Frenzied Salad Day

It's one of those days where I feel like I am juggling a lot of plates and have too many fingers in too many pies, that kind of day. I have been feeling a little overwhelmed lately trying to prepare for upcoming shows and prepping new product, and although it is all positive, exciting stuff, sometimes it can leave a girl feeling a little frenzied. A frenzied girl still has to eat, however, and when things get extra crazy it is the time to eat extra well.

I made a salad from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, one of the best vegetarian tomes ever. It was just what the doctor ordered: sweet roasted red peppers, salty capers, hearty chickpeas, fresh lemon and parsley. It's a perfect salad for sitting back, taking a time out and having a calm moment.

Roasted Pepper and Chickpea Salad:
Roast two red peppers and slice into strips. Add a can of drained chickpeas to the peppers. Throw in 3 tbsp rinsed capers,1/4 cup chopped parsely, 2 tbsp chopped mint . Mix with a dressing made of 2 cloves chopped garlic, 2 tbsp lemon juice and 4 tbsp olive oil.

Eat and enjoy a wee bit of nourishment during a frantic day.

Cream Cheese Banana Bread

I have banana issues. I love their creamy mushy sweetness but I can't seem to eat them fast enough. Inevitably my perfect bunch of bananas start to get brown and spotty. As a result I have a stockpile of frozen bananas in the freezer. It is getting dangerous when I open the freezer door. More than once I have had frozen bananas fall on my toes and as innocent as a banana may seem, when a frozen one lands on your bare toes it hurts. It was time to make banana bread.

I found a recipe here that had me intrigued because it involve cream cheese. Cream cheese and a crumb topping no less. It is a show stopping loaf of banana bread with a little extra pizazz. Delicious and my toes will be safe from frozen banana attacks for a while.

Crazy Cat Lady

I was in Urban Outfitters with a girlfriend when we both spotted plate with a cat on it at the same time. Not just any cat mind you. This was a magical, hypnotizing cat. We both grabbed a plate and started squealing.

"Look at those eyes!" She exclaimed."He's trying so hard to tell me something!"

It's true. He was. That cat had a lot to say and had a very expressive mouth and eyes.

"We have to get these!" She shrieked, sounding like she was on the verge of hysteria. "Imagine when I have you over for tea and cookies and this guy is under a cookie!"

It was a thrilling thought and I was falling deeper and deeper in love the more I stared at the kitty face.

"Won't this cement us as crazy cat ladies though?" I asked, imagining sweatshirts with cats wearing cowboy boots and needlepoint pictures of kittens with balls of string looming in our future.

My friend wasn't listening. I found her cradling a pillow shaped like a cat.

I managed to wrestle the pillow away from her, but we both walked out with the cat plates. If I am a crazy cat lady, so be it.

First Day of Autumn Apple Crumble

The days are decidedly cooler and it is the first official day of autumn. I guess it may be time to pack away my summer dresses and accept that fall is here. The smell of baking apples and cinnamon is one of the best autumnal aromas. I decided to put on a sweater and an apron and bake an apple crumble. I used Gwyneth Paltrow's fruit crumble recipe that isn't too sweet or heavy-handed on the crumble part. I will start these crisp fall mornings by snuggling into a cozy sweater, sipping a cup of tea and having a scoop of warm apple crumble with a dollop of plain yogurt.

Gwyneth Paltrow's Fruit Crumble Recipe (is there something, anything she can't do?!) from her book My Father's Daughter

• Toss 4 cups of diced apples with 1 tbsp spelt flour in a pie plate
• Mix 1 cup rolled oats, 1/4 cup spelt flour, 1/4 up brown sugar, pinch of salt and 1/4 tsp cinnamon in a bowl.
• Add 4 tbsp butter and mix it all up until crumbly with your hands.
• Throw over fruit and bake in a 350° C oven for 45 minutes.
• Top with mounds of ice cream or eat it in the morning with yogurt for breakfast and pretend that it is a warm granola instead.

Improv Grilled Peach Salad

I saw a delicious looking grilled peach salad here and instantly wanted it. It is a last gasp of summer type of salad. The original recipe is here, and calls for grilled haloumi cheese, rocket, pine nuts and pomegranate balsamic vinegar. I didn't have any of these items, but I did have peaches, my indoor grill and little bit of inspiration. I threw together spinach, toasted some almonds, crumbled some feta over top, threw in a few olives for fun and drizzled some olive oil and balsamic vinegar over it. The grilled peaches were delicious and everything else worked well together. It was a yummy last little bite of summer.

Domistyle Apron Giveaway

The fun blog Bewitchin' Kitchen did a Domistyle Apron review and are hostessing a giveaway for one of our lovely aprons! Quite a fabulous prize, if I do say so myself. There are all kinds of ways to enter, check it out at The Bewitchin' Kitchen. The contest ends September 30th. Good luck!

Pickled Carrots

I may as well say what everyone's thinking, carrot sticks are boring. No matter how much we try to pretend that they are an exciting, flavourful snack, they are unquestionably dull. Well I am not going to take it anymore. Good bye yawn inducing carrot sticks, hello eye popping life of the party pickled carrots!

I found a recipe here, and I am now a bonified carrot munching maniac. So fun and bursting with flavour and personality. I will never bother with a plain old baby carrot again.

Yoga Cookies

My two favourite things combined! Yoga leaves me blissful and cookies are delightful. Combine the two together and you get instant Nirvana!

Find these yogi delights at bakedideas.com.

Asian Salad

I was watching The Food Network the other day (food porn at its best), and was taken with Giada de Laurentis's Asian Chicken salad recipe. She was working from home and decided to whip up a delicious and nutritious salad, since that is what food network superstars do. I too was working from home and feeling a little peckish so I decided to make my own variation of Giada's salad, sans chicken. How is it that I have never experienced the magic of sesame seeds on a salad before? Suddenly it felt like my salad was elevated to new heights, all with a simple sprinkle of sesame seeds. Delicious.

New York is Nice!

I am heading off to New York in a couple of days and I am getting super excited. I am even more giddy after seeing this sweet video originally found here. It can be easy to grumble and complain but it feels so much better saying something nice.

Back To School Pencil Project

I can't believe it is Labour Day. No matter how many years I have been out of school, I still get that back to school feeling in September when I want to get a new fall outfit and shiny new school supplies. It is always a little exciting, like a second new year's eve with fresh beginnings and resolutions.

In honour of the new school year I think I will do this project and make myself some adorable new pencils. You're never too old to enjoy fun school supplies!

Summer to Fall Dresses

I cannot believe it is September. The summer has flown by. A part of me is looking forward to crisper days but I am not ready to give up my fun, flirty summer dresses just yet. Luckily I love pairing flimsy frocks with cozy cardigans, on a bike of course!

Photo found here.