blueberries

Blueberry Kale Stem Smoothie

November 26, 2014 by Erica

Happy Thanksgiving Eve! Are you just giddy with excitement for mashed potatoes and stuffing? I know I am. Also, I’m giddy about sharing these delicious smoothies with you! But before we get to these slurps of healthy goodness, let;s talk books for a minute.

I just finished reading Gone Girl and it was SO good. I picked it up in the airport last week and pretty much didn’t put it down. When I started reading, I was worried it would be too scary for me – I’m a total wimp when it comes to thrillers of any kind – but it’s not your typical crime novel. I mean, it’s definitely creepy, but it really draws you in. It’s one of those books that is just ALL you can think about until you pick it up again. No spoilers, but on Sunday night I actually dreamed that I was on the run from the law after committing a crime. Nick and Amy are invading my brain!

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Blueberry Banana Forbidden Rice Pudding (Vegan)

July 10, 2014 by Erica

Summer berry season is ON.

These glorious juicy little berries are the #1 (food-related) reason I look forward to summer. Have I said that before… perhaps about tomatoes? peaches? basil? Blasphemy. Berries are my all-time favorite summer food.

And just because it’s fun, here are my top non-food-related reasons to look forward to summer: Dresses (my credit card bill has been insane lately, and Anthro and Banana are to blame), Martha’s Vineyard (headed there in a month!), and just generally the warm weather. If you ask me, there’s no better feeling than walking out of the house without taking the time to stop and bundle up first. I think those that live in a warm climate year-round take that feeling for granted, but I most certainly do not! Well, not usually. I’ll be complaining about the heat before you know it… so just remind me that I always prefer warmth to cold!

I also love how easily those summer dresses pack into a suitcase. Today I’m headed back to Boston to do girly wedding planning stuff with my mom, and I threw all my clothes for the long weekend into a carry-on with plenty of room to spare. If you know me, you know that is quite the feat! Girlfriend does not pack light. I mean, I haven’t gotten to the toiletries yet – and I’m pretty sure those don’t get skimpier in the summer – but I think I’m going to get by with my smallest carry-on. Summer dresses FTW!

So since I mentioned it, can I just derail this pudding parade to talk about wedding stuff for a second? OK good. Because this weekend we get to do the following: Cake tasting. Florist meeting. Hair and makeup trials. Eeek!! Maybe we’ll even have to test out a few signature cocktail recipes. Life is tough, you guys. I cannot wait!

P.S. Am I really flying across the country just to get my hair done? Shhhh. Let’s get this pudding parade back on track.

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Blueberry Tahini Smoothie

June 9, 2014 by Erica

It is that perfect weather time of year. June! June, I love you.

It’s perfect patio temperature. Warm in the sun, cool in the shade, and because we live in the West, perfectly dry all the time. It’s light in the morning when I wake up, and light in the evening when I leave work. Sometimes it’s even light out when I’m thinking about going to bed at night… but I try to stay up until dark. Otherwise I might have to sacrifice my adulthood.

It’s also perfectly green right now. Utah is usually not that green of a place. But somehow this year we had good snowfall and a relatively wet spring, so things haven’t started to shrivel into wildfire tinder just yet. And with just a bit of snow still in the mountains overhead, it’s just gorgeous!

The weather is also great for running, as long as you get your run over early enough before the sun really starts baking. To me, there’s nothing better than running in the cool part of the day before the rest of the city wakes up. After work runners: I don’t know how you survive at this time of year. It is still HOT out at 6 or 7 pm, and I mean, if you wait until later than that, when do you eat dinner?! I am very concerned for you. You are going to be heat stroked and hungry – my two worst nightmares. My workout schedule clearly revolves around temperature and food.

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Blueberry Vanilla Cashew Energy Bites

February 7, 2014 by Erica

Blueberry Vanilla Cashew Energy Balls

Can we talk about recipe fails for a minute?

A few weeks ago I posted my latest recipe fail on Facebook – I was trying to recreate the blueberry vanilla cashew Kind bars that I love (and that you can no longer get at Starbucks – wahhhh!). Unfortunately, I was far from successful.

Blueberry Vanilla Cashew Energy Balls

They looked pretty and tasted delicious, but they just wouldn’t firm up. And when I tried to cut them… well, they didn’t look so pretty anymore.

Blueberry Vanilla Cashew Energy Balls

I had to take a picture because it was so hilarious.

They didn’t stick together at all, and were basically like eating globs of raisins and nuts covered in honey. Not terrible, but not exactly something I could recommend to you all.

But listen, I love those Kind bars, and I am seriously bummed that Starbucks doesn’t sell them anymore! (At least the Starbucks I’ve been to…) So despite failed attempt #1, I decided to bring my food processor to the rescue. And that’s why today we have, not bars, but balls.

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Yogurt Panna Cotta with Balsamic Blueberry Sauce

August 12, 2013 by Erica

Yogurt Panna Cotta with Balsamic Blueberries

I don’t think it’s any secret that I like food. I mean obviously… I write this blog. But it’s not that often that just the name of a recipe can elicit the response in me that this one did.

Every Wednesday I get an email from the farmer whose CSA box I buy with a few notes about the next day’s pickup. She often includes a couple recipes, especially for ingredients you might not be as familiar with (like turnips!). And this past week, one of the recipes was this: Panna Cotta With Balsamic Blueberries.

Yogurt Panna Cotta with Balsamic Blueberries

I gasped out loud… alone in my apartment.

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