Seitanic Vegan Heathen

Sweet Potato and Seitan Chorizo Enchiladas

2011-08-29T14:26:00.000-07:00

This has become one of my favorite things to eat. Simply roast sweet potatoes with sweet corn and onions, mash and add seitan chorizo and you have the perfect filling for Vegan enchiladas. In fact, I am making these bad boys tonight for my friend's birthday potluck. I hope she loves them!

I found some "accidentally" Vegan enchilada sauce at Sunflower Markets which made making these a whole heck of a lot simpler. The seitan chorizo recipe I got from 500 Vegan Recipes. They were very tasty but, for me, the texture was a little less than desirable. I think next time I will make the chorizo out of tofu or TVP.

Top with a sprinkle of Daiya cheddar and pair with homemade re-fried beans and Spanish rice. Yum!

(Sorry the photos are poor quality the light in our kitchen is ancient and started to burn out, but we fixed that so hopefully no more crappy images)

Birthday Images

2011-06-21T13:29:00.000-07:00

birthday tattoo

birthday breakkie at 24 Carrots in Chandler, Vegan eggs benedict

Dani and I at my party

Brenna and Jeremy

Brian and Timmy

my Uncle, Sister and her man

Zoey and Josh

Timmy my love!

Bonnie and Camilla doing the Elvis

day after birthday hair

yay me!

2011-06-17T17:12:00.000-07:00

Stuffed Mushrooms

2011-05-09T13:49:00.000-07:00

Everyone has their very own special way in which they grill portobello mushrooms. Some people choose to simply brush on oil, grill and eat, others add all of the bells and whistles. My favorite way to grill portobellos is with plenty of balsamic vinegar, pepper and olive oil, but while checking out at the grocery store yesterday my friend Petra asked if I was going to stuff my mushrooms. The thought hadn't even crossed my mind and as I left the store a million ideas were running through my noggin. My final decision was based off of my love of mushroom pizza and I quickly began my mushroom stuffing assembly.

First I prepared a bowl of tasty Italian flavored TVP.

1/2 cup dried TVP
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
pinch of salt
pepper to taste
1/3 to 1/2 cup hot water
1/8 tsp liquid smoke
1 1/2 T. tomato paste
1/4 cup shredded Daiya

In a heat safe bowl combine TVP, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Add hot water to bowl, first starting with 1/3 cup and mix, TVP will thicken and may require more water. You don't want it to liquidy but not too dry either, as you want it to be moist when you grill the mushrooms. Add in liquid smoke and tomato paste then stir until well blended.

Using a spoon take out stem and scrape off ribs inside of mushroom. Chop the stems and mix in with TVP mixture, then stuff those babies! Wrap in foil and put on the grill on high for 10 minutes. Remove the foil and turn heat on grill to medium. Place the mushrooms with stuffing side faced up and sprinkle on Daiya, and cook until cheese is melted. Eat and Enjoy! These little guys taste just like mushroom pizza and are perfect with a crisp summer beer.

Fills 4 medium or 2 large portobello mushrooms.

Taking on the V-Con Pt. 12

2011-05-03T13:02:00.000-07:00

As many of you know three lovely ladies and myself decided to challenge our selves by cooking our way through the Veganomicon, our own Vegan version of Julie and Julia, if you will. It was great fun, but unfortunately didn't last as long as I had hoped. I haven't even looked at the Veganomicon since our last recipe, almost a year ago. Lately I haven't had the expendable income to purchase groceries needed to fulfil new recipes and have been making standards and creating new things from what I have in the house. I have had an enormous amount of lentils in the house due to my love of lentil soup but as the temperature increases my love of soup diminishes (only a little, really) thus I found myself staring at a pound of red lentils and not a single clue on how to consume then. I then remembered the fabulous Snobby Joe's recipe we did last year with red lentils and decided to see if there were anymore creative and delicious recipes with lentils as a main ingredient.

I had only to turn to page 177 and find my favorite meal of all time Lentil Fetoosh, or as called in the Veganomicon "Lentils and rice with caramelized onions and spiced pita crisps" whew, that is a mouthful...of awesomeness! There is a restaurant Timmy and I frequent called Pita Jungle and we tend to order only one thing, the lentil fetoosh salad. Firstly because fetoosh is so much fun to say and secondly because it is the best fucking salad I have put into my mouth. The recipe in the Veganomicon is not spot on but it was close enough for me!

Ingredients:
3 large yellow onions (I used 1 1/2, because three seems like way too much)
3/4 cup olive oil (i drizzled mine on, maybe used 1/3 cup)
1 cup long-grain basmati rice
1 cup red lentils
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 1/2 teaspoon cumin

Pre heat oven to 400 degrees

and start slicing your onions into thin rings.

Spread onions our on a deep baking dish and coat with olive oil. Roast in pan and stir often, I checked mine every five minutes. While the onions are roasting bring 4 cups of water to a boil, add rice cinnamon stick, all spice and cumin. Lower heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, then add lentils. Gently stir in lentils to incorporate and bring to a boil. Once boiling lower the temperature and cook for about 45 minutes.

Gently fluff the lentils and rice when finished then fold in caramelized onions. You can eat the lentils and rice as so, or do what we did, put it over a bed of lettuce and have yourself a plate of lentil fetoosh. We made a lemon dressing similar to the one at Pita Jungle and drizzled that on top of our salad.

along with the salad we enjoyed a marinated bean salad as well. Yummy!

Earth Day 2011

2011-04-20T14:19:00.000-07:00

Please stop by tomorrow at the Vegan booth and receive free goodies!

Ask A Vegan Pt. 21

2011-04-18T12:35:00.000-07:00

Growing up as a girl with a boy's name, I got picked on A LOT. I was called Ricky Ricardo and often asked if I was truly born a female. As an adult it is funny to think that I found these things so hurtful when really they are quite silly, but I also know what it was like being that six year old girl who was ridiculed for her name. For the longest time I wanted to change my name. When I turned 18 I was so happy that I could vote, raise hell and legally change my name to something ore "feminine" but I didn't and I am glad that I grew to appreciate and yes, even like my name. Over time I met other girls with boys' names like, Jeri, Jimmie, Stevie and many more. All of these girls were unique and tough women who all said they thanked their name for that. They too were picked on and had to grow a thick shell which in turn helped them develop into the awesome ladies they are today.

I am always super excited when I meet girls with boys' names, and I was particularly happy last week when I stumbled across a blog written by a Vegan lady with a boy's name, and not just any boy's name, her name is Rikki. Another super rad girl named Rikki who also happens to be Vegan like me? Incredibly radtastic! I decided this Rikki must be cool if she is both named Rikki and is a Vegan, and my hypothesis was spot on! She agreed to be featured in "Ask A Vegan" and her answers are insightful and intelligent. She is doing the Rikki's of the world proud. Check her out!

Name: Rikki Carter
Age: 26
Location: Orem, Utah
Website: read rikkis thoughts & twitter.com/broomhat

How long have you been Vegan?
I have been a vegan for just over a year.

What made you decide to go Vegan?
Like many vegans, I had been a vegetarian for years. The more I learned about the factory farm and food industry and the effects they have on the environment and on health, the harder it became to claim I was an ethical eater while contributing to these industries. After reading the book “The China Study” by Dr. T. Colin Campbell about nutrition and health, while at the simultaneously reading about the benefits of veganism in “Skinny Bitch” by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin, I decided to commit to the ‘vegan thing’ for one month and see how I felt, and I have never gone back!

How do you feel health wise with this diet choice?
When I began and committed to a vegan diet for one month, I decided to pay special attention to how my body felt. I could honestly feel the difference that this lifestyle choice made, both internally and externally. Not only did I lose weight, have more energy, healthier skin and hair, I noticed that my attitude became more positive and my confidence rose. I felt good inside and that was reflected outwardly.

Are you open about your Veganism?
If so, are you involved in any activism i.e. protests, leafleting etc…
I am open about my veganism and regularly participate in vegan events. I feel that the best sort of activism though is leading by example. Showing those around that a vegan lifestyle is both functional and rewarding has been far more effective at cultivating change and getting people to examine their own ethics than other actions.

What do your family, friends, co-workers think about your diet?
Those around me have been very supportive of my vegan lifestyle choice and this has made things a lot easier. Having a supportive community is always a plus. In turn, people feel comfortable asking questions about my choices and I happily and confidently answer their inquiries. Many have made changes to their diets, eating less meat or opting for vegan products.

What advice would you give those interested in becoming Vegan?
Educate yourself. Going vegan affects many parts of a person’s life, not just what you eat. That said, really critically think about your personal reasons for choosing veganism. If you can identify those for yourself, it makes sticking to it much easier. Also, enjoy it! Cooking, eating, and shopping vegan can be really fun if you embrace the challenges instead of looking at them as negative things to overcome.

Rikki (on right) and her friend Kaycee from Vegan Machine
Would you eat at Mc Donald’s if they carried a Vegan burger?
I would not! McDonald’s to me represents a lot more than just unsavory food options. Their disregard for both human and animal life is enough to keep me away.

Do you have a Vegan celebrity that you find particularly dashing?
I don’t really pay attention to what celebs eat, but if knowing celebs are doing it helps other make healthy life changes, I’m all for it!

Do you have a favorite Vegan blog or website that you follow?
There are a few that I frequent- My friend Kaycee at Vegan Machine has great recipes and vegan posts that are relatable, easy to make, and delicious. The Vegan Stoner is another favorite. Their recipes are quick and easy and don’t call for ingredients I don’t regularly have on hand, making it easy to whip up their creations in a jiffy! Plus, the drawings are adorable.

What is your least favorite question that you are asked about your diet?
I am happy to answer questions, but when people don’t really think about it before they ask, that is bothersome. When I am eating something and someone proclaims “You can eat that?!” I just want to pull out my sarcasm card, but I try to take the opportunity to educate instead- usually :).

What is your favorite dish?
I am on a quest to find the perfect vegan pizza at a restaurant! The quest continues though…… (oh Rikki I too love pizza, my fav place so far to find Vegan pizza is Whole Foods, they use Daiya and have faux meaty stuff, if ever in Portland Dove Vivi is the place for pizza, they have two Vegan pies and they are over the top!)

What do you typically eat at Thanksgiving?
At Thanksgiving I try to make vegan versions of staple foods to take to events, generally mashed potatoes, desserts, sweet potatoes, even tofurky on occasion. Last year a friend put together a pretty elaborate Vegan Thanksgiving and invited both vegans and non vegans. The food was fantastic and sitting down with a group for the shared experience of eating a vegan meal was accompanied by a pretty unique feeling of community. I would recommend hosting or attending an event like this to anyone and hope to make Vegan Thanksgiving a tradition in my social group.

If I could make you any flavor cupcake in the world what would it be?Cupcakes have never had the appeal to me that they do for so many other vegans. COOKIES on the other hand are the one dessert I can never pass up, the book “Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar” is my bible. So, maybe if I could make a cookie dough cupcake, all would be right in the world. (make a vanilla or chocolate cupcake and drop a ball of cookie dough in the center, then bake. Bake cookies to put on top, or make a cookiedough crust by lining the cupcake wrapper with cookie dough then pouring in cupcake batter. It is fantastic, another favorite I do is Newman's Own peanut butter cookies (similar to Oreo cookies) and put those in the bottom of the cupcake pan and pour batter on top, my grandma loves those!)

Please share your favorite Vegan recipe.
In my family, we have the tradition of eating doughnuts for breakfast on our birthdays. This year, my sister and I made our own vegan doughnuts when my birthday rolled around. We just found the recipe online but here it is-

Vegan Chocolate Glazed Doughnuts
What You Need-
For Doughnuts-
-1 cup non-dairy milk (we used soy)
-1 t lemon juice
-2 t vanilla
-3 T maple syrup
-1/4 c brown sugar
-2 cups wheat flour (we used 1 cup of wheat and 1 of white to diminish the wheaty taste)
-1/4 cup cocoa
-1/2 t salt
-1/2 t baking soda
-1/2 t baking powder
-1/4 c of chocolate chips (chopped fine)

For Glaze-
- 1 c powdered sugar
-1 t vanilla
-1 T maple syrup
-1 T non dairy milk (again, we used soy)

Preheat oven to 350. In a small bowl, whisk milk lemon juice maple syrup, brown sugar, and vanilla until foamy and bubbly. In a large bowl, combine flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and chocolate chips. Pour wet mix into dry and mix well (mixture will be thick). Roll between hands and shape into doughnuts. (if the dough is a little sticky, put flour on your hands before rolling) Place on greased cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Remove and let cool completely.
While doughnuts are baking, mix glaze ingredients. Once doughnuts are cool, submerge in glaze and place on wire rack to drip, dry and harden.

Makes 9-12 doughnuts

Quinoa And Sweet Potato Pancakes

2011-04-11T15:09:00.000-07:00

Brinner is one of my most favorite meals (breakfast for dinner) it is quick tasty and it is the only time I can really eat waffles, pancakes, faux sausages and hashbrowns. Most big breakfasts are way too big for me, eating that amount of food and carbs first thing in the morning can spell out disaster. A pancake for breakfast usually means I will be returning to bed and wearing my pajamas for the remainder of the day. A normal breakfast for me consists of a banana and a larabar and then a four mile walk. So now you know why I go gaga for brinner. Tim and I had originally planned on having pancakes and a tasty tofu scramble but then we both agreed pancakes were enough.

I wanted to make sweet potato pancakes and was inspired by the Thrive diet book by Brendan Brazier to add quinoa to my pancakes. I cooked up both red quinoa and regular quinoa and added 1/2 cup to my pancake batter, but I think next time I will add more as when I was eating it I kept thinking I wish there was more quinoa in here. I also diced up a handful of medjool dates and tossed those in and once cooked they added a gooey sweetness to the pancakes. I was really bad and just eyeballed the measurements, because there is still need for some improvement but this is what I did and I thought they were fabulous.

1 cup flour
1/4 cup ground flax meal
2 tsp. baking powder
dash salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cloves
2 cooked medium sized sweet potatoes
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
1 1/2 cups soy milk
2 tablespoons canola oil
4-5 dices medjool dates
1 tablespoon agave nectar

First cook peel and cut your sweet potatoes into cubes then cook. I boiled mine but as an afterthought I wish I had roasted them with some Earth Balance and a bit of brown sugar and maybe some raisins. OOOOOOOHHHHH that sounds good, huh? While those are boiling/roasting cook your quinoa, once cooked set aside to cool. Mix all of your dry ingredients together and set aside. When the sweet potatoes are cooked put into a mixing bowl with agave and mash. Add the oil and soy milk to the sweet potatoes and mix. Once mixed add your dry ingredients and mix until incorporated, do not over mix or you will end up with rubbery IHOP pancakes. Then fold in your quinoa and diced dates.

Heat up your griddle and go pancake crazy!I hope you like these, I know Timmy did he ate six or seven of these bad boys, which is really only two restaurant sized pancakes.

Thie is where I will be today...

2011-04-02T12:11:00.000-07:00

Day at the Park

2011-03-24T14:43:00.000-07:00

Last week Willow and I discovered a wonderful little park in my neighborhood and in the last week have gone there four times to play, feed the ducks, walk the dogs and check out turtles. This park is pretty small but packs quite a tranquil and serene landscape into such a tiny are, and since it is in the middle of a neighborhood, it is very quiet. Willow climbs all over the slide and runs around the playground like a crazy and I get to sit and chill with the dogs and a book, how awesome is that? I have been babysitting Willow for the last two weeks and we have had some fun adventures, but the park has been the best so far!

crappy cell phone pic

Willow, isn't she the cutest?

Ellie watching Willow on the swing set

Adelaide being adorable per her usual

I seriously think this will be my new hangout. If you need to find me, I will be at the park eating oranges, possibly blogging, tanning my feet and reading feminist novels. Timmy and I went here on a Saturday and it was packed, so I think I will stick to weekdays for my quiet time.

Cupcakes And Art

2011-03-22T10:01:00.000-07:00

This last weekend was pretty darn amazing. I made cupcakes for two very different but equally fantastic art events. The first was Friday night celebrating the second anniversary of Vanity On Mill and the incredible artist opening for local Arizona artist Jared Aubel.
Here are some photos from that event:

Bloods VS Crips Deer by Jared Aubel

Endless Bummer by Jared Aubel

baby cupcakes made by me!

the most amazing cupcake stand provided by the Cake Hole Poject

Then on Saturday I was off to Modified Arts in Phoenix for phICA's inagural event with Brazilian artist Laerte Ramos. After the event Ted Decker from phICA and Kim Larkin from Modified Arts were kind enough to have Timmy and I out for drinks and tasty hors d'oeuvres, as Kim is Vegan also we were able to nosh on some tasty foods. We got a chance to hang with Laerte and learn about his life in Brazil and what things are to come from this extremely talented artist.

Arma Branca by Laerte Ramos

Ceramic work by Laerte Ramos

more cupcakes!

Eat Yer Veggies

2011-03-11T09:09:00.000-08:00

Last night's dinner was all about the leafy and green, the crunchy and bitter and with just the hint of slightly sweet. I used to hate salads, if I saw a salad come near my face I was bound to kick it and yell, "Vegans eat more than salads, gosh!" but that is when I realized salad was more than shredded carrots, iceberg lettuce and gross tomatoes. Salad can be an exotic flavor combo so intense I find myself skipping dessert because my salad creations have met every craving my crazy head desires.

Along with my taste-tastic salad I roasted up some beets, carrots, onions and garlic. I kept the skins on both the beets and carrots because we all know, fiber is where it is at, right? The beets were only slightly sweet and the carrots caramelized a bit making for an amazing dish that I think I will revisit tonight.

For fun, here is the nutritional break-down of my dinner:

Salad

Red leaf lettuce- good source of Vitamin A
Kale- rich in calcium and Vitamin K, good source of beta carotene
Spinach- full of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, magnesium, manganese, folate, betaine, iron, vitamin B2, calcium, potassium, vitamin B6, folic acid, copper, protein, phosphorus, zinc, niacin, selenium and omega-3 fatty acids. WOAH!
Tomatoes- high in Lycopene
Cucumbers- with skin on high in potassium and Vitamin E
Golden Raspberries- high in antioxidants and fiber, and help regulate special lady time
Blueberries- also full of antioxidants and can reduce inflammation
Edamame- rich in carbohydrates, protein, dietary fiber, omega-3 fatty acids and micro nutrients, particularly folic acid, manganese and vitamin K

Now that is a vitamin packed salad!

Roasted Veggies

Beets- contain certain unique pigment antioxidants present offer protection against coronary artery disease and stroke, lower cholesterol levels in the body and have anti-aging effects.
Carrots- high in vitamin-A, Beta Carotene and fiber
Garlic- is shown to lower risk or some cancers
Onions- believed to have anti-inflammatory, anti cholesterol, anticancer, and antioxidant properties
Olive Oil- can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease
Sea Salt- eh...not that good for you but it does have trace minerals, and we ladies love trace minerals, I think.

Pretty sweet, huh?

Busted!

2011-03-08T09:42:00.000-08:00

I should really consider myself lucky, as this is the first pair of glasses I have broken in over five years, and considering how I am not very careful with my face, it is almost a miracle! Sunday evening my good friend Jinia was trying to strip the green from my hair and in walked Willow (the most awesome and adorable five year old on the planet) and I hear this crazy loud crunch and realize...holyfuckingshit there go my glasses. I am incredibly blind and the thought of even going five minutes without my glasses is a most horrifying though indeed. Luckily Jinia is super crafty and super glued my specs until I can get a new pair.

As silly as it is, I ordered the exact pair of frames because I am a big Paul Frank dork and because these glasses are over the top rad, right? You've seen 'em, you know how cool they are. Anywho, I am hoping to be one-hundred percent visually repaired in about a week or so.

super awesome Paul Frank glasses

Do any of you have glasses? If so, what kind of crazy things have happened to yours? I have heard of them falling in toilets, being run over by bicycles and the like. Please share your story so I can tell Willow, and hopefully she won't feel so bad. (:

Rikki Cupcake

Happy Birthday Timmy!!!

2011-03-03T13:55:00.000-08:00

My sweet babycakes is having a pretty monumental birthday tomorrow, though his age is increasing he still has the looks of a mere babe. I was going to make some silly over-the-hill decorations for him but since he is such a stud and the only thing old and rickety about him is his once broken arm and his inability to eat without choking I think I will have some lighter, happier decorations. I love this man so very much and cannot wait to share in this special day!

this is how one will typically see Tim, with chihuahua on lap and usually drinking wine.

See, he is really just an adult sized kid! He actually sat on this kicked his feet up and and instantly fell off. Hilarious!

Ask A Vegan: Pt. 20

2011-03-01T07:11:00.000-08:00

Gosh it has been a while since I have posted one of these, and the silly thing is I have had this wonderful woman Barbara who owns Gone Pie baked goods answers floating around my inbox for months. I really don't have an excuse for my laziness, and I am truly sorry I didn't share her with you earlier. Gone Pie bakery has been around for over 25 years and has served the Vegan community countless delicious pies, cookies, brownies and more. Barbara excels in tasty gluten-free products as well creative and delicious flavor combinations. If you are lucky and live in New York you can get Barbara's pies delivered to your door, and if you live out of state...good news, all of her other deserts can be delivered to you! I mean really, who doesn't want to answer the door and find a package of tasty gluten-free coconut brownies?

Name: Barbara Sitomer
Age: 53
Location: New York
Website: www.gonepie.com

How long have you been Vegan?
Not sure exactly. It was such a natural process more than an historic event. I guess about 20 years.

What made you decide to go Vegan?
I was running a bakery in the lower east side of Manhattan. Most of my business was selling to health food stores. I became instantly drawn to the challenges of baking for folks with allergies or philosophies that left them with limited choices. I was educating myself about veganism before I was vegan, so I could provide treats for vegans. I didn’t feel veganism yet, but I understood how to bake for vegans. I hired a young person that was a very passionate vegan and a devotee of my products. She was shocked I was not vegan. We became quite close as we worked long shifts together. At some point, she knew me well enough to know what would make me feel veganism. She gave me a copy of “The Dreaded Comparison”. I read half the book and was so upset that I became a vegan. So you see, it was a process over time. We worked together for quite a while before she gave me that book. I pretty much ate vegan food, but I was not a vegan until the day I understood veganism as a philosophy.

How do you feel health wise with this diet choice?
Excellent! But veganism is not a diet. It is a philosophy. Embracing the philosophy makes me feel peaceful and happy.

Are you open about your Veganism?
Extremely.

If so, are you involved in any activism i.e. protests, leafleting etc…
Yes. I work for many local campaigns in New York that involve ending animal use.
I only put my support behind campaigns that end use, never those that encourage
continued use through animal husbandry reforms. I don’t believe we have the right to negotiate for our non-human friends. Campaigns that advocate for less than full end of use I actively oppose. I believe they encourage continued animal suffering. I don’t want anyone comfortable with their non-vegan habits. I believe the so called “welfare” reforms prolong use and make people feel better about animal consumption.

I work actively with Friends of Animals. We have active campaigns to ban horse drawn carriages, wild horse round ups and protect animals in the wild and their disappearing habitats.

I also strongly support the work of Humanemyth.org.

I give away a lot of baked goods - tempting people into veganism through tasty treats is my favorite form of activism.

What do your family, friends, co-workers think about your diet?
I think they think I am extreme and it makes them uncomfortable to a certain extent. I think if they are uncomfortable they are thinking about their actions, so I am OK with this. I certainly wish they would just wake up already. I honestly believe it is within every person to understand the importance of veganism - particularly the environmental benefits of the diet -and I am unrelenting in pushing them to do so. We only have one planet and we can’t waste time protecting it, it is in crisis. The challenge is helping them see that veganism is the key to saving the planet without freaking them out so they no longer listen to me. I almost never mention animal rights to people that are uncomfortable with veganism. It is not something everyone can relate to and easier to dismiss for most people. I absolutely never use health as a tool as it leads people to thinking about themselves, I am pretty sure this confuses my friends and family. Veganism is not about us humans being healthy, it is about all the living beings on our planet having a right to exist on their own term unexploited for our needs.

What advice would you give those interested in becoming Vegan?
DO IT!!!! You won’t believe how much better you will feel on every level. If you are even thinking about it, just take the plunge. I know from my experiences, that there comes a time when you truly understand what veganism means. You don’t have to understand the philosophy to embrace the diet. Over time the diet will change your perceptions. I never think of being vegan as a sacrifice or miss non-vegan foods. For me, they are just not an option and must be forgotten about. Celebrate what you embrace by making this choice and don’t dwell on what you no longer can have. Veganism is a process of awakening and enlightenment.

Would you eat at Mc Donald’s if they carried a Vegan burger?
No!

What is your least favorite question that you are asked about your diet?
How could you give up (fill in blank)

What is your favorite dish?
I am a very simple eater for the most part. I eat a lot of giant salads with olive oil and sea salt. I eat a lot of greens with olive oil and garlic. I love baked tempeh. I love cold sesame noodles that I make at home. As a baker who follows recipes for a living, I pretty much never cook from a recipe. I am all about winging it when I eat savory. If I eat out, I love Ethiopian food and Indian food.

What do you typically eat at Thanksgiving?
Thanksgiving is a very busy season for me. I used to sleep and fast all day to recover from being so busy. Last year, for the first time, I attended a vegan feast. We celebrated the harvest and seasonal vegetables. It was a magical experience and I hope to do something similar again this year.

If I could make you any flavor cupcake in the world what would it be?
I don’t like cupcakes! I don’t understand why vegans are obsessed with them. It particularly bothers me that most of these cupcakes have tons of frosting. The frosting is generally made with margarine. I find the frosting overly rich rather and unpleasant to eat and often it contains palm oil which I boycott.

If I absolutely have to have a cupcake, it would be chocolate with a small amount of chocolate glaze. I make a gluten free chocolate spice cupcake with super rich dark chocolate frosting and chopped hazelnuts and crystallized ginger as a garnish. I think it’s quite good, but I would prefer someone just order a cake. I don’t understand the fascination with cupcakes. I am repeating myself.....
-Though I do not agree with Barbara on the point of cupcakes, I do understand her distaste, if you will, for the palm oil industry. I do use Earth Balance in my frosting as well as Organic Spectrum vegetable shortening, both containing palm oil. I am not going to defend or argue any side of the palm oil issue, but I will say that change does start with the consumer. If we can urge companies to use fair trade and ethically harvested foods for their products, everyone wins.

Please share your favorite Vegan recipe.
I don’t really have one. Everything starts with saute onion garlic and ginger......

So Sweet and Simple

2011-02-28T09:57:00.000-08:00

Recently one of Timmy's coworkers and his lady friend made peanut butter cups and were kind enough to share a few with us. Now if you have ever had peanut butter cups, you very well know that only one or two is not nearly enough. Timmy and I got hit hard with the peanut butter chocolate craving and since I am a chocolate addict it wasn't long until I was popping peanut butter cups like a fiend.

The peanut butter cups I made had a slight twist to them as I made mine not only with peanut butter and chocolate but also with caramel and pretzel pieces...yum!

First I melted down 1 and 1/2 cups of bittersweet chocolate and lined mini muffin lines with the melted chocolate and tucked away into the freezer for an hour. While those were chilling I used all natural peanut butter (1/2 cup) and mixed in 1/4 cup powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons of maple syrup then I tossed in a handful of pretzel sticks and with a spoon mashed the pretzel into the peanut butter mixture.

On the stove top I boiled 1/2 cup soymilk, added 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup brown rice syrup, mixing until golden brown. One mixed, I removed the pot from the stove top and added 2 tablespoons of Earth Balance, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 1 tsp of baking soda, mixing well. I let it cool on the counter top then transferred to the fridge to thicken.

When the caramel sauce was cool I dropped a teaspoon of the peanut butter mix into my chilled chocolate cups, drizzled in the caramel and put back in the freezer for about 15 minutes, then melted down more chocolate and covered the tops, chilled and ate the heck out of them! They were very tasty and similar to take five bars.

Tracy And I Had A Date

2011-02-07T10:37:00.000-08:00

to obtain our LLCs but instead we ate this

and played Wii boxing. But seriously could you blame us? The cake was fantastic! I had an event to bake for and 1/2 of a can of coconut milk and 3/4 of a can of crushed pineapple that would have gone to waste had I not made this. It was really a matter of conservation...really.

A pineapple/carrot cake made with coconut milk, golden raisins and walnuts, and topped with a gooey orange zesty frosting and blackberries. Yum!

Painful Cake Decorating

2011-01-27T10:48:00.000-08:00

When I use the word painful, I am not talking about my inability to decorate cakes, I instead am referring to actual, physical pain. Yesterday my wonderful friend Brian was to pick up a cake from me for his work. Brian is vegan and wanted to be able to enjoy his co-workers' birthdays by singing the familiar birthday tune and also devouring a slice of sugary goodness. Anyone who works in an office knows the joys of co-worker birthdays; that five minutes away from the hustle and bustle, the free soda and slice of cake. I made a delightful chocolate cake and heavenly peanut butter frosting. I had already baked the cake and made frosting roses when I was hit (not literally) by a truck. Those of you who know me well know that my lady bits (mainly my ovaries) are trying to kill me. That is why I fondly call my womanly time "shark week."

I was attacked with an ovarian cyst that drop kicked me to the floor and left me there paralyzed in pain for a good hour. The purpose of this post is not for sympathy but for advice. I have a doctor's appointment in a few weeks but I was curious if any of you have ovarian cysts and how to you handle them? I have heard that cutting back on soy or caffeine helps to prevent them from forming, but what do you do in the midst of the pain? I tried white flour oil, deep breathing and even vicodin but the pain is still unbearable. Does a hot bath help? Please if you have any advice I am open to anything. Thanks for reading this extremely personal post and here is what the cake looked like when I had enough energy to stand up.

my hands were shaking like crazy so it looked pretty crappy.

Accidental Sausage

2011-01-25T13:38:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I had planned on making seitan stroganoff and from this post title you can see I made sausage instead. I had my vital wheat gluten heating in a pot and was waiting for the water to boil to reduce to a simmer but I got completely distracted and when I remembered my seitan on the stove top, it was too late. The seitan had boiled for way too long and was quite spongy. I still let it sit at a low heat before straining and cooling but the texture didn't seem like it would improve much. Instead of chucking it in the bin I decided to fry it up with a little olive oil and the end result was much like the texture and taste of cooked Gimme Lean sausage. In other words, it was delicious!

I used the recipe for the basic seitan from Veganomicon and added:
2 teaspoons garlic powder,
1 teaspoon black pepper,
1 teaspoon dried oregano,
1 teaspoon dried basil,
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon of dried parsley

Now I had no idea I was going to end up with sausage, had I known I would have added fennel as well. I still decided to make pasta and dinner was a success! I sauteed onions, mushrooms, zucchini and spinach along with the sausage and threw it on some locally made basil pasta noodles. I will have to try later for the stroganoff, but until then I have quite a bit of tasty accidental sausage in my fridge.

Simple Sandwich

2011-01-19T14:06:00.000-08:00

A wonderful farmer's market just opened in Tempe and only about three miles from my house too! This last Saturday Timmy, Bonnie and I biked over to check it out, and although it is quite small we were amazed with the amount of vegetables we were able to purchase that were grown in our own neighborhood. There was an adorable woman and her son selling veggies she grew in her own backyard. This gave Timmy and I hope that was can one day have a successful garden in our own yard. We have quite a lot to do until we get to her superior level of gardening, but we are slowly learning. She had these beautiful tomatoes and wonderful cucumbers that we purchased and I made a delicious sammie with them and some fresh dill from another Tempe vendor. This sandwich is so simple I can't really say this is a recipe, but if ever hungry and in a hurry this makes a great lunch.

2 pieces bread
2 T. Vegan cream cheese (I use Tofutti)
1 tsp. chopped fresh dill
1 persian cucumber, thinly sliced
1/2 tomato, sliced
a squirt of mustard

Now if I had an avocado that would have been the icing on the cake! Whip the cream cheese with a fork and add in the dill. Spread on two pieces of bread and well...make a sandwich. If you are like Timmy and the layers have to be arranged a certain way I suggest tomato in the middle of the cucumber slices so the bread doesn't get soggy. But really, no one is that picky? Right?

check out this yummy big salad I made with the farmer's market veggies, homemade croutons too!

I apologize for my lack in posts lately, I just haven't been feeling like sharing too much lately. The job I was so very excited to get, I am no longer working there, it was not the golden goose I thought it was. That sent me into a bit of depression that I haven't really shared with too many people. The stress and disappointment really made me sluggish. I have just recently started riding my bike again (crazy seeing as how I am madly in love with my bike) and I started doing household projects to keep my depression at bay. Now I am in the process of starting my own business and I have been very slow at getting things going. I am taking my food handler's test on Friday then registering for a business license and all of that fun stuff that comes with starting a catering business. If you know anyone in the Tempe/Phoenix area with a licensed kitchen for rent please pass on that info to me.

I am hopeful that once things get going I will feel happy and motivated once again. I promise to post more, and also to share my adventures in home improvement. I hope everyone is having a great start to 2011 and I miss reading all of your posts and hearing from you. I promise not to be such a stranger.

Hugs,
Rikki Cupcake

Local Arizona Crafters and Artists Please Read

2011-01-11T07:21:00.000-08:00

My good friends at Vanity On Mill, a gorgeous little hair salon located in downtown Tempe, are having a bridal show. This will be unlike the bridal shows that they have in Phoenix every year as this will focus on local and handmade. This is where you come in if you have a skill (i.e. letterpress, photography, sewing garments, making floral arrangements etc...) please email me at rikkicupcake@yahoo.com.

We are planning on having the bridal show on February 13th so please contact me within the next week or two if you are interested in being a part of this. We are also looking for someone with some computer skills to help us create an elegant flyer for advertising the event.

Thank you!
Rikki Cupcake

2010 Books I Have Read

2011-01-01T15:11:00.000-08:00

You may or may have not noticed on my blog page I had a column on the right entitled "2010 Books I Have Read", this was my attempt to keep track of the books I had read in the last year and also as a stepping stone to encourage me to read more books by these authors or to seek out new and interesting books to catapult my imagination high above the clouds. I don't know about you, but when I read my mind paints a visual image of every character, every city and every detail. I become enmeshed in a book so much that I weep when a character is in despair, I get sick to my stomach when violence is inflicted and my heart pounds like crazy within my chest when nearing a pivotal moment. I love to read, I am never without a book and for those of you like me here is a small-ish review of the books I have read within the last year. You may find something you haven't read before and be encourage to pick it up somewhere and give it a go. If you have any recommends for me for 2011 please leave a comment. I already have a stack with Albert Camus, Hunter S. Thompson, Tom Robbins, Harriet Beecher Stowe and Ernest Hemingway calling for my attention, I would love to add your recommends to that stack. I hope you enjoy the reviews and I hope you get your new year started with a book!

In alphabetical order:
2010 Book Review

1. "1984" by George Orwell. (1949)
The only other Orwell book I had read before this was "Down and Out in Paris and London" I was 22 or 23 and the book to me was as exciting and impressive as "On the Road". To me it was a guide to life, yes the character was living on the streets and desperate to find a source of income but the freedom of not having things to anchor one to the earth really appealed to me. Since I loved that book I was very excited to read "1984" and I am very glad I did. At the time the book was written it was a glimpse into the horrifying future and although not all of the horrors became reality a few of the prophesies did come true. The large flat screens projecting images 24 hours a day, video cameras in the streets watching people, and political propaganda littering the streets can all be easily translated into every day life , though a lot of it happened after 1984. I can sympathize with the main character's urge to be an individual to get away from his oppressive life and to life freely. George Orwell wrote this book not long after the events in WWII and it is not hard to see the comparisons of the world of "1984" to that of Nazi Germany. The book is well written and full of Big Brother conspiracies that will keep one's eyes glued to the pages.
I say: B+, Buy it, it is a classic work of fiction that should be on your bookshelf

2. "A Supposedly Fun Thing I Will Never Do Again" by David Foster Wallace (1997)
This is a collection of essays written by Wallace that are dry and serve as a purpose to flex his giant vocabulary. I begged for this book for Christmas last year and couldn't get through it. Although some parts were humorous, most had me nodding off. I am a fan of Foster's works of fiction, but definitely not a fan of his essays. I didn't make it through the whole book and I am told there is a hilarious story about why one should never take a cruise ship and maybe in the future I will give this another go, but not anytime soon.
I say: D-, Read it if you are on a deserted island and have no other books to keep you company, or if you are on a horrifying cruise.

3. "Bike Snob" by Eben Weiss (2010)
This is the perfect gift book for anyone who rides a bike. The illustrations are great and the wit of this book is elating. Eben really dissects then rebuilds the world of cycling one cog at a time. The highlights of the book for me where the identifications of different types of cyclists like the Contraption Captains and the Lone Wolves, all of which do exist, are analyzed and categorized to a T. This book is simply hilarious and serves as a guidebook for new and veteran cyclists.
I say: B+, Buy this book for a friend

4. "Bohemian Manifesto: A Field Guide to Living on the Edge" by Laren Stover (2004)
If one needs a guide to be Bohemian than one is not Bohemian. I picked up this book thinking it would be funny but instead it was naive and a little insulting. Many reviews said this book is to be a light-hearted take on the Bohemian lifestyle and the author herself was raised by Bohemians but to me it sounded very Bourgeois.
I say: D-, Don't even bother with it.

5. "Bowl of Cherries" by Millard Kaufman (2007)
This is Kaufman's first novel and it was written while he was well into his nineties, surprisingly enough the main character is a teenage boy and Kaufman does an amazing job of creating this character. The boy is an extremely intelligent kid who is accepted into college in his mid teens only to drop out and study in the home of a wacky professor who happens to have a beautiful sixteen year old daughter. As you can guess the boy does ludicrous things to get the adoration of the beauty and even ends up in a prison half way across the world. It is an excellent story told so vividly I had to remind myself often that it was a work of fiction.
I say: A, Buy this book and read it while drinking lots of coffee.

6. "Brave Story" by Miyuki Miyabe (2003)
This book is part Labyrinth, part Lord of the Rings with a bit of Harry Potter and many video games combined into one. The story is of a young boy who finds himself facing a future of uncertainty when he discovers his parents are getting divorced. He escapes his home and enters an alternate universe that is in peril and needs his help to survive. The young boy encounters many hardships and makes many friends along his way and all of his experiences in this alternate world help him to understand the events in his real life. This is a great book for children who may be going through the same struggles with their home life. It is positive and in a way a helpful guide to dealing with divorce.
I say: B+, It is a rather large book but captivating. Suitable for children over 12.

7. "Clumsy" by Jeffrey Brown (2002)
This palm sized graphic novel is an in-depth look into a relationship Brown once had, from beginning to the painful end. The illustrations are simple as well as the text, but anyone who has ever loved and lost can relate to this book. I have read several other things by Brown and all of them have been entertaining. This book is simple and is perfect for a bus or subway ride as it fits perfectly into a purse or even pocket.
I say: B Pick it up, just don't read right after a break up.

8. "Eating Animals" by Jonathan Safran Foer (2009)
This book is one man's struggle to find out where exactly the food he puts on his child's plate come from. It was no east feat as he ultimately had to break into a few places to get the responses he was looking for. I bought this book last year to encourage my sister in her decision to go vegetarian and I think it worked. I have read many books on animal abuse and slaughter and didn't think I would find any new information in the book, but I was wrong. I hadn't been aware of the fishing industry and how gruesome it really is. It made me want to warn pescatarians everywhere of the horrible atrocities going on in our oceans, but being Vegan one learns not to accost others but teach by example. The book is very descriptive of animal slaughtering so may not be for those with weak stomachs but it is informative and very helpful for those with questions about the origins of their food.
I say: A+ Insightful and well written. Buy it for a friend

9. "Eeeee Eee Eeee" by Tao Lin (2007)
This book makes me think of the interrupting cow knock knock joke. The character is approaching adulthood and just in the beginning of deep future thoughts when out of nowhere bears rip his car door off, he shares dinners with ex-presidents and dolphins and witnesses the beating of Elijah Wood. The book is completely surreal and not recommended for those with the very linear approach to literature. There is no real beginning or end just a cataclysm of events with no real definition. I like the book as it accosted my brain with absurdities. I liked it, but I think most people will hate it.
I say: A- Don't buy it, you will most likely hate it.

10. "Fun Home" by Alison Bechdel (2006)
The author tells of her own childhood of being a tomboy raised by a very effeminate father. The two could not be more opposite yet through the telling of her story you can still see glimpses of her love for her father even after discovering his homosexuality and affairs with young men. The story is sad and tells of a woman who's own accomplishments or coming out was always squashed by her father's own life. Her moments were constantly over-shadowed by her father's and until his death, her life paled in comparison to his. She incorporated actual journal entries from her younger self in this graphic novel that really highlight the despair she felt at particular moments. As far as family dramas go, this one is amazing, heart-breaking and often times hilarious.
I say: B+ The art is great and her storytelling wonderful. Add it to your collection.

11. "Gilead" by Marilynne Robinson (2004)
I was told by two different people to read this book and although very well written it was not a book for me. The story is told in journal entries by an old man written to his very young son. The man is a preacher and tells of his life in Gilead, how it has changed and grown, flourished and died in the wake of two wars, the civil rights movement and other historical events. The journal entries take a turn when the preacher suspects his long time friend's son (also the preacher's namesake) is trying to impose upon his marriage to a much younger woman. He turns from a kind man to one with a seed of distaste growing in his belly. He has troubles getting over his own insecurities to give help and advice to the friend's troubled son. It is a slow moving story and not too much is revealed but the hardest part I had with it was the religious aspects of it. This man is a pastor seeking the righteous path but is constantly slandering the troubled man. There are many discussions of bible passages that I was not familiar with having been raised away from the church and having little interest in religion.
I say: C- It was not the story for me. However, I do think others may find it very intriguing.

12. "Home" by Marilynne Robinson (2008)
This story actually coincides with "Gilead" and it told through the older sister of the troubled man. This story I thought was far more interesting. The story tells of the man's addiction to drink, of his love of a woman that is not accepted by society, the child he has with her and of the many mistakes he made in the past. It is sad and at times very heart wrenching. This fills in may of the blanks "Gilead" has and when reading them together I did get a greater appreciation of "Gilead".
I say B+, Check it out from the library

13. "Housekeeping" by Marilynne Robinson (1980)
This book tells of two girls orphaned by their mother who are raised by many different women in their family, the final guardian being their mentally unstable aunt. The girls take two very different paths but are both troubled by their upbringing. The writing is fantastic and the book is meant to be savoured, so pick it up but don't read it too fast as you may skip by much of the simple beauty.
I say: A- It is to be treasured.

14. "How We Are Hungry" by Dave Eggers (2005)
A collection of short stories by Eggers that will pull you in every direction. Every array of emotion is displayed throughout this collection. Dave Eggers is an incredibly talented writer and everything I have read of his fills me with awe. Just buy this book already. Laugh, cry, feel helplessly alone and then become amazed that one man could elicit such emotions from a 200 page book.
I say: A+ Get it today!

15. "I Know This Much Is True" by Wally Lamb (1998)
This book was a double score as I found it in the free book cart at Changing Hands and it was actually a really good read. I read it in a matter of days as Lamb has a way of sucking his reader right into his books by portraying human emotions in its rawest forms. I had read "She's Come Undone" by Lamb about five years ago and was impressed by his ability to write in the perceptive of a female from adolescence to adulthood. He masterfully did the same in " I Know This Much Is True" telling the story of twin brothers who couldn't be anymore different. He also does a stellar job of telling the story of their Sicilian immigrant grandfather and his journey to America and thereafter. Coming from an Italian family much of the portrayal hit very close to home within my own family's history. This book would be a good book club read as there is much to discuss on every page.
I say: A, A+ if you can get it for free like I did!

16. "Infinite Jest" by David Foster Wallace (1996)
I loved this book, then I hated it and wanted to kick it in it's little book spine, but then I loved it again. The first fifty pages are incredible, then the next two hundred are taxing and require a persistence I almost didn't have, but there is a payoff, the next 850 pages are spectacular. Yes it is a 1,000+ page book, it is heavy, the type is small and it requires two bookmarks but it is worth it. This book gave me nightmares, it consumed every thought I had for three months (the average read time) and I still think of this book often almost one year later. DFW has the knack for such incredible detail that parts of the book gave me goosebumps and one part made me so sick I almost puked. The story lines focus on drug abuse, unhealthy families, top secret French-Canadian wheelchair assassins , a uninhabitable wastelands near Michigan and Tennis. If you decide to take on this monstrous book check out Infinite Summer, a website dedicated to the reading and understanding of "Infinite Jest."
I say: A++ Buy it, read it, love it and on a bonus side you can use it to throw at and injure a would be attacker.

17. "Just Kids" by Patti Smith
I just finished this book last night and though I knew very little of either Patti Smith or Robert Mapplethorpe I found this book mesmerizing. These two were destined for fame. They had a few lean years in New York but were surrounded by poets, intellectuals, musicians and artists to fuel their creativity. With friends like Edgar Winter, Todd Rundgren, Jim Carroll and William Burroughs it is no wonder these two succeeded in bringing their art to the masses. Smith tells the story of their blossoming romance and their incredible friendship right up until Mapplethorpe's death in 1989. Smith is a talented poet and her memoir of her life with Mapplethorpe is a must read.
I say: A+ Pick this book up for your music loving friends, but be sure to read it first.

18. "Mao, The Unknown Story" by Jung Chang
Finally someone with the balls to tell the dark side of one of the world's most violent dictators. From the humble beginnings to his rise in Communism in the heavily Russian influenced China to his years as a tyrannical leader. This book reads much like a text book with a staggering amount of information on every page. Most books written about Mao were either sugar coated or written by his colleagues so it is refreshing to see a more accurate tale of Mao's reign in China.
I say: B+ Don't bother with unless you really want to learn about Mao Tse-tung.

19. "My Abandonment" by Peter Rock (2009)
This book is loosely based off of the kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart and a few other interviews with abducted children. The story is about a father and daughter duo living in Forest Park in Portland. They have built an underground dwelling and live off of the old man's armed forces pension. When discovered by a police officer the two are taken into custody and given the rare opportunity to live on a farm and work for their rent. This doesn't last long as the father had delusions that they are being watched and they once again take off for a life in the wilderness. The book is crazy and will have you at the edge of your seat.
I say: A- Check it out from the library.

20. "My One Night Stand With Cancer" by Tania Katan (2005)
As some of you may have read a few months back I got the opportunity to work with Katan on a photo shoot and was her official "Cupcake Sponsor." It was a pleasure to meet her and meet the woman behind such an inspiring book. The book is a memoir of Katan's battle, not one but twice with breast cancer. The thing about this book is it is so hilarious it rarely gives a moments pause to reflect on the fact that Katan was fighting for her life. Her description of chemotherapy is so funny you almost forget she has cancer. There are definite moments where she reflects on her closeness to death but the hope and positivity is what stands out in the book. This is a great gift for any woman who has or is going through the battle of breast cancer. Katan proves there is life after cancer, and it is a great one!
I say: A+ This book is meant to be shared with everyone

21. "Oh Pure and Radiant Heart" by Lydia Millet (2005)
Another amazing female author from Arizona! I wasn't too sure about this book at first it sounded a little too science fiction for me, but alas, I loved it! Millet has this amazing way of intertwining the past and present into this amazing story about the inventors of the Atom bomb returning to life and facing the present state of the earth. They go on a campaign to beg the UN to stop making nuclear weapons and encounter a ton of believers on the mission to spread world peace. Many of the followers are extreme religious sects but a small few really believe the scientists have returned to share a positive message that should be hard by everyone. This book was great and every other page or so it help real facts about the Atom bomb, Hiroshima and tales from survivors of the A-Bomb attacks. It is marvelously written and Millet possesses an incredible imagination to make such a tale come to life.
I say: A- Buy this book and lend it to good friends.

22. "Pink Think" by Lynn Peril (2002)
This book is great for the inner feminist is all of us. Peril takes a look at advertisements, books and television geared towards women in the fifties and sixties. She reveals her finds in a way that is humorous but doesn't undermine the point of the book. Women were encouraged to think and behave in a "proper" manner and if not they were thought to remain single for the rest of their lives. Everything they learned from home economics class, ladies magazines and even ads for feminine hygiene products was to teach them to be lovely homemakers. Jobs were something to do before getting married, the ideal jobs included typist, phone operator and in some cases a school teacher. Once married the woman was expected to quit her job and care for her husband, make him look good for work, encourage him to set goals and prepare him for raises and promotions. All I can say is, we have come a long way baby! Thank goodness for the women's rights movement!
I say: B Pick it up for a friend!

23. "Special Topics In Calamity Physics" by Marisha Pessl (2006)
I loved this book from beginning to the very end. The story is told by a teenage girl and it reads as a memoir but it is a work of fiction. The story is about a group of friends and a mysterious murder and comes across very witty. It reminded me a bit of "The Basic Eight" by Daniel Handler but with a few more twists and turns. I noticed on Amazon people said the book was difficult to read as there were many lenghty sentences and one needed a dictionary to read along with the book. I really didn't find the book too difficult to read, there are moments when the main character talks in circles and speaks in a very bookish manner, but she is supposed to be a highly intelligent girl, so I wouldn't have expected anything less. The book is amazing and would be a good fit for a seious reader, no Tom Clancy fans here.
I say: A+ Pessl is brilliant and it shows!

24. "The Brief Wondrous Life Of Oscar Wao" by Junot Diaz (2007)
This book is a Pulitzer winner and there is no wonder why, it is incredible. The story is about Oscar, a shy, over-weight bot who after spending the summer in the Dominican Republic with his grandmother grows into a man. He falls in love with a woman much older than him and with this love comes unbeleiveable pain. This book is beautiful and also terribly sad. The characters is this book are well developed and the amount of factual informaion provided within the story really gives one the understanding of what life is truly like in the Dominican Republic.
I say: A+ Make sure to read with a box of tissues

25. "The Broon Of The System" by David Foster Wallace (1987)
Just like "Infinite Jest" this book has a cast of kooky characters and many of the events that occur within the book are unpredictable. A man eats over-eats to grow to epic propotions, a bird learns Bible verses and ends up a televangelist, and an elderly grandmother disaapears with her retirement home companions to perform espionage. Though most of the characters are ridiculous the main character Lenore Beadsman is easily approachable and I hate to say it, "normal." This book is charming and great for those who aren't afraid for their novels to read like a carnival. I had a super fun time reading this and I highy recommend.
I say: A+ Wallace was a genius, it is a shame he is no longer with us.

26. "The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-time" byMark Haddon (2003)
Katie suggested this book for an online bookclub and I am glad that she did. The book focus' on a murder mystery that a 15 year old Autistic boy tried to unravle. With the boy's Autism there are moments in the book where he seems a lot younger than he is, behaving similar to a toddler. There are aslo other moments when he solves incredible math euations that really lets someone glimpse into his complicated mind. I just read a review of Amazon about this book that was written by someone with Autism and I was impressed with the way they took may parts of the book and dissected the charecter's actions and related it to their own personal lives. The review is worth a read if interested in this book.
I Say: B check it out from the library.

27. "The Passion" by Jeanette Winterson (1987)
Tim introduced me to Winterson's work with her book "Sexing The Cherry" and I feel in love. Her writing style is very similar to Gabriel Garcia Marquez and is hihgly imaginative. Her characters are very whimsical and ever passionate. In "The Passion" she tells the story of a French soldier serving in Napolean's army, and as Napoleaon's personal chef. The soldier has a love affair so incredible with a red haired beauty he ends up institutionalized. The story is written like a long and beautiful poem and is very addicting. This is one book I had troubles setting down.
I say: A Beautiful and imaginative

28. "The Year Of The Flood" by Margaret Atwood (2009)
Atwood is definitely a skilled write but the story line in "The Year Of The Flood" to me, was boring and uninspiring. The character's, though interesting, aren't very approachable. Their personalities, inner thoughts and even the reasons for their behavior isn't very well developed. The story tells of survivors of a "flood" that kills off most of the human race, leaving few people alive in the wake of the destruction. These people have to learn to survive on little and defend themselves againt vicious animals and villians. The story had a lot of potential but I feel Atwood dropped the ball on this one.
I say: F, Don't bother with it

29. "Thrive Diet" by Brendan Brazier (2007)
Vegan Triathlete Brendan Brazier lays out a diet guide for optimal performance in everyday life. The book is pary nutritional information and part recipe book. The recipes in this book are killer and not very time consuming and are perfect for anyone interested in a whole food diet. I had the opportunity to meet Brazier and he is a truly insperational person, not to mention he is incredibly fit! This book would be a perfect guide to getting healthy in 2011.
I say: A+ Pick it up today and get started on a healthier way of living

30. "Vegan Girls Guide To Life" by Melisser Elliott (2010)
As a Vegan and as a lady, I am pleased to have this book on my bookshelf. Over the last few months I have used this book many times as a reference book, a cook book and as an inspirational tool. Elliott interviews over a dozen Vegan women from all over the globe asking their ideas on Veganism, asking for insight to living a healthy life and also how they incorporate Veganism into their work lives. Many of these women own their own businesses that encompass their passion for all living things. As someone who is in the beginning stages of starting her own business this book serves as proof that smart Vegan women are making things happen for them all over the globe. On a bonus note, my dear freind Tracy is featured along with her handmade soaps in this amazing book. Score!
I say: A if you are a woman and a Vegan, this book is for you!

31. "Watch Your Mouth" by Daniel Handler (2000)
I love Handler, and if you haven't read any of his books, get on it! He is amazing and he has a secret...he is Lemony Snicket. Uh huh, he write fantastic children's books as well as facinating adult books. This book is full of uncomfortable situations and has many distubing twists and turns. Operas, incest and a giant clay golem all factor in to make this black comdey a squeamish and disturbing read.
I say: B+ not my favorite work of Handler's but a good rea nonetheless

32. "West With The Night" by Beryl Markham (1942)
This story is a memoir of Markham's childhood growing up in British governed Africa. She leads an extroidinary life as the daughter of a entrepaneur and horse breeder. She is taught to hunt wild jungle cats and boars, how to breed and raise horses and in her adulthood how to fly a plane leading her to become the first person to fly solo across the Atlantic. Markham writes beautifully and infact there is a forward in the book by Ernest Hemingway giving her much praise on her beatifully written account of her life in the African bush. Markham was an amazing and strong woman who contsantly proved that women were capable of more than just looking pretty in a dress.
I say: A Buy this book for a strong woman in your life.

33. "What Is The What" by Dave Eggers (2007)
Everyone needs to read this book. I had to force Timmy to and when he finished it her was blown away by Eggers re-telling of one man's struggle as a Lost Boy in Africa and as a lost African in the United States. Valentino's story is a hard one to read, his journey across the desert in search of safety is so heart-breakingly tragic it is almost impossible to believe he made it out alive and even more impossible to believe that he is using his tale of survival to help others. The tragedy doesn't end when Valentino arrives in America, as he finds it hard to adjust, aquire a job and assimilate to life as a "ormal "American." The luxuries we take fro granted (running water, telvision, toaster ovens etc...) are all new to Valention and his friends. He was often made fun of and worst of all attacked in his own home. This story is a powerful one and shows how strong one's will to live truly is. He is a hero and one to look up to.
I say: A+ Buy this book today

34. "Whompeyjawed" by Mitch Cullin (2007)
The story of this naive high school boy living in a small town in Texas is one filled with drama, dissappointments and the struggle to escape the monotony of a small town. The main character puts on a strong front for his girlfriend and younger brother but revelas himself as a normal insecure teenage to his best friends. The story is told ina simple and yet very emotional manner. The main character is easy to relate to, and although a bit stereotypical at times, is less than dissappointing.
I say: B check it out from the library.

Bake Sale this Sunday!

2010-12-14T15:27:00.000-08:00

Volunteers Needed

2010-12-12T09:19:00.000-08:00

Next Sunday, December 19th, my beautiful friend Aurora and I will be hosting a bake sale to raise money for her new Montessori pre-school, Heart Prints Montessori in Tempe. Heart Prints has been open for almost a year and it is incredible how costly supplies can be. Aurora recently had a benefit concert that raised $1,000 and we are hoping to match that this upcoming Sunday. If you have the time bake an item of just show up and give your support it would be wonderful and much appreciated. Please tell your friends as Heart Prints Montessori School is an asset to have in our neighborhood. The children learn an array of things through positive encouragement and are handled with utmost love and attention. I had the pleasure of sitting in with Miss Aurora and her kids and it was an awesome moment. The kids did yoga, were taught the importance of cleaning up after themselves, they talked about the changing seasons and weather, we played with home made gluten-free play-doh and had a great time doing so. So please if you are free Sunday the 19th please send me an email rikkicupcake@yahoo.com and I will give you further details.

Thanks!
Rikki Cupcake

Portland, day 3 (the big news)

2010-11-22T10:49:00.000-08:00

Timmy and I got married!! Here are some photos to enjoy of our union at Voodoo Donuts...yes, we got married in a donut shop. (:

That's us!

Bride and Groom Voodoo style

Our wedding "cake" actually a tier of vegan donuts!

SO HAPPY!!

kissy kissy time. Look at the little kid on the left, covering his eyes. I guess we weren't quite PG.

Our wedding, first dance and the eating of our donuts took approximately ten minutes, but it was perfect for us.

Many thanks to Lucy and Kyle for being the witnesses to our love and thanks to Steve for hanging out. We had such an amazing time in Portland and we couldn't be happier. I am so very lucky to have found Tim and to share the rest of my adventurous days with him.

Raise a glass, say a toast, it is time to celebrate, I know we did!

XOXOXO,
Rikki Cupcake

Portland, day 3 (Proper Eats)

2010-11-19T07:40:00.000-08:00

The third day is the most important of all! You will find out in a later post why, but until then here are some photos of Timmy and I freezing and getting ready to get some hot coffee, not even to drink, just to thaw out our hands. (:

I actually enjoyed the cold weather, I love winter clothes and layers. I love drinking hot coffee and taking really hot baths, so this weather was ideal for me. Timmy, not so much...

He was miserable and every five minutes said how he loved Arizona weather.

It was pretty rainy this day, almost a mist really, but enough to keep everything wet and slick. I thought it was very pretty, there was fog obscuring my vision of anything more than forty feet away or more that 15 feet in the sky. It was delightful. The first thing we did on Saturday was go get lunch. Lucy told us of this place called Proper Eats that had great "hippy" food. I was worried it would be all raw foods, and I was in the mood for hearty and warm. We were pleasantly surprised.

I ordered some garlic bread to get started and it was terrific!

Lucy enjoyed hers

Timmy too!

I took my first bite and fell in love! But if this was good, oh my the entrees were a delight!

Lucy and Tim shared the tempeh reuben and the bad brains burrito. They were both pleased with the outcome of their choices. The burrito had plantains, squash, black beans and all kinds of yummy goodness inside. The reuben was pretty tasty and was a nice change using tempeh instead of tofurkey.

I enjoyed the cornmeal crusted tempeh with quinoa, southern greens and a lime sour cream sauce. I ate the whole thing it was so good!

Mr. Toast!

After that we picked up kitty food and booties for Adelaide so she can run on our laminate flooring,

saw a door with many knobs and then went home to prepare...

Portland, day 2 (Bridge of the Gods and Dove Vivi)

2010-11-18T11:28:00.000-08:00

When Timmy and I ate all of our goodies at Back to Eden and Lucy was done being her awesome self with Meals on Wheels we packed a lunch and planned a day time hike. We traveled north and headed to the gorge to take in some fresh air and to hike around some gorgeous waterfalls. The only problem, it was freezing and Timmy and I have thin Arizona blood, so we ended up driving around and stopping for some photos, then piling back into the warm car.

the gorge!

These waterfalls were beautiful and the closer you got to these wonders the colder it got too. So unfortunately we didn't stay that long.

Bridge of the Gods. Portland on the left, Washington on the right. We drove into Washington, parked the car and enjoyed our field roast sandwiches. We ate half our food outside and the other half inside of a heated car. We were wussies and didn't pack nearly enough warm clothes, but thank goodness for heaters huh?

We went home added layers to our clothes then went out to dinner with Lucy and Kyle, their sweet roommate Natalie and our friend Steve. We went to Dove Vivi, the best pizza place in Portland. They offer two delicious Vegan pizzas on their menu, one with corn, cashew cheese and a roasted bbq sauce, and the other (my favorite) and eggplant, mushroom and tofu ricotta pie. They all have cornmeal crusts which make them crispy and add a fantastic texture to the dish.

not the best pictures here, but it was dark in there and I hate using my flash, so this is the end result. I can tell you though the pizzas were great, the best I have had at a restaurant.

Steve and Natalie

Lucy and Kyle

We had a really great night, and headed home a bit early to prepare for our big day, day three in Portland.

Portland, day 2 (Back to Eden)

2010-11-17T19:16:00.001-08:00

Oh Portland, how I love you so. You have showed me the joy of seasons, wearing multiple layers and faux cheese. I have had the pleasure of Vegan pumpkin lattes, truffles, corn dogs and reubens that it is so hard for me to sit here in Arizona typing this when all I want to do is hop on a plane and see you again. I miss you my dear city...

Ahem, uh so anyway this is what happened on day two. Timmy and I awoke thankful for our heating blankets and space heater. We dressed warmly and were dropped off on Alberta street to walk around and wander around appreciating all that Portland has to offer. Meanwhile, Lucy was delivering Meals on Wheels (isn't she amazing?) and Kyle was hard at work lubing up bike chains. So what did Timmy and I do? We ate of course at Back to Eden Bakery.

Back to Eden was amazing and the girl working there was so sweet and genuinely nice that we felt at home immediately. We ordered a large array of things and all of the food was over the top tasty!

look how cute it is inside. It is a little place but it slowly started filling up with hungry vegans looking for some good grub.

I could have eaten all of this, no really, I could have.

Pumpkin Whoopie pies and tarts, oh my!

their adorable menu, if it wasn't freezing I could have gone for some ice cream

Timmy checkin' himself out while waiting on his delicious caramel apple cider drink.

we ate a quiche with tempeh, broccoli and mushrooms. We quickly followed the quiche with...

a slice of pumpkin streusel pie. Holy fuck this was good, yes, it merits a fuck word. (:

we ate ALL of it!

Now we are happy and ready for whatever awaits us.

Stay tuned for more of day two...

Portland, day 1

2010-11-16T06:43:00.000-08:00

Tim and I took off for Portland at 4:15am. We were both tired and cranky but still pretty excited for our adventures to begin. We got to the airport so early none of the coffee shops were open yet...yikes!

here we are just you know flyin' all crazy high in an airplane

if you ever fly to Portland from Phoenix, always sit on the left side so you get a good view of Mt Hood. Beautiful!

We were starving so after Lucy picked us up the first thing we did was get breakfast. If you have been to Portland than you know there are vegan food options everywhere you turn. Vegan breakfast is a hard thing to come by in Arizona so were were hopping around like bunnies with thoughts of a good warm breakfast. We went to the Vita Cafe and stuffed food into our faces at an alarming rate.

Lucy and Timmy

us!

There were so many different things to choose from I found it impossible to make up my mind.I eventually chose french toast because it had been quite some time since I had it and it did sound quite appetizing, and holy un-cow it was fantastic!

Timmy and I shared biscuits and gravy with biscuits so fluffy and gravy so tasty it made me think of the breakfasts my Grandma made every Sunday.

Timmy needed more biscuits in his life and had the sloppy biscuit sandwich with faux turkey and a slab of tofu. I had a taste and it was yummy!

After breakfast we went to Lucy and Kyle's adorable house and picked up Midge their super cute puppy. We drove to Mt Tabor and took a little hike and checked out all of the trees and plants that we do not witness here in the desert.

Midge!

This is a normal sized leaf here

stunning, isn't it?

After that we went to the Vegan mini mall and picked up some tasty goodies to bring to our friends in Phoenix. We went to Food Fight! an all vegan grocery store and to Herbivore Clothing. I was tempted to buy one of everything but since I had only one small suitcase I had to curb my spending. I was happy to pick up some Dandies and some white chocolate from Food Fight! and some buttons and such from Herbivore.

mini mall

Later when Lucy had to go to work and Kyle was done working we went to the Bye and Bye, and all vegan bar! Fuck yeah, vegan bar!! I was so excited I failed to take pictures of our food, but I had the Weeping Tiger a super spicy tofu sandwich that was delightful and Timmy had a BBQ tofu sammie. The we got to drinking and photo taking...

Timmy

Kyle

We were a bit chilly but we had such an amazing first day the cold was forgotten. I love Portland and if I had it my way I would be moving there, today!

Ask A Vegan Pt. 19

2010-11-15T08:29:00.000-08:00

I had the most amazing adventures the last week and I cannot wait to share with everyone my fantastic week, but until then I have business to attend to. It is time for another Ask A Vegan and I am super excited to share a most wonderful and sweet girl with all of you.

I have been internet friends with Mandee for about two years now. She was my first friend on Flickr and I loved all of the great food she posts photos of. I was impressed with the amount of raw foods she had in her diet and the amazing gluten free baking she was doing. Mandee has since started her own fantastic blog and has been setting up Sydney bake sales that raise hundreds and even thousands of dollars for local charities. She is an incredible and beautiful girl and I hope that one day I will have the pleasure of meeting her in person, and if I have to fly to Australia to do it, I will! (:

Name: Mandee
Age: 27
Location: Sydney, Australia
Website: Cupcake Kitteh

How long have you been Vegan?
Over 4 years

What made you decide to go Vegan?
I grew up surrounded by pets and I always loved animals. I used body products not tested on animals but when I found out that the Body Shop had been sold, I decided to find another brand to use. While searching online for cruelty free products I kept finding websites about going vegetarian, this started me thinking about the animals we consider food and it did feel wrong. I also read about vegans and knew that I had to go vegan right away, not just vegetarian.

It also occurred to me that I’d been caring for domestic animals for years as a veterinary nurse, why shouldn’t that care extend to all animals, not just the cute and cuddly ones but the ones that most people consider food as well. I was horrified to read about the conditions that animals endure before they’re killed and it was definitely something I could not ignore any longer.

How do you feel health wise with this diet choice?
I feel fantastic. When I was younger I often had sore throats and headaches and it was assumed that I was lactose-intolerant. After a year of being vegan my health had improved immensely and I haven’t had a cold in years.

Are you open about your Veganism?
Yes, I will definitely mention it if the occasion arises. I think I am more confident now that I was in my first year or two. The more confident you are, the better your response will be to anyone who wants to question your way of living.

If so, are you involved in any activism i.e. protests, leafleting etc…
I run the Sydney Vegan Bake Sale ( link: http://sydneyveganbakesale.blogspot.com/ )
We’ve been going for 2 years, we started after participating in the first Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale ( link: http://www.veganbakesale.org/ ). We have vegan brochures at our table and we’re always happy to discuss veganism with customers.

What does your family, friends, co-workers think about your diet?
At first family and friends were concerned that it was an unhealthy way to eat, that I would be missing out. Now I have friends that love to eat at vegan/vegetarian restaurants with me and they love my baked goods like cupcakes and cookies.

My Dad participated in the Vegan Easy Challenge last year and was vegan for a month. My boyfriend has always been respectful and supportive of me and while he isn’t vegan he will eat vegan meals and is always on the lookout for vegan food products for me as well as recipes that we can veganise.

What advice would you give those interested in becoming Vegan?
Think about the reasons why you want to go vegan. A lot of people go vegan but find it too difficult or decide to quit after a month or two. For me it was always going to be a lifestyle choice, not a phase or a fad. My love for animals is enough for me to stick with veganism and honestly it hasn’t ever felt difficult. If you see veganism as a restriction or a diet, it will feel hard. If you see it as a selfless and positive thing to do, you will find it easy and you will be happy with your decision.

Buy some vegan cookbooks, read vegan blogs and educate yourself and on why you’re doing it and what to eat. When I first started cooking I was eating the same thing every night (tofu, mushrooms, baby spinach). Now I cook so many different meals and I definitely eat more of a variety of food and it’s much healthier too.

Would you eat at Mc Donald’s if they carried a Vegan burger?
I probably would as a last resort if I was on a road trip. I’ve driven up the coast and in the past the only food along the way was McDs. But I’m sure I’d have plenty of vegan snacks to get me by!

I think if fast food chains offer a veg/vegan option it’s good for people transitioning or for people who need a quick meal option but most vegans would agree it’s better not to support large fast food chains.

What is your least favorite question that you are asked about your diet?
”What do you eat?” because there are so many food items that are vegan, if people thought about it for a few minutes they might be able to answer the question.

What is your favorite dish?
Hmmm! This is a difficult question because I have SO many favourites. Right now I am loving the cookbook Viva Vegan! and one of my favourite meals from it was the guatita (peanut potato stew).

What do you typically eat at Thanksgiving?
We don’t celebrate Thanksgiving in Australia but at Christmas I tend to make a salad, a main meal like mini pot pies and dessert is either gluten free pudding, cake or fresh fruit.

If I could make you any flavor cupcake in the world what would it be?
Banana and coconut are two of my favourite flavours so I’d make a banana cupcake, spiced with ginger and topped with coconut icing and shredded coconut.

Please share your favorite Vegan recipe.

Cauliflower Cheeze (adapted from my Mum's recipe) - gluten & soy free

450g cauliflower (1 cup)
1 T corn flour
1 T Nuttelex (or other vegan margarine)
3/4 C rice milk
A pinch of mustard powder
A large pinch of salt
1/2 C cashews
1/4 C macadamias
1/2 C water

Pre-heat oven to 160C. (320 degrees)

Steam the cauliflower for 10 minutes. Arrange in a baking dish in a single layer so the florets are packed together.

Melt the Nuttelex is a small pan, add the corn flour and whisk to make a roux, 2-3 minutes. Gradually add the rice milk, continually stirring. Add the mustard powder and salt. Remove from heat.

Blend the cashews and macadamias with 1/2 C of water. Add more water if needed, you want the consistency of a thick sauce. Add nut mixture to the milk mixture, combine.

Pour the sauce over the cauliflower. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until top is golden.

Food Porn

2010-11-09T07:45:00.001-08:00

I am too lazy to write cohesive sentences. I am all tapped out on word play so instead I will inundate you with pictures of food I made over the weekend. Yum!

From the Coffee, Cookies and Crafts Fair in Phoenix

From Althea's baby shower

And Willow eating a cupcake!

Chocolate Banana Brownie Cupcakes

2010-11-03T16:46:00.000-07:00

Sometimes life is full of really tough decisions. These decisions can be so challenging that they can bring one to tears, horribly large mascara smearing tears. Recently I was faced with an extremely difficult choice to make, should I eat brownies or should I eat cupcakes? To some of you out there this seems like a very silly thing to have vexing me to tears but if you happen to be a sugarholic like I am, then you completely understand my dilemma. Oh how I love the fugdy gooieness of brownies, and the soft fluffiness of cupcakes (not to mention the frosting, oh heavenly delight) that when forced to choose between either my head just about explodes. That is how I decided on brownie cupcakes, complete with chewy crust, fluffy cake and even melty ganache for gooey goodness. I think these little ladies will have to make an appearance this weekend at Coffee, Cookies and Crafts seeing as how they are too good not to share with the world. Yum!

Chocolate Banana Brownie Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. sea salt
2 bananas, the riper the better
1 cup soymilk, or almond works well in this too
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup melted baking chocolate
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. chocolate extract

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and either line or grease your cupcake pan. This recipe makes 15 cupcakes, or 12 pretty large cupcakes. So you may have to use two pans or prepare for huge cupcake goodness!
In a bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside. Melt baking chocolate either in double boiler or microwave (I never use a microwave, but I understand the convenience of using one, just make sure you don't microwave too long, because the chocolate can burn). Mash the bananas really well, or toss in a blender to create a thick banana goo. In a mixer combine bananas, soymilk, sugar, canola oil, vanilla extract and chocolate extract. Then add in melted chocolate until well mixed in, then slowly add your flour mixture. You will end up with a thick and dark brown, almost black batter. Pour the batter into your cupcake tins and bake for 22-25 minutes.

Buttercream frosting

1/2 cup Earth Balance
1/2 cup vegetable shortening (I use Spectrum Organics)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. chocolate extract
4 T. soymilk
3-3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Using room temperature Earth Balance cream together with shortening. Slowly add in powdered sugar, then add in extracts and soymilk. If mixture is too thick add more soymilk one tablespoon at a time, and if too thin add more powdered sugar. I don't really measure this stuff so really just use your best judgement on the soymilk/powdered sugar factor.

Chocolate Ganache

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup soymilk
2-3 T. agave

Heat soymilk until warm, but not boiling then pour over chocolate chips and mix well with a small spatula, then add in agave. You should have a thick syrup. Place in refrigerator to cool, or I usually just let it cool on my counter top until it is room temperature.

Once cupcakes have cooled frost the cupcakes with one layer or buttercream frosting, drizzle on chocolate ganache and then put more buttercream on top. So friggen good!! You may have to put the cupcakes in the refrigerator for a couple of minutes just to make sure ganache doesn't melt down the sides and so it is solid enough to add more buttercream on top. Let the cake eating commence!

Some Stuff

2010-11-02T15:33:00.000-07:00

The Vegan Month Of Food is upon us and for me that means I need to actually take photos of my food and document what a Vegan eats and also share recipes of said food. The good thing is in nine days Timmy and I will be embarking on a fun filled vacation to the Vegan capitol of the world, Portland Oregon. So for whatever days I may miss and whatever details I may lack, all will be forgiven once I arrive in the Vegan mecca. That is how it works right? All of my vegan blogging sins will be washed away in the Portland rain, that is what I am told anyway. For those of you living in Phoenix, stop by and say hello to me at the Coffee, Cookies and Crafts fest this Saturday at Bragg's Pie Factory. The event goes from noon until five and there will be all kinds of great handmade treasures not to mention dozens of teeny tiny Rikki desserts. Yum yum!

And some fun Halloween photos for today and a new recipe coming tomorrow...ooooh how exciting! I cannot wait! (:

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

2010-10-28T15:55:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't love a good whoopie? I mean really even if you haven't ever enjoyed the indulgent-y goodness of a whoopie pie the word alone fills one with unencumbered joy. I think I may have mentioned in the last year of blogging my absolute idolatry of pumpkin anything. Pumpkin pancakes, smoothies, pies, cakes, pasta and even a pumpkin black bean enchilada have graced my taste buds and tummy since my transformation from vegetarian caterpillar to a beautiful vegan butterfly. Thus it seemed only reasonable that when the newest King Arthur Flour catalog arrived at my door with a recipe for pumpkin whoopie pies I needed to veganize it...and quick. Since that fate-filled day I have made these whoopie pies 6 or 7 times and each time I am discovering how to improve the recipe so they work with vegan ingredients. The first take was a mess, instead of whoopie pies I ended up with whoopie discs, quite crispy and thin. Yikes! A change here, a change there and finally I have something I can be proud of.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

1/2 cup Earth Balance, room temperature
1/2 cup canola oil
2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 T. molasses
1 tsp. baking powder
1 Tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cloves
2 tsp. ground flax
2 T. water
1 can pumpkin
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Using a stand-up mixer cream Earth Balance, canola oil, and brown sugar until most of sugar is dissolved making a brown goo of sorts. Add molasses, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. In a small bowl whisk flax and water with a fork until a bit frothy, then add to batter. Mix for about 1 minute to get everything well combined the add pumpkin and mix for another 30 seconds. Finally add it flour 1/2 cup at a time and mix well until you get a light, fluffy whipped batter.

I discovered the best thing to use when baking these is a silpat or parchment paper, a greased pan will cause the whoopies to spread...eek!

Using a pastry bag and tip #5PT pipe small circles (for mini bite sized whoopies) or larger 2 inch diameter circles (for normal sized whoopies)

Pipe about two inches apart from one another. Place in oven and bake for 13 minutes (for minis) to 16 minutes (for regular). Remove from oven and let cool. Once cool pipe frosting on one whoopie and top with another creating a delicious pie!

Filling:
1/2 cup Earth Balance
1/2 cup vegan cream cheese or shortening (either make for a great flavor)
2-3 cups powdered sugar (I never measure this, you just want to make sure the end result isn't too soft or runny, so increase powdered sugar until a nice thick but soft frosting emerges)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. ground ginger

In stand up mixer cream together the Earth Balance and cream cheese. Add in powdered sugar until desired consistency then add vanilla extract and ground ginger. When frosting is complete put into a piping bag and using a star tip pipe into a circle on one whoopie and then top with another whoopie then shove into your face and great elation. Yep, it is that good!

Thirty Days of Rikki Cupcake: Day 30

2010-10-27T07:45:00.000-07:00

My favorite song:

Trying to narrow down my favorite song is incredibly complicated. There are numerous songs that make me smile, accompany me when I cry, play softly in the background when I make love, encourage me to be playful and happy when I bake, and also songs that provide enough energy for me to propel myself forward and often in whimsical circles on my bike. Trying to think of just one is impossible. Instead I will list the first five that pop into my head...

1. The Beatles-For No One, this is one of the saddest songs and I adore it so very much.
2. Jets to Brazil- Sweet Avenue, because the line "Budding at my fingertips, touching you I start to bloom" makes me smile every single time I hear it
3. Alkaline Trio- Radio because I remember fondly a time when I was driving my car with five or six passengers all squished in and this song came on and all of us started singing it as loud as we could. It was great.
4. Jeff Buckley- Hallelujah, I know Leonard Cohen wrote this song but Mr. Buckley's version gives me the chills. His voice is beautiful and haunting.
5. Sam Cooke- You Send Me. This song is simple and is my favorite love song.

Potato Leek Soup

2010-10-19T12:33:00.000-07:00

Some days I am a machine, I will wake up at 2:30 in the morn' bike 15 miles to work and bake my little heart out, only to bike 15 miles home to clean the house or bake for another event in my evening hours. Then there are days when I sleep in until 6am (yes that IS sleeping in) I will pour a bowl of cereal and read, then eventually fall back asleep and wake up again at 9am or so and just lallygag all day until Timmy comes home to occupy my bored and weary brain. Yesterday was one of those days I spent loitering around the house doing the bare minimum so I wouldn't feel like such a sloucher. I washed a dish or three, did a load of laundry and then made a soup so delicious Timmy barely noticed how I destroyed the the kitchen in the soup making process.

Now, I haven't had potato soup in years, in fact the last time I think I had it was as a child and it was always served with bacon. My grandmother made the best soup ever, always from scratch and always the perfect flavor. She even put an ice cube or two in it for me so it wouldn't burn my little tongue.

I hope as these cooler months sweep in this soup recipe will be utilized the warm up all of my favorite people who pass by this blog. It is easy to make and so very tasty. Also the ingredients are easy to come by, so no confusing market searches.

Potato Leek Soup

20-25 small red potatoes (wash really well and leave the skins on)
1 T. olive oil
1 large leek, washed and chopped
6 cloves of garlic, cut into small chunks
1 cup chopped celery
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
6 cups water or vegetable broth
1/4 cup Braggs Liquid Aminos
1/3 cup white wine
1 tsp. ground pepper
1 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. dried rosemary
1 1/2 tsp. dried thyme

Fill a large pot 3/4 way full with water and boil potatoes until soft, about 45 minutes. Strain the potatoes and let cool until cool enough to handle. Meanwhile start chopping and peeling all of your vegetables. In a large pot place 1 T. of olive oil and turn heat to medium. Toss in your leeks and saute for about five minutes, then add the garlic and saute for another three minutes. Add pepper, salt, rosemary and thyme and stir around.

At this point your kitchen is going to smell heavenly. Pour white wine and Liquid Aminos in the pot with leeks and such and turn heat down to a medium low. At this point add in the celery and carrots and cut up potatoes into chunks and add in as well. Lastly pour in your water or vegetable broth and cook the soup on low for about an hour.

Using a food processor or a reliable mixer remove about 1/2 of your soup and blend until you get a smooth creamy mixture. Pour the mixture back in with the rest of the soup and cook for another hour or so on low. I like to have my soup cook all day, but really it is not necessary. I served our soup with grilled cheese and pepper sandwiches.

If you try this recipe let me know what you think of it. This amount made 6 hearty bowls of soup and is great for a family on a budget, because all of the ingredients are fairly inexpensive.

Hooray, I am so excited!!!

2010-10-18T19:30:00.000-07:00

I just got featured on the Phoenix New Times Chow Bella blog, if you have a moment please check it out!

Thanks!
Rikki Cupcake

Ask A Vegan Pt. 18

2010-10-18T09:08:00.001-07:00

It has been quite some time since I have done an Ask A Vegan post and I apologize. As I mentioned before there were a lot of changes going down in the world of Miss Rikki Cupcake and now I think things are settling down enough where I can focus on my Ask A Vegan project. I am pleased to say that after Manny's interview today that there are many more waiting in the Yahoo inbox. Manny is the first raw foods vegan featured on here and I am very impressed that a 19 year old would invest so much time and effort into preparing his delicious foods. I remember being 19 and what did I eat? Taco Bell. Yep, I was a fan of the bean burrito. When I think of it now, it is almost embarrassing that I, at one time, thought of Taco Bell as real food. Manny is a rare kid and I am very happy to share him with all of you.

Name: Jesus Maldonado But I like to be called by my middle name, Manny
Age: 19
Location: Brooklyn, New York
Website: Givingyouhealth.com

How long have you been Vegan?
3 ½ - 4 years

What made you decide to go Vegan?
Mainly health reasons, but now that I’ve learned a lot I do it for the animals, for my health, and for spiritual reasons.

How do you feel health wise with this diet choice?
I feel great, much better then I did before I went on this diet. Feeling better as time passes.

Are you open about your Veganism?
If so, are you involved in any activism i.e. protests, leafleting etc…I am very open with being a vegan, everybody who knows me knows that I am a vegan and I am proud to be one. I am currently not involved in any activism but I would like to be in the near future.

What do your family, friends, co-workers think about your diet?
Many of them think it is pretty crazy and weird, but by now they are used to it.

What advice would you give those interested in becoming Vegan?
I would let them know that it is best to become educated about Veganism so that they may understand what a vegan eats, because nowadays many people are calling themselves Vegans just because they have stopped flesh yet they still eat crap. Take it slow and transition at your own pace, because everybody is different and let no one pull you away from your goals. I would also give them a few of my delicious Vegan recipes ;)

Would you eat at Mc Donald’s if they carried a Vegan burger?
No I do not eat at any fast food joint’s unless it were a strictly vegan fast food joint.

Do you have a Vegan celebrity that you find particularly dashing?
Honestly, I do not know of many vegan celebrities so I couldn’t say.

marinated vegetables

Do you have a favorite Vegan blog or website that you follow?
I like to support all Vegan blogs and websites but the only one that comes to mind is Dherbs.com. It’s run by Djehuty Ma’at Ra, a expert on herbs and health. Great website with products and info about all types of health issues. I would recommend anyone and everyone to check it out.

What is your least favorite question that you are asked about your diet?
Well I really like when people question me about my diet. It allows me to educate others about my lifestyle and I love to hear the new things people ask about it. If I were to choose one though, I’d have to say it would be the famous “where do you get all your protein?”.

What is your favorite dish?
Well since I’m eating only Raw Vegan at the moment, my favorite homemade dish would be my famous Raw soft shell tacos with mock meat and sourcream and my favorite restaurant dish would be lasagna from Rockin’Raw, a Raw Vegan restaurant in Brooklyn.

homemade almond milk

What do you typically eat at Thanksgiving?
I’ve just recently turned Raw so I’ve yet to have a Raw Vegan thanksgiving, but in the pass years I’ve had rice with beans, vegetable chille, vegetable pasteles, mash potatoes, yams, macaroni salad, and other goods that I can’t remember at the moment. Did I mention that I love to eat? ;)

If I could make you any flavor cupcake in the world what would it be?
Strawberry short(cup)cake

Please share your favorite Vegan recipe.
Unfortunately my favorite Vegan recipe is done by eye, I never took the time to write any of it down =(
So I’ll write down one of my fav desserts.
Raw Vegan Chocolate Brownies
---------------------------------------
1 cup cashews
½ cup dates(add more if needed)
1 TBSP cocoa powder
Food process until a huge ball forms. Flatten the ball on a tray and sprinkle some crushed walnuts on top if you’d like. Freeze for about an hour or until nice and solid and enjoy with a cup of VeganNog.
VeganNog
-------------
3 cups water
1 cup almonds
½ cup dates(add more if needed)
1 tsp vanilla powder
2-3 bananas
Blend almonds with water until smooth then strain with a nutbag or cheesecloth. Put liquid back into blender and add the rest of the ingredients then blend until smooth, chill and enjoy with your brownies. Freeze the almond pulp, it can be used in many vegan recipes so don’t let it go to waste.

Thirty Days of Rikki Cupcake: Day 29

2010-10-18T08:46:00.001-07:00

In the last month what have I learned?

Oh gosh, really? This question? I guess I figured out that I could quit my job of almost five years and not really care. I thought that I would have been devastated to leave Trader Joe's but instead felt like nothing had changed. I have also as of last night fully understood the term "work friends" as in I quit my job and had a gathering to celebrate and no one showed up. I guess as long as I don't wear the stupid Hawaiian shirt any longer I am not considered a "friend." It was a bit disappointing but I guess that is what to expect of most people. That made me really appreciate the real friends that I have, the one' that call me when I forget to call them. Maybe I will have another celebration and invite friends only. (:

Thirty Days of Rikki Cupcake: Day 28

2010-10-12T12:00:00.001-07:00

A picture of me from last year and how I have changed...

1. I have a new occupation and quit my job of almost five years
2. I acquired new tattoos
3. I have a blog! (:
4. I have a new bike that I ride daily
5. I am happier
6. My hair is longer
7. I gained an obsession to Voodoo Donuts

I am sure there is a ton more stuff buuuuuut I can't think of any right now.

Pumpkin Pom Poms take 2

2010-10-08T14:20:00.001-07:00

here are the photos, and one of Ellie too because she is just too darn cute!

ready to bake

after being frosted

Pumpkin Pom Poms

2010-10-04T15:21:00.000-07:00

At Pomegranate we have gotten into the fall mood and have been making some heavily fall inspired desserts, we have our maple cake available daily, our cranberry biscotti, pumpkin seed chai cookies and out pumpkin pom poms. The pom poms are really a cookie but they have a fun shape and calling them pom poms is just plain cute. I had the recipe in my book o' recipes that are all hand written and mostly original and some are recipes I found on the internets and veganized. The pumpkin pom pom recipe was written without bake temperature or bake time and was written so quickly I can barely read my own writing, but once deciphered I winged it and came out with a great little treat. The cookie itself is a little plain but with the addition of a lemon glaze on top this cookie is incredible!

Pumpkin Pom Poms

1 can organic pumpkin
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup apple sauce
3 cups oats
1 1/2 cups spelt flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and grease a cookie sheet. Place pumpkin, sugar and applesauce in a bowl and beat with mixer until completely combined. In separate bowl mix oats, spelt flour, baking soda, and spices. Add the wet mixture to the dry and fold all ingredients together with a spoon until completely mixed. Use an ice cream scooper and scoop out dough onto cookie sheet. You can either leave in a ball shape or flatten with your hands. I like the ball shape. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Let cool for ten minutes then top with lemon glaze.

Lemon Glaze
1/4 cup Earth Balance
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
zest from one lemon
1 cup powdered sugar

Beat in mixer until you get a thin icing. Dip cookies into icing or smooth on with a spoon. Enjoy!

I was just about to add a picture of the pom poms and realized that I didn't have a photo! When I work next I will take a photo I promise!

Thirty Days of Rikki Cupcake: Day 27

2010-10-03T19:37:00.000-07:00

Why am I doing this 30 day challenge?

I really have no idea. Kelly started it and it looked kinds fun so I went for it, and like a lot of things I started slacking after day 12 or somewhere around there. My thirty day mark should have happened over two weeks ago...oh well. I was very productive today (I think). I baked over 100 cupcakes for an event tomorrow, I went on a bike ride with Timmy, bought my nephew some pretty sweet t-shirts and Ellie some Halloween dog pajamas, went grocery shopping and found an incredible Lance Armstrong lunchbox at a garage sale in my neighborhood. I feel pretty accomplished and deserving of the eight hours of sleep I am about to partake in. Sweet, sweet sleep. Goodnight everyone and thanks for reading my blog. I have a fun and tasty pumpkin cookie recipe to share, but that will be coming tomorrow. Sleep tight!

Rikki Cupcake

I Suck

2010-10-01T18:54:00.000-07:00

I have been a very bad blogger as of late and I apologize. On the plus side I have started a job baking at a vegan/vegetarian restaurant and it is going great. Everyone I work with is very friendly and the customers are very kind. Yesterday I was interviewed by the Phoenix New Times for a segment called "Sweet Talk" and it should be streaming on the interwebs in about a month, I will keep everyone posted on that bit of radtastic-ness. Also this past Monday, Timmy and I went to see the Drums and Surfer Blood and the Drums blew me away. Their performance was very energetic and fun and the singer Jonathan was very sweet. I have a few photos from the show, I hope you enjoy, and please let me know if you have gone to any good shows lately. Surfer Blood The Drums

Heart, Rikki Cupcake

Thirty Days of Rikki Cupcake: Day 26

2010-10-01T18:41:00.001-07:00

What do I think of my friends?

I think Carrie said it best last week, "All of your friends I have met are sooooo nice." She is right, my friends are nice, they are good, caring and passionate people. I choose my friends carefully and if you are someone close, know it is because you are truly amazing and you inspire me daily.

Harry would be nothing without his friends

It's A Beautiful Day

2010-09-23T15:13:00.000-07:00

I went outside to check on the post today and as I approached my front gate a little white package with a flower drawn on it was waiting quietly for my attention. I ran inside and ripped it open (as it was adressed to me) and it to my surprise were all sorts of goodies from my most favorite British Vegan, Mr. Kiki! What a dear! He sent to me a wonderful tea towel that says, "It's a beautiful day!" some adorable cupcake wrappers, a kitty cookie cutter, a magnet of a map of the Underground, an adorable hand written card and to top it all off...cookies! Yes, Keith made and mailed homemade cookies. In the card it says his friend were traveling to the States and would mail it as soon as they landed, and quite possibly will stop in to Pomegranate at some time to visit and check out my baked goods. If that is the case, I will be sending some cakes his way. Keith you are the bee's knees, the cat's pajamas and one of my most cherished people. I heart you! Thank you so much, you made my day a little bit brighter. (:

This is my second wonderful gift from an internet friend through the mail. Last month Courtney sent me some amazing body scrubs that make it hard for me not to try and eat my own limbs because they smell like cake. I am so very happy to have met such a wonderful group of people all through blogging about vegan food. Hooray!

Thirty days of Rikki Cupcake: Day 25

2010-09-23T13:48:00.000-07:00

What one would find in my bag.

Since I ride a bicycle I carry a Paul Frank backpack and in it one would find my mp3 player with panda headphones, my notebook with recipes, bike gloves, water bottle, box cutter (for work), name tag (also for work) a spare t-shirt, debit card, driver's license, bamboo chopstick and fokr set, some piece of fruit, deodorant, house keys, phone, a book, my u-lock, and pain pills for when my knee starts hurting from cycling. Not very exciting, I used to carry toys and random things found on the street but I need my pack to be as lightweight as possible and with the water, books and u-lock it is already pretty heavy.

Thirty days of Rikki Cupcake: Day 24

2010-09-23T12:59:00.000-07:00

A letter to your parents.

As mentioned before I do not have parents, I mean I had parents but have not seen either one since I was three years old. It is not something I like to talk about or usually talk about with those that I don't know very well. Just yesterday I was thinking how weird it is for people to have families. I work with a a mom and daughter duo and it is odd to me to see them interact. It is like they speak in a different language and it makes me uneasy. It is strange how I find it so uncomfortable people have parents, but it is even more uncomfortable to those people when they discover I am without.

Maple Bacon Donuts

2010-09-19T19:17:00.000-07:00

I made these just to show it could be done. These donuts were delicious and I brought some in for my new coworkers at Pomegranate and they all seemed genuinely pleased.
Vegan donuts=fucking awesome!

Thirty days of Rikki Cupcake: Day 23

2010-09-18T13:32:00.000-07:00

Something I have cravings for...A LOT!

I used to have my three C's, chocolate, coffee and cigarettes. It has been almost three years since I quit smoking so now I am down to my 2 C's and I don't plan on quitting those anytime soon.

Ask A Vegan Pt. 17

2010-09-17T08:05:00.001-07:00

I didn't do my weekly Vegan interview last week and I apologize. I will hopefully redeem myself with this next interview from a young girl living in a not so Vegan friendly environment. How she does it is beyond me, but she has the will and compassion to succeed in her beliefs. Ksenia was just about to move to begin college but was kind enough to fill out my questionnaire and email it back before her great departure. I wish you all of the best Ksenia, you are a bright woman, not to mention highly talented and I see no end to your success.

Name: Ksenia
Age: 19
Location: Cunit (Barcelona, Spain)
Website: Tales of a Spoon

How long have you been Vegan?
For almost three years (since December 2007)

What made you decide to go Vegan?
I had the idea in my head for years. I ate meat and fish, but sometimes I couldn't avoid thinking that what I had in front of me was before alive and breathing. I bought tofu once and while I was looking for a recipe, I accidentally found a photo of a slaughterhouse. It shocked me so much that I almost cried: it was worse than a horror movie. I started to look for information and two days later I decided I didn't want to be part of all that cruelty. I gave up all animal products overnight.

How do you feel health wise with this diet choice?
I never felt better in my life. My mother was afraid I would lose weight because I was skinny, but I gained more than 10 kg since then. For me that is a good thing because I really needed it. I have been a runner since I was ten (as a hobby though, not professionally) and I've been in a volleyball team for five years, so sport is an important part of my life and I immediately notice when a diet is working for me or not: veganism does.

petit fours

Are you open about your Veganism?
I never hide it and I don't understand why I should. It's true that in some situations you just don't feel like shouting it too loud. I try to not be too annoying with the animal suffering part because people tend to go on the defensive because they don't want to feel guilty: truth can be uncomfortable. But I don't miss the opportunity to talk about my decision if I have the opportunity and somebody asks.

If so, are you involved in any activism i.e. protests, leafleting etc…
At this moment not because I live 40 km from Barcelona, not in Barcelona city, where all that things take place. I'd like to participate, but while I was in school it was just impossible. But I am moving to Barcelona in a few days to start college, so maybe it will change! Anyway, I have been in a demonstration against bullfighting (which by the way, was officially banned in Catalonia some weeks ago) and I met more vegan and vegetarian people for the first time there. I still see from time to time with some of them.

What do your family, friends, co-workers think about your diet? When I first told my mother about my decision, she even cried. She said I'd finish in the hospital! But I suppose she just needed time and see that it really wasn't dangerous. Now she is the first who worries if I have all I need in the pantry and even began to drink soy milk herself. My father still don't understand how I can live without animal products, but resigned himself because he understood I'd not change my mind. But it doesn't bother me because it's the normal reaction. Most of people don't understand my decision. At the beginning they thought it was some kind of teenager's rebellion. Now they just think I'm crazy, but as my father my friends just avoid the topic.

What advice would you give those interested in becoming Vegan?
If you are sure about your decision, don't let anybody change your mind. Unless you have a really vegan friendly environment (which wasn't my case), you will have to face a lack of understanding and uncomfortable situations. It doesn't have to discourage you: people around you need time too. I'm not in favor of the vegans/the rest of the world separation, but meeting people who have a similar point of view really helps. Look for people like you in your town, join a forum, participate in vegan blogs or create one yourself....but do something!

Would you eat at Mc Donald’s if they carried a Vegan burger?
I don't think so. I'm sure they would use the same frying pans and oil for the vegan and non-vegan burgers, but that wouldn't be the main reason. When I think about Mc Donald's, I think about the meat industry and the cruelty behind it. It would go against my ideals. A vegan burger for them it's only a business opportunity.

banana pancakes

Do you have a Vegan celebrity that you find particularly dashing?
I don't care too much about celebrities (vegan or not), so it's a difficult question.

Do you have a favorite Vegan blog or website that you follow?
One of the first vegan blog I found was FatFree Vegan Kitchen and Vegan Yum Yum. I still look for recipes and inspiration in both of them, but not as much as I used to due the lack of time. Have Cake, Will Travel! is one of my favorites too. Heidi's 101 cookbooks is a vegetarian blog, but most of her recipes are easy to veganize.

What is your least favorite question that you are asked about your diet?
“But if you don't eat meat....what do eat then??” I have been asked that so many times that I'm tired of answering: do you only eat meat and fish? There are so many other foods! The difference is that for you it's a side dish; for me not. But I try to be always polite and answer patiently, even when people think that eating fish (or just not eating chicken) means being vegetarian.

What is your favorite dish?
I don't think I could chose one favorite dish, especially because it changes depending on the season, the weather or even my mood: soups and stews during winter, green smoothies and salads during summer.

What do you typically eat at Thanksgiving?
Since I am not American, I don't celebrate it. But I don't think I'd make some faux turkey or something similar. I'm completely happy with my beans stews, steamed veggies, marinated tofu or whatever: I don't need them to taste like meat (which is what some vegans want)

Please share your favorite Vegan recipe.
Bufff! There are many, but a stew called Gypsy Pot will be always one of them. I hardly ever repeat recipe, but this is an exception: chickpeas, pumpkin, potatoes, pears and a “sofrito” I even eat it in summer, cold!

Gypsy Pot recipe (Olla gitana)

You will find as many versions of gypsy pot as food blogs on the net, so it’s a matter of trying and finding the version you like the most. The recipe of the food blog where I saw it for the first time, is slightly different from that. The first times, I used green beans as it was told, but one they I was run out of them, so I didn’t add beans. And I loved the result. I changed the white potatoes for sweet potatoes, as well. Elena’s recipe didn’t use carrot, but I saw that all the other recipes use carrots. I tried to add them once too (the Traveler’s Lunchbox Gypsy Pot recipe), but I didn’t like the result either.
Sofrito is translated by the Oxford dictionary as "tomato, onion, etc. fried lightly in oil" (what in fact, is) but it doesn’t have a name in English. Is used as a base for most of the Spanish and Catalan dishes (for example, paella, fideuà….)
Serves: 4-6 depending if a main course or a side dish.

-3 cups of cooked chickpeas (although you can add a little more or a little less)
-2 medium sweet potatoes
-2 cups of roughly chopped pumpkin
-2 medium pears
-a handful of green beans *optional* I didn’t use them. If using, add them along with the pumpkin and the pears.
-raisins *optional
-stock or water to cover
Sofrito
-1 onion
-1 red bell pepper
-2 medium tomatoes
-3 tablespoons of tomato paste
-3 cloves garlic
-1 tablespoon of oil
-1/2- 1 teaspoon ground cumin (depending on your taste)
-1 teaspoon Spanish paprika
-a few saffron threats
Preparation
1. If using non canned chickpeas, soak them the night before and cook until tender (about 1 1/2 hour)
2. Put the chickpeas in a pot with the stock or water. It must just cover it. Chop the sweet potatoes in cubes and add them. Bring it to boil and cook for 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, make the sofrito. Put the olive oil in a sauce pan, and when it’s hot add the chopped onion, cook for a few minutes, and add all the other vegetables (the red bell pepper and the tomatoes) finely chopped. The tomatoes must be peeled. Add the tomato past too. Cook on a low heat for 10 – 15 minutes, stirring from time to time to don’t burn it. A few minutes before finishing, add the cumin, the Spanish paprika and the saffron threats.
4. After 10 minutes, add to the pot with chickpeas the other ingredients: the pumpkin in cubes, the pear in quarters (although if you don’t like the chunks too big, you can cut in smaller pieces) and the raisins. Cook on low heat another 10 or 15 minutes.
5. After that 15 minutes, add the sofrito to the pot with chickpeas and cook 5 minutes to leave the flavors develop. If it’s too watery, you can puree one cup of the strew with a blender and return it to the pot. In that case, simmer for another 2-3 minutes.
6. Serve very hot, with a couple of slices of lemon and ground almond on top.

Thirty days of Rikki Cupcake: Day 22

2010-09-17T07:49:00.000-07:00

What makes me different from everyone else?

I really do not think I am different from everyone else. Some members of my family think I am strange as well as some people who do not know me very well, but I am just like any other person really. I like to jump on my trampoline while singing to my cats, I like to cut out colorful paper images and stick them on my walls, name my plants and cry when they die, count to 100 every morning before getting out of bed and rub my dog's belly with my face just like everyone else. Really what is so odd about that?

This one is for my veg friends

2010-09-17T06:54:00.000-07:00

Ellen may have offered Lady Gaga a bikini made out of vegetables, but I found floating on the internets a better option for her...

Lady G said she was wearing the meat to bring attention to gay rights, which is great, I am pro gay marriage. I have many friends who are bi, queer and over the top flamboyant and I love every single one of them. They deserve every right that others are awarded with daily. My only problem, why the meat Gaga? Whether it was real or not, it was disgusting. Couldn't you have worn a rainbow flag, or marched in with a bunch of hot gay dudes in Marine outfits? You could have just worn a McDonald's frock and looked just as discusting and cruel. The outfit was completely ridiculous and instead of getting her point across she just ended up looking like Cruella Deville. Sick! Next time she should strap a pile of dog poo on to let everyone know how much she stinks at getting her message across.

Yes this was written a bit out of contempt, but seriously she didn't help a single person with her shenanigans, except herself.

Spicy Black-eyed Pea Soup

2010-09-15T17:52:00.000-07:00

Living in the Southwest definitely changes ones taste buds towards the love of all things spicy. The food I enjoy the most is usually so spicy it makes me a bit weepy. Tim on the other hand doesn't like the spice quite as much as I do so we compromised on this spicy black-eyed pea soup that was hot, but not too hot. Timmy liked it so much he had two bowls! I am not really a soup person, but our friends gave us a whole cache of vegetables and I had to use them quickly and the best thing I could think of was to make a hearty soup dish. I hope you try it and tell me what you think, as I enjoyed it very much.

Now, when it comes to soup I am not really one to measure, so I hope when listing these ingredients I list them as accurately as possible.

2 cups dried black-eyed peas
4 cups water or veggie broth (I used water and added Bragg's Liquid Aminos, about 2 T. )
1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic
3 jalapenos (you can use less if you are afraid of heat)
1 carrot, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, diced
3 medium tomatoes (I used heirlooms)
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. cumin
salt and pepper to taste

4 strips vegan bacon, cooked until crispy and cut into small pieces.

we get our bacon from Loving Hut

Soak your beans overnight and begin making soup in the morning and let it cook all day to get the best flavor.

Put 1 T. olive oil in the bottom of soup pot and saute onion for about 3 minutes. Add garlic and saute for two more minutes. Add in carrots, celery and jalapenos and cook for one minute more. Add water (or broth) beans and seasonings and turn to high to bring to a boil. Once boiling turn soup down to low and add tomatoes. Allow to cook for at least 4 hours. Trust me the longer it cooks, the better the flavor, we actually allowed ours to cook for 24 hours. When ready to serve top with vegan bacon of your choice, and enjoy!

after about 12 hours, doesn't look like much...yet.

ready to enjoy

This would also be tasty with some southern greens added in. Yum!

Thirty days of Rikki Cupcake: Day 21

2010-09-15T13:31:00.000-07:00

Pictures of stuff that makes me happy.

I want this tattoo

teeny tiny hand held bunny

kitties pretending to be bunnies are cute too

fuzzy brown bunnies. squeeeee

orange bikes

pretty city bike

There is nothing that makes me more giddy than bunnies or bicycles

Vegan Bake Sale re-cap

2010-09-14T07:05:00.000-07:00

The bake sale on Saturday was fantastic. We raised $900 for the Arizona Adoption and Foster Care and made many new friends. There were new bakes that contributed this time plus a raffle of some extremely cool items. There were also tons of fresh faces of those who haven't been to one of our bake sales before and they were astonished at the amount of items to choose from, cookies, apple pie, raw crackers, donuts and banana muffins. There were great quantities of gluten free items and a few low or no sugar goodies too! Here are some photos of the fun and goodies:

pecan shortbread bars

donuts

peppermint fudge

cookies!

more cookies

Tracy and her bake sale buddies

painting donated for raffle by Mike Maas

painting donated by Jodi Maas

Thirty Days of Rikki Cupcake: Day 20

2010-09-14T06:55:00.001-07:00

Someone I see myself marrying or being with in the future

uh this guy right here:

Timmy is awesome, he is my best friend and I have more fun with him than anyone else. He also draws really great zombie pictures of himself.

Thirty days of Rikki Cupcake: Day 19

2010-09-14T06:46:00.000-07:00

Nicknames I have and why:

Growing up my sister and cousin called me Goober and then eventually just Goob. I have a deep love for Goober Grape that peanut butter and jelly swirled condiment. I thought it was the tastiest thing in the world, now thinking about it makes me gag. (:

I also have gone by Rikkidiculous, Rickster and Rikkidocious.

Gene Baur from Farm Sanctuary

2010-09-10T09:13:00.000-07:00

I just opened up an email from my most favorite book stores Changing Hands in Tempe and I was overjoyed to see that Gene Baur, President of Farm Sanctuary will be there speaking and signing books for free on September 30th. Whether you are veg or you just care about animals you should check this out. He is a smart well spoken man that has made a difference in the lives of thousands of animals. Farm Sanctuary rescues and revives down farmed animals who some of them were literally left on the side of the road to die. Why? Because they weren't "good enough" to eat, nor were they good enough to deserve to live. The factory farms in our country may want you to think all of their animals live happy full lives but the sad truth is these animals suffer pains that you can not possibly begin to imagine. I will get off my soapbox, because that is not what this blog is about, but if you have the time, I suggest going to either one of these speaking engagements and learn the truth behind modern "farming".

(Taken directly from the email)
Gene Baur to Speak at Two Arizona Events

Meet Farm Sanctuary President and Co-founder Gene Baur and hear him speak about his national best-seller, Farm Sanctuary: Changing Hearts and Minds About Animals and Food, at two events on Thursday, September 30. Both events are free and open to the public. Gene’s book will also be available for purchase at each of the talks, and he will be on hand to sign copies! One hundred percent of the author’s proceeds from book sales go to Farm Sanctuary.

First Talk
Changing Hands Bookstore
6428 McClintock Drive
Tempe, AZ
3 - 4:30 p.m.

Second Talk
Global Institute of Sustainability Lecture Series
Arizona State University, West Campus
Kiva Auditorium, 13492 N. 47th Ave.
Phoenix, AZ
6 p.m.

Gene looks forward to seeing you there!

Thirty days of Rikki Cupcake: Day 18

2010-09-09T10:28:00.000-07:00

plans/dreams/goals

My plans are to bake cookies and bars today, then cupcakes tomorrow for Saturday's bake sale.

My dream is to not be too tired to make delish stuffed peppers, and to make over $2,000 dollars on Saturday to donate to the Arizona Adoption and Foster Care agency.

My goals are to lose some extra weight I have hanging around. I plan on keepin' mah ba-donk-a-donk but I want to whittle the thighs down a bit. I imagine my daily 25 mile bike rides will do just that.

Fat bottomed girls, get on your bikes and ride!

Thirty days of Rikki Cupcake: Day 17

2010-09-09T10:18:00.001-07:00

Someone I want to switch lives with for one day and why...

I have been thinking about this question and so far there hasn't been any person that really has stuck out in my mind as someone I am either envious of or someone I would want to emulate. I used to think it would be fun to be Bill Gates for a day only for the fact that I heard a rumour that he could start running his bath water from a button in his car. So when approaching his home he could have his bath drawn and waiting for him. I really like baths so that would be pretty cool. I suppose I could always build a button and add it to my bike? I wouldn't mind switching places with either one of my dogs so I could get belly rubs all day.

I don't want to be the president, or an astronaut or any of that because I really like who and where I am. For the first time in my life I feel truly happy and hopeful of all that awaits me. I have a beautiful fiance, four wonderful furry children, a large group of trustworthy and amazing friends and now a job that will only help me develop my skills as a vegan pastry chef. What more could I need or want?

A fun photo I took and altered from a recent hike with Tim and my friend Alyssa on her birthday.

Thirty days of Rikki Cupcake: Day 16

2010-09-06T17:07:00.000-07:00

Another photo of me

Taken yesterday in Jerome, AZ.

So some interesting and amazing things are coming my way, in 5 days I have my next Vegan bake sale, and then the following Tuesday I start my new job at Pomegranate Cafe as a pastry chef. I am excited, nervous and a little worried about my work load. I will be working at Pomegranate full time and Trader Joe's part time, so somewhere around 60 hours a week, plus over 100 miles per week on my bike. Yikes! So I may not be posting as frequently at first until I adapt to my new work schedule. Until then I will keep doing the thirty days and all of that other fun stuff.

Heart,
Rikki Cupcake

Thirty days of Rikki Cupcake: Day 15

2010-09-05T06:59:00.000-07:00

Put my MP3 player on shuffle and list first 10 songs:

1. Yim Yames -Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let it Roll) Tribute to George Harrison
2. Quasi -Death is not the End (American Gong)
3. Tender Trap -Danger Overboard (Dansette Dansette)
4. Blonde Redhead -Everything is Wrong (Penny Sparkle)
5. Frankie Rose and the Outs -Memo (Frankie Rose and the Outs)
6. The Living Sisters -Hold Back (Love to Live)
7. Yeasayer- I Remember (OddBlood)
8. Murs and 9th Wonder -Vickie Veil (Fornever)
9. The Young Veins- Young Veins (Die Tonight), (Take a Vacation!)
10. Miniature Tigers - Giraffe (Tell it to the Volcano)

and 5 more for good measure

11. Dead Man's Bones -Young and Tragic (Dead Man's Bones)
12. AuRevoir Simone - Trace A Line (Still Night, Still Light)
13. Beach House -10 Mile Stereo (Teen Dream)
14. The Drums -Submarine
15. Murder City Devils -Johnny Thunders (Empty Bottles, Broken Hearts)

Thirty days of Rikki Cupcake: Day 14

2010-09-04T16:48:00.000-07:00

A picture of me and my family.

Um, ok. I don't have one, a photo that is. I have a family (albeit a very small one) but we don't really get together that often, nor do we take photos.

I do not have a mother, nor father but I do have an older sister, a nephew and grandparents. That is my immediate family and I love them. My grandma lives kinda far and can't drive to my side of town, and my sister has a pretty full schedule. Since I do not own a car, it pretty much leaves the bulk of the driving up to them. So we see each other on holidays mostly and they come out to my bake sales, because they love my goodies.

Thirty days of Rikki Cupcake: day 13

2010-09-03T15:22:00.000-07:00

Write a letter to someone who has hurt you recently:

This doesn't really apply because I don't let people hurt me so instead I share with you this!

my Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World avatar

If you haven't seen Scott Pilgrim yet, I suggest you do, and if you are Vegan there is a ten minute stretch in the film that will have you laughing so hard you wet yourself.

Thirty days of Rikki Cupcake: Day 12

2010-09-02T20:41:00.000-07:00

How I found out about Blogger and why I have one:

eh, this is pretty boring. I saw how every Vegan on the planet had a blog and I figured I should have one too. I started it to prompt myself to create more new foods and share my recipes, but I have strayed a bit from that and as soon as things settle down I plan on getting back to the recipe drawing board and creating new things for all to enjoy.

See, I said it was boring,

heart-
Rikki Cupcake

Pomegranate Cafe

2010-09-02T18:55:00.000-07:00

I just realized that this my 108th post and it will be the first restaurant review I have written. I am not sure as to why this is. Tim and I eat out, not very often but often enough for us to have located or favorite Vegan and Vegan friendly restaurants in the valley. We have the special items we order and when feeling adventurous we step out of the mold and order something new and exotic to tantalize our tasters, but recently I feel as if I have been in a restaurant rut. I have my favorites, my go to places in a pinch, but I haven't a place that I crave; a food shoppe where all of the menu items look so good I take half an hour to decide. I haven't found the eatery to replace my beloved Mandala Tea Room. The best little place to lay your fork down in the valley, but it closed over two years ago and I am still in mourning.

This past Saturday my adorable and bookish friend Bonnie invited me to breakfast at a little place she just visited called Pomegranate Cafe. I had been meaning to check out Pomegranate, but it was too far a summer bike ride destination. It was Bonnie's birthday wish, so I agreed and was pleasantly surprised at the the little cafe that has now reserved a little nook in my heart. Bonnie ordered and egg sammie called the Avocado sandwich. The avo sammie has eggs, cheese and tomato on a spelt muffin. They had a vegan version too!

I ordered mine with tofu and Daiya cheese and the tofu was just right. The texture was perfect and it was very savory. The sammie came with a side of fruit that was fresh and tasty.

I also ordered an additional side of fruit because really, who doesn't like fruit for breakfast?

Along with my sammie I had the Cassie's Coconut Latte and it had to have been my favorite cup o' joe of the month! The subtle taste of the coconut milk really took the latte to a whole new level.

Bonnie opted for a fresh juice blend of beets, oranges, carrots and ginger. It was tart and spicy. We were full and happy when we left Pomegranate that day.

Fast forward to Tuesday, Timmy took the day off and around lunch time I took him by the arms and tossed him into the hipster mobile and drove off to Ahwatukee to get my Pomegranate fix.

Timmy ate the special of the day, the Philly Melt sandwich and it was gone in 3.5 seconds.

I was looking for something a bit healthier and went for the raw Arizona rolls. They consisted of Nori seaweed stuffed with almond spread and veggies, alongside cabbage salad with a tasty miso dressing. It has heavenly. The seaweed was a little chewy, but that didn't stop me from attacking my plate. I ate half and saved the other half for dinner. It's so nice, gotta' eat it twice!

I also ordered an elixir called Illumination to chase away melancholy and to uplift the spirit. It reminded me a bit of kambucha but without the vinegar taste. It was very effervescent and mildly sweet. I loved it!

Timmy and I could not refrain from having dessert so we ordered a slice of pomegranate cake to go, and as soon as we got home shoved it in our pie hole like piggies. It was moist, velvety and not too sweet.

And then the next day...I ate there AGAIN! This time with my lady friend Tracy, who also order the Philly melt and shared her love of it with Tim later that day. I tried something new, the Buddha's Delight Bowl with brown rice, tofu & kale. The server told me it was her favorite dish and I was in for a treat. Once again, Pomegranate was spot on with the tofu texture and taste and the veggies were incredibly fresh.

(taken with phone, sorry)
Tracy and I shared a slice of raw raspberry cheesecake that was divine. It came with fresh strawberries and a beautiful hand made chocolate design. Both Tracy and I made illicit "oh my gosh, oooooohhhhhh myyyy goshhhhh!" sounds. All three visits left me wanting to come back again and again. I have tomorrow off, who knows what will happen?

On an even more exciting note I met Cassie co-owner of Pomegranate and she donated gift certificates to the upcoming bake sale and her lovely sister is bringing desserts to donate. How sweet is that? This place gets a 9.0 rating in my book. I took a point off for the plates they used (cardboard) because this Pomegranate Cafe is beautiful and welcoming and I think ceramic dishes would add to their already wonderful ambiance.

Ask A Vegan Pt. 16

2010-09-01T11:50:00.000-07:00

Writing this blog has been so good for me, I have met so many interesting and wonderful people, made new friends and I hope, have helped those who aren't Vegan understand that Vegans aren't pretentious, judgemental, preachy people. We are regular people who see things from an all together different point of view. Our dietary choices are not decided by our growling stomachs but by our hearts. Every decision I make is a conscientious one. I often tell people I live my life as harm free as possible. I do not eat meat/dairy because it is cruel, I do not wear leather/fur because it is inhumane, I ride a bike because it is the right thing to do, I recycle/compost because it is what the Earth needs. Being Vegan isn't to prove a point to others, it is to prove a point to myself. I can live and survive with peace in my heart and mind. In writing this blog I have found so many others out there who live and think the way that I do it is outstanding! These people are so different from me in so many ways (religion, philosophies, hobbies, and even fashion) but we share this one precious thing that links us in a way greater than most, it is our compassion towards ALL living things.

The Vegan for this week is Bianca from Vegan Crunk. Some of you may already know her blog, because simply put, she is radtastic. Her blog has so many delicious recipes it is hard for me to know where to get started. She does a ton of Southern cooking, and if one knows me well enough, they know I harbor a special little spot in my soul for some delish Southern food. Give me greens or give me death! Bianca is funny, smart, a great writer and she is wickedly cute! Check her out!

Name: Bianca Phillips
Age: 29
Location: Memphis, TN
Website: Vegan Crunk

How long have you been Vegan?
It’ll be 6 years in November.

What made you decide to go Vegan?
I went vegetarian in 1994 when I was 14 years old, and 2004 was my 10-year vegetarian anniversary. At the time, I was very involved in a local animal rights group and PETA, and through those activities I’d made a few vegan friends. They really opened my eyes to the cruelty that affects dairy cows and hens. Before I thought that eating a vegetarian diet was cruelty-free because no one had to die. But I was very wrong. I felt like my 10th anniversary of vegetarianism was the right time to make the next step. It began as a 30-day experiment, but when I realized how freakin’ easy it was, it stuck.

How do you feel health wise with this diet choice?
Within a week or so of eating vegan, I immediately noticed feeling “lighter.” Not that I weighed any less, but I didn’t feel weighed down. I had more energy.

Are you open about your Veganism?
Oh yea. Veganism is the most important part of my identity and I let EVERYBODY know, whether they care or not.

If so, are you involved in any activism i.e. protests, leafleting etc…Our local animal rights group used to hold protests at KFC every month and we held monthly leafleting events, but everyone got a little burnt out and the group morphed into more of a social club. Now we get together once a month to eat at local restaurants and hold occasional potlucks and parties. I consider cooking and baking my activism these days. I always come armed to events (and often to work) with yummy vegan baked goods or savory dishes. I believe the way to most people’s hearts is through their stomachs. Also, I’m in the process of writing a cookbook that veganizes traditional Southern/soul food dishes.

What do your family, friends, co-workers think about your diet?
My family is super-supportive! Of course, I’ve been veg since age 14, so they’ve had plenty of time to get used to the idea. My mom has always cooked separate vegan dishes for me at family meals, and she even makes vegan desserts when she knows I’ll be visiting. My dad loves to pick out surprise vegan treats for me from Vegan Essentials, and my Granny (dad’s mom) has been an amazing help with my cookbook. She’s been veganizing all of her traditional family recipes for me to include in the book. Her vegan coconut pie is to die for!
Most of my friends are vegetarians and vegans, so that’s not an issue. My boyfriend eats meat, but he’s supportive of my veganism. My co-workers love the vegan baked goods I bring into the office at least once a week.

strawberry shortcake

What advice would you give those interested in becoming Vegan?
Move into veganism slowly. There’s a lot to learn, and most of it comes through trial and error. I’m still learning about some ingredients that I didn’t know weren’t vegan, and it’s been 6 years (I learned about l-cysteine a few months ago!). Also, take a month off from dairy cheese before trying vegan cheese to give your tastebuds time to adjust. Vegan cheese doesn’t taste like dairy cheese, but it is delicious. Think of it as a completely new food rather than a replacement.

Would you eat at Mc Donald’s if they carried a Vegan burger?
Hell yea! I typically avoid fast food most of the time. But when I’m traveling, I’ve been known to stop through Subway for a veggie sandwich or Taco Bell for a cheeseless, sour cream-less 7-Layer Burrito. I’d love a few more fast food options for desperate times.

Do you have a Vegan celebrity that you find particularly dashing?
I’m in love with Moby. I’ve always had a thing for skinny, shaved bald guys. In fact, my current boyfriend looks kind of like Moby. That’s why started dating him in the first place. Now if only I could get him to go vegan like Moby…

Do you have a favorite Vegan blog or website that you follow?
I love the PPK, but I’m not on as frequently as I should be. Favorite blogs include Get Sconed (which served as my inspiration for starting my own blog a few years back), the Urban Housewife, Vegansaurus, the Voracious Vegan, Chocolate Covered Katie, and Choosing Raw. Oh, and I love Seitanic Vegan Heathen of course!!!

What is your least favorite question that you are asked about your diet?
Where do you get your protein? Nothing irks me more than this dumb question.

country fried tempeh

What is your favorite dish?
I love vegan pizza with lots of Daiya cheese. And I’m a sucker for a good vegan mac & cheese.

What do you typically eat at Thanksgiving?
There’s always a Field Roast Celebration Roast on the table. And my mom makes some bomb-ass vegan cornbread dressin’. There’s also vegan hash brown casserole, my Granny’s delicious turnip greens, vegan mac & cheese, mashed taters, green beans, corn, homemade cranberry sauce. And I’m responsible for dessert every year. Last year, I made a Smlove Pie from the Veganomicon.

If I could make you any flavor cupcake in the world what would it be?
Any flavor? God, that’s a way hard question. I love all flavors of cupcake! Everything I’ve tried from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World has been stellar. I know that’s a crappy, unoriginal answer.  Hmmm…maybe a neopolitan cupcake ice cream cake with chocolate cake, vanilla ice cream, and strawberry icing.

Please share your favorite Vegan recipe.
Vegan Crunk’s Country Potato Soup (Serves 4 to 6)

-4 cups cubed potatoes, skins removed (about 2 medium baking potatoes)
-1 large carrot, sliced
-2 stalks celery, sliced
-1 Tbsp. canola oil
-1 medium onion, chopped
-1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
-2 cups unsweetened soymilk
-2 Tbsp. whole wheat pastry flour
-1 tsp. sea salt
-1/4 tsp. black pepper
-5 slices cooked veggie bacon, crumbled (I use Light Life brand Smart Bacon strips)
-Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Cover potatoes, carrot, and celery in a large stockpot with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat and then lower to medium. Boil for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. Transfer vegetables to a colander and allow to drain in the sink while you prepare the onions.
Heat oil in the same stockpot, and sauté onion for 2 to 3 minutes or until translucent. Add vegetable broth, potatoes, carrots, and celery.
In a measuring cup, mix flour thoroughly into soymilk. Add to soymilk mixture to stockpot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Lower heat to a simmer. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to thicken. Stir in veggie bacon, salt, and pepper.

I was just thinking of how long it has been since I had potato soup and then here comes Bianca! Isn't she great?

Thirty days of Rikki Cupcake: Day 11

2010-09-01T07:47:00.001-07:00

Another picture of me and my friends...

I usually do most if not all of the photo taking so I really don't have too many photos of me with my friends. But I do have a ton of photos with me and my Tim. (: Here is one to share.

Thirty days of Rikki Cupcake: Day 10

2010-09-01T07:01:00.000-07:00

Songs I listen to when I am happy, sad, bored, hyped, mad

First I will say, I don't think I get hyped, I think I get EXCITED! and when I do I always sing to myself, "I'm so excited, and I just can't hide it." I don't listen to the song because I think it is super lame but I like singing it!

When I am happy I listen to happy music which to me is:

The Unicorns

The Drums

Kitty Daisy and Lewis

the Ventures.

When I am sad I listen to Explosions in the Sky because they always make me feel like I am floating and how can anyone be sad when they are floating?

When I am bored I listen to music I loved ten years ago like:

Cursive

The Faint

Alkaline Trio

Rocket From The Crypt
and then I get hyper and bounce on my trampoline.

When I am mad I listen to Radio from Alkaline Trio, because "I wish you would take your radio to bathe with you, plugged in and ready to fall," are some pretty angry lyrics and sometimes I just have to sing it at the top of my lungs and get all the hate outta my system.

Thirty days of Rikki Cupcake: Day 9

2010-09-01T06:54:00.000-07:00

Something I am proud of in the last few days:

I am proud of all of the people that have come forward to volunteer for this next bake sale. I have met so many wonderful people who have just jumped on this without a second thought. It is very encouraging and it reminds why I sweat in my kitchen for three days straight, with my hair disheveled, flour on my face and a bit of pain in my lower back...because in the end it is all worth it. Which reminds me, please come out and support our next bake sale, volunteer, make a baked item or just come in and eat a cookie. (:

Thirty days of Rikki Cupcake: Day 8

2010-08-28T07:08:00.000-07:00

Short term goals for this month and why:

1. Start working out again.
It has been so hot that I haven't wanted to go on my bike rides, and less bike rides for me, means less energy, less energy to work out. I have put on summer weight and I need to shed it off so I can wear my favorite shirts again with confidence.

2. Quit eating ice cream
I was never really an ice cream person but now I am craving it, non-stop. I have some amazing Coconut Bliss last night, yum. But since I am not working out the ice cream is really getting to me. Yikes!

3. Finish Gliead.
I have moved my way through so many new books this year but I seem to be slacking at my latest book Gilead by Marilynne Robinson. I read Housekeeping by her earlier this month and loved it, couldn't put it down, but this one doesn't interest me as much, but I have been told by so many that it is a good read. I just need to work my way through it I guess. I have three days! (:

4. Mentally prepare myself for September's bake sale.
I tend to get frustrated when I have a lot to do, especially when it comes to lots of baking with one oven and a pretty small kitchen. No room, no room! I just need to take a breath, take a shot of vodka and get in there!

5. Help Jinia
My friend has a lot going on and I need to make sure I am available to her as much as possible. She is a sweet girl and I need to make sure that when she needs me, I will drop everything and be there. So that means not filling up my schedule like I tend to do way too often.

6. Hug Timmy.
I don't hug him enough.

That is it, those are my short term goals. I think they are all pretty attainable, don't you?

Thirty days of Rikki Cupcake: Day 7

2010-08-26T15:46:00.000-07:00

a picture of someone or something that has he biggest impact on me:

I was trying to think of something epic. A person or event that has so changed my life that I would not have become the Rikki Cupcake we all know and love. I thought long and hard and came up empty handed. I admire certain people, but usually those I admire are not role models, they are rebels and revolutionaries. I was trying to think of a certain book that opened my mind to new ideas and possibilities, but most of the authors I read have committed suicide, so also not ones to emulate. Then as I began to think of pivotal moments in my life, each memory had one thing on common, they all had emotional soundtracks.

For every hardship, or triumph there was a song or band that upon hearing, can bring me instantly to a point of reverie. For example, I lost my virginity to Nine Inch Nails, I fell in love for the first time with Weezer, I had my first and worst heartache to Bright Eyes and Azure Ray, I found my love for Timmy with Bonnie Price Billy.

Music I think is what makes me motivated, fuels my creativity, propels me when cycling, enables me to do the dishes. Anything and everything I do in not done in silence.

my current music favorites

Best Coast

The Drums

The Crocodiles

The Dum Dum Girls

What are you currently listening to?

Taking On The V-Con Pt. 11

2010-08-26T12:36:00.000-07:00

I should have posted this an couple of days ago but I was having a day so bad, I was planning my after work cocktail at nine in the morning. I ended up being a bit tipsy when I made dinner and a bit too tipsy to write my review of it. Woopsie! I chose the Corn and Blueberry Pancakes a couple of weeks ago as one of the four recipes I got to choose for this segment of Taking on the V-Con. I wanted something summery and easy to make as it is still incredibly hot and just thinking of turning on the oven makes me sweaty. The pancakes were very easy to assemble and took no time at all to cook. I haven't ever experienced cornmeal in pancakes before and I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome. The pancakes were light and crispy and extremely delicious. If you plan on making this the only change I suggest is to add about 1/4 more flour to the batter, because if not they will be way too runny.

the basic ingredients, I used rice milk instead of soy

mix the dry ingredients separately then add wet, mix together then add your blues

I wish I had cute pancake maker shapes, these look sad and non pancake-ish

end results

These were light and crispy. I will definitely make these puppies again.

Thirty days of Rikki Cupcake: Day 6

2010-08-26T08:13:00.000-07:00

Your favorite super hero and why:

It is so hard to pick just one. I could go with the obvious and say how much I love Superman. He was dashing, fit and Vegetarian. Yes, Superman is a Vegetarian. That makes him a little more attractive if you ask me.

imagine him with some broccoli...awesome!

I could also go with Batman. He is dark and mysterious and doesn't really play by the rules. He has most recently been played by Christian Bale who just oozes sexiness and who also happens to be vegetarian. Wow, two hot crime fighting babes who are veg. Can we say, Awesome?

yes please.

and one more for the ladies...

Then there is Spiderman, a young, sweet and noble hero. I haven't really been one to follow the Spiderman movies, but in the most recent films Spidey was played by Tobey Maguire who is, yep you guessed it, a Vegan. So that is now three bad ass super heroes who don't eat meat.

Ok, all of that being said, my most absolute, favorite Superhero is The Tick! I love the Tick, the animated series was one of my all time favorite shows as a kid. I even named my cat Spoon from the Tick.

The live action tv show was great, I mean who can hate Patrick Warburton as the Tick?

Ask A Vegan Pt. 15

2010-08-23T15:23:00.000-07:00

Today was one of those days, one of those I want to stab the next annoying person in the esophagus with a fork days. Lately at the ol' grocery store, business has been good. More business equals more food to stock equals more employees, right? Well we have the more business, more food part right but the last few days we have been painfully short handed. I say painfully because my back, my knees and the knuckle on my middle finger, right hand hurts. No, I didn't punch a customer, but on accident slammed my hand between two boxes. Now I have a swollen middle finger, not cool for angry expressionism. There is a point in here somewhere, I promise. I sometimes get very serious at work, when things don't get done, I take it as a personal failure, which is really dumb. I was about to reach the point of stark raving mad when I remembered today was Monday, Ask A Vegan day and everything turned around. Cheesy but very true. The little lady I am sharing today is incredibly sweet, her food is om nom nom tasty and she is gorgeous! (I know, I think all vegans are beautiful, but this one is like...woah)

I first found Jacklyn (or maybe she found me?) through blogger. Her blog Go Vegan Meow was instantly appealing to me as a veg and as a cat lady. Her little kitty cat is super adorable and I swoon whenever she posts photos of her furry baby. Once I got over the "oh my gosh kitty" phase I noticed how truly delicious her food was. She posts a new recipe almost daily, not all are her own but the fact that one girl can make that much food and still be smokin' hot is incredible! Check her out, and fall in love.

Name: Jackie
Age: 26
Location: Los Angeles
Website: Go Vegan Meow

How long have you been Vegan?
A little over a year.

What made you decide to go Vegan?
I occasionally used to eat at vegan restaurants before I made the change. On one visit I grabbed a Peta magazine while I waited for my meal. I read the “Meet Your Meat” article, and just like many others was horrified about what I read. I did more research about factory farming and the toll meat plays on your health. A week later I went vegan cold turkey and haven’t looked back since.

How do you feel health wise with this diet choice?
I’ve never felt better. Going vegan was one of the best choices I have ever made. First thing I noticed was the weight I was trying to lose, came off so easily. I feel more energized and I noticed that I don’t get sick as often as I used to. Must be all those yummy veggies I be eating.

Are you open about your Veganism?
Of course! I always invite friends over to share meals that I have made. I want people to know that vegan food isn’t all about salads and tofu. One of the main reasons why I started my blog was to help people find fun, yummy vegan recipes. It’s definitely not something I am ashamed of.

If so, are you involved in any activism i.e. protests, leafleting etc…Unfortunately no, but I would love to.

What do your family, friends, co-workers think about your diet?
Oh geesh, I get mixed reactions from the people in my life. My mom totally understands why I went vegan and is slowly starting to give up meat herself. Some of my aunts on the other hand, think I am really weird and some worry that I am going to get sick. My friends used to tease me when I first went veg. But as time went by and they realized it wasn’t a phase they stopped. They respect my decision and are always down to go out to eat with me at vegan joints.

What advice would you give those interested in becoming Vegan?
To take it slow and not be so hard on yourself if you slip and eat something non-vegan. I see a lot of people attempting to become a vegetarian, only to give up a week or two later because they started feeling too weak. People don’t understand what a big change they’ll be making. It’s basically like having to learn how to eat and cook all over again. One year later, I am still learning myself.

Would you eat at Mc Donald’s if they carried a Vegan burger?
No way! I would never support an organization that didn’t treat their animals humanely.

Do you have a Vegan celebrity that you find particularly dashing?
Natalie Portman all the way. Is she considered dashing? Hehe Either way I think she’s so talented and I love how fashion forward she is, while still keeping all her outfits vegan. She gave me hope before I made the change that vegan fashion could still be super cute.

Do you have a favorite Vegan blog or website that you follow?
Why yours of course Rikki! : ]
But other than yours, I love QuarryGirl.com for info on all the yummy vegan restaurants in my area.

What is your least favorite question that you are asked about your diet?
The dreaded “where do you get your protein?” question ugh.

isn't she a cutie?

What is your favorite dish?
A vegan Pho I get from a local restaurant. It’s a Vietnamese soup with rice noodles, soy protein, veggie broth and cilantro. Served with Sriracha and Hoisin sauce mmm!

What do you typically eat at Thanksgiving?
Last year was my first vegan Thanksgiving so I did a Tofurky with string beans, mashed potatoes, stuffing and pumpkin pie. But this year I am thinking about making my own “Turkey” with all the same sides. I can’t wait to see how that turns out!

If I could make you any flavor cupcake in the world what would it be?
Hmm maybe a Espresso / Gingerbread flavored cupcake with a little gingerbread man cut out on top!

Please share your favorite Vegan recipe.
One of my favorite recipes and a promised hit with all your vegan and non-vegan friends.

Chipotle Chili
– serves 6 to 8

* 2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
* 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
* 1 large carrot, chopped
* 1 stalk celery, chopped
* 1 medium green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
* 1 medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
* 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
* 1 to 3 tablespoons finely chopped chipotles in adobo 1 tablespoon dried oregano
* 2 teaspoons ground cumin
* 1 tablespoon chili powder
* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
* 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with their liquid
* 3 cups cooked red kidney beans, drained
* 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans, drained
Directions
1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, celery, peppers and garlic and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until vegetables are softened but not browned.

2. Add chipotles, oregano, cumin, chili powder and salt. Stir to blend. Add tomatoes and 4 cups water. Gently simmer over low heat, uncovered, for 45 minutes.

3. Add beans and simmer an additional 30 minutes. Garnish individual bowls with green onions or vegan sour cream, if desired.

Thanks Jackie! You are ridiculously rad!

Thirty days of Rikki Cupcake: Day 5

2010-08-23T14:36:00.001-07:00

a picture of somewhere you have been... This is Mt. Hood in Oregon as seen from our plane. I loved Portland and I need, need, NEED to go back. Coffee shoppes, bikes everywhere and vegan food galore, what more could a Rikki need?

Thirty days of Rikki Cupcake: Day 4

2010-08-22T14:54:00.000-07:00

A habit I wish that I didn't have:

I ma a bit judgemental of people, especially my family. When someone does something I do not agree with it takes me a bit to accept it. I try my hardest to be light hearted and jovial about things but sometimes my opinions get the best of me. Does that happen to any of you?

Rikki Cupcake's Newest Thing

2010-08-21T21:06:00.001-07:00

Bow ties. Yep, I learned how to tie one and I am in love!

Thirty days of Rikki Cupcake: Day 3 (image heavy)

2010-08-21T17:07:00.001-07:00

A picture of you and your friends, I have a few since I don't have just one photo of all of the people I love together, but I wish I did. Note to friends, get on this! And in no particular order...

My girl Zoe and I. We used to schlep porn together, but now bff's.

Me and Austin, she is more like my little sister. This was the day she got her first tattoo. Yay! She lives in California and I hardly get to see her. Poop!

My friend Ryan, the weirdo beardo at din time, he shaved his beard since, but lives in NY so this picture makes me sad. :(

Timmy's friends who I have taken on as my own. L-R Danielle, me, Timmy, Celine and Lucy at Lucy's wedding. She made her own dress!

My buddy Frank I have known for 10 years now. He used to be a crazy lil punk rock kid, now he teaches tai chi.

My sweet dear Friend Alyssa. I love her to the moon and back. Isn't she beautiful?

Ralph Nader and I. We are not friends but I was glad I met him and he is a super cool dude. I almost ran into a tree waving at him on my bike.

My girl Annie, she will kick you apart!

My boy Billy, I have known him for over 14 years! He is a talented musician and a cutey red head.

Jeff the sign guy and me. Nah, Jeff used to be called the sigh guy, but now he is my best bud at work. Amazing artist and single for all of you local ladies. His hair has been cut, and looks very lovely.

Adelaide is my best friend!

My sweet Bean, who lives in Utah, I met her at work and fell in love with her quirky humour. She is great!

Thirty days of Rikki Cupcake: Day 2

2010-08-20T08:19:00.000-07:00

The meaning behind my blog name:

This one could be kind of helpful to those who may not be familiar with my humour. I am not a Satanist, I do not have a chalk pentagram on the floor of my living room (although that would be kind of funny) nor do I curl my fingers into the sign of the beast whilst headbanging to Slayer. Sorry to disappoint those of you who chose to follow me, hoping I would be giving recipes for incantations to bringing the dead back to life. My name is actually a really fun play on words, Seitan being a fake meat made from Vital Wheat Gluten (pronounced say-taan) sounds a bit like Satan huh? The Vegan Heathen part was something I have used for quite some time but there is already a Vegan Heathen blog, sigh. I went by Vegan Heathen after I was told by a completely crazy person, that I was going against the teachings of God by not eating meat. I had no idea! (: That is when I looked into my black shriveled heart and knew in fact I was a heathen, a Vegan Heathen. (: Now Timmy on the other hand is Satanic, see for yourself...

Thirty days of Rikki Cupcake: Day 1

2010-08-19T09:35:00.000-07:00

Kellie over at getthewordsout is doing this thirty day blog challenge and since I like Kellie so very much I decided to partake as well. It is pretty simple, blog about yourself for thirty days and since I am a self-proclaimed ego maniac this should be pretty easy, I mean really, who loves me more than me?

*note to my readers, I don't really love myself that much

Here are the guidelines for anyone interested in getting to know themselves more through this silly little month long exercise.

day 1- recent picture of you and 15 interesting facts about yourself
day 2- the meaning behind you blog name
day 3- a picture of you and your friends
day 4- a habit that you wish you didn’t have
day 5- a picture of somewhere youve been to
day 6- favorite super hero and why
day 7- a picture of someone/something that has the biggest impact on you
day 8- short term goals for this month and why
day 9- something youre proud of in the past few days
day 10- songs you listen to when you are happy, sad, bored, hyped, mad
day 11- another picture of you and your friends
day 12- how you found out about blogger and why you have one
day 13- a letter to someone who has hurt you recently
day 14- a picture of you and your family
day 15- put you ipod on shuffle: first 10 songs that play
day 16- another picture of yourself
day 17- someone you would want to switch lives with for one day and why
day 18- plans/dreams/goals you have
day 19- nicknames you have and why you have them
day 20- someone you see yourself marrying or being with in the future
day 21- a picture of something that makes you happy
day 22- what makes you different from everyone else
day 23- something you crave for a lot
day 24- a letter to your parents
day 25- what I would find in your bag
day 26- what do you think about your friends
day 27- why are you doing this 30 day challenge
day 28- a picture of you from last year and now, how have you changed since then?
day 29- in this past month, what have you learned
day 30- you favorite song

Day 1 recent picture of me:

me on my 28th birthday (2 months ago)

and 15 interesting facts about yourself...
1. The name Rikki, is NOT short for anything, and no, I didn't lose that number (curse you Steely Dan, curse you!!)

2. My favorite color is orange, I first started liking it because no one else did and also because my favorite album when I was 17 was Orange Rhyming Dictionary from Jets to Brazil, and it is still one of my favorite albums 11 years later.

3. I like to close my eyes when I am biking and see how long I can go without opening them, not very safe I know, but what a thrill!

4. I have been Vegan for 2 and 1/2 years and I do not regret a single day. I do not miss cheese and I probably say the word vegan at least 15 times a day because in my mind vegan=super fucking rad!

5. I find Woody Harrelson strangely attractive along with Nick Cave and Patrick Carney of the Black Keys. The taller and skinnier the better. I like really bony elbows and pale forearms.

6. If and when I have sex dreams they are with people I have never met or ever seen before. Complete strangers that don't exist.

7. In elementary school, Beth (my then best friend) and I one made a Ouija board using a paper and rock, we then told a little girl it was real and told her she would die before her sixth birthday, her birthday was the next day. cruel.

8. In third grade I rounded up a group of my friends and sang the entire R.E.M. song Losing my Religion while dancing. I thought the song was about losing your virginity.

9. I used to think I had bad birthday luck, when I was seven I fell in the tub and slit open my chin, having to get stitches and was not able to eat my birthday cake. On my 10th birthday my grandpa locked me and my friends outside and wouldn't let us into the house (summertime in the desert) We all got sweaty and sick. When I was 13 my Uncle Bob died. At 19 the boy I loved brought another girl to my party and broke my heart. At 24 I got into my first fight, I punched a girl. But then at 26 I held hands with Tim for the first time and he broke the curse.

10. I used to have a surface piercing on my wrist. I couldn't put my hand in my pants pocket for over six months.

12. I draw pretty well but I can't do it sober, because I am my own worst critic.

13. I don't really think things through, I just hold my breath and jump in. I prefer it that way.

14. I am not a good person to talk to at length because I often get lost in my head and completely ignore what someone is saying to me. I can't help it, I try to pay attention but then I end up wandering around in my brain and think of all kinds of silly things.

15. I don't like Elvis. I know, not very American of me but he was a sexy stylish dude who morphed into an ugly obese joke. Plus, he tried to have the Beatles deported and I cannot forgive that.

Day one is over, thank Jesus, it was hard to talk about myself that much. Stay tuned for 29 more days of Rikki Cupcake.

procrastination nation

2010-08-17T20:27:00.000-07:00

...it is just a little place I live in. I could have baked my yummy treat from the Veganomicon but instead I decided to watch Undercover Brother, take a nap, buy a dress and run screaming from my bathroom when a cockroach decided to invade my living space. I hate cockroaches!

I would prefer an army of Siafu ants then those little bastards. If you haven't heard of the Siafu, I suggest you wiki it, those ants are SCARY!

It is raining as I type this and I am overjoyed.

Our roof leaked all over the living room floor and threatened to destroy my record collection, but we arrived home in time just before any permanent destruction. Had the rain destroyed my brand new Crocodiles-Summer of Hate lp I would have cursed and punched a little raincloud right in it's grey face! I am just rambling, but the point is tomorrow I will not be lazy, tomorrow I will bake and share with you, tomorrow is only a day away.

heart-
Rikki Cupcake

Ask A Vegan pt. 14

2010-08-16T15:34:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful Monday! I have been a little ball of happiness today from all of the positive energy carried over from yesterday's photo shoot. I raved to all of my favorite people about meeting Tania Katan and her love Angela Ellsworth. Both ladies were Ah-Mazing and very inspirational. I was a complete dork and I didn't really take any photos of the cupcakes I made for the shoot, but once the magazine comes out I can get photos from the photographer and share them all with you...WEEEEEEE!

Now speaking about women who are amazing, today's Ask A Vegan is a young and beautiful girl who when filling out my survey had only been vegan for two weeks! It takes guts to switch to the veg lifestyle as well as openly tell everyone about it! *For those of you out there who aren't vegan, you may not realize the ridicule that we get on a daily basis. I know it sounds silly, but it is the same as someone judging you by your race, religion or sexuality. It is absolutely insulting when someone shoves a plate of bacon in my face and says, "yuuuuummm! Bet you want to eat this Rikki." When in reality I am thinking, no I don't want to eat it, no I don't miss fatty, greasy bacon, and yes I think you are a douche bag.* Katie has started a blog all about her journey and it is a really great read for anyone who is interested in becoming a vegan (secretly chanting "one of us, one of us" in my head right now) or even incorporating more vegan dishes to their diet. So please check out her blog, become a reader (I hate the term "follower") and tell her how friggen' rad she it. Do it!!

Name: Katie
Age: 21
Location: Hampshire, UK
Website: Vegan Katie Cake

How long have you been Vegan?
About 2 weeks…

What made you decide to go Vegan?
Well I am about to go into my final year of uni and had no idea what topic to do. I have a recent history of failed dieting so thought maybe that would be an option to write about, how dieting is unhealthy and doesn’t work. I started reading ‘Skinny Bitch’ and even though I had read it before, It just clicked with me this time. So I started reading more about veganism and everything just kind of slotted into place.
There and then I decided to not eat meat again but still ate dairy etc for about a week.
My dissertation is now going to be about why veganism is the answer.

How do you feel health wise with this diet choice?
I’ve definitely noticed that I have more energy and feel more positive in general, about life and everyday stuff. Ive also lost that bit of weight that was hanging around (although quite a chunk is still hanging around). It’s a bit early for any miracle health improvements yet but there is time…

Are you open about your Veganism?
Ive not really had that much chance to talk about it with people other than my immediate family but I would be happy to. Although I already know it is very hard not to preach when all those shocking images are ingrained onto the insides of your eyelids.
If so, are you involved in any activism i.e. protests, leafleting etc…
Not yet but Its something I really want to do.

What do your family, friends, co-workers think about your diet?
Although I’ve never been much of a meat eater it was a big difference for me to not be having eggs and dairy. One of the last diets I did involved a lot and eggs and yoghurt. And a lot of late night cereal munchies.
My mum was fine. My Boyfriend on the other hand was not so keen but he is coming around slowly.

What advice would you give those interested in becoming Vegan?
Read.
Then just take a minute to think about yourself. How happy you are with what you eat and the effect that has on you and everything else. I think once you decide to really acknowledge and accept the truth, you cant go back.

Would you eat at Mc Donald’s if they carried a Vegan burger?
I don’t think I would trust them that it would actually be vegan and it would probably taste like shit anyway.

Do you have a Vegan celebrity that you find particularly dashing?
Oh this is a whole new world to explore. Yumyum.

Do you have a favorite Vegan blog or website that you follow?
No favourites, I love them all.

What is your least favorite question that you are asked about your diet?
From my boyfriend:
“Your not going to make me eat weird hippy shit are you?”
No of course not = Yes, if I can get away with it.

What is your favorite dish?
So far the best thing I’ve made has been the peanut butter caramel for my attempt at a Smlove Pie, does that count?
I ate most of it straight out the pan on its own so surely that counts as a dish…

What do you typically eat at Thanksgiving?
Well we don’t have Thanksgiving here in the UK.

If I could make you any flavor cupcake in the world what would it be?
A ‘Willy Wonka 3 course meal chewing gum’ style cupcake with
numerous flavours including peanut butter, mint choccy chip, red velvet, guylain seashells and always ending in chocolate fudge brownie and icecream. And maybe some cream on top.
And sprinkles.

good answer, and my favorite scene from Willy Wonka, Violet is turning violet!

Please share your favorite Vegan recipe.
Any that doesn’t involve Seitan.
Ive tried to love it or even just like it but I cant.

This Sunday

2010-08-12T08:03:00.000-07:00

As you folks know just from looking at my "Books I Am Reading" list I am an avid reader. I like to tell people I have just met that I devour books like candy, because I really, really love candy. You will also notice by looking at this list that this year I have read twenty-four books so far this year and among those books is a memoir, one so poignant that I read it in one day. This book made me cry, a lot but it also made me laugh so hard I almost wee'd in my knickers. This book?

My One Night Stand With Cancer by Tania Katan.

Tania is a native Arizonian and in fact at one time lived right on my street (although about 10 years earlier). Her story is about her fight, not once but twice with breast cancer. The first time cancer struck she was only twenty-one years old. When she retells the visits to her doctors, the chemotherapy, the losing of her hair she tells it as if it were an anecdote or punch-line to a hilarious joke. I, myself, don't think I could have ever been strong enough to laugh such a scary thing right in the face like she did, and twice!! As you can gather, I have much admiration for Tania, so you can understand why this morning after receiving an email requesting I make cupcakes for a photo shoot, this Sunday for Tania I did quite an embarrassing jig in front of my dogs. I am giddy, giddy!! Tania will be doing a one person performance called Saving Tania's Privates In Phoenix from September 16th thru October 10th. If you live in the valley I suggest you check it out and bring some tissues because tears of laughter will be impossible to avoid.

Vegan Bake Sale

2010-08-11T13:32:00.000-07:00

Hello friends,

"Another Vegan bake sale?" you ask, "already?" To this I reply with great enthusiasm, "Yes! Another bake sale, and there will be more and more to come because there are millions of charities in Arizona that always need help, and there are tons of Vegans who love to bake and want to share their happy lifestyle with others!"

But seriously folks, when I participated in my first bake sale I was happy to donate a few delicious dishes in support of a good cause, and then I did my second bake sale, then my third... I am hooked! The support we get for these sales is overwhelming. The donations of vegan foods, the networking to let others know about the sales and of course the purchase and enjoyment of baked goodies all makes my feeble heart go pitter pat! I am so appreciative of all of you and I want you to know how grateful I am.

That being said, if you can feel it in your heart, or in your stomach there is another wonderful bake sale September 11th to benefit the Arizona Adoption and Foster Care Agency. I originally wanted to do a school supply drive for them in the beginning of this month but when speaking with Marcia Reck from the agency I was informed that a mid September sale was best. This seemed odd but she explained that when the new school year begins that teachers, principals and nurses start to notice students who arrive to school disheveled, with bruises or are malnourished and that is when CPS steps in to access the situation. More children are sent into foster care this time of year, and usually they have little to nothing to take with them to their new homes. This is where we are stepping in to help. We can and will raise these funds to help these children as much as we possibly can. See how I am using the term we? As a community we can make a difference to help these kids, it is as easy as buying a cookie.

I have attached a copy of the bake sale flyer if you want to pass it on, and I hope to see all of you there!

Saturday September 11th
11am-4pm @ Loveland Boutique
S.E. corner of Baseline and Mill

Thanks!!!!!
Rikki

Remember, it takes a village to raise a child.

Taking On The V-Con Pt. 9

2010-08-10T17:41:00.000-07:00

Number nine, number nine....

The next four recipes (that includes today's recipe) was picked by yours truly. I wanted to pick recipes that had a South Western flair and that also reflected the many great things that come along with summer, like strawberries, bbqs, and stuff that was muy caliente! like the desert in which I live. The forcast reads, hot, hot and with a chance of scorching!! The last two weeks saw cooler weather with a few thunderstorms but the forecasters have predicted this week to heat up, with highs up to 117 degrees. With that being said, what is better than Mexican food and an ice cold cerveza to help beat the summertime blues? Today's recipe is...wait for it...wait for it...

Grilled Yuca Tortillas!

After picking this recipe I became a little scared, having never tried Yuca (or cassava) before, but then I realized, wait, I HAD tried cassava before and numerous times in the form of Daiya cheese. Daiya is made from the cassava root and tapioca, which is closely related to cassava. I will say that I do not normally top everything with fake cheese, there are times when I will eat a pizza with Daiya and it is just heavenly. The grilled yuca tortillas were incredibly easy to make, and just as easy to devour. The recipe called for fresh yuca which I could not find but I did, however, find frozen yuca at Lee Lee an Asian grocer in Mesa. Lee Lee has all kinds of amazing frozen vegan food, and if you live in the valley, I suggest you check it out!

yuca up close

On with the recipe:

Ingredients:
1 lb. yuca
3 T. olive oil
6 cloves garlic
1 small yellow bell pepper (I used red grilled pepper)
1 jalapeno
2 tsp. lime juice
1/2 tsp. salt
pinch of pepper

then I added a sauteed red onion and black beans to the mix for good times and fun to be had by all.

As I stated earlier this recipe is very easy to make. You pretty much just boil the yuca, and mash it up like a cooked potato.

Saute garlic, bell pepper and jalapeno in olive oil,

add to smushed yuca

shove into a folded tortilla and fry up on the stove top.

I baked my tortilla to cut back on fat, but I definitely did not cut back on flavor.

Yum!! I would make this recipe again and again and again!

Ask A Vegan Pt. 13

2010-08-09T15:59:00.000-07:00

I am so giddy about this post today. Though I have never met the featured Vegan for this week, I think if she and I lived in the same town we would be fast friends. Wendy is hilarious, her humour comes through very well in type and she had me rolling on the floor when I read her responses. It is refreshing to see silly answers to some very serious questions, as we Vegans can take ourselves a little too seriously sometimes. So sit back and get ready to giggle.

Name: Wendy (veganwendy)
Age: 31 (32 on 8/5.. ugh)
Location: Tonawanda, NY
Website: um... I'm "veganwendy" on everything. Twitter, flickr, tumblr. You can easily stalk the hell out of me.

How long have you been Vegan? um.. Vegetarian since about 15, then vegan for a year in 1999-2000, then vegan again in 2003 until present day. I don't like math. ;)

What made you decide to go Vegan? After being vegetarian for a while, I started to question why I didn't eat chickens, yet still ate their eggs. Eventually I learned more about dairy farms and came to the realization that if I didn't want to support the meat industry, I'd have to say "peace out" to the dairy industry as well.

How do you feel health wise with this diet choice? Not too shabby. I definitely have a healthier diet than anyone else in my family. I weigh a lot less than them too. ha.

Are you open about your Veganism? Hells to the yes. My first tattoo was the word "vegan" on my wrist, I have vegan stickers on my car, I have 2 vegan hoodies, etc. It's definitely a big part of who I am.

If so, are you involved in any activism i.e. protests, leafleting etc… Sadly, aside from plastering myself and my car with the vegan-osity, no. I'm super introverted & a total homebody. :o/

What do your family, friends, co-workers think about your diet? They really don't understand why I feel so strongly about it, but they've learned to accept that I'm not going to change. I think it's pretty ironic when someone refers to my Thanksgiving Tofurky as "gross", while they sit at the dinner table hacking away at a dead animal.

What advice would you give those interested in becoming Vegan? Just Do It. (hrmm.. will I get sued for that?)

Would you eat at Mc Donald’s if they carried a Vegan burger? Heck nah. I was just talking to my fiancé the other day about how we're never going to take our kids to McDonald's. Happy Meals are an evil starting off point for young people to get hooked on greasy, chemical-laden food. Not to mention all the factory farms they utilize. Eff. That.

Do you have a Vegan celebrity that you find particularly dashing? hmmm.. Well that Bob Harper guy from the Biggest Loser just announced his veganism. He's rather dashing. Oh - in the 10th Anniversary Edition of VegNews, there was a super cute guy featured - I don't know his name off-hand, but he partly credited Propagandhi for his veganism. (his name is Dustin Coury)

Do you have a favorite Vegan blog or website that you follow? Not really. I have subscriptions to VegNews & Vegetarian Times, but I don't have a go-to site that I frequent. But for recipes, I usually go to vegweb.com.

What is your least favorite question that you are asked about your diet? The standard simple-minded ones. "Where do you get your protein?" "Do you miss meat?" "So you just eat salads & stuff, right?"

What is your favorite dish? I love me some chili. mmmm... beans.

What do you typically eat at Thanksgiving? Tofurky feeeeast! I buy the big "kit" with the roast, dumplings & gravy. Then I usually cut up a mixture of sweet potatoes, russets & carrots to bake with the roast. And some sort of pie. Usually chocolate. That no one else will eat cos it's scary and vegan. Psssh. More for me then, bitcheeez.

If I could make you any flavor cupcake in the world what would it be? ooohh.. chocolate hazelnut. with rainbow sprinkles. :-D

Please share your favorite Vegan recipe.
This one ----> http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=12657.0 The best vegan chocolate chip cookies EVER. Even my "eww it's vegan?" family loves them.

You may have noticed there were two new questions on this week's Ask A Vegan one of them provided by Keith Ask A Vegan #4. Thanks Keith! And thanks to Wendy for being a friggen' awesome Vegan!

Taking On The V-Con Pt. 8

2010-08-03T18:30:00.000-07:00

make that four girls!!

Oh Mac Daddy I cannot help but think of Kriss Kross as I bake your uncheesey goodness in my lovin' oven (lovin' oven sounds a bit like a baby maker, ewwwwwwie) "Daddy Mac will make ya....Kriss Kross will make ya..." Now, thinking back, I never wore my clothes backwards but a few boys in my elementary school did and I always wondered what happened when they had to go to the bathroom, but then again at that age I often wondered how boys went to the bathroom. Since then, Timmy has informed me and that is one less thing I have to worry about.

I have been waiting for over a month to try this recipe. The day Katie emailed the list of future recipes, I circled the date on my calendar and paced slow circles in my kitchen contemplating just how exactly I would make the Mac Daddy my own. Would I add broccoli, onions and something red, yes something red? Color is always a good thing to have in food. Would I serve it with something or fill my bowl to the brim and dig my fork in? So many sleepless night pondering how this meal would be executed and finally I have created my own personal masterpiece. I have made the Mac Daddy to my liking and it brings back fond memories of baked mac and "chee" from my childhood. I will say I did A LOT of modifying, but that is what is great about recipes, they are a road map but one is free to take a short cut or scenic route if brazen.

sweet dreams are made of cheez

Ingredients:

Double recipe Cheezy Sauce
3/4 lb. elbow macaroni (I used whole wheat fusilli)
1 lb. tofu
1 tsp. salt
1 T. olive oil
2 T. lemon juice (I omitted completely)

tofu crumbled in pan and waiting for cheez clove

Cheezy Sauce:
2 cups veggie broth or water (Thanks to Courtney's earlier post I used water)
1/4 cup flour

whisk flour and water/broth together,
1 T. olive oil
3 cloves garlic
pinch of thyme (we call it "Tim", so I pinched him)
1/4 tsp. salt
black pepper
1/8 tsp. turmeric
4/3 cup nutritional yeast
1 T. lemon juice
1 tsp. yellow mustard

making the cheezy sauce, so so simple!

ready to bake

I didn't double the cheezy recipe because I already had a cheeze sauce in my fridge that I used earlier in the week. It is a recipe from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen, and since I truly adore this recipe I added it to the prepared Isa cheez. I also chopped up 1/2 an onion, 3 jarred roasted red peppers, a handful of broccoli, a handful of cauliflower, some spicy red chili sauce and breadcrumbs.

Holy cow!! Can we say amazing, no, because our mouths are full of cheezy noodley nummies!! I cannot wait to eat my leftovers as I am sure it is going to taste even better tomorrow with all of the flavors marinating in their own delicious juices. Hmmmm...delicious juices...

Don't forget to check out Courtney's, Katie's and new to the challenge, Kim's blogs for their culinary adventures in the realm of the Veganomicon.

who's your daddy?

Ask A Vegan Pt. 12

2010-08-02T19:28:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago my new and super amazing friend Tracy sent me an email with a little surprise attached, she asked one of her friends to answer the Ask A Vegan questions and sent me the answers! How cool is that? This is the first Ask A Vegan that I have done with a stranger, but after reading her responses I feel like we could be good friends, not to mention how adorable she is! I highly suggest you check out her website, her blog is silly and fun and her etsy uh was pretty much made for me! Cupcake aprons and coffee cozies...yes please!

Name: Becky Striepe
Age: 31
Location: Atlanta, GA
Website: glueandglitter

How long have you been Vegan?
Since 2006.

What made you decide to go Vegan?
I went vegetarian at age 16 for animal rights reasons, and since then my diet's sort of bounced around. I was pescatarian for a while and then gave up eggs and dairy for health reasons. My cholesterol was something like 240! When I cut eggs and dairy out of my diet, it went back to normal in 3 months with no medicine. I finally gave up seafood in 2006. It just made me feel so gross when I ate it. I was reading more and more about overfishing, mercury, and bykill, and I just couldn't stomach doing that to the planet or my body just so I could have fish in my sushi. I've been vegan ever since and never looked back!

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

Are you open about your Veganism?
Yes, I am, though I do try not to be overbearing about it. While I don't agree with omnivores' dietary choices, I try to be tolerant. No one was ever shamed into veganism, and I prefer to set an example with my dietary choices, you know what I mean?
If so, are you involved in any activism i.e. protests, leafleting etc…
Some, but not as much as I'd like.

she is a member of etsy veg!

What do your family, friends, co-workers think about your diet?
Reactions vary, but folks are overall pretty supportive. When I head back to Florida to visit my family, my mom and sister go shopping for "Becky Food," and my sis said they think it's fun!

What advice would you give those interested in becoming Vegan?
Read! Get some cookbooks to peruse and read up on nutrition. The cookbooks will help you learn how to put tasty vegan meals together. The nutrition business is important for health purposes, obviously, but it will also help you answer questions about vegan food. Folks are going to have them, and it's so much easier to answer if you're a little bit informed.

Would you eat at Mc Donald’s if they carried a Vegan burger?
I would. I'm a big believer in voting with your wallet. If McDonald's had vegan menu items, I'd want to support that.

her aprons are super cute!!

What is your least favorite question that you are asked about your diet?
"Where do you get your protein?" or any of the sarcastic ones like, "If you love vegetables so much, why do you kill them?"

What is your favorite dish?
Shepherd's Pie! It's a staple around here, and I love how flexible and satisfying it is.

what a great little kitchen!

What do you typically eat at Thanksgiving?
It varies a lot. My husband's family has taken to going out to dinner, so the restaurant usually fixes me something off the menu. Last year, I had roasted veggies and gnocchi in this awesome tomato sauce! When we cooked at home, we'd get a Field Roast and make veggie sides.

If I could make you any flavor cupcake in the world what would it be?
Something lychee-related! What kind of frosting would you use there? Lime? Maybe almond? (How about ginger buttercream Becky?)

Please share your favorite Vegan recipe.
I just don't know if I can pick one! Can I tell you my favorite cookbook instead? Veganomicon has been my go to lately for recipe inspiration. As desserts go, I am obsessed with Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. Obviously, I'm a big fan of Isa Chandra Moskowitz.