Vegan Garlic Mashed Potatoes

I absolutely love mashed potatoes! And this one is easy to convert to a regular dish too, for those who aren't vegan. 

What you'll need:

1 whole head garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil

6 potatoes, cooked

1/4 cup vegan margarine

1/2 cup soy creamer or soy milk

Sea salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Remove outer layer of skin from garlic head. Drizzle generously with olive oil, wrap in aluminum foil, and place on baking sheet. Roast in oven for 30 minutes.

3. Gently press cloves out of the skins, and mash smooth with a fork.

4. Using a mixer or a potato masher, combine roasted garlic with potatoes, margarine, and creamer or milk until smooth or desired consistency.

5. Season generously with salt and pepper.

I used a masher for my potatoes and I sprinkled a little nutmeg on top too. I also peeled the potatoes while the oven was preheating and started boiling them around the same time that I put in the garlic. They both finished around the same time (the potatoes took just a bit longer to cook). I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

Lazy Sunday

It's lazy Sunday!  What did you do today?  I dyed my hair and...didn't do the things I was supposed to do.  Lol I suppose it's story time.  Last night we went out to Iowa City with a bunch of my college friends and, needless to say, things got a little crazy.  My friends are the best in the world; mostly because they're theatre people like me who love Dr. Who and play Disney Scene-It.  Because of the theatre thing, there is some drama to be expected.  But we had a great time.  My friend, Jason, loves to be weird and touch people when he's drunk.  So we were walking down the street and he was trying to touch as many people as he could.  Surprisingly, he made a couple of friends in the college infested city.  Most girls kind of shy away from the touch of a man, but Jason isn't so concerned about that.  Lol he's a great guy though and if you ever happen to pass him on the street, just let him do his thing and move on.  :D  This is a lame story, I'm aware, but perhaps next week I'll have a better one.  It's my roommate's birthday on the 28th, we'll probably get a little crazy being closer to home.  Have a great day!

Been one of those days...

There was a guy who came into the store today wearing a dalek t-shirt that said "exterminate". I squealed and said "I fricken love your shirt!" Then he asked for a wine bag. *swoon* That's the best thing from this day, other than date night tonight and the fact that it's nice and freezing outside. ^_^

Cheap DIY Halloween Wreath

I know it's only the middle of September, but Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. And it's not because of the candy. Decorating for Halloween was something that was instilled in me since I was a young girl...aka, my mom decorates a lot too. Here's a tutorial on how to make a super cheap, kind of creepy, mostly pretty wreath. :)

What you'll need:

A wire hanger

A pool floatie (I call it a noodle)-$.97 from Wal-Mart

Black yarn-$2.00 from Wal-Mart

Black bird with wire in the feet-$1.00 from Dollar Tree

2 pairs of black flowers with spiders-$1.00 from Dollar Tree

Gray creepy wrap-$1.00 from Dollar Tree

Step 1: Unfold wire hanger and untwist the top so it's open. Make it's as straight as possible. Grab your noodle from the past summer. Hold the hanger next to the noodle to get a measurement. Cut a little longer, just in case (I used a ceramic knife to slice mine). Push the hanger inside the noodle and adjust the noodle, if needed. Twist the top of the hanger back together.

Step 2: Wrap your noodle with the yarn. To keep it stuck to the noodle, I used double sided tape. I'm not sure how long the yarn needs to be, I cut all the pieces a little short so it was easier to wrap around. 

Step 3: Put the creepy wrap around the top to cover the ends of the noodle. Add the bird to the inside.

Step 4: Cut up the flowers and stick them into the side with the wrap. I used all six flowers that came on the stems but you can use less, or more if you got more than two pairs. Cut two spiders off (or more) and stick them in in random spots. When you hang it on your wreath holder, bend the top of the hanger over so it doesn't fly away so easily in a gust of wind.

Ta-da! You're all finished, it's looking great! And you don't feel like you broke the bank. ;) Thanks for checking out my first tutorial! Please come back for more! ^_^

9/14/13 Outfit of the day

First (and favorite) fall outfit of the year! So happy it's been getting colder out. ^_^ The jeans are from Gordman's, boots from Avon, the red sweater and sweater dress were gifts, and the scarf was made by my aunt. I absolutely love this outfit, I wear it entirely too much! :D Hope you had a great, chilly day!

Day off!

I'm so excited to have the day off! And it's supposed to be nice out, I hear. Maybe another Cedar Falls photo tour is in order. Or, perhaps, I'll just stay home and watch Dr. Who and Once Upon A Time. Decisions, decisions! I definitely have been feeling an artsy/crafty vibe lately; it must be that time of year. :) Hears hoping something inspires me and I have something to blog about later tonight. I do hope you're having a wonderful day as well!

9/11/2013 look of the day

God bless America! In honor of today, I wore some stripes. :) The dress is from Kohl's, the shrug is from Vanity, the scarf is from my job (Vintage Iron), and the shoes are Avon. 

Vegan crepes and hazelnut spread

I love being a vegan! The recipes are so easy and you really don't spend as much as you think you do for ingredients.

The chocolate hazelnut spread recipe:

2 cups hazelnuts (or cashews), chopped

1/2 cup cocoa powder

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

4-5 tablespoons vegetable oil

1. Process nuts in a food processor until finely ground, about 3-4 minutes.

2. Add cocoa powder, sugar, and vanilla, and process to combine.

3. Add oil, just a little bit at a time, until mixture is soft and creamy and desired consistency is reached. You may need to add a bit more or less than 4-5 tablespoons.

Per tablespoon:

Calories: 164  Fat: 14g  Sodium: 1mg  Fiber: 3g  Protein: 3g

Vegan crepes recipe:

1 cup flour

3/4 cup soy milk

1/4 cup water

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup vegan margarine, melted

1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Whisk together all ingredients. Chill for at least 1 hour. Remove from fridge and remix. (I found that if I let it warm a little bit after, it worked better)

2. Lightly grease a nonstick pan and heat over medium-high heat.

3. Place about 1/4 cup batter in pan and swirl to coat. Cool for just a minute, until set, then carefully flip, using a spatula or even your hands. Heat for just 1 more minute, then transfer to a plate.

Per serving:

Calories: 221  Fat: 12g  Sodium: 336mg  Fiber: 1g  Protein: 4g

I filled my crepes with the chocolate hazelnut spread and it was oh so delicious! Beware though, the spread can be very sweet and rich. You can, of course, fill it with something else. :) Enjoy!

Today's look

Today's look is comfy and casual. I finally have a day off! Though I do have a meeting with my volunteer family. :) Happy Sunday!

Short hair styles

I did my roommates hair the other night. She has short, fine hair so it was a bit of a challenge but I like how it all turned out. 

To create this look: tease hair at the crown, twist hair back on both sides, and flip the excess up. Pin with bobby pins. To give it a more messy look, let a couple of strands stay loose. Very simple, very romantic.

To create this look: tease hair from the crown to the front and pin back, pull hair from the sides and pin so they cross each other, twist excess up to the side and pin with bobby pins. Also simple and elegant. Just make sure you have bobby pins that match your hair color as much as possible. :D