make: pumpkin granola

I am pretty sure I ate a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast everyday for a solid five years. Maybe straying due to travel or brunch plans. I like a routine. And oatmeal was a critical part of my morning routine. Looking back, I can pinpoint the switch to the day I discovered Greek yogurt. And homemade granola. Now my breakfast routine is all out of whack. It's more like breakfast phases. I have oatmeal phases. And granola phases. Banana and peanut butter phases.

I had been craving oatmeal cookies for about a week now. Since it's fall, and I must take advantage of all opportunities to use pumpkin, I did a search for pumpkin oatmeal cookies. What caught my eye in the results was pumpkin granola. Light bulb moment and I decided pumpkin would be an easy switch for the applesauce I usually use in my granola. A few more swaps made included pumpkin seeds instead of almonds, almond butter instead of peanut butter (I had an open jar and I don't know about you, but that's how I make kitchen decisions), and currants instead of goji berries. Forty minutes later and another canned pumpkin use for my back pocket.

make: pumpkin soup

Yes, it's true. It's full on pumpkin season. And I'm not immune. After last week's pumpkin bread, I was left with several extra cups of pureed pumpkin. And the fall weather gods agreed that it was time for soup. I ad-libbed this one, so I don't have a recipe to share (but you can find a bunch of delicious pumpkin soup recipes that I've been pinning over here). It was a combo of light coconut milk, caramelized onions, veggie broth, green curry paste, and toasted pepitas. As you can see in the photo, I supplemented and made it the ultimate fall meal with a side of roasted brussels sprouts.

make: lists

Are you a list writer? I'm totally guilty of loving lists. I won't deny the claim that lists can be overwhelming, as long as those who make such a claim won't deny that checking something off a list can be so satisfying. I'm one of the people who adds already accomplished tasks to lists just for the satisfaction of checking them off. I know there are others out there. Perhaps you're the crossing out type? I make grocery lists. And work out lists. And goal lists. And cleaning lists. I have to add "put laundry away" to a list to avoid the laziness of leaving clean clothes in a laundry basket. That's not to say I won't spontaneously accomplish something or tend to a task straight away. But lists are like my diaries. I think it's part of a need to make a record of what I'm doing. Or want to do. It's a mechanism for turning plans into reality. On a grander scale (as in grander than putting laundry away), it's a mechanism for turning dreams into reality. And like I wrote about a couple weeks ago, I'm going to stop being afraid of making big plans. Lists are the little steps to getting to the dreamed of future.

To-do list notepad by Knock Knock.

make: pumpkin bread

Do you have a favorite you always reach for when confronted with a pastry case? A croissant perhaps? Maybe doughnuts call your name? If I'm picking up an accompaniment to my morning coffee, I almost always go for a scone. I will even admit here that I kinda like the super dense and sometimes a little dryness of coffee shop scones. I know. It's breakfast pastry blasphemy to not favor the light, flakiness of a croissant.

So, why is the picture of pumpkin bread up above? Because it's officially fall and it's officially totally appropriate to bake pumpkin bread. (And because I have never made a satisfying scone. Hence, I buy them at the coffee shop.) Most mornings, I am an oatmeal kind of girl. I do believe in a good filling breakfast. So, this pumpkin bread is whole wheat, low sugar and totally yummy. Begging for a warm cup of coffee enjoyed wearing a chunky sweater, boots and wool socks. Welcome back fall. I've missed you.

PS -- I followed this recipe for the most part, with the exception of olive oil instead of coconut oil and for flour I used this ratio: 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour, 1/4 almond flour, 1/4 coconut flour. I didn't use millet, but I threw in a couple of tablespoons of uncooked steel cut oats. Also, I must note that I thought the step of adding the baking soda to hot water first seemed fussy, but I think it definitely made a difference in the rise of the bread.

make: lemon yogurt cake

Lemon yogurt cake is my favorite cake. All you need is a bowl and fork...and the ingredients, which is a short list as well: yogurt, a lemon, flour, baking powder, eggs, olive oil. It's simple, easy and delicious every time. I follow this recipe, but with olive oil instead of canola and I usually bake it in a loaf pan. But, this time around it's also a birthday cake. So to make it a little more special, I baked it in a round pan and made a glaze out of confectioner's sugar and lemon juice to top it off. The lemon and yogurt make it tangy. The three eggs make it rich. And the olive oil, well, it takes the cake.

make: a statement #2

A very wise little sister sent me the above card on the occasion of my recent birthday. She rightly noted that I always seem worried about my birthdays. I do worry. And I don't like my birthday. I like my friends' and family birthdays. I like frosting and champagne. I just worry about birthdays. More so than New Year's. I enjoy the time for reflection and resolution setting that comes with January 1. But birthdays provoke the same sort of reflection and goal setting, but with the added reminder that you are now older. And then there are the comparisons that happen when you look at other people your age. And all that they've accomplished. And that creates a downward spiral that can lead to drinks stronger than champagne. This year, though, despite my dread leading up to it, I felt more at peace with my birthday. I didn't do much reflection and no goal setting -- I'll leave that for January 1 -- but I let the day pass peacefully. I enjoyed time with family and friends. I enjoyed something sparkly and several cakes. It was nice. And I'm going to carry the above message with me for the rest of the year.

Compendium card.

make: plans

I don't know when I stopped making plans. I'm not talking about daily, weekly or monthly plans. Those I make and keep. In general, I love having a plan. For my day. For my week. I like a schedule and having tasks to accomplish or places to go. Plans are well-suited to my need for something resembling control over my life. And yet, at some point, I stopped making plan plans. The sort of plan that materializes out of a dream. The sort of plan that you make because you have a goal and you need concrete steps to reach it. It's not that I stopped having goals either. I set goals and resolutions, but they are little and often immediate. One year, it was my goal to stay connected to art, so I started volunteering at an art museum. The sort of plans I'm lacking are the five-year, ten-year plans. It's one of the interview questions I dread. In middle school and high school having five and ten-year plans was so easy.

Ok. The first sentence is a lie. I know when I stopped making plans. I stopped making plans in college. All my childhood dreams of what I would be when I grew up had fizzled or no longer appealed to me. Instead, I was much more interested in just taking classes that I loved. With no looking towards the future. I don't regret my course of study. But I do wish that I had a plan that led towards something big. It's been on my mind lately. It's still kinda hazy. But, where I've spent most of my life being practical and tackling those daily, weekly and monthly plans, I find myself thinking that a long-distance, like to-the-moon distance, plan holds a kind of appeal. I'm working on it. I'll keep you posted.

Image via here.

make: stuffed eggplant

Before I traveled to Italy, I thought I didn't like Italian food. I soon learned that I didn't like Americanized Italian food. I love thin crust pizza. I love pasta dressed with nothing more than sharp cheese and black pepper. I love fried zucchini flowers and fresh mozzarella. Italian food is simple. And delicious in its simplicity. I made this stuffed eggplant recipe the other night. It had been over a year and I'd nearly forgotten about it. Thank goodness something tapped my memory. It's simple. And it's delicious. The recipe is from the cookbook/memoir A Year in the Village of Eternity by Tracey Lawson -- a book I read several years after my travels to Italy and one of the many things that has me dying to go back.

make: a statement #1

It's not what you look at that matters. It's what you see. -Henry David Thoreau

You guys. Good quotes are a personal weakness. I have a compulsive need to write down every wise word, inspirational message, and truism I come across. Today's make is admittedly a bit of a cheat. I didn't make this statement. But I can't resist sharing it here. (And there will probably be more.) While Thoreau's statement applies to many aspects of life, I find it speaks particularly true to art. I studied art history and developed a skill set for how to look at a piece; how to pick out characteristics, technique, and meaning. But ultimately, the best part is still the unique what that each of us sees. We all see something different.

Image from here via here.

make: fresh plum sauce

I like to think I am a decent home cook. There are a few dishes I can respectively cook up without consulting a recipe. I like to think I make a decent risotto. I've got the basic steps down. A couple years ago I worked on perfecting a basic tomato sauce. Experimenting with the right ratio of onions, garlic, chile flakes, herbs, and splash(es) of balsamic vinegar. But, right here, I will admit that besides tomato sauce and pesto, I don't venture into the realm of sauces. Last week, I had a lot of pluots. And in my attempt to not bake up copious amounts of dessert, I opened up my browser and searched for savory plum dishes (thinking specifically pluot recipes would be few and far between). Happily, I found this Melissa Clark recipe. I thought it looked tasty. So I continued my search with the terms "vegetarian" and "plum sauce." Not so many hits on that one. Nevertheless, I was determined to make this fresh plum sauce. Or, in my case, pluot sauce. I marinated tofu in it for a couple of hours. Lightly pan-fried it. Steamed some broccoli and added a scoop of brown rice to the plate. It was...different. I mean, I think I liked it. Maybe the pluot for plums wasn't the way to go? The second round of tofu in the frying pan got crispier and the sauce started to caramelize. Definitely yummier. Will I make it again? Maybe. Next summer. When the bounty of fresh fruit is again forcing an attempt to think outside of dessert. Also, next time, I think I'll use plums.

make: a printed pouch

The hardest course I took in my college career was Introduction to Printmaking. First semester freshman year. It was taught by an MFA student. Let me state for the record: There were no prerequisites. For the sake of all future students, I do hope the university has added to their course catalog, "Thick skin required." Like brick thick. I think you see where I'm going with this. There were tears involved. But, somehow, I still managed to come through the experience with a love for printmaking. I especially love printing by hand. In the privacy of my home. I carve linoleum or rubber and work with water soluble inks. I've found Speedball Fabric and Paper Block Printing Ink to hold up well on fabric and last through washing. So, I've been testing out a few designs. The zippered pouch above is a recent make. Here is the tutorial I used, with the addition of boxed corners. I've learned hand printing through trial and error. I know there are a lot of great resources out there, including Lena Corwin, if you're looking for some step-by-step instructions.

I'm not the world's greatest artist, but I'm proud that I came out of a really rough experience with my desire to create things still intact.

make: do

The title of this blog sums up I commitment I've made to myself. That is to make or do something everyday. We all make or do something everyday. But having a conscience of awareness of trying new things or appreciating the everyday is often absent. So it's about awareness too. Which is where a bit of word play comes. (And I do love word play.) There's make and there's do. But there's also just make do. I think the expression "make do" can come with negative connotations. We don't tend to want to just "make do." There's a perception that making do is what we do when we can't do more. When our hopes and dreams seem too far out of reach. Or that it implies an unwanted struggle. Thinking about this reminded me of these words of Dellarobia Turnbow's from Barbara Kingsolver's Flight Behavior:

"There is no life raft; you're just freaking swimming all the time."

Admittedly, lots of things remind me of this quote. It's frequently at the forefront of my mind. It can read of despair. But I understand it in multiple ways. We have to put effort in to get something out. I'll be the first to own up to being impatient with all that effort. Swimming all the time is freaking exhausting. But we have to keep going. Keep swimming. Keep making do. I've got to believe there can be real contentment in making do. In just living your life the best you can. I imagine it similar to the feeling of swimming. There may be no life raft, but there's a whole pool (or ocean) of water enveloping you and, if you use the right muscles, holding you up.

Photo by Irene Suchocki

make: homemade granola

I like sugar as much as the next girl. Which is to say, I like sugar too much. Sugar doesn’t like me. I crash. Hard. Exhibit A: NYC brunch equals a time to just go for it. Go for the decadent French toast. Two hours later become a whiny, agitated child. Embarrass yourself terribly. Remember why you don’t eat sugar at breakfast. I also love granola. But all granola has added sugar. I’m looking at you agave and honey. You count too. The only solution is to make your own. My recipe isn’t much of one, but here it is:

1.     Combine oats, walnuts, hazelnuts, unsweetened dried coconut flakes, and freshly ground sea salt.

2.     In a separate bowl, combine about ½ cup of unsweetened applesauce, 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp peanut butter.

3.     Mix applesauce mix into the oat mix.

4.     Bake at 400 for 20 minutes. Take out of oven, stir around, and bake for another 15-20.

5.     Let cool, then add in dried goji berries.

Note: When assembling ingredients for an attempt at a pretty before shot remember to then set the goji berries aside and not bake with the granola. This will make for blackened goji berries and the after shot will not be speckled with vibrant red prettiness. See above.

make: bread

Try not to forget the salt. If you do…just go overboard with the sea salt crystals on top. Don’t tell your doctor.

Making bread seems an appropriate place to start a new life journey. Nourishment for the soul. And challah. Well, challah is a bit more labor intensive than your average loaf (even when you cheat with the stand mixer). Good for distracting the mind and filling space in the day. Plus it’s delicious. Chewy, soft, a bit sweet. And you put those extra sea salt crystals on top, so everything’s good.