Through Claire Colored Lenses

GF Chocolate Cupcakes Coconut Flour

2011-09-25T13:20:00.001-05:00

OMG! My dear friend, Lindsay, heard my pitiful plea and came to the rescue! Seriously, tears were shed when I received a package of coconut flour on my front door step a few weeks ago. It's the little "sweet nothings" received from friends that keep us trekking along in this world. As you know, I have been whining about wanting to try coconut flour for quite some time, but I couldn't bear to buy it because it's expensive, and I am so poor right now. THANK YOU, LINDSAY!!!

As some sort of payback to Lindsay for her generous gift, I have spent the past few weeks dedicating my baking time to creating the perfect chocolate cupcake made from coconut flour. I finally came up with what I believe to be a moist, non-gritty, dependable GF cupcake. I won't go into the details of my trials while on this journey, but I do want to shed some light on some super cool aspects of this recipe....

One, no need for xanthan gum!!! Finally, a lickable batter for GF'ies! Next, due to coconut flour being the most "thirsty" flour in the world, you only have to use a very small amount; therefore, the "expensive" bag of coconut flour really turns out to be not that expensive at all. Seriously, I still have the same bag of flour, and I have made at least 10 batches of cupcakes...and I still have at least 3 more batches left in the bag. And finally, I love how this recipe only makes 8-9 cupcakes. That's the perfect amount for a family needing a sweet treat for a couple days.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup- Coconut Flour
1/4 cup + 2 Tbs- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1/4 tsp- Salt
1/4 tsp- Baking Soda
3- Large Eggs
1/2 cup- Sugar
3 Tbs- Canola Oil
1/2 tsp- Vanilla Extract

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350F.

Sift together coconut flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda in a small'ish bowl or on a sheet of wax/parchment paper (makes for easy dumping later). Add salt. Set dry ingredients aside.

In a stand mixer using the whisk attachment, whisk the eggs until they just come together. With the speed on medium, gradually pour in the sugar. Once the sugar is incorporated, turn the mixer on high, and whisk until the mixture becomes very pale yellow, and doubles in volume. This step is very important, and takes appx. 3.5 minutes in a stand mixer. Add oil and vanilla.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and whisk until just combined. Mixture should still contain a lot of air. Dish into 8 or 9 paper lined cupcakes, and bake for appx. 15-16 minutes. They will contract some upon cooling. This is typical for a chiffon-type cake, which this recipe mocks...sorta. Leave in pan to cool a good deal before transporting them to a wire rack; otherwise, the will collapse.

(the stupid cupcake liners I bought did not want to cooperate)

The Secret

2011-08-11T11:30:00.000-05:00

You know how men are always wanting to know the secret to a woman's heart, or how to turn her on, or understand her? Well, here's the answer, guys...

Buy a move ticket to a romantic comedy/drama, bring a notebook, and take notes!

Women are obviously writing these screenplays/movies/novels/scripts, and they are telling you what we want!

And, it would help if you looked like Ryan Gosling ;-)
-Claire-

Arriba! Arriba!~Salsa

2011-08-03T15:43:00.002-05:00

Ahhh, to be in the salsa business making $4 a jar for this super easy cheap thing to make...wait, what?!?! Yep, peeps, we have all been conned into buying these jars of less than par salsa for many years simply due to our ignorance of how to make the stuff.

As you know, my family is from Texas, and we all still live there except my sister. She and her family live in Colorado. Whenever they come down to TX, they buy this massive amount of restaurant salsa, freeze, and fly home with it. All for salsa?!?! Yes, this absurdity is true. I've discovered there are too many people out there like my sister fretting over hard-to-find-authentic-fresh-way-too-expensive salsa, and decided to offer a very simple base salsa recipe to you all.

Note the word "base". This is my favorite kind of salsa~ fresh, spicy, and crisp; BUT, one can certainly modify this recipe. Some folks like chili powder and cumin in their salsa (shame on you, by the way), so add that if you want it. You could also roast a head of garlic, or add adobe style smoked jalapenos (which would be good). If you're brave enough, why not add some habanero peppers (now, that's just for the crazies)! Once you know how to make a base salsa recipe, you can let your creative juices fly.

My only word of advice here...DON'T USE FRESH TOMATOES! They're too watery, mealy, and dull.

*UPDATE* I have been making this salsa lately replacing the serrano pepper with two chipotle jalapenos (canned in the adoboe sauce) and replacing the fresh garlic with one HEAD of oven roasted garlic. I know that seems like a lot, but trust me, roasted garlic does not have near the intensity raw garlic has. It's actually very sweet and mild. Sometimes, I add an additional 1/2 clove raw garlic just to give it that raw bite, but you don't have to. I also reduce the lime a little when making it this style. Have fun with creating your favorite salsa!

Basic Salsa

Ingredients:

1 can Hunts "fire roasted" tomatoes (my fave, but any canned tomato will work)
1/2 small onion (appx. 85grams or a heaping 1/2 cup chopped)
1 very large clove fresh garlic, or 2 small cloves
1 serrano pepper seeds and pod removed (or jalapeno; serranos are hotter)
juice of 1 large lime
1/4 - 1/2 bunch of cilantro
3/4-1 tsp tsp kosher salt (1/2 tsp if using regular table salt)
1/2 tsp sugar (optional...but it's just a tad to bring out the slight sweetness of the tomatoes)

Directions:

In a food processor, PULSE onion, garlic, and serrano/jalapeno. Mixture should look like a small/fine chop. Pour in canned tomatoes and remainig ingredients. Again, PULSE until salsa comes together to a consistency you like. Store in the refridgerator, and enjoy! Give those ingredients time to marry together; you'll notice it will taste best after a few hours in the fridge. Remember, the amounts of each ingredient can fluctuate to meet your own taste preference. Here are some photos of the process for you slow ones out there ;-)

Glad I got the sorghum...err...spelt?

2011-07-30T13:26:00.006-05:00

When I first started this venture in the Gluten-Free world, I immediately went to the store to grab a variety of flours. Stupid me forgot to take the list with me. I remembered there was a flour I needed starting with an "S". Looking...searching..."wtf is this?!"...hmmm...maybe "spelt" was it? Sounds good to me. OK, let's check out and head home. Once I got home and read my list, I discovered I had picked up the wrong flour....DAMN! And, spelt isn't even gluten free! I was pissed, and I threw it in the freezer for a rainy day recipe experiment. Well, yesterday was that rainy day minus the rain part.

I love, love, love bread, and I love, love, love baking bread. Bread making is the most wholesome, gratifying, traditional things to make in the kitchen. My love for bread and it's future role in this gluten free world was my biggest fear when experimenting with a GF diet. Luckily, I can tolerate small amounts of gluten without being total screwed for the next couple days. I decided to read up on this spelt flour I bought a couple months back and discovered it is a really cool, highly nutritious, grain! It is NOT gluten free (so if you have full blown celiac, stop reading now), but it is a low gluten ancient grain many people can digest when being gluten or wheat sensitive. I decided to give making a loaf of spelt bread a try, and I was so pleased with the results! Great texture, whole grain, and a smooth sweet taste were what I found in this beautiful little bread. As for my guts...well, I'll let you know how they feel about it in a couple days. This was a great recipe; thank you to the contributor! If you can tolerate spelt in your diet, I highly suggest this beautiful little grain.

Whole Grain Spelt Yeast Bread

*NOTE- I did not use the flax seed meal only because I was out; but, I do love flax, and I think it would be a great addiction for texture and flavor. As a result, I increased the butter amount by a another half tablespoon due to the lack of oil from my omission of the flax. I also free formed my bread, as opposed to putting in a pan; so, my baking time was less due to my bread not being so dense in a pan.

Ingredients (makes one loaf):

1 1/2 cups warm water (just barely hot to the touch)

1 package active dry yeast (1/4 ounce)

2 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon whole flaxseed ground in a coffee mill

2 1/2 cups whole spelt flour

1 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted

2 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 tablespoon salt

1 3/4 cups whole spelt flour

1 tablespoon butter, melted (vegan butter could be used here)

Directions:

In a large bowl, mix warm water, yeast, 2 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar, and 1 tablespoon of flaxseed (optional). Mix in 2 1/2 cups of spelt flour. Let set for 30 minutes, or until big and bubbly.

Mix in 1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter, 2 1/2 tablespoons of brown sugar, and salt. Stir in 1 3/4 cups of spelt flour. Flour a flat surface and knead with spelt flour until it pulls away from the counter but is still sticky to touch. This may take an additional 1 to 2 cups of spelt flour. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to coat the surface of the dough. Cover with a dishtowel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled (about 30 minutes).

Punch down and place in greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pan. Allow to rise until dough has topped the pan by one inch. Depending on your yeast this will take between 1 - 2 hours.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 to 30 minutes; do not over bake.

GF Mocha Cupcakes (aka: "The Steven")

2011-07-24T12:05:00.003-05:00

Oh. My. Gawd. Have I ever mentioned how oat flour is the best thing to ever happen to the GF world? No grit, no falling apart, no "off" taste, and SO moist. This is one of the best devils food cup cakes I've ever made, GF or not!

Even though this is a classic mocha style cup cake, I'm calling it "The Steven" for a couple reasons. One, I made these yesterday for Steven because he was starting to buy Chips A'Hoy cookies since there have not been homemade chocolate goodies around for him to eat. I can't have that. Also, he loves this coffee/chocolate combo. And, finally, I sent Steven to the grocery to get cup cake liners, and he came home with robot themed ones. Yay.

Before you rush off to make these, I want to get on a little soap box regarding creaming sugars and fats. People, listen. "Creaming" is a HUGE step when making baked goods from scratch. Creaming does not mean simply combing the fat and sugar until they come together. It goes beyond that. You keep the mixer on until it changes color and texture. It will become very light in color, very fluffy, and almost double in volume. This step can take up to 5 minutes, or longer, of running your mixer. This step is IMPERATIVE for a light and fluffy cake! I can not stress that enough. Here's a pretty good little video on proper creaming technique.

Now, on to the recipe. I just slightly modified this recipe from "Gluten Free Mommy." As you can see, she uses butter, and I use butter crisco. Also, she uses rice flour, and I use oat flour in it's place. I also increased the salt since I thought 1/4 tsp resulted in the cake being just a little flat in taste. I also want to note that creaming 1.5 cups of sugar into just 1/2 cup of butter/crisco is quite a feat for that little bit of fat to handle. Be patient, and continue to run your mixer. It will come together.

Gluten Free Mocha Cupcakes

Devils Food Cake/Cupcake:

Dry Ingredients

3/4 cup oat flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
3/4 tsp. xanthum gum
1.5 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (sifted)

Wet Ingredients

1/2 cup butter crisco (room temp) + 1 Tbs. water
1.5 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs (room temp.)
1.5 tsp. vanilla
1 1/3 buttermilk--or--soured milk

Directions:

Pre-heat over to 350F. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners. Combine all dry ingredients in a separate bowl.

In another large bowl, or stand mixer, cream the crisco. Slowly add the water and vanilla until it's one homogenous mixture. Then, and sugar slowly to butter while mixer is running, and continue to beat at medium high speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Turn the mixer on low, and alternate adding the dry ingredients and buttermilk both starting and finishing with the dry mixture. Basically, you'll add your dry ingredients in three parts and the buttermilk in two parts.

Spoon mixture into muffin tins filling about 1/2 - 2/3rds full. Bake in oven for about 15 minutes. Completely cool on wire wracks, and then frost with cappuccino frosting or you frosting of choice.

Key Lime Pie Sorbet

2011-07-18T17:04:00.008-05:00

Well, 103F degrees made me do it...again. It's too damn hot in Texas. Plain and simple, this is why Texans are fatter than people living in other states. We can't go outside anytime after 9am and before 9pm unless we're going to work, the grocery store, or to a body of water. One will fry, literally. So, we trap ourselves inside our dark houses, watch t.v., pray our A/C's don't die, and eat ice cream. I'm not kidding, either.

So, while I was watching my movie for the day I started browsing through my Epicurious app on my phone, and luckily, I came across this little jewel of a recipe. If you like key lime pie, you will love this! It's very tart and very sweet. I made a couple minor adjustments; but, if you want an even tarter version, go with the original recipe linked here. I guarantee you my version is plenty tart; the original is eye squint worthy. Or, if you find this is too sweet and tart for you, I'm sure you could just increase the water in the recipe.

*Claire's Notes - Use ONLY key limes, not regular limes! You will use almost a full 1 lb bag of key limes. Unless you want to have permanent hand cramp from squeezing that many key limes, invest in a cheap hand held citrus press. It goes by really fast with one of those. Just cut them all in half, and start pressing!

Key Lime Pie Sorbet
(You get ugly ice cream cones when you don't have an ice cream scoop)

Ingredients:

1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup key lime juice
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

Directions:
Bring 3/4 cup water and sugar to a slight simmer in heavy medium saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Turn off heat, and whisk in sweetened condensed milk, then lime juice. Transfer mixture to medium bowl; place over large bowl filled with ice and water and cool, stirring often, about 30 minutes. Add vanilla to cooled mixture. Refrigerate overnight!!!

Process lime mixture in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Transfer sorbet to medium container, cover, and freeze until firm.
SO GOOD!
CC

I'm Kinda Nutty (pun intended)...Almond Butter!

2011-07-17T16:14:00.002-05:00

I'm pretty nutty in the kitchen. I'm seriously happiest when I'm in the kitchen locked-in to making something that would be much easier to buy...but, not tastier! Who gives a damn about making their own nut butters? Me, that's who. I think it's so fun to make a food we normally buy already processed. Plus, when you make it on your own the flavor options are limitless!

I was getting all aggravated the other day with natural peanut butter because it's just not salty enough for me (surprise, surprise). I wanted to make a jazzed up nut butter to my liking...not someone else's. So, being the completely impulsive cook I am, I jumped in my car headed to Costco this morning to buy a big @ss bag of almonds. Steven was not thrilled about driving all the way over there (15 min) just for almonds, but they have the best deal! 3 lbs for $9! And they have many other nuts besides almonds: pecans, macadamias, walnuts, etc. And, the other cool thing about making your own nut butters is that you can make butters using exotic nuts and unusual combinations. Almond was on my mind.

I have photographed every step of this process. Try making your own one day...it's the best! Here's what you'll need for this recipe:

Almond Butter!

1.5 cups raw unroasted almonds
1 tsp. neutral oil (like veggie or canola)
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. kosher salt (optional...I guess)
2 tsp. granulated sugar or honey (optional)

Step 1: Buy your raw un-roasted nuts and measure out 1.5 cups

Step 2: Blanch the nuts in boiling water for 1 minute, not a hair longer. Immediately drain nuts into a colander.

This process will help to remove the skins. You can make almond butter with the skins on, but it will have a more bitter taste.

Step 3: As soon as your drain the nuts, spread onto some paper towels. Now we peel!

Peeling almonds is actually very simple as long as you blanched them correctly. You will notice the skins have already shriveled from the nut. The nut will push through the pointy side of the almond if you squeeze the nut. Give it a little push with your thumb from the other hand. Watch out, them are slippery little suckers! This shouldn't take long at all, and will make a wonderfully smooth butter as a result.

Step 4: Roasting time! Roast at 350F on a lightly "Pam" sprayed cookie sheet until lightly golden brown. Give them a toss every few minutes for even roasting. Do not burn the nuts! If you're unsure if their ready, take them out as opposed to chancing burning them.

The first photo is pre-roasting, and the second photo is post-roasting. Let them cool completely after roasting! They will crisp up once cooled. You can make a nut butter with the unroasted nuts if you wish, but if you want a more traditional peanut butter roasted taste, then roast them.

Step 4: Place the cooled nuts in your food processor, and PULSE until a rough meal is formed.

Step 6: Once you get the nuts as fine as you can simply pulsing them, turn your food processor on, and let it run! Eventually, the oils from the nuts will release and cause the nut mixture to start to form balls in a cookie dough type texture. Keep running the food processor. If you're afraid your food processor will over-heat, you can give it a little break. At this point, you can add a neutral oil 1 tsp. at a time to help this process along. You will NOT need more than 1 Tbs. of oil. Once you reach a creamy consistency, you can add your salt, sugar, honey, cinnamon, etc.

And here's the yield! Yummy! I'm so pleased with MY idea of a perfect almond butter! Store in the fridge.

Crappy wine??? Make Sangria!

2011-07-17T15:13:00.001-05:00

Steven and I are poor, poooooor, POOR right now. As a result, we're box-wine drinking fools! We mainly stick to the Bota Box and Black Box brands, but Steven came home with a Turning Leaf box of pinot grigio that was on big time clearance. Well, it's not so hot, in my opinion...surprise, surprise. So, now we've got the equivalent of 4 bottles of sh!tty white wine on hand. I refuse to believe sh!tty food products can't be reinvented into something better.....thinking....thinking....thinking.....duh! SANGRIA!

Sangria, white or red, has so much going on it can dress up any nasty wine! Plus, it's summer, and drinking sangria is just what you do in summer. I've never actually written down a recipe when I make sangria, but I tried to do so tonight. Once you get the booze to wine ratio down, you just add personal flair and fruit from there. I used vodka in this batch, but you could add rum, brandy, schnapps, flavored liquors, etc. Here's a rough cut of what I made tonight. And remember, you can add whatever fruits you want! Oranges, lemons, berries, peaches, nectarines, etc....

1/4 - 1/2 pink lady apple thinly sliced
1/2 package fresh strawberries sliced
some sprigs of fresh mint
1/2 cup chopped fresh pineapple
juice of 4 key limes
4 Tbs sugar**
1/3 cup vodka
1 bottle white wine
Sprite, Fresca, Club Soda to top off**

** The sugar amount is up to your personal preference for sweetness, and if you choose to use a sweet soda or club soda. Just play with it. You can always add more if you find you need it. I tend to like a white sangria sweeter than a red sangria.

In a pitcher, combine all sliced fruit, citrus juices, sugar, and vodka. Macerate (or lightly mash) all that together forcing the juices from the fruits to release. Add the bottle of wine to macerated fruit/booze mixture.

Refrigerate over night. Fill an iced glass about 3/4 way full with the wine mixture, and then top off with soda.

Shout out to my Sangria Babes in NB!
CC Bloom

Poo on Rice Flour!

2011-07-15T09:38:00.002-05:00

Rice flour sucks. Bottom line, it's gritty. I'm slowly substituting all recipes calling for rice flour with a mix of sorghum and oat flour (and probably coconut flour once I'm rich enough to afford it). Like rice, oats have a lot of starch which is good for binding and "chew" in GF recipes. Plus, it has fiber, and it just taste good.

Did you know how easy it is to make some of these flours, especially oat flour?! Buy some certified GF oats from good ol' hippie Bob, and buy an electric coffee grinder (they're cheap), and get on it! Luckily, I'm not highly sensitive to gluten like many are, so I do fine with regular store bought oats; but, always know you can buy the certified gluten free oats. Other companies sell them, too.

Directions? Well, put some oats in your coffee grinder, and get your grind on! Grind to a super fine consistency, and that's that. I'm sure you can find some you tube video on this process...

With that said, keep an eye on my recipes, because I modify them constantly when I find what I believe to be an improvement on the original.

Word to the oats,
CC Bloom

I SCREAM...

2011-06-27T15:49:00.005-05:00

...for ICE CREAM! I love ice cream, especially homemade ice cream. One of the best kitchen tools I've acquired (besides my actual Kitchen Aid, itself) is the ice cream bowl attachment for my Kitchen Aid mixer. Ice cream is expensive, and good ice cream is even more expensive. That's why I like to make my own. Also, homemade ice cream is hands down the absolute best tasting!

Philadelphia style vs. French style? One has a custard base using eggs (French), and the other one does not use eggs (Philly). It comes down to preference; and really, there's a time and place for both. Personally, I like Philadelphia style best most of the time, especially for classic vanilla ice cream. It has the cleanest, most crisp, pure flavor. Yum, yum, yum, I already can't wait for dessert at lunch as I type this!

Yesterday, I decided to play with a classic Philly style vanilla ice cream recipe and a French style toasted coconut ice cream recipe in hopes of producing a philly style toasted coconut ice cream. Well, success was achieved! Holy crap, this ice cream is IN-SANE good...seriously...not lying, here....nom, nom, nom.

Toasted Coconut Philadelphia Style Ice Cream

Note: this is not my photo due to to the fact I'm too lazy to get a pretty picture of my ice cream; this photo is linked to its original poster.

Ingredients

1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (<--per original recipe, but I used sweetened flake coconut you buy at the grocery, and the results were great)
2 cups half-and-half
little pinch of kosher salt
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup minus 1 tablespoon sugar (<-- there were some ciriticsms on Alton's recipe about this ice cream being too sweet, and it is very sweet, so if you want to reduce the amount, I'm sure you can)
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped -OR- 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350F. Spread the coconut on a baking sheet and bake for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring it frequently so it toasts evenly. Be careful; it will burn easily and fast! Remove it from the oven when it's nice and fragrant and golden brown.

Combine ALL ingredients (including the bean and its pulp) in a large saucepan and place over medium heat (if using vanilla extract, do not combine with heated milk mixture until it is in the cooling stage). Attach a frying or candy thermometer to inside of pan. (see note below) Stirring occasionally, bring the mixture to 170 degrees F. Remove from heat, add vanilla extract if necessary, cover with lid or foil, and allow to steep with the coconut and come to room temperature. This will take an hour, so. Remove the hull of the vanilla bean, pour mixture into lidded container and refrigerate mixture overnight to mellow flavors and texture.

Pour chilled mixture through a mesh strainer to remove coconut, and freeze mixture in ice cream freezer according to unit's instructions. The mixture will not freeze hard in the machine. Once the volume has increased by 1/2 to 3/4 times, and reached a soft serve consistency, spoon the mixture back into a lidded container and harden in the freezer at least 1 hour before serving.

NOTE: If you do not have a thermometer, bring the mixture just barely to a simmer. As soon as you see a bubble hit the surface, remove it from the heat. Do not let it boil.

Reverse (or Choco-Choco Chip) Cookies

2011-06-22T14:12:00.002-05:00

I love a reverse chocolate chip cookie. It's pretty much the only time I like white chocolate. As I'm sure you've noticed, the majority of the recipes I post involve chocolate. I swear, it's not my fault...it's Steven's. The boy won't eat a sweet unless it contains chocolate. In fact, when I'm on a chocolate chip cookie phase he gets mad because there's just not enough chocolate in a choco-chip cookie to satisfy him...hence, the reason for this cookie recipe. It's the closest thing to a brownie without technically being one, and I still left the regular chocolate chips in the batch you see below in hopes of slaying Steven's chocolate monster; BUT, I would put the white chocolate chips in there if they were strictly for me.

Oat flour is becoming my favorite flour to bake with besides the starches (yeah, yeah, yeah...trace gluten from the mills...blah, blah, blah). Buy it "certified GF", and get over it. If super-hippie Bob says it's GF, I believe it. I hear coconut flour is amazing, but that sh!t is expensive, and I can't afford it right now. Another thing, my baking recipes are NOT healthy; so, don't come here looking for non-hydrogenated this, or agave nectar that. GF baking needs all the nasty help it can get. Plus, it's not like cookies are the main staple food of your diet. You eat one or two a day; at that rate, you can afford the nasties. You may not get skinny eating my baked goods recipes, but you will get a smile on your face..."I guarantee it." :-P

I'm testing out white cake recipes, now. I've done a couple, and am pleased with one...but, I'm not sure it's the best. Anyway, that's next to come. It's all about getting the basics done when first entering a new food lifestyle.

GF Reverse Chocolate Chip Cookies

(Just some minor tweeking from the regular choco-chip recipe)

Ingredients

1 cup butter flavored crisco
2 Tbs water
7 ounces white rice flour
3.5 ounces certified gluten free oat flour
1.5 ounces cocoa powder
1 1/4 ounces cornstarch
1/2-ounce tapioca flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons whole milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
12 ounces semisweet or white chocolate chips (I personally use half to 3/4 a 12 ounce bag)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, sift together the rice flour, cornstarch, tapioca flour, xantham gum, salt and baking soda. Set aside.

Cream the butter crisco, water, and both sugars until light and fluffy. Wisk the whole egg, egg yolk, milk and vanilla extract together in a small bowl, and add to creamed sugar and crisco. Cream those together thoroughly. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until well combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop onto parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for 11 minutes. Move the cookies to a wire rack and cool completely.

Pretty Damn Good GF Cocoa Brownies

2011-05-30T16:39:00.007-05:00

I like to have a solid fudgy cocoa brownie recipe on hand because I rarely have bar chocolate around to make the other kind. Supposedly, it's hard to get a fudgy brownie from a cocoa recipe, but it can be done. Here's a really awesome GF brownie recipe that definitely has the fudge factor. I adapted it from this original recipe; if you scroll down to the bottom, you'll see "Clare's Brownies"...what a coincidence, eh? She must rock ;-)

GF Fudgy Cocoa Brownies

Wet Ingredients-

1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup butter crisco
2 eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Dry Ingredients-

1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup certified GF oat flour
1/4 cup + 2 Tbs cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 - 1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease bottom of 9X9 square pan, or line with foil.

Combine all dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Throughly combine with a whisk or electric mixer.

Cut Crisco butter stick for 1/4 cup, and, and melt in microwave until Crisco is no longer solid. Add canola oil to melted crisco, and let cool slightly. Add eggs and vanilla extract to oils. Pierce yolks, and whisk with a fork until combined. Pour wet into dry ingredients, and mix thoroughly. Batter will be thick.

Pour/press into greased baking dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool completely before cutting.

The BEST GF Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-05-16T15:18:00.011-05:00

Okay, okay, I know I say everything is "the best", but I don't even consider posting a recipe unless it is THE best. I don't want to waste y'all's time hunting for the perfect recipe like I have to. You see, I take away all the hard work for you guys; that's how much I love y'all.

Alright, enough with the sappy stuff. How many of you watch Alton Brown's show on the Food Network? Well, you should. I used to hate Alton Brown before I actually watched his shows. I don't like being treated like a 3rd grader, and his shows kind of have that feel. Once you get past that, you can see the true worth of his show. He focuses on the science of cooking; and, in regards to baking, science is oh-so important...especially when baking GF. Anyway, I trust almost any recipe that comes from him, and luckily, he perfected the GF chocolate chip cookie. I slightly modified the recipe because I felt like it was a little heavy on the brown sugar side creating a cookie with a tendency to spread too much. Also, I always bake with Crisco butter. There you have it; my secret to baking is ALWAYS baking with butter Crisco.

* Tip #1: Invest in a cheap little oven thermometer and digital scale. The odds your oven thermostat is off is highly likely. I have yet to have an oven's displayed temp be the actual temp. inside the oven. And having a scale around makes any recipe possible. Plus, your measurements will be exact, and it's easier than using measuring cups if you utilize the "tare" function. I use my scale daily for numerous purposes.

* Tip #2: Use parchment paper to line your cookie sheet, and only bake on air bake cookie sheets!

A VERY Close Rendition of

Alton Brown's GF Chocolate Chip Cookie

Ingredients

1 cup butter flavored crisco
2 Tbs water
7 ounces white rice flour
4 ounces certified gluten free oat flour
1 1/4 ounces cornstarch
1/2-ounce tapioca flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons whole milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips (I personally use half to 3/4 a 12 ounce bag)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, sift together the rice flour, cornstarch, tapioca flour, xantham gum, salt and baking soda. Set aside.

Drop onto parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for 11 minutes. Move the cookies to a wire rack and cool completely. Store cooked cookies in an airtight container.

The BEST Gluten Free Sandwich Bread

2011-05-14T14:06:00.004-05:00

I'm not going to lie, GF baked goods are strange, and they will never be better than gluten baked goods...but, that is not to say they are nasty, inedible, or painful to eat. The only reason I'm even saying this is because I'm a baker first and foremost, and it's just the honest to God truth. GF stuff tastes good, but it's the texture that is off.

I LOVE bread. I've always said I could live off of red wine, brie cheese, and a chewy crusty artisan loaf of bread. With that said, I was not going to compromise on my level of acceptance for GF bread. Store made GF bread is alright, but it is dry and damn expensive for a tiny little loaf. I've been searching and testing GF bread recipes out the wazoo, and have finally found THE one and only GF bread recipe. It's an Udi's copycat recipe, and I can assure you it's better than the real thing. I even desire to eat this bread on its own! It's chewy, moist, and has a great classic bread flavor. Search no longer, GF friends...here is the gold.

Udi's Copy Cat GF Bread Recipe

http://my-extraordinary-life.blogspot.com/2011/04/udis-white-bread-copycat-recipe.html

(This is my photo)

Thank you so much to the person who created this recipe...you gave me the hope I needed to continue my GF experiment! Please note, this is NOT my original recipe; click on the link above for where this recipe came from. I'm strictly copying it over to my blog in case the original poster's blog ever goes away. I sliiiiighty changed the directions, but not the ingredients and measurements.

Tips for this recipe: Follow the directions exactly! Yes, bake it for that long (otherwise your bread will fall), cool on its side while still in the bread pan, and do NOT cut it before cooling completely. Store in the refrigerator, and lightly toast before eating. Recently, I substituted 1/2 cup white rice flour and 1/4 cup millet flour for the whole 3/4 cup brown rice flour referenced in the recipe, and it turned out very tasty!

1 cup Tapioca Flour
3/4 cup Brown Rice Flour (I used white because that's what I had)
1/4 cup Potato Starch
2 Tablespoons Oil
3 Egg Whites
2 Tablespoons Sugar
1 package (2 1/2 tea) Rapid Rise Yeast (I used regular rise yeast, and it was just fine)
2 teaspoon Xanthan Gum
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Vinegar
3/4 cup Warm Water

Preheat oven to 170 degrees. Once preheated turn oven off.
Lightly grease an 8 x 4 bread pan.

Combine warm water, yeast, and 1Tbs of the sugar. Wait for yeast to wake up and get foamy.
Combine flours, xanthum gum, the other 1Tbs of sugar, salt, and baking powder in a separate bowl.
Whip egg whites until stiff peaks form
Add yeast mixture, oil, and vinegar to egg whites. Whip to combine.
Add flour mixture to wet ingredients in the mixer, and whip for 3 or 4 minutes. "Dough" will look like thick cake batter.
Scrape dough into greased bread pan, and place in warmed oven to rise about 45 minutes.
Take bread out of oven and preheat oven to 350F
Bake for 60 minutes.
Take out of oven and let rest 10 minutes in the pan turned on its side.
Remove from pan and continue cooling on a rack.
Don't rush the cooling step, it needs to cool properly or you will squash the bread height.
Once completely cool, store in the refrigerator. Due to the bread's lightness, it will be easy to slice once it has firmed up in the refrigerator. It will "reawaken" beautifully when toasted, like crusty ciabatta bread :-)

Hiddy-Ho, Gluten Free Land!

2011-05-14T13:22:00.001-05:00

As you all know, I'm obsessed with poo. Yes, your poo, my poo, my dog's poo, what it looks like, smells like, and how often. I pretty much believe healthy poo'ing is the secret to a happy life...ha! Na, for real, dawg. So, anyway, my passion for exploring different food lifestyles stems from my obsession with finding one that will help me poo the best.

I've had chronic constipation for a very large portion of my life. I can't poo without some sort of extra help. I've taken stool softeners, laxatives, Miralax, fiber, orange juice, pineapple juice, digestive enzymes, and probiotics. Some of those were wise choices and some were not. I now take digestive enzymes and probiotics, and I'm really happy with them...but, it still pisses me off that I can't "go" solely on my own.

I was reading my friend's blog one day, and she was getting down and dirty about her daughter's poo. Immediately, I was interested...duh. He daughter's had chronic constipation, and they've did the whole intense fiber bullsh!t (more on my fiber theory another day), doctor goose chase, and finally came across a doctor who suggested she be tested for Celiac. Long story short, her daughter came back as a positive for Celiac Disease. "And constipation is a symptom for Celiac", you ask? Why, yes, it is. It is now a serious symptom that was previously overlooked due to believing Celiacs only had severe diarrhea I'm not going to explain the "why's" here; you can research it on your own if you care to know.

So, it got me thinking. My poo'ing was the absolute best when I was in my raw vegan phase. When you are raw vegan there is no "real" bread to eat. Raw vegan breads and baked goods are mostly made from nut, seed, and fruit/veggie pulp. Therefore, my diet was unknowingly void of gluten during that time and my "waste flow" was easy and regular. Ever since I weened off the raw vegan diet, my constipation returned. I initially thought it was the introduction of meat into my diet, but we really eat a very small amount of meat still....but, I eat a crap load of bread and baked goods. Bread was the food I missed the most while on the raw vegan diet; so, you can imagine how nuts I went for it when it was reintroduced to my diet.

In conclusion, I've been giving gluten free a try and so far so good. My poo has been really good, and I've cut back to only taking half of my enzymes and probiotics...yay! Do I think I'm Celiac? Honestly, I'm not sure, but I don't think so. Gluten sensitive? Probably a more reasonable diagnosis. Plus, I LOVE to explore new techniques of various food lifestyles; so, it's a fun challenge for me! It's funny...when I tell people I'm trying out a gluten free diet they immediately tell me how hard it is and so on. HAHA! Try Raw Veganism, and then we'll talk about "challenging" and life altering. This sh!t's a cakewalk compared to that ;-)

You thought you were rid of me, eh???

2011-05-08T10:26:00.001-05:00

Not! So, I haven't posted in forever. Let's see, since the last time we chatted I have done 12 weeks of student teaching, endured a week of being snowed/iced in here in Denton, got another dog (Del), my first nephew was born, went to Colorado for a week to meet him, Prince William and Kate got hitched, the USA killled Osama bin Laden, I'm back at my old part-time job, trying to find full-time employment, and have been experimenting in the gluten free food lifestyle. That pretty much sums it up. Here are some photos...

Blizzard in Denton, TX

Steven and our new pup, Del

My sweet beautiful nephew, Keegan

Keegan adoring me ;-)

Bland

2011-03-09T06:39:00.000-06:00

I'm tired of feeling mediocre. My life feels lonely, but yet, I don't want to be around anyone. I miss home. I think I'm going through some sort of identity crisis. I don't want to do anything that used to make me happy because I don't feel like I deserve it, or like it's a contradictory action against this other person I am now. I need to feel like I matter...to myself, to Steven, to an employer, to a friend. I can't find a place for me here. I'm free floating with my roots dangling in the air.

Thus begins the last week of freedom

2011-01-10T18:17:00.002-06:00

Today marks the last somewhat lax half-Monday I'll have for 12 weeks. Student teaching begins next week. Whaaaa? Nutso. Here are some random thoughts...

Does this mean I have to turn in to one of those super private paranoid teachers fearing every cuss word that comes across my e-mail in fear of Big-Brother principal man seeing I AM over 12 years old??? Geeez, I almost want to get fired before becoming that person. We shall see. I mean, there are some things I don't mind censoring on here, like sex, F-words, etc....but, I don't want to have to become a nun fearing people know I'm an adult doing adult-like things BECAUSE I HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO DO SO! *sigh* Am I going to be able to do this?!? My first attempt will be in trying to make this blog entry cuss-free.

Why is it that the possible three people who don't like me have all joined together to be best friends? This is weird, and either means I'm the crazy one they all questioned their like-characters at one time for liking me, or they're the crazies that have furthered confirmed my decision in not liking them due to their apparent similarities which have caused them to all be friends today. Whatever the explanation, it's weird. See, the teaching paranoia is already rubbing off.

Being physically separated from New Braunfels has further justified my reasoning in believing 97% of the musicians and whackadoo fans associated in that scene (and most scenes, for that matter) are utterly ridiculous, unjustifiably self-absorbed, and on their own planet of which no one else resides on, but they think do. One word of advice, when your friends continue to be younger than yourself, you fear the "and what do you do" question at non-music social gatherings, half of your "friends" are a mixture of strange "fans" who just don't leave and women you knowingly know your "man" has slept with...you have officially let life pass you by. WAKE UP! My experience in all this has definitely altered my view, appreciation, and organic joy in music. I now only want to listen to old black men play blues licks on a slide guitar on their back porch having no ambition to ever make a record or "make it", toothless Appalachian hillbilly folkies of old, and classical music. There's a part of me that wants my naivety in all this back, and another part of me that's glad I'm not just another musician-worshiping dumb-booty (see, no cussing!) in the crowd anymore.

I miss being physically close to my family; they are my world. But, I still wouldn't trade it for this experience I've made with Steven. I don't think I could be blessed with anyone better suited for me and my crazies than him, nor could we have grown into the couple we are today without having made this move together. Steven. Is. Amazing. I heart him.

Yes, yes, I've been cooking (duh, I never stop), but I haven't really done anything new lately worthy of a post.

Oh yeah, I'm making jewelry now. Beware, you are about to be swamped with zee jewelry makings...until I burn myself out obsessively making it.

It snowed like 4 inches in Denton yesterday, and has stayed on the ground throughout today/tonight. Wild!

"These are a few of my favorite things"....in 2010

2011-01-06T08:12:00.000-06:00

I don't really get attached to particular years, so "New Year's" is really not that big of a deal to me. A lot of people LOVE the idea of New Years, and goals/resolutions, and shedding the last 365 days...but, not me. I feel more connection to a day, or week...but to stretch that emotional attachment over the span of a year??? Na, not my thing. With that said, I feel like there's some social duty to do so, so here are my likes and gripes (in no particular order) from the select 42 weeks of my life known as 2010.

The Yays!

Running...especially running the Beach to Bay Relay Marathon with some of my favorite people.
My parents finally pursuing their dream of owning a home in Colorado, and all the joy, serenity, and family fellowship that comes with it.
Evening rides with Steven around NB on the "Townies"
the announcement of my sister and brother-in-law's pregnancy...I can't wait to be an aunt to this little guy!
reuniting my friendship with my childhood bestie, Kathryn.
Moving to Denton with Steven, and my personal success for surviving the change
Green smoothies, juicing, and cashew cream
The surprise visit of my mom and grandma on my first birthday in Denton
Kelly Wagner, Olivia Beane, Zack Ezer and Shannon Fitz., Christina Stock (and Co.), Nick Tag, Jeff Felderhoff, Grace Moore, and Mindy Hinnegan...I adore ALL my friends, but these peeps in particular really made a marker in my 2010.
Steven's family...I am so fortunate to have this family on my other side; they are great!

The Nays:

Back problems
My car catching fire in my driveway
Moving to Denton (this one gets both a yay and nay)
Being poor from Aug- Dec. (and on into 2011) as a result of working only part-time and obtaining my teaching certificate.
Fred suffering from Vestibular Syndrome
The loss of a friend
The physical distance between me and my folks
My lack of interest in and motivation at playing guitar and singing
My grandpa Richard's ominous threat of a massive heart and the quadruple bypass performed, as a result.
The life-sucking, parasitic concrete of DFW

All in all, 2010 treated me well. This year hosted a lot of change for me and my family. I am thankful for all the good, bad, and the ugly. Without the salty, the sweet just don't taste as sweet...so I guess it's a good thing I like that salt shaker in one hand just as much as a slice of cake in the other. Cheers to 2010!

Cover: Dixie Chick's "I Hope"

2010-11-14T16:40:00.000-06:00

Steven's been getting on to me for not sticking to my guns about posting a song once a week, so here it is...

My screen saver came on right before the end, but I didn't want to record it again just because of that ;-)

“Democracy means simply the bludgeoning of the people by the people for the people.” -Oscar Wilde

2010-11-05T10:25:00.000-05:00

Hearing and reading people bitch over politics makes me want to f#@%ing puke! Present day politics and religion are making the world crazy, pushing people to extremes. Extreme ideologies and people believing the bullsh!t these power hungry political "saints" are promising are our problems. Unfortunately, politics is a straight-up business like any other, and has little to do with the humanitarian concerns they express. Want to "change the world" and provide "hope" to the people???? How about shutting your pie-hole for once, and actually mail someone a thank you note, stop cheating on your wife, or hold open a door for a stranger. Since we seem to have lost these fundamental skills, let's start there, first, before trying to push our biased "standards" on the masses.

“Politics is a pendulum whose swings between anarchy and tyranny are fueled by perpetually rejuvenated illusions.” -Albert Einstein

Grrrrrrr...

2010-11-01T10:10:00.000-05:00

I've been angry the last couple days. I can't explain it; I just am. It's pretty intense, too. I know what little thing started it, but that's in the past, now...............so when will this emotion end?!

It finally happened...

2010-10-27T18:44:00.003-05:00

I've had this friendship that's been teetering on existence for close to a year now. She used to be my best friend. I won't go into specifics or opinions regarding the decline of our relationship out of respect for her privacy. Well, it finally happened -- she blocked me from her blog. In this day and age, and because I know her personality, that means our friendship is officially over. *sigh* We don't talk on the phone anymore, or e-mail, text, or facebook. Her blog was my only knowledge of her current life happenings. Not anymore.

Situations like these always remind me how interesting it is when a close friendship goes sour. Immediately, we erase them wholly from our lives, taking it to the extreme (that's not to specify this particular situation); yet, we all keep a friend list of 500 people on our facebook whom only half we actually know, and maybe a fourth we have some sort of acquaintance with, allowing them access to our every emotion and detail of life...but not that one true close friendship you had that happened to dissolve for whatever reason.

Call me narcissistic, but it's a compliment, in a way, when someone has to reciprocate with such a strong emotion in reaction to the fall of a relationship. It's safer to hate than to fear the possibility of still loving that person. At least you know you weren't just a passer-by in their life; you made some sort of impression, whether positive or negative, leaving a fossil behind. Oh, believe me, I've been that scared hater. No denying, here! I am everyone of these cliches. It's human nature, and I don't have an answer to it...just an observation.

As much as I really want to explode with verbal diarrhea on this whole situation, I've had quite a while to expect, and desensitize to, this forthcoming day. It still makes me sad, though.

Teach: Claire Cunningham

2010-10-26T15:53:00.000-05:00

It's all becoming real. I recently finished my online observation videos for my teacher certification, and applied for a real-deal spring '11 student teaching position. Honestly, I'm SCARED TO DEATH. The thought of my teaching certification path going from online hypotheticals to reality is starting to make me nervous. My nerves are not all negative; it's definitely a mixture of excitement and fear.

Teaching is so different from what I've been doing since graduating college. I'm excited for the switch in gears. I'm excited to have a focus in my job that's not always centered around achieving ultimate financial success. I'm excited to be in an environment that will provide me opportunity to use my natural God-given strengths. I'm excited to have a community of co-workers, and not just be alone at a desk. I'm excited to be in an academic world again, and to have the opportunity to apply my creativity and put my education to use. I'm excited to have a possible impact on another human being.

On the other hand, I'm nervous about that impact...will I provide a positive or negative impact to the kids? Will I like working with kids and teenagers? Do I have enough emotional strength to be a teacher? Will my teaching career affect my relationship with my fellow teacher boyfriend? What if I hate it? What if I suck at teaching? What if teaching makes me a miserable person to be around? What will becoming a teacher do to ME? What if I can't handle it?!?!

Everybody wanted me to be a teacher as soon as I became an English major my freshman year in college. I, on the other hand, was not so easily sold on the idea. I teetered in and out of the idea, but my fear of how I would respond to working with youth always finalized my decision to simply stay away from the idea...but I've never been able to. Fear — was it fair for me to allow my every decision to be guided by fear? I decided five months ago to not let fear totally rule my life. Fear was no excuse to stay stagnate. Yes, there's a possibility teaching won't be for me, but should I allow fear to make that decision before I even have a chance to answer on my own? No. Now, that's not to say fear won't be present in my life just because I verbally say I won't be ruled by it. Hell yeah, it's still there...every day...but I'm going to dry my hardest to make "fear" an uncomfortable pallet on my floor.

I think a substantial amount of people in the world think of teaching as this low-paying, easy-peasy, cake-walk job. Basically, "you get what you pay for" type mentality. Often, you hear people say, "I'm so tired of being stressed and overworked at my job...maybe I should turn to teaching." Ha! I've never thought about teaching as this "low paying = low stress" job. In fact, it's the complete opposite for me..."Can I handle this uber emotional, often stressful, but possibly highly rewarding job?!" *Sigh* I don't know, guys, but I'm going to give it a shot.

Anyone been watching Teach: Tony Danza? As a prospective first year teacher in the making, I've enjoyed watching the show...although I think it's made me even more paranoid about the possible teacher I may make, especially that first year. I can totally see myself pulling a "Danza", nervous talking my way through every period. Get ready, guys; Teach:Claire Cunningham will be airing soon...

Purpose

2010-10-22T18:06:00.000-05:00

Most of you know this, but some of you don't...I play music. I write music (well, not as of lately), sing, play guitar, yadi, yadi. Well, the deal is that I haven't really done anything with music in quite some time. People ask me "why," and I really don't have a good answer to give them. Simply put, I just don't feel any desire to do it. Maybe it's laziness, or boredom, or lack of inspiration, or old memories held on to tangible objects...hell, I really don't know.

At the rate I've been going on, I will never play guitar again. I don't want that; I don't want music to disappear from my life all together. I decided I needed an audience, a gig, a purpose to play again on a regular basis. Well, maybe my blog will be that place, that deadline, that push I need to keep it going? I'll give it a shot. My idea on this, as of right now, is that I'm going to try to put up a video once a week, or so, either playing my own original songs, or covering another artist's song, in hopes of bringing some purpose back to my music.

Enjoy this cover...Laura Marling's "Blackberry Stone" (sans the intro verse)

p.s. I think my cookies made it ;-)

-CC

crickets chirping

2010-10-21T07:44:00.000-05:00

Yep, I'm still alive! Sorry for not posting any goodies lately, but that sure doesn't mean I haven't been making any. Basically, for the past week and a half, I have been in the lab (aka: kitchen) creating the perfect vegan original chocolate chip cookie for the Beaver Creek, CO cookie competition. Check it out HERE. For all your bakers out there, you know how you really have to understand the science of baking in order to be truly original. Also, it's hard now-a-days to be truly original in anything! After batches, and batches of cookies, I think I finally created a close to perfect vegan chocolate chip cookie. They're pretty sick-awesome. After I see if I made the finals, or not, in the competition, I may post the recipe....or I may not. Haven't decided if this is to be my signature secret cookie, yet, or not ;-) Oh, they're so good! Here's some pics...

Here they are all nakey...

All packed up, and ready to go!

Now for the poopy part of the story...I'm actually not sure they're going to make it to CO. Here's the deal, when you send packages to the communities in the Vail valley, some mail carriers deliver only to PO Boxes and some mail carriers deliver to physical address...or something like that. I still don't understand it, but it's totally ridonculous, if you ask me. I've dealt with this some when trying to mail stuff to my sister up there, but I totally forgot about that in this case.

So here I've got these perfectly Martha Stewart'y packaged cookies all dressed in their Sunday best. I pack 'em up super tight, and head off yesterday morning to overnight these bad boys. In typical Claire fashion, I send a text to my mom and sister to brag about my accomplishment and how much I'm going to kick-ass and take names at this contest, and my sister lays the whole "I hope you sent them to the right address according to which carrier you chose..." Doh! AHHHH! Let's just sum it up by saying I didn't follow directions accordingly, and spent the next hour running all over Denton like a crazed baker chasing down my package from one post office to the next hoping to stop my cookies in their tracks, only to discover they were already in another town on their way to CO. I must say, I have a new respect for the speediness of the postal service after this experience!

Feeling defeated and in despair, I talk to the postmasters here in Denton, Vail, CO, and Avon, CO, and the cookie competition people trying to see what my options are. At this point, I could care less about the cookie competition...all I care about is the $30+ I spent shipping these suckers overnight all for nothing! The postmaster in Colorado told me since the cookie competition was going on, my package had a much better chance at making the delivery due to all the similar packages that would be arriving at the post office. Soooooo, we'll see here pretty soon after I attempt to call the Avon post office and pull another "begging-crazy-lady" to see if my package could possibly find it's proper home.

OK, that's the last time I'm telling that story. I'm so sick of it! I'll keep ya posted on the status of my cookies' odyssey'esque journey. FINGERS CROSSED!

Creamy Smoked Paprika Salad Dressing

2010-10-11T07:56:00.002-05:00

I'm convinced a lot of people don't get excited about eating salad because they're used to eating crappy commercial salad dressings you buy at the grocery store. Guys, those dressings suck. Have you ever made you own salad dressing? Did you know is ridiculously easy to make your own salad dressing?! Whether it be a creamy or oil-based salad dressing, you can easily whip something up on demand with ingredients you probably keep stocked in your kitchen. I eat salad EVERY day for lunch, but I probably wouldn't if I had to eat the nasty dressing sold in the grocery store.

Smoked Paprika is such a great spice, and totally under-utilized in the American kitchen. Maybe that's because it can be a liiiiittle difficult to fine, and the average Joe probably doesn't know much about it. Well, smoked or not, you need to start using this very versatile and mild spice. I use it religiously in my savory cooking.

Creamy Vegan Smoked Paprika Dressing

Ingredients:

- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 pitted dried medjool date (or a squeeze of agave nectar)
- 1 Tbs balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tbs. kosher salt
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 Tbs nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika*

*I found smoked paprika at HEB, but if you can't find it, regular paprika will work just fine, but it won't have the slight smokey flavor.

Directions:
Blend cashews, water, garlic clove, date, and balsamic vinegar in blender until creamy consistency. Scrape down sides of carafe. Turn blender on low, and add the rest of the ingredients. That's it! Store in a jar, or tubberware container w/lid, in the fridge.

Spider Web Cupcakes

2010-10-07T07:35:00.002-05:00

Being vegan doesn't always mean you're being more healthy. It depends on your choices. Therefore, I call all the PETA concerned vegans to embrace these cupcakes! In regards to the "for health" vegans, well, you'll probably wanna pass on these. Although, I will say there's nothing worse about these cupcakes than a traditional cupcake, and they taste like a million bucks....so don't be silly, and eat 'em!

Now, I'm not going to post the recipes for these since I don't think cookbook authors like it when you post their exact recipes, but I will tell you it's the chocolate cake recipe from The Joy of Vegan Baking. It's ridiculously simple, and the best from-scratch chocolate cake recipe I've ever made, vegan or not. And, I don't have an exact recipe for the frosting, but it's based on this basic vegan buttercream recipe.

The point, here, is really about the spider webs, which can be found here and placed atop ANY kind of cupcake you want to make. For fully vegan cupcakes, use non-dairy white chocolate chips. I used regular white chocolate as I didn't really care, nor wanted to buy a whole bag of vegan chocolate chips when that little spider web could just be taken off by the overly anal vegan. I couldn't find my icing tips in the mix of random boxes from the move, so I had to do the cut the tip off a plastic bag trick, but having the proper tip would have been better.

Go get your Halloween on!

Awesome Vegan Ranch Dressing

2010-10-05T07:58:00.000-05:00

This recipe is spot on! And how sweet is this photo?! Click on the photo for the recipe's link. Love it, love cashews, love salad, love "yummmm"...

P.S. I used all cashews as that's what I had on hand, but macadamias would be super awesome if you have some raw ones around. They're more expensive, too. Worked great with all cashews, though. Enjoy, and a big thanks to the ladies over at "Green Shakes and Giggles!"

Holiday Season Has Come..."BOO!"

2010-10-05T07:47:00.000-05:00

NOT "boo" as in thumbs down, but "BOO!" as in ghosts and goblins and pumpkins! When money's tight you have to find creative ways to cut pricey corners. It's especially hard to justify spending money on "wants", instead of "needs", which is the category holiday decor falls in. So, I went to searching the web for self-made alternatives. I found two different Halloween DIY wreaths I like..this ribbon one (CLICK HERE), and this tulle one (CLICK HERE). I actually like the ribbon wreath better than the tulle one, but the toulle one was less expensive to make...so that was the winner.

Now, I'm not going to type all all the instructions when you can just click on the link above, but I will share a few of my observations while making this thing.

- First, she says to cut the tulle in 18 inch long strips. I felt that was a little too long, and after knotting a row at 18 inches, I started cutting my tulle in 16 inch strips. I liked the results much better.

- Don't use the glittered tulle unless you're some kind of masochistic crafter who likes to deal with that $h!t. The glitter tulle, which was only the orange tulle for me, was such a pain! Glitter every where, and it was also stiffer, which made it more difficult to work with. As you can see, I got so sick of working with that glitter tulle, I pretty much just stopped, hahaha. Lazy crafter!

- The ten yards of ribbon will be just enough to wrap around the straw wreath, so don't waste it by it over-lapping your layers too much.

- I used corsage/floral pins to secure my ribbon after wrapping.

If I were to do this again, I would complete the wreath all the way around (which I could do now; I just needed a break..hehe) and probably only use one color. All in all, it was fun (except for the glitter), cheap, and you could adapt this idea to any holiday or event by simply changing out the tulle color. Honestly, my favorite part was right after I wrapped the ribbon around the straw wreath before adding the tulle. Think I might adapt that idea with some real pretty ribbons, and different size wreaths, as a cool wall decor idea. Hmmmm. Anyway, the snow ball affect in my brain has started....

Creamy Dill Potato Salad

2010-10-03T15:10:00.001-05:00

Last night, we went over to our friend's house for a birthday gathering. It was a bar-be-que, and my friend Grace made a great traditional mustard potato salad. It really got me jonesin' for MORE potato salad, so I decided to veganize a creamy potato salad so Steven and I could have some to much on this week. Now I would've attempted to vegan-up a mustard potato salad, but I didn't have all the ingredients I wanted, so I went for my other favorite potato salad...the new potato dill kind.

I can not stress enough how important the use of raw cashews are to making real yummy, creamy, gourmet vegan foods. With raw cashews, you can recreate almost any of your favorite omnivore foods...except animal proteins, of course. Anyway, my dill potato salad came out wonderful, and we can't stop eating it. Give it a try!

Creamy Dill Potato Salad

Ingredients:

- About 18 small red skinned potatoes, give or take

- Red onion thinly sliced (optional)

(Sauce ingredients)

- 1/2 cup raw cashews

- 1/2 cup water

- 2 tsp. balsamic vinegar

- 1 tsp. dijon mustard

- 1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

- 2 tsp. kosher salt*

- 1/2 tsp. onion powder

- 1.5 tsp. dried dill

- !/2 tsp. dried parsley

*This is quite a bit of salt, but if you use this amount, you will not need to add any salt after mixing the sauce and potatoes together. Also remember, when you taste the sauce before you add it to the potatoes, it will taste too salty, but the sauce is responsible for salting and seasoning a whole bunch of bland potatoes, so it needs to be intense. If you're nervous about it being too salty, back it off to 1.5 tsp kosher salt...I'm a salt fiend, so it was perfect for me, but may be too salty for others.

Directions:

Quarter the new potatoes, and boil them in a pot of water until thoroughly cooked, but still firm and hold together. Do not over cook your potatoes! Drain, and leave to cool in a colander, etc. Set aside.

In a blender, add the cashews and water. Blend on high until until a creamy homogenous texture is achieved. Next, add the balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, olive oil, salt, and onion powder. Blend until thoroughly combined. Finally, add the dried parsley and dill to the creamy mixture, and only pulse to combine and distribute spices throughout mixture. Finished sauce should be thick in consistency. Remove from blender carafe and into a small tubberware container with a lid. Set aside in the refrigerator.

Add the cooked new potatoes to a large bowl. If you wish, thinly slice some red onion and toss to combine with the potatoes. At this time, add the sauce to the potatoes and onions in hefty portions. I say to do this because everyone's different on their preference of how wet or dry they want their potato salad. Use your judgement; I used all the sauce. If you don't use all the sauce, or wish to make a smaller amount of potato salad by cooking less potatoes, you can always use the excess sauce as a salad dressing on your leafy greens, or as an awesome veggie dip. Whatev's. Be creative.

And, that's it! It's best to let this sit in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving so it can marinate the potatoes.

Sooooo tasty,

Yin and Yang

2010-09-16T11:07:00.000-05:00

Random Peep: "So, you're vegan, right?"

Me: "Well, I mean, not wholly, I guess...but sorta'ish?"

RP: "You either 'are' or you're 'not.' What do you mean 'sorta?' So, you're a cheeeeeaaaater. What's the point, then?"

I can't tell you how much this all-too-often conversation comes up and annoys the hell out of me. Society is so obsessed with extremes! Here's the deal, folks...let me break down my thoughts on my fascination with Veganism thus far:

1. Ultimately, if done right, I think it's the most healthy thing we can do to our bodies, as well as raw juicing and exercising. I truly believe in the benefits of this food lifestyle, especially Vegan Rawism...but that doesn't mean I am a 100% vegan all the time. It's just like knowing Triathlons are probably really good for our health...but we're not all Triathletes.

2. Vegan baking is easier, and a lot of times, better tasting than non-vegan baked goods. I can not stress this enough! I almost always bake vegan now. Plus, I don't keep any eggs, and dairy milk was only introduced to the fridge once Steven and I started living together, although he's not opposed to drinking non-dairy milk.

3. Knowing vegan substitutes is awesome when you're in an ingredient bind! Honestly, one of the coolest thing about veganism is the much longer shelf life of the ingredients. No more spoiled eggs and milk! You know how awesome it is when I want to add cream to a soup, risotto, or sauce and don't have any cream on hand....BUT I do have a butt-load of cashews in the freezer/fridge?! SCORE! Or, when I want to make a batch of muffins spur of the moment and know I don't have to worry about not having any of the essential ingredients because they've gone bad?!

4. Vegan foods are good, and fun to make! I love, love, love learning new trades!

5. I truly believe in the cancer/illness theories stemming from the pH balance of our bodies, and a high plant-based diet and raw juicing help bring about a more alkaline body pH.

6. In my opinion, there is not, nor never will be, a vegan substitute for any red meat product, bacon, or gourmet cheese. The one and only true-blue undeniable craving I get is for red meat. To hell with chicken, and all that other stuff; that's easy for me to leave out if I want. And honestly, the craving really only pertains to a bleeding ribeye steak or old school pot roast dinner...not for ground meat dishes, necessarily. So yes, I avoid eating these foods on a normal day-to-day basis, but when I NEED a steak like a pregnant woman needs a pickle, I'll eat one and not feel bad about it. I've probably had about four steaks in the last year (which were prepared for me), and as the daughter of Jim "T-Rex" Cunningham, that's saying a LOT!

7. For me, Veganism is MUCH more about health than it is about animal rights. Yes, I'm all for animal rights and humane treatment, but I don't have anything against un-fenced hunting, and the slaughtering of TRUE free-range, humanely treated stock animals. I, personally, do not feel comfortable shooting a cow, deer, or pulling the head off a chicken, but I don't think there's anything ethically wrong with that if done properly.

8. I will NEVER deny the gracious food cooked for me by someone else, vegan or not. It's rude, period. Nor would I ever feel comfortable making a scene at a restaurant about their limited choice of vegan options, or make a group of friends change their dining place due to my restricted food lifestyle. THIS, alone, is the main reason I could never be 100% vegan.

9. As a culinary enthusiast, and not a nutritionist, I will always indulge in the best tasting, most creatively prepared foods when those moments present themselves. My love for culinary art will always ride side by side with my fascination with food science and theory. Neither fully trumps the other. It's like the dichotomy of one's head versus their heart ;-)

So, I wish I had ten reasons, but whatever. If I had to sum up my life philosophy in one sentence, it would be: No matter the field of interest, always approach it with a healthy balance of your heart and your head. Be a "flexitarian!"

Blurbs of a self-proclaimed hermit, both by choice and force.

2010-09-15T09:18:00.000-05:00

Denton. "Den-Ton" as our favorite Ukranian realtor says. For the rest us, we'll continue on with "Dent'n." I can't believe it; Steven and I have been here for over six weeks! Well, not much has change since I last graced my blog's presence, but Steven is as busy as ever with football. So, that leaves me...here...weird...and somewhat lonely...but not entirely. Those who know me, and I mean REALLY know me, know "loneliness" really doesn't bother me in the slightest. I'm a self-proclaimed, and proud-to-be, hermit...but, you see, it's also a curse. My toes start to become roots, and I become all too comfortable in this hole I've created. I literally have to force myself to leave the house. I break up outings into town into small intervals so I can space them out evenly over the week. I have to stay in the habit of entering the outside world at least every other day, or I'll never leave and will start creating the OCD world I worked so hard to destroy years ago.

There's also a difference between being a hermit because you can be one, and being a hermit because you're forced to be one. A sense of pride comes with the self-proclaimed hermit; you know, the "I deserve this" mentality. A feeling of shame comes with the latter. I'm having a hard time finding a job. I've applied to at least 30 various openings, both part-time and full-time, ranging on the scale from grocery and retail stores to salaried/benefits careers. I'm calling this the "Tweener" career phase theory.

My degree's in English Lit/Comp, and right after graduation I worked as an all around assistant/office manager/bookkeeper for a one-man show. I loved my job, and my boss. Hell, my job entitled being skilled at a little bit of everything! Unfortunately, I don't think it comes across like that on a resume. PLUS, I'm in a major college town, so the competition is fierce in a little pee-didly career field like mine. I've also realized the importance of networking. If I were out of work in New Braunfels, I don't think it would be but a couple days before word got around and I'd have opportunities presented to me. Here in Denton, I don't know anybody; I don't have a work networking history here, or a social history, for that matter. There's nothing that makes me stand out from the tons of other applicants.

To add to it, I'm in the "Tweener" phase! As I mentioned previously, I have been contemplating furthering my education towards a more specific route. Through much research, soul searching, and blind jumping, I narrowed my options down to nursing/med. therapy or teaching. I've toyed with both ideas for years, but to make a long story short, getting my teaching certificate came in first place primarily due to less debt, less time, ability to start certification process instantly, and wanting to be in the same world as Steven. Passion for education? Check! Can work with middle and high schoolers???? Not so sure. Oh well, we'll see. Even if I just teach for one year and hate it, I will have easily made back the debt it took for me to get certified. No brainer, here. I've always seen myself in an educator/impact type role, but more on the college field instead of the middle/high school fields.

Sooooooo, that makes it even more difficult for me to get a job! As of result of needing to place attention on my teaching cert. program and the eventual student teaching I'll be doing, I'm just looking for a little part-time and somewhat temporary job, but apparently I'm "over-qualified" for all those jobs. What the hell?! I'm over qualified for the jobs my under-qualified experience is forcing me to look into! Brother! So, it looks like substitute teaching may be my only option, even though both Steven and I do not want me to do it because he fears it will give me the wrong impression of teaching due to how little control you have over someone else's classroom full of the most wild students because their "real" teacher's gone for the day.

What's a girl to do?!?!?....besides paint her whole house...which I already did.

Man, sorry for this whole disorganized rant, but I'm just feeing so low on self-esteem right now, and anxious with all the classic worries that come with being unemployed. More uplifting stuff to come in the next post.

Peace out,
Claire

Vegan Summer Squash Cake

2010-08-17T08:40:00.001-05:00

Summer Squash Sweet Cake

We all have gardening friends, right? Right. And what do they bombard us with ever summer? Squash, zucchini, and tomatoes! Frankly, I don't have any problem devouring all the tomatoes, but the squashes...well, I can admit I get tired of them pretty quick. Steven's folks, as well as various friends, bring us squash every time we see them. God bless them for the free food, but damn, I've got squash coming out my ears! I feel bad just throwing it away, so I got to thinking there just had to be a summer squash sweet bread recipe out there just like there are zucchini and pumpkin bread recipes. Low and behold, I found one and then veganized it.

This is a very sweet bread, hence why I called it a cake, so just be prepared. I omit the spices because I have to be in the mood for cinnamony things, but if you're looking for something more like a traditional zuchini bread then add the spices. Otherwise, you'll have just a simple buttery, vanilla, slightly coconuty cake. I'm pleased to introduce Steven's new favorite baked good. He loves it!

Ingredients:

3 Tbs flax seed meal + 9 Tbs. hot tap water*
1 Tbs vanilla extract
1 cup canola oil or coconut oil (if you have it, use coconut oil)
2 cups grated yellow squash
2 cups white sugar
3 cups all purpose flour
1.5 tsp. kosher salt
1 Tbs. baking powder
Optional: 2 tsps each cinnamon and nutmeg

*Grind whole flax seeds in electric coffee grinder to make meal. Mix water with flax meal, and wisk to combine. Mixture will become thick and gelatinous, just like raw eggs.

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees F.

Prepare flax meal/water mixture.

In another bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking powder (and spices, if using). Set aside.

In a large bowl, add flax/water mixture, sugar, oil, and vanilla. Beat until thoroughly combined with either hand mixture, or Kitchen Aid stand mixer. Add flour mixture to wet mixture in three parts, or so, being careful to not over mix. Add grated squash, and combine (I usually do parts like this by hand).

Grease either a bundt pan, or loaf pan, and pour mixture evenly to distribute. Bake for about 55 minutes, or so, until slightly golden brown at top and toothpick test comes out pretty clean. Let sit for about 5-10 minutes, and then release cake onto cooling rack, or cake stand, to thoroughly cool.

Claire's notes: I've made this twice and did not have a totally clean release from the bundt pan either time. You might want to grease and flour your pan to be extra careful.

Sorry it's been so long...but WE MOVED!

2010-08-09T12:58:00.000-05:00

Hey guys! Yeah, yeah, yeah, I haven't posted in forever, but seriously, since my last post life has been a little nuts! First it was the changing of my job life in New Braunfels, to the contemplation of going back to school, then to the possibility of Steven and I moving, to....actually MOVING!

About two months ago, Steven and I were about to head up to North Texas to visit his family, and he turned to me and said, "You know, I got called for an interview with Little Elm High School..." He told me it was scheduled for the day we would be traveling to Muenster, but he thought he would cancel it because he was pretty happy with his current teaching/coaching job in New Braunfels, and it would be a pain to try to make the interview in the midst of our traveling. Finally after thoroughly contemplating the situation, we decided since Little Elm was on the way to his folks', it would be silly to not take the interview. Long story short, we pulled in to a Walmart in Little Elm, he dressed into "interview attire" in the parking lot, I dropped him off at the high school, and I went to a Starbucks to kill some time...for almost two hours!

Needless to say, the interview went very well. Steven was basically offered the job on the spot, and we went from thinking, "no, we're happy where we are" to "ok, this would be a major step in your career you need to take, so let's do it!" Now, don't get me wrong, in between those two decisive moments there was plenty of stress and crying (well, on my part), but Steven said he wouldn't go without me, and I couldn't be selfish enough to say no, especially since my work life had become pretty insignificant the past few months. So, the next weekend we traveled back up to N. Texas for Steven to go house hunting. He was set on buying, so in that same weekend he put a bid in on a house, and had a contract on it by Wednesday.

The next month was pretty hectic, as you can imagine. Me packing up my house, Steven packing his, all while trying to buy a house, start a new job, and traveling to and from Denton about 5 times in a month. Finally, though, we made the move July 26th.

*Side Note* Denton is about 13 miles from Little Elm

In the first day of residing in our new home, we managed to go through appliance hell. Our hot water heater broke (and all the pains that go with no hot water), one of our toilets wouldn't flush via using the handle, no internet/cable for over a week, and the new refrigerator we bought never started working. Fortunately, one thing that did continue to work like a charm was our A/C...THANK GOD! As you can imagine, we became fat, stinky and stupid due to eating out, not showering for days, and being out of touch from the world; but in true Steven Reiter style, we did manage to always have two coolers filled with beer.

Finally, life is starting to get into routine again. Steven started football two-a-days today, and I've been busy painting this whole damn house and waiting on service men. I don't have a job, yet, and I recently found out my financial Aid for school won't be fully available until the spring '11 semester, so my world is a little flipped upside-down right now. I'm trying to go with the flow and have a good attitude about all the new changes in my life, and so far I'm doing fairly well adjusting. North Texas is no hill country haven, but I fully believe it's the relationships you make in life that determine one's happiness.

I'll have some "Before and After" pics to post of the house soon; it's like a whole different house from when we moved in! Also, please make note of our new mailing address. Both of our phone numbers are the same, but we still love some good ol' fashioned snail mail...especially birthday cards for my big 27th TOMORROW! Our new address is:

4517 Fox Sedge Ln.

Denton, TX 76208

Love you all, and come and see us!

Claire & Steven

DIY Compost Bin...I'm hoping.

2010-05-03T10:22:00.002-05:00

I've been wanting a compost bin real bad for a while now, but I just couldn't sacrifice the $200 they seemed to be running. Fed up, I went to the web for a solution. I knew I didn't want to make a compost "pile" in my backyard for a couple reasons. First, I rent my home and don't want to put a lot of effort into anything that isn't "mine", and also, I feel like those "piles" aren't as efficient in turning over the compost as a bin is. While surfing the net, I came across a lot of trash can DIY compost bin projects, this one in particular. Hell, I could do that! And so I did....

Ingredients:
- 1 outdoor strength plastic trash can w/lid
- Drill
- 2 bungee chords

Directions:
Go to your local home improvement store, and scope out their trash can selection. I bought an "indoor" strength trash can by mistake, and in hindsight, I would have definitely bought an outdoor strength trash can instead....so do that. Basically, the indoor purpose trash can's plastic isn't as heavy duty...and you need heavy duty. You'll also need a couple bungee chords if you buy a trash can without a locking lid.

You'll also need a drill, and a super cute helper, like Fred, here. Don't ask me how big the bit was, or any of that jazz. I just went over to my folks' house, stole my dad's drill, and he wasn't there to advise me so I just grabbed whatever I found.

"Mom, I don't know about this...."

Basically, all you do is drill a bunch of holes into your trash can for ventilation purposes. Make sure to drill some in the bottom, too, for drainage. I drilled holes vertically up the side panels. If you don't have a locking lid, like me, this is where the bungee cords come into play. Simply drill a hole at the top near the lid large enough for the bungee cord hook to go in. Then, when you place the lid on your trash can, you can secure it with the bungee cords. It's pretty self explanatory. And really, the reason for locking your lid is in case you want to roll your trash can on its side so to mix the composting material. Otherwise, you can always use a shovel, or pitchfork, to mix upright.

Alright! Holes drilled! I saved my juicing scraps from earlier, coffee grounds, and learned you could use fireplace ash, too. So, here's my pot of organic goodies I'm going to add to my compost. When starting your compost, you need to put some potting soil, maybe some dried leaves, shredded newspaper, and fertilizer in there with your organic "trash" materials. The fertilizer helps jump start the process. Mix it all together, and water the mixture just enough to make it moist. Don't place your bin in direct all day sun. It's probably best to put it somewhere where it might get morning sun, and shade the rest.

Here's a good website listing all the material you can compost.

Well, we'll see how this project goes. Fred's real happy about composting. He just knows there's all kinds of trash and edibles in there hiding!!!

Updates 5.1.2010

2010-05-01T12:29:00.001-05:00

Hello world! It's been awhile. 'Member me? Well, lots has been going on since I last blogged. Hell, I can't even remember where I left off?!

Culinary. Food, ahhh, my favorite subject. Although you guys have been missing food here on my blog, I have NOT been missing it in real life! I have eaten well the past couple months. As for baking, my most favorite goodie as of lately has been those damn awesome chocolate chips cookies! We eat the hell out of 'em, and my waist line can speak for that! Hands down, this is the best cookie recipe, vegan or not, on the planet. They rock.

I also made some vegan chocolate cupcakes with vegan buttercream frosting. Holy cow...AWESOME! Now, I'll be the first to admit there are two things that almost always come better out of a box than by hand...brownies and cake (just the cake; not the frosting). Seriously, it's real hard to F-up a box cake, and they always turn out moist and tender. But, I have found the best ever chocolate cake recipe ever, and it just so happens to be vegan AND the easiest damn cake recipe I've ever made. It's ridiculous. Non-vegan Mom approved, and everything. I'll post the recipe for that soon.

As for the rest of my culinary concerned life, I still remain almost all vegan at my house, and eat meat when it has been prepared for me at someone's house. Honestly, still don't miss the meat terribly. Don't get me wrong, it is good, but the cravings are nearly as strong as they are for...DAIRY! Yes, dairy. Not so much on milk, but cheese, sour cream, cream cheese, and ice cream...yes, please!!! I've been keeping some cheeses at the house, and my main "cheater food" is pizza, so I am guilty of eating on some cheese. I'm sorry, but I just love chevre, and brie, and manchengo, and cream cheese, and the list goes on. Sorry vegans, there's just no substitute for that stuff. I did, however, find some unpasteurized raw chevre style goat cheese at the Farm to Market the other day, and I was so jazzed about finding it! I've been waiting to try some raw dairy forever, but you really have to have a relationship with a local dairy to have access to it. It was awesome. Sorry guys, I just can't give up my red wine and cheese.

I'm still juicing daily, and I don't forsee that habit leaving my lifestyle anytime soon. I love juicing. No matter what your food lifestyle is, everyone should juice. I'm obsessed with juicing. It's the best thing you can do for your body daily...as well as exercise.

Running. Yep, still running. I can't believe it's almost been a year since my first attempts at running. Granted, I'm not in aa good of running shape as I was back in October, but I still run about 3-4 times a week. A group of us are running the "Beach to Bay" relay marathon here in a couple weeks, and I'm very excited about it. Each runner's leg is a little over 4 miles, so I'm not worried about meeting that goal.

In regards to running and food, I am consciously consuming more protein as I have noticed a definite correlation before the two. When my diet was primarily raw for a while, my running did not suffer majorly from the lack of protein, but when I started moving over to a primarily cooked vegan diet, I did notice I was becoming very weak. So, I order some raw vegan sprouted rice protein powder, and that has been working out fine. I shake some up with some water and almond milk after a run, and all is good. It's some really high-quality stuff, and is an easy protein on our digestive systems. You can read more about it here. FYI, I recommend buying the "natural" flavor version, as the other two contain stevia, which can be an od flavor. Also, if you go with a neutral flavor, you can make it any flavor you want depending on what you mix with it.

Love: Steven and I have been dating a year! Can you believe it?! Cinco de Mayo marks our one year anniversary...how goofy is that?! On the fifth of each month, we try to make a date night and go treat ourselves to a nice meal. We call these days our "Cincos," and this one coming up marks our 12th! It does not seems like a year. I love you, Steve-o!

Garden: My container garden is rocking! I have spinach, romaine, parsley, and tomatoes going right now, and I am proud to say everything is looking great....except for the spinach. The spinach is just not "flourishing," ya know. First, caterpillars attacked it, and now that the caterpillars have ceased it's like it just don't want to grow anymore. Not cool. So far, I've been all organic on my veggie garden, and hope to stay that way. I'm wanting to start composting, but I really want to buy one of those compost bins that rotates, and whatnot. Lord knows with all the juice I drink I have a ton of great compost material, and I know my veggies would like some of that goodness, as well! I swear, I go out there and visit my veggies morning, noon, and night like they're going to run off, or something! Ha! I love watching them grow :-)

Well, I'll leave with that, for now. I've also had some little trips I've been on, and my work has taken a big spin, but I'd have to write a novel to fit all that in...and who really cares about work, right?! 'Till next time.... -CC Bloom

Best Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies EVER!

2010-04-12T08:13:00.000-05:00

Finally! An awesome vegan cookie recipe! I haven't had the best of luck finding vegan cookie recipes that both taste great, AND bake up well...untill I came across this recipe. I only had to tweak one ingredient's measurement to bring this recipe to perfection (in my opinion). Here you go. The best chocolate chip cookies for both vegans and non-vegans...

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup vegan butter (my faves are Earth Balance, and Smart Balance "light")
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 heaping Tbs. flax seed meal
1 Tbs. Ener-G egg replacer
1/3 cup non-dairy milk (I use Blue Diamond's almond milk)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup vegan chocolate chips

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 F

In a large bowl, mix milk with Ener-G egg replacer and flax seed meal with electric mixer until creamy and thoroughly combined.

In another bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, and salt.

Add the butter, coconut oil, sugars, and vanilla extract to the bowl with the milk/flax seed/egg replacer mixture. Cream all together until smooth.

Add flour mixture in two parts to the creamed sugar mixture. Combine the first flour part by electric mixer, and the second flour part by hand incorporating the chocolate chips, as well.

Drop by well rounded teaspoonfuls onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Do not drop second batch of cookie dough onto a hot cookie sheet. Try to use two cookie sheets (if you can), and always drop cookie dough onto a cool sheet. Bake for approximately 8-10 minutes, or until light golden brown. Cool on a wire rack, and end EAT!

Green Thumb

2010-04-08T08:11:00.001-05:00

She's alive....SHE'S ALIVE! Yes, I am still alive, hardly, but still beating. The past month has been insane filled with changes! Mainly, my work like has really been turned up-side-down lately due to me taking on a side bookkeeping project, which in turn turned out to result in a full-time mental project and 100% catastrophe (more on that later), all while my manager at our mini-storage complex went on a two week long vacation, my computer died at my current full-time place of work (we run a paperless office, might I add), and I was going through my Quickbooks Pro Advisor Certification. Holy moley, the stress has been high! Last week really brought about seeing a tiny ray of light at the end of this chaotic tunnel, and hopefully a more organized and peaceful work situation. Enough of that, for now....

My current projects in the food world have been my garden, and discovering the perfect vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe! Thank goodness for legit vegan chocolate chip cookies! On to the garden, I am so excited about this endeavor! I live in a rent house, so I decided to give container gardening a try. I started out with carrot, romaine lettuce, spinach, tomato, and parsley seed, watched them sprout, grew ancy continuing to watch them sprout for weeks, and now I have some official baby plants! I really focused on the spinach and romaine, as I am so pumped to save a little money in the juicing facet of my life. I have 28 heads of spinach and romaine growing, eight cherry tomato plants, and four pots of parsley growing as we speak. I am SO pumped! Oh yeah, I'm doing all organic, as well.

Romaine Lettuce

Cherry Tomatoes

I'll update you all on the perfect choco-chip cookies in the next post ;-)
- CC Bloom

Let's look at the numbers...

2010-02-24T11:15:00.001-06:00

I get annoyed when I hear people talk about juicing and their complaints about calories and cost. Yes, the cost is higher, but the cost can be manipulated to be cheaper, and if you drink one Starbucks coffee a day, buy a beer at a bar, or eat out at restaurant once a week, then there's no excuse. The calories? The math's below. Yes, good health does does come at a price, but seriously, it's not that much. It's called priorities, people.

Yields over 5 cups of juice....5 CUPS!:

1 VERY large apple (300g): 140 cal & 14g sugar ($1)

2 lemons: 40 cal ($0.40)

12 leaves romaine lettuce: 40 cal ($1)

1 cup spinach: 7 cal

1 cup parsley: 22 cal ($0.50)

½ cucumber: 22 cal ($0.50)

1 large carrot: 30 cal & 2g sugar ($0.10)

Total: 301 cal, 16g sugar($3.50)

Yields 1 serving size bowl cereal:

1 cup Kashi Go Lean Crunch: 190 cal & 13 g sugar

1 cup 1% milk: 110 cal & 12.7g sugar

Total: 300 cal, 25.7g sugar

The Cost:

Yes, juicing is a little more pricey than a bowl of cereal in the morning, but the cost can be tinkered with. Organic is the way to go, but if you can't afford it, you can't afford it. Buy non-organic and your price will go down. Also, notice how the apples and romaine lettuce are the most expensive items. I put two apples (or one VERY large) in my juice because I make a LOT of juice. I like it a little on the sweet side sometimes, and sometimes I don't. Also, when you first start making green juice, you will probably want it sweeter, and then you will see your taste buds will start to need less "sweet." Therefore, depending on taste preference, how much apple you use will affect the overall cost, sugar, and calorie levels.
Romaine Lettuce is one of the more pricey greens. At my local grocery store, a head runs for $1.99 non-organic, and $2.99 organic. I use at least a half head in my juice, but I also mix in other greens. I'll use any leafy green lettuce, kale, and/or spinach. All of these greens are nutrient dense, and are less expensive than romaine. If you can't afford to use romaine every day, then don't; supplement with other greens that are less expensive. Also, when I'm out of fresh greens, or running low, I have a jar of spirulina powder I use to supplement. Just 1 tsp. has a huge nutrient dense profile! When I go this route, I juice whatever I plan to juice, then pour it in the blender with 1 tsp. spirulina, and give it a quick spin to distribute. It's still great!

The Nutrition:

Fresh, unpasteurized, GREEN juice supplemented with a small amount of fruit is so much better for you than a bowl of cereal that has been most likely fortified with synthetic vitamins, mucus forming (and hard to digest) cow's milk, refined processed sugars, and acidic pH producing non-sprouted grains. FYI, I know there are many worse things to eat for breakfast than cereal, but I decided to take the generally understood "healthiest" option to compare with juice to be the most fair. Cereals do provide a good source of fiber, which is good. Also, there are some great cereals out there made with natural sugars and sprouted grains, but you're going to pay extra for them...like you pay extra for quality juice. Raw fruit/veggie juice is loading with enzymes and nutrients! Enzymes helps us digest food, eliminate toxins and waste, assimilate nutrients, and support our immune systems. They're, like, kind of a big deal. When we pasteurize juice, we cook out all the enzymes and much of the nutrients, hence the necessity of having raw green juice as apart of your daily food intake. Look at green juice as your daily mutli-vitamin and cell cleanser!

*Please don't feel like you need to rip me a new one if these calorie numbers are slightly off, etc. The point is to get a fairly close general idea for comparison*

Coconut Milk Vegan Ice Cream

2010-02-09T10:58:00.003-06:00

Not only have I been on the search for the best brownie, I've also been on the search for the best non-dairy ice creams. Basically, I'm on the search for the best everything when it comes to food! When experimenting with raw food, you may remember by fascination with and love for young Thai coconuts. Well, I still think they're great, but living in a small town, I don't have easy access to a Whole Foods all the time. Since weening off the raw wagon, I'm still looking for vegan ice creams to try that are not necessarily raw.

I've seen some recipes using tofu (haven't tried, yet), cashews (tried and decent), coconut milk, and soy milk/creamer. Honestly, I bet the soy milk/creamer versions are the best at mocking real dairy ice cream, but my gut tells me soy creamer just can't be that healthy for you. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE that stuff, but it does seem real "fake" to me. With all the negative literature that's been going on around soy, I figured I'd try to stay a little clear from it...especially with as much ice cream as I eat (no lie)! I am anxious to try this non-soy "MimicCreme" product in the future, also, and will definitely keep you guys posted on that. Back to the punch, here, I decided to give the canned coconut milk version a try, and so far it's my favorite, and easiest, of all the non-dairy ice cream recipes I've tried. Non-vegan Steven even thinks it's great. Give it a try; you won't be disappointed!

Ingredients:

- 2 cans (14oz) coconut milk (not the light versions)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 vanilla bean (optional, but wonderful)
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1.5 Tbs - 2 Tbs. rum (vodka would work, too)

(as you can see, HEB did not have the Thai kitchen brand this time, but this brand instead...)

Directions:

Shake the cans of coconut milk before opening with can opener; it is common for it to be separated. Basically, you just throw all the ingredients in a large bowl, and whisk to combine and break up those vanilla bean seeds. Look here for how to open and scrape the seeds out of a vanilla bean. If not using a vanilla bean, increase the vanilla extract to 1 Tbs.

*The rum is not used as a flavor ingredient, necessarily; it's actually used to help cease the freezing process just a bit so the ice cream does not freeze rock hard. I chose to use rum in this recipe (over the vodka) because rum and vanilla do go so well together, and the subtle taste from the rum would be pleasant. Play around with the alcohol measurement; you may want to reduce it to 1 Tbs. if you feel the flavor is not for you. Another way to help keep the ice cream soft is to use Agar Powder by heating the liquid ice cream mixture on the store with about 1 tsp agar until it slightly thickens.

VERY IMPORTANT: Place mixture overnight, or for a few hours, in the fridge until it is completely cool. You're ice cream maker will not cooperate with you well if you skip this step.

As you can see here, when you scrape a vanilla bean you can end up with some of the vanilla bean wall in your mixture. You can leave these bit in your ice cream as it will not change the flavor, but for a pretty ice cream, I would advise you pour it through a strainer, as I did here.

Once your mixture has cooled completley, run it through your ice cream maker and make some ice cream...duh!

Mmmmmm, yummy ice cream! Mission accomplished. I store my ice cream in some GladWare, and keep in the freezer. Try one of those vegan brownies topped with coconut milk ice cream...heaven! This recipe can also be used as a base vanilla recipe for whatever your little ice cream lovin' heart desires. Add mashed bananas, strawberries, flake coconut, nuts, cookie pieces, brownie pieces, whatever! Add cocoa powder for chocolate, espresso powder for coffee, and the list goes on. Get creative!

Lick the bowl,

CC Bloom

Best Vegan Brownies (So far...)

2010-02-05T15:41:00.002-06:00

I've been on the hunt for the best vegan brownie recipe out there. So far, I've tried three, and this one is by far the best. I've even given this brownie to many non-vegans and they have raved, wanting the recipe. I'm a brownie snob, and even think the best brownies out there come from a box. I have ONE non-vegan homemade brownie recipe I love, but that's it. These, on the other hand, are good...I swear. I actually found this recipe here, but the recipe I post down below has some slight variations to my own liking.

Best Vegan Brownies (So far...)

*Note* Since posting this, I have also made this recipe with melted Earth Balance butter directly in place of the coconut oil, and they turned out wonderful. I would slightly decrease the salt if using the butter, as the butter has salt in it.

Ingredients:

- 1/2 cup all purpose flour

- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

- 1 1/4 cup sugar*

- 1/2 cup cocoa powder

- 1/4 tsp. baking powder

- 1 tsp. kosher salt

- 1 Tbs. flaxseed ground into meal**

- 1/3 cup + 2 Tbs. hot water water (hot tap water from the sink is good)

- 1/4 cup coffee

- 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

- 1/2 tsp. butter extract

- 1/2 cup + 1 Tbs. coconut oil***

- 1/4 cup non-dairy chocolate chips (optional)

*I use evaporated cane sugar, or sugar in the raw, but you can certainly use refined white sugar if you like.

**I buy whole flaxseed and use a small coffee grinder to make it into a fine meal right before use. Flaxseed meal spoils WAY faster than whole flaxseed, so this is a good way to buy in bulk at Whole Foods and save on money and spoilage. If you happened to have flaxseed meal on hand, just use 1 heaping Tbs. in place of grinding your own flax seed.

***Coconut oil really makes this recipe, but if you don't have it, or don't want to buy it (it's a little pricey), you can substitute with canola or vegetable oil. Buy the coconut oil! Chocolate and coconut go great together! If using coconut oil, scoop out what you think is close to a half cup, put in a small bowl, and microwave for 30 seconds, or until it becomes liquid. Then pour the oil into a liquid measuring cup to get the desired amount. Simply pour whatever excess oil you have left back into the container. (Raw foodies would have a fit over this procedure, so you can also fill a pot with water, put the whole coconut oil container in there, and heat up the water surrounding the oil container by placing the pot on the stove, and gradually warming the oil to a liquid state by use of this "water bath.")

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350F, and grease a 9X9 square baking pan.

Sift together flours, cocoa, and baking powder into a large bowl. Add the sugar, salt, and chocolate chips. Stir to combine.

In a smaller bowl, combine flaxseed meal and water. Whisk together, and let sit for just a couple minutes. You will see the texture change a bit, and become slightly gelatinous. Add the coffee, vanilla and butter extracts, and coconut oil to the flax mixture. Combine thoroughly.

Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir until combined. Pour into greased pan. Bake at 350F for about 25 - 30 min, give or take depending on how "gooey" you like your brownies. Let cool before cutting.

Eat the sweets!

Claire

Gratitude 1.28.2010 - 2.2.2010

2010-02-03T16:10:00.003-06:00

"Oh, the Lord is good to me,

and so I thank the Lord...

for giving me the things I need

the sun, and the rain, and the apple seed.

The Lord is gooooooood to me..."

1. Stay home from work day- I never call in sick, and when I do, it's the real deal. My work atmosphere is extremely personal, and I just can't take advantage of that situation. Well, last Thursday I was for real sick...but I will admit I have been worse and still gone to work. Work was super slow last week, so I decided to stay home and take a R&R day to help pin this forthcoming cold in the butt. I did nothing all day, and it was wonderful....except I did manage to get off my but and make...

2. Coconut Milk Ice Cream- Heck yeah, I did! I'm telling ya, my Kitchen Aid Ice Cream attachment bowl is one of the best items I've ever bought. I have been trying every non-dairy ice cream recipe out there in hopes of appeasing my very demanding taste buds, and I think I've finally found the winner...coconut milk ice cream! This stuff is so easy, has the closest consistency to real dairy ice cream, and did I mention it's way too easy?! Recipe to come...

3. Homemade fresh pasta- Have you ever made homemade pasta? You would if you had a pasta rolling machine ($20) and knew how easy it was to do. I love making homemade pasta, though I hadn't done it in a while; it's light years better than dried store bought pasta! I was craving some warm comfort food Friday night, so I decided to make fresh homemade pasta tossed in a creamy mushroom white wine sauce (vegan). It was awesome...duh...and made for a great cozy night at home with Steven and the movie Without Limits. Steve Prefontaine rocked, and I could stare at Billy Crudup for hours *drooling*

4. Lunch at the new Mama Fu's with the Kennedy's- New Braunfels has had a plethora of new restaurants join the community recently, one of them being Mama Fu's. Steven and I met our awesome buds Holly and Drew Kennedy over there for Saturday lunch. Not only was the food great, but getting to hang with the Kennedy's was the best. We hadn't hung out in ages, and it was awesome to cut-up, be goofy, and harass the boys with Holly. I was introduced to Drew through the music scene, and of course became close friends with his wife eventually. She's one of my closest friends...and the only one who can eat as much as I can. We have no shame!

5. My wonderfully quirky boyfriend- I just love Steven. He is one the few people who can genuinely make me laugh. I totally had this guy pinned wrong when I first met him; he is super quirky, anal, but fun, sweet, but not a doormat, and the list goes on. He never ceases to amaze me! Steven is such a chihuahua when it comes to cold weather. This past weekend was cold here in TX...in the 30's, yo! We went to a bar-b-que birthday party thing Saturday, which was outside, and when I came by to pick him up he looked so funny with his random array of tobagons, shirts, silly jackets, socks, gloves, etc. You would have thought this guy was going to Antarctica! Silly boy :-P

6. Doggie Day Care Day with Big Momma, Big Daddy, and Stella- My folks' grandparent names for Fred are "Big Momma" and "Big Daddy." My mother hates it. She swears she will NOT have her grandchildren calling her "Big Momma!" I used to take Fred over to their house every day for doggie daycare, as I like to call it, when I went to work. Now, I only take him over there about once a week, so it's kind of like a special day, now. I get to see my folks through out the day, Stella gets to act like Fred is actually playing with her, Fred get's attention for a full day, and everyone is happy. Doggie daycare...daughter daycare...I think we all love it.

7. Central Market Cooking Class- Ever been to a Central Market cooking class? I think Whole Foods offers them, too? If not, and you like food, it's a "must-do" in my book! I've been to many various classes, and Steven bought us tickets to a hands-on sushi making class for Christmas. We went Monday evening, and it was awesome! That was my first hands on class I'd even been to, and we had a blast. Every couple, or small little group of girl friends should go to a CM cooking class! Steven said his favorite part of the night was when the sushi master would comment on how to "better" my sushi making skillz. I told Steven a master only picks on his students with the most potential in order to ready them for perfection ;-)

8. My super supportive and truly caring boss- I've been contemplating my "career" lately, and what it is I may want to further my education in. Accounting/bookkeeping is one of them. The majority of my job now is bookkeeping. As a person with a bachelors in English Lit/Comp, and a minor in Religious Studies, I would have NEVER in my wildest dreams imagined I would ever enjoy accounting...but I do! Anyway, I've been thinking about, among many other ideas, weening off my full-time position at my current job, going to part-time, and picking up some contract labor work on my own as a bookkeeper for hire. I presented this idea to my boss, and instead of freaking out, he offered one of his clients to me to give a try, and said I could stay at full-time, do the work needed for my outside client on his time, and keep the money I make with that client all to myslef. Wow....you really can't ask for a more generous offer from your boss than that. I'm truly fortunate to be in such a positive work environment, and to have a boss that actually cares about my happiness and success. Thank you, Darrell!!!

10. 3.4 Mile run- The Wagners and I went for a run yesterday; it was my first run outside in over a week. I'd been sticking to the treadmill all last week due to allergies, then the cold, and also due to rainy weather. I also spent a lot of last week trying out some weight training on my legs, and adding a plant protein for my post-workout recovery snack. I was curious to see how a week of that would affect my first street run in a while. Well, all went well! My legs felt a little stronger, and my endurance was good. Granted, I don't think that's all a result of the weights and protein, but also due to NOT being sick anymore, NOT being doped up on antihistamines, and catching up on some much needed rest. Whatever the case, it was a great run, and that I am grateful for. As all runners know, you have just have good weeks and bad weeks, and I sure am glad I didn't let last week's crapiness bring me down.

Gratitude 1.27.2010

2010-02-01T15:49:00.000-06:00

1. Puffs Kleenex PLUS Lotion- For reals, I wouldn't have a nose left if it weren't for lotion kleenex. I have been so sick with allergies, and then a cold...bleh. I'm exhausted from blowing my nose and eating antihistamines like candy.

2. Zack and Shannon- I grew up with my friend Zack, and Shannon is his most splendid girlfriend. I also went to school with Shannon, but she was a couple grades below me, and her sister was actually in my grade. Not until she and Zack started dating did I get to know her. Zack was actually my debutante escort....hahaha! Can you imagine the pair of us acting all prim and proper in black tie attire?! Yeah, that's because we didn't...hehe. Best escort ever! Anyway, Zack now works for my dad's sporting goods sales rep. company, so I get to see Zack and Shannon more often...like last night! My folks and I met Zack and Shannon over at The Huisache last night, and had a great time, like always! They're are always such a breath of fresh air. Zack and Shannon as individuals are jewels to the world, as they are as a couple, too. They will continue to be life long friends of mine. Let me introduce you to Zack and Shannon....

3. Puppies- Not only was it great to see Zack and Shannon, but they also brought their new addition to the family...Dobie! They just got a new beautiful German Short-hair puppy, and brought her over to be formally introduced to the Cunninghams. Stella went nuts for Dobie, and I'm pretty sure Dobie was nuts for her, too. I mean, who doesn't like puppies?! at&t U-Verse, of course.... ;-)

4. Amy's Kitchen Vegan Prepared Canned Soups- Amy's is such a stellar brand. Their prepared food products are actually really good, and their canned soups are such a God-send when I'm in a pinch for a quick vegan meal. And when I'm craving a cheat night for pizza, I LOVE their frozen pizzas. I'm telling you, they're the best! Buy Amy's Kitchen products...'nough said.

Gratitude 1.26.2010

2010-01-27T15:56:00.000-06:00

You say grace before meals. All right. But I say grace before the concert and the opera, and grace before the play and pantomime, and grace before I open a book, and grace before sketching, painting, swimming, fencing, boxing, walking, playing, dancing and grace before I dip the pen in the ink. ~G.K. Chesterton

Spaghetti Dinner at SBMS- Steven's a teacher/coach at Spring Branch Middle School. As I've come to learn, working in a kid environment has different rules than working in an adult environment. Seriously, it's like Steven "fathers" 200 new kids every year. With that being said, the life Steven represents at work is a censored version of the real thing. Sheesh! It annoys the hell out of me, but teachers seem to be fine with it, I guess. The funniest part about this is when I came into the picture. You can forget about being "girlfriend" at any work-related function of Steven's. "The kids can't just have girlfriends coming in and out my life, Claire?!", "What are you doing?! Only side hugs at the games...", "Meet me in the back; the kids will all be at the front entrance." AHHHHHHHHHH! I swear, you'd think I was dating someone in the C.I.A. with all this sneakiness! Well, Steven asked me if I wanted to partake in the Spaghetti Dinner hosted by the SBMS Band Boosters. Wahooooooo! My debut to society as the chic who's with Coach Reiter! I asked him if I should wear my old debutante dress just to be official...he said that would not be necessary ;-) Anyway, we went last night, and had a fine time. I wonder if Steven caught any flack from the kids for having his lady friend with him last night.....haha! Anyway, it made me feel good to finally be "set in stone" enough to be debuted to kids and faculty of SBMS as Coach Reiter's girlfriend.

Passion Pit- Driving home from SBMS last night, I introduced Steven to my current fun band Passion Pit. Passion Pit is almost like a guilty pleasure for me, as they have a very electro/trance/80's-esque kind of sound.....aka: perfect running music! I don't know if Steven's a Passion Pit fan, yet, but we sure had fun dancing in the car to them the whole way home. It's fun being goofy with your loved ones.

Good Night's Sleep- South texas is plagued with the annual Mountain Cedar allergy, and I am one of the unfortunate many who are allergic to it...big time. I've been overdosing on antihistamines day and night since Christmas, which, as a side note, is another reason why I think I've been running poorly lately. Anyway, I finally had a good night's rest last night! As you know, there's nothing like a good night's rest, and THAT is something to surely be grateful for.

Mountain Cedar Pollen...not cool.

1099 Surprise!- Yes, tax form 1099's are NOT exciting, or what I'm particularly grateful for right now, but there's a catch to this story. The past couple of days have been really slow at work. Unlike a lot of people, I'm really good about not procrastinating, and have not had a tax prep. freak-out at work like a lot of folks have. While I was contemplating suicide due to intense boredom at work, I discovered I had forgotten to write a 1099 to a recipient....WOOHOO! SOMETHING TO DO! I've never been so pumped to fill out a tax form and have issues with Quickbooks which, by the way, took up a solid hour of time consumption! By the time I finished, it was time to leave for the day :-)

Gratitude 1.25.2010

2010-01-26T12:27:00.000-06:00

Silent gratitude isn't much use to anyone. ~G.B. Stern

1. Green Juice- I forgot to go to the grocery store Saturday, so I was out of greens for my Sunday morning juice. AHHHH! I'm telling you, I felt the green juice absence all day Sunday. I haven't had a day without green juice in a looooong time. Yesterday, I got to have my green juice, and it was heavenly! My body felt back in the grove. I even added parsley to the mix, being as I've read so much about it's powerful medical qualities, and it tasted great, too. It's always a little scary adding a new green to the mix...

2. 3.25 Mile Run- This is only something I'm gracious for simply because I did it. The run itself was NOT great; my legs were weak, but I'm glad I finished the distance. I haven't run that distance in a while, so it was good to get the confidence boost to know I could do it even when I'm not having a strong running day. It's funny, I feel silly being proud of a measly three miles when I have other running friends who never go out for less than five. I'm still very green in the world of running, so any distance over three miles is good for me!

3. Portobello Tacos- I've been craving Mexican food like a mad women lately. Those of you who are not from Texas have no idea how strong the cravings for Mexican food can be...especially when you've been eating vegan! So, last night I decided to make some make-shift veggie Mexican tacos by sauteeing portobellos seasoned with taco seasoning in place of using regular ground beef. It really worked out great! I built my tacos with all the typical trimmings (except cheese), and they were sinfully good. I totally got my fix with those.

4. Parents in the same town- I know I mention all the time how much I love my parents, and every day I'm reminded of that. Yesterday, I spent the evening with my folks...catching up on Big Love with my mom, and my dad did some maintenance on my car. How awesome is that to have a dad who is skilled in auto-repair?! He saves me a ton of money! It was also nice to catch up with my mom about her recent trip to Sante Fe. She brought me back some bad ass souvenirs, too! She got me a pair of southwestern style socks (I LOVE wild socks!), a "Dia de Los Muertos" style refrigerator magnet (one of my favorite styles), and some kind of "write with water" notepad message book thing. They rock...period.

5. G-chat with Deric- My friend, Deric, and I used to be really close. It's not so much that we're not close, or not friends, anymore, we just don't see each other as often. Anyway, it was awesome g-chatting with Deric yesterday, catching up on ridiculous drama, and talking shit like we're perfect human-beings, and pondering the "what-if's" of life. I always enjoying hanging with Deric, even if it's only an "e-hang." Here's a pic of me and Deric back in the day...being vulgar...what we do best...haha!

Gratitude 1.22.2010 - 1.24.2010

2010-01-25T11:04:00.004-06:00

I had the blues
because I had no shoes
until upon the street,
I met a man who had no feet. -Anon

Fritos as croutons- As I mentioned previously, I had to spend a few days at my folks' for house sitting last week. As a result, my vegan diet during the week had some week spots while I was there due to NOT being in my vegan kitchen at home, and staring temptation in the face all the time! Ha! Anyway, I was really craving some croutons for my salad one day, so I found some Fritos in my folks' pantry, crushed 'em up, and threw 'em in my salad. Holy cow, it was awesome! I highly advise you all try Frito croutons. And even better, I found out Fritos ARE vegan on the PETA website. Ha! Vegan doesn't always mean healthy, but seriously, who's good all the time ;-)

Goodbye Solo- Steven and I watched this movie Saturday morning, and we really enjoyed it. Weekend mornings are really the time Steven and I get to have quality hang out time with each, so I usually save a Netflix movie that came during the week just for this. The main character, Solo, was greatly written, and story was good, too. Honestly, I had been hesitant to watch this movie because it just didn't look appealing to me for some reason...but it ended up being just the opposite. Rent this movie; it was very enjoyable, big dawg.

Blue Cheese Wedge Salads- On the weekends, we usually go out to eat once with friends, and this is exciting for me because it's my allotted "cheat night" on Veganism (remember: vegan for health, not necessarily principle). I usually stick to vegetarian at the restaurants, but not always, although, you'll rarely find me ordering a big steak, or something. Mainly, I use this as my time to get my cheese fix. My friend Kelly and I decided to go out to the Gruene Onion Saturday night, and I got their wedge salad. I LOVE wedge salads, and this one was wonderful! Mmmmmm....cheeeeeeese.

Anytime Fitness-I recently joined a gym here in NB. I wasn't too excited about entering into the gym sub-culture, as it seems sooooo anti-Claire. I've been wanting to join for two reasons: One, I want access to a treadmill when it's cold or rainy outside, and I would like to incorporate some weight training for leg strength. My first visit was Friday afternoon. I was nervous, and didn't really have a purpose except to simply check things out. I just got on the treadmill, thinking this was were I belonged most, and gave my first run on a machine a shot. Dang, it was weird! Adjusting speed, worrying about falling off the thing, or running through it were all going through my mind. Finally, I got the hang of it, felt a groove, and really kind of enjoyed. I found it was easier, physically, to run on a treadmill than the streets. It was like running on a tight trampoline. So springy and light! I only went for a mile just to warm-up the legs for some weights, but I could see any longer distances could get boring as hell on that thing, though. Anyway, after a really terrible week of street running, having some minor "feel good" success on the treadmill help to boost my spirits some.

Hemp seed protein shakes (Jill's gonna love this)- Since I had this terrible running week with feeling weak, etc, I decided to experiment with adding a little more plant protein to my diet, especially since I'm starting to do some weight training on my legs, and my diet has been way less raw-vegan during the winter. After my runs and workouts, I've been drinking a hemp protein shake. Let me emphasize that adding protein in this way to my diet is more like a guilty pleasure than anything, because hemp shakes are so damn good! YUMMY! I take 2-3 Tbs hemp seed, 1.5 cups water, blend to a "milk," then add frozen banana, vanilla extract, a pinch of salt, a little agave nectar, and maybe a little cocoa powder, and you've got the best creamy, cold, delicious shake! (I add a couple capsules of probiotics to mine because high amounts of protein can constipate me.) I really look forward to these everyday. So good, so creamy, so good for you with all those omega oils, vitamins, protein count, and SO vegan!

Be thankful,
CC

1.20.2010

2010-01-21T09:59:00.000-06:00

Man is fond of counting his troubles, but he does not count his joys. If he counted them up as he ought to, he would see that every lot has enough happiness provided for it. ~Fyodor Dostoevsky

1. Big Love- Man, I love this show! I don't have HBO at my house, but my folks do. I got my fix last night.

2. Roxanne "quick cuts"- My high school friend, Roxanne, is a hair stylist. We were friends before in school, and now she cuts my hair. You know what's the best about having a friend for a stylist??? They let you come in for quick fixes! I have short hair, and it drives me NUTS when the short part in the back starts to grow and gets "puffy." HATE IT! Roxanne let's me swing by for quick five minute fix for $5! If I didn't have Roxanne, I'd have to make an appointment for this silly minuscule fix, and pay someone $50 for it. Pft! Yay for Roxanne!

3. Fred and Stella- My mom and some ladies are on there way to Santa Fe for my Aunt's 60th birthday as we speak. Also, my dad's out of town for work in Las Vegas. This means I get the job of taking care of all their responsibilities while they're gone. Yay....not. That means Fred and I packed our bags to go stay over there for a couple days so we can take care of their dog, Stella, and my Aunt's dog, Gus...as well as taking care of Fred. After a long day yesterday packing up my juicer, clothes, dog stuff, running stuff, and work stuff, I finally get over to my folks to find a big Labrador-size pee on the carpet. Ugh! I hate cleaning pee. And Stella's a puppy, so she has no realization of body space, or anything like that. It's impossible to drink your coffee in the morning without her literally trying to walk all over you face, spilling coffee all over yourself. Fred doesn't understand how to play with other dogs; he's a tennis ball man. Therefore, they just bark at each other thinking that's how you "play." It's annoying. So, I know this sounds like a whole big paragraph of gripes, but the point I'm trying to make, here, is that even though dogs can be a big pain in the ass sometimes, I still had two sleeping puppies who unconditionally love me at the foot of my bed keeping me company last night in that big old lonely house. It hit me last night as I was telling them each "goodnight" before turning off the light that I wouldn't trade this nightly ritual, those two, or any pet, for anything. Pets make a house a home.

4. Next Door Aunt- As I mentioned above, my aunt's on this trip with my mom. Therefore, I have to take care of her dog, Gus, too. My folks live right next door to my Aunt Cindy. There are many reasons why living next door to my aunt is awesome, but yesterday the one that stuck out the most was when I simply had to walk across the yard to feed Gus INSTEAD of driving across town to do so. That made my evening so much less of an hassle. Yay next door aunt!

5. Signing up for a gym membership- Honestly, I'm not sure if this will be a "like" or "gripe" in the future, but having this event in the mix of the day yesterday was nice. I'm excited about having stronger legs for running (once I start using the weights), and access to a treadmill when it's wet and cold outside. I get so anxious about signing up for stuff, and how this new expense will play out in my monthly budget, so actually DOING this yesterday was the final step in something I've been talking about doing for a while. I'm glad it's done and over. Next!

1.19.2010 Gratitude

2010-01-20T10:02:00.005-06:00

Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful. -Buddha

1. "Dates" at The Forum with Steven- This is usually when we hit up Academy, Costco, World Market, and eat at Hearthstone Bakery. It's so nice to be forced to calm down, be conventional, and do one of life's daily tasks together. We get to laugh and cut-up together when we go, and that always feels so good.

2. Mushrooms- Seriously, I love mushrooms; I could eat a whole field of them! All kinds, but especially portobellos. I eat at least one portobello a day, and always wish there was more left after I'm done with my meal.

3. Running a nice 3 miles with Kelly and Robert yesterday- I not only love running with Robert and Kelly AND their most precious son Edwin, but I just love them as individuals. They are the perfect balance of artsy, but realistic, conventional, but not stale and rigid, honest, but not brutal, fun, but not annoying, and so on. I really admire them in so many ways.

4. Costco- When you're a vegetarian, Costco is a God-send! You get such an awesome deal on fruits and veggies there...as well as many other non-vegetarian related items. And it's way more pleasurable to shop there in comparison to the beat-down crowd at HEB.

5. Cashews- Cashews make my life as a vegan completely wonderful and void of any "I really miss that..." moments! They are the perfect substitute for dairy/cream. I have made so many dishes that normally require a "cream" or milk that any non-vegan would be shocked to know was void of those actual ingredients. Thank you cashews!

"These are a few of my faaaaaaavorite things...."

2010-01-19T07:50:00.001-06:00

Steven and I like to get into the practice of picking of good things that happened during the day, but we're human and sometimes forget. Anyway, we remembered to do so last night, and it made me want to start posting some of these on my blog...

1. Green lemonade- I love this stuff! The whole "does a body good" part is seriously minuscule to how yummy tasting this stuff is.

2. Making new friends- My friend Holly sometimes gets annoyed with my random friend making process, but it's just what I do. I like adding new people into my social atmosphere, enjoying what they have to bring to the table, and learning all about them. Sounds a little creepy when you put it in writing, but basically, it's exciting and refreshing to me. I never want to feel confined to a select group of people. There are so many cool people out there! Wagners, Holtmans, and Crowley's, it's been awesome getting to know you all :-)

3. Blue Diamond's Almond Milk- I bought some commercially produced almond milk the other day instead of making my own strictly for convenience reasons, and Blue Diamond's almond milk is awesome! I must admit I always preferred soy milk to almond milk I make at home, but this Blue Diamond stuff is great. I'm sure it's all the additives that make is so, but hey, it's o.k. to step outside of the goody two-shoes line every now and then...

4. Running- I'll be a runner for life. I'm not a great distance runner, nor strive to be. I'm also not a speed demon, nor strive to be. Hell, for have only started this running adventure in June '09, I'm pretty pleased with my progress! Running makes me feel great physically and emotionally. I've got a 5K lined up Feb. 13th, and then a marathon relay in Corpus Christi with a group of friends the weekend of May 15th. I'm so excited!

5. Vegan eating- I can honestly say I have never felt better in my life. I love vegan eating. I feel awesome, I feel energized, I fell full, but not heavy, and I feel healthy even when I eat a vegan "guilty pleasure." Yes, I cheat some on the weekends when we go out to dinner with friends (still keep it vegetarian, though), but I'm strict about it Monday through Friday, and when I'm eating at my house. It's just not enjoyable to only think about having salad every time you eat out with friends knowing all the yummy things you could eat if only you were able to "veganize" it. Luckily, we maaaaay eat out twice a week, and really more like once a week, if that.

Spiced Cocoa Muffins (Vegan)

2010-01-13T13:08:00.001-06:00

I have to have something sweet after every meal. I ran out of brownies yesterday, so this morning I opened up my new cook book The Joy of Vegan Baking, which I hear is a vegan baker's "must have," and decided to make these muffins. Yawoza! Yummy! You gotta try this recipe! This is my slightly varied version of the original recipe...

Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup turbinado sugar + a tiny bit for sprinkling on muffin tops
6 Tbs. unsweetened cocoa
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground clove
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. Ener-G Egg Replacer*
4 Tbs. water
1 cup non-dairy milk (I used soy)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup Earth Balance vegan butter (melted)
1/2 cup non-dairy semi-sweet chocolate chips

*Ener-G egg replacer can be found at your local health food store

Directions:
(makes 12 muffins)

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray muffin pan with non-stick spray.

Sift the flours, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt together in a large bowl. Add sugar and chocolate chips.

In a separate bowl, use a hand mixer to whip the egg replacer and water together until creamy. Add the milk, vanilla extract, and melted butter. Stir to incorporate.

Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients, and fold just enough to combine. DO NOT OVER-MIX!

Spoon the mixture into muffin pan. Sprinkle tops with a little extra turbinado sugar, then bake about 15 minutes. Remove from over, let sit for 5 minutes, then remove to cool on wire rack.

New Year's Resolutions

2010-01-06T16:11:00.000-06:00

I'm not big on New Year's Resolutions. I just don't work that way. Some people need a goal, or purpose, to serve as a "push" in their new endeavors. Not me. In fact, I'm kind of the antithesis of this ideology. I don't work well under stress; I shut down. Someone calling me a "puss," or "if you don't do this, you're a failure" just doesn't really motivate me. In fact, it makes me do exactly the opposite of what you're trying to get me to do. Yes, I was that kid. I probably never got in to team sports for this exact reason. Competition doesn't drive me, teammates annoy me, and group projects are hellacious.

I know a lot of people are really "in" to making New Year's Resolutions, but in my opinion, why wait for a specific moment (like the new year) to concentrate on your "weaknesses" you've known about your whole life?! I have no patience whatsoever, so that's probably why I can't get into resolutions. I see a problem that bothers me, and I start trying to fix it that day! I discover something I want to do, and I start doing it! Compulsive is my middle name. I have friends who state their New Years Resolutions back in September, and then wait 'till New Year's Day to "start" them! That's weird...and what's the point? Maybe my year-long New Years Resolution should be to concentrate on being less compulsive, and learn how to sit on them for half a year until that "special day."

Also, there are many "problems" about me that don't bother me enough TO fix; I'm probably stuck with them my entire life as an aspect of my personality. As long as they don't cause major conflict in my life, or someone else's, I'm cool with learning how to work with these characteristics to their most positive affect. I think a lot of people try so hard to change fundamental aspects of their personality instead of learning how to live with them. It's too extreme to think you can change that drastically; you're bound to fail! For example, I'm always going to be super blunt because I honestly don't even know I am half the time. Instead of trying to fix my bluntness by becoming subdued, I choose to focus on not being "too" blunt to where I might really hurt someone's feelings, or something. Is this a cop-out? Hell no; it's a reality.

In a sum-up, New Years Resolutions are totally about personality types. Some people need them to feel purpose driven, and some think they're a set-up for failure. Some people need to meet goals, and some people are cool with the security of their day-to-day consistent life. Some people need a pre-meditated road map from A to B, and other are just enjoying the ride.

I don't know if this blog really had an objective, but for some reason New Year's Resolutions have always seemed silly to me, and I never make them.

2010...sounds weird, right?!,
CC

Christmas time is/was here...

2010-01-04T10:22:00.001-06:00

I love Christmas! Absolutely 100% LOVE it! There's something about the holiday season that makes me feel so pure and loving; like there's more to life than bars, drama, and sex scandals. This holiday season was just as great as all the others.

We first started out with the Cunningham Christmas gathering at Lake Brownwood. This where all the family from my Dad's side gets together. I'm so happy Steven was able to join us this year, and he fit right in with all the Tech football junkies my family claims ;-)

We do a Chinese gift exchange, and as was the trend this year, my mom landed a snuggie.

I also refreshed my french braiding skills on my little cousin, Reese...whom you have seen previously sporting her green smoothie skillz.

My Gammie and Rich came to New Braunfels for the actual Christmas part. We had such a beautiful and relaxing time. I'm so glad I don't spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day trekking all over the state of Texas. All that stress of traveling would make me not enjoy Christmas! Here we are after our Christmas late lunch pleasing my mom by indulging in her "crackers" we have to pop every year that contain little trinket-type toys, etc.

Stella and Dad were digging the crackers...

And, the infamous Yule Log! Eh hem, NOT vegan ;-)

The Sunday following Christmas, I hosted a party for my very dear friend, Natalie, who was in town from Paris, France for the holidays. I had not seen her in 3 years! She is a jewel of a person, and housed some of my friends in Paris during their European travels. I wanted us all to meet under one roof TOGETHER, and so I made sure to make that happen. Natalie, you are the best!

Steven and Eric stayed with Natalie in Paris this summer during their month long European extravaganza, and my other two good friends, Olivia and Laurie, stayed with her this fall. Here, Here to Natalie! Here's a group shot, sans Laurie (she couldn't make it). We had a fire pit going, so the camera flash really accentuated the smoke.

I hope everyone's Christmas season was nothing less than magical. Let us all remember the emotions and characteristics Christmas brings forth does not have to be limited to a one month period. Let us continue to be loving, giving, family-oriented, selfless beings through out our lives.

Merry Christmas,

Claire

Creamy Pumpkin Soup (Vegan)

2009-12-17T08:09:00.003-06:00

The other day, I made this sweet pumpkin cream cheese dip (vegan) that was heavenly, but it only called for the slightest bit of canned pumpkin. As a result, I had almost a full can of pumpkin left. Feeling guilty about making yet another cookie, cake, or sweet bread, I opted to make some pumpkin soup. Boy, I sure am glad I did, too! This soup was perfect for the chilly rainy days we've been having lately, and definitely tasted of the Christmas season without all the extra sugar of a traditional "sweet" pumpkin baked goodie. As I say about everything I post on my blog...this is YUM!

Creamy Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped carrot
1/2 onion chopped
2 cloves of garlic
olive oil to sautee (2 Tbs. approx.)
1/2 cup dry white wine*
salt/pepper (to taste)
5 cups water + 2 Tbs veggie base, or 5 cups liquid veggie stock (or chicken broth/stock if you don't care about the vegan thing)
1 can pureed pumpkin (15 oz. can)
1 Tbs Sugar in the Raw (if using regular table sugar, use a little less, as I think it's sweeter)**
tiny dash of nutmeg (optional)**
tiny dash of cinnamon (optional)**
1/2 cup raw cashews (cream base)
1 cup water (cream base)

* a good tip on having wine around for cooking without having to open, and pay for, a whole bottle is to buy those little 4 packs of individual servings. Works great for cooking without spoiling a bottle of wine!

** Even though there is a small bit of sugar in this soup, it is NOT a sweet soup. The sugar is strictly there to add depth of flavor. Please use your salt and pepper as you would any other savory soup.

*** "Cinnamon and Nutmeg?!" Yes, you heard me right. Again, this is NOT a sweet soup; it's definitely savory, but the cinnamon and nutmeg make it fall'ish tasting. This is a more acquired taste, so if you're scared to use it, then don't You'll be surprised, though, at how subtle it is, and how special those flavors make this soup. You can always leave it out, and add the tiniest bit to your own bowl to try it out before seasoning the whole pot.

Instructions:

Chop carrots, onion, and garlic. First, add carrots since they are the densest of the veggies. Cover with lid during the sautee process (while stirring periodically) so the steam will help cook the carrots faster. Once the carrots start to soften and develop a little color, add the chopped onion, garlic, and hefty pinch of salt/pepper.

(as you can see, I did not have an onion on hand, and had to use onion powder as a replacement, but fresh chopped onion is ideal. Hey...I was desperate for creamy soup last night, and did not want to go to the grocery!)

Once the veggies are tender, "deglaze" the pan with the white wine. Dear non-cooking friends, this simply means pour the wine into the hot pan with the sautéed veggies, scraping up the caramelized bits that may be on the bottom of the pan.

Let wine and veggies simmer for a bit, letting the alcohol cook out of the wine some. The liquid should slightly reduced during this process. At this point, add the veggie stock/base/bouillon/whatever you have. Bring to a simmer. Add pureed pumpkin and 1 Tbs of sugar, and stir to incorporate. Taste it for seasoning!

After about 5 minutes, or so, of simmering the brothy mixture, use a hand blender to thoroughly blend until a homogenous creamy consistency is achieved.

"CLAIRE?!?! I don't have a hand blender!!!" Don't freak out. You can use your trusty table-top blender to do this. You will probably have to blend in batches, though. Also, be careful when blender a hot mixture in a table-top blender as the steam from the soup can make it explode if the lid is not cracked open, or vented.

After blending, turn heat to low and let lightly simmer, stirring frequently so the soup does not scorch on the bottom of the pot.

For the cream base, add the cashews and 1 cup water to your table top blender. Blend on high until mixture is totally creamy, and no cashew pieces remain. I let mine run for a couple minutes, at least. Add cashew cream to hot blended soup mixture. Stir to thoroughly combine. Add salt and pepper to taste, and nutmeg and cinnamon, as well. Remember, the cinnamon and nutmeg should be a very small amount; like 1/4 tsp each, or so. TASTE IT!

YUM! Soup is done and ready to be devoured! You should have a golden yellow, creamy, soup oozing comfort and creamy satisfaction :-)

Enjoy the cold holiday season,
Claire

The FAST Hurom Slow Juicer

2009-12-08T10:42:00.002-06:00

JUICING!

Juicing is awesome. Why juice? And what's the difference between green juices and green smoothies? Fruits and veggies are detoxifiers, remember? The main difference, here, is fiber and concentration. When we eat a piece of fruit, we must macerate the fruit in the chewing process to break down the fiber so the juice can be accessed. As you and I both know, we're not the most thorough of chewers, and often swallow chunks of food figuring our digestive juices will take care of the rest. When we do this, we're not separating the juice from the fiber before it hit our digestive system, therefore causing our digestive system to waste energy breaking down food instead of repairing our cells/bodies. Therefore, only a small amount of concentrated juice actually hits our system. Also, juicing allows you to consume a larger amount of fruits/veggies in a more concentrated form. Instead of eating a whole head of romaine lettuce, you can juice it and only have to consume a 1/2 cup of liquid. See the difference?

Don't get me wrong, fiber is good for you, and hopefully you are getting a good amount of it in other areas of your diet throughout the day. Fiber acts as a bottle brush to our intestines, cleaning them of the plaque build-up they've acquired over the years of eating highly refined foods. Fiber also keeps our metabolism high and working, and sustains hunger. So, make sure to still eat high amounts of fiber in other aspects of your daily diet...just not in your juicing regiment :-)

When you juice raw fruits and vegetables, you deliver a highly concentrated amount of raw enzymes, vitamins, fatty acids, chlorophyll, etc. straight to your blood stream. Think of it as liquid medicine. The key to juicing is RAW. Pasteurized bottled juices you buy at the store are almost void of all the goodness they started with. The pasteurization process heats the juice to a high temperature in hopes of killing bacterias that cause fast spoilage so to extend the shelf life of their product. That high temperature not only kills bacteria, but also a vast amount of the good stuff you WANT in juice. Buy a juicer, and make your own high quality raw juices! Pasteurized juices are crap.

I love juicing; it has almost taken the place of my morning smoothie. I will make smoothies every now and then if I feel my diet has been lacking in fiber lately, which is rare now that I'm a veggie. For Christmas (early Christmas present, that is), my folks bought me the new big bad Hurom Slow Juicer. It is awesome, and I use it daily! It's a single auger slow juicer that's actually really fast! Slow juicing? Why slow? Slow juicing is thought to be best because it oxidizes and heats the least during the juicing process, and oxidation/heat can destroy the vital nutrients. No matter what, slow juicing or fast centrifugal juicing....both are way better for you than pasteurized juices.

My favorite daily green juice I consume consistently, always a minimum of wake through lunch, is called Green Lemonade. I got this particular recipe from Natalia Rose's Detox Diet book, but all raw foodies drink some sort of version of this green juice. It's great!

One head romaine lettuce
3 or 4 stalks of kale
2 lemons peeled
2 large apples (more or less depending on your personal sweetness level)
1 small cucumber
chunk of ginger (optional)

*side note* Some juicers require peeling lemons and oranges, and some do not. The Hurom juicer does not require you to peel, but know that if you leave the peel on, the oils from the rind can be very intense.

Church...hmmmm

2009-12-07T16:55:00.000-06:00

I grew up in a traditional family atmosphere. Mom and Dad; no step-anything. PTA, sisterly quarrels, and church every Sunday. My childhood was great, and I wouldn't change a thing. Since becoming an adult, and creating my own life, some things have changed. Going to church is one of those. I was a theology minor in college, and loved every bit of it. It is the most fascinating study...also the most trying. I'm not going to say my theological studies are solely to blame for my departure from church as an independent adult, but it did have some part. Sometimes ignorance is bliss. More so, I think life in general has just been playing out how it's supposed to.

I haven't been an active member at church since graduating high school. Honestly, I'm just not sure how I feel about God, Jesus, and the Bible...or any God, for that matter. That's not to say I'm a non-believer, I'm just not so sure about any of it. Let's put it this way, I have not had a religious experience that has provided me with this unwavering faith so many speak of. I'm not going to lie; I haven't prayed to God in a long time. And when I do, I always pray that if He is there and listening that He understands my struggle with belief, and has patience with me during this journey of mine.

I could write pages, upon pages of my likes and gripes with modern religious practice, but I'm not even going to go there. Where I will go is to this undeniable need and want to return back to church. Why? I don't know. Basically, I want to believe in God, but my brain tells me it's just not always the smartest thing to do. So, do I go to church and fear God will know I'm on shaky ground with my faith and resent my presence there, or do I not go even though I want to go?

Many atheists will bring about the "man created God for comfort" theory when debating divine presence, and I have been thinking about this quite a bit, recently. If man DID create God for comfort, then what's so bad about that? Is this "false God for comfort" endangering my day to day life? If when I die and find out I'm not in Heaven, will I be pissed I spent a lifetime caring about others, donating my time to those in need, and placing a hope in my life that brought happiness and peace for the time being? I'm starting to look at this as a win/win situation. Whether there is, or is not a God, the idea of "church" can still be a good thing.

I adore the church I grew up in. The people, pastor, and ideologies all "fit" for me. I think I might work my way back in there. They, the church, it...brings me comfort. Whether false comfort, or true, I've got a lifetime to feel good about it.

Creamy Cheezy Corn Chowder

2009-12-04T08:31:00.003-06:00

It's been cold around here in South Texas lately....COLD! I'm serious! When it's cold outside, all I can think about is warm food...not salads. With that being said, I have been naughty about not having my daily all-raw salad at lunch and replacing it with warm comforting cooked, but still vegan, food. I have been keeping up with my green smoothie/green juice throughout the beginning of the day...although a nice warm stack of whole grain pancakes sure was tempting! Ha! Anyway, yesterday I was jonesin' for something hot and creamy, and came across a recipe on the internet, which I ended up tweaking to meet my "needs." This corn chowder was just what I needed!

This recipe can be very versatile. Don't have nutritional yeast? no biggie, it will still be creamy, just not cheesy. Want it spicy? Sure! Either add a can of Rotel, or a couple jalapenos. I think this chowder would be great with a little spicy kick, but I didn't have any jalapenos on hand.

TRY THIS RECIPE! It is sooooo good! My mother informed me the other day I was not the best at being clear in the "instruction" section of my recipes, so please don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions. Sorry guys, I just assume everyone knows how to boil water, spice "to taste," and what stove top temperature to cook at. Here's the basics, guys: if you feel like something's missing when cooking, it's the salt...add more. The most common mistake when cooking, in my opinion, is people do not use enough salt! Salt goes in EVERYTHING. It is the "depth" of taste. If you want something to cook faster, then chop it smaller, and vice versa. Sautéing something? Use medium - med/high heat. I almost never use the "low" setting on my stove top. I also never know how much olive oil I use when sautéing. I assume it's around 2-3 Tbs....just make sure you have enough to lightly cover the bottom of the pan. Again, please don't hesitate to ask me your questions. I know I'm bad about not being thorough in the instructions, but I'm just not use to it because I'm such an "instinct cook" in the kitchen. Enjoy!

Cheezy CREAMY Vegan Corn Chowder

Ingredients:

2 Tbs olive oil
1 small chopped yellow onion, 1/2 large yellow onion
1 cup small chopped carrots
1-2 fresh de-seeded chopped jalapenos (optional)
2 cloves garlic
2 cups water + 1 Tbs vegetable base (or the equivalent in bouillon cubes/stock)
2 cups frozen sweet corn (divided in half)
1 Tbs dried parsley
1 tsp. pepper
Salt (roughly close to a Tbs by the finish)
3 Tbs Nutritional Yeast (optional cheeze sauce)
1/2 tsp. paprika (optional cheeze sauce)
3/4 cup raw cashews (cream base)
2 cups water (cream base)

Instructions:

In a soup pot, heat roughly 2 - 3 Tbs olive oil in the bottom of the pain over medium high heat. Once heated, add chopped onion, carrot (and jalapeno if using), parsley, about 1 tsp. salt, and pepper. After adding veggies, turn heat down to medium. Cover with lid in between stirring so the steam will help cook the carrots faster. Sauté until carrots are almost tender, and then add chopped garlic. Continue cooking until all veggies are completely tender, but not mush. Add 2 cups water + veggie base/bouillon or stock equivalent AND 1 cup of the frozen corn. Bring to a boil, then turn off heat.

At this point, use an immersion blender to completely blend mixture to creamy consistency.........OR.........(read the next bullet points about blender blending.)

Let cool to warm, or completely.
As for myself, I made this part at lunch, put in the fridge, went back to work, and then finished the rest of the recipe after work at 5pm. If you're wanting to make this recipe all together at one time, the reasoning for letting this mixture cool some is because it's going in the blender, and blending a super hot mixture can be dangerous.
Take cooled soup mixture, and pour into a blender. Blend until completely homogenized (smoothie consistency). Once blended, return mixture back to soup pan/stove, and heat at medium temp. stirring frequently as to not burn the now thick mixture.

To the now blended mixture, add the other 1 cup frozen corn. For a cheezy flavor, wisk in the nutritional yeast and paprika at this time.

Rinse blender with hot tap water, and return to motor base. Add cashews and 2 cups water. Blend on high until a complete milk-like consistency is achieved, and absolutely NO pieces of cashew remain. This requires blending for a few minutes, depending on your blender. *soaking your cashews anywhere from 3 hours to overnight will make them the easiest to blend, but un-soaked cashews can be used, as well, and will reach the desired consistency. Un-soaked cashews will just need to be blended a little longer.

Add cashew milk mixture to the warmed blended veggie mixture in pot. Bring soup up to desired hot temperature, but do not boil. Salt and pepper to taste, and then serve!

Merry Christmas,

Claire

The Month of Thanksgiving...

2009-11-13T10:47:00.000-06:00

A friend of mine picked up an idea from one of her friend's blog about dedicating a post each day to something she's thankful for. I figured I'd keep the trend going as expressing our gratitude can never go out of style. Since it's the 12th, I'll work up to the 12th day in this post, and then get back on schedule tomorrow. Thanks for the idea, Omi! Dang, is that #1 already? ;-)

1. As always, my parents are first on the list. I am so thankful to have such amazing parents. My folks are funny, supportive, stern, grounded, accepting, courageous, wise, open minded, curious, humble, smart, fantastic parents, and the best friends I could ever ask for. Without them, and how they have raised me, I am nothing. I have taken these guys on quite a roller coaster ride for the past 26 years, and they have always been ready to take "shot gun" either griping their seats with a grimace, or waving their hands in the air with a smile. I hope to be just like them when I "grow up" and have kids of my own.

2. My sister, Kellye, is way better of a sister to me than I am to her. We've had our ups and downs over the years, but the downs are done, and I'm so fortunate to have a partner in crime in the Cunningham Fam.

3. I know this sounds psycho, but my dog Fred means so much to me it's scary. He literally saved my life during my battle with Pure-O OCD. He is my child, my hero, the sometimes pain in my ass, unconditional loving, massive shedding, comforting, always loyal #1 man in my life. He's somewhere around 11 years old. It is NOT going to be pretty when it's time for him to "go." I love you, Fred!

4. My God given talents with food and music. May these talents continue to provide comfort and memories to my life.

5. Steven...I can't think of anyone better suited for me. You are the support, smiles, love, and laughs that have been missing from my life. You inspire me to be a better person, and you are proving to be the challenge to every one of my "I will never..." statements. Damn, I hate being wrong, but will gladly accept defeat as long as your involved. :-)

6. Although I sometimes can't wait to leave this place, living in New Braunfels is truly a gem. Sometimes I take it for granted, but I know deep down this place is a one of a kind. Texans...you rock! There are no people like Texans; they are the nicest people.

7. I am so thankful for my 4 working arms and legs! Seriously! I wouldn't be able to run, swim, bake, play guitar, drive, etc. without them. Thank you good health and luck in this department.

8. My college education financially provided to me by my parents is a priceless gift. Thank you Mom and Dad for giving me the wonderful gift of knowledge and experience. College changed my life forever.

9. Thank you Darrell David for employing me for the past 3 years. I am so thankful for my job and financial security...and for having such an understanding and giving boss. It has been a pleasure working for you, Darrell.

10. I am so thankful for all those life experiences that may have hurt like hell at the time, but taught me so much about myself and life in the long run. I have avoided many mistakes by learning from the first ones.

11. Chocolate. Thank you God for making the cacao bean!

12. I am thankful for my church families both in Garland and New Braunfels. Although I'm not an active member at this time in my life, I was raised going to church every Sunday. My church family has supported me through music, life crisis, small business adventures, education, and the list goes on. Even though I am the lesser person for not being active in that community, they continue to love and support me throughout my life. That is something truly special I don't deserve.

13. I am thankful for the men and women of our country who serve in the U.S. Military. They make so many sacrifices I can't imagine making. Each and every one of these individuals are double the person I am.

*more to come....

Vegan Choco-Chip Cookies

2009-11-12T10:16:00.000-06:00

Vegan "Heart Healthy" Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies are great! It's a weird cookie prep. process, and I was skeptical, but they turned out fantastic. I found this recipe here, and made a just a couple adjustments. I promise you, non-vegans will eat the hell out of these! They are soft, chewy, flavorful...and much better for you than an original chocolate chip cookie. I'm also pretty sure these are gluten free. I did some research on oat products being gluten free, and found that oats, themselves, do not contain gluten, but are often processed in a plant that also processes wheat, barley, and rye products, which DO contain gluten. Therefore, cross contamination with gluten grains can be a concern if one is highly sensitive to their gluten intolerance. Basically, it's a personal issue if you feel oat products aggravate your Celiac Disease, or not.

Ingredients:

3 Tbs. coconut oil (canola oil can be used)
2 cups raw walnuts (best "bang for your buck" at Costco)
1 cup light brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1½ cups oat flour *
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt (VERY important)
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
2 cups rolled oats
3 3.5-oz. bars bittersweet vegan chocolate, chopped, or 1½ cups vegan chocolate chips (12 oz.)

* Oat Flour can either be made by processing regular rolled oats in a food processor until a flour like consistency is achieved (the method I used), or oat flour can be bought through a brand like Bob's Red Mill . I'm pretty sure Whole Foods and Central Market have oat flour in their bulk sections, as well.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat 2 baking sheets with cooking spray, or line with parchment paper.

2. Blend walnuts in food processor 30 seconds, or until ground into a fine meal. Add coconut oil and salt. Blend 2 to 3 minutes more, or until mixture has the consistency of natural peanut butter, scraping down sides of food processor occasionally.

3. Whisk together brown sugar and ½ cup water in small saucepan, and bring mixture to a boil. Pour brown sugar mixture over ground walnut butter, add vanilla extract, and mix in food processor until no lumps remain.

4. Whisk together oat flour, baking soda, and cinnamon in separate bowl. Stir oat flour mixture into walnut mixture. Cool completely **THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT! The choco-chips will melt, as you can see mine did a little, if you do not completely cool**. Fold in oats, then chocolate chips.

5. Shape cookie dough into 2-inch balls, and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until cookies begin to brown and tops look dry. Cool 3 minutes on baking sheets, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

*I found the cooling was the important factor to this recipe. I think the sugar/water mixture could be made 30 min. ahead of time, let cool, and then added to the walnut butter mixture to expedite this process. It shouldn't matter whether the sugar mixture cools before adding to the walnut butter, or after.

Rex Phair Goes Green...smoothie, that is!

2009-11-10T09:27:00.001-06:00

Rex Phair...Clueless to the Goodness!

son of Glenn and Allison Phair

New Braunfels, TX

Seriously, though...how cute is this little dude?!

Raw Pumpkin Pie

2009-11-06T21:54:00.000-06:00

Raw Pumpkin Pie

I've been dying to make this recipe as I've had frozen fresh carrot juice on hand for quite some time. All I can say is my dad has already requested this raw pumpkin pie to replace the standard cooked pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving this year. Yes, it's that good....

This is my sliiightly adapted version of Mathew Kenney's original recipe which can be found here. I did not dehydrate my crust, as I felt it was unnecessary. I also increased the sweetener and vanilla extract a tad since I have a sweet tooth, and almost always increase the vanilla and salt in every dessert recipe I make.

CRUST:
2 1/4 cups pecans
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 tablespoon date paste
1/4 tsp salt

1. Place prepared pecans in food processor; pulse into small fine crumbs. Mix pecans and all remaining ingredients together well by hand.
2. Press into plastic (or parchment) lined 9-inch tart pan to desired thickness.
3. Chill crust in freezer for 15-30 minutes before filling. If not using all of hte crsut mixture, store extra in a container in the freezer.

FILLING:
1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup agave
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup + 2 Tbs. carrot juice
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 vanilla bean, scraped (if you have it, no biggie if you don't)
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg

1. Blend the cashews and carrot juice together first until creamy, then add the rest of the ingredients. Thoroughly blend until well combined, and coconut oil is completely distributed through mixture. Pour into tart shell, and chill overnight in refrigerator, or freezer.

The pie will slice "prettiest" if done straight from the freezer, but the pie should be served at refrigerator temp. I kept mine in the refrigerator the whole time, and it has been fine. If you are planning to travel this pie, it must be frozen.

*If you do not have a juicer, I know both Whole Foods and Central Market keep raw unpasteurized carrot juice on hand. At Whole Foods, you might have to go to the juice bar to get it. I'm not as familar with Whole Foods as I am with Central Market, but I do not Central Market keeps raw juices (carrot always being a staple) in the produce section of the store. You can buy little 2 cup containers, which is nice when using just for a recipe.

**the coconut oil is absolutely imperative for this recipe to hold together. Coconut oil has a very low melting point, and solidifies at the slightest drop in temperature...hence keeping the pie in the fridge.

Happy un-cooking!
CC Bloom

Bubble Gut + Broken Back = Bad Running Combo

2009-11-05T11:37:00.000-06:00

Well, my first official race was the this past Saturday, The Wurst 5 Miler. I have been so jazzed for this race since when I first started running in June. For the past couple of weeks, I have had some spotty nausea and GI issues. Well, Thursday night started the weekend of Hell! I came down that evening with what I now call "bubble gut." Except, this was no normal bubble gut. I'm pretty sure my bowels were on the verge of exploding. I've never experienced this much activity down south before in my life. I also started burping CONTINUOUSLY these hot, gaseous, burn the hair in your noise, vomit smelling burps. It was beyond disgusting. You can only imagine what the fate of every "exit" in my body was. NOT pretty.

I'm not sure what the cause was, yet. I've pinned it down to food poisoning from my salad dressing, detox, or Candida. I honestly don't know, but my instincts are telling me it was my salad dressing, or something I was continuously eating, because I started feeling better Friday afternoon....and then I ate my usual daily salad, and immediately felt bad again. I have no idea. Nothing ever tasted spoiled, or rancid, so I'm baffled as to what it could have been. I made a new dressing today containing only one of the same ingredients as the previous dressing, so if I get sick again I think I'll have to pin it on the raw apple cider vinegar. But, doesn't the vinegar trump spoilage? *ok, just called the company and they said their apple cider does not need to be refrigerated, and does not spoil* What the hell?! I'm really scared to eat my salad today....

So, even though the guts were sick I decided I still needed to attempt the Wurst Run. Probably not the best idea, but hey, I ended up getting some kind of run in for the day by the time it was all said and done. Convinced I'm going, I head to the bathroom, bend down to shave my legs, and *!BAM!*...pain shot through the back, down the legs, and brought me to my knees. I have no logical explanation as to why, or how, this happened, but it did and it was bad.

At this point, my friend, Laurie, shows up and I have a bucket load of problems I spill on her, but we head out the door regardless. During the run, my body and breathing was feeling great. Runners...you know...like those days when your body is simply in tune and ready to run?! I was not labored, and my legs were light....my the belly was bubblin' bad. Needless to say, mile 3 brought us by the cross street with the hospital, and we opt to head off course and in that direction for the ER bathroom. I knew I was going to blow at mile 2, so making it to a little past 3 miles was more than I expected to accomplish. I started running a low-grade fever, so we walked back to where my car was, and got me home. The rest of Saturday continued to get worse with the stomach/GI issues, my back completely went out, and that night was an AWFUL mixture of both.

I was really bummed about my first official race being screwed by health issues, and didn't want to be perceived as this person who dishes out excuses for not being able to finish a goal, but they weren't empty excuses...they were real ones! I felt better knowing I had run 5 miles three times previously with some friends, so there's proof I'm not a faker ;-) Plus, I got the shirt from the race, and that's all that matters, right?!

In conclusion, I went for my first run this morning since Saturday and I felt great! Rest days really aren't just for torture...they really do work!

Apple Spice Cake with Praline'esque Frosting

2009-11-03T16:02:00.001-06:00

Apple Spice Cake

Whoa baby! This cake (not raw or vegan) was a hit on my mom's birthday! It was a totally new recipe for me, but I found it on my most trust-worthy recipe website, Epicurious.com. It was a strange cake in some ways. You make it in a spring form pan, but I think you could also make it in a bundt pan. The "frosting" is basically a caramel candy type frosting. It very much resembles a praline without the pralines! You know, that melt in your mouth sugar??? Oh yeah, that's the one....

Ingredients For Cake:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. clove
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup turbinado sugar
1/2 cup butter Crisco
2 tsp. light rum
1 large egg
1 cup + 1 Tbs. apple sauce
1 tsp. vanilla

For Frosting:

3 Tbs. salted butter
1 cup turbinado sugar
6 Tbs. evaporated milk
1 tsp. light rum
1 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 cup confectioners sugar

Instructions:
Place oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter pan and set aside.
Whisk together flour, baking soda, spices, and salt in a bowl.

Beat together sugar, butter crisco, vanilla, and rum with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until combined well, then add egg and beat until pale and fluffy, 2 - 3 minutes with a stand mixer or 5 to 6 minutes with a handheld. Reduce speed to low and add dry ingredients, mixing until combined well. Add applesauce, and mix until combined well.

Spread batter evenly in spring form pan and bake until a wooden pick or skewer comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.

Cool cake in pan on a rack 10 minutes, then remove side of pan and cool completely.

For the Frosting:
(*make sure to measure out your evaporated milk all together before hand; you're basically making a caramel here, so you need to be quick with the milk)

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a 1 1/2- to 2-quart heavy saucepan, then add sugar and evaporated milk and simmer, stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved, about 4 minutes.

Remove from heat and whisk in rum, vanilla, salt, and remaining tablespoon butter. Then whisk in confectioners sugar 1 tablespoon at a time (*I used an electric hand mixer to do this right in the pan). Cool to warm, about 20 minutes, then pour over cooled cake.

Happy 54th, Mama!

2009-11-03T15:31:00.001-06:00

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Halloween marked my mom's 54th year of life! WooHoo! Yes, my mom is a Halloween baby. I always feel bad for people who have birthday's on holidays; it seems they always get put on the back burner due to the excitement of the holiday. Since I'm not really in the "partying/bar scene" mood right now, I planned on having my mom, dad, and Steven over for a grand birthday dinner, but unfortunately my body fell apart on Saturday, so I was unable to cook! Ugh...more details on that in the next post. Fortunately, before I got sick, I did make my mom's birthday cake Friday, so at least I had that already done.

My mom has been the ultimate blessing to my life. She has been my rock, my best friend, my therapist, teacher, and my all supportive and selfless mother. I wouldn't trade her for the world! I can only hope to be half the mom she has been to me and my sister. I love you, Mom!

Vegan Pumpkin Bread

2009-10-29T11:56:00.000-05:00

"Non-Vegan Approved"

Vegan Pumpkin Bread

Yum! As many of you know, I am an AVID baker. Baking makes my heart smile. Before making the switch over to a raw/cooked vegan diet, I was so worried I was going to have to ditch my love for baking, but that has not been the case. I knew vegan baking existed, but being the food snob I am/was, I was one of those who turned their noses up at "alternative" baking.

Now focusing more on my health, instead of my tongue, I put my prejudice aside and tried out this VERY yummy vegan pumpkin recipe I found here. In non-vegan baking, I can usually look at a recipe and determine if it has potential to be a winner, but in vegan baking I have no intuition what-so-ever. Honestly, I chose this recipe because it came from the book The Joy of Vegan Baking. I'm not going to lie, I don't trust just any old wiki-recipe (as I like to call them) I find posted on the internet. Basically, if it's been published in a real live book or magazine, I consider it more trustworthy. All in all, this recipe baked up beautifully, was super moist, and all non-vegans who have tried it have LOVED it. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

3 Tbs ground flaxseed*
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups turbinado sugar "Sugar in the Raw"**
2 cups whole wheat flour***
1 cup all purpose white flour
1/2 cup non-sweetened apple sauce
1 can pureed pumpkin
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tsp. each cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger (or pumpkin pie spice blend)
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt (reduce to 1 tsp if using table salt)

* I'm not sure if the measurement was taken before grinding flaxseeds, or after. I measured out 3 Tbs.of whole flax seed, ground to powder in an electric coffee grinder, and used all of that.

**The original recipe in the book calls for 2 cups refined white sugar (according to the post I received the recipe from). I went with this particular post's rendition of the original recipe, and used the 1 1/2 cups turbinado sugar. Personally, I have a sweet tooth, and would have preferred it a tad sweeter, so if you're like me, go with the 2 cups of sugar.

*** I also used white whole wheat flour with the addition of the 1 cup all purpose white flour, as it tends to bake up better than using ALL reg. whole wheat flour. I believe the original recipe in the book calls for the using ALL all purpose flour; the whole wheat route is simply better for you. I figure if I'm going vegan on this, I might as well go all the way on the health scale.

Instructions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Combine ground flaxseed and water in a bowl. Stir to incorporate, and set aside for 30 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine flax mixture, apple sauce, pumpkin, oil, vanilla, and sugar.

In another bowl, combine the flours, spices, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Do not over mix! This is the key to successful quick breads.

Divide into two regular 8in. loaf pans, or four mini loaf pans. I made one loaf, and I spooned the rest into mini individual bundt cake pans. Bake the large loaves for about 50 minutes, the smaller loaves for about 35 minutes, and something the size of a muffin for about 15 min - 20min (?). I'm terrible with timing my baking; I tend to "eye-ball" everything I bake, as I don't blindly trust baking times, or the consistency of oven temps. The loafs should be slightly browned, and firm to the touch, but do NOT over-bake. Remove, and cool on wire rack.

"I'm just doing my job, lady..." -Mr. Apple

2009-10-27T12:12:00.000-05:00

Many people complain about fruit giving them gas, or causing diarrhea, upset stomach, and so on...but that's pretty much what fruit is supposed to do! Any new-to-green-smoothies people out there experiencing "discomfort?" There's a reason why...fruits are detox foods!

Excess toxins in the body have been linked to causing degenerative diseases, such as arthritis, cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. These toxins can also cause cellulite, GI problems, premature aging, insomnia, weight gain, fatigue, allergies, and acne. Our body tries it's best to do it's own detoxing, but due to our switch to more processed, less natural, whole foods, we need to help our bodies out by providing the right "tolls" in aiding the body's natural detox process.

Raw fruits are the best way to aid detoxification, but raw vegetables are also detox foods, as well as other misc. foods. One doesn't need to spend hundreds of dollars on detox programs, or supplements; all you need is go to the grocery store and load up on fruits and leafy greens! Green smoothies, and fresh raw juices are the easiest way to incorporate aid to your body's natural detox system. Yes, if you have not been an avid fruit eater before adding green smoothies into your diet, you will experience some GI discomfort. Why? Because those fruits and leafy greens are pulling years of stored wastes from your cells and body at a somewhat rapid rate through your GI track, and out your you know what! Makes sense, eh? So, don't stop drinking those juices and smoothies because they give you gas or diarrhea; that's exactly what they're supposed to do! They're just doing their job, guys.

So now you're thinking I'm telling you your body's going to feel like crap for the rest of your life simply so you can "detox?" No. These uncomfortable symptoms will subside as your body gets cleaner. Here are some common detox symptoms you will notice your body going through:

Acne
Hives
Rashes
Flatulence
Diarrhea
Fever
Headaches
Night Sweats
Body aches
Fatigue
Mood Swings
Food Cravings
Excessive phlegm, mucus, congestion
Mouth Sores

As for my own personal detox period, I can definitely say I experienced some of these symptoms. I think the first one was swollen sore gums, and swollen lymph nodes. I haven't come across a lot of other people who have experienced swollen lymph nodes, but my lymph nodes are very sensitive, so I was not surprised. At this time, I was not even aware my recent diet switch was detoxing my body, so I just thought I had some weird gum irritation. It didn't occur to me until later that my gum irritation was most likely a detox symptom. Also, my skin did break out a little, but not too bad.

I was extremely bloated for a good two weeks. I'm not going to lie, I felt miserable. I wasn't sure if this would subside, or not, simply because of the longevity...but it did. Once I "deflated," I felt great! I finally started feeling light, and like my body was processing normally throughout the day.

*Beware: TMI* I also produced a LOT of "waste," if ya catch my drift. My bowel movements were not necessarily more frequent, but definitely plentiful. I thought they might stay this way, pinning the excessive waste to the high fiber in my new diet, but I now know it was due to toxin purging as my diet has not changed at all, but my present day waste amount has reduced.

I also experienced the fatigue, and tiredness, as well. It was difficult to keep up my regular running regiment during that time. I also slept a lot and deep! For those of you who don't know, I have had trouble sleeping almost my whole life. Since getting on raw foods, I am sleeping great! It's amazing. My sleeping has normalized to regular length now being on the downhill slope of my detox, but has continued to stay deep and sound. I'm so jazzed about this!

Aside from all the unpleasant detox symptoms, I'm glad I pressed through them as I'm starting to feel great now. Believe me, I've always been a skeptic about detoxing and internal body cleanses...but I'm not now. There are suggestions on how to ease detox symptoms. I think one of the best techniques is to keep up with your daily hygeine. The skin is one of the biggest exits, like your GI system, for the release of the toxins. While detoxing, make sure to shower daily, exfoliate, do not douse yourself in oils and creams, and dry brush your whole body before showering with a natural bristle body brush.

If I had to provide one piece of advice for detoxing, it would be to take detoxing slow. If you're eating a S.A.D. diet, and you immediately go to an all raw juice detox, you're going hurt. Try going from S.A.D. with the incorporation of raw fruits for breakfast, to Vegetarian, to Vegan, to incorporating more raw foods, and then to something more drastic such as a raw juice detox, or some other kind of full detox program. Detoxing too much too fast can be quite a shock to the body. Also, eat all, and only, fruits in the morning on an empty stomach up until 30 minutes before lunch. Raw fruits are most affective at detoxing at this time, and will not ferment with other food sitting in the stomach which can cause more gas, and bloating.

A lot of Raw Food, and Green Smoothie websites have online forums where "detox" has either it's own page, or is discussed frequently. You can find much information and support in those forums. Here are some helpful links regarding detox, and symptoms:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/312332/natural_detox_symptoms_during_a_home.html?cat=2

http://www.radicalradiance.com/2009/06/common-detox-symptoms-commentary-from.html

http://www.healthrecipes.com/body_detox.htm

http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/tips-for-understanding-the-difference-between-detox-symptoms-and-sickness-584849.html

http://www.fruitarian.com/ao/Detoxification_with_fruit_nutrition.htm

Green Monster sited in Philly!

2009-10-22T07:46:00.000-05:00

Nolan Mills...If he only knew what was in there ;-)

Philly, PA

(child of Justin and Kate Mills)

The Overdosed Pumpkin...and lovin' it!

2009-10-21T10:00:00.001-05:00

Happy Halloween, guys!

Love,

the Green Smoothie Overdosed Pumpkin

Yay for Halloween! This is by far my favorite time of year! Steven and I had fun with this guy last night. Since his "body" was naturally leaning, I figured I'd make him a little "sick." I know you can't tell, but those drips are a greenish paint...Green Smoothie! He marked his spot on the front porch last night, lookin' fine, I must say.

Halloween day will be filled to max with activities for me this year. My mom's birthday is Halloween, I have my first 5 mile race debut that morning, my sister and bro-in-law will be in town from CO, and I'm sure we'll hit up some festivities later that evening! I'm really excited about the race. I got a 4 miler in this past weekend with some friends, so that really helped boost my confidence that I'll be all good for the 5 miles. I've done 5 mile runs a couple times before, but I haven't done one in a while. I felt great after the 4 miles, and am planning on doing a 5 miler this weekend.

As for raw vegan updates, I have decided I need more iron in my diet. Yes, I eat the hell out of leafy greens, but I'm not sure that's cutting it for the amount my body's telling me I need. At whole foods I found a RAW vegan natural iron supplement! SO excited, as I've heard synthetic iron can cause nausea, and doesn't have the best reputation for absorption. The raw vegan iron supplements I bought smell exactly like broccoli and other veggies, so I know there's something good going on in that capsule. I've been taking them for 3 days now, and I feel awesome! I've also added Spirulina to my green smoothies in the morning, which has a decent iron amount, as well. I was dragging a bit on my runs the past couple weeks, and I'm pretty sure it was from low iron levels. Back on my S.A.D. diet, I used to eat Malt-o-Meal before my runs simply because it was fortified with iron. I don't know why I didn't make this "iron connection" between my two diets sooner?!

The most interesting observation, still, about my raw vegan diet has been this overwhelming sense of satisfaction!" No. More. Cravings.! It's weird. I mean, you still have your natural habits of eating;. For example, I have to end every meal with something sweet, like a bite of dark chocolate, but before I would need a whole 2 scoop sundae, or eat a whole bag of chips, or something extreme like that. I used to eat massive amounts of food at night until totally disgustion. I don't have the desire to do that anymore. I'm still so shocked at this all the time.

I'm not craving any S.A.D. food, either. All the raw vegan substitutes for the foods I would miss have been completely awesome. I must say, I do have a slice of whole wheat multi-grain leavened bread with my dinner about every other day, so that's helped with the bread craving. I've also had cheese pizza with Steven about 3 times since the beginning of all this raw vegan stuff. I don't have a problem with these little "cheating" episodes whatsoever. I consider my dinner to be "let loose" on the raw vegan stuff at dinner (this is where I'll cook my veggies, and eat cooked whole grains), but I still never bring animal flesh or dairy into the mix...except for those cheese pizza incidents. Cheese pizza does make me extremely constipated the next day, so believe me, I pay my price for cheating. My diet is still primarily 98% raw vegan/cooked vegan, so I'm pleased.

Man, I can't stop eating these kale chips! They are definitely a new favorite for me. Dang, they're good!

The best "Doritos" for your heart and taste buds

2009-10-20T10:11:00.002-05:00

Ingredients:

1-2 cup raw cashews
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 Tbs. raw sesame seeds
1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
1 Tbs. Tamari, or soy sauce, or Nama Shoyu
1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. paprika (smoked paprika if you have it)
3/4 - 1 tsp. kosher salt
dash of onion and garlic powders (optional)
1 bunch curly kale

Instructions:
Blend all ingredients (except kale) in the blender. Blend on high until smooth and creamy. You can use the raw, or non-raw, versions of all these ingredients according to your food lifestyle. Also, the spices are "to taste," so measure accordingly. The nutritional yeast and paprika are imperative for a "cheesy" flavor. I ran out of paprika on my second batch, and they lacked the cheese flavor, but we're still great. You can buy nutritional yeast at your local health food store.

You need a LARGE bowl to mix the "cheeze" sauce into the kale. Make sure you kale has been de-stemmed, washed, and torn into bite size chip-like pieces. For mixing, I put down a layer of kale, then poured sauce over it, then another layer of kale, then sauce, and etc. This helps to evenly distribute the sauce. Thoroughly mix the sauce into the kale pieces, and lay out onto dehydrator sheets. I have a 4 tray dehydrator, and I had to remove two of the trays due to the fluffy height of the kale. Dehydrate at 105 degrees for at least 10 hours, or until crispy and dry. Your house will smell like peanut butter and cheese crackers; oddly neither of those things are in the recipe, nor do the chips taste like peanut butter.

These kale chips are awesome! Raw vegan, or not, you will love these! I can't wait to give some to my father, and Steven liked them, too. What a great way to eat such a nutritionally dense leafy green!

Thanks Andi for reminding me to make these,
Claire to the Bear

Through Claire Colored Lenses

GF Chocolate Cupcakes *Coconut Flour*

The Secret

Arriba! Arriba!~Salsa

Glad I got the sorghum...err...spelt?

GF Mocha Cupcakes (aka: "The Steven")

Key Lime Pie Sorbet

I'm Kinda Nutty (pun intended)...Almond Butter!

Crappy wine??? Make Sangria!

Poo on Rice Flour!

I SCREAM...

Ingredients

Directions

Reverse (or Choco-Choco Chip) Cookies

Ingredients

Directions

Pretty Damn Good GF Cocoa Brownies

The BEST GF Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

Directions

The BEST Gluten Free Sandwich Bread

Hiddy-Ho, Gluten Free Land!

You thought you were rid of me, eh???

Bland

Thus begins the last week of freedom

"These are a few of my favorite things"....in 2010

Cover: Dixie Chick's "I Hope"

“Democracy means simply the bludgeoning of the people by the people for the people.” -Oscar Wilde

Grrrrrrr...

It finally happened...

Teach: Claire Cunningham

Purpose

*crickets chirping*

Creamy Smoked Paprika Salad Dressing

Spider Web Cupcakes

Awesome Vegan Ranch Dressing

Holiday Season Has Come..."BOO!"

Creamy Dill Potato Salad

Yin and Yang

Blurbs of a self-proclaimed hermit, both by choice and force.

Vegan Summer Squash Cake

Sorry it's been so long...but WE MOVED!

DIY Compost Bin...I'm hoping.

Updates 5.1.2010

Best Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies EVER!

Green Thumb

Let's look at the numbers...

Coconut Milk Vegan Ice Cream

Best Vegan Brownies (So far...)

Gratitude 1.28.2010 - 2.2.2010

Gratitude 1.27.2010

Gratitude 1.26.2010

Gratitude 1.25.2010

Gratitude 1.22.2010 - 1.24.2010

1.20.2010

1.19.2010 Gratitude

"These are a few of my faaaaaaavorite things...."

Spiced Cocoa Muffins (Vegan)

New Year's Resolutions

Christmas time is/was here...

Creamy Pumpkin Soup (Vegan)

The FAST Hurom Slow Juicer

Church...hmmmm

Creamy Cheezy Corn Chowder

The Month of Thanksgiving...

Vegan Choco-Chip Cookies

Rex Phair Goes Green...smoothie, that is!

Raw Pumpkin Pie

Bubble Gut + Broken Back = Bad Running Combo

Apple Spice Cake with Praline'esque Frosting

Happy 54th, Mama!

Vegan Pumpkin Bread

"I'm just doing my job, lady..." -Mr. Apple

Green Monster sited in Philly!

The Overdosed Pumpkin...and lovin' it!

The best "Doritos" for your heart and taste buds

GF Chocolate Cupcakes Coconut Flour

crickets chirping