I love lunch. I know, it's kind of the weirdest meal to love... People are usually dinner people or breakfast people, who don't mind skipping lunch if it means they can have a nice big [insert meal-that-isn't-lunch-here]. I'm in the very small number of humans who loves sitting down to a good afternoon meal. Think about it for a second... When you ask a friend to grab a meal with you, which meal is it normally? Lunch! It's the casual, social, authentic, community-fostering (okay maybe I'm going a little too far... but you know what I'm getting at) underrated meal!

Rant aside, I love lunch, and I love cooking lunch for both myself and others. Hence, this recipe for one of my favorite yummy power-foods! This is a delicious concoction that I threw together a couple days ago, and have whipped up a few times since then (okay, maybe every day since I first created it. Addictive personalities: high five!). It's quick, super filling, and DANG good. I hope you all will put your own spins on it, and just maaaybe grow to love lunch as much as I do!

Start by making a lil' bit of quinoa! This is customizable (along with most of the elements of this recipe) in that you can choose any type of quinoa your lil' heart desires! I'm really enjoying this Tricolor Quinoa from Trader Joe's, but you can use pre-cooked quinoa if you want to cut even more time! Follow the cooking directions on the package, adding two parts water to one part quinoa, and either stove-cook it or microwave it! I'm usually a microwave girl because it saves time, but I do admit that I like the texture better when I cook it on the stove. For this lunch, I used about 1/2 a cup! You can let your tummy lead when deciding how much you'd like to use, though!

Here's where the substance kicks in. Add some cooked & seasoned ground turkey in about a 1:1 ratio to the quinoa. If you don't have ground turkey cooked and ready, like I usually do, then this part will take a little more time. You'll want to cook the ground turkey in some olive oil with a good amount of sea salt, pepper and whatever seasoning you find yourself gravitating towards. I really like thyme with turkey! Now, don't be shy with those seasonings. I think that's the #1 mistake new chef's commonly make: failing to season their meats well. Seasonings cook out a little bit, so feel free to slather those seasonings on!

After adding the turkey, crumble some goat cheese in! Grocery tip: it saves money to buy the regular hunk of cheese instead of the crumbles! It's way more cheese for way less money! It's also way more moist that way. 

Now, here's another customizable part! I like to chop up and throw in about 3/4 of a persian cucumber. Other choices could be avocados, cherry tomatoes, arugula, bell peppers, or any combination of those! If you're feelin' crazy, use 'em all!

Mix it all up, drizzle some olive oil on top with some sea salt and fresh pepper, and PRESTO. You've got yourself a yummy, power-packed meal. Add your lunchtime drink-of-choice, and you're set (mine bounces between iced green tea and Pellegrino, for now).

Enjoy! Then watch for that extra lunch-eatin' bounce in your step. I promise, a good lunch will brighten your day and put a smile on your face. Happy Wednesday!

(Tell me what you did if you customize it!! I LOVE lunch ideas!)

     

Here's the thing... I have something a little embarrassing to admit. While I can totally go for a nice occasional salad or sandwich, the true lover of my heart is some high quality manfood. My favorite foods are pretty consistently stereotypical testosterone-fueled cuisines. Gimme a nice artisan burger, gourmet sausage, or street taco and I am one happy girl. 

Embarrassment aside, now you'll understand why I was thrilled to hear about a new restaurant in Orange called Linx. Linx is a dimly lit, brick-filled restaurant which boasts gourmet sausages with an extensive array of topping and bun choices (also a large selection of good beer, but I don't get to experience that part until my 21st birthday in November). After long deliberation, I eventually chose a chicken & feta sausage with caramelized onions and lemon garlic aioli. The kicker, though, was the pretzel roll. Put anything on a pretzel roll and I'm in. C wasn't as into his as I was into mine, but I think it's only due to his bias towards Wurstküche (another gourmet sausage joint in Los Angeles).

(Ah. I love that face.)

 We didn't leave Orange without some classic Collin & Maddie explore-time. As usual, it didn't disappoint. I am so incredibly grateful for this season of dating we're in. Don't get me wrong, I have my moments of impatience. I'm quick to resent dating or to wish that time would speed up, shortening the days until we're married. Though I'm prone to ungratefulness, God has been so faithful to consistently remind me to be more present, and to enjoy each moment he lays before me. If I spend all of our time dating looking forward to marriage, I'll miss the joy God has for us in dating. I absolutely love being pursued by Collin in a dating relationship, and so treasure this time we have been given to laugh, to learn, to explore, and to love, preparing for a lifetime together.

Here's to more gourmet sausages and evening explorations.

Guys. I hope you know that my willingness to share this post is an extremely humble act on my part (As seen by the blatant bragging about my humility. Obviously.). Though it has taken me about an hour of staring at the publish button, almost backing out a thousand times, I am sharing with you a secret that I have held for years: ...this famous recipe that isn't even mine.

Butter Bars. I'll give you one guess as to who's original recipe this is (cough..PaulaDeen..cough). If you ever have to impress someone: a boyfriend's mom, a teacher, really any creature that possesses tastebuds: Butter Bars are your best friend. They are SERIOUS crowd-pleasers. I found the recipe in sixth grade, and have since made these deep-south squares of heaven for almost everyone I've ever known. I've been known for "my" famous Butter Bars. Little did most people know... They weren't mine. And they're the easiest recipe ever.

Super-Magic-Dream-Time Butter Bars

Crust:

1 18 1/4-ounce package yellow cake mix (I used vanilla for this go-around, but yellow is usually best)

1 egg
8 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened 

2 eggs 

1 teaspoon vanilla 

8 tablespoons butter, melted 

1 16-ounce box powdered sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer (or a whisk if you're looking for a workout... It doesn't make a difference in the final turnout!)

Next, pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan.

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth.  Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter and beat together. 

Next, add the powdered sugar and mix well.  Spread over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes.  Make sure not to over bake as the center should be a little gooey.

Presto! Take em out of the oven, let them cool for about 10-15 minutes (this is important because it causes the filling to set), and cut them into whatever-size squares your little heart fancies!

PLEASE do yourself a favor and make a batch. Then eat one. Or two... Or three... Then do yourself another favor and take a nap. 

There is nothing that can make a twenty year old feel more carefree and toddler-like than a good ol' popsicle. From Bomb Pops to Push Pops to Otter Pops, I'm convinced that the popsicle was the treat of my childhood. In fact, I have a distinct memory from when I was younger of acting like a tiny little Mario Batali, running around the kitchen and finding different kinds of liquids I could freeze into popsicles. My favorite always ended up being the Welch's Grape Juice. Creative, right? I'd like to think my culinary skills have improved since then. 

A couple days ago, Collin and I were on one of our classic walks around the Orange Circle when we spied: (wait for it...) a GOURMET POPSICLE STAND. I couldn't contain myself. The toddler in me almost started cartwheeling around the fountain.

After much (and I mean muuuuch...) deliberation, I chose a Roasted Apricot & Almond Cream popsicle, and C went for the Blueberry Lime. I was in my own little frozen dreamland.

Front Porch Pops. Who knew!? They almost beat my signature Welch's-Pops. 

...almost.

I've always loved fish. I'm almost 82% sure I've been eating fish since the moment I was born. Puree'd  Miso Black Cod in a bottle? Sounds reasonable to me. 

Because of my undying love for all things with fins, it came as a monumental surprise to Collin and I that we had never gone on a date to a seafood restaurant. Keep in mind, food is one of our biggest hobbies. You've never met people that love to eat as much as we do. (Lately, we've been thinking that we need to offset our food hobby with some sort of exercise hobby... Our waistlines have been reminding us that the two should probably go hand in hand.)

Cue: Bear Flag. My newfound favorite seafood joint.

We had our own little fish taco frenzy. We tried four different types: Orange Roughy, Halibut, Sea Bass, and Salmon. They were so fresh and sooo good. But honestly... it was all about the Ahi Poke. It was insane. Hands down, the best poke I've had. If you end up in Newport and stumble into this little gem. DO NOT leave without some poke.

With my desperation for fish finally satisfied, C and I finished our date with one of our favorite activities: walking aimlessly with our bellies full, exploring and laughing together. I'm convinced that anything and everything is more fun with him around. It's really darn cool to be in love with your best friend.

We both give Bear Flag two taco-covered thumbs up.