Lately.

Last weekend my Mom helped me make vegan Rouladen (also know as Roulade.) I printed this for inspiration and followed those seitan-making instructions. There are a ton of recipes out there for Roulade(n), most using a bread stuffing of sorts. But in the German tradition, and the one we grew up with, it’s beef wrapped around a pickle, bacon, onion, lots of mustard and smothered in a gravy. So we kind of winged it—rolling them up, browning on all sides and then baking for a little while in the oven, to be sure they were cooked all the way through.
It was our first time making seitan but I doubt it will be the last.

That weekend, I also made a vegan cheesecake. Although we love this one and it turns out perfect, I thought it might be fun to try to convert this one to vegan for my brother. Unfortunately it didn’t work out too great. I’m thinking I should have fully thawed the blueberries (which I used in place of blackberries) first and also baked it a little longer.

We haven’t had much rain in a while, so when it did come down last week, we were grateful.

I have made two different rounds of coconut flour pancakes (one recipe here) as well as one of almond meal pancakes. Although I am a huge fan of everything almond, I think I prefer the coconut. I modified both to suit me but each time, I slathered them with homemade apple sauce and sprinkled with blueberries.

I was feeling a little extra blue recently, so I pulled a favorite down from the shelf and immersed myself in it for a whole day. This book was a great comfort to me in my early twenties and apparently now, too.

Back in January, I spent a couple days knitting up this hat. It was my first time knitting in the round as well as my first time doing cables. Obviously it isn’t finished. I realized I would need double pointed needles to finish it and considering I’d have to buy them, I kind of shoved the whole project aside. Maybe I’ll finish it up for next fall.

My brother and his friend decorated eggs last night.

I myself made deviled eggs for the first time. I used this recipe but I didn’t have Greek yogurt, nor did I feel like straining the yogurt to make it thicker, so I just used regular. It’s funny how I used to hate eggs as a kid, then I went vegan and didn’t eat them for a few years, and now I love them.

Today, I helped my Mom in the flower beds. Felt good to get dirty.

So, that’s some of what has been going on around here lately. This holiday weekend, we’ll be cooking a ham over the fire pit, roasting vegetables, making a Tofurkey Roast and I’m planning on making the Carrot Cake from the Moosewood Cookbook. I hope you all have great weekend.

Last Minute Elving and What Not.

I’ve been doing some last minute “elving,” as SouleMama calls it. Baking and making in a wet and foggy wonderland.

Photo Challenge – Week 4

Day 22 – Hands

Day 23 – Sunflare

Day 24 – Animal

Day 25 – Something pink

Day 26 – Close-up

Day 27 – From a distance

Day 28 – Flowers

Day 29 – Black & White

Day 30 – Self-Portrait
The Challenge
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3

(I slacked off this last week+ of November, what with the holiday and the fact that it always seemed to get dark by the time I finished up my daily to-dos and remembered I needed to take a photo. I took most of these on the wrong day. But I eventually got them all!)

Day Off.

Yesterday was ridiculously warm and lovely. It felt oddly like spring. I couldn’t bear to be stuck in the basement. Today on the other hand looks like rain, so I’ll spend it finishing up the next quilt block tutorial and share that tomorrow.

Photo Challenge – Week 3

Day 15 – Silhouette

Day 16 – Long Exposure

Day 17 – Technology

Day 18 – Your Shoes

Day 19 – Something Orange

Day 20 – Bokeh

Day 21 -Faceless Self-Portrait

The Challenge
Week 1
Week 2

Photo Challenge – Week 2

Day 8 – Bad Habit

Day 9 – Someone You Love

Day 10 – A Childhood Memory

Day 11 – Something Blue

Day 12 – Sunset

Day 13 – Yourself With 13 Things

Day 14 – Eyes

The Challenge
Week 1

Photo Challenge – Week 1

Day 1 – Self-Portrait

Dy 2 – What You Wore Today

Day 3 – Clouds

Day 4 – Something Green

Day 5 – From a High Angle

Day 6 – From a Low Angle

Day 7 – Fruit

The Challenge

Expired.

I’m going to skip my weekly finds this week again and instead show you some prints from expired film I recently had developed. All are straight out of the camera and unedited.