Cashew Parmesan

I love my cheeses but more recently I've been attempting to cut them out of my diet little by little. This is a personal choice simply on the way cheese makes me feel after. I love the way it tastes, don't get me wrong, but after eating most dairy I begin to feel tired and weighed down.

In my attempts to cut-down on my dairy intake, I've been experimenting quite a bit with cheese substitutes. Sure, there are plenty of store-bought options, however a lot of those contain many preservatives. One great substitute has been nuts. Especially cashews. Nuts give the heartiness of cheese and in many cases can be more flavorful—adapting with the foods that they are combined.

​I use this in a lot of my recipes. It's fairly simple to make and lasts quite a while stored in an air-tight container. 

1 cup raw cashews
6 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tbsp salt

​Spread cashews on a large baking sheet so they are not overlapping. Bake the cashews in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes, stirring and turning halfway through the timing. 

Immediately move cashews to a bowl and allow to cool. Once they are cool enough to the touch toss the cashews in a coarse salt until well-coated. In a food processor, combine nutritional yeast and cashews, pulsing until crumbled.​

Enjoy your cashew parmesan as a topping on pastas and salads, or even use it in a pesto sauce! ​

Moving towards sunny skies

Getting this website up-and-running has been a long time coming. I keep telling all of my friends that I am going to do it, and then life keeps happening. Well, part of life has encouraged me even further to share this site with all of you.

I don't like to make assumptions that everyone knows what is going on in my life. Yes, I do share quite a bit of myself on the internet, but sometimes things slip between the cracks; We can't keep track of everyone, let's be honest.​ So if you've made it here and haven't already heard: I am moving to California. 

This is both exciting and very scary for me. California has a lot more opportunities career-wise and I'm hoping that the new location gives me a fresh-perspective ​on what it is exactly I'd like to do. 

All that to say, I don't hate Michigan. Actually, I never thought I'd actually be moving. I have my husband's brain to thank for this really because without his talent I don't think this would be happening. ​

​And really, everything that has been happening recently, although difficult and scary has made life seem far sunnier, far more exciting, and is a reminder that life is for living. As corny as all of that might sound, it's true. 

So in the coming MONTH (yes, really, ONE MONTH) before my move, I hope to not only share the adventure of this moving process, but also the memories I am making with my amazing friends here and TONS of recipes. ​Please, during this, feel free to comment with what you want to see. Ask questions— I don't bite! 

Let's have some fun and I promise I'll share some of my sunshine with you! ​

Chickpea Hash

​1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp. parsley
1/2 tbsp. dried chives
1 egg or egg replacer
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 chopped red onion
4 baby red potatoes, cubed w/ skins
1 1/2 tbsp. white truffle oil
Pepper to taste ( I used cubeb pepper)

In a large skillet, add truffle oil and garlic on medium heat until the oil becomes fragrant and garlic has browned, then add the onions. Onions should be cooked in the oil until they are slightly transparent and thinned.

Turn heat down to low to reduce the popping of the garlic and oil.Add cubed red potatoes and cook until the potatoes yield to gentle pressure and are slightly browned, about ten minutes. 

While the potatoes are cooking, drain and rinse your can of chickpeas. Chickpeas (once drained) should still hold some moisture- do not pat dry. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, use a potato-masher to squish chickpeas. They do not need to be completely mashed! If some chickpeas are still intact, that's ok!

Crack an egg into the mixture or add your preferred egg replacer. When cooking, I prefer ground flaxseed. (1 tbsp. ground flaxseed to 3 tbsp. water is the equivalent of one egg) Add the parsley and chives to the mixture. Stir until well combined. 

Once the potatoes have slightly browned, add the chickpea mixture to the skillet. Cook the hash for another five-ten minutes, stirring occasionally. The chickpea mixture will become golden brown. Remove from heat and top the mixture with pepper to taste. 

Served over top was a salsa I made using ​half of a diced heirloom tomato and one green chili pepper and a dash of lemon juice. (Really! That's it! and it tastes great!)

This is a Lifestyle Experience.

Or, maybe an experiment is a better way of describing it.

Here you will get a picture of some of my daily life, read the recipes that I share, and listen as I attempt to sort out just what it is that I am going to do next. You'll get the world that I understand: my love of cooking, my passion for clothes, and my interests in beauty. 

​So, for you, you're experiencing a bit of what I do- through my eyes, and I will be experimenting with the things I love. 

Be prepared for an onslaught of pictures of my food and lots of recipes, the occasional bragging on my amazing husband, and lots of nerd-talk. ​

​This is a safe place, so feel free to share your comments, concerns or questions!