when we weren’t dining out at delicious restaurants in the palm springs area, we were whipping up tasty eats and treats back at the house.
friday night’s diner was the first meal we cooked. we were in luck, because eden is a professional chef!
we had dry rubbed pork roasted with onions.
even professional chefs cry when massaging onions.
we also had a blend of sautéed leeks, kabocha and mushrooms served over a bed of crisp romaine.
tasty dinner.
on saturday morning, deb blended up one of her fabulous smoothies.
this one was a protein frappucino.
she gave me a taste before polishing off the blenderful 
eden and i made greek yogurt messes for our breakfast.
i used trader joe’s greek yogurt which i LOVE, but don’t get the luxury of eating when at home. come to utah, trader joe’s!
this had cinnamon, banana, strawberries and trader joe’s fiber cereal with a side of swimming pool.
saturday night ended up being on the lighter side. we were still full from eating at the deli earlier in the day, so we decided just to snack on random things and mess around in the kitchen.
i had a toasted cinnamon raisin bagel thin with maple almond butter and banana.
we also whipped up some carrot cake ice cream..
by the way, it was SO good.
we also made some protein cereal that was more of an experiment and while it tasted fine.. it was nothing to write home about. the best part was that we were making up recipes together.. that was fun!
sunday night was the last supper. we whipped up a simple chicken stir fry.
side note: how had i never tried ak-maks before this trip? i am officially hooked!
i am glad i got my fill of mushrooms, since marshall hates them and i never eat them at home.
aerial view.
behind the scenes..
behind the behind the scenes..
perfect final meal.
that sums up our palm springs cooking shenanigans.. tune in next time for the everything in betweens.
Qs~
1. if money is not an issue: do you prefer eating in or dining out?
2. what was the last meal you made?
xo. janetha g.
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{ 76 comments… read them below or add one }
How awesome, I love all of this–the meals, friends, pink and green plates—gah–love!
Even though I am frugal and like to save money by eating in, I would still like to eat in if money weren’t an issue. I just hate how full and bloated I feel after eating too many meals out. I’m at home visiting my parents and I’ve been doing two meals at home and one meal out each day. It’s been working out pretty well.
So much fun! Loving the kabocha side. I pretty much prefer eating in to be honest. I made a lentil & veggie loaf last night with a yellow bell pepper sauce. Can’t find that at a restaurant ;-)
I prefer dining in because I like cooking and that way I can make exactly what I’m craving and make any changes or substitions. Oh and I don’t have to get dressed up :)
Nice! That stir fry looks yummy! I’m biased though, stir fry is my go-to meal :)
And carrot cake ice cream using almond milk?! I’m in need of some! Oh man and no TJ’s by you?? Trader Joe’s, go to Utah NOW! I love me some TJ’s!
Yum! So many good eats. A smoothie from Deb? I’m jealous! And the ice cream sounds divine. Honestly, I prefer to cook at home most nights. I think eating out is a great once a week treat to try things you might not enjoy making at home. PLUS its nice to just not have to deal with the prep and cleanup and to just relax!! Last night, I made vegetable enchiladas (so yummy)
Love the action photos you chose and that they weren’t all posed :-)
You asked if money wasn’t an option: I’d eat in most of the time anyway. If calories weren’t an option, I’d eat out all the time.
I really didn’t want the leftovers last night and I didn’t want anything savory so I made a new protein muffin with VWG- need to perfect it and get it bigger, but it was GOOOOOOOOOOOD and I topped it with a cream cheese frosting I made courtesy of Eden’s tutorial, and then added berries and some TJ twigs- SOoooooooooo full for hours.
Miss you & my sister! <3
I had some “”frosting” this morning! it wasn’t with a muffin but with a pancake…and no one to help me lick the bowl :(
This looks like my dream weekend! You gals are all so gorgeous AND you sure can cook!
I prefer cooking and eating in, but I find it’s important for me to eat out once and a while so that I break out of my comfort zone and try new things! The last meal I made was a killer spicy prawn salad!
what fun delicious eats! and how fun to have bloggers that you can visit and get along with so well!!!
carrot cake ice cream sounds out.of.this.world! :)
i love all the cooking photos… and i REALLY love the photos of you TAKING photos. bloggers keeping it real. ;)
You HAD me at carrot cake ice cream- say whatttt?!?!? Recipe? Maybe ;)
DANG! You guys were quite the chefs- everything looks awesome!! mmm all of those mushrooms- delish :)
it looks like you had such a great time…the photos are amazing and the eats look delish.
sidenote: I am not really a cat person, but that kitty in the background is adorable!
Last meal I made was cheesy eggs loaded with veggies ,this morning =)
I’m more of a dog person myself, but these cats are exceptional. One of the cats has a blog, you should check it out.
Aww thanks- that’s Samantha- can you believe she’s 16 and she’s jumping all over the counters like a bad kitty!? She’s got sass too :-)
I definitely prefer dining in. I just love making healthy, fresh food at home! I know you love casseroles, so here is one I thought you might like: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/05/health/nutrition/05recipehealth.html. I made it for the fourth time last night, and my fiance and I kept saying “mmmmmmmm” with every bite. It’s just so good!
Thanks for the link! Sucks that my husband hates 2 of the 3 main ingredients :/
Sent from my iPhone
Definitely eating in…..think of the amazing ingredients you could buy with unlimited funds. LOVED the behind the scenes photos, I feel a little bit more normal now that I know you do the same things as me:) WE NEED TJ’S IN UTAH!!!!
You girls are having so much fun, I wish I could be there to cook for you and play with you!
I prefer to dine in during the week and dine out at some fancy places in weekends because for daily meal I prefer simple meals with few ingredients.
Last meal i made? A 10 course chinese meal! :)
All of that food looks really good! I love how the chicken stir fry looks! I bet it tasted awesome!
If money wasn’t an issue, I would consider going out to eat only on the weekends. Since money is an issue, we rarely go out to eat which is fine by me. I prefer to cook anyway because at least I know how my food was prepared and it’s something that I know I will like. :)
The last thing I cooked was buffalo chicken macaroni and cheese.
I prefer dining out — getting drinks, a nice salad and a nice entree. I just love it. Mostly because I love fish but I am terrible at cooking it at home, so I prefer restaurants. Too bad my wallet does not agree!
I love all those bright colors and natural light! Cooking in a kitchen like that would definitely inspire me to eat in more often!
Wow, put together a room full of creative foodies and you get one delicious weekend! :) That ice cream has me so envious. I’ve only had Carrot Cake Ice Cream once in my life and savored every second!!! I wonder if there is any way that I can recreate this (without an ice cream maker…hmmmmm….I’ll do some research) :)
dining in, still. but with a professional chef to come over and be my sous chef if i had my absolute choice. like do it mostly myself with a bit of guidance. and someone else to do the dishes! :)
love the blogger taking pics of food pics. the ariel shot is GREAT! and wonderful natural lighting. jealz.
ak naks, my mom ate those when i was growing up.
and all you girls have GREAT HAIR!!! must be all that protein :)
This sounds like it would have been an awesome time! You HAVE to give us a carrot cake ice cream recipe. Seriously!
If money wasn’t an issue AND there were top-notch restaurants that served food that was in line with my many food intolerances, then I’d eat out a lot. But never all the time. I LOVE to cook and love to invent in the kitchen. And since we live in the real world, eating in is preferable – I won’t get sick, I can cook light and customize for myself and for my husband, and it’s cheaper!
The last meal I made? Well, last night I made dinner, plus prepped for breakfast/lunch for the next day. I made slow-roasted salmon with lemon, parsleyed potatoes, braised celery, and sauteed swiss chard. Also made a roast beef sandwich for husband’s lunch for today, a spinach-blueberry-mint-banana smoothie for my breakfast, a “raw noodle” salad – thinly sliced carrot and zucchini “noodles”, red bell pepper, with an almond butter-peanut butter, maple syrup, ginger and cayenne dressing. Topped with a bit of chicken, for my lunch today. Whew! Writing all that out was exhausting!
you girls are adorable :)
1. if money were not an issue i’d still prefer to eat at home (just with better ingredients & a nicer kitchen!) … and a maid to clean it up :)
2. the last meal i made … hmmm…. damn, i’ve been eating lots of huge salads w/ random protein toppers. boring!
did you guys go on the tram while you were there?
You’ve never tried AK MAKs because you don’t have a trader joe’s! But, you can get them on Amazon.
And I 100% agree: “if money were not an issue i’d still prefer to eat at home (just with better ingredients & a nicer kitchen!) … and a maid to clean it up :)” TRUE THAT
Luckily they sell ak maks here at my grocery stores! I just always bought Wasas. Silly me.
No we didn’t! I heard a lot about it though.. maybe next time!
No! No time- it just flew by unfortunately- I love doing that- it’s about 30 degrees cooler up there!
I’m just catching up on your recent posts. I love Palm Springs! Looks like a great time.
1. I generally prefer to eat at home. Because I can whip up the crazy concoctions I love and I don’t have to wear shoes.
2. The last meal I made was a 2-course dinner last night: a giant salad for me, and sheperd’s pie for the husband. Followed by chocolate cashew mousse for me, and spicy chocolate snickerdoodles for the husband!
1. If money is not an issue, I prefer DINING IN! There are so many “little” ingredients here and there that can make a huge difference in cooking and baking, but that add up to cost a fortune when I use them all the time. Just the fact that my husband and I choose organic meats alone already costs us about what it’d be to dine out even before adding all those little extras like organic cheese, spices, or any other coatings, you know? I LOVE, however, that Kroger has been monitoring my shopping habits and printing out coupons for me almost every time I check out! (Usually coupons for organic produce or anything from the organic frozen section–Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about!)
2. My husband and I have been trying to use up the random things in our kitchen before we make a “big trip” to the grocery store again. Today, for example, he had lean beef with a slice of bacon crumbled on top and some goat cheese and pepper to top it off, along with my homemade mashed potatoes and a piece of cornbread. All random things that needed to be used here!
3. This is not an answer to one of your questions but a comment. :] Your trip looks like it was FANTASTIC! What a wonderful thing to have like-minded friends to enjoy healthy and creative eating/cooking/dining experiences with.
Aaaaaand sorry. That was quite a long-winded comment!
carrot cake ice cream?… um, YUM! Will you be sharing the recipe for it?? :)
I don’t even remember what it was. It had almond milk, greek yogurt, carrot cake yogurt, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, a little ginger.. hmm.. I will see if Deb or Eden can remember the exact amounts!
that would be AWESOME! thank youu!
Nope- sorry I just poured an undisclosed amount of the milk til Eden said “THAT’s GOOD!”. One cup of the carrot cake yogurt from kroger (low carb), a few blops of greek yogurt, random spices you mentioned- remember we waffled about the ginger and put it in anyway). Sorry, I wasn’t measuring!
I would way rather use the extra money to buy ingredients and cook at home – way more fun! Last meal I made was a smoothie in a bowl with a frozen banana, strawberries, vanilla protein and vanilla almond milk, topped with more strawberries!
LOVE AK-MAK CRACKERS! I swear I eat a sleeve a week. Welcome to the sesame side!
I usually prefer eating in – I think I’m a little crazy about knowing what is in my food!
Your trip looks so fun – it’s my dream to live with a professional chef, but it looks like I’ll have to go to school if I want that to be a reality…
My last meal – Maple & Brown Sugar oatmeal. Delish.
you wanna move in?
Glad to see you had such a nice time in Palm Springs :-) I wish I could create recipes with other people more often. The only chance I get is when I visit my mom once or twice a year!
If money weren’t an option, I’d still dine in but I’d probably shop exclusively at Whole Foods and Trader Joes. I just love cooking and baking too much to give them up!
The last thing I cooked was a casserole actually, haha. I thought of you while I made it!
Wow sooo much good food in all of these pics! The carrot cake ice cream looked soooo good – so did the protein frappucino. I actually prefer dining in, and like you discussed, creating recipes. That’s part of the fun!
Nothing like having a professional chef make you dinner at home! Looks like you ate really well. I love dining out, but there’s something so nice about a relaxed night in, too. Last meal I cooked was grilled chicken and roasted brussels sprouts- not glamorous, but it did the trick!
There is nothing like a professional “Janetha” to help you eat and cook dinner too!
If money were no issues…I’d eat in. I enjoy cooking, but feel limited bc I can’t afford all the good things I’d like to buy. Plus i’m in podunknowhereville that doesn’t have speciality stores, or anything closely related to a whole foods. Eating out healthily is possible, but it’s hard. I just prefer to eat in, I can do it in my jammies and no one cares ;-)
Meh!!! that picture of my tears does not do me justice! I was BAWLING!
I told deb in response to her comment on my blog that I ran to buy like five boxes of ak maks when I got home! I will always think of you two when I eat them. And when I see a “date”. You need to post those “date” pictures up.
And I had a lonely yogurt mess this morning. Sans beautiful place mats and kitty fur.
Feel better jb. And I pray it wasn’t my cooking that made you ill.
Looks like so much fun! Ah, that’s a hard questions – if money wasn’t an option, I’d eat out twice a week and stay in the rest! :)
I love trying new food & restaurants, so dining out would be my pick.
Last meal I made (last night) was Spicy Sriracha Shrimp with whole wheat rice & steamed asparagus. yummA.
fun fun and fun.
If money was no obstacle, I’d still probably prefer the amount of times we eat out a week currently, which is about 2 or 3. I really like cooking at home and controlling how much of what goes into the meal.
The last meal I made was Jessica’s Creamy Caprese Pasta and it was UUUHHHHH-mazing. Seriously.
I wish I could eat out all the time, I would live off of freash fish and unique salads…but money is an issue so I try to eat in most of the time. The last meal I made was asian salmon, I tend to make the same things over and over…I need a good swift kick in the butt to revamp my food menu.
By the way, I loved your post on Body For Life…I bought the book on Amazon today. I am not really looking for a diet for say, but I am interested to see what it is all about and who knows, might give me some inspiration to make some new recipes.
Ahhh, how fun!! I love that picture of you eating breakfast with the swimming pool in the background – it’s so summery and morning-y (…just made that word up) – but you know how I love my mornings. :-)
I like the experience of dining out every now and then, but usually prefer to make food at home so I know what I’m eating.
i love when bloggers get together! fun times! very fun to see your photos…also love that kitchen and the pool – zowie.
i would choose to eat in. i like to be very relaxed, find random stuff, be very casual…your saturday night in would be right up my alley!
Hi Janetha! That looks like such a fun trip! Carrot cake ice cream?? AMAZING! Would you be willing to share that recipe? PLEASE? Haha….i think you can tell i would ove that recipe. I am a teenage girl and have just started my own blog. You are such an inspiration and i would be so honored if you would check out my blog! Thank you so much!
Those sauteed leeks, kabocha, and mushrooms look so interesting! I’ve never made anything like that. I love kabocha so much that I always just end up eating it solo.
oh my god you guys are ADORABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! hahaha this was the cutest thing i’ve seen in my entire life. love it to pieces! but i can’t pretend i’m not mad that i wasn’t invited!
You girls know how to have fun in the kitchen! I love that you just experiemented and went with it.
I love dining in because sometimes I have very specific cravings. However, sometimes it’s nice to have others cook for you. Especially when it’s things like beets and artichokes that intimidate the heck out of me!
this trip sounds so much fun…..her house is gorgeous and all those eats look awesome–especially the carrot cake ice cream!yum
What a fun weekend! I love all the photos!!! :)
If money was not an issue, I would still eat in most meals. I really like to know what exactly I’m eating… Plus, it’s fun to cook. If I had all the money in the world, I would just work less, so that I could spend more leisurely time in the kitchen! :)
Last meal I cooked: Veggie chickpea stew. Just had some for lunch right now.
ak maks are SO good! i love their nuetral flavor, they legit tastte good with anything on them! I see you eating them with savory cottage cheese on top!
i am so jealous of your meal making together and like you said its nto WHAT you made, its the fact that you were all together making food! ah I wish i was there!
I would kill to eat my breakfast with a swimming pool in the background!
Whoa! All the food looks delicious! While I love eating out, eating in is just so much more fun. Especially when I have loads of time to be creative and cook! :D
I love those last few photos of the ‘behind the scenes’ :) cute idea!
i would prefer to dine in! and if money weren’t an issue i’d have some of the best things.. like crab legs everyday bahah
I would prefer to eat out if it didn’t make me fat. I just enjoy eating more when I don’t have to cook and clean!
I went all out tonight and boiled whole wheat noodles and dumped jarred tomato sauce over it. I did go out of my way to grate fresh parmesan cheese. Does this count as cooking?
Those meals look fantastic. How lucky to have Eden cooking for you! Now I’m craving stirfry!
P.S. It’s time I catch up on WWF, don’t you think. ;)
I was the lucky one
I like to eat out, but nothing ever fills me up so I like to eat at home too. Besides, my mom cooks for me. Hah.
How incredibly fun! And everything looks delicious! Especially that ice cream :)
And btw – your legs look smokin’ in that stand up on the chair picture taking picture!!
Oh, you haven’t seen nothing yet! That girl is smokin all over! That insanity thingy is INSANE!
I really prefer to eat at home. Jason, on the other hand, is the complete opposite.
loved the behind the scene pictures!!
i love eating out, wish I could do it more.
I prefer eating in! Maybe if I lived in a bigger city with more non-chain restaurants that are quality I would like eating out though! :) The last meal I made was a yummy pasta salad that was bursting full of spring veggies. It had a balsamic viniagrette for the dressing. Tonight I tossed the leftovers with some chickpeas and feta crumbles on top of a giant bowl of spinach! Yum!
OMG broccoli slaw and Ak maks in the same post! Awesome!
oh man that food looks delicious! Are there recipes :-)
I really prefer eating in most of the time. I can control the quality of the ingredients, as well as the fat, fiber, salt, sugar, etc… But there are some things that will always be better out: Japanese and Indian food for starters. And sometimes I just want a real NY-style pizza.
It has been such an emotional week that I don’t even remember the last meal I cooked from scratch. I think it was four-bean and TVP chili. Or fish tacos with spicy slaw.
I want to hear about the protein cereal!!
Protein cereal was a fail. Will rework and maybe one of these days I’ll post about it :-) I know Janetha has had successes in the past though- trawl through her recipe archives…