Happy summer, foodies! It’s been a very chaotic season for me, hence the sporadic postings. We have officially made the transition from Austin to Houston and I’m absolutely loving it so far. Don’t get me wrong, Austin will always be home and my favorite city in Texas, but this Houston! Talk about a food scene. I haven’t really been cooking much lately because a) moving is rough (where is my freaking immersion blender? for the love…) and b) so.many.good.restaurants! …
Dear foodie followers/friends,
How is everyone? I thought I would try something different by writing a post in letter format. Letter writing is such a sacred yet dissipating art and it’s a sad shame. There is a strange paradox that even in this ever-expanding blogosphere and social media realm where you can plug in anytime, anywhere with anyone, that authentic relationships and soul-hugging conversation seem more precious and difficult to come by….
I never know how to begin a blog post with a post date that marks an embarrassingly long absence since my last one. Should I make excuses? (Not my thing…) Apologize? (Life happens.) Make amends with a ridiculously simple, delicious and more importantly energizing recipe? Ah, now that I can always do….
Feliz February, friends! With Valentine’s day right around the corner, I thought I would share a super simple dessert that is as healthy as it is nutritious (well, sans the ice cream..but really, who’s guna leave that out?). These dark chocolate balsamic roasted pears truly hit all corners of the palate. The rich, tangy dark chocolate balsamic vinegar* infuses the fruit with a sumptuous depth of flavor. When spooned over your favorite ice cream (I am a sucker for Lick’s Caramel Salt Lick flavor) and topped with salty pepitas, this dessert is some serious melt-in-your mouth perfection. You won’t even miss all the fat and calories. Enjoy!…
You can already taste the excitement in the air for one (now two) of Austin’s most beloved weekends, ACL fest. It’s a sweet time of year when the weather starts to cool if we’re lucky, and when renowned and latent musical talent reverberates throughout the city on a gargantuan scale, whether you like it or not. As an Austin native, ACL certainly holds a special place in my heart. However, my concert-culture has “shifted” over the years, to put it nicely. Nowadays, as opposed to my 17 or 18 year-old, dare I say impetuous self, I like to think I’m a little more practical when it comes to, well, most things, especially food things….
Happy Sunday, foodie friends! With football season in full swing, I thought I’d share my super simple recipe for spinach and artichoke dip. You can literally throw all of the ingredients in the crockpot in the morning, and this decadent dip will be ready by game time (or party time). ¡Buen provecho!…
When the fall months roll around, it’s second nature for me to start dreaming up recipes for heartwarming soups, satisfying stews and all of those dishes that mae you want to curl up next to a fireplace with some fuzzy socks and a captivating book. However, much to my chagrin, the forecast doesn’t anticipate even a hint of a cold spell anytime soon. But I’m not going to let that stop me from making soup! This avocado and cucumber soup is a refreshing, light, get-you-back-on-track kind of meal and it’s perfect for this late-summer, early-fall in-between season. ¡Buen provecho!…
Happy Labor Day! To honor all of the hard-working men and women out there, I thought I would share my simple and scrumptious recipe for chipotle black bean and mushroom burgers. These burgers are easy to make, chock-full of nutrients, and something the whole family can enjoy. I like to make some extra to freeze for school/work lunches. It’s one less thing to worry about during the week so you can stay focused on everything else that’s important to you! Buen provecho!…
With the languid days of summer dwindling down to hours, I am set on savoring every last morsel of solitude. For me, this means a few more healthy doses of sun and sleep, losing myself in embarrassingly too many abandoned novels, and long afternoons spent flipping through cookbooks and creating in the kitchen. Did you know that creating, in whatever capacity, is the highest form of self-expression and intelligence? (Bloom’s taxonomy) We can only learn and retain so much information, repeat so many ideas. At some point, we have to make something that is truly ours (even if it is influenced by lots of somethings that aren’t “ours”). If you really think about it, one of the purest forms of satisfaction stems from creation. Think about the satisfaction the Creator of our universe felt upon completion! “God saw all that he made and it was very good.” Genesis 1:31…
Guess what, foodie friends? It’s Gouramanda’s 2 year blogiversiary! (Ok, actually it was yesterday, but who’s counting??) I was thinking of celebrating with an over-the-top, homemade, triple layer yellow cake with chocolate buttercream frosting and colorful sprinkles, but you know, I just felt like making muffins instead. And I’m so glad I wasn’t in the overacheiving mood today, because these muffins in particular are freakin’ delicious, unbelievably easy to make, AND they’re vegan/super healthy. What what. Yeah, I’m not sure I’d be able to veganize the aforementioned cake (though I bet it’s too much work totally feasible.) Also, I have an unjustifiable fear of cake-baking (they put it in a box for a reason, people!) and don’t feel in the mood to conquer that particular fear today. It’s just one of those days, y’all!…