We've been picking wildflowers...and even enjoying a "campfire" in our backyard.

Over the next several weeks I will be traveling on and off. To places that are remote and unconnected and places that are not-so-far or off the grid. I'll blog when I can and share some of our adventures. In the spaces between, I plan to republish a series of posts that I wrote for my Allibrew blog a while back on "weird foods". These are things that are less commonly found at mainstream stores and that may appear in recipes that you find from vegan or vegetarian sources.

One of the main things that I strive to do here on Get Natured is to remove the mystery that seems to surround "vegetarian food". I want to dispel the myth that eating a plant-based diet is complicated and strange! Hopefully my "weird food" posts will help with that part of my mission. If you have a request for a certain food to be covered, please feel free to leave a comment or send me an e-mail (allison@getnatured.com)!

(PS- Can you tell that I've been having fun with the Camera+ iPhone app?)

I peeled and quartered the oranges then placed them in the freezer for just a little while to get them really cold.




Then the boys made juice!


When we make the juice this way, it is so frothy and sweet- not acidic at all. So, so, SO good!




Perfection.

What do you crave from your childhood?

• ~15 ounces of soba noodles or whole wheat pasta*
• 2 cups chopped fresh broccoli
• 1 bunch of asparagus, cut in bite-sized pieces
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds (lightly toast them in a dry skillet or buy toasted seeds)
• 1/2 cup green onions, chopped
• 1/4 low sodium soy sauce*
• 1 tbsp chili garlic sauce (or other hot sauce or chili flakes, adjust amount based on desired spice level)
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 2 tsp aji-mirin (rice wine), optional

1. Cook the noodles according to the package directions. In the last minute of cooking, add the broccoli and asparagus to the pot. When finished cooking, drain and rinse with cool water to stop the cooking and rinse away the starch that makes the noodles stick together.
2. In a large bowl, toss the noodle mixture with the carrots, sesame seeds, and green onions.
3. Make the sauce by whisking together the soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and aji-mirin. Pour the sauce over the noodles and toss well. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

*Gluten free: This dish can be made gluten free by substituting rice or other gluten free noodles and using a gluten free tamari (soy sauce). If using full-sodium soy sauce, reduce the amount by 1/4 to 1/2 (down to 2-3 tablespoons).