Friday Morning Surprise!

I'm closing in on my four-year vegeversary, and in that time, I've experienced mixed responses. Some people ask me if I want a cheeseburger (or bacon, or a hotdog), which I think is completely unfunny and also unoriginal. You're not the first asshole to make that remark, but good try. And I don't go around asking you if you're ready for the heart attack that's probably coming your way. Most people accept it, and that's it. This is preferable. I'm not asking anyone to change what they do, and more importantly, I'm not asking anyone to defend themselves and their choices. Mutual respect, even if we disagree, is ideal in just about any situation. Once in a while, though, people surprise me and take a leap into veganism, and do so for no other reason than for me.

I don't mean that in a self-centered, "everyone cater to me" way, because I honestly have very low expectations in any situation involving food and people beyond a select few. Omni Mom has been the most brave and daring, dabbling in vegan baking more than once. My Aunt Corry also always makes sure she has something I can eat when we visit her, which is reason #8264 I love her. Mandi has started experimenting with things here and there, too.

Mandi, yours truly, Aunt Corry.

All of the time and effort and thought put into making food for me is so deeply and sincerely appreciated. Because food is not just food. Food has the potential to speak volumes about who we are, how we think, and what we do.

This point of this post isn't to wax philosophical, though. The point of this is just to say: I appreciate the thought, energy, and effort people put into making food for me, probably more than anyone realizes.

That's why when I came into work today and saw a dozen vegan cupcakes on my desk, I was totally surprised! Best Friday morning ever!!! My co-worker/friend Sabrina is pretty fabulous, which isn't shocking because so is her mama. The apple doesn't fall too far from the tree. Her mom wanted to "try something different" and decided to try vegan cupcakes for me.

How awesome and sweet and nice and YUMMY!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't tell you what recipe was used or speak to their preparation. I can, however, tell you that they were delicious and made a great breakfast alternative today!

If you're reading: thanks, Mel!!!!!! :D

Moroccan Stuffed Acorn Squash

This is essentially how I judged this recipe and deemed it worthy of sharing with you:

• easy? Yes.
• yummy? Most definitely.
• ingredients easily found at supermarket? You got it. (I had most everything in my pantry, actually. Win!)

And here we are.

You'll need:

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 2 large acorn squash, halved and seeded
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 cup garbanzo beans, drained
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 (14 ounce) can veg broth
• 1 cup uncooked couscous

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Arrange squash halves cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake 30 minutes, or until tender. Dissolve the sugar in the melted butter. Brush squash with the butter mixture, and keep squash warm while preparing the stuffing.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, celery, and carrots, and cook 5 minutes. Mix in the garbanzo beans and raisins. Season with cumin, salt, and pepper, and continue to cook and stir until vegetables are tender.

Pour the vegetable broth into the skillet, and mix in the couscous. Cover skillet, and turn off heat. Allow couscous to absorb liquid for 5 minutes. Stuff squash halves with the skillet mixture to serve.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

My two favorite cousins are hosting a Halloween party later this month. A friend of ours asked me to make some food because I "always come up with the most delicious vegan treats." While his comment was flattering, he obvious doesn't know me well: I'd already bookmarked about 10 vegan Halloween recipes, and a whole host of other recipes that I think I could veganize.

I'm kind of paranoid with feeding other people though, because while I'll eat something slightly overcooked or something that looks a hot mess but tastes good, I've got high standards when it comes to feeding other people. So I've started testing out the new recipes in anticipation of Halloween!

I made pumpkin-chocolate chip cookies from Very Vegan Holiday (the most amazing holiday-themed blog!!) over the weekend. Prior to making these, I had a mini-lesson in types of flours, because I didn't realize just how many types of flours there are. The extent of my flour use was basically all-purpose and whole wheat. Pretty limited once I took a good look at the baking aisle in Whole Foods. This is when I accidentally bought baking flour when I wanted all-purpose flour, too. When I got home, I figured baking flour would be fine since I was baking cookies.

Not the case.

 I don't know if it's that's how the recipe is supposed to turn out, or if the flour had something to do with it, but the cookies had a serious cake-like texture. They weren't bad, and in fact were quite flavorful, but the texture was not right. And that's exactly why I test out new recipes before feeding them to people. 

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies

Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup shortening
- 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon unsweetened applesauce
- 15 ounce can pumpkin puree
- 1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 lb semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, cream together the sugars, shortening, applesauce, pumpkin, and vanilla until light and well-combined.
- Mix in the flour, baking soda, and cinnamon until just combined.
- Stir in the chocolate chips
- Drop by teaspoons onto a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 12-13 minutes or until set.
- Let cookies cool on a rack.

DogFest 2011

On Saturday, Dakota and I ventured out to the Baltimore Humane Society in Reisterstown for their annual DogFest. The event was wonderfully organized with helpful volunteers wherever you needed them (at the bathrooms, most importantly!). There were great vendors and advocacy groups, too! Someone's birthday is coming up, so I felt the need to buy everything...

She's brilliant.

Spoiled rotten.

Maybe this will last longer than a week.

If you missed DogFest but want to get out with your puppy, don't forget about BARCStoberfest this Saturday!

Pumpkin Scones

Pumpkins scones from Oh She Glows! My dough was kind of sticky and wet... may or may not have had something to do with the fact that I didn't have spelt flour and just kind of improvised. It wasn't terrible, but I think the consistency would have been better with the flour called for.

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole grain spelt flour
• 1 tbsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
• 2-3 tbsp. sugar
• 8 tbsp. Earth Balance butter
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 3 tbsp. almond milk
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 chia/flax egg (1 tbsp. ground chia/flax + 4 tbsp water)
• Turbinado sugar, to garnish
• Vegan Egg Wash:
• 1 tbsp. cornstarch
• 1/2 tbsp. water
• Spiced Glaze:
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1.5-2 tbsp. almond milk
• 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (or 1/4 tsp. cinnamon and a pinch of ginger and nutmeg)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425F and line a baking sheet with parchment of a non-stick mat.
2. In a small bowl mix the chia/flax egg. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl mix the dry ingredients (flours, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger).
4. Take the cold Earth Balance butter cut butter into dry ingredients until crumbly.
5. In a medium sized bowl, mix the pumpkin, chia/flax egg, and almond milk.
6. Add wet to dry and mix until a ball forms. I got down and dirty and mixed with my hands!
7. On a flour surface place the ball of dough and kneed a few times with your hands.
8. Shape the dough into a circle and then cut into 8 triangles.
9. Now mix your vegan egg wash by mixing cornstarch and water and heating in microwave for 30 seconds. Stir well.
10. With a pastry brush, brush on the glaze onto each scone.
11. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar generously and bake for 14 minutes.
12. Cool for 10-15 minutes.
13. While cooling, make your spiced glaze by beating 1 cup powdered sugar with milk and spice until smooth.
14. When scones are cool ice the scones and serve with a cup of tea or coffee!

What Does a Vegan Eat? Sweets, Treats, and Party Eats Edition!

This might be my favorite post in this series! I love snacks and I have a wicked sweet tooth. If you do, too, this is the post for you. Indulge yourself!

I love cupcakes. Lots and lots of cupcakes.

Agave Vanilla Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting
Source: Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World

Chocolate Cupcakes with PB Icing
Source: Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World

Simple Vanilla Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting
Source: Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World

I don't discriminate against other types of cakes, though.

Cake Balls
Source: Peas and Thank You

Birthday Cake
Source: Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World

Who doesn't like cookies?

Chewy Chocolate-Raspberry Cookies
Source: Veganomicon*

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Source: Vegan with a Vengeance

Chocolate and peanut butter is one of my favorite food combinations. I recreated the fudge that was a part of childhood trips to the beach!

Chocolate and PB Fudge
Source: SB&GB

I discovered dough balls over the summer. These are a great, five minute-five ingredient treat!

PB-Chocolate Chip Dough Balls
Source: Love Veggies and Yoga

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls
Source: Love Veggies and Yoga

Some of my favorite snacks, in no particular order.

Soft Pretzels
Source: Peas and Thank You

Spicy Kale Chips*

A few of the foods I've made for parties that were hits with the omnivores.

Taco Dip*

Black Bean Hummus
Source: Whole Foods*

*An online version of this recipe is available; link is provided in the original post.

A technicality...

As you are (hopefully!) well aware, Vegan MoFo is vegan food all day, every day for a month. And while today's food is technically vegan... I don't recommend you eat it.

I bring you vegan dog treats. I can't even remember what made me google vegan dog treats, but I did, and came across a few recipes that called for things I had on hand. I picked a peanut butter recipe, because I think the only person who loves pb more than I do is Dakota. I just bought some Halloween cookie cutters yesterday, too, so I thought it'd be cute to make some seasonally appropriate shaped treats.

You'll need:

- 1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 C whole wheat flour
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 C water
- 1/2 C peanut butter

1. Combine water, oil, and peanut butter. Add flour one cup at a time. By the time I got to the last cup, I had to use my hands to mix it. Add a splash of water if necessary. Form a ball.
2. Divide ball into two halves. Roll out ball of dough, cut into squares/use cookie cutters/use glass to cut treats. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
3. Repeat with remaining dough.
4. Bake on 350 for about 10 minutes. Baking time will vary depending on the size of your treats; just keep an eye on them!

Dakota loved them, and while I'm not sure if that's a good indicator as to how other dogs will like them because she eats just about anything, I felt better feeding her these natural and vegan dog treats! I ended up with about three dozen treats, so I bagged up some for a few doggy friends of ours!

Have you ever made your own dog treats or dog food? If so, please share your experiences! I'm interested in transitioning Dakota to a more natural/vegan diet, but I know little about it so far and would love to hear from other parents of puppies!