Red Lentil Soup

It snowed this week.  A LOT.  Winter has arrived aggressively and without warning this year -- it went from sneakers and puffy vest weather to boots and parka weather overnight!  Gah!  How to respond?  It is Minnesota, after all -- winter lasts for nearly half the year here.  Might as well embrace it!  Pull on the boots, don the parka and head out into the winter wonderland; later, when you get home, make soup.

Red lentil soup, to be precise.  In my opinion, red lentil soup is one of those meals that is so complex, flavorful, and warming you forget how HEALTHY it is -- warm spices, lentils, greens, veggies, and just enough coconut milk to smooth things out.  Red lentil soup is delicious after a day spent out in cold, blustery, wet weather, or after a day (or several days) of too much indulgence (ahem, Donut Crawl!)  This would be a welcome post-holiday-indulgence meal to jump-start healthier eating, or a post-snow-shoeing meal, or any time you need warmth and nourishment all in one tasty package.

Red Lentil Soup

serves 4

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 c finely chopped onion

1 c finely chopped celery

1 c finely chopped carrot

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp brown mustard seeds

1 tsp anise or fennel seeds

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp salt

2 to 4 dried chilis

4 tsp grated fresh ginger

1 c red lentils, rinsed

14 oz light coconut milk

2 c water

1 bunch swiss chard, stemmed and sliced thinly

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a 3 1/2 to 4-quart soup pot over medium-high heat.  Add the onion, celery, carrot, garlic, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, turmeric, salt, dried chilis, and ginger.  Cooking, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and beginning to brown.
2. Add the lentils, coconut milk, and water.  Bring to a boil.  Lower the heat, cover, and simmer the soup for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Remove the chilis from the soup and stir in the chard.  Heat through just until the chard is wilted.  Serve with buttered naan or toast for dunking.

vacation eats

Merry Christmas!  I've had a lovely holiday week filled with eggnog, cocoa, cookies, movies, board games, reading, ice skating, snow shoeing, and lots of delicious food!

"Red Lentil Soup with Greens," from Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers:

One of my favorite quick and easy soups of all time, because it is light without being watery, nutritious yet totally delicious, making a perfect winter lunch with a side of lightly buttered naan.

Cranberry Bread:

A family recipe I've altered slightly -- here's my version!

CRANBERRY BREAD:

yield: one 9-inch loaf

Combine dry ingredients:
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda

Toss with dry ingredients:
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1/2 cup raisins

Combine wet ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup orange juice

Add dry ingredients to wet, and stir together just until combined.  Bake at 350 for about an hour, (longer if your cranberries were frozen,) or until a toothpick inserted in the center of your loaf comes out clean.

"Black Beans with Pickled Red Onions," from Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers:

I ate huge quantities of this meal several days in a row this past week, and am still not sick of it.  :)  I love black beans, I love the simple seasonings on these black beans, and I love the gorgeous, tangy pickled red onions!  I love a little acidity with beans, and these pickled onions are practically perfect!

Homemade pizza #1:

Half whole-wheat homemade crust, organic pizza sauce, mozzarella, parmesan, onion, garlic, cremini mushroom, green bell pepper, and sliced black olives.  Delicious for lunch, and delicious leftover for breakfast the next morning!

Christmas Eve supper:

I was looking for something light yet substantial to serve for supper on Christmas Eve, as I had a long evening ahead of me!  (Hour-long rehearsal followed by 2 hour church service starting at 9 pm . . . !)  I settled on Basic Quiche, hasselback sweet potatoes, and Vegetarian Southern-Style Collard Greens.  A delicious, nutritious, filling, hearty, yet light meal that fueled me through a long evening of singing!

Christmas breakfast tradition growing up always included "Baby Jesus Coffee Cake:"

My mom would make this cake yearly, and stick a candle in it while we sang "Happy Birthday" to baby Jesus.  I still make the cake, but skip the candle.  :)

"Baby Jesus" Coffee Cake
yield: one 8-inch pan (double to make a 9X13 pan)

Streusel ingredients:
1/4 cup sugar
14 cup flour
3/4 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp butter

Dry ingredients:
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda

Wet ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla

Additional ingredient:
1/2 cup sour cream (I used sour cream I cultured myself!)

Directions:
1. Cut the butter into the streusel ingredients until crumbly.  Reserve.
2. Combine the dry ingredients.
3. Cream together the butter and sugar.  Add the egg and vanilla, and stir until well-combined.
4. Add the dry ingredients and sour cream to the wet ingredients alternately, beginning and ending with the flour.  (I recommend 1/3 the flour, 1/2 the sour cream, 1/3 the flour, remaining sour cream, remaining flour.)
5. Spread half the batter in a greased 8-inch baking pan.  Sprinkle over half the streusel, then carefully spread over the remaining batter.  (I like to dollop out the batter in small spoonfuls, as it is kind of thick and hard to spread over the streusel.)  Top with the remaining streusel.
6. Bake at 325 for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.  Cool before cutting and serving!
(P.S. this freezes beautifully, if you want to make it several days in advance and pull out to thaw on Christmas Eve!)

Plated, with cheesy eggs and fruit:

Homemade pizza #2:

"Christmas pizza" this time, topped with broccoli, roasted red peppers, and more sliced olives.  

And Spanikopita for Christmas dinner, a new John & Catherine tradition:

My version, loosely based on the recipe from The Cheese Factory Restaurant Cookbook . . . 

Filling:

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 eggs

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried dill

zest of one lemon

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp cayenne

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1 onion, chopped, and 1 clove garlic, minced, softened in 1 tbsp olive oil

5 10-ounce packages frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1 pound feta, crumbled

Additional ingredients

1 pound filo, thawed

1 stick butter, melted

Directions:

1. Whisk together the cream, eggs, zest, herbs, and spices.  Stir in the onion/garlic mixture, spinach, and feta until thoroughly combined.

2. Lightly butter a 9X13 baking dish.  Begin layering sheets of filo, 4 at a time, building up a "crust" around the sides.  Butter the tops of the filo, then continue layering until you've used at least half of the filo.  (Cover the remaining filo with a damp towel while you are working.)  Add the filling, spreading evenly.  Layer the remaining filo, buttering every-other, until you get to the last 10 sheets.  Layer the remaining 10 sheets, buttering each.

3. Cut the pie into 12 pieces.  Bake at 325 for about an hour, or until the top is evenly golden brown.  Allow the pie to rest for 10 minutes before re-cutting and serving!

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Hope you had a Merry Christmas!

Belated pasta

I assume this happens to many, but I seem to be notorious for forgetting about food photos I've taken with my phone. Alas! Here was Wednesday's dinner - whole-wheat pasta with olive oil, garden veggies, and local Asiago cheese ... wholesome, healthy, and delicious!

dairy-riffic

I picked up a copy of The Complete Guide to Making Cheese, Butter, and Yogurt at Home at the library a couple of weeks ago, and I finally got around to trying out a few basic recipes!

First, homemade butter:

Even though this required considerable time invested in shaking up the heavy cream, I can't believe how easy it was to make homemade butter!  (Should I be surprised, though?  Probably not.  I vaguely remember making butter in kindergarten as a class project.)  It was kind of remarkable, watching the transformation the cream went through -- liquid, to whipped cream, to a thick paste, and then the final separation of the butterfat from the buttermilk, which was just WEIRD.  But fun!

We enjoyed the butter on some homemade "Broa" from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes A Day, alongside a bowl of "Red Lentil Soup with Greens" from Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers.  Fantastic!

Please take notice of the chard in the soup . . . John grew that!  :)

Anyone who knows me well at all knows a meal isn't complete at my house without dessert:

Smooth & Creamy Vanilla Ice Cream topped with Hot Fudge Sauce and salted mixed nuts!  Wow.  Neither recipe took all that much time, and both turned out fabulously!  I love the subtle tanginess of the ice cream, (the base contains a considerable amount of Greek yogurt,) and the hot fudge sauce?  Words can't describe.  Tastes NOTHING like store-bought sauce, in every best possible way.  Heck yeah.

I also have some homemade yogurt in my fridge, but haven't found a photo-worthy way to serve it quite yet.  Stay tuned . . . .

finishing up leftovers

This weekend has been busy as heck, but also kind of uneventful when it comes to cooking -- we have mostly been finishing up leftovers, skipping meals in favor of huge bowls of frozen yogurt topped with every candy known to man, and enjoying somewhat boring, yet still fun meals of egg salad sandwiches while out hiking.  :)  I did manage a little cooking yesterday, though!

Breakfast:

Whole-wheat and chickpea flour blueberry pancakes, with a side of blackberries.

Dinner:

Cuban Black Beans and Rice, with sauteed chard from the garden on the side!  The chard is really kicking butt lately -- it seems like every time we harvest a big bunch, we turn around fifteen minutes later and there's another big bunch ready to go!  What fun.  This recipe for black beans and rice was excellent, by the way -- relatively quick to the table, simple yet flavorful, nutritious, and inexpensive!  I enjoy beans and rice from time to time, but I have a hard time finding recipes that make me want to eat huge quantities.  This one was definitely worth going back for seconds for!

birthday treats!

Last Friday was John's birthday! We celebrated with some special activities (hiking and a trip to the Science Museum,) and most importantly, some special treats!

 "Spanikopita," from The Cheese Factory Restaurant Cookbook:

I haven't made this since Christmas, and since John had been frequently demanding requesting it since then, I thought it would make a fine birthday meal. :) I made the right choice! While devouring leftovers last night, John said, "I think this might be my favorite thing EVER to eat." (Or something along those lines, anyway!) What's not to love? A stick of butter, a pound of filo, three pounds of spinach, a couple of eggs, an onion, some herbs and spices, half a cup of heavy cream, and a pound of feta!  Pictured in the background is a gigantic, steamed artichoke.  I love artichokes SO much, and John is also a fan.  We have been eating a lot of artichokes lately, as I've been able to score jumbos at Costco for a reasonable price.  John announced last night, "it's official -- we've become artichoke people."  We have.  And it's a good, good thing.

 A special birthday breakfast:

Brie and apple butter-stuffed french toast. Hell yes. You, too, should try this at home.  Pizza Luce brunch, I kick your butt.

Who needs cake when you can have birthday pie?

This Lemon Cream Pie from Real Simple was FANTASTIC. Sweet, slightly spicy cookie crust filled with a sweet-tart, creamy, light lemon filling. I may have baked the crust a minute or two too long, as it was impossible to cut in the pie plate. Solution? I pried the entire pie out of the plate and cut it into wedges on a cutting board. Problem solved, pie devoured, and I'll remember to shoot for a shorter bake time next time.

"Whole Wheat Fusilli with Swiss Chard and Balsamic-Roasted Onions," from The Modern Vegetarian Kitchen, by Peter Berley:

Anybody else out there own this cookbook?  I picked it up used a while ago, after a lengthy library preview, and although this is my first recipe to try from it, I can't WAIT to dive further into this cookbook.  Berley's ethic seems to be right in line with my style of cooking, and the recipes are new and fresh -- just the breath of life I need in my cooking these days.  Back to this recipe . . . so simple, yet so fantastic!  Proof that all you need are a few high-quality ingredients, a good knife, and a little skill to put together an amazing meal.  Balsamic-roasted onions?  Possibly my new favorite food group.  ;)

Last weekend, I made a batch of chocolate chip cookie bars to take to the reception for our church choir concert; John was sorely disappointed that they weren't sticking around for him to eat!  So, I figured I better make another batch for portable birthday treats:

We enjoyed these, along with some sandwiches, apples, and other snacks, on trail during John's birthday hike Friday.  I think I might like chocolate chip cookie bars BETTER than chocolate chip cookies.  They seem to stay softer, somehow, and I love how thick they are!  Mmmm.

Almost all of the leftovers are at John's house, so the question begs: what on EARTH am I going to have for dinner tonight?

seasonless soup

We are having unseasonably warm, spring-like weather lately -- and I love it! I wasn't prepared for this gorgeousness, however, as I had soup on the meal plan this week . . .

"Red Lentil Soup with Greens," from Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers. I think this might be one of those few seasonless soups, because this made an awesome dinner last night! Thick and protein-rich, but not heavy, I could see myself enjoying this soup almost any time of year. (And I received a text message during choir practice from John that read, "Holy smokes, I love this soup." Must be a good one!) I love the strong ginger and anise flavors, the addition of lots of chard, and the subtle coconut undertone. Good thing there's just enough left for my lunch today!

food, and a hiatus

First, in no particular order, here are some things I cooked or baked this weekend:

Chocolate Chip Cookies!

John had a potential tenant coming over on Saturday evening to look at a room he's renting out, and thought it would be good if the house smelled good. I suggested we bake something; after a quick trip to Target for flour, sugar, chocolate chips, and measuring cups, we made cookies! They were delicious, and the potential tenant took the room! Win win for all!

After John ate four cookies, we decided it was about time we made dinner, before cookies became dinner:

Swiss Chard with Chickpeas and Couscous is speedy, healthy, and almost always a hit. We used dried cranberries instead of raisins, (per John's request, as he's opposed to raisins almost always,) and I always reduce the amount of salt called for in the original recipe. Another hit!

Thursday night was a simple pasta and salad:

Homemade puttanesca sauce, sans anchovies, over bowties, with a "clean out the crisper" salad on the side. I even managed to use up some stale bread and made croutons! Delicious.

Sunday night pho:

Persuaded by a coupon, I decided to try Pacific Food's Vegetarian Pho Soup Base to make life a little easier this week. :) The boxed broth definitely made the whole homemade pho process speedier, and the broth is actually pretty delicious! My only complaint is that the broth is pretty high in sodium, and doesn't actually taste all that salty. John and I each added a few dashes of soy sauce to our bowls after our first couple of bites; processed food is always higher in sodium than homemade, and I guess that's a "hit" I'm willing to take in the future for speed and ease of meal preparation, at least in this case! What do you think? Have you tried any of the pho broths yet?

And now, it's time for a hiatus. Work is EXPLODING right now, and to top it all off, I'm taking an online class, which starts today! Really, really bad timing given how late I've been working these past couple of weeks, but I'm certain the class will be really good and I'll learn a lot. It's going to be weird . . . I haven't had reading assignments, lectures, and homework for YEARS! (Flashback!) Wish me luck staying on top of everything, and I'll be back when things slow down.

getting caught up

In no particular order, here's what I've been cookin' up as of late . . .

In exciting kitchen-related news, I bought a waffle iron!

I've realized that the thrift store is a great resource for purchasing goofy appliances for my kitchen. I don't really need a quesadilla maker or mini-cupcake baker any time soon, (I was quite surprised by some of the kitchen appliances out there!) but the popcorn popper and waffle iron I've picked up recently have both been stellar finds on the cheap! I made a batch of "Amazing Overnight Waffles" from Mollie Katzen's Sunlight Cafe this past weekend, and they were as spectacular as I remembered. I spread mine with peanut butter and drizzled them with syrup, and enjoyed a few Breakfast Sausages on the side. I followed Vegan Dad's directions for maple-glazing the sausages this time, and I can't imagine NOT glazing sausages in the future. :) I still think the sausages could be a bit saltier and a bit spicier for my palate; I'll play around more with the recipe next batch.

I've been sick (AGAIN, ugh,) so John and I made some soup last Friday night:

Chickenless Noodle Soup, containing olive oil, onion, garlic, carrot, celery, vegetable broth, egg noodles, salt, and pepper. No more, no less, and it's downright perfect in its simplicity.

A somewhat fancy, healthy, impressive, yet speedy Monday night dinner:

Seitan in mole (using seitan I made late last week and mole from my freezer) over brown rice, with sides of sweet potatoes and chard. This also made a fantastic lunch leftover today! (Shout out to John for delivering my lunch to work for me today, as I forgot it in his fridge this morning! Double shout-out, as he included chocolate with the lunch delivery. :) I didn't realize we were celebrating Valentine's Day, but there you go! A lovely Tuesday surprise!)

Another weekend breakfast:

Eggs scrambled with onion, garlic, spinach, tomato, and feta, with a side of banana pancakes. Pancakes AND waffles in the SAME weekend? Hell yes.

Last, more soup:

Corn Chowder with Roasted Poblanos

with "Vermont Cheddar Bread," from AB in 5, on the side:


Consider me all caught up. :) Off to work through the leftovers!

rescuing chard

I picked up the most gorgeous bunch of chard at the Farmer's Market . . . nearly two weeks ago! Bad! It was looking a little worse for the wear when I finally unearthed it from my produce drawer last night, but never fear -- cooking greens seems to hide a lot of those cosmetic blemishes, anyhow. :) I turned to an old favorite of mine: Swiss Chard with Chickpeas and Couscous:

Yum! I love this dish's simplicity, but also surprises in the pine nuts and raisins. (Yes, raisins do sound weird with greens, but it's surprisingly good! Try it.) Note that I do make a few changes from the original recipe: I cut the oil down to just a teaspoon or two, (otherwise, I find the finished greens a little too "glossy" for my palate,) and definitely cut the salt down -- I add just a pinch or two, instead of the full amount the recipe calls for. I also add a few pinches of red pepper flakes with the garlic, and a splash of red wine vinegar or lemon juice near the end -- brightens things up a bit. :) And definitely use whole-wheat couscous -- I swear I can't tell the difference!

What are your favorite uses for chard? I believe it has earned its place as my favorite cooked green . . . how about you?

Saturday night supper

Even though I haven't had much of an appetite lately, (stress, ya know,) I am going to start forcing myself back into my kitchen, preparing healthy meals for myself as much as I can. I managed a gorgeous, healthy, tasty dinner for myself tonight!

Red beans and rice, (using the "Messy Rice" recipe from Veganomicon, adding a chipotle Field Roast sausage and a can of small red beans,) a few leaves of leftover chard, sauteed in garlic and finished with a little lemon juice, and a fig-balsamic marinaded portobello mushroom. Yum! The chipotle sausage is pleasantly spicy, and adding it, with the beans, to the rice recipe made one delicious entree! (With plenty of leftovers. We'll see how well I do with those!!?!?!) The mushrooms are fantastic, of course, and I must confess . . . I think I prefer chard over kale, at least in cooked form. (Gasp! I know!)

Dessert was delightful, too:

Homemade butterscotch pudding! Mmmmmmmm. My coteacher mentioned something about butterscotch pudding the other day, and I've been craving some ever since. I used almond milk in place of regular/dairy milk, and the pudding is a little thinner than usual, but still delicious!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, folks!

simple, hearty, healthy

We had a simple, hearty, healthy dinner last night:

Homemade veggie Italian links, sauteed with garlic, chard, and a can of diced tomatoes, all over creamy, delicious polenta! This was loosely based on a recipe from Real Simple, but it really was so simple, who needs a recipe anyway? :)

Off to take the cat to the vet for his yearly -- happy weekend, all!

lots of leaves

We've really been getting our "leaves" this week -- lots of greens and salads so far!

Dinner last night:

One of the "Eggplant and Tomato Gratins," from Vegetarian Suppers from Deborah Madison's Kitchen, over broiled polenta, with a side of swiss chard. Amazing.

Dinner tonight:

"Penne with Asparagus and Lemon Cream Sauce," from The Essential Eating Well Cookbook, with a side salad. This was a really really easy, really fast, really delicious recipe. Score!

Have you been getting your leaves lately? :)

winners!

Dinner last night was a winner!

"Chickpea Cutlets" with "Mustard Sauce," both from Veganomicon, with sides of garlic-mashed potatoes and lemony chard. I wasn't completely sold on the whole chickpea cutlet idea at first -- my first couple of tries with the recipe yielded slightly gummy, mushy centers. My trick to perfect cutlets? I divide the recipe into six cutlets (instead of the suggested four,) and press them as thin as I possibly can. Voila! Fully-cooked, crispy goodness all around! P.S. the mashed potatoes were worth writing a song about -- I had a few tablespoons of leftover sour cream in the fridge, and holy cow! That was a great thing.

Breakfast this morning was also a winner!

"Amazing Overnight Waffles," from Mollie Katzen's Sunlight Cafe, made with all whole-wheat pastry flour and topped with peanut butter and maple syrup (shout out to Ann!); pineapple and blueberries on the side. YUM! I'm so glad I bought a new waffle iron!

And, I forgot to mention yesterday that I made some muffins last night:

"Barley Spice Muffins," from the back of the Arrowhead Mills barley flour package. When did I last buy barley flour? Who knows. What did I buy barley flour for? Again, who knows. There was just about a cup left, though, and it didn't smell or look funny, so I figured, why not use it up? And as you can see, even non-vegan muffins suffer from the "pits" sometimes! Oh well; at least they are whole grain, healthy, and delicious!

Stay tuned for the last of the "Olive Oil Dough" useage later tonight!

orange food, woe is Flickr

Three of our four meals this week included some sort of orange vegetable . . . amazing! And tasty!

"Roasted Pumpkin-Apple Soup," from the most recent edition of Eating Well:


Tofu Mom's Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Buttered Chard:


Pasta and salad:


And "Acorn Squash Stuffed with Chard and White Beans," also from Eating Well:


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In other news, Flickr has started to "mess" with me. Grr. I have a mac, and one of the lovely things about Macintosh computers is that often all you have to do with anything is "drag and drop." I used to be able to drag and drop my photos into my blog posts . . . no longer. Now, Flickr thinks I want to add a title or some dumb thing when I click on images! Drat. No more drag and drop for me, and I can't figure out how to copy and paste the dang images, either. So, I upload directly through blogger now, which is more complicated than I originally thought. AAAAAA! Wish me luck!

weekly haul, pt. deux, and tasty meals!

I spent $33 at the Farmer's Market this morning, and came home with the following:



TWO POUNDS of asparagus, rhubarb, tomatoes, mixed field greens, buckwheat honey, maple syrup, and basil! All local (MN or WI,) and all delicious!

When we arrived home, I made lunch:



I finally got around to making the "Chickpea Cutlets" from VCON, and also made the mustard sauce to accompany. Deeeeeeeeeeeelicious! (Especially that mustard sauce! Dan would have licked the saucepan had I allowed him to.) :) Sauteed chard and roasted sweet potatoes on the side.

And later, I made dinner:



I put many of our Farmer's Market finds to good use, tucked away in a fantastic pizza! Half-wholegrain crust as a base, with homemade peso, local mozzarella, parmesan, asparagus, sliced tomato, and sliced garlic to top. (I made a quick side salad of local spinach, local cherry tomatoes, and nonlocal cucumber to accompany.)

It has been one heck of a delicious day! Asparagus may be one of my new favorite pizza toppings.

So here's a question . . . what are some of your favorite pizza toppings?

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P.S. Attention all Twin Cities vegans and dairy-intolerant folks -- I noticed this week that the Wedge co-op has started carrying Teese. I've never tried it myself, (since I do enjoy dairy cheese on occasion,) but I've heard fabulous things. I may pick some up for a pizza sometime soon, though, just to see what all the fuss is about!

happenings in my kitchen

I did manage to squeak out a little cooking yesterday, in-between a trip to the Farmer's Market, some yoga, getting Dan's hair cut, picking up Dan's new glasses, etc. When you only have one weekend day off a week, you have to make it count, right?

I made, in my opinion, a very visually-appealing batch of granola for Dan to take home for his breakfasts this week:

Sweetened with locally-harvested maple syrup, and chock-full of almonds, sunflower seeds, dried apples, dried blueberries, and dried cranberries, I think this might be one of my tastiest batches yet!

Dinner:

I ignored recipes this time, and made a simple saute of onion, garlic, chard, mushrooms, and chickpeas, seasoned with extra-virgin olive oil, za'atar, and plenty of freshly-ground black pepper. A delicious puddle of polenta hiding underneath, and a sprinkle of feta on top. Yum.

You know, polenta is another one of those foods, like couscous, that I have a tendency to forget about. Love them, but hardly ever make them. Hm. Curious.

Treats:

Cupcakes! I swear to you, the Moosewood Vegan Chocolate Cake recipe is the best cake I've ever had. Tender, moist, and TONS of rich chocolate flavor. (It's also the most ridiculously easy thing I think I've ever thrown together.) I topped the cupcakes with vegan almond buttercream, and Dan was in charge of the sprinkles. :)