Recipe of the day: Vegan Split Pea Soup

This has been a cold and snowy December here in Portland. This kind of weather makes me feel like I'm back in Michigan. And it makes me long for warm hearty soups. Today's soup is Vegan Split Pea. As a kid I hated split pea soup. I think it's because my mother was a dreadful cook! Somehow she managed to make just about everything taste like the smell of dried dog food. I've recently tried split pea soup again, the canned variety, and have liked it very much. So I set out to create my own recipe. I think it's pretty darn good!

6 cups of water or veggie stock
1 veggie boullion cube (use only if using water rather than stock)
2 cups split peas
1 inch piece of kombu sea vegetable
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 onions chopped into small pieces
1 carrot peeled and chopped into small pieces
1 celery rib chopped into small pieces
3 cloves of garlic minced
1 Tbs. dried basil
1 Tbs. salt
2 tsp. black pepper

Saute onions, garlic, carrot and celery in olive oil for about 5 minutes. Add to a large stock pot. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 45 minutes or until peas are soft-ish. Remove about 3/4 of the soup from the pot and blend in a blender or food processor until smooth. You may need to do this in batches. Stir back into pot and stir together with remaining soup. Enjoy!

Oh! I've recently discovered Baconsalt™. It's vegan and it's great sprinkled over this soup!

Enter to win a sweek skate pendant!

I found the link from the Long Island Roller Rebels blog and followed it to Bust magazines website. I used to subscribe to Bust, but have let all my magazine subs go over the past 2 years.

Win a sterling silver Skully Speedskate Pendant from Hellkats L.A.

Hey all of you Roller Derby girls and fans! Here's your chance to win this solid sterling silver Skully Speedskate Pendant from Hellkats L.A.- show your Derby pride!

The winner will be chosen at random, no purchase necessary and only one entry per email please. Check out this exclusive pendant and lots of other rockin' jewelry, visit www.hellkats-la.com, the home of Smokin' Hot Jewelry and Devilshly Cool Gear!

Good luck and Skate On!!

Kitten Camaro premier at Crafty Wonderland

I'm rolling out my new line at Crafty Wonderland's annual holiday sale. Michael and I vended at the sale last year at Norse Hall and it was CRAZY. The space was too small for the number of attendees. This year, it's at the convention center so there should be plenty of room to get around. I will be selling my new line of bags, jewelry and skirts for the very first time and I am nervous! I've been sewing and creating for weeks now and I definately do not feel like Im ready, but it will be what it will be. Please come down and throw your money at me :)