blueberry birthday cake

my husband adores blueberries. this was his birthday present. 

cake:

3 C flour

4 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

1 1/2 C sugar

1 1/2 C soy milk

4 t vanilla

1/2 C vegetable oil

2 T ground flax seed + 6 T water mixed together (this is equal to 2 eggs for you non-vegans)

2 C blueberries (fresh or frozen)

preheat oven to 350. lightly grease two round cake pans. 

in a large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder and salt. 

add sugar, soy milk, vanilla, vegetable oil and "eggs". mix very well. 

pour batter in equal amounts into cake pans. add 1 C of blueberries to each pan. shake and swirl pan until blueberries are sunken into batter. (you could just poke 'em down with your finger if you're so inclined)

bake for 45 minutes. let cool in pan for at least 10 minutes, then flip onto cooling rack to cool completely. 

middle layer:

8 oz. cream cheese (i used 1 container of tofutti brand cream cheese)

1 C blueberries (fresh or frozen)

1 t vanilla

in a small bowl, fold all ingredients together until nicely mixed. 

*don't worry if the blueberries get smashed up or if the whole concoction turns blue. it's going in between the layers of cake anyway...

frosting:

1/2 C shortening
1/2 C margarine, softened
 4 C powdered sugar
1 T vanilla

in a small bowl, cream together shortening, margarine and vanilla until well combined.

add powdered sugar in 1/2 cup increments until all incorporated. 

 i added blueberries to the top and along the bottom for extra antioxidants...

blueberry banana bread

bananas mostly dead? not to worry...

2 1/2 C flour
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
3/4 C sugar
4 very ripe bananas, peeled and cut into chunks
1/2 C almond milk
1/4 C vegetable oil
1 t vanilla
1 1/2 C blueberries (fresh or frozen)

preheat oven to 375 and lightly grease a 9x5 loaf pan

in a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. mix well. 

in a separate bowl, mash banana pieces until it's banana mush. (i used a potato masher for this part. it's ok if some small banana chunks remain)


add almond milk, vegetable oil and vanilla to banana mush. mix well. 


add banana mixture to the dry ingredients and mix to combine. fold in blueberries. 


pour batter into loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes.

 

mexican cheese muffins

cheesy cheesiness with a hint of heat

 2 C all purpose flour
2 t baking powder
1/2 t chipotle powder
1/2 t salt
1 C shredded cheese (i used daiya brand pepper jack)
1 C soy milk
1 T ground flax seed
3 T water
1/4 C vegetable oil
1 small can of diced green chiles

preheat oven to 400 degrees and line muffin tins with cupcake liners. 

in a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, chipotle powder, salt and cheese. mix well. 

in a separate bowl, whisk together flax seed and water until well mixed. whisk in soy milk, vegetable oil and green chiles. 

 add wet ingredients to dry and mix until just combined. 

fill muffin tins 3/4 full and bake for 20-25 minutes. 

*makes one dozen muffins

vegetable alphabet soup

campbell's ain't got nothin' on this stuff!

1 T olive oil
1 large russet potato (peeled and diced)
2 carrots (peeled and sliced into thin coins)
1/2 sweet onion (sliced into thin half moons)
1 package (8 oz) sliced baby portobello mushrooms
2 C vegetable broth
 1 C frozen petite peas
1 C frozen sweet corn
1 C alphabet pasta
1 C water
1 t minced garlic
salt
pepper

* i also added an 8oz package of diced veggie chicken for that extra "yummmmm"

in a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. once hot, add potato, carrots and onion. cook for about 5 minutes or until carrots and potatoes are halfway done. 


add mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes. 

add remaining ingredients and simmer for 10-15 minutes. 


serve with a few oyster crackers or a nice crusty bread. 


(this makes quite a bit...about 6 servings)

herbed focaccia

fluffy. herby. delicious.

 

 

1 1/2 C warm water

3 T olive oil (plus additional for drizzling)

1 1/4 t salt

3 1/2 C all purpose flour

1 T yeast

1 t garlic salt

1 t rosemary powder

2 t onion powder

1/4 C nutritional yeast

 

Lightly grease a 9x13 pan and drizzle 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil in the bottom.

Combine all of the ingredients and beat at high speed with an electric mixer for 60 seconds.

Scoop the batter into the prepared pan, cover and let it rise at room temperature for 60 minutes until it's puffy.

Preheat oven to 375. 

Using your fingers, poke indentations in the top of the dough. then drizzle with olive oil and any toppings you'd like (i used dried sweet basil and vegan parmesan)


Bake 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. allow to cool for five minutes before serving.

challenge fail

yes. i woefully admit that i have failed miserably in my challenge to bake something everyday for a year. our one year anniversary celebration, hockey, stomach issues, work, fatigue and overall laziness contributed to my downfall. it also occurred to me recently that living where i do, baking in the middle of the summer when it's 100+ degrees, turning on the oven isn't the smartest of ideas.

i will continue to post recipes and bake delicious things of course. just not everyday...

to my small, yet amazing fan base, thanks for the support so far. you guys rock!

lemon sparkle cookies

puckery and twinkly. would be great with a nice cup of tea. 

3 T sugar (for added pizazz, use yellow sanding sugar)
1/2 C shortening, softened
3/4 C sugar
1/4 C soy milk
2 T lemon zest
1 t vanilla extract
1 3/4 C flour
2 T cornmeal
1 T cornstarch
1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt

preheat oven to 350. line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. 


put 3 T of sugar on a small plate. 


in a large bowl, cream together shortening and sugar until fluffy. add soy milk, lemon zest and vanilla. mix well. 


add remaining ingredients to the bowl and mix until well combined. (this will not form a cohesive dough, it will be very crumbly. but that's ok)


using a tablespoon, scoop out balls of dough and roll between your hands until dough sticks together. 


mush dough balls onto plate of sugar, making thick flat discs with sugar only coating one side. 


place onto cookie sheets and bake for 12 minutes. allow to cool on cookie sheet for five minutes before moving to wire racks to cool completely. 

*makes two dozen(ish) cookies

caramel apple pie

the famous fall treat...minus the stick of course. 

filling:

6 medium sized granny smith apples (peeled, cored and diced)
2 T butter (melted)
3/4 C sugar
1/2 t nutmeg
1 t cinnamon

topping:

1/2 C brown sugar
1/4 C flour
1/4 C butter (melted)
1/2 C chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, etc.)
1 frozen deep dish pie crust

preheat oven to 375. 


mix all ingredients for filling in a medium sized bowl. toss everything until apples are fully coated then pour into pie shell. 


mix all ingredients for topping in a small bowl. drizzle caramel mixture over apple filling mix. 


place pie in oven and bake for 50 minutes. 

(tip o' the day: place a foil lined cookie sheet on the shelf beneath the pie. this will catch any molten sugary pie juices from dripping onto the bottom of your oven!)