Homemade Pretzel Rolls

Have you ever tried Amish soft pretzels? I'm telling you, they're even better than your regular soft pretzel. They're not as dense and tough on the outside, and even more fluffy and soft on the inside. 

One of the first recipes I shared was a homemade soft pretzel recipe, but I'm going to replace that with this one - it's that good! The original recipe is Alton Brown's (that's why it's so good!), but I've adjusted it slightly after getting feedback from my family. 

Lighter Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls (Vegan + Unsweetened)

Last week, I alluded to a special Christmas Eve morning breakfast that I had planned, and these were it! 

Cinnamon rolls/buns are generally very rich and indulgent, and there's nothing wrong with that - just don't eat them too often! I did, however, want to lighten them up to cater to a wider variety of diets. This specific recipe is vegan, lower in fat, and free of any added sugar. Anyone who wants to sweeten them up can do so to their liking with any toppings (maple syrup, icing, caramel sauce). This way, the rolls aren't too sweet or not sweet enough. They're just right.

Travel Light: Packing for a European Winter in a Duffel + Backpack

Hi, my name is Hannah, and I'm a chronic over-packer.

What can I say? I prefer to be safe than sorry, because regret is one of my least favorite feelings.
On the other hand, it's a pain to lug around heavy luggage, especially when you're traveling around quite a bit.

As you're reading this, I'll have just landed in Spain for a 9 day trip with my parents. I haven't traveled out of the country in a few years, but I have learned to be more realistic with my packing after having moved to a school on the other side of the country for a year. I'm no extreme minimalist or packing aficionado, but I've managed to bring everything I need in a medium sized duffel and backpack.

Here's what I packed, and a few tips I have for any chronic overpackers like me:

Vegan Gingerbread Cookies

Merry Christmas :)

Gingerbread Pancakes

Christmas is just four days away!
Traditionally, I've always tried to make a special Christmas morning breakfast, but this year, we'll be heading out to the city a little bit earlier than usual - that means the special recipe I have in mind will have to be eaten on Saturday instead. I don't mind, though, because I can hardly wait to make it! Any ideas as to what I'm thinking about?

Winter Spiced Oatmeal with Persimmons

Black pepper and rosemary in oatmeal?!

Don't knock it until you try it - really.
I didn't know what to call this recipe, but the deep, earthy flavors of the black pepper, rosemary, and cinnamon screamed "winter" to me.

I've grown up eating persimmons, but I realized a few years ago that my dad always cut them up when they weren't ripe enough. Persimmons that haven't reached their peak ripeness (i.e. the point at which they're super mushy -- and sweet!) just aren't that good - they have a funny odor (not bad, but not good, either) and are crunchy (not in a good way).

If you take a look at my video (below!), you'll see how ripe and mushy my persimmon was. You might think it went bad, but trust me - it was perfect.

Cornell Botanic Gardens

This is long overdue, but I just haven't had the opportunity to share these photos from early September! 

Vegan Stuffed Shells

Tofu ricotta? Don't knock it until you try it!

Liberty Hyde Greenhouse

I pass by this greenhouse nearly everyday on my way to class, and I finally got a chance to swing by one day, after class. The greenhouse was about to close, but the guy closing it encouraged me to take a look -- he even showed me the titan arum, "Wee Stinky". 

Ithaca is Wizards

Ithaca is full of Harry Potter geeks. 

And I'm lovin' it.

Kickoff : Homecoming 2016

My first college football game! 

I came from a high school with a not so great football team, and a family who doesn't love football all that much, so I've never really been that interested in football. I do think that the game is entertaining though, and I was pleasantly surprised by how engaged I was at today's game (Cornell vs. Yale (27-13) ). In all honesty, however, my favorite part about the game wasn't the actual football game -- the people watching was great. And just for the record, I wasn't sitting there staring people down ;) It's just that there's so many different people at a football game, from outrageously passionate frat guys to little girls climbing up and down the bleachers. Every now and then, you'll hear the crowd roar with pride, and you can't help but get excited with them. 

Firework Celebrations: Homecoming 2016

 xoxo, han

Apple Turnovers (Naturally Sweetened)

When we were little and my parents worked in Manhattan each day, they'd bring us little treats often: street vendor popcorn (the only popcorn I like), Irish soda bread on St. Patrick's Day, Au Bon Pain cranberry nut muffins from mom, and Halal Guys' chicken/gyro platters, cheese danishes, tuna melts from Eisenberg's, and apple turnovers from dad. What a wonderful childhood, am I right? ;)

My parents no longer commute to Manhattan, so over the past few years, whenever apple turnovers enter this house, they tend to be from Sam's Club. Now I'm all for indulging in life's treats and pleasures, but you have to do it right -- mass produced, wholesale store stuff don't always cut it (not an attack on Sam's, I promise).

So for last Father's Day, I decided to make apple turnovers at home to go with breakfast. Granted, I used generic, store-bought puff pastry, which includes not so great ingredients, but there weren't any alternatives, and I was not about to labor over homemade puff pastry. I opted not to add any sugar to the filling because the apples were sweet enough, and the rest of breakfast seemed pretty rich, so we didn't need any additional sweetness.

While I made this during the summer, what's more appropriate for the fall than an apple related treat? What's great about this recipe is that it's also very simple -- get your kids in the kitchen!

iPhone Photo Journal I

I've been trying to improve my photography skills over the past few months by studying a lot of Instagram accounts/photos and watching too many YouTube photography videos, and something that I always am puzzled by is how some people can take such amazing photos using the humble iPhone. 

The iPhone is incredibly light sensitive, so it's possible to get really great photos, but the lighting must be optimal. I think what also makes photos (iPhone or camera) so interesting is the texture, composition, and mood that they convey. Here's a handful of photos from the past few weeks -- all of which were taken using an iPhone 5s (no filters, minimally edited using Windows photo viewer):

Watkins Glen & Seneca Lake :: Photo Journal

Nature in all its glory.

Over the past year or so, hiking has become one of my favorite activities. There's nothing better than strapping on a backpack with a water bottle and a camera, and seeing waterfalls, foliage, open pastures, fallen over trees, and little critters. 

Seneca Lake Wineries :: Photo Journal

The day before my parents helped me move into school, we drove around to a handful of wineries around Seneca Lake. Don't get so excited - I didn't taste any wine, my parents did. Though it doesn't seem like there's much to do when you're not the one tasting the wine, there was quite a lot to see. I was surprised by the abundance of photo opportunities at these wineries, and wanted to share what I saw :) :

Chocolate Hazelnut (Nutella) Peanut Butter Brownies

Man oh man, do I have a lot of recipe posts to catch up on! I made these Nutella Peanut Butter brownies as a little birthday treat for my brother in late May, and I'm finally getting around to sharing the recipe. 

Now before we start, I want to make a little disclaimer: I do not personally support brands that use palm oil as an ingredient -- I made this decision after researching for my article, "Say No to Palm Oil". At the same time, I'm also a firm believer in not wasting. My brother, a fan of Nutella (which is made of palm oil), had about 1/4 jar left -- and what was left was the grainy, not-so-spreadable stuff. So in order to not waste what was left in the jar, I combined the nutella with this classic brownie recipe. For future recipes, however, I would either make my own chocolate-hazelnut spread or buy one that doesn't include palm oil as an ingredient. So the bottom line of this disclaimer - I'm not a supporter of Nutella, but we had some leftover, and I didn't want to waste it, so I did use it in this one batch!

East Village Photo Journal

Last weekend, my mom and I made the trek into the city to go thrift shopping. We came home empty-handed (aside from an umbrella we got to protect us from the torrential rain), but we did have plenty of photos and memories to keep. We spent most of our time in the East Village, but we did walk through Chinatown to get to a new dim sum restaurant (don't recommend it though; my preferred dim sum restaurant is still the Golden Unicorn).

I chose to wear this outfit in particular because it was comfortable, easy to walk in, and suitable for the 95*F weather. One of my go-to outfit "equations" is a dress + converse + my simple tote bag. There's minimal jewelry, sunglasses are the perfect accessory, and I feel like myself wearing it all.