October 2010
14 posts
Bulletproof..I Wish I was
Radiohead
Bullet proof, i wish i was - Radiohead
Forgot how good that album was. I rediscovered it this summer.
How long did it take you to get your tattoo sleeves? Did it hurt?
I first got tattooed at the tender age of 18 (13 years ago, that is). I got a few more pieces before i ventured into sleeve country around the age of 22 to 25. Since then i have only gotten tattooed twice due to the fact that i had moved to Philadelphia and by the time i had shopped for the perfect artist for my new project it was about time for me to move to the west coast.
Tattoos are very popular and so many people want to get them but don’t put much thought into them. Choice, the choice has to be right. Artist, you have to shop around for the perfect artist. Going around shops or searching online and looking at various portfolios and making sure that the work that particular artist does matches your expectations and your ideals. Price should NEVER be an issue when you fall in love with an artist’s work. NEVER get a tattoo ‘just because’ or on the fly. Don’t EVER settle.
It hurts, of course, but the pain is not comparable to bone injury or anything. Obviously needles are piercing your skin non-stop for hours on end. The healing process will leave your skin tender, swollen and itchy. Proper care is essential.
I cannot stress enough that no matter how tattoos have become such a part of popular and mainstream culture there still remains a stigma attached to the art and you should consider where you are heading in life and if tattoos represent you or a small part of you, if you want to be identified by them or by YOU (because no matter what people say, that happens). It’s important to take tattooing importantly and to not underestimate the result, wether physical or psychological. Don’t follow trends, follow yourself.
I have spent over 4000$ on tattoos in my life time. Every single one of them i’ve thought about for over 2 years prior to getting them permanently imprinted on various parts of my skin. But i will not lie and say that sometimes i don’t regret them. I regret them only for the fact that people mis-categorize me in so many ways. Judging people for their tattoos is like judging people for what they wear. Prejudice is still very present in this day and age and no matter how thick your skin is (figuratively) it can still sting. (when you get refused a job you’ve really tried hard for because of your tattoos, you’ll understand).
As for the other anonymous question i have received:
Questions about my private life e.i my dating life will not be answered. I don’t feel that those kinds of questions need to be acknowledged and everyone else that should get the weakness to ask again will be ignored.
Vacay & Tomato Pies!
My friend Brandi came to town for a week and for the occasion i decided to make tomato pie knowing it was her favourite and that i wouldn’t have to modify any of my recipes to accommodate the non-vegan.
If you don’t know what a tomato pie is it’s pretty much a thick square pizza with tomato sauce on it and is even better when eaten cold! It’s the kind you eat when you watch the Phillies try to make it to the series again or finding out that NHL Center Ice has a free preview during the month of October and you can watch the Habs on the west coast!
Since my experiments with pizza dough have not been successful thus far i was wondering how to go about making this pie knowing it would have to be thicker then regular pizza dough. So i decided to do a french bread tomato pie.
Vegan French Bread
in a large bowl mix
one pack of dry active yeast + 1 tbs sugar + 1/4 c. warm water & let sit for 15 minutes, just enough for the yeast to activate.
add 2 1/2 tsp salt + 1 1/4 cup of water and slowly incorporate the flour 1 cup at a time (up to four cups, i usually do 3 1/2ish)
mix well . if it’s too sticky add a bit of flour, but make sure to incorporate everything perfectly.
form into a big (dough) ball
in a large bowl add 1 tbs of olive oil & roll the oil around the bowl so all the edges are nicely greasy & drop your ball in the oil (yeaaah). make sure to turn the ball a few times so that all sides are well oiled. take a clean hand towel and rinse it under hot water, strain water out of the towel so it remains damp but not dripping & sit the hot towel on top of the bowl covering your oily dough ball.
let stand for 2 hours
after the 2 hours take the towel off the edges of the bowl your dough ball should have risen over double its original size. kneed the dough nicely and shape it into whatever you’d like your bread to look like. This particular time you’ll want to shape it IN the large rectangular baking pan you’ll be using for the pie. Oil the pan well and place the dough in, stretch it to fit the pan and raise the edges a bit. I sprinkled onion salt from edges to center and vegan dry parmesan cheese. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and let rise while you make the sauce.
Tomato Sauce
In a sauce pan
Sauté 3 cloves of garlic in olive oil until a bit roasted
Add 1 large can of roma tomatoes (i put the tomatoes in the blender prior to dumping it in the sauce pan) + 2 tbsp of tomato paste + 1tsp or oregano + 1/2 tsp thyme.
Stir well and let cook for 15 minutes on medium/low
Take off the aluminum foil off of the dough pan and add the sauce from middle to edges (don’t be shy to apply a thick layer).
Oven @ 400F
Bake the pie on middle rack for about 23 to 25 minutes, until edges are golden. Let cool for a few minutes and served.
Put left overs in the fridge and enjoy it even more when cold.
Jane Eyre! Why did you end? You turned out to be the most amazing book. You’ve even surpassed Pride and Prejudice! How could you!!? You did the impossible and left me all alone, again. Villette is not the same without you.
i. must. move. on.
Dear God (Sincerely M.O.F.)
Monsters of Folk
Monsters Of Folk - Dear God
Soft Molasses Cookies!
Back home (Montréal) soft molasses cookies are an easy find… vegan ones… that’s a different thing i am sure. So by fault of being able to get me some delicious “Pattes D’Ours” (Bear Paws, not to be confused with Bear Claws) i decided to find the perfect recipe and bake some at home!
Soft Molasses Cookies
In a large mixing bowl cream together
3/4 cups of non-hydrogenated margarine (earth balance) + 1 cup of firmly packed brown sugar
add and mix in & mix well
1/3 cup applesauce (i used organic mango/apple) + 1/2 cup molasses (i used dark)
add and mix in & mix well
2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour + 1/2 tsp salt + 2 tsp baking soda + 1 tsp ground cinnamon + 1 tsp all spice + 1 tsp nutmeg
mix well then cover the bowl with cellophane wrap or aluminum foil and chill in the fridge for an hour so that the batter firms up
once the hour is up roll small balls of dough and put on a greased cookie sheet
i made those balls a bit too big and it took a little longer to cook so make sure to make small balls and to cook them through.
Bake @ 350
10 to 14 minutes (just keep an eye on em after the 10 minute mark depending on the size of your cookies)
It’s a nice Autumn treat. I wish i could eat some of those on a snowy night by a nice fire… might be a hard thing to wish for in Vegas. *sigh*
