Thursday, December 31, 2015

...Grandma's Roasted Brussels Sprouts...and Vegan Angel Biscuits

...when we were up in the mountains visiting at Thanksgiving...my Mom and my sweet sissie made the most delicious roasted Brussels Sprouts while I was making the Vegan Angel Biscuits...and my sister emailed some previously unpublished photos of that event so I'm including them here...
...and although I've mentioned my Mom's Angel Biscuits several times on the blog...I've never actually posted the recipe...so here it is...

Mom's Vegan Angel Biscuits

1 package regular or quick active dry yeast
2 tablespoons warm water (105° to 115°)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening - (shortening is vegan) but I used Earth Balance
About 1 cup vegan buttermilk - 1 cup original soy milk with 1 tsp white vinegar - warmed up to about 90° F too
Butter or margarine at room temperature - I used Earth Balance for this too

Directions
1. Heat oven to 400°. Dissolve yeast in warm water; set aside.
2. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender or crisscrossing 2 knives, until mixture looks like fine crumbs. Stir in yeast mixture and just enough buttermilk so dough leaves side of bowl and forms a ball.
3. Place dough on generously floured surface; gently roll in flour to coat. Knead lightly 25 to 30 times, sprinkling with flour if dough is too sticky. Roll or pat 1/2 inch thick. Cut with floured 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter. Place about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
4. Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. Brush with melted Earth Balance. Serve hot.
...Mom always folded hers over...so I do too...of course...
...baked until golden and served hot...
...I don't have any photos of the Brussels Sprouts from Thanksgiving...and they were definitely worthy of having their photo taken...but Scout asked for some Brussels Sprouts 'like those Grandma made for Thanksgiving'...and you should never so no to a teenager asking for Brussels Sprouts under any circumstances...so I called Mom to see how she had made them and she said that all they did for the Brussels Sprouts was to sprinkle them generously with olive oil, salt and pepper...so we did just that...
...and roasted them in the oven at 350° F...
...and they were delicious again...

...what's your favorite way to make Brussels Sprouts...

~Have a lovely day!

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

...W.I.P. Wednesday...Snowflakes...

...even though there's no snow in sight...with temperatures hovering in the humid 70s...I'm still working on my snowflakes...
...I covered a box with some black cloth from my stash...
...then drew a little 6 pointed star on a piece of paper...
...and then covered the paper with plastic wrap...
...and pinned it to the covered box...that will keep the starchy snowflake from sticking to the paper...
...then I mixed up the starchy goo...just a tablespoon of cornstarch and 1/4 cup of water...cooked until thick and translucent...
...just dip the soft snowflake into the goo...
...until it is completely saturated...
...squeeze out the excess goo...
...stretch it out on the star template...matching up each of the six points...
...pin it in place and let it dry...
...once it's dry it will be completely stiff...
...and ready to hang on the tree...

...next year...

~Have a lovely day!

Tuesday, December 29, 2015

...VEGAN BOEUF À LA MODE...

...we made VEGAN BOEUF À LA MODE...and all of the details are over at The Vegan Version...it was delicious...as are most things braised in wine...

~Have a lovely day!

Monday, December 28, 2015

...a Christmas Smoothie...

...the Man always thinks it's funny that I (and my sissie and my Mom too) apparently use the expressions...'on the one hand'...and 'for one thing' without having 'another hand' or a 'second thing'...
...so...on the one hand...I had some random fruits that needed to be used up...

...and on the other hand (HA!)...I had bought a V-8 Purple Power juice that none of us particularly liked...
...so I got some of my regular frozen fruits out of the freezer...
...and popped those in the blender...and poured in some juice...
...and some flax seed...(for Omega 3's)
...and blended up a big smoothie...
...and it was delicious!

...do you always have another point to make when you use the 'for one thing' expression?

~Have a lovely day!

Saturday, December 26, 2015

...the day of and the day after...

...I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!
...our day started the normal way...with everyone opening presents...

...the Man had bought all his presents from National Geographic...
...so mine came from India...gotta love some fair trade...
...and then we opened some more presents...
...and Jack opened his presents too...
...then of course we had some food...lots actually...I made Mom's Angel Biscuits...a whole wheat version...we ate them...but I don't think I'll do that again...HA!
...my yummy plate...

...so that was it for the day...
...the next day...we got up early and headed up to the mountains to visit family...

...Mom made a huge vegan brunch for us...sorry no pics...then we opened some more presents...Mom got a mug that said 'Crazy Cat Lady'...I told her the 'crazy' modified the word cat...not lady...HA!
...Scout opens his flying drone...
...my amaryllis for this year...hopefully it will do better than my last one...
...then we visited with Grandma...it was such a warm day that we went outside for a bit...
...three generations...
...on to visiting my baby brother...
...then over to the in-laws...Scout got his drone working there...
...Christmas full moon watching...
...and a final walk around the old neighborhood looking at all the Christmas lights...
...and our sweet Jack was so worn out by this whirlwind...that he fell asleep with his tongue sticking out just like when we was a puppy...

~Have a lovely day!

Friday, December 25, 2015

...Merry Christmas...

...wishing you a Wonderful, Blessed and Very Merry Christmas!

Thursday, December 24, 2015

...well and truly ready...

...we are...are you?
...Silk Nog has been consumed...
...ornaments have been made...
...and gifted...
...cards have been mailed...
...and received...
...fruit has arrived...both dried...
...and fresh...and we are thankful for that...
....stockings have been hung...
...and their future contents have been stashed...
...along with the golden wrapped Santa gifts...

...so we're just waiting...and ready...

...Candlelight service tonight...and then we'll put out the cookies...and settle in for a long winter's nap...

...How about you?...are you ready?...

~Have a lovely day!