sweet swallows

Coconut Pancakes

2011-04-25T09:23:00.000-04:00

I couldn't make it up to Scranton for Easter this year. My family doesn't do much for the holiday, but I was still pretty bummed I wouldn't get to see everyone. And on top of it, Ken was working a bunch of doubles in a row, and wouldn't be home at all. Though I love my kitty, the thought of spending any holiday alone with my cat had my grumpy-pants all in a bunch. To cheer myself up, I made some cupcakes. Just look at these things. They're too adorable to not make you smile.

Vegan coconut cupcakes with strawberry 'butter'cream and toasted coconut nests. Jelly bean 'eggs' complete the cuteness.

Then, late Saturday night, Ken called to say he didn't have to work Sunday morning. He was coming home! Joy of Joys! An Easter miracle. My sour-puss was replaced with a big ol' smile.

Since I anticipated spending the day alone, I hadn't planned much of a menu. Sunday morning I decided to make a nice holiday breakfast for us with whatever we had around the house. I think I did a pretty good job pulling it together.

As a baker, at any given time I probably have the ingredients to make you whatever kind of sweet breakfast you want. Except waffles, because I don't have a waffle iron (hint, hint...). Ken and I are also the kind of people to have things like mangoes, toasted coconut, mango butter, and coconut extract lying around. It makes throwing together a holiday breakfast a little easier.

Sunday's menu: Coconut pancakes with mango butter, fresh mango, and strawberries. Vegan sausage links. Mango Lemonade. Coffee. Boo-Love.

This is a nice basic vegan pancake recipe that works best as thin, almost crepe-like pancakes. Ken loved them. You've probably got all the necessary ingredients right now, and can make them yours with whatever happens to be in your fridge/pantry. Next time you want to make an impromptu breakfast for someone special, this recipe will be your best friend.

Vegan Coconut Pancakes
adapted from Vegan Yum Yum

1 1/2 cup almond milk
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp canola oil
1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp coconut extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup toasted coconut

Preheat oven to warm, 200 degrees, or the lowest temp your oven will allow. To keep pancakes warm while you make them, you'll stack them on an oven-safe plate inside the oven.

Pour milk into blender. Add all other ingredients except toasted coconut. Pulse a few times. Scrape down sides, and pulse a few more times, but don't over blend. You can place this in the fridge overnight, or use immediately. If using the next day, you may need to thin the batter with a tablespoon or so of water. (*note: I use a blender because I like being able to pour the batter, and also it keeps the dishes at a minimum. A bowl and a whisk would work just as well)

Heat a non-stick skillet or griddle over medium heat for a few minutes. Pour batter into center of pan. I like to make my pancakes about 4-5 inches across, and swirl the pan slightly to spread the batter and make a thin pancake. Sprinkle coconut on top. After a few minutes, the top will bubble, and the batter will change color from white to a dull yellow. This is when you should flip. If the other side of your pancake is not brown yet, you may need to turn your heat up slightly. If it's over-browned, turn down the heat. Allow to cook for another few minutes, until brown. Place on plate in oven, and continue to stack as you make them.

We served these with mango butter from Trader Joe's and fresh fruit. I'm sure they would have been lovely with a coconut syrup too. Also, making them coconut pancakes was a last minute decision, when I remembered I had the leftover toasted coconut from the cupcakes. Had I planned in advance, I would have probably substituted some or all of the almond milk for coconut milk.

If coconut's not your thing, you can use another extract and add any other filling: bananas, blueberries, chocolate chips, etc. And then come back here and tell me all about it!

Vegan Apricot Scones

2011-04-07T09:46:00.002-04:00

Full Disclosure: I don't really like scones. They're usually so dry and flavorless and pointless. I'm aware that in the right hands they can be quite tasty, but they're also pretty easy to mess up. Normally, I'd say my favorite flavor of scone is muffin, and let's move on.

But a few weeks ago some people I really like asked me to make some scones, and since I'm a people pleaser, I got to work.

I started with chocolate chip. They were pretty tasty, and everyone seems to like them, but they weren't special enough to make me change my opinion on the pastry.

Then I got it into my head I was going to make some apricot scones. And let me tell you, these just might convert me to the cult of scones. Especially still warm from the oven. They're lovely. So pretty; so lady-like. They'd be a pleasant addition to brunch or tea with your lady friends. As a matter of fact Gracie LaRoux, the sweetest gal I know, gave these treats her stamp of approval. So there you have it.

The secret ingredient? Lemon zest. Because let's get real, lemon zest makes everything better.

Vegan Apricot Scones
adapted from The Joy of Vegan Baking

1 1/2 tsp Ener-G egg replacer
2 tbsp water
2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup of Earth Balance vegan butter, cold and cut into cubes
1 cup dried apricots, diced
zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup non-dairy milk
1-2 tbsp non-dairy milk for brushing tops
sugar for sprinkling on top (I like Demerara sugar)

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, whisk egg replacer and water together until frothy. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut in butter. Continue to cut in until mixture is crumbly, and resembles coarse cornmeal. You can leave some pea-sized chunks of butter, this will keep scones flakier.

Using a fork, mix in the apricots and lemon until incorporated. Add the egg mixture and milk, and using a fork, wooden spoon, or your hands, combine with flour mixture just until moistened. DO NOT OVER MIX. If you over mix, the gluten starts to activate, and will make your scones dense. And then you'll perpetuate the idea that all scones are dry and terrible. Using your hands, gather dough into a ball. You may have some dry crumbs at the bottom, and this is okay. Press them into the mixture, but again, do not knead or over mix. You just want to bring the dough together.

On a sheet of wax paper or table top sprinkled with flour, press out the dough with your hands to form a circle about an inch thick. Cut into triangles (usually makes 8-10), and place on prepared baking sheet at least 1/2 inch apart. If you're making these in advance, you can place the sheet in the freezer overnight at this point, and bake the next day. If baking immediately, brush tops with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 425 degrees for 12-15 minutes, until tops are golden brown. If scones are frozen, they'll take about 20 minutes to bake. Allow to cool on a wire rack for about 15-20 minutes.

These are great slightly warm, or fully cooled. In an airtight container they'll last about 2 days, but are best eaten the first day. Enjoy!

Cupcakes took over my life

2011-03-28T15:17:00.000-04:00

This month has been consumed with whiskey-filled cupcakes. Seriously. They're kind of taking over my life. Earlier this month, I made a whole crap ton of them, and headed up to Scranton for Parade Day.

Let me school you on a little thing called Parade Day. Thousands of people descend on the small city of Scranton, PA wearing their finest green t-shirts and drink until their livers beg for mercy or they get arrested, whichever happens first. The bars open around 8AM, and the actual parade starts around Noon. But as you could expect, most of the people who go to the bar at 8AM never actually make it to the Parade. It's a long day of drunken revelry all in the name of green beer. Sometimes it's fun, sometimes it's sad, but it's always interesting.

Parade Day used to be the most magical day of the year for me. I loved it, obsessed over it. I made big countdowns on put them on my wall and saved my change all year to buy my own personal bottle of whiskey for the festivities. Those days are gone now, (my drinking capacity has all but diminished) but I still look back on Parade Days past and remember them fondly. (Well, what I can actually remember...)

Since partaking in the festivities no longer interests me, the lovely ladies at the Fanciful Fox suggested I set up a table outside their store, and feed the drunken masses with my goodies. And I said, "Well, why NOT?" I loaded up my car with cupcakes, grabbed my little brother and headed to downtown Scranton.

It was an interesting day to say the least. My brother, at the tender age of ten, learned a lot about business, cash handling, and the dangers of alcohol poisoning. I made some money to put towards the business, and people got tasty treats. Really, everybody won.

The big sellers of the day were the goodies with booze in them, of course. The Carbomb cupcakes and Irish Coffee Whoopie Pies made me a lot of new friends. To make them vegan, I make my own Irish cream. I know, I'm fancy.

It was a really fun day, and definitely the best way to spend Parade Day if you're not drinking. Thanks again to everyone who stopped by and enjoyed a treat. And of course, a very special thanks to the ladies at the Fanciful Fox for helping me make it happen. Slainte!

Tuesday Breakfast

2011-03-23T11:50:00.000-04:00

Ken made this for breakfast yesterday.

It's a quick hash he tossed together with sweet potatoes, soy chorizo, peppers, and spinach, placed on corn tortillas and topped with broccoli shreds and avocados, and served with a side of fried plantains. That's about the closest to a recipe I can give you, as the boy just knows how to make magic in the kitchen with no guides.

Have I mentioned lately how deeply and passionately in love I am with that man? He puts such fine snacks in my belly. I'm a lucky girl...

QT Vietnamese Sandwich

2011-02-28T15:28:00.000-05:00

During my winter vacation review, I mentioned Ken and I ate some Banh Mi. I forgot to mention that those particular Banh Mi are my favorite in the city: from QT Vietnamese Sandwich. I'm not the only one who loves this place. Mac & Cheese and Fries with That Shake reviewed it years ago (and with better pictures), and CityPaper gave a glowing review around the same time. . But that's not gonna stop me from adding my two cents, and assuring you that they are still as delicious as they were 2 years ago.

QT has two vegetarian options: The lemongrass tofu, and the tofu, mushroom and onion. I prefer the former, Ken likes the latter. The lemongrass tofu is pure perfection. Warm, sliced thin with a crispy texture and kissed with the subtle elegance of lemongrass. Add pickled veggies, a long cucumber spear, cilantro and a fresh roll, and you've got yourself a tasty sandwich. Pro tip: to make yours vegan, ask for the sandwich without mayo or butter (they've been known to butter a roll or two).

Did I mention that these bad boys cost $4.95 a sandwich?? The service is also extremely friendly. I know, it's confusing, but I promise, you're still in Philadelphia...

The tofu, mushroom and onion has tofu cut and cooked to a similar consistency, but looses the lemongrass in favor of earthy sauteed mushrooms and onions. Though this isn't my sandwich of choice, I do always make sure to snag a bite or two from Ken. And I have no pictures of it, because it always gets gobbled up too quickly.

Traditional Banh Mi has beef or pork, or some other gross dead animals that I don't eat. But these sandwiches aren't about the meat. QT has all the necessary components of the sandwich perfected: the roll (crispy outside, airy insides), the pickled veggies (tart and crunchy), and the cilantro (give me more!). And that tofu, geez Louise, I'd like to eat it by the bucket! QT has other things on the menu, like rice dishes, but I don't think I'll ever get any further than the Banh Mi. It's just too good to pass by.

Next time you're in Chinatown or have a hankering for an awesome sandwich, give QT a try. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

QT Vietnamese Sandwich
48 N 10th St
Philadelphia PA 19107
(267) 639-4520

How I Spent My Winter Vacation

2011-02-21T10:19:00.001-05:00

It's been awhile, and I hope no one's been worried about me. I've been MIA most of this month because I've been on vacation for the last week and a half! Don't get too excited, I barely left town, but I did have a full week of no-work, responsibility-free fun. I tried to stay away from the internet as much as possible, and just enjoyed spending time with my workaholic boyfriend, who was also on vacation. I'm here to give a recap for all you Nosey Nancies out there. (Don't worry, sometimes I lurk too...)

My vacation started by baking a bunch of cupcakes and cookies and heading up to Scranton to visit family and friends and drop off an order. Banana Split cupcakes, bowling, laundry, haircuts, and vegan chili cheese fries filled up my agenda.

AND I got a belated Christmas gift from one of my closest friends, Justin. I've been drooling over this necklace for awhile, and even though I never told him about it, somehow, he knew. I guess after 15 years of friendship, it comes with the territory. But seriously, how cute is this??

I headed back to Philly, and Ken and I did some nice weekend stuff. Gospel Brunch with friends at Johnny Brenda's...

...and a visit to meet Ken's new nephew! I've been working on a blanket for him over the last month and it was awesome to finally have a sweet little baby to wrap up all warm.

We spent our Valentine's Day enjoying the beautiful weather in Philly (over 50 degrees!). We headed to Chinatown, ate some Bahn Mi and honeycomb waffles, and roamed the streets and stores finding all kinds of gems.

That night we headed to a dinner party. I made some cake: vegan chocolate cake with a raspberry Chamboard filling, a raspberry Chamboard frosting and a dark chocolate ganache topping. It needs a little tweaking before I can give you the recipe, but it was a pretty big hit among the party guests.

Tuesday, Ken took me to New York. He had planned a really sweet, romantic getaway, but God laughed at all our plans, and after losing a debit card and forgetting to take enough cash out (combined with our lack of smart phones) we had to improvise. Not to be deterred, we still had a great day full of free art at the Met, tasty snacks, and a self-guided walking tour of Ken's alma mater, NYU. Best of all, I finally made it to Lula's Apothecary and got some vegan pistachio ice cream in my belly. I'm pretty sure I'd walk 20 miles in a mud storm with someone whipping me the whole way to get another scoop of that good stuff, so it definitely made the trip worth it. After a long day of riding trains and walking the big city, we got home late and slept like fat babies.

The rest of our vacation was pretty uneventful. I did a lot of cleaning around the house, more laundry and organizing, mixed with ample amounts of reading, loafing and snacking. I made sure to meet up with my lady friends for early-afternoon Lucille Bluth-style lunching and enjoyed the sunshine and ridiculously unseasonable temps that blessed Philadelphia last week as much as I possibly could. And of course, I got in lots of quality time with my sweet little love, Gracie LaRoux.

I didn't get to leave the Mid-Atlantic region, let alone see a sunny beach, but I did ease deeply into that stress-free vacation mind-set. Now it's back to work, back to baking, back to cold temps, and back to the grind...

Lemon Bars, Episode 2: The Agar Agar Strikes Back

2011-02-07T17:21:00.000-05:00

No surprise here, but this winter's been wearing me out. Sure, it's been cold. And there's been lots of snow. I can deal with that. But I just can't deal with a week of GRAY skies. I mean seriously. The trees are dead. The snow is dirty. I need some color here. (Note: The Photo below was taken at noon. NOON.)

I can handle single-digit temps and wintry mix if I can just get blue sky and sunshine a couple days a week. But no, a week of gray. This weather had me on the edge and I needed some color. So I did what always seems to make sense. I made some lemon bars. Bring the sunshine in.

A year ago, I battled my lemon bar demons. But that was back in my pregan (pre-vegan) days when butter and eggs were still in my fridge. A vegan attempt was long over due, especially since I have at least 3 different recipes to try. I started with Isa and Terry's version, since that's usually the best place to start.

The jury's still out on this recipe. As far as appearances go, these did the trick. They looked beautiful; bright, sunny, little gems in my dreary February world. I'm just not sure I liked the taste. (Though, to be sure, I kept eating them...)

They hardly had any lemon flavor, despite adding more juice and zest than the recipe called for. And the texture was just weird. Too solid, yet soft. Sorta like those fruit-shaped jelly candies. Weird. Maybe I loved my pregan lemon bars a little to much for these to compare. Or maybe I screwed up the agar agar. It was my first time working with it, and it seemed a little too thick to me. Is there a manual for baking with agar agar?

So what's the deal? Have any of you made this recipe before? Does it just not suit my taste, or did I screw up? People, I need to know. Enlighten me.

Until then, I think I'll move on to the recipe in The Joy of Vegan Baking. Lemon bars, you haven't heard the last of me...

Vegan Lemon Bars
from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar

Crust:
 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
 2/3 cup powdered sugar
 1/4 cup cornstarch
 1 cup non-hydrogenated margarine
 
 Filling:
 1 1/3 cups water
 3 tablespoons agar agar flakes
 1 1/4 cups sugar
 1/8 teaspoon tumeric
 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
 3 tablespoons arrowroot powder
 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest (from two large lemons)
 1/4 cup soymilk
 Extra powdered or confectioners’ sugar to decorate finished bars
 
 Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a 13 x 9 inch baking pan.
 
 Pulse flour, powdered sugar and cornstarch in food processor. Add margarine in spoonfuls and blend, 8 to 10 seconds, and then pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle mixture into prepared baking pan and press firmly into an even layer with slightly raised sides to hold in the filling. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes and then bake for 40 minutes; remove from oven and let cool. Meanwhile, prepare the filling. 

 In a sauce pot, soak the agar agar in the water for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, zest your lemons and squeeze your lemon juice. Mix the arrowroot into the lemon juice to dissolve. 

 When the agar has been soaking for 15 minutes, turn the heat up and bring to a boil. Boil for about 10 minutes, or until the agar is completely dissolved. Add the sugar and tumeric and boil until dissolved, about 3 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and add the arrow root and lemon juice mixture, then add the lemon zest and soy milk. Wisk constantly until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. It should not be rapidly boiling, but lowly bubbling is ok. 

 Pour the mixture into the prepared crust, let cool for 20 minutes and then refrigerate for at least 3 hours, until the filling is only slightly jiggly and set. Use a sifter or a fine mesh strainer for sprinkle the bars with powdered sugar. Slice into squares and serve.

Mac and Cheese, Please

2011-01-31T09:36:00.000-05:00

I've been doing so awesome with my new year's goal of trying a few new recipes each week. You just haven't seen much of it, because not everything has been exactly photo or blog-worthy. (Curried sweet potatoes and Banana Cream Pie, I'm looking at you.)

But this mac and cheese is different. This is a "stop-whatever-you're-doing-and-make-this-now" kind of dish. And I don't even really like mac and cheese, vegan or not. But seriously, this stuff is addictive. And I was totally amazed at how CREAMY the sauce was with with no milk of any kind (not cow, soy, almond or rice). And you probably have most of these ingredients already in your pantry. There's nothing stopping you, really.

The ingredient list is long, and it makes a lot of dishes, but it's totally worth it. It's the perfect comfort food on a cold day when it feels like the snow is never going to end and spring will never come. Which has been most of this week in Philly. So I've spent my snow days eating this mac and cheese, crocheting a baby blanket and watching hour after hour of Ken Burns' The War. Just call me Grandma. I'm ok with it.

Vegan Mac and Cheese
from the VegNews Go Veg Guide

Pasta:
4 quarts water
1 tbsp sea salt
8 oz macaroni

Bread Crumbs:
4 slices bread, torn into large pieces
2 tbsp vegan margarine

"Cheese" Sauce:
2 tbsp (about 1 medium) shallots, peeled and chopped
1 cup red or yellow potatoes, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup carrots, peeled and chopped
1/3 cup onion, peeled and chopped
1 cup water
1/4 cup raw cashews
2 tsp sea salt
1/3 cup vegan margarine
1/4 tsp garlic, minced
1/4 tsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp paprika

Start by cooking the macaroni to al dente (or follow instructions on box). Once cooked, drain and rinse with cold water, then set aside.

To make bread crumbs, place torn bread slices and margarine into food processor, and pulse until medium-fine in texture. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium sauce pan, bring shallots, potatoes, carrots, onion and water to a boil. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until vegetables are very soft.

Meanwhile, in a blender, combine cashews, salt, margarine, garlic, mustard, lemon juice, pepper and cayenne. (Mine didn't process very smoothly, but I don't have an awesome blender. Don't worry if it's not smooth, just start to get things combined.) When vegetables are done, add to blender and process until smooth and creamy.

In a large bowl, toss the pasta with the cheese sauce until completely coated. Spread into a 9x13 pan, sprinkle breadcrumbs on top and dust with paprika. Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbling and bread crumbs are lightly browned. Eat it up, yum!

Miss Rachel's Lunch Club

2011-01-18T08:13:00.001-05:00

I heard about Miss Rachel's Pantry awhile ago. Early last spring, a friend of a friend told me about some amazing soup lady, and slipped me a number on a piece of paper. But I lost the paper.

Then when I started chilling with Marina and helping her make the Better Butter, she mentioned a girl named Rachel and her soups. The plot thickened.

Then I saw a sign in Grindcore House for Thanksgiving Dinner Orders from Miss Rachel's Pantry, with an adorable retro sign to match. This had to be the same mysterious soup lady!

So I checked out her website, and realized I'd been missing out. It's more than soup. There's casseroles and sides, and full catering and personal chef-ing. And it all looks and sounds delicious. And it's all vegan and homemade. YES PLEASE.

So when I saw on Twitter the other day that Rachel was staring a Friday lunch delivery service, I knew I had to get in on it. And I did. And let me tell you, it was the best part of my day. No lie.

What did I get? A "chicken" salad sandwich, veggie noodle soup, an apple, and a chocolate chip cookie. A great healthy lunch delivered to my door!

The veggie noodle soup was perfect. I want a whole gallon of it next time I've got the sniffles. Carrots, celery, mushrooms and bow-tie noodles in a perfectly light veggie broth. So nice on a chilly afternoon.

The "chicken" salad sandwich was different than I'm used to, but a real winner. Cubed tofu (with excellent texture, BTW), in a dijon mustard sauce with lettuce on a hoagie bun. Tangy and delicious! But those of you who know your hoagies know it's all about the bun, and this was the perfect hoagie bun. Not too soft that it soaked up too much sauce, but not so tough that it was impossible to tear into. It was that magical combination of crunchy, chewy and soft that makes you want to crawl inside and stay forever. And not so huge it was overwhelming, but not so small I needed more when it was done. Obviously, I was a big fan of this sandwich.

The local apple was sweet and crisp and the NorthPortFishington chocolate chip cookie rounded out the lunch bag. I'll definitely be ordering again soon, because the menus change every week. And there's even a gluten-free option. This lady thinks of everything...

If you live or work in Center City Philadelphia, add this to your lunch roster. Just make sure you order by at least Thursday. It gives a whole new reason to look forward to Friday! For ordering info, check out Miss Rachel's website. Here's this week's menu:

The Jim - Tofu “chicken” salad sandwich - creamy with a zippy dijon mayo and crisp romaine on a local roll, a cup of tomato-tortilla soup, a local apple and a peanut butter sandwich cookie

The Barb - Barbecue seitan piled high with cool slaw, avocado and crisp lettuce on a roll, a cup of tomato-tortilla soup, a local apple and a peanut butter sandwich cookie

The Oprah Wheatfree - (gluten-free option, nothing to do with Oprah) - smokey, textured tofu, crisp lettuce and avocado on two homemade cornbread biscuits with spicy aioli, a cup of tomato-tortilla soup, a local apple and a peanut butter crispie square

Banana Split Cupcakes

2011-01-17T09:44:00.000-05:00

I made these beauties awhile ago to take to a friend's New Year's Day party. Which also happened to be one of the craziest parties I've been to in awhile. People wasted at 3 in the afternoon, a girl walking around with a bottle of whiskey in her overalls calling it her "whiskey baby", an old man with a light-saber inside a traffic cone as a hat, and Elvis double dipping in the black-eyed peas. You can't make this stuff up people.

Oh yeah, and these cupcakes added to the debauchery. They've got a little of everything in them. It's a vegan banana cupcake with pineapple and chocolate swirled inside, topped with a vegan vanilla buttercream, chocolate ganache drizzle, homemade vegan caramel sauce, chopped walnuts, rainbow sprinkles, and of course a cherry on top. YOWZA. I didn't even get to try one of these they went so quickly, but everyone seemed to enjoy them. I could tell because on 3 separate occasions someone said, "Oh, YOU made the cupcakes!", then hugged me. And I don't think that was just the whiskey babies talking.

Did I ever tell you I grew up across the street from an ice cream shop? Nothing fancy, just a little shack next to a gas station that was only open from Memorial Day to Labor Day. My favorite treats from there were mint chocolate chip ice cream in a cup, soft-serve vanilla chocolate twist in a cone with rainbow sprinkles, blue-raspberry slushies, strawberry milkshakes, CMP (chocolate, marshmallow, peanut) sundaes, and of course (on special occasions only) their banana splits. Which were always served in a little plastic boat. 3 mounds of ice cream (vanilla, chocolate and swirl), with a half a banana on either side of the boat. The vanilla was covered in pineapple preserves, the chocolate was covered in strawberries, and the whole thing was smothered in hot fudge and topped with walnuts, sprinkles, whipped cream and a cherry on top. And I always had to share it with my mom. I think I did a pretty awesome job recreating those banana splits in cupcake form. And you don't have to share these with anyone else.

These cupcakes are, of course, from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. Honestly, if you like to bake and don't have this book yet, I don't know what's wrong with you. GET ON IT, PEOPLE.

And now I'm also thinking about a banana split layer cake. And what kind of layers it should have. And since everyone seems to have their own opinion on what a banana split should have in it, I'm asking you: What would be in your banana split?

The Vegan Girl's Guide to Life

2011-01-14T10:44:00.000-05:00

I've been meaning to do a mini book review of Melisser Elliott's The Vegan Girl's Guide to Life. Because it's amazing. And if you're newly vegan, thinking about going vegan or a vegan warrior who just wants to confirm your beliefs and learn about other women all over the globe who share your ideals, this book has something for you.

As someone who's played around with a veg lifestyle for most of my adult life, I know the basics of going veg. But Melisser really breaks it down for you. She not only covers the food stuff (including pantry must-haves, foods to avoid, nutrition, and recipes), but all the other lifestyle issues a vegan needs to know: activism, clothes, shoes, beauty products, and even cleaning supplies. She lists the ingredients you need to look out for, as well as the companies that are 100% cruelty free. She even goes the extra step of telling you what products she loves the most. This girl is thorough. It's everything a lady needs to know to successfully navigate a vegan lifestyle.

My favorite part of the book are the interviews she does with vegan ladies, and vegan business owners from all over the world. It's wonderful to read about other gals who follow the vegan lifestyle, how they got there, and what they love about it. And the layout and design of the whole book is just adorable. And did I mention there's a section in the back with vegan and eco-friendly crafts? Seriously, I'm in love with this book. Well done, Melisser.

Following my goal of trying new recipes every week, I've been working my way through the recipes in the back of the Guide. Some are Melissers, and some were submitted by her many talented friends. So far, all are delicious. Last week I tried the Two Bean Confetti Hash. It was pretty yummy.

But the best I've tried so far? The Moroccan Chickpea and Kale Tagine with Quinoa. This dish is probably the most delicious thing I've ever made. I know that's not saying much considering my dinner track record, but seriously. I had to pat myself on the back for this one. It's so flavor and full of spice without heat, and with chickpeas, kale and quinoa, it's a nutritional powerhouse. Best of all, it's comes together really quickly. You prep the veggies, add ingredients, and let it stew and do its thing. My kind of dish!

I'll definitely be adding this dish to my repertoire, and probably bring it to my next potluck. And you should definitely add The Vegan Girl's Guide to Life to your "to buy" list. It's totally worth it. And if you've already got your copy, you should head over to the VegNews Book Club. The Guide is the book they're discussing this month!

Coconut Sorbet

2011-01-10T20:34:00.000-05:00

Well hello there! Happy January! It's been awhile. I hope your holiday shuffle wasn't too stressful. And I hope Santa brought you what you really wanted. I found some shiny new things under the tree I'm pretty excited about. And now I'm ready to take charge of this whole new year.

I'm not a fan of New Year's resolutions. I think most people set themselves up for failure by making lofty resolutions year after year, then beat themselves up when they inevitably fail a month or less in. January is the worst time to go on a diet, when it's cold and your body wants to store up fat for warmth.

I do think the new year is a fine time to assess yourself and your current situation, and create goals for the coming year. Especially using positive language, like "I will (action to take)" instead of "I will not (smoke, eat junk food, etc etc)." I set lots of goals at the beginning of each year, and do my best to develop long-term plans for success for each one. Some succeed, some fail. But I never beat myself up if they don't work out. I find someone else to blame, then beat them up. (I kid, I kid...)

For 2011, I've decided one of those goals is to maintain a healthy vegan diet. I decided on my birthday last year that I wanted to slowly transition back to a plant-based diet. I've been reading lots of websites, magazines, and books on the vegan lifestyle, and I really feel like I'm educating myself on the subject in a way my 20-year-old junk-food vegan-self never did. My diet is almost completely vegan, with only a few slip-ups during the holidays with my Grandma's stuffing and cookies. And I feel much better than I did when I was still sneaking cheese and eating the occasional egg. But there's definitely room for improvement.

A secondary, but complementary, goal is to eat less pre-packaged foods and eat more whole foods: grains, beans and vegetables. That means more cooking. And we all know how I feel about cooking. So my plan is simple: try 2 new vegan recipes every week. One savory, and one sweet. I'll pull recipes from cookbooks on my shelf, from other blogs in my reader, and of course, I'll gladly take suggestions from you, my lovely readers. I'll keep them mostly simple, quick dishes that I can add to my weekly repertoire, and once a month I'll tackle a more difficult or time-consuming recipe.

But you came here for the sorbet, right? Let's get on with it. I love coconut sorbet. I had a slight obsession with it last year. It's carried over into 2011, and I don't see it ending anytime soon. But it's a slightly expensive habit. Thankfully Santa brought me just what I needed to start making my own.

Despite the snow and ice on the ground in Philly, I decided to break in my new ice cream maker with some coconut sorbet. This recipe is ridiculously simple, and ridiculously delicious. My kind of treat! The hard part will be keeping myself from eating a whole batch every day...

Coconut Sorbet

2 14oz cans of Coconut Milk
1 cup sugar
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Combine all ingredients in a medium sauce pan over medium heat, and bring to a boil. Stir occasionally. Once boils, remove from heat and allow to chill completely. This will take a few hours, possibly overnight. To speed up the process, you can transfer the mixture to another container and place in the fridge. Once the mixture is chilled completely, freeze according to your ice cream maker's instructions.

If you have a 1.5 quart or smaller ice cream maker, you'll want to make half this recipe. In my 1.5 quart ice cream maker, the mix almost overflowed. If you have a 2 quart model, you'll be fine.

Merry Christmas to You!

2010-12-24T10:34:00.000-05:00

Whatever you celebrate this time of year, I hope the season finds you safe, warm, and surrounded by those you love. And preferrably, with a bellyfull of sweet vegan goodies.

Happy Holidays, my lovely readers!

Milk and Cookies

2010-12-23T17:03:00.000-05:00

I heard Santa might be going vegan this year. He's gotta stay healthy too! Thankfully, I've got lots of alternative holiday milks and vegan cookies for him to choose from. Should put me right at the top of that 'Nice' list.

Most of you should be familiar with Silk's Soy Nog. It's been around for awhile. I use this in my eggnog frosting for gingerbread whoopie pies with excellent results. I think that the consistency is perfect; it has that thick, creamy, eggy mouthfeel that you look for in an eggnog (or as close as it can come without any actual cream or eggs). I'm not blown away by the flavor though. I find myself always adding cinnamon or nutmeg, or some holiday cheer to help kick it up a notch. Still, I bet if I left a glass of this with a little nip of bourbon to help keep Santa warm, he wouldn't complain.

This year I discovered Rice Dream's Rice Nog. I'm a big fan of rice milks since I'm always looking to reduce my soy intake. The flavor of this nog was perfect: lots of nutmeg with other spices to round out the taste. As expected, since rice milk is notoriously thin compared to other milks, the consistency was nowhere near your typical egg nog. But I kind of liked that. It was light, and allowed me to drink more than I would normally be able to tolerate with eggnog's usual thick consistency. I'll leave this one out for Mr. Claus in case he needs something lighter and refreshing to wash down that Chocolate Candy Cane whoopie pie I plan on leaving for him.

West Soy makes a Chocolate Peppermint soymilk. I don't keep regular chocolate soymilk in the house anymore, because I drink too much of it. West Soy's beverage combines my two favorite things and is equally dangerous. Creamy, chocolatey, and a hint of peppermint flavor makes this an ideal holiday drink. And you can drink it cold, or warm it up for some hot cocoa action! I think I'll leave a big tall glass with some chocolate chip cookies for the man in red this year.

I heard that VitaSoy also makes a Holly Nog, but I was unable to find it in Philadelphia. Silk also introduced Mint Chocolate soymilk this year, but I haven't gotten around to trying it yet. If you've tried either of these drinks, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to whip out my copy of Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar, and bake up a batch of tasty, cruelty-free cookies for Santa to enjoy.

Merry Christmas!

Eat your veggies!

2010-12-22T10:14:00.000-05:00

I gave my oven a vacation last week. After the Punk Rock Flea Market, I thought she could use a little break so she wouldn't burn out on me. That, and I was out of essential ingredients like flour and sugar. Can't do much baking without those.

I did turn her on once though. To make this dish. Marina invited me over to her place for a Better Butter dinner party. She was making a vegan dinner and had invited Kelly from Living on the Vedge as well. Since Marina was making the entree and trying out a bunch of new cookie recipes, she asked me to bring a side dish. And since we all know how scary things can get when I stray from the baked goods, I stuck to a simple recipe that I've officially mastered. Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Leeks, and roasted Brussels Sprouts.

Roasting veggies. It's so easy. Why have I not been doing this all along? It's similar to baking in its process, and the results are always delicious and difficult to mess up. I was made to roast veggies. And after working at the farmer's market this fall, I've got a bunch of new veggies added to my repertoire. Leeks being one of them. I never knew I liked leeks or Brussels sprouts until I roasted them. It's changed my perspective on the whole vegetable kingdom.

I couldn't find any sweet potatoes for the dinner party, and substituted Garnet yams in their place. Since most grocery stores incorrectly label yams as sweet potatoes, it didn't make much of a difference. And everyone at the dinner party seemed to enjoy the dish. Crowd pleaser!

The recipe is so simple I feel silly posting it. But honestly, I need to share this to make sure you're not missing out! The most difficult part of the process is rinsing the leeks. Because of the way leeks grow, the dirt and sand are stuck inside the layers so you need to cut first, then soak/rinse them to make sure you get all the dirt out.

You can increase or decrease the amount of veggies as you need them. This "recipe" is really just a blueprint; I didn't measure anything. Play around with it to see what works for you.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Leeks

3 medium sweet potatoes or yams, diced into cubes
3 medium leeks, sliced, soaked and rinsed
1-2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
herbs de Provence, or other spice mix, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray roasting pan or large glass baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. After chopping sweet potatoes and rinsing leeks, place in a large bowl and toss with olive oil just to coat. (Pour in olive oil slowly, don't use too much. You just want to coat the veggies, but not have a pool of oil at the bottom.) Toss with salt, pepper and herbs. I used about a teaspoon of each. Once veggies are coated with oil and spices, pour into pan and bake in oven for about 45 minutes. Check occasionally and toss veggies around. The dish is done when edges of the potatoes and leeks are turning black.

Enjoy as a side dish, as a taco filling, or mixed with soy chorizo for a breakfast hash. Serves about 4-5 people.

Memory loss and Blondies

2010-12-16T16:48:00.000-05:00

I've been a terrible blogger this month. I completely forgot to bring my camera to the Punk Rock Flea Market, and therefore have no pictures to show you. However, the day went really well. I sold out of almost everything, met some really great people, and had a fun day with Better Butter and the Fanciful Fox. But the best thing about the market? Throughout the day several people came to my table to buy a snack, tried it, and then came back later to buy some more! There were a lot of other bakers there selling goodies, so this meant a lot to me. Thanks to everyone who came by and bought a treat. I really appreciate it, and hope you enjoyed it!

I also went to a cookie review party at the beginning of this month, and forgot my camera. Thankfully other people had that one covered. To see pics from the party, go here.

I brought some of my famous Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pecan Blondies. Argue if you will about whether or not bars fall into the cookie category, but I live on the edge and brought them anyway. Barry, my fabulous blogger friend over at Foodrulez who hosted the party, posted the recipe last week. I don't normally give out recipes for things I think will be added to my product line, but I guess Christmas time has me feeling the spirit of giving. To get these into your belly, check out the recipe post on Barry's page here.

Punk Rock Flea Market- Holidays 2010

2010-12-10T18:29:00.000-05:00

Oh my. Don't I ever learn my lesson? It's time for the Punk Rock Flea Market again, and I'll be there slinging the goodies as usual. This time, I'm not gonna let it send me over the edge.

Last year's holiday market fell in the middle of a record breaking blizzard that dropped 135 feet of snow on Philly (FACT). The summer edition early this year was smack in the middle of a nasty, gross, 10-shower-a-day heat wave. For this Saturday there's no snow in the forecast and the temps look like they'll be in the 40's. It should be the perfect day to come out and finish up your holiday shopping. And snack on some tasty treats.

I'm sharing a table with some of my favorite gals, who happen to own some of my favorite businesses: Amanda from The Fanciful Fox and Marina from Better Butter. It's going to be a trifecta of awesome. You'll want to find us. Marina's got that delicious peanut butter, now in adorable variety packs. Amanda will be bringing her amazing soap, and whatever else she can fit in the car. There might be some hand-knit items. There might be some books and clothes and other random bullshit. And what will I have? I'm so glad you asked!

Chocolate Chip cookie sandwiches.

Oatmeal Cream Pies.

Lots of whoopie pies (Pumpkin, Chocolate Mint, Chocolate Peanut Butter and Gingerbread with an eggnog filling).

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Blondies.

Chocolate Chip Cookies. And if you're really lucky, some Pumpkin roll.

Make the flea market a part of your day on Saturday. It's always a treat, and you're sure to check some people off your list!

Punk Rock Flea Market- Holiday Edition
Saturday December 11, 2010
10 AM- 5PM
$3 Admission

at the Punk Rock Flea Market-Dome
461 N 9th St
Philadelphia PA19123

Snack Master of the Universe

2010-12-06T10:05:00.001-05:00

I'm a pretty awesome girlfriend. It's true. I love baseball and football. I don't like shopping or most romantic comedies. I'm handy with a drill and don't take very long to get ready, and yet I clean up pretty well, I'm extremely affectionate, and I almost always have a homemade baked good in my kitchen. My boyfriend's birthday just passed, and I took him to the Oyster House for lunch and spent a few hours playing skee-ball and shooting baskets at Dave and Buster's. Best. Girlfriend. Ever. Ken's a lucky guy.

But I'm an even luckier girl. I found a dude that will not only cook for me, but loves to cook. And loves to play around in the kitchen like a mad scientist, in a never-ending attempt to create the most powerful snack the world has ever known. And because I'm eating vegan these days, he's taken on the challenge of creating tasty, healthy and well-rounded snacks without animal products. Swoon.

He created this dish a week or so ago. I wish I could give you the recipe, but I usually don't even understand what kind of magic he uses to make his snacks so tasty. These are the basic ingredients: Organic sweet potatoes, rainbow chard, and vegan sausage from the Renaissance Sausage truck. Maybe some vinegar? Probably some onions. All I know is, it was like heaven in my mouth and I didn't want it to end. If he ever recreates the dish, I'll be sure to pass a recipe along. Till then, we'll all just have to drool at these pictures.

In related news for Philly readers, the sausage truck is starting a winter CSA and selling their sausage by the pound. Their vegan sausage is the best I've EVER had, and though I can't speak for the rest myself, Ken loves their chicken sausage. (Oh, and the boys that run the truck are super nice and really cute. But don't tell my awesome boyfriend I said that...)
There will be pick-ups at 3 different locations, one in the city at Pumpkin Market, and two outside the city. For an official order form you can e-mail them at renaissancesausage@gmail.com. The deadline for this month's order is tomorrow, Tuesday December 7th. It's the perfect gift for that sausage lover on your list. And let's be honest, we've all got a sausage lover on our list...

Better Butter update: America, get excited!

2010-12-03T20:46:00.000-05:00

Remember a few weeks ago I talked about my love affair with a local Philadelphia peanut butter company, Better Butter? Many of you outside Philly asked how you could get your hands on some, and at the time it wasn't possible.

But now all of your Christmas wishes have come true, because starting this week Better Butter launched a shiny new website equipped with online ordering! Suffer no longer my long-distance friends. You too can have delicious low-calorie and low-fat peanut butter in your bellies!

And for the holiday season, a variety pack of 4 oz jars is available in all 3 flavors. Obviously a wonderful gift for that nut butter lover in your life. Or if you're that lover, add it to your wishlist. Screw the scarf under the tree, and make sure you ask for some Better Butter!

To order, just head over to the website. All the details are there! Happy NOMing!

Accomplishments!

2010-11-30T08:42:00.001-05:00

I've been busy. Perfecting a vegan Pumpkin roll. Put it at the top of my list of accomplishments for 2010.

I made a few of these for Thanksgiving. About 15. They all went to good homes.

I made some Apple Pear and Ginger pies too. Only 10. They did not all go in my belly. Pinky swear.

Of course now that Thanksgiving is over, I can focus on things like gingerbread and peppermint. More on that soon...

The Urban Housewife at Grindcore House

2010-11-03T19:25:00.000-04:00

Melisser Elliott, otherwise known as The Urban Housewife, is releasing a book: The Vegan Girl's Guide to Life. And she'll be in Philly next week for a book signing at the most excellent Grindcore House coffee shop. Wednesday, November 10th, from 6-8 PM. It's going to be awesome. Philly vegans, especially all you lovely vegan ladies, I'm expecting you to represent. I know I'll be there, dorking out, and I'm totally bringing some snacks for the author. Carbomb Cupcakes, perhaps? (Now completely vegan, of course.)

And while we're on the subject, let's talk about that awesome coffee shop. Oh Grindcore House, how I love thee. Let me count the ways...

1. Finally! A coffee shop in my neighborhood! Something I can easily walk to from my apartment that I actually want to walk to? Didn't think I'd see the day down here!

2. This isn't just any coffee shop. It's 100% vegan. A vegan coffee shop. In deep South Philly. I totally did a triple take when I first saw the sign.

3. They've got a big pastry case full of cruelty-free tasty treats. Some from Vegan Treats, some from North Port Fishington Cookie Factory, and the rest from lots of other local bakers (wink, wink).

4. Sandwiches are on the menu too. And bagels with a big selection of flavored cream cheese options. They carry Better Butter as well for your snacking pleasure. They've got their bases covered.

5. Their iced tea is BANGIN'.

6. Seasonal favorite: Hot Apple Cider

7. Five different alternative milk options (coconut creamer, soy milk and creamer, rice milk and almond milk), and agave syrup on the bar.

8. The shop is a much-needed beacon of light in what can be an otherwise dismal neighborhood.

9. Baristas that are sweet, not snobby pants.

10. The owners, Mike and David, are probably the nicest people on the planet. Fact.

And of course, they do some great events. Besides the Urban Housewife, here's some other events coming soon:

Krautrock: Rebirth of Germany / Prog Rock Britannia Film Screening, Friday November 5th 8:30 PM - 11 PM
"Change of Heart" Book event with author Nick Cooney, Friday November 19th, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

I hope I see lots of your smiling faces next Wednesday, for Melisser's book signing. Tell your friends. Grab a copy or two of the book, meet the author, and snack on vegan goodies. What else are you doing on a Wednesday night?

Soup-a-loop!

2010-11-01T10:23:00.001-04:00

Soup is in the collective unconscious. Seems like every blogger out there has made soup in the last two weeks. And who's to blame them? A chill in the air, sweater weather, and autumn vegetables filling up market stands just begging to be tossed in a pot and simmered with stock. It's soup season.

And I've seen those vegetable stands. I've been working some farmer's markets lately with Wild Flour Bakery. It's kind of the best job ever. I get to sell breads and pastries, talk about food, meet wonderful people, and at the end of the day come home with more bread and vegetables than I know what do with. Well, that's not true. I know exactly what to do with them. Throw those veggies in a pot, and eat that bread with the soup. Problem solved.

Ok, Hold on. Can we talk about this bread for a minute? Wild Flour is not a vegan bakery, so none of their pastries are vegan, but most of their breads are. And their bread is amazing. I started working for them just to keep up with my bread habit. True Story. They've got a couple of beer breads that they make with Yards beers, a local Philadelphia Brewery. There's an ESA Multi-Grain, a Porter Pumpernickel, a Jefferson Whole Wheat, and a Tavern Spruce Rye (my personal favorite).

There's also an olive bread that will knock your socks off. It's full of kalamata olives and herbs de provence and fills your mouth with briny bready goodness. The American Grain is pretty damn tasty too, but the honey keeps it from being vegan. I recommend stopping by a farmer's market soon and grabbing a loaf or two or three for your snacking/sandwiching pleasure. Eat one today and toss one in the freezer for later. You can find them at the Bala Cynwyd and Fairmount markets on Thursdays, Bryn Mawr and Rittenhouse on Saturdays and Headhouse Square on Sundays.

But let's get back to the soup. I don't have many go-to recipes when it comes to dinner. Truth is, I don't make dinner very often beyond pasta or box mixes, and leave the snack DJing to Ken (though I'm trying to change that). But this recipe for Mushroom Barley Stew is a go-to recipe. It's hearty. It's filling. It's vegan. And I pull it out every time the temperature drops. It's easy as can be, and feeds 2 people for at least 2 days. It's a great way to get that warm and cozy feeling on those nights when you need to pull out a blanket.

Mushroom Barley Stew

adapted from How it all Vegan

2 carrots, chopped

1/2 large onion, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, pressed

1 green pepper, chopped

1/2 red pepper, chopped

1/2 yellow pepper, chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

15-20 mushrooms, sliced

1/2 cup cooked or canned chickpeas

1 cup dry pearl barley

1 tbsp Braggs or soy sauce

1 tsp cumin

3-4 cups vegetable stock

salt and pepper to taste

tabasco to taste

In a large soup or stock pot, saute the carrots, onion, peppers and garlic in the olive oil until onions are translucent. Add the mushrooms, and saute until mushrooms are tender. Add the remaining ingredients, and simmer until barley is fully cooked, about 20-30 minutes.

Introducing Ms. Abbien: The Gluten-free Vegan wonder!

2010-10-31T10:13:00.001-04:00

Do you remember your freshman year roommate? Better yet, are you still friends with her/him? I'm lucky enough to have had the best roommate ever, whom I lived with for the rest of college, and we have not only remained friends, but still get to hang out from time to time.

Abbie and I clicked over our love of Punk/Indie rock and an obscene pride in our Irish heritage. We bonded over eyebrow piercings and keeping a vegetarian diet on a freshman meal plan. We've changed a lot over the years, but some things, like our respective sweet tooths, have stayed the same. When I suggested that she come over and bake some oatmeal cream pies with me, I didn't have to ask twice. Bakin' cookies with Abbie is where it's at! Little Debbie, fear our skills. But I'll let Abbie tell you all about it...

I've known Colleen for many years, and I've known her to do many wonderful things. Working on perfecting a vegan oatmeal cream pie has undoubtedly been one of them.

Sometimes you just needs to taste your childhood. You know, something to distract you from all of those icky grown-up responsibilities that now consume your life. Well, I'm pretty sure my childhood is nestled somewhere between two oatmeal raisin cookies, right alongside baking with friends and family. So, heading into the kitchen with Colleen made perfect sense. It was a chance to channel inner girlhood, listen to some indie rock, eat (I mean test) cookie batter, and make gluten-free vegan oatmeal cream pies.

Wait! Gluten-free! Yeah, you heard me. It was time to bust out the alternative flours. Gluten-free baking can be tricky, and finding the right flour blend can take some experimenting. If you're looking for gluten-free flours or baking products, I totally recommend Bob's Red Mill. Not only does this brand have a huge selection of alternative flours, but Bob looks like he has a sweet beard. Who can deny the trustworthiness of an awesome beard? Is it just me? Well, in addition to Whole Foods and some traditional grocery stores, Asian grocery stores also carry many gluten-free flours (rice and millet flours, etc.).

As the world of gluten-free flours is vast, we used a blend from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar. This book oozes wonderful information and ideas for vegan and gluten-free goodies.

We incorporated the blend into the recipe that Colleen uses for her vegan oatmeal cream pies and the smell of nugmeg and cinnamon added to my excited anticipation. Seriously, anything that produces that kind of cinnamon aroma in the kitchen has got to be good.

I often find that the challenge with gluten-free vegan baking isn't in the taste of the batter, but the right ingredients and the baking itself. I dare you not to be tempted to lick the computer screen. Look at that batter! That's full of gluten-free vegan deliciousness.

There were some adjustments with the actual baking of the cookies in order to find the right consistancy and shape. But that's part of the fun! Sitting around the kitchen, modestly nibbling the the edge of a cookie, hand on your chin, looking upwards in concentration trying to imagine all of the flavors, letting out the frequent "hmmm...". That's where it's at.

The cookies were pretty darn tasty and just needed the cream filling to make Little Debbie totally jealous. And for a brief moment, I forgot all about those pesky adult things I needed to get done, and enjoyed my first oatmeal cream pie, in like, forever. Well, I suppose there were many brief moments since then, seeing as they're all gone.

A guest post, how exciting! I hope you guys are ready for some more. My friendship with Abbie has seen many years and many bottles of whiskey, and now we're taking things to the next level. Abbie's agreed to become a regular contributor to the blog! Let me tell you why this will make Sweet Swallows even more awesome than it already is:

Abbie not only bakes tasty sweets, but rocks the savory snacks too.
Gluten-free and vegan means more allergies are covered, and more people are happy.
Her camera skills are far superior to mine
She's got a wicked green thumb and a bangin' garden to show for it.
She's Rad. Obviously. End of Story.

So welcome, Abbie, and I look forward to more posts from you! And thanks for not giving away too many of my oatmeal creme pie secrets... But seriously guys, if you haven't already gotten a copy of Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar, I don't know what's wrong with you. It's got a ton of amazing recipes to keep all the vegans in your life happy, and to fool all of your non-vegan friends into liking vegan sweets. Win win. And all of the recipes can be made Gluten free. Which puts us up to win win win. Winners all around.

Better Butter

2010-10-20T16:06:00.000-04:00

It's been busy and a little distracting around Casa de Sweet Swallows this month. Some of it awesome, some of it less than awesome. I need to tell you about one of the more awesome things. I made a new friend, and I'm going to dork out and tell you all about it.

I've got some really great readers at this blog. Sometimes I get e-mails from those readers. A few months ago I got an e-mail from Marina, another Philadelphian, who owns a peanut butter company. She said she liked picnics, and that we should get coffee. I said I love peanut butter, and I think you should be my new best friend. True Story.

Marina owns Better Butter. It's peanut butter mixed with fruit and natural sweeteners to make it even more delicious, but with half the calories of other brands. It's all natural, no preservatives, and some of the tastiest stuff around. There's no dairy, soy or gluten in any of the products, and two of the flavors are vegan.

Better Butter has two standard flavors, Honey Nut Banana and Nutty Chocolate Chip. They're both pretty tasty. But there's also a seasonal flavor: Maple Pumpkin Peanut Butter. Yeah, you heard that right. Maple. Pumpkin. Peanut. Butter. It's like autumn in a jar. And tastes like pumpkin pie filling. NOM NOM NOM.

I'm the kind of person who's known to eat pie for breakfast. Shamelessly. If you'd like to eat pie for breakfast, but feel guilty about it, just pick up the Maple Pumpkin spread and put it on some toast or graham crackers. Problem solved.

I can't keep this stuff in the house. It disappears by the spoonful. Into my mouth. And Marina can barely keep up with orders. So I've been helping her occasionally to make those big vats of Better Butter.

So how did I spend my day yesterday? Filling jar after jar of all 3 kinds of Better Butter. And it took all my will power not to swan dive face first into the giant vat of it. I was really proud of myself. I held back. I might not be strong enough next time. Just warning you, Marina.

You can find Better Butter all throughout Philadelphia. It's available in some local grocers like Almanac and Green Aisle Grocer, and Marina also sells at a few farmer's markets around the city. For a full list of locations, check out their website. And now it's even available for your morning bagel at Grindcore House in South Philly, and Bodhi coffee in Headhouse Square.

Seriously though, you'll want a whole jar for yourself. TRUST ME.

We Have a Winner

2010-10-07T10:28:00.000-04:00

Hey y'all! Thanks to everyone who entered the Fanciful Fox giveaway. Our winner is comment #13, Rachel! I used a random number generator to select a winner, but unfortunately Blogger is being dumb and won't let me upload any pictures. Including the screenshot. So you'll just have to trust me.

Rachel will be receiving a bar of the Dead Sea soap, and her choice of Orange Coconut soap. Congratulations Rachel! Please e-mail me your mailing address at sweetswallowsbaking at gmail dot com, and we'll get your soap right to you!

Also, I haven't mentioned it yet, but I was not one of the lucky contestants to move forward in Project Food Blog. Thanks so much to everyone who stopped by the site and voted for me, both readers and other featured publishers. I was pretty bummed I didn't advance, but I'm so glad I took part in the competition. I've found so many new blogs that I love, and feel like I've gained some new readers and made new friends in the food blogger community. I'll still be following along with the contest and voting myself, and I'm sure eventually you'll hear about who I'm supporting in the competition.

With two dinner parties this past weekend and Ken on vacation this week, I've been taking a little break from blogging. But I'll be back soon with some reviews, recipes, and other nonsense.

And speaking of nonsense and nonsequiters, Happy Choochtober/Doctober/Red October, Phillies fans! Here's to a long month...