This may seem to have come out of nowhere to you, but the truth is that it’s been a long time coming. I’ve just kept it somewhat under my hat because I get superstitious about jinxing things. If I talk about it too much, it’ll never happen. So here we are today, after months of planning and over-analyzing, patterning and prototyping, trying and failing and way too many sleepless nights, the apron collection is a reality!

All the aprons in this collection solve a problem. They don’t tie around your neck, tugging at your posture. They’re made of cotton chambray fabric so they won’t fade. They have removable leather ties so they won’t tangle and get messy looking after washing. And in my opinion, they’re stylish enough without being over the top so you can wear them all the time without getting sick of them. They’re all designed and made in Winter Park, Florida using materials sourced from within the USA. So without further adieu, I present to you the collection!

The Cooking Smock (Available in Bluebird or Ash)

The Children’s Cooking Smock (Available in Bluebird or Ash)

The Mommy & Me Smock Set (Available in Bluebird or Ash)
WITH FREE SHIPPING FOR MOTHER’S DAY!

The Café Apron (Available in Black Dobby or Blue Dobby)

So why aprons?
Because I basically live in them. Every morning I get to the kitchen where we cook everything for the food truck, and one of the first things I do is stare at our pile of aprons. It’s never easy to decide which one to wear. Mainly because I’m not that crazy about any of them. We’ve tried all kinds of aprons, but the fact is that no matter the style or price point, they all end up a frumpy mess within a couple months. Faded with the ties wrinkled and tangled into a frustrating mess. And I‘m supposed to wear these things all day? Besides, I like cute aprons.

I’ve assumed a pretty large collection of pretty aprons over the years, many of my favorites passed down from my grandmother. Those tell stories through stains of eras I’ve never lived and I cherish them, which is exactly why I don’t wear them. The simple fact is that there’s no sense in getting all romantic about your apron when 90% of the time it’s splattered with ingredients. So on the day-to-day, I can’t be bothered with the antique delicate ones I love so much. Those are in the closet and hanging decoratively from hooks in my home kitchen. I’ve tried embracing a more professional style apron, but those get kind of boring and are too masculine for my taste anyway. For a while there I even tried wearing oversized button-down shirts from thrift stores because they were comfy, but the long sleeves were always an issue. Then I finally just said to hell with it, and made my own aprons that were stylish and practical in all kinds of settings.

Gardening, cooking, making whatever mess you make and looking put together while you do it. I’m so excited about these!

Okay, so people tell me I should be more open and share more about myself on this blog. I always feel so weird about that though because I’m kind of a private person to begin with and I wonder who the hell really cares about all the ins and outs of my life. But here goes; I’m going to share. (And this is the point where those of you who have heard enough have my absolute understanding and blessing to read no further.)

I’ve wanted to see this blog grow for a while now, everything needs to grow or it dies. I just wasn’t sure what direction to take it in. I know I’m not the type of person who can blog every day or keep up with the latest restaurant trends and things happening in the world of food. And I’m no certified expert in food nutrition either. Nor do I want to endorse products or have this clean space littered with ads. This blog has always been about simple, healthy and practical recipes so I may as well keep it that way since it’s what I relate to most. Creating things with my hands, whether food or pottery or random projects, is also something important to me. So maybe it’s taken a while to land on, but adding the shop component to Honest Fare made sense because it merges my love for the kitchen with creating well-made, useful and pretty things.

Designing and producing these aprons has been pretty awesome. Not that it was entirely fun and easy by any means, it’s been a lot of work, but it’s been good work and really rewarding for me. There have been a lot of ‘firsts’ which always makes things all the more challenging. I think the most challenging thing was sourcing the right materials. It took a lot more digging and sampling than I had expected. Then there were points where the patterning and prototyping seemed never ending. One step forward and two steps back. Even though they’re just aprons, I needed them to fit right and be flattering so it was constant trial and error. I’ve gained a huge amount of respect of actual garment makers, by the way. It’s also the first time I’ve ever worked on a project in which I’ve been able to hand select every variable. From the materials and fabric for the aprons to the paper for the hangtags, not excluding all the dear friends and talented people who have contributed to the process as photographers, web developers, graphic designers, cute up-and-coming child models, seamstresses and moral supporters. It’s hard to follow through and make things happen and you certainly can’t do it alone.

Half of my ‘great ideas’ fizzle out just as they begin to germinate when I realize all that it’ll take to rear and nurture them. I’m sure a lot of you experience the same thing. It’s good though, you have to stop yourself before you even start sometimes because creative babies are no joke. They eat a ton and they never sleep. I say that from my experience as a business owner – building our food truck and running a business on the day-to-day is the most challenging thing I’ve ever experienced. I won’t glorify working for yourself because no matter how much you love what you’ve chosen to do, every project is a ton of work and turning it into your livelihood adds that extra element of strain. Like I said, it takes a lot to make things happen and most of it comes down to simply figuring out a way to make it work and surrounding yourself with a good group of like-minded people.

So now what? The aprons are sewn. The online shop is live. I’ve organized my home office. Now, I guess I sleep again. And I eat again! You can only live off of baby carrots, cookies and coffee for so long. My birthday is this Friday so maybe I should try to use that as an excuse to relax? Maybe. Definitely catching up on season 2 of Downton Abbey. I’m also pretty excited to get back to posting recipes on the blog, plus that’ll give all of you a reason to get yourself or someone you care about one of these aprons.

Check them out and let me know what you think!

Unfortunately, a bisque usually implies butter and cream – which is partly what makes them so delicious, but also the reason they’re not that great for you and tend to be pretty heavy. Vegan bisques are better I guess, but a lot of those use a ton of vegetable oil or fake non-dairy cream stuff as a substitute, which isn’t not particularly nutritious either. I find the fake dairy stuff oily and weird anyway. The point being, bisques are as fattening as they are delicious and I just can’t get passed that. Enter Silken Tofu as our rich and creamy substitute that’s actually loaded with protein and we’ve got a truly magical bisque here…

We all love our extra firm tofu, but when it comes to pureeing or adding texture and protein, silken tofu is where it’s at. This slippery stuff incorporates right into just about anything when blended well. Great for smoothies and when it comes to bisques, silken tofu is heaven sent for those of us looking for a healthy non-dairy alternative (and you seriously can’t tell the difference in this case).

We tend to think of celery as a base ingredient or something we toss in as a background ingredient for some extra flavor or crunch. Like in tuna salad or chicken soup. But I think we forget how incredibly flavorful celery becomes when it’s cooked down and all that off-putting stringy stuff transforms to velvety texture and rich flavor. For this soup we cook it down until it’s very tender and falling apart, like this. and then whip it up (using and immersion blender, food processor, or blender) until it’s sliky smooth.

This soup tastes clean and rich at the same time. It’s buttery and smooth with a fantastic balance of sweetness and heat from the cayenne pepper. Nobody will believe that it’s so healthy, delicious and dairy free! Super simple to make and freezes great. Truly magical.

Which is exactly why this giveaway from Videri Chocolate Factory of Ralaigh, NC, is perfect!

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

1. TO ENTER, share a short comment at the bottom of this post or email me at gabrielle {at} honestfare.com (if you want it to be private) telling me how you feel about Valentine’s day this year. Are you into it or are you dreading it? Or do you just not give a shit? Just tell me anything about Valentine’s Day really and I’ll be cool with that. It can be as concise as two words or as long as a paragraph. I’m really excited to see what you all have to say :)

**Okay, for the sake of giving you and example and because it’s only fair that I share my thoughts on Valentine’s Day this year… I’m actually pretty psyched on it! I’ll be spending Valentine’s Day in a “love tent” and camping in the back yard with my sweetheart. We’ll grill some food, look at the stars and, um…

2. YOU MUST ENTER BY FRIDAY, FEB. 8, 2013 by 11:59 pm. And please make sure to key in your correct email when prompted in the comment box (only I will see your email address) so that I can get back in touch with you if you win.

3. THREE WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON SATURDAY, FEB. 9 and contacted via email for their mailing addresses. PACKAGES WILL BE SENT OUT MONDAY, FEB. 11 so they can be received on Valentine’s Day!

**UPDATE** And we have some winners!

First place for the grand prize Videri gift basket goes to…
Janet Bliden of Renton, WA
Valentine’s Day has always been a family holiday for us. My 2 daughters always helped prepare a special meal for our #1 love! We all dressed up in our finest party dresses and had a lovely candlelit dinner on the good china. The best part of the evening was watching my daughters stand on Dad’s feet as they slow danced with their Valentine. The girls are all grown up now, but my husband and I will still share that special meal and dancing. I’ll be serving your lovenadas for dessert because every needs a little chocolate for romance.

And our two runners up for the assorted chocolate bars are…
Kelly Edminston of Beaufort, SC
Usually Valentine’s Day is not a big deal. My husband and I got married the week before, so that’s when we usually would celebrate the love we shared. However, this year it looks like I will be meeting with a divorce attorney instead, so the whole month is just a bust! Ha. A little chocolate would go a long way to cheering me up, that’s for sure! Thanks for the chance to win. :)
AND
Karen Collins of Hamburg NY
Married over 30 years now ( didn’t know the ancients read this, did you?), and there is a great difficulty this year, as for the last few, to make valentine’s day really reflect what i feel about my husband. we don’t do cards, flowers, boxes of chocolates, dinners out. I would like to give him a few poems from neruda and others, to let him know I’m seriously into him still. A bottle of wine and a decent dinner at home are the mainstays— and homemade heart cookies.

**NOTE**
I just want to thank everyone who participated by sharing their personal Valentine’s testimonials via comments and emails. I was hooked reading all your touching and hilarious stories! Thank you again for taking the time. xoxo, Gabi.
And, don’t be bummed if you weren’t selected as one of the winners because everyone can actually get something from Videri this Valentine’s Day. Just enter the COUPON CODE: VDAY to get FREE SHIPPING on all purchases made the month of February! Check out the goodies on their online shop.
- end update –

So as a new Partner here on Honest Fare, I want to tell you a little more about Videri Chocolate Factory, the artisan chocolate makers based out of Raleigh, NC committed to making the best tasting, fair trade and organic chocolate in the South! I find it pretty amazing that the entire process of hand sorting and then grinding and tempering cocoa beans all is done within their quaint factory/retail space. Their chocolate bars are even molded and then each and every one is hand foil wrapped by a talented group of friends chocolate lovers! I really respect what they’re doing, and as a lover of Videri chocolate for over a year now, I can honestly say that it’s really great quality stuff. They recently sent me an awesome assortment of chocolate bars – my favorites being the peppermint as well as the peppercorn (which I’ve never had anything like). They also do some really creative chocolate truffles like the Chai Tiger (dark milk chocolate ganache flavored with chai tea); Bee’s Knees (a caramel flavored with cinnamon and vanilla and honey) and my favorite, the Turkish Coffee (blend of dark and milk chocolate flavored with espresso and cardamom). SO good! And they’re even doing a sippable chocolate beverage now too that’s rich and addictive.

Remember to use the COUPON CODE: VDAY when you order online to get the free shipping, and if you’re ever in their area, Videri’s doors are wide-open offering tours and information to anyone curious about the process of handmade chocolate.

Now on to the recipe for these lovely chocolate lovanadas!

Some of you may already know that outside of this blog I co-own La Empanada Food Truck in Winter Park, Florida. We have over 50 kinds of gourmet empanadas in our rotation, so as you can imagine empanadas are always on my mind. I’m especially excited about coming up with this new take on the empanada appropriately dubbed the ‘lovanada’ for Valentine’s Day.

These chocolate cinnamon lovanadas are hot, gooey and rich inside like a lava cake, but I find that the subtle pastry dough creates a perfect balance so they’re not too overwhelming and the perfect individual portion size.

I basically just made a very simple chocolate filling by cooking baker’s chocolate with cinnamon and whipping cream and sugar and then let it cool in the fridge to achieve a nice scoopable ganache-like texture. Of course I used only the finest baker’s chocolate from Videri, but you can use any baker’s chocolate in this recipe.

Try to control yourself when the intoxicating aroma fills your kitchen…it’s intense. I was essentially drinking this stuff at one point.

About the adorable pink dough…
You can use a little red food coloring to tint your dough pink during the mixing process. I actually experimented with a natural method of tinting using beet juice, but it ended up being pretty involved so I’m going to recommend the food coloring or no tinting at all. I’ll tell you about the beet juice way in case you have the time or are just interested though. You can boil a peeled and diced beet in like 1 cup of water and cool it. You end up with a deep red colored juice of which you add a few tablespoons of to your dough mixture to make it pink. However, I found that a lot of the color cooks out during baking so you should actually brush the lovanadas with some additional beet juice along with your egg wash before baking. The beet juice thing is great in theory, but there’s no guarantee on color. Your call.

Either way this dough is absolutely fantastic. I’m really happy with the recipe. It’s not too flaky and not too dense so it’s perfect here to give these good texture. Definitely a keeper if you’re looking for a good dough recipe that’ll work with for sweet of savory.

Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter or make yourself a paper or cardboard stencil to get consistent shapes. You’ll need two hearts per lovanada – one for the top and one for the bottom. Then you’ll scoop the chocolate filling onto one heart and cover with another and press the perimeter firmly with a fork to seal.

You might want to bake off a couple tests just to make sure you’re putting in the desired amount of chocolate filling before you make them all. I topped them with a little powered sugar to set off the dough a little and make them look even more romantic!

And yes, we will be serving these on the truck the week of Valentines day so come by if you live in the area!

*** Don’t forget to leave your comment about Valentine’s Day below by 11:59 pm on Friday, Feb. 8 to be entered in the Videri chocolate giveaway!

These sweet mini cabbages are great eaten raw – extra crunchy and refreshing. And separating the leaves is not only beautiful, but makes them perfect little cradles for dressing and all the other good stuff in this salad. Brussles are tight little bundles so I find that the best way to separate them is to trim their bases off to loosen them at the joint a little. The outer leaves are typically beat up and tough so you can toss those, and then just proceed to unfold each little cabbage one or two leaves at a time. Reserve the very centers for another use if they are too tight to open up.

To brighten these babies up I went with a tangy dressing made with lemon and fresh tarragon as well as a hint of Dijon mustard for extra depth. You can whip up the dressing with a whisk or take it a step further by tossing all the ingredients into a food processor or blender for a fluffier textured dressing.

The pepitas are nice because they’re such a tender seed, which is nice here since the brussles are already crunchy enough. The avocado and goat cheese soften and smooth things out in all the right places, unfolding and coating each raw leaf as you work your way through the salad.

I’ve made a couple versions of this salad – with goat cheese and without, with apple and without. Good both ways. I will say that the paper-thin slices of apple are a great base layer on your serving platter because they’re hidden at first glance, but make for a lovely sweet and juicy surprise to complement everything else.

I present to you the golden berry.

Also known as Incan berries or golden cherries. Ever heard of them?

Mind blowers. They’re unlike any berry I’ve ever had and everyone I’ve let try agrees. It’s hard to articulate the uniqueness of their flavor, but they’re somewhere between a dried cherry and cranberry.
First six things that come to mind:
Withered yet gummy.
Tart like sour patch kids.
Sweet like jam.
Dried cranberries are dead to me.
A miniature elbow filled with tiny snappy seeds that are fun to pop with your teeth.

Okay so now that you know exactly what these intriguing little fellas taste like you probably want to know where to get them… Rich Nature! This company was one of the very first to import goji berries back in the late 1990s before they were really available in the marketplace, and today they’ve expanded their product line to include all kinds of organic super berries (goji berries, golden berries and muleberries). For me, the quality is much better than anything I’ve purchased elsewhere (the goji berries are especially large, moist and chewy) and the prices are great. Annnnnd, as a new partner here on Honest Fare, they’re offering all of you a generous 18% discount on all your purchases! Hell yeah.
Just use this code at checkout: HONEFARE1212

They also do chocolate covered super berry treats that are incredible. I can’t recommend the chocolate covered goji berries enough though. They’re impossibly good. I just placed an order for the holidays actually.
* Click on their pretty ad to your right in the sidebar and visit their shop to use your coupon code!

Our star ingredient in these “super berry scones” is the golden berry or golden cherry – rich in phosphorous, calcium, and vitamins A, C, B1, B2, B6, B12 and protein. Yes, protein! For a fruit, golden berries are extremely high in protein (16%). The Greek yogurt and nuts add some additional protein here as well. And in an effort to make the healthiest scone on earth, of course I used whole-wheat flour and coconut oil instead of butter… (tried it both ways and had similar results with the butter being slightly fluffier and more…well, buttery tasting).

Prior to these I had never made scones before and kind of figured they’d be a bit of a pain. They’re actually really simple and quick though! After combining all the wet and dry ingredients you just roll the dough into one or two balls depending on how thick and large you want each scone to be (I did two softball-sized balls because I wanted mini scones).

Then flatten each ball out and cut into wedges of your desired size, like a pizza. I dusted the cutting board pretty good with flour to avoid sticking and it also helps significantly if you let the dough chill in the fridge for about 20 minutes before working with it.

I’ve made these a three times and the results have been great. Very nice texture and crumble and not overly dense like some whole wheat baked goods can sometimes turn out.

It’s the perfect scone for dunking!

I used golden berries and currants, pecans and walnuts here, but these will work with any dried fruit/berry or nut. I think goji berries and almonds or even dried cherries and pecans would be awesome!

Sweet potato, acorn squash, green beans, Portobello mushrooms, onions, parsley and alfalfa sprouts for some crunch. I just roasted the mushrooms, onions and green beans in a cast iron pan with some garlic and parsley, salt and pepper. The sweet potato is straight up, but the acorn squash was brushed with cumin, thyme, chili powder, cayenne pepper, coconut oil and honey. Instead of cilantro, I went with parsley because if felt more fitting here.

Now before you judge me, I’m going to tell you flat out that I absolutely hate Tabasco sauce. It’s a sucky hot sauce. However, the smokey chipotle flavor by Tabasco is another story. It’s phenomenal. I don’t understand how, but it is truly nothing like it’s pathetic ‘original flavor’ cousin. I used it here to whip up a quick chipotle cream sauce. Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, but that’s up to you.

The texture of these tacos is great. You’ve got the meaty mushrooms, crunchy green beans and tender squash with the smokiness from the cream sauce and the alfalfa sprouts, which add just the right amount of freshness. Avocado is also a really good addition.

Might I suggest this Sage & Peppercorn infused Old Fashion? It’s a take on your classic Old Fashioned cocktail, a la Thanksgiving. Gorgeous on your table and the perfect flavors to match any thanksgiving feast.

Champagne and wine are nice and all, but some of us might appreciate something a little stronger to keep that Thanksgiving glow going long into the evening when the conversation somehow shifts to whose cranberry sauce recipe was better and whether or not the turkey was dry this year…

This drink comes to us courtesy of my friend Eric who actually tends bar at The Courtesy in downtown Orlando. Eric is like the Mr. Wizard of cocktails. The man is skilled. I don’t know how he comes up with these drinks and I don’t generally know what he’s talking about either, but it looks cool while he’s doing it and it tastes even better. This one is easy for any of us to mix right up at home though.

The key is in the sage and peppercorn infused simple syrup. For this you’ll make your basic equal parts water/sugar syrup, with the addition of peppercorns. You’ll steep the sage leaves for a few minutes at the end before straining. This is all obviously done ahead of time and then transferred into a stylish vessel of your liking for easy portioning.

I promise you’ll impress the room with this concoction. And just keep everything prepped and together that way your guests can make their drinks as they go. People love activities, especially when they involve drinking.

The peppercorns will go perfectly with all the earthy flavors on the table and sage is your quintessential sexy fall herb – deep and rich with just enough brightness.

Eric taught me a couple tricks. One, being to cut the rind nice and thick, but don’t cut too deep into the orange. Avoid the white! Then you’ll want to release that natural orange oil by firmly pressing upon the rind with a fancy presser (or back of a spoon or whatever you have that can press things). Add the simple syrup and bitters and press, press, press.

Eric also has a special machine that creates crystal ball ice cubes that let you see more and more into the future with each drink.

But, we do not. Don’t get discouraged though! Add your pedestrian style ice to your tumbler just the same, pour the liquor over it and stir it up!

And then, like with the orange rind, you’ll need to release the sage essence from the leaf before dropping in into your glass. To do this, slap it between your hands and and give it a nice rub back and forth. (That’s what he said.) Do this gently so as not to bruise the leaf. Then place that pretty sage leaf in your glass at the end and drink up.

Instead of sugar I used honey. And rather than butter, I went with coconut oil. Also added some coconut flakes and flax seeds for good measure. And I didn’t have any raisins so I used goji berries.

And there you have them – Coconut Oat Goji Berry Cokkies. Impossibly good. They’re somewhere between an oatmeal raisin cookie and a coconut macaroon. But they taste healthy so they’re perfect for breakfast! I’ve experimented using brown sugar in place of half the amount of honey and it results in a sweeter and richer cookie, so definitely do that if you’re looking for more of a sweet treat.

I happen to love raisins, but I didn’t miss them at all here. In fact, the earthiness of the goji berries is fantastic with the nutty sweetness of the coconut flakes. Not to mention that goji berries are great for you! Super food status, with one of the highest vitamin C ratings and more iron per serving than spinach and amnio acids than bee pollen. They’re also said to increase HGH (Human Growth Hormone) production. Nothing wrong with cookies that keep you young and beautiful! And here’s a great source for organic goji berries online. The dark chocolate covered ones are awesome too….obviously not for cooking with though.

If you haven’t experimented with coconut oil before, this recipe is a great place to start. You’ll be shocked at what a fantastic substitute it is for butter. In this case, the coconut oil results in a much cleaner and less greasy cookie, but you can actually use coconut oil as a substitute for other oils and butter in most your cooking and baking. (Some additional info on the health benefits of coconut oil.)

These things are cookie monster material. Luckily they’re guilt free!