Sugar and spice, and everything nice

The holidays are over, but you can still be festive. Everyday is worth celebrating.

For instance, a recent Vegetarian Times e-newsletter suggested using up leftover candy canes to make this yummy chocolate pudding. Problem is, most of us wouldn't think of whipping up something this decadent right now for fear of breaking a resolution (cleaning up one's diet/getting in shape tops the list of most popular goals in the new year, so I hear).

Lucky for me, little lady's appetite keeps my waistline in check. I have to eat more to fuel her food supply, and her frequent feedings sometimes leave me feeling like I've run a marathon (I also work out regularly, just because I like it).

However, I did resolve to revamp my diet somewhat in an effort to meet all of Hayden's nutritional needs. Most of what I consume doesn't just taste good; it also serves a purpose.

For instance, last month, I probably would've made a richer pudding like the maple syrup sweetened, coconut-based one from "Raw Food Real World," with crumbled pieces of my candy cane cookies (which also look cute hanging over the edge) or raw candy cane pieces (finely ground coconut flakes mixed with mint extract and agave, formed into the desired shape and dehydrated until crisp).

But in the new year, I've opted to make my modified Brendan Brazier pudding (fresh fruit alone provides the sweetness) with the addition of some mint extract and sprinkled with some chopped goji berries and coconut flakes (like in Michelle and Lori's candy cane macaroon recipe).

I also boosted the nutrition in my wicked warm chocolate, inspired by Jacques Torres. Mine is served at room temp, relying on the spices for a warming effect. Giada De Laurentiis hyped the original up on an episode of "The Best Thing I Ever Ate," noting its richness, complexity of flavors and almost pudding-like texture.

My mug is full of the same cinnamon, allspice and peppery additions (I used cayenne and chili powder to simplify the recipe), as well as cocoa powder, of course. Then, to thicken it all up, mine is actually a green smoothie (the romaine was subtle enough to hide behind the chocolate hue) with avocado, fresh cashew milk (no straining required) and dates for that added sweetness.

Now I've explained the sugar and the spice, so what's up with the everything nice?

Well, I'd like to think my Hayden is nice, and her new trick is quite sweet, too. As I mentioned in my last post, I hoped to train her to drink from a sippy cup in the new year for those times she cannot get her feedings "straight from the tap." I am happy to report that she successfully tried 1 ounce of pumped breastmilk yesterday morning and followed it up later with a whole 4 ounces from the cup.

Looks like she's got a handle on things (make that two handles). That's something to celebrate :-)

If you like it, put a ring on it

Hayden just loves the song "Single Ladies," as does every other baby out there. I've never seen so many little ones shaking it to a single song like I have to this Beyonce hit. It was a YouTube sensation in 2009 that still gets our attention.

My little lady hated the bathing experience until I decided to start singing this tune during the process. I didn't know all the words, so I customized them into her own personal bath time song (Jacob had his own version of "Hot in Herre" when he was a baby).

Of course, I started with the repetitive "all the single ladies" over and over again, then "put your hands up." After "out in the club," the sky was the limit. It goes something like this:

"Out in the club,
Rubba dub dub,
Hayden loves her tub, ooh!

She loves the splishin' and a splashin',
Splishin' and a splashin',
Rubba and a rubba dubba dub, ooh!"

I'll spare you from the rest of the lyrics, but I do eventually chime in with "if Hayden likes it then she's gonna get a ring on it." You all know the rest.

Now that we're in the new year, a lot of resolution makers are trying to find ways to look hot in that leotard (or other sleek garment). What better way than by sipping on a Hot Pink drink from "Raw Food Real World." It's one of my faves.

What's in it?

It's just beets, pineapple, strawberries and ginger. Sounds odd, but it's delicious.

And, speaking of rings, I had been meaning to make a raw version of the traditionally jarred spiced apple rings, so I saved some of my brightly colored beverage for this task. Then, I added a bunch of cinnamon and apple cider vinegar, and used it to marinate cored apple slices (I bet pineapple rings would be yummy, too). Not bad if I say so myself (especially if you let them sit in the juice overnight).

This year is definitely off to a good start. I'm eating right (one of my resolutions is to up my veggie and green intake, as I've been consuming mostly fruit and raw unbaked treats), sleeping more soundly (I've also resolved to improve my sleep, now that Hayden is getting more shuteye; I just need to clear my head and relax at night) and started to pick up after the holiday (I need to reorganize the house since Christmas exploded in it; where do I put all this new stuff?).

Last on my list, I need to teach Hayden to drink from a sippy cup. She is exclusively breastfed ("from the tap," so to speak) and won't take a bottle. This is wonderful in many ways, except for the times that I need a break. At this point, I have to be with her 24/7 (I haven't gone back to work yet, and panicked the one time away from her when Jacob and I got lost in a corn maze after dark) and no one can share in the feeding process (even when I got sick and ended up spreading my cold to her).

I have heard that you can train a 6-month-old to drink from a cup if he or she won't take a bottle, so Santa came through with a transitional sippy cup in Hayden's stocking. She is only a little more than 4 months at the moment, but it looks as though she may be able to handle it sooner than expected. Just look at her reaction to receiving the cup on Christmas day. Wish us luck :-)

Sweet & sour

Happy new year everybody! I know many of you probably don't have time to be reading a lot of posts, so I'm going to make this brief.

After indulging in unbaked goods (like the other day's walnut cookies), it is only natural to start craving something a little fresher. That's why I decided to start the new year off right with a lighter tradition.

If you clicked on the food tradition link in my last post, you would have seen grapes at the top of the list. Eat one for each month (I just happened to grab a bunch with exactly 12 on it), taking note of the sweet and sour ones. Superstition says the sweet grapes represent the good months to come, while the sour ones may not be as sweet.

Good thing I came into it with an optimistic attitude, as all my grapes suited my taste. The first one, being the smallest, had a slightly stronger flavor than the rest, but none of them made me cringe. Looks like I have a pleasant year ahead of me. You should try this, too :-)

*****

friday, january 1, 2010, continued ...
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Something sweet already


Since posting this entry, I got the sweetest response; Joanna of Promoting the Raw Diet While Debunking the Myths nominated me for the Happy 101 Blog Award.

What does this mean?

Now, let me explain. To accept this award, I need to list 10 things that make me happy and try to do at least one of them today. Then, I get a chance to bestow this honor on 10 of my fellow bloggers, so here we go.

10 Things That Make Me Happy

1. Spending time with my family, something I'll definitely get a chance to do today.
2. Eating fresh yummy food, which I try to do everyday.
3. Being creative in the kitchen (no surprises there; I just adore decorating raw cupcakes).
4. Making crafts, like the jewelry I constructed for my mom and sisters recently.
5. Smiling.
6. Laughing.
7. Dancing with my baby in my arms.
8. Writing, whether it be a blog post, story or handwritten note (people don't always recognize the importance of this dying art, which reminds me; I need to get back to sending letters to my grandmother).
9. Singing in the car, shower, or anywhere else that drives my hubby crazy; at least my kids like it.
10. Surprises, like being recognized by Joanna with this award. Thanks so much :-)

Now for the nominees:
1. Averie of Love Veggies and Yoga
2. Bitt of A Bitt of Raw
3. Heidi of HiHoRosie's Place
4. Lori and Michelle of Pure2Raw
5. Michal of Earth Muffin
6. Stephanie of Rawlicious Barbie
7. Isle Dance
8. The Fitness Freak
9. Rawkin Mom
10. Heather of Kombucha Chic

Thanks again Joanna, and congrats to all the nominees!

By the way, those who didn't get nominated shouldn't take it personally, as I love you all. Each one of you makes me smile :-)

Indulgence

I had planned on posting this indulgent treat tomorrow to celebrate the end of the year, but due to my crazy schedule, I opted to share it with you now.

I've been so busy that I didn't get an opportunity to rawify these walnut cookies Martha Stewart demonstrated on her show in time to leave some on Santa's plate. I guess they'll have to be celebratory cookies instead.

What am I celebrating?

Well, the end of the old and the beginning of a new year, as well as a new addition to my friend's family. She welcomed her little Leo into the world only one week ago (Congratulations Becky and Richard!).

Hayden (who was fascinated with the baby, that was half her size) and I brought a couple of these cookies to her yesterday, along with some chocolates and flowers. And, since others had come up with similar ideas, we spent the day catching up while indulging in chunks of fudge, homemade peppermint patties (have you checked out the ones on Averie's site?) and rich vegan brownies.

The end of the year is like a last hurrah; similar to Mardi Gras, we tend to feast before starting our new resolutions. In fact, baked (and in my case, unbaked) goods are traditionally served at many new year's gatherings, sometimes containing a special trinket inside (sounds like a King Cake to me).

What better way to celebrate than with these unbaked walnut cookies. They hold an actual walnut on a bed of chocolate within their doughy shells. Here's how it's done:


Unbaked Walnut Cookies
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup cashews
1/2 cup oats
1-2 Tbsp. agave nectar
sea salt
cinnamon
ginger
vanilla
*chocolate sauce and extra walnut pieces to hide inside

In high speed blender or food processor, grind nuts and oats into a flour and transfer to a bowl. Add sea salt, cinnamon, ginger and vanilla. Stir to combine.

Drizzle a little of the agave at a time, mixing it into the flour to create a dough. The amount may vary, but the end result should be wet enough to hold together and dry enough to form into cookies.

Divide the dough into six sections and roll into balls. Shape the dough balls into walnut shells with a flattened base. Cut each "walnut" in half like a sandwich, and use your knife to make the decorative lines on top.

These cookies can be "baked" in the dehydrator or firmed up in the fridge. Fill the centers with chocolate sauce (mix a little agave at a time into some cocoa powder until it becomes a thick icing-like paste) and pretty looking walnut pieces (try to find the whole ones, if you can). Then, share them with a friend.

Here's who I have to share with in the new year (I just adore this photo from Christmas day, so I thought I'd share that, too). See you next year :-)

Year in review

With all the newscasts and other shows compiling their year in reviews, I thought it would be fun to revisit some of my posts from the past 12 months. Here are some of my favorite memories, complete with links to when they happened.

January 2009

I didn't post much that month, but I hinted as to what would be the newest addition to my site. I thought I had easily given away the surprise, although some readers took a bit longer to figure out the clues.

February 2009

In February, I continued to hint as to why my taste buds had changed and the activity had dropped on my site. By the end of the month, I introduced everyone to the "not-so-secret" secret.

March 2009

Still not feeling much like blogging, I only posted four times that month. But, thanks to my buddy Rawbin, I got to experience my first real raw mallowmar from Pure Food and Wine. Up until that point, I had to rely on my imagination and kitchen experiments.

April 2009

Now, I really fell off the bloggin' wagon that month, but I did use my site to share some good news; "Dumpling" could now be referred to as "Hayden," our little girl.

May 2009

Another slow month, but my eating habits were improving. The local farmers market opened for the season, and my cravings became more raw.

June 2009

Things picked up again that month. I was thriving on raw pudding, celebrating National Doughnut Day, eating the colors of the rainbow, appreciating the flavors in season, scrunching and munching, and making my own takeout. I even found time to take Jacob to golf camp, and document his experience in photos.

July 2009

That month was full of raw food and fun. I was craving kale salad, sampling recipes from Sarma, Heidi and Justin, and bringing back raw cupcakes. I even attended a raw social outing, thanks to none other than Rawbin (she used to thank me for introducing her to raw, while I'm grateful she reminded me why I love it).

August 2009

August was really special, as my due date was quickly approaching. I got creative, jewelry making and onesie decorating. I did some house cleaning and took a break to celebrate International Green Smoothie Day (always good on the go). Then, I tested out my version of "the dressing" to see if it worked, and the result came out the next day. The following posts were all about showing her off.

September 2009

Little lady gave me inspiration to post that month, mainly so I could blog about her or share a sweet pic. Almost as sweet was my banana n'ice cream, which I consumed daily in either a sundae or other form. I took a tip from Maggie Moo's, serving it like a cupcake. I'd eat it for breakfast or just grab one in a pinch (I had some chubby cheeks as a child, and so does this little mini me). I even opted for some nontraditional, but delicious toppings.

October 2009

Amazingly, I posted everyday that month, with the support of my new friend, Averie. I participated in Vegan Mofo III, sharing some frozen treats, both new and old, and cozying up with some zucchetti stoup and other yummy warm, but raw soups. I did some brunch making, featuring a semi-raw French toast, cookie unbaking with peanut-free PB cookies, and celebrated Halloween present and past, in food and costume form. And, of course there were cupcakes, and more cupcakes galore. Here is one of my faves; okay, just one more.

November 2009

In November, I cut my blogging in half, while still finding time to reminisce about the prior month's mofo in cupcake form. I molded, shaped, sandwiched, split and unbaked. Then, I took veganized to rawified and had a mini feast. I flashed back to past Thanksgivings and offered it up as cupcakes, too. Lastly, I had some leftovers, leaving room for just one more cupcake. Mmmm.

December 2009

Although we are still in this month, I figured I'd sum it up anyway. I started out claiming that you wouldn't hear from me so much (except for Jacob's birthday, of course), but since I got a new camera for Christmas, I've already out-posted last month. It inspired me to unbake some new raw cookies for Santa, including Rawtess Snowballs, candy cane cookies, fruity window panes, misfit cookies and last minute wreaths. I even got to guest post on Averie's site. I finished off the month with snow pics, a gingerbread kick and some recycled jewelry. Now I'm reflecting back on it all and looking forward to the future :-)

*****

monday, december 28, 2009, continued ...
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Don't forget to vote

In case I don't get a chance to remind you again, don't forget to vote for the Best of Raw. I'm nominated for best blog (just in case you didn't have anyone else in mind, although it looks as though I've already got an award). Thanks for the love and support :-)

Christmas recycled

When you put it that way, it makes regifting so much more socially exceptable, especially when it is agreed upon in advance.

You see, since the economy is the way it is (I'm also on unpaid maternity leave at the moment), my side of the family decided to put a limit on the amount we spend on each other, while also encouraging handmade gifts. I admit that I did purchase most of the presents for the boys, but I put my creative thinking cap on for the girls.

I took these pics of their gifts quite some time ago, waiting until the last minute to share them with you. The recipients actually read my blog, so I needed to keep these a secret.

Now, my mom and sisters do know they'll be receiving jewelry, as I did receive some requests. What they don't know is how I incorporated some old pieces to create an entirely new look.

For my mom, I added some photo charms from back in the day, filled with pics of my sisters and I as kids. I don't think she knew I still had them.

My youngest sister is usually on trend, so I put together a layered look in black and white for when she goes out at night. One strand is actually an old belly chain, a fad that is probably before her time (she's 10 years younger than me).

The other sister will be receiving my favorite necklace and earring set of the bunch, in colors that make me think of her. On the end of the longer strand is a chain that once hung from a choker, yet another fad we fell victim to. In fact, I think this particular choker once belonged to her.
I hope they like their recycled Christmas presents. I feel like I brought new life to some of these forgotten items.

I'm also dusting off some old items around the house to regift in our annual family present swap. Our extended group has gotten so large that you can't possibly get something for everyone, nor be sure who will be able to make it to the event.

The gathering was planned to take place last Saturday, but due to the weather (we had a blizzard), it was postponed until now. Whoever shows up will come bearing old items from their homes to add to "the game."

To play this game, everyone draws a number, and based on that number, takes his or her turn selecting a gift from the pile, unwrapping it and deciding whether to keep it or exchange it for something already unwrapped. It can get a little crazy when everyone is after the same gift.

This year, instead of fighting over the popular gift, I think most of us will be trying to get rid of the least wanted offering (I have an old VCR I'd like to dispose of, but it does come complete with a collection of video tapes, including one of the original Star Wars VHS tapes; hey, it might be worth something). Wish me luck.

Merry Christmas!

Save some for Santa

With all that cookie making and unbaking, I hope you didn't eat them all. Don't forget to put some out for Santa, too. Remember, he likes it raw.

I also hope you had a chance to share a few of your creations. They make lovely gifts. Just don't forget to remind the recipient to refrigerate or freeze them, as they do expire quick.

But, that shouldn't be a problem, since they have such yummy flavors. In this variety pack, someone is sure to find one or two to savor.

Merry Christmas Eve. To all a good night :-)