Apple Pie Bread-Vegan

In my family, there is nothing better than my Mom's apple pie.

She has this magical way of transforming simple ingredients

 into the most delicious thing you've ever tasted.

It's a beautiful mix of tart apples, cinnamon, and sugar,

that makes even those that don't like apple pie, 

re-think everything that they've ever though about pie.

Yes, it's that good.

It's so certifiably good,

that people (me) 

dream about the beautiful thing that is a classic apple pie.

I knew that if I was to ever call myself a baker, 

I too would have to master the gorgeous, simple beauty of my mom's pie.

It's taken a few years, 

but I feel that I can now say that I have it down...well, almost.

Somehow, her pie still tastes like Heaven on Earth to me. 

So I thought...

and I had a little time to think while sick this past week...

What if I made a bread that tasted like a little slice of pie?

Wouldn't that be fun and delicious?

Well, heck yeah it'd be fun!

But you be the judge,

does this taste like apple pie to you?

Apple Pie Bread (Vegan)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 egg equivalent with Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacer
1 cup sugar
2 tbls vegan butter or shortening
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup oil
2 granny smith apples, sliced
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Icing Glaze Ingredients:
1 cup powdered sugar
water to dissolve and make glaze

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
1. Slice apples and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp cinnamon
2. Sift to combine flour, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
3. Use a mixer to blend together the egg-replacer, sugar, vegan butter, vanilla, and lemon juice in a medium bowl.
4. Pour wet ingredient into the dry ingredients and blend until smooth.
5. Add oil and mix well.
6. Layer 2/3 of the sliced apples in the parchment paper lined 9x5-inch loaf pan.

7. Pour batter on top of the apples.
8. Place the remaining apple slices on top of the batter. Optional: Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar (Not really optional in my world)

9. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick stuck into center of the bread comes out clean.
10. Let the bread cool completely before adding the glaze. Or opt out of adding a glaze...I did. It smelled too good to wait to glaze it.

Let the glaze set up before slicing. Or not.  :)
Either way, enjoy!

I'm a Grump.

Most people think that cold and flu season is in the middle of Winter.
And that may be true for some,
but not for me.
My cold season always hits in either April or May.
It happens right when the weather starts getting nicer and changes from icy cold to rainy cold.
I'm not sure which I prefer...
All I really know is that I hate being sick.
I don't do well with a sniffling, runny nose, cough, or fever.
I know, who does?
I get grumpy.



I really don't like to be grumpy.
Grumpy was not the dwarf that I related to while watching Snow White.
I preferred to be Happy...or even Dopey...but never Grumpy.

So to break myself out of the torment that is my Annual Grumpy Cold,
I turn to my Grandma's remedies...
She didn't get to be 103 years old by just luck.
The woman knows a few tricks to keeping her body healthy.
So if you're feeling the cold grump taking over your body too,
I suggest that you take a lesson from Mother Mary's Remedy Book.




1.  Drink...and a lot of it.  Water, orange juice, cranberry juice, 7-up, sparkling water...just avoid milk products.  Milk will increase mucus production and you definitely don't want MORE mucus.

2. Garlic-put it on everything and eat it...a lot of it. Actually, this is her remedy for EVERYTHING, from a torn toenail to curing cancer.  EVERY-THING.

3. Sleep-  I've definitely done my fair-share of sleeping over the last few days.  I feel like a cat, sleeping 19 hours and then awake for 5.  If it works for the kitties, it will work for me.

4. Bronchial Soothe- All natural cough syrup...and it actually works! I felt my cough suppress right away and was able to finally achieve my catlike sleep cycle that is necessary to heal.

5. Mentholatum- Slather it on...no seriously slather it!  Now, here's the trick that will change your life...again...seriously, it will change your life.  Take a glob and spread a layer on the bottom of your feet.  Be generous.  This is not the time to get stingy!  Then, take a pair of wool socks (or your warmest socks) and put them on your feet.  Do this right before you  go to bed.  This will pull the virus, toxins, whatever the illness is, down to your feet and out of your body.  I know that this may sound weird, but it works.  It really works.  With a cold like mine, I've had to do this for several nights, but I can tell a difference in my breathing each morning.  It gets significantly better each day. 

Okay, now you're ready for any cold that comes your way.
Though I really hope that you will not get sick at all.
But if you do, just remember...drink, garlic, sleep, soothe, and slather.
Grandma says so. 
And if you don't, the Grump will find you too.

Books Galore

Books, books, books...
everywhere I turned there were more books!
It's like I had stepped into a dream world...a little piece of heaven.

Now I know that you're thinking,
"Oh, Lori...We already know about Powell's Books in Portland.  You silly goose!"
I know...I know.
Powell's is the mecca for all those in search of new, used, and treasured titles novels.
People have been known to travel, just to step foot through their hallowed doorways.
I too have spent many afternoons,
that stretch into evenings wandering it's shelves and browsing obscure titles.

But what if you're not in Portland?
Have you ever been to the Oregon Coast
and needed something new to read as you gaze at the sea?
I have.
And let me tell you, it's not so easy to find quality used books.
Well, unless you want John Gresham or some sappy romance.
If that's all you're seeking, then there are plenty of place to go.
But me, well...over Spring Break,
I wanted "new" books and I wasn't wanting a sappy romance.
So what is a nerdy book girl to do?!
Well, it's a good thing that I was in Lincoln City, Oregon.
Though it isn't as big as Powell's, it was a dream come true to this book hoarding gal.

Robert's Book Shop

3412 S.E. Hwy 101
Lincoln City, Oregon 97367
United States

541-994-4453

Now don't be fooled by the non-nonchalant exterior...
this place is stuffed with surprises.
I love walking into this store.
Immediately you're surrounded by books!
Some old, some new,
but there is a beautiful thing walking into a used book store.
I feel like I'm on a quest...
but the treasure is a huge surprise.
During this visit, I was on a hunt for two things,
mystery novels and cookbooks.
Both were in abundance there and I walked out with an armful of both,
and a huge smile on my face.

So next time you're in Lincoln City, Oregon, 

I recommend that you step into the paradise of used books.  

Get lost in Robert's Book Shop.

And you will get lost around each doorway and narrow pathway.

But you will be surrounded by books,

so you will never actually be lost.

Easter Brunch: Potato Casserole

I really wanted to label this "Crack Potatoes"
because that's what I refer to them as...crack.
I thought that I should title this dish something other than
Crack Potatoes...
because that makes it sound bad.
People who know me,
know that I refer to things that are amazing as crack.
I've never understood why people use drugs...
 It's never been something that sounded fun or exciting,
but food...
and amazingly, delicious food...
now that sounds fun and exciting to me.
That is exactly what this dish is...
amazingly delicious and additive.

This is one of those recipes that you can take to any brunch and it's a mega hit.
People will say, "Yum!"
People will go back for seconds.
And people will ask for the recipe.
Go ahead and give it to them...
unlike actual crack, the only side-effect of this is a full and happy tummy.

Potato Casserole
A.K.A. Crack Potatoes

Ingredients:
2 lbs. frozen cubed hash browns
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 Tbls. minced onion
1 can cream of chicken soup (or cream of mushroom)
1 pint (16 oz) sour cream
1/4 cup melted butter
2-3 cups of corn flakes

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven at 350 degrees
2. Place the corn flakes in a seal-able plastic bag and crush them.
3. Melt the butter and pour it into the bag with the crushed corn flakes.  Mix it well, so that the corn flakes and butter are combined.
4. Spread hash browns easily in a greased 9x13 baking dish.
5. In a bowl mix together the rest of the ingredients.
6. Pour the mixture over the hash browns.
7. Spread the corn flakes and butter mixture over the top.
8. Bake for 45 minutes or until the edges of bubbly and the top in crunchy.
Enjoy!

Observations

I watch people.

Not in a weird, sitting in the windowsill watching
and commenting about everything.

I had a college roommate of mine who spent too much time doing that
...it was awkward and unsettling.
And a story for another day.

But people fascinate me.

So I watch them interact with the world.

Recently I found an old journal of mine from when my friend and I traveled around Europe. 
This was a few weeks before heading to school in Spain.

I was homesick, scared, and lost.

Kristi and I spent a lot of time just being lost.

Again, another story, for another day. 

It didn't surprise me at how many pages of the journal were dedicated to the observation of people.

I find the ways in which they choose to move through the world interesting.

How they speak to each other, how they move or touch.

Not touch in a perverted way, but loving and a sign of friendship and caring. 

Women of all ages walked through the city, arms linked, talking through their days.

Old women and men did the same.

Maybe it was to steady each other, but it was comforting to see.

I guess the core of all my observations were connected to caring.

It isn't surprising that I'm drawn to that in the world.

I, myself strive to care.

To make sure that the people around me know that they're loved.

But as a former boyfriend told me,
"Lori, it's okay to let the world take care of it's self. Take a break."

And it's true.  

Caring isn't easy.

Sometimes it can be difficult to find the energy to care for people
that give nothing in return.

There are those that tend to suck every ounce away...a black hole, a vacuum.

I've cut those people out of my personal life, but professionally, well, they're still there.

I work with humans that are egocentric.

They are the axis of their world.
Seemingly unaware of others around them.
It can be painful to watch,
but they're learning about life and themselves.

Ultimately they are still learning about what it means to be part of the world.

My hope is that they will become a positive part of the world around them.
And I remind myself when I see their selfish and uncaring actions,
that they will grow out of the selfishness...
well, hopefully most of them will.

So every weekend I take a break.
I spend the days caring for myself and recharging for the drain of teaching.
Because whether you know it or not, teachers do more than teach. :)
We give more than just knowledge and lessons about academic subjects.
We give a bit of ourselves and a whole bunch of love.
We do this to demonstrate how they should care and love for others.
And we do believe that they will learn that too.

So when you see a teacher,
please remember that we love in a way that others can't...or won't.
And we go back every day trying to do the same thing over and over again.
But, most of all, please show us the same.
Love and compassion.
And give us a break.
Or at least a cookie.  :)

I'm freaking out!

Really?!?!
What?!?
Seriously...I'm going to lose it.
Not only can it not be true,
but I'm questioning the legitimacy of the time tables that we govern the world with!

Breathe Lori, breathe.
Okay, I might be overreacting...
I have been known to do that on occasion,
but this one is really unbelievable.
Ready?!
Seriously, sit down.
That's better.
Breathe.



My oldest niece is turning 16.
TODAY!


I know?!?!
How did that happen?!?
I'm starting to understand old people...
Wait, does that mean I'm old?
Nah...not at all.
But as a kid I really didn't get why adults were always talking
as if time literally was flying by them at supersonic speed.
I remember rolling my eyes(in the dramatic teenage way)
and thinking that they were becoming senile.
I get it now.

As a teen, time inch by.

There were long stretches of endless drudgery...
school, homework, chores, after school job
(shhh...don't tell people but I loved each and every one of those things
...except chores, no one likes those!)
But anyway...
I would think, "Couldn't I just be an adult already?! Then everything would be just what I want!"

Oh man, how I wish for those days...back in the old days before computers...
(See I'm using those old people phrases again.)

But, seriously.
I try to remind teens to not wish their childhood away.
It's so fleeting.
A blink really.
And then what?
You're an adult forever.
Literally...forever.
And, here's the kicker...
You're expected to be, act, and live AS an adult.
It's a lot of pressure.

Sure, there are bonuses to adulthood,
but at 16 years old, you have so many fun milestones to hit.
 At 36, what is my milestone? 40?
That's not happening!
At least not yet.
It will, but that's okay.
I love seeing my nieces and nephew grow up.
They're becoming amazing people.
My only wish is that time would slowly take them into adulthood
That they will cherish the moments that make them kids.
To use the time to make memories that they will remember fondly.

If that doesn't work,
if I can't make them slow down,
I'll just squish 'em...with love.
And hug them tight.

Happy Birthday Leanna!
You're fabulous in every way.
You'll probably never know how much I love you,
but that's alright.
I love you to the moon and back again.
And above all else...
Seriously, stop growing.
You're getting too tall and I can't purchase much higher heels. :0)
They don't make them that tall.

Extreme Cinnamon Roll

Sometimes things need to be extreme...

giant,

larger than life,

especially when it's time to celebrate a special occasion.

A birthday is the perfect time. :)

Normally, a birthday calls for cake or at least cupcakes...

but what do you make when someone doesn't really like those treats?

Well, you ask their girlfriend and hear the words, "Cinnamon rolls!"

Done.

But a regular cinnamon roll just won't do...

an extreme roll is the only solution.

Boom! 

Cinnamon to the extreme!

Directions:

1. Make you favorite Cinnamon Roll dough according to the directions. I use my mom's recipe, but right now that is a little family secret, but maybe some day I share it. ;)

2. Roll out the dough as even as you can...mine doesn't quite make it into a nice circle, but it works just fine.

3. Spread softened butter all over the dough.  Really try to cover ALL surface areas.

4. Sprinkle a generous layer of cinnamon and sugar.

5. Using a pizza cutter, cut strips of dough.  Try to make them as even as possible.

6. Choose a middle strip so that it's long and roll it up.  Place it in the center of a pie plate.

7. Now the tricky part...roll the rest of the strips and unroll it around the center of the roll.

8. Continue to wrap the layers around until you're about an inch away from the outside of the pie plate.

9. Dust the top of the roll with extra cinnamon and sugar. 
Also, place small chucks of butter inside of a few layers of the roll.
10.  Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees.

Let it cool, then add a layer of cream cheese frosting.

Actually, this is the most difficult part...wait.

Wait and share with those you love.

They'll definitely feel the love that this roll can bring.

Enjoy!

The River

"Why they do, what you do--it not a matter of legal or not legal; not even a matter of right or wrong.  It about being true to yourself, about deciding your own path.  People are like rivers, and the hours of our days low to the sea.  But no two rivers are the same, and no river is today what it was last month or last year.  It always trying to find new channels, shifting in its gravel bed, hurling itself against boulders and trying to undercut steep banks.  Some people are content to follow the course set before them.  Life easy that way. Others, like you, jump their banks, daring to be different.  Like rivers, people end up at the same place, but how we get there is what makes us who we are."
Lone Wolves by John Smelcer





So true...it's much easier to stay in the river,
following the same banks that have already been carved by others.
But to me that isn't living.
Sure, if I could go back,
I'd change a few paths down my crooked and narrow river.
Who wouldn't?
Well, actually, maybe I'd just keep it the same.
Those twist and turns of my life have made me the person that I am today.
I'm more confident.
More self-reliant.
More willing to try new things without having a secure net underneath me.
Is it scary?
Terrifying!
But I know that the paths that I take, are my own.
The successes, mistakes,
and life's curve balls are all a part of me.
And I like me.
She's makes me smile.
I'm proud of her.

So never mind.
I'm not changing a thing.
I'll keep it all and
keep carving my way in the world.
The great thing is that I have amazing people carving their paths along side mine.
We encourage each other and weave together when times are tough.
It's a nice feeling.

Where is your river taking you?
I hope that it's taking you to a place
where you can look back on the places
and people in your world and smile.
I'm not there yet,
but I'm getting closer every day.