New Hampshire Apartment

Well, I can finally give you the news that I was approved for the apartment I chose!  What a process.  These people were very thorough and I had one, from long ago, brief employer who would NOT call them back.  But finally they approved me without his two cents.

So, here are the pictures.  It needs some sprucing but I have a nice water view and the bike trail is right outside my front door.  I think I can really make this work.  This Victorian building would be gorgeous if they ever gave it a paint job.  Moving day is October 1st.

Clean Eating Recipes: Vegan Pumpkin Donuts and Grandma Lee's Whole Wheat Bread

So, I'm going on week three of clean eating.  Really into it so far.  In other words, really enjoying it!  I haven't had a single processed product or anything out of a package in about 17 days.  Feels great.  Down 9.8 lbs.

I thought I'd share two recipes.  I've been baking my own bread and I also made these Vegan Pumpkin Donuts to eat as the occasional breakfast.

Vegan Pumpkin Donuts

Combine ingredients in a bowl in this order:

2 cups whole wheat flour, preferably organic. If you have it, whole wheat pastry flour is the most delicate, but all purpose works too
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt, preferably organic if you have to use table salt because you want it bleach free.
2 tsp cinnamon and nutmeg each
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/3 cup olive oil or if you have to use canola, make sure it's non GMO
6 tbsp organic real maple syrup
1 mashed banana, squooshed really well
1 cup pumpkin puree unsweetened
2 tbsp unsweetened almond milk (I used vanilla flavored, doesn't matter)
I also threw in flax and chia seeds, probably about a tbsp of each

For me, this recipe made 40 mini donuts. My mom has a 12 count mini donut pan, and the donuts are about 2-3 inches across when baked.

I baked them for 10 minutes at 325 degrees

I actually put the dough in a freezer bag and cut a whole in a corner to make a pastry bag, then I filled the donut pans in a circle that way. You could also use that same method to make a circle on a baking sheet to replace the mini donut pan.
I also suspect that these would work well in a mini muffin pan, but you'd have to watch them to figure out baking time.

Great Grandma Lee's Whole Wheat bread (with Marisa's modifications to make it vegan)

 
Start with a 1/4 cup of warm water and 2 packages of quick yeast. Let sit in bowl for a few minutes to foam and make sure the yeast is alive.

Then add the rest of ingredients in this order:

1 and 1/4 cups warm water
4 tsp salt
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup molasses or organic real maple syrup
3/4 cup almond milk
1 cup wheat germ
4 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups white flour or white wheat

Knead the ball of dough for 10 to 15 minutes, very important step. Just keep squooshing and folding it to activate the gluten. Do this in a warm area, and preferably not on a cold surface (not on granite) otherwise it will take longer to rise.

Return dough ball to a well oiled large bowl (probably the one you mixed in, just wash it out) and place saran wrap tightly over the top, and for additional warmth, layer a kitchen or tea towel over that. Keep covered until doubled in size, approximately 45 minutes or maybe even longer if your house is too cold. You don't want to heat the bread, but you want warm temps to encourage the rising.

When doubled in size, punch down the ball, and divide in half. Knead each half and shape until it's oblong to fit each into their respective 9x5 loaf pans. In a pinch 8x4 loaf pans will work too, but your bread may be taller and your cooking time might need an adjustment. Cover each loaf pan with saran wrap and maybe the tea towels again. Wait until doubled in size and then put in oven.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes or until the tops sound hollow when you tap on them.

Live Free or Die

I have a change of plans to relate to y'all.  Yes folks, I just deliberately typed "y'all."  Which is rather fitting considering that I might yet end up a total country bumpkin.

It was  no secret that I wanted to move.  I've been talking about that forever, and last you all knew I had planned to end up some where in the greater Boston area.  Well, that won't be happening.  It's because of money.  I had to buy the car.  The stepfather situation has changed the outlook of my financial situation.  There is absolutely no way that I can afford any rents in that area.  So, I needed to embrace my other plan that is been in the back of my head for a very long time.

It's New Hampshire.  I have always loved that state.  Live free or die baby.  Live free or die. The  libertarian part of me cries out in excitement.

The lakes region is pretty cheap.  Like really cheap.  Like 650 to 700 a month including heat and hot water cheap.  With that kind of affordable housing, I can really plan a halfway decent future while still keeping this job that I love.  Especially when you factor in zero state income tax and no sales tax.  Hellz yeah.   Many of the towns are small and economically depressed though.  So, in short, not a whole heck of a lot different than my own town as pointed out by Josh.  I asked him what he thought of one particular place and he said, "Picture your hometown with an additional 15 years of recession under its belt."   I laughed out loud.  So, I get it: run down mill towns with aging Victorians and peeling paint.  Message received.  But I would be free.  And frankly, the above description is exactly what I know and love already right here, but minus the ghosts of my past and within a closer proximity to the ocean, the mountains, swimming, etc. 

Tilton NH

I want to be the sort of person that makes strawberry jam and cans it.  Yeah, I said it.  I might even want a gingham tablecloth or something.  I want to have a fridge full of organic food and spend my evenings crocheting in the country and my weekends swimming or ice skating on a lake.  I want to plop all my paints down on the ground and take in the landscape.  I want to live in the land of maple sugaring. Now that I've learned to make bread, I want to never buy store bought again. That's what I want.  I think I finally know what peace looks like. 

But we all know that I take me with me wherever I go.  So, it won't be a magical solution but it may be an opportunity to put something together that is truly mine.  To make a choice, rather than have a choice made for me.

As usual the hardest part is patience.  I want to go yesterday.  And for once, I can afford to do this now instead of later. But I won't leave here until the remaining occupants find a way to pay the rent without me, or until we reach the end of our lease this next July 1st.  Whichever comes first.  I thought of every way I possibly could to live on my own in CT or Mass and I realize that being a slave to the rent being due would kill me eventually.  That kind of stress takes its toll.  I shouldn't have to pay a thousand a month plus utilities for some closet sized one bedroom.  That shit just isn't cool.  So, bring on the country. 

Brimfield Antique Show and Recovered Dresser Set

It has been a crazy few months.  My father was very ill (terminal cancer) and he recently passed away, so my passion for crafting was put on hold.  I am thinking that life will start to slow down again now.

Recently, I found myself with friends at the Brimfield Antique Shows (Brimfield MA.)  Google it if you haven't heard about this: it was massive.  I thought I'd share some of my pics, and also my most recent furniture redo with you.  I recovered my childhood vanity, mirror and nightstand set by painting it flat black and having my stepfather powdercoat all the (formerly brass) hardware, a satin black.  I admit I did not sand (what a sin.)  And unfortunately, it was laminate in some places, and had a gloss finish where it was wood grain.  So, instead I purchased Behr Ultra Premium Plus interior in "Broadway" with a satin finish (primer built in) as a shortcut and to make up for my laziness.  It took two quick coats (three coats on the laminate top of the dresser) but it seems to have worked.  

 Forgive my crappy photography, especially with the dresser pics.  I used my iphone and my creative streak does not extend to great photo taking. Enjoy!

Dresser/mirror before: the dirty white just stood out like a sore thumb

nightstand before, dirty off white trimmed in gold

mirror before

first coat

getting ready for the first coat, laid down a plastic drop cloth

mirror, one coat: this was the toughest of all three parts

finished nightstand

close-up of the hardware

Pinterest Recipe Successes

In less snarky news, I've been doing a lot of baking and cooking off of Pinterest.  Everything I've tried lately has been a success. 

Here are a few things.

Rosemary Olive Oil bread (baked on a pizza stone.)  Loved it.  This was my first yeast bread attempt.

Totally recommend.


Skinny Mexican Rice (loved it, easy quick side dish, didn't use chiles because of Micah, not a fancy recipe at all.  Perfect for a Tuesday night.)    Didn't take a picture.


Lemon Crinkle Cookies  Loved them.  Micah did too.  Skipped the powdered sugar coating (too much for me.)

Dark Dark Dark Chocolate Brownies from Scratch

Put down your boxed mixes.  Stat.  Because making brownies from scratch is so unbelievably easy.

It's another Pinterest fun find.  And from Pinterest, I linked to this blog where you can find the recipe yourself.  Yum.

The Craving Chronicles: Sinfully Dark Chocolate Brownies 

Especially if you are not into things that are overly sweet.  I find milk chocolate brownies to just be too sickening sometimes, but these brownies are black and deep and delicious.  I used Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa powder and Hershey's special dark chocolate chips.

Also, I made it in a pie pan because I wanted to. It's a pain to do that, as you have to watch the cooking time closely and estimate it.  But I wanted to turn it out and cut it like a brownie cake, which is why I did that. 

And before you start wondering, I really am doing well at losing weight again.  It's easier to make treats in a house with so many people, because I take one piece and everyone eats the rest for me.

a wedge of the whole

A Tale of Three Scarves

It's March.  Oh hell: how did that happen?  Time is flying.

I wanted to have the etsy shop launched by my birthday but I am thinking that April Fool's Day might be a more realistic date.  Plus, that's just amusing.

Today I am working hard to finish my scarves.  I have three nearly done right now.  I don't know why I didn't just finish one before I started another, but alas I did not.  Here's a sneak peak at two of the scarves.  The pattern is the same, but the materials and colors are different, so the end results are different.  I think that I am going to make them round infinity scarves.  At least that is the tentative plan.