This was my third batch of cupcakes, as the title suggests, from the cookbook "Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World." I was so excited that my experiments one and two turned out so well that I was thrilled for a personal audience for my third batch. Instead of titling this blog "attempt three" or "take three," I have decided to more appropriately call it "act three." Attempt and take suggest that the others had been less than successful. Not so.
Anyways.....
Our friends Craig and Rebecca, also known as CraiBecca, were coming over for dinner and I wanted a special dessert. We take turns hosting dinner and every meal we have shared over the years has been delicious. They are both wonderful chefs and we have a lot to live up to each time. Based on their rave reviews of our meals, I think John and I, also known as JoManda, have done well.
On this occasion, we decided to make a salad, lentil and black bean chili, and vegan whole wheat biscuits. Although it was winter, the meal had an autumn feel and I wanted a sweet to match. I went in search of a cupcake and icing combination that would pair well. I came across a recipe for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Cinnamon Icing and knew I had found my seet. The recipe was so enticing, even without a picture.
The recipe had pumpkin, chocolate chips, cinnamon, and a simple cinnamon icing that was to be drizzled on the top. My mouth started watering as soon as I read the recipe. This combination of flavors sounded perfect. I love the taste of pumpkin and am always looking for ways to use it. In the past, my uses have been mostly savory dinner dishes. This new use of pumpkin would be a nice change.I set out to find canned pumpkin and came across an organic variety. The price was comparable to the regular canned pumpkin, so this one was a no brainer. I also picked up vegan chocolate chips. I had all of the other ingredients on hand.
As I mixed all of the ingredients, I wanted to eat the batter raw. (As I have mentioned before, vegan batter can be consumed raw since it does not include eggs. Yippie for me!). After the cupcakes were in the oven baking, I scooped around the sides with a spatula and ate every little drop that was left. The raw batter was amazing, I could hardly wait for the finished product!
Once the cupcakes were out of the oven and cooled, I drizzled the cinnamon icing on top. We decided to share a cupcake before serving them to Craibecca. As we expected, they were heavenly! This was by far my most favorite cupcake to date! The pumpkin, chocolate, and cinnamon flavor worked so well together. Craibecca enjoyed them as well. Rebecca and I each enjoyed one cupcake for dessert and John and Craig both had two.
Verdict: Attempt three is a WINNER!!
It is frustrating to have to check literally EVERY label of the food that I ingest, but it does not end there. Being a vegetarian/vegan requires a commitment beyond food. I have to check clothing, shoes, jewelry, and planting supplies. If you are thinking, that list is complete- think again. I also have to check art supply products!
I recently read a blog on the Etsyveg site that I found helpful. It is often hard to detect if a product contains something that harmed, killed, or tested on an animal or animals. It is cumbersome to have to contact every manufacturer before purchasing an art product. I find this site useful because it links to a blog that has a listing of products that are known to be vegan. Luckily, most of what I make is reused from other products, so I do not have to worry all that much. It is still a concern when I go to make something from scratch.
All of this checking and reading is enough to make one mad! If my choice to live without animal products was just a feeling, mood, or fad, then this would be overwhelming. The bottom line is that this is a lifestyle for me and I do not do anything halfway (or at least I try not too). I don't just do things when they are convenient for me. I try to give 100% because this is my calling. Any yes, sometimes I do fail. Nonetheless, I am committed. Even if that commitment means making my life harder. I can take a couple of extra steps to save the life of an animal. It is, after all a life- and life all life is precious.
We bought our first home late last May. By the time we moved in, unpacked, and got back to normal life, it was too hot to plant. Besides, we had a whole list of projects that had to come first (staining the deck, putting up shelves, painting, etc).
Since last summer, we have been talking about planting a garden. We designated a place in our yard, but decided to wait until the weather warmed up. We finally got around to it this year on a warm, sunny, Saturday. We found an area in the back yard and created a bed that is about two feet wide and ten feet long. On the right side of the bed, I planted three different type of already sprouted lettuce (red leaf, green lead, and romaine). I bought these beauties at the Durham Farmer's Market for $3. They will produce about $25 worth of lettuce. This was a good deal! On the left side of the bed we planted tomato and pepper seeds. They have not sprouted yet, but I have high hopes.
In addition to our yard, we also planted many things on the deck in pots. For the past couple of years our oregano, chives, thyme, and mint that have come back. We also added new plants that we purchased from the farmers market. We got basil plants, Italian parsley, and kale. I planted the parsley and in a couple of days, it exploded into more green!
Lastly, and most excitedly, I planted basil seeds. I planted three different types of seeds and within a week, they have ALL started to sprout! Since taking this picture they have doubled in size and in amount of sprouts.
Watching the seeds grow is like watching a small miracle. They started from a seed and now that are little sprouts that will soon be large plants.
Happy Spring!
I turned 30 this March. John talked me into having a celebration and I decided to celebrate by going to dinner and then Star Karaoke for an evening of singing. I have some friends that would probably do Karaoke anywhere, but I knew that in order to get the masses to sing, I would have to do something different. Star Karaoke has rooms that can be rented for an evening of private fun. The rooms are supposed to hold up to 15 people, but we were able to fit close to 20.
I was looking forward to my celebration weekend because John and Tara were going to come from SC to visit. They arrived on Friday night and the weekend was set. On Saturday morning, we made a vegan breakfast/brunch. When everything was cleaned up and we were all ready for the day, we gathered in our family room to chat.
As we were talking, the doorbell rang. This was strange as we rarely get unexpected visitors. I immediately said "who could that be?" John quickly replied that it was probably a lawn care service trying to get us treat our lawn. It seemed like a likely explanation because we have received numerous flyers from different lawn care service companies. John rushed to the door and I followed. As I approached the door, my Dad was looking in the window. This was odd, my parents never come over without calling first. I guess they wanted to come over and see John and Tara. I was wrong.....
When I got to the door, my Dad was grinning wide. As we opened the door, I started to say ask my Dad what the occasion was and then my Mom and Carried popped around the corner. I could barely speak, I was so surprised. I am not even sure how I reacted because it was all a blur, but I was happy to see my old friend, Carrie.
Leading up to this event, I knew a surprise was coming. I had overheard my Mom and John whispering about something and I heard Carrie's name. I asked John if Carrie was visiting and he said I was off base with my guess. He asked me take a Monday off from work and he led me to believe that he was taking me somewhere on Monday. It turns out that Carrie was set to stay until Monday afternoon. John is sneakier than I thought.
Carrie is one of my oldest friends. We met in second grade and by third grade, we were almost inseparable. We spent many recesses, sleep overs, dinners, and lunches together over the years. We remained close all through school. The only major fight we ever had was when were were 13. I do not remember what it was about, but we stopped talking for a couple of weeks. We made up and never fought like that again. Our friendship continued into high school where we went to school dances, homecoming, prom, the mall, Eat n' Park, Zoo Boo, etc. Most of my memories from my teenage years include Carrie. We were there for each other through all of our crushes and heartbreaks. I was even there when she had her first kiss!
It had been a while since I had seen Carrie and we were overdue for a visit. It was nice to have her see our home and meet our friends. We spent the remainder of Saturday catching up and then we headed out for my birthday fun! We had delicious Thai food at Swasasdee and then topped the evening off with Karaoke in our private room. Many of us sang the night away to our favorite songs. I was so impressed with Carrie. She had not met any of these people before and she sang her heart out! She did an awesome job! Everyone who took the mic, rocked and I am proud of those who tried! The ones who did not sing, seemed to have fun listening to all of us. :)
The next day we decided to show Carrie a bit of Durham. We went to Sarah Duke Gardens, Duke Chapel, a local taco joint, and had dinner with my parents. We spent most of the day outside in the warm sun. I was so thankful for the nice weather because Carrie lives in Ohio and she deserved to experience spring-like weather. Carrie left Monday afternoon. We woke up, I made vegan blueberry pancakes and we chatted the morning away.
This was one of the most memorable birthdays yet! A weekend visit with friends, a surprise visit from Carrie, Thai food, and Karaoke. I am not sure I could have asked for a better weekend! Catching up with Carrie was just what I needed. It had been too long since we had spent time in-person together. I cannot wait to see her again.
I created this blog to write about my Etsy products, art I create, and vegan food (purchased and homemade). I never intended to use this blog to rant about things I encounter in life. I am going to break away from my original purpose every now and again. This is one of those times.....
As I head into my 30's, the only change that I have noticed is pressure from society to have a baby. Apparently, society has decided that I have reached my childbearing peak. Thanks for letting me know, society! More and more people ask me "when are you and John having kids" and "why haven't you had kids yet?" We have been married for five years and one would think that some expiration date is looming. I also hear "now that you have bought a home, a baby comes next!" Really? The next thing on OUR list is getting a dog and fixing up our yard.
Usually parents, especially Mom's, are the ones to inflict baby pressure. In this case, that is not so. My parents and John's don't ask or say a thing about it. I think there are several reasons for this. One, they have a grandchild/grandchildren. Two, they had kids when they were older than us. My Mom was 33 when I was born and my Dad was 38. John's parents were around the same age.
Others seem to find an occasion, usually a public one, to ask the question or make a statement. I find it very hard to respond respectfully.
Recently on Facebook, the following question was posed to me: "Amanda, where are your babies?" My response was, "at the animal shelter." How does one respond to that question? The question itself bothers me. It makes the assumptions that I am having kids and they will be babies. What if that is not the plan? What if I did not want kids? Then I would have to defend and justify my feelings in a public forum. What if we planned on adopting older children? Either way, the question is a bit too blunt for Facebook.
While the question is often asked innocently, people fail to consider that getting pregnant is not always easy. While that is not our situation, I know many people my age who are having trouble getting pregnant. Can you imagine how painful and pressuring that question is for them? They want so much to be parents and it isn't happening. On top of that, society is asking them why they have not had kids. A seemingly innocent question becomes a very painful reminder of their ongoing struggle.
I also know a lot of people who just do not want kids and it works for them. If one knows they do not want to have children, then it is probably a good thing that they do not have them. It is frustrating how they have to justify their feelings to others. They often hear that they are missing out in life and that it is their purpose to have a child. Just because a child is right for one person, does not mean it is right for everyone.
Fortunately, our good friends never pressure us. I have had discussions with many of my female friends and I do not mind. If you are close to me, I am happy to discuss the topic with you and probably already have. My close friends are intuitive enough to bring up the topic in a more private forum. Many of them feel the same as I do or are currently struggling and realize the need for private discussions.
I am not opposed to people wondering if we are going to have children. It is an ok thing to think about. If you really want to know, you can ask me. Please just use some common sense. Don't ask me on Facebook, over the internet in a manner that others can see, in a crowded public place yelling across a room, etc. I have no issue discussing the topic, but I would rather it not be broadcast for all to hear.
I promise that when we have children, I will let everyone know. For now, we are happy with our beautiful niece and nephews.
Now that I had one successful cupcake under my belt, it was time to try another. My second attempt would be eaten by my friends and coworkers. Since the first batch had gone so well, I was not worried about try number two. It was Jim's birthday (a friend and coworker) and I wanted to make something special for him. He loves coffee like I do, if that is even possible, and I knew I had to try mocha flavored. Jim and I work together on many clients and I have to keep him content. When the Psychometrcian is pleased, the Test Developer/Project Manager is pleased too. It is a delicate rhythm we have to keep here.
So, I opened my "Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World" cookbook and began my search through the luscious recipes and pictures. Since I was going for a mocha flavor I decided on the Your Basic Chocolate Cupcake recipe with the addition of coffee to the batter. To top off these chocolaty delights, I chose Chocolate Buttercream Frosting with the another addition of coffee.
Now that I had a plan, I retrieved all of ingredients from the pantry and fridge and got to work. The recipe and frosting proved to be simple. The smell of chocolate and coffee had me psyched to try this sweet treat. They looked good after they had been iced, but I felt they were missing something. As I looked through the kitchen, espresso beans jumped out at me. I knew I HAD to top each cupcake with an espresso bean.
My cupcakes were finished and packed them up to take to work the next day. I was fortunate to have a friend let me borrow her cupcake carrier for the day. The bright blue-green made the brown cupcakes pop! John wanted a taste, but he had to wait to see if there were any left over. Luckily, Jim made sure that there was at least one left for him.
The next day at work, we met in Jim's office after lunch. We sang "Happy Birthday" and chowed down on cupcakes. To my delight, they received rave reviews. They even inspired a coworker to buy the book to make cupcakes for her kids.
And the verdict is.......these cupcakes were a big WINNER! I would make both recipes again with the addition of mocha.
While it is not officially my birthday today, I have been treating it as such. My 30th birthday is tomorrow (Monday) and I will be at work. A Monday is no day to have a birthday, but I can't control the calendar. Luckily, I work with awesome friends who are taking me to lunch. A coworker is even making me vegan cupcakes. I feel very special! I work with great people.
Since I was treating today as my official birthday, I wanted a casual celebration doing what I love- spending time in nature and eating vegetarian food. Therefore, we attended the Sunday Walk in the Park at the Eno River run by Stephanie, our friend and organizer of the Triangle Vegetarian & Vegan Meetup Group. I have been looking forward to this event all week. Several friends and acquaintances were attending and I could tell we would have a good group. I was right!
We arrived early to the park because I had the time wrong by a half hour. Fortunately, it was a sunny and we had time to relax in the warmth. During that time I saw several dogs and got to pet a Beagle. My day was already off to the right start! Shortly thereafter, the whole group arrived and we chatted a bit before heading out. I could already confirm that we had a great group!
We agreed upon taking the Fanny to Cox trail to make our hike a little less than three miles. The names of the trails had us laughing and the jokes abounded. Along the trail we also discussed vegetarianism, berries, organic farms, Psychology, iPhones, etc. and somehow we managed to laugh the whole time. Walking up a hill while laughing is quite challenging. My ab muscles got double the workout (or at least that is what I am telling myself).
After the hike, we decided to meet up at International Delights on Ninth Street in Durham for a late lunch. I got the international platter which consisted of several vegetarian sides (falafel, tabbouleh, hummus, dolmas, and pita). The food, company, humor, and conversation rocked!
From lunch, we headed to Whole Foods where we would separate and shop. We could not get enough of each other because we spent a while chatting in the produce section. We continued to laugh about FANDI's (Dr. Fuhrman's nutrient scale with our own twist), thievery, dirty names for trails, and more.
While this all might not seem like much to the average person, this was all very special to me. I have had a hard time accepting turning 30 and this was just what I needed. Laughter, after all, is the best medicine.
