Category Archives: fall

Sweet potato & black bean veggie burgers

Sweet Potato & Black Bean Veggie Burgers

It’s about time I told you all about my friend Bill. I’ve mentioned him before, but never by name. Bill is a badass. He’s a cancer survivor, a true fighter. Bill has survived leukemia, rhizopus (a horrific fungal infection) and a stem cell transplant. After all that, he endured a total knee replacement surgery and [...]

Also posted in entrées, gluten free, summer, vegan | Tagged , , | 128 Responses
Portobello mushroom and poblano pepper fajitas

Portobello and Poblano Fajitas

Are you making resolutions this year? I made a big one last year (to move to Kansas City), but I don’t have any concrete schemes for 2013. I mostly just want to maintain the momentum and move onto bigger and better things. I’d also like to work smarter (not harder) so I can strike a [...]

Also posted in entrées, gluten free, recipes, vegan, winter | Tagged , , , , | 66 Responses
Cranberry maple skillet cornbread

Cranberry-Maple Skillet Cornbread

Thanksgiving was a trip. I went home for five days and, after being away for a while, was able to appreciate family dynamics, friendships and Oklahoma culture with fresh eyes. On Thanksgiving day, we all squeezed into my grandma Virginia’s new house near the Panhandle. She and her sister, my great-aunt Bettie, now split a [...]

Also posted in baked goods, side dishes, winter | Tagged , , , | 54 Responses
apple cranberry crisp

Apple Cranberry Crisp

Did you get your fill of pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving? Excellent! I’ll be back later this week with a holiday recap, but in the meantime, please make some room for this apple cranberry crisp. It’s lighter than most holiday sweets, which I appreciate, and full of beautiful fall produce, which means that you can totally [...]

Also posted in dessert, recipes, winter | Tagged , , | 12 Responses
apple cider hot toddy

Apple Cider Hot Toddy

We are running out of time. Thanksgiving is tomorrow! Thank goodness I’m not in charge of the cooking. Maybe you are prepared. Perhaps you already have your menu planned, your ingredients purchased and your best stretchy pants washed and ready. I don’t know how you do it. I, for one, am still wearing my pajamas [...]

Also posted in cocktail, drinks, recipes, winter | Tagged , , | 31 Responses
maple cinnamon applesauce recipe

Maple Cinnamon Applesauce

I know it’s been around for a while, but I just want to say that central heat is amazing. How I survived the past four winters with my little space heaters and dangerously vintage floor heaters is beyond me. In my new apartment, all I have to do is scootch the little dial on my [...]

Also posted in breakfast, dessert, gluten free, recipes, snacks, vegan | Tagged | 44 Responses
Pumpkin Goat Cheese Fettuccine with Rosemary and Parmesan

Pumpkin Fettuccine Alfredo

Occasionally I admit that I live in a Disney fantasyland where candlesticks come to life and orchestrate the cleaning of my kitchen and Prince Charming actually texts me back. In reality, dishes are piling up in the sink and my phone is all too quiet. On the bright side, even though this pumpkin didn’t magically [...]

Also posted in entrées, recipes | Tagged , , , | 87 Responses
Sweet potato burrito smothered with avocado verde sauce

Sweet Potato Burrito Smothered in Avocado Salsa Verde

Where do you call home? Home used to be such a simple concept, but I’ve struggled to define it lately. For the first few years of life, home was where I lived with my parents in a small town near the Oklahoma panhandle. Home had brown tile floors that I tottered across at the heels [...]

Also posted in entrées, recipes | Tagged , , , , | 101 Responses
Pumpkin pecan polvorone cookies

Pumpkin Pecan Polvorones (Mexican Wedding Cookies)

Fall is for lovers. Everything about the season seems rooted in romance: leaves in shades of gold and crimson, swift breezes that nudge couples closer together and prompt us to cozy up by a fire. I catch myself rolling my eyes at the season’s showy displays while begrudgingly admitting that it is all rather pretty. [...]

Also posted in cookies, recipes, vegan | Tagged | 85 Responses
Butternut squash vegetarian chili

Butternut Squash Chipotle Chili with Avocado

Fall is in the air, as they say. The green leaves are just beginning to acknowledge the change in seasons along their peripheries; my nose is following suit with incessant sneezes. It’s that wonderfully awkward transitional time when I’m never sure what to wear: shorts now, or a sweater for later? And what do I [...]

Also posted in entrées, gluten free, recipes, soups and stews, vegan | Tagged , , , , | 122 Responses
Spicy sun-dried tomato and broccoli pasta

Spicy Sun-Dried Tomato and Broccoli Pasta

Had I typed up this post on Monday as intended, it would have been full of rants and whines. “How come cars don’t always turn on when we need them to?” I would have asked. “Why do little brothers have to make big mistakes, and will that giant pile of dirty laundry just wash itself [...]

Also posted in entrées, recipes, salads | Tagged , , , | 88 Responses
Coconut Quinoa and Kale with Tropical Pesto

Coconut Quinoa and Kale with Tropical Pesto + Notes on Belize

I’ve been south of the U.S. border twice now. The first time was in college, with my family, the summer after my grandmother passed away. We flew to Mexico in an attempt to leave behind the heavy sadness in the air at home. It kind of worked, as the only times I felt peace and [...]

Also posted in entrées, gluten free, recipes, salads, tips and resources, vegan | Tagged , , , , , | 88 Responses
Arugula, carrot and chickpea salad with wheat berries

Arugula, Carrot and Chickpea Salad with Wheat Berries

Not long ago, while I was hunting for summer salad recipes for this tasty little round-up, I realized that I’ve posted a whole lot more salads than most other blogs. Hearty salads with grains or beans (or both, as is the case here) are terrific side dishes for family meals and easy potluck offerings. I’m [...]

Also posted in recipes, salads, spring | Tagged , , , , , | 53 Responses
simple kale and black bean burritos

Simple Kale and Black Bean Burritos

This week has been a doozy. I’ve been running around like a chicken with its head cut off, scrambling to get caught up with work before I jet off to New York City (New York City?!) for the next few days. By the time this post goes live tomorrow morning, I should be well on [...]

Also posted in entrées, recipes, spring | Tagged , , , , , | 53 Responses
raw kale salad with tahini dressing, carrots and avocado

Raw Kale Salad with Creamy Tahini Dressing

Can I tell you what arrived from Amazon today? A box containing a tea pot, an electric toothbrush and not-so-cute sandals with arch support for walking the dog. Yes, I ordered all of these things for myself, and apparently, I am twenty-six going on seventy. If I continue at this rate, I’ll be plodding through [...]

Also posted in entrées, gluten free, recipes, salads, spring, vegan | Tagged , , | 73 Responses
arugula pesto lemon whole wheat pizza

Pesto Pizza with Fresh Arugula and Parmesan

This weekend was an odd one, a study in contrasts between calm and chaos. A tornado came too close for comfort on Friday. My mom called to warn me that it was nearing and my friend Matt showed up as the sirens started going off a few minutes later. I barely had enough time to [...]

Also posted in entrées, recipes, spring | Tagged , , , , , | 56 Responses
roasted red pepper pesto

Red Pepper Pesto with Roasted Cauliflower

So much to say, so little time to type it up. I’m in a deadline crunch for the next few days, but I have several posts in the works that I can’t wait to share! First up: Mark Bittman’s roasted red pepper pesto for The Food Matters Project. I had no doubt that I’d love [...]

Also posted in entrées, gluten free, recipes, snacks, vegan | Tagged , , | 52 Responses
pecan butter

Pecan Butter

The past week has felt like a failed attempt at finding balance. I spent the week before last on glorious holiday with two guy friends in gorgeous Crested Butte, Colorado. It was a vacation in every sense of the word; each day began with a big, home-cooked breakfast, followed by a long, easy-going game of [...]

Also posted in gluten free, recipes, snacks, vegan, winter | Tagged , | 60 Responses