When I was a child, I only wanted to wear my two favourite outfits.

One of them was a neon pink and green spandex short and tank top combo and the other was a neon pink polka dot legging/skirt and t-shirt combo. Might I add, accessorized with a scrunchie, snap-on bracelet, and HIGH TOP kicks. I’ve always been pretty fashion forward. I bet my mom is laughing right now because she spent so many mornings trying to convince me that I couldn’t just wear the same thing everyday.

I guess I still don’t believe her, as I look down at the jeans I’ve been wearing for the past two weeks straight. :)

[Check out that pose]

I also go on major kicks with food. In 2009 and 2010, I ate so many Mary’s Crackers, now I can’t even bring myself to look at them. I’ve also had so much chocolate, I didn’t touch it for months.

Wait, that didn’t happen….obviously.

Anyways, here are the foods I’m loving lately. Ask me again in a month, and I’ll probably want nothing to do with them.

#1 Grapefruit

They’re incredibly juicy, healthy, flavourful, and in season to boot. Now is the time to give them another shot if you’ve been on the fence. Try the Rose or Ruby varieties- they tend to have a nice balance of sweet and tart flavours. I find the right grapefruit doesn’t need any sweetener!

Last weekend, I ate 3 grapefruit in the span of one day…it was glorious, if not mildly insane. I had juice all over my face like a 2 year old. Did I mention I used to hate grapefruit?

#2 Rawtella

Step aside Nutella, there is a new spread in town. A couple weekends ago, I had my first experience visiting Organic Garage. I laughed, I cried (over the bill mostly), and I stalked every inch of the store with a fine tooth comb. Let’s just say I’ll never be the same again.

Especially, after trying out this little gem…

Picture with me for a moment Nutella with a rich, deep coffee flavour. Only this kind is vegan and raw, made with organic raw hazelnuts, organic raw cacao nibs, coffee beans, raw coconut sugar.

As you can see it is now empty. :\

Please keep me away from Organic Garage. It’s clearly dangerous.

#3 Fresh Rosemary

Remember last summer when I told you that my outdoor potted rosemary plant was dying a slow, horrible death, despite my best intentions (read: over-watering and then neglecting for 2 months). I totally gave up on the plant by October and moved it into the garage for storage.

Well, you can imagine my surprise when I went into the garage last weekend and a friend pointed out that my rosemary plant was growing!!

IT’S ALIIIIIIIIIVEEEE! OH IT’S ALIIIVEEEEEE.

All it needed was a window in the garage and a bit of moisture from the air. Who knew?

Mind you, the parsley on the other hand, is not so low maintenance…it weeps for a better gardener.

I’ve been on a huge rosemary kick with my recipes lately, including this savoury nut butter that I made for the cookbook:

Oh man am I excited to share this recipe with you! It’s inspired by my favourite savoury spiced nut mix….and easily one of the best nut butters I’ve tasted in all my years.

I also made a luxurious vanilla macadamia-almond nut butter, that will blow your mind.

#4 Five Seed Rosemary and Garlic Crackers

Sticking with the rosemary theme, this box of crackers didn’t last more than a day or two in this house. They are like a corn chip in cracker form filled with goodies like flax, hemp, and sesame seeds.

#5 Millet

I’m using it in everything these days. That is, when I’m not burning it to a black crisp or over-cooking it, which is about every third attempt. Note to self: Find and buy a clip-on timer. Someone mentioned in the comments that I need a clip-on timer like they use in science labs. Where can I find one of these little gems?

#6 White Linen Collection Marinara Sauce

I’m so obsessed with this sauce, I contemplated dedicating an entire post to it. Kristi first introduced this sauce to me a year or two ago and I fell head over heels for this stuff. Then our Costco membership expired and I went without it for a year. Costco is now back in our lives and so is this magnificent sauce. I buy 5 bottles at a time when we go…not even joking! I’d tell you what foods it goes good with, but the easiest thing thing to tell you is what foods it doesn’t go good with.

Nothing.

Well, maybe grapefruit.

I was at Costco the other week and a lady was loading up her cart with this sauce. She said to me, “Have you tried this marinara sauce before?? It’s the BEST marinara I’ve ever tried! All of my Italian relatives buy it because it tastes so authentic.”

We were instantly best friends and then we stacked the bottles into our carts like crazy people.

As soon as tomato season hits, I’m going to try my best to replicate this sauce. Although, I’m not sure how close I will come as they use Italian tomatoes…

#7 Vanilla Beans….the cheaper way!

To those of you who told me that I can find vanilla beans at Costco for cheap…you will forever hold a special place in my heart.

You get about 10 beans for $15 here in Canada (I read they are $12 in the US!), which is the cheapest I’ve ever seen them. Best of all they are great quality and so far, nice and fresh.

[image source: The Kitchn]

Also note, thanks to a few readers, you can buy 54 vanilla beans on Amazon for $27!! However, I just found out they don’t ship to Canada.

As many of you have already noticed, I finally created my new winter header, just 18 days shy of spring! Miracles do happen. The real miracle will be if this thing isn’t still up by Labour Day. By the way, press control + F5 to refresh your page if you can’t see the new header.

Who says winter is only dark and gloomy?

True story: I almost pulled my groin while doing this photoshoot outside yesterday. The deck was covered in snow and I slipped while moving my tripod. Groin almost pulled. Thankfully it wasn’t, because I have a 5km race on Sunday! woot woot :)

Now tell me, what foods are YOU obsessing over lately? Spill the beans.