Hummus, hummus, I love hummus

Does anyone remember that kids' song about mud? It goes

Mud, mud, I love mud

I'm absolutely, positively, wild about mud!

I can't go around it, I've gotta go through it.

Beautiful, fabulous, super-duper mud!

This is how I feel about hummus now. 

Hummus, hummus, I love hummus. 

I"m obsessed, crazy in love, with that splendor that is hummus. 

Smoothy, creamy, slightly spicy too, 

Oh so tasty, oh so healthy, super-duper hummus!

I dined at the Chickpea Cafe here in Bozeman last Saturday and my dinner was divine. I even ate my pita bread, (which I am sure was made with wheat flour) but I couldn't hold back and I figured I am allowed to splurge and live a little bit. 

I ordered their vegetarian plate and I chose the falafel, basmati rice and hummus. I can't even begin to explain how amazing this food was. The falafel, crispy on the outside with a chewy, tangy center were delicious. And the basmati rice with the kishmish (sauteed raisins and onion) was so warm and inviting and a wonderful side dish. I dipped my falafel, tomatoes, cucumber and lettuce in the hummus and from that moment on I was hooked. 

I don't have a picture of my oh so delicious meal, but next time my camera will be ready to capture the sights and textures and colors of my beautiful Mediterranean meal at the Chickpea Cafe! 

But seriously, if you ever come to Bozeman, or live here already, you need to experience a meal there. It is a truly authentic restaurant with a super friendly staff, speedy service and the place to go for a tantalizing, hearty and unique meal. 

http://www.chickpeabozeman.com/

Family Makes For The Best Meal

So last weekend I was treated to a delicious dinner at Montana Ale Works in Bozeman. I order the same dish every time I eat there, but there was something extra special about it this time. I dined with my boyfriend, his parents and my parents, and being able to share a meal with all these people that I love made my meal even more delicious.

My regular fare at the Ale Works is the Pedro's Pasta.  I order with it the gluten free brown rice penne and local grilled chicken. The dish is accompanied with roasted tomatoes, fresh basil, local chevre and pine nuts. The tomatoes gleamed scarlet, the basil a striking pop of green among the taupe pasta, the chevre melted in my mouth, silky and nutty, the pine nuts a welcome crunch between the al dente pasta and tender peppered chicken.

If this picture doesn't make you salivate and cause your taste buds to do cartwheels  then...you haven't experienced the true beauty of food prepared with care and shared with the ones you love.

 Sunshine peeking through the trees outside the restaurant.

 The old ceilings in the Grill Room; (it's a fancy room for private meals and reservations, much more relaxing than the noisy bar atmosphere of the main restaurant)

This dinner was truly special though, and reminded me of the importance of family and how food is such a connective medium. Some of my best memories from childhood stem from the kitchen: baking cookies with my grandma, learning how to prepare the Thanksgiving turkey and dressing from my mom; sitting around the dinner table after a holiday meal while laughing hysterically with  my sister about absolutely nothing. And now I have the memory of dining with my own parents, the man I love, and his parents, whom I consider my own family as well, at one of the most delicious restaurants ever. We all laughed about my dad making friends with the waiter (his name was Jeff and is from Wisconsin) and we shared stories with my parents about our trip to Yellowstone. Everyone was so pleased and full after we dined together and once again, I am so thankful to Bozeman for recognizing the community of people who have intolerance and allergies. For nothing can compare to sharing a meal with those you love, especially when you don't have to cook it! 

A Day at the Market

 The delicate lilacs are stirring in the breeze as the pitter patter of rain drops caresses their petals. The sun is warm, the days stretch out longer, and the sweet song of birds awakens my soul each morning, as the early morning light drifts through my window. Spring is quite a blessing in Missoula, and one of my favorite pieces of that blessing is the opening of all the markets!

Carrots and radishes, tomatoes and cucumbers, they were all awash in sunshine last Saturday, and several of them made their way home with me. ( Please the very artistic photos below..tee hee hee).  Upon buying my local produce at the market, I was reminded of the importance of community and our connection to the earth and ourselves. Nothing compares to the sweetness of a freshly picked carrot, dirt still clinging to the crevices of that beautiful orange root. And when that orange root of a carrot is passed from the farmer's hand to mine, I feel connected to my community. I can take pride in the knowledge that I am supporting a local family, not some giant corporation whose fields are suffocating in pesticides and toxins. 

Another one of my favorite parts of the market: street musician! I was uplifted to amble along the sidewalks bursting with music and voices at every corner. From a folksy group of musicians performing their own rendition of Mumford and Son's "Little Lion Man", (amazing song by the way) to a lone guitarist strumming out his version of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" ( and I smiled when I heard someone say "Hey, that's the song from Shrek!") Which is true, but that was the Rufus Wainwright version, but a las, I was glad someone recognized the song! It was just inspiring to see so many people sharing their gifts and beauty and music with Missoula, and it encouraged me to keep diving inside of myself to discover what brings me joy, and how I can give back to the community and share that joy. I have to be an active participant in building my own happiness. And I know that the pieces of that happiness are all around me, but I just haven't put the puzzle together yet. 

The Bleak and Grey of February

Oh February, if it wasn't for Valentine's Day I would completely and totally loathe this month. The sun hardly ever warms my skin and the constant grey of Missoula is enough to make me want to curl up in bed of quilts and hibernate until April, maybe May. 

However, even below these dreary clouds and the trudging through melting snow, I have been blessed with love and good food. I made a trip to Bozeman to visit my one and only love for Valentine's Day and my taste buds were revived and jumping for joy! Gluten free pizza with soy cheese, pineapple, tomatoes, basil and almonds at Colombo's Pizza, handmade with care and love,  sandwiches from the Co-Op, a steaming bowl of oatmeal with gluten free toast topped with homemade jam springy with apricots and raspberries at Nova....my stomach growls and I drool just remembering all this delicious and satisfying food! 

And again I wonder, why isn't Missoula like this? I apologize for not having any photographic evidence of my decadent, delicious and oh so satisfying meals(well to me they're decadent because I didn't have to cook them and I shared most of them with the person I love), but next time there will be proof!

Thank goodness for the Good Food Store, otherwise I would be trapped in my own kitchen, never knowing the pleasure of a meal cooked by someone else's hands when I just don't have the will. Really Missoula, get a clue. 

A Simmering of Soup

With chilling winds and frosty flakes of snow, winter has finally made its way to Missoula. And with that came my sudden craving for a tummy warming bowl of soup. I ventured out to the Good Food Store yesterday and was happy to discover that my favorite Health Valley soups were on sale! I picked up a few cans of the Chicken and Rice as well as a can of the No Sodium Added Vegetable. I also came across a new line of soups from Gluten Free Cafe and found a Veggie Noodle Soup. I bought one can of it just to try, it sounded and looked quite tasty, and I miss having noodles in my soup, so let's hope it's a winner!

Here are links to the website for these two scrumptious companies. 

http://www.myglutenfreecafe.com/index.html

http://www.healthvalley.com/

As for my soup simmering away on the stove last night, I opted for the Chicken and Rice. I spiced it up with fresh chopped celery, carrots and a red potato. I love the soup but straight out of the can, it looks a bit drab and by adding my own vegetables, it became bright and colorful and bursting with flavor and vegetables that filled my body with warmth and nourishment. I toasted some Ezekiel Sprouted Grain bread and topped it with fresh raspberry jam made from a dear friend of mine. She is very fortunate to have had a wonderful harvest and gifted me with a jar of the most amazing raspberry jam ever; tart and sweet and tingling with summer sun. The toast and jam were great compliments to the salty, steaming soup and I look forward to enjoying it again, as I was left with a small bowl of leftovers, which will be the perfect meal for another chilly day. 

Tuscany at My Dinner Plate

Over the weekend, I suddenly had this huge craving for a crunchy, freshly made salad. I had all the ingredients minus one essential: the dressing. Gluten/dairy free dressings can be challenging to find, but I was lucky enough to discover Annie's Naturals Tuscany Italian Dressing. The outcome? Best Italian dressing I have ever tasted in my life, my taste buds were dancing with delight.

This dressing is gluten free, vegan, and contains no artificial flavor or ingredients, and is free of high fructose corn syrup and preservatives. Upon opening the bottle, my senses were filled with the intoxicating aromas of oregano, basil, balsamic vinaigrette, and sun dried tomatoes. A little of this goes a long way and it made my salad a "taste sensation" as my Mom likes to say.

So if you are ever in the mood for a hint of Italy, or you just want some fabulous dressing, I highly recommend the Tuscany Italian Dressing from Annie's Naturals. I know, I sound like a blaring TV ad now, but it's true! And I just want others to discover the robust flavor and creamy texture of this stuff, it takes eating salads to a whole new level.

Happy New Year!

Well, Christmas and New Years have come and gone and once again I am baffled as to how another year is beginning anew, but I know 2012 will be full of many wonderful things to come, and I know it will be filled with good food, an outpouring of love and a fresh start for us all.

And since this is the time of year when we all make those resolutions that at first burn so bright they seem possible but soon decay into the muck and melting of snow, I have decided NOT to make any resolutions.

I am instead setting forth upon a journey to find happiness and love everyday and not bog myself down with all the "what ifs" and "whys." and worrying. If I have learned anything from 2011 it is to expect the unexpected, because no matter how hard we plan and configure our lives into perfectly sculpted statues of what we think our lives should be, the destructive hands of time and fate will crumble that statue into a million shards and we will be left sweeping up the pieces, crying over our losses and asking the always nagging questions of "Why me? Why now?" But I have to believe that we can't ask those questions, that we can't become fretting, anxious human beings full of fear and decaying hope. I believe that we need to embody every downfall, every mistake, and even every right decision, as the threads that in the end, will be stitched and mended over, and over again, creating a life that is uniquely and solely our own.

Forgive me for this departure of writing about baking and cooking and friendly foods that my body will not reject, but with the start of 2012, and my reflection of 2011, I can't help but begin to make a conscious effort to just accept each day as they come, and to bask in the blessings that fill my basket. How can I not do this, when I am loved by a man who will love me until the end of time and whom I love with every fiber of my being When I have a family who will never abandon me and whose support knows no boundaries. When I have a roof over my head, food to nourish me, a soft bed to sleep in and a loyal, little dachshund whose tail can't wag fast enough every time I walk into the room.

So in the end, I suppose I do have a New Year's Resolution, don't I?