Didn't Win the Pie Contest, But I Now Have a New Countertop

Sadly, I did not win the original pie category of the contest below. However, I'm pretty excited about our new countertop. Come and take a look at it on my other blog, Here and There.

Next up tomorrow, Joe the contractor installs the new faucet, the old garbage disposal, and reconnects the dishwasher. We'll still be living out of boxes though, since he won't finish the cabinets until his final visit. When that will be remains a mystery.

In the meantime, hope you all have a wonderful holiday!

Love Me, Love My Pie

Please vote for my pie in the Best Pie Bakeoff at The Kitchen now! Thanks!

No Thanksgiving Kitchen for Me

I'm never the host of Thanksgiving anyway, but I usually bake something for the feast at Mom's. However, this year, I'm still kitchen-free, since at the moment, I have the cabinet shells installed, but no counter and no sink. Tomorrow, the sink and counter go in, but I'll have to wait until Monday for Joe the contractor to come and connect the plumbing to the sink.

I've been posting about it all on my other blog, Here and There. And, if you want to see the complete photo album, feel free to check out my Picasa shots of the whole process.

Overall, I just can't wait for it to be done already. I feel like such a whiner, though because it's only been two weeks, and there are folks who don't even have homes or food to eat at all. It's also been hard on my conscience because John and I have been using all these disposable items like paper plates, plastic utensils and bottled water (since yesterday, we have a legitimate use due to a water main break).

In the meantime, I'm just focusing on the positive and donating to the local food bank.

By the way, in case you were wondering, the voting is about to open in The Kitchen Best Pie Bakeoff, and I've entered a pie, so please vote for my pie at The Kitchen. Thanks!

New Product Review: The Baker Organic Whole Wheat Bread -- Agave-Sweetened Sandwich Bread

Oh happy day! I'm so pleased to tell you how great it is to be able to buy bread in a store! When I found this 100% whole wheat bread in the back of the George Street Coop one morning when I was volunteering there, I told everyone on the shift (because they know of my baking with agave bent and have benefitted from the results).

Usually bread is sweetened with some type of sugar like evaporated cane juice or honey. Not so with this very tasty bread from The Baker Organic. While the 100% whole wheat variety uses agave nectar (and a little barley malt), the 7 grain and fiber as well as the spelt selections add molasses, so be on the lookout for that.

Other agave-sweetened varieties include green tea and gogi berry, and pomegranate and blueberry (next on my list to try) .

The 100% whole wheat is full of wheat flavor, and you can pick up some oaty flavors as well. It toasts great, and makes an excellent peanut butter and apricot spread sandwich. The bread is moist, and not at all dense like most whole wheat bricks. Generally speaking, it's great stuff.

Even though the web site says they only sell to the west coast, I bought this in NJ, so you might just find it near you, too.

For more info, visit The Baker Organic.

My Pie Cherry Berry Pie Is Being Featured On Apartment Therapy's Best Pie Bake Off!

Earlier in the week, I entered the Apartment Therapy Best Pie Bakeoff with my legendary Cherry Berry Pie.

Here's my entry. So exciting! Wish me luck, and please vote for me on Thursday and Friday, Nov. 20-21! Thanks!

Please Have Some of My Agave-Sweetened Baked Goods, Your President-Electness

I'm sure I'm not the only one thinking that if I met Mr. Obama and his lovely family, I'd offer them my homemade baked goods (and probably some of my homemade ice cream). I'd ply them with pie. More than likely, I'd even make my extra-special Perfect Vegan Scoop or Mango Sorbet for the President-Elect and his family. I'd probably try to impress Ms. Obama with my healthier, vegan version of cranberry-zucchini muffins. And, I'd definitely send them home with some awesome granola in a Lock-and-Lock container because I care about what they eat for breakfast. (Frankly, I care about what most folks eat for breakfast, but since he'll be running the country, I'd prefer if he had some fiber, vitamins, and tasty bits in his bowl).

Lastly, I am immensely stirred by Mr. Obama's historic victory. I'm grateful to have contributed to it. I've voted for some folks in the past whom I thought would do some world-changing things, and they did. But casting a vote for the first African-American president really takes the cake. Speaking of cake, how about some yummy spice cake, your President-Electness? Seconds? Why, of course!