Can you even believe it’s February already? Let alone careering into the middle of if. I just don’t know where the time goes, but this year is scooting right along. It seems like just yesterday that we were kicking this glorious New Year off with a bang and a blog post. And now here we are eating Orange Cranberry Almond Cream.
Later this week I am heading south on a shooting trip to California, and, if I’m honest, I hope to snag a little downtime. Since I started creating recipes last April, and since the podcast was launched last July, life has got a little lot crazier around here. It’s a life I love, despite it being a tad ridiculously hectic.
While I adore living in the Pacific Northwest, I admit I am pretty darn excited to feel the sand between my toes, the sun on my face, and the ocean breeze messing up the mop of blonde on my head. I am almost giddy at the thought of hurtling down the I-5, sunroof thrown open with abandon, singing – although I am not sure how accurate that term is – at the top of my lungs, and smiling at all the truckers; I often think I should’ve been a trucker, you know, since driving for 12 hours straight is one of my very favorite things to do.
I’ve got a new set of beastie tires, fresh oil in the engine, emergency kits stowed, and copious quantities of beef jerky ready to set up camp on the passenger seat. Ten days of driving and shooting awesomeness. Yes! Please!
January only conceded a couple of shooting opportunities – New Years Day, and then a thin sliver of time somewhere in the middle when I ran away from the kitchen and the computer for half a day to catch my breath. It may seem to you that I cannot get enough of whipping up scrumptious and nutritious concoctions. You might imagine me spooning contentedly with my Vitamix every night, or waking up to find my kitchen scales slumbering quietly beside me. You may well believe that I have a magical oven that bakes rainbows & unicorns into everything that I put in it. You might think that mixing and slicing and kneading and chopping and peering excitedly through the glass door of the oven with baited breath never gets old to me. And you would be right; on all counts except spooning with my Vitamix and waking up to my kitchen scales. That’s taking things an incy-wincy bit too far, even for me. However, as much as I love playing in the kitchen, there are just some times when I know that I need to step out of it for a while if I am going to give it my best when I am in it.
On the day I decided to run away, my lengthy to-do list yelled at me that I didn’t have time to, but I ran away anyway; because I knew I’d be way more effective afterwards if I did. You know the saying, “Stop and smell the roses”? Yeah. Like that. I highly recommend it as a strategy for getting things done. And staying sane; the other kind of sane.
This, then, is where I live. I don’t have to go very far to get inspired. Love that.
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Sometimes the simplest things are all we need to turn us right-way-up again.
Like a few hours doing something we love.
Like having a temporary media black-out.
Like sitting with a friend and chatting over a cuppa.
Like this dish of deliciousness: Orange Cranberry Almond Cream.
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This Orange Cranberry Almond Cream is so very simple, but these days I’d rather eat this than any number of complicated pastries or fancy desserts.
Creamy, crunchy, chewy; with a delicate hint of orange. I ate it for breakfast. Then I ate it for a snack. Then I ate it for dessert.
Life can be simple and awesome. So can your food.
- 1 cup / 8 fl oz. cottage cheese
- 1 cup / 8 fl oz. Greek yogurt
- 1 tsp guar gum
- 1/2 tsp orange extract
- 1 1/2 oz. / 40g slivered, toasted almonds
- 2 oz. / 55g dried cranberries
- 1 oz. / 28g vanilla protein powder
- In a bowl mix the cottage cheese and Greek yogurt together.
- Sprinkle the guar gum evenly over the surface and quickly stir into the yogurt mixture.
- Stir in the orange extract, almonds, dried cranberries and whey protein.
- Mix well and refrigerate for 15 minutes to thicken.
- Spoon into dishes.
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isangelLove your photography!! Photography and travel are my hobbies and your photos are the same type (landscape/scenic)that are my favorite subjects. You live in a beautiful area.
Do also greatly enjoy all your posts and recipes. Have tried many of them and truly enjoyed them all.
carrieThank you so much, isangel!
JulieBeautiful photos! We are so lucky to live in such a beautiful place. I am jealous of your road trip though. This looks delicious – where did you find unsweetened dried cranberries?
carrieI didn’t – that was an over-zealous typo. Sorry about that :-( Thanks for the photo love!!
Juliehaha. I was impressed as I have been looking for them at TJ’s. :)
Excited to see what you come back with from your trip.
IsangelYou can easily make your own dried cranberries without sugar if you have a food dehydrator.
carrieGreat idea, Isangel!
SylviaGorgeous pics, Carrie! I can feel the serenity just looking at them. Love your recipes and am looking forward to trying this one. Now, off to the shops to get the ingredients…YUM!
carrieThank you, Sylvia!
SallyI love this recipe!! After a year of trying to find a quick, high protein, not egg based breakfast… I believe it’s here! Iv made it twice already, love it. One question, how long do you think this will keep in the fridge for?x
carrieYAY, Sally! This makes me so happy :-)) I’d be happy to keep it in the ‘fridge for 4 – 5 days…only thing is the almonds might go soft. If that matters to you, make it up minus the almonds and throw in the almonds the morning that you eat each batch.
LorrieLove the Cranberry Almond Cream…I didn’t have orange extract, so I eliminated it and I used chia seeds instead of the guar gum! Since I have no clue what yours tasted like, I think mine turned out fine! :-) I divided them into little serving cups and they’re ready to grab and eat. Mmmm!
Enjoy your little trip.
carrieNice job, Lorrie! Try it with the orange extract next time and see what you think.
DianeI tried this and I also did not have any orange extract so I peeled an orange and vitamixed it to oblivion added it and it was transformed into a wonderful sweet treat! I could not believed how great those ingredients all came together to such a decadent protein packed food. I have to say I am not a fan of plain greek nonfat yogurt. But now I have to go out and buy more just for this reason. Yum!
carrieLove it, Diane!!! You are the bomb with oranges in a Vitamix!!
EllenI found some unsweetened dried cranberries at Whole Paycheck…..er, I mean Whole Foods, but they were a little “crunchy”. Everywhere else, including Trader Joe’s, has dried cranberries with sugar or dried cane extract added. Were these what you used? Thanks!
carrieEllen – I used Trader Joe’s. If you use ones with no sugar, soak them for an hour or two, drain and then use to get rid of the “crunchy”.
LeslieCarrie – I know you posted this a while ago, but just wanted to let you know I’m totally addicted to this! The cottage cheese really helps to change the taste of the yogurt so it’s not like I’m eating the same thing all the time. I didn’t care for the lumpy texture from the cottage cheese, so stick blended until glossy and smooth. OMG, soooo good! Then I thought, wouldn’t this be great if it was chocolate? So I changed to choc. protein powder and added some cocoa and changed the extract to almond. Awesome. Not quite as awesome as the original, but then, I’m not you ;-) Thanks so much for all of the great and healthy recipes!
carrieLeslie – love that you smashed the cottage cheese up! A lot of folks can’t get past cottage cheese texture. Love the choc idea too :-)
DanielleI used this to top a couple of slices of low carb pumpkin bread this morning. Lovely seasonal parfait! Maybe I’ll take a picture next time. :-)
SueHi Carrie
I love this recipe so much I had it everyday last week, this week I decided to try some variations hoping not to spoil your master piece, well I was pleasantly surprised. I made a mason jar full and left over night in the fridge.
My first effort was substituting cranberries for blueberries minus the almonds quite yummy, 2nd try was frozen raspberries and unsweetened coconut although this took longer to eat it was equally as nice and my 3rd substitution was frozen strawberries also very yummy, hubby loved them too, hope they were still SANE though?
Off to make cauliflower soup now thanks for the fab recipes, keep them coming, You Carrie are fabulous and I’m glad you’re a Brit too!!
Linda SorichWell, I too didn’t have orange extract on hand, but I did have Cooks lemon extract. It came out DELICIOUS! I will try it w/orange extract some time but in the meantime it’s wonderful with lemon. Try it! I’m trying to give it 5 stars but it won’t let me, maybe because it’s an older post.
carrieSo glad you loved it, Linda!