so... procrastination?

I know I promised a new post (to whom, I am not sure) 10 months ago. I am no longer new to Denver, my age has been bumped a a whole digit, gots me a shiny MacBook Air from Josef, and my family has grown to four. NO, I am not pregnant(gross!); I have a new baby girl named Scout McCarthy-Phoenix.

She's a Japanese chin-min. poodle mix. She is a squirrelly little ball of crazy that unfurls into a leggy psycho she-wolf, like a unlame version of Pokemon. Zdzislaw loves having a playmate and has thankfully stopped trying to get freaky with her. (No means NO)

Anyway, we have been living in ParkHill area Denver for the past ten months in a little blue cottage. Josef tattooing, me barista-ing, and Zdzislaw working Colfax for spare change. I love having a backyard for the babies, a spare bedroom for guests (Carolina, Sara, and my 'rents), and a bike, Rosemary, to get around.

Most of all, I love my kitchen, especially now that the crazy-summer heat is gone, I have no qualms with heating up the house. I've been cooking a lot from Appetite for Reduction and Viva Vegan. My most recent adventure has been Dirrty South night: flakey biscuits, pepper gravy, and kale greens and hoppin' john black-eyed peas. As you can see, it has the healthy plate ratio of 1/2 carbs, 1/4 proteins, and 1/4 pure gravy (with some hot sauce thrown in for extra nutrients). The biscuits and gravy recipe was from The Vegan Girls Guide to Life. I haven't done cut-out biscuits since 7th grade home-ec (I'm usually lazy and just do drop biscuits), but the rolling out is worth it for the flakey, biscuit-y taste.

Flaky Biscuits and Gravy

Preheat oven to 350.

1 cup soy milk mixed with 2 tsp. apple cider vineger: whisk together and set aside to curdle.

Mix in bowl:

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

Cut in 1/4 cup veggie shortening with fingers or fork or pastry cutter if you are rich and ridiculous. Gently mix in soy milk/vinegar until combined. Wash your paws, dry, and coat them and a clean surface in flour. Fold dough over six times and press into an inch thick layer. Use a cup to cut out biscuits. Place on cookie sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

Whilst (I really try to use that word as much as possible) the biscuits are baking, start your gravy.

Heat 1/4 cup oil over medium-high heat in a skillet. Stir in 6 Tbs. flour, 1 Tbs. pepper, and 1/4 Tbs. salt. Slowly pour in 2 cups unsweetened soy milk and stir for 5 minutes until gravy in thick and delicious. Pour over everything and anything. Snaaap.