I made the grievous error of going to Sam's Club the other day when I was really hungry.  You know how that goes…you buy everything you see.  Weird thing is that this time I was just buying massive quantities of produce instead of the junk that usually calls your name when you're shopping hungry.  So I ended up with – among other things – a nice big bag of 8 Fuji apples.  Could I ever in my life eat 8 apples before they went bad?  Heck, no.  I don't know what I was thinking.

I did have to get thinking about how to use all those apples when it became clear their number wasn't diminishing on the counter.  The first thing that came to mind was an apple cake since it's fall now.  I grabbed my King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion and chose their Apple Cake.  Bad thing is it only took 2 of the apples; good thing is they didn't have to be peeled!

The cake is gone now, and I'm still not sure if it came out right or not.  I really need to email the folks at KAF.  The recipe called for a little over two cups of flour and a couple of sugar, but the only moisture was from 2 eggs and a soft stick of butter.  When the recipe said to turn the batter into the pan, I didn't have batter.  I had a sandy sugar/flour mixture that looked more like a shortbread crust than a cake batter.

I scoured the internet, looking for a clue as to what might have gone wrong, if it did.  I couldn't find any online recipe corrections, or anyone discussing any issues with this recipe.  So, not knowing what else to do, I went ahead and baked the apple sand, hoping for the best but expecting a mess.

Apple Cake…as it should be?

I baked it for 45 minutes as directed since I had no idea of what it should look like once it was done.  As the apples cooked, they gave off some moisture of course, and the pan did start to look a bit like a cake.

In the end, when it was done and cooled, the cake was gooey and I presented it to my coworkers as an “Apple Cake/Cobbler/Sort of a Thing” that should be nuked for a few seconds and eaten warm.  The flavor was really good, but the appearance was a little…ummm…rustic?  The whole cake was eaten, but in all honesty, some of my coworkers would eat cat food on a cracker.

I'm still wondering what happened.  I did leave out the crystallized ginger since I don't like it, the raisins since I'm allergic, and the nuts since I was out, but I don't think any of those changes could have caused the weirdness I experienced.  Other than that, I'm 100% sure that I followed the recipe exactly.  If I messed this up, or if it's supposed to be this way, that's ok.  I just want to know!  Have any of you tried this recipe?  If so, how'd it come out?

Super Gooey Apple Cake

BTW, if you do the math, I still had 6 apples to deal with so I made a batch of crockpot apple butter last weekend.  Guess how that came out…

~BigSis

Posted under Food

I've been talking about it for a while, but in case you haven't heard, our Bake Sale benefiting the SPCA of Texas is coming up on Monday.  This Monday! Great googly moogly!  So much to do in so little remaining time!

We want this to be the best sale we can possibly put together for the SPCA, and we're pretty much driving ourselves wacka-doodle-doo over it.  That's what happens when a few OCD perfectionists come together on a project they're passionate about I guess, but we've created a really stressful week for ourselves.

Hissy-Fit Photo by Vaughan

I freaked out big-time yesterday and had a little hissy fit about some things that weren't going the way I wanted them to.  By the end of a really long frustrating day, I was about to cry and decided to just go to bed and start fresh this morning.

I was thinking that bunches of us are hissy-fitting this time of year, not just me.  I sometimes wish I could be more lackadaisical and nonchalant about things instead of giving myself an anxiety attack trying to get it all done.  The challenge I think is how to arrive at a balance; how do you be more nonchalant and less compulsive without turning into a full-blown procrastinator who doesn't get things done?   I have no idea since I'm not good at balance and moderation; I'm all or nothing about everything I do.  When it comes to the bake sale and other things I care about, it's 100%-full-blown-all-I've-got.

How do you manage to achieve this kind of balance in your life?  I really want to know.  When I start melting down like this, all I know to do is try to slow my breathing down.  It does seem to help.  Also taking a minute to focus on what's really important helps a bit too.  Am I freaking about something that even matters?  Probably not.  Am I making too much of this right now and overreacting?  Probably so.

If you have any tips on this topic, please send them on.  I betcha I'm not the only one doing the Hissy-Fit Freak right now!

~BigSis

Posted under Animals

Could I get a drumroll please? The total for 2012's charity bake sale benefiting In-Sync Exotics is…

$15,192!

You read that right. After all the contributions were counted and our sponsor matched them dollar for dollar, the grand total was $15,192. Unbelievable!

We, first of all, thank God for blessing this event! We experienced a lot of challenges and spiritual warfare during the planning and execution of this year's sale. When that happens, it's always a sign to me that we're on the right track to something awesome if the Enemy is interfering to that extent. He was and we were!

Second of all, thank you to our sponsors. Paper Mart provided us with a generous discount on all of our packaging, which helped us enormously. Since all of our ingredients, packaging, printing and every other expense comes out of our personal pockets, we really appreciated Paper Mart's help. Thank you, Paper Mart!

City Vet was back as a third-time sponsor, and we are so grateful for everything they've done for our event. They help promote it via social media, and have donated gift cards and a wide variety of fun things for us to sell and give away. They've also shopped with us, so we're doubly blessed by them and their friendship. Thank you, City Vet!

We, of course, are extremely thankful for the 100% matching gift provided for the second year by our employer. We hope these checks will continue to grow each year as they have been so far! 2011's match was $4,175 and 2012's was $7,596.

Huge appreciation also goes to the In-Sync Exotics volunteer who donated $2,500 to the bake sale total. You, kind lady, are responsible for $5,000 of the $15,192 that went to In-Sync this year. We don't even know what to say about that, except that your generosity is an enormous blessing to the big cats and everyone who cares for them. Thank you!

Last – but absolutely not least – I want to thank all of the bakers! My co-workers Kristen and Lauren were back with all their goodies, and also recruited Erica and Susan for cookie duty. My SisMama baked 105 pound cakes (!), and Cyndi brought a wealth of brownies in all flavors. Thanks for doing this with me, girls! We make a good team!

Because we were so darn busy (good problem) during this year's sale, my photography was a little rushed and skimpy. Following are the photos I did manage to snap before the goodies were snapped up by lots of hungry people with Christmas shopping lists and cash in their hands. Thank you to everyone who made this happen for the wild ones at In-Sync Exotics. We are beyond grateful!

~BigSis

Posted under Animals

Ever wake up with puffy eyes?

Unfortunately, for me, it's more often than not.

Whether it's from too much sodium, staying up too late, or a bad case of insomnia, most mornings I'm greeted in the mirror by tired, puffy eyes.

What's a girl to do?

Believe me, I've tried a ton of products to try to solve this problem and I've had some okay results with most of the products I've used but I've never been completely satisfied with any of them until now.

BigSis first mentioned the Olay Regenerist Anti-Aging Eye Roller a few months ago after she had been using it for a couple of weeks. When I heard that she had found a product that really worked as it's advertised, I knew that I had to try it. I had been using the Garnier Nutritioniste anti-puff eye roller and I did like it but I couldn't say without a doubt that it worked as well as it should.

I've been using the Olay Regenerist Anti-Aging Eye Roller for over six weeks now and I must tell you that I love it!

Olay Regenerist Anti-Aging Eye Roller

Olay Regenerist Advanced Anti-Aging Eye Anti-Aging Roller, 0.2-Ounce

I keep my eye roller in the fridge and the first thing I do every single morning is take about 20-30 seconds to roll a little bit of the product under my eyes. (It's quite refreshing when this is applied cold.) This product goes on more creamy than other anti-puffy products that I've used in the past but it soaks in quickly and you can actually see results within a very short period of time. I'd say that within 30 minutes, my eyes are noticeably less puffy! 🙂

We sisters take the “puffy eye” problem seriously and we don't recommend a product unless we have tried and tested it and are 100% happy with the results. So, ladies, if you have this problem, do yourself a favor and try this Olay Regenerist Anti-Aging Eye Roller. I don't think you'll regret it.

~LilSis

Posted under Beauty and Skin Care

When I was making tonight's Sunday Supper, it occurred to me that my plate was a lot like the presidential race this year.  There are some similarities on each side, but there is a wide gap in-between the two parties and the two philosophies.  And, yes, I do have an opinion about the race.  A pretty strong opinion I would say, but no, I'm not about to say what that opinion is.  We'd all fight and argue about it, somebody would get mad, and guess what – no one's opinion would be changed.  So I'll keep mine to myself.

Back to the supper.  I always enjoy the edamame corn salad that you can get at Whole Foods, because it's tasty and easy, and pretty healthy.  But it's a tad too raw-oniony for me, and it just seems silly to pay whatever it costs per pound when it's only corn and soybeans and a few dressing ingredients.  You can't put together a dish for less than this little baby costs if you do it yourself.

I was craving the salad today, and decided to try two different variations of it tonight since I had the corn and edamame in the freezer.  One version is Asian-inspired, and one Southwest-inspired.  But, man (or woman) can't lived on soy and corn alone, so I made a lettuce, tomato and avocado salad to go with it.  In the little political/salad scenario going on in my head, the two edamame corn salads are the democrats and republicans, and the LTA salad is in the gap between them.  Ok, so it's a little goofy to compare beans and corn to the dems and the reps, but life can get too serious, right?

BigSis Supper October 5

Both of the salads started with sauteed red onion and garlic. The asian variety added toasted sesame oil, olive oil, rice vinegar, lemon juice, garlic chili sauce, and salt, plus cilantro, wasabi powder, and shallot pepper all from Penzey's.  The southwest version had lemon juice, cider vinegar, olive oil, and salt, with more Penzey's specialties: shallot pepper, lemon pepper, and  Southwest seasoning.  I have to say both were really good, although I expect they will morph a little bit as they sit overnight.  The flavors will blend, and my lunch experience tomorrow may be a tad different story than my dinner tonight.  I'm slightly fearful that the wasabi powder will rear it's ugly little green head overnight and come back to bite me in the fanny tomorrow.

And just in case you're wondering, yes, that whole ding dang plate of food was just for one person! You may have heard that vegetarians eat like birds, so let me dispel that myth right here and now.  We eat!   I ate the whole thing!  My tummy was full to the top, but it was a guilt-free full.  This meal was vegan except for Newman's Own Caesar Dressing.  It was full of fiber and protein, and a plethora of antioxidants and other goodies for my bod. I eat this way a lot of the time.  I'm not a twig by any means, but I'm not overweight either.  I try to eat for health and energy and fuel most of the time, and don't worry about a big plate of vittles if it's good stuff.  Which isn't to say that I don't have my crazed Kettle potato chip episodes, because I do!  Life's about balance, right? Eat well most of the time, and then don't freak out about your little splurge!

On a serious note, can I just say thank you to Paul Newman for so many wonderful high-quality organic products? And for living a life with a purpose, and apparently without scandal? God bless you, Paul; rest in peace.

~BigSis

Posted under Food

I've always wanted to find a good homemade spicy V8 juice recipe, since the store-bought juice is just too darn salty. I absolutely love it, but the sodium level gives me salt bags of epic proportions. Not a good look, and definitely not good for you.

I'm a total juice fiend lately – ever since I started having green juice every day – so I decided to try my hand at a homemade spicy V8 juice recipe. I have to tell you that I'm thrilled with the results!

Store-bought V8 juice is made of reconstituted juices of carrot, tomato, watercress, lettuce, parsley, beet, celery and spinach. I didn't have any watercress, my spicy healing green juice used all my lettuce up, and I don't like the flavor of parsley, so I used spinach for all the greens this first go-round.

I think using a variety of greens would give the juice even more depth of flavor, so that will be the first change I make in the next batch o' BigSis V8. Technically, what I have here is V7. 🙂  Next time, I'm going to use romaine and a few kale leaves for part of the spinach, so I guess I'll have V9 juice then.

I love the balance of tomato to carrot to beet, and the celery and bell pepper are adding in the right touches of flavor too. The spinach and lemon bring it all together.

This first version leans a little spicy, but it's not quite as zippy as my green juice. Feel free to leave out the garlic, horseradish and cayenne to make a more pure V8.

One last note about this recipe is that it's raw. I've seen some homemade V8 recipes online that were cooked, which baffles me a little. Cooking the veggies defeats the purpose of juicing for me, so we're going raw here. I betcha you could lightly run some tomatoes through the blender and mix them into the fresh juice if you really want a thicker texture to your juice.

Homemade Spicy V8 Juice Recipe

6 carrots
1 very small beet
8 Roma tomatoes (you want a firm tomato for juicing)
1 red bell pepper
3 huge handfuls of spinach
3 stalks celery
1 clove garlic
4 small or 2 large lemons
1-2 tablespoons prepared horseradish (not creamed)
1/4 to 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Wash all the produce thoroughly. Remove seeds and stem from pepper, and cut into large chunks. Cut ends from carrots and beet, and cut into chunks. Peel the lemons and cut into quarters. Half the tomatoes, and cut celery into big pieces. Juice everything together, and season to taste.

This recipe makes round 32 ounces. Drink within 2 days for maximum nutrition.

I don't drink vodka, but I also think this juice would make a heck of a Bloody Mary! 🙂

~BigSis

Posted under Food, Health

Hey, LilSis!  How many of those little babies do you have?  I think you're WAY ahead of me!  I counted only a mere 40 precious little pots and 2 palettes.

Here's the photo of my MAC stash.
Alas.  I'm sorry to say that the bathroom in my condo doesn't permit me to dedicate a whole drawer to my MAC stash.  Can you believe it?  Boo hoo.  It's a tragedy of epic proportions.  But we make do with what we have…

My newest purchase and latest love is “Bold and Brazen”.  MAC  describes it as frosty light copper with a Starflash finish.  Even the description makes me happy!  And can I tell you how great it looks with blue eyes?!  LilSis, you need this one!  MAC says “Bold and Brazen” is often purchased with “Go”, which is a frosted bronze in the Starflash finish, and “Glamour Check” which is a frosty reddish brown with Starflash.  If you get those two (which I don't have), then you'll see that “Go” is often purchased with “Grand Entrance”, a frosty neutral peach beige with Starflash, and “Dreammaker”, a frosty yellow gold with Starflash.  Can you see how the addiction begins?  One leads to another to another to another…

Honestly, I've wasted SO much money on drugstore brands that it's ridiculous.  They don't stay on, their color selection is skimpy, and frequently the color fades and changes before it disappears into the night (or noon) completely.  Spend around $15 on a MAC eye shadow, and you know it's going to be your buddy until the pan's empty.  And then, guess what?  Save up 6 empty containers, and you get a free lipstick!  Can you do that at the local Wally-mart cosmetic department?  Heck, no!  Do yourself a favor, and try just one MAC eyeshadow.  If you're uncertain about which one to start with, just ask one of the incredible makeup artists at the MAC counter or store, and they'll steer you to the right choice.  We promise, you'll be a MAC addict and eyeshadow snob, just like we are!  Let us know how your first MAC experience goes!

~BigSis

Posted under Beauty and Skin Care

With all that has happened in the last 18 months, I had to take a temporary “hiatus” from my ceramics/sculpting class. It has not been good for me, either. If I go too long without making time for doing something that allows me to be creative, I become really unsettled, irritable and physically in knots. I really think that everyone needs some outlet to release that “creative energy”.

I'm consciously working on trying not to let worry, anxiety or negative thoughts adversely effect my everyday happiness. It still seems like the only time that I am truly free from worry and thoughts are when I'm doing something that allows me to be creative. When I painted HayHays room this summer, it was actually one of the first creative outlets that I've had in months. Even though I was under a lot of pressure to get it done quickly, I still got into that “zone” and it felt good to do something creative again.

So, I decided that when HayHay went back to school; I was starting my weekly sculpting classes again. And I did! I've actually been back for five weeks and I already feel better. This box is just a little project that I'm working on today in class. This hasn't been fired or glazed yet, so maybe next week, I'll take some photos of the next stage. I'm just playing around trying to “get my juices flowing”

Ceramic Box

Detail on Lid

This is a box that I made a few years ago, similar to the one I'm working on now. I made it to use as an urn for our Chocolate lab, Brownie.

Brownie's Urn

Closeup of Lid

For a long time now, I've wanted to start on a series of garden art. I'm interested in an entire “fantasy-like, mystical” theme. I love the artist, Josephine Wall.  She has inspired several of my pieces. Since the holiday season will be approaching soon and things will just get busier than they are already, I'm going to play around with some smaller projects and get my creative juices flowing for now, and then after the first of the year, I want to really focus on a series of outdoor garden sculptures.

~LilSis

Posted under This & That

Del Mar Thoroughbred Club kicks off its 2009 horse racing season in high style next Wednesday, July 22nd in Del Mar, California! I LOVE Opening Day at Del Mar. It's so exciting. I know some people go online to bet on the races themselves (as can be seen in this article where Love Belfast discuss the boom of Night Life in Japan, and how many are using the internet to place bets on many things), but I love being there on that first day truth be told.

And, as always, on Opening Day, you don't want to miss the “One and Only Truly Fabulous Hats Contest”. It's as much fun to watch as it is to enter. But if you REALLY want this, you can enter your hat in one of these four categories:

• Best Racing Theme
• Funniest/Most Outrageous
• Most Glamorous
• Best Fresh Flowers/Others

All entrants will receive two free passes to the races and the top three contestants in each category win cash prizes! You can sign up between 11:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. in the Plaza de Mexico, located just inside the Stretch Run admission gates.

We've made it a tradition to attend on Opening Day and I do wear a hat but have never had one quite fabulous enough to enter into the contest. Believe me when I say they go all out!

I love this pink one from last year's contest.

Flickr Photo by kjdrill

And, this one with the horse on top had to be heavy.

(Flickr photo by kjdrill)

Opening Day at Del Mar always proves to be a great day full of fun, food, glitz, and glamour. If you happen to live within driving distance and plan on making a day of it, make sure you get an early start on the I-5 to beat traffic!

I hope to see you there!!

~LilSis

Posted under This & That

Bobby Flay's Goat Cheese Enchiladas are on my Cooking Bucket List, and I thought about making them for Cinco de Mayo but didn't really want to go the high-fat route right now, since I ate more than usual on vacation and I'm trying to get back to my more disciplined way of eating.  So I compromised.  I made my version of Bobby's enchilada sauce, but instead of cheese enchiladas, I made spinach mushroom enchiladas with whole grain tortillas.  They aren't totally guilt-free since I'm still using a moderate amount of cheese (what would enchiladas BE without cheese?), but it's all about balance, right? If you want to go totally vegan and healthy, use agave nectar instead of the honey and eliminate the cheese altogether or use a non-dairy cheese.  If you have a non-dairy cheese that you love, please let me know about it!

I made the sauce a day in advance, and would recommend that since it takes a little while.  Plus, the flavor has a chance to develop overnight, and just makes it even better.  This sauce takes some doing, but I think it's worth it.  It's really delicious and has great depth to it.  Make sure that you use the Mexican oregano, not the usual Turkish oregano that you might have for Italian cooking.  The Mexican variety is not as sweet, and works great with the smoky cumin.  You can get a small jar of it at Penzeys for $1.49, so try to find it if you can.  You might be able to get it at the Latin foods market, which is where I found my dried ancho chiles.

Ingredients for the sauce

Enchilada Sauce
(adapted from Bobby Flay's Red Chile-Tomato Sauce)

3 ancho chiles
3 Tblsp vegetable oil
1/2 large red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, pressed
1 Tblsp ground cumin
1 Tblsp Mexican oregano
1 28-oz can crushed fire roasted tomatoes
4 cups vegetable stock
1 to 2 Tblsp honey
Salt and pepper to taste

Microwave 2 cups of water to boiling point, and carefully pour over ancho chiles in small bowl. Let soften for 30 minutes. Remove stems and seeds from chiles and puree in food processor or blender.

In a large saucepan or dutch oven, saute the onion in vegetable oil over medium heat until soft. Add crushed garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add cumin and oregano and cook for 1 minute. Add ancho puree and cook for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and stock and simmer for 30 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and honey to taste. Leave chunky or use an immersion blender for a smoother consistency. This recipe makes a large quantity, so you may want to freeze what you don't use in this batch of enchiladas. Just don't let it go to waste!

The whole steaming pan

Spinach Mushroom Enchiladas

1 Tblsp butter
1/2 large red onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, pressed
1-1/2 lb mushrooms, wiped clean and chopped
8 cups (packed) fresh baby spinach
Salt, pepper and Frank's Red Hot sauce to taste
1-1/2 cups shredded cheese of your choice (I used a mixture of monterrey jack and mexican blend cheeses)
8 multi-grain tortillas
2 cups Enchilada Sauce
Cotija cheese for garnish, optional

Melt butter in a large saute pan over medium heat.  Add onions, garlic and mushrooms and cook until they are soft and liquid has evaporated.  Add the spinach and cook until spinach is wilted and liquid has evaporated again.  Add salt, pepper and Frank's Red Hot to taste.  Mix in one cup of the shredded cheese.

Place 1/2 cup enchilada sauce in bottom of 9 x 13 pan.  Wrap the tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for a few seconds until softened enough to roll.  Place a generous 1/4 cup of the spinach mushroom filling into the center of a tortilla and roll up.  Place in the pan, and repeat until all tortillas are filled, snuggling them in tightly.  Cover with remaining 1-1/2 cups of enchilada sauce, and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees until bubbly throughout and cheese is melted, about 30-35 minutes.  Serve with a sprinkle of cotija cheese if desired.

One tasty serving

~BigSis

Posted under Food