Birthday worthy desserts. Maybe I will blog more-ish this summer?

The best (worst) kind of blog post: dessert pics and a reminder about how I never post anymore! Blah, blah, blah grad school. Blah, blah, blah summer break from grad school now occupied by full-ish time work. I am the *most* fun of all the overworked depressing documentary watching people *ever*!




Anyway, these were coconut mini cupcakes topped with the dulce de leche recipe from Viva Vegan. I had them at my birthday. In January. Also consumed were these double chocolate chip mini cupcakes with my own invented (and since refined) pomegranate frosting. Tomas also made empanadas (seitan-potato-tomato, and butternut squash-black bean), tostones and sweet plantains. Apparently I did not photograph these things! My underfed social work grad students buddies loved it all! Then again, they love everything--they are professionally trained Nice People.

















Last week was Tomas' birthday. I made him a vegan-approved ice cream cake that was experimental, but happily successful. I made a chocolate chip brownie crust (doubled the Joy of Vegan Baking recipe, added chocolate chips) in a spring-form pan, then smooshed in a layer of chocolate cookie ice cream, crushed newman-o's, strawberry ice cream, whipped topping (recipe in Joy of Vegan Baking) *and* chocolate covered strawberries. Tomas also made the courico tacos with pineapple salsa from Vegan Brunch again. His friends were again astounded that he managed to keep the fact that he can cook from them for so many years. His favorite gifts included a box of assorted sunglasses, an adopted chicken from Woodstock Animal Sanctuary (what's up Pearl, how's the feed up there?!) and some fine haberdashery.








Party!

Birthday Post '09

I turned 24 a few weeks ago and had a party at my apartment to celebrate. As usual, I went overboard with the food, and was stressing myself out about it, but everything went over well, so I was extra happy. The snack theme started as Latin-Middle Eastern fusion, but ended up being more eclectic than that. Good music, good booze, good food, cute new dress, lots of good friends. Thanks to everyone for coming :)

The Food:







Mini pita breads, with store-bought avjar (eggplant and red pepper spread), homemade chipotle-pumpkin hummus (chickpeas, canned pumpkin, tahini, lime juice, salt, powdered chipotle, paprika, fresh parsley), baby carrots, broccoli and red pepper strips.










Guacamole (avocados, lime juice, cilantro, onions, salt), chips, some chili-lime cashews from Trader Joe's. I make awesome guacamole. It disappears like whoa.













Coconut lime cupcakes (recipe in vctotw) with pomegranate frosting (eb, spectrum shortening, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, coconut extract, and the secret ingredient is pomegranate molasses, my new favorite thing) topped with coconut shreds and pomegranate seeds were a giant hit, and some yummy pistachio-rosewater cookies from veganomicon that my oven burned most of (TWICE!)









"Chicken" tikka masala skewers were some very fun party food (who doesn't like food on a stick?). The "chicken" is TSP (texturized soy protein) chunks rehydrated in veggie stock, tomato paste and liquid smoke, then squeezed out and marinated in plain soy yogurt with a packet of tikka masala flavorings, plus extra garlic, turmeric, paprika, cumin, lemon juice and liquid smoke. The chunks sat in the yogurt mix for a few hours and then we skewered them with pieces of white onion and green bell peppers and roasted them in the oven for a few minutes. Guests said this was very meat like. I also ate some of the unskewered leftover chunks and veggie pieces stir fried over coconut-almond brown basmati and it made an awesome morning-after-the-party brunch with tea, consumed while watching lots of DVD's.