Spring Cleaning

…Not to the tune of “Spring” by Rammstein.  That song is slow, whereas cleaning needs must be quick and efficient.  

I have senioritis!  Not having to spend my Fridays…and Saturdays…and Sunday evenings on my critical paper is most freeing.  Two things I will miss about college are not having class on Fridays and having break during my birthday.

It’s detox time after the sugar-rush that is a secularly-celebrated Easter.  Easter was in May last year, and the week after it I couldn’t take the rashes and other, erm, side-effects of (what I rightly suspected to be) gluten intolerance anymore.  So it was my gluten-free anniversary in spirit this week, though the actual date’s in May.

I had sushi for Easter dinner; I made brown rice rolls and scallion-nut paste rolls.

I admit, the coconut macaroons I made for Solstice were subpar.  I have since fussed with the recipe to make a better version in time for Easter (and I took the time to dip them in chocolate…boo-yeah).

Coconut Macaroons

Modified from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar, 181-2.

3 ounces silken tofu

1/3 cup coconut oil, melted

2 tablespoons non-dairy milk (I used almond)

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup agave nectar

1 cup white OR brown rice flour

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut (big flake or 3 cups small flake)

1 cup slivered almonds

½ cup chocolate chips, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line two baking sheets with parchment.  In a large (very large) mixing bowl, whisk together flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt, coconut, and almonds.  In a blender, puree tofu, oil, non-dairy milk, and extracts.   Add wet to dry and mix well.  Dollop by tablespoon onto the baking sheets.  Bake 12-14 minutes or until firm.  

Cool on sheet for 5 minutes then move to rack to cool completely.  When cool, dip bottoms in chocolate and set on parchment to harden.

I also made a blueberry pie for dessert. 

Note to self: do not bake blueberry pie in Advantium (I think 425 degrees Fahrenheit broke the oven) or in a toaster oven (took for-frickin’-ever to brown).  Make it the day before.  Don’t trust your relatives in matters of oven space and temperature.

I seem to be re-living my senior year of high school.  This week I had the urge to listen to Marilyn Manson (I know, I know, negative Goth points for me), and I reached for Eat Me, Drink Me, which I listened to A LOT during senior year.  Post-thesis feels like post-AP tests.  The big work is out of the way, but I still have to write finals (and I just don’t want to do it!).  I've been spending waaay too much time on various subreddits, mostly looking at pictures of karma machines.

I celebrated handing in my thesis (a week early, if I may brag) with a  peanut butter and ricemallow fluff sandwich on Mexican mole bread (and colcannon).

Self-identified artist readers: what do you think about collaboration across media?  This question occurred to me as I’m collating thirteen images to include with the CDs of my thesis which I will distribute to my, uh, readership.  I thought it might be interesting and stimulating to write my next group of poems in conjunction with images or sound clips.

If anyone wants to read a copy of my thesis, "Write-Your-Own Scripture: The Role of Writing in Creative Recovery, and Trepanation (Poems)," with images, email me or leave a comment.