These pears were not in my fruit bowl when I left for the gym.
I walked into the kitchen and froze. Something was wrong. I noted that I had a missed call from Karen and figured that she had brought them by since she still has a key from house sitting for us. Plus Karen hates fruit so it would make sense she’d dump the happy pears on me 
But when I emailed her she said she didn’t know what I was talking about.
Then I thought Faith might have dropped them off (she’s the type to always have a surplus of fruit 
) but I had no idea how she would have got in.
So odd. Karen told me to go check all the doors locks, and I was just starting to get scared when she said GOTCHA.
Not funny Karen!!!!!!!!!!!
When I got back from my workout [FYI, biking down hills in Cville is worse than any minute I spent in Montana!], I immediately got started on dinner. There’s no husband here to make it for me!
First, a cocktail.
A batch of wheatberries
And a parchment full of goodies!
I started with a base of bok choy
Topped with orange zest + orange
Coriander + ginger + Napa Valley Herbs smothered on a piece of thawed tilapia from whole foods
Red pepper
Red pepper flakes
All stacked up
And folded over the edges and tucked the bottom to go in a 375* oven for 22 minutes. I couldn’t get the dish off the parchment so I just cut away the edges with scissors.
Of course coconut was involved on top!
PS. There’s a video from a LONG time ago when I made a similar dish!!
My wheatberries got a dash of nutritional yeast for flavor, which was awesome!
Enjoyed en tray with the ending to Eat, Pray, Love (which I loved!)
For dessert I’m enjoying a mug of Pero and some Trader Joe’s dark chocolate!
While we’re on the topic of organization today (the series is going to include a computer post too!), check out my updated computer background and Gmail theme (“Tree”) that have brightened my day!
Going to work on things followed by reading in bed tonight. I ordered a handful of the books you guys recommended, but I can’t wait until Monday to start a book so I have The Postmistress Karen lent me to start!
{ 77 comments… read them below or add one }
Ooh I need to bake fish in parchment paper. We usually pan fry it but baking seems more fun.
I looked at the first photo of the prepared wheatberries topped with nooch and thought it was straight crumble off a pie!!
LOVE that background? Do you mind if I ask where you got it from? I LOVE LOVE trees and nature in general. So it’s right up my alley. Thanks!
It was already on my comp!
I haven’t changed my computer background in almost four years. Maybe a little change would be good, but I can’t decide what to.
I love that gmail background! I use the beach one, but I think I might have to change it.
Gorgeous looking dinner! So colorful!
I still need to get my hands on some of that Pero
I totally need a new gmail theme…i may change to that one! so cute!
and your fish!
i make a similar dish with fennel and potatoes on the bottom, salmon on top of that, OJ and other spices, and parchment it all up. Pleases the harshest critics, every time
your recipe looks awesome!
I loooove fish in parchment paper, I usually do salmon alone but I love the idea of making a whole packet with everything in it! Thanks for the recipe
*snort* Karen is hilarious! That’s absolutely the kind of think I do to friends and family
First off, THANK YOU for tweeting about the new Gmail addons… I am loooving them!
Secod off, that’s too funny what your friend did! I, too, would have been a little freaked out at first, ha!
Karen’s my mother in law!
That background is lovely, it’s so lively but calming. oh pranks! That one would have freaked me out too; though what kind of thief would break in and leave a few pears?! :p
You’ve really made me want to try wheatberries. I’ve never had them but they look good especially with the nutritional yeast! And isn’t having new books great? I just want to sit down with some tea and read for hours!
i’ve got that same gmail theme going!
Sounds like a relaxing evening and a great way to make fish! I want to try it soon..
Love both backgrounds! Where did you get the one for your desktop? I’m always on the hunt for pretty ones
It was already on there
delicious! looks like a great meal!
Yes! I love reading
Hope the one you’ve got is good! I’ll have to look it up and see what it’s about!
I love that you actually make a meal for yourself even when your home alone! I hate when people say they just have a bowl of cereal
I live by myself but cook every night…granted, it’s usually the same things over and over…but at least it’s green and protein is involved!…and dessert of course.
Who are we kidding here?
I was watching the video of the other parchment fish and I just want to say never use staples in food prep! That’s a “physical hazard”. You could use large paper clips to secure things…but please..don’t staple your parchment packages. I don’t want to see you in the ER!! xo
That’s why I folded this time
It was Matt’s idea!
My day isn’t complete with reading your blog!!
*WITHOUT reading your blog!
Karen is so funny!! I would have freaked out if random pears appeared in my fruit bowl while I was gone!
That dinner looks awesome! I saw Eat, Pray, Love in theatres (and read the book first) and thought it was such a relaxing movie. Plus who doesn’t love Julia Roberts
Ha, when you said you’d realized you “hated’ reading (vs. seeing/watching) earlier, I wondered if you meant it literally…but I guess not, since you’re cracking open a new book!
Oh no, I love reading books! I just don’t like reading dialogue as much as I do description!
Me too…I hate minimalist novels that are 90% he said/she said & no sense of the characters’ physical surroundings–rooms, seasons, weather, city streets, the country, etc. I like to feel like I’ve been taken somewhere else, not that I’m just eavesdropping on a dialogue…
LOL, that’s too funny about Karen playing that joke.
Love her sense of humor!!!
I finished The Postmistress at the end of December. I was a little disappointed by the ending, but it was a good, easy read. Enjoy
wow…you’re flavor combinations are always so inspiring. I definitely need to try the “parchment cooking” method. Also…the wheatberries. Do you steam them? I have only ever boiled them…just wondered how it works…
Thank you,
cathy b.
I simmered them
Hi Kath !
My name is Sahira and I have just recently started reading your blog and I am obsessed with reading your post.
I am actually a student at Penn State (last semester as an undergrad) studying nutritional sciences. I am in the process of applying to dietetic internships now and I am hoping to have my RD by the end of next year!
I have been wanting to comment for the longest time, but with my class schedule, I usually just have enough time read a snippet and I have to keep moving.
I actually blog over at sahiraeats.blogspot.com. My blog used to be liveloveeat.blogspot.com because I was blogging during my study abroad in Italy. I haven’t had time to blog lately but I am starting again soon. A really weird fact; I am having someone make me a new header for my blog and I changed the name of my blog to Sahira Eats Real Food before I even started reading your blog!
What made me really want to comment was the fact that you posted your computer background and your gmail background and they are the SAME as mine! Both gmail and computer. ha! They brighten my day too!
We have a lot in common as I can see so far (foodie wise and style, I think all us nutrition girls are a lot alike).
Checking your blog is like a daily routine for me now. I get so excited for your new post. You inspire me to keep going in my nutrition career and for my own blogging as well.
Hope to keep in touch and I will definitely be commenting again soon! Feel free to visit my blog too, I am going to try and start new posts soon!
Sahira
ps- where do you find all of your cutesy spoons and eating utensils? I love them!
Hi Sahira! Thanks for your comment
My flatware is a wedding gift Pottery Barn’s Luna but I get the little ones from stores like Crate + Barrel
I’m really looking forward to this organizational series you have coming up. It’s always fun to see how other people decorate and organize.
I love the gmail themes! Your background is gorgeous, where can I find one?
p.s. Karen is hilarious, I wish I had a “secret fruit admirer”!
cooking en papillote is so fun! it’s like christmas and dinner in one.
I love your blog header. Did you do it? You are amazing by the way…everything you cook! Awesome.
I did, in photoshop
What a gorgeous looking meal! All those colors are beautiful. (:
Well, that’s not funny at all! Though I do hope that any intruder would be nice enough to leave fruit!
I tried nutritional yeast for the first time today! Amazing!
I love the computer background!
Ahahaha, I love that you were nervous about break-ins because of mysterious pears. I’m sure I would have been in a flat-out panic, honestly. But that they came in and just dropped off some fruits for you… :-p I’d take those burglars any day.
My background is a pic of myself hiking the swiss alps!!
That’s too funny! I would have had a heart attack if that had happened to me
Kath,
I’m wondering how you get gmail to show your calendar right inside email? I’ve looked everywhere, and it keeps making me change screens to see my calendar. Any idea how you have been so graced by the google folk?
I love the Home Neat Home feature. Awesome!
Jen
Uh, and nevermind about the calendar. I’m a dork. GoogleLabs.
I have never done fish in parchment paper, but now I totally want to!!
I love how creative and spontaneous you are– it makes me truly inspired!
Oh that’s such an amazing dinner! I haven’t mastered baking/cooking the fish, but this sounds like a perfect recipe!
This inspired me to clear all the icons off my desktop
Dinner looks great! I love the flavor combo’s-you are brave
I didn’t know google did calendars … hmmm very cool!
Go create one right now!!!!!!
First of all, who doesn’t like fruit?!!
Second, I love sipping on a “cocktail” of kombucha. The Trilogy is my favorite.
And I’m about to start the Postmistress!
Oh I love your new backgrounds!
I really need to try Pero. It looks delicious!
I love packets of fish with citrusy flavors. Delicious.
And the background on your computer is adorable! Love the colors. So bright and cheerful and organic feeling.
That is hilarious how Karen tricked you. I would have freaked out – especially since the Husband isn’t home!!!!
Haha I have the same background and the same gmail theme.
i love baking things in parchment…it feels so fancy when you eat it but it’s so easy!
Could you please describe the flavor of Pero? I almost bought some a few weeks ago, but thought if I didn’t like it I’d end up with a huge can that would go to waste… I think you previously said it had a malty flavor, right? I love malt, but I’m still a bit apprehensive.
Malty is about the best I can do. You know if you cook wheatberries and stand over the pot and inhale when they just come to a boil the smell is kind of like bread? It’s like that, with a bit more roast to it.
Thanks, it sounds very sounds interesting, I just wish I could find it in a smaller package!
Haha. I came home from the grocery store a couple of weeks ago to find a 15 pound turkey in my freezer. I still have no idea how it got there and it creeps me out.
Hahaha Ohh, Karen – that would have freaked me out, too, though. That dinner looks absolutely fantastic.
Your dinner looks fantastic, but for some reason tilapia is the one fish that I just can’t bring myself to like. It tastes so fishy!
What a great dinner for one! The fish looks amazing.
I love fish but yet to try parchment baked style. Looks so delish,
that’s an awesome flavor of kombucha
and your meal looks amazing!
Glad you got the pears! I love putting almond butter and slivered bits of crystalized ginger on pear slices…so yummy!
i can’t wait to see your organization posts! also, i use the same gmail theme. i love that it changes with the weather in your location!
I’m putting wheat berries on my grocery list. Just bought some Pero from Whole Foods, maybe I’ll try it tonight and watch some good ole mindless television. Happy Sunday night.
ttest
Beautiful dinner photos, Kath!
Hello Kath, Thank you for mentioning “The Postmistress”, I looked it up at amazon, and read the first pages, and now I ordered it because the story seems faschinating!!
Best,
Pauline
Kath, do you use WIndows or Mac? And if you do or have used Windows .. any thoughts on Internet Explorer or Mozilla etc??
Windows!! And Google Chrome is the best browser by far!!!!
I’ve never tried to do fish on parchment paper. I usually bake it wrapped loosely in foil and it works great that way!