Cupcakes, cupcakes

This post is a long time in coming, I know... I've been working long hours over the past couple of weeks. But I did promise pictures of my birthday cupcakes, so here they are!


I made two batches of cupcakes to take to work. The first ones I have made before: The Chai Tea Latte Cupcakes, topped with a dusting of powdered sugar and cocoa powder with spices. These may be my all-time favorite cupcakes... They turned out so moist and delicious.


The second batch was right up my alley, if you know that I love all things pumpkin. These are the Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Cinnamon Frosting. They were very tasty; the frosting is what really kicked them up.

The people at my office are believers in vegan cupcakes now! They were really quite a hit.

A couple of my friends decided to throw me a little birthday party one night last week, and I lent them VCTOTW for their convenience. When I arrived, I was much delighted to find out that the party was Batman-themed! It was really quite marvelous. Here are the cupcakes:


Aren't they great? Here's a closer look:


The Batman looks so good! What a creative idea. These were the Chocolate Mint Cupcakes--another very delicious creation that I would recommend to anyone who, like me, thinks the mint-chocolate combination is just dynamite. I was so proud of my friend Gigi for attempting vegan cupcakes for the first time, and very, very excited by her success!

I've got more food pics to share... sometime soon. I'll be around later this weekend. Cheers!

24

That's how old I am today. I don't have huge birthday festivities planned; I went to Athens and spent yesterday with my best friend from college, we ate at The Grit where I managed to polish off a huge slab of their rich, delicious Vegan Chocolate Death Cake. We tried to go hiking but the trail we attempted was filthy and depressing--so we cut our hike short but on the way back down, we stopped at this stretch along the trail where the ground was absolutely covered with shards of broken glass. We filled up two Nalgene bottles with glass pieces, and if we had been able we could have filled up two more. It was so sad and so infuriating--who thinks that kind of thing is okay?

I might make cupcakes this evening to take to work tomorrow... so just you wait. In the meantime, here are a few of the things I have been cooking up over the past couple of weeks.

I got home from work one night in the mood to bake cookies--specifically, cookies with cranberries and walnuts in them. I flipped open my copy of Eat, Drink and Be Vegan and I turned directly to the Walnut-Cranberry-Carob Clusters--perfect! As I was whipping them up, the recipe on the adjacent page caught my eye--"You Got Peanut Butter in My Chocolate" Cookies! Mmmm.... What can be better than dark, moist chocolate cookies with chunks of natural peanut butter swirled in? So after I finished the first batch, I whipped up a batch of these as well.



The first batch tasted delicious and wholesome, and it really satisfied my strange craving for cranberry-walnut cookies. I loved their texture, too--they were soft and crumbly, almost like little biscuits.

But the second batch--those were the best cookies I have tasted in a long time. Everything about them was perfect--just the right amount of peanut butter to complement the chocolate, just the right amount of moistness and sweetness. I took them to work in an attempt not to consume the entire batch myself. A lot of them got eaten at work--I heard no comments on them and I brought them anonymously--but I still had to bring a few of them home. I shared them with a friend the next day, and she agreed with me--the best cookies either of us had had in a long time. This recipe is definitelya winner!


Speaking of peanut butter, I made these peanut butter-banana quesadillas for breakfast one morning. I grilled them on my George Foreman grill and the banana slices became soft and caramelized while the peanut butter became warm and gooey. I enjoyed a green smoothie alongside this meal for a nutritional boost.


Last weekend I made a large batch of Savory French Lentils from ED&BV. Unable to find mushroom broth that did not contain dairy ingredients (why??), I instead used vegetable broth and I added some dried mushroom pieces. I loved these lentils served over roasted acorn squash rings as the recipe suggested; I also enjoyed it several times for lunch at work with steamed kale. This recipe was very easy and the great thing about lentils is that you don't have to plan ahead and soak them before you can cook them--which, for my schedule these days when I just don't know when I'll have time to cook, is a huge help.

Speaking of my busy schedule, I recently received a copy of this book:


Quick-Fix Vegetarian by Robin Robertson. All the recipes are vegan, and all require minimal preparation time. I have not cooked from it yet but I have perused it from cover to cover, and I am hoping to be able to dive into it some this week. (By the way, check out Robin's Website. I am quite excited about her new cookbook, Vegan Fire & Spice. I am hoping to be able to check it out soon!)


Last night, my friend from Athens and I made these veggie-portobella fajitas for dinner. All it took was a red pepper, a green pepper, a red onion, and a couple of portobella caps, a little bit of spice mix consisting of chili powder, cayenne pepper, adobo, and garlic powder, some flour tortillas, and fresh lime juice to finish. While I made the fajitas, Mary Ann whipped up some fresh guacamole and some homemade tortilla chips. Such a simple meal but so fresh and flavorful...

On top of tax season, I have also joined a spring tennis league--so it looks like I will be hitting the tennis courts every chance I get over the next couple of months. I'll still be cooking, and after this weekend I'm really going to focus very hard on fresh, healthy, balanced meals so that I look and feel extra-healthy by mid-April. You see, I have planned a vacation to San Francisco!!! I've never been out to the west coast and I'm so excited. My friend Kelly and I will be leaving two days after the tax deadline, and I am planning to have the best time in the world. We will be there nine days, and I am open to any suggestions anyone has as to the best places to eat and visit while we're there.

I'll be around again soon--hopefully it won't be two weeks before I blog again. Take care!!

Simple foods (and my first cheesecake)

It is officially tax season, so I find myself working later and being more tired when I get home. So when I am willing and eager to cook, I take advantage of the ability to make large batches that I can draw from all week long. Like this Smoky Split Pea Soup from ED&BV.


I left out the smoked tofu and just added some liquid smoke instead. Mmm... I love soup, and split pea has always been one of my favorites.


Also from ED&BV, I made the Blueberry Carob Pancakes, with some Celestial Cream to go on top. The pancakes were heavenly--I just love carob--but the cream was so rich and delicious that it was otherworldly. This is one of the first dessert recipes I've made with silken tofu that didn't actually taste like tofu! One of the best parts of this breakfast was when I froze the leftover pancakes--knowing I would be able to enjoy them again soon!


I made this Key Lime "Cheesecake" from Vegan Planet, after many times of flipping past the recipe, eyeing it, knowing I didn't need to consume it, but knowing how fun it would be to make. I finally broke down. It was so easy to make... and so bad, but so good. And it got a seal of approval from one of my co-workers. I especially love the gingersnap crust.


And this salad is just a typical dinner for me... Nothing fancy, but it serves its purpose. I find when I come home from work that I don't really want much to eat, so a salad is usually perfect.

I'll try to do some blog-hopping this weekend... I've gotten out of the loop, but I have been peeking in on your blogs when I could even if I haven't had time to do much commenting.

Take care!

Back to life...

I wanted to thank all of you who have been checking in on me, calling, texting, Facebooking, e-mailing.... It's meant a lot to know that you have thought of me. I've missed blogging, but given the circumstances it was something that I necessarily needed to let fall by the wayside for a while. In the meantime, I hope that each of you had a wonderful holiday season and that 2008 has gotten off to a promising start. I must say that, while this was not the greatest holiday season of my life, I do feel nevertheless like this new year--and all the years to come--hold promise for me that I could never have imagined before.

So... What has been going on in my life?

This is the only time I am ever going to mention this on this blog--and I'm telling you this way only because it's something that has to be told, and this is the only way I know of to tell you. Bob and I are split up right now. More pertinently, he decided that he wanted to move out. And I've been left with a mass of confusion, depression, loneliness, sadness... but most of all, confusion. Why should it have to be this way? I have no idea. But over the past few weeks, I have come to accept the fact that it is this way, now... maybe temporarily, maybe not. And I'm trying to look only forward from here.

If you want to ask me anything or to talk about this situation any at all, please don't hesitate to. Just send me an e-mail. I don't mind talking to any one of you about this. But I don't want to do it here on this blog. Hopefully now I can get back to this blog and what it was meant for--sharing delicious vegan creations!

I haven't cooked very much over the past month or so, but I do have a few things to share with you. For Christmas I received two great new cookbooks: Vegan Planet by Robin Robertson, and Eat, Drink, and Be Vegan by Dreena Burton. I'm just starting to dive into them.


This is the Tuscan Spelt Soup from Vegan Planet--except I replaced the spelt with barley, as I did not have whole spelt on hand. It was hearty and delicious, perfect for a day like this:


Can you believe it? In Atlanta? It may look like a puny dusting to many of you, but this is as much snow as I have ever seen on the ground in my life!


Do snow days scream "comfort food" to you? Well, today screamed that to me. That's why I made myself the Apple Cinnamon French Toast, also from Vegan Planet. The cooked apple topping was the perfect touch... with a cup of coffee and wrapped in a warm blanket, as I sat and watched the snow falling through my dining room window. *Sigh*


I went on a business trip to Winston-Salem, North Carolina a few weeks back, and I stayed at a bed and breakfast. It was my first stay at a bed and breakfast, and I was anxious to see how the food situation would work itself out. Steel-cut oats with walnuts and cranberries, and a side of sautéed squash... I would say it worked out quite well.


I went back to Athens with some friends for New Year's, and after staying out until 5:00 A.M. we slept until noon, and then went to Big City Bread--an Athens classic--for brunch. Their tofu scramble was delicious.


And this is one of the best roasted veggie wraps I have ever had, at Doc Green's here in Atlanta. I really appreciated the fact that they offered a sandwich without cheese on it--I hate having to ask to have the cheese left off. Why are people so addicted to cheese, anyway, that it has to be served on everything?? Anyway, not this time. And the chipotle-spiced veggie chili that I had on the side was equally delicious.

Now that I am back to cooking, I am planning to do it full-force... even though it is busy season at work now and I'm going to be up to my ears in tax returns for the next couple of months!

I'll be back around very very soon. I can't wait to read all your blogs again! Take care!

...

I may not be around for a while.

Something came up that is completely changing my life... and I don't know what to do. Sorry I can't elaborate more out here on the world wide web. Every one of you and your blogs mean so much to me, and I'm glad to know you and call you friends.

I don't know when I will be back. Hopefully sometime soon. Until then, please don't forget me.

Happy holidays.

This makes me sad

I wish I was not so out of the loop sometimes. I just learned last night that Ted Hafer, owner of The Grit vegetarian restaurant in Athens, committed suicide a couple of weeks ago. This news gave me quite a shock. He jumped off the top of the downtown parking deck... a place I know. I can visualize the view from the top of the parking deck--he was looking out over classic, beautiful, stays-with-you-forever Athens. I can imagine what the weather may have been like up there on a morning in November--cool, crisp, breezy... but I cannot understand what horrible things must have gone through his mind at that moment and led him to jump.

I never knew this man, but I knew his name and I loved his restaurant. He and his wife co-wrote one of my favorite cookbooks. He was a special part of Athens... and he was a husband and a father of two.

Here's the obituary that was published in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

I don't know what else I can say. Why do these things happen?

Staying healthy and happy

It's getting to be that time of year when that blah feeling can start to sneak up on you--well, on me, anyway. This week has been like that for me, in part because I've felt a bit under the weather and in part because of coming back from such a lovely vacation.

Bob and I had a fun trip to Disney World in Orlando, and a marvelous visit with my sister and her fiancé. Here are some highlights of the trip:


Me and Bob, and a lovely twilight at Epcot.


Me and Ashton getting in to mischief in Norway...


And four happy people having a great time.


It's so easy to survive as a vegan there... Take, for example, this roasted veggie pizza that Bob and I shared for our Thanksgiving dinner at Downtown Disney.


And this bowl of vegan chili with a hummus sandwich that we scored at the Magic Kingdom. There is even an ice cream shop that serves vegan ice cream... though we didn't find it until after we had already shared a frozen lemonade, and we did not really need a second frozen treat in one day. We also found veggie burgers at the Magic Kingdom, and roasted veggie wraps and bean burritos with guacamole at Epcot.

Here are some of the things we've been eating since we got back.

Simple dinners:


Steamed edamame with coarse sea salt flakes.


Hummus.


This baked tofu sandwich was pretty good. I just mixed up a marinade of tamari, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, liquid smoke, onion powder, and garlic powder, and I baked the tofu in the marinade until it was all soaked up.

As I said, I've felt a bit under the weather this week. Nothing is a better answer to that than hot, nutritious soup.


This big bowl of quick miso soup with spinach and mushrooms was just what I needed yesterday afternoon.


And this Tofu Noodle Soup from Vegetarian Soups and Stews for All Seasons, using the leftover baked tofu, was also a wonderfully comforting meal.

So I've been focusing on food that will help us stay healthy... though sometimes you just need a treat.


Like these Brooklyn vs. Boston Cream Pie Cakes from VCTOTW. I made them as a surprise for Bob one night. He was wowed by the dark ganache topping...


And he was taken completely by surprise with the creamy center! These cupcakes were so good, but as Isa suggests in the book, they're definitely better after being refrigerated overnight.

It's December, which means the holiday season is upon us. For some reason, I am not feeling particularly festive this year, at least not yet. That's okay. I have a project up my sleeve that may help with that. But for now, I wish you health and happiness and peace in your own lives... and I'll be around your blogs soon. I promise. Cheers!

Finally...

I'm not going to pretend that I have a great excuse for not blogging over the past week or so. Granted, Marzie did make off with my memory card reader, but I replaced it several days ago. I just have not blogged because... I have enjoyed not feeling like it was my responsibility to blog. I've been hanging out with friends, going for long walks and enjoying the gorgeous autumn that we're having, cooking when I felt like it, and enjoying every minute of it.


See what I mean about the gorgeous autumn?

That's not to say I'm quitting this blog. I enjoy it too much. But when blogging goes from being a hobby to a full-time job, it loses its appeal. Maybe some of you have had this experience before. So, you may see less of me around the blogosphere, but I'm not going to disappear. I promise!


Starting off with some Seitan O'Greatness. This batch didn't last very long--it was too tasty! I made the Mostarella Cheeze from The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook to go with it, because I ran out of agar and didn't feel like trying to hunt some more down. The cheeze was okay. It was better heated up with refried beans and salsa... yum.


On my last visit to R. Thomas, I tried their Hearty Breakfast Stew and loved it so much that I wished I had the recipe. Well, since I didn't, I decided to make one up. This soup was like a "souped-up" potato chowder (hee hee), and it was so good that I decided to share the recipe with all of you. It's not just like the soup at the restaurant, but it's darn close and maybe tastier. I've posted the recipe at the end.


This post by Don't Get Mad, Get Vegan! came back to me one day when I wanted to make a pie and could not decide what kind I should attempt. I'm glad I tried the Key Lime Teasecake; it was delicious, and I felt much less guilty knowing that it was made of millet and sweetened with maple syrup. I only wish the key lime flavor had been a little stronger...


I loved DGMGV's kiwi topping so much that I copied her! Of course, original credit for the recipe goes to Jo Ann Stepaniak.


The credit for this blackened tempeh goes to Eat Air. It spent a day marinating in the refrigerator, and then it was a snap to blacken it on the stove for dinner after work. Sautéed kale and potatoes accompanied this meal, and it was all delicious.

I guess tomorrow's Thanksgiving. To tell you the truth, I had kind of forgotten about it this year. You see, we're not really celebrating in the traditional way this time--we're going to Disney World with my sister and her fiancé instead! But I wish each of you a wonderful, safe, and compassionate holiday. Until we meet again...

-----------------------
Potato Quinoa Chowdah

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
1 large carrot, diced small
3 cups water
6-7 small potatoes, cut into bite-size chunks (about 2 pounds) - Peeling is optional
1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1 teaspoon paprika
Pinch red pepper flakes
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 cup quinoa
1 to 1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup frozen corn kernels
1 cup kale, chopped
Cooking spray
3/4 teaspoon salt
Kelp granules and/or nori strips, for garnish

Heat the oil in a large soup pot and sauté the onion until it starts to brown. Add the garlic and carrots and cook for another 2-3 minutes. It's okay if the veggies try to stick to the pot a little. Add the water and scrape the bottom of the pot to get all the little bits of veggies off the bottom. Add the potatoes and spices and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the potatoes are pretty tender. Add the quinoa and cook for another 15 minutes, until the quinoa is done. The soup will get pretty thick at this point.

Spray another pan with cooking spray, and sauté the chopped kale just enough to take the bitterness off. Set aside.

In batches, purée about half the soup, then return it to the pot over low heat and add the milk, corn, and kale. Heat slowly, until the corn is done and the soup is hot all the way through. Add the salt. Serve, garnishing each bowl with kelp granules and nori strips, if desired. Makes about 6-8 servings.

I have stuff to post!!

I just can't post it right now! You see, I somehow lost the memory card reader for my camera that transfers the photos to my computer... I've turned the house upside-down looking for it. I'm thinking Marzie probably made off with it, sneaky little feline. But I have a recipe to post, and some pictures, and in the next couple of days I'll do it even if it means replacing the little gadget.

Just in case you thought I had abandoned this blog...

Take care!

Inspiration-swapping

As I was reading blogs this weekend, a couple of posts jumped out at me: First Diann at Eat'n Veg'n, and then over on Boo's Veg-a-Nut, I saw that bloggers had been inspired by a recipe I had posted awhile back for black bean patties, only they made it into harvest loaves (or bean loaves, or meetloaves, or whatever you'd like to call them). I thought this was very clever, so I decided to be inspired by their inspiration.


A few tweaks to the recipe made a very good loaf--a little crumbly, but I can fix that next time I make it. I served it with steamed kale and mashed potatoes, and a heavy drizzle of Dreena's Miso-Good Gravy from TEV. Very comforting food indeed. Thanks for the idea, ladies!

Also from Diann, a great big bowl of Black Bean and Pumpkin Soup. Anyone who has been reading this blog for a while probably knows that I'm crazy about pumpkin, so it was inevitable that I would try this soup as soon as I saw the recipe.


I really love the combination of spices in this soup. I highly recommend stirring some cilantro into each serving--it just adds one more layer to the already deep levels of flavor. So good. I can't wait to take my leftovers to work with me.

I made breakfast for Bob (well, and for myself too) this morning. His favorite breakfast is pancakes. For fun, I decided to try the Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Pancakes from VWaV.


Though chocolate is not exactly a critical part of a healthy, balanced breakfast, my instincts told me that Bob would still really like it. I was right--I guess I know my man. Warmed raspberry preserves are the best accompaniment I can think of to a chocolate breakfast.




I thought I would be remiss if I didn't mention that November is now, offically, Vegan Month of Food! I've noticed that many of you are participating--fun! I am excited to see an explosion in great vegan food posts this month, and hopefully I'll be able to keep up with all of your blogs a little better. As for me, well, I'll be cooking and posting just like always... but it looks like it might be a busy month for me, and I probably won't be posting every day. Nevertheless, I'm all for setting aside a month to revel in the wonderful, nutritious, and cruelty-free foods that make being vegan rock!

Until next time, peace!

(And by the way, if you're wondering what is going to be keeping me so busy this month, look here to find out...)

R. Thomas... again

I guess you could say that R. Thomas Deluxe Grill is becoming a favorite spot here in the ATL. Bob and I stopped in for brunch recently. Here's what was cooking.


Bob started out with this gargantuan smoothie--the PomaCherry Bomb On Me. With a name like that, it had to be good, right? Right. With coconut milk, pomegranate, cherry, and agave nectar, how could it have gone wrong? As for me, though, I took a few sips and then stuck to my steaming coffee. It was, in fact, a cool morning (something I thought we would never get to experience this year down south), and all the seating at R. Thomas is on an outdoor patio. Organic fair trade beans, roasted locally... I wouldn't say I missed out.


For his meal, Bob went for R's veggie burger--such an excellent choice that I had a hard time sticking to my own plate. Truly one of the best veggie burgers either of us has had, with an amazingly smoky flavor and a satisfyingly chewy texture. On the side, an order of collard greens. Spiced wonderfully with a hint of cumin, and not cooked into oblivion.


I took a more breakfast-like approach with R's Hearty Breakfast Stew. The restaurant takes their red potato corn chowder and loads it up with quinoa, dulse flakes, nori strips, and an assortment of chopped veggies. As I was ordering, I asked skeptically if it was vegan. A resounding YES from the waitress! I'm glad it was, too. Being the southern girl that I am, it reminded me of grits--only better, and more loaded up with nutrients.

No room for their raw apple pie this time. But we have a dessert date sometime this week, for just that purpose. What a great way to chill out after work--I'm looking forward to it!

Cheers!

Thanks.

My life has been really weird lately. Certain things have just not been right, and it's been throwing me off. I would tell you the details, but I can think of a couple of people who would be rather put off to discover that I had posted these things out on the internet... so sorry for my vagueness. Let it suffice to say that I've learned that I need friends here in my new city--and coming from a college environment where making friends happens almost effortlessly, I've had a hard time adjusting to the fact that most of the people I care about are now far away from me and that I have to take the initiative if I want to establish relationships here. As always, I do really appreciate all of your comments and thoughts and prayers...

I spent last week out of town on business, but I have some pictures to share with you from before then. Let me start out with a couple quick weeknight meals.


Baked potato with steamed broccoli, a quick cheesy sauce, and fresh black pepper. Quite comforting and easy... and if you cheat by cooking the potato in the microwave it's even easier. (Yes, I cheated this time.)


One of my favorite easy meals is cooked legumes tossed into a pan with kale that's been sautéed with garlic and red pepper flakes. These black-eyed peas were waiting in my freezer for a night like this. Bob made The Grit's Super Seven-Spice Potatoes to go on the side... he really likes that recipe.


Here's another attempt at the perfect hummus. It was quite good... but still not quite perfect. I tried to be heavy-handed with the olive oil, but it goes against years of being a health-conscious cook. Next time I'll ask Bob to add the olive oil--he's not shy.


It had been months since Bob and I made a homemade pizza. Finally I got up the energy to make a pizza dough, and I used Kris's recipe from DTV. Oh my goodness, there's no going back to any other pizza dough recipe, for this one achieved perfection. It was so soft and delicious and the edges puffed up nicely--and I used 100% whole wheat pastry flour. I topped this pie with homemade pizza sauce and pesto, artichoke hearts, mushrooms, red onions, and green bell peppers.


Here's a close-up of the crust. Yum.


Nava Atlas's African-Inspired Quinoa-Peanut Stew--thick and creamy and filling, yet at the same time kind of gentle on the tummy. I really liked it. Bob said it was just "all right." Looks like I get the leftovers!


Another quinoa-centered meal--Quinoa-Spring Salad from Vive! I can't remember the last time I actually followed the recipe for this, or even looked at the recipe... because it's so adaptable. This time I added chickpeas, green sweet peas, roasted red peppers, chopped cucumbers, artichoke hearts, green onions, cilantro, toasted pine nuts, and a simple vinaigrette.

One of my go-to lunches is a wrap sandwich. It's more portable than a traditional sandwich, and I prefer the wrap style anyway because the flavors of the fillings are not forced to hide behind the bread.



These are Balsamic-Glazed Portobella Mushrooms from VWaV. They made a delicious wrap with steamed Swiss chard and roasted red peppers, though I had forgotten how much mushrooms cook down. Next time I'll have to make about twice as much. They have a lovely, sweet-smoky flavor.


A recipe I've been meaning to test for Melody for quite some time--her Seitan Turkey Breast. I finally got to make it this weekend. It's very good, very savory. As she suggested, I pan-cooked the slices to give them a crisp crust.


The seitan turkey made an excellent wrap with steamed raab greens, roasted red peppers, and a dab of dijon mustard. Quoth Bob, "This seitan is almost too convincing." But that's a good thing--he really liked it!

------------------
Now that all the food blogging is done, I have some exciting news to share. Meet our new fur baby!


This is Marzie. She was born to a stray mother--a couple Bob knows found momma cat hanging out around their porch one day with her new babies. They took the cats in and set about finding homes for the kittens. Marzie is sweet and playful, and every day she gets more accustomed to her new home.




Okay, okay, enough with the pictures!

That's all. I'll be around again soon!