Top Ramen's older, smarter, sexier brother

Here's a fun fact: I ate more Top Ramen as a pre-adolescent girl than the average fraternity member consumes in their first year of undergrad. My family called them "big noodles" when I was growing up. They were somewhat of a staple in my childhood pantry. Clearly some things have changed in my life. The most obvious being that I no longer compare my diet to a frat house. Secondly, I'm all about the whole foods now—and things in packages scare me. Oh and I love cooking. Like really, really love it.

But when I need a quick meal in a pinch, I'm often tempted to fall back into the easy arms of Mr. Ramen. So instead, I started hanging out with his older, smarter, sexier brother. And he's been real good to me so far. Healthy relationships are just the best.

 

Rice noodles in a sweet ginger scallion sauce

Adapted from Simply Reem

Cook noodles al dente and combine the following:

• Rice noodles – ≈8oz
• Salt & pepper
• Sesame seeds – ≈2 T (I use white hulled)
• Cucumber thinly sliced (optional)

For Sweet Ginger Scallion Sauce:

• Scallions (green onions) – ½ C chopped
• Ginger – 2 T minced (OR I started using this and am mildly obsessed. True ginger in its most convenient form—and organic.)
• Cilantro – ¼ C (optional)
• Sesame oil (or other neutral oil) – 2 T
• Chili powder – 2 t
• Tamari sauce – 1 T
• Rice vinegar – 2 T
• Honey – 1 T
• Lime juice – 1 T 

what the world needs most...

 

...is another blog post about making homemade almond milk. 

In my opinion, there just aren't enough of them out there!!!*

*Sarcasm.

So let's get to it.

 

I soaked about four cups of raw almonds in a bowl of water (just enough so they're covered) overnight.

In the morning, I dumped the old water to get rid of the outer acids and enzymes that were still lingering. Who wants to drink that?

And then I placed the plump little water-logged almonds in a blender. (I might be the only person who uses a Magic Bullet and not a Vitamix—regrettably.)

Add 5-8 cups of filtered water to the almonds in the blender. This will determine how thick your finished milk is, as well as how much of it you'll end up with.

 

A certain nutritionist says this on her blog:

"I mention a nut milk bag in [my] video, but if you can’t find it don’t worry, just use a cheese cloth."

Cheese cloth, huh? Weird, I can't find mine...

Well hello, "brand new pair of tights that I've had for over a year and never worn."

 

 

I regret stretching out the tights to fit around the bowl as seen above. It would have worked just fine to use a section of the tights as a sack and squeeze the excess water ("millk") out from there...since that is what I ended up doing in the end anyway.

It really only took about five minutes to get every last drop. 

I laughed a lot.

I mean, I was in my pajamas in my kitchen squeezing like crazy

trying to get milk made from nuts out of one leg of a pair of black tights.

It's laughable.

 

It's also preservative-free, dairy-free, sugar-free, and both raw and live.

Not to mention you get a massive pile of almond pulp to dehydrate and be creative with at a later date...

Fun.

pin me

I'll be honest with you. I first jumped on the Pinterest train when it was a brand new and very unheard of thing, but I thought it wouldn't get off the ground. And now it's practically become the ground that the Interweb stands on. At least the parts with good design sense and phenomenal taste. 

I adore Pinterest and the ease of its dainty little "Pin It" button on my browser's Bookmarks Toolbar. It's become like an external segment of my brain, acting as a personal catalog for photography inspiration, recipes, event and styling ideas, crafts, reminders, and all around beautiful things that would normally remain lost forever in my over-clogged Google Reader. 

And it's added new vocabulary to our everyday verbiage, which would otherwise sound fairly stupid. For example, here's a pin from each of my boards:

Food Styling & Photography: 

Max Wanger

Interior Design:

Wisteria Wallpaper by Jocelyn Warner

Escapism:

Nepal

Loooooooook...:

homemade piano

Photography:

Doug Keyes: double exposure (Statue of Liberty, New York

Typography & Print Design:

Helvetica

To Make...:

Crafty craft time

When I Marry Into Money:

crystal bullet necklace: $310

Soviet Kitsch:

Soviet Owl

Sexy:

backless sequined black dress

<3:

lace back wedding gown

No Mom, I'm Not an Alcoholic:

watermelon and strawberry vodka fresh berry mojitos

Most Important Meal of the Day:

whole grain pumpkin pancakes

Savory:

Shawarma lamb w/ couscous salad

Veg:

pearl barley & puy lentil salad w/ roasted heirloom baby tomatoes, green bans & baby radish

Sweet:

ombre pink rainbow layer cake

Everyone Has a Type:

really hope they're besties in real life

Leading Ladies:

Mila

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like...:

simple wreath

I have 19 boards and counting right now (too many?). How about you? Let's see 'em!

hearty pumpkin bread pudding

Putting the word "hearty" before everything else makes me feel zero guilt for eating it three days in a row for b-fast.

*

I adapted a Smitten Kitchen recipe, who had adapted a Gourmet Magazine recipe.

Adapt. Adapt. Adapt. 

Make it work.

A lesson in the kitchen, and a lesson in life.

And what do you know? My version turned out healthier, heartier and happier.

Madeline's Hearty Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Putting my name in front of that recipe was completely unnecessary. Noted.

• 1 1/2 almond milk
• 3/4 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin
• 1/2 cup agave nectar or honey (I did a 1/4 cup of each—best of both worlds!)
• 2 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• Pinch of ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (be an adult and buy the real stuff, not the imitation)
• 5 slices of lightly toasted hearty bread (I used Trader Joe's Sprouted Flourless Whole Wheat Berry Bread) and broken into 1-inch chunks
• 1/3 cup Earth Balance natural butter spread (or other butter substitute, or real butter, I guess)

Pre-heat oven to 350° and while it's warming, toss the butter into an 8"x8" square pan and place it in the oven to melt (talk about skipping steps and saving dishes—holla!). Mix the rest of the ingredients together in a separate small bowl. When butter is melted, remove pan from oven, toss bread crumbles in pan with butter, and pour wet ingredients mixture over the top of the bread, until all is coated. Bake for 25 minutes. 

*I ate mine alongside some plain yogurt for kicks. In bed. The last three mornings. No shame. 

My duvet cover was way more expensive than any table cloth I own, and therefore should get more of my attention.  

This is the stuff angel's eat on a fall morning in heaven.

Mercer Island morning

I love having hand models. Thanks KK.

  

Some g-free, wheat-free, yeast-free, sugar-free baking occurred this morning. 

On an island, no less. 

I don't care if you're on a diet where you need gluten, wheat, yeast and sugar desperately—you should still make these little guys. 

They have chamomile tea in them. In other words, they reek of fall.

Chamomile & Honey Almond Meal Muffins

from Roost, with minor adjustments

• 2 cups finely ground almond flour (I used meal—is there really a difference?)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 TBS finely chopped dried chamomile flowers (I opened four organic chamomile tea bags)
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup melted Earth Balance
• 1/4 cup honey

Mix until well everything is well incorporated. Pour into lined muffin tins. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350F (or until golden brown). The tops tend to get toasty quickly.

Makes 6 muffins...so probably just decide from the get-go that you're going to double them.

I visited Korinne on her Isle this morning. Most people just refer to it as Mercer Island, but why not add some exotic to your daily life...

Not working til 1pm means a brisk Autumn walk and a short trip to Stopsky's Jewish bakery for a 'cano and chai. Yum.

This is Korinne's "we have minimum five more months of this weather" face. 

Wet leaves are only pretty for so long, it's true. Same with scarves, puffy vests, hoodies, wool socks and Uggs. All of which we found necessary to wear on our morning outing today.

This morning I also stumbled across this prayer by Thomas Merton.

(Sounds weird to say "prayer by _____" ...no?)

Anyway, it's good. And just hit the spot.

My Lord God

I have no idea where I am going.

I do not see the road ahead of me.

I cannot know for certain where it will end.

Nor do I really know myself,

and the fact that I think I am following

your will does not mean

that I am actually doing so.

But I believe that my desire to please you

does in fact please you.

And I hope that I have that desire

in all that I am doing.

I hope that I will never do anything

apart from that desire.

And I know that if I do this

you will lead me by the right road

though I may know nothing about it.

Therefore will I trust you always

though I may seem to be lost

and in the shadow of death.

I will not fear,

for you are ever with me,

and you will never leave me

to face my perils alone.

- Thomas Merton (1915-1968)

Peach Riesling Ice Cream...& everything in moderation...

...including moderation.

Right?

Sugar, dairy, alcohol.
All things I've tried to say goodbye to lately. Or at least, "Let's hang out a little less..."

And then, I rediscovered my ice cream maker. And decided that I had to create an ice cream recipe from scratch, since I'd never invented one of those before.

Thus, Tablespoons of Indulgence was born. 

Indulgence > Moderation sometimes...no?

At least it's by the tablespoon and not the gallon. I'm gonna pitch it to Costco next, though...

Homemade Peach Riesling Ice Cream

• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup and 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 3 fresh peaches, pitted and chopped (but really, the peachier the better; don't feel limited to 3)
• 1-1/4 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 cup milk (I used almond milk, because that's what I keep on tap)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (although, more is not a bad thing)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Riesling. Riesling. Riesling. Okay, 1 cup...but again, this is just a suggestion, not to be set in stone

So plenty of people would make this without cooking the egg part. I, however, involved the stove. Which is a great appliance, and not a man's name. (That was me trying to reference my favorite scene of Bridesmaids. Queue scene to 8:20.)

First matter of business...do you own an ice cream maker? If not, I'm so sorry, but don't proceed. Also, go buy one. 

For those of you who do, blend the eggs and peaches together in a blender or food processor. Pour into a medium pot and simmer egg-peach mixture with sugar, heavy cream, milk, vanilla and salt. 

IMPORTANT: DO NOT ADD WINE YET. Unless you want to be a party pooper and cook out all of the alcohol.

Refrigerate mixture until cool (1-2 hours).
Pour into ice cream maker.
Press go.

Oh...and the best part. Zeeeee WINE! 

Free pour. 

Pardon me while I become an obese alcoholic for a hot second. 

storytime! ... & roasted tomato [vegan] pesto barley

Long story short: On Friday I picked up my sweet friend Hannah from oral surgery. Guess which one of us fainted onto the floor of the doctor's office. Hint: It wasn't Hannah.

Long story longer: Once upon a time (last Friday morning at 6:30am), Hannah needed a drop-off and pick-up from oral surgery. I was free (not surprising) and willing (maybe more surprising), so the journey began. Things were running smoothly with her mouth (weird sentence?) while I was sipping tea at Starbucks down the street, waiting patiently. Two hours later, I got a call from the dentist's receptionist saying that the slightly groggy Hannah was ready to go. 

The nurse led me back to Hannah's room while I was hoping to create the next David After the Dentist YouTube sensation with my phone. But Hannah was doing great! A nurse rolled up a wheelchair (for Hannah), and that's about when my vision started to go. And boy, did it go. I reached for the wheelchair, mumbled something about feeling dizzy, and then it all went black.

I woke up—back flat on the floor—straddled by the hygienist—Hannah laughing nearby—and at least six doctors and nurses hovering above me in a panic. Finally one of them shouts, "It's not the patient—it's the driver!" and says she wants to get her camera. Which pretty much sums up the whole experience.

Within seconds I felt fine (sorry for being an attention hog, Hannah). However, the office still "didn't feel good about me driving." So shout out to Hannah's co-worker who saved the day with an emergency pick-up. 

You can be jealous of the bond that Hannah and I now have. But I am kind of upset we didn't get that picture the nurses kept yacking about. 

No clue what that whole fainting thing was all about. Except for the minor connection that the last time I fainted was in a dentist's chair, when the dentist accidentally sliced into my tongue with his drill. Like I said, minor.

Everyone thought it was due to a lack of nutrition. Oh please. This girl can eat.

And eat I did over the weekend:

—roasted tomato vegan almond pesto barley—

Am I vegan? No. 

Did I run out of Parmesan cheese? Yes.

Have I fainted since eating this delicious and nutritious meal? I feel stronger than ever.

Easy deductive reasoning equation: this pesto = no fainting

I loosely used Oh She Glow's recipe. Everything in the kitchen tends to be loose with me. But just in the kitchen.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rinsed barley
• 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup diced white onion
• 4 large roma tomatoes (I actually only used two, and added some cherry tomatoes)
• 1/2 cup almonds, toasted
• 2 garlic cloves 
• 2 Tbls. lemon juice
• 3/4 cup basil
• 1/2 cup spinach 
• scant 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Start the barley first because it takes its sweeeeeet time. Combine barley, broth, water and onion. Bring to a boil and then down to a simmer for at least half an hour, but continue to check it until the barley is softened and liquid is absorbed. 

Meanwhile, pan-fry the tomatoes with a little salt and pepper. 

Toss the tomatoes, almonds, garlic, basil, spinach, EVOO, and nutritional yeast into my favorite kitchen appliance, and pulse until you achieve the creamy pesto consistency you want.

Devour by the spoonful. Combine with cooked barley.

If a picture's worth 1,000 words (and these pictures are more like only half that), then a taste is worth 1,000,000.

"always call airline customer service with champagne in hand" chocolate chip zucchini muffins

How to create the perfect mood for these muffins:

1. Induct your newest housemate in around midnight with a bottle of cheap champagne.
2. Drink several glasses while searching for flights to a friend's wedding.
3. Try to use a discount flight voucher—which of course won't work for the one flight you want.
4. Call United's customer service after midnight whilst slightly tipsy and try and convince the sweet boy most likely based in India that you need to use that voucher for this flight.
5. Get rejected by sweet Indian boy. Realize it's not his fault. Put him on speakerphone so everyone else can hear both sides of the convo. Play around with the mute button whilst making inappropriate comments. Etc., etc., etc...
6. Wake up starving the morning after to a bunch of oddly-shaped zucchinis from your housemate's CSA share. Invent surprisingly healthy recipe.
7. Voila.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup organic raw cane sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup apple sauce
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1 Tbls lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cup shredded zucchini (buy that food processor already!)
• 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips (optional, but not really)
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans (truly optional)

 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Combine dry ingredients in one bowl. 
3. Combine wet ingredients in another bowl. 
4. Stir wet into dry, whilst folding in zucchini, chocolate chips and optional nuts. 
5. Fill 12 paper-lined muffin cups. 
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes (or until they look/taste/feel done). 

the USA had a birthday...

...which unquestionably required a birthday cake, which cleeeaaarrrllly Allie and I were born to create...

...we had to cut the red food coloring bottle to get out every last drop...

...how cute is she?!

Idea first seen here.

VOILA!

My pride and joy.

I'm tempted to lie and say it was a piece of cake (ha!), but it was more like one of those spatial reasoning questions on the standardized IQ tests. 
No matter though—we accomplished our goal, and proudly took it to our Fourth of July festivities a.k.a. hipster neighborhood block party. 
Also, I think I listened to the following song 15 times:
 
My sister may permanently un-follow me for saying this, but country music is more "American" than most of the other makeshift genres floating around these days. 
Made me so so so homesick for days like this!