Tostadas with Smashed Orca Beans

I'm not sure how we got to November already but I don't think I'm quite ready for it yet. We cleaned out our gardens finally though except for the sweet onions and the rosemary which seem to be just fine. I like leaving the onions in as long as possible and then grab them as I need them, except there's no way I'm digging through the snow to get them now. There were only a few left though. We've had gardens on and off for the last few years but this has been the first year we really focused on it and we really enjoyed some great food from our own backyard this year.

Nuts About Oats

I'm so excited to announce my participation in the Nuts About Oats Contest sponsored by Peanut Butter & Co. and Bob's Red Mill!

I was one of six bloggers asked to create a breakfast recipe using peanut butter and oats. It took me about 2.5 seconds to figure out what I wanted to make. I grew up with my my Mom making these amazing cranberry cream scones and I knew I could easily integrate some peanut butter and oats into them and make them even better.

Cranberry-Almond Quinoa Cookies

I don't think I've ever posted this many healthy recipes in a row! This Tasty and Healthy New Years challenge with Bobs Red Mill and California Olive Ranch has been so much fun and I've really enjoyed the challenge of creating some fun things that taste great and are still pretty healthy. We're going to end with dessert of course and I went with a tasty healthy cookie using both the Quinoa that was featured last week as well as the Whole Grain White Wheat Flour from Bob's Red Mill.

Quinoa Cakes with Walnut and Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

I've walked by the bag of Quinoa a thousand times in the grocery store. Each time I do I think I should grab it and find something to make with it. But I still haven't done it. I was pretty excited then to see that one of the grains for our Tasty and Healthy New Year challenge was Quinoa from Bob's Red Mill. Since I hadn't used it before, some research was in order. Here's some of what I found:

• Quinoa (pronounced Keen-Wa) is a grain common in ancient South America and has gained in popularity in the last few years
• It's full of minerals and nutrients, including: iron, manganese, magnesium and copper
• Quinoa is a complete protein which is great for those looking for a protein source outside of meat
• It has a unique nutty flavor and is very versatile. It can be substituted for many other grains and can go in main and side dishes or even desserts! (I'll share a cookie recipe with it soon)

Curried Whole Grain Pilaf with Bacon, Mushroom and Cabbage

We're now in our second week of recipes for a Tasty and Healthy New Year with California Olive Ranch and Bob's Red Mill. We're moving on to side dishes this week and pairing together the Grande Whole Grains Blend and the Miller's Blend Olive Oil. Did you do a double take when you saw the title of this post and then saw healthy in the first line? Bacon and healthy... yeah, it works in my book. You see the thing is, coming from a non health nut, it's about balance. I am trying to eat better but I also like some things that aren't necessarily good for you. It's about moderation and making sure that the healthy foods usually outweigh the bad. And we all know, bacon makes eveything better, right? And come on, it's only four slices for the whole thing. You'll love it.

Olive Oil and Whole Wheat Flatbread with Veggies

Starting today, our Virtual Potluck group is working with California Olive Ranch and Bob's Red Mill to bring you healthy options as we start this new year. We'll be sharing some fun and healthy ways to combine whole grains and fresh olive oils to create some fantastic new recipes. Find out more about the potluck and see who's participating here!