Category Archives: Posts

ginger cookies

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For Cloud 9th’s Thanksgiving festivities I made ginger cookies. I modified a traditional ginger snap recipe and came up with the perfect cookie. This rarely happens when I am baking because I usually modify the recipes too much. I try to create baked goods that are lactose free and low in fat. If I made this recipe again I would put less earth balance and more applesauce so they would have even less fat. These cookies still have a lot of sugar but they are worth it. ^_^

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup earth balance
1/3 applesauce
1/3 cup egg beaters
1/4 cup molasses
1 cup sugar
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar for dusting

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In a medium bowl, cream together softened earth balance, 1 cup sugar and applesauce until smooth. Beat in the egg and molasses until well blended. Combine the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda and salt; stir into the molasses mixture to form a dough. Spoon dollop of dough onto a baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar.
3. Bake for 8 minutes in the preheated oven.

After 8 minutes the cookies were soft but cooked all the way through. If you like them more crisp then keep them in the over longer.

making the most of my time

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Everyday I have a list of what absolutely needs to get done to get through this semester (and hopefully pass). The great thing is that I am learning new things everyday and am enjoying myself even if it may not always seem like it. I am very fortunate that maiki is so supportive and making time to work around my hectic schedule because he is the comic relief that is so very important in my life! Ah, he is a best friend that I cannot imagine living without! _ Cloud Ninth is also continuously supportive and I know that I could not do this without them. My life is so very fun and filled with friends that really inspire me.

Luckily I have had some cool adventures squeezed into my down time. Justin and I made a trip to the Samovar Tea Lounge and it was so wonderful. I got their signature smokey black russian tea and it was strong but I enjoyed the flavor. We sat in the sun overlooking Yerba Buena gardens and spent a couple hours out of our busy school day just relaxing and sipping tea. I also have gone to the movies a few times and saw Bottle Shock, Burn After Reading, and Religulous at the California Theatre here in Berkeley. It is an old independent theatre like the ones I loved in Santa Cruz. Last Saturday maiki and I walked to a Utrecht that I had never been to in the city on Van Ness and then wandered to Japantown. I picked up an art book from Makoto Shinkai. I am always so inspired when ever I go to Kinokuniya. I always want to either move in or bring all the books home with me. It is hard to not purchase art books and I have such an amazing library now full of design and art books of all kind.

because I am such a fan girl

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I was so excited to discover this spring that most of my favorite logos, packaging, advertisements, etc. had all been created by the same people/design firm. The man behind it all is Joel Templin principal of Templin Brink Design and Hatch Design. I am seriously in awe of the folks that he works with and the designs they produce. I quickly purchased “The Best of 1-and 2- Color Graphics” that he made with Chen Design Associates from Amazon and was excited to discover that he serves on the board for A of A’s Graphic Design department. I was down right giddy when I discovered that a text book I purchased for one of my classes this semester, “Design Basics for Creative Results” featured many Templin Brink’s work. My upcoming homework assignment is to discuss the designs that I really like and explain why and what fundamentals they employ. I basically get to talk about how wonderful their work is. Then if that was not enough to keep me motivated I discovered a new AIGA poster up on the wall at school on Friday and guess what it says?! Hatch is having an open house on November 11th. In San Francisco. And I don’t even have class that day—I am so there! I am so very excited, nervous, and bewildered at my luck. I told maiki that I am bringing him along in case I get there and all of a sudden forget how to speak because I am so nervous. Ooh isn’t life exciting!

my favorite anime

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I was introduced to “She and Her Cat” a few years ago and instantly fell in love. This five minute short film was the most perfect thing that I had ever seen in my opinion and I made all of my friends watch it (over and over again). Tonight we watched “Five Centimeters per Second” and it did not let me down. The world(s) that Makoto Shinkai creates are so visually beautiful and yet the content is equally touching. Like “Voices of a Distant Star” he touches upon relationships that evolve over time and distance. It can be heartbreakingly real and sad but at the same time so very beautiful. I guess that I like that kind of thing seeing as how “Honey and Clover” by Chika Umino is my favorite anime series and some of the episodes makes me cry every time that I watch them. Their stories have also been very influential to me and have inspired me to go back to school to study design and be an artist. Makoto Shinkai created “She and Her Cat” entirely by himself on his iMac—its just so amazing to me. So if you have not seen any of his Shinkai’s works or are new to anime these are my recommendations!