Peppery Fig & Cider Compote

First of all, I love figs. LOVE THEM! Ugh - they're so delicious even by themselves. Biting into a fresh fig is one of my favorite moments of the year, since they aren't in season for most of it. They aren't too sweet, aren't sour at all, and have the most heavenly texture. It's a little fruity decadence that I allow myself annually.


So, on to a recipe that includes that fantastically figgy fruit! You may recognize this as a part of my Vegetarian Thanksgiving Menu, which is why I wanted to share. I got it from the Epicurious.com website, and it was featured in Gourmet Magazine (October 2008). They say that it's great served with fresh ricotta, however I'm planning on serving it with some salty Tofurkey. Can't wait to try it out!

Peppery Fig & Cider Compote

Yield: Makes about 1 1/2 cups Active Time: 10 min Total Time: 45 min

INGREDIENTS

8 ounces dried Mission figs, stemmed
1 1/2 cups unfiltered apple cider
1/4 cup sugar
3 (2-inch) strips orange zest
1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf
1 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed


DIRECTIONS

Cut figs into 1-inch pieces. Boil cider with figs and remaining ingredients, uncovered, until it is slightly syrupy and figs are plump, about 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

My Pin-Up Girl Tattoo

I love my pin-up girl tattoo. A very talented Denver artist named Willie came up with the design - it's a cross between Gil Elvgren's illustration of a blond girl in a white dress surrounded by love letters, and of course Bettie Page. I wanted her surrounded by blue clouds instead & in a red dress, and Willie suggested to have her sitting on the moon. Perfect!


The other day I was at the library in a short-sleeved shirt, and the gentleman working at the counter asked if he could have a look at it. When I pulled up my sleeve to reveal the entire piece, he gasped and said "That's magnificent!"


I'd never received a compliment like this before about one of my tattoos, but I was thrilled about it. I do believe that it is a magnificent piece, and I feel proud to have it on my arm all the time. I know a lot of people still don't understand tattoos & why people get them, but I think they're beautiful when they're done right. And I really really love mine!

Orangutan & the Hound

I thought this was too cute NOT to post! Love it.

My Vegetarian Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. It brings people together, and makes it acceptable to totally overindulge on wonderfully delicious foods!

Usually my big sis was the one planning our Thanksgiving Feast. However she moved to New York about 4 years ago, so I've happily taken over the cookin' queen's crown. Of course, now that most of our family is vegetarian it has created a new & exciting challenge. I have also had to be sympathetic to my lil' sis who is lactose intolerant. A Thanksgiving without a turkey, and mostly without cheese? WHAAA??

Well I promise you - it is entirely possible. I am no cook, but I have compiled a list of recipes that I've gathered from some of my favorite websites. Here are my favorite ones to visit (I usually modify the recipes that include meat pretty easily):

http://browse.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/index.html (I used to get the Real Simple magazine - the food photos are just gorgeous)

http://www.vegcooking.com/index.asp

http://veganyumyum.com/ (how can you beat a name like that?)

http://www.epicurious.com/recipesmenus?mbid=rss_epinr (some of these look like more trouble than they are worth, but a few modifications can make them much easier. And every one I've tried has been amazing)

Anyhoodle - after going through the numerous recipes I've collected over the years, I've come up with a menu that sounds both exciting and enticing - even though it's all vegetarian & mostly dairy free! If you would like for me to share any particular recipe with you, just ask in my comments, and I'll see what I can do for ya.

Here it is!!

BETH'S AWESOME 2009 THANKSGIVING MENU
Appetizers
Dates with Goat Cheese wrapped in Veggie Bacon (Smart Strips)
Cinnamon Roasted Almonds


Side Dishes
Winter Fruit Salad with Lemon Poppyseed Dressing (with swiss cheese on the side)
Simple Herb Stuffing
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Tempeh Bacon and golden raisins
Apricot Cranberry Sauce
Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Shallots
Maple Glazed Sweet Potatoes with Pecans
Vegan Gravy


Main Dishes
Tofurkey with Peppery Fig & Cider Compote
Seitan with Mushrooms & Port

Dessert
Baked Pears with Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream

Doesn't that all just sound splendid! Yeah, I'm pretty proud of myself. Now I just have to cross my fingers that it will all come off without a hitch! (HA!) Well, a couple of glasses of wine makes up for any cooking mistakes, right? :)

Roller Derby - YEAH!

Just saw "Whip It" with my daddy-o last night, and it was really cute. You can definitely tell that it was a directorial debut (by Drew Barrymore), from some of the rather novice seeming shots & cuts, however I still really enjoyed it. I love that it wasn't the typical Hollywood ending too (I won't spoil it for those who haven't seen it), and that it was more true to how things would happen in real life. It really made me want to get into derby myself (as I'm sure it has done for a lot of girls)!


I've thought of doing the derby in the past, but wasn't sure if I was up for the commitment. I have some friends that have gotten into it, and you have to practice at least 2x a week, but 3x is optimal. Of course if you really want to get good, you have to practice more than that! And the bruises shown in the movie are definitely something that comes with the territory (although I've never seen a punch actually thrown at a bout). I'm not even sure if the shitty health insurance I have would cover the injuries that I would likely encounter!

But of course, the image of myself in roller skates & fishnets is again a fresh image in my mind. I guess we'll see what happens... I have been looking for some inspiration lately!

Fat guys, Skinny chicks

I just watched Paul Blart "Mall Cop", and it pretty much sucked. I think Kevin James is hysterical - I friggin' love the guy. But it definitely wasn't the funny movie of the year.

The reason why I'm posting this is that I recently realized a HUGE double-standard going on in movies. OK, it has been going on for a while, but after watching this movie and seeing the previews for "Couples Retreat" I just got pissed off. Kevin James is 44 years old, and really overweight. They pair him with a 30-year-old teeny tiny gorgeous girl. Whaaa? Really? Is it so hard to create a pairing that's just the slightest bit more realistic? Can't women that are slightly heavier, in a slightly more realistic age range be attractive too? Apparently not in Hollywood.

Now go on YouTube and search for the "Couples Retreat" trailor. Are any of those dudes thin / toned / in shape at ALL? No. Are the women? YES - every single one! Why is this still OK? I know that guys feel pressure from society, but I feel like it's being much more widely accepted that this kind of a double standard is okay.

I'm done venting now! But really, what is so wrong with a more realistic view of beauty? The guys are there apparently, but what about the girls? Eh? EH??

Zombieland Rocks

Just saw "ZOMBIELAND" last night with my friend Katy! It was hilarious. Gross, but really funny. Okay - really friggin' gross. Not for the zombie-faint-of-heart. I was kind of hoping for a bit more of "The List" that Columbus kept (rules to surviving in Zombieland), as I felt like there were only about 5 that they revealed, but I think his list went up to 32. There could've been a lot of possibilities there - but I did love the "Double Tap" rule and how it kept popping up!


Seriously though - these zombies were some of the grossest ever - mostly because of the blood / barf that was always pouring out of their mouths. WOW - to be an extra in that movie, eh? Yuck! I know it's fake, but still it'd be pretty gross. Even the 28 Days Later zombies didn't gross me out as much as these guys.


Definitely had a few Beth-Screaming-Like-A-Little-Girl moments too, as they threw in plenty shock & scare moments which was fun. All in all a pretty darn fun movie, that I enjoyed a lot! Let's hope that if zombies do take over that they're just a teeny bit less terrifying though, 'kay?

I LOVE AUTUMN!

Sigh - I love love love the fall.
This photo was taken by my friend Kristen, but it captures the beautiful Aspens perfectly! I love the chill in the air, the changing of the leaves. I love the anticipation of the holidays, mulled cider, snuggling under blankets. I love warming up with a cup of butternut squash soup or a cup of hot cocoa. I love the changing sky, and the changing sun. I love breaking out my hoodies, and wearing boots with leggings. I love the smells of cinnamon & nutmeg, and Pumpkin Spice Lattes.

All in all - one of my favorite times of year.
And yes, I'm already picking out recipes for Thanksgiving! :)

CRAZIES!

I have decided that the world of dating had just gotten crazier & crazier....
Not only with texting, but emailing, IM-ing, Facebook / MySpace, and the dreaded page of Missed Connections.

For those of you who have been living under a rock, Missed Connections is an area of Craigslist.com where people can post a note to hopefully connect with the person that they didn't have the balls (or vagina) to talk to in real life. Most of them are things like: "Gorgeous redhead at King Soopers" or "LR, I miss you!" or "Sorry I screwed up". Whatever the headline may be - you people are f-ing CRAZY!!

Ok, ok - to be fair, not all of them are. Some of them are pretty genuine "Hey, I talked to you but didn't get a chance to get your number" stuff. But the OTHER half... the people rambling on for pages & pages about how sorry they are, how they miss somebody, how lonely they are without them - not even knowing if the person they're talking to will even read it!! What the hell?? Why don't you friggin' call the person?

This is me simply venting about all this crap. Maybe it's just me, but it seems as though there is no middle ground anymore. I'm sure it's the same way for guys with girls too - but I feel like either it's one extreme or the other! Either someone won't give you the time of day, or their so damn needy and crazy, that your entire day is planned around how to get them to stay the hell away from you.

Is it all of the new technology that's causing things to be so black & white? I don't know. It seems to me like everything would be easier if these people picked up the phone, or tried - as shocking as it might be - to talk in person! Maybe reverting back to the older way of doing things would make dating easier for everyone - and at least a little more bearable.

Whew - I've said my peace!

Us & Ani

Our family's one claim-to-fame... my sisters & I are 2nd cousins of the rock/folk diva, Ani DiFranco. Which means my mom is her 1st cousin - pretty rad! We've gotten to meet her a few times backstage after her shows, and she's super nice. Obviously this picture is a teeensy bit old (hence the brace-face on me), but it's fun to reminisce. This was our first encounter with her! She really is a tiny little person too - when I hugged her, I felt like my arms could wrap around her twice. It's amazing how so much power can come out of such a little person! :)