Okey dokey artichokey

I had my sickly snack of toast (with a bit of pb for protein) and applesauce, plus tea. The toast was Trader Joe’s spelt bread, which is my default bread. It is SO GOOD! Especially in toast form.

The applesauce was also Trader Joe’s, of the unsweetened variety. It is also good! I can’t eat sweetened applesauce anymore, it’s too much for me. As I’ve gotten older I’ve realized what an insane sweet tooth I had as a kid- I used to put two large spoonfuls of sugar in my tea, and I probably would’ve added more, but my mom cut me off :D

However, the highlight of the meal was…

MY ARTICHOKE! They had a special on them and they were only $1 each. While that is not cheap, per se, usually they are like $3 or something ridiculous like that. Plus, I figured, it’s in season. And it is SO DELICIOUS AND BEAUTIFUL AND PERFECT!

Artichokes are my favorite vegetable, if not my favorite food. I have told people that if I win the lottery, the best thing about it will be being able to eat as many artichokes as I want. That is the way I’d be happiest spending my earnings. THEY ARE THE PERFECT FOOD. They are definitely my favorite vegetable, if not my favorite food.

On the side I had mayonnaise. I generally hate mayonnaise, but since I was a kid and my family would eat artichokes together (I grew up in Spokane, WA, and we’d get in fresh artichokes from the Yakima valley in the spring!) we’d always eat them with mayonnaise, and they’re pretty much the only thing I have mayonnaise with, like, ever. So… heh, I had no mayonnaise. So I stole some from the student union. That dab on the plate is like 1/2 of one of those Hellman’s packets. It’s regular mayo, not light, but whatev. I only used a little bit and actually the ingredient list is a lot shorter and more natural, so I’m almost glad they only had regular.

It was delicious and perfect!

I wasn’t going to bother with the other stuff I ate (just leftovers), but these beans I threw together were so delish I wanted to share them!

Super mega easy. Take like 1/2 tsp olive oil. Throw in a bit of diced onion and minced garlic (just a note—on this blog, when I say garlic, I always mean fresh. I don’t buy jarred garlic. Fresh is so much better, and not expensive at all). Throw in like 1/2 cup canned white beans, and like 1/4 cup canned crushed tomatoes. Add lots of cumin and crushed red pepper flakes. Let it cook til things are nice and soft and combined—just a few minutes—and then add lemon juice and serve. That’s it! And the flavors were seriously wonderful! Simple food is the best.

p.s. Another giveaway! over at the hungry yogini!