Easter bunny cake

Hope everyone had a delicious Easter!

St. Patty’s treats

Saint Patrick’s day is upon us again and I wanted to get in a quick post to honor it, and also to reflect on the feasting Shawn and I did last year. This year we won’t be feasting for every meal, but we’ll try to squeeze in a few Irish themed dishes. We started early by having some beans and toast tonight, with some apple sage field roast sausage. I’ll try out some new recipes for tomorrow, but why mess with something that is amazingly delicious as it is?

Now, back in February, I mentioned I had a few knitting projects going and that I might just share one for Saint Patrick’s if I finished in time. Guess what…I did! Even with making a million mistakes and having to undo hours of work, I managed to complete the above pictured fingerless gloves. They’re made with organic cotton yarn (in green of course!) that I love. It’s so easy to work with and softer than any not-so animal friendly wool. If you were so inclined, you could knit these yourself as there is a free pattern available, which I’m always appreciative of. These guys are so comfy and also great for keeping warm on a bike ride without losing your grip.

Part of the reason there won’t be extensive feasting this year, is because I’ve been rather busy baking away. I did manage to get some special St. Patrick’s day cupcakes over to Meet Market, so if you need some Saint Patrick’s day treats you can get your own lucky shamrock vanilla cupcake, or some Peppermint Patty cupcakes or even a special green themed “hostess” cupcake with marshmallow cream filling. Get them before they’re gone though, they’ve been selling out awfully quick.

Hope everyone has a lovely Saint Patrick’s day. Eat something delicious. Don’t forget to wear green (or orange). Try not to drink too much. 🙂

The Best Vegan Fudge Ever

What is the one food you remember from your childhood as being better than anything else? Was it the sugar cookies your grandmother made? The grilled cheese sandwich your dad grilled especially for you? Maybe that’s not it, but there was something, wasn’t there? And you’ve never been able to find something as good anywhere else.

For me, the one thing I remember as being incomparably amazing was the fudge my mom made. Even though she would usually sabotage it with walnuts, I would sometimes get a small batch just for myself. It’s been years and years since I’ve had anything even comparable to that fudge. I mean, even before I was vegan, there wasn’t anything nearly as good.

Finally, my mom agreed to show me her recipe step by step so I could veganize it. She even said it was ok for me to share it with you, which I think is pretty generous, considering it is the best fudge ever. Thanks mom!

Ok, here’s what you need…

1 1/3 cup of non-dairy cream, unsweetened

2 2/3 cup sugar, yeah, that much sugar

4 ish oz bittersweet chocolate

2 Tbsp corn syrup

4 Tbsp Earth Balance

Put everything in a medium sauce pan and stir together. Turn the heat on to medium high and stir occasionally so that the chocolate melts evenly. Bring to a boil and using a candy thermometer, or your cunning senses, heat slowly to the firm ball stage, about 240° – 250° F. If you want your fudge a little creamier you don’t have to go quite this hot.

To check the firmness, you can spoon a small bit into some cold water. Take out the cooled piece and roll between your fingers. The harder it is, the firmer your fudge will be. Once it reaches the desired temperature, remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes. In the mean time, grease a pan to put your fudge in.  Mix in 1 tsp of vanilla.

If you’ve made it through all that, get ready for the hard part. Using a spoon, beat the fudge so that air is incorporated into the mixture. Don’t stir, beat. If your arm doesn’t get tired, you’re not doing it right. In fact, you might want to have a backup beater on hand to help you. My arm is still sore from this part actually. Do this for a couple minutes, until the mixture is a bit fluffier.

Pour the fudge into your prepared pan and smooth over a bit. Slice into chunks once it has cooled somewhat, but is still slightly warm. You probably want to use a butter knife as well and not a ridiculous sharp one like the one above. Also, go ahead and make those chunks pretty small, you’re better off this way.

You can totally snack on some bits here when it’s still warm, but know once you start it will be hard to stop. I personally like it best once it has cooled completely and hardened.

So the verdict? It’s almost exactly the same as I remember it. That sugary sweetness that melts in your mouth with a rich chocolate flavor. The flavor of the mimicream definitely has a subtle effect, but in the end one I like, giving it just a hint of nuttiness. I may try a few variations, and practice my beating technique, but I wouldn’t hesitate to say that it was a complete success. I should also probably mention this is the recipe for a double batch so go ahead and half it if you like. Although you might not want to. On the other hand, you might eat it all in one day so beware. Not that anyone I know would do that. Never.

Coffee Cozy

In case I hadn’t made it clear in some previous post, I love coffee. Mostly I love the rich flavor of a good espresso, but I won’t lie, I can’t go without my daily caffeine boost. I don’t often get coffee to go, but when the occasion arises, I come prepared with my own coffee cozy. It’s not quite as earth friendly as bringing your own mug, but its much more convenient as I can carry one in my purse all the time. Not to mention, they’re damn cute. I made these one night after seeing some adorable ones on various craft blogs and knew I had to have one. I used some scrap fabric and some felt to line them. They came together in just a few minutes.

Lucky for you…I’m including a tutorial on how to make one of your own AND giving away a cozy to one lucky reader. Better than an infomercial!

Before I get to the tutorial though, just wanted to let you all know I’m now on formspring. So if there’s something you’re curious about or just bored, feel free to ask me! Ok back to the cozies…

1. First print out the template I’ve included. Use the template to cut two pieces of fabric for your cozy, one out of felt, and the other out of a fabric of your choice.

2. Next take a piece of velcro and sew onto one side of the felt, being careful to leave space for seam allowances. I should probably tell you now that I rarely pin things, mainly because I am lazy, but you might want to baste or pin pieces in place.

3. Put your two fabric pieces together with the right sides facing. The velcro will be on the inside. Pin if necessary and trim any areas where the fabrics do not line up.

4. Sew along the two long edges and the short edge near the velcro, following a 3/8 inch seam allowance. Make sure to double back and secure any open ends.

5. Turn the cozy inside out, using a chopstick to poke out corners. Fold the unfinished edge inside and press the whole thing.

6. Sew around the outside edge of the whole cozy starting on the unfinished side about 1/8 inch away from the edge. You can use a matching thread or something contrasting, depending on what you prefer.

7. Last, sew the other half of the velcro on the outside so that it will meet the velcro on the inside. That’s it! Good work, I think you deserve some coffee.

If you like the cozy you see made in the tutorial, you can win it. All you have to do is comment and a winner will be chosen at random on March 7th. Good luck!

Update: and the cozy goes to…Christy! Congratulations!

Knit Heart

I’m a bit behind, it’s true, but I couldn’t not post about the valentine I gave my sweetheart Shawn for Valentine’s Day. Valentine’s day? Yes it may seem like ages ago, I know, but the truth is I’m not as late in my writing as much as belated in finishing the project itself (oops!).

Luckily, I have a very understanding valentine who put up with me banishing him from the living room while I worked in secret and was still appreciative when I gave it to him a week late. Yikes, that’s pretty bad, I probably shouldn’t admit that…and I just did…

I got the pattern from the always awesome knitty.com. For some reason I always get the urge to knit when it’s getting warmer, and knitting in the summer just doesn’t have the same appeal. In other words, I better get knitting while there’s still some rainy days about. Luckily I have a few other things started. Perhaps I’ll finish something green for St. Patty’s early instead of late!