Hello Martha!

So, awhile back, Dan and I requested tickets to The Martha Stewart show. Dan, being the amazing writer he is, wrote up the email and we submitted it. About a month or so later, I got an email saying we were selected to come and see the show! The show aired and was filmed (live) on Wednesday, February 17th (yesterday).

Oh my gosh it was so fun!!!! We woke up SO very early on Wednesday, 2:30AM to be exact. We got dressed, had a little bit of toast and were out the door by 3AM. New York city is about a three and a half to four hour drive and we had to be in the city by 8:30. We wanted to leave plenty of time in case of traffic or weather.

We arrived in the city around 7:30 and headed off to find the closest deli for some REAL breakfast. I stress "real" breakfast because on our way to NYC while getting gas I bought a bag of chips and called it breakfast. Anyway, the closest place we found was Starbucks, not exactly what we wanted but when you're pregnant, been driving for 4 hours and have only eaten a piece of toast and a bag of chips, you take what you can get.

After our breakfast we rushed over to the studio to get in line to see Martha! The studio was absolutely beautiful. I would just die for her kitchen set up and all the things in it. The studio is small, smaller than I thought it would be and there were only about 100 people in the audience.


It was a lot of fun. Gary Marshall was a guest on the show. He and Martha made felted soap and promoted a movie he has coming out called Valentine's Day. Another segment was a women who was showing how to make raised bed gardens. We got to take home her book as a giveaway. We also got a copy of a Martha magazine called Everyday food. Dan bought me the glitter set (yay glitter!!!!) and a Martha book on housework. Which I'm sure will come in handy!!! Dan and I want to do her show again, actually we want to visit MORE tv shows. It's really interesting to see the behind the scene's of things. Makes you feel like an insider.

The show isn't available yet to view on the website, but it will be soon...

3am Cravings

So, I awoke this morning at 3:30 AM to make sticky buns. Well, let me rephrase that, I woke up at 3:30 AM and said to myself, "Mmmmm i want sticky buns". You gotta love pregnancy cravings!

I searched through my many cookbooks and my amazing list of bloggers for a semi-easy vegan recipe (vegan so I can share it with my darling husband when he leisurely wakes up at a normal hour). I found one that is a simple dough recipe with easy to follow instructions, it is 3:30 in the morning after all. I don't think my brain can comprehend any complicated, mathematical equations at this hour.

Anyway, let me share the recipe. Originally this recipe stems from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison but I found it courtesy of a blogger who tweaked the recipe and I of course had to tweak it a little myself. I think the recipe as I found it would be lovely, it's a tangerine infused sticky bun, but i looked at our crate of tangerines and well, to be honest, they were fuzzy and browning. SO, I substituted almond and vanilla extract where appropriate.



The dough:
3/4 c. warm water
2 tsp. maple syrup
1 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast
1/2 c. soy milk
2 Tbs. canola oil
1 tsp. salt
2 c. all purpose flour
1 c. whole wheat pastry flour

Mix together warm water, yeast and maple syrup and set aside for 5-10 minutes. Then add this mixture to a large bowl along with the soy milk, oil and salt. Work in the flours until you have a rough dough, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 6-8 minutes until the dough is smooth and resilient. Put into a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in volume, an hour or longer.

For the filling:
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. chopped pecans (i used walnuts because it was all we have)
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1 tsp. almond extract
2 Tbs. margarine, melted

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface again, punch it down and knead for a few seconds. Cover it with a towel and let it rest for a few minutes while you prepare the filling by mixing together the cinnamon, walnuts (pecans), brown sugar and almond extract. Roll the dough out into a 12 x 16 inch rectangle, brush with the melted margarine and sprinkle the cinnamon/sugar mixture evenly on top. Tightly roll up across the length then use a serrated knife to cut the roll into pieces about 1 inch wide. Place the pieces flat on a lightly greased baking sheet about 2 inches apart and cover with a towel. (If you have any margarine left you can brush some on top.) Now would be a good time to preheat your oven to 375°. After about 30 minutes, remove the towel and place the rolls in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until they're just starting to brown.

The icing:
1 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp of soy milk

Place the buns on a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely before you drizzle on the icing that you made by whisking together the powdered sugar and extract and the soymilk. I like my icing on the thicker side, so I add a little less milk. You want it thick enough to drizzle but not too clumpy or too runny, so add the milk slowly until you get the texture you desire.


I love making yummy smelling breakfast food. It just warms my heart and makes me think of wonderful times at home with my family.

Happy Saturday Morning!

Even though I am at work today, it's still a happy morning. I found a new joy in my day. For the past few mornings I have naturally awoken an hour or so earlier than my alarm. Normally I'd find this highly annoying, but lately I've slipped quietly and softly out of bed, as to not wake my peacefully sleeping husband. I grab my laptop and head to the living room. Taking an hour for myself has been such a joy. I do my morning devotionals, clean and one or two little things for myself (like taming my unruly eyebrows!) Don't get me wrong, I am still tired, I still have the same stresses but taking that extra moment for myself makes my day start off on the right foot. I am pretty sure it makes me a better person, Christian, wife and friend.