Family Selfie!

Here is the latest pic of Ashlee, Sean, and little Miss Bailey Bump. Hoping to visit Ash in early June when Sean is deployed for the month. Fingers crossed that Duke can get me there and back without any major issues - my poor little vehicle is on his last legs.

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

No kiddin', these cookies are sublime. Even regular people like them. The saving grace is definitely that they are made with coconut oil. What a difference! My mum had the cutest and most unique compliment after she tried one. "If there was a store that sold these cookies, I would buy them every time I went to that store." How cute is that? The recipe posted below has made being a vegan so much easier. I love me a homemade chocolate chip cookie and was scared that I'd never have a decent one again. How wrong I was!

The BEST Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Author: veganhousewives.com

Recipe type: Dessert/Vegan

Prep time:  10 mins

Cook time:  20 mins

Total time:  30 mins

Serves: 12-15 cookies

Ingredients

• ½ cup coconut oil
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup almond milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup vegan chocolate chips (Trader Joe's chocolate chips are accidentally vegan!)

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
2. Cream (aka thoroughly mix) together the coconut oil & brown sugar, then add the almond milk and vanilla. The mixture may be really "liquidy" this is OK.
3. In a separate bowl mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
4. Combine the wet & dry ingredients (it WILL BE crumbly - this is OK), then fold in the chocolate morsels & any other mix-ins of your choosing.
5. Roll into tablespoon sized balls & place them on an ungreased cookie sheet (or on a sheet of parchment paper on the baking sheet), then flatten them out a bit with your palm. The dough may be a little crumbly, but just smoosh it together and it will work fine!
6. Bake for 7-10 minutes. (I did 8 which was perfect)

(recipe kidnapped with EXTREME gratitude from dailyrebecca)

Cordon

Cordon is my latest obsession. (It seems I go through a new obsession every other week or so.) I picked up the dvd when I was last in Antwerp and was so thrilled that it came with English subtitles. The story is about an outbreak of an unidentified and fatal virus in a section of Antwerp. To keep it controlled, the government has cordoned off the section, blocking it with shipping containers, which frankly I found to be completely terrifying.

I absolutely adore the aerial shots of the city and the cast is top notch. The two lead actors within the cordon are Wouter Hendrickx (total bad-ass name) who I loved in Brasserie Romantiek and Veerle Baetens who I previously saw in The Broken Circle Breakdown, Loft, Dennis van Rita, Het Vonnis, Zot van A., and will watch her next in Code 37. Other familiar faces are Tom Dewispelaere from Linkeroever, Mathijs Scheepers who was that louse George in De smaak van De Keyser and an endearingly (is that a word?) shy and sweet Walter in Brasserie Romantiek, and Tibo Vandenborre from Bullhead, De smaak van De Keyser, and De Behandeling. In addition to the aforementioned peeps, this show also stars Koen De Bouw, a man that has been in everything - Loft, Shades, Het Vonnis, Brasserie Romantiek, Los Zand, De zaak Alzheimer, Stille Waters, Smoorverliefd, and Dossier K. to name a few. (And who knew that this clean cut gent could play a creepy ex-con so well - I'm super impressed, sir!) But the main reason I wanted to see this was for Geert Van Rampelberg. I love that fella and he was so good in Swooni, De Behandeling, Broken Circle Breakdown, De zaak Alzheimer, Tot Altijd, and after Cordon I have Code 37, Clan, and Image lined up. Sorry to inundate youse with a million unfamiliar names and movie titles, but Belgium has produced a plethora of truly phenomenal actors and if I can persuade even one reader to seek out these films, I will feel triumphant!

(photos kidnapped from cineuropa and dekrantenkoppen respectively.)

Eastern College

A few years back my Aunt Bernadette had given me her old scrapbook from the mid 1970s. I know there's no point in holding on to it when I'm already getting rid of so much of my own stuff. So....I tore out the photos and cards that I liked best and am a-postin' them here on this little blog o' mine.

Bad Books? Badass Books, more like...

In May of 2012 I purchased my first Bad Book from Helen Coldwell of Durham, England. I've been ga-ga over her travel journals ever since. The last two I purchased were custom made exactly to my specifications and they are gorgeous!
Here are photos of the ones I currently own, starting with the first and straight on through to the most recent.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After receiving the photos of my first custom order Bad Book, Colour My Life with the Chaos of Trouble, pictured below, I was beyond ecstatic and had this to say: OUTSTANDING!!!! You have far exceeded my expectations and I seriously couldn't be more pleased with the outcome. I can't wait til it reaches my hot little hands and I can begin filling its pages with more of my adventures. Lady, you are out-of-this-world fantastic and I sincerely appreciate your creating this work of art just for me. It's like the Tom Hiddleston of books, the George Clooney of journals, and the Benedict Cumberbatch of bound paper! (It really is.)

 

 

For my next trip abroad, I went right back to my fave etsy seller. Here is an excerpt from my correspondence with dear Miss Helen: I'm back with another request! This time I'm looking for the Michael Fassbender of travel journals, since I'll soon be off to Ireland in early September. Up to the challenge? I already have my suggestions and wishes all lined up...
Once the journal was complete, Helen responded with, I hope you're pleased with the result! I made it while watching two great Michael Fassbender movies, Jane Eyre and X-men. I'm pretty sure the pages have absorbed some of Fassy's magnetic presence...!
Me: Oh didn't you SWOON over him in Jane Eyre??! So handsome... The journal looks absolutely superb. Dark and moody outside and then open to reveal sunshine and happiness - just like me!
And finally Helen endeared herself to me all the more when she said, PS I literally swooned watching Jane Eyre. Literally.

 

 

If you, dear reader, are ever in need of a journal, for travel or otherwise, you will find none better than those at Bad Books.

**Post script, entered May 5th - received my latest journal today and seriously had tears in my eyes at the lovely bonus gift that Helen included, with the nicest note in the universe. Check it out:

Is that fantastic or what? Only problem is, Helen forgot to sign it! I'm tellin' ya, this woman is the absolute cat's meow.
(for those of you not in the know, that there is Michael Fassbender as Mr. Rochester in Jane Eyre.)

The Pathways of Fallingwater

 

 

Olly Murs

I saw this cutie patootie on Graham Norton (seriously adore that show!! and it was such a great episode - the guests were incredible.) when I was in Antwerp and Wrapped Up is my definitely gonna be my summer jam song. I have two Olly Murs cds on their way to me and can't wait. This fella's voice and his fun, fabulous songs just make you feel good.

(photos kidnapped from ibtimes and bbcamerica)