Cinnamon-Raisin Rutabagels

The creation of this recipe is a pretty interesting tale.  Well, I find it interesting, anyway… I actually came up with the name before I even formulated the recipe itself.  I had purchased a very large rutabaga, and only managed to use a portion of it.  So, I had all this leftover rutabaga, and I was trying to come up with some new and interesting ways to use it when the name suddenly popped into my head – “Rutabagels!!”  I know, I know, I’m just too clever… or too cheesy… or maybe both.  

Crock Pot Shredded Chicken "Tacos" with Guacamole

You gotta love a low-maintenance, “set-it-and-forget-it” meal.  When I have a lot of things going on, my crock pot is such a life saver!  If you don’t have one, you need to get one; because it doesn’t get much simpler than throwing a bunch of stuff in a pot in the morning and ending up with a fully cooked meal by dinnertime.  It’s multitasking at it’s finest!  I mean, you can cook and not even be in the room.  How cool is that?...Ok, maybe I’m just a bit of a dork, but I think it’s pretty neat.  (And yes, I just used the word “neat.” We have already acknowledged my quirkiness, thank you.)  

Pork Goulash over Rutabaga "Noodles"

Goulash is basically a traditional Eastern European stew of meat and onions usually served over noodles or spaetzle.  I have many fond memories of eating my mom’s goulash during the not-so-cold winters while growing up in Southern California.  Even though it doesn’t get much lower than 50ºF there, it was always nice to come home from school to a big bowl of goulash that would literally just warm up my soul.  And with the weather being so cold this past week (30ºF...Seriously, Phoenix?!), I figured it was the perfect time to make a really soul-warming dish.  

Greek-Style Beef Cucumber Cups

I am currently taking a class called Cultural Aspects of Food in which we explore the unique food characteristics of various cultures.  Even though the class is just getting started, the mere concept of the class has inspired me to come up with a recipe that is slightly out of my comfort zone (and I also needed a recipe from a different cultural background for an assignment).  

I rarely use Greek flavors in my cooking, so this recipe is kind of a breath of fresh air.  While lamb is a more traditional

Cocoa-Pear Smoothie

Being a college student has taught me the importance of not wasting food, among other things.  After all, food is money…(I know that’s not how the saying goes, but just humor me).  I have spoken to countless friends and acquaintances about what constitutes healthy eating.  While many of them know what they should be eating, they often comment on how expensive it is to eat healthy and buy organic.  Fortunately, there are many methods that can keep the cost of food in a manageable price range.  I'll save my rambling about all of these methods for another time, but I will share one of my personal favorites.