Fun With Friends, Tiles, and Alcohol Ink

To say that I feel a lack of creativity in my life lately is an understatement. For months I have wanted to go back to creating, but I have had a hard time motivating myself. Knowing this, my friend, Diana invited me over to get my creativity on by making alcohol ink tiles that she saw on a blog called Artysville. Just one glance at these tiles hooked me in.

Diana was kind enough to buy the materials (I offered to pay, but she said no) and have me and Beth over for some tiling fun. I went to her house after work one day and she had all of the supplies ready to go on her dining room table- tiles, alcohol blending solution, alcohol ink, Q-tips, and a water based sealer.

We munched on snacks and got to work. We started with the alcohol blending solution as a base. The next step was to drop on the bits of color and watch them expand. If I did not like my design, I could just use the blending solution and wipe it off and start from scratch. I could also use the blending solution to lighten areas of my tiles and add in other colors.

When the tiles were dry, we then used the sealer to provide a protective shield (which, by the way takes four weeks to cure). We each applied four coats, waiting 20 minutes in between each coat. While we waited, we had fun chatting and snacking some more. The company and the tile decorating was great! I am going to use my tiles as coasters.

I think we did a great job for our first try. What do you think?

(Diana's tiles)

(Beth's tiles)

(My tiles)

While I loved all of the tiles, I had a few favorites. These are not in any special order.

Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, Take One

A couple posts ago, I wrote about how I received "Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World." It is now time for me to start blogging about the cupcakes! In mid January, I decided to dive into the book and get started. I first thought about starting at the beggining, but then decided that I would just make what I wanted until I got as far as I wanted. So, here I go!

In this case, I actually did start with the first recipe, Golden Vanilla Cupcakes. The instructions suggest several frosting pairings, which all sounded good. After careful consideration of the frosting section of the book, I decided to go with the Chocolate Buttercream. The first step was to check out our pantry to see what I was missing and then head to the store. Once I had what I needed, I started by organizing all of the ingredients and utensils on the counter.


The recipe was straightforward and easy to follow. I went with the basic recipe and used vanilla and almond extract. The recipe has suggestions for variations, but I decided to keep it simple and follow the main recipe. In no time, I my batter ready and into the cupcake liners. One of the things I love about vegan baking is that you can eat the batter raw, without any worry of salmonella poisoning because there are not any eggs. I tasted the batter and I loved it! If it was this good raw, the end result would be great.


Now that the cupcakes were in the oven, the aroma drifted through our home and my sweet tooth was kicking in. I quickly moved on to the Chocolate Buttercream recipe at the back of the book. Again, I followed the basic recipe without any of the variations.I had fun tasting the frosting as I went along. I had to make sure it was suitable. :)

By the time I was finished with the frosting, it was time for the cupcakes to come out and cool. I transfered the cakes to a wire rack and let them cool. Once they were completly cool, I was able to frost them with ease. I do not have any fancy frosting tools to pipe on frosting, so I used a kitchen knife. The frosting does not look professional, but I was least concerned about looks in this case.


I finally had a finished product and it was time to dig in. I invited John to join in the tasting. I felt like a little kid again as I removed the paper lining and took my first bite. The chocolate, vanilla, and almond hit my tounge and I was in heaven. Yes, we had a winner!!

The cupcakes were better than I expected. They were fluffy, rich, and delicious! I was so happy to have my first attempt be so successful. It motivated me to want to try more and very soon. There was an office birthday coming up and this sucess inspired me to pick out the next two recipies that I would try......Choclate Mocha Cupcakes!

For the Love of Hot Tea

Just thinking of a steaming cup of hot tea makes me cheerful. The aroma of fruity and sweet notes is enough to calm my wildest of moods. Many of us bond over a cup of something warm and when it isn't coffee, it is usually tea.

As I have mentioned in previous blogs, tea has been a tradition in my family. While my family does not descend from the UK, we still engage in sharing hot tea during family and social gatherings (maybe tea is an Italian thing too?). Even as a child, before my Mom let me have coffee, I was allowed to have tea. I would sit and drink tea and chat with her, my grandma, and my aunts. Drinking tea happened during some of my fondest memories with family. Even now when I visit my parents, the evening ends with a cup of tea and conversation. The same tends to happen when we visit John's family as well.

I have always been fascinated with different combinations of tea. Some people solely prefer the plain black, greens, herbals, or whites. I tend to like them all and even fusing several flavors together. I like earl grey, lady grey, jasmine, green, chai, white, herbal, fruity, and so on. Like I said, I like them all. I rarely sip a tea that I dislike. If asked, I would probably tell you that I am a coffee person, but I also think I am a closeted tea fanatic.

Lately, I have gotten the urge to make my own tea. I am inspired by the different herbs, flowers, and leaves that I come across. I find myself often thinking "that would make a great tea." So, recently when I was feeling a bit under the weather I decided to embark on a tea experiment.

We had recently received organic oranges that still had leaves. I cut off the leaves and washed them. While the leaves were drying, I located a half inch of ginger root, powdered stevia, and whole cloves. I put the kettle on and waited for the water to almost boil. I had recently heard to make a good cup of tea, the water should be poured over the leaves before it begins to boil.

Once I got my water to temperature, I poured it into our french press. Immediately, I could smell the aroma of the ingredients mingling together. I had to waited for the tea to steep. I tried to wait the full five minutes for it to steep as I have read one should with an herbal tea. As I waited, I noticed the water change to a yellowish orange color.


As I sipped the tea, I knew I had found a perfect combination. It was heavenly and this cup was all mine. I shared the rest of the pot with John, and he also gave the flavor rave reviews.

I cannot wait to plunge into my next cup of homemade tea. Now, if only it were spring so that I could use some of my herbs.

"Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World" (And So Will I)

I normally do not ask, or want, anything domestic. It just isn't me. John and I share domestic duties, we both take responsibility for household chores as working adults. Having said that, I am the one who prefers baking. John enjoys cooking and does it regularly, but he has no interest in baking. I am cool with that, it is not his thing. It is not really my thing either, but over the past couple of years I have been interested in vegan baking. It fascinates me and I want to learn more about it.

After hearing all of the buzz and tasting samples from the cook book "Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World" by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero, I knew what I wanted for Christmas. When John asked me what I wanted I asked for this cookbook (when I ask for books, I always ask for them used. It is better for the environment). He seemed a bit surprised, but knew he would reap the benefits from my Christmas present.


I was delighted when I opened this book for Christmas. As I flipped through the pages, I knew I had made the right choice. Isa and Terry have a whimsical and humorous style of writing that draws you into the recipes. They even include a section called "Cupcakes A to Z" answering the question "Why cupcakes?". They cite such reasons as adorable, blogworthy, joy, oligarchy, transcendental, and voluptuous.

While I agree with all of their reasons, I am going to choose blogworthy. My plan is to make many, of the recipes and blog about them. I probably won't get to them all because the combinations are endless with all of the cake and frosting recipes. I will do my best of baking a good representation of this book and blogging about the cupcakes and the baking.

What does that mean? Several things. 1- John will get to eat cupcakes and he will be a happy guy. He told me that his tummy personally thanks me. (Yes, you should be scared, it scared me too) 2- I will get to eat and blog about cupcakes. Two wins! 3- My friends and family will get to eat cupcakes. Yumm-o! and 4- You can read my reviews, if you care.

I will not promise to do this every week or even every month. This is fun for me so I am going to do it when the mood or occasion strikes me. I want this to remain fun and not become a chore. I already have two recipes under my belt and I am anticipating a third soon. Will you join me for the ride?

Snow Days

The weather had been predicted, the forecast set. Snow was on its way. The local media was creating a frenzy with the impending snowstorm. The stores were out of the essentials and everyone seemed to be freaking out. (For those of you that live in cold climates, you need to understand that North Carolina is not equipped or prepared to handle snow. We should be scared, the roads become treacherous and everything is forced to shut down.)

The snow began on Friday night and continued through Saturday and at some point turned into falling ice. John and I hate staying inside all day, so we decided to venture out by foot. We put on our gear and stepped out into the yard. We first checked the situation in the front yard and down our street. They were pure ice. It was safe to say no one was going anywhere, for a while.

Our yard looked pristine and I almost felt bad clumping through it with my big footprints. Almost. As I ventured to the back of our yard, I noticed little footprints. I followed them to a sweet little rabbit cuddled under our deck trying to stay warm. John and I decided that when we got back, we would raid our fridge to see if we had any decent fare to offer our furry friend.


We walked through the golf course and to the road that led out of our neighborhood. The walk was about a mile, but it was the toughest mile I have ever walked. I had wind and snow blowing in my face and was fighting over six inches of iced over snow with each step. When we made it to the road, we then had to fight slick and crunchy ice, uphill. I slipped and slid around, but I didn't fall. We finally made it to CVS, without incident.

After purchasing several things, we headed back home. The walk back was just as tough. When we made it back to our yard, I was ready to go inside and flop on the couch with a hot cup of tea. I could not veg out without forgetting about our bunny friend. She had already hopped away, but we knew she would be back. So we checked our fridge and found several parsnips to share.


As if Saturday was not difficult enough, we decided to do it all again on Sunday. Only this time we walked further to Food Lion with a shopping list in hand. We carried four reusable bags, knowing that was the amount we could safely carry back. Our shopping list included ingredients for several nights because we did not know how much longer this would last.

On our way back, we checked the deck. Sure enough, our bunny friend was there. This time we got carrots and offered those to her. I got a little close and scared her away, but I knew she would be back. Throughout it all, the birds were chirping, flying, and hopping around. We put out handfuls of bird seed for them and they repaid us by eating it and dancing in front of our windows as we watched.


Between the wildlife in our yard and the outdoor exercise, being snowbound was not so bad. I can handle this once every couple of years- just not again this year!

Vegan Thanksgiving Celebration 2009

I have heard that many people dislike Durham, NC for one reason or another. I, on the other hand, am enamored with this city. It has 64 parks, awesome local restaurants, a bountiful farmers market, open-minded people, a large diverse population, and one awesome vegetarian society. I did not know before moving to Durham, but it has a very active and committed population of vegetarians. I always thought I had to move to California to find this.

Nope, it is right here in Durham. I feel like one of the luckiest veggies in the country because Durham is home to the largest vegan Thanksgiving celebration in the country. I would suspect, even the largest in the world. John and I were able to attend the 2009 vegan feast as one of 784 guests from 41 cities. Some of the guests traveled from Florida, Maryland, Illinois, South Carolina, and Virginia. We were fortunate to sit at the "Davis" table with some of our vegetarian friends during the 2009 celebration. As usual, the company and the food were amazing.

(Top row- left to right: Beth, Missy, Jody, John.
Bottom Row- left to right: John, Me, and Christine)

Many people think that one couldn't possibly have a fulfilling Thanksgiving meal that is vegan. They would be wrong. There were so many delicious choices that I had to severely limit myself. I went away feeling full and satisfied. I enjoyed everything on my plate. My favorites included the mashed potatoes with mushroom gravy and the raspberry-cranberry relish. While both of those dishes are traditional North American Thanksgiving fare, these were the best versions I had ever had. The relish was the perfect mix of sweet and tart and was a perfect accompaniment to the savory delights on my plate. The mushroom gravy was nothing short of heavenly. As for the non-traditional dishes, the lime-marinated seitan with a peppercorn fig glaze kept me wanting, and going back for more.


If all of that was not enough, we were also presented with sweets. There were pies, cookies, truffles, cobblers, and mini bite-sized heavenly desserts. There was no way for me to pick a favorite. I delighted in every bit of sweetness that my taste buds experienced.


Overall, the menu included dishes high in protein, vegetables, vitamins, and TASTE!

The menu included:

Appetizers

• Lentil-brown/wild rice cakes with lemon tahini
• Quinoa salad with olives, shallots, pine nuts, sundried tomatoes, and garlic
• Breads, crustinis & pita with Egyptian red lentil and artichoke-spinach hummu, baba ganouj, and Brussels sprout "pâté"
• Marinated olives, spiced pecans, roasted chestnuts

Main Courses

• Lime-marinated seared seitan with peppercorns and fig glaze
• Roasted garlic olive oil mashed potatoes with chives, mushroom gravy, apple-pecan stuffing, and fresh raspberry-cranberry relish
• Dilip's macadamia nut blackened Cajun tempeh
• Wild mushroom and French green lentil risotto with seared tempeh
• Pesto-drizzled polenta layered with crispy seitan, eggplant, wild mushroom, and spinach
• Turkish rice pilaf with almonds
• Braised green beans with ginger curry and coconut milk au gratin
• Porcini-lentil cannelloni
• Fall squashes cubed and roasted with yellow beet chunks, cranberry, chestnuts, and dill weed
• Braised garlicky greens
• Organic Conchiglie pasta with vegan Bolognese sauce (Merlot wine, sauteed peppers and onions, olive chunks, sliced garlic, and oregano)
• Mixed mushroom-Napa Valley Cabbage with Greek olive oil, lemon, and garlic (raw dish)
• Oyster mushroom tempura
• Steamed Heirloom fall vegetables
• Carpaccio vegetale - very thinly sliced vegetables as a raw "pasta" (raw dish)
• Corn and mild green chili bisque
• Sweet and savory pumpkin leek velouté (thickened soup)

Desserts

• Fresh seasonal fruits
• Phyllo cookies
• Pumpkin pie with pomegranate glaze
• Ginger-apple pie with frozen coconut cream
• Pear crisp

I am certain when I say that nothing was missing from this meal. I recommend it to anyone- meat-eater or vegetarian. I loved everything on my plate.

Happy New Year

It is 2010, a new year, and new decade. I feel like I should set a major, life changing resolution for the coming year and decade. John has two resolutions. The first is to get more exercise and the second is to watch less TV. I can live with the more exercise. John is in good shape, but he realizes the importance of weekly, if not daily, exercise. I tend to agree.

I do not wish to set my resolution as either of those things. I feel passionate about neither. (Although, I will go and exercise with him. It will be good for me). After my 1994/1995 resolution of going vegetarian, there is really nothing that I can resolve to do that will top going vegetarian. It was the best resolution I ever made and I have stuck with it for all these years. It was a major life change and I will never go back. The resolution helped my health, my body, my mental health, the planet, the environment, and animals. Nothing else can compare.

Do I really need to top that resolution? Probably not. I just do not feel motivated enough to make a huge resolution and announce it to the blogosphere. I have several small resolutions in mind. One is of a personal nature that I do not want to announce. If I can accomplish my resolution, which might not be possible in one year, the end result will be overall better health mentally and physically.

The second is that I want to take more trips. Weekend trips, day trips, week trips, etc. My 2009 was lacking in vacations and getaways and by December, I severely needed a mental break. In 2010 I want to go places with John, with friends, and with family. I want to visit Ashville again, the beach, wineries, etc. Anyone want to plan a short trip with me?

I guess that is good enough. Happy 2010!