I Am Not...a Challenge

A few days ago, I found a MySpace survey I took when I was in high school, one of those series of questions designed to tell your followers/friends/lurkers a little about you.  Five years later, it made for a good laugh.  I had answered some questions as a real person and some as a vampire.

Following that, I read Heather’s similar survey in October and decided I would like to add it on my blog, too, but with a twist (a turn of the screw, since we must be Gawwwwth).

Rules from Misifusa,

http://misifusa.wordpress.com/2012/10/18/i-am-a-challenge/

Why not issue a challenge to us all ~

 A sort of chain letter blog posting to just tell us 10 random things about yourself!

Here are the rules in case this takes off (which I’m praying it will!)

1. Write 5-10 random things about yourself…try to use I AM

2.  Ping/tag whatever it’s called back to this post (or give your url below)

so that we know you are doing it!

3.  Try to keep it going so that we can learn more about our community ~ and expand it!

4.  Let me know what you think of this!

xo

Misconceptions about Q, Real and Imaginary

1. I am not female.

I am genderqueer, specifically androgynous (neither male nor female).  My preferred gender pronouns are ze/hir instead of she/her.

2. I am not the child of Lady Aelfwynn and Scott McD.  

In a parallel universe or a past life.  Aelfwynn very kindly invites me to attend various sci-fi/fantasy/gaming/steampunk gatherings with her family.

3. I am not Jewish.

I’m Italian-American, a "spiritual being in a material world," and I have a certificate in Judaic studies.  I used to eat lunch and supper at Princeton University’s Center for Jewish life because the vegetarian option was usually tasty and the people, always friendly.

4. I am not judging what you eat (and by extension, you).

What you put in your mouth is your business.  Besides, it’s what comes out of it that’s more important.

5. I am not planning my wedding or picking children’s names, despite my love of domestic work.

I am an aromantic asexual.  Romance has not appealed to me as far as I can remember (and I can remember from my second birthday forward).  If I had live cat-children, I would name them Xanatos James and Ramona.  

6. I am not Stephanie.

Who?  I haven’t responded to that name since 2008 when I began going only by Q at school and at home. My name is Q.

7. I am not lacking the upper-body strengths.

My student job for two years involved lifting 35-lb boxes above my head daily.  I lift weights three times a week.  Let me move that box for you.

The following cookie-cake-bars are *not* my Nana’s desserts.  My family-that-I-chose agreed we should change the name from “Nana’s Creole Pecan Cake Bars” to “Q’s Voodoo Bars.”

Q’s Voodoo Bars

Inspired by Nana’s Creole Pecan Cake Bars, http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/pecan_cake_bars.html

2 cups raw pecans

1 cup dates

1 cup hot water (to soak the dates)

2 teaspoons chia seeds

1/2 cup hot water

1/3 cup teff flour

1/3 cup sorghum flour

2/3 cup brown rice flour

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

3/4 cup pumpkin puree

1 cup raisins

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Toast the pecans on a piece of foil in the preheating oven for about 8 minutes, or until fragrant.  Remove and set aside to cool. Line a 9*13-inch baking sheet with parchment and grease the parchment paper.

In a small bowl, pour the hot water on the dates and set aside.  In a small measuring cup, combine the chia seeds and the half-cup of water and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, xanthan gum, spices, salt, and baking soda.  Take one cup of toasted pecans and blitz them in a blender or food processor until powdery (less than 20 seconds since they will become nut butter quickly).  Add the pecan flour to the other flours.

Drain the dates (use the water for a smoothie!).  Pulse the dates, chia mixture, maple syrup, coconut oil, and pumpkin in a food processor or blender until smooth (no date chunks remaining, unless you like it that way).  In three additions, pour the wet ingredients on top of the dry ingredients and mix well.  Fold in the raisins and crumble in the rest of the pecans.  Transfer the batter to the pan and smooth to the edges.  Bake for 35-40 minutes or until it springs back when touched in the centre and it passes the toothpick test.  Cool in the pan for 15 minutes before lifting the bars out with the parchment and cooling completely on a rack.  Slice when completely cool.

It was very nice to cut the bars into proper 24ths since I was bringing half of these to a tailgate and half to a gaming day.  The coconut oil makes a pleasant tropical background note (and shredded coconut would be very tasty in these, too!).  Throughout the week leading up to Thanksgiving, I ate these as hearty desserts and snacks through my travels up and down the East Coast.  Since they contain no refined sugar, I would serve these bars for breakfast, too.  A little healthy holiday magic!