Girlfriends Antiques, Gifts and Floral 920 S. Third Street 425-687-2802

Cupcake Love Aquarian Style

Orange birthday cupcakes with my special coconut creamcheese frosting ala orange with a mandarin slice on top! Simply gorgeous!
(PS. I shared this recipe for frosting with ya'll on 1/6/09 -try it,you'll become popular)

After the floods...

I met this lovely lady today as she was creating a display to celebrate Black History month at the Renton Public Library. Edythe Grady has been a resident of our fair burg for over 40 years and claims that her artistic side blossomed rather late in her life, bringing out a love of writing and photography, both of which she has on display in the glass case at the Library entrance. Edythe has photos of local men deserving our attention this month, but today the focus is on her. The Chat Book she wrote on Happiness was a pure joy to read - and she is an inspiration to us all - you never stop growing or learning and there is always something that can be shared with a new friend.

Life on the Cedar...

When a cupcake meets a Vegan...

If you have looked at my blog at all, you know how I feel about cupcakes. They are delicious mounds of wonderfulness and any chance I get, I am making them - and then giving them away, because it would be just plain dangerous to be left at home alone with any of them.

Yet another Aquarian birthday this weekend, a dear someone (Mary/Happy Delusions) who doesn't do dairy. Won't stop me from baking, I tell ya! That is what the Internet is for - to solve your baking dilemmas, amongst other things, and then direct you in the endeavor of crafting treats without butter or eggs.

There is a new book rockin' the vegan community, Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, and with good reason. If the following recipe, which is attributed to that book (though found at Chow recipes online), is like the rest - I am a new believer. These chocolate cupcakes were so moist and chocolaty that no one felt they were missing anything - and that says a lot.

Chocolate Vegan Cupcakes
1 cup soy milk
1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp of vanilla, or both vanilla and almond extract
1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder(Dutch processed or regular - check to make sure it does not include whey)
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line muffin pan with paper or foil baking cups. Whisk together the soy milk and vinegar and set to the side for a few minutes to curdle. Sift together in a large bowl all of the dry ingredients. Add vanilla,oil and sugar to the soy and beat until frothy. Add the dry ingredients into the wet mix, beating until smooth. Pour batter into the prepared cupcake pan - this is enough batter for a dozen regular sized cupcakes. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until toothpick inserted into center of cupcake comes out clean and then transfer to rack to cool.

Note: These were awesome without the Vegan Frosting recipe that I found at the same site and at Recipezaar. I used organic granulated sugar and soy milk, unbromated/unbleached flour and pure vanilla and almond extract (never use fake vanilla - please, I beg of you!) These are all the same ingredients that go into my "fully loaded" cupcakes as well, except when I am advocating the use of Cool Whip and box cake mixes - a girl deserves to be an amalgamation of contradictions!

Here's the Beer, Where Are You?

Here's a beer list of what's on tap locally - go get your beer groove on and please, remember, you are drinking locally - be proud!

Tapestry Saloon
919 S. Third Street. Renton, WA
425-572-5931

Lost Coast Double Trouble IPA
Bridgeport Ebenezer
MacTarnahan's Amber
Pike Monks Uncle
New Belgium 1554
Baron Liberator

RedHouse
410 Burnett. Ave Renton, WA

Victory Golden Monkey
Pike Auld Acquaintance
Schooner Exact 3 Grid IPA
Hale's Kolsch
Chimay Tripel
Deschutes Abyss Stout
Manny's Pale Ale

Feb. 3, Tuesday, is also Roving Renton Nite, $20 buys you lots of wine and food - yum! (This event is called Roving Renton, because it is hosted at Redhouse,Blossom,Armondos and Melrose Grill on rotating evenings). Feb. 4th, Wednesday, is Wine Tasting at the Redhouse, more yum!