one last thing

i finally took a few minutes to set up a feedburner account so you can subscribe by email to my new blog (i know this will please my mom and other family members immensely). 

click this link: http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=Blog-LaurenKodiak&loc=en_US and enter your email address to get updates on when i post to the new blog.

thanks again for your continued support. see you over on the new site!

onward and upward

as sad as it makes me, it's time to say goodbye to this little blog. it was born out of a desire to counter my tedious graduate school work with something creative, and has lead to so many wonderful opportunities. but now, as i approach the one-year anniversary of earning my master's, i'm craving change and a fresh start.

my future is very much up in the air, but as i explore more creative opportunities, i need a site that reflects my commitment to professionalism—an organized space to house my growing collection of writing samples. i've been working behind the scenes to create my new site, and it's finally ready to launch. i sincerely thank you for your readership and hope you'll continue to follow me as i embark on this new adventure!

here's the new url: http://laurenkodiak.com/

scenes from the weekend

1. easter hike
2. avocado on little t spelt bread
3. beets roasted in coconut milk (!), saffron rice, dal and a glass of riesling
4. walk over the hawthorne bridge
5. farmers market with two lovely ladies
6. requisite sunny day meal
7. green juice
8. drew, working on his thesis
9. farmers market produce
10. almond brittle with salted ganache ice cream
11. my (belated) birthday gift to myself arrived
12. blue skies and blooms

homemade yumm sauce

i was completely addicted to cafe yumm during grad school. the food is simple—a bowl of brown rice, black beans, avocado, tomato, cilantro—but the vegan sauce is what makes it so special. i'd been flirting with the idea of making my own batch of sauce for years (the ingredients are listed right on the jar), but the fear of it not tasting as good as cafe yumm's held me back. 

if you've had cafe yumm before, you'll quickly realize (to my dismay) that my hesitation was warranted—this isn't an exact match, in terms of taste (though color and texture are spot-on). i'm now even more convinced that there's a secret ingredient in yumm sauce that makes it so unbelievably delicious. regardless, this is still a versatile vegan sauce that can be poured over rice, quinoa, salads or used as a spread on sandwiches.

homemade yumm sauce adapted from here

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup cooked chickpeas
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 cup cooked soybeans (edamame)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp dried cilantro
1 tsp dried oregano

in a food processor, blend water, olive oil, almonds and chickpeas until the consistency is sauce-like. then add lemon juice, nutritional yeast, soybeans, garlic, salt, curry powder, cilantro and oregano. blend until all ingredients are incorporated and smooth.