The Most Loving Protein Bars

Dear Bloggers,

      I became quite a happy camper when I discovered this video on youtube: http://youtu.be/Dv-LcIC5gtc . A protein bar packed with all natural ingredients, no processed sugars, and overall, completely delicious. I really enjoyed this video because he provided so much information about the bar he created and the ingredients that went into it and why each one was important to the composition of the bar. The dry ingredients are: 2 cups of oatmeal, 1 cup of whey protein powder, 1/4 cup of almonds (peanuts are an option as well, however, almonds have a more dense protein), 1/4 cup of dried cranberries, and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon. Mix all of the dry ingredients until well combined. Then add in the wet ingredients in a separate bowl, 1/4 cup organic peanut butter (or almond butter which is higher in protein), 1/4 agave nectar (or unpasteurized honey), 1/4 cup almond milk (or organic soy milk), 1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce, 1/4 cup of 70% or darker dark chocolate, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Pop this mixture into the microwave on high for 30 seconds or until chocolate is completely melted. Stir the mixture and add to the dry ingredients. Once the mixture is formed, line an 8x8 Pyrex dish or Tupperware with wax paper and firmly press the mixture until flat. Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes or until solid. Remove it from the wax paper onto a cutting board and cut into 8 bars, or smaller if preferred. I suggest you give these protein bars a try because they look delicious and are most certainly the healthiest option when finished with a workout or you simply need a snack to keep you satisfied. Until next time, keep healthy and happy cooking!

Minnesota Wild Rice Soup

Dear Bloggers,
        What a day... I'm actually blogging about an experience that I had a few days ago in the cafeteria.   I came to find, before eating my Minnesota wild rice soup with a bed of salad greens, that the cafeteria was infested with water bugs. Not only have these water bugs been evading the walls of the cafeteria while dining, they have been living in the ceilings and kitchens of this cafeteria the entire year and there's nothing they can do to get rid of them.
       This is not exactly where I want to be eating my food. Since the beginning of the school year there have been so many things about the Belmont Cafeteria that have driven me up the wall. For one thing, we as students are required to have a meal plan and pay $4,800 for 8 months of food. This food does not include any fresh produce at all, minor frozen broccoli, string beans, and carrots are the only vegetables available. However, these aren't provided on a daily basis. There are so many things that I could complain about regarding the cafeteria and the options provided, but that's never going to change. Only about 20% of the $4,800 we pay goes towards the cafeteria. The rest is dispersed into our tuition costs. What the hell?
    Nonetheless, this soup was absolutely splendid and packed with a hearty punch. Even though the cafeteria does not have a clean environment and does not supplement students with a proper balanced diet, I found this soup and just couldn't deny that it was tasty. Although the cafeteria does not make any fresh foods, and I mean that, everything that they cook comes from boxes, I found an excellent recipe for Minnesota Wild Rice Soup here, that sounds delicious. http://www.pastryaffair.com/blog/2011/1/16/savory-sundays-minnesota-wild-rice-soup.html . So maybe if you're intrigued by this recipe, give it a shot. I will definitely attempt to incorporate this recipe into my cook book. Until next time, stay healthy and happy cooking!

Focaccia Alla Genovese

Dear Bloggers,
    Good afternoon, I hope you are all having a mighty fine day and that all has gone smoothly. I have been basking in Italian all weekend and speaking and thinking and speaking and thinking only in Italian. I am slowly forgetting how to write in English. Along the way of the production of my cook book, I decided that it was absolutely necessary to have a strictly Italian recipes section. Thus, I came upon Focaccia Alla Genovese. Focaccia Alla Genovese has its origins in Genoa, Italy and is special because of the extra virgine olive oil that is added to the bread to give it the golden color and delicious bite. It truly is one of the most simple, yet most delicious breads.

         Simply put, this bread is killer and will knock you out with just one bite. The inside is crunchy, the outside is crunchy, you just can't get a better side dish to your past or meat, or vegetables. I found this recipe through Giallo Zafferano, http://ricette.giallozafferano.it/Focaccia-fugassa-alla-genovese.html. Please head there right now, and even if you don't understand Italian, watch the video and I promise you will know how to make the bread, despite what she is talking about. I have plans to absolutely master bread making in my new apartment that will be moving into exactly 30 days from today. Oh how I am excited!

Nonetheless, I know that this is a fantastic recipe and I hope that you too, will try it. Find an English recipe, but at the least, watch the video so that you can learn some of the Italian technique behind the bread.
   

The Post About Love

Dear Bloggers,
         Today I am addressing an issue other than food, which is off topic from my 2 Weeks of Freshly Cooked Love, but here it goes. What is this thing we call "love?" How is it that it can take a person from being so completely empty to full of joy and passion. It's such a mystery to me. Though the days keep wandering by and the moments of my life present themselves carefree and full of love, I still am missing such a deep part of myself. One of which, I hope to find in someone else. Though it  is easy for me to write these words and express them in such depth, I can never seem to find the words to speak. How is it that we as human beings were made for one person, and one person only in this entire world? How are we expected to find them? I don't know what love is and I don't know who I will find it within, but I do know is I'm longing to find it.

            There is simply no explanation to what love is, yet people seem to know just by simply feeling it inside. I hope to one day find that and share it with someone for the rest of my life, but I can't say that I know it's going to happen because I'm still patiently waiting. Half way between here and there, I know the distance isn't as far as it seems. Love, by definition: a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person. Until I know, and until you too can see, stay open-minded and happy cooking.

Dorm Food=Pain to the Heart

Dear Bloggers,
   I have been struggling with fresh food and obtaining good quality while being trapped in this so called "home" I live in on campus. A dorm, where we are expected to consume the highly processed, unhealhy options that the cafeteria provides us with. Along this journey, I have to come find the challenge to be one that might even be impossible. When you have a microwave and a refrigerator, one where the freezer does not work, having fresh food available is quite a struggle. So, I recently adapted a wonderful, delicious snack that is packed with protein and a heavy pack of monounsaturated fats. You guessed it! I bought some  brown rice cakes from Trader Joe's, along with roasted almond butter, and honey. I put them all together and was basically floating on cloud nine. Putting it to my lips, and tasting it in my mouth, I could've sworn I was eating a Reeses Peanut Butter Cup. But I wasn't!

I came to find that I was exceptionally pleased, because after eating two, I legitimately felt like I had eaten something with substantial value and was satisfied. Had I have eaten a reeses peanut butter cup, I would've eaten most likely, 10. As we can see in this picture, back when I used to eat sugar, I thoroughly enjoyed processed sugars. However, the feeling of satisfaction that real food brings, just makes me so happy inside. I don't think I'll ever turn back to eating processed sugars again. It's easy to make this snack, so give a shot and let me know, if it satisfies that craving of sugar. Until next time, stay healthy and happy cooking!

A Minor Russian Inspiration

Dear Bloggers,

I am writing to you today with a new inspiration, Russian food. I know very little about their culture and the foods that are staples to their diets, however, after reading up on it, I am more educated. Traditional Russian food was mostly formed on the harsh winters that they would encounter. Their main focus would be carbohydrates, fats, and proteins to sustain the cold winter season. Not many of the traditional Russian dishes contain fresh fruit and vegetables. The five main aspects that form the traditional Russian cuisine are eggs, potatoes, meat (mostly beef), bread and butter. What I came to find about their culture is that they cook with pure simplicity and leave herbs out a lot of times. However, many popular foods include, cabbage, milk, sour cream, curds, mushrooms, lard, cucumbers, tomatoes, apples, berries, honey, sugar, salt, garlic, and onions.           

Borshch, which is a traditional beet soup, is one of the most famous Russian dishes. This soup is packed with vegetables and meat and has a kick of flavor that would go wonderfully with a dollop of fresh sour cream. Pirozhki are small pastries that can be filled with potatoes, meat, cabbage, or cheese. Blini are also served rolled with a variety of fillings from jam, to cheese, to onions, or even chocolate syrup. Blini are such an important part of Russian cuisineand are mostly found at a festival called Maslenitsa, which celebrates the beginning of spring. And of course, there is always vodka. How they are known for their fantastically made vodka. Although, I am not an avid consumer of hard liquor, turning down vodka from it's origins would be a sin. I hope I've helped you understand more about the Russian cuisine today. Have a good day and happy cooking

Caught Up in The Future

 Bloggers,
    I am still here to discuss food and it's impact it has on me. Although I have acquired absolutely no followers since my introduction to blogger.com in December, I have still decided to keep blogging because it is a way for me to speak my thoughts, thinking that someone is actually reading them. Today the topic is a food truck. I would love to start a food truck and sell gourmet, healthy, delicious sandwiches, at an affordable price for college students at my campus. I have already created a menu of delicious options for all consumers with dietary needs. All of the sandwiches served would be healthy and I would provide information about where the food came from and why it has integrity. You could almost say, it's similar to Chipotle in that sense. "Food with integrity." Well I just thought I'd pose this idea to all of you, none, and see what your response would be. I talked it over with my parents and they didn't exactly pick it up as being a fantastic idea. I read through this article, that it's been the big boom of 2011, http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/217941. So, why not, I think I should do it. It's not a major investment, but it's also one that would have to wait, seeing that I will be $20,000 in debt by the time I graduate with my BBA. Well, you can't live an unhappy life, so I have to follow my heart and know that somehow God will work in his mysterious to keep me safe, healthy, and happy through my journey. Until next time stay healthy and happy cooking.

Super Fruit Goiji

Dear Bloggers,
    I am here to report on the berry, goiji and the magically wonderful effects it has on the human body. Goiji berries have been used in Asian herbal medicine for over 5,000 years. The goiji berry is one of the most nutrient-rich foods on earth. It is the vegetarian form of protein, packed with essential amino acids, rich in vitamin A and vitamin C. They possess over 20 trace minerals and vitamins including zinc, iron, phosphorus, riboflavin (B2), vitamin E as well as carotenoids, including beta-carotene.
       Now speaking specifically about this brand, Navitas Naturals. The mission of Navitas Naturals is to provide premium organic superfoods that increase energy and enhance health. Their products are of the highest quality, sourced directly from farmers, cultivated sustainably and in accordance with fair trade practices. Navitas Naturals grows all of their organic protein superfoods such as another product, Maca in South America. Give these berries a try and give your body something that will give you something in return. Until next time, stay healthy and happy cooking!

The KitchenAid That Stole My Heart

Dear Bloggers,
     I am here to inform you of my amazing new investment that I made the other day and it arrived two days ago. I purchased this mixer on Ebay, which originally enlisted it as "highly used," but I found it to be in fantastic condition. Red, like the color of my kitchen and I know she will shine in any room that she's put in the near future. The stand mixer came equipped with a 4.5 quart stainless steel bowl and also comes with three paddles; a dough hook, flat beater, and a wire whip. Basically I am blogging to let you all know that there is no other mixer that compares to the phenomenal quality that KitchenAid has been creating and crafting to utter perfection for the past 50 years. With this KitchenAid, there are endless possibilities to creating everything home made. From ground beef, to fruit juice, to pastry dough. This thing can handle it. Of course, there are other higher end mixers, more professional quality that many chefs have as staples in their kitchens, because of the versatility of this machine. If you do not already own one of these and are an avid maniac, similar to me in the kitchen, then I strongly suggest you consider it in the future of your purchases. You will not be let down. Until next time, keep healthy and happy cooking!

The Mediterranean That Never Died

Dear Bloggers,
       I don't know if you've heard, but Mediterranean people have the longest life expectancy due to their wonderfully crafted diets. The Mediterranean culture is made up of all of the countries bordering the Mediterranean sea: Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Greece, Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, France, Spain, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Malta, Cyprus, Monaco, and Egypt. Yes, there are quite a few of these countries and all of these countries have found and crafted a diet that suites the human body in the healthiest way. Their diets consist of the food groups listed below. Contrary to the American diet, the Mediterranean diet primarily focuses on legumes, beans, and nuts for their daily protein intake. 
        One thing that Americans need to learn is that there is an alternative source of protein besides red meat, poultry, and pork. There are several recipes you can find on the internet for Mediterranean food. I plan to focus my diet on living in this same way. For example, I found these Spicy Lentil Wraps with Tahini Sauce packed with protein and essential nutrients that your body needs. Here is the link: http://punchfork.com/recipe/Spicy-Lentil-Wraps-with-Tahini-Sauce-The-Kitchn . I hope that you all will take some of this knowledge and apply it to your lives to make them longer, healthier, and happier. Until next time, stay strong and of course happy cooking
  

La Bella Napoli Pizzeria

Dear Bloggers,
      Today quite a magical thing happened. I am still blogging about the lovely dish you see to  your left, however just beginning to elaborate on why it's extra special. I decided to head to Bella Napoli Pizzeria for a delicate, romantic evening of pizzette with a few friends. I decided to get the Pizza Salsiccia because I have already been to Napoli and have eaten the beautiful pizza margheritta, so I thought, let's mix it up. This pizza was delicious and was decorated with a lovely bed of mozzarella fresca, chives, fennel, garlic, and of course, the sliced sausage.
       It was quite an enjoyable meal and since eating there, I went back today to apply for a position to be a waitress there. I walked in and the chemistry was apparent. She asked me when I would be available for training and thus, I believe I received my first waitressing position. I will not be starting until late May, but Lord am I excited to be around my culture all day and work to make people happy eating this food. If you live in Nashville, be sure to check out this pizzeria, it's top notch and a wonderful place to take a loved one for dinner. You can visit their website here: http://www.bellanapolipizzeria.com/index.php?pg=home . They do not take reservations, so be prepared for a 30 minute wait Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Eat to your heart's desire. Until next time, happy cooking.