Dear Fish

Bonnie Scotland

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy, Dear Fish) — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 07:58:00 +0000

"My heart's in the highlands, my heart is not here." - Robert Burns
A little while ago I went to visit my family and friends in Scotland. I really do miss living in Edinburgh sometimes. It was strange to go back there and feel that I knew it so well on one hand and have my experience there be totally alien on the other. It was so nice to get to see my university friends and explore the city. These are some photos of Edinburgh and a few of the surrounding countryside. I would love to go for a walk in the fields right now!

If you could be anywhere right now, where would you be?

Coffee Drinker

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy, Dear Fish) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 06:21:00 +0000

As Tahoe is still without snow I have found myself gravitating more and more to my huge collection of blouses. A little while ago I almost gave them all away to the thrift store in a fit of iamsodisgustedthatihavethismanyclothes-ness but I'm glad I didn't because they have been coming in really handy for work. As usual I have been having difficulty figuring out what to wear because almost all of my dresses are inappropriately short...le sigh! I can't wait for summer to come so I can wear mini skirts and short shorts every day!

I have been so tired recently, I forgot what it's like to have to leave the house at 7:30 to get to work. I don't know how all of you girls with full time jobs and blogs do it! All I can say is I'm very impressed! I've been loving my drive to work though, there's nothing quite like being one of very few cars on the road when the mist is snaking back over the hills and the river has little puffs of clouds threading their way along the banks. The lake was beautiful on my drive home tonight too, the full moon was lighting up the water and some of my friends even decided to go for a midnight paddle board adventure. That definitely sounded chilly to me but I am for sure going to do that as soon as spring comes around and the lake gets a little warmer. Have any of you ever gone paddle boarding before? It is one of my favorite summertime things to do. The yoga studio I go to even has stand up paddle yoga classes out on the lake!

What have you been doing to enjoy the unseasonably warm weather? Someone please tell me you've been wearing short shorts...come on, I know I'm not the only one out there!
Boots, Blouse: Thrifted; Skirt: American Apparel; Hat: H&M; Rings: New Look and F21

Office-y

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy, Dear Fish) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:10:00 +0000

When I got this new job I realized (to my comfy and warm horror!) that I would have to go from wearing yoga pants, furry boots, and huge jackets every day to wearing actual office-y clothes. I think I'm looking at my wardrobe in a whole new way now. I've been digging through my "to sell/give away" pile of clothes and have found some pretty wonderful gems in there that I'm excited to wear to work. Taking outfit photos in the snow? Not really the most splendid of processes (a.k.a. wet feet, weird looks from manly looking dudes in passing trucks, falling through snow up to your knees, general freezing-ness) but I think these photos actually turned out pretty well!

Yesterday I went climbing for four hours and then rested my tired muscles in the sauna. I'm getting a leetle bit addicted to climbing. Every time I finish a new route I get abnormally excited. Even if it goes down like my last climb yesterday, when my friend was yelling from the balcony above me to "woman up and be strong!" while I pathetically dangled about ten feet from the top and contemplated an obnoxiously zen-looking Buddha shaped handhold. I'm glad I made it in the end!

Today I did more training at work and then lay on a dock by Donner Lake and contemplated the moon with a fellow Piscean. Life is marvelously peachy sometimes!

Have any of you been having suitably wonderful adventures/trying new things in the new year?

Flats: Gap; Skirt: Thrifted, Crossroads SF; Eighties Blouse: Thrifted; Cardigan: FCUK; Wool Coat: Thrifted

I'm Makin' Real Good Bread

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy, Dear Fish) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 06:45:00 +0000

I made some fresh bread to go with my soup the other day, and I thought I'd share the recipe with you. It's insanely easy because you don't have to knead it, and it only rises for half an hour. It makes a dense loaf that's perfect for sandwiches. I like to use whole wheat flour but I have also made it with white flour and that tastes delicious too. This is perfect in the morning with homemade jam...check out my recipe for that here. Enjoy! Hope you all had a happy, hopeful and happenin' weekend!

Yummy Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread
1 Package Dried Yeast
1/2 Tsp Sugar
Two Cups Warm Water
1lb 2oz Whole Wheat Flour (Approx. 4 Cups)
1 1/2 Tsp Salt
2 Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast (Optional)
3 Tablespoons Sesame Seeds (Optional)
Any other seeds/grains/spices you would like to add!

Dissolve yeast in a cupful of water with the sugar. Leave 10-15 mins. Grease a bread tin (I line mine with parchment paper as well). Combine all other ingredients, then add yeast liquid and water to make a sticky dough. Spoon into bread tin. Cover and let rise in a warm spot for 30 min. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. After bread has risen bake for 30 minutes. Cool and eat!

Dreaming of Summer

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy, Dear Fish) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 05:34:00 +0000

"She's a summer love for spring, fall and winter." - Grateful Dead, "Sugar Magnolia"

I can't help but be jealous of everyone in the lovely antipodes, especially when I see pretty summer posts on Lost in the Haze and K is for Kani. Those girls have summer style if I ever saw it! It makes me wish it was summer here...since we haven't really been getting much snow I want winter to be over so summer can hurry up and get here! I can't wait to ride my bike along the lake, or wake up super early to go wakeboarding when the water is smooth and glassy, or just sit by the beach with a good book. Doesn't that sound just perfect right now? What are you missing most about summer?

I'm still praying for snow of course, I wouldn't mind skiing a little bit before winter's over, but in terms of clothes...well all I really want to wear is hot pants and mini skirts! These photos are from my favorite hiking spot behind my old house. What a beautiful place to hike that was. I took these in October and it was still warm enough to wear shorts and sandals.

I'm off to go watch my friends' funk band play. I love their shows, all of my friends always come and we tear it up on the dance floor! What's your favorite thing to do on a Saturday night?

Sandals: Sanuk; Shorts: Topshop; Blouse: TJ Maxx; Backpack: Thrifted

Butternut Squash Peanut Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy, Dear Fish) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 22:54:00 +0000

Last night I made this soup for a little dinner party and it was oh-so-good! It sounds a little funny to add peanut butter to soup, but I promise you, it's delicious.

Butternut Peanut Soup
Serves 6
1 Onion
3 Cloves Garlic
1 Butternut Squash
1 Tetra Pack or Two Cans Vegetable Stock
1/3 Jar of Peanut Butter
Juice of One Lemon
1 Tsp Cumin
1/2 Tsp Chilli Flakes
Salt and Pepper to taste

Cut up the onion and carmelize in a large soup pot with a little bit of olive oil. Peel and cut the squash into one inch cubes. After the onion looks browned, crush 3 cloves garlic and add to the pot. Add squash, cover, and let cook for five minutes. Add spices and stir ingredients. Pour in stock, cover, and let simmer until the squash is soft enough that it falls apart if you press it against the side of the pot. Blend the ingredients, either with a hand blender, or in batches in a regular blender. Return the soup to the pot and add peanut butter, lemon, and salt and pepper to taste. Keep stirring until the peanut butter is fully incorporated. Enjoy!

Back To Neutral

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy, Dear Fish) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 02:39:00 +0000

Just thought I'd pop in and share these photos from my daily walk with you. I just finished knitting this scarf and I had to show it off! You might have noticed something a little unusual in these photos...snow! That's it, we finally got a storm. Which explains why things have been pretty quiet over here as of late, I've been spending most of my days either shoveling or skiing, neither of which a pretty outfit makes.
I did take photos of what I was wearing but looking at the photos I decided I would just post these two, because honestly I'm wearing the same furry boots and warm tights I always wear. It's a leetle boring. I love Amanda's comment in her latest post: "I've worn this all before...lots of times. I'd call it a remix but instead I'll just call it reality." Sometimes it's hard to be all stylin' when the weather and your closet gets the better of you. But I'll be back with some funkaaay outfit post soon for y'all, don't you worry!
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going back to my soup making. Why oh why is it so very difficult to peel butternut squash? In the process I have managed to peel my hand and the countertop. But it's going to be one delish soup, so totally worth the minor bloodbath my kitchen just experienced! (Kidding...there is no blood in the soup. That wouldn't be very vegan now, would it?)
Anyone have any good soup recipes? I think I have exhausted every last one in my arsenal. As my roommate said to me the other day: "What are you going to make for dinner? Oh, of course, something stew-like in that giant cast iron skillet of yours." Help me out so that I can stop getting made fun of! Hope you are all having a fab Thursday!

"Rhiannon Rings Like a Bell Through the Night"

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy, Dear Fish) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 19:46:00 +0000

Channeling Stevie Nicks! This outfit was so much fun to wear. I kind of felt like I was floating about all day with my skirt billowing behind me. These photos are thanks to Isla again. Both days that I came into the city we drank lots of coffee, talked about clothes and blogs, did some light thrifting and a lot of photo taking. I love that girl...our dads are best friends, and somehow we always end up in the same place. We didn't even know we were going to the same university until we ran into each other in the library and discovered we were living three houses away from each other! How crazy is that? I think there are some people the universe just wants you to have in your life, and I'm so lucky that she's one of those people for me!
We also got to hang out with the beautiful Annalise and her cutie pie doggy. It's so nice to go back to San Francisco and get to meet up so many lovely people. That place rocks my socks!

Btw you guys! I got that job I was hoping for! So I get to stay in Tahoe. It's like a real live year round job so I won't have to scramble around for seasonal jobs anymore. I am so happy/excited/relieved!
Boots: Kelsi Dagger; Skirt: Gift from my lovely sister; Tee: Ross; Cardigan: Thrifted Levi's; Necklace: Handmade by my talented friend Ashley; Hat: H & M

Here's a funny little P.S: That awkward moment when you decide to climb on the back of a UPS truck to take photos and it drives away...

San Francisco

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy, Dear Fish) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 06:23:00 +0000

"San Francisco itself is art, above all literary art. Every block is a short story, every hill a novel. Every home a poem, every dweller within immortal. That is the whole truth." - William Saroyan
It is hard not to think about how magical San Francisco is every time I visit this place. I spent a lovely day drinking coffee, thrifting, and photo taking with the beautiful and talented Isla. She took all of these photos which explains why they look so wonderful! I couldn't choose, so this post is a bit of a photo overload, sorry!
I drove down from Tahoe this morning guzzling excessive amounts of chai on the way. My good friend Caleb fixed my truck for me; I am so thankful for him! He spent six hours outside in the 20 degree weather loosening the nuts on the master cylinder(at one point I had to do an emergency hitch hike to get WD40), bleeding the brakes, and replacing the master cylinder. I feel like I'm constantly reminded what wonderful friends I have.
Life is still in a general state of upheaval; I have been applying for jobs all over the place, including San Francisco, so I'm here for interviews and to catch up with old friends again. I'm hoping something turns up soon!

Boots: Thrifted; Skirt, Top, Coat: Borrowed from Isla's closet and her shop; Bolo: Vintage

Sh*t Skiers Say

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy, Dear Fish) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 07:19:00 +0000

So...I debated forever about whether I should share this on my blog or not because I'm sure not many of you are skiers. But, this is pretty much my life. It's so flippin' hilarious. The "Broooooo!" montage is probably my favorite thing ever. Or maybe "Where's my phone?" I have eight pockets in my jacket so that happens to me pretty much all the time. That's right, skiers are all huge dorkfaces, but we love it! Plus, it is snowing right now!!! The moment we've all been waiting for has arrived, so I feel the need to celebrate by posting silly ski videos on my blog!

Bridle Paths

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy, Dear Fish) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 04:27:00 +0000

Here are some more photos from my new favorite walking spot! This time I took a different trail than the one Rach and I took earlier. You can really see the burned trees in this photo. They are sort of ghostly, right?
I am losing my voice and have been guzzling insane amounts of Throat Coat tea and Kombucha to cure myself. I figured a nice long walk bundled up in my cozy BB Dakota coat would do me some good. I'm addicted to this coat...I wear it all the time. It is so warm and the hood is the best, it makes me feel like I should be wandering the frozen tundra somewhere.
My truck has been broken down for the past week and I have been missing it so much. Hitchhiking everywhere is getting a little old! One of the things I love about Tahoe is that it is safe enough to hitchhike. I always wish that it was safe enough to hitchhike across the U.S. ala On The Road. What an amazing adventure that would be! Do any of you hitchhike?

Boots: Thrifted, J.Crew; Jeans: Uniqlo; Jacket: BB Dakota; Shirt: UO; Backpack: Thrifted, Vintage

"On the lake rosy reflections of celestial vapor appeared"

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy, Dear Fish) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 03:50:00 +0000

The title of this post is a quote from one of my favorite books; The Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac. I had lost my copy of it and was lucky enough to get one in my stocking from Santa this year!
This is my view every day. Sometimes I just can't believe how lucky I am! It's crazy how living in the city most of the time you don't even think about sunsets or stars, or what phase the moon is in. In Tahoe it's right in front of my face every second, and I couldn't be more thankful. I am such a Pisces and being near water has always given me peace. I'm glad that this dock is a three minute walk down the street from my house!
I wish I had been able to take better photos of the sunset and my outfit. I tinkered with my settings a lot but still couldn't get it quite right. I would love to take a photography class! Has anyone taken any good online photography classes that they would recommend?
I did a tiny spot of thrifting over the weekend (I shouldn't have, I have no money!) and found all of these perfect additions to my wardrobe. I have been living in the cardigan ever since I bought it, it's so warm!

Furry Boots: Thrifted, J.Crew; Dress: Thrifted, F21; Woven Belt: Thrifted, Vintage; Cardigan: Thrifted, Levis; Brooch: Xmas Present, Vintage

Hipster Daddy

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy, Dear Fish) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 07:36:00 +0000

I thought you guys might enjoy this funny photo of my dad from back in the day. I think he may have been one of the original hipsters! He and my godfather, Isla's dad, went on many adventures in Africa together. I definitely wish I was in Africa at this moment, how wonderful would that be?
P.S. If you haven't already, go check out Isla's blog, A Fine Day For Sailing. It is fab!

Bolomania!

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy, Dear Fish) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:42:00 +0000

Well, I jumped on Zoe's bolomania train. Once you start you just can't stop! I have another bolo that goes with this which is an awesome beaded aztec thing, but I love the way this eagle keeps everything classy. I got it at a vintage store on Brick Lane in London. Easily my favorite area, if I ever move back to the UK that is where I would love to live! The store was really funny, it had lots of western stuff like cowboy boots and big belt buckles. I went all the way across the pond and ended up buying stuff that reminded me of California!
I love this skirt to bits (quite literally, it is falling to pieces) but I think it has almost gotten to the point of indecency! There is a hole in the back that just keeps getting bigger and bigger, and one day working at the rafting company I wore this and ended up getting way more tips than usual. Well, I turned around and realized why...I may as well have just been wearing my bikini bottoms and skipped the skirt!
Do any of you have clothes like this that you love and just don't want to get rid of?
Boots, Shirt, Sweater, Bolo: Thrifted/Vintage; Skirt: Topshop

Lucy and Rach go for a walk

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy, Dear Fish) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 01:06:00 +0000

Yesterday my lovely roommate and I went for a walk. We have always heard that there are lots of trails behind our house and haven't thought to explore them until now. I am so glad we did because there seem to be miles of them going in every direction; following streams, going up to my favorite place, Eagle Rock, and meandering through slightly eerie meadows of burned trees. There was a fire a few years ago and everything still looks pretty burned, it is amazing to see how many trees survived though; they are still growing even though the bottoms of their trunks are scarred by the flames.
Rach and I always have good talks whenever we go walking and we got to thinking about this summer and all of the festivals we want to go to. I told her about the Wassaic Project, which I attended almost two years ago (you can see my post about it here) and she told me all about Spaghetti Fest, which used to be held at her parents campground. I really hope to take a road trip and be able to make it to both of them and a few other festivals this year! After we emerged from the forest we were heading back to our house when we saw the sun setting over the lake, and we couldn't resist wandering down to the dock and waiting for the moon to rise. Sometimes I let myself get a little bogged down with the stress of living up here and always having to search for the next seasonal job, and then I sit by the lake and remember why it's all worth it. It truly is a magical place!
Are you planning any fun trips for the summer?

Boots, Scarf, Brooch: Thrifted; Shorts: Topshop; Sweatshirt: Tahoe Made Attire

Wine Country

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy, Dear Fish) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 08:48:00 +0000

Recently I went to Napa to visit my lovely friend Becky who is one cool bird lady! Right now she is studying birds in Florida (on fan boats...so awesome) but she has been all over the U.S. and the world studying them. It was lovely to get to chat with her and she took us on a great little walking tour of Yountville. She also gave us the gift of some amazing cheese from the Cowgirl Creamery. We couldn't have been happier!

This trip was particularly special because my sisters came with me. It's not often that we are all in the same country long enough to spend time together. My sister Naomi is just about to head back to where she is working in Africa, so I won't see her for another six months or so. It has been great having her at home! Every time we all get together we tend to get pretty silly...we found a forked branch that looked like a great divining rod for finding water so we ran around trying to find hidden water sources without much luck. We also stumbled across a free pile with a wealth of interesting coffee table books. I got one about the moon, and some bungee cords to keep in my truck. NBD.

We were walking around at sunset and it was beautiful to see the colors washing over the vines. Have any of you ever been to Napa?

Oh! The Places You'll Go!

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy, Dear Fish) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 20:23:00 +0000

Just thought I'd pop in quickly and share this video with you. Isn't the Black Rock Desert and its inhabitants beautiful?

Crazy Hat Lady

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy, Dear Fish) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 17:01:00 +0000

I have never been much of a hat person until I bought this sweet baby on super sale at h&m. And oh, how my world has changed. It is perfect for making any outfit look more sophisticated and slightly edgy, and it goes with everything!
I took these snaps right after I ran home and changed post-job interview yesterday. I think maybe my truck doesn't want me to get a job, I wore a pencil skirt to the interview and I couldn't step my leg up high enough to get into the driver's seat! I had to do an awkward falling face first into the cushions/crawl to get behind the wheel. It was far from graceful, I assure you!
I got this awesome top on sale from a little boutique here in Tahoe. It is 100% linen and is made in the USA! I love it!
I just spent this morning writing thank you letters for the interview and I really hope I get it so keep your fingers crossed for me please! Now I am off to teach my local's group (who are really advanced skiers) how to ski on the bunny slopes. This should be interesting... Anyone have any good kids games to recommend that involve lots of running around in case they get bored of skiing?

Boots: Ross; Jeans: UO; Top: Patterson J. Kincaid; Coat: Topshop; Hat: H&M

Binocular-ing

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy, Dear Fish) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 19:30:00 +0000

The other day the lovely and talented Nikka posted a rather insightful Neil Gaiman quote on her blog. Here is another one of my favorites:
"May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you're wonderful, and don't forget to make some art -- write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself." -Neil Gaiman
So...thanks Neil, you're one smart dude. I can only hope and wish that this happens for me and for all of you, and I think it's a nice sentiment to keep in mind. Especially since I am on a job hunt of epic proportions. Because of the lack of snow up here the resort that I work at has suspended operations except for the weekends, and the restaurant that I work at at nights has shut down. So I have been job hunting like woah! I have had a couple of interviews so I hope they turn into something good. I may have to move back to San Francisco for a few months until the summer tourist crowd gets here. I am trying to remain optimistic about all this because it is kind of exciting to be seeing some changes in my life. It is a little stressful though!
I know so many of you must be going through the same thing, the economy has been rough! Tell me about your job...do you love it? Put up with it because you have other exciting and creative things you do in your spare time? Like the people you work with or not? Are you doing what you thought you would be doing five years ago?

I took these on my way over the pass, doesn't Donner Lake look beautiful?

Flats: Gap; Skirt: American Apparel; Shirt: Thrifted and DIY'ed

Catch!

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy, Dear Fish) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 19:00:00 +0000

Here I am with my favorite man, Blue. He's my roommate's dog and is as wonderful as can be! Every time his dad is working, I take Blue out on adventures in my truck. We've been on many a hike and swim together!

This is a really good example of how hot it is in Tahoe right now. The other day I was even wearing flip flops! I'm not going to lie, I kinda like the warm weather, but we need some snow for the economy. I feel so bad for all of the people who are out of a job and are needing one to come through soon so that they can stay in this magical place. If you can take a moment out of your day, do a snow dance for us please!

Boots and Scarf: Thrifted; Dress: Target

Have you been having any crazy weather where you live?

Sir Wallace's Moving Day

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy, Dear Fish) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 18:17:00 +0000

Even without snow, the winter has been a little chilly, so I had to put my lovely house in storage for the season. My friends Chris and Tori, who own Sir Wallace the Winnebago, found a lovely spot for it in the parking lot of Hidden Valley, where I used to work. I managed to take a few photos of what it looks like inside before I had to let it go for the summer. It was so amazing for me to have my space and I loved decorating this baby. I filled it with books, fun prints, and lots of pretty teacups and vintage milk bottles. It was a beautiful and happy haven for me when our 12 person house got a little too busy inside. As much as I love my kind and creative roommates, I needed to have a little "me" time every once in awhile!

This is one of my favorite photos of my parents. They are skiing in The Alps and they have the most awesome outfits!

Sir Wallace feeling very naked without all the tarps that he usually wears for winter:

The Winne moving crew:

I snapped this in the rear view mirror of my truck as we were trundling along the road. Sir Wallace is technically not legal for driving so we had to make a caravan of three cars to stay on all sides of him so the police couldn't see his registration stickers!

I am sad that the Winne is in storage for the winter because I think it is my favorite place that I have ever lived. But I can't wait for the new adventures that will happen when I see Sir Wallace in the summer time! Have any of you ever lived in a Winnebago or "on the road"? Where is your favorite place that you've lived?

Aztec Snow

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy, Dear Fish) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 07:14:00 +0000

Here I am in my Aztec print coat! I am obsessed with this thing and have been wearing it everywhere. I love the furry hood. My friend Joey saw me wearing it the other night and told me he wished he could curl up in the hood and live in my jacket! That obviously didn't happen but I know what he means...it is so warm!

These photos of me are back from when we had a tiny bit of snow. We've been having a dry spell lately which is a little bit worrying because the resorts are closing. My resort is going down to only operating three days a week so I've been looking hard for other work. I'm really hoping that I get something!

My only resolution this year is to spread joy to as many people as I can. So...I wish you all happiness, health and contentment! And I love hearing from you guys, so if you ever want to email me about anything you're more than welcome to: Dearfishvintage@gmail.com.
Tell me your resolutions!

Boots: Sorel; Skirt: American Apparel; Flannel: Vintage Pendleton; Coat: Modcloth

Lake Life

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy, Dear Fish) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 00:46:00 +0000

My lovely friend Lisa has a boat that she was kind enough to let us all play on this summer. We had such fun times wakeboarding, going to secluded beaches, and stopping at our favorite restaurants on the lake for lunch picnics. Yesterday we took the boat out of the Lake so Lisa can store it for the winter, and we're all feeling a little sad reminiscing about it. I thought I'd post a few photos from one of my favorite boat outings that we took a couple of weeks ago.

Jeff driving...he's the best wakeboarder ever!

Lovely Katie:

Lisa's tiny dog Anoush:

Lisa's son:

One of our favorite lunch places in the background:

Jeff's slightly alternative way of wearing a life jacket:

Me doing one of my favorite summer activities...wakeboarding!

What are you going to miss most about summer?

Vegan Banana Bread

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy, Dear Fish) — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 17:01:00 +0000

A couple of days ago we had a little taste of the changing seasons; it was 30 degrees and we had a few inches of snow so I made my favorite winter staple, banana bread! This is so good warm out of the oven and you can use up all the over-ripe bananas you've got kickin' around the kitchen. I just pop them in the freezer and then I'm always ready for banana bread making (frozen bananas are really good in smoothies too!). I used this recipe from Post Punk Kitchen as a base and then tweaked it a lot. The measurements for the crumb topping aren't exact, just go with what you feel, making sure there is enough melted butter to dry ingredients ratio so that it isn't too dry.
It's sunny and warm here again so perhaps I need to get started on some of those summery smoothies!

Vegan Banana Bread

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup White Sugar
1/2 Cup Earth Balance (or other butter substitute)
3 Ripe Bananas, Mashed
2 Cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
1/4 Cup Rice Milk, mixed with 1 Tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tsp Vanilla extract
1 Tsp Cinnamon
1/2 Tsp Ground Cloves
1/2 Tsp Nutmeg
1/2 Tsp Ginger
small handful of crystallized ginger, chopped
1 Cup vegan chocolate chips (optional)

Topping:
4 Tbsp Melted Earth Balance
1/2 Cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
1/2 Cup Oats
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Pecans, Chopped
cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, to taste
small handful crystallized ginger, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 8×4 bread pan with non stick cooking spray, or lightly coat with margarine.

Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, spices, and ginger.

Cream together the margarine and sugars. Add bananas, soy milk and vanilla.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry. Mix well. Add chocolate chips. Mix together ingredients for crumb topping. Pour batter into pan. Top with crumb topping. Bake for an hour to an hour 10 minutes.
Enjoy!

Wally the Winnebago

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy, Dear Fish) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 06:58:00 +0000

Big news! I moved into our "house Winnebago", Wally! I am only here for two months until the snow starts falling really heavily, but I am so excited to have my own space. I've been decorating, and filling the refrigerator with lots of yummy veggies. I love it already; it's from the 70's and has mustard yellow upholstery, a plaid carpet, and "patchwork" leather walls. My friends Chris and Tori own it, and they have already decorated it with so many beautiful tapestries and filled it with their happy lovely energy. Tori is the one who has been my inspiration and constant support for going vegan so it's nice to be living in her spot for a little bit!

This last weekend I went on a trip to Yosemite which was so much fun. Good food, good friends, good beers, good hikes, and good times. It was wonderful! I took a few photos before my camera battery died so I will post those soon so you can see some of the lovely scenery.

Cowboy Boots: Thrifted, Dress: UO

My friend Ashley made this necklace for me, isn't it lovely? What's the best present a friend has ever given you?