April 2012

Apr

30

Overcast Spring {Cherry Almond Breakfast Bake}

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It’s a definiate gloomy day. The sun hasn’t peeped out even once, and I have been inside studying, writing, and being generally productive getting ready for my finals. I needed a break from algebraic equations and memorizing phylums, so I whisked up a cherry almond breakfast cake and curled up on the sofa with the book “Radical” by David Platt while it baked. It’s a thought-provoking book written to challenge the American Dream and materialistic attitude that is present in today’s church that we are reading for my Tuesday night Bible Study. It’s been good so far, but a little on the “hopeless” side, if I could say that? I’ll see how it wraps up. Regardless, it’s been a good reminder of where my heart+finances should be.

  {little sprouts for the garden}

I made a delicious almond breakfast bake the other day, sans recipe, to use up some egg whites (leftover from birthday hollandaise) and almond pulp from the almond milk I made. It was so-so the first day, so I didn’t write the recipe down. That was 2 days ago. I had a slice for breakfast this morning after my workout and man-o-man it was tasty. Now I want the recipe. I didn’t have any almond pulp to use up this time, so I threw this together with some almond flour (which I had actually made from almond pulp a while back…) The classic cherry+almond combo sounded really good. I can’t wait to try it tomorrow morning.

Cherry Almond Breakfast Bake

1/2c Almond Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 T Ground Flaxseed
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 Almond Milk
2 Eggs
1 Egg White
4 tsp Melted Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
~2 T Raw Honey
1/2 tsp Almond Extract
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1c Sour Cherries (fresh/thawed+drained) sweetened with 1/2 tsp Stevia
1/4c Toasted Chopped Almonds

Mix dry. Whisk in wet. Pour into a greased+floured 9″ round pan. Top with cherries and chopped almonds. Bake at 375 for ~20 minutes or until set.

 

 

Apr

28

19.

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19 isn’t a very “fun” age. 18 comes and you can vote, and buy cigarettes (pack a day, you know! Not.) and lottery tickets (the only lottery ticket I have had -and lost at- was one someone gave me for Christmas). At 20, you just get to be 20. No longer in the “teens” category and two decades old. Once you turn 21 the Untied States deems you responsible enough to start doing what the French and Germans start at 16… and most high school kids in the US, illegally. Despite not turning a “cool age”, and having to work on my birthday (Happy Birthday to meee $), it was a fun day.

I woke up with the sun, and to a hot cup of black coffee.

My mama made me eggs benedict california-style with avocado. Look at that hollandaise. Oh wait, you can’t see that extra flub on my tummy can you? ;)

My littlest brother made me a scavenger hunt. I started the tradition one Christmas with a scavenger hunt for him, clues littered about the house. He surprised me with one this year, and after running up and down the floors of the house, looking in freezers and behind photo frames I discovered a big blue polka dot beach towel stuffed in a pillowcase- he knows how I love the beach! :)

I worked for a looong time on my new blog (oh, that’s THIS ONE :) ) before and after work.

Mom also made a deeelllishous key lime pie for after my birthday dinner of whitefish+roasted veggies (she is the best cook.)

I ate a huuuge slice of it. Not the one pictured. It was bigger :P

These past weeks have been crazy with school, work, dates with friends, and getting this new site up and running. It’s a mere (or painfully long? I can’t decide which.) 2 weeks until graduation! I’ll finally have that first step towards my bachelor’s completed! I went to an honors luncheon at the college the other day… You can tell you are up north when you are scared you are overdressed for an event ;)

{$3.50 dress steal+red/gold RL belt}

I’m going to try and get back to regular blogging, and purposeful blogging. I’m learning a lot in the college Bible study I’m in and need time to get my thoughts out…. Writing isn’t coming to me lately, when English Comp demands are on the mind….

Until soon,

Liv

Apr

26

Hannah {Senior Pictures}

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Apr

20

Chiles Rellenos, Revisited

Blog Posts / Personal / she cooks she bakes / 2 comments

I’m still in my yoga pants after working out this morning, and have been thoroughly enjoying the day despite the great awful that I woke up to. When my alarm went off at 7, I wrenched my head off the pillow to peep out the window. Snow. Slush. Grey. Blech. Michigan, I thought, I know our relationship has been on the rocks but this is the last straw. After turning my alarm off and going back to sleep, (the snow did get me out of going to work!) I got up around nine and headed off to the gym. On the way back I stopped and did some thrifting, finding a summery green dotted tee. After achieving some level of productivity (working out) I’m letting myself loaf around for the rest of the day ;) This includes, but is not limited to, reading about Spain, Skyping with my newly engaged best friend(!), texting, laying in bed watching movies, drinking coffee and eating chocolate.

This time last year snow and slush wasn’t even a worry when I got up in the morning. It’s hard to believe that it’s been over a year since I was living in Mexico! We had some chilies in the fridge so for lunch today I decided to whip up some Chiles Rellenos, like my host mom had taught me how last February.

Start by charring the life out of your peppers. You want them burnt and black!

Peel them. This is the messy part.

I found that peeling them under running water helps get the skin and burt parts off quicker, and keeps your fingernails a little cleaner!

Set them on a clean towel to dry.

In the meantime, mix up your batter for dipping the chiles in. I was only making three, so cut my original recipe in half and used 2 eggs. Start by beating the whites until stiff.

Add your egg yolks + 1 TB Flour after the whites are stiff.

Give it a quick mix.

Now grab those chiles and stuff them with cheese! I recommend Queso Chihuahua or a Mexican Queso Blanco, which I’ve found even at Mejier. I was doing this on a whim, so just used the provolone we had in the fridge. Chiles Rellenos mean Stuffed Peppers, and you can add whatever you like- Chorizo is a popular stuffer.

Coat the peppers in flour. About now is a good time to start heating up some oil in a fry pan.

Coat ‘em up!

Immediately put them in HOT oil, and when they are brown flip them over. Test your oil out with a little egg batter before frying them. If it’s not hot enough you will have an oily, eggy  messy on your hands.

Set them on paper towels/napkins to absorb any excess oil… ‘Cause we want to be healthy with our fried, cheese-stuffed foods, ya know? ;)

I had mine with a side of leftover black beans+chicken and some fresh avocado +tomato. 

Fresh cilantro.

Yummm. You can wrap them up in tortillas, they are great with refried beans, a side of rice,  a little salsa+plain yogurt- however you like!

Apr

15

Roasted Banana Scones with a Rum Glaze

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I’m sitting here with a fried brain trying to think of something creative to write. Some quaint story, a fun anecdote to tell….But nothing’s coming. I’d rather not say “so, here’s what I made” but after a day of web hosting research+algebra homework I don’t have any good stories to tell. I find baking relaxing, most of the time, and around 7 tonight I was in need of a little unwind time. So, here’s what I made…. :)

This recipe for Banana Bread Scones, loosley followed.

  • I used whole wheat flour
  • I used roasted bananas
  • I made my own rum glaze
  • Add chocolate chips, (for the younger brother) omit walnuts (because I didn’t have any)
  • I didn’t freeze the dough. I have this terrible knack for not reading the recipe before I start throwing ingredients together and didn’t want to wait for the dough to chill in the freezer. So I didn’t. They were fine.
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