For the next 8 weeks I’ve vowed to stick to my boring diet plan, go to bed early, get my butt out of bed every morning at 5am and drag myself to the gym, give up coffee and drink a ton of water. No refined sugar, no refined carbs, no fun basically. Knowing full well that my sugar addiction is enough to make me sell my first born, I told myself that I’d chill out on the baking for a few weeks as well. That is, until someone placed an order.

You see, there are a handful of foods that I refuse to keep in my house simply for the fact I have absolutely no willpower when it comes to them. Peanut butter happens to be one of these. In my effort to plan my diet ahead of time, I got rid of all the tempting little treats lying around my house. I figured “An order? Suuuuure… I’ll buy what I need and that will be that. No leftover ingredients lying around, no problem.” Just me and my bare cupboards I began with.

3 dozen gooey, chocolatey, chewy, fudgy, peanuty brownies later… I still felt good about things. I let them cool and as I started to cut, I realized I had made more than I had actually planned. “Dammit!” was my first thought. It was a Sunday morning which means I had 24 hours alone with the leftovers until I could pawn them off on my co-workers. I somehow knew I wouldn’t survive it’s peanut buttery powers so I started thinking of ideas about what I could possibly do with almost a half dozen of these little devils. I chopped some up and threw it on top of a cake I’d made for my brother’s birthday. That took care of 3 of them. I set the other 3 aside. I mean, I couldn’t possibly waste them could I!?

Later on in the evening while I was watching a movie, I swear I heard them whispering my name from the kitchen. As I mosied in for a drink of water, I saw them in all their glory on the counter glistening with that rich chocolaty glow and beckoning me towards them with their creamy peanut butter swirls. I decided, “what the hell? One bite won’t hurt…” A half hour later I found myself staring at the crumbs on the bottom of my Tupperware. *sigh*

Thankfully, I found the strength to get back to the gym this week – while cursing the brownies with each strenuous lap I ran. I started thinking that it’s funny how baking can be so soothing for me, almost like therapy sometimes. If I make that one thing though, it turns out to be a giant stressful test of willpower which sucks. I guess that’s all part of life though. Resisting our urges and doing what’s good for us instead of doing just what we want.

With that in mind, I have another order for 5 dozen peanut butter brownies to tackle this weekend. No worries though, I’m goin’ in prepared. There’s nothing a role of duct tape can’t fix right?

Today I figured out that I have a serious baking addiction.

Makes 12 small muffins or 6 big ones

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, and 1/4 cup for sprinkling
• 1/2 cup soy milk mixed with 1/2 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar
• Egg replacer for 2 eggs
• 7 tablespoons of non-dairy butter
• 2 containers fresh berries (5.6 ounces each)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. It’s important to have the temperature exact so that the berries won’t sink to the bottom.

Rinse berries and drain.

In a small bowl mix together soy milk and vinegar, set aside to curdle for a few minutes.

In another large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar.

In another bowl, whisk together egg replacer, then add melted butter and soy milk mixture. Pour over flour mixture, mixing to combine.

Grease or line muffin tins then pour batter until about 1/2 full.

Scatter berries on top, and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup sugar.

Bake until top is evenly browned, 25-30 minutes. Let cool slightly.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

*Of course fresh berries are best. Especially since they are in season and all over the farmer’s markets right now. I only had frozen berries available today which concerned me since they tend to be heavier and sink to the bottom. After a little thawing in the strainer, they turned out ok thankfully.*

This is definitely a new top 10 recipe for my baking collection. They came out perfectly golden brown all around, sweet but not too sweet, a light crunchy top with a moist, grainy, slightly salty center. The berries melted into the batter and topped the overall flavor off with that perfect balance of sweet and sour. The sugar that was sprinkled on top gave it a beautiful sparkle and a crunchy sweet finish.

Despite how amazing they came out, they still didn’t cure my migraine unfortunately.

My belly is happy though!

I got to thinking about my last trip to Germany and all the amazing vegan places we ate at around Berlin. Lucky for me, my other half is a native Berliner so he knew all the good spots. I was stoked when I discovered what a veg-friendly city Berlin was.

A couple of his friends own a place called Yoyo Foodworld. It’s a cute little “vegan bio-fast food” joint with burgers, pizzas, wraps, sandwiches, salads, fries, desserts, shakes and so on and so on.

It was the first place we stopped when I got off the plane and turned out to be one of the places I frequented since it was so close to where I was staying. The staff is very down to earth and speak both English and German which was a relief. There’s sort of an alternative/artsy type of vibe you get when you walk in from the art on the walls, the fliers in the windows and the tattoos and piercings covering the staff members. The deal is, you order at the counter and listen for your name or number to be read then grab your stuff and pick a seat either inside or at a table outdoors. It’s expected that you bus the table yourself when you’re finished.

One of the specials that caught my eye that night was the Käsespätzle dish. A long, thick dumpling type noodle mixed in a creamy sauce. Kinda like a German version of Mac n’ Cheese I guess. It came with a giant green salad and creamy dressing. I can’t even describe how good it was. Soft, hot, creamy, chewy noodles with a crisp, fresh crunchy salad… I could live off that stuff! The portions were a bit ridiculous though. This was the point that I learned that there’s no ‘boxing things up and taking them home’ in Germany. You eat it or you leave it. I gave it my all, but no dice that night.

The next day we stopped in for lunch. I was told (not asked) that I had to order the chicken sandwich. So, I did. The flavor was great. It even tasted like real chicken from what I can remember, but it was a little on the tough side. Maybe it was slightly over cooked? Whatever the case, it was still yummy. A side of fries with that and I was stuffed.

A few days later I was really craving a veggie burger. This thing was no burger. It was a towering mess of goodness. Once I figured out how to get around it, I dug in. Soft bun, slightly crunchy on the outside, tons of fresh veggies piled high on a patty of deliciousness. Again, I could only mow through half of it. Thankfully, I have a German to finish what I can’t.

Best known for it’s pizza, I decided to have a go at it one of the last days I was there. I met up with a friend for lunch and ordered the “salami” version (not shown). I’ll admit, I was totally impressed with the cheeze. As a vegan, cheese is one of the hardest things to substitute. Not only do most mock cheeses taste like cardboard, they don’t melt properly either. This stuff was incredible. Melted over a thin crust and covered with fat slices of “salami”, I was in cheezly heaven.

Last but not least, I couldn’t leave without trying the recent addition to the menu. The banana split! A giant banana, slathered in soy ice cream, whipped cream, chocolate and nuts. OMG. Nouf‘ said.

It’s not a top notch fancy place or even the best food I had during my stay in Berlin but it’s definitely a great vegan find for someone who wants to grab a quick meal at a place that has variety without worrying if it’s vegan or not. Overall it’s an awesome restaurant if you’re looking for fast, cheap, not-so-waistline-friendly food with a relaxed atmosphere in a super cool district.

Next time you’re in Berlin, check em’ out here: Gärtnerstrasse 27, 10245 Berlin.

Today I found myself with a dilemma.

First let me say this -I try to be a conscious eater. Not only for the animals sake and the environment, but for health reasons and simply because I physically feel like crap if I don’t watch what I put into my body. Of course, I have my days where there’s nothing that’s going to come between me and a giant bowl of Thai Osha’s pumpkin curry swimming in coconut milk. Just the smell of it could pull me out of a coma and have me searching for the nearest spoon.

Unfortunately being a bakeaholic, I eat a lot of baked goods as well. Sure, I use organic, healthier ingredients than the baked goods you’d find in most grocery stores but the fat and the sugar are still a factor in order to get some things to taste or turn out a certain way. And yes, I realize that all those little licks of the spoon add up every day despite how I tell myself they don’t really count as food.

So here lies my problem. I was having a serious sugar attack. Not only did I not have any sweets in the house, but I was trying to stick to my diet of fruits, veggies and protein and be “good”. I racked my brain thinking what could I make that was sweet but not loaded with sugar? Something chocolaty, cold, creamy, lower in carbs but also satisfying. This was truly going to be a challenge considering what an actual serving size is considered. A half a cup of ice cream is a serving?! Pffht…sure it is.

I spotted a package of light Tofu in the fridge and the wheels began to turn. I checked to see if I had cocoa powder, agave sweetener, vanilla and soy milk. I did! My Chocolate Mousse prayers had been answered! Not only was it just what I was looking for as far as sweets go but it was loaded with protein and low in fat so that I didn’t feel like a moose after eating it. 1 block of tofu made 4 large servings.

Here’s how I made it happen… within 5 minutes!

1. Drain the tofu from the package. I use firm or extra firm tofu.

2. Crumble tofu into a food processor.

3. Add 1/2 cup of soy milk

4. Add 1/2 cup cocoa powder (or melted chocolate chips for the less healthy version)

5. Add 1/2 cup of agave sweetener & 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract

6. Blend for about a minute.

7. Pour into serving dishes and place in the fridge until ready to serve! Feel free to add whatever toppings you like.

Yum!

A few weeks ago I was contacted by someone at PETA and asked if I would be interested in donating some of my baked goods for an event that supports Vegan Outreach. Of course I was thrilled and felt honored that I was even considered. I was going to be displaying all my creations next to other well known donors such as

Endangered Species Chocolate, Lagunitas Brewing Company, Maggie Mudd, Red Truck Wines, Sjaak’s Organic Chocolates, The Stanford Inn by the Sea, Sunflour Baking Company, Tofutti, and Zevia Natural Diet Soda.

For those of you who don’t know, Vegan Outreach is a nonprofit organization that focuses on spreading the vegan lifestyle through booklets. Vegan Outreach “preaches to the convertible” by focusing on college students through their ‘Adopt A College’ program. Since 2003, leafleters have handed booklets to over 3 million students.

So what was this special event? A vegan prom!!! The theme was “Starry Starry Night”.

Super excited, I quickly threw together a menu and got to work. After a couple failed attempts at some cinnamon rolls, I started to worry that I wasn’t going to have enough to donate. Luckily, my parents pulled through and surprised me with 4 batches of emergency cinnamon rolls! My saviors.

After gathering all the cinnamon rolls together and boxing them up, it was time to start working on the next menu item. Vegan Caramel Chocolate Chip bars! I LOVE these things. I probably wolfed down 2 of them before they were even baked. It was my first attempt at a vegan version which left me feeling kinda sketch about the whole thing but everything worked out perfectly. We even made the caramel from scratch unlike the non-vegan version.

After breaking myself away from the pan, I noticed that I had a bunch of bananas sitting on the counter that were perfect for banana bread. I had everything else on hand also so I figured, why not? Bam! An hour later, 2 loaves fresh from the oven. My entire house was filled with the aroma of cinnamon, chocolate and banana at this point. Not only the smell of it, but my kitchen floor was a disaster as well. I can only imagine what my neighbors must have thought watching us slip all over the kitchen floor for hours.

Next…. Brownies. Mix, pour, bake. Nothin to it. Done in a half hour. Nothin fancy. Just plain ol’ fudgy, amazingly good brownies.

“What next?” I thought. I decided I wanted to make something Gluten Free to mix things up a bit. All I had was some chocolate chips, agave syrup and coffee in my cabinet. My solution… Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie bars! Moist and somewhere in between a brownie and a cake, they came out super yummy.

After everything was boxed and loaded, we were off to prom!

The venue located at a.Muse Gallery in SF, looked awesome. It was decorated with white streamers, silver star cutouts and pink and white lanterns. There was a bar area set up which served beer and wine (both generoulsy donated) and even a sparkling backdrop where you could line up to take prom photos. All the decorations were just as cute as the idea. Attendees were able to purchase $1 raffle tickets to win a night at The Stanford Inn by the Sea, an award-winning animal-friendly vegetarian bed and breakfast in beautiful Mendocino, one free personal training session with vegan and professional personal trainer Darren Middlesworth, or a “Romantic Dinner for Two,” prepared in the winner’s home by certified Natural Chef Jesse Miner.

Tickets were $40 a pop which included desserts and beverages and all the proceeds went to benefit Vegan Outreach.

Once we delivered our goods, the volunteers were nice enough to cut and plate them for us while we snuck off for a cup of joe.

We hung out for a couple hours, took some pics, talked to some cool peeps, bought a few raffle tickets, watched people in silly costumes and ball gowns get down to Michael Jackson songs and tried a few of the other goodies before sneaking out.

All in all, it was an amazing night and everyone had a great time. The event organizers and the set up crew did a fantastic job.

10 years late, but I finally made it to prom.

Yeah, I said “Hella“.

A word only us Nor Cal folks can get away with it seems. No joke though, these Chocolate Chip Cookies are hella good! There are a million Chocolate Chip recipes out there and I feel like I’ve tried almost all of them. These, by far, are my favorite. They are even better than the non-vegan cookies I remember as a kid.

I followed a standard recipe from ‘The Joy of Vegan Baking’ and while I was combining the ingredients I realized half way through that I’d run out of flour. Slightly annoyed, I rummaged through the cabinet where low and behold, a pretty little yellow sack of coconut flour sat. I figured “What the hell…”. Dumping the remainder of what was left into the batter, I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best.

I was stoked when they came out a perfect, even shade of golden brown. Now, for the taste test. Not only were they soft and chewy the way I like them, they had a hint of coconutty sweetness that made them impossible to resist. I gobbled 2 of those bad boys down immediately then continued to make up reasons why I needed to be in the kitchen for the next hour just so I could break off a piece every time I walked by. I think the total cookie consumption count was probably around 5 or so by the time I actually found the willpower to box them up.

Vegan or not, you have to try this recipe at least once. For those weirded out by the thought of vegan food, here is some reassurance; I’ve made these dozens of times for my friends and no one can tell that they are vegan. I promise. For those who are vegan or vegetarian, this recipe is a must for your collection!

Hella Good Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 2 cups all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup of coconut flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup non-dairy butter or 1/2 cup coconut oil with 1/2 cup organic applesauce
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Egg replacer for 2 eggs
• 1-2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl.
2. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in large mixer bowl.
3. Add egg replacer one at a time, beating well after each addition; gradually beat in flour mixture.
4. Stir in chocolate chips
5. Use ice cream scoop to measure and drop onto ungreased baking sheets.
6. Bake in preheated 375-degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.
7. Let stand for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

I wasn’t really in the mood for a big breakfast but a bowl of cereal isn’t cuttin’ it for me either. So, I decided to make a batch of muffins with what I had on hand which turned out to be a gang load of bran and a bag of raisins.

It’s said that most people should consume about 20-25 grams of dietary fiber a day and it has actually been shown that consuming bran may have tremendous benefits for the gastrointestinal tract, as a pro-biotic food, in combating heart disease, keeping you ‘regular’ and maybe even in controlling weight. Other possible benefits of bran include reducing risk of heart attack and may also help to prevent colon cancer. Holy fiber Batman!

The following bran muffin recipe I snagged online somewhere a few years ago and veganized. Most of the time I try to use healthier substitutes like applesauce, ground flax, agave nectar in place of sugar, etc. but with this recipe I’ve noticed they don’t tend to come out quite as good if I alter it. So, I stuck with the original recipe.

Besides the health benefits, these suckers are super tasty. Moist, but dense, they are sure to fill you up for a good couple hours depending on how big you make them. We like em’ big!

Pair it with a glass of soy milk, a cup of coffee or a mug of tea and you’re off to an awesome start for the day. (They also make great pick-me-up snacks when you’re nodding off in class… )

“How much do we really know about the food we buy at our local supermarkets and serve to our families?”

That is the question posed in the film Food, Inc. Filmmaker Robert Kenner takes a peek into our nation’s food industry, exposing the highly mechanized processes that have been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government’s regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation’s food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the sustenance of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment.

We have bigger-breasted chickens, the perfect pork chop, herbicide-resistant soybean seeds, vegetables that don’t spoil, but we also have new strains of E. coli—the harmful bacteria that causes illness for an estimated 73,000 Americans annually. We are engulfed with widespread obesity, particularly among children, and an epidemic level of diabetes among adults.

Food, Inc. exposes America’s industrialized food system and its effect on our environment, health, economy and workers’ rights and reveals shocking truths about what we eat, how it’s produced, who we have become as a nation and where we are going from here.

This isn’t another animal rights, slaughter house film that pushes veganism. This movie brings light to what’s really going on with our food and how it’s affecting each one of us in so many different, devastating ways. Some of the issues that are touched upon include:

- Finding Organic, Local Foods

- Diabetes and obesity

- Factory farming

- Pesticides

- Environmental Impact

- The Global Food Crisis

- Kevin’s Law: Foodborne Illnesses

- Nutrition Labels on Restaurant Foods

- Genetic Engineering

- Farm Worker Production

- Cloning

To learn more about these issues and how you can take action, you can click on the links above or visit Takepart.com. Each one of us can change the future by making just a few subtle changes starting with simple steps like these:

1. Stop drinking sodas and other sweetened beverages.

You can lose 25 lbs in a year by replacing one 20 oz soda a day with a no calorie beverage (preferably water).

2. Eat at home instead of eating out.

Children consume almost twice (1.8 times) as many calories when eating food prepared outside the home.

3. Support the passage of laws requiring chain restaurants to post calorie information on menus and menu boards.

Half of the leading chain restaurants provide no nutritional information to their customers.

4. Tell schools to stop selling sodas, junk food, and sports drinks.

Over the last two decades, rates of obesity have tripled in children and adolescents aged 6 to 19 years. To help ensure that the reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act assures healthy food choices, you can sign this petition.

5. Meatless Mondays—Go without meat one day a week.

An estimated 70% of all antibiotics used in the United States are given to farm animals.

6. Buy organic or sustainable food with little or no pesticides.

According to the EPA, over 1 billion pounds of pesticides are used each year in the U.S.

7. Protect family farms; visit your local farmer’s market.

Farmer’s markets allow farmers to keep 80 to 90 cents of each dollar spent by the consumer.

8. Make a point to know where your food comes from—READ LABELS.

The average meal travels 1500 miles from the farm to your dinner plate.

9. Tell Congress that food safety is important to you.

Each year, contaminated food causes millions of illnesses and thousands of deaths in the U.S.

10. Demand job protections for farm workers and food processors, ensuring fair wages and other protections.

Poverty among farm workers is more than twice that of all wage and salary employees.

Vegan or not, I HIGHLY recommend seeing this movie if it’s playing in your area. To check for tickets, go here.

What we put into our bodies and what we feed our kids doesn’t only affect our health, it effects the environment and the entire world.

As the Dead Kennedy’s would say, “Give me convenience or give me death!” Well, that’s just where we’re headed if we don’t start making some serious changes, fast.

Backyard BBQ’s and booze… that’s how the majority of our friends spent this 4th of July.

This year we decided to check out the Bay Area Vegetarian’s annual potluck/picnic at Montara State Beach. It’s located on the San Francisco Peninsula in San Mateo County, approximately 20 miles south of San Francisco. The beach is about eight miles north of Half Moon Bay on Highway 1.

We were excited about the opportunity to connect with like-minded people while enjoying a day in the sun and chowin‘ down on some amazing homemade vegan food. They ask that you RSVP, bring your own reusable utensils and there is even a carpool option for the sake of the environment.

Everyone was welcome, both veg & non-veg, as long as each person was open-minded and brought a vegan dish to share. Guests were all ages, races, sizes and had different backgrounds. Tammy, the event organizer, was very welcoming and a great hostess. We thought it was kinda cute watching her run around playing match maker with people who had things in common.

The event started around 1pm and everyone was digging in by 1:30. There was a variety of foods that included pasta, rice and grain dishes, salsas, marinated tofu, salad, bread, cupcakes and a ton of veggies. I’m still not quite sure how our plates withstood the giant mound of food we manged to pile on top of them.

After stuffing our faces, we kicked back on our blanket and watched the kids and the dogs play in the sand for a while. There was a volleyball game going on a few feet away, a couple people playing Frisbee, a couple surfers in the group and of course people building sand castles and meandering along the shoreline.

After a couple hours of chatting and a quick dip in the water, we decided to pack it up and get going. We said our goodbye’s and left with a handful of great vegan tips, some new contacts and a full belly. Not a bad way to spend the day.

While it was an awesome event for anybody, I would definitely recommend those who are thinking about going veg to check this out next year. It’s a great way to introduce yourself to some people in the vegan community and get some tips and input while trying a variety of awesome vegan foods. Best of all, it’s FREE!

Once again, we tip our hats to another successful Bay Area Vegetarian event and can’t wait for the next one!

Luckily, these monsters of a vegetable are available year round to chop, saute, fry, marinate, bake, BBQ and cook in a variety of other ways to suit your taste buds. I prefer to sweeten them up and toss them into my baked goods of course.

Every summer my garden explodes with these puppies. So much that I find myself pawning them off left and right amongst my friends and co-workers in order to make room in my kitchen. That’s why this year I decided to skip the squash and go for melons, herbs and tomatoes instead. I thought I was off the hook scrambling for squash recipes all summer. Turns out, I was wrong.

A friend of mine came over a few days ago with what had to be about 15-20 pounds of squash. We’re not talking the cute little zucchini you find at the store either. These things looked like they were on steroids! A stir fry dinner for two and 4 loaves of vegan zucchini bread later and I’m still trying to find the bottom of my kitchen table.

I’ll admit, I gave myself a quick pat on the back after taking a bite of this stuff. With just a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg, they were perfect!

Since I still had about 10 more pounds to get through, I started digging through my cupboards to find other goodies I could sneak into the batter for the next batch. Of course, my first thought was CHOCOLATE! It came out just as perfect, if not better, than the first batch.

I think the round 3 experiment is going to include cranberries, orange zest and powdered sugar. Round 4… maybe a sweet hint of sweet basil?

Oh, the possibilities…!