queJimenez...a pieced and quilted life

rustic vegan cheesecake...a classic

 

yesterday, nov. 23 happens to be one of those special days...the day my e was born...the kids and i spent the day decorating, and making cheesecake...his special request (along with burritos...)

after searching around for and looking at different vegan cheesecake recipes, i finally found myself torn between three...one from native foods restaurant (which i have the cookbook) and a couple i found on vegweb...

i decided to make the best of all worlds...and hope like the dickens it came out right (and i had enough time for it to set).

the results are heavenly.

pure, simple, rustic....cheesecake heaven. whether your vegan or not...a cheesecake fan or not...delicious!

here's the recipe...try it for yourself if your so inclined:

 

rustic vegan cheesecake

crust

1 3/4 c. crushed graham cracker crumbs

1/2 c. melted margarine

1 tbl. cinnamon

2 tsp. sugar

filling

1 c. (8 oz.) tofutti soy sour cream

2 8 oz. packages of tofutti cream cheese (i prefer this one)

1 c. sugar

2 tbl. a.p. flour

1 tbl. ener-g egg replacer powder (no water added)

1 tbl. fresh lemon juice

1 tbl. vanilla extract

1 vanilla bean (the insides...slit the pod open and scrape the tiny seeds out and into the bowl)

1 tsp. sea salt

directions:

1. preheat the oven to 325°. melt the margarine and set a side to cool. grind the graham crackers into crumbs in a blender or food processor until you have a powder consistency. mix graham powder, cinnamon and sugar in a bowl. add the melted butter and mixed until the margarine is throughly mixed in. press the mixture into a 9-inch spring-form pan. (u can use a deep dish pie pan if you haven't got a spring-form pan) set aside.

2. to make the filling: measure out all of the ingredients into a large bowl. mix until just combined and smooth. be careful not to over mix your filling as over beating leads to cracks in your cheesecake. pour the filling into the prepared pan. Bake for 35-60 minutes.

baking cheesecake is probably the most difficult part of the process...oven temperatures vary...and some take shorter or longer to cook...couple that with it staying "jiggly" until it sets in the refridge...it can be hard to tell when its done.

i baked mine for a very long time...well over 60 minutes as you can tell by the browned top. i checked it every 5 minutes after about 45 minutes. 

the best advice is to take it out when the edges seems to be set and don't jiggle as much as the center...which will set when cooled. i also made sure the top didn't brown too much...so once it was an even light brown..i pulled it.

also, the cheesecake will puff-up and as it cools on the counter...will slowly, but noticeably shrink down.

3. cool on a cooling rack for about 20 minutes, or until room temperature. wrap it in saran wrap and then place in the refridge to chill completely and set. this can take anywhere between a few hours and 12 hours, again depends on your refridge. i placed mine in my freezer which goes down to -12° for about an hour...then transferred it to the refridge which is -34° for another few hours. 

enjoy!

i seem to finally be on a baking roll these days...the holiday time of the year most certainly does that to me...i'm looking forward to finally perfecting my vegan sweet potato pie recipe this year. i perfected sweet potato pie years ago, but once i started baking vegan...i've never managed to get mines to set properly. i've continuously ended up with the best sweet potato custard/pudding...in a great crust. i want pie! i've got enough know-how and experience this year i believe to set it off...literally. can't wait!

peace, ki

pumpkin baked goods: perfect recipes for the fall

 

it really starts to feel and smell like fall when i start baking up pumpkin sweets. i love the flavor...and thankfully so do e and the kids. if u read my "article" about healthy eating during flu season...you'll know that not only are these baked goods really tasty, homey and easy to make...but they also are healthy (well sort of).

here are a couple of recipes i concocted using pumpkin in the most delicious of ways:

vegan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

ingredients:

1 c. canned pumpkin

1 c. white sugar

2 tbl. brown sugar

1 stick of vegan margarine, softened

1 energy replacer egg

2 c. flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla rice milk

1 tbl. vanilla extract

1/2 c. chocolate chips (u can add more if u like)

directions:

1. preheat oven to 350°. prepare baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper.

2. in bowl of mixer, or large bowl cream softened margarine and both sugars till light and fluffy. add egg, pumpkin, vanilla extract, and mix till well blended.

3. in a separate bowl sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. whisk well to further aerate a blend the dry ingredients.

4. add flour mixture to sugar mixture and blend well, adding milk. blend well. mix in chocolate chips.

5. spoon 1 inch balls of dough onto cookie sheet, shape and flaten a bit. Bake for 10 minutes...then enjoy!

these cookies are cakey...spicey...sweet heaven! the lightness and texture cannot be beat! if you want to try something a little different...you can make these without the chocolate chips...pump up the spices a bit...and frost them with vegan cream cheese icing...heavenly! i so promise you...

either way these are so good...and a great addition to your fall baking...and as desert for little ones during thanksgiving dinner!

up next:

vegan pumpkin spice bread

ingredients:

3 1/4 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg (i usually put tons more...half of a nutmeg)

1 tbl. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. cardamon

1 1/2 tsp. sea salt

2 c. pumpkin puree

1 tbl vanilla extract

2 c. white sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar

1 c. canola oil

2/3 c. milk

4 ener-g egg replacer eggs

*u can also add a 1/2 c. chopped walnuts...(add in step 4)

directions:

1. prepare 2 or 3 (for shorter slices) loaf pans. preheat oven to 350°.

2. prepare the 4 ener-g eggs and set aside.

3. in a large bowl, or the bowl of your mixer, measure out flour (sifted), white and brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices. whisk together to blend well.

4. add to bowl: pumpkin, milk, oil, "eggs", and vanilla. blend well. pour batter evenly amongst prepared pans.

5. bake for about an hour....enjoy!

this batter makes a really dense and moist bread...like a mix between banana bread and pound cake...if you want taller slices divide the batter amongst 2 pans...shorter smaller slices...3 pans. this time i used 3 pans...and got nice small...tea cake sized slices...excellent for portion control.

this bread would make a wonderful fall breakfast...in fact i make extra so my e will have something sweet in the morning for breakfast (keep me on his mind..lol)...you can toast it and spread it with a little "butter", honey, powdered sugar (my fav) or vegan cream cheese...or if u are really of the decadent breed...you could make french toast...oohhh! sounds so good!

the flavor gets better over time and taste great the next day...i'm also betting that they freeze well...i vacuum-sealed the extra two loaves and stuck them in the fridge for the last upcoming fall weeks.

*also...i'm not sure...but i'm betting you could add an extra tsp. of baking powder to make them a bit lighter...i haven't tried it...but i have similar recipes that calls for about that amount...either way this bread is a wonderful fall treat!

hope u enjoy this recipe...i enjoyed baking these up last night...i've been so busy i haven't had the time to bake...so it was quite a pleasure to get to baking...and then back to the sewing machine!

have a wonderful friday!

peace, ki

p.s. please check out this post...

sisterhood for women: a crafty group to help women in need...be apart

hello there wonderful people...

i'm so excited to share this i've got goosebumps all over me!

for many, many years myself and my sis nina have been wanting to help women internationally...women who are suffering in other parts of the world. 

women like you and i who have dreams, children, households and aspirations but who don't live in a place that enables them to dream...that protects them...that provides the many things that we all take for granted. women who've been abused and hurt in ways we could never begin to imagine.

we've had so many ideas and aspirations of ways of helping...finally...i feel like we...i...u...we all collectively can help.

the idea:

makidada

we are starting a sisterhood, a collection of like minded women who want to band together, start a movement and help women in less fortunate regions of the world. 

there are so many organizations, groups, foundations out there that have wonderful ways to help a woman in need and we...as a collective can band together and help.

the idea is to congregate all of us together, and collectively we can donate. one of the biggest issues i've found is having enough money to start or commit to helping on a regular or continuing basis. so the idea is that if we collectively donate small amounts of money, together we can make a difference.

(makidada is swahili for 'little sister')

how:

there are a number of different organizations out there designed to help women and fund programs to help women feed their families, become literate, start business, or even get out of abusive relationships; we will collectively donate to them.

Here are the organizations:

women for women international

women for women is an organization that directly helps women in the conflict and post-conflict environments through a holistic approach. the women enroll in a year long program that first address their emotional and immediate needs, and then works to educate them on rights, leadership education, vocational and technical training. the program also creates a support system between the sponsor and sponsee through a letter exchange.

how we can help:

the cost of sponsoring a woman is $27 a month (with a one-time set up fee of $30) once we get a group of women together we can collectively  aggregate our money to sponsor. We can do that a number of different ways, depending on how many women are interesting in sponsoring.

if we have 12 women:

for every 12 women we'll create a group "big sister" who will organize the group in choosing which region they want to help, collecting all the money...and making the one time payment of $29.50 (which pays for a full 1-year sponsorship of a woman). The group would then be contacted with their sponsee's name and information from their groups "big sister" to write letters and exchange with the sponsored woman. This would be a 1 time fee for an entire year.

if we have 6 women:

for every 6 women we can create another group with the same principles as the 12 woman group however, the payment would be made bi-annually (two payments in the year). The first payment would be $32 each (to cover the one time set up fee of $30), and the second payment would be $27. The payments would be 6 months apart, and the sponsorship would be for a year also.

if we have 6 women or fewer (who can donate small amounts monthly):

for every 6 women we could pay monthly in small amounts of $4.50 a month...with the initial $30 being split and paid in the first month. so the first month would be $9.50, and each additional month would be $4.50 for a period of 12 months.

the idea of this system is to allow those who would like to help, but who have limited monthly incomes a way to aggregate their money. with this we would all carry the weight of supporting our sponsored woman financially and through by letters.

heifer international

heifer international is a wonderful organization that allows donators to give a "gift" to poverty stricken people around the world that will enable to them to create a better life for themselves. through the program, the receivers are given things that vary from livestock animals to help them feed their families to trees to help stabilize the soil on their land. the donation is a one time donation for a particular gift and the amounts range from $20 to $5,000. the concept of the heifer international program is to empower families and those in need to help themselves, and then allow them to help others.

how we can help:

a collection of us can get together and share a gift of our choosing for a family in need. depending on the amount of people, and the gift chosen the gift amount can be as small as $1 or as large as you'd like.

kiva 

kiva is another wonderful organization and one that is close to my heart. kiva works by mirco-loaning small amounts of money to women and men to finance small business. in these poverty stricken areas, a small business loan can make a huge difference in the life of a woman and her family. with her own business, she can become independent and take care of herself and her family.

once the money is loaned the borrower will pay back the money to the loaner and the loaner has the option to re-loan the money to another borrower, donate the money to kiva for organizational expenses, or withdraw the money through paypal.

this is a wonderful opportunity for us crafters and independent designers with our own small business to give a little back and help other women start their own businesses.

the wonderful thing is that you get to choose who you want to lend to, kiva does a wonderful job of setting up profiles of the borrowers to let you know thier family/life situation, what type of business they are trying to establish, and what their current skills are and their future plans.

how we can help:

a collection of us can get together, choose a person/business that we want to lend to and collectively sponsor her business. through this program there is no need for one person to collect the money for the group, each person can create their own account, sign in and donate what they can. the loaning amounts start out at $25 (a one time loan...or more if u wish).

what else can we do?

as creative women, we can create for a cause:

• as sponsors in women for women, we can send our sponsee wonderfully handcrafted items to brighten her day, and her families day...maybe a softee for a new baby, a hand crocheted hat, whatever it is that you make....receiving something handmade just for you is always a wonderfully uplifting experience.
• we can create items for our etsy shop where a portion of the sales goes towards helping a woman in need
• we can hold a blog auction where we auction off items we hand make with all proceeds going to help another woman in need
• we can create an etsy street team that regularly donates a portion of sales, or run specials to donate
• i can organize a gallery show at my home gallery where all proceeds (or a portion there of) would go towards a group donation...a fundraiser
• i'm creating a blog for us to share our crafting, experiences, donations with the internet community and hopefully inspire others to not only create but donate to. all participating members will be able to submit articles to the blog on their makidada crafting projects.
• we can blog about it
• we can tweet about it
• we can share it on facebook
• we can share it on flickr

as a collective we can start a movement...we can raise consciousness...we can change the lives of women and children around the world...and in doing so make this world a better place.

i truly...with all my gut...all my idealism believe that we...harnessing the power of the internet...harnessing our collective creative and crafty talents can impact the world.

we can do this.

i hope with every bit of marrow in my bones that this moves you all...and you all would like to participate. 

we don't need to give lots of money...every dollar...every thing helps.

please respond here...or email me if you are interested at:

 4mikidada:::at:::gmail:::dot:::com

once we have at least 6, hopefully 12 of us together we can get started...

*also, this is my hope, dream, idea of me being able to help more women than i can afford right now...if you'd like to help on your own..please feel free to take a look at each organization and donate on your own if you feel more comfortable. i do believe however that doing this as a group could create a powerful movement...

a collection of twigs is much stronger than one twig

with all that said...please consider.

have a wonderful day and upcoming weekend...

peace, ki

eating for immunity...great foods & supplements to keep you healthy now and forever

i have a lot to share...

i might as well be honest, and truthful...i'm a germophobe...a serious, card-carrying member of the "don't breath on me...don't touch me...i don't eat everyones food...and of course don't touch that" clique. not to be confused with a fear of dirt...but a fear of germs.

if you happen to be in a kaiser facility and see a little lady with a scarf, jacket hood...or some other article of clothing over her nose/mouth...its me. and i'm trying not to breathe in everyone's coughs and sneezes...and i'm serious. really.

hand washing in my house is a sport...a who can do it the longest, with the hottest water sport. no kidding. when we come in the house from outside...everyone must first wash their hands. the kids and i even change our clothes...and of course all shoes come off.

i wasn't always like this, nope...not at all. i used to eat french fries on the RTD bus...licking the ketchup off my fingers on my way home from school. i used to share drinks, foods with my friends...

but...

on january 25, 2003 that all changed. i had my first child. with all of me i vowed to her that i would do everything to protect her...against everything that i could...19 months later she was joined by her brother...same promise.

in lite of H1N1...

thankfully everyone is becoming more viligent of germs...and how to stay healthy. now i don't seem so weird for wiping down shopping carts, carrying around alcohol wipes...and demanding hand washing. *although my covering up my nose/mouth is getting me some interesting looks...lol...*

but...

i thought i'd share some other ways of staying healthy...protecting yourself and your family, now and forever...

nutrition

what we consume...what we put into our bodies is one of the number one ways we can protect ourselves and make sure that we live a healthy and long life...we're not just talking cold and flu's...we're talking about life long health.

but for now...i'll share what i've discovered what we can do nutritionally to protect and heal our bodies against viruses, bacteria and germs.

immunity

one of the most important elements of our immune system is our white blood cells. not only do they fight cancer (as if that is not enough)...they also fight bacteria, viruses and germs.

just like you...our white blood cells (who are you) fight better...when they are better nourished.

so what do you eat?

vitamin c, beta-carotene, vitamin e, and zinc.

vitamin c, perhaps one of the most popular of all immune boosting vitamins...is a powerful antioxidant that protects against infection. unfortunately our bodies don't store vitamin c so we need to be replenishing our stores daily...throughout the day. if you intake a lot at once...a good amount would simply "flush" out of your body...in a few hours.

good sources?

citrus fruits (oranges, lemons, grapefruit, tangerines)

broccoli (very high source...more than citrus)

leafy greens

brussels sprouts

papaya (highest source)

bell pepper

beta-carotene, another great immune boosting vitamin...beta-carotene is an inactive form or precursor to vitamin a...without getting too nerdy here...lets just say you need beta-carotene to get the much needed vitamin a. what is beta-carotene's role in your immune system? it increases the number of infection fighting cells in the body. nuff said!

good sources? (look for orange & yellow veggies and fruits...the skin pigmentation is an indicator of rich b-carotene)

carrots & carrot juice (higher concentration)

sweet potatoes

pumpkins

squash

spinach

mango 

papaya

apricots (apricot nectar)

tomato juice

vitamin E, one of the least popular of all the great immune boosting vitamins...vitamin e is actually a wonderful immune booster. its job is to boost immune cells, these cells produce antibodies that actually destroy bacteria and germs. people who consume a diet rich in vitamin e have a noticeably higher immune system

good sources?

dark leafy greens (mustard & turnip greens, and chard are excellent sources; good sources are collards, parsley, spinach and kale)

nuts (almonds are a good source)

seeds (sunflower seeds are excellent sources as are pumpkin seeds)

vegetable oil

bell pepper

brussels sprouts

papaya

broccoli

tomato

blueberries and kiwi fruit

Zinc, an essential mineral has recently gotten a lot of attention for its immune boosting capabilities. simply put...zinc helps prevent a weekend immune system...studies show that a great deal of immune cells depend on zinc for optimal function. i learned about zinc from e...and his consumption of cold-eeeze an over the counter "medicine" that is particularly high in zinc...its suppose to be taken at the first sign of a cold/flu and should either prevent it...or shorten the strength/duration. i can honestly say i've seen this work for him a number of times...and myself also.

good sources? (unfortunately for vegetarians, vegans or "flexitarians" zinc is high in red meats, pork, turkey and some seafood (oysters, shrimp, lobster). i've discovered great alternative sources too:

yogurt

lentils/chickpeas

nuts (cashews/almonds/peanuts)

seeds (sesame, pumpkin, mustard)

oatmeal

mushrooms (particularly crimini)

summer squash

asparagus

broccoli

miso

leafy greens (spinach, swiss chard, collards)

green peas

additional nutrition/supplements

in addition to these super immune foods...i've also used the following supplements with great success over the past 10 years or so...

probiotics, the good bacteria you need. the body is made up of bacteria...of course not all of that bacteria is good for you...but...some of it actually is. "good bacteria" helps your body protect itself and defend itself against the bad bacteria that we come into contact with daily. the way that most bacterias/virus/germs enter our body is through our gut...or intestines. this is where you need those good bacterias fighting for you and protecting you against the harmful stuff. i've heard that your intestines should be about 90% good bacteria...and the rest would of course be the bad stuff. 

the idea here is that the good...feeds on and "crowd" the bad bacteria out. this is what you take to prevent and protect yourself against lots of "stomach" and intestinal bugs. probiotics also help you "digest" your foods too.

i know these days you can't walk a quarter of a step in the super market dairy section without seeing probiotics somewhere...it seems like hype. it isn't. i've known about and have been taking probiotics since '97. my kids take 2 doses of probiotics daily...i take a high dose daily...and e takes a "medium" dose about daily. 

echinacea, another "popular" herbal/alternative "medicine," echinacea is wonderful for the immune system, it is a natural fighter against infections. while "anti-"biotics works against bacteria by killing them...echinacea works through your body by strengthening your immune system. it accomplishes this a number of different ways: it seeks out and destroys some virus in the body (like the cold and flu viruses), it prevents bacteria from secreting certain enzymes that allows the bacteria to penetrate the intestines and respiratory tract, and it stimulates the body to produce infection-fighting cells and germ-eating cells. this is a number of different benefits.

although echinacea does so many things it shouldn't be taken continuously...the best way of taking it is to take it in 2 week increments...particularly when your body is under high stress (good and bad). for example...its great to take at the first sign of illness, or when you know you've been exposed to bacteria and viruses, and also when you know your more likely to get sick...say for instance the beginning of a new school year.

the reason why it is recommended not to take echinacea continuously (although it technically won't harm you) is so that it doesn't loose its potency in the body, or provide the bacteria/viruses to become immune to the "medicine."

astragalus, a traditional chinese herb is also great at improving immune health. it too works by stimulating the body to produce immune cells and is believed to have anti-viral properties. it is generally taken to help build up the immune system...but isn't used during a current illness...it is as i've been told preventative.

i generally include it into my kids diet through supplements during the cold and flu season.

oregano oil, an amazing herb it is anti-viral, antibacterial, anti-fungal and anti-parasitic! this wonderful herb fights infections and strengthens the immune system. this is hands down my favorite "herb," i've personally seen it work for me and others many, many times. my grandfather gave it to me back in '95 when i came home from college with a cold/flu...i was feeling awful, my mother gave me some water with oregano oil in it...i took a nap and was feeling on top of the world when i woke up. since then, i've always kept a small jar of oregano oil in my cupboard and use it when i feel something coming on. 

i've read many articles over the years that have spoken to the benefits of oregano oil, including preventing e.coli, food poisoning and other gastro-intestinal/digestive upsets.

there are some things to keep in mind with oregano oil, it doesn't taste good...so i wouldn't give it to a child...it has a very strong herbal flavor (if you like oregano it won't be too bad), it is expensive...i usually spend upwards of $20 on a small bottle...but it lasts very long, don't use if your pregnant...and by all means...don't use a lot!

sleep, yeap...good ole shut eye...is as important to your health as anything that you eat or don't eat...if you don't get enough sleep...you don't arm your body with the restorative time it needs to heal and nourish you. did you know that when getting a flu vaccination if you don't get an adequate (8 hours) night of sleep you actually diminish the potency of your vaccination? again our bodies build, restore, and regenerate when we sleep...get adequate sleep!

whew! that's a lot huh?

everything that i've shared is things i've been taking, using and giving to my own children. most of these things i've been taking for at least 10 years...and my children have been taking these supplements all their life.

do we get sick? yeap...like most people we do get sick...but i will say that it is usually once every year...year and a half. when we do get sick...it usually doesn't last longer than a couple of days and the severity is generally not too bad. 

of course...there is no dr. in front of my name...i'm just a lady who is passionate about my family's health and i happen to like asking questions and doing tons of research. i don't turn my nose up or down to any sect of medicine...so i see a traditional western dr., i talk to herbalist...and i'm currently seeing an acupuncturist who is trained in traditional chinese medicine and western medicine.

all the supplements/vitamins that my children take their doctor knows about and approves of...and she's a traditional western pediatrician.

our greatest riches are in our health...even with all the money, gold and material riches of the world...if your health is poor...your life is poor. 

i truly believe in the idea/concept of the body being capable of healing and nurturing itself...however it cannot be done on its on...we need to feed it properly.

take care of your body...and you'll live a long and wonderful life!

peace and love, 

ki (the natural medicine, nutrition, germ and health nerd)

coming soon...

i started making bags because i love them...i loved coach (the old coach) before monogrammed canvas and trendy looks outweighed classic leather...simple designs and brass hardware.

e found my first coach bag my mother bought me (when i turned 18)...a simple, small, black backpack purse...it's nicely worn...the edges are tattered...its soft...and it still smells like coach leather...

eventually i grew tired of the trends, seeing countless girls in the mall with my same bag...and i wanted something original...something classic, something simple...real leather...inspirational...

so i decided to make my own....

its been 3 years since i started my apprenticeship of leather working...and i've finally feel like i've turned the corner...and can now draft almost any bag that i could think of (within reason).

i've learned that i *love* working with thick, premium hides...

a flat hide that i can then take, manipulate and create wonderful designs...that'll last a lifetime...that'll be original..unique...simple and timeless...

coming soon:

wallets, belts, keychains, mommy & me/sister & me collections, briefcases, laptop bags, boxes & jewelry

for now...here's a sneak peak at whats coming later this week:

 

 

the wallets and belts...are awaiting...

i've worked two 10+ hour days this weekend...saturday & sunday...and stayed up all night last night stitching bags together...the wallets are painted...and awaiting...the belts...really waiting...

there is nothing like working till your feet hurt...till your hands are calloused...till your brain is tired...but your still full of hunger...passion and heart...

i'm ready for the holidays...ready for the new year...ready to create!

peace...ki