Food, Feminism, & life

Food, Feminism, & Life is moving!

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 15:24:57 -0500

Tumblr has been good to me, but it is time to move on. Blogger is much much more user friendly & I’ve been told numerous times that people are having trouble leaving comments on my Tumblr.

Please update your readers & follow me on Blogger! :)

http://foodfeminismlife.blogspot.com/

Black Bean Taco "Cupcakes"

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 09:39:48 -0500

I had a serious crunchy food craving yesterday & decided to finally take a look through the Emily Bites main course cupcake recipes that everyone raves about. Her original Taco Cupcakes inspired my version. Mine is vegetarian because I didn’t feel like eating ground beef last night. Skipping the beef & loading them up with black beans saved 2 PP per Cupcake! I ate two right out of the oven & they were incredible. Thanks for the idea, Emily!

The secret ingredients that made these so delicious were Cheeze Whiz & Trader Joe’s corn salsa. I always have a jar of that salsa in my fridge & it really brightens up meals. It’s sweet with a slight kick to it & is perfect against spicy salsa. I suggest going out & getting a jar, but if you don’t have a Trader Joe’s near you just sub in sub frozen corn kernels.

Black Bean Taco “Cupcakes”

Servings: 4 ● Points Plus: 4

Ingredients:

16 wonton wrappers
1 can black beans with jalapenos, drained
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 packet of taco seasoning
1/4 cup water
1/4 onion, diced
8 TB fat free refried beans
8 TB shredded Weight Watchers Mexican cheese
8 tsp Cheeze Whiz (yummmmmmm)
8 TB Trader Joe’s corn salsa
Your favorite salsa (about 8 TB) - I used Trader Joe’s

Directions:

1) Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a cupcake tin with non-stick spray & press a wonton wrapper into 8 cupcake holes.

2) Saute the onion in a pan. When soft add the black beans & garlic. Toss until the black beans are warm. Add 1/4 cup water and the taco seasoning, toss & turn off the heat.

3) In the cupcake tin, layer the following on top of the wonton wrapper:

1 TB refried beans
1 tsp Cheeze Whiz
1 TB corn salsa
Second wonton wrapper (really push this down)
1.5 TB black bean mixture
1 TB regular salsa
1 TB shredded cheese

4) Bake at 375 degrees for 18 minutes. Let cool & remove cupcakes from tin. Top with your favorite taco toppings!

My dog is getting huge! What happened to my tiny puppy?!

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 09:50:07 -0500

My dog is getting huge! What happened to my tiny puppy?!

Cake Batter Blondies!

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 14:19:40 -0500

Oh yes, these happened. I’m known for bringing the sweetest of desserts to family parties. So much so that my dad’s best friend (who has a sweet tooth like no other) said to my mom, “Jamie’s coming right? What dessert did she come up with?” I tend to make fairly complex & time consuming desserts. Instead of standing over my stove & hand dipping truffles, I opted for these this year & they were by far the easiest thing I have ever made.

I originally saw these on Pinterest, and then followed link to link until I found the original recipe on Girl Meets Life. I love stumbling on new blogs. I made them in a 9x13 baking pan, which made them a bit thin. Next time I’ll use an 8x8 brownie pan instead. I bet these would be amazing as cake pops also.

Cake Batter Blondies

Ingredients:

1 box yellow cake mix
1/4 cup canola oil
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup rainbow sprinkles, plus more for garnish
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Directions:

1) Combine the first four ingredients in a bowl & then mix in the 1/4 cup sprinkles & 1/2 cup white chocolate chips.

2) Spray a baking pan with non-stick spray & spread the cake mix into it. Add more sprinkles on top for decoration. Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees. You want the center to still be a bit gooey when you take them out of the oven.

3) Let cool & cut into squares. Stare at how pretty they are.

Chicken, Cheddar, & Roasted Apple Sliders

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 13:25:54 -0500

I mentioned the blog What’s Cookin’ Chicago? the other day & hope you all checked it out. She has some great recipes! I saw these on there & knew I wanted to make them immediately & finally got to it last night. One pound of ground chicken made 12 sliders so I froze more than half of them to have for quick lunches & dinners. Total win in my book.

Mine look nothing like the original recipe, but they were good. Not mind blowing, but good enough to eat over & over & post about. I opted for fresh herbs since I had some leftover from Thanksgiving & think you should to. The fresh sage really pops in these & they have all the flavors of fall. I served them on wheat potato dough slider buns (2 PP each) with honey mustard. Yum!

Chicken, Cheddar, & Roasted Apple Sliders

Adapted from What’s Cookin’ Chicago?

Servings: 12 ● Points Plus: 3 (without bun)

Ingredients:

1 lb lean ground chicken
1 cup low fat shredded cheddar cheese
3 small red delicious apples, peeled, cored, and cut into quarters
1 tsp each fresh rosemary, sage, & thyme
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup milk

Directions:

1) Pre-heat oven to 400. Place apple quarters on a baking sheet, spray with non-stick olive oil spray & roast for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through. Once done, process in your food processor until chopped, or mash with a fork.

2) In a large bowl, combine the apples with all other ingredients. Press into 12 small patties.

3) Either: fry them in oil (will add points), or bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees, flipping halfway through. I pan-fried them with some non-stick spray to get the outsides crispy, then finished them in the oven for 10 minutes.

4) Serve on slider buns with your favorite toppings.

Baked Potato Soup.

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 11:43:14 -0500

Frank does not eat soup of any kind, except loaded baked potato. After talking to my friend Erica last night, who was making potato soup at home, I decided that I should make this for him. He loved it! The only other person who loves potatoes as much as Frank is my sister, who’s going to my house to get leftovers this afternoon.

This soup is a lightened up version of the loaded baked potato soup you would get at Applebee’s or any other restaurant. It’s so filling & perfect for a cold day. My recipe is adapted from Cooking Light’s. I subbed chicken stock for some of the milk & really liked the result. Top it with some extra crispy bacon, low fat shredded cheese, and scallions!

Baked Potato Soup.

Servings: 8 ● Points Plus: 8 (does not include toppings)

Ingredients:

2 1/2- 3lbs baking potatoes (4 potatoes total)
2 TB Smart Balance
1 TB butter
2/3 cup flour
3 cups fat free, reduced sodium, chicken stock
1/4 large onion, diced
3 slices bacon, cooked crispy
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper (more to taste)
1 tsp onion powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup reduced fat sour cream
1 cup fat free half & half
2 cups 2% milk
1 1/2 cup shredded reduced fat cheddar
Toppings: Crispy bacon, shredded cheddar, sliced scallions

Directions:

1) Pre-heat oven to 400. Pierce potatoes all over with a fork, wrap in aluminum foil, and bake for one hour. Once cooked, immerse in cold water & peel. Mash 3 of them, and dice the 4th.

2) Melt the butter in a large soup pot & add the onions and garlic. Reduce heat to medium and saute until soft, about 5-8 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high & add the flour. Whisk together. Slowly whisk in the half & half, and the low fat milk. Whisk like crazy until the flour is incorporated & it begins to bubble. Let it bubble, then reduce heat to medium & add the chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat again.

3) Add all of the potatoes, salt, pepper, onion powder, and bacon. Turn off the heat & fold in the sour cream (it will separate if too hot). Place back over medium heat and add the cheese. Stir & simmer for 20 minutes.

4) Ladle into bowl & top with whatever toppings you like.

Roasted Cauliflower Gratin

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 14:41:32 -0500

Adapted from Ina Garten

I adore cauliflower, and anything that’s baked until cheesy & bubbly, so it made perfect sense that I would make this. It was so comforting & loaded with crunchy bits of cauliflower. This would be a perfect side dish to any meal. It’s rich, but not too rich, and I’ve lightened it up from the original recipe. Ina used gruyere cheese, but I opted for fontina & also roasted the cauliflower first. You can skip roasting the cauliflower, but I find that it gives it a much deeper taste when you roast it. Try it both ways!

Roasted Cauliflower Gratin

Servings: 6 ● Points Plus: 6

Ingredients:

3 lb head of cauliflower
2 TB Smart Balance or butter substitute
3 TB all purpose flour
2 cups 2% milk, warmed
1 cup grated fontina cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
1/4 Kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 TB fresh thyme
1 TB paprika

Directions:

1) Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut the cauliflower into small florets. Spread out on a baking sheet & spray with non-stick spray. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and paprika. Roast 30 minutes, or until it begins to brown, tossing halfway through.

2) Once the cauliflower is roasted, melt the Smart Balance. Add the flour and whisk together until a blonde paste forms. Slowly add the warm milk & whisk like crazy. Keep whisking until it begins to boil. Let it boil until it begins to thicken. Turn off heat, add 3/4 cup of the fontina, the parmesan, and a dash more salt & pepper.

3) Layer the cauliflower in a casserole dish & pour the cheese mixture over the top. Toss together. Add the breadcrumbs & remaining fontina on top. Bake 25-30 minutes until bubbling & the breadcrumbs are brown. If you want, you can broil for 5 minutes to make the breadcrumbs extra crispy.

Cheddar, Cracker, & Panko Chicken

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 10:14:08 -0500

Adapted from What’s Cookin’ Chicago? (go check out this blog. It’s wonderful!)

This recipe exceeded all of my expectations. I may or may not have stared at it through my oven in awe of the cheesy crust that formed. I served this with cauliflower gratin & a side of honey mustard for dipping. You don’t really need the honey mustard, but I’m an addict.

Putting everything into your food processor is the trick here. You can simply crush up the crackers, but something about having the cheddar & crackers be the same consistency made the breading perfect. I also added some panko to the mix for added crunch. They got a huge “wow” from Frank. Enjoy!

Cheddar, Cracker, & Panko Chicken

Servings: 4 ● Points Plus: 6

Ingredients:

1 lb thin sliced boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
16 Keebler butter crackers (or any crackers you like)
6 oz Cabot 2% cheddar, cut into chunks
1 clove garlic
2 scallions, cut into chunks
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
Pam spray

Directions:

1) Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees & spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray.

2) Place the scallions, cheddar, garlic, salt, pepper, and crackers in your food processor. Pulse until everything is the same size, making sure not to make everything too small. It should have the consistency of panko.

3) Place the crumb mixture into a dish, add the panko, and combine.

4) Spray the thin chicken breasts with the Pam spray, coat each side in the crumb mixture, and place on baking sheet. You might have to press the crumb mixture into the chicken to get it to stick. Once all of the chicken is coated bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes, flipping the chicken half way through.

*Note: The Points Plus values are for the chicken AFTER they are coated. I was left with almost half of the crumb mixture & deducted the points from there to figure out the total of each serving.

The Best Alla Vodka Sauce Ever. No, really.

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 09:49:00 -0500

This is a recipe that my future mother-in-law gave me & it’s one of my favorite things to make. It comes together so quickly & tastes better than alla vodka I’ve ordered in Italian restaurants. It isn’t too creamy, and the pieces of prosciutto give it a ton of flavor. Serve it over your favorite pasta or just dip some bread sticks in it. I like it both ways.

This sauce also makes an amazing pizza sauce. Alla vodka pizza is where it’s at.

Alla Vodka Sauce

Servings: 6 ● Points Plus: 6

Ingredients:

24 oz marinara sauce (any kind you like)
1/2 jar of water (12 oz)
2 TB butter
1/3 cup vodka
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 TB corn starch
1/4-1/2 cup half & half - depends how creamy you like it
1/4 lb prosciutto, cut into small cubes

Directions:

1) Melt the butter in a large sauce pan. When it begins to foam add the prosciutto & saute until it begins to get crispy. Add the vodka to deglaze the pan. Scrape up any bits, bring to a boil, and let the vodka reduce.

2) Add the marinara sauce. Whisk the 1 TB of cornstarch into half a jar of water & add to the sauce pan. Add the half & half. Simmer about 15-20 minutes.

3) Add the parmesan cheese, salt, & pepper. Stir & serve immediately over pasta.

*Note: The points plus are for the sauce only. Pasta & bread sticks will add points, but they’re worth it.

I secretly love that I go to bed before Frank because I get some...

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 22:36:23 -0500

I secretly love that I go to bed before Frank because I get some quality girl time with this mush.

Wintery Kale & Chickpea Soup

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 16:14:21 -0500

This is one of those amazing one pot meals that comes as the result of being towards the end of the week with random groceries left in the house. I basically looked through my fridge & pantry & pulled these ingredients together. The result was a warm & hearty bowl of soup that tasted a little like ginger, a little like garam masala, and a lot like winter.

Wintery Kale & Chickpea Soup

Servings: 6 ● Points Plus: 6

Ingredients:

Large bunch of kale, washed & stems removed
2 sweet potatoes, peeled & cut into 1” cubes
1 TB olive oil
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
Mushrooms (1-2 cups sliced)
1 online, diced
1 carrot, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 TB garam masala
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 1/2 TB ginger
15 oz can chickpeas, drained & rinsed
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
hot sauce for topping if desired
8 cups water
2-4 vegan bouillon cubes, or as many needed on package for 8 cups water

Directions:

1) In a large soup pot, saute the onion, garlic, sweet potato, & carrot with the olive oil for 5 minutes.

2) Add the garam masala, salt, pepper, red pepper, and ginger & saute until fragrant. Add the chickpeas & mushrooms & toss.

3) Add the water, bouillon cubes, & quinoa. Add the kale in bunches & let it wilt into the soup. Bring to a boil & simmer at least 30 minutes. If you have time simmer at least an hour.

4) Top each bowl with a little hot sauce & serve.

Cheese Stuffed Shells

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 13:43:05 -0500

Everyone has their own stuffed shells recipe, but this is mine. I very seldom get a craving for a stuffed pasta, but when the craving hits it has to happen. These are cheesy & baked until bubbly & come out perfect. They’re also so easy to prepare. You can prepare them ahead of time & pop them in the oven when you get home, or take about 20 minutes to prepare them when you get home from work.

Stuffed Shells

Servings: 4 (3 shells each) ● Points Plus:9

Ingredients:

12 large pasta shells (make 14-16 because some will break)
15 oz ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese + 1/4 cup for topping
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Handful parsley, chopped
1 egg
1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce

Directions:

1) Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Boil the shells in a large pot of water with a little olive oil added to the water. This will stop them from sticking together as much.

2) While they’re boiling, combine the ricotta cheese, mozzarella, parmesan, garlic, salt, pepper, parsley, & egg in a bowl. Stir together.

3) Drain the shells. Pour a little marinara sauce on the bottom of a baking pan. Stuff each shell with about 2-3 TB of filling & line the baking pan with them.

4) Pour the rest of the marinara sauce over the shells & sprinkle the 1/4 cup of grated parmesan over them. Bake for 25 minutes & serve immediately.

Filling in for a busy puppy mommy..

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 19:42:00 -0400

Hey all! My name is Erica, I’m a friend of Jamie’s and since I know she’s been busy with little Miss Layla, I volunteered to do a little guest blog for her so y’all aren’t left hanging for too long (and because it’s something I’ve always wanted to do, but totally don’t have the dedication to keep up with a blog of my own)! Now the funny part about this blog is that I’m actually blogging a recipe of hers! Jamie first sent me the recipe for her Bolognese sauce back in February and since then it’s been one of my great loves in life (along with of course, my boyfriend, puppy, job, family, ya know, the usuals.. I’m not just some looney having a love affair with rich, meaty, hearty sauce) I seriously eat this stuff by the spoonful, no pasta necessary, a spoon is a more than sufficient vessel. Warning, this will be picture heavy.

1/4 cup olive oil (I only use about 2 tbsp)

1 medium onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced (I sometimes use more. About 3-4)

1 celery stalk, minced

1 carrot, peeled and minced

1 lb ground chuck

1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

8 fresh basil leaves, chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

1/2 teaspoon pepper, plus more to taste

1/4 cup freshly grated Romano cheese

1. In large skillet, heat oil over medium flame. When almost smoking, add onion and garlic and saute until onion is very tender, about 8 minutes.

2. Add celery and carrot and saute for 5 minutes. Increase heat to high, add ground beef, and saute until meat is no longer pink, breaking up large lumps - about 10 minutes.

3. Add tomoates, parsley, basil, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, and cook over medium-low heat until sauce thickens, about 30 minutes.

4. Stir in cheese, then season with more salt and pepper to taste.

I serve this over pasta, polenta, toast, a plate.. seriously, just about anything.

Since this recipe only calls for one stalk of celery and one carrot I’m sure some of you may be wondering what to do with the rest so they don’t go to waste, I chop some, chunk some, put in ziploc baggies and freeze for later use, just plop into soups, stews, casseroles, or anywhere you need them

And a special shout out to my down below cleaning crew, who never misses a dropped carrot.. King Bentley.

Hi there.

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 14:41:00 -0400

I’m apologizing for being a bad blogger lately. Life has been hectic & I’ve been slacking. This little lady has been keeping us very busy.

I have a few recipes to post soon. Hopefully I’ll get to a few tonight! I also finally got my engagement party photos back & need to sort through & post them.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Halloween! xO.

Meet Layla, our border collie pup :)

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 14:32:43 -0400

Meet Layla, our border collie pup :)

VeganMoFo: Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 15:44:15 -0400

Mmmmm chili. Nothing is better on a cold night than a bowl of thick & hearty chili, especially when it’s meatless & loaded with good-for-you ingredients. I serve mine with some jalapeno corn bread, or with plenty of tortilla chips to use as forks. It’s comfort food at it’s max. If you load up your slow cooker on a Sunday morning your house will smell amazing all day while you relax & do whatever it is you do on Sundays (nap, watch football, read, clean).

If possible, don’t skip the chipotle pepper in this! It gives the chili a smoky background & a bit of added heat. This chili is slightly sweet at first taste, but the heat hits later. Don’t touch the pepper with your hands & you’ll be okay.

Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili

Servings: 6 ● Points Plus: 6 (chili only - about 1 1/2 cups)

Ingredients:

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled & cut into 1” cubes
15 oz black beans
15 oz dark kidney beans
15 oz chickpeas
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
28 oz crushed tomatoes
15 oz diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 TB cumin
2 TB Mexican chili powder
3 tsp paprika
1 TB brown sugar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp salt
1 chipotle pepper in adobo, pepper chopped + 1 TB sauce

Directions:

1) Place all ingredients into your slow cooker, toss together.

2) Cook on low 7-8 hours. Give it a stir every now & then for a quick second. You can skip the stirring if you’re making this while you’re at work.

*If you have a large slow cooker you can toss some corn bread batter right on top of the chili & let it cook all day at the same time. You’ll have moist corn bread & hearty chili ready at the end of the day.

Fill in the Blank Friday ♥

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 14:02:45 -0400

Yay Friday! Today’s blanks have a fall theme, & it’s perfect for the type of day it is because it looks like Halloween outside. I love the days leading up to Halloween! Blue skies peeking out from behind rolling gray clouds, leaves blowing around, and that crisp chill in the air. I live for days like this.

1. Nothing says fall like curling up with blankets, pumpkin spice candles, & scary movies. Sounds like what I have planned tonight.

2. My favorite autumnal tradition is the vineyards & pumpkin picking with Frank. We’ve done this since we met & I seriously love it so much. We skipped the vineyards this year because we have so many expenses coming up ($$$$) but he still took me for pumpkins, cider donuts, jelly apples, & mums :)

Growing up my favorite tradition was hands down watching The Worst Witch with my mom & sister. We watched it every year right before Halloween & we still do it some years.

3. My favorite fall treat is cider donuts!

4. Fall makes me think of a new beginning because it feels more like the start of a new year than New Year’s does. There’s a magic in the air wen fall comes around & it brings lots of good changes.

5. Autumn free-form word association, go! Crunchy leaves, naps, farms, little kids, apples, my mom, candles, witches, soup!

6. My favorite fall holiday is (Halloween or Thanksgiving) Halloween! Listen, no one does Halloween like my momma & growing up in her home meant Halloween was serious business. When I was a kid I remember rushing home from school on Halloween & she’d have all sorts of goodies out for us & scary music playing, and spiderwebs all over the house. Sometimes Michael Jackson’s Thriller would be on & she’d dance all over the house with us. She prepared for WEEKS. We would eat treats, watch The Worst Witch, and then go to my elementary school for their Halloween party, which she eventually wound up taking over. Then she would have tons & tons of kids & their parents at our house to start trick-or-treating.

There were years where she threw the biggest Halloween parties I can remember, and they always had a DJ, or a karaoke set, or just tons of music & dancing. She strung donuts on strings across our porch & covered the kids in powdered sugar as we tried to get the donuts while she pulled string away from us. There was bobbing for apples, and lots of sticking our blindfolded hands into “eyes & guts.”

She sewed our costumes by hand until we were old enough to say we wanted the packaged ones like every other kid. Even then we still had the best hair & makeup because mom made sure of it. She even went as far as closing down our block, renting horses & a trailer & creating a haunted hayride for all the kids in the neighborhood.

Now, as adults, we do Halloween for my mom. We must see her that day & there are only two days I can remember missing Halloween with her: One I was away at Frank’s Homecoming, and last year I was miserably sick. I laid on my couch & called her to talk Halloween instead. It’s “our day.” I may not wear the fairy princess costumes she used to sew me by hand, but I wake up the morning of Halloween & think of my mom immediately. The air is filled with her on that day & I’ll never forget how much fun being a kid was around that holiday (even though I tended to fall down in my costumes & cry - I was always a klutz). Love you, momma!

If you need some awesome Halloween plans, come over. My parents’ block still closes down to this day & bands play, kids run around, a DJ makes everyone dance, and all the houses are set up for haunted walk throughs. I told you Halloween was serious business.

{fill in your own blanks here} xO

VeganMoFo: Chocolate chip & vanilla bean pancakes

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 09:35:02 -0400

I apologize for the awful picture. I didn’t realize my camera was on a weird setting until I went back to look at the photos.

I made these for Frank & he loved them. We saved the leftover batter so he could make pancakes for himself during the week. In all honesty, these tasted like dessert to me. You could leave the chocolate chips out if you want to cut down on the sweet.

Pancakes can easily be made out of a box, but I didn’t have a box of mix in my house. I did have all of the ingredients for pancakes made from scratch so I went that way. They’re so easy to make that I doubt I’ll buy a boxed mixed again.

And what the heck is this stuff? Pancake mix in a spray can? Gross.

Chocolate chip & vanilla bean pancakes

This makes a ton of batter. Definitely enough for about 6 people, or one person with a lot of leftovers.

Ingredients:

3 cups all purpose flour
7 tsps baking powder
1 1/2 tsps salt
2 TB white sugar
2 1/2 cups soy milk
Egg replacer equivalent to two eggs (I imagine bananas would be awesome)
6 TB vegan margarine/butter, melted
1 real vanilla bean, split, scraped, and the beans added
1 TB ground cinnamon
1 TB pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup seltzer (I know, weird. Trust me) - you can leave it out if you don’t believe me
Dark chocolate chips, vegan.

Directions:

1) Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl, except the chocolate chips (flour, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon, salt, sugar,). Make a hole & add the wet ingredients (egg replacer, margarine, vanilla bean, extract, soy milk, seltzer). Beat together with a hand mixer until smooth, or one of those fancy counter top mixers that I do not own.

2) If it seems too thick, add some more soy milk.

3) Make a griddle hot & rub some margarine on it. Pour batter about a quarter cup at a time, sprinkle some chocolate chips on top. Let the batter bubble, flip, brown on both sides & eat!

This was taken in NYC by one of my best friends, Stephen Risolo....

Sat, 15 Oct 2011 20:19:43 -0400

This was taken in NYC by one of my best friends, Stephen Risolo. For everyone who claims that there are only lazy liberal hippies at Occupy Wall Street, this photo tells a very different story. Please re-blog if you support the 99%.

Fill in the Blank Friday♥

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 15:32:36 -0400

Oh how I love Fridays. The anticipation of sleeping in on Saturday morning keeps me going all day. I don’t have much on the agenda this weekend, which is nice. Hopefully just relaxing, getting some stuff done, & spending time with Frank.

1. The most selfless thing I’ve ever done is agree to move, if we had to, for Frank. That counts, right? I adore our home, where it’s located, and being so close to both of our families. I would give that up though if it meant his career dreams would come true. I have my own dreams, but they are much more flexible than his.

2. When it comes to working out I make any excuse I can to skip it. I am the worst exerciser ever.

3. A woman should always own an outfit that makes her feel like the hottest person on earth, make her own decisions about her life, know the difference between a bad guy and a guy that just isn’t right for you, & call her mother.

4. I wish I could sing and then I’d be a rockstar.

5. A best friend is someone who tells you when you’re wrong or being an asshole but totally loves you at the same time. A best friend doesn’t tell you you’re right even when you’re wrong. They give it to you straight & listen to you when you need to talk.

6. I can’t get enough of rye bread. If I had to live on one thing forever it would be rye toast.

7. This weekend I am relaxing & playing things by ear. That doesn’t happen often.

{you can fill in your own blanks here} Xo