2009 Ballet Dancing Charity Concert

Life cycle

Kale Potato Burritos

Hi,

Just wanted to do a quick post about dinner: kale and potato burritos. I sauteed some kale and potato slices, and when they were tender, I set them aside. In same pan, sauteed onion and garlic with red pepper flakes and oregano...added some re-fried beans (they didn't show up in the photo, but they're there) and stirred it all together with some Bragg's Liquid Aminos and a splash of vinegar.

I used canned re-fried beans; I would have preferred to use homemade beans, but it was a hectic day and this dinner was quick to throw together. Served with fresh tomato and pepper salsa and some avocado this was really tasty.

For tortillas, I always use Food for Life Sprouted Grain Tortillas; they have lots of good texture and flavor and are healthier than regular flour tortillas. Their bread is cool too...it's based on a recipe found in a bible scripture, which I find charming in itself.

Have a good evening!

Homemade Vegan Mozzarella

I've never been a big fan of vegan cheeses...although I do buy them occasionally. And I have never found a store-bought vegan mozzarella that I like. So, finally, ( I don't know what took me so long) I got around to making some at home.

I used this vegan mozzarella recipe from Veganize It...Don't Criticize It. Here's how it turned out:


This cheese did not disappoint! It shreds well, melts well, and the flavor is good. It actually adds to the quality of the pizza, rather than detracts from it, which is what most of the store-bought stuff does in my opinion.

Pizza Margherita before:




Pizza Margherita after:


See how well it melts? And, it was yummy. I definitely recommend this recipe.

I also made a cheeze-free pizza with lots of veggies and some tempeh that I marinated in Bragg's Liquid Aminos, then crumbled and sauteed with red pepper flakes, fennel, and garlic:


I think my next few posts will be about some of the other good home-made cheese recipes that I've found in the blogosphere. Bye for now. :)

Lonely winter

Time past time. You had left me for a period of time.
I can't do anything for you. I'm not gonna make it anymore...Your sight... become far and far away from me...

A haircut for more than £15,000 for King of Brunei

There are some people like me who can afford to pay just a few bucks to get a haircut but on the other end there are some people who don’t mind spending loads of cash to get a simple haircut done.

Recently the Sultan of Brunei spent a whopping £15,000 to get a haircut done and flew his favorite barber all the way from London to Brunei for this purpose. Ken Modestu, the barber was escorted in a private luxury cabin worth £11,000 so that he didn’t contract swine flu from other passengers.

Ken has been the barber for the King of Brunei for the past sixteen years and is given luxury accommodation and food each time he comes for a haircut of the King which is usually every three to four weeks. For his services the king pays him a thick envelope of cash for every visit and its absolute luxury given that Ken gets paid £30 for each haircut he does.

Definitely it can be dubbed as the most luxurious haircut in the world!!

image and link source: timesonline

Emo flower

Hope you feel the happiness everyday.


JkYong

Imperfect Dream

I got a very sad dream just now, in the middle of my napping.
I dreamed she was holding my hand to write her name on a paper. Slowly, mildly to write. We were at a theme park and playing happily.
Until now I just realized I lost it. I couldn't rewind the things that happened before.
I deeply regretted.
Sorry for you.

JkYong


© Jeff Thomas // Azuzephre

Hiking in Mt Rainier Nat'l Park

John and I went hiking yesterday, and while it's not food or gardening, I just had to post about it because it was so beautiful and exhilarating. I'm still hugging the experience and want to keep it clear in my memory as long as possible.

Mt. Rainier National Park is extensive (368 square miles) and offers hundreds of miles of trails. We hiked the Palisades Lakes Trail from Sunrise, which at an elevation of 6,400 feet, is the highest point that can be reached by car. Sunrise affords spectacular views of Mt Rainier (rising above at an elevation of 14,410 ft) and other volcanoes in the Cascade Range.

Here's John with the snow-covered tip of Mt. Rainier just discernible through the clouds behind him.


The trail cuts down along the northern side of the Sunrise precipice, and continues on through a series of valleys and ridges that are dotted with pristine alpine lakes. The first lake is Sunrise Lake--here's a view from the top of the trail:



More views along the the top of the trail:




After descending the precipice, the trail winds through several alpine meadows along the way to the first lake:




We ate lunch (tomato pesto and hummus sandwiches) at Clover Lake, which at 1.5 miles along the trail, is the second lake you encounter:



Some Gray Jays came to beg food from us; they were so insistent and adorable, we had to give in.


The hike continues on past 4 more lovely lakes until you reach the end of the trail at Upper Palisades Lake high camp... next time, we'll bring gear and camp there overnight.

The photos diminished as we hiked on and got into a primal, free-spirited, and light-hearted natural high that didn't prompt photo taking. Anyway, I wouldn't want to reveal the whole trail in the hopes that someday you can see it for yourselves, or at least create it in your imagination.

This trail makes a tidy day hike: 7 miles round trip, moderately rigorous--if you get an early start, you'll have plenty of time to tarry along the way.

Here are some other random shots:

Spot the froggy?

Pasque Flower mops

Lots of chipmunks here, although, none in photo

Mount Rainier again, just visible through the clouds in right of photo

Life is small

Meneghini Refrigerators: A combination of contemporary and retro styling

How about some Italian inspired fridges for your kitchen? Meneghini refrigerators are best known as Italian Antique Modern in aesthetics. This fridge which may not look elegant on the outside come with glass shelving, brass handles with hinges apart from some traditional detailing like portholes and clawfoot legs which make them stand apart from the crowd. The interiors of the fridge have been designed and manufactured by Liebherr and look truly a combination of contemporary and retro styling.

On the outside it is available in finishes such as walnut, cherry wood, mahogany, Lebanese cedar, chestnut and pine which enable it to become a part of your kitchen with ease. It even offers lacquered wood versions in over five hundred satin color finishes keeping in sync with the needs of your kitchen.

It retails for $10,000 and if price dampens your spirit then another reason to buy this fridge is that it is a favorite of Nigella Lawson. 

image and link courtesy: unplggd

Tomato Pesto

This recipe is based on semi-dried tomatoes. Regular sun-dried tomatoes will work fine, but I would reduce the amount to 2/3 or 3/4 of a cup, as their flavor is more concentrated than the semi-dried tomatoes. This makes about 1 cup of concentrated pesto; it's potent and tangy, and the garlic flavor becomes more pronounced as the flavors meld. I like to make it as a concentrate and then add extra oil as I use it if I want a more unctuous consistency.

Measurements
1 cup semi-dried tomato halves
3/4 cup raw cashews
1 large garlic clove
1/2 cup olive oil

Mix all ingredients well in blender, scraping down the sides at least once during blending. The semi-dried tomatoes I used were already seasoned with salt and pepper, so I didn't need to add anything else.

I use tomato pesto for all sorts of things, adding it to sauces, lasagnes, sandwiches, pizzas, calzones, and soups. It adds a potent, tangy tomato flavor.

One of my favorite breakfasts is tomato pesto and hummus sandwiches with shredded carrot and sprouts (I'm eating one right now in fact).