Monster Makes

Quick Chickpea and Mushroom Mediterranean Stew

2011-05-20T13:53:00.001+01:00

I threw this together last night and I just have to post the recipe. It is so quick, easy and delicious.

The Ingredients
2 small cooking onions (or one big one!) roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic roughly chopped
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 tin chickpeas
250g mushrooms
300ml stock
2 TBSP ground almonds
1-2 TBSP tomato puree

Salt
Pepper
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp rosemary
Pinch cayenne
1 tsp paprika

The How To

Fry the onions and garlic until soft
Add the tomatoes and chickpeas and ground almonds
Add the stock gradually until you get a consistency you're happy with (I went for a little watery, but not swimming)
Stir in the seasoning and tomato puree, then add the mushrooms. Cover and cook until mushrooms are soft.

THAT'S IT. So easy, so yummy and if you're serving it to guests they'd never know it was so simple. I served mine with cous cous that was cooked in stock with added tomato puree for a change in colour and depth of flavour. Once the cous cous is ready to serve I add a little oil to improve the texture - it works so well.

Enjoy!

Coronation Tofu Recipe: Royal Wedding Special!

2011-04-29T10:41:00.000+01:00

Happy Royal Wedding Day to you all!

To celebrate I have a vegan Coronation Tofu recipe for you to make and share for this happy occasion. It's so simple and delicious, I hope you enjoy it.

Ingredients
1 large block of firm tofu, pressed and cut into triangles

Marinade
2 cloves of garlic grated
1 inch piece of ginger grated
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp red chilli powder

Spiced Sauce
280g vegan mayo
1 tsp garam masala
50ml vegetable oil
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp red chilli powder
½ tsp salt

The How To

Marinade
Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees.
Line a baking tray with foil.
Mix all ingredients for the marinade into a bowl.
Cover the tofu with the marinade, place each piece on the foil-lined tray and leave to marinade whilst preparing the sauce.

Sauce
Mix the spices and salt with vegan mayo.
Add the oil slowly, ensuring it doesn't start to curdle (if it does, you can sieve the oil from the sauce)
Refrigerate

Place the baking tray into the oven and cook until the tofu reaches your desired consistency. I cooked mine for about 45mins so it was crispy on the edges. The last thing you want is your tofu to fall apart when you mix it in to the sauce!
Leave it to cool then mix into the sauce and serve. Voila!

Have a very happy Royal Wedding Day!

This recipe has been veganised from this meaty original.

Your Knitting and Crochet Time - 2KCBWDAY7

2011-04-03T09:00:00.039+01:00

Ah, today on the final day of Knitting and Crochet Blog Week 2011 (I nearly wrote 2007 then. I always thought I was a bit behind) I'll be talking about my precious knitting and crochet time (2KCBWDAY7).

Last year I talked about how I was an exhibitionist knitter but this year the subject has more of a twist and requires more depth. Not just where am I, but what do I do to really set the scene.

There are two key places where I knit and crochet at the moment. The first one is at home, on the sofa. Not having a job leaves me time to mosey around at my own pace and pick up my work whenever I feel like it. The key ingredients to my knitting success at home relies on two things: throw away TV and a nice mug of Masala Chai (I no longer drink regular tea, it's so incredibly dull!).

The throw away TV usually tends to be something trashy and of the reality kind. I'm a seasoned Jerry Springer fan. I know, it's utter trash and some people tell me it's not real but that really doesn't matter to me. I love Jerry Springer, I love the car crash brainless entertainment it provides and it's perfect background noise for my knitting and crochet endeavours. This video is quite tasteless, but I must admit it's perfect creative viewing for me (don't judge me, please).

Other new television trash I'm into includes anything with the Kardashians and Holly's World.

The second place I find myself being creative is in the car. Not what you'd expect but I'm always the passenger, so when I'm traveling between Oxford and Bournemouth to visit my friends I have a couple of perfect hours to kill. This usually involves crochet, rather than knitting and I can finish more than a couple of hexagons in this time. Here, the scene doesn't really need to be set, I can lose myself completely to it, so long as my other half doesn't taunt me with his much loved Timmy Mallet tape.

So that concludes it for another year. Thanks to everyone who stopped by and the few of you who left comments. It was great to discover new blogs to read and I hope to keep up with you all until next year!

Something to Aspire to - 2KCBWDAY6

2011-04-02T12:05:00.000+01:00

As soon as I saw today's topic, Something to Aspire to (2KCBWDAY6) I knew immediately what I wanted to write about. Charts.

I first attempted to knit from a chart about 9 months after I'd started knitting. It was the beautiful Tiger Eyes Lace Scarf.


This is not my scarf.

I remember it was over Christmas, I was at my parents house in the Highlands in Scotland and I had shut myself away in my room determined to master the pattern. I'd researched how to read charts and was confident but for some reason I just couldn't get to grips with it.

It may have been that I just hadn't been knitting for long enough but it was enough of an ordeal to make me avoid charts until this very day.

Now, this is becoming more of a problem. There was a pattern that I was particularly interested in recently; a crocheted bikini, but the written instructions were in Russian (I think) and the only other way I could have completed the pattern was by following the chart. Needless to say, I didn't do it.

Writing this now has inspired me a bit. I'm not usually one to sit down and accept defeat so easily. Maybe it's time for me to treat myself to some more lovely Araucania cotton and finally master this pattern.

Embellishments - 2KCBWDAY5

2011-04-01T16:49:00.000+01:00

Today, whilst I take up the wild card of discussing embellishments (2KCBWDAY5) most people will be doing something different in their blogging: videos, poetry, pictures only etc, but I just couldn't think of anything that wouldn't be too time consuming. I wanted to make a puppet style show with some of my finished projects (including headless dude of course) but I would need a script and time to edit the video, and as it's my boyfriends birthday today, I just don't have time (we're currently laying on the futon watching Anaconda - much more serious business than being creative!)

Instead, I've decided to focus on something that I truly believe for all my creations. The eyes have it. You can make any old toy, but if you don't get the eyes right then the toy is not right. They add character, personality and depth to the creation.

Here's an example of not quite getting the eyes right. For me, they lack depth and look a bit boring. Later I added some circles of felt behind/around the eyes and they looked much nicer but I don't have a photo of it.

And here's an example of using the same eyes, with a little addition which makes all the difference

It's amazing how a little extra detail around just one eye can make the world of difference.

But then sometimes simple can work. I just get a feel for whatever it is I'm creating and let them do the talking, like my little cyclopse monsters. The orange one is Kurt, who still lives with me and is famous for being my blog mascot.

As always, thanks for reading and I'll see you all tomorrow (hopefully a little earlier than today!). Until then I'll be laying around, watching crappy horror movies tonight and eating Chinese. Nom.

Where Are They Now? - 2KCBWDAY4

2011-03-31T09:00:00.014+01:00

I have fond memories of making the project that is the subject of today's blog (2KCBWDAY4), in which I'll be talking about an old project that has gone to new pastures. It's a neckwarmer I made for a friend of mine and is based on the popular Manly Lace Scarf pattern.

I'd used the pattern already once before and it's great. Challenging enough to keep you interested and easy enough to remember the pattern a few repeats in. One thing I had hated about it though, was that it just took toooo long and making a full length scarf was out of the question for Little Miss Zero Attention Span here. Lucky for me, I'm inventive and so I stopped as soon as it was at the length of a neckwarmer, added some buttons and used the lace as button holes.

This friend had seen my original version and liked it but wanted a chunkier, more manly version with a vintage feel (or maybe his girlfriend did, I'm not sure... ;) ) and this was the final product, using bulky yarn, 6.5mm needles and vintage New York military buttons from Etsy.

I remember being on the train to Bristol knitting this project and getting a comment from an older lady who was really impressed with it. It's nice to get random compliments from strangers.

So, where is it now?

I got in touch with Chris and he still has the neckwarmer! I'm impressed that it still looks so great and, more importantly, how great it looks on him! I'd sent it in the post originally so this is the first time I've ever seen it on him.

Shameless plug: If any of you want to see or hear more of the lovely Chris he's in a band called An Axe, who have been described as a blistering Surf Noir Rock band. Find them on Myspace, on Twitter or at a venue near you.

See you tomorrow for a blog about something completely different!!

Tidy Mind, Tidy Stitches - 2KCBWDAY3

2011-03-30T09:00:00.011+01:00

It's day 3 (2KCBWDAY3) and today we're talking about how we organise our stash and stuff! I've been living in this house for 6 weeks and right now I must admit I have no organisation for my yarn stash or my projects. Most of my stuff is in boxes or bags and, being jobless, it means that buying nice storage solutions is not really an option right now. I'm also, by nature, quite an untidy person. It is how it is...

Some picture proof...

Presently, a large amount of my stash is in a big plastic bag which lives in a cubby hole in my bedroom. I got the bag from my laundry lady in India. It's been very helpful, although it actually looks like some kind of death trap with those needles sticking out of it. I need to get my needle holding vintage footstool from my old place.

Some of it is in a bag on the stairs right now.

My rather round looking hexagons are living on the bottom tier of my coffee table.

And the headless dude is living in a sealable plastic bag that was once used for cotton wool (also from India).

I dream of having a lovely wicker basket tucked into the corner of one of my rooms, filled with my neatly balled yarns. Le sigh.

In my old place I had a divan bed and it was ace. I kept all my yarn in one draw and in the one next to it, I kept all my fabrics. It was the most organised my yarns had ever been and I really hope once I'm a bit more settled that I can reach the same level of organisation again.

See you tomorrow, when I'll be reminiscing about an old project that's long gone.

Skill + 1UP - 2KCBWDAY2

2011-03-29T09:00:00.034+01:00

Today, I should be talking about how I've improved so much. How I have learnt new skills, pushed myself and finished amazing projects but alas, it is not the case.

I'm out of work at the moment and prior to this I was volunteering and traveling in India. I have time on my hands but for some reason I just can't find the motivation.

The most challenging thing I started when I was traveling was crocheted hexagons but, having had a problem with the pattern I've been using for a while, I finally realised last week that I'd written it down wrong and had put the ch2 in the wrong place, meaning the corners weren't really corners. They're more circular than anything.

Still nice though huh?

I'm also struggling to find the inspiration for a head for this guy

I've had some ideas for his head but when I've tried to put them into practice they haven't come out as hoped. I guess that's the problem with organic craft rather than following patterns, sometimes inspiration and ability runs dry and you have to start following patterns to learn more.

I'm not going to make any empty promises for the future. I know that I'm so busy with other projects I might never live up to my fancy aspirations as a knitter or crocheter but what I do make is made with love and is of quality, which I guess is all anyone can really ask for.

A Tale of Two Yarns - 2KCBWDAY1

2011-03-28T13:38:00.002+01:00

Welcome to the start of the 2 Knitting and Crochet Blog Week. If you're wondering what the weird code is (2KCBWDAY3), it's a tag so that other bloggers can find those of us who are doing the same thing!

I'm not the most impressive knitter/crocheter and I have my fingers in a lot of other pies but I loved being part of this last year and I'm hoping to enjoy it as much now in 2011.

Today's theme is a tale of two yarns. I'm going to discuss one yarn I love and one that I kinda like, but sometimes is just not right.

The One I Love

First off, let's talk about Araucania. These guys make some delicious yarns but my favourite colourway has to be this one:

Cottons are famous for not having that much give when knitting so when I decided on the pattern I used a slightly larger needle and it's coming along nicely, it's easy to knit with and has a lovely drape. The only problem is that it seems to be in hibernation... I am really bad with sticking to a large project. I started this in July last year and I haven't got really far at all. Maybe I should have just kept it as a stashed yarn and taken it out to marvel at it's beautiful colours every now and then.

The One I Kinda Love

Acrylics. I know, it's naughty especially for an environmentally savvy girl like me but sometimes I just can't help myself. I'm not the richest chick in the world and as a result, sometimes I buy nice bright and soft acrylic yarn can ease my yarn buying blues. They're great for crochet and knitting and I've made some fab projects with acrylics.

Sometimes though, it's just not good. Sometimes a pattern can be so nice that you need to invest in a quality yarn to help it's beauty shine through, like this one from Son of Stitch 'n Bitch:

So there you have it. My love affair with Araucania and my love/hate relationship with the boring old acrylic.

See you tomorrow!

Circus Animals: Choose Humans!

2011-03-28T12:30:00.000+01:00

The world, or maybe just those of us here in the UK, has woken up today to horrifying footage of circus animals being beaten, specifically an elephant.

The video not only shows Anne, the final remaining circus elephant in the UK, being beaten but also horses and llamas too.

Oxford Vegans Circus Demo
(http://groupspaces.com/oxfordvegans)

For me it's quite a topical issue as on this Friday just passed I was in South Park, Oxford protesting Zippos Circus' use of animals, namely horses and budgies.

Nessa and I resting our legs in between shows

For the most part we had a really positive response, especially from young people, however one thing that was mentioned a couple of times was (and I quote): "They have animals at this circus? I thought it was only horses." Duh!

On first glance the sentence seems utterly stupid but when it's dissected to get to the root of the meaning it states: "Horses being in captivity is not as bad as a tiger or an elephant being in captivity". No mention was made by the circus-goers of the birds being held captive and their value as individuals, it seemed, was regarded as zilch. A picture of the birds standing on the Ringmaster was used on all the posters around the city.

At present, the public and the government are backing a ban on the use of wild animals used in circuses but I believe a ban on all animals used in circuses is the way forward. No animals, wild or domesticated, deserve such an uprooted existence and all animals are at risk of being mistreated and forced to perform highly unnatural stunts that are of no educational value and teach disrespect for animals (www.captiveanimals.org.uk).

Unnatural behaviour forced upon horses at Zippos

Choose Humans!

My final words will be to never forget the awesomeness that lives inside of humans. We have an amazing ability to defy belief and exceed all expectations in performance. If you really want to be blown away, or take your child to something truly magical then head to something such as Cirque du Soleil which will fill you with awe and give your children something positive to aspire to.

A Positive Lent: Week 2 Update

2011-03-24T10:01:00.001Z

Hello me hearties and welcome again to an update on how my Positive Lent is impacting my daily life!

Things are going well and I think I owe a lot of it to the simple weekly planner I made, as featured in my last blog. Exercising regularly has been the main thing that's keeping this lent positive for me. I notice that the more I do, the happier I feel. I just need to make sure I rest sufficiently in between (especially between runs) so I don't screw myself up. I'm dying to go running today but instead I'm doing yoga at home with the help of the YogaToday podcast (which you can subscribe to via iTunes).

I've been baking a little less because I was the one also doing most of the eating. I was getting paranoid about my weight so I've been putting more effort into vegan advocacy and continually educating myself on vegan principles and figuring out where mine lie (yep, 2 years on and I'm still growing and pondering on the vegan lifestyle.)

I think it's safe to say that my principles are firmly rooted in practicing Ahimsa in my daily life. Ahimsa means to do no harm and I try to use this every day, not only by not consuming animal products but in how I treat others. Being nicer to people is much harder than it is to be nice to animals but I work on it every day and continue to grow.

On the subject of non-violence I found this article today which has one of the greatest comments of all time. A must read:

VEGANS ARE KILLER LUNATICS

Also, for those of you who are wondering where vegans get their nutrients from I found a nice song/video to inform you and debunk those silly myths! In addition, it could be really helpful for vegans who are tired of answering those questions (which I think is probably the vast majority of us - sorry non-vegans!).

Hopefully everyone wil have left this blog a little more informed today. I hope you all continue to have a happy and positive lent!

A Positive Lent: The 7th Day

2011-03-15T15:57:00.004Z

So, I hear you ask, how's this Positive Lent malarky going? You'll be pleased to hear it is going rather well!

Let's break it down in to sections, because they're easier to read:

The Mushroom and Walnut Pie
My folks visited last week and for the first time since I've been vegan (nearly 2 years) I had the chance to cook for them. The recipe is from this book, which is jam packed full of over 90 delish dishes. I substituted some of the oyster mushrooms for chestnut mushrooms as I'm a bit short on cash and I also forgot to get the pastry out of the oven to defrost (cue hungry family members and a wine-guzzling, empty stomached and drunk me, doing my best Keith Floyd impression) but, eventually, it was a success!

Crafting
I somehow haven't managed to do much crafting. In fact I don't know if I've done any. I might have sewn some limbs on to a currently headless amigurumi creation but that's about it.

I'm in a bit of a creative funk I suppose. It happens, it'll pass. I have a knitting group I go to called the Oxford Bluestockings on a Wednesday night so that should help, even if I do only crochet hexagons whilst there.

Job Hunting
Still no job but it's not like I'm banging down people's doors and begging. I handed my CV in to Holland Barrett last week for a part time position. It'd be perfect for me but now I guess I just have to do the waiting game. In the meantime I'm sucking up my distaste for office work and am going to put my CV on job sites and go to local agencies for part time work. It's been a month since I got back from India and I need money and routine now. I also need a hair cut. The sub-tropics have not been kind to my locks. Le sigh.

More Exercise (and everything else)
I need exercise, both physically and mentally and have created a little chart to help run my life a bit better whilst I don't have a job. The chart includes exercise 4 days a week and also reminds me to do things like cleaning and crafting and baking. To some it might seem a bit mad but to me it's like a tiny slice of heaven. I need order and routine in some parts of my life because so many other parts are all over the place (like my brain).

The 'Vegan' bits don't mean these are the days I'm vegan, I'm vegan all the time! These are the days I'll fit a little advocacy or organising of advocacy into my life whilst I have the time. I do this quite often anyway. In fact this weekend a friend who I hadn't seen for ages asked me for some help in transitioning, which was awesome. Hello and good luck if you're reading - you can do it!

Date night is special time for me and the man. No distractions (apart from Tony Cat, but that goes without saying).

Finally, today I dropped a cake in to a local cafe to see if their customers like my cakes. If they do there's a chance of setting up a partnership and spreading vegan delights to the unassuming tastebuds of Oxfordshire!

Well, that's about all for now. I hope that whatever you've decided to do for lent that it's going well (apart from the guy who has pledged to subsist on beer alone. Whatever your reasons, you're a bit of a numpty if you don't mind me saying)

Ooooh. As I was writing this closing passage I got a phone call for a potential job!! Watch this space...

A Positive Lent

2011-03-09T12:59:00.001Z

Every now and then I get down (like, really down) but I have this ability to pick myself up again and carry on like an 18 year old boy in the bedroom.

I had a flash of inspiration as I was coming back from Waitrose (yes, I'm shopping at Waitrose now. Lah-di-dah) as I was thinking of Lent. Lent is always about giving something up, about penance basically, but what if you could turn the idea on it's head and make it more positive? What if you could inject positivity into your life every day throughout lent, by trying something new, challenging yourself or helping others? Surely the benefits of this would massively outweigh giving up sugar (as I had intended to do) or bread (which had also crossed my mind).

So, with this idea (which I'm sure isn't new, but it's new to me) I'm having a positive lent. It's not strict (really, I can't be strict when the fairies so often take me away) and I'm not going to write myself a rota of all the awesome things I need to do every day. I'm just going to keep a positive frame of mind.

Amongst the things I hope to achieve this lent include:

More crafting. I've been lazy, it's fun and it's time to step it up
Getting out of my comfort zone in the kitchen and going even more wild. This starts tonight with a walnut and oyster mushroom pie. Oh my noms...
Job hunting. Must keep going. Must not be put off by the discrimination I have recently faced.
More exercise. Yoga. Running. Kissing. That kinda thing ;)
Smiling. It's no secret that the power of a smile is beyond comprehension. You can smile at someone, they'll smile back, then smile at someone else and before you know it, the world is infected with beautiful smiles!

So feel free to join me. Why give up anything when you can gain so much more?!

If you do decide to join me, I have created this gaudy looking desktop so every time you turn on your computer you're reminded to be positive (if you're not sick just from looking at it)

HAPPY POSITIVE LENT!

Monster Makes Shop Back in Business!

2011-03-07T17:09:00.002Z

Hello! So, for those of you who didn't already know, the Monster Makes shop is back in business.

I'm hauling out all of my non-vegan stuff, made a long time ago in my pre-vegan days (2 years - WOW) at a very discounted price in order to get the shop 100% vegan, from yarn to glue.

Some of the non-vegan things you might like include this interchangeable neckwarmer and mini shawl.

The huge flower pin is knit from 100% mohair and can obviously be taken off and used on other items, not just the shawl. I don't know why this hasn't sold yet. It really is nice, even if I say so myself. The pictures don't do it justice I suppose.

There's also this tweed style long-strapped mini satchel adorned with some lush vintage buttons

For the vegans among you, my personal favourite is this completely adorable poo keychain

I really don't think I'll ever get over my love of crafting poops... Oh well. I could be in to worse things! So anyhoooo, take a look. Everything is cheap right now, even the vegan stuff, and it will remain so until all the non-vegan stuff is sold.

So go ahead, help a jobless vegan out and buy a nice little something :)

Volunteering Entries Moved to New Blog!

2011-03-02T15:13:00.001Z

I've moved all my posts from my time in India to Monster Volunteers, so though it looks like I have been a lazy blogger over here, I haven't. Click on the link to find out what happened between October and February (if you didn't know already) and prepare yourself. It gets ugly.

I felt, given everything that happened and my extremely strong views against the so called rescue charity International Animal Rescue, it was best to clean things up here and keep the blogs separate. There are still things I feel I need to clarify, especially the chain of events. When that happens, it will happen there, not here.

In other news, lots of things are moving forward in my life. I have a new project I'm working on which may become not only my main focus for blogging, but for my life! I'm moving away from dreary old office work into something far more delicious...

Some Thoughts: Lady Gaga's Meat Dress

2010-09-14T12:44:00.001+01:00

Everyone is so outraged about Lady Gaga's meat dress but most of these people are still eating meat. What's the moral difference?

I've already had the 'but it's wasteful to wear it' argument and to be honest I'd rather be binned than crapped out!

And why is ok for us to wear the outside of an animal but not the inside? Why do people try to differentiate between different types of animal use being better/worse? As long as we keep making these distinctions we'll be missing the point - all use is abuse, it's just that some use has been made socially acceptable due to years of money spinning advertising and some is not, because it's Lady Gaga wearing cured meat to an awards show.

Indoor Cats: An Opinion

2010-09-06T13:35:00.001+01:00

"According to the Humane Society of the United States, the average life span of a healthy indoor cat is now 15-18 years. The life extension from former years is due in part to advances in veteninary medicine but primarily to the growing trend of keeping cats strictly indoors, confined to fenced-in areas or on a leash."

One of the most beautiful things about domesticated cats is that they have so much independence, in spite of all manner of human breeding and intervention. I understand wanting to keep cats safe after dark but I do not agree with keeping cats strictly indoors and the idea of walking a cat on a leash is absurd, unless it's to get the cat used to an area or if the cat requires supervision (e.g. if injured).

Every healthy cat should have a choice. The decision to go out or not should be theirs, not ours. If we make the choice for them it certainly shouldn't be tainted by the fear that they won't live as long. If you're scared for their safety, use a leash for a while and get them street wise. Ultimately, quality of life is the most important thing and to keep a cat inside against their will for no reason but your own is inherently wrong.

Skin-Clear Challenge Update

2010-08-26T13:35:00.004+01:00

So you have probably figured that my lack of updates mean that I am not really getting on so well with the challenge.

This is not the same size as the rolls I am currently eating.

You would be right. I am currently sat at my desk at work with two, yes TWO, tiger bread rolls to my left jam packed with salad (tiger bread controls me with it's deliciousness, dammit). Last night I had a nan bread. On Tuesday I took part in a vegan pizza cook-off. There has been a lot of bread in my life but thankfully my skin isn't too bad right now. Last week, when I was doing a lot better with the challenge, I did in fact attempt to make a video but the camera was playing up and rather than lose my temper with an inanimate object I decided to call it quits.

This by no means means that the challenge is over. Far from it. It's ongoing and, I'm going to do my best to video blog during this insanely busy Bank Holiday weekend.

Sayonara!

The Skin-Clear Challenge

2010-08-16T19:24:00.000+01:00

Rather unfortunately, I suffer from inflammatory acne.

The condition is painful and causes long term spots (which are more like nodules deep under the skin) but, more than anything, it is extremely detrimental to the self-esteem of anyone who suffers from it. In comparison to many, my condition is minor (and I truly feel for those people who have it bad) however I am ready to take some pretty drastic action to regain my confidence.

Recently, I have noticed what could be a possible link between my diet and the health of my skin, especially when it comes to processed foods. The more bread I eat, the worse my inflammatory acne seems to get. Rather stupidly, last week I ate some kind of bread every day and my skin is worse than it's ever been (mmmmm, delicious self-destructive tendencies) and so, I have decided to test a change in my diet.

The Skin-Clear Challenge

For the next two weeks I will be following a similar programme to Happy Herbivore's 30 Whole Days. I'm going to cut out as many processed and crappy foods as is possible and make sure the majority of my food looks like it did when it came out of the ground or from the tree or wherever. I will allow myself some luxuries, such as soy milk (because a girl's gotta have her Masala Chai) or dark chocolate and I may very occasionally treat myself to bread so long as I know it is free from preservatives and any other nasties.

My, what a sexy still of my face.

So, what the hell are you going to eat?

Here's an example of what I might eat on a typical day; in fact this is what I've put in my face today (so far!)

Morning:
1 Banana
Nuts, raisins and sultanas

Snack:
3 squares of dark chocolate

Lunch:
1/4 cucumber
1/2 tin black beans
Homemade guacamole

Dinner:
Garlic brown rice
Steamed courgettes, sweetcorn and broad beans.

Drinks:
2 ltrs water
3 cups of chai

See, not so scary huh? All quick, easy, delicious and readily available. Wish me luck and hopefully I can report back in a day or two or three with some positive results.

Review: Cafe Boscanova

2010-08-14T17:40:00.001+01:00

Another review of vegan food here on the South Coast of England!

I've been to Cafe Boscanova a few times for breakfast/brunch. As a vegan living in Bournemouth it's always exciting to find a place that acknowledges us on a menu, as there aren't many. Cafe Boscanova is an independent cafe located in the Boscombe area of town; I believe it uses local produce wherever possible, displays artwork for sale on it's walls and offers free wifi to all customers, which can't be sniffed at. The customers are an interesting mix of people as you would expect to find anywhere in Bournemouth - there are lonely coffee drinkers, families, students and everyone in between. The staff are all lovely and rather easy on the eye too. (Superficial? Moi?) Overall the atmosphere is great; good music and good people.

Atmosphere Rating: 10/10

But, more importantly, what's the food and drink like?

Drink

Every time I visit I drink a Soy London Fog and, in my not so humble opinion, it's flipping delicious. For those of you who have never heard of it (which I hadn't) it's a big mug of earl grey tea with steamed milk and a shot of vanilla. They do also have a range of your usual cafe beverages and claim to be the best cup of coffee in the area. In addition they do a varied range of juices and smoothies, so even caffeine dodgers can have their thirst quenched.

Organic beers and wines are available too, either by the bottle, case or even for retail purposes.

Drink Rating: 9/10

Food

The vegan options are minimal, however I'm used to this (as I'm sure most vegans are). On previous visits I've always had the We Don't Need No Eggs and Bacon (who doesn't love a play on words) and it hits the spot, just about. It's a large plate, covered in tofu chickpea scramble served with black beans, guacamole, salsa and tortilla chips. It's certainly a very different breakfast experience which is great however the tofu chickpea scramble needs some work. Yes, I love tofu and yes, I flipping love chickpeas (what with being the owner of the Facebook Chickpea fan page and inventor of Chickpea Tuesday) however something is missing. It needs a little more depth to the flavour and admittedly, I have made better tofu scrambles at home. The portion size is good, which is important too because although I may be small, I'm a hungry little person.

Today I went for the scramble again but instead had it on top of a bubble and squeak (purely because bubble and squeak is awesome). Needless to say I was insanely hungry and when it arrived I was a little disappointed with the portion size, especially when my man had a huge veggie English breakfast. Le sigh. I was also hoping that the deliciousness of the bubble and squeak would make up for the average scramble however it just wasn't cutting it. (Sorry guys!). Again, the depth of flavour was somewhat lacking, although I can't quite put my finger on why. It could just be a simple case of needing a tad more seasoning, although I understand that a cafe like that wouldn't want to salt things much, if at all.

For me, what's missing from the menu is a vegan option English Breakfast. I want toast, I want sausages, I want baked beans, mushrooms and a fine tofu scramble. If this were ever to materialise (hint hint) I would be a happy lady.

Apart from on-menu items, they do offer a few other vegan treats including Nakd bars and raw vegan chocolate energy balls. Omnomnomnom.

Vegan Food Rating 6/10

Kelly Monster's Final Thought

Overall, I would recommend Cafe Boscanova as a place to eat, drink and people watch. So, the vegan options need a tiny bit of work but without more people ordering vegan food and asking for more we won't get more! The place has a great atmosphere, a nice range of drinks (did I mention I LOVE SOY LONDON FOG?) and a definite potential to satisfy even the most food savvy vegan (yes, that would be me).

Thank you Cafe Boscanova for acknowledging the existence of vegans in this sheltered sea side town. I salute you.

Simple Vegan Guacamole Recipe

2010-08-04T13:57:00.003+01:00

Guacamole is available, prepackaged, everywhere. For some reason many supermarkets add cream. I have no idea why, especially as avocados really are creamy enough all by themselves, so I've taken to making my own.

A bowl of the good stuff

This simple vegan guacamole recipe can be whipped up in a couple of minutes (at the moment I eat it almost every day and I make it in our very basic work kitchen) and is delicious. Proof that a fancy recipe doesn't always have to be the best recipe!

Ingredients:

1 ripe avocado**
1/2 small red onion, diced
1 scant tsp garlic puree (or one clove garlic, finely chopped)
Splash of lemon juice
Salt and pepper

The How To Part:

* Cut the avocado in half and twist to reveal the stone. Discard of the stone, scoop the flesh from the skin into a bowl and mash.

*Add the diced onion and garlic and stir into the mashed avocado.

*To taste, add as much lemon juice, salt and pepper as is required et viola! You have a delicious, quick and easy dip.

I eat mine with wholemeal pittas, cucumber sticks and cherry tomatoes. Sometimes, for an added twist I'll dice the tomatoes and add them to the mix rather than having them on the side.

**Ripe avocados are a must for any guacamole recipe. I have found the best fruits come from small independent shops rather than supermarkets, where they tend to be far from ready, more expensive and not as tasty.

Random avocado fact: They contain more protein than cow's milk. Hell yeah!

The Knitting Timepiece

2010-07-14T08:08:00.001+01:00

This clock was designed by Siren Elise Wilhelmsen, a graduate of Udk Berlin, and is made from a 48 needle circular knitting machine. It knits one round every day and, after one year, you'll get a 2 metre long scarf. Rather awesome don't ya think?!

See the original article, which briefly discusses the philosophy of the design, here. Thanks to my housemate Nicki for sending this to me!

Casting On: Meandering Vines Shawl

2010-07-13T19:56:00.002+01:00

I'm usually all about small projects. I've attempted large projects and have mostly failed to see them through to fruition (not including my Granorama Granny Blanket).

Having bought myself some rather lovely (so lovely I could almost eat it. Almost.) hand dyed Araucania Lonco Multy 100% cotton yarn this weekend I have decided to once again attempt something big.

The project I'm attempting is the Meandering Vines Shawl, designed by Susanna IC. I searched for completed projects using this yarn on Ravelry and found this lovely take on the pattern by user aklecamp.

I'm desperately hoping I find the balls and patience to see this through till the end, no matter how bitter it gets.

Meet Percy the Parrot

2010-07-12T07:59:00.001+01:00

Meet Percy. He's s simple little man with a personality as bright as his feathers.

In our short time together we had many adventures but today he has gone off to a new life, as the companion of a young and brilliant pirate, 20 month old Cecelia.

Farewell Percy!

Win the Sophisticated Sock Toy!

2010-06-27T16:37:00.001+01:00

The competition to win the sophisticated sock toy is now open to the interwebs!

All you need to do to win him is give him a name and make a small donation to my volunteering work with International Animal Rescue. The minimum donation is a mere 50 British pence.

To enter, use the donate button below.

THE NOT-SO SMALL PRINT

25% of all money raised will go directly to International Animal Rescue. A maximum of 3 entries per person is allowed and the competition will close on the 11th July 2010 at 11.59pm GMT. A name will be drawn from all entries at random and the winner will be informed via the email address they entered into Paypal within 7 days.

GOOD LUCK!

99 Days To Go

2010-06-24T13:30:00.016+01:00

Scarily there are only 99 days to go before I leave my job, and maybe only a few more left after that until I fly to India again. I'm crapping myself (to put it eloquently).

To ease my fears I've decided that I will do one thing a day, no matter how big or small, that will help me on my journey and today I'm going to pick up a provisional driving license form.

I've never driven any vehicle in my life, but to get around in India, I need a scooter so I'm biting the bullet, getting a provisional license and getting a few lessons. It goes against all of my environmental ideals but I figure I'm going to be saving animals so the Bad Kelly/Good Kelly ratio should balance itself out (<-rubbish theory to make me feel better).

I particularly love how the women passengers side-saddle the scooters. Sigh... 99 days to go.

Monster Volunteers!

2010-06-17T13:36:00.028+01:00

From this October, I’ll be going out to Goa, India to volunteer for International Animal Rescue!

To raise money I’ll be running between Bournemouth and Swanage on Saturday 4th September 2010. For those of you who don’t know the trek, it’s an arduous 11.4 miles in the south coast of England, including running on sand and some nasty hills!

BUT WHY?!

This March, I went out to Goa to visit a friend. Within the first few days I spent there it became very apparent to me that there was a huge problem with stray and unwanted domesticated animals. Dogs and cats loiter the streets and beaches, hot, malnourished, and mange and flea ridden. By night, the dogs (who are mostly unneutered) become aggressive and territorial. They attack each other, leading to wounds which when left untreated, can become infected causing pain and sometimes death.

International Animal Rescue (IAR) in Goa have a fantastic programme which takes in sick, injured or pregnant strays from the streets and nurses them back to health. Whenever possible, the animals are neutered which helps to counteract two major problems: the increasing population of stray animals and the fighting amongst male dogs.

Pregnant females are taken in and their litters are homed to loving families. The mother herself is neutered and sent back to her ‘patch’ once healthy and appointments are given to the new families of the puppies and kittens so that they too can be neutered.

Additionally IAR also take in other animals. One such example are cows. When I visited them, one particular cow had an awful wound across the whole of one side of her body. She had been eating crops from a farmer’s field and in retaliation the farmer had thrown acid on her. This had also happened to a male, who unfortunately didn’t make it. As for the female, in the brief time I was there her health improved massively, all thanks to the love and care of the people at IAR.

My aim is to spend 6 months volunteering for IAR, nursing animals, educating people and promoting veganism. As I am doing this off my own back, including arranging my own flights, accommodation and food I’m hoping that people who support this cause will sponsor me. 25% of ALL sponsorship will go directly to IAR Goa, and the rest will help to support me whilst I volunteer.

Please follow the link below and donate whatever you can. Even the smallest amount can go a long way in India.

Thank you for your support! Your generosity is appreciated more than you know!

Sparkly New Layout

2010-06-03T20:08:00.005+01:00

I've been rather ill and have not been able to leave the house today. But sick or not, I'm not one to miss an opportunity and so I set upon finding a nice new pre-made layout for the blog. I'm quite happy with it and I'm glad to have updated the image; my hair is bordering on ginger now and the previous illustration of me was out of date (but extremely lovely nonetheless).

Instead now I have morphed into a gingery orange one-eyed monster. OK, so that's not me - it's Kurt, the first little guy I ever crocheted, just over a year ago (see the post dedicated to him here). He's a simple looking fella but somehow he manages to melt everybody's heart.

The new layout has some rather lovely features including:

a search function, so you can find all posts on, say, knitting or poop, or knitted poops
subscribe to Monster Makes via email, so you don't have to remember to check back ever again
a link to my lovely Flickr images, which mostly bigs-up my crafting abilities

Any comments or pointing out of problems on the new layout are welcome! Thanks also to the people at www.btemplates.com for helping lazy people like me to have attractive blogs. I hope you like it.

Monster Makes @ Rumble in the Jumble

2010-06-02T13:30:00.001+01:00

This Sunday Monster Makes will have a lovely little stall at 60 Million Postcard's Rumble in the Jumble (Bournemouth)! Expect to see key rings, toys, accessories, pointy hats and more!

There will also be a Name That Sock Toy Competition, where you will have the chance to win this brilliant little guy for just 50p a go.

Also (yes another also), expect to see a small but fine selection of cakes suitable for vegans, coeliacs, diabetics and people who can eat ANYTHING.

25% of all proceeds will be going to International Animal Rescue in Goa, so please come along, give generously and have an awesome time. Hope to see you there!

Farewell #HH30

2010-05-26T14:20:00.003+01:00

This weekend I decided that I could no longer strictly follow the HH30 challenge. I've been tired and I started getting headaches every morning, and feeling run down during the day. This cannot be attributed solely to my diet but may have been a combination of HH30 and the intense running programme I am currently following. My diet was just not varied enough, I didn't have time to plan so as to ensure I was getting all the nutrients I needed to run so much.

But, I don't want to look at this as a failure, because it is by no means one. In spite of leaving the challenge early I think it is possible to live on whole foods alone, one just has to plan in advance and have the time to be creative. Also I have learnt so much, both positive and negative.

Positives:

I don't need to smother my food with sugar or salt to make it taste good
Simple, steamed vegetables are an amazing snack/meal
Black bean brownies are amazing!
Quinoa = win (actually, I knew that before, but I just want to reiterate it. If you've never had it, you should)

Negatives:

You can drink black masala chai, but sweet, soy-milky masala chai will always be King of Tastebud Land.
I LOVE BREAD and I promise, dear beautiful bread, that we will never be apart again. Especially you, Tiger Bread. Omnomnomnom.

So, I'd like to wish my fellow HH30ers the best of luck in their final days and would like to thank Happy Herbivore for arranging the challenge and opening my eyes to a more simple way of eating.

Basic Maths: Knitting + Cake + Pub = Love

2010-05-18T23:15:00.001+01:00

A couple of weeks ago I was selling a few bits and bobs at a local in-pub jumble sale (in-pub = the best kind of jumble sale) and, as usual, was knitting away all by myself. I was approached by somebody who asked if I'd be interested in helping to set up a knitting club there as part of a monthly Sunday afternoon event.

Obviously I jumped at the chance and this Sunday saw the very first knitting club at Twee By the Sea, in 60 Million Postcards (Bournemouth). In a nutshell, it was AWESOME.

There was cake, including some delicious Happy Herbivore black bean brownies that I had made for us vegans and A Girl in Winter, chai and a whole lot of yarn. New knitters came along for the ride as well as us who are a bit more experienced and we even got two men involved.

Note to men: More of you need to knit, it's incredibly sexy. Fer reals.

Our novice knitters made some adorable little owls with the bits and bobs I'd supplied and all in all I think we had an attendance of around 12 people. A roaring success (or as roaring as a knitting club can be).

I'm very excited about next month's event already. If you are in the Bournemouth area and would like to learn to knit (or crochet) please come along. We have plenty of needles, hooks, yarn and patterns to get you started and I have an almost infinite vat of patience for teaching which I have only just discovered. Also, if you're old hat at knitting and fancy coming down to drink cider or chai and have a chin wag please do. The more the merrier. 3rd Sunday of the month, 60 Million Postcards from 3pm.

If you're not in this area, wherever you may be I would recommend setting up a group. With Facebook at our fingertips it's easier than ever to spread the word, it's oodles of fun and you get to meet new and lovely people.

Clambering Back on to the Whole Foods Wagon

2010-05-10T23:14:00.003+01:00

I simply must confess to falling off the #HH30 wagon this weekend. Bread was consumed, chocolate was consumed (wine was consumed too, but we'll skim over that bit) and today I went to my new favourite Indian restaurant for lunch and ate a big fat Masala Dosa.

Please don't judge me, I had been doing exceptionally well up until this point and the wine impaired my judgement. Honest.

So, for my sins, I'm back on it harder and stronger than ever.

A fabulous thing to arise from this challenge is that my taste buds are actually starting to notice the finer depths of flavours that I was once destroying with salt (and over-cooking too). The taste of the fresh basil in tonights dinner was amazing. The whole foods dinner a friend cooked for me on Saturday night, with absolutely no salt or pepper, was delicious.

If I can more permanently break away from both added salt and sugar in my diet it would be nothing short of a miracle. With 3 weeks to go, anything could happen. Let's just hope that 'anything' doesn't include another Masala Dosa.

This Is About Knitting (not pubes)

2010-05-06T13:29:00.002+01:00

This morning in a shop, with my change, I was handed a pube by the cashier. Not one to make a fuss so early in the day, I put it in my purse with the coins and notes, where it probably still remains (unless I passed it to the bus driver).

That story is of no relevance to the rest of what I'm about to write, I just had to tell somebody, and who better than you.

THE ACTUAL BLOG CONTENT

Continuing on my quest to make the world realise that knitting is not just for grandmas, I am pleased to say I have been asked to assist with a new knitting club. 'But why is it different from any other knitting circle?' I hear you ask. Here's why:

It's in a pub.

OK, so it's not that groundbreaking but this is Bournemouth and I am very excited to be part of it. The knitting club is part of a night called Twee by the Sea which takes place every 3rd Sunday of the month in 60 Million Postcards. This month (the month of May) it will be on the 16th* and I really hope those of you who are local can come along. I'll also be teaching the basics of knitting to newcomers and there will be spare needles and yarn on hand so even if you've never tried before, just bring yourself, drink a cider and have a go.

*I'm waiting for further details from the organisers about times and links and things. More details to follow!

The Sweet Tooth vs #HH30

2010-05-04T14:01:00.000+01:00

Day 4 of the #HH30 Whole Days Challenge and I'm feeling less hungry.

I now have porridge in my life and have discovered an ingenious way of sweetening it - with a mashed banana! Yes, yes, I'm behind with the times and you've all probably been doing this for years but I am a sugar junkie. It had never occurred to me that I could actually sweeten my breakfast cereal in a healthy way. Whether I continue to do it after the challenge is over is another story. I do love sugar but luckily I'm not missing it too much because I gave it up for lent this year.

Continuing on the subject of satiating my sweet-tooth, tonight I'll be making Happy Herbivore's deliciously famous Black Bean Brownies for the first time (sans sugar, but there's banana and agave in there). I cannot wait, the recipe is so simple and it's fat free, flour free and vegan. Take a look.

Whilst all is going well on the surface though, I did dream about cheese last night. Daiya cheese to be precise (which I've never tried - come to the UK!). And pizza. And melting bits of cheese in a microwave and eating it.

Repressed much?

Running and #HH30

2010-05-03T12:01:00.002+01:00

So it's day 3 of the #HH30 Challenge and something has only just crossed my mind. I run and am currently in training to run around 18km between Bournemouth and Swanage. I need A LOT of nutrients.

I am slowly building up my distance (I was a non-runner until November 2009) and this morning ran 6.25km, which doesn't sound much but actually burned off 360 calories. I'm not super-slim by any stretch of the imagination but I certainly don't want to waste away (or make myself sick) whilst running and doing the #HH30 challenge.

I'm going to have to make sure I stock up on a lot of carb and protein rich foods on the days I run. Obviously, chickpeas immediately spring to mind, but I'm certainly going to have to do some more research if I want to make sure I remain healthy throughout this month.

Does anyone out there have some whole food recipe suggestions to suit my lifestyle? Any ideas would be welcomed!

Now... to the kitchen I go to quieten my noisy stomach!

What a Yarn: knitcroblo7

2010-05-02T10:41:00.002+01:00

Just over a year ago I went vegan, which will of course make this final blog (knitcroblo7) in the Knit and Crochet Blog Week a little different to most.

Being vegan means that, as well as not eating animal products, I also don't use them in any other form. This includes wools from any animal and silk products, any mixed yarn that may contain any amount of either of those products and also yarns (often cottons) that include milk proteins.

Over time, with the help of my local yarn store and our beloved internet I have found a wide range of yarns (mostly cottons) that are amazingly soft and a joy to knit with.

Obviously, now I've got you here, I would like to get you thinking about where your yarns come from. For me, I feel that it is not right to own any animal and use the animal for it's products, no matter how great the welfare standards. Have you ever considered how silk is produced or what happens to sheep during their lives when producing wool (see mulesing) and afterwards (see the supermarket)?

I believe all animals, human and non, have the right to be free and equal and that is why I choose to buy and make knitted and crochet products which are 100% vegan. I hope next time you come to buy some yarn you take a moment to consider it's origins.

Revisiting a F/O:knitcroblo6

2010-05-01T13:13:00.002+01:00

I write this blog (knitcroblo6) from my bed. Quite appropriately, I feel like somebody pooped in my head this morning and so have decided to write as few words as possible. I'd like to reintroduce you to some old friends of mine, who are still going strong and still as loved as ever.

In chronological order, meet the poops.

Mike

Rose (Mike's Girlfriend)

Jeremy Poopling (who has the honour of living on my toilet cistern and watching everyone poop. Jealous?)

Team Winnet and The Toilet Roll

Having made the most of my last day of processed foods (e.g. booze) last night, I am now going to lay down again. Hope your day isn't too crappy (come on, somebody had to say it).

30 Day Whole Food Challenge

2010-04-30T17:06:00.002+01:00

I love a challenge me, especially a food challenge. Going vegan in some ways was a challenge, this lent I gave up added refined sugars (such as in tea and on cereal) and now I am doing something quite exciting. I have signed up for Happy Herbivore's 30 Whole Days Challenge.

So what does this mean? In a nutshell, it means no processed foods for the month of May. If it doesn't like like it did when it came out of the ground or from the tree or vine, or has more than one ingredient then I'm not going to put it into my body. I can obviously cook with these ingredients as much as I like but the idea is to take things back to basics, and for me to cleanse my body.

Yes, I am mental. No peanut butter. No sugar. No marzipan (god, I love you marzipan). No bread. No pasta. Did I mention no peanut butter (oh, god...)?

It's ok, I'm pulling myself together. I can live without peanut butter for 30 days. I've always romanticised the idea of being completely self-sufficient, living in an eco-community and only taking what mother nature provides so I guess this is my comfortable middle class way of dipping my toes into the water without getting too muddy.

I've upped my veg box delivery from Riverford to get enough food to feed a family of 4 (yes, I am one hungry little lady) and have joined the Google Group to get hints, tips and more importantly support from fellow participants.

I hope you will also follow and support me on this journey to see if I really can live from the earth for a whole month. There will be tantrums, whining, fighting, a training montage and a guaranteed triumphant ending. Don't miss it.

Location, Location, Location: knitcroblo5

2010-04-30T08:06:00.000+01:00

Trains, planes and automobiles! Add coaches to that too. And park benches, the staff room, a café, my desks at work and at home. I’ll knit and crochet pretty much anywhere. In short, I’m an exhibitionist.

So many people still think that knitting is something your grandma does and I think that showing off your skills in public is a fab way to throw two fingers (and two needles *chortle*) up to that stereotype.

I recently sat outside a café in Oxford, drinking a soy chai latte and knitting and I could feel people’s eyes on me. I certainly don’t look like a grandma and I love to imagine what people might be thinking about me.

That said, there was a time when I did dress up as a grandma and I did take my knitting out with me. So much for breaking those stereotypes, huh?!

To see more posts on this topic by fellow crafters just type in knitcroblo5 to Google (or click my handy link) and away you go!

A New Skill: knitcroblo4

2010-04-29T13:25:00.000+01:00

So today, on day 4 of Knit and Crochet Blog Week (knitcroblo4) is about a new skill I'd like to acquire. An underlying theme that I have noticed this week during my posts has been that of patience, which isn't necessarily a skill but is it is something that can be learned?

My little inner hippy says yes, it can be. From past experiences, some very recent, I have realised that great personal change is possible if you want it, and patience is something I am aspiring to relentlessly, day in and day out, at work, at home, at play and with the ever chatty (read noisy mofo) Tony Cat.

Patience requires forethought, a calm and rational mind and very importantly, remembering just to breathe. It means not throwing your needles across a room or swearing yourself in to oblivion and taking a moment to think things through and realise that no matter how much we may love it, it is only knitting after all (yes, I just said, it's only knitting. GASP!). A stressed mind will achieve nothing.

As my patience continues to grow I may eventually embark on larger*, more challenging projects; I may try once again to chart read (below), to make myself that tank top (above), or a cardigan. But then again, I may just continue to knit and crochet poos.

*I am actually in the process of crocheting a ginormous continuous granny square blanket which currently measures around 5.5 feet squared. It's my largest ever project and I love it.

One Great Knitter: knitcroblo3

2010-04-28T08:25:00.000+01:00

So todays topic is One Great Knitter. As soon as I saw this topic I knew who I wanted to talk about. It's somebody I know personally and I hope that she doesn't mind me writing this about her.

The person I'm talking about is the lovely A Girl in Winter. She is part of the craft group I go to at my place of work and is one truly talented lady. She knits at the speed of light, whilst I still chug along like a steam locomotive, and makes the most stitch-perfect, beautiful garments. She has the patience (there's that word again - I think I've mentioned my lack of it in every blog so far!) to create large intricate pieces and an eye for the perfect yarn.

I admire her work so much but I also love the fact that we are so different in styles. I've stopped kidding myself that I'll ever be interested in making the same things she does, and so I go on knitting and crocheting critters and poops and let her create the things of beauty.

An Inspirational Pattern: knitcroblo2

2010-04-27T13:09:00.000+01:00

So it's day 2 of the Knit & Crochet Blog Week. Last night in a valium haze I had an unexpected lightning bolt of inspiration about today's blog post.

And then I forgot.

And then I remembered again and, against the will of my body, managed to write myself a reminder on my phone.

It's not one pattern per se, it's more of a style of knitting or crocheting that I aspire to. I simply love the pointless, inanimate, functionless. Cupcakes, tea sets, televisions, whole bloody villages. Yes, fiber crafts can be exceptionally functional but give me something pointless any day. That to me is true art, true expression and one day I hope to find the time and patience to embark on a project so epic and so pointless it will make the Gods weep.

Some examples:

And why not stick some crochet willy warmers in at the end too - not necessarily useless but if you can get your man to wear one then I demand pictures.

Starting Out: Knitcroblo1

2010-04-26T13:46:00.000+01:00

As part of The Knitting and Crochet Blog Week I have decided to get my blog on once again and talk about my one (of two) true loves - Crafting. Answers on a postcard for what the second love is...

Today (knitcroblo1) is all about starting out.

Knitting

I was working in IT, miserable and exceptionally uncreative; taking calls, logging calls, passing on calls, telling them to turn it off and turn it on again. My soul was slowly being destroyed and I just knew that somehow, I had to escape and become creative.

So I handed my notice in, bought a sewing machine with my final pay packet and began working part time at the local University. Around this time (2007) I had spotted a young woman knitting on a train and I fell in love with the idea of rekindling my knitting skills which, as a child, had been limited to a knitting machine making scarves for my toys and French Knitting. I investigated knitting and subsequently tried and failed several times.

One day, on the University Staff Portal I spotted an advert for a new craft group which was forming and I knew I had to go. I arrived, not knowing anybody on that Tuesday evening armed with absolutely nothing. With no yarn, no needles, no clue (and no patience!) I was welcomed into the group and one woman (whose name I have now forgotten) took me aside with somebody elses project and taught me to knit. Kind of.

At home without support I struggled with learning to cast on, forgot the knit stitch, loathed the purl stitch, threw my needles across the room on many occassions and said profanities so crass that I was glad my grandma lived 200 miles away. But I did it (with the kind help of knittinghelp.com). I made my first scarf which, in fact, was more like a triangular abomination, but I was so proud. Perserverance is the key. Somebody (an artist) once said to me that they hated it when people said they were 'so gifted' because in fact they had had to work damned hard to get where they were and the same can be said for me. Anyone who says that want to knit can knit, they just have to really want it and be willing to make mistakes. And say naughty words.

Crochet

After mastering the art of knitting and finding a little website called Ravelry (have you heard of it?*) I was opened up to the utter joys of crochet, in particular amigurumi. I was always into small projects and learning to crochet would leave me with the ability to create beautiful, individual characters with personalities of their own with just one hook, not a zillion DPNs. A friend of mine knew how much I had wanted to learn how to crochet and so one day brought me round a vintage copy of Patons Learning to Crochet. I sat in front of it for hours, chaining continously, trying to move on to the next level but (yes, you guessed it) I just ended up throwing the hook and yarn across the room and cursing like a sailor.

One day, when I couldn't face failure anymore, I did what any normal 20-something girl would do - I sat in front of the television, put on Big Trouble in Little China and refused to move from the spot on the floor until I had mastered the art of basic crocheting. Before the end of the movie I had somehow managed to make a small green amigurumi hat for the china chicken in my kitchen and then I went on to make a small little orange critter who goes by the name of Kurt.

Kurt Russell, Big Trouble in Little China, my friend and the Patons Learning to Crochet book - I salute you!

*Yes, we are living in an age where I feel it is necessary for me to point out sarcasm. So sad.

Vegan Lebkuchen Recipe

2009-12-27T16:01:00.002Z

To celebrate the holiday season I'm going to share with you a vegan lebkuchen recipe that is to die for, and so easy to make!

Lebkuchen is a german baked product similar to gingerbread that is traditionally eaten around the Christmas period. It has a soft texture similar to a dense cake but is baked like a biscuit/cookie.

Makes 24 appx

Ingredients

285g plain flour
85g ground almonds
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
A pinch each of ground cloves , grated nutmeg and black pepper
200ml agave nectar
85g non-dairy margarine
Zest of 1 lemon

For the topping:

100g dark chocolate
Up to 50ml agave nectar
Icing sugar to dust

The How To

Tip the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Heat the agave nectar and margarine in a pan over a low heat until the margarine melts, then pour into the flour mixture along with the lemon zest. Mix well until the dough is combined and fairly solid. Cover and leave to cool.

Heat oven to 180C/fan160C/gas 4. Using your hands, roll dough into balls, each 3cm wide, then flatten each one slightly into a disk. Divide the biscuits between two baking trays lined with baking paper, leaving room for them to expand. Bake for 15 mins, then cool on a wire rack.

For the topping, heat some water in a pan and place a heat proof dish over the pan. Put the dark chocolate into the heat proof dish and slowly melt it. Once melted, add up to 50ml of agave nectar to achieve a smooth texture. Top each biscuit with the melted chocolate mixture and then leave to cool. Dust with icing sugar for a particularly festive look.

There is one picture in existence of these lebkuchen but, sadly, I don't have it. Hopefully you can trust me that they are delicious without needing to see them!

Facebook Sell Out to McDonald's

2009-10-29T20:03:00.000Z

So it seems that Facebook has totally sold out to MacDonald's. Every time I look at my home page on Facebook, I see a McDonald's advert on the right, telling me that Chicken McNuggets rule or McFlurry is the coolest. Any semi-intelligent person, let alone animal rights advocate, knows that this is not the case. The only good thing to ever come out of McDonald's is Ronald, and that's just because he's creepy and makes small children cry.

I have told Facebook (by using the handy little x in the top right of the advert)that I find these adverts offensive and that I think they are sell-outs but they keep appearing. Either the Facebook ad-bot isn't so smart or they don't give a shit whether I like it or not because they're quids in (or rather, dollars in).

If you are getting the same thing (and I suspect you are), you can also make your thoughts known to Facebook by using the magic little x on the advert. If you select 'Other' as a reason, you can even add your own comments.

Happy McBitching!

Wessex Tales Vegan Restaurant

2009-10-24T11:01:00.000+01:00

Last night I went out for a meal with some friends to the only 100% vegan restaurant in town, Wessex Tales. Needless to say it was divine! I've been there before, but not as a vegan and so it was certainly an odd experience to be able to eat everything from the menu. It was even a novelty to be able to smother my salad with dressing without having to check the ingredients!

I had tempura veg with rice and salad for my main and a gorgeous chocolate cake with ice cream for desert.

If you are ever in Bournemouth I would suggest you take a visit. Don't forget my invite!

Nick Griffin on Question Time: Some Thoughts

2009-10-23T16:45:00.000+01:00

This lunchtime I watched 20 minutes of Nick Griffin on last nights Question Time and 20 minutes was about all I could manage.

Surprisingly, I was not only disgusted with Nick Griffin but also the way he was being treated. I in no way support the BNP or agree with their fundamental values however I found the set up of the programme unfair and uncomfortable.

The show focused on both audience and panel members attacking Nick Griffin's statements and actions throughout his history with the BNP whereas I feel that it would have benefited more from having a more regular format. Nick Griffin has consistently proven himself to be a fascist and a bigot and given the chance to discuss his thoughts more openly last night, rather than defending himself, I think he would have once again showed his true colours. Sadly, I feel those colours were muted last night.

I also feel that those asking the questions came off almost as badly as Griffin did and am worried that some who saw the show may feel so sorry for him that they are compelled to show their political support in future. I understand that the subject of the BNP is an emotional one for many, however instead of everybody jumping up ready to make a fool of Griffin, they may have been better served by letting him do that himself.

As somebody commented on Radio 4 this morning, here's hoping that those who may potentially sympathise with Griffin on a political level are more interested in watching X Factor than Question Time.

I'll leave you with this:

Discovering Kale Chips: Recipe

2009-10-06T19:31:00.000+01:00

Today I discovered the absolute joy of kale chips. I've heard a lot about them on the grapevine (internet) and, as kale is highly nutritious I've been very keen to get my mouth round some, especially as I'm currently under the weather.

I was not disappointed. This simple recipe took 15 minutes from prep to mouth and is totally divine:

Ingredients:

3-5 stalks of kale (depending on size)
2 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
sea salt

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to Gas Mark 5 (180 C/ 375 F)
Line a baking sheet with baking paper (optional)
Tear or cut the leaves from their stalks into large-ish pieces
Whisk the oil, cider vinegar and a pinch of sea salt together in a bowl
Toss the leaves in the dressing, covering them generously and massaging the curly bits
Arrange in a single layer on the baking sheet and cook for 5 minutes.
Turn them and cook for a further 5-7 minutes. Be careful not to burn their delicate, crisp edges.

The chips are light and unbelievably moreish - I had to stop myself from making another batch just so that I could have some tomorrow! Thank you to Nourish Me for sharing the beautiful and simple recipe.

Tamiflu: Not Vegetarian. Not Vegan. Just a Joke

2009-10-06T15:24:00.000+01:00

So, I have Swine Flu. Luckily being vegan doesn't steal your sense of humour and so I can laugh at the irony of contracting a disease that stems from an industry that I haven't supported for 16 years.

I can't however, quite get round the irony that Tamiflu capsules contain gelatine. I've investigated and I am unable to find out the origins of the gelatine (pig/cow) but either way it's madness. Not only does this rule out taking the medication for vegetarians and vegans but it also raises issues for those with particular religious beliefs.

Governments worldwide have blindly ploughed money into buying unprecedented amounts of these capsules in waves of panic and the ethical and religious beliefs of thousands of people have not even been considered. Powder forms of the drug are available which do not contain any animal products, however here in the UK you only get one drug pick up reference and one prescription and so I doubt that it would be possible for me to pick up an alternative.

Luckily, I am slowly but surely recovering without the aid of of the anti-viral and most people will but if you do get sick and want the drug I would recommend speaking to the people on the pandemic flu hotline and asking about alternatives to the capsule.

For all you Stalkers and Hoes

2009-10-02T22:47:00.000+01:00

So, it's Vegan Month of Food (or Vegan Mofo to you hipster types) and to celebrate I've stolen a questionnaire from The Great Vegan Conspiracy that will be of no interest to anyone unless they wish to steal it and talk about themselves (let's be honest, who doesn't).

1. Favorite non-dairy milk?
So Good Sweetened

2. What are the top 3 dishes/recipes you are planning to cook?
Kale chips, black forest gateaux and paella

3. Topping of choice for popcorn?
I don't often eat popcorn. Scold me now, I don't give a damn.

4. Most disastrous recipe/meal failure?
Anytime I consume gin directly after putting something in the oven.

5. Favorite pickled item?
Eggs. No, undoubtedly gherkins. For the record I have never eaten a pickled egg and will happily engage in jovial fisticuffs with anyone who genuinely enjoys them.

6. How do you organize your recipes?
In the blue folder.

7. Compost, trash, or garbage disposal?
Compost. I <3

8. If you were stranded on an island and could only bring 3 foods…what would they be (don’t worry about how you’ll cook them)?
Bran flakes, chickpeas, peanut butter

9. Fondest food memory from your childhood?
The time I accidentally used the dog food spoon to eat my dinner.

10. Favourite vegan ice cream?
Swedish Glace vanilla (thank you Waitrose).

11. Most loved kitchen appliance?
My Joseph Joseph Nest 8 which looks like a psychedelic vagina:

12. Spice/herb you would die without?
Basil

13. Cookbook you have owned for the longest time?
Vegetarian Flip Book for Cooks

14. Favorite flavor of jam/jelly?
Caramelised red onion

15. Favorite vegan recipe to serve to an omni friend?
Mock chicken in Hoi Sin with udon noodles and mini spring rolls if they're lucky

16. Seitan, tofu, or tempeh?
Tofu, but only because I have never had the other two.

17. Favorite meal to cook (or time of day to cook)?
Anything Chinese at the moment - my local Asian supermarket is the best for accidentally vegan foods.

18. What is sitting on top of your refrigerator?
A mini grabber like the ones you get in arcades but mine is full of (non-vegan) sweets, and some paperwork. And shit.

19. Name 3 items in your freezer without looking.
Carrot and pearl barley stew.
Mini spring rolls.
Soya mince.

20. What’s on your grocery list?
I don't plan that far ahead.

21. Favorite grocery store?
They all have their perks.

22. Name a recipe you’d love to veganize, but haven’t yet.
Raspberry and white chocolate muffins

23. Food blog you read the most (besides Isa’s because I know you check it everyday). Or maybe the top 3?
I don't have a top one.

24. Favorite vegan candy/chocolate?
Plamil ginger chocolate. Total fucking win.

25. Most extravagant food item purchased lately?
Some fancy ginger and orange cordial - it was in offer in Waitrose.

26. Ingredients you are scared to work with?
I'm not afraid... (You will be)

If anyone can spot the super obvious nerd reference I'll send you a free crochet strawberry keyring. It's 100% vegan!

The Hunt for Vegan Yarn

2009-09-30T21:49:00.000+01:00

I knit. I am vegan. I'm sure I don't need to highlight the apparent problems this can cause, what with wool being from an animal and all.

Before becoming vegan I will admit that all of my faves were wool blends and, I am also human and unsaintly enough to admit that though I am vegan, I miss them. Even so, this pitiful pining for wool isn't enough to make me turn my back and I have come to find a whole host of beautiful yarns that, although not exactly the same, offer new and exciting creative opportunities for me.

Initially, I though that cheap acrylics were my only hope but with some perserverance along with some support from my LYS I am discovering I can knit with some equally, if not more beautiful yarns.

Right now I am knitting with Rowan Bamboo Soft and I cannot believe how gorgeously soft it is. I would kick my boyfriend out of bed for it if it knew how to spoon. Though a much slower knit than the Rowan Spray I was obsessed with before, it's softer and appears to be a much higher class of yarn - huzzah!

The project I'm working on is Dazzle, a freaking lush tank top from Rowan Studio Issue 16 and, when finished, will be my first EVER garment.

Look me up on Ravelry if you're there and you can see how far I have come in my 18 month knitting journey. It's quite a treat.

The Language of Cake is Universal

2009-09-20T11:19:00.000+01:00

Lucky for my taste buds (but unfortunate for my hips) baking is something I do regularly.

There are a couple of recipes below (brownies and cupcakes!) as well as a video giving a wealth of egg alternatives for baking. I will also bitch about egg replacer, because in my not so humble opinion, it is shit.

Vegan or not, the language of cake is universal and I'll pretty much find any excuse to bake. It's someone's birthday! Someone's had a baby! I'm awake! By baking delicious vegan cakes for friends, family and colleagues you can open up discussion about how easy it is to be vegan and give everyone's taste buds a party all at the same time.

My current excuse for doing excessive amounts of baking is that I have a promotion and I'm leaving 2 part time roles in the university to take on one full time role. This means I have double the amount of mouths to feed but double the opportunist to impress people with how delicious veganism is.

Yesterday I baked 3 trays of vegan brownies.

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

170g/6oz self-raising flour
salt
2 tbsp cocoa powder
170g/6oz caster sugar
5 tbsp sunflower oil, plus extra for greasing
230ml/8fl oz sweetened soya milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp baking powder (optional - if you want them a little fluffy rather than stodgy)

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 350F/Gas 4
Grease and flour a 20cm/8in square cake tin with some of the sunflower oil
In a bowl sift together the flour, salt, cocoa powder and sugar (and baking powder if using)
Add the oil, soya milk and vanilla extract, and mix carefully together until completely mixed
Pour into the tin, and bake for about 25 minutes, until the brownies spring back when gently pressed
Leave to cool for five minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack

This is the first vegan brownie recipe I've tried and they didn't come out exactly like brownies containing dairy but given how quick they were to make I can't complain. Original recipe can be found here.

Also, a little while ago I made vegan cupcakes for a friends retirement party which I will make again for my leaving do.

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 ½ cups plain soymilk
2 1/8 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 1/8 cups sugar
½ cup oil
1 ¼ tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp. coconut extract (optional)

Method:

Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4/350º. Spray 22 muffin cups with nonstick spray or line with paper cupcake liners (I like to spray the inside of the muffin papers with nonstick spray to help the cupcakes release). Set aside.

Place the apple cider vinegar in the bottom of a liquid measuring cup and fill the cup with soymilk to equal 1 ½ cups. Stir well and set aside (the mixture will curdle).

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another mixing bowl whisk together the soymilk mixture, oil, vanilla, and (optional) coconut extract. Add the wet to the dry ingredients and beat until smooth using a hand-held mixer.

Fill each muffin cup with at least ¼ cup of batter. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean.

Let cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then remove cupcakes from the pan and place on a wire rack. Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.

Thanks to Shmooed Food for the recipe.

I had tried using egg replacer and a normal sponge recipe prior to this but it was a real failure. They barely rose, came out with strange contours all over the top, were hollow on the underside (where they had failed to rise properly) and looked awful in comparison to the second batch I made using the above recipe:

This wasn't the first time I had used egg replacer and despite trying a couple of different techniques it always failed. I won't use it again and I wouldn't recommend it.

This video gives some good egg alternatives for baking (but it does include egg replacer):

See what works for you and share your successes with me so I have another excuse for CAKE!

Like a Friend to the Slaughter

2009-09-17T18:36:00.000+01:00

A couple of days ago I heard whisperings about a lamb raised by a group of school children in Kent. The aim of the project was to teach the children about farming. They named him Marcus.

On Monday, the headteacher of the school confirmed that the children, aged 6-11 had voted 13-1 to have Marcus sent to slaughter and the money raised was to be used to buy piglets to help continue the farm project. This plan however, looks like it will be put on hold indefinitely following the media furore surrounding the decision. Children and parents from the school and the general public are outraged and some parents of the school are threatening legal action as their children are apparently deeply traumatised by decision.

What do I think? Although I don't think that the death of one sheep should cause such a stink given the global magnitude of animal agriculture, this could well be one of the single most enlightening experiences of these children's young lives and maybe (hopefully) even their parents.

As a young child, I remember watching television with my parents and seeing a whale being harpooned. I quietly got up, went upstairs and cried; I'd never seen anything like it before and I couldn't understand why. My mother came up to console me but as far as I can remember she couldn't give me any more of an explanation than 'These things happen'. My next experience of violence against animals was seeing a pig being slaughtered on TV at the age of 11 (contrary to how this may seem, I didn't get all my life knowledge from TV as a child, just the gory bits it seems. I loved Robocop though and used to slo-mo the bit where the guy who'd been in the vat of acid gets run over... Go figure). Although distressing this gave me the knowledge to truly understand where my food was coming from and at the age of 11 I stopped eating meat, much to the dismay of my parents who refused to cook for me in an attempt to make me change my mind. Obviously it didn't.

Armed with my childhood experiences I believe that those traumatised children will be just fine. Although I was never involved in making such a tough decision as theirs, I know they are now armed with a real knowledge of what they are biting into when they eat meat and that it once had the potential to be as much of a friend as their beloved cat or dog. They can no longer be mollycoddled by their parents or have the wool pulled over their eyes (pun, groan) and can make informed, independent decisions.

To say I am saddened by Marcus' death would be true, although in the grand scheme of things it is utterly ridiculous to be touched by just this one story. Just because he had a name it doesn't make his life and death and more tragic than those of the millions of animals mistreated and slaughtered daily for the benefit of us humans. The only difference in Marcus' story is that his death has been so high profile that it could very well be the kick up the arse that many have needed to stop eating meat and hopefully, all animals products.

So many people are happy to buy their pre-packaged products and let their taste buds and weak wills call the shots. Maybe Marcus' story will start to make those people think twice.

Vegan Munch: Chickpea, Tofu and Mushroom Pasty

2009-09-09T18:25:00.000+01:00

So Chickpea Tuesday is now 4 months in and I'm having to come up with some pretty inventive ideas to keep it fresh.

Chickpea Tuesday happens on the 2nd Tuesday of every month (which was yesterday) and this month I made mashed chickpea, marinated tofu and mushroom pasty (yes, it's vegan!)

Here's the half-assed recipe (I can't remember exactly what I did!).

Serves 2

Pastry:
150g wholemeal flour
65g white vegetable fat
Between 30-45ml cold water
1/4 tsp salt

Add the vegetable fat to the flour & salt and mix/fine out with fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs.

Add the water spoon by spoon and mix with a knife until a dough is formed. Roll into a ball and cool in fridge until needed.

The key to good pastry is keeping it cool at all times, so make sure it stays away from your palms, that you only add cold water and that you keep in refrigerated until needed.

Filling:
1 white onion, diced
1 clove garlic, diced
1 tin chickpeas
Enough water to cover chickpeas
4 medium size mushrooms
1 pack of Cauldron marinated tofu
Seasoning and spices to taste:
Cayenne pepper
Powdered ginger
Paprika
Salt & Pepper

Mash/blend the chickpeas with the water and leave to one side.

Fry the onion and garlic until soft. Add the mushrooms.

Once the mushrooms begin to soften add the tofu and chickpea mix along with your spices (I added mine gradually with the handle of a teaspoon until I was happy with the taste) and leave the mix on a low heat until reaches your desired pasty consistency. Don't forget your salt and pepper!

Roll out your pastry into some sort of rectangle, cut in half and fill both parts with the mix. Cook on Gas Mark 4 for around 20 mins or until the pastry is firm. Eat.

I will admit that this was my first time making pastry and I feel it could have been a little more moist but the filling was really tasty. Thanks to @rhelune for the inspiration.

Enjoy the recipe, remember that cooking is not a science, nor should it be stressful. Enjoy it and go vegan. It really is so easy and delicious, and ethically, it's the best thing you can do for animals.

Kelly

P.S. Chickpeas are for life, not just for Tuesdays.

A Day in the Life of My Digestive System

2009-09-01T21:12:00.000+01:00

I'm obsessed with food. I love it, can't get enough of it and, though petite, have an appetite to rival even the largest of my fellow humans.

Being vegan, I encounter a few people who question what I eat and who think I must have a less-is-more approach to my diet. They may assume that I am happy to live on a diet of salad, fruits, nuts and seeds and don't demand exciting and down right delicious food. They are so very wrong.

This was initially going to be a quick #whatveganseat Tweet with a TwitPic but I decided to blog it instead as 140 characters is just not enough for me to express how much I adore food and to show that it is easy, fun and totally tasty (groans at the alliteration) to eat ethically (groans again).

You may think that being vegan is nothing more than a painful reduction in food options. I have found that it has led to me being more creative in the kitchen and a lot more discerning when it comes to the quality of the food I buy and I know I am not alone.

Enough chatter, nobody likes long blogs. On with the pictures, on with the proof!

For brunch today (it was late about 2pm) I had a Huevos-less Burrito with Rancherous Sauce.

To make up for the lack of breakfast, naturally I had to have a desert. Coconut and sultana rice pudding with toasted brazil nuts.

I am currently digesting my final meal of the day which was pretty much the ultimate in comfort food. Sausage, sheese and basil mash, chilli and garlic roasted brocolli all topped off with onion gravy. Flavour overload. Nom.

Being vegan isn't all salad and seeds. It isn't hard and it isn't boring. I only hope that next time someone asks me what I eat I can think of a more inspiring reply than just 'loads'.

Lucky Cat is Lucky and Other Such (almost) Creations

2009-08-21T21:53:00.000+01:00

I'll start on a sad note I'm afraid, just to get it out of the way.

The festival I was holding a stall at has been postponed until next year. Several reasons were cited but whatever the reasons I guess it gives me more time to prepare some spectacular crafty goods.

On a more positive note, the fact that I can now be creative for the sake of simply being creative (rather than for an audience/money) has whipped up a frenzy of ideas and last night I got out of bed twice to grab patterns and instructions to fuel my over-active mind.

This probably wasn't helped by the fact that I bought 9 pairs of socks in the supermarket last night (SALE!) with a view to finally make something based on a pattern from Stray Sock Sewing.

And here it is:

He doesn't have a name yet. Feel free to suggest one oh silent reader.

I'm still working on some crochet strawberry keyrings, which I'm quite excited to finished now that the key chains have arrived and tomorrow I am off to my local yarn store first thing to start a secret project. Shhhhhhh!

Also, you may notice to the right that the Monster Makes Etsy store is looking bare. I'm on hiatus; an indefinite leave whilst I focus on creative challenges rather than what I hope might sell.

Until next time.

Chickpea Tuesday Stew

2009-06-09T21:14:00.001+01:00

To celebrate the first ever Chickpea Tuesday I devised a rather tasty stew. Here's the recipe, which is vegan friendly, as opposed to vegan hostile. Measurements aren't exact, I kinda made it up and so have done some guess work. My style of cooking is hardly a science and nor should yours be. Enjoy it!

Chickpea Tuesday Stew

Ingredients:
Oil of choice (I use walnut. Yummers)
1 large red onion, chopped however you like
1 tsp puréed garlic
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
2 tins of chickpeas (yes, TWO)
1 small tin (140g) of double concentrate tomato purée
big old double-handful of spinach
50ml water
1tsp dried rosemary
1tsp dried tarragon
A couple of pinches of cayenne pepper (too much of this and you'll have more of an explosion rather than a kick)
Salt/pepper to taste

(Served with brown rice)

It makes about 4 portions, ready for freezing which is perfect for singletons like me.

The 'How To' Part:
Heat oil, add onion. Cover and sweat till soft.
Add garlic purée and chickpeas and heat for another couple of minutes
Add tinned tomatoes, tomato purée, water and everything else EXCEPT for your spinach. That goes in last.

Keep on a low heat for 15-20 minutes, or however long it takes your brown rice to cook. When the rice is almost done, add your spinach to the stew and mix through on the heat until it's as limp as...

Serve.

Viola. Quick, easy, healthy, vegan munch. Win.

Chickpea Tuesday

2009-06-06T12:34:00.000+01:00

It's alliteration Jim, but not as we know it!

I'm here, still crafting and doing various stupid things across the internet. The most recent thing is the Chickpea fan page on Facebook, created to prove that people really will become a fan of anything. Just 4 days in, there are 64 fans of Chickpeas, many of whom are not my friends on Facebook.

To celebrate the success of the fan page I have created the event, Chickpea Tuesday. This coming Tuesday, 9th June 2009, cook yourself a delightful recipe containing the wondrous chickpeas and share the thoughts and pictures. Get involved!

I'll leave you with some images of recent creations

Kurt Russell Inspired Amigurumi

2009-04-01T20:39:00.000+01:00

I'm getting to grips with amigurumi, a Japanese form of crochet. Here is my first little orange crochet creation - Kurt - named after the rather awesome Kurt Russell, who was on TV when I first got the hang of crocheting on Monday night (just two nights ago). Thanks Kurt!

Etsy Treasury

2009-03-31T19:39:00.000+01:00

Still being a bit of a noob to Etsy I wasn't aware of the Treasury until recently, or more to the point until somebody chose an item of mine for their Treasury.

In a nut shell, it's a user chosen gallery of 12 items, usually themed, that the user deems to be awesome. They're pretty difficult to create as Etsy limits the amount of Treasuries that are active at any one time.

I give thanks to the lovely ArtistrybyRamona for not only choosing my item, but for telling me that she had (which is quite rare apparently). Check out her shop, the question mark necklace is fab and definitely on my want list!

Biddies Hit the Tiles!

2009-03-30T19:22:00.000+01:00

Remember my ramblings about Julia Roberts being too old to star in a movie about knitting, as it doesn't capture the true face of what is really happening on the knit scene? Well, I completely contradicted myself and did a huge injustice to youthful knitters across the world this weekend.

I went out dressed as an old lady and knitted in bars. Meet Virginia (and her husband Roy).

Soft Toy Wrongness

2009-03-27T21:43:00.000Z

So I called Rule 34 on soft toys a couple of blogs ago and searched the interwebs myself to no avail. Tonight, I was shown the next best thing (thank you Nicki).

This will be 30 seconds of your life well spent.

Inspirational Ideas

2009-03-25T21:03:00.001Z

Some people out there have pretty marvellous brains and, in short, I am in awe of them. Two things I have recently stumbled across in the land of knitting have left me thinking, 'shit, I wish I'd thought of that'.

First off we have The Knit Kit.

It's a fabulous little oval-shaped doo-dah (actual technical term) that has a crochet hook, stitch counter and thread cutter around the outside and scissors, stitch markers and point protectors inside. What's more is it slips handily into your bag and is safe to carry on planes. It's awesome. Sadly the only thing it doesn't have (which would probably make it less safe for air travel) is a darning needle. I'm sure there are plenty of knitting and crocheting terrorists out there that would love nothing more than to hold up a plane with an unusually large needle. In the eye, I say, in the eye.

The second thing I discovered today is not a doo-dah but a marketing idea so brilliant that I would probably sell my Nan in order to go back in time and steal it for my own. Though time travel is apparently impossible (pffft, tell that to Doc Brown) the idea of selling my Nan is even more impossible - she's The Evil Genius™ and would certainly see it coming a mile off. I digress. The site I am talking about is Net Granny.

Net Granny allows you to have a pair of socks custom knit for you and you choose the biddy to make them! It's all kinds of aces and I wish it was my frigging idea. This is my personal biddy choice; she clearly has excellent fashion choice and looks like she has done her fair share of partying. Yeah, she earned her perma-gurn.

On a final note, to those of you (ok, so that one of you) who have been checking my blog a little too often, I have your IP address, I know who you are and I think it's weird.

Sayonara stalkers!

Weird 70's Toys

2009-03-23T18:21:00.000Z

I get donated crafty type things on a regular basis and quite a while ago I was given a book called Creative Soft Toy Making (first published 1974). I've looked at it but never in much depth until this weekend when it's fabulousness hit me in the face. It contains your regular and slightly dull cuddly bear and rabbit designs however the author also created soft toy patterns for 'The Scholars' - Socrates, Aristotle (and pupils), Copernicus, Hippocrates and Plato. She has even included mini bios about each.

I'm swooning! All my philosophical and creative buttons being pushed at once?! Why oh why cannot I not magic the book into a male to shackle and keep forever?

On a slightly related note, do you think soft toy porn actually exists?

Rule 34. Go!

Knitting in Your Face (or cinema)

2009-03-21T22:48:00.000Z

I've heard a little rumour about that the novel The Friday Night Knitting Club is being made into a movie starring Julia Roberts. I like Julia Roberts but moreso Julia Roberts 20 years ago. I think it's awesome that knitting is becoming so popular in mainstream culture and though I've never read the book, I feel that a younger, cooler model might have been a more appropriate casting (yeah I'm ageist). Maybe Miley Cyrus?

Idea Overload

2008-11-27T08:25:00.001Z

I've heard of writers block (or creative block) before, a lack of inspiration leading people to go weeks, months even years without creative a thing. What happens if you have the opposite? So many ideas that there just aren't enough hours in the day?

I'll tell you - Your brain begins to feel as though there is a thick layer of cotton wool encasing it, not allowing you to sensibly put these ideas in to practice whilst still keeping them swimming around upstairs. You sit on your floor surrounded by yarn and buttons and fabric and knit for the sake of knitting and a purse becomes a villain cape for your sock monkey. And you use lots of ands in sentences.

This is kinda where I am. I need to just keep making until I find my niche. This weekend I'm going to try my hand at making knitting needle bracelets, thanks to some friends, and I'm going to make some handbags with all the oodles of material that was donated to me by somebody last week. Exciting.

Hubert - My First Sale

2008-11-10T07:56:00.001Z

Last night Monster Makes officially went live.

I listed all 8 modest items on my shop, refreshed a few times (to check view counts of course) and then went to bed.

Overnight I have already made a sale, the wonderful Hubert The Love Monster, who was only created yesterday whilst having an 80's movie-fest. What a better way to come to life but with St. Elmo's Fire, Mannequin and Pretty in Pink (can you spot the link?).

Farewell Hubert and thank you shopper. May you have a wild and crazy life together.