(never home)maker

http://neverhomemaker.blogspot.com/

We're Ashley & Stephen – a 20-something twosome living in Upstate NY. Sadly, we're rarely home when the sun is up. And when we are, we're depleted, likely watching reruns of Glee on Hulu. Regardless, we consider ourselves homemakers. Yes. Both of us. Our tools of choice may be different (I prefer a whisk & paintbrush, Stephen prefers a sawsall & beer tap), but our goal is the same: To make the most out of our 60+-year-old house, to cook and eat great (veggie/vegan) food, and to find joy in all things nesting. We cordially invite you to join us in our adventures!

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Hey, everyone! You've likely noticed my absolute stop in posts over the past month. I've decided to change blogs, and please understand I didn't take the action lightly. The new blog is (never home)maker . . . and it's going to flow along the same content areas as METHOD, but be more geared toward quick & easy rather than intricate and involved.

There will be more home stuff, too! So, go check it out, and be sure to follow in your favorite RSS reader :)

(never home)maker:
good eats & design for those with little time.

new header

METHOD isn't going away entirely, though. I'm going to leave her up, as I still refer back to many of my recipes. So don't worry that your favorite peanut butter cookie page will disappear.

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DSC_0610

What has me doing somersaults on the front lawn? A room redo, perhaps! No recipes today. No, I spent this weekend spreading baked brie on walls instead of eating it. Wait . . . what? Here it is, folks. The walls of our office have been pink since probably 1962. I was uploading some photos Saturday morning and said . . . ENOUGH! A quick trip to Lowes and a couple hundred dollars later ($277 to be exact), a less-pretty and more posh place to call our office/guest room was born.

(And baked brie is the color name, if you were still wondering.)

Here's the office before, in all it's pink-ness:

before (office/guest room)

A little paint shot to show how much different wall color makes:

before (pink walls)

One more before:

before (office/guest room)

And now a couple afters (still need to take more, but you get the idea).

MUCH, MUCH better!!!

office/guest room

after (office/guest room)

Paint (Olympic "baked brie" color-matched and mixed for Valspar paint) = $23.00
New ceiling fan = $79.00
Couch = free (snagged from other room & it's a sleeper! put the other on the street to find a new home.)
Rug = free (snagged from bedroom, but -- we bought another one for $20 to replace it)
Pillows = $45.00 (Home Goods <3)
Round mirror = $20.00 (another HG purchase)
Framed prints = $70.00 (includes two frames and two prints)
Curtains = $20.00 (each panel was only $10 at Target!)

TOTAL = $277.00

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pumpkin loaf

My first experience baking no-knead bread was a great success! I chose to include the following flavors in my loaf -- pumpkin and pumpkin seeds, rosemary, and walnut. It's a hefty little thing . . . and I think it tastes best toasted and generously topped with this on-the-fly sweet pumpkin butter I whipped up.

Happy Friday, and enjoy the recipe :)

sweet pumpkin butter

NO-KNEAD PUMPKIN LOAF

What you'll need . . .

• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (plain, this isn't a sweet or spiced pumpkin bread)
• 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon tepid water (or a bit more depending)
• 1/4 teaspoon dry active yeast
• 1-1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups bread flour
• 1 cup wheat pastry flour
• 1/3 cup raw pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 cup raw crushed walnuts
• 1 generous tablespoon rosemary (I used dried, but am sure fresh would work wonderfully)

pumpkin loaf

Method . . .

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flours and yeast. Then add in the salt.
2. Make an impression with your fist inside the dry ingredients and then plop in the pumpkin puree and water.
3. Mix together -- this should be relatively easy . . . and if it isn't, add a bit more tepid water. I ended up using my hands because it was just easier for me . . . however, keep in mind, the dough will be very, very, VERY sticky.
4. Cover the bowl with a piece of oiled plastic wrap and put in a warm place to rise for anywhere between 12 and 18 hours. (I went to work after mixing mine . . . and only waited 12 hours, but I've always heard it's best to wait even longer.)
5. After that time has passed, generously flour a work surface and use a spatula to scrape your bubbly dough onto it.
6. Flour your hands and pat down the loaf into a square shape. Then fold each of the sides in toward the middle and flip over -- seam-side down -- and gently shape into a round loaf.
7. Put some cornmeal down on a baking sheet . . . and transfer the loaf to it to rise for another 2 hours (again, cover with a towel or oiled plastic wrap). Make sure to get the cornmeal on there, or you'll find your loaf sticking to the pan.
8. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Also place a pie plate on the bottom rack -- half full of water. I also used a pizza stone to bake my bread. So if you have one, also place the pizza stone in the oven as it preheats. (If not, you're fine -- you'll just use the sheet the dough is currently rising upon.)
9. With a knife, slice a 1/2 inch deep cut into the top of your loaf.
10. Place your loaf in the oven (middle rack) to bake by either placing it on the pizza stone or simply sliding in the baking sheet. You'll want to bake it for about 25 minutes . . . then check to see how it's doing . . . then baking for approx. another 25 more -- until the crust is golden brown. If your crust starts burning, you may wish to cover it with a piece of tin-foil while you continue baking.

pumpkin loaf

SWEET PUMPKIN BUTTER

What you'll need . . .

• 3 tablespoons butter (I used Earth Balance)
• 1-1/2 tablespoon pumpkin puree
• 1 teaspoon honey

Method . . .

1. Put all ingredients into the bowl of an electric mixer.
2. Set mixer to high speed and cream together all ingredients.
3. Need more butter? This recipe makes enough for like half the loaf . . . so just make it again :)

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curried sweet potato latkes

First, I must apologize for the absolutely terrible photos of these (honestly, really, believe me) delicious latkes. Seems the days are growing much shorter, darker, and I'm not exactly a fan of using my flash. Anyway, you'll have to take my word on it -- these little potato pancakes cook up quickly and are oh-so satisfying -- especially on a night when you can't agree with your husband on what to eat for dinner.

We served ours with some caramelized onions and balsamic vinegar. However, when it came down to it . . . I liked mine best with ketchup!

curried sweet potato latkes

QUICK & CURRIED SWEET POTATO LATKES

What you'll need . . .

• 1 large sweet potato (the equiv. of 1 pound), peeled and coarsely grated
• 1/2 cup wheat pastry flour
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1-1/2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• Pinch of salt and pepper
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup soy milk or regular milk
• Sesame or olive oil (for frying)

Method . . .

1. Set grated sweet potato aside in a small bowl.
2. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cayenne, curry, cumin, salt, and pepper.
3. Add the eggs and soymilk and mix until just incorporated. You want to arrive at a stiff batter. You may wish to add more soy milk --- however, don't let things get runny.
4. Once the wet ingredients are incorporated into the dry, add the grated sweet potatoes. 
5. In a medium pan over medium-high heat, heat oil (about 1/4 inch) until it is very hot, but not smoking. You may need to adjust the temperature as you move along. You want it very hot, but you don't want your batter to immediately burn. Experiment. It isn't as hard as it sounds, trust me :)
6. Spoon heaping tablespoon amounts of batter into the hot oil. I found it was easiest to do no more than three latkes at once. Flatten after putting into the oil and cook on each side until golden brown.
7. Remove latkes to a plate topped with paper towels (to remove excess oil). Repeat, adding more oil if necessary.
8. Enjoy with ketchup, or in another pan, make onions or other veggies to garnish.

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vegan cupcakes

Simply put, these cupcakes are incredible.

I made them as my reward for running 17 miles on Sunday. The best part is that they taste 99.9% like my absolute favorite vegan cupcakes from Greenstar in Ithaca, NY (a coop I also write about in this post). I topped my cupcakes with some pretty pink frosting and sanding sugar (though, I'm thinking the sanding sugar is likely not vegan -- so you may choose to omit this part). Anyway, I'm in a bit of a rush this morning . . . so here's the recipe.

Be careful, though. You kitchen may get pretty messy!

messy

VEGAN CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

What you'll need . . .

• 6 tablespoons applesauce
• 2-1/4 cups soy milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1-1/2 cups wheat pastry flour
• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup cocoa powder
• 2 cups unbleached cane sugar (I used Sugar in the Raw)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking soda

vegan cupcakes

Method . . .

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Insert cupcake liners into a medium cupcake pan.
2. Whisk together the applesauce, soy milk, vanilla, and vinegar in a large bowl.
3. In another bowl, mix together the dry ingredients.
4. Cup by cup add the dry ingredients to the liquid ones. Beat well.
5. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full. Bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until the top of the cupcake is rather firm and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
6. Cool and then frost.

vegan cupcakes

VEGAN WHITE (or pink) FROSTING

What you'll need . . .

• 3 cups vegan confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 cup non-dairy butter (I used Earth Balance) -- softened to room temperature
• 2 tablespoons soy milk (plus more to reach desired consistency)
• 1 tiny drop food coloring of your choice

Method . . .

1. Gradually add the sugar to the butter and cream together with an electric mixer.
2. Add the milk and continue beating . . . keep adding milk by teaspoonfuls until you reach a desirable spreading consistency. (I added approximately 3 teaspoons)
3. Drop in a tiny drop of food coloring to lightly color -- or a big one to vibrantly color.
4. Spread onto cooled cupcakes and then refrigerate.

Do you like vegan and vegetarian cooking/baking as much as I do?
If so -- SUBSCRIBE to Method today!

<3

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summer squash ravioli

Last week, my friend Marissa asked me what she could do with a bunch of summer squash. I didn't have any great ideas at first . . . but when I arrived home that evening, I found that I, too, had inherited a ton of the stuff from one of my husband's co-workers.

What to do???

I immediately decided I didn't want to cop out and just slice it into pasta or something. That got me thinking, though . . . ah, pasta! I hadn't make my own, from-scratch pasta in a while. So, Saturday morning, that's exactly what I did. And I think it turned out extremely well!

If you have yet to make pasta from scratch, don't worry. It seems much more intimidating than it actually is. Also, I don't have a pasta attachment for my mixer . . . so, really, this is easy even without all the fancy stuff. Trust me! All you need is a rolling pin, a knife, and a fork. However, for the earlier instructions, you will need a blender or food processor.

And a mixer is handy for kneading the dough.

summer squash ravioli

Unfortunately, I was unable to get a photo of the cooked & finished product. My camera battery died :( BUT it cooked just as well as the lasagna I made for the March Daring Bakers challenge. Yum!


SUMMER SQUASH & BASIL RAVIOLI

What you'll need . . .

• 2 jumbo eggs (2 ounces)
• 10 ounces summer squash, peeled and cubed
• 12 large basil leaves
• 2 large cloves of garlic
  
• 2 cups wheat pastry flour
• 1-/2 cups unbleached white flour
• Pinch of salt
  
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 big handful of baby spinach

summer squash ravioli

summer squash ravioli

Method . . .

STEP 1: Put the cubed summer squash, cloves of garlic, and basil leaves in a blender and set it to "food chop" if you have that option. You may also use a food processor set to chop. I had to "feed" my squash into the blades a bit by pushing gently with a spoon. Be careful! Blend until no large lumps remain.

summer squash ravioli

STEP 2: In the bowl of an electric mixer, sift together the flours and salt . . . and then lightly use your fist to make an indentation in the middle large enough for the squash and eggs to fit inside.

summer squash ravioli

STEP 3: Crack the eggs and pour the squash mixture into the indentation you created. Then with a spatula, gently mix and start to incorporate everything together until moistened. After a while . . . you may find it is difficult to mix everything together. For a split second you may think, "No! I added too much flour, and now this won't turn out!" It's indeed a critical moment, but you needn't fret.

STEP 4: At that point, get your bread-kneading attachment (a.k.a. Mr. Hook in my house) and set your mixer speed to low. Let it knead for five or more minutes, until your dough is smooth and elastic. If for some reason it is still sticky, add a bit more flour, 1/8 cup at a time. Same with if it's too dry, add water 1 tablespoon at a time.

summer squash ravioli

STEP 5: Take your ball of dough and cover it with plastic wrap. Set in a room-temperature place (I put mine in our microwave and, no, it wasn't on!) for 30 minutes to 3 hours (I let mine sit while I did other things for a little OVER 3 hours).

STEP 6: When you have 20 or so minutes until you're done waiting for STEP 5 to be done, get out your food processor and blend together the ricotta cheese & spinach. Just blend until fully incorporated. It will be tempting to eat it . . . but you must resist.

STEP 7: Generously flour a large work surface and split your large dough ball into two smaller balls. Also lightly flour a rolling pin and put your first dough ball atop some flour. Start to roll out the dough. The key is to act like you're stretching it out rather than pressing it down. You want to get it as thin as possible (without compromising the integrity, so maybe the width of a quarter plus just a tiny bit more? You'll know what's right when you're doing it -- just keep in mind that when it cooks, it gets slightly thicker).

STEP 8: Once it's all rolled out, take a sharp knife and cut it into large squares. I think 2 to 2-1/2 inch squares work well, but it's really up to you.

STEP 9: Repeat STEPS 7 & 8 with the other ball of dough.

STEP 10: Put a large pot of water over high heat on the stove.

STEP 11: Take one square, put a heaping teaspoon of ricotta filling atop it and then top it off with another square by gently pressing around the edges. To seal the deal, use a fork to press in those edges. If they aren't sticking, you may want to have a small bowl of warm water handy, which can help if you lightly coat the edges and THEN press to seal. Again, I know it sounds lazy of me, but you will know what to do when you're doing it. Plus, you can always improvise. Continue with the rest of the squares. If you have squares left over, you may wish to roll them together and save for another time. I didn't have that many left over, as I didn't 100% blend all of my squash, so I had some big chunks to contend with.

STEP 11: When your water is boiling (wait until it is a violent boil) drop a third of your to-be ravioli into the pot. You want to cook them in smaller batches so that they don't stick together. Make sure you gently stir during this process (and keep the heat as is) so they don't stick to the bottom. Ravioli is "done" when they all start to float to the top. I think this takes approx. 3 to 4 minutes. But keep a watchful eye. Take out with a slotted spoon and repeat with the rest of the batches.

STEP 12: Serve with your favorite pasta sauce, sprinkle some Parmesan cheese, and ENJOY!


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There's plenty more to come!
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pumpkin-apple spice bread

And now, the post you've all been waiting for . . . PUMPKIN-APPLE SPICE BREAD!!! This one's vegan and extra spicy. Use your homemade pumpkin puree or store-bought -- either way, your kitchen will smell amazing.

PUMPKIN-APPLE SPICE BREAD

What you'll need . . .

• 1 cup unbleached white flour
• 1 cup wheat pastry flour
• 2 teaspoons baking power
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon cloves
• 2 cups pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (I used canola)
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup rolled oats

pumpkin-apple spice bread

Method . . .

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a loaf pan (8-1/2 by 4-1/2) by lightly greasing it with Earth Balance or oil.
2. Combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and dry spices in a large mixing bowl by whisking them together.
3. Combine the pumpkin puree, applesauce, maple syrup, oil, and vanilla in a smaller mixing bowl by whisking them together.
4. Pour the wet mixture into the dry one until just combined (until everything is wet).
5. Stir in the oats.
6. Pour batter into loaf pan and spread until even.
7. Bake for about 55 minutes or until golden brown . . . and when a fork (knife, toothpick, etc.) is inserted, it comes out clean.
8. Cool in pan and then carefully remove.

pumpkin-apple spice bread

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pumpkin

Good morning! Fall is certainly in full swing, despite the date on the calendar. It's a brisk 35 degrees here currently -- so I'm delaying my long run until it's a bit warmer out. Maybe 40 degrees would be OK. :) Anyway, fall means means pumpkins, squash, hearty foods, etc. We actually grew this pumpkin in our garden over the summer. Don't ask me how -- it wasn't a conscious decision. The little thing just sort of popped up one day, along with a few other strange squashes (and LOTS of mint, but that's another story). That's what you get for mixing compost that isn't quite "done" yet into your garden.

But it's a great mistake. However, we've had it hanging around our kitchen as a mere decoration for a while. Yesterday, I decided to make use of it. I'd never actually cooked or baked with a REAL pumpkin before. Picking up those cans at the store seemed so easy -- why bother? Well, it's actually a really cool process. And, as always, making your own creates this sense of satisfaction that's addicting.

pumpkin puree

So, follow these steps and you, too, will have your own puree suitable for use in breads, cakes, pies, soups, muffins, and other fun fall recipes. It is indeed a bit different from the canned variety -- but I found it tastes just as good. In the next couple days, I'll share with you all the pumpkin bread I made yesterday. But you'll have to wait for now.

PUMPKIN PUREE

Of course, you'll first need to pick out your pumpkin. This can be kind of tricky -- you don't want to use the LARGE ones that are for carving. Instead, search for those pumpkins called "sugar pie" pumpkins. I'm not 100 percent sure that's what mine was. But it was small. I would recommend, though, trying to get the "sugar pie" variety, as they have the best taste and texture.

step 1

Step 1 -- Preheat your oven -- 350 degrees F. Now carefully cut the pumpkin in half. I first used a serrated knife to get through the stem, then finished off with my sharpest, biggest knife. But be careful! I've also read you can just cut off the stem. So, do what you wish. It just needs to be halved.

step 2

Step 2 -- Place your pumpkin face down atop a sheet of parchment paper on a RIMMED baking sheet. Why rimmed? The juices will start to flow near the end of this process -- so you don't want them getting everywhere. I hate cleaning my oven!

step 3

Step 3 -- Bake for 45 minutes or until you notice the skin of the pumpkin turn a richer orange and become soft to the touch. I'm guilty of possible under-roasting mine. It still turned out well, but probably could have used a few more minutes in the oven. This 45 minute time frame is only a guide -- depending on the size of your pumpkin, you may need more or less roasting time. Just pay attention. Also notice how sweet it smells while roasting!

step 4

Step 4 -- Gently scoop out the seeds and other gooey stuff until you only have the flesh left. Once you only have flesh (like pictured above), you'll want to scoop it into your food processor. So, scoop away, but don't include the skin (I know that's probably just common sense, but you never know)!

step 5

Step 5 -- Process the heck out of the roasted pumpkin until it's as smooth as you can get it. You may wish to add spices or sugar. It's really up to you. I used my puree in a bread (recipe to come soon, I promise!) so I actually added a bit of maple syrup. Maybe 1 teaspoon. My pumpkin yielded about 2 cups of puree. So, plan ahead if you need more or less. For the bread recipe, you'll need 2 cups.

And you're done!

If you like cooking and baking as much as I do -- SUBSCRIBE to Method today! As the fall and winter months gear up . . . I'll be posting like crazy. I tend to be a bit of a hermit when it gets cold out. :)

Also, if you'd like to learn how to make applesauce from scratch (as it, like the pumpkin puree, is another great recipe ingredient and can substitute for eggs among other things), check out THIS POST from last fall.

Or, if you'd like to see what was on Method last year on this date, check out THIS POST.

<3

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Rutabaga

I got the photo of this ugly beast here . . . all so I could show you how you can transform it into something beautiful and yummy to boot. I'd never eaten a rutabaga (also known as a yellow turnip) before. In fact, I don't even know if I'd ever stopped to look at one until last weekend. But there I was. Walking around the produce aisles at Wegmans . . . when I discovered they'd run out of asparagus.

What to do? Then this thing caught my eye. It was calloused, bruised, waxy, and misshapen. Almost like a diseased toe . . . or something equally grotesque.

I heard you could make a mashed rutabaga. Originally, that is what I set out to do. However, we had a bunch of carrots we needed to use up. Then I got the idea to make soup. The taste of it is actually VERY good. In fact, it may be the best soup I've ever made. Give rutabagas a chance if you haven't already. You'll be pleasantly surprised. As well, you'll benefit from enhanced nutrition.

rutabaga-carrot soup

RUTABAGA-CARROT SOUP

What you'll need . . .

• 1 large rutabaga, peeled and chopped into 1/2" pieces
• 3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 large white onion, diced
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 2 cups soy milk (or regular milk)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method . . .

1. If you have a slow cooker, throw in the rutabaga, carrots, onions, and vegetable broth. Cook on high for approx. 3-1/2 hours or until the rutabaga and carrots have softened enough to mash.
   
2. If you don't have a slow cooker, soften the rutabaga, carrots, and onions in a large pot of boiling water until the are soft enough to mash and all the veggie broth later.
3. Lightly mash the softened veggies. Then, throw them in a blender and add the soy milk -- first add 1 cup, then 1/2 cup at a time until you reach your desired consistency.
4. Transfer the soup to the stove to heat and add the salt and pepper to your liking.

If you like vegetarian and vegan recipes, SUBSCRIBE to Method! There's plenty more to come . . .

<3

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