Stepping to the Bright Side: R.I.P.

Yes, you're seeing that right.

...The windows in my house are open with 18 days til Christmas and it's NOT the result of me starting a small kitchen fire!

It is a GORGEOUS day in Tinseltown (that name seems even more appropriate at this time of year).

The sun is shining in a cloudless sky and it's a balmy 71 degrees... I'm confused too.

While it may seem ideal, all this weather flip flopping has not been good for some.

Like my poor little basil plant-

She had a good (albeit short) life. I suppose I can't totally blame the weather- I played a small part in her demise by neglecting to water her for the past couple weeks, but to be honest: I've lost my zest for gardening as of late.

Winter to me symbolizes a period of dormant hibernation, a sort of sleepy time that's necessary in order for spring to hit us in all her resuscitative glory.

Another thing I'm putting to rest until further notice:

Pancakes for breakfast.

I've been out of oats for a couple days now, as well as bananas and berries.

"What to eat for breakfast before spin class?," was the first question on my mind this morning.

Needs to be carby- whole wheat pancakes are okay, right? And I'll throw in a small handful of pecans for good protein measure.

Ummmm... think again.

The pancakes tasted divine- especially with this lovely pumpkin butter/ pumpkin spice almond butter hybrid I created on the fly sandwiched between.

But oh, those fluffy little cakes did not fare me so well in class.

Everything started out ok- I was raring to go! About 6 minutes in though, after our first sprint, I thought I was going to hurl. I felt a little dizzy and my tummy was aching. Now that was a sugar rush if I ever felt one.

I pushed through it, slowing down whenever I felt another wave coming on and by the end of class, I was back to my endorphin-induced happy self, but BOY did I learn my lesson.

I went immediately to Trader Joe's and stocked up on a new treat:

Steel Cut Oats.

I'm heading to another market later for some regular old rolled oats in bulk, but I'm glad my mind can rest easy knowing there are some kind of oats in the kitchen!

Fresh off my trip from TJ's, I had a new lunch concoction in mind.

I don't know if it was the death of my baby basil plant or this post I read last night, but I've been thinking a lot about eating seasonally lately.

Perhaps this dish was born out of that interest:

In the mix:

-1/2 cup of red quinoa (prepared with half a vegan bouillon cube)
-one sweet potato, cubed
-a handful of french green beans
-a sprinkle of feta
-1/4 cup of fresh pom seeds
-unsweetened coconut shreds, cinnamon and olive oil to taste

While the quinoa was simmering away, I heated up a pan with olive oil and added the sweet potato.

I seasoned them with a little cinnamon, unsweetened coconut shreds and salt, then let them go uncovered for about 10 minutes over low-medium heat (tossing/stirring occasionally).

That's when I added the green beans and a little more coconut

While the veggies were finishing up, I got to work breaking open my pomegranate to get at this:

(for directions on how to open a pom yourself, check this post)

Then came platin' time.

Ta da!

Beautiful and seasonal :)

This dish has mucho potential. The only problem was the feta. I could have cut it out completely- the saltiness was just too much and clashed with the sweetness of the coconut, potato and pom seeds... The quinoa with bouillon was salt enough.

Next time I'll try goat cheese instead- it's not as salty and, um, is basically perfect with everything.

As if I needed more sweetness in my life, I can't wait to have another couple of one of these later.