Necessity breeds ingenuity

War is bad. Living through a war is even worse. Living through a war without coffee and bacon? Well, that sounds downright disparate.

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My grandma discusses it as if it were just yesterday that Pearl Harbor was bombed and the men of her west-side Cincinnati neighborhood left on ships and boats for battlefronts in Europe and the Pacific. She talks about making first aid kits at the American Red Cross and her sister working in a factory, a real Rosie the Riveter. (More like Edna the Riveter but it doesn't have the same ring to it, does it?) She talks about getting letters from my grandpa with pieces cut out and visiting her future in-laws on Sunday afternoons.

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And she talks about rations.

She is always quick to say that her family was almost lucky - it was just her parents, her sister and herself. There weren't a lot of mouths to feed. My grandpa's family was big with eight children, many of whom were still at home, and lots of boys. Their ration cards didn't go far, and my grandma's family often gave them cards for coffee and bacon so the boys would be well fed.

It's hard to imagine a time where you couldn't just go to the grocery and pick up a gallon of milk or dozen eggs because you felt like baking. And yet that's exactly what it was like during World War II. Instead of just taking up knitting (though I'm sure they did plenty of that), the ladies got creative. They found ways to make cakes and pies that didn't take away from the things soldiers needed.

Cakes made without butter, milk or eggs. Cakes with baking soda and vinegar for rising and vegetable oil to help bind the ingredients. A cake that has pumpkin for moistness and richness but because it's pumpkin latte season. In other words, a vegan cake before it was even remotely cool to be vegan.

In a different set of words, this cake is as crazy as the name implies but only because it allowed me to attend a party, bring the requested dessert and get lots of compliments without having to compromise my way of eating or bring something special just for me.

Crazy Pumpkin Spice Cake

Barely adapted from veronicascornucopia.com

For the cake:
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cocoa
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
1.5 cups water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Maple-Cinnamon Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup vanilla unsweetened almond milk
1 teaspoon maple extract
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour a 10” bundt pan and set aside. In a large bowl mix together flour, sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and baking soda. In a separate bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry until thoroughly combined. Pour into prepared pan and bake for an hour, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Place on a cooling rack and allow the cake to stay in the pan for five minutes, then invert onto cooling rack and allow to cool completely.

Once cool, put on a plate, blend the glaze ingredients together and pour over the cake.

Life's a cup of cherries

I love cherries, and cherries love me. I can tell by the way they taste so good to me.

I love cherries, and they love me. I can tell by how the treat my body so well.

I love cherries, and they love me. I can tell by how many bags I buy of them.

I love cherries, and they hate me. I can tell by how much work they make for me.

I hate cherries, and they hate me. I can tell by the way I curse at them.

Cherry season could quite possibly be one of my favorite times a year, coming in behind my birthday and "Survivor" seasons. I get so infatuated with those little fruits that I often find myself buying giant bag after giant bag just because they are $1.98 a pound. I take them in plastic containers to work where I eat them in a not-so-daintily fashion, spitting the seeds into a Diet Coke can.

This year, though, I seemed to go crazier than normal, and I found myself with a good 3 pounds on their last leg. And I mean very last leg. It was do or die, and I did - standing over the kitchen sink, prepping the cherries for the freezer. The work was quite literally the pits, and I found myself resenting the fruit I used to love so much. I was quite certain that when I was finished with the cherries that I wouldn't touch one again for a very long time.

Good thing I thought of this mid-project.

A dessert for one, inspired by a favorite summer beverage - Cherry Limeade. The flavor of (over)ripe cherries is heightened by the lime, and a crisp topping not only adds texture but makes this it like a sinful dessert. Without the sin. Of course. Feel free to serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt, freshly whipped cream or - gasp - ice cream.

Cherry-Lime Crisp for One

1 cup cherries, pitted
1/4 teaspoon cornstarch
1 packet True Lime (or zest of a half lime)
1 packet of stevia
1/2 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon old-fashion oats
1/2 tablespoon flour
Pinch salt

Gently toss cherries with cornstarch, True Lime and stevia. Put the mixture in a mug and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave for a minute to a minute and a half, until the cherries are bubbly.

Note: Start with a minute and increase time by 30 seconds until reaching the desired bubbliness. Failure to do so will cause an epic mess. Trust me.

Meanwhile, add butter and brown sugar to a skillet over medium heat. Cook until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved. Add oats, flour and salt to pan, stirring often, until the oats turn golden. Remove plastic from mug and top cherries with oat mixture. Microwave for an additional 30 seconds.

Allow cherry crisp to cool slightly. Top as desired and enjoy!

Food Week: Cold night, hot dinner

Buffalo chicken tacos and oven roasted potatoes for dinner. Go ahead. Propose to me.

Buffalo Chicken Tacos

12 ounces shredded chicken breast

3 tablespoons Franks Wing Sauce

2 ounces blue cheese

3 tablespoons reduced fat mayonnaise

2 tablespoons water

4 light tortillas

Shredded carrots

Finely sliced celery

Diced tomatoes

In a small saucepan, warm chicken breast and wing sauce. I used a chicken breast I poached earlier in the week when I was making my enchiladas. Meanwhile, process blue cheese, mayonnaise and water in a food processor. When the chicken is hot (temperature wise – HA), fill a warm tortilla with chicken, assorted vegetables and blue cheese sauce. Enjoy!

And when you’re finished, make yourself some dessert. Like this easy-peasy microwave bread pudding.

Easy Peasy Bread Pudding for Two

1/2 cup unsweeted vanilla almond milk

1 teaspoon butter

2 egg whites

1/2 teaspoon truvia

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Pinch salt

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1 Cinnamon raisin English muffin, cut into pieces

In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave milk and butter for 1 minute, 30 seconds. Whisk in egg whites, sweetener, salt and vanilla. Add muffin pieces and allow to soak for a minute or so. Divide the mixture equally between two ramekins. Microwave for 2 minutes to 2 minutes, 30 seconds. Serve with a drizzle of maple syrup and ice cream.

By the way, I prefer vintage looking rings and princess-cut diamonds :)