Kind of a silly thing to say, being that I live in one of the warmest places in the country. In my defense, I’m getting a little too acclimated to extreme summer heat which there by makes me a big baby when it comes to cold. Secondly, my craft room is the coldest room in the house and third, my hands are always cold. Who can work with conditions like that. So, I’ve been working on these fingerless hand warmers. They really do the trick, even though I only have one done. The other is 3/4 of the way done and I thought I’d better share since this is the last day of my “Month of me” posting. I think I did pretty well, getting most of what I wanted done and feel pretty good about it.

 So this is how I’m doing with only one hand warmer. I wear it on my right hand for a bit to warm it up then switch it over to the left and I keep it there, leaving my right hand free to move the mouse, paint, draw, carve–the things I’ve been doing lately. Eventually I will get the other one done. I am only able to crochet when watching tv or movies (which I rarely do) and that makes it a lengthy process. (p.s.  there is no pattern for the gloves , I was just winging it).

Another thing that keeps me warm is Hot Fudge Pudding Cake from thimble.   It’s really tasty, especially when you remember the baking powder.  Don’t ask, but it’s an essential ingredient.  This recipe works really well with soy milk and earth balance.

Tofu scramble is one of my favorite breakfast meals. Well, let’s just face it, I like to eat. Apparently I say that about every food I post. Ah well, it’s good stuff.

Tofu can really pack a nutritious punch to get you going in the morning. It is high in protein, calcium and iron, low in calories. It can be made savory or sweet and it takes on any flavors you add to it. It’s really good stuff and it can be a part of anyone’s healthy and varied diet.  Anyone, meaning not just us vegans and vegetarians.

Here’s the recipe:

16 oz Extra firm tofu- organic
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp spike or vegit (or any other all-purpose seasoning)
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp tumeric
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
Earth Balance buttery spread (optional)

1. Combine all spices and nutritional yeast in small bowl and set aside.
2. Heat oil in skillet on medium heat.
2. Drain tofu, roll it up in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze it until most of the fluid is squished out of it. Unroll towel directly into pan (an excellent tip from Vegan Yum Yum).
3. Heat tofu for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently to keep it from sticking too much to the pan (I don’t use non-stick)
4. Add spice mixture and stir thoroughly and continue cooking for a few more minutes.
5. Add a few teaspoons of earth balance and allow to melt, stirring to distribute evenly.

Enjoy with toast or in a tortilla with salsa. YUM!

I’ ve been making a lot of granola over the last year. My kids love it and it’s really easy to make. Because I have made it so often, I have modified a few granola recipes and now have it exactly the way we like it. I call it Crunchy Kismet Granola.

I made a couple of big batches today to give away to family members over Thanksgiving. Some of the family we haven’t seen in quite a while (coming all the way from Australia) and we are very excited to be able to catch up with them.  Here is my recipe if you’d like to try it out:

4 cups rolled oats
2 cups mixed seeds and nuts
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup dried fruit

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In large bowl combine oats, nuts, seeds, salt and brown sugar. Add oil, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Mix thouroughly. Spread mixture onto oiled baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Sprinkle dried fruit on top. For a finer crumb, stir 15 minutes into baking time and immediately after removing from oven. For chunky pieces, do not stir during baking period and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before breaking into pieces

I made two versions. Crunchy Cranberry (sunflower seed, almonds, cranberries and papitas) and Cherry Nut (dried cherries, walnuts, sunflower seeds and cashews). They are both very yummy. You can make any combination you like.

Now I have to share a surprise package that I recieved today!! (I love when that happens). It’s from my good friend Rebecca of The Painted Pear. I love eveything she gave me, especially the ceramic pears. The very thick potholder will come in super handy too. Mine are a bit burnt and yucky looking. And don’t you just love the buttons. I already have special plans for them.

I also have to share this watercolor pear that she gave me a year ago. It sits with me in my craft room. I love it so much. Thank you Rebecca! You are the best!

It is things like this that make me super thankful for my friends–close, far away, “imaginary” and real. Having you all out there, sharing in the same passions means so much to me.

Here is a look at the embroidered buttons I made for Michelle’s swap.

Fall colors on brown is so pretty to me right now. I watched THIS tutorial, which had the great idea of using a dab of glue stick to keep everything centered nicely.

Five buttons for the swap, one for Michelle (one is for me) were sent early Saturday morning. Late as per Regina swapping fashion (sorry, Michelle).

Here is my apple cobbler that I made for dinner last night– yes, dinner. The kids call it “apple crunch”, which just happens to be great for breakfast too.

Recipe (vegan):

5 large granny smith apples
1 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 tbsp cornstach
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup old-fashion dry oatmeal
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
2/3 cup Earth Balance buttery sticks,cut into small pieces

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare baking dish by covering the sides and bottom of the dish with a thin layer of earth balance.
2. Peel and cut apples into thinish (1/2 inch), small pieces.
3. In small bowl, mix apple pieces with cornstarch and half of the brown sugar and pour into prepared baking dish.
4. Combine all remaining ingredients, except “butter”, in a large bowl.
5. Add “butter” pieces and combine together with fingers until you get medium (not fine) sized crumbles.
6. Pour crumble mixture on top of apple and press down lightly with fingers.
7. Bake for 45 minutes and enjoy warm with vanilla soy or ice cream.

Tomorrow:
My two year Blogiversay, Blog Action Day, and an environmentally friendly give-away.

I’m in the sewing mood lately.  Fabric and linens are all over the place.  You know how it is- trying to decide which fabrics go together, which ones to cut into.  Handbags and totes it will be for this week since this is my first of four days off in a row!! That hardly ever happens.  It’s just how my schedule worked out for this week.  Unfortunately, I will pay at then end of the week with 3 twelve hour shifts in a row.  I try to only do two in a row, if I can.  Three is pretty exhausting…and I’ll hardly see my babies over those three days

Anyway, this is what I made today.  A little stripey wristlet.  Mostly, I was trying to figure out a pattern using pleats.  Kind of a pain, but I like the way it came out.  There is a little pocket inside.

How do you get it from becoming all wrinkled?  I start out with ironed fabric, but once I flip it right-side-out, it looks all, you know, rumpled.  It’s a cotton canvas fabric if that makes any difference.  I tried ironing it a bit, but the pleats make somewhat of a challenge.

Also made this really yummy spiced rice with cashews for dinner and thought I’d share:Heat 1 Tbsp EVOO in saute pan.  Saute 1/2 cup finely diced onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until soft. Add 2 cloves chopped garlic- saute 1 minute.  Add 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ginger powder, 1/2 tsp tumeric and 1/2 tsp coriander.  Saute 1 minute longer.  Add 1 cup white rice (uncooked) and saute on med-low heat for about 3 minutes stirring frequently.  Add 2 1/4 cups vegetable broth, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.  Add 1/2 roasted cashews, 1/4 cup raisins, 1 cup favorite frozen veggie mix.  Stir- cover and cook 3 minutes longer.  Serve and Enjoy!

I’ve been messing around with some different crochet stitches and thought I’d make little washcloths to see what they look like. They are made from cotton yarn of course.

The first stitch (grn,wht, blue) is called the “up and down stitch” which is alternating single and double crochet stitches. The second is called the “basket weave stitch” which is stitching to the front, then the back of a stitch- or something like that. It took me forever to figure this one out. I’m still learning how to read crochet patterns.

My brother-in-law thinks that crochet patterns are really some kind of secret code for women to tell eachother girlie information and secrets. Ha!

On another note, I made this very yummy and very moist zucchini bread. It is the perfect breakfast treat or afternoon snack. I always double the recipe for 2 loaves when I make this recipe because it is soooo good! The recipe is from How It All Vegan by Tanya Barnard and Sarah Kramer. The recipe can be found HERE.

Sick with the yucky runny nose, head throbbin’ and cough and sneezy stuff! I hate feeling this way. But my husband always says, “It’s good to get sick every once in a while so you can really appreciate what it’s like to feel normal.” Well, I can’t wait to feel normal again! My turn has been a comin’ too. My guys have all been suffering for the last couple of weeks. I thought I was going to skim by sick-free. Nope, not the case.

When we all get to feeling this way, I always make spinach noodle soup with a very garlicky broth. The boys love it and always slurp it all up.

Here’s the recipe for the yummy garlicky broth. It’s a great way to jazz up store bought veggie broth.

6 cups vegetable broth
1 tbsp olive oil
1 head of garlic, peeled and slightly crushed
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp ground sage
1/2 tsp ground thyme
salt to taste

Combine everything in large pot and bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 mintues. Strain to get rid of the lg garlic pieces and bay leaf. Then add any veggies, noodles you like and simmer until the additions are cooked. I always add a handfull of TVP, spinach noodles and fresh baby spinach. If you are adding fresh spinach, add it the last few minutes.

Hope everyone is sniffle free!

I spent the whole day making yummies today.  I made candied pretzels, tamales, ANZAC bisquits and brownies ( all vegan of course).  The boys even helped a little.

These are my favoite holiday plates and cookie jar.

I bagged up the pretzels to give out as treats.   Here’s the recipe- you can use pretzels or popcorn.

6 cups freshly popped popcorn or pretzels

2 cups nuts (your choice- I used peanuts)

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup earth balance buttery sticks (or margarine)

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 C).  Coat large baking pan with buttery stick or spray.  Combine pretzels and nuts in prepared pan.  Place in heating oven while preparing glaze.

In a heavy saucepan, combine sugar, syrup, salt and buttery sticks over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves.  Boil for 4 minutes without stirring.  Remove from heat.  Mix in vanilla and baking soda.   Pour glaze over pretzel mixture, stirring well to coat.

Bake mixture until dry, stirring occassionally, for about 1 hour.  Allow to cool then break into clumps.

I found this great recipe for Habanero Jelly on Vegan Vice. It comes with an awesome video on how to make this yummy treat. Thanks Vicki!!

I can’t believe how incredibly easy it was to make this jelly. Makes me wonder why I’ve never tried jelly making before. It took me just under an hour to make it all. The best part was listening to my kids squeal with delight every time a jar sealed with a “pop”.

I filled twelve 4oz jars(quarter pints) with the recipe. And did I mention how delicious it is. You may have guessed that I like things a little on the spicy side. I used 6 habaneros, which is perfect for me. Probably on the very mild side for many of my family members that I will be giving this too. This would be really good with some crackers and tofutti cream cheese- yum! I was scooping out the little left-over bits in the pan with some pretzels- it’s soooo good!

This is my postcard for Nikki’s Holiday Postcard Swap

I spent a lot of time on two other designs. By the time I decided on this one, I was running really low on time and energy and was depressed that I had spent so much time with very little results. So I scanned it and had them printed into postcards. Now, I’m feeling really guilty about not making each one individually. I just couldn’t crunch it with the time I had left myself. Is that cheating? Yes, probably. I did add a spicy hot chocolate recipe (southwestern style) on the back . I hope no one feels cheated. I apologize if that’s the case.

Here is my recipe for my favorite Spiced Hot Chocolate(serves one):

3/4 c. milk of choice (I always use soy)
1/4 c. hot water
2 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tbsp sugar
1/8 tsp vanilla
a pinch each of cinnamon, nutmeg and cayenne pepper
1) Dissolve sugar and cocoa powder in hot water.
2) In small saucepan, warm milk on medium heat.
3) Add sugar/cocoa mixture and spices~ stir.
4) Remove from heat, add vanilla, stir and enjoy.

The pinch of cayenne doesn’t add the tongue burning hotness you might think. It actually accentuates the chocolate making it especially rich. It really warms you to your toes.
The candle is vanilla buttercream. It smells amazing. It’s a soy based candle which I love. I bought it at the craft fair last Friday. It was the only hoppin’ booth.