I'm back!

Phew.. what a hectic couple of weeks. After two intense weeks of finals and papers, followed by the craziness of Christmas with lots of travel and family time, I was due for a break... but now I'm excited to be back blogging! I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable holiday filled with lots of family, love, good food and good times.  It's been so nice relaxing these past few days, spending time with my family (and seeing my new little nephew!), going skiing yesterday, catching up on sleep, and completely de-cluttering my house (it was about time...).  I've already put to use many of the wonderful new kitchen tools and cookbooks I got for Christmas, and below is one of the first new recipes I've tried. I can't wait to start updating my blog more regularly now that I'm revitalized a bit with lots of fun, new recipes to start off the new year! Enjoy!

Peanut Soba Noodles with Chicken

I thought I would start back up with a recipe from one of my new cookbooks I got for Christmas, entitled "Urban Pantry: Tips & Recipes for a Thrifty, Sustainable & Seasonal Kitchen"" by Amy Pennington.  Could my parents have picked out a more fitting cookbook for me? I don't think so.  This is such a fantastic cookbook, and I've changed many things in my kitchen and my cooking because of it... more to come about that. Anyway, I just had to try this recipe for Peanut Soba Noodles, which is a really simple asian dish with tons of flavor and good, hearty nutrition. Soba noodles are Japanese spaghetti-like noodles traditionally made from buckwheat flour (a great gluten-free source of protein, less calories than wheat flour) and they boil quickly in about 6-7 minutes.

The peanut sauce is so delicious that you may want to make extra just to keep on hand to use in a variety of other ways (dressing for a salad, dips for veggies, marinade for meat...yum!). This dish tastes great at any temperature, hot, room temperature or cold; and leftovers will keep well in the fridge for several days. You gotta try it!

PEANUT SOBA NOODLES WITH CHICKEN

Ingredients
1/2lb chicken, about 4 small chicken breast tenders, preferably organic, free-range
1 tblsp vegetable oil
Chinese five spice powder
salt/pepper
One 8-oz package soba noodles
1/2c peanut butter
1/4c water
1/4c soy sauce
Juice of 1/2 lime
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 tblsp rice wine vinegar
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1tsp ground ginger
2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced or grated
1/4 head red cabbage, grated
3 green onions, chopped
(Feel free to add additional vegetables)

Directions
1. Sprinkle the chinese five spice powder and salt/pepper over the chicken to coat
2. Heat oil in a pan and cook chicken until nicely browned and cooked through.

3. While the chicken is cooking, cook the soba noodles as directed on the package.
4. To prepare the peanut sauce, mix together the peanut butter, water, soy sauce, lime, garlic, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, and ginger until smooth and creamy. You may want to heat the peanut butter in the microwave for a few seconds until soft.
5. Chop up the carrots, cabbage and green onions and set aside.

6. Drain the noodles when they are done and put them back into the pot.
7. Chop up the chicken and add to the noodles. Add the veggies and pour over the peanut sauce. Mix until well-incorporated. Enjoy!

Finals... Ugh

Sorry everyone- finals are kicking my butt this week and next so I haven't been able to keep up with the blog... I will resume posting recipes soon... during my nice, month-long break! Hope everyone stays warm!

One note about holiday shopping- think green this holiday season by reducing the wrapping paper (use newspaper/recycled gift wrap), supporting your local economy by shopping at small, independent stores or markets instead of the mall (who likes going to the mall this time of year anyways?!), make home-made goodies and treats as gifts, and even consider buying your friends and families more eco-friendly gifts instead of more stuff they probably don't need.

Check out Change.org Holiday Gift Guide (http://blog.change.org/?p=472) or The Daily Green (http://www.thedailygreen.com/living-green/green-gifts?click=getstarted) for more great green gift ideas!

Chili Football Sunday

As I am writing this, I am watching one of the most anticipated football games of the season- Steelers vs. Ravens (round #2) and I can't wait to see the Ravens dominate yet again! I also just enjoyed one of the best bowls of chili I've ever made... inspired by the one and only Bobby Flay. I've been planning to make chili for a while now, but I waited to make it today because nothing goes better with football on a chilly (pun-intended) December night than a warm bowl of chili, ice cold beer and lots of friends :-) Only one minor detail I failed to mention is that my boyfriend, Matt, is a Steeler's fan (yuck!)... but he's a big chili fan so at least we can agree on one thing on game days.

Bobby Flay is a chili master, so I looked up his chili recipes and found this Beef and Black Bean Chili that I just couldn't resist; and I also happen to have some local, humanely raised ground beef in the freezer just calling my name. I usually pack my chili with lots of veggies and skip the meat, but tonight I decided to go true to beef recipe (using high quality, local beef, of course) to celebrate this big game night.  That being said, I can't follow a recipe exactly without changing a few ingredients here or there depending on what I have on hand, so here is my interpretation of Bobby Flay's recipe... the 'Alli Flay' way as my dad says.  This is a MUST-TRY chili recipe and worth the extra effort to find the right ingredients.

BOBBY FLAY'S BEEF AND BLACK BEAN CHILI

Ingredients:

2 tblsp olive oil
1.5 pounds local, humanely-raised
Salt/pepper
1 large onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 tablespoons ancho chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 bottle beer (I used Yuengling, but use whatever you have!)
5 cups homemade chicken/veggie stock (or canned low-sodium or water)
1 (16-ounce) can organic diced tomatoes, drained and pureed

2 tblsp organic tomato paste
1 tablespoon chipotle pepper puree (I found a small can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce in the international foods section in Giant.. they are delicious, smoky and spicy) 
1 tablespoon honey
2 cups pre-soaked overnight dry black beans (If you are using cooked or canned black beans, don't add until last 15 minutes of cooking) 
Optional Toppings- Avocado, cilantro, cheese, sour cream, lime juice, etc. 

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large pot over high heat. Season the beef with salt and pepper, and saute until browned on all sides. Transfer the meat to a plate and remove all but 3 tablespoons of the fat from the pan.

2.  Add the onions and garlic to the pan and cook until soft (about 5-7min). 

3. Add the ancho chili powder and cumin, and cook an additional 2 minutes. Add the beer and cook until completely reduced to about half of its original volume. 

4. Return the beef to the pot, add the stock, beans, tomatoes, tomato paste, chipotle puree, and honey, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan, and simmer for about 60 minutes (If you are using cooked or canned beans, add them after about 45 minutes of simmering. 

5. Serve into a bowl and personalize toppings to your liking! Also perfect for dipping with tortilla chips. YUM! ENJOY AND GO RAVENS! 

Mediterranean Kale, Tomatoes and Chickpeas

Here is another twist on my traditional beans and greens one-pan, one-bowl meal... Mediterranean style. I love any kind of Greek food... hummus, olives, feta/goat cheese... you name it.  I probably have no clue what "real" Mediterranean food tastes like, but all I can say is that I love the greek flavors and how easily vegetables can be incorporated into this cuisine.  Kale, onions, garlic, diced tomatoes and chickpeas can be used in a variety of cuisines with all sorts of different spices, but I especially like using greek-style spices like oregano, paprika, rosemary, parsley, thyme, pepper, etc. to really give a mouthful of flavor.  It's super easy, cheap and quick to make (especially when using canned tomatoes and beans- less than 20min); and it's also an incredibly satisfying and tasty meatless meal. Adding goat cheese at the end makes the dish creamy and tangy and really brings the Mediterranean flavor to the next level. You gotta try this!

MEDITERRANEAN KALE, TOMATOES & CHICKPEAS WITH GOAT CHEESE

Ingredients:
1 bunch kale
2 cloves garlic
1/2 onion, chopped
olive oil
1 can (~2 cups) chickpeas
1 can organic diced tomatoes
Greek spices (whatever you got!): salt, pepper, oregano, rosemary, thyme, paprika, parsley, etc.
Goat Cheese (Feta would be great also)

Directions:
1. De-stem the kale, wash the leaves well, and chop into bite-size pieces or strips.
2. In a saucepan, saute the garlic and onions in the olive oil for a few minutes on med-high heat until soft.
3. Add in the kale and cook about 10 minutes until the leaves cook down and soften (you made need to add a few splashes of water or broth)

4. Add in the tomatoes, chickpeas and spices and cook until heated through and well-combined.

5. Serve portions into bowls and stir in goat cheese until creamy. Add a nice glass of wine and that's what I call a healthy and happy dinner :-)

Cranberries!

Even after all the cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving, I still can't get enough of cranberries during this time of year.  Cranberries are so festive, colorful and nutrient-rich, loaded with vitamin C and tons of antioxidants and phytonutrients.  They are anti-inflammatory, help support the immune system,  protect against UTIs and many cancers, and much more. Good excuses to keep eating those cranberries all winter long :-) That being said, I would try to stay away from the canned version (too loaded with sugar and who knows what) instead use fresh cranberries whenever possible (dried are also great and really convenient).  Here are two different recipes- the first using the last of my leftover cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving (courtesy of my mommy!) and the second using fresh cranberries in a cornbread. So yummy! And I still have some fresh cranberries left over, so more recipes to come!

1. MASHED SWEET POTATOES WITH CRANBERRY SAUCE

Ingredients:

3-4 sweet potatoes

1 tblsp real butter

splash of milk

1/2 cup cranberry sauce

Directions: 

1. Wash the sweet potatoes, dice into small squares and steam in a large pot until soft (about 15-20min). 

2. Add butter and milk and mash together with a fork or potato masher.

3. Add in cranberry sauce and mix until well combined. Add a pinch of salt to bring out the flavor.

4. Serve as a side dish with your next meal and enjoy! I ate it with some sauteed kale with onions, which was such a delicious and colorful combination!

2. CRANBERRY CORNBREAD

Ingredients:

1 box store-bought cornbread mix (or make your own cornbread from scratch!) 

1 egg

1/3 cup almond milk (so delicious and a great dairy substitute, even in baking)

3/4 cup fresh cranberries, halved

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Follow instructions on back on box to make cornbread by adding egg and milk and mixing well.
3. Stir in cranberries and pour into a greased baking pan or muffin pan.

4. Bake about 12-15 minutes or until slightly golden brown.
5. When done, cut into squares and top with some real butter and a drizzle of local honey :-) Enjoy!

Meatless Monday- Homemade Broccoli & Cheese Pizza

Happy Meatless Monday everyone and hope you all had a wonderful, blessed Thanksgiving holiday with your friends and families. I know I sure did- so much good food and so many wonderful people! I have so much to be thankful for!

With some extra time during this (too short) break, I decided to make an entire pizza from scratch. Daunting, I know.  We all love pizza, but how many of us actually make it ourselves at home anymore? Even when I try to make pizza at home, I usually cheat and buy pre-made dough from Trader Joe's or the grocery store because I've always been afraid of making my own dough. Pre-made dough really does make things so much easier, but I just had to try making dough from scratch at least once while I had some extra time on my hands. And let me tell you- homemade dough makes SUCH a huge difference in the pizza! So tasty!

I found a really easy dough recipe from a random food blog called Fabulous Foods that gives really great step-by-step instructions, whether you are doing it by hand or in a food processor or bread machine. I didn't take any pictures of my dough-making extravaganza, so I'll have to refer you to their website for the recipe; but I can say that it was a really fun process and it just took a little bit of time out of one morning to make, which was definitely worth the final product. I also substituted white whole wheat flour because that's what I had on hand, but I'd actually prefer using regular 100% whole wheat flour. Any type of flour will work, but why not try to get as much nutritional bang for your buck by using whole wheat flour in the crust??

For the toppings, I tried to load up on the veggies and local/sustainable products as much as possible. I used broccoli, onions and garlic I bought from the farmers' market that morning; I used organic canned tomatoes and paste for the sauce; and I used a combination of local Muenster and Colby Jack cheese. It turned out as a delicious ooey-gooey tasty mess that I urge you all to try and get creative with toppings! Pizza really is a great way to load up on the veggies, while also indulging with the cheese :-) yum!

HOMEMADE BROCCOLI & CHEESE PIZZA! 

Ingredients:

Pizza dough (store-bought works, but try homemade! I used this recipe from Fabulous Foods)

1 can of organic diced tomatoes

2 tblsp tomato paste

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 onion, diced

1 head of broccoli, chopped (about 1.5 cups)

1 cup cheese (get creative!

Salt/pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. Lightly grease cookie sheet or pizza pan and roll out pizza dough thinly.

3. Poke a few holes in the dough with a fork and bake for about 10 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, combine the tomatoes and tomato paste to make a pizza sauce. Add some salt and pepper and other herbs, if you wish. Put aside. 

5. Cook the garlic and onions in pan on med-high heat with a little bit of olive oil until softened. Add in the broccoli and cook for an additional minute or two. 

5. Pull the dough out of the oven and flip it over. Top with tomato sauce mixture and spread evenly to the edges with a spoon or spatula

6. Top with cheese. 

7. Spread the broccoli, onions and garlic evenly all over the pizza. 

8. Put back into the oven and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes, with the last minute or two on Broil until the cheese in bubbly and slightly golden brown.  

9. Cut into squares and serve! ENJOY! 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope you have a wonderful day and enjoy good food and good company. As we give thanks today for all the blessings in our lives, let us also be thankful for the many hands involved in the raising of our turkeys and in the growing of our vegetables.  May we be mindful of the farmers and workers whose labor makes our meal possible today. 

May we also be mindful of those less fortunate than us today and strive to work for justice and equity.  Here is a really great quote from latin american prayer that I came across and would like to share: "To those who have hunger, give bread. And to those who have bread, give the hunger for justice."

Enjoy the day and be sure to cast your vote about your favorite Thanksgiving dish in the poll to the right! 

Pumpkin-Almond Bread

Have any leftover pureed pumpkin from all those pumpkin pies you've been making for tomorrow? Need a new idea for a fun pumpkin recipe to use up those leftovers? Yesterday I made my own pureed pumpkin from two little sugar pie pumpkins, which is really easy to do and worth the extra effort instead of using the canned version. I put aside what I needed to make two pumpkin pies for my family's Thanksgiving tomorrow, and I still had about a cup leftover, so I decided to make some sort of pumpkin bread. 

Now, if you know me or have ever seen me bake before, you know I'm not much of a precision baker.  I'm actually quite a hurricane in the kitchen, just throwing things in pots and pans, clutzing around, and saving all the cleaning for the end. I know that this may drive some people nuts, but it works for me and my food still tastes great. I know with baking you are supposed to properly measure each ingredient and follow the directions exactly; but I just don''t have the desire or patience to do that.  This method (or non-method) of baking doesn't work for everything, but for breads and muffins, it turns out just fine for me. I found a recipe for a healthy pumpkin bread online (HERE) that I adapted using a combination whole wheat flour and almond meal (just ground up almonds) from Trader Joe's. I also added some sliced almond to the batter, and topped it off with more sliced almonds and amaretti cookies for even more almond flavor. The bread turned out deliciously moist from the fresh pureed pumpkin and oh so flavorful with the extra hint of almond. A great, healthy twist on the traditional pumpkin bread!

Disclosure: I can't promise that these are the exact amounts of ingredients, but it should be pretty close. If you don't have almond meal, you can just use all whole wheat flour or half regular, half whole wheat. Any kind of nuts or dried fruits (even chocolate chips) would also work well. 

PUMPKIN-ALMOND BREAD

Ingredients 

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

2 large egg whites

1 cup fresh pureed pumpkin

1/4 cup canola oil

1/3 cup low-fat plain yogurt

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup whole wheat flour

3/4-1cup almond meal

1.5 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup sliced almonds

Amaretti cookies, chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a loaf pan with a little bit of butter or oil.

2. In a large bowl, whisk the brown sugar and egg whites, then add pumpkin, oil, yogurt and vanilla until well combined. 

3. In a smaller bowl, combine flour, almond meal, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. 

4. Add dry mixture to the pumpkin mixture and stir until just combined. Add in the almonds, reserving about a tablespoon or so to add on top. 

5. Pour batter into loaf pan. Top with remainder of the sliced almonds and chopped amaretti cookies. 

6. Bake about 45-50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for about 10-15 minutes before cutting into. Serve up some slices and enjoy!

Baked Carrot and Parsnip Chips

If you love potato chips or french fries or baked sweet potato fries, then you are going to LOVE these carrot and parsnip chips.  We all know and love carrots; but let me just say that eating real farm fresh carrots from a farmers' market is a whole different experience then eating those processed baby carrots from the grocery store.  And eating roasted carrots is an entirely different experience than eating them raw, which most of us are used to. Parsnips are also root vegetables and are closely related to carrots, but they are lighter in color and slightly sweeter in flavor.

http://www.bigoven.com/glossary/Parsnips

Parsnips are really high in potassium, and carrots are of course known for their Vitamin A (beta-carotene) content; and both have a slew of other vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. Parsnips and carrots pair really well together and are great additions to soups and stews, or just on their own as in this dish.  These chips are extremely rich in flavor, so simple to prepare, and a great crowd pleaser.  You can just use your hands to pop them in your mouth like chips, but with less guilt (and even more flavor)!  Any of the root vegetables in season nowadays (turnips, carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes, rutabagas, etc) are excellent baked as "chips" or "fries"... so think outside the box and add some new colors and flavors next time you go and grab that plain old white potato! 

BAKED CARROT AND PARSNIP CHIPS

Ingredients:

1 large or 2 medium carrots

1 parsnip

Olive oil

Salt/pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Peel the carrots and parsnip, and chop into thin slices (a mandoline works great here, if you have one, to get really thin slices. thinner=crispier!)

3. Arrange on a cookie sheet, trying not to overcrowd, and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper.

4. Bake for about 30 minutes, stirring a couple times, until nice and golden brown and crunchy. 

5. Serve on a plate with your favorite dipping sauce (ketchup, dijon, thousand island, etc) or just plain. Enjoy.. and beware- once you pop, you just can't stop! 

Meatless Monday- Spaghetti Squash!

Happy Meatless Monday everyone! For some fantastic fall-themed healthy and meatless recipes, check out the Meatless Monday website (CLICK HERE). They update it every Monday with new recipes and information, so add it to your bookmark list and check weekly for fun meal ideas!

As for my weekly idea, why not try Spaghetti Squash? Not spaghetti with squash (though this is quite delicious), but an actual vegetable, a variety of winter squash called Spaghetti Squash.

Any guess as to why it's called that? Yup- you got it! When cooked, the squash flesh separates out into long noodle-like strands.. So cool! Spaghetti squash, which is very low in calories and high in water and nutrient contents, is a GREAT substitute for pasta. I know for most people, myself included, pasta is a really easy go-to weeknight meal. But if you are bored of your plain old everyday pasta, why not change things up a bit and try Spaghetti Squash?? I just cooked it and ate it plain with some salt, pepper and herbs; but it is also really tasty prepared just like pasta with marinara sauce, lots of veggies and topped with some cheese. You won't even be able to tell the difference. This is a great Meatless Monday meal or on any other day of the week for that matter!

ROASTED SPAGHETTI SQUASH

Ingredients
1 Spaghetti Squash
Olive oil
Salt/Pepper
Herbs (basil, oregano, thyme, etc)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cut the squash in half longways and scoop out the seeps and pulp from the middle.
3. Rub with olive oil and sprinkle with salt/pepper and put on a baking sheet.
4. Bake for about 50-60minutes until golden brown and soft when poked with a fork.

5. Let cool and then scoop out the center with a fork so it separates into noodle-like strands.
6. Top with additional salt/pepper and herbs to taste. Marinara sauce and cheese are also great additions to make a complete meal! Enjoy!

Momma's Moroccan Orange Ambrosia

My mom never comes empty-handed when invited over to dinner at someone else's house, especially when she comes to visit me in Baltimore. Whether it be a bag of mail or articles she cut out for me, a plate of baked goods, or something new for the house, she always surprises me with a little goodie of some sort. This time, I only asked her and my dad to bring some bread and cheese to go alongside the chicken and barley soup I made, but she also brought a tupperware with a dessert she had made the night before.  She's the best!

She called it an orange ambrosia, but I wasn't convinced it was quite an ambrosia since it didn't have any cream, cherries or marshmallows. Regardless, it was delicious! Orange slices, kiwi, cinnamon, ginger and coconut all mixed together for a wonderful combination of flavors.  My mom said that the combination of cinnamon, ginger and oranges is one that her and my dad had quite frequently when they lived in Morocco for a year and a half before they got married in the states and had my sisters and I.  She makes the best Moroccan food, though I've never tried this particular dessert before. Such a great treat. Thanks Mom! 

MOMMA'S MOROCCAN ORANGE AMBROSIA

Ingredients:

Oranges, cut up into slices or chunk

Kiwis, cut into small pieces

Cinnamon

Fresh ginger, grated or finely chopped

Shredded coconut

Splash of orange juice

Juice of one lime

Combine all of the ingredients and enjoy! Best served cold; keeps well in the refrigerator to allow all the flavors to meld together. Bananas and other tropical fruits would also be great additions! 

REAL Celery

My parents came up to Baltimore tonight for an early dinner and to meet Cambia (she was of course very shy but eventually warmed up).  I made yet another slow- cooker chicken soup, very similar to one of my earlier recipes (HERE), but with barley instead of rice, FRESH local celery, carrots and onions from the farmers' market, and lots of herbs. Slow-Cooker Soup Sunday... nothing better than putting a pot of soup on in the morning, catching up on work all day while smelling the wonderful aromas of the soup cooking, and then sitting down to a nice Sunday supper ready to go when you are.  Add some bread, cheese and wine and surround yourself with your family and/or closest friends and you've got a wonderful Sunday and lots to be thankful for :-)

I'm not gonna post the recipe of this soup again because it was so similar to my last soup, but I did want to post a picture of this celery I bought from the farmers' market.  The farmer was announcing to the passing crowd how fantastic his celery is compared to the pale, tasteless crap they grow in tubes that you buy from a grocery store.  I've never had farm fresh local celery before, so I just had to give it a try. Look how gorgeous this celery is:

The stalks aren't quite as big as those you find in a grocery store, but the taste of this celery is galaxies better and you can't beat the freshness. Seriously- I'd never thought one could be this excited about celery, but it happened.  I'm hooked. This celery is incomparably full of real, complex celery flavor, and even the leaves are bursting with flavor. I chopped up a few stalks along with the leaves to add to my soup and it made the world of difference. I've also added some of the chopped up leaves to a salad and on a veggie wrap, and both were fantastic. I even gave almost half of this bunch to my mom to add to her stuffing for our Thanksgiving dinner. The possibilities are endless! If you ever get a chance to buy fresh celery from a farm market instead of from a grocery store, you have to try it and I promise you won't be disappointed!

1000 Page Views!

Wow- over 1000 page views in just over a month or so. So cool! Thanks so much to everyone who reads my blog and for those of you who send it on to your friends and family. I'll continue to post recipes as often as I can!

CAMBIA!

LIFE UPDATE: NEW DOG!

As if my house isn't already crazy enough with 6 people and 1 cat, we've added yet another animal to the mix by adopting a dog! It's technically my boyfriend Matt's dog, but all of us in the house approved and are so excited to have a new creature running around. We adopted her from the Maryland SPCA right in Hampden near our house and we absolutely fell in love with her as soon as we met her. She is an 11-month-old shepherd/lab/beagle mix, medium-sized dog, and she is extremely shy, but very loving and adorable once she opens up.  We named her Cambia (i.e. Camby, Cammie, Cam) which means "change" in Spanish (very appropriate) and it can also apparently mean, change-up, as in the type of baseball pitch (also very appropriate considering the 2 baseball jocks in our house :-)  Here are some pictures:

She is still getting used to living in a mad house with 6 people coming in and out at all times, and she is also still recovering from getting spayed recently and just from shelter life in general (she is still very scared of and hesitant around large men...) She is opening up more and more everyday and what has also been hilarious is watching Cambia and Misty (my cat) interact. It's taken a few days for Misty to get used to not being the only princess of the house anymore and she is slowly warming up to Cambia. Last night was the first night we had the two of them together in the same room, willingly! Amazing! Check it out:

Animals are so great and such wonderful companions. Maybe now I'll have to post some recipes for homemade dog treats for those of you dog-owners out there :-)