Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are my go-to PMS chocolate pick-me-up.

WHAT YOU NEED AND WHAT TO DO:

• 1 c. margarine, softened
• 2 large eggs
• 2 c flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt 
• 3/4 c dutch coco 
• 2/3 c granulated sugar
• 2/3 c packed brown sugar
• 1 3/4 c chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325F.
In a large bowl, beat eggs, sugars, vanilla, and softened margarine. I use wooden spoon opposed to a beater. Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Slowly stir dry ingredients into sugar, egg, and margarine. Fold in chocolate chips. Drop rounded spoonfuls of dough on to an unarrated cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes. Allow time to cool before enjoying chocolates chewiness. :)

To make these the ultimate PMS cookie, add shredded coconut and walnuts.

Kale Smoothies

Last month I tried kale for the first time. I know, I am hopping on the kale bandwagon pretty late. I am sure there is already a new green all the foodies are fussing over....

Kale is not everyone's cup-of-tea. Especially those of us who hate vegetables. My first experience with kale was disappointing. During a hurried lunch break, I opted for a pre-packed kale cesar salad from a grocery store down the street. I could not finish it. I felt like my salad had to be drowned in dressing to mask the gritty blandness before consumption, but a week later I decided to give kale a second chance. Maybe my salad was just.... bad? Surely I could make something better in my kitchen!

Since then I have made kale potato salad, kale chips, mashed potatoes with kale and goat cheese, and now kale smoothies. My favorite way to make sure I intake lots of veggies is by drinking them! This smoothie is neither bland nor gritty, plus it is a beautiful green color. :)

WHAT YOU NEED AND WHAT TO DO:

2 c Unsweatened vanilla almond milk

1-2 c kale (3 large leafs), washed, stems removed, chopped and packed

1 ripe banana, frozen overnight and thawed for 30 min

1 cup frozen pineapple pieces

1 tablespoon organic honey

Combine almond milk and kale in a blender. Blend on high until kale is thoroughly chopped. Add banana, pineapple and honey. Blend on high until smoothie is creamy. Add more milk if smoothie is too thick for your liking. Recipe makes 2-3 10oz smoothies.

Gnocchi Pesto

Gnocchis are my Italian comfort food, and I like them the most when they are covered in pesto sauce.

Last summer, after my dad gave me a bunch of heirloom tomatoes and basil from his garden, learned how easy it is to make pesto sauce. Below is the easiest pesto sauce you will ever find!

WHAT YOU NEED AND WHAT TO DO: 

• 2 17 oz packages of gnocchi
• 2-3 c fresh basil 
• 3/4 c olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1/3 c finely grated parmesan cheese
• 2 cups washed, halved mini heirloom tomatoes
• salt
• pepper

Boil water for gnocchi in a large pot. Sauté tomatoes in olive oil until soft. Salt and petter to taste. In a blender or food processor (I use a blender since I do not have a food processor. It works just fine!), combine basil, diced garlic,  parmesan cheese and remaining olive oil. Blend on high until the mixture becomes a chunky liquid and the basil is thoroughly chopped. Once gnocchi are floating, drain the water and dish them out with sauce and tomatoes. Done!

This recipe serves 4-6 people. Serve for dinner with antipasto, warm bread and wine. :)

If gnocchi are not your favorite, try this pesto recipe with linguine instead!

Organic Pumpkin Oatmeal Dog Treats

Happy New Year! My New Year celebrations were cut short by a lot runny poo-poo. 

My boyfriend and I returned from New Year's Eve fireworks only to find a very sad puppy sitting next to a pile of watery poo on the carpet. Maybelle kept us awake with diarrhea New Years Eve night and into the first few days of twenty-fifteen. We figured my dad or my brother-in-law snuck Mabelle some Christmas dinner underneath the table when we weren't looking. Or perhaps she got into my nephews' stockings. (Come to think of it, I did she her swipe an M&M off of the coffee table). Later  After awakening to the sound of puppy gagging in the middle of the night, we had finally found the perpetrator-- a chewed off fuzzy dog toy limb swallowed whole! The toy had upset Maybelle's digestion completely. Sorry for the grueling details about my dog's stomach issues, but I am sure most dog owners can handle the gross facts. With dog ownership comes gross poops and an array of weird things being ingested.     

For three or four days, my boyfriend and I tried just about everything to ease her stomach. We replaced her dog food with boiled chicken and rice (she hated rice), we had her fast for 24 hours, we gave her chicken broth one day, we tried cooked oatmeal (she hated it), and eventually we resorted to giving her Pepto bismol hidden inside of a piece of chicken twice a day. I realized she had to eat something else, and I could not keep going out to the store to buy chicken. Then I remembered what a wonderful digestive aid pumpkin can be after reading Home Cooking for Your Dog (A very handy Christmas gift from my Dad. Perfect timing, Dad!). Thankfully, I had an extra can of pumpkin puree lying around from making pumpkin muffins the night before. I gave a little bit of pumpkin to Maybelle on my finger, and she licked it clean. Pumpkin was my answer. I wouldn't say pumpkin cured her diarrhea, but it was another healthy option when we [at first] did not know the cause of her alignment. The following recipe came to be because of Maybelle's belly ache, but really these treats are good for any occasion.

WHAT YOU NEED AND WHAT TO DO:

• 1 15oz can organic pumpkin puree* 
• 2 tbsp organic honey
• 1 cup organic oats
• 2 cups organic whole wheat flour
• 1 tbsp. baking powder
• 1 cup organic unsweetened soy milk 

Preheat oven to 375°F.

In a large bowl, mix pumpkin, honey, and milk. Add flour, baking powder, and mix. Roll in the oats. Chill dough for at least 2 hours. For minimal clean-up, flour a piece of wax paper and scoop and handful of dough. Use more flour for less sticky-ness. Place another sheet of wax paper onto and roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters. Place on an un-greased cookie sheet and poke holes in the dough with a fork. Bake for 20-22 minutes. 

*Do not use pumpkin pie filling. It contains added sugar, and that is no bueno for dogs.

**Some dogs and people have soy allergies. You may use almond milk instead. When making this recipe, I used whatever I had in my refrigerator at the time.

Honey Roasted Butternut Squash

A few weeks ago I discovered my new favorite squash recipe courtesy of Jenn Laughlin of Peas and Crayons. Jenn's dish is exactly what I needed to add to my recipe collection: a warm, hearty and seasonal side to get me through these long fall and winter months. I needed a new comfort food, besides mac and cheese, and I think I may have just found that comfort in squash. This butternut squash recipe turned out so colorful and tasty, I could not resist photographing and sharing it! I did not do much altering to Jenn's original recipe, but the following explains exactly how I prepared her dish:

1 Large butternut squash

8oz Cranberries

2 Tbsp. olive oil

Pepper, to taste

Garlic powder, to taste

1/4 Cup crumbled feta

1 Tbsp. organic wildflower honey

1/4 Tsp. ground cinnamon

fresh parsley, garnish

Preheat oven to 400F.

Line a 13"x9" glass baking dish with foil for easier cleanup. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil in the  dish. Peel and cube the butternut squash and put in baking dish making sure each cube is not touching one another. Coast the squash with another drizzle of olive oil. Sprinkle garlic powder and pepper to taste. (I omitted salt from Jenn's recipe. I try not to use much salt in my cooking.) Cook the squash by itself for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and add cranberries all over the squash. Return to over for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until all of the cranberries have burst open and the squash can easily be cut with a fork. Spring cinnamon and drizzle with honey. Top with feta, chopped parsley and serve warm. 

Vegan Tea Cookies

Today I am sharing an old cookie recipe my mom and I used to make together whenever company came to visit. Little did she know this typical thumb-print cookie recipe is vegan-friendly. Really the only difference between this recipe and other tea cookie recipes is my mom's conscious decision to substitute margarine for butter or shortening. 

My favorite toppings for tea cookies are Wegman's Organic Raspberry Jam and Trader Joe's Organic Apricot Preserves, and a sprinkling of almond slices. Really you can use any preserves or nuts. My mom always made her  cookies with strawberry jan and walnuts.

WHAT YOU NEED AND WHAT TO DO:

• 1/2 c confectioner's sugar

• 1 c margarine

• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

• 2 c flour

• Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 325°F. 

Mix melted margarine, vanilla and sugar in a large bowl. Stir in salt and flour.

With your hands, roll dough into 1 1/2 inch balls. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and press your thumb into the center of the dough. Fill thumbprints with preserves and top with nuts. Bake for 15 minutes. Dust with confectioner's sugar once cooled.

Sweet OR Salty Sweet Potato Fries

One of my favorite things to do every Sunday is visit my local farmer's market in Society Hill. My boyfriend and I like to treat ourself to some delicious baked goods made by a woman we affectionately dub (since we do not know her name) "The Scone Lady." After chowing down on blueberry streusel muffins and cinnamon pear scones, we shopped for some seasonal fruits and vegetables, including one of my favorite fall veggies: yams. 

The only time my family ever cooked sweet potatoes was on Thanksgiving. Having sweet potatoes for dinner was a real treat, but why? Yams are such a common, sweet tasting vegetable that are not only easy to prepare, but also easy to incorporate into a meal. Sweet potatoes make a great appetizer, too. Deciding whether to make sugary fries or salty fries was only real challenge I faced when preparing my sweet potatoes. So I made both! Below is a step-by-step list of instructions explaining how to make sweet potatoe fries. I have included the ingredients list for both sweet fries and salty fries.

WHAT YOU NEED AND WHAT TO DO:

• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2-3 Large sweet potatoes

FOR SWEET FRIES:

• 3 tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon

FOR SALTY FRIES:

• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• ground black pepper corns (to taste)
• salt (to taste) 

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Line a baking sheet with foil for easy clean up. Cut the top and bottom off of the sweet potatoes and then cut them long-ways down the middle. Cut these halves in strips about 1/2 inch thick. (Trust me, 1/2 inch thickness is not too thick since the fries will shrivel up during baking). Place cut fries on to baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and flip. IF you are making salty fries, sprinkle garlic powder and pepper before baking. Bake for 25 minutes until crispy. Flip fries with a spatula halfway through baking. For salty fries, top with salt once removed from oven. For sweet fries, mix sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture on fries as they come out of the oven.

Organic Dog Treats

Ever wonder what dog treats taste like? Wonder no more! 

I always spend what must feel like forever in dog-time, deciding what food and treats to get my dog in the pet store. Getting the very best quality, yet the most inexpensive food for my dog is very important to me. So important that I have finally made my own treats. Decoding nutritional labels in the store is tricky, but making food from scratch ensures me and my dog ingest healthy and harmless ingredients. The recipe below makes 3-4 dozen treats (more if you use a smaller cookie cutter), that can be frozen and stored for up to 2 months. Now that's bang for your buck!

These treats have no refined sugar or salt, since neither are good for dogs, they are also made with unsweetened almond milk instead of regular milk. The honey adds a tiny bit of sweetness, so they won't taste too bad if you want to try them yourself. Also, here is a little secret: I do not own a rolling pin, so my cookie dough was rolled out with a can of Yuengling... not that it really makes a difference in the outcome of your cookies. 

This Christmas I intend on wrapping up these treats in mason jars and giving them out to all of my friends' four-legged creatures. 

WHAT YOU NEED AND WHAT TO DO:

• 1 c. unsalted organic almond butter 
• 2 tbsp. organic wildflower honey
• 1 c. organic unsweetened almond milk
• 1 tbsp. baking powder
• 2 c. organic whole wheat flour

Preheat oven to 375°F.
In a large bowl, mix almond butter, honey, and almond milk with a hand mixer. Add flour and powder and mix together. Dough should not be too sticky. For minimal clean-up, flour a piece of wax paper and scoop and handful of dough. Use more flour for less sticky-ness. Place another sheet of wax paper onto and roll out dough to 1/4in thickness. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters. Place on an un-greased cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes. 

Allow ample cooling time before rewarding your pup!

The Marsala Sandwich

This sandwich is named after the woman who first created it-- my amazingly talented makeup artist friend, Amanda. During the last 4 years, Amanda's personal health goals have been an inspiration to me as she is always finding creative ways to eat healthier and stay motivated.  I am really happy to pass along her savory sandwich with everyone.  

What you need and what to do:
Turkey bacon*
Toasted whole wheat bread or sandwich roll
1 Avocado
Chili powder
1 Tablespoon mayonaise (or Miracle Whip)
1 Beefsteak tomato

Cook about 8 slices of turkey bacon in a pan. Spread mayonnaise on toasted bread. Slice avocado and sprinkle slices with chili powder. Add the slices to the bread along with sliced tomatoes and cooked bacon.

*If portion size is a concern, 8 slices of turkey bacon, 1 avocado, and 1 tomato will make a foot-long submarine, or two regular sandwiches on whole-wheat bread. Half of a foot-long submarine is pictured above.

Blueberry Pancakes

My boyfriend and I have jobs that require constant traveling leaving us with little time together and not very many home-cooked meals. On those mornings when we are fortunate to wake up together, the first thing he says to me is, "Can you make me pancakes?" He really misses my pancakes when we are away from home.

What you need and what to do to make my sought after blueberry pancakes:

• 1 1/2 c. flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• pinch of salt
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons milk
• 4 tablespoons butter (melted)
• 1 egg
• 1/2 pint fresh blueberries (washed)
• coconut oil cooking spray 

Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowel. In a separate bowel, whisk together the egg, melted butter, and milk. Combine this mixture with the flour mixture and whisk throughly.  

Heat a large skillet to medium heat and grease with coconut oil cooking spray. Pour batter in 5-6 inch circles and drop blueberries into batter. Flip pancakes once golden and serve with maple syrup, agave syrup, or apple butter.

Sautéed Asparagus with Goat Cheese

Believe it or not, I had never tried asparagus until this year. My first taste was a grilled cheese and asparagus sandwich form Prohibition Taproom in Philadelphia. It was love at first bite, and now asparagus has become one of my favorite vegetables! The following recipe is another easy summer side dish I concocted. 

WHAT YOU NEED & WHAT TO DO:

• bunch of asparagus
• 2 tablespoons of butter (I use Wegman's Finishing Butter in garlic and cheese, but any butter )
• 2 ounces of goat cheese
• handful of sliced almonds

In a pan, melt butter on low heat. Once melted, add asparagus and sauté until tender. Top with crumbled goat cheese (You can use plain goat cheese, but I love using honey, fig or cranberry goat cheese in this dish) and sliced almonds. Using one bunch of asparagus in this recipe will serve 2-3 people.

Hiatus is Over & Pasta Salad!

My hiatus is over! After a leg injury set back my marathon goal (I fell out of a tree and also trained a little too hard, too fast), I have returned to running, and blogging! I did not make it to the finish line of last year’s Philadelphia Marathon, but this year’s race season is just about to begin. Next up: Philadephia Rock N Roll 1/2 Marathon!


Pasta is a staple in my Italian family's diet, and it fuels my runs. Here is a lightened up pasta salad recipe. It's refreshing  post-run meal during the summer months.

WHAT YOU NEED & WHAT TO DO:

• 1 red onion

• 1 green pepper

• 1 yellow pepper

• 1 package of cherry tomatoes

• 1/3 box of mini bowties

• handful of fresh basil leaves

• 1 part balsamic vinegar : 3 parts extra virgin olive oil

• 2 tsp of Trader Joe’s dijon mustard

• pinch of salt

DRESSING:

Cook pasta on a stove top and allow pasta to cool. While the pasta is cooling, dice onions and peppers in a large bowl. Halve the cherry tomatoes and chop basil then add them to the mix. In a small bowl, whisk oil, vinegar salt and mustard with a fork.  Combine cooled pasta with vegetables. Pour dressing over pasta, toss, and serve.

OPTION: instead of mixing the basil into your salad, chop basil with a food processor and whisk into the salad dressing.

Vegan Miso Ginger Dressing

About 6 years ago I decided to ditch bottled grocery store salad dressing (you know, the kind loaded with preservatives, MSG, salts and oils!), and I began making my own dressings with natural ingredients like mustard, vinegar, ginger, and even hot sauce. I used to eat at Japanese recipes just for the salad with ginger dressing. It has taken me a while to create the perfect miso ginger dressing, but now I can finally dine at home!

WHAT YOU NEED & WHAT TO DO:

• 4 tbs rice vinegar

• 3 tbs miso paste (you can find this in the cooler at any Asian super market)

• 3 tbs low sodium soy sauce

• 2 tsp ginger, peeled and grated

• 1 tbs copped white onion

• 1 tsp garlic, minced

• 2 tsp lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend until creamy.




Keep refrigerated for up to 7 days.

Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes

Happy Birthday, Dad! Shhh... do not tell him he these are eggless, dairy-free cupcakes! 

My dad and I share a love for food, especially sweets. However, getting my dad try my culinary experiments, especially any "V-word" dishes, is like introducing spinach to a child. I have not had to resort to using the airplane method yet, but there has been a lot of fibbing involved. Long before I became vegetarian, my parents used to lie to me and tell me chocolate milk came from brown cows, and the pork chop or sirloin steak on my plate was "chicken," since chicken was the only meat I wanted (I guess I never had much of a taste for animals...). In Dad's house, there is meat and a heaping helping of something buttery on the dinner table every night. When I offer to cook my dad dinner he sighs and says, "Whose child are you, anyway? My daughter, cooking another vegetarian meal...." Pops, I am not trying to completely convert you to the dark-veggie-loving-side! I just want you to live a little while longer! More birthdays, more cake!

WHAT YOU NEED & WHAT TO DO

• 2 cups coconut milk
• 1 3/4 cups sugar 
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp pure almond extract 
• 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tsp baking soda
• kosher salt, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degree.

Line cupcake baking pans with paper baking cups. I also like to grease with olive oil cooking spray so the paper holders can be peeled away from the cake nicely.

In a large bowl, beat coconut milk, sugar, vinegar, vanilla extract, almond extract, and melted coconut oil on low speed with a hand mixer. In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Sprinkle dry ingredients into the larger bowl and beat on low speed until all clumps are gone. Batter should look and taste like chocolate pudding. Seriously. Taste it raw!  

Divide batter into paper baking cups and bake for 20-22 minutes until spongy. Wait for cupcakes to cool before decorating. Recipe yields 24 cupcakes.

For today's celebrations, I made half of my cupcakes with chocolate frosting and the other half with vanilla frosting using this recipe from my sugar cookie post. 

Strawberry + Goat Cheese Sandwich

I like to think I make a mean meatless sandwich. :)

WHAT YOU NEED & WHAT TO DO

• handful of fresh strawberries, washed, tops removed, and sliced
• 4-5 large basil leafs
• 2 heaping tablespoons of goat cheese
• pinch of ground cinnamon
• bread (I LOVE Trader Joe's multigrain rustico bread)

On a flatiron, heat bread and goat cheese until bread is toasted. Spread warm goat cheese with a knife and sprinkle with cinnamon. Top with fresh basil leafs and sliced strawberries. So easy!

Chickpea + Avocado Sandwich

The weather in Philadelphia has been deceivingly sunny, and I have been longing for refreshing summer foods like avocados and watermelon. Unfortunately, there is still a slight chill in the air that makes me want to cozy-up with hot chocolate and soup. Since Philly is in between seasons, today I paired roasted red pepper tomato soup with a light and tasty chickpea and avocado sandwich. 

WHAT YOU NEED & WHAT TO DO:

• 1 large, ripe avocado
• 1 can organic chickpeas
• multigrain bread (I recently discovered and fell in love with Trader Joe's Multigrain Rustico Bread)
• lemon juice, freshly squeezed 
• 1 tsp dill weed
• handful of fresh spinach (or a fresh tomato, sliced)

Soak chickpea in hot water to remove shells. Scoop avocado into a medium size bowl. Add chickpeas, squeezed lemon juice, and dill. Mash ingredients well with a fork. Optional: toast bread. I prefer to toast my bread when I make this sandwich. Scoop chickpea and avocado mixture onto bread and layer with fresh spinach leafs or sliced beefsteak tomato. The more veggies, the better! Serve with soup and enjoy!

The ingredients listed above are enough to make 2-3 sandwiches. :) 

Frosted Cut-Out Sugar Cookies

My cut-out cookie recipe was created by my great-aunt and is now a family tradition. While growing up, my mother and I would cut the cookie dough into tree and star shapes every year at Christmas time. I get a craving for my favorite cookie and make these for other holidays through out the year. This weekend, I took a road trip with a car full of Valentines from Philly to Western, NY to visit some friends and deliver heart-shape, flower-shape, Hello Kitty, and hockey-inspired cookies. I think there is a cookie for everyone. :)

WHAT YOU NEED & WHAT TO DO:

Cookies:

• 1 egg
• 1 cup margarine, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• pinch of salt
• 2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large metal bowl, cream egg, softened margarine, sugar, and vanilla. Stir in dry ingredients (baking powder, baking soda, salt and flour) to form a large ball of dough. Chill dough in refrigerator for about 2 hours.

Remove dough from refrigerator and place a sheet of waxed paper sprinkled with flour on your counter top. Scoop dough (about the size of your fist) on to waxed paper. Cover dough with another sheet of waxed paper and roll with rolling pin. Dough should be rolled flat to about 1/8 inches thick. Now the fun part... cut into shapes! With a spatula, place cut-outs on a cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes. Cookies should be lightly golden when removed from oven. Place cookies on a cooling rack for at least 30 minutes before decorating.

Frosting:

• 2 tablespoons margarine, softened
• 1/4 cup vanilla soy milk
• 4 cups confectioner's sugar **food coloring and sprinkles are optional, but highly encouraged :)

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Using a hand-held mixer, cream ingredients. Add additional soy milk or sugar to create a thick, creamy frosting. Frosting should not be too drippy or else it will not set properly on the cookies.

Vegan Marble Banana Bread

When I was very young, my mother and grandmother made it very clear to me how sinful it is to waste food. They would invent new dishes out of leftovers and freeze quarts of unused homemade pasta sauce, and there was absolutely no leaving the kitchen table until my plate was cleared! It pains me to let food go moldy and uneaten, and then have to dispose of it-- even bananas! Of course the best use for very ripe, brown, unattractive bananas is banana bread. Recently I have been coming up with eggless, dairy-free recipes. Here is my vegan-friendly mini banana bread variation altered from my mother's traditional recipe.  The great thing about this bread compared to its original, the vegan version is super (this word makes me cringe...ew) moist! Sorry, Mom. I just discovered a low-fat, moist(er) banana bread!

**This recipe makes 4 mini loafs. To make 1 large loaf, bake for 45 minutes.

WHAT YOU NEED & WHAT TO DO:

• 4 very ripe bananas
• 3/4 cup sugar 
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1/3 cup coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 6 tablespoons boiling water, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Grease 4 small bread pans (I use cooking spray). Boil water on stove top. In a large bowl, mash bananas with a fork. Wisk in sugar, coconut oil, non-dairy milk, and vanilla with a fork. Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt. Scoop 1 cup of the batter into a small separate bowl. In this bowl, stir in cocoa powder and 3 tablespoons of boiled water. Add remaining boiled water to the batter without chocolate. To marble the bread: spoon 1/2 cup of batter from the large bowl into baking pan. Next, spoon chocolate batter. Alternate spooning the batter until baking pan is 3/4 full. Using a knife, swirl the batter for a few seconds. Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes until golden and spongy.

Spinach + Tomato Grilled Cheese

I am a vegetarian that does not eat near enough vegetables, so my goal this year is to eat more greens! On busy or stressful days like today, I have a habit of eating whatever is most convenient and in closest reach. Without thinking about veggies, I grab a handful of chocolates from a candy dish, a granola bar and some fruit snacks from the vending machine, or a day-old wrap from the delicatessen. I am trying to combat hunger, avoid junk food, and eat more greens by sneaking vegetables into as many meals as possible. One way to do this is by adding avocados, spinach leaves, tomatoes, artichoke hearts and bean sprouts into your sandwich-- and then taking that sandwich to work instead of eating at the delicatessen!

THIS IS WHAT I USE IN MY FAVORITE GRILLED CHEESE:

• Trader Joe's Soft 10-grain Bread (I used Trader Joe's Tuscan Pane for the image above)
• Cheddar cheese (I prefer Trader Joe's Organic Grass-fed New Zeland Cheddar)
• A bunch of fresh spinach
• 1 beefsteak tomato 
• 1 tbsp margarine (or Vegan butter) 

Blueberry Cheddar Dip

Winter really gets me down when the fruits I love are not in season, but I was stoked when I found blueberries on sale this week! I bought a few pints for snacking and the rest were used to make blueberry cheddar dip adapted from Jessica's recipe at How Sweet It Is.

WHAT YOU NEED & WHAT TO DO:

• 1 8oz brick of cream cheese
• 1 11oz package of fresh blueberries
• 3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese 
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium size oven-safe dish, mix softened cream cheese, shredded cheddar cheese and nutmeg. Fold in fresh blueberries. Bake for 30 minutes until blueberries have exploded. Remove from oven, stir gently and serve on a bagel  toast, or as a dip with crackers or pita bread. Refrigerate and reheat in microwave to serve again.