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. 

To Buy For

Since starting Make It or Bake It, I have very few people to buy for. The Sidekick is at the top of the list, though he's been kind of hard to buy for this year. He kind of has expensive tastes. I'm too poor to have a boyfriend, really, but the heart wants what the heart wants. It's the thought that counts, right? Right?

I always do a stocking for my sister, as well. This year, she is also hard to buy for. Mostly because I have very little funds.

Other then that, I have four friends I like to get things for and my parents. These people understand the financial situation, so I'm not going to stress if I can buy them the moon. The pets also get presents. Not spoiled, though. I hope my list isn't ridiculous. I mean, I try my best to keep it to a minimum which is why I rarely get close to new people.

Just kidding.

What does your buying list look like?

The Spirit Of Giving

One of the things I am grateful for is working for a company that enjoys giving back. Earlier in the year, I put together a different basket worth over five hundred dollars and had donations from four local businesses. All the proceeds went towards helping buy a parcel of land for our community forest. This is the point of community. To give back. 

This month, I put together a basket worth over $150 and it has many amazing things in it. It's a raffle for anyone who brings in a non-perishable food item. And it is called incentive. On one hand, it makes me sad people need incentive to donate food to those in need. On the other, I'm excited to be able to help and encourage people to pull out the items from their cupboard they no longer want or need. (Or clothes and blankets!)

So, as it draws closer to the holiday season, try to keep in mind those who may need a little help. 

Childhood Traditions

There weren't a lot of traditions in my house as I grew up. We always hung our stockings up and left out cookies and milk for Santa. Don't worry, we didn't forget out the carrot for Rudolph. I remember my mother working on Christmas a fair bit. In the mornings, we were allowed to open our stockings, but had to leave the other gifts for when my mom got home.

One of my most favourite parts of the holiday season was driving around with my parents looking at the houses that were decorated to the nines. They used to print the best houses in the paper for the Christmas light tour. A couple of the houses were interactive where you could get out and go in the backyard, have a cup of apple cider, and there was even one with a Santa.

Also, later in life, I liked wrapping presents with my mother and sister. Patricia would sit on one side of the bed, me on the other and my mom across from me. Each of us would have a different person's gifts to wrap. There was something hectic and awesome about that evening. Something I really enjoyed.

On Christmas Eve we'd have macaroni and cheese, my mom used Cheese Whiz and would cut up canned meat in it. That might be weird to hear coming from my vegan fingertips, but I loved it. And there was always a big dinner on Christmas. I suppose my mom's stuffing is a great way to end this blog. It's the same stuffing I still make. Of course, I don't stuff it in a turkey's butt. Neither does my mom! Still one of the things I look forward to about the holiday.

On Your Playlist

My playlist isn't playing Christmas music quite yet. I am stuck in a vortex of Fleetwood Mac and Creedence Clearwater Revival. I wish I could share with you all the festive music I've been listening to, but it's pretty much been this on repeat: