Apple Cake

It seems I've been obsessed with food lately. Good food. I want to fill my body with healthy food and as hard as I try to eat more fruits and veggies, I just don't feel any better. I have even cut out a lot of meat protein and now use extra virgin olive oil rather than the cheaper available alternatives. I've increased the yogurt in my diet for the probiotics and try to eat leafy green veggies. I also eat sprouted grain bread and use heart healthy margarine on the rare occasions I do use margarine.

My body feels beat up and out of shape and I simply have little energy to do much about it. But I think all that is about to change. I've decided to go radical and go vegan for health reasons. In order to do that I've enlisted the help of Naomi Rose, a darling girl from England who has so generously donated her time for my benefit. I'm going to give her suggestions a try and I've already purchased most of my supplies for the week's eating suggestions.

In the meantime, I've already started to make some vegan substitutions in my diet by cutting the meat protein out almost completely and eating only veggies or legumes for dinner. I've been scouring the internet and simply cannot believe the wealth of good looking and probably good tasting vegan food out there. Looking at the photos posted by the various bloggers on the internet makes me motivated and excited to try out this new way of eating. Even if only for a time.

Today I made the Apple Cake below with some vegan substitutions. Unfortunately my photo of the pre-cooked cake isn't a good enough close up as compared to the one in the recipe link. Nonetheless it smelled divine when in the oven. Moreover, it brought back memories of childhood and chilly winter nights when I would arrive home from school. In those days we had a long walk home and it was already very dark as days are very short in winter in the far north. We would get home and how nice it was to arrive to the wonderfully wafting scents coming out of the kitchen oven. Those were joyful and innocent times.

The cake before it goes into the oven.

A close up of the Apple Cake after it has finished baking.

I can't wait to try it. I'd forgotten to cover the bottom of the pan with oil but the cake didn't stick, probably because my pan is enamel (I hope that doesn't outgas. I'd better look that up).

It was delicious! Still lots of cake left for my roommate and a snack for another day.

Here are the vegan substitutions I made "on the fly":

~ I substituted half a mashed banana for the egg
~ I used a mix of gala apples and granny smith apples as the gala were on sale
~ I substituted soy butter for regular butter.

I didn't go completely vegan with the substitutions as I used 1% milk instead of soy/almond/rice.

My guess is that using real butter would have made the sugar/cinnamon mixture a lot more caramelized but the end result of the vegan substitutions lost nothing in flavour or moistness and I must try this again some time.

Tomorrow I will be making a watercress/bacon/blue cheese salad before giving up my meat protein for awhile. Keep me in your prayers as this new way of eating will be a real radical shift for me. I'm committing to a few weeks at the outset. Enough time to see how I fare, how I feel and how I like the food.

Kibet and I are Very Excited

Hello friends,

This is just a short praise report to let you know that a little boy named Kibet was able to get some medical help for his leg.

I first saw Kibet a few weeks ago in a story here . I was able to send some funds and get this little boy and his family some much needed help.

Kibet was very excited, and he could not hide his joy as my pastor friend took him sandals to keep his feet dry and clean and also a blanket to keep warm.

It brought my friends Jonah and Thomas a lot of joy to help this poor family get basic things that some of us take for granted, like doctor visit and medicine for his foot, sandals to keep feet clean and dry, a blanket to keep warm at night and a small treat of fresh oranges.

[Caption: Brother Thomas checks over the oranges for the children.]

[Caption: The children are enjoying the oranges and the blanket.][Caption: The children say goodbye to my friends .][Caption: This little girl also needs to see a doctor]

Please pray for Pastor Jonah and Brother Thomas as they move one step at a time to help these dear ones. A few dollars can be stretched to meet more needs.

Thanks for your continued prayers.
and if you can help please click here

A glorious Tree, A sign of Fall

Yesterday I showed you a road sign. Today it is a weather sign, a sign of Fall. I love the Fall and I love this tree.

A Sign for the Time

I love this sign. I snapped it at the Nairobi Wildlife Orphanage. I always smile when I see this sign. That means I smile often as I use it as my desktop screensaver.

Needing Water

My friend Pastor Jonah sent me this photo. The stone pile in the photo represents the place where people in northern Kenya are hoping for a bore hole and a well. If you can help, please let me know. The people of Marigat desparately need water as it is very hot and dry there.

Photo of the Day

A panoramic view of the city of Kamloops, British Columbia. Kamloops is in ranching country so you can saddle up and ride a horse, though not necessarily in the city proper. You can also enjoy a variety of outdoor sports in the area. There are numerous fishing lodges in the outlying areas and boating is a popular weekend summer activity. Temperatures are rather hot here as far as Canadian summers go. Shade, air conditioning and cool drinks are a must as well as sun protection.

A Wonderful Walk

Wow! For the first time in a week I went for a walk! Well actually it was an early evening walk. First I caught a bus to the post office and walked home, stopping here and there to poke along the way. It was glorious. The weather was balmy and there was the comforting smell of wood burning fireplaces going. Ummm. It felt so good to be out again when I've been cooped up all week.

I was so pleased to find that my much anticipated package of love arrived from Mechelle Tully of Australia. How divine. I'm going to savour listening to her sweet melodies. After that discovery, I went across the street and delighted my taste buds in some food, the first I've enjoyed all week besides the bannock I made last night. I stopped off at Helen's Grill and had a wonderfully succulent lamb souvlakia with rice pilaf, roast potato, tzatziki sauce, Greek salad and garlic bread. I saved half of the large order for a snack later or for a meal next day.

It was a toss up as to whether to stop and buy some produce and catch the bus home or walk and skip out on the groceries. I opted to walk as the night was divine and it's been awhile since I got any exercise. So out came the camera.

Fall leaves on trees. I love the colours.

I think the street lights give these leaves a wonderfully warm glow.

Fall leaves on sidewalk. Aren't they pretty?

Sun Sui Wah, Chinese restaurant visited by Martha Stewart, Home Queen extraordinaire a few years ago when she produced a television special on the City. I believe she proclaimed Sun Sui Wah, the Nobu of the North.

The next two snaps are of a medical centre with delightful mural art on it's exterior walls.

New movies are being shot in the area. How do I know? I spotted these trailers which are make-shift dressing rooms to the stars but I didn't bump into any celebrities. There were at least 3-5 dressing rooms parked here.

People are out and about having dinner at the wonderful cafes along the street. This one with the yellow awning is an excellent Japanese restaurant. It is great to have wonderful restaurants to choose from in all price ranges for every budget. That is one thing I love about my city. Well I must focus on looking at the sights, enjoying the ambiance and the walk. More pictures will come another day.

The winter 2010 Olympics are just around the corner. Maybe you will get to see some of the city streets yourself.

Baking Bannock

I've been sick for more than a week with a terrible cold. Though hungry I could only eat things like chicken noodle soup, vegetable soup, crackers, juices, etc. By the end of a week I was wanting some stick to my ribs kind of food. Whenever I am hungry after having been sick for awhile, I whip up a batch of bannock. This is a type of bread and something mom used to make a lot when we kids were growing up. Like most bannock makers, I've developed an intuitive sense of how much of each ingredient to put into the bowl without being precise about measurements. Sometimes it turns out better than other times but I've never flubbed a batch yet.

In a large bowl you place about

* 5-6 cups of unbleached flour

Add

* several heaping teaspoons of baking soda
* a pinch of salt
* a hint of sugar (optional).

Make a well in the center of the flour (by scooping some of the flour to the sides of the bowl) so there is an indentation in the middle of your ingredients.

Next, you add several big tablespoons of shortening. In my recipe I used Coconut Oil because of what I believe to be its health benefits though I also use regular vegetable oil from the supermarket and sometimes lard.

Now you sift all the ingredients together lightly, by hand, mixing the coconut oil gently through the flour while taking care not to melt it by handling it too much. Soon you will have small balls of flour about the size of tapioca or small peas.

Again, make a well in the center of the bowl of flour. Add enough water to cover the well and begin to gently stir the flour from the sides of the bowl and into the center.  Some people prefer using milk instead of water. When the flour is moist, you may gently continue working the flour mixture with your hands until the mixture forms a doughy consistency. At this point you may need to add a little more flour or water depending on the dough's consistency but be careful not to over do.

Once your dough adheres together, place a bit of flour on the counter top and roll the dough gently together with your hands, shaping and forming it by patting it into the shape of your pan. Usually a long cookie sheet is used for baking the bannock but I guess it depends on which part of the country you are enjoying the bannock. In some areas they fry the bread instead. If you are having fry bread the oil is omitted from the batter because of the oil used for deep frying.

This is a picture of the baking sheet I use (below) and my dough ready to go into the oven. I will often slice the batter into serving portions before it goes into the oven and prick the dough with the tines (prongs) of a fork.


I baked this one at approx 375-400 degrees until golden brown, checking it now and then so it doesn't begin to burn.

With this recipe, I had enough dough for two batches...Here is the second smaller batch cooked in a glass roaster. Both of them turned out delicious and flaky.

To eat, you simply break off pieces of bannock or you can take a knife and slice off squares. I put all my bannock in zip lock baggies to preserve moisture otherwise they do go dry very soon. Bannock is always best eaten within 2 days of making it. Serve it with butter and/or preserves. You can also use it in place of bread for a sandwich. Happy eating.

Leaving Kamloops

The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country,
your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.

Genesis 12:1

A brief (and "rough") video of my recent trip home from Kamloops in the Interior of BC. Set to the music of Buffy Ste. Marie.

Photo Tag - Wildlife Orphans

I was inspired to play this game from Teresa at Affectionknit. To play the game you you have to open your first photo folder, go to the tenth photo and then tell the story behind it.

The photo below is my tenth photo. It is a snapshot of Pastor Jonah from Kericho, Kenya. He is escorting me to the Nairobi Wildlife Orphanage. This is a great orphanage as it rescues wild animals who have been abandoned in the wild and gives them a place of safety and refuge.

I couldn't show this photo without also showing you at least a few photos of the wild orphan animals.

A beautiful leopard
A male lion and two lionesses....A close up of the lion...King of the jungle

I've tagged some fellow bloggers to play this game. Happy photo sharing! Umber Dove, Windhover, Liivia, Urban Balcony, Kaliforniasta, Flowers & Weeds, Lynn's Life, Mme. Bookling, Iowa Garden, Nancy*McKay & Pastor Jonah.