That's Bully...

I've been spending a lot of time on my days off at Bully Blends. It's this wonderful little tea/coffee/wine shop down the hill from me. Today I had very tasty Citrus & Ginkgo tea while I read the Feb. packet for Mystery School. They sometimes have vegan things on the specials menu that are extremely yummy!

I've decided to re purpose this blog and make it about all my adventures in South Dakota instead of just vegan cooking. I get so happy when I read Sarah's blog and thus was inspired to speak of my adventuring.

Other than my trip to Bully Blends, all I've done today is clean the living room. It looks and smells awesome!

Other adventures that have been taken include:

Carl taking me to this wonderful little mustard shop on the west side of town. They make tasty things and the guy running the cash register is the person who's picture is on the label!

On Valentine's Day we found a great Mexican place in town. This has made living here much easier for me. I had a fantastic Spinach and Bean Burrito with tasty Mexican Rice and Guacamole. I had to message Sarah to tell her about it after the icky not so Mexican food from our vacation out here.

There is also a cute little store called, SomeonesIn The Kitchen. It reminds me very much on Art Mart and makes me feel at home and smiley when I shop there. They also have the best Mocha that I've found in town. Delish!

Home sick

I just realized how home sick I am......its not that I miss CU that much....its more that I miss my friends so deeply.....I hate that I only get to look at photos of them and not see them in person, hug them, laugh with them.....I'm trying to find people here in Rapid to relate too, but there is so much missing in the connections that I'm making.....I love it here, but I miss everyone so much....

Shawn's Texas Crunch

My friend Shawn made me this for Christmas last year. This year I made it for Carl's family for Christmas. It was a huge hit!

1 cup Vegan Butter
3/4 cup Dark Brown Sugar
1 bag Vegan Chocolate Chips
enough Saltine Crackers to fill a jellyroll pan (the Whole Wheat ones are awesome too)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place Saltines on jellyroll pan. Melt Vegan Butter and Sugar on stove top. Let boil about 3 minutes to make Caramel. Pour over Saltines and place in oven for 5 minutes. Remove from oven sprinkle on chocolate chips. Let chips melt a bit, about 5 minutes and then spread evenly. Let cool, being sure to loosen the corners before putting into fridge. Break into pieces and enjoy!

Banana Cookies

These are great alone or with chocolate chips, nuts, and oats added in.

1/2 a ripe banana smashed
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup margarine
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 300 degrees and grease a cookie sheet. Cream together banana, sugars, and margarine until completely combined and fluffy. Add in baking soda, salt, and flour. Batter will be thick. Roll into 1 inch balls and space 1 inch apart on cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Carrot Cake

2 1/3 cups bread flour (you can use all-purp or cake flour if you like your cakes lighter and more fluffy)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 heaping teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup canola oil
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup maple syrup (use the real stuff)
1 1/2 cups trail mix (I like one that is mostly nuts, seeds, raisins, and coconut. I wouldn't use anything savory or with chocolate. If it has large pieces of dried fruit, be sure to chop them.)
3 cups shredded carrots

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a bundt pan or two 8 in round cake pans. In a medium mixing bowl blend together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ginger. In a large mixing bowl, mix together orange juice, canola oil, sugar, vanilla extract, and maple syrup. Slowly add your dry ingredients into your wet in batches, making sure to blend well. Fold in your trail mix and shredded carrots. Pour batter into pan and bake 40-45 minutes. Let cool completely before removing from pan. Top with powdered sugar or vegan cream cheese frosting.

All is well....

The move went very smoothly. Even my cat was chill about the whole thing! I'm settling into my new home. The kitchen is tiny, but I'm managing fairly well.

The move...

I move to South Dakota in less than 15 hours! So exciting, so panic inducing! I'm splitting the trip into 2 days. It should take me just about 15 1/2 hours, including pit stops, to drive. I promise to post more recipes once I get settled in my new home.