swiss chard + white bean grilled sammie

A few weeks ago I was totally being fussy and indecisive as to what I wanted for lunch. Looking for something comforting but at the same time healthy and fresh. My creation - a sandwich that is just as comforting as a grilled cheese but packed full of healthy goodness. In my opinion a grilled sandwich is so much better than one that is not- buttery toasty warm goodness. This is my summer comfort food perfected.

backyard gardening ~ june

It has been while since my last garden recap...2 years ago to be exact. In addition to baking, cooking and photographing the food you see here on this blog, I have another passion; gardening. From growing the vegetables and flowers from seed in early spring while there is still snow on the ground, to carefully introducing the seedlings from indoors to out, planting, watering & weeding.- I love it all. Anything that involves, dirt, worms, flower and plants- you can count me in.

fiddle head + asparagus crostini

Asparagus and fiddle head season is entirely too short. This time of year there is nothing better than freshly picked asparagus roasted with olive oil, salt and pepper. I could live on roasted asparagus for the entire month of May & June- it is just that good. Add fiddle heads lightly sauteed with lemon and red pepper flakes atop and lemony white bean spread loaded up on a toasted rye crostini - you just might think you hit the jackpot. Truth- I ate a whole plate of these for lunch while lounging in the backyard in the sun. Perfect for a summer party, lunch or hanging by the pool. 

But hurry, fiddle heads and asparagus won't be around much longer!

tarragon strawberry rhubarb cakelettes

What screams "summer's coming!" more than rhubarb & strawberries? They are one of the first sweet fruits and veggies of late spring to make an appearance at the farmers markets, for me Rhubarb & Strawberries mark the start of summer baking & cooking - or should I say non cooking, the oven doesn't see much action in our house during the warm new England summer months. However in late spring/early summer there are days when there is the slightest chill in the air, on those late spring days when Mother Nature cannot make up her mind whether she wants to leave winter behind, you can justify turning the oven on. 

Those are the days when you should be making these simple little cakes.

Join me at Sunflower Natural Food Blog for the rest of this post and recipe!

happy hour! ~ strawberry rhubarb cocktail on the rocks

Justin and I are not ones to shy away from a good cocktail- we have been known to have impromptu happy hours, even if it is just the two of us -complete with bar mix & cauliflower buffalo wings.

Most often than not, our happy hours consist of home-brew & vodka tonics. I was inspired by this post over at Oh, Lady cakes  -  until then I had never heard of Art in the Age. After reading their story I was convinced this was most likely the best line of liquor ever to exist- socially & environmentally responsible, organic & passionate, this is a company that is committed to creating the best possible liquor for your cocktail making experience. If you have a few minutes you should definitely head on over to their site to learn more about what & how they do what they do best. Luckily, my local liquor store carries the Art in the Age line - I came home with Snap, Root & Rhubarb, I was one happy girl.

herbed cuban black bean salad

This salad has been in our monthly rotation for the better half of a year now - it is super quick, full of flavor and can be made at a moments notice without breaking a sweat.

More often than not this is exactly the type of dish I bring to a family gathering or potluck- it appeals to carnivores & vegans alike, it also has the bonus of being gluten free. Winner, Winner soy chicken dinner.

I am willing to bet that most of you  have these ingredients sitting in your pantry & fridge- that is the beauty of this salad, these are the types of recipes I love having around when Justin has made last minute plans to have friends over for dinner or when I am looking for a quick dinner that takes minimal effort.

blueberry cinnamon sourdough waffles

There is nothing I love more than the morning ritual of breakfast. My breakfast routine doesn't vary greatly from week to week- breakfast at my desk during the work week,  on Saturday a quiet breakfast in the garden after a morning at the gym and a big lazy breakfast with my better half on Sunday.

With my love of breakfast, it is surprising that homemade waffles haven't been in my weekly rotation more often. The things is, I had a horrible experience/meltdown the few attempts I made at making waffles and never went  back to try again- that is until recently. My problem, come to find out was not letting the waffle iron heat up correctly, combined with rushing the cooking process lead to a disastrous waffle making experience. Once I  learned to be a bit more patient, waffles have been a great success, and that is such a good thing- it makes me very, very happy indeed.