Jumping Back In

Hi all!

It’s been ages. I’ve made promises. I’ve broken them. But hey, I don’t have an obligation to anyone.

Short list of things that have been up since Ive been here:

• I’ve been subbing, it’s been great! I’m learning so much about myself as a beginning teacher (soon) and also a bunch from observing other teachers in action
• I’m also working at a preschool as a one-to-one aid. This is great for two reasons: 1. The kids are super cute and they make me smile daily 2. I know that, as cute as preschool kids are, I really do not not not want to be a preschool teacher. I need something that has a bit more intellectual chutzpah.
• I applied to graduate school and was accepted! I am almost certain I know where I’ll be in two years (more on that in a minute) and I’ll share that with you when I confirm it
• I’m also a Fulbright Fellow to Taiwan for this coming year! Those of you who read my blog before will know that one of the reasons I was kind of absent of late was because I was working hard on my application. Then there was the waiting and anticipation. That’s over though, and off I go at the end of July! For those of you who will want to follow that journey, see my travel blog–>A Case of Wanderlust
• I’ve been seeing a naturopath for a few health issues, and I expect I’ll be talking more about that in coming posts. Nothing good nutrition can’t fix, and I’ve already been on my way with that. This is really the first time I’ve taken up my health by myself as an adult and boy, does it feel great!
• Due to the above reasons, my diet has changed a bit more. I’m currently on the anti inflammatory diet, which means that I’ve recently (in the past two months) cut out wheat/gluten, sugar, tomatoes, corn,peanuts, citrus, and potatoes, among other things. Much more on this to come. It has been great for the most part, but there are some things I miss
• I’m also doing seed cycling. For those of you who wonder what this is, I’m going to post about it at some point as well, not that I’m an expert yet.
• Recipes. I have some things I’ve been trying. In fact, I’m about to pop into the kitchen to try out a gluten free version of the black bean brownies I made forever and a day ago. This time using rice flour instead of wheat bran. The beans are currently soaking and cooling down (I had boiled them to help them soften, any tips for making this process go faster?).

So that’s me, currently.

Also of note:

Gingerbread waffles.

Yeah. There are two. For one person. I ate both. Happily.

Never try this tea.

This is bad.

I bought it hoping it would be all delicious and helpful in calcium consumption. WRONGO! It had a weird slimy thing going on and didn’t taste much better. Kind of like a mix between slime and chalk? Okay, so it wasn’t that bad, it had a flavor (cherry?) but it wasn’t natural tasting at all. I also just prefer herbal teas.

DO make this:

1/3 cup oat bran (my favourite), 1/2 apple, apple spice tea (use as the liquid) I think that is a square of chocolate? Can’t remember what kind though.

 

I love the texture of oat bran. I had this a while ago because on my current anti inflam thing, I haven’t been able to eat oats/bran, because they might contain gluten.

just go buy some gluten free oats -DUH

yeah. I just haven’t gone to that store/forked over the extra money.

I made donuts for the first time!

Lemon Raspberry donuts.

My siblings loved them:

Give us a smile, E!

I promise you, he was thrilled.

G, my little sister pronounced them, ‘better than dunkin donuts!’ which is saying something.

yeah.

 

That’s enough for now.

Cheers!

Love, Hannah

 

 

 

 

 

Going South

It’s a lovely summer day here in Upstate New York.

The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and there is a cool breeze rustling the leaves and cutting through the warm temperatures.

I couldn’t ask for a more beautiful day.

While I certainly don’t wish I were in the south, given my proclivity for cool weather and my dislike for heat, I certainly have been channeling their food lately.

Or perhaps that’s just the recipes that I stumbled upon whilst cleaning my room and decided we had the ingredients for.

Ever since arriving home from London and being reunited with my functioning and (mostly) clean kitchen, I’ve been wanting to cook. To be honest, sometimes I just look around my kitchen and think, ‘what could this go with?’ and combine ingredients into some semblance of meals. So was the case with these beans.

We’ve got a cupboard full of dried beans that probably have been there for ages (which might have contributed to the slight crunchy texture of the following recipe). The same goes for the tempeh, and the cornmeal, really.

Baked goodness

Vegetarian Baked Beans

I love baked beans, and my Dad probably loves them more than I. But he cannot eat corn syrup and I dislike the over-sweetness of most tinned beans. Here’s where these come in. They have all the flavours of the beans you love, but with none of that gackish gloppy sweetness and artificial ingredients. Win-win.

 

1 1/4 cups dry navy beans, soaked overnight and cooked thoroughly

1/4 cup

tomato

 sauce

1 tbsp arrowroot

1 TBSP black strap molasses

1 small  onion, diced finely

1 teaspoon yellow mustard ( I actually ended up adding more, since I love mustard)

2 TBSP apple cider vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. In a nonstick frying pan, Add in diced onions and cook until soft.
3. In a large mixing bowl, add cooked beans and toss with onions.
4. Add in tomato sauce, arrowroot, yellow mustard, apple cider vinegar, black strap molasses, pink Himalayan salt, and black pepper; stir together well.
5. In casserole dish add in bean mixture; spread evenly with spoon.
6. Bake on 350 degrees F for 50-60 minutes or until browned and slightly crisped on top.

after being crockpotted with more water. Much more tender.

I made the beans first and realised I wanted something to go with them. Here’s where Katie’s cornbread comes in. I don’t know if any of you guys hate to see ingredients languishing, but we’ve had some strange cornmeal mixture on the counter for awhile and I got sick of seeing it there. ‘Well,’ I thought, ‘I might as well make a dent in it.’ So when I found this recipe on pinterest, I knew I’d have to give it a try. I mean, it uses 2 full cups of cornmeal. How could that NOT make a dent

before cutting. Doesn’t it look traditional.

Flourless Cornbread

Everyone loves cornbread. There is something comforting about its crumbly yet cakey texture that goes perfect with everything from chili to honey to nut butter. This one is probably the easiest one I’ve ever made, and uses no flour and no eggs. Sweeten more, if you like.

1/2 cup soy milk

1 tabespoon white vinegar

1 serving egg replacer (equivalent to one egg)

2 cups fine or medium cornmeal

2 T baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tbsp sugar (more, if desired baked good is one that is rather sweet)

1/4 + 2 tbsp applesauce/apple butter (this was my mom’s homemade)

1. Mix the vinegar with the milk, and set aside.

2.Combine dry ingredients and mix very well.

3.In a separate bowl, combine the applesauce, and milk-vinegar.

4.Then pour the wet into dry and mix until just mixed.

5.Pour into a greased 8×8 dish and cook at 420 F (preheated) for about 25 minutes.

6.Let cool at least 15 minutes before trying to cut, or it will crumble. (I have trouble waiting, but it will be worth it)

 

You’ve got to taste it, duh. 

And because I simply couldn’t bear to look at that package of tempeh sitting in the fridge any more, I settled on the recipe I’d found tucked between the pages of a book whilst cleaning my room earlier in the week. Tempacon, as I’ve dubbed it.

this seriously looks like a mouldy protein bar.

The tempeh people wrap it like they don’t want you to get in. You cut through and think you’re in, but you’re wrong. There is still another layer of plastic, somehow wound around backwards and upside down so that you’ve got to spend ten more minutes trying to get the darn thing out. I don’t even LOVE tempeh that much.

merry marinading.

Tempacon

(adapted from Vegetarian Times)

I don’t crave bacon, in fact, I abhor the smell of it and complain readily when my family cooks it, but for some reason, this seemed like the right thing to do with the languishing tempeh.

• 1 8-oz. pkg. tempeh, sliced into 24 very thin slices
• 2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
• ½ tsp. ground cumin
• ½ tsp.  chile powder
• 2 tsp. liquid smoke, optional
•  paprika, optional

1. Lay tempeh slices in baking dish. Bring soy sauce, vinegar, cumin, ancho chile powder, and ½ cup water to a boil in small saucepan. Boil 1 minute, then remove from heat, and stir in liquid smoke, if using. Pour over tempeh slices. Let cool, then cover and chill 2 hours, or overnight.

2. Preheat oven to 300°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Carefully transfer tempeh slices to prepared baking sheet, and discard marinade, if extra.

3. Sprinkle with paprika, if desired. Bake 10 to 15 minutes, or until beginning to brown. Flip tempeh slices, and bake 5 to 7 minutes more, or until crisp and dark brown.

hot from the oven

These turned out lovely. I’ve had some for lunch dipped in hummus and mustard. Everything is good with mustard, I’m telling you. They’re actually also good dipped in nut butter. If everything is good in mustard, everhting +1 is good with nut butter. DUH.

When you’ve got this much goodness, you end up looking like this.

Quite happy.

This summer is going anywhere but south.

Love, Hannah

On Failure and Brains

Burns on the finger. no good.

All sorts of misfortunes are happening around these parts! I burnt my finger whilst making that bread the other day.

Fun Fact: All my burns take the same shape because they are the shape of the bars in the oven!

another one bites the dust.

I used to worry about being sad because I had to leave all my dinnerware in London when I flew home. At this point it doesn’t matter because oddly enough, I have broken it all!! This bowl was the last to go. When did I get so clumsy?

well, it was almost successful.

See this bread? Our oven is such a nonworking piece of rubbish that I had to slice the bread and put it on the grill in order for it to cook!

Well, THAT’s an awful picture.

Lucky this chocolate was only £1 because it is probably the worst dark chocolate I’ve ever had! Just doesn’t even melt in your mouth at all. Sainsbury’s £0.35 chocolate tastes 10x better!

ONSLAUGHT

messymessymessy

size reference needed.

sad times friends, sad times.

Basically that progression shows the end of term onslaught of clubbing posters no one bothers to read. As if every single person in our flat needs to read a separate one….

Fail number many = our kitchen and how no one (except me) bothers to clean it. The cleaner and I have a special bond because I feel so bad for him every time he comes in to see it in its naturally messy state. And this picture? That is it when it is CLEAN.

Fail next= protein powder almost win. My flat mate left for the US on monday and left a whole bunch of his things in the kitchen for us to free range on. One of the things he left was a hot kettle, which I helped myself to since we’ve already got two in the kitchen.

The other was this GIANT thing of protein powder (see picture of hand above for size comparison). I was PUMPED to try all the awesome protein powder recipes I’ve been reading about online and pinning, etc. BUT this protein powder had SPLENDA in it? Seriously guys? Who puts nonnutritive sweeteners in something that is supposed to be good for you? I was majorly bummed. There went all my hopes of making protein pancakes and protein bread and protein bars and protein frosting and protein shakes. Sad times.

Fun fact: purple cabbage does turn your fingers purple!

I read an article today about nutritive and nonnutritive sweeteners in hopes of finally coming to an understanding of what the heck sugar and splenda and the like are for. I can’t bring myself to ingest those artificial things, yet find Stevia to be okay. I don’t do granulated sugar much, but fruit sugar is okay. I want to know more about it. I guess I can’t eschew something entirely. No one should, it is unbalanced.

On that note. But not really on that note at all. Today I went to the Wellcome Collection to see the exhibit on Brains with my friend S, who I will be living with next year. It was a really fascenating exhibit with brains of people on display, instruments, casts of brains, blood vessels, spinal chords, medical cool sciency stuff. No pictures allowed though, so I had to do without.

Lunch was delicious curry hummus atop some crispbreads with roasted onions and cinnamon and herbs. I’m a huge fan of this lunch but am now out of the hummus

perfection.

On life: I decided to rescind my application to be unit director at the camp this summer because of the conflict with the two Fulbright essays that would have been due smack dab in the middle of the camp season. It was disappointing, but cliche as it may sound, when one door closes (even if you shut it yourself) another opens. I emailed my brother’s teacher to ask whether there were any opportunities to volunteer or observe in the summer school classroom and she emailed me back saying the school board wondered if I would be a personal literacy tutor to three families who could not afford or could not get to summer school!

I immediately said yes! I’m so excited because I’m really interested in literacy ,especially ways in which different forms/philosophies of education approach reading and learning to read. This will give me an opportunity to work with the school district and see a bit of behind the scenes. I couldn’t be more thrilled.

Moral of the story? Don’t be afraid to ask because you think you will fail. There is no such thing as an outrageous question. Sometimes you can get something you never imagined if you only ask.

Love, Hannah x

Museuming Again

Good Sunny Morning!

I honestly could not think of a title for this post. I have been sitting here for the past five minutes staring off into space, thinking of everything that is too corny or cheesy (why are those both having to do with food?) and altogether confusing.

So there you have it. Something literal. Because yesterday I was museuming again.

My wonderful body woke me up early again so that I could have time to putz around before I left. (<– not really, but I DID have time)
I decided it might be a good idea to make some jam since I had some rather squidgy plums taking up space on my shelf in the fridge.

Looks horrid. Tastes perfect.

I love plums for a few reasons.
1. They seem to always be the cheapest fruit here, so I’ve kind of been buying them exclusively. (and probably will lay off them once I get home for awhile haha)
2. They are the perfect mixture of tart and sweet.

Two minutes zapped in the microwave and BAM –> JAM!

It pairs well with yogurt cheese, and cinnamon on toast.

I love the lighting in this one

Toast in tummy, I set off to the bus stop wearing my vintage dress that I figured might be appropriate for where I was headed: The Imperial War Museum.

I got to the bus stop and, what do you know? There was another woman there wearing a vintage dress! I kind of looked around and made like, ‘no, we are not going to a convention’ and boarded the bus.

Glasses are obviously not in keeping with the theme. But they protect my eyes.

I took the bus through London, south of the River to Elephant and Castle. After winding my way through the meandering tunnels that burrow underneath the traffic circle there, I found myself leaving behind the dangerously complex traffic and walking towards the park in which the museum was located.

Something is missing…the third guy hasn’t got a body!

After walking around a bit and enjoying the sunshine, I found my friend and the two friends he had invited, and we went inside.

CHANGE YOUR LIFE

so many planes!

While my D and his friends perused the hall, I made for the loos (tmi?) since my bus ride had been long!

awkward.

Taking pictures of yourself in the full length mirror is totally okay….right?

oh herro

Obviously. Because I kept doing it.

We made our way upstairs and thank goodness for this sign:

aw darn it!

Because I would have been more than happy to climb all over this old double decker!

WHOA!

Probably wouldn’t be safe….in my opinion, the best museums are the ones you can touch!

D did get a picture of me going into the body of a plane though. Sort of….I’m in motion!

bon voyage!

This one was better.

I’m inside!

After viewing all the tanks and aeroplanes and such, we made our way through the Holocaust Exhibit (I’m a bit of a WWII buff in this category) and down to the general War areas where there was a Trench Experience (which smelled like pee…) and a Blitz Experience (which made me want to build a bomb shelter in my back yard…)

Do you ever feel like you were born in the wrong century? Which century would you choose?

I’m in love with all the wartime propaganda posters- the art really pops! The best ones were those for the victory gardens though!

Obviously.

The messages and graphics are cute and catchy.

humble pie! Save your food!

and as a self identified cheapskate and food saver, I identify with these posters. Maybe I wasborn in the wrong time period….

I totally do this.

There was one, however, that I couldn’t get behind.

I won’t, thank you.

For me, bread is something that has always meant fear. I don’t know what it is, but the staff of life strikes me dumb. I’m slowly working to overcome this, but I simply could not get behind a poster telling me to eat less of it

Potatoes?

jumping Mr. Potato head?

I had a look at this picture after I’d uploaded it and freaked out before I realised that those are D’s fingers, not mine.

family classic.

Do any of you guys know this song? My Dad always sang it when I was a child to encourage good manners.

I even bought three post cards to put on my wall. I forgot to take pictures of them but they say:

-Eat your greens
-YOU deserve victory
-Start Fresh today

All are about victory gardens, except the YOU one, which has Winston Churchill on it.  Fun Fact: Did you know that Winston Churchill and I share the middle name, Spencer?

what a majestic building.

Did you know that (I think) this building has been the Imperial War Museum since 1919?

We had a truly lovely day, and the humidity even stayed away so that I could enjoy a lovely breeze on my walk back to the bus.

I even managed to beat the heat until I got back to my heat box of a room with the window that only opens 2 inches

baked some bread.

I baked some bread in our rubbish oven and had to flip the entire thing over to cook the insides as well because it doesn’t ever cook things all the way through. Gosh what I’d give to be home able to actually cook things. It is a bit gooey in the middle, but it came out alright.

I’m currently sitting in my room listening to Nickel Creek and reading about Nutritive and Non Nutritive Sweeteners. I’m setting off to the Wellcome Collection museum after lunch to look at some brains!

Hope today doesn’t get too hot!

Love, Hannah X

ps: Does anyone want to do a guest post for me while I’m in Morocco from June 7-14? 

I can’t stay away

So, I know it is exam time and you probably all think I’ve gone under in light of that, but I could not stay away. I’ve got too much to say! Not regularly, since most days these days consist of….revising ALL DAY intermixed with some time on facebook and eating and pinterest and skyping my mom and trying to figure out internships and my Fulbright.

I’ve been out a few times with friends. Don’t hate me, but I actually really like clubbing?

Hear me out. As someone recovering, drinking still means calories for me, but on the one hand, I’ve learned that a night out here and there does not automatically make me unhealthy, and on the other, I can go out and still have fun without drinking. Both of these facts are reassuring, although it only decreases my irrational fears somewhat. I’m working on this. I’m sure this is relatable.

I’ve been a bit lonely since everyone has been revising. Not to mention that everyone who wasn’t was off traveling. How they’ve got the time to do so, is beyond me. Some other international students are on programmes, but I’m here for the full year, directly enrolled in uni, so I’ve got to stay until I’ve gotten the exams sorted.

So what have I been doing with myself? Besides revising, that is. My friend D and I went to see the London Marathon last sunday, which I’ve been waiting for literally all year. I don’t know what I was expecting but it was a lot of this :

Run!

It was actually really emotional. Having only run two 5ks, I cannot imagine how it would feel to conquer the beast that is 26.6 miles, but watching this made me tear up. Notwithstanding the physical triumph, but some people were running for others. Could I ever set this as the ultimate goal? To show my body that I care for it and trust it to care for me as I challenge it?

Grass skirt guy!

I said to D, as we were watching, that I’d enther be crying the entire time (that’s a long time, folks) or stopping to help everyone who stopped or looked ill. Yeah. I’d better get a grip first haha.

The sky over by Blackfrier’s Bridge was beautiful and baby blue at around half 12 when we were there.

Crystal clear.

So we walked around a bit and D taught me how to use a film camera while we had tea by St. Paul’s.

St. Paul's. Favourite of London.

You have no idea how many pictures I have of St. Paul’s.

Roofs and Sky. Classic Hannah.

This one especially. How can you not love the rooftops?

Perfection.

We soon relocated to Sainsbury’s where D bought a baguette which I stuck in my bag.

I had to get this classic picture. It isn't in the 'bean' but it's close.

Not knowing what to do, we decided to check out the Tate Modern, which I haven’t been to yet. Don’t hate on my lack of tourist capabilities. I’ve got a lot on my mind.

Recognise this bridge?

We crossed the Millinnium Bridge, like the one from Harry Potter.

Hey....that is NOT what is on the other side...

Except the real one crossed to the Tate, where we were going.

Check out that sky.

The Tate Modern is WEIRD. I shall confess to being more of a classic art girl, so this was a bit odd, but it’s so close so I had to go.

Book art? I can go for that.

Luckily, there was something on the wall near most of the art that gave you the ‘bigger picture’ in case modern art wasn’t your thing. Or you weren’t feeling especially sharp that day in terms of abstract applicatoin.

I'm in the art. This was actually a piece of art.

Some of them were just like….hm…..

All I can think of is jabba the hut, but that isn't what this is at all.

When we finally left the Tate, it was pouring. I went over to D’s flat for a bit where I had some ginger tea while D ate baguette and cheese. Then we watched My Drunk Kitchen (if you haven’t seen this DO IT) and some Feminist videos and chatted about intellectual things.

In terms of food, I’ve been trying to save money/eat everything in my room so I don’t end up with things to take home with me. It is actually kind of fun because it forces new combinations into things.

First attempt at overnight oats.....barley flakes....

This was my first attempt at overnight oats. 1/4 cup barley flakes, 1/4 cup yogurt, 1 tsp maca, 6 strawberries, 1 tbsp coconut flour, 1/4 cup soy milk. Left overnight. Hm. It was….I don’t know how I felt about it. Perhaps it was the barley flakes, but they just felt a bit soggy. And the yogurt was almost off (which is why I used it) so I think I’ll try it again. In general, I’m certain that I prefer oats to barley flakes, so I’m not sure I”ll try them again.

I’ve been making lots of spreads (and eating them, obviously) lately. I finally put tahini in hummus (I used to be scared to do so because of extra calories- PSSSH) and it tastes so good! I’ve also been experimenting with different beans and different mix-ins. This certain one had peanut butter in.

I didn’t take this picture at night, but rather in bad lighting on a brown scarf. Yes, I know you’re all jealous of my photography skills. But fear not, I’m taking photography in the fall!

Peanut Butter Hummus

I broke my blue plate, so there will be no more blue plate special (aka: every single meal on that blue plate) but now we’re working with boring white plate. Sorry. 2 months guys, two months. Then I get my gnome plate back!

The market is my love. Last week I bought 2 large square punnets of Strawberries for £1.50. They’ve been eaten. Oh yes.

1/2 giant tub Alpro soy yogurt (favourite), 2 tbsp peanut flour, basically like 16 strawberries

I love strawberries. They are also the most beautiful fruit to photograph.

Since I have basically no food left in my fridge, I had to improvise. I looked around my room and saw that I had some things. 3 eggs, coconut flour, leftover peanut butter hummus. Hm…thought I, what can I make with these? I hopped online and found this recipe

I love Leanne’s recipes and her photography is phenominal. Where do you live Leanne, that you get such great light???? Obviously not London with its relentless rain….

crusty but moist inside.

Chocolate Coconut Protein Bread
Adapted from THIS

makes 1 small loaf, serves 4!

1/4 cup chocolate protein powder ( I used GoTein, since that’s what I’ve got on hand)
1/4 cup coconut flour
3 eggs
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup hummus (I used PB hummus, but you could also use some other puree like carrot, prune, pumpkin, or applesauce)
1 tsp almond extract
1/2 cup wheat bran

Literally had to stop myself from just eating the batter.

1. Combine protein powder, coconut flour, baking soda. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, mix eggs, puree, and vanilla until incorporated.
3. Pour the wet mixture into the dry and mix with a wooden spoon or spatula until just mixed.
put in greased bread pan
4. Bake on the middle rack for 23-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely (about 1 hour) before serving. <– that didn’t happen, I ate it.

Look at how moisttttt

Seriously so much protein in this bread- 10g per slice!

topped with coconut flour spread- since that is literlaly ALL I had to put on top.

Sliced into 1/4′ths they are pretty thick slices, so I sliced one slice in half and ate it open faced. Enough slice?

The last bite.

 I had another slice for breakfast this morning, sans topping at all, since I was in a rush to get to the library to revise. Speaking of which, did you guys hear about the guy who threatened to blow himself up on Tottenham Court Road today? That’s near where I was, I tried to go buy nut butter there, but the police had cordoned it off. 

If you know me, I’m as stingy as they come. Not only because I like to save, but because I’m literally petrified of spending. I have a credit card, but I never use it. I never take money out of the bankomat, and I always use cash.

Take today, for instance. I am utterly out of nut butter. I’ve been making it for myself since peanuts are only £0.56 at Sainsbury’s and my flat mate has a mini food processor. But lately I’ve been going through it quicker (yay me!) so it’s gone and gone. I decided to challenge myself and get something that came in a jar. Product of choice?

Apricot Kernel Butter!

I’ve seen this on some blogs and know they don’t sell it in the US so I had to give it a try.

But it wasn’t as easy as all that. I’d prepped myself and even asked my mom if I coud justify buying it rather than making it for cheap. I’d been at the library for a couple hours and then at a revising session. I headed to one store, as  I mentioned above, but was turned away because of the hostige situation. ‘Could this be a sign that I shouldn’t spend money?’ I thought as I walked to the other more local natural foods shop. In I walked, surveying the nut butters. They all looked delicious and I imediately saw the one that was the most “interesting” and yet the one that cost £5.39. Yes my friends, that would be how much I’d spend on about 6 packages of peanuts at Sainsbury’s which would last me until I go home, and then some.

I walked out of the store.

I walked around the block. I thought I lost my oyster card. It was in my bag.

I walked back into the store and bought the damn thing.

And friends, it tasted good.

I had to add a bit of salt, because I couldn’t taste it that much, but that could be because I was just hungry. Or perhaps I didn’t know what it SHOULD taste like. Definitately realy mild, and not very nutty, but distinct. The texture was the same, quite drippy with a lovely flecked almost rosy colour. High in protein too, which you’d never know. Oh the things you can make into nut butter these days.

Already spooned into....forked, rather

The next challenge will be to actually fill my fridge this weekend, for I cannot live on plums and nut butter alone. Well I could….but….

Love, Hannah

 

Pink Fruit and Carbs

Yeah, that’s right. That’s what this post is about. Things I’ve been making out of whatever is in my fridge.

Doesn’t really include much green…but we’ll manage. I obviously need to go to the shops

As usual, I shall provide current favourite song-age for your listening pleasure:

So I made my friend D, previously mentioned in my last post, some courgette/zucchini bread. But it was too big for the pan, so I baked some in a mug and kept it.

Mug Bread. Doesn't get much better, folks.

It didn’t come out half bad.

I got my wrap on with a whole grain wrap, egg whites, a two plums, some yogurt cheese, and some chocolate peanut butter. YUM. If you’ve never had sweet eggs, I’m telling you guys, you’ve just got to do it.

All wrapped up. Only it was too big....:)

Strawberries taste really nice sprinkled with coconut flour. I’d gotten these strawberries because I just really fancied them.

Check it out!

I still love puffed wheat. I can’t wait to get back to other sugarless cereals in the states. But these are good for now. Plus two plums and some peanut flour and maca and coconut flour and soy milk = yum. Did you know if you put coconut flour into soy milk or whatever it becomes really thick? Can’t wait to try this with overnight oats.

Bowl of goodness.

Also, I’d completely forgotten about microwave cakes! I randomly thought of it one day in a pinch, and was so glad I had remembered!

Doesn't it look kind of fancy?

Would you believe that a couple months ago, if you asked me whether I liked tahini I’d have told you “ew, no way it’s too bitter!” Well something within me changed while we were camping/hitchhiking this fall and I love it now! I just can’t get enough!

You bet I finished that jar off in two weeks!

Tahini and oats is a combo made in heaven, I’d say. Never going back again.

I tried to make some almond and cashew butter, but I burned the nuts (it made me so upset!) and they wouldn’t bind no matter how much oil I added. So I gave up and made cupcakes with them.

Chocolate almond butter cupcakes with cashew chocolate frosting?

Whenever I eat oats in a jar, there is always too much oats for the jar. So I end up with this:

which I mix with whatever I want--> lately it has been maca and coconut flour.

Tell me I’m not the only one who loves the crispy bits of oats at the bottom of the pot?

Once I discovered microcakes again, I couldn’t stop.

aren't microcakes cute?

and sometimes I need to get my egg on.

omelettes with two plums, peanut flour, coconut flour, peanut flour sauce, and maca.

I loved this. So delicious. Again with the crispy bits.

I’m  weird, so kill me.

This has been the most random camera dumping post. As I get back into the swing, I swear I’ll be more interesting.

On a happy note: My friends and I went clubbing.

Love my friends!

Then they sprayed foam in big cannons….

Completely soaked....

Oh sorry….did I say I’d leave you on a happy note?

I want this.

Love, Hannah

flapjacks

Good Morning!! It’s almost the end of my reading week. Oddly enough, I couldn’t get myself to read for class during the day yesterday but found myself up until half four because I couldn’t stop? Things you get up to, nights….

Let’s take a peak into my life and how I photo-document it awkwardly. Only, the only thing is I don’t usually do that. But for some reason, I decided to and now you’re privy to all my outrageous faces. Also, it is reading week and I’ve got nothing better to do.

On last I woke up and thought I’d make some flapjacks. (Read: my flat mates begged me to make flapjacks and gave me all their pocket change in the form of 1 and 2p coins)

“I think I’ll make some flapjacks! (you see them?)

So I whipped some up. (after going to the store and finding a proper recipe)

look nice but....

Yes, I made them and I tried to get them out of the pan….and I felt like this

"um....I almost got blisters!"

When the recipe called for butter, I don’t think they accounted for the entire stick you’d probably need to keep the darn thing from sticking to the pan.

Sticky little devils

You’d never know.

But get them out I did. They were demolished within two days.

Just thank the UK.

Traditional Flapjacks (and chocolate version)

Adapted from About British Food

• 4 ½ oz/ 6 tbsp Golden Syrup or corn syrup (golden syrup I found at the shops but I think it has to be something a bit sticker than honey)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 sticks/200g unsalted butter
• 12 oz/330g porridge oats

Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C/Gas 4 (thank goodness the website told me this; the ovens here and I….well…)

• Butter a 9″x 13″/23cm x 33cm Swiss roll tin and line the base with baking parchment.(they mean butter it- these puppies are sticky!)
• Place the syrup and butter into a large saucepan and heat gently until the butter has melted into the syrup and stir well. Make sure you don’t skimp on the golden syrup. It’s a devil to get out of the jar, but it is the key for holding your ‘jacks together.
• Put the oats into the pot, add a pinch of salt then pour over the butter and syrup mixture and stir to coat the oats.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and spread evenly to fill the tin making sure the surface is even.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven while the flapjack is still slightly soft, they will harden once cool. (key!)
• Place the tin on a wire cooling rack and cut the flapjack into squares and leave in the tin until completely cold.

Doubled for chocolate version, which included 1/2 a chocolate bar, melted and stirred in.

Like I said. Well received.

~~~~~

Today I walked to Regent’s park to take more surveys for £10. Gotta get your money where you can, eh? I stopped at Regent’s park for a bit and read my book as well, which was wonderful.

Only, it’s warm out?

This survey involved choosing a chocolate and eating it and then answering some questions about your consumption experience. I’ve done one like this before, but I am always keen for an exposure experience. Eating a decadent chocolate is good for me to do once in awhile and to prove that I can identify which chocolate I want, eat it, and savour it- Not take a nibble and save the rest for later, as I would usually do.
I chose the “Framboisine” which was

“Dark chocolate with dark chocolate ganache sprinkled with raspberries bits”

Perfectly dark with hints of fruity raspberry. Just what I wanted. They asked in the survey if I felt guilt or remorse or anxiety or whatever. I felt none of those things. Ed was just quiet as I closed my eyes and took delicious bites of this chocolate, letting it melt on my tongue and sent it’s chocolaty wonder miracles to my brain.
and no. I didn’t gain 5 lbs instantly. and I’m not going to be heavier tomorrow.

Since I’ve been learning to treat myself and listen to my body, I felt good having that chocolate. I’m learning to eat when I’m hungry, and stop when I’m full.
That last thing is something I have trouble with. It’s not a binge, because I carefully plan and portion what I eat AND because I still undereat. It’s a paradox because it shouldn’t be a problem to stuff yourself full of lettuce, but my friends, it can be done. Regardless of what I’m eating, I should be able to let it lie and come back later, or to just stop alltogether. I think it has something to do with

But if I’m full before I’ve finished what is on my plate, I continue until I feel a bit too full. What am I afraid of- waste? In treatment, we were forced to lick our plates with a penalty for anything that remained unfinished. So I feel guilty for not finishing things or for “wasting” food. Again, this has never been like I couldn’t finish a loaf of bread or a giant pan of brownies or something (because I don’t do that), but rather like a bowl of oats, or a kabocha squash.
Although this was years ago, it is subconsciously engrained in my psyche that I must finish everything.

As a recovering Anorexic, it’s difficult to strike a balance. I’m really working on this, as I piece my recovery together. Part of intuitive eating is allowing yourself to eat when you’re hungry and stop when you’re full. Does anyone have any tips for this? 

~~~~

On another note, I’ve got things in my fridge I need to do things with. And my friend has commissioned me to make him a Zucchini bread with cream cheese icing.  AND the weekend holds the farmer’s market and perhaps marketing with my flat mate!! Oh the joys. I should consider making it a practise to write down my joys and gratitudes daily, so I can be reminded that although I sometimes feel overwhelmed, there is so much that is going well for me, and it’s getting better all the time.

Cue the song:

I shall leave you with another feel good song. Otis reminds us all to relax and waste some time. Your soul and your mind will thank you.

Love, Hannah

Beet It

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Well, I suppose it’s post v-day now, isn’t it?

I wanted to post about this:

Not Michael Jackson- About beats! But this post has to do with Beets. 

Fun Fact: I took aerobics my first year of college and for a group project we choreographed an aerobics routine to this song!

So I went to the shops in prep.

Bargains and over priced fruit at their best

Maybe I felt okay splurging £2 on those Holiday-themed fruit (although I did skip the berries in the heart shaped plastic container) because I saved £1 on that almond butter?

*half price? So that means those 16 strawberries were originally £4? lawd have mercy.

Then, I set to it!

I should call this blog “Blue Plate Special” because this is seriously the only plate I own!

Yes. There are 9

Look nice, right? Well they didn’t work out quite how I wanted.
I wanted proper pink pancakes, like I saw when I looked up a recipe for these.

I bought a beet at the farmer’s market and  everything. Maybe I boiled it for too long?

I also added too much baking powder. Please pay attention to your baking powder in concern for your poor pancakes. They want to be loved in all of their pillowy, absorbable spendour. Unfortunately, I could not love mine for this reason.

Not very valentine-y of me, now is it? But I will tell you that I ate them anyway. Because I did.

Just covered with copious amounts of yogurt.

I just love looking at them.

*fun fact: the little heart almost fell on the floor as I carried these from the kitchen. The entire tower toppled and cascaded down the side of the plate like pancake dominoes.

Anyhow, here is the recipe I made it with.

Don’t Beat Yourself Up For Being Single Pancakes
Serves one solitary young woman
3 tbsp beet puree (maybe don’t boil your beet for too long and you’ll end up with more redness?)
1/3 cup spelt flour
1/3 cup wheat bran
what was probably too much of both baking powder and baking soda
stevia
finished off a bottle of vanilla (not too much, guys!)
2 tbsp yogurt
3 tbsp water (since I only have goat’s milk and that’d taste not well)
2 egg whites

1. mix dry
2. mix wet
3. mix together
4. marvel at how simple this all is
5. put in pan. cook.
6. eat.  (serve with valentine’s themed things like strawberries and yogurt)

Things to do:

-Make sure you try to dye the white shirt that has stains on it with the beet juice. And watch it turn a really ugly dirty brown. The amount of times you have tried to save that shirt by dying it with vegetables has just gone up by one. The number of times it has worked still remains a solid zero.

 -If you make these pancakes, make sure you do them justice I didn’t show them. By making them tastier.

-Love yourself this week. I spent so much time last week freaking out about papers and not being in love with college (no, we’re not valentines) and since I have this week off, I’m going to treat myself to Whole Foods tomorrow (hello £17 salad bar box!) and take a trip to the V&A.

-Wear an outfit you love. Look at yourself in the mirror (even if you have to climb on your toilet). Tell yourself you’re beautiful. 

You're beautiful

-Make something you love. Eat it. (DONE)

also

no caption needed

White chocolate is totally valentine-themed, right? But the other ingredient isn’t. So that’ll have to wait.

-Stop what you’re doing. Breathe. No matter what you might have about yourself this minute or might in the next minute- you’re totally lovable. I’ve been thinking about this lots lately, and it’s amazing how different we all are. We can’t all get along, or understand each other. We can’t all have what the next person has, or what we desire. But we need to be happy for what we do have and what we know, deep down, is great about us. 

For instance: I’m not great on tests or with analytical papers, but I’m really creative, and when I have the time, I’m going to write a memoir
I’m a deep thinker, and even though I’m sort of a loner and haven’t made many friends (yet!) this year, I’ve done a lot of introspection that has made me much better in mind and body.

Love youself <3

Love, Hannah

ps: Current music, as ever,

WIAW- Carb Edition

Let’s hear it for our starchy friends!! Yeah C6H12O6! (Someone with a science degree tell me if this is wrong, please. I’ll only be embarrassed that I can’t remember high school chem)

AND we should also hear it for Jenn, who is still putting this on.

Let’s face it. Shoot formatting. Hold on. nope.Much….nope.

Aha. Much better. Let’s get going. Obviously this isn’t what I ate in a day. It would be completely unbalanced to only eat quick bread, pastries, and pancakes in one day. So I didn’t do that. But I would like to pay homage to a few wheaty (and not so wheaty) friends who resided for a bit in my belly.

My friend S and I went to Chinatown to visit the chinese markets there. We popped into a bakery which immediately reminded me of Taiwan. The smells!! Of course, I had a bit of trouble deciding what to get, but since this was only £1, and quite traditional,  I settled on the steamed cake:

How lush is that?

It was the right choice as well, because it was just the right balance of light and sweet, for someone who hasn’t got a sweet tooth. Don’t be deceived, I didn’t eat the whole thing in one go. I’m working on it. (Mom, I know you’re reading this!)

bran Cereals, Puffs, last of a pot of yoghurt, cinnamon, granola

Believe it or not, I’m actually getting a bit sick of this bowl? I’ve got a couple different ones at home that I rather cannot wait to get back to. What’s in the bowl, however, is timeless.

Lime pancakes, take one.

therearesomanyguys

This recipe was perfectly moist. I know you all hate that word. But it was, okay?

Chickpea flour breakfast bread.

Chickpea Flour Breakfast Bread
adapted from Dinners & Dreams 

makes about 1.5 loaves (1 regular, 1 mini)

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

3 eggs

1/3 cup honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cup chickpea flour

1.5 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pinch of salt

1 banana, mashed

2 cups mixed dried fruit (so essentially trail mix)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease an 8X4 loaf pan and a mini one if you think you’ll run over, like I did. Or you can just use a square pan and make a cake!

Mix the butter, eggs, honey and vanilla until well combined.

Combine the chickpea flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a separate bowl. Add them to the moist mixture. Mix again until fully combined.

Fold in the banana, and trail mix

Pour the batter in the prepared pan. Bake until the cake is set and slightly browned, 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool beforeunmolding.<– very important!

This was the bread that I kept one loaf and donated the other to St. Paul’s Occupy London- I hope they enjoyed!

I had a visit from an old friend:

OIAJ came back!

Making my own nut butters is great, but it does not OIAJ make; I keep reusing my jars so I never buy new ones. Therefore the nut butter isn’t quite as stuck to the sides as it might be if it had been packed in there by an extrusion machine. Sorry to ruin your mental imagination of a nut butter packing plant.

Lime pancakes take two:

I can't resist!

Let’s go pancake monday!

This time topped with coconut flour paste. and sided with lime yogurt, of course. I just squeeze the…well, I’ll just give you the recipe.

Lime Pancakes

1/2 cup spelt flour

1/4 cup wheat bran

2 egg whites

1/4  tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

sweetener of choice

2 tbsp soy milk

juice of two limes

Mix. Put in pan. Eat.

Coconut flour paste: water/soy milk + 1 tbsp coconut flour

BAM.

side two?

And they’re nice from all angles.  They are a great way to start my monday and a TOTAL love after denying myself pancakes for such a long time. Next time my family has delicious pancakes, I can too.

Don't mind if I do!

Tonight, I went out with a couple friends to Karaoke in the JCR (Junior Common Room, for you non Brits). In respect for my New Year’s resolution (WHICH I”VE KEPT!!) to say “yes” to everything, I met them all downstairs at reception at half 7.  I’ll get into this in another post, but I chose not to drink. I was unsure whether I’d have a great time, but ended up having a pretty alright evening. One of my friends and I sang “I want it that way” by the Backstreet Boys. I’m sure you all know it, but in case:

Tomorrow I’m off to Oxford Street to return a skirt I bought that I bought in a size too small? Also. Brits, help me out here. How do you spell “Size” without a zed? sise? That just doesn’t look right. It works fine with words like “organised” and “authorised” but not with such a short word. Enlighten me so I can make my full cultural conversion.

 I think it’s about time to wrap this up.

necterine, cottage cheese, sunflower seed butter, whole wheat wrap, cinnamon

Har.

Love, Hannah

Bakeember.

Well, recentering is still in progress.

I’ve been home for a bit more than a week now and I’ve been having such a nice time, with one minor episode of horrible body image. Does my body change in one day? I don’t think so. Having family over for Christmas was stressful, I think. I also feel better about my body when I eat well? Go figure.

I came home to many packages!

wonder of wonders!

Best Christmas present? I think so. (note: it is only the ones on top, haha)

yum in my tum

I was reunited with tuna fish sandwiches. New love? Tuna+parsley. If you haven’t had parsley in a tuna fish sandwich, do it!

puff

Reunited with wheat puffs and almond milk. What’s lacking? All my nice bowls. They’re packed somewhere in my room I think.

In prep for our neighborhood’s cookie exchange, R (my German friend staying here for a bit), my mother and I went to The Fresh Market for a bit of a shop!

Something's missing....

But they had no Kabocha. Good thing I’d gotten one the previous day. We made a stop at Hannaford on the way home from the airport since the plane food was bad. Needed a snack.

eggsis my precious?

Eggs in a bag?

Then we set off baking. We made….

Cheesecake!

I broke out the double hummus action.

curry spice hummus and ginger sweet hummus

We made a croquembouche. Has anyone ever made one? It means “crunch in the mouth” but ours wasn’t so crunchy. I read later that you’re supposed to make a paper cone and pour the sugar cement/glaze over it to make the tower, but we hand made it. Probably would have made them more crunchy that way.

So many puffs!

But I think it came out alright. Everyone raved about it.

tower of cream puffs

The table looked like this. Gosh, lighting is so bad at night!

the spread

Made some scruffins- finally!

scruf scruf

The cookie exchange went so well that I completely couldn’t be bothered to take pictures.

Christmas was spent with the fam (more on that later) and then Boxing Day we had my Dad’s side of the family over for a bit of a dessert thing. R and I baked all weekend.

We made….

R baking!

Rugalach!

Fruit pizza?

plated and ready to rock.

 

recipes to come!

I’ll post recipes for all these soon. These were Cinnamon Stars- they’re gluten free as well, for my Aunt who was recently diagnosed.

Blackie and Whitie

We made a Black Forest Cake and an Eggnog cheesecake.

The Gluten Free Table

The spread take second Christmas party.

Taking pride.

I made a Gingersnap Dip

NOM

Not many people ate it though. I was sad, but Mom said that my relatives probably just didn’t have sophisticated tastes. They lean more towards chips and dip or cheese and crackers. I suppose that could be true.

Black Forest

This came out really well. My favourite part was definitely whipping the cream (and tasting it, of course).

Beautiful.

The recipe came from a real German cookbook, which made for quite the cake (with lots of Kirsch) but mine looked nowhere as lovely as the one in the book.

angle shots

Recipes to follow for: Eggnog cheesecake, regular classic cheesecake, Rugalach, Cinnamon Stars, Black Forest Cake, Flourless Chocolate Cake, Gingersnap Dip

Reviews coming as well!! I’ve got some really good stuff to tell you about, such as Newman’s Own Organic’s new cookies and licourice, Ernest Eats bars (so good!), and Perfect Foods Bars. Can’t wait to review them for you all so you can get to know them! yum!

See you soon, if I don’t vanish again.

Love, Hannah