Ice Castles & Croquettes

To cool off the kids this summer, make 'Ice Castles'.

The night before just put water in several different sized containers, and freeze.

The next day, pop out the ice, and begin stacking and arranging to build an ice kingdom.

A pair of gloves will come in handy!




"For me? A giant ice sculpure water dish! Rrufff"

So yeah, ice castles even help keep a good dog like Jolie cool.









Once the ice starts melting a bit, it'll fuse together -- so it'd be possible to make The leaning Tower of Pisa.

A friend of mine suggested we try putting food coloring in our next batch. Cool idea. :o)








I couldn't resist making another recipe from the April '07 Vegetarian Times. 'Spinach-Basil Spread' is Julie Hasson's recipe and it's perfect for outdoor munching. It's a snap to whip up with only 6 ingredients (& would have been even easier with a food processor!), and nice to have in the fridge for anytime nibbling.





'Almond-Crusted Quinoa and Celery Root Croquettes' is from Vegan Planet (pg. 226) The original recipe calls for walnuts and millet, but this combination worked out well for me. I'm not into frying food, but really enjoyed these little nuggets. The quinoa gave it a nutty flavor, and I adore the subtle taste of celery root.





I might have to freeze the rest of my birthday cake, we just can't finish it. Is it possible for cake to be too rich?

We leave for California in a few hours, and will be there a couple weeks. (I'm seriously procrastinating all that needs to be done right now!) I anticipate lots of adventure, seeing family & friends, eating at fabulous restaurants, and shopping -- including for a new food processor. I'm sure there'll be times when I can post and visit you along the way & I look forward to that! XOXO

Belgian-Style Seitan Stew with Dark Beer

from Vegan Planet (pg. 307) was last night's dinner. It was a fun & rewarding dish to prepare. Fun, because I swigged the balance of the St. Pauli Girl special dark beer while slicing seitan, chopping fresh English thyme from the herb barrel, and carmelizing onions. Rewarding, because of Art's reaction, "This is one of the best meals you've cooked. Next time, I'd add more beer and some mushrooms." I agree, add more beer to the recipe (...and drink less). I served ours over spinach fettuccine noodles, and it'd be fabulous on a grain as well. Next time, I'll double (or even triple!) the recipe and put it on French bread for lunch the next day. It's a versatile dish, and it has now earned a spot in our rotation.