Year of the Labbit

Mystery Guest!

2012-01-27T21:57:00.001-05:00

Late this evening Clover heard a knock at the door. When she opened the door she only found this crate. It had some ominous warnings.

She couldn't understand why there'd be a warning to not feed the labbit. After all, what harm would come from feeding a sweet, innocent labbit? How could a little white labbit survive barred up in a crate without any food?

She quickly opened the box and heard shuffling in the darkest corners of the crate. "Little labbit," she asked. "Won't you come out?"

Silence.

"I'll bring you a carrot," she offered. She hopped away and returned with a carrot, and suddenly there was movement. Then...

...a pile of bones and sneakered feet came tumbling out of the crate. And climbing over them came this furry green labbit! Apparently feeding him turns him from a cute, fluffy white labbit into this green, mischievous grinning labbit.

He even seems to have lost his charming moustache with his diet. Other than his hue, he looked to be in good health (fat and bunchy, as a bunny should be) and he did seem rather happy to be free from his crate.

In any case, Clover told the little green labbit that the color of his fur didn't matter to her or their warren, so she invited him to stay, and he said yes!

The labbits, of course, are eager to feed this little guy, but he better get rid of all those bones. Labbits are vegetarian!

Labbits Like: Date Squares

2012-01-14T21:48:00.000-05:00

Mmmmm, date squares! Vanilla-y creamy dates sandwiched in an oatmeal multi grain crust. Yum.

Date Square with 5 Grain Crust

Ingredients:
3 cups dried, pitted dates
1 cup water
1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup Bob's Red Mill 5 Grain cereal
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Preparation:

Place the dates and water in a medium saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the dates are soft and have absorbed most of the water (about 5 - 10 minutes).

Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Let cool to room temperature and then puree in your food processor until smooth. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Butter (or use a non stick cooking spray) an 8 x 11 inch (20 x 28 cm) or a 9 x 9 inch (23 x 23 cm) pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. Set aside.

In the bowl of your food processor, place the oats, flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and ground cinnamon. Pulse to combine. Then add the butter and pulse until the mixture is crumbly. Press 2/3 of the mixture into the base of the prepared pan.

Spread the dates evenly over the oatmeal crust. Sprinkle the remaining dough evenly over the top of the dates. Bake for about 30 - 40 minutes or until golden brown. Place on a wire rack to cool. Once the squares have cooled, cover the pan with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator at least one hour or until firm enough to cut easily into squares.

These will keep, covered, in the refrigerator up to a week.

Yields: 20 - 24 squares

Recipe: Adapted from Rose Carrarini, "Breakfast Lunch Tea"

Finally, A Taste of Winter

2012-01-12T16:21:00.001-05:00

Southern Vermont hasn't felt like winter yet this winter! It's been unseasonably warm, and there hasn't been snow. Naturally, the labbits are very happy for today's snowfall. It makes Vermont so much prettier, and Clover does like to accessorize with hats. Hopefully temperatures will stay low enough for the snow to last, but Teddy tastes freezing rain in the forecast. Better enjoy the snow while it lasts...

Labbit Travels: Harvey, New Brunswick

2012-01-02T12:08:00.000-05:00

During a recent holiday visit to New Brunswick, Pipkin made a point to stop by the giant fiddle in the town of Harvey. He'd heard of its existence but always seemed to be in Harvey at night, often visiting his friend (and fiddler!) Katherine Moller. He last heard Katherine playing fiddle in the barracks in downtown Fredericton in August. This time, he made sure he'd stop by the fiddle in daylight on the way home to Vermont. Every road trip needs oversize roadside attractions.

The giant fiddle was created in 2000 by Harvey craftsman Roland McLean, to honour Canadian fiddler Don Messer, also from Harvey. In the picture below, Pipkin climbed up on the chinrest to show you just how big (about 14 feet) the fiddle is!

Pipkin heard a rumour there's another giant fiddle in Nova Scotia. He's excited to explore more of the Maritimes in 2012.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T00:39:00.004-05:00

Break out the noise makers and party blowers 'cause it's a new year! Be happy and healthy, and when you're up against a grumpus, just do as Clover and...

...get all up in their face with happiness. Happy 2012 everyone!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T00:27:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas from Domo and the extended labbit family!

Eat More Kale

2011-12-20T23:23:00.000-05:00

Just so you know where the labbits stand on this issue, they think you should eat more kale, not mor chikin.

Labbits Like: Orange Glazed Mini Bundt Cakes

2011-12-19T22:49:00.000-05:00

Do these mini bundt cakes look Christmasy and delicious or what? There's nothing so Christmasy about bundt cakes themselves, but the dusting of the confectioner's sugar over these particular shapes looks wintry and cheery. They're also the perfect size to make as gifts for friends and colleagues for the holidays. These orange flavoured mini bundt cakes are super moist, light and fluffy, and very easy to make.

Orange Mini Bundt Cakes

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
3 large eggs
1 1/3 cup light sour cream
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp finely grated orange zest (about 1 large unwaxed orange)
2/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (the insides of the above large orange)
2/3 cup granulated sugar
Confectioner's sugar, for dusting

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Generously spray two 6 cup mini bundt pan with vegetable oil. (Or, if like Pipkin, you have only one, remember to wipe down and then spray the bundt pan again for the second batch. Oh yes, there's a second batch!)

2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

3. Add the eggs, sour cream, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and orange zest to the flour mixture. Mix with an electric mixer on medium for a minute, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, then beat on high for another two minutes.

4. Pour enough batter to fill each cup 2/3 full.

5. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 - 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the mini bundt cakes comes out clean, or with only a few moist crumbs attached. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a rack.

6. While the cakes are cooling, make the glaze: Squeeze the juice of one orange and add to a small saucepan. Add 2/3 cup sugar (or slightly less to taste) and bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir constantly, until sugar is dissolved.

7. Using a toothpick or a piece of clean, uncooked spaghetti, poke some holes into the mini bundt cakes. Drizzle the orange glaze over top. When the cakes have cooled, sift confectioner's sugar over top.

Yields: One dozen mini bundt cakes.

Recipe: Adapted from Moogie & Pap's Tropicana Ultra Moist Bundt Cake

Labbits Like: Happy Hippo Kinder Biscuits!

2011-12-09T12:34:00.001-05:00

What's this? Someone left a treat out on the dining room table. Pipkin's naturally very curious so...he unwrapped the packaging to find this jolly Happy Hippo!

Labbits wouldn't eat real hippos, and they do have a sweet tooth for cocoa. This Kinder Happy Hippo is a crisp and crunchy wafer with smooth hazelnut cream layered with milk and cocoa cream. Even though Pipkin felt a little guilty biting into the hippo's cute face, he has to admit it was a very tasty treat.

Mossy Trek

2011-11-21T09:43:00.000-05:00

Pipkin hops along an old stone wall on the way to Prospect Hill in Dummerston, Vermont. He's surprised that these rolling hills, now covered with mature birch and pine trees, were once pastures. Only the surest of sure footed labbits should hop along moss covered stone walls. It can be very slippery!

Pipkin could learn a thing or two about long distance travel from his new whale friends. Here they are, swimming their way through East Barnard, Vermont, carefully avoiding mossy stone walls.

Shelf Shrooms

2011-11-20T23:04:00.000-05:00

Pipkin wonders if this shelf mushroom will make him grow big or shrink small. His friends have warned him that he shouldn't eat wild mushrooms, so it looks like he'll never find out...

...but personally, he thinks it makes him look big. (But maybe not big enough to climb up to the next shelf mushroom above him.)

Goldbunny

2011-11-17T21:19:00.000-05:00

Pipkin happened to be in the neighbourhood of a Lindt chocolate shop when he came across this Smart car painted gold and detailed with labbit ears and bunny face, sitting outside the shop!

He couldn't get inside, but he did hop around its exterior to admire the handsome gold paint and painted whiskers. If only it were made out of chocolate...but then it wouldn't last long.

After a quick check around the ears (they were pretty clean back there), Pipkin went into the shop for a free nibble. Sadly, there were no chocolate bunnies, but these chocolate reindeer looked bunny shaped.

Labbits in Four Seasons

2011-11-12T08:52:00.000-05:00

During their long swim north, the munko whales snuck into a cozy home in East Barnard, Vermont, where they found these whimsical labbit paintings. Each one depicts a labbit in a different season, from spring to winter. Noticeably missing was Vermont's fifth season - mud season. The whales thought Pipkin and the other labbits would appreciate this photo.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T22:02:00.000-04:00

Happy Halloween from the gang!

Domo as a labbit. A labbit as domo.

And a sweet sweet honeybee. Very cute. Did you dress up for Halloween?

Sun Soaked Memory

2011-10-28T09:43:00.000-04:00

Even the film is soaked in glorious light leaked sun. In this shot, taken with a Lomography Diana+, you can see the rocks that the munko whales climbed over, the day they came out of the Atlantic.

Remembering the Beach

2011-10-27T18:34:00.002-04:00

Ever since the munko whales told Pipkin about where they came out of the sea, Pipkin has thought fondly about his time at Rye Beach. Here he is, soaking in the late May sun while out on a bike ride.

This image was shot with a Lomography Diana+ camera and a 20 mm fisheye lens.

On the Shore of a Great Lake

2011-10-26T16:31:00.004-04:00

Pipkin thinks about his friends back home in the Green Mountain State as he looks out over Lake Ontario.

This photo was shot with a Lomography Octomat camera. It shoots a series of 8 photographs over a span of 2.5 (ish) seconds.

They Came From The Sea

2011-10-19T23:24:00.000-04:00

You may remember, not too long ago Pipkin was surprised to find a couple of whales atop his favourite viewing binoculars at Hogback Mountain. They were making their way across Vermont to see their giant whale tail cousins in Burlington, Vermont. But where did they come from?

The sea, of course. They swam up out of the Atlantic on a beautiful day at Wallis Sands State Park in Rye, New Hampshire.

Knowing they'd be out of the water for quite some time, they took in the view from the beach.

And they watched the waves roll up.

And they got sprayed by the waves crashing against rock.

But then they had to say, "goo bye!" They'll be back...

Munko Tries Labbit Food

2011-10-19T12:22:00.002-04:00

The labbits suggested to this little munko whale that he try a vegetarian diet. He doesn't seem to be too happy to be eating dandelion though. What do you think?

Mau5e5 Denied Entry to Deadmau5 Concert

2011-10-18T08:07:00.000-04:00

When Deadmau5 announced an added Amherst MA stop on his Meowingtons Hax tour, Pipkin and the mau5e5 got very excited to go! They hitched a ride from southern VT all the way to the UMass campus, and couldn't wait to attend the show. Unfortunately they didn't think to buy tickets, and sneaking in through someone's purse only resulted in being booted out by security. One of the security officers said, "they'll be trash mau5e5 if you don't leave them in your car."

What did she think Pipkin and the mau5e5 were going to do? Hurl themselves at the stage? No, they just wanted to dance. Poor guys. Good thing it was loud in there. They had to listen to the whole thing from outside the Mullins Center. Next time, mau5e5....we'll sneak you in a little better. After all, people had all sorts of horrible projectiles and illegal drugs. Surely they'll overlook a 2" mau5ie.

Green Autumn on Fall Mountain

2011-10-14T10:30:00.000-04:00

Pipkin took his new whale friends up Fall Mountain in North Walpole NH so they could take a look at the town he lives in. You can see the Connecticut River, which flows between Vermont and New Hampshire. You can also see the clock tower in downtown Bellows Falls, where Pipkin will often go to see a movie at the Bellows Falls Opera House. It's still pretty green for fall on Fall Mountain. Pip will have to return when the leaves change their colors. For the whales, they have to move on. They still have a ways to go before they make it to Burlington to see their whale cousins.

Dining Al Fresco

2011-10-10T19:40:00.000-04:00

Nothing beats dining outdoors under a setting sun.

Labbit Travels: Return To Hogback Mountain

2011-10-09T09:29:00.000-04:00

Hey! Who are these guys?!

It was another beautiful fall day so Pipkin hitched a ride with some bikers and returned to Hogback Mountain to check out the fall colors. It's typically peak leaf peeping season around Columbus Day weekend, but perhaps because of Tropical Storm Irene and all the rainfall in the summer and early autumn, the colors were still quite green.

That wasn't the biggest surprise for Pipkin. The biggest surprise happened to be these pint sized whales he found hogging his favorite viewing perch! (Be fair, Pipkin, and share!)

Whale tails sighting in southern Vermont!

He had a chat with the two whales (the white is a munko whale, and the pink one a munkosaur) and discovered they are on a trek to visit their whale brethren in northern Vermont. They have been land swimming a long way!

Pipkin offered to sneak them north to Bellows Falls, and although they do prefer to swim, the whales thought they'd appreciate the break. Perhaps we will see more of the munko and munkosaur's adventures!

Pipkin gets his turn at his viewing spot.

Sunny Fall Days

2011-10-08T08:30:00.000-04:00

Summer is over and we're well into autumn, but the leaves are still pretty green in the Green Mountain state. The sun is shining bright and you might be fooled into thinking it's still summer when the leaves haven't changed to a brilliant gold, red or orange. The temperatures this weekend are even into the mid to high 70s (around 23 Celcius, my non-American friends). So when the sun shines bright like this, the labbits naturally think of one thing: ice cream. And where better to enjoy it than at Kimball Farm, with a grilled cheese sammy and a side of waffle fries and a slice of watermelon? Yum.

Pipkin's eyes are bigger than his stomach, and he got a little greedy, thinking 50 cents more for the large ice cream would be awesome. Well, this serving of ice cream turned out to be bigger than Pip himself. It could probably serve 4 - 6 labbits! Sometimes, more is not better.

Chilly Afternoons at the Farmer's Market

2011-10-01T21:58:00.000-04:00

The days are getting shorter and the nights colder, and in the late afternoon, Pipkin sometimes feels a chill even with the crowd at the Bellows Falls Farmers Market. He snuggled down into some hand dyed wool in the hopes of staying warm - and perhaps a little undetected.

However, these vibrant colors do nothing to hide Pip. Still, it's a cozy place to hang out for the evening.

Pipkin Likes Purple

2011-09-30T22:04:00.005-04:00

This is by far the cleanest, well kept VW van that Pipkin has ever seen! And such a lovely purple, too.

Labbit Gaga

2011-09-29T20:34:00.002-04:00

The labbits draw inspiration from Lady Gaga's bubble dress.

Foamy 'Staches

2011-09-28T20:30:00.000-04:00

Foamy mustaches at Downstreet Cafe in Bellows Falls, VT.

Two Wheeled Fun

2011-09-26T18:30:00.025-04:00

Pipkin's been known to hitch rides on motorcycles and bicycles, so Clover followed his lead and found a friendly group of riders to ride with. She lucked out with a Sunday morning community ride in Putney, Vermont. There were four different rides offered, all on the lovely dirt backroads of Putney. Clover took a look at the maps to see which one she wanted. Something long, but not too fast!

There were short rides in town for young kids and families, a "Steep n' Sweet" tour, and a "Tamer Tour" with hills but nothing too crazy. That one sounded just perfect. But the real clue that it was going to be a great ride:

The route was shaped like a bunny! That was definitely the right ride. She hopped into an underseat bag and zipped herself in so she could peek out the back. What fun! And after the ride, she joined the riders on the green in Putney to enjoy lemon iced tea, cranberry scones and berry muffins from Front Porch Cafe. This won't be the last time she joins in on some two wheeled fun. Big thanks to the West Hill Shop in Putney for organizing the community ride, and thanks also to the Front Porch Cafe, for feeding a bunch of sweaty bikers on the green.

Apple Pickin'

2011-09-20T16:21:00.003-04:00

Clover peeks out from behind an apple at Alyson's Orchard in Walpole, NH. Apple season is in full swing, and Alyson's boasts over 50 varieties of apples, and also grows peaches, pears, plums, grapes and berries, both for PYO and for sale at their farm stand.

Making New Friends

2011-09-19T16:12:00.008-04:00

Labbit meets Namibian Dwarf Goat.

The Wurst Place in Bellows Falls

2011-09-16T17:43:00.019-04:00

Pipkin likes to go to The Wurst Place in Bellows Falls...Fat Franks! Located an easy hop downtown, Pipkin will often order either the tofu dogs with sauerkraut, or the veggie burgers. There are lots of options for meat eaters too. The double fried french fries are also a naughty treat, but Pipkin tries not to indulge too often.

Mmmmm tofudog with sauerkraut and mustard.

Pipkin also likes that they have their own hot dog flag. To the right of this photo, there's also a raised deck so you can enjoy your sausages, hot dogs or burgers outside in the sun.

MMmmmmmicecream!

2011-09-12T11:16:00.019-04:00

Pipkin was hoping to try out the new flavor at Ben & Jerry's but they were all out of Schweddy Balls. The scoop shop in Burlington, VT thought they had enough Schweddy Balls for weeks but they sold out in a couple days. Pipkin will have to come back another time, so today he went for a scoop of his favorite Ben & Jerry's flavor: Coffee Coffee Buzz Buzz Buzz.

Pipkin Hitches A (Fast) Ride

2011-09-11T23:34:00.003-04:00

Pipkin hitched a ride on this competitor's bicycle at an olympic distance triathlon in Burlington, VT. While racer 611 was out on her 1 mile swim, Pipkin zipped himself into her underseat bag.

Here she is coming in after her 26 mile bike ride. She's looking strong, so Pipkin doesn't feel too bad about weighing down her bike! ;)

While 611 was off on her 6.2 mile run, Pipkin sunned himself with the rest of the bikes in the transition station. Then he hopped out to the finish line to cheer her on. She never knew he was in her bag the whole bike ride! She did really well, coming in 2 hours, 46 minutes and 18 seconds. Way to go 611! Way to hustle!

Domo Doesn't Share Donuts

2011-09-09T22:21:00.000-04:00

Domo doesn't want Pipkin even looking at his donut. It's his!!

A Day at the Dentist

2011-09-08T18:41:00.000-04:00

Did you know that labbits' teeth continually grow for the life of the labbit and are worn down with age? These kind of teeth are called "open-rooted" - continuously growing. For this reason, pet labbits don't have to have their teeth brushed, unlike their furry counterparts, i.e. dogs and cats.

These home dwelling labbits do eat a lot of sugar laden baked goods, so for them, tooth brushing is a necessity. Once in a while, it's best to get a professional cleaning and check up. So, today Pipkin visited a dentist in town.

The shiny and sharp instruments looked cold and scary, but Pipkin was in the good hands of his hygienist, Erin, and the dentist, Dr. Heydenreich. The appointment went well. No cavities, ma!

Pipkin's favorite part is picking out the color of his toothbrush. He usually goes with silver but thought purple would be fun this time.

If you're looking for a dentist in Bellows Falls, Pipkin recommends Dr. David Heydenreich. You can see his contact information in the business card above. Keep brushing and flossing! Unlike labbits, you've got the only chompers you'll ever have!

Lost In The Crowd

2011-09-07T22:01:00.001-04:00

Pipkin meets a group of friendly penguins, but thinks they're a little pushy. (They say it's how they stay cozy.)

Dapper Labbit Is Dapper

2011-09-06T06:36:00.000-04:00

As if Tropical Storm Irene wasn't bad enough, it's been raining for 4 days straight in southern Vermont. Pipkin wants to go out but he's sick of wet fur. Perhaps this hat will help. If anything, he'll look quite dapper.

Friday Farmer's Market

2011-09-02T20:45:00.000-04:00

Pipkin picks up a jar of Elderberry Jelly at the Bellows Falls Farmer's Market. The friendly lady of Te Home Made Garden in Guilford Vermont, makes wonderful jams and jellies. She had a new flavor - basil jelly - which tasted great on a cracker with cream cheese. Pipkin likes berries though, so he decided to go with the Elderberry Jelly today.

Basket o' Carrots!

2011-09-01T20:46:00.000-04:00

Would someone please carry this basket of carrots home for Pipkin? Oh, and Pipkin would appreciate a ride home in the basket. Thanks!

Labbits Like: Eggplant Thai Curry

2011-08-31T20:54:00.000-04:00

When the labbits get a nice, big, gorgeous eggplant, they tend to make eggplant lasagna - basically a lasagna where the noodles are replaced by slices of eggplant. When they got their CSA order from Deep Meadow Farm this week, they wound up with these cute little wee eggplants. From their appearance they look like Sicilian, or "zebra" eggplant, but the labbits wonder, are these mini zebra eggplants? Or, are they always this small?

Too small to slice up into lasagna "noodles", Pipkin decided to go for a red Thai Curry dish that he found in an old issue of Vegetarian Times. He exchanged the frozen peas for sugar snap peas, and decided that the "eggplant" called for in the recipe never specified variety, so he's going with these wee zebras.

The labbits suggest serving this with a bed of hot, fragrant basmati rice. It helps cut down on the spiciness, but the labbits still got quite a sweat going.

Red Thai Curry with Eggplant

Not pictured: curry paste!

Ingredients:
14 oz eggplant, cut into 1" pieces
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
8 oz sugar snap peas
14 oz package of firm or very firm tofu
2 14 oz cans of lite coconut milk
2 Tbsp red curry paste
2 Tbsp dark brown sugar
1 Tbsp Tamari or soy sauce
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp salt

Preparation:
Wrap tofu in paper towels and set in a colander with a bowl or plate on top, and a heavy can for weight (such as a can of tomatoes). Allow to drain for at least 20 minutes.

There's the red curry paste!

Shake the cans of coconut milk well. Pour half a can into a large saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Whisk in curry paste until well blended.

Add eggplant, onion, bell pepper and snap peas and stir gently.

Add remaining coconut milk, sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar and salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Slice the tofu into bite sized cubes and add to curry mixture. Heat thoroughly, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve hot on its own or poured over top basmati rice.

Serves: 6 - 8 labbits

Labbit Uprising

2011-08-30T18:17:00.000-04:00

Clover checks out a silkscreen edition of Kozyndan's infamous "Uprisings" painting. The Los Angeles artist duo (Kozy and Dan) created this painting as a play on the famous "Great Wave off Kanagawa" by Hokusai.

Hokusai's "Great Wave Off Kanagawa"

Clover takes a closer look.

If you look closely, you see the waves in Kozyndan's "Uprisings" are made up by hundreds of rabbits. It reminds Clover of the scene in the movie "The Last Unicorn" where the unicorns fruitlessly try to escape their watery prison every night.

So pretty, and so sad.

This silkscreen was produced in limited number, and was screened with 5 metallic inks. "Uprisings" has become a part of a 4 part series of paintings called "Seasons of the Bunny". Each season is represented with cleverly hidden bunnies. Visit Kozyndan's website to view more of their spectacular art.

Goodnight, Irene!

2011-08-28T20:07:00.000-04:00

Hurricane Irene was downgraded to a tropical storm by the time she blew through Bellows Falls VT. A lot of flooding occurred in southern Vermont towns with all the rainwater causing otherwise serene brooks and rivers to overflow.

At a calm point in the storm, Pipkin hopped through town to see how Bellows Falls fared. Luckily the town did not suffer any major damage. There were some branches and trees down, but even with high water levels, there was no flooding.

The rain started to pick up again as Pipkin hopped by the Vilas Bridge. The rain and wind is supposed to continue through the evening, so Pipkin's going to head back home and hunker down for the rest of the night. Goodnight, Irene!

Labbits Like: Black Bean Burgers

2011-08-26T20:37:00.000-04:00

Ted wanted cheezburgers, so Clover put together this black bean veggie burger. There's a couple of slices of Cabot Racer's Edge Cheese on the side along with some baked potato wedges from Deep Meadow Farm. This recipe is quick and easy, and you can easily add things to this basic recipe to change it up: corn kernals, finely chopped mushroom, wild rice...

It's not just cats who can has cheezburger. :)

Basic Black Bean Burger

Ingredients:
1 15 oz can of black bean, rinsed and drained
1 small or half a large bell pepper, roughly chopped
1 small onion, cut into wedges
2 or 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped in half
1 egg
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp cumin
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce (optional)
S+P to taste
1/2 - 3/4 cup bread crumbs

Preparation:
In a mixing bowl, mash beans until the texture is a thick paste. Stir in chili powder, cumin and worcestershire sauce.

Finely chop the peppers, onion and garlic in a food processor. Drain any excess liquid by pressing the chopped peppers, onion and garlic through a fine sieve or cheesecloth. Add mixture to beans and mix well.

In a small bowl, whisk egg and pour into bean mixture. Add the bread crumbs a little at a time and mix together, adding more bread crumbs until the mixture holds together but is still moist.

Divide mixture into 4 parts and pat into burger patty shape.

Grill till browned on both sides or bake on a baking sheet in an oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 minutes each side.

Serve on a bun with greens, tomato, onions, and your other favorite fixin's. And don't forget the cheese!

Yields: 4 burger patties

Can Labbits Has Cheezburger?

2011-08-25T22:41:00.001-04:00

Ted has a hankering for cheezburgers...vegetarian, of course. Clover thinks she can whip up a batch of homemade black bean burgers no problem. Look for the recipe tomorrow!

Labbits Like: Blueberry Lemon Corn Muffins

2011-08-24T22:07:00.001-04:00

You may remember that Clover went blueberry picking at Green Mountain Orchards in Putney VT not too long ago. Well, she froze quite a number of blueberries and brought some out of the freezer to bake these delicious corn muffins. The recipe is courtesy of Green Mountain Orchard, although Clover is watching her weight and has made notes where she reduced both sugar and butter. They're still a fantastically tasty treat with Clover's reduced sugar and fat variation, since the berries provide lots of sweetness and the lemon zest adds lots of flavor. Whip up a quick batch for your next Sunday breakfast and find out for yourself!

That's a lot of blueberries you've got there, Clover.

Blueberry Lemon Corn Muffins

Ingredients:
8 Tbsp butter (Clover used 6 Tbsp unsalted butter)
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 cup yellow cornmeal
Pinch of salt
1 cup + 1 Tbsp sugar (Clover used about 2/3 cup sugar)
2 Tbsp freshly grated lemon zest
1 cup whole milk (Clover used almond milk)
2 large eggs
1 cup blueberries (Clover used 1 1/2 cups - be generous with the blueberries!)

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease or line the cups of a muffin pan.

Melt butter and cool slightly. Into a large bowl sift together flour and baking powder and whisk in cornmeal, sugar, lemon zest and salt. In a medium bowl whisk together melted butter, milk and eggs. Add to flour mixture with half of blueberries, gently stirring until just combined.

Divide batter evenly among cups (batter will fill cups) and press remaining blueberries into tops of muffins. Sprinkle tops of muffins evenly with remaining tablespoon of sugar (Clover left this step out).

Bake muffins in middle of oven about 15 minutes or until tops are golden and a test comes out clean. Remove muffins from cups and cool on a rack. Muffins keep in an airtight container at room temperature 2 days.

Yields: One dozen muffins or a half dozen 1/3 cup giant muffins.

Pipkin Goes Paddlin'

2011-08-21T15:01:00.000-04:00

Pipkin just loves water lilies.

Pipkin was out hopping around Herrick's Cove yesterday morning when he came across a group of people ready to head out canoeing and kayaking. Someone asked if he'd like to go along and he was just all smiles.

A couple with a canoe scooped Pipkin up and placed him in the "Princess Seat" (no paddling required). The skies were blue, the water was calm, and there were no other paddlers on the water that morning.

As the canoe glided quietly through the cove, Pipkin took in the plant life, bugs, fish and birds, including four friendly mallards and a green heron.

The group stopped off at a sandbar for snacks and shared pecans and dried pineapple rings with the happy labbit before heading back. Pipkin enjoyed his time out on the water with the sun on his back, and can't wait to go paddlin' again. Thank you friends!

Taking In Some Culture

2011-08-18T13:48:00.000-04:00

Pipkin strolled around downtown Fredericton, NB to check out the Artists in Residence in the Barracks. Different fibre, ceramic, visual and photographic artists, silversmiths, writers and musicians take up a studio space in one of the old officer's barracks for the summer. They can showcase their work and also sell to the public.

Pipkin's friend Katherine Moller was fiddling in one of the barracks while also playing muse to a painter who was creating a portrait. The music was bright and uplifting and filled the barracks with light on an otherwise cloudy day. You can visit Katherine's site to hear samples of her music and learn more about this New Brunswick musician.

If you find yourself in Fredericton, don't miss out on the summer Artists in Residence in the Barracks hosted by the Fredericton Arts Alliance.

Just Chillin'

2011-08-17T10:28:00.000-04:00

Pipkin's burnt out from traveling. This is what he's been up to these days. Mostly.

Happy Birthday Pipkin!

2011-08-11T22:53:00.000-04:00

Pipkin is 1! The best way to celebrate a birthday is with your closest friends and a slice of your favorite cake. For the labbits, that means carrot cake. Happy Birthday Pip!

Neither Here Nor There

2011-08-09T16:48:00.001-04:00

Or is Pipkin here and there at the same time?

Labbit Ears!

2011-08-08T17:28:00.001-04:00

Pipkin doesn't think this is funny.

But it is!

Pipkin Mange Chez Cora

2011-08-07T17:34:00.001-04:00

One of the few "chains" that Pipkin will eat at is Cora's, a Canadian breakfast and lunch restaurant that serves up lots of fresh fruit and veggie dishes. Founder Cora Tsouflidou wanted her restaurant to promote the importance of breakfast in a friendly dining environment. You can watch the kitchen prepare your meal and smell the crepes and waffles cooked up hot and fresh. Pipkin opted for a waffle topped with custard and a mountain of strawberries with whipped cream. A little pot of strawberry coulis is on the side in case it's just not strawberry-y enough.

Domo doesn't really get the importance of breakfast, but he does know the importance of caffeine.

Labbit Travels: Tim Horton's, Toronto, Canada

2011-08-03T08:16:00.002-04:00

A trip to Canada isn't complete without a stop at Tim Horton's, Canada's largest nationwide coffee and donuts chain. Joel admits to an addiction to the coffee at Timmy's (as it is affectionately known), and he drinks it doubledouble (that's double creme, double sugar). He usually gets it in the largest size possible, but today he's being a calm mau5 and going with a small.

Domo loves this place for its Timbits, which are small donut hole bits of goodness. He got a variety pack of 10 which should be enough for him since Pipkin's not interested. Not much in the way of labbit food here, although they do serve yummy sandwiches, bagels and muffins. Pipkin misses Vermont and wants to be back where the good leafy stuff is. So, after Joel's coffee and Domo's Timbits, they're hitting the road and heading home!

Labbit Travels: Toronto, Canada, Day 2

2011-08-02T19:28:00.055-04:00

For their second day in Toronto, Joel took Pipkin and Domo to the St. Lawrence Market for fresh food and people watching. From here you can look west into the downtown core with its skyscrapers and the famous CN Tower, a communications and observation tower, and the tallest free-standing structure
in the western hemisphere.

Inside the market there are numerous vendors: bread, desserts, sushi, fresh fruit and veggies, fish mongers, butchers, cheese shops, maple syrup, candy, flowers and the list goes on! It's a wonderful place to stop for a nice lunch and eat out on the patio under the summer sun.

Domo thinks Toronto has a bit of a problem with directions, at least where underground parking lots are concerned. A couple of days ago in a parking garage, he found himself in a very topsy turvy emergency. Today it seems he'll have to take the stairs to the second level underground lot, since the elevator clearly only goes in one direction.

The trio also visited the Canadian National Exhibition grounds, but the CNE (or simply, "The Ex") doesn't open until mid August. They wandered the grounds taking a look at the buildings, like the beautiful Liberty Grand ballroom.

Pipkin's favorite structure at the fairgrounds was the The ExPlace wind turbine, the first urban sited wind turbine in North America. He thinks it's quite graceful, and likes that it is a clean, renewable source of energy for the city.

Finally the trio wrapped up their day by laying out on the beach at the Sunnyside Beach Bathing Pavilion. You can see the CN Tower in the background and get a sense of just how much taller it is than the city's skyscrapers. Joel is also happy to report that efforts to clean Lake Ontario have paid off and beaches are open to swimming again. The water certainly looks far more blue than it has in the past half decade, but Pip preferred staying on land.

Labbit Travels: Mississauga City Hall

2011-08-01T23:12:00.000-04:00

Pipkin took a break from Toronto and visited the neighbouring suburb of Mississauga. Here, he compares his 'stache to a blue gentleman in an urban style mural surrounding a mini skate park at the city's Town Hall. He also posed by the round council chamber building, built to resemble a futuristic farm silo.

It sort of looks like a silo. The rest of the City Hall building is supposed to reflect a futuristic farm, with the clock tower representing a windmill, the main building as the farmhouse, and another building in front representing a barn. Unfortunately today was a civic holiday so Pipkin couldn't explore more of City Hall. He may try again tomorrow!

Labbit Travels: Toronto Shenanigans

2011-07-31T22:42:00.001-04:00

After brunch at The Beast, Pipkin, Joel and Domo found themselves among new friends in the shop window at Magic Pony and Domo got himself in a topsy turvy kind of situation.

Labbit Travels: Toronto, Canada

2011-07-31T22:27:00.032-04:00

Freshly arrived in downtown Toronto, Joel brought Pipkin and Domo to The Beast for Sunday brunch.
Mau5e5 will eat about anything, but Pipkin would appreciate it if his friends stayed away from the "poutine" that features braised rabbit.

Pipkin also understands that sharp toothed creatures are meant to eat meat (again, please no rabbit!), so he tried to look the other way when Domo ordered the infamous maple bacon doughnuts. They're a must-have at The Beast, and Domo was not disappointed.

Pipkin stuck with a vegetarian southern egg scramble. The boiled peanut hummus was a treat with the buttermilk biscuits, and of course, the greens are the best part!

The Beast prides itself in using local and sustainable Ontario farmed ingredients where possible, and almost everything is made fresh in house. There is something for vegetarians and sharp-toothed eaters alike, as you can see from their online menu here.

(But please, for the love of labbits, stay away from the rabbit!)

Labbit Travels: Pittsford NY

2011-07-30T22:34:00.000-04:00

After last night's very dark and stormy night travel, Domo, Pipkin and Joel enjoyed blue skies and hot temperatures in upstate NY. They stopped at the Pittsford NY location of Simply Crepes for brunch.

Located on the historic Erie Canal, it's a great place to take a stroll or ride bikes along the canal and check in on local artist's shops. Once you've got your appetite, grab a table outdoors or cozy up inside at Simply Crepes for freshly cooked crepes with quality, seasonal ingredients. First, two monstrously sized real fruit smoothies showed up, one mango and the other raspberry. Next, the entrees, one sweet and one savory.

The savory crepe was filled with warm Brie and apples, with apple butter on top and caramelized onions, tomatoes and more sliced apples. Yum! The sweet crepe in behind was a berries and banana filled crepe with berry and chocolate drizzle and confectioner's sugar. Soo delish! Check out the menu online here.

Once Domo had his fill of food he sat out in the sun to soak up some vitamin D. Ahhhh, summer!

Labbit Travels: Syracuse NY

2011-07-29T22:13:00.000-04:00

Domo, Pipkin and Joel Mau5 traveled at night to Syracuse NY, and being a dark and stormy night, this is pretty much what it looked like. Yup. It was only the I-90 anyway. Nothin' to see here.

Labbits Don't Pack Light

2011-07-28T21:10:00.000-04:00

It's been nearly a year since Domo found Pipkin in a little boutique toy shop in Port Townsend, Washington, and freed him from box life. Since then, they have done a little tour of northwest Washington and Oregon, and a little trip to Vancouver, Canada, before moving to Bellows Falls, Vermont. They did fly from Vancouver to Toronto, but Pipkin and Domo had hitched a ride in a woman's purse and didn't see all that much of Toronto. Joel Mau5 is himself from Toronto and says there is much to see and do in Canada's largest city.

So Domo and Pipkin are going on a road trip to Toronto, and the bickering has begun before they've even left. Domo insists they pack light, but Pipkin's pretty psyched and wants to make sure he's prepared for anything. That means bringing all his labbity accessories, and some of his red and white toques. Joel has already explained that crossing the Canadian border doesn't automatically place you on arctic tundra, but Pipkin won't listen. He may concede to leaving the smorks and bone behind (good to leave your vices out of your baggage) but he's certain Canada's cool climes will call for candy canes and elf legs. By that logic, Domo thinks the ice cream and popsicle should stay behind but nooooo. Pipkin doesn't want to miss any photo ops. Domo thinks Pipkin's front page feature in The Commons this week may have gotten to Pip's hollow vinyl head.

Hopefully Pipkin can pare down to the essentials and Domo will leave behind his bossypants so they can have a good road trip. Bon voyage, boys!

Labbits In the News

2011-07-27T20:10:00.001-04:00

Pipkin's both proud and embarassed to have been featured in this week's local paper, The Commons. The Commons is an independent, non-profit newspaper for Windham county, Vermont, and the editor, Jeff Potter, happened to discover the labbit blog recently. Intrigued, he sent Bellows Falls correspondent Allison Teague to get the inside scoop about the Year of the Labbit blog. Pipkin and the other labbits were surprised to see they made the front page, with a whole back page full of "the story" and photos, too!

Clover and Theodore donned their reading specs to read the article. Pipkin blushed because he was embarrassed to see himself posing in the photo on the front page. Look closely, and you can see Pip is licking the packaging covering a slice of carrot cake at Vermont Pretzel.

You can find the article here at the Commons' website, and you can download a copy from their site as well. Best of all, you can grab a copy if you live in Windham county. Thanks so much to Allison for her lovely feature on the blog, and thanks to YOU for visiting the labbits here!

Peer Pressure

2011-07-26T19:09:00.001-04:00

Mostly, labbits are vegetarian. Mostly. But sometimes their saw-toothed friends (like the cat, Domo and Zim Mau5) peer pressure him into things like nomming on this bone. Pipkin, just because some arty labbit does it, and all your friends do it, doesn't mean you have to, too!

No Bones About It

2011-07-25T19:59:00.000-04:00

Labbits are mostly vegetarian. Mostly.

A Berry Good Day to PYO

2011-07-24T17:25:00.000-04:00

Mother Nature finally turned down the sizzle in southern Vermont and blessed the labbits with mid 80s temperatures with little humidity. Clover hopped on down to Green Mountain Orchards in Putney Vermont for some PYO (Pick Your Own) berries. First she visited the raspberry bushes which were just dripping with luscious red berries. She loves filling the orchard's plastic milk jugs.

From the look of those lips she may have been sampling a few while she picked!

She then dropped off her bucket of raspberries and moved to the blueberry bushes. Picking was excellent today, and it looks like there will be a few more weeks of good pickin'. Clover finds the best ones really deep inside the bush, so she climbs in and picks the little berries (sampling some, of course). One of Clover's favorite sounds is hearing ripe blueberries plunk! as they are dropped into a berry jug.

When you're done filling your berry buckets, you gotta sneak in a taste...just one!

Some of the berries will be frozen, others eaten right away by the labbits. Clover may just share a recipe or two for berry season. Happy pickin'!

Under Stars and Stripes

2011-07-23T22:25:00.000-04:00

Most patriotic pop up tent EVAR.

Night of 1000 Cupcakes

2011-07-22T21:34:00.000-04:00

Pipkin's friend Kelly from Hot Mustard invited him to listen to the band play at the Cupcake Festival in Jaffrey NH yesterday. It was a really, really hot day, and Pipkin wasn't sure how fondant or cream frosting was going to hold up in the heat (or the band members for that matter!) but figured a night of 1000 cupcakes might be something quite interesting to see.

Underneath several tents there were tables and tables of cupcakes, made by locals and donated to the event. The event this year had over 4000 cupcakes. All colors of frosting were used, and there were a wide range of toppings, like sprinkles, chocolate chips, berries, goldfish crackers, more icing, gummy bears and m&ms.

The best cupcakes won awards in categories such as Most Decadent, Most Civic, Most Un-cupcake, and Most Likely to Succeed. Pipkin doesn't even know how a cupcake succeeds, or what it succeeds at doing. Being a cupcake? Hmmm. Whatever it means, the winning Most Likely To Succeed entry above with the sheep certainly wins for cute presentation.

This gorgeous hydrangea entry was one of Pipkin's favorites! Tucked inside the giant blooms were cupcakes decorated with little icing hydrangeas. Nicely done!

This giant owl ditches the cupcake form entirely. Pipkin would say it's a shaped cake, and not a cupcake. He's certainly too cute to eat, in Pipkin's opinion.

This entry was one of Pipkin's favorites, mostly for the fresh berries in the center of the sunflower. Pipkin admits that while the cupcakes were pretty to look at, he couldn't make his way through even one because they were just too sweet. He'd prefer to eat just the pile of berries here.

Hot Mustard, from L-R: Bill Jubett, April Hobart, Kelly Stockwell, Bruce Stockwell

The best part of the Cupcake Festival for Pipkin was seeing his friend Kelly Stockwell playing bass in Hot Mustard. It's the second time he's seen them play live, and they put on a great show. Visit their website for music, show dates, video and more.

Peekaboo

2011-07-21T23:58:00.002-04:00

Labbits Like To PYO

2011-07-20T21:58:00.001-04:00

This picture of Pikpin was taken by the railroad tracks under the Astoria Bridge in Astoria, OR, almost a whole year ago. It reminded Pip that it's time to go raspberry and blueberry picking in southern Vermont! Hmmm, actually, he may hop over the Connecticut River to Alyson's Orchard in Walpole NH for the wonderful views and ripe berries. Then...oh boy...are there gonna be some lovely berry baked goods on the labbit blog: Lemon Raspberry Tarts, Berry Shortcake, Blueberry Buckle. Mmmmmm mmmm!

If you'd like to find a place to PYO (pick your own) berries and other fruit (peaches, apples, etc) visit the Pick Your Own website and search by county for what's in season and where to pick! Happy gathering!

Labbits Like: Summer Chili/Summer Veggie Salsa

2011-07-19T22:00:00.000-04:00

The labbits are thrilled to be getting summer squash, onions, tomatoes, scallions and zucchini from Deep Meadow Farm, their local CSA, and a regular booth at the Bellows Falls Friday Farmer's Market.

It's too bad that corn isn't in season yet, but Clover cheated a little and threw in some cooked up frozen corn into the pot, along with some chickpeas (from a can), and then served it up with chopped scallions, diced avocado and a dollop of sour cream. The only problem is, Clover has no idea what to call this dish. Is it a chili? It seems not soupy enough to be chili. Is it a goulash (which, according to Clover's friend Maggie Whalebutt, has onions and paprika) or is it not "stewey" enough? Is it a salsa? Served cold with some Red Hot Blues it's a fantastic salsa. It could also be served cold as a leafless salad, thinking along the lines of other leafless salads like bean salad or potato salad. Whatever you decide to call it, it's a delicious way to celebrate the harvest of seasonal summer veggies.

Summer Chili/Summer Salsa

Ingredients:
1/2 Tbsp EVOO
1 cup diced red onion
1 or 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 zucchini, diced
1 summer squash, diced
1 cup frozen corn kernels (or fresh, if you are so lucky!)
1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed well
2 tomatoes, diced
1/2 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp hot paprika
S+P to taste

Garnish:
Sour cream
Freshly chopped scallions
1 avocado, diced
Garden of Eatin's Red Hot Blues
Click the link above for a $1 off coupon towards a bag of these fantastic chips!

Preparation:
Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute for a minute, stirring constantly.

Add the zucchini, summer squash, corn, chickpeas, tomatoes, and spices and cook, stirring frequently, until the tomatoes have softened but the summer squash is still crisp, about 3 or 4 minutes.

Serve hot with a spoonful of sour cream, a sprinkling of chopped scallions and a generous helping of diced avocado, with tortilla chips on the side. You can also serve this cold like a salsa.

Serves: 4 labbits as a main; several labbits as a salsa.

Year of the Labbit Custom Labbit Show

2011-07-18T11:49:00.000-04:00

If you are lucky enough to live in the Los Angeles area, and you are a fan of custom toys and labbits, you must visit the Japanese American National Museum. The Year of the Labbit Custom Show runs July 14, 2011 - September 11, 2011 and is not to be missed! Nearly 50 artists contributed their custom labbit creations to the show, and some are still available for sale through the museum's online shop. Here are a few of Clover's favorites:


Higashi Glaser "Stumped"

Donna Ikkanda "Desert Bloom"

Lou Pimentel "When Love is Deep, Much Can Be Accomplished"

David Kawano "Mutant Labbit Wandering Through the Aftermath"

Konatsu "Usagi Harico"

This is only a small sampling of the fantastic custom labbits you can see at the exhibit. If you live in the Los Angeles area, please visit the Japanese American National Museum to see this show while you can. For the rest of us, go online to see these wonderful labbits!

Something New and Shiny

2011-07-18T10:48:00.000-04:00

Captain Holly gave warning that there were strangers in the warren, but Clover and Ted felt safe enough with the pfeffa (that's the cat) to peek around a corner and check out what was going on. It was hard to tell at first what was happening. Something large and oddly triangular came into the warren, wrapped in a big blue blanket...

Turns out it's a new piano! Ted loves to play the piano, so this will make him very happy. Now, if only he can manage to keep the mau5e5 out of the soundboard.

The labbits were kind enough to let the mau5e5 live with them in the warren, but since then, they've taken to playing in the violin case or in the piano and nomming on strings.

Ted's had to chase them out of the piano several times. I guess you just can't keep the mau5e5 away from music.

Labbit In a Labbit

2011-07-17T16:35:00.000-04:00

Black Eyed Susan

2011-07-14T20:34:00.000-04:00

Mmmmm, Black Eyed Susan. Another tasty treat for Pip. Om nom nom nom nom.

A Day at the Races

2011-07-13T23:56:00.000-04:00

Pipkin, just back from Hunter Mountain, headed to Okemo to watch cars and motorcycles race up Okemo in a hill climb day sponsored by the New England Hillclimb Association, a sports car organization that holds automotive races on twisty roads in New England. They like Okemo because the road is "smooth, very fast (especially the long straight), with some sweeping turns at the bottom and fast tight turns at the top."

A warning sign on the caution tape marking boundaries for spectators

The route is 2.7 miles long and the average racer completed it in 2:42.96 with an average speed of 60 mph. It's not formula 1, but these racing enthusiasts are out to have a good time in their own race cars and bikes.

Pipkin loves watching the bikes lean around the corners

Pipkin hopped up to the sugar house to watch people race by. There were all sorts of home-made racers: lots of Subarus, a Porsche, a Trans Am, cars that looked like dune buggies, a pick up truck, a team of BMW motorcycles from Max BMW, and everything from Dodge Neons to Saabs to 4 door Beemers. The cars are all outfitted with the proper roll cages and window netting, and the drivers all wear helmets. Cars and bikes have to pass technical regulations before they can race, so this isn't an event open to just any vehicle! It's a lot of fun to just hop around the pit area and take a look at how people have modified their cars to race.

Team Max BMW makes their way down for another run

Pipkin even had a video of one of the cars going by. You'll see him shake with excitement as they pass by.

Labbit Travels: Hogback Mountain, VT

2011-07-12T22:20:00.000-04:00

On his way back to Vermont from the Catskills, Pipkin hitched a ride with a girl on a Ducati Monster. They stopped for an ice cream break at Hogback Mountain and took in the blue skies and green mountains of Vermont. Pipkin wasn't so sure what these metal contraptions were, until someone put in a coin, turned the handle, and gave Pip a boost.

Wow! He can see his house from here!

Pipkin thought he'd show you "Labbitback Mountain". Yeah. It's not that funny.

Sorry Pipkin, you'll have to have a helmet and goggles if you want to ride up front. Back in the sidebags for you...

Labbits Like: Fresh Pear and Hazelnut Tartlets

2011-07-11T22:40:00.000-04:00

While Pipkin's been hitching rides on motorcycles and hiking in the mountains, Clover's kept herself busy in the kitchen. Her latest: figuring out what to do with a whackton of hazelnuts! A friend lent her a wonderful recipe book full of hazelnut recipes for appetizers, soups, fish, poultry, meat, savoury and sweets and desserts, but the choices were overwhelming!

Finally, she settled on making these individual sized tarts, or "tartlets," as she prefers to call them. They're perfect served warm with a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream on the side. Clover likes Walpole Creamery Vanilla Ice Cream for its all natural made-from-scratch sweet cream base. It's made with rBGH-free dairy from Echo Moon Farm in Walpole, NH, just a stone's throw across the river from Bellows Falls VT.

Fresh Pear and Hazelnut Kuchen

Clover used Anjou pears for these tarts

Ingredients:
3 ripe, fresh pears (Bartlett, Comice, Anjou)
Fresh lemon juice
1 cup all purpose white flour
1/3 cup granulated white sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 cup coarsely chopped toasted hazelnuts
5 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 large egg
1/4 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp brown sugar

Preparation:
Position a baking rack in the center of the oven and heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Peel and core pears, rub with fresh lemon juice, and set aside.

In a food processor work bowl fitted with a metal blade, place flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and 1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts. Process until nuts are finely chopped, about 30 seconds. Add butter and process until it is like a coarse meal.

Whisk egg and sour cream together and pour over flour mixture. Process just until ingredients are evenly moistened, about ten seconds.

Spray 6 individual tart tins with nonstick vegetable spray. Spoon batter into pan and, with moistened finger tips, spread evenly over the bottom and about halfway up the sides.

Slice pears into 1/4 inch slices. Spread slices on top of the batter to form an overlapping circle, reserving enough slices to also cover the batter in the center. Squeeze lemon juice over the pears, and sprinkle with brown sugar and the remaining coarsely chopped hazelnuts.

Place the individual tarts on a cookie sheet and bake in the center of a preheated 375 degree Fahrenheit oven until puffed and golden, about 20 - 25 minutes. Let cool for about five minutes and, with the tip of a knife, release the pastry from the pans. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Yields: 6 individual tarts
Recipe: Adapted from Hazelnuts & More Cookbook, Lucy Gerspacher

Labbit Travels: Kaaterskill Falls, NY

2011-07-11T20:48:00.000-04:00

On the last day of Pipkin's three day trip to the Catskills, he visited the top, middle, and bottom of Kaaterskill Falls, a double cascade waterfall that is famous with poets and painters and tourists alike. Combined, the waterfall has a height of 260 feet (79 m), making it one of the tallest in New York state. Above, you see Pipkin at the foot of the falls. Several artists had set up easels to paint and draw the falls.

If you are adventurous enough to scramble over rocks, you can reach the foot of the upper falls and then go behind the falls. It's not often that the back of the falls is accessible, and the view and the sound is worth the trip. Just be safe!

And here Pipkin risks peering over the edge at the top of Kaaterskill Falls. There's no official hiking route from the foot of the falls to the top - you have to access the top of the falls from a different trail from the town of Haines Falls. You can find directions and information about the two trails that access the top and bottom of Kaaterskill Falls here.

While both of these trails are short and have very little elevation change, the foot of the falls is a rocky trail and is very busy. The ledges and wet rocks at the top of the falls also pose a danger. Please be careful hiking around the waterfall. Many people have lost their lives at Kaaterskill Falls, and there are perfectly gorgeous views if you stick to the trails.

Labbit Travels: Diamond Notch Falls

2011-07-10T10:19:00.002-04:00

After Pipkin's long hike up Hunter Mountain, he took it easy and hiked to Diamond Notch Falls nearby. The twin falls are 15 ft high and flow downstream through pretty Spruceton Valley, creating little whitewater cascades.

To get to Diamond Notch Falls, you can only access the trail from the west, at the end of Greene County Route 6. The drive takes you through a scenic rural area before you arrive at a small parking area by the trail. There's a little registration box where you can leave your name, the number of people in your party, and where you're from. It's helpful to the park rangers who can then get a sense of how many are using the trails, and locate your party in case you are lost. Happy trails!

Chillin' Poolside

2011-07-09T07:32:00.000-04:00

Giant Poufball Wishes

2011-07-08T04:49:00.002-04:00

While hiking at Hunter Mountain in the Catskills region of New York, Pipkin found these giant poufballs that looked like dandelion poufballs…just GIANT. He picked a really nice one and made a wish for a friend who happens to love poufball wishes and could really use a wish today. He hopes it comes true!

Labbit Travels: Hunter Mountain, NY

2011-07-07T21:42:00.000-04:00

Pipkin hitched another ride with his motorcycle riding friend Nick to Hunter Mountain, NY. He didn't have $10 to ride the lift up the mountain, but he was fine hopping up Belt Parkway, one of the ski runs at Hunter. He hopped up on this chairlift, which wasn't moving, just for the fun of it.

From the top of the lifts you can follow the trail markers towards the peak of Hunter Mountain, where you'll find New York state's highest fire tower at 4050 feet.

Pipkin in the shadow of the lift. Doesn't the shadow look like Frith?

Hunter Mountain also has a zipline course, new this year. It is the highest and longest zip line tour in New York state. Pipkin watched a few people zip across the first zip line, but didn't have any desire to do it himself.

A nice stone bunny was a part of a Rip Van Winkle carving along the trail to the fire tower.

Finally at the peak, Pipkin takes in the breathtaking view at the top of the fire tower. It was very windy, so he didn't stay long. Isn't it pretty?

All Natural Daisies Taste Better

2011-07-06T20:24:00.005-04:00

Pipkin picks out a fresh mountainside daisy to snack on while out on a hike. He thinks they're very tasty, and much nicer than balloon art daisies. He can't seem to decide if daisies or dandelions are tastier, though. They're both very pretty!

Daisy Balloon Art

2011-07-01T22:55:00.000-04:00

This daisy isn't natural, it's balloon art. Bet you didn't know Pipkin was this talented.

Recipe Redux: Poppy Seed Banana Muffins

2011-06-27T13:31:00.000-04:00

When Pipkin blushes, even his ears get a little pink.

Pipkin got to work this morning baking one of his favorite easy breakfast items — the banana poppy seed bread in muffin form. He's made that banana bread so many times he's got the recipe memorized. Or, so he thought. After he popped the muffin trays into the oven, he happened to peek at the blog entry and realized he forgot to put in baking powder! No wonder his banana bread had come out so flat last time! He thought that the squishy sides of his silicone bread pan spread out the loaf and that's why it didn't grow tall. Nope. Turns out he forgot to put in baking powder. Funny thing is, he posed in a picture with the baking powder. See?

Not pictured: flour, which is very important.

Quick like a labbit, he got the muffins out of the oven, poured the batter back into his mixing bowl, and added a teaspoon of baking powder before spooning the batter into the muffin tray and popping it back into the oven. Phew! No one wants flat muffins, right?

And not to worry, Pipkin has corrected the error on the banana bread entry, and he's included this recipe remix on that same page, so you too can make these easy muffins for breakfast. Pipkin's a little embarrassed now, but he hopes you'll forgive him. Labbits make mistakes just like everyone else.

Labbits Like: Lemon Zucchini Risotto

2011-06-27T10:45:00.002-04:00

When the labbits' friend Teresa isn't touring around North America on her BMW 650GS, storm chasing in the midwest or researching extreme weather in the Arctic, she takes time to share one of her favourite recipes: Lemon Zucchini Risotto. Even superheroes have to eat, after all!

If you're a fan of risotto (and who isn't? It's like elegant mac n' cheese) be sure to check out the beet risotto from last week. Risotto, you'll learn, is a basic formula of oil, onion, arborio rice, and slowly stirring in hot broth. What you add to it is up to you.

Lemon Zucchini Risotto

Ingredients:
5 cups vegetable stock
2 Tbsp EVOO
1 onion, finely chopped
1 2/3 cups arborio rice
1/3 cup dry sherry
3 tsp grated lemon zest
2 Tbsp lemon juice (about the juice of one lemon)
12 oz courgette zucchini, diced
1 Tbsp freshly chopped parsley (optional)
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Lemon zest for garnish
S+P to taste

Preparation:
Place the stock in a large saucepan, bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and keep at a low simmer.

Heat the oil in a large sauce pan, add the onion and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, or until softened. Reduce the heat, stir in the rice and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add 1/2 cup of hot stock stirring until all the stock is absorbed. Continue adding stock, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly, for 20 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed. If the risotto gets too dry, add a little extra stock or water.

Stir in the sherry, lemon zest, lemon juice and zucchini. Cook over low head for a further 5 minutes, or until the risotto is tender, with a slight bite to the inside of the grain. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and stir in the parsley and half the parmesan. Garnish with lemon zest and remaining parmesan.

Serves: 4 - 6 labbits

Labbits Like Lattes

2011-06-26T13:16:00.000-04:00

Pipkin cozies up with a latte at Mocha Joe's in Brattleboro VT. Nothing accessorizes a 'stache like a hot foamy latte.

Labbit Under Boston

2011-06-25T09:25:00.000-04:00

As a labbit, Pipkin feels very safe and cozy underground, but having seen U.N.K.L.E.'s music video for the song "Rabbit In Your Headlights", he's chosen a safer method of transportation - inside a vehicle.

"Rabbit In Your Headlights" features vocals by Thom Yorke of Radiohead and is a great track off U.N.K.L.E's 1998 album Psyence Fiction. (Yes, long before Pipkin was born!) While the video may be hard for some to watch, the ending is a good one, so have a listen, even if you have to shut your eyes.

Labbits Listen To: Florence + The Machine

2011-06-24T12:35:00.001-04:00

Pipkin went to Boston yesterday to see one of his favorite musicians: Florence + The Machine. Florence Welch is a vocalist and songwriter from London, England, and she tours with a regular line-up of musicians who back her up on keyboards, guitar, bass, percussion, harp and backing vocals. Her music is an eclectic mix of rock, pop and soul, with tribal like drumming and orchestral sounds all mixed in.

Although Pipkin prefers intimate shows at small venues, he enjoyed being at the Bank of America Pavilion, an outdoor tented amphitheater on the waterfront in South Boston. It can seat about 5000, with enough room in the seats to get on your feet and dance.

Pipkin had a seat near the back of the crowd but had a pretty good view when perched up on someone's shoulders. Unless you've got someone tall in front of you (and for Pipkin that's almost always the case) there really isn't a bad seat in the Pavilion. The sound is great, the ocean breeze is refreshing, and if it weren't for the clouds and rain, it'd be magical under the stars and city lights on a warm summer night.

A few crew members climbed up onto the lighting platform and threw t-shirts to the crowd before the show (those little black blurs are t-shirts). Pipkin didn't feel like getting crushed in the mob just for a free t-shirt. Besides, he's a labbit. And labbits don't wear t-shirts.

Not a terrible view from the back, given the size of the amphitheater. You can definitely make out the harp! Florence wore a flowy dress with a large chiffon like shawl on stage so you'd often see her shadow on the tent when she was backlit.

Like so. Pretty cool! Also cool - her backdrop for the song "Cosmic Love".

Pipkin had to get a boost and dance with the crowd during his favorite song, "Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)". Thanks go to the labbit hearted girl who raised him up! He had a fantastic time at the show and can't wait for Florence + The Machine's next album.

Labbits Like: Italian Herb Focaccia

2011-06-21T21:22:00.002-04:00

Clover woke up unusually early this morning and got all antsy having no one around to play with. Since she had a couple of hours alone she thought she'd bake a quick bread before everyone else woke up. In under two hours she'd have an aromatic herbed focaccia hot from the oven for the labbits to eat.

Just like the fantastic Banana Poppy Seed Bread (with fancy pants orange zest!) that Pipkin baked a couple weeks ago, this bread requires no kneading. Just prep your pan, mix the dough ingredients together, and let the yeast do its magic. You'll get the best flavored results from long, slow fermentation (rising) at an ambient temperature of 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Then poke some holes in the puffy, pillowy dough, drizzle some oil and sprinkle on some herbs and bake!

Italian Herb Focaccia
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups warm water (105 - 115 degrees Fahrenheit)
3 Tbsp EVOO
1 1/4 tsp salt
3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp instant yeast
1/4 cup Vermont cheese powder (Clover likes Cabot Cheddar Shake Cheese)

2 to 3 Tbsp EVOO for drizzling
Dried Italian herbs for sprinkling (Oregano, Rosemary, Thyme, Basil)

Preparation:
Prep a 9" x 13" pan by lightly greasing and then drizzling olive oil in the bottom of the pan. Don't be shy with the olive oil. You'll get a nice crust bottom!

Dough, pre-rise

In a large bowl, combine the water, oil, salt, flour, yeast and cheese powder and beat at high speed with an electric mixer for 60 seconds. Your dough should get smooth and tacky. Pour the batter into the pan and cover with plastic wrap or a bit of tin foil (tin foil is recyclable!). Let the batter rise at an ambient room temperature of 70 - 80 degrees Fahrenheit for 60 minutes until it's puffy. At the end of rising, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Gently poke the batter all over with a finger or clean paws.

Clover's focaccia dance is dedicated to Miss Maggie Whalebutt

Drizzle the top with a little olive oil and sprinkle generously with dried Italian herbs. Bake until the bread is golden brown, about 35 - 40 minutes.

Drizzled with oil and sprinkled with herbs. Ready for the oven!

Remove from the oven and allow to cool 5 minutes, then turn it out onto a cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature, on its own or slice it up and make yourself a veggie sandwich with avocado, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion and mustard. Yum!

Yield: about 12 slices
Recipe: Adapted from King Arthur Flour

Captain Holly Climbs Mt Cardigan

2011-06-19T21:45:00.000-04:00

It was a gorgeous sunny day in New England so Captain Holly decided to check out the view from the top of Mt Cardigan in Orange, NH. The 3121 ft summit is barren rock with little vegetation which provides a 360 degree panoramic view of rural New Hampshire. On a clear day like today, Captain Holly imagines he saw into Vermont as well.

A fire in 1855 burned much of the vegetation and soil at the summit of Mt Cardigan, and to this day there are only a few shrubs, lichen and moss. Knowing this, Captain Holly really shouldn't be smorkin' up there!

After soaking in the sun on the rocks, Captain Holly cooled his paws in a pretty moss covered stream with little waterfalls over the rocks.

For more information about hiking the trails at Mt Cardigan, visit the Appalachian Mountain Club's page for Mt Cardigan. And remember - don't smork on hiking trails! Only you can prevent wildfires.

Labbits Like: Beet Risotto

2011-06-18T20:03:00.000-04:00

Clover was psyched to get the first beets and beet greens of the CSA season from Deep Meadow Farm. Beets are wonderfully sweet and have fantastic color, and the best part is you can eat the greens, which have a pretty purplish red veining. This beet risotto recipe, courtesy of Eating Well magazine, is a sweet and sour mix of beets and balsamic vinegar. Served up on a single leaf and sprinkled with some shredded cheese, it's also very elegant to look at.

Making risotto is a labor of love. You have to attend to it carefully, adding broth little by little and stirring constantly. When you bite into perfectly al dente but creamy risotto, you know it's worth the time you've spent hovering by the stovetop!

Beet Risotto With Beet Greens
Ingredients:
1 bunch of beets with greens
6 cups of low sodium vegetable broth
5 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp EVOO
1 Tbsp butter
1 small onion, coarsely diced
2 cups Arborio rice
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
grated cheese (Clover used Gruyere)

Preparation:
Remove the greens from the beets then cut off and discard the stems. Cut the greens into ½ inch strips crosswise and set aside. Scrub the beets and place in a saucepan with the broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook until beets are tender, about 30 minutes.

Remove beets from the broth and allow them to cool. Meanwhile, strain the cooking liquid by pouring the broth through a sieve lined with cheesecloth or a paper towel into a bowl and set aside the broth. With the beets now cool, rub them to remove the skins. Finely dice the beets, place in a bowl with 2 Tbsp of the balsamic vinegar and set aside. With the beets, beet greens and broth ready and standing by, you can now begin to assemble the risotto.

In a Dutch oven, heat the oil and butter over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Next add the remaining 3 Tbsp of vinegar and 1 cup of the broth. Stir until nearly all the liquid is absorbed. Continue adding the broth one cup at a time as the liquid is absorbed, adjusting the heat to maintain a simmer. Stir frequently throughout the process.

Add the beet greens along with the last cup of broth and stir until the greens are wilted.

Then stir in the reserved beets and vinegar.

Cook another 3 to 5 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed. The risotto should be thick and creamy and the rice should be al dente. If after all the liquid is absorbed, the rice is still too firm on the inside, add about ¼ cup of water and continue to cook for a few additional minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with grated Gruyere cheese.

Serves: 6 labbits
Recipe: Adapted from Eating Well, March 2006

Captain Holly Visits Harpoon Brewery

2011-06-15T23:40:00.001-04:00

Captain Holly visited Harpoon Brewery in Windsor, VT and sampled many of their fine craftsman beers. He's a particular fan of the Leviathan Uber-Bock, so he's claimed a case for himself. And the green pellets below might look a lot like labbit food but it's actually hops. Captain Holly had to put aside his labbitty raiding tendencies and leave the hops where they were.

Mmmmm. BEER. Captain Holly can drink you under the table, but he keeps it classy and checks out the tasting notes in his little Beer Passport.

Glassblowing At Simon Pearce

2011-06-13T23:33:00.000-04:00

Captain Holly looks into the gift shop at Simon Pearce

Captain Holly was camping at Wilgus State Park on the weekend and decided to stop by Simon Pearce to watch some artists at work glassblowing. He'll be sure to tell Clover about this place, and he found himself a little lonely, wishing he'd brought her along. She would have really liked it here.

On the catwalk, Captain Holly looks down at a couple of glassblowers. One would bring hot glass out of the furnace and pour it into a heart shaped mold. The other would press the mold and then bring the product over for finishing while the first would trim off the glass and go into the furnace for more.

Holly peeked through a window off the catwalk to see what other glass creations were available. The window to the gift shop was a lot more interesting (top photo) but he'll come back another time with Clover.

Visit the Simon Pearce website to see their handblown glass items, pottery, home decor and lighting items.

A Day at the Beach

2011-06-08T20:22:00.000-04:00

Pipkin saw the mercury rise and rise and felt it would be a perfect day to chill at the beach at Spofford Lake. The sand was too hot for his paws so he decided to hang out on the swings in the shade. Then when someone abandoned a beach towel he raced across the sand and settled in for more cold treats.

Labbit Travels: Quechee Gorge

2011-06-07T15:05:00.000-04:00

You'll have to pardon Pipkin's recent lack of updates on the blog. When he can't hitch a ride on a bicycle or a motorcycle to get places, he will travel far by pure hopping power. He knew he was in for a lot of heat so he hopped north to Quechee for a quick dip in the water at the bottom of the gorge. It's a short 1/3 mile hop down from the bridge (where you can get creamees and ice pops) to this quiet, sunny spot where you can sit on the rocks, dip in some of the little pools or get into some deep swift moving water. Pipkin himself prefers sunning on the rocks and occasionally dipping his paws in the cool water.

He also likes to climb, so when he saw this huge fallen tree trunk, he tested his balance with a little walk, being sure to keep a lookout for birds of prey.

All those black dots are tadpoles!

There's lots of small catfish, crayfish and tadpoles in the little pools at the bottom of the gorge. Pipkin hopes for the fish's sake that the dam releases some water and gets them out into the big water soon. And hopefully all these tadpoles will grow up to be nice big happy frogs. Pipkin feels because both rabbits and frogs do a lot of hopping, that they share a special sort of bond. Don't you just like their fat and bunchy bodies?

Labbits Like: Banana Poppy Seed Bread With Orange Zest

2011-06-05T12:06:00.009-04:00

The labbits prefer their bananas bright and yellow and without brown spots. When bananas get really ripe, they make banana bread! This version skips the walnuts (which some of the labbits are allergic to) and adds poppy seeds and orange zest, to fancy pants it up.

Banana bread is a quick and easy bread to make, and doesn't require kneading or even anything more than a fork to mash and mix. It's a perfect Sunday morning kind of bread.

If you prefer your banana bread in muffin format, that's easily doable, and even quicker to come out of the oven. Look for the recipe remix down below.

Banana Bread, pre-bake.

Banana Poppy Seed Bread With Orange Zest

Not pictured: flour, which is very important!

Ingredients:
2 ripe bananas, peeled
1 egg
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 Tbsp poppy seeds
Zest of one medium orange (about 2 tsp)
Vegetable oil and flour for the bread pan

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease and flour a bread pan and set aside.

In a small bowl, mash the banana with a fork until smooth (a few lumps are ok). Add egg, sugar and butter and mix well.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, poppy seeds and orange zest. Add banana mixture and mix until evenly moist. Pour into the prepared bread pan and bake 50 - 60 minutes or until loaf is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

*RECIPE REMIX!*
For muffins: Spoon batter into a prepared muffin tray and bake 25 - 30 minutes or until tops of muffins are golden brown.

Allow to cool in the pan 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool further. Serve at room temperature.

Yields: One loaf, 12 slices, OR 12 muffins

Labbit Travels: Shelburne Falls

2011-06-04T20:54:00.001-04:00

Pipkin caught a ride as a stowaway on Nick's motorcycle and went to visit Shelburne Falls in the foothills of the Berkshires. He visited the famous Bridge of Flowers and the Iron Bridge connecting Shelburne and Buckland, seen in the picture above.

The Bridge of Flowers has many annuals and perennials, like alium, columbine, irises, roses, peonies, bleeding hearts, astilbe, hostas, a variety of shrubs, small trees and climbing vines, and giant poppies, like this one with Pipkin.

One mustn't miss the glacial potholes, carved out during the last glacier age 14,000 years ago. Late spring and early summer you get a better view of these naturally occurring potholes when the water is not so high.

After Pipkin got his fill of flowers and rocks, he visited a few shops featuring glass blowers and art from local painters, photographers and craftsmen before climbing back in Nick's panniers for the motorcycle ride home. Once Pipkin gets a pair of goggles and maybe a helmet, he'll be able to ride up front.

Labbit Meets Labbit

2011-06-01T19:58:00.004-04:00

The First Sighting from The Clothes Horse on Vimeo.

The labbits were happy to see another new stop motion labbit movie featuring Nasha, a labbit who lives with Rebecca, whose blog The Clothes Horse inspires many of Clover's crafty and sartorial creations.

I made a stop motion labbit movie a loooong time ago, when Pipkin first met Clover, sometime in September of 2010. I was just fooling around with my camera and iMovie for the first time, so this was very experimental. The pacing ended up being quite erratic, which I blame on my impatience to just shoot enough material to test out iMovie. The result was still cute, so I kinda like it. Anyway, I couldn't upload my video in very high quality because Blogger controls the file size and I don't know how to get around it without posting the video to youtube, which I don't want to do anyway because my address is all over the box soooo...I hope you enjoy it in all its low res glory. I also didn't get as fancy and put it to music. I keep saying I'll add a soundtrack someday, but I never seem to get around to it.

By the way, for those of you who are not familiar with "blind box" or "blind assortment" toy culture, it's like, a big deal n' stuff to unbox your item for the first time because these items are sold either in packaging that doesn't allow a recipient (or the seller) to know what's inside (and some varieties are more rare than others), or the item is picked at random by the seller, and the buyer doesn't know what they're going to get. Youtube has many blind box opening videos, and for some odd reason, other people have fun watching these. I always thought it a little strange, so I themed the labbit video below as if it were an unboxing. In the end, I thought yeah - I bet my labbit did have fun unboxing the new labbit!

*edit - oh dear, I don't know why the video doesn't work in the first couple of seconds. That's weird. It was just a title screen that said "Labbit Gets a Surprise", so you're not missing much!

Labbits Like: Grilled Chickpea Burgers

2011-05-31T21:48:00.000-04:00

Nothing says summer like grilled burgers and cookouts. Next time you're headed to a potluck, why not bring along this tasty option for the vegetarians? This burger is made with mashed chickpeas and brown rice, and spiced with coriander and cumin. You could take this recipe and add your own twist - sweet kernals of corn, flax seeds, maybe some curry? Whatever you choose, don't forget to dress it up with other colorful veggies. Pipkin likes his with roasted red pepper hummus, baby spinach, tomatoes and onions. Happy grilling!

Chickpea Burgers
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp sesame seeds
1 Tbsp ground coriander
1 Tbsp ground cumin
2 tsp canola oil
4 scallions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 cup cooked brown rice
2/3 cup wheat germ, divided
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

Your choice of burger fixin's. Pipkin used 100% Whole Wheat Flax & Fiber Arnold Sandwich Thins and added baby spinach, sliced tomatoes, sliced red onion, plain non-fat Greek yogurt and hummus spread. You could also throw in alfalfa sprouts, sliced avocado, etc. Keep it colorful.

Preparation:
Heat a small skillet over low heat. Add sesame seeds and toast, stirring, until golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Add coriander and cumin; cook, stirring, until fragrant, 10 to 20 seconds more. Transfer to a plate and let cool. Grind with a mortar and pestle or in a spice mill or clean coffee grinder; set aside.

Add oil to the pan and heat over medium heat. Add scallions and garlic; cook, stirring, until softened about 2 minutes. Set aside.

Preheat a grill to medium-high.

Coarsely mash chickpeas in a medium bowl with a potato masher.

Stir in rice, 1/3 cup wheat germ, lemon juice, salt, pepper, the reserved spice mixture and the scallion mixture; mix well.

Shape the mixture into four 3/4 inch thick patties. Place the remaining 1/3 cup wheat germ in a shallow dish and dredge them firmly.

Grill the patties until browned and heated through, about 3 minutes per side. Place the burgers in a bun or pita and dress with your favorite condiments.

Yields: 4 burgers
Recipe: Eating Well June 2011