You should know that I consider starting a new blog daily. I love OALP. I’ve been writing in this space for two years, and I love it. But, I still feel off about it. Is my blog officially a Pittsburgh blog now simply because I live here? Do I need to write about my new city often in order to make it a Pittsburgh blog? Or do I need to network and meet with other Pittsburgh bloggers so I can be part of the group?

I probably need to do a combination of those things. But for the meantime, I decided to change the appearance of my blog. It needed a facelift. It doesn’t look exactly how I want it, but I think it has a more crafty, albeit girly feel. I can dig that for now. So check it out, and let me know what you think. I’d love your thoughts.

I have been doing some cooking, though not a lot. We bought a ton of kale, and I decided to put it to good use. I know you have seen this kale + carrots + other things recipe more than once, but it just goes to show that I know what I like, and I like what I know.

Fun fact about this combination: it tastes delicious cold. And I have no qualms about admitting that I ate this in my bed one afternoon for lunch. I don’t make a practice out of eating in my bedroom, but I was having a lazy day. And hey, I work from home. What can I say?

I think the big kicker to this recipe was the fresh parm I added to the top. I still can’t believe how long I went without eating cheese. It automatically makes a recipe better.

Tell me what you’ve been eating lately.

Someone is obsessed with Christmas.

Now if he’d just stop eating the tree in the morning. Seriously.

Dinner was just what I needed after a mental financial freakout + one hour and fifteen minutes of commute time. Bill cooked up this pasta dish – “Neptune’s Medley” pasta from the co-op with chicken, kale and chickpeas in a white wine garlic sauce and topped with shredded mozz. Hello, goodness.

Dinner was eaten directly after listing nearly 10 books for sale on half.com. I’m also selling my first generation iPod for $30 on ebay. Can you tell I’m getting desperate? Christmas always does this to me. I should budget throughout the year and not just in the month of December!

Don’t let that fat wallet fool you. It’s chocked full of credit cards and other unnecessary junk. Eek.

Today was a busy day at work, so I didn’t blog. I had this nice Turkish lentil and carrots dish.

Gotta get my lentil love in. Plus those orange, orange carrots. I made this yesterday while talking to my mom on the phone. Talk about multi-tasking.

Now it’s time to hit the books I’m not selling for $5 on the internet. And hopefully some creative time spent with my saying board.

Do you sell things on the internet? Any tips?

Tips on budgeting are also helpful

I have been wanting to use this sauce I won in a contest for quite some time, but I could never quite muster up the courage. I knew it was spicy, and I knew my mouth would be on fire after using it, and so I never took the chance. But tonight as I was searching through the cabinets, I knew I wanted something different, and so I gave it a whirl.

Yes, Saucy Mama. Your Lime Chipotle is a killer on the heartburn, but worth it indeed! I got two pans frying – one holding the tofu and sauce and another steaming a sweet potato, zucchini and three carrots.

This is where the magic happens. My kitchen might be small, and I might not have an appropriate place to house spices, but I make do with what I got.

Eventually I mixed the two pans together, and although it looks a little green, I assure you that it didn’t make me feel sour.

And look! A little flower of orange was born!

I am currently obsessed with sweet potatoes, and I am obsessed with making them in this fashion. They are so tender and easily consumed and placed into my belly.

I almost called a fire truck to hose out my mouth but decided against it. I need to grow a thicker skin when it comes to spice.

I recommend this sauce and this combination!

Art

It has occurred to me that on the header of my blog the words “Art.Food.Fun.” are listed in succession. I’m pretty sure I have food covered, but I think the other two departments are lacking. Where is my art? And more importantly, where is my fun? I have decided to incorporate both art and fun into my daily life because it’s necessary.

I decided to take advantage of some empty wall space in my bedroom to create what I call a “saying board.” Throughout the day, these little lines pop into my head, and I usually forget to write them down. I’m also very into images with meaningful text right now, so I decided I wanted to do my own sort of project.

Each day I am going to tack up a notecard with any words in my head. I’m sure some will be meaningful. I’m sure others won’t. But in the end, I hope to have some sort of representation of what the month of December is like through text.

You may have seen me write this on Twitter. It’s simple but true.

I look forward to seeing where this project takes me!

Do you have any expressions or phrases in your head?

One of my goals in life is to have good experiences at the grocery store (a.k.a co-op, for me). I prefer to shop at the co-op because 1) the produce  is the best around 2) the store is small and therefore less crowded – most of the time. Tonight’s experience started off very pleasantly, and I was even able to snag a few photos to show you what I fall in love with while shopping.

This is my absolute favorite aisle in the co-op. I am a sucker for buying anything in bulk. Plus they always have these gems and goodies hiding in plastic containers. It’s all about label reading.

Normally this aisle is insanely packed, so I took advantage of my aloneness with the granola, nuts and chocolate-covered almonds (yes, swoon.)

I bought two special ingredients for dinner tonight that I knew I had to use: Annie’s Tuscany Dressing and beautiful red kale.

I chopped up two carrots and one giant sweet potato and threw them in a pan with some kale, salt, pepper, olive oil and tons of garlic. I added the dressing later. This is my new favorite way to cook sweet potatoes. So easy and simple.

The result? Orange and Green Pasta. Or, for the more descriptive, Kale and Sweet Potato Pasta.

Close-up shots of this dish were very, very necessary. This is the best thing I’ve eaten in a good two weeks. I needed a veggie belly hug, for sure.

The lobster placemat says: yes! you did it, Rose! you cooked something magical and delicious!

Now it’s time to get my writing self in gear. I have a 10-page story due in a few days, and it needs my utmost attention.

Do you have pleasant grocery trips?

Every time I make a new salad, I always end up calling it “the best salad ever.” The problem with that statement is that I keep making salads that I enjoy even more. So at this point, do you guys even trust me anymore? What is “the best?”

Ok, 100%, fully believe that this one may be the best:

Parmesan Couscous Salad with Chickpeas, Carrots and Celery

Here are a few reasons why it’s awesome:

• Takes 15 minutes to make
• Tastes even better the next day
• Huge (HUGE!) crunch factor
• Pretty!

I made this up on the fly using some ingredients I had on hand. Here’s what you’re going to need:

• Two celery stalks
• Two peeled carrots
• 1 can garbanzo beans
• 1 cup cooked couscous
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• garlic powder (to taste)
• capers (1 teaspoon)
• parsley (to taste)
• olive oil (4 teaspoons)
• lemon juice (to taste)

1. Before you start with the vegetables, be sure to cook your couscous and let it set for a while. Then, chop the carrots and celery to your liking. Wash the beans. Combine in a bowl.

2. Mix the olive oil, spices and parmesan cheese.

3. Now mix your couscous with your vegetable bowl. Then top with your “dressing” and mix until everything is covered.

Serve with crackers or on its own. I promise you – one of the best salads you’ll ever taste!

This salad especially has a crunch factor, so get ready to start chewing.. and chewing… and chewing.

If you love vegetables as much as I do, you must give this recipe a try. It’s a vegetarian dish and could be vegan depending on the “cheese” you use. It takes less than 40 minutes to make. It’s ultra-green so it’s perfectly festive for St. Patty’s Day – and it really hits the spot like none other.

Time: 35-40 minutes *depending on how fast you chop!

Ingredients

• Polenta
• Spinach
• Chick Peas
• Carrots (2)
• Leeks (1)
• Mozzarella cheese
• Bread crumbs or bread (or both)
• Olive Oil
• Salt & Pepper
• Garlic Powder

Directions

1) Layer the base of the pan with sliced polenta.

2) Add spinach.

3) Add chickpeas, leeks and carrots. 

4) Because I knew Bill would want some carbs, I added some potatoes from a mixed frozen bag. This is optional.

5) Drizzle with olive oil and spices. Then add the cheese and breadcrumbs and/or bread. I used both to experiment.

6) Bake for 25-30 minutes (depending on your stove) at 375 degrees. The carrots may be a bit crunchy, but the rest will be perfectly cooked.

Talk about easy to make – and easy to clean. I love meals that are self-contained like this because you only have to wash one pan and a few plates. 

The perfect plateful for any lobster placemat, especially if you love vegetables as much as I do.  

I plan on spending the rest of the evening (a.k.a. the end of my “spring break”) reading the rest of my book, maybe watching a movie and just relaxing. I know work is going to be super busy tomorrow, and I’ll need to be on my game. Ah, I love breaks. But I sure do hate when they’re over. Good thing this is a short week. I am leaving work early on Friday to go visit friends at my alma mater. I can’t wait for the weekend!

Question of the Night: What’s your favorite vegetable to eat? What’s your favorite vegetable to look at?

I think leeks are absolutely beautiful. But I would have to say that any kind of bean is my favorite to eat (and there would have been more on this dish if Bill weren’t around!). My favorite bean right now is Dark Red Kidney.

***

THANKS: to everyone who responded on the post about my accident. I really appreciate your concern! I did get the total today – and it’s quite high for me at this time. But like my mom reminded me, it’s just money. I’m just happy to be safe – no matter the cost!

Tonight’s dinner was a mouthful (couldn’t resist the pun). I was in the mood for tofu, and we have had leeks in the refrigerator for a while now. No better time than the present! Plus, Bill and I are having bad days (despite my being on Spring Break both from work and school) and we had a feeling some fresh veggies and tofu would cheer us up.

Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch fresh kale
• 3 whole carrots
• 1 leek
• 3/4 cup orzo
• 1 package of extra firm tofu
• Sesame oil (to taste)
• Soy sauce (to taste)
• Salt, pepper (to taste)
• 1 teaspoon garlic

Directions:

1) Begin by preparing tofu first. I drained and pressed my tofu for one hour using paper towels, a cutting board and several books.

Grill in a pan using salt, pepper, soy sauce and sesame oil.

2) While that is grilling, de-stem the kale, peel and chop the carrots and leeks.

3) Heat olive oil and garlic in a pan. Add the vegetables and simmer until wilted, tossing often.

4) Cook orzo as directed and add to vegetable mixture. Add soy sauce and toss.

5) Top with tofu and serve on a lobster placemat.

Hands down, this is the best tofu dish I’ve ever made, which is why I wanted to share it in recipe form on the blog. If you don’t like orzo, you could substitute with brown rice or whole wheat pasta. However, I’d highly recommend the orzo. It gives the dish such a nice texture, and I don’t think rice or pasta would have the same effect. Also, FYI: I cook most things to taste. You may want to use less soy sauce, and that’s fine. Or maybe add more pepper. This is a throw-together type of meal, so I say: Trust your gut.