Té Verde

I love waking up in the morning and getting my caffeine fix for the day with Green tea! My all time favorite tea... I would have to say is... Japanese Genmaicha, which is made of green tea leaves and toasted brown rice!  Right before I left Ann Arbor in June, I finally visited TeaHaus in Kerrytown and I became officially hooked on brewing my tea with fresh leaves! Since then, I've run out of my special green tea brew (will have to order more soon), but I did find this one at WF the other day:

Green Tea with Peppermint.  Wow, it really wakes me up in the morning and leaves a clean minty taste on my palate.  That is my tea brewing basket.  Love it because I can put it right on my mug and let it steep the goodness into the hot water while I'm multitasking. :)  What is even better is that I can make multiple brews with this teaware!

I would have to say, my second favorite is Cinnamon Rooibos from Caribou Coffee or Mandarin Rooibos from Sweetwaters. :)

What is your favorite tea?

Sweet Potato Chickpea Burger

Oh the other day when I was browsing through my google reader, I read this recipe called Sweet Potato Chickpea Burger and I was intrigued! Made me miss the summer picnic days, which is soon coming near an end. I decided to whip up my own version of this yummy recipe!

1/2 cup of Cooked chickpeas, 1 small steamed Korean sweet potato, and a handful of flat leaf parsley.

I added all of the ingredients in a food processor along with 1 tsp of minced garlic and a dash of black pepper. And yes, I kept the skin of the sweet potato on! It added great color and nutrients!! :)

I coarsely chopped all the ingredients together.

I rolled the mush into five mini-burgers.  Check out the chunky texture! I baked them in the oven at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes.  (To note: I need to lightly grease the pan next time....)

Yummy.  Drizzle with honey or agave nectar for some added sweetness.  I'm all about savory + sweet together! Put in a whole grain bun if desired.  I think I might be making this more often now!

What do you love about summer picnics?

Cabbage Wraps

My mom came home the other day and suggested that I try cabbage! Apparently, cabbage is suppose to help with digestion and colon cleansing,...anything to help my tummy, I shall try! Keke. Here is the yumminess I came up with!

For my daily green juice: cabbage, flat leaf parsley, romaine, celery, euro cucumber, and oranges! (I've been juicing my citrus fruits lately and it is so frothy! Better than Tropicana...!)

Green juice with cabbage.  Let's just say, it was very.... veggie tasting hahaha.  I might need to add an extra piece of fruit next time to balance it all out.

For lunch, I steamed several cabbage leaves in my steamer for 10 minutes.  (Keep the lid closed to keep the moisture in the pot!)  I then added firm tofu, avocado, tomato, a few chickpeas, and a nice glob of nut butter. (I confess, one was almond butter and the other was peanut butter....I had to try it with both! Keke).

Then I wrapped up the goods...burrito, fajita, eggroll style! (The cabbage leaves are very durable, so it'll wrap any way you want it to!).

My half eaten cabbage wrap! :) Wow, I think I like cabbage wraps more than lettuce ones.  I didn't have my veggies falling out midway through my eating, which tends to happen with lettuce!

You can adapt the steamed cabbage wrap to any filler you want: rice, meat, cheese,...etc. (fyi: for the omnivores out there!)

Do you like cabbage? Any other creative ways to prepare it?

Mockingjay

If you liked Harry Potter, you are going to love this trilogy! The first book is called "Hunger Games" and the second one is called, "Catching Fire" written by Suzanne Collins.  To complete the series, "Mockingjay" just came out this past week.  Of course, I had it pre-ordered from Borders a month in advance.  It came in the mail just last night. :)

Why does this trilogy have me hooked? It presents the real life global issue of hunger and survival.  It makes me think about the essentials in life and the values I choose to abide by.  The author develops the personalities of each character exceptionally well and I love being able to follow their thoughts as they go through the various confrontations in the storyline.  And... it has the perfect balance of adventure and love. Keke.

Definitely a good read. As you can tell, my weekend will be spent reading...:)

What is a good book you've read recently? Any recommendations?

Oh so scrumptious!

I would like to introduce to you all the Korean sweet potato. :)

Hello there "Goguma" (name in Korean).

It has a pink-ish or purple-ish exterior depending on the variety and a yellow flesh.  You can find them at your local Korean supermarket.  Koreans love roasting them during the cold winter nights by the fire or... in the oven. :)  Roasting gives them a sweeter taste because the natural sugars caramelize into a yummy golden syrup! More on that later.  I decided to steam my sweet potatoes today. :)

Steamed Korean Sweet Potato
Directions:
1. Wash the sweet potatoes well (scrub the skin, so you can eat it!). 
2. Fill a pot with about 2 inches of water.  Make sure the water doesn't seep into the steamer! 
3. Put the sweet potatoes in a steamer and boil on medium high heat for 30-35 minutes.  Keep the lid of the pot ON at all times in order to keep the steam from escaping!  You will know when it is done by poking a knife/fork/chopstick through the sweet potato.  It should be very easy to poke through.

Roasted Korean Sweet Potato
If you want to roast these sweet potatoes (the traditional way), bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes and then broil them at 425 degrees for the last 10 minutes.

Ahhhh sooooo scrumptious! Drizzle with almond butter and sprinkle with cinnamon.  You can add honey, brown sugar, or just eat it bare. :) It is seriously THAT good.  Can be eaten sweet as a dessert (like me) or alongside your dinner!

Enjoy :).

What is the most scrumptious food you've eaten lately?

Local Foodie Find

Welcome to Organico! I discovered this quaint little food shop/café when I was lost one day...:)

The store is about two more shelves wider than this picture! Very small, but well stocked.

They even have a bulk section! I like to buy my nuts and seeds from this section at grocery markets. 

I save a few dollars here and there, I like to think...:).

Oh I heart nut butters! I've never seen these two brands before! Easy spread PB without any oils or additives? Impressive! And I really want to try raw almond butter one day.  They are all so pricey! (I usually get the roasted almond butter)

These square rice cakes reminds me of the ones they sell in the EU.  I like the square shaped ones better than the traditional circle ones because they are more portable and not as crumble-y! 

They have fantastic mini-café.  This is their vegetarian/vegan sandwich bar.

I got a green juice called "Theresa's Treasures", made of lemon, spinach, apple, cucumber, celery, kale.  Very yummy.  Keke I see my darling mini in the background!

Yay and I finally got the Coco-Aloe drink that I've been looking for.  It was sooo refreshing and sweet! It has blobs of pulp, which made it very tasty.  Thanks Debbie for the recommendation. 

I like how this store is only 5 minutes away from my house.  A nice stop for fresh juice or a quick food pickup.  Doesn't have as much fresh produce as I need, so I think Whole Foods will still remain my regular go-to shop.  But I seriously love these local shops.  I can always find something there that I can't find at WF!

Teaching Kodak Moments

I can't believe I am about to embark on my 5th year teaching.  Crazy.  I can't believe time has come and gone so quickly.  Reminds me again that life is too short, but truly very sweet.

My first Excel class I taught right after student teaching in 2006! Wow! 

Latitude/Velocity in 2006-2007. 
I can't believe half of these students are in college now!

My second Excel class in 2007.
Check out the peace signs! So cute.

Spain/France Trip with my students from BHS in 2009! 

 Greenhills JV volleyball in 2009.
My first time ever coaching! Keke. It was a blast!

 Mexican Town in Detroit with my 6th and 7th graders from Greenhills in 2010.
Ahhh I miss them so!

 My 6th graders at Greenhills. Ahhh I love their creativity and energy!

So many more pictures to sift through, but these in particular, brought back so many blissful memories.

Which picture in your photo album makes you smile the most?

Chickpea Salad

Made this chickpea blend a few weeks ago! Looks just like tuna salad, tastes even better though. :)

Soak the beans overnight or for 10-12 hours. Isn't the bowl awesome btw? Love the spout on it! Keke

After soaking the beans, boil them for about 1 hour and 15 minutes (give or take a few).  You can see the foam on the top.  Skim the foam in a bowl and discard.  Add more water if needed! You will know when they are done by gently smashing one of the beans in the pot. It should mash pretty easily!

Blend rolled oats, purple onion, and parsley together until finely diced! The colors will look beautiful :).

Combine minced garlic, olive oil, cumin, and black pepper together.  Measurements are to taste :). I'll try to be better about remembering what they exactly are in the future :)! Add the spices into the food processor.

Measure about 1 cup of beans and add them into the food processor. Blend all the ingredients together! The beans should be coarsely chopped, not fine.  It'll give a chunkier texture. Btw, you don't have to chop the garbanzo beans! You can actually just mix them all together by hand as well.

Here is the final product. Looks like a mashed up tuna or chicken salad! Keke, well I think so at least.

You can add the chickpea salad to a bed of greens and diced veggies.  You can use it in a lettuce wrap! Or even make baked falafels (I would add a a bit of flour to it to thicken it together!).  The cumin and minced garlic gives the chickpea salad great flavor. :)

Which savory spice do you like to flavor your food with the most?

Green food

It seems that the main topic of conversation when I meet people lately is...."So what do you eat? What can you eat?" (in reference to my high raw food veganism). Well, what I can't eat (due to my health),... the list goes on for a bit.  But what I love to eat is something like this for lunch:

Green juice: romaine, spinach, parsley, broccoli, gala apple, kiwi, and yellow beets. Yes, the skin on the kiwi is still on there! Tons of nutrients are in the skin of fruits and veggies, did you know? :) I think that bowl has about 24 ounces in it! That's about 3 cups. Yes, it's a lot of juice. Think of it as a cold soup. :)

I usually pair my green juice with a nutrient packed salad. This is my favorite mix as of late.  Red tomatoes, baby orange tomatoes, avocado, garbanzo beans, and smashed rice cakes.  (Rice cakes are not raw! But are minimally processed and are a good go-to food when on the go, like me keke). And of course, a nice blob of yummy oh so good maranatha peanut butter.  It's seriously a killer combo.  If you don't like peanut butter because its too sticky or chunky, you can try thinning it out with some nut milk and slightly heating the two together until liquidy.  I dare ya to try it, so good! 

What is the best salad you've ever had?  What veggie do you love to eat? :)

Fruity Goodness

Today, I decided to make a juice with the plethora of fruit sitting prettily in my refrigerator. :) Kiwi, oranges, nectarine, peach, strawberries, and some mixed greens.

The goodness after it was juiced. Do you see the vividness of the colors? And the frothy layer of bubbles?

I am pouring the goodness into a glass and you can literally see the colors even more vibrantly. Btw, this is a pampered chef cookware: small micro-cooker. I love it because you can use it in the microwave to steam veggies, heat up soup, or use it (like me here) just to pour.  Very versatile for any type of cook, eater, or foodie.  For me, it serves its purpose as a spout. :) I find it easier to use this cookware since it has a double spout and a handle.  Love it. Only $8. Definitely "Vale la pena".

One for my mom, one for me. "Hola fruity yummy goodness." :) And she said "Ahn-young, oOoo" ~ hello in Korean. hehe.

Great way to use up fruit when 1) they are about to go bad or 2) you just can't eat it all! Can I be more convincing? Invest in a juicer, your health will thank you! :) Yay for fresh juice.

Rain & a bit of Sun

Today was an exceptionally rainy day - scattered showers, drizzles here and there, and some intermittent torrential rainstorms... and I was in the city today. Rain + city = not my cup of tea. However, I got to see one of my besties (yes, I have several dear sisters in my life....) from Philly which made up for the detestable weather! Amy Liao aka Wunbeanie :).
We are matching in our white shirts! Aren't the umbrellas cute? :)
We met Jean at Lenny's for a quick snack before church. They had a nice variety of salads and sandwiches, custom made to order. Nice quick stop right by Penn Station with some healthy options. I settled for a black iced tea, since I wasn't too hungry at that point.
We were cruising through Borders (to use the RR keke) and we bumped into Yongwoo! How random! He was in town from DC, Amy from Philly, and me from NJ. HMCC mini-reunion in NYC. The world is so small!
We met up with Emily to go to church at Joy Christian Fellowship in Manhattan. Afterward, we found ourselves at Chipotle. Did you know that Chipotle uses fresh, local produce? They even use organic, grass-fed meat and dairy products without synthetic hormones. WOW. Very impressive.

On my quest to find fresh raw food to eat with my omnivore friends, I made a salad with romaine, black beans, pico de gallo, and guacamole. No oil, meat, or dairy here. Just pure goodness. Emily got the same salad, but with meat, cheese, and corn salsa. Doesn't the food look so fresh? (FYI: the black beans are vegetarian here, but the pinto beans are not!).
Time to focus and chow down. Food was pretty yummy. Did I mention that the guac had full chunks of avocado in it? Loved it. :) And the pico de gallo had a nice kick to it. I think it was the purple onions and the jalapeño peppers in there....~

 We stopped by Macy's mall and saw this quaint little Metropolitan Museum of Art shop on the second floor. Emily and Amy were intrigued by a book. They are students at heart. :)

We all said our farewells and I made my way to Penn Station. Of course, I had to stop by my regular juicery. This time I got the "Mind Relaxer" - carrots, apple, ginger, and cucumber. I'm not a big fan of carrots (one of the few veggies I don't crave), but this one wasn't too bad.

Had another lovely day in the city despite the weather. Thanks Amy for bringing your smiles and love all the way to NYC. :)

Next week, hopefully more raw food finds? I hope! We shall see. :*)