Retirement

Retirement. It's a thing I think of every once in a while. However, it feels far away, and if I'm honest with myself, it's something that may never truly happen for me. I'm not excellent with money, and as previously mentioned, I don't think about it all that often. I feel like people that comfortably retire keep a close eye on their retirement fund, whereas I just let my work take care of it and as far as I know, they just put it all on red at the casino.

I read recently that 1 in 6 millennials have $100000 saved. I am POSITIVE that I don't know that many people with that much money saved. It also said that by 35 you should have double your salary saved, and again, that isn't where I'm at.

What is it that has me thinking about retirement now, you may ask. Today would have been my mother's 65th birthday. My dad, still with us, is 70 this year and still not retired. I imagine my mom wouldn't have been either. Perhaps a 'soft retirement' where she continues to make an income or something of that nature. Or who knows. It's been 12 years, nearly, since she passed and anything could have happened in that time to change the circumstances. And I was only 23 when she passed, so I might not have had the best grasp on where she was financially, but I think I have a pretty good idea.

Of course, it's not just the retirement that's been on my mind. This day, and the day she passed, always bring an increasingly hazy mix of memories and general malaise. It's a numb feeling and one that creates a discord in my brain as I sometimes can't feel anything and think that I should be. Sometimes, it's a day of deep feeling and a huge flood of memories as if I were with her just yesterday. I wish there were a way for me to funnel those things or control them in any way, or at the very least understand them. Until the possible day comes where I might understand that, I will be here, the waves passing over me with whatever they may bring, hoping to live healthily to a day I may retire myself.

Recipe: NSA Oat Protein Bars

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 - 2 cups Oats (I used mix of Large and Quick)
2 Extra Ripe Bananas
1 Small Apple, peeled, cored and chopped into 1/2 cm pieces
1 tbsp Lemon Juice
1 tsp Vanilla
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tbsp Cocoa Powder
1-2 tbsp Protein Powder ( I used Pea Protein)
1/4 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Salt




Preheat oven to 350F

In a medium bowl, mash bananas with lemon juice, cocoa, vanilla and cinnamon. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of oats, protein powder, baking powder, salt and the apple. If the mixture is runny, add the rest of the oats. If it has a thickened oatmeal texture, you're good. Once that consistency is reached, flatten it all into a lined or greased bread pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes for chewy and 25-30 for a firmer bar. Cut into bars and let cool before removing from pan.

Movie Review: Alex Strangelove

Alex Strangelove (2018)
Starring: Daniel Doheny, Madeline Weinstein, Antonio Marziale
















I had some free time, and I've been on a bit of a Netflix teen dramedy kick, so I thought I'd check this one out. The basis for the movie is a pretty good one. Alex, a medium handsome, fairly nerdy kid explores a first love, Claire. Along the way, he chalks up his sexual hesitance to nervousness until he meets Elliott, a confidently gay young man, at a party. The two become friends and Elliott immediately questions Alex's sexuality. After some questionable relationship choices (he IS a teenage male after all), he finally comes to the conclusion that he is gay. Claire, his friend-come-girlfriend-come-friend again, cheers him on.

So, I'm touchy critiquing this, because I think it a SUPER positive thing to have teen movies showing characters questioning their sexuality and coming to terms with being whoever they are. I thought the movie showed great respect for his internal struggle and confusion, as well. However, the Claire character was still a manic pixie dream girl. She loved all the same stuff as him! She was super into the idea of sex and guided him through what he needed! We even got to see her topless for some reason! Then, after he angrily admits he likes someone else, catches him hooking up with another girl, and he admits it's Elliott he likes, she gets mad for five minutes and then forgives him and supports his sexuality. Now, the Elliott character seemed similarly only there to make him question his sexuality, so perhaps just secondary character development is the real issue here.

I thought the actors did a good job, and I'm happy to see gay coming of age stories. I'm just sad it has to perpetuate other problematic features along the way.

Restarting

Well, well, well. Hello old friends. I haven't been writing on here for some time, but lately I am feeling anxious to vomit my thoughts and creativity onto all of you again. On the topic of restarting, I'm going to write about just that. As someone who has 1284389 ideas in my head at all times, I have a tendency to begin projects and then not complete them. This blog, of course, is an example (although one would argue that it has no true 'finish' per se).

Since last I wrote, I've had a number of these such things. To start, when I logged in, I saw a draft of a post I was writing entitled 'The University Project - Part I' where I was chronicling my experience of attending University for the first time, as an adult with a full-time job. At the time I was experiencing an awakening of sorts about my workplace. I was working nights and getting interviews, but losing out on jobs that came up. It's a great workplace, so I had no interest of leaving, but I wanted to advance my career. Through asking HR, I found that more education might be the best way to go about that. I enrolled in a business management organizational program at my work in hopes of driving that. Through a weird set of circumstances, I became the supervisor on that shift and after a few terms, sort of veered off of that trail. Three years later, I'm working days doing something I enjoy, but it was only through force of showing up during the day and making my face known and 'selling myself' that I got here.

Music, much like writing, has taken a big ol' back seat in this car called my life as well. Two Bears has been long-defunct and 2-3 other musical endeavours trailed off with half-written songs and ideas existing only as a combination of voice memos and .wavs buried deep on my computer. I joined a bass where I played bass for a while, but it came to my attention that surrounding my own egotism, I much prefer playing my own music. FINALLY, years later, I've been getting some ideas out on paper...er computer. (They can be found here: https://soundcloud.com/tobias-milton-500668711)
It's something I've loved doing since I was 13 years old, I can't believe it's taken me this long to get back on that track.

Anxiety and Depression are the main culprits that have held me back (aside from my general non-see it through-edness) and I aim to work toward changing that. I look forward to returning with more reviews, some recipes and more stories.Looking to restart a few creative avenues in my life and hope you'll join me.

Sunday Brunch - Blueberry Coffee Cake

Oh, another long absence. My routine for writing has been out of whack, but this delicious morsel was too good to not write about. Adapted from this recipe: Everybody Calm Down












INGREDIENTS: 
1/2 cup Vegetable Shortening

1 cup Sugar (cane, coconut, etc.)

2 Egg Replacers (Ener-G is what I use)

1/2 tsp Vanilla

1 tsp Baking Soda

Pinch of Salt

1 cup Sour Supreme (or other sour cream substitute)

2 cups flour
1 cup Blueberries
3/4 cup Flour
1/4 cup Brown Sugar
2 tsp Cinnamon
1/3 cup Vegan Margarine, melted

Combine shortening through 2 cups flour in a mixer, adding in that order. Pour 1/2 of the batter into a 9x13 baking pan and sprinkle the blueberries across the batter, then add second half of batter. Combine 3/4 cup flour, brown sugar, cinnamon together and add melted margarine and create a crumble; sprinkle on top of cake. Bake at 325F for 45 minutes to one hour (test with knife in centre, ours took much longer)
 

Sunday Brunch: Simple Spicy Sweet Potato Hash

INGREDIENTS:
1 Sweet Potato, peeled and diced
1/2 Medium Onion, diced
1 Chili, crushed
1 tsp Flaked Sea Salt

Parboil sweet potatoes for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, chop the onions and begin sauteing. Drain the potatoes and add them to the pan. Stir in the crushed chili and salt and fry until browned on most sides. Serve with Thai Chili sauce, ketchup or chili sauce. 

A Record a Week: Paul McCartney & Wings - Band on the Run

SIDE 1.
BAND ON THE RUN
JET
BLUEBIRD
MRS VANDERBILT
LET ME ROLL IT

SIDE 2.
MAMUNIA
NO WORDS
HELEN WHEELS
PICASSO'S LAST WORDS (Drink To Me)
NINETEEN HUNDRED AND EIGHTY FIVE




I am almost entirely unfamiliar with McCartney's post-Beatles work, except for the title track on this album. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. The album kicks off with that wonderfully memorable synth-filled intro to Band on the Run, before it kicks into the main part of the song. Then it follows up with Jet, which is more rocky than I had expected the album to keep pace at. It's not until some songs later on the A-Side that you begin to notice the slower parts of McCartney's writing that Lennon apparently loathed so much. However, it doesn't stay like that. The second side picks back up and has a fabulous ending in the final two songs, including some wonderful reprised lines from earlier songs thrown in.

I took so long getting to this record because it represented a piece of post-Beatles music that I wasn't familiar with and I was afraid a lackluster showing might sour me somehow. I purposely steered far clear of anything between Abbey Road and McCartney's recent fronting of the surprisingly hard-rocking Nirvana/Beatles mash. Though it had some of the cheesy McCartney bits, there was definitely some good rock in there. Pleasant surprise!

Sunday Brunch: Tropical Date-Cinnamon Oats

Adapted from a post by: tunsbuns.wordpress.com

 INGREDIENTS:
1 cup Almond Milk (I use unsweetened to make it refined sugar-free)
1 tsp Vanilla
1/3 cup Oats
2 Dates, pitted and chopped
1 tbsp Chia
1/2 tbsp Hemp Hearts
1/2 tbsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Coconut
1/2 Mango, chopped (other half served on side)
1 Banana, chopped

Bring the almond milk and vanilla to a low boil. Add the oats, chia, coconut, hemp, dates and cinnamon. When nearly cooked (should be fairly thick), add chopped fruit and cook, stirring constantly, for another few minutes.

Sunday Brunch: Spicy Tofu & Plum Scramble

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 brick X-Firm Tofu, large crumbles
1/2 small Onion, diced
1/2 tsp Turmeric
1/2 tsp Fennel Seeds (optional)
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1 Dried Chili, crushed
Salt + Pepper to taste
1 Plum, chopped + pit removed

In a pan, saute the onions in a bit of water over high heat. Add the tofu and stir, splash in a little more water if it dries up. Stir in the spices until everything is evenly coated. Add the chopped plums and stir until the plums soften. Serve with oatmeal for a complete gluten-free breakfast.

Sunday Brunch: Fruity Overnight Oats

INGREDIENTS:
2/3 cup Large Flake Oats
2/3 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
1 tsp Chia Seeds
1/2 cup Mixed chopped fruits (I used Mango, Melon, Banana and Strawberry)

In a blender or food processor, purée the fruits. In a jar or lidded shake cup (pictured), combine purée with oats, milk and chia. Give it a good shake until mixed and then throw the lid on, put in the fridge and let sit overnight. In the morning, top with fresh berries/sliced fruit and eat it up. The result is a creamy, yummy raw treat.

Sunday Brunch: Spiced Chickpea Casserole

*Adapted from a recipe at fatfreevegan.com

















INGREDIENTS:
2 cups Water + more for cooking
1 tbsp Soy Milk Powder
3 tbsp Corn Starch
1/2 cup Nutritional Yeast
1 tsp Salt
1 tbsp Lemon Juice
2 tbsp Tahini
1/2 tsp Turmeric
1/2 tsp Cumin
1/4 tsp Cayenne (or more if you like spicy)
1/2 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Dry Mustard
2 cups Potatoes, peeled and diced
2 cups Chick Peas (drained and rinsed, I cooked dried ones and used the water as one of the cups of water for the sauce)
1 cup Cauliflower, chopped
1 Onion, diced
3 cloves Garlic, minced

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a food processor, add the first 12 ingredients (up to Dry Mustard) and combine.

Add 2 tbsp water to a large pan and brown the onions (add more water as needed to prevent sticking). Add garlic and stir for 1 minute. Add cauliflower, potatoes, chick peas and sauce and stir until it thickens. Pour mixture into a casserole dish and bake for 40 minutes.

A Record a Week: Johnny Mathis - Give Me Your Love For Christmas

SIDE 1.
JINGLE BELL ROCK
HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS
MY FAVORITE THINGS
GIVE ME YOUR LOVE FOR CHRISTMAS
SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN
WHAT ARE YOU DOING NEW YEAR'S EVE?

SIDE 2.
DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR?
CALYPSO NOEL
THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY
CHRISTMAS DAY
THE LORD'S PRAYER

Well, Christmas in March, who knew? More accurately, I didn't think I could possibly have owned any Christmas albums that weren't Bing Crosby (except for possibly Jim Reeves, but R is a long way away and I wasn't concerned about that yet). Lo and Behold, here's Johnny Mathis, who Bette Midler (via Wikipedia) has dubbed 'the king of Christmas'. My lack of knowledge of Christmas music besides Bing, and the general association with Tin Pan Alley, is clear to me after reading about this man. This was his third out of now six Christmas-themed albums. Who knew?

The style itself is a bit more up-tempo than most Christmas stuff I've heard, while not being super schmooze-y.  In fact, Mathis presents a mostly palatable version of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, a song my wife has accurately described as a 'funeral dirge'. When next Christmas comes around, I am going to keep an ear out for him and if I don't hear him, I'm going to call and request him from stations that insist on Michael Bublé or any soft pop garbage.

Extended Absence Due To Cats

I am aware that my posting has been down as of late, but there's a reason for that. Well, a few reasons. For one, I've been reducing my sugar intake and that pairs up with less brunch posts (though I am determined to try out some things that aren't just fresh fruit arrangements). Mostly though, we've had an interesting couple of months involving cats.

It all began with a friend posting an ad from Kijiji on a social media site. The ad was a cry for help from a person who was looking for a home for their pets while they underwent a medical emergency. We took in the cats and for a while, everything was hunky-dory. All six cats seemed to tolerate each other (I should say 4, one of the adoptives ran to hide in the basement and one of ours was completely sketchy). The adoptives each had personalities and other traits that mirrored our cats' and it was kind of neat discovering them. Then one day, something changed. I'm not sure if the balance of power amongst them switched or the other guys were just getting comfortable here, but they became the dominant group. The old guy in their group began sitting on top of our old guy wherever he chose to rest and would stay there until he pried himself up and moved. The polydactlyl one would chase around our small one until she hid under something (kitchen island, bathroom cupboards, etc.) and wait at the edge taunting her. The one who hid in the basement came to the top of the stairs, not brave enough to come out, but still would stand his ground at the cat door, preventing the other cats from getting to the basement (where the litter box is...and yes we tried opening the door, but they still wouldn't go past him). This very quickly progressed to our cats peeing other places. The one we caught we took to the vet and he had a 'possibly stress-related urinary problem'. Great, he peed all over our family room chair, the bathtub and the front hallway multiple times. In comes a litter box for the spot by the front door. What a wonderful way to greet house guests! Still though, it fixed the problem and in no way is that a bad thing. Then, though, our cats began showing up with scratches on their faces and bodies (vet said the body ones could be stress-related). One day, our old guy was not sitting properly and had a really swollen genital area. We immediately took him to the vet and they diagnosed him with 'crystals' in his urine that was blocking the tract. Now, this most likely was a result of us feeding him a blend of generic food and the more expensive high-protein food we usually feed our cats (6 cats is pricey) and not his normal vet food. I am taking full blame for this, even though the vet said it can be brought on by stress. Anyhow, we then had to monitor the old dude AND keep the other cats separate and the two factions separated from each other. The result was each floor of our house having either one, two or three cats cordoned off. Our cats are all back together post-healing, but still separate from the other ones for now. We are trying to get things dealt with, but it's not feeling fair to either set of cats.

Now, I realize that this makes the other cats seem like jerks. On their own, they are EXCELLENT cats. Very snuggly and sweet, but put 6 cats together and they are going to form a hierarchy of some sort and most likely, as happened, the two sets of three would stick together and be against one another. One set was bound to become the alphas and it just happened to not be ours. It's been a very stressful experience, for the cats especially, but us as well. I think fostering is a great and important thing and one we will probably do again, but maybe not until our cats have lived out there life stress-free.

Sunday Brunch (Gluten-Free February): Monster Salad

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup Mixed Greens
1/2 cup Kale, massaged, pieces
1 cup Brown Rice, cooked
1/2 Red Pepper, diced
1 cup Brown Mushrooms, chopped
1 Zucchini, diced
1/2 brick Tofu, diced
1/2 Avocado, diced
1/2 cup Strawberries, diced
1/4 cup Chia Seeds
1/4 Cup Sesame Seeds
2 tbsp Gluten-Free BBQ Sauce
2 tbsp Salsa (should be GF, but check)

In a pan, steam fry the tofu, zucchini, mushrooms and peppers until soft. Add in rice and BBQ sauce/salsa.  Lay greens out on a plate and top with fried mixture. Top off with avocado, strawberries and seeds.

A Record a Week: Dean Martin - Greatest Hits Vol. 1

SIDE 1.
EVERYBODY LOVES SOMEBODY
YOU'RE NOBODY 'TIL SOMEBODY LOVES YOU
IN THE CHAPEL IN THE MOONLIGHT
HOUSTON
(REMEMBER ME) I'M THE ONE WHO LOVES YOU
I CAN'T HELP REMEMBERING YOU

SIDE 2.
NOBODY'S BABY AGAIN
EVERY MINUTE, EVERY HOUR
BUMMING AROUND
YOU'LL ALWAYS BE THE ONE I LOVE
COME RUNNING BACK
THE BIRDS AND THE BEES


When you think of crooners, Dean Martin's name is one of the first that come to mind. He was in the heart of the crooning era and a part of the famous 'Rat Pack'. I am not sure if crooning was as cheesy in its day as I find it now, or if it fit more in with the times. I find artists like Bublé endlessly talented, but extremely over the top and I'm not sure if it's a result of artists from that time being remembered as idols and the ones at the origin of many of these crooning/big band standards that they aren't viewed in the same light. Then again, Bublé tours massive venues, so I guess I'm not the majority in that sense.

As mentioned, this album holds up as an album full of Martin's crooning standards and as such, has that smooth sound that makes that music what it is. It does, however, get a little old and stuffy by the end of the record. I imagine that is a result of me not knowing the later songs, but talent alone doesn't do it for me over the length of an album.

This album also came out in a time when you could seemingly make ENDLESS amounts of 'best of' records by the same artists. I find it hard to believe anyone made any money off of any of these compilations, when they all contained a selection of similar songs. Once copyright came into play that dried up pretty quick.

Sunday Brunch (Gluten-Free February): Lumberjack Breakfast

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup Onion, thinly sliced and quartered
1/2 package X-Firm Tofu, crumbled
1/2 Bell Pepper (any colour).
1/2 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Turmeric
2-4 tbsp Salsa, to taste
1/2 cup Hashbrown Potatoes (from frozen or fresh)
1/2 Avocado, diced
Sliced fruit for a side




Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan over medium heat. Fry onions until translucent and then add crumbled tofu. After 1 minute, add spices and stir until tofu takes on a 'scrambled egg' look, then add diced pepper. When pepper is soft, stir in salsa and cook for a minute or so, until salsa is warm. Serve over hashbrown potatoes and top with avocado, serve with your favourite fruit on the side (I am eating Cara Cara oranges as much as possible until they're out of season). Chili sauce also goes well on top of the scramble.

 

Sunday Brunch (Gluten-Free February): Apple Pie-Style Rice Pudding

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup Rice, short-grain, uncooked
1 cup + 1 tbsp Water
1/2 Apple, small, peeled and diced
3/4 cup Almond Milk, divided
2 tbsp Rice Flour (or Nut Flour)
2 tbsp Sugar
1 tbsp Brown Sugar
1 Egg Replacer (Ener-G is GF)
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Vanilla Extract



Boil the water in a medium saucepan and add a dash of salt. Add rice and diced apple to the pot, cover and simmer for 18 minutes.

With about 5 minutes left on the timer, bring 1/2 cup almond milk to a low boil. Meanwhile, combine rice flour, sugars and 1/8 cup almond milk in a small mixing bowl. Add the Ener-G (already mixed by the box), vanilla, cinnamon and another 1/8 cup almond milk. Add the spiced mixture to the heated milk and stir frequently until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in finished rice. Serve hot or cold as desired.

Olympic Dreams (not aspirations)

My dad has traveled to Sochi to cover the winter Olympics and it has really been worrying me. He’s been to many games before, but with everything surrounding this one, I was concerned for his well-being. To make matters worse, I hadn’t heard from him since his plane left on Tuesday. I finally heard from him today, but before that happened my stress managed to manifest itself in a dream last night.

In the dream, I awoke to the phone ringing, which I missed. I immediately filled with dread and got on the computer (I don’t know why). In my email there was a notice that my dad had died in a bombing(again, not sure why it would be email). I broke down, obviously, and I remember thinking about how much I really didn’t want him to go and tried to get him not to (actually wanted/did those things).

The worst part about the dream is that my mother was there to console me about it. When I woke abruptly, the fact that my mother is not actually alive to console me set in a while before the realization that my dad is (at the time ‘probably’) fine. It was a panicky little bit and I can’t be happier that I finally got a message from him saying all is well.

A Record a Week: The Mar-Keys - The Great Memphis Sound

SIDE 1.
HONEY POT
PLANTATION INN
LOVING YOU TOO LONG
CLEO'S BLACK
GRAB THIS THING

SIDE 2.
PHILLY DOG
WALKING WITH THE DUKE
THE GIRL FROM IPANEMA
IN THE MOOD
"DEAR JAMES" MEDLEY (Night Train, Papa's Got a Brand New Bag, I Got You, Good Loving, I'll Go Crazy)

The Mar-Keys were a studio session backing band in the 60's (and have recently reformed), who also had some single hits of their own. As such, most of the music is instrumental and many are familiar/cover songs. It's an excellent background album to have on, as I find most big band is.

The album swims seamlessly between swing, soul and some funk/r&b as it showcases songs from the Stax catalog (the label for which they were a backing band). The result is the best possible version of Muzak, which I wish they would pump everywhere instead of the inane version that they usually do.

This record felt like a throwback to my household when I grew up. TV was a thing we liked to watch then, but it was more of an event than a thing that always happened. The main room was reserved for reading, conversation and 100% of the time - music. As a result, the music was often softer music or instrumental. This record would fit perfect into that situation; unless you were reading a book, in which case getting up every 10 minutes would probably be irritating.

Sunday Brunch: Icelandic Brunch - Porridge w/ Veggie 'Blood' Sausages ***Bonus Gluten-free February option

I've been dreaming of a trip to Iceland lately, so I looked up what their style of breakfast is this week. Unfortunately, they have a very heavy reliance on meat over there, so it was mostly that. No better time to try my hand at sausages from scratch! Thank you to The Post Punk Kitchen for the base recipe, which I altered.

Secondly, I am going to post BOTH the gluten-free and the very much not gluten-free recipe. The oats are GF by nature, as long as you get ones that aren't processed in a plant that also processes gluten products. ***The Gluten-Free recipe will be in bold.


OATS INGREDIENTS:
1 cup Water
1 cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk(1 cup unsw. Almond Milk + 1 tsp Vanilla)
1 cup Porridge Oats
1 tsp Salt

Bring the milk, salt and water to a low boil and add the oats. Simmer for 4-5 minutes until smooth and top with a bit of maple syrup or brown sugar and pour Almond Milk over top. I topped with some blueberries because I can't get enough.

SAUSAGE INGREDIENTS GF:
1/2 cup Cooked Navy Beans, drained
1 cup Vegetable Broth (should be GF, but double-check to find one that is)
1 tbsp Olive Oil
2 tbsp Tamari or other GF Soy Sauce Alternative
1/2 cup Bean Flour
1/2 cup Rice Flour
1/4 cup Tapioca Starch
1/4 cup Nutritional Yeast (again, should be GF, but check label to be sure)
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 1/2 tsp Crushed Fennel Seed
1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1 tsp Smoked Paprika
1 tsp Dried Oregano
1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
1/2 tsp Fresh Ground Pepper
3-4 Sun-Dried Tomatoes, chopped well

For preparation, get a large pot with a fitted steam basket (or whatever steaming option you have) and get it boiling. Prepare 4- 5 pieces of tinfoil, each 5-6 inches wide x box length (regular, not wide box).

Mash the beans into a paste with minimal chunks. Then add the rest of the ingredients in order, stir with a fork or spatula until a (wet) dough is formed. separate the dough into 4-5 pieces and form into tubes about 5 inches long (5 pieces will yield skinnier sausages). Lay along the foil and wrap up tight, spinning the ends like a Tootsie Roll. Place wrapped sausages in the steamer for 40 minutes, then fry or grill at mealtime.  I fried them up and drizzled with some maple syrup.

SAUSAGE INGREDIENT (NON-GF)
1/2 cup Cooked Navy Beans, drained
1 cup Vegetable Broth (should be GF, but double-check to find one that is)
1 tbsp Olive Oil
2 tbsp Soy Sauce
1 1/4 cups Vital Wheat Gluten1/4 cup Nutritional Yeast (again, should be GF, but check label to be sure)
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 1/2 tsp Crushed Fennel Seed
1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1 tsp Smoked Paprika
1 tsp Dried Oregano
1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
1/2 tsp Fresh Ground Pepper
3-4 Sun-Dried Tomatoes, chopped well

Follow directions as listed above.