Friday, July 27, 2012

Summer Favorite

{photo credit to Gentyl & Hyers at Cooking Light}
One of the things I love most about summer besides EVERYTHING! is the abundance of inexpensive and flavorful produce; namely watermelon.  

Because this tasty fruit (among many others) flourishes in warm weather, it's the perfect excuse to consume massive amounts of locally grown produce.  To explain further, I'm truly just not one for self control - I'm an all dip and no chip kinda gal - so having all of these super healthy and delicious seasonal offerings at my disposal is this southern girl's dream come true... 

What I'm craving now:
Watermelon Slushie
{photo credit to Krysta's Life in Food, recipe here}
Riddle me this: what could possibly be more refreshing than a watermelon slushie?

{photo credit to Monica B Hide, recipe here}
To keep it simple, mix one part frozen watermelon (seedless & cubed) and one part coconut water. Pop it in the blender on the highest setting until the mixture is completely smooth.

{photo credit to Kimberly Snyder, recipe here}
To get fancy, add... 
mint or basil
a tablespoon of agave nectar or honey
a splash of lime juice
a banana or any kind of berries
maybe even a shot of rum if you're feeling a little crazy

{photo credit to Raw Food Recipes, recipe here}
And now I give you 5 reasons to drink (or eat) up: just incase you still need a reason or two...
watermelon provides healthy amounts of virtually all essential vitamins and minerals 
just 1 wedge of watermelon provides over 30% of your daily Vitamin A & C requirement
it's a powerful ally against many types of cancer, because it contains lycopene
it tastes wonderful
it's very pretty


Any questions?

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Happy Anniversary!

To me? Why thank you.

The inaugural year of this blog has been nothing short of lovely.  I've tasted all (most) of what Austin has to offer, learned to love vegetables as a main dish and not just a side, and dabbled in cooking with the best of Texas produce. 

My One Green Table Greatest Hits List:
Year One

Constant Gardeners where it all began
Tomato Sandies so simple, yet completely wonderful 
Keen-Wah picture perfect
Simply The Best Ode to my BFF
Cajun Time dreaming of that NOLA flavor
Fancy 4th of July we fancy y'all 


My promise to you for year two:

Plenty of photos from these white sandy beaches

A taste of Florida's finest produce (and a few other worthwhile purchases)

Hopefully many, many meals with a view like this

And oh so much more...

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Green with Envy

Just a few of my favorite {green} things

Key Lime Pie from the browneyed baker

I <3 succulents.

Avocado - because it complements everything, and for its health benefits

The color itself, and all its glorious shades.

GREENS! Mustard Greens, Turnip Greens, Collard Greens, Chard, Kale...

C'est trรจs chic

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

6th and Lamar

One of the things I love most about Austin is the Whole Foods Market flagship store.  It truly is the most wonderful place on earth.  I have to wonder, is this what heaven looks like?


My love affair with Whole Foods started many moons ago... 
lets take a walk down memory lane, shall we?  



The first time I went was nearly eight months after I moved to the city. It pains me to think I went nearly three full seasons neglecting this gem of a grocery store.  Nay, the Whole Foods store straddling 5th and 6th streets, occupying one full block of prime downtown Austin real estate is more than a grocery store - it's a foodie's sanctuary.  


It was March 2011, during the heart of SXSW.  I'd just walked from work to Waterloo Records, 1.3 miles beneath the scorching Texas sun, mind you. (All for the sake of music!)  Virginia, Katie and I converged in front of Waterloo Records, anxious to witness Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears perform a free - I tell you! FREE - show in front of the record store, situated just across the street from Whole Foods.

PAUSE

Take a moment to watch this snippet of the pure awesomeness we experienced that fateful day during SXSW 2K11...



...and continue...

After guzzling a few disposable plastic cups of lukewarm beer, and dancing among the weirdoes that keep this city cool, we needed fuel before taking on the rest of the evening.  And that's when it happened. I crossed the street, passed through the miniature cafe garden and then a blast of ice cold air conditioning, and entered the prepared foods sections of the Whole Foods Market flagship store.

(Note: This is where my walk down memory lane ends and love affair with Whole Foods begins.)


Made in house daily (probably more like hourly considering the amount of foot traffic this location endures) is gelato, juice, smoothies, sandwiches, pizza, sushi, and breakfast tacos...oh, but it doesn't stop there.  There's Indian, German, and Greek cuisine (depending on the day)...not to mention some of the best barbecue in Texas. Seriously guys, you name it and they have it. That's all there is to it.


Oh yes, the store offers a full selection of standard grocery items, although each can be found next to an organic, vegan or gluten free alternative.  However where I find value in the most glamorous grocery store of them all is the bulk foods section.  There are dehydrated fruits,  every kind of grain, cereal, nuts, trail mixes and most importantly spices.  The holy grail of bulk spices.  (bow down.)


I'll be quite sad when I can't stop in for a Skin Rejuvenator from the juice bar, or a bottle of hand selected wine by their amazing wine enthusiast staff, but I suppose life goes on.  Right? Right.


It's true. I <3 Whole Foods.

I'll miss it dearly when I part from this city in the (very near) future.

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Get Yo' Jam On

It never ceases to amaze me the content that can be found by spending a little time on the internet.  It also never fails that I realize 98% of the population is much more talented than I.

A glowing example of an inspirational human being is Carl Pendle. Who would have imagined a recipe could be shared by not writing it down or clicking the "add to my recipe box" button from a website, but by creating a beautiful and innovative video?

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Happy Birthday America!

"The youth of America is their oldest tradition. 
It has been going on now for three hundred years."
- Oscar Wilde
Photo creds to Caspar Newbolt



Monday, July 2, 2012

Fancy 4th of July

Since I've yet to make 4th of July plans, I figured I'd aggregate a few of my favorite Independence Day tablescapes, recipes and settings right here, right now, for your viewing pleasure.

To begin, I love any dessert that involves fruit.  I think it's my way of convincing myself that it's okay to be indulgent because the dessert is healthy since it contains fruit. Am I right or am I right people? Try this Red, White and Blue Berry Trifle courtesy of Martha Stewart.



Modern Americana meets rustic on this Barcelona-inspired tabletop from Camille Styles. P.S. Camille Styles does no wrong. Add her to your RSS feed, now.


There's no excuse like celebrating your country's freedom to indulge in the most American of all desserts - the s'more. Take a cue from 'Can you stay for dinner?' and spice up this childhood favorite by  turning it into a S'Mores Brownie.


And really, you can't let July 4th pass without 2 or 20 ribs.  Who better to turn to than the Neelys (or anyone on Food Network for that matter) for a barbecue ribs recipe?


Top it all off with a fireworks show, a failproof plan for groups of all ages.


Although I don't have plans for this year buttoned down quite yet, I'm sure it will resemble last year's celebration.  We stuck to the 3 B's: beer, brisket and beer pong - a true Texas shindig.


P.S. July 4th is Ross' favorite all-time holiday.  I'm sad we won't be spending it together since he's in Destin. Have I mentioned we're moving there? Oh, whoops :) More on that later...

Cheers!

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Rainy Day Bliss

It is Sunday...



...and it is raining.

Rainy Day To Do List:
Sleep in late
Cook everything in the pantry for breakfast
Get lost in The Paris Wife
Watch old movies on TV - Say Anything or The Breakfast Club, please
Stare out the window from time to time
Waste a few hours on Pinterest
Take a nap

Fingers crossed my lovely day isn't ruined by the appearance of sunlight

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