Category Archives: Food

A Description of Right Now

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Owyhee desert. Far up the dirt road.
Forest and Greg nearby. We’re all still, on a blanket – blue, green and white stripes.
Sun, then clouds, then sun again. It’s bright, it’s warm, it’s powerful. The clouds fluffy white and the sky a brilliant blue.
The colors I see in front of me – golden, yellow, green and stone. A majestic peak and face of a mountain staring, unflinchingly, back at me.
The wind blows, but not strong. Desert grasses dance, my hair blows loose.
The sound of the wind, Forest panting, birds chirping every now and then.
I sit, I lay, I write, I think. This is right here, right now.

That was an entry in my journal from May 2, 2020, that I called ‘A Description of Right Now.’ Greg, Forest and I spent 8+ hours in the spot that you see in the photo above. We hiked around a good bit, but much of our day was spent right there. At one point I was journaling and found myself thinking a lot about the future and past, and realized that I needed to come into the present. I decided to turn the page, and write a description of right now. I tried not to think about it too much, I just wrote, and then took the photos above.

It worked well, and I am now so glad that I have those words and photos. ‘A description of right now’ just might become a thing for me :).

Oat and Chia Breakfast Bowl

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This has been my quarantine breakfast and I thought I’d share it with you today! I’m going to tell you exactly how I make my oat and chia breakfast bowl and then different ideas for topping and extras, so that you can make this too, using what you have on hand.

Oats: I use either old fashioned rolled oats or steel cut oats for this recipe. Sometimes I make just one serving for Greg and I for breakfast, and sometimes I make this in bulk, and just reheat for breakfast each morning.

Chia seeds: so, why add chia seeds instead of just using oats? I usually like to keep my recipes on the simple end, using whole every day ingredients that most people have on hand. While chia seeds may seem like an unnecessary ingredient, I find them to be a ‘worth it’ ingredient to keep on hand in my kitchen. Just one tablespoon of these tiny seeds added to my morning oats gives me an extra 3 grams of protein, 5 grams of dietary fiber and 3 grams of healthy fats. That one tablespoon packs a nutritional punch and helps me to feel more satisfied, keeps me full longer, and provides healthy fuel for my body. I recommend adding the chia seeds, but you could totally make this breakfast bowl without the chia seeds.

Cooking liquid: I use water or coconut milk or a combination of both. Use any type of milk that you like, or just water.

Toppings: I have been using chopped apple, cinnamon, peanut butter, hemp seeds and flax seeds. I highly recommend that combination, as it is both delicious and nutrient dense, but if you don’t like or don’t have some of those things, here are some other ideas to try: any fresh fruit (berries would be great in the summer, bananas would also be good), almond butter, chopped nuts (almonds, pecans or walnuts would be so good), dried fruit (cranberries, raisins or apricots would be great), coconut. One other thing to note is that I do not sweeten my oat and chia bowl in any way. If you like things to be a bit sweet, I would recommend a drizzle of honey or pure maple syrup on top.

Soaking the grains: one thing that I do before cooking these oats, or any grain, is soak them. This step is totally optional – you could definitely make this without soaking the oats and chia seeds – but here’s a bit of information on why and how I soak before cooking. I love getting nutrition info and inspiration from Sarah at My New Roots, and according to Sarah, soaking grains before cooking them helps them to be a more health-supportive food and source of energy. Soaking them helps with nutrient absorption and ease of digestion. Check out this post on her Instagram for more details on the how and why of soaking grains. Below, I’ll describe how I soak the oats and chia seeds for this recipe.

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Oat and Chia Breakfast Bowl

Oats, seeds, peanut butter and apples combine to make a warming, comforting, and nourishing breakfast bowl!

Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Keyword breakfast, gluten free, healthy, oatmeal, vegan

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup rolled oats
  • 1 cup cooking liquid, water or milk of choice
  • 1 tablespoon chia seeds
  • 1-2 tablespoons peanut butter
  • 1 apple, chopped
  • 1/2-1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon hemp seeds
  • 1 tablespoon ground flax seed

Instructions

  1. OPTIONAL: put oats and chia seeds in a jar or container, cover in water and soak for 30 minutes to overnight.

  2. Drain oat and chia mixture and rinse well. Add oats and chia seeds to a pot over medium heat. Cover with water and bring to a light boil. Turn heat down and simmer until oats are soft and have absorbed all water. Add water and continue cooking until desired thickness/texture.

  3. OPTIONAL: I like turning off the heat, putting a lid on the pot and letting the oats sit covered for 5-10 minutes. This makes them creamier. 

  4. Add oats to a bowl and top with peanut butter, chopped apple, cinnamon, hemp seeds and flax seeds. 

Recipe Notes

The amounts listed above will make one generous breakfast bowl. Double, triple, etc. as needed.

This breakfast bowl is so customizable based on what you have/what you like. Try using other fruit, seeds, nut butters, etc.

Use What You Have Granola

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Here’s another use what you have recipe for you – use what you have granola! This granola is crunchy, nutty and just the right amount of sweet. It pairs well with yogurt, fruit, milk or just munching on it as is.

I have been making this granola weekly for years, using this same basic ratio and method. Every batch is slightly different based on what I have at the time. Rather than give a strict recipe (although for those who like a recipe, I give one below), I thought I’d provide the basic ratio of ingredients and method that I use. Here’s the ratio of ingredients:

4 cups nuts
1 cup seeds
1 cup unsweetened coconut
1/4 cup sweetener
1/4 cup fat
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the nuts, get to 4 cups using any of the following: cashews, almonds, pecans, walnuts, peanuts, macadamia nuts. I almost always use cashews and almonds but have used every nut listed above in different amounts.

For the seeds, get to 1 cup using any of the following: pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds. I almost always use pumpkin seeds but have used all seeds listed above.

For the coconut, I prefer unsweetened dried coconut but realize that a lot of people keep sweetened coconut on hand. I have never used sweetened coconut, but imagine that it would work just fine.

For the sweetener, I recommend either pure maple syrup or honey. I use both all of the time. I would recommend using a wet sweetener rather than dry like sugar because the wetness helps the granola come together.

For the fat, I prefer using coconut oil (at room temperature), but have used butter many times as well. You could also do a neutral avocado or olive oil.

Using 1/2 teaspoon of salt does give this a sweet/salty flavor, which I love. If you don’t like sweet/salty, I would recommend scaling the salt back to 1/4 teaspoon. I have also added up to 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon for a slightly different flavor.

The method: Add all of the ingredients to a food processor and process until well combined. The mixture should be wet and slightly sticky. Spread evenly onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and smooth down with the back of a spoon. Bake at 350 for 18-22 minutes or until lightly brown. The granola is delicious when it’s fresh out of the oven and still warm, but I like to let the granola cool completely and then break it into clusters. It will be crumbly if not cooled completely. I prefer to store this in the refrigerator.

One thing to note: if you are low on nuts, seeds, or coconut and cannot get to the amounts listed above, you can substitute rolled oats for any of the ingredients. Sometimes I am completely out of seeds or low on nuts, so I make up for it by using rolled oats instead.

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Use What You Have Granola

Crunchy, nutty, and just the right amount of sweet!

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Keyword breakfast, granola, healthy, recipe

Ingredients

  • 4 cups nuts (any combination of almonds, pecans, cashews, peanuts, macademia nuts, walnuts, etc.)
  • 1 cup seeds (any combination of pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds)
  • 1 cup unsweetened dried coconut
  • 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

  2. Add all of the ingredients to a food processor and process until well combined. The mixture should be wet and slightly sticky.

  3. Spread evenly onto the baking sheet and smooth down with the back of a spoon.

  4. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until lightly browned.

  5. The granola is delicious when it’s fresh out of the oven and still warm, but I like to let the granola cool completely and then break it into clusters. It will be crumbly if not cooled completely.

Enjoy!

Use What You Have Quesadillas

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I’m going to try to keep it brief today, because the real point of logging on here and making a post is to share this use what you have quesadilla meal idea. But since it’s been a while, I thought I’d say hi! The last that I posted, Greg and I had just arrived in Boise. It’s hard to believe, but it’s been over six months since we’ve been here now. We’ve been keeping busy with working, adventuring, dreaming, learning and figuring things out. Like many people right now, we haven’t worked in several weeks. I’ve felt compelled to share some meal ideas on here, and while I can find 100 reasons to not share this post, here I am sharing it anyway :). For at least the time being, expect to see some simple meal ideas making their way here, as well as possibly to my Instagram.

This isn’t a recipe, just a meal idea that helps to use up leftovers and could probably result in some pretty epic flavor combinations. The day that I took these photos, we used up almost all random leftovers from the fridge. The leftovers were from several different meals, and were definitely not common quesadilla ingredients. We used red beans, quinoa, roasted onions and peppers, roasted potatoes and a hemp dressing/sauce, similar to this one from my site.

You most likely don’t need instructions on how to make a quesadilla, but in case you need some inspiration, here’s my method for use what you have quesadillas. Pull out any and all leftovers from your fridge – veggies, proteins, grains, sauces, cheese, etc. I like to warm each ingredient just a bit before assembling the quesadillas. You’ll need some tortillas as well. Place your tortilla in a large skillet over medium heat. Layer your leftovers onto half of the tortilla in a way that makes sense to you. I like to put dry ingredients, like grains, on the bottom followed by protein, veggies, sauce and then cheese. Fold the tortilla in half and then place a small but heavy plate on top of the tortilla. Depending on the size of your tortilla and skillet, you can cook multiple quesadillas at once. Cook until the tortilla is crispy and then carefully flip it to cook the other side. Cook until crispy and then enjoy!

May this post serve as some kitchen inspiration for you! I would love to know if it did, and what awesome quesadilla combinations came from your leftovers? Share in the comments below!

Nourishment Lately – Beginning of Whole 30

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Hello dreaming foodie friends!

I wanted to pop on here today to share a bit about my first ever Whole 30 experience. I never thought that I would do anything like this, mainly because I am not big on following rules, especially when it comes to setting rules around food, but after hearing and learning more and more about the Whole 30 program, here I am, eleven days into my first Whole 30!

Day one for me was Thursday, Feb. 14, and day thirty will come on Saturday, March 16. I don’t have a lot of concrete reasons as to why I decided to give this a try, other than maybe just as a way to change things up, to try something new and different. I’m feeling like winter is getting a bit old and boring, and this seemed like as good a way as any to bring something different to the table. I was also drawn to it because of its lack of extreme rules or time period. It’s honestly not that different than how we normally eat, so I knew that the changes wouldn’t be overly extreme and it’s only a 30 day experiment and experience (although I do plan to do a reintroduction portion following that).

Here’s a summary of the things that I cannot have during my Whole 30 experience: alcohol, grains, legumes (beans, peanuts, etc.), natural or artificial added sugar, dairy. 

And here is what I have been eating:

Protein: eggs, beef, poultry, pork, fish

Veggies: spinach, kale, sweet potatoes, beets, butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, garlic, onions cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, celery, mushrooms, spaghetti squash

Fruit: blueberries, bananas, cherries, apples, oranges, dates

Fats: olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, ghee (clarified butter)

Extras: walnuts, almond butter, coconut milk, collagen protein powder

What you see above has basically been the extent of my ingredient list over the last eleven days. Breakfast has been either eggs and some combination of veggies, or a smoothie. Lunch and dinner have been a protein and a ton of veggies. For snacks, I have been having apples and almond butter, a date with almond butter, or an orange. One thing for sure that I am loving – how many veggies we are eating! We have always been big veggie eaters, but with lack of grains and legumes, we have been going super heavy on the veggies and I love it. 

As far as how I feel, I honestly don’t have much to say at this point other than that I just feel good. I just feel good. And I am enjoying what I am eating every day. I do want to say that I feel like I have slightly more energy overall, but I still think it’s too early to tell if that is true. So far, I am loving my Whole 30 and I plan to keep the blog updated with the rest! Let me know what questions you have in the comments below!