flavuuuh flaaav

This post is fuLL of flavaaa’

First up:  Superbowl Guacamole – I could have cared less about the game but hello!?  It’s an excuse for chips + dip!  Aaaand I had some ready to eat avocados. 

I took a super simple guac recipe and turned it into this:

Flava’ful Guacamole

• 2 avocados
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1/2T olive oil
• 1/2t salt
• 1/4t pepper
• 1/4c fine chopped onion
• 1/3c tomato, squeezed + chopped [squeeze to get rid of the runny juices]
• 1 garlic clove minced

1. Mash the avocado.
2. Add all other ingredients and stir/mash until combined.  S+P to taste!

Do you guys think a true Guacamole has less ingredients?  Would you call this an avocado dip?  Does guacamole refer to a set list of ingredients?  Just curious what people think real deal guac is!  But either way, I like to bend the rules!

Second uP for Superbowl night:  Mexi Pizza

I made this really spicy for Chris, Kurtz and Ann.  Too much kick for me but I meant to do that :)

Mexi Pizza ~Spicy Style~

*the ingredients are in the order they were put on the pizza

• 1/2 of a full pizza dough from Whole Foods [about 8-10” rolled out]
• refried black beans
• WF black bean salsa
• 1T adobo sauce [small can in the mexican section of the store – super spicy!]
• oregano + cumin + chili powder + black pepper + garlic powder
• cheddar + monterey jack
• jalapenos
• red pepper
• onion

1. Bake at 400* for about 15min until brown + delicious looking

Mexi pizza my style!

Just a Little Kick – Mexi Pizza

• other 1/2 of the dough from WF [SO good and only $2.99 for 16”]
• refried black beans
• roasted garlic salsa
• 1t adobo sauce
• oregano + cumin + chili powder + black pepper + garlic powder
• cheddar + monterey jack
• thick layer of spinach
• red pepper
• onion

Everyone loved both pizzas.  I really liked the different textures and the pizza wasn’t soggy in the middle.  I love veggie packed pizza!! 

so.flavorful.so.good.

My favorite way to cut a pizza.

Monday morning, full of snow..about 4” and chilly!!  I guess I can deal with it…last week was in the 40’s-50’s and full of sun.

Creamy layered oats!!!

Creamy Oats:

• 1/3c oats
• 2/3c water
• [out of banana!]
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2t cinnamon

Layers:

1. Bob’s Red Mill Apple Blueberry Granola [from the samples they sent]
2. creamy oats
3. Justin’s chocolate pnut butter [YUM]
4. creamy oats
5. 4 fruit jam
6. creamy oats
7. Apple Blueberry Granola + AB + Jam

Layered oats are where it’s at.

Only veggies for lunch? 

Don’t worry, not the case.  I went to Whole Foods before lunch and they had SIX different muffins on sample.  I had all six [maybe 7, hehe] samples and they were 2-bite samples.  I’m pretty sure I ended up eating almost a whole muffin.  The blueberry + chocolate were excellent.  There were 2 multigrain types that I didn’t like because they had dried fruit in them.  I cringe at the thought/taste of squishy baked dried fruit in muffins/baked goods.  Anyone else??  They also had 2 vegan muffins on sample: blueberry + almond poppy – Both were great and I would have never ever known they were vegan.  They were extremely moist.  The blueberry was pretty standard but maybe lacking a bit of flavor.  The almond poppy was bursting with almond flavor but maybe a tad too much with the almond extract.  I would give them an 8/10 for sure!

I tried a new hummus from my favorite Blue Moose hummus company.  They are a local company :)

The flavor intrigued me: sundried tomato + walnut – I thought it sounded so weird that it had to be good!?

It was just “okay.”  I definitely prefer their plain hummus WAY more.  I really didn’t taste the sun-dried tomato at all.  It was a little heavy on the walnut.  Not sure what this would best be paired with…didn’t work too well with the veggies.

OMG! I finally tried a “mocktail” that I have seen Kath sporting for the past few months.  I didn’t drink it to avoid drinking an alcoholic drink..come on, it was only 2pm.  I just needed a change of pace from plain old water.  This was PERFection!!!  I used about 1/3 bubbly water + 2/3 of the juice.  Next time I’ll try to switch the ratios on that…it was SO good and still pretty sweet tasting.  Looooved the bUbBlE action!

I made ota.bars today for the Haiti Relief Bake Sale winning bidders from the other week.  I did a few things different and thought I messed them up, but I actually like them more!  They are a little crunchy but still easy to chew.  YUM.  I made the #1 selling flavor for the winners: cinna-fuse –> oats + almonds + walnuts + apples + apricots + cinnamon

SO good that I had another with a new sparkling juice.  I just picked up this grape spritzer at WF today because I had a coupon.  It’s sparkling water and pure juice, no sugar added.  I did about 1/2 and 1/2 with sparkling water…so it had double bubble action going on! 

The grape spritzer was AWEsome!!  I used to LOVE grape pop.  [do you guys say “pop” or “soda”?? I switch off because chris is a “soda” person and now I say both]  I would definitely suggest this as a soda-pop alternative.  It still is high in sugar, but that’s just like any juice with no added sugar.  I could definitely get hooked on these but won’t because plain water is cheaper ;)

I told Chris the name of this meal was:  Totally Random, Filled with Flavor + Full of LOve

Chipotle sweet tater cubes above + Curry spiced roasted chickpeas below

I’m still perfecting the recipes that I pulled out of my arse tonight ;)  They turned out bursting with flavor and a little too much heat for me. 

The star of the night was honestly the Sea Salt + Vinegar Kale Chips!!!  Chris LOVES sea salt + vinegar chips and he loves when the kale is roasted and super crunchy.  So, I combined the two and it was a match made in kale heaven.

Sea Salt + Vinegar Kale Chips [terribly photographed, hehe]

1. Preheat oven to 375*
2. Rinse the kale and pull off the stems.  Blot dry and throw on a pan.
3. Evenly disperse about 1T of olive oil, 1T apple cider vinegar + 1/4t salt
4. Roast for 10-20min. Watch carefully the vinegar made it cook + brown faster!
5. Toss with 1T apple cider vinegar + salt to taste.

And a side of bread with pear + goat cheese!? Totallllly random…so random that I forget Chris doesn’t really like pears..oooops!

Chickpeas with a dollup of Oikos Plain.

Aaaand that’s about all I have up my sleeve for 1 day…quite a lot, no?  I didn’t want to cook dinner tonight [RARE] but then had fun playing with random foods + spices.  Weeeeeeeee :)

I went back and responded to comments last night, from the past few days..sorry I got behind!  Also, still planning on doing the Vibrams follow-up post..I have not forgotten :) 

Aaaand I’m o.u.t.

~Ashley      

p.s. check out the $50 iherb giveaway at LiveWell360!!