Routine - who would say? - is something likeable. A post about formulas and savory (or not) energy bars.

(Em português)

I don't know about you, but I am a person who likes food. Really.
It gives me severe bad mood if I get hungry/ crave for food, and have nothing to nibble.
And the plot thickens, as I've been in this healthy-eating-well wave.
Because sometimes I could give it a way having snacks at any bakery down the street, but I haven't been feeling like it lately (besides, each little bite you buy around São Paulo represents a significant percentage of one's monthly budget).
So, in May 2012, gathering information here and there and testing a little, I found myself happy about a recipe/ formula that I came up with for oatmeal granola bars.
You see: they are just the way I like it. Crunchy, and accepting a wide variation of ingredients.
The point is: if I'm hungry, I urge for something savory. And that is just not possible with the recipe mentioned.
There are some options of savory bars being sold out there. But I heard that mostly they taste weird.
Anyway, there are possible.
So, there goes Flora looking in the internet for savory energy bars recipes. But they are not easy to find, not at all.
I had found a website which I really enjoyed, I read it on my mobile in the subway, then never found that link again.
I remember the person who wrote that post worked at a hospital, and s/he commented how clumsy it was to eat trail mixes for a snack.
The idea is good, allright. However, it is not functional:
Picture yourself in the bus/ your car/ in the middle of a film set/ at the office, wherever, holding a bag or a cup of nuts in one hand while feeding yourself with the other one.
So, it seemed like a good idea to merge all of the ingredients into one bar.
This person had some vague ideas of ways to put it together, nothing very concrete.
Going on with my research, I found a post at No meat athlete. Then I figured:
I did not need a recipe, I needed a formula. What a smart guy!
It so happens that his formula wasn't exactly what I was looking for, despite of it filling all nutritional needs etc etc etc.
Next step? Make mess in my kitchen until I found a formula I liked.

Quickbreads from the book Gabriel gave me - made with fine cornmeal and poppy seeds.

(Em português)

Quickbreads, this wonder of humanity!

In fact, I would call these tiny guys cakes, because they are made with baking powder, not yeast.

And this is the reason why you can whip up a batch so fast.

They are great as last-minute snacks, for those times when someone comes over and you're not ready for it, to serve as an excuse to turn on the oven on chilly days, this kind of thing...

The recipe comes from a book a friend gave me last year, it's called "Marvellous mini cakes" by Ilona Chavancova.

Soup made with tomatoes from the garden.

(Em português)

Tomatoes are love shaped as vegetables, of that I am sure.

They might be a pretty fresh food, when used in raw salads, as well as they might be comfort food, when grilled, baked, marinated, cooked, transformed in sauce...

And when they in the garden by the bunch? When, in warm weather, we can pick a bowl full of tomatoes every day?

Then it is too much love for one person only. I took advantage of this one afternoon when the rain managed to lower the temperature a bit and made a soup out of them to share with my family.

Birthday flan.

(Em português)

After two weeks without new posts, here am I again. Already in São Paulo, already

working (and very glad about it! Self employed people out there know how it is), already

getting to see the friends from here I've been missing, already missing too much my 

family and friends from Santa Catarina.

I hope you had great vacation, and have plenty of ideas for the year that's beginning.

It won't be easy, it never is. But it will be very productive, and will be fun, for sure.

I always thought that making flan was complicated and had everything it takes to go wrong.

I have tried it before, and it didn't work out.

But it was my brother's birthday, so I thought I should try again.

The recipe is the classic 1, 2, 3: 1 can condensed milk, 2 measures equal to the can of milk, 3 eggs, process it in the blender. Any mother around would that you that and think you'd be able to make the flan all by yourself. What about the details?

The details I got at Technicolor Kitchen.

Results: my first flan that goes right!

Whole wheat flour and olive oil quiche - to the changes.

(Em português)

In the next posts, probably I'll increase the quantity of all natural food lunches.

I'm making an effort to improve eating habits, and this quiche was the first attempt.

I was successful!

I took the recipe from here, and made up the filling, based in a couple of recipes I read.

Pouched eggs.

(Em Português)


For a robust breakfast, pouched eggs work like a charm.
They are fast, can be served over a nice toasted bread and green salad, and we're good to go.
Different from what I thought, they don't necessarily result in a runny yolk. To test, I poached one egg for a longer time than the other.

Ratatuille and scrambled eggs.

(In Portuguese)

I thought this lunch look like something from Aran Goyoaga.

Because she frequently uses eggs and root vegetables...

It happend like this: I saw beautiful radishes at the farmers market and I wanted to buy them,

but I don't like radishes. But they were beautiful! But what am I buying this for if I won't eat it? Oh lord! haha

Well, then I remembered a photo from Aran (which I didn't find again in her blog) where there was a ratatuille with radishes and something else. And I thought it would taste good.

It really did!

Steadier footing.

(In Portuguese)


March 1st was  for me a day to celebrate new and old things, both very important.

I worked hard, had a delicious dinner at an Italian restaurant, and today is a day to tidy up the house.

So here goes a simple lunch, which stays in the oven while I organize things around my place.

Omellet du fromage. (actually, not)

(In Portuguese)

It is an omellet, that's true.

But the cheese was left only in the quotation.

Serious lunch.

(In Portuguese)

Black beans soup with fried egg.

Sandwich.

(The picture ain't fair with all the beauty in this sandwich. But in the morning rush

was what I could get.)

(In Portuguese)

Dinner for one.

(In Portuguese)