New York - Babycakes

When I was in New York I was able to visit the vegan bakery, Babycakes.  We almost didn't get to go because it wasn't close to any of the other places we wanted to visit (had to also fit in Dan's requests as we had both never been to NYC).  The morning before our flight I went on a solo mission to the bakery.  Boy am I ever glad I went -- so delicious.

 I wanted to say "One of everything please!" but I was by myself so there would be no way for me to carry it all.

Well obviously....

I picked up a salted caramel donut for Dan and grabbed myself a chocolate brownie cupcake with mint frosting (it was St. Patrick's Day so I needed something green).  I wish I got a better picture but there was a frosting massacre that occurred during transit.  The cupcake was delicious and they make the best donuts.  If they use the same base for all the different flavours I can confidentially say that whichever one you decide to try, it'll be yummy.

I also picked up a cookbook (I have this one and really like it).  I'm so glad I got this book because as soon as I got home I wanted more treats.  On the back of the dust jacket there's an excerpt of Emily Deschanel going on about how delicious the mini-mounds bars are and I immediately wanted one.  A few days later I was able to make them -- 1) they're extremely easy to make and 2) so delicious!!

This is a terrible picture but trust me, if you like coconut definitely try this recipe out.  It's posted on the Babycakes blog, here.

I'll be posting more of my New York adventures in the future.  It's bittersweet looking at the pictures I took on my phone.  When the end of the trip came around I was happy to be going back home (I really missed Arthur) but now that I'm home I really wish I was back because there were so many things I wish we had time to see.  Excuse to go back!

Alex & Arthur

My Makeup Bag Part 2

Last summer, after forgetting my travel makeup bag while I was on my way to a bridal shower (I looked icky), I decided to do a post about my favourite makeup products that I feel naked without. 

Last week I had to take a trip to Sephora to restock on items I was running low on and I figured I'd share some more of my favourites with you.

LaVanila - Pure Vanilla

This is definitely an essential, however it didn't make my original post because I don't carry it around in my makeup bag.  I adore this fragrance and have been wearing it for the past 5-ish years.  It's vegan, made from all natural products (meaning no harmful chemicals), and makes me perma-smell like an oreo cookie.  Another bonus is the strength of the smell - other people can smell it (I get comments about smelling like candy and cookies all the time) but I can't smell it within 5 minutes of application which is a huge bonus for me because I often get headaches from strong perfumes.  It also comes in roller-ball format which is handy when trying to control the strength of the scent.

OCC Lip Tar in Queen

I never thought I'd love a neon lip colour this much, but this is currently my absolute favourite shade of lipstick.  I was ordering some of my fav Lip Tars and on a whim I decided to try this shade.  It's a neon coral/pink shade and I love it.

Borderline Smoothing, Anti-Feathering Lip Pencil - Too Faced

I don't know why I ever bothered with lip liner.  Finding red lipstick is one thing but finding the perfect shade of red in a lip liner is next to impossible.  Now that I've switched over to Lip Tar, which is applied like a gloss with a brush, using a lip lining pencil isn't an option.  This pencil from Too Faced is clear and protects the border of my lips (moisturizes too) and stops the colour from feathering.

Twilight Freshface Glow - Fresh

This is the only product on the list that isn't vegan -- well to my knowledge anyways, for sure the other products are.  This product provides the perfect glow to your complexion without being overly sparkly.  Sometimes I use it as a foundation primer but often times I’ll just add a dab to my skin.  A little of this product really goes a long way.  It’s lightweight and even minimizes pores and tiny imperfections.

So these are a few of my favourite (makeup) things.  Is there anything in your makeup bag that you feel naked if you don't use it?

Happy Monday 

Alex & Arthur  

Recipe - Cauliflower, Potato, and Chickpea Curry

I made this for dinner last night and it was one of those “throw things from your fridge into a pot” types of recipes so the quantities may not be 100% accurate but it’s pretty hard to mess up and even if the quantities varied it would still be yummy. 

Because I made this without much thought, there were definitely things I did that I'd do differently next time. For example, I cooked the potatoes in the mixture which meant it took FOREVER to cook – cooking them separately until they’re tender might help. I'll try to correct the recipe here but all you need to know is that you're making a stew like concoction with Indian inspired spices.  Since the potatoes took so long in my version, I didn't simmer the "curry" enough to thicken the sauce (because I was starving) which is why it looks wetter in the picture.  I finished simmering/reducing last night while I was shoveling the first taste into my face and the leftovers I had today were delicious.

(I call it "curry" because I don't know what else to call it.  Aloo Gobi/Chana Masala perhaps?)

So the ingredients:

• 1 tblsp of olive oil
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 small onion
• 1 tsp tumeric
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp cumin seeds; toasted and crushed
• 1 tsp of paprika
• 1 can of chickpeas
• 1 can of crushed tomatoes
• 2 large potatoes, cut into cubes
• 1 head of cauliflower, chopped into florets
• Vegetable stock – I used almost an entire box of Campbell’s Organic Vegetable Stock but that was because I boiled the potatoes in the mixture and kept having to add more.
• I also added red pepper flakes and garam masala to taste.  The measurements I’m giving you are a starting point, please add or use less based on your taste preferences.

Directions:

• Place potato cubes in a saucepan. Cover with cold water. Bring to the boil over high heat.  Cook until tender. Drain
• Meanwhile, heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.  Cook onion and garlic, stirring until softended.  Add garlic and spices.  Cook until fragrant.
• Add cauliflower florets, tomato and some of the stock.  Bring to boil and then reduce heat to simmer.  Add more stock if needed to cook cauliflower.  Simmer, covered for until the sauce has thickened.  Add potatos and chickpeas and cook until heated through and sauce is covering everything.
• Then eat. Serve with rice - NOM

Again, add or remove spices according to your tastes.  You can't go wrong with a recipe like this.

Alex & Arthur

Cookie Dough Truffle Recipe - FINALLY!

So over two months ago I posted about super delicious Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles that I made (here) and had committed to posting the recipe.  

I picked up this cookie book from one of my favourite stores Labour of Love.   Most of the recipes are pretty easy to make vegan and no baking means no egg required.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of non-dairy butter

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

2 tblsp non-dairy milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 mini vegan chocolate chips

You'll also need 8 ounces of dark-chocolate candy coating.  I just used melted chocolate chips.

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugars with an electric mixer on medium until light and fluffy  2. Mix in milk, vanilla and then stir in flour and salt and mix on low speed until incorporated 3. Stir in chocolate chips and cover and chill for about 30 minutes.  You're just looking for it to become firm enough to handle -- it'll look like this:

4. Roll into 1-inch balls and arrange on a parchment lined baking sheet 5. Place in freezer for 15 minutes  6. While you're waiting, melt candy coating or chocolate.  When the dough balls are ready dip and ensure they're completely covered with chocolate. 

Once the chocolate has hardened, you'll have something that looks like the picture below.  I'm going to warn you, these are super delicious.  I ate so many.

Enjoy!

Alex & Arthur

Pumpkin Doughnuts - Recipe

I made these doughnuts last night and they must have been a hit with Dan because when I woke up there were only a couple left.  I got the recipe by cobbling together a few pumpkin doughnut recipes that I found on the interweb, specifically: this and this.

First step: You need a doughnut pan (pictured below)

Ingredients:
For the Doughnut:

• 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 6 tbsp non-dairy milk
• 3/4 cup fresh or canned pureed pumpkin
• 1/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar
• 2 tbsp non-dairy butter substitute, melted (I always use Becel for baking)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/4 tsp cinnamon + 1/4 tsp ginger, + 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

For the Glaze:

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon maple extract 
• 1 tsp maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons non-dairy milk

Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350F and grease your doughnut pan.  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, milk, pumpkin, brown sugar, and melted butter substitute.  3. Sift in the dry ingredients and mix until combined (don't over mix).  4. Using a pastry bag (I used a Ziploc with the corner cut off) pipe the batter into your pre-greased pan.  5. Bake for 10-12 minutes.  Cool in the pan for 5 and then transfer them onto a cooling rack. 

To make the glaze simply combine all the ingredients.  I had to use way more than 2 tablespoons of liquid indgredients to make the glaze.  Unfortunately I didn't measure the additions, I just kept adding almond milk and maple syrup until it was glaze consistency.  Wait until doughnuts are cooled before dipping in the glaze.  I think I also may have added some maple extract into the pumpkin doughnut batter.

I still have at least 5 cans of pumpkin puree sitting in my cupboards, so I'll have to try some other pumpkin goodies.

Alex & Arthur

Friday Five Fave

I was hoping to post two adorable videos I took of Arthur from when we visited him at the breeder's house but for some reason Vimeo keeps uploading them sideways.  So instead here's a Friday Five Fave.  

In no particular order:

1. Melanie Martinez - Toxic

I don't watch a ton of TV and when I do it's usually cartoons or HBO's Girls, but I happened to be flicking channels and stumbled across the show The Voice while Melanie Martinez was performing.  Holy crap, what an adorable human being and I absolutely loved her version of Britney Spears’s Toxic.  Click here if you want to give it a listen.

Image from here

 2. French Bulldog Address Stamps
Man do I ever want this address stamp from Lush Prints! The only problem is my partner and I have different last names, so do I put mine or his?

3. Red Riding Hood Tights
I honestly don't know how I happened across these tights but they're super adorable.  They feature Little Read Riding Hood, the Big Bad Wolf, Granny's cottage, and the woods.

4. DrinKlip
This is kind of cheating because I've had this product for quite some time but I really love it.  It's attached to my desk at work and it's perfect for my morning tea or coffee.  I never have to worry about knocking my drink all over my documents.  Although one time I forget it was attached to the desk and I walked into it and spilled my drink on the floor.  It also doesn't really work if you have a mug with a handle.  But it's still really awesome.

5. Vegan Pumpkin Scones
This vegan pumpkin scone recipe from Cupcakes & Kale is incredibly delicious.  I used different flour just because I didn't have whole wheat pastry flour on hand but they still turned out and made my belly happy.

Arthur and I are looking forward to some quality hanging out time tomorrow.  Do you have anything planned for this weekend?

Alex & Arthur

Getting My Rapunzel On

The movie Tangled was playing on the movie networks this weekend so naturally I watched it once...or twice.  

If you’re familiar with the movie, you’ll know that Rapunzel’s favourite food is something called Hazelnut Soup and it most definitely has hazelnuts and parsnips in it.  I love both those things so the thought of them combined into a soup had me intrigued.  I googled Hazelnut Soup once the movie was over and to my delight Disney has a recipe posted on Family.com.  

So for my vegan-ized version you’ll need:

• 1 Butternut Squash, seeded and cut into six sections
• 1 medium to large parsnip (the larger the parsnip the stronger the parsnip taste), peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 green apple, peeled and quartered
• 2 tbsps of olive oil
• 3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 1 medium onion (I used spanish, the recipe calls for brown)
• 1 or 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 box of vegetable stock
• ½ tsp of cumin
• ½ cup of almond milk
• Salt and white pepper to taste
•  
• 1 cup of raw hazelnuts

Step 1: Roasting Hazelnuts

This is a very easy process, however I want to warn you that roasted hazelnuts are extremely delcious.  Once you roast and de-skin them, you may want to hide them somewhere or else ruin your dinner appetite like I did.

Preheat your oven to 275 degrees F.  Place your 1 cup of hazelnuts on a baking sheet that’s been lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the hazelnut skins burst

When the hazelnuts are cooled, roll between two paper towels to remove the skins.

Place the skinless hazelnuts in a plastic bag and DESTROY with a rolling pin.  Kidding! Crush the hazelnuts to desired consistency.

Roasting Squash

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place parchment paper at the bottom of a baking dish and drizzle 1 tbsp of olive oil.  Next place the squash (skin side up), parsnips and apples in the dish.  Add ¼ cup of water.  Place 3-4 sprigs of thyme on the top.  You’ll need to bake uncovered in the oven for 45-50 minutes or until a knife slides easily through the skin of the squash.

While your veggies are roasting in the oven, you can saute your onion and garlic.  Cut onion and garlic into thin slices and add to a frying pan with the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil.  You’re looking for the onions and garlic to become transluscent, not browned.  Once they’re cooked remove from heat and set to the side.

I still had some time to kill while the squash, parsnips and apple finished roasting so I went and hung out with Arthur.  I apologize for the semi-erotic nature of this picture but this is honestly how he was sitting in his favourite chair.

Once the squash is finished, remove from the oven and cool to the touch.    It should look like the picture below.

Remove the skins with a pairing knife and place in a food processor or blender with a touch of vegetable stock.  You’re going to need to use the stock to puree all of the roasted veggies so keep that in mind.  Also remember, when blending hot items make sure not to fill your food processor over the half line.  The pressure from the heat can cause the bottom or top to blow off.

After you've blended the squash, add the apple, parsnip and onion/garlic mixture into your food processor with stock and blend.  Add everything to a large pot

It should look like this:

 

Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.  While the soup is simmering add the cumin, salt and pepper.  If you wish to use more than ½ tsp of cumin please go ahead.  I’m sure I used 1 tsp and a ½, which is probably why my boyfriend thought it tasted “Mexican-y”.

Before you serve your soup, add ½ cup of almond mix.  Ladle the soup until a bowl and top with crushed roasted hazelnuts.  Yum!

This soup was very yummy and creamy!  If you like all of the ingredients listed above this soup is for you.  Although, I don’t think Dan is a huge fan of parsnips and even he enjoyed it.

Have you ever made anything inspired from a movie?

Alex & Arthur

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Lime/Coconut Deliciousness

On Tuesday I saw this posting on Poppytalk for lime coconut chewy cookies and decided that I needed to make them.  I've been craving coconut since Sunday so the timing was perfect.

The cookie recipe was very easy to 'vegan-ize' and it's oh so yummy.  I was full from eating cookie dough before the first batch was out of the oven.

So for the vegan version you'll need:

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened toasted coconut

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

*1 cup vegan butter (I use Becel Vegan when baking.  I find it easier to work with than Earth Balance)

1 1/2 cups white sugar

*1 egg replacer (for this recipe I used a flax egg.  1 tbsp ground flax meal + 3 tbsps of warm water)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

zest from 1 lime

3 tablespoons of fresh lime juice

Start by toasting some shredded coconut.  The first time I toasted coconut I remember thinking two things.  The first was, 'MAN, that was easy!' and the second was, 'why would I ever eat non-toasted coconut again?'  Just remember to keep the heat on medium and stir constantly.

Next, zest and juice one lime -- and make sure you do it in that order.  I really like juicing citrus so I got really excited and did that first. I just learned that it's very difficult to zest a juiced lime.

Prepare your egg replacer by mixing the ground flax meal and water.

Preheat oven to 350F. Line cookie sheets with parchment.

Mix together flour, toasted coconut, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside. 

In a large bowl, combine the Becel vegan and sugar together. Add in the egg replacer, vanilla, lime juice and zest. Mix in the dry ingredients in two batches until thoroughly combined. 

Roll dough into teaspoon-sized balls and then roll in sugar. Flatten slightly and place on lined cookie sheets two inches apart.

Bake for 10 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned.  Then enjoy!

I tried a couple with sea salt sprinkled on the top to see if they were margarita-like.  They were pretty good!

Again, I got this delicious recipe over at the Poppytalk blog.  Be sure to check it out....and bake these cookies.  So good!!!!

Thanks for stopping by,

Alex & Arthur

Friday Post

I was going to post a Five Friday but I'm not really in the mood today.  I'm trying to stay away from the internet and media in general today.  I understand that violence happens every day in the world, more frequently in other countries, but there have been incidents of large public shootings in Toronto recently so it's really hit close to home.  And then there was yesterday's horrific shooting in Colorado.  I really don't understand how a person could be so callous towards the lives of other people.  I just don't get the mentality behind opening fire in a large crowd. Argh!


As it's my birthday tomorrow, I decided to take the day off work to hang with my favourite guy...Arthur!  So it's easy for me to avoid the computer.  We've had a lovely day so far, which included a picnic in Trinity Bellwoods. 


I just want to quickly post some pictures of work yesterday because my coworkers are really sweet.  My cubicle was decorated all snazzy and one of them even went out of her way to bake me vegan cupcakes.  It was very nice and a much appreciated.

My cubicle

Vegan cupcake my coworker baked.  So sweet

Anyways, hope you have a great weekend.

Alex & Arthur

Five Favourite Friday Findings

 
Vegan Deviled Eggs

Okay, I admit that when I first heard the words “Vegan Deviled Eggs” I cringed.  But then I actually read through the ingredients and they actually sound really tasty. 


Here's Maresa's recipe over at the Lagusta's Lucious blog.

Neon Light Rail Wedge

I'm not a huge fan of this new neon trend, perhaps because it brings me back to the early 90's when I looked like a Neon Nightmare. However, I really love these gray and neon yellow vegan wedges from modcloth.  I'll concede that a tiny bit of neon yellow looks okay with a dark neutral backdrop.

Chevron Clutch Purse
I love the style, pattern and colour pallette of this purse.

 

via ccdoodle

Typographic Toronto
Ben Brommell, a local film and television student, devoted as many as 100 hours of his spare time to create the map pictured below.  The entire map is made of words.

Here's a close up

Jeff Who Lives At Home
I saw this movie at TIFF2011 and all of the recent previews for it just reminded of how much I enjoyed it.  It's not your typical Jason Segal or Ed Helms fair but it's funny, touching and depressing all at the same time. I'm glad that it already had been picked up for distribution before being screened at TIFF -- it's definitely a movie I'd love to see again.

Any big weekend plans?

Alex & Arthur

Thursday Random

Arthur was being a giant ball of brat last night, so I have no cute photos to post today.   But here's one of his royal chunkiness from Tuesday night.  This little guy is getting seriously hefty...but that's normal.

In other news, I had a really amazing burrito from the vegan restaurant Hot Beans.

(Note - the menu says they have doughnuts...they don't have doughnuts anymore :( sad face)  In honour of the holiday season they're offering something they call the "Leftovers" burrito for one week.  Wrapped in a tortilla you have: Yuba 'turkey', bread stuffing, roasted root veg, gravy, and cranberry sauce. Oh  my goodness guys, SO GOOD! I devoured the thing within minutes.  I couldn't even bother taking a good photo of it, I just wanted it in my belly.  I'm so glad I waited to have a really late lunch because if I had waited until dinner I would have missed out today as I saw on twitter they sold out around 6:30.  If you're in Toronto within the next week, go! You won't regret it.

Did everyone go buy the We Bought a Zoo soundtrack?  It was released on Tuesday and is full of Jonsi goodness!