Popping in so quickly today! As I’m writing this, I’m making my grocery/supplies list for the next week or so. Our city is in the path of totality for the solar eclipse on Monday (looking like it’s going to be cloudy though), and the region is bracing for tons of visitors. I do not particularly enjoy crowds at the shops, so I’m hoping to get in and out super early this morning. It’s slightly dorky, but the satisfaction I feel getting all my errands done pre-9am is just on another level. And grabbing a nice coffee on the way home? Chef’s kiss!!
On the garden front, nothing is new! It’s been cold and wet all week and we even had snowfall this morning. The pansies are toughing it out and the little fresh shoots of green from the sedums are bringing me joy.
With recipes, I’m still tweaking that darn chocolate fiber fantasy smoothie, working on a strawberry and butter lettuce salad, and also developing some soft (grain-free!) lemon poppyseed cookies. The holdup with the fiber smoothie is the inclusion of a couple special ingredients, so I’ve been hesitant to share. But I also feel like fiber is the next big trending thing, so maybe folks can get on board and it’s worth it? As always, I love reading your thoughts about this stuff.
Be well and be safe if you’re taking in the eclipse! And please don’t forget about the safety of your furry friends as well. Sending my love.
5 Things I’m Reading:
- Working With Your Hands Is Good for Your Brain
- ‘We have five in our bed – any more and I wouldn’t sleep!’: meet the extreme dog owners
- Why Are You So Hard On Yourself?
- We Need to Talk About Trader Joe’s
- Bill Nye answers all your burning questions about the solar eclipse
5 Things I’m Enjoying:
- Some excellent free gardening inspiration on Monrovia’s website
- I loved the latest episode of Peter Attia’s The Drive Podcast. Foot health: preventing and treating common injuries, enhancing strength and mobility, picking footwear, and more with Courtney Conley D.C. Foot strength for the win!
- Petra Fisher is another great resource on foot strength, mobility and joint health. I’ve learned so much from her over the past couple years!
- I ordered some infused olive oils from Evoolution out of Alberta, and they are all wonderful. Tuscan Herb, Garlic, Blood Orange, and Harissa are my faves.
- Just ordered a beautiful new journal from Papier. I would happily take one of everything from their site.
5 Questions:
- When do you use parchment paper vs a Silpat vs baking directly on the sheet?
I love this question! Parchment: when I’m feeling lazy or I’m making something that is particularly sticky and messy. Silpat: when you’re less concerned with browning/caramelization or you’re making cookies/sweets. Baking directly on the sheet: maximum caramelization and crisp edges (and you don’t mind a little cleanup after). - Thoughts on vegan frittata, quiche, similar chickpea flour cakes?
I personally do like them even though I don’t think that they really mimic eggs. They’re their own special thing, which I love! In one of Gwyneth Paltrow’s cookbooks, there’s a chickpea flour “soccata” (socca + frittata) recipe that I still make quite often for lunch. I’ve wanted to post a chickpea flour, cashew, and tofu-based “quiche” recipe on here forever, but always hit pause because it doesn’t seem interesting enough. Maybe I’m wrong? Let me know :) - How do you come up with new recipe ideas?
Inspiration either comes from my real life cooking needs/adventures, a seasonal flavour combination, certain cultural cooking practices, a point of curiosity, seeing a cool technique on another blog/food media site, or it’s a veg-heavy interpretation of something that’s typically focused on meat and cheese. And sometimes I’m just doing a seasonal remix of something I’ve posted before, like my orzo and sheet pan recipes. The fiber fantasy smoothie that I keep mentioning lately is inspired by a recent health journey that I’ve started on. Inspiration is truly everywhere! I always try to link and give proper credit when I’ve used someone else’s work as a reference. - Where do you source your dog beds?
The blue striped one that you see in my photos sometimes is an old Costco one! They don’t make them anymore unfortunately! The girls have a couple super plush and fuzzy ones from HomeSense as well. They always have so many cute and comfy ones in stock there. - What are your top 5 favourite veggie plants?
At our current home, I plant veggies and herbs in pots mainly, so my faves are: any type of lettuce, kale, cherry tomatoes, every type of herb (basil and thyme are my faves), and strawberries.
finally got to listen to Dr Courtney Conley and Dr Peter Attia…..I am hooked! It was amazing and just what I need at this time. Thank you SO much. Be well.
Reading your blog after writing my Tuesday morning test as a way to destress and delve into my creative side/hobbies (I do for enjoyment without pressure). Thanks for providing content that’s thought provoking but also wholesome – a reminder that we are more than just our career, we’re multifaceted. Looking forward to reading about your new fibre regime and the smoothie no matter how ‘strange’ it may be.
It’s raining here in Pretoria, South Africa but your blog has brought some sunshine.
Oh Laura, the dog article had me crying!! I have always had Wolfhounds until now :( I have had 7 but never more than 2 at once along with other dogs. Have a very different dog now, a
Catahoula Leopard. A rescue who is deaf and the Sweetest ever. Love your dog pictures, sweet faces :) Look foreward to your posts every week. Thank you.
Yes on the chickpea flour, cashew, and tofu-based “quiche” recipe! :)
Yes, please post the quiche recipe.
Very interested in your version of the frittata! I went the easy route over Easter and made a Just Egg deep dish frittata with kale, spring onion, vegan feta and lots of herbs in a vegan puff pastry crust and it was really good! Looking to find a good recipe for the Just Egg.
!!!! please, please DO share your chickpea/tofu/cashew quiche! a vegan quiche NOT made from just egg is something i have been dying to make in a more structured way than my current method. would love to see it!! thank-you as always for sharing!
I agree!! I’ve just moved from Canada back to Australia and we don’t have Just Egg here, so a quiche/frittata recipe without it is now in high demand please
All that walking around in ballet flats in my early 20s is seriously catching up with me now in my mid-forties. Keeping on top of foot health is very important. I also notice my feet and joints hurt wearing vans now so I’m going to have to start sizing up and putting insoles in them or only buying from their ‘Cush’ line which has comfier footbeds.
I would LOVE a quiche recipe!!
Thanks for all the goodness beyond your wonderful recipes and food/prep knowledge. Like the info on Petra Fisher and I’d be interested in your quiche recipe – thank you!
I would be interested in your quiche recipe!
Yes, please, to the chickpea flour, cashew, and tofu quiche recipe. Sounds good. Thank you.
I would love to try the chickpea flour recipe! I have a mental block with attempting to try a vegan “quiche”. I’ve looked at many recipes, but all look….iffy. I know that if you published it, I would try it, because everything you create is delicious! And while I may not make the chocolate recipe, I think it’s always nice to learn new things.
Thanks for linking that article about Trader Joe’s. Very interesting and helps explain those low prices!
Yes please to the chickpea flour, cashew & tofu quiche recipe. It sounds delicious! Thank you for all your delicious recipes.
+1 for a chickpea flour quiche/frittata recipe!! I love them because they are so easy to throw together and great for lunches for the week.
Yes to a quiche recipe! I have only found one we like although would love your take!! We make them around the holidays! Enjoy your weekend!
I would love to see your recipe for the chickpea flour tofu and cashew quiche!
Thanks for all your great inspiration.
I would love it if you could please post the chocolate fiber fantasy smoothie no matter how strange you think some of the ingredients might be perceived to be. I would be down to try it! I would also love if you could post the recipe for the chickpea flour, cashew, tofu quiche as I have tried a few versions of vegan quiches in the past but none have been amazing and I’m sure you would be the person who could figure out the best ingredient ratio to actually make it taste delicious!