transitioning

I know it's been a year...ok a month since my last post, but here's the scoop:

I'm slowly moving everything over to my own domain. Only problem is that I'm not skilled in that department, so I'm waiting for the person that is to help me out! As of now, I will be blogging at this location until I can get my very own name rocking!

I appreciate the patience and sorry for all the inconsistency!

I have many important things I want to be blogging about which is why I want to continue, even while in limbo. I hope you follow me over at the limbo site until my new one is ready!

Thanks again!

the 'everything from your garden' potato salad

I can't even take credit for this salad, but my garden can. And by garden, I mean pots on my balcony.

It's these potted plants that gave rise to the easiest potato salad ever, although my lack of decisiveness could also be to blame. I went out to pick just kale, but then I saw the arugula, and the chives, and the parsley. I couldn't just pick the kale and leave the others. So I didn't. I picked all four and all four went into this salad.

Some might think I'm crazy, but I made it work. There's no rules that say you can't eat kale with arugula, or chives with parsley. I think they actually complement each other nicely...and so does my 'garden' for which they came from.

Now it's your turn to get a bowl and throw a bunch of green stuff in it...with potatoes.

There's no real no rocket science behind this salad, which is why you won't find measurements below, but more of a 'adjust to your likings' type dish.

Dressing ingredients

• extra-virgin olive oil*
• apple cider vinegar*
• dijon mustard*
• nutritional yeast
• salt and pepper
• lemon juice

*start small and work your way up with these, too much of one will determine the overall flavours.

Salad ingredients

• 12 - 15 small white potatoes, chopped
• handful of fresh chives, minced
• handful of fresh parsley, minced
• handful of fresh arugula, torn up
• handful of fresh kale, torn up

Preparation

• Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add cut potatoes once water starts boiling and cook for 10+ minutes (depending on the size of your potatoes).
• Meanwhile, whip up your dressing.
• Strain cooked potatoes and mix with kale while hot to wilt the kale (2 minutes).
• Separate the kale and the potatoes; rinse the potatoes under cold water to prevent them from overcooking, then place in a large bowl.
• Add your garden greens to the potatoes, along with your dressing.
• Mix and enjoy!

The only sad part about making an 'everything from your garden' salad is that you no longer have everything from your garden for another one. I guess it either means I didn't buy enough stuff for my garden or that I just need to buy more.

I guess we'll see how quickly my little garden can regenerate itself and then go from there!

QUESTION: What's your favourite type of salad? Pasta, potato, lettuce, grains, etc...


I love my regular green salads, but sometimes when they get boring, I like to switch to nice potato or grain salads.

*****
One more thing to add (and yes, I realize it's June 3rd, but you can still partake!)

Want to do a fun June challenge and do you like salads?

Be part of the #saladaday challenge this month. Check out Angela's post on it (it's all her idea!) for more details and check out some of her delicious salads for inspiration!! You know you wanna!

Happy salad eating!

to move or not to move

I want to move (I think), but I'm probably the most indecisive person there is. Don't ask me to make a decision about where to go to lunch, because I'll ask that question right back at ya! And don't you dare take me shopping, where I have an internal battle with myself over how bad I actually need something.

So what does that have to do with me wanting to move? Doesn't that seem like I actually am making a decision?!

Wrong.

I have a problem deciding where I want my blog to be.

My other blog was on wordpress, which is why I decided to put this one on blogger instead, just to want to turn around and switch this one to wordpress, as well. Like I said, decisiveness doesn't suit me.

So this is where you come in. I wanted to know your opinions and suggestions on what I should do. There's pros and cons to both sites, and I just need to figure out which has more pros, aka: what do you think as more pros!

Of course now that I'm on blogger I see a lot more pros with wordpress, but when I was using it, I saw more pros to blogger. I seriously should just reside in the gray area where I could worder or blogpress.

Once decided, I want to transform my blog and make it better (which I know isn't hard to do right now!), and then I can feel good about my decision. So please, pretty please, help me out!

my first 10k race and attempt at a green thumb

And wow...it's already Sunday again, which means I haven't blogged in a week. My bad.

Putting that aside...

This morning I ran in my first 10k. It may seem silly considering I've already ran a half marathon (which I did a full recap of on my other blog and plan to reblog it over here!) and a 5-miler, but never a 10k. It was honestly the perfect distance for where I'm at in my running "career." I think I'll take the summer off, and attempt a second half in 2013 - sounds like a good year to me!

In terms of running races in general though, I think I need to run in more just to get over that initial nervous feeling, because it was all up in me this morning! I pretty much get to a race just before it's about to start just so I don't have the build up of nerves.

For this one today, I got there with 15 minutes to spare, which was just enough time for me to get safety pins and get that number on me!

 The hubby generously took a pic of me pre-race (aka the nicer looking version of me).

The post-race pics aren't as pretty, mainly because I always wear more clothing than I should, and then become overheated while running. Yes, I'm so brilliant.

The hubby couldn't come with me to the race because he had to work, but I somehow coaxed my mom and sister into attending. Ok so I bribed my sister with Starbucks...nbd.

My sister was my professional photog - she took a good action shot of me. But first, let me tell you about the course. Along with a 10k, they also had a 5k and 1k; the track I was on was actually a 5k and 10k peeps just ran it twice. This allowed me to run past my mom and sister halfway, which was so nice when you just wish that you signed up for the 5k instead.

I was happy when it was over and note to self: dress how you planned on dressing even if the weather doesn't feel like it will warm up because it does - hello, you're running!!

Me and the little sis after. I'm surprised she got that close to me. I warned her I was a sweaty mess, but she must love me that much to see past my smelliness.

We hung out for a little bit and then we went to the greenhouse.

I've never had a garden before (especially since I live in a gardenless place - aka townhouse with no lawn), but knew I wanted at least some herbs in some pots on the balcony.  My grandma graciously gave me some old potters a few weeks ago, and they have just been sitting on my balcony with no plant life in them.

So after the race, I asked my mom if we could stop at this one greenhouse we drive by, especially since I knew their herbs were on sale.

$20 later, I had some very nice herbs and a few other things, plus soil to fill those empty potters.

My sister came back to my place and watched me make a mess plant away, which didn't take too long, or maybe I just don't know what I'm doing...hence the 'first attempt at a green thumb' title.

I successfully got everything transferred to pots and here is this final look:

I also have a few peony plants snuck in there that my mom bought me last weekend because I love peonies. I'm pretty excited for them to bloom!

Just disregard the pile of soil in the cardboard box. Like I said, my planting was more like 'scattering soil' - I think I slightly confused it for confetti.

I hope they survive for at least a month, because I'm about to get into what I actually purchased today.

Ok, so I lied - I didn't purchase the chives; they're from my grandma's garden that she dug up for me yesterday. But, I promise the rest I did purchase...like the basil below.

A hot pepper plant (!!!) and kale (!!!!) - clearly I'm a big fan of both.

The herb plant pot - cilantro (my absolute fave), parsley and watercress. 

I lined everything up at the back of my balcony and crossing fingers, eyes and toes that they will grow and survive to give me good food all summer.

And finally, I also got two little plants for inside.

Really interested in seeing how my green thumb is...

QUESTION: How is your green thumb? Or do you have one? AND/OR what is your favourite thing to grow/would want to grow if you had a garden?!

crispy red pepper chickpea burgers

I may blog and cook sporadically, but when I do both, I try to make them good.

Enter these burgers.

What feels like centuries since I said, "I'm going to attempt to make a crispy chickpea burger" has finally turned into a reality.

And, don't you just love it when it actually turns out?!

It might have been the nice weather in combination with the long weekend, but I finally made it happen.

The stupid thing is, these burgers are ridiculously easy to make. I could have made thousands upon thousands of different chickpea burgers in the time I spent contemplating whether I should do it or not.

Lesson learned.

Crispy Red Pepper Chickpea Burgers

by Char

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 - 20 minutes

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Ingredients (3 large patties, 4 -5 small patties)

• 2 cups precooked chickpeas
• ¾ red pepper, cut into chunks
• ¼ - ½ cup sweet onion, in chunks
• 1 tbsp tahini
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• salt and pepper
• ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400C.

2. Blend all ingredients but the breadcrumbs in a food processor until almost everything is pureed.

3. Transfer mixture to a large bowl, then add in breadcrumbs.

4. Mix together, and shape into the patties.

5. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with olive oil.

6. Bake for 20 minutes, turning halfway, and sprinkling with olive oil again, to increase the crispiness of the burger.

7. Enjoy!

*Note: If barbecuing, reduce the breadcrumbs by a bit, since they get somewhat crumbly in the oven, and reducing will help to not dry them out as much.

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Before baked, they looked like a salmon burger to me.

And after baking, they looked like a chicken burger.

But, sans chicken or salmon, of course!

They were absolutely delicious despite the simple ingredient list. Sometimes I find that the simplest recipes actually work the best. It's when you start complicating things that you get a flop!

We (the hubby and I) paired our burgers with mashed avocado (with a little lemon juice, salt and pepper), sliced tomatoes and sunflower sprouts. I'd also suggest a good sprouted grain bun as an option, as well!

My only complaint was that I didn't double the recipe. Since I chose to make 3 big patties, versus more smaller ones.

I seriously don't think you can ever have too many veggies topped on anything. Period.

Happy Long Weekend to everyone. I hope your weather is an perfect as where I am, and enjoy every bite of these burgers. I know I did ;)