my pup eats everything!

when i'm home, i'm usually cooking...

on a cooler than usual afternoon

i figured i would fry up some tofu

with my extra virgin olive oil and bread crumbs...

and it was so yummy...

just as yummy as the lemon potatoes

that i had prepared that morning...

oh...

and puppy was very happy about both results...

i've created a monster..

or another foodie :)

love me,

the globetrotting gamine

on the menu: tabouleh

i know very well what couscous is...yet that's what i tend to call tabouleh.

don't know why- must be the greek in me that renames everything...

you know...we call dunkin' donuts 'dunkie'...

anyway...

so my first attempt at tabouleh wasn't so bad!

i know i have some tweaks to make

i think the majority of people use an apple cider vinegar (just a smidge)

and don't tell anyone about it!

i used...

couscous

lots of parsley as finely chopped as i could get it (without a processor)

lemon juice

onions (shoulda been red onions- don't skimp on this!)

salt

finely chopped tomatoes.. non-squishy ones...

yum yum for the summertime tummy

please send me co...tabouleh tips!

babaganoush recipe!

when i went to the farmer's market last week,

i don't know what possessed me to buy only one eggplant.

when i came home, i kicked myself because i have a million eggplant recipes

floating around my head

that i can use at the drop of a hat...

so i grabbed it and figured: let me make something new!

i researched and found...babaganoush!

so i sliced the baby in half, and put it skin-side up

on my greased baking pan with some cloves of garlic

and onions...

for about 45 minutes at 450 degrees until all was really mushy...

i added it to the eggplant meat to the blender

with some cayenne pepper, salt, a little extra virgin olive oil

and very finely chopped parsley...

and blended til mushy!

of course, you can add tahini,

but i was clean out.

and add lemon juice to taste...

extra yum factor!

love me,

the globetrotting gamine

*tips on babaganoush are welcome...and thank you so much for your sweet e-mails!

warm weather menu

dear bloggie loves,

i have not, by any means

given up my cooking...

though i will say that my baking

has fallen to the wayside!

i figured that i should post up pictures

for you to know

i am still experimenting

and keeping an extensive portfolio

on what i've created

as well as ideas...

above is a photo of my (organic) fried tofu...

pure extra virgin olive oil from the mountains of Kalamata..

organic bread crumbs and shredded parmesan cheese substitute

made from rice (ORGANIC!!)

it was flippin' awesome!

ah...

brocolli rabe sauteed

in that olive oil from Kalamata

and roasty, toasty garlic

and a pinch of sea salt

(adjust to flavor)

don't be afraid to experiment with different recipes...

how else are you going to learn, right?!

stay healthy, my friends!!

love me,

the globetrotting gamine

excitement.

(me, finding inspiration in the strangest places)

there are so many exciting events underway.

i have thrown myself back into writing and organizing

with my whole heart...

and it seems as if things have fallen back into place

for me.

though i am not totally thrilled as to the complete reason

why i had to do this for my sanity...

maybe that was the push i needed

to regain me. myself and i.

so thank you, to those of you out there,

who have opened some of those doors :)

in the meantime, on the agenda for the rest of the day

is organizing more writing thoughts and ideas...

(oh, and thank you, LML, for helping me print things)

on the menu tonight are veggie burritos (for me)

and meat and veggie burritos (for him)

i am sprucing up some things, and i can't wait to share with you all-

but as is my nature: i will not share unless i have concrete evidence

of fun things.

i am finally back to enjoying life.

gee, thanks for showing up, springtime!!

so, if you have any questions, inquiries, or hey-

you just need me to ghostwrite something?

i am more than happy

to answer, advise and get paid

for my writing and organizational services!

big smiles

lotsa hugs

the globetrotting gamine

great googly moogly

i am so sorry i've been MIA. i haven't forgotten any of you guys <3
life has been a little crazy this past month...and you know the feeling where it is about to get crazier?
i have that. i'm qute sure that 2011 is going to be a whirlwind from here on out.

there have been so many secret projects/ideas floating around my head...
and so many fun things to share...aside from my usual craziness of cooking, organizing, scrapbooking and most recently, publishing my books and knitting.

me and the girls were discussing it: we want to do EVERYTHING-- but there is not 72 hours in one day, as we'd like there to be. well, as we NEED there to be.

there are to-do lists everywhere and they seem to grow legs and follow me around. i have given up trying to keep up with them and have taken great pleasure in at least marking items off of them- whichever ones they are.

i have been trying to stick to my 'kind diet' diet...and i do as much as i can but i've found that being raised in my family- it's kind of hard. seems as if when i'm home i am more pone to being vegan/vegetarian than i would be if i was still living with my family. of course, when my blood sugar drops- watch out!

imagine my happiness when i discovered an article about Alicia Silverstone in Redbook magazine! yay yay!

she's just amazing---and she's expecting. yay!
 of course, she talks about some of my fave food- bok choy, kale and collards. yum in the tum.

i have not done my monthly lists, (sorry) but am in the works of my may list...maybe it'll be more of  a seasonal thing. i like that idea best.

hopefully, the weather will get warmer and we can (egads!) start being a wee bit more productive.

in the meantime:

writing more books/stories, ideas, lists...

here i am!

spending time with pup and family...

knitting...

and generally just getting things done.

what have y'all been up to?

Famished Menu and ok, ok post...

snow. again. really? it was over 50* degrees on friday and now we're back to this.
ugh.

on the plus side- i've been having an uber-busy schedule since the snow had been melting...2 weeks of running around and having fun. i am thankful to be home today.

how were your weekends? did you discover a new place nearby? we did so much, and i'm pretty sure my friends, LML and I went through about 5 bottles of wine.

here's the rundown of what happened last week:

• continued knitting/crocheting!
• hung out with some besties
• saw my baby friend!
• saw Grandma
• went to the doctor
• found out i have to get a neck scan
• hung out with parents
• vineyards
• restaurants

and LML's Birthday!! YAY!
we had an extraordinary week, filled with friends, family and lots of fun! it's been non-stop!




last weekend we actually returned from a mini-vineyard vacation FAMISHED...so we hauled ass to the kitchen and this is what we came up with following the kind diet menu:

some more wine with dinner- we freaking love malbec!

spinach salad with a splash of olive oil- teriyaki flavored pumpkin seeds and craisins.

yummy in my tummy. ok, our tummies.

freaking awesome pasta we picked up at a specialty store sauteed with onions, garlic, yellow peppers, spinach and tomatoes. MMMMMMMM

honestly, i am craving this again tonight.

so off to figure out how many posts it's going to cover my whole week and share with you guys <3

today's agenda:

• crafts
• cooking
• cleaning
• yoga
• writing
• finishing illustrations for children's book #2!

my february list updates:

finish writing two of my novels

i have made oodles of notes- does that count? truth is, waiting for my published children's book to find their way to my home kind of held me back, and now that they are here i want to start making appointments to speak with whoever will list. 50+ book ideas can't be all bad. sign me, please!

finish illustrations for my second children's book

on this item, i've been doing pretty good!

stay in touch

ok, i have the best friends in the entire world- no questions asked. they were very amused by the letters and/or old greeting cards i sent them that i'd had from years and years ago...i have visited my friends and besties, and spent some time with family. i am quite the happy kitten (not to be confused with meow meow, from my previous post)



spread joy

i hope i spread a little, i tried my best :)
say i love you more

this is the goal i've kept up best. i kind of think that i'm STILL driving poor LML crazy...

20 minute activity three times a week

this has been one of the easiest commitments to keep. did i spell that right? who knows!

wash windows

not yet.

wash walls

done!
clean grout

have begun!
scour pots and pans-

one down...a million to go...
polish wood

done!
research my spring activities

done!
donate, donate

almost ready!!
cook/bake new things (this is where 'the kind diet' resolution comes in)

today, sweet potato gnocchi. tomorrow, the world.

begin making appointments for activities in springtime (march and on)

yep, we're on track!

off to the drawing board with my horrid ear infection or sinus infection or something that's insisting on killing me as we speal.

what's up with you? share, share!

so happy

hi and happy sunday, bloggie friends :)

as i write this to you all, i am winding down with some blackberries and a cup of chamomile saffron tea going over the events of the weekend. spending some time with my friends was the downtime i needed to feel refreshed. i am truly blessed to have such happy, amazing (and busy!) people in my life.

we talked about life, love, doggies and food. our new travel destinations and ideas, plans and whatever has been going on while we've been snowed in! i love them so, so much.

this week, i am hoping to get out there and get some things done that i've said i was going to do on my blog and post about them...which brings me to my february list (do you believe that it's the 6th already? Geez)

Let's look at my progress, which is not as great as i think it should be...


YAY:

 

finish writing two of my novels
i am not going to lie and say that i have done much in this department. i was feeling totally unmotivated this week to even try to write down a word, fearing that i would ruin the harmony of my books' ideas. but i got amazing ideas this weekend!

finish illustrations for my second children's book
this item i have been working on diligently, with some advice from my good friends who are much more advanced than i am in the illustrating/drawing/painting realm.

stay in touch
love, love, love my friends. and i am apologizing to them in advance (i'm sorry!) for sending you out old cards, letters, and holiday greetings from yester-year. lol

spread joy
i am definitely going to try to spread some more joy. hopefully we don't get hit with more snow and ice to have that happen.

 say i love you more
this is the goal i've kept up best. i kind of think that i'm driving poor LML crazy...

20 minute activity three times a week
yep. activity is all that's been going on while i've been tucked away in this house- there is ALWAYS something that pops up that i need to do.

wash windows
not yet.

wash walls
not yet.

clean grout
not yet, but i am prepared.

scour pots and pans-
i shined one up real nice, and will post the pictures tomorrow!

polish wood
not yet

research my spring activities
i have SO started this item!

donate, donate
i am setting up donations and  ideas for sites i would like to volunteer at. i am uber-excited about this.

cook/bake new things (this is where 'the kind diet' resolution comes in)
on the menu tomorrow is my next try for lentil soup via the kind diet. i really love this book and can't wait to delve into it a little more.

begin making appointments for activities in springtime (march and on)

 feb. 14th begins my first appointment on the list. i am so excited.

i am just so happy today!

lots of love and enjoy the rest of the weekend!

(i am not watching the superbowl, but i AM squirming while my LML watches Taboo. Eeps.)

Weekday Snow Menu's

I love experimenting with different kinds of recipes and foods.

I am lucky to have such a loving husband that will try things that aren't even his taste bud's delights!

last week, when i was home and sickly, I decided to juice.

I also decided to juice because I have a mountainous supply of carrots and apples in my refrigerator!

into the blender they went...

with some ginger powder, because I didn't have the good, real stuff on hand.

Now, I don't have the Jack LaLane (God Rest His Soul) power juicer,

which I reaaaaallllly want!! So I was pureeing for a really long time.

I also added a hit of blueberries and spirulina powder to boost my immune system-

oh! and echinacea powder...

as usual, i don't have an after picturebecause it was so tasty i drank it :)

my bestie introduced me a while ago to the miracles of juicing, and since

i have all this wonderful time on my hands, well, i research if i'm not writing

or illustrating. always busy.

love love love juicing <3

you should def try!

Now dinner a few times a week is what my LML prefers to eat.

It works that we enjoy a lot of the same dishes,

and he's really supportive of my mission with 'the kind diet' by alicia silverstone.

this was a recipe inspired by the kind diet, though i agree that i could have purchased things local

but during blizzards in new york it's not always possible.

in to the wok went the organic spinach and tofu, sliced garlic and onions, yellow peppers, herbs and spices

until they married together in sweet harmony...

and then i threw them in a wrap...

and then i threw the wrapped wrap back into the walk until it was golden brown.

so so yummy.

note: LML likes his tofu golden brown and toasty <3

my next culinary adventure was another mission

to get rid of the apples in my refrigerator.

so i found a recipe for vegan pumpkin apple soup...

it was uber-simple...

diced onions and garlic

herbs and spices to taste,

sliced apples...

and wait until they all marry and are ooey-gooey...

then throw them in the blender as pictured below...

that's what it looks like when you're done pureeing it. you can also blend it with coconut milk

or almond milk...

when you transfer it back to your pot, add vegetable broth,

and your fresh or canned pumpkin puree...

and simmer until warm and yummy

and garnish.

i garnished mine with lots of cayenne pepper,

a sprinkle of fresh parmesan

and cranberries.

yum yum.

end result:

love.

i am looking forward to experimenting some more for poor LML, so if you have any fun ideas, send them my way and i'll add them to my list <3

i should really start video-ing his reactions. lol!!

cue the music!

hi and welcome bloggie friends:

i apologize that my thoughts are all over the place. it's the first of the month, after all. i have to get my mind in order for what is to come! i always try to bring you original blogs- i am an extremely organized person but i don't want my blog/ blog articles mirroring other great blogs.

that's just me.

this month, me and a certain special someone celebrate- HIS BIRTHDAY! LML and I have been celebrating his birthday together for as far back as I can remember. He is extremely laid back (like me!), not a partyer, and wants to do what he wants to do...like me! lol

Hopefully, this year we'll have thawed out a little by the time his big day rolls around. We already celebrated my wonderful Puppy's birthday on the 29th! He's 6! And a sleepy 6 year old at that, he's been sleeping all day without not even a glance at his chicken.

My day has consisted of dancing, writing, and organizing what's left of my paperwork compilation. My January List (you can click the label on the sidebar) is all done, though i will be transferring the 'because of weather' incomplete items here...so here's my February list!

YAY:

• finish writing two of my novels
• finish illustrations for my second children's book
• stay in touch
• spread joy
• say i love you more
• 20 minute activity three times a week
• wash windows
• wash walls
• clean  grout
• scour pots and pans
• polish wood
• research my spring activities
• donate, donate
• cook/bake new things (this is where 'the kind diet' resolution comes in)
• begin making appointments for activities in springtime (march and on)

i feel as if everything is do-able. except maybe the first item- which i have begun working on today.

i'm very excited!!

if you have any ideas/ questions or anything you'd like to share- don't be shy! i love hearing from you all <3

love me,
the globetrotting gamine with the sleepy assistant

food fun

Recipe for my Special Okra (Copyrighted, seriously)

one bag of frozen okra...mmmmmm

make sure you have bakeware to throw them into...

chop up some tomatoes...

bay leaves (2)...

salt and pepper to taste...

oregano...

splash of vinegar...

splash of lemon juice or lime juice...

sometimes i add a little mint

or in the place of pepper- cayenned pepper

toss it around and

put it in the oven for

about an hour and 30 minutes...

taste one and if you likey

great...

if not, cook for another 15 minutes.

tell me what you think. this is my comfort food,

a spinoff from my 'the kind diet' project.

what's on your menu's this weekend?

share with me :)

following the kind diet- menu

yesterday, my mushy puppy slept all night...and then from 7 am til 3pm.

again.

i was bored, so i went on a cooking-kick

i took the leftover quinoa from my pantry and decided to use it

because it makes me feel better

and i love it

then, i cleaned (very good) the spinach.

and sauteed it with e.v.o.o and garlic.

mmmmm

and i mixed it up and ate it.

i felt better :)

Alicia's Shopping list

(as written on Oprah.com, January 21, 2010)

 

When Alicia Silverstone went vegan, she was afraid she'd never have a good meal again. "I ended up realizing I'm eating even better food than I ever was eating before," she says. "You don't have to sacrifice taste one bit."

 

 

 

Follow Alicia on a trip to the grocery store.

 

 

 

Not sure if you could make the change? Just try her list of vegan must-haves. "I'm going to show you all the things that I love and basically just show you that you can flirt with a healthy lifestyle. It doesn't have to be scary."

 

 

 

 

 

The List

 

• Follow Your Heart cheese
• Vegenaise
• Earth Balance butter
• Field Roast sausages
• Tempeh bacon
• Sunspire chocolate chips
• Annie's Naturals Goddess organic salad dressing
• Brown rice penne pasta
• Organic olive oil
• Balsamic vinegar
• Gardein Chick'n Scallopini (meatless)
• Amy's Organics soups
• Whole grain rice
• Organic EdenBlend Rice & Soy Beverage
• Hemp milk
• Leafy greens
• Maple syrup as a sugar alternative
• Rice Dream Mud Pie (Mint is Alicia's favorite)
• Whole grains
• Newman's Own Organics Dairy-Free Newman-O's cookies
• Luna Bar (Alicia likes the chocolate peppermint stick flavor)

what will i think of next

good morning :)

i love carmen sandiego- and if you've been hanging around here a while...

you'd know that she's a big "role model" of mine...

even though she's fictional.

she runs around like a chicken without a head

to steal or manage a heist...

i run around like a chicken without a head,

to get everything done before i leave

to go somewhere else!

this year i've decided:

i'm going to clean up our food intake a little more

and follow

Alicia Silverstone's, The Kind Diet.

LML gave me the inspiration-

when i was having a bad cooking week.

i was on my cycle, OK?!

geez.

so here's the plan:

•  3 of Alicia's recipes a week
• a mix of my Greek Heritage's/Mediterranean "Diet" every week. They've been passed down to me by my family and LML's "should have been chefs" family
• how we faire along the way.

it won't be so difficult. like i've said, we've changed a lot of our eating habits and lost a bucket load of weight.
over 40 lbs. in the past 3 years is pretty much a good loss, don't you think?

obviously, frequent fruit markets and greek food stores quite often.
we're willing to also expand our horizons and venture into different "supermarkets" for fun.

we're also very keen on making our own concoctions and creations, so join us for the ride!

please note: we are not vegans. we eat a lot of vegetables, which are the mainstaple to our diet. we eat meat or chicken, organic, maybe twice a week for LML and maybe once for me. i am lactose intolerant so i've been staying away from dairy products as much as possible...so far, so good! and, we're sushi addicts. we will never give up a seafood meal because we were raised on eating fish. Especially since our parents came here from Greece.

the following photos are from our meal test...

the above photo is a little blurry, so these were our ingredients:

• extra virgin olive oil from LML's farm in Greece
• Green Peppers
• Mushrooms! Portobello, please.
• zucchini sliver's
• onions
• garlic (make sure onions garlic and onions are carmelized before you throw in the rest)
• oregano
• sea salt, a pinch
• pepper

so we threw everything after we sauteed the garlic and onions in non-stick wok.

and waited until they were the perfect consistency

and all the yumminess melded together.

then, we sauteed broccoli rabe with garlic in the extra virgin olive oil....

and that's what it looked like. yum yum...

oh yeah! in that vegetable mixture we made...

we also threw in tofu!

that is what the final product looked like. of course, i stuck my fill in two wraps, and LML just enjoyed eating it without the wrap-ness.

love at first bite.

i call it, tofu-stir fry medley (wrap optional!)

so there it is, my friends. we will be going around the world with our menu's as well as via my blog and nuttiness.

if you have any ideas, please throw them my way.

alicia, you are an inspiration!!

thanks for visiting me, everyone!
happy wednesday fun to all!

love me,
the globetrotting gamine