Category Archives: Breakfast

May3

Oh The Drama!

Posted on May 3, 2013 by Food n Thought Peddler

In the past couple of weeks my life seems to be invaded by people with too much drama. And it makes the Peddler cranky and prone to drama herself. And this is one of those periods when I have zero desire to be involved in even a drop of high emotions (like there’s ever a time when you’d love the drama in your life)! Sometimes it could be fun though, mostly to just watch it unfold from the sidewalk, pull the chair up, munch on some popcorn… You get the picture!

Not one of those times! Especially if drama involves grown men behaving like little boys, for the 1000th time…

Now, I definitely know how to deal with grown-up drama, there are valid reasons sometimes to feel what you feel and act as you do if serious circumstances have entered your life. I’ll be right there to offer my professional advice and just support on a human level. I can also deal with girlfriends’ meltdowns and crying spells, been there many times myself. Usually a good “heart-to-heart” slightly mediated by wine and chocolate helps.

I do NOT know how to respond to grown men having “one of those moments” except to just walk away after offering a few words of “condolences” on having an obvious disconnect between mental and emotional functioning. And by the way, I tried employing the same tactic as with females, suggesting sweets and alcohol, it did not work!

So, any men reading this post, please help, let me know what does work for you in these situations, so I’ll know for the future! As practice shows, this is not the last time I’ll be dealing with male meltdowns.

So walking a tight rope here, trying to remain drama-free myself is difficult, my over-stretched emotions have spilled out a few times also. Yes, wine and chocolate did help a bit

Peddler is in search of a tranquil spot, untill all the storms and all the volcanic eruptions are finally settled down…

What’s Cooking This Week

Has to be something sweet, right?! To medicate yourself from the very morning. But I’m putting a slightly healthier approach to the usual cake or chocolate offerings. The recipe below combines the sweetness and wholesomeness in a drama-free fashion to bring you a great “pick me up” breakfast food.

Apple and Plum Muffins

(Makes 12 muffins)

2 cups of flour (I used gluten free Authentic Foods classic mix plus 3/4 tspoon of xanthan gum)

1 large apple, cut into smaller pieces

2 small plums, cut into pieces

2 eggs

1 cup of milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)

3/4 cup + 2 Tbspoons of light brown sugar

1/4 cup of oil

1/4 cup of chopped pecans

1 tspoon of baking powder

1/4 tspoon of salt

1/2 tspoon of cinnamon

1/4 tspoon of ground cloves

In a bowl combine cut apple and plums with 1 tspoon of lemon juice, chopped pecans and 2 Tbspoons of sugar and set them aside. In two other separate bowls combine all the wet ingredients and all the dry ones.

Mix in the wet ingredients into the dry ones, then add about half of the cut up fruit. Pre-heat the oven to 35o degrees, line the muffin pans with liners and distribute the batter between 12 muffins, top each with some of the remaining fruit.

Bake for about 15-20 minutes or untill the cake tester comes out clean. To avoid any internal drama, have more than one

Enjoy!

Apr22

Any Given Day or Time

Posted on April 22, 2013 by Food n Thought Peddler

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And that is truly so I think! Everything is an experience we learn during our lifetime, the good, the bad, the happiest and the most ugly ones, all days come together to create a unique path that each of us follow. No life is ever alike, some we might say are easier than others, though never judge “the book by its cover”, the most ferocious battles are held inside that do not depend on how much money you have or how successful others view you. And the “richest” people in the world are the ones who feel they have enough to be happy and fulfilled on all possible levels.

To strike a balance between your inner world, your needs, wants, aspirations and the environment around you, which includes people in your life, is truly a happy place. Emotional independence is that balance where you know who you are and how exactly to lead your life without any outside influence, be it in a relationship, work front or a chance encounter, that would knock you off your feet, bring anxiety and make you question yourself, the value of your being and the validity of your choices.

So then if you have a great day, you bask in all the glory of that happiness, no matter how fleeting it may be. And if you have a less that stellar day, you gain an experience, even if only to contrast and to recognize that when the next good day comes, you should enjoy it, and not question whether you deserve it or not, or when your luck is supposed to run out. And when a black period strikes, seemingly full of lost hopes and bleak outcomes, you learn a lesson of what mistakes were made and how possibly to avoid them in the future, and what always remains including your spirit and the most important life values, who is still “in your corner” and which people are gone to follow their own road.

In the big “Bingo of Life” we never know which number comes up next and whether you lose or win at the end or on any given day. We don’t always have any control over it, sometimes we think we do, but life is so illusory, we all get surprised with how fast the “sand castles” can topple over or be blown off by the wind.

Then what does still stand when everything is disappeared or gone with the wind? The answer is always the same: YOU! Your spirit, your inner strength, your value of yourself, your faith, your dreams.

So, no matter good, bad, ugly or the most blissful, the time and circumstances will always pass, the one who stands and maintains a balance despite the mad scale swings is the one who is an ultimate winner!

What’s Cooking This Week

Not all meals are created equal, some are more elaborate than others, and other ones are made for specific occasions. Though probably nothing is better than to shake that “Bingo bag” and have something unexpected or at a “wrong time of the day”. This recipe I feel is pretty versatile, it’s really whatever you want it to be, a filling breakfast, a great addition to your lunch soup or even a savory side dish for a weekday dinner. And it won’t take a lot of your time in the kitchen too.

Sausage, Cheddar and Chives Muffins

Makes 12 muffins:

1 package/4 links of sausage, cut up (I used chicken apple sausage)

4 eggs

3/4 cup of milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)

3/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese (I used daiya)

1 3/4 cups of flour (I used multi-blend Authentic Foods gluten free mix)

1 Tbspoon of Dijon mustard

3 Tbspoons of chopped fresh chives

2 tspoons of baking powder

1/4 tspoon of salt

1/2 tspoon of basil

In a bowl combine together flour, salt, basil and baking powder. In another bowl beat up the eggs and mix in cut up sausage with milk, mustard, chives, then add shredded cheese/daiya. Gradually combine with the flour mix.

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees, grease the muffin pan and fill almost to the top. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or untill the tops are lightly golden, cool off completely before removing from the pan.

The muffins are slightly crusty outside but soft and very moist inside, almost impossible to have just one, so indulge, for breakfast, lunch or any other given time.

Enjoy!

Apr8

Get Your Cheer Pom Poms Out

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Food n Thought Peddler

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What do we really mean when we say ” I’m there for you”?! Do we mean I’m there till the road gets tough, or do we mean till you decide to turn the wrong direction?

Then “there” becomes just a particular spot in life where WE feel you should be. And if you’re not, you’re on your own kid!

Much is talked about “unconditional love” (in a greater sense of it), very little is actually seen in real life. When you love somebody, whether romantically or not, you have that person’s best interest at heart. You show care, concern and appreciation that you have that person in your life. You listen, comfort and console when they need to vent or are seeking emotional connection. You set your needs aside and concentrate on what’s important if your loved one is ill or in a crisis. You offer what’s needed and when it’s needed.

Pretty “straightforward” and surely conventional.

But what about all the times when you’ve provided the care, listened to all the concerns, voiced your advice and offered some assistance, yet they are still not there where you want them to be, or even turning the wrong way (despite your desperate pleas and help in trying to get them back on a road)?!

What do you do then, do you turn and walk away (not looking back at the wreckage just about to happen)? Or do you stay and continue to offer the same care, concern and assistance as you did when things were going the way you wanted them? Well, it’s up to you of course, whatever it is that you can actually master. But don’t talk about love then if you decide to turn away, it doesn’t work that way, you don’t get to choose if and when, you just do!

So if you truly love somebody unconditionally, you simply get on a sidewalk and cheer. You support the person no matter what, even if you don’t agree with their actions. You support whatever big or small aspirations they set out for themselves, whether it’s a marathon or a sprint distance, if it’s hot or cold on that sidewalk, you put your best cheerleader uniform on, get the pom poms out and just cheer!

Yes, it is very possible (or even probable) that they are making a mistake, and yes, some mistakes are way more costly than other. Your job is to continue providing encouragement along the road so that they don’t feel abandoned and let your love carry them (possibly towards a speeding freight train).

If anything, you should be nearby as most likely you’d be the one helping to clear out the wreckage!

What’s Cooking This Week

In honor of “love” post, I thought it’d be nice to continue the theme and make some dessert to show my appreciation to the ones I love. As always gluten free yet completely delicious, and the heart shape adds nicely to the whole picture.

Vanilla and Strawberry Coconut “Heart” Cake

Cake (makes 4 mini heart cakes):

6 eggs, room temperature

1/4 cup of almond or coconut milk

1/4 cup of coconut oil, melted

1/2 cup of coconut flour

6 Tbspoons of honey or agave nectar

1 tspoon of vanilla

1/2 tspoon of baking powder

1/2 tspoon of orange zest

1/2 tspoon of salt

In a bowl whisk together milk, eggs, vanilla and orange zest, then add honey/agave and melted but slightly cooled off coconut oil.

In a separate bowl combine together flour, salt and baking powder. gradually mix in the dry ingredients into the wet ones.

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil four mini heart cake pans and distribute the batter evenly between the pans. Bake for about 25-30 minutes.

Strawberry and vanilla frosting:

5-8 strawberries, thinly sliced

1 1/2 cup of organic Spectrum shortening

1/4 cup of seedless strawberry jam

1 tspoon of vanilla

1 + 2 cups of powdered sugar

(optional) red food coloring, pink sugar crystals, sugar pearls

Whip shortening until light and fluffy, then divide it in half. Combine one half with strawberry jam and then gradually whip in 1 cup of powdered sugar, add a couple of drops of red food coloring to make it a deeper pink color. Combine the other half with vanilla and whip in 2 cups of powdered sugar for vanilla frosting.

Once the cakes are cool, slice the top parts off to make two even layers. Spread some strawberry frosting on the bottom half and place sliced strawberries on top.

Cover with the top layer and frost the entire cake with strawberry frosting. Then use vanilla frosting to decorate each cake as desired. This barely sweet cake pairs perfectly with a combo of two “sugar rush” frostings.

A variation on strawberry cake can be this vanilla and blueberry one.

Enjoy! And share with the ones you love!

Jan14

Two-Way Street

Posted on January 14, 2013 by Food n Thought Peddler

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Let’s say you’ve been walking on the same side of the street for many years, and there is nothing particularly wrong with your side, it’s sunny and nicely paved and is generally considered to be in “the best area of your town”. Yet, after a while, you just start wondering how it is on the other side of the street, maybe there are things happening there that are fun and a bit more relaxed, just a nice diversion from your daily “upscale” life.

And then one day you master your courage up and say “what the heck!” and decide to cross the street. You’re immediately overwhelmed with new sights and sounds, and even though you’re no longer in the familiar environment of being among “the rich and famous”, this side of the street seems new and exciting despite your natural fears of the unknown. And then you get so lucky that you suddenly bump into one of the “natives” who without any hesitation instantly becomes your tour guide, and you think that having a companion is just what you need to explore this unexpected detour. Then honoring this sudden relationship, even for a short period of this excursion, with same good intentions is just a decent way to give back to your tour guide who decided to stop to show you around and even shared the food brought for the road.

Respect, attention, mutual understanding and satisfaction are definitely “two-way street” connecting points. You get what you ask for the first time, but unless you’re willing to compromise and show similar qualities back to the person, continuing collaboration will be jeopardized, as you may find yourself standing alone on that street. And, let’s face it, if your partner is not completely satisfied with your end of the agreement, it will also affect what you’re trying to get out of this connection also.

Nice, and easy, and attentive to each other’s needs and requirements is always the best, and shortest way, to cross the street and meet the other person.

There are circumstances though when glitches are more likely to occur, especially in the very beginning of any collaboration, when you’re trying to figure out the flow and the best way this connection could possibly work. So if an “oops” moment does happen, the way out of a sticky situation is simply to acknowledge that you “F****d up” with the intent to employ some corrective actions in the future.

Unless of course you don’t care and think that the tour guides from “that part of the town” should just feel happy about a chance to provide the service to “the upscale side” person.

What’s Cooking This Week

Somehow I can’t get enough of crepes lately, I’ve been making them non-stop for the past two weeks or so. And even though crepes originally come from France, you can’t find another cross-cultural dish that settled so firmly in Russian and Ukrainian cuisines. We like them plain with sour cream or honey, we like them stuffed with cherry preserves, sweet cheese or meat and mushrooms, to simply say – we just LOVE them! But it is also a matter of preference how you want to dress them up (or down) to satisfy you the most. But if you happen to share them with someone else who has a different opinion, I see no reason why you can’t “cross the street to meet the other person”.

“Two-Way” Crepes

Crepes (makes 7 8-inch crepes):

1 cup of milk (I used unsweetened almond milk), warm

2 eggs, room temperature

6-7 Tbspoons of flour (I used gluten free Cup4Cup mix)

1 Tbspoon of sugar

1 tspoon of oil (use mild oil like canola), plus more

1/2 tspoon of baking powder

a pinch of salt

Toppings:

Nutella and strawberries

Carmelized onions and jalapeno cheese (I used Daiya)

Chopped mint leaves or chives for either garnish

Start with beating up the eggs and sugar together, add a pinch of salt and half the milk, continue beating. In a separate bowl, mix together flour and baking powder, then gradually add into the wet ingredients, you’ll generally need 6-7 Tbspoons of flour, but you may adjust it depending how thin the batter is. Add the remaining milk. Mix in oil at the very end.

Heat up a frying pan really well, don’t pour oil but rather spread a little bit either with a brush or paper towel. Using a small ladle, pour some batter in the middle of the pan (while you’re holding it off the flame) and immediately swirl it around to cover the whole surface.

Cook it on one side untill tiny bubbles appear and the edges start turning golden brown, flip the crepe using a wide spatula (it should come easily, and if not, add a bit more oil into the batter). Cook the other side less time than you cooked the first one, the crepe should easily slide off the pan. The whole process is very fast so make sure you’re paying attention as not to burn them.