What I'm Eating: February 2013

It's back!

This month I've got even more delicious foods to share with you, so buckle up and I hope you're hungry!

First up...

Avocado Toast - ok, so I'm definitely not the first one to do this. No, sir.  I've seen it on billions of other blogs, most of which with pictures far better than the one above.  Well, let me just tell you, there is definitely a reason for the popularity.  Though simple, mashed avocado on toast is sooo good.  So good.  It makes a great snack, lunch, dinner, breakfast.  You name it!  I like having it on a sandwich thin (pictured above) or a piece of P28 bread, if I want to up the protein a bit.  It's also really good if you add a bit of orange muscat vinegar before mashing.  Trust me, I've been eating this stuff non stop.

If you'd like to go drool, here are some of the blogs that I was talking about that have already shared their love for avocado toast:

• Cookie and Kate: An Ode to Avocado Toast
• A Cup of Jo: The Best Avocado Toast You'll Ever Have
• Marth Stewart (does that count as a blog?): Tomato Avocado Toasts

Adora Calcium Chocolates - If you're being picky, these don't exactly count as a food, but I've been eating them a ton.  What can I say?  I "adora" them (please excuse the awful joke).  Anyway, these chocolate really were a great find.  I always struggle with getting enough calcium daily, probably because I'm not much of a milk drinker at all.  I've tried other calcium supplements, but I find the sugary gummies gross and there's really nothing fun about a pill.  But chocolate?  I'm in!  I have the dark chocolate adoras, and while they're not the best piece of chocolate I've ever had, but they sure beat choking down a pill, and as a bonus, they make a great after dinner treat.  Satisfying my calcium requirement and my sweet tooth is a mighty hard task, but these adora chocolates do it, and do it well!

Wheat Berries - We like grains at my house.  Lots and lots of grains.  Two full drawers in the kitchen are devoted to quinoa, barley, farro, and more recently, wheatberries.  After my mom purchased nearly 200 pounds (slight exaggeration) of wheat berries from iherb, we've been eating them a ton.  They're much chewier than rice or quinoa, with a slightly nutty taste.  The most common way we eat them is in salads, but they're probably great for a variety of other things, including eating them by the handful, if you ask me.

If you've never heard of wheat berries (I don't really blame you), then head over to some of these links for awesome recipes to get you started.  Really, you need to try them.

• Brown Sugar Apple, Wheat Berry Yogurt Parfaits - Wheatberries for breakfast?  No, I haven't tried it, but the pictures are absolutely mouthwatering and I can totally see wheatberries working beautifully in a sweet recipe.  Sort of like a chewy granola, maybe.  And brown sugar + apples  is always a plus.
• Lemony Wheat Berries with Roasted Brussel Sprouts -  Yum.  Yum yum yum yum yum.  This recipe right here is a keeper.  Its lemony, it's  Brussels sprout-y,  it's just plain good.  I tried it, I loved it, end of story.
• Wheat Berries with Charred Onions and Kale - Kale!  Charred Onions! Wheat Berries!  This dish sounds like heaven to me.  I haven't gotten around to trying it yet, but I definitely will soon.  It sounds way too good to pass up, that's for sure.

Kashi Crunch! - Have I mentioned how I don't like nuts in my granola?  Well, this cereal has a very similar texture to granola, but it's completely nut free (unless you get the almond type).  Like the name suggests, Kashi Crunch! is super crunchy, which I love.  It's also much more filling than most other cereals, thanks to the 9g protein and 8g fiber in each serving.  Oh yeah, and it also happens to be pretty delicious!  Most of my Kashi Crunch! is put to use in yogurt and fruit parfaits, but I've also made peanut butter granola bars with it (literally just a random mix of peanut butter, applesauce, and the cereal baked until it holds together) and a sort of pie crust thing (recipe for that is coming soon).  And, as with many of my favorite food products, I think Kashi Crunch! is great for snacking, too, right out of the bag!

Mandarin Orange Spice Tea - There is no doubt that I love tea.  I drink it everyday, sometimes more than once.  Herbal flavors are my favorite, and the Mandarin Orange Spice flavor from Celestial Seasonings is especially tasty.  It does have an orange-y flavor, not as much as orange juice or anything, but what I love most is the spice.  It's a mix of all these warming spices as far as I can tell and it makes me feel so cozy when I'm curled up with a steaming mug.  I've found that the mandarin orange flavor is pretty good to add to foods as well.  It provides a bright punch of flavor.  I add the leaves to oatmeal, soup, and muffins.  You could also make a bread like this one, with the Mandarin Orange flavor and I'm sure it would be great.

Revisited Recipe of the Day: 

Peanut Butter Rice Crispies

March 1st is National Peanut Butter Lover's Day.  The recipe above is super quick and a great way to celebrate.  You can also just type peanut butter into the search again in the upper left.  That'll give you a whole bunch of recipes to choose from!