Homemade Lara bars!

In my quest to keep myself from eating every cookie on the planet, I am trying to find some things that I can eat that have ultra-nutrition as well as enough sweetness to conquer the cookie monster that lives inside the Mad-Art Teacher!  I have had some wonderful suggestions from my good friend Tanya over at The Sunday Baker.  The one that is linked here is to the 2 flavors of Lara bars that I made tonight.

I have come across quite a few reasons lately to buy myself a new food processor, so I did this past weekend.  YAY!  I was thrilled with the way it works, it wasn't super expensive, and isn't super big, so it will work out well, once I figure out where to put it.  This recipe was one of the prime motivators that led me to this purchase.  I hope it lasts for a while!

I made the same 2 flavors that Tanya had blogged on her site, because you know, chocolate and peanut butter-- it just doesn't get any better than that!  The ingredients in these bars are very simple and are just plain good food.  The dates have no added anything- no sugar, no anything, just like the raw almonds, cocoa and peanut butter.  The chocolate bars have some mini-chocolate chips in them, but I certainly can live with it!  :)  The calorie count for these is around 150 for an eighth of the recipe.  The peanut butter ones are slightly more than the chocolate.  I have just gone ahead and doubled the recipe that Tanya had posted. I want to make enough to have in the frig or freezer.

This is a messy little process and it is hard to get pretty pictures- so forgive me!

Break out your food processor kids and let's get going!!

First- take your dates and blend them into a paste in the processor.  Remove them from the machine, and put the almonds in.  Process them until you have  finely chopped nuts but not powder!  At this point for the chocolate ones, you add the cocoa to the nuts and blend.

Blend the dates

Add the nuts and chocolate mini chips  to the dates and mix. I found that really you should just forget about a spoon and use your (washed) hands.  Press into a pan or dish, refrigerate and cut into pieces.

For the Peanut Butter ones, process the dates, vanilla and natural peanut butter together and then process the almonds and mix into the date mixture.  SIMPLE!  and REALLY good!

Chocolate Lara Bars

1 cup unsweetened dates
1/2 cup raw almonds
3 Tablespoons cocoa powder
1 1/2 Tablespoons mini chocolate chips

Process the dates in a food processor until it is a paste.  Remove from machine and set aside.

Process the almonds in the processor, finely ground, but not a powder and add cocoa powder and blend.  Pour nut mixture and mini chips into dates and mix (with your hands works well).  Press into flat dish, refrigerate and cut (into 3 large or 6 - 12 small, depending on how big you want them.

Peanut Butter Lara Bars

1 Cup of dates
6 Tablespoons natural peanut butter (no added sugar or salt)
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup raw almonds (or another raw nut- cashews, peanuts, walnuts, etc.)
Process the dates, peanut butter and vanilla.  Remove and set aside
Process the nuts and add to dates.  Press into flat dish or pan, refrigerate and cut into pieces.

 If you want to see prettier pictures of the finished bars, go to Tanya's blog.  My chocolate ones were pretty pathetic this time! They didn't hold together as well as hers did, but that is not going to stop me from eating them!  :)

ENJOY!!


****Tanya also makes an awesome oat ball "cookie" that is out of this world! And so many variations.
Here is a link to one of the variations- lots of possibilities there!

Playing in the mud- P ot D

There are FEW things in this world that I like better than throwing on the potter's wheel!  It instantly soothes me, relaxes me, and engages my entire being.  I can throw simple things like nobodies' business, and I can center a chunk of clay in a heartbeat.  This is, of course, because I center about a million pounds of it for my students!  When they are learning the wheel techniques, I let them work at it for a good long time, so they practice, then towards the end of the session, I will center so they have a chance to practice the rest of the process as well.  I am delighted when kids get that glow as they figure out that they indeed CAN do the hardest part of it themselves.

It is also VERY interesting to see the kids who turn out to be natural throwers!  They surprise the heck out of themselves when they find that with a little instruction they are able to sit down and conquer the basics in only a few sessions.  FREQUENTLY, it is the students who might struggle in other areas of their day, either in art or other classes.  However, you don't have to be a "natural" to succeed.  I was really not a natural, I took 5 semesters in college and I never became as skilled as many of the potters that emerged from Richard Joslin's Ceramics classes at UW-Eau Claire!  But I loved the process, the feeling, the results of the day- so I practiced and practiced and practiced, and in the end, that is how you become competent.

It is difficult to not be a show-off sometimes when throwing- the kids think the whole process is so amazing to see that I have to resist the urge to take 10 lb of clay and do something fancy with it.  I want them to make simple shapes first, so they can really get the hang of the basics. I forget how beautiful and magical it is to see that clay transform from a ball into a symmetrical form that can change shape at my whim. And this is not about me, so I demonstrate the simplest of shapes, things that they can achieve during their first attempts, sometimes with a little assistance in centering.  So after the kids are cleaning up and I have a chunk of clay on my wheel and prep time is looming in front of me, I will sit down for a little clay therapy.  This is what I did on Friday-

What you can't see well is that the lip is not perfect, it is a bit lopsided and off- balance, which by the way IS my choice.  I could have neatened it up with no problem, but I love that tension of precision and flaw and the goo that is on the side adds to that juxtaposition.  Sigh.  I kinda want to do it again!  Like maybe on Monday!!  :)

I could go all psychological and talk about how throwing is metaphor for life- it takes practice sometimes to work through the hard parts,  little flaws in it making results infinitely more interesting, that you can try to control it all you want and sometimes, something you really want collapses,  how sometimes things you don't THINK are going to work out at all emerge into something really great..... and you always have a chance to throw another piece of clay on the wheel and start forming something new.  You can always expect the unexpected and with a little work, you can indeed make something interesting and unique!  But that seems a little deep for 6 in the morning!

And this IS my Picture of the day!!

Find some JOY today, sometimes it just takes a little work to create it from the goo!

Pic of the day

I am not sure if this is what I want to be doing with my pic of the day!

This was really actually very pretty with the sun shining through the "clouds" from the paper mill steam plant..... lost a little in translation.

I have to think this through a little!  Or I have to take the time to dig out my p&s, or take the time to properly download into my aperture program or take the time to stop and get a better framed shot. This is only ok!

I guess some days "ok" is good enough!

Until next time- be a joy giver!  

Picture of the day- FAIL

Dec. 31, 2012

I had planned to take at least one picture of the day, every day and get them posted at some point!  I don't think I even took a picture yesterday- which is insane on so many levels. I had really INTENDED to do that!! But as you know I rarely do what is expected of me.

It has been 24 hours of big swings of highs and lows- in fact it is all quite exhausting.  Sometimes I think if I could just live in the middle part of it all I would be a little happier. Being incredibly angry, super happy and devastatingly disappointed all in 24 hours has certainly taken it's toll today.  I just don't know how to deal with it all sometimes. I begin my day knowing that things are and aren't as they seem.  Now isn't that cryptic?? But as I have said before, you have to experience it all to full appreciate the good that life does give you.... if you are looking for it.  The good turns up all over, if you are open to it.  

So I am going to post a pic from Dec. 31!  I mean what the heck, I can make up my rules as I go, right??  I make all these goofy things up, sometimes with a little help from others, so I can change things around if I need to.

So maybe at least the picture things isn't a fail, even if that is not true of everything in life.....

Until next time, be a joy giver!!  Not matter what

Maintenance, School, babygirl, 50 followers and other stuff

So, I have a bunch of little bitty things I want to throw in, say, and otherwise hear myself talk about, and it just didn't fit into the previous post.

Today I have to go back to work, and before anyone yells at me because I had a week and a half off, I just don't care what you say.  I needed one more day.  So there.  Just stop it.  :P I have accepted it now and will go into it with my usual positive attitude.  I am positive I am looking forward to lunch!  Lol.  I just wish we could work in our rooms instead of sitting around all day. It is enough to make a good natured art teacher absolutely levitate out of her seat by the end of the 7 or 8 hours....

HAVE I mentioned that I am getting a granddaughter this year?????  I am so excited I am beside myself.  I can NOT wait to meet babygirl.  YAY!!  I have plans to do a few special things for her!!!  ***HAPPY DANCES*** I am not at liberty to discuss these plans, as you never know when said parental units will be reading this!

Another random thing that happened is I now have 50 official followers on my blog and recently went over 13,000 page views.  I know this isn't much in relation to what other people's blog have, but that is ok,  I think it is pretty darn exciting.  AND who KNOWS how many blog stalkers there are!!!  :)  It always amazes me that people read this thing.  It is fun to write for an audience, though, even though I always need to monitor myself and make sure no glib remarks are thoughtless.  I would never want to hurt someone's feelings, as that is certainly not my gig.

I got my Christmas stuff taken down, I did 16 miles of walking over the past 2 day (which was a pseudo-weekend), took a few pictures, started a picture of the day thing, decided to try and carve out time for a few personal things and I feel like I can begin a New Year in pretty fine style.  Now we will see what really happens.

Today I will continue working on my new weight lifting program.  I did some of it last week, but because of the holidays I was not able to do the whole thing.  Of course this week is more of the same and I should get at least all but legs done- I have some really sore hamstrings from the previously mentioned 16 miles.  So next week, which is really not too far away seeing it is Wednesday already, though I swear yesterday was Sunday, I get to begin again and see how this is all going to work out.

A quick maintenance observation:
This is not easy.  I had the "old way of eating Debi" make an appearance over the past week.  I think I shoved her back into a closet again, next to 20 year old "Debi who did whatever she was told", 30 something year old "Debi who hated herself" and 5 year old "Debbie who was afraid of everything," and we don't need to see them again. Occasionally they can be trotted out to examine why they are in the closet, but I think they are all best put to bed in there. Wow, digress much?  So, that was not cool.  I know I have to be careful about eating the food that might be sitting around and always be prepared to make better choices.  Cookies just aren't an option for me any more.  I hope by making this observation, I will now be able to settle into this.  I know that I have infinite ways to drive myself crazy, so expect more maintenance observations.  Because this is not for sissies!

So I think I have completed all of the things that I was wanting to say this morning.  I guess I could have thrown them all together, but that would have been even more disjointed than this post is!  But you expect disjointed from me on occasion- amiright??  

Disjointed or not, you know it will always end with a wish for your joys and mine!  Have a joyful day- rock this 2013!!

I think I have worked something out....

I have been pretty much agonizing over what my goals are for the new year.   For the last couple of years these goals have been fairly big- even monumental- and to come up with something this year is proving tough.  I have very wise friends who have all told me something along the lines of relax about it, it will come to you.  And follow your heart, do something that will make you happy.

1/1/2013- photo of the day

I reread comments that I got on a previous blog post to that effect and last night it became clear in my mind that I don't, for now, have any big, all encompassing goals for this coming year and it is quite ok. This year I need to continue doing what I have started.  I need to follow my heart.  So now you  might ask the Mad-Art Teacher what in the world could all that be?  WELL, since you asked....


This is sort of a combination of goals and resolutions, even though I don't really think resolutions are a good idea.  They are sort of set up to be broken if you are vague about things, like I am going to lose weight! or I am going to exercise more! or what have you- though you may see as I just did I actually achieved those resolutions last year.  But the key is that I did not make them a resolution per se, I made them part of my lifestyle change, something that I just had to do.  That is pretty subtle, I realize, but when you are dealing with my particular brain- well let's just say this sort of thing matters!

So, first, as you can probably imagine is I need to work hard on maintaining what I have.  My weight and fitness level are of utmost importance to me!  I began my New Year by walking 6 miles yesterday and maintaining my goal weight, so it was a good January 1.  On those two fronts, I have to keep struggling every day to do the best that I can.  Eating is always going to be an effort to not revert to old habits, I have a tendency to start eating when I am tired, bored or stressed and I need to be vigilant about it.  I have refined my diet a little lately, totally eliminating one of my trigger foods and I am hoping that it will help me out in the long run.  I also think I have to make the commitment to NOT eat anything after 7 pm, unless I have not gotten home until that time, which does happen, as I know that I "think" I am hungry most evenings.  Along these lines, the weight thing.......  I am thinking I would like to lose about 5 - 10 more pounds yet, but not in an official way.  I think if I get into the 130's I will be satisfied- it seems like I need to drop down a little bit- we shall see how that goes.  I think I am going to let my exercise take care of that.  Exercise- I will be doing that.  I feel like I am at a good place with that.  I get cardio 6 days per week, usually, a minimum of 5, plus the weight-lifting at least 4 days and throw in dance class and ballet and it is a pretty balanced program.  I don't have a lot of extra time in my day to put more in, and I don't see where I could take any of those things out!  So between that and my new weight lifting program, I am set.  I would LIKE to run, but am not sure that my knees can take it.  I REALLY plan to canoe again this summer, and perhaps pick up a kayak, too.  These are sports that push my comfort level (I don't feel like a super strong swimmer) but I love to do them. A perfect combination!

So those two things are "easy" in the sense that I know how to get them done- the rest of these I am dabbling around with yet.
I would like to resolve that I do more of my own personal art work!  I am running into a time and mind issue with this.  I don't have a lot of extra time, mostly  because of the things listed above, but I feel that I am neglecting my own need to be creative.  My primary outlet lately has been photography- and that is something that I will not quit doing.  IN FACT I might try to do some sort of a daily picture post, which is going to start here right now.  I am not going to be so silly as to think that I will remember or be able to post a pic every single day, but I am thinking I might at least do catch up posts as I go!

So with that in mind, I also need to do more, and I see myself doing art 2 things.  (Besides the photography, which I have a couple of projects in mind, but like I said there is the time factor....  I probably should be setting up some sort of rough schedule for myself, but I HATE being confined to things like that.  I am such a mood oriented person, I need to feel it to do it!!)  BUT, anyway, I need to work on my concrete sculpture and my drawing.  Being an art teacher is really NOT conducive to doing your own personal art work, which is a sad irony.  I get a taste of it at school, I get to throw on the potter's wheel, I get to paint murals (scenery for the play), I do paintings and drawings that are fast and usually incomplete, but this is just not super satisfying.  Along those lines I also want to make a few items of clothing for myself.....  WHAT am I going to be giving up to make time for these things??  Idk.  But it is something I need to consider.  AND there is the gardening thing, which fits into the concrete sculpture.  I did not do much gardening last summer and I missed it. How did this 2 thing list turn into 4???  Oy

Something that dovetails into all of these ideas is cooking and specifically vegetarian cooking.  I really enjoy this past-time, I like the creativity of it, the possibilities and I really want to have food in the house for the week that is NOT commercially made and frozen or packaged.  I do use some of that in the form of frozen veggie burgers/chick'n strips etc, and that is fine, but I don't want to rely on it.  As noted in my previous post, I got that new cookbook and I would like to make something out of it weekly for a while.  I know that I can't do it everyday, I just don't have it left in me after a day at work, but I can do weekly!  And when I photo and blog it, it really does work into the things I like to do!  :)

You will be noticing things that are NOT on here, all those mundane things that of course it would be nice to do but really are not important in the grander scheme of things, but I am going to put in follow my heart.  My heart is very difficult to deal with, as it is very demanding.  I can not control very often how I feel about things, I rarely can be logical about what is going on there.  It really doesn't matter if it makes sense and I tend to agonize over the least little thing.... so I am going to do the best I can.  Sometimes following you heart is really hard, it makes you uncomfortable, it isn't always a logical thing.  But you do what you have to do!

My final two resolutions are a bit subtle, but they really define me as a person.  I want to continue being a good friend and a joy giver.  These are things I don't have to explain, other than they are part of who I am, what I try to do, what I try to return for all the good that is given to me.  Even though in the end you have to do what is right for you, you are a more complete and happy person if you can share your joys with the people you love.

These will be the hardest and the easiest things for me to do.

I truly do wish all of you a happy HAPPY New Year of 2013!  And away we go, kids!!!

Be a joy giver!!  Always! Even though it can be a struggle- everyday...  

Smoked Cauliflower and Couscous

I finally got a little time today to do some cooking- at least cooking that was my choice and not needing to be cooked elsewhere/transported or in anyway needing to please other people but me.  

As I have previously at least showed in pictures, I got a new cookbook for Christmas from me, to me! I was able to read a bunch of it while riding down to Jon's a few days ago, and I have lots of cooking to do!  I am not sure why I chose this particular recipe, but it sounded good, and I had picked up some whole wheat couscous, so I was ready.

I THINK I am going to try and do at least one idea from that book per week until school is done.  I do like to have some new things to eat around the house during the week!!

Anyway, I made this tonight and it is something that I will make again. If you are at all interested in vegetarian cooking, this book by Mark Bittman is totally worth the investment!!

It is really a simple and quick procedure that only requires that you do a little chopping and stirring.

Begin with all of your ingredients all together and pretty much prepared and it will go very smoothly!  Chop the onion, and the cauliflower, keeping them separate. 

Toast the almonds in a dry frying pan

After stirring them around for a while, remove them from the pan, add the oil and the onion

Have the cauliflower ready....

Add the cauliflower to the softened onions and stir up well- oil should be coating the cauliflower.  Saute until the veg starts to crackle

cook the cauliflower until it has slightly softened

add the couscous and toast it for another 5 minutes

Add the smoked paprika  and then the vegetable broth- cook undisturbed for 15 min.

Chop up the almonds as small as you can

Mix it into the couscous and then let it sit

Spoon out, garnish with grated cheese and enjoy!

WHOLE WHEAT COUSCOUS WITH CAULIFLOWERAND ALMONDS

From How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman

½ cup of whole almonds

3 tablespoon olive oil

1 large shallot or small onion

1 small cauliflower – chopped- about3 cups

salt and pepper

1 cup whole wheat couscous (or regular)

2 tsp. smoked paprika

1 ½ cups vegetable broth

½ cup parsley

grated cheese

In a dry skillet, pour almonds in andtoast in hot pan. Stir constantly- about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside in a bowl to cool

In same pan, heat oil and add onion,cook about 2 minutes, stirring, until softened a bit and starting toturn color. Add cauliflower and salt and pepper. Stir well- Cookabout 5 – 10 minutes until veg. starts to pop and crackle.

Add couscous, stirring until coatedwith oil, then sautee about another 2- 3 minutes, couscous will startto toast.

Sprinkle with paprika, then addvegetable broth. Bring to boil then turn heat very low, cover andcook without stirring for 15 min. (5 min. for regular couscous). Chop almonds as fine as you can. Add them with the parsley (I didn'thave parsley) to dish, fluff with spoon, cover and let sit without heat for another 2 minutes. Can be eaten warm or cool!

About 400 calories per cup. That isthe count for it without cheese. TOTALLY worth every calorie

A definite joy in my week!