1. I was generously given some coupons for a few free Good Belly dairy-free probiotic juice beverages. They’re a great way to get your daily dose of digestion-aiding probiotics if you’re lactose intolerant or vegan! They come in a variety of sizes and delicious flavor combinations; my favorite was the Blueberry Acai.
2. Every couple of years or so I’m motivated to flip through the plethora of cookbooks stacked in our kitchen cabinets. What with Pinterest, food blogs, e-cookbooks,Foodgawker, Tastespotting, and the like, it’s easy to overlook the good old hard copy cookbooks.
The first up on my list: Super Natural Cooking by Heidi Swanson & The New Moosewood cookbook by Mollie Katzen.
Do you have any favorites from either of those cookbooks that I should try?
3. Did you dress up for Halloween? I miss dressing up. I think it would be fun to put together a trio of themed costumes for us next year.
I’m also bummed we didn’t get any trick-or-treaters. I had to turn off our welcoming outdoor lights when Lily went to bed b/c anyone knocking on the door always turns Shelby into a canine alarm clock.
4. Every time I make quinoa I tell myself that I need to make it more often. It cooks so quickly, lends itself to so many different [savory & sweet] applications, and is great leftover. I’ve been sprinkling it on salads, cooking it into oatmeal, and stirring it into yogurt. I’m also working on a recipe for quinoa veggie patties for Lily, which I will share soon!
5. Speaking of Lily, she has recently discovered the joy of feeding our dog. Fortunately Shelby is ultra gentle when taking an offered piece of whatever Lily should be eating herself; I just hope she doesn’t start gaining too much weight.
6. Pumpkin. The season does NOT end with Halloween, folks. I consider the whole month of November to be fair game for pumpkin recipes.
I have one waiting in the wings to be published that I know you will love!
7. Piggbacking off of #6… I don’t have the time to roast my own pumpkin puree these days, so canned it is. Not all canned pumpkin is created equally, though. My favorite is the bright orange-hued organic pumpkin puree from Trader Joe’s. So good!
8. When we purchased my Jeep at the beginning of the year, it came with a free year of satellite radio. The ’90s station never fails to make me feel old. Some of the songs I’ve heard recently are: “Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm” {Crash Test Dummies}, “How Bizarre” {OMC}, “Tubthumping” (aka “I Get Knocked Down”) {Chumbawamba}, & “Don’t Turn Around” {Ace of Base}.
