5 Years

Last Saturday, this blog turned five. Over those five years, this blog saw me through the period of personal transformation that was my mid twenties, during which I figured out a lot about myself and what kind of life I want to lead. When I created it in March 2007, I was twenty-two, less than one year out of college, and feeling not quite passionate about anything. I called my blog The Wounded Chef and intended it as a place to simply store recipes as I learned the joys of cooking. My first few posts lacked both stories and photos and involved fake food ingredients like Smart Balance and Egg Beaters.

But by that summer, my focus changed to whole, unprocessed foods grown locally and made from scratch. I became a devotee to my weekly Saturday ritual of shopping at my local farmers market. I learned to bake bread. I took part in the Dark Days Challenge to eat one mostly local meal each week, even in the winter, until it became a way of life. I planted my first urban garden. I discovered my love for hosting parties. I found myself drawn more and more to the kitchen (perhaps as a way to avoid other problems in my life).

Along the way, I got bored of just writing about food, so I changed the name of the blog to Color Me Green and started incorporating other parts of my "slow food eco-friendly life in Brooklyn" -- like biking, DIY projects, explorations of Brooklyn and travels to far away places like Maine and Argentina and not so far away places like upstate NY.  I see this space as a place to chronicle my interests and aventures, as well as to share my journey in lowering my environmental impact and living fully with intention.

I haven't ever written here as regularly as I've liked, although I am constantly hopeful that I can be around more often. My life for the past couple years has involved a lot of moving homes and running around. In the coming few months, I'm looking forward to getting a bit more settled into my next apartment and having more time for blogging and personal creative projects.

Thanks to my readers for sticking around over these past five years!  I've appreciated the support of the many friends I've made through blogging, some whom I have even been lucky enough to meet in person. To celebrate, my next post will offer cupcakes.

Make Ahead Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

I was determined to have pumpkin cinnamon rolls on New Years morning, so I followed Pink of Perfection's overnight approach and spent a relaxed afternoon on New Years eve preparing the dough, with the addition of roasted pumpkin puree, frozen from the fall. The pan of rolls went into the fridge to wait patiently, while we dressed up and drank champagne and danced and watched fireworks. Come morning, all that remained was to take the pan out, let it warm up a bit and put it in the oven. And it worked! Which makes this an excellent brunch party dish because it can be made ahead. Of course, I forgot that I usually crave savory over sweet on the morning after a night of drinking and dancing, but luckily there was also bacon and eggs to go around and friends to enjoy the rolls.

For some reason, I missed the cinnamon filling step in the recipe and spread glaze inside the rolls instead. When I realized this, I compensated by sprinkling powdered sugar after they came out of the oven. They may not have been as cinnamon-y and gooey as possible, but it still works as good option, say if you want to be cutting down on the butter anyway. They plumped up into pillowy sweet rolls with a hint of pumpkin spice and zingy fresh ginger. Some liked the ginger, but I didn't, so I leave that up to you.

Also, I cut the original recipe in half, and experimented with slicing different sized rolls. I am confident you can still get 12 rolls out of the halved recipe since we had more than enough for three people. I can't ever imagine needing to make the full recipe unless you're having a giant brunch party.

Make Ahead Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
(Adapted from Pink of Perfection. I apologize for basically repeating her same steps here, but I wanted to have a record of my slight adjustments.)

dough
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 tsp active dry yeast
1/3 cup white sugar
2 1/14 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs

filling
2/3 cups brown sugar
1 1/4 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tbsp flour
3 tbsp butter
1 knob of fresh ginger, peeled and diced

glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp maple syrup

Warm the milk until it just bubbles. Remove from heat, stir in butter until melted, and let cool. Once it's lukewarm, add the yeast, sugar, pumpkin and eggs. In a bowl, combine the flour, salt and spices. Stir in the liquid mixture. Add more flour a little at a time if necessary until it comes together as a dough. Knead for about five minutes. Let it rise for however long it takes you to combine the filling ingredients.

Roll out dough into a 9×12ish inch rectangle (mine was more like 10x15). Spread filling (or alternately, the glaze) over the dough. Roll up dough from the long end. Cut into 12 equal size rolls and place cut side up in a pan - I used a 10ish inch round greased cast iron pan, or you could use a baking pan. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, remove pan from fridge and let sit for about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake for 20 minutes, or until lightly browned. Meanwhile, whisk together glaze ingredients. After rolls are done, pour glaze over top. Alternately, if you already spread the glaze inside, sprinkle powdered sugar on top. If you do not serve them all immediately, they are best toasted.

The first lesson of 2012

I've learned the first lesson of 2012: it isn't always worth it. I'm always trying to make the most out of the food I have rather than let things go to waste...just this weekend with my boyfriend for example, we cooked a steak bone into beef stock, saved bacon drippings for frying eggs, turned leftover roasted vegetables into a morning hash, and tried to reclaim stale bread as breadcrumbs. But sometimes it isn't always worth it. For example, you should always tear bread into cubes and then let it go stale because once the bread is already too hard to safely cut, it isn't worth saving.

On Monday, I was slicing stale bread into cubes, which I've done before, and cut my finger, which I've done before (there's a reason I used to call my blog Wounded Chef), but never have I cut my finger with a serrated knife with the pressure involved in sawing off hard bread. The result was an afternoon spent in the ER and an awkward bandage to wear for at least a week. No piano playing or bike riding or complicated cooking or dishes for at least a week. It's not as bad as it looks and it should heal okay, but it is disturbing to know that I sliced off a small tip of my finger. Despite this, I still have high hopes for 2012. It can only get better from here!

Other lessons: a knife skills class would probably be useful, as would a full first aid kit. And what feels like constant setbacks (bed bugs, various minor illnesses, hurricanes) are just life happening while you're busy making other plans.

New Year Reflections

I've already made my resolutions for my 27th year, but the new year is also a time to reflect. When I think back on the last year, I feel proud of all that I accomplished and all the experiences I managed to pack in. Despite the lack of sleep (see above resolutions, which include going to bed earlier), it was a year that saw me realize several steps toward being the person I want to be. 2011 was the year I:

* Started working for an environmental nonprofit, where I have now survived a year of the steep learning curve there.

from a restorative work retreat in Vermont

* Started bike commuting, managing 20-40 miles most weeks since March.

* Joined a band (the garage rock/punk band Sexy Neighbors).

* Played my first solo shows since 2007 and wrote several new songs.

* Met my awesome boyfriend.

* Finally visited Portland, Oregon, the land people have long told me I would love

* Visited my friend's little cottage on Cape Cod for a fun August weekend of lobster and beaches

* Was membership co-head of the Bushwick Food Coop for six months. 

* Moved twice and now live with my best friend.

* Meanwhile, we have dealt with a three month scourge of bed bugs (and no it's not quite yet over), so the new year will hopefully bring us a return to home normalcy. In the meantime, life goes on and work goes on and I go on trying to be the person I want to be.