this may not be the most exciting blog entry…but it has good info…so keep reading!

for the record, i have the worst stomach known to (wo)man. this weekend was particularly bad. it’s really awful, because if i eat something that my body doesn’t like (which is sometimes unpredictable, or hidden in food) i will just get sick. randomly. spontaneously, it seems.

ANYWAY, this post is mostly to sing the praises of
The Daily Juice here in Austin. I went there the other day, and not only got a delicious locally made kombucha/raspberry/ginger (“the stranger”), i also got a shot of aloe. These are two things that are really good for digestion. and although it was a tad pricey, it was definitely worth it.

So, if you live here…check it out. the menu is amazing.
i also hear that their raw pudding is ridiculous!

and if you don’t live here, but have digestive probs like me and a million other women i know…kombucha, ginger, and aloe are all really helpful. (along with other things as well, of course)

crispy, spicy, tiny little cookies.
that’s what these are. and they are MOST delicious. i highly recommend you make some a.s.a.p.
for real!

molasses gingery goodness.

here’s the lowdown:

1/4 c. molasses (i used unsulphured NON-blackstrap)
roughly 3/4 c. canola oil (you can get away with a little less)
1 c. brown sugar
egg replacer for a couple of eggs
2 1/4 c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. salt

preheat oven to 325. mix molasses, oil, brown sugar and egg replacer until smooth. then add all the spices and baking soda, mixing until smooth. add the flour, mixing well, but not TOO much. the dough will be a little sticky and pretty oily.

roll it into balls about the size of a rubber bouncy ball!
place a couple inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet
bake approximately 10-12 minutes.

with molasses cookies its hard to tell when they are done. when they start to really flatten out, and look a little dry/crackly, they are ready.
cool on wire rack.
they will be mostly crispy, and every bit delicious!

this recipe made about 40 mini cookies or so.
yum!

ps: today motorhead and napalm death are playing at stubb’s for free.

i will not be attending, and i’m the tiniest bit bummed about it (you had to rsvp and then you will have to stand in a ridiculously long line!)

Sarah says it’s not her birthday unless she has a banana cream pie. Her dad was trying to devise ways to send her one to austin from the west coast. CLEARLY that was not going to work. Her favorite thing is banana cream pie with meringue topping instead of whipped cream topping.

i told her i would do my best…but since i never really use dairy, and i definitely never make custards and meringues, i couldn’t promise anything spectacular! i mean, obviously i can bake. and i can follow a recipe…but when you don’t even know what qualities to look for in a recipe, it can be kind of tricky. i think i picked a pretty good one though.

SO…here’s the recipe i used:

1 graham cracker crust:
graham crackers
sugar
butter

Spoon meringue onto filling, sealing to the edge of crust. Bake at 375° for about 10 minutes, or until nicely browned.

i ended up making two pies, because i knew if i only made one, sarah wouldn’t even get to eat any of it. so…one for her, and one for everyone else.

She called me (albeit a little on the drunk side) after the first bite to tell me how awesome it was (think 3am, bday night, post naked raygun show)!

my first banana cream pie. a total success.

phew! custards and meringues are SO weird. eggs and milk have some very interesting properties, i find.

SO…sxsw music festival is starting this week in austin. That means i will be busy busy at the bar! and what’s better when you’re about to get super busy than SUPER quick and easy treats?

here they are…the most delicious vegan rice crispy treats ever. 4 ingredients, not all THAT bad for you. maybe even some nutrients in there.

i’m sure you all know the recipe…

rice crispies of some sort (real ones, brown ones, whatever)
brown rice syrup
some kind of nut butter (these are cashew, which is my personal fave)
and a little vanilla extract

heat the nut butter, rice syrup and vanilla, mix with rice crispies, press into a pan, refrigerate….then eat the entire thing! (or share with your friends, i guess).

anyway, its incredibly simple and incredibly satisfying. but for most, its nothing new.