Poco-Cocoa – Page 234 – Things & Stuff

Re-use!

I’m a paper junkie. When I go to a craft store, I linger in the scrapbook paper aisle. I don’t do scrapbooks. I just like the paper. It’s very hard for me to throw away magazines, and I have 9 or 10 separate journals (some lined, some not lined, some tiny, some huge, some spiral bound, some for books I’ve read, some for ideas and recipes…). I like to print out things from the internet. I try to refrain from doing it too often, because it means a long session of weeding through stacks of papers, deciding what’s worth keeping and what must go in the recycle bin.

So when Justin was weeding through his design magazines and journals, I was close by to inspect what he was tossing out, just in case it was usable to me.

Voila! Envelopes! I found a great envelope template at the Hello Kitty website, printed it, cut it out, and made a template from cardstock. I then used this to make tons of envelopes from the high-quality, gorgeous paper that fills Justin’s design magazines. I used ads, articles, and artwork, and was really happy with the results. I’ll probalby never buy envelopes again, to be honest.

I tried making one envelope with a thinner sheet of paper, like you would find in a regular magazine (thought not the really cheapy ones), and it still worked out well. A bit flimsier, but still fine for holding a letter. I used a roll-on adhesive (kind of like double stick tape) to form the envelopes, and I’ll most likely seal them with a sticker. I already have address labels to use with them…now I just need to find something to mail.

December 14, 2005

Crafty
Saved by a meme

I haven’t been cooking much lately. We’ve gone to dinner at friends’ homes, and out to various local restaurants, and we’ve eaten great food, but nothing I can claim as my own. It’s not going to get better very soon, either, because tonight we’re having our holiday dinner for the bed and breakfast staff at Castle Hill Cafe, and tomorrow is Justin’s staff party at Lucy’s Boatyard. So maybe, just maybe, on Wednesday, I’ll have some homemade food to share with you.

For the moment, Tanvi has tagged me for a Ten Favorite Foods meme, so here we go!

Poco-Cocoa’s Ten Favorite Foods
(If she really, really had to choose only ten)

1. Chocolate. Ohmyga, chocolate. I prefer dark chocolate, but I won’t turn down milk chocolate. Actually, the only chocolate I will turn down is something fruity like chocolate-dipped oranges, or lavender or rose or fruity-flavored chocolate, or those cheap holiday chocolates in Santa or Easter egg shapes. Those aren’t worth the time it takes to chew them to this choco-snob. When it comes time to order desserts at restaurants, mine has to have chocolate. I’ll eat some apple crisp or blueberry pie, but I always feel like something’s missing. Oh, chocolate. In fact, I’m snacking on a Magic Blondie that my pal Leti made for me, studded with dried cherries, coconut, and…chocolate chips.

2. Cheese. This makes any attempts at veganism quite difficult. I often go through stages of veganistic thinking, hating the idea of factory farming and cows with mastitis and pus in the milk and all that junk. But oh, cheese! Melted brie with chutney at East Side Cafe, or sharp Parmesan cheese on plain angel hair pasta, or colby-Jack cheese in a homemade quesadilla, or wonderful mozzarella on a perfectly made pizza. I’ve definitely reduced the amount I’m eating at home, but I am easily swayed by cheesy restaurant dishes.

3. Pasta. My favorite kind would have to be angel hair pasta, cooked al dente and mixed with a bit of butter and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. I love how the tiny texture of angel hair pops in your mouth. Pasta in casseroles, soups, or just topped with a tasty sauce can be the perfect meal for me.

4.Pizza. Oh, the wonders of a well-made pizza pie! My current fave pizza place is Rounders, a cute little pizzeria within walking distance from our home (yes, it’s a very dangerous situation). Their crust is thin (but not too thin), crispy, and smothered in a gorgeous red sauce and delicous mozzarella. I’m pretty picky about my pizza. A lot of people in Austin prefer Austin’s Pizza, but I think their mozzarella is just not good quality cheese. And as for toppings? Just cheese, please.

5. Tomatoes. Fresh, juicy, ripe summertime tomatoes sprinkled with a little salt. Tomatoes sauteed with a bit of olive oil and garlic. Marinara sauce. Canned diced tomatoes in a sopa. Sliced tomatoes on a sandwich. Sun-dried tomatoes in hummus, or a pesto. I love tomatoes.

6. Iced water. Do beverages count? You can offer me any amount of alcohol (yuck), any tea, any lemonade, any soda (ick), and I would choose iced water. It’s the only thing that quenches my thirst. It doesn’t add any weird flavors to your meal, it’s cold and clear and smooth, it feels perfectly natural in your mouth, and hey, it’s free!

7. Cookies. I think my love for cookies has been amplified by my daily cookie-baking at the bed and breakfast. There’s just nothing like a warm, homemade, chewy cookie. Especially if it’s chocolate chip. I’m pretty picky about cookies that I haven’t made, though. If they’re crunchy, no thanks. I can usually handle a warmed brownie from a cafe, though I’d much prefer my own, straight from the oven, still hot and falling apart.

8. Beans. I love the texture of beans. I love how each type tastes so different. I love them straight from the pot, or in a soup, or mixed with veggies, or mashed and rolled into a taco. I’d say my favorite would be black beans, followed by pinto beans, chickpeas, then the huge variety of white beans, and kidney beans…oh, I guess they’re all fairly fabulous.

9. Avocados. I can eat a whole one at dinner. They’re so smooth and creamy, and if you pick a good one, the flavor is just amazing. I eat them with anything that’s Mexican-inspired…sopas, quesadillas, tacos, beans…and I love them on sandwiches or mashed into guacamole. Being the snob that I am, though, I am wary of avocados at restaurants. I’ve had many a bowl of guacamole that had just one bad avocado mixed in (bleh), or a sandwich with a less-than-wonderful avocado sliced into it. Man, I’m picky.

10. Peanut butter. Peter Pan peanut butter, to be exact. My friend Lindsay has tried (unsuccessfully) to encourage me to switch to natural peanut butter. I think I grew up on Peter Pan. It’s comforting. It’s sweet and salty and creamy. It’s perfect straight from the jar on a large spoon, or spread onto a honeycrisp apple or celery sticks or whole wheat bread. It’s delicious in the blender with chocolate soymilk and a frozen banana. It’s decadent spread over a bit of good dark chocolate. It’s tasty spread over a toasted waffle, or in a flourless cookie.

It’s hard to weed out all the wonderful foods out there into a concise list of ten favorites. But there you go.

December 12, 2005

Random Thoughts
It’s winter!
Today it finally got cold. Really cold. So cold and drizzly that most people were released early from work, to avoid the icy streets. There may not be work or school tomorrow. It’s 28 degrees outside, and it’s sleeting. This is Austin, people! This is the depth of our winter! It cracks me up to see people freaking out, worrying about roads and cancelling all sorts of things, when people up North have to deal with temperatures below zero, with ice and snow and all that coldness. We’re just not used to that here, I guess.

So, in honor of the cold, I made soup for dinner. It was flavorful and full of veggies, comforting and perfectly aromatic. The addition of pesto at the end really brightened up the flavors…I used a fresh pesto from Central Market, and with every spoonful of soup, I could taste the brightness of the basil and the sharpness of the Parmesan cheese.

Italian Wedding Soup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 large carrots, chopped
- 2 celery ribs
- 1 cup trimmed green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 medium zucchini, sliced into half-moons
- 1 (15-ounce) can navy beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/4 cup pesto
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add teh green beans, tomatoes, broth, salt and pepper to taste, zucchini, and beans. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 30 minutes. Garnish each bowl with a spoonful of pesto.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Adapted from Vegan Planet by Robin Robertson.
December 7, 2005

Recipes
Mucho trabajo
So, yeah. I haven’t posted in a few days, mainly because…I got a second job! My pal Lindsay was able to score a temp job for me at Meals on Wheels. I’m helping them receive donations during the holidays, and while it’s all data entry, the people I work with are wonderful, so I love it! So I cook in the morning, come home, shower and eat, and it’s off to work again. After months of having my afternoons all to myself, it’s been a little hard to be working all day. I miss knitting in the afternoon, listening to podcasts, or reading a book, blogging, surfing the web, or sewing. But hey, it’s a little extra money, it’s fun, and it’s helping out people in need. I’m not sure how long it will last, maybe a week, maybe a month.

Anyway, I haven’t had as much time to blog, since my evenings have been filled with ashtanga yoga classes or wine dinners or stitch n’ bitch parties. All the same, I thought I’d share a few fun things with you.
1. Rice Dream Horchata! Oh my, this stuff is good. We sometimes order horchata at Mexican restaurants, but I’ve never attempted to make it at home. And here it is, already made, and dairy-free.
2. Vegan Lunch Box. This mama is the bomb. Her child takes the most awesome lunches to school every day! I have found so many great ideas here for meals and snacks.
3. Erik’s Diner podcast. I’m loving this guy. It’s all vegan news and interviews, recipes and ideas.
4. A delicious vinaigrette. This stuff is so good…toss it with some baby spinach, black beans, diced avocado, diced tomatoes, and whatever else you have. Yum.
Dijon Lemon Vinaigrette
- 3 tablespoons vegetable broth or water
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Combine all ingredients in a jar, cover tightly, and shake vigorously. Store in refrigerator.

For my favorite version, Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette, add 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro and 1 tablespoon lime juice.

Makes 2/3 cup.

Source: Cooking Light magazine.
December 5, 2005

Recipes
Chawklet
When my nephew Andres was younger, he used to pronounce chocolate with a crazy drawl…as in “Mmmmm…chawklet!” Too cute.

I made these cups for tonight’s Movie Night hosted by our pals, Rob and Shara. Shara’s making a veggie chili, and Lindsay and Chad are bringing cornbread, so it was up to me to provide dessert. I decided it was time to bust out the chocolate.

I first made this years ago, as a treat for my husband’s coworkers (what was I thinking?!). I don’t think I’ve made it since then. I couldn’t remember where I found the recipe, so I just did what I thought would taste good, and…what can I say? It tastes good! (You won’t believe how easy this recipe is.)

Note: Don’t tell anyone it has tofu. They’ll never know.

Chocolate Mousse in Dark Chocolate Cups
- 8 small balloons
- 1 1/2 bags (or 1 bag plus 1 1/2 cups) semi-sweet chocolate chips (I use Guittard…it’s my hands-down favorite), divided
- 1 (12.3-ounce) package silken tofu (preferably Morinu brand)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Inflate the balloons until they are about 4 or 5 inches across. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Melt 1 1/2 cups of the chocolate chips in the microwave in 15-second intervals, stopping to stir and check the consistency. Be sure not to overheat it, or it will clump up. Alternatively, you could get fancy and use a double-boiler. Use a small bowl, just big enough to accomodate the balloons.

Dip the bottoms of the balloons in the chocolate, swirling around to coat evenly. Place the balloons on the parchment paper. You may need to drop a bit of melted chocolate on the paper first to hold the balloons upright. Refrigerate for 30 to 45 minutes, or until the chocolate has hardened. Pinch the top of the balloon (near the tie), and make a small hole to deflate it. Let the air out slowly…if you do it too quickly, the chocolate might break. Carefully peel the balloons away from the chocolate. Use any leftover melted chocolate to fix any holes in the bowls.

Melt the remaining bag of chocolate chips in the microwave, and stir until smooth. Puree the tofu in the food processor until smooth, then add the melted chocolate and vanilla. Puree until chocolate is smooth and thoroughly incorporated. Spoon the mousse into the cups and refrigerate until serving time. Easy peasy!

Makes 8 servings.

Source: poco-cocoa.
December 1, 2005

Recipes

Re-use!

Saved by a meme

It’s winter!

Mucho trabajo

Chawklet