Official Vegetarian Self Challenge!

I'm challenging myself to eating only a vegetarian based diet! 

Get ready for some cute summer Bento's made with Veggies sourced from our local markets!

Juicing!

As part of my new healthy lifestyle changes, I've started juicing. Let me just say it's delicious!
The only downfall in my mind is the clean up of the mess afterwards! I guess another issue though is the amount of veggies and fruits it takes to make just one lunch sized juice. It takes A LOT. I bought a 25lb of carrots and it only lasted me one week!

Exciting News!!!

Good Day Folks!

As the title says some exciting news to share with you all! Two things are on the horizon.

1. Our family is going to join a couple of local CSA's and we are going to buy local meats and eggs from a farm up the road!
2. Along with this new food plan, which will hopefully help us eat healthier, I am committing to walking/running/riding my bike EVERYDAY.  This means I am going to be slinging my children into the double stroller and getting OUT THERE.  To help motivate myself, I bought some new shoes!

Aren't they pretty!?

Back! With some Rainbow Fun!

Sorry I've neglected this blog for so long folks! I've had my new baby and things have finally settled down enough that I can consider blogging again!

To start things off with a bang...how about some rainbow fun? My daughters class has teacher appreciation day today so I made these up for her teachers. :)

Here is the recipe!

Vanilla Cupcakes:

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsaltedbutter, room temperature

2/3 cup (130 grams) granulated whitesugar

3 largeeggs

1 teaspoon purevanillaextract

Zest of 1 largelemon(outer yellow skin)

1 1/2 cups (195 grams) all purposeflour

1 1/2 teaspoonsbaking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup (60 ml) milk

Confectioners (Buttercream)Frosting:

2 cups (230 grams) confectioners sugar (icing or powdered sugar), sifted

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsaltedbutter, room temperature

1 teaspoon purevanillaextract

2 tablespoons milk or light cream

Assorted food colors(if desired)

Read more:http://www.joyofbaking.com/VanillaCupcakes.html#ixzz1qVQeGr9f

Here are some action shots and the results!

After blending the mix together (2 batches) I separated a little bit into individual bowls.

Then the food coloring fun began! I did not have fancy brilliant food coloring so I made do with what you can pick up in the grocery store.

Then I carefully put one dollop of each color into each lined muffin cup.

While that was baking (btw my oven cooks faster than the recipe called for by a long shot so watch your baking times!) I assembled the rainbows out of Airhead candies. This was a tedious process and I now have a huge respect for sugar artists.

Here is the first batch! Came out stunning don't you think? And below that, I dolloped the colors in reverse and that is the second batch. I may have used a little too much batter in the first batch so I had to skimp a bit on the second. Sadly they were smaller because of this.

One of the smaller ones set aside for taste testing!

A cut into the rainbow! Pretty huh!? That food coloring did better than I expected!

Final product!  Blue skies, rainbows, white fluffy clouds and bright happy sunshine!

Hope you enjoyed!

Tea anyone?

How about a spot o'tea anyone? Thought I would share my new tea pot with everyone! I love, love, love it! My previous one bit the dust when I cracked the inner tea filter part. (It was made of glass on the old one!) So when I replaced it, I obviously decided to go for good o'stainless instead for the inner basket!

 

Hopefully I wont' crack this one!

Just remember if you get a tea pot like this to be careful! Don't pour boiling hot water into it immediately. (Unless you want a cracked pot!) Be sure to use some warm tap water first to "warm" the glass so you don't shock it. Especially, most especially in the winter months!

What's steeping? Oolong from Taiwan!

PS Daughter says come back later tonight for her Curry Recipe!

♫ ♪ ♬Please meet my new friend. ♫ ♪ ♬

Isn't she beautiful? I'm going to name her George and love her and hug her and pet her all over.  For those of you that don't understand my excitement over a simple kitchen appliance, allow me to educate you.

If this was a car it would be the Porsche of rice cookers.
If it was a handbag it would be the top of the line Coach bag you envy.

I am super pleased to be the new proud owner of such a device.

I have it set up now on its little timer ready to cook me congee in the am. No more standing over a hot pot, slaving away at my congee, oh no, this little beauty asked me what time did I want my congee done and I lovingly programed in 8:00am.  How divine. :)

We can't wait to try the congee tomorrow morning and I cannot wait to cook some RICE in it tomorrow night!

PS: George plays a sweet little musical tune when programmed and when cooking is complete. How amazing is that? Leave it to the Japanese right? :)

Happy July 4th Everyone!

Todays Lunch!

Dried Swordfish from Taiwan with egg over steamed rice. :) Yum! (And fast!)

Unfortunately hubbers is stuck working today (has pretty much all weekend too. So much for a holiday....)Anyways, so I'm not sure what festivities we will be able to have this evening to celebrate the 4th. My grand plan so far involves taking daughter to the grocery store after she wakes up from her nap so that hubbers can work uninterrupted.

Maybe I can think of something special to pick up tonight...maybe make a red, white and blue berry cake. :) Yum!