Home Grown Tomatoes presents...Snickered Up

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

Home Grown Tomatoes is a weekly Vegan/Vegetarian column by Giovanina Bucci

The "Christmas Spirit" hasn't quite hit me yet, I don't know what it is this year? I mean, this year we're settled in our apartment, we can actually (sort of) afford to buy a few gifts, and we are going to enjoy the day with great friends. All things considered, I should be ho, ho, ho-ing 24/7. Not to mention, I have 10 days off from work! I'm hoping that after the tree goes up tonight, the smell of pine and the glow of the lights will set me straight.

Speaking of the tree... Last weekend I had mentioned to Beau that I'd really like to get our tree, so we can enjoy it for a couple of weeks...blah, blah, blah. Sunday night after I sang in the Master Chorale Christmas Concert, we decided it would be a good night for some hot sake. I waited patiently in our truck as Beau went into the grocery store to grab a bottle. The young man came out with 2 bottles of Sake, Ice Cream, Brussels Sprouts, and a Christmas Tree...how I adore him:) Also, this being further proof that we are geeky vegans, Brussels sprouts are a real treat!

Anyway, I must be on an "all things small and cute" kick. Geesh! (For those of you who skipped out on last weeks post, you'll see what I mean...) I've made these snickerdoodle cupcakes for various occasions, and they have been a hit each time! Plus, I made them in my 24 count mini-muffin tins (1 3/4" dia. by 3/4" deep), hence the "cute" factor. I stumbled upon this recipe during one of my surfing the Internet benders, I found it here.

Serving Size: Makes enough for 48 mini cupcakes or 12 regular sized cupcakes.

1 C. rice milk (or other milk/milk substitute)

1 tsp. apple cider vinegar

1/3 C. (plus 2 tsp.) vegetable oil

1 1/4 C. flour

2 Tbs. cornstarch

3/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 C. sugar

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. orange extract

2 tsp. cinnamon

2 Tbs. brown sugar

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees (F) and grease or line your cupcake tins. Mix together the milk and vinegar, and set aside for up to 5 minutes. Then mix together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt and white sugar.

In another bowl, mix together the cinnamon, brown sugar and the 2 tsp of vegetable oil. Finally, add the remaining oil and extracts to the milk/vinegar mixture and stir well. Combine wet and dry ingredients to form a smooth batter and pour into your muffin tins until about 3/4 of the way full. Spoon the cinnamon mixture into each cupcake (1/8 tsp or less, if you're making the minis, and 1/2 tsp if you're making the regular sized). Swirl it around with a toothpick and bake the cupcakes for about 20 minutes. Once the cupcakes are cooled, they are ready for frosting...

The "Wing It" version of Vanilla Frosting

Begin with a 1/2 C of Earth Balance butter and 1 tsp. of vanilla extract. Add confectioner's sugar, a portion at a time until you get the consistency you like! And, that's about it...if you end up with too much frosting, you'll have to suck it up and eat it. I garnished with colorful sprinkles and served.

Speaking of snickers...I made some non-vegan chocolate chip cookies for Beau's dad's birthday, but made them extra festive by adding in bits of a Snickers bar, in place of some of the chocolate chips. YUM. Truthfully, I wanted to dive into the batter, head first. You could really use any candy bar for that matter; Butterfinger, Milky Way, 3 Musketeers, Crunch - we could go on forever here, people. You get the idea. They got the thumbs up from Beau's dad...here's a look!

You can use your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe for these and add the flair, however you wish! Enjoy!

Some things are worth repeating

OK, I know I already posted the Look How Cute My Laughing Child Is video, but I had to put another one up because she's so stinkin' cute!
Billy, this is for you!


(The video is shot in HD, so you may have to let the whole thing load before you actually watch it)

Disappearing Act

OK, I realize that this may be a little bit of a pot/kettle situation, but PEOPLE!!! Where are your holiday cards???? Usually we gets tons and this year there is ONE (from Ouiser, obviously). ONE CARD on the long, lonely mantle. I mean, it makes me feel quite a bit better about the fact that ours are late, but I was really counting on other people to be more on top of their game and decorate the mantle.



*Also, please note that the shelves have had their picture frames removed and now contain soft baskets filled with toys. The baby-proofing has begun!

Dramatic Backlit Kitty

B is having all kinds of fun with the new camera. He likes it so much that he's even branched out from taking pictures exclusively of animals to taking some human shots as well. But, let's be honest, the fancy new camera has also given him reason to take REALLY ZOOMED IN pictures of the hundreds of birds that flock to his bird feeder. This one of Miles was taken in the middle of one of the many aforementioned bird sessions.

Home Grown Tomatoes presents...

Pink Lemonade Tartlets

Home Grown Tomatoes is a weekly Vegan/Vegetarian column by Giovanina Bucci

I am a kid in a candy store...the potential of a "snow day" is knocking at my University office door. The anticipatory feeling of having a surprise day off brings me right back to being a child. Waking up early to snow falling, running into my parents room and jumping into bed to listen to the WIRY school closing list, fingers crossed. It's 15 years later...and nothing has changed. We're expecting 2 feet by tomorrow! Perfect for all things hot and sweet.

I'm not going to lie, sometimes I buy things because they are small and cute...like Coronitas (mini Coronas). Seriously, they only take about five gulps to finish, but they're just about the most adorable things, as far as beer goes (and you feel much less guilty for finishing a 6-pack!).

Anyway, these little pink lemonade tartlets are tipping the cuteness scale (not to mention, they're one bite wonders of sweetness). This recipe is another one I snagged from My Sweet Vegan. The only thing I would try and render next time is the use of cornstarch. Other than that, these are the right amount of sweet, colorful and fantastic for a fix without stuffing an entire piece of pie or cake down your throat (although I can't say I don't enjoy that sometimes...it's more so that my ass disapproves).

Makes 24 tartlets:

Crust

6 Tbs. butter (again, I use Earth Balance)

1/2 C. confectioner's sugar

1 Tbs. flax seed*

2 Tbs. water

1 1/2 C. non-bleached/non-enriched flour

1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease mini-muffin pan(s).

I mixed the crust by hand and it still came out successfully (it's no surprise given my huge biceps, ha!). Nonetheless, if you have a mixer, do take advantage. Begin by mixing the butter and sugar. I used the Magic Bullet to grind down the flax seed and water, and then added that to the mix. Finally, add the flour, half at a time, and salt along with the second half. If you're dough is crumbly, add up to 2 Tbs. of water to moisten it up. Drop walnut-sized balls of dough into your muffin pans and press to make the shell. Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Lemon Custard

1 C. of milk (I use Rice Milk)

2 Tbs. cornstarch

2 tsp. raspberry jam (go for an organic brand that is not made with corn syrup!)

1/3 C. confectioner's sugar

2 Tbs. fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/2 pint raspberries for garnish (optional)

Heat the milk on medium heat. As the temperature rises, add the cornstarch and whisk vigorously (2-4) minutes and watch as the mixture thickens considerably. Stir in the jam and sugar until mixed well. Finally, remove from the heat and whisk in the lemon juice. Fill your, now cool, shells and garnish with raspberries. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. And there you have it!

To make these even more festive, I think you could try different kinds of jams and garnishes: blueberry, strawberry, peach, etc. They are extremely easy to make and not at all time consuming. In other words, perfect to squeeze in for a holiday dessert amidst loud, runny-nosed children, hungry husbands, vacuuming tinsel, and the insanity of shopping. Enough said.

Enjoy!

*Flax seed is full of omegas and it can be used as an egg substitute in certain circumstances. It has a faint nutty flavor and is great for smoothies too!

The season has begun

We got our first dose of the Christmas season yesterday at the country club holiday party. Not only was it a really nice night with the family, but we accomplished my main goal of the evening, which was a family picture for the holiday cards that (until last night) I had not yet made or ordered. Oops.

It was looking precarious for a while as the little lady was melting down from over-stimulation and hunger, but once we got those two things under control it was success. Good thing too, it would have been a damn shame for all of that blow drying and make-up applying to have been a total waste. That shit is time consuming and needs to be documented when it happens! And since I can't very well put the picture here and negate the entire card, I'll still give you a few daddy/daughter shots.

Distracted thoughts on new parenthood

I realize that I haven't written much of anything about the arrival of our Miss Charlotte and it's obviously not because I have nothing to say, but more because I felt like it was more important to be experiencing our life change rather than documenting it. Plus, there's the overwhelming issue of time and the utter lack of it. Writing thoughtful entries requires calm and extended periods of quiet and with a new baby in the house and a husband who is tackling both a job and a masters program, that's not something that happens in spades around here. Periods of quiet have been used primarily for showering and cleaning.

But next week our little lady turns 4 months old and we'll officially (according to me, anyway) be out of the newborn stage. I understand now why they call the first 3 months the "fourth trimester." Her levels of alertness, neediness, playfulness, and everything else have been quite different these last few weeks and it's allowed a balance to slowly return to my life. And if there is ANY word that describes me, it's balance. I need it, I live it, I embody it, I require it. (Typical Libra)

I'm good at creating balance because it's inherently what I need, but it's also just a part of me. Ask anyone who knows me well and they'll tell you that I never stray too far in dramatic directions. I can be passionate and bold, but it's usually in a pretty level-headed kind of way. Anyway, I'm feeling very happy that the pendulum has swung back to the middle.

And it's not that I was in any way unhappy with these last few months, but the tricky part about being a new parent is that you've never done this before. You have no idea what to expect until you go through it and move past it. So it's nice to now have the wisdom that the first 3-4 months will be a little out of whack, but that things get really fun after that.

I felt the same way about labor - I had no idea how wonderful having our sweet baby in our arms would be, so it was not-at-all a motivating thought to help endure the labor and delivery process. Next time, it will be. Incidentally, my gift to all you mothers-to-be is to NEVER tell you about my experience with that little "process." Trust me, that's a WAY better gift than some stupid shower present I'd normally send. My card will say "Congratulations! Your gift is my silence. No thank you card required."

However, despite the sleep deprivation and the new parent learning curve, I will say that from the very beginning, having Charlotte here felt so natural. And not in that way where we had always wanted to be parents (though we had), but her presence (ironically) made life feel so complete and settled and therefore, calm. There hasn't been one part of our last six years together where I haven't felt like we were a little behind or a little transient or still had something else to do and I don't feel that way anymore. I feel like our life has really started. And, again, as counter-intuitive as it would seem, now that she's here and we're a family of three and not two, I feel like there's more room to expand our life, our ideas, our goals, etc.

The other really wonderful experience happened a few days after we got home from the hospital. I held her in my arms and I truly felt like our souls had gone back hundreds of years together. I felt like I was being reconnected with someone, not like I was meeting someone for the first time. I still feel that way and it's so reassuring.

As the past four months have gone on and Charlotte's personality has come out more and more, and we have gotten to know each other, I really feel as though she is such a perfect fit to our specific family. Not long after I told my dad I was pregnant he told me to focus on exactly what type of little soul we wanted for our family. So every night I would lay in bed and talk to the souls... I'd say that the main components to our family were joy and serenity. That laughter and lightness and joy were driving factors in both B and I, as well as our relationship. I said that we were allergic to drama and didn't need any of it. We had goals to have a big and complicated life (businesses, travel, more kids, etc) and that we needed someone who could really go with the flow of life and fit right in. I feel like that's just who Charlotte is and I'm so thankful. I hope that B & I can return the favor and be just the type of parents that she needs throughout the years.

Lastly I will tell you that if you've been lucky enough to never really experience anxiety (I had been so lucky, B had not), that parenthood will really dip you in that emotion. I remember having many humorous conversations over the years with people saying "Seriously, when do you get OLD? When do you go from us (i.e. hip, relaxed, etc), to them (not hip and really not relaxed)?" Apparently the answer is parenthood. I think B and I were parents for about 4 days before we looked at each other and laughed and said "So THAT'S why they're all so fucking crazy!"

Asleep on the hospital bed, 1 day old.

Playing in her exersaucer - 3 1/2 months old.