The Seeds of Change

                   "All of the flowers of all the tomorrows are in the seeds of today."

                                                -  Indian proverb

                          Have you planted your seeds as of today?

Well the last week has been quite busy and finally i have a free morning to update and say hello - i have been quite busy to say the least - June has been filled with not only long hours at work but also birthdays, graduations and other social engagements - im actually happy to finally have a free moment to catch up with all of you!!!!!  I must say that although ive been busy i have been able to engage in one of my favorite activities associated with the summer months - my herb and flower garden.  I love flowers and gardening.  I love to see how a tiny seed can over time with proper care and a bit of love can bloom into something wonderful.  I like to compare my journey to recovery with the seeds that I planted.  Like the small basil seed - i too need nourishment - not only food but also sunlight and care.  It's funny - there are so many times where ill get too busy and forget to take time to care for myself but yet ill never forget to take care of my plants.  

There is nothing more satisfying then seeing the seed of yesterday bloom into something beautiful and become the flowers of tomorrow.  Like the seed hopefully i can continue to nourish myself, give myself the love and attention that i deserve and continue to discover the real me.

        I hope all of you can plant your seeds today and nourish these seeds because the flowers and fruit they will bare will be ever so rewarding.

Here is a picture of the fig tree - it already has about 10 figs!!!!!!!!

Some other things i have been enjoying this week: trips to the farmers market  - lots of berries and fresh lettuce!!!!

A new recipe: Cold Lentil Salad

Here's the recipe:

1/4 cup uncooked brown lentils

1 red pepper (roasted)

1/2 carrot chopped

1/2 celery chopped

fresh chives, basil and mint

garlic, salt pepper to taste

red wine vinegar

olive oil

First cook the lentils on stovetop in boiling water - note do not salt the water - i like my lentils slightly firm for cold salads so i boiled them for about 15 minutes - once cooked drain and run under cold water to stop the cooking process.  Next add all other ingredients and place in refrigerator to chill. 

I ate mine last night served over fresh romaine lettuce with grilled eggplant and enjoyed them with wasa crisps.

Enjoy your week!!!!!! 

"Happy Father's Day"

Hello everyone - i hope you are all having a wonderful and relaxing weekend and celebrating your dads.  Dads - they do so much for us - i know my dad has been my role model since i was a child.  I remember my dad always working long hours - never complaining once just to provide for his family.  I have always had a close relationship with him and just want to thank him today for all that he has done for me - he is my constant supporter - he always encourages me when i need it and has inspired me to be the best that I can be.  At times i feel like i take this to the extreme - always wanting to please him and never disappointing him.  For me i think this is where my Ed has stemmed from - trying to "please" my family.  At times i don't even know what I want but rather make decisions based on what "others" would want.  Silly - i know but these are things that I am slowly realizing and trying to work thru.

Today - i dedicate my post to my dad - the best dad a daughter could ask for.  My dad and I share a love for fresh figs - Kadota figs to be exact.   Kadota figs are the figs that have a green skin and have juicy, white sweet flesh.  So for Fathers Day i bought him a baby Kadota fig for his backyard.  I was lucky enough to find one that already had 10 figs budding!!!!  If you've never had a fresh fig I highly recommend trying one.

picture from "local harvest"

Figs are a wonderful fruit with many health benefits: decrease in cholesterol, high in fiber and potassium and have been found to help fight diabetes. 

No only are they nutritional powerhouses but they taste so good and have been called nature's candy due to their natural sweetness.

Figs are so versatile - can be eaten fresh or dried and used in millions of recipes - i personally love them fresh but they are perfect to bake, make preserves, add to salads or make your own "larabars" by using dried figs.  I also have added them to my smoothies and they add the perfect amount of sweetness.

I hope you all have a wonderful Sunday and hope you are able to spend some relaxing time with your dad's.

xoxo aimee

The Perfect Picnic

                                                             "recipes 4 us"


Hello my fellow bloggers and happy Monday!!!!! I hope you all have been enjoying the month of June and taking advantage of the beautiful summer weather.  One of my favorite things about the summer are picnics.  There is nothing I enjoy more than sitting on soft green grass in the warmth of the sumer sun with family or friends enjoying simple fresh food.  This Friday actually celebrates the idea of summer picnics - its "International Picnic" - now i just learned this interesting fact while perusing the internet - interesting right??? - that they would have an entire day dedicated to picnics!!!!

The word "picnic" as defined by the encyclopedia  - " a pleasurable excursion in which a meal is eaten outdoors (al fresco) usually in a beautiful place (park, beach, lakefront) usually during the summer months."  Typically a picnic basket is brought and filled with simple, fresh foods and are enjoyed while sitting on a large blanket or picnic table.  

What to bring on a picnic ???? Here's a quick checklist:

1.  a picnic basket of course!!!!!  There are so many cute baskets out there specifically designed to bring - i highly recommend buying one - i recently saw one one a website called Uncommon Goods - here's a picture - 

It has adorable spoons made out of wood and includes dishes, glasses and a cutting board!!

2. a nice big comfortable blanket or go to your l

ocal fabric store and find an interesting pattern and buy a piece of it

3. a camera

4. sunscreen and sunglasses

5. a good book or magazines

6. a radio 

7. good food of course!!!

Mark Bittman - food critic and writer for the New York Times did a great article entitled 101 - 20 minute recipes to bring on a picnic.  Can you believe it???  101 different recipes and ideas.  The list is extensive and has some great vegetarian options.  I think i have mentioned in the past that I recently purchased Mark's book entitled "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian" - and how much i enjoy it.  What i particularly like about the book is that it breaks down each food and tells you a little history about it and then different options for cooking.  

What would your ideal picnic basket contain?????  Mine would have:

1. Creamy chickpea hummus with freshly baked whole wheat pita bread

2.  garden fresh tomatoes topped with basil and oregano

3.  grilled asparagus, eggplant, zucchini and roasted red peppers

4. wheatberry salad with raisins, dried cranberries and fresh mint

5. summer fruit salad made with strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, peaches and watermelon with a touch of lemon and garnished with mint leaves

6. strawberry brewed ice tea sweetened with a dash of agave

Well i hope this post inspired you all to maybe think about planning a picnic for next weekend.  What are some of your favorite places to have a picnic and what do you bring ???? Would love to hear all of your suggestions!!!!   

                                           Thanks for reading - have a great week!!!!

                                                               xoxo aimee

A Wish and a Recipe

"This is my wish for you: comfort on difficult days, smiles when sadness intrudes, rainbows to follow the clouds, laughter to kiss your lips, sunsets to warm your heart, hugs when spirits sag, beauty for your eyes, friendships to brighten your being, faith so that you can believe, confidence for when you doubt, courage to know yourself, patience to accept the truth, love to complete your life." Lynne Buttercup

Hello my fellow bloggers - happy Sunday and the beginning of June. I hope this week has all been a good one filled with positive thoughts and expe

riences. I stumbled across this quote early this morning and wanted to share it with all of you as another week begins. When you are feeling a bit on the down side, when things just aren't going your way - think about this quote and I hope it puts a smile on your face.

During the warmer months i love experimenting with new toppings for salads, grilled veggies, tofu or even fish. Although i usually eat a mostly vegetar

ian diet i do incorporate fish - especially during the warmer months. Fish provides a great source of B vitamins as well as a healthy dose of omega 3 fatty acids!! This week I made an amazing mango-orange salsa - perfect to top just about anything!!!!!

Here's the recipe:

1 ripe mango - chopped

1 clementine orange (or any sweet orange) chopped

1/2 red pepper finely chopped

1/2 can chopped green chipotle peppers

chopped fresh chives

fresh mint leaves

freshly grated ginger

salt and pepper to taste

sugar - i used a teaspoon but this will vary depending how sweet your mango is

Let all of the flavors combine and serve on top of just about anything!!!!! The longer the salsa marinates the more intense the flavors are!!!! The fresh mint is really the key to this recipe.

Enjoy your week!!!

xoxo aimee