Guest Host:Trustworthy ~ A Spicy Experiment (V & GF Pizza Topping)

Trustworthy's Play List:

Anna Nalick - Citadel

Led Zeppelin - Black Dog

Fever Ray - When i Grow Up

Faith No More - Faster Disco

Jacqueline du Pre - Sicilienne Es-Dur

NIN - Sanctified

Cat Power - The Greatest

Porcupine Tree - Voyage 34: IV

Bjork - Pagan Poetry

Nirvana - Lounge Act

Gorillaz - Feel Good, Inc.

Keane - Somewhere Only We Know

PJ Harvey - When Under Ether

Tina Dico - Losing

Well hey peeps :-)

It's great to be back again, and again my warm thanks to Red along with my heartfelt wishes for a swift return to wellness.

So, this time you join me at the start of an experiment. A journey :-)

When I was omni, my favourite pizza topping was pepperoni. Or peperoni. However the word is spelled! My omni daughters still love it, and my conscience grates every time I buy some. So I decided that I'd start a journey to develop a vegan tasty alternative.

My first inspiration was this: Zucchini/courgettes slices, infused with spices.

 

Step 1 - Prep

Chop a few slices of zuke and roughly crush some black peppercorns. Grind some sea or rock salt onto a wooden board and rub both sides of the slices into it. Then insert the peppercorns deep into the flesh of the zuke.

 

Step 2 - Get them good and covered

Here's the Christopher Nolan bit...an experiment within an experiment lol. I was wondering whether for the next bit if I should use oil, or not. So here's what I did. I took a small glass dish, and sprinkled a fair bit of smoky paprika, salt, chilli flakes, and ground cayenne pepper.

 

Step 3 - Get em moving

I then added the zukes and shook them around until they were covered, then wrapped the dish and placed in the fridge until the evening. I decided not to use oil...so I'm passing that part of the experiment over to you! Please feel free to marinade in whichever oil you choose...and let me know the result. 

 

Step 4 - Get em coated

Once you've made your pizza base.....

 

I personally use a Laucke GF Bread Mix
For UK readers you can purchase this
at Lakeland.co.uk
 

.....you can add the zucchini slices however you wish and also your choice of vegan cheese - I used a salt marinaded tofu and grated that over the base. I also checked halfway through cooking and found I needed to drizzle some oil over my half of the pizza - the other half was for my daughter and was omni-fied!

 

Step 5 - Before baking....

This experiment, for me, did not evoke peperoni at all, but was still a great pizza topping!

The finished pizza...delicious...

I have a few more ideas and will share these with you soon :-) . Together, I'm sure we can discover the perfect peperoni replacement lol!

Until soon. Love, etc

T :-)

 

For The Love of the Lotus Tattoo...

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

James Morrison ~ Better Man
Fun Lovin' Criminals ~ The Grave and The Constant
Melissa Etheridge ~ Lucky
David Bowie ~ Oh! You Pretty Things
Rod Stewart ~ The Very Thought Of You
Pauline Bryne ~ Dreaming Out Loud
Los Del Rio ~ Macarena
Jamie Cullum ~ Our Day Will Come
Nickelback ~ If Today Was Your Last Day
Metallica ~ The Unforgiven
Doris Day ~ Sugarbush
Bruce Springsteen ~ All I'm Thinking About
Tina Dickow ~ Moon To Let
Teena Marie ~ Lead Me On

I have always loved the Lotus Flower...I have always loved tattoos. So when I first saw the combination of the two..I fell in tattoo love. For me the symbolism of the lotus flower is something that touched my often walled up heart. I can't adequately put into words the symbolism so I shall share someone else's words with you...

"...The lotus flower starts as a small flower down at the bottom of a pond in the mud and muck. It slowly grows up towards the waters surface continually moving towards the light. Once it come to the surface of the water the lotus flower begins to blossom and turn into a beautiful flower..." 

For the rest of the article click here...click! However, for religious symbolism and meanings a simple net search will provide you with many interpretations.

So to the inspiration for this posting today...it was simply the photo below. It came up on a Pinterest feed and I was enchanted with it immediately. I found it quite beautiful..what do you think?

 

Image found on Pinterest.

I have to say I love everything about this tattoo. The placement draping across the lower back is great..the colours so vibrant and the design intense..all things that a good fire lotus design should be. I would love this tattoo...

Image found in Pinterest.

Tattoos don't have to be large to have an impact. The placement of this small lotus design is maybe not where I would have it done myself...as it can cause a headache when trying to design tattoos to go around it later on. But on an ankle or wrist...or anywhere else that can take a small tattoo really..it would be perfect. So any size works, eh?

Image found on Pinterest.

The glorious Red Fire Lotus...my ultimate favourite form of Lotus. I love the passion of colour, the symbolism and it's just damn cute..lol. I like this design but it wouldn't be my choice of tattoo but it's still worth a mention.

Image found on Pinterest

I love this tattoo. One of my favourite colours is this shade of purple...and I love the design and the impression of the lotus floating on the water...I even love the butterfly..lol.

Image found on Pinterest

This tattoo design took my breath away with its elegant design and simple colour. To me it felt ghost like. Another tattoo I would love to have...lol.

Image found on Pinterest

This framed Lotus tattoo is really quite lovely...and I really like the design encasing it.

Radiohead ~ Lotus Flower

I'm not the biggest Radiohead fan..well actually I've only ever liked the song Creep. But when doing this post I put in a search for Lotus songs and this one came up. The lyric to it is..crikey I've over used this word lately..but they are simply beautiful. And the video is really interesting. But anyway..Lotus postings complete with lotus song...lol. Right back to the tattoos, eh?

Image found on Pinterest

Interesting is the word that came to mind when I found this design. Now I wouldn't have all the pink...my choice would be red for fire lotus..but a great design.

Image found on Pinterest

Now this is a Fire Lotus..lol. I love it all..wouldn't maybe choose it myself..but I sure do love it. lol.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you are having a splendid Saturday filled with everything you need...and if you are lucky...want.

~R~

Tough life choices...

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

Sting ~ The Best of 25 Years Album

Well life has certainly been interesting around here of late..and feel I need to share a few parts of it with you folks. If only to explain why I haven't been as regular with my postings as normal. So with the help of some posters and a song I shall do my best to enlighten you..lol. The first one being one that will make you smile..I hope..it did me anyway. But pretty much sums up my life right now..

Image not my creation as it was found online. I take no
credit for it.

You have a choice, right? It would be very easy to buckle under the pressure of the many elements of my life right now..that seem to be rapidly falling apart. When you are left feeling bewildered and almost broken...you have a choice...get off your ass and fight...or give in. I'm not the giving up type but it sure has been a temptation lately. Fighting is hard...it's exhausting...and when everything you try, seems to be a failure, it's hard to keep up the momentum. So everyday is a choice...I bite it and make the funny face...or I disappear. It's lemons all the way for me. Can making the funny face so much give you premature wrinkles? Huh...anyway...

Image not my own. Yada yada yada...lol

My health issues are the overriding factor at the moment. I am struggling under the pressure I put myself under to be well and 'up and at em'. The new treatment isn't working and I'm about to go back to the hospital to start from scratch again. Frustrating...and have found myself quite low at some points...maybe a little more than I realised. I realised that I was breaking some of my own life rules...which are adequately summed up by the above poster I found on Pinterest. Thinking about my health in the past makes me sad...thinking about the potential it has to wreck my future makes me anxious....and in doing both of these I am robbing myself of the ever precious present moment. Not healthy...

Yep..you know the drill...not my creation etc etc..lol

So....the other big choice I was forced to make recently. Now I have to be a little vague on this subject right now and I make no apology for this as it affects others so until it's common knowledge I am not going into details. I was put into a situation that I have been dealing with for 30 years...only this time I didn't grit my teeth and work through the anger and humiliation. I simply said Enough..I am done with this. And for the first time in my life I made a purely selfish decision. One that will take me out of the toxic situation and hopefully help speed up my health recovery too. But I found once I made this decision, my heart and mind were at complete peace with it...and thankfully ML was on board too! lol. And now I am having to take a crash course in that virtue that we all know I am so skilled in..patience. It's going to take a little time to move on...but it will happen.

As you can maybe now see it's been a little stressful around here...ML and Trustworthy have been doing all they can to keep me smiling..as have my sister, Mum and kid brother...and of course the Little Ones...and by no means least my pals...but the situation has left me drained creatively...so thinking up blogs have been a little tricky.

Dixie Chicks ~ Not Ready To Make Nice

The lyric to this awesome song by the excellent Dixie Chicks really does explain how I feel about the choice I've made. About the people who forced me to this point. Anger at them..and forgiveness...never. But now the decision has been made I have found a new steel to keep fighting and move on...and a peace. Make no mistake I still have wobbles but my steel is stronger thankfully. Onwards and upwards...eh?

Love this quote and yes...it's not mine..lol

I think this is a lesson that should be learnt very early in life. Challenge the system..challenge all the people that say No you shouldn't do that. Ask why? Stand your ground...ask for explanations and then....prove them all wrong! I know there are going to be people who will think my life decision is madness...and will advise me against it. But I will most definitely make them all have to eat their words...eventually...lol.

I will be back with regular daily posts very soon..I make that promise to you folks. And hopefully sooner than later food related posts. I know Trustworthy is working on another one. And I want to thank you all once more for your loyalty and for coming back each day. It's never taken for granted..

I hope you are having a good week and your weekend plans are peaceful and fun.

~R~

Dinner (vegan & GF) at PAVE with good pals...

Rocket & Roses Play List:

Fleetwood Mac ~ Man of the World
A Perfect Circle ~ Orestes (Acoustic)
Cyndi Lauper ~ Time After Time
Little Angels ~ Young Gods
Eddi Reader ~ Howling at Ojai
John Denver ~ Like A Sad Song
Blake Shelton ~ Who Are You When I'm Not Looking
Evanescence ~ Last Breath
Doris Day ~ Tis Harry I'm Planning To Marry
U2 ~ With or Without You
Maroon 5 ~ How
Katy Perry ~ Mannequin
Newton Faulkner ~ Straight Towards The Sun
Shakira ~ Inevitable

I had a very lovely day yesterday despite my body trying to ruin it..lol. I had a great time with ML, my sister and the little ones..although M was busy at a birthday party being Darth Vader for a while..lol. Saturdays are always a special day to me..I love the time with my sister.

Mid afternoon we had plans to meet up with three of our closest pals for a catch up and general 'how are ya?'. I wasn't sure if I was going to be up to it but thankfully managed to pull some energy and Brit grit from somewhere and got to the bar. D, B & St were already there and way into their herbal teas...Yes we know how to party in our gang!! lol. And it was only 4pm folks! We met at a cafe/bar called PAVE in the avenues part of the city. For a look at the bar this is their website..we were sat at the sofa'd area. So we were comfy, had nice things to drink and chatted merrily for an hour and then decided to eat there too..

Now it's been a while since I've eaten there and the last time I did my only option was hummus and sliced up pitta so my expectations weren't great. But I was very pleasantly surprised to find not only one choice for my meal but a few. There were many vegetarian options which could be veganised if asked (I know this because D told me so..lol) and the vegan options were good and I was even happier to find a vegan and Gluten Free offering.

D had eaten at PAVE often and so asked her for her opinion on the meals, as she is vegan too. And a little discussion I decided on the Jamaican Pepper Pot meal which was the GF option.

D decided to have the vegan house special option which was Butternut Kutta with an additional side salad. 

So we ordered our meals and carried on chatting, happily until the meals arrived.

It was a very bittersweet gathering as the main reason we were there was because one of our much loved gang is facing a very serious operation on Tuesday because of that damn disease Cancer...so we were gathered together to show our love and support for her. And I have to say the woman is amazing in the face of the enormity of the battle she is heading into. Much respect and love going out to you my lovely pal.

NB All photos were hastily taken by ML on the Blackberry so are not going to win awards but great effort and greatly appreciated..thank you ML ~R~

My meal was the first to arrive and was served in a standard wide rimmed white pasta bowl and the rice looked divine and the Jamaican Pepper Pot was colourful and vibrant and the chopped Coriander/Cilantro scattered across the top made all the dish come together and 'pop'..lol. Now as I always do I mix my meal up so the photo below is after my mixing so maybe isn't the best representation of the dish but hey..it still looks good to me..lol

PAVE's Jamaican Pepper Pot

The rice was perfectly cooked and the Pepper Pot stew was a good blend of sweet potato chunks, succulent peppers and courgette pieces. For me I would have liked a little more of the sauce which was spicy and hot. The cleanness of the fresh coriander/cilantro was a great addition to the dish. I really enjoyed every mouthful and wasn't left feeling too full afterwards..always a bonus! lol.

 

Butternut Kutta with homemade flat bread and side salad.

When D's meal arrived it made my mouth water as I love the chickpeas..but you folks know that right? lol. The Kutta looked rich and comforting as the butternut and chickpeas sat in its sauce. D said it varies each time you order it just how much sauce you get with the beautiful veggies and yesterday's dish came with very little. The spice mix also wasn't as evident as normal so instead of a heady spicy dish it was a comforting and tasty dish. The flat bread came on a separate plate and was cut into four quarters which looked good too. But as I'm trying to steer clear of wheat for a while I resisted trying. (It was very hard!!) And the salad was a great mix of the usual salad suspects with mixed olives and herbs added for good measure. And it was clear to see D enjoyed every bit of her meal and I will definitely be trying it next time.

The atmosphere in PAVE was very relaxed and the music was great. It's a great space and the tables and sofas are placed so that you aren't sat on each other which is always good in my opinion. The food was good value and really good. Even the meat eaters commented on this...and I look forward to going back sometime in the future. And would happily recommend the bar to vegetarian and vegan pals.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you are having a lovely Sunday?

~R~

Vegan Fashion Fun

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

Tom Jones ~ Little Green Bag
Kid Rock ~ Sugar
Bessie Smith ~ Keep On Rainin'
Billy Joel ~ She's Got A Way
Melissa Etheridge ~ Lucky
KT Tunstall ~ Beauty of Uncertainty
Night Horse ~ Shoot to Thrill
The Knack ~ My Sharona
Prince ~ Kiss
Simply Red ~ Something Got Me Started
Heart ~ Black on Black 11
Don Williams ~ Shelter Of Your Eyes
The Union ~ Orion
Queens of the Stone Age ~ The Lost Art of Keeping A Secret (Live)

23.9.12 - Updated thanks to Molly @ Rambling Vegans

Some fun was needed in the Rocket & Roses HQ this week...and although I had great plans to try and cook one meal this week...I, well, failed. Mind and body completely working against each other. So I took a few days off of blogging and watched movies. Lots of movies...and talked with Trustworthy...a lot. lol. ML has been swamped at work and been away in London for part of this week...so it's been an unusual week. Anyway......

During a recent image search, I came across some fabulous t-shirt designs. And I revisited them today and was stunned by the things on offer now. Right across the board from the humble yet awesome T-shirt to boots...to jewellery. I lost a couple of hours searching the various sites. And from that came today's posting..some of my favourite items and the websites where you can find them if you like them too. I hope you enjoy....

So first up is the excellent fashion must..the T-Shirt...

vinteeage.com

This excellent Tee made me laugh so hard. And of course it's a tree so I was naturally going to be drawn to this one.

tcritic.com

Sadly I couldn't find the link for this Tee but I just loved the message...AHA...I can now tell you that this Tee is the work of Herbivore Clothing Thanks Molly! And having looked at their website I wanted to add about 100 more to this posting..lol

Great design, eh?

This design was part of a graphics website that hinted that it could be made into a t-shirt.

spreadshirt.co.uk

*singing* Power to the people...power to the people..power to the people..right on!...Second verse...Power to the animals...Power to the...well..ok it doesn't fall off the tongue as well but you get the sentiment, eh? lol

redbubble.com

The Keep Calm fashion can get a bit much, can't it? But this one is a great addition to the trend.

Goth Art via deviantart.com

Goth fashion will always be close to my heart and I loved this t-shirt design. It really made me smile..I would wear it happily even if I am 40...lol.

.

ffffound.com

The rebel in me loved this design...just to annoy the meat eaters out there..at least the judgemental ones. Great...just loved it.

And now...wait for it...shoes and boots...

tofufighting.com

I swear I will be wearing baseball boots when I'm 90 if I am fortunate to live that long. The whole Jimmy Choo thing is lost on me I'm afraid. I do like a good pair of heels...but most of the time...it's boots. And I freaking loved these ones...can't wait to buy some.

olsenhaus.com

See...I told you I like a good pair of heels..lol. The rock chick in me still thrives and craves a pair of shoes like this. I love everything about these...and I've already picked out the nail varnish too! lol



hippyshopper.com

I do love a variety of baseball style boots...and these definitely hit that button. Happy boots.

magnifeco.com

Dressy or what? And yes...vegan. I loved the colour of these and the ankle strap detail.

And now for a little jewellery...

2threads.com

These just caught my eye...and I loved the simplicity and the cute little heart. Don't need them...but want them..lol.

steamfashion.livejournal.com

I adore cuffs. I love cuff style watches and bracelet cuffs. So when I found these little beauties I was very happy. Now they aren't perfect as I would always choose silver over brass or gold details..but still very nice to look at.

veganlovie.com

The copper jewellery this company makes is enchanting. And I enjoyed browsing through the pieces.

And now for some fashion fun...

zazzle.com

This one is for Trustworthy...he is a little addicted the the green leafy that is Kale so when I saw this one it made me smile. I can just see him dancing around his kitchen with this on. lol

And if the Tee's, footwear and jewellery didn't do it for you. It isn't quite hitting the spot..we could always take the idea posted by Peta via the lovely Alyssa Milano..and go truly natural and green...albeit slightly wiffy design of evening dress....

Breath taking and beautiful and very green...not to mention
stinky dress. Awesome, eh?

lol..No? You sure? Too green? Well I would have to agree...but it really is stunning. You almost miss how cute Milano is..lol. And you really wouldn't get a lot of wear out of it..eh? lol.

Oh well I hope that has entertained you for a short while and that you enjoyed it. All images are taken from the web and where possible I provided the websites. I take absolutely no credit for the creation of any of them.

Thank you for stopping by and being endlessly patient with me. I hope your Friday is a great one and your weekend filled with happiness...

~R~

Having one of 'those' weeks...

This one seemed to fit..lol

I most definitely am having one of those weeks. My patience is being tested..my sanity chipped away at...and my humour dissipating at a rate I can't quite control. Thank goodness I have good music and people who love me...because without them I would be so very lost.

I had great plans for cooking this week and have the ingredients sat in my fridge but so far..no can do. Wherever you are in the world reading this..you probably heard my screams of frustration..you did? Sorry..hope you wasn't sleeping. Anyway.....enough with the whining.

I have escaped to my happy place in my head for a few days...I'm sorry. But I will be back in the next couple of days...

Thank you for stopping by and being as loyal as ever. I am a food blog still...promise..lol.

Hope your week is being better to you?

~R~

Silent Sunday: Smiley Tea Cups

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

Silence...shhh..it's Silent Sunday...



These Smiley Tea Cups and Saucers really made me smile today..Just Great!
 

I cannot find a stockist of these beauties...so if anyone out there knows..please email me???

Cheeky and just plain awesome...

*whispers* Oooops sorry it's supposed to be a Silent Sunday post eh? Gosh I suck at this...but thanks for stopping by. Hope your Sunday is being awesome?

~R~

Remembering you both...

Play List from 1990

Depeche Mode ~ Enjoy The Silence
MC Hammer ~ You Can't Touch This
Billy Idol ~ Cradle of Love
INXS ~ Suicide Blonde
Alannah Myles ~ Black Velvet
Poison ~ Unskinny Bop
Roxette ~ It Must Have Been Love
UB40 ~ The Way You Do The Things You Do
En Vogue ~ Hold On
Skid Row ~ I Remember You

For C & N...and what could've been.
Photo by Trustworthy..thank you lovely ~R~

Dance With Me

by Trustworthy

 

"Lose yourself in wandering dreams.
Ethereal bells wash with the streams.
A cuckoo calls, aloft the wind.
Dance with me.

 

Though the soul has gone away,
Love will never lead astray.
Dawn will rise and warm the heart.
Dance with me.

 

Flaming beacon dancing proud,
Wrap us in your tender shroud
Dance with us, watch us, guide us.

 

Love will conquer all that's gone.
Friends will teach us to be strong.
The music will forever play.
Dance with me."

 

 



Today is a day of sadness and smiles...of remembering two very important little ones...it's a hard day but with each year it gets a little easier. I am surrounded by the people I love and they help bring the smiles.

 

A special thank you to the lovely Trustworthy who provided the photo and the lovely poem today and stepped in and saved me when I just couldn't find the image and the words. You rock dude...thank you.

 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your Saturday is filled with hugs, love and fun.

 

~R~

Music: Adele & The Piano Guys

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

The Thompson Twins ~ The Greatest Hits Album

Wow...it sure is blustery here in little old England today. Or at least the part of it where I live..lol. I'm pleased I don't have washing/laundry pegged out or I would be chasing it across the gardens and down the street. That kind of cold but sunny, chilly but not too much..blustery day. Autumn is on its way and I can't wait. I love it! I love the nip in the air and smell of autumn. Anyway...

You all know of my addiction to the Cello...yeah? lol. Good. I really didn't get the whole Adele thing when she released her first album 19. In fact Chasing Pavements was one of the those songs that I had to turn off or down when it came on. Couldn't bear it. But then when she released 21 I couldn't get enough of her. And then ended up buying 19 too! And now I am a huge fan...but still dislike Chasing Pavements with a passion. So it really was just that song and not her! lol. There are so many songs from 21 that have an emotional impact on me...I felt exhausted after I listened to it. The woman is a genius and deserves the credit she is so rightly getting.

The extremely talented and beautiful Adele

So how happy was I when I found the mix of my beloved cello and one of Adele's great tunes? Very! lol. The Piano Guys are just great and enjoy their performances via their Youtube page...and for the lovely Geeks out there.....and I know you are out there..lol..you really should check out the Star Wars Cello Battle...awesome.



The Piano Guys 
Adele's Rolling In The Deep
 

Now Adele's original has all the passion and anger that comes with a break up...but please don't expect that from this cover. It is what it is...a beautifully played version of it. I enjoyed it greatly...and I hope you do too.

It would somehow feel wrong to write this posting without mentioning the tune/moment when the Adele penny dropped for me. It was the breathtaking and beautiful performance at The Brits 2011 when she sang with a broken heart...Someone Like You. If you haven't ever seen this clip then please take a moment to watch it.

Adele ~ Someone Like You

Now this normally not sappy music person was completely blown away by her performance and her genuine surprise at everyone's reaction afterwards. This chick...is class..and sass. I hope she continues writing and performing forever.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your Friday is being kind to you?

~R~

Hearts and Jars

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

The Pretty Reckless ~ Light Me Up Album (a little taken with it lol)

The inspiration for today's post came from two different places. The first being a beautiful photographic art piece I found via Pinterest (I really should get a commission for how many times I mention them..lol.) It really touched me like a good piece of art should..and the second inspiration, was the song Jar of Hearts by Christina Perri. Now I am not one to follow a trend in fact I would go as far as saying if everyone else is doing it...I'm not. I'm just made that way..lol. So I was very put out when I found that I loved this fantastic song..lol.



The art that sparked the inspiration...
sadly I cannot give credit where it's due.
Artist unknown.

So many emotions flooded me when I first saw this photograph. Too many to put into words. I just know I connected with it and its simplicity and genius on many levels. I love this very much.

Christina Perri ~ Jar of Hearts
 

In case you have been hiding in a cave somewhere for the last few years and haven't heard the tune...here's your chance. A beautiful song by an awesome woman.

Vegan Heart in a Jar

Now I know you all know this is vegan foodie blog...no really...it is!! So it would be remiss of me to not make a link..eh? And here it is...a vegan heart healthy salad in a jar...Get it? *groans* OK...but it's the best I could come up with...lol. Blame the meds folks..

Julia Mcinally ~ Jar of Hearts cover

This localish singer/songwriter is amazing. She writes beautiful songs and music and works really hard. Her cover of Jar of Hearts I think is a very good one and so wanted to include it in today's posting..and give J a shout out. You can check out her YouTube page here as it's definitely worth it.

Just lovely...

And finally...this photo made me smile. I'm gonna have a go at making this for myself. However choosing which book to use will most probably make me cry...lol. But I loved the simple elements that make up this jar. The string, the written word, the heart and the burning candle. *sighs* Lovely...

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your Thursday is going well and you are having a great time?

~R~