secret garden...and a taco salad...

hi friendlies...thank you so much for all of your comments on my last blog entry...I AM SO LUCKY that both kelli and heathy are coming to toronto to hang out with me for an ENTIRE weekend...i am truly blessed in so many ways...and so very thankful...i wish upon a million stars that all of you wonderful people could join us...and maybe one day i will have the honour and pleasure of meeting you all...it would be such an amazing experience...i mean that from the bottom of my heart...

my garden is thriving...i am so very proud of my little plant babies...here's a little peek...(as an aside, i had planted watermelon, but all of my plants have died, so sad...)







it's just such a wonderous feeling to be able to grow a garden and watch and experience the beauty and power of nature...i am amazed...

last night i made such an amazing raw vegan taco salad...so tasty...and so easy to throw together...and oh. my. goodness...sooooooooo yum!

taco salad





2 cups of romaine lettuce (organic)
2 ears of corn niblets (organic)
7 green olives, pitted and chopped (organic)
1 green onion chopped finely (organic)
1/2 an avocado chopped
sour cream dressing (1/2 cup raw cashews soaked, 1 lemon juiced, 1 glove garlic, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 cup of water, 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth)
3 tbsp of raw vegan taco meat (ani phyo's recipe)
1 tbsp chipotle cheeze (ani phyo's recipe)

place first four ingredients in a bowl...sprinkle with taco meat, drizzle with sour cream dressing, add the cheeze on top...and DEVOUR!!!

leaving you with a sweet photo i took of a sleeping jackson yesterday...i love him so much...



i'm wishing you all a very beautiful day...

i feel like dancing...

i am truly, beyond words...excited! have you ever received the best news...and just felt like you were walking on sunshine??? last week i received an email from one of the most beautiful human beings i know...heathy...letting me know that she was coming for a visit...well! i was on cloud 9...totally and utterly out of this world happy...and today, the cherry on top of the cake, i received an email from another beautiful human being, kelli...telling me she would be driving to toronto the same weekend heathy will be here.

and again i feel so blessed.

july 10, 2010 we will be having a party (not sure of the time, but am thinking afternoon for as long as people would like to hang out)...a very sweet party...raw vegan/vegan dessert and finger foody potluck party...in a very beautiful and serene environment...my backyard...



please let me know if you're interested in joining us...email me at antonella.iannozzi@gmail.com...

let's rewind to friday...i had a very special guest...another beautiful and spectacular human being...camille...we did a bit of shopping for ingredients and we made sweet gratitude's tiramisu...and it was epic...





camille surprised me with such a fabulous gift, a glassdharma straw...how lucky am i? i think i may have done a bit of a happy dance...who wouldn't? i had been looking high and low for one of these babies...




(this smoothie was my dinner tonight, one banana, 1/4 cup frozen raspberries, 1/4 cup of berry mix (black raspberries, bloobs, blackberries), 5 frozen strawberries, 1 cup of water, 10 cherries)

the most brilliant part of friday was getting to hang out again with such a beautiful soul...camille is one of the sweetest, most gracious human beings i have ever had the pleasure of knowing...and i am honestly, so honoured to call her my friend. she's beautiful. hands down!

we also made some pretty tasty crackers...i threw a bunch of ingredients into the food processor...with camille's help...this is what we ended up with:

sesame flax crackers

1 celery stalk
2 small carrots
2 cups of soaked sunflower seeds
1/4 hazelnut flour (optional, i just had extra in the fridge and needed to use it)
1/4 cup of parsley
5 basil leaves
1 garlic clove
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup of sesame seeds
1 tsp himalayan crystal salt
1 cup of ground golden flax
1/2 cup water (use as needed)

throw everything except flax into food processor...process until a batter is formed. add flax. process until well combined...spread on paraflex sheet. spread it as thinly as you want. place in dehydrator for 20 hours at 104 degrees...i like a more crispy and dry cracker...if you prefer a moister cracker dehydrate for as long as you wish.





we also made some AMAZING kale chippies...

chipotle nacho cheeze kale chips

1 bunch of kale destemmed and chopped to your liking
1 orange bell pepper (i used 2 very tiny baby ones)
1 cup of soaked cashews
2 tbsps fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup of water
1/2 cup of nutritional yeast
1 tsp of chipotle powder
dash of himalayan crystal salt

throw all ingredients, except kale into a food processor or vitamix. blend or process very well. pour mixture over kale and massage well. place on paraflex sheets and dehydrate for 15 hours at 104 degrees...and enjoy. these chips are phenomenal...





and that was my fabulous friday...

and let's fast forward once again to today...mister postman surprised me with a super fantastic package...remember the fantastic giveaway i won over at bitt of raw...aimee was so kind to include some doggie biscuits for my sweet little guy...and he was a very happy puppy...thank you so much my sweet friend (another beautiful human being)...



life is just so beautiful, especially when you are surrounded with, and by so much beauty, earthbound angels...and there are some extremely kind and generous souls out there...and i am truly blessed to know many of them...

also, please don't forget about the csn stores $60 gift certificate giveaway...if you haven't entered...please do...

have a beautiful night my friends...wishing you all a very sweet week...

CONTEST CLOSED...amazing csn store giveaway...

hello darling bloggies...i am so happy and excited to be able to offer all of you the chance to participate in my next giveaway...with the help of the very generous folks over at csn stores who have kindly offered a $60 gift certificate to one very lucky winner! incredibly faboulous wouldn’t you say?


for those of you who don't know, csn stores is the store that offers everything and anything from kitchen goodies to rugs to bean bag chairs (love those!), to mattresses...to lighting...they have over 200 stores that you’re bound to find everything you could possibly need/want.

here are the rules:

*must be a US or Canadian resident
*must provide a valid email address so I can easily contact you if you win (winner will have 48 hours to respond).
*entries count as one unless otherwise stated...if entry counts as more than one, leave the same number of comments as noted...for example, if entry counts as three then leave three separate comments.
*only comments posted below will be valid for entry.

note: csn stores will send winner an online gift certificate valued at $60, excluding shipping costs...please keep that in mind when shopping or check out their free shipping items...csn stores has great customer service and will help you with any questions you might have regarding shipping costs or items.

** to enter **

required:

*you must be a follower on google friend connect. it's on the right hand sidebar of my blog. then leave a comment stating that you are.
*visit one of csn stores' 200+ stores and let me know something you’d love to have – anything your heart desires!


optional:

* follow csn stores on twitter (2 entries = 2 separate comments below)
* follow me, nutellaaaa, on twitter
* tweet about this giveaway (1 tweet = 2 entries = 2 comments)
* "like" csn stores on facebook (2 entries = 2 comments)
* post about this giveaway on your blog – provide me the link (5 entries = 5 comments)

as stated above, contest is open to US and Canadian residents only...winner will be selected at random...contest ends tuesday, july 6th...winner will have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be randomly selected.

good luck to you all!

well...what can i say...it was a day of natural disasters...

i wanted to thank everyone for their concern yesterday...some parts of ontario, quebec and the united states experienced a bit of a tremor in the early afternoon...

i too experienced it. i was on the 26th floor of an office building, and it swayed back and forth, back and forth...and as dramatic as it may sound, i was petrified. i've never in my life experienced the flashing of my days, and people and fur babies i love before my eyes...i was not allowed to leave the building (i know, right?)...because i had reports to file...

and as one of my beautiful friends put it in an email last night to me..."putting profit over life! they're nuts."...and i agree...

i remember thinking what if there is an aftershock, and i'm sitting here filing reports...i wasn't even able to call anyone because i was TOO busy...does this make sense? i cried the rest of the afternoon...and leaving was perhaps the most amazing thing that i have ever experienced in my life.

i am certain now, that my life was not in any danger, i would hope that building management knew what they were doing when they didn't evacuate the building...although most of the surrounding buildings were...

i got home yesterday and hugged the crappola out of my puppy, john was at work, i had a good cry with him though...and i sat outside with jackson for hours...throwing the ball...and thinking about how incredibly lucky i am to be alive...my life is so beautiful...even with all of its craziness, it does not outweigh the happiness and the love that surrounds me on a daily basis...i have so much to be thankful for...my family...my love...my fur baby...my friends...my new found friends...i have so much to be excited about...so many things to look forward to...

so i thought i might dedicate this blog post to my life...and people and things that make me happy everyday...

my baby love...this man makes me so happy...i always dreamed of being with someone that would love me for me...and just hold my hand through life...and he does all of that and more...we have so much fun together...we laugh...we play...we walk...we talk...we cook...we love...and he's my very best friend...and he makes me so happy...the day i met him, is the day i found peace in this life of mine...he truly was the missing piece...and i feel whole...and full of life...in a world full of strangers he is the only one i know...





my goofball muffin...he is the sunshine of my life...quirky...funny...snuggly...and my forever baby...he loves me no matter what...whether i look good or not...whether i'm sad or happy...and no matter how bad my day is...well...he can turn any rainy day into a sunny one...just by giving me one of his infamous hugs...i love him so much...





my family...my mama and papa and my two baby brothers (they're hardly babies...but, they will always be to me)...i had a beautiful childhood...my mother and i always struggled to get along, she's been somewhat critical of me since the day i was born...but, i am the person i am because of it...i have this incredible strength because of it...and instead of holding a grudge, i have moved on and found positive in the criticism...i love both of my parents with all of my heart...and am thankful to them for everything they have given me...and my brothers, well they're beautiful people...and have always been there for me...and i love them so much...not sure they realize how much, but i do...







and my friends...new and old...what would life be like without friends...an extension of family...i love them all...wholeheartedly...i would be nothing without them...my life has been full and blessed...and i thank the universe everyday for giving me the most beautiful gifts...i couldn't have asked for better people to guide me through this life...and each day i am amazed because i feel as though the universe keeps rewarding me with so many more beautiful people to keep me company in this game of life...and my heart keeps growing...it is a beautiful thought, knowing that i share this world with such phenomenal human beings...and even though some friends are no longer a part of my life...they live comfortably in my heart...they left a lasting impression, a footprint on my soul...and i will love them for as long as i am me...













and everyday i am thankful for everything i have...i have more than i could have ever asked for...and i am truly blessed...i live in a free country...i have a job...and health benefits...i have clean water to drink, and swim in, food to eat and create beautiful art with, and i have such precious love and laughter to keep me thriving...i have so much...most aren't so lucky...so for all of this and more, i am grateful...

i received some extremely amazing news yesterday...actually a few wonderful things happened yesterday, despite the tremor and the tornadoes that ripped through ontario...so stay tuned for some pretty exciting stuff...and a couple of giveaways...

i also wanted to say thank you so much to all of my beautiful readers and bloggie friends...i look forward to your musings and writings everyday...you all put such a smile on my face...i look forward to all of your comments and opinions...and i want you all to know i appreciate you all so much...you have become so very dear to me...i adore you all...sending you all so much love and big ginormous hugs...

new moon pie flavour...a crepe...and two winners...

hello lovebugs...how are all of you?

as all of you know i'm over the moon about moon pies...(that was pretty clever no?)...

let me introduce to you my very new flavour...

nutty nutella moon pies









i have to admit, i did not have fun making these...i also made a batch of caramel moon pies...unfortunately my caramel was a little oozey and way too gooey...two moon pies died in the dipping process...so sad...i think i may have to take break for a while...

this morning for brekkie, i had the most spectacular dish...courtesy of ani phyo, who else?

banana chia crepe, nutella and fresh organic cherries...



speaking of ani phyo...the two very lucky winners of two ani's raw food essentials book giveaway are:

no. 43 - lauren of ginger is the new pink; and
no. 70 - melissa of contagious health

CONGRATS LADIES!!!...i hope you love ani phyo's new book as much as i do...

thank you all for participating...and hold on tight because i'll be having a very sweet, full of gratitude giveaway, very shortly...can anyone guess the new giveaway?

i wanted to ask you all a favour...i'm extremely curious about all of you...and wanted to know where you are all from...so if you wouldn't mind letting me know in the comment section, that would be FABULOUS!!!

have a beautiful night...sending you all ginormous amounts of love...

<3

life is beautiful...and the universe loves me...

i am blessed. second beautiful weekend in a row...i'm starting to think that i've been a good girl...and the universe has rewarded me with such beautiful moments...

this weekend i was so fortunate to spend time with some very incredible ladies...camille hosted our mostly raw vegan patio party...i finally got to meet lisa, and jenny...i was also very fortunate to meet a very lovely lady, patrizia...



the spread was pretty fantastic...most items on the menu were made using recipes from ani phyo's raw food essentials...onion rings, cheddar kale chips, mango salad, tostadas...to drink there was an organic white wine strawberry mango sangria and water with cucumber and lemon...and for dessert, wow, amaretti cookies, blueberry lavender ice cream, chocolate fudge cake, nutella, lemon cashew cream and moon pies...















has anyone ever had the chance to visit heaven? corny? yes! well i did yesterday afternoon...there is nothing like the beautiful company of such spectacular women, wonderful food and lots of laughter...there were so many genuine kind hearts in one room, i felt happier than i have in a while...it's a such a fantastic feeling to be among very good people...people that i feel i have known a lifetime, and that is because we all share the same views about certain things and it's very hard to find people that feel the way that i do about food...food really does bring people together...

today i am sharing this very beautiful day with my family and the love of my life...and it's all about love and laughter, and those are the ingredients to a very beautiful life...and lasting memories, at least for me...

hope you are all enjoying your weekend, and i wish you all love and laughter today, and everyday...

<3

i am italian...hear me roar...

i feel like little red riding hood's granny right now, as i perch my glasses at the tip of my nose...anywhere else, i can't see...the frames are toooooo small...ugh!

moving right along...i was not born in italy, although i do have dual citizenship, i am both a very proud canadian and italian (and yes i am totally cheering for italy to win the world cup, and the italian flag is waving proudly on my car, haha)...however, from the very ripe age of 3 months i pretty much spent between 4 and 5 months out of the year...every year...until i was 17 in italy...at 17...i was too afraid to get my butt on a plane, so i lived there for two years...two of my most cherished years...memorable years...such a lovely country...



the air is fresh...the people are just so beautiful and so friendly...and the food is as natural and pure as you're ever going to get...and everyday of the week there is always a farmers market in one of the neighbouring towns...siestas in the afternoon...and everything and everyone is laid back...i want to go back so badly. i want to grow old there...a girl can dream right?

one of my favourite italian foods is "farinata"...wikipedia describes it as such... "Farinata (which literally means made of flour in the Italian language) is a thin, crisp, pizza-like pancake from Liguria, Italy. Its original Genoese name is fainâ. Variations are eaten in many different Mediterranean countries and beyond. It is similar to the socca from Nice, France"...the twins made a few variations here, of socca, as did camille...

it's a beautiful snack...or accompaniment to a salad...or whatever you are eating...i believe the olive oil is pretty much what makes it or breaks it...i am pretty blessed when it comes to olive oil, as mine comes all the way from my grandmother's farm in italy...it's as organic and fresh and cold pressed as you're gonna get...



farinata

olive oil (enough to cover bottom of oven proof skillet)
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/4 cups chickpea flour
1/2 lemon juiced
1 garlic clove minced or pressed
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 tbsp fresh rosemary chopped

directions

in a bowl, thoroughly mix chickpea flour, salt, garlic, pepper,
lemon juice, and water. let mixture sit 1 to 4 hours (or overnight).

preheat oven to 435 degrees

in a pie plate (or if you have a well-seasoned cast iron
skillet, its the preferred method, but fancy is not important), pour enough olive oil into the pan to generously cover the bottom.

pour batter into skillet or pie dish.

bake for 30-35 minutes. pancake is done when it pulls away from the
sides of the skillet and has a nice golden brown color. remove from
oven. and devour, if you remember you can always sprinkle some vegan cheeze like daiya all over it...mmmm...











heaven...heaven...heaven. it's gluten free, soy free, everything free...it's not raw...but if you're not a purist...oh man! please try it. you'll thank me. i promise. so easy to make too!

has anyone ever tried baby kale? i found it at my local organic grocery store a couple of days ago...and i almost did a little happy dance in front of the fridge...yes i did! tonight's dinner was a lovely baby kale salad with my very own raw kraut, raw local sweet peas, cukes, radishes, and the dressing was a mixture of my very favourite raw caesar dressing (2 tablespoons)...and a little extra acv, lemon juice, salt and olive oil...fantastic...





and...for tomorrow's breakfast...i packed up a few scones (buckwheat biscuits), berry sauce, nutella and clotted kream...(camille LOVES the play on words)...





have a lovely night my friends...and don't forget about the giveaway...two ani phyo books...and two more sleeps until our vegan patio party...i'm going to bring ani phyo's raw tostadas...with raw corn tortillas, heirloom tomato salsa...nacho cheeze, taco nut meat...sour kream...*drool*

night night...