Lady Marmalade, a Quiz and Analog Accessories

It's word association day here in Veganville. If you like, phrase association day. There is one rule. As beautiful as the word "sunshine" is you will be exempt if you use it.
What 4 things come to mind when you think of the word "orange"? I'll go first.

1. Tango- It is an orange flavored vodka one drinks from a paper bag when Ripple isn't available.
2. Tang- a space age drink astronauts used to drink when Tango wasn't available.
3. Charlie Manson's jumpsuit.
4. Orange you glad I didn't say Sirhan Sirhan's jumpsuit ---I mean banana. No pun intended.

Now you go. I'll make the sound of a clock while you pick your four words. Go! Tick, tick (sorry I just had a little tic...bahaha). Anyway, times up. We don't have all day. I want to present this new recipe but first I want to bring you this cool little Etsy shop, called  Analog Accessories They carry all sorts of cool bags, pouches, totes, even coasters (perfect if you get tired of swigging  Ripple from a paper bag). Take a peek at this.

I love corduroy and the lining is just so pretty. Boy I wish I knew about this orange pouch before I used up my four guesses. You can find Annalog Accessories-  Just click on the link above and Anna the store owner even has a great blog called Carrot and Potato Time where she talks about vegan dining experiences and posts great recipes. Carrots, damn those are orange, why didn't I think of carrots? Anyway, before you hightail outta here to do some shopping therapy at Analog Accessories or check out Anna's uber cool blog-Here are my new cuffins.

Lady Marmalade Cuffins (Cuffins because they're not a muffin and not a cupcake exactly)

Makes 6 Jumbo Cuffins

Ingredients
2 cups unbleached flour
3 tablespoons organic sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 C Water mixed with 1 T Ener-g egg replacer
3/4 cup rice milk
2/3 cup orange marmalade
1/4 cup canola oil
ICING:
1/4 cup orange marmalade
3 tablespoons tofutti softened
1 T orange juice concentrate thawed
1 cup confectioners' sugar
 or use your own glaze, why don't you. I can't really see what you're doing anyway.

Directions: Line Cuffin pan with cuffin liners


1.In a large bowl, combine  flour, sugar, baking powder and seasalt. In another bowl, beat the egg replacer slurry, marmalade and oil. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.


2.Fill paper-lined cuffincups three-fourths full. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20- 24 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean or they get springy to the touch. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack.


3.In a small mixing bowl, beat the marmalade and tofutti until fluffy. Stir in confectioners' sugar until smooth. Dip and swirl tops of cuffins in glaze.

  Works for me.

Here's  a little music to get y'all cookin! Thanx for stopping by!

Tempeh For the Taurus

Well crazy Taurus boy had yet another birthday. But I swear the dude is like Dorian Gray. I'd hate to see what his attic picture looks like. We celebrated with the movie, "Bill Cunningham New York" . The photos and fashion are a must see and Bill is a lovable eccentric. We enjoyed takeout from Nature's Express in Berkeley and combined their delicious frozen dessert with some lemon custard cupcake and lemon frosting to make a delectable party parfait. Woohoo.

The Einstein, a scrambled tofu, tempeh bacon, Daiya cheese tomato avocado and black bean burrito is pretty good.

The real genius is the Grilled Tempeh Reuben. The homemade kraut paired with the tangy house thousand island and melted Daiya hits the spot and is calling to my taste buds as I write.

I'm a huge fan of Nature's Express frozen dessert, even though I get freeze head. They carry a different flavor everyday. The vanilla almond was a terrific compliment to the lemon flavors swirling through the parfait. It was a very hot day, and we had to carry the parfaits home without lids, hence the leaning tower.

Now excuse me while I go eat in the attic. Bahahahaha.

(photo credits-crazy Taurus boy)

MoFo 7 Popeye Pin Wheels With Olive Oyle

I always had the impression that Popeye was a vegan. I mean besides being a spinach junkie Popeye's motto is "I yam what I yam". Popeye even owned a restaurant called "Spinach Heaven". Popeye once made a documentary called "Spinach vs. Hamburger", which is considered the Food Inc. of the 30's. I just found out that Popeye's "Spinach Heaven" served Spanish spinach omelets, so apparently Popeye is a vegetarian not a vegan. His archenemy Bluto passed away a number of years ago, (clogged artery), bloated and sad and alone, still pining for Olive Oyle. I'd rather not analyze Olive Oyle's eating habits in this post. Suffice it to say she has remained a size zero-zero throughout her life.
Don't be Wimpy, give these Pin Wheels a whirl.

1/2 of a 17.3 oz. package of Pepperidge Farm (Fahm) Puff Pastry Sheet (hooray they're vegan)
2 T of Earth Balance melted or 2 T of Olive Oyl (ha ha)
3/4 C Daiya shredded mozzarella or cheddar
1/8th C of nutritional yeast (nooch)
1-2 T of Tofutti "cream" cheese
1 clove garlic smashed and minced
1 chopped green onion
1 T non-wine Dijon or regular Dijon if you want
10 0z. chopped spinach thawed with as much water squeezed out as humanly possible

Preheat oven 400 degrees. If using Earth Balance go ahead melt it and set aside. If using olive oil pour it in to a ramekin. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Stir Daiya, nooch, tofutti, mustard and garlic in medium bowl.

Flour flat surface. Unfold pastry sheet on to aforementioned surface. Brush pastry sheet with chosen oil. Top with Daiya mix, and then some spinach. Starting with the short end roll up pastry like a jelly roll. Cut into 12 pieces. Place cut side down on baking sheet. Brush with melted EB or olive oil. Bake 17-20 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on rack.

A personal note. My late aunt's name was Olive. She was a kick with a great sense of humor. Sometimes I'd call her Aunt Pickles. We all miss you Aunt Olive. (This post is dedicated to her memory) xoxo

My Blog for "Life in Recipes" (carrot cookie sandwiches)

A while back, Janet and Rachel invited me to be a guest blogger. I’m really excited to be here at Life Told in Recipes. I just hope they remembered that I was coming. I noticed that other guest bloggers received some interview questions and a lead in. I flew all the way from Veganville too. Veganville is my place in cyber land. I’m a vegan food and fashion writer, sometimes irreverent essayist. I’m also the owner of Veganville a small vegan baking and cooking company in Berkeley, California. Hmmm wonder where they are…

Since I’m here, I’d like to mention that I never proselytize but merely expose some truths about certain industries. Today, I’d like to take this opportunity to tell you about my experience with Martha.

Martha is a thug! There was a time when Martha thrived on sustainable ingredients but that was before she did time in the pokey. I’m sure you’ve heard about her famous ketchup packets and cigarette butt gazpacho by now, but I bet you didn’t know that while doing time, Martha also made eyeliner from peas. She fenced a lot of local ingredients and always composted while in the yard. Martha stopped eating the green meat and slimy eggs and was one step away from Veganhood when she was released.

This was the first cake she asked for on the outside.

It’s made with 582 eggs. Think of the chickens Martha, they are not as free range as you think. There’s a lot of crowding and barbed wire going on in those places, Martha. Think of a prison for chickens. I think I might have heard Martha cackle “I don’t care GiGi - I’m out”.
I took the liberty to veganize some Martha cookies.


Martha’s in the Big House Carrot Sandwich Cookies
2 Sticks Earth Balance softened
1 Cup Organic Brown Sugar
¼ C Water mixed with 3 tsp egg replacer
2 C unbleached flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
Tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp ginger
½ tsp allspice
2 C rolled oats
1.5 C grated carrots
1 C raisin
Preheat Oven to 350. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment. Cream together Earth Balance and both sugars on medium speed until fluffy. Add egg replacer and vanilla and mix until combined. Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and spices in separate bowl. Add gradually to Earth balance mix and mix until combined. Mix in oats, carrots and raisins until just blended. Shape a T of dough (a small ice cream scoop works well) into balls and place 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Bake 12-15 minutes until lightly browned. Cool completely before filling.
Vegan cream cheez
¼ C Earth Balance (softened)
¼ C Tofutti (softened)
2 C vegan confectioner’s sugar
1 tsp non-alcoholic vanilla
Cream Earth Balance with Tofutti. Beat in confectioner’s sugar a half a cup at a time. Remember to scrape down the sides in between. Add vanilla last.
When the cookies are completely cool, spread about 1 T of vegan cream cheese on the bottom of one cookie and then sandwich it together with another. Enjoy!

Larry's Jive Biscuits Are in the Bag, Baby!

While most people were taking in the fireworks, barbecuing "Smart dogs", munching on "Tings" or hiking Mt. Rushmore, that's right I was inside and online searching for a new cruelty free hand bag.

Unpatriotic you say, I say who do you think boosts this fledgling U.S. economy while you are out hiking some gigantic president's head in North Dakota? Shopping is more American than baseball and Mom's apples, (my mom does not bake). Why look at the cost of these vegan Stella McCartney bags. Oh never mind, Stella is from England. Still, I'd like a Stella bag. 

I heard it. I heard you say, "In your dreams, GiGi!"

How do you know? Maybe Stella will barter with me. I'll give Stella 2,000 vegan cheesecakes for one of her purses, maybe she'd like that.

Maybe I'll get a book advance, sometime soon.

Maybe I'll add a donate button on my blog. Pleeeeease donate I haven't bought a purse in two years!!!!

Women often say they would kill for a certain handbag. These are vegan, so there is no killing just coveting! I won't be an accessory to murder!

Oh well, you came here for some food. So what kind of food won't mess up a nifty new handbag? What's easy to wrap and carry around while you shop? What won't smell up your new pleather? I think Larry's Jive Biscuits are just the thing.

Larry concentrates before baking!

Larry's Jive Chive Biscuits (makes about a dozen biscuits, not a dozen Larrys.)

2.5 C unbleached flour, and more for dusting

1.5 t baking powder

1/4 t baking soda

1 1/4 t sea salt

1T sugar

1/4 C chopped fresh chives

1 stick Earth Balance cold and cut into small pieces

4 oz. Tofutti Cream Cheese

1 1/4 plain soy milk mixed with 11/4 T apple cider vinegar

Line a baking sheet with parchment. In a large bowl whisk together the first six ingredients. Using two forks or knives, (Larry likes knives), cut in the EB and Tofutti until the mix is coarse crumbs. Pour in the soy milk mixture and mix, ( a fork is good here), in until the dough comes together.

Add flour to a work surface and turn the dough on to it. Flour your hands and knead until the dough is smooth. Take out that trusty rolling pin and roll out the dough into a 11 by 8 inch rectangle, (go ahead use a ruler). Using a spatula lift the ends of the dough and fold into a rectangle. Now fold into thirds, (like a business letter). Now repeat the process. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Return the dough to the work surface and and roll like you did before. Give the dough one more turn and fold into a rectangle one last time, Thank God.

It'll be worth it I promise. Using a sharp knife, (careful Larry), trim and discard 1/4 inch from all sides, divide the rectangle into 12 equal squares or rectangles. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate for an hour. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Bake rotating the sheet half way through until the biscuits look good and golden. About 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Once cool, place in your new handbag. It is good sustenance for shopping, just jiving.Thanks, Larry!