Meatless Monday: Ode to modern technology

photo credit: pinterest via Kristina Marie

You can hardly see me due to the reflection,
but that's me on the computer..mimosa in hand ;)

Yesterday I spent 3 hours on Skype for a Brunch/Skype date with my parents and best friends.  970 miles away and I was able to enjoy brunch and mimosas with some of the people I love most. This got me thinking about the convenience of modern technology.  I keep up with friends through facebook updates and twitpics; I play scrabble with friends 5 states away; When I'm craving Indian food, I find the nearest restaurant and read their reviews; I order airline tickets; I check sports scores and rankings... all from my phone.

You know what else I usually do right from my phone? Find recipes.  So, this weeks Meatless Monday recipe is Lentil Chili which comes from my favorite iPhone app--the Whole Foods Market Recipes app.  It's free and amazing.  It's filled with helpful features and delicious recipes.  Seriously.  If you have an iPhone (or iPad) GET. IT.

You can search for a recipe by course, category or special diets.  

You can save your favorite recipes.  

You can find your nearest Whole Foods.

How I came about making Lentil Chili was by using the "On Hand" feature. 

These were some of my results.  I read each one and chose the one I had all the ingredients for.  No trip to the market for this girl.  And I know what my Florida friends must be thinking, "Chili in summer?!"  Being that I'm a Florida girl myself, highs in the 70s and lows in the 50s is my winter!  In fact, we've been eating every meal on our back deck since we moved to the 'burgh and on the particular night I served this, the Dr. said, "I'm a little chilly."  Perfect weather for chili.  (;

If you do happen to need a trip to the market, you can add the recipe to your shopping list and check off the items as you get them! Awesome, right?

Each recipe shows an Overview, the Ingredients, and the Method for making the dish. 

And if you know someone you would like to share the recipe with, just hit "Share Recipe" and you have the option of emailing the recipe or sharing on facebook or twitter.  

The final product.  Not a great picture.  I was just trying to show how much we had LEFT OVER! The recipe serves 8, so if there are only 2 of you...learn from my mistakes and cut the recipe in half.  Unless of course you like feeding your neighbors. 

*Honorable mention to the AllRecipes app where you can also search using dietary filters or even use the Dinner Spinner if you need some inspiration. I prefer the Whole Foods app for two reasons:

 #1.  I am able to find a better selection of vegan and gluten free recipes 

 #2. AllRecipes gets their recipes from subscribers and sometimes I have found these recipes to be flawed.  Whole Foods recipes seem to have been tried, tested and perfected.  If you do get a recipe from AllRecipes I highly suggest reading the comments before trying.  

They are often very insightful.  

I promise to get a Meatless Monday post up before dinner one of these days.  

Until then, happy meatless cooking...and eating!

xoxo, 

The Mrs.

Wordless Wednesday: TTD

Before our move to the 'burgh the Dr. and I decided to do a "Trash the Dress" session. This was especially important to us because there was an error with our wedding photos and we received none of our posed shots.  Because of this, we decided to bring the Noodle along as there were no photos of all 3 of us from the wedding. So, on an early Saturday morning we got back into our wedding attire and drove out to Auburndale, Florida to meet up with our wonderful and amazingly talented photographer, Jana Morgan to get some rustic and nature-filled TTD photos.

For my inaugural Wordless Wednesday I would like to share some of my favorite shots from that sunny day..  No more words are needed. Jana Morgan's photography speaks for itself.  

  

Disclaimer: I realize 'trashing the dress' isn't generally viewed as very "green", but no worries.. After a good cleaning this bad boy is still being donated to a willing party.  (;

xoxo, 

The Mrs.

Happy Meatless Monday!

I realize that not eating animals and their products at all may be a little extreme for most people, so that is why I love the Meatless Monday movement.  Basically it's a non-profit initiative to begin the week with meat-free alternatives. You can read all about Meatless Monday here. I'm going to (try) to post a new meat-free recipe every Monday in support of the Meatless Monday movement.  

For my inaugural Meatless Monday post I chose a recipe from one of the blogs I follow, Katie's Cucina.  Katie is a friend of mine since high school and a Steeler fan since birth. She loves to cook and creates her own recipes.  (I'm more of a "clear direction" kind of girl.) 

This week her featured recipe is Tortellini with sauteed vegetables.  Looks amazing, right?  You can easily turn this into a vegan recipe by substituting the tortellini for a dairy and egg free pasta and using nutritional yeast in place of the parmesan cheese. *Bonus: Katie informed me you can even take the leftovers and make a yummy soup!  Find that recipe here.  Meat-free meals can be super delicious too!   

I told myself I was going to make this recipe tonight, but after the Dr. and I took an 8 mile bike ride and did some yard work I wasn't really up for much kitchen time, so leftovers it was.  So, tomorrow ...it's on.  Because EVERY day is Meatless Monday in our house.  

xoxo,

The Mrs.

My Superheroes.

The Dr. with my Dad

Happy Father's Day to my fantastic Dad who is easily one of my most favorite people to be with.  Growing up I was always Daddy's little girl.  My Dad could do no wrong.  He was the strongest, smartest, kindest and tallest man in the world.  As I got older I realized he was certainly not the tallest, maybe not the strongest, and possibly not even the smartest (although we might have to argue that one) but you will never convince me he isn't the kindest.  

It wasn't until I became a parent and looked back on my childhood that I truly understood just how selfless my Dad is. He gives all he has to his family.  He was never ever too busy for us.  His love has been a constant in my life and has never been doubted.  And it is this unwavering love that has made me who I am today.  So Dad, thank you.  Thank you for your quiet strength.  Thank you for always being there for me. Thank you for always trying to teach me what is truly important in life.  Thank you for the french toast.  Thank you for showing me the world. And thank you for never sweating the small stuff.  I want to be just like you when I grow up.  I love you.  

And a HFD to my generous husband, an awesome Dad to the Noodle.  The man, who when asked what he wanted for Father's Day told me to make him a "honey-do" list.  And has spent the day cleaning out the garage and the basement.  Because that's the kind of person he is.  I wonder every day what I did to deserve this amazing man. He stepped up and took on this incredible responsibility with poise and an amazing sense of purpose even in the midst of medical school.  Thank you for taking such good care of us.  I greatly appreciate all the things you do for our little family.  You are the cheese to my macaroni.  I love you. 

And to the other inspirational "Dads" in my life...

Happy Father's Day.  

xoxo, 

The Mrs.

Hello, Pittsburgh!

[illustration by Andrew Holder via pinterest]

Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart.  --Confucius

We have taken the advice of Confucius and have gone into this move whole heartedly.  And I must admit, I am LOVING it here.  LOVING. IT.  I love my house, my deck, my neighborhood, the summer weather, the city (minus the confusing roads).  Granted, the Dr. has barely started working and the weather is still gorgeous.. So, ask me again in 6 months when its 19 degrees and the Dr. is working 80 hour work weeks.  Things may not seem as peachy. (;

This blog post is the counterpart to my "farewell" post.  Here I am going to list the things we are most excited about our big move to the 'burgh.

#1.  Change of Seasons.  Florida pretty much has two seasons. Summer and summer light.  I am so excited to actually see the leaves change in the fall, fall off in the winter, and the flowers come out in spring.  Just the thought of the coming seasons makes me happy.

#2. Trader freakin' Joe's. Good bye Publix, Hello Trader Joe's.  If my only options in Pgh were Giant Eagle and Shop n' Save I might cry.  Daily.  Luckily, there is a Trader Joe's about 10 minutes from our house.  And TJs is WHERE IT'S AT!  They have tons of inexpensive organic & vegetarian options.  And almond butter for $4?! What?!  At Publix, it's $7!!  

SN: There is one downfall.  Pittsburgh has no tax on anything in the grocery store.  Because of this, they do not sell alcohol in markets.  Therefore, no 2 buck chuck for me :(  

[Benedum Center for Performing Arts]

#3.  Culture.  Pittsburgh actually has a "Cultural District".  A 14 square block area in downtown Pgh consisting of six theaters, art galleries, restaurants, and shops.  They have a ballet, opera, and symphony orchestra just to name a few.  The Pittsburgh museums include the Andy Warhol Museum, the Carnegie Museum of Art, Carnegie Natural History Museum, Carnegie Science Center, ArtGardens of Pittsburgh and more.  There is also a zoo and aquarium, conservatory and botanical garden, and an aviary.  SO much to do and see. I will probably spend the next 3 years just trying to take in all the cultural greatness.  

#4. Mountains.  Not only are the mountains beautiful to look at, but the Dr. likes loves to snowboard.  In the past, we have taken trips to Colorado to hit the slopes (which is where the Dr. proposed!) 

After a little research, we have found the nearest ski resort to be less than an hour and a half away!  Yes, we will always have a special place in our hearts for the Rockies, but to be able to DRIVE to a ski resort will be super convenient and I have a feeling these old mountains will be much more to my 'bunny slope' liking. 

#5. City of Champions. And the Pirates.  Yes, we will forever love the Miami Dolphins, but I have to say...it might be nice to cheer for a football team that actually goes to the playoffs. And can beat the Jets. Besides, I think it's a sin to NOT be a Steelers fan in SIXburgh.  The 'burgh also has the Penguins who won the Stanley cup in '91, '92 & '09.  We're not huge hockey fans (yet) but we're really looking forward to learning more about the sport in the years to come.  In addition to these 2 championship teams, Pgh has the Pirates or "Bucs" as they call them.  They haven't won a title since 1979, but that isn't going to stop us from hitting up some games this summer.  What better than a baseball game for an ice cold beer and cheese covered carbs? Yum. 

[Jana Morgan photography]

#6.  These boys right here.  They are my everything.  The only two things that truly matter. I would follow these boys to the coldest, most remote place on Earth.  Or anywhere, really.  Because if they're there...it is home.