Italian Spiced Whole Wheat Bread

I threw this dough together at around 2 a.m. last night after realizing how caffeinated I was. Waking up this morning to a bowl of dough ready to be baked not only made my snow filled day warmer, but filled the house with the aroma of an Italian bakery.

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Little Baby Cakes

 The occasions to make a cake, and I mean a full blown cake... the kind you spend half or more of your day on in order for it to be just as perfect as it can be with layers of cake, frosting, sometimes fillings, and icing decoration... those occasions don't come around too often. At least not as often as I would like. I had the itch to dive into one of these cake projects the other day, but unfortunately unless I wanted to eat nearly and entire cake by myself and have to be that friend that shoves desserts in your face (not always bad thing), I decided to go little with this Raisin and Pecan Bourbon Cake.

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I still can't figure out what it is...

Photographs contain some sort of mystery element that I don't think is ever really meant to be solved. Lately I have noticed that the more photographs I take, the more I am drawn to photography. Perhaps it is being in the mindset of seeing and feeling the need to capture a glance just as you saw it. Maybe having the ability to create the world just how you would like to see it is what make photos so magnetic. In making an effort to take photographs every day, I feel like I see differently... or maybe not differently, but more.

Here are some photographers whose photographs continue to capture me:

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Panna Cotta with Raspberry Geleé

Part of the idea in making these were to try for something more subtle and smooth, but the candies  defeated my attempt to avoid making an instant-gratification sugary type of dessert. They were small, quick little punches though, so I think I can justify their existence within this little experiment-- Panna Cotta with Raspberry Geleé and candies made from leftover geleé.

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Pear and Macadamia Pie

Recently I have been buying a lot of pears, though every time I do they seem like they are a week away from being ripe. Instead of waiting patiently until they are ready to eat as fruit alone, I have been chopping them all up to bake with them. I recently made pear and walnut brownies, which were incredible (and vegan!), but I had issues getting them out of the pan neatly, so they have yet to make a public appearance. And yes, I ate them with a spoon.

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Going Vegan... Just a Little Bit

For those vegan enthusiasts out there, sorry, I have not decided to go vegan. I still can't part ways with cheese. It may be a long time before that happens, but that doesn't mean I don't encourage the occasional or routine vegan exploration! It's a great way to learn about healthier options, how your food works from the cooking process to the digestion process, and whether its psychological or not, I always feel better after eating something I know is not saturated with animal fats. With the health food craze taking place and consumer consciousness beginning to dawn on people these days, here are some options for vegan baking, shopping, and more conscious companies to look for!

vegan cookies with almond milk

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Portobello Tartlets

As a vegetarian, you learn that going out to eat can sometimes be difficult. After awhile you learn what to search for and eventually you no longer have scour the entire menu from cover to cover to figure out what does and does not have meat, though it is always a good idea to ask the waiter/waitress in case of meat based stocks or use of animal fats. "Portobello" tends to be a buzz word (for me at least!) in those situations. For all the times I have loved eating portobello mushrooms, I realized I really have not had much experience in cooking with them. New years resolution = cook with new ingredients!

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Double Feature

After having no sugar (with the exception of what is found naturally in fruits) for over a week due to the flu, the sugar in these blueberry bars knocked me out! It was the most intense sugar high I have ever had, or should I say sugar low... It felt as though I was moving at half speed during the time my body was trying to figure out what was going on inside! Very strange feeling. So I laid off the blueberry bars after one, but I encourage you to try this recipe, it's amazing!

gooey blueberry bars with a shortbread crust

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