I am posting this to tell everybody how much I love love love my julienne tool and the newest cookbook in my collection of neglected cookbooks (because honestly, when I don't have time to sit and flip through my cookbooks in search of a recipe, I sit down at my computer and simply google one up put of thin air. But how I love to sit and flip through my books, it's a pleasure I dearly miss and I know one day when life is less ... full, I will once again be able to sit and fondle all my cookbooks again)

For lunch today, I made myself a vegetarian wrap (I am returning to my vegetarian ways). The two star ingredients in this wrap are the julienned carrots and the quinoa and bean dip.

The carrots were julienned with a cute little tool I bought from Pampered Chef. I've only been to one Pampered Chef party and I have never regretted choosing the three items I bought: a trio of nesting sieves, a pizza stone and the julienne cutter.

isn't this an interesting looking tool? It's really sharp and I have to be sure to put it's guard on when it's living in the tool drawer.

The bean dip is marvellous, found it in this cookbook: Quinoa 365. Look for it on page 35. I will not post the recipe because you must buy the book. You will thank me, trust me.
I swear, every recipe looks delicious and I want to make every single one of them. My one complaint is that there aren't enough photos; usually this discourages me from buying a cookbook--yes, I am a big kid who only wants picture books--and if it wasn't for a recipe printed in my city's newspaper's food section, I wouldn't have bought the book. The recipe that made me fall in love with this cookbook is: Moist Chocolate Cake on page 159. A seriously divine cake. Works really well as cup cakes too.

A truly a fantastic cookbook. find it here: http://www.amazon.ca/Quinoa-365-The-Everyday-Superfood/dp/1552859940

BUT if you are in Ottawa, do go to Collected Works to buy it, they are terrific, we love that store. find it here: Collected Works.

look how happy the carrot looks. I slathered on some quinoa bean dip, added some lettuce and dressing and topped it with the happy carrots. That is when I knew I just had to make this wrap the subject of a Bits Of Time entry. Half the fun I have from baking and cooking is what the food looks like at the different stages of it's creation.

When I worked in a bakery, years and years ago --pre kids, I may as well say in a previous life-- one of my more important shifts was to open on Sunday mornings. I had to be there at 6am (which doesn't sound as insanely early to me anymore. My boy's natural wake-up time is 5am; he has trained me well) to open the doors at 9am and greet the neighbourhood with freshly baked muffins, scones, cinnamon buns and croissants (the last two were prepared by the master bread-maker during the week, frozen and I simply had to proof and bake them. magic). 

One of my pleasures was to gather up the ingredients in a bowl and give them a one second look before mixing them all up (I was in a hurry after all). The  different textures and colours, such simple ingredients that when combined would magically become something so yummy and sometimes complex in flavour. 

... it just made me so happy. Call me simple but this makes me happy. 

go buy that cookbook!