Inspired, and Thanks-eating (a vegan cheesecake).

Every time I browse 'real' blogs by highly creative and talented individuals, I'm always amazed at the quality of the subject (foodstuff) captured by the photographer/blogger. Since the only 'camera' we have is actually more of a video camera that also has a still setting (and no flash), and all of the photos I've been posting here have all been with my very old iphone, I've finally upgraded to a new phone with a fantastic camera. Now I officially don't have to be quite as shameful as I once was of my photography skills (which are still basically at a 0).



See? Our dog now looks way cuter and less blurry-by-accident due to a perma-smudge on my iphone camera lens. success!


This week, we had the in-laws in town for Thanksgiving, which was a perfect excuse to try out a vegan pumpkin cheesecake recipe I came across on Post Punk Kitchen . I should take time now to clarify something. The in-laws are meat-and-potatoes folk from South Dakota. True fact. So, although my dear husband gently suggested I not open up dessert-time with, "it's made with tofu and soy milk," it was my bad for not heeding to that cautionary note.

Regardless, hubby's mom truly seemed to enjoy it (considering her non-dairy needs, I think she was just excited she could have cheesecake again), and hubby's dad gave a mild grunt of approval (but quickly chose a leftover red velvet cupcake for dessert the following evening). I myself found the dessert surprisingly cheesecake-like in texture (creamy and smooth), and refreshingly citrus-y in flavor (thank you, orange zest and lemon juice). I have to admit it-- I cheated a bit and used regular graham crackers for the crust (which probably had a bit of dairy in it, but hubby's mom didn't seem to mind it at all), thereby basically tainting the whole vegan-ness of the cake, but at least it was a shared dessert among the four of us-- something we really hadn't done in a while.

No photos of the cheesecake-- I guess I was just too busy enjoying hot coffee, good conversation, and vegan dessert with family to notice I hadn't taken a quick shot of the concoction. That's not necessarily a bad thing, now, is it?

Raspberries + Cream Cheese + Cinnamon + Walnuts = yes.

I've been fantasizing about making cinnamon rolls, ever since winter. True story-- but I was too busy in the winter, with all the grad school stuff they throw at you (dear higher education, you're a bully!), and then I was too bogged down in the spring, with all the school stuff + vacuuming up all the dog hair that emerged out of nowhere (well, i guess it all emerged from my dog... mystery, solved). So, that leads us to right now, mid-summer, for me to make these labor-intensive (but totally worth it) breakfast (and dinner) treats! Yes, I had to crank the AC up to offset the heat from the oven, but man-- my belly (and the husband's as well) gives me a hi-five for that completely un-economical decision to use an oven during a midwest summer.



Speaking of summer, berries are EVERYWHERE, and since there was a crazy sale on raspberries at the chain grocery store, i caved and bought 4 cartons (i know, i know-- i totally should only buy produce from local stores like the co-op, where we're actually members... or the farmer's market... i'm sorry!). What was I going to do with that many raspberries?! I ate them by the fistfuls, forced them onto Jarrod and Juni, and threw them into salads. Then, I thought about my favorite summer camp sandwich from way back when... cream cheese and jelly. And then it dawned on me. The cinnamon roll recipe I had in front of me folded in cream cheese into the dough (thanks, Joy the Baker, and... (drool)... I can shove raspberries into the swirly pockets of these cinnamon rolls! They'll be just like childhood awesomeness!

So I did it.

It took 4.5 hours.

Seriously.

So what if Jarrod and I split one as a 1 am snack on a Wednesday night? no biggie.



Check out Joy the Baker's recipe for these yummies-- all I did was cut the amount of confectioner's sugar by a little more than half (for the icing-- it was more of a glaze, which was perfect for my taste), and instead of the raisins + pecans in the filling, sprinkled in about 1 cup of fresh raspberries.

The cinnamon roll dough itself ended up tasting (and having the consistency of) a light and mildly-sweet brioche, and the raspberries definitely added a tart zing to the sugary filling. I have a feeling I'll be making these again soon... now, if only I didn't need the oven for this...

Sweet & Salty Mini-Mallow Treats

This is probably TMI, but I have to tell you. I occasionally sweat in my elbow-pits. You know, that area between your forearm and your upper arm? Yeah. It's a little weird, I agree. Anyway. I'm telling you this because it's stupid-hot out, and our 90-year old rental home has the worst air conditioner. I swear, a litter of puppies making snowballs in the living room would cool me down quicker than this silly old creaky duct taped- box in the basement.

So the heat has been making me do silly things. Like, craving marshmallow square treats at 10 pm last night. And then dragging my husband to bike with me (pre-snack work-out) to the store to pick up mini-mallows, peanut butter, and mini-pretzels. And then not communicating with the husband about who would be bringing their wallet to pay for said ingredients. Oops. So, after our quasi-pointless workout/bike ride to the store, a pit-stop back home to pick up a wallet, and a car-ride over to the grocery store, I was back home, ready to make a gooey treat. And then I realized that I have NO.IDEA. how to make these dang treats.  True fact.  I ended up having to resort to googling step-by-step recipes for marshmallow square treats. Not only did I have to look this up, but I also struggled immensely trying to make the marshmallow-butter mixture, and left an explosion of butter-taffy all over the kitchen counter. I was basically 10 last night. Scratch that. 10 year-olds probably know exactly how to make the perfect rice krispie treat.

After spending a little too much time and effort (so much elbow-pit sweat, I kid you not) to make these treats, I was finally content. Crushed up pretzels, semi-sweet chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, and peanut butter. All folded into this sticky, globular marshmallow treat monster.

And you know what? It was delicious.




Here's the recipe, in case you're also 10 and craving something amazing that doesn't require an oven:

adapted from Allrecipes:

Ingredients:
1 stick Butter or Margarine (1/2 cup)
1 11.5 oz bag Mini-Marshmallows
10 cups Crispy Rice cereal
2 cups crushed mini-pretzels
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup white chocolate chips
2 heaping spoonfuls of peanut butter

Steps:
1. Butter a 13x9 pan and set it aside.
2. Melt butter/margarine in microwave for 60 seconds.
3. Mix in marshmallows and re-heat for about another 60 seconds.
4. Mix together until gooey and blended well (no lumps).
5. Add in cereal, then the mix-ins (you might want to wait to add the chocolate chips until last, or else they'll all melt-- unless you want it that way!!).
6. Spoon everything into the greased pan, flatten with fork or hands until the treat is even in the pan
7. Wait until cooled (or stick it in the fridge for half an hour), and enjoy!

Good Stress?

So, I bought a bag of yummy white chocolate chips at the store two weeks ago. Total impulse buy, agreed. But you see, I really thought I was going to use them for baking. I bake when I'm stressed and burned out from studying too much.

Actually, I bake when my mind is overworked from thinking about the dreadful amounts of studying I have ahead of me. Exhausting stuff, that whole thinking thing. Thinking and fretting.

Did you know there's such a thing as 'eustress'? As in, good-stress? It's true. Google that. I pinky-swear that it exists. We learn about weird things like this in psychology classes. Too much stress is paralyzing, but some stress is the equivalent of a good swift kick to the butt. It gets you moving. See, stress is (somewhat) good. It gets me moving to the kitchen to whip up some baked goods with white chocolate chips.

.....

Actually, that's a lie.



This is the sad proof. That bag there? It's half empty. Good thing I went for the fattiest 'chocolate' in the store, right? Not like white chocolate isn't even chocolate. Not like, it's really just creamy fat and sugar. Good foresight, grad student. Touche.

Hey, at least I used dutch cocoa + Truvia + 1% milk for my hot chocolate treat right next to that 200,000 calorie snack pack. Totally balances out the shameful creamy snack attack i had there. you agree? oh good. whew.

But you're right. Maybe next time I'm at the store, I'll reach for the 60% dark chocolate chips. And then I'll make some cookies, really this time. Promise. When that KitchenAid stand mixer I finally broke down and ordered comes in. Yes. Plenty of eustress-baking-goodness to come! Stay tuned, world.

Pretty Please.

Want to know what I've been coveting lately?

I'll give you a hint.

It's shiny and pretty and makes miracles happen.

and whips up cake batter beautifully. and, you can even make ice cream with it. and pasta. and sausage links. and juice. that sounds like a party, doesn't it?


Yes, how did you know?? It's a 5-Qt. KitchenAid Stand Mixer!




I promised my husband that if we can invest in one, I'll make him gingerbread cookies for life. I think he's sold.

Now I'll just patiently wait for a good sale on one of these darlings!

Oh, you wanted a gingerbread cookie? I know, you're going through Holiday Cookie Withdrawal. me too.

Here you go:



These were made from the 1999 Cook's Illustrated recipe for "Thick and Chewy Gingerbread Cookies." They're labor-intensive, and I may have broken our antique table trying to roll the dough out, but they're also truly worth it.

january blues.

i've been dreading this day for a while. i was dreading it as i stuffed my face with holiday sweets. i was dreading it in japan last month, when my mom, worried that i was neglecting jarrod of good food, force-fed *both* of us with mountains upon heaping mountains of carb-o-licious goodies. i was dreading it as my fat-day jeans mysteriously turned into my skinny jeans. i was dreading it as i watched the scale at the doctor's office this morning blink awful, red, unforgiving numbers. and now that that dread has passed, i'm going to go ahead and wallow in my self-pity and stuff my face with indian buffet for lunch. that makes perfect sense.