My Favorite Food Blog

Ribollita - Tuscan white bean soup

As I mentioned previously, I have been a vegetarian for the past 13 months, and until recently was stuck in a bit of a food rut. I made the decision to cut out all meat abruptly and didn't spend much time really figuring out my next step. That compounded with being overwhelmed with a new job, decorating a new house, and planning a destination wedding resulted in my diet last year being pretty redundant. I ate a lot of salads, meatless chicken patties, canned tuna, and a lot of quinoa {ok, and a decent amount of pasta too}.

Our Valentine's Day Dinner Plan

Butternut squash, mushroom and fontina nachos with crispy sage by How Sweet It Is

While most years Ryan and I have looked at Valentine's Day as another opportunity to get dressed up and spend a night on the town, ever since moving into our new house we have slowly started transitioning into total homebodies. Maybe it's the fact that it's been so cold outside and our fireplaces, cozy blankets, and cuddly pup make our home feel that much more cozy, but to be honest, there's nowhere we would rather be than our little yellow cottage!

So this year for Valentine's Day we will be staying in, opening a bottle of wine from our last trip to Italy, and making dinner together. Thanks to my vegetarian diet plus the fact that our wedding is just a little more than six months away, we have been eating very, very healthy. We decided to ignore the wedding diet for the evening and instead have indulgent night of comfort food. As an afternoon snack we're going to have butternut squash, mushroom and fontina nachos with crispy sage. For dinner, a simple salmon filet roasted with olive oil, sea salt, and pepper, John Legend's famous macaroni and cheese, and roasted carrots and onions with fennel and mint. And last but not least, homemade chocolate cupcakes with sea salt buttercream. A cozy night at home with Ryan, Yoda, and some delicious food? I can't imagine anything better!

In the Kitchen :: Five Brunch Recipes

Coconut Banana Oats Bowl with Black Sesame Quinoa Cereal + Mango by Half Baked Harvest

On those few weekends where we actually don't have any plans {or weddings!!} there is almost nothing I love more than a lazy, leisurely brunch.  I love waking up and looking through my cookbooks or Pinterest Board to find a new recipe to try, biking to the farmers market to pick up any extra ingredients I may need, and wasting away the morning with a hot cup of tea and a delicious breakfast.  Luckily for Ryan I am an early bird and will often have the whole thing ready before he even gets out of bed :)

Dark Chocolate Waffles by Bon Appétit

Butternut Squash and Barley Salad with a Poached Egg by Cherry on My Sundae

Buttermilk, Quinoa, and Poppy Seed Lemon Pancakes by Dreams in HD

Italian Baked Eggs by Damn Delicious