It has been a hot minute

Hail Friends!

It has been a hot minute or 7 since I posted last and for that, I cannot apologize. I have a very different workload than I once did between being a wife, a mother of a now 2 year, a pregnant lady yet again (due in November), working full time with a long enough commute to make it that I can't pop home during the day, and being in graduate school. Plus, attempting to have a social calendar as well as running my own Dungeons and Dragons campaign from time to time, I am amazed I am on my feet come 6 pm most days.

That all being said, I have been cooking occasionally and I thought I should share with you a current hit in my household.

We picked apples at my Aunt's house (she has MacIntosh trees) and I thought this was the best use of the apples and also being able to share with our D&D crew (one of whom is vegan) was an added bonus.

Vegan Apple Crisp
Ingredients

FOR THE FILLING

6 medium apples, diced into chunks (about 6 1/2 cups worth)

5 teaspoons lemon juice

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons cornstarch

FOR THE TOPPING

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup rolled oats

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup coconut oil, melted

1/2 cup of pecans, pieces 

Directions

Cut apples into chunks and place in a large bowl

Add remaining filling ingredients to the bowl (lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon, sea salt, and cornstarch) and toss with the apples until well combined

In a separate bowl, combine all ingredients for the topping. Melt the coconut oil before adding to the mixture. The topping should resemble wet sand once mixed well.

Pour apple mixture into a pan (I used a 9" pie dish)

Cover evenly with the topping

Bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes, or until the apples are bubbly and the top starts to brown

Allow to cool/rest for 15-20 minutes before serving

Serve alone or with (vegan) ice cream to keep it vegan!

5th Anniversary: This Year's International Breakfast Challenge

So over the first 2 years of our marriage, I made a different Breakfast for Husband every week. It was something I challenged myself to-do and Husband doubted I could even make it a year. I sure showed him. To see what I mean, heck out these links: Year 1 and Year 2

So this time around, I thought, why not get us in the mood to do some traveling so these are the breakfasts I mean to make us over the course of our 5th year of marriage:

English
Baked beans, mushrooms, sausages, rasher bacon, fried eggs and tomatoes, brown sauce, toast, hash browns,  black Pudding
Beans on toast

Irish
Baked beans, mushrooms, sausages, rasher bacon, fried eggs and tomatoes, hash browns, white (no blood) and black Pudding soda bread, soda bread vegetable roll
Boxty

Scottish
Scotch Eggs
Scottish Oat Cakes (quick bread)
Tattie scones

Hawaiian
Fruit Fruit and more Fruit with a bagel

Swedish
Swedish Pancakes with lingonberry

Swizterland
Muesli with fruit

Greece
grilled roll or fresh fruit with yogurt

American
strip bacon with sunny side up eggs and hash browns
American pancakes
Cereal
Beignets
Biscuits and Gravy

Brazilian
Meat and cheese with bread butter and jam

Israeli
Hard and Soft Cheeses, juice, olives, and jams and butter with sesame and poppy seed rolls

Netherlands
Apple pancakes with "stroop" Dutch Syrup - made from molasses, cinnamon, vanilla, butter, and sugar

Poland
scrambled eggs with kielbasa and potato pancakes
Nalesniki (Polish pancake- like a blintz)

Spanish
Bread with tomato paste and garlic with ham and cheese

Iceland
oatmeal porridge with raisins, nuts, and brown sugar

Portugal
croissant stuffed with veggies cheese and meat

Australia
bread with Vegemite (possible topped with cheese)

Italian
Cappuccino and croissant

Welsh
Welsh Rarebit

Denmark
Rye bread, salami, cheeses, pate, honey, and ham. thin chocolate crisps

Philippines
mangoes, little sausages, sticky rice, (Do more research)

German
wursts, local cheeses, fresh bread
Bauernfruhstuck - like potatoes O'Brien with bacon and cheese and egg

French
Croissant with almonds, butter, chocolate, or cream

India
Native-  rosemary potatoes, tofu scramble, lentils, veggie sausage, banana pepper toast
English - Kedegree

Bangladesh
Khichdi - rice, lentils and spices with deep fried eggplant, yogurt

Thailand
sweet and spicy pork over rice, minty spicy fish

Argentina
Mate tea or a ducle de leche with Facturas (croissant like)

Canada
Perogies with toast and sausages

Mexico
Chilequiles and beef tips with cheese and beans
Huevos Rancheros

Russia
Oladi, like popovers or Yorkshire puddings, with sour cream, honey, jam and fresh berries
Syrniki - cheese based pancakes
Blini - blintz like
Kasha  - a type of porridge

Myanmar
Mohinga - fish broth, rice noodles, lemon grass, garlic, ginger, onion, and fried fish cakes

Peru
Ceviche

Bolivia
Saltenas (like empanadas crossed with Cornish pastries) sweetened meat and veggies inside

Malaysia
Mee - noodles with egg veggies and spices
Nasi Lemak - in breakfast form - coconut rice, cucumber, anchovies, peanuts, hard eggs, and sambal served in a banana leaf, or brown paper

Belize
Fry jacks with beans and eggs or jam and honey

Hungary
Pagachel / Pogacsz - kinda like a scone

Korea
Kimchi, bowl of rice and and a bowl of vegetable stock toast

Pakistan
Aloo Partha - Naan with ghee and vegetables
khichidi - Lentils and whole-grain rice are spiced and cooked together and then served alongside pickles, veggies and occasionally yogurt for a

Estonia
Curd cheese (ricotta) on toast

Jordan
Falafel with olive oil, lamb sausage, and Mortadella

Venezuela
Empanadas or Cachapas - fresh corn pancake or Perico Venezolano scrambled eggs
Arepas - bread filled wit butter and salty cheese with meat chicken, avocado salad, eggs and beans

Colombia
Changua (made from milk, cheese, and scallions)

Ghana
Waakye - beans and rice

Uganda
Katogo - green banana mixed with beef stew or in a sauce with veggies

Bahamas
grits with meat and prawns

Costa Rica
Gallo Pinto - black beans, rice, sour cream, salsa, and corn tortilla with avocado, plantain or cold meat on the side.

Dominican Republic
Mangu - mashed plantains with butter and either salami, cheese or eggs

Turkey
cheese, butter, eggs, tomatoes, cucumbers, jam, honey, spicy meat

Cuba
Cuban bread dunked in sweetened coffee (with a bit of salt)

Honduras
Baleadas - flour tortilla with beans and cheese

Caribbean
Banana brad

China
Bao
Tea Eggs(?)

Eygpt
Beid Hamine - slow cooked eggs
Ful Medames - a hummus made from Fava beans with parsley, olive oil, onion, garlic, and lemon juice

North African/Morocco
Chakchouka - poached eggs in pepper (tomato?) ragout
Breakfast Tagine - slow cooked stew with lamb and herbs, cooked in a clay pot

Italy
Frittata

Persia (Iran?)
Kookoo Sabzi - Herbed Omelet

Ecuador
Llapingachos - potato and cheese patties

Israel
Matzo Brei - flat bread with eggs

Japan
Misoshiru - miso soup
beaten egg poured over hot rice

France
Quiche Lorraine
Crepes

Vietnam
Pho Bo - Beef noodle soup

New Zealand
Sausage Rolls -  stuffed puff pastry

Finland
Finnish pancakes (souffle Style)

Sri Lanka
Appam - bowl shaped pancakes aka hoppers made with fermented rice flour and can be served with coconut cream, egg, honey or spicy sauce

Belgium
Belgium Waffles (tourist)
bread with Nutella, jam, nut spread with chocolate bar and meat and cheese

Indonesia
Jasmine tea, chile and garlic fried rice, butter white bread with chocolate sprinkles (meises) papaya, leftover curry

Nigeria
Kosai - cake of ground beans that are fried

My 34 before 34 List and my 34 birthday!

Happy birthday to me! I am 34 today and that is awesome.
As many of you know, I attempt to do a list of during each year of life. Here is how 34 before 34 shook out this time around!
One things that wasn't on the list originally did occur this past month, I DMed my first Dungeons and Dragons Campaign!

Health

1) Run a 5k

2) Run a 10k - didn't do, but did a 10k over the course of 2 days.

3) Complete 90 Day BBM Challenge

4) Get to Pre Baby Weight 135 - Started at 155 Ended
               Made it to 148 Pounds - I don't think I every really committed to a weight loss diet and exercise plan at the same time...so that'll make it hard to loose weight, obviously.

Creativity

1) Recreate 1 thing from my “recreate” list

2) Knit or Crochet a project

3) Learn to use my Sewing Machine

4) Cosplay of Rosie Beestinger

Just Cuz

1) Throw a Mid Winter Party

2) Throw a Cocktail Party

3) Organize Vanity Table and Wardrobe 

4) Organize Baby stuff in the basement

Cooking

1) Learn to make a "cornerstone"

2) Learn to Decorate a Cake - Buttercream specifically

3) Do a week of meal planning/Meal prep for a Month

4) Meal Prep for a month

Adventure

1) Go Ziplinging with MiL - still hasn't happened :(

2) Go on an unplanned Weekend Trip - Phoenix

3) go on a hike 

4) Get pregnant with second child - there is a grace period for this one. I'll let you know...lol

Travel

1) Go to Michigan with Golomskis

2) Go visit Honey moon friends

3) Plan Canada Road Trip

4) Got to PAX South

Quarters

1) 2 things TBD on my 1/4 birthday July 10th 

A) Go Back to school and become a teacher

B) See A

2) 2 things in any category TBD on my 1/2 birthday October 10^th

A) Go Back to school and become a teacher
B) See A

3) 2 things TBD on my 3/4 birthday January 10^th

A) Go Back to school and become a teacher
B) See A

Learning

1) Go Back to school and become a teacher

2) See Number 1

3) See Number 2

4) 34 Books To read: (4 Classics) DONE!

1. If you ask me, but of course you won't. - Betty White

2. Blood Rites - Jim Butcher

3. The Princess Diarist - Carrie Fisher

4. Serefina and the Splintered Heart - Robert Beatty

5. Bury Your Dead - Louis Penny

6. Lean In - Sheryl Sandberg

7. The Go Giver - Bob Burg

8. Station Eleven- St John Mandel

9. The Slow Regard of Silent Things - Patrick Rothfuss

10. The Happiest Baby on the Block – Dr Harvey Karp

11. Classic – Walden – Henry David Thoreau

12. I'm a Stranger Here Myself - Bill Bryson

13. 5 Love Languages of Children - Gary Chapman

14. Serefina and the Twisted Staff - Robert Beatty

15. Serefina and the Block Cloak - Robert Beatty

16. Fantastic Beast - J.K. Rowling

17. A Distant Mirror - Barbara W. Tuchman

18. Eligible – Curtis Sittenfield

19. Dearie: The Remarkable Life of Julia Child – Bob Spitz

20. Keep Moving - Dick Van Dyke

21. The Bad Beginning - Lemony Snicket

22. The Reptile Room - Lemony Snicket

23. The Wide Window - Lemony Snicket

24.  The Miserable Mill - Lemony Snicket

25. The Austere Academy - Lemony Snicket

26. The Ersatz Elevator - Lemony Snicket

27. The Vile Village - Lemony Snicket

28.  The Hostile Hospital - Lemony Snicket

29. The Carnivorous Carnival- Lemony Snicket

30. The Slippery Slope- Lemony Snicket

31. The Grim Grotto- Lemony Snicket

32. The Penultimate Peril- Lemony Snicket

33.  The End- Lemony Snicket

34. Classic – Dracula – Bram Stoker

Edible Eggless Cookie Dough

So this is all the rage right now, not gonna make you sick raw cookie dough. So I figured I should give it a try. This is the recipe I used: 

Edible Eggless Cookie Dough Recipe

This Edible Eggless Cookie Dough Recipe is safe to eat raw! There's no flour, we use homemade oat flour instead, & is free of eggs! Edible cookie dough for the win!

Ingredients

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter softened to room temperature

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar packed

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons milk room temperature

1 1/2 cup homemade oat flour directions below (you'll need about 2 cups old fashioned oats)

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cups chocolate chips

Instructions

Cream together softened butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, and milk until fluffy, about 60 seconds.

Beat in oat flour and salt.

Once combined, stir in chocolate chips.

Serve immediately or store in the fridge, covered, for later!

Recipe Notes

Homemade Oat Flour:
Place about 2 cups old fashioned oats in food processor. Process until it resembles fine flour. Measure out 1 and 1/2 cups and proceed with recipe above!

If you're gluten free, make sure your oats are, too!

This turned out VERY rich and quite yummy, but nothing like the stuff you can buy from the food truck. If anyone can get their hands on that recipe Half Baked uses, pass it along to me!.

In response to the horrific Las Vegas Shooting...

This hymn is in my heart right now. I hope that MiniGSki will be the peace in the world in years to come as well..

Let there be peace on earth
And let it begin with me
Let There Be Peace on Earth
The peace that was meant to be

With God as our Father
Brothers all are we
Let me walk with my brother
In perfect harmony.

Let peace begin with me
Let this be the moment now.

With ev'ry step I take
Let this be my solemn vow
To take each moment and live
Each moment in peace eternally
Let there be peace on earth
And let it begin with me.

Songwriters: Jill Jackson / Sy Miller

Cosplays: L'illusion's Next Projects

As some of you know, I love me some Cosplay. I even made up a handle to use when cosplaying, not that I have any sort of following. L'illusion
You know, for my stature and the whole "illusion" thing that is cosplay.

Here are some of the Cosplays I have been thinking about making:
Riddler from BTAS - Lady version
Zatanna
Dr Harley Quinnel
Velma from Scooby do
Rogue - black body suit with Green Crop
Arya Stark: House of black and white
Doctor Who: 1950s Faceless Rose
Doctor Who: Clara
Catwoman (Golden Era)
Batwoman: (Golden Era)
Diablo: Leah
Hell Cat

Any thoughts or opinions? I can't decide which one to start on currently. Mainly because I have my post baby body right now, which is more like right after baby body. I need to work on my physical fitness before I invest in the money of another costume I feel like, but that might be small minded of me.

Lactation Cookies

Do not try to double this recipe unless you have one of those big KitchenAids.

The Miracle Milk Cookie
Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. flaxseed meal {or linseed can be used} 

4 Tbsp. water

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups all purpose flour (Note: I've also used self-rising flour for this recipe, if you use self-rising flour do not add baking soda or salt to the recipe)

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2-6 Tbsp. Brewer’s Yeast {This is the active ingredient, so the more the better. I used about 3 Tbsp. and it worked great!}

3 cups quick oats

1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

1.    Preheat oven to 375ºF. 

2.    Mix together the flaxseed and water and let sit for 5 minutes.

3.    Meanwhile, cream together the butter and sugars.

4.    Add eggs one at a time and mix well.

5.    Add flaxseed mix and vanilla.

6.    In a medium bowl, combine together flour, baking soda, salt, Brewer’s Yeast, and oats.

7.    Add to the butter mixture 1/2 cup at a time.

8.    Once the dough is mixed together well, add chocolate chips.

9.    Bake for 9-11 minutes.