The funny thing about shopping with a toddler is that you never know what will peak their attention.  This week’s shopping trip was the Trader Joe’s corn bread.  She has had corn bread before, but it was this corn bread’s cute round shape that drew her in.  She had to have it.   I have decided that as long as it is not junk food, or incredibly over priced, she is allowed to pick out up to 3 grocery items that interest her.  It usually turns out to be a fun adventure.

So this week when the corn bread caught her eye, I knew it was the perfect excuse to make this Quinoa Chili recipe that Kristy shared with me.  I know there are some of you out there who love quinoa, and some who have no idea what it is.  Both of you should take a try at this recipe.  It is goooood.

Today’s Feature: Quinoa Chili (accompanied by corn bread and beer.)

*For the recipe triers out there:  I replaced zucchini with carrots, and took out the jalapeno and the chipotle peppers so that the recipe was more kid (and me) friendly.  It still has a kick with the chili powder, and that way all other eaters can add their desired amount of spice (my husband’s choice is Chipotle Tabassco). Happy eating!

Okay, bounty is a strong word.  ”First Fruit” is probably more appropriate.

To say we are excited about our garden this year would be a gross understatement.  To say that I am the gardener is an outright lie.  Daniel has done almost all of it and I couldn’t be more proud of my green thumbed man!  This little strawberry is not much to look at, but it is our first, and that alone makes it awesome. WE GREW A STRAWBERRY.  It makes this brown thumbed girl totally giddy.

Don’t be discouraged if you are an apartment dweller or condo liver either, there are strawberries that flourish in pots!  Yes! If I had learned that back when all we had to call our backyard was our apartment balcony, I would have totally grown strawberries then. But this is our first year.  And this is our first strawberry. And I am giddy.

Today’s Feature: Backyard Strawberry. Tiny, but sweeter than your Aunt Gladis

Today’s Feature : Happy Easter (with Eggs!)

Wishing you and yours a very Happy Easter!

If you follow my Facebook Page, you heard the news: after two years of waiting, wanting, hoping and praying….I am PREGNANT! Such a blessing. I can’t quite say I am excited to be feeling awful, but I am definitely excited to be pregnant. So if you have said to yourself  ”I miss Food Friday!”…then you my friend are not alone. I couldn’t quite tell you before, due to the fact that I was like just barely pregnant and I thought I should tell my parents first (I am old fashioned that way), but now you know why Food Friday has been on hiatus. I HATED taking a hiatus, but the truth is that the idea of eating food, looking at food, and definitely taking pictures of food just made me want to vomit.

But today I am going to give it a go.  Fingers crossed.  Rabbit foot in hand.  Whatever it takes, I am praying that I am feeling better soon and this is the return of Food Friday!

Drum roll please…..

This post is dedicated to my mom. My mom who cooked real food, healthy food before it was the cool thing to do. She is an awesome cook.  An inventive cook.  A cook who inspires me every time I step into the kitchen.  I think every kid doesn’t appreciate how great of a cook their mom is until they are trying to meal plan for their own family.  But just to prove that mom is as awesome as I claim, I will tell you this one thing: my mom MADE my fruit roll-ups. Yeah. I know.  When fruit roll-ups were cool, she figured out a way to make them, so we could get them without having to eat junk. (and they were delicious.)

This meal is something my mom did for us, but with my little twist.  It is a perfect summer, hot day, refreshing, delight of a meal.

Today’s Feature: Baked Chicken and Seafood Salad with Avocado

Happy Food Friday!

I completed neglected to take pictures of my food this week.  Nothing stood out as amazing (except those nachos I ate, YUM.) and I guess I just got lazy.  So for this week I scoured pictures that I have of food and I came up with this little gem.

You have just stepped into a time machine ….

#$%ZO!)302@(+~#^&*

…and now it is December 2010!!

As you know, we moved into our first house this year, so I thought that I should (being the new neighbor and all) make sure the others neighbors know how ridiculously excited I am to have neighbors in a neighborhood.  I just want to hug all of them and repeatedly tell them how much I love being here.  True story.  This usually is expressed in excitable waves, honking as I drive down the street, often dropping off of baked goods, and regular smiles and “Hello!”‘s. (Yeah, I guess I am kind of annoying as a neighbor).

This Christmas, I got my baking on.  I mean, really got it on. And this is what each neighbor got on their doorstep:

And this is what was inside:

It was a bit of labor, but I loved every minute of it.

And this is us wishing you a Merry Christmas!

Time portal back to February 2011 …NOW….POOF! (Can you tell that I play a lot of pretend with my daughter?  Yeah…..)

Hope you enjoyed this week’s episode of Food Friday!