These little penguin cupcakes were so much fun to make. I’m still in baking mode to prep for a New Years party with my neighbors and good friends. I made a double batch of my favorite dairy free frosting recipe to use on sugar cookies too. My cupcakes sort of caved in and I have no idea why. I was distracted with my rescue cat, Archie, eyeing the sprinkles and batter and the two little ones I was watching for a friend. Whatever the reason, the frosting turned out yummy on top of my vanilla cupcakes. I included this easy 4 ingredient frosting below. Happy baking everyone into the New Year! Now on to more paper crafting for my Starry Night Woodland party theme. So excited for 2023!
Rudolph Pancakes
Happy Holidays!
I just wanted to share with you my all time favorite pancake recipe. Its super easy to make and fun to decorate during winter festivities.
Now that Christmas is over I’m planning one memorable New Years party as well. Its so awesome to make friends with my new neighbors and have so many get-togethers during the holiday season. Having a staycation this year was stress free, travel free, and guilt free with all the goodies that I enjoy baking and cooking.
I hope you all had a wonderful time with family and friends as well! Be sure to check out my pancake recipe. Its so yummy on a cold winter morning.
Oh She Glows Inspired Chickpea Curry
Good Evening Blogging Family,
I just wanted to give my review of a really versatile curry I made from Angela Liddon’s cookbook Oh She Glows Everyday. Sweet potatoes, chickpeas, spinach, spices and coconut milk make up the base of this dish. I used curry powder and ground cumin that I had on hand and have included my version below. I really liked how it turned out. A lot of Angela’s recipes are fun to try but take a lot of time to make. This one was pretty much a one-pot wonder that I’ll continue to make during these cold winter months. While it was cooking, my test tasters snacked on roasted pistachios and mandarin oranges. I served it with basmati rice, however quinoa would be yummy too. Bon appetite!
Vegan Zucchini Lasagna
A perfect make-ahead dish for holiday gatherings
I can’t believe it’s almost Christmas! For my Jewish friends and family Hanukkah has already started full of festivities, cookie making, and thoughtful presents. Thank you everyone for allowing me to be a part of this special time during the Jewish calendar.
I’m so excited for this Christmas in my new apartment. It’s all decked out for the holidays. The tree looks so pretty at night along with all the twinkle lights in the living room. And a Christmas bonus for some here in the Pacific Northwest…snow is coming! I went ahead and stocked up on goodies and everything I needed to host Christmas this year. I always make Salvadorian pupusas Christmas Eve and lasagna for Christmas day. The best thing about lasagna is that you can make it ahead of time and focus on your guests the day of the get-together. I usually pair zucchini lasagna with my crowd-pleaser Greek Caesar Salad. PJs are required and I found lots of soft winter throws for us to cuddle with and watch movies throughout the evening.
Before I get to my lasagna recipe, you can comment on your favorite holiday meal down below. Be sure to include the link to your blog if you have a recipe you want to share. May all your days be merry and bright!
Holiday Paper Crafting
Hi Blogging Family,
As some family and friends may know, my dream is to become a published author. Now that I have finished my manuscript, I am ready to make my final edits. At 400 pages, this is quite a daunting task. I decided to break it up in pages of 50 per week. This allows me to take a few days away from the manuscript and re-read it with fresh eyes before printing it out and editing the next 50 pages. What do I do in-between edits? Craft 🙂
I love crafting flowers. There’s something about transforming paper into petals that makes me smile. I found a few crafting kits at Paper Source over the weekend. I also picked up a Santa postal bag and made little envelops that seemingly float up in the sky. My new apartment feels so magical now. I hope this inspires you to take a break from work and get creative.
Enjoy the holidays everyone!
Chocolate Chip & Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Happy Holidays Blogging Family!
This weekend I had a blast baking cookies and having friends over to kick off the winter holiday season. It’s so beautiful to see my friends and family celebrate their Jewish and Christian heritage together. We watched Elf and Little Fockers, did some paper crafts, drank chai tea lattes and apple cider (I’ll post the recipes soon), and shared our favorite cookies. Its how the holidays should be!
That being said, I wanted to mix things up a bit and try out some new flours and vegan butters. I am baking and eating eggs now due to a B12 deficiency but feel free to substitute the eggs with your favorite egg substitute. I found Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking flour as the best substitute for all-purpose flour. My favorite vegan butter by far is Miyokos’ European Style Butter. I hope the tips below help with making wonderful baking memories this year into next.
Continue reading “Chocolate Chip & Chocolate Crinkle Cookies”
Quick n’ Easy Tikka Masala
Hi fellow bloggers, friends and family!
I don’t know about you but I’m all “cookied out” and it’s only mid December! I guess it didn’t help that I had a cookie and crafting party this weekend 🙂 To get back on track with my Mediterranean diet I decided to cook a meal that I often shared with my Indian and Pakistanian friends from college. Many spices used in Indian cuisine are rich in phytonutrients that neutralize free radicals and shield your cells from damage. One wonderful way to try these spices is through cooking Tikka Masala. It’s one of my favorite dishes and super easy to make with chickpeas from your pantry. Serve with a bowl of steaming basmati rice and piping hot garlic naan bread and you have one flavorful meal.
Continue reading “Quick n’ Easy Tikka Masala”
How to Make Greek Bean Soup – Fasolada
Whenever I miss Greece, I cook fasolada (φασολάδα) and my kitchen fills with the aroma of the Mediterranean. Search no further than your pantry and fridge for all you need to make this amazingly simple yet satisfying traditional dish. To cut time, you can use canned white beans instead of dried. The flavors still turn out perfect. It’s one of my favorite hearty vegetable soups for the fall and winter. Make sure you have lemons on hand and a sprinkle of fresh oregano or parsley. To make it a meal, serve with freshly baked bread and marinated olives. Kαλή όρεξη! Enjoy your meal!
Sourdough Starter – Peace in Ukraine
As Wednesday draws to a close, I can’t help but blog. My search for a flat is coming to a close and fingers crossed, I’ll be in a new home before I know it. My heart though is with the residents of Kramatorsk in eastern Ukraine. According to NPR News, local officials say about 70% of the grocery stores are closed tonight. It’s heartbreaking to think that one-third of all women and children have fled their homes in this region. I pray that we all find a way to help bring justice and hope to those displaced by war.
I can think of nothing more satisfying then starting a trend to converse about what is going on in Ukraine. When I stumbled upon two recipes for a sourdough starter, I couldn’t help wonder…could we start a trend to break bread with our Ukrainian Greek Catholics and Jewish friends? What better way than to create something miraculous out of flour and water?
Fresh Beginning
Dear Family and Friends,
As I begin a new chapter in my life, I can’t help but think about timing. It seems as though spring brings about new hope, new beginnings, and a fresh start towards my calling in Social Justice. That being said, my purpose in life seems clouded by the suffering of so many women and children. I see injustice all around me and often wake up to the reality of homelessness in my community, hunger amongst friends, the loneliness in pews, and an anticipation of a new tomorrow.
In forty-eight hours I’ve seen my focus shift from welcoming my brother and his beautiful family back to Portland to envisioning my grandfather’s love blossom in the presence of his great-grandchildren. Often, I dream of bringing such joy to my family by adding little ones of my own to the mix. Yet I had to stop myself from dreaming as soon as I opened my peripheral lens. My realities exist somewhere between my faith and family in the Pacific Northwest, my current situation battling PTSD, and the heart wrenching news I see unfold on the BBC in Ukraine.
I don’t know what direction my blog will take me in but right now my heart rest with Poland and how they will handle the influx of refugees. I saw an article today that you can find here that brought me great joy: At St. Mary’s Ukrainian Catholic Church in North Port Fla. food is bringing people together. It made me think of someone whom I care for very much and his family recipe. Continue reading “Fresh Beginning”
elliebleu.com 