tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82732111819429213492024-03-12T20:56:58.262-07:00Blog de la CurlyTravel, vegan recipes, musings, and more. It's the blog of curly haired extraordinaire Kristina Manente!Kristina Manentehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16713046589375308162noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273211181942921349.post-36277957140628944622013-03-22T10:21:00.002-07:002013-03-22T10:21:20.646-07:00Chickpea Tomato Soup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjce-yRxcH-uWS984slVJjVVnIcI1j5F_5c5h6IsWO3ocLWEE-WKV-YAzbf4uz2PNFje0k73SUNL2nOrp5er1UKHSkMJDLbWoAeY8xLJigoW75k_TQ4F-Hlr-sA4pksSXcYi-rq4fOdR7-1/s1600/581494_624458788092_1090866600_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjce-yRxcH-uWS984slVJjVVnIcI1j5F_5c5h6IsWO3ocLWEE-WKV-YAzbf4uz2PNFje0k73SUNL2nOrp5er1UKHSkMJDLbWoAeY8xLJigoW75k_TQ4F-Hlr-sA4pksSXcYi-rq4fOdR7-1/s320/581494_624458788092_1090866600_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I sometimes make dinner for the family I nanny for and I wanted to do something quick because i was feeling lazy. There were LOADS of chickpeas in the cupboard and I wondered how to make a soup with chickpeas. After running around the internet a bit to no avail, I found a book I had about cheap vegan meals. I found this recipe in there and made a few changes, and voila!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This soup is super (haha) easy and tasty. It was a hit and it can literally be made in less than ten minutes. Instead of parsely you could use cilantro and add some jalapeños and lemon/lime juice for a Mexican version.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>INGREDIENTS</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />1 can of chickpeas, rinsed & drained</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1 can of diced tomatoes </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">4 roma tomatoes, cut into quarters</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2 cloves of garlic</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1 cup of soy/almond milk</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1 tsp cumin</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1 tsp cayenne pepper</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Salt & pepper to taste</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Fresh parsley</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Red pepper flake<br />
</span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<i><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">DIRECTIONS</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />In a blender combine chickpeas, garlic, diced tomatoes, and 1/2 of the milk. Blend until the chickpeas are liquefied and everything is combined. Pour the mixture into a saucepan and start to heat, adding the rest of the milk until you reach your desired consistency (this soup works well when it's thicker). Add in the tomatoes, cumin, cayenne, salt & pepper and heat through until the tomatoes are well done.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Top with chopped fresh parsley and some red pepper flake.</span>Kristina Manentehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16713046589375308162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273211181942921349.post-29859353755916586982013-01-18T20:20:00.003-08:002013-01-18T20:20:43.228-08:00Sugar Cookies With Honey Coated Cranberries & Walnuts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMIojWnZWJ_CqZ_rn9Mh-kJ2zNc0zv6VF9oMKmuktFugLxBfFDXtbbEFty2Z3h-_UyagI33nwVs6ZrHlfgiTjm5o4THOhukIgEvUeBy1NKNXya5bg9TbAQ87iIKlzYoHA-oxch-tE9ionV/s1600/sugarcookies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMIojWnZWJ_CqZ_rn9Mh-kJ2zNc0zv6VF9oMKmuktFugLxBfFDXtbbEFty2Z3h-_UyagI33nwVs6ZrHlfgiTjm5o4THOhukIgEvUeBy1NKNXya5bg9TbAQ87iIKlzYoHA-oxch-tE9ionV/s320/sugarcookies.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I was having a craving for dessert, but there wasn't a whole lot in my dad's place fruit wise, which I was specifically in want of. However, given that my little brother is a very finicky eater, I thought maybe cookies would be a good thing to bake. He seemed excited at the idea anywho, and so, voila, sugar cookies! While I left some plain for the bro, the others I dotted with honey coated dried cranberries and walnuts. Delish. While I cheated and they came from a bag, to coat your own would be easy, just dredge them in some honey and then bake them until crispy and shiny and lovely.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My little brother LOVED these. He exclaimed, "These are VEGAN?! No milk? No butter?" He said I could stay as long as I wanted. Dad agreed. I don't mind baking for rent. Easy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The problem I find with a lot of sugar cookies are that they're too crispy, so when I rolled out the dough for these to cut, I left them a bit thicker. They puffed up a bit and what was left was a perfect sugar cookie. Delightful.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>INGREDIENTS</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar<br />
1/8 teaspoon salt<br />
1 cup vegan room temp margarine<br />
1/4 cup Almond milk<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
2 1/2 cups flour<br />
1 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1 teaspoon cream of tartar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Dried cranberries</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Walnuts</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<i><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">DIRECTIONS</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />In a bowl, mix confectioner's sugar, salt, margarine, almond milk,
and vanilla until combined and there's no clumps. Slowly stir in flour, baking soda and cream of tartar
until blended. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a
cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Divide dough in half. and roll each dough half to 1/4 inchish thickness on a
floured surface. Cut out in whatever shape you desire, sprinkle some granulated sugar on top and add cranberries and walnuts, pressing them into the down slightly. Bake 10 minutes or until edges just begin to turn golden brown. </span></div>
Kristina Manentehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16713046589375308162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273211181942921349.post-16300072965564748132012-11-13T08:48:00.000-08:002012-11-13T08:48:13.644-08:00Lady Geek Of The Week at Being Geek Chic!I, and my other BSB cohorts in crime, are the Lady Geeks of the Week over at Being Geek Chic! Read the interview below! :)<br />
<br />
As promised, <a href="http://bakerstreetbabes.com/" target="_blank">The Baker Street Babes</a>, Part 2 are our Lady Geeks of the Week! <a href="http://beinggeekchic.com/post/35136019233/lady-geeks-of-the-week-the-baker-street-babes-part-1" target="_blank">Last week</a>, we interviewed Amy, Ardy, and Lyndsay. This week, we present <a href="http://bakerstreetbabes.com/babe/maria/" target="_blank">Maria</a>, <a href="http://bakerstreetbabes.com/babe/taylor/" target="_blank">Taylor</a>, and <a href="http://bakerstreetbabes.com/babe/the-hair-curly-aka-kristina/" target="_blank">Kristina</a>.
<br />
The Babes are a group of Sherlock Holmes fans who produce a (witty, charming, and highly successful) <a href="http://bakerstreetbabes.com/podcast/" target="_blank">podcast</a>
in which they discuss “everything from canon to Cumberbatch, Charles
Augustus Milverton to Jude Law, and dancing men to Jeremy Brett.”<br />
<br />
Follow the Babes on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/BakerStBabes" target="_blank">@BakerStBabes</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>Q: What has led you to your passion?</strong><br />
<br />
<strong>Maria: </strong>Concerning Sherlock Holmes: A general
interest in Sherlock Holmes from my childhood on; but I only grew really
passionate about it when I started looking into it during my British
Studies classes at Uni where I went to several Doyle and Sherlock Holmes
centered seminars. BBC’s Sherlock just rekindled that interest and
turned it into something amazing. Concerning my passion in general,
which is literature: Some of my oldest memories are of my parents of
friends reading books to me. I started reading fairly soon, even though I
am slightly dyslexic (which made writing essays and dictations in
school extremely hard); I read fantastic fiction throughout my teenage
years, but when I started University, I just fell head over heels for
English Literature, mostly thanks to my extremely wonderful teachers
(now colleagues). I just loved reading literature, talking about it,
writing about it; and eventually I found that I’m pretty good at
teaching it, too, so this is why I am now doing my doctoral thesis in
EngLit and hope to stay at Uni and teach.<br />
<br />
<strong>Taylor:</strong> I have a complete inability to simply like
something. I have to become totally obsessed with things I enjoy. I like
to immerse myself in things fully and always have. I became obsessed
with The Lion King when I was in 5th grade and my room totally
reflected. Lion King sheets, curtains, and even a laundry hamper. Now my
room is like a shrine to all things British. My obsessions transfer
into all forms of media too. Of my two favorite bands I have seen one
live 50 times and the other, I lost count, but I think I’m somewhere in
the 70’s now. No.<br />
<br />
<strong>Kristina:</strong> Spontaneity. I’ve always been a geek, but
about very different things. It changes ever so often and it’s mostly
because I take a right instead of a left. It’s never planned. I got into
the Holmesian world because I decided to see a play, met a Sherlock fan
in line, and voila here I am. I’ve never been afraid of just taking the
next step, okay, scratch that, I’ve been terrified, but I’ve never
backed down. Passion is terrifying. Absolutely horribly terrifying, but
that’s what makes it worth it in the end. I suppose I’ve always been
very well mentored by so many amazing teachers, professors, and friends
who have helped me along and pushed me when I needed to be pushed. While
I haven’t always succeeded, I’d like to think I’m made them proud.
That’s very important to me. I don’t really do things for myself, I’m
always thinking of someone else.<br />
<br />
Read the rest at <a href="http://beinggeekchic.com/post/35639869827/lady-geeks-of-the-week-the-baker-street-babes-part-2">Being Geek Chic</a><br />
<br />
And leave comments! Kristina Manentehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16713046589375308162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273211181942921349.post-61085383659899169682012-10-29T13:28:00.000-07:002012-10-29T13:28:02.559-07:00Black Bean Pizza<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsP2FLBUYEDtLKkK4Dj2v-JbXSf23pgydPC7zrNm7f4W8naL_4aH084LaFJaCz1-jMvNldK2nTJV3VadKwdo6EFBafmNm6GCYh6YnjYoMVAD3J9KNIFW6rkl6R5TljIPZDiEE5I87uHPRe/s1600/IMG_20121029_195147.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsP2FLBUYEDtLKkK4Dj2v-JbXSf23pgydPC7zrNm7f4W8naL_4aH084LaFJaCz1-jMvNldK2nTJV3VadKwdo6EFBafmNm6GCYh6YnjYoMVAD3J9KNIFW6rkl6R5TljIPZDiEE5I87uHPRe/s400/IMG_20121029_195147.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I was craving black beans, but I was also craving pizza. Finding myself without the tomatoes for normal pizza, I decided to try and make a black bean pizza. I had never had it and had no idea what it would taste like. Let's just say this is the best pizza ever. Ok? Ok.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I've found naan bread to be an excellent base for pizzas. You can make them really fluffy bases or really crispy, and the size of a naan is a perfect size for a personal pie. Ugh. So good. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It'd be great to spice this up a bit next time with some jalapeños. I also think diced tomato on the top would be marvellous. It was amazing at is, but adding things is always quite fun. Plus this is so stupid easy there are limitless combinations to be made!</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7mWR9LcF-ZJAf7sh8vU_W9gwU_TL1DDzO0x2fV4zI1MpP0oq0Rl5Twz9zvlHU34kJpDvCw6SPEwB27v-t1GP7fRJ2z76N7DZK9kB3PKIssnpp_FlsbHT_Ag2kWfy8oXhPf-dKPTrFEOwS/s1600/IMG_20121029_195438.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7mWR9LcF-ZJAf7sh8vU_W9gwU_TL1DDzO0x2fV4zI1MpP0oq0Rl5Twz9zvlHU34kJpDvCw6SPEwB27v-t1GP7fRJ2z76N7DZK9kB3PKIssnpp_FlsbHT_Ag2kWfy8oXhPf-dKPTrFEOwS/s320/IMG_20121029_195438.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>INGREDIENTS</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />1 can of black beans, drained</span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1 small onion</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1 large clove of garlic</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Olive oil </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Garlic powder</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cilantro</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Salt & pepper to taste</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Vegan cheese of your choice (I used Cheezly Mozz)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Naan bread</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<i><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">DIRECTIONS</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />Pre-heat oven to 190C/400F.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Dribble some olive oil in a pan and sauté your onions and garlic for a few minutes. After the onions are slightly soft, add the black beans. Add a healthy dash of garlic powder and cilantro plus salt and pepper. Cook together for around 3 minutes.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">While that cooks, grate some vegan cheese/if already grated, put aside. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Put naan bread on a cookie sheet and top with the black bean, onion, and garlic mixture, spreading it around. Should be quite thick. Top it all with grated cheese and</span> <span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">with some more cilantro, salt, and pepper.</span> <span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Cook for around five minutes before switching to the broiler to melt the cheese for another five.</span><br />
<br />Kristina Manentehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16713046589375308162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273211181942921349.post-35162706866661779762012-09-24T12:11:00.001-07:002012-09-24T12:11:45.058-07:00Moroccany Couscous<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYLKvkTkR3DdY2pNywsM8LurShtdRMzjRe2O_FYJuLsv-MpJo3BXdiuzXazXceQLoxNRW5zNGIgmktKiGByE0DUQuTOsFlYBpdcYRDrhk6IQjWNfjIWVxYKb1fLVdZ1bTEHjSXqjghkUcV/s1600/couscous.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYLKvkTkR3DdY2pNywsM8LurShtdRMzjRe2O_FYJuLsv-MpJo3BXdiuzXazXceQLoxNRW5zNGIgmktKiGByE0DUQuTOsFlYBpdcYRDrhk6IQjWNfjIWVxYKb1fLVdZ1bTEHjSXqjghkUcV/s1600/couscous.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I love couscous... probably too much. Something about it just pleases me to no end. I've made all sorts of coucouses... couscousi? What is the plural of couscous? Is it just couscous? Important questions people. Anywho, I just like experimenting with couscous and putting random things in it. So, as I was debating what on earth to make for dinner for Maria & I, I found some couscous and went to town raiding the fridge.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And this here is the result... with an extra bit of zing (and not because I accidentally dumped a whole lot of chilli flakes in there, not at all, I am as graceful as a swan).</span> <span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But basically, couscous is the easiest thing to make and it's also so easy to be vegan or anything!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>INGREDIENTS</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2 cups uncooked couscous</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1 zuchinni, chopped</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1/2 red bell pepper, chopped</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1 carrot, chopped</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1 small can of beans (I used kidney, but any would work)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Handful of raisins</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Spices (I mixed together cumin, garlic, cinnamon, chilli flakes, salt, and pepper)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Olive oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<i><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">DIRECTIONS</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Pour couscous into a bowl and cover with boiling water. Cover the bowl and set it aside for 5-10 minutes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sautee the zuchinni, bell peppers, and carrots in olive oil for a few minutes until they start to become tender. Add in the beans, spices, and raisins. Leave some of the sauce/water from the beans. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Fluff couscous with a dork, drizzle some olive oil and combine with sautee mixture. Voila! Nom away!</span>Kristina Manentehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16713046589375308162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273211181942921349.post-56826015158370221022012-09-23T06:07:00.001-07:002012-09-23T06:07:14.346-07:00Pancakes with banana, raisins, and coconut<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpYHsXe1LppTe0M4QArM2ePtuVxj2vpbdKs0pgptS2H84EXZsXQKFaCu4VBWQzB4bta49arv5suKSJ_qvd-jeublejcOqBkLQ-Me820oIaZwOc19gQfYRq1EsrQBC_AAIXeJjyV_dlxodW/s1600/pancakes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpYHsXe1LppTe0M4QArM2ePtuVxj2vpbdKs0pgptS2H84EXZsXQKFaCu4VBWQzB4bta49arv5suKSJ_qvd-jeublejcOqBkLQ-Me820oIaZwOc19gQfYRq1EsrQBC_AAIXeJjyV_dlxodW/s400/pancakes.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
One of the issues with going vegan was breakfast. I was never a huge brekkie fan to be fair, but sometimes I just REALLY wanted a freaking waffle or a pancake. My first attempts at vegan pancake making were...er... special. They were more like bricks made out of sweet potato.<br />
<br />
I wanted to try something new and so I whipped this up, using baking powder as the eggs and the result was very very fluffy! They were a bit scorched, but in the end it was okay because covered in syrup, everything tastes good.<br />
<br />
Next time I'd top with some margarine and I think I'd toast the coconut a bit, but these were very filling and were gobbled up by my non-vegan friend who said they tasted just like normal pancakes. Huzzah! These are stupidly simple too.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>INGREDIENTS</i><br />
<br />
1 cup flour<br />
1 tablespoon cane sugar<br />
2 tablespoons baking powder<br />
Pinch of salt<br />
Some vanilla (to taste) <br />
1 cup "milk"<br />
2 tablespoons veggie oil<br />
<br />
Syrup, raisins, banana, and shredded coconut for topping <br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i>
<i>DIRECTIONS</i><br />
<br />
Combine your dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, salt) in a large bowl.<br />
<br />
Add "milk", vanilla, and oil and stir until smooth.<br />
<br />
Plop some batter onto a pan over medium heat. Flip when bubbles appear and the edges are stiffening.<br />
<br />
Cut up a banana, toss some raisins, pour some syrup, and sprinkle some shredded coconut on top! Voila!Kristina Manentehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16713046589375308162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273211181942921349.post-28607596333209119632012-07-10T03:05:00.000-07:002012-07-10T03:09:42.272-07:00The Validation of the Internet Fandom: Bridging the Gap Between Traditional Fandom and the Age of Tumblr<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
Presented at <a href="http://www.scintillation.org/index.html">A Scintillation of Scions V</a> on June 9th, 2012 in Laurel, MD.</div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
To listen to this presentation, please click [<a href="http://bakerstreetbabes.tumblr.com/post/24847646356/at-a-scintillation-of-scions-v-i-curly">HERE</a>].<br />
<br />
------ </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="line-height: 200%;">The Validation of the Internet Fandom: Bridging the Gap
Between Traditional Fandom and the Age of Tumblr</span></b></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;">By Kristina Manente</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;">Scintillation of
Scions V</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;">June 9, 2012</span><br />
<br /></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;"> I
have an addictive personality. I’ll get addicted to outfits or hummus
sandwiches, movies and songs. I should have known I’d end up here at
Scintillation for one simple reason: as a child I watched The Great Mouse
Detective. I watched it so many times over and over again, I’m sure it’s melted
my brain. And drove my mother insane. I was hopelessly in love with it. I still
am. It was a staple of my childhood and while I was vaguely aware of whom
Sherlock Holmes was growing up, I wasn’t a Sherlockian.</span><br />
</div>
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<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;"> I
didn’t start reading the canon until last year. I thought Watson was always
rotund with a bushy mustache (well, part of that is true), and I had no idea
who Jeremy Brett was. In fact, when the Robert Downey Jr movie adverts first
showed, my first thought (other than god Jude Law is hot) was that of Basil of
Baker Street. Of the cartoon mouse who unashamedly stole my heart. I didn’t
know what would happen in the next two to three years. I didn’t know about
Sherlock or how it would change my life forever.</span><br />
</div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;"> Sherlock
is my first fandom, and I use fandom in the sense of a distinct internet
community. A community of thousands who all love the same thing, who write
about it, laugh about it, argue about it, art about it, cry about it, and lust
over animated gifs of Benedict Cumberbatch together. It’s a beautiful mad
thing. I stepped in unaware and I have never been more glad. Fandom has
introduced me and countless others to the original stories. It has celebrated
these magnificent characters and it has changed my life, and many others.</span><br />
</div>
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<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;"> As
such, Sherlock has one of the most vocal and dedicated fandoms out there. The
Believe In Sherlock campaign should be enough indication of that. If you don’t
know what that is, following the transmission of The Reichenbach Fall in the
UK, a fan movement was started much akin to Frodo Lives. We had to restore
Sherlock’s reputation and prove Richard Brook was a fake. The original post by
earlfoolish on tumblr charged believers in Sherlock to take to the streets. It
was a bit meta, but we did it. The Believe In Sherlock movement spread worldwide,
popping up in schools, places of work, and along the streets of cities and
towns. The campaign went completely viral and has been reported on numerous
blogging sites and even The Radio Times. Fans are finding one another through
the movement as well, going to tumblr to try and find original posters of the
fliers and artwork. It’s bringing the Sherlock community together, promoting
the show, and including the fans into the universe of BBC Sherlock.</span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;"> And it’s
all fan made. Those involved in the BBC show have mentioned numerous times how
staggered they were by the movement, and still are. Steven Moffat called it
“the best viral marketing campaign ever,” and that he and Mark Gatiss didn’t
need to do any promotion for Series 3 because we had done it for them. The
parallels to the legend of Victorians marching along the Strand in black
armbands are obvious. Just as they did, we mourned the “death” of our hero,
allowing ourselves to enter the Sherlock world and bring it into our reality.
Some have called it childish and ridiculous, but we had fun. And I won’t
apologize for that.</span><br />
</div>
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<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;"> No
one can doubt the sincerity and absolute dedication of the Sherlock generation
of Holmesians. If Believe In Sherlock isn’t enough how about the thousands of
votes that pour in when someone from the show, or the show itself is up for an
award? Countless number of trending topics on twitter have been started by the
fandom, and as I said before, those involved in the show have remarked multiple
times how floored they are by their fanbase. We’re a fanatically dedicated
bunch, which is why I get surprised when older Sherlockians get annoyed at us
and fear us.</span><br />
</div>
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<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;"> Are
we not the same? Many of you entered Sherlockiana through more traditional
means. You might have read the canon and found a group. You might have started
your own or subscribed to a newsletter. Some of you as Baker Street Irregulars
and are quite distinguished. Others just run a blog or are Holmesian authors,
both scholarly and pastiche. I like to yammer into a microphone with friends
and it’s in that way I express my love. That and reblogging some gratuitous
photos of the cast, because they’re gorgeous. And that’s okay. I’m sure
Victorian women and men were oogling the Paget drawings. Don’t even try to tell
me they weren’t.</span><br />
</div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;"> With
Sherlock, and to a lesser extent the Robert Downey Jr films, has come a surge
of new Sherlockians. Some very learned in canon, others encountering the
characters for the first time. It’s a global Holmesian Renaissance and it’s
come to life and spread rapidly through social media, primarily through tumblr,
twitter, and the fanfic communities on livejournal and AO3. I can understand
how the massive surge can be terrifying for the more traditional minded
Sherlockian: hoards of teenage and twenty-some-year-olds descending upon their
Holmesian world. They’re afraid of, dare I say it, The Cumberbitches, and
afraid they aren’t in it for the stories. But if they took a moment to go
beyond the surface of OMG and FEELINGS, they’re realize that it’s more than
that. They may have come for the cheekbones and the dishy silver fox from
Scotland Yard, but it’s not why they stayed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;"> They’ve
fallen in love. Just like everyone in this room has.</span><br />
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;"> Those
of us from the Sherlock generation are vocal and opinionated. We care about
this show an obscene amount and we aren’t afraid to show it. There are around
30,000 Sherlock tumblr fans and that is a conservative estimate. There are
thousands upon thousands of fanfictions and beautiful, stunning pieces of art.
A fanartist was actually contacted by Sue Vertue, producer of the BBC series,
and her stunning portraits of the Sherlock cast will be going in a board room
at Hartswood Studios. </span><br />
</div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;">Along with the art are the
essays and heated debates. Emotions run high in the tumblr world and never have
I seen such detailed responses to questions. There is plenty of scholarships on
tumblr. They research to an obsessive level and have enough references to even
make Les Klinger happy. I’ve read
beautifully researched essays on the canon as well as on the BBC show.
Character essays. Theories. Everything you can imagine. Where you all have
journals and newsletters, we have the internet. </span><br />
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;">They’re also not afraid to
have fun, and will gladly trend topics on twitter like replace a Sherlock quote
with pancake.</span><br />
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;"> Why
so silly? Why not? Why is it a crime to have fun? We can interact in a whole
new way: live chatting with writers and actors, Q&As, and spreading out
ideas to the public. The Sherlock generation is a force to be reckoned with,
and yes, some are silly, but so are some BSI members. They are, however,
genuine fans, and you should never doubt their sincerity.</span><br />
</div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;"> When
I was privileged enough to attend the judicial review for the Undershaw
Preservation Trust, for which I am the London Ambassador, on May 23<sup>rd</sup>,
I wasn’t surprised by who was in attendance. There were a handful of
middle-aged and older people, but the vast majority of those who had come out
to sit in court for seven hours were young. Teenagers. Twenty-somethings. It
was the youth. It was the Sherlock generation.</span><br />
</div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;"> We
love Sherlock Holmes. We are the same. The Sherlock generation just has more
toys to play with. And yes, it is intimidating, and yes it’s all changing quite
quickly. But it’s a good change. So this is an open invitation for every person
who may ever hear or read this. Interact with the young fans. Invite them to
your meetings. Talk Sherlock Holmes with them. Don’t underestimate them. Just
because we blog doesn’t mean we’re not genuine and earnest, or intelligent. The
hesitation goes both ways though. You young’uns, newbies, and those who only
came in with BBC Sherlock, don’t be afraid. Read the canon. Explore the world.
Be willing to be taught. I have never met a more gracious group of people in my
life. Try. You won’t regret it.</span><br />
</div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;"> If
you challenged me to a canon quiz you’d most likely beat me. And I am fine with
that, because I am still learning. I’m still exploring these stories for the
first time, as are many of my tumblr colleagues. We’re not subpar to those of
you who can quote the canon word from word, because at our core we all love
these characters. Some of you are just further ahead than us, but we’re on our
way and we want to be on our way. Those
of us from the tumblr generation don’t expect some of you to understand our
weird jokes about how John Watson is obsessed with jam or understand why
animated gifs are perfectly acceptable responses to questions. That’s fine.
We’re two different camps, but we have a lot in common and we’re starting to
meld. I think it’s okay if we still have our own worlds, but coming together
should be a priority. It’s starting, and it is my hope that we can all work
together to enjoy the great consulting detective and his steadfast partner Dr.
Watson as Sherlockians.</span><br />
</div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;"> I
and the Baker Street Babes owe a lot to the Sherlock fandom. It’s where we came
from and as such we are fiercely protective of it. We also couldn’t have gotten
where we are without the acceptance of all of you and for that I offer my
sincerest thanks. We’re flattered by our popularity, having hit over 110,000
listens as of June 7<sup>th</sup>. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to getting
fanmail. We’re also frankly gobsmacked by the opportunities we’ve had. I
remember literally faceplanting onto my bed when I got a DM on twitter from Sue
Vertue and New Year’s Eve shall always be highlighted by Amanda Abbington,
Martin Freeman’s wife, posting on our facebook wall about how to become a Baker
Street Babe. A few months later we’d be having brunch with her. A month after
that we’d be on the red carpet at the TV BAFTAs. I don’t think I’ve actually
gotten over it. I don’t say these things to gloat and boast, but rather to
count my stars. I’ve enjoyed every moment of this, even the masochistic sound
editing until the wee hours of the morning and the terrifying moment when you
send a query letter to an agent in hopes of an interview. Through the good and
bad it’s been a beautiful time, and it’s a beautiful time to be a Sherlockian.</span><br />
</div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;"> Whether
you’re a BSI or a Sherlock tumblr fan, you are a Sherlockian. Whether you’re 65
or 15, you are a Sherlockian. Whether you discovered Sherlock Holmes as a child
or yesterday, you are a Sherlockian… and you should be proud of that.</span></div>
</div>Kristina Manentehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16713046589375308162noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273211181942921349.post-76740568840745514392012-07-10T02:59:00.000-07:002012-07-10T02:59:56.741-07:00Look Back In Anger, a review<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Look Back In Anger, a review</b> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>July 06, 2012 ¦ By Kristina Manente
</i></div>
<blockquote>
“I suppose people of our generation aren’t able to die for good causes any longer. We had all that done for us, in the thirties and the forties, when we were still kids. …There aren’t any good, brave causes left.” - Look Back In Anger</blockquote>
I was lucky enough to see the staged reading of Look Back In Anger by John Osborne this afternoon. It was directed by Polly Stenham at the Royal Court’s Duke of York’s Theatre and starred Benedict Cumberbatch, Rebecca Hall, Matt Ryan, Anna Maxwell Martin, and Julian Wadham.<br />
<br />
I had never read, seen, or frankly heard of this play before this afternoon. I now want nothing more to read it and see it performed again. What an extraordinary piece of playwriting. I’m not sure I can even properly describe the story other than a roller coaster of anger and bitterness with this deep sense of just wanting to make everything better. As the audience you’re, or at least I was, instantly drawn into these characters who are quite messed up. They’ve missed the mark, made wrong decisions, and are consumed by the darker things in life, but at the same time there is a playfulness there. It was strange, but I both reviled and adored these characters, all of them (except Cliff who was just all around adorable and lovely, even if a bit of a “loser.”)<br />
<br />
Benedict played Jimmy, an erratic and emotional working class man who doesn’t seem to think life is worth living if you don’t do it in an extreme manner. One rather telling quote from the first act is: <i>“Oh heavens, how I long for a little ordinary human enthusiasm. Just enthusiasm — that’s all. I want to hear a warm, thrilling voice cry out Hallelujah!…Hallelujah! I’m alive!”</i> Rebecca Hall played Alison, Jimmy’s once-posh wife (who he “rescued”) who wasn’t quite sure how she went from a rich home and glamorous parties to a cramped flat with an emotionally violent husband.<br />
<br />
Without giving anything else of the plot away, I just wanted to say how intense this play was. It had some very very funny bits, and it really goes to show that Benedict can do great comedy, which of course we know from Cabin Pressure, but he doesn’t really ever get to play comedic roles. Voices, accents, and exaggerated expressions and antics, he was just having so much fun. You could really tell too. Everyone was seated, yet he would flail around with his lines, nearly leap out of his chair. He wanted to play and I think we all wanted him to just go for it despite everyone else sitting down (which was fine by the way. Everyone had their own physicalities.. Benedict was just much more boisterous.) The way this play knocked you around though was because Jimmy expresses everything so severely that one minute you’d be laughing and the next you’d be more shell-shocked at the horrible things he was saying. Such an angry character and you wanted to slap him at times, but still you were endeared to him. Jimmy just pulls and pushes you along and you can’t help but follow and Benedict truly did a remarkable job with that.<br />
<br />
The company of actors worked so well together despite only having minimal rehearsal time yesterday. All the emotion and relationships were there and even though it was only a reading, it wasn’t too far off from a full on performance. Rebecca Hall was stunning as Alison. You really felt for her and but even she didn’t escape your scrutiny. Their relationship was so caustic and it was electric. It shows that her and Benedict have worked together in the past, their chemistry is incredible and it makes me all the more excited for Parade’s End.<br />
<br />
I want to say so much more, but I’m having a bit of trouble articulating. I get very affected by theatre and this was a very powerful play with extraordinary performances. Truly amazing and I’m so lucky to have spent my afternoon experiencing it.
<br />
<br />
Benedict also really needs to not play with his hair and stroke his thighs on stage. It’s… distracting.Kristina Manentehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16713046589375308162noreply@blogger.com2