2023 December Newsletter
Candalada
A DECEMBER TO REMEMBER
I did not take additional vacation days during the holidays. My son has been on winter break since Dec 23rd. The break from our morning routine has allowed room for much needed rest in the mornings.
We used the past week for catching up on missing assignments for Issa and getting some details together for upcoming projects for myself. Issa’s greatest accomplishment was finishing Harry Potter the Chamber of Secrets in 2 days. It did take a commitment of 6 hours per day, to clear 9 chapters per day. YouTube read alongs were very helpful and entertaining. He tried reading the book and 2020 without assistance and didn’t make it past Chapter 3. Having the ability to sit and listen with him was a great bonding moment. We watched the movie to celebrate.
The motivation for the expedited read is a school project that required extracting favorite quotes, figurative language, character descriptions and plot. The assignment titled “The One Pager” is about creating a poster. The poster is supposed to entice the viewer to read the book without giving the book away. Do you want to read the book after seeing Issa’s poster?
My greatest accomplishment was regaining focus and calmness. For at least half of December my will did not match my focus. The days I planned to accomplish a million things on my to-do list I would wake up sick. Invites to events have been coming in on a rolling basis leaving little room to be home and be still. The day after Christmas invites started coming in rapidly, claiming almost every weekend through the end of February.
I had to think about what my goals are 2024 and which events I need to sacrifice to achieve them. I sent my regrets without guilt and accepted the invites that didn’t compromise my personal progress. That was not easy. I never understood why some people do not RSVP. I suspect some of them want to avoid inquiry from the host in regards to their lack of attendance.
YAY OR NAY : SNACKS
YAY
Absolutely delicious. It looks like it may be too much chocolate but the flavor of the chocolate is mild and not over powering. The first time I made it too crispy. The second time we baked at 350 degrees for 23 min and it was perfect.
YAY
The pictured flavor is White Chocolate Almond Butter the website host a variety of fun flavors.
YAY
I received rave reviews on this sweet rose I gifted a friend. It is a local favorite in Tanzania.
YAY
This cheese I discovered on a vegan blog has added flare to my snack plate.
Snack Plate with Treeline - Dairy Free Cheese
Crackers, spreadable cheese a cucumber and a dash of red pepper has become a family favorite.
YAY
Adds color and fun to the food. You will need to add salt.
Dinner with
Le Grand Pesto
Roasted tomatoes are Issa’s favorite
YAY
Need a break from the norm try this.
VEGGIE BURGERS
YAY
The texture and the thickness is decent. Do not forget to season, it has no flavor.
NAY
I really did not like this burger. The flavor was so odd and overbearing.
YAY then NAY
The product is great, however, the can is faulty. After one squeeze the top was broken. This happened two times.
YAY, NAY, YAY
Flax Plus good adult cereal
Kashi Chocolate Waffles is bitter, the maple is enjoyable
Annies Cinnamon Roll is a kid friendly cereal
NAY
Did not taste any of the notes listed in the ingredients. Between not being able to taste the berries and the lack of sweetness, I did not enjoy it.
NAY
Second flavor I tried. It was bitter.
YAY
3rd time is a charm. The Maple was the best flavor of the three I tried. Something notable about this brand is the cereal stays crunchy for a long time. That is impressive.
YAY
These are sweet! Put less sugar in the sweet potato if you plan to use them. The con is the package is small and cost more than the big bag of vanilla flavored Dandie’s. These were fun for the season. I prefer the vanilla flavor because it is more flexible and pairs well with cookies, hot chocolate, smore’s and potatoes.
YAY
Super unique cornmeal crust. Issa was not too thrilled about it. Goes well with a ginger ale. My pizza come out a bit dry. May need to add some EVOO next time.
A HOLIDAY RECIPE
Really Good Vegan Choc Chip Cookies
I tried a lot of new recipes. After 4 batches of various peanut butter, and ginger snap cookies. I finally found what I think is the perfect choc chip cookie. They have been tested by several non vegans. What makes these good is the hand chopped chocolate. It is tempting to just use chips but it really is not the same. I am a bit of a chocolate enthusiast. I used 4 kinds of chocolate. It seems the Endangered Species Oat Milk Chocolate has been removed from the shelves. I used the half a bar I had in the fridge and mourn the possibility I may not be able to find it again.
The Recipe
¾ cup brown sugar, packed
½ cup white sugar
½ cup vegan butter, melted
¼ cup applesauce
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar, (trust me on this)
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
8 oz chopped vegan chocolate
Preheat your oven to 350F (180C). Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, white sugar, vegan butter, applesauce, vanilla extract, and apple cider vinegar. Add in the flour, baking soda, and salt, and use a spatula or wooden spoon to mix well. Lastly, stir in the chocolate.
Place on cookie sheet. I use 1 tablespoon to scoop. Then roll into circles. DO NOT flatten.
Bake 12 min - 15 min. I do 11 to be safe.
Cookies will flatten and and get chewy when they cool .
Thanks for Reading
Happy New Year !