Microgreens for Trendy Kendie

The birthday celebrations have come and gone. I just received, what I think will be my last birthday card or gift for the year, but what a great birthday it was!! I definitely felt the "getting older" blues this year for the first time, probably because I have one year left in my 20's. I know, I know, I have plenty of time left, but one can't help but think about it. 

I had several friends come into town for my birthday this year, including my crafty blogger friend Trendy Kendie. Kendal came down and actually ran in the 10K birthday race with me - we rocked it the entire way to Daft Punk's new album and had a blast (despite the horrible heat and humidity). 

Mid-race selfie!!

Kendal is a great friend from college that shares many of the same passions and hobbies as I do, including blogging! She rocks at homemade gifts, and proved herself yet again by making me vanilla perfume and homemade cloth napkins. Everytime she comes to visit me, she brings one of her amazing creations, which leaves my house smelling amazing! I wish she lived in Raleigh so we could share perfumes and recipes all the time! I also learn a lot from her about various aspects of the food industry. She's a smart girl, that Trendy Kendie!!

I can't take credit for her DIY goodies though, so hop over to her blog today to check out how to make the perfume and placemats!!

While she was here, I had to spoil her with some homemade goodies of my own from the kitchen.

During her visit, I introduced Kendal to microgreens! I wish these were a staple in my kitchen, but unfortunately I can't always find them. They are mostly available at the Farmer's Market in the summer and sometimes at specialty food stores.

Microgreens are one of my favorite types of produce to purchase because they can go with everything. First of all, microgreen is a term used for a whole plant harvested at a young seedling stage after a few leaves have begun to grow. They aren't to be confused with sprouts, which are grown in water and consumed whole, microgreens are grown in soil and cut at the root. These little greens are not only a fantastic garnish for dishes, but are full of rich antioxidants, amino acids, enzymes and other essential nutrients, not to mention taste amazing.

Microgreens are commonly used as garnish in nicer restaurants, however, I like to incorporate them into my dishes. There are many different types of microgreens, which in turn means many different flavors! Basically any type of lettuce or herb, is at one point a microgreen.

In these images I topped a piece of gluten free toast with my homemade pimento cheese, avocado, pepper, olive oil and microgreens. It was a perfect refreshing snack for the hot afternoon, especially when served with a cold beer! If I don't top toast with these little green gems, I incorporate them into salads, omelets, sandwiches/wraps, over my breakfast, in tacos, and the list goes on. 

Next time you run across microgreens, don't pass them by. Kendal certainly won't! Thanks for the "trendy" gifts, Kendie! :)