Pesto Pasta Salad... Made special thanks to ClubsGalore (the perfect Mother's Day Gift)!

 

EVOO and Vinegar Gift of the Month

$5 off of first month using gift code CGMOM5 at check out.  Shipping is free!

*Valid through 5/10/15

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Liv Life Note:  I received a sample club gift and compensation for this post.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.  Please know I would not stand behind a product unless I truly liked it!

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Do you have go-to gifts for special occasions?  One of my ultra organized girlfriends always has just the gift for everything.  Be it a bridal shower, teacher thank you, birthday gift or Mother's Day treat, she always has something special up her sleeve.  Me?  I'm the polar opposite and find myself usually at a loss as to what to get, let alone where to get it.

Hence, I'm a big fan of "Gift of the Month" clubs.  Easy to personalize, simple to shop online at a minute's notice (procrastination and I are good friends...), and unique, Gift of the Month Clubs can be special and fun.  I've sent a number of subscriptions over the years, but let it be noted that even with all my hints I've been waiting to be a surprised recipient myself until just last week.  

As luck would have it, an offer to review ClubsGalore (arranged by Blog Meets Brand) not only introduced me to a new (to me, they've been around since 1996) one-stop, Gift of the Month shop, but they also sent me my first ever gift!

Faced with a decision to choose from one of their 41 clubs (the tequila club so tempted me....) I plowed through categories including brownies, bath and body, wine, tea, coffee, bacon, fruit, grilling and even a college care club.

I did place that College Care Club (including gift cards, movie sized candy boxes, hot chocolate packets, chips, pretzel crisps, popcorn, mac n cheese, assorted bars and trail mix, and a box of tissues) into my cart and thought how my son in his first year of college would love it, but my perusing continued until I stopped at the EVOO and Vinegar of the Month Club.  Now as good mothers, we try to be selfless and put our kids first, but in this case I selfishly removed said college club gift and replaced it with that oil and vinegar club as a gift to me from me.

Described as "1 bottle of extra virgin olive oil and 1 bottle of balsamic or flavor-infused vinegar each month - 200 to 375 ml. artfully gift boxed", the box arrived on my doorstep just days later, and yes, it was beautifully wrapped with a bow and carefully packaged, and included a card with my name on it.

Popping the cork on the Basil-Garlic Olive Oil, the aroma of garlic sent my salivary glands thinking of salads and dipping sauces.  Paired beautifully with a honey-colored bottle of B.R. Chardonnay Vinegar, the gift sent away any lingering guilt I had for choosing a gift for me instead of my college boy, and simply made my day.
 
Due diligence for this review sent me to the B.R. Cohn site to check prices, and a little research showed ClubsGalore indeed brought a special and quality product in addition to a fair price. 

So here's a big hint to my family... just FYI, Mother's Day, is right around the corner.  I really, really enjoyed the one month gift I received of the Olive Oil and Vinegar Club.  I'm fairly certain the bottles will be empty within then next few weeks and just so you know, a monthly box with more oils and vinegars would be such a wonderful surprise!

Furthermore, ClubsGalore is offering $5 off of your first month using the code CGMOM5 at checkout (offer valid through 5/10/15) and shipping is always free (note for Mother's Day delivery free shipping is available until April 25th, 2-Day Shipping 4/26/15 - 5/7/15, and overnight available from 5/6/15 - 5/8/15)!  Monthly payment options are available, and their site offers a "Print your own Announcement" feature free of charge.  Moms always have oil and vinegar in the kitchen, but often we won't splurge on that special bottle, so... Hint. Hint.  Hint.  :)

And what would a mom do with a delightfully infused bottle of olive oil and special bottle of vinegar?  She might brush it over artichokes just before grilling and make a lovely vinaigrette, or she might use it in a special Pesto Pasta Salad she's making for her own mom for Mother's Day.  Either way, I know she'll appreciate the monthly doorstep surprise, and you just might become her favorite child.

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

Hard as it is for me to believe, I have a son who is nearly a legal adult.  I have vivid memories of rocking my baby boy to sleep for his nap as thoughts of him going off to college would flit through my mind.  "Not to worry,"  I would tell myself, "that's years and years away."

Well, somehow those years have passed, and with a new UCSB Mom sticker proudly affixed to the back of my car, I find myself entering a new phase of parenting.  Gone are the days of worrying if he would look both ways before crossing the street or would put something in his mouth that wasn't good for him.  Here are the even more worrisome thoughts of will he see what he needs to as he merges his car onto a busy Southern California freeway?  Or worse yet, will he make good choices when thinking about taking a drink when he's at college?  And even more stressful, will he pick a girl that I like?

Now, I'll freely admit that whomever he chooses is already knocked down a peg because I know with her addition I will have been fully replaced.  However... there will definitely be some choices that will be better than others (oh my goodness I hope I like her!), and I've been dropping (unappreciated) hints as to who I think may be that good choice.  So far most of my "suggestions" have been met with eye rolls and "leave me alone" comments, until I mentioned Julie Morris.

Admittedly she may be a little old for him, and I'm not sure, but she may actually already have the man of her dreams, but Julie Morris, the author of Superfood Kitchen appears to me to be the perfect catch!

First off, Julie is positively adorable.  But it's her love of healthy, nutrition and good food that has me thinking she would be the perfect choice.  An advocate for healthy food and an expert on the so called "Super Foods" of today, Julie has an amazing story with her journey to a plant-based diet and a love of life-enhancing and energy-giving foods.

Presenting myself with her book, Superfood Kitchen
, for Christmas, I've made a number of recipes all with resounding success, but her Secret Pesto with Sun-dried Tomatoes inspired a recipe that has has become one of our all time family favorites.

Filled with fresh basil, sun-dried tomatoes and a few tablespoonfuls of hemp seed, no one is any the wiser that this pesto brings a healthy bent to the table.

Hemp Seed, while from the same family as the marijuana plant, does not produce the "high" inducing THC of its cousin.  It does however, provide a complete protein boasting all essential amino acids and is easier to digest than animal proteins such as meat, dairy and eggs.  Julie writes in her book, "Hemp also offers a wide range of mineras, especially iron, potassium, zinc and magnesium.  Better still, hemp is an excellent source of fiber, and is one of the few alkaline-forming seeds in nature, due to the small green filament on the inside of the kernel. " pg 30, Superfood Kitchen.

Recently hemp has been gaining status in the food world and is finding itself a featured ingredient in everything from smoothies to soups to salads and more.  Here in our Sun-dried Tomato Pesto, hemp takes the place of nuts yet retains the perfect flavors and textures of traditional versions while keeping the recipe healthy.

My soon to be college-bound son loves this recipe, and he even admitted that Julie's photo was a head turner.  Looks like he might have really good taste after all.

Almost Greek Pasta Salad with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Travel... I live for it.  The getting away from home for a few days in addition to getting out of the kitchen brings that relaxation we all need every once in a while.  That said, one of the best parts of traveling is coming home and getting back to food that makes you feel good.  When I'm on the road I tend to disregard some of my regular eating habits (low carb) in favor of "living in the moment" (there's nothing wrong with Brioche French Toast 3 days in a row, is there?), and I find that sometimes I just don't feel right... happy, but not "right".  Hence, as I return from a week in Palm Springs, this month's entry into Wendy, The Weekend Gourmet's, Monthly Salad Bar Club couldn't be more timely.

This month's title of "Potluck Salad" had my mind immediately turning to a creamy Pasta Salad.  Years ago I found the perfect recipe for Traditional Pasta Salad, however my eating habits over time have changed.  Mayo doesn't really enter my diet any longer, and pasta is added more as an enhancement rather than a main feature.

Enter beans and sun-dried tomatoes!  5 years ago I would have turned my nose up at anything sun-dried tomato, but lately I can't get enough of Trader Joe's Sun-dried Tomatoes in Oil.  With a jar always in my pantry, these beauties tend to find their way into all sort of menus, with the latest being this Greek-like version of a potluck pasta salad.

Just a few ingredients toss together quickly for this flavorful side or light lunch, and the addition of spinach, cannellini beans and cucumber add texture as well as nutrition.  Feta brings that lovely saltiness that I love so much, and the sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil have the ingredients melding perfectly in no time.

Wendy... thanks for inspiring me to get back on track with this versatile salad, I'm eager to see what everyone else has brought to the July Salad Bar Potluck.

Grilled Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms with Quinoa and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Photo styled and captured by Liv...

While the rest of the country seems to be bundling up in sweatshirts and scarves, San Diego is providing an absolutely gorgeous fall. With temps in the mid 70's during the day dipping into the frigid high 50's over night, I'm still mostly in summer mode. While I may have put my bikini away, I'm still working on dropping a few of those summer vacation pounds, and I'm obsessing a bit with quinoa.

A native to the Andean regions of Peru, quinoa is truly an "ancient grain" (though it is in reality a seed) with a near 9,000 year history.  Once called "The Gold of the Incas", quinoa is not only high in protein, but a complete protein, meaning it contains all 9 essential amino acids.

In addition to protein, the tiny seed is a very good source of manganese as well as a good source of magnesium, folate, and phosphorus, potentially making quinoa valuable for persons with migraine headaches, diabetes and atherosclerosis. Add the fact that quinoa was used by the Inca Warriors to increase stamina and I think I have a winner.

Inspired by a Bobby Flay Grilled Portobello Mushroom recipe, I've swapped out his panko bread crumbs for quinoa.  Adding a touch of sauteed prosciutto and onion, and combining with pesto, Parmesan, and sun-dried tomatoes, we have a meal in a mushroom.

Looking at my preparations ever so skeptically, my husband casually commented, "So... is that dinner?" as he looked hopefully around for a piece of meat to join the mushrooms on the grill.  Yes, I had fish to go along with his mushroom, and as he did his best to move the mushroom and filling around his plate, I finally asked if he was actually going to taste it.

Taking a small scoop he prepared himself to say he didn't really like it, but a look of surprise flashed over his face followed by a slight grin, and he took another scoop.  And another, and another.

Cleaning his plate, he casually mentioned that the stuffed mushrooms "Might not be that bad after all...", a sure sign of a winner in our household.

Photo styled and captured by Liv...

Spinach and Sun-Dried Tomato Frittata from Epicurious

Ahhh... eggs.  I think I could live on nearly eggs alone, however my heart would most likely not approve.  As such, I serve the organic, protein-rich food to my family in moderation and enjoy the additional health benefits including vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and lutein along with a serving of whole grains and fruits and/or vegetables.  In the past eggs have been avoided due to cholesterol issues, however recent studies are now claiming that not only will the egg (in moderation) not increase most cholesterol levels, but it may actually help improve one's blood lipids profile.  With that info, I say, sign me up!

According to a study published in the Journal of Nutrition, lutein is "best absorbed from the egg yolk - not lutein supplements or even spinach".  With a history of Macular Degeneration and cataracts in our family, I welcome the lutein-laden egg yolks and often try to pair them with additional lutein filled foods such as spinach with hopes of providing additional nutritional support to our precious eyes (and skin).  With such health benefits in these two foods, the pairing in Epicurious' Spinach and Sun-Dried Tomato Frittata, by Golden Door executive chef Dean Rucker, was a match made in heaven.

With the kids at school and my husband on a day off from work I set to preparing a nice lunch for the two of us.  It was the photo of the frittatas on Epicurious, each in individual ramekins, that drew my lutein supported eye and shortly had me chopping onions, sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms and spinach for our meal.  Easily put together with whole eggs as well as egg whites and then baked in the oven, these little individual (my husband called them cute) frittatas were a real step up for the plain PB&J.  Served with melons from the farmer's market and a slice of whole grain bread our bodies were fueled and ready for the after school chauffeur duties to begin.