.

Winter Vacation

2012-01-07T11:29:00.000-08:00

Collection of photos I took while away on winter vacation. I visited my mom in the northern interior of British Columbia. It was cold and beautiful!

Flavour Infused Sea Salts and Vodka

2011-12-19T11:21:00.001-08:00

For presents this year I made flavour infused sea salts and vodka. For the sea salts I made three flavours: vanilla, citrus, and chili. For the vodka I made espresso. I designed the tags on my computer and printed on recycled cardstock, hole-punched them and used twine to attach the labels to the containers, which can be purchased at any cooking or craft store!

Citrus Salts
Sea Salt
Lemon
Orange

Simply grate the lemon and orange zest. Let it dry for a few minutes and combine well with the sea salt.

Vanilla Salts
sea salt
2 vanilla beans
unrefined sugar

Split the vanilla beans lengthwise. Scrape out all the sticky seeds and use your fingers to combine well with the sea salt. Add half amount of unrefined sugar as sea salt and mix well.

Chili Salts
sea salt
4 dried whole chilis
dash of paprika
ground peppercorn

crush the chilis with your fingers and sprinkle in with the sea salt. Combine freshly ground peppercorns and mix well. Add a dash of paprika for colour.

Espresso Vodka
Vodka
Espresso beans
Cheesecloth
funnel

Lightly grind the espresso beans and wrap in cheesecloth. Tie very tightly to ensure none of the ground beans escape into the vodka (if this does happen however, you can filter it out later). I let the beans soak for about three days in a mason jar but you can use whatever container you like. Remove cheesecloth and beans from vodka and pour into bottle using a funnel. You can also sift the vodka through a layer of cheesecloth if any of the grounds happened to escape into the liquor during the process!

Cotton Candy Hair

2011-06-07T15:54:00.000-07:00

Black and White Film

2011-06-02T15:49:00.000-07:00

Apple Cashew Curry With Coconut Rice

2011-05-05T12:04:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favourite dishes... vegan friendly too!

Ingredients
1 cup jasmine rice
1 can coconut milk
3 fresh lime slices
cilantro
cashews
broccoli
1/2 can baby corn
1 granny smith apple sliced
olive oil
2 tablespoons red curry paste
cumin
salt
garlic powder
onion powder
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon fresh chopped ginger

1. Cook the rice with half water and half coconut milk.

2. Heat olive oil in frying pan. Add cashews, broccoli, apple slices, and corn.

3. Slowly stir in remaining coconut milk. Add ginger, red curry paste, brown sugar, cilantro and squeeze 2 of the lime wedges in. Add cumin, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder to taste. You might even want to add more curry paste depending on how strong you like it!

4. Let simmer until flavours are well blended. Serve rice separate from curry and topped with a cilantro twig and lime slice!

Rainbow Cakes

2011-05-03T13:34:00.000-07:00

For my 22nd birthday this year I made rainbow cupcakes. They are surprisingly easy to make for how cool they look! I used the recipe found here.

Hair Photoshoot

2011-04-15T10:45:00.000-07:00

Some hair photos I took for the salon I work at.

model Kat Veloso
hair Amanda Young
photos Megan Catfish

Gypsy Girl

2011-03-03T10:28:00.001-08:00

My newest addition, a gypsy girl I got for my mom! Done by Colin from Tattoo Zoo.

snow wander

2011-01-12T11:14:00.000-08:00

It snowed last night so I decided to take a late night wander up to the summit, which is like a big cliff by my house. Even though it was 11pm everything was cast in such a bright, pretty glow. I knew the snow would be gone by the morning so I wanted to capture how beautiful it looked. It was snowing pretty hard so my camera wouldn't focus on anything (hence the softness of these photos).

Nature

2011-01-10T22:07:00.001-08:00

I finished this illustration today, I quite like it.

Halloween

2010-11-02T14:02:00.000-07:00

This Halloween I was a deer, it was a super simple costume to do and I think it turned out really well! I did my face using my regular MAC make-up, painted white spots on an old brown dress of mine and paired it with brown tights, white socks, and black wedges. I sculpted my antlers out of clay, painted them brown, and crazy glued them to a headband.

Witch Finger Pretzels

2010-10-30T13:14:00.000-07:00

I made these witch finger pretzels from the Martha Stewart Halloween Handbook, and they turned out amazing! I also made a cheese sauce for dipping.

Recipe for pretzels can be found here

Cheese Sauce
white wine
smoked gouda
cheddar cheese
flour
salt and pepper

In a pot, cook wine over medium heat. Stir in grated cheddar and gouda until melted. Add flour until the sauce is semi-thick and a good consistency for dipping. Salt and pepper to taste.

Harvest Curry - Vegan Friendly!

2010-10-22T09:38:00.000-07:00

This warm and spicy curry is the perfect meal for those particularly grey days. Incorporating harvest vegetables makes this not only delicious, but cheap too. Did I mention it's vegan friendly as well!?

Ingredients
acorn squash
butternut squash
pumpkin
yam
lentils
curry paste
cumin/tumeric/salt
almond/soy milk
olive oil
ginger

1. Chop the squash, pumpkin, and yams into bit sized pieces. Heat some olive oil in a pan with some diced ginger and add the chopped veggies. Fry for several minutes until the veggies are well cooked and soft.

2. Add almond milk (I don't use measurements when cooking certain meals, I tend to go by taste and also by amount of people I'm cooking for. Just use your best judgement and taste as you go along!)

3. Stir in a couple spoonfuls of curry paste. I like my curry extra spicy so you may not use as much as I would. Just add it slowly and keep tasting. I also add extra cumin/tumeric powder and a pinch of salt!

4. Once the curry is well mixed with the veggies and almond milk, stir in the the lentils. Let simmer until flavours have blended well and the curry has thickened up.

Unknown Pleasures

2010-10-21T10:23:00.000-07:00

details
coat: sirens
sweater: bluenotes
tshirt: thrifted
purse: aldo
leggings: sirens
wedges: aldo

Updating

2010-09-11T12:19:00.001-07:00

In the proccess of updating my blog and making a new layout so sorry everything is unfinished and awkward looking.

Lemon Petit Fours

2010-06-15T21:40:00.000-07:00

I made these lemon petit fours today... they are amazing and really easy to make. I followed the recipe from this blog and instead of shaping the dough into balls and pressing with a fork, I simply rolled the dough out and cut out little mini circles using a shot glass!

Photoshoot

2010-06-03T20:17:00.000-07:00

Had a photoshoot on Tuesday, this is my favourite image from the bunch.

details
top: american apparel
skirt: american apparel
tights: vintage
vest: sirens
shoes: sirens

Too Much to Dream Last Night

2010-05-27T22:33:00.001-07:00

Hello

2010-05-24T17:20:00.000-07:00

nails

2010-02-15T18:32:00.000-08:00

my room

2010-02-08T18:23:00.000-08:00

Lately I've been into collecting teacups. I like to put my candies in them more than I like drinking tea in them though. I prefer my big old tacky kitten mugs for that.

Also, I used to have all my jewelry just tangled in a box so I decided to hang it up from a branch on my wall.

black and white stripes

2010-02-07T17:48:00.000-08:00

details
jacket: sirens
top: american apparel
skirt: american apparel
purse: aldo
shoes: aldo

update

2010-01-28T14:48:00.000-08:00

Alright, so I am officially the worst blogger in the world! I'm so sorry for neglecting to post for over a month. Life has been busy though, and a lot has changed. My boyfriend and I broke up after 2 years together, I coloured my hair blonde, I had my first art show. Things are good though! Change is good. Hopefully with the new year I will be able to post more often. I have quite a few recipes I've been excited to share with you guys :)

handmade journals

2009-12-14T17:14:00.000-08:00

These journals are super easy and make great Christmas gifts! All you need is:

-thin cardboard/card stock
-needle and thread
-ruler
-exacto knife
-pens
-paper
-tack
-bone folder

Measure out the size of notebook you want to make and cut it out out of the card stock. Measure out about 4 or 5 pieces of paper slightly smaller than the cardboard (anymore and you won't be able to sew through them. Don't forget that it will be folded in half and double sided so you get more like 20 pages in total!)

Using a bone folder, fold the cover and the pages in half. Poke holes along the spine of both the cover and pages with a tack. Take a needle and thread and sew along the spine twice, like the photo below.

Then take some pens (or pencils, or paints!) and draw something on the covers. I drew monsters on mine.

Even kitties like them!

graphic design

2009-11-17T22:35:00.000-08:00

I know this is a little different than what I usually post, but (as I'm sure a lot of you might already know) that I went to college for graphic design/illustration. I thought I might show you some of my work from the past. Maybe I'll start including some more art/design posts in the future. :)

poster design for a music festival

typographic design

literary magazine cover

illustration

another illustration

package design (for soap)

outfit - peacoat and bows

2009-11-08T21:00:00.000-08:00

I really love the sash from american apparel. it goes with almost any outfit and is a great replacement for a regular belt. i also like to use it as a scarf, as seen in the outfit below!

details
coat: Sirens
blouse: Sirens
sash: American Apparel
skirt: American Apparel
tights: Walmart
pumps/booties: Aldo

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-26T18:51:00.000-07:00

details
hat: DeLux
shirt: Garage
jacket: Sirens
belt: American Apparel
skirt: American Apparel

halloween movie night

2009-10-23T15:08:00.001-07:00

One of my favourite things about October is... Halloween! Halloween is my favourite holiday and I love hosting festive events. Last night I had a Halloween Movie Night and decided I would post my own "how-to." So! Here it is, my very own step by step on how to host your own Halloween movie night, complete with decorations, snacks, drinks and movie recommendations!

The Decorations

A nice simple table centerpiece. One medium sized pumpkin with little pumpkins and squashes (found at any grocery store or even better, a pumpkin patch!) The black sticks I made simply by collecting dead twigs, pulling off any remaining leaves, and spray painting them all completely black.

These ghosts were made with nothing but an old sheet, stuffing, some rope and a black marker. I cut the sheet into individual squares and stuffed them with newspaper (you can use anything, cotton would be the best but newspaper does work too!) and tied a rope around their necks. Make sure to leave a bit of rope dangling to hang them up. Draw their faces on with black sharpie and tie them to the ceiling with tacks.

Silhouettes are a super simple but really cute decoration... I decided to make bats! I drew them onto black foam paper and cut them out with scissors. It's a little time consuming but something to do while watching TV or a movie.

The Movies

First of all, decide if you want to watch classic horror films, scary creepy thrillers, Halloween favourites, or gory comedies. Classic horror films include anything from the 50's, 60's, or 70's... House on Haunted Hill, Night of the Living Dead, The Shining, etc. If you're looking for something a little more scary, more modern horrors like Silence of the Lambs, or even more recent, movies like 28 Days Later are a good choice. Halloween favourites like Beetlejuice or Nightmare Before Christmas are usually appreciated by everyone. Personally my favourites are the gory, horror-spoofs like the Evil Dead trilogy.

The Drinks

Halloween martinis are yummy and look awesome. All you need is:

-vodka
-sprite
-lime juice
-ice cube trays
-gummy worms
-food colouring

I was able to find black food colouring from Michaels to make these drinks, but any colour (lime green, red, etc) will work. Make sure to prepare the ice cubes the day before by freezing the gummy worms right inside the trays. Place one gummy worm ice cube into a martini glass with one shot of vodka. Fill the remaining space with sprite and squeeze a couple good squirts of lime juice in. And last but not least, add a few drops of food colouring!

The Snacks

-popcorn
-margarine
-sugar
-salt
-candy corns

We made candy corn popcorn! Pop some kernels on the stove in a large pot with some oil, shaking constantly to prevent burning. Once the corn is all popped, throw about 2 tbsp margarine and 3-4 tbsp sugar into the microwave until nicely melted and mixed together. Pour over the popcorn, sprinkle some salt, and add the candy corn. This makes a really yummy sweet and salty combination.

And that's it! All you need to know on how to put on your own Halloween movie night :)

outfit - black, white, red

2009-10-16T09:02:00.000-07:00

Details
bow: claires, $13
shirt: thrifted, $3
skirt: vintage, $0
oxford pumps: payless, $13

autumn apple dishes

2009-10-13T15:43:00.000-07:00

So other than pumpkin, apples are my second favourite thing to eat during the fall. Here are a few of my favourite autumn-inspired apple dishes!

Traditional Apple Pie

3 apples, thinly sliced
brown sugar
cinnamon
nutmeg
ginger
allspice
molasses
margarine
granola
pie crust (recipe can be found here )

1. Make the pie crust and let sit in the fridge while preparing the filling.

1. In a large pot, cook the sliced apples, brown sugar, spices, and molasses under medium heat until everything is melted, mixed together, and the apples are soft and brown.

2. Pour mixture into the pie crust. In a separate bowl mix some margarine, brown sugar, and granola. Sprinkle mixture over pie until evenly covered. Bake in oven at 350 until golden brown.

--------------------------

Apple Curry

1 large granny smith apple, thinly sliced
can of coconut milk
1 lime
tumeric
cumin
curry powder
1 onion
1 tbsp olive oil
2 spoonfuls brown sugar
salt
slivered almonds
any thick noodle of your choice

1. In a large pan, fry the onions in the oil until brown. Add brown sugar and continue to cook until sugar is melted.

2. Slowly stir in coconut milk. Once completely incorporated, add the cumin, tumeric, salt, and curry powder.

3. Add sliced apples and almonds. Let simmer for 10 minutes or so.

4. Boil some noodles, and once cooked, drain them and add the curry sauce.

--------------------------

Honey Roasted Sweet Potatoes
**disclaimer** yes, I realize honey isn't vegan, but I also realize that not all of my readers are vegan! The original recipe includes honey, but I have also included a vegan alternative :)

1 apple, cut into small cubes
1 large sweet potato, cut into medium cubes
honey (or any sweet vegan alternative, like agave nectar or similar syrupy sweetener)
1 tbsp brown sugar
cinnamon
nutmeg
allspice
mixed nuts (walnuts, almonds, and cashews are the best)

1. Mix the apple, sweet potato, honey/vegan alternative, spices and brown sugar.

2. Pour mixture into a deep casserole dish.

3. Bake in the oven at 425 for 20 minutes until the sweet potato is soft and brown.

autumn playlist

2009-10-01T12:18:00.000-07:00

Every season there are certain songs which I fall in love with that, for some strange reason, embody everything that personally reminds me of that time. Right now, for Autumn, more specifically, this October, I've created a playlist of songs that I think reflect this particular season.... some chilling, others melancholic, peaceful, or reflective, some soft and melodic, but all beautiful. Enjoy!

click here to download

ps; please comment me if you take it!

bye bye summer

2009-09-28T18:07:00.001-07:00

So it's that time of year again... summer is officially over. As much as I love summer, autumn is by far my favourite season. There is nothing I love more than a crisp, beautiful fall day with everything surrounded in bright orange, red, and yellow, the smell of burning leaves, curled up inside drinking tea with a good book during the rainy days... oh and did I forget to mention how much I love AUTUMN FOOD.

Hearty squash soups, yummy warm stews, baked apples, cinnamon and ginger spice, pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin pies, pumpkin loaf, roasted pumpkin, pumpkin seeds, pumpkin-everything.

Oh and halloween is my favourite holiday... I already have the first of october marked off for a full day of redecorating my apartment. be prepared for a month of festive posts!

Tattoo

2009-09-17T20:56:00.000-07:00

I've been planning on this tattoo for years. Just the outline but now I can finally say that I have a catfish majestically leaping from a swamp tattooed on my arm. :)

outfit - mojitos and shopping

2009-09-10T13:46:00.001-07:00

This is what I wore to drink mojitos, then go shopping for work clothes. I am a fan of socks and sandals - I'll blame it on being from the west coast.

peanut butter caramel cupcakes

2009-09-06T20:22:00.000-07:00

This is my modified version of "Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World's" peanut butter cupcakes. These are super delicious but very, very rich and filling. One cupcake is more than enough!

ingredients
3/4 cup soy milk
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup canola oil
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup + 2 tbsp flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons vegan caramel sauce
crushed peanuts for garnish

icing:
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup margarine
3 1/2 cups icing sugar
1.5 teaspoons vanilla
2 tbsp almond/soy milk
1/3 cup vegan caramel sauce
1 tablespoon peanut butter

instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350. Line muffin tray with paper liners. mix the soy milk with the apple vinegar and set aside to curdle.

2. In a large bowl, cream the peanut butter, oil, sugar, molasses, caramel sauce, soy milk, and vanilla.

3. In a separate bowl mix together the flour, baking powder/soda, and salt. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until well combined.

4. fill the cupcake liners and bake for 20-26 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean!

5. mix the shortening and margarine together until nice and fluffy. Add sugar, keep beating. Add the caramel and peanut butter. Keep beating. Add soy/almond milk and beat for about 5 more minutes until you achieve the consistency you want.

6. Once the cupcakes are cooled, pipe a nice swirl of icing on top. Sprinkle some crushed peanuts on top and enjoy!

just an update

2009-08-23T18:01:00.000-07:00

I'm moving in with an old friend. We've been discussing ideas for redecorating the entire place. I think I will document the process and post it on here, yes/no?

Also i've been thinking of making some cute little banners/image links to promote my blog a little more. If I made any, would any of you use them!?

xxox

summertime

2009-07-30T21:11:00.000-07:00

Tofu Nuggets With Fries & Black Bean Gravy

2009-07-29T20:56:00.000-07:00

I decided to create my own, somewhat healthy, vegan version of chicken nuggets and fries with gravy. I think the black bean gravy is my new favourite thing to eat right now. So tasty!

Ingredients

tofu nuggets
pressed tofu
bread crumbs
margarine
bragg/maggi seasoning
salt and pepper
vegetable stock
onion powder
chopped parsely

seasoned fries
potatoes (1 per person)
seasoned salt
cracked pepper
cooking oil

black bean gravy
half can black beans
2 cups vegetable stock
bragg/maggi seasoning
corn starch
salt and pepper
onion powder

How to Prepare Tofu Nuggets:
1. Cut the tofu into medium sized squares. Mix the maggi or bragg, salt and pepper, vegetable stock, parsley and onion powder in a bowl. Place the tofu in the mixture and let soak for at least two hours.

2. Once the tofu is marinated, dip each piece into a bowl of bread crumbs with salt and pepper. Cook them on a pan with margarine on medium heat until each side is golden brown.

How To Prepare Seasoned Fries:
1. Wash and cut potatoes into long, thin, fry-shaped pieces. Lightly sprinkle with seasoned salt and pepper.

2. Coat a baking pan with cooking oil. Place the fries on evenly and bake in the oven at 350 degrees. Flip and/or shake fries every five minutes or so and cook until golden brown.

How To Prepare Black Bean Gravy
1. Cook vegetable stock, bragg seasoning, onion powder, and salt and pepper in a saucepan under medium heat.

2. Blend the vegetable stock mixture and the black beans in a blender until well mixed and smooth.

3. Place mixture back in saucepan and simmer under medium-low heat. Add cornstarch if necessary to achieve the consistency you want.

Pesto & Artichoke Pasta

2009-07-26T16:01:00.000-07:00

Here is the pasta version of the pesto pizza I posted in my previous post. I created this using the leftovers and some extra ingredients. Needless to say, it turned out quite delicious! I could have sworn I could almost taste parmesan cheese in it.

Ingredients
Pesto (click here for recipe)
1/2 cup soy milk
2 tbsp melted margarine
pasta noodles
salt and pepper
1 clove garlic
artichokes
tofu "chicken" pieces

Basically mix the soy milk, margarine, salt, pepper, garlic and pesto together in a saucepan until well heated/mixed. Pour over boiled pasta noodles. Add artichokes and tofu chicken. Voila!

Pesto Pizza

2009-07-20T14:46:00.001-07:00

I've been craving pizza lately, so I decided to attempt to make my own vegan version. I was nervous at first because I was completely experimenting with something I've never really tried before, but it actually turned out to be really yummy!

ingredients
1 cup fresh basil leaves
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup & a tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
2 tbsp pine nuts
thin pita shells
artichoke hearts
asparagus
tofu "chicken" slices
bragg seasoning
cumin
tumeric
brown sugar
1 cup chopped spinach

1. To make the pesto sauce, simply throw the basil leaves, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper, and pine nuts into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth and creamy.

2. Cook the "chicken" lightly in a frying pan with the bragg seasoning, cumin, tumeric and brown sugar.

3. Spread the pesto sauce evenly over the pita shells. Add the "chicken", asparagus, and artichoke. Sprinkle the spinach on top as if it were cheese.

4. Bake in the oven at 350 until the pita's are crispy and brown, around ten minutes.

sunny days

2009-07-08T19:44:00.000-07:00

This is what summertime is to me.

Carrot Cake

2009-06-16T22:21:00.000-07:00

Ingredients
2/3 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup soft tofu
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 heaping cup grated carrots
1/4 cup walnuts (leave some for decorating)
sprinkle of coconut

Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a small baking pan with shortening or margarine. In a mixing bowl, add sugar, oil, tofu and vanilla. Then add dry ingredients and mix until smooth. Stir in carrots and walnuts. Bake for about 25-30 minutes. Decorate with icing, coconut, and walnuts.

Icing Recipe
1/4 cup margarine
1/4 cup shortening
2.5 cups icing sugar
1.5 teaspoons vanilla

Cream together margarine and shortening until soft and fluffy. Add vanilla. Slowly add icing sugar while continuing to whip the icing.

Sushi

2009-05-30T09:55:00.000-07:00

Going out for sushi is one of my favourite things to do. I love how aesthetically pleasing it looks and how delicious it tastes.

I attempted to make my own vegan version of tempura and my boyfriend said it was one of the best tempuras he's had. It's super easy to make as well.

Tempura is something that even sushi-haters can most likely enjoy. Who doesn't like deep fried things, am I right? I came up with this idea for a tempura potluck - everyone brings one vegetable of choice - and then tempura it all in a giant pot for one big feast! Cheap and delicious. Some of my favourites include: yams, potato, carrots, red onions, asparagus, avocado, and eggplant. You can also tempura shrimp, pork, chicken, etc, for those who eat meat.

ingredients
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup ICE water
3 tbsp vegetable oil
oil for frying
mixed veggies, any kind

Mix the flour, salt, sugar and baking soda together. Once mixed, slowly add the iced water and oil until smooth and creamy. Put a big pot on medium-high with a decent amount of oil (enough for tempura to be mostly submerged). Drop a small dollop of batter into the oil, and if it cooks within seconds, it's ready. Carefully drop each vegetable into the batter and then into the pot of oil. Cook for a few seconds until lightly browned. Place the finished tempuras into a dish lined with paper towel to help soak up excess grease.

Yellow Tights

2009-05-14T17:19:00.000-07:00

There is nothing I love more than tights. And even more so, obnoxious bright colours like mustard yellow! I highly suggest everyone needs at least one pair of bright tights in their wardrobe.

Goodbye!

Strawberry and Cream Cupcakes

2009-05-06T16:29:00.000-07:00

I am horrible at keeping up with a blog, sorry for not posting in ages. Things have settled down though, I'm moved in and have a steady job. I have a ton of recipes and photos to post in the next week.

I altered a recipe from the book Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World for my 20th birthday last week. I used the basic vanilla cupcake recipe with their buttercream icing recipe and added strawberry jam to the icing, as well as a spoonful of jam in the center of the cupcake batter. They were delicious! I received a lot of compliments on them and my roommates couldn't believe they were vegan.

I know these aren't the best quality photos, but I had to take them quickly and my basement room is very dark.

Recipe can be found here.

Cinnamon Apple Rolls

2009-04-07T08:16:00.000-07:00

I apologize for not updating this blog in almost a month! It was my last week of university, so I was overwhelmed with school projects and getting everything organized for my next step in life. I'm currently in the process of moving to the city as well. I took a break from packing boxes to post an entry for you guys :)

I had some left over phyllo pastry in my freezer I wanted to use up, and some apples that were about to get too ripe, so I put two and two together to create this:

Cinnamon Apple Rolls

apples
cinnamon
brown sugar
margarine
phyllo pastry

Simply lay the phyllo pastry out flat and brush with melted margarine and cut into strips about two inches wide. Combine the apples, cinnamon and sugar in a bowl. Once well mixed, place the apples onto the top half one of the phyllo strips, make sure there is space on each side. Roll the strip like you would a sushi roll. Tie the ends closed and brush them with margarine to keep them from unrolling. Sprinkle some brown sugar on top, put in the oven at 350 until they are golden brown!

Vegan Cookies & Pomegranate Raspberry Iced Tea

2009-03-09T11:14:00.000-07:00

For lunch yesterday I decided to try to make the healthy, gluten-free vegan cookies featured on 101cookbooks.com and add my own little twist. The original recipe can be found here and the following recipe below is my own, altered version of these seriously delicious cookies.

Gluten-Free Vegan Cookies

3 large mashed bananas
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 cup olive oil
2 cups rolled oats (gluten free oats for those who are gluten-intolerant)
2/3 cup almond meal or ground almonds
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp peanut butter
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup dark chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. To make almond meal you can grind the almonds yourself. Simply grind them in a food processor or in a coffee grinder until they have the texture of sand like the image below.

3. In a large bowl, combine the bananas, vanilla, oil, brown sugar and peanut butter. In another bowl, mix together the oats, almond meal, cinnamon, salt and baking powder. Slowly add the dry mixture to the wet mixture, stirring well. Once mixed, add in the chocolate chips.

4. Drop medium sized dollops of dough onto a greased baking sheet.

5. Bake for about 13-15 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

White Pomegranate Raspberry Iced-Tea

1 pomegranate raspberry tea bag
1 white tea bag
ice cubes
chilled jug of water
lemon syrup
honey
2 orange slices

1. Fill a jug with water and chill in the fridge beforehand.

2. Boil some hot water and steep both tea bags for a good 10 to 15 minutes or until the tea is very strong.

3. Add the hot tea to the chilled water jug and also add some ice cubes. Add in a couple of squirts of lemon syrup and 2 tablespoons or so of honey. Stir well. Squeeze one orange slice into the iced tea and save the other one for garnish.

Summer Fashion Inspiration

2009-03-08T13:22:00.000-07:00

So spring has been approaching rapidly, just a few weeks ago I noticed little orange flowers beginning to bloom in the park.

Anticipating the warm weather I went home, went through my closet and dug out all my summer clothes only to wake up to a blizzard this morning. So in celebrating of almost-summer, and to help ward off this snow, I'm dedicating this entry to a summer fashions post.

Some outfits I put together for some summery inspiration.

What are you looking forward to this summer? :)

Outfit - Feathers

2009-03-06T17:51:00.000-08:00

I made a headband out of feathers, an elastic band and a hot glue gun.

details
Shirt: thrifted
Belt: sirens
Skirt: sirens
Stockings: winners
Bling: collected over the years

I graduate university in a month. After that I plan to post in this blog every day!

Interior Inspiration

2009-03-04T16:57:00.000-08:00

I'm moving out of my place in a month and a half into a basement, which I can customize and decorate to my liking. This has resulted in me browsing the internet for beautiful rooms for decorating inspiration. I really like the look of small hanging lights, assorted picture frames, cluttered book shelves, floral prints, antique wood furniture and draping fabrics.

Here are a few of my favourites:

Vegan Pot Pies

2009-02-22T09:52:00.000-08:00

I've been spending a lot of time outside lately, enjoying the nice weather and sunshine. I even spotted a few small budding flowers yesterday! However, it is still freezing up here in British Columbia so nothing is more suited than a cup of tea and a homemade pot-pie after a cold day out.

Pie Crust:
2 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 pinches of salt
pinch of sugar
1 cup margarine
glass of cold water
pie tins

Pie Filling
1 cup soy milk
1 cup water
1 large potato
assorted veggies (I used peas, carrots, yellow and green beans)
1/2 tablespoon Maggi
pinch of pepper
Vegetable stock
cornstarch (for thickening)

**note: I made these pies to freeze them for later, so I didn't cook them. If you wish to eat the pies right away however, preheat oven at step four and cook for about 20 minutes or until the top crust is golden brown**

1. Mix the flour, salt, sugar and margarine together until it looks like small pea-sized lumps.

2. Knead together and slowly add a little drizzle of cold water. Keep kneading/adding water until the dough becomes a soft, but moist ball of dough.

3. Chill the dough for about 20 minutes. While the dough is in the fridge you can prepare the filling.

4. In a saucepan, heat up soy milk and water over medium heat. Cut up a potato into small squares and add it to the mixture. Slowly add in a spoonful of Veggie stock. Keep in mind that the amount of veggie stock depends on how salty/strong you want your pies to be. I made mine quite strong and used about 2 heaping spoonfuls.

5. Once the mixture is lightly boiling, add the rest of the vegetables, pepper and the maggi. Turn down the heat and add a spoonful of cornstarch to a spoonful of water in a separate glass, mix well, then pour into the vegetable mix to help the "gravy" thicken up.

6. Once the dough is chilled, roll it out on a floured surface and use a glass to cut out circle shapes.

7. Press the circles into the bottom of the pie tins. Press smaller lumps of dough around the edges until the trays are completely covered in a thin layer of dough.

8. Pour in the prepared veggie filling.

9. With the remaining dough, Roll out and cut into circles, place carefully on top of pies and press the edged together. Don't forget to poke with a fork!

10. Since I froze my pies for later use, I didn't cook them. Instead I wrapped them up individually with wrap and put them in the freezer. If you want to eat them right away, put them in the oven for about 20 minutes at 450 degrees or until golden brown.

Spring is Near

2009-02-18T10:08:00.000-08:00

I've been featured on the blog, "Wear Palettes", which is a totally interesting look at fashion through colour schemes. I highly suggest you check it out here!

I've also been linked from the blog, "This Organized Chaos", so check her out too.

I've been linked from "Peppercrust" as well.

And last but not least, I have one of my drawings featured here .

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Spring is approaching and it's making me excited. It has been extremely sunny the last few days so I'm starting to pull my spring-summer wardrobe out from the depths of my closet. I even wore sunglasses yesterday.

Not particularly summery, but definitely a step up from the 13 layers of sweaters and scarves I've adorned all winter. I was even able to get away with knee-highs instead of full leggings.

I also recently purchased a pair of raspberry doc martens for only eight dollars.

Happy Late Valentines Day

2009-02-15T11:38:00.000-08:00

Vegan Mini Apple Pies

2009-02-12T19:01:00.001-08:00

For Valentines day I made my boyfriend some mini pies, which I sent through the mail because he lives in another town. Even if you are not long distance I highly suggest mailing them anyways! Nothing is more sweet than opening your mail to find a mini pie in-between your bills.

These are super easy to make, delicious and only require a few ingredients. Plus, they are vegan-friendly!

Pie Crust
1 1/4 cup flour
pinch of salt
tablespoon sugar
3/4 cup margarine
glass of cold water
pie tins

Pie Filling
3 apples
2/3 cup brown sugar
spoonful of cinnamon
teaspoon of nutmeg
teaspoon of ginger
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch

1. Mix the flour, salt, sugar and margarine together until it looks like small pea-sized lumps.

2. Knead together and slowly add a little drizzle of cold water. Keep kneading/adding water until the dough becomes a soft, but moist ball of dough like the image below.

3. Chill the dough for about 20 minutes. While the dough is in the fridge you can prepare the filling. Wash and slice some apples into small pieces. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

4. Put the apples in a pot with the brown sugar and spices. Cook until the sugar and spices melt. Mix the cornstarch with a tiny bit of water and add that to the pot to help the filling thicken. Continue cooking until the apples become soft and the liquid becomes thicker and more like a syrup.

5. Once the dough is chilled, roll it out on a floured surface and use a glass to cut out circle shapes.

6. Press the circles into the bottom of the pie tins. Press smaller lumps of dough around the edges until the trays are covered like the image below.

7. Cut the remaining dough into long thin strips for the top crust. Once you have filled the trays with the pie filling, lay the strips of dough on top, crisscrossing.

8. Brush the tops with some melted margarine and sprinkle with brown sugar before placing in the oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

If you wish to mail these pies to a special someone, wrap the pie carefully in wax paper. Place it in a box that is only slightly bigger than the pie itself and stuff the remaining space full of tissues, that way the pie won't move around inside the container and squish. Make sure to write "fragile" on the box too!

graffiti

2009-01-19T23:55:00.000-08:00

photograph taken in Victoria, BC.

Cinnamon Roasted Granola

2009-01-14T21:20:00.000-08:00

Thanks for your suggestions in my last entry. I am going to keep my blog as is instead of separating them. :)

Also, how do you like my new banner!? I made it this morning. I also have to start hosting my images elsewhere because my flickr account is at it's maximum amount and I can't afford a plus account. I hope it doesn't effect the quality of the images too much!

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I hardly ever eat breakfast, but when I do, this is a favourite. This recipe is super easy, delicious and nutritious!

3/4 cup soy milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons honey
1 cup granola
1/4 cup mixed nuts
fresh fruit of your choice (I chose peaches and raspberries)
spoonful of margarine

1. Put the granola in a pan with the butter and nuts and cook until it is nice and brown.
2. Put the cooked granola in a bowl. Start cooking the soy milk, honey, and cinnamon. Heat until almost boiling, then remove from heat.
3. Pour the milk over the granola. Top it off with the fresh fruit and berries!

Recipe and Feedback.

2009-01-13T23:33:00.001-08:00

I was wondering, do you guys think I should keep this blog as being the sort of miscellaneous-inspirational blog that covers all aspects of what I enjoy, or should I separate it into two blogs, one covering the fashion/art/photography and the other strictly dedicated to food and recipes? I was just thinking about this because I know that food blogs and fashion blogs are so different from each other, not everyone enjoys the two like I do!

I also know this blog is just starting out, which is why I'm asking, because I think that it would be easiest if I decide to go through with this when the blog is still young and developing.

Tell me, what do you think?

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In other news, I made a delicious pasta sauce tonight. No photos unfortunately, but here is the recipe!

*note: I apologize now for the lack of measurements. I made this sauce up a while ago and I've never really considered measurements. So these are only estimated amounts!*

1 cup pasta noodles of your choice
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
sprinkle or two of oregano
cornstarch
1 cup milk
3/4 cup grated havarti cheese
sprinkle of parmesan
garlic (amount depends on preferred strength of the sauce)

1. Cook the olive oil and butter in a pan until it is well melted. Sprinkle in some oregano and lower the heat.
2. Add a cup of milk. The oil and milk will separate, but don't panic!
3. Add in a little bit of the cheese. Stir constantly and do not add more cheese until the first bit is melted.
4. Once all the cheese is melted, let the sauce simmer for a good ten minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Add a little bit of cornstarch to help thicken the sauce (only needed if sauce isn't as thick as you would like. If you like the consistency, skip this step!)
6. The last step is to add the garlic. Let it simmer for a while longer to let the garlic soak in but not burn. The sauce by now should have mixed together, if the oil is still separating from the milk then keep simmering until it stops.

Add the sauce to your freshly boiled pasta and sprinkle with parmesan!

Chocolate Cream Meringues

2009-01-05T21:30:00.000-08:00

These are seriously the most delicious things ever and super easy to make.

ingredients
1 cup casters sugar (or one cup granulated sugar if you want to make your own. I tell you how in step 2)
4 egg whites
1/4 cup chocolate chips/chunks
1 mini carton of whipped cream
spoonful of milk
icing sugar

1. Separate the egg whites. It's easiest to separate the whites from the yolks when the eggs are cold. However, it's easier to whip the whites when they are room temperature, so leave the whites (wrapped the bowl in cellophane) out for about 20 minutes.

2. If you don't have casters sugar, it's super easy to make. Simply put the cup of white sugar in a food processor for a moment until it creates a smaller grained, more powdery sugar. If you don't have a food processor, you can use a coffee grinder! If you use a coffee grinder however, make sure to rinse it out and dry it before using. Also do not put the whole cup of granulated sugar in at once. Just add a bit at a time! It should look like the photo below.

3. Preheat oven to 400F degrees. Once the egg whites are room temperature, mix them in a bowl on high speed until white peaks form. Then slowly begin to add the sugar, a little bit at a time. Make sure that all the sugar is completely mixed in before adding anymore. Beat for five minutes until thick and glossy like the photo below.

4. Spray a cooking pan lightly with oil or margarine. With a spoon, place a dollop of meringue on the pan. Cook for about 20-25 minutes until meringues are firm, crisp and golden.

5. While the meringues are cooking you can prepare the whipped cream. Simply whip the cream until it begins to thicken, add the icing sugar to taste. Keep whipping until it is quite thick and fluffy (runny cream won't work well!)

6. Let the meringues cool and place a spoonful of whipped cream on the flat side of one meringue. Take a second meringue and squish it to the whipped cream side like you would an oreo cookie.

7. Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler. You can easily make one by filling a big pot with water and placing a second smaller pot inside. Turn the stove on to medium and wait until the water is almost boiling before adding the chocolate chips and spoonful of milk. Lower the heat and stir constantly until the chocolates are melted, then drizzle the chocolate onto each meringue.

note: if you manage to not eat yourself sick with these, make sure to put the remaining ones in the fridge so the whipped cream doesn't melt!

Honey Roasted Peaches

2009-01-04T15:16:00.000-08:00

Fresh peaches (if in season, if not canned peaches work fine. I used canned)
Honey
Cottage Cheese
Brown sugar
Coffee Beans

Preheat oven to 400F and place the peaches in a baking pan. Drizzle honey on top and bake for about ten minutes. Blend coffee and sugar for a second in a coffee grinder so that the beans are still coarse. Sprinkle coffee and sugar onto peaches with a scoop of cheese!

I had this for lunch today with a cup of herbal honey tea and it was delicious.

Winter

2008-12-30T21:18:00.000-08:00

Handmade Tea and Box

2008-12-25T22:01:00.000-08:00

I made this for my boyfriend for Christmas this year.

The teas are all bulk loose leaves which I gathered and placed into individual baggies.

I wrapped each one with hemp and attached a cut-out label.

I painted the box with aspen trees and a little bird.

Feathers, fabric and more hemp for the finishing touch.