que pasa?

This blog isn’t dead — it’s just hibernating!

 

tea with Jane

I’m slowly going through John Halperin’s biography of Jane Austen — slowly because my workload has been overwhelming over the past 3 weeks — and I’ve been craving tea and scones like mad. I know, it’s such a cliché, but it’s my idea of comfort food…

Yesterday, I finally had a chance to bake myself a half-batch of  “Aussie” scones, a recipe I found on Gracia’s blog. This was my first post-vegan attempt at making them, using Earth Balance and vanilla soy milk. I also sprinkled the top with coarse sugar, since the scones themselves are unsweetened. They puffed up beautifully and were perfectly moist inside. Lovely! They’re very quick to prepare, too. Just the thing to satisfy that book-induced scone craving.

 

in the kitchen

Although I have been both busy with work and feeling rather sick lately, I have spent quite a lot of time in the kitchen over the past week… and eating a lot of greens, apparently!

tempeh and chickpea curry with basmati rice

rotini, brocoli and dandelion leaves with Cheezy Sauce (from Veganomicon)

a lovely breakfast: multigrain Ryvita with cherry preserves and cashew butter,
pomegranate seeds, green smoothie, Bambu with soymilk

barbecue-spinach tofu scramble on 9-grain toast

 

laughing, and crying, and laughing, and crying again

It all began with last week’s episode of CSI… Although nothing will be the same without Grissom, he can take satisfaction in the fact that he left us with one of his best lines ever: “Do you have bugs in my office?” “No, I have bugs in my office.” The ending took me from tears to laughter, then to tears again, all within the space of 2 minutes.

Then Obama’s journey from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C., in addition to his various speeches, had me sobbing more times than I could count. (I honestly never imagined that I would ever weep at the sight of a train!)

As I read the first highly entertaining chapters of Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell this weekend, I thought it would be a comedy throughout. A few pages showed me how wrong my expectations had been. The letter-burning scenes are truly some the most affecting ever written. And oh, how I love Miss Matty!

Last evening, I tried to suppress my giggles as I watched RD sitting right in front of the television set, thoroughly captivated by a documentary on grizzly and polar bears aired on PBS. (The only time he has ever responded to any sight or sound emitted by the television was when we watched “The Life of Birds” on DVD shortly after his adoption 18 months ago.)

At noon today, CNN aired Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech in its entirety. Once again, my emotions ran high — I found myself simultaneously wiping my eyes and stirring pasta. What an extraordinary orator this man was!

I already know that tomorrow I will cry, and be inspired, and feel hope… and perhaps, just perhaps, I will laugh, too.

 

a fragile balance

I keep wanting to sit down and write a post, but time seems to slip between my fingers like a handful of sand. Although every day feels like it’s filled with activity, every night I go to bed with an ever-growing list of things I had no chance to take care of. This includes making this blog somewhat coherent.

I took 2 weeks off over the Holidays, hoping I’d be able to read all the books and watch all the movies I’d set aside over the past few months for just such an opportunity. I was relishing the thought of finally having time to relax and do whatever I wanted! But a sad event and illness kept me from doing even 1/16th of what I’d planned. Now I’m even more exhausted than before, both physically and emotionally. I’m realising that, as  I’ve suspected for a while now, I don’t want to be stuck doing this job, as things stand at this moment, for the rest of my life. It literally sucks the life out of me day after day. I’ve been doing freelance work for a little over 10 years now, but I’ve never joined a professional organization or purchased specialized software or reference books. It’s glaringly obvious that I’ve been refusing to make a commitment to my job. My work is competent, but half-hearted. Although it could be argued that translation is useful, I don’t feel like I’m doing something worthwhile or making a difference in the world, and I don’t get any satisfaction out of it. I’m bored by the subjects I have to deal with, and often find myself thinking, “Who cares about this stuff?” Oh, if only it were possible to follow my own rythm and to be lead by my own interests! Something will need to change, sooner rather than later.

At times it’s almost scary how accurate my instincts are. As mentioned in a recent post, I was intending to give up coffee in the near future. Having been a devoted tea drinker from the age of 14 due to my then infatuation with Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple novels, I’m a fairly recent convert to the bean. For the past 6 months or so, I’d regularly had what I privately called “coffee mornings” (i.e. when tea wouldn’t be strong enough to wake up my brain functions), and the frequency of such events increased significantly towards the end of last year. Late this past summer, I suddenly woke up in the middle of the night with a sharp pain in my left elbow. At the time I thought that I’d simply been sleeping in an uncomfortable position and that this was just a cramp. Over the next weeks, I started noticing a slight discomfort in both my elbows as well as my knees. It wasn’t precisely painful, but more of a heaviness, like my joints were surrounded by very thick molasses. Since I spend the majority of my days in front of a computer, this seemed nothing more serious than remaining seated for too long. However, approximately three weeks ago,  I experienced severe stiffness in my elbows and knees, and this time I felt a similar feeling in my fingers. I admit I was a little scared by this last, since I earn my living by typing on a keyboard all day. A bit of research indicated that these symptoms closely resembled arthritis, which is agravated by… caffeine. Eery, isn’t it?

So coffee is out, as is black tea on a regular basis. As well as drinking green tea and rooibos (I found an amazing variety called “Africana” that blends the flavours of  fruits and vanilla), I’m now testing various caffeine-free hot drinks, starting with Bambu. I find the taste very pleasant and fairly similar to coffee, with a touch of chicory. My joints are already noticeably more flexible. Should the problem persist after a month without coffee, I’ll place a special order for some vegan glucosamine at my health food shop. They were astonished to learn that there is such a thing when I enquired if they had some in stock! I took advantage of the only day this week that offered “normal” weather (above -20) to trek out to Panier Santé, renew my membership card, use the gift certificate I’d received at Christmas and stock up on a few things.

During this special membership renewal week, members get a 18% discount instead of the usual 12%. All my purchases had to fit into my backpack, which explains why I was so reasonable.

Oh, and I also bought three of these beauties. I’ve never had tempeh before, but after hearing Colleen* and PPKers gushing over it, I’ve got to try it! (I have to admit, “Noble Bean” kind of sealed it for me.)

In other news, I’ve been as good as my word about drinking green smoothies. I make one every other day now, and sip it throughout the day. I’m genuinely enjoying combining various fruits and vegetables and seeing all the different shades of green I can obtain from them.

Since the start of the Holidays, I’ve made 3 batches of the Chewy Chocolate-Raspberry Cookies from Veganomicon, substituting organic strawberry marmelade (bought at IKEA) for the raspberry preserves. In the latest batch, I replaced about 1/4 cup of the flour with some quinoa flakes, making the cookies more nutritious and slightly crunchier on the edges. Words cannot express how incredibly divine this recipe is! I think the next time I’ll include some shredded coconut.

I’ll end with another lovely recent discovery: pomegranates. It was love at first bite! Now I can’t get enough of them. Look how gorgeous these seeds are!

*I’ll write more about Colleen and the Food for Thought podcast soon.

 

when life gives you lemons, make lemonade…

… and when the temperature’s frickin’ cold, freeze fruits outdoors!

I have a small refrigerator (of the type commonly called “bar fridge”) with a tiny freezer that’s not really intended for much more than making ice cubes. It’s fine for my needs, but there’s no room in there for a baking sheet! So last night, after spending a good half hour peeling and slicing two very ripe cantaloups and a pineapple (I’ll let you imagine the intoxicating scent that filled the entire apartment!), I lined a large baking sheet with parchment paper, covered it with cubed fruits, shielded them with two layers of plastic film, protected them with a box lid overturned onto the baking sheet, weighed it down using an old dictionary, placed the whole thing directly on the layer of snow and ice now covering my balcony, and left it there overnight. All I had to do this morning was to put the now-frozen-solid fruits in bags and store them in the freezer!

It’s almost a good thing the weather forecast for most of next week is still around -20°, I have some bananas ripening nicely on my windowsill.

 

just my luck…

…that on the day I make my first green smoothie (see previous post), I realise I forgot to recharge my camera’s batteries. Such a shame — the result was a magnificent Kelly green, and so thick I had to eat most of it with a spoon!

The ingredients were:

- 1 banana, frozen
- 1/2 mango
- 1 apple, peeled
- 1 lebanese cucumber, peeled
- a piece of avocado
- about 3 handfuls of spinach
- flaxseeds
- agave syrup
- water

Very filling and quite delicious, with just a little bite from the spinach. I think a bit of fresh ginger would have added an interesting flavour here. I was a bit worried about the texture my handblender would produce, but it was surprisingly smooth.*

*Still, not as smooth as a Vita-Mix…

 

no resolutions, only commitments

While I’m not one to make resolutions at the start of a new year, I have the feeling that 2009 will be a turning point. There’s change in the air. However, I prefer to speak of “commitment” rather than of “resolution”; to me, the former seems a more private, self-directed promise. In light of recent events, I’ve decided to take better care of myself in every way possible. So in the upcoming year, I’m committed to doing the following:

• have green smoothies on a regular basis*
• go raw at least one day per week (I’ll have to wait until Spring for this one!)
• find substitute(s) for coffee
• read more classics, in both French and English
• get back into photography as a means of expression
• write, write, write
• be more physically active
• wear dresses and skirts more often than jeans
• promote veganism in this one-vegan town
• make an effort to be more friendly towards people
• seek therapy to help me deal with my “issues”
• make changes to my apartment to make it finally feel like home

There are a few other ideas on my list, but they’re still too ill-defined to mention them here.

In other news, I still hate winter with every molecule of my being.

* Anyone wanting to gift me with a Vita-Mix (even reconditioned) will earn my everlasting gratitude!

 

who gives a crap anyway?

I often wish I were a different person, and this is especially true at the moment. Not a very auspicious start to the year.

The past couple of weeks have been very trying on many levels, to the point where it’s difficult to determine whether my perceptions bear any resemblance to reality. Right now my mind is a jumble of pain and confusion.

In or out — in which direction should I go?

 

best wishes

Best wishes for safe, healthy and happy
end-of-year celebrations
surrounded by those you hold dear.
May the new year bring you
everything you deserve.
Oh, and wet kisses on the nose
on behalf of RD!

 

r.i.p. 2008

Pous the Christmas kitty
March 17

“uncle” Stephen M.
June 12

uncle Michel P.
December 19

 

winter reading list (edited)

• An Instance of the Fingerpost by Iain Pears
• La ligne pourpre by Wolfram Fleischhauer
• Death of a Ghost, Flowers for the Judge, and Dancers in Mourning by Margery Allingham
• all Adam Dalgleish novels by P.D. James
• Murder for Christmas (of course) by Agatha Christie
• Doors Open by Ian Rankin*
• The Torment of Others by Val McDermid*
• The Shape of Snakes by Minette Walters*
• A Season for the Dead by David Hewson*
• A Sight for Sore Eyes by Ruth Rendell*
• Imprimatur and Secretum by Rita Monaldi and Francesco Sorti
• The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason†
• Becoming Vegan by Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina†

*first-time read
†current read

I’ve given up on Ian Rankin’s latest novel for now, after painfully plowing through about a third of it. I just can’t seem to get into his non-Rebus writing. Instead, I’m re-re-reading The Rule of Four, which is a perfect fit for today’s dark, snowy weather.

 

another delicious way to enjoy chickpeas

For me, the pre-holiday period (whether for Summer or Christmas) always brings a slew of last-minute rush projects, so that at dinner time I find myself starving but drained of mental energy. Fortunately, the mighty chickpea is there to save the day!

This is by no means a precise recipe with accurate measurements. Half the fun in cooking is improvising! Anyway, here is a vague description of how to whip up the butternut-chickpea curry pictured above:

In a deep non-stick skillet, cook some onion and garlic in olive oil until translucent. You can also toss in some grated fresh ginger if you wish (I used roughly 1 teaspoon). Add 1 or 2 tablespoons of your favourite curry paste, depending on how hot you like it (I used Patak’s mild curry paste), and stir it around for 2 minutes. Put 2 cups of diced butternut squash and 2 cups of cooked chickpeas in the pan, and stir to coat them in the paste. I added 1/2 large apple (but then I’m always adding apples to my dishes, even soups; try it!). Carefully pour in enough water (or vegetable stock if you have it on hand) to cover the ingredients halfway and stir in a heaping tablespoon of tomato paste until it’s dissolved. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and cover. Simmer until the butternut squash is very tender, say 20 minutes? (Did I mention this would be vague?) Remove the lid and continue to simmer until the sauce reaches the right thickness for you. Taste the sauce and season with salt if necessary. Serve over basmati rice or with pita. Makes 2 generous servings.

 

pumpkin love

While I was growing up, there were certain foods that I never got to taste, for the simple reason that my mother disliked them. Among these were pumpkins. Except to be turned into a jack-o-lantern on Halloween, they were never allowed into the house. Even the seeds were unceremoniously dumped into the trash, being deemed “too complicated” to clean and toast… Fortunately, I was able to make up for lost time after I left home; pumpkin pies, cakes and muffins are now among my favourites.

As a way to reward myself after an exhausting shopping trip on Saturday, I made a trial batch of these pumpkin muffins (which differ slightly from The Best Pumpkin Muffins included in Vegan with a Vengeance), using vanilla soymilk, replacing the soy yogurt with soy creamer, and substituting maple syrup for the molasses. The result: wonderfully moist and flavourful, and a lovely orange colour! Isa is an absolute genius with pumpkin purée — I look forward to trying her numerous other recipes featuring this ingredient. These muffins will be perfect for Christmas, especially if I add a bit more of the spices and break out the bottle of “special” canola oil.

I debated whether I should whip up some frosting for the muffins; although technically they’re called muffins, I think their texture qualifies them to be treated as cupcakes. They were good on their own, but could they be made even better? Finally, I decided to give it a try and settled on Sarah Kramer’s “Butter Cream Frosting” (from La Dolce Vegan!), which contains neither butter nor cream but tastes very decadent all the same. The combination of the spicy muffins with the buttery frosting left me genuinely speechless!

[Maria, if you like pumpkin, try these! I'm not certain this qualifies as a Christmas recipe, but maybe if you added dried cranberries...?]

 

first (and last?)

This year, after taking the Handmade Pledge, I set out to make Christmas cards for my family, friends and clients with my own two hands. Not being the least bit artistic, I’d never worked up the confidence to do this before. Since this has been a year of change for me in more ways than one, it’s fitting that I would bring it to a close with very “personal” season’s greetings. (As to what people might think of them, or of me for being so crafty and “cheap”, I’ve learned to stop worrying about that!)

The batch of cards destined for my clients was posted on Monday. I’m thinking of doing something a little different for the rest of them… maybe outline the tree with a very fine marker?

 

already!

My Amazon order is already here! Hmmm, I think I’ll be having pancakes (Vegan with a Vengeance, p. 31) this weekend…

 

spoiled

Do you buy yourself birthday and Christmas presents?

I started to do this about 5 years ago, during a particularly rough time, as a way to show myself that I was important in my own eyes. (It may sound a bit pathetic, but it worked!) My favourite self-gifts are books, and I spend the months that precede each special occasion adding to my wishlist until it reaches completely unreasonable proportions. The selection process can be quite a headache!

As I’ve mentioned before, I recently started my transition towards veganism after years of being a vegetarian. There are so many books on this subject that I want to own! This Christmas, I decided to give myself an extra special treat. I have a gift certificate to a local bookstore that I received last year and that I need to use before February. This amount just about covers 2 of the volumes I was coveting, so I ordered them by phone this afternoon. In addition, I placed an order on Amazon for the other 3 books!

I spoil myself so much! I think I’m going to love my presents!

EDIT: I just received an email informing me that my Amazon order has already shipped!

 

winter reading list (edited)

• An Instance of the Fingerpost by Iain Pears
• La ligne pourpre by Wolfram Fleischhauer
• Death of a Ghost, Flowers for the Judge, and Dancers in Mourning by Margery Allingham
• all Adam Dalgleish novels by P.D. James
• Murder for Christmas (of course) by Agatha Christie
• Doors Open by Ian Rankin*†
• The Torment of Others by Val McDermid*
• The Shape of Snakes by Minette Walters*
• A Season for the Dead by David Hewson*
• A Sight for Sore Eyes by Ruth Rendell*
• Imprimatur and Secretum by Rita Monaldi and Francesco Sorti

*first-time read
†current read

 

of search terms and a good night’s sleep

According to WordPress, 5 people ended up on this blog by searching for more information about IKEA quilts. Although I’m not sure how much my opinion counts, for any future visitors brought here by typing “mysa rönn” or “mysa vete” (or even “mysa vette”), here it is:

I purchased the MYSA VETE 1+3 quilt a few weeks ago and, although the weather hasn’t yet been very cold, I’m certain that I won’t be spending the bitterly cold winter nights shivering like I did these past 2 years… With both quilts (the thinner one (warmth rate 1) and the thicker one (warmth rate 3)) combined, it’s neither too heavy nor too light, and so comfortably enveloping that I sometimes find it difficult to drag myself out of bed in the morning.  Note that I’m using it in the European fashion, i.e. without a flat sheet. I’d never done this before, and I won’t ever go back to having covers and blankets getting tangled up every time I turn over. (When I removed my old bedding to replace it with the quilt, I counted that there were five layers on top of me, and I was still cold! And this was in early November!)

Inserting the quilt into a quilt cover is much easier than I expected; the trick is to hold on to the corners. I bought 2 covers: ALVINE BÄR, which I absolutely love, and ALVINE SKÖN, which looks much better in person than on the website. Having two covers gives me the option to change the look of my bedding, but it also allows me to let them air dry like the rest of my laundry.

If you’ve never had a down quilt before, you should know it will smell quite strongly for the first two weeks or so; be prepared to see your cat sniff every millimetre of your new quilt before settling in for a nap.

The quilt comes in a convenient zippered tube-shaped bag, where you can store whichever quilt is not in use (weather permitting!).

That’s all I can think to say about it for the moment. Yes, it is one of the most expensive out of all the quilts available from IKEA, but isn’t a good night’s sleep worth the investment?

If you have any questions that weren’t answered here, feel free to email me at the address in the sidebar, I’ll be happy to answer them as best I can.

[P.S.  As for the incompatibility of an aspiring vegan owning a down quilt — I'm well aware of it, thanks.]

 

another step

[And goodbye moo juice...]

 

what to do with leftover…

I could bore you to tears with the 15 cm of snow that fell overnight, or with my progress in making 25 Christmas cards by hand for the first time, or with my discovery that hoisin, soy sauce and crushed garlic make a delicious marinade for portobello mushrooms, or with my first experiment with agar agar and apple juice, or with my unconditional love of avocados. I could go on about how excited I am to be baking (secretly vegan) desserts for Christmas dinner at my parents’ house. I could tell you about the list of vegan cookbooks I intend to suggest my local library purchase early in the new year. I could rave about the mashed potatoes and celeriac with olive oil I made for dinner last night. But I’m not going to.

So — leftovers? What in the world? Well, living on my own as I do, I frequently have to deal with excess ingredients that I just cannot stand the sight of after eating it for four meals in a row. I suppose this also happens to other people, so I’ll be posting some of the ideas I’ve come up with over the years to deal with this situation. I’ll start with a little recipe that brings back memories of late evenings at the cottage with my mom’s slightly hippy friend Diane. If legumes are your idea of comfort food, and it certainly is mine, here’s what to do with leftover…

chickpeas

Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive or canola oil in a large pan over medium heat. While the oil gets hot, prepare the seasonings by placing a combination of herbs and/or spices (don’t forget salt!) in a large plastic container with a tight-fitting lid. (Last night, I used chili powder, a little smoked mild paprika, some salt and a few pinches of nutritional yeast flakes that I crushed between my fingers.) Quantities and proportions will depend on your taste and on the amount of leftover chickpeas. Carefully put the chickpeas in the hot pan and stir to cover them in oil. Toss them around until they’re golden all over; this will take a while, but the resulting texture will be well worth it. Remove any bits of skin that may come loose. Transfer the piping hot chickpeas to the container with the spices, put the lid on and shake it like you mean it! The heat will build up inside the container and may cause the lid to bulge. Simply open and reclose the lid. When the chickpeas are evenly covered in your spice mix, put them in a bowl, let them cool slighly, and enjoy!

 

a good start

After much hesitation, I decided that this Christmas, my handmade gifts would be food. Fortunately, there are only 3 presents for me to make! My father loves cakes and cookies with a passion, but he’s trying to curb his intake of “bad stuff”. No problem, these cookies are just the thing! As a trial run, I whipped up half a batch this morning, with my apron tied over my pajamas. They were easy to put together (although I went a little overboard with the chocolate chips) and smelled absolutely divine. I took a quick shower while they cooled, then nervously sampled one. Crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside — this recipe is a gem! But I’m already imagining variations: sesame oil? cinnamon? chopped almonds? cranberries?

Two positive points for giving vegan baked goods as presents: I can lick the batter to my heart’s content, and I’m happy making food I can really feel good about.

 

there goes my last egg…

[A momentous occasion, worthy of being documented...]

 

“i gotta be me”

I hate feeling like I have lately, uncertain, without a clear direction. Dissatisfied with my job, my apartment, my life, this blog… But I’ve started to realise that not having a defined path just gives me more time to look around and enjoy the view, and perhaps even to spot a trail I wouldn’t otherwise have been aware of. Consequently, instead of raising my already high anxiety levels by wondering what exactly I should do with this personal space (photo blog? diary blog? craft blog? cooking blog?), I’ve decided to let it reflect my interests and obsessions, whatever they may be.

My current obsession? Veganism. I’ve more or less been a vegetarian since college, and to me, becoming vegan is the next step (in many different ways; I may explain in more detail at a later time). So for the moment, I’ll be posting mostly about that topic. Next month, or maybe even next week, I might be writing about something completely different. That’s just the type of person I am.

Well, let’s get started… I live in a small town where vegetarians — and still more vegans — are viewed as alien entities. I’m not sure how in the world it happened (good karma, no doubt), but a vegetarian/vegan restaurant will be opening here in just a couple of weeks. When I saw the bilboard announcing this, my first reaction was disbelief. Then came confusion. And finally elation. Huzzah! Finally, a place where I’ll be able to eat without having to endure the smell of cooked animals emanating from other diners’ plates! (It’s just one of the drawbacks of having a big schnozz.) I’ll be trying it as soon as possible.

The grocery store nearest to my apartment is truly awful. If your diet varies from the meat-and-potatoes-as-cheaply-as-possible norm, that is. It’s located in a “disadvantaged” part of town, so organic food is not exactly their priority. As for tofu and fake meat products, the selection is pitiful to say the least. I’m a member of a fairly well-stocked coop, but since it’s located in the next town over and I don’t have a car, I only get to shop there about once every 3 to 4 weeks. There are a couple of other grocery stores that are veg*n-friendly, but again I can’t go there very frequently. Yesterday, I had errands to run in that area, so I stopped by to see what was available. God bless IGA! I nearly cried right there in the store, standing in front of the refrigerated counter stuffed with tofu and other assorted soy-based goodies! (Learning self-control from a young age does have its advantages.) And lo! in the non-dairy section: EARTH BALANCE! Actual tubs of Earth Balance, just sitting there, and on sale! I’ve read so many good things about it, but kept thinking “There’s no way I can find it here”. Well, there’s some in my refrigerator right now! I’ll be making regular visits to that particular shop in the future.

So these are the kinds of things I’ll be posting about for now. There may even be a few recipes. (There’s already been one for buckwheat muffins, which I look forward to veganising in the very near future.)

 

confusion

 

eat your mistakes

There are at least 4 things wrong with this pie. (Funnily enough, the work FAIL has 4 letters.)

I only wanted to test the recipe for the crust, really. But first I had a find a recipe for some sort of filling. And that’s when everything started to go downhill. Perhaps being woken up at 7:30 on a Saturday morning by workmen who are there to install your new door right now wasn’t the best omen…

It’s not completely inedible, but I haven’t yet stopped kicking myself for wasting some of the pears I’d been intending to use for compote.

(Hmmm, is this turning into a cooking blog? There certainly seem to be a lot of photos of food here lately.)

 

winter reading list (edited)

• An Instance of the Fingerpost by Iain Pears
• La ligne pourpre by Wolfram Fleischhauer
• Death of a Ghost, Flowers for the Judge, and Dancers in Mourning by Margery Allingham
• all Adam Dalgleish novels by P.D. James
• Murder for Christmas (of course) by Agatha Christie
• Doors Open by Ian Rankin*
• The Torment of Others by Val McDermid*
• The Shape of Snakes by Minette Walters*
• A Season for the Dead by David Hewson*
• A Sight for Sore Eyes by Ruth Rendell*

*first-time read

 

broken

 

…in a healthy body

I don’t know if these muffins are doing anything for my mind, but they certainly make my body feel good!

“anything you wish” buckwheat muffins

- 1 cup + 2 tbsp. buckwheat flour
- 1/2 cup all purpose or whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp. oil (canola, sunflower, sesame, olive…)
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 tbsp. honey or maple, agave or brown rice syrup
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup cow, rice, soy, almond or oat milk
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla
- 3/4 to 1 cup nuts, seeds, dried fruit or anything you wish (optional)

Preheat the oven to 180 °C (350 °F). In a large bowl, blend the flours, the baking powder and the salt. In another bowl, beat together the oil, the brown sugar, the liquid sweetener of your choice and the eggs. Add progressively to the dry ingredients, alternating with the milk and mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla and any other ingredients that catch your fancy. Mix thoroughly. Divide the batter into oiled or paper-lined muffin tins. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Makes 12 medium muffins.

(edit: These muffins can be frozen, and if that’s even possible they taste better afterwards!)

 

weekend wishes

This rug fills me with happiness every time I look at it… And of course, RD had to be the first to test “our” new quilt (it rapidly earned his approval, and mine).

A ray of sunshine and a bit of comfort, these are the simple things I’m wishing for this weekend.