make your own almond milk.

I'm never buying almond milk from the store again.  Nope. Not ever.  And I think I am going to try to make rice milk and coconut milk too.  Even though they seem like great options, those store bought "milks" tend to be extremely processed and filled with ingredients that we would rather do without.  This was too easy not to do all the time!

almond milk

• 1 cup of raw almonds (soak for 8-12 hours prior)
• 4 cups of water
• 1 tsp of good quality vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup honey

Blend in a blender on high for at least 1 minute.  Strain with cheesecloth and you're done!

roasted red pepper salad dressing.

I'm all about making as much from scratch as possible.  Saves you money and ensures that you know exactly what is in the food you are eating.  Dressings and marinades are a perfect thing to make yourself.  All you need is some staple pantry ingredients and a blender/ food processor of sorts.  Here is an easy roasted red pepper dressing, delicious on a simple bed of lettuce.  Feel free to alter the recipe to make it your own.  Any combination of ingredients, spices, and cheese will do!

roasted red pepper dressing

Blend the following ingredients in a blender until desired constancy:

• 3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon of evoo
• 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard (any mustard will do)
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 tablespoon of honey
• oregano or Italian seasoning to taste
• salt and pepper to taste
• a little bit of feta or goat cheese
• some roasted red pepper slices (i used ones from a jar but freshly roasted would be even better)

goat cheese polenta with poached egg and roasted tomatoes.

I had a version of this meal at a wonderful new(ish) Boulder restaurant called Cafe Aion.  This farm to table, innovative restaurant is in the incredibly charming previous location of Burnt Toast (for all you old Hill residents).   

I know the meal looks pretty sloppy in the photo but I promise what it lacks in pretty it makes up in yummy.  The one challenge is synchronizing all of the components together.  I also served a sweet soy broccoli and cashew dish on the side, stolen from my friend Jody's awesome vegan blog E.V.O.O.

Roasted Tomatoes
*This part takes the longest so start the tomatoes off first.

• Cube 6 roma tomatoes and coat with:
• Diced garlic
• Good quality balsamic
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper

• Roast at 350 degrees until the tomatoes are caramelizing and your house smells like an Italian grandmother's villa :)

Goat Cheese Polenta

• Boil 4 1/2 cups of water and add a little less than 1 cup of yellow corn meal.  
• Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer to thicken.  WHISK...let me say it again...WHISK from start to finish to keep the mixture from clumping.  Spoiler alert...you will not be able to feel your hand when you are finished.
• Add some butter, and season generously with salt and pepper.  
• Mix in a generous helping of goat cheese to finish the creamy polenta.

 *To serve the dish layer the goat cheese polenta, two poached eggs, and some of the rosted tomoatoes in a shallow bowl.  Serve with broccoli dish on the side.  

homemade popcorn.

Although it is not rocket science to make popcorn at home, I hope this post helps you eliminate some chemicals in your life and save you some moula.  

Its amazing how many of us still buy those microwavable bags of popcorn that are lined with perfluorooctanoic (PFOA) and covered with fake butter flavoring containing another chemical called diacetyl.  Eating healthily and cheaply is simple.  Eat real food, make your own, and eat in season.

Making your own popcorn is also more fun and creative.  Play with different toppings like olive oil and rosemary, brown sugar and cinnamon, curry powder, nuts and caramel...  The options are endless!

homemade popcorn:
1)  On medium high heat, warm some olive oil, grape seed oil, or peanut oil in a LARGE pot (remember those tiny kernels expand!)

2)  Add good quality popcorn kernels (1/2 cup for two people with left overs)

3)  And keeping the cover on, let the kernels pop!  They can burn easily so I like to shake the pot somewhat frequently.  When the popping slows remove from heat and keep the cover on to continue the popping process without burning the corn.

4)  Add melted butter, sea salt, Tony's Creole Seasoning, or your favorite topping!

enjoy.

life.

so enjoy.

make your own vanilla extract.

Fill 4oz mason jars with...

• 3 Madagascar vanilla beans per jar (sliced down the middle, but not sliced all the way through).
• Fill bean filled jars with vodka.

Store closed jars in cold dark place for 8 weeks, shaking once per week.

write a letter.

Write a letter to a friend.  Write a card to say hi.  In a world of email, text, IM, facebook, linkedin, gchat, gmail...well you get the picture...it means the world to get a personal letter from someone you care about.  Just a reminder :)