OK. I know you all don't read my blog to marvel at a picture of my husband's dirty feet . . . or a dirty floor. BUT that dirty floor just happens to belong to our beloved kitchen. Shortly after this photo was taken, we tidied up a bit . . . vacuumed, mopped, etc. . . . and for the first time ever enjoyed cooking in our carpet-less kitchen.
That's right! Our kitchen was carpeted by the previous owner. When we bought the house last June, we had grand plans to gut the little room (which is only about a 10' x 11') -- foremost on the to-do list was hard-surface flooring. Here's a glamor shot of the old, low-pile carpet that was impossible to clean, ??? years old, and probably full of funk, gunk, and countless allergens.
Sexy. Now, here's a shot of what was beneath all this . . . (the carpet was glued to ancient vinyl flooring, which we lifted up to expose a smoother, less-sticky underlay).
Plan B: We prioritized. The carpet just HAD to go -- and ASAP. But we didn't want to spend lots of money installing a temporary hardwood or expensive tile floor (because we do need new cabinets when we can afford them). We've used some of those vinyl flooring tiles in our tiny bathroom, so my first idea was to find two colors of that (thinking like a beige and lighted beige . . . or just two variations, slightly, slightly different colors) and create a subdued checkerboard style -- with class.
When we got to Home Depot, we discovered a product that still blows my mind: Trafficmaster Allure Resilient Flooring. It's vinyl plank flooring that looks like wood (or tile). Now, I'm as skeptical and picky as all get out, but honestly . . . there are several "wood-types" in their collection that can trick even a discerning eye like mine. Not all are created equally, so if you go and check it out, keep this in mind (yes, some look very tacky, I'm sorry to say). We decided to go with the Hickory color, because it was relatively close to the other real wood floors in our house. Planks come in boxes that cover 24 square feet, and each square foot is only $1.99! We snatched six (heavy!) boxes, changed into our working clothes, and spent the next six hours on the floor.
Result: It was the perfect solution for our temporary flooring needs (I see us keeping this down for maybe 2-3 years), it looks GREAT (see photos below), it's extremely water (dropped eggs, milk, random sauces, etc.) resistant, and it was easy to install! The tricky part was finding a good staggering effect, but thanks to some crafty internet searching -- we went with 1st plank was full length, 2nd was 2/3 length, third was 1/2 length, fourth was 1/3 length, then back to the full length, and so on.
Now all we have left to do is install quarter round, buy some new window treatments, and a few other small things to spiff up the place. And we're off to do all of that now.
Here's one last before photo:
SPICY NOODLE BOWL
(adapted from this recipe)
What you'll need . . .
- 6 ounces uncooked udon noodles
- 2 teaspoons chili oil
- 2 cups sliced mushrooms
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups frozen peas
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon raw sugar
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 large green pepper, sliced
- 1 cup light coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 package extra-firm tofu
- sesame seeds
Method . . .
- Cook noodles according to package directions.
- Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms to pan; sauté for three minutes (until tender).
- Add broth, peas, ginger, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, and green peppers . . . and bring to a boil. Cook for four minutes.
- Stir in coconut milk, lemon juice, and cayenne; reduce heat, and simmer for five minutes.
- Add tofu and cook for five minutes.
- Add the cooked noodles to the mixture . . . then divide into bowl. Top with sesame seeds.
- Enjoy!
VEGAN BANANA CAKE
What you'll need . . .
- 1/2 cup vegan butter (I like Earth Balance), softened
- 1/2 cup raw sugar
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 medium bananas
- 1/3 cup applesauce
- 1 and 1/2 cup wheat pastry flour
- 1/2 cup instant oats
- 1/2 cup cornmeal
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- (soy milk, if batter is too dry)
Method . . .
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease an 8 inch square pan (I used a glass one).
- Cream sugar and butter together until light and fluffy.
- Add bananas, applesauce, and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.
- Add flour, oats, cornmeal, and baking powder. Mix. Add soy milk if batter is too dry.
- Pour mixture into the pan . . . and then bake for 35 to 40 minutes (until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out dry).
- Let cool completely before frosting (also, I cut mine in half to make a layer cake).
CHOCOLATE FROSTING
What you'll need . . .
- 6 tablespoons vegan butter (Earth Balance)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups vegan confectioners' sugar
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1/3 cup soy milk (or your favorite non-dairy substitute -- I think it'd be interesting to try coconut milk)
Method . . .
- Cream the butter and vanilla together with an electric mixer on low to medium speed.
- In a separate (large) bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar and cocoa powder with a whisk.
- Add dry ingredients to the wet until fully integrated. Slowly add the soy milk to the mix until you have reached the desired consistency. (I found that I thought I'd added too much milk . . . because the frosting was dense and heavy . . . but actually I needed to add a few more splashes, and it turned out fine. Just add the milk s-l-o-w-l-y.)
- Spread onto cake -- and I added some walnuts to my middle layer.
Have a lovely Tuesday!
Happy Memorial Day Weekend!
We're ripping apart our bathroom today to finish the renovation, so I have to make this quick (as always, right? SORRY!). Anyway, the other night I had this insane craving for Chinese food. The problem is . . . whenever we go out for Chinese, I inevitably find some piece of meat floating around in the sauce. Or just taste that the meal was prepared in a pan that had previously had meat in it. Ick.
And this happens pretty much at ever place we go. So, I'm not so keen on take-out these days.
But, again, I was craving it intensely. I decided there must be a way to create convincing Chinese food at home. Enter a quick Google search for "sweet and sour tofu" . . . and this tasty recipe (courtesy of About.com) pops up and rocks my world. The most impressive part of the whole thing is the texture. It's exactly like the sauces you experience with the real deal.
Sweet and Sour Tofu (with vegetables)
What you'll need . . .
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 3/4 cup vegetable broth
- 3 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp ketchup
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil (I used canola)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 carrots, sliced (I omitted this part)
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
- 1 14 oz package of firm or extra firm tofu, drained and cut into 1 inch cubes
Method . . .
- In a large bowl, mix together the cornstarch and vegetable broth, then add the vinegar, sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, ginger and cayenne pepper until well mixed. Set aside.
- In a large skillet or wok, stir-fry the garlic, onion, (and carrots) in oil about 5 minutes.
- Here's where I deviate from the original recipe. We fried our tofu. So, heat a splash or so of oil until hot in a pan . . . and then drop in your cubes of tofu. Keep stirring well to fry all sides while you continue the next steps.
- Add the pepper and mushrooms and stir-fry for another 2 to 3 minutes.
-
Add the sauce mix to the veggies and cook until mixture thickens, approx 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add tofu and allow to cook at least 5 more minutes.
Thanks to Jolinda Hackett at About.com for giving this recipe to the internet world.
Hey, everyone! Our race went very well -- my husband came in 8th overall . . . and I landed somewhere in the 950s out of about 4,000 runners at our half marathon a little over a week ago. Now we're gearing up for the full marathon in the fall . . . and I've decided to run the Boilermaker in July! Best race ever, I'd say.
Trying to eat better these days. Actually got inspired by Becca over at Project Raw to start my day (each and every day) with a green smoothie. This morning's had three heaping handfuls of spinach, 1 cup fresh pineapple, a large mango, 1/2 banana, and some super food powder in it. Tomorrow: kale.
Yum!
But part of all of this means more adventures in my baking. So, I've decided to start this trend with agave nectar, which is very much like honey except that it's a liquid-y sweetener derived from a plant. The result of my experimentation was great -- the cookies turned out very well . . . and not TOO sweet, which is just how we like 'em here at the house. Anyway, that's really all I have time for today, but enjoy this super chocolate chip cookie recipe!
AGAVE-SWEETENED CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
What you'll need . . .
- 1/2 cup agave nectar (you can find it in the organic foods section of most grocery stores)
- 1/4 cup Sugar in the Raw
- 1 cup canola oil
- 1/4 cup milk substitute of your choice (and I bet water works, too -- and, mmm, maybe coconut milk!)
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1-3/4 cups wheat pastry flour
- 1/2 cup hazelnut flour
- 1/2 cup instant oats
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Vegan chocolate chips (or carob)
- Sliced almonds
Method . . .
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Either grease two baking sheets -- or line them with parchment.
- Combine the agave nectar, sugar, oil, milk sub., and corn starch in the bowl of an electric mixer . . . speed on medium for two minutes. This part is important -- you want to fully combine these ingredients because they ensure the integrity of the cookie -- how it holds together.
- Stir in the vanilla.
- Add the flour, baking soda, and salt -- mix until well combined.
- Fold in the chocolate chips and almond slices.
- Spoon 1-inch balls onto baking sheets and bake for between 7-10 minutes. Cookies are done when the edges are JUST browned, like in the photo above.
Happy baking! I'm off to eat dinner.
There's nothing like waiting until the absolute last minute.
I made this tasty, no-bake (breaking the rules this month -- sorry) vegan cheesecake an hour ago. That's right: one hour ago. What's in it? Well, first, I used Peanut Butter & Co.'s Dark Chocolate Dreams to make a super-delicious graham cracker crust (2 cups graham crackers -- well crushed in a food processor, 1/2 cup peanut butter, water as needed -- mix well and then press into a pie dish).
I then took a 15-ounce block of firm tofu and split it in half. One half was well blended (again in a food processor) with a small banana, 1/3 cup honey (I do eat honey), and a splash of vanilla to make the banana "cheesecake" . . . the other was blended with some melted vegan dark chocolate chips (about 1/4 cup), another 1/3-ish cup honey, and a splash of soy milk to make a chocolate "cheesecake."
(Carefully) Layer the two, chill . . . more than 15 minutes for firmer results, aaaaaaaaand you're done.
Why such blatant disregard for the rules? It's 90 degrees outside . . . and I don't feel at all like turning on the oven. OK. Even if I WANTED to turn on the oven, I couldn't. We've had it disconnected because we're getting our NEW oven on Friday! Also, our half marathon is this coming weekend, and I don't really feel like stuffing myself with sweets. That's for after the race.
The April 2009 challenge is hosted by Jenny from Jenny Bakes. She has chosen Abbey’s Infamous Cheesecake as the challenge.
There's this Italian food place in a nearby town that makes grilled pizza. And we're completely obsessed with it. So, yesterday we decided to break out the grill for the first time this year and try to replicate the smokey, cheesy, crispy goodness.
The result? Really tasty pizza, and far less mess than I anticipated.
The hardest part is making sure the dough doesn't burn. All you need to do is WATCH closely. Don't walk far away from the grill . . . and use your nose, because you'll most likely smell when it's time to transfer (see detailed instructions below). Honestly, we burned the bottom of our first pie to a crisp. It was too thick and, therefore, took far too long to cook. The whole process just takes some experimentation. But when you master it, you'll be the most popular person on the block.
PLEASE let me know how your pizzas turn out -- as well as if you come up with any tips and tricks along the way.
Happy Friday <3
GRILLED PIZZA
What You'll need . . .
- A grill -- ours is charcoal, but you can successfully make this recipe with a gas grill
- Pizza peel (above)
- Round pizza pan (most of the cooking is done straight on the actual grill, but the pan is used near the end to prevent burning)
- Rolling pin
- Pizza dough (we were lazy and just bought ours, but here's my favorite recipe)
- Flour, for dusting
- Oil, for drizzling
- Whatever topping you'd like, we made a veggie pizza with sliced mushrooms, green peppers, red onions, fire-roasted tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese
Method . . .
- Heat up the grill -- it should be very hot, with charcoal displaying white ash, etc.
- On a floured surface, roll out the dough as thinly as possible. My photos are of the thick pizza we made (because when we finished the thin, I was too busy eating it). Make it super, super flat and then transfer to a floured pizza peel.
- Transfer dough to the grill. Really! It won't make a horrible, burned mess. Just put it on there . . . and cook until you see the bottom start to brown, but not burn. This takes approximately three minutes. Oh, and you don't need to close the grill for this part. You will later, though. Just let it breathe!
- NOTE: You will notice the pizza puffing up with tons of bubbles. Pop these bubbles gently with a fork.
- Slide the half-done pizza onto the peel again . . . and flip it, uncooked side DOWN, onto a floured work surface.
- Drizzle the top (the DONE part) with olive oil.
- Add all your toppings at this point (to the DONE side). Don't go crazy -- because the heavier the pizza is, the harder it is to transfer back onto the grill. And a little goes a long way . . .
- Put the pizza on the peel again and transfer back onto the grill. Immediately cover with your grill top (this will help cook all the toppings).
- Again, wait about three minutes, or just keep obsessively checking like I did to make sure the bottom isn't burning.
- When it DOES start to burn, your pizza most likely won't be entirely cooked. This is where the pizza pan comes in. Slide your almost-done pizza onto the pan (that goes directly on the grill) to finish the cooking process. It is still possible for the pizza to burn while on the pan, so keep a close watch. The total cooking time varies depending on how thick your crust is. Keep checking it -- and it should be done, on average, around 5 to 8 minutes.
- What you'll find is that you want to take the pizza off JUST before you think it's done. It might still be even the slightest bit doughy, but that's OK -- that's how it's supposed to be.
- Also, I found it helpful to make smaller-than-normal pizzas -- dividing the dough ball we bought in half. It made transferring it on and off the grill really easy.
Today's post:
A short process piece about our beloved dining room (because you have to eat all your goodies SOMEwhere). What a difference a little trim and paint can make!
Here it is when we first moved in (OLD owner's -- not ours -- dining room is on the left, and our first-stab, move-in look is on the right) . . .
Then here's what it looked like after a bit more time in the house (without the ugly green carpeting):
. . . And after more time had passed, it got even a bit better -- with the help of a few architectural details . . .
AND HERE IT IS NOW!
Improved by more light (uncovering the back window -- whatwerewethinking???), a different rug (that my HUSBAND picked out at Target), lighter color/texture curtains, moved furniture, crown moulding, etc., etc., etc.
Now, we still haven't completely "finished" our dining room table -- but we'll do that soon. If you want to learn how to make your own lovely door dining room table, check out THIS POST on Design*Sponge (one of my all-time favorite blogs).
<3
Interested in raw foods? My friend (and amazing writer) Becca Troutman is out to discover the good, bad, and ugly over at her new blog Project Raw.
More info from her site: Over 30 days a "raw food virgin" voluntarily enters the raw food lifestyle, guided by chef Meredith Frantz. The raw food lifestyle has a notoriously difficult learning curve, so this blog serves as a primer for the skeptical, curious, and clueless! Raised by a meat and potatoes family, our "raw food virgin," Rebecca, discusses her expectations and experiences with the healthiness, cost-effectiveness, challenges and joys of raw food.
So check out Project Raw -- I know I will! My husband recently referred to me as a "frat-boy" vegetarian. Admittedly, that describes my diet lately. I had pizza for dinner last night and the night before (with some tasty beers). And as I type this post, I'm downing yet another Lean Cuisine mac 'n cheese lunch that's far from healthy or satisfying.
Bread, cheese, repeat.
Any other veggies/vegans out there training for a marathon?
How do you deal with your EPIC appetite?
Oh, back to raw foods before I sign off . . . If you want a quick recipe for tonight, go to my post Adventures with Raw Food for citris-kale salad and zucchini soup.
<3
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