Tag Archives: eat the rainbow

{first asparagus of the season}

9 Mar

asparagus

fresh from the farmer’s market! 🙂

looking at the different shapes of this asparagus, had me thinking similar to when i looked at all those cool seashells

i love asparagus so much and i only eat it when it’s in season.

did you know that asparagus is loaded with fiber and actually aids in cleansing our gut and also offers awesome detoxifying benefits? i think that’s so cool, considering it is in season in spring and that is a perfect time to prep our bodies for cleansing and switching gears to lighter foods. furthermore, asparagus is a natural diuretic… which may be TMI, but hey, it’s just a fact.


on a different note – i’m so ready for the time change and gaining more evening light! i am so super excited to start a garden this year!!

 

{dehydrated baby bananas}

2 Mar

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whenever i notice any kind of produce is starting to lose its freshness, such as these adorable baby bananas, i know it’s time to bust out the dehydrator.

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banana faces 🙂

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banana chips make for some great snacks!!

i also love to throw them in smoothies, as an alternative to frozen or fresh ones.


do you use a dehydrator? what are some of your favourite things to dehydrate? 

 

 

{farmers market ginger root}

12 Dec

gingerroot

 

i love finding produce in its most natural state – like this cool ginger root with the actual root still attached. the shape looks like some kind of animal or something, no?! i found it at the farmer’s market {of course} and i bought it mostly because it looked cool, but also because i just like to keep ginger around to nibble on. a lot of times i’ll make it into a tea with some lemon or just shave off a little bit and eat it after meals to accompany the digestion process.

ginger nutritional fun facts : 

ginger is great for stomach ailments such as nausea or diarrhea and can be great for helping keep motion sickness at bay. boiled as a tea, it has tremendous healing properties for common cold symptoms. ginger is also {surprisingly} high in b-vitamins. furthermore, ginger has wonderful anti-inflammatory properties, making it a fantastic support for healthy joints. 

 

{what real strawberries look like}

6 Dec

something i need to write about is how i spent my summer vacation… even though it’s long passed now.


one of the things that took up the majority of my free time this summer was participating in a community garden. it was basically one of the best things i’ve ever done for myself. growing your own food is truly one of the most rewarding things one can do! i would constantly remark, “all i did was put a seed in the ground – and this happened!” because i was constantly blown away at how cool nature is! my cucumber plants literally took over and my neighbours were calling it “the cucumber farm” 😉

the reason i bring this up is because i inherited a small strawberry plant in my summer garden plot. many of my neighbours had strawberry plants and i was fortunate to have one reseed itself in my plot. i didn’t get a lot of strawberries from it, but the few i did harvest looked like these strawberries. they were more cone-shaped than heart-shaped. and i’m telling you – the flavour in these things is just out of this world! SO sweet and SO juicy and SO delicious! better than any store-bought strawberry i’ve ever had!

do you ever compare conventional produce to farmer’s market produce?! the differences kind of blow my mind! the last time i was at the grocery store looking at apples, they were bigger than a softball! that’s just not normal. or fruit so waxy i could use it as a candle?! yikes.

for me, i like things to be as close to their natural state as possible. food, soil, water, me, and everything in between.

and that got me thinking about these strawberries i picked up at the farmer’s market last week. i was looking at them and decided to snap a couple fotos because i was thinking to myself, “i bet there are lots of people out there who don’t even know what REAL strawberries look like.” 

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these strawberries were SO full of flavour, too! something else that lacks in conventional produce. maybe it’s got something to do with mass producing them and lack of nutrient-rich soil.

anyway, i love that i can still find strawberries this time of year – as north carolina has a year-round farmer’s market and excellent long growing season. i hope to find some more when i go back this week!

{baby pineapple!}

30 Nov

check out this cute tiny little pineapple i dropped a whopping five bucks on! haha

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i have to say, i think i’ve decided that pineapple might be my favourite fruit.

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this one was so adorably cute, i just had to have it!

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i obviously ate the whole thing in one sitting 🙂


pineapple nutrition fun facts :

pineapples are totally loaded with vitamin c – tons of it! they are also high in manganese and fiber. furthermore, they help support a healthy digestive track. pineapples are, somewhat surprisingly, a good source of b-vitamins, as well. and don’t throw out that core! – it’s full of fiber and can be tossed into your blender to make an awesome smoothie!

{pink limes!}

15 Nov

i’m always super excited when i find a new fruit or vegetable to try. i found these pink limes at a natural food market over this past summer. so naturally, i couldn’t resist tasting and taking fotos of them!

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on the outside, they are slightly different-looking than other limes…

they have some cool stripes going on a slight pink hue to them…

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and on the inside… a DEFINITE pink hue!  so pretty! the flesh almost resembles a grapefruit!

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of course, i added them to some sparkling water… which is so refreshing and delicious!

*nom nom, sip sip*

have you ever tried pink limes?!


food fun facts :

limes are full of vitamin c and can help support healthy cells and tissue. furthermore, these particular “pink” limes are sweeter than your average lime and look great in a spread or as a garnish… also, they would work fantastically as a zest!

 

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{it’s asparagus season!}

20 Apr

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{bell pepper guts}

8 Mar

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what is it about the inside of vegetables that i find so INTRIGUING?!!? 😀

{what can i say – i’m food and foto obsessed!}

2 Mar

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bbq pulled pork sammy w/ mac n’ cheese & a rich brown ale… flank steak salad w/ chimichuri…

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breakfast! w/ salmon, avocado, & a purple sweet potato… a variety of cheeses & caviar!…

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hearty tomato soup w/chicken salad over a bed of arugula… a beautiful spread of tapas…

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mixed green salad w/carrot ribbons & cilantro dressing… potato waffles w/creme fraiche & smoked salmon…

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potato parmesan soup w/garlic foccacia breadbowl… pastrami sammy w/ceaser salad…

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colourful roasted fingerling potatoes… israeli cous-cous w/ fresh herbs over a bed of spinach…

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eggs benedict two-ways… prosciutto & manchego pop-tart w/ balsamic glaze drizzle…

{mini romanesco}

24 Feb

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those of you have been following me for a while {thank you, and welcome to the newcomers!} know that i am obsessed with romanesco. and clearly, i’m also obsessed with “baby” foods… as in, super tiny versions of amazing fruits and veggies.

well, you can imagine my excitement when i saw BABY ROMANESCO at my local grocery store!!?!? i will say, it is not at all organic and it is not at all in season… however, it is still magical!!!

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…right?!?!

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also, how adorable is my cute cutting board?! 😀

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i hope i can find a way to grow these myself some day soon… i would love to find a way to become or marry a farmer… seems like the most appropriate lifestyle for me.

😉 ❤

{the intricate, cool, and colourful cabbage}

3 Feb

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i am truly fascinated by nature. nothing makes me feel more connected than LIFE itself… you know, the being alive part, not the stuff we fill our lives with. food gives me a feeling that is unlike anything else. when i chop up vegetables, i stand in awe for a minute and marvel at what is before me. i am taken aback every single time i cut a cabbage in half. it blows my mind… i always find myself thinking, “BUT WHY?! why do you grow like that?!” …not to mention that stunning colour!

it truly does amaze me that nature has such intricacies about it. romanesco is one of the biggest food wonders, in my opinion. cabbage is a close second. i am also fascinated by swiss chard. sometimes i look at food and think about how similar it is to us, to humans… so many details going on inside and out. my hope is that we can all try to be a little more like food, like nature. be more of the BEING and not just the human.

i digress. 

i hope you enjoy these fotos i took while feeling inspired by this cool, intricate cabbage.

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when i flipped it upside down, i thought it kind of represented a face. 😉

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are you fascinated by nature?!

{nature’s paintbrush : rainbow swiss chard}

22 Jan

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don’t you just love “baby” foods!?!?

i love swiss chard for so many reasons! not only is it good for you and high in vitamins like A and C, but it has a mild flavour and is great either raw or cooked. i adore all the colours – they are why i like to call swiss chard “nature’s paintbrush.” 🙂

{chopped!}

13 Jan

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bok choy!

{eat the rainbow!}

9 Jan

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happy new year, friends!

in honour of resolutions and commitments to a healthier life and all that jazz… and just because i truly believe in this lifestyle, i want to present a gentle reminder – don’t forget to “eat the rainbow!” as in : plenty of colourful foods, including lots of fruits and vegetables!

some things i’ve been enjoying lately: 

– baked purple sweet potato

– roasted cabbage w/ bacon bits

kaniwa w/ sautéed garlic and onion

red kuri squash risotto

– slow-cooked smoked ham and green beans

nom nom!

{radical red kuri squash}

15 Dec

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i’m kind of obsessed with this stuff. and it makes an AMAZING risotto!

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{mmm… mushrooms!}

8 Dec

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for risotto… nom nom!

{mmm… mirepoix}

8 Dec

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with a twist… leeks!

{soon-to-be sauce…}

5 Dec

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{colourful pasta salad w/italian sausage}

28 Oct

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happy wednesday, gang!

it seems like italian food, festivals, wine, and celebrations are everywhere i look this time of year… did i miss a memo!? anyway, i’m all for it. i love me some good pasta, and i used to be so intimated by cooking it… but not anymore!

i just wanted to share this pretty pasta dish i made recently… as the temps cool down, i will transition into more hearty foods like squash, soups, potatoes, root veggies, and the like… but for now, i am still holding on to lighter fare with dishes like this – a simple pasta salad with italian sausage.

  • red peppers
  • scallions
  • red onion
  • fresh tomatoes
  • black olives
  • parmigiano reggiano {the real stuff!}

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cook and drain pasta of choice… these little orechiette {which means “little ear”} are so fun, so i chose them!

then simply chop up all your ingredients, and drizzle in your favourite vinaigrette like italian or french dressing… something with a little punch. toss all the ingredients together, sprinkle with tons of freshly-grated parmigiano reggiano… and admire the rainbow of food you’re about to eat!

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this keeps well in the fridge and is a great option for batch-cooking for lunches, etc.

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nom nom!

 

{eat the rainbow!}

27 Aug

eat the rainbow!

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farm-fresh veggies and homemade ranch dip with simple greek yogurt and herbs.

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colourful mixed bell peppers, olives, sugar snap peas, baby carrots, and mini cucumbers.

nom nom!!