{feeling like} soup + bread

Soup and bread is such a great staple in the winter months, just like my puffy Soia & Kyo coat and fleece-sock-lined Hunter boots. Today we made some coconut chicken and wild rice soup from Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice. It's savory (from the herbs/spices), creamy (from the coconut milk), and incredibly filling (from the rice and the chicken) without being too heavy (from the veggies) Exactly everything you'd need in the perfect soup meal! Well, except for some garlic chive butter bread made from a fresh baguette that we picked up at Whole Foods. Yum!

Giving Thanks... in 2010

I don't think anyone can deny the love we all have for thanksgiving. No school (or work), pigging out, bonding with the fam, and cybermonday (and/or black friday)... I am incredibly grateful for a break at this time of year, and an opportunity to give thanks. This year I spent my thanksgiving day in yoga pants and an oversized sweater- and I could not be happier with my fashion decisions as I laid flat out on the livingroom rug post-stuffing my face dinner.

Here is the short list of what I'm thankful this year (trust me, you don't want the long list- it'll take forever to read)

1. my parents, for always loving me and putting up with my childish ways all these years.

2. being in the company of really really ridiculously fabulous people while I shop/ study/ work/ cook/ discuss fashion/ travel/ gossip... etc.

3. health. though I'm still really young, I'm getting to the point when I start worrying about my parents/family getting sick... I'm glad everyone is healthy and well. 

4. optimism. I'm a firm believer in that as long as you look for the good in people and life, things will turn out. There's nothing more important than keeping an optimistic attitude if you want a happy life.

Annnd here comes the best part, some pictures of the delicious/will-make-you-salivate foods that I've had the opportunity to make/eat this last week. Enjoy! 

{twist on classics} grilled cheese & tomato soup

delicious fig preserves

cranberry walnut bread from the whole foods bakery

These are not your typical 4-year-old toddler's grilled cheese sandwiches, that's for sure. Grilled goat cheese with fig and honey on cranberry walnut bread is what we had for lunch the other day. Served with fresh tomato basil soup, of course. The recipe called for cinnamon raisin bread- the only reason we switched to cranberry walnut was because it was $4 cheaper. So use your own discretion because cranberry walnut turned out great, and we had four extra dollas in our pockets. 

best grilled cheese ever- grilled goat cheese with fig and honey

fresh chunky tomato basil soup

I have to admit that I didn't know that goat cheese and figs together is apparently a common pairing. It's like the fancy version of mint and chocolate chips! Also, in case you care, I'm switching over to fig preserves instead of jam from now on. It's that good.

{adventures with} a fellow foodie- eggplant parmesan

Eggplant parmesan

delicious sauteed kale

Eggplant parmesan is such a traditional dish at Italian restaurants. However, I always find the ones at the restaurant less than satisfactory- with marinara sauce from a can and pre-shredded cheeses. We found the perfect recipe that called for tomatoes instead of pizza sauce, fresh basil instead of dried herbs, and shredded our own cheese right before topping the eggplants. In fact, we used a few tomatoes-on-the-vine instead of the canned tomatoes the recipe called for. The only thing I would change is to pat the tomatoes dry with paper towel before baking it, as they got a bit too watery than we would've liked. Otherwise, a success! Feel free to go extra on the cheese since it's so healthy!

{one pot meal love} black bean, scallops, leek & rosemary risotto

I am officially out of food.

Well, technically, I do have homemade brownies from America's test kitchen and pumpkin cinnamon pecan chocolate chip granola to snack on. (sorry about the drool on your laptop; more on these later)

But after a weekend of traveling and eating out, followed by exams and a day trip to an amusement park, my body needed something more. It needed healthy, veggie-filled, whole grained, lean protein-laden, real people, grown-up homemade food. So I decided to make risotto. Because I remembered that I have brown rice and black beans in the pantry. And I have two sticks of carrots, one onion, one stick (is that the correct unit?) of leek, ginger, garlic, ketch up and strawberry jam in the fridge. (but the strawberry jam and ketchup may be irrelevant) Oh and frozen baby scallops in the freezer. I don't know if you are the type of person to have these ingredients on hand when you run out of food. You probably should be.

Black bean, Scallops, Leek & Rosemary Risotto

Ingredients:

brown rice- two cups, uncooked

black beans- one cup, uncooked

onion- one

leek- one stick

carrot- two sticks

baby scallops- a cup and half

garlic- 4 cloves

ginger- optional

rosemary- 1 tbs

basil- 1 tsp

cilantro- 1 tsp

thyme- 1 tsp

cayenne pepper- 1 tsp

soy milk- 3/4 cup

olive oil- 3 tbs

balsamic vinegar- 4 tbs

Directions:

1. Cook black beans and rice in rice cooker if you have one. Stovetop is fine if you don't.

2. Sautee diced/sliced leek, onions, garlic, ginger, carrots and scallops together in large pan with olive oil and balsamic.

3. Pour almost-cooked rice bean mixture into large pan. Mix in the herbs and the soymilk. Simmer on medium until ready.

{adventures with} a fellow foodie pt 2

Butternut squash tortellinis, browned cherry walnut & sage butter sauce, side of garlic sauteed broccolinis

baked pink lady with cinnamon stuffing, vanilla bean ice cream

Homemade butternut squash tortellinis? Check. Browned cherry pecan & sage butter sauce? Check. Baked apple a la mode? Check. Amazing company to share this entire experience with? Check check check!

Sometimes I am also amazed by how fabulous my life is. Could you imagine this for a Wednesday dinner? These tortellinis are probably one of the best things I've had in a long while. And if you knew me, that means a lot because I'm not so generous with compliments.

Thanks so much Emily for the inspiration! Your blog is absolutely amazing in that it truly inspires me in all aspects of life- from fashion to cooking to interior decorating. I really could not imagine my blogging world without you!

{falling in love with} autumn in ann arbor

I did not realize how I lucky I was to live in such a beautiful town until I took a brisk walk to the People's Food Co-op today. With Jack Johnson on the ipod, a toasty northface, and streets lined with trees changing colors, the walk could not be more pleasant. Ann Arbor is such a gem in the midwest-- it has so much culture to offer. In a mere15 min walking-distance radius from my home- I go to college, get heirloom tomatoes at the farmer's market, drink fresh locally roasted guatemalan coffee, listen to indie & rock concerts, attend global film festivals, take pilates classes, peruse used bookstores, and shop the latest Nanette Lepore... and that's just the beginning. From fine dining to thrift shopping, this town's got it all. 

I finally got some fall nail polish the other day. I'm currently sporting OPI's "Espresso your style". I also picked up the "You don't know Jacques". Love them!

the reading may be tedious... but at least I have pretty nails!

Of course, to continue the fall theme, I made some chili for dinner. I really dislike using anything processed or canned, so I boiled my own black beans and used fresh tomatoes- it was so tasty! If anyone dares to tell me that chili is unhealthy, they definitely have not had mine!

Fresh & Healthy Chili

Ingredients:

black beans- 1 cup (pre-cooking)

ground beef- 1 lbs

tomatoes- 3 big round ones

sweet onions- 4 small ones (I just happened to have small ones on hand, one or two larges are okay too)

peppers- an assortment (I used an orange, a green, a red and some real spicy ones)

carrot- 1 stick

garlic- 5 cloves

herbs: cilantro, parsley, basil, marjoram, oregano to taste

Directions:

1. Boil the black beans in water on medium. Meanwhile, chop up all veggies. (keep the tomatoes in a separate bowl)

2. Brown beef and drain excess oil. Sautee beef with all ingredients except the tomatoes and herbs.

3. In a large pot, cook the tomatoes with the herbs on medium to high. For approx. 10 min.

4. Combine beef veggie mixture into the pot of tomatoes. Mix in black beans (drain excess water). 

5. Cook on medium until done. (approx 15 min) Season with sea salt and red pepper flakes.

Note: This makes a really large pot. So expect to have a lot of leftovers. I love having one-pot dinners with all the nutritions I need, so this works perfect for me.

{adventures with} a fellow foodie

In case you were wondering, these are brie, apple, & arugula quesadillas. A good friend Chelsey and I made these for dinner last night- they were so wonderful, especially when served with pico de gallo & homemade chips. The warm melted brie rounds out the sweetness of the fuji apples; the fresh greens add a bright pop of color; and finally the crispiness of the whole wheat tortillas brings everything together. Thank you Atlantis Home for the inspiration. You have such great style and such great taste in food as well! And thank you Cooking Light for the recipe.

{starving for} a quick nutritious meal

Seared sea scallops with scallions

Sauteed green beans with fresh garlic & ginger

Tossed whole wheat penne with heirloom green tomatoes, balsamic, basil & olive oil

Took me a total of 30 minutes to prepare & wolf down this baby after a full day of class.