Chihuahua Tummy Pump

Yep, out little Eleanor Smalls (Ellie Mae Chihuahua) had to have her stomach pumped yesterday. She go into Adelaide's seizure medication and ate about 10 pills, luckily we caught her before she could do more damage to herself and her teeny tiny six pound body. She is doing fine, she had her treatment last night and today she is as fit as a fiddle...did I really say fit as a fiddle? How old am I? Anywho she is doing great but I on the other hand am wracked with guilt. It is my fault she go into the pills. Adelaide's medication comes to us via UPS and the pharmacy always sends a dog toy. The girls are incredibly smart and when they see the package from UPS they know a special prize is waiting for them. So without thinking, I opened the box, chucked the pills aside and pulled out the new toy and let the fun and games begin. I left the medication on the coffee table then proceeded to run around the house with their fuzzy new bone, tossing it in the air, under one leg, around my side, in the sheer elation of sharing in something exciting with my baby girls. Timmy and I went to the store over an hour later to get kitty cat food, and that is when Ellie got into the medication. We arrived home to her puking on the couch a nasty yellow and green substance and then saw the pills all over the living room floor. I almost had a heart attack. Luckily I developed a cool as a cucumber calm and called all of the necessary people (pharmacist, animal poison control and our vet) and got the whole issue resolved. So let this be a lesson learned through my foolish mistake to be conscience of your surroundings and of harmful things within your pet's reach. Also if anything like this does happen contact the Animal Poison Control Center immediately!


don't feed your dogs cupcakes either...

Allow Me to Introduce Myself

A couple of days ago I mentioned the possibility of baking for a local ultra hip restaurant and today I had my meeting with said restaurant's ultra hip owner and...I am in! There are quite a few things that need to be ironed out like price points, display and menu but everything looks like it is going to turn out amazing. I do not have a head for business, to me that is grown up stuff (yes, I am 28 but still very much a child) and I would love the world to be all soy milk and cookies, but I think this restaurant owner will really help me understand the "adult" side of owning a bakery. I feel very elated, and also very nervous. I am getting all the bit closer to achieving my dream and it is frightening. It is one thing to keep putting things off for a later date, labeling something a future endeavor and leaving it as that. It is another thing completely to grab your dream, give it a firm handshake and introduce yourself.

more details to follow at a later date.


heart,
Rikki Cupcake

Taking On The V-Con Pt. 6

Keeping with my non-lazy theme this will be post number three for the day. I took a bit of a hiatus to help my dear friend Jefe hand his art in a local gallery. Jeff is a super talented guy and thanks to me (insert pat on the back) he is having his very first art show. His artist's reception isn't until October because it is way too hot to draw a decent crowd, but his art will be up until then...bonus! Here is a peak at his work.






pretty good, huh?

After that Timmy and I went to the fancy Whole Foods in Chandler and got some Gardein tacos and supplies for my upcoming baking adventure. Now my tummy is full and I can focus once again. Drum roll please...

This weeks V-Con challenge makes me think of a cooler Autumnal day, in other words perfect biking weather. The sweet potato and pear tzimmies would be a treat after a long day spent on the green belt cycling around watching the Frisbee golfers, the beautiful cranes flying over the many parks on the belt and all of the happy cyclists rolling up an over the many hills that make up the belt. I imagine I would come home, a bit tired but happy and would put together this wonderful side dish in order to heat up my house and appease my senses. The smell of the tzimmies in the oven is divine, an olfactory orgy. The vitamin packed sweet potatoes, the energy giving properties of the pecans, the subtle sweetness of the agave, all would be a welcoming dish for all of my senses to enjoy. I am painting this picture because although I really liked this dish the preparation and even the eating of it was not as joyous as I would have preferred. I had been painting my kitchen and making a cake as stated in an earlier post, went out with a friend and had a friend over for a visit so everything was a bit rushed and made with zero energy, I followed the recipe exactly and I wish I would have made a few slight changes. Next time Rikki, in Fall you will make this recipe and you will be delighted.

Sweet Potato and Pear Tzimmies with Pecans and Raisins
ingredients:
2 lbs Sweet Potato (I used three sweet potatoes and who knows how much they weighed?)
3 pears (I used two)
1 T. veggie oil
2 T. Mirin / Sweet cooking Wine (I used Sangiovese)
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
1 T. Maple Syrup (I used agave)
3/4 cup Pecan halves
3/4 cup raisins



Put all ingredients sans raisins in a pan and cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1/2 hour. Remove from oven, uncover, add raisins and bake an additional 1/2 hour. Eat!

Ask A Vegan Pt. 11

Trying to find a Vegan is at times like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Just when I think I may have to skip my weekly feature someone comes out of the blue and gives me their responses to my silly questionnaire and makes me feel the warm and fuzzies all over my incredibly pasty body. The weirdest thing about the beautiful Vegan I am featuring today is she was right under my nose. I work with this great guy John who like me is a bike enthusiast and almost more like me is like 97 percent Vegan. I didn't even know John worked with me when I met him. We were having a work Christmas thing with free food in our break room and he was back there with his children hanging out. I thought he was just another really happy Trader Joe's shopper who goes in the break room and hangs out with the crew. Later in the week I saw him working a register and was overcome with joy! Awesome, another cool person to work with. The more I talked with John the more I like him and the more I got to know about him. His children are raised Vegan and the best part, his gorgeous wife is Vegan too and she was kind enough to allow me to share her with all of you! Allow me to introduce Tiffany Sellwood...

Name: Tiffany Sellwood
Age:31
Location: Ahwatukee, AZ
Website: None, isn’t that horrible? Particularly since I’m an online marketer.


How long have you been Vegan? 8 years

What made you decide to go Vegan?
The book “Diet for a New America” converted me to a vegetarian in the matter of two chapters. That winter, a massive sinus infection led me to a homeopathic doctor who told me to get rid of dairy altogether. I had been eating so many cheese sandwiches since going vegetarian, I had developed a dairy sensitivity! After being on the elimination diet for a few days, the sinus pressure was gone. I haven’t eaten dairy since.

How do you feel health wise with this diet choice?
The best I’ve felt in my life. After going vegan, I noticed a huge difference in energy level, particularly in the afternoon. I’m a runner, and coincidentally I became faster and more efficient with less training on a vegan diet. I’ve also had two wonderful, uncomplicated pregnancies. I feel like a million bucks!

Are you open about your Veganism? Heck yes!

If so, are you involved in any activism i.e. protests, leafleting etc…
If I didn’t have two young kids that consume every free minute, I would definitely be out there. The only activism I partake in is posting informative articles on my Facebook profile, hoping that a few people just might find them intriguing enough to check them out.

What does your family, friends, co-workers think about your diet?
Most people in my life think it’s interesting and certainly everyone respects it. My husband is an amazing cook and has shown our friends and family how great vegan food can be. We’ve shared recipes with meat eaters who come over and want to make our dishes in their own homes! I’ve been thrilled to see some of my closest friends experiment with vegetarianism, and some became total veg heads!



What advice would you give those interested in becoming Vegan?
Before buying a cookbook, I would first recommend reading some books about the benefits of veganism. I think the chances of success are better if you really understand the health, environmental, and political reasons for going vegan. Our society has been so brainwashed by the food industry that the truth about dairy, for example, is usually shocking to most people. When you become enlightened with the truth, your vegan journey will be so much more meaningful. Not to mention - you’ll be so outraged, you’ll want to share the truth with others and get them inspired to try it, too!

Would you eat at Mc Donald’s if they carried a Vegan burger?
No. McDonald’s is the epitome of what’s gone wrong with the American diet. They make millions of dollars serving heart disease and obesity on a plate, and yet they’ve perfected their artificially-flavored “food” so well that we can’t seem to get enough of it. Meanwhile, their business model maintains the factory farming phenomenon, which is not only horrifying for animals, farmers and slaughterhouse workers, but it’s sickening us even more with hormone and antibiotic-laden meat. If McDonald’s were to offer a vegan burger, it would be completely disingenuous, as they could care less about our health. Rather, they would be doing so only to cater to a new market to boost sales. Now if McDonald’s decided to completely turn their business philosophy upside-down and commit themselves to offering healthier food (which means they’d have to remove or modify best-sellers from their menu and offer ONLY organic meat), then I may take them seriously with the vegan burger. In the meantime, I refuse to even buy a cup of coffee from them.

What is your least favorite question that you are asked about your diet?
There’s always the “Then what DO you eat?” question that makes me chuckle, but I think the question I like the least is “How do you get enough protein”? I know it seems cliché – as I’m sure this is one of every vegan’s least favorite questions – but the reason I loathe it so much is because it takes me too long to answer it well. There is a HUGE misunderstanding about protein in our society, and you kind of have to start there. Given our accessibility to such a variety of food, it’s practically impossible for a vegan to consume an inadequate amount of protein – but there IS such a thing, however, as TOO MUCH protein.



What is your favorite dish?
I guess my absolute, eat-it-any-day favorite would be my hubby’s vegetable lasagna, made with spinach, mushrooms, white sauce and homemade tomato sauce. I’m salivating just thinking about it.

What do you typically eat at Thanksgiving?
Everything but the turkey, really! We pretty much make all the traditional dishes, we just substitute vegan margarine for butter, veg stock for chicken stock, and soy milk for milk. We even make a green bean casserole with a homemade vegan cream of celery soup, and I made my first vegan pumpkin pie last Thanksgiving. It was so good, it converted pumpkin pie haters to lovers!

If I could make you any flavor cupcake in the world what would it be?
Now that we’re talking about Thanksgiving, I’m thinking pumpkin cheesecake. That’s one dessert I do miss.

Please share your favorite Vegan recipe.
Here’s a quick and easy spaghetti Bolognese that pleases vegans and meat-eaters alike!
1 packet of Yves veggie meat
½ cup celery
½ cup carrots
1 med onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp white wine
1/3 cup soy milk
½ jar tomato paste
1 cup tomato sauce
Pinches of dried basil, oregano, sugar, s&p
2 tbsp olive oil

Heat the oil in saucepan. Add onion, sauté until soft. Add garlic. Continue sautéing until fragrant, then add celery and onion and let them cook until slightly softened. Add the packet of veggie meat and stir on medium heat. Add wine, and let the “meat” absorb it before adding the soy milk. Add soy milk, tomato paste, and seasonings. Finally, thin it out with the tomato sauce. Let cook on low heat for about 15-20 minutes. Serve with whole wheat spaghetti or penne. Enjoy!


Isn't she the bee's knees folks?

Being Lazy is a Trait of Mine

...and I don't like it. Really, I am not that lazy but instead of posting my blog yesterday I was making birthday cakes, watching the Cake Boss and DC Cupcakes (reality shows about bakeries, yes please!)making fresh and spicy black bean burgers, painting my kitchen cabinets and going out with my friend Bonnie and our dogs. So really a full day, but in my down time, my spare time after I finished West With The Night by Beryl Markham, I should have blogged my Ask A Vegan. Now I am torn between Howl's Moving Castle and posting some new and interesting stuffs. Are you ready? This is me being productive, this is post number one of the day.




the birthday cake, lemon cake with lemon buttercream, filled with raspberry sauce and topped with fresh raspberries.

Good News!
This Thursday I have a meeting with a local restaurant owner who is going to sample some Rikki treats and if he likes them I got a job! I will be baking for his amazing place and if it works out I will also be baking for his tea house. Can we say awesome! So please everyone, keep those remarkable digits of your crossed in hopes that I get the job. I feel this would be what I need to start building a following so when I decide the timing is right to open my little bakery and share my love for baking with others, there will be lines of people waiting to indulge on snacky foods made with love.

heart,
Rikki Cupcake

Cakes!

I have been a lazy blogger. I think if maybe I distract you with images of yummy cakes you will forget my lack of daily posting. I have a lot of cool stuff going on right now and the Internet is the furthest thing from my mind, which at times makes me a little sad because then I don't get to keep up with my email friends, by favorite tumblrs and of course all of the wonderful bloggers out there who I try to read often. Here are two cakes I baked over the last week I hope you like them as the birthday ladies they were for did! (: Enjoy!



chocolate avocado cake with raspberry filling and a chocolate buttercream frosting with yummy chocolate lattice and pink sugar pieces



gluten free cake with rainbow layers for Willow's 5th birthday

Taking On The V-Con Pt. 5

Have you ever seen Ghostbusters? You know the Marshmallow puff monster? Well, that's me right now. I ate an enormous bowl of pasta and mushrooms. It looked so good, I just kept scooping more and more onto my plate. I can eat these, I think to myself, easily. Just open up the mouth, chew a bit and down the hatch. Simple. Oh and it was, because the recipe for tonight: Roasted Portobellos, happens to be something I make a lot. Not this recipe exactly, but very similar. I love mushrooms, in the same way that I love bunnies and bikes and kittens and unicorns.



Mushrooms are magic, and some of them are even called magic mushrooms, but don't eat those, unless you WANT to see unicorns, which would be rad, but now my bloated brain and tummy are wandering. Back to topic, I love mushrooms and this recipe for tonight was exactly what I needed. I haven't told any of you, but I had a little sleep over in the ER last week for some troubles of the lady variety and my parts have been achey, not THOSE parts, just my whole body. Sore and tired and a little on the weak side so a magical dinner (there's that word again, I must be thinking about wizards) was just what I needed.

This recipe is simple and out of this world tasty.
Ingredients:

1/2 cup cooking wine
1 T. olive oil
2 T. soy sauce
2 T. balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic
Portobello Mushrooms
and whatever the frick else you want to send your tummy to the moon. I added a sweet yellow onion, oregano, salt and pepper to my marinade and served my mushies with a red bell pepper, fresh basil, one spicy jalapeno pepper, tomato and whole wheat pasta. Yeah, right...Yum!


marinate mushrooms for twenty minutes then bake at 400 degrees covered in tin foil for thirty minutes the uncover and bake another ten minutes.


pasta!


everything but the mushies

My dinner was spicy and packed full of flavor goodness. I am not sure if Timmy even chewed his! For reals! I suggest you give this one a whirl, you will not be disappointed.

Ask A Vegan Pt. 10

Number ten? Already? I cannot believe ten weeks have gone by this quickly. I have been so busy, I have had so much to plan, so much to bake and so much coffee to drink that it is hard for my teeny walnut shaped brain to fathom how the summer has been flying by. Which when you live in the hot hot heat of the desert is truly a good thing. We had our very first monsoon storm last night and although there wasn't an insane amount of rain or "trailer tippin" gusts of wind there was enough lightning to please my greenish eyes. I am now filled with so much joy I am almost bursting at the seams which makes introducing my new Vegan of the week the icing on my happiness cake. Some of you may not know, but i have this unhealthy obsession with food porn. I will turn on my computer and waste hours of my day looking at photos of cupcakes, ice cream, pies, green beans, whatever as long as it is food, it is Vegan and it will fit in my mouth it has my attention.

This brings me to Evelyn one fine day I was looking at photos on Flickr of yummy food stuffs and I came across a photo of a raw mixed berry pie that had me drooling on my laptop to the point of near electrocution. I wanted this pie, and I wanted to be friends with whomever made this pie a reality. This is when I befriended Brown Betty (Evelyn) and I have been enjoying her posts ever since. In the last few months her posts had switched from food to still shots of a movie she was making and it caught my eye. The topic of the film is something that many of us have had to deal with, infidelity. It isn't pretty and it is one of the most painful things that can happen in a person's life and her film takes an honest look at one woman's devotion to her family and her struggles with a cheating spouse. I am proud to share this strong Vegan woman with you and also share her film that many of us can relate to.

Name: Evelyn S. Oliver
Age: mid 20's
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Website: the testimony of a devotee



How long have you been Vegan? About 2 to 3 years


What made you decide to go Vegan? My health and how animal products were effecting it. And of course animal cruelty!


How do you feel health wise with this diet choice? Great!!!


Are you open about your Veganism? Yes but at times people just don't understand.

If so, are you involved in any activism i.e. protests, leafleting etc? At Veggie Pride or potlucks.


What does your family, friends, co-workers think about your diet? They respect it but still joke about it sometimes.


What advice would you give those interested in becoming Vegan? I would say take it slow, there are many recipes out there & useful info. Your health is your wealth


Would you eat at Mc Donald’s if they carried a Vegan burger? I would but they would have to change how they cook it & what they put in it. I'm a peeky fast food eater!!!


What is your least favorite question that you are asked about your diet? Don't you miss meat?


What is your favorite dish? There are so many. . .I would say "Quinoa Tomato with Spinach".


What do you typically eat at Thanksgiving? Sides like vegan stuffing, veggies, pumpkin & sweet potato pie.


If I could make you any flavor cupcake in the world what would it be? Red Velvet


Please share your favorite Vegan recipe:

Vegan Pumpkin Pie
1¼ hours 10 min prep

1 (16 ounce) can pumpkin puree
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1 (12 ounce) package soft tofu, processed in blender until smooth
1 9 inch pie shell

Cream pumpkin and sugar.
Add salt, spices, and tofu.
Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, then at 350 for 40 minutes.
Chill and serve.


check out the trailer here

Taking on the V-Con Pt. 5

Quinoa Salad with Black Beans and Mango



Today was a very busy day. I had to take my kitty Simon to the vet, clean the house, pick up Timmy from work and this evening take photos for two very lovely ladies. I will post photos later when I give them the loving Rikki finishing touches. I thought ahead to make the quinoa, but then was rushing around to get other things done that I ended up chopping and tossing the ingredients for tonight's dish into a bowl, mixing it and stuffing it into my hungry face so fast I feel I did not give it the ample love the recipe deserves. Now, this recipe is an easy one and is not time consuming at all, but I feel the simple elegant flavors deserve more from me than being shoveled down my esophagus. That being said allow me to share the Quinoa Salad with Black Beans and Mango.


Ingredients:
2 cups Quinoa
1 Mango chopped
1 Can of Black Beans
1 cup Scallions
2T. Red Wine Vinegar
2T. Grapeseed Oil
Salt
1 Bell Pepper
1 cup chopped Cilantro

As I said earlier chop and toss. Put it all in a bowl together and mix. How easy is that? The only prep work needed is the making of the quinoa.


looks like it could use some avocado huh?


just needs the black beans

I didn't have the scallions in my house, nor did I have onions or leeks or anything of that pungent sweet nature, but the dish was still yummy without that sharp onion goodness. Next time I want to add garlic, onions of course and jalapeno peppers, and possibly more tropical fruits in there as well.

Ask A Vegan Pt. 9

I have never felt so lucky in my life. I have a wonderful little home, a beautiful fast and awesome bike, I have a chihuahua who eats poop and licks my face (yuck, but cute lil' girl nonetheless) I have creative freedom to be who I want, act however I want and say most anything that comes to my head without any judgement, and I have all of this because of Timmy. I mention him in my blog...A LOT, but with good reason. He is the peanut butter to my jelly, the Ron to my Hermoine (yeah, I went THERE) and he is the coconut cream in my coffee. I love this boy/man like crazy. One thing I think about a lot is that I am o fortunate to have a man who is Vegan, I have dated other dudes who were always trying to get me to eat a steak, would make fun of my food choices and would get pissed off because I wouldn't want to eat at certain restaurants because they served bunny or foie gras, but not my Timmy. He makes me dinner, he encourages my choices and he backs up my beliefs. It is a relief to share in this with him because when you think about it, eating is something we do every four hours or so. Imagine getting ridiculed by someone you liked every four hours, not so fun huh? I feel good with him, he is funny, likes good music (except for hi weird British 80's pop phase he is currently in) he loves my cats even though he is allergic, he picks me up from work when it is too hot to bike and he even goes to concerts with me even though he is the oldest one there. (: So enough mushy mush stuff, here is the real Timmy...

Name: Timmy
Age: 39
Location: Tempe,AZ
Website: none



How long have you been Vegan?
This time, for about 2 years ( I was vegan from 1992-2000, then I got lazy and started eating cheese again). I have been vegetarian for 20 years, 2010 is a cool year, because it means, I have now been vegetarian/and or vegan for more of my life than not.

What made you decide to go Vegan?
I originally became interested in vegetarianism because a lot of hardcore bands I was into were veggie/vegan and would put pro-veggie literature in their albums. At the time I was mostly interested for health reasons, animal rights and the environment were minor concerns. I had never heard of factory farming (hey this was 1991 after all). A (vegan)friend loaned me “Diet for a New America”, BY John Robbins. After reading it, I really felt like there was no choice, but to go vegan (I found the chapter “America the poisoned” to be especially disturbing).

How do you feel health wise with this diet choice?
I feel great. More energy, less allergies.


busted wing

Are you open about your Veganism?
Sure, but as I get older I am less inclined to argue with anyone about it. I generally have a good memory for facts and figures, and if someone is genuinely interested I have no problem sharing this information.

If so, are you involved in any activism i.e. protests, leafleting etc…
I think some of these types of activism end up as either Preaching to the choir, or annoying those not interested. I don’t like people trying to push their beliefs on me and I certainly don’t want to do that to other people. I think living by a positive example does much more to interest people. Veganism is great because it encompasses a compassionate lifestyle, it is also earth friendly and healthy, and people may be attracted to it for any of those reasons.

What does your family, friends, co-workers think about your diet?
I have always been the weird one in the family, so they are used to it, and I am lucky to a few vegan co-workers to share food with. (Notice he didn't mention his super awesome girlfriend...sigh)


Timmy and friends

What advice would you give those interested in becoming Vegan?
Take it slow, get some vegan cookbooks, connect with other vegans and don’t beat yourself up if something nonvegan slips by you.

Would you eat at Mc Donald’s if they carried a Vegan burger?
Short answer is NO. Long answer is more complicated. I'm not really sure which I dislike more; the amount of dead animal they serve, or the business of making cheap chemically processed foods devoid of any nutritional value. I like cooking, and I guess I am lucky that I don't really have any reason to seek out or eat fast food, not everyone is lucky though. I think a lot of younger Vegans, people newer to Veganism or people living in small town with n other Vegan options would be interested in Vegan burger from McDonald's.(Do a Google search, there are a lot of people looking for Vegan fast food options). So while I have no personal interest in the Mc Vegan, I'm not completely opposed to it either.


Ignore the bad word

What is your least favorite question that you are asked about your diet?
“Where do you get your protein?”

What is your favorite dish?
I love pizza, and anything I can put barbecue sauce on.


hummus pizza

What do you typically eat at Thanksgiving?
Usually Tofurkey. Last year we had field roast from Whole Foods.

If I could make you any flavor cupcake in the world what would it be?
MMM, chocolate filled chocolate covered chocolate.


kissy kissy

Please share your favorite Vegan recipe.
I don’t have a recipe cause Jon is a lazy bastard and he already used my Barbecue Tofu recipe on here a few weeks ago.

The World is a Beautiful Place

I am so overwhelmed with the generosity and kindness from complete st angers who attended our Vegan Bake sale yesterday. We earned 976 dollars for the Raven House and my heart is filled with pride knowing how many gracious people live in Arizona. I made new friends, had great conversations and brought the smile to the face of a little girl with both celiacs and a soy allergy, she was able to enjoy a gluten free coconut brownie that I made and that just reaffirmed why I want to open a bakery. I want to provide cruelty free goodies to everyone, this includes people with allergies and issues with certain foods. Thank you to everyone who volunteered, made wonderful treat, purchased these wonderful treat and spread the word. There was a lot of networking going down for this bake sale and word of mouth made all of this possible. OK, enough of this, bring on the photos!




these are just a few items I made, to see more check out my flickr

the donated goodies from a few awesome others, this is not all of the photos, but I didn't want to inundate everyone with photos of yummy goodness

Taking on the V-Con pt. 4

Hello coconut. Hello pie. I love you. I have eaten 3 slices of you and I loved every bite. I wish you could be there for me always, but alas you are dwindling down to nothingness. Timmy and I will share in our memories of you often. "Remember when Pie was so sweet to us?" Timmy will ask and I will reply, "Of course, Pie was the sweetest." and we will rejoice in thoughts of you.

This week the recipe in the Veganomicon sent my heart all a flutter. As you may have gathered I love desserts, I love making them, decorating them and most of all eating them. I do not have one sweet tooth but twenty-eight. The recipe: Lost Coconut Custard Pie. Are you drooling yet? I am. I was so very anxious to make this thing that I failed at taking photos for every step of the process but the recipe is not hard to follow and is pretty versatile, so you can really add or change the basic ingredients.


ingredients: coconut milk, non-dairy milk, arrowroot, agar agar, vanilla extract, coconut shreds, strawberries and lemon.

Arrowroot is very similar to cornstarch and is used in this recipe to thicken the milks, and agar agar is a seaweed that when heated with a liquid makes it gelatinous. I like that word, gelatinous. Beside the baking of the pie crust the recipe is made on the stove top which pleased me immensely in this 110 degree heat.


baked pie crust and warm custard ready for some refrigerator action

I fear I did not chill my little pie long enough but I was pacing the kitchen like a maniac waiting for dessert. I had some the next day and I think the flavor was more intense and yummy, so if you make this, make it a day ahead.


I made a crumbled chocolate cookie crust and topped the pie with fresh strawberries and melted chocolate.


Okay, I am going to eat another slice right now. I hope you enjoy the photos enough to go out and but the Veganomicon, make this recipe and share your results with me.