Farmers' Market Pasta and Sunflower Flax Bread

My best friend, Christina, visited for the weekend! We have been close since our sophomore year at the University of Idaho and lived together for two years at Kappa Delta. Through my move across the country and her long hours as an auditor at KPMG, we have prioritized to see each other 3-4 times a year and have kept a blissful friendship. She moved to Pennyslvania in July,was recently recruited by Corning Inc and begins her new awesome job at the end of the month. I could not be more proud of her! During her visit, we attended our first Wake Forest Football Tailgate, celebrated ChristinaPalooza with some of our new friends, had long talks about our dreams for the future and shopped at the local Farmers' Market. We both love cooking and eating healthy fare. She is training for the New York City Marathon in November so this post is carb-loaded!

Farmers' Market Pasta

Homemade Pasta
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 local egg
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water (more to make a smooth dough)

Knead all ingredients until you have a smooth, elastic dough ball. Roll out and cut into noodles. Let dry for at least an hour.

Farmers' Market Sauce
5 tablespoons olive oil
6 cloves garlic
3 red dried chilis (red pepper flakes work too)
1 chopped red onion
2 cups cherry tomatoes (halved)
2 cups zucchini sliced in small chunks
1/2 cup basil
salt and pepper

Saute garlic, onion and red chilis in olive oil for 5 minutes.
Add tomatoes and zucchini.
Cover pan and let simmer for 10 minutes. Stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, boil pasta for 2 minutes.
Add basil, cooked pasta and salt and pepper.
Saute all ingredients for 2 minutes.
Serve with fresh grated parmesan cheese and fresh cracked pepper.

Sunflower Flax Bread

1 1/3 cup warm water
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon yeast
1/4 cup vital wheat fluten
1/4 cup self-rising bread flour
1 1/2 cup whole wheat bread flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup flax seeds
1 teaspoon salt

In a stand mixer, beat together warm water, oil and honey. Let sit for 10 minutes.
Add wheat gluten, flour, rolled oats, sunflower seeds, flax seeds and salt.
Knead for 10 minutes until a smooth elastic ball forms.
Let rise for at least an hour or until doubled in size.
Shape and put into loaf pan.
Let rise for another hour and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Black Bean/Black Eyed Pea Dip and Date Bars

Last night, I hosted 10 beautiful ladies at my house for wine and conversation. Most of these women are partners of First Year MBA students and we had a few gals who are new to the Winston-Salem community. It was a lovely evening of building community and further emphasized that Blake and I ended up in the right place for B-school.

We dined on appetizers including black bean/black eyed pea dip with veggies and Food Should Taste Good chips, cream cheese spread with homemade strawberry jam,  healthy date bars, desserts from Mt. Airy (home of Andy Griffith) and local watermelon.

My new friends asked for the recipes for the dip and date bars so here goes (please note I never follow a recipe so hopefully my measurements are correct).

Black Bean/Black Eyed Pea Dip
1 cup black beans
1 cup black eyed peas
2 small red onions
2 jalepenos
1 cup hot salsa
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp chili powder
1 cup cilantro
juice from 1 lime
2 tsp salt

Process all ingredients in a food processor or mash with a fork.
Serve with veggies and chips or fold into tortillas for delicious burritos or quesadillas.

Date Bars

Crust and Topping
1 1/2 cups almonds
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 tsp salt
2 tsp almond extract
10 dates
1/4 cup canola oil
2 tbsp honey

Filling
24 dates
1/2 cup water

Process almonds, rolled oats, salt, almond extract, dates, canola oil and honey in food processor or blender.
In an 8 by 8 pan, spread out half of the almond mixture and put the other half in a bowl to use for the topping.
Process dates and water for filling.
Top crust with filling and top with additional almond mixture.
Refrigerate for at least two hours and cut into 1-inch squares.
Serve or store in fridge or freezer.

These date bars make a beautiful dessert that you can feel good about serving your friends.

No Bake Cookie Granola Bars

It's been a long hiatus since I last posted. Blake and I have moved to Winston-Salem, NC as he begins his new journey as a Wake Forest MBA Student and I have continued to work for the University of Virginia from my home office. We are absolutely loving North Carolina! The fresh produce is endless, the days are warm and the people are incredibly friendly! We are getting settled in and meeting lots of new friends. Since we arrived, I have traveled to Virginia Beach, Indiana, Raleigh, Charlotte and made two return trips to Charlottesville. I enjoy traveling and sometimes find it hard to find healthy fare. When I was a child, one of my favorite treats were chocolotely no-bake cookies. Of course, the original recipe is loaded with butter and processed sugar, two things I try to limit in my daily life. Here is a raw healthy version that is packed full of whole grains, protein, natural sweetener and filling fiber.

No Bake Cookie Granola Bars
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup dates
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup roasted peanuts (unsalted)

Process rolled oats and dates in a food processor. Add honey, peanut butter, cocoa and salt. Add enough water (about 1 cup) to make a sticky consitency. Add roasted peanuts and pulse until coursely chopped.

Add mixture to a cake pan and put in refrigerator for at least one hour. Cut into individual squares and wrap in plastic wrap. Store in freezer.

These make incredible travel and school snacks!

Homemade Carnitas Tacos

The Third Annual Armstrong Cinco de Mayo party was a success! We celebrated my favorite holiday of the year surrounded by friends and dined on homemade pork tacos. As I mentioned in my previous post, I bought myself a cast iron tortilla press which added an extra special touch to this year's fiesta! Many of my friends raved about the homemade tortillas and carnitas and asked for the recipes. I promise, they are much easier (and healthier) than you think!

Homemade Tortillas
2 cups Masa Harina (I used Bob's Mill brand and it worked great)
1 1/2 cups hot water
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a bowl, mix masa harina and salt. Add water slowly and begin incorporating with hands until a soft and not sticky dough is formed. Once you achieve the correct consistency, knead dough for 5 minutes.
Let rest in a bowl covered with plastic wrap for one hour, this step is important to let the gluten develop.
Divide dough into 16 small balls. Roll out with rolling pin between two pieces of parchment paper (use tortilla press if you have one). Heat a cast iron skillet and cook tortillas for about 1 minute on each side. Keep tortillas warm in a dry dish towel.

Crock Pot Carnitas

1 pork tenderloin
1 15-ounce jar of tomatillo salsa
2  chopped bell peppers
1 chopped red onion
2 chopped jalapenos

This is one of my favorite party recipes because it is incredibly easy, healthy and my friends love it! Put all of the ingredients into a crock pot and cook on low for 7-8 hours.

Chana Masala (Chickpeas in a Tomato Cream Sauce)

It has been an exciting week! It started off with a Wine and Beer tasting in Yorktown, Virginia with the UVaClub of the Peninsula and will end tomorrow night with the Annual Armstrong Cinco de Mayo party. As I have mentioned in the past, it is my favorite holiday and this year I bought myself a present, a cast iron tortilla press! Blake also bought me a gift of unlimited Bikram Yoga in our next home, Winston-Salem!

On Monday, Darden held a beautiful celebration for my friend and mentor, Fred Drake, who passed away from cancer last week. I was humbled to be asked to speak to the community and was able to share beautiful words that he wrote me on my last day as a Darden employee. He spoke from the heart and told me I was the daughter he never had...pretty touching words, especially with his recent passing. Tomorrow we will gather again to celebrate his life's achievements including being at NASA when man first landed on the moon, dancing with Jackie O. Kennedy and serving Darden's students as a career consultant for 10 years. However, it's not his achievements that I will remember. Instead, I will recall his passion and zest for life and his unwavering kindness towards his wife, son, siblings and friends. I love you Fred Drake, thank you for teaching me invaluable life lessons!

As you can tell from reading my blog, I have a passion for cooking and creating new recipes. Chana Masala (one of my favorite Indian dishes) is one of my recent go-to recipes because it is spicy, full of nutrition and delicious!

1 15-oz can chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
1 26-oz can whole tomatoes
1 cup water
5 whole carrots (peeled and chopped)
1 red onion
1 red pepper (diced)
3 tablespoons ginger garlic sauce
2 tablespoons low-fat cream cheese
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 tablespoon guam masala
1/4 teaspoon red pepper (more if you like it spicier)
1 teaspooon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil

Heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add cumin seeds and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add onion, carrots, peppers, ginger garlic sauce, and spices. Cook for 4-5 minutes.
Add canned tomatoes and water. Bring to simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
Remove pot from heat and stir in cream cheese.
Serve over hot brown jasmine rice. Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Lasagna

Blake and I have big news to share! We will be moving to Winston-Salem, NC as he enters the world of an MBA student at Wake Forest University. Red Carpet Weekend was two weeks ago and we signed a lease on a duplex one mile from the Business School and paid our deposit. We made friends with some restaunteurs in town, met some of his classmates and their partners, and I found an awesome Bikram Yoga studio! While I am sad to leave Charlottesville, a place that has given us so many friends and mentors, I am excited for our next chapter.

In advance of our move, I have been trying to clean out the freezer and I found some frozen butternut squash left over from our CSA last fall. This was an experimental dish and it turned out wonderfully healthy and delicious.

Layer 1 (Whole Wheat Lasagna Noodles)
12 whole wheat oven ready lasagna noodles

Layer 2
5 cups spinach

1 large red onion
6 oz part skim ricotta cheese
1 cup provolone cheese
1 egg
1/4 cup basil leaves
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

Saute onion in olive oil and sauted for 5 minutes. Add spinach and wilt.
Mix together cheeses, egg, basil and salt and pepper.
Add spinach mixture to cheese mixture.

Layer 3 (Butternut Squash)
3 cups roasted butternut squash

Layer 4 (Spicy Tomato Sauce)
15 oz can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes
4 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 cup  torn basil leaves
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons olive oil

Sauted garlic, oregano, basil leaves and red pepper flakes in olive oil.
Add tomatoes and simmer for 20 minutes.

Begin layering lasagna starting with layer 1 and ending with layer 4. Repeat until you have used all of the ingredients. Top with 1 cup of parmesan cheese.

Bake at 375 for 45 minutes or until bubbly. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Homemade Pasta and Banana Pancakes

Blake and I traveled to Andrews Airforce Base two weeks ago to spend the weekend with one of my best friends, Jess and her husband, Mica. As I mentioned in a previous post, they just moved east from Buckley Airforce Base in Colorado. Jess will be leaving for Afghanistan on Wednesday for a short-term deployment until September.

We had a wonderful time during our visit. Jess and I cooked a delicious dinner of roasted chicken, homemade pasta and sauted asparagus for the boys and spent hours catching up over glasses of sparkling and red wine on Friday. Saturday was spent playing with the dogs, eating delicious food all over Capitol Hill on a walk/food tour and taking in the beautiful night sky in downtown DC while Sunday was filled with homemade banana pancakes and a round of golf. I simply cannot convey how proud I am of my beautiful friend and our country's military. Please take a moment today to say a prayer and thank our soldiers for sacrificing time with their families and friends to protect our nation.

Homemade Pasta
2 cups flour
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
water

Knead flour, eggs and salt with enough water to make a soft ball. This will take several minutes of kneading. Roll out as thinly as possible (cut into noodles or cute shapes).

Bring water to a boil and cook noodles for 2 minutes. Serve with homemade sauce.

Banana Pancakes
1 cup uncooked rolled oats

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour

1/4 cup raw sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg

2 cups milk

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 bananas, mashed

Mix together dry ingredients in one bowl and wet ingredients, including bananas, into another bowl.

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until combined and still slightly lumpy.

Head griddle to medium-high and spray with pam.

Cook pancakes about 2 minutes on each side.

Serve with pure maple syrup, homemade fruit syrup or peanut butter.

Curry Fried Rice

We have discovered a delicious restaurant in Charlottesville that sits right beside our local haunt, Beer Run. Pad Thai is owned by a lovely Thai couple who immigrated from Bangkok five years ago and serve the most delicious ginger tea, fresh summer rolls and spicy vegetable noodle dishes. Blake loves their Kapow Fried Rice. We had some leftover brown rice from the Orange Ginger Stir Fry that we had on Sunday and I thought it would be fun to recreate his favorite dish.

2 cups broccoli
2 cups asparagus
1 zucchini
1/2 onion
2 eggs
2 tablespoons garlic ginger sauce
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons canola or olive oil
4 cups cooked brown rice
1/4 cup chopped scallions

Heat 2 tablespoons canola oil in wok and saute onions, veggies, garlic chili sauce, curry powder, red pepper flakes and cayenne pepper until veggies are tender.
Transfer veggies to a plate and add 1 tablespoon of oil to wok.
Scramble eggs in oil and add cooked rice and veggies.
Saute for 2-3 minutes.
Transfer to plate and top with scallions.

Enjoy!

Homemade "Brownies"

I have had the fantastic opportunity over the past nine months to travel all over the country and to Southeast Asia. I absolutely love traveling because it gives me the opportunity to meet new people, try new food, take in beautiful sights and grow as an individual. I have had some amazing opportunities like attending Ralph Sampson's induction into the NCAA Hall of Fame, visiting former students in Minneapolis, Kansas City, Charlotte and Greensboro, watching the Chick-fil-A-Bowl in Atlanta, and playing with beautiful children in Vietnam. I have also had some terrifying experiences like losing my Visa in Vietnam and getting stuck overnight in Hanoi before flying to Laos...the good news? I now know how to navigate the immigration process while traveling abroad.

While I am  on the road, I always bring snacks in my purse. This keeps my energy level up and my disposition happy to deal with any unforeseen travel woas and enjoy my new surroundings.

Here are some of my favorite snacks:
Banana
Apple
Orange
Kashi Crackers
Food Should Taste Good chips
Trail Mix (unsalted nuts, dried fruit, dried cereal)
Homemade "Brownies"

Homemade "Brownies"
I absolutely love making my own fruit and nut bars. This is an incredibly delicious recipe that packs well for long trips.

2 cups dates (pitted)
2 cups walnuts, almond or cashews
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 tablespoon water

Process all ingredients in food processor or blender. Add more water if the ingredients do not come together easily. Spread batter into a glass pan and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Cut into squares and wrap in plastic wrap.

Orange Ginger Veggie Stirfry

I had the amazing opportunity in February to staff a Nursing Service trip to Vietnam.

This particular trip was a Nursing Service Trip in partnership with the University of Virginia’s Office of Engagement and Nursing Alumni Association, the Lion’s Club, and the Global Community Service Foundation. While we did our fair share of sightseeing: shopping at the Ben Tahn Market and learning more about the Vietnam War at the Cu Chi Tunnels in Saigon, running through the waves at China Beach, and having custom clothes constructed in Hoi An, it was the service aspect of the trip that left a lasting impression on my heart.  The first full-day of service was spent at the Vihn Lihn Blind Association in a farming village north of the former DMZ where we provided medical and eye exams to over 200 men, women and children. On the surface, the day was dreadful as rain poured from dawn until dusk but when a middle-aged rice farmer gave me the biggest grin I have ever seen after receiving his first pair of eye-glasses, the sun started to shine. That evening was spent at a lovely dinner at the beach (under a tarp since it was still raining) enjoying home-style Vietnamese cooking. I remember thinking to myself that life doesn’t get much better, but I was wrong. Tomorrow my life would be changed at a small rural school outside of Khe Sahn. While the doctors and nurses were busy giving deworming medicine to the kids, providing check-ups and testing eye sight; I was charged with playing with beautiful children amongst banana trees and rice paddies to keep them occupied. We played their version of baseball (using a ball of paper wrapped in a rubber band and our arms as bats), kicked a soccer ball, and ran around playing tag along the local stream. They were athletic, sweet as can be, and made a lasting impression on my life.

I miss these children and I miss the delicious food! I have daily cravings for Pho, Bahn Mi, rice and  fresh fruit and vegetables. This Orange Ginger Veggie Stirfry was influenced by this trip to Vietnam and the extension trip to Laos where local peanuts and cashews were frequently paired with rice and vegetables.

Orange Ginger Veggie Stirfry

Vegetables (you can use any combination of vegetables that you like)
2 cups sugar snap peas
2 cups broccoli
1 red onion
2 portabello mushrooms
2 zucchinis
5 carrots
2 red bell pepper
2 cans chopped water chestnuts

Marinade
2 cups orange juice
1 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoon garlic-ginger sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (more if you like)

Rice
2 cups short grain brown rice
4 cups water

Combine all ingredients in marinade, add chopped veggies and let sit for at least an hour.
Boil water and add rice, turn temperature down to medium-low and cook for 45 minutes or until water is absorbed and rice is fluffy.
Heat 2 tablespoons canola oil in wok (or large frying pan) until very hot, add veggies and marinade to wok and cook for 15-20 minutes until veggies are tender.
Serve veggies over rice and top wish roasted cashews or peanuts.

Lifelong Friends

I have been incredibly lucky during the last 26 years, somehow I got the long straw and have been fortunate enough to have close friends during all phases of my life.  I am so overwhelmed with love  that I thought it was finally time to write a blog about some of the people who are most special to me.

Of course, my mother is my best friend and understands me more than anyone else. I have been in Charlottesville for 4 years and not a day goes by that I don't wish I had my Mom next door. We can talk for hours about everything (or nothing as Blake notes). I am so proud that she has dedicated her life to serving our country's youth as a public school teacher.

In college, I met my best friends through Kappa Delta and am still close to them (despite the miles that are between us).

Jess (my twin from the sorority), is an Air Force Officer and recently transferred to Andrews AFB in DC from Buckley AFB in Denver. I was overjoyed when I got the news that she was coming East. A few weeks back, we all got word that she was being deployed to Afghanistan for a short-term assignment until September. I just spent the weekend with her and could not be more proud to call this beautiful, strong, smart and talented soldier my friend.

Christina is my BFF. We met our freshman year in a science course. She was going through a black emo phase and I was going through a "pink Reese Witherspoon, Legally Blonde" phase; yet, our friendship soared throughout college and beyond. She is a gourmet cook, CPA, marathon runner. Can you say overachiever? Luckily for me, she is moving to Pennsylvania this summer and will only be a drive (instead of a day's flight) away. I see many trips to the beach and the theatre in NYC in our future!

Jennell is the mother hen of our friends. She is the one who plans the fun weekends together, makes sure we are eating well, and tells us when we need to have an attitude adjustment. She has two beautiful daughters and works as an Accountant at a Lineman's College. She is incredibly caring and is the perfect person to have on speed dial when motherhood begins.

Becky is a Golf Pro in Eugene who spends her day's outside smoozing and teaching people how to play this awesome sport! She is incredibly athletic and loved living with Blake and I for a summer in Charlottesville.

Noel is finishing up her Master's degree in Physical Therapy at Western NC State. She spent a few years in Nags Head, NC and we took advantage of the extra beach time.

Dela lives in Peru and is having her first baby in a few months. I miss her tremendously and have not seen her since 2006, yet we correspond via Facebook and our relationship is as strong as ever.

They say you meet your husband in college (which did happen) but they forgot to mention that you meet your best friends, too!

I'm Back!

Wow, has it really been three months since I wrote my last blog post? Life has been fantastic over the last few months and I have much to share. Charlottesville is glistening with icicles this afternoon due to low temperatures and rain in the forecast. We have had a very mild winter so far (I have been outside in shorts at least once in January) and I'm hoping we can make it to spring without a major snowfall. The longer I live in this beautiful community, the more it feels like home thanks to a great job at U.Va., amazing friends and easy access to local food, wine and beer!

Here is a short recap of 10 things that have made me happy in the last three months:

*Chris and Leah moving back to Charlottesville (I met this beautiful couple when they were students at Darden before they moved to Philadelphia to begin their post-MBA careers. Luckily for me, they missed Cville so much that they returned after a year. Blake and I have spent many hours with them as Chris tutors Blake for the GMAT while Leah and I practice Ashtanga Yoga and run together. It has been so wonderful to have them back!)


*Attending the NCAA College Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Kansas City and meeting College and NBA great, Ralph Sampson.

*Tailgating for Football (Thanks to my awesome new job, we have a fantastic tailgate spot!)

*Spending hours at Pike's Place Market (again, thanks to my new job and the Men's Basketball Team being in Seattle.)

*Breaking into Cameron Indoor at Duke University (okay we didn't break in and the security guards let us explore but this was a dream come true for me!)

*Cheering on the 'Hoos Basketball Team (As of this post, they are #15 in the country with a record of 14-2. The pack defense is working again...just like it did at WSU and Wisconsin.)

*Ringing in 2012 at the Chick-fil-A Bowl (Yes, it was a lot of work to plan and execute events for Wahoo Nation and yes, I had the most fantastic time! Thanks to all of my colleagues and friends who help me celebrate my 26th birthday.)

*Celebrating life's precious moments (When I was home in Idaho for Christmas, I held baby Oakley...the daughter of Jennell, one of my best friends...when she was a day old and witnessed my brother's legal wedding...now I can't wait to wear my bridesmaids dress and party at the reception in June.)

*Realizing that true friendship and family never change (When I moved to Virginia, I wondered what would happen to my relationships with my family and friends. This holiday season solidified that these bonds hold true no matter how many miles there are between us! Thank you to all of my closest friends and family for loving me and giving me the best Christmas yet.)