Saving Recipes

There are many things I want to keep that I find on the internet, so most of the time I just Bookmark the web page and hope I remember to go back to it some other day.  However, the last while I have been looking for Vegan recipes that are easy and straight forward for me to make since I am really not very versed in cooking skills.  I have found some that I really like, and am not sure they will be there when I go back again. For example, some that are seasonal recipes on web sites of magazines.  In order to make sure I save them, I have been doing a copy/paste to put this onto my computer, using MSWord to save them. This is working well enough, though it is time consuming and I would like to figure out a better way of doing it.  Perhaps some kind of Web To Print type idea so I can just print them out without all the extraneous stuff that is on most websites. I wouldn't want their heading or their menus of links to other things, just the recipe itself.  This way I would make a cookbook in a binder... or two... three.... okay, so maybe storing them on the computer is better  as it would take up less space in my home.  However, I still think it would be handy to be able to print web site 'stuff' for many other things.

Learning Online

I have been doing a bunch of research online, enjoying how much we can learn by 'surfing the net'.  I see ads on the TV for all the different courses and stuff you can get online and as I study and do research on all things that interest me, I think it's kind of like taking online college courses. I have been checking out vegan recipes and looking at recipe books this evening.  I also have been reading recipes for Quinoa in both burgers and bread.  I love learning, so having all this information at my finger tips is a real bonus.

Breakfast of Champions

I was just reading a yummy sounding recipe for breakfast. I usually eat Oatmeal for my first meal of the day, adding lots of healthy things into it. I cook the rolled oats with a pinch each of raisins and craisins (dried cranberries), then add fresh ground flax seeds (about 2 TBSP seeds before grinding), 2 TBSP each of Psyllium Husk and Nutritional Yeast, 1/2 tsp or more cocoa powder, 3 TBSP Lecithin Granules and about 1 cup of Almond Beverage. One very healthy and filling meal. Sometimes I even eat some nuts or fresh fruit with it. This being said, the recipe I just read, Chocolate Peanut Butter Quinoa and Oats, sounds like something I want to try. I think it's a bit high in calories so I would use Almond Beverage (40 cal. per cup) instead of the Soy Beverage (100 cal. per cup) to save 60 calories, or perhaps use 1/2 and 1/2 or 1/4 Soy to 3/4 Almond. I would also leave out the maple syrup.

Hmmm, but how would I get my Psyllium (for fiber) and my Nutritional Yeast (for the B vitamins, including B12), not to mention the Flax (for Omega 3 and fiber) and the Lecithin (to help reduce cholesterol)?? I guess I'll have to give this all some thought.... as I enjoy my Oatmeal.

Carob Peanut Butter recipe

Last week when I was 'out and about' I ended up buying a bunch of books... one 2nd hand book store on Thursday and another one on Friday. I got some really terrific deals at the one of Friday and great books at both. Several of the books are Vegetarian Cookbooks as I need to learn more about preparing meals now that I no longer eat meat or dairy, eggs, anything from animals. Well, most of the time I don't anyway, only maybe 5% of the time when eating at a pot luck or someone else's home I end up eating something with dairy in it or perhaps eggs in it. At home I am full Vegan and around 95% Vegan when out.

One of the new books I bought is called Of These Ye May Eat Freely and it has lots of great recipes that are pretty easy to make. This evening I made Carob Peanut Butter. It sounded too good and too easy not to, and wow, very yummy!! I ate some on bread and ended up eating some by spoon. Still some in fridge for tomorrow!! Here's the recipe:

Carob Peanut Butter
2 bananas or 3/4 c. apple sauce
1/2 tsp vanilla, optional
2 TBSP carob powder
1-2 TBSP sweetener, optional (I didn't use any)
1/2 cup peanut or other nut butter
Blend or stir until smooth.

Club Soda Uses

Today I visited Lucy's Logic to read her Manic Monday post. I found it very interesting information about CLUB SODA, so with Lucy's permission, I've copied most of it here. If you would like to see the graphics Lucy used, and to read about how to make a tasty sounding drink she recommends for a hot day, pop over and read it yourself.

It is so versatile. Did you know you could use club soda to make your pancakes and waffles fluffier? Just add it instead of the liquid called for in the recipe. Or how about this...use flat club soda to water your plants. The minerals in it are good for them.

Club soda is also good for cleaning bird poop and other things off your car windshield. And speaking of cleaning...how about getting those stains out of your clothes? Did you know it works on urine too? What about green hair? I talking about the green hair we blonde's get from too much chlorine in the summer...yep, it strips it right out!

I'll bet you didn't know that club soda could help you plan that romantic evening with that special someone! You've been to the store to pick up those oysters (just in case) and you need a little help shucking them? CLUB SODA! Soak them awhile and VIOLA...they open a little easier.

Thanks Lucy!!

Pickled Eggs... Kiwi Style

Today (Sunday Nov. 26... even though the blog shows it as the 27th it is still the 26th to me, haha) I blogged, worked on weaving the table runner, did some housework, and did up some pickled eggs. Now, I know that many of you do more than this in a day so it wouldn't seem like all that much, but for me it is. With health challenges I usually don't accomplish as much as I'd like to. Also, I have a lot of other things on my plate that take up a lot of time, a lot of them to do with volunteer work I do for my Spiritual Centre. But today I took a "me" day and didn't even go to church. I stayed home all day and acutely feel like I accomplished something today.

There are 9 small bantam eggs in each of these 5 pint jars. I plan to give some... most... maybe all away as Christmas gifts, so will make some pretty cloth things for the top of the jars, and will keep the rings as I only have 6 of this size (at least that I could find today, lol).

One thing I've noticed about these eggs is that they've gone a pale brownish color. Where they are pressed against the jars they are still white, but otherwise, where the spicy vinegar touches them, they've changed color. I'm wondering if this is due to using brown sugar instead of honey? Kiwi, if you read this post, can you tell me if yours go this color? It could give them a little less of an appetizing look.

Pickled Eggs - Kiwi Style

Vinegar of choice
1 TBSP pickling spice per 750 ml (3 cups) vinegar

- Bring to boil
- Add a big dollop of honey or brown sugar
- Stir until dissolved. Cool

- Fill sterile glass jars with hard boiled eggs (shelled)
- Top with cold spicy vinegar
- Screw on lid

- Keep for 4 weeks before eating
- Keep in fridge if not sealed

Thank you for this recipe, Kiwi!!

As I plan to give these as gifts, I wanted them sealed so they can sit under the Christmas tree without refrigeration. As the recipe said to cool the spicy vinegar first, I did, but with the limited knowledge I have in this area, I figured it had to be hot to seal the jars, so after everything was put together and the lids/rings were on the jars, I put them into my soup pot and covered them with water, then brought it to just starting to boil. I removed the jars from the hot water and turned them upside down for awhile then right side up. All of them sealed!! I hope it didn't alter (ruin) the taste or texture of the pickled eggs inside.

I'm looking forward to trying them out after the 4 weeks, which will take us right up to Christmas eve.

On the weather front... it's snowing and blowing out there. I was out just awhile ago and the drifts are pretty deep. I forgot to look at the thermometer while out there, but Environment Canada web site says it was -13 C at 1:00 am, so pretty "cool" out. I'm happy and grateful to be in a warm, comfortable home tonight and every night.

About Food

This is from the recipe book Cooking With Love.

You are what you eat
But I'm not one to brood.
The minute I heard it,
I ate pretty food!

Cola B-B-Q Chicken

When at Mom's the other night, she served a wonderful dinner of chicken with brown rice and veggies. The chicken was a new recipe she was just trying that used Coke {well, cola, but Mom's a smart little lady so of course got Coke and then gave me the rest of what was in the bottle :o) } It was really delicious, tender chicken and the sauce went very well on the rice, so I wrote down the recipe and will make it for myself one day soon.

This recipe is from the book Cooking With Love, recipes submitted by various different people. It's a great little book which I will borrow from Mom and copy some recipes out of when I am finished doing so with another of her recipe books. I don't cook hardly at all, so am not sure why I even bother to get recipes, but hey, you never tell what the future might bring.

Cola B-B-Q Chicken - Linda Oberg
Flour and brown, or just brown chicken in oil about 5 minutes on each side.
Remove chicken and discard oil.
Heat 3/4 cup catsup (spelled ketchup around here) in pan and add chicken.
Pour 1 cup cola over all and cover.
Cook 30 minutes, turn, uncover and cook another 30 minutes.