I brought the above salad to a Shabbat dinner last weekend. Isn’t it colorful? I love to use my entertaining pieces that never get to leave their cabinets. This one had mixed greens, avocado, apple, candied walnuts, craisins, and a green pepper.

Race news: I signed up for a new race! I had been looking for a race to practice before the Run the Rock Half Marathon in December. I am very scared about that. I will be running the Monster Mash 10K on October 30 in Houston. Interested in running too? There’s also a 5K for the same price of $20. And you get to wear a costume! I do realize that this race falls on a Texas home game vs. Baylor, but maybe the game will be later in the day and you can do both (attention Jeffrey Harris Gilbert).

Recipe News: I love recipes by Anne. And here’s a trick that I’ve figured out. If you find bloggers that you like, you don’t have to buy many new ingredients because your kitchen is like theirs. For example, the only thing in this recipe that I didn’t have was applesauce. And now I can bake more with that.

Blueberry Apple Cinnamon Yogurt Bread

Ingredients:

Dry:

2 C spelt flour (I subbed whole wheat)
1/2 C brown sugar
1/2 C finely ground flaxseed (I subbed non-ground)
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
Wet:

1 C unsweetened applesauce
1 C skim milk
1/2 C nonfat plain yogurt
2/3 C blueberries
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325.

1) In two separate bowls, mix dry, then wet, then add wet to dry.

2) Pour the batter into a 9×5 loaf pan.

3) Bake in the oven for 55 mins to 1 hour.

It’s delicious, not too sweet. Don’t be scared by using applesauce or yogurt. Notice there aren’t eggs, butter, or white sugar. Try it. And I like that it has a short ingredient list. Freezes great for future breakfasts or snacks, great with peanut butter on top. Enjoy!

Dinnertime:

Pan Seared Tofu with Brown Rice and Vegetables

My dinners during the week are really not complicated. But I’m writing this blog for me (since my readers are silent!), and I get turned off by something that looks hard or time consuming for a weeknight meal. This barely counts as cooking, it’s just gathering. I’m telling you this because you can easily put together a meal at home that is tasty, balanced, and fast.

Look at my veggies–looks like the Italian flag, huh? I baked snap peas, mushrooms, and red peppers in the oven for ~20 minutes on 350 degrees with olive oil, salt, and pepper.

 I used Uncle Ben’s 90 second brown rice.

For the tofu, I followed Emily’s instructions as usual like here too. This is fool-proof. And leaving it in rectangles makes the cooking easier too. You must give tofu a chance, or another chance. All together, I had three pieces of tofu blocks, brown rice, and mixed vegetables. Super simple and tasty.