Make Your Veggie Broth, and Eat It Too

Today I have the most wonderful smell in my house. 

Carrots and garlic,
    tomatoes and thyme,
    all dancing together
    to make something fine!

(like my little attempt at kitchen poetry?)

I used to just leave vegetable broth out of recipes for the sake of time (and in my thinking, sanity). Instead, I would use plain water. I didn't know what I was missing until I finally worked up the courage to try to make some from-scratch vegetable broth.

It is so worth it. And it actually doesn't take as much work as I thought it would!

I do sometimes opt for a low-sodium vegetable bouillon cube (found at the Dekalb Farmer's Market) in some dishes, or when I'm in a huge hurry, but with the Lentil Bolognese recipe (below), the ingredients for vegetable broth are already on your counter. This makes a great opportunity to go for the real thing, and make this dish extra delicious.

Ingredients for Homemade Veggie Broth:

Carrot ends
Celery chunks (can be bits of stem, leaves and root)
Onion ends and skins
Tomato ends
Some salt, and a bit of the herbs you will be using in the dish

Because I usually just cook for myself, I often don't have enough scraps for making a pint or two of veggie broth. So, I keep collecting my scraps in a plastic bag in my freezer, and then use them all when I make a dish that calls for vegetable broth. The three main vegetables that you need for veggie broth are carrots, onions, and celery. Other veggies can be added in, but the majority should be the Big 3. 

Use your Homemade Veggie Broth to make the following recipe from BBC's Eat Well for Less.

Puy Lentil Bolognese 

This sauce is great over pasta or with mashed potatoes

Ingredients:
2 tsp olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
2 stems celery, chopped
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, or 1 tsp dried thyme
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tbsp tomato puree
500 g/1 lb 2 oz Puy lentils (or any brownish-green lentils), rinsed and drained
1 x 400g tin tomatoes (or about 3-4 diced tomatoes)
2.5 pints Homemade Veggie Broth
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (optional)
salt and pepper, to taste
Pasta or mashed potatoes to top the sauce or add as a side

Heat a large pot until hot. Add the olive oil, onions, carrots and celery and cook them over medium heat for 5 minutes. You can put a lid on to keep the moisture in so that they just soften.

Add the thyme and garlic and cook for another minute, then add the tomato puree and turn the heat up. Stir well so that the tomato puree goes all through the vegetables and then add the lentils and mix once more.

Stir in the tomatoes (tinned or fresh diced) and the vegetable stock, stir well, and bring to a boil. Then, turn the heat down and simmer until the lentils are tender and the sauce has slightly reduced. Add the balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.

Enjoy!

This is what was on my table tonight, and it was delicious and super warming on such a cold night. Let me know in the comments if you have other vegan recipes that you enjoy.

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Vegan Flies {Air France}

Did you know that Air France offers amazing vegan meals??!!

I flew with Air France over Christmas this year, and on my long-haul flights (~ 8 hours), I was given the option under my reservation to choose a "special meal" for free.

This ranged from vegetarian (ovo-lacto) to gluten-free, and then there was the one I wanted: Vegetarian (egg and dairy free). 

Unfortunately, I had to pick through the short-flight breakfasts to make a vegan meal, but the dinners were superb. They even gave me vegan butter! I slathered that stuff alllllll over my bread in happiness.

One of my dinners, featuring a couscous salad, lentil salad, a BROWNIE, applesauce, bread and vegan butter, and water. I ate absolutely every bite of this meal.

One snack I received was a vegetable pizza pocket, and another dinner even had a quinoa salad. Talk about an amazing experience with airplane food!

Other bonus - I got my meal before everyone else on the flight!
The stewards confirmed my meal choice with me when I got onto the plane, and they brought me my special meal before serving other guests. So, if you want to eat early, choosing a vegetarian meal is the way to go.

Have you flown other airlines and received great vegan food? Let me know in the comments.

Vegan Drinks {Starbucks}

Oh no, can I go to Starbucks anymore?!

Soy milk latte in Turkey. @faithful_nomad

This was one of my first reactions after deciding that I was going to eat a vegan diet. Starbucks is one of those places that is always the same wherever I go - a comfort blanket, if you will. When I need a place to chill or meet friends, I usually pick Starbucks. I know the menu like the back of my hand, I have the rewards card for both the US and Turkey, and I can always rely on some decent internet if I need to do work there. The hum of pleasant music and conversations and that beepy sound the espresso machine makes gives me a sense of normal.

Plus, after visiting Starbucks, I smell like coffee for the rest of the day.
And that is quite perfect with me.

I <3 using my Starbucks mugs at home. This one brightens my morning! @faithful_nomad 

I quickly found with great joy that I can indeed still drink some of my favorites at Starbucks! Here's some of the scoop from my research:

~ One of my favorite coffee drinks is a Caffe Latte. This is a very easy drink to switch to vegan in both the US and Turkey. In the US, just ask your barista to use almond milk, coconut milk, or soy milk instead of cow's milk. In Turkey, there is soy milk available. The soy milk is actually a bit vanilla-tasting, and I really like that in my latte.

Surviving Analytical Chemistry with a mocha in hand. @faithful_nomad

~ Now Caffe Mochas are another one of my favorites for days when I need that chocolate kick. To make these vegan, simply ask for a plant-based milk as with the caffe latte, and ask for no whipped cream (sorry honey, can't fix that one unless Starbucks starts offering vegan whipped cream  - see below. Just remember, you are doing it for the planet).


~If you want the Chile Mocha, unfortunately the Chili Mocha Powder contains natural flavors that have milk derivatives. If you ask for a normal caffe mocha with the spiced mocha topping, that's technically the Chile Mocha just without the Chili Mocha Powder.

~ As far as I can tell, subbing the soy milk for cow milk in the Gingerbread Latte will make it vegan. Yeeees!

~ All the teas at Starbucks are great. I especially love the mint, which is one of my go-tos after landing from a long flight in the morning.

~ Hot Chocolate & Peppermint Hot Chocolate can both be vegan if you ask for plant-milk and no whipped cream.

~ Starbucks Refreshers do not contain any obvious animal products, so those are vegan-friendly in my books! Can't wait to enjoy a Berry Hibiscus Refresher this summer. Yum!

Summer days with L.M. Montgomery and Berry Hibiscus Refresher. @faithful_nomad

~ Make sure to ask for no whipped cream. If you want Starbucks to start offering a vegan-friendly whipped cream, write them an email by clicking here or favorite/thumbs-up/comment on my request here. I sent an email to Starbucks about this, and also asked for them to add an indicator to the menu for vegan-friendly products. A wonderful customer service rep named Shannon B. emailed me back within 24 hours and said that her daughter is also vegan! She pointed me to the My Starbucks Idea site, where I posted my request for vegan whipped cream. Evidently, others agree. If Starbucks realizes that there are a lot of customers who would benefit from vegan whipped cream, they should add it to the menu.

What is your favorite vegan Starbucks drink? 

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Vegan Eats {Breakfast}

I love breakfast. You probably know this if you read "If You Give a Blog a Breakfast". Here in Turkey, I've learned to have a new appreciation for this meal, and how lingering over a table for hours with friends can really be an amazing way to build rich friendships.

Now with my vegan diet, I've been passionately trying to find ways to preserve my breakfast favorites, as well as add to my arsenal of easy recipes, all without using animal products. Recently I've been hosting a lot of breakfast gatherings for my friends at my house, and I've been putting these recipes to the test. They have come out on top! Here are the favorites so far, and I'll be adding more as I find them.

{Vegan Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips} (Click for printable file)

My first time making this recipe, and I was experimenting with the chocolate chip addition. It was devoured quite quickly after this photo was taken.

This recipe includes brewed coffee, chocolate chips, and chia seeds! So good and so healthy! I found this recipe on the Sugar and Cinnamon food blog. I did the vegan version of this and also used the ingredients most readily-available to me here in Turkey.

Ingredients:

2 smashed-up bananas (remember, banana bread is a great way to use brown bananas! The bananas in my house never last that long, though...)
1/3 cup brewed black coffee (as in, the liquid, not the coffee grounds!)
3 tablespoons chia seeds mixed with 6 tablespoons of water (this subs the eggs)
1/2 cup olive oil 
1/2 cup brown sugar (or maple syrup if you want)
1 cup of white flour
1 cup of wholewheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
vegan chocolate chips (check the packaging to make sure there are no milk products!) - optional

So, you pre-heat your oven to 350F (180C). Put a large piece of parchment paper in your loaf pan to line it (no messy clean-up or worrying that it stuck!). Beat together your olive oil and sugar, then slowly add in your chia seed-water mixture and mix. Mix in your mashed bananas and coffee really well. 

In a separate bowl, mix or sift your flours and the rest of the dry ingredients (except chocolate chips). Then fold into the liquids bowl and keep folding until well-combined. Pour into the loaf pan and sprinkle chocolate chips on top (if you wish). Bake for about 35 minutes, or until a knife stuck into it comes out clean. The original recipe says it serves 8-12...we had 4 of us at breakfast and we devoured it. As in, only a half-slice left behind. A win in my books.

{Vegan Pancakes}

I found this easy recipe for pancakes from the blog Cookie and Kate. I really like the recipe because it uses things that I already have around my house, and all the ingredients are available in Turkey. I haven't been able to find things like coconut oil and vegan butter here, so I can't use recipes that need those just yet. This recipe is easy and I've made it twice so far for friends. My skillet skills are not that great (every other pancake was quite toasty or a bit under-done), but they were a hit both times anyway! I topped them with {baked apples} - recipe also in this post. 

For vegan pancakes you need - 

1 cup of whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup plant milk (I have used soy milk, almond milk, and a blend of both)
2 tablespoons olive oil or melted coconut oil
2 tablespoons maple syrup or sugar of choice (I just use regular white sugar)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (make your own with some vodka, a vanilla bean, and a few weeks of waiting!)
A bit of oil if you need to grease your skillet, but I used a no-stick skillet so I just used a tiny touch of sunflower oil on the pan

#1 - Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, mix together the plant milk, olive oil, the sugar/maple syrup, and vanilla extract.
#2 - Pour the liquid mixture into the bowl with the dry mixture and stir until combined (leave only a few lumps, you don't want to over-mix as well). Let batter sit for 5 minutes.
#3 - Heat your pan up until a drop of water sizzles on contact with the surface. Drop on enough batter to make a pancake about the size of your palm. Wait until the 1/2-inch perimeter doesn't look glossy and there are a few small bubbles forming on the surface - this is when you flip. Don't worry if it takes a few times to get this right. My pancakes are always a mix of under-done and over-done. Just remind yourself that there are no eggs in this batter, so no worries about making your guests ill! You can even eat the batter out of the bowl if you want :)
#4 - Enjoy! Top with maple syrup, blueberries, peanut butter, or baked apples.

{Baked Apples} 

These are super easy to make and taste great on top of pancakes and waffles. 

Ingredients:
- Chopped apples
- A few dashes of water
- A good bit of sugar

Throw all ingredients into a small pot and put on the stove, stirring often. I think I usually end up adding 4 TBSP of sugar per 3-4 apples, but you can sweeten to your own taste. Once they are good and soft, serve warm. Delish!

{Warm Oats and Quinoa}

I literally eat this every day. Yes, every day. The boost of protein-rich quinoa and chia seeds, fiber-rich oats, and the warmth of plant milk and cinnamon are a great start to my morning. You might also remember this recipe from "If You Give a Blog a Breakfast." This recipe originally comes from the cookbook The 10 Things You Need to Eat: And More Than 100 Easy and Delicious Ways to Prepare Them. The only difference from the original recipe is that I always use plant milk, and I omit the honey (which doesn't change the flavor at all). 

For a single-serving (I whip it up each morning in a tiny saucepan), you will need:
- about 3/4 cup plant milk (if you want to make your plant milk stretch, use 1/2 cup plant milk + 1/4 cup water)
- a few dashes of ground cinnamon
- 2 large spoons of COOKED quinoa (I cook up a good bit each Sunday and use some each day)
- 1/2 cup of quick oats (Yulaf ezmesi in Turkey)
- a sprinkle of chia seeds
- optional: 1/4 cup of chopped apples (if adding apples, put a tiny bit more milk/water into the pot)

How-to:

- Put your pot on the stove with the plant milk and cinnamon. Let it heat up until it starts to bubble. If making this an apple cinnamon oatmeal, put your apples in and stir - let sit for a minute or so. Then, add the cooked quinoa, oats, and chia seeds. Stir and let it start to bubble. Turn heat onto low and let it sit for a few more minutes. I'm an impatient cook, so as soon as the oats appear soft I take it off the stove and eat it. The longer you let it sit, the thicker it will become. Enjoy this morning boost!

{Vegan Additions to the Breakfast Table} 

Maybe it's the Turk coming out in me, but I like to have the breakfast table covered in a variety of things. Here are some options that I like. 

~ Bowl of walnuts (feed those brains)
~ fruit platter of cut bananas, pears, apples, and berries
~ clementines/mandolinas/"cuties"/oranges and orange juice to boost that vitamin C


{Make sure that milky coffee is vegan too!} 

Almond milk and rice milk both taste delicious in coffee. I don't take my coffee black, and these both have been great to use instead of cow's milk.

Make sure to share this post with your fellow breakfast-lovers! 

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Here's a cookbook that I'm hoping to get my hands on soon! 

I did it.

I actually did it.

I've been saying for a long time, "Oh, I wish I could be vegan, but...cheese is so good...yogurt goes well with everything...but I love scrambled eggs..."

Sure, I've been vegetarian for over a year now, and that's something that I also said I never thought I could completely do. Pretty much because of bacon.

God seems to have a way of showing me that I can do what I say I can't. 

I read this book called Green Illusions: The Dirty Secrets of Clean Energy and the Future of Environmentalism (Our Sustainable Future) in June 2015 that started my life as a vegetarian. I had never read before that animal agriculture (the raising of animals to eat and to use their products) produces MORE greenhouse gases than the ENTIRE transportation industry.

That's trains, buses, cars, segways, airplanes...combined. Globally.


Click image to check it out!

Green Illusions encouraged eating no or less meat to better the environment.

So I decided to put my mouth where my words were. I'm very passionate about being a good steward of God's beautiful creation. So, I stopped eating meat that day.

And yes, I've had some cheat days, and days where I went to people's houses and they cooked meat without knowing I was a vegetarian, so I ate it. I'm not that legalistic. And I know it tastes good, don't get me wrong.

But with my knowledge now of what it does to the environment, I'm choosing God's creation over my appetite. And...it tastes good.

Fast-forward to November 2016. I decided to watch a documentary instead of a film one Sunday, and turned on Cowspiracy (available on Netflix). That did it. No going back.

I hadn't realized that all dairy cows, and all dairy cow's babies, turn into hamburger. No exceptions.

And that the raising of cows accounts for 1 soccer field-worth of the rainforest being cut down. EVERY SECOND.

That blows my mind. That is 1 whole soccer field-worth of the most diverse organisms that God has created being killed every second. How can I stand by and say that that doesn't matter to me? As a believer in the Bible and what it says about our role as stewards of the Earth, I can't stand by.

"You can't be an environmentalist and eat animal products. Period."

That's what one guy said on Cowspiracy. And it hit me hard.

That did it. I started researching ways to eat vegan. I started sharing with my friends so they would understand my food choices. I started reading labels. Man, the dairy industry has tip-toed their way into absolutely every part of our lives. You don't realize it until you go vegan. So, I started buying plant-based milk (thank you, Alpro, for providing almond, rice, coconut, hazelnut, oat, and soy milk to Turkey!).

@faithful_nomad

I started looking up vegan recipes, and figuring out ways to change some of my favorites to vegan-friendly. And, I've learned that eating vegan is actually really tasty. It's also better for my body, according to another documentary, Forks over Knives (also available on Netflix).


Click image to watch on Amazon.

Yes, it can be hard sometimes. Living in a world that is so consumed by animal agriculture can feel very stifling. It makes me realize how little these companies care about our health, and how much they care about their wallet. But, it is do-able.

I'm going to be posting a series of blog posts with my favorite recipes that I have found.

Vegan Eats {Breakfast} 
Vegan Drinks {Starbucks}
Make Your Veggie Broth, and Eat it Too
The Best Vegan Cookies EVAH!

I'm a really simple cook, I don't like complicated at all. So these recipes I have found are bare-minimum, easy peasy. I hope that you will try them, vegan you or non-vegan you. And that you will realize that by choosing to eat without animal products, you are indeed caring for the Earth and everyone that lives on it.

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies. @faithful_nomad

Cheers.

- K

If you give a blog a breakfast...

Saturday mornings. 
Seriously one of my favorite parts of the week. 
Especially since I have lots of relaxing time to make and enjoy breakfast and coffee! 

But really, when I go to bed on Friday night it is more than likely that I am already thinking about what I'm going to wake up and concoct in my kitchen the next morning. 

Breakfast is my favorite meal. 

There is just something about all the different ways to enjoy the beginning of your day that excites me.  Nowadays, since I have transitioned from flexible-scheduled student to early-rising career lady, it is really important to me to have a healthy, yummy meal in the mornings. I always wake up starving, so I love quick options that are easy to do in single-servings.Something that I can make on weekdays, and not just Saturday mornings when I have more time. And coffee. Yes, coffee is very important too.

If you are like me, these recipes below will be the halo to the wee hours of your morning. Or those later-than-usual breakfasts that pour into lunch on the weekends. Either way, try them, make variations on them, or comment below with your additions. Read to the bottom to see my all-important picks for coffee as well. 


{Creamy Breakfast Oats and Quinoa}

Now seriously, you are wondering what breakfast and quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) are doing in the same sentence. Quinoa is one of the best foods that you can give your body. Eating it on a regular basis is a sure way to improve your health. It's mineral, fiber, and protein content is off the charts. If you are a vegetarian like me, this is even more likely to catch your attention. I discovered this recipe a few weeks ago in my favorite-in-all-the-world cookbook -

 

It calls for cooked quinoa, which you make by cooking 1 part quinoa to 1.25 parts water, just like rice. Simmer on low for 20-25 minutes, and after it is dry and light you fluff it with a fork and let it sit for a few minutes before using in a recipe. I like to make 1 cup of quinoa (which makes a huge amount of cooked quinoa) and put it in my fridge, so that I can make this breakfast super fast every day. 

Recipe serves 2

1.5 cups milk, soy milk, or rice milk
1 TBSP honey
0.25 tsp ground cinnamon (or a generous sprinkling if you are like me)
pinch of salt
0.5 cup cooked quinoa
0.75 cup whole oats

In a small saucepan, bring the milk, honey, cinnamon, and salt to a simmer over medium heat. Add the quinoa and oats, cover, and cook until the mixture is thick and creamy and the oats are tender, 7-10 minutes. 

This is a great way to add quinoa to your day and reap the many benefits of this special seed.

{Super Easy From-Scratch Pancakes}

When I was in elementary school, I loved the Boxcar Children books (actually, I still do). Their independence and go-for-it spirit inspired me. This cookbook, The Boxcar Children Cookbook by Diane Blain has great recipes for things the kids made in the books. My favorite is their pancake recipe. 

Recipe for 3-4 pancakes

1 cup flour
1 TBSP sugar
0.75 cup milk
2 TBSP oil (like canola or sunflower)
1 TBSP baking powder
1 egg

Combine dry ingredients and then add the wet ingredients. Cook in a non-stick pan with a nice layer of oil in the bottom on low-medium heat.  Whips up in minutes. 

{Like-Your-Mama's Biscuits}

My Mom makes these biscuits from a cut-out recipe from an old magazine. They are absolutely delicious, and I personally love to drench them in honey and eat alongside scrambled eggs. These are also very easy to whip-up quickly in the mornings, or make them the night before and stick in the fridge.

Recipe for 4 biscuits

1 cup all-purpose flour
2.5 tsp baking powder
1 tsp sugar
0.5 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
0.25 cups oil (canola or vegetable)
0.5 cup milk

Mix your dry ingredients. Then, mix in oil. After, mix in milk. Use flour on hands to form dough balls that are the size of your palm. Place on oiled pan or parchment paper and gently press down to make a biscuit shape. Bake at 450 degrees F until golden brown on top.

{Turkish Breakfast}

It would be absolutely criminal of me to not mention the specialty of my current country. Turkish breakfast is amazing and begs to be savored with friends for hours on end. Here are the essentials.

Boiled egg
Bread (Italian bread or baguette would be my choice if you aren't in Turkey)
Olives (both black and green, and definitely with pits)
Cheese (both creamy ones, like kaşar or mozzarella, as well as crumbly ones like beyaz peynir or feta)
Cucumbers
Tomatoes
georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Variety of fruit jams
Nutella

And here for your viewing delight, a variation of Buzzfeed's "What Does the World Eat for Breakfast?" video (watch until the end for full appreciation). 

My Coffee Choices

Coffee is a staple. This morning, I am drinking Southern Pecan Cream coffee from Coffee Haus (if you live in Turkey, this is a great option). When I'm craving a more smoky taste, their Sumatra is also an amazing choice. When I'm States-side, I love Trader Joe's Fair Trade coffees, as well as any of the choices from the Dekalb Farmer's Market. When in Chattanooga, Rembrandt's Coffee is the bomb dot com. 

If you liked this post, here's what you need to do! 1) Go to the right-side and follow by email. 2) Share this post on your Facebook page so that others can enjoy a lovely breakfast. 3) Go follow me on Instagram at @faithful_nomad to stay up-to-date with my adventures. 

Later this week is my 1 year anniversary in Istanbul! Be on the look-out for my special anniversary post, all about this past year and the things that have happened. 

Afiyet olsun ~ Bon appetite ~ Enjoy

The Best Vegan Cookies E-V-A-H!

Hey guys :) Happy Sunday! Today I'm enjoying the peace and calm by doing some baking with my Mom. Have you ever made vegan cookies? Because this recipe is going to knock your socks off!

This recipe was featured in the November/December 2011 "All Animals" Humane Society magazine. We used to receive the Humane Society magazines from our good friend, Rose, who passed away this past spring. We thought of her as we made these, and we look forward to continuing to share the fruits of our kitchen with friends and family just as she did with us. 

This recipe is originally from Vegan Family Meals, Real Food for Everyone by Ann Gentry. One of the great things about this recipe is that you can always eat the batter! Yep, vegan means no eggs, so when you bake these with kids it is a real treat to let them eat away as you prepare the cookies (and, let's be real, I love to eat healthy cookie dough too). 

Now, before I give you the recipe and pics, I do have to give a shout-out to my dear friend, Charity, who I almost accidentally sent to the hospital with this treat. You see, Charity has a nut allergy. And, blonde as I am, I always seem to think of peanuts when I think of nuts, and I forget that almonds are just as bad for her. So, one weekend when we were roommates in Atlanta, I offered her one of these cookies. She was like, "Are there nuts, Kaelin?" and I was totally chill about telling her that they were fine...until she was about to put it in her mouth and I suddenly remembered that they are CHOCKED FULL OF ALMONDS. I remember a flurry of yelling for her not to eat it, grabbing it out of her hand, and thanking God that He had kept me from committing an enormous blunder and risking her life. Charity - thank you for laughing it off and forgiving me :D Everyone else - make sure there aren't any nut allergies before serving these treats.

Making the dough (and eating some too).

Creating the cookie balls with an indention for the Rasberry Jam.

Adding the yummy centers.

Pre-baking...

After baking! 

Almond-Jam Thumbprint Cookies

Ingredients: 

2 1/2 cups raw whole almonds (we actually purchase almond flour at the Farmer's Market and forgo the process of blending these almonds into a flour)

1 1/2 cups oat flour

1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour or barley flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 cup pure maple syrup

1/4 cup apple juice

1/4 cup neutral cooking oil (such as canola, grapeseed, safflower, or sunflower...we use canola)

2 teaspoons almond extract

About 3/4 cup raspberry preserves, apricot preserves, or apple butter

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line two heavy baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. If you have the raw whole almonds, pulse the almonds in food processor until they form a fine flour with some small speckles of nuts still visible. Leave some small bits of the almonds for a nice crunchy texture.

3. Stir the ground almonds, oat flour, pastry flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk the maple syrup, apple juice, oil, and almond extract in a medium bowl. Stir the wet ingredients into the flour mixture until blended. (At this point, we add a little bit more whole-wheat flour to combat the stickiness of the batter. We don't want it dry, but just a good texture for handling).

4. Make 1-inch balls of the dough using a teaspoon and place them 1-inch apart on the cookie sheet. Make an indention in the center of the cookie. 

5. Either spoon the preserves into the indention (with them mounding just above the level of the cookie as they will melt down a bit while baking), or put into a pastry bag and pipe into the cookies.

6. Bake the cookies until they puff and become pale golden on the top and bottom, about 25 minutes. Transfer the baking sheets to cooling racks and let cool.Cookies will keep for two days, stored in an airtight container at room temperature (our family sticks the cookies in the fridge). You can also save your parchment paper from your cookie sheets and use them between your layers of cookies in the storage container. Enjoy!

For more recipes like this one, go to humanesociety.org/recipes.

Also, let it be known that my family can't talk about anything vegan without quoting Kelly MacDonald's character, Katie, in the movie Decoy Bride: "I've gone vegan...man vegan" (*in a Scottish accent, no less*). Promptly puts us in a fit of giggles every time.

Turkey Day in Turkey & the Start of Christmas

This past week I celebrated Thanksgiving with so many great friends that we had not one, but two Thanksgiving celebrations!

First Thanksgiving Celebration...and yes, that 7-Layer Salad in the top left corner has BACON ON IT!

We had turkey, which actually isn't a very common food in Turkey believe it or not, and all the other Thanksgiving favorites (and yes, I must mention again, there was bacon...my first pork in 3 months!).

We have a lot we are thankful for...

These include, but are not limited to: Turkey in Turkey, "everyone I met here, especially HIM",  music, family and friends, wassel (long story), celebrations, 7 Wonders (I think in reference to the board game..), BACON, a warm home, pumpkin, and "not falling far from the tree"(the little red leaf at the bottom left of the page).

After our meal, we did something that I haven't done on Thanksgiving before; we sang worship songs together. Our hostesses accompanied on piano and guitar, and we belted out our praises to God. It was such an amazing time, I really can't even put into words how it felt. But one thing is for sure: God has really shown me over the past few months that HE is always right by my side. I sang that night in utter awe, thankfulness, and amazement as I thought about how great HE is.

Two days later, on Saturday, we had an even larger celebration with tons of our Turkish friends as well, and it was so much fun to see them eat traditional Thanksgiving food for the first time. And, as you can imagine, "You are eating your/my country" was spoken many times that day. We also played Nertz (which I know thanks to my housemates from my summer in Washington DC), and watched "The Ultimate Gift", a really heart-felt movie that went perfect with Thanksgiving. And, to end the night, we had a bath-tub party to wash all the dishes (this only happened because the sink clogged...it was totally hygienic, I promise...we even sang The Happy Working Song while we worked, which made it so much fun!). 

If you are a reader in the USA, you are probably starting to get into the Christmas mood, and I am too. I've been playing some of my favorite Christmas songs, like "Snow Globe" and "Christmas this Year."  But, this year is really different for me because I am in a country where the majority of people do not recognize Jesus Christ as the Savior. A few Christmas trees can be spotted at the malls, and icicle lights are hanging around some larger restaurants, but these (and Santa too) have all been integrated into New Year's celebrations and festivities. Unless you are at one of the few churches in Istanbul, you won't be seeing any Nativity scenes. No crosses. No reminders of what this holiday is really all about. In one aspect, this has made it even more important to me to focus on the reason for Christmas instead of all about gift-giving and stuff that is focused in on the States. On the other hand, it has shown me what life without Christmas looks like. It seems like such a joke in the USA, you know, "the Grinch stole Christmas," and all of that, but we don't often think about the fact that many countries around the world don't have the hope that is so visible throughout the States at Christmas time. For a lot of people, like many here, there is no Christmas because there is no reason to celebrate. This hurts my heart, as Christmas celebrates the day that has forever changed my life. It's not about "keeping the Christmas spirit alive", like so many movies such as Elf seem to think is important; it is all about telling people of the hope in Jesus that makes every day worth living.

On that note, please go check out www.mygfa.org/faithfulnomad/ to see my thoughts on another country that also needs our help throughout the year - India. 

Thanks for reading, and until next time, "Gorusuruz!" (talk to you later). 

So much fun!

The past two weeks have gone by in a whirl and I haven't kept up with blogging (although new pictures go up on Instagram each day, so follow @faithful_nomad to keep up with me on a daily basis). Life is a daily adventure here. Today is the last day of class before our 'fall' break, which is called Bayram ('holiday) in Turkey. We have a week off, and many Turks travel to go visit their families this week and take part in religious traditions, such as slaughtering animals and giving the meat to the poor. My week will consist of relaxing and going to the beach, but I will blog about that after the fact :)

Two weeks ago, my flatmate, Joost, obtained this amazing book called Istanbul Eats: A Guide to the Culinary Backstreets. It's a really great guidebook to a lot of amazing restaurants in Istanbul. The book divides Istanbul into several sections, and we decided to hit 3 of the restaurants closest to Rumelihisarustu (where we live) and try out what the book recommended. Along with another exchange student from the USA, Aileen, we walked about 5km to an area along the Bosphorus Strait and decided to eat our hearts out (on a college budget, of course). The first restaurant we went to was Bodrum Manti & Cafe (which was my favorite of the 3 places). We ordered a 1/2 serving of manti (stuffed pasta, boiled) and a 1/2 serving of kofte (fried meatball). After our meal, each of us were promptly brought our own dessert for free, which was one of the best desserts I have had in Istanbul! It was two thin crispy waffles, a scoop of vanilla icecream in the middle, and some sort of berry sauce (*yum!*). We ooohed and aaahed as we ate our desssert and couldn't believe how hospitable the staff was (especially when the desserts alone cost more than what we ordered and paid for). I'm sure the server noticed us using the Istanbul Eats book, and also noticed that we were on a tight budget. Turkish hospitality is the best! We trooped on to two more places and tried several more appetizers, including huge kalamari, fish balls (which are like grown-up fish sticks in a ball form), and lahmacun (pronounced 'lahmajun'). At each place, we asked the chef to sign the page of the book that was about their restaurant. They were more than happy to give us their autographs, and the book has continued to fill up. Hopefully by January we will have tried each place in it. 

Last weekend, I traveled once again to Ankara, this time not to crash a wedding, but actually go to one that I was invited to! My friend, Pelin, has a friend who was getting married, and they invited me to take part and see what a Turkish wedding is like. The happy couple is so kind, and I had an amazing time. This wedding was fairly modern, and very similar to the many weddings I have worked at in the US. There were, however, many small differences that I noticed that were very interesting:

Me and my bestie at the wedding. Such a beautiful celebration, beautiful people, and so much love!

1) The bride and groom are able to see each other before the ceremony. There is no ban on the groom seeing the bride in full bridal dress, and they were hanging out together in a dressing room before they came out for the ceremony (we even got to hang out with them and joke as they got over their pre-wedding nerves). 

2) There was no 'vow' or 'exchanging rings' part in the ceremony. The couple simply came in, sat down at a table, the officiator read something like a contract, and the bride and groom said 'evet' (yes) in turn. They signed the contract, and then took pictures. That was it! For the rings, they wear their engagement rings (both of them) on their right hands until the wedding, and then switch to their left hands after the ceremony. 

3) No wedding registry or cards! Everyone brings gold items (either small coins you can purchase, or gold bracelets and necklaces) and money as gifts. As the bride and groom go around the room after the ceremony, they wear large sashes and the bride carries a small bag. They greet each person, get congratulations, and then that person gives them the gift. Family members usually give larger gold items, like gold bangles that they place on the bride. The money is pinned to the groom's sash, and gold coins can be pinned on the bride's sash or placed in her bag. By the time the couple has made it around the room, they are covered in wealth that can be used for whatever they need as a new couple.

In between all these fun events and trips around Istanbul, I've been hard at work taking classes at Bogaziçi University. Because I want to graduate this spring, I am taking 3 senior-level chemistry courses and 1 course in microeconomics. They have all been really great, and I am making friends with the Turkish students, which is a real blessing. I have been able to Skype home a few times, and even got to Skype with my grandparents (hi, Boomama and Boopapa!). It's really great to get to see everyone's smiling faces and stay in touch. 

Make sure you follow my blog by putting your email address in the right-hand side box, and also follow me on Instagram (@faithful_nomad and @k_rover_explores_the_world). Would love to hear from you! Hadi gorusuruz (talk to you soon)!

Exploring, Shopping, and More Partying! Ankara Part Two

Party crashing wasn't the only thing I did in Ankara this past weekend. Pelin, my bff, and her brother were amazing tour guides! Here's what we did (because I know you like pictures)...

This is the mausoleum above where Ataturk is buried. Ataturk was the founder of the Turkish Republic.

The guards at the mausoleum. They have these cool boxes they can stand in if the weather gets bad! I don't think I could stand still for that long...

Me, Pelin, and Polat inside the mausoleum. We also went through the museum on Ataturk and the War of Independence, but we couldn't take any pictures in there.

Such a beautiful place! This is the walkway up to the mausoleum. (By the way, who likes my awesome Istanbul shirt from Mavi? Repping my lovely city!)

Watching the changing of the guard. Pretty cool!

More watching of the guard. 

Enjoying çay and famous Ankara simit in Kizilay during our first mad shopping trip of the weekend :)

Pelin and I at a really cool bar with live music...everyone was singing along with the Turkish songs and the atmosphere was amazing!

We are waiting patiently for our mezzes to arrive...

Live classical Turkish music at the restaurant...we pretty much just walked around and went wherever we heard some good sounds :) Worked for us!

Tamam (Turkish for "ok"), so that concludes my Saturday in Ankara. Sunday was another adventure too, so part 3 of Ankara will be coming soon!