If I fry, I try to fry with this stuff. I use it all the time.. on everything. So i'm sending you over to this ladies blog so you can see what you can do with coconut oil, like making popcorn (insane!)......
We view kale around this house as the kind calcium source. We put it in our smoothies in the morning, steam it and add ginger/garlic/soy sauce and olive oil with dinner, make dinosaur kale salads (the name alone makes j happy! see below for recipe) for lunch, and now our new big thing is KALE CHIPS! The kid will eat these up in about 10 min. We can both go through two heads too quickly. Hope you like as much as we do!
1 bunch kale
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon seasoned salt or sea salt
Preheat an oven to 350. Oil a cookie sheet.
Remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces.
Wash and thoroughly dry kale with a salad spinner.
Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning salt.
Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 15-25 minutes. Turning every 10-15 min. Watch carefully in those last few minutes.
Not a big surprise that one of the most progressive cities in the U.S. participated in the World Wide Vegan Bake Sale to support local animal sanctuary "Sunny Day Farms". An awesome rescue farm outside of San Antonio run by an even more awesome woman: Brooke Chavez. She rescues abused, neglected and displaced farm animals and brings them "home" to her amazing and loving sanctuary. She is a true St. Francis! Brooke is also a mom and a wife and puts in a TON of her own money every month to keep the place up and running. The bake sale raised $1,033 for Sunny Day Farms! I was proud to be a small part of it and my little food critic LOVED the cupcakes I made. He even TRIED to snag another before we left but that wasn't going to happen ;).....As we were driving away he said he was sad to leave and that he "loved vegan bake sales!" He can't wait to go visit the animals!
Brooke Chavez (my hero!) with a couple of vegan kids :)
Vegetarian cop; the fittest one on the dept., no doubt!
It's the best I've found yet! "Daiya" cheese is better than "Follow your Heart" in my opinion
6 slices of bread (whole wheat or whole grain is best) Earth Balance Butter Daiya Cheddar Shreds 1 tomato 1 avocado 1 jalapeno pepper Veganaise Salt and pepper, to taste
Cut off the stem off Jalapeno and then slice the pepper down the center to the tip. Remove the seeds and membranes. Cook the pepper in one cup of boiling water for 2 -3 minutes. Immediately drain and rinse in cold water. Drain and dry it off with a paper towel. Slice into small pieces and set aside.
Slice tomato and avocado into thin slices. Set aside.
Butter one side of each slice of bread with Earth Balance. Melt butter on a griddle or large pan. Over medium heat place the bread in the pan, buttered side down. Spread Daiya Cheddar Shreds over three of the six slices. Put a lid on top and watch CAREFULLY so your bread doesn't burn. Once your bread has reached a golden brown color remove it from the heat. Place the slices with the cheese on it onto a plate.
(The microwave step is optional; if your not anti micro like me than just do it, as it's easier. Although putting a lid on the top of griddle does the job just as well, you just have to watch carefully) Microwave the bread 15-20 seconds per slice (depending on your microwave) until the cheese is melted. Arrange each sandwich by piling on the tomato, avocado and peppers. Salt and pepper to taste. Microwave each assembled sandwich for about 10-15 seconds to warm the sandwich up. Remove the top slice and spread some Veganaise.
It's really easy to veganize this bread, that I enjoyed quite a bit growing up. My maternal Grandma (an Irish immigrant, who moved from Limerick to Chicago at age 17) made it almost monthly and usually had a loaf for us to take home when we went to visit. To replace the buttermilk, apple cider vinegar is used and Earth Balance butter replaces dairy butter. The little one loved it and had three (pretty big) slices this morning! Enjoy!
Irish soda bread
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons white sugar
1/2 cup vegan butter, cut into pieces
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup currants (you can substitute raisins if needed.)
2 teaspoons caraway seed, optional
3/4 cup Soymilk (I used the full-fat kind--Eden brand is best)
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. and grease a cast iron skillet.
Stir or whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl until evenly blended.
Cut in the butter using a pastry blender or your hands until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.
Stir in the raisins, currants (if using), and caraway seeds (also if using).
Make a well in the center of your mixture and pour in the soymilk and vinegar. Stir with a spoon until the dry ingredients are moistened.
Turn the dough out onto a well floured work surface, and knead gently 8 to 10 times.
Place dough in skillet. It will flatten out a bit in the pan. Using a serrated knife, score top of dough about an inch and a half deep in an "X" shape. (The purpose of the scoring is to help heat get into the center of the dough while it cooks). Transfer to oven and bake until bread is golden and bottom sounds hollow when tapped, about 35-45 minutes. It may take a little longer as it takes longer for the pan to heat up. Check for doneness also by inserting a long, thin skewer into the center. If it comes out clean, it's done.
Hint 1: If the top is getting too dark while baking, tent the bread with some aluminum foil. Hint 2: If you use a cast iron skillet to cook the bread in the oven, be very careful when you take the pan out. It's easy to forget that the handle is extremely hot. Cool the handle with an ice cube, or put a pot holder over it.
Remove pan or sheet from oven, let bread sit in the pan or on the sheet for 5-10 minutes, then remove to a rack to cool briefly. Serve bread warm, at room temperature, or sliced and toasted. Best when eaten warm and just baked.
I've been drinking this delich drink for YEARS now! I tried a while back (and failed miserably) to make the grain Kombucha (see down page a bit). It started to get disgusting (taste-wise) and it was like having another child with the responsibility; water had to be changed every few days, etc. etc. Soooo, my midwife gave me a "baby" of her kombucha and I tried again. It's much easier; you change the water every two-three weeks (much more doable) and it tastes like synergy or GT brands; it's good! If anyone wants a scoobie, mine is rapidly growing and I'd be happy to share!
1/2 Cup Pitted Dates 1/2 Cup Soaked Walnuts 3/4 Cup Raw Almonds 3 Tbls Agave Nectar 1/4 Cup Raisins 1/4 Cup Oats 1/4 Cup Mix of Dried Cranberries and Goji Berries (or a mixtuere of whatever dried fruit you have on hand) 1/4 Cup Sunflower Butter (or another nut butter) 1/4 tsp Salt 4 Dried Apricots, chopped
Place walnuts in a jar with a tight fitting lid and fill with water, let soak overnight. Place Almonds in food processor and chop until a "meaty" consistency. Add everything else and grind into a dough. Take out of the food processor and place into a bowl. Take very small handfuls and roll them into balls (have a small bowl of water to dip your hands into so the energy balls don't stick). When they are all rolled, put into a container and save in the frig.
1 Large Onion chopped (white or red onion) 1 Tablespoon Ground Cumin 1/2 Teaspoon Coriander 1 Teaspoon Dry Oregano 1 Teaspoon Chili Powder 3 Minced Garlic Cloves 2 Large Diced Tomatoes 8 oz Sliced Mushrooms 2 (4oz) canned green chilies 1 bag smart ground (Mexican seasoned) 1/2 cup vegetable stock 1 can black or pinto beans (rinsed) Salt as needed
Chopped Green Onion (on side) Grated Cheddar (on side)--Daiya or "Follow Your Heart" Vegan Cheese.
1 Block Silken Tofu 1/2 Cup Vegan Mayo 1/4 cup Water 1 Packet taco Seasoning 1-2 Tablespoons Red Palm Oil 1 Tablespoon Paprika to taste: your favorite Hot Sauce; Chalula, Tapatio, Tabasco Blend in Blender and serve warm or in crock pot. Add the chili and nacho cheese to chips to make great vegan nachos. Add jalapeos for extra spice. Field Roast brand vegan sausages were also on display. Can be bought at Whole Foods.
J absolutely LOVES papaya (no wonder it's reputably called "fruit of the angels")! also might have something to do with the fact I CRAVED these smoothies when preg, along with olives and grapefruit juice and he loves those as well; kids got a weird palate;)......................It's rich in vit A & C (both essential vits for boosting that immune system; esp. during flu season), has more vit C than oranges! Also rich in folate,vit E, and helps with digestion (maybe another reason I craved when growing fetus was rearranging my insides). See, this is what happens when you're a stay at home mom: You get really excited about papaya (and Elmo).
Enjoy~
ingredients:
2 cups chopped peeled seeded papaya 1 cup pineapple juice 1/2 cup soy or almond milk 1 banana sliced banana 4 ice cubes 1 tablespoon agave 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
I was talking to my sweet hubby the other night about the upcoming gluttonous holiday (we've been unenthusiastic about it for years). It's difficult to be part of a celebration meal that butchers approximately 50 million innocent, sweet turkey's every year and then half that amount for Christmas just a few weeks later....... So.....aside from keeping the meal, just eating normal portions and no animals, my creativity fails me and we'll just do what I did last year, veganize the hell out of it and pray for compassion to be born, maybe next year.
little one sampling the Tofurky below...
I cannot give credit to where credit is due, but this man blogged this a few years ago and I saved it because it was so simply brilliant.
"On Thanksgiving: All holidays are a bit bizarre in their own special way, and Thanksgiving is no exception. I'm not sure what you were taught about this holiday, but I was taught it was a celebration of all the happiness, abundance and friendship that existed between the American Indians and the European colonials who settled North America. Of course, that whole mythology turned out to be yet another piece of fictitious history invented by textbook authors who were probably too ashamed to admit that explorers like Columbus treated the American Indians like slaves, killing them for sport and stealing their food, women and land.
And then the next wave of colonial imperialists took it upon themselves to virtually wipe out American Indians altogether, regarding them as wild animals who lacked "civilized" behavior (the "civilized" imperialists were the ones doing most of the killing, of course). The White Man came to the Americas and exterminated native peoples all the way from modern-day Canada to the tip of South America, and much of it was done in the name of religious conquest. "We're bringing God to these natives by killing them all!" If you don't believe me, read, "A People's History of the United States" by Howard Zinn for a dose of historical reality.
These days, I'm not sure what Thanksgiving is really supposed to be celebrating. Most Americans, of course, remain woefully ignorant when it comes to history, and thus the whole concept of any holiday having some historical significance doesn't even enter their over-medicated minds. To the average American consumer, Thanksgiving is simply another day to stuff themselves full of manufactured food products thereby adding on another couple of pounds to their ever-expanding waistlines. (And heck, there's still Christmas and New Year's to go!) Thanksgiving is a day to buy a mutant turkey that's engineered with such an artificially-large breast that it can barely walk without tipping over. Does anyone really think these artificially-raised mutant turkeys are real birds like our ancestors ate?
Thanksgiving is apparently a day to be thankful for the fact that the average American family WASTES more food on this holiday than most families in third-world countries would hope to even EAT during some celebration. Yes, it's all about "more." More turkey, more stuffing, more food, more land and more oil. For America, there's no such thing as enough. We have turned abundance into excess. We have made overindulgence a virtue worth celebrating with a day off from the nine-to-five grind.
Look around this Thanksgiving. Do you see anybody honoring the miracle of food from nature? Do you see people thanking Mother Nature, with humility, for providing the nourishment that we require to exist in physical form on this planet? With few exceptions, I don't see that. What I mostly observe is a nation of mouth-stuffing idiots engaged in a mindless tradition of overindulgence accompanied by meaningless gab. Call me a cynic, if you want, but don't do it with your mouth full of decomposing turkey.
If anything, we should all be fasting on Thanksgiving to remind us how much food we're all so lucky to have all the other days of the year. We should be humbled on Thanksgiving. And hopefully, we will take this precious time to reflect upon ourselves and our place in the universe, to examine our actions, our beliefs and our distortions with the intention of emerging from this holiday with a little more awareness of our true nature and how we impact the world in which we live.
If more of us could manage to do that, Thanksgiving would indeed be a day worth celebrating and not just an empty shell of yet another commercial holiday designed to sell food and trinkets to a population so easily entertained by bread and circuses.
If you are one of the few who spends some time on Thanksgiving in meditation, or prayer, or silent self-reflection, then good for you. You truly honor this holiday in a way that almost everyone else has forgotten".
~some lovely man (wish I remembered your name and website :( but i love you nonetheless.
our future daughter (we hope!)....
This lady's website is awesome. Full of DELICIOUS recipes and info:
I know this has little to do with food but everything to do with animal rights. I've rejected wool for years because of the cruelty involved in the obtainment. Especially now with a family (it's a little more challenging) I steer towards the more comfortable alternatives (humane fabrics like: cotton, flannel, acrylic, polyester fleece, gore-tex, polarguard, polartec, and thinsulate). I honestly can't imagine putting scratchy wool on my little boy.
"Where does wool come from? How do we get it? We just shave the sheep gently, right? And make them feel better in the heat? Uh no!!! Animals are cut and hurt in the process of collecting wool - there is nothing gentle about it. Then at the end, there isn't a retirement farm for these sheep. They are sent to slaughter.
According to PETA, a gruesome practice called “mulesing” is still inflicted on sheep in Australia, where millions of Merino sheep are raised. These sheep are bred to have wrinkly skin because that produces more wool. In the Australian heat, however, the excess wool causes sheep to die from heat exhaustion – but worse, for their wool to get infested with maggots, which literally eat them alive. Farmers’ solutions to this is to cut off chunks of skin from lambs (without anesthesia) so that the scarred flesh will deter maggots. However, the lambs’ wounds often become infected before they heal.
The good news is there are many alternatives to wool. Now, I know wool seems more environmentally friendly than say, vinyl. But consider how bad it is for the environment to raise these animals, and use all the resources and land it takes to feed them. Unless you rescued a bunch of sheep from a slaughter house, and live somewhere where in the summer they beg you to free them of the wool, and you gently take it off, and always treat the sheep with kindness and respect, I am not a fan. In order to collect wool in a kind way, you would not be able to run a business – it would have to be a sort of hippie side fun project. I’m not sure how many situations there are like that, but I can assure you that 100% of the wool you purchase in the store is not produced like that.
In winter, I do just fine – you can read about some awesome vegan winter clothes here. If you have wool already, use it and love it until it’s time to give it away or say goodbye to it. Just try not to support cruel practices by buying new wool. If you feel comfy in wool, get used wool – although I have to say it always made me itch! But if you are going to buy it, it’s better to get a used product.
Now I’m sure that there are some exceptions to all of this... I recently read about The North Circular, a company started by models Lily Cole and Katherine Poulton. The North Circular rescues sheep and works with grandmothers (literally!) to knit chic apparel and accessories. It sounds pretty decent, but again, this is not the wool that you purchase in any mainstream store. So if you find a story or situation that sounds really compassionate, then that might work for you. I’m usually pretty suspicious when I’m told that certain wool came from a good, cruelty free place... I always wonder, well what exactly happens to those sheep? How are they sheared? Is this a business? I would need to fully research each situation that I hear about to make sure it seems kosher to me. " ~Alicia
1 double pie shell 4 cups fresh rhubarb, sliced into 3/4-inch pieces 3/4-1 cup agave or maple syrup 6 tablespoons arrowroot 2 cups thickly sliced fresh strawberries 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 2 tablespoons unbleached white flour
1. Fit bottom crust into a 10-inch pie plate. Refrigerate the dough and rolled-out crust.
2. Put sliced rhubarb into a colander with a bowl underneath. Pour agave over rhubarb and allow to drain 1 hour. In a saucepan, mix arrowroot with half of the drained agave. Heat until thickened over low heat, then add the rest of the agave.
3. Preheat oven to 350F.
4. Mix rhubarb and strawberries together in bowl. Add agave mixture along with cinnamon and flour. Gently toss to mix.
5. Pour into prepared pie shell. Roll out top crust and place on top. Join crusts, fluting edges. Slash top (so steam can escape).
6. Bake one hour in preheated oven. Allow to cool, then refrigerate a few hours to set.
...got a problem with it. Can't really eat it unless it has a good, firm consistency. Now, mind you, I've been eating tofu since I became a vegetarian at twenty but when I'd cook it at home I'd never be completely happy with the outcome so I'd end up using it in desserts and sauces mainly or having it at restaurants, whose cooks could pull it off better that I could. Well, a few months ago, looking for unsweetened soy yogurt for J (they make a brand that I'm still trying to hunt down), I stumbled upon this brand and IT IS THE BEST! Finally a tofu that I can cook with. J absolutely loves it and calls it "toe foooot".
serves 4-6 sandwiches depending on how thick you make them
2 cups vegan chicken shredded (pulse in food processor or shred with a fork). I used Yves brand. 1/4 cup red onion, diced small 2 celery stalks, diced small 1/4-1/3 cup veganase mayo 1-2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1 Tablespoon dill relish (I didn't have) salt and pepper to taste bread
Optional: 1/4 cup sliced almonds or sunflower seeds
Cook your vegan chicken according to the package instructions. Pulse 1 c. at a time in your food processor to get a nice shred or just shred w/ a fork by hand and then chop a bit more. Throw in a large mixing bowl and add all the rest of the ingredients except the bread and mix well. Spread a little more vegan mayo and/or mustard on the bread then scoop onto bread and serve.
Raw Dinosaur Kale Salad
Serves about two.
I think most dark, leafy green (raw) salads are kinda gross but I promise this one isn't!
1 bunch dinosaur kale Apple cider vinegar (splash or two; to taste) Olive oil (splash or two; to taste) Nutritional yeast (a good amount; maybe two heaping Tbsp.) Garlic powder Coriander Cumin Sea salt
Throw everything in a large bowl and mix. Add vinegar and olive oil to taste and then spices and nutritional yeast; all to taste.
My old buds (and by buds, I mean the dudes in the back who do all the cooking) at "The Spot" in Hermosa used to whip this bad-boy up for me. They knew how to make it best for some reason but I won't give up trying to replicate it. We make this a few times a month when we really don't want to labor over dinner. O.k., it does take a few more minutes than fast food but you won't keel over afterwards. I really need to be eating more raw foods and this has so much good stuff and is so light but you're not hungry afterwards, so... it works.
Quick Salad w/ Tahini Dressing & Corn Tortillas
Lettuce ( I like romaine best) Shredded beets Shredded carrots Sliced Cucumbers Sliced Avocados Garbanzo or black beans (drained and rinsed). Handful or two. Nutritional yeast sprinkled on top (or in my case- loaded; love the stuff) Organic Corn Tortillas (steamed)
Tahini Dressing
A few tablespoons of raw tahini (this stuff has a nice amount calcium and good fats for babies/toddlers) Squeeze (or two or three) of lemon Splash of tamari (healthier version of soy sauce; look for non-gmo) Shake of garlic powder Shake of sea salt Shake (be careful kids!) of cayenne pepper Add water (a tablespoon at a time until you get the consistency you want)
Mix all ingredients in a small bowl and stir really well. You kindof have to play with the amount of water you want. It should be the consistency of salad dressing (although I think it's best a wee bit thicker) and it stirs up weird so be patient and just add more water, if needed.
This is kinda like a mock-tuna. J digs it and it's much healthier than mercury-laden fish. I usually triple this recipe and it lasts all week. J loves it with Veganase on toast. I also throw in the food processor some carrots and celery to taste and for extra vegetables because the kid won't eat anything lately but good'ol kale and he needs variety! :)
Enjoy~
Walnut Pate'
1 cup raw walnuts (soaked in water for at least 1 hour before hand) 1 tsp fresh lemon juice 1 tsp cold pressed olive oil 1 tsp tamari 1/4 tsp garlic pwd dash of high mineral unprocessed salt 1 tsp minced fresh parsley 1 tsp minced onion
Drain water from nuts. Combine w/ remaining ingredients into a food processor. I add a little water just to get to the consistency of a pate'. Make sure to stop the processor a couple of times throughout this process to scrap sides of food processor. Keep processing until the mixture is a nice thick pasty consistency.
Our little puppies have both been vegan since the day we brought them home from the shelter (at one). They are now five! Super healthy, no issues what-so-ever that I wish I had veganized my dog Viva, who died at nine from lymphoma. She had chronic skin and ear infections her whole little life. Commercial dog food brands are known for using rendered dogs (euthanized dogs from shelters) in their 'so called' food. In Los Angeles alone, two hundred tons of euthanized animals (including canines) are delivered to rendering plants on a monthly basis. Google and research this (don't just take my word for it), as well as what Howard Lyman, (former cattle rancher and author of "Mad Cowboy") has to say. He saw all this first hand. Just one of the many reasons our dogs are veg.
They love all vegetables and most fruits......They eat most of what J drops on the floor from his highchair and other scraps throughout the day. Then at night they have their big meal: Natures Recipe Vegetarian Formula and we add blended lentils (with other stuff mixed in, here's the wet dog food recipe: http://veganaustin.org/recipe.php?recipeid=82
We also add in L'Carnitine and Taurine 5x a week (an essential amino acid and nutritional supplement for heart health) commonly found in animal flesh.
Serpico mid chomp on a kale stick!
I made these dog treats the other night and they looooved them! They have parsley and carrots (which they both go koo-koo for). I doubled the recipe and it makes a nice sized jar full. Be sure to refrigerate so they don't go moldy (which they will :(
Breath-Freshing Biscuits for Dogs
3/4 c. minced parsley leaves
1/4 grated carrot
1 Tbsp. safflower oil
3/4 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. corn flour or finely grated corn meal
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 c. water
1. Preheat oven to 350. In a small bowl mix together parsley, carrot and oil
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flours and baking powder. Add parsley mixture and work until flour mixture looks like course crumbs. Add water, mix and knead with hands until dough comes together in a smooth ball.
3. On a lightly floured surface roll dough to 1/2 inch thickness. Using a bone shaped cookie cutter, cut out biscuits, re-rolling, scraping as necessary. Place on a lightly oiled cookie sheet and bake 20 min (for softer); 30 min for harder biscuits. Keep refrigerated!!!
I tried this the other night (from "Urban Vegan") and it's a good one!
Winter Pesto
3 C. fresh Spinach or Arugula or Basil (packed) 1/2 C. plus 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 5-6 cloves of garlic 1/2 C. pine nuts or walnuts (or both together) 1/4 tsp. salt and pepper to taste
Place all ingredients in a food processor. Process until smooth, scraping sides as needed.
So, this is what we were up to last weekend! And guess who got really into it? He must've known we were sticking up for animals, as he was actually pacing back and forth saying in his cute, little toddler way, "no circus!" (and we were the first people there, so this wasn't monkey see-monkey do). This was the last night of leafletting, not the big, opening-night protest with all the other kids, (unfortunately he was in bed; he would've loved the energy-a truly beautiful thing).....
.......And this weekend, was the party weekend. The big rager was yesterday! He's been acting like a real two year old all day, struttin around the house, showing off his new toys, talking about his girlfriends. He loved visiting with his friends, eating cake and playing with them! His adorable french friends sang "happy Birthday" in french to him (the cutest thing ever and I'll try to get the video up, it just takes forever to load). Three times today he sayed, "cake, yes?" His way of demanding for what he wants politely (I'm going to try that w/ other adults and see if it works).
I present to you....the big two year old (well, not really he still has a few more days being my little one year old :( ;)
And the cake (for you ladies who asked, here's the recipe)...........
Total Chocolate Eclipse Cake
The rich flavor of chocolate eclipses the fact that no eggs, butter or refined sugars are used to make this dense, fudgy confection.
Serves: 12
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 Tbs. baking powder 1 tsp. baking soda 2 Tbs. flaxseed meal 1/2 cup pitted dates, soaked in 1 cup hot water for 30 minutes 6 oz. extra-firm silken tofu 1 cup pure maple syrup or other natural liquid sweetener 1 Tbs. corn/canola or safflower oil 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Frosting: 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (check the back for dairy) 1/2 cup raw cashews 6 oz. extra-firm silken tofu 1/4 cup pure maple syrup 1 tsp. vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and coat with flour, tapping out excess flour.
In large bowl, mix flour, cocoa, baking powder and baking soda.
In food processor or blender, grind flaxseeds to fine powder. Add 1/2 cup water and process until thick and frothy, about 30 seconds. Add dates and their soaking liquid, tofu, maple syrup, oil and vanilla, and process until smooth. Transfer mixture to large bowl.
Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients, blending until smooth, Divide the batter evenly between prepared pans.
Bake until cakes spring back when lightly pressed, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on wire rack 10 minutes; then invert onto wire racks, remove pans, and cool completely.
Make frosting:
In top of double-boiler set over simmering (not boiling) water, melt chocolate, stirring until smooth. Remove from water and set aside.
In food processor or blender, finely grind cashews. Add 1/3 cup water and blend until smooth. Add tofu, maple syrup and vanilla, and process until smooth. Add melted chocolate and process until smooth. Transfer to medium bowl and refrigerate until chilled.
Refrigerate frosting for at last 20-25 min. To frost cake (make sure cake is cool completely), spread about 2/3 cup frosting over top of one layer. Cover with second layer and spread top and sides with remaining frosting.
I'm just a Mama trying to feed her family easy, delicious, nutritious, vegan food, without spending hours in the kitchen everyday. Saving almost a thousand animals annually (our family of four) and not contributing to the destruction of our environment is the heartbeat of it all.
"By far the most important non-CO2 greenhouse gas is methane, and the number one source of methane worldwide is animal agriculture".
“The way that we breed animals for food is a threat to the planet. It pollutes our environment while consuming huge amounts of water, grain, petroleum, pesticides and drugs. The results are disastrous.”-David Brubaker, PhD, Center for a Livable Future, Johns Hopkins University
Environmental News Network
"Antibiotics in farm animals leave behind drug-resistant microbes in meat and milk. With every burger and shake consumed, super-microbes settle in the stomach where they transfer drug resistance bacteria into the body, making one more vulnerable to previously treatable conditions".
“A single dairy cow produces about 120 lbs of wet manure per day, which is equivalent to the waste produced by 20–40 people. That means 1.4 million dairy cows produce as much waste as 28–56 million people.”-U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
"But for the sake of some little mouthful of flesh, we deprive a soul of the sun and light and of that proportion of life and time they had been born into this world to enjoy." ~Plutarch
