fourth of july muffins

happy fourth of july! 

this year I woke up early, sat with the garden as the sun rose up behind the house, and then proceeded to make some banana berry muffins.

because I can't really stomach processed sugary things with egg yolks… I found this recipe.

I'm not a food blogger because I really just sound cliche describing food (and I almost always forget to take photos before I eat the food, remember that), so I'll be brief:

they are very sweet because of the berries, but also very banana-y because there are bananas in them, and that's why I like them. they're a good balance!

and they're healthy.

recipe found here.

this is my favorite meal right now

zucchini. rainbow chard. a brown rice medley.

oh and butter. 

all sautéed and mixed together.

no recipe needed, cook however you'd like. the combination is really delicious.

(but really, remember the butter)

how I'm trying to eat more vegetables

when it gets warmer, I always want more cold food (especially ice cream). less tomato soup, less grilled cheese, more strawberries and watermelon and salad.

every morning I've been packing my lunch: a tupperware container of peas, strawberries, blueberries, cucumber slices, and a sandwich wrapped in a napkin (hand-sewn by mamá). so many vegetables! so many fruits!

for dinner I've been sautéing zucchini and kale and peas and broccoli with olive oil and lemon juice. and roasting tomatoes and putting them on toasted french bread. and that is so good. 

so I recommend the following:

1. go to the store and buy a baguette of french bread and a couple large tomatoes. 

2. go home and slice the baguette into thin slices (I'd say about 1/4-1/2 an inch). brush some olive oil on them and sprinkle on some rosemary or basil (or both!). put them on a cookie sheet.

3. then slice the tomatoes, pretty thin. 

4. heat up a pan on the burner, and throw on the tomatoes. sprinkle on some pepper. 

5. put your oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit and pop the bread in. this is to slowly warm/toast them. 

6. once you've fried your tomatoes a bit so that they've gotten darker and softer, throw them on the pan with the bread and bake them for about five-ten minutes. 

7. take them out and let them cool for a couple seconds. then eat them!

you see, I find that if you incorporate bread into vegetable meals, the meal is even more appealing. 

oh yes and always, have fun. 

on smoothies. and health.

(a pink smoothie just in time for february 14th)

last year, I was having health issues, and was diagnosed with ibs. But I thought little of it, did little to work on it, and basically let it settle out when summer rolled around and my anxiety lessoned.

then college came back this year and my stomach reared its head again. I spent evenings on the floor crying. and I lost ten pounds.

no, it wasn't good. I was weak and tired. 

everything I ate, with the exception of greek yogurt, peppermint luna bars, and whirley-pop popcorn, made my stomach ache. 

it all sounds terrible and it was but it got better.

after rounds of doctor's visits and blood tests and advice on food choices, I decided to try smoothies. 

they've helped an incredible amount, to where I can get protein from greek yogurt, fiber from fruit, and sugar from the juice to keep my blood sugar up. 

so I drink at least one smoothie a day. usually I make one for lunch, then put the leftover mix in the fridge and have it later for a late-night snack before I go to sleep. 

this particular smoothie pictured has:

a sprinkle of blueberries

a handful of raspberries

orange/mango juice

a tablespoon or so of flax seed

a cup of blackberry chobani yogurt 

I can't pretend to be the healthiest person because sometimes I will go to the store, buy a pizza, and eat three fourths of it for lunch. 

but some days it's about getting at least some food in me to get to healthy weight. and to have energy for those busy days. and really, fruit smoothies with natural sugar are a big part of it. 

Baking: Flourless Chocolate Cake

 

I am a chocolate girl. Hot chocolate in the cold. Mochas instead of plain coffee. Rich chocolate ice cream and chocolate croissants. So naturally, I appreciate a good chocolate torte. 

I've tried hard to make the perfect flourless cake. For my dad's birthday, I made one with fluffy peanut butter frosting. For Avery's birthday, I made one with far too much vanilla frosting. So it was about time I made a flourless cake without any frosting. Summer desserts call for fruits as a topping. 

This particular recipe tastes like a brownie and a torte mixed together... and in a 24cm pan, it didn't taste too thick! 

It takes less than 10 minutes to mix, and 25 minutes to bake. Perfect to bake in a late summer evening as the outside heat winds down. 

You'll need:

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup butter

1/3 cup sugar

3 eggs

1/2 cup cocoa powder

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

First, melt and mix together the chocolate chips and the butter in a saucepan. 

Once they've melted together into a thin consistency, pour them into a mixing bowl. 

Mix in the sugar. 

Whisk in the eggs. 

Add in the cocoa powder until everything is blended together. 

Pour the mixture into a 8 or 9 inch pan.

Bake in the oven for 25 minutes. 

Once it has cooked all the way through, set it out to cool. After it has cooled, feel free to sift powder sugar over the top, and add the freshest summer berries you've got. 

Printable: Recipe Cards

Recently, I've become ready for school to start up again - to move into a new apartment, learn to cook new foods with my friends, and buy fresh fruit and breads in the city. To embrace this mindset, I drew out these recipe cards, scanned them, and learned how to use the double sided feature on my printer! So exciting. Feel free to save them and print them out yourself!

Happy cooking!