Good Day!
I wanted to show you a few of my purchases from Paris…
A cookie press!

I’m sensing vegan ginger cookies on the horizon! ;)
I also got a print of the Eiffel tower.

Sad story: My sister bought my mom and I each a gorgeous oil painting in Paris and we forgot them on our tour bus and no one turned them in. :( Major doh.
I also got a couple small prints and postcards. I am going to put one on my Vision Board.

and COFFEE ONLY Paris mugs!!!

Whenever you see these Paris mugs on my blog, you will know I am drinking COFFEE!!! ;)
[P.S.- I’m working on the coffee thing. Our coffee maker intimidates me….]
I bought a lot of this…

I also bought gifts for family.
Home Is Where The Food Is:
When I return from a trip there are usually a handful of foods that I am dying to eat upon my return. I find for every trip, the list of foods I am craving differs depending on what I ate and also what I didn’t have access to while I was away.
So what was the first thing I ate when I got back from Paris?
Nope!
The Ultimate Oatmeal Raisin Walnut Cookie, of course. ;)
Sixty seconds after being home one of these was in my mouth.
I made Eric a batch before I left and he saved me one!
Ok, ok, he didn’t technically save me one; he didn’t know any were left and then I spotted it and nabbed it!
I leave no cookie undetected, my friends.
It was STILL moist and fresh after an entire week in Tupperware! It must be those walnuts adding a ton of moisture. This is my favourite cookie recipe yet.
After my cookie attack, I made Pumpkin Pie Vegan Overnight Oats with pure maple syrup! I was craving them all week.

Then I made a huge chickpea salad. Oh how I missed my little chickies.

Then I spent time with Sketchie! He was stuck to me like glue all night.

But that could have been because I was luring him with cat treats…I’ll just pretend he missed me…
After dinner, I headed to the grocery store to stock up on fruit!

Bananas, grapefruit, oranges, lemons, ginger, apples, etc.
When I get back from a trip, the first thing do is make sure that healthy foods are on hand. Luckily the fridge is overflowing with vegetables from our CSA so I didn’t have to buy many veggies.
I have also had plenty of these Pumpkin Pie Monsters.
Today, I spotted Gena’s Butternut Squash Smoothie that I am dying to try with my leftover 2 pounds of b’nut squash. I’ll have to try it this week!
And a square of this each night…I am trying to make it last, but it is hard.

My sis and I deemed this the best dark chocolate we have ever tasted. It is 85%, but I swear to you it tastes like 40-50%. Incroyable!
I’ve also been enjoying my Ezekiel toast with avocado, pepper, sea salt, and tomato paste.

And bananas and almond butter with cacao nibs:

Maple Butternut squash and apple casserole:

Strawberry & Glonola Spinach Salad:

And of course Tartes Aux Fraises!

Mmmmmmm!!!!

These tarts are a must make. If you leave them in the fridge overnight the tart shell gets all soft and moist from the strawberries and the strawberry flavours infuse the crust. A dream I tell you.
Chickpea Pizza…

1.5 cups chickpeas + 1/3 cup pizza sauce + parsley + Sea salt + Ground pepper = Amazing and quick addition to any lunch.
And over-baked buttery Glonola apples…
Awww, It’s good to be home. :)
After you return from a trip, what is the first thing you usually eat when you get home? What foods are you craving like mad?
After my Paris trip I was craving pumpkin, nut butter, VOO, Green Monsters, chickpeas, toast + avocado, and strawberry tarts.
And yes, mass quantities of chocolate. But that goes without saying…
See you tomorrow morning for a savoury tart recipe and the one thing I really struggled with since being back home. Hint: It wasn’t a loss of appetite! bahaha.
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{ 83 comments… read them below or add one }
I am usually craving FRESH VEG because try as I might, I cannot get enough on vacation… ever!
That Michel Cluizel IS The Best… serious. I know. :D
I always crave greens! Big salads!! Also bananas and peanut butter and my weird protein pancake concoctions….stuff I never get on holiday….I basically crave healthy fresh whole foods…not alcohol, bread, and cheese which are my vacation staples haha…
k, i am going to say it: i’m not a cat person. at all. they kind of scare me.
that being said, i kind of want to steal sketchie and snuggle him :)
haha! I used to be scared of cats too before we got Sketchie. I was NOT a cat person. It’s funny how owning one can change all of that.
Sketchie will cuddle you for cat treats. ;)
Food is always what I most look forward to as well when getting home from a trip.
I think it depends on where I go for what I want right away. Usually whatever I couldn’t easily have when gone.
The first thing I reach for when I get home is usually a tall glass of ice cold water. I always find myself dehydrated. I’ve never seen a cookie press like that before, how does it work? I’m used to seeing the ones with a tube or barrel where you can fill cookie dough or other types of batters.
I’ve never heard of a cookie press before! What a cool gadget!
I really crave fresh veggie juices from my juicer when I’m away.
Looks like you’ve been eating like a queen since you got back!
How funny, we purchased the exact same print of the Eiffel Tower on our honeymoon 2 years ago! It’s a gorgeous print, enjoy it! Reading about your adventures makes me want to go back now!
first comment from a new reader! i love this post & seeing all of the first foods you made when back. i have to speak to your comment about wanting to drink coffee but being intimidated by the coffee machine: get a melitta filter coffee brewer (https://shop.melitta.com/itemdy00.asp?T1=64+008&Cat=) they cost about $3, make better coffee than most brewers, and are sooo not intimidating at all! you just set this filter on your coffee mug and pour the hot water right over the coffee sitting in the filter there. in the seattle coffee world its called the “pour-over” method, and i do it at home daily. highly recommended if you can pick up one of these melitta’s :)
All I want when I get home from a vacation is a huge green salad and fruit salad.
I think if I could make pumpkin pie overnight oats like you do I would be craving that too!
i always want smoothies! full of greens.
I always crave fresh foods like fruits and (some) veggies!
Vegan ginger cookies? Be still, my heart!
What beautiful pics of all your food. It just inspires me so much more to eat clean and healthy. I’m jealous of your Paris trip! And your tartes look INCREDIBLE!
So many good eats – I agree, that is the nice part of being home. I haven’t had any chickpeas in a while (very unusual for me) – now I think I want that chickpea pizza! yum!
Blimey girl, you have the best food EVER on your blog! I want every single thing :)
I always just crave fresh fruit and veg as soon as I get home from a trip – nothing beats it!!
Oh – and my gosh, I want your cat more than the food; he is STUNNING!
oh my – I LOVE all the things you purchased in France :)
Sketchie is so adorable!! And no worries… I entice my cat with treat too. Healthy ones, of course. ;)
Sketchie is so adorable!! And no worries… I entice my cat with treats too. Healthy ones, of course. ;)
I totally crave big salads and tons of oatmeal. They are my two favorites.
Well I also crave Mexi food because no one makes it as good as in NorCal (or in my kitchen…ha!)
SMOOTHIES FOR SURE :) You just can’t BUY smoothies exactly the way you like them… There’s nothing like home made!
After our vacation the thing I craved most was crock pot chili. I had some in the fridge to heat up which was great and it is on our menu for this week :-)
Oh my goodness, what a cute little kitty! I love how his forepaw are curled over. So precious! I miss my kitties :0(
Your food always make me so hungry! I still have to try that tomato paste and avocado on toast combo. It looks so good everytime you have it, but I’m yet to try it!
oh my, my my! This post will so be noted. Look at all this loveliness! ;)
I always crave the most random individual foods when I get home from a trip. Arugula, or avocado, or a specific type of walnut, etc. So weird.
I love this type of post. And I voted for your tarts!
Oh hey I have been craving garbanzos and tomato sauce. And I was like where did I even get the idea for that from?? It must be from your blog! It truly is a delicious taste combo though. The flavor of the garbanzos just compliments the tomato so well! Yum yum.
My first meal home after a year in Korea was Lebanese food — hummus was impossible to find over there! After that was a Mexican feast. It’s hard to find good Mexican food overseas.
Like everyone else – I miss vegetables! I never seem to get enough on vacation.
Home is definitely where the food is! I always miss certain foods when I am gone away. Lately it has been banana soft serve and peanut butter with apple butter on toasted ezekiel bread. I have that nearly everyday and when I am away, boy do I miss it. I also love Kale Chips, am I weird are do I have a sister out there?
salads!
i’m starving! i shouldn’t look at your blog before i have made supper, now i am dying
my goodness, those pictures made me hungry! haha!
welcome home! Paris is truly a beautiful city. I wish to go back there with my loved one someday =)
I’m your latest follower, by the way =) I love you blog!
The first foods I eat when I come home from a trip are oatmeal and copious amounts of nut butter
Those tarts definitely look like a must make! I am having a major sweet craving at the moment, and those tarts are teasing me… That strawberry salad also looks amazingly good.
Awwww – Sketchie missssed you!
If your automatic coffeemaker is too intimidating, you can always try using a French Press. Of course, you will need to have your own coffee grinder to use it so if you don’t already have at least a grinder, it’s a bit more of an investment (though not too much!).
French press coffee is really good! Another thing I would suggest is making sure you get good quality coffee. I drank Folgers for so long and when I finally made the switch to the good stuff, I never looked back!
I always crave lots of fresh fruit! I like to slice up a big fresh fruit salad with some lime juice squeezed over the top! yummoooooo :)
it’s been 6mos since i was in paris and you have me longing for it once again! i had to post a photo montage on my site to celebrate. best city ever!
Those Paris prints are to die for. I’m sorry about your paintings, though. :(
I just had chickpeas again for the first time since the spring, and I am so happy I did :) What a wonderful way to top my salads!
If I am coming back from going home, I’m usually pretty sad so I give myself permission to just eat whatever the airline/airport has on hand, even if it’s junk. If it’s the last day at any other place, same deal. THEN it’s usually a big salad and heaps of water. :)
I usually crave FRUIT since I am able to eat fresh veg/protein at restaurants but somehow fruit isn’t always available — let me rephrase that: GOOD fruit is not always available :)
I also need to drink a ton of water after getting home from a trip.
The fact that you just discovered a love for coffee is adorable – it makes me smile! I guess Paris is a great place to get your coffee feet wet!
My partner and I just returned from over two months on the road for our non-profit, full of couch-surfing and camping. I’ve never eaten so many Ryvita crackers in my life, and the first thing I wanted when I got back was bowls and bowls full of COOKED vegetables. And rice. Hot food was greatly appreciated (and so was hot water!)
Wow, I am going into a food coma with all of these incredible photos. I don’t know what I want to make first! :)
I crave honest, good, home-cooked food that my mom makes. It’s always like that :P All this food is so representative of you – delicious, simple, and healthy, of course :D
I usually crave fresh veggies when I get home from a long trip. When I am away I tend to eat things that are fried or contain more oil then I usually consume. My body prefers fresh produce with a little fat.
p.s. If Sketchie goes missing he isn’t with me. I am in love with your cat even though I have not meet him. :)
When I get home from a trip, I immediately eat a huge salad and can’t wait for my oats!!!
I seem to get a craving for local produce! Other than that, I’m pretty much craving free.
By the way, nice to see sketchie back. What a cutie pie :)
I always want to RUN and then drink a green monster! Perfect “get me back to normal” recipe!
I read “food blogs” for 99% life content. Not food content. Reading about people’s Real Life is sooo much more exciting for than their food! However, your food on this post, from the chickpea pizza to the cookies to the chocolate…well, I admit, I am super impressed by the food in this post, and drooling…hahah!
But I want to see some wild night photos, or days (shopping maybe?!) in Paris! Feel free to keep those coming as long as possible! I can travel vicariously thru you that way :) and in the meantime, bravo on the coffee mugs and coffee pot. I have a french press, a coffee maker, and a totally pimp espresso maker complete with steamer unit to make vegan foam out of almond milk. I take my coffee seriously :)
That’s too bad about those paintings! :( The same thing happened to my dad in Paris – he left an Hermes scarf that he bought my mom behind on a ferry boat. Silly guy!
HOLY food sensory overload!!!!!!!!!! I want to EAT this whole post. Right NOW. Maple butternut squash casserole?? aaaaahhhh :)
mmm, mmm, mmm!! It all looks soooo good and those coffee mugs are so cute. I got hooked on coffee this past summer and bought a mug in every big town I visited; montreal, boston, NY, etc.
You should definitely start your own coffee mug collection from places you visit, that way you are always reminded of the great times!!! :)
Hi Angela,
Just wanted to let you know that my most recent post is an ode to YOU! You can check it out here: http://foodie4healing.blogspot.com/2010/09/ode-to-angela.html. I hope I’ve done you and your food justice!
i bought that print of the eiffel tower in autumn on my first trip to paris, too. so glad you enjoyed your travels there.
now, a challenge for you. i want to add pumpkin to a vegan oatmeal cookie and i’m stuck. ideas?
I always feel that the best vacation is the one that makes you miss home – including the food of home!
oh my goodness everything looks so tasty! now I am hungry!!!! and inspired!
Awwh, Sketchie totally missed you :)
I love that you have a vision board!
I find that I crave all my usual foods on vacation too! There really is no place like home! Hhaa =)
Sketchie is SO adorable! I love him!
I never have green monsters when I am on vacation, so I definitely crave them when I get back! Then again, I crave one pretty much every day anyway!
I’ve been busy and haven’t had the chance to check your site in a couple of weeks and what do I see today? You went to Paris!!!! Oh, you lucky dog.
What an adorable picture of Sketchie!
My boyfriend just suggested that we get rid of my kitten and get a Bengal cat. I almost killed him.
I remember when I got a souvenir from another country and a family member broke the item by accident. I don’t think the feelings of a broken item would be worst than accidentally leaving behind something that someone got me. :(
ur posts make me want to go to paris so badly. it is my life goal to make it to europe one day. sure i dont know a lick of french but i figure ill go to england first where english is english! then make my way to paris and italy where i will be the annoying tourist who will have to point, and mime everything but it will be great :)
i always find that after i come back from a long trip i always crave plenty of clean fresh veggies! eating out at restaurants so much makes me appreciate some more clean eating especially if its been a heavy eating week out!
Oh my goodness, you always have so many tasty looking recipes that I am dying to try! Your blog is my cookbook!! :)
I think I miss VOO with banana soft serve the most when I’m gone!
Despite being 113 degrees today in Los Angeles, low and behold, what do I find at Trader Joe’s today???
ORGANIC CANNED PUMPKIN!!!!
Immediately I thought, “Angela would understand my excitement!”
Lots of pumpkin treats and pumpkin VOO to come. I bought 4 cans. For this week :)
When I get home from a trip I always crave veggies like crazy!
Yes, home is where the food is! I crave thick protein shakes, greens, All my spices and seasonings and my chocolate drawer.:)
Lovely pics as always!
Welcome back from Paris Angela! Looks like you had a sensational time!
I love that dark chocolate…I ate that in Paris too in May!
The pumpkin smoothie looks amazing – thank you!
Casey
Your cooking always looks so delish Ange! I’d be happy to send you more of that chocolate when you run out if you’d like? xxx
We got the same photos of paris! The ones on the rubbery material.
I’m making the squash + apple recipe soon. Thanks for posting!
I’m going to be going away on a vacation soon to Korea for 2 and half weeks. I’m already missing some of my food like oats, french toast, canned pumpkin, etc, just thinking about it. Maybe I’ll pack some with me if I have any room! :P
Everything in this post looks amazingly delicious!
Angela,
do you eat the tomato paste cold or hot with avocade? And that brand do you use?
Thanks!
Hmmm… I usually crave my raw Cherry Chocolate Avocado Pudding when I get home from a trip! I miss it so much!!
I love your new coffee mugs! I was intimidated by my new coffee maker, too, but just keep in mind that the first batch you brew probably won’t be very good. I find that the more I use my coffee maker, the better my coffee tastes! I think it’s a combo of practice and “breaking in” the new machine. I’m sure you’ll be making tasty coffee in no time! :D
You’re recipes just amaze me every time!! I need to get in that kitchen! And, your cat is sooooooo friggen cute!!!! I’ve been bugging my husband for ages…told him by next spring I will have a kitty =)
I have those very same two prints of the eiffel tower from my Paris adventure with my sister in April. Ah, LOVE it.
I definitely miss my smoothies when I travel. I may look into getting a travel blender if the make them!
Angela – I would love to make one of your vegan overnight oats recipes, but I wonder what kind of oats you use. Old-fashioned? Steel cut? I’m dying to try the pumpkin pie version (especially since I just made my first chia seed purchase – unless you count the Chia Pet I had in college) and want to get it right. It looks amazing!