march noms

this past week, having almost half of my lessons cancelled for all kinds of different reasons, i had time. oh, sweet time. and i embraced it: long-ish yoga sessions, walking to lessons across town instead of taking the bus because of the sunny spring weather and the want to get moving a little bit more as we get closer to spring. but my favorite way to celebrate a nice relaxing weekday? make a weekday cake! 

i adored this weekday cake (raspberry ricotta) of molly’s– very moist and took less than thirty minutes to whip up! just as she described herself, there is something that makes you feel really put together about having a cake on your counter on a weekday, doesn’t it?

i also celebrated st. patrick’s day in my own special, quiet way. i’ve grown to pretty much abhor the typical american twenty-something style of celebrating this holiday… you’ll never see me swilling green beer at a loud and ruckous party.  my favorite thing lately is to have one pint of stout (preferably guinness) and some delicious irish food. this year, i decided the day before the holiday that i wanted to make corned beef. welp, guess what? it actually takes about ten days to corn beef yourself! that was a bit of a fail, but what we did have was some nice tenderly cooked beef, veggies, and of course, my annual guinness in a dark, dank pub. (yeah, it was bottled, but better than nothing!)

however, i’m discovering that i am developing a distinct food sensitivity issue. if i drink either an alcoholic beverage or a strong, bitter coffee on an empty stomach and then eat food, i become super nauseous with a raging stomach ache for about an hour or two. (has anyone heard of this?) sadly, it was the case last tuesday as i ate these delicious foods and drinks in the wrong order. i just wanna be like a normal spontaneous person! whine.

on the healthy side of this holiday, i was determined to also make something green, so i tried out angela’s key lime pie smoothie which was delicious. it’s supposed to be consumed as a “smoothie bowl”, but i have to admit the concept weirds me out a little bit, so i just made it as a smoothie. lime + spinach + avacado + coconut water + banana + a couple frozen raspberries ‘cause i forgot to freeze the banana = delicious. never do i regret for one day buying that blender. it’s been wonderful to have as i explore new recipes and cooking methods. to grow as a cook, you gotta have some tools, and living abroad is not stopping me!

other deliciousness from this month so far: my lentil-tempeh tacos (always!), broccoli dal (pretty good!), “almost vegan” enchilada casserole, & eating my fill of česnečka (garlic soup) after a long walk… nothing better! especially with extra cheese and croutons.

i’m looking forward to the soon-to-reopen farmer’s market down the street and making more spring inspired meals. what are you looking forward to creating? did you make any st. patrick’s day inspired meals? happy spring! the first spring bloom i’ve sighted…

ps, last year’s march noms + the most recent edition of noms, january & september.