Magic pb & j

I do like my gadgets, especially my panini press. It makes things delicious, and for some reason I feel less guilty about grilling in the press than in a frying pan. Maybe because I grill veggies in there a lot too? Whatever, I shouldn't feel guilty about delicious things. Especially because sometimes I get amazing ideas like grilling a peanut butter and jam sandwich. It's like magic! It made the nut nuttier and I think the jam oozed out a little bit and caramelized in the press. You can use whole grain bread, like I do, to add some nutrition to a childhood favourite. If you don't have a panini press, do it in a frying pan, and don't feel guilty about it.

Simply delicious

Sometimes we try really really hard. We re-read and edit an email to our bosses ten times, we check our hair and outfit even when the object of our affection thinks we're gorgeous, we worry our homes aren't nice enough, big enough or clean enough to host anyone except our cats. And our the interwebs, that pressure goes up. "Look, here's a pic of the pizza I made. But the toppings are from the farmer's market and the flour is heirloom and local and I ground it myself using an artisanal mortar and pestle handmade made by a vegan unicorn!"
I do that sometimes. Well, not a unicorn's mortar and pestle, but we do what we can to make our food interesting, special, and noteworthy before sharing it with the world (or our 17 followers on Tumblr). But food, as all things, is sometimes better when it's simple. Simple pleasures are there for the taking every day: a purring cat in your lap, a silly laugh with a friend, a great bike ride or a run on a beautiful autumn day. We don't have to go all-out for our food either. So when I found myself without a lunch planned for the next day at work--and determined not to spend money on a mediocre lunch--I put some chickpeas to soak, went through my fridge and cupboards, and planned to-buy items for the next day's lunch. What I didn't have on hand, I bought from the grocery store around the corner from my office. And lunch was simple and delicious: flat bread and hummus, and a satisfying salad of arugula, chickpeas, quinoa and white mushrooms with basic Italian dressing. It's not a five-course menu carried in on the wings of vegan fairies, but it was a great lunch.

Grilled cheese breakfast

Breakfast today: grilled cheese with cheddar-style Daiya, cooked in my panini press. An excellent way to start the day.