Tough Week, Eat A Treat

The silence around these parts has been next to unbearable. Just between us, I needed a little bit of time to myself. With the new year, comes new resolutions, and a brand new inspiring to-do list. 2015 is going to be the year of change, I feel it in my bones.

So far, January isn't treating me all too well. It's been rough. I started it sick as a dog, hacking up a lung and struggling to get out of bed in the mornings. When the cold left, a new sweeping illness stormed in, and I'd be lying if I said it wasn't messing with my head.

Honestly, I'm sad. This week, if not the last eighteen days, meaning this year, has been a tough one. I have been dragging myself through them, not really participating. Under the weariness and nausea, I feel as though I've lost track of who I am, which is rather unfortunate because it took a good solid year of being alone to figure that out. For some reason, I feel as though I have been compromising myself a lot lately. It's left me unsettled.

So, this journey is beginning again. The one where I find my soul again. Goodness, it sounds so tedious, I simply don't have the energy to do this all over again. This morning I took the first step, though. A walk in the rain with the hounds. Then, I baked something. I created something. A treat.

Treats help cope with the things we cannot change today.

Strawberry Cheesecake Bites (Vegan, of course)

Makes 20

Preheat oven 350°

Ingredients:

Crust:

5 Tbsp - Earth Balance Margarine

1/4 Cup - Walnuts

1/2 Cup - Flour

1/2 Cup - Brown Sugar

Filling: 

4 Ounces - Faux Cream Cheese (I used Tofutti)

1/2 Cup - Plain Coconut Yogourt

1/2 Cup - Sugar

2 Tbsp - Pineapple Juice

1 Tsp - Vanilla

6 - Fresh Strawberries

3 Tbsp - Minute Tapioca 

2 Tsp - Egg Replacer (just the powder, not mixed with water) 

1. Preheat oven to 350 and line a 8X8 pan with parchment paper. In a food processor, blend Earth Balance, walnuts, brown sugar and flour. Once it is course, press down into your prepared pan. 

2. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. 

3. While the crust is baking, mix cream cheese, yogourt and sugar in the food processor. Ensure to use a spatula to press down the sides. 

4. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend all together. 

5. Take the crust out, put the filling in and bake for another 25 minutes. 

6. Remove from oven and chill in refrigerator for 1-2 hours, until it has set. 

Now, these are delicious, but certainly not good for you. You also have to keep them refrigerator afterwards, or at least that's what I am doing. 

They are divine, though. 

In My Oven

One of the best parts of Christmas time and winter is the baking. The cooking. Feasting and filling the tummies of the people you love. I love to bake, as you might know. In fact, I call myself the Master Baker, mostly because it sounds dirty. The Vegan Master Baker, of course. Out of all the seasonal goodies I make, my most favourite is the Cranberry Upside-Down cake. It's simple and divine. Honestly, you won't ever taste anything quite so good.

Here is the recipe:

Cranberry Upside-Down Cake (Vegan, duh)
Ingredients:

1/2 Cup - Earth Balance Butter
1 Cup - Sugar (I use unrefined)
1 Tsp - Cinnamon
1/2 Tsp - Nutmeg
2 Cups - Fresh Cranberries
1 Faux Egg - either a flax egg or egg replacer works, either or. I've used both.
1.5 Tsp - Vanilla
1 and 1/4 Cups - Flour
1.5 Tsp - Baking Powder
1.4 Tsp - Salt
1/2 Cup - Coconut Milk (or non-dairy milk of your desire)

Preheat oven 350

1. Grease bottom of an 8 inch cake pan with 2 tablespoons of the Earth Balance.

2. Mix 1/2 cup of sugar with cinnamon and nutmeg and sprinkle over the bottom of the greased pan, then line pan with the cranberries, spreading as evenly as possible. 

3. Make the cake. Cream the rest of the butter (6 tablespoons) and sugar (1/2 a cup) together. Add the vanilla and faux egg. In a separate bowl, stir together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, and salt). 

4. Mix with the beater the flour and butter together, alternating the dry with the coconut milk. Once well combined, pour batter over the cranberries. 

5. Bake the cake for about 20-25 minutes, but keep an eye on it. When a toothpick comes out clean it is done! Also, this cake might spill over to place some foil under the pan on the rack. I tip this over onto a place right from the oven because whenever I tried to let it cook the bottom of the cake would stick to the pan and it wouldn't come out nicely. An easy tip is to keep your oven mitts on, put a plate on top of the cake, then tip upside down. Hit bottom of the pan to be sure it comes out. You can also run a knife along the edges to loosen a bit before tipping it over. 

Eat it all up! 

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!

Some people might not know Canadian Thanksgiving takes place in October. In fact, today's the day, though most people have their big dinner on the Sunday, not the Monday. We're doing it tonight. It's just the five of us, the four boys and I - Mr. Sidekick, Oliver, Dixon and Bruce. Small and perfect. It'd be nice to have a bit of family around, but it's three o'clock and I don't have to spend all day in the kitchen for just the two of us - an added bonus of keeping it intimate. And I made our dessert yesterday, an apple-cranberry crisp. Turned out wonderfully and allows us to have dessert two nights in a row. It's the little things in life.

Thanksgiving was originally a time to give thanks for a prosperous bounty for the harvest. These days, it's an opportunity to gather with the ones we love and, ideally, reflect on what we are grateful for. Americans have Thanksgiving in November but has been rendered pointless by Black Friday - the most greedy of all days, where people purchase things they don't need right after being thankful for the things they do. Then people ask me why I'm not a fan of Christmas, as if they haven't noticed it's degraded into a consumer driven gimme-gimme fest.

That's why I am happy Thanksgiving takes place in October here, the most perfect of all months. Even the torrential downpour can't get my spirits down. In fact, it lifts them up. I have candles lit, knitting to do, and boys to cuddle. My hair is a mess. My clothes are comfortable. There are no judgments here. And I'm happy. But this is just a regular Monday. Pretty much the same as last Monday, and the one before that, expect there's going to be stuffing. Stuffing doth make an occasion special. Still, I try to be grateful every day, at least over something. The scent of the woods in the morning. The sound of the ocean. Good conversations. Lush bath bombs. Vegan treats. Turning yarn into wearable items. Collecting seashells. Fuzzy bearded kisses. Helping others. Showing acts of kindness. Working hard. Writing words. Sipping teas. Hot baths. Cool beds. New dresses. Scarves.

And the list goes on.

Some of us need a day to remind us of what we have. And some of us are reminded every day of it.

Wordy Wednesday - And A Recipe

Rough days can only be resolved by something delicious. I bake to relieve stress. Not to excellent for the waistline, but it keeps the Sidekick happy ... ish. Before I've even had a chance to type this post he's already downed three of my new creation.

The word: Heavenly

This could even apply to the band (the British one, of course) and their twee-pop-alicious melodies. But alas, I am actually talking about the delectable recipe I crafted this evening. Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups. No, not quite like Reese's. Some might even say they are better. Some being me, and the Sidekick. He has to agree with me or else the deliciousness will stop.

The word 'heavenly' is enjoyable to me, especially when describing things I love, like hot baths, cool beds, and edibles that make my thighs bigger.

Because I am a sharer, here is the recipe for these (vegan) treats.

Heavenly Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Makes 12

Preheat oven to 350

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup - Melted margarine (Earth Balance for the win!)

1 Cup - Sugar (white)

1 Tsp - Vanilla

1 - Flax Egg (1 Tbsp ground flax to 2 Tbsp warm water)

1/2 Cup - Peanut Butter (creamy or crunchy, it doesn't matter)

1 1/2 Cups - Flour

1/2 Tsp - Baking Soda

1/4 Tsp - Salt 

3/4 Cup - Chocolate Chips 

1. Before you start, spray down a muffin tin with cooking spray. Melt margarine, then combine with peanut butter, flax egg, vanilla and sugar. Here's where I always dip my finger in to taste. It never disappoints. 

2. Add salt, baking soda and flour. Combine, but don't over mix. Over mixing is bad. Not sure why, but that's what I've gathered from all these years of baking. 

3. Stir in chocolate chips.

4. Divide the dough evenly and put into the muffin pans and pat down.

5. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Watch them, though. Ovens are finicky creatures and if yours bakes faster you might burn them. Take them out. Cool them for ten minutes, then remove from the pan. If you are having troubles getting them out, just slide a knife around the cup and dump it upside down on a cooling wrack. 

Here's a secret that I haven't shared before. Put all baking into a container right away and put the lid on. It will prevent them from getting too hard. It's a little trick I always find helps in the quality of my baking. 

Now eat them. Tell me they aren't heavenly. I dare you. 

Divine Mookies

Last night the Sidekick was feeling peckish, so I adapted a recipe to make him something divine. Peanut butter chocolate chip oatmeal mookies. We are calling them mookies because I don't actually have a baking sheet and I baked the cookies in a muffin tin. Turned out perfect.

Here is the recipe!

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Oatmeal Mookies

Makes 18

Preheat oven 425
Ingredients

1/3 Cup - Smooth Peanut Butter
1 Cup - Sugar (white)

1/3 Cup - Coconut Milk (Or other non milky milk, like almond)
2 Tbsp - Canola Oil

1 Tsp - Vanilla Extract

1/8 Tsp - Almond Extract  

1 1/4 Cup - Flour 

3 Tbsp - Golden Flax (ground up)
1 Tsp - Baking Soda
1 Tsp - Salt
1/4 Cup - Chocolate chips 

1 Cup - Oats

1. Mix peanut butter, sugar, coconut milk, oil and extracts together until well combined.

2. Add baking soda, flax, salt, and flour and mix well. 

3. Fold in oats and chocolate chips. If there is too much liquid add a bit more flax.  

4. Lightly grease muffin tins and put a tablespoon of batter in each one, press down a bit. Do not fill past a 1/4 of the tin. 

5. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the tops have a itsy bitsy bit of browning. 

Take out and transfer to a cooling rack. 

Simply delicious. 

The Struggle

Most people understand the struggle. They don't like it or want it, but it's a reality for them. The struggle is a day-to-day thing. It doesn't let up on weekends, and actually gets worse over holidays. Sometimes you start to think you are going to get past the struggle, but then your dog eats your running shoes, or you can't sell you home. Instead of getting better, the struggle gets worse. Remember that saying, 'you take one step forward and two steps back'?  This is how it feels with the struggle. Sometimes it isn't only a step back, either, sometimes you feel as though you are being catapulted backwards. And you could swear the kink in your neck is not actually from sleeping funny or getting older, but is in fact whiplash from the struggle.

Some days, the struggle is so defeating. You scrounge and scrap and save, hoping to get out of debt, working towards your goal, whatever it may be. Debt free, a functioning car, a home, or maybe just a new pair of running shoes. Still, at the end of the day, week, month, year, you are no closer to the goal. No closer to an end. In fact, it feels as if you've just lived those moments for nothing, because you are back where you started, or maybe not even where you started at all. Maybe you are six steps behind where you started. And sometimes you ask yourself what the freakin' point is.

The struggle makes you tired. It wears you out to keep at it all the time. This struggling along business, it isn't for the faint of heart or weak of will. This is exhausting, you know. Well, of course you know. You are familiar with the struggle. Heck, you might even be like me - the struggle might be like family to you, or your best friend forever. The struggle has been around so long in my life, I doubt whether I would be able to exist without it. I mean, the struggle has always been here. If it suddenly disappeared would a weight be lifted off me? Would I suddenly feel free and unburdened and prance through life? Or would I be lost? Would I silently sit and wait for the struggle to return?

The truth is, there are moments when you think you aren't going to make it through the struggle. You doubt whether you will keep going. Actually, there are times where you don't want to keep going. Some days you just want the struggle to end. But then, you take a deep breath, you put your head down, and your power through. You keep going. You keep trying. Why? Because you want to see the new Avengers movie next year. Because your family and friends need you. Because giving up isn't an option. And, mostly, because your struggle isn't as bad as it could be. Actually, in a lot of ways, your struggle isn't terrible. It sucks and can get you down, but it's livable. It's doable.

When the struggle gets really hard, you take a nap. You read a book. You take a bath. Or you bake delicious vegan blondies. Which are kind of like brownies, but without the cocoa. And you remember, you're actually one of the lucky ones who are strong enough to keep struggling.

Celebration Brownies! - My 800th Post

This is my 800th post! Can you believe it? Who knew I had so much to say? Certainly, not me. It can't all be worth reading, can it?

Looking back on this endeavour which started in 2006, I really wish I had some noteworthy material to showcase for this momentous occasion. The truth is, most bloggers don't make it this far. Do you know how many unattended and forgotten blogs are hanging out in cyberspace? A rough estimate is a gazillion.

The blogging world is a graveyard of good intentions from people who wanted to make a difference and thought they needed to be heard. Back in the late nineties, and into the early two thousands, everyone wanted a blog, and most of them went ahead and created something they thought witty, wry and wonderful. Only after posting a handful of times, they realized they didn't actually want a blog at all. It takes dedication to create and write and post, and it's frustrating when you craft these ingenious articles that get zero traction. Over time, between a week and month, all these wannabe bloggers gave up. They threw the towel in. Now their blog is just a passing conversational note at parties.

"Yeah, I started a blog once but it was stupid."

They didn't understand how hard it is to get readers, to feel connected, to be noticed, and that it's highly unlikely they will make an impact on the worldwide web. When they did come to terms with the fact there is a million other bloggerss out there saying it better, posting it quicker and being funnier, they stopped blogging. They let their punny titled blogs fall to the wayside, much like the diaries of their youth, and decided to just write their thoughts about Gladiator in a note on MySpace.

The irony of the whole situation is: the key to being a 'successful' blogger is to actually post something. Not one or two somethings. Hundreds of soemthings. Very few people create a blog and have a million followers the next day. You need to write, engage and be relevant.

At least this is what I assume. I wouldn't really know. I post regularly (every day as of late), but I don't seem to engage anyone other than my mother, which is actually fine by me. I never intended to take the information super highway by storm. In fact, this is just my diary you're reading. Crazy, right?

Well, that's my problem. I write about everything. And I do mean EVERYTHING. Any thought or half thought in my tiny brain gets written down here. If this was a specific blog, targeting a certain type of folk, whether that be readers, writers, bakers, vegans, movie lovers, music nerds, fashionistas, knitters, or people who are fascinated by the used underwear vending machines in Japan, then I'd probably have gone viral a long time ago. Sadly, I write about all of these things, except that last one. I really don't want to delve into the wacky and wild world of vending machines in Japan.

Anyhow, my 800th post! This calls for brownies. Of the vegan variety. These are super easy to make and turned out adorable. I made them bite size. All you need is one of those cute little mini muffin pans, which you can pick up at any store that sells baking gear. I got mine for free from my mom!

What can I say, I am winning at life.

If you want to use regular muffin tins, that would be cool. Or if you want to do old fashioned brownies because you are feeling nostalgic, then feel free to slap the batter into a square pan. That being said, I am only giving you baking time for the One-Bite Brownies I made.

One-Bite Vegan Brownies

Preheat oven to 350 (Does anyone know how to do the little degree symbol on a standard computer? Like this ° - so it would be 350° - I just copied and pasted that from somewhere else on the internet. But I would like to know if there is a short key on my laptop I can use.)

Ingredients: 

1/2 Cup - Margarine (non-dairy, of course. I used the vegan Becel this time) 

3/4 Cup - White Sugar

1 Tsp - Vanilla Extract 

1 Tsp - Baking Powder 

2 - Egg Substitutes (I actually used egg replacer this time, but flax eggs are what I used every other time I made these brownies. 2 Tbsp flax seed powder to 6 Tbsp of warm water - let it sit)

1/4 Tsp - Sea Salt (I used the chunkier stuff and it gave a really nice sweet salty taste to the brownies)

1/2 Cup - Cocoa Powder (unsweetened)

3/4 Cup - All Purpose Flour (I imagine you can make these gluten free, but mine were gluten filled)

1/4 Cup - Chocolate chips (you don't have to add these. I only did because the Sidekick is a chocolate fiend. You should actually put walnuts in. Or peanuts. Or something equally awesome, like peanut butter chips!)

1. Mix melted margarine, sugar, vanilla, and egg replacer (or flax eggs) together. 

2. Add baking powder, sea salt, cocoa powder. Mix until smooth. 

3. Add flour. Then fold in the chocolate chips, or whatever else you are optionally adding in. 

4. Spray mini muffin/tart pan with nonstick spray. Spoon the batter into the little pan. Make sure you only fill them about 3/4 of the way. They do expand. Not much, but it will make it easier to get them out. 

5. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. Don't over bake them. They will get dry. You don't want that. You want them, forgive the use of this word, moist. When in doubt take them out a minute early. If the top looks a bit crusty, they are done. 

6. Let them sit for a couple minutes to cool before removing them. (Don't worry, I never do either. Just spoon those suckers out and put them in the container you plan to store them.)

7. You will need to fill the pan twice as this will make 24 one-bite brownies. 

8. Indulge. 

Well, there we have it. My 800th post and a lovely brownie recipe, straight from my kitchen to yours. Oh, for the health conscious people out there. One of these brownies is 86 calories. Not too bad. Besides, we all need a little sweetness in our lives. 

And now for this super amazing photo of my itty, bitty brownies. Aren't they adorable? 

 

Healthy Cookies - Cuffin or Mookie?

Sounds like an oxymoron, right?

I thought so too. The other day my mom posted a recipe for so-called healthy cookies. No sugar. No flour. No butter. Surely these so called cookies would be disgusting, right?

Well, no. At least the recipe I made up tonight wasn't. In fact, it turned out pretty good. First, I will give you the recipe, then I will tell you a bit about the cookie itself.

Recipe:

3 Ripe Bananas
1 Cup of unsweetened Applesauce
2 Cups Quick Rolled Oats
1/2 Cup lightly packed raisins
2 Tsps Vanilla
1 Tsp Cinnamon
1/4 Tsp Nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350.

Soak raisins to make them soft and not hard. Mash bananas and combine with applesauce. Add vanilla and spices. Mix in rolled oats and raisins. Let sit for five minutes. Spoon onto cookie sheets with parchment or cooking spray. Bake until golden brown. Mine took about 22 minutes. Lift onto cooling rack and let cool for 5-10 minutes.

Okay, now for the break down. This recipe made fifteen cookies and work out to be 86 calories per cookie. Not too shabby, huh? For a no sugar, no flour cookie, they are pretty amazing. I mean, I was expecting them to be really bland, but they are quite flavourful. They look like cookies. They smell like cookies when baking. But do they taste like cookies?

Not exactly, but it's so close I can't really put it in any other category. They aren't as sweet as other cookies, you see, and the texture is a bit different. In fact, it's almost a bit pudding-ish in the middle. Not in a gross way, though, in a delightful pankcakey way. I would recommend upping the amount of oats by half a cup increments until you reach the consistency you like best for cookies.

Honestly, this is almost a cross being a cookie and a muffin. A cuffin, perchance? Or a mookie?

Which do you prefer? Cuffin or Mookie?

My Tiny Loaves

It's been over fourteen years since I turned vegan. One of the best parts of eating this way is experimenting with food and trying to create amazing things to put in my mouth. You really have to appreciate food and cooking to love being vegan. One of my passions is baking. I always wanted to open a tiny vegan bakery or cafe of sorts and show the world vegan food is amazing. Even baked good.

Don't get me wrong, it's totally hit and miss. The other day I bought a vegan, gluten free cinnamon bun from a local spot and it was terrible. I have dabbled in gluten free baking and it can definitely be denser, but this was a cinnamon bun, most of which is yeasty awesomeness. I think the main problem was that it was frozen and they heated it up for me. I had a bite and actually threw the rest of it out, and we all know how I hate wasting food.

Anyhow, because of this horribly disappointing cinnamon bun, I decided to try my hand at making cinnamon swirl bread, something I'd never tried before. Bread can be intimidating. Mostly because it's time consuming. There's something terrible about not having your loaf rise when all you want if fluffy bread to stuff in your mouth.

After combining and altering three different recipes, I had success. And it wasn't even all that hard. Yes, it was time consuming, as all bread recipes are, but it had very few ingredients and turned out beautiful. And also delicious.

What's better than a loaf of bread? Eight loaves of bread. This recipe will make one big loaf, I imagine, and eight small loaves, like the ones I made in the pictures below. If you don't have a mini loaf pan, go get one. Seriously, they are the cutest things ever and you will use it all the time.

The recipe: Voluptuous Vegan Cinnamon Bread

Ingredients:
1 Cup very warm water (not hot or you'll kill your yeast)
2.5 Tsp yeast (not instant, regular old yeasty poo)
2.5 Tbs sugar
2 Tbs oil (I used canola)
1 Tsp vanilla
1/2 Tsp salt
3 cups of flour (I used all purpose organic)
2 Tbs cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar (brown, white or both - I used white)

First, like all recipes, you proof your yeast in a big bowl. Combine water and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Once dissolved, add the yeast, but don't stir. Let it froth, foam and become fabulous. After about 7.5 minutes, add in the oil and vanilla and give a little stir. Now you add the salt and flour. You will need to knead. If it is too tacky/sticky, make sure you add a bit more flour until the dough is elastic-like and not too wet, you don't want it sticking to the counter.

Now you coat a large bowl with oil or margarine and  let it rise for an hour in a warm spot. I put it in the windowsill on a sunny day. If you aren't blessed with nice weather, inside the over with the light on will do. (Not the oven. Do not turn the oven on for rising. I feel stupid telling you that, like you should know better, but what if you don't?) Oh, I also cover my dough, mostly because I have dogs and don't want hair or dust getting in it, but also because I believe it traps the heat so it rises better.

Once it has risen, divide into eight equal blobs. Flatten these blobs out on the counter making them about four inches wide and eight inches long. Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a separate bowl, then sprinkle this mixture over the dough. Carefully roll the dough up and place in a greased loaf pan. (You only have to do this once if you are making one loaf, but the measurements will be different.)  Once the are all done, set them back in a warm place for half an hour or so, until you are happy with how they look.

Back at 350 degrees for about fifteen minutes. You will know they are done when the tops are brown and they sound hollow when you knock on them. In order to make sure they aren't too hard, brush them with margarine to soften the tops. Then eat all the mini loaves because they are amazing.

Aren't they cute? 

 See, palm sized!

My Tiny Loaves.

Vegenaise

Enough said, right?

Okay, maybe not.

This is a delicious concoction that makes amazing potato salad.

I know a lot of people will sniff in nervous uncertainty at the idea of a 'vegan' mayonnaise.

But this stuff is what dreams are made of.

In fact, I'm going to kiss the inventor. Whoever that may be.

An Idea

It feels as though I haven't been here in forever. 

And when I say forever, I think of that part in Sandlot. You know, this part: 

Now that I am here, I want to talk to you about an idea I am entertaining. Not for a new book or a diabolical scheme to take over the world. I try not to share those sorts of things here, just in case I hit on something good and someone stumbles across this here page and snakes it right out from under me. So, I do have some secrets, including a well-crafted diabolical scheme to take over the world. 

Anyhow, the idea I have is for the New Year. (Does anyone else feel a little ill over the fact it is 2014? Where the hell is my hover board?) 

I digress. 

My idea is to post one thing I am grateful for each day. Where? Right here on my blog. Because, well, this is basically like my diary anyhow. Can I do this? Will I want to do this once January rolls around? Is it a good idea? These are things I am thinking. Except, it's kind of intriguing me. You see, it won't have to be major things. I can post a sentence or a massive post to explain. (This will be dependent on my mood, of course.) Basically, I will be posting things I appreciate and that make my life a little better - for example, running water. Or just little things I am grateful for like oatmeal raisin cookies and gingerbread tea. 

Yes, I am having a cookie and tea as I write this. What kind you ask? See above. 

That being said, I think the idea has some validity. Not necessarily for the adoring public who tune in here every single day just to see what I am up to. (Those poor saps have been waiting patiently for nearly a month for me to post again. Good thing there are exactly zero of them in existence). 

Sometimes, I get on kicks like this. Tasks to stick to in order to see how much self control I have. If I can actually do it or not. Kind of like my own personal test. Like posting every day in October or doing the 30 Day Shred, or going a month without sugar. Really, this would be the biggest thing I've committed myself to. 365 posts. That's a lot of posts. Every single day. 

Unless we take into consideration the whole vegan thing. Then that's the longest, going strong at thirteen years. Or not drinking and smoking and doing drugs. That's been going strong since birth, I think. Unless I was a toddler with a bad habit, which would explain the lack of pictures from my childhood. 

There is an upside to personal goals, long term and short - the repercussion factor if one doesn't succeed. Nothing too strict, of course, just a little self flagellation - the same kind Agent Von Alden from Boardwalk Empire participates in. Nothing like a whip across the back. Errr, maybe not. 

Still, I'm mulling over this. It's good to be grateful. And why not share with the masses? Who knows, maybe this might turn into something grand.  

Or maybe I will forget all about it after sleepy-time tonight. 

Why I Am Awesome Today

I don't really enjoy tooting my own horn. Really, I'm not a very egotistical person, but today, I am awesome. It all started with an impromptu visit to the local grocery store in town. I needed to get some nanners (that's Tyson talk for bananas) for a treat I'm making my Sidekick because he's coming home today. And he deserves treats.

Inside the store I went, in search of this one solitary item.

So, not unlike others, when I'm hungry and in a grocery store, I always end up buying way more stuff than I intended to buy. This trip had me purchasing mushrooms, a red pepper, a weird vegan udon bowl I wanted to try, a seven grain salad, bread, bananas and ... well, let's just say I ended up with way more than anticipated.

Especially since I didn't bring a bag to carry it home in.

For the record, I hate plastic bags. Hate them. Thankfully, the local grocery store doesn't have them. They encourage people to bring bags from home. Those people who don't have the reusable bags can borrow one or take their goods to go in a box. Well, I didn't want a box and I didn't want to borrow a reusable bag. Why? Because I have a crap load of them at home. Besides, there would be the added responsibility of returning it after.

Then, I came up with an idea.

I took off my scarf, which is really like a pashmina, and said, "No worries, I'll just use my scarf."

Now, I live in a hippy kind of town. And I am totally not saying this in a mean way. In fact, I love the fact that my town is so bohemian and strange. I fit in rather well. In a run-of-the-mill store, who knows what I would have been greeted with when I took my scarf off, but this woman seemed stoked on what I was about to do. I mean, at first she tried to convince me to take one of her reusable bags, because she didn't want to see my scarf ruined, but when she saw how it was coming together, she kind of got excited about it.

I even told her I was going to blog about it. To which she said if I could figure out a way to use it as a scarf and have it hold the groceries at the same time, I'd be golden.

Anyway, because I hate bags and am a bit of an odd duck. I packed all my groceries up in my purple and black checked scarf. Then I walked on out of the shop. To be honest with you, I kind of preferred it to the reusable bag. Not only was it cute and fashionable, but it worked really well. And when I got home, I simply untied the knots and BAM everything was unpacked at once.

To show you how I did this, and because you probably need proof, I took some pictures.

And this is why I am awesome today. Because I took something fashionable and made it functional with a use it wasn't even intended for.

What can I say? I keep myself entertained.

Groceries in the scarf.

Two corners tied together to create two handles. 

 All the crap crammed inside. 

 Me wearing my scarf. 

Compliments about how pretty I am are always welcome.

The Most Amazing & Fluffy Vegan Rolls

A lot of you may know that I love to bake. More than anything, I enjoy creating perfect vegan food that people can't tell the difference when they eat. I often hear how 'vegan' breads and buns are often dense and not so tasty.

This isn't true.

Today I am sharing with you a most amazing recipe for dinner rolls, which can also be used to create the most mouth-watering, and soft, hamburger and hot dog buns. They are utter perfection, won't break the bank and are super easy  to make.

Here is the recipe:

1.5 Tablespoons active dry yeast (I use quick rise)
1 Cup plus 2 tablespoons hot tap water

1/3 Cup vegetable oil
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 egg replacer (mixed up, usually 1.5 teaspoons egg replacer to 2 tablespoons water)
1 teaspoon salt
3 Cups all-purpose flour (enough to make a soft dough)

Directions:

Combine yeast and hot water in a bowl. Add oil and sugar. Let rest for ten minutes. 

Add the egg replacer, salt and flour to form a soft dough.

On a floured surface, knead until smooth and elastic, 5-8 minutes. 

Do not let rise. 

If you are making dinner rolls, divide dough into 12 balls and place in a greased muffin tin. Muffin tins are great for creating perfect dinner rolls. That's a little baking trick I have for you! Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes. 

If you are making hamburgers, divide into 6 balls and pat down a bit, put on a greased cookie sheet, let rise for 30 minutes. Same with hot dog buns, just shape them into little logs. This will make six of those too.  

For all of these, bake in the oven  at 425 for 8-12 minutes, until they are golden brown. Remove from oven, brush the tops with margarine/butter (of the vegan variety) and let cool. 

Seriously, you won't be disappointed. 

Here are pictures of the ones I just baked! 

Let Them Eat Cake

After yesterday's all too emotional post, I said I'd write about cake. Because cake makes me happy. It's one of my top favourite things. Zombies. Puppy dogs. Silly love songs. And cake.

Well, cake is probably number one, but I put it lower as to not seem so...chubby. People don't need to know that I think about cake nearly as much as I dream of randomly bumping into Woody Harrelson on the street and having him falling head over heels in love with me. I mean, a girl has to keep some of her cards hidden. Ahem.

Anyway, cake is one of those things in life people think are bad, but (and this is one of the biggest secrets) cake is actually good for you.

Wait, what'd I say?

Cake isn't bad! Let's celebrate.

Now, before the party gets out of control, let me clarify. Eating a whole cake to yourself in one sitting is most likely a bad. Not only will it lead to a massive sugar crash, but, if your metabolism is as sluggish as mine, you're going to be needing an extra cart to carry your butt around behind you. But a piece of cake? It's not going to hurt you. Unless you are diabetic, then there could be a good chance it might, and I apologize for this callous post.

There's a song by Sloan, a fantastic Canadian band, called "If It Feels Good Do It" There is a reason the saying exists. We like to do things that make us feel good. Whether it is dancing in our underwear, taking a nap, or eating a piece of cake, our endorphins kick in and smiling is just easier. I know people are stumped, I mean, endorphins are related to exercise...And excitement  And cake is so exciting, which is why I highly encourage eating it. Or whatever your eating cake equivalent is. It might be a chocolate bar. Or french fries.

For those who remember, I'm vegan. And I've found there's this common misconception that vegan cake is bad. People always say how dense and tasteless these egg-less, dairy-less confections are. Well, someone is doing it wrong. They don't have to be thick, heavy slabs of dry horribleness. No. In fact, almost all of my baking is delicious and moist. Ugh. I hate the word moist, but it is needed here and so I forced myself to write it.

At heart, I am a baker. I dream of opening my own bakery where I can sell my vegan creations and  change their terrible reputation. Not only have I mastered cupcakes, but I've got brownies, breads and pies on lock down. That's right. Lock down. I feel slightly gangster even saying that. The truth is, a lot of baking, like pies, tarts, and muffins are usually only a hop skip and a jump away from being vegan.

With all that said, lemon cake is my favourite. With strawberry filling.