Ticings are Gluten Free!

image courtesy of Ticings

I first discovered Ticings edible images on Amy Atlas's blog. After reading about this brilliant idea, I immediately contacted them to find out if the icing sheets are kosher & gluten free and was excited to find out that they are.

Let the decorating begin! Simply pick a design, peel the edible icing sheet and apply it to your cake, cupcake or cookie for an professional looking work of delicious art. Ticings was kind enough to send me a sample and I cannot wait to bake some vegan gluten free cupcakes to treat my friends.

U Complete Me

image from Dallas Wedding Planner Blog

Ok, I know it's not even New Year's so Valentine's Day should be far from top of mind. But when I stumbled upon this idea online, I just had to share.
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this DIY pillowcase idea on Dallas Wedding Planner Blog. Did I mention how much I love this? You can download the pdf file, print it on iron transfer paper & iron it on your own pillowcases. They even flip-flopped the image for you. What a great way to surprise your loved one on Valentine's Day, your honeymoon, or just any day you want to remind them how you feel.
Thank you Dallas Wedding Planner Blog!

Bedroom Makeover Part I

For the first time in my entire life, I live in an apartment that is 100% my own. So it's time for an apartment makover. I want to walk into my home and feel happy, content & inspired. And I've realized that I don't have to consult with anyone about colors, fabric patterns, or anything else for that matter. Time to make my apartment more "Erica"!

First stop: my bed. My bedroom palette has been brown, blue & cream for at least 3 years. Definitely time for an update, perhaps a pop of color? When I stumbled upon this purple & white fabric in NYC's garment district, I couldn't resist. Purple is one of my favorite colors and the cotton is so soft. Using this Amy Butler pattern , I whipped up 2 pillowcases in a couple of hours and I am so happy with the finished result!

The pillowcase's purple also served as inspiration for the purple & white Dream painting above my bed. Now I can't wait to add some more pillows in lots of bright colors, and maybe even knit or crochet a throw. Don't you just love DIY makeovers?

Soup of the Week: Pumpkin & Chickpea

Ok, well it's not really a soup, it's a stew. But almost the same thing, right?
This stew is quick, delicious, so filling and soothing, & perfect for the chilly week ahead. And of course, it is crazy nutritious- low in saturated fat and a great source of protein, dietary fiber and vitamins A, B6, C & E. The recipe below makes about 4 servings but I suggest doubling since it tastes even better the next day!

Pumpkin Chickpea Stew
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped carrots (2 small or 1 large)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
3/4 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cinammon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup cubed zucchini
1/2 cup cubed yellow squash
1 cup water or vegetable stock
1 can (14.5 oz) chopped tomatoes, juices included
1 can (14.5 oz) chickpeas, rinsed
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup raisins
1-2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro (garnish)

Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot. Add the carrots, onion, garlic & spices. Saute for 5 minutes until the onions soften. Add the zucchini & squash and continue to saute for another 5 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients except the cilantro, stir to combine, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover & simmer for 10 minutes. Served topped with a sprinkle of chopped cilantro.
I enjoy eating it on its own or with a nice hunk of toasted gluten free bread.
Hmmm.....

KAE Aprons

I took a break from making etsy items to sew aprons for my wonderful nieces. Kirvayah Maayan, Anayah Ohr & Eliyah Shiraz are three very special little girls in my life and live way too far away. Thankfully, my brother sends pictures of them often and there are usually a few of the girls in the kitchen, their sleeves rolled up, baking cookies or making pizza. So I thought some monogrammed aprons would be a great gift to send them!

Hooray for Business Cards

I finally designed my business cards and have sent them off for printing. Can't wait to see the finished product & to open shop!!!

GF English Muffin Treats

Have you ever tried English Muffins with a pat of butter and a drizzle of honey? If you haven't, you're missing out. My grandmother, affectionately known as Babi Olga, used to make this for me as a special treat when I was little. It's warm & toasty, a touch of salt and a bit of sweetness all in one bite.

I haven't had an english muffin since going gluten-free. But when I came across this recipe on Karina's Kitchen, those memories came back and I could almost taste my old favorite.

Although I'm not 100% vegan, I have been leaning more towards the lifestyle lately. I just find that I feel much better when I cut animal products out of my diet. So I adapted my delicious treat by replacing the pat of butter with Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread and the drizzle of honey with agave. Luckily, Karina's recipe is already Vegan friendly so I followed her recipe using agave instead of honey, and almond milk instead of hemp because it was in my cupboard. I don't have muffin rings and was dying to make these so I used my muffin pan which accounts for the funny shape.

These are delicious!!! Crusty on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside. They are ridiculously easy to make and can be wrapped and frozen for future treats. I'll be ordering muffin rings this week since I have a feeling this will become a staple in my home.

I enjoyed mine with a pink grapefruit & cup of coffee. What a great way to start the day!

Chloe's Apron

Aside from playing in the snow & drinking cocoa all weekend, I spent lots of my time sewing for my future Etsy store. There are so many things I want to make my head is spinning! Aprons, blankets, bibs, pillows, sachets, jewelry, the list just keeps growing. I finished quite a few items and one in particular is for a wonderful little girl named Chloe.
Chloe is a lucky little girl because she has a wonderful aunt named Michele who loves her like crazy. And when Michele heard I was making children's aprons, she jumped at the chance to buy one. I made Chloe this adorable reversible apron. The front is Alexander Henry's Apples + Pears print and features a heart applique with a C monogram. The back is a light denim chambray with an apple applique. And the bottom is trimmed with a pale pink eyelet ruffle. Hope she likes it!

Baby It's Cold Outside

Soup of the Week: Cauliflower & Broccoli

I've recently begun to make a large pot of soup every Sunday night in preparation for the week. With the heart of winter upon us, it's always nice to know there is a warm & delicious meal just a few prep minutes away. I love to pack it in individual portions, in reusable containers of course, and bring to work for lunch or pop one in the microwave for dinner.
The best part about a soup is that you dont really need a recipe. Just open the refrigerator, pull out a bunch of stuff, throw it in a pot and simmer until ready. Its also a great way to use up excess food that might otherwise spoil and to get more veggies in your diet.
I'm just finishing up last week's pot and have enjoyed it so much, thought I'd post the recipe for you.

Cauliflower & Broccoli Soup
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 heads garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
8 cups water
1 head cauliflower, stalk removed & broken into medium sized florets
1 head broccoli, stalk removed & broken into medium sized florets
1 yellow squash, chopped into large pieces
Salt & Pepper

Heat olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onions, celery, garlic and sprigs of rosemary. Cover the pot, allowing the veggies to sweat for approximately 5 minutes.
Add the rest of the ingredients to the pot, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to bring to the soup to a simmer and continue cooking covered for approximately 30 minutes. Then remove the pot cover and allow to continue simmering until the soup has thickened to your liking.
Carefully remove the stalks from the rosemary sprigs. Puree the soup, season with salt and pepper and enjoy!

Makes 8 large servings.

Snow & Cocoa

For as long as I can remember, I've associated snow with hot cocoa. I grew up in NY and used to love waking up to our front lawn covered in a blanket of fresh and untouched snow. My brothers and I would jump out of bed and rush to get our snow suits and boots on so that we could head out and play.
I remember one particular year, I think it was '87 or '88, there was a huge blizzard and we woke to find that we were snowed in. It was so exciting to shovel ourselves out throw the front door, like a great adventure. We spent all day building snow forts with our neighbor Michael, and waging war against each other with snow ball fights. And when we were cold, soaked, and finally tired, we ran back inside and peeled off our layers while mom made us hot cocoa. Dry clothing on my damp skin as the sweet warm cocoa warmed me was always one of my favorite feelings. Cozy. Soft. Almost like a simple luxury.
Walking through Central Park today, after this winter's first blizzard, I couldn't help remembering those days as I watched children sledding down small hills. It was awesome to see how happy and care free they were! And it reminded me, instead of listening to the news about the ominous snow storm on the tv, we should look forward to the beautiful snow flakes falling from the sky, covering the ground and making the streets a playground for us to enjoy. And then we can go home and have a cup of cocoa.

Hot Cocoa
1 Cup Milk (regular, soy, almond, rice,.....)
1 Tbsp Agave
1 1/2 Tbsp Cocoa Powder
1/8 Tsp Ground Cardamom
1/4 Tsp Cinammon
Pinch Ground Cloves

Combine the milk and agave and heat in the microwave for approximately 2-3 minutes.
In the meantime, combine the cocoa powder with the spices in a mug. When the milk is hot, pour it slowly into the cocoa mixture, stirring as you pour to prevent lumps.
Enjoy!

I could use...

a really nice glass of wine. Good night

Happy Chanukah!

Chanukah rocks! Latkes, parties, latkes, gifts, latkes, beautiful burning candles, latkes, dreidels, latkes, latkes.... I think you get the point. When I was younger, my cousins Jen & Kim lived just a few blocks away and we would have a Chanukah party every year. I have incredible memories of Chanukah music playing in the background, snow on the ground outside, the lights from our neighbor's Christmas decorations glowing through the windows as we danced and jumped off the top of my brothers' bunk bed onto a huge pile of down covers. One of my favorite childhood memories ever.

Is there anything more delicious than hot potato latkes full of onions with a dollop of apple sauce and a dash of cinammon? I think not. Unless it's a latke with a dollop of sour cream and some chopped scallions or chives. Hmmm..... battles of the latkes?I made a yummy batch tonight and can't decide... so I'm having one of each. Here's the gluten free recipe from Karina's Kitchen that I used. For the gluten free flour, I used Brown Rice flour since I already had plenty on hand. Good news is there are still 5 nights left - plenty of time to make more!

Dedicated to David A

Sorry for the private joke but trust me, this is so necessary. David, this one is dedicated to you. OMG, LOL!!!!

Finally, a Banner!

Wow... keeping up with blogging is a lot more work than I'd anticipated ;) I guess that's because I've been really busy with sew many projects. I've been spending lots of my time setting up my etsy business- creating my shop banner, putting together my policies, and of course sewing lots of products to sell. And now back to my sewing machine & back to work!

Philidelphia Half 2009

On November 22nd, 2009, I ran my first half marathon. It was AMAZING and I finished 4 minutes faster than my goal time at 2:16:16! The course kicked off in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art "Rocky" steps and headed down the scenic Benjamin Franklin Parkway lined with International Flags. So cool & such incredible energy.

My parents flew in from sunny Florida and were awesome enough to get up early so they could be at the start in the cold 7am weather. They took some great pictures!

The best part? Seeing the proud & excited looks on my parents' faces each time they saw me along the race path. I had a stupid grin on my face almost the entire time & they did a great job of capturing it ;) That's me in the hot pink jacket & blue headband.

Next up, the NYC Half Marathon on March 21st, 2010. What can I say, I'm addicted! Happy Running.....

Baked Falafel Burgers

So many falafel places have opened in my neighborhood recently but none have gluten free falafel. I mean seriously, what gives? So with ingredients in my cupboard and a bunch of online recipes, I pieced together this yummy recipe for us gluten free foodies to enjoy. My goal was to create an easy, healthy & quick burger and it came out delicious. Lemony, garlicky, mmmm..... and good for you too. Each burger has approximately 10 grams of protein, 8 grams of fiber & only 4.5 grams of fat (less than 1 saturated) for just 235 calories! And while the burgers baked in the oven, I prepared a fresh salad with yogurt dressing to top it off. Enjoy!

Gluten Free Baked Falafel Burgers
Ingredients:
3 cloves garlic
1 can chickpeas,rinsed
1/3 cup GF oats or GF bread crumbs (I used old fashion oats & they worked like a GF charm)
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
1/4 cup fresh mint
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp GF baking powder
1 1/2 tsp cumin
Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare baking sheet by lining with aluminum foil & spray with olive oil (I used my Misto which I highly recommend!)
Combine garlic cloves, parlsey, cilantro, mint, chickpeas & oats (or bread crumbs)in the bowl of a food processor & pulse several times (about 10) to chop ingredients.
Add the remaining ingredients, except for the olive oil, and process until the mixture is a chunky paste that holds together.
Divide the mixture into 4 patties and place on the prepared baking sheet. Spray lightly or brush with olive oil. Bake 10 minutes, turn over, and then bake an additional 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Salad with Yogurt Dressing
Ingredients:
1 cucumber, peeled & chopped
2 green peppers, seeded & chopped
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1 plum tomato, seeded & chopped
1 tbsp cilantro, chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp plain yogurt (I used plain goat milk yogurt- sooooo goooood)
dash of salt
dash of pepper

Combine all ingredients. Season with salt & pepper.

Makes approximately 3-4 servings depending on how hungry you are.
Some notes: 1) the burgers are deliciously lemony. But if you aren't big on lemon flavor, feel free to replace half or all of the lemon juice with water. 2)Feel free to add which ever fresh herbs you love to the salad. Dill would be delicious in addition, or in place of the cilantro.