Do you ever have those days where you feel really productive, but then you still have a gagillion things to do at the end of the night?

That’s me. Now.

I took a nice break in the middle of homework and design stuff to go to the gym and get my fit on with my friend Brooke. I ran to the gym (1.3 miles), biked 4 miles when I got the gym, did an ab workout and lifted free weights). I’m feeling great! I came home and made a delicious…

GREEN MONSTER SMOOTHIE

This smoothie is my go to after I have a great workout and need something healthy to build up my muscles!

THE RECIPE ACCORDING TO THE HEARTY HERBIVORE
Barely altered from Iowa Girl Eats

Ingredients

Directions

Add all ingredients to a single serve blender.

Whir around until the frozen banana is completely minced and there are no chunks in the smoothie.

Drink straight from the blender, or serve in a tall glass.

Easy enough, eh?

COMMENTS

Post work-out

I’m actually feeling pretty good about this and I don’t think it will be too hard once I get in the right mind set! Here’s what I ate today:

Spinach and Bananas: satisfying my sweet tooth since January 2012.

Breakfast:

No sweets are usually involved with breakfast for me, so this isn’t out of the norm. After a good workout at 7 a.m. I had

1 Green Monster Smoothie (with unsweetened almond milk, recipe coming soon!)
1 egg scramble (with spinach and jalapenos)
1 glass of orange juice
1 piece of toast

I eat breakfast like a King.

Lunch:

Moving right along and having no sugar cravings…

Butternut Squash Risotto (Cooking for one leaves a lot of leftovers!)
1 apple (to satisfy my sweet tooth)

Dinner:

After class I ran downtown to take some pictures for an article I’m writing for the first edition of the Bite Bloomington magazine. I had plans to go to Ash Wednesday service at 7, so I hung out at Laughing Planet and Soma and grabbed dinner there.

Ethiopian Buritto (This was so good!)
Fruit Juice from Soma (this is all natural sugar, no sugar-added. They make it right in front of you!)

And now I’m home.

"Most people wait to be told rather than exploring."

I surprisingly haven’t had any real cravings for sweets, which usually happens about this time when I’m in between dinner time and bed time.

I feel like I’m some kind of sugar addict blogging about this. I’m not. Really. Okay, maybe a little. I really just want to cut out the excess sugar that eat mindlessly in the wee hours of the morning.

I also saw Chuck D. of Public Enemy speak last night in honor of Black History Month. He was a really great speaker and had some really uplifting things to say.

Tomorrow I’ll be posting about this miraculous Green Monster Smoothie I’ve been talking about for days!

In the mean time, Check out this really cool article about Lent and its impact on a photographer.

Did you give anything up for Lent?

Happy Fat Tuesday, to all!

I’ll be giving up added sugar for Lent, as you may have heard. I’ll basically be avoiding sweets of any kind and instead eating fruits and vegetables more often. I’m hoping my taste buds will change a bit and crave an apple instead of a Girl Scout Cookie. My main sugar-ish things I’ll be eating still are peanut butter and orange juice.

I wanted to let you guys know that my posts may be a little different for the next 40 days. I’m planning on blogging every day (or almost every day) to update you all on my progress.

I’ll be including a list of what I ate (instead of sugary sweets) and how I’m feeling about my progress.

I hope you’ll still check out my blog on the regular! I’ll still be posting recipes as often as I do now, beginning as soon as I finish my leftover Butternut Squash Risotto!

I’ll be updating you tomorrow on how my first day is going! Wish me luck!

Dig in (to sugarless treats!),

Jamie

Butternut Squash Risotto

Last night I was having a bad case of the Sunday Blues. I slept in until about 1, worked out, then did homework until around 4 when I realized I was super hungry. My options were left over white bean chili, skyline chili, or make something completely new. I decided on the latter in order to pep myself up before I went to work at the IU Cinema for the evening.

I flipped through some food magazines that my Mom had saved for me and found an entire article titled, “Veggin’ Out” The article was based on a contest for the best meatless recipes. Garden Vegetable Lasagna by Samantha Neal won the contest, but my eyes were set on third place, where Katie Ferrier swept almost all of the competition with her Butternut Squash Risotto.

With a few alterations, I had the perfect dinner, and plenty of leftovers!

BUTTERNUT SQUASH RISOTTO
Altered form Taste of Home and Katie Ferrier

Ingredients

1 large butternut squash, cubed*
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 cups mock chicken, or vegetable, soup base (or broth, see below)*
2 cups water, divided
2 Tablespoons garlic, minced
2 cups uncooked long-grain rice
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup grated Gorgonzola cheese*

Directions

This is boring rice...

In a large bowl, combine the squash, 2 Tablespoons oil, salt, and pepper. Lightly stir to coat squash in oil and spice. Pour into a greased 13 x 11 glass baking pan.

Bake squash for 25 minutes, stirring once.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat soup base and 1 cup water; keep warm.

On medium-high heat and in a large skillet, saute onion and garlic in 1 Tablespoon Oil until onions are translucent.*

Add rice and cook for 2-3 minutes, while stirring.*

THIS IS SUPER EXCITING RISOTTO!

Reduce heat to medium, stir in 1 cup water. Cook and stir until liquid is absorbed.*

Add heated broth mixture to rice mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly. Allow liquid to absorb between each addition.

Continue to add liquid until risotto mixture is creamy and rice is almost tender, about 20 minutes. Add butter, chili powder, nutmeg, and squash.*

Cook and stir until heated. Remove risotto from heat.

Stir in Gorgonzola until melted throughout.*
ACCORDING TO THE HEARTY HERBIVORE

Ingredients

*Here’s a brief overview on how to cube a squash! (Don’t bake it until after it’s cubed, though! Do steps 1-4 under “Directions,” then bake it according to the instructions here.) Basically microwave it, peel it, cut the ends off, halve it, gut it, cube it. Got it? It’s okay if there’s still some skin on the squash. It’s edible!

How to Cube/Cook a squash

*My roommate has mock chicken soup base for some reason. The original recipe called for lager and vegetable broth, which I didn’t have any of. So I decided to use something thicker than broth. I used a tablespoon of base:2 cups of water. If you decide to use lager, use one cup of water, and one cup of lager, instead of 2 cups of water.

*Have I ever told you Gorgonzola is my favorite cheese? I eat it on Aver’s Pizza almost every weekend, which needs to stop because I’m feeling the side effects when I get to the gym on Mondays. The Gorgonzola flavor in this risotto was subtle, but definitely made the recipe.

Directions

*When I say “large skillet,” I mean large skillet! We’re talking wok sized, here! I don’t own a wok, so I actually had to transfer everything to a stock pot when adding the butternut squash, etc.

*Keep the rice moving as soon as you add it to the onions or it will burn!

*If you decide to use lager, add 1 cup of lager instead of 1 cup of water after you cook the rice for 2-3 minutes.

*The risotto will begin to thicken when the soup base is absorbed. When the liquid is absorbed, there may still be some cream left, and that’s totally fine! That’s what makes it risotto!

*Make sure you incorporate the Gorgonzola throughout the risotto. I ate left overs today for lunch and found a giant chunk of Gorgonzola.Oops.I was cool with that though, since it’s my favorite!

A Hearty Helping of Butternut Squash Risotto

THE REVIEW

First of all, this recipe makes a lot! Probably enough to serve 5 people.

This risotto is very hearty and filling, so a little goes a long way! The squash and nutmeg make the flavor sweet, but the chili powder and Gorgonzola balance everything out.

I ate about a cup as a serving and wasn’t hungry the rest of the night, which is basically a miracle for me!

BEST PART OF THE RECIPE

This recipe is super easy! Even though it takes a little time, it’s worth it and there’s nothing complicated about it! It’s a perfect recipe for impressing people and pretending you slaved away in the kitchen all day!

Dig in,

Jamie

Peanut Butter Surprise

As you may have seen from my Facebook page, I’ve been on sugar overload all week. This is because Lent is quickly approaching (it’s Wednesday!!) and I’ve decided to give up added sugar for 40 days and 40 nights! Whew. This could be tough!

After following Iowa Girl Eats during her Sugar Free Jebuary, I’ve decided that it’s a good idea to challenge myself to give up those sweets that I love all too much. That’s right everyone, no sweets for Jamie. I’ll still be eating things with sugar in them, like Green Monster Smoothies (my variation of this recipe), Fruits, etc. Just limiting my sweet intake. I feel like after I eat sweets, I’m always immediately regretful and feel kind of sluggish and even hungrier.

So here we are, on Sunday…3 days until Ash Wednesday. My parents came yesterday and we went to Sweet Grass restaurant. It was pretty fabulous, but a post on that to come! My parents brought me so many goodies! Fiber One bars (these are my favorite breakfast on the go treat), Girl Scout Cookies (Samoas and Savannah Smiles!), farm fresh eggs (I miss these so much!) and a fresh package of contacts (thank God, I’d be blind without them!). So it’s time to get going on those Girl Scout Cookies, I have to get rid of them by Wednesday!

Some of my friends over at Bloomington Area Music hosted a Cookies and Music Party, so I figured I’d go out with a sugary bang before Lent begins! Thanks to Sweet Pea’s Kitchen, I had the perfect recipe!

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER SURPRISE COOKIES

These little guys were pretty simple to make and didn’t require too much time! They reminded me of the buckeyes my mom used to make at Christmas time, but a lot simpler and a little less messy!

THE RECIPE ACCORDING TO SWEET PEA’S KITCHEN

Chocolate Dough

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar (plus more for rolling)*
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter, divided*
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
3/4 cup powdered sugar*

Directions

Preheat oven to 375º F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.*

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together sugars, butter, and 1/4 cup of peanut butter until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and egg, beating to combine. Stir in the flour mixture and stir to combine, blending well. Set aside.*

Peanut Butter Filling, or the Surprise!

In a medium bowl, mix together powdered sugar and remaining 3/4 cup of peanut butter until smooth.*

Pull off a heaping tablespoon of cookie dough and flatten with your hands. Take about 1 teaspoon peanut butter mixture and place it in the center of the chocolate dough. wrap the chocolate dough around the peanut butter center, pressing to seal. Roll the cookie into a ball and roll the cookie in the sugar. Place cookies on the prepared baking sheet, 2 inches apart. Using the bottom of a class, flatten each cookie to about 1/2 inch thickness.*

Bake in preheated oven for 7 to 9 minutes. Let stand on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then remove to a wire rack.*

THE RECIPE ACCORDING TO THE HEARTY HERBIVORE

Ingredients

*For the rolling sugar, I used a small cereal bowl and poured about 1/2 cup of sugar into the bowl. So for this purpose, let’s say 1 cup of sugar for the entire recipe.

*So.Much.Peanut.Butter. I’m in love. I would cut the peanut butter and powdered sugar in half, because I had a lot of leftover peanut butter mixture! So, I’d do 1/4 cup in the dough still. But I’d probably do 1/2 cup of peanut butter in the mixture and 1/2 cup powdered sugar. Make sense?

Directions

*This recipe made about two dozen cookies, so I lined two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

How I made my cookies...

*This recipe was super confusing to me at first, because there is peanut butter in both the cookie dough and the peanut butter filling. The peanut butter, vanilla, sugar, etc is the “dough!” It turns chocolatey when you add the flour/cocoa mixture.

*I didn’t make any of my cookies the way Sweet Pea did, and that’s primarily because I didn’t read the directions correctly. In retrospect, I wish I would have done it her way. What I did was flatten a tablespoonish of dough, put a teaspoonish of peanut butter on top, then put another flattened tablespoonish of dough on top, making a nice little sandwich. I then sealed the edges, and rolled the whole thing into a nice little ball, or rather a nice big ball. This process made rather large cookies, which I was totally okay with. Like I said earlier, SUGAR OVERLOAD.

*You better let these guys cool, for real! They’re hot!

Abe Lincoln loves The Hearty Herbivore, it's a fact.

BEST PART OF THE RECIPE

So we got to this cookie party, and someone had almost the same cookie as me. There’s were a bit bigger and in cupcake tins. They were like the reverse of mine (peanut butter cookie filled with chocolate…and marshmallow!) It was a surprise, indeed! They had already filled out a card and labeled the cookies “peanut butter surprise,” so my roommate and I thought of a new name for mine…Abraham Lincoln cookies. What better name for a great cookie?

Dig in,

Jamie

Vegan White Bean Chili

Last year, I lived at Collins LLC here at IU. The great thing about Collins is that every day (or almost every day), there is an all-you-can-eat buffet, not once, but twice a day. Sometimes the food is super random, though. You basically never know what you’re going to get. I remember one day I had vegan pancakes and breadsticks. Messed up, I know.

So all of the people who live in Collins have their favorite Collins foods. My friend Maranda’s for example, is Meatloaf. Another popular one is calzone night, they even turn the disco ball on for this one!  My favorite, though, was Vegan White Bean Chili.

Since I’ve moved from Collins into my own apartment and no longer have meal points to support me, I miss that chili. I’ve decided to recreate it, so here we have…

VEGAN WHITE BEAN CHILI

I made this chili a couple of times, trying to perfect it. I think I’ve found a good combination of ingredients.

This white bean chili is an interesting mix of spicy pepper flavors and Italian garlic-y spices. It sounds weird, I know, but I am quite the fan!

THE RECIPE ACCORDING TO THE HEARTY HERBIVORE

Jalapenos, Cilantro, Carrots, and Onions...OH MY!

Ingredients

3 medium carrots, chopped*
1 small white onion, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, 1 chopped, 1 whole*
2 Tablespoons garlic
2 cans white beans
1 can chickpeas
1 can chopped green chilies
1 bay leaf (optional)
1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Cumin*
1 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Line a large stock pot with water. Saute onions, cilantro, carrots, chopped jalapeno pepper, and garlic on medium-high heat until onions are translucent.*

Add white beans and chick peas, stirring to incorporate thoroughly.

Add green chilies, stirring to incorporate thoroughly.

Stir in cumin and garlic powder.

Add bay leaf and un-chopped jalapeno pepper for flavor.

Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 35-40 minutes, or until whole jalapeno pepper is tender.*

Add salt and pepper to taste.*

Remove from heat. Remove bay leaf and pepper before serving.*

COMMENTS

Ingredients

*You can use more or less carrots. I’m usually not a big fan of carrots, but I absolutely adore them when they’re in a soup, so I used a lot.

*I also love cumin! It’s become one of my favorite spices! You can use more, or less. I kind of eyed a tablespoon, so it may have been a bit more.

Almost like stuffed peppers...

Directions

*I like to saute using water when possible. This way, you’re cutting out the fat from oil.

*The jalapeno pepper should be pretty tender. In my case, I stirred it around a few times and pushed it down into the soup with a wooden spoon, pressing it against the bottom of the pan. This took all the juices out of the pepper and added some spice!

*I didn’t add any salt or pepper. If you use a bay leaf, you usually don’t need to add any salt.

*If the pepper breaks in half or you cut it in half when extracting the juices, try to get any beans out that have gotten inside the pepper. I actually broke some of the pepper apart and left it in the soup when I ate it.

THE REVIEW

This soup is almost as good as the soup at Collins! It’s got the good spicy-ness that I like, and is packed with flavor! The recipe makes about 6 servings, so I’ve been eating soup for a week, but I’m definitely not complaining.

I added the chickpeas to the recipe because plain white beans bore me to death.

My thing about carrots in soup is usually that they are too mushy and the flavor is completely taken out of them. That’s why I only cooked the soup for about 40 minutes. This gave the soup a bit more texture and crunch.

BEST PART OF THE RECIPE

So the best part of this recipe is also the worst part of this recipe. After I combined everything and my soup was cooking, I went and did a 30 minute workout. I had been stuffy for a few days, and my nose began to run in the midst of my workout. I went to blow my nose and some left over jalapeno juice from my hands got in my nose! It was one of the most painful experiences ever.

I ran to the bathroom to wash my face, and could not get the terrible sting out of my nose. Eventually, as in the next day, it went away and so did my stuffy nose! I’m not sure if it was because of the spicy-ness or if it was just a coincidence…

Seriously, folks, don’t try that at home.

By the way, did I mention I’m a redhead now?

Red Heads for Life.

Dig in,

Jamie

"Hello Customer! We're Feast's Sweets!"

Like most of my food stories begin, this one starts with Cory and me. One Saturday last September, Cory and I took a morning run to the Bloomington Farmer’s Market. This is something I have always wanted to do, and Cory was pretty excited about it as well.

Once we got there, we were engulfed in a sea of fresh produce, colorful flowers, street performers, and the smell of brunch. After weaving through the isles and pulling ourselves away from all the delicious looking fruits and veggies, we made our way to the food stands. It was so long ago that I don’t even remember what I had, but Cory had a tamale from a booth called Feast. He was pretty impressed, even though it wasn’t the Delta Tamales he grew up with.

Fast forward to Friday, February 10. After a long day of work, Cory picked me up and we traveled to the south side of Bloomington to grab a Valentine’s Day feast at…

FEAST.

Located on Hillside Drive in Bloomington, this restaurant is somewhat off the beaten path, away from the bar scene of Kirkwood Avenue and the ritzy restaurants on the Square. Though Feast specializes in the catering business, they don’t shy away from providing great customer service seven days a week at their restaurant.

THE ATMOSPHERE

Walking into Feast, you are greeted by a very temptations setup of sweets. The space is small and intimate with a very organic feel to the decor. Behind the cooler full of sweet treats is a coffee bar with a large selection of drinks, ranging from iced coffee to lattes to signature drinks.

This small venue offers a large menu. Although Feast’s specialty is their tamales (like the one Cory got at the Farmer’s Market), they have plenty of other optionss (friendly to herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores). The menu changes seasonally, giving you a reason to go back and try something new every season!

The service was very friendly! On our way out, we passed a group of customers waiting to be seated. The host informed the customers that they would be waiting approximately 10-20 minutes and was so kind that the customers were completely fine with waiting. I’m sure it wasn’t too much a problem waiting for something as delicious as my Focaccia Melt.

Feast Samosas

APPETIZER

I absolutely love samosas. Let’s face it, I have an addiction. Anywhere I go it’s a guarantee that if there are samosas on the menu, I’m getting them! So, Cory and I splurged and got Feast Samosas! These samosas were Cory’s favorite part of the meal.

They were a nice twist on the traditional samosas. The dough was a bit heavier than traditional samosas, but the spices inside were perfect. Served with a cilantro dipping sauce, the samosas were a perfect way to start our Valentine’s Day dinner!

WHAT I GOT

Like I said, I went with the Focaccia Melt. The Focaccia Melt is either grilled artichoke hearts or grilled chicken (I obviously chose artichokes considering I don’t eat chicken and I absolutely love artichoke hearts), three Italian cheese, sun-dried tomato pesto, roasted red peppers, spinach, olives, and aioli on focaccia bread.

In most cases, you can’t go wrong with artichoke hearts. I absolutely love them. The artichoke hearts plus the roasted red peppers were a lot and somewhat covered up the taste of the cheeses, but regardless, I loved it.

My Focaccia Melt! And check out those beautiful sweet potato wedges!

I recently made rosemary focaccia, and let me just say, it was good. Now on that same note, let me just say that Feast’s focaccia was SO GOOD.

This sandwich was served with sweet potato wedges. These wedges were cooked to perfection. Cory and I just couldn’t get over it. They were served with the cilantro dipping sauced mentioned earlier, which was a nice spice to the sweet taste of the wedges.

WHAT HE GOT

After I said that my choices were between the Focaccia Melt and the Tempeh Burger, Cory decided to get whatever I didn’t get. He went with the Tempeh burger. This burger is grilled tempeh, caramelized onions, cheddar or 3 Italian cheeses, lettuce, tomato, spicy stone ground mustard, and aioli on a seeded bun.

As soon as Cory bit into the burger, his face lit up and he said, “It’s crispy!” He likes for his  burgers (whether it be a bean burger, tempeh burger, or veggie patty) to be crisp and thick, not mushy and messy.

The tempeh was seasoned perfectly to resemble a real burger. Cory said that with all the toppings, it was hard to take it all in, and he would have liked to try the burger separately from the toppings. I agree that there was a lot to take in, but sometimes I think that’s what a burger is all about.

Tempeh Burger

FINAL WORDS

I’ll definitely be heading to Feast again and hopefully soon! I was so full after eating half of my melt and half of a burger that I didn’t dare take on the delicious desserts that taunted me from the cooler.

I’d like to go back and try some tamales as well! Because I was making tamales for Cory on Saturday, I decided against getting tamales at Feast. The one that Cory had at the Farmers Market was excellent, though!

Feast has plenty of vegetarian options aside from the tempeh burger and focaccia melt! I’m dying to try the tamales as well as the butternut pappardelle.

FEAST’S STATS

Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Vegan Friendly: Limited, omit cheese from most dishes, ask your server
Price: $

Dig in,

Jamie

Soft Pretzel Knots

As you may recall, I became a member of the Pinterest community this year. I’ve dabbled in it off and on, but recently, I’ve become totally obsessed with looking at pins of puppies, food, and graphic design things. Seriously addicted. It’s a problem.

About a week ago, Homemade Soft Pretzels (by Pennies on a Platter) showed up in my Google Reader and I thought I was going to die of mouth watering. Now, they’re popping up all over Pinterest. They’re obviously the must make of the week! Therefore I’m bringing you:

HOMEMADE PRETZEL KNOTS
Adapted from Pennies on a Platter and Alton Brown

THE RECIPE ACCORDING TO THE HEARTY HERBIVORE

Ingredients

4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 package active dry yeast*
3 cups all purpose flour*
Nonstick cooking spray
10 cups water
2/3 cups baking soda
Egg wash (1 egg yolk, beaten with 1 Tablespoon water)*

The dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl...

Directions

In a standing mixer, combine butter, sugar, salt, and water. Sprinkle yeast on top.

With the dough attachment on the mixer, begin mixing on a low speed. Gradually add flour.

Dough will begin to come together. Once it does, turn speed to medium. Mix for 4-5 minutes, or until the dough begins to pull away from the outside of the bowl, forming a large ball in the center of the bowl.*

Remove dough from bowl.*

Clean and dry bowl, then spray with cooking spray. Return dough to bowl, turning over once to coat in oil.

Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and let rise for 50 minutes.*

After dough has risen, preheat oven to 450 F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and spray lightly with cooking spray.

Bring 10 cups of water to a boil in a large stockpot, then add baking soda.*

Remove the dough from the bowl, then let rise...

While water boils, separate the dough into small pieces, about the size of a golf ball. Place on a well floured surface, you’ll be doing your pretzel constructing here!

Shape each ball into a rope, about 6-8 inches long. Shape these ropes into pretzels by taking both ends of the dough and crossing them over one another.*

Drop two pretzels at a time into the boiling water and baking soda mixture. Boil each pretzel for 30 seconds, then transfer to parchment covered baking sheet.*

After you’ve boiled all the pretzels, brush the top of each one with the egg wash. Sprinkle with salt.*

Bake until golden brown (about 16 minutes). Cool on a wire rack.*

ACCORDING TO THE HEARTY HERBIVORE…

Twist the pretzel into the prettiest (or in this case ugliest) knot possible.

Ingredients

*For some reason, I use active dry yeast for all of my baked goods. I think it’s just what I happen to pick up at the store. The original recipe calls for instant yeast, but if using active dry, just read the instructions on how to activate the yeast.

*You may need a little more flour than this. If the dough is not pulling away from the bowl when you turn the mixer speed to medium, gradually add a little more flour until it starts to form a big ball of dough.

*I’ve never really thought about what makes a pretzel taste pretzel-y until I made these. The answer is: Egg Wash! It sounds really strange too, if you think about the taste of a pretzel, but egg wash makes them taste less like a bread and a little more…well pretzel-y.

Directions

*Like I said earlier, in order for the dough to pull away from the bowl, you may need to add a little more flour.

*When I removed the dough from the bowl, I transferred it to some plastic wrap. Maybe not my best decision, considering it stuck like glue. Maybe consider parchment paper, or just sprinkling some flour on the counter.

*The dough should double in size when you let it rise.

*Instead of forming actual balls, your dough may take the shape of a blob. That’s fine. As long as it’s thick enough to make a rope.

*Pennies on a Platter has a nice guide for how to make pretty pretzels. I was feeling rushed, so I took matters into my own hands. A few nice pretzels came out, but others just fell apart in the boiling process. Therefore, we’re calling these Pretzel knots!

When you boil the pretzels, they should firm up and darken a bit in color. This one has been egg washed and is yellowed.

*When you boil the pretzels, they’ll rise to the top. Make sure you don’t remove them until they’ve at least risen. You can tell when they’re done because they’ll have darkened a bit and definitely hardened. If you don’t let them boil long enough, they’ll flatten in the oven and turn into pretzel buns (which are okay, too!).

*If you have pretzel salt, by all means use it to top the pretzels! These were a spur of the moment thing and I didn’t have any pretzel salt. I topped each with a dash with freshly ground sea salt instead.

*These babies are best when they’re warm! I even put them in the toaster oven before I ate them the next day.

This is the most perfect one I came up with! It also tasted the best!

THE REVIEW

These pretzels reminded me of going to a high school basketball game and buying one of those jumbo pretzels! They were super soft and doughy on the inside, but crisp and crunchy on the outside.

They’re best served with mustard, but I wish I’d had some cheese sauce to go with them! Remember when I said that the un-boiled pretzels turn into buns? Yeah, I used them as sandwich buns for my lunch the next day. Scrumptious!

My friends were over both Friday and Saturday night. They were super impressed by these pretzels, so I think I’ll be making them again this weekend!

BEST PART OF THE RECIPE

My friends think I’m the queen of baking.

FINALLY

Feel free to “pin” this recipe, follow me on Pinterest and Twitter, and “like” me on Facebook! Tonight, I of course went to $3 Burger night at Scholars Inn! NomNomNom! Thanks for the ride, Ryan!

I took all these pictures with my Nikon D3000, but didn’t try too hard to make them that great. It’s nice to have some higher-quality pictures that I take the time to edit a bit, but they’re still not as beautiful as I’d like them to be. This whole blogging thing is hard work! I’m finding it’s easier to write and use my iPhone pictures, edited with RetroCam. But I really like for my photos to be clear and pretty. What do you think?

Dig in,

Jamie

Yum! Falafel California Burger, only $3!

Scholars Inn (including the Bakehouse, Cafe, and Bed and Breakfast) is known as a “Bloomington Tradition,” and for good reason. I’ve lived in Bloomington for two years and I had never tried it, though! A few weeks back, I did an interview with Jes Franco from The Vallures and she suggested we meet at Bakehouse (as it’s known to the locals). I immediately agreed, having never been there before in my two years of living in Bloomington.

When I met with Jes, I had a Very Veggie Mania sandwich. It was delicious! You may think “you can’t mess up a vegetarian sandwich,” but I’m here to tell you-you’re wrong. There are about a million ways to mess up a veggie sandwich, including overpowering it with sauces (see Subway Sandwiches) or using the wrong type of bread. This sandwich was a perfect balance of everything, but we’re not really here to talk about the sandwich! We’re here to talk about BURGERS!

THE ATMOSPHERE

So last Wednesday, I was really just dying to eat out. The weather was beautiful, the birds were singing, and I immediately thought, “$3 BURGER WEDNESDAYS!” I texted everyone I know to see if they’d accompany me. Who can turn down a $3 dinner? My future roommate-Katie, her boyfriend-Michael, and my current roommate-Julia, all went with me to celebrate the wonderful day.

So I know you’ve been skeptical this entire time, wondering why I’m craving burgers. Scholars Inn has this AWESOME deal: you can replace any meat burger with a felafel burger-no extra charge!

Michael couldn't sit down to eat, he was too excited about the game.

Located right on the town square, Scholars is frequented by all types of people, and for good reason. Scholars really knows how to treat their customers. They have plenty of weekly specials and you can even get a VIP card (FOR FREE) and get even more discounts.

I’m not going to sugar coat this: you may wait a while. Everyone in Bloomington knows about $3 Burger nights, so there is a line. Last week, with the excellent weather, it was packed! I’m telling you now: it’s worth it, whether it’s $3 or normal priced.

Even th0ugh Bakehouse was full of people and there were only 2 empty tables (soon to be inhabited by my friends and me), the staff was friendly, calm, cool, and collected. They even had the IU game playing, which Michael loved, even though we lost.

WHAT I GOT

So remember earlier when I said you can replace meat patties with felafel patties? Well, it’s awesome! I had a California Burger (Avocado, tomato basil, lettuce, and tomato) with a felafel patty. This burger really did capture the essence of California. Minus the hot patty, the burger was cool, with the combination of avocado and tomato. The combination of the hot patty and the cool veggies made the burger savory and filling. I was definitely full after the burger, even though they’re kind of small.

The $3 deal comes with your choice of chips, pretzels, or slaw. I’m not a fan of slaw, so I got the chips. You can add fries for $1.50, and your meal is still under $5! Julia and Katie both got fries and they were great! They’re a mixture of sweet potato fries (my favorite) and regular fries.

"Don't mind us, just waitin' for our delicious food."

FINAL WORDS

Check this place out. Get a VIP card. Do everything you can to at least try it once!

If you’re feeling like going a little more upscale, check out Scholars Inn Cafe. If you’re visiting town, check out Scholars Inn Bed and Breakfast. I’m looking forward to tomorrow (Wednesday), so I can go again!

Scholars Inn Bakehouse Stats
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Vegan Friendly: Limited (Salads, not sure about felafel)
Price: $

Dig in,

Jamie

I bought so many bananas!

I’ve had the most productive few days I’ve had in a while.

Thursday, after working a show at the IU Cinema, I came home to discover I had no food and 2 hours of free time before I hit the gym with my future roommate, Katie! I made giant list of groceries and headed to the Kroghetto on College Avenue. But really, it’s ghetto.

I really like going to Kroghetto better than Kroger (on College Mall Road) because it’s less crowded. BUT sometimes they don’t have everything I want, so I am forced to go to the fancy Kroger.

After my glorious shopping experience Thursday, I’ve decided to create…

THE HEARTY HERBIVORE’S GUIDE TO GROCERY SHOPPING (…and to the universe)

1. Make a list. This seems like a no-brainer, but I’ve actually gone to the store without a list in the past, and it was mayhem. When I left, I had only one of the items I originally came in for and about 20 dollars worth of stuff I just picked up.

2. Stick to the list. The only time I go astray from the list is if I see something that I couldn’t find before and it’s a good price. Example: Two weeks ago, I had rosemary on my list. Kroghetto didn’t have rosemary and I wasn’t DYING to have it, but I didn’t go to Kroger. I did really want to make some Rosemary Frocaccia, but whatever. So Thursday, low and behold: Kroghetto had Rosemary. AND all organic herbs were 3 for $5. I didn’t however, get 3 herbs. Only Rosemary.

3. Map out your plan of attack. For me, it’s always easiest to start in the produce section, work my way to the back of the store, zig-zag through some isles, and finally make my way to the cold food, like the dairy. The produce section at Kroghetto is conveniently located next to the organic/vegetarian section, so it works out perfectly!

4. Frequent the same grocery stores. I’ve found that the real reason I love the Kroger I shop at is because I know it like the back of my hand. I’m also a “Valued Customer” and save some money every time I go. Really, get a Kroger Plus Card. You can use it on gas at Shell now, too!

5. If you can splurge and get name brand things, do it. So there’ s some things I will not buy if they are not name brand. Most of those things are personal hygiene products, though. If I can afford to splurge and buy name brown flour, sugar, etc, I definitely will. SouthernLiving’s 1001 Ways to Cook Southern suggests always buying name brand ingredients to assure the quality of your recipe. Being a poor college student, I usually will buy Kroger brand flour, sugar, etc. I feel that some things, such as frozen vegetables, are the same no matter what brand, as long as the only ingredient is the vegetable you are buying.

De-seeding pomegranates is actually quite the stress reliever!

6. Avoid the frozen food isle. Excluding frozen fruit and vegetables, I like to avoid the frozen food isle. I’d rather make something from scratch and monitor everything that’s in my food, rather than let someone else make it for me, with preservatives and all that jazz. One thing I will go for frozen: Schwan’s everything. Yum! The Eggplant Parm is to die for, along with the tortellini.

7. Plan out your meals for the week before you go shopping. This falls under the same category as number 1 (making a list). It’s so much easier to plan out your meals and then go shopping. That way, you know everything you’ll need for the week. See below for The Hearty Herbivore’s menu for the upcoming week.

8. Unload and go. Some things on my weekly shopping list include: bananas (for smoothies), spinach (for Green Monster smoothies), mushrooms, and eggs. After I work out and really am just dying for a post-workout smoothie, I am in no mood to cut up a frozen banana. When I get home, I unload my groceries, cut up the bananas, put them in a freezer bag, and throw them in the freezer. Unload and go. I did this Thursday, as well as de-seed 3 pomegranates! Man, am I feeling good! It’s also best to do this with raw ginger, since those are a real pain to cut.

Chopping bananas, easy but time consuming.

9. Don’t be afraid to take your time. I’m more of a get in, get out kind of gal. I hate spending more time at the grocery store than necessary. But if you have a lot of things to get, take time, compare prices, and look at nutrition labels. Seriously, a little time may save you a lot of money.

10. Go grocery shopping once a week (or every other week). This is my favorite tip and I think the most useful. Because I’m only feeding myself (sometimes another if Julia and I eat together or if Cory comes to town), I go shopping once every two weeks. Usually on Sunday afternoon. Because I go grocery shopping so often, I find myself buying more fruits and vegetables, cooking more, and eating healthier. I’m not going to lie, I get a little scarce on food toward the end of that second week though and will be eating rice and beans for a few days.

Like I said, I got so much stuff Thursday and really didn’t spend more than usual. Somethings I bought and some deals I found:

Wholly Guacamole: 2 for $5 (I love this stuff).
Butternut Squash: 99 cents a pound (I got two!)
Kale: 99 cents a bunch
Cilantro: 2 for $1 (WUHH?! I bought two and am totally freezing one for later).
Rosemary (and other herbs): 3 for $5

I bought a lot of other things and here’s what I’m planning on making this weekend/week/next weekend!

Rosemary Focaccia (Thanks for the Rosemary, Kroghetto!)
Soft Pretzels (By Pennies on a Platter…making them for the Super Bowl!)
White Bean Chili (Trying to perfect this recipe so I can blog about it!)

Delta Tamales (Cory’s favorite thing about growing up in Mississippi. I’m making them for Valentine’s Day!) Does anyone know where I can find dried corn husks (or shucks if your from the South)?
Some Sweet Treats (Still deciding on what!)
Butternut Squash Soup (or maybe some kind of pasta)
Something with Gorgonzola Cheese…Suggestions?

I’m having such an exciting weekend and week! Yestrday, my best friend from high school came to see me! We’re ate at Dat’s (one of my favorites of 2011!) last night and Darn Good Soup today for lunch! Noms! Next weekend, Cory and I are celebrating Valentine’s Day! That means even more good food and fun! I think we’re planning on eating somewhere nice, I was thinking Farm, and going to see the re-release of Star Wars. Oh gee, we’re nerds!

Happy Grocery Shopping,

Jamie