Posted by Nicole on May 21, 2013
Ah, long weekends full of sunshine, how I love you.
The initial plan was to spend the weekend at the cottage, but hubby and I opted to stay in the city to get some much-needed spring cleaning under way. And, since we are in the process of planning out a new addition to our house, we need to be diligent about completing the necessary plans for the building permit. Have you ever had to apply for a building permit? It’s ludicrous, I tell you. Truly ludicrous. Floor plans, site plans, cross sections, elevations, lot surveys—yikes!
Posted by Nicole on May 18, 2013
I’m traveling to Portland next week to join 200 other vegans who are invading the city for the 2nd annual Vida Vegan Con. I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I am to see other fellow bloggers like JL, Gena, Dreena, Hannah, Hannah, Angela, Terry, Isa, Fran, Kate and many others.
When I feel overwhelmed with anticipation of events like this, all I want to do is eat celebration foods—you know the kind you don’t normally indulge in? The kind you eat when you are surrounded by people who make you happy and you feel like your life couldn’t get any better.
But I live by the mantra that you will feel good by eating well, so I decided to create a treat that is good for me but also satisfies my craving for something sweet.
Enter this easy-to-make, creamy pudding. The winning ingredient: chia seeds!
Posted by Nicole on May 15, 2013
Wow, it’s ridiculous what a little site redesign does to invigorate my passion for blogging and sharing new recipes. I had so much fun—yet had to do very little—working with Lindsay over at Purr Design on giving ADC a new look. (If you’re reading this through an RSS reader or by email, click over and check out the changes!)
I wanted a fresh, streamlined look and, most importantly, a more organized and user-friendly recipe index—check it out by clicking on recipe index in the menu bar above. All recipes are now indexed visually by category and ingredient, or you can click on the archives drop-down menu in the right-hand sidebar to view all posts by date.
Posted by Nicole on May 7, 2013
Although she may not know it, my stepmother Lisa is the most responsible for my love of cooking and baking and, ultimately, my endless appreciation for the culinary craft. Growing up, she taught me that food is not just nourishment; it is about celebration, community and love, and it enables us to feed our bodies as well as our spirits.
My mother Catherine, on the other hand, inspired me to pick up a camera when I was 14 and start shooting—anything—and to see the beauty in the little things around me and capture them within the frame. She gave me the courage to pursue this passion way back in high school and it created a whole new confidence in me.
The combination of influences has made me who I am today, and I’m incredibly grateful to have both of them in my life.
Posted by Nicole on May 1, 2013
I’m going to declare this a seasonal transition dish. It’s like wearing shorts with socks and a thick, chunky sweater. These days, it’s hard to decide whether it’s warm or cold outside, but most days it’s a little of both. So I’ve paired summertime gourds with a rich, warming almond sauce. From a culinary perspective, I’d say this dish combines the best of both worlds.
Since we know which direction the weather is eventually heading (Summer, where art thou?), I’m naturally craving more fresh foods like salads, veggies and fruit. This week I set out to create an easy entree that is fresh, delicious and can be prepared quickly without using the stove or oven. I ended up with this hearty noodle dish using not just zucchini, but cucumber too! The pasta topper, made up of puffed quinoa, sliced almonds, goji berries and pumpkin seeds, adds a lovely crunch and complexity to this otherwise simple dish. The best part? This meal can be prepared in less than 15 minutes.
