BitterSweet

Perusing through my local yarn store for the first time in months, I was horribly distraught by the sign posted on the counter immediately inside the door. 25% off everything!, it screamed. Normally this would be cause for rejoicing, but not this time; This time, it was a final sale, and my only source of high-quality local yarn would be going under in less than a month. Prepared to weep on the floor, I turned my attention to the remaining skeins of fiber and channeled that crushing sadness into some serious retail therapy. Already the once abundant piles of yarn were looking diminished, but as luck would have it, there were still a good number of choices that suited my taste for cool colors. Hunting high and low, I managed to scoop up three balls of the most beautiful variegated blue/green/brown yarn, and it was immediately obvious that these last remnants of a favorite craft store would need to be made into a beautiful but somber winter scarf. It would definitely get plenty of use, and I would be able to remember this landmark every time I put it on, long after the shop itself had closed its doors.

And so, with a hot cup of tea at my side and rain drops slapping the roof like a torrent of mournful tears, I set to work on my memorial scarf. Going back to a pattern that I had already made, loved, and given away, I decided it was only fair that I finally make it for myself. Knits followed purls and yarn-overs like clockwork, but all was not as it seemed. Slowly the ball of yarn unwound, and I found myself moving lengths of different colors that seemed to come out of no where. How had they hidden themselves so thoroughly at the center of that skein? Before I knew what was flying off my needles, I had a long length of scarf sitting in my lap, and hardly an inch of that lustrous blue could be found!

To say that the results were surprising would be like saying that the moon is kind of big. Taken aback at first, I can’t say that it was love at first sight like it had been with the original state of that yarn… but no matter, I dutifully knit through all three skeins and bound off, figuring that at worst it could become another holiday gift. After blocking it out, the colors still didn’t quite strike a chord with me… But I couldn’t deny it, it was slowly growing on me. Surely, it’s not such an ugly scarf in the first place, and moreover, it’s the thought that counts. I know, I know, it’s a corny sentiment, but it’s true- This may very well be the last thing knit with yarn from my one and only local yarn store, so as soon as it had dried and the pins were out, I found myself wrapping it around my neck at any opportunity. Long enough to pull up and hide my nose from the brutal winds that bite whenever I step out for a walk, I’m grateful for what it is, even if it wasn’t what I had expected.

Edit: Due to popular demand, I’ll let everyone know that this yarn is Love It Colors by Berroco, and the specific color scheme is called “Monday Monday.”

Ever eat so much that it feels like you’re pregnant with a humpback whale, you’ve been filled up with cotton and polyester like a soft toy, you can’t even move because you’re so stuffed but can’t remain sitting up straight due to the strain on your back from that bloated belly hanging past your knees? That’s how I feel right now, and I blame it all on Trader Joe’s. Yes, I adore the place and all of their wonderful creations, but at this moment, I’m cursing their name in between hiccups and burps. They just had to come out with a special holiday edition of their already delectable Joe-Joe’s, including pieces of real crushed candy canes no less, and then flaunt those festive red-striped boxes right in front of my nose? The nerve! Listen to me, my dear readers: Do not buy the Candy Cane Joe-Joe’s, whatever you do! Otherwise you’ll attempt crazy stunts like eating the entire box in one sitting, and you too will develop a terribly tummy ache, inconsolably gurgly and burbly with saccharine holiday cheer. I have no pictures for you because… Well… I think you can guess where all the cookies are at this point.

Take my word for it, these cookies are so incredibly addictive, you won’t be able to stop at 1, or 10, for that matter, so don’t even think about tossing them into your cart!

Sorry to make this so short, but I can feel the sugar coma coming any minute now, so if you would excuse me…

At the end of every month, like clockwork, there would be one single recipe that seemed to flood the blogosphere, appearing on every last blog until there could scarcely be a single person online who hadn’t tried it or at least heard about it. Challenging feats of pastry involving complicated techniques and precise measurements, baked goods that looked worthy for 5-star bakeries- It was a curious but drool-inducing phenomenon indeed. The masterminds who orchestrated these incredible creations called themselves the Daring Bakers, and once I knew their name, I felt as though it were only a matter of time before I joined them, even if my skills weren’t quite up to par. Sadly, there was one major issue standing in my way: Eggs and dairy. Of course I could easily circumvent their common ingredients as always, but with the Daring Bakers comes rules, and no substitutions are ever allowed. Disappointed, I sat quietly for many months, watching new challenges come and pass with envious eyes.

My silent voyeurism may have easily continued for yet another year had I not had a brief exchange with Helen, in which I let my jealousy of the other Daring Bakers slip. Much to my surprise, she informed me that the cult of bakers were changing their ways after having grown so substantially to almost 300 members, and now dietary restrictions could merit substitutions. Celiacs and vegans, rejoice! Pouncing on the opportunity and holding on tight, I immediately signed up, and here I am, ready to present the results of my very first challenge… Tender Potato Bread.

Chosen by Tanna, this recipe seemed like the perfect way to start in this talented group- A simple substitution of margarine instead of butter erased any morality issues, and the instructions seemed fairly straightforward. Having worked with yeast before and successfully producing tasty loaves with no difficulty, I thought that this one was in the bag. And then I got to work.

Where I ran into to trouble was the amount of potatoes- The recipe called for 4 medium potatoes, 8-16 ounces total, and after coming up with exactly 8 ounces from 2 potatoes, I thought, Oh, this is perfect! Exactly 16 ounces! But of course, I am no master bread maker, so perhaps I bit off more than I could chew. When it came time to incorporate flour into the watery mashed potatoes, I was astounded at how cup after cup of the strong wheat was soaked up as if it had never been added in the first place. After adding in 8 full cups of flour, I turned my dough out on to the counter… And oh my, did it want to rest on the flour instead! Elbow deep in dough, I had to call for my mom to toss in additional scoops of flour, kneeding (or at least squishing) furiously to continue mixing the ingredients. Growing larger by the minute but staying just as stubbornly sticky, my mom commented in a slightly fearful voice about how much dough I would end up with if this kept on eating up flour at such a rate! And so, unsatisfied with the texture but not looking to cause trouble, I started thinking about a final resting place for my blob. Dinner rolls were out of the question since they would keep on spreading and end up flat, and this seemed like a whole lot more than one loaf’s worth of material, so I had some help in pulling out the giant jelly roll pan (since I had dough all over my hands, arms, and torso by now) and went ahead with a focaccia.

Of course, it was so wet that none of my indentations stayed for long, but by now it was all about making it through the challenge alive, so pretended all was well and sprinkled the top with sea salt, garlic powder, and rosemary. Into the oven it went, and into the shower I went. Soon enough, a fragrant, savory aroma was wafting out from the oven…

And after all that, it actually turned out, a lovely, tasty slab of focaccia! Well okay, maybe not focaccia exactly, but a very nice flat bread indeed. Had a actually put my brain into use and went with 2 potatoes instead of the full 4, I’m betting that my textural issues would have all been forgotten. As you can see, it does have a fairly even crumb, but it’s far denser than what a traditional focaccia would sport.

Still, I think I would call this challenge successful- The bread ended up being cut into chunks and going into our Thanksgiving stuffing!

Here’s to the daring bakers and all of their beautiful breads; You should really check them out as well. I know I will… but I can’t wait for the next challenge!

Scroll back a few posts, and you may notice a conspicuous lack of holiday cheer. While every other blogger on the face of the planet has already mapped out and shared recipes for their entire Thanksgiving dinners, or provided decorating tips for impressing the folks, or even prepared you with ideas for dealing with all those leftovers, I haven’t even said a peep about today’s festivities. It’s not that I hate Thanksgiving, and I certainly have a whole lot to be thankful for this year, but… When I realized how quickly these holidays would just keep on coming now, and before you know it, I would have squandered yet another year’s worth of merriment, well, I just went into denial. Maybe if I didn’t pay attention, it wouldn’t really happen. Of course, this is perhaps the worst plan you could ever try, because then you’ll wake up on the morning of Thanksgiving and realize you have absolutely nothing to bring to the family feast.

It’s easy to see what happened next… Quickly piling flour, sugar, and spices into the mixing bowl, cranking up the oven, and doling out paper liners at the speed of light, I figured it I could easily bake my way out of this mess. Cupcakes take no time to slap together and everyone loves them! My only word of advice here: It’s a good idea to measure your ingredients. “Why, who on earth would go about willy-nilly and not measure their ingredients?! Don’t you know that could lead to some horrible cupcake tragedy?” Um…. that would be me.

So, out of the oven came these mini cakes that looked like ground zero for multiple atomic bombs, and I only have so much time before the whole family piles into the car and takes off for Grandma’s house. Crap. Okay, should you ever find yourself in this sort of mess, don’t panic: go back to basics and think, what makes everything better? Chocolate, of course!

Good, good, they’re looking better already! Fill up those cavernous indents with ganache and I seriously doubt anyone would complain. Give ‘em a quick chill in the fridge, and you’re ready to cover up your error with a nice thick pile of creamy frosting. No one will be the wiser to your baking faults!

Then, just to tie it all together, a cheerful nonpareil makes it look like you intended to include a chocolate filling all along. Nice work, now you don’t have to come to the party empty handed! So on that note, I hope that my gingerbread cupcakes with chocolate ganache and lemon frosting are received well, because I’ve gotta get going!

Have a Happy Thanksgiving; I hope that you planned your celebration out better than I did!

Bursting in through the open windows without warning, a blustery wind filled with sharp fragments of freezing rain seems to signify that like it or not, winter is upon us once again. Never mind the red leaves still hanging precariously by a thread up in the tallest trees, or the calender that still firmly insists that this season is still known as “autumn”- Mother nature appears to have other thoughts on the matter. All of a sudden, there is nary a pest indoors or out (not that I’m complaining) and nearly every single wild creature out there has already turned in for a long hibernation, or has taken off for a trip to the tropics. That is, except for one little fellow who showed up on my doorstep not too long ago…

Looking quite distraught, this tiny bird was but a newborn, not yet a goose but still a wee goose-ling. Sporting wings so small and underdeveloped that they could have only carried perhaps a single feather, he quickly explained that the rest of his family had left him behind in search of greener pastures, not to mention warmer weather. Unable to wait for the youngster to gain the strength required to make such a long journey, the plummeting temperatures scared them off without the poor baby in tow. Searching for some kind family to put him up for the winter, he had been ringing doorbells all throughout the neighborhood, but to no avail. Apparently no one wanted to deal with a wild goose, probably knowing all too well that they aren’t exactly the easiest creatures to toilet train…

But those sad eye, that heart-breaking story- How could I turn him away so cruelly? If you know me, then by now you would know that I couldn’t… But unfortunately, I couldn’t keep him here, either. Thinking fast, I realized that I knew a very generous, sweet blogger who does actually live in Brazil who would certainly take good care of him. Arranging for a first class plane ride, he would be able to fly south for the winter after all!

(Photo courtesy of Patricia!)

And even if he hasn’t been reunited with his original family, it seems that he has happily found a new one, and I would say that this lucky duck hasn’t been having such a terrible time since he arrived, either!

Despite being born into a “technologically advanced” generation and my undeniable love of computers, the accessories that could work alongside them always seemed like little more than expensive scams, and even the most utilitarian hardware such as printers had never interested me much. Sitting off in a dusty corner, our printers were frequently hand-me-downs or discontinued models bought on the cheap, capable of little more than transforming pages of black and white digitized letters into physical documents. When we finally upgraded our family printer into one that had color ink, it was a momentous occasion, but I still couldn’t get very excited about the lack-luster tones and low quality prints slowly crawling out of the paper tray. The last thing I would ever think of doing was trying to make serious prints of digital photography, so even as I became closer and closer with my camera, there was still no tangible proof of our countless hours together. Sure, there are plenty of new services online that will send you prints of your pictures these days, but the hassle of ordering, waiting for shipping, and exorbitant costs drove me away faster than you can click a browser window shut. Convinced that printing decent photographs in one’s own home was truly a fantasy, I was prepared to drop the notion when I found this new Kodak EasyShare printer- Or should I say, when it found me.

For full disclosure, I want you all to know that yes, I did receive this machine for free to review, but that doesn’t mean I was influenced in my opinion. Since I had very recently purchased a new printer for those black and white school reports that are always demanded, I wasn’t even sure if it was a wise thing to take in yet another bulky piece of equipment, especially with my limited dorm space. Nonetheless, I wanted to put it through its paces and see what this baby could do, with the hopes of bringing my photos back into reality.

First off, it’s easy to see even at a glance that this is not your grandma’s printer. With built-in scanner/copier capabilities in addition to those nifty photo-specific features that allow you to hook up your camera’s memory disk directly to the printer, no computer required, I could hardly even compare my archaic ink boxes to it. What really excited me, though, was a little slot meant specifically for 4×6 photo papers. Okay, you can call me a nerd now… But I have never been able to use this size paper before, even if I had been okay with the dismal quality- Sucking up those small pieces along with the next full-sized sheet of paper, my old machines wouldn’t register the presence of such a small object. Needless to say, this time it worked with incredible ease, and I have a feeling that homemade stationery and photo cards might become a big deal for my holiday mailings now… You’ll just have to trust me that it came out beautifully, because a picture of a picture really doesn’t do this print justice.

Best of all perhaps is the ink itself- Much cheaper than the standard cartridges, I won’t have to bemoan the cost of every single print. Tip-toeing so carefully along my narrow budget, this is one huge stress that I would be happy to push into the back of my mind while enjoying my photography.

In order to test out this feature, I selected a number of random pictures I had hanging out on my memory card, and it just so happened that I picked out a series of cupcake photos. As they shot out of the printer at lightning speed, I was amused to see that they told a story by themselves. To give you an idea of what I saw and then laid out on my desk together, here are those pictures in order:

(Yum!)

Now here’s the fun part- I have been granted an extra Kodak printer, and I want one of you to have it! Yes, you too can look forward to printing off pictures, holiday cards, and even reports if you should so desire, with all of the added features of this magnificent machine! I’ve learned well enough that you guys are too smart for my usual contests, so this time, I want you to earn this baby. Whip out that camera of yours and take a series of pictures, just like I did with the cupcakes. It doesn’t need to be of an particular subject, with any amount of time elapsing between shots, and it doesn’t need to tell a story, if you so choose. It might need an accompanying explanation, or it may speak for itself. You could capture an object in motion while the camera stays stationary, or your subject might be the same, viewed from all different angles. Okay, I think you get the point, so just get creative; it’s really hard to go wrong with this one! All I ask is that you have at least three pictures in this series, but you can certainly include more if it seems fit.

To participate, please post your submissions on your blog, link back to this post, and email me so that I’m aware of your entry (Hannah@mysweetvegan.com) by November 30. I will post a round-up and announce the winners on December 2nd. Good luck, be creative, and give it your all- I can’t wait to see what everyone comes up with!

If you were to listen closely, I bet that right about now, you would be able to hear a faint crackling sound coming from my direction- No need to worry though, that’s only the sound of my brain shorting out and hemorrhaging from both my ears. Ah, the stress that has left me without words to share through the blog and emails alike sent me back into hiding for a little bit there, nursing an intense headache and a terrible case of procrastination. Thanks to this brilliant [Read: Moronic] tactic, there’s only more to stress over, with essays approaching their due dates at light-speed and emails coming in faster than I can hit the “refresh” key, and I’m feeling just a little bit… Overwhelmed. That’s where the brain explosions come in.

Hoping to salvage at least part of my remaining grey matter, I thought it might be helpful to take a deep breath and try to relax a little bit, without completely absconding from my duties. Easier said than done, right? Figuring that there was no harm in trying to soothe aggravated nerves in any way possible, the first issue to tackle was the clutter overflowing from every nook and cranny of my work space. There’s only so much room in a dorm, you know, and I’m already storing a medium-sized pumpkin under my bed! (It’s a long story…) Once there was enough hidden away in closets in draws to at least pretend that the room was clean, it seemed only right to do a small bit of re-decorating in a way that would perpetuate my new “zen” approach, and lucky for me, I found a cute little pot of bamboo to adorn the window sill with while putting off my school work again.

That was all well and good, but in no time at all, I noticed that this bamboo did not come alone. An incredible and preposterous situation it would seem, but there was no denying it- Some small creature had bummed a ride and smuggled itself into the greenery!

As if my mind wasn’t frazzled enough, how do you expect me to explain the presence of a panda here in New England, in the brisk days of fall, no less!? Preparing to go hide under the covers of my bed again until this mirage had disappeared, I was struck by how deep his blue eyes were, staring intently and purposefully at me.

What was he trying to tell me? If only he would say. Remaining stone silent, he simply clung close to his bamboo and watched me from afar, looking neither happy nor sad. Since there was no way that I would get through all of this work with a cheerful smile plastered on my face, I realized that perhaps his approach might actually be helpful, if I could just take it all in, get through it, and save my intensity for later. So I guess it’s thanks to that black and white critter that I’m back on the blog and about to dig into those essays at last- Just don’t expect me to slog through it all in one go, feeling “zen” or not!

Dear Knitting,

Oh, how I’ve forsaken you, my original crafting passion! Days and weeks and months pass, and still those two needles are no where to be seen, locked away with the untouched skeins of soft, cotton yarn meant for clothing. You see, it’s just so hard to resist the pull of that crochet hook, what with all its promises of fast, easy projects and instant gratification. There just isn’t enough time for you, knitting, as much as I would love to while away the hours listening to the soft click click of the needles, watching the slow accumulation of piles of stitches as they slowly begin to take form. Just like the good old days, you could be there to save me from the tedium of slow classes, or the interminable waits between them. Sadly, we just haven’t crossed paths it seems, and those needles stay just as cold and disused as ever, tucked away in the dark depths of my closet.

Out of sight does not always mean out of mind, however, and as the afternoon sun fails to warm the earth as it once did in the summer, my thoughts return increasingly to the comfort of hand-knit cloth. Just like clockwork, just as so many food bloggers have noticed that seemingly out of no where, their appetites for hearty, hot, filling stews and rib-sticking meals has returned, so has my desire for knitting. Cued by the falling leaves and dropping temperatures, it just feels like the right thing to do, to return to you once again.

Sure, the going may be slow, but we’ll get through it like we always have in the past, and perhaps even create some comforting winter garb along the way. Scarfs, hats, blankets, socks; I want to make them all this year, and then curl up by the fire with my needles to keep on making more!

My dearest knitting, thank you for your patience- I just know that we’ll have a great time together this season!

If there’s anything I like more than good old granola, it’s definitely granola bars. I know, many prepackaged varieties are complete gimmicks and rip-offs, because what could be easier than sticking those dry ingredients together? Plus, the increase in cost can become astronomical when you factor in the extra “labor” and excessive packaging itself… Thankfully, I happened to have plenty of raw materials still on my hands, so I decided to cut out the middleman in this situation and just use what I had on hand to make a cohesive pan of chewy granola bars.

Selecting the Peanut Butter granola to best compliment my sticky concoction of edible “glue” made primarily from peanut butter, these babies are impossibly addictive. Plus, it’s so incredibly easy to put together with no actual baking required, it may be hard to stop at just one batch.

Chewy Peanut Butter Granola Bars

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Light Agave
1/2 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter
3 Cups Peanut Butter Granola

Lightly grease an 8 x 8 square baking dish. Place the granola in a large bowl and set aside for now.

In a medium sauce pan, combine the sugar, agave, and peanut butter, and simply cook over medium heat until fully combined and smooth, and bring just to a boil. Pour the liquid ingredients over the cereal, mix well to fully coat all of the dry granola, and press it evenly into your prepared pan. Let cool completely before cutting, although you can always speed up this process in the fridge. Because they are so soft, I might suggest wrapping them individually (for both freshness and ease) and storing them in the fridge. However, I can’t say for sure on this one, because my ravenous dorm mates gobbled them all up within an hour!