H.A. Larson's Blog, page 81

Oatonut Milk

Over the past few years, I've been moving more and more towards a vegan diet.  Although I haven't completely given up my carnivore ways, I do tend to eat more plant-based food than any other kind.  I love vegan food, not just because I feel better when I do, but because I love the challenge that vegan cooking & baking provide.  I've started delving into more labor-intensive vegan projects, just yesterday my extra-sharp vegan white cheddar cheese finished culturing and firming.  I have to say, it was mighty delicious for a vegan cheese which made me happy.  Cheese is one of the hardest things to give up for this fledgling vegan.  This is the case for most dairy products, milk included.  I was out of vegan milk the other day, and opted to make my own as I had purchased this awesome, large canning jar (6 cups+!).  It's made with oats and coconut, hence the oatonut name.  Here's how I did it.

 I added one cup of oats (the kind you use for oatmeal) and one cup of shaved, raw coconut to a food processor.  This recipe would actually work better with a high-powered blender, but alas, I do not have one.  Someday Vitamix, someday!   I digress.  Add two cups of water and whiz in the processor for one minute.  Using a strainer (see mine in the following pics) drain into a bowl as shown above.  You will have to press the oatonut pulp with a spoon to get as much moisture out as possible.  I then added the pulp and another cup of water back into the processor for another minute.  Repeat with the straining and pressing.  Then I added two cups of water, one cup at a time, through the pulp in the strainer and into the bowl.  This I did just to get any starchy milk goodness left behind.

 Don't throw away that pulp!  I saved it in this container and put it in the fridge.  You could add it to just about anything:  pancakes, muffins, or bread.  My husband's birthday was the next day so I added it to his chocolate cake batter.

 Now that milk has been made, it needs a further, finer straining.  Here you see my large Ball canning jar, my strainer, and a nice square of cheesecloth.

 I lined the strainer with the cheesecloth, then using a one-cup measure, I poured the milk through the strainer.  I found that the mouth of the jar wasn't wide enough, and I was making a mess so I tried this next step instead.

 I put the strainer over a pitcher instead.  Perfect!  You will have to change the cheesecloth a few times as it gets clogged quickly with the pulp.

When the milk was completely strained, I put it in my extra-large canning jar and added enough cold water to make six cups.  It was a good consistency for me at that point, and if you like your vegan milk sweetened you can add that in now.  I like my vegan milk unsweetened, particularly because I cook and bake with it as well as drinking, but maple syrup, stevia, or a touch of turbinado sugar would be nice.
There you have it!  It wasn't as hard as I expected it would be to make, and it tastes delicious!  Enjoy.

Downtown on a Sunny Afternoon

The weather has been absolutely gorgeous out this week, so the kids and I took a stroll the other day downtown.  Here are some photos that I took.

Beauty Bin #3 - The Last One!

 Here's the bin.  As you can see, it's changed!  That's because I bought a nice roller cart to put my beauty items and supplies into, with the exception of my makeup.  I'll save my makeup box for another day.

 Here are some shaving type items.  My shave gel that works great, and then a Mary Kay 2-in-1 item that is a shave soap/body wash.  It was a gift, and I've used it a couple of times.  I like it.  I can clean and shave while it keeps my legs smooth.  Do recommend!

 Some body powder, perfect for sticky days (I mean the humidity, get your mind out of the gutter!  ;)), and a couple of Dead Sea Essentials I picked up at Target awhile back.  The taller tube is tea tree lotion with is a refreshing lotion for the feet, but is nice on elbows and arms too.  The other is a mud mask with chamomile.  It works okay, but not that great.  It doesn't clean my pores as well it claims, but it does give my face a fresh feeling.  I have used most of the lotion, but not much of the mask.

 Garnier Damage Eraser hair mask.  This is for times when your hair needs some TLC.  It's a fairly new item in my collection, and I haven't used it yet.  To be continued!  The other is some cheap feminine wash that I picked up in a bargain bin.  I don't use this kind of product very often, but for the price I grabbed some.

 Here are the generic versions of Clearasil's face care products.  The AM Refreshing facial cleanser is one of my favorites.  I used it in the shower, and then follow up with either the oil-free astringent shown, or one of my alba pineapple enzyme wipes.  These are great for taking care of your face, and we know how important that is!  ;)

 My Aveeno body lotion!  Who can live without a proper body lotion?  Not this gal.  The next item is the Suave Moroccan Argan Oil body lotion spray.  I love their Moroccan Argan Oil line so thought I'd try it out.  I love the lotion spray!  A quick spritz, a quick rub in, and your skin is smooth for the rest of the day.  It's perfect for legs.  The last item here is, again a product from Suave's Moroccan Argan Oil line, some dry shampoo.  I can on occasion skip a shower, but I cannot skip a hair wash so dry shampoo is a must for days when you oversleep, or just aren't feeling a shower.

Bonus item.  Now that's I've organized my stuff, I have this in with all the other items.  It's a compartment for hair items.  I keep all my hair pins and ties in here, as well as my daughter's.  Keeps everything where I can find them.


So, there we have it!  All of the beauty bins have been accounted for.  I actually have some stray items that I need to add into my cart.  I will make another post about that another time.  Have a great day!

Beauty Bin #2

 The bin itself.  I took out the large powder so you can get a better look at it.  (The large powder is included at the end, so don't worry.)

 This is a collection of samples I got from a job I worked at a few years ago.  One of our neighbors was a whole body beauty place, and one day they came around to distribute these.  Score!  The top three are perfumes that I haven't used yet, and the others are a variety of skin care products.

 These should actually be in my nail collection, and now that this post is up I've put them there.  There's the Burt's Bees Cuticle Cream, love it!  After I trim my cuticles, it feels good to put that on.  The other item is Mary Kay's Satin Hands.  You put some on your dry hands, rub it in really well, and rinse.  There was originally a hand lotion and a night emollient hand salve included as part of the set, but I've long used those up!

 These are a variety of facial moisturizers.  The large white container is a homemade one from a dear friend who makes an all-natural, organic moisturizer.  It's wonderful, and works well without being oily (pesky T-zone for me).  It's my last container so I'll have to hit her up for more.  This one, and the alba one I showed you yesterday, are my favorites.  The smaller containers are samples I received as well.  I'm not as fond of them as they are oilier, but I keep them because I might need them.

 The small white container is colloidal silver salve (an antibiotic cream), and the other is triple antibiotic.  Must haves for a variety of uses.

 These are more of the aforementioned samples:  firming and anti-aging creams.  I haven't used these yet either because I haven't felt like I needed to.  I recently decided (ok, yesterday) that at my age, I should go ahead and try them out!

Last, but not least, is the Elizabeth Taylor Passion body powder I received as a birthday present from my son several years ago.  (Aww!)  It smells great and is a good body powder if you ever need one.  I barely have any left so I'm loathe to use the last bit as it was from my kiddo.


Ok, so that was beauty bin #2.  This project got started because I bought myself some better organization for all my beauty products and makeup!  I'll show you that stuff as well, but tomorrow will conclude with beauty bin #3!  #beauty #beautybins

As Promised, Beauty Bin #1!

 Here's beauty bin #1.  Sorry I didn't adjust the direction on it, but you still get a good view.
 These are my alba Bontanica products.  The cleansing wipes are fantastic!  They have pineapple enzyme, which can eat skin, so it's actually great for deep cleaning and removing dead skin.  I use them often, but you cannot use them on your eyes.  Great for days when I need to clean in a rush.  I also have their oil free moisturizer which I apply generously after a shower.  (I use a shower facial cleanser, but that's in beauty bin #3 so stay tuned for that.)  I tend to have the oily T-zone so I like using oil free or low oil moisturizers.
 Burt's Bees cucumber & sage facial wipes.  I love these, they remove makeup well and I can use them on my eyes.  They also clean a bit deeply, and feel very refreshing.  I use them sometimes after a hike or any other exercise just to freshen up.
 Feet and hand care.  There's my nail kit by Revlon (love and use a lot), and then my foot care trio:  clippers with a good grip cover, a must have, the Dr. Scholl's pedi egg which is great for getting callouses off the foot (a problem I've had since my manual labor job days), and after using the pedi egg I put on this cracked heel & hands salve.  It works beautifully.  I tend to soak my feet in epsom salt for awhile before I do the foot routine.
 My tweezer duo, what woman can be without tweezers?!  Then I have eye drops for tired mornings, a sample body wash I got with some shampoo, and then my deodorant.  I know some people look down on Suave, but their deodorant works great, and their hair care line has come a loooong way.
Pretty nail stuff!  Here are a some of my nail polishes, a top coat (opaque one), and, of course, polish remover.


So, that's the contents of beauty bin #1.  I will be doing beauty bin #2 tomorrow, so check back!  #beauty #beautybin #funstuff

Beauty Bins

Besides being a writer, I love to travel, cook & bake, and I am all about makeup & beauty.  These are my beauty bins.  This week I will break each one down and discuss it's contents.   Stay tuned!

View of the Atlantic from the Burren.

Plot Layering

This last fall, I had a chance to watch "House of Cards" on Netflix, and I've been hooked ever since.  For those of you who haven't seen the show, it centers on it's main character, Frank Underwood, who, at the beginning of the series, is the Democratic House Majority Whip.  He helped President Walker get into office, who had promised Frank the Secretary of State position for his help, but then screws him over when he makes it into office.  This, of course, doesn't sit well with Frank Underwood who is revealed quickly to a man whose bad side you do not want to be on.  From that moment on, Frank is on a mission to make the President pay for his mistake all while still bloodily clawing his way up the ladder.
It's everything I love in a good dramatic story:  intrigue, dynamic dialogue, fascinating characters, and a touch of evil.  What stands out most, however, is the complexity of the plot line.  There are a lot of things going on that require the writer to have done extensive research.  On top of that, the plot layering that goes on in the series can only be successfully pulled off by some of the best.
In print form, one of my favorite authors is Stieg Larsson (R.I.P.).  Why?  Same reason.  His books are filled with a tapestry of fascinating plots upon plots that are believable, fantastically well-written, and suck you right in to the story.  It's a gift that not many people can pull off.  Writing a plot with some sub=plots is normal, but to put the level of complexity within that occur in "House of Cards" and the Millennium Trilogy is difficult and deserves accolades for doing it well.

Teaser Time: Excerpt from "The Melody"

Good morning!  With about a month to go before my second book "The Melody" is published, I thought it would a good time to give everyone a teaser.  Enjoy!  (The following work is copyright 2015 by H.A. Larson and is the sole property of H.A. Larson author.)


"Jessie opened the front door with a sense of déjà vu.  She turned to look at her mother, her face softer this time.  “Just when are you in the mood mom?”
Lisa softened on hearing Jessie call her 'mom,' just like Tom had cringed when she had called him 'dad' instead of her usual 'daddy.'  Jessie hadn’t referred to her as anything except 'mother' in the last five years.  “I don’t know,” she answered her daughter honestly.“Bye mom,” Jessie said softly as she turned to walk down the front steps towards Matt’s waiting car.“Bye Jessie,” Lisa responded in kind before adding, “Be careful.”“I will,” Jessie answered without looking back.  Now it’s was Lisa’s turn for déjà vu.  Again, she watched through the window as her daughter drove off with the mystery boy.  When they were out of sight, she turned to go back to what she had been doing previously.Standing on the stairway staring at her was her middle child, Joey.  “Fighting with Jessie like usual?” he asked her.She sighed and told him, “No Joey, we weren’t fighting.”            “What would you call it then?”             “We were having a disagreement.”            “That’s just another way of saying you were fighting.”            “Ok, I give up.  You’re right Joey.  You’re always right aren’t you?”            “Are you going to argue with me too?”            “Don’t start!” Lisa scolded him.            “Whatever,” he answered while holding her gaze.            “You’re just like your sister,” she chided him.            “Ever think maybe you’re the one with the problem?” he boldly asked her.            Flabbergasted by his biting words, all she could do was stand there with her mouth open.  Knowing he hit a nerve, he turned and walked back upstairs to the solitude of his bedroom.              “Like father, like son,” she muttered under her breath.  Both Tom and Joey spent most of their time hiding out in their preferred spaces.  Even Jake, who was almost ready to drive alone, was spending more and more time in his room and away from the common areas.  It just contributed to the feelings of being alone that she had experienced for many years.            She hadn’t always felt alone.  She used to have Christie.Growing up, she had always had plenty of friends, but none that she considered a best friend.  That all changed during the summer between third and fourth grades, when Christie Anderson had moved into the vacant house next door.  It used to be the home of the Meyer family whose children were long gone when Lisa’s family moved into the sleepy ranch to their left.  Mr. Meyer passed away at age seventy-nine, and Mrs. Meyer followed five years later.  Their old two-story Victorian sat empty for a year until the Andersons bought it.They were from Pennsylvania originally, but had moved to Clayton when Christie’s dad, Mike, had accepted a promotion from Central Railroad.  Central Railroad’s corporate office was in Clayton, and the railroad itself had contributed to the growth of Clayton.  It was the reason Clayton hadn’t withered into a ghost town by now.Christie was the same age as Lisa, and they had hit it off right away.  Christie really understood Lisa, Lisa really understood Christie, and they loved all the same things.  By the end of the summer they were best friends.  They grew up together in their neighboring houses on the quaint and quiet street of Choke Cherry Lane.  They had many slumber parties, and went on vacations with each other’s families.  They had shared all their hopes, all their dreams, and, like best friends do, they had also kept each other’s secrets.  Then the summer after they graduated high school, right after Lisa found out she was pregnant, Christie disappeared.  Lisa was devastated by the inexplicable loss of her closest, dearest friend that, to this day, she never really had another friend period.  She didn’t want another friend, she wanted Christie back, but she knew in her heart that Christie was probably long dead. She had never been the same since that summer, and she realized the truth: that she was angry and bitter because of it.  This led her to be the aloof, icy person she was today.  She thought of how much different she would probably be now if her friend were still alive.  She hung her head in sadness as a lone tear fell from her eyes and landed on the floor.  It was the first time she had cried in years, so she let the salty water flow down her face as she got down to sit cross-legged on the floor.  Alone in the corner, forever alone while her family kept their usual distance, her body heaved with sobs that were a long overdue.  Off in the distance, the sky darkened.  A lone shot of thunder cracked through the sky, rumbled throughout the house, and masked the sounds of heartache."

Hoping for a Productive Day!

Good morning friends and fans!

It's been a really busy few weeks!  I know I've said that before, but my outside job has been taking up a good chunk of my time.  After my seasonal job ended, I picked up a part-time position at a new business that was planning for a mid-February opening.  Of course, knowing how construction issues go, they haven't been able to open as scheduled, but we're near the end, and as a result, we've been putting in many many hours getting everything clean and staged.  My whole body hurts today from all the physical labor, which I admit I'm just not used to, and so I'm happy to have the next couple of days off to get much-needed things done around here & give my body a rest.

Today, I definitely need to put in some extra time getting some writing done while I babyshit the maintenence man, hired by my landlord, to put new doors on the house.  I also have to make a run to the bank, the store, and get a haircut for my son.

Things are going well, albeit slower than anticipated, on my forthcoming book "The Melody."  I have decided to publish a new book every quarter, so I have until the end of March to get this one out before I start on my next book, which I have already titled "The Station."  In between those, I have a book of darker poetry coming out, so be looking for that sometime in April.

I'm all relaxed at home now, I've made myself a delicious vegan breakfast scramble (another downfall to working so much is eating crap food), and a nice cup of tea.  I've got most of my social media stuff done for the day, so after I eat I'm going to tackle another chapter.  Have a wonderful day!

Sincerely,

H.A. Larson