Mouthwatering Brownies

We just finished tabling at the SPCA PawFest and I have not had enough time to download pictures, but I wanted to make sure that I added this brownie recipe that was such a big hit.  We were honored to bring such great vegan treats to a new event!  Here is the recipe, and I will add pictures and more details a little later.  Right now I am worn out!  This one we modified from the deluxe cocoa Brownies in Vegan Cookies Take Over Your Cookie Jar!

Deluxe Orange Cocoa Brownies

Ingredients: 3 ounces of firm silken tofu like Mori-Nu (1/4 of the package)

                  1/4 cup of non-dairy milk (like soy or rice)

                   1/2 cup of canola oil

                  1 cup of sugar

                   2 teaspoons of vanilla

                   1 cup od flour

                   1.2 cuo of unsweetened cocoa powder

                   1 Tablespoon of cornstarch

                   1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

                   1/2 teaspoon salt

                    Zest of 1 orange and a teasppon of orange extract

1. Preheat the oven to325 degrees F.  Line an 8 x 8 inch brownie pan with parchment paper; it should cover the bottom as well as curve up and cover the sides.

2.  Puree the tofu, nondairy milk, and oil in a blender until smooth and fluffy. 

3.  Transfer the tofu mixture to a mixing bowl.  Us a fork to mix in the sugar.  Add vanilla.

4.  Sift the flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt.  Us the spatula to fold and mix the batter until smooth.  Transfer the batter to the pan and then smooth out.  

Cook for 10-12 minutes!!

 

Back to School!

Yeah, back to school!  My house is cleaner already!  Seriously, I love my kids, but they are so creative that they just cannot help leaving disaster in their paths wherever they go!  So now they are back to class, my youngest started Kindergarten and my daughter is in 2nd grade.  "So what do they do for lunch?" you are, of course, wondering.  Well, when it comes to lunch, one word comes to mind: PACK!  I do not let my kids buy lunch, it is very unregulated.  I usually start with a sandwich, as they both love sandwiches.  Peanut Butter and Jelly or soy cheese and vegan mayo are their favorites, although sometimes I buy Tofurkey slices (faux turkey lunch meat) or make seitan to add.  Occasionally I will mix things up by giving them peanut butter crackers or Tofutti cream cheese and jelly crackers.  I cannot send things that need to be heated.  I give each of them a half of a sandwich.  Then I will follow that with two other choices: fruit or a fruit cup and something like veggie chips, teddy grahams, trail mix, or the like.  I also started buying Capri Sun flavored water pouches to avoid all the calories that come with juice.  They like them a lot.  Throw in a napkin and a wet wipe, and that's lunch.  You, of course, can get more creative than that if you are packing your own lunch or your kids' lunch.  Look around the grocery store and find bulk items that you can divide into individual pouches for quick access.  Anyway you look at it, packing is the best option because you KNOW what is in it!

New Family Member!

My husband and I decided this year that we did not want to have any more kids. We thought about it LONG and hard, believe me!  It just was not the right choice for us.  Our two beautiful children fill our lives with so much happiness, and we are blessed, but we reasoned that we have each "reproduced ourselves once.  So when we are gone, we will not be contributing to overpopulation.  Plus, our whole lives revolve around having two kids!!!!  What I have ALWAYS wanted, though, is a miniature potbellied pig.  So my husband took me and the kids out to visit a farm that had a litter of piglets that they could not keep.  And we left with one!!  I have to say, he is a wonderful pet, although it is a lot like having a puppy.  This might be a true testament to the vegan lifestyle, though.  We talked to the kids about befriending and loving a creature that most people just think of a "bacon".  I will give updates on the progress of our little Oliver, cause he is just so darn cute!!!