Maple Pecan Granola

once i accidentally paid $10 for granola, and it lasted less than a week. it was so delicious but i knew i could never buy it again. so i have been making a similar version and it's really fantastic. i make it once a week or i regret it big time when i force down honey nut cheerios. yuck. in my perfect world, every meal of the day is homemade. recipe here.

Carmelized Pears

you know how at the farmer's market they sell things in bushels sometimes so sometimes you get home and realize you were ripped off and sometimes you get home and you have 15 pears? well if the latter ever happens to you, you should also make yourself some carmelized pears. i didn't have have time to take a picture of them before they were consumed. you should put them over vanilla ice cream.

Peach Shortbread

super easy, and super delicious. blink your eye and they're gone and your husband is mad he only got two bars. whoops.

Tofu Quiche with Broccoli

i tend to avoid trick vegetarian food. like oh you thought you were eating a hot dog! try again. well, actually that's pretty obvious because tofu dogs are the worst. but i made this quiche that uses tofu instead of eggs and it was pretty good. i didn't tell ryan until his second helping that it was made with tofu. he didn't even care.

Vanilla Peach Pie

i could not get enough peaches this year. they literally could not get in my belly fast enough. except for once when i had like 6 or 7 peaches and they were all on the verge of mushy. pie time. vanilla peach pie recipe from here but i added some raspberries too.

Vegan Corn Chowder

this was my first recipe from veganomicon. it seems like a really great cookbook and i plan on using it more often. i like the idea of cooking vegan food because so many vegetarian recipes lay on the cheese. but, i love cheese.

Frozen Peaches

this isn't really a meal. but i love peaches and this year i am trying to get my fresh farmers market peaches to last until christmas. here are instructions on how to freeze. basically peel and slice the peaches and freeze in simple syrup. my grandmother used to freeze these every year and i could eat those sweet icy specimens for breakfast lunch and dinner. they looked kind of like raw chicken here. i promise it's not.

Corn Pudding Stuffed Tomatoes

they were better than i thought. quite sweet.

BBQ Vegetable Fajitas

ryan brags a lot about how i am not an "obnoxious vegetarian" and how most people probably do not even know that i am vegetarian. mostly i think it is not a big deal, and i wouldn't want anyone to think it is some huge lifestyle shift, because it is not. it's amazing how many people show interest in being vegetarian or at least consuming less meat when you have rational conversations or explain the benefits. although most people have seen food inc so they already know.

anyway, when i am having people over i want to be true to myself and also secretly show people how awesome and delicious a vegetarian diet can be. it's probably easier/cheaper a party meat trays or elephant turd sandwiches or something, it's just not me. so at a bridal shower i hosted i BBQ'd some delicious fresh veggies on skewers, and paired them with black beans fajita style. there were some delicious salads, chocolate covered strawberries, and of course yummy drinks. i bet no one missed meat for a second!

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

look at my helper! and the horrible colors of my kitchen.
i know i post a lot of pizza on here. but we're still not there. i still haven't found quite the right crust, it is always too doughy. but this was a step in the right direction.

recipe for the dough

recipe for the tomato sauce

i had to make my own tomato sauce, i have so many tomatoes from so many gardens! and mozzarella, and red onions, and more tomatoes and more zucchinis of course.

Taco Salad

what is better than a PBJ sandwich in your brown bag? basically anything. we decided to drive out to one of my favorite places in utah -- the spiral jetty. we'd be there around dinner time but i couldn't stand the thought of a sandwich for dinner or like a bagel. yuck. so i packed this little taco salad with fresh lettuce, cheese, guacamole, sour cream and salsa, tomatoes, and fritos for the crunch. delicious!
and a pretty awesome view:

Mushroom Stroganoff

we had ice cream at the school creamery last week. they also sell milk and cheese and yogurt in the creamery. and last week, for some reason, they sold mushrooms. so i bought a pound without any plans. mushroom stroganoff is how i decided to use my pound of mushrooms. the sauce was great and i love mushrooms so i was definitely on board with this meal. ryan was not as excited about it. i know this because he says things like "can i got to burger king?" maybe something about how it looks like upchuck.

Raspberry Muffins

i made these delicious raspberry muffins tonight with soft boiled eggs. i found out that ryan does not like rasberries that much but then where did all the muffins go?

Roasted Veggies and Couscous

i was going to make this recipe but then i didn't feel like some of the ingredients. specifically green stuff and chickpeas. so i took those out. the lemon was great. i also roasted tofu with the vegetables for some added protein. face it, this was a boring meal. but it wasn't bad tasting. it happens.

Crunchy French Toast

time to take your french toast to the next level. no that's not my floor. recipe here