2011 has so many syllables...

 

Two thou-sand e-lev-en. Ugh. Twenty eleven isn't much better...

Twenty-ten rolled off the tongue! Can't we just stick with that?

No? I see.

Well, then can we just all agreed to call this year "11". Really. It would be so much easier.

So apparently I should resolve to be less lazy. 

Actually, that is my first resolution! I have 5! 

1. Be more organized with my blogging. (It suuure would help if you complete the poll!)

2. Train for the summer 20K race throughout the winter... (I see this going downhill fast).

3. Worry less. About everything.

4. Be more creative.

5. Spend less. (This is partly already done! I just moved to an apartment where the rent is over $100 less! I win.)

I forgot about a PSA today since I was preparing for my flight this morning and then moving in to the new place. BUT, I do have some resolution-making tips.

- Challenge yourself in small ways. Drastic changes will be too hard to stick to. Be realistic! 

Examples: If you hate gyms, it may not be reasonable to make your resolution to work out 5 days a week at your local gym...How about hot yoga twice a week instead?

Orrrr, instead of a huge diet overhaul (which will only leave you feeling overwhelmed/deprived), how about substituting a few things in your everyday diet with healthier options. It will be easier to incorporate and you'll still be eating (mostly) what you're used to. Alternatively, just do something you're scared of. Once. Go on a roller coaster, pet a snake, eat an oyster. Easy peasy! Except maybe the snake thing...

- Don't focus too much on resolutions to improve you on the outside. Try something that makes you feel better inside. 

Examples: Drink more green tea, read more often, give more hugs, complain less, buy a stress ball. Whaaaaaaatever. Just resolve to feel better.

- Instead of trying to learn something new, try upgrading existing skills. 

Examples: If you're a beginner guitarist, work on becoming a "sorta ok" guitarist! 

Upsides: You wouldn't have to waste money on the books/equipment/etc for something completely new to you, and it might be easier to get to the next level of something you already know than to start at square one and find yourself frustrated and confused. We don't want that. I do not want that for you.

Go easy on yourself! Resolutions should be fun! and motivating!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! Thank you all for a lovely 2010. :)

New Shoes!

I decided how to use my Winner's gift card!

Merry Christmas to me. :)

Photos of Home: Halifax

I spent four years living in Halifax, Nova Scotia as an undergraduate. So yesterday I headed into the city to see some old, and very much missed, pals.

Here are a few choice photos of Halifax in the blustery, mild winter-time.

Yesterday, it was about 8 degrees Celsius. It was wonderful. I didn't need a coat!

Today, it was -3 or so. Coat required.

 A cargo ship leaving the harbour.

If you are interested in history, the Halifax Harbour was the site of the largest man-made (accidental) explosion. The dropping of the atomic bombs were of course larger...but in no way accidental. This event is known simply as The Halifax Explosion.

It resulted from the collision of two ships (The Mont-Blanc and the Imo) in 1917. It's quite a story. I'll elaborate someday.

 Barrington Street.

 Strangest sight. ever.

Lamb Chop puppet...(looking mighty confused)...surrounded by BBQ sauce.

Why?

 

 Clock/bell tower at the base of Citadel Hill.

 The drive home to the Annapolis Valley.

I love when the world is blanketed with snow.

Mama's Pecan Tarts!

These tarts will be the death of me.

Maybe it's the icing. Maybe it's the sugary pecan filling.

Maybe it's the flaky pastry.

Or maybe, it's the fact that it's Christmas and mama made 'em.

Whatever the reason, I've eaten too many of them in the past week. 

Um, can you blame me? 


Here is the recipe, if you're looking for a way to pacify your family (safely, and legally) for a little while. It comes from an old issue (1997) of Country Home magazine, but altered by Mama to be gluten-free.

GF Pecan Tarts

Dough:

1 c. softened butter
1 8 oz. package softened cream cheese
2 c. Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose flour (though I'd use his Biscuit mix next time)
1/4 - 1/2 tsp xanthan gum 

Beat butter and cream cheese, then stir in flour & gum. Shape into 1 inch balls and place in 1 3/4" muffin cups. Press down with a "tart tamper" (see below...yes, there is a tool specifically for this).  

A "tart tamper". No kiddin'.

Filling: 

1 c. chopped pecans
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 c. melted butter
1 1/3 c. packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt

Spoon the pecans (1 tsp per muffin cup) into the muffin cups and pour the egg/butter/sugar/vanilla/salt mixture overtop of them (1 tsp per muffin cup) and bake at 350F for 25-30 mins. Cool on a wire rack.


Cream Cheese Frosting:

1.5 oz cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp butter, softened
1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix and then beat in 2 c. icing sugar. Spoon or pipe onto cooled tarts.


They freeze well, and usually we don't even wait until they're thawed to start eating them... :)

Enjoy!

From me to you, 

Have a lovely Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/other celebration of which I'm unaware! (Alternatively, have a great Saturday!)

I hope you all find yourselves healthy, happy and in wonderful company this holiday season.

XOXO

PSA #12: Hug Yo' Grandmama

Because she's 91.

And healthy as a horse.

And hilarious.

And has outlived her spouse and most of her friends.

And spends her time caring for people 20 years younger and in far worse health.

And because you suspect she must have super powers.

And y'know. Because she deserves it. 

ALoA #14

I've been home nearly a whole week!

As expected, half of the time it's been raining. HA! Home sweet home.

Also, I think this is the last awesome list I will write. It annoys me slightly to feel like I have to write one every week, and I usually forget until the last minute.

I'm currently thinking of changes to make in the New Year, so if you have suggestions, let me know! 

So, for the last time...awesome things of the past week!


1. A safe flight home. Planes make me slightly nervous. I very much enjoy touching down. I almost clap...after an hour-long flight.


2. Making a gingerbread house from scratch with mom. It is something to behold.


3. Reading books. For fun! 


4. Bamboo sheets! I got to pick them out as an early birthday present. Wee!


5. Pumpkin Chocolate Chip muffins every morning. :) THANKS MOM!


6. A big bed, with multiple huge pillows. Aaaaaaaaah.


7. Reading until 3am and sleeping in until 11am. Glorious!


8. CSI marathons on TV. It's what I come home for.


9. Noticing that someone in town has new silos. That's how little things change here.


10. $#*! my dad says... my poor mother.

My Brain on Books

I have nothing much to offer you in terms of a blog post today.

I am currently completely absorbed by the Millenium Series.

You know...The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, etc.

Wow.

I read the first one yesterday. Yes. 900 pages. All in one go.

I took breaks to pee and eat ginger snaps.

Anyway, all I have of interest to tell you is this giveaway that a fellow (amazing) blogger is doing.

http://www.clothedmuch.com/2010/12/sponsor-pursenickety-giveaway.html

It's a lovely bag and the giveaway ends tomorrow! Hurry up! 

Meanwhile, back to the second book. 

The third one is at the cottage, and I'll have to fight my mother for it.

I find it endearing that that's really the only kind of thing we fight over. Literature.

Heart-pounding, synapse-firing literature.

These books are good. That's all I can say.

GF Gingerbread House

So. We built a gingerbread house. From scratch.

Are we crazy? Yes. Were we successful? Yes. :)

The original (non-GF) recipe came from Hillbilly Housewife, who also provided really great tips on building and whatnot. 

I wanted to see if I could convert this recipe to gluten-free, without the gingerbread being crumbly and falling apart before we could build anything.

So here's the recipe:

Dough:

1 c. butter (or 3/4 c. shortening for dairy-free)
1 c. white sugar
2 c. dark brown sugar
2 Tbsp molasses 
6 eggs
6-7 cups Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose flour (or your own mix, as long as it's 136 g/cup)
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp guar gum
1 Tbsp ground ginger
2 Tbsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp nutmeg

Use a stand mixer, this is tough work. Cream butter and sugars first, then add molasses and eggs. Then add the dry ingredients and mix until combined.

The GF dough will be EXTRA sticky, so after adding 6 cups, add some more until you can get it out of the bowl.

  
Then throw a LOT of flour on the cutting board and knead the dough until smooth and your fingers leave indentations. Refrigerate overnight, then roll out and cut pieces from paper cut-outs.

 Bake at 325F for 15-20 mins (watch for bubbles!). Very important: grease and flour the pans. Even non-stick ones. Or else pray you have a big enough spatula and a lot of patience. Bless my mama. 


Let them cool for at least 8 hours.

Now glue all the pieces! 


Icing: 3 egg whites (beaten until foaming), 1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar (beaten until soft peaks), 4 1/2 cups icing sugar (beaten until stiff). Scoop into a ziploc bag and snip the end.

We had to make one more batch of the icing for the decorations, but one batch should at least get it built. :)

We decided to face the underside of the pieces outward, because mom thought it looked like stucco. :P

Done! And sturdy as a rock! If you doubted gluten-free gingerbread, you now have proof that it works!

Nice, huh!?

Dad's been circling, asking when we can start "taking it down".

Oh dear.

My tale of this whole house-building adventure will also be featured on Gluten-Free Homemaker's blog tomorrow, but I couldn't include as many pictures so I wrote a similar post here just for the photo-lovers among you. ;)

Happy house-building you brave souls!

Christmas Firsts

We've never made a gingerbread house before.

We've also never made ginger-snaps before. That's Nannie's thing.

(Except Nannie doesn't/can't bake anymore...and we all love ginger-snaps.)

So this year, we looked at all the leftover gingerbread house dough, and decided to make ginger-snaps! We were feeling dangerous. Ambitious. Down-right looney. 


Maybe it's the box of wine we keep perched on the counter...? Nah.


Fortunately, both projects were a success, and these snaps won't last long.
(Dad keeps slathering Betty Crocker cream cheese icing on them...man's got taste!)

I guess we'll just have to make more. Oh darn. ; )

Photos of Home

I'm working on a special GF gingerbread house post for Gluten-Free Homemaker for the next couple of days, but in the meantime, I thought I'd entertain you with some photos of my visit so far. :)

And don't worry, I'll post the Gingerbread recipe here as well!

 Papa at the counter of his shop. A heart-warming sight. :)

 

 Sigh. 

Everytime I visit home I need a good deep breath of motor oil and tires to sustain me.

It's glorious.

 Mysterious black cat! Cuuute. 

Notice snow on the deck, but nowhere else...???

 Made the folks pumpkin risotto for dinner. 

Dad went for seconds. Yay!

 The first ever operation of this mixer. It was a beautiful thing.

Gingerbread dough! I can't wait to show you!!!

 Does anyone else's little brother come to visit on a tractor?

He's the only one allowed to do that.

(I don't know why their convo looks so intense...

I'm pretty sure they were talking about lawn-mowers...)

I'm so excited to roll out, cut and bake my gingerbread dough today. :)

I have to come up with some really clever decorations, pronto!

Ideas?

PSA #11: Share Your Skills!

I don't usually bake when I come home. I'm not sure why. I think I just get lazy.

But this year, I will not only be baking cookies and cakes, but cooking my parents dinner as well. 



For one, because my mom isn't a fan of cooking/baking. 

For two, because mom made a recipe of mine a month ago and told me "you need to cook more when you're home".

And for three, because I can.


As an incentive, or rather because I found it, Mama said I could "have" her Kitchen-Aid mixer. Did you just hear something? I think it was angels singing.


She has never used it, not once. Therefore, I've officially declared it a gluten-free mixer.


Of course, I won't bring it back to Montreal, but it will be waiting here for me whenever I come home to visit. Ready to be used.


Ain't it beautiful? I washed it and shined it up nice.

Sigh. I think I'm in love.

In exchange for me cooking/baking for my lovely parents, Mama will show me how she makes THESE:

 We've had these Pecan Tarts at Christmas for years. 

Mom used to make them with regular flour, but she switched to gluten-free flour this year and they turned out great!

Hint: one of these is helpful.

I have no idea where you find one, or what it's called.

But Mama says it's perfect for shaping the pastry inside the tin.

And what Mama says, goes. :)

Share your skills/talents/gifts with someone this Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/etc. and maybe you'll create a whole new holiday tradition!

Kitchen Bitchin'

My own worst nightmare.

This is far, far, far, FAR too many dishes for my ears and my sanity.

 Much better. And soo cool.

(Except for the "ashtrays" cupboards...not necessary methinks.)

Decor aside, when it comes to kitchens, everyone has things they love to do in them, things they don't mind doing and things they hate to do (and would hire/bribe/force children to do instead). 

You can't deny it, you just have to accept it.

Here are mine.


Things I Love to Do:


- Baking/cooking.
- Pouring over cookbooks looking for ideas.
- Cleaning the counters (reaaaaally scrubbing at that dried tomato sauce..it's therapeutic).
- Refoiling the stove burners. It rebalances my zen...or my chi...or my chakras? Whatever.
- Cleaning plates, or utensils, or my huge casserole dish. Especially when I get have to use the steel brush.


Things I Don't Mind Doing:



- Changing the garbage bag (tying old one, putting in new one).
- Cleaning odd baking equipment. It's novel, but not usually fun.
- Chopping vegetables.
- Sweeping.


Things I HATE Doing:


- Cleaning bowls or cups. Somehow, I always end up with a gallon of water down my front.
- Drying dishes.
- Cleaning muffin tins. I literally leave it soaking for a month (I just washed it...and the last time I made muffins was when I posted the pumpkin muffin recipe...don't judge me).
- Taking the tied garbage bag TO the dumpster. I haven't done it since September.Thank goodness I have a roommate.
- Putting away dishes. The clanking is in my Top 5 Most Irritating Sounds list.
- Mopping. Mopping is among the most vile cleaning methods. All that clumped wet hair being pushed around. Gag me green. 
- Removing things from a hot oven. I've burned myself many times. It puts me on edge.
- Waiting. For anything. The water to boil, the toaster to pop, the microwave to beep.


Now, if I could just send this as a memo to all the roommates of my near and distant future, that would be fantastic. :)

ALoA #13

I love this photo. Crappy quality, but it gives me warm fuzzies.

It was not in fact, taken in the 1950's, but two weeks ago. Ta-da!

I need a better camera.

What could be awesome in the two harried weeks before Christmas you ask?

1. Finishing exams/the semester/a Master's degree. I really.need.a holiday.

2. Moving successfully in one trip. Looove it!

3. Chocolate cake. Twice. 

The second one was better because the icing was thicker/more crackly. Look for an update to the icing recipe on the sheet cake post from last week! The modification will change your life. Or at least your cake (for the better, definitely for the better).

4. Flirting shamelessly with 7-year-olds because they have the dimpliest dimples in all the world. Then telling them they can have cake and winning them over for life. Cuteness galore.

5. Watching movies you've wanted to see for ages but never think of when it's time to pick one. 

I watched Rosemary's Baby (can I just be Mia Farrow please? Or maybe just have her hair?) and Love Story. I enjoyed the former a great deal more, but the leading gal of Love Story reminds me of my mom and all her friends' grad photos from the 70's that I used to gawk/giggle at. She's also just as much of a smart-ass as my mom and all her friends!

6. Finding candid photos of yourself and being taken aback.

This one reminded me how photos of me haven't changed since I was a toddler. 

I still look pensive, hesitant, curious, serious and/or distracted most of the time.

7. Re-reading your most treasured book in the world, aloud, to someone else.

It's especially fun when your favourite book is To Kill a Mockingbird, which means you get to use accents. Tom Sawyer would also be a fun one. 

To Kill a Mockingbird is my favourite for so many reasons, but most of all, because the relationship between Jem and Scout reminds me so much of me and my brother. Same age difference, same stubbornness on my part and wise (but never heeded) advice on his.

8. Christmas lights. 

Why DON'T we all have them up all year? They look so lovely. Y'know, except for the giant reindeer and swaying/ho-ho-hoing Santas. Just the lights.

9. Homemade hot cocoa. It's so easy!

Cocoa powder, sugar, milk. Heat until just bubbling (not viciously boiling). YUM.

10. Christmas concerts. 

There isn't quite the same maniacal excitement in an adult choir as when you're 5 and eating candy canes like they're oxygen. For one, we didn't wear green corduroy pants, wooly red sweaters and reindeer ears to sing Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer...but we did wear black skirts and white shirts to sing some pretty beautiful music. 

Then we got to watch the Children's Choir, which yes, was as impossibly adorable as you would imagine.

Wish me a safe flight tomorrow! Can't wait to make me some gingerbread!

Packing Up, Moving Out

Whenever faced with packing and/or moving, I used to liken myself to Kevin McCallister in Home Alone ("Pack?!?...I can't pack!").

I've had a lot of experience moving though, and these days I can be fully packed to move my entire life in about 2 days.


This is currently the downstairs:

It's not pretty, but it's also not much. And fortunately we don't use the living room.


For some reason, the past two times I've moved, it directly coincided with a trip home. Which means I pack simultaneously for moving and vacation. Tricky stuff.


My tips?


1. Minimize your stuff. If you don't have much, you don't have to move much!


2. Keep large boxes around, and save those large fabric bags that malls/stores sometimes give away. They're handy! 


3. Start early. Pack the stuff you're not going to need for the 2-3 weeks before you move. (It's currently winter, so all of my summer stuff was already packed! I'm clever...or lazy). 

A couple weeks ago I packed up all of the clothes that I wasn't going need until I moved/went home for Christmas, as well as shoes I wasn't wearing. It sure beats packing everything in one day!


4. Make friends with car-owners. Or rent one! Moving is not fun when all you've got is a bike. Trust me.


5. Bake a cake. Everything's easier when you have cake.


I'll be blogging randomly for the next few days while I try to stay calm and sane. Don't worry, soon enough I'll be home in Nova Scotia, and sharing some Christmas recipes with you!


I'll also be doing a guest post for a blog called Gluten-Free Homemaker sometime next week. I'll keep you posted! :)

GF/DF Chocolate Sheet Cake

It's my pal Frank's birthday! 


So, because he's the best and he deserves it...

And because...well...why not use my skillz to make others happy...(?)

I baked him a cake! With drizzly icing overtop. 

And I'm doing my best not to eat it before the party.

Here is the recipe for both the cake AND the drizzly icing:

Amazing Chocolate Sheet Cake (gluten and dairy-free)

Before you start, get 1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup almond milk + 1 Tbsp lemon juice), 1 cup boiling water and 1 cup of oil ready to go!

 2 cups of sugar

 

 2 cups of flour (I used Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose)

3/4 cups cocoa (fair-trade, yo!)

 2 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp guar gum

 Whisk the dry together!

Add all the liquids: 

2 eggs, 1.5 tsp vanilla, 1 cup each of oil, buttermilk (or substitute) and boiling water

Mix it all up!

MMM. Pour it in a big dish and pop into preheated 300F oven! 

 

 Let it bake for one hour (or a bit less if a fork comes out clean).

Mmmmmm. Let it cool for a few hours (it'll be worth it).

Make the icing!

Drizzly Powdered Sugar Almond Icing:

1 cup sifted powdered/icing sugar (fair-trade again!)

1/4 tsp vanilla

2 Tbsp Almond Milk (plain, unsweetened)

Mix the sugar, vanilla and 1 Tbsp of milk together until fully combined. It'll be thick!

Add the second Tbsp of milk, mix until fully combined. This will be a lot thinner. If you want it a bit drizzlier (erm...not a word?), only had 1/2 Tbsp the second time. 

 Very important that you sift the sugar!

It's clumpy...much like gymnast chalk. 

(I tasted it, to make sure it WASN'T gymnast chalk...)

 After the first mixing. Very thick.

 After the second mixing. Much better. :)

Super moist chocolate sheet cake with cinnamon bun icing!

If this actually makes it to the party...I'll let you know how the birthday boy liked it. :)