Weekly Obsession - thedesignpallet.com

I found this great designer on Etsy - The Design Pallet. The owner Bruce is located in Seattle and creates furniture and decorative elements out of salvaged lumber from previous projects. His work exemplifies that furniture can be beautiful, sustainable and affordable. The above test tube spice rack is priced at a mere $27 and is my definite stand out among the other  products which range from desks to vases and side tables. The simple and modern aesthetic is really interesting and the price point is right. Check him out!

Sunday Supper - Barbecued Tofu

I felt like going meatless for lunch this week so I found this recipe for barbecued tofu. I paired it with some red rice to make a healthy and filling lunch.

1. Drain 1 package extra firm tofu for at least 20 minutes. Saute 1/2 white onion, 1/2 red onion, 1 bell pepper and 1 stick of celery in a large sauce pan. Season with salt, pepper and a sprinkle of curry.

2. Cook the rice of your choice according to the directions.

3. Put cooked veggies aside and add diced tofu to pan. Add to vegetables and add BBQ sauce. Garnish with fresh parsley.

Sunday Supper - Pasta Salad

This weekend I had a birthday party at this great rented house in Bolinas. It was a beautiful day, I got to go to the beach, meet some really cool people, and there was a cotton candy machine. It was a potluck bbq and I bought some pasta salad. I scanned my recipes but kept coming up with these really elaborate recipes so I decided to go with what I remembered from my mom's recipe with some tweeks. It went over well. And I quote, "Your pasta salad was great - it was the only vegetables I ate today!"

1. Boil 1 lb pasta - elbows, bowties, whatever you fancy!

2. While pasta is cooking dice tomatoes, cucumbers, black olives, red onions, bell peppers and whatever veggies you like.

3. Add cooked pasta, season with salt and pepper, and add Italian dressing. Mix well and sprinkle with parsley.

Weekly Obsession - Edible Packaging

In an effort to reduce the millions of tons of packaging waste in US landfills companies are coming up with packaging that is edible and sometimes even yummy! MonoSol has created a special film with the same type of polymers drug companies use to cover pills with. They are currently testing it on everything from sports drinks to oatmeal. Loliware's edible cups are made from natural pectins, can juice and then infused with flavors like the above spicy pepper. Think of the bloody mary possibilities!

Sunday Supper - Spicy Chicken Stir-Fry with Peanuts

I was craving chicken and thought I would try this recipe from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food Light. It called for snow peas but they didn't look good at the market so I used broccoli.

1. In a large nonstick skillet heat 1 tbs and 1 tsp peanut oil. Add three boneless, skinless chicken breast halves cut into small pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Add 4 thinly sliced garlic cloves and 1 diced serrano chile. Cook chicken and add the juice from two limes and 1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts.

2. Blanch 10 oz. broccoli in salted water. Add to chicken and top with cilantro.

Adventures in Baking - Strawberry Muffins

I decided to make these muffins because I thought I could experiment with the already healthy recipe. It contains no butter and with the sweetness of strawberries I reduced the sugar. I also replaced the all purpose flour with whole wheat. The results were tasty and guiltless.

1. Preheat oven to 400. Line a standard 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners. Toss together 1 and 1/2 cups of sliced strawberries with 1/4 cup sugar. Mash and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together 2 cups whole wheat flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp cinnamon.

3. In a glass 2 quart measuring cup combine 1 cup low-fat buttermilk, 1/4 cup vegetable oil, 1 egg, and 1 tsp vanilla extract.

4. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in liquid ingredients and berries. Fold until just combined and distribute in muffin tin. Bake for 17 minutes.

Weekly Obsession - Cranberry Fat Flush

In the July/August issue of Health there was a recipe for a cranberry fat flush in an interview with Rebecca Romijn. She recommends it as her go to for losing the last 5 to 10 pounds. With how she looks after having twins I'm thinking it's good advice. Mix 1 cup unsweetened cranberry juice with 2 tbs of ground flaxseed in a 1 liter water bottle. Drink daily. I'm trying it this week.