Gotta eat this Korma!

(and I did, before I took a photo...)

This recipe is based off of a couple of different recipes I read through online. I tweaked it a bit, made sure it was vegan & celiac friendly, & everyone should definitely make some, cause it's easy, & so so tasty.

Ingredients:
- 1 Tbs of Coconut oil (Alternatively Peanut, or Rice Bran oils work well)
- 1 small Onion - Finely Diced (Any type is fine, I like to use purple ones)
- 1 tsp Fresh Ginger - Minced
- 3 good sized cloves of Garlic - Minced
- 1/3 of a Beef Style Stock cube (These are the bomb)
- 2 Medium Potatoes - Scrubbed & cubed (skin on is better ;)
- 3-4 medium Carrots - Washed, cut lengthwise, & sliced.
- 1-4 (mild or hot) Chilli Peppers - Cut lengthwise, & finely sliced (Add according to taste)
- 1 cup of plain Tomato (pasta) Sauce (alternatively 1 can pureed toms)
- 1 1/2 Tbs Mild Curry Powder
- A handfull of fresh Green Beans - Cut into thirds (Frozen peas are a good substitute)
- 1/2 a Red Capsicum (Bell Pepper) - Sliced into short strips
- 1/2 a Green Capsicum - Sliced into short strips *(optional, but worth adding)
- 1 can of Organic Coconut Cream
- 1 Spring onion - Finely Sliced
- A small bunch of Cilantro (Coriander) - Coarsely chopped

& Steamed Basmati rice, To serve :)

Method:
1. Prep all ingredients.
2. Throw the onion (not the spring onion) into a large skillet along with the oil, & saute until glassy. Next add the garlic & ginger, & saute for 1 minute.
3. Mix in the potatoes, carrots, chilli peppers, stock cube, curry powder, & tomato sauce. Cook for 10-15 mins until the carrot & potato are just tender, add small amounts of water as needed to stop the mix becoming too dry, & keep stirring or it'll stick, big time.
4. Add the capsicums, beans, & the coconut cream, stir well, & simmer covered for 10-15 mins, or until the beans are good & tender.
5. Finally, add the cilantro & finely sliced spring onion, & simmer uncovered for 1 minute.
6. C O N S U M E !

This is good stuff, & I hope you all like it. It's already become a favourite for us, & I'm making it again for dinner tomorrow :D<aw yeah~
& as always, if in doubt always double-check ingredients to be sure they're suitable!

Happy cooking times everyone!

New house=new veggie patch=lots of green :) + some kind of thistle

We're enjoying living in our new place, we have heaps of room, & there was already a small veggie patch ready to be planted out :)
It was left pretty messy & overgrown, but we've tidied it up, & filled it with seeds :)
It is a little small, but I might try some compact planting, & see how that works...
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Here's how it looks so far v v v
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The thistle-ish plant I found looks like this v v v 

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I'm not sure I've seen this kind of plant before, or at least not one that had such bold patterns... It's growing a little ways up from our house, where there used to be 2 enormous cypress trees, so maybe it likes acidic soil? I don't know, but if anyone out there does, leave a comment below :) It's probably just some super common, pain in the ass weed...

Would you?...

A sketch I sketched whilst isolated from the world (ie. Internet-less)
This is a little faun character I've drawn a few time recently, maybe he'll become a regular...

Some handy vegan sites...

Vegankit
Veganeasy
Vegweb
Lunchbox

Sesame cookies & new cookie cutters

We've been on a cookie binge for the past week or two, & it felt like it was time to buy some cutters. Circle cookies are fine, but I had a dinosaur shaped hole in my soul that could only be filled with the appropriately shaped cookie.
Today that space was filled, & if you sense the same void within yourself, then give this recipe a try...

Sesame cookies~

Ingredients:
- 1 Cup of (gluten-free) Plain flour
- 1/2 Cup of Sugar
- A Pinch of Salt
- 1/2 tsp of Baking powder
- 1/4 Cup of Sesame seeds
- 4 tbs of Vegan Milk (Soy, Almond, etc)
- 4-6 tbs of Vegan Margarine (Nuttelex, etc)

Method:
1. Line a baking tray with baking paper, & set aside.
2. Pre-heat your oven to 180ºC (356ºF).
3. Combine the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl, & stir or whisk until well mixed.
4. Add a few tablespoons of the margarine & mix into the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon until no lumps remain.
5. Add the vegan milk, & mix well. Then, gradually add margarine until a stiff cookie dough consistency is reached. (The dough should be quite firm, similar to play dough)
6. Once the dough is ready, flatten it out (approx 5mm thick) onto a non-stick surface, & cut shapes out using cookie cutters, then place them onto the baking tray.
(If you don't have cutters, don't be distressed! An easy way to make cookies by hand is to form balls from the dough, place them onto the baking tray, & then gently flatten them using your fingers)
7. Bake for 21 minutes. Once baked, allow them to cool, & enjoy :)

Makes 12 cookies.

More cookies to come! I can't say exactly when, but I have ideas, delicious ideas :)

King of green smoothies

Or queen, not important, only the smoothie is important!
For real.
This is a tribute to the most magnificent drink in existence (that I know of)
The green smoothie.
Drink one everyday. Do it.

You do need a a high powered blender to get the best result. A Vitamix (this is what I use) or a Blendtec (<Not available in Australia) will do the job perfectly. These are an investment, but I have found it to be worth every dollar! I use mine on a daily basis, & they're useful for a variety of tasks, including awesome home-made dip, ice cream, etc :)
I bought mine as investment towards my health, so that I could make green smoothies, & it has worked wonders for me! I now drink a large glass (if not 2) every day.

I will write up a more in-depth post about green smoothies very soon, but for now I need to sleep...

Night all~

I AM NOT GONE!

I was just without internet ヽ(。_°)ノ...
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I tried to blog using an internet booth at my local shopping plaza (not a cheap option) & for reasons unknown to me, this website was blocked *ultimate facepalm*
Not to worry though, as of today we're reconnected with the worldly web that is the internet, & I have stuff & things to share :)
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A lot can go on in a few months; aside from all the usual things, we have moved out! We're renting our own place, so we have now (officially) moved out of home. This is what caused me to be inactive for so long (sorry~ (╥﹏╥)...
I also had my hair cut short, for the first time in my life (ﾉﾟ0ﾟ)ﾉ! For some reason (maybe sickness induced madness) I woke up & decided it was time. This was about a month ago, & I'm pretty pleased with how it's all worked out, very convenient, & everyone tells me they like it, & that it suits me :)
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As usual, photos-
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Nice sunrise out front (Our place is the wee one on the right)

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Cool light from a hot (smokey) summer sunrise.

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My short haired self c:

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So those are the major events of the past month or three...

More posts coming soon, stick with me guys ;)