Long time no post

Hello world,

So my bucket list for the summer more or less failed. I have, however gotten myself an internship with an amazing company called Paperless Post which has opened my eyes to the world of web design. I am doing customer service and have learned so much. This company is an online stationary site and has really amazing invitations, announcements, save the dates, note cards and greeting cards, all which you can do online. Whats amazing is how real the image looks of grained paper.

This was the invitation I used for my 22nd birthday party!

Anyways, thats what I am really up to this summer. My internship ends this Friday and then Saturday I get my wisdom teeth pulled (DUN DUN DUNNNNN). After that I go up to Yiddish Vokh (yiddish week retreat) hosted by Yugntruf. It should be loads of fun. Then Leah and I head to Ann Arbor where I will reunite with my housemates and start my senior year! I am so excited for this year to start, its out of control!

My Sister

As some of you know, my sister, Leah, has been in Israel for the past 9 months. She is on a program called Year Course, which I also did as a gap year program between high school and college. She is currently living in Arad (in the south) and is volunteering with Darfuri refugees. As I analyzed these photographs, I believe she is planning to steal this adorable Darfuri baby and bring it back home when she arrives back in the U.S. in 2 WEEKS!

Queens Museum of Art

Well, I have checked off the first thing on my summer "bucket list". On Saturday, Sid, my father and I went cycling to the Queens Museum of Art in Flushing Meadow park. It was a lovely ride, even if it wasn't on my yellow Danish bicycle and we saw the sights of the 1939 and 1964 world's fair. The exhibit in the museum was primarily the panorama of NYC and there was also an exhibit on Great Small Works. GSW is a group that does deals with political performance art, and as a teenager I was involved in the mini productions with Jenny Romaine. It was a lovely day and now my butt hurts from cycling.

Summer Goals

Hello Readers!

As some of you may know, I have returned to NYC for the summer. This will be the first time in almost/around a decade that I have been in the city for the entire summer and am so excited. Amidst the stress and anticipation of applying to internships over the broad spectrum of art related directions, I have decided to make somewhat of a "bucket list" for the summer. Many of my friends from Michigan, Young Judaea and the Yiddish world are planning on joining me in the concrete jungle and hopefully there will be plenty of posting of fun adventures. Until they arrive, I will share a few goals for the summer. Also, if anyone is interested in joining me on one of these adventures, please tell me!!!!

Free bike fridays on Governors Island

MOMA

Picnic in Central Park

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Explore the pickle wing at the NY Food Museum

Learn more about Brooklyn

Guggenheim Museum

Brooklyn Museum's "first Saturday"

Mermaid Parade in BKLYN

Go crazy at Coney Island

Explore the outdoor bar scene

Chelsea Brewing Company tour

Center for Book Arts

Stroll down memory lane of Denmark at Scandinavia House

Museum of Art and Design

Queens Museum of Art "first Sundays"

Draw a burlesque Queen at the Slipper Room

Dance to Polish music in Greenpoint

Clean out my wardrobe and recycle them

Go wine tasting on the Upper East Side

Visit the Brooklyn Brewery

Museum of Natural History

American Folk Arts Museum

Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art

Warm Up parties on Saturdays at P.S.1

...this is just the beginning!

Postal Patterns

I sent these letters around 2 weeks ago but due to my ancient computer failing on me, and needing to go to the ICU of the Apple store, I have not been able to post this until now. My last week in Ann Arbor was amazing. Once finals were done and waiting to see my friends graduate (and hear Obama speak) I spent many hours on the roof. One of these days, I wrote 2 letters to my friend Ally, who has helped me so much in regards to my final for JS205, that I decided to doodle all over the envelopes. Grated, I did the same doodles when we were in class, but this time it wasn't getting involved with me paying attention. I decided to scan them in before sending them because I believe they are fun designs that you, my lovely readers, might enjoy!

OATMEAL GOODNESS

So I have been baking up a storm these last few days. Last week I made a low cholesterol pumpkin pie for my house and then a banana walnut bread the next day. Both were eaten within hours of being baked.

I am walking in a Lungevity walk for lung cancer on Saturday that my roommate, Nicole, is organizing. Today there was a bake sale to raise money so I baked oatmeal raisin cookies. It was the first time I had made something with oatmeal. My other roommate, Laura, told me throughout the semester that she had a lot of it but I never ventured in that direction of baking until yesterday, when I discovered the biggest box of oatmeal I have ever seen. Maybe thats not true, but it was really big none the less. The cookies I made were not vegan so I won't bother posting the recipe.

This story continues with me in an in between state of sleep and being conscious of the food network being projected from my TV. I think the show was about baked goods and I suddenly decided I need to bake something. My inspiration = oatmeal! I decided to make vegan chocolate cinnamon oatmeal scones. They turned out really well! Not too sweet and they taste like scones!!!

Vegan Chocolate Cinnamon Oatmeal Scones

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of margarine

1 1/4 cups of flour

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 tsp backing powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp of cinnamon

2 tsp of cocoa powder

1 cup of rolled oats

1/3 cup soy yogurt

Directions:

1. Pre heat the oven to 375 F

2. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cocoa powder together in a large bowl.

3. Add margarine and mix together until the mixture becomes uniformly crumby.

4. Stir in oats.

5. Add soy yogurt and mix until dough begins to stick together

6. Place flour on an ungreased baking sheet.

7. Using a wooden spoon (for size) make balls and then smush them down like a cake.

8. Bake for 15-18 minutes until firm when pressed lightly in the center.

9. Place on cooling rack as soon as they come out of the oven

10. ENJOY!!!

Passover baking

Passover is upon us and it is the worst holiday for vegans. The amount of cholesterol in any Passover baked good is outrageous! So I have taken things into my own hands. This morning I decided to bake vegan, chocolate chip, walnut, matzah meal cookies!!! I have decided to call them WATCHAMEALS!!! Thank you Yonit for the suggestion. They turned out pretty good so I will give you all the recipe!

Ingredients:

1-1.5 tbsp of cocoa powder

1 cup of matzah meal

1/3 cup of brown sugar (light)

1/3 cup of margarine

1/3 cup of water

1 tsp of vanilla extract

1/4 cup of walnuts (crushed)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F

2. In a bowl mix the matzah meal, brown sugar, walnuts and cocoa powder until even throughout (you might need to work on the brown sugar breaking up)

3. Add the wet ingredients and mix until the the dough is crumbly and sticks together when packed.

4. Compact dough into tablespoon size balls and place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Flatten them slightly on baking sheet.

5. Bake in oven for 25 minutes.

6. Place on a cooling rack for 3 minutes.

You can serve them straight out of the oven, store in an airtight container.

Back to Baking

So I have taken a hiatus from baking and I am finally back! These last few weeks have been particularly stressful and I made an executive decision to bake for the first time in around 2 months. The cupcakes are vegan cinnamon raisin cupcakes and the loaf is a cinnamon chocolate chip cake! I used the recipe for cinnamon spice cupcakes that I posted earlier, but replaced the soy milk with water (its pouring outside and I had no desire walk outside). Anyways, I hope this post finds you, my readers, well!

Muffin and Jam Session

This morning was wonderful! I invited Eliana to come over and bake some Shabbos vegan muffins. They were delicious!!! I used this recipe a few times and I keep adding a few things to make them extra special. I think I have reached perfection (maybe not, but at least I found satisfaction! After we baked the muffins, we cut them across and spread organic raspberry preserves, like a sandwich and they were AMAZING! Here is the recipe for all of you to try:

Shif's Vegan Goodness Muffins!

Ingredients:

3 cups of flour

2 cups of sugar

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp of nutmeg

1.5 tsp of cinnamon

1 tsp of salt

1 cup of vegetable oil

2 cups of soy milk

2 tbsp of vanilla extract

2 tbsp of vinegar (I use apple)

1/4th of a cup of chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

- Heat oven to 350 F.

- Prepare your muffin tin.

- Mix together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon in a large bowl.

- Add vegetable oil, soy milk, vanilla extract. Mix together until there are no lumps and the batter feels smooth.

- Add vinegar and walnuts and mix a few times.

- Bake for 20 minutes or until you stick a toothpick inside and it comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes on a cooling rack.

Pralines and international stamps!

Hello readers! It has been a while since I actually posted something I have done. I have become a postcard lover in the last few months and have joined the website postcrossing where I receive an address from somewhere around the world and send a postcard, when simultaneously, someone else around the world gets my address and sends me a postcard. Today is an extra special day because I received 2 postcards! One is from Bulgaria (a beautiful city scape of Stara Zagora) and the other from Belgium (YUMMY famous Belgian Pralines!)

Kanine Krunchies

My house is watching 101 Dalmations and this came up and brought back memories from my childhood.

Lucille Bliss - Kanine Krunchies

Words and Music by Mel Levin

Kanine Krunchies can't be beat

They make each meal a special treat

Happy dogs are those who eat

Nutritious Kanine Krunchies

Kanine Krunchies all contain

Selected meat and wholesome grain

Toy Chihuahua or Great Dane

All love Kanine Krunchies

So, do what all the smart dogs do

And you'll feel great the whole day through

You can be a champion too

If you eat Kanine Krunchies

iRun

I haven't run in 2 weeks and since I live in Michigan, I was blessed with lots and lots of snow. I hate running on the treadmill and I hate running on a track because its too flat. This advertisement gives me hope