Scrambled Uneggs

Hello all!
It's been some time :|
2015 has been a pretty great year for me so far. I have my Europe trip planned in a few months and I am typing this blog post from my new computer. I had been using the same macbook from 2008, so needless to say it was time for an upgrade.
Today I was looking around my fridge and discovered I had some tofu that needed to be eaten. I decided to make tofu scramble, something real easy and real delicious... Let me tell you, I made the most awesome discovery! I was playing around with spices and I threw in some turmeric powder and it turned the tofu scramble yellow.. it looks EXACTLY like scrambled eggs. So for all the vegans out there who miss scrambled eggs this one's for you ! ;)

Sorry for the crappy photo.. I wasn't really prepared for take photos of something as simple as tofu scramble haha!!

Recipe
Medium tofu crumbled up
literally any spices you want
turmeric (for the authentic eggy vibe)

xo

Changes

Hello all you out there in internet land.
You may have noticed a lack of posts and inspiration lately. Don't fret though, I haven't been uninspired just a touch crazy... haha.
It's kinda of funny, I haven't really been baking that much but I've been cooking ALL the time. I still enjoy baking but less than I did before. I just find cooking to be much more fun because it's less technical and it's much easier to experiment with. I've been exploring new flavours and spices, with great results. I just did not document any of this for you wonderful readers.
I swear I'll change my un-sharing ways. I have made a few amazing soup recipes that deserve to be shared with the world!
My Thanksgiving was a hit, well the cooking part of it. I made a wonderful squash soup and a beet and sweet potato side. All very yum. The tragedy came when I attempted to make a pie! As if, me the pie maker messed up a pie crust. It wasn't entirely my fault, it was my stupid scale. The batteries are running low and were not registering the 7g of salt I needed for the crust. Who knows how much salt I actually put into the crust, all you need to know is that it was nasty. HA. But mistakes happen to the best of us. For some reason the filling didn't set either so I scooped out the middle and turned the tragic pie into a pumpkin pudding of sorts.
That was a little life lesson rolled out into a very salted pie crust. Ah well, the cooking was a success.
Something else new in my life is that I moved out of my childhood home (finally). I didn't have the funds before and about a year ago I finally found full time work in my field. YAY I'm an adult.
I do like living on my own, it does get a touch lonely sometimes because my mother is keeping the cats for now, although I keep asking for them. What's most annoying is that my oven is the killer of all thing delicious. It literally burns everything that goes inside. I try and look on the bright side and appreciate the fast cooking ways of my oven. It's just very hard because I burned one too many cookies.
Okay I promise posts to come with soup recipes and yumminess.
Always remember if your pie crust doesn't work out, scoop out the middle!

xo
tash

Mint Grapefruit Refresher

I know I've called myself a bad little blogger before and I'm doing it again! To be honest I haven't been feeling very inspired to bake. My concerned friends and family have been noticing the lack of posts and have been asking me about it for a little while.
I have good news, today is the day I felt like blogging again. I have been extremely busy with a new full time job and a boyfriend to really have time to stop and blog. I have been cooking and baking a little bit, just haven't felt like posting, sorry :(
Today when I was driving home from hot yoga I got this intense craving for a fizzy refreshing drink and my brain started thinking. For a brief moment, I thought to swing by David's tea and order one of their iced fizzy drinks but I figured I could do better.
I have been watching a lot of the Food Network (as always) and Bobby Flay's Barbeque Addiction has been on repeat at my house. I don't care much about grilling meat but he always makes a drink to accompany his meals and I think it's really creative. Today he used mint in one of his drinks, so I started my inspiration off mint. My boyfriend has been on a grapefruit obsession but I wasn't sure if mint and grapefruit go together. I tend to have wacky tastes, so I figured I'd just go with it. Then there it was, my idea, after all these months of non-blogging, a mint, grapefruit fizzy something.
I decided to officially call it a refresher. Starbucks may or may not make me change that... until then, refresher it is!

Here is a blurry picture of Casey, just for fun

Recipe
Makes 1 glass

1 Large Grapefruit (I used an organic red grapefruit)
About 10 Fresh Mint Leaves (more or less depending on taste)
Club Soda
1 Teaspoon of Sugar (or more if you don't like the sourness of grapefruit)
Ice


Place roughly chopped mint leaves at the bottom of a tall glass, add the sugar and mix it a bit with a straw. Squeeze 1 grape fruit and add the juice to a tall glass until it's about 1/4-1/2 full depending on the level of intensity you want. Add about 4 ice cubs and then fill the glass up with club soda. Mix and enjoy!
For all you drunks out there, add less club soda and then add a shot (or two) of either vodka, gin or white wine ?.. Have not tried these add ins (yet) but I will update soon for all my boozers ;)
you can garnish the glass with a slice if grape fruit or a mint leaf if you're feeling fancy.

xo tash

Baking Class

My baking classes have started at a local college and they are beyond fun. I decided to take the class on a Sunday afternoon so my work week is free and I have become a very busy bee.  When Sunday morning rolls around I regret my decision to take a weekend class but my feelings change once I am at school and in my chef outfit.
I was required to buy my own baking tools but any excuse to buy new toys works for me.  Two weeks ago we made an apple pie and my partner was away that week so I had to make two apples pies!
Week two we made bran muffins and scones... or what my dad calls "srones". I got creative with the recipe and made cranberry scones with a lemon glaze instead of boring currants. The last photo features my misshaped scones and a cup of David's Forever Nuts tea, which is actually the greatest tea EVER.

Here is a total nerd (but cute) photo of me in my chef outfit hehe.

Lemon Glaze Recipe
1 cup icing sugar
Juice from 1 lemon
1-2 tbsp lemon zest (depending on how lemony you would like it)

Ice Storm 2013

I am a bit late in posting these photos... but an ice storm hit Toronto a few weeks back and I was really in awe of its beauty. Luckily, my house did not lose power so I might have a more positive outlook on the storm than other people in my community.  I made myself some green tea, packed my camera and bundled up so I could venture out into the empty streets and take in the beauty of storm. Here are a few shots I took of my adventure... All photos taken with my iphone 5s.

enjoy,

tash xoxo

No Machine Cappuccino

I haven't had a day off in ages and it feels nice to finally be able to just sit back, relax and do nothing. I usually have my baking theory course Tuesday nights but the teacher is away on vacation. I really have not had a moment to enjoy the fall weather. The leaves are changing colours and falling, I love the crunchy noises on the ground they make when you walk on them. I am in denial land in terms of the summer being gone but I am trying to appreciate the beauty of the fall.

I recently came back from Las Vegas, over the last few years I have been bit by the travel bug. I normally stay within North America, people are always shocked to find out that I have never been to Europe. Flights from Canada overseas are at least $800 so if I want to go on a trip there, I am going to have to start saving. This has inspired me to put a bit of money away each week and within a year I'll have enough to go on a backpacking trip around Europe. I am also playing with the idea of using the money to move to Australia for a year. I am not 100% sure how the money will be used but I have a year to save and decide. The thought of moving abroad excites and scares me beyond all means. It's been a dream of mine for a very long time. I feel like I need to experience life outside of Ontario.

Now saving money means spending less money, so I need to be a bit thrifty with my spending. I am officially saying good bye to my daily (sometimes twice a day) Starbucks run. SIGH.
I recently just started liking soy lattes and cappuccinos, usually I drink my coffee black. These fancy drinks (even with my Starbucks gold card) costs me about $5 per drink. That's pretty expensive for someone trying to save, so I started brewing my own coffee at home. I don't have a cappuccino maker and was starting to grow tired of black coffee with almond milk.
These days if you can think something, you can probably make it at home yourself. This is true for no machine cappuccino ! A simple google search led me to many links on how to make your own cappuccino without the expensive machine. I pulled ideas from a few recipes and came up with my own No Machine Vanilla Almond Milk Cappuccino. This can be made with any kind of milk, I just happened to have unsweetened almond milk in my fridge, you can't get that at Starbucks!

Recipe
Coffee (instant, drip, espresso ... whatever you have in your cupboard should work)
Milk (I used unsweetened almond milk but again use whatever you like)
Flavour (optional, I had vanilla syrup)
Spice (cinnamon, nutmeg, chocolate etc)

1. Brew the coffee. I had drip coffee on hand so I made that and added 1 more tablespoon of coffee to make it stronger tasting, like espresso.

2. Take the milk and heat it on the stove until bubbling on the sides of the pan or heat it on high in the microwave for 50-60 seconds.

3. Put heated milk into a leak free container (I used Tupperware).

4. Add optional syrups and seal the container tightly.

5. Shake the container for about 1 minutes or until frothy.

6. Fill your favourite coffee mug half full or three quarters (depending on if you like lattes or cappuccinos) with the milk. Save a bit of the foam.

7. Pour in coffee.

8. Spoon the saved foam onto the top of the coffee and sprinkle with your spice of choice.

Simple, yummy, homemade and cheap ;)

xo

Artisan Bread

After having my little melt down a few weeks ago I went online and signed up for a baking theory course at a local college.  When I apply for baking school next year I'll be able to use these credits toward my certificate. The official title of the course is Baking and Pastry Arts Theory I and it teaches the science behind baking. I absolutely love it.  We're only about three weeks in and I have already learned so much.  The first unit is centred around fermentation and baking bread. I never even thought that bread making would be a part of the baking course but it makes perfect sense.  The course inspired me to make my own straight bread dough recipe. It wasn't hard to make and turned out crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, so basically perfect. I may have over kneaded the dough because the shape was a bit off so I'll still need to perfect it a bit before I post the official recipe. Here's a photo of my creation :) happy baking
xo
Edited *** I scored way too deep so it looks a little ghetto ... but the flavour is there !! ;)