Blog about introducing more raw...

Hey there blog readers!

It's been a busy few months I suppose, at least that is my excuse for not blogging more. Actually the challenge of merely typing with a baby under one around is multifaceted. He loves to bang keys. He hates to be ignored. He likes to be fed, changed, and cared for... So some things fall to the wayside. Luckily, I still cook a lot of fun, vegan food. I post it on Instagram (I am madisonconlin there too), as many people do. I love the community there. Instant (as the name implies) inspiration everyday. Pinterest too. I have a whole "To Veganize" category...

As I said, I have been cooking and baking lots. I try to be healthy, but the other say I realized every meal I ate that day had a component of flour (pancakes, pizza and pasta, I think). Nothing wrong with a little bread here and there, but 3 meals? That's not my usual day, mind you, I try to be diverse. Still, I sensed a lazy habit forming. I watched a couple documentaries about plant based diets (Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead and Food Matters), and decided that it was time to introduce more raw foods into our diets. Luckily, Randy caught a few minutes of the documentaries, so he is on board. He is perfectly content eating vegan at home, when I do most of the cooking and planning. He does, on the other hand, have a hard time turning down pizza lunches and dinners at other peoples houses. He tries, but he doesn't have a passion for it (yet) so he struggles. I have no interesting in forcing him, I hope it will come to it in his own time. He is excited about the health benefits of raw juices and foods though. I really want the kids to be able to grow up eating healthy foods, so they will be able to make informed choices about their own diets as adults.

A few months ago, we borrowed a friend's juicer (she had no room for the beast), and got into juicing a bit. For a few days Randy had juice for breakfast and lunch (that I made the night before). It is a hard habit to keep up. This week we started it again, consistently. We aren't planning any detoxes or fasts with it, but its a great way to get the extra nutrients we probably lack. I am planning to try to make the juice in the afternoon/evening like I did last time, except this time for both of us. I know its best to drink it right away but unfortunately our lifestyle does not permit this. He works, I work in the evening and stay home with the kids in the day. Juicing is easy, but its messy, and requires prep. I do a lot of cooking already in the day and my babies need me!

Yesterday was the first day of my more mindful raw eating. "More" because I am definitely not 100%. I will gradually introduce more, and make better habits. For breakfast with the boys, we had banana ice cream, something we already regularly enjoy. Pureed frozen bananas, that's it. We topped it with hemp hearts (not raw), raw cacao nibs, sliced almonds, and blueberries. Wyatt also had some toast, because hes a hungry boy in the morning.

For lunch I made the most delicious raw tacos. Walnut meat crushed with cumin, coriander, cayenne and Bragg's (not vegan), raw freshly made salsa (tomatoes, red peppers, green peppers, onion and garlic), cashew sour cream (cashews, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar) and avocado on romaine lettuce. I started to get hungry around 11am, but because of the kids I didn't eat til about 1. I was pretty hungry, and these were so satisfying.

Dinner was easy. Raw sweet potato soup. There are a ton of recipes out there, so I just threw some stuff together in my Vitamix and blended til it was warm. Had a salad on the side, and was pretty happy. We always eat early, so I did get hungry later. I had a protein bar that I made (dates, apples, walnuts, coconut, hemp hearts, chia, flax, etc) and celery with peanut butter (not raw).

I won't be blogging about everything that I am eating, but I was pretty happy with my first day. Not perfect (oh did I mention the piece of whole grain toast I ate before bed, oops!) but still healthy and awesome. It is going to take some getting used to, especially all the soaking and sprouting, dehydrating and grinding. That is OK though, its all an adventure and I will learn as I go.

Dinner: Creamy Daiya Quinoa Patties

I have finally mustered the will power to try to lose these last few pounds of baby weight. My goal is to be healthier, stronger, and lighter than I was before the kids came around. I'm exercising more and keeping track of what I am consuming to ensure a balanced diet. It's so easy to be lazy, but I know healthy food is just as good if not better than some of my go to easy meals. You know, like toast.
Anyway, a friend was recently diagnosed a low iron, and I was looking around at quinoa recipes to send her, since quinoa is a great source of iron. All that googling made me hungry, so this is what I just had for lunch!

Creamy Daiya Quinoa Patties

1 cup quinoa
1 cup vegetable broth
1 cup soy milk
1 tsp olive oil

1/4 cup onion
2 cups raw spinach
1 tsp olive oil (plus more for frying)

1/4 cup Daiya mozzarella style shreds

Prepare quinoa with one cup veg broth, one cup soy milk, and one teaspoon of olive oil.

Pan fry 1/4 cup onions to soften with one teaspoon of olive oil, and add 2 cup of fresh spinach until wilted.

Add onions and spinach to cooked quinoa and incorporate. Stir in 1/4 cup (or more, to taste) Daiya non dairy cheese, allowing it to melt slightly. Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to evenly divide the quinoa mixture into patties, flattening with wet hands (this prevents it from sticking to you).

Carefully place patties in pan on medium heat that has been sprayed with oil, and heat until slightly crispy, just a couple minutes on each side.

Try adding different variations of vegetables! Enjoy...

Art in Strathcona Park

Rain or shine!
Be there!

Dessert: Upside Down Ice Cream Cake

Raw vegan gluten free lemon ice cream cake.

Delicious, beautiful, healthy and pretty easy. Only downside is you have to eat it the same day you make it. Not a problem for me! If you froze it, it might be ok, but frozen fruit and rock hard ice cream isn't my cup of tea.

Crust:

2 cups shredded coconut
1 cup walnuts
1 cup dates
Pinch of salt

Ice cream:

4 frozen bananas
Juice and rind from 1-2 lemons

Fruit for topping:

One kiwi
Strawberries
Blueberries.

Line a bowl (i used a small micing bowl) with plastic wrap and lay down some sliced fruit.

Process crust ingredients in food processor or strong blender until a dough forms. Take about 2/3 of dough (enough to cover fruit in bowl) and press flat on counter lined with plastic wrap or parchment. Transfer to bowl and gently press to stick fruit into dough without totally squishing them.

Flatten the remainder of the dough into a circle the size of the bottom of your cake (top of your bowl). If you are not planning to eat the cake yet, stop now and refrigerate.

When ready to serve, make the ice cream, and fill the bowl. Cover with the circle of dough, trying to attach "lid" to the dough lining the cake. You can place in freezer for a few minutes (not long enough to freeze solid if necessary)

Invert bowl on serving platter, pulling plastic wrap to dislodge. Use a sharp knife to slice. Mine made about 6 servings.

The most complicated part of the recipe is the assembly. I should have taken step by step photos! It's really not that hard!

Dessert: Red Velvet Cheesecake of the Vegan Variety

Here is a quick recipe, easy to make and super delicious. If you don't have a VitaMix, use a food processor and soak the nuts and dates before hand!
The crust I made was too hard, but I will tell you what I did anyway.


Crust (Prepare cookie crumbs with margarine according to package or add some soy milk maybe instead)
1 cup melted Choc chips
1 3/4 cup chocolate cookie crumbs

Combine and press into 8 inch round cake pan lined with plastic wrap or spring form pan. Place in freezer to set.

1 can coconut milk
2 cup cashews (soaked if necessary)
1 package soft silken tofu (12 oz)
3/4 cup dates
1 tsp vanilla
dash salt
Juice of 1 lemon

Blend until smooth. Remove about 1/3 and set aside in fridge.

1 cup melted chocolate chips
1/4 cup cocoa
Red food coloring

Add to the 2/3 remaining and blend. Pour half the chocolate mix into the crust. Place in freezer until set, then top with half of the vanilla. Repeat with chocolate layer, and again with the remaining vanilla.
Top with chocolate curls or whatever you'd like.

Rainbows (and Pinterest)

I joined Pinterest a while ago (find me, madisonconlin) but have just recently started using it. I have already made many recipes based on inspiring photos and foodstuff I have pinned. Also hair styles. I like that, its like a craft you can make right now! But I digress.

Rainbows.

I love rainbows, I always have. I love bright colours. If you've ever seen a painting by me, you know this. (Also my hair!) Pinterest is full of rainbow foods. And I have contributed to this. Rainbow Popsicles, rainbow fruit trays, and rainbow cake.

The popsicles are just mashed up fruit, strawberries, mango, kiwi and blueberries. Very refreshing.
The cake is just vanilla cake with (not very well incorporated) food colouring and vanilla icing and fruit decoration. If I did it again and had more time (baking with children around requires crafyness and speed) I would colour it with fruit. I'll let you know if I try it.

I want to make rainbow cupcakes in mini mason jars. With tie-dyed style frosting. Not to mention a million other things I have been overstimulated with because of Pinterest. I love it.

Keep Pinning!

Dessert: Chocolate Mint Chip CUPCAKE Cone

Wandering through the grocery store aisle yesterday I happened upon some sugar cones. It reminded me that I suck at making cake pops and I've wanted to try cake cones instead. I turned the box to the ingredients and was pleasantly surprised that the President's Choice brand had no milk or eggs in it. I could definitely make my own sugar cones, but its always nice to simplify, especially on a first attempt.

This morning I googled cupcake cones, and read quickly through a recipe by Martha Stewart. I find its good to get a sense of how things will work before I willy nilly start making stuff up. Martha is always inspirational too. So I used her instructions on using tinfoil over a pan to stick the cones in for baking. It would have worked well if I hadn't put too many in, but in the end I figured it out. I decided on an ice cream inspired flavour for my cones, mint chocolate chip. Chocolate cupcake batter with a hint of peppermint, and mint icing with chopped up chocolate chips. Mmm. 

Chocolate cupcake batter (From Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World)

1 cup soy milk

1 tsp apple cider vinegar 

3/4 cup sugar 

1/3 cup canola oil

1 1/2 tsp vanilla 

1 cup flour 

1/3 cup cocoa 

3/4 tsp baking soda 

1/2 tsp baking powder 

1/4 tsp salt

AND 1 tsp peppermint extract. 

AND sugar or waffle cones to bake in. I used 16, but it will vary depending on the size. According to Martha, you put 2-3 tablespoons of batter per cone.

Preheat over to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cover a deep baking pan of some sort (I used an angel food cake style pan) securely with tin foil. Use a pointy object to poke a hole, and insert your first cone until it touches the bottom of the pan, or until just a bit is sticking out. Continue until all your cones are in the pan, and do not put them too close together or the tin foil will rip and spill your batter. Use a second pan if you need more room. Learn from my mistakes people! Do not try to fit more in.

Pour some batter into each cone. You probably shouldn't overfill too much, although it might work to have muffin tops out of the cone. Bake until toothpick inserted comes out clean, mine took about 25 minutes. Start checking around 18. Allow to cool. 

While the cones cool, prepare icing. 

Mint Chip Icing 

1/2 cup vegan margarine (I used Earth Balance. A combination of margarine and shortening would work, or even some coconut oil. It has been really hot here though, so I did not want my icing to melt) 

3 1/2 cups icing sugar 

1/4 cup (more or less depending on how thin you want it)soy milk 

1/2 tsp vanilla 1 tsp peppermint extract 

1 smidgeon green food colouring 

1/2 cup chopped chocolate chips (chopping makes the texture more like ice cream, worth it!)

Whip the margarine with beaters til soft and fluffy. Add sugar and milk small amounts at a time, alternating. Once they are incorporated, add extracts and food colouring. Whip a minute or two and then fold in chocolate. Refrigerate until cupcakes are completely cooled. It is nice to work with icing that is a little firm. 

I attempted to use an ice cream scoop to put my icing on the cones, but it wasn't successful. My scoop lacks an eject button, which might help. I smeared it on and it looked good anyway. I fashioned a little stand for my cones, but they were too tall to fit under my cake stand lid, so I ended up laying them down. Whatever works!

Yuuum.

Dessert: Ridiculous brownies.

Slutty Brownies.

That is not a very kind name for these delicious brownies.  It is also not very "family friendly"... Originally the recipe flying around the interwebs for this dessert (um, its more than a dessert) was 3 prepackaged items, cookie dough, Oreos, and brownie mix, which also contributed to the negative title of recipe, since it was fast and easy (and filthy of course).
This vegan version still packs an Oreo center (someday I hope to make a homemade cookie center), but I used simple cookie and brownie recipes to ensure veganness (and also I never have or use mixes).

Without further adieu, this is how to make Slutty Vegan Brownies (Or Strumpet Brownies, or Double Cookie Brownies, or Big Booty Brownies).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line 9x13 pan with parchment (or don't, it just makes it a bit tidier).

Cookie layer:

1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup canola oil
1/2 cup unsweetened milk of choice
2 tbs starch (corn, tapioca, arrowroot, whatever)
1 tbs vanilla
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1tp salt
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Wisk the first 5 ingredients (down to and including the starch) until it turns into a caramel like consistency. This is important. Add the rest of the ingredients except the chips and mix with a spatula or wooden spoon. Fold in chocolate chips. Press mixture into bottom of your pan.
Layer Oreos onto cookie dough, pretty much touching each other. It should use most of the box, with a few leftover (You know there ain't no such thing as leftover Oreos).
No need to clean your cookie mixing bowl, use it to mix your brownies.

Brownie topping:

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup water
2/3 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla

Sift or wisk dry ingredients, then add wet and stir. Pour over cookies. Bake for about an hour. I started checking mine around 40 minutess but it took over an hour. Test with a toothpick. If it comes out dry it is done. Beware sticking it into the cookies though, the melty chocolate chips will cause a false negative!
Allow to cool before cutting. This will be torturous. Believe it or not though, these are better when cool. Sounds crazy, but its true. Maybe the flavours meld. I think its more to do with Oreos though, as they are designed to be eaten at room temperature.

Another warning; the actual reason behind the original name of these, Slutty Brownies, most likely has something to do with what happens when you eat them. You want more, and more, and more. And then you really regret your choices. Uuuugh too much of a good thing!

Breakfast: Nutritious Gluten Free Pancakes

I am a pancake enthusiast, as is my two and a half year old son, Wyatt. We eat them fairly regularly, usually filled with fruit and piled high with fruit as well. Randy prefers chocolate chips. Actually I'm sure Wyatt does too.
Anyway today for lunch I had a hankering for pancakes. I usually use my "Perfected Pancakes" recipe, with some variation. If I have cooked quinoa, that is my go to healthifier. Sometimes I put in some oatmeal. It's always good, no matter what.
Today I wanted to try something new. It was sooooo good! Crispy crust, nutty flavour. And healthy.  This reipe makes about 4 six inch p1ancakes, good for me and Wyatt for lunch. If making for the whole family I would double it!

1/4 cup ground quinoa
1/4 cup ground oatmeal (I used quick oats but any kind should work, with a little extra soaking time for raw)
1/4 cup ground almonds
1/4 cup garbanzo bean flour
1 tbs baking powder
1 tbs sugar
1 tbs tapioca starch
1/2 tsp xantham gum
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup soy milk
1 tbs oil
Blueberries or other extras

Heat a pan (I use my cast iron for everything, but if I'm making a big batch of pancakes I use my griddle) to low medium heat. Never high!!! I used coconut oil to grease the pan.
Wisk dry ingredients, then add wet. I let it sit for maybe 5 minutes after I stirred it, to allow it to thicken. It didn't get bubbly like wheat flour batter does, but it thickens a bit. I threw in a couple handfuls of blueberries too.
Pour some batter into the pan or onto the griddle. I did about 1/2 cup at a time as I wasn't sure how sturdy they would be to flip. I am sure larger would be fine, they held up very well.
Allow to sit without touching until edges are dry, several minutes. Again, they don't bubble like wheat pancakes. Flip once. If you want to be sure it is cooked through you can peak inside by making a small slit. If it is dry, it's done. If its gooey, it's not done.
You want to do the majority of the cooking before the flip. The second side takes much less time.
Serve with maple syrup, fruit, cashew cream or whatever your heart's desire.

Blog about the Vegg!

Ok! So I responded to the Vegg's Facebook post asking for bloggers who were interested in writing about their product, and they sent me some. Exciting! There is only one (two now?) place to order the Vegg online in Canada, and it's been on back order or sold out so I haven't gotten around to purchasing my own to try.
Anyway, my mother asked me a while ago what I miss most, in terms of animal products. Not much. Maybe fried eggs, was my response. I would have thought it would be cheese, but once you detox from that stuff, it's pretty easy to stay away. I ate it a bit when I was pregnant (and feeling very sick, craving weird things) and it was always disappointing. Not worth it in any case.
Eggs though... Eggs.
The Vegg, prepared as is, smells, looks and tastes so much like egg yolk it is off putting! Not a dis, that is what they are going for. Buy I admit, it freaks me out. I ate it with toast. Good. But it did the same thing as cheese... I have realized I don't really miss it.
Never fear! The Vegg has many other uses! I tried it in a tofu omlette, but was underwhelmed by the results (it might have been my methodology). I didn't care for the sliminess that it added to my scrambled tofu either. But, I DID like the French vanilla ice cream recipe from the Vegg's website.
Also, I made lemon curd. I love lemon curd. Vegan curd is always too corn starchy, or too firm. This stuff turned out fantastically!

The Vegg lemon curd:
4 tsp the Vegg powder
1 cup water
1 tbs arrowroot powder
1/2 cup vegan margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup lemon juice
Grated rind of one lemon

Blend water and the Vegg. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until combined and creamy. Transfer to a pot on stove and heat on medium low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly as it thickens. Allow to cool on stove, then refrigerate to set.

I still have some Vegg left, I plan to use it to make French toast.
I like this product. Its not something I couldn't live without, but it is nice to have. It's a great step! Hopefully more and more tried and true recipes will pop up so we can have more success with re-vegging un-egged recipes!

Etsy shop update!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/MadisonConlin
Check it out!

Dessert: Amazing (Raw) Vegan Whipped Cream

There are many recipes for vegan whipped cream, but this is the one I have played with and found works best for me!

Amazing (Raw) Vegan Whipped Cream
1/2 cup soaked raw cashews
1 can coconut milk
2 Tbs (or to taste) agave nectar or maple syrup (or other sweetener)
1/4 cup coconut oil (you could probably get away with less, perhaps 2 Tbs)

Blend all together in blender until smooth. I use a magical Vitamix, so this works really fast and easily for me. Some blenders won't get the smooth consistency, especially if the cashews aren't very soft from soaking.
Refrigeration will cause mixture to firm up nicely, sometimes I add more coconut milk and blend again just before I use it to thin it out.
If you are unfamiliar with working with coconut oil, it can be a little tricky when blending because it is a solid when under 24 degrees Celsius, but blending can warm it and make it a liquid, causing the cream to be runny. Refrigeration solves this of course, and even if it is runny it is still delicious! In any case, I usually make this a day or two in advance to ensure it is thick and creamy.
This stuff is always a hit and is even better than real whipped cream! Serve on chocolate anything with fruit.
I plan to play around with this too... I'm thinking a couple tablespoons of cacao powder to make chocolate whip? The possibilities are endless.

Blog about ART SHOW

Ok fellas and ladies.  The past several months have been crazy busy for me in life.  I had a baby and such. And a two year old. Financially things are tight so I have kept myself busy at home, cooking a lot, making stuff... Artistically I could have let things go, but NO! I am very fortunate to have a friend (who owns a wonderful local business known as the Mud Oven) who is allowing me to showcase my works, and I have filled my time since my last show (at Venus Envy in the fall) with making ALL NEW stuff! It's all very different from what I have been doing since I finished school. It has been so fun and exhilarating to keep the juices flowing.
So what's the deal, you ask? Where and when is this wonderful show so I can attend and bring all my friends???

Please do come if you can!

Here is the facebook event:

Mud Oven Art Show

Lastly, please go to Facebook and "Like" my page to be kept up to date on my work!

Paintings by Madison Conlin

Thank you!!

Completed two more Instagram challenges, yes!

Ok so I haven't been blogging much this month but I have been keeping up with (more or less) two Instagram challenges. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Instagram, it is a iPhone app that you use to upload photos to a stream, and you can follow people and people can follow you. For us visual people it is quite interesting! I would love to spend more time reading (and writing) blogs but honestly it is just hard to find the time. These challenges keep me on a bit of a schedule so I keep working and don't get caught in time warps...

So, here are my completed projects!

Breakfast: Biscuits and gravy!

My husband is American and loves biscuits with sausage gravy. It's not something I have traditionally eaten, but I aim to please. This is the second time we've had it... I think it was the best. I made a double batch of biscuits from "Vegan Diner" and navy bean gravy (made with white beans instead) from "Vegan with a Vengeance". We also had leftover sausage cutlets from dinner, also from "Vegan Diner".
I am so happy with this hearty, healthier version of traditional biscuits with sausage gravy.
Oh yes, "Creamsicle" smoothies to get a dose of peaches, oranges and soy milk (and a secret serving of Omega 3 with chia seed). Mmm!

Instagram!

February is over. As you may or may not recall, I was participating in an Instagram challenge to take a photo a day of a predetermined subject. I did not always gets my photos posted on the day I was supposed to, but I did complete each category (more or less) sucessfully. It wasn't as exciting as I had hoped, so this month I am going to do a DRAWING a day. Much more work but also more stimulating. Anyway, here is February! If you are an Instagram user please follow me: madisonconlin.

Blog about not blogging (and sausages and hamburgers and buns and quinoa and vaginas)

Oops. When I started writing more frequently recently my intention was to write at least one entry a week. Well it's been more than that since my last. All I can do is try harder, and update you on my last couple weeks of course.
Nothing too exciting going on. Lots of cooking and baking of course. Some good old fashioned family time. Some photos. A couple NEW recipes to share! I guess THAT is exciting. Okay, let's get started.

One thing I got into recently was making my own sausages, hamburgers, and buns. Very fun. So economical. So easy. So fast. So yummy. So healthy, at least compared to store bought, and especially compared to non-vegan fare. I used Vegan dad's general recipe for both sausages AND breakfast sausages. I made a few minor adjustments perhaps (for example kidney beans instead of pinto), but the recipes are very flexible and customozable. The sausage recipe was actually really FUN to do... and satisfying. They come together exactly how they are supposed to, I definitely recommend trying them. They taste just like a Tofurkey brand sausage. Find them here: http://vegandad.blogspot.com/.
Here is my pic:

Yes, I know they look like shit. But what sausage doesn't?

Next is the burgers. As I mentioned, I used my imagination. I made them twice with sliightly different ingredients, but the basic recipe is as follows:

Bare bones ingredients (all flexible really. You could use rice instead of quinoa but you'd loose the health benefits of the protein. Even the wheat gluten could be replaced with regular flour but for best results use gluten!):
1 1/2 cup cooked quinoa
1/2 cup quick oats (uncooked)
1/2 cup wheat gluten
1/2 cup mashed beans (optional)
1/2 cup water or broth
2 tbs oil
2 tbs soy sauce or Braggs
2 cloves minced garlic
liquid smoke

Optional/Various ingredients for flavorings (probably not all at the same time, but use your imagination):
2 tbs nut butter
2 tbs nuts/seeds (I used sesame seeds)
1 tsp steak spice
onion powder
red pepper flakes
italian seasonings
smoked paprika
... endless possibilities

Money shot.

And for the buns I used my breadmaker (of course) and this recipe: http://lucyskitchen.blogspot.com/2009/03/breadmaker-hamburger-buns.html. I used half warm water, half soy milk instead of skim milk powder and water. Did it twice, awesome both times. I did not cut the buns into circles but rather rolled the dough into a rectangle on a cookie sheet and cut into squares. I was clever and made half hamburger size and half sausage size. They looked like store bought. Oh yes, I sprayed olive oil cooking spray on top before cooking to make them brown a little more but that probably isn't mandatory.

My next 2 recipes also include quinoa. The first is just a note on an old recipe of mine, pancakes. http://madisonconlin.blogspot.com/2011/12/perfected-pancakes.html It turns out you can straight up add cooked quinoa to these pancakes and they turn out great! A cup or two depending on your preference. It really adds some fluff, not to mention makes them a LOT more nutritous!

Fat Tuesday. Any excuse for pancakes. Not that I need an excuse.

The next recipe is adapted from Isa Chandra Moscowitz's lemon poppy seed muffin recipe.

2 cups flour (all purpose works best, but do as you will! The quinoa will make up for it)
2/3 cup sugar
1 tbs baking powder
2 tbs poppy seeds
1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup soy milk
juice and zest of 2 lemons (at least 1/4 cup juice)
1/3 cup coconut oil (or any oil but coconut adds a nice flavour)
2 tsp vanilla

1 cup (or a little more) quinoa
1/2 cup cranberries (for those who love a complicated muffin once in a while)

Lemon Poppy Seed Quinoa Muffins

Mix the dry ingredients, and add the wet in a well in the center. Be careful when adding the coconut oil that it doesn't harden when added to the cold milk/juice. You can either warm the milk to prevent this or mix it slightly before adding the oil. Fold in the quinoa. Bake in oiled muffin tins for 25 minutes at 375 degrees.

Well I have a few more things to share but I will leave them for another time. Enjoy these Vagina treats! I made them for a fundraiser for the Vagina Monologues that my sister is participating in at Carleton University (March 10 and 11 I believe).  



Funny names for vegan cupcakes and cookies decorated with vaginas welcome.

Vegina cupcakes is mine.

Blog about: Lazy Sunday baking too much AGAIN!

Here is some eye candy.  I guess I am getting into the Valentines Day spirit, although we never reeeeally celebrate it. Other than to eat some good food.  Our anniversary (of the first time we met) is February 17, so anything we do, we do to celebrate that, more or less. One year we got tattoos. Anyway, Wyatt and I made some sugar cookies, and then when he was napping I made some cupcakes. The internet is full of recipes for vegan cupcakes (including my blog, theres a couple way back. Not the one I used today but vegan cupcakes are really easy), so I wont include the recipe. Eat your hearts out!

Apparently you CAN make cookie cutters out of aluminum cans.

Made a special one for Wyatt with the last bit of dough.

The pink icing is a little brighter than the camera could capture. It is super pink.

Big pile o'cookies.

Fancy heart shaped vanilla icing! The big one in the middle is a cupcake for two;)

Stack 'em up!

Wyatt making funny faces. He's not that funny yet. At least not with the faces.

I stayed up late painting this cartoon based on a photo of my littlest sister...

The mess remained this morning. Oh well!

Quick blog about tiramisu

Quick! I must share this quickly, it is so good it can't wait. I'm not a raw vegan but I like to make raw desserts. I don't always have the official raw version of ingredients but it's raw enough for me. If you have a good blender or food processor try this!


No bake, kinda raw tiramisu

Chocolate layer
1/2 cup dates, soaked in 1/2 cup water until soft. Include water when processing.
1 cup cashews, soaked 1-2 hours
3 tablespoon rum (optional, if left out double coffee and vanilla)
2 1/2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil
1 tablespoon raw cacao powder or cocoa powder
1/2 tablespoon raw honey or maple syrup or agave nectar
1 1/2 teaspoons coffee extract or espresso or instant coffee powder (for one serving)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch sea salt

Cream layer
1/2cup cashews, soaked 1-2 hours
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons raw honey or maple syrup or agave nectar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch sea salt
1 1/2 cup coconut (shedded or flaked)
1 tablespoon virgin coconut oil

In a food processor, mix all ingredients for the chocolate layer until well incorporated and smooth. Place half of the mix in one layer in a small baking dish and keep the rest aside.

In a food processor, mix all ingredients for the cream layer until well incorporated and smooth. Pour half on top of chocolate layer and refrigerate until firm enough to spread the rest of the chocolate. Top with the rest of the cream and refrigerate again. When all is set dust with cocoa powder.

You can use the freezer to speed up setting times but this tastes better thawed, not frozen.

Original recipe is here: http://paretoraw.wordpress.com/2010/04/23/raw-tiramisu-coconutcashewsdates-in-disguise/

Blog about: Baking too much.

Since I tend to brag about all the delicious vegan food I make and eat on Facebook, many people have asked how I do it, having a newborn attached to me and a toddler running around (and before that, being pregnant with a toddler, and before that, working with a baby...). The answer: choices! Prioritizing. Necessity.

I love food! I like being healthy(ish). I live on a budget (ish). Therefore I cook homemade for myself and my family. I am also creative and enjoy making things, and food is a practical outlet for this energy. I also like external validation, and delightful food provides a nice quick fix. I work for my junk food, so at least its not as impulsive as it used to be, although I impulsively bake things from time to time.

I do make sacrifices in my life to do the things I like to do, including cooking and baking. I don't exercise as much as I should, although I do try to be active in day to day life to make up for this. It's more sustainable anyway. Also my house is a mess! Well ok I have seen worse. And I try to tidy before I have company AND I do TRY to keep it clean. Inevitably though, it is a mess. Being organized and clean just doesn't come naturally to me, so I don't waste my time forcing it. This gives me more time for food.

These past couple weeks have been busy for a few reasons. One is that now that Otis is here, I can spend more time on my feet in the kitchen. Having a baby also attracts visiters, so I baked some things to freeze and have in case of short notice drop ins. The second is that last week my mother in law and sister in law visited so I made some meals in advance, as well as some desserts to have on hand. Third is the Vegan Pie in the Sky cook book I got for Christmas. I had to try a bunch of recipes, I couldn't resist! I made the apple pie, the pumpkin, the blueberry, the coconut cream and the blueberry cheesecake (which I converted to strawberry cheesecake).

Hello apples.

Strawberry cheesecake. Contains no actual cheese. Main ingredients: Cashews, tofu, banana, strawberries.

Fattening up my sister. Smores, coconut cream pie and strawberry cheesecake. It makes you wonder, do I love her, or hate her?

 These new recipes were really good. Only one complaint, many recipes call for crusts made from pre-packaged cookies crushed up. That’s fine and good sometimes, but I would love to make all my crusts from scratch. Oh well.
I'd like to share a recipe that I love:

Seriously amazing. These are my new big strips. The shredded version is finer and still so good.

http://kirstenskitchen.blogspot.com/2010/04/coconut-bacon.html
My vegan-loathing mother said she liked this coconut BETTER THAN BACON. What else can be said?
Instead of water I usually use the coconut milk. I also don't peel the brown skin off the coconut, and I use my food processer to shred it. This week I used the larger blade to shred it (the one that you would use for say, scalloped potatoes?) to make bigger, meatier pieces, and it turned out really well. We use it on BLT's, stuffed jalapeno peppers (Super Bowl food!), vegan pizza, toast with peanut butter (Elvis style) and anything else we can think of.

The test batch for vegan stuffed jalepenos, made with Tofutti cream cheese and sour cream creamed together topped with coconut bacon and Daiya "cheddar style shreds." (Excuse the iPhone photo!)

Actually the pizza is my husband Randy's specialty. He makes it pretty much every Saturday. We use the breadmaker for the dough as it makes it perfect. Toppings include olives, mushrooms, green peppers, coconut bacon and Daiya "mozzarella style shreds."

I tried a few new recipes this week too, including one for croissants:
http://www.sabjimatablog.com/2011/05/17/recipe-vegan-croissants/
This recipe was a little vague, but I learned from it and next time I think these will be great. I rolled them wrong sorta, but they were still good. If the recipe had been more detailed it would have seemed overwhelming and I might not have felt up to trying it.
I also tried this one (using regular whole wheat flour):
http://veganyumyum.com/2009/04/graham-crackers-and-dandies/
We had just bought some new vegan mini marshmallows and used these with s’mores, mmmm. I did take her advice and sprinkled them with cinnamon and sugar, I recommend it.

Cinnamon sugary goodness. I am not great with making equal cuts. Next time I try harder.

Smores are a treat because vegan marshmallows are both hard to find and expensive!

Now here is one I HAVEN'T tried yet, but desperately want to:
http://greytveganlife.wordpress.com/2011/02/09/%e2%99%a5-the-vegan-baileys-project/
I am coming for you, vegan Irish cream!

Last night I made cinnamon buns, and they turned out really well. I used my bread maker to knead the dough and let it rise in there. Then I rolled them out, added the sugar etc, let them rise in front of my wood stove and refrigerated them until this morning, so we had fresh hot cinnamon buns for breakfast with no work to be done on a lazy Saturday morning! Except that I made the coconut cream cheese icing this morning, but that is really easy. With cinnamon buns for me the issue is more the time than the work. Letting the dough rise is torture when all you want is the hot sweet goodness. Doing the leg work the night before eliminates most of the wait. Oh yes, the recipe I use is basically from Vegan Brunch by Isa Chandra Moskowicz. For the icing I used about 1/8 cup coconut spread (margarine or shortening would also work), 1/8 cup vegan cream cheese (creamed together), 1-2 cups icing sugar with 1-2 Tbs soy milk mixed by hand. Makes a nice rich cream cheese frosting and a happy belly.

Good morning glorious buns!

Oh the aroma.

Prepare to die, cinnamon bun.