tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47151141529285280542011-03-20T17:51:55.585-07:00cute and deliciousvegan treats and crafty funmiss alixnoreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4715114152928528054.post-78006233131756837762009-03-17T23:56:00.000-07:002009-03-18T00:05:18.820-07:002009-03-18T00:05:18.820-07:00We're moving!<div style="text-align: justify;">The time has come to move away from this happy little blog. Don't worry! I just have a new domain...<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cuteanddelicious.com">cuteanddelicious.com</a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">When I started this blog, it was really just a personal project, but it's growing and I need a few more options. Not to mention a web address that's easy to remember. It will probably take me a little while to get everything organized but I hope you'll come check everything out.<br /><br />So update your bookmarks and blogrolls!<br /><br />Just to entice you, I have a great post coming up of the three delicious meals I made for Saint Patrick's day...that's breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert with lots of bread and lots of potatoes.<br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4715114152928528054-7800623313175683776?l=lessthangrey.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>miss alixnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4715114152928528054.post-32338672312672237272009-03-07T13:56:00.000-08:002009-03-07T14:57:15.820-08:002009-03-07T14:57:15.820-08:00Kitchen gadgets<div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3358/3336366926_bd5cfc97ef.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 317px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3358/3336366926_bd5cfc97ef.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">vegan spritz cookies</span><br /></div><br />I have a weakness for kitchen toys. While some people crave new electronics I like to fawn over kitchen supply catalogs. There's always that one thing that would make the coolest dessert or the best presentation. I mean doesn't everyone secretly want a sauce drizzler? Luckily I'm fairly good at keeping myself in check and not spending away my life on gizmos.<br /><br />Over the holidays though, I did manage to acquire some neat toys in gift exchanges that I wouldn't have otherwise purchased for myself. Since they're definitely specialized, I hadn't even busted them out till now to test them. The first test was a cookie press for making those adorable spritz cookies. I really had no occasion to try this, despite my desire to see how the tiny cookies would come out, until a late night sweet craving took me over and they just had to be made.<br /><br />Using the cookie press is definitely one of those processes that must involve some sort of technique; one that I definitely don't know. While about half of the cookies that came out were adorable, the other half were a bit more blobular. The main problem I had was making the dough stay on the pan ones it was squeezed out of the press. In the end, I usually just arranged the pieces together with my fingers. Luckily, no matter what each cookie looked like, they all tasted amazing. Absolutely perfect little treats that would be perfect for a party or gifts (or a late night snack). I can't wait to incorporate some fruit or jams into the recipes, or of course, chocolate. Recipe for vanilla spritz cookies can be found below.<br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3553/3335654675_77234df1a4.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 354px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3553/3335654675_77234df1a4.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">chocolate fondue<br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Another product I got to try out was a ceramic fondue warmer. Ok, so perhaps fondue is a little out of style, but it seemed like a tasty idea to me. The warmer is only heated by a small tea candle, so I thought it probably wouldn't really keep the fondue that hot at all, instead it made the chocolate I pre-melted bubble even more than on the stove top. Amazing what conductive surfaces can do.<br /><br />The great thing about making chocolate fondue for a dessert is not only how easy it is, but how amazingly satisfying. I simply cut up some apples and nectarines, and melted some semi-sweet chocolate with a dash of soymilk and it was ready to go. The result was fantastic. It's easy to forget how sweet and tasty fruit is when there are so many prepared desserts out there, but combined with the dark chocolate it was absolutely divine. In fact, I'm craving it now, just writing about it. The important thing is just to have fresh ripe fruit and good quality chocolate.<br /><br />While I would have to say that having the fondue warmer increased the fun factor by at least 10%, it's totally not necessary to enjoy this simple dessert, just put the melted chocolate in a bowl or mug and it will stay warm for quite awhile. Another option would be to dip the fruit in the melted chocolate and refrigerate and harden for a cool treat later on.<br /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3404/3336489416_7020d93294.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 255px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3404/3336489416_7020d93294.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">spinach pesto pizza<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: justify;">Of course I had to include at least something savory, and of course, it's pizza. In an attempt to make a simple but different (sort of) dinner one night, I collected some remaining ingredients in my kitchen to come up with a spinach pesto. To my surprise, it turned out insanely good. I'm generally the type that is good at following recipes, but when I just throw things together, there is a high risk of things going horribly wrong. I suppose it's not hard to get it right when you combine such tasty ingredients though. I tried to keep the pizza uncomplicated and left off any other toppings besides vegan mozzarella. The result was a crispy, garlicy, spinach extravaganza. The pesto recipe is below.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Vegan Spritz Cookies</span></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">adapted from Wilton<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></span>3/4 cup earth balance<br />1/2 cup sugar<br />1/2 tps egg replacer mixed with 1 Tbsp water<br />2 Tbsp soy milk<br />1/2 tsp vanilla extract<br />1/4 tsp almond extract<br />1 1/4 cup flour<br />1/2 tsp baking powder.<br /><br />Cream sugar and earth balance. Add egg replacer and beat till slightly frothy. Add soy milk and extracts to combine. In another bowl, mix flour and baking powder. Slowly add liquid mixture and mix until smooth.<br /><br />Put mixture into cookie press and press cookies onto cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Spinach Pesto</span></span><br /><br />1/4 cup almonds<br />1/4 cup walnuts<br />3 Tbsp olive oil<br />4 cloves garlic<br />3/4 cup chopped frozen spinach, thawed<br />1/4-1/2 tsp salt<br /><br />Put the almond, walnuts and garlic in a food processor and blend till you have a coarse meal. Next add the spinach, oil and salt and blend until combined. Spread on pizza dough and bake away!<br /><br />Since this recipe has raw garlic, I recommend using it for baked items. Otherwise, roast the garlic beforehand and add to the blend.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4715114152928528054-3233867231267223727?l=lessthangrey.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>miss alixnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4715114152928528054.post-80231999253101585862009-02-11T11:08:00.000-08:002009-02-23T22:46:09.162-08:002009-02-23T22:46:09.162-08:00February roundup<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3401/3305020109_bfb2fca2ce_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 263px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3401/3305020109_bfb2fca2ce_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Okay I have to admit I've been a bad blogger this month. I have been distracted by a number of things and have not devoted the time to this blog that I would like. In an attempt to find some redemption, I have a few things to report on.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Firstly, I inherited some ultra cute pastry dishes and despite the fact that I initially wanted to make them alternate cat food bowls, I resisted and actually put them to use feeding humans. To break them in, I made the asparagus tarragon quiche from <span style="font-style: italic;">Veganomicon</span>, except smaller. They had a subtle flavor which I really enjoyed. I'm pretty sure you can't go too wrong with a ton of asparagus, sauteed, seasoned and blended. The thing I liked about this recipe, was that even though it is emulating an egg-based dish, it did not rely on tofu to give it the right texture. Instead, the main ingredients were blended asparagus and walnuts.<br /><br />The most important recommendation I could give for this recipe would be to make the crust as thin as possible. This really lets the filling of the quiche shine. Also, especially with my miniature versions, it was difficult to cut through, even though my crust wasn't overly crunchy. Because of the difference in consistency between filling and the crust, I ended up eating mine a little bit like a pizza, which was perfectly fine with me. Overall, delicious recipe. It took awhile to prepare as there is a lot of refrigeration time for both the crust and the quiche filling but was fairly simple. Obviously, it would be easy to prepare the beginnings ahead of time, but would still take over an hour for baking and resting.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3459/3305020233_fe0d354597_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 399px; height: 274px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3459/3305020233_fe0d354597_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Another thing I wanted to address was a interview I heard on the radio regarding the economy and comfort foods. Public radio is pretty much where I get all my news from. I find it much more informative and interesting than a lot of what gets reported on television and elsewhere. Of course, there are exceptions. I was genuinely disturbed by a recent <a href="http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2009/02/10/corneroffice_rosenfeld_transcript/">interview</a> with Irene Rosenfeld, the CEO of Kraft foods. This interview was really oriented towards the business aspects of the company, but I couldn't help but find the content deeply disturbing.<br /><br />One of the first points made is that in a troubled economy, many people turn to comfort foods. This fact on it's own, isn't what irked me. What got under my skin was the equation of Kraft brand foods with comfort foods. Who doesn't love a grilled cheese sandwich and bowl of tomato soup when they're having a bad day? That's why it's called comfort food. It certainly does not mean it needs to be junk. "Pasteurized prepared cheese product" is not food. The tomato soup and grilled soy cheese you see above has all the appetizing qualities and simplicity of any good comfort food and it's vegan.<br /><br />Without going on a diatribe about how bad certain processed foods are, I just want to point out that if you want something simple and inexpensive there are vegan alternatives that cover these bases as well. Not every meal you make has to be gourmet. If you want a box of mac and chreese that is better than that blue box you had when you were a kid <a href="http://www.chreese.com/">Roads End Organics</a> makes some amazing vegan versions that are not only insanely delicious but under $2 a box. I recommend the Shells and Chreese especially.<br /><br />I suppose I'm just upset by the fact that something like this interview even made it onto the air. I can't believe that someone can go on and say that Velveeta mixed with salsa is a healthier direction. How about just salsa? How about delicious fresh tomatoes, chopped and seasoned with herbs and spices? Doesn't that sound more appetizing? I realize I'm ranting a little, but I'm just a bit shocked still that on the same station I hear reviews of local farmers markets that I also heard this garbage about processed junk and how to market it to people when they economy is down.<br /><br />And moving on...<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3410/3305039523_324d268e67_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 399px; height: 269px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3410/3305039523_324d268e67_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">One of the reasons I've been a bad blogger this month, is that Shawn and I have been out of town a number of times. On one occasion, we went camping in the Salton Sea. We got to be zombies with a bunch of cyclists and other such craziness. It's been a long time since I've been camping, luckily Shawn is an expert. He also had a really awesome stove from the 1900's to make us some great meals. We even managed some flavorful toast, which is pretty much a staple in my diet.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3536/3305039721_6ca92fa541.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3536/3305039721_6ca92fa541.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />For Valentine's day breakfast he cooked up some tofu scramble, camp style of course. Tofu and mushrooms mixed with nutritional yeast, ketchup, mustard and cooked over flame in vegetable broth. It was seriously delicious. We also enjoyed the typical camping fare: veggie dogs, veggie burgers and oatmeal. You can check out some more of our misadventures and Shawn's beautiful photos of the trip over at <a href="http://studiodrome.com/blog/Entries/2009/2/18_Salton_Sea.html">studiodrome</a>'s blog We even made it in the local paper!<br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4715114152928528054-8023199925310158586?l=lessthangrey.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>miss alixnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4715114152928528054.post-42279003161617907552009-02-03T10:55:00.000-08:002009-02-03T12:07:14.818-08:002009-02-03T12:07:14.818-08:00Vegan Benedict - AGAIN!<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3066/3251306452_23b0df298e.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 401px; height: 267px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3066/3251306452_23b0df298e.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I just can't help it, vegan benedict (tofu florentine, whatever you like to call it) is just one of my favorite breakfasts. It is in fact one of my favorite prepared meals altogether. If there is a vegan restaurant that serves this dish for breakfast I <span style="font-weight: bold;">always</span> order it, even if there are other delicious breakfast options. It's just that good. Obviously, one cannot just go out to breakfast all the time, especially for such a basic dish. I've tried a couple different <a href="http://lessthangrey.blogspot.com/2008/08/tofu-florentine-and-pretzels.html">versions </a>in the <a href="http://lessthangrey.blogspot.com/2008/01/although-im-partial-to-making-desserts.html">past </a>but this is by far the closest to the real thing, not to mention it was super easy.<br /><br />This attempt came out really well. Satisfying and yummy all at once. The cayenne gives it a bit of a kick and all the flavors compliment each other wonderfully. I suppose that is the nature of the dish. Definitely a perfect way to start the morning. I ended up having a bit of hollandaise leftover and just mixed it with some tofu to make a tofu salad sandwich, which was also excellent.<br /><br />I really love how this recipe came out but I think I'll continue to experiment.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Vegan Benedict</span><br /><br />sourdough english muffins<br />spinach<br />tofu<br />tomato (I used roma), sliced<br />olive oil<br />hot sauce<br />garlic minced<br />onion powder<br />salt<br />pepper<br />vegan hollandaise (recipe follows)<br /><br />To prepare the tofu, slice into 1/2 inch slabs. Pour about a tablespoon of olive oil into a pan and warm over medium heat. Add minced garlic and let brown a bit before adding the tofu slabs. Sprinkle the onion powder, salt and pepper onto the tofu to taste. Pour a bit of the hot sauce on the tofu as well. Let cook for about 5 minutes or until slightly browned and flip carefully onto other side. Again season the other side of the tofu with a bit of hot sauce and let cook until brown. Flip one last time and lower heat. Add the spinach, a large bunch, into the pan and stir until softened.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Vegan Hollandaise</span><br /><br />1/2 cup vegenaise<br />2 tsp dijon mustard<br />lemon juice from 1 small lemon<br />1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper<br />salt and pepper to taste<br />approx 1/4 tsp turmeric (for color)<br /><br />Mix all the ingredients until combined.<br /><br /><br />Toast the english muffins and spread with a bit of Earth Balance. Lay a slab of the tofu on top, then a slice of tomato, then spinach and top with the hollandaise.<br /><br />Enjoy!<br /><br /><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4715114152928528054-4227900316161790755?l=lessthangrey.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>miss alixnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4715114152928528054.post-17405045419230808022009-01-22T21:06:00.000-08:002009-01-23T11:39:25.846-08:002009-01-23T11:39:25.846-08:00Onion pie and vegan cat food<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3392/3219744860_378cd5e2f9.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 248px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3392/3219744860_378cd5e2f9.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Let me start off by saying that I don't like onions. I understand that they provide a good deal of flavor to certain dishes but if given the option, I would more often than not go without them. I really wanted to make a savory pie though and even though this was nothing like the recipe I envisioned, I came across this recipe and decided to try it.<br /><br />The end result was delicious. It was something like eating sweet onions on a cheezy biscuit crust. I even had seconds. It's not necessarily something you would want to have for dinner all the time and could probably have used some greens to go along with it but was insanely good. Check out the recipe below.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Onion Pie</span><br />Recipe adapted from <span style="font-style: italic;">How to be a Domestic Goddess.</span><br /><br />topping:<br />2 very large yellow onions<br />1 Tbsp olive oil<br />1 Tbsp Earth Balance<br />1/2 tsp dried thyme<br />2 oz soy cheddar cheeze, finely shredded<br />salt and pepper to taste<br /><br />crust:<br />1 1/3 cup flour<br />1/3 cup nutritional yeast<br />1 tsp baking powder<br />1 tsp salt<br />1 1/2 tsp egg replacer<br />2 Tbsp water<br />1/2 cup soy milk including 1 tsp apple cider vinegar, left to curdle<br />1 tsp dijon mustard<br />3 Tbsp Earth Balance, melted<br />1/2 cup soy cheddar cheeze, finely shredded<br /><br />For topping: Cut onions into large pieces. Heat olive oil and Earth Balance over medium heat. Add onions and saute for about 30 minutes, covered and stirring occasionally. When the onions being to soften, add the salt, pepper and thyme. Continue to cook until the onions are quite soft and browned on the edges.<br /><br />Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9" pie dish with Earth Balance.<br /><br />Put the onions into the pie dish, sprinkle with soy cheeze and set aside.<br /><br />For the crust: Mix the soy cheese, flour, baking powder, nutritional yeast and salt in a bowl. In a separate dish, beat the egg replacer and water together until frothy. Combine the soymilk/vinegar mixture, egg replacer, melted Earth Balance and mustard. Pour into the dry ingredients and stir. The dough will be fairly sticky. Remove from the bowl and stretch out as if you were making a pizza crust about the size of the pie, being careful not to tear holes in it. Lay on top of onions in pie dish and seal edges.<br /><br />Bake for 15 mins then turn down heat to 350 degrees and bake for another 10 mins or until the crust is golden brown. Let sit for a few minutes after removing from oven then place a large plate on top and flip the pie upside down. Slice and enjoy!<br /><br /><br /><br />And on to the cats...When I decided to adopt cats, one of the big concerns in our household was what to feed them. Being vegan, it didn't seem right to feed them non-vegan food, but being that they are naturally carnivores, it was important to give them proper nutrition. So far their diet is a bit of an experiment and a combination of vegan and non-vegan cat foods.<br /><br />The vegan option that seemed the most promising was some supplements made by Hoana that you make into your own cat food. It comes with a bunch of recipes from kibble to rice and tofu mix. I went with the recipe for seitan as seen below.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3298/3218894127_24e7674a99.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 404px; height: 252px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3298/3218894127_24e7674a99.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">kittie seitan<br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: justify;">It may<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>not be the prettiest meal, but isn't that far from something that I would eat myself. I made some very simple seitan, by just boiling some chunks of vital wheat gluten mixed with nutritional yeast in water with a bit of soy sauce for an hour. If I had a vegetable stock without onions or garlic in it I would have probably used that. In the future, if I have more time, it would be possible to make the stock and would make the seitan itself more flavorful.<br /></div><br />I tore up about 3 cups of the seitan into even smaller pieces and mixed them a sauce made of 4 tsp VegeKit, 1/3 cup nutritional yeast, 1 Tbsp olive oil and a bit of soy sauce.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></div><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3412/3219745060_034ccffa8f.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 250px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3412/3219745060_034ccffa8f.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />The verdict? They really like the stuff! I was surprised after hearing quite a few people say their cats wouldn't eat vegan cat food. I can understand where this general misconception would come from since a lot of people wouldn't take the time to make food for their cats. For example, they really don't like the canned vegan cat food I ordered and won't eat it unless it's mixed with something they do like.<br /><br />Since the seitan chunks are a bit more chewy than just plain cat food, Mochi (the grey one) has taken to batting them around on the floor while she eats. Personally I'm fine with this. If a cat were going to eat a live mouse, they would probably play with their food just the same. Meeme on the other hand likes to lick most of the 'sauce' off the seitan before she eats it. Every time I have fed them this, it is all gone by the morning. I'll definitely have to try some of the other recipes but this is a total success.<br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4715114152928528054-1740504541923080802?l=lessthangrey.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>miss alixnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4715114152928528054.post-90678513578766356222009-01-18T19:59:00.000-08:002009-01-18T20:23:15.145-08:002009-01-18T20:23:15.145-08:00A bit of craft<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3480/3207960619_40abea00c8.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3480/3207960619_40abea00c8.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Today I'm bringing you all a completely food free post (eek!) but I'm just too terribly excited about my new lamp to wait. I had been wanting to put another light in one corner of our living room that was a bit dark. I often lay in read in this corner but the nearest light is one that shines directly into your eyes and is more distracting than helpful. Because of the layout of the furniture in the area, it seemed to me that the only option was to hang something from the ceiling.<br /><br />I had been casually browsing for ideas of something to make for awhile when I found an option in a copy of ReadyMade that seemed like it would bring enough additional light while also being simple to make. My initial attempt did not come out as planned and I almost caved and hung some Ikea china balls that were hidden away. I did a little research to solve my problems and used just a mix of glue and water instead of fabric stiffener to hold the form.<br /><br />I love this lamp! The warm tone of the yarn I used brings a warmth to the light in the area as well as diffusing it from feeling like a raw lightbulb. I'd like to make a few more in other sizes and textures to add in the area.<br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3303/3207959839_6ce304bcc2.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3303/3207959839_6ce304bcc2.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Here is another little stuffed octopus from the holiday season. There's something really rewarding about making stuffed animals. It's as if you're adding life to your home. This little guy went to live with my nephew in Las Vegas.<br /><br />Coming in the future, I have a few kittie creations to share...<br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4715114152928528054-9067851357876635622?l=lessthangrey.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>miss alixnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4715114152928528054.post-57141590886461652262009-01-13T21:34:00.000-08:002009-01-19T18:25:26.724-08:002009-01-19T18:25:26.724-08:002009!<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3415/3195230713_eb71602fec.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 298px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3415/3195230713_eb71602fec.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I know it's a new year (first post of 2009 in fact) but I still have a few things left to share from 2008. For the holidays I tried to create as many gifts as possible instead of buying them. I made a handful of stuffed animals, knit projects and of course holiday cookies. While I started all of these ambitious tasks well in advance, there's only so early that you can bake cookies without delivering them stale to their recipients. I had decided on snowflake sugar cookies and had even acquired some edible glitter to decorate them. Unfortunately, this cookie baking session was doomed from the start. I burnt whole batches and had other mishaps including dropping an entire sheet on the floor while burning my hand. In the end, the beautiful glittered and iced cookies I had imagined did not come into fruition. I'm pretty sure the end product still tasted good though, even if it wasn't as pretty as I would have liked.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3259/3195230595_e0354c4975.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 303px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3259/3195230595_e0354c4975.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Immediately following the new year was Shawn's birthday. To celebrate he got the dessert of his choice, which ended up being peanut butter cup cupcakes. I think my favorite thing about these guys is getting to say "cup cup." Ha! As you can see, they're chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter filling/frosting and peanut butter cups on top. They turned out super good. I think next time I will have to try a different way of frosting them so that they can have an entire peanut butter cup on top (and not look ridiculous). Also, I'd love to make the peanut butter frosting a bit more fluffy. It's a great consistency for the filling but a little dense on top.<br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3091/3174912666_3ae7eef5f9.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3091/3174912666_3ae7eef5f9.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Meeme and Mochi</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Also, we got two new additions to our home. We adopted two 4 month old kittens from the shelter. They're adorable, loving and playful and I couldn't be happier with them. Despite not looking alike, they're actually sisters. I'm sure they will be making some appearances on this blog in the future. In fact, little Mochi is desperately trying to help me write this by walking all over the keyboard.<br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4715114152928528054-5714159088646165226?l=lessthangrey.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>miss alixnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4715114152928528054.post-29970238661655033762008-12-31T12:34:00.000-08:002008-12-31T13:39:21.669-08:002008-12-31T13:39:21.669-08:00Holidays, NYC and lots of dessert<div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3086/3153807771_f05dfddcfe.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 278px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3086/3153807771_f05dfddcfe.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">homemade cinnamon bun<br /></span></div><br />It is the last day of 2008! Had to squeeze in one last delicious post before the new year. I'm excited for all the projects and plans coming up. I know it's going to be an awesome year.<br /><br />Before moving forward, I'm going to have to look back for a moment as the past weeks have been terribly busy and I haven't had a chance to show off some of the treats we've been indulging in. I made the above cinnamon bun from <span style="font-style: italic;">The Joy of Vegan Baking</span>. I've been dying to make these, but was a bit scared off by the prep time. Since I have had a couple of days off, I finally had a chance to indulge myself. It was extra inspired by smelling the Cinnabon in the airport the day prior. Despite the fact that those things are quite possibly one of the most disgusting creations ever, the sure do smell good.<br /><br />I ended up over cooking my buns a bit, but I think this may have had a bit to do with using new cookie sheets. They still tasted awesome, and were even better reheated the next morning with coffee.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3090/3154646836_47a217caec.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 356px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3090/3154646836_47a217caec.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;">peppermint cookies and cream cupcake</span></span><br /></div><br />For my family Christmas party, I opted to bring cupcakes rather than anything to actually eat for dinner. It worked out rather well as a bunch of my cousins happened to make vegan vegetable dishes. I made peppermint cookies and cream cupcakes. The cupcakes themselves came out amazing, perfectly moist and chocolaty. I still can't decide if I liked the peppermint in the icing though, it was good, but perhaps too much. Maybe not though.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://gallery.me.com/studiodrome/101214/IMG_0605/web.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://gallery.me.com/studiodrome/101214/IMG_0605/web.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">cookies and cream cake</span><br /></div><br />Shawn and I went back East to spend time with his family for the holidays. It was super exciting for me to show up and see snow on the ground.<br /><br />I feel very lucky to have so many vegan restaurants in Los Angeles to go to, but it's nothing like going to NYC. There's just a different style of vegan/vegetarian restaurant there. The other thing that gets me super excited is getting to have some <a href="http://www.vegantreats.com/">Vegan Treats</a>. Pretty much every vegan restaurant in the area serves their desserts and there is honestly nothing like them. Over the summer, Shawn and I made a pilgrimage to their storefront in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania where I was even more blown away by their selection of French pastries.<br /><br />On one of our days in the city, we had lunch at <a href="http://www.curlyslunch.com/">Curly's</a>. I had a toastie with tomato, which is basically a vegan grilled cheese with red pesto and of course tomato. It was one of the most satisfying lunches. Simple and tasty and exactly what I wanted. Shawn had the Suno melt. I've had vegan tuna melts before, but have never been impressed. I only had a bite, but this was super good. Of course, we had to get some dessert, and I insisted on a cookies and cream cake, freshly delivered from Vegan Treats the previous day. The cake was moist and the frosting light and fluffy. Honestly, exactly how cake should taste, sweet and rewarding.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://gallery.me.com/studiodrome/101214/IMG_1258/web.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://gallery.me.com/studiodrome/101214/IMG_1258/web.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">peanut butter cheesecake<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span>The night before we left for home we went out to dinner at <a href="http://www.caravanofdreams.net/">Caravan of Dreams</a>. We split nachos and muchroom ravioli with an almond cream sauce. The nachos were really good and basic. Tasty but nothing special. The ravioli on the other hand was super good. It was nice to have something different and something unlike anything we usually eat. It was light and subtly flavored. Oddly enough it was served with slices of avocado, which actually complimented the dish really well. My only complaint about the place was that it was very expensive. Not the kind of place that would be worth eating on a regular basis, but ok for a special occasion. On the other hand, it's the kind of food that makes you feel good after you eat it.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://gallery.me.com/studiodrome/101214/IMG_1259/web.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://gallery.me.com/studiodrome/101214/IMG_1259/web.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">cookies and cream brownie</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">For dessert we walked down to Atlas Cafe for some more Vegan Treats. Shawn got a slice of peanut butter cheesecake and I had a brownie with cookies and cream frosting. I can't express how much I really love Vegan Treats and wish that it was also on the West coast. Everything was so good. We saved a bit of our treats and ordered sandwiches which we saved for the plane the next day.<br /><br />At some point we also made a quick stop at <a href="http://www.mooshoes.com/">Moo Shoes</a> and <a href="http://www.babycakesnyc.com/">Babycakes</a>. I'm sure a lot of people will disagree with me, but after some more sampling, I'm really not a fan of Babycakes. Their desserts just don't quite fulfill my sweet tooth. I can't really pinpoint what it is about them that I don't care for. The best way I can describe it is that I always feel a level of excitement when I enjoy a really good vegan dessert. Babycakes just doesn't give me that thrill. I also am not a fan of their prices at all. Some cupcakes cost nearly $5 and that seems outrageous to me.<br /><br />So that's about it for 2008. Many exciting things to come in the future. I hope everyone had lovely holidays and Happy New Year!<br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4715114152928528054-2997023866165503376?l=lessthangrey.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>miss alixnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4715114152928528054.post-72634171445995257272008-12-16T00:28:00.000-08:002008-12-16T02:04:28.862-08:002008-12-16T02:04:28.862-08:00Vegan Blogger Potluck<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3026/3113000480_3654b4100e.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 401px; height: 257px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3026/3113000480_3654b4100e.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a>This past Saturday Shawn and I were invited to a Los Angeles vegan blogger potluck organized by <a href="http://www.yourveganmom.com/">Your Vegan Mom</a> and <a href="http://huggerfood.blogspot.com/">Hugger Food</a>. Although I'd been to a number of the blogs present, I hadn't met any of the bloggers in real life. It made me quite nervous to make food for a bunch of strangers, let alone a group of vegans who write about food on the internet!<br /><br />I decided to make mini-paninis filled with portobellos, spinach and white bean spread. I sauteed the portobellos in wine and olive oil with a sprig of fresh rosemary for about half an hour till they were soft.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3009/3113000418_f6c03bd548.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 272px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3009/3113000418_f6c03bd548.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a>The white bean spread was a bit of an experiment. I looked over some recipes but didn't really bother to follow any of them. I also didn't bother to write down what I actually did but here's the basic idea.<br /><br />1 can white beans, drained<br />4 large cloves of roasted garlic<br />1 Tbsp olive oil<br />2 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped<br />salt and pepper to taste<br /><br />Put all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until fairly smooth.<br /><br />To assemble the paninis:<br /><br />Cut a baguette style loaf of french bread into 1/2 inch slices. Spread one half of each panini with vegenaise and the other with the white bean spread. Put the sauteed mushrooms and spinach on one half of the bread and then the other half on top. Drizzle with a tiny bit of olive oil and follow the directions for your panini maker. You could also toast these and I'm sure they would come out quite well.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">The potluck was really quite fun. Everyone was super nice and it was great to hear the scoop about different vegan places around town. More importantly, the food was great. It's not often that you get to go to a party and just enjoy all the food.<br /><br />Before I ate anything, I got to enjoy some lovely pear and ginger cocktails crafted by Your Vegan Mom. They were a touch sweet but definitely not sugary, which I believe is ideal for a fruit based cocktail. Yum!<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3103/3112169365_fda4c733fb.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 244px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3103/3112169365_fda4c733fb.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Foodeater of <a href="http://www.toliveandeatinla.com/">To Live and Eat in LA</a> brought some Thai appetizers made fresh. Some of the descriptions of these were quite comical, but everyone seemed to love them. I had some of one of the rice rolls filled with banana and beans which was delicious.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3262/3112169443_b18bd3d510.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 281px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3262/3112169443_b18bd3d510.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a>I made a small sampling plate of some of the dippable fare. Here you can see the potato-parsnip latkes with applesauce from Hugger Food, pate with toast from Liz at <a href="http://yosoyblog.blogspot.com/">Yo Soy</a>, vegan Doritos with spinach dip from <a href="http://www.quarrygirl.com/">Quarrygirl</a> and baked ravioli with marinara from Lex at <a href="http://vegan-la.com/">Vegan-LA</a>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3198/3113000560_745a658305.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 250px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3198/3113000560_745a658305.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a>Jenn from <a href="http://jennshaggy.blogspot.com/">Veganize It, Don't Criticize It</a> made a brisket that was really rather good as well. She of course also brought some of her notorious twinkies filled with jelly.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3286/3113000742_8970aa1c03.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 399px; height: 309px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3286/3113000742_8970aa1c03.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a>Kevin from the <a href="http://blog.thevegancollection.com/">The Vegan Collection</a> brought cinnamon rolls. I've been dying to make some for a couple of weeks now, but haven't had the time so I was quite pleased to have these. There were even more delicious desserts, such as Quarrygirl's chocolate chip cheesecake and Hugger Food's twice spiced ginger cookies.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">I really had such a great time going this event and cannot wait till there is another. It was so nice to meet everyone and munch on all the treats.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">It's going to be a busy couple of weeks with the holidays coming up so this may be the last post for awhile (hopefully not the last of the year). I have a number of projects in the works but they'll have to wait to be revealed as they will ruin some gift surprises. Till then...<br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4715114152928528054-7263417144599525727?l=lessthangrey.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>miss alixnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4715114152928528054.post-80279447391695554082008-12-04T20:10:00.000-08:002008-12-04T20:41:05.827-08:002008-12-04T20:41:05.827-08:00Sick Day<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3001/3076551708_c8723e48ce.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 276px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3001/3076551708_c8723e48ce.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a>We make a lot of pizza here. Generally speaking, we buy dough from Trader Joe's as it's delicious and easy to work with. While Shawn is a veteran pizza maker, I've never made dough myself. A new test for my mixer and it's dough hook!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Making the dough was super easy even though I was impatient to let it rise. It ended up being just a touch larger than our pizza stone so I had a little extra to play with. Just enough for one breadstick. I seasoned it with basil, nutritional yeast and garlic powder and put it in with the pizza.<br /><br />The pizza turned out a touch crispier than the usual pizzas. It was so easy and relatively quick I definitely foresee more homemade crusts in the future.<br /><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3192/3083251627_5e3ed73b26.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 302px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3192/3083251627_5e3ed73b26.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a>I also finished the never ending hat project today. A few months ago I got some great organic cotton yarn to make a hat for Shawn. See, he only wears orange hats. I set out to make a hat with a simple cable stitch. It turned out to be too big. So I tried to make a simpler double knit hat that would be more like one he already had. Without a pattern though, this was a much more difficult task than I anticipated. The version you see above is the fifth incarnation of the hat. Finally it turned out right!<br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4715114152928528054-8027944739169555408?l=lessthangrey.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>miss alixnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4715114152928528054.post-80263612811309217672008-12-01T16:28:00.001-08:002008-12-01T16:50:56.328-08:002008-12-01T16:50:56.328-08:00Thanksgiving and more<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3222/3073102377_29d459454d.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 276px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3222/3073102377_29d459454d.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a>This Thanksgiving was all about stuffing. Shawn and I made probably about 20 servings worth of stuffing which has lasted us for days. We both spent the whole day in the kitchen with our various projects. Despite the potato peel disaster of 2008 everything turned out really well.<br /><br />Instead of Tofurky, I made a version of the Seitan Roulade from <a href="http://www.veganyumyum.com">Vegan Yum Yum</a>. I filled it with apple cranberry stuffing (more stuffing!) that made it taste even better a day later. The fruit flavors seeped into the seitan after being refrigerated. Although it probably would have been prettier cut into smaller pieces, it was kind of fun to eat "caterpillars" for Thanksgiving.<br /><br />Shawn made a monster batch of mashed potatoes that further tested the abilities of the new mixer. Of course they turned out smooth and delicious. I also made my first apple pie. I made the crust from scratch, which was slightly terrifying. Unfortunately I decided to bake it in our small oven (yes we have two) and ended up with a slightly burnt top crust. It still tasted really good, the filling was the perfect consistency and sweetness, and the bottom crust was not bad at all, but it wasn't quite photo material. I can't wait to try another.<br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3158/3073102077_b8e971e7dc.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 271px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3158/3073102077_b8e971e7dc.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I also got a new cupcake courier, and a good deal on it no less. I love this thing. I previously had a smaller carrier that carried 24 cupcakes but was always irritated that half the holders were too shallow and the other half were too deep. The new one holds 36 cupcakes securely for travel. It's great. So here it is on it's first delivery filled with red velvet, pumpkin spice and vanilla/chocolate cupcakes (from the top).<br /><br />Hope everyone else had a great turkey-free Thanksgiving.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4715114152928528054-8026361281130921767?l=lessthangrey.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>miss alixnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4715114152928528054.post-64268061154893468552008-11-24T16:14:00.000-08:002008-11-24T16:25:15.517-08:002008-11-24T16:25:15.517-08:00peanut butter cups<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://gallery.me.com/studiodrome/101208/35mm_2008-17/web.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 399px; height: 266px;" src="http://gallery.me.com/studiodrome/101208/35mm_2008-17/web.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">photo by studiodrome<br /></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span>While I've mastered many vegan goodies, there are a lot of candies that I miss. It wasn't until I made these peanut butter cups and a batch of peppermint patties did I remember what I'd been missing. It had been over three years since I had either and man were they delicious. I would say for sure that the peanut butter cups were even better than the non-vegan kind. With dark chocolate and rich flavored peanut butter that melted in your mouth. Absolutely amazing. They were extremely easy and fun to make as well. I particularly enjoyed painting the insides of the mini-cupcake cups with chocolate. I had to wait patiently for the picture, as it was taken on film but turned out as good as the treats themselves. Can't wait to make more.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4715114152928528054-6426806115489346855?l=lessthangrey.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>miss alixnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4715114152928528054.post-4118737103141425872008-11-23T12:03:00.000-08:002008-11-24T16:27:09.689-08:002008-11-24T16:27:09.689-08:00Happy 25!<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3031/3053938488_81c7177436.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 379px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3031/3053938488_81c7177436.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />So if you hadn't guessed already. My (not-so) little surprise is a stand mixer! I'm ecstatic! I finally decided it was time to just fork over the money for it and get the one I really wanted. It's a great addition to the kitchen and I know it will be great to make larger batches of things which I hope will be in my future.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3034/3053941126_1a88621b82.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 340px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3034/3053941126_1a88621b82.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a>My first baking experiment was my own birthday cake. A lot of people thought it was against the rules for me to make my own cake but I couldn't think of anywhere that I could get a better cake. We broke in the mixer with mashed potatoes but this was the first dessert to get made.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3191/3053104223_a9d1ed7882.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 265px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3191/3053104223_a9d1ed7882.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a>I also treated myself to some new cake pans and a cake stand. It's been quite awhile since I've made a cake, let alone a double layer one, so it was definitely a learning experience. With cupcakes, if one turns out funny there are still 11 good ones. With a cake you just have one chance. Mainly I learned the correct proportions of frosting and such that I'll need for the next cake I make.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3274/3053938780_b50403ac0a.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 282px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3274/3053938780_b50403ac0a.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a>The plan was a double layer vanilla cake with vanilla frosting in the middle and a chocolate ganache icing. I used to have a really good recipe for vanilla cake but apparently lost it so had to do a bit of improvising. Ultimately everything turned out really well but did cause me a bit of distress in the making.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3189/3053104519_238119bb12.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 324px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3189/3053104519_238119bb12.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a>I made quite a chocolate mess covering it but I new it would taste great even if it wasn't the prettiest cake ever. Still need a couple more decorating tools, but mainly practice. It really did turn out delicious though. Shawn says it tasted like a giant gourmet hostess cake. Yum!<br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3294/3053189991_a57b526866.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 265px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3294/3053189991_a57b526866.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">In the end it was almost all gobbled up by the end of the night with only one lonely piece left. I had a great birthday, absolutely the best yet!<br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4715114152928528054-411873710314142587?l=lessthangrey.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>miss alixnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4715114152928528054.post-77071946483338978392008-11-17T19:35:00.001-08:002008-11-17T19:54:49.927-08:002008-11-17T19:54:49.927-08:00More autumn flavors<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3051/3039356829_37daf27f05.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3051/3039356829_37daf27f05.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a>I made some pumpkin bread last week that was absolutely delicious. Super moist with some subtle spice. This is only half the loaf since it all got eaten so quickly. Pumpkin is seriously awesome. I'm going to have to come up with some more pumpkin dishes before the end of November. There is still time yet!<br /><br />Wonderful news though....I'm getting a big baking treat tomorrow! A special present to myself. I'm sure a lot of people out there could guess what it is. So excited. :)<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4715114152928528054-7707194648333897839?l=lessthangrey.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>miss alixnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4715114152928528054.post-73312135080022611192008-11-08T13:05:00.000-08:002008-11-08T13:24:36.130-08:002008-11-08T13:24:36.130-08:00<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3198/3013891426_17c03a47fe.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 228px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3198/3013891426_17c03a47fe.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a>I don't know why but I've been craving brownies like crazy lately. I thought I'd try something a little different and make these brownies using my mini cupcake tray. The concept was great, but didn't turn out exactly as planned. Things went wrong at first when I found that my applesauce had gone bad. I also tried using ground flaxseed as egg replacer for the first time which worked amazingly well. I mixed all the wet ingredients in the food processor which made the whole thing fairly easy.<br /><br />In the end, the recipe came out light and moist on the bottom and crunchy on top. The rose quite a bit more than I expected so they took a bit of trial and error to get them out of the pan intact. They were so cute though, like little brownie mushrooms, which made them even more fun to eat. I wish they were a bit more chocolatey though. I'll just have to make some more!<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3276/3013891590_e149e1b9ff.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 252px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3276/3013891590_e149e1b9ff.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a>I also made some messy red vevlet cupcakes, which helped curb my chocolate craving. They're all gone already! This batch proved to me how important oven temperature is. My oven is just slightly cooler than the dial, and now that I've taken that into account my cupcakes are coming out better than ever. Yum!<br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4715114152928528054-7331213508002261119?l=lessthangrey.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>miss alixnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4715114152928528054.post-73713329578215648102008-10-30T21:38:00.000-07:002008-10-30T21:59:42.269-07:002008-10-30T21:59:42.269-07:00Happy Halloween!<div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3214/2987772289_df5b48de0f.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 425px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3214/2987772289_df5b48de0f.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">pumpkin cheesecake<br /><br /></span></div>As I'm sure I'll be out gallivanting tomorrow evening, I thought I'd do my Halloween post tonight. I honestly can't get enough of Halloween. I'm going to dress up as a bat tomorrow. Hopefully I'll get some good photos to show you all since I made my costume, well some of it at least. I swear I do other things besides bake.<br /><br />Above is the pumpkin cheesecake I made this week. It was good but it didn't blow me away. Perhaps it was that I kept wanting it to be pumpkin pie and not cheesecake. I still have yet to find vegan graham crackers anywhere so I used a store bought crust. I guess it could have been more like cheesecake and that would have been better as well. Don't get me wrong, it was good, I just wanted it to be even better.<br /><br />Shawn and I carved pumpkins tonight. Since we bought them so late, they were only $5 for three good sized pumpkins. It's been quite awhile since either of us carved any. I decided to go for something cute and carved a sugar glider in my pumpkin. Shawn made a traditional jack-o-lantern with big eyes that I love.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3230/2987772473_5ffeb3070f.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3230/2987772473_5ffeb3070f.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">"bon bon" and "little ricky"</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">VeganMoFo has definitely inspired me to step up my blogging and has been very rewarding (although not always easy). I've had a total of 13 posts this month, which while not nearly every day is at least double the most posts I've ever made in a month.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4715114152928528054-7371332957821564810?l=lessthangrey.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>miss alixnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4715114152928528054.post-17022893787069529342008-10-27T19:06:00.000-07:002008-10-27T19:30:21.846-07:002008-10-27T19:30:21.846-07:00Special breakfast<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3010/2975403738_76c82396b5.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3010/2975403738_76c82396b5.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a>Okay so I grew up in Los Angeles and biscuits and gravy is not exactly a common meal out here in general, but this is one of my favorite breakfasts. Since it's pretty much impossible to find without meat, I learned to make this for myself as a teenager. It's so simple to put together and so delicious. A lot of the time I use mix for the biscuits but this time I made them from scratch. I'm not sure they turned out better necessarily, but they were still filling and delicious. The gravy is about as basic as it gets: soy milk, flour, salt & pepper. I couldn't even tell you the measurements, because I just add until it seems right. I got a little distracted when I was making the gravy this time so it ended up a bit lumpy (oops!) but it still tasted just fine. I also added some tofurky sausage to the gravy which was a perfect addition.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Seven days in a row of posting for VeganMoFo. I'm pretty proud of myself. :)<br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4715114152928528054-1702289378706952934?l=lessthangrey.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>miss alixnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4715114152928528054.post-37397638611865126032008-10-26T11:05:00.000-07:002008-10-26T11:22:19.209-07:002008-10-26T11:22:19.209-07:00Yes on Prop 2!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3039/2975404136_1d2909bf9e.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 265px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3039/2975404136_1d2909bf9e.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;">I made these vanilla and coffee cupcakes for a bake for change bake sale. The money raised goes to support the Obama campaign and No on Prop 8. I added some flags for Yes on Prop 2 which were a lot of fun to make, even though some of my animal drawings were a bit funny. People seemed excited about them when I dropped them off. The bake sale took place this morning at the Hollywood farmer's market. I hope all the cupcakes got eaten!</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3002/2974550225_b58325405d.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 398px; height: 241px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3002/2974550225_b58325405d.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">"no animals were harmed in the making of this cupcake"</span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4715114152928528054-3739763861186512603?l=lessthangrey.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>miss alixnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4715114152928528054.post-47390344640146412982008-10-25T10:03:00.001-07:002008-10-25T10:59:02.086-07:002008-10-25T10:59:02.086-07:00The best chocolate chip cookies ever?<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3158/2971340753_c4bb33ef21.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 246px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3158/2971340753_c4bb33ef21.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a>I'm sure that many of you read and discussed that article from the NYTimes about how to make the best chocolate chip cookies ever. I had come across a bunch of posts about it awhile back, digested the information, and filed it in the back of my head. It seems that the standout point is refrigerating the cookie dough. The problem with that is, at least for me, is that if you want to make cookies, you want them right at that moment, not a couple of days later.<br /><br />Honestly, I think chocolate chip cookies may be my favorite baked good. Chocolate chip cookies can vary so much though. It's not just that they're good or bad, but they can be chewy or crunchy or super sweet or a million other things.<br /><br />So I made some cookies the other night, using the recipe from The Joy of Vegan Baking. I baked one batch but still had quite a bit leftover and threw it in the fridge for later. I never got a chance to bake the rest until two days later. When I took the dough out of fridge I remembered that refrigerated dough was supposed to be the key to amazing cookies, but as I scooped it onto the cookie sheet I was skeptical. The dough seemed a bit dried out even though I had covered it. Despite my faith in vegan recipes, I thought maybe the benefits of these tips may only apply to non-vegan ingredients.<br /><br />I was so wrong. This batch of cookies was without a doubt the best I've ever made. Personally I thought they were at least twice as good as the batch made from the same dough that wasn't refrigerated. They spread out just perfectly to make them the perfect balance of chewiness and crunchiness. They had the quality of tasting a tiny bit like a sugar cookie with chocolate chips, which I love.<br /><br />So yes...BEST COOKIES EVER.<br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4715114152928528054-4739034464014641298?l=lessthangrey.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>miss alixnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4715114152928528054.post-67285795277080315412008-10-24T16:22:00.000-07:002008-10-24T17:51:14.797-07:002008-10-24T17:51:14.797-07:00Dinner guests<div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3228/2961135326_c2068f74bc.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 402px; height: 278px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3228/2961135326_c2068f74bc.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">chickpea cutlets with nutritional yeast/mushroom gravy<br />lemony garlic potatoes and brussel sprouts<br /></span></div><br />Had my mom and her husband over for dinner a little while ago. This the first time I've had them over for a meal that I made and also the first time they'd been to Shawn and my apartment. I had wanted to make the chickpea cutlets from Veganomicon for awhile and this seemed like the perfect opportunity.<br /><br />First off, I have to say I love using vital wheat gluten. It's so much easier than spending the time taking however many cups of flour to break it down yourself. When I made these, I was only able to buy a small package at the market but as of this week they now sell it in the bulk section. Sounds like more seitan for dinner (and of course chickpea cutlets).<br /><br />These were really delicious and unlike a lot of protein substitutes I've had. I would like to experiment using different ingredients using the same basic formula. The potatoes and brussel sprouts were also inspired from Veganomicon. While they were quite tasty, they were a bit undercooked, which I'm not sure if that was because my oven wasn't hot enough or if I was rushing. No one complained though.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3229/2961135228_ffa7fb1665.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 389px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3229/2961135228_ffa7fb1665.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">lemon poppyseed cupcakes with lemon curd filling<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></span></span></span>I also made these cupcakes for dessert. Even though I love frosting, I really enjoy making cupcakes without it whenever I can. These cupcakes from My Sweet Vegan turned out really well. They were sweet but not too sweet and I was really excited about the lemon curd filling. I didn't have any small cookie cutters at the time to cut the holes in the tops so I just tried to cut them with a small knife. They're not the neatest ever but I think cute nonetheless. I'm going to have to try to come up with some fun fillings for cupcakes.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4715114152928528054-6728579527708031541?l=lessthangrey.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>miss alixnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4715114152928528054.post-78157006390200434652008-10-23T11:14:00.000-07:002008-10-23T16:21:13.638-07:002008-10-23T16:21:13.638-07:00<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3059/2965430069_85f9854d7c.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 265px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3059/2965430069_85f9854d7c.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a>It's not very often that I make genuinely pretty dinners. Especially because we love things like mashed potatoes and gravy, which while delicious, aren't all that photogenic. At the store the other day I decided I needed to buy some squash since there was such a good selection and I've never really made anything with squash besides zucchini.<br /><br />So I picked out some lovely delicata squash without any idea what I would do with it. I decided that even if I couldn't find a recipe I liked it would serve as good decoration in the mean time. Luckily I found an exciting recipe on gothamist for chickpea stuffed delicata. The chickpeas are fried and mixed with a cranberry wine syrup. It was a really nice mix of flavors and textures sweet and savory. Of course, it looked pretty too which I was pleased about. Not to mention it was quite different from the usual meals we make and very quick to prepare.<br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4715114152928528054-7815700639020043465?l=lessthangrey.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>miss alixnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4715114152928528054.post-8911923842549213982008-10-22T20:51:00.000-07:002008-10-22T21:12:33.753-07:002008-10-22T21:12:33.753-07:00<div style="text-align: justify;"><a style="font-weight: bold;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3143/2966277394_a378917318.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 366px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3143/2966277394_a378917318.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This weekend Shawn and I went out for Chinese food at Mao's Kitchen. They have some really good vegan options, like a harvest soup that I adore. For some reason though, every time I eat there, I can't seem to make up my mind on what I want to eat. I think part of the problem is that while checking out the menu, I cross the noodle section and always want chow mein noodles, but of course, they're all made with egg. Once you get in the mood for something it's hard to get your mind on something else.<br /><br />Luckily, I came across some chow mein noodles at the store the next day and to my surprise they were vegan! Yay! So I whipped up some spicy chow mein with bok choy and mushrooms. So good!<br /><br />I also got a ton of fun stuff at the store so I'll be making some other exciting treats this week.<br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4715114152928528054-891192384254921398?l=lessthangrey.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>miss alixnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4715114152928528054.post-47321769570001888142008-10-21T00:33:00.000-07:002008-10-21T01:07:47.436-07:002008-10-21T01:07:47.436-07:00<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3206/2961135068_b5df98fa4f.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3206/2961135068_b5df98fa4f.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Here is a black raspberry and blueberry crumble I made. The important thing with this is that the crumble on top is really great and could be used with any fruit. It is great with peaches or apples or berries. I'm not usually into blueberries but I love how they look with the black raspberries and the flavors are very complimentary. Here is the recipe...<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Crumble top</span><br />3/4 cups all purpose-flour<br />1/2 cup sugar<br />1/2 teaspoon salt<br />1/2 cup non-dairy butter<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Filling</span><br />(sorry my measurements are a bit, well, sketchy)<br />1 bag frozen black raspberries<br />1 bag frozen blueberries<br />2 Tbsp sugar<br />1 Tbsp arrowroot powder<br /><br />Preheat oven to 350 degrees.<br /><br />Defrost the fruit in a saucepan (or microwave) and pour into pie pan. Stir in sugar and arrowroot powder until it is dissolved in the fruit juices. Set aside.<br /><br />Pour dry ingredients into a bowl and combine. Cut non-dairy butter into chunks and add to bowl. Use your hands to rub the butter into the dry ingredients until they form crumbly balls. Sprinkle on top of berries.<br /><br />Bake for 40 minutes or until crumbles are golden brown.<br /><br />Another option with this is to leave out the arrowroot powder all together, depending on the fruit, or substitute regular flour.<br /><br />I'm supposed to be posting more this month but man it's quite a bit harder than I thought. Mainly because I spend all day in front of a computer at work and don't really want anything to do with my laptop when I get home. I would much rather be baking. Anyway I'm trying to get back on track.<br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4715114152928528054-4732176957000188814?l=lessthangrey.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>miss alixnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4715114152928528054.post-41156920658070774022008-10-16T23:46:00.000-07:002008-10-17T00:12:01.324-07:002008-10-17T00:12:01.324-07:00Halloween Treats!<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3053/2949001414_2a1fb030cb.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3053/2949001414_2a1fb030cb.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a>These little ghosts might not be scary but they're so tasty. I tested out a new recipe for cappuccino and espresso cupcakes. I happened to make these before I made dinner so I had to test out the batter...which was possibly the best ever. Seriously.<br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3154/2948150849_f0defb0c0b.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3154/2948150849_f0defb0c0b.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a>Shawn and I also decorated the sugar cookies I made last night. I think I got a little carried away but it was so much fun!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3294/2948153075_b25220f8b4.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3294/2948153075_b25220f8b4.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a>I really can't believe how good these cupcakes are. They're not like your typical vegan cupcake either. I'll post a recipe when I've got it worked out. The espresso cupcakes turned out cakey and the cappuccino cupcakes are crispy. I'd like them to be a little more alike. I just topped them off with some regular vanilla buttercream frosting but think something a little more exciting would bring these guys to a whole new level of cupcake. You might think I'm kidding. I'm not.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3004/2949004552_dc94b19b55.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3004/2949004552_dc94b19b55.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a>All these treats are for a Halloween movie marathon we're having. Oh and we'll be making pizza of course. Can't wait!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4715114152928528054-4115692065807077402?l=lessthangrey.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>miss alixnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4715114152928528054.post-83786886451063811102008-10-13T11:38:00.000-07:002008-10-13T16:09:13.208-07:002008-10-13T16:09:13.208-07:00Happy Veganniversary<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://s3.amazonaws.com/twitpic/photos/full/751898.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=0ZRYP5X5F6FSMBCCSE82&Expires=1223940073&Signature=BEqziVxG3tXBZDYTtLJVP7AquHM%3D"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/twitpic/photos/full/751898.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=0ZRYP5X5F6FSMBCCSE82&Expires=1223940073&Signature=BEqziVxG3tXBZDYTtLJVP7AquHM%3D" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">vegan ice cream from Scoops to celebrate<br />oreo and vanilla coffee<br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Today is the three year anniversary of me going vegan! Yay!<br /><br />Even if it's not so exciting for everyone else I'm going to tell everyone my going vegan story.<br /><br />I decided to become vegetarian at age 13 to "save the animals." Honestly at that point meat did not interest me at all and I had a really difficult time knowing I was eating something that had been alive. My mother insisted I continue to eat fish but other than my parents were pretty much uninvolved in what I ate. This meant that as a vegetarian I did not have a very diverse diet. For most of my teenage years I ate mostly cereal, grilled cheese sandwiches, chocolate chip cookies, pasta and Dr. Pepper. Oh yes, lots and lots of carbs. Although I had tried more ethnic foods than a lot of people, they weren't a regular staple. Except for sushi. Which I have to admit I was obsessed with (and still am in its vegan forms). I stopped eating fish when I was 17 when my favorite sushi restaurant changed ownership.<br /><br />As I got older I started learning more about cooking and about veganism. I made some simple switches to soy milk and earth balance but thought that going completely vegan would be too hard for me. My biggest problem was my sweet tooth. I just hadn't had many good vegan desserts and I couldn't imagine living without them. Though for the most part I ate vegan and cooked vegan I still didn't think I could do it. At the same time, having learned more about factory farming, I was having a lot of guilt whenever I ate things that weren't vegan.<br /><br />When I was 21 I went backpacking in Europe for a month and a half. The entire trip my diet consisted almost entirely of bread and cheese. It felt horrible. The day after I got home I decided that I had to go vegan. I made a resolution that if I were going to do it, it had to be for at least a year. That year came and went and I could never imagine myself going back.<br /><br />Being vegan has changed my life immensely for the better. I cook all the time, and bake even more. For me this is so rewarding. I feel like having this connection with my food makes me appreciate it even more. Going out to eat at restaurant with vegan food is exciting, it's not just something that you have to do. Despite having staple foods that I eat a lot, my diet is so much more diverse than it has ever been. I've also leaned so much about all the things that I eat. I feel better eating the food without the guilt of another animal's suffering or the gross things in non-vegan food. I'm also extremely fortunate to have a vegan boyfriend so we get to make treats together, which makes things that much more fun.<br /><br />Anyway, I'll get back to more fun photo posts soon. I have been bad at updating lately, and have a little backlog of pictures to post. Eep!</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4715114152928528054-8378688645106381110?l=lessthangrey.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>miss alixnoreply@blogger.com3