Vegan Avocado-Tomato Toasts...for #greenslove

Not too long ago, my 5 year old grandson Luca, asked me what my favorite color is...and I answered "green." He immediately answered back, "no, you can't have that for your favorite color; that's my favorite color!"...well, I just laughed about that, which he did not think it was funny, and told him...then we must have the same "likes"...since he would translate "taste" if I would have said that, to FOOD!

"Green is the color of nature, fertility, life. Grass green is the most restful color. Green symbolizes self-respect and well being. Green is the color of balance. It also means learning, growth and harmony. Green is a safe color, if you don't know what color to use anywhere use green.

Green is favored by well balanced people. Green symbolizes the master healer and the life force. It often symbolizes money. It was believed green was healing for the eyes. Egyptians wore green eyeliner. Green eye shades are still used. You should eat raw green foods for good health. Friday is the day of green. Green jade is a sacred stone of Asia."

Oh, yes...FOOD...who would want to turn down glorious fresh, and green vegetables, especially when you have a "hum drum" just everyday kind of dish, wouldn't a nice bright green salad brighten up a dreary, or otherwise too rich of a dish, yearning for something fresh, and green? That's my kind of dish, anytime. a nice dish of fresh baby green spinach salad with red onions, sliced mushrooms and topped with a simple red wine vinaigrette...a side of fresh cucumber salad with cherry tomatoes, and a simple extra virgin olive oil, and fresh lime topping, or fresh green beans, steamed to perfection, still crunchy and to preserve the bright green color, just rinse it in cold water and throw some ice cubes on it!

The list goes on-and-on, and I'm not even mentioning the health benefits of the GREENS. We can probably all hear our mothers saying: "eat your vegetables!"...as boring as it seemed in our childhood days, we all benefited from that in our adulthood...so, may I remind you to EAT YOUR VEGETABLES?...It's so good for you...the fresher, the greener; the better!
I was so inspired by this healthy, simple, and totally delicious vegan open-face sandwich, and after a short trip to my local Whole Foods market I got some specialty items, and a few organic vegetables. I wanted to make a salad with avocado, and organic sprouts, organic tomatoes, but instead, I decided to try this sandwich from the fresh ingredients only because I bought a loaf of their amazing San Francisco Sourdough bread...get this; a whole entire beautiful round loaf of bread for only $3.99. I could not have baked a better loaf of sourdough bread myself. So here's the recipe!

Linking to: #greenslove @ cake duchess

Full Plate Thursday @ Miz Helen's Country Cottage
Thursday Favorite Things @ Katherines Corner


Vegan Avocado-Tomato Toasts
inspired, and adapted from: WholeLiving.com

4 slices Rustic bread toasted
2 avocados peeled and sliced
1 ripe tomato cut into slices
(I used 2 slices, saved the rest for salad)
a handful of organic sprouts
(I used organic clover sprouts)
1 lime cut into wedges
freshly ground black pepper
sea salt
extra virgin olive oil, for drizzle

Top toasted bread with avocado slices, some sprouts
salt and pepper and squeeze with some lime, and drizzle some extra virgin olive oil on it, lightly. Top with the tomato slice and some more salt and pepper, and drizzle some additional extra virgin olive oil on it, and top it with some extra sprouts. Have some extra slices, or wedges of lime!
This is a very satisfying sandwich, high in high in calories, carbs, protein, low in cholesterol, and and you get the "good" fats; also, I did the math with my WW calculator, and it came to a high point: 12

note: not to worry for the high point of a single slice of a very healthy and delicious sandwich, it is very filling, highly satisfying, and is a well accepted Weight Watchers choice,  from my vegan choice addition!

...and now, click over to some more interesting facts, and #greenslove photos...and for the winner of the LENOX candy dish giveaway!

You may think I'm "crazy"...actually it's the name of a song, which I can't remember who sang it...just the title!
You may think I'm a "nerd" or a "geek"...not even a "hopeless romantic"...but I do like to buy myself flowers of a nice combination of choice! This two combination bouquet, I bought at Whole Foods...love, love, green and pink, especially for spring, and just LOVE, WHOLE FOODS MARKET!

My chocolate mousse, topped with kiwi slices from exactly one year ago...just check out the amazing dessert/martini glass, a "thrift find"...no doubt from the seventies, brown, and green! It's actually on my blog, just not linking it, didn't have enough "raves" about it!

Aren't these glasses gorgeous? They are hand painted with pretty green petals...cost, $1.99 each, have not used them since last year...a set of 4.

I was so proud of my beautiful fresh, crunchy, organic, asparagus, grilled in my large cast iron skillet...priceless!

...or, this gorgeous healthy, and bright green basil plant planted in an "ugly generic" huge plastic bucket in Lora's back yard

OK...so don't laugh, this was also exactly one year ago, at a local little Tea House...I happened to wear my "Irish" lucky green shirt for St. Patrick's Day, and they had all kinds of hats at this charming place for you to try on...of course, I chose the GREEN!







Now, do you get the total picture how much I love green?...actually, I even have green eyes, but you can't see it cause I always "squint" when I smile!


Finally...for the winner of the LENOX candy dish giveaway...Jane, from Jane's Jewels is the winner!...which came out to # 15 on Random.Org. Could someone explain how to be able to copy and paste the actual widget showing the number...without having to register? I did have to widget on my side-bar, but it's useless, the  number doesn't stay on, and frankly it does not do any favor, so I removed it!

Congratulations Jane, I know you will love this little gem of a candy dish. LENOX is such a beautiful and exquisite American made product, and has been for decades...maybe even longer!
I will contact you on your blog as well, to e-mail me your address to ship it to!

Pin It

Alaska Surimi Seafood Lettuce Cups

Alaska Surimi Seafood Lettuce Cups, from Taste Pavilion, in San Francisco

With more holidays just around the corner, how does anyone find the time to do all the cooking, baking, Christmas shopping, taking photos, uploading them, and  posting stories, and recipes? As for myself, not easy! I have not baked any cakes, cookies at all for awhile, but did make hearty soups, and seafood dishes, but just did not want to post about them, although they were delicious, and totally my creations...just off the "top of my head" recipes! Sometimes, I get into these moods where I think, "why should I even bother to take photo, try to remember the ingredients used"...why?...who really even cares, other than my family, or friends!?...well, obviously they do/did care, or I would have leftovers! Just not feeling up to "par"...must be the "holiday blues"...when it should be the most joyous occasion!

Alaska Surimi Seafood Lettuce Cups

12 oz. Alaska Surimi Seafood
1 1/2 cups cooked rice (preferably short grain)
1/2 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup avocado, peeled, and chopped
1 cup Asian style salad dressing, bottled (preferably with ginger and wasabi)
1/4 cup pickled ginger chopped, for garnish
1/2 cup toasted seaweed (nori) for garnish, (optional)
3 Tablespoons toasted sesame seeds for garnish
1 head iceberg lettuce

Lettuce cups:
Cut off the bottom third of the lettuce head. Soak lettuce top in ice water for 10 minutes-this will help separate the leaves, one at a time to make the cups. Using scissors, trim each lettuce cup to form circles. A head of iceberg should yield 8 to 10 lettuce cups. Save the lettuce core for chopped lettuce salad.

Salad:
Combine Alaska Surimi Seafood, cooked rice, cucumbers and avocado in a large bowl. Add salad dressing, toss to coat all ingredients. Place lettuce cups on a large plate and fill each with about 1/2 cup of the surimi-rice filling. Garnish with pickled ginger (optional,) nori (optional) and sesame seeds to serve.
Makes 4 servings, ( 8 lettuce cups)

Can't believe it's been 1 month since we were at the 3rd. Annual Blogger Festival! So much fun, such fond memories, totally enjoyed all the blogger friends I met up in person, the sights were incredible, the food, the bakeries, especially the BOULANGERIE, that was about 2 blocks away in Japan town, where Jo and I stayed at the cute little Tomo Hotel, after the Foodbuzz Festival ended.

So sorry to show these photos without description...had an entire step-by-step instruction on them, and my link with Zemanta seemed to have "swallowed" the link up, when I clicked to change format, so it maybe out there on their link that I link to. I do love the Zemanta program, linking your posts, and you, finding links, but sometimes I wonder where my photos, and links end up!

Would have loved to pick at least one of each!

Such amazing tarts, and cakes

My dear food blogger friends...Nami, from Just One Cookbook, and Jo from ChicGorgeous at the bakery

Brenda, graciously let me take photos preparing delicious sandwiches for their daily lunch!

House For Sale...anyone interested?...I know I would love to have a Victorian style house.

Hotel Tomo, on Buchanan

Rosemary, and Olive Knots...and Photo Props

Question! How important is "prop setting" for your food photo?...is it the prop behind the food? ...or is it the importance of the photo of the food! Plating the food is to me, and the presentation of it....is  the most important thing! First of all, the props, the plating, the lights...natural is the best lighting, by the way!

So, really, which angle works best?...and what do you really focus on?...my most amazing knot shaped rolls, filled with sliced Kalamata olives, and chopped fresh rosemary?...or the fresh bunch of rosemary?...what about the beautiful Batik Cloth?...well, that should be and "eyeful,"...so bright, and pretty, the floral designs are absolutely gorgeous, on the background of a soft blue-green color! This was a gift given to me by my dear food blog friend for over one year now, Joanna (Jo)...from ChicGorgeous , whom I finally met in person, at the 3rd Annual Foodbuzz Blogger Festival, and we share nearly one week of fun, and adventure, in San Francisco! She gave me this beautiful cloth, and what did I give her?...what do most American wear the most...all genders...a Baseball Cap!
Yes, an all American Baseball Cap, with of course, Palm Beach, Florida written on it, from yet, another famous 5 star hotel, The Breakers Hotel! (let's just hope Jo will pose with the cap, and takes photo with it to post on her blog)

Rosemary and Olive Knots...warmed up, on the second day; tasted even better!

Before I get to post the actual step-by-step direction, recipe...since now, I forgot the exact recipe from the book, which I didn't even really follow...just needed the idea. By now, I know the basic dough making for the yeast rolls, and I have become more "hands on" with the using of the dry yeast powder. Don't be afraid to use it, just make sure that the date isn't expired, and make sure that you start out with warm water to get the yeast started with.

I, for one, will tell you the source my recipes come from, or at least an idea how it came about, most of the times, unless it's a "hand me down" verbal recipe that I remember from making it over, and over again. It's just a matter of experimenting with various herbs, spices, and different ways of creating, and re-creating a recipe! I got this book called "The Modern Baker" by Nick Malgieri, from my local public library, and I fell in love with the book and all the amazing recipes, for cakes, rolls, and breads. I simply clicked on to my Amazon account, and ordered it online, for an unbeatable cheap price...and NEW! I took the book back to the library, just after I made these rolls, and forgot to copy the recipe, but my book will be arriving in a few days, or so! I just had so much fun with this dough, along with my little grandson, again. (I think he will follow his daddy's and my footsteps)...and he will become a chef, or a baker!

Rosemary, and Olive Knots
adapted from, The Modern Baker, by Nick Malgieri

3 cups all purpose unbleached flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons dry yeast (abt.1 1/2 packet)
1 1/2 cup almost hot water
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 Tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives
additional extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper

Add the yeast to the warm water, stir lightly, and let it dissolve. I will foam up, a bit. In the meantime, in a large food processor, add the flour, the salt. Pour in the yeast with the water, and add the extra virgin olive oil Pulse a few times, to let the dough form, remove carefully, to a floured surface, and work the dough together, and add it to a large oiled bowl. Turn dough over, cover with plastic wrap, and a kitchen towel over the plastic wrap. Let it sit for 1 hour. It will double in size, just like on the photo, ready to start working the dough!

Punch down on the dough, lightly, and lift to put on a work surface, or a large board, to roll out into a 10x8 inch rectangle, or a large square.

The square or rectangle does not have to be precise, and as you can see the natural light is not enough, as in the upper photo. Spread the olive and rosemary mixture over the dough, just around the middle. 

Fold the dough over with the filling inside, once, or twice!

With a pizza, or pastry cutter, cut about 1 inch pieces, all the way through...again, I stress the fact the just one fold over would be easier to fold the knots.

Now, here comes my little assistant, wanting to see how the knots are made, but he wants to make his favorite Nemo fishy!

Don't worry about the knot shapes, just try to keep them the same size, as for me too! Next time I will pay more attention to detail. Now, you are ready to cover the rolls, by using a clean kitchen towel to cover them loosely, for 1 additional hour.

Bake at 375 degrees F. for about 25-35 minutes, till they are nice, and golden brown on the top!




By this time, it was about 6:00pm. full lighting had to be used, which is not the lighting you want for your photos.
I thing the simple rack was  a perfect prop, over the lovely butcher block table, Delicious rolls, cooling, right from the parchment line baking pan, The rosemary, and Kalamata infusion flavors were totally incredible, and the rolls were perfectly crusted on the top, and just right texture, and flavor! Yumm!

...and this was my grandson Luca's sole creation (age 5)...Nemo, his favorite fishy! He ate the entire roll, with a big smile...shared very sparingly with his sister, and promised to make this again, next time. From play dough to real dough, my little ambitious helper, was on a "roll!"
Good practice for your child, or grandchild, to help you bake something, especially with real dough!
Have a wonderful Tuesday!

Farewell Brunch...3rd Day!

Brunch, at Perry's on the Embarcadero-sponsored by Godiva Coffee...Granola, Yogurt, and Assorted Berries

I'm already nostalgic about posting the last day of the Blogger Festival, but then after everyone else has left, I stayed on, an additional 3 days to stay at another, more economical hotel with Joanna, since she stayed till the end of the week, it made more sense to try to economize.
"Local Farms" Stone Fruit Medley, and Artisan Cheeses...the most amazing cheeses you can imagine! There were of course hot chafing dishes of Fluffy Scrambled eggs, Crispy Bacon. Challah French Toast with 100% Vermont Maple Syrup, Homemade Fennel, and Cranberry Sausage...did not have most of these...therefore, no photos taken. The crowd waiting in line, was "overwhelming!"

No brunch is complete, without the Deviled Eggs Casserole...Yumm!

Plattered Gravalax, on Marbled Rye Toast

I'm not a "breakfast fan"...but brunch is more my style, which in this case worked, because by 10:00am, I'm ready for something good to eat, so I opted for some of these goodies, a nice cup of Godiva Coffee!

A word of advice: If you're planning a trip for next year,
do plan ahead...save your money, it's not so costly as you think it would be, because if you are a Fooddbuzz Publisher, your entry would be only $30.00...compared to $300.++. You get a huge discount for the Grand Hyatt Hotel, and even though the other 2 hotels they recommend are less expensive, but you have to take into consideration, that you have to walk 2 blocks to get back and forth to the Grand Hyatt Hotel, to meet up to take the shuttle bus to other places where the event is being held.

Also, you have to plan with other bloggers to get together, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO JOIN THIS EVENT BY YOURSELF! Do plan ahead, because you would not want to pay nearly $200. per night for the hotel room, get a buddy or bring a family member, or a friend with you. Also, you do have to take a taxi from one event to the other, and it could cost you up to $10. each way, so share the taxi with some friends! Do not venture out too far by yourself...the city is full of "crazy" people that actually approach you, if you make eye contact with them! Also, another advise!

I don't know how to tell you, other than being truthful about other food bloggers...there's a lot of bloggers that think they are "all that"...and trust me, they are NOT! You,...Me, being as friendly and sociable, as I am, had the worst time trying to make friends with others, than my little group of very, very, nice friends. We all just came together, each of us making friends, and brought them to join our table. I noticed the "young food bloggers" (20 something) are not as gracious, and/or friendly...some were totally "unapproachable"...when I actually checked their blog, I nearly fainted that here, I thought my blog was just so, so, and to think I am approaching "royalty" when I tried to make friends with them!...OK, enough said!

Just be who you are...and yes, you will be "snubbed" by some bloggers, but you are there, because you are invited, just as they are, and wouldn't it be nicer, if all of the bloggers could extend their welcome towards each other, instead of just checking out your badge...hanging in your neck on a rope, like a "puppy"...grin, and smile at one another, and say "Hi! it's nice to meet you"...and not just turn their back on you and walk away, because they never heard of your blog...Well, it goes both way, of never hearing of the other person's blog, as well!
I could go on, and on about other incidents, but I just know I had an amazing time, and on most part, almost all the bloggers I met were very nice! More photos, to continue, of the last day of the 3rd Annual Blogger Festival!

Hope to see you next year...do contact one-another, to plan meeting up, ahead. I planned at least 3 months ahead, and as a "thrifter" my plane ticket with Delta, with one stop, cost $348. less $200. with my Amex award points!
A total cost of $148. round trip...I kid you not!...perseverance, pays, by scouting for cheap prices at least 2 months prior!

This trip was from West Palm Beach to Atlanta Georgia...stop over, no waiting, just 45 min. layover, to San Francisco! I even had my seats assigned and just had to pick up my boarding pass, at the airport!...Now isn't that amazing? Why do you think my blog is called, food and thrift (finds)!

The ever famous Bay Bridge, behind Perry's Restaurant

Four of us girls walked over from the restaurant, to the Ferry Building, for more spectacular browsing, and shopping!

The famous Ferry Building...with lots of local food vendors, and farmer market stands.

 Inside the Ferry Building...locals, and tourists checking out the shops, and local farmers market

Just look at all those gorgeous pumpkins, in every color, and shapes

Jo, photographing her favorite sweets from her beloved Miette sweet shoppe