Homemade Almond Joy

October 17, 2013 Anita Ma

One day, on a visit to Sri Lanka in the 80's, my grandmother and I made a trip to town in a three-wheeler. After buying the spices and vegetables that she needed, grandmother took me to the sweet shop for a treat. I carefully weighed my options and then spent my saved rupees on some foil-wrapped toffees. You’d think I’d invested in golden bricks the way that I treasured them. When we got home, I gave everybody exactly one candy to cherish before I put the rest away for safekeeping. When I say safekeeping what I really mean is tied in a small baggie around my neck. That’s right. Just like some kind of candy-deprived maniac, I wore those toffees securely fastened around my little head. That’s how afraid I was that my precious sweets could be taken from me. Supposedly my mom has a picture of me fast asleep, candies safely secured at the end of a creepy string. Whoa. Whenever I hear this story, at the point at which I am the most ashamed of my ridiculous behavior, my sweet mom always chimes in with the fact that I did share them to begin with. As if that helps my case.

Gluten Free Caramel Pear Upside Down Cake

October 10, 2013 Anita Ma

How do you know when you have a true friend? When she brings you 6 cardboard boxes of macaroni and cheese from her family vacation in California. Twenty-five years later and I still remember that gift. Lin knew me so well. She knew that I didn’t want a silly California keychain, a useless stuffed animal, or a tee shirt that would be too big and certainly too scratchy. She understood me. Of course that’s what I would want as a souvenir from her trip (regardless of the fact that macaroni and cheese could be found easily in all fifty states). She knew that pasta would be her best idea for a gift and the thing that would make me beam the very brightest. But most importantly, she could be sure that every single box of rehydrated cheese covered noodles would be shared with her - the glorious feast at many a giggly sleepover to come. That’s best friendship at its finest.

Gluten Free Carrot Cake

September 26, 2013 Anita Ma

Do you like mysterious grain of the Aztec? I love it! It makes a great lunch with some roasted veggies or a nice dinner with a piece of fish. And it’s super nutritious. Bonus! Wait, what’s that? You have no idea what mysterious grain of the Aztec is? Of course you do. It’s sooo hot right now.

Oh, hold on! That’s right. You might not call it mysterious grain of the Aztec in your house. You probably think that sounds ridiculous. Normal people know it by its slightly more common name - quinoa. Mysterious grain of the Aztec is just what my family called it. Yup. If you were at our house in the 90's you might have heard someone say, “Hey, are you going to make any mysterious grain of the Aztec? Great! I’m hungry.”

Passion Fruit and Lime Tart

August 15, 2013 Anita Ma

Gus and I have made it one year! That sounds a little ridiculous to say, considering we’ve been together for years, but we just celebrated our one year wedding anniversary. Should I tell you all the things I’ve learned one year in? I have a lot of marriage wisdom. Just kidding. I don’t have any. This is our paper anniversary for goodness sakes. We’re highly flammable at this point.

Creamy Sesame and Raspberry Popsicles

August 8, 2013 Anita Ma

I’m not much of a drinker. Some might call me a cheap date. If you haven’t already guessed I would always prefer to chew my calories. That said, a few weeks ago a sesame-infused vodka crossed my path and I went for it! Alcohol that tastes like food is OK by me.

Gluten Free Hazelnut Thumbprint Cookies

July 25, 2013 Anita Ma

They say that you shouldn’t go to the grocery store hungry. I understand the logic behind that old adage but isn’t that when buying provisions is the least tedious and the most fun? Every aisle holds so much potential for deliciousness. Plain old broccoli sounds utterly mouth-watering. Bananas feel magical. Bread could make me faint. (Well, that’s always the case.) Hungry supermarket cruising is exactly what credit cards are made for.

Blueberry Ginger Jam

July 18, 2013 Anita Ma

I’m going to tell you the truth about this post. The tone was completely different the first time I wrote it. I was singing a completely different tune. You see, I was planning on telling you how I had come to the conclusion that all of those annoying rules about making jam at home were just for suckers. I was going to tell you that I had figured out how to make excellent jam by just trusting my heart and having fun. But then I realized that in this case my heart just couldn’t be trusted.

Vegan Coconut Strawberry Ice Cream

July 12, 2013 Anita Ma

Coconut has been enjoying some serious time in the spotlight these days and I'm all for it. My parents were born in Sri Lanka, which is prime coconut-eating territory. Coconut appears in some form in basically every dish the island has to offer. Literally every one. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert. Not to mention, the spoons are made of coconut shells, the floor is cleaned with brooms made from coconut fibers, the mats underfoot are woven coconut husks, the ubiquitous, brutally strong liquor is fermented coconut sap, and if you’re my dapper grandfather, your hair is slicked back with coconut oil.

Strawberry Rhubarb Oatmeal Crisp

June 14, 2013 Anita Ma

I’m on the fence when it comes to crisp. Oatmeal and fruit have a very solid place in my heart. I eat a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast all year long. Even when the summer gets hot I keep eating steamy bowl after steamy bowl, swapping summer berries for wintery bananas. Oatmeal & Fruit, I’m so into you. Oatmeal Crisp, I’m skeptical.

Gluten Free Chocolate Pecan Blondies

June 7, 2013 Anita Ma

These blondies are gluten free! AND they're delicious. I know those two things aren’t mutually exclusive but sometimes I worry.