Spring Break-Cookathon

Ahhhhhhh!!!


After more than a week home and just one more day to go I am panicking at the thought of getting back to the daily grind. The traffic, the noise, the WORK! Yet, I am thankful to have a job and want to hear the stories of my kid's travels over their break.


This break has allowed me to spend a lot more time in the kitchen experimenting and satisfying my own cravings (ginger cookies). My mom started her a garden that has in a short time yielded all kinds of produce. I am looking forward to having my own backyard garden, one day soon I hope.


Well, yesterday was a busy day in the kitchen for me. First I wanted to use the spinach and mustard greens gathered from my mom's garden. I had some phyllo dough left over from another experiment so I decided to combine all of these. I googled some recipes for guidance then made my own adaptions.

I wanted to make burritos, but could not find vegan crumbles. Also, the price of veggie meat (as we like to call it) is just getting out of hand. Oh She Glows had a recipe for lentil-walnut meat that I have tried successfully, but I am out of nuts and have to wait for someone to travel to restock my pantry. Did I mention that these prices are getting out of hand? So, I decided to simply use lentils, I boiled the lentils until they were tender but not mushy and seasoned with taco mix. I used a recipe for the mix that I found on www.allrecipes.com. I topped with the usual toppings and enjoyed.

My sweet tooth as been very active over this short break, from cookies to cake we have sampled it all. I recently discovered Chloe's Kitchen and decided to try some of her recipes. I made her Applesauce Spice Cake which was absolutely delicious. I even plan to make it for one of the ladies in our church this weekend.

Wow! Back to Work! Hopefully, I will have time to spend in my kitchen after going back to work. The cook-a-thon has officially ended.

Christian Book Review- For Such a Time by Kate Breslin

I must say I do not like books that cover two subjects- Slavery and The Holocaust. For Such a Time parallels the biblical story of Esther. Each chapter begins with a text from the book of Esther and gives a clue of what the chapter is about. If you like suspense this story is for you, there were so many moments when I had to take a deep breath before I continued reading. There were even times when I put the book down for a while unable to take it! Secrets, messages, death, threats, there were so many twists and turns. Well, at least after reading the book of Esther we know that there is a happy ending. :)





A free copy of this book was provided by Bethany House Publishers.

Spring Break-Reading, Baking, Cooking Up a Storm

For so many weeks, even months I have been anticipating this break. It is finally here! I have already tried my hand at Cinnamon Rolls (Fail!) and Hot Cross Buns (Kinda Fail). Despite this my break has not been a total bust (in the reading department), because of this book- Fair Play by Deanne Gist.


This historical Christian fiction took place in Chicago during the time of The World Fair. It covered everything- Women's Rights, Child Labor, The Juvenile System, Immigration,  amongst other things. This book tells the story of Dr. Billy Jack Tate, a woman who has fought to be a doctor and has a large chip on her shoulder as a result. Of course, she falls in love but this story is not predictable at all. It takes many twists and turns that kept me engaged and wondering what next.


I will look for other books by this author and encourage you to fill your days with success- Read this book!


A free digital copy of this book was provided by the publisher- Simon and Schuster.

Bad Vegan Food!

I finally get it!


Why people think Vegan Food is yucky, weird, even gross, this is what I finally get.


I was invited to a banquet at a friend's church and was ecstatic to discover that a vegan caterer would be preparing the meal. No need to ask questions or wonder-everything would be vegan.


I knew that the attitudes of those around me would be different from mine, but I expected them to be blown away. I know that vegan food can be great! What a let down!


The food was absolutely awful, the flavor combinations were weird and the execution was just so poorly done. I felt so sad to see plates full of food being taken out by the wait staff.


Yet, what made me even sadder was the expressions of the other guests, "Whose idea was it to have vegan food?" I wanted everyone to be wowed and think, "Being vegan isn't bad at all, I might try that." Instead most people left with a firm prejudice in their minds against vegan food. Perhaps I should invite them to my house and cook from......

The Oh She Glows Cookbook- Cookbook Review

I was anticipating this cookbook for months. I preordered in October, it was released in February. I love this book. I have tried recipe after recipe and everything is so good.


I am especially loving the Maple Apple and Pear Baked Oatmeal. The Apple Pie Oatmeal has been featured two mornings in a row now.


Get this cookbook!!!!! You will not regret it.


In fact I brought the baked oatmeal for one of my coworkers who stated that she needed the recipe. See, vegan food can be good-one person down, just a few hundred thousand to go.