Did you think I was finished? Or crazy enough to whip up two recipes in one night? I am not finished, nor am I crazy. But it really depends who you ask.



I also prepped a healthy dinner for the week; one that I could freeze and knew wouldn't go bad, one that was packed with veggies, and one that happened to come from a favorite chef of mine. While I was reading the newest Vegetarian Times I came across a recipe from Mark Bittman who is promoting his new book, VB6: Eat Vegan Before 6:00 to Lose Weight and Restore Your Health . . . for Good. Hush, hush. I'm not trying to lose weight (and keep it off for good!) but I am, and have been, leaning toward a more vegan lifestyle for a while now. In his other book Food Matters, which I'm currently reading, Bittman presents a compelling case for eating less meat products and processed food to promote a healthier environment and body. Because I already very rarely cook meat for myself and also seldom eat dairy because of lactose-intolerance, it's been easy and I'm continuously trying to incorporate more veggies into my diet.



Those stacked containers in the corner, my friends, is a Chickpea Ratatouille from Bittman's new book and it is fantastic. A Ratatouille is traditionally layered very pretty in a gratin dish but this version is more like a stew of roasted vegetables that is as tasty as it is colorful. I've made ratatouille stews in the summer before because if you can get your hand on fresh veggies from the market, and don't mind doing a little chopping, this dish is very inexpensive. While the granola bars were in the oven I began chopping the veg and before you know it you're enjoying a healthy dinner that freezes and reheats beautifully, making it a go-to recipe for busy nights.

Mark Bittman's Chickpea Ratatouille



Although this stew is great on its own, I enjoyed it atop a sauteed pile of kale and it was delicious. Also, feel free to sub out or add any other vegetable that sound good. Like the granola bar recipe the ingredients are a loose template and you should add flavors that you enjoy.

1 lb. small eggplant, cut into large chunks
1 lb. Roma tomatoes, cored and chopped, or (1) 28-oz. can whole tomatoes, drained and chopped
3/4 lb. zucchini, cut into large chunks
1 medium yellow onion, sliced (1 1/2 cups)
2 red or yellow bell peppers, cored, seeded, and sliced
5 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup olive oil*
3 cups cooked or canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme or rosemary, or 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil or parsley

*While I didn't touch anything else in this recipe, I opted not to use the full amount of oil. I probably used half the amount and it still turned out great. The veggies release enough juices to avoid over drying.



Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Combine eggplant, tomatoes, zucchini, onion, bell peppers, garlic, salt and oil in large
roasting pan.



Roast 30 to 40 minutes, or until vegetables are lightly browned and tender, and some water has released from tomatoes to create a sauce, stirring occasionally.

Stir in chickpeas, and roast 5 to 10 minutes more, or until chickpeas are heated through. Stir in thyme, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

The race to the finish line always begins with finals week. Even though this is my last week from hell week of classes, I've come prepared. It's about time, it only took four years.

Snacks.



Yes, that's right. While I should have been spending another couple hours working on my paper last night, I decided instead to prep some healthy and tasty snacks to get me through my last week of finals.

Finals week, and when I'm stressed in general, is always dangerous when it comes to healthy eating. I've usually got breakfast down: Coffee, grapenuts, berries, and almond milk but the healthy mindset that I enter the day with seems to go right out the door when the afternoon approaches. If I'm on campus and haven't packed enough good snacks to keep me focused I'm guilty of caving every now and again. If you must know, my weakness are those sweetened Greek yogurt cups - you know the ones - they market them like a healthy snack option but a peek at the nutrition label reveals they're a bit more like ice cream than anything else. Granola bars are up there with Greek yogurt in the "healthy-disguise" category as well, and after reading some labels I was realizing that some brands are actually more akin to candy bars than they are to oatmeal.

After stumbling across some homemade granola bar recipes I decided to try my hand at it and play around with some flavors and textures that I like. Like every homemade granola recipe, the ingredients are really up to you. You can play with different nuts and dried fruit, or you can mix up the spices and extracts. It's nice to deviate from ordinary dried fruit and nuts every now and again.

Homemade Granola Bars

One of the things that makes this recipe so great is that you can change up the flavor combinations in infinite ways, which is especially helpful when you're cleaning out the cupboards. This recipe is just a basic template but below the recipe I've included a few flavor combinations, including the ones I made, to change things up a bit. I tried mimicking Kashi's Dark Chocolate Cherry Almond, although sans dark chocolate. If you're feeling a little more decadent feel free to throw in some good quality dark chocolate for a little something special.

1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup crispy rice cereal, puffed millet, high-fiber cereal mix (like Kashi Go Lean, which I used), crushed pretzel sticks, or any other crispy grain or cereal
1/2 cup chopped nuts, like walnuts, peanuts, almonds, or pecans
1/2 - 1 cup dried fruits like cranberries, raisins, or cherries
1/2 cup brown rice syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or extract of your choice)
1/4 teaspoon salt*
1/2 - 1 teaspoon spices, like cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice (optional)
3 tablespoons peanut butter or 1 tablespoon cocoa powder (optional for firmer bars)

*Instead of using table salt here, I used a big pinch of a flaky sea salt. It was wonderful to take a bite and get a salty bit every now and again.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F with a rack in the middle of the oven. Line an 8 x 8 square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving extra parchment to hang over the sides. Lightly coat with nonstick cooking spray or butter. If desired, toast the nuts and grains for 10-15 minutes until toasted and fragrant. For softer dried fruit pieces, soak the dried fruit in hot water for 10 minutes and drain before using.



Mix the oats, cereal, nuts, and dried fruit together in a mixing bowl.



Warm the rice syrup for 10-15 seconds in the microwave or in a small saucepan over medium heat. It should be just loose and liquidy enough to pour. Mix in the extract, salt, spices (if using), and peanut butter or cocoa powder (if using).



Pour the rice syrup over the dry ingredients. Use a spatula to scrape the last of the syrup. Stir the rice syrup into the dry ingredients until the ingredients are completely coated and start to stick together in clumps.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Use wet or lightly oiled hands to firmly press the mixture into the pan. Bake the bars for 20-25 minutes for chewy granola bars or 25-30 minutes for crunchy bars. As soon as you remove the bars from the oven, press them again with the back of a lightly oiled spatula. (This will give you more compacted granola bars.)



Let the bars cool completely in the pan. They will firm up as they cool. Once cooled, use the flaps of the parchment paper to remove the entire square from the pan. On a cutting board and using a sharp knife, cut into 8 bars. Store between layers of wax paper in an airtight container for up to two weeks. To make them easier to slip into back packs and lunch boxes, you can also wrap each bar individually in wax paper or plastic wrap.



Mixin' It Up

Dark Chocolate Cherry Almond: 1 1/2 cup oats, 1 cup crispy rice cereal, 1 cup chopped almonds, 1 cup dried cherries, 1/2 cup chopped good quality dark chocolate pieces, 1 teaspoon almond extract (in place of vanilla extract)

Cranberry Pecan Bars: 1 1/2 cups oats, 1 1/2 cups crispy rice cereal, 1/2 cup pecan pieces, 1 cup dried cranberries, 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Tropical Fruit Bars: 1 1/2 cup oats, 1 1/2 cups Kashi Go Lean cereal, 1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts, 1 cup diced dried pineapple and mango pieces

Peanut Chocolate Bars: 1 1/2 cup oats, 1 1/2 cup crispy rice cereal, 1 cup chopped peanuts, 1/2 cup chopped good quality dark chocolate

A year in missing photos

The days are getting longer, and boy have we missed it!



And while some days are just better than others,



You can always count on good company.



There were a few celebration treats,





Okay, perhaps a few more.







All while staying properly hydrated of course.



It's important to enjoy home when you get the chance.



And being a goof every now and again.



Most importantly, it's the little things that make everything worthwhile.

Something that I've struggled with while entertaining this idea of becoming a pastry chef is essentially dumping my entire undergraduate career in conservation biology and environmental studies, to be blunt. How could I justify abruptly ending an interest in something that I love, living sustainably and being an ally for the environment, to pursue a field that brings people happiness from copious, copious amounts of butter?

This semester has arguably been one of my greatest. I've had both my ups and downs, and as I was recovering from loss and heartache, I learned that sometimes it feels really good to be selfish; thinking only about myself (and whitey of course) was a welcomed refreshment that I think I really needed as I began my journey to end my college life. I've met more people and built more new relationships in the past few months than I probably have in the entire three years since moving to Madison. I've been able to set aside time for allowing myself to hurt and heal, and not feeling ashamed for having nights that were worse than others. And while I know that my family will always be my greatest supporters, this time around they really proved their strength when I felt that mine was fleeting. I know this sounds like an “end of college” reminiscent post (and don’t worry, there will be one) but I wanted to dedicate this post to becoming the best you that there is.

The first outdoor farmer’s market is tomorrow here in Madison, and I couldn't be more excited. For months now I've been dreaming of the mornings when I could wake early and drink my coffee while walking the square, something that brings me great happiness if you recall.

Big news in the Jamie-sphere: I had the amazing and incredible opportunity this week to meet Jane Goodall, a world renowned primatologist and advocate for environmental education. I owe many great thanks to my professor, and albeit sometimes intimidating, mentor Dr. Karen Strier for honoring my volunteering contribution and presenting me with the opportunity to meet Dr. Goodall at the UW’s Earth Day Conference. Her view on the fate of our environment is so hopeful, although she probably knows best the peril that our world is in from her extensive studies of diminishing populations of Africa’s chimpanzees. Meeting (and hugging!) Dr. Goodall was a bittersweet feeling, however inspiring and tear-inducing the afternoon was. After this long winter that we've had, it instilled a feeling of readiness to get back to the things that make me happiest, the things that I’m passionate about. It was difficult for me to acknowledge that I won’t probably ever be a scientist; my time hand-feeding baby house sparrows and identifying individual Muriqui monkeys is finished. But in that realization I also acknowledged that I don’t have to be a scientist to be an ally for the environment, something that I know will continue to be important to me for years to come. In doing so, I've really analyzed my lifestyle: the things I love about it, and a few things that could use a fine-tuning. As I begin this next chapter in my life (filled with anxiety-ridden uncertainty) I've made a commitment to myself and to my field of study to live the best life that I can. Corny as it is, I want to live long. I want to be an inspiration to family and friends, and support my community in the best ways that I am able. So without further ado, here are some things that I’m changing in my life in order to better represent what I think is important, why I've chosen to dedicate four long years to studying sustainability, and as a hopeful-soon-to-be culinary student, I encourage my non-scientist readers to do the same.

1. Make Monday nights "Meat-less Mondays": I'll save you the schpeel but the mass marketing of meat around the world is neither good for the environment, nor is it for our bodies. Animals that are mass produced to make cheap ground beef at the store are fed hormones to increase their bulk and to cover up infections that living in such compacted and filthy conditions entails. Try making one weeknight dinner meatless, and experiment with new vegetable recipes. They pack more nutrients and following a more plant-based diet means a longer life!

2. Buy a water bottle and get drinking! Reality? Tap water is just fine and we're lucky to have it! Buy a reusable water bottle, like the one I just bought, that fits in your purse or backpack.

3. Watch a TEDTalk, or other food documentary: Netflix offers many of these options and I think it's a great way to become well versed on issues surrounding food and sustainability. Experts in the field discuss ways to eat better, and when you're educated on an issue you can be an advocate by teaching others.

4. Buy local, when you can: Eating locally raised and grown food not only supports your community, but it also means fresher foods and less time (and exhaust) traveling around the world. When you support local growers, you're also eating what’s in season which means it'll taste better and come at a lower cost.

5. Choose to walk or bike instead of driving: Need something from the grocery store? Bring your own bag and lace up your sneakers. It's good for your heart, and unless you're short on time, what else have you got going on?

6. Swap one thing you think you can’t live without, with something new: Easier said than done, right? Try challenging yourself to change things up for the better. Instead of taking your coffee with cream and sugar, try drinking it black. Instead of checking Facebook during your break, whip out the Times crossword and impress those around you.

7. Try new foods, new recipes, and cook with family and friends! Try planting an herb garden in your window box or outside: experiment with inexpensive fresh herbs to add flavor to dishes. Need suggestions?
Orangette, Sprouted Kitchen, and Smitten Kitchen are all great starting places. Don’t be afraid of new ingredients and explore new cooking methods.

8. Tune out and turn in: Work on getting more shut-eye and reading before bed. Sleeping more, eating well, and drinking plenty of water can make you instantly feel more alert.

9. And lastly, take care of you! Take time to do things you love, indulge a bit, and nourish relationships with people you care for.

Every year as spring approaches and the lilacs make their beautiful bloom, I always think of my mom. She loves both spring and lilacs, and always made Easter a special occasion in our home growing up. While the egg hunts and Easter baskets can't go unmentioned, naturally it was her Easter Feaster lunch spread that I remember most. We were never short on ham, stuffed artichokes, lamb butter (lamb-shaped butter, for clarification!) and some type of bread, like this Italian version of a sweet Easter bread.



I have always wanted to try making a braided bread because it’s egg-y and sweet and makes the best french toast the next morning. Most cultures have a version of this type of sweet braided bread which is commonly found around Easter, whether it’s Jewish challah, Greek tsoureki, or this Italian one, guti di pasqua. Each culture puts a little spin on their bread and traditionally Italian Easter bread has a hint of anise flavoring to it, which is similar in taste to black licorice. I decided to pass on that addition because it's not my favorite flavor and the bread tastes great without it.

I tried to channel my old Jewish grandmother or my Jewish best friend but it turns out both are imaginary so I wung winged it. I've been on spring break too long. It turns out that those years of timing myself braiding Beth’s hair for hours in the bathroom paid off, or at least I got the basic gist of it. Traditionally, dyed eggs are tucked between the braids of the bread and I think I read somewhere once that the different colors of the eggs represent the resurrection of Christ. In lieu of the eggs I decided to instead just dust the top with some colored sprinkles, which is another traditional Italian garnish.

While waiting for the bread to rise I watched the Ten Commandments on TV, an old and nearly 5 hour long film about Moses, that we watched every year as kids. I don't think I've ever sat through the whole thing but I got close last night. It was a bittersweet feeling, wishing my family was here so I could imitate Ramses booming "So it is written, so it shall be done!" but I know there will be plenty of more Easters to fit in everything I love with the people I love, too. Among all the change that is growing up, and moving, there are some things that I hope I will always remember. I know the table may be different but it's comforting to know that Mom's recipes never will be, and will always have a way of bringing us home.

Italian Easter Bread
Yields 1 loaf

Working with yeast has been a trying process over the years for me. It is either dead to begin with, or I unintentionally sent it to the grave by proofing it in milk that was too hot. That being said, if your yeast doesn't foam a noticeable amount after 5 minutes I would probably pitch it and start over as a precaution.

Ingredients
2/3 cup whole milk
5 Tablespoons sugar, divided
1 3/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (from one 1/4-ounce envelope)
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces, room temperature, plus 1/2 tablespoon, melted
1 large eggs, for egg wash



Directions:

Heat milk in a small saucepan over medium heat or in a microwave until an instant-read thermometer registers 110–115 degrees F. Literally.



Transfer milk to a 2-cup measuring cup; stir in 1 Tbsp. sugar. Sprinkle yeast over milk and whisk to blend. Let sit until yeast is foamy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs; whisk until smooth. Try not to drop one of those room temperature eggs on the floor, like yours truly did. If you do, you're welcome to stick a cold egg in your sweater pouch and warm it up like a momma bird for a bit.



Combine remaining 4 Tbsp. sugar, flour, and salt in a large bowl. Add milk mixture. Because I don't have a large stand mixer with a dough hook, I opted to use the dough hook attachments for my hand mixer. If you're also without these, the mixing can easily be done by hand and a good work out at that.



With mixer running, add 1/2 cup room-temperature butter, 1 piece at a time, blending well between additions. Mix on medium speed for 1 minute. Knead on medium-high speed until dough is soft and silky, about 5 minutes.

Brush a medium bowl with some melted butter; place dough in bowl. Brush top of dough with remaining melted butter; cover with plastic wrap. At this point it can be made 1 day ahead, just cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge.

Let dough rise in a warm, draft-free area until doubled in size, 1–1 1/2 hours (or 2–2 1/2 hours if dough has been refrigerated). After losing so much yeasted dough, I found a method for created the perfect warm, rising spot. Place covered dough in a turned-off oven and place a cake pan on the rack below. Fill the pan with boiling water and shut the oven door; the steam from the water creates a great warm and humid environment that the yeast needs to rise.



Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Punch down dough. Divide into 3 equal pieces. With lightly floured hands, roll each piece on a lightly floured surface into a 16-inch-long rope with tapered ends. (If dough begins to bounce back, cover with a kitchen towel and let rest for 10 minutes to allow dough to relax.) One of my ropes was a bit larger than the others which I think is what made my final loaf a little odd looking. If you can, weigh the dough thirds to ensure equal size.



Arrange ropes side by side lengthwise on prepared sheet. Pinch top ends together. Braid dough. Pinch bottom ends together to secure (braided loaf will be about 12 inches long). Loosely cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm, draft-free area until puffed but not doubled in size, 45–50 minutes.



Arrange a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 375 degrees F. Whisk remaining egg with 2 tsp. warm water in a small bowl. Brush dough all over with egg wash and add sprinkles if desired.





Bake until bread is golden and an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of loaf registers 190°, 20–25 minutes, which I rarely do. Let cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store leftovers in an airtight container and make wonderful french toast with it the next morning.

Contrary to my love of rich, intensely flavored and decadent sweets, I think there is room in everyone’s collection for a few great healthy recipes. This recipe for Carrot, Zucchini, and Parsnip bread caught my eye when my sister, Kelly, received True Food: Seasonal, Sustainable, Simple, Pure by Dr. Andrew Weil and Sam Fox for Christmas this year. I eyed the book and wrote down a few recipes, and after making Dr. Weil’s Chicken Farro Salad for dinner earlier in the year I was so eager to try one of his desserts. In fact, in the book this recipe was mentioned as a breakfast or snack bread and I couldn't agree more; it came out wonderfully flavored and satiated the mid-afternoon ‘hold me over until dinner’ gap.

Something that really excited and intrigued me about this recipe were the few unconventional ingredients that I had never used before. It was my first time using evaporated cane sugar and parsnips, as well as having never swapped vegetable oil for extra virgin if you can believe it. It turns out that parsnips are these wonderful cousins to carrots but have a slightly spicy flavor to them. Although not as strong as something like a radish, the grated parsnips did wonders together with the cloves to mimic a gingerbread flavor. My roommate, Molly, actually came home and said the house smelled like gingerbread, which is something I can't complain about.



If you can’t or don’t buy whole wheat flour in bulk, what I sometimes do for specific recipes, making homemade wheat biscuits that is a great use for leftover wheat flour. It’s my go to biscuit recipe and so simple to make. In fact, if I have a cup of milk in the fridge about to turn, I’ll make these biscuits and flash freeze them for weekends when I make a batch of chili or stew. After you've cut out the biscuits, you can place them on a parchment lined baking sheet and stick them in the freezer until they've frozen solid, about 30 minutes. Then just toss them in a freezer ziplock bag and bake as you need them, or when you have company, making sure to keep them in the oven just a few minutes longer if straight from the freezer. It’s a perfect way to use up wheat flour, like the gigantic Bob’s Red Mill bag I snagged, and make prepping brunch for loved ones much quicker.



The last bizarre ingredient on my list was evaporated cane sugar and I wasn't exactly sure where I could find it. I was actually in my Political Ecology of Southeast Asia class when I decided to make this recipe so on my way home I swung by the campus grocery store just to peek around and see if I could find it. Surprisingly I did find it in the regular baking aisle instead of the organic and specialty area. I know Bob’s Red Mill carries a variety, but mine was an organic brand that was labeled (Evaporated) Cane Sugar. After doing some research when I got home, it turns out that evaporated cane sugar is similar to the white granulated sugar we've all got in the pantry but it contains more of the natural minerals from the cane plant, and isn't as refined as white sugar is. The combination of using olive oil, apple butter (in my case, although you could also use pumpkin butter), and the whole wheat flour made the bread feel filling without being too sweet at all. I see why Dr. Weil would recommend this for breakfast or with coffee, which is exactly what I did and why I recommend that you all try this bread and working with some new ingredients soon.



My music mood: The Head and the Heart

Carrot, Zucchini, and Parsnip Bread
Yields 2 loaves

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup evaporated cane sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 medium carrot, shredded
1 medium parsnip, shredded
1 small zucchini, shredded
3 large eggs
3/4 cup apple butter or pumpkin butter
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Oil two 8 1/2- by 4 1/2- by 2 1/2-inch loaf pans with olive oil.

In a large bowl combine the flours, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and shredded carrot, parsnip and zucchini. Mix well. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, fruit butter, olive oil and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until combined, but don’t over mix.

Divide batter between the prepared pans and sprinkle the tops with pumpkin seeds. Bake for 35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean. Let cool on wire racks.

Slice and serve with coffee, as we did.