My Foodie Bucket List for NaNeFoMo

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So apparently 'foodie' is an offensive term now? I don't get why, since it just means 'someone who likes food' (aka: pretty much anyone with any evolutionarily selected-for genes...I'm looking at YOU).

Just kidding. But let's not get caught upon the PC thing, okay?

Source: Uploaded by user via Lauren on Pinterest

*DISCLAIMER: This is a politically INcorrect zone.*

a.k.a.: The best kind. Moving on...

I made a bucket list guys!

A whatIneedtoeatandreviewASAP list. And I'm *actually* going to try to cross them all of the list within the next three months - heck, why not all in December?

If November was NaNoWriMo (50,147 words, yay!) then December out to be NaNeFoMo. Yup, NaNeFoMo it is - National New Food Month! Please join me (for you curious cats, that's what the button that mysteriously cropped up in my sidebar is all about - grab my button and join me)!

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Living, Learning, Eating's Bucket List:

1) Peanut Flour - there's sooooo much love for peanut flour out there...what a fabulous ingredient! I hope. :P

2) Yogurt - huh? I eat yogurt everyday! Yes, except I'm going to make it my personal goal to find the yummiest yogurt - lots of different brands and flavors until I have the ultimate winner! Yes, I do odd things for fun...

3) Non-dairy Yogurt - I've only tried it once, but I want to try more: soy yogurts, almond yogurt...my (lactose sensitive) tummy would be very happy. 

3) Raw Food - I'm not going to go raw, no worries. But trying raw pizza or desserts? Sounds exciting and a must-do!

4) Sprouted Bread - Again, it's not like I'm going to not eat the usual stuff - au contraire! But expanding my bread repertoire? Yes, please!

5) Amazing Grass and Sunwarrior - Because I've been loving green drinks and because there's so much love for them in the blogosphere. They can't ALL be crazy, right?

Source: Uploaded by user via Victoria on Pinterest

6) Kombucha  - Even though I *still* don't really know what it is...hopefully nothing too nasty. Is it related to Kabocha? I heard the word and it sounded cool, so now it's on my list. 


7) Chia Seeds - Eating something that's meant to be part of a 90s toy/plant thing sounds strange, but...

Source: verydemotivational.memebase.com via Patricia on Pinterest

so assuming things isn't a good way to go.  :P

8) Socca  - a.k.a. supposedly sweet pancake-esque awesomeness with *garbanzo flour.* I want this to taste good so bad! Because if it does taste good, it could taste *amazing.*

9) Random Berries that I've never tried before - ever walk into your local health food store and not recognize half of the dried fruits there? NO MORE! :P

10) Kay's Naturals Protein Cereal - Because Shannon is crazy about it. 


11) Veggie Fries - I'll be on the lookout for veggies *other* than potatoes, because those sound like such a fun way to mix things up!

12) Something gluten-free - Again, I'm NOT going to go gluten-free. I don't see the need! But if any of my readers have celiac's disease or a gluten intolerance, I don't want them to feel left out. 

Why does 'bro' sound so different than 'sis'

Source: Uploaded by user via Kayla on Pinterest

13) A Glass Straw

Okay, okay, that last one's not REALLY a food and I'm not actually going to EAT it, but since they're so much more environmentally (and people!) friendly and straws are such fun, I'm investing in one. I just ordered one online for $10. I hope it turns out awesome and doesn't break for years and years (because then it would be worth $10 - yes, I have high standards).

Also, I need a thirteenth thing for my list. 13 is such a cooler number than 12.

ANYWAY, here are the NaNeFoMo rules:

1) Choose at least 5, but no more than an unlimited amount of new foods to try during December. They can be products, food types, recipes, etc. For any ED folks out there, fear foods definitely count and, in fact, I think it's fabulous if you include at least one or two! For anyone else, just push yourself to try something new! That breaks down to a little over one a week, which is doable on any budget. :)

2) Add the button to your blog, so that others can join the party. This is optional, but I encourage you to leave links to your posts about your new foods in the comments on my post so that I (and my readers) can come check them out!

Why should you do it? Because you'll feel super accomplished and maybe find something yummy and new to eat, duh! And also because one NaNeFoMo participant will win a SURPRISE PRIZE CARE PACKAGE from yours truly at the end of the month! I'll choose the winner based on my sense of your overall devotion to NaNeFoMo and how hard you pushed yourself. And it won't be a giveaway prize from a company, it will be a legit (and awesome) care package that I'll put together and send to you - EVEN IF YOU LIVE IN ANTARCTICA! I wonder how much that would cost me in shipping? :P

How many of you guessed that I just discovered Pinterest? Sooooooo guilty. :P

Are you going to join me for NaNeFoMo? Of course you are, silly.

What new foods are you going to try?


Did anyone else think this when you read Twilight for the first time? Admittedly, it was around Christmas...

Source: facebook.com via Alison on Pinterest

I do enjoy the Twilight books, there's no need to pretend otherwise, but I definitely wouldn't call Bella a female role model.

Source: twitpic.com via Grace on Pinterest

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Thankful Thanksgiving Giveaway!

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SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM FOR THE GIVEAWAY WINNER!

Hi guys!

Though I'm not in the States this Thanksgiving, and won't have any of the bruhaha around the holiday, I'd still like to celebrate it in my own way. Though Christmas is, by far, my favorite holiday, I do really like one thing about Thanksgiving - the way that it gets us to think of what we're thankful for!

So here's my Thankful Thanksgiving Giveaway!

I got the chance to try chocolate Greens 8000 the other day...

...which was pretty exciting, since I've never tried a powdered green drink before, but do really enjoy the protein shake taste. I know, I'm weird... :P

According to instructions, you're supposed to take it on an empty stomach at least 20 minutes before a meal (so first thing in the AM is a good idea). Mix it with juice, water, or into a smoothie...

...I stuck with water, since I wanted to just see what it tasted like itself. Then you stick it in this complicated-looking shaker cup...

....and shake, shake, shake it up! I might have had too much fun with this step. *Insert head-banging and jumping around to loud music here*.

WOW - it was delicious. I was expecting it to taste like chocolate grass (um, yeah...that's why I'd been putting off trying it) but it tasted like a deliciously sweet chocolate shake! Super craveable!

Does this sound like a great travel snack to anyone else? Whenever I'm actively traveling (ie: on planes or running around London), I seem to have unusual trouble getting my veggies in. These will definitely be a staple!

Especially since, though I just ate it with an apple and planned on having breakfast in 20 minutes, it kept me full for a whole hour - hard to do when my early morning breakfast-craving monster is bouncing around in my stomach! I also had waaaay more energy all day...weird. But awesome!

You can learn more about Greens 8000 here (there are several different flavors!), but it's pretty much dried down veggies in concentrated form, with ridiculous amounts of antioxidants and such benefits as improved hair/nail growth, raised energy levels, and general health improvements. Since it's sweetened exclusively with Stevia, it's safe for diabetics too (and super-sweet and yummy!).

If you froze it into a popsicle, it would make one healthy, tasty dessert...hmmmm.

ANYWAY, do you want to win some Greens 8000 (and a snazzy shaker cup) of your own? Then enter my Thankful Thanksgiving Giveaway! Open only to US-based readers.

Since I loved it so much, the first thing I thought was that you guys had to get the chance to try it, too. The guys girls over at Greens 8000 agreed, so one lucky reader gets their own set of Chocolate Greens 8000 and a snazzy shaker cup!

Here's how to enter (you get a separate entry for each one, so post a separate comment for each):

* Subscribe to Living, Learning, Eating (it's called 'joining' on blogger and it's on the right side of the page, right above blog archives and searching the blog).
* Follow @LiveLearnEat on Twitter
* Tweet about the giveaway and link back to it (you can do this once per day)
* Link back to the giveaway in a blogpost (you can do this once per day, too!)

And, with whichever one you do, I'd love to hear what you're thankful for this Thankful Thanksgiving! :)

*The giveaway is now closed.*

WINNER:

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: Result:22Powered by RANDOM.ORG

I didn't count my responses to comments, so that's why it's out of 30 and not 38. The twenty-second comment of yours was:

Susan M. Heim said...

I Subscribe to Living, Learning, Eating as "ParentingAuthor"!

November 20, 2011 7:41 PM 

Congrats, Susan! Please email your shipping address and a phone number to livinglearningeating@googlemail.com , so we can get your Chocolate Greens8000 and Shaker Cup to you ASAP! :)

If you didn't win this time, you can head over here for a free sample of Greens8000. Have a happy Thanksgiving, and don't forget to check back this Saturday for my next giveaway (with FOUR winners this time!).

I found this nifty new gadget so, if you want, you can Follow my blog with Bloglovin

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A "Recipe" and Exotic Fruits

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What are pumpkin party oats? They're oats with pumpkin that inevitably lead to a taste bud party!

Pumpkin Party Oats

* Muesli (whatever amount is right for you, I used around 1/2 a cup)
* 1/2 cup mashed pumpkin
* 1/3 cup buttermilk
* Handful of blueberries (best frozen, because then you get fun temperature and texture contrasts!)
* Cinnamon
* Sweetener (optional, to taste - I think the frozen blueberries and the dried fruits in the muesli make it sweet enough)

1) Heat up the pumpkin (either a minute in the microwave or you can cook it on a stovetop).

2) Glob the pumpkin into a bowl (from which you will eat the yumminess). Stir in the muesli. Don't add the muesli while the pumpkin is still cooking, or the oats will start too cook in oatmeal style - unless you want that. But I don't!


3) Mix in the cinnamon and however much sweetener of whatever variety you like best.

4) Sprinkle the blueberries on top.

5) pour the buttermilk on top. Get excited for the hot, soft pumpkin/cold, crisp blueberries/cool, sour buttermilk/chewy, hearty oats/crunchy seeds/sweet dried fruits combo.

And, if you're supercool like me, you can throw on a handful of crunchy puffed chocolate spelt cereal. Or chocolate cheerios/puffins (never had the latter, but I've heard the word 'puffins' being thrown around a lot).

It's up to you to decide if that's a recipe or a food combo. But really, who cares? It's tasty!

And now, for the exotic fruits portion of the post:

PERSIMMON = Looks like an orange tomato and has a mouthfeel like a tomato (minus the watery, pulpy tomato innards) but is really sweet and kind of peachy...but firmer. It was good, but won't become a staple for me. I prefer either berries or heartier fruits (like apples, pears, or bananas - I find them much more satisfying).

STARFRUIT = Apple + lemon. It's a pity that I didn't get a picture of my starfruit pucker. Again, it's not really my thing - it would be super refreshing in the summer, or grate as a topper on baked goods/ yogurt bowls/etc, but it's just a little too intense to enjoy a plate of.

Though that is one pretty plate...

I also tried a CACTUS FIG. Sadly, I don't have any pictures. Why sadly? Because it was delicious! I don't even know how to describe it - it was so delicious and amazing, especially cut into a bowl of quark and walnuts and I pretty much had a foodgasm.

Now go buy a cactus fig. Also known as a prickly pear. Just do it, even if you have to sell your first born.

Well, okay, maybe not then. :P

It's FRIDAAAAAAAAAAAY!

Do you ever get in a capital letters kind of mood?

What are you doing this weekend?


Favorite fruit?

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Quick & Easy Stirfry

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I'm submitting this recipe for Healthy Vegan Friday, because I really enjoy it and it's quick and easy - I come back to this fairly often!

I had a pretty tasty stirfry last week and some of you requested the recipe, so here it is! Happy Monday, guys. :)

OH, and don't forget to enter my Thankful Thanksgiving Giveaway! Wow, I can't believe that it's already that time of year...

Quick & Easy Stirfry


* A serving of spinach
* 1 to 2 Tbsp oil (of choice)
* A little chopped onion
* 1 tofu sausage, chopped
* 1 potato, chopped
* A little bit of frozen cauliflower
* Spices (I used salt, pepper, and a wee bit of oregano)

1) Sautee the onion in the olive oil.
2) Add cauliflower and potato, stir. Cook for a about one minute.
4) Add tofu sausage, spinach, spices. Cook, stirring occasionally, until ready to eat!

Yum. :) The smaller you chop the veggies and tofu sausage, the faster it cooks. And I recommend topping it with mustard!

Do you eat a lot of potatoes?


Ketchup, mustard, or BBQ sauce (or other)? 


What ordinarily forms the base of your stirfries?

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Carrot Cake Flapjacks

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I ran out of bread the other day, but needed to pack something carby to fuel me through work, so...

CARROT CAKE FLAPJACKS were born! I threw them together in just a few minutes and baked them while reading some of Swathi Kaushal's Delhi Love Story (which, despite the name, isn't really a romance and is all the better for it). I just love stories that take place abroad and/or have a heavy cultural influence!

They're simple, not sweet, but I wanted something to step in for my missing bread (and I ate them with fruited quark and chocolate almond butter, so that added the sweetness). I loved the texture - dense and chewy, a little sticky...if you don't want to add sweet toppings, but want something sweet, I'm sure you could just add a sweetener to the mix.



Carrot Cake Flapjacks

* 1 or 2 cooked carrots (I used ~1/3 to 1/2 c diced carrots, nuked in the microwave for 1:30)
* 1/3 c. quick oats
* 1/2 c. water
* A sprinkle of salt
* 1 tsp. baking powder
* 1/2 tsp. almond extract (could use vanilla, rum, etc.)
* A sprinkle of cinnamon (optional)
* A tablespoon of oil (I used Raps)
* 1/4 c. whole wheat flour
*1 Tbsp ground flax seeds

1) Blend the carrots, water, and oats until smooth.

2) Add remaining ingredients...

...and stir them in (but don't over-stir).

3) Form into desired number of flapjack rounds (I used three, because then they were thick enough, but not too thick, and also fit into my container for work).

4) Bake at 160C for ~15 minutes, until firm and tan underneath. My oven didn't burn them! HOORAY! :)

So yeah, those are my healthy, tasty flapjacks that are super-convenient for work (or whenever) and give a whole serving of veggies, along with some whole grains to power you along! Don't forget to slather them in nut butter or something, though, because they're not very rich by themselves and hard-working girls (and guys!) need calories to fuel their exploits! :)

What would you top carrot cake flapjacks with?

Oh, and my Thankful Thanksgiving Giveaway goes live tomorrow at 5:43AM, German time. Be there here or be square.

Especially if you're a chocoholic or like healthy stuff. ;)

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Chance has it...

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A lot of things don't go according to plan in life. Frankly, there's a whole lot of chance involved in anything and everything!

Chance has it that foggy late-fall weather makes for solemnly beautiful views.

Chance has it that running out bread results in tasty carrot cake flapjacks for work.

Chance has it that random veggies, potatoes, and a tofu sausage make a tasty 'stirfry' (especially with lots and lots of mustard).

Chance has it that this tuffoon (techie*buffoon = tuffoon) managed to make a somewhat aesthetically satisfying blogspot-hosted blog.

Chance has it that (despite the odd lack of canned pumpkin/any kind of squash) in German grocery stores, my Oma had a ginormous pumpkin in her backyard and gave me a big chunk of it to chop up and bake [I'm freezing most of it, so I can use it in recipes throughout the rest of my stay].

Chance has it that the holiday season is right around the bend and smiles are more contagious than ever.

Want either of the recipes? Both?

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Homemade (Healthy) Energy Bars

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The other day I asked you guys for a healthy baking challenge. Gary came up with a good one: healthy energy bars that are low in salt and sugar (which are both fine in moderation, but tend to be overrepresented in packaged goods).

So here's a tasty, seedy energy bar that everyone who's tried has loved!

Extreme Energy Bars


1 cup quick oats
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/3 cup soy seeds
1 whole egg*
2 Tbsp. coconut oil (I used Artisana - don't sub a non-coconut oil, or the bars won't be as crunchy and stick-together-y!)
Sticky sweetener to taste (I used 1/2 cup honey, but maple syrup or molasses would work just fine and the amount depends on your preference)
1 packet vanilla sugar

*OPTIONAL* Milk chocolate bar or other mix-ins/toppings of choice

1) Mix everything together.
2) Spread on an oiled (or baking sheet lined) tray in the desired thickness.

 *I didn't use any salt, since the bars just didn't need it, but I did end up covering it in a chopped-up milk chocolate bar that was about to expire - this is entirely optional (unless, of course, you're a chocoholic)!*

3) Bake at 160C for 20 minutes, or until golden brown and finished looking. I know - so scientific. :P

My favorite thing about these seedy whole grain bars is that they're really flexible - you can throw in whatever nut/seeds/dried fruits/chocolate pieces you have lying around! If you want to up the protein content, you can throw in your protein powder of choice! They're fast and easy, but also made with simple, wholesome ingredients that you can feel good about putting into your body. Good deal! :)

Oh, and they stuck together, unlike many homemade granola bars (thank the egg and the coconut oil!)

Oh, and even non-health-food-fans loved these. So make enough to share!

* You could sub two egg whites, if you really wanted, but this is a good place to sneak in a yolk where you really can't taste it! Yolks are great for hair and brain health... but somehow brittle, dry hair that grows slowly and less than optimal brain function just doesn't sound that tempting. On the other hand, if you live egg-free and get those nutrients from vegan alternatives, a flax egg might work here (I just didn't have any ground flax to try it out with).

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WIAW #11

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I've been so busy with work in the hospital that I haven't had the chance to photograph a full day's eats! Since I've been main relying on one snack as my snack to fuel me through the craziness, I'd figured I'd post about that, instead.

I'm loving 9bars. The flax one is still my favorite, but I've been the enjoying flavors, as well. 

...organic:

It has a great mix of seeds that are really well complemented by the carob topping. The sunflower seed flavor is strongest in this, followed by pumpkin seed. I missed the flax flavor, though...

...original:

Maybe I'm being dumb, but I didn't really see the difference between this and organic. They tasted the exact same to me - so why not go organic?

...pumpkin:

Yeah, yeah, short ingredients list. But at the cost of the awesome chocolaty goodness! It was still tasty, but more like a traditional energy bar (less like a candy bar). If you're either (a) not in a candy bar mood, (b) not a chocolate fan, or (c) deathly allergic to carob, then this would be your top pick. But that's probably only going to happen in case (c), since I can't really imagine cases (a) and (b) happening in real life...

...nutty:

After flax, this one was my favorite. The nuts are substantial and the mild cashew flavor would land well with any cashew fan. I'm thinking some whole almonds would have made it even better...

Anyway, I only have pics of the nutty 9bar today (you can check out my earlier review for picks of the flax bar) since I mainly consumed these as work snacks and didn't feel like whipping out my camera at work. I draw the boundary of weirdness somewhere, you know. :P

All the bars have some similar qualities - they're all big, filling, salty & sweet, very seedy, based on sunflower seeds, and candy bar-esque. And they all kind of look alike, too! They're still somewhat different though and, since they're so tasty, I didn't get bored.

I did get thirsty, though. Yum, guys, but there is some salt in those bars! Or is it all the fiber? Hmmmm....

And, so you don't think I'm about to turn into a 9bar, I'll share another snack that I've been reaching for right after work, since I have dinner a few hours later:

I like carby, sweet meals, so I usually get my savory/veggie fill in during snack time. What about you?


Do you have a VitaMix? Do you think it's worth it?


I'm collecting ideas for what I should make up recipes for come December, when I'll be back home for a few weeks...any suggestions? I love a challenge, so don't be afraid to make it hard!

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Growing Up Cauliflower

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Have you heard of cauliflower pizza crust? There's been a lot of buzz about it lately and, frankly, it sounds delicious - pureed/mashed cauliflower baked with cheese, eggs, and spices, then covered in pizza sauce, toppings, and more cheese. What's not to love?

I decided that I was going to try it out and see for myself!

Of course, if you know anything about me by this point, you know things didn't really go the way I planned. Sure, I had cauliflower - but no food processor, eggs, pizza sauce (and I was too hungry to make any), and cheese makes my stomach feel funny. In a not-so-funny way.

So, of course, my cauliflower pizza turned into something very different: a metaphor! It was asking for it. So here's my metaphorical cauliflower (yes, I'm aware of the grammatical inaccuracy in that sentence - deal with it).

You start with something simple - some cauliflower in a pan...

Then life (or me, take your pic) throws in some surprises - a little spice, a few more ingredients, and both disappointments and successes. Your flavors meld as all the ingredients simmer together and wala - you're well on your way to growing up (not being grown up, because no one ever is all the way done growing up).

And then I eat you.

Hmm, I think that part doesn't really fit into the metaphor, does it? :P Without further ado, here's the recipe!


GUC


* Some cauliflower (sorry, I don't really measure things - I just used what looked good in the pan)
* A medium tomato, diced
* A glug of olive oil (around 1-2 Tbsp.)
* A few shakes of nooch
* Spices (I used oregano, salt, pepper, and paprika - my staples)

Goshdarnit! I meant to add a flax egg and some flour - maybe then it would have stuck together better!


1) Boil the cauliflower in a wee bit of water for around 3 minutes.
2) Add the tomato, continue to boil until the cauliflower is soft enough to mash with a fork (or blend/process, if you're not doing this college kid/intern style)
3) Mash said cauliflower with said fork.
4) Glug in the olive oil. Continue to cook for 3 more minutes at medium-high heat (if it's sticking/burning, instead of simmering, add more oil).
5) Mix in nooch and spices.
6) Bake in a not-preheated oven at 200C for 5-10 minutes (until a crust seems to form and/or you're too hungry to wait any longer).

I ate it on a bed of iceberg - yum! But it was nothing like pizza (the crust was just a visual slight), so if I want pizza I'll either go for the real deal and grab some ginger (to calm the tum) or invest in some eggs and remember to use the flour. :P

Have you ever tried mashed cauliflower/cauliflower pizza crust?
Metaphors - love 'em or hate 'em?

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