Dia De Los Muertos

multiple Spanish speaking countries (mostly Mexico and South American countries) celebrate what is called Dia De Los Muertos, the Day of the Dead. this is a day to remember and pray for their loved ones who have already passed from this world. they believe that one this day more than any other day of the year, they might be visited by lost loved ones. people decorate cemeteries and altars in their homes with the favorite foods and photos of the departed along with flowers and other decorations such as skulls made out of sugar. another common practice is the baking and eating of pan de muertos- dead bread. there are multiple varieties of this bread, some including rosewater and orange zest. the bread is consistently yeast based and usually sweet. i began the tradition of making pan de muertos after learning about dia de los muertos in high school spanish class. celebrations are somewhere from October 1st to November 2nd, coinciding with All Saints Day (and just conveniently located near Halloween).

here is what i am eating now, a vegan Pan De Muertos: you can find lots of recipe variations if you search for them.

3/4 cup lukewarm water
1 pkg active dry yeast
1 cup Smart Balance Light or other vegan margarine ( i just dont like earth balance for some reason), melted and cooled to room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1 lb medium firm tofu, pureed until smooth
1 tsp salt
cinnamon or pumpkin pie seasoning to taste according to your preference (1 to 2 tbsp)
(people also sometimes use clove or 1tbsp orange zest)
up to 1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
up to 3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (or whatever ratio you like, i used mostly wheat)

to top it off:
1 tbsp soy milk
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Mix the yeast with the warm water and let sit for five minutes. Mix your flours together. Stir in the melted Smart Balance, the pureed tofu, the sugar, the spices of your choice, the salt and 1 1/2 cups of the flour. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough forms a sticky ball. Turn this onto a lightly floured board and knead for about 10 minutes, adding more flour if needed to prevent sticking. Place in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a clean cloth. Allow to rise in a warm spot until it has doubled in size — about 90 minutes.

Punch dough down and knead a couple of times. Get creative. Some loaves are braided and made into a circle with two little dough "bones" places on top. Some loaves are simple round loaves with bones crossing them. Do whatever you like. Let these loaves rise for 45 minutes and preheat your oven to 375 F, brush the loaves with the 1 tbsp of soy milk and bake for 30-40 minutes.

Remove the loaves from the oven, brush with a little extra melted Smart Balance, and sprinkle the top with a bit more brown sugar and cinnamon.
Tastes just like the egg laden version. I promise. Omni approved and everything. :)


Feliz Dia De Los Muertos.

bruised knees

I forgot to mention yesterday that the Memphis Hustlin Rollers took on the Blue Ridge Rollergirls this past weekend. I jammed (with the same ailment as last bout occuring right in the middle of the game). We won but only by a few points. Shots to the ribs and/or flying through the air results in some sore muscles. I thought for a second that i had cracked ribs.



That was probably a dramatic assumption as i feel ok today (two days later). Shaky legs that had not seen skates in two weeks but that jammed like crazy Saturday night had a bit of a difficult time holding me up in Bikram yoga last night. Of course those are the days when you need to drag yourself, into that sweltering room, the most. As usual, i feel better.






Christina had the fabulous idea of going to see Ray Lamontagne in Nashville in October so that is something fun to look forward to. This weekend, we plan on going to the farmers market and cooking some yummy vegan fare. Hopefully photos will follow.

i also wanna make this from happy herbivore:
Zucchini Bread - yields 1 loaf
1 1/2 cups sifted whole wheat flour or spelt (or other flour)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 flax egg (or other substitute)
1/2 cup light brown sugar
5 heaping tbsp unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
up to 4 tbsp water
2 small zucchinis shreaded (1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup unsweetened dried fruit - optional (such as raisins, wild blueberries, cranberries)
1/2 cup chopped nuts - optional
rolled oats - optional topping

Directions:
1. Preheat 350 F
2. sift flour, baking powder, spices and salt together
3. make “egg”
4. add sugar, applesauce, lemon juice, vanilla and 2 tbsp water; whisk until combined
5. pour wet into dry but do not mix
6. add zucchini and optional dried fruit and/or nuts
7. stir until just combined
8. (if it’s still dry, add another 2 tbsp of water)
9. transfer mixture to a greased bread pan
10. sprinkle oats on top if desired (a little extra sugar too if desired)
11. bake 40-50 minutes, until a tooth pick comes out clean

Note: you can also do 3/4 cup shredded carrots and 3/4 shredded zucchini
You can also make muffins using this recipe, but the bake time will be much less, approx. 12-17 minutes.


On Top of that!
Oh, crap- i want this.
Anyone who knows me knows that when i say that i usually own the item within the week..... oh dear.