Pasta + Sardines & a Giveaway

drawing is done. Channon has won!
it's been a moment. hello. we've been battling the flu here and only just now getting back into the daily hubbub. one of the things that we're going to add to the craziness of our life already is training. we have a half marathon in the spring to look forward to, and this time, we have some specific goals in mind! when we train we don't have much time in the evenings after work for elaborate meals, so it's usually eating out, pre-prepared meals or really quick put together dishes.

by nature, i am not much of a pasta person, i like noodles, which is the same but not really the same thing. dw loves his pasta and it's something of a treat that we have it at home. this dish is something that he whips up when i'm not in the mood to cook, or when we are pressed for time. it's easy, something that i've touched on before, but jazzed up with verdant peppery arugula, a sharp kick from the olives and capers, but still the homey feel good vibe that only pasta can provide.

the thing with this pasta is that they're Dreamfields Pasta, which has 5grams of digestible carbs, high fiber content and a low glycemic index of 13. personally, it doesn't leave me feeling heavy at the end of the meal. honestly, i haven't seen them in my local grocery stores yet but the good people of Dreamfields are giving away one family pack that consists of one box each of all seven cuts of pasta to one reader. US readers only tho!

i'm not going to get fancy with a raffle circulator, just leave me a comment below with your fave pasta shape by 3pm January 31st and we'll call it a day.

Pasta + Sardines

1/2 box of DreamFields linguine

1 shallot or 1/4 of small red onion, diced

8-10 kalamata olives, pitted & rough chopped

1 TBL capers

handful arugula

juice of half lemon

red pepper flakes

salt/pepper to taste

1 can of sardines in olive oil, we use wild planet

bring a pot of water to boil.

meanwhile, pour the oil from the can of sardines in a saute pan. heat it up and cook up the onions until translucent, season with salt & pepper.

cook pasta according to package instructions, about 8-10 minutes. *salt the water*

drain pasta, saving about 1/2 cup pasta water, and put back into pot. add the sauteed onion mixture to pasta, toss to coat oil all over. one by one, add in the olives, capers and arugula. the heat will slightly wilt them. last add in the actual sardines and gently flake it. prior to serving, squeeze a bit of lemon juice and sprinkle with red pepper flakes.

all opinions expressed in this post are my own, i was not monetarily compensated but this post is sponsored by Dreamfields Food.


congrats Channon!

peanut butter brownies

you're going to learn two things about me today, one of them i may have touched up on a few times on this here space, and that is: i like easy reading, anything from smut to young adult and i prefer boxed brownies. i know. don't judge me.

"I go to seek a Great Perhaps." That's why I'm going. So I don't have to wait until I die to start seeking a Great Perhaps." ~looking for alaska by john green via François Rabelais.

in the context of that quote it's about a kid who is in search of himself, essentially being emo. in the context of this blog post, i have been in search for the ultimate from-scratch brownie recipe for a long time. i can't tell you how many times i've made brownies and been meh about it.

i regret to inform that today's recipe is also meh but i wanted to share it with you anyway. if we're being honest here, despite the averageness of these brownies, they were still enjoyed by us. we packed them in our lunches, to nibble on during our 3pm snack time, or had them for dessert after dinner, until the final crumb was brushed off and i could go back to my hunt for the ultimate recipe.

i guess i should mention why they were just eh. they were heavy. while i enjoyed the notes of PB i would've gladly done without if it garnered a fluffier, less dense end result. it was also quite oily, which may be in part due to using the soy margarine itself or because it was TWO FRIGGIN STICKS of the stuff. if that's your kinda thing, this recipe is for you. meanwhile, valerie recently made sweet & salty brownies and shanna finished a john green novel, the fault in our stars early this month, which prompted me to remember that Great Perhaps quote.

adapted from buns in my oven

Vermicelli Noodles with Grilled Lamb & Egg Rolls

it was warm this weekend, not sweltering but it was up there in degrees to make dw lament about missing winter and how it didn't feel like January. me, i was still cold, i wore knee high socks and layered my shirts. global warming aside, it was a perfect weekend of hardly any plans, the kind of weekend where a lot was accomplished.

don't you just love weekends like that?

this dish is typically eaten in the summer months, it's supposed to be served lukewarm, the noodles cool, the meat having rested before being sliced is tepid, but the herbs and pickled vegs are cold, it's all supposed to be cooling for the system but still very flavorful. i cheated, i bought the egg rolls, it's not something i have much interest in making and it's much easier just to purchase. in lieu of shredded lettuce, i used shredded kale (don't judge me, i'm obsessed with this leafy veg). another bastardization: the meat. typically pork or chicken, or even beef, is grilled but we had lamb, eye of loin, hanging out in the freezer so i figured why not?

bun thit nuong cha gio (vermicelli noodles with grilled meat & egg rolls)

for the marinade

2.5 TBL fish sauce (use the red boat brand)

1.5 TBL sugar

1 garlic clove, minced

2 stalks of green scallions, diced

Add in whatever meat you want to grill. Marinate over nite.

An hour before grilling take meat out of fridge, bring it to room temp before grilling.

for the dressing:

3 TBL fish sauce,

3 TBL rice vinegar,

2 TBL sugar,

2 cloves garlic crushed,

2 TBL freshly squeezed lime juice,

1 bird's eye chili. Mix all thoroughly.

for rest, have mint, basil, cilantro ready. Also use pickled daikon & carrots. Slice up some cukes, cook up your vermicelli noodles. Garnish with crush roasted peanuts.

think of it like a salad, toss it and enjoy.

this is my contribution to the Food Matters Project, a weekly reminder that we are a perishable item and we need to eat accordingly. we draw our inspiration from Mark Bittman's cookbook of the same name. if you'd like to join in the fun, invest in the cookbook & check out the schedule for what recipe is hot for the week. sara of Pidge's Pantry is the host for this week.

goat cheese cheesecake

about a month ago, i had a colonoscopy.

i've been thinking about whether to share this information with you. it's a private matter, and despite being in a world where sharing has breached comfort zones i figured this particular subject matter was TMI territory. however, talking about our bodies is nothing shameful, and i am not embarrassed to discuss this topic. but if you have no interest or the subject is gross to you, scroll down, there is a recipe for a delicious goat cheese cheesecake.

stomach issues have been a part of my life for a long time. when i went in last month to be put under, i cried. it's a very simple procedure, with a less than 1% chance of complications. yet i was scared, not only about the procedure, but the outcome.

i am pleased to say that nothing awful was found in the annals (haha, get it? omg, i'm sorry, i couldn't help it!) of my intestines but my gastro-doctor confirmed what i've always suspected, i have mild IBS. i now take a daily dose of probiotics and i keep a journal of everything that i eat and how i feel after. i can't shake the feeling that something else is up, that certain things or combinations of things trigger my stomachaches.

because i've been so meticulous with what i eat, i have had far less episodes and i've been much more experimental with food consumption. i read recently that parmesan cheese is naturally lactose free -- i immediately set out to make this lovely parmesan cheese soup, trading out the milks with coconut milk, and can i get an AMEN? the bowl i slurped on was delicious, and happily, my stomach did not begrudge me such an indulgence.

this cheesecake tho, not so much. goat milk has almost the same amount of lactose as cow milk, but the cheese, due to fermentation and a few other scientific jargon i'm not familiar with has less lactose and some lactards can consume it (source). it varies from person to person. my person could not handle it, unfortch.

more for dw and our friends during our nye celebration. i chose to use a 6" spring form pan but an 8" would've probably been better. (i wanted a tall cake) the excess filling i just added to ramekins and cooked along with the cake, tho with much less time. just keep an eye on it.

if you have any questions about colonoscopies, comment below or you can always email me privately. i am no expert but i can certainly commiserate with you. as for IBS, i'm still learning about it, and how it effects me.

red peppers stuffed with hippie rice

can you believe it?

it's a week into 2013!

the world did not end,

on the contrary,

it got sweeter & brighter for us:

we got engaged!

here's to a new year,

here's to us,

and here's a simple recipe for dinner,

full of flavor & honesty.

i soaked the lentils thursday night with the intention of cooking them friday. that didn't happen. and so, accidentally on purpose i finally sprouted my lentils. for more info on how & why, go here. this lentil-rice salad can be eaten cold or warmed up, with or without dressing. either way, it's delicious.

this is my contribution to the Food Matters Project, a weekly reminder that we are a perishable item and we need to eat accordingly. we draw our inspiration from Mark Bittman's cookbook of the same name. if you'd like to join in the fun, invest in the cookbook & check out the schedule for what recipe is hot for the week. food fascination is the host for this week.

Chevron Scarf

football season is just not complete without proper attire. for her birthday this year i crocheted this notre dame chevron scarf for kelcy. learn from my mistakes tho:

1. i only bought 2 skeins of the navy yarn.

2. i also didn't keep the yarn packaging so when i went back to the store to buy another skein, they were out of the yarn and they couldn't figure out what i meant when i pulled out the incomplete scarf and said "i want another skein of this navy stuff, i don't know what the weight or brand is, i don't even know what the shade of navy it is but please make this happen."

thankfully their customer service was excellent and they talked me into blocking. after a cursory glance on youtube i decided to just steam iron the scarf and boom. done.

it turned out much nicer than i anticipated, much to my and kelcy's delight.

previous homemade presents for kelcy:

frogger hats

birthday invites

knitted scarf

quote ornament

blown glass ornament

words on canvas

2013 wishes

i will spend the last moments of this year holding onto what is most dear to me: dw.

to the days ahead ...