Beverage Bonanza!

First off, I want to apologize for being away so long. I've been avoiding it for reasons I will explain... at a later date...

Now that I'm back, however, I figured I'd begin with a few of the fastest recipes ever: drinks! This will be a short post, as I don't know how long I can ignore the batch of homemade sauerkraut calling me from my stove top, but never fear! I shall return- and with more recipes, of course!


Let start with my current favorite for these HOT summer days, yes? I'm training for a 1/2 marathon in early October, so I really needed something that would keep me hydrated & full of electrolytes, but that didn't taste like syrup (I'm looking at you Gatorade/Powerade. SYRUP.) Something fresh, & with tons of, well, for lack of a larger vocabulary, "FANTASTA-AWESOMENESS." Yes. All caps, that's what I was wishing for. I've always been a fan of the watermelon-mint combination, so I started there. I use an electrolyte drink mix, that was apparently used to fuel the Daedelus Project*. In case you're not into orange, they do have a lemon-lime flavor. I use either, really. Just depends on my mood.
I still can't decide how exactly I feel about this guy. It's impressive that he was able to do it, but who decides to fly in a flimsy little plane to see if he can beat a human-powered flight record? Call me no fun... but I have no interest in normal planes, which are statistically safer.

Watermelon- Mint Icey

1 cup filtered water
1 cup frozen watermelon chunks
small handful of fresh mint
1tsp Vivix
2 tbsp Performance, Orange flavor
1/2 tsp stevia (optional)

All ingredients into the pot! Ok, blender. Blend it, drink it, love it. The end.

*"Daedalus Project (1988)
Shaklee Performance was designed under the guidance of Dr. Ethan Nadel of Yale University to fuel a record-setting pedal-powered flight of a man-made airplane - the Daedalus Project, a 72 mile human powered flight between the Greek islands of Crete and Santorini. Kanellos Kanopoulos had only one fuel during his record-breaking flight: Performance, the maximum endurance sports drink developed by Shaklee. " -From Shaklee's sports nutrition PR page


Recipe #2: Literally a meal. I have it at least once a week for breakfast, my mother has been known to have it for lunch. Heck, I've probably had it for both... in one day... Seriously, though- who doesn't love multi-tasking? It's breakfast AND your caffeine. I just solved your morning crunch time. You are welcome.



Coffee Milkshake


8 oz cold coffee (use the leftover from yesterday, leave in fridge overnight)
8 oz soy, coconut, or almond milk (sometimes I get crazy & use rice milk! ooo!)
cup o' ice
2-3 scoops 180, Cafe Latte flavor
optional for creaminess: 1/4 avocado OR 1/3 frozen banana

Again, put all ingredients into a blender, blend, drink like a mad-person on your way to work, vet appt, soccer game, birthday party, you name it. Arrive jazzed as all get out because you feel uh-may-zing.

Recipe #3: Another one of those meal in a milkshake recipes. There may be a lot of these. They've been a long time coming- Remember all of those months I was away? yeah. I was nursing my way back to health & happiness with these babies. Now I've gotten around to sharing. The one below is my mister's favorite. He will wake me up at 6am to ask me to make one for him. If I don't, he will ask me to make it after our mid-afternoon run. He might have a mild addiction to them. I can't say I'm too worried. Better than the 20 gazillion alternatives that are infinitely worse! :)


Cinnamon- Vanilla Milkshake

1 cup non-dairy milk (he likes coconut-almond milk best)
1 cup ice
2-3 scoops Vanilla 180 mix
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp vanilla extract, optional (just on fancy days)

Third time, can you guess? Blend it! Blend it all! If you're my mister, it will be gone in less than 15 seconds. Le sigh.


In other news... I realize I haven't given any of you any links to the blogs I frequent! This is about to change.

I am leaving you this evening with a fantastic summer dessert idea, which I will be making this week. I am about to pee my pants in anticipation. The creator of this recipe, Mirriam Sorrel, just published her first cookbook, Mouthwatering Vegan. I can. not. WAIT. for my copy! She's brilliant. Raw Chocolate Orange Cheesecake

Can't help it, here's another one of her recipes. Pretty sure I'll end up making them the same night, for a ladies movie night, perhaps? Yes, I think this needs to happen. Even if "Ladies Night" ends up meaning me & mr. mister in our pjs in front of a Netflix marathon on The Magic School Bus. (Don't lie. You'd be jealous.... Now that I have that in my head it might be an intentional eventuality...)Ahem. The pizza for said night. yes, here: "Extra Cheesy Peppered Nutty Pizza Fest"

The New Best Gumbo

While exceedingly sleepy, I am absolutely drawn to share this newest of my gumbo recipes with you all. Remember, this is only because I love you. ALL of you. Let me apologize in advance, there is every likelihood that I will do any/all of the following in this post: ramble, dillydally, and be all around nonsensical. It's how I am when I'm this sleepy.) And don't blame me. Blame the roofers who, for some INSANE reason, decided to ignore ALL of the weathermen going "There is a 100% chance of rain all night & all of tomorrow!" Apparently they decided to believe the weathermen after it'd be raining for a full 8 hours, at which point it occurred to them that the roof of my building needed to be covered, so I wouldn't have a swimming pool for a home. Even for a barista, 3AM is too early. Ahem. What was I saying? Oh. right. Gumbo.

Delicious *cough*& secretly nutritious*cough* Gumbo

1/4c flour
1/4c evoo & vegan butter mix (I use about 1T Earth Balance & the rest EVOO)
1 Large Onion, roughly diced
1 Yellow Bell Pepper
1 Red Bell Pepper
7 (or so)stalks celery (enough to be equal to the amount of onion)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot
2 large or 3 med tomatoes, chopped (or 2 cans stewed tomatoes)
1 pkg soy chorizo (non-GMO, again. Trader Joe's has a great version!)
6 cups water
2 vegetarian bouillon cubes (I use Edward & Son's brand "Not Chik'n"
1 tsp Thyme
oregano
dash crushed red pepper
Salt & pepper
2 Cups Basmati Rice, cooked
1 Cup Brown Rice
1 pkg frozen whole okra
1 package organic non-gmo sweet corn

In a large soup pot, heat "butter" and oil until melted & hot, add flour. Cook, stirring often until roux becomes a little darker in color, but before it is burnt! If you burn it... just don't. You'll be sad, the gumbo will be sad & all of the people who eat it will be sad. This is not a "oh it'll be fine. I like a little charcoal flavor" moment. I'm surrounded by people who seem to love the taste of burned food, and no, they don't like this. Moving on...

Once your roux is appropriately and happily browned, add in the onion, peppers, carrots and celery. Cook about 5 minutes, then add the rest of the ingredients except for the rices, okra and corn. Let it simmer for oh, until the house smells so good you're willing to forgo taste-buds for the remainder of the week in order for some sweet delicious instant gratification... in my house it went about 25 minutes. Add in the okra and corn, cook for 5 more minutes and then serve over your rice mix. Don't anticipate leftovers.

Note: If you want to get extra fancy, try some (soy-free! GF!)vegan shrimp from Sophie's Kitchen. One of my favorite vegan alternatives. A quick google search brings up a fellow blogger's review of them, as a matter of fact! I put these things on everything and eat them plain BEFORE I get them on whatever they are planned for... What? I'm impatient, Ok? No one's perfect. I do what I can, but the foods! It just has a power over me that nothing else does! :) It's healthy? I eats it. It's cruelty free? I eats it. It's delicious? I eats it. All of the above? No need for questions. You know where this is going. (and if you don't, you need more sleep than I!)

Speaking of which, I have no idea of the time, and it is finally silent out. Honestly, I'm amazed I made it through without passing out on my keyboard. Sweet dreams, vegan shrimp dreams to all and to all a delicious night... <3

Fish Family Favorite

Growing up in New England, I like to pretend that my love of seafood and the ability to cook it just happened naturally. I was incredibly lucky to hear the waves outside my window as I drifted to sleep when I was young, and equally as lucky to have truly fresh seafood on a regular basis. My Mr. was not so lucky. Sure, he's had really fresh seafood! Just not as frequently and consistently as I. He's named of a few times that he and his father went fishing on the East coast. On those occasions, which I can count on one hand, they managed to catch some poor innocent fish and proceeded to savagely cook and eat the scaly dears. I say it this way because, let's be honest, I'm a tiny bit jealous. OK! I'm very jealous. I've been on fishing trips, but I'm just not clever enough to catch anything. I do better with cooking things than catching them. If I lived before the time of grocery stores, I'd surely be a vegan.... or dead. I think I'm glad I don't have to go out and literally hunt for my daily meals. Anyhow! Whilst musing over our fish- related pasts, Mr. went about his computer-ing and I created a new recipe without meaning to. After tasting the result, he promptly dropped his fork, scooped me up and shook me around like a life-size ragdoll, all the while yelling "THIS IS WHY I MARRIED YOU AND I DIDNT EVEN KNOW YOU COULD DO THIS!!! WHAT IS THIS?! WWHITEFISH?! HOW DID YOU MAKE IT TASTE SO GOOD?! I LOVE IT! I NEED YOU TO MAKE THIS FOREVER!" I think I reacted rather well for the circumstance. If you know us personally, you've probably fallen off your chair by now. I want to know what our poor neighbors think about us. No, actually I don't. We're probably horrible to live near. We're both loud anyway, but if we get excited about anything the volume inevitably skyrockets. I'm sorry neighbors. We don't mean to. ~Lemon Ginger Braised Whitefish~ 1'peice of fresh ginger, minced 2 large cloves garlic, minced 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil 3-4 Tablespoons Lemon juice pinch o' salt 2 large fillets whitefish (literally whitefish, or flounder, or tilapia) parsley for garnish. Heat the ginger, garlic, Olive oil, lemon juice and salt in a skillet. Once liquid starts boiling, add fillets to the pan and cook about 4 minutes, then flip. Cook another 3 minutes and VOILA! I've been making this at least once a week. It's a super light, healthy dish, and yet served with rice and heaping pile of greens? Super satisfying. It's just a happy dish in pretty much every way. Til next time :)

Curious Cupcakes

And by "cupcakes" I mean muffins. I think? I mean, they're sort of halfway between the two? its like carrot cake for breakfast... except healthy... and also, they don't look like cupcakes at all, since they come in a little round bite-size package. :D I adapted this recipe from two recipes I found (one from Bodyrock.tv, and the other from Skinny Bitch in the Kitch). I brought the results of my first attempt at these in to a friend about, oh, 3? 4? months ago? She kept at me to give her the recipe until she gave up hope in my feeble goldfish brain. She'll probably think she's hallucinating when she finally sees the recipe, written out, just for her. (It's O.K. friend! It's all real!) Now then. I need to get to the gym so I can continue to eat all the confused cupcakes that my bottomless pit of a stomach can handle! Curious & most Confused Cupcakes: 1 cup oats, ground into oat flour 2 cups almond meal 3 tsp baking powder 4 TBSP honey (or agave) 4 TBSP coconut oil 1 cup carrots, cooked & mashed chopped nuts (almonds & walnuts are my favorite) Mix all ingredients until uniform. Roll into balls, about an inch in diameter. Bake for about 25 min at 350 degrees. cool. Eat. Yummmmmmm. Note: Instead of carrots, I like to use the pulp from my juicer. I actually freeze the pulp & defrost it when I'm making a batch of these little guys. I don't bother cooking it. I just toss it on in (1-1& 1/2 cups). Bonus: The nutrients aren't cooked out or ruined by the heat from the water this way either! These are awesome for pre- & post-workout snacks by the way! (I will upload a picture the next time I make these. So... hopefully tomorrow.)

End of an Era

Growing up, I ate more meat than the average tiger. No, really. (Remember my previous post explaining how I was able to gum a pork chop to death before I had teeth?) My mother did her best to keep my insatiable appetite at bay, and for the most part she did (kudos!). I honestly to this day have no idea how I did not gain weight like a football player. I certainly ate like one.

I would always enjoy the fatty peices best. You know what I mean. Salty- crisp skin off of fried chicken. Bacon. Grilled pork chop fat. I lived for the fattiest, saltiest, meatiest (is that even a word? oh well, it is now) meats that I could get my skinny little hands on.

I remember returning home from high school and, deciding I needed a snack, consumed an entire one pound package of keilbasa. I should probably add that this was not after an intense workout, or even a stressful day. Oh, and this happened more than once.... by which I mean ALL OF THE TIME.


My mother has always been a bit anemic, so I just figured I was, too, and needed the protien and the iron. I never thought it was a problem, and happily continued to eat massive quantities of delicious, salty, fatty, amazing meat.

... which brings me to the point of this post. As of this year, I am going to find alternative sources of protien, iron, etc. I plan to become (gulp/ deep breathe) vegetarian.

*insert freak out here*

While this was never even in close to being a possibility at any point in my past, it is now reality. I've been doing entirely too much reading (and listening, and documentary watching, and so on) to ethically/morally continue to eat in the same manner as I previously have. For health reasons, I've realized my consumption of meat needs to decrease if I want to have fully functioning organs when I'm 40.

Don't worry, not all is lost. I will still post all my new recipes as well as old recipes that I have re-worked. There are a number of recipes which I still need to post as they are, meaty deliciousness and all. I mean let's face it: just because I'm not eating meat doesn't mean you won't be. Let me at least help you make that meat tasty. :)

In all honesty, I feel like I'm breaking up with someone. The best someone ever, who was faithful and loving for 20 years and suddenly left me for E.Coli, and, it turns out, is a liar, a fake and super fraudulent, and violent to boot. Sad face.

Don't get me wrong here.

I still love you, Meat. I think part of me always will. I just think it won't work out between us. It's not you... it's me... I think? I don't even know anymore. I'm just confused. I don't even know who you've become. It's just not the same as it was before, when I was young, and you together, the world seemed to be without limits. Now I feel like the world gets a little darker each time I learn something new about you.....

Anywho. Back to you. I'll make sure to let you know what sort of recipe I'm having you try. All I can promise is that I have tried and loved whatever I'll be posting.

much love,

~ new age hippie treehugger gone wild

The Weekend Trip...

This weekend I got to play with my food. Unfortunately, in my excitement to eat the results, I forgot to take pictures of the beautiful goat cheese, tomato and garlic ravioli I made from scratch. This means I'll just have to make some more!

I also had a day trip to the not-so-local Findlay Market, where farmers sell their fresh produce at absurdly low prices and immigrants living their own American dream sell their amazing goods- be it perfectly crafted sausages or delectable gyros that can satisfy anyone's "oh crap i'm in a food store and forgot to eat breakfast" hunger. Andrew & I bought 3 of these gyros, thinking we'd have the third as a back-up if once of us was still hungry. Neither of us finished our first gyros.

At the meat counter (Kroeger & Son's Meats) I settled on 6 different sausages to sample. This included creative varieties, (such as the "Reubenwurst" which is made with corned beef and saurkraut and bound with 1000 island dressing and "Chicken Shiitake Mushroom") as well as a few traditional recipes (i.e. Bratwurst & Mettwurst). These little beauties are currently snuggly nestled in my refrigerator basket, just waiting for the day when I can enjoy them with mashed potatoes (recipe to come) or pasta.

We also enjoyed a few hours in the largest international market I have ever had the pleasure of setting my feet in! Jungle Jim's is a treat for me, as again, it is not nearby. This particular trip was in celebration of reaching a few goals I've been workign toward for the past 2 months. I was able to purchase almost everything I could dream of.... which I might add, is similar to the amount of food that it takes to feed a fully grown panda for a month.

I found myself nearly skipping down the aisles of honey, prancing around the arena of fresh produce, and oogling at the displays of every cut of every farm animal imaginable. Truly, I have found a little peice of foodie Heaven on Earth. I managed to keep myself under a reasonable level of control, given the deafening rejoicing in my head. I settled with fresh smoked salmon, imported prosciutto, and the most amazing salami I have ever tasted. I found lemongrass and nectarines, and stocked up on antipasti treats like whole Roman artichokes, caperberries, teriyaki marinated mushrooms, and a whole host of olives.

In the Asian section of the store, a young man was givign a demo on japanese noodles with vegetarian oyster sauce & sesame oil. I had a sample and decided I had to make it at home, adding vegetables to up the nutritional content. As I type, I am contentedly slurping up my experiment.

Japanese Stirfry with Noodles...

Water, for boiling
4 oz uncooked "Fusheng Dried Noodle" (a small handful)
2 Carrots, sliced thin
1/4 onion, diced
1/2 baby bok choy, stalks & leaves separated & sliced
4 green onions, chopped

3 Tbsp Sesame Oil
2 Tbsp oyster sauce

Bring water to a rolling boil, drop in pasta and cook until your preferred texture. I like mine al dente, but these are one of the few noodles that I will eat when very soft. Drain & set aside.

Heat 1 to 2 Tbsp oil in a fry pan & add all vegetables except for the bok choy leaves. Cook until tender, but still crisp- about 3 minutes. Add bok choy leaves and cook until wilted.

Put a serving of noodles in a bowl & add 1 Tbsp oyster sauce & 1 Tbsp sesame oil. Top with about 1/2 of the vegetables and mix until everything is evenly coated with the sauce. :)

Summer faves!

Seeing as the heat wave seems to finally be rearing it's ugly head, I thought I'd cheer myself up with some refreshing NO HEAT NEEDED food.

I will say that the Cucumber Dill Salad and Tabouleh recipes are adapted from dishes my boyfriend's mother makes for her family. I'll note the differences in case you'd like to try it her way for comparison purposes. :)



Cucumber Dill Salad

2 large cucumbers, sliced thinly
1/2 Cup sour cream
1/4 cup mascarpone cheese*
1/4 cup mayonnaise
small handful Fresh Dill, chopped
2 T minced dried onion**
1 T garlic powder
s & p, to taste

This recipe is really complicated. Are you ready?

Mix all ingredients (except cucumbers) in a bowl until homogeneous. Add cucumber and mix. Refrigerate for at least an hour to let the flavors blend. Enjoy.

PHEW! I thought I wouldn't get through that one! ;)

* I use mascarpone because it has a more mild and more buttery flavor than mayo. It is also healthier for you- 1/2 the calories, almost no sodium, a solid amount of protein and more nutrients.

**If you don't have minced dried onion in your pantry, don't sweat...

Actually, do sweat- Sweat 1/2 an onion (diced small) in a bit of butter until translucent and beginning to brown. For once I really do prefer the dried stuff, but this does just as well in a pinch :)

Tabouleh

large couscous*
strong chicken broth*
1 large cucumber
2 medium tomatoes
1 bunch scallions
1 bunch parsley
1/4 cup Lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup wheat germ
s & p to taste

Romaine lettuce, if desired

Cook the couscous according to the packaging instructions. Substitute the water with the strong chicken broth. Set cooked couscous aside to cool.

Dice the cucumber and tomatoes, making sure to keep the sizes the same throughout. Slice the scallions (we're using the entire scallion here- green & white parts. I know some people swear by one or the other, but I love the whole thing!)

Chop the parsley, discard the stems. In a large bowl, mix the lemon juice, olive oil, wheat germ and S & P. (Note: I tend to fudge a little on the lemon juice. I like my salad a bit more on the sour side, so sometimes the amount can creep up to 1/2 cup depending on my tastes for a given day.) Add in the veggies and herbs. Toss to coat. Add in the cooled couscous. Toss to coat, and VIOLA!

I love this salad as is, or served piled high on romaine leaves. Delicious either way!

*I like the couscous in my tabouleh, because it adds flavor and texture. Plus it makes the dish capable of stand- alone deliciousness, and needs no "main entree" to go with it. It makes the dish more filling, so the "rabbit fare" will go further. The recipe given to me did not have couscous, so try it both ways and see what your preference is.

Chicken Salad

1 store bought rotisserie chicken (regular flavor or a garlic/ onion is best. My warning: Do NOT use lemon-pepper seasoned for this recipe!)
1/4 cup Mayonnaise
3 T sesame dressing
1/4 cup craisins
1/4 cup sliced almonds
5 scallions, sliced

Remove all the meat from the chicken and chop it into bite size pieces. Put the chicken, along with the remaining ingredients into a bowl and mix. Delicious.

I switch this up sometimes, using raisins or grapes instead of craisins, walnuts instead of almonds, and onions and celery (cut very small) instead of scallions.

Pics of these to come...

Also!!! After an unfortunate lunchtime craving today, I've determined my next mission: to create a FAST solution to a lemon bar need. There has got to be a better option than tasteless microwaved processed lemon cake with a texture somewhere between an old sponge and damp cardboard... I resorted to chugging a can of cola to get rid of the taste, leading to yet another taste catastrophe. STOP THE MADNESS! >:-P

Quick Question:

Have any of you ever used mayonnaise instead of butter for the outside of a grilled sandwich???

Too tired for more now, will post a few of my recently created faves tomorrow! (...today...???)

Mixed Cabbage Salad with crunchy noodles

May I present to you today's lunch: simple, healthy, happy.




Mixed Cabbage Salad is a recipe that has been floating around potlucks and office meetings for a while now, so I decided to try it for myself the other day, in leiu of my goal of "going veg." (No worries, I've come to terms with the fact that I cannot, in NO uncertain terms, do it overnight. My willpower for controlling my diet is just too weak for that sort of life overhaul.

Instead, I'm sticking to chicken and fish for the next few weeks, and avoiding pork and beef. For someone who has been a borderline canivore for nearly their entire life, let just say it's a challenge. One of the earliest pictures my family posseses of me is from before I had teeth. My grandparents were having my mother and I to dinner, for which my grandmother had prepared an old standby: pork chops, applesauce (etc...). The image was taken following my infant decision to grab hold of the pork chop placed elegantly on my mother's plate with both of my chubby little hands and gum that thing to death. While I was sitting on my mother's lap, she had turned her head to look at something other than me (how darst she!) and came to a full realization of what had happened at the exact moment the camera went flash!

SO! clearly, the going veg thing isn't an easy thing. But when the road to veg is paved with cabbage salad and chicken sausage... Well... things might be looking up!

Oriental Mixed Cabbage Salad

1/4 head thinly sliced green cabbage
1/4 head thinly sliced purple cabbage
2 carrots, cut into matchsticks or shaved
6 green onions, sliced

1/2 cup slivered almonds
3 tbsp. sesame seeds
1 pkg. Oriental Ramen (save the seasoning pkt for the "dressing")

1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup oil
Pepper to taste

Mix the first four ingredients in a bowl- its best if said bowl has a cover, for later.

Take the vinegar, oil, pepper and oriental seasoning packet and whisk away. Pour the "dressing" over the cabbage and set aside so that the flavors can blend and the acid can soften the vegetables.

Toast almonds and sesame seeds in oven at 350 for a few minutes. Do not forget them! They're ready quickly, and they become inedible (really, really gross inedible, not going to kill you or break your teeth inedible) the second they turn brown. Brown! not black! Black... let's just not talk about black. Just let them go golden and they're perfect.

Break up the ramen noodles into small peices, about the size of small croutons- and combine with the sesame seeds and almonds in a bowl. Set aside until its time to serve.

Continued...

As implied by the title of my previous post, the postings will continue for a while today. This is cupcakes, continued. After making the previous cupcakes, I stumbled across some peppermint extract in my pantry. Between the excitement I felt welling up inside me and the request my mother had made earlier for me to make some MORE, I couldn't resist. Same basic recipe, flavors changed. I'm ecstatic. Let me just say that I may be the world's only cake-hater. These cupcakes changed my mind.

So far today I have eaten 2 whole cupcakes. Yeah, You might think thats nothing, but for someone who might be convinced to try ONE- count it, one- bite of cake or cupcake and then run for the hills, this is a big deal. And I think one of the other cupcakes, now frosted and glimmering in the overcast light, may be making eyes at me. Oh. This is happening. #3 here I come.

Chocolate Espresso Cupcakes with Mint Buttercream Frosting

1 cup unsweetened Vanilla Almond milk
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup oil (I split the 1/3 and did half extra virgin olive oil and half canola oil)
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract + 1/4 tsp
1/4 tsp peppermint extract


1 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder (dutch baking cocoa is more expensive, but seriously worth it)
1 & 1/2 Tbsp instant coffee granules
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp kosher salt

1/3 cup vegan chocolate chips

(I'm reposting the directions from my previous post, as it is the same base recipe...)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Mix first group of ingredients (milk -> peppermint extract)it may not come all the way together for you, dont worry about it for now.

Mix in the next group of ingredients (flour -> salt). Make sure that the batter is smooth and has no clumps.









Line your cupcake pans with the paper cups and fill the cups to about 2/3 full- I used a 2oz scoop to make sure all my cupcakes would come out the same size. Once all the paper cups are filled with delicious batter, sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the batter. I don't mix them in the batter, because they're likely to sink to the bottom and burn there. :( No one wants sad chocolate chips in their cupcakes.




Bake 'em! ~ 22 minutes per pan, or until their characters have developed, so you can poke the little dears and have them spring back!



Now... Wait for those suckers to cool down. I suggest taking a walk or cleaning so you wont be tempted.

Frosting time! :D

1 Tbsp peppermint extract
3 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbsp almond milk
1 stick margarine

mix


Frost onto the cooled cupcakes. Go ahead. Do it. dooooo itttt. ISN'T THAT THE BEST THING EVER? Dessert lover made here. discovered hiding in the minty coffee chocolatey perfection of a vegan cupcake. Who knew? :D

The Post-Semester Series

Having finished my final week of my final semester, I've had enough time to breathe. This of course means I am cooking again! With a number of HUGE life decisions looming in the not- so- distant- future, I'm dealing with my stress by stocking the fridge so full of food that anyone who takes a peek may or may not be able to see the shelves, nevermind the back of the fridge.

That said, I believe it is time for me to finally post my recent food fun!



I know its backwards, but I'm going to have to start with the recipes I made ... err... am still making as I type... CUPCAKES!!!!

I found an amazing- let me repeat- A-MA-ZING recipe for cupcakes on someone else's blog, which I've adapted a bit. Everyone should go check her site out- www.ohsheglows.com. She's got a number of awesome recipes and I love the goal of her blog.

Ok! So the Recipe(s)

Mocha Maple Cupcakes with Maple Buttercream Frosting

1 cup unsweetened Vanilla Almond milk
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup oil (I split the 1/3 and did half extra virgin olive oil and half canola oil)
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp pure maple extract


1 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder (dutch baking cocoa is more expensive, but seriously worth it)
1 tsp instant coffee granules
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp kosher salt

1/3 cup vegan chocolate chips


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Mix first group of ingredients (milk -> maple extract)it may not come all the way together for you, dont worry about it for now.

Mix in the next group of ingredients (flour -> salt). Make sure that the batter is smooth and has no clumps.

Line your cupcake pans with the paper cups and fill the cups to about 2/3 full- I used a 2oz scoop to make sure all my cupcakes would come out the same size. Once all the paper cups are filled with delicious batter, sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the batter. I don't mix them in the batter, because they're likely to sink to the bottom and burn there. :( No one wants sad chocolate chips in their cupcakes.

Bake 'em! ~ 22 minutes per pan, or until their characters have developed, so you can poke the little dears and have them spring back!

If you can't wait, go ahead. Eat one. I did.

For the maple frosting:

1 Tbsp maple extract
3 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbsp almond milk
1 stick margarine

Mix! spread on cooled cupcakes- and for pete's sake PLEASE don't try piping maple frosting on anything... you'll see.



I told you... just say no to piping here. Unless your intent is to serve crappy cupcakes... Just use a flat icing knife for these. The eaters will thank you.





Oh and by the way. These are vegan. YEAH. THAT'S WHAT I SAID. AMAZING, RIGHT?

Long Time, no food posts...

Oops! Post #2 consisting of an announcement of my regret in not posting my most recent meals.

I ended up taking a number of horrible photos of my lasagna- just before it was completely consumed by myself and the hungry inhabitants of my apartment complex. Only one of the photos is even slightly acceptable, as you see.




That said, I've made a number a reasonably delicious foods lately. The one of which I am most proud is my gumbo! Not to brag, but even my Ohio- grown "southern" fellow (who has an authentically southern Mi-maw) loved it! :)


2 sticks butter
3/4 cup flour

1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
4 sticks celery, chopped

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

5 cups shrimp stock (I made mine, by boiling the shrimp shells w/ s&p)
1 bottle clam juice

1 (12 0z) frozen chopped okra
1 can stewed tomatoes (juice & all!)
2 cups smoked sausage
2 Tablespoons Bay Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
4 bay leaves
2 Tablespoons Italian seasoning
1 Tablespoon garlic salt

2 cans chopped clams (juice & all!!!)
2 (16 oz) bags frozen raw shrimp (make sure to remove all inedibles- i.e. shells...)


Melt the butter in a large, heavy bottomed pot, then add the flour. Heat, stirring frequently, until roux is deliciously dark-ish brown. Note: If you burn the roux, it'll all taste bad. Unless you like the taste of Carbon all through your food (I don't). I'm only saying this because I've done it before. It was a very sad, carbony, UNsavory day in my kitchen. You can't fix it. Honestly? I'm not even sure the Neely's, Paula Dean, or Alton Brown could fix burned roux... And we all know how highly I think of A.B. That man can do almost anything with food...

Ahem. Back to my gumbo....

Once you have a beautiful roux... add the veggies, namely the onion, celery, and bell pepper. Cook about 10 minutes, or until barely translucent and add the garlic. cook another few minutes, then SLOWLY add the liquids (shrimp stock & clam juice, including juice from the canned clams- reserve the clams themselves for later! Overcooked seafood is gummy, chewy, unhappy seafood).
Add the okra, tomatoes, sausage, and spices. Cook about 30 minutes.
Add the remaining ingredients, which should only amount to the shrimp and clams, at this point, and cook until the raw shrimp turn a pretty pink. Watch the shrimp! They only take a few minutes to cook, and again, if you overcook seafood, it gets cranky, which will make you cranky. and your guests cranky. Can't say I didn't warn you.


I ate my gumbo as they do in L.A. -that's Lower Alabama- over rice, and was soon consumed by the warm, cozy feeling that only perfectly executed gumbo can provide.

As I'm not *hugely* tolerant of super-spicy foods, my recipe only has a moderate amount of spice to it, so if you use this recipe, be sure to alter it to your tastes. Level of Spice is just so relative!

In my seafood-rice-spice-food love craze, I didn't have the sense to take pictures. My house smelled too good and my brain turned off. I'm actually pleased that I even remembered everything I put in that pot... Hopefully I'll have my wits about me next time I make this.

Soon to come:

Vanilla Rice Pudding
Crab Rangoon
crepes???

Garfield speaks...

You'd think that for someone with as passionate a love for food as myself, I would be posting mroe often. Alas, I have been so busy I haven't been able to be creative in the kitchen. I've been living off of vegetarian hot dogs (I love meat, but these are delicious!), packages of flavored noodles, and canned soup. I can't wait until March 18, when I will suddenly be greeted by an excess of free time and the possibility of working with food- for pay! :)

On another note, I was delighted this morning to find a box of lasagna noodles, complete with a recipe on the back. I've decided to create my own recipe this evening, and since my neighbors are donating half of their ground beef to the project- while using the other half to make their own dinner of spaghetti and meatballs, I feel no obligation to tend to the flavor wishes of anyone but myself. How exciting!

I'll be sure to post the recipe I come up with, along with pictures later today, or tomorrow, should I get too sidetracked. I have a number of additional updates to post as well, but again, they may have to wait until tomorrow, as I'm feverishly busy today.

Until later...

Taste of New England...

I decided this week to spoil myself a little. It's been a stressful week, and nothing de-stresses me like some well cooked seafood (except maybe a good work out). I bought 2lbs of catfish nuggets. While catfish nuggets lack the aesthetic beauty and simplicity that a full fillet has, I usually buy the former due to the cheaper price tag (the fillets were $6.99/lb. nuggets? 3.45/lb. Come on now. It's the same fish). Only one downside I've ever found: sometimes, just sometimes, there are bones. Something to be aware of, not worried about- just check the pieces before you toss them from the prep to cooking.

Anyway, the original thought with catfish, was to fry it. I love love love Andy's seafood seasoning (no, not an exclusive friend-made magic mix- it's a brand name pre-made seasoning! usually found in the seafood dept. of your grocery store.) for coating catfish just before frying it to perfection. Super simple, super tasty. Just for the heck of it, I'll type up that as a recipe:



Perfect Fried Catfish

1 egg, beaten
Andy's seafood seasoning
~1lb catfish
oil for frying

Heat about 1/4" oil in a frying pan until rippling (but not smoking!). Dip the fish in the egg to coat it, then coat in the seafood seasoning. Place the now coated fish in the pan (it will sizzle & may spray), cook until golden brown on each side and cooked all the way through (time depends on size of fish fillet/nugget, so I'm refraining from putting a time here. Catfish will be completely white all the way through, without being dry when cooked correctly).

I did this with about half of the catfish, last night, but I still had a ton left a day later. Now, I grew up in New England, and if there's one thing I learned about food while growing up, it is this: cook and eat your seafood within a day or two of buying it or don't eat it at all! I couldn't let it go to waste, and had been planning to make clam chowder later in the week, so I adapted my plans for the clams and cream and grabbed a few other things from my kitchen. In the end, what I came up with left me with that amazing comfort food feeling.

Seafood Chowder

• ~12 cocktail sausages, cut into thirds
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 1 T butter
• 1 T peanut oil
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 2 large red potatoes, cut into bite-size pieces
• 2 cups water
• 1 (8 oz) bottle clam juice
• 1/2 tsp each: salt & pepper
• 1/2- 1 lb catfish nuggets, cut into bite-size peices
• 1 lb shrimp
• 2 (6.5 oz) cans chopped clams in clam juice
• 1 cup milk
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 1/2 c. frozen corn
• seasoned salt
• fresh parsley, chopped

Cook the sausages until browned slightly, then add onions and oil. Cook until the onions are almost transparent and add the garlic and potatoes. Add water, clam juice, salt and pepper. After a few minutes (3-5) add the catfish. Cook for another 5 or so minutes and add the shrimp, milk, 1 cup of the cream and the clams- everything in the can! juice & all! Simmer for 10-15 minutes more, or until the seafood is fully cooked. Add the corn, seasoned salt and parsley to taste, cook for 2 more minutes, and Enjoy!

*sigh*

I have always loved fried chicken. Be it KFC, Popeyes, homemade, you name it- if it is battered, crispy, salty and juicy I will put away as much of that chicken as a 280lb NFL player. I like to make my own fried chicken in the oven.

That's right. I bake my "fried" chicken.


Sorry guys. It's healthier, tastier and heck, *I* think its crispier. Not to mention- who wants to heat up all that oil and risk burning yourself, making a mess, or who know's what else. I LOVE fried foods- don't get me wrong!- but I only whip out my deep fryer on rare occasions when I'm having a terrible sad craving for fried goodies (usually occurs with wontons, crab rangoon, fried calamari, or veggie tempuras- yum!!!). And you'll be a monkey's uncle before you'll see me use that peice of machinery when one (or more) of my more rambunctious associates is around. The very thought conjures up disturbing images of a flame- filled kitchen, the likes of which only my dear college acquaintances could achieve. (I am NOT making cake with you for a while. You know who you are. I don't need my living place to look like a scene from The Day After Tomorrow, thank you very much.)

I have to run- things to do- if I have time tonight, I might even post the basic recipe for my chicken...

First and Formost

I must admit that I am no classically trained chef, nor am I a busy mother of three (unless you count cats, as I have two adorable kittens). I am however, a self proclaimed foodie, a declared bottomless pit and most of all a person who loves food more than any normal person I have ever met.

My closest friends all seem to have the same uncanny instinct- to show up at my door around dinner time and casually ask "so...what are you doing for dinner?" This generally results in a short conversation, leading to a dinner sitting either around my eclectic and very blue living room or across the courtyard in front of my friend's very large tv, watching (surprise!) Food Network.

While I am new to this blogging sphere, and likely don't need to post a purpose for my blog for YOU, I am, shall we say, focus-challenged- undiagnosed and jokingly ADD, even. So, for my own peace of mind, I will be using this blog to post my opinions on events, recipes, nutrition and other food-related things. Of course, I will be looking for your thoughts as well! While I love cooking anything and everything, there are most definately things I have NO clue how to do. Oh, and let me tell you something. I am THE BIGGEST foreign food fanatic ever, so if you have something to contribute PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE tell me. You might even become my new best friend.

sugar, spice and TONS of salt...