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  • Spring Favorites

    Lemon Blueberry Bars - These bright and sweet lemon bars, studded with fresh blueberries, are a great way to welcome spring.

    Blackberry Limeade - Fresh blackberries and limes come together in this refreshing drink. You'll want to have it around all spring and summer.

    Spaghetti al Limone - A simple and light pasta dish flavored with lemons and Parmesan.

Espresso Chip Muffins

Mother’s Day is pretty much synonymous with brunch, so it only seemed appropriate to share this recipe with you this week. Muffins are easy to make and go well with just about any type of breakfast/brunch foods. These muffins are slightly more involved than others, but the effort is well worth it. This is a standard muffin recipe enhanced by espresso and chocolate chips. Coffee and chocolate is one of my favorite flavor combinations (right up there with strawberry and chocolate), so this recipe was a must-make for me as soon as I found it.

The recipe is made like a recipe for cupcakes, which gives these muffins a step up from standard recipes. Butter and sugar are creamed, then the wet and dry ingredients are added in alternating batches. The result is a muffin with a slightly crisp exterior and a tender interior. These are incredibly rich and offer a punch of espresso flavor that’s balanced by a healthy dose of semisweet chocolate chips. Served with a cup of coffee and some fresh fruit, this is my ideal breakfast. You should note that these are meant to be bakery style muffins, which means they bake up quite large. They’ve got that big, round, crusty top that makes bakery muffins so fantastic. This is great if it’s the only thing you’re having for breakfast, but you may want to make them smaller if they’ll be part of a breakfast or brunch spread. If you do make them smaller, make sure to reduce the baking time slightly to account for that change.

If you want to try other variations, simply replace the espresso and chocolate chips. You could use lemon zest, jam, seasonal fruit, peanut butter chips or pretty much anything your heart desires. If you’re feeling especially decadent, I think these would be great cut in half with a slather of Nutella on each piece. Too bad I didn’t think of that before they were all gone!

Still searching for ideas for Mother’s Day brunch? Here are a few of my favorites:
Stuffed Nutella French Toast with Strawberries
Lemon Ricotta Muffins
Chocolate Chip Scones

Espresso Chip Bakery-Style Muffins
Makes 12 large muffins

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 cups plus 3 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs
3 tablespoons instant espresso powder
1 1/2 cups plain low-fat yogurt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 375º. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick spray. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a small bowl, whisk together the espresso powder and yogurt. Reduce mixer speed to low and add the yogurt and flour mixture in batches, starting and ending with the yogurt (3 additions of yogurt, 2 of flour). Mix only until just incorporated. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the chocolate chips.

Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups, using a dough/ice cream scoop if possible. The cups will be very full. Bake until muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached, 25-30 minutes, rotating halfway through baking. Invert onto a wire rack, stand upright and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Serve.

Source: The Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook

Julie @ Table for Two - May 10, 2012 - 8:43 am

I love your little owl milk jug! hehe, so cute. espresso and chocolate are one of my favorite combinations in a muffin. i can’t ever pass one up! your first Mother’s Day is this Sunday :) so precious!

Adrienne @ How to Ice a Cake - May 10, 2012 - 8:48 am

Goodness I love chocolate and coffee. These muffins sound great :D Thanks for the recipe!

Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar - May 10, 2012 - 9:05 am

I loooove the sound of these. Yum!

Blog is the New Black - May 10, 2012 - 9:09 am

These sound incredible!

Nikki @Pennies on a Platter - May 11, 2012 - 9:49 pm

Shut the front door! I am making these the first chance I get!

Wendi - May 13, 2012 - 9:10 pm

These look delicious!! I will be making them soon. :)

Lauren Knight (Aspiring Kennedy) - May 14, 2012 - 2:16 pm

You can’t go wrong with espresso and chocolate. Best part is, you can get your caffeine in the muffin and can skip the morning coffee. Thanks for sharing!

Curried Chicken Salad

Curried Chicken Salad

Chicken salad can be boring. It’s plagued by dry chicken and flavorless dressing. It’s not something I would typically want to make at home. Recently, though, I had a fantastic chicken salad sandwich at my favorite coffee shop in Williamsburg. It was curried chicken salad on fruit and nut bread, and I knew I had to recreate it at home. I only made the salad part this time around, but I’m looking for a fruit and nut bread recipe so I can make the full version next time around.

This chicken salad is a far cry from the plain, mayonnaise-laden versions of my past. It’s made mostly with yogurt, which gives it a much lighter texture. I used nonfat yogurt this time around because it’s what I had on hand, but I know this would be fantastic with Greek yogurt too. This chicken salad is amped up with curry and a bit of cayenne. There’s added texture from the grapes, and you could even add nuts if you wanted. I roasted my chicken, but you could cook it in chicken broth or even use a rotisserie chicken. The great thing about this recipe (besides the fact that it tastes delicious) is that it’s highly adaptable. You can increase or decrease the amount of curry and cayenne to suit your tastes. Don’t like grapes? Try adding a handful of dried fruit (I think apricots would be great) instead. I ate this as a salad over a bed of arugula and on crackers, and I enjoyed it both ways. Think of this recipe more as a jumping off point, and you can create your own chicken salad masterpiece.

Curried Chicken Salad

Curried Chicken Salad

Ingredients:
3-4 tablespoons mayonnaise
3-4 tablespoons plain or Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon curry powder
Large pinch cayenne pepper
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 cups cooked, chopped chicken
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1 cup red grapes, halved
2 scallions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro or parsley

Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, yogurt, curry powder, salt and pepper. Add the chicken, celery, grapes and scallions and toss to coat evenly with the yogurt mixture. Stir in the cilantro. Serve with crackers and/or your favorite greens. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.

Source: Adapted from Serious Eats and Ellie Krieger

Emilie @ Emilie's Enjoyables - May 1, 2012 - 1:57 pm

I love chicken salad made with greek yogurt and I’m currently in a roasted grape obsession so this is right up my alley!

Rachel - May 1, 2012 - 8:33 pm

I went to college in Williamsburg. Which coffee shop are you referring to? I love the Cheese Shop.

Courtney - May 1, 2012 - 11:05 pm

Rachel, I love that place too! We try to stop there for lunch when we’re in that area, but it’s always so crowded that we didn’t want to try going there with Clara (it was spring break and especially busy on our last trip). The coffee shop is Aromas near William and Mary.

Kim (Feed Me, Seymour) - May 2, 2012 - 8:00 am

So glad I’m not the only person bored by standard chicken salad! I love this recipe, it sounds so flavorful and different. And would be a great use of my leftover chicken that always seems to happen… :) Can’t wait to give it a whirl!

Rachel - May 2, 2012 - 12:15 pm

Courtney, my sorority house was right down the street from Aromas. I definitely went there for many late night study sessions. I never tried the chicken salad though, I wish I had now!

Jessica @ Sunny Side Up - May 6, 2012 - 10:34 pm

I’m just starting to open up to eating curry at restaurants and chicken salad seems like it might be a good place to start using it at home! This salad looks delicious!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Eric and I were so excited to make an Easter basket for Clara this year. The fact that she was only one month old didn’t stop us. Part of her basket included Reese’s Cups. The cashier at Target kind of laughed when she saw the bag of candy, but I told her Clara would be getting a taste of it via proxy.;)After Easter, the bag of Reese’s went straight into the freezer because I think they taste so much better frozen. I had plans to save them for these cookies, but they somehow slowly disappeared from the freezer. I guess they would’ve been safer in the pantry!

Simply put, these cookies are phenomenal. I made them for the DC Food Bloggers Bake Sale, one of many bake sales taking place across the country to raise money for Share Our Strength. I wanted to make something that would appeal to a wide variety of people, and I’m happy to report that these disappeared in no time. It’s no wonder, with all those Reese’s Cups showing through, that they went quickly. You could certainly use mini peanut butter cups, but I personally like the look the larger ones provide. The thing I especially like about this recipe is that there’s peanut butter in the cookie dough, instead of coming only from the peanut butter cups. This means you get twice the chocolate and peanut butter! I hope the people that purchased them yesterday enjoyed them as much as we did.

In addition to these cookies, I also made chipotle cornbread (recipe forthcoming) and my favorite chocolate chip scones.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
Makes 16-24 cookies, depending on size

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk
2 cups coarsely chopped peanut butter cups, divided (Frozen for at least 30 minutes)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350º. Line baking sheets with parchment or nonstick baking mats. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter, peanut butter and sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Add in the egg and vanilla and milk and beat until smooth. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add in flour mixture. Beat just until combined. Using a spatula, gently fold in 1 1/2 cups of the peanut butter cups.

Scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Gently press a few pieces of the reserved peanut butter cups onto each ball of dough. Bake for 11-14 minutes, depending on the size of your cookies. The cookies should feel soft when they come out of the oven and will set as they cool. Allow to cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Source: King Arthur Flour via Annie’s Eats

Emilie @ Emilie's Enjoyables - April 27, 2012 - 11:40 am

OBSESSED with Reese’s, I wish I lived close enough to DC to snatch some of these this weekend!

Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar - April 27, 2012 - 1:00 pm

Oh my goodness, this is heaven!

Nicole, RD - April 27, 2012 - 2:15 pm

Oh my gosh. Those cookies have got to be worth every last delicious calorie…and they look great, too! These will be made!

Shelly - April 27, 2012 - 3:04 pm

These look fantastic! Let me know if you are having a bakesale in Georgia! I would be happy to bake or buy, or BOTH!

Elizabeth - April 27, 2012 - 9:21 pm

I made these from Annie’s Eats a couple of months ago and they were amazing!

Julie @ Table for Two - April 27, 2012 - 9:42 pm

I made these same exact ones from Annie’s site a while back and boy, are they delicious! I’m sure whoever bought yours got a real treat!! :)

Nikki - April 28, 2012 - 11:33 am

Last year, Ben, Judah and I went to the LA Bloggers Bake Sale. I didn’t find out about it in time to actually bake for the sale, but it was fun to buy up some of the goodies and meet some other food bloggers. I definitely would’ve bought these, as we LOVE these cookies in our house! :) Can’t wait to see your post about the sale!

Wendi - April 29, 2012 - 9:45 pm

I am drooling!! I made these from Annie’s blog at Christmas time. They are incredible!!!

Heide M. - May 2, 2012 - 2:04 am

These cookies look tempting, wish I had one. Thanks for posting this recipe.

Village Fries (Our Favorite French Fries)

Village Fries

Being so close to DC is one of the best things about living in Virginia. We love the history, of course, but we also love the awesome restaurants there. One of our favorite spots is Good Stuff Eatery, run by Spike Mendelsohn (of Top Chef and Next Iron Chef fame). We always eat way too much food when we’re there, but we justify it because of all the walking we do on our DC trips. Our order usually consists of two burgers, two Blue Moon beers (because they have it on tap – yum!), plus an order of fries and a milkshake to share. The fries are unlike any fries I’ve had before, which was why we were so excited to see the recipe in Spike’s cookbook. They’re herby and delicious, and I’m so glad we can recreate them at home.

We often make baked fries when we have burgers at home. However, since the black bean burgers we make are healthy, I feel like it’s okay to splurge on the fries. That makes sense, right?;) This recipe is different in that Spike uses Red Bliss potatoes. Most fry recipes I’ve seen call for Russets or some other type of starchy potato, but I like this version because the skin can be left on the potatoes, making them tastier and easier to prep. We’ve made these several times and have often just used regular red potatoes. This time, we used a blend of small red, yellow and purple potatoes. Like any good fry recipe, these require a double fry in the oil. This leaves the fries with a slightly crispy exterior and a wonderfully soft and potato-y interior. The herb mixture elevates these to almost gourmet status. If you’re looking for a fry recipe to indulge in occasionally, this is it.

Village Fries

*Thanks to everyone who shared their comments about finding ways to be more eco-friendly! The winner of the Envirosax giveaway is Shelly who said, “I would like to find uses out of jars, plastic containers, and other food containers. I always end uplooking at an empty container wondering what I could do with it. When I can’t think of anything I end up recycling it. Recycling is good, but if I could reuse it multiple time before throwing it away I would be a lot happier!” Congrats, Shelly!

Village Fries
Makes 2 generous servings

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds red potatoes (Red Bliss if you can find them)
Vegetable or peanut oil for frying
1/3 cup chopped fresh rosemary
1/3 cup chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon coarse salt

Directions:
Wash and scrub the potatoes under cold running water, then pat dry. Cut in half lengthwise, then into long strips about 1/4-inch thick. Combine rosemary, thyme and salt in a small bowl and set aside.

In a deep pot or Dutch oven, heat about 3 inches of oil until it reaches 250º. Line a baking sheet with paper towels and set near the stove. One handful at a time, add fries and cook until tender but still pale. Remove with a slotted spoon or spider. Drain on paper towels and repeat with remaining fries. Once all fries are cooked, refrigerate until cool.

Increase the temperature of the oil until it reaches 350º. Line the baking sheet with fresh paper towels. Repeat frying process, this time cooking until fries are golden and slightly crispy. Sprinkle herb mixture over fries while they’re still hot. Serve immediately.

Adapted from The Good Stuff Cookbook

Julie @ Table for Two - April 24, 2012 - 8:53 am

I live 15 minutes from DC and WORK in DC so can you believe I still haven’t been to Good Stuff Eatery? I definitely need to make a trip there! Your fries look perfect. I’m so picky about my fries but those are something I’d definitely gobble up. Next time you’re in town, let me know :) we can do a trip to Good Stuff Eatery together!

Blog is the New Black - April 24, 2012 - 9:01 am

I love homemade fries- yours look awesome!

ErinCroutons - April 24, 2012 - 11:25 am

I love a simple and delicious rustic recipe! And double fry?? Twist my arm. ;)

Jaclyn's Cookies - April 24, 2012 - 12:36 pm

These look amazing! I didn’t realize that you were in northern VA, I’m on the other side of DC in MD. We haven’t tried Good Stuff Eatery yet, but it’s definitely on the list. For now, I’ll have to satisfy myself with these fries!

Courtney - April 24, 2012 - 1:18 pm

I’m in Central VA, but we go to DC pretty frequently and actually want to plan a trip to Maryland soon. :)

Shelly - April 24, 2012 - 4:55 pm

I can’t believe I won! Yay! Thank you!

I love your blog and read it every day!

Can’t wait to try these fries!

Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar - April 24, 2012 - 6:59 pm

I love how easy these look! Awesome idea!

Kim (Feed Me, Seymour) - April 25, 2012 - 7:57 am

I live 25 minutes outside of DC and STILL haven’t gotten around to visiting Spike’s restaurant. I’m dying to, it’s on my list of things to accomplish this year! Either way, until then I am absolutely making these fries. My mouth is watering just thinking about them!

Beth @ Good to be the Cook - April 25, 2012 - 1:38 pm

These fries look PERFECT. Saving this one!

Karen @ The Food Charlatan - April 25, 2012 - 10:30 pm

Fries are one of those little gifts from God. And these ones look particularly heavenly. And please, do not be ashamed of the vat of oil necessary to fry these little dudes. SO worth it!

Ellen - April 27, 2012 - 9:17 pm

We head to DC by metro every chance we can get. (We live in MD.)We love it there! We have several favorite restaurants but have never tried Good Stuff Eatery! Because of your posting, we are going next Saturday for our anniversary! Thanks!

Black Bean Burgers

Black Bean Burgers

First of all, I want to thank all of you for the words of encouragement you sent to us through your comments and emails. I feel so lucky to have such wonderful and caring readers, and I appreciate you letting me tell Clara’s story. To those of you that shared your personal stories with us, thank you. Your words have touched us in ways I can’t begin to describe.

Since Earth Day is this weekend, I want to share a few of our eco-friendly habits with all of you. Being green is important to us. We’ve reduced our garbage to only one bag a week because we recycle everything we can. Now that we own our own home, we’re hoping to reduce our waste even more by composting. We’ve got plans to set up a rain barrel soon, which will hopefully provide enough water for our garden. We’re also hoping to grow even more produce this year, possibly in a raised bed garden. Also, when the season is right, we try to buy local foods whenever possible. Virginia is rich with agriculture, which means we have easy access to local produce, dairy, meat, etc. There are so many small things that each of us can do to reduce our impact on the planet. Perhaps the biggest change we’ve made this year is to use cloth diapers and wipes on Clara. It’s been fantastic, and she looks darn cute with her fluffy bum. (You may have seen a few pictures of her in them if you follow me on Twitter or Instagram.) I won’t go into the details here; this is a food blog after all. But if you ever want to know about our experience, feel free to send me an email or a message on Facebook. We’re also into refurbishing old furniture and giving new life to things so that they don’t end up in a landfill. Check out this before and after of Clara’s dresser:

One easy way to make a difference is to eat less meat. Eric and I have significantly reduced our meat consumption over the past few years. We used to have meat with almost every meal, now the opposite is true. At first, our meatless meals were mostly pasta dishes, but this changed as our tastes and skills developed. We’ve got several vegetarian recipes in our repertoire now, but these burgers are my favorite. I posted a recipe for black bean burgers a couple years ago, and that was my go-to recipe until now. Those are delicious but probably work better for lunch. These burgers are thick and hearty, making them perfect for a meatless dinner. They’re moist and flavorful, just like any burger (even a meatless one!) should be. Not only are they delicious, but they’re healthy to boot! Bonus: they can be made ahead of time and cooked later. This recipe just wins all around. I made a batch of these to freeze before Clara was born, and they reheated wonderfully in the oven. I haven’t tried letting them thaw and cooking them in the skillet, but I’ll update this post when I do.

And now for a little surprise: I’ve got a giveaway to celebrate Earth Day! Up for grabs is this awesome set of five Envirosax bags. I absolutely adore mine and take them everywhere with me. They’re durable and cute and can be used for way more than groceries. The best part is that it’s easy for me to remember them because they fold up so nicely in my purse/diaper bag. To enter, leave a comment on this post telling me one thing you want to do to be more eco-friendly.

The Rules: One entry per person, U.S. residents only. The giveaway will close at 11:59pm EST on Monday, April 23. Entries that do not follow the entry requirements will be excluded. One winner will be selected at random and contacted via email by Tuesday, April 24. Good luck!
Full disclosure: This giveaway is sponsored by yours truly.

Black Bean Burgers

Black Bean Burgers
Makes 6

Ingredients:
3/4 cup panko
3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed, divided
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and finely diced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced
1 shallot, minced

Directions:
Place a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Using a fork, toss together the panko and 2 teaspoons of oil in a small bowl. Add to the skillet and stir frequently until light golden brown and toasted. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Set aside 1/2 cup of the beans and place remaining beans in a large bowl. Mash with a potato masher or fork until mostly smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, 1 tablespoon of oil, cumin, salt and cayenne. Add the egg mixture, toasted panko, remaining beans, bell pepper, garlic, cilantro and shallot to the bowl with the mashed beans. Stir until evenly combined.

Divide mixture into 6 equal portions, about 1/2 cup each. Shape into patties about 1-inch thick. (If not cooking immediately, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Alternately, place on a parchment lined baking sheet and freeze, then store in an airtight plastic bag.) Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Carefully place three of the patties in the skillet and cook until well browned on both sides, 8-10 minutes total. Transfer to a plate, tent with foil and repeat with remaining oil and patties.

Source: As seen on Annie’s Eats, originally from The America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook

Leanna - April 20, 2012 - 4:08 pm

I want to drive less by walking and biking to nearby stores.

Katie - April 20, 2012 - 4:11 pm

Use my reusable bags more:)

Kelley - April 20, 2012 - 4:12 pm

I’d like to reduce our meat consumption. I’ve gotten my hubby to agree to one meatless meal a week, but he won’t let me go to two just yet:)

Amy @ The Nifty Foodie - April 20, 2012 - 4:23 pm

We really want to get a rain barrel for our gardens too. It saves on water bills & helps the environment. We also reuse our grocery bags for things around the house, and I’m just starting to use reusable bags (I know…super late on that one.), so I’d love more bags since I just have a few!

I love how your dresser came out! I did the same thing with a nice wood sewing desk I found on Craigslist, and it’s sturdier than the desks they sell at stores nowadays! I love the quality of older furniture!

Laura - April 20, 2012 - 4:30 pm

These burgers look great, been wanting to try black bean burgers for a while now.

We’re looking forward to composting too. Like you guys, we recycle where we can. So, I feel like a huge doof throwing away banana peels and egg shells when I know they’d make killer compost.

Happy Earth Day!

Michelle - April 20, 2012 - 4:34 pm

I would love to reduce my garbage bag waste by using reusable more often.

Misty - April 20, 2012 - 4:50 pm

These look great! My husband and I will try to expand our garden this summer if the weather and soil cooperate. I hate buying herbs at the grocery store and not being able to use them all!

Danielle - April 20, 2012 - 5:03 pm

I want to start making my own yogurt so we don’t waste multiple small containers every day!

Kristin - April 20, 2012 - 5:21 pm

I’ve been meaning to get rain barrel since buying my house two years ago. Perhaps now is the time!

Becky - April 20, 2012 - 5:29 pm

I make my own yogurt and put it in Mason jars to eliminate waste (and save money)!

Laura H - April 20, 2012 - 6:16 pm

I’m going to put off buying a bus pass for the summer and borrow a friend’s bike, instead.

Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar - April 20, 2012 - 7:15 pm

Now this is a fiiiine burger! Yum!

Kendel Richards - April 20, 2012 - 7:45 pm

we will be using reuseable bags now for all purchases! :)

Claire - April 20, 2012 - 8:00 pm

I’m planning to take the train this summer to work instead of driving.

Katie - April 20, 2012 - 8:27 pm

We are putting in raised garden beds close to the house. We’ve had a garden for years, but the deer always get more than we do! Here’s to hoping moving everything closer to the house works!

Shira Blank - April 20, 2012 - 8:45 pm

first and foremost, i love your blog. and i think something that i want to do that is a bit more eco-friendly is to buy reusable water bottles and place them in all my bags so i become less reliant on disposable plastic water bottles. i drink a lot of water!

Amy - April 20, 2012 - 10:35 pm

We are using cloth diapers also and started when our now seven month old was 4 weeks. We were a bit nervous at first but love it more than we realized we could when we made the decision to avoid the waste and cost of disposables. I would like to grow more of our own produce this year and find a local source for the meat we already try to buy organic.

sara - April 20, 2012 - 11:32 pm

I am going to try to reduce/eliminate the number of plastic baggies we use.

Kristen - April 21, 2012 - 12:08 am

We are using cloth diapers for our little guy, 4.5 months old. Not only are they super cute, but we’re helping save the environment!

Marion Chaloux - April 21, 2012 - 12:27 am

I’ve been following this blog for quite some time and I just love it! I use quite a few of your recipes!

My husband and I (also in Virginia) are also really focused on doing what we can for the environment. We’ve also cut down our meat consumption, but this years biggest challenge: finding both a healthy/safe (but eco-friendly!) kitty litter and cat food for our furry friend.

Linda - April 21, 2012 - 8:05 am

I’m going to start using more “earth friendly”cleaning products. I don’t want those products in my environment. The warning labels on the back of the products are proof enough of the hazardous contents. Love your website!

Emily - April 21, 2012 - 8:16 am

I already use reusable big bags at the grocery, but haven’t made the switch to the reusable produce bags…I need to get some!

Tiffany - April 21, 2012 - 8:32 am

I am trying to re- use and recycle more.

Yasmine - April 21, 2012 - 10:20 am

I want to recycle more and try to buy more organic products!

Vanessa - April 21, 2012 - 10:50 am

Love these bags! I’m trying to buy more foods in bulk to save money and packaging

Ashleigh - April 21, 2012 - 10:56 am

I want to start using non-plastic grocery bags! :) I don’t have any at the moment, so this would be the perfect addition to my shopping trips!

Courtney Rae Jones - April 21, 2012 - 11:24 am

Wonderful post :) It’s funny, I’ve been a vegetarian for 15 years now and I still don’t have a go-to veggie burger recipe. This recipe looks great though and I cannot wait to try it out! Looks like it’s a nice filling, juicy burger but still has some crunch to it. I find that the veggie burgers I’ve made at home can be quite mushy.

I’ve never been preachy/pushy about people becoming vegetarian or eating less meat throughout the week. But this movement across the blogs to have more meatless meals is so wonderful :) I love it!!! :) I think it’s not only great for health and the environment, but it’s also great to see so much variety! :)

Annie - April 21, 2012 - 11:44 am

Bring my lunch to work and only use reuseable coffee cups to reduce waste.

Eva @ Eva Bakes - April 21, 2012 - 12:39 pm

I want to make more homemade goodies to cut down on pre-packaged foods. I hate all the packaging they use!

Katie - April 21, 2012 - 3:03 pm

We recycle everything. I also do all my washing in cold water.

Joanna F - April 21, 2012 - 5:12 pm

compost!

Kimt - April 21, 2012 - 5:16 pm

I try to eat what is local and fresh and use bags like these for all my shopping.

Christine - April 21, 2012 - 5:42 pm

Id like to incorporate more DIY ingredients into my meals to create healthier dishes AND to eliminate unneeded packaging. I have plenty of freezer space that could welcome homemade sauces and broths on days that don’t allow enough time to cook full blown meals :)

Cori - April 21, 2012 - 8:31 pm

We’re planning on recycling our old electronics at a community-sponsored event.

Lauren - April 22, 2012 - 8:33 am

We’re working on reducing waste and transitioning from sandwich baggies and paper plates.

Emilee - April 22, 2012 - 9:54 am

To be more ecofriendly this year, I want to stop buying coffee in the morning (so many disposable cups!) and bring my own everyday. I also want to bike/walk to work instead of driving/taking the bus!

Jennifer - April 22, 2012 - 1:15 pm

The most eco-friendly thing I want to do is FINISH SCHOOL, which is over an hour away by car, and get a job close to home again. I miss the days when I only needed to turn on the car a few days a week!

sarah - April 22, 2012 - 4:42 pm

Great to read all the fabulous ideas! We are going from part time vegetarians to all vegetarian this year! Cant wait to try the recipe!!

Gwen @SimplyHealthyFamily - April 22, 2012 - 7:05 pm

Oh I am seriously so excited to make these black bean burgers!!!
So glad I stopped by FoodGawker so that I found your site.
Bonus giveaway! ;)
I’m already pretty Green but I need to practice reducing my car trips by planning out my errands ahead of time.

karen - April 22, 2012 - 7:51 pm

I’ve been working towards being more environmentally friendly for a long time, but can always do better. My focus lately is on not wasting. trying to use everything I buy.

Kathy S - April 22, 2012 - 8:38 pm

Rain barrels to collect water from our new gutters and then use the water on our raised bed garden.

Melissa @ Kids in the Sink - April 22, 2012 - 8:53 pm

I started a garden last weekend and can’t wait to be having some veggies come out of it!

Sara Dankert - April 22, 2012 - 8:58 pm

Wow, those are so cute! I want to plant more herbs and veggies in my yard this year – we have wonderful soil and great sun, it’s a waste not to grow our own!

Ambika - April 22, 2012 - 9:00 pm

Wow, the burgers look so hearty and delicious!!

Mary - April 22, 2012 - 9:59 pm

The burgers look delicious! Perfect timing – I’ve been meaning to try making my own meatless burgers. To be kinder to this earth, I plan to eat less packaged food.

Joselyn - April 22, 2012 - 10:22 pm

I am making a garden this year and hope to bike more now that it is summer to cut back on gas and save money.

Clohee - April 22, 2012 - 11:05 pm

We are using more green cleaning products in our household. We also recycle bottles and cans at the end of the year and donate that money to charity.

Carly - April 23, 2012 - 2:57 am

To be more ecofriendly, I want to petition my county to start city pickup recycling (my hometown has recycling bins that are bigger than the trash bins!!).

sara - April 23, 2012 - 6:41 am

I plan to try to use less plastic storage bags.

Francesca - April 23, 2012 - 8:04 am

I’d like to compost. Right now we save most of our food scraps and take it out to the woods for the animals. In addition, we have been eating less meat. I actually just made Southwest Pinto Burgers last night. I made a large batch…40 burgers! I cook them all and then freeze them…perfect! :) Makes for a great lunch!

Lisa - April 23, 2012 - 8:23 am

My biggest environmental push right now is convincing my boyfriend to stop drinking bottled water!

Anne - From Anne's Kitchen - April 23, 2012 - 8:53 am

I’ve just started (this past weekend, actually) to try to make my own natural cleaning products. It really wasn’t hard so I’m looking forward to making more and more of them!

LOVE that dresser by the way! Amazing job.

Joanna - April 23, 2012 - 9:37 am

I want to try to help cut down the waste at work…get us to stop using so many plastic water bottles, plastic utensils, etc.

Laura - April 23, 2012 - 10:36 am

My husband and I got married 1 1/2 years ago, and now have a blended family of 9 (yep, you heard it right – 9!) kids, 7 of whom live with us. We started a vegetable garden last year and hope to expand it this year. One of the eco-friendly things we are going to do this year is use newspaper to block the weeds in between our plant rows, and put grass clippings on top of them to hold them down, rather than using the landscape tarp. The newspaper and grass clippings can be tilled under in the fall.
Love your blog! And your adorable princess, Clara!

Beth - April 23, 2012 - 10:52 am

I’ve started taking the train to work. It’ll reduce my driving by 5,000 miles per year! That’s a pretty good start, huh?!?! :)

Jennie - April 23, 2012 - 10:58 am

Trying to be more “green” by using all of the produce from our CSA and never letting any of it go to waste!

Kathleen - April 23, 2012 - 11:00 am

What a great give away! I’m starting my own garden this year!

Michelle - April 23, 2012 - 12:59 pm

I already bike to work everyday so to be more eco-friendly I plan on recycling more.

Michele Jacques - April 23, 2012 - 1:00 pm

I would love to not have to drive as much as I do.

Sarah @ See Sarah Bake - April 23, 2012 - 1:50 pm

I saw these burgers on Tastespotting and I just HAD to come over to get the recipe. I’ve been on the hunt for a good, flavorful, hearty veggie burger and this looks like quite the winner :)

Joann - April 23, 2012 - 1:53 pm

I am planting herbs in my garden so I can stop buying those wasteful plastic packages! :)

Shelly - April 23, 2012 - 4:10 pm

I would like to find uses out of jars, plastic containers, and other food containers. I always end uplooking at an empty container wondering what I could do with it. When I can’t think of anything I end up recycling it. Recycling is good, but if I could reuse it multiple time before throwing it away I would be a lot happier!

Eleanor - April 23, 2012 - 5:08 pm

I want to eat more local produce. I live in the NC mountains, we have so much great stuff. I would grow it myself, but I’m hopeless at gardening!

I followed the foodgawker link to this recipe, they look amazing!

Katelyn Rose - April 23, 2012 - 5:54 pm

I drink so many beverages from cans and don’t recycle them! Horrible! I want to recycle those cans or reduce my consumption. PS Love the dresser!

EG - April 23, 2012 - 9:12 pm

I was going to recommend Annie’s black bean burgers recipe, then I remembered that you’re friends, then I saw that this IS her recipe! It’s a good one!

We should really do a rain barrel. My husband I’m sure is NOT interested in that but I have a friend who knows how to do them!

Nicole, RD - April 27, 2012 - 6:50 pm

These look incredible! Can’t wait to try them!