Pumpkin Black Bean Soup

Upon returning home from my parents - and a few days worth of incredibly wonderful eating - Mike and I were up for some healthy eats.  My mom had mentioned this soup found on Pinterest, and I couldn't stop thinking about a hearty bowl of it.

As my gym is right next to the grocery store, I often scoot over after a work out.  For some reason - I picked up the 'pure pumpkin' to make sure it wasn't the pie filling, and must have set it down.  Hence why I made the avocado wraps instead...

I like this recipe.  Again - I added some pepper, and also added corn and white beans. Because the wraps were a little too salty, I didn't add quite the whole tablespoon this calls for.  I think it needed it.  Also, next time I would do what my mom did and not blend the soup.  I like the chili like texture better - and it didn't look pretty blended.  I used the agave sweetener and it was great!  Because my husband is into pumpkin seeds these days - I had the perfect garnish.

Give it a shot! =) Served it with a side spinach salad with pomegranate seeds and goat cheese - so good!

Cumin Chicken Avocado Wraps

I've adapted a recipe from a vegan site my mom found on Pinterest.  "Sunday Morning Banana Pancakes" - Almost raw lime cumin avocado tacos - yummo.  Fun lunch!

I have been craving chicken wraps with sprouts and avocado - one of my favorite entrees from Ragtime in Arlington's Courthouse where I used to work.  So I added the chicken to an obviously non-meat oriented meal.  It was delish. :)  Only tweak was adding a hint of cracked black pepper - as I tend to add to everything...

Trying my hand at photography...

Perhaps an unspoken 'resolution' - or hobby is a better word? - learning to capture better shots.  I was inspired by the breadth of nature all around.  The shots before and after sunrise were breathtaking.  Pictures don't do justice, but still fun to try..

Taken in the mountains of Wintergreen, Virginia at my parents' mountain house

Christmas Morning Delight!

We shared a wonderful breakfast on Christmas morning - something I'd spotted on Pinterest and saved for the occasion.  Our first Christmas morning together as husband and wife where we didn't shove off first thing for family time. 

The recipe was fairly simple to put together, though I'm not sure I liked the texture of the pancakes.  They seemed kind of dense and 'light' - in that the lack of fat in the recipe seemed to make them very chewy.  In addition to exchanging the recipe, I also would sub red food coloring for beet juice - I've heard its a much healthier option, and perhaps would have brought forth a brighter color than the food coloring did.  The contrast between white and red was a fun idea!

The fudge syrup sauce, however, was awesome, and a fun topping!  It took me forever to find a candy cane to use - but Walgreens saved me on Christmas eve night.  It was smashed up and dissolved into a conglomeration of cocoa powder, chocolate, corn syrup, and amazingness to create a spread unlike any other.  

As Rachel Ray says - "yummo!"

Fudge syrup:
1 cup (250 ml) water
1/2 cup (160 g) glucose (or light corn syrup, agave nectar)
Crushed candy canes, I used about 12 medium ones, about 150g
3/4 cup (75 g) unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-processed)
2.6 oz (75 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped (I used Lindt 70%), you can also use milk chocolate if you are worried about it being too rich
Extra crushed candy canes, to serve
From: http://www.raspberricupcakes.com/2011/12/christmas-pancakes-with-candy-cane.html

Merry Christmas Eve!

I didn't get any pictures of my mother in law's incredible Christmas Eve dinner - breaded shrimp, linguini and clam sauce with bread and salad.  To die for! 

It seemed the more we ate...the more sweets appeared.  (Heaven?)  4 pints of ice cream, chocolate cake, cannoli's and italian cookies, and lemon merengue pie now pictured!









Love to see an old picture of my sweet husband on his mom's tree. 

Merry Christmas!

A bittersweet day...

While the world learned about, and suffered alongside of, the horrific tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, I was sequestered in my kitchen for a day of Christmas baking.  The year before I was so engrossed in paper-writing that I did little more than mix together an egg with pre-made sugar cookie mix.  I set aside this beautiful Friday to watch Christmas movies and bake sweets. 

And while I did churn out many great treats, the date will always be connected with the lives of innocent boys, girls, and women that were forever destroyed by insane brutality.  

With that said, I am thankful for the gift of time and opportunity to spend with food in our kitchen.  This is a recipe for a 'Stollen' as suggested by my mom.  It is an incredible three-layer coffee cake, baked to perfection and iced with powdered sugar, butter, milk, and sweetness of the soul. 

Dough is mixed, kneaded and rises.  A cinnamon, brown sugar blend is liberally sprinkled between the soft and delicate layers, and transformed into this beauty.  Looks even better baked! 


Recipe to follow (including other cookies made)