I spent all last week craving curry: dreaming about it, lusting for it, and eventually indulging in it- twice!  Does that ever happen to you? If so, tuck this recipe in your back pocket.  It’s quick, it’s healthy, and (not to toot my own horn) but it’s pretty dang delicious.

Ingredients: 

• 1 tsp oil
• 4 scallions, whites and greens separated, chopped
• 1 tbsp Thai red curry paste (Add a bit more if you’re a curry fiend like me)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 6 oz light coconut milk
• 2 tsp fish sauce
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• salt to taste

Directions:

1. Start your rice.  I use minute rice- it’s the only kind I can have any success with.

2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil on medium-high.  Add scallion whites and  red curry paste and sauté one minute.

3.  Add shrimp and garlic, season with salt and cookabout 2-3 minutes.

4.  Add coconut milk, fish sauce and mix well. Simmer about 2-3 minutes, until shrimp is cooked through.

5.  Remove from heat, mix in scallion greens and cilantro. Serve over rice.

*** Don’t skimp on the curry, salt, or cilantro.  Without them, the dish is a bit bland but with the right balance of each, the flavors really balance and shine!

Bam! You’re done!  How quick and easy was that!? Fifteen minutes top.  For realisies.

Recipe from  SkinnyTaste.com.

A Nice Little Tumbler [sometimes a little nsfw]

A Beautiful Mess

PostSecret [rarely NSFW]

Cupcakes & Cashmere

Apartment Therapy

Bon voyage, ma cherle!

(Note: I don’t speak French.)

Margaritas in Old Town, San Diego

Shelves from my new living room

Hiking Torrey Pines on a chilly gray morning

Casual weeknight dinner (Red Curry from J. Wok)

Selfie in Vail, CO

My ladies and I

Easter Cake

Sunset walk by the harbor

Feeling VIP at Quality Social

Home cooked clean eating

A quick, pre-party selfie

Besties by the pool in Cabo

]]> http://howboutsomecake.com/2013/04/30/insta-life-2/feed/ 5 howboutsomecake IMG_2700 IMG_3078 IMG_3076 IMG_3049 IMG_2967 IMG_2931 IMG_2925 IMG_2904 IMG_2787 IMG_2758 IMG_3215 IMG_3175 http://howboutsomecake.com/2013/04/29/simple-raw-desserts/ http://howboutsomecake.com/2013/04/29/simple-raw-desserts/#comments Mon, 29 Apr 2013 13:00:54 +0000 how bout some cake http://howboutsomecake.com/?p=2641 Continue reading →]]> Many people mistakenly believe that when you adopt a healthy eating lifestyle, you can’t enjoy some of your favorite treats, like ice cream, pudding, and cake. However, this is simply not true. There are many healthy alternatives for these and other favorites, and you don’t have to spend an hour in the kitchen making them.

Many may find the raw food diet attractive for its purported health benefits but believe that they don’t have the time (or the money) to make the foods available on the diet. Many also think that their favorite treats aren’t allowed on the diet, making it less attractive. However, there are many recipes for making some of your favorite foods — even ice cream — that are delicious, nutritious, and very easy to make. Here are just a few simple raw desserts that you may consider trying out:

Image courtesy of Naito8 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Ice Cream

You can make many types of delicious raw “ice cream” by simply blending up frozen fruit. Bananas are especially sweet and creamy when they have been blended, making them taste almost like the real thing. You can then add other flavoring if you like, such as cacao for chocolate.

Check out these instructions on the basic banana recipe from Rawified, or try some of these more complex variations using cashews and other ingredients from Raw Food Living.

Pudding

The simple avocado can make a mean guacamole or burger dressing, but you may not think of it as a sweet treat. Yet you can use this nutritional powerhouse to make a simple pudding. Simply blend up a ripe avocado with some cacao powder and a bit of honey or other sweetener and you have a delicious and creamy pudding.

Check out these recipes for chocolate pudding from The Rawtarian and The Nourishing Gourmet. You can make other flavors using fruits like blueberries and strawberries. Experiment to find the one you like best!

Image courtesy of Jomphong / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Cookies

The best part about making cookies is eating the cookie dough. You can simulate the flavor of many of your favorite cookie doughs in raw cookies/energy balls. These are made by blending up nuts (usually cashews), dates, and the flavorings of your choice. They are delicious, easy to make, and ready to take with you to work or for a post-workout snack.

Check out these fudge babies from Chocolate-Covered Katie and these energy balls from Dairy Free Betty  and Deliciously Ella. Chocolate-Covered Katie also offers many variations for your other favorite cookie flavors.

Making delicious and healthy sweet treats doesn’t have to be hard. These simple raw recipes usually involve just blending up a few basic ingredients, and then you’re done. You’ll have a wonderful treat in no time, and you won’t have to feel guilty eating it.

What other simple raw desserts do you enjoy? Share your recipes in the comments!

About the Author:

Bridget Sandorford is a freelance food and culinary writer, where recently she’s been researching pastry chef school California. In her spare time, she enjoys biking, painting and working on her first cookbook.

I’ve been trying to go to Cabo for over a year now.  J and I tried multiple times last year, but it just never worked out.  I was desperate to go, but starting to give up hope!

But then, the stars aligned.  My friend (and colleague) walked into work one day, and muttered “I’m going to Cabo with a bunch of girls in April- wanna come?”

yes.  Yes!  YES!!!

And so last weekend we went.  Eight of us.  And it was the best time ever.

Every day, we went from breakfast to the pool.  We drank at the swim-up bar and napped in the sun.  Lunch was sushi or sandwiches ordered poolside.  It was the things dreams are made of.

We’d go back to the room late afternoon so that we could get ready for dinner.  We dined at the resort each night.  The food was honestly a little disappointing, but it was practically free, so I could only complain a little.

Most evenings we went into town.  Cabo San Lucas has some of the most fun bars I’ve ever been to.  Squid Row was my favorite- dancing is encouraged on every surface, and metal bars line the place so there’s always something to hold onto.  It’s like a jungle gym that serves booze!

Three nights was too short of a trip.  The time flew by, but I’m still laughing from the fun we had.  I can’t wait to go back for more.

 Spring skiing can be hit or miss; we had two days of each.  But even a bad day on the mountain is better than a good day at the office!

The only thing as good as the skiing in Vail is the food.  We spent the first evening enjoying a fabulous French feast at La Tour.

And the second evening at Boll.  This place is all about fusion: it’s a bowling alley/restaurant with a chic, full-service bar.  The food is fabulous and draws influence from all over the world.

Sadly, the mountain is closed for the season.  Fingers crossed to return next year!

Let me explain: the inside of the restaurant is crisply white, romantically dim, and cheerfully casual.  There are hydrangeas and candle light and enamored couples tucked into every nook and cranny.  We passed through the dining room and settled down in the corner of the glamorous patio.  It had a fountain and a silent movie: it was simply divine.

Then the food started coming.  I could have eaten a whole loaf of this bread.  It was softly toasted with just the right amount of butter and garlic.  It melted in my mouth bite after bite.

Then the first course.  Enough salad for a small family and perfectly fried scallops arrived to whet our appetites.

After all that bread and salad, it’s amazing I had any room left for my main course.  But thank God I did because it was ah-maze-zing.  Like woah.  It was a special for the evening- rich, buttery mahi mahi on a bed of saffron rissoto.  It was pure perfection on a plate.  And the portion was so big it literally lasted me three meals (I even had it for breakfast the morning after!)

And the lasagna was some of the best I’ve ever had (no offense, Mom).  That plate left our table clean.

Hopefully Alexander and I will have another date soon.  I can’t wait to get to know… his menu better.

I am going to make my coworkers so fat.  They’ll never know what hit them.

I’ve finally found a disposal for all the baked goods I produce.  I first won them over with my cupcakes, but these rocky road cookies sealed the deal today.

To make them, you’ll need:

3 cups confectioners sugar (aka 10x)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3 large egg whites

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 cup chocolate chips (or chunks!)

1/4 cup slivered almonds

mini marshmallows

Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.  Then spray them with non-stick spray.  (“Belt and suspenders” haha).

Start by sifting the dry ingredients together.

Then add the wet.

Last, add the chocolate chips and almonds (I reserved a few to garnish the tops with).

Drop big spoonfuls of the dough onto the cookie sheets.  They will spread out a little bit.  Press the marshmallows and any remaining almonds on top.  Bake for about 12 minutes.

Adapted from Alaska from Scratch.

It’s not always easy to eat clean on weeknights.  I usually come home from work hungry and just want to order take-out.  But that gets expensive (and big heavy dinners really stick to my thighs) so I try to avoid them when I can.  These tacos are kind of the best of both worlds- they’re super healthy but quick to throw together.  In fact, they’re ready before most take-out would be!

Here are the ingredients I used, although you could also add avocado, salsa, sour cream, corn, black beans, or whatever!

Ground turkey is a great healthy substitute for ground beef.  Just throw it in a frying pan and stir until it’s cooked thoroughly.  While it cooks, wash and cut your lettuce shells and dice up your tomatoes.

Once the meat is cooked through, add taco seasoning and 1/2 a cup of water.

Now just assemble your tacos and enjoy!  I used two lettuce leaves for each, and they held together pretty well (at least until the last few bites).

They’re carb free, gluten free, low fat, and pretty darn tasty!  Give them a try and let me know what you think!

There are many beautiful places to visit in Europe. Indeed, entire volumes have been written on the subject. These are my choices, based on my years living and travelling throughout Europe.

Paris – The Louvre
No list of places of beauty in Europe would be complete without mention of the world famous and renowned Louvre Art Museum. Every floor, nock and cranny of this amazing museum is filled with historic beautiful paintings and art work. A secret thing about the Louvre, where cameras with flash are forbidden, is the way to take as many photographs as you want. If you enter early to the museum from the side entrance, there are a very limited number of passes allowed for photographers with professional equipment, including a tripod. A guard accompanies you for as long as you wish to take photos, as long as no flash is used.

Norway – The Fiords
A cruise in the fiords of Norway is one of the most amazing, breathtaking things you can see in Europe. With excellent food and wine, the cruises throughout Norway are all worth enjoying.

The Inn Valley – Austria
When travelling from Salzburg to the west, at one point you come to a vista overlooking the entry into the Inn river valley of Austria. Most certainly this is one place in your European travels where you will do more than linger. The view is beyond breathtaking and so expansive it forces you to stop and take note.

Palaces and Castle of the Mad King Ludwig – Germany and Austria
From Herren Chiemsee to Neuschwanstein the palaces and a castle built by King Ludwig of Bavaria are something so beautiful you will never forget them.

Austrian National Park – Near City of Damulis
A most beautiful national park is located in the mountains of western Austria and situated near the eastern entrance into Lichtenstein. As beautiful a totally natural place can be. The views, vistas and wildlife are beyond expectation. What I never forget is the sounds of the Cuckoo birds in the morning.

River Cruises – Danube and Rhine Rivers
Any cruise on either of these two historic and famous European rivers is one of the most beautiful trips or vacations you will ever enjoy.

London Theatres and Museums
No city in the world has as much history and beauty as London. A big part of that beauty can be found in the historic theatres, You can have live events which give you more fun through theatretickets.co.uk. As for museums, London has over 240 to choose from with the magnificent National Gallery being one of the best.

Swiss Alps – Kandersweg
The Swiss village of Kandersweg, located centrally in the Swiss Alps has so many beautiful vistas it is unbelievable. Also the trip on the train from Kandersweg into Italy is a most wonderful experience.

Have you ever visited any of these? What’s on your list?

About Kate: Kate Lawson is a homemaker, a mother of two and a movie buff. In her spare time she loves to visit museums and gorge on ice cream.