Lizz Clements

Who Is Lizz?

2010-02-02T16:49:00.004-06:00

Born and raised in southern New Hampshire, I have published four books, am an award-winning photographer, and an avid cook. To read more about me and my interests, click here.

Browse My Latest Book!

I published Inside Glass Jar Goodies with my mother in November of 2009. The collection of traditional New England recipes is available in print and as a digital download. Read the preview below and, if interested, visit the book's website for ordering information.

Cabbage Spring Rolls

2010-01-15T09:57:00.005-06:00

"Lemon Chicken"

If you're following my Twitter account, you'll have, by now, noticed that my fiance and I are learning to cook Asian food. Right now, this includes Chinese and Indian food and may eventually grow to become Japanese and Korean. Time will tell.

We did it again last night. While frying chicken substitute for Martin Yan's "Lemon Chicken," I confidently proclaimed that I felt as if we no longer had to visit a Chinese restaurant in order to eat Chinese food. Once we sat down at the table, that sensation was further cemented.

If you used to eat meat and miss Chinese food especially, I highly encourage you to learn to make it yourself. You first steps? Buy a nice wok, visit your Asian grocer and stock up on sauces and spices, buy a copy of Martin Yan's "Chinese Cooking for Dummies," and invest in a deep fryer.

Yan's recipe for "Lemon Chicken" was divine. It yielded less sauce than one would receive at a restaurant, but it was so strong and pronounced that you literally didn't need any more. My fiance, a former meat-fanatic, spent the meal bouncing with glee at how close to restaurant quality the recipe was.

We used our deep fryer to fry the breaded pseudo-chicken pieces. They browned to perfection and had a nice crispy texture. The following recipe for "Cabbage Spring Rolls" superbly accompanied the meal with a contrary flavor. Of all the recipes I've concocted for spring rolls, these are my favorite.

"Lizz's Cabbage Spring Rolls"

Ingredients
2 carrots, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 green onions, diced
1 head of green cabbage, cored and diced
1 Tablespoon peanut or vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/8 teaspoon powdered cayenne pepper
2 Tablespoons stir-fry sauce
2 Tablespoons rice wine
20-25 spring roll wrappers

Directions
Heat oil in a large pot. Add the garlic, onions, and carrots and cook for five minutes on medium heat. Add the cabbage, spices, and stir-fry sauce. Cook until cabbage is reduced and limp, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Add the rice wine and cook until no longer sizzling, just a few minutes. Allow to cool partially before stuffing spring rolls.

The dough for spring rolls is different than the dough for egg rolls. I had to find spring roll wrappers at an Asian grocery store. They are vegan (which makes this recipe vegan!) but if you can't find any and don't worry about consuming eggs, egg roll wrappers will work as well.

Stuff the rolls according to the directions on the package, or by following these simple instructions; place a single wrapper on a flat surface so that a corner is facing you. Place 2 to 3 tablespoons of filling below the wrapper's midsection. Fold the bottom corner up so that it just encases the filling. Fold the sides in so the wrapper covers the filling and resembles an envelope with a long top. Press gently as you roll the filling upward, encasing it in the remaining dough.

If your dough doesn't stick, use a small bowl of water and lightly wet the dough as you fold during each step.

This recipe yields around 20 spring rolls. If you do not wish to fry them all now, you may freeze them without cooking them. separate each roll with wax or parchment paper so that the dough does not stick each roll together. Partially thaw prior to frying.

Deep fry three rolls at a time in a "Fry Daddy" deep fryer or pan fry in one half inch of oil, turning to cook thoroughly. Remove from oil while using either method when the dough has browned evenly but is still light in color. The dough will continue to brown once removed from heat.

Serve and enjoy!

Makes 20 rolls.

Review This Recipe!

BitterSweet

2010-01-11T18:22:00.000-06:00

That's right, I'm beginning a new regular "column" to the Creative Lizzie blog!

When it comes to books, I can't say I read very much. This, of course, is something I've been trying to change. But when it comes to blogs, my subscriptions outnumber the years that I've been alive. I love blogs, and I wanted to share one with you today.

Hannah Kaminsky is not only a vegan cook but a published author as well. Her book, My Sweet Vegan, was published in 2007. The collection of recipes is a testament to the quality of vegan baking and confections, as are her numerous ebooks on vegan sweets.

Through her blog, known as BitterSweet, she shares recipes as well as excerpts from her life and crafty side. Exquisite photography taken by the blogger accompanies the recipes and reviews, each which are composed with time, talent, and a sense of fun.

Many individuals are likely suspicious of vegan cooking, but Hannah's blog is one of the few that I highly recommend to everyone. Do yourself a favor and check it out!

Chewy Cherry Almond Bark

2010-01-06T18:42:00.012-06:00

I am frequently a day late and a dollar short, as the saying goes, and today is no exception. I purchased ingredients with which to make almond bark many days prior to Christmas with the goal of sharing it with loved ones for the holiday. It's taken me until now to make it!

This recipe is something I just "whipped up" after looking for a recipe without luck. I was truly surprised with how well it turned out. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Ingredients
8 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate
3 to 5 Tablespoons milk OR soymilk
1 Tablespoon sugar
2/3 cups slivered almonds AND dried cherries

Directions
In a small saucepan on low to medium heat, melt the chocolate with 1 tablespoon of the milk. Continue to add milk to the chocolate, 1 tablespoon at a time, until fully melted. The chocolate should have a smooth consistency.

Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or into a parchment lined 8x8 inch pan. Smooth the melted mixture to a desired thickness and smoothness.

Let cool in your refrigerator for approximately 30 minutes or until solid. Break into pieces and serve!

Makes an approximately 8x8 inch square.

Last Minute Gift Making

2009-12-15T16:18:00.004-06:00

I've been wanting to write a blog entry all day, especially about crafting holiday gifts, but I can't share what I'm working on because some family members may see this post and know what they're getting. So I'm going to be fairly generic about the subject matter, offering a few recommendations instead of personal experiences.

Christmas is right around the corner! Perhaps you're looking at the pile of gifts you've purchased for your friends and family. Perhaps you'd like to give some more presents, but your budget is semi-depleted and nothing you can think of will be creative enough for you. Well, have you thought about making something yourself? Maybe you should consider amigurumi!

(image copyright Lion Brand)

You could say that I'm obsessed with these guys. I LOVE making amigurumi. They're little crocheted plushies, in essence, and they come in more forms than animals. Lion Brand has tons of free amigurumi patterns as well. Haven't crocheted before? No sweat. Each of these patterns is classified as "Easy" and instructions on how to make the different stitches you'll find in the instructions are available here.

Here are some of my favorite patterns:

Happy Reindeer
Potted Plant
Bon Bon Magnets
Salvadore Snake
Penguin
Berry-topped Cakes

High Life Cupcakes
Doughnuts!

Lion Brand has hundreds of free patterns for other items as well, including adorable House and Tree Pot Holders and a drawstring back bag.

Depending on your experience level, one amigurumi or other "Easy" project takes between one and three hours. If you don't have a lot of free time, you may not be able to make gifts for everyone, but you can, at least, try. Like I am. Which reminds me, back to the sofa I go...

BOGO Free eBook for Mailing List Members

2009-12-07T12:15:00.006-06:00

A couple weeks ago I set up a Google group to serve as a "special discount" mailing list I could maintain for readers. Well, I've just launched my first promotion and though I should mention it to you.

Here's the deal. Become a member of the Lizz Clements mailing list and you'll be entitled to receive a free electronic version of any of my books so long as it's of equal or lesser value as the one you purchased. Your original purchase can be print, Kindle, or PDF, but the free book you will receive will be digital and in PDF format.

The rules and more information about how you can qualify are available at the super secret group. You can join by visiting this link. You will see the page devoted to the BOGO sale when you sign into the group.

This offer is good from now until December 31st and purchases made before today will not qualify for the promotion.

More discounts and promotions are to come!

Snow in the Desert

2009-12-04T10:57:00.004-06:00

What's this? Did I take a sudden, unexpected trip to the north? Nope! That's right, it's snowing in western Texas.

This morning, Chris left for work two hours early, around 7:30. Meanwhile, I was trying to sleep. This stopped, however, when she opened the door and yelled, "Elizabeth! Baby, you want to get up!"

"Is it snowing!?" I erupted, leaping out of sleep.

And it was. Holy cow.

I quickly and excitedly informed my family while I made a breakfast of toasted French bread and a cup of soymilk hot cocoa. Then, I was off!

I wandered around my neighborhood for over an hour and walked over three miles, in 25 degree weather.

I heard ornery dogs and kids playing. The air was filled with the sweet scent of fireplaces burning wood.

Drivers were few and far between. All around, I found trees with bright orange and yellow foliage covered in fluffy snow. Beautiful and reminiscent of New England's infrequent October snow showers.

On my journey I encountered a grandfather taking his grandson for a walk to the convenience store, a family playing in their yard (dad was making a video), and four siblings filling plastic cups with the icy white stuff. One of the three girls asked me if I wanted to buy a snow cone. Had I had any money on me, I definitely would have.

A really nice walk it was.

To see the rest of my photos, check out the citizen journalism I uploaded after I got home.

Snowstorm Hits Midland, TX
While cold weather is not unheard of in western parts of Texas, snowfall in towns like Midland, Odessa, and San Angelo can be uncommon. Roads in Midland were less traveled than usual this morning and many schools closed as well.
Read More

Thanksgiving

2009-12-02T13:15:00.005-06:00

As a child, Thanksgiving was never one of my favorite holidays. I didn't fully appreciate the chance to have dinner with loved ones and celebrate "the harvest" until well into my twenties.

We began our Thanksgiving celebration on Tuesday this year. Why? Gingerbread cookie making!

Gingerbread is one of my favorite holiday flavors. Pecan and pumpkin pie aren't among my favorite desserts, either, and I wanted to make sure I had a sweet treat to enjoy after dinner.

Originally I had planned to use the recipe my mother introduced me to through Glass Jar Goodies. But the jar of molasses had an interesting one on their label. We'll be making more cookies for Christmas and we therefore thought we should see what the molasses makers think cookies should taste like.

It took a good three hours to bake the cookies. With a limited area upon which to roll dough and one measly cookie sheet, the process extended itself far beyond a normal length. Between cutting shapes and removing the sheet from the oven, Chris and I worked on a Beatles puzzle. A "vegetarian gourmet" pizza from Papa Murphey's while watching The Hours came next.

Frosting the cookies came the next day. Making icing from scratch was especially fun. I highly recommend using orange juice instead of milk. The result is a creamcicle like icing that would also be divine on orange cupcakes.

And Thursday was the day! We packed up all of our cooking ingredients and headed over to Chris's sister's house. Her mother had made crumb cake. There was a pot of coffee. The Philadelphia dog show amused Chris and I much to the chagrin of our family!

As vegetarians, our main course was Tofurkey, one of my all time favorite meat substitutes. We went with a soy sauce, olive oil, and sage baste as recommended on the box and "shaved" off pieces as opposed to slicing it.

Delicious.

We also brought green beans for a side dish and mead to drink. Wine is not my thing, it's way to strong for my taste, and mead is a great substitute for it. It's very similar to white wine but is made from honey instead of grapes.

The day was very nice and fun. The two of us introduced the kids to Beatles Rockband and were excited to see one of them really getting the hang of it. My brother called. I called my mother. She called me. I phoned dad, too.

We ended the night with several games of Buzz, a trivia video game.

I genuinely have so much to be thankful for and spending the holiday with Chris's family was one of them.

A Busy End to November

2009-11-21T22:15:00.003-06:00

I know it's only November 21st, but it almost feels as if the month is about to be over. Thanksgiving is coming up on Thursday. After that, December is here!

I've had an incredibly intense desire to get out the Solstice decorations. I don't know why. I'm usually quite adamant about preserving the sanctity of Thanksgiving first and foremost. I just want... trees covered in ornaments, garland, balsam fir smelling candles, GINGERBREAD COOKIES, and poinsettias.

Maybe my excitement is due to the most awesome holiday I had last year. It was Chris and I's first Solstice thing-a-ma-jigger together. I feel awkward calling it Christmas. I'm not Christian so it doesn't feel right to me. Neither of us feel a particular connection to calling it something else, however. Last year I considered it Saturnalia.

In any case, the two of us spent it by ourselves. The morning began with cinnamon buns (my idea), and continued with appetizers and snacks while we opened gifts. We received boxes in the mail from our families. Said packages came from Texas and New Hampshire, respectively. We made a pact to refrain from using the Internet, Wii, and television unless it had something to do with our gifts. I believe I watched a video my brother sent me and she spent some time with a new game I bought her, but other than that, we maintained our decision pretty well.

The newspaper we worked at publishes an insert every year filled with submissions from children. It includes letters to Santa, poems, and recipes. It's really quite cute. We spent a good while reading it aloud as well.

And while we procured a bottle of champagne to enjoy, we also popped open the Amaretto di Amore she bought me as a gift.

It was truly a wonderful day.

This year, we'll be spending the day at her sister's house. It will be nice to spend the day with our family, but it will be bittersweet on my end. Although I just saw my father for a few days last month, I haven't seen the rest of my family in almost precisely a year. By now, I'm getting used to not seeing them very much. It's still atrocious, but I'm getting accustomed to it. Perhaps next year. Perhaps.

I've spent a lot of time this week promoting Inside Glass Jar Goodies. I've submitted press releases to New Hampshire newspapers and have sent versions of the book to Kindle and Smashwords for approval. A giveaway is in the works, and I will keep you updated on it!

Until then, I'll be making an eggplant out of yarn.

Official Cover for Inside Glass Jar Goodies

2009-11-11T12:02:00.005-06:00

In my last post I mused that one of the images I shared with you would become the cover for Inside Glass Jar Goodies. Well, it appears as if all of them and more came together to create the cover instead!

I'm quite happy with it. It's very close to my original vision for the cover, but better. My dearest one surely does know a thing or two about graphic design. I'd estimate that two to three hours were spent on the project, though the texture for the back cover has yet to be completed. This was the hardest part, however, so I'm not too worried about it.

The book is almost, almost done. I made revisions to the manuscript today, put together photos for a scrapbook, and will be writing more about the company's history after I do some chores around the house.

The book is set to be released on November 15th. I've created an "event" on Goodreads that y'all can RSVP to if you'd like to be reminded of the book's release. Just click here and you'll be taken to the event page.

I'm so very excited and am hoping that you join me in my celebration!

Giveaway details are coming soon.

Second to Last Editing Session

2009-11-08T18:38:00.002-06:00

What a Sunday! I just wrapped up a five hour editing, formatting, and uploading session for Inside Glass Jar Goodies, the book I'm co-authoring with my mom. While I've published with Lulu before, never have I had to format a manuscript to such an extent. I had some serious formatting issues to contend with. The version of Works I'm using makes it especially difficult to add page numbers to some pages while leaving them off of others. Page breaks and returns also appear differently once converted.

But I figured it out! And it looks beautiful!

I've sent it off to mom for a final proofread. They're her recipes, after all. She'll be able to catch a typo or mistake better than I will. Chris will be working on the cover within the next two days. After that, all the book needs is a table of contents and a few graphics.

I'm so excited!

We're still debating on whether to create a website for the book or not. We'll definitely be creating a page for it on Goodreads. I would also love to host a giveaway through GR for it. I love Goodreads!

There's more to come!
<3

"Inside Glass Jar Goodies" Cover Preview

2009-11-07T12:00:00.000-06:00

I spent Thursday at the house of my future sister-in-law having an Inside Glass Jar Goodies photo shoot. The cookbook, which I am co-authoring with my mother, is nearly completed and will be available for purchase within the next few weeks. The book will definitely be available by December 1st. It will make an excellent gift for the cooks in your family.

The above images are four of my favorites from the shoot. If my mother likes them as well, one of them will most likely become the cover for the book. The manuscript is currently at 41 pages and contains over 30 delicious, hand-me-down New England recipes. And it isn't just baked goods; we're talking recipes for soup, scones, apple crisp, chili, and more.

Mom has plans for two additional books, though they may take many more months to create than this one has. We began putting it together in... mid-September? Ah, the beauty of self-publishing.

Inside Glass Jar Goodies will be available in print on Lulu and as a digital download from Kindle, Smashwords, and Lulu. The book does not currently have a website, so be sure to check back with my blog or Goodreads account so you don't miss it.

I still have a bit of formatting to do, so off I go!

A Visit from Dear Ole Dad

2009-11-05T16:32:00.008-06:00

I've most likely mentioned it a hundred times, but I'm a Yankee living in West Texas. There are good and bad points to this, of course. There are things I prefer about New England over Texas and vice-versa. For instance, after living in West Virginia, I am glad to have a repreive from scraping ice from my windshield... In May. On the other hand, there aren't any apple orchards down here. The only cider I can buy is made in Kansas. And it's nowhere near as delicious as the kind I can get from an orchard. It doesn't even taste like genuine cider.

The compare and contrast session continues when it comes to family. Chris's family is here where we live while mine lives in the northeast. I haven't been anywhere in New England since November 2008 (almost a year) which means I hadn't seen any of my family members, until my father came to visit!

Pops had never been to Texas. In fact, he had never ridden on a commercial airplane before his recent holiday. He had quite the adventure!

His short journey lasted approximately four days. We began the extended weekend by relaxing at my apartment while waiting to hear from the airline (they misplaced his luggage. D'oh!). I then brought him to Chris's family's home where my father became the first member of my family to meet hers.

It was a fun night filled with pasta, crusty Italian bread, and wine. That was also the night Chris and I took our first steps toward buying a car...

The following day I brought dear ole dad to Abuelo's, an excellent Mexican restaurant. We spent a good two hours discussing life, travel, and philosophy, among other things. Pops then became one of the privileged few to witness me playing Rock Band. You know you're jealous.

His stay culminated with a trip to Fiddlesticks Farm, a local tourist attraction that's quite popular with kids of all ages. The farm is relatively new, two years old if I properly recall. Among the farm's activities include a giant corn maze, pumpkin and corn cannons, and rides. They have a "pick your own" pumpkin patch (though it is essentially a clear spot of dirt where they lay the bulbous orange vegetables procured from some other place).

It was a good day.

Bittersweet.

The lack of time we had together made me extremely sad.

Perhaps next year I can finally return home. At least for a short while.

"Meat" Loaf and Autumn-y Things

2009-10-25T20:36:00.003-05:00

Those individuals with high metabolisms will be able to sympathize with my love of hearty foods. Adding vegetarianism to that equation can sometimes make things difficult. For instance, many, many vegetarian cookbooks are directed toward dieters. They're full of healthy, low-calorie and low-fat recipes that are great, don't get me wrong, but would leave my stomach empty after about an hour and a half post consumption.

Ultimately, that leaves my fiance and I converting non-vegetarian recipes into ones that are meatless. I've noticed that we're not the only ones in such a boat and have therefore decided to share with you a few cookbook recommendations.

Chris and I typically consult the same three cookbooks whenever we plan our meals.

The first of our beloved cookbooks has become known as the Old Testament in our household. The Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook is an essential part of our lives! The "meat" loaf pictured above is based on the recipe found in this book. Other absolutely to die for recipes in this edition include the Spinach Lasagna, Tortilla Black Bean Casserole, and Chili (which we make with Morningstar Farms Crumbles, of course).

So, what else could possibly follow the Old Testament but the New one! Enter the Better Homes and Gardens: Prizewinning Recipes cookbook. Our New Testament favorites include Tortellini with Red Pepper Sauce, Two-Bean Tamale Pie, and White Beans and Wilted Spinach.

Unfortunately, our creativity with nicknaming cookbooks ends there (suggestions are encouraged, however). Our third and final most used tome of culinary wisdom is The Taste of Home Cookbook - New Revised. This little gem is composed of submissions from readers. Some submissions are so delicious I've found myself wondering about the people who sent them in. Rosemary from New York sent in one of our regular dishes, Tuscan Soup. It's incredibly simple to whip up and yet delicious. Like, terribly. Marie from Minnesota entered one of our favorite side dishes, Broccoli Brown Rice Pilaf. We also made Julie from Indiana's Colorful Frittata for Easter.

Cooking can be intimidating at first, especially if you begin by altering the ingredients in order to fit your dietary restrictions. Just be confident in the fact that none of us are born with a frying pan in hand. The ability to alter recipes (or even create scrumptious dishes without them) comes with time, practice, and observation. My best advice is to follow your instincts. If something looks to watery, try thickening it up a bit. And vice versa. Use Google to find advice. I do it all the time.

Autumn is a great, glorious time that encourages us to better acquaint ourselves with our hearths and homes. I hope you find that these books inspire you, and I would love to know which cookbooks you utilize most often.

Airsho 2009

2009-10-14T15:56:00.007-05:00

Despite my love of movies revolving around barnstormers, I had never been to an air show until this past Saturday. Midland, TX conveniently boasts one of the best in the country (according to them, anyway), and we couldn't pass up the chance to see some choreographed explosions and shiny metal behemoths.

I have to admit that photographing high speed aircraft during maneuvers is quite difficult. But I had great fun trying, and got a few neat pictures out of it anyway!

The planes that performed were on display prior to showtime. The Commemorative Air Force, who sponsors the show, is dedicated to preserving the planes and keeping them in operational condition.

Despite facing a direction opposite the sun, donning a hat, and covering my face as much as possible, I was still sunburned somewhat severely. I'm recovering steadily but it's rather uncomfortable. One day I'll learn to wear sunscreen.

I've uploaded clips from the day to YouTube. The planes are a bit hard to see, but it's entertaining nonetheless. Very accurate to what it was like, in my opinion.

My father is coming to visit tomorrow. I haven't seen him since November, almost a year! I'll be happily distracted with his visit until Sunday.

My Second Autumn In Texas

2009-10-08T23:34:00.002-05:00

All right, so it isn't my second consecutive autumn in the Lonestar State, but this will be my second harvest season spent in the state.

Being so close to the desert I wasn't sure I would be able to enjoy much of a fall. Needless to say, I was overwhelmingly pleased when October brought with it refreshing, cool breezes and the smell of greenery becoming dormant.

While there were several days in Austin when the leaves around my apartment turned and stayed yellow, I doubt that such a thing will occur here. I have been warned that local winter winds are something to be feared, but the temperature should maintain something tolerable.

I've been exceedingly busy with publishing projects (as well as with that thing I refer to as a day job). In addition to compiling two cookbooks for myself, I'll be publishing a cookbook with my mother. I'm very excited about this! She and my stepfather own two food manufacturing companies. She's decided to branch into publishing, sharing recipes from their secret files as well as guides for potential small business owners. Our first working title is Inside Glass Jar Goodies. The book will contain all of the recipes used in creating her very well-known "gifts in a jar" mixes. We're talking baked goods ("To Die For Brownies" for instance) as well as soups and other desserts. As a self-published venture, copies should be available on November 1st, just in time for holiday gift-giving.

The five lucky winners who received copies of Apollo Weeps have either begun reading the book or will be shortly. The Australian and British winners may not have received their copies yet. It feels somewhat strange doing the marketing and promotion thing again, but I feel it's much more fulfilling and accessible than it was before, back in 2004.

After working three ten hour shifts within four days I am very excited for the weekend! My fiance and I will be attending the AirSho! I've never been to one. I am SO looking forward to it. You can surely expect pictures. And videos. And lots of words about it afterward.

The two of us would very much like to visit the Texas State Fair in Dallas as well, but scheduling a time for it may prove difficult. My father will be flying in for a visit on the 15th as well. I would like the three of us to get to the local corn maze for some seasonal fun, but we'll have to see what my work schedule is like for that as well. I love autumn! And I haven't seen him since November. It's going to be fun.

I'd like to thank everyone who's subscribed to the blog recently or become a fan of mine on Facebook. I genuinely appreciate it and will continue to provide you with interesting and worthwhile content. Thank you!

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-09-26T21:02:00.006-05:00

As some readers may have noted, the current purpose for my blog is to share my experiences as I compile recipes and write a vegetarian cookbook. Well, after reading some reviews on Amazon of popular vegan and vegetarian titles, I came to realize that the more vegan dishes I can include in the book, the better. After all, while it's often easy to find dried egg replacer and vegan margarine, it's much more convenient to construct recipes that needn't require extra ingredients or another trip to the grocery store.

And to that end, these cookies are perfect for those instances in which you may not have any eggs or butter (if you happen to have extra chocolate chips lying around, anyway!).

I love these cookies. I do, however, feel they can be improved. I'll be experimenting with them further for the sake of my cookbook, but in the meantime, I'd love for you to try them out and let me know what you think.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup plain soymilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Combine the dry ingredients, except the chocolate chips, in a medium sized bowl, mixing well. In a smaller bowl, combine the wet ingredients. Mix well. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and combine until thoroughly dough like throughout. Add the chocolate chips and stir just to mix. Over-stirring can cause the chips to melt.

Dollop walnut-sized balls of dough on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Bake each batch of cookies for 8-12 minutes. With the two batches I tried, moving the oven grate up to the point that it's six inches from the top helped them to bake faster and more evenly. Remove the cookies when they are beginning to brown but have not yet become crisp. Let cool on a wire rack before enjoying!

Makes approximately two dozen cookies.

No Chicken Noodle Soup

2009-09-20T18:56:00.007-05:00

It's a vegetarian classic; so many brands and chefs have their own version. I regularly try to update my own recipe for it, and I did so once again this evening. I typically fry some tofu until it's fairly crisp and add it to the finished soup. Today, however, I made this quick and easy version motivated by my desire to wash as few dishes as possible once finished.

Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon dried minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried sweet basil
2/3 cup southern style cut frozen potatoes
5 cups water
vegetable bullion (use enough cubes to create 4 cups broth; I used four 1 cup cubes while you may end up using two 2 cup cubes)
2/3 cup each rotini pasta, frozen sliced carrots, and frozen peas

Directions:
Warm the olive oil in a large pan on medium heat. Add the garlic, basil, and potatoes. Cook for several minutes to soften the garlic and firm the potatoes. You can fry the potatoes until golden brown. The choice is yours. Add the remaining ingredients and boil for 20 minutes, until vegetables are well-cooked. Enjoy!

Makes approximately 4-6 servings.

Goodreads Giveaway

2009-09-19T22:53:00.005-05:00

Hey all,

I've been up to my eyeballs in typing assignments! Self-inflicted ones, too. I spent Thursday afternoon typing up my very first book, Marie's Book of Spells, because I never kept a digital copy. As a matter of fact, it's unlikely that there are more than ten copies in existence. That's the main reason for my bringing it back to life. I spent several hours recreating it so it could be read, for free! I then designed a nice little cover for it to differentiate it from its predecessor. If you'd be interested in reading it, you can hop on over to Goodreads and download it at no cost to you. It is very slightly revised. Let me know what you think of it as well.

Fortunately, I still had a digital copy of my second book, now called Generational, which I set up printing services for over on Lulu for $8.95 per book. It can also be downloaded as an eBook at a cost of $4. It is awaiting approval to be added to Kindle's database. Though it seems I have great luck in this instance, it once again escapes me in the case of my third book.

Apollo Weeps is quite a bit longer than Marie's Book of Spells and I will have to type it up as well. Why, exactly, I decided to make these books unavailable in the first place genuinely escapes me. I reflected upon my situation recently in a vlog I posted on YouTube. While I blamed a lack of reception as the cause for my taking them off the market, I do believe my original intention was to find a better way to publish and market them. I unfortunately wasn't able to do such a thing until now.

My deadline for finishing Apollo Weeps is October 1st. I'll be making it available in print as well as downloadable in PDF and Kindle forms. Those of you interested in getting your hands on a copy can do so in two ways. The first is by participating in my Goodreads Giveaway. Simply enter the contest by visiting its page. Five individuals will receive copies of the first edition, free.

You can also RSVP for the book release by clicking here. Do so and you'll receive an email reminder two days before the book release so you can properly prepare yourself. Excerpts can be read on Goodreads as well, thanks to Google books.

I have to credit my fiance, Chris, for encouraging me not to give up on writing. While I always have plans for my "next book," I feel as if she is giving me genuine direction and inspiration. Who knows, I may even begin working on some new poems.

Getting My Rock On

2009-09-11T19:51:00.004-05:00

Those of you who follow me on Twitter will probably be aware of this already but...

Chris bought Rock Band on Sunday!

We have since been obsessing over it, typically playing until we can no longer keep our eyes open or feel that we're approaching the point that we won't be able to function the next day due to a lack of sleep. I've never so frequently woken up close to noon.

Remember all those times your mom told you not to eat chocolate cake for breakfast and to get up at a decent hour as long as you were under her roof? Oh, being a grown up.

It seems that despite no longer having him, Chris and I are still obsessed with our one of a kind dog, Kobe. Mr. Kobe Dogface McFluffypants Grosvenor-Clements was a blue merle collie Australian shepherd mix. He was mostly white with brown spots on his face and ears. His eyes were blue, though one was split horizontally and half-black on its upper side. Gorgeous!

Because our love of him lingers we decided to turn him into a character in the game we would come to play so constantly. We also made our new fish into a character. Here's a group photo created by Rock Band's website.

Chris, Kobe, Lizz, and Francisco. We're known as Laserwash.

I'm getting pretty good at playing the "bass" in the game. I'm going to try and step it up this evening by seeing how well I play the songs on Hard level.

In other news, I've applied to have my GoodReads account verified as an author page. Cool beans.

A Bout of Busyness

2009-09-04T14:04:00.004-05:00

Things have been fairly eventful here in Clements-Grosvenoria!

Chris's birthday was on Tuesday. We celebrated with two days' worth of events. Our original plan for Monday was to grill salmon, but because I had decided to saute my shrimp instead of grill them Chris decided that she would also cook her fish indoors. Side dishes included steamed green beans and cheddar and roasted garlic mashed potatoes.

We both substituted lime juice for lemon in our fish recipes, and both turned out excellently. I highly recommended trying this out with other recipes.

I let her open her gifts from me Monday night. I procured for her both a flat screen TV and monitor. I also hand drew her a card, which is now prominently displayed on the counter next to our new fish.

Francisco! He's a Betta. We purchased him about two weeks ago and had trouble getting him to eat. He is not a fan of pellet food. Fortunately, we found Betta flakes at the store and he has been eating regularly since. He wasn't a fan of the thermometer we installed earlier this week at first, but he's gotten accustomed to it. Franc is no longer making angry face at the thermometer.

But I digress. Chris's real birthday was Tuesday. I worked the morning shift, came home, napped on the couch with my feet in her lap, and awoke for dinner with her family. Abuelo's is probably our favorite Mexican restaurant in Midland. We went there for my birthday as well. Once everyone's bellies were filled with delicious vittles, we ventured onward to the family's house where Chris received the rest of her gifts. Among them were new Converse All-Stars and a Playstation 2 (her original has ceased to function).

All in all it's been a pretty awesome week.

Yesterday I republished my first book of poetry. I'm just going to link to it here (zoinks!) because I've contracted an illness and desire only to remain horizontal for the rest of the day. An official release and dedicated page will be constructed soon.

Pasta, Pea, and Ham-Replacement Soup

2009-08-28T19:37:00.007-05:00

If you're a vegetarian who uses meat substitutes like Morningstar Farms and Boca products, you may have the ingredients for this recipe in your kitchen already. That's how this soup came to be; we've made everything on our menu at home this week and I wanted to make sure that we each have food to take with us to work tomorrow. I consulted my freezer and pantry and decided to make a soup.

And despite the fact that I have other photos and stories to share with you from the last few days, I'm skipping ahead to this one because I'm so excited about it!

I've tried making soup from scratch without a real recipe before. It doesn't usually work out well. My mother, however, always used to be fantastic at it. Creating soup from what's around my kitchen has always been a goal of mine and if I've reached the point in my culinary skill that I can actually do it now, I'm thrilled!

But let's get to the recipe already!

Ingredients:
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon of olive oil
1 teaspoon of onion powder

5 cups fresh, clean water and bullion cubes to equal 4 cups broth (for me, this was four cubes. I had tiny cubes this time. There are also cubes that make two cups of broth. If you have those, you'll only need two cubes for this recipe).
OR
4 cups vegetable broth + 1 cup water
1 cup thin spaghetti or linguine broken into bite size pieces
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon powdered sage
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

4 strips frozen Morningstar Farms meatless bacon, cut into tiny strips across (not lengthwise)

Directions:
Begin by warming the olive oil in a large pot. Add the minced garlic and onion powder and cook until the garlic begins to brown. Add water and all remaining ingredients EXCEPT the bacon. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes until the peas and pasta are cooked thoroughly.

Five minutes before your soup is finished, cook the fake bacon in a frying pan according to package instructions. Be sure not to overcook it, but ensure that it has browned slightly. Overcooking will leave the "facon" extremely crispy.

When both are finished, add the facon to the soup. Stir and serve! It's NUMMY!

Makes 4-6 servings depending on size.

Gooey, Fudgey Brownies (Made with Tofu)

2009-08-26T16:57:00.009-05:00

Non-vegetarians may not be aware of the fact that tofu is often used as an ingredient in baking, especially with chocolate. I don't have a vegan cookbook but have always experimented with making dairy and egg free baked goods. I remember using chocolate rice milk for brownies in high school. Today, I used both tofu and soymilk in combination with other ingredients to make these ooey, gooey, delicious fudge brownies.

They're delicious, but I'm not going to share the recipe just yet. I'm wondering if I can make a batch with just soymilk as opposed to both soy products (therefore making the process easier). But according to VegCooking.Com, you can also try substituting tofu when needing eggs using the following formula:

"If you’re looking for an egg replacer that binds, try adding 2 to 3 Tbsp. of any of the following for each egg: tomato paste, potato starch, arrowroot powder, whole wheat flour, mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, instant potato flakes, or 1/4 cup tofu puréed with 1 Tbsp. flour."

Breakfast for Dinner

2009-08-25T18:35:00.002-05:00

This is my comfort food. Just gimme some pancakes, eggs, fake bacon (or "facon," as we call it in my house), some tea, and maybe an English muffin. Please.

Last night's dinner was part of a celebration. Our car is successfully inspected and registered (this process took several weeks and almost $300) and we once again have Internet access at home. Life is good. And so is the facon.

BHG's "Nut Bread" Recipe

2009-08-20T22:41:00.003-05:00

First of all, let me apologize for the poor photo quality you see before you. As an experienced photographer, I could say that there is no excuse for the use of a bad photo. However, all I have in my possession is my cell phone and it's likely that by the time I'm able to take a decent picture, the bread pictured therein will have long been consumed.

I tried a new recipe from the classic, plaid, ring bound Better Homes and Gardens cookbook this morning. I had originally planned to make corn muffins or bread but discovered that we lacked at least a half of a cup of the cornmeal needed. Flipping a few pages backward in my cookbook, I saw the recipe for "Nut Bread" and decided to give it a go.

My pantry housed all but one of the necessary ingredients- baking soda. I consulted the NEW Better Homes and Gardens cookbook to see if I could substitute the missing soda with another chemical compound and ultimately added another 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder in an attempt to accommodate. Instead of the 3/4 cup nuts recommended, I added one half cup each of walnuts and semi-sweet chocolate chips. I also used an eight by eight inch pan instead of a traditional bread loaf one.

It's taken me all day before I could have my first slice. Overall, I'd say it's pretty good. It's not as sweet as one might expect, or at least as I might have suspected. I should take into consideration, however, that the original recipe was for "Nut Bread" and not "Ooey-gooey Super Sweet Chocolate Chip Bread." Needless to say, had there been such a recipe it would have been my first choice.

That's not to say that it isn't good, hardly! It's very smooth, fluffy, and delicious. No big surprise there, though, as every other recipe my fiance and I have attempted within the pages of the book have been exceptional.