Cup of Joe

I learned something new on my favorite podcast Stuff You Should Know the other day!  It was their "Coffee" podcast - where they told you all you needed to know about coffee, it's history, how to make it, where it comes from - etc, etc.  Josh and Chuck were very informative (as always).  

My favorite part though was the FUN FACT that I learned about why having a cup of coffee has been nicknamed "Cup o' Joe".  And I'm gonna share it with you! 

It turns out that coffee has become associated with America mostly because of the Boston Tea Party.  It seems pretty obvious, right?  England puts a high tax on tea, the new Americans in the colonies are pissed off, so they start drinking coffee instead.  Who'd have thunk it'd be that obvious?  I sure as heck didn't!

Tea, on the other hand, is very much associated with England.  In the UK, tea is a part of daily culture and people drink it all the time.  In fact, my grandma is British, and I think that's why me and my family find such love for a good cup of black tea with milk & sugar.  (Our favorite is P&G Tips by the way - it's excellent with honey & a splash of soymilk!)

Anyway, it became common for Brits to call a cup of tea simply "cuppa".  It was a bit redundant to say "would you like a cup of tea?" - when you could easily assume it was tea they wanted.  You could simply say "want a cuppa?" and be done with it! 

During World War II, a lot of American soldiers were in England.  But they didn't want tea - they wanted COFFEE.  And what's another thing you'd call an American G.I.?  How about a "Joe"?  G.I. Joe.  They wanted a "cuppa joe".  

How about that, huh? :)  Learn somethin' new every day.  

 
Speaking of which, now I really want myself a cup of joe!  Haha!  
I know I've totally used this picture before in one of my cutie-cute girl posts, but I couldn't resist.... hey, there's still coffee involved! :) 

The whole podcast made me think of my relationship with coffee.  I once got to the point where I would drink about 1-2 cups / day, but that was in college when I didn't really care about my health nearly as much as I do now. 

These days I stick to about 2 cups / week.  Sometimes (like this week), I go without any!  I think of it more as a treat instead of a requirement.  I would feel better about having it more regularly if I could drink it black, but I'm SO not one of those people.  I like cream (soymilk, actually), and plenty of sugar (natural or honey)!  It's just extra calories & sugar I don't need in a day. 

Oh how I used to wish I could be the tough guy and drink my coffee black.  I thought it was SO COOL if you could do that!  But then I saw "Pulp Fiction".  

If you remember, there's a scene where The Wolf (a total badass problem-solving character played by Harvey Kietel), is in Quentin Tarantino's character's kitchen.  Quentin asks him, "Would you like a cup of coffee?",  Harvey replies, "Yeah",  Quentin asks, "How do you take it?"....

...to which Harvey replies, "Lotsa cream, lotsa sugar."

Let's just say I haven't felt bad about taking cream & sugar in my coffee ever since. 

All photos from We Heart It - except Harvey Keitel which was found via a Google Image search.

Blog MAKEOVER!

Hey gang!  

Just a quick update - as you can see, I gave my blog a bit of a facelift!  :)  I updated my header with some new photos, and I now have some new links along the right side - including a place where you can sign up for email updates, and share my blog on Facebook! 

Pretty rad, huh?  I'm so behind the times... 

Anyhoodle, if you haven't checked it out yet, please be sure to check out Chickpeas & Hulahoops - my new funny-stuff blog my friend Megan and I started.  I just put a new post up there today that I think is pretty funny.  It has to do with me, John, and zombies.  Classic. 

Hope you're having a great Wednesday! 

XO Beth

Thai Coconut Soup

John and I aren't actually celebrating Valentine's Day until tonight since he had his bowling league last night - so I came home from work and made some Thai Coconut Soup! 

I found the recipe on Pinterest (my new favorite thing EVER), and it turned out really super yummers.  I changed it up a little bit (since I really like the sweet & spicy taste), so enjoy! 

Thai Coconut Soup
This flavor-loaded soup, known authentically as Tom kha, satisfies people with its perfect blend of sweet, pungent, coconut taste!

Ingredients
    2 tablespoons oil (I used coconut oil)
    1 large onion, finely chopped
    1 inch piece of fresh ginger, grated or minced
    4 fresh garlic cloves, minced
    4 cups stock, vegetable
    1 can coconut milk (I used light coconut milk)
    2 cups of shitake mushrooms, sliced or chopped
    2 fresh tomatoes, seeded, medium dice
    1 fresh plump lime cut into quarters
    1/2 package tofu (thinly sliced or cut into small cubes)
    ½ cup of fresh cilantro (optional - I omitted this)
    ¼ cup of fresh green onion for garnish
    1 cup cooked brown, white, jasmine or basmati rice, quinoa, for each person, (optional)
    3 tablespoons sweet chili sauce, optional
    1 bunch of enoki mushrooms for garnish, optional
    Siryacha hot sauce (to taste)
    Honey (to taste)
    Tamari soy sauce or Braggs Liquid Amino Acids (to taste)

Method
Heat the oil in a large stockpot. Over medium heat, sauté onion, garlic, ginger, and mushrooms for about 5 minutes. Add broth, tomatoes, and the juice of 1 lime. Pour in coconut milk and keep soup at a simmer for 20 minutes. The coconut milk will allow soup to thicken and reduce.

Add the tofu, honey, soy sauce, and sweet chili sauce, and simmer for 5 minutes. Turn heat on very low, and let it sit for about 10-15 minutes, covered.  I found that it needs a little additional time to cool and let the flavors all absorb in!  Ladle into bowls with a scoop of rice, garnish with chopped scallion and/or cilantro - top with a drizzle of Siryacha (or your favorite hot sauce), and and extra drizzle of sweet chili sauce.

This turned out super delicious, and I will definitely make it again.  It was just so darn easy to make!!  And it's bright & colorful which I love.  I think it could have been just as good without the enoki mushrooms - I just ended up mixing them into the soup when I stored it since I didn't know when else I'd use them.  John was like "wait - those aren't noodles?"  Haha!  They do look pretty noodle-y for mushrooms. 

John also took me to lunch yesterday and surprised me with some beautiful red tulips!  Aren't they just lovely??  I am not afraid to say it, but I love getting flowers.  They just brighten up my day (and my desk)!  :) 

 

HAPPY FRIGGIN' VALENTINE'S DAY!

I have always loved Valentine's Day!  There were times that I initially got bummed out at it's approach in my single days, but I always ended up hanging out with my friends, drinking wine, sharing a meal - and in general having a wonderful time.  Some of my Colorado friends always had an annual "S.A.D." Party (Singles Awareness Day) - which always turned out ridiculously fun and hilarious.  

I think sometimes the general consensus is that Valentine's Day has to be shared with a significant other - a girlfriend/boyfriend, husband/wife.  But you know what?  It totally doesn't!!  MAKE IT WORK FOR YOU!  It's about love, people.  Share today with the people you love, and use the time to show them how much you care.  Moms / Dads - take your daughters / sons out to lunch, or to a movie.  Kids, make your parents dinner or cookies tonight!  Take your best friend out for a night on the town.  Give your doggie a big snuggle and a special long walk in the park (and even let him chase the squirrels).  

Love, and life, is what you make of it!  So make this Valentine's Day a special one! 

Mmmm....Valentine's Day cupcakes!  Can't go wrong there...

I just love this illustration - how cool is that??

Awww a heart patch on a kitty face!?  LOVE IT!

Sigh, I just adore Spongebob & Patrick.  They always crack me up something crazy.

From one of my favorite bloggers - Elizabeth from Delightfully Tacky!

A beautifully creative breakfast for the holiday?  Yes, please!  Who doesn't love heart-shaped chocolate chip pancakes??

A romantic picnic on the roof.  If only it was warm enough to do this in Colorado!

I'm actually one of those people that loves the chalky taste of these little candies.  My favorite is the orange color.  I love to suck on them until they totally dissolve.  Yum num nummers!

Some beautiful RED fashion for the special day! 

And a very special HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY to my favorite Cookie Monster, my roommate, my friend, my love - John.  He sure does love his cookies.  And me too, of course. :)


All images found on We Heart It - appropriately enough. :)

Sweet, Delicious Valentine's Day LOVE-cookies!

I think I've come up with a WONDERFUL plan for Valentine's Day this year - a way to show John how much I care for him, without spending any dough, and still sticking to my Spending Fast.  Again, you'll have to wait for the details though - I don't want to spoil the surprise. ;) 

But I figure I can spill the beans (or dough) on a couple of little treats I made for him!  I have been on a crazy baking kick lately I guess.  I made two recipes from my favorite cookbook (How it all Vegan, of course), and made one of the recipes kinda my own! 

BANANA-ORANGE COCONUT COOKIES
Adapted from How it All Vegan recipe
These have a pretty strong banana flavor, but I LOVE that they turned out so soft and smushy.  My mom even said they tasted kind of "healthy" for a cookie.  Haha!  I sorta like 'em that way, to be honest.

2 bananas, mashed
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup natural cane sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup coconut oil (melted)
2 tsp soy milk
1 tsp fresh-squeezed orange juice
zest of 1/2 an orange
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup rolled oat flakes
1 cup coconut, shredded
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a blender or food processor, blend together the mashed bananas, vanilla, sugars (both), oil, milk, and orange juice.  In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and orange zest.  Stir in the oat flakes, then fold in the banana mixture (stir well).  Mix in the shredded coconut and chocolate chips.  Scoop tablespoon-sized portions onto a lightly oiled cookie sheet & bake for 15-20 minutes.  Makes about 12-24 cookies.  Store in an airtight container to keep them soft!

Adding the orange was kind of a whim - I just love the flavor combination of chocolate, orange, and coconut!  I love the little kick of orange that it gave the cookies though.  Definitely will make it this way again! 

Even better - no eggs in this recipe, so you can eat as much dough as you want!  And I totally did. :)  John is going to be jealous that I didn't save him any dough... 

....but, hey - he gets the cookies!! 

My next project was some peanut butter rice krispies.  They turned out SUPER good, and oooey goooooooey to boot!  Peanut butter, chocolate, brown rice cereal - how can you go wrong??  A slightly healthier version of the original, and just as delish. 

You'll have to get the cookbook yourself (or at least check it out from your local library) to get that recipe though! ;)  I did it as listed, so it'd feel a bit unethical to share.  Here's a good place to start! 

Another weekend-update post to come, and more Valentine's Day treats!! <3

OH - and how much do you love THIS IDEA for a new twist on Valentine's Day?  I absolutely love it.  Valentine's Day is what you make of it, and really - it's about sharing the day with people you love (not spending money on them).  :) 

Lots more cookin' (good lookin'!)

I got really motivated to cook last weekend, and I'm hoping that I can keep my momentum going through the next one!  I'm finally feeling better, and my cough is almost gone (thank GOODNESS), so I'm pickin' up my spatula and going to work all over again.  And I'm darn excited about it. 

I can't spoil any Valentine's Day surprises just yet in case John visits my blog, so it'll have to be after the fact. ;)  But here's what I got into last weekend!

I had a big time craving for savory AND sweet, and since we had a big snowstorm and not much else to do, I figured why not make both?  I whipped out Alicia Silverstone's book The Kind Diet, and got to work.  Seriously guys, this book is fantastic.  Every recipe is really easy, totally vegan, and crazy delicious.  All those things are very important to me! 

These are Chocolate Peanut-Butter Cups.  I seriously think they are even better than Reese's.  Yep, I said it.  And I'm a HUGE Resse's Peanut-Butter Cup fan!  But I could just not stop eating these puppies. 

You basically just melt together peanut butter, sugar, and ground-up graham crackers, then dump them it into cupcake liners.  I think vegan butter was in there somewhere too, but you'll have to check the recipe!

Then you melt up some chocolate chips with soymilk.  I used 1/2 white chocolate chips, and 1/2 semi-sweet 'cause I didn't have enough of one or the other!

Dump the chocolate on top of the peanut butter, add some chopped nuts, then pop in the fridge for 2 hours to set.  They are DELICIOUS, and I'm very very sorry about the fact that you will not be able to stop yourself from eating them. :)

Next up was Cheesy Oozy Guacamole Dip!  Yes, it was as delicious as it sounds... 

I used my pie pan since it was kind of the perfect size for this.  It's really just a big ol' layer dip - with baked beans, mashed avocado (with lime), tomatoes, fake sour cream (mixed with taco seasoning), green chiles, vegan Daiya cheddar cheese, and olives...

Almost done!! YUM!

.... and there you have it!  You pop it in the oven so it's all bubbly & melty, and I had mine with some tortilla strips.  It was absolutely fantastic, and totally satisfied my craving.  Who knew vegan could be so darn good? 

John's birthday is next week (just 2-days after Valentine's day), and I'm trying to figure out cute & creative ways to show him how much I adore him without spending any money.  This is going to be a hell of a challenge for me (I'm the girl with the gift-buying problem), so I hope to have some good tips for you afterward! 

Can't wait to catch up with y'all next week - I'll have some surprises (I hope). ;) 

Homemade Granola

Sorry for the lack of posts - I got a sicky icky awful cold or something, and I've been pretty out of commission the last few days!  Apparently too sick to even get up and type a blog post.  Lame-o! 


Anyhoodle, over the weekend I decided to try and make my own homemade granola.  I was flipping channels last week and came across a cooking show - the lady was making her own granola to give as gifts.  It's always something I wanted to try, so I made a mental note of what she did and tried it myself!  It turned out pretty darn good, and it was pretty darn easy too! 

Beth's Homemade Granola
Feel free to adjust this to your liking - use your favorite kinds of nuts and seasonings, and add more or less sugar to your taste.  I think it's something I'll be experimenting a lot with in the future! 


Also, I didn't really measure the amounts - I just eyeballed everything.  But you can add a little at a time and adjust things accordingly. 

Ingredients 
- Rolled oats (not the quick-cooking kind - you can find them in the bulk section of your grocery store)
- Nuts (I used slivered almonds, and pecan halves)
- Shredded coconut
- ground flaxseed
- Raisins (or other dried fruit)
- Brown Sugar
- Honey
- Butter (unsalted)
- Maple Syrup (I added some strawberry fig syrup as well, just since I had it)
- Cinnamon

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a large pan, toast the oats over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes.  Dump the oats into a bowl and set aside.

In the same pan, melt some butter, and add your sugars (syrup, honey, brown sugar), as well as your cinnamon.  Mix everything well over medium heat.

Add the oats back to the pan, along with the nuts, flaxseed, raisins, coconut - and any other fun stuff you want to throw in there!  Mix well so that everything is evenly coated.

Dump everything onto a non-stick cookie sheet (with a rimmed edge), and spread evenly across.  Pop in the oven for about 10 minutes, turning once halfway through.  Remove from oven & let cool.  Store in an airtight container.

I have been eating it with vanilla soy yogurt, and it's totally delish!  John has been snacking on it on it's own.  It's crazy good! 


Anyway, I hope you all are feeling much better than I am right now (I'm hoping another good night of rest will be the ticket).  


Happy cooking! :) 

A DELICIOUS Korean Dinner - I heart kimchi!

My cousin Sarah has been in town for the last week, and it's been AWESOME to hang out with her!  I haven't seen her in way too many years, and it's been fantastic catching up and getting to know her all over again. 

Sarah taught English in Korea, so last night she treated our family to Kimchi Jjigae (kimchi stew) with fish & tofu.  I gotta say, it was friggin' scrumptious.  The snow was falling outside, the soup was warm and spicy, and it was absolutely delicious! 

I'm actually eating the leftovers right now.  Jealous?  :) 

That yellow stuff in the glass on the right is corn tea - I've never even heard of it before, but it was actually a really nice & gentle balance to the savory & tangy soup.  

 *SLLLLLUUUUURP!*  Yeah, my mom's gonna love me for this photo.  Haha!

 The chef herself!

I'm actually super happy because Sarah gave me the container of leftover kimchi.  I'd never had the stuff before, but I'd heard of it, and had always been curious.  Now that I've tried it, I'm pretty much in LOVE.  It's really just fermented veggies with spices & seasonings - but it's a great source of fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and it's low in calories too.  What a winner!  Very simple, yet CRAZY good. 

I'm definitely going to use it for future recipe experiments, so look out! 

Chickpeas & Hulahoops! Like us! Please?

I mentioned a little while ago about how my friend Megan & I created a new funny blog called Chickpeas & Hulahoops.  It's been ridiculously fun so far, and guess what!  WE NOW HAVE A FACEBOOK FAN PAGE!! 

I know, crazy right?  We're 2 legit 2 quit!  (hey heyyyyy!)

So if you're on Facebook and you want to see our updates, please click here and become a fan.  We'd do it for you! :) 

Just for doing so, here's a picture of a kitten getting a bath in the sink.  I don't do this kind of thing for everyone, people! 

** WHEW the site is back up & running again.  That was a close one. ;)

UPDATE #2: Komen Foundation gives women the shaft!

I have participated in the Susan G Komen Foundation's "Walk for the Cure" many times.  Their fundraisers have always been a lot of fun, and I've always been more than happy to support a great organization.

As many of you have probably seen through Facebook and on the news, the Komen Foundation has decided to cut off funding to Planned Parenthood.  And to be totally and utterly blunt - I think it's complete BULLSHIT.

 

I understand that this decision has been made due to some of the practices of Planned Parenthood (ie - abortions).  But you know what?  Planned Parenthood provides breast exams - you know, that procedure that helps to detect signs of breast cancer.  Uhm, isn't that what the Komen Foundation is all about? 

Oh, whoops.  I guess it's more about politics than it is about actually helping women - ALL women - prevent breast cancer. 

Statement from Emilie Ailts, Executive Director of NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado on Susan G. Komen Foundation Decision to Cease Funding to Planned Parenthood:

“The Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation’s decision to cease funding life-saving breast cancer screening is both infuriating and devastating. As a breast cancer survivor, I know intimately the value of early detection for this deadly disease. I also know the value of Komen’s work; their contributions to breast cancer awareness have had an undeniable impact, their support of breast cancer patients and survivors has been tremendous, and their grant funding for cancer screenings has been instrumental in early diagnoses from providers like Planned Parenthood. We need to stop playing politics with women’s health and women’s lives." 

Yeah, I'm gonna have to agree with that!!  

"The silver lining is that more people than ever are aware that Planned Parenthood provides breast exams, and we're seeing more people calling us today to make an appointment," Tait Sye, a spokesperson for Planned Parenthood, told HuffPost. "Politics should not get in the way of women's health, and people respond powerfully when they see politics interfering with women's health."

This whole situation just irks me something awful.  How can you be a foundation that does wonderful things for breast cancer awareness, then cut off funding for millions of women to prevent that exact disease?? It's hypocritical and completely infuriating.  

How do you feel about this news? 

Are you as upset as I am??   

UPDATE----------------------

To stand by Planned Parenthood, read this letter, and sign the petition!  Reproductive health care is a basic human right!  

UPDATE #2-------------------

HOLY CRAP, WORLD!!  Way to speak out and make your voices heard!  Due to the huge backlash towards the Komen Foundation, they have decided to reverse their decision to cut funding to Planned Parenthood.  The people have spoken!

Read the statement from Planned Parenthood about the decision here.  

This whole damn thing shouldn't have even happened, but I'm thrilled to hear that the world would not take this lying down.  There are good people out there that believe in the rights for all women, and that makes me proud.