Hiatus Over

Well, there really is no excuse for how long I've been gone... but I"m back now. I don't know if I've brought this up before, but last year on August 5th, I went off the meat, so I'll be experimenting with many Veggie and Vegan recipes. I've actually been cooking up a storm lately, so I have LOTS to post!

OTHER EXCITING NEWS: I got my laptop lunchbox (http://www.laptoplunches.com/) in the mail yesterday, and made an excellent brunch for myself. I did take pictures of it, so I'll post those later. I've been reading this post (http://www.veganlunchbox.com/) for years now, and have always wanted the bento that she uses. As I have been out of lunch baggies for over two months now, and have been using solely reusable containers, I figured it was time to treat myself to a really great bento! It finally came in the mail yesterday, and is just as wonderful as I thought it would be! Even the Hunny was excited! (I got him a black and red one, but mine is the "whimsical" colors.)

TODAY FOR MY BRUNCH I PACKED:
Sourdough bread (I will use Brummel and Brown to make this into toast though)
Sliced Fresh Strawberries with a sprinkling of raw sugar
a teeny tiny bit of slices Bree
a teeny tiny bit of Merlot cheese
a quarter of a vanilla tart from La Madeleine

A bit much, I know... but it's brunch! And all I'll have after that is probably a couple of pieces of fruit.

WHAT SORT OF THINGS HAVE I COOKED, SO WHAT DO WE HAVE IN STORE FOR YOU?
Well I'll tell ya...

• Open Faced Sourdough Sandwiches with Sweet Potato Patties, fresh greens, and the greatest vinaigrette EVER
• High Fiber Low Fat Vegan Brownies
• Marshmallow Fluff
• Filo Rosettes with Bree
• Yummy Spinach Salad with that same "Greatest Vinaigrette Ever"

And that's just a beginning. I've been a cooking fool, lately! Tonight, I think I will use that marshmallow fluff to make rice crispy treats. Oh how I have been missing those bad boys since I went all veggie and stuff. They have good ones at Trader Joe's... but they aren't the same!

THING I'M ABOUT TO TRY:
What does Courtney have in her fridge to try out, you might want to know... WELL...

• Tofu Jerky
• Those Rice Crispy treats

And more!

Keep posted...

Oh Goodness, I disappeared!!!

So sorry I fell of the face of the earth. Tons of exciting stuff is happening in my life right now. Part of which: My first niece should be born just any old time now. For that reason, and a couple of other ones, I'm going to see my family. Now, my bro's girl, I'm pretty sure the reason why she likes us is because of my Dad's Thai Fried Noodles. It's way different from traditional Pad Thai. In fact, they aren't even really the same dish, but I thought I'd include this recipe for your viewing enjoyment. You can add whatever meat you want. I usually add shrimp. Also, the amounts are strictly up to the cook's discretion.

First, throw some rice noodles in some really super hot water, and some bean sprouts in some ice water. Next mix up a big fat spoonful of red curry paste (or Massaman if you prefer), a spoonful of all natural peanut butter, an egg, and a bit of sugar. Next heat up your wok, and toss the sauce in with your soft noodles. Put a bit of fish sauce on it, toss in your drained and crunchy bean sprouts, and top with some chopped peanuts, chopped green onion, and chopped cilantro. We add precooked shrimp while it's in the wok and add some chopped dried shrimp to the topping. To salt it at the table, we put a bit of soy sauce in, or a bit more fish sauce. It's quick, easy, and completely delish. To make a sweeter, softer dish, make more sauce, and add more sugar, and less curry paste. To make a spicier dish, add more curry paste and less peanut butter. For more peanutty sauce... well, you get the idea.

Yum. I think I"ll make this for my little baby mama when I go and see her. Never hurts to accrue those brownie points. :-)

E-Z Green Beans

My sis made these for me last night, and I was reminded by how much I LOVED them when I was a little kid. It should tell you what kind of a weird kid I was by the fact that I used to BEG my mom for these... and for brussel sprouts. I have a not so secret love affair with brussel sprouts. Picture this convo:

Me: (adorable, intelligent little child that I was) Mom. MoOm. MoOom!! They have brussel sprouts. MOM. They have BRUSSEL SPROUTS! Can you GET SOME, MOM???
Mom: No. Those things are nasty.
Me: No they aren't. Belinda makes them for us. They're SO good. Can YOU make them?
Mom: No! And DON'T. ASK. AGAIN.
Random Shopper: *gawking* How did you get your kids to do that?

Anyhow...

Green beans with Hoisin Sauce

Level: Easy Peasy

• Snow Peas (or regular green beans) Make sure they are fresh and lovely!
• Green Onions
• Canola Oil
• Hoisin Sauce

Clean your beans. Cut off any weird threadies. If you used regular green beans, break them into big bite size pieces. Clean your onions and cut them into the same sized pieces as your beans. (NOTE: I usually do about 2 parts green beans to 1 part onion) Heat up some canola oil in a wok or frying pan. Throw the beans and onions in there just long enough for them to cook through WITHOUT losing crispness. Slop some Hoisin sauce on them, and toss. It's doesn't take too terribly much of the hoisin sauce.

What do you have?

Monster Deliciousness.

She also made the most amazing lo mein that I've ever had, but I'll have to find out precisely what she put on it to make it so WONDERFUL. I should have taken a picture. It was beautiful as well as wonderful. So good, my hunny couldn't answer whether or not he liked it, because he was too busy polishing his plate with his tongue and getting up to get another serving!

And one more thing. A hint on the cupcakes? Chocolate Genache will be involved because I have cream I have to use. So stay tuned. I have found an amazing recipe. They will be ridiculous.

I just found the most AMAZING new blog

More coming soon.
Wait for it.

Later for now Gaterroos.

Heh heh heh

My coworker gave me the most terrific idea for cupcakes. I'm very excited, and think I will make them with my little sister on Saturday.

Also, I think I will make an expiremental jumbalaya tonight. Usually, my hunny bunny makes that, and he uses real pork sausage, but I'm going to try it with turkey sausage. We'll see. We'll see.

Let me eat cake!

This is my grandmother's recipe.

Italian Cream Cake

Cream together

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 stick butter
• 1/2 cup oil (I used canola, because I'm health conscious. *smirk*)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla (I never measure vanilla, but I probably doubled that.)
• 5 egg yolks, one at a time

Then beat the 5 egg whites until they form stiff white peaks, and cream them in too.l

Add

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 can angel coconut

Bake in 3 (9 inch) cake pans or a tube pan for 25 minutes or until done, longer for a bundt pan.

I used a 9x13 sheet pan for once in my life, and it took FOREVER. It's done with the edges pull away from the side of the pan a little, so make sure you grease well. I am a huge fan of the baking Pam, though I just used regular butter flavor Pam this time.

Some other changes I made:

Can angel coconut? What on earth is that? I'm not from Georgia or Tennessee or someplace CRAZY where you have coconut in a CAN! So, I took 1 cup of sweetened flaked coconut, soaked it in the some milk for an hour or two in the fridge, then squeezed most the milk out to add it. This does make a VERY moist cake, almost wet, that is actually better on the second day. IF and only IF it lasts that long.

The icing:

Whip together

• 1 stick butter (REAL BUTTER)
• 1 8 ounce package of cream cheese
• 1 teaspoon vanilla (again, I bet I doubled this)
• 1 box powdered sugar
• 1 cup chopped pecans

NOW, let's talk a bit about buttercream. This is a cream cheese buttercream. Everything you use it in should be room temperature. Cream together the butter, cream cheese and vanilla. Then add the powdered sugar. Very. Slowly. Then add your pecans. Make sure these are a pretty fine chop. If, when you are done, you find your icing very thick, you can add a bit of hot water. When I say a bit, I mean a teaspoon at a time, until the consistency is right. This particular icing is not one you can use to decorate with, the but nuts make it pretty attractive. For an extra attractive option, you could make it a layer cake, leave the nuts out of the frosting, then press them against the icing on the side of the cake, and drizzle a few across the top. I, however, was lazy this time, and so made a sheetcake. And I certainly did take a lot of crap for that, but you know what? I can't be Superwoman ALL the time.

Cupcake suggestions?

Hey there all. I am looking for some fabulous cupcake recipes. Like I said, I've been checking out that cupcake website, and I am feeling inspired to make some adorable, delicious, little cakies. Anyone have any ideas, drop me a line at cooking.with.coconuts@gmail.com

Vielen Dank kids!