We’ve all experienced reading a horoscope or a fortune cookie message and feeling it was written JUST FOR US, and speaking to us in that moment. Today was such an experience for me, except it was with the little tag that Yogi Teas attaches to each tea bag. Like fortune cookies, each one is different!
This one was particularly salient to me today, and I figured I’d share the sentiment:
“Appreciate yourself and honor your soul.”
Thanks, Yogi. Will do.
The two peas further cemented their union in an engagement at Whole Foods Market Osteria in Millburn, NJ!
Check out the video! The Proposal
After the camera went off, we dined on some fabulous trapanese with almond basil pesto, and some garlic kale salad. Yum! (Actually, I’m lying…we attempted, but were both too excited to eat, so we wound up taking it all to go. Leftovers were awesome, though!)
It was definitely not “gettin’ real in the Whole Foods parking lot” by the time we left there at 10 pm, so we took the liberty of this great photo op.
We made a delicious soup that had a minestrone base and added all sorts of veggies like bok choy, carrots, parsnips, and cauliflower. We also added some Taro root . We first tried it raw as we were cutting it up. Big whoops! We just got off the phone with Poison Control (who we call after most meals) and apparently Taro root is toxic when consumed raw. Once it’s cooked it is fine though, so the soup is quite delicious, even if we had a brush with death to make it.
Also, wear gloves when dealing with the raw Taro root as it has the negative effects of fiberglass on the skin.
Delicious soup! And drink lots of water afterwards to flush the kidneys. *Thanks Poison Control!
Moral of the story: Forget making Taro Root salsa thinking you’re one-upping your friend who makes a Jicama Slaw for summer BBQs.
We spent so much time and energy creating weekend culinary masterpieces that I found myself at loose ends for dinner tonight. Looking in the refrigerator, I saw I had leftover pesto, a couple bricks of tofu, some baby spinach, and some other “on-the-way-out” veggies. Dinner began taking shape in my mind.
I wound up sautéing some mushrooms, shallots, onion, garlic, artichoke hearts, olives, and spinach, boiled some 365 linguine, and thought I had a brilliant idea for the tofu. Among the post-weekend wreckage in the fridge, I found some kalamata olive tapenade, which I mixed with some olive oil and added to cubed tofu, which I then baked.
In short, the tofu was an epic fail. It smelled bad, and tasted worse! It’s a good thing I went with my gut about the smell and didn’t toss it all in with the pasta dish, as that was delicious!
Lesson: Olive tapenade does not a good tofu marinade make.
We may have to change our tagline to “Adventures and MISAdventures in Cookin’s and Eatin’s”.
Last night was a perfect night for comfort food: cold, blustery, and even a few flurries! Kale and sweet potato with peanut sauce, served over quinoa. Not only was this delicious, but kale scores a perfect 1000 on the ANDI Scoring System. Winner!
I was going through some photos today, and came upon one of my favorites. Summertime fun at the Viking Cooking School! We took a class called “Babycakes”, where we made tons of adorable pastries. Good times!
Does anyone else get a twitch when they hear the words “Holiday Potluck” in a corporate environment? Maybe it’s just me, but I am absolutely terrified of any type of potluck involving the entire Marketing/Merchandising department of 40+ people. Here are 5 reasons why companies should NEVER host Holiday Potlucks:
1. Can anyone say Liability?? There’s a good reason why restaurants carry liability insurance to protect against things like sous chefs not following proper hand washing procedures, resulting in some nasty things like Hepatitis and, at the very least, gastrointestinal distress.
2. I’ve been in the Ladies’ Restroom at the office. Passing one’s hands under the running water does NOT count as “washing hands”. Gross.
3. Nobody knows what goes on behind the closed doors of coworkers’ kitchens. Cats walking all over the counters? Husband “taste-tester”? Kids sneezing in the vicinity? Fridge with a wonky temp?
4. Germaphobe factors aside…People have different tastes. For example, I follow a vegan diet, so anything with meat or dairy at the potluck is out for me. Others think that things like FISH are appropriate to bring to the potluck and heat up in the microwave, leaving that oh-so-pleasant lingering odor for days to come.
5. Putting pressure on people to cook something extra around the holidays to share with their coworkers is just plain wrong. I can barely feed myself each night, let alone the entire Marketing Department.
So, please large companies out there, buck up and pay for a catered event for your employees this year. It’s the right thing to do.
‘Tis the season for green trees and green smoothies! Try our super-charged recipe to help get you through the holiday hustle and bustle. Cheers!
http://newhope360.com/recipes/shopping-list-bag-smoothie
