Natural (Anaheim, CA)

Just a quickie before I turn in for the night!

I had the most *wonderful* opportunity to visit Anaheim this past weekend for work and gratefully traded in my umbrella for flip flops and sunglasses.

 On the morning that we left for the airport to go home, I talked M into visiting Natural, a clean little "fruiteria"-like eatery less than 5 minutes from Disneyland / Anaheim Convention Center. While I must say that that most of the eats during the trip were far more healthy than what we usually eat during trips, we *did* have a couple of guilty indulgences as well.

In fact, the reason why we visited Natural was mostly because of a heavy meal the night before!

Natural is unlike anything we have at home, or on trips - it is fresh, fruity, and can be light. Can be? Well, aside from Mexican-style fruit cups and salads, there is a delicious looking shrimp cocktail, an interesting corn cup, and fresca con crema (strawberries with cream|) that intices other indulgences.

On this particular occasion, we ordered a bionicos, a mixture of watermelon, cantaloupe, succulent papaya, apple slices, banana chunks, sweet strawberries, coconut, and pineapple. The fruit salad was topped with honey-sweetened yogurt, raisins, and a sprinkle of granola. This totally hit the spot as we had a huge meal the night before (more on that later?) and were in a hurry to get to the airport.

As Natural offers fruit, salads, smoothies and other fresh dishes, the menu can be customized to become vegan friendly (minus any honey & dairy products), or be served vegetarian as is.

Since I've been told that this particular business trip would become an annual homage, I'm looking forward to visiting Natural again and trying their other offerings!

Ina Gartens' Banana Crunch Muffins

My cousin sent me an email the other day that made me laugh. It was a woman's response to an poster ad she saw at the gym asking "Do you want to be a whale or a mermaid?" (Link here.) I know, it is a little cheesey but it is cute and makes you think. Yes, with that argument, I'd want to be a whale too.

I think one of the joys of food comes not only with eating, but cooking. For that reason, we hosted a brunch last weekend. While I was looking for some brunch recipes, I came across Ina Gartens' recipe for Banana Crunch Muffins. If there is one food network / food tv star that I love, it is Ina Garten. My aunt became a fan of Ina while she was on maternity leave, and recommended her and her show to me. I've been a fan ever since!

Not only does Ina make great food (every recipe of hers that I've tried has been a winner), but follows the philosophy of being a warm, caring, loving and loved individual. The scenic shots from the Hamptons also help. :)

I love bananas, so I copied down the recipe right away - while I didn't make them for the brunch last week, I did sit down and make them this week. I adapted it a little - no coconut (we are not coconut fans. Except for Bubby Rose's macaroons!), frozen bananas, a combination of half & half and skim milk, and pecans in place of walnuts. I also only made half a recipe as M, although he is getting his sweet tooth back, is a not a muffin man. :)

With the addition of the granola and nuts, these muffins remind me of Thrifty's Trail Mix muffins (they have pepitas, granola, and dried fruit in them!). I love the texture all the mixings give to the muffin, and love how the bananas and whole milk keep the muffin moist and tender.



The amounts and method below yield a "Jessicas dozen" - about 10 to 11 muffins. Yes, I like my muffins puffy!

Ingredients (Halved and adapted from Ina Gartens' recipe)

1 1/2 c all purpose flour
1/2 c white sugar (I lessened the sugar as the bananas and banana chips were sweetened)
1 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1/2 c unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 egg
1/4 c skim milk + 2 T half and half (or the same amount of whole milk - we don't use whole milk in this house)
1 t pure vanilla extract
2 bananas (previously frozen, slightly mashed)
1/2 c pecans
1/2 c granola (I used
1/2 c banana chips

Method
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a medium muffin pan with muffin liners.

In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the center and mix in melted and cooled butter. It will be get a little "sandy" - press it together with your fingertips if you have to. The texture will be like wet sand. Try to break apart any large lumps and make a well in the center.

In a separate bowl, beat egg with whole milk, (or skim + half & half like I did), vanilla, and fresh or frozen banana. Add to the flour / butter mixture and mix until just coming together. Fold in granola, banana chips, and pecans.

Fill muffin cups to the top. Top with additional pecans, banana chips, and granola if desired.

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.



These are hearty muffins. Great for when I'm on the go or late for work! Will definately make these again, may incorporate some dried fruit too!

Recipe: Mango Pudding!

Would you believe that we recently had not one, but TWO huge family / friend gatherings at our apartment this last while with HORDES of food and all I have for you in terms of recipes and photos is this mango pudding???!

I tell you - eating with Ms or my own family is like eating with a pack of hungry wolves. If you get to taste every dish, you could be said to be a) an extremely fast eater with asbestos lips (there have been occasions where my father has finished a bowl of soup and there is still STEAM coming off of the residual coating of soup in the bowl, or the server is still ladling soup for everyone) b) a stamina eater with lightning reflexes (perhaps a pavlovian-trained reflex), or c) you're sitting next to my dad or J (in either family. haha!)



So...the reason why these photos even exist is because this is, in fact, a "leftover" pudding from the Y familys' feast. Surprisingly, Ms family eats less than my family - even J disappointed me when he had to doggy bag the rest of his plate. Who would have thought that a seasoned athlete arriving for dinner after a long evening of volleyball would have a moderate sized appetite (vs the monstrous one I was expecting?) *shrug*.



Ingredients
2 envelopes Knox granulated gelatin
1/3 c granulated sugar
1 c boiling water
1 c cool water
~400g sweetened mango puree (about 15 oz) - I used Rellure brand of sweetened Kesar Mango Pulp, although you could experiment and find a brand or product that you prefer
1 c whipping cream
1/2 c diced fresh mango
Evaporated milk for serving

Method
In a large metal or ceramic bowl, stir gelatin and sugar together. Add boiling water and stir until dissolved.

Stir in cool water, mango puree, and cream until combined. Stir in diced mango.

Pour into small molds or a large jelly mold and refrigerate until firm.

Serve with a thin layer of evaporated milk.



I poured mine into individual molds and used teacups when I ran out - I thought it looked cute with the layer of bright yellow pudding and the thin layer of milk on top. This recipe made about 18 portions. Thank you to L for the beautiful roses and vase!

Recipe: Simply Sunny Fruit Salad

It is a week of sunshine like this, with the cherry blossoms blooming and clear blue skies that make Vancouver such a likeable city.

The sun also made me indulge in a bunch of fresh fruit and melon - perfect for snacking on, or an accompaniment to a healthy lunch!



Feel free to incorporate any of your favourite fruits!

Ingredients
1 baby watermelon, diced
4 small organic kiwis, peeled & diced
2 Alphonso (Philipine) mangoes, peeled & diced
1/2 fresh pineapple, peeled, cored, and diced

Method
Mix all ingredients together gently. Enjoy within 2-3 days!

I've been eating this all week - the tart kiwis with the fragrant mangoes and the sweet pineapple *all* go so well together!