Hello!
One of the many benefits of summer is being able to spend more time cooking and trying out some of the hundreds, maybe thousands (seriously) of recipes I have bookmarked.
I also did some research for volunteer opportunities for this summer and found a meal program at the local Ronald McDonald House. I called them up because I read that the volunteers cook for families staying at the home, which I would have loved to do! But then I learned that volunteers also have to buy all the ingredients to feed 25-30 people…Oh. Cool. The lady on the phone laughed at me when I realized this.
If I was volunteering with a large group of people, I definitely would have done it. Since I would be going solo though, buying food for 25-30 people is totally not feasible for an ongoing volunteer job. So now I’m looking into volunteering at a hospital. I have the itch to DO THINGS.
For now, I’ll just stick to cooking for my family and me.
Sharing my eats at Jenn‘s weekly WIAW party!
Here’s what I ate yesterday as I got all fancy in the kitchen!
Breakfast
I woke up hungry, but I also had a craving for pancakes, which takes time. I could have made a usual green smoothie to satisfy my hunger quickly, but I sucked it up, ate a nectarine, and got to work on some pancakes.
Green silver dollar banana pancakes from The Healthy Maven to be exact.
Topped with Greek yogurt, sunflower seed butter, and maple syrup
I threw in that maple syrup in honor of Canada Day yesterday. Just kidding, maple syrup is just required for pancakes.
I had one extra pancake… #becausefutbol #beacausepancakes. They’re silver dollar pancakes too, and mini things are irresistible.
Lunch
As I was stretching and doing some core work in the family room, I was watching Ten Dollar Dinners on Food Network. Melissa D’Arabian was making salmon cakes, and all I thought was: I could go for some of those right now. So I made some tuna cakes with whatever we had in the house!
Topped with a spicy relish {Mom had two and I had two}
I only cooked up four for us to eat at lunch yesterday, but the recipe makes about 14 cakes (we refrigerated the rest). Here’s what I used:
Crispy Tuna Cornmeal Cakes
{adapted from this recipe}
- two 7-oz. cans tuna, flaked with a fork
- heaping 1/4 c. cornmeal
- 1/3 c. finely diced bell pepper
- 1/3 c. diced vidalia onion
- 1/3 c. plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tsp. spicy brown mustard
- 2 tsp. honey
- 1/2 tsp. dried dill
- 1 tsp. lime zest
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 1 egg
Combine all ingredients well. Form into patties using ~2 tbsp. of mixture per patty. Cook in a skillet lightly drizzled with olive oil on medium heat for 3-5 minutes per side (until crispy!).
These were darn tasty for an impromptu kitchen creation by someone who can’t make sweet potato fries.
Sides:
There are only three here, but LOTS o’ carrots and unpictured Wheat Thins with hummus
Dried pineapple rings
Snacks
Summer’s rubies
Cinnamon Puffins
Dinner
Sam and Michael came over to chill at my house near dinner time, so I kept it simple and quick. I wasn’t that hungry either.
Spinach salad with olive oil-s+p-honey dressing + two hard boiled eggs
Dessert/Midnight Snack
After Sam and Michael left at around 1 AM (party animals here. watching Fantastic Mr. Fox and talking about awkward middle school memories), I got the munchies.
Three dried figs + Greek yogurt. Duh. {recycled picture}
Spoonful of almond butter {recycled picture– it was smooth last night, not crunchy}
So I guess I was only feeling fancy in the kitchen for the first half of the day, but two out of three meals is fair game! I also apparently like circular foods.
Hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday!
So tell me:
What was the last recipe you tried?
What was the last thing you created in the kitchen?
Daily Moves and Grooves 
I’m the complete opposite in the summer — I don’t have any motivation to stay in the kitchen whatsoever 😆 I prefer cooking in the winter since it’s cold out and there’s not much to do, but in the summer I just want to be out enjoying the weather rather than working in the kitchen. Unless it’s raining… then the kitchen is fair game.
I do love to cook in the winter too, but school gets in the way of that 😦 There’s something so comforting about cooking food when it’s freezing and blistery outside!
Those pancakes look fantastic! I will be making them tomorrow…..
I love how creative you are in the kitchen! Normally I just throw whatever I find together and hope it works…no time (or patience) for creativity over here. Just send some of your food my way, and I’ll be golden. 🙂
Have a wonderful day!!
Do it! Those pancakes are the bomb (as I eat some leftovers right now).
I’m never usually this creative, which is why I had to document the time I actually was creative in the kitchen 😉 Usually it’s avocado toast and a salad or leftovers!
The last recipe I tried was Dreena Burton’s “Caribbean Fusion Stew.” I love spicy Caribbean foods, but I thought the stew was lacking a bit in flavor. Ah well! It was still good 🙂
I TOTALLY understand what you means about needing to do “something.” I get so antsy just hanging around the house! Thank goodness I got an internship this summer, or I think I would go crazy. I hope you find some sort of volunteer gig that you enjoy!
xoxo
Ooo that stew sounds delicious! But you definitely can’t skimp on flavor in a Caribbean stew, that’s for sure.
That’s awesome that you found a summer internship! Thanks, Kris!
Last night I made (a version of) Arman’s, I mean The Big Man’s recent cookie dough recipe. They are so good! And I totally spammed him about it, haha (facebook, comment section of his blog, instagram…feeling a bit like a stalker, haha!). Today I created a “crustless eggplant quiche” which was basically ovenroasted eggplant in a baking dish, covered with an egg mixture and baked in the oven until set 😀 (If you’re interested, check out my instagram account @delicioushealthyfit 😉 excuse my advertising!)
I like that you cook for your family know that you have more free time. I like to do this too when I’m home over holiday. But I also like to be cooked for 🙂
Oh I still need to try the frenemy’s cookie dough recipe! I would harass him too. 😉
Wow that quiche sounds awesome! I love any kind of quiche, so I’ll definitely check it out!
Lol lots of circular foods indeed!😜Everything looks delicious as always! And geeze you’re very productive!😊👏👏I haven’t been cooking too much lately but I did attempt making a banana bread until I realized it would make it a zillion degrees hotter than it already was (hot and humid = cranky Katie!) so I dumped that idea and had some frozen yogurt 🙂
Have a great day Alison!
Oh yes, cooking with heat in the summer can be pretty miserable sometimes. At least the end result is usually delicious! 😉 Frozen yogurt sounds so awesome though.
Hope you’re having a great day too, Katie!
It has been WAY too long since I had pancakes! I just am too lazy to make ’em, haha! The tuna cakes look amazing! It’s been too long since I had some of those too. And okay I’m being totally creepy here but on the pic of the dried fig + greek yogurt I see a little skin cut on your thumb. I get those ALL the time and they are my worst pet peeve!
It had been a long time since I made pancakes too, but I was so happy I took the time to make them yesterday!
Ugh yes my hands are perpetually dry. If I don’t use cocoa butter on them for just ONE day, they are desert hands. -_-
I baked come black bean brownies last night. And, the pancakes look delicious. I’ll have to try it. =)
Yum! I have yet to add beans to my brownies yet. Were they good?
Yes. They were yummy! My grandparents loved them too. =)
You put my pancakes to shame! Damnnn girl look at those toppings! And thanks for the maple syrup ode…I mean you are part Canadian! So happy you liked them 🙂
So happy you posted the recipe!!!
You got way more fancy in the kitchen than i ever do. Those pancakes look awesome. I have been wanting to try some green pancakes but have yet to get around to it.
Hahahaha maple syrup. BUT. where is the butter, huh? THAT is the topping of choice.
Can we get an AMEN for those photos? You got talent, kid!
Butter is there! {Nut} butter, that is. 😀
Thanks, Arman!
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