Kid at Heart

Posted on December 16, 2012 by shanapowell

I constantly get asked when I am going to have kids.

Well.

After five years of marriage and no children, the husband and I have made a very important decision.

We have decided to adopt.

We’re still not ready for children though.

So we decided to adopt a senior citizen.

For Christmas.

As the final challenge for the 12 Challenges of 2012, we decided to share our blessings this Christmas by adopting an 86 year old man who is currently living in a nursing home.

His wish list was a simple one.

Pajamas

Slippers

A blue comforter

Action DVD’s

And a baseball cap

I think we can manage that.

It sounds a heck of a lot easier than growing a human being inside of my uterus for nine months and raising it for the next eighteen years.

Yes, eighteen.

Then it’s time to either go to college or get a job.

Either way, you’re not allowed to live in my house anymore.

If you’re really nice to me from the ages of 2-17, however, I might consider sending you care packages.

College food sucks.

Nursing home food ain’t so hot either, I hear.

So I decided to include a little treat along with the gifts for our newly adopted octogenarian.

It’s easy to make.

But maybe not so easy to chew.

Maybe that just means the enjoyment will last longer?

CHERRY COCONUT AND CASHEW BARK

2 (12 oz) packages non-dairy chocolate chips

1/2 cup cashew pieces

1/2 cup sweetened, flaked coconut

1/2 cup dried cherries

Add chocolate chips to a large bowl.

Microwave for 20-30 seconds and then stir.

Continue until most of the chocolate has melted.

Stir until chocolate is smooth.

Pour onto foil lined sheet and spread in an even layer.

Top with cherries, cashews, and coconut.

Chill until firm and break into small pieces.

Sweet coconut, salty cashews, tart cherries, and chocolate?

This is one Christmas tradition you’ll definitely want to adopt.

The senior citizen is optional, but highly recommended.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Life's Little Gems

Posted on December 13, 2012 by shanapowell

I was watching 60 year old Christmas movies starring a cast of puppets and strings, when I was moved by a particular scene.

Santa was galavanting around town pretending to be, um, not Santa when he starts chatting up a young boy.

Can you name this movie? I’ll send a batch of cookies to the first person with the right answer!

Due to a nasty cold, Not Santa Santa sneezes, which alarms the young boy’s mother.

Upon learning that it was actually that it was not her son that was suffering from sinus issues, the mother promptly invites her son’s “new friend” into the house and offers a nice home remedy to combat his cold.

That would NEVER happen today.

Today we would assume that man was probably some sort of pedophile who was trying to take advantage of an innocent little boy.

We would probably call the police, or at the very least, punch him in the jingle bells.

Essentially we have become so jaded and so cynical, we don’t even trust Santa anymore.

And if you can’t trust Santa, who can you trust?

All of this got me thinking about the 12 Challenges of 2012.

Thanks to my co-workers generosity, we were able to raise enough money to provide a full Thanksgiving meal for a family in need as part of November’s challenge.

For December’s challenge, I put some serious thought into adopting a family for Christmas.

But cynicism was sucking the spirit of the season right out of me.

What if the family sells the gifts for drugs?

What if the kids get mad and break the gifts in fit of rage?

What if they’re not grateful because the gifts aren’t good enough?

But Christmas is about having faith.

And goodwill towards men.

And other catchy snippets of songs that remind us not to be so grinchy.

So this year, I am going to have faith that if I choose to adopt a family, the money and gifts will go exactly where they need to go.

And you can have faith that even though the ingredients in this recipe might sound unusual, they make one fantastic tasting cookie.

It’s the softest, chewiest, gingerbread cookie you’ll eat all season.

GINGERBREAD GEMS

1 (8 oz) package of pitted dates

2 tablespoons molasses

1/2 cup flour

*Tidbit: I used white whole wheat for this recipe. You can use 1/2 cup finely ground oats to make a gluten free cookie!

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4-1/3 cup turbinado sugar (for rolling)

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Add dates and molasses to a food processor and process until dates are finely chopped.

Add flour, spices, and salt.

Process until mixture forms a ball.

Use a tablespoon or cookie scoop to divide mixture into about 24 cookies.

Roll into a ball.

Press each ball gently with the palm of your hand to flatten into a disk.

Roll each disk in the turbinado sugar.

Tidbit: Turbinado sugar (raw sugar) is larger and more coarse than regular white sugar giving the cookies a golden sparkle and a bit of crunch.

Place on baking sheet about one inch apart.

Bake for about six minutes.

Remove from oven and cool completely to allow cookie to set.

This Christmas, I have faith.

And I believe.

I believe in Santa.

I believe that Christmas movies that feature puppets and claymation are the best Christmas movies of all time.

I believe that we need to go back to a time where we helped our neighbors.

And I believe cookies made with dates might be just what you need to help you get the spirit back in Christmas.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Rock You Like a Vegetarian

Posted on November 1, 2012 by shanapowell

The vegan advantage:

My power went out for over 12 hours during hurricane Sandy but I didn’t have to worry about food spoilage because I don’t keep meat, eggs, or dairy in the house.

Which means that despite a lack of power, my dinner looked a lot like this:

Zucchini pasta, kidney bean balls, and homemade tomato sauce.

Except it was eaten by candlelight.

While I tried really, really hard to get that “Rock you like a hurricane” song out of my head.

It’s been stuck in there since Irene.

There were some casualties though.

My slippers didn’t make it through their first encounter with our brand new underground swimming pool, formally known as “the basement.”

And there is at least one garden gnome unaccounted for.

Search efforts are ongoing.

The 12 Challenges of 2012 is also ongoing.

October’s challenge encouraged one of YOU to try a vegetarian diet.

My friend Kristin graciously accepted the challenge in an effort to eat healthfully and try something new.

Like any good friend, I grilled her about it afterwards.

There’s totally not anything weird about interviewing your friends about their eating habits.

Totally.

Not.

Weird.

Me: What made you decide to take the veggie challenge?

K: I had considered trying to do at least one day a week without any meat about a year ago, but when you presented a challenge in your blog, I couldn’t resist.

Me: How did you prepare for the challenge?

K: I looked online for recipes that I could prepare and cook easily (I didn’t want any excuses not to do it). Honestly, I didn’t do much in preparation, maybe I should have?

Vegetarian Chili. Photo courtesy Kristin

Me: What did you like most about the challenge?

K: I loved trying new recipes and I felt good about myself for being able to achieve something I never thought I could…for real.

Me: What was the hardest part?

K: Eating out was hard, I can sympathize with you now at book club! I can’t imagine doing a vegan challenge. I’m not sure what I’d eat

Me: Did you try any new foods?

K: Black beans (yum), pinto beans(yum), hummus (not a fan)

Vegetarian fajitas. Photo courtesy Kristin

Me: What food did you miss the most?

K: Fish and Chicken and oddly enough, bacon. I never thought I liked bacon that much.

Me: Did you notice any changes while doing the challenge?

K: Well, somewhat…How personal do you want me to get? lol I did feel good all around though. I felt energized longer throughout the day. Less tired in the evenings and I slept better. Is that food related??

Me: How did your family/friends respond?

K: My family tried, but they just didn’t see the point in it…but everyone was very supportive!

Me:Is there anything you would do differently?

K: No, I don’t think so. I will definitely be on the lookout for new recipes!

Me: What did you learn from the challenge?

K: That giving up meat wouldn’t kill me, but I do love meat I like the challenge of trying new things. I’ll be incorporating many more vegetarian meals into my diet. I’ll enjoy meat less frequently probably.

Me: What advice do you have for anyone considering a similar challenge?

K: Go for it! It’s really a lot easier than I thought it would be. I think everyone should challenge themselves. You will feel really great afterwards…

Veggie Burger and Fries. Photo courtesy Kristin

Congratulations to Kristin for completing the vegetarian challenge!

And don’t you worry, Kristin, I’ve already challenged myself to make you a hummus lover.

Ride Like the Wind

Posted on October 7, 2012 by shanapowell

I decided to take advantage of the warm fall weather and bike to the local orchard to pick up some apples.

The thing about biking in October is that it can be kind of windy.

I was struggling.

I felt like Ms. Gulch in the Wizard of Oz riding past Dorothy’s bedroom window while it is whirling around in a tornado.

My quads were burning so bad I thought they might disintegrate and I was seriously considering cutting the ride short and heading home.

I glanced behind me to see a fellow biker getting ready to pass.

He bid me good morning as he effortlessly sailed on by.

With a donut.

And coffee.

(source)

Maybe I’m doing it wrong.

Gale force winds couldn’t keep me from fresh produce now.

Or the 3 MPH winds I was actually facing.

How ’bout them apples?

I was hungry when I got home.

Which is completely irrelevant because I’m always hungry.

Baked Sweet potatoes stuffed with apples, cranberries, and spinach is a warming way to enjoy both the sweet and tart flavors of fall.

Apple and Cranberry Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

2 medium sweet potatoes

1/2 cup fresh cranberries

1 apple (any variety)

1 tablespoon apple cider or water

1 teaspoon spicy brown mustard

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon maple syrup

2 cups baby spinach

2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds (optional)

salt + pepper, to taste

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees.

Wrap sweet potatoes in foil and bake for 50-60 minutes or until tender.

During the last 10 minutes of cooking, prepare your filling.

Soak cranberries in hot water for 5 minutes to soften.

If you can’t find fresh cranberries, you can use 1/4 cup dried.

Dice apple.

Add to a large pan with apple cider.

Cook over medium heat for about a minute.

Add cranberries and continue cooking until tender, about 3-4 minutes.

Add mustard, apple cider vinegar, and maple syrup.

Stir gently.

Add spinach and cook just until it begins to wilt.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Add 1/2 of the apple filling to each sweet potato.

Top with pumpkin seeds.

The 12 Challenges of 2012

Has anyone thought about taking the week long vegetarian challenge?

Maybe you’re thinking it would be too difficult.

Maybe you’re thinking meal planning would be too hard.

Maybe you’re thinking too much.

Here’s some quick and easy meal ideas for you.

BREAKFAST

Cereal + Milk + Fruit

Toast + Peanut Butter + Banana

Oatmeal+Soy milk + Pumpkin + Pumpkin Pie Spice

Pancakes + Cooked Apples + Maple Syrup

Fresh Fruit Smoothies

Almond Biscotti

LUNCH

Peanut Butter + Apple Butter + Whole Wheat Bread

Hummus + Veggies + Pita Chips

Lentil Soup

Moroccan Carrot Salad

Thai Broccoli Slaw

Spinach + Pears + Walnuts + Maple Cider Vinaigrette

DINNER

Vegetarian Chili + Cornbread

Black Bean Burgers + Sweet Potato Fries

Tomato Soup + Grilled Cheese

Black Bean Tostadas

Stuffed Portobellos

Zucchini Tacos

Veggie Pizza

SNACKS

Brownie Batter Dip

Apple Butter Bread

Peanut Butter and Jelly Energy Bites

Warm Apple Salsa with Cinnamon Sugar Chips

You can even eat donuts and drink coffee all week if you want.

Bonus points if you can do it on a bicycle.

Goldilocks and the Three Granolas

Posted on September 2, 2012 by shanapowell

Goldilocks was high maintenance.

She was intrusive, finicky, and hard to please.

And she committed B & E without batting an eye.

Maybe instead of complaining about the subtle sensory differences between chairs, porridge, and mattresses, she could have been grateful that she didn’t get eaten by a bear.

Listen up, locks.

Gratitude journals are powerful things.

As I read back through a month of gratitude,

I noticed some themes.

1. Family

2. Friends

3. Nature

Nothing novel there.

I love my friends and family.

And I love the feeling of crisp mornings and warm, sunny afternoons.

As a nature lover, I feel its my obligation to love granola.

Homemade granola.

Naturally.

Except it has to be juuuuuuussssst right.

The first batch was too salty.

The second batch was to spicy.

The third batch was just right.

Rolled oats, puffed rice cereal, and flax seed are toasted with applesauce, molasses and cinnamon to make clusters of crunchy granola.

Baked Apple Granola

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup puffed rice cereal

1/2 cup natural applesauce

1/4 cup ground flax seed

2 tablespoons molasses

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees

Combine oats, rice cereal, and flax seed in a large bowl.

Add cinnamon and salt.

Add applesauce and molasses.

Stir.

Spread mixture on a foil-lined cookie sheet.

Bake for 35-45 minutes or until toasted and crisp.

The moral of the story is:

Life’s a bear.

Enjoy the moments that are just right.

Set goals.

Challenge yourself.

Speaking of challenges, it’s time for September’s challenge.

I have one goal for September:

Complete the Amish Country Bike Tour September 8th.

Maybe if I get too tired, I can hitch a ride on a buggy.

Photo Pop

Posted on August 19, 2012 by shanapowell

This post is brought to you by the letter P

We’re over half-way through August’s gratitude challenge.

Things I’m grateful for:

1. Purple Peppers

From my garden!

2. Parents

That I’m visiting.

Which is why you’re looking at pictures of peppers and not an actual recipe.

3. Pictures

Old school pictures.

Of my Pop!

Who apparently had a mustache before mustaches were cool.

4. Pinterest projects

This cute candy arrangement is super easy to make.

All you need are:

Glass vases

Whoppers or other chocolate candy

Green licorice

Large lollipops

Ribbon

Hot glue gun

Begin by cutting the ribbon to fit around the glass vase.

Add hot glue to the back of the ribbon.

Wrap ribbon around vase and hold for a moment to allow glue to dry.

Fill each vase with whoppers or desired chocolate candy.

Arrange licorice in vase. Cut in half if using small vases.

Then add your lollipops.

Pretty!

Thanks for POPPING in!

I Got the Blues

Posted on August 16, 2012 by shanapowell

Remember that song “Blue” by LeAnn Rimes?

OhmyGodthatsongmademewanttoclawmyeyesout.

With a spoon.

I just wanted her to shut up and get over whatever she was so lonesome about.

And what about Eifel 65′s song “Blue?”

Remember that?

Did you sort of want to take a jackhammer to your car radio when that came on?

No?

Me neither.

I totally loved that song.

And who the hell keeps a jackhammer in their car?

You have issues.

I have issues too.

With blue food.

It freaks me out.

Blue Raspberry Lemonade?

Blue Ketchup?

I don’t even like blue M & M’s.

Cocky bastard

I think it’s because blue food is just so un-natural looking.

Unless of course you’re talking about blueberries.

Blueberries are my all-time favorite summer fruit.

They’re like God’s apology for making me listen to crappy pop music that taints all things blue-tiful.

Which is why I go all Violet Beauregarde every July and August.

Unlike Ms. Rimes and Ms. Beauregarde, I don’t like to massacre blue things.

I prefer my berries whole in oatmeal, with soy milk, or by the greedy handful in the middle of an orchard.

I also make sure I buy every last pint before they go out of season locally.

It was a bit more than I could fit in my belly.

The solution?

Make sauce.

Blueberry Sauce.

It’s three ingredient and keeps for weeks in the fridge or up to a year in the freezer.

BLUEBERRY SAUCE

4 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed

1/4 cup of agave nectar

1/2 lemon, juiced

Add blueberries, agave, and lemon juice to a medium sized saucepan over medium heat.

Cook until berries begin to break down and sauce begins to bubble.

Remove from heat and cool.

Pour into freezer safe apparatus.

Serve over yogurt if that’s your thing.

Non-dairy if you’re veggin’.

Or eat it by the spoonful.

Preferably not the one you used to scoop your eyeballs out.

Seriously.

You have issues.

In other ~~issues~~ news, here’s some things I’m grateful for this week:

1. That LeAnn Rime’s music sucks significantly less since 1996.

2. The blue Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle.

3. That you still read this blog despite intermittent cussing and questionable humor.

Alphabet Soup

Posted on August 9, 2012 by shanapowell

When was the last time you were thankful for something?

If it was sitting around a 30 pound stuffed bird, three variations of sweet potato casserole, and your Mom’s famous marshmallow salad recipe that has been served since 1987, I’d say it’s time to take a moment of appreciation.

Go ahead.

I’ll wait.

Can’t think of anything?

Finding things to be grateful for is as easy as reciting your ABC’s.

A

Amish Country Bike Tour

I just signed up!

B

Beer

Obviously

C

Coffee

It makes me excited to get up in the morning!

D

Dogs

Mine are insanely irritating. I don’t know how I would live without them.

E

Exercise

It helps me cope with stress and makes me feel more confident.

F

Food

I didn’t always have a healthy relationship with it.

I’m glad we’re better friends now.

G

The Gratitude Challenge

I already notice an improvement in my mood.

H

Hair Salons

Where else can you relax, catch up on trashy magazines and walk out feeling like a whole new person?

I

Isa Chandra Moskowitz

The woman can’t write a bad recipe.

J

Jump rope

I used to be awesome at it. Now I suck. This will be rectified.

K

Kumquat

(source)

I’ve never had one. I just think its fun to say.

L

Local Farms

Because it’s just so freakin’ fresh.

M

Moms

Because life wouldn’t exist without them.

N

Non-Dairy Milks

Even if you drink milk, it’s fun to mix up your breakfast routine with new flavors.

O

Oatmeal

It’s the worlds most wholesome and versatile food.

P

Popcorn

I eat it every night while I read.

Q

Quality time with Grandma

At the bar.

R

Recipage

Have you visited mine yet?

S

Soup!

Chilled in the summer.

Piping hot in the fall and winter.

T

Trek

The newest addition to my fitness family.

U

Undergrad

The longest and most expensive party of my life.

V

Veterens

Especially mine.

W

Weekends

It’s two days to relax, regroup, and rejuvenate.

X

Xylitol

Because I can justify my addiction to gum with xylitol’s teeth cleaning benefits!

Y

Yoga

I credit yoga with helping me to manage my stress and anxiety.

Z

Zester (microplanes)

Because everyone could use a little zest.

HEY!

Did you know that keeping a gratitude journal can actually make you happier?

It’s true!

Check THIS out for more information.

I’m so grateful to be able to link out web pages.

It saves me from actually having to cite crap.

Now go get grateful.

DO IT!

How to Achieve Inner Peach

Posted on August 5, 2012 by shanapowell

Hey!

Wyoming, Delaware!

I really love your peaches.

Want to shake your treeeeeeeeeee.

The Peach Festival was quite, um, peachy.

Actually, it was quite hot.

I stayed under a tent for the entire day.

Right after I dropped of my entry for the dessert contest, that is.

There were only three other entries when I made the drop an hour before the contest closed.

The odds were lookin’ good.

I have no problem winning by default.

Except I didn’t win.

You might say I was disappointed.

You might even say I was triflin’.

Triflin’ indeed.

I spent the entire month of July creating this recipe and it certainly was a challenge.

I think I ate cake for breakfast for four straight weeks.

But it was worth it.

This dessert starts with a layer of moist cardemom cake and then gets topped with a peach and amaretto filling. The final layer is a mixture of ooey, gooey caramel and cinnamon glazed pecans.

PEACH PRALINE TRIFLE

For the cake:

1/2 cup non-dairy butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup peach puree

2 tablespoons amaretto liqueur

1 1/2 cups cake flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cardamom (reduce to 1/2 tsp for more less spicy flavor)

1/2 teaspoon salt

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream non-dairy butter and sugar for 5-7 minutes.

Add peach puree and liqueur and mix well.

Add flour, baking powder, cardamom, and salt.

Stir just until combined.

Pour batter into an 8 inch cast iron skillet and bake for 25-30 minutes.

*Tidbit: The judges thought the cake was spicy. I love spice but feel free to reduce the cardamom to 1/2 teaspoon for a more subtle flavor.

Cool.

Crumble cake into bite sized pieces and set aside.

For the peach filling:

4 peaches, skin removed, then diced

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons maple syrup

2 teaspoons arrowroot powder

1 teaspoon amaretto liqueur

Add diced peaches, sugar, maple syrup and arrowroot powder to a saucepan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil and filling starts to thicken (about 5-7 minutes).

Remove from heat and add liqueur.

Set aside.

For the praline:

3 tablespoons non-dairy butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup peach puree

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup prepared cinnamon glazed pecans, chopped

Combine non-dairy butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, peach puree and cinnamon in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until it reaches a dark amber color (this happens pretty quickly-about 3 to 5 minutes).

Remove from heat and add chopped pecans.

Set aside.

To assemble:

Layer six half-pint mason jars half-way with cake. Add a spoon-full of peach filling.

Top with a spoon-full of praline.

Repeat layers.

Even though I didn’t win, I’m grateful for the experience.

If only because I’m the middle of a month long gratitude challenge.

Every night before bed, I record at least three things in my gratitude journal that I am grateful for.

Today I am grateful for:

1. Fresh, local peaches

2. That the judges were much kinder to me this year.

3. That I bought myself this consolation prize.

I’m excited to get outfitted for this bike.

Meaning putting a big ol’ basket on the back.

So I can carry all my peaches home from the orchard.

Now that’s a winning idea.

I think I’m finally on my way to inner ~~peach~~ peace.

Peach Pits

Posted on August 2, 2012 by shanapowell

I’ve been in a bad mood.

For a month.

No, let me rephrase that.

I’ve had a bad attitude for the last month.

A lot of things happened in the month of July.

I returned to work after a two week vacation which meant a massive readjustment to the daily routine.

My husband left home again for his job….half-way across the world.

My supervisor, mentor, and good friend took a job outside our agency.

I took a new position at work which means saying goodbye to some very near and dear co-workers whom I’ve known and loved for the last three years of my life.

I spent 8 bajillion hours trying to come up with the perfect peach recipe for July’s challenge.

And I’m still not happy with it.

None of these things are horribly traumatic, but it was a lot to process in a short amount of time.

And there were too many times this month that I let negative thinking get the best of me.

The truth is that all of those changes are just life’s little happenings.

And in the grand scheme of things, I have an incredible amount of happenings to be grateful for.

So instead of focusing on life’s little hiccups, I’m going to spend the month of August focusing on all the greatness in my life.

By keeping a gratitude journal.

A cute one.

With polka dots.

To make it legit.

So now that we’ve got the 8th challenge for 2012 covered, you probably want to know how I fared for July’s challenge to create the perfect peach recipe for the local peach dessert recipe contest this Saturday.

Well, I spent a lot of time, money, and ingredients on a recipe that just didn’t turn out the way I envisioned.

Oh crap.

Gratitude.

Um, I’m grateful that I had the time, money, and ability to try so many different recipes and come up with a delicious, if not an award winning, dessert.

Although developing recipes can sometimes be frustrating and result in a lot of failures, the process is always exciting and I learn a little bit more about the science of baking with every attempt.

And I’m thankful that my co-workers so lovingly devoured subtle variations of the same experiment for the past four weeks.

Even though one person asked me what I brought in that had “eyeballs” in it.

It was a pecan.

My co-workers are nuts.

I’ve loved spending the last three years with them.

And for that I am grateful.

See you Saturday for the Peach Festival!