Just a reminder about my new blog! I've been updating it regularly.

Moving on...

Today I learned, all by myself, that I could create a much more personalized blog at the domain I've owned for four years using the WordPress software (available at wordpress.org). Um. So I did.

That's right, I have moved on from this place. I'll try to actually post on that blog. It's in my immediate plans to do so. Phil got mad at me today for spending hours making it look okay. I want it to look better, but it's okay for now.

So, at any rate, Music and Veganism will be continuing at www.charlottelittlehales.com/blog, and it will actually be about music as well as veganism. Just like the name implies (but I really only ever did food).

Hope to see you there. I'm updating my blog list, but the one of this site got deleted, so if I forget you or something just leave a comment.

http://www.charlottelittlehales.com/blog

W.I.P. Wednesday

Oh. Hi there!

I haven't posted since President Obama won the election. That was five months ago. I just counted on my fingers, and it really was five months ago.

I didn't do very much in that time period, so I won't go into great detail. I think at first I got lost in sewing-land, because I was sewing all my Christmas presents. Then I just sort of slipped into my winter-hibernation-mode. I have been cooking, but I've been mostly making a lot of the same stuff: pizza, pasta, soups, salads.

But Spring is here, and so I thought I would start again. I decided in the last few days that I wouldn't make this a food-blog, but instead my life-blog, because the title is Music and Veganism and that is my life. I'll talk about food, but also everything else, when I feel like it.

What inspired me to post today is that I discovered it is W.I.P. Wednesday, and I have a work in progress: my garden. I started 72 plants last Tuesday, and most of them are sprouting.

The tall ones to the left are kale. Originally I had wanted to start kale, carrots, bush beans, tomatoes, chilis, rosemary, basil and cilantro. Then, when reading the instructions on the packets (I just recently started doing this), I realized that carrots and beans should be started outside. So I planted a crapton of kale and tomatoes. Actually, I started twenty-one kale plants and eighteen tomato plants, to be exact. Then I started nine Anaheim chili pepper plants, twelve rosemary plants (we like rosemary), six Greek basil plants and six cilantro plants.

At any rate, the kale were the first to sprout, oddly enough. They sprouted on day three, and weren't supposed to until day ten.



My Brandywine babies were next to follow. Today is day eight, so they're right on schedule.


There's a little cilantro, too:


The basil and chili peppers are beginning to crown the soil a bit, but not enough for a picture. The rosemary is still hiding away. According to their instructions, the chili and rosemary shouldn't germinate until Friday, so I'm not worried yet.

And that's my work in progress! Or one, at least.

Today is a happy day...

Dear America,

I am so proud of you. You have made history.

Love,
Charlotte

In October, I...

Okay, so I got totally sucked in by the election. That's right, I left behind VeganBlogLand for PoliticalBlogLand, and you know what? I liked it. Sort of. Actually I think I may be sort of losing my mind, and Phil's kind of weirded out by my new political obsession. But no matter. I did some fun things in the last month, like running my first 5K (see new profile picture: I'm the blonde, my sister is the brunette), visiting the fam in Maryland, and also going to a Halloween dance party, all of which I took pictures of (I mention these things because I don't usually take pictures of anything, but I happened to bring Phil's camera to these events). I also cooked, obviously.

Speaking of which, I've been making some really damn good bread.


In my latest batch, which was my best, I just used water instead of soymilk (finances are tight) and I kneaded in some red bulgar, millet and cleaned wheat for texture. I also discovered that bread flour does matter! Really.

Also, I harvested my tomatoes.

We thought we'd be making fried green tomatoes, but every single one ripened in that little green bowl on our sunlight-deprived counter top. I would call my first inexperienced experience growing tomatoes successful, despite my hangups. I learned several lessons and ate several tomatoes.

I also thought my mom's basil plant was cool, so here's a picture of that.


I probably won't post again until after the election and my celebrational/mourning period (it could go either way!) So, see you in a bit, folks.

The Return of Muffins

Before summer, I made a batch of muffins at least once a week so that Phil and I always had something to munch on in the morning, but once the heat hit I avoided the oven like the plague (especially if preheating was involved). Well, upon purchasing a secret ingredient that I promised Phil I would make muffins with, I decided yesterday that I might as well start.

What is the secret ingredient, you ask?



Many of you no doubt recognize this, expecially if you read VeganYumYum, since she made "cupcake pies" with these in September (I discovered this after Googling them today to check some last minute facts). Phil and I, however, did not know what they were. We saw them at a small farmers market, and upon asking what they were, we were given a little sample. Hmm. Weird, fruity, tomato-ey, sweet, savory, acidic-- all these things in one little grape-sized berry enveloped in a papery husk.

I didn't think they were quite sweet enough to replace just any fruit, but after looking through my recipe books for a basic muffin recipe, I thought they might do well in a slightly modified version of VWaV's Ginger Raisin Muffins... and I think I was right.

Personally, I think I modified this enough for it to be a different recipe and to share it, so I will. And on the off-chance that someone (like Isa, though she'd ever read this blog) is offended, please alert me promptly and I will remove it. Additionally, if you don't own VWaV, you probably already know that everyone else does and loves it, so you should, too.

Ginger Almond Groundcherry Muffins (i.e. Physalis)
Makes 12 standard-sized muffins

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 c. whole wheat pastry flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 c. + 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 2 tsp. ground ginger*
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3/4 c. oat flour**
• 1 c. rice milk
• 1/4 c. water
• 1/3 c. canola oil
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 c. rinsed groundcherries
• 1/4 c. raw almond slivers, plus more for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and oil your muffin tin or line with papers.

Sift together flour, baking powder and soda, sugar, ginger, cinnamon, salt and the oat flour. Make a well and add the liquid ingredients. Mix until combined, but be careful to not overmix. Fold in the groundcherries and almonds.

Distribute evenly throughout the muffin cups, garnish with almonds, and bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean!

* Dry, ground ginger. I noticed someone else made this recipe and used fresh ginger, probably microplaned. If you choose to do that, increase the amount accordingly... not sure what the equivilant would be, though.
** Throw some rolled oats in a food processor or coffee grinder and go crazy.

I think these would also be good in an orange or lemon muffin, too...

I'll leave you with what was an awesome lunch:

Hot veggie and tofu hoagie, kale chips and quinoa with corn and peas.

Food, food, everywhere...

I guess I haven't been doing a very good job of keeping up with Vegan MoFo, and frankly, I probably won't get better. But, we have been cooking a little bit more lately. Unfortunately I forgot to get a picture of Phil's latest batch of chili, but believe here are some other things I've been making:


Mac 'n Cheese from Vegan Vittles, with peas and sauteed shrooms. I've been in a mac 'n' cheese mood lately-- this was the second time in a week that I made this! This time I baked it, as called for, and found it to be a little dry. Next time I will either use less pasta or make more sauce.


We got a surprise (but very welcome) visit from Phil's brother, Sean, late Friday night. That's Phil with the guitar and Sean with the coffee on Saturday morning.


In honor of his brothers appearance, Phil made his famous brunch for us: breakfast taters and a tempeh scramble with toast. Phil's the only person I know that make a tempeh scramble instead of tofu. He simmers the slab of tempeh in broth and spices beforehand, to keep it moist and flavorful. Anyone else ever try it?


Last but not least was our pre-debate dinner last night. The picture is horrible-- sorry-- but we made a simple stirfry over quinoa with more tempeh and fresh produce from the Tuesday Farmer's Market.