Work in Progress

... it's all about the process, baby!

Cat cooks vegan

Hubby is away for a couple of days for a TV training course. So I will show you something that I have cooked the other day. While Hubby's taste is all about doughy meals like pizza, lasagne, quiche or tortillas, I am more the veggies-and-rice-type. The more asiatic and exotic, the better (as long as it is vegan). Hubby just commented recently, that I must be another parents' child, growing up with traditional German and Russian fare and very little left of it tastewise.

From my go-to-vegan-cookbook Veganomicon:

 Kabocha-Udon Winter Stew 

recipe here

 Light and yet hearty with a clean Asian taste.

It was the first time I have heard and used Kabocha squash, yes, a Japanese pumpkin not the drink (that would be Kombucha). I was lucky to find it in Oldenburg's main Asian store. It has very sweet orange flesh and you can cook it with its green peel, which will soften. But you can also use butternut or any other sort of squash. And I just love Udon noodles for big slurping fun (I have once heard that slurping your hot soup is a "must" in Japan to bring out the flavours, and not bad table manners).

For the broth you also need Kombu kelp, which I had ordered online last summer (since then I had wanted to make the soup, but really wanted to wait for a winter day, a bit weird maybe, and then I saw that the Kombu was about to expire soon and headed for the kitchen). The Kombu cooks up a nice broth with the ginger and soy sauce.

One thing from the recipe I didn't put in the stew: 1/3 cup of sake. I don't drink alcohol and who knows how the children would have reacted to it...

Pink Moment of the Week

... painting is all the hype

and has all my heart

at the moment.

Like a Fish in the Sea

after the element of air, water called me

this week we transitioned into the star sign of pisces,

inward and mysterious,

accompanied by a lot of rain around here

i taught and experienced a yoga set called

"unloading the subconscious"

Free like a Bird

Yesterday was "just" a busy stay-at-home-mama-day.

But in-between playing with Carolina,
food-shopping,
going for a walk,
 cooking,
cleaning,
doing the laundry,
going to music class with Clara,
 some more shopping and cooking,
I tore up some magazine papers,
glued it on paper,
added some colours and lines.
 A couple of minutes and moments here and there.

In the evening I had this.

Hubby cooks vegan

Today -  the Olympic Special.

Just joking.

These were the ingredients for Hubby's Veggie Tortillas.

 recipe from "Peace Food" in German here

We omitted the chili (because of the kids) and the garlic (because of working the next day), so the main flavours were cumin, tamari and a lot of finely grated lemon peel (which I found strange). Hubby also put kidney beans inside for the Mexican feel. The wraps were quite a hit with Clara and Hubby, who wants to make them more often - so quick, easy and satisfying. 

And also the cooking process was quite an attraction 

for curious on-lookers and little helpers.

Chocolate on Monday

Valentine's Day is over.

But feel free 

to help yourself to a little self-love this Monday.

Sunday in Church

... or is it a temple?

Always in February

The first snowdrops,

 spotted on February 8 in Oma's garden.

2012 February 21 (here)
2011 February 8 (here)
(curious about 2013?,
me too...)

Hearts, Hearts

Happy Valentine's Day to all of you!

Aztec Tunic

Yes, constant dripping wears the stone... or in my case: four 45-minute sewing sessions over the course of a week (like here) make a tunic.

Believe it or not, it is the same pattern like my Flower Tunic, but this time no time-consuming nonsense, so to speak zero gathering (not at the cuffs or the arms or the bodice and no balloon, please).

Just straight sewing lines (swoosh!!!) - ok, it was zigzag because of the jersey fabric, but still very, very quick and eaaaaaaaaaasy. Loved the process totally.

Did the Aztecs wear tunics? Maybe. 

But looking at the fabric

I hear those whispers:

Make another one.

Final Cut

 ... is the name of the new exhibition at the Oldenburg Horst Janssen Museum (they have just had a Chagall exhibition which was the most successful since the museum opened in 2000). "Final Cut" shows contemporary paper cutting art.

Last Friday night the doors were open for an "Art Lounge".

Everybody could come and start cutting paper to hang in the staircase, hang around with a drink and pretzel, have a look at the exhibition, they even hired a DJ. As this was just on my way back home from my prenatal yoga class, I happily joined the crowd. One of my lovely friends/artist/yoga students also came (hello, Doris!).

A quick glance at the exhibition:

For warming-up you (I) can never go wrong with pink and flowers.

 

 

Then I felt more like origami.

The whole wall:

Teenagers did great stuff:

I also played some more:

So did Doris:

What a great night!

Stone Graffiti - Tic Tac Toe

Last night on my way to my prenatal yoga class 

my bike came to a sreeching halt:

What a great idea to make use of this public piece of concrete.

Do you want to play a game?

The Power of Orange

Do you remember the Veggie Box I used to photograph in 2011 (here)?

We still get it delivered to us and enjoy its contents.

Last time we had so much orange goodness in it,

I just had to take a picture:

Oranges, 

blood oranges for juicing, 

clementines

and a hokkaido.

Wishing you a vitamin-filled start of the week!

Pink Moment of the Week

... Friday night at the Oldenburg Horst Janssen Museum.

(I'll write more about it next week)

Hubby cooks vegan

What's today's vegan surprise?

I thought a lupine was a flower (see here),

but apparantly you can make ice cream 

or even schnitzel from it:
 

 lupine cutlets with orange sauce

(German recipe here)

Also called the "soy of the north" lupine protein is very versatile. Hubby used this product for his cooking. It tasted fine and the orange sauce was quite elegant, but you know, I always find something to complain about, especially when somebody else cooks. I am just not a fan of meat substitutes... and the lupine protein seemed to feel strange in my throat and stomach afterwards - as is the case with soy, some people have allergic reactions to lupine. Very mild in my case, but those wonder plant proteins usually have a drawback. Eat beans, people!

Sewing Cure

... 45 minutes each afternoon,

and I'll have a tunic soon.

Spring is in the Air

 ... or maybe just on the palette.

But the snow has melted,

 the sun is shining 

and the birds are singing.

 

Honestly, I feel like spring.

10 days of winter are enough.

Monday Cupcakes

Have a sweet start to the week!

(with vegan caramel-apple-spice cupcakes,

recipe here)

Pink Moments of the Week

A little pink in every of this week's paintings.

 (Clara begged for glitter on this one)