Oh, hello. 

It's been a hot hot week here in NYC and all I can seem to crave are cold foods and drinks. 

While this might not be a chocolate filled dessert, bourbon spiked recipe, or an idea for a great side for a cookout- in my own way this tropical granola bar recipe makes sense to share on Father's Day. 

As part of the wellness program I help run at the office, we wanted to focus on stress management and balance. Many individuals experience stress from difference scenarios in life and to different extents. Understanding how to approach this is incredibly important. 

I've had this recipe in my head for some time. 

Every time I think about brownies, a scene from the movie, Accepted, comes to mind. In case you haven't seen it, the premise is that a kid is rejected from every college, so he creates his own to trick his parents. One character in the movie is somewhat of a savant cook and makes an intense brownie (no, not those kind) which he calls wads. Each time I decide to tweak a brownie recipe I always wonder if they'll come out like those magical wads. 

It's been a while since I shared a delicious recipe, but quiet a few things had taken over my time. In between finals, moving, being sick, and finally graduation, posting recipes just didn't make the cut. 

I'm excited to finally be done with school, settled into the new place, and baking up a storm again. 

While I work at an amazing company with a fully stacked pantry, snacks for me tend to be rough. While there is fresh fruit, rice cakes, hummus, and guac- sometimes I  just want a clean eat to get me through the afternoon slump.

Thus enter these bites. 

These little gems were baked up for a special birthday celebration. 

My cousin and foodie partner in crime loves health food and nutrition just as much as I do- in fact, she's a health coach and currently in school to become an RD. This week she was my baking inspiration.

After watching an Episode of Chef's Table (I know how that sounds...), I was inspired to make some bread. 

For a while I have been toying with the idea of a buckwheat bread, but I also recently came across sprouted wheat flour. Since we try to keep carbs and gluten intake a minimum, sprouted bread is always a go to for our weekend toast. 

With those two things in mind, this za'atar bread was born! 

As I work on a business plan for a potential food business (no, it's not the brick and mortar of han's bananas...yet) and write a paper on pastrami, bagels, bialys, and babkas, I am counting down the days until I am officially a Master in Public Health (Nutrition). 

May 15th can't come faster.

But in the meantime, I'd like to start sharing some of my health and wellness principles and fun food facts with the yummy recipes I make. This post we'll focus on the amazing cashew. 

Man, it has been a week. Thankfully class is off this week and I'll get to catch up on work, terrible TV shows, and cooking (maybe). 

For the past few months I've been cooking up roasted veggie bowls with fish burgers for dinner. At the beginning of the week I'll roast a whole bunch of veggies, rehear them and add them to w bowl with fish, spinach, and hummus. 

Confession: I made these muffins and then ate them all myself in the span of three days. (Yes, they are the bomb.com).

Either way, this was an exciting week in the life of a public health nutrition nerd. This past week was NEDA (National Eating Disorder Association) week and kicked-off national nutrition month. It's amazing to see how much more awareness around food and its related conditions has become a point of discussion and no longer swept under the rug. 

Miso. Garlic. Shishito peppers. Chickpeas.

It might sound like an insane mixture, but it's totally a party in your mouth.

While on vacation in Houston, TX, I of course had to visit my favorite spot- Benjy's. While there we had amazing brussel sprouts and this crazy shishito pepper hummus. I knew instantly I wanted to try my hand at this since I love both shishitos and hummus- they're weekend food staples. 

Breakfast is by far my favorite type of food to eat. But I guess when you get into the technicalities, some of my favorite foods also cross into the "brunch" category.

In addition to my love morning meals, I cannot get enough of nut butters and granola. Creamy and crunch- I'm all about it!

This week in one of my classes we discussed the thoughts behind a concept called "Culinary Tourism." In a nutshell, the term means almost exactly what you think- exploring through food- whether this be your own culture or other's.

Well, it's been a hot second since I last shared a drool-worthy recipe. Adjusting back to managing, school, work, and everything else in between has sure been a balance. I've been learning how to create a wellness program for a diverse population- and applying what I learn in school to real-life, is actually pretty cool. 

On the academic side, I've been exploring food, history and anthropology and learning about food entrepreneurship- because hey, you never know when hannah's bananas will become a store-front. 

Well, that is certainly a mouthful- but one full of flavor and deliciousness!

I'm back from vacation from New Orleans, or more properly Naw'leans, and am full with food and recipe inspiration. Expect some Cajun and Creole inspired recipes that will make your say "BAM." (Yes, a total reference to Emeril, who is a huge influence in NOLA). 

Houston we've have a problem.

These babkas are too damn good.

Writing in from Houston, Texas- I am super excited to share this babka recipe with you! After having a gathering of friends for the holidays, I found myself with a large carton of eggnog and no idea what to do with it.

With the holidays, work has been slow, therefore creating more time to bake! I had some truffles and chocolate laying around, so naturally I wanted to repurpose them into a sweet bite rather than staring at the whole bag until I gave in and ate them all. 

It's been a bit of a crazy week and half, but it definitely calls for happy hour, or a good cocktail.

With all the holiday craziness, the office and school has been insane. I finished my last paper on food waste (which is fascinating to read about!) and found out I was being given a new opportunity at work- YAY!

Finals are done, the days are colder, and the holidays are almost here. While I was stress baking and planning holiday treats for friends an idea struck for eggnog cookies. 

But alas, I went to the store, couldn't find the brand I wanted, and went back to the drawing board since I couldn't bring myself to buy a carton of eggnog only to throw it away.