Pic: Even More Snow

We gained another foot of snow since last night. You'll notice that this snow is collecting on tree branches. It is a "wetter" snow than we are accustomed to receiving.

Since I've been stranded, I've been baking. Some new pictures and a new recipe follows.

Pic: Bed and Bath

Since I am snowed in and bored, I decided to take some more pictures around the house. This is a picture of the downstairs bedroom and bathroom. The bathroom is the "Mae West bath," named after the plaque that hangs over the john. The plaque says, "I used to be snow white, but I drifted." The western toilet coverings were my aunt's and the wagon wheel was on sale at Big Lots.

Recipe: Kentucky Pie

As I said before, when I am snowed in I like to bake something. My mom used to have me stop at McAlister's (a Southern deli) and purchase a piece of "Kentucky Pie." I found this recipe in an old cookbook and it seems to be the exact same as McAlister's, except homemade is always better.

Regular (or Vegan) Kentucky Pie:

Crust--
1-1/3 C. all purpose flour (I used unbleached)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 C. vegetable shortening
2 TBSP. water

Combine flour and salt; blend in shortening. Sprinkle water over this mixture. Work dough into a firm ball. Refridgerate until ready to use.

Pie--
1 C. sugar
1/2 C. flour
2 eggs, well beaten (or substitute 1/2 block silken tofu and Ener-G egg replacer for two eggs)
1 stick melted butter (or vegan substitute)
1 C. semi-sweet chocolate chips (or vegan chocolate or carob chips)
3/4 C. pecans
1/2 C. coconut
1 tsp. vanilla

Blend together and pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees or until firm. My Kentucky pies always seem to take longer to bake than the recipe says. Also, you may have noticed that this pie can be made vegan-friendly very easily. I did not have any eggs when I made mine today and the subsitutes worked!

Pic: Around the house

Here are some new additions around the house. First, is our newly redecorated guest bedroom. Second, an addition to our yard

Pic: Welcome Constance!

This is our new addition to the family, Constance. She's a good kitty.

Recipe: Tofu Lasagna

This is one of my favorite dinners. I never have the right ingredients to make the traditional cheese filling, and tofu is a great substitute.

Tofu Lasagna

1 block extra firm tofu packed in water (NOT the silken kind)
About 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp basil
2 Tbsp oregano
Mozzarella Cheese
About two jars of marinara sauce (or make your own--I don't always have time!)
Lasagna

Prepare the pasta as directed on the box.

In a bowl, crumble the tofu and mix with the vinegar (for a cheesy taste), parmesan, basil, oregano, and approximately 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Set aside.

When the pasta is done, pour some sauce on the bottom of a 9 X 13 pan. Place a layer of pasta, about 1/2 of the cheese mixture and more sauce. Repeat , ending with a layer of noodles on top. Pour your remainding pasta sauce on top, cover with a layer of shredded mozzarella cheese and sprinkle with some parmesan cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour to an hour and a half, depending on your oven. It is done when the cheese is golden.

Recipe: Caramel Pie

When I am buried alive in snow, I like to cook. Here is one of my favorite recipes that is easy to make on a blustery day.

Caramel Pie

1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 Graham Cracker Pie Crust
1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
vanilla
sugar
chopped nuts

I usually make a double boiler by placing one baking pan in another baking pan filled halfway with water. Pour your sweetened condensed milk into the "double boiler," cover with aluminum foil and bake at about 325 degrees for an hour and a half. This caramelizes the condensed milk.

It looks really gross when you pull it out of the oven, but if it is a rich caramel color, it is done. Beat it until it is smooth and pour into your graham cracker crust. Allow the caramel to cool completely.

Beat the whipping cream with vanilla and a tablespoon of sugar--either powdered or granulated. Spoon this over the caramel, so you have nice peaks on the pie. Sprinkle the pie with chopped nuts to decorate. I usually use pecans.

I've been told that you can boil the can of sweetened condensed milk to caramelize it, but I value my life and my kitchen, so I've never tried it. Also, the can does not recommend boiling.

Pic: Aftermath

Here are pictures of the aftermath of "The Blizzard of 2006," as the weather forecasters are calling it. They say that we had about 20 inches of snow in all with snowdrifts of up to 6 feet. 30 cars were abandoned on Hwy 36, the road Tim takes to Boulder. Most major highways and interstates are closed. RTD, the major bus system, is closed, along with most of the city.

Pic: Disaster Emergency

Channel 9 News has declared the Denver Metro Area a "Disaster Emergency." I don't know if I would go that far, but it does seem that we are being buried alive in snow. Here is snow up to our back door, Bud buried in snow, what was once our bistro set, a four foot wall of snow in the side yard, our front porch, and our neighbor's house.

Pic: More snow!

Pic: Neighbor's porch

This is our neighbors front porch.

Pic: Snow!

Weather forecasters were predicting about 8 inches of snow. I do believe we got a bit more.

Pic: Christmas Tree

No Christmas is complete without a beautifully decorated tree. This tree is a monster: it's 7.5 feet tall and the box says it has a 5 foot "girth." There was almost too much "girth" for the dining area, but we made room.

Pic: Christmas Table Setting

One special Christmas memory for me is Mamaw's Hershey Kiss Christmas trees. I made these out of styrofoam cones, tin foil, non toxic glue, and of course, Hershey Kisses.

Pic: Library/Chapel

Here is a sneak peak into our library/chapel, which is decked out for the church season of Advent. I will post some pictures of the rest of our library later (after I've had a chance to clean up a bit!). My grandmother (Nannie) made the fine cloths which adorn the Holy Table.

Recipe: Tofu Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is probably my most requested cookie recipe (even after people find out that it has tofu in it!). This recipe makes very chewy chocolate chip cookies. I omit the cinnamon, but that's just a matter of personal taste.

Tofu Chocolate Chip Cookies

Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough

Serves: 20 (2 cookies each)

Look no further for cakey, decadent chocolate chip cookies, perfect for backyard gatherings, trips to the beach, or any weekday afternoon. The natural protein and moisture in tofu allows us to get rid of eggs - and their cholesterol. While these cookies use margarine, you can substitute butter for a somewhat richer but also lighter cookie.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon salt 8 tablespoons (1 stick) margarine, cut into chunks 2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar 1/3 cup granulated sugar 6.15 ounces silken firm Mori-Nu® Tofu(i. e., half a 12.3 ounce package), cut into chunks 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Position the rack in the middle of the oven; preheat the oven to 375°F. Whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. 2. Place the margarine chunks and both kinds of sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer at medium speed until fluffy and light, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then beat in the tofu and vanilla until smooth, about 1 minute. 3. Remove the beaters, scrape any excess batter back into the dough, and stir in the flour mixture with a wooden spoon, just until moistened. Stir in the chocolate chips. Drop the batter by 1 tablespoon increments onto a large baking sheet, spacing the mounds about 1 inch apart. 4. Bake for 7 minutes, then flatten the puffed cookies with the back of a wooden spoon or a metal spatula, just until they crack slightly at the sides. Continue baking until the cookies are browned at the edges and firm to the touch, about 7 more minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling. Cool the baking sheet at room temperature for 5 minutes before making another batch, or use a second sheet that hasn’t been in the oven. To store, cool the cookies completely, about 2 hours, then seal in plastic bags or a lidded container at room temperature for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Pic: For Inquiring Minds...

Here was my Thanksgiving centerpiece, a meatless roast from WholeFoods Market. I covered my roast in a blend of herbs and roasted it in an aluminum foil bag. I think that it was the best meal I ever made.

Pic: Mountain View

This is the view halfway to Boulder, CO.

Pic: Living Room

Here is a view of our living room, looking into our kitchen.

Pic: Thanksgiving Day

While we were not able to enjoy Thanksgiving with our families, we did have a nice meal of vegetarian roast, mashed potatoes, dressing and gravy, and fried okra at a festive table on Thanksgiving Day.

Pic: Test Kitchen

Here is my workshop, where I test all of the recipes I will post on here. It's very bright and has a wonderful view of our front garden.

Pic: Our First Snow of the Year

We've had about 3 feet of this white crap, so far. After the first one, I made sure that we were armed with an arsenal of de-icer.

Pic: Bud Eats the Inedible

Yum Yum Yum.

Tip: Earth Friendly Cleaning Supplies

I used to clean the house with all of the typical harsh chemicals: ammonia, chlorine bleach, harsh bathroom scrubs, etc., but after careful consideration, I've begun replacing most of my old cleaners with earth friendly products. Check out one of the brands I buy at http://www.restoreproducts.com/index.html.

These cleaners are a bit more expensive than the regular fare. Just remember that with these, less is more. I feel that Tim, the dog, the cat, and I are breathing easier these days.

Recipe: Eggless Chocolate Cake

Tim and I have a few vegan friends, so this is always a good dessert to pull out of my hat for occasions that call for eggless, milkless cooking. I haven't tried this peppermint icing. I made a vegan toasted coconut frosting when I made this cake.

Eggless Chocolate Cake

for the cake:
2 1/4 Cups flour
4 1/2 TBSP cocoa powder
1 1/2 Cups suger (I use organic for vegans)
1/2 Cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 Tsp baking soda
1 1/2 TBSP white vinegar
1 1/2 Tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 Cups cold water

preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly oil a 9X13 baking pan

Combine and mix the dry ingredients until blended well. Add the wet ingredients and stir quickly. Once smooth, pour the batter into the pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. (Check cake after 20 minutes!).

Let the cake cool completely before icing.

for the icing:
1 12 ounce bag of dairy-free chocolate chips (found easily in the health food section of Kroger's/King Soopers')
1/4 Cup soy or rice milk
1 TBSP peppermint extract

Melt the chips in a saucepan over very low heat. Add the vegan milk and peppermint extract. Stir continuously, adding more vegan milk or mint extract, until reaching the desired consistency and taste. Let the icing cool before frosting the cake.

Recipe: Tofu Jerky

This is a modified version of my beef jerky recipe for friends of animals. You might need to adjust it, because I don't usually use a recipe, so this is my best estimate. -Josh

You need:

At least 2 cartons of extra firm tofu (packed in water-never use the silken kind for this)
Approximately 1/2 cup soy sauce
Approximately 1/2 cup Teriyaki sauce
1 TBSP Liquid Smoke flavoring
1 TBSP Garlic Powder
1 TSP course black pepper

Slice the tofu into thin strips. Place them on a cutting board, cover them with paper towels, and then, place a heavy frying pan on top. Drain for about 30 minutes.

Mix your marinade in a container that has a lid and soak tofu in it for about 2 days.

After two days, cover an oven rack with aluminum foil, place tofu strips on it, and bake at 200 degrees for about 8 hours.

This is the best "jerky" I've ever had. It looks and tastes just like the regular stuff, but no killing was involved.

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