WIAW 87

It's the last WIAW of April.

It seems like 2013 has every intention of racing by as quickly as 2012 did! 

Which is a good thing, because it means that it will be Christmas again sooner (obsessed). 

Aaaand, summer break will be here sooner - I'm so ready for final exams to be over and they haven't even started yet.

College - Exams = Perfection. 

And a fantasy, haha. 

Anyway, let's get to the food part of this post! This one isn't a food-from-a-day post, since I'm really busy with school, but I'll try to do more of those when my schedule is more relaxed this summer. In the interim, here are some yummy noms from lately!

No, I didn't have a bowl of cereal and melted chocolate for breakfast (though that doesn't sound so bad...)

This is another chocolate-making experiment. It turned out pretty good, especially for those of us who love crunch in our chocolate, but I feel like it might still be missing a certain something.

I'll post the recipe when I figure out what that something is.

I may have enjoyed some of the chocolate straight from the bowl, while making it...

But really, could you resist? And why would you ever want to?

Other than the fact that the threat of final exams is looming nigh, the approach of summer also means warmer weather and fresher fruit. And fresh fruit cravings!



Chocolate is never far removed from my food. I didn't like it that much when I was little, but now I can barely remember the last time that I didn't have chocolate at least once in a day.

I must have inherited that from my (awesome) mom, who's an absolute choholic, too.

I'm not as potatoes-crazy as my German roots might suggest, but now and then some boiled potatoes with a dollop of greek yogurt and a pat of butter (also, a sprinkle of parsley) hits the spot as a simple lunch.

I tend to go for extremely complex flavor combos, with a billion competing textures and flavors, but sometimes it's good to return to something more simple. It's surprising, but that can be equally enjoyable!

I also tried a new brand this week, that embraces that idea of 'less is more.'

Columbia County Bread makes sprouted, whole grain foods without preservatives, weird additives, funny dyes, or mile-long ingredients lists. 

Columbia County Flat Bread Nutritional Stats

They focus on just using a few natural, whole food ingredients to create healthy, nutritious foods that are at least as (if not more) delicious than their more frankenfood counterparts.

 Further, they use non-gentically modified grains and, when available, they also try to go for locally-grown, organic, and bio-dynamic ingredients for their foods.

To make their products as healthy as possible for a broad range of consumers with various intolerances and sensitivities, it's diabetic-friendly, and suitable for yeast-averse consumers - even the pita bread.

Though there is some yeast in some of their products, they work with their nutritionist to create non-reactive products that most stomachs can handle easily.

And did I mention they're delicious?

I would not have expected this of a flour-free pita bread. The pitas are hearty and, though best stored frozen (since there are no preservatives) warm up really well in the toaster or oven.

Their delightfully pillowy centers are perfect for stuffing with sandwich fillings or even just peanut butter and jam!

The sprouted flatbread is also quite tasty, with a really interesting orange-poppy seed flavor combination.

It seemed more like a cracker than a bread to me, however, and I'm more of a bread girl. I still enjoyed them, but the pita was my favorite of the two!

But my real favorite was, of course, the granola.

I love granola, but didn't have high hopes for this one. It's completely grain free, based largely on flax seeds, and has way less sugar than the granolas that I'm used to. I expected it to be another one of those health food products that claim to be something yummy that they in no way resemble.

But while you wouldn't confuse this granola for your run-of-the-mill granola, it definitely worked as a granola! The seeds and dried fruits added that nutty crunch, along with the heart-healthy flaxseed base (talk about a great way to get those healthy fats in!).

There were also some actual big chunks of granola in there, that held together even when you crunched them out of the bag!

I would have liked more of those, as most of the bag was filled with a loose mixture (and when the seeds aren't clumped, it's more like a seed mix than a granola) but the overall flavor was great - lightly sweet and naturally delicious.

What's your favorite granola?

Do you prefer crackers or bread?

What are you doing this summer?