mushroom onion gravy

oh gravy! many meals just aren't the same without a generous helping of gravy! if not gravy, who will smother your potatoes? who will drown your french fries? who will top your tofurkey? 

this recipe makes a ton, about 4-5 c. i don't know about you, but gravy goes fast in my house... but halve the recipe if need be!

breakfast

normally in the summer, i have either my trusty daily smoothie, or some granola with fruit and almond milk for breakfast, but today, i was craving something different. 

i guess it just depends on the weather, but sometimes i want something a little heavier, a little more reminiscent of childhood, a little more comforting. 

i don't know about you, but i probably wouldn't have survived childhood without peanut butter. i still eat it out of the jar with a spoon when the mood takes me. 

so i whipped this up!

a thick slice of whole wheat bread, with natural peanut butter, banana and strawberries. how can you go wrong?

more fruity vodkaness!!

so, a while ago, i posted a fruity vodka cooler recipe!

i just made a very different, melony version, and i wanted to share it with you too! lookit my fabulously attractive, sexy husband, enjoying his drink!!

=
i used about 4 oz absolut apeach vodka, 1 c each cantaloupe and watermelon, 1 large apricot, 1 c ice and about 1 c of peach iced tea.

we had just gotten back from walking the dogs on a blisteringly hot day (yay for calgary having blisteringly hot days!!), and matt asked for a vodka cooler to take the edge off the heat. how could i say no? 

  
so tasty! go cool off, i'll wait. 

tofu and broccoli stir-fry

i make a LOT of stir-fry. it's quick and easy to pull together, and can be made with whatever ingredients i have onhand... 

as such, i don't often follow recipes when making stir-fry. it's just one of those things where i throw things together. but, in the name of the blog, and wanting to help others eat tasty, healthy foods, i am trying to remember to measure and take pictures, and write down recipes!

that being said, here is a quick list of what i often use when making stir-fry sauce. i encourage you to mix and match and try new combinations!!

- natural peanut butter
- soy sauce
- hoisin sauce
- sesame oil
- sesame seeds
- vegan oyster sauce
- garlic
- ginger
- vegetable broth
- miso
- mirin
- sambal olek or other hot sauce
- corn starch (as thickener)

this recipe is fairly quick and easy, although the longer you can marinate the tofu, the better. i always start mine in the morning, but as long as it marinates for an hour or so, you should be good to go!

new dress!

check out this lovely new dress i made!

yes, i also cut all my hair off! 

a friend was visiting a while ago, and bought a dress that was tiers of this material,each one ruffled and larger than the last. she wanted it shorter, so she cut off the bottom tier, and left it here. this is what i created out of it!!

peach raspberry muffins

can you tell i'm on the raspberry train this summer? i just can't get enough of them. 

i am also pretty excited about peaches. i love peaches so much, but they are only really good for a few months out of the year. i can't handle those winter, sad, hard, sour peaches. they just make me depressed. 

so, this summer, i have been keeping a steady supply of peaches in the house, enjoying them while i can, before another long, cold, peachless winter. i've been eating them in smoothies, tasty summer vodka drinks, on my morning granola, and just on their own. 

and now, muffins! this recipe makes 12!