Clever Monkey Studio

My Creative Life #15 - A Million Years Ago

2009-06-15T10:54:00.008-04:00

I had a blog. Or at least it seems like that long ago ;) I could promise to be a better blogger but then I would just set everyone up for disappointment... hee.

Happy New Year! Since I didn't actually have a chance to say that 6 months ago.

What in the world have I been up to? Well, I worked a bit, I drew a bit, I fell even more in love with my Beau, I cooked a lot and baked, studied some French (language and history), planned a trip to Europe, lived in Paris for a month, visited Belgium and Holland and got a canoe.

Home again, jiggity jig.

And one of the best things about being home in June... hummingbirds! I just love these little creatures. My thirsty, window pets. We seem to have a family which we have named Baron (red throat), Buzzy and Baby Buzzy (otherwise known as Zippy).

Exhibit One: The Hummingbird Feeder:

The feeder has large red, plastic "flowers" which the hummingbirds stick there needle beaks through to lap up the sugar water. They feed quite often since they exert so much energy in their rapid little wings.

Last summer, the Beau and I were lounging on the deck having a nice conversation when what I thought was a huge bug landed on my chest. I quickly swatted it away while the Beau shrieked, "Careful, its a hummingbird!" It seemed to have mistaken me for its feeder:

Exhibit Two: The shirt I was wearing whilst under hummingbird attack:

I don't wear this shirt in the garden anymore.

My Creative Life #14 – Luvin Lemon

2008-12-25T12:31:00.008-05:00

I really love lemon. I would actually choose a lemon cake over a chocolate one. Its just so fresh and happy and citrusy. And the smell of lemons are delightful. I drink a hot lemon and honey drink every morning too (has almost cured me of my coffee addiction).

I really thought lemons were the tops until walking through my local grocery store I discovered something even better. In tiny St. Marys, the town that makes Stratford look like a metropolis, I found a bag of fragrant, pretty, the perfect shade of "lemon" yellow... Meyer Lemons!

(Meyer Lemons are thought to be a cross between a lemon and a mandarin).

And they are just as lovely as everyone raves about.

I debated what to make with them and decided on a pound cake. This also gave me a chance to use the nifty rasp My Beau thoughtfully bought for me recently. It turned the peel into feathery, light zest that mixed beautifully into the batter. Oh how I love Lee Valley tools.

I couldn't bring myself to use 1/2 cup of olive oil but I should have accommodated for it because I would like a moister cake. Perhaps, more yogurt would do the trick. I used Dorie Greenspan's recipe as a base. Next time I will try blood oranges (sorry, Ang) or tangerines.

Only caveat is when I eat the cake, I start to cough... hmmm, lemon allergy? (tres triste).

Now, what to do with my remaining 3 lemons? Any suggestions?

Meyer Lemon and Yogurt Pound Cake

1 cup sugar
zest of 1 meyer lemon
juice of 1 meyer lemon
1/2 cup yogurt (I would up it to 1 cup)
3 large eggs
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt (if you are daring add some rosemary!)

Preheat over 350 degrees and grease loaf pan.

Mix sugar, zest and juice in a bowl. Whisk in yogurt, eggs and vanilla. In another bowl mix dry ingredients. Add the dry to the wet ingredients and gently whisk. Fold in oil.

Scrape into pan and smooth the top. Bake for 45 minutes or until golden, knife inserted will come out clean.

Add glaze to make it super-meyer lemony! Pour a mixture of juice from one lemon and 2 tbsp of sugar over the loaf while cooling in pan.

My Creative Life #12 - The Perfect Brownie 3

2008-12-08T20:20:00.006-05:00

More rotten bananas get eaten in this house than fresh ones. The poor boy wants to help me bake something and it always needs to revolve around bananas so I can get rid of them. I suppose I should try to eat more bananas but they really only have a few decent days in them.

The perfect banana day for me is just past green, still a little crisp but slightly sweet without any graininess. As soon as there is a little brown, its over.

Our normal go to recipe is banana bread but I thought it would be best to combine my Beau's love of brownies with the bad bananas. And so into my existence grows the chocolate banana brownie!

Chocolate Banana Brownie

1/3 cup butter
6 oz chocolate
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup mashed banana
2 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
pinch salt

Preheat oven 350 degrees and grease 8x8 pan.

Melt butter and stir in chocolate until liquid. In bowl, mix eggs, banana, vanilla and sugar. Stir in chocolate mixture. In separate bowl whisk flour, baking powder and salt. Stir dry ingredients into wet.

Scrape into pan and bake for 25 minutes, do not overbake.

My Creative Life #11 - Naked Ladies

2008-12-07T12:39:00.005-05:00

I figure that title alone will have my blog popping up on google searches everywhere.

One of my Beau's clients is an artist and was kind enough to invite me to her weekly life drawing group. It is an intimate group of about half dozen artists who meet up and share a model for a two hour session. The session is held at one of the artist's beautiful heritage home in a cozy study with comfy chairs, classical music, and a wood fire burning.

Being around experienced artists can be intimidating but I was comforted by the calm and quiet of the room and the focus of the group around me. Each person was there for their own study and there was no pressure or competition.

When I was in college we would have a 4 hour life drawing class once a week. It was in a brightly lit room with 20 ambitious students shrouded by 20 paper clad easels. My instructor was an eccentric woman who was fascinated with anatomy and who was not opposed to picking up roadkill or carcasses from farmers if it meant she could pick the bones clean for further study (she was also amongst the few of my instructors who had been rumoured to be institutionalized for mental instability).

The classes were cold, the models colder and the instruction and criticism unrelenting. Not to mention the other students constantly comparing and challenging each others drawing skills. It wasn't fun and killed my urge to draw for the joy of it.

Yesterday's drawing group was small and quiet but being there amongst them filled me with a strange joy. It was tiring but it was fun. The home owner invited me back for next week and I'm already excited to join in again. Perhaps I can rediscover the joy that I always had for drawing.

My Creative Life #10 - Souper Saturdays!

2008-10-26T13:47:00.005-04:00

This being "sniffle" season I am spending even more time on Earth Clinic finding the magic elixer for all my ills. Since moving to the country I have become quite a hippy/witch doctor. I drink apple cider vinegar everyday... honey and lemon drinks to keep a cold away... grapefruit seed oil as an antibacterial and aloe vera as a pick me up. Somewhere between this and my continuing vegetarianism (four months and feeling peachy :) I have lost weight, cleared my complexion and cured my chronic sinus allergy.

The most magic cure-all is also the most delicious... soup!

Autumn Saturdays are super for soup. I have discovered that soup is much easier to make then one would expect. My basic soup recipe is to saute some onions, garlic and spices (depending on the type of soup). Throw in a few cups of root vegetables (and always a potato to thicken) cook them just enough to add some flavour. Add enough liquid (water, broth, wine, beer, juice) to cover and boil until soft. Puree the entire mess (to me this is the key). Add a cup of a creamy liquid (milk, evaporated milk, coconut milk) and beans or extras and simmer. Sometimes I add everything to my crock pot to simmer or just serve it right away.

Using this formula I have made a classic potato soup, a carrot, apple and ginger soup and my new favourite, a squash, curry and lentil soup (a variation of bea's lovely soup).

Soup is also a great way to make picky eaters eat vegetables... since it is really easy to lie about what's in it. For instance this soup was made with butternut squash (sounds icky to a ten year old) so when asked what was in it I said, potatoes and curry... only partly true but he ate it. Makes me feel so powerful.

Squash Curry Lentil Soup

1 butternut squash, cubed
1 potato, cubed
2 cups of cauliflower, chopped
1 small onion
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp cumin
2 tbsp curry
2 tbsp garam masala
olive oil
5 cups of vegetable broth
1 can coconut milk
1 can lentils

In a large pot, saute onions in olive oil to soften. Add garlic and spices cook to release flavour but do not brown. Add vegetables and cook for 5 minutes. Add broth to cover vegetables bring to a boil turn down the heat to medium and let simmer for 20 minutes (until vegetables are soft).

Lower the heat and using a hand blender puree to desired consistency. Add coconut milk (more water for a thinner soup) and lentils and simmer for one hour.

Waterloo Nissan - Bad Customer Service

2008-08-31T15:16:00.005-04:00

We live in a society that is no longer interested in good, basic, respectful customer service. There was a time when the customer was always right. There was a time when complaints were treated with respect and good purveyors earned respect by doing whatever they could to satisfy their customer's needs. You weren't put on hold, there were no emails to ignore and a business owner did not send you somewhere else so that they didn't have to deal with the complaint themselves. Even if there is nothing that can be done to satisfy the issue, they would at least go to great lengths (or even a few phone calls) to make sure that "absolutely nothing" could be done.

Unfortunately, companies don't seem to need word of mouth advertising as they once did. Now multi-million dollar advertising campaigns make sure that the brand sells itself. And if there are only limited businesses that sell the brand then you buy from them... regardless of the customer service. Nissan would make you believe that they make quality vehicles and so you would think that if there was a factory defect they would go out of their way to make sure that it was corrected. Nissan would also make you believe that any dealer that represents the Nissan brand would behave in a similar manner. Well, Nissan, its all make-belief. Some people by no fault of their own buy your defective vehicles and have to suffer through the condescending nature of your representatives to no avail. Ian Murdoch of Waterloo Nissan won't even answer an email complaint beyond a one word comment (perhaps he is busy with his Rotarian responsibilities).

I have rarely met a person who hasn't had issue with either Bell or Rogers but still subscribes to either of these companies' services because there is no other choice. They hope for the best and that they will never need to talk to Emily. Luckily, I live in a rural area that has its own telecommunications company (Quadro) and I am treated like a human being if I have an issue because an actual person answers the phone on the first ring! Real people feel accountable to real people.

It seems that corporations who feed millions of consumers just don't care if a small percentage are unhappy. And that small unhappy percentage if you ignore them long enough they will go away and eventually consume from another company who will eventually fail them again.

It makes me never want to buy another product from a corporation. It makes me want to buy from local producers, not just what I eat but what I wear, use in my home and entertain myself with. It seems impossible right now but if companies continue to misrepresent themselves and ignore our complaints, more people will find other ways to fulfill their needs for material things, maybe go without many of them completely. Hey, I'm proof of an easy and enjoyable life without a cell phone or a tv (still working on the internet addiction :)

And I'm seriously considering putting in my order for an Amish horse and buggy set.

My Creative Life #9 - Yo Yo Yogurt Loaf

2008-08-17T14:26:00.010-04:00

Ahhh baking... it just makes me smile. I began baking when I was sucking bad in college. I was supposed to be a creative person but the work I did felt stale, I felt unproductive and robotic... anti-creative. Good ideas but less than adequate skills of execution. Things just didn't turn out the way that I expected.

But baking was different. The results were almost always the same as my expectations. It made me happy and best of all it made other people happy. Even if the finished product isn't perfect, people always make the best of baked goods. It is just so fun to eat something that has been created by hand in the kitchen.

A no-fail recipe is the ultimate in satisfaction. This yogurt loaf is one of those recipes. I have made it a few times and it always turns out well. Even when it is a little undercooked it is still tasty. The best thing about this recipe is I have discovered why my loaves always overcook... the outside edges burn while the centre is mushy. My oven is too hot!

This recipe suggests a lower temperature than most with a longer cooking time. The result is a perfectly browned loaf with a lovely moist inside. The yogurt makes it almost creamy to eat. It is also more "lite" than a traditional loaf due to more yogurt and less butter. Of course I use the super creamy hi-fat mediterranean style yogurt but the original recipe admits that a lighter yogurt is fine. I used alternative sweeteners since I am trying to avoid refined sugar. I have also made this as a raspberry, white chocolate and lime loaf. My next will involve blueberry and orange! Date and orange with walnuts would be nice too... ohhh, peach, pecan and blueberry... endless variations.

This particular loaf was made for a lovely lunch at a friend's home on Saturday hence the space-aged wrapping job.

Blueberry Lemon Yogurt Loaf

2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter softened
1/2 cup turbinado sugar
1/4 cup honey
4 egg whites
1/2 cup yogurt
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 cup blueberries

Optional glaze for super lemony loaf:

3 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp sugar

Heat oven to 325˚ and butter loaf pan. Stir together flour, baking powder and salt, set aside. In a large bowl beat butter and sugar. Beat in the egg whites, yogurt, vanilla and lemon juice until well blended. Add flour mixture until just blended. Fold in blueberries. Spread into loaf pan and bake for 70 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes then remove from pan to cool completely. Dissolve sugar into lemon juice, poke holes in loaf and pour glaze over top.

My Creative Life #8 - In The Hood

2008-08-15T10:30:00.010-04:00

I live on the rough side of town... if you count gravel roads. Living in the country isn't for everyone but I know it's for me. The quiet, the simplicity and lack of neighbours infringing on my space are all of the reasons that I love it. I am a natural born introvert who overcompensates with extrovert tendencies, in other words "I vant to be alone" (because being with other people exhausts me). Although, I still can be fun at a party... go figure. Besides the Amish and a few local Hicks my neighbours are mostly of the four legged variety. Come on... let me introduce you to a few...

On my daily bike ride I visit some of these adorable neighbours. Yes, I am the crazy lady who talks to the animals. I often stop at the Amish goat farm around the corner. I stare at the goats and they come closer to the fence and stare at me. To my shear delight who do I find amongst the goats of all ilks?

Baby Cow! It concerns me that Baby Cow may end up with some severe species dysmorphia... am I a Gow or a Coat? Why does my moo sound like a maa? Sometimes I feel like I just don't fit in. I want to steal Baby Cow and make her my own, unfortunately Baby will one day be a Biggie and I just don't have the space.

I was surprised to see this big feller under a tree in a field that normally is reserved for nothing, as most fields seem to be... yes, I have much to learn. I taunted him with my camera and then realized the only thing separating us was a thin wire (albeit electric). I promptly hopped on my bike.

Another quaint Amish farm is the home to a bevy of blond and beautiful horses. The Playboy mansion of horse farms. My absolute favourite is the one with the brown mane with blond roots. Her hair just shimmers when she shakes off the flies.

There is an animal sanctuary one road over so I will be making a little visit... they have donkeys! My ultimate animal friend. I figure I should spend a bit of time with them before pushing my Beau into building a barn.

My Creative Life #7 - Veggie Garden Blues

2008-08-13T11:30:00.009-04:00

Vegetable gardens are lovely... when all goes well. Luckily these pictures were taken when my garden was at the height of perfection. You can see the tomatoes touching the sky in the background... two days later they were wilted and on their way to dead. It seems the wet soil on top was not indicative of the dry soil below. We thought the garden was getting plenty of water meanwhile the roots were starving. I cut back the tomatoes drastically and they finally seem to be coming back... but my dreams of canning sauces and salsas for the winter are devastated. I may have to buy a bushel of tomatoes to make up for it.

I did invest in canning supplies and have already made a few jars of pickles utilizing the bounty of pickling cukes which bounded out of the soil... until they withered and died off too. The peppers seem to be thriving still... but they also seem to be staying green even though I originally bought red and yellow pepper plants.

Perhaps the beauty of gardening is that of life. You don't know what you've got until its gone. Or on a more positive note... a few seeds can feed you for all seasons. Next year I will plan a bit better, more space, more plants and plenty more water.

Finnigan seems to enjoy the garden or maybe he just loves me so much...

My Creative Life #6 - Begins at home

2008-08-13T10:22:00.009-04:00

I suppose the issue with trying to have a creative life is not taking the time to write about it. I really need to be more diligent. I have been reading The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron, its really the bible for creativity. I recall being told about it when I was in college but it has taken me this long to actually read it. The book is set up as a workshop of sorts so I will discuss the chapters more thoroughly as I work through the assignments. The most difficult thing is pinpointing exactly what I want to do to be more creative... write, draw, paint... when I really just want to think more creatively. Live more creatively. To not be constrained by a conventional lifestyle. This is difficult to do when the love of my life enjoys routine. I suppose I have my own routine of never being on time and never getting enough done.

In keeping with our habit of visiting well known homes, my Beau took me to visit another Frank Lloyd Wright house on the long weekend. The Darwin Martin House is a sprawling prairie style home in the middle of Buffalo. There are actually a number of Wright homes in Buffalo because at the turn of the century it was considered one of the richest cities in the United States. Many champions of industry resided there. As per most Wright houses, this one is being renovated due to excessive wear over the years. It seems Wright was not only ahead of his time with ideas but also beyond the materials accessible to him. It is interesting to see this very modern home in contrast to the Victorian style mansions surrounding it.

This is not The Darwin Martin House...

This is our house! Changing rapidly due to The Beau’s diligence. The front enclosure is gone and now the schoolhouse looks like a schoolhouse. We plan on having a cottage style garden in front to obscure the view from the road. It's funny how much work is involved to return this house to its original form. May be awhile before we have a new bell tower although we do have a bell!

Here is the before for comparison:

My Creative Life #5 - Inspirations

2008-07-14T16:20:00.010-04:00

My beau and I visited the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition on Sunday. It was a beautiful, sunny day to enjoy the assembly of over 500 artists and craftspeople. The majority of the artwork was incredibly good (although art is so subjective and what I see as lovely another may see as garbage and vice versa).

The beau and I have very similar tastes and tend to migrate to the whimsical, unique and colourful pieces. We did find that most of the work was terribly overpriced. My understanding is if the venue is free and no commission will be taken from the artist then the prices should reflect that. I was surprised to see many student artists charging the same prices as the more seasoned artists. I also don't think you can charge thousands of dollars for a piece just because its on a big canvas, if it isn't much more thoughtful than a smaller piece. Still there were many pieces which obviously took a lot of time and consideration to create and the artist's were deserving of their compensation.We both really like a small piece by an artist named Carrie Chisolm. Her style is based on blind contour drawing from a photo and then painting the result which adds up to distorted, ugly yet enchanting images. An example of one of her works:

Other favourites at the event included Rob MacInnis, Julio Ferrer , Liz Kain, Melanie Macdonald and Mike Parsons. I found the show quite inspiring and would recommend it to anyone who likes arts and crafts. In the summer we try to make our way to various shows and events like this... its fun to see the work (even if you don't buy anything) and especially nice to meet the artists. They are often so passionate and excited about what they do that you can't help walking away thinking "wow I gotta get me some of that feeling"!

In my pursuit of the meaning and manufacturing of creativity in my own life having other artists to be inspired by is paramount. In art as in everything, I feel like I need a theme to get me motivated... in reality I just need to go ahead and be brave enough to do it.

My Creative Life #4 - Credible Edibles

2008-07-09T07:49:00.005-04:00

Never been a big meat eater... at one time chicken wings were my favourite food but the reality is I like sauce and could probably throw sauce on chunks of gypsum and be happy. I often think when loading up on condiments that I am actually covering up the taste of the meat... intentionally.

So I stopped eating it... it's been a week. I even had an enjoyable meal at The Keg (my beau's birthday request after a few days without meat at home) sans meat.

And its so easy! I feel like this was meant to be and the only time it feels strange is when I mention it to others. We are surrounded by meatless choices, we have many professionals saying we can survive quite readily (and perhaps better) on vegetables, grains and legumes, and there is scientific evidence that raising animals for meat is hard on the environment (and not so easy to do in the average backyard). Still the response I receive when I mention that I'm not eating meat is "why would you want to do that?"

I live in the country and one friend recommended that I don't mention it to my neighbours for fear they will burn down my house (he only seemed to be half kidding).

On the other hand it seems in the meatless world that being a vegetarian is not enough and you are only truly "saved" if you are a vegan (or even more pious, eating "raw"). I do have a lot of respect for those who make this choice and the work that goes into being so thoughtful about everything they eat or purchase. I need to get into a veg rhythm before I can think too much about my mayo having eggs in it.

I already drink almond milk but I can't loosen my grip on cheese... I generally have at least 5 different cheeses in the fridge. I once admitted that I loved cheese so much, I could marry it. We have a tight relationship. Perhaps I should continually remind myself that it is cow mucas.

I also don't want to become too obsessed with food. I don't want to be the friend who comes to dinner and dissects everything drawing attention to myself. I know its not easy being hostess and it is disappointing to spend a lot of time preparing something only to find out that your guest won't eat it.

Also it seems I have an allergy to soy. I noticed a few years ago that when I ingested soy I would just feel weird. A bit lethargic, sometimes a bit itchy, upset stomach, a general malaise. I have been experimenting and each time I eat soy, I have a strange reaction.

My beau has been supportive of this new cooking style but his eyes plaintively look at me when dinner is served even his long eyelashes seem to say, "beans again?" It seems this style of eating emasculates him in some way. The boy has been away but he has a meat centered diet and I will need some fairly creative options since he will only eat a few vegetables (he does like beans though!) and mentioned the other day that he likes veggie dogs... my little saviour :)

We are lucky to live in an age where we have so many choices. I am grateful to all of the veggie bloggers who are easing me into this transition by making it less mysterious and confusing to eat meatless. It feels good to gain some control over what I eat and the reasons I eat it. I'm beginning to realize like most things that eating is more about tradition and habit than it is about sound nutrition.

My Creative Life #3 - I'm an Etsy girl in an Etsy world

2008-07-07T12:58:00.006-04:00

If you haven't visited etsy.com yet, you should! The site is stuffed with handmade objet d'art, as well as, accessories, clothes, artwork, foodie goods, lotions and potions and really any thing that you can think of that would be lovely in your home, on your body, or as a gift for someone else's home or body. I have purchased a few things and have been pleased with the quality of the work and professionalism of the sellers.

Think of one person that you need to find a gift for in the next month (including yourself) go to Etsy with that in mind and I guarantee you will find something that suits that person perfectly for a great price (and so much nicer than anything you could buy at the mall direct from china).

Get back to me on some of your favourite Etsy things!

www.clevermonkey.etsy.com - while you are there have a boo at some of my new postings too.

My Creative Life #2 - Eat Pray Love

2008-07-04T09:08:00.003-04:00

I'm an atheist. I'm not sure why I have trouble telling people this. It really shouldn't be any different than someone telling me that they are christian, jewish or a vegetarian.

Perhaps I am afraid of the stereotypes. That people will think I am soulless, without morals and have no love in my life. I am a nice person, generous with my feelings and sensitive to others. I try to be good and fair. I am faithful. I try to be tolerant of other's beliefs. I just happen to not believe in a god.

It seems there is an atheist bandwagon of late. Maybe the reason this seems to be is people are finally comfortable putting words to the feelings they have always had. It is more socially acceptable to put your beliefs towards things other than god... towards science, towards nature, towards yourself.

To me believing this way is the ultimate in being responsible for myself.

I am reading Eat Pray Love... a book that I would normally run very far away from... it has all the sentiment of an Oprah book club selection (the thought makes me vomit in my mouth a wee bit).

Well, its a charming book, the writer's style is slightly cliche but her anecdotes are thoughtful. She spends some time in India learning to meditate and speaks of her belief that all people and things are connected (my simplified understanding).

The idea of everything being connected and that a stranger many miles away could possibly care about me or my existence is a lovely concept. Although, highly extraordinary to me.

Most of the time it seems that my friends and family show so little care for me, my life or the things I do. I feel like the people that I know only care when it is an extension or reflection of themselves. And in most cases I may be doing the exact same thing.

So that is why a comment from my fellow blogger means so much to me, "hope you'll be back soon."

Thanks Emiline for restoring a little of my faith in people with a seemingly small gesture. I am back and I do plan on making the most of it.

My Creative Life blog

2008-07-04T08:43:00.004-04:00

I am bored of my own blog.

I realized that I have no passion for it. I had a similar problem while in college almost 20 years ago. I was surrounded by people who loved to draw, tried new mediums, got a little messy, doodled constantly, spent time enjoying their sketch books... I did the minimal work that I needed to pass. Yes I am inherently lazy. But worse I did not have the passion for it. I wasn't obsessed with learning how to draw well. I didn't love it more than everything else in my life (it actually placed about 12th in the things I liked to do).

I could not compete with my peers. I did not belong.

I am not a food blogger. I do enjoy all things food and I love reading food blogs. I also adore that I can have avocados and fish heads in my fridge... google both... and end up with a wonderful recipe that has been shared by a great food blogger. There are so many great communities in the blogging world with interesting, generous people at the helm. Once again I can't compete, I don't belong.

I ask myself, "what are you passionate about?"

Well I love my beau. Probably not blog worthy stuff.

I love equally cooking, baking, reading, writing, the arts, design and crafts. Whenever someone asks me about myself, I always mention that I want to live a creative life.

Creative - having the ability or power to create characterized by originality and expressiveness.

This leaves me open to exploring many different things. So welcome to my creative life journey. A place where I will become accountable to my goal... to live more creatively.

It's a theme, okay. Let's just deal with it.

My Creative Life #1

2008-07-04T08:16:00.008-04:00

I shun exercise... it is uncomfortable and it embarrasses me... I suppose another part of me just feels vain talking about it.

Unfortunately, it's good for you if you don't get carried away... so many wanna-be-super-mega athletes abuse their bodies and end up battered and bruised with chronic pain and reduce the quality of their lives. But a little exercise can't hurt...

So I got me a bike! My first real, not hand-me-down bike (except a small red one when I was six). My only stipulation was that it not be too sporty. Well, it ain't... and the sporty types have a hay day teasing me about my middle aged woman's bike (well sorry kids but I am practically a middle aged woman). No speeds, no hand-breaks just my legs against the wind...

I also refuse to do traffic. Luckily I live in the absolute centre of absolutely no-where so I can pedal my way through gravel roads visiting the goats, cows and horses in my neighbourhood and waving to the Amish as I pass (now there is an enviable lifestyle).

If I had known a bike could be this much fun I would have bought one years ago.

My beau outfitted me with the world's cutest basket, a great photo op for the world's cutest cat.

Five minutes later I decided to take her for a wee voyage and she decided to jump out of the basket mid-cycle and face planted into the gravel skinning her little chin and ending her fabulous modeling career.

Poor mia.

Pucker up!

2008-05-22T12:44:00.010-04:00

My darling sweet, handsome Beau-hunk...(he really is quite handsome) treated me to NYC for the long weekend. It wasn't totally self-less, he needed to pick up a snow plow for his 59 Land Rover (I just got the bill today for last winters snow-plowing and this acquisition has already paid for itself). So we had a nice adventure through beautiful Connecticut and Vermont as well. And a lovely visit to Samuel Clemens home in Hartford.

I used to love NYC but I found this visit to be a bit on the Disney-esque side of life. I am also completely out of shape and the walking was extremely tiring. Next visit will be better planned with more street fairs and out of the way open artist's studios (I will be glad to never see Times Square again). And I will prepare for the marathon walks by walking a bit more on my neighbouring country roads.

We did stay in a funky hotel called The Pod. It is the most peculiar place (albeit very clean and friendly) I have ever stayed... pseudo Euro-Asian, purposely tiny rooms... hence the name. But the price was right and it had all the amenities (like a bathroom a mere 2 feet from the bed). Good clean fun.

To celebrate being home (larger than a pod)... sweet home... I am participating in Sugar High Friday hosted by Tartelette this week with my ode to Citrus. A friend was kind enough to give me a sample of her grapefruit marmalade which seemed to be screaming to be added to a sweet baked treat. And since my Beau is taking me to Masala Bay for dinner, I have Indian spice on the brain. Cardamom is known for its grapefruity scent so I figured they would pair marvelously.

I may have overcooked the blondies slightly, they are cakey rather than gooey (I prefer gooey) but the flavour combination is really good. These would be nice warmed with a honey sauce and a bit of ice cream.

Spicy Grapefruit Blondies

8 tbsp butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp grapefruit marmalade
2 tbsp manuka honey
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp cardamom
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350˚. Grease 8"x8" pan. Mix melted butter and sugar until smooth. Add egg, lemon juice, marmalade and honey, combine until smooth. Mix together the flour, salt, baking powder and cardamom. Add to the wet ingredients, mix until smooth. Fold in white chocolate chips. Pour into greased pan and bake for 25 minutes or until golden and cracked on top. Cool in pan before removing and cutting.

B-limey!

2008-05-06T13:11:00.005-04:00

These are tasty cupcakes! I failed miserably with my mango cupcakes (that promptly fell into the garbage bin... I was in no mood to make them into something reasonable) but I had a plethora of unused coconut creme icing. No mangoes in sight and I didn't want to be increasingly wasteful. Chocolate and coconut, caramel and coconut, banana and coconut... I was already a day late in celebrating Cinco de mayo (gotta love a celebration of tequila and burritos!) so I opted for LIME.

Lovely lime cupcakes. I began with this recipe which I found on a google. I substituted lime marmalade for zest and followed the mixing to a tee which created the fluffiest batter ever. Sometimes you can just look at the batter and see (and taste) a winner. I also added extra lime juice.

The coconut icing below was swirled on after being stuffed into a ziploc bag and snipping off the tip (I won't buy a decorating set until I make enough cakes to warrant it... I may be cheap but I also hate having too much stuff to get lost in my kitchen).

I wanted to use yogurt in my icing and googled it and was amazed to see a variety of recipes to ice cakes for dog parties... are there really so many people who have parties for their dogs? They may have worse problems than icing a carob dog cake. (Except for Randi because Oliver is an actual boy in a furry pantsuit).

Coconut Creme Icing

8 Tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup yogurt
3 cups confectioner's sugar
1/4 cup coconut cream powder

In mixer beat yogurt and butter. Add coconut cream powder. Mix in confectioner's sugar a little at a time to ensure smoothness and preferred consistency. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Pizza Night

2008-04-29T11:42:00.006-04:00

I have spent most of my years pandering to other's pizza topping choices. Well, not last night! Left to forage on my own without my Beau and the Boy's interference, I decided to make pizza. Not just any pizza but my dream pizza... considering I worked from what I had on hand... it was pretty darn dreamy.

I started with my favourite pizza dough recipe which I had previously whipped up in my breadmaker and frozen (it had already thawed and risen). I had a 1/2 jar of classico vodka sauce left over so I spread it on. I added chopped artichoke hearts, tomatoes (prefer sundried), sweet peppers, chives, pizza cheese and a handful of feta. Black olives would have been great but alas I need to go shopping. Baked it at 400 for 18 minutes... voila, a pretty damn tasty pizza.

When I was a kid, I always chose sour cream and bacon flavoured chips. My reasoning was that most people didn't like them and I wouldn't have to share. Some things never change.

The Perfect Brownie #2

2008-04-29T10:55:00.007-04:00

My elusive search for number one yummy brownie brought me to Anna's site which has 40 different brownie recipes on it... 40! It was very hard to choose but I decided on another cocoa version (this one also used oil instead of butter). Well, the brownie was very moist (and I think I may have still overcooked it). I had company coming over so I wasn't willing to risk a brownie pudding but perhaps next time I will allow for the goo covered knife test.

These brownies are incredibly easy to make so I would try them again if I had limited time (like when my beau says, do we have any brownies, and we don't... I aim to please). I couldn't bare to use a 1/2 cup of oil (yuck) so I used 1/4 cup of oil and 1/4 of applesauce (perhaps I will puree prunes or dates next time to give it a richer, sweeter taste). Overall, the taste was slightly bitter even though a ton of sugar is used (yes, an actual ton!). Maybe I need to reread the recipe.

I also decided to sprinkle 1/2 cup of walnuts on the top of one side of the batter (rather than mixing them in) and melted a 1/2 cup of orange marmalade and swirled it into the other half of the batter. Two flavours in one! The orange may have added to the bitter taste so next time I will add a bit more sugar to the marmalade before swirling (raspberry jam would probably work well too).

I may consider trying all 40 of the brownie recipes on Anna's site. It may take a few years (or less at this rate) but I have a feeling my perfect brownie may be in there somewhere.

The Perfect Brownie #1 - PBC Monsters

2008-04-19T08:09:00.005-04:00

This is a story about my unrelenting search for the perfect brownie.

My beau loves the brownie. He even seems to enjoy the overcooked, dry variety. I only like super moist gooey fudgi-liscious brownies. I have tried over a dozen recipes and last night I decided to use this one. Lets just say that I am still searching.

The batter was very thick and not spreadable which left a bumpy texture on the brownie. I even added a bit of milk to adjust the consistency. Perhaps, there is too much peanut butter in the batter and some needs to be added as a swirl at the end. The finished product felt moist but had a dry, sticky texture when chewed. The flavour is lacking, although cocoa is much easier to work with it adds a strange chalky flavour to brownies. I really should melt the easter chocolate and make a rich chocolatey batch.

Alas, the search continues...

Siamese Bread

2008-04-11T16:12:00.011-04:00

Inspired by NQN and the rotting bananas in my freezer I have entered my first baking challenge, The Banana Bread Bake Off. The pineapple in my fridge also needed eating so with a little curry and coconut I had a nice Thai vibe going on. My oven tends to bake a bit dark but otherwise the bread smelled lovely and has a very pleasant sweet curry taste. The colour is a nice warm orange which I think may be the curry influence as well. Although this is definitely a sweet bread, it would be lovely served alongside a savoury Indian or Thai dish.

In two more weeks I will have more rotten bananas, I really do have the best intentions on eating them before that point, but I may try this one again with coconut flakes and dried pineapple.

PS. The glowing "angel-effect" on my photos is actually a filthy lens! I only realized it after I had cut the bread... I really do need some photo lessons!

Thai Pineapple Curry Banana Bread

3 ripe bananas
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp coconut milk powder (or unsweetened coconut)
1 tbsp lime juice
3 tbsp curry powder
1/2 cup chopped pineapple
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups flour

Preheat oven to 325F. Spray Mix with spoon in a large bowl, melted butter, mashed bananas and coconut milk powder. Mix in sugars, egg, lime juice and curry powder. Add pineapple and mix. Mix in baking soda. Add the flour and mix. Pour into greased 4x8 loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on rack before removing from pan.

How I love thee... crack candy

2008-04-09T13:48:00.001-04:00

I woke up this morning to find that Beau had taken my cracker candy to work to share with CA, his charming bookkeeper/sugar-addict.

So, I made another batch! Who's the sugar-addict now? (well, as I mentioned before its me).

This time I took Sugar Plum's recipe and added half cup of peanut butter (thinking it would have more of a crispy crunch flavour). Well, I still prefer the original which is nicely crispy and tasted like english toffee while my new version is a bit on the chewy side.

If you really want some yummy peanut butter flavour, try these peanut butter bars... but don't say I didn't warn you. They are totally addictive. I don't think The Boy even had a chance to try one. Sad but true. And thanks to Sugar Plum for being my first "blog-friend" by posting!

I'da love an Ida Red

2008-04-09T11:52:00.002-04:00

My sustenance in the past few weeks has been heavily sugar-centric. I was able at one point to go off sugar cold turkey but my baking obsession is in the way. This can not be good for my health!

Today i will begin to eat those lovely apples that I bought because I convinced myself that I could choose them over sugar. I am so weak. I will eat them raw. I will not cover them in butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and oats and bake them until they are sweet, warm and mushy with a crispy top covered in vanilla ice cream. Oh no I won't!

The apple is burning my retinas... that can't be good.

Love my buns.

2008-04-08T17:18:00.001-04:00

Sounds like a new workout video but its actually the furthest thing from being fit. I found this great cinnamon bun recipe a few months ago and have been filling my face with buns ever since.

Using this recipe from Pip in Argentina as a base for the bready bits (which I mix up in my breadmaker), I experiment with the "fill" and have a different bun every time. I have tried good old cinnamon, the sticky variety, dulce de leche, orange marmalade (with orange cream cheese icing) and even nutella (with baily's icing). My favourite is the orange... its like eating sunshine (but heavier). Most of the nutella melted out but I would love to try again and see if I can find a way to make it stick.

We have a sugar-addicted friend who was told to stop eating sugar for a few months to have some tests done. My beau thought it would be funny to make a huge cinnamon bun for her (she loves them). So I made one the size of her head! It is equivalent to a dozen large buns. I used the above recipe and rolled out a long thin piece of dough (approx. 30" x 6"). I baked it for about 25 minutes (watched it closely and lightly covered it with foil near the end). I wish that I had put a quarter in the picture for comparison. It is sitting on a dinner size plate.