Guest Post Thursday at Healthy Foodie Travels

Happy Thursday!  Guess what today is?!  Today is Guest Post Thursday at Healthy Foodie Travels!  Kiri was so sweet to have me as a guest on her blog.

Please stop by Kiri’s blog and say hello!  I won’t tell you what it’s about because I want you to see for yourself but here is a hint…

See you there!

 

Unplanned Perfection in a Chocolate Nightmare Cookie

I always bang my head on my desk, or wall or steering wheel whenever I hear someone say they can’t wait until they “get perfect” at photography.  Or painting, sketching, whatever.  What is that supposed to mean really??  Is there such a thing as perfection in art?  The last time I heard this, the artist was referring to creating a flawless sketch of an object without considering perception or any other artistic allowances. [facepalm]

When I was little, I was green with envy at my friend Shannon’s ability to paint a flawless portrait of anyone or anything she chose.  She daintily would paint for hours making her piece nearly sing out loud with beauty and I was blown away.  We were about 14 and I looked at my sad sketch book and always hid it underneath my other books so she would never see how pathetic I was.

I found out awhile later that she only painted because her sister was a phenomenal artist and she wanted to be just like her.  Her sister painted a wolf, so did she.  A different one of course in a different pose but it was very similar and apparent that she idolized her big sister.  That’s admirable.  Talking with her, she didn’t seem very passionate or inspired by it she just did it and she had a natural talent.  As for me, I had an image in my head inspired by something I saw and it was all I could think about until I sketched it on paper.

Was she really good?  Was my adoration of her justified even though her heart was not in it?  I really can’t say.  That’s the thing about art, there is no perfect.  No right or wrong.

The whole purpose behind art is to get inspiration going and to get people talking and thinking, not to start copying each other.

My stance on this was tested when I tried to recreate a cookie that I love so much.  (Almost more than I love my current jean size…)

I made the cookie tossing ingredients in, mixing, whirling, tasting, spitting out…and the stupid things didn’t turn out like I thought they should.

Usually they flatten out to a nice crisp outside and a chewy gooey center that makes me want to give up raw vegetables altogether and ONLY eat this cookie in their place.  I could eat these things like chips.

These cookies I made taste great, they’re so gooey and chewy but they are not exactly what I meant for them to be.  I guess this is my lesson.  [sigh]  I thought about scrapping this and not sharing it with you today but I thought this would be a good lesson for me and perhaps it speaks to you too?

Look into her eyes and you will see her inner wolf.

I’ve been taking more photographs (of NON food items, can you believe it?!), painting and even sketching again!  I can think of three people in the room with me right now that have caught this contagious creative bug.  There has been more drawing, painting and photography surrounding me than ever before.  I get texts, calls and emails from people who are actually inspired to cook and bake because of something I passed on.

It doesn’t start with me, I just keep sharing it and a continuous artistic inspiration lives on.  We learn so much about ourselves and the people we interact with when we share our creations.

NEVER EVER NOT EVEN ONCE should you ever scrap an idea because of a reaction you get or because it didn’t turn out “perfect”.  What are you measuring yourself to?  Don’t answer that, it’s up to you.  But don’t you dare hesitate to email me, Facebook me or tweet me if you need a little boost.  Send me pics or descriptions and I’ll totally root for you.  Remember that.

And in turn, when you see a piece that someone has taken the risk to share with you don’t say,”I wonder why they did that!”  Instead maybe you should say,”I wonder why they did that?”  Think.  Talk.  Get up and do something about it.

Any thoughts?  Do you have any art you would like to share with me?  Email me at yourstrulyewalani at gmail dot com.

By the way, here is the recipe for these cookies.

Chocolate Nightmare Cookies

Adapted from Yannick’s cookie which he calls “Collapsadies”

1/2 stick of butter

1/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 room temp egg

1 tsp vanilla

pinch of salt, preferably alaea Hawaiian sea salt

1 tbsp instant coffee powder

1/8 cup Nutella

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 1/4 cup flour

1.75 ounces chopped dark chocolate

1/2 dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 and get out 2 cookie sheets.  Cream together butter and sugars until so light and fluffy.  Add egg, vanilla, salt, instant coffee and mix until completely combined.  Add Nutella and continue to mix until smooth and creamy like a frosting.  Add in baking powder, baking soda and flour.  Mix until just combined.  Add chocolate chunks and chips (if extra fall in it’s going to be ok) and fold in.  Scoop about 2 heaping tablespoons into cookie sheet with 6 cookies per sheet.  Bake for about 8 minutes when cookies are barely cooked on the outside and the center is still very soft and gooey.  Let them cool on the cookie sheet for at least 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.  Then repeat.  Amount of cookies will vary according to the size you make, but my batch made 18 cookies.

Cast Iron Week Inspirations

Cast Iron Week: The first week of January and only observed by yours truly.  This post was started during that time and completed a short while later.

I was excited [almost] beyond words  when I received my very first cast iron pan for my birthday this last December.  I hear a lot of hype about cast iron but really, can it make a noticeable difference??  I decided to do a 1 week test to see for myself and get the opinion of my daughter with her highly sensitive palette.

For once I planned out meals ahead of time but it didn’t last because let’s face it, I’m just not that kind of person.

And no,  I have not and will not take down all of my decorations yet.   (Keep in mind this was the first week of January.  I hope you are cutting me some slack right now.)

I want to share a few cast iron inspirations with you that I really enjoyed this week and maybe give you ideas that you can use in your own kitchen.

For featured inspiration number one:

Cranberry Apple Oatmeal

This cranberry apple oatmeal is so warm and comforting even if you are feeling under the weather.  Just chop some apples and toss in a pan with a handful of cranberries and a cup of water.  Stir for a minute or two and add cinnamon, ginger, salt and agave nectar to taste before adding more water and oatmeal.

I baked these cookies in this pan and it worked great!  What an excellent way to bake cookies and it’s more fun than a boring baking sheet.

I created this recipe to have a vegan and gluten free option to serve if I ever receive that request.  This is my first ever gluten free recipe and was inspired by a photo I saw but never found again.   So I made up a recipe.

Easy Breakfast Cookies – Vegan & Gluten Free

Recipe created by Dionne Baldwin

Ingredients

1/2 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup raw chopped almonds

2 tbsp. raw sunflower seeds

1 tbsp. flax seed meal

2 tbsp. agave nectar

1 banana

1 tsp. vanilla

1/8 cup raw unsweetened coconut

1/2 tsp. baking soda

a pinch of salt

For your convenience you may substitute the raw ingredients for roasted, toasted, etc. but for maximum health benefit I recommend using raw.  Combine ingredients with a potato masher until well mixed. 

Form into balls and flatten into cookie shape with your hands.  You may eat these raw or bake for about 10-12 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven.

I love biscuits and gravy but here is a random fact about me:  I’m more wild about the gravy.  I’ll put it on nearly anything!

Skillet Biscuits & Sausage Gravy

I baked the biscuits in one cast iron pan and made the gravy with another.

• The biscuit recipe I used can be found here.
• The sausage recipe I used can be found here although I used Italian sausage not maple.

For our grand finale, we had the one meal I think of every time I see a cast iron pan.

Steak & Eggs

Put your steak in your pan, cook it up and when you cook your eggs right beside it the steak juices hold hands with the egg and create this delicious harmony that is so simple you would never think it would be so enticing.

Thank you for checking up on me to see how this week went.   I hope you are having a good day and I am sending you hugs with this!

So what stance do you take?  Are you pro cast iron, not a fan or somewhere in the middle?

My First Week of the Year 2012

I hope your week was good!  If not, feel free to get in touch with me and tell me all about it. 

 

Post Holiday Blues & Looking on the Bright Side

I may not be the first to wish you a Happy New Year but maybe I’ll be the first to give you a virtual New Year’s hug! [H U G!]

Christmas day was like a lightening bolt. It went faster than I ever wanted it to. Full of food, inside jokes and presents we had such a good time.

Ah the lengths we will go to for presents…

Daddy’s like Nerf guns too!

X O X O

The stockings turned out great and held all the loot that everyone brought! Sweaterfest 2011 is officially over.

The trophies for the gift exchange were so cute all lined up…

Third place was an edible trophy! I was happy for Taylor when she won it.

We made Nanaimo Bars out of a baking book that a very dear friend sent us. <3

Winners of 1st and 2nd place!

No wonder Daniel won…this was super creative!

The drive home was dark and sad in a way, but I just had to remind myself that the only difference between any other visit with my family is that Christmas just meant we gave wrapped up presents. That’s all. Still another year has gone by and I can honestly say I did the best I could.  So I am happy.

Now that winter break is over, my little girl has a fever and a cough. Don’t judge me for saying this, but I am grateful for the time to spend with her. The past two weeks were so busy I didn’t even get my daily five minutes! So now we catch up.

And now I am off to hold her…she’s so docile when she’s sick that it worries me haha!

I hope you had an incredible holiday!  If you didn’t and you need to talk about it, you can find me on almost every social network.  I’d love to hear from you!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, my friends! As you can see I have not been an active blogger lately, but it’s not for lack of caring.

A couple projects for work came up and it was either turn them down, neglect my family or my blog. I know you understand.

What sort of things did you do for Christmas? Any funny stories? Hopefully no sad ones…

We are off to celebrate Christmas as my mom and dads house. This year there will be trophies awarded for the gift exchange. Second place and third place trophies were on my task list and I recruited together kids to give their input.

Equipped with enough appetizers to feed a small country, my other half along with Taylor and I packed up the car and we are looking forward to spending the rest of the day with my parents and my siblings.

From us to you, we wish you a very Merry Christmas.

Maple French Toast & Bacon Cupcakes from Kita of Pass the Sushi

Kita of Pass the Sushi is long overdue for a post in her honor.  A feature on Try Anything Once is not really something that most people would scream and clap over but it’s how I show my appreciation for my friends that inspire me to leave the computer and get in the kitchen!

Kita has done this so many times.  In fact, just yesterday she responded to my plea for a dinner idea and I whipped up Cuban Pork Chops, which were a big hit by the way.  Most of the time when I read her blog and end up making what I find, I have zero time to whip out the camera and figure out how to make it look as good as it tastes.

I did make the Brioche recipe she shared but I didn’t know back then how much I would grow to love this woman.

I admit I am jealous of her photography skills and eye for styling (but not in a way comparable to an ex wife that is everyone’s worst nightmare…) It’s more like a dreamy sigh daydream jealousy.

Kita is funny, supportive and such a sweetheart.  She seems very passionate about her interests and is creatively artistic.  She food blogs, loves comic books and makes aprons that would make anyone feel inspired in the kitchen!  (Guys, give it a try!)  I just found her Facebook page…want to like it?  For me?

Last weekend was a birthday celebration for my dad, my step son and myself.  Due to family emergencies and selfish mothers (not mine) we were unable to celebrate my dads and my stepsons birthday anywhere close to the real thing, but like we say at home…betta late den neva!

They neva stay still. That's why blurry.

We loved spending the day together and my mom and dad cooked absolutely everything and had it all ready by 1:30 in the afternoon!  I bet they were exhausted!

So many presents and so much thoughtfulness, one of them was moved to tears.  I won’t say who.

My dad had his Arabee spice cake that his mother used to make him every year for his birthday, so I thought Ethan should have something special too!  I went outside the [chocolate] box this year and made him something with his second favorite thing on desserts…bacon!

I’m glad I saw this post when I did because it was the perfect addition to our emotional family day!

The bacon inside the cupcakes adds the perfect texture and flavor to the cupcakes.  The rich cream cheese frosting adds an ideal contrast to the crispy bacon!  I added at least 3 pieces atop every cupcake to give every bite three bites the perfect balance of fluffy cupcake, creamy frosting and crispy bacon.

Thank you Kita for being a part of this special day.  Everyone loved the cupcakes and anyone that wants to make these can go here for the post and the recipe.

I hope this blog post finds you in good health and happiness as you prepare for the upcoming holiday.  If this time of year makes you sad because of things that have happened in the past, enclosed you will find hugs from me, Yannick, Ethan and Taylor.  If we cannot be together this Christmas know that we are thinking of you and we are grateful that you came to visit!