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My yard. 

A.k.a, the Gillianasana photography-practice site.

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Couldn't decide.

All my mother. I bake, she gardens. Hobbies are important.

Especially when they become your career! Yesterday I zipped down to Providence, Rhode Island to check out the Johnson & Wales culinary school campus. It hopped to the forefront of my list when I read about their Culinary Nutrition program and decided it was definitely worth a visit. It was indeed, and I got a lot of really good information and now have way too much thinking to do. I'm going on a college tour road trip with my brother (a senior-to-be in high school) and madre this coming week, and on the way back we are stopping in Hyde Park, New York to check out the holy land  CIA - Culinary Institute of America. It's the big one, where you go to be in the food industry. It scares me. 

That said, tomorrow we leave for Philadelphia and will be on the road until Friday night! I am bringing my mini laptop and will hope and pray to find hotels with wireless access or computers - but just in case I can't, I promise I WILL return! With pics. LOTS of pics. I'm looking at this trip as a good time to practice my [food]photography skillllllz. 

Speaking of which...breakfast anyone?

Melon is one of those foods I could (and often do) eat every day and never get sick of it. Especially this kind:

Tuscan melon!

It is a lot like canteloupe, only smaller and I find a little sweeter and stronger in taste.I had this in, where else, Florence, and fell in love. Look for those indented lines in the rind. It's amazing.

Blueberry Acai Dannon Light & Fit

Yes, another new flavor I was powerless to try. I actually really liked this - I could actually taste the acai and it blended wonderfully with the sweet blueberry! It's kind of a hard flavor to pinpoint, but I find it a little tart and a little sweet at once, a bit like pomegranate. The only issue, other than the ingredient list, is the awful fake-sugar aftertaste. WAY too sweet. I wish it had just been sweetened with real fruit! Oh well, I 'll just have to do it myself.

Nothing like a waffle on a Saturday morning (er...afternoon...)

AB-squared: apple butter + almond butter. A perfect combo.

Did some shopping at Old Navy. Ugh, shopping. I can never find exactly what I want. BUT, I did get a pretty cute dress 50% off because one of the straps was broken! Sewing won't even be necessary. LOVE that!

I came ravenous. Nothing a smoothie can't fix - especially when it involves this:

Amazing Grass's Amazing Meal Chocolate Infusion protein powder.

I used half the packet + 1 c. frozen mango + 1 c. almond milk + splash vanilla. I should have added a little extra cocoa powder, but didn't.

Aglow with healthy goodness!

I didn't love the Amazing Meal - it was a little too spirulina-y for me. But I didn't hate it either, and liked it with the mango very much. Of course, I like pretty much anything with mango....Either way, as far as Amazing Grass goes, the Kidz Wildberry and Original Superfood powders are in the lead.

The liquid health theme continued with this:

I got it on sale at WFs last week. As usual with Kombucha, I have no idea what to make of this! What I love about it is the complexity of the flavor - it changes every second it's on your tongue and definitely keeps me interested. This one went from berry-sweet to flowery and then very pine-y. I probably wouldn't but it again, but it was a fun try. I wish the Honest brand would go on sale again!

Because my mother, brother and I hit the road tomorrow, we had to have Father's Day a little early.

Dinner on the patio!

Including:

My grandmother's salad: romaine, tomatoes, avocado, red onion in red wine vinegar+olive oil and S+P.

Grilled eggplant, marinated in balsamic + olive oil. Melt-in-your-mouth amazing. Probably one of my favorite things.

Roasted taters

Fresh pasta in a vegetarian sauce for me, lamb for the fam. [Don't worry, I had some tempeh for protein ealier!]

And my present to the man of the day:

Chianti, straight off the boat plane.

YUM!!

Tippy agreed.

For dessert, I whipped up some peanut butter-chocolate chip cookies (Dad's fave)  using the Supercharge Me cookies recipe:

The first batch was gone before the second even left the oven. I think they liked them. 

Dessert also included this newbie:

Chobani Champions honeynana!

It's not thick at all; it's basically like regular yogurt, but I suppose that could very well be more appealing to kids which I assume are the target consumers here (although I know plenty of "grown-up kids" who would be attracted by the cartoony design). The flavor is great though! Unlike the chocolate, the cane sugar taste blends  in very well. It reminded me of a yogurt I ate all the time when I was little, but I can't remember exactly which one - I think it was Yoplait Custard-Style Vanilla. SO good. Gotta love nostalgia foods :)

Time to go pack, pack, pack! 

~Namaste!~

P.S. Remember that surprise I mentioned? Check out the sidebar --- I'm a Foodbuzz Featured Publisher!!! Dancing most definitely ensued when I got the email. I love Foodbuzz, and my absolute favorite blogs are all a part of its awesome community, so I'm super excited and proud to be too. Share the foodie love!

All My Single Ladies

I think it's about time I introduced some of the ladies in my life:

Daphne, the newest addition to the Gillianasana family. We even like the same music ;)

And a traveling chica of a different sort:

Isabella the Polka-Dotted Moka!

I bought her in Florence because we had one in our apartment and these seriously make some incredible coffee - and it's TOO easy!! I almost squealed out loud when I saw Whole Foods actually sells them. I highly recommend if you only drink a cup or two a day, because they're easy to clean (NO soap, just good rinsing), fast, and the taste is bravissima! Unfortunately, they only have the regular one here, no polka dots...all the more reason to pop over to Italia, no?

I've met a couple other singles...

Raspberry Goji Dannon Light & Fit

Unfortunately, I did not like this enough to put a ring on it. It was just kind of a vague berry flavor. Admittedly, I can't think of what gojis alone taste like - haven't had them enough - but all I could taste was a strawberry-raspberry-ish flavor. Oh well. Made for a decent enough snack.

The next one was slightly more likely to be a keeper:

Chobani Champions! I guess these are the greek-yogurt-for-kids attempt. I personally am a fan of the starburst design.

Normal Chobani consistency - not super thick, but enough to be called a respectable Greek yogurt. The flavor was, well, cocoa+vanilla+cane sugar, which is pretty appropriate considering that's basically what it is. I liked it and it made for a fun little dessert, but to be honest, I could make this on my own by just mixing in cocoa and vanilla to plain yogurt and be just as happy, if not more (the cane sugar taste was a little much for me). But, the package also comes with a "honeynana" flavor which sounds quite promising, so stay tuned!

And finally...

This Odwalla Sweet&Salty Peanut bar may have been single, but I wasn't really lovin' it. It had a very peculiar flavor that reminded me exactly of spirulina? It was muted but strong enought o distract me with every bite from the sweet & salty peanut goodness. I was in my car when I gobbled it down, but it looked pretty much like a wider, flattened Kashi TLC chewy bar. This was odd. And when I wasn't distracted by the mystery flavor, I noticed it was almost all sweet and very little salty. Oh well. 

Being single is all well and good...but couples can be pretty cute too.

What could be mingling with the Fage?

MANGO!!!! Oh, yum. These were perfectly ripe and juicy and wonderful. Despite my obsession with them, I don't often buy them fresh because they tend to be pricier. But as I walked into Whole Foods, lo and behold - cart after cart of mangoes on display for 5/$5!! It was a good day.

That mango is a bit of a philanderer - he was also seen canoodling with oats last night:

[Almond milk, flaxmeal, and cocoa powder may or may not have also been involved.]

And he didn't leave 'til this morning!

Scandalous!

Ridiculously long-stretched metaphor aside, this was a seriously delicious bowl of overnight oats. Mango + chocolate=love. Maybe star-crossed lovers?

The next mingler was:

Amazing Grass Green SuperFood in Lemon Lime - the "energy" drink powder.

Schmoozing with frozen banana and cherries, almond milk, spinach, vanilla and a dash of cocoa powder.

I actually kinda liked this. The combo wasn't perfect (but actually I liked the cocoa powder), but it was pretty tasty. I definitely think it gave me energy, though - I drank this before leaving for a dinner party I was helping the caterer with (serving, plating, etc.) for some more food service experience. When I came home, I was still pretty wired and not as wiped as I expected for being on my feet for 4 straight hours! Quite impressive, Amazing Grass!

Speaking of that dinner party, please at some point this summer make these:

Grilled peaches. Cut in half, place on grill. Easy, pretty, delicious. Emphasis on the latter.

On with our couples!

Justin's Honey Peanut Butter.

First spotted with sprouted-grain toast and cinnamon...

Then getting friendly with a cracker...

 The verdict? I liked this much more than the honey almond butter - I could taste the honey a little better. Overall, it's a really decent peanut butter. Nice mouthfeel, and a very classic taste - you think peanut butter, this is that flavor. But, it wasn't good enough to knock over my dear Naturally More, so I probably won't be purchasing the jars. Those packets sure can be handy, though! And I've heard about Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut butter...NUTELLA with natural ingredients??? YESPLEASE.

I have also discovered that tempeh makes a wonderful sandwich.

Just a leftover block of tempeh with spinach, mustard and S+P on sprouted grain bread. This is my favorite kind of thing to eat because it does leave me full, but not heavy. It lasts me a long time but I never have that super-full-feeling in my stomach. Love that :)

Single Taken Smoked Salmon salad:

Spinach + arugula + smoked salmon + tabbouleh + capers + mustard + balsamic. The only thing it was missing was goat cheese...other than that, yum. Sure made this single girl's tastebuds happy!

Now puts your hands UP!

~Namaste~

Eat, Drink, and Watch Parades

HAPPY FLAG DAY!!!

Every June 14th, my little hometown has a parade. It's always a fun day. I was in the parade for 8 years, first with my dance teacher's studio, then for 5 with marching band. And now, I'm just happy to be the alumna who sits on the sidewalk and watches, glass of vino in hand :)

A blend from Montepulciano. I wish I had been able to go there - a little hill town in Siena - if nothing else for the wine. Next time!!!

Also had a little salad and...

Olives. I miss Italy.

What I really love about Flag Day is that when you walk around, you notice that everyone is just happy.  Kids are gearing up to collect as much candy as their ziplocs will hold, adults are chatting over grilling burgers and dogs, teenagers are maneuvering multiple conversations between friends and cell phones. And it's the same every year. There is something to be said for tradition. 

I was obsessed with getting something from these guys when I was little. That blow-up Pink Power Ranger balloon was a must-have in 5-year-old Gillianasana land.

Check out the dog on the leash tied to her pants!! Loved it :)

I was one of them. RepreSENT. [The crazy looking kid in the back right would be my brother. Oh, he makes me proud.]

What's a parade without marching clowns?

More doggies!

Yes, that is a stuffed dog on a gigantic fire hydrant. You see why I like this parade.

Wouldn't it be nice if you could just rewind back to Saturday every Monday?

Let's do it.

Starting with b-fast:

Melon + RASPBERRY Chobani!!

I'd heard good things, and decided to pony up thr $1.50 to try it. Good choice.

This was YUMMY! I really loved it. As with most Chobanis, the "fruit on the bottom" is more like jam and mixes perfectly without being cavity-inducing or fake-tasting. Yogurt-vana.

Again, most flavored Chobanis don't stand against the sideways spoon test:

But it's still thick enough to be a respectable Greek yogurt, and the flavor makes up for it. I definitely recommend it.

I also had one of my banana bread-turned-muffins:

Very tasty. Quite spicy - I like to add a lot of different spices and see what happens. Here I think it works!

Family friends came over for dinner and my mom put together some seriously delicious pasta:

Trofie al caprese!

Fresh pasta + grape tomatoes, halved + fresh cubed mozzarella + lots of fresh basil. She just dressed it in an olive oil+ balsamic vin dressing. It was wonderful, and so easy. A perfect summer dish!

I made more vegan chocolate-almond cookies for dessert, as per request of mia mama:

But I chose to devour this little guy instead:

A cannolli from our little Italian deli, Tutto Italiano. The best this side of the Atlantic.

It also inspired a new recipe idea I'm pretty excited about....oh, the suspense!!

On Sunday, I played working girl and helped a personal chef my mom knows who owns her own catering/chef company. She's pretty much a one-woman show, and it's quite impressive! Being curious about this kind of job, I asked if I could be her assistant - sous-chef, if you will - for a day and she kindly obliged :)

A big day calls for a big breakfast! Since I had to get up pretty early, I turned to an old standy-by: overnite oats.

Before bed. into the bowl went:

1/2 c. oats

1.2 c. almond milk

1 T ground flax

10 cherries, sliced up

cinnamon, vanilla, cocoa

The next morning, after a 30 second spin in the microwave to take off the chill, I cracked open a fresh Fage container and scooped 1/3c. on top:

Oats > ice cream sundae anyday!

All mixed up ;)

I think a combination of a tad too much cinnamon + sleepy tastebuds made this not as tasty as expected, but it had pontential. And kept me happy for a good 3-4 hours, which is quite a feat for me!

My morning was spent chopping veggies for salad, mixing up broccoli slaw, and shucking corn. A LOT of corn. It's all good, I just pretended I was Pocahontas. I know what you're wondering and yes, I can paint with all the colors of wind.

The event was a graduation party at a rather ritzy house. It was a really helpful, educational experience for me and while I'm not sure it's a trade that's calling my name, I did enjoy it. It was, however, a looooong day of chopping, stirring and standing. After passing out on the couch briefly when I came home, the only dinner that really appealed to me was in liquid form.

Green Monster it was!

Featuring this:

With almond milk, banana, cherries, a big handful of spinach and a splash of vanilla:

I was surprised at how much I liked the original flavor! It was a little grassy, but it added a nice flavor. My only worry would be that I would get tired of the same flavor in smoothie after smoothie. 

Do any of you use powders in smoothies? Do you use multiple kinds to switch it up, or do you have a solid standby that keeps you happy? 

In other product-related news, I've found a new waffle love!

Nature's Path has really got the crispy-on-the-outside/soft and dough-on-the-inside thing down. And while I will admit there is not even the slightest hint of pomegranate flavor, the flavor it does have is delicious! Whole grain-y and sweet, almost honey-y. Exactly as it should be.

Man, I love toaster waffles. A lot.

I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow AM, so I better hop off to bed.

Any other World Cup watchers out there? I'm hardcore Italia, all the way. Looks like it's gonna be a tough cup to win!

~Namaste~