Bat cupcakes

While technically speaking I’m no longer in the cupcake business, I had a special request for some bat cupcakes and I just could not turn it down. Especially with Halloween coming up, I couldn’t miss an opportunity to try out some bat decorations.

I spent a long time practicing drawing bats in frosting and but every one felt like something was missing. I was about to give up and go another route when I realized what it was. Eyes! They needed eyes. I grabbed some sprinkles and very carefully placed two tiny beady eyes on each bat.

They manage to still be a little cute without being cartoonish. These would be perfect for a Halloween party or just for some who liked bats. Just imagine a dozen of these little guys at a party.

I’m debating making cupcakes for our Halloween gathering this weekend, as I make cupcakes every year. Maybe I’ll make ones with pumpkins on top. What’s your favorite way to decorate cupcakes?

Halloween Pumpkin Mantel

Generally speaking when it comes to Halloween decorations, I lean more towards the actual scary than the cute. On the other hand, I love pumpkins and I knew for our mantel I wanted a ton of pumpkins.

I bought a handful of fake pumpkins from the craft store (they never go rotten!) and went to town. I thought I’d stick with a black and white theme and at first I was tempted to make them pretty with patterned stencils, but was inspired to paint cute faces on them when we found a light up pumpkin at a Halloween store. We turned that one into a makeshift light putting it on an antique tripod.

Of course with the black and white theme, I was able to incorporate the ghosties I made.

Look at that happy pumpkin face! They were all painted with acrylic paint we had laying around the house. Pretty simple and pretty fast.

This is the just the beginnings of our decor. We have some more creepy awesome stuff that I’ll share over the next weeks. Not to mention that next weekend is our horror movie marathon and all the treats and decorations that go along with it. Can’t wait!

Lentil Loaf Sandwich

Hello! I’m back with more lentil loaf. This second recipe is even more flavorful than the last lentil loaf recipe. It doesn’t have the chewiness, but instead has a grainier texture. We ate this loaf in sandwiches, which worked out great as they were tasty and filling; perfect for a picnic lunch.

So without further ado, here is the recipe:

Vegan Lentil Loaf – take two

• 2 cups cooked lentils
• 2 cups whole wheat couscous
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp arrowroot
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 2 Tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 tsp liquid smoke
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

Preheat oven to 375°

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl mashing the lentils as you go. Make sure you mix everything really well.

Put into a lightly oiled loaf pan and brush the top with ketchup.

Cook for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Easy!

lentil loaf

As soon as the weather cools I find myself drawn to the kitchen to make wholesome foods. With all the wonderful fall flavors to experiment with, I generally find myself making sweet desserts: pumpkin loaves and apple pies. This year though, I’ve been fantasizing about savory fare like potato topped, vegetable pies and seitan with gravy.

This weekend was full of projects and hard work which left little time for fun in the kitchen, let alone trips to the grocery store. Instead I cooked up 2 lentil loaves using the dregs of our pantry and leftovers in the fridge. While that might sound unappetizing, that is the simple beauty of a lentil loaf. You can throw nearly anything in there and it can still turn out delicious.

While I often include some veggies in our lentil loaves, this one is pure faux-meaty goodness. It’s moist and a little bit chewy, with a tiny bit of spicy here and there. We had it with some almond gravy, but it would be wonderful with some simple brown gravy as well (in fact, it doesn’t even need the gravy, but I like gravy and will eat it at any opportunity I get).

I made two completely different recipes, so today I’ll share the the first and once we try the second I’ll post it as well.

Vegan Lentil Loaf

• 2 cups cooked lentils
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1/4 cup ketchup, plus more for topping
• 1/4 cup bbq sauce
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1 tsp dried sage
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 cup vital wheat gluten
• 1/4 cup vegetable broth

Preheat your oven to 375°

Heat a bit of oil in a small pan and saute the onions and garlic until soft and fragrant.

Mix all ingredients, minus the wheat gluten and veggie broth in a bowl. I like to use potato masher to smoosh (yes, that’s a technical term) some of the lentils. Mix together until you have a consistent mush.

Add in the vital wheat gluten and vegetable broth and knead together until it becomes slightly elastic. Press the dough into a greased loaf pan. Brush the top with ketchup to cover it.

Bake for 45 minutes. Let cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.

fall time

I wanted to share this lovely video from La Sera that a friend showed me last October. It’s simultaneously cute and gross. Not to mention I love the song. Good for the season.

It’s really starting to feel like fall here in LA. We don’t so much get a season but a brisk cold time. Shawn and I have been watching our fair share of horror movies and that strange creepiness is starting to pervade my senses. I love it though. Feeling a little scared when I walk down the hallway in the dark or like something might be out there in the night.

Looking forward to a weekend filled with scary things and perhaps some creations in the kitchen. I promise food here on the blog next week.

Don’t forget, a week from today we’ll be screening Brainwashed Love at the La Femme Film Festival. Be there or be square.