Product Reviews Archives - A Byte of Life

When a carry on just doesn’t do the job…

Thanks to the great folks over at American Luggage who are sponsoring this post!

How many of you have waited until the night before (or, ahem morning of) a flight to throw things into a bag and hope that you’re a good “flinger” and that something you flung into the suitcase comes out as an outfit and looks halfway presentable. Now, typically I’m a very Type A, planned out, checklist oriented and organized person. But, for some unknown reasons… this time was different. We all get a pass from time to time, right?

An alternate title for this blog post could be “and, how large does that suitcase come?” I used to travel for work, a LOT. Like, a lot. I had my “go bag” down. Mostly black (so it all matches) with a few neutrals throw in to break it up, one pair of heels, two pairs of flats, a bag of every beauty item I need in travel size, workout clothes, all tightly packed into a carry on with a fully loaded laptop bag (come to think of it, I’ll do a blog post carry on essentials… stay tuned!). And that worked when I was representing a fashion company … but traveling for vacation + a wedding to Hawaii calls for a different wardrobe line up. And a LOT more room in a suitcase.

When I knew that we’d both have to pack for three days into one suitcase… I was thanking my luck stars that the “outfit” needed for Hawaii, bathing suit and flip flops, doesn’t take up much space. Now, I love to travel and I’m lucky enough to do my fare share. I traveled a LOT for work for a long time and now we’re good about taking short trips here and there and I tag along to work trips with the Mr. as much as I can but rarely require a “checked luggage size” so when I started my research I was shocked by how expensive a quality, good looking piece of luggage this size could be! There’s a fine balance between an investment piece (read, expensive) versus finding a durable, reliable suitcase that’s affordable and not going to fall apart after one trip. Or worse yet, ON a trip! (yes, that’s happened to me and no it wasn’t fun). Thankfully, the team over at American Traveler asked if I wanted to partner on a post to test and showcase out their 29″ rolling hardcover suitcase!

Believe it or not, shopping for luggage can be hard and if you’re anything like me you start at good old Amazon checking what’s available, checking out the various features and doo dads that you didn’t know existed on a suitcase (or that you needed until that moment and have been missing all your life), pricing out various options and typically removing the doo dad touting luggage from the “I can afford this” list and reading as many reviews as possible.

Dear friends, I bring good news. There is a suitcase that is not only durable and affordable but can makes you feel sleek and sophisticated while wheeling it AND you won’t have to mortgage your house and offer up your first born to secure. Below is my full review and pictures.

Link to purchase the luggage on Amazon: American American Traveler 29″ Suitcase

PHOTOS

Top down view of bag open with divider fully zipped

View of bag open with divider fully zipped

Side view of three clasps, handle and locks

View of bag open with divider fully unzipped and folded down

PRICE & VALUE
At about $170 retail on Amazon.com this suitcase impressed me with its durability while traveling, capacity of what we were able to pack and the ease of it’s movement with the 8 spinner wheels. I think it’s a classy touch that it comes with a vinyl protection bag.

DURABILITY & MOBILITY
The 8 spinner wheels made it a complete breeze to navigate the airport. It’s outer casing (made of ABS-Polycarbonate thermoplastic) proved quite durable on our first trip with this suitcase- no dings or scratched! Both the top and side handles seemed very hearty when grabbing them to hoist the bag up and the sliver color made it easy to spot our bag right away when it came down the baggage carousel.

SIZE & SPECIFICATIONS
The exact measurements of the 29” suitcase are 20.3”H x 11.02” W x 31.3”D. It weighs about 12.8 lb when it’s completely empty. There is a heavy duty handle on the top and size of the case and it’s 8 spinner wheels gave it a truly effortless 360 mobility. My husband and I are both on the taller side so the telescoping handle was a comfortable height for both of us (5’9” and 6’3”). The three size clasps that secure the suitcase closed are very sturdy and it comes with both a regular combination lock you can set as well as a TSA lock.

INSIDE CAPACITY
The interior of the bag was quite spacious with a hand center flap to help secure each side for closing the suitcase. The other clam shell suitcase I mentioned before has little to no structure so it’s a royal pain in the ass to load each side up then try to zip it closed. This one was super easy- just pack each side, secure the center divider and zip it closed. No cursing? No need to meditate or drink tea to calm myself down afterward!? Amazon! The hard shell suitcases like this don’t offer a lot of room for expansion- but that wasn’t an issue as both my husband and I packed EVERYTHING we need for three days (including running shoes, multiple outfits, curling iron, golf shoes, both of our toiletries bags, snacks, etc.) and there was plenty of room.

SHIPPING
I was impressed at the condition that the suitcase arrived in. The large box had foam padding around the corners to protect it during shipment. as well as a clear vinyl protection bag with velcro closures at the bottom- like a dust bag that comes with a nice pair of shoes or an expensive purse. I’d never seen a suitcase arrive so well packed- and we have one other clam shell hard cover style suitcase and I’m pretty sure that thing was Ace Ventura style kicked to our front door and left for dead. Honesty, that other suitcase made me really dislike clam shells but this suitcase actually made me like them!

OTHER NOTES
I am used to traveling with the cloth suitcases (versus this type of clam shell) and being able to just open the top and shove things into it (scarf, cables I realize I don’t need right before I check my bag, sunglasses, etc.) and you can’d do this with the clam shells. They also don’t offer the front zip pockets that I’m accustomed to with the cloth suitcases but that is more of a stylistic preference of what your specific packing needs are. The overall durability of this suitcase wins for me over exterior pockets.

OVERALL OPINION
I’m very happy with this suitcase after this first trip. This is a great option for those that need a durable suitcase but can’t afford the Briggs & Riley or Tumi versions. Large, durable, looks stylish and sleek and I just love that it comes with the vinyl protection bag.

Happy New Year & Mark Bittman’s Kitchen Matrix Cookbook Review.

Happy New Year friends! Hope you are all having a fantastic week, and can you believe that it’s already half way through the month? Where has the time gone, I’m in denial. The past few months have been just insane packed; between work travel, personal travel for the holidays, holidays and buying a new house (more on that later)… it’s just been crazy.

I don’t do the whole “new year’s resolution” business. For me, the year renews on my birthday and let’s be honest… how many resolutions do we actually keep? I much prefer choosing a few things to work on and be mindful of as the year progresses to front loading my things to update list. My thing this year is to be better about cooking different things. There’s a cooking “rut” that I can easily slip into when life gets hectic. My go to recipes are played over and over like a worn our record and in the same way that listening to the same song 50 times get’s old, so does eating exactly the same thing day in and day out. That being said, I feel like I do need to give an honest disclaimer here and say that when the Coldplay “Sky full of Stars” and Adele’s new song “hello” came out I played those bad boys like they were going out of style.

Back to resolutions, I decided that with a new kitchen and finally having an oven again after what felt like an eternity, it was time to crack one of the stacks of cookbooks and try a few new recipes. The first cookbook I reached for was Mark Bittman’s Kitchen Matrix. This book is my mantra. He builds this cookbook on the idea of improvisation; presenting multiple ways to cook the same ingredient or ways to play with a certain method of cooking. This book is about finding an ingredient that gets you excited to cook, then shopping for the recipe.

Regardless of your cooking style, this book will inspire you. By the book recipe follower, you’ll be happy. Improv loving pinch of this and that cook, you’ll be inspired. There is truly a recipe for everyone, gluten-free, meat loving, paleo, vegan, etc.

The diagrams and imagery in this book, not to mention the organized and mindfully chaotic way each page is laid out, was so easy to digest and kept me turning the pages. It really is a kitchen bible, from a DIY condiments/sauces like homemade ketchup and teriyaki, to an entire section devoted to how to make your own spice mix, 12 ways to cook eggplant and mouth watering meat recipes, you’ll be able to cook and improv to your hearts content.

I received a free copy of this book for my honest opinion, and my opinion was in no way biased.

She’s back and there’s a cookbook review

Hello friends…

It feels like it’s been ages since the last blog post. Between our first trip to Italy, getting engaged, moving and loads of work travel I haven’t done much home cooking. Well, except the trip to Italy which was a cooking trip to one of the most amazing villas with my favorite chef in Seattle and there are MANY blog posts about that. But, for today all I have time to do is a quick cookbook review.

If you thought that yogurt is only for breakfast, you have a lot to learn! You’ll learn how to use yogurt in appetizers, salads, soups, sauces, marinades, beverages, and desserts. The biggest value of this book was the step by step instructions for how to make your yogurt at home! While I haven’t tried that recipe yet, mostly because I barely have a kitchen, I totally will once I have space to make it! The recipes feature both conventional recipes as well as ethnic and savory dishes and has a nice balance between the two. Books like this help you think more about the ingredients that make up a dish, and how you can completely change a recipe by changing one ingredient.

The pictures were beautiful and inspiring but I most of the recipes are more of the novelty “ made this one time” versus being part of the regular round-up. Stay tuned for a few recipe posts from the book in the coming months.

Please note, I was provided a free copy of this book by Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest opinion.

Cookbook Review: Relæ

A chefs dream of short essays

Unconventional, non-traditional, story telling at it’s finest. This is more than a cook book full of recipes and measurements, this is a glimpse into the practice and philosophies behind Puglisis’ kitchen magic. Read at your own speed- each recipe is interconnected but stands on it’s own but has it’s own magical, deeply personal, story.

Relæ was opened by Chef Christian F. Puglisi in 2010 in one of Copenhagen’s most crime-ridden areas. He had one simple goal, to serve impeccable, intelligent, sustainable, and plant-centric food of the highest quality. His approach was simple, forget focusing only on the frills and serve amazing food.

More of an essay read than a recipe book, but ingenious and engaging.

Cookbook Review: The Kitchn

Let me start by saying I’m not a big cookbook gal, and I’m HOOKED on this book! From the gorgeous pictures to the wonderful way the recipes are laid out to the helpful tip that rightfully take up half the book, but I’m getting ahead of myself. This so much more than just a “Cookbook”, It’s a cooking school in a book.

They say you spend a third of your life in bed, but I’m convinced that we spend a third of our lives in the kitchen. From food preparation, consumption, entertaining and cleaning we spend a great deal of time in the busiest room of the house. I’ve been using The Kitchn’s recipes for years so when I was given the opportunity to review The Kitchn Cookbook I jumped on it! Remember that this review is coming from a gal who doesn’t usually like cookbooks. Don’t have the space or the attention to make them worthwhile, I usually want one recipe out of them and they gather dust. This book, however, is totally a keeper! It’s more than your usual round up of recipes, which are all really great recipes! It includes tips for keeping your kitchen clean and organized (which is important if you spend as much time as I do in the kitchen!) and also includes tips on how to properly stock a pantry planning and storage various ingredients. With recipes for everything from the one-pot wonders, slow cooking, no-bake, and time intensive dishes there’s really something for every taste and skill level and kitchen size.

Reading this book is like learning all the tribal knowledge of cooking with your mother and grandmother for Thanksgiving. It not only has amazing recipes (knowing how to make vinaigrette or lemon bars from scratch will totally change your cooking game) but it also has great tips for preparing meal plans, entertaining a group, stocking a pantry and storing ingredients and basically has a mini cooking school in chapter 5. The entire chapter is devoted to the tips and tricks that will change the game. Sure, we might already know how to chop an onion and might even know how to boil a mean pot of water. But, can you confidently deglaze a pan (trust me, it will change your life), thicken a sauce and properly cup up a whole chicken? There are also tips on how to adapt recipes, store your fruits and veggies and more!

Consider this the handbook for the kitchen you’ve always dreamed of. With recipes for everything from the one-pot wonders, slow cooking, no-bake, and time intensive dishes there’s really something for every taste and skill level and kitchen size.

I received this book in exchange for my honest opinion, and my honest opinion is that this is a kitchen must have!

Product Review & Recipe: Mandarano Balsamic Glaze with “Stacks” Recipe

The team over at Mandarano Balsamic Glaze & Sauce, graciously asked if I be interested in doing a product review. Of course, I was excited to give it a try since I have become obsessed with aged balsamic in the past year. If you have never had an “aged” balsamic and think of only the vinegar style, you are in for a life changing treat.

Balsamic vinegar has long been a staple in my pantry. I always have a large bottle up on the shelf. Sometimes it’s plain old vinegar, sometimes there are random herbs shoved into the bottle for an infusion, what can I say… we know how to party. Balsamic has many uses in our house, as a dressing, a marinade for veggies or meat, drizzled on a top of a few slices fresh mozzarella for a caprice salad, the list goes on. Usually, I have the plain old vinegar style, which can be a tad acidic if drizzling straight onto a salad, hence the herbs shoved into the bottle! So, imagine my joy when I discovered “aged balsamic”.

I was SO excited to get my bottle of Mandarano last week and start trying it at…well ever meal actually. In case you were wondering, the answer is yes, it is delicious with scrambled eggs, fresh basil and avocado toast. It’s much thicker and has a much richer flavor so a little goes a long way with an aged balsamic, or a balsamic glaze. When you first open the bottle, you can smell the vinegar qualities of the balsamic, but once you taste it you’ll find the slight sweetness that perfectly compliments the molasses like texture. Mandarano uses a proprietary blend of 25, 12, and 2 year aged balsamic vinegar and the entire process, grape growing, bottling and production, all happen in Modena, Italy. And if you thought it couldn’t get any better, it’s quite affordable! You can order it HERE from Amazon.com or directly from the Mandarano website HERE. They also have a few delicious recipes using the balsamic glaze posted HERE. I can’t wait to try the Caprese style portobellos with Mandarano balsamic.

As I said, I’ve been trying my balsamic glaze on just about every meal and while I don’t have lovely pictures to show you, because I was too busy scarfing down the amazing meal. For dinner one night, I drizzled it over prosciutto wrapped chicken and asparagus and it was the perfect finishing touch, adding just the sweetness and flavor that the dish needed!

But my favorite recipe, by far, were the White Nectarine, Mozzarella, Basil and Balsamic “stacks” I made one afternoon for a quick patio happy hour treat. The bag of white nectarines were finally ripe, so I walked down to our Italian market, DeLaurenti, and picked up a few of their fresh house made mozzarella balls and some fresh basil and used my bottle of Mandarano balsamic glaze to make these delicious treat! Recipe was posted yesterday HERE, but I wanted to include it below so you could see how lovely it turned out, the the glaze drizzled over the top!

White Nectarine, Mozzarella, Basil, Balsamic “Stacks”
Serves two

2 ripe, but slightly firm white nectarines
2 fresh mozzarella balls
1 bunch fresh basil, washed
Mandarano balsamic glaze

Wash the nectarines and basil, laying the basil out on a paper towel to pat dry. Slice the bottoms of the nectarines, then carefully slice so you have layers to stack. Taking a sharp knife, slice the mozzarella balls. Stack up the ingredients, starting with a slice of the white nectarine and alternating the other ingredients until you have your “stack” created. Drizzle with the balsamic glaze and enjoy!

Naches Heights Vineyard

I was first drawn to the Naches Heights Vineyard (NHV) wines the same way that may aspiring wine drinkers discover bottles they love and hate, I looked at the label. While this isn’t the “scientific” or “conventional” way to discover new wines it is how this branding and marketing minded wine drinker explores the wonderful and sometimes overwhelming world of wines.

Phil shared his delicious wine at the Seattle Wine & Food Experience back in February and I was drawn to his charismatic personality and yes, the amazing wine labels! Located in lovely Yakima, the NHV tasting room offers rolling hills, waterfalls and breathtaking views of their vineyards. Their table brochure, absconded on my second trip to their tasting table, highlights facilities that accommodate weddings, meetings, wine tastings, Glamping…yes, they list Glamping. Sign a sister up!

Tell me a bit about yourself, and how you wound up in Wine.
I am a refugee from the tree fruit industry. When I left the apple business I wanted to continue farming. I have always enjoyed wine and a winemaker friend suggested I plant some grapes on the property. What drew me to wine was more the ability to sustain a lifestyle by planting something on my property that would be exciting and relevant to the future. Wine consumption in the United States continues to grow and it seemed like a good idea. I am not a wine maker. I am a grower and director of wine making. We proved high quality fruit for the wine makers to do their magic on. I direct the style of wine that is produced from the vineyards.

Favorite Wine this year?
My favorite wine this year is Carmen; a blend that turned out all to well. I love when that happens. (One a side note, this is my FAVORITE wine that I”ve tasted of his! I call it “the one that started it all!)

Favorite thing about the wine industry?
The people. The Washington wine industry is young enough that we all are helping one another. At some point I imagine that my change but till then. Hoopla!

Fun fact about you?
I love to eat not cook. I can do quite well in the kitchen when my mind is right. Breakfast is my favorite meal.

Fun fact about one of the wines?
Our Riesling goes with anything.

Advice?
New wine drinkers should have Fun first and then read Grapes and Wines: A Comprehensive Guide to Varieties and Flavors, by Oz Clarke & Margaret Rand if they want to get serious.

Connect with NHV
Head over to their website to learn more about their relaxing and welcoming tasting room and event space or read up their recent wine awards. You can also find them on Twitter and Facebook or read Phil’s blog, Grape Minds Think Alike.

Angle 33 Wine Thermals

A few weekends ago I attended the Seattle Wine & Food Experience and apart from the overall experience of sipping AMAZING wines and tasting samples from local chefs, I had the great pleasure of meeting Matt from Angle 33. Matt hand crafts lovely cement wine thermals as well as wine and beverage coasters. Whether making them for individual use, or branding them with company logos for commercial use, they are the most useful and lovely addition to any wine drinkers “tool box”, trumped only by the glasses with which to hold the lovely libation!

We have been looking for a wine chiller bucket for ages and NONE could fit the bill for our stylistic choices.
I was drawn to his table by the simple, refined and classic nature of his products. Matt was displaying both his retail products, as well as a few examples of his branded commercial use products which featured various customer logos and I loved the chic style, neutral and sophisticated color palate and his welcoming “hello there, would you like to enter a drawing?” which believe it or not, I WON!

(I’d like to state that the win was purely coincidental and in no way related to the posting of this article. Now, if only I could hone that win to a lotto ticket purchase!) We are LOVING our Angle33 Wine Thermal and yes red wine drinkers…you need one too! Read below and you’ll see when and why!

I love that Angle 33 is a Montana-based, family business who so diligently pursues innovation, perfection and sustainability. Anyone who’s tag line is “We strive to offer the best wine-related products on the market, so you can focus on the wine” is a friend to wine drinkers everywhere in MY book! Matt so graciously agreed to let me interview and feature him so without further long winded introductions, please welcome Matt!!

What was the inspiration for Angle33?
I have always wanted to manufacture a product out of concrete on an international scale. I have been working with concrete for 18 years and most of what we make tends to be limited to our local region because of weight. Wine has also always intrigued me mainly because it has a lot in common with concrete. They both require lots of chemistry and each artisan or winemaker gets different results with different techniques. Weather and elements effect the end result of both wine and concrete, which is always exciting because there is an “unknown” factor that can be involved so each day is like unwrapping a Christmas gift.

Where did the name come from?
After months of filtering through different ideas, I chose Angle 33 because of its simplicity. Angle 33 refers to “the word of mouth buzz a name creates.”

What did you two do in your “previous life” before Angle33?
I owned and operated a concrete flat work company in Billings, MT for 5 years. In 2008, Marge and I moved back to Missoula and started Stamping Ground Studios. I still own SGS along with Angle 33.

Matt, How did you get started in Concrete?
My first real experience with concrete was as a laborer for a company in Missoula during the summers of my college years. Funny thing was, all of the guys I worked with then told me to stay in school and “NEVER” get into the concrete world. Obviously I didn’t listen to well as 18 years later I am still going strong and enjoying concrete as a medium as much as I ever have.

What is your favorite part about running Angle33?
Networking and finding people that can do the parts of business that I am not strong at. I enjoy learning about all facets of business from people that know their specialties really well. I don’t believe in a “jack of all trades”, so I prefer to find people that are great at what they do and work alongside them.   Fun Fact (About yourselves, the company, or the product) Our motto is “start early so we can play late”. Missoula is one of the greatest places on earth for outdoor activities, so we pride ourselves on being as efficient as possible at work so we can take advantage of skiing, fishing and camping as much as possible.

So, you can chill red also?
Here are a couple good articles from The Wall Street Journal and The Kitchn about what reds are good chilled. Also, as most know sunlight is not good for the wine, so even if you don’t want your red chilled, it is a good idea to keep your bottle in a thermal while outside to keep the sun off of it.

Advice for someone looking to follow their dreams and start a new company?
One of my favorite sayings is “Focus on the process, Results will take care of themselves.” Stick to your strategy and don’t stress about the results, they will come. Build your business how you want to build it, don’t follow someone elses business model because what works for one person won’t necessarily work for you. Use your core values to build the foundation and always find/hire people smarter than you and incorporate them into your business in as many ways you can.

Connect with Angle33 on their Website, Facebook, and Pinterest!

We were so thrilled that he included a few Family photos for the family business!!

Mr. Angle 33, Matt, with his my oldest daughter on his shoulders with a fish!

Mrs. Angle 33, Marge, is from Redmond and shows her Seattle Roots with a Ferry Picture!

From the Take Out Menu: Interview with Buried Carrots

Buried Carrots
“Colorful writing, delicious food”

It’s always so fun to do a little “take out” and explore what others in the food blogging community are posting and eating. One of my favorite blogs to look at is Buried Carrots. We’re not vegetarians but we try to minimize our meat, and Karen is so wonderful at illustrating the delicious meat-free food options that abound!

I love Karen’s writing and photographs! They’re so inviting, comfortable, and inspiriting. Her writing style makes me feel like were curled up at a coffee shop chatting the day away. Her food photography always makes me hungry. Stopping by her blog always brightens my day! She eats well, lives well and inspires others to do the same! With great pleasure and joy, I give you….KAREN!!!!

My Bio: I’m a freelance Photographer and Writer with a passion for vegetarian and vegan cooking. Currently my work can be viewed online at my three blogs: Buried Carrots is devoted to colorful writing and delicious vegetarian and vegan food; Composing Kitchen focuses on my efforts, together with my partner, to follow our passions and design our lives; and Karen Milling Photography features my work as a portrait, headshot, wedding and food photographer.

Connect:

And for our interview…

What inspired you to start blogging?
I don’t really make New Year’s resolutions in the classic sense, but when each new year rolls around, I take some time to evaluate where I am in my life: what I’m happy with and what things I’d like to change. I try to set the tone for the coming year. (As a side note, I do the same thing on my birthday every year.) When I started my blog in January of 2011, my intention for the year was productivity. I wanted to try new things, to grow as a writer and photographer. I wanted to increase my self-confidence, be courageous and take risks. I already loved cooking and taking photos, but I had not been writing for a long time and wanted to start again. Creating Buried Carrots was a great way to bring all those things together.

This year my intention is expansion. I’m working very hard on growing my photography business as well as continuing to improve my skills and techniques. I’ve worked with several portrait and headshot clients and I shot my first wedding. I’ve got a long way to go, but I’m building confidence and opportunity at every turn.

The Tagline
My original tagline was: “Uncovering the very best vegetarian and vegan food.” However, most of the feedback I received about the blog was that the food and photos were good, but the writing was great. So, in an effort to build on that strength, I changed the tagline to “Colorful writing, delicious food.”

My partner Carla says I have a gift for creating what she calls a “hook,” where I bring stories back around to whatever theme or image I began with. When I lived in Seattle I performed with Jet City Improv for a while. We often talked about reincorporation, in which an idea presented early on in an improvised scene is reincorporated later. It makes the audience feel so connected to what is going on because they are familiar with it. What perhaps didn’t stand out the first time around becomes delightful when recognized a second time. It works in writing too and in music, for that matter.

One last thing I’ll say about writing is that having a great editor is essential for me. I have the good fortune of having married a technical writer and editor (now composer and sound designer). She taught me to start by saying what I want to say when writing, and worry about the grammar and artfulness of it later. It is freeing to let go of trying to write the “perfect” thing and just write what I’m thinking and feeling without judgment. Then, with the help of an editor, I can go back and make things sound and look better. I would advise anyone struggling with writing to find someone they trust to read their work and give them advice and edits.

Have you always been vegan and vegetarian? What inspired this?
I have been a vegetarian since my 20s, so for about 15+ years. I never really liked meat as a child and gravitated toward chicken and turkey rather than red meat when I had a choice. Once I was older and able to cook for myself, I became a vegetarian, or “vegetarian lite.” I became the kind of vegetarian who still ate a BLT from time to time. But gradually as I learned more about food, cooking and nutrition, meat faded from my diet completely.

Ididn’t become a vegetarian for animal rights reasons, but I would say that now I feel quite strongly that animals shouldn’t be eaten or abused for their products. The eggs I eat come from the community garden where the chickens eat well, have plenty of space, and are well cared for (loved, that is). I try to buy the most responsibly produced diary products available: organic, from pasture-raised animals not treated with hormones. I don’t eat a lot of dairy, but I loooooooooove some cheese, so I do my best to make compassionate choices.

What would you say to those that are looking at becoming either vegan or vegetarian?
It doesn’t mean that you’ll eat salad all the time. The most frequent question I get from people curious about being vegetarian is, “What do you eat?” (Always asked with some level of exasperation.) And the answer is, everything — except meat. For example, right now, the leftovers in my fridge consist of polenta with grilled veggies, tomato sauce, and vegetarian sausage; a rice salad with peanuts, sesame seeds, chopped fresh vegetables and pineapple in a gingery soy dressing; quinoa and sweet potato chili; and white chocolate cherry scones. All vegetarian. The options are endless, wonderful, healthful and filling. Spending some time online or looking through some vegetarian cookbooks is a great way to get started, and a great way to get excited.

All of them are so fun to read and the pictures are lovely, but do you have a favorite of your blog posts?
I’m pretty fond of the first Valentine’s Day post I wrote about our cat Clementine. It’s a little clinical, but also lovely in its way. She has this extraordinary sweetness about her coupled with a sort of perpetual bewilderment that just melts your heart.

Do you do all of your own food photography? (How did you get started in photography?)
I do. I’ve always enjoyed photography. When I was a child and my mom got a new camera, I was the recipient of her old one and started taking pictures. I did take one semester of photography in college, but basically I’m self-taught. These days, the Internet is a great place to learn, and taking photos for the blog means I’m constantly honing my skills by practicing and practicing.

What superpower do you have? Party tricks count!
Napping. I know it doesn’t accomplish much for the good of humankind, but I love to nap, and I’m REALLY good at it.

Items could you not live without OR What are 5 items you never leave home without are…

My iPhone. I hate to say it, but it’s true. It means I have a camera and editing tool with me all the time. It means that I can be creative at any given moment. With an iPhone, I don’t get lazy about making and editing photos — I have no excuse not to be creative with such a powerful tool in the palm of my hand. I take photos every day to keep that part of my mind sharp. I’m always composing photos, thinking about photos.
Lip Balm. I live in New Mexico, what can I say?
Water Bottle. See above. Between the altitude and the dry dry dryness, it’s essential.
My running shoes. Running is my way of meditating. Physical and mental stresses just melt away when I run. I feel stronger and more clear-minded after running.
A pen and paper (also read: my iPhone). I’m a list maker. I make lists of ideas and goals, lists of things I need to do, lists of places I want to go. Sometimes I’ll get just a snippet of a blog post in my mind. I write it down and refer back to it later.

Favorite food to eat?

Roasted green chile. In New Mexico we’re good at putting chile on almost anything. I love the sweet, smoky, spicy flavor of roasted green chile. In the late summer and early fall, truckloads of New Mexico chiles are roasted on the side of the road. It’s the most incredible fragrance I’ve experienced. The flavor matches that.
Coffee. I have to stick to decaf so I don’t ruin my superpower, but I love a good cup of coffee. I don’t get fancy that often with lattes or cappuccinos, but I love a dark, robust flavorful Americano.
Chocolate. Need I say more?
Strawberries. Strawberries are, hands down, my favorite fruit. I have them in a smoothie almost every day of the week.
Goat Cheese. I love it in salads, I love it on slices of crusty rustic bread, I love it paired with sweet things like figs, I love it.

To cook?

Pizza. We’ve been on a mission over the last few years to perfect our pizza cooking — both in the oven and on the grill. We’re constantly striving for the perfectly thin, balanced, crispy/chewy pizza crust. And we love getting creative with sauces and toppings. Pizza can be so sophisticated one day and so comforting the next.
Breakfast. Sometimes it’s pancakes or French toast. Sometimes it’s eggs. But we pretty regularly make breakfast together or for each other, and I love the time we spend doing it.
Ice cream and Sorbet. I recently got an ice cream maker and have really been enjoying creating some interesting sorbet and ice cream flavors.
Bread. In the fall and winter months I really like making breads. I enjoy the slow process and the warm comforting smell of freshly baked bread.
Soups and stews. These are the staples in our busy lives. Rarely is there a week without an interesting flavorful soup or stew ready to eat.

Someone’s having a rough day…what would you say?

I keep a fortune from a fortune cookie taped to my computer screen. It says, “Nothing is impossible to a willing heart.”

You get to choose your attitude. You may not always be happy with your situation and you may not always be able to change your situation right away, but you get to control how you react to it. You get to choose what kind of person you want to be and what kind of moment/day/life you’re going to have. So try to choose joy and compassion and love — for others, but just as importantly for yourself.

Cheese is Back in my Life, Thank you Galaxy

Now, cheese may seem like a small matter to those of you who can eat it or have completely cut it out of your life. But to someone who made peace with saying goodbye YEARS ago, thinking that I would never again taste the sweet taste of a cheesy panini, nachos, grilled cheese, cheese pizza, sliced cheese with wine… okay I think you get the picture by now…it’s a gaping hole in my culinary consumption.

Well, that was pre “Galaxy”! I can’t tell you how excited I was to be able to eat some form of “cheese” again! We happened upon the Galaxy Food’s rice based shreds on a recent trip to Whole Foods a few weeks back when it was on sale. I love trying new things almost as much as I love a good sale, but still have the tarnished taste of some “alternative food” taste tests gone wrong so I was a bit apprehensive about venturing into the world of “cheese alternatives”.

But, looking at the nutrition info I was quite surprised! Take a look :

Serving Size 1/3 c.
70 calories (35 from fat)
4g Fat (1 gram saturated, 0g Trans)
6g Protein
0 mg Cholesterol
370mg Sodium
3g Carbs

Look at that protein content in ONE serving! That’s the thing that I miss about cheese, it’s a quick and easy non-meat protein. I feel like an entirely new playground of culinary fun has opened up to me again! It also delivers 30% of your daily calcium, which is important for building strong bones and something that those of us that are dairy-free or vegan to keep an eye on since it’s usually found in dairy-based products.

The day after we bought it to try I literally woke up and the first words out of my mouth were… CHEESE!! There was a bee-line to the kitchen and I was eating it right out of the package! Now this is coming from the girl who doesn’t like eating first thing in the morning! (Which has inspired a “Breakfast” series I’m working on… stay tuned!) I looked like the little kid who got caught with one hand half in the cookie jar and the other already delivering a handful of cookies to my mouth!

The taste is actually quite good, the melting leaves a BIT to be desired on the cheddar, it didn’t melt very well on nachos but when I tried the mozzarella shreds on top of my spaghetti squash for lunch last week it melted PERFECTLY! It also melted wonderfully on the stuffed tomatoes from dinner last night! I’ll have to try melting the Cheddar a few more ways to see how it does. “oh darn”… more cheesy cooking!!

I have only tried the shreds so far, but they have a whole line of vegan, rice and soy cheese as well as cream cheese alternatives, Parmesan crumbles, and “cheese” slices. You can see the line up of their products here: Galaxy Foods.