You can tell that it is spring: daylight lasts longer, flowers bloom, and birds are chirping. But it’s not only the weather that changes with the seasons: your meals can change, too. Gone are the warm soup that keeps you happy during the winter, and before you know it, you’re saying hello to spring salads! But sometimes I still miss having something warm and earthy so I came up with a warm soba salad for the spring. Ready? Here goes!

Dish: Lavender Lemon Cupcake
Venue: Wildflour Bakery
Price: $2.95

Vegan treats…what?

You might wonder: how do you bake dessert if it doesn’t include eggs and butter? Well, there are many different substitutions in the vegan world. Some people use apple sauce as a binding agent and there are many vegan butter options, such as olive oil and earth balance. Check out these vegan cupcakes! And guess what? Vegan treats can taste just as good as normal baked goods!

Wildflour Vegan Bakery Cafe ensures that all the vegans in and around Providence, RI, can …

Earlier this year, I decided to buy a juicer; it is my most exciting purchase yet. I was first introduced to juicing through the crazy fabulous world of veganism, raw food, and detox. Once I learned all the yummy details, I just had to get my hands on a machine that can spout out glorious green juice.

When you think of juice, you might think about juice fasts. And then you might think, well, how can you do a juice fast? No food? That’s not enough! Actually, juice fasting will not deprive you of any nutrition. …

About a month ago, I went to the Natural Health Magazine’s Urban Wellness Retreat in New York City. I first found about about this event through Kris Carr’s website, but unfortunately Kris couldn’t make it. The inspirational event was, however, filled with so many other amazing speakers (such as Gabby Bernstein) and healthy tips that it was impossible not to fall in love with everything about that day! I left there giddy with so much new information that I just cannot help but share with all of you.

Oh and the goodie bags filled to the brim …

In celebration of Earth Day yesterday, I decided to look up some fun recipes to recreate here on Small Kitchen College. I was trying to find something all-natural, using lots of vegetables and environmentally friendly ideas. I came upon this Meatless Mondays recipe from a food blog My New Roots.

I was so astonished by her genius idea of using a cabbage leaf as a bowl that I decided that I must try it out for myself. The recipe calls for the use of Freekeh, a grain similar to a cracked wheat. But the funny name and the exotic origin (Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, and Egypt) was a bit too scary for me, so I opted to try something that seems more approachable: quinoa.

Dish: Fresh Chevre Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Restaurant: La Laiterie Bistro
Price: $12 (Optional $3 side field greens)

Over the weekend, my friend invited me to celebrate my belated birthday over drinks, and we decided what better way to do this than to have wine and cheese. The best place to go for delicious decadent cheese and aromatic wine in Providence, RI is La Laitarie.

My friend and I decided to order the grilled cheese sandwich to share because it is quite large and very filling. Even before the dish was placed on the table, my mouth was watering with …

As winter transitions into spring, I can’t help but try to incorporate as many colors as possible in my food, including brown rice, leafy greens, orange carrots, yellow eggs, and even purple cabbage. This always manifests itself in the form of soup or fried rice. I love making fried rice because it’s easy, quick, and requires only one pot (or wok)!

I make fried rice pretty often as it is my comfort food and also pretty nutritious as you can add to it as many ingredients as you want. I created this recipe out of a few vegetables I …

This post is part of the Food Matters Project, a cooking collaboration among participating bloggers. Each week, we will cook a recipe from Mark Bittman’s Food Matters Cookbook, which places an emphasis on mindful and sustainable eating. Follow along with us!

I am very excited about this week’s Food Matters Project recipe Cassoulet with Lots of Vegetables, chosen by Keely Marie. I couldn’t wait to get my hands it! Well, mostly because of the word vegetables. Lately, I cannot get enough of this green goodness! And of course I do love orange and red too. …

The Unofficial Mad Men Cookbook takes a peek inside the enchanting lives of the characters portrayed on AMC’s Mad Men and the food that the Drapers (et al.) would have enjoyed in the sixties. This cookbook will give you a guide to all the food they ate, the drinks they consumed, and the places they frequented. If you are a Mad Men fan, or you are in love with this era, then this is a great cookbook to add next to your shelf of Mad Men DVD’s.

Judy Gelman and Peter Zheutlin give an authentic story behind a selected episode …

Eat, dance, and then dance some more.

That was my weekend earlier this month at the annual Rhythm of Change Festival at Brown University in Providence, RI.

We kicked off the weekend with the Communal Bowl where we were greeted by festive song and dance. Then our Mande dance guru Michelle introduced the Rhythm of Change Initiative, a program started at Brown in 2010, which stemmed from the 22 year history of Mande Dance at Brown.

Michelle invited us all to join in on the Communal Bowl, a family dinner where everyone shared a large bowl of food. The …