International Readers!

Mmmmmmkay,

I see I may have a few international readers, South Korean and Canadian readers to be exact......
That is great!

If this is so... I am curious about you....could you please comment and say hello.....
For that matter could anyone outside the states of PA, MO or OH.....shout out?!

Sugar Cookies Day 2: Vegan Red Tulips

icing, not blood

These are red all the way;
I don't know why they look yellow

Not the best, but
give me a break,
I've never done this before

My feet are becoming a theme

Leo in bed

VEGAN ICING

Glazed Icing for Cookies or Cake 



1 cup sifted powdered sugar


2 - 3 Tbs water or soymilk (I used soymilk)

1/4 tsp vanilla or other extract 
(I used vanilla)


Stir together until thoroughly combined.

Add red food coloring
 (b/c that is what I wanted)

Drizzle over cookies or cakes.

Then add decorative icing and/or sprinkles

http://www.vegsource.com/talk/recipes/messages/98170.html

Sugar Cookies Day 1

Ultra-cute

refrigerated dough ready to cut

My cookies are flower coded:
Tulips are vegan; daisies are non-vegan

I made sugar cookies Martha Stewart style both vegan

non-vegan. I made the non-vegan original recipe only

because I was worried the vegan cookies wouldn't turn

Gorgeous pile of powdered sugar

out, but they were great.

vegan "butter" & "eggs"

Leo watching me bake

Sugar cookies from marthastewart.com

INGREDIENTS

Makes 2 dozen.

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter (Veganize= Earth balance margarine)

1 cup sugar

1 large egg, lightly beaten (veganize= ¼ cut applesauce)

2 tablespoons brandy, or milk (veganize=soymilk)

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1. Whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder in a

medium bowl; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer

fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar;

mix until light and fluffy. With mixer running, add egg,

brandy, and vanilla; mix until well combined. With the mixer

on low, slowly add reserved flour mixture. Mix until just

combined.

2. Transfer dough to a work surface. Shape into 2 discs,

cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with

nonstick baking mats or parchment paper; set aside.

4. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to 1/8-

inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes, and transfer to

prepared baking sheets, leaving an inch in between.

Leftover dough can be rolled and cut once more. Bake

until lightly golden, about 10 minutes; do not allow to

brown. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

Colombian Potato Salad & A Night Frog

hey there, little guy

It started with a potato

Colombia

Potato garbage

Cilantro & bright green crocs

Shredded chicken breast

Sauce

Colombian Potato Salad

Ingredients: 

-4-6 potatoes chopped

-bunch of cilantro-chopped

-chicken bouillon

-some salt

-2-3 chicken breasts

-couple tablespoons mayo

-couple teaspoons dijon mustard

-some pepper

-*I forgot peas!

Directions:

-Boil chicken & after cooked, shred with 2 forks

-Boil potatoes in water with chicken bouillon

-boil *peas

-Make sauce: mix mayo, mustard, pepper, salt and some cilantro

-Mix boiled potatoes, shredded chicken, sauce, *peas and remaining cilantro

Another Super Day at Bow Wow Beach

Today, I met Steph at the doggie beach and she helped me get Mathias and Leo from the car to the beach (they get so excited that I can't handle them both).

Leo in Steph's sunglasses

We then got a treat for us and the dogs at B & K Rootbeer Drive-In in Stow, Ohio. This place is awesome and they serve you in your car.

We got rootbeer, a corndog, a coneydog, fried Mac & Cheese, and vanilla ice cream for the dogs. 

Steph cradling our fried
mac & cheese bites

root beer in a mug:
standing on the window tray
outside my car window
nice:-)

The final moment: Mathias & Leo get their ice cream
(you can't see them, but they both have CRAZY eyes)

Bad baking day.

I was on such a good baking run that maybe I got cocky. Today, after three batches of batter, I consider this baking adventure an overall D+ or maybe if I am generous a C-.

It started yesterday with a new vegan chocolate cupcake recipe (batter #1). It SUCKED.
I threw them out.

bad batter 1

Looks can be deceiving:
these are garbage cakes

weird technique of batter 2

vegan buttercream icing

Batter #2. I decided to try a new nonvegan chocolate cupcake batter. Once complete, these tasted much better, but were still disappointing. So I made batter #3, a vegan vanilla.

better

awesome

BAD CAKE #1 -Divvies Chocolate Cupcakes

courtesy of Martha Stewart & Divvies Bakery founder Lori Sandler.

INGREDIENTS

Makes 1 dozen.

1 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups water

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin

with cupcake liners; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa

powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle

attachment, mix together oil, vinegar, vanilla, and water

until well combined. Add flour mixture to the mixer and mix

until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a

spatula as necessary. Batter should look and feel more

watery than normal cake batters.

4. Pour batter into prepared muffin tin, filling each cup 1/2

to 3/4 full. Transfer to oven and bake, rotating pan halfway

through cooking, until a cake tester inserted into the center

of one of the cupcakes comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.

5. Immediately remove cupcakes from muffin tin and

transfer to a wire rack. Let cool completely before frosting.

(Pretty Good, Cake #2)Chocolate Cupcakes

Recipe by Grace Parisi

ACTIVE: 20 MIN TOTAL TIME: 45 MIN SERVINGS: MAKES 12 CUPCAKES

INGREDIENTS

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup water

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened

cocoa powder (not Dutch process)

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

1/4 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a 12-

cup muffin tin with paper or foil liners.

2. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter

with the vegetable oil and water over

low heat.

3. In a large bowl, sift the flour with the

sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda

and salt. Add the melted butter

mixture and beat with a handheld

mixer at low speed until smooth. Add

the egg and beat until incorporated,

then add the buttermilk and vanilla

and beat until smooth, scraping the

bottom and side of the bowl. Pour the

batter into the lined muffin tins, filling

them about three-fourths full.

4. Bake the cupcakes in the center of the

oven for about 25 minutes, until

springy and a toothpick inserted in the

center comes out clean. Let the

cupcakes cool slightly, then transfer

them to a rack to cool completely.

Frost and top the cupcakes as desired.

Ajiaco or Colombia rocks!

Ajiaco is a soup that originates from Bogota, Colombia. I know it's flavor because Lolly is Colombian and thus I have tasted many Colombian dishes. It is by far one of my favorite meals EVER. I have adapted it to my liking, make it a lot and happen to think it's awesome.

Guascas: secret Colombian ingredient
Galinsoga parviflora is a herbaceous plant in the Asteraceae (daisy) family. It has several common names including Guasca (Colombia), Mielcilla (Costa Rica), Galinsoga (NZ), gallant soldier (USA).

It is also known by the taxonomic name Tridax parviflora. Galinsoga parviflora was brought from Peru to Kew Gardens in 1796, and later escaped to the wild in Britain. In Britain its name Galinsoga is sometimes popularly rendered as "gallant soldiers", and then sometimes altered to "soldiers of the Queen". In Colombia it is used as a spice herb in the soup Ajiaco. It can also be used as an ingredient in leaf salads. In much of the world it is considered a weed. 

(Stolen form Wikipedia-NOTE do not ever cite or reference Wikipedia)

Green onions, small white potatoes,
chicken bouillon, cilantro, salt,
pepper, chicken

Mmmmmm....corn

I have been to Colombia three times and adore it.

Bogota, Colombia

Ellen's Colombian Ajiaco

Final dish:
add fresh cream and
capers!

Ingredients:
2 ears of corn (each halved)
Handful of fresh cilantro chopped
2 chicken breasts
4 green onions quartered
3-4 tablespoons of chicken bouillon
Dash of salt & pepper
3-4 tablespoons of Guascas
Bag of small white potatoes chopped
3-4 red potatoes chopped
2-6 tablespoons of heavy cream
As many capers as you would like

Directions:
-Boil small white potatoes for about an hour or until near disintegration (these thicken the soup); with potatoes...add green onions, bouillon, cilantro, salt, pepper, & chicken.
-Remove chicken and mash white potatoes to thicken soup if necessary.
-Shred chicken into small pieces with 2 forks (when done, put back into soup)
-Add guascas
-Add corn and boil until cooked.
-When soup is nearly cooked, add red potatoes until cooked.
-Place soup in bowls, each with a 1/2 corn cob (or cut the corn off the cob and put kernels into soup, like I like to do)
-Serve with chilled cream and capers