So Bring Me Some Figgy Ideas

Sometimes, when you haven't been blogging for awhile and you're trying to get back on the horse, you feel like you need to have something profound to say at first. But nothing is coming to me so...

We're going to talk about figs today. 

Because I am so over how much junk food I LOVED eating on our Stateside vacay and I'm so happy to be back in Germany where good quality food is really cheap!

And also because I bought some and realized I didn't have a blessed idea what to do with them.

So instead of spending my time wisely thinking of something meaningful to write for you, or trying to figure out how to recap our vacation adventures, I spent over an hour on the internet learning everything I could ever want to know about this strange little fruit that I'd never eaten before.

And I decided to be nice and share that info with YOU! You're welcome ;-)

PS thank God for Pinterest.

So I've never eaten a fresh fig before. I will blame it on the fact that I don't really care for fig newtons. But also because I just never ate them and therefore don't know what to do with them... so it's remained an "exotic" fruit that has been on my "to-try" list. Until now.

Quick punny exchange between My Love and I that morning:
me: "I bought fresh figs for the first time today!"
J: "Figures."

ha. ha. he's so hilarious ;-)

You can eat figs fresh and whole (skin and all), as a topping for oatmeal or yogurt, as a smoothie ingredient, sliced and topped with a favorite cheese and some balsamic dressing, baked with honey as a dessert topping, and added to your favorite fruit salad or green salad.

Or you can wrap them in bacon or prosciutto and GRILL THEM! Yay for grilling season! 

First I just ate the figs with my favorite lunch of fresh bread, herbed goat cheese, and smoked salmon. And then we ate them in our morning yogurt with a drizzle of elderberry syrup on top. Very good. I wanted to try to blend them with maple syrup to pour over french toast or pancakes but we ran out ;-) So, next time!

Here are tons of fun facts and delicious recipes featuring figs: 

Some of them seem a little too fancy for my table, but since my girls loved our first experiments with them, I might go for it and see what happens!

Enjoy! 

The World's Healthiest Foods fact sheet

Fig Varieties 

Valley Fig Growers fun facts

Bacon, Melon, and Fig Salad You had me at bacon.

Pancakes with Calcium-Filled Fixins Love the idea of using figs and tahini as a maple syrup substitute!

Dark Chocolate Covered Figs  I need some of THIS in my life for SURE!

Coconut Fig Popcicles I think this would get me a billion gold stars with the girls.

Fig Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing 

Butternut Squash and Fig Soup

Simple Figgy Focaccia

Marinated Fig Skewers with Prosciutto, Mozzarella, and Basil

Figs on a gorgeous Cheese Platter These pictures make me want to host a cheese and wine party even though I'm more of a pizza and beer girl ;-)

Fig, Beet, and Watermelon Salad with Caramelized Shallot Dressing 

Roasted Butternut Squash and Fig Salad

Fig and Rosemary Chicken Pizza  Is it too early to start grilling pizza every other day? Nomnom

Oven-Roasted Fruit with Ricotta-Vanilla Cream This is my kind of easy dessert!

Free-Form Fig Tart

Fig Chips  I don't usually have luck with these types of "turn fresh food into chips" recipes but they are so pretty and would be so great in the girls' lunchbox!

Grilled Fig and Cheese  Oh my.

Salted Honey and Fig Cheesecake  I wonder if I can make this one without a food processor? And I'd have to call it a "cream cake" or something cause J would cry if I called a faux-cheesecake a cheesecake (his favorite.)

Avocado, Gorgonzola, and Fig Baguette Awesome easy dinner idea!


Glad to have me back? Make sure you follow me on Pinterest so you always know what randomness I'm researching today! 

Cookbook Review & Giveaway | The Real Food Journey Book

I came across this cookbook at the perfect time. I was really struggling with finding even the slightest bit of inspiration in the kitchen. I wasn't doing normal meal planning, and we weren't eating well as a result. 

To top it off, I was loading myself with guilt and stress that we weren't eating well.

It's not that I didn't have plenty of ideas (side eye to Pinterest and the 15 cookbooks I own) it's that I lacked inspiration to put those ideas into action! We all want to eat (and feed our families) real, healthy food. But it's not always easy, so sometimes we just give up a little. Am I right?

Trina Holden is spreading a real food message that is very freeing because she reminds us that eating healthy is a journey, not a target to hit.

She quotes a beloved naturopath who gently reminded her that "Stressing about what you eat is as bad as eating a candy bar." What a brilliant concept to grasp... especially for a type-A, control freak person like yours truly.

Stress is so bad for our bodies.

And this book is all about educating yourself and making changes without stressing!

One of my favorite quotes from Trina's book is that "learning to cook smarter, not harder, will help you avoid burnout and enjoy the journey."

Burnout - check. I was all over that. 

Being in a really busy season was leaving me running for the hills at the mention of dinner. Or bristling whenever Jesse opened the fridge looking for something, anything, to eat. Trina calls this time "survival mode" and emphasizes that you need to focus on the bare bones of what keep you and your family healthy.

I loved the way she emphasized cutting yourself slack during the different seasons of your life. 

It's hard for me to admit that there are times when I'm in survival mode, and my motivation in the kitchen takes a big hit.

When she got to that part about the seasons, I felt like a big sister was sitting me down and looking me in the eyes and kindly reminding me to stop feeling bad that there's boxed mac n cheese in my pantry. Sometimes life happens and you really need that mac n cheese!

And it's not just about not judging where you're at in your own real food journey, but about extending that same grace to others! No judging here! She breaks down the baby steps and makes it so easy to learn and apply.

She explains the basics of traditional eating (like why full fats are best and why you should soak your grains) and she does it succinctly enough for even the busiest among us to make time for. Which is great if you don't feel up for a 650+ page "textbook" cookbook like Nourishing Traditions {affiliate link} ... though both Trina and I would highly recommend you read it at some point! ;o) 

I can think of ten recipes (at least!) that make this cookbook worth every bit of the $10 it costs... Oven-baked pancake, chocolate peanut butter muffins, herbed seasoning salt, homemade ranch mix, easy homemade gravy, chicken and rice soup, fermented lemonade, sloppy joes, soaked cornbread, and sweet & sour meatballs! 

And if you don't believe me that it's an awesome book, just ask my family! Jesse made specific comments after I read it - he could tell there was a huge boost in my desire to try new things and start doing the good old things again. (Like bulk preparation to make my life easier, simple but effective meal plans, and weekly homemade chicken stock.) 

But here's the main reason I want you to buy it:

The best part of Trina's cookbook are her kind words of encouragement that meet you exactly where you are in your real food journey. 

Everyone needs an occasional pat on the back that reminds us we're doing the best we can for our families with the knowledge we have. 

And Trina comes alongside you as a non-judgemental teacher and friend.

So who can benefit from this book? 

Absolutely everyone!

Trina's kindly donated a free copy of the book for another giveaway! Just enter to win (as many times as you like) and spread the news!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you can't wait for the giveaway to end and you just have to have your copy now, you can get the book by following this link:

Your Real Food Journey Book: a Gentle Guide to Steady Progress

Keep it in mind for friends and family for the holidays, too!

Thank you Trina, for adding some encouragement to my cookbook collection. In a real-food world full of judgement and "you should be doing THIS," your words are a breath of fresh air to this crunchy Momma. And I am LOVING all your great recipes!