Edamame + Black Bean Summer Salad

As much as I hate to do it, I'm planning to start posting shorter blog entries during the next couple of months. Tomorrow is the official start of my Bar Exam prep classes, which means that things are about to get a little crazy around here.

Crunchy Blue Corn Chickpea Tacos + Homemade Taco Seasoning

Feel like having something healthy?
Flavorful?
Simple?
Spicy?
Just plain pretty?

Well, get ready to say "Hello, Delicious!" because these Chickpea Tacos are INSANELY fantastic! They're one of the few meals that I could probably eat every single day and never get sick of (see also: Spicoli Burgers and Black Beans + Rice w/ Sweet Potato Cubes)!

Brighten Your Day Salad + Vegan Poppy Seed Dressing

You know how sometimes when you're feeling down, just seeing something that's bright and sunny can make you feel a little bit better? Well, as silly as it might sound, that's exactly what creating this salad did for me...

Last night, my mom called to tell me that she had finally decided to put our cat, Natasha, to sleep. We've had Natasha (or "Tashie," as we liked to call her) ever since she was a kitten and I was about 8 or 9 years old. She was a Seal Point Siamese cat, with blue eyes, beautiful white fur, and the typical black legs/ears/face that're associated with Siamese cats.

Tashie was a sweet and affectionate, yet calm and sophisticated pet. She was the kind of cat who could even make sworn "non-cat people" want to pet her, and was the envy of my friends when I was growing up.

Spicoli Burgers, Potato Squashers, & Thyme Roasted Tomatoes

Sorry for the gap in posting! Lately, the days seem to be running together... Mondays quickly give way to Fridays, while Saturday AMs covertly turn into Sunday PMs in the blink of an eye. I suppose it doesn't help that my schedule is jam-packed with a disproportionate amount of law school annoyances, but really - where has the time gone?!

Between classes, work, and weekend-long Bar review courses, I'm practically ready to invoke the insanity defense, myself. Not only do I have a major (mock) trial to prepare for my final Trial Advocacy class, but I'm also attempting to plan my graduation festivities, which is turning out to be a bit harder than expected. On top of that, people are failing the Bar and dropping dead left and right in my practice Bar Exam questions, which isn't exactly a morale booster...

Apple Chowder with Maple Cashew Butter

JD (of Veggie Terrain) and CH will be on vacation in Portland, OR for the next week. Their flight leaves early tomorrow AM, so they'll be out of touch for a bit. However, they will be sampling lots of beer and veggie meals - and are planning to share the tasty details (and visit your blogs!) when they return.
Dear reader, let me introduce you to the most fabulous breakfast that you'll ever meet. His name is Apple Chowder, and I have no doubt that once you see him in person, it'll be love at first sight.

Now, I know what you're thinking:

"I worked so hard to snag Mr. Popularity (aka: "Johnny Cereal"), and now that our "routine" is down to just 5 mins, why in God's name would I wanna leave him?"

or

"But Old Reliable (aka: "Oatie Oatmeal") and I have been kickin' it since the days of middle school, and he's always been so good to my heart - I'm not taking a chance on someone who might break it!"

Don't worry, I completely understand. You and your breakfast already have a great relationship going, right? I mean, it's not like you get hungry before noon is it? And you're certainly not getting tired of having the same thing over and over again, are you?

Lemon Garlic Pasta

Pasta and I have been good friends for a very, very long time. (See Exhibit A: my ever-expanding waistline). In fact, I'm so in love with pasta that one of my uncles has been calling me "Noodles" since I was around 11 or 12 years old. (Back then, my favorite meal to make was a gigantic tower of spinach-flavored spaghetti, slathered with butter and garlic salt - eh.)

Despite my remaining affection for the nickname Noodles, I do like to think that my pasta tastes have matured a bit since I was little. These days, I tend to stick to a handful of my favorite sauces (aglio e olio & pesto) and types of pasta (penne & spaghetti). However, I do like to throw something new into the mix occasionally, just to keep things interesting.

The Pantry Challenge

It's true: I've been threatening to take part in my own so-called "Pantry Challenge" for quite some time now. And, unfortunately for my beloved CH (and as is clearly evidenced by the pictures below), it appears as though that time has finally arrived.

But wait!

Before you begin scrolling down this page and sighing about how much effin' food I've managed to amass, please understand that this isn't easy...

In fact, there's something very strange about the idea of exposing my entire food stash to a bunch of virtual strangers. I mean, what if you decide that I have bad taste in crackers, or that my organizational skills are seriously lacking, or that I have so much food that I must weigh at least 500 lbs.?!

Honestly, it almost feels like I'm letting all of you into one of the most personal parts of my life, which is particularly weird considering the fact that I spend so much time blabbing on this blog. I guess I never realized how intensely intimate my relationship with food is, which is really a lesson in itself.