Vegan Halloween Cupcakes

Here is the recipe and the pictures to accompany the cupcakes I made last week.


I'm sure most people are familiar with cupcakes (easy, right?) but maybe not so familiar with marzipan. Marzipan is an almond and sugar paste (totally vegan) that you can make into pretty much anything.
I have the best cupcake recipe in the world. The world. I will now share it with you. (Variations of this recipe abound, but this is the one that I found works the best.) It's fail-proof, and so easy! My mom gave it to me a few years ago, and I have no idea where she got it from.

JANESSA'S AMAZING AND TRULY DELIGHTFUL CUPCAKE/CAKE RECIPE

2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups natural vegan sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup vegetable oil (canola works fine)
2 Tablespoons white vinegar
2 cups cool water
2 teaspoons almond extract (you can use vanilla, but I prefer almond.)


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 2. Mix the dry ingredients together in large mixing bowl. With a spoon, make three separate indentations in dry mixture; 1 small, 1 medium, and 1 large. 3. Pour oil into large indentation, vinegar into medium, and almond extract into small. 4. Add the water and mix (do not overbeat) 5. Bake for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. You will want to adjust cooking time depending on the baking pan you are using.




This recipe will yield 2 9 layers, 18 cupcakes, or one bundt cake.

A few notes:

The original recipe says it yields 24 cupcakes, but I like to make mine so they bake up into mounds. Also, you might be tempted to use more cocoa powder (I always am) but it really is the perfect amount. I've cut this recipe in 1/2 before and it's worked fine. Oh, and it works better without using whole wheat flour, I've found.

The frosting is a recipe I've used since beginning baking in middle school, though it's now veganized and I'm made a few changes.
1/2 cup Earth Balance Margarine, melted 4 cups powdered sugar 1-2 teaspoons vanilla or almond extract splash Silk Soy Cream
Melt the Earth Balance. In a large bowl, add powdered sugar slowly to melted EB. With beaters, beat until smooth.Add 1 or 2 tablespoons of Silk Soy Cream until mixed in, followed by vanilla or almond extract.

If too liquidy, add more sugar. If not enough, and a small of amount of Silk Soy Cream until desired consistency.
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This frosting, while most definitely is not healthy at all, is delicious, and malleable. You can add unsweetened cocoa powder, any flavor extract (I've used rum, lemon, and jasmine extracts. All have turned out well.) Also, the Silk Soy Cream works way better than any soy, rice, or nut milks--it's creamier, and the frosting is very white.

To make different colors, just separate out small portions and add whatever combination of colors you want.
(Sorry, I don't have any pictures of the frosting)

Okay, now time for the marzipan. It costs like $4.19 at any grocery store.

This time, I divided mine in half--I wanted half for the pumpkins and half for whatever else I decided to do.

Add your food coloring. I used the gel kind this time, and it worked so much better than the drops!

Knead it until it's a uniform color. I try to do it through saran wrap, which works okay, but eventually every time just say F--- It, and use my hands. The dye usually comes right off.

Now, take a little bit off and roll into a ball. Make sure you keep what you're not using covered. If it gets dried out, it doesn't work so well. Make a tiny indentation at the top. Now, using a toothpick, or a skewer, or something small and point, make small lines from the top down to the bottom. I find dipping it in a tiny bit of oil helps with the smoothness of this part.


Once you're finished with this, you're almost done!

Take a little bit of green dye and work it in. Make little stems to stick in the top. This time I also made little vines to decorate.

You can get creative and make anything you want--I made tombstones and a ghost this year!



It's super fun, pretty easy (though slightly time intensive) and worth it when you share your cupcakes with everyone! (Especially those people who think vegan treats can't taste good!)

Wild Abandon, Sauvie Island, and Pumpkin Ravioli

This is what I had for dinner at Wild Abandon Restaurant the other night:

Sauteed Mushrooms with port wine, butter, and herbs. Topped with parmesan:

Spicy Italian Cavatappi--vegan Italian Sausage and Cavatappi pasta tossed in a creamy crushed tomato and roasted red pepper-chervil sauce:


Tres Leches: A moist white cake with mascarpone cream frosting and a raspberry coulis:

So, obviously, I did not eat entirely vegan. Wild Abandon has a solid menu, filling food, and good vegetarian options, but it is a little spendy for what it is. They're open for breakfast though, so I will be going back at least one more time. They also have a rockin patio out back, which I will definitely be hitting up next summer.


Yesterday, Abby and I headed out to Sauvie Island.

Sauvie Island is in North Portland, about a 15 minute drive. In the summer, it's a haven for fresh berries--come pick your own raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, even your own summer flower bouquet. In the fall, the island houses several corn mazes (they call it a corn MAIZE however. ha.), pumpkin patches, hayrides, farmer's markets... it's pretty much awesome. Yesterday was probably in the 70's, and the most beautiful autumn day. A perfect day for this kind of outing.

We drove in over the bridge and along the water.
There were still flowers in bloom out there, and the Farmer's Markets' had a a bounty of fresh fruit and veggies. I didn't know what brussel sprouts looked like in nature until yesterday. Abby and I went through a corn maze, but it turns out we went to the lame one. The weather had kind of destroyed it, there were kids everywhere, and it wasn't even a maze. They gave you map. Sheesh. We cut through and ended up in a field.






We took off and went to a different part of the island, with a better pumkin patch.

We each found a perfect pumpkin. Here is Abby with hers:

Since Abby had to be at work by 5, we bought a pumpkin carving kit and came back to my house. She went with this creepy spider pattern, and I just a did a free style face. This is how they turned out:
Today I went for a run (a baby one, but it still counts!) and I'm headed to the New Season's on Interstate to pick up some stuff. Tonight I want to make a Vegan Pumpkin Ravioli with a brown butter, sage, and hazelnut sauce.

I've never done anything like this, but I feel the need to tonight. My inspiration came from dinner at my friend Andrea's house the other night. We had a really really non-vegan home-made Ravioli with roasted pumpkin, goat cheese, pistachios and manchego cheese, with a red wine and caramelized red onion sauce and green beans. OH MY GOSH. OH MY GOSH. Delcious!

After I attempt this dinner thing, it's off to Monday Night Bingo at Liberty Glass!

Edgefield Visit

McMenamins is a slightly obnoxious restaurant franchise, but a simply delightful bed and breakfast franchise. The ubiquitous brewpub has locations all over Oregon and Southern Washington, most of which are tiny pubs populated by inexperienced servers, cigar aficionados, tourists, and the type of girl who really like Ruby, a light raspberry flavored ale.
However, the 2 brothers who head up the empire also renovate old properties, like a Masonic Temple, an old Catholic school, and an insane asylum.

Last week Rob and I went out to Edgefield, the property that had been an insane asylum at the turn of the century. Now it's the modern-day hub of the McEmpire, housing their brewery, their winery, a golf course, a spa, a soaking pool, a movie theatre, and about 6 different bars.

Note: I did not take the above picture. I found it on the Internet.

First though I made us breakfast.


Cornmeal almond waffles with blueberries from Sauvie Island, organic maple syrup, and orange juice. Mmmmm.


After we got checked in--an hour early-Yes!--we headed down to the wine tasting room. I tried a flight of whites and Rob stuck to the reds. The Viognier and the Riesling were my favorites, and I don't remember what Rob liked. The Merlot, maybe? Regardless, the palete-cleansing oyster crackers were delicious, and the wines were a perfect treat to start the stay.

Later that evening, we tried to watch a movie, but realized that after sampling wine, beer, and whiskey all day, Wall E wasn't really the movie for us. We headed down to one of the bars instead to drink some tea and play shuffleboard.

The tea was delicious, and a much needed break from all the spirits! I can't remember who won at shuffleboard, but it was probably me, right? :)

We hit up the soaking pool after that, and I don't have any good pictures because it was so steamy. They don't allow glass in there (for obvious reasons) so the bottle of champagne Rob bought had to be poured into two 20 oz plastic pints. Not quite as romantic, but better than a foot full of broken glass, I guess. The soaking pool's attached tea/cocktail bar was closed, which was a bummer because that's what I was looking forward to the most, but it was so unbelievably pretty out there--this huge warm pool with tropical plants surrounding us, and the moon so bright overhead... quite wonderful.

After the soaking pool, we showered and headed up to the golf house/distillery bar. I had a Terminator Stout, Rob had their Hogshead Whiskey, and we shared a cigar. Actually 2. I had never had one before, and it was pretty nice! I wouldn't want to smoke them all the time, but I definitely enjoyed them.

We strolled up to the golf course later to have a look around...




Then headed back, weary from a perfect day.

In the morning, I drank tea and read the complimentary paper at the Black Rabbit Restaurant's bar area, while Rob got a massage. We then had breakfast, bought a bottle of whiskey to take home, and headed back from Troutdale to real life.

A wonderful mini vacation.

Obama and BINGO and Cupcakes--Oh my!

Real quick like:

I made vegan Halloween cupcakes yesterday:


I met Obama and took his picture:


I won at B-I-N-G-O! (As my little brother would say, woot!)

Wine and Wigs

Yesterday I rode my bike out to St. John's. I've never been out there before. It's adorable! It's a tiny little town/part of town situated in super North Portland. I rode with Shelley and Laura, and we stopped at Proper Eats Cafe for a minute. Great little place! It's a vegan co-op-y kind of place that's also a restaurant. It was about a 12 mile bike ride, there and back.


Then,
Abby and I went wine tasting. It was the annual autumn tasting sponsored by Galaxy Wines. We stuck to white wines and champagnes (real champagnes, too, not just "sparkling wines"). The fruit and cracker platter was tasty, but not enough to ward off a case of tipsy-ness.



It was awesome of Dave to invite us--he's the bar manager at BridgePort and gets these sorts of invites all the time.(Thanks, Dave!)


After wine tasting and hobnobbing, Abby and I made our way to a wig store, where I became the proud owner of a new hairstyle. What fun!

I desperately wanted her to experience the Liberty Glass, so we walked up there from my house. Played some BINGO (!), took some pictures:



Um, they have DELICIOUS mac and cheese. I should have taken a picture, but was too carried away by the sheer gooey-goodness of it.

Instead, I have a picture of my dinner tonight: mashed potatoes with sauteed spinach, butternut squash, sage and hazelnuts.



It's just work food, but the BridgePort Ale House has made some really good stuff recently. There's a yummy black bean burger (vegetarian but not vegan--it's made with a little bit of aioli) and a super duper yummy dish that has quinoa, tofu, arugula, and a vegan cashew-tomato sauce. KILLER!

I'm home early, and am headed to sleep soon, cuz I've got lots of stuff goin' on in the next few days: bowling tomorrow night, and then Rob and I are going out to McMenamins Edgefield on Thursday for the night! Fun! Have any of you guys been out there? I've been once, but it was so long ago! I'm most excited about the soaking pool and tea house. I'll take lots of pictures, I'm sure.

Smoke Signals

My friend Erin came into town this weekend. She drove down from Seattle for the night. I took her to my favorite place: Liberty Glass. She loved it. Then we headed down to BridgePort to meet up with our other friend Erin. After she got off work, a group of us headed down to Teardrop Lounge.


Teardrop is awesome--the bartenders make all sorts of crazy concoctions-one drink I had was called Smoke Signals and was made with smoked ice and bourbon. Don't know how they did it, but it was good!

After last call at Teardrop, Erin (the one who lives here), Rob and I all headed to the Low Brow Lounge for their last call. I had water, and a few sips of Erin's beer.



In the morning, the 3 of us us girls and Scott (Erin-from-Seattle's-friend that lives here in Portland) went out to breakfast at the J & M Cafe.

Long Long Long wait. Decent food. I just ate potatoes and fruit. Meh. Apparently they'll substitute tofu for eggs in their dishes, but nothing really jumped out at me. Plus, I'm feeling strapped for cash and didn't feel like shelling out 10 bucks for some tofu I could cook at home.

Never Gonna Give You Up

Okay folks, check this out: Version 80s

Then check this out: Version Now

Just a little hilarity to inject into your day.




*With thanks to my friend Ryan Sherman.*

Shortened Version of My Weekend

I haven't written in a week. Some of you may have noticed?

I was in the process of making up for that by posting a really jam-packed, saturated, juicy blog, with pictures and funny stories and goodness. Having spent the last hour and a half on it, I was about 15 minutes from being finished. It was, I can safely say, a work of Art.
Granted, even if it wasn't, you'll never know, because...

I hit a wrong key. The whole thing--deleted. Dummy. Don't you hate that? So frustrating. So audios to the old, and welcome to the Reader's Digest condensed version. Here's a smattering of the pictures.
Recap: Hit up Liberty Glass, Vita Cafe, the Destory Store, Blue Gardenia Coffee Shop, Paddy's downtown for a Yelp Elite Event (my first!) and The White Eagle; rode by bike over to Joette's party; saw a train go by while I was riding home from work; ate a lot of good food like: Buffalo Chicken Wrap (vegan of course!), pasta with cremini mushrooms, broccoli, spinach, garlic, and red sauce, tofu fries with spicy peanut sauce, plantain chips (my new absolute favorite snack! They're like a buck sixty at Trader Joe's); went grocery shopping; drank too much of everything--especially white wine and martinis-- got rained on a bunch; got invited to a wine tasting; went to a movie; spent time with Joette, Luke, Rob, Abby, Ingrid and Laura; and really just had an action-packed weekend.

Blah.