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Plum Cake

September 2, 2017 Colleen Stem
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This summer I have gotten like 5 lbs of blackberries, a humongo bowl of raspberries, so so so many pears, and lots of random veggies, all from my neighbors and their gardens We live in a very giving and generous neighborhood. And it helps that they can't possible eat all that they grow and that I am always willing to take it off their hands (and put it into my mouth) In return we have given out rhubarb and jars of honey and overall charm and smiles. (the charm and smiles are on the mr to give out)

The other day on a walk, the mr and I saw this sign outside of a neighbors house. Plums, please take some! Well pull my arm, I guess I will have too, because the sign said please right? Anyway, these little plums, not sure what kind they are, but they are so good. Sweet and bite sized and pretty. I ate a few then decided that I needed to share my shared plums and went about making a cake to stick those said share plums into.

I made the cake, invited my mom and a couple of sibs over. Mom didn't come but Barb and Paul did so they got the cake, Well they got half the cake, the mr ate the rest. I was told that this cake is one of the best. I bet it is when you used share plums because sharing is caring and sharing cake is all that good stuff.

The stuff. A bowl with flour, baking soda baking powder, and slat. Then you have brown sugar, coconut oil. vanilla extract, soy milk, and a little apple cider vinegar. And plums of course.

Once you have started preheating the oven, cut your plums in half and remove the pit.The best way to do this is to run the knife along the pit all the way around the plum and then twist to break in half. Pop the pit out with you finger.

Set plums aside while mixing cake

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Warmed coconut oil, brown sugar, and vanilla all get mixed together into a smooth consistency then dumped into the bowl of dry stuff.

Soy milk and vinegar get added and mixed in.

Cake batter ready to go.

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Batter gets poured into a very well greased cake pan and the plums get placed, cut side down,right on top. A sprinkle of sugar to top it off is not a bad idea.

Into the oven it goes to turn to cake!

Pulled from the oven looking so nice. Let the cake cool completely in the pan before taking it out. Hot cake is hard to handle!

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And as soon as you get it out of the pan you can start eating.

Enjoy the last bits of summer. Share if you can!

-C


Plum Cake

Makes a 12 inch cake

Ingredients

  • 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking sods
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup coconut oil (warmed so it's liquid)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup soy milk
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 12-14 small plums (the plums I used where golf ball sized so you might need less for larger plums)
  • 1 tablespoon white sugar

Preheat oven to 350

Start by slicing the plums in half and removing the pits. Set them aside. Hint. for slicing, the best way to do this is to run the knife along the pit all the way around the plum and then twist the plum in half. Pop the pit out with you finger or spoon.

In a large bowl, whisk together the salt baking soda and powder, and salt . In a smaller bowl mix together the coconut oil, brown sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Pour the wet into the dry and add in half the milk, mix together, then the rest of the milk and apple cider vinegar. Mix until all incorporated and smooth.

Pour batter into a well greased 12 inch round cake pan.  (If you don't have that a 9x9 square pan will work) Smooth out the top then grab your sliced plums and stick them, cut side down, on top. Give each plum a little push into the batter so it half submerged. Sprinkle the top with white sugar and pop into the oven

Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a fork or toothpick stuck int he middle comes out clean.

Remove and let cool completely in cake pan, it's easier to remove the cake when it is not hot.
And once it's cool, remove cake gently and ta-da. Cake time

 

In cake, Dairy Free, desserts, fruit, summer, Vegan, vermont, Winooski Tags plums, plum cake, vegan, vegan baked goods, king arthur flour, local, neighbors, sharing, summer, plant based, vermonting, VT, winooski, cake, summer cake, stone fruit, dairy free
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Sunday Happy

August 27, 2017 Colleen Stem

The other day I went into my closet and spent a few minutes refreshing my mind on all of my sweaters and socks, just so I know what I still have going on for warmth. I have even been wearing a few of those sweaters and socks in the mornings. I grab a sweater, a throw blanket, a book, and go sit on the front porch, with coffee of course, and watch the sun come up. I know it's still summer and all and we always get a hot week or two come September but this cool weather has been just the shit and I am loving every minute of it.

This week has been pretty mellow. My gym closed for the week so my daily routines have been all kinds of fucked up. If you know me well enough you know that if I don't go to the gym or get a really good bought of exercise in my day, I am kind of a crazy ball of crazy. So that has thrown me off a bit but bike rides, kayaking, internet yoga, and just running around has kept me from going completely nuts. Then there was eclipses day. The mr and I spent the afternoon playing by the river, him fishing, me picking up rocks and just soaking up all the crazy vibes coming down on us and casting weird shadows. Very cool and now I am very excited for 2024 (total eclipses right here in VT) We had the little's for a day and we (more me) decided we needed to have a fire in the yard so we could roast marshmallows. I didn't have graham crackers for s'mores but give a kid a bowl of chocolate chips and sprinkles for dipping gooey marshmallows and they are all good. The garden and farm, if you didn't read my previous post, are giving out whatever they got, which is a hole heck of a lot. The goldenrod is in it's prime, and the mosquitoes are only really out at night. Ah, all the good and it's really really good.

And bees. We got a new hive this week from one of the mr's friends. Not a large colony but looking healthy and happy here with us so now we have to get the new ladies ready for winter. 

Today the mr and I are looking to get a few more things done around the house. The mr is making furniture out back, I am attempting to fold an origami type lamp shade situation for the dinning room light fixture (it's the last light fixture we need in the house!) and probably going to spend a good chunk of time with garden and yard work. There are two very lovely little pine trees planted right in the middle of the yard and I have been doing some research and think I might be able to move them more to the back of the yard. So I might start that process today, we shall see

What I spent time looking at on the internet.

-Didn't get to see the eclipse or excited for more? Here is a list of eclipses and all the info you need to see them for the next twelve years.

-Harvesting Salt By Hand Is Making A Comeback In France. Pretty cool.

-A lot can be said in (or on) a cake. This Buttercream Kills Fascists

-To Get Calcium, Navajos Burn Juniper Branches To Eat The Ash. I take calcium supplements, maybe I should try this.

-There is still plenty of summer left. How to Make Ice Cream Without Dairy

-The mr wants a house boat. I could live in this house boat.    

-It's all about balance and enjoying life. How to Have Your Health Food and Love It, Too.

-See the Most Colorful Places on Earth. It's amazing to see so much color in nature.

-“Crown Shyness” Where Trees Avoid Touching

-This could be really good for a lot of people. A New Clinical Trial Shows Potential Long-Term Relief From Peanut Allergies

And pictures from the week.

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Bye

-C

In Winooski, vermont, Vegetables, the great outdoors, summer, sunday happy, photography, life, internet links Tags Sunday Happy, internet, ver, vermonting, vt, life, everyday life
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Summer Bounty with Lentils Salad

August 26, 2017 Colleen Stem

All at once is how it goes. The garden is all star fantastic and just won't quit.  I find myself picking 4-6 cucumbers and the same in squash every morning. The tomatoes plant are a freaking jungle and there are so so so many tomatoes, all just about to ripen. The kale is doing it's thing, growing big and green and I pick a few handfuls a day. And then there are all the beets and carrots and cabbage,chard, and kidney beans. It's big, and prolific and amazing. I am much proud of myself for growing a shit load of awesomeness.

And then there is the farm share. I get all my garden stuff times 10. Tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, kale. Not to mention the corn, onion, carrots, and herbs and all the flowers. The food keeps on coming.  I live in a house, with a big kitchen, with lots of counter and a full sized fridge, yet I still don't have a place for it all. The squash overflow has now made it's way to the dinning room. But I am not complaining.

The new rule that I have instated in the house. Every meal must contain at least two tomatoes, a cucumber, and some kale. Want a snack, grab a zucchini. You thirsty? well eat a cucumber. No joke. I get a little stressed out about how much food is around that needs to be eaten or canned, but that is good stress. I am on the lookout for a chest freezer to help with the stress. I promised myself that I would have one by now so I need to get on that asap.

Summer harvest. This is the time of year that I gain a few pounds. It's a zucchini tomato belly for sure.

And this salad. I am a huge fan of the B.A.S (big ass salad). A big ass bowl of all the goodness from farm and garden plus some lentil protein and a little good avocado fat. Fresh and clean and delicious. Makes you feel all good when you eat it.  So go for it. Eat yourself a B.A.S. you wont regret it.

The stuff. Cucumbers (that is a white cucumber and it's really tasty) tomatoes, some kale, parsley, and cilantro. Also need some onion, cooked lentils, and at least half an avocado. Salt. pepper, and red wine vinegar for the finish.

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Kale. parsley, and cilantro get a good rough chop and then tossed into a big ass bowl.

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Cucumber, onion, and tomatoes get their turn next and chopped into mouth sized pieces. Into the bowl as well.

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Top it all with cooked lentil, some avocado, and a glug glug of vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.

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Toss it all around.

Now all you need is a fork.

All the summertime in a bowl. Here's to summer bellies!

-C


Summer Bounty with Lentils Salad

  • 2 cucumbers
  • 2 small or 1 large tomato
  • 1/2 of an onion
  • 1 cup cooked lentil
  • 1/2 an avocado
  • 3-4 large kale leaves
  • handful fresh cilantro
  • handful fresh parsley
  • red wine vinegar
  • salt and pepper

First off, grab a really big bowl. Take herbs and kale and chop into small pieces. Place in bowl. Next dice up you onion, tomato, and cucumbers into mouth sized pieces and toss those into bowl. Dump the cooked lentils on top of that and dice the avocado (I used half but you can use whole one) into little pieces and through that on too. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper and a glug (about a table spoon or two) of vinegar.

Now mix until all combines. Taste and if needed, add more salt, pepper, and/or vinegar.

Now its done. Grab a fork and eat to your face.

In Dairy Free, dinner, entree, Farm Life, Gluten Free, grain free, pulses, quick and easy, Raw, salad, side dish, summer, Vegan, Vegetables, vermont Tags Big ass salad, salad, vegan, raw, lentil, summer bounty lentil salad, vt, local, organic, icf, intervale community farm, fresh, plant based, healthy eating, vermonting, herbs, garden
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Sunday Happy

August 20, 2017 Colleen Stem
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It's been a pretty ruff week. It started off great with four little kitties that I spent all off my time with. I had fallen in love with them all. But then Tofu, the little runt, got really sick and she ended up passing away. I did not handle that well. Plus some crazy apartment shit that needed to be dealt with asap (things are ok now) and just an overall feeling of being an emotional basket case. And then the world. I think we are all feeling a little like, What the fuck world...What the fuck?. I just don't understand why there are people with so much hatred. It boggles my mind.

We were still taking care of the three kitties and I pretty much spent all of my time with them.  I didn't want to give them up but I knew that I couldn't responsibly take 3 more cats into the house, it wouldn't have been fair to them.(I was so close to keeping them). A lot of people wanted to adopt them, but I talked to the Humane Society and it was best for them to go through them so that they could stay together for a while and get the medical and social attention that they needed before being adopted out to new homes. So the day came when we had to say goodbye and that was pretty heart wrenching.

So yeah, not the happiest week of my life, but it's life.

 I am still feeling kinda blue, missing the kitties, feeling more then a little overwhelmed and confused about the world and the humans in it. Blah, but things will get better because good happens. Good over bad.

Today the mr and I are probably just going to do some house work and what not. Those gutters wont hang themselves.. We are taking the afternoon off tomorrow for a little eclipse viewing and nature therapy because we both need it.

Internet from the week.

-I picked up a book, The Age of Miracles, at one of the many tiny libraries in town without knowing really what it is about. Got home, started reading and whoa. t. It's about a young girl living through the slowing of the earth rotation and what the effects are.  It has kinda of fucked with my head and has made me think about the up coming eclipse in a different way. Will The Eclipse Make Crops And Animals Flip Out? Scientists Ask (Really)

- Speaking of the eclipse. Why Future Earthlings Won't See Total Solar Eclipses

-Pretty safe to say the I am very diverse in my day to day emotions.  Emotional Diversity’ Is More Important Than Happiness

-New Yorkers, Here's How You Can Camp For Free in City Parks. How cool. This is now on my life bucket list.

-Concrete Volvo 240 (I owned six different 240 wagons. Still my favorite car and I have hopes of someday restoring one to drive again)

-Maybe a Sunday project? DIY Macramé Rope Bag. Would make a great apple carrying bag.

-I have totally woken up and been made or upset with someone because of something that happened in a dream. When Betrayal in a Dream Leads to Real-Life Conflict

- Have Tools, Will Serve: Cabot Hardware Store Adds Bar. The mr wants to move to Cabot now.

So freaking awesome. Now I just want to make piñatas for a living. Figures From Hieronymus Bosch’s Paintings Recreated as Sculptural Piñatas.

-How to Build Resilience in Midlife. Life happens and we need to be able to live with that.

And I really didn't take any pictures of anything besides that kitties so here a few. THe first one is Tofu.

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Bye.

-C

In Winooski, vermont, sunday happy, summer, photography, internet links, life Tags Sunday Happy, Everyday life, photography, internet links, kittens
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Sunday Happy

August 13, 2017 Colleen Stem

What, you don't have a large trough full of kittens?

Yup, that's right, the mr and I are currently foster parents to 4 little itty bitty kitties and oh hell are they cute and stinky and all sorts of crazy. But lets back it up here. The beginning of the week started off like any other. Did some work, picked a shitload of berries and all the cucumbers, had the kiddos over for brinner (breakfast for dinner), you know, the usual.  Then on Wednesday we went to Belvidere and spent some time with my family in the most magical place..We played in the waterfall, the mr went fishing, we found some cool rocks, just hung out with my people. Then it happened. Thursday, the mr and I were over at one of our apartment buildings where we have a barn that we keep all of scrap wood looking for well, wood. And there they were, a pile of freaking kittens, tiny as can be, living in the pile of wood in the barn. Long story short ,a few hours of super carefully moving wood, we managed to grab them all and get them in a box. And now they are living with us until they can find new homes. We have four crazy kitties that went from swatting and hissing to snuggles and love and now are the neediest little things ever.  Only is mad at us and doesn't want to come inside. I think he is jealous. We feel kinda bad so he got a can of tuna.

Barb came over Friday night to have a sleep over kitten party.  I had planned an epic night of Wayne's World watching (she hasn't seen them..Asphinctersayswhat?) before the morning trip to Ikea, but the evening turned into kitten time. And honestly, it's all turned into kitten time, but that's ok, we will Wayne's World party time, excellent soon.We did end up named them; Farro (the only boy) Quinoa, Tofu, and Jumper. Tofu because she is the runt and barb so tofu is the runt of the meat world. Jumper because she is constantly trying to jump out of the box, and Farro and Quinoa because we were talking dinner and that happened.

After finally settling down and getting a little sleep,  we woke up. played with kitties, the headed north of the border to Ikea where barb and the mr eat handfuls of hot dogs, we got a new kitchen faucet and some clothes hangers, then drove back through the craziest rainstorm any of us have ever seen. We all thought we were going to die. But we didn't because we needed to get back to the kittens..

Needless to say that today is probably going to a kitten heavy day. The mr made a little playpen for them to play in and I found that last night I ended up watching them for like an hour without even noticing.  Plus they all pooped last night next to the litter and managed to walk all in it so now all the kitten are covered in poop and I have to wash them all. So cute, so nasty....this is my new life for a little while.

Email me if you want a kitten. (seriously)

Stuff I saw on the internet that isn't about how to bath kittens.

-Gnawing Questions: Is Sugar From Fruit The Same As Sugar From Candy? Candy bar or bag of grapes.... Go with the grapes.

- How to Be Better at Stress. We could all be better.

-I have been on the seltzer wagon for a long time now. I drink Polar. Vanilla, grapefruit , and the new pineapple grapefruit are my favorites. Seltzer's Popularity Bubbles Up In The U.S.

-100 Years in the Kitchen: A Century of Kitchen Color Trends. I am all about the70's colored appliances. My fridge is harvest gold with wood accents and it's the best. 100 Years in the Kitchen: A Century of Kitchen Color Trends

-I want one of these. I have a very real fear that me or the mr are going to lose some fingers. Despite Proven Technology, Attempts To Make Table Saws Safer Drag On

-A 100-YEAR-OLD, PERFECTLY PRESERVED FRUITCAKE WAS DISCOVERED IN ANTARCTICA. Eat up!

-My sister wore this shirt all throughout her tween and early teen years. This shirt and kissing Steven Tyler posters. She was scary.

-What Brands Are Actually Behind Trader Joe’s Snacks? I knew it!!!

-So much neon light. Ultraviolet Break of Day: A Midnight Walk Through the Neon-Hued Streets of Asian Cities

-Traffic Accident Leaves Arkansas Highway Covered in Frozen Pizzas

 

Have a great day!

-C

In Winooski, vermont, the great outdoors, sunday happy, summer, photography, life, internet links Tags Sunday HAppy, Kittens, Kitten Adoption, Family, vermont, ikea, life, everyday life, photography
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