glow and you forgot to breath in for a moment.....it was reminiscent of a beautiful foggy Autumn day.
That vision didn't last long! It was sweltering by this time and it was difficult to breathe even inside of our house. So I slammed the door, squealing like a live suckling pig being unearthed from the ash, until I reached Travis with the news.

This photo was taken from our balcony, the day we were loading up the truck!

Happy to be home near the Sound. Fresh air and proper cloud coverage.

So much has happened since my last post. I'm a year older now! This photo was taken on my birthday with my sweetie.