Showing posts with label baking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label baking. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

End Of Summer Round Up


Well it's the end of August. Holy shit. What happened to summer? Oh yeah, it was hot and a time suck. Here's what happened during the time suck:

Remember how I was freaking out over finding a job? Well I ended up getting one...or two. I'm working 3 part time jobs now, hopefully 4 come this fall! So I've been busy to say the least. Who needs sleep? I have a bit of an announcement to make though. DRUM ROLL The boy and I decided to start our own vegan catering business!!! As of now we are just taking baking orders, so let me know if you are interested! We'll have a website and email address set up soon! Cookies, cakes, pies, cupcakes, etc..*. We are still tinkering with a name so we can start advertising appropriately, but we are definitely taking orders in the mean time. We are so excited!!!

I've also been busy with automobile issues. My car accident in May just led to my car slowly falling apart. Let's be real, it wasn't safe to drive after that accident. It was totaled. I didn't have a choice though. I kept the driving to a minimum but it ended up losing it's entire exhaust pipe on the fourth of July. Needless to say, we saw no fireworks. I was without a car for a while, riding the bus and borrowing my mom's ride since we work opposite schedules. Then my mom decided she wanted a new car instead of me getting a new car. She gave me her car...including the car payment I can't afford and the V6 engine that costs me an extra $20/week in gas. My old car was paid off and a 4 cylinder, I miss that lemon. But while I was without car, my friend and now roommate, @sarrillmerah, sugguested I take pictures to share of things I find along my walking travels. Unfortunetly most cool things happen pretty fast and I'm pretty burnt out so sometimes finding my camera in time is an after thought. But one of the best things I saw over the summer that I wasn't able to get a picture was of a bunch of guys slowly pulling up to a curb on a busy road to scope out an xbox 360 on the curb. Without coming to a stop, the kid in the backseat opened his door and they snagged the xbox. Other picture worthy moments that failed: me saving a puppy, countless people that walk the streets of Rochester, NY, hitchhikers in Ithaca, our first catering gig, before and after pictures of the house, the people in line for the porta-potty at CMAC and I'm sure, many, many other things!
War Memorial

Aqueducts in downtown 

Part of the old subway station. Now just a place for the homeless and graffiti  (closed 55 years ago this June, for more info go to http://www.rochestersubway.com)

Quiet night in the south side of the city

My mom also gave us her house. Ok, she didn't just give it to us. She moved out and left us with the payments and bills. I miss being downtown but I like it here. We are still technically the city, but pretty close to the suburbs. In all honesty though, we love it here. It's quiet, which is a huge difference from coming from a filthy house with musicians as neighbors and roommates playing poker till 5am. We've been busy since we moved in two months ago getting everything set up. We've painted, sanded, weeded and scrubbed...and there is still more to do! We ripped out all the carpet downstairs with my parents. I'm still waiting for our prize for surviving that, or rather, not killing anyone. Speaking of murder, we had to live with my mom for a few weeks too. Luckily, we all got out alive. But trying to move and unpack while the old tenants shit is still everywhere is beyond frustrating. I had visions of dumpsters and flames. She is just about all moved out and we are (I think) unpacked!  I snapped a few pics of the house to share with you. Our walls are still bare but we are getting there! Still waiting to unpack the time machine to get our summer back though. House warming party this fall???

Records!

Music Room

Sun Room

Kitchen

Living Room

Corn!

More of the garden :)


We did get out a little this summer despite all the chaos between work and a new house, but leisure time was definitely limited. We saw Bootsy Collins at Party in the Park, Steely Dan at CMAC and went to Ithaca for a day trip.
Bootsy Collins

(sorry, these are from my phone)

Steely Dan

Ithaca!








We went to the Punx Picnic this past weekend. It was quite the site! Heavy music, lots of leather, fucking moshing, broken glass flying, booze, drugs, motorcycles, public urination and lots of chasing and punching/stick whipping. Hoping it becomes an annual thing.
Janet Reno's Dance Party

Classic punk: kid pissing in an open field, with a family party in the next shelter over

I think 16 bands played overall, but I could be wrong

The other half of the park was covered in broken glass

When we weren't checking out music from all different genres, we did some baking and even more cooking! I tried out some new vegan recipes this summer too! When you spend a lot of time in a grocery store you can't help but drool over all the non vegan items (burgers and reese's, I'm talking to you!) but then I go home and realize I can make just about anything and being a vegan becomes easy again. Here are some of the things I made this summer that I was actually able to snap a quick picture of before they were inhaled. Not pictured: "meat"balls, punk cupcakes (they had a green mohawk!), red velvet cupcakes, mixed summer veggies from the garden in a lemon garlic sauce over pasta, eggplant parm and some kick ass, but melty, frosting...among others!
S'mores Cupcakes (there's a marshmellow inside!)

Black Bean Burgers

I'm not so sure if it's the almonds, coconut or the chocolate that bring me the most joy



*If you are interested about placing a baking order, please send me a DM on twitter. You can find some of the items we've made so far by clicking on the 'baking' or 'vegan' label to the right or by clicking here and/or here. Rummage around, like I said, a website is coming soon. All baked goods 100% vegan :)


Friday, June 24, 2011

Working Girl: Hell, I'll Do Anything For Money At This Point

Gasp! Is it really the end of June?! Somehow I went all spring working just part time and it was pretty awesome (except for my thin, empty wallet). But I got a two more jobs in June so hopefully that wallet with plump up. I'm working for a catering business per diem to help with service and events. I've never done this kind of work before and since I kick it to work in a pair of bobos, my knees and feet take close to three days to stop throbbing. Make sure to tip your waitress. The other job I got is part time working for a data company that specializes in retail stores. What's cool about this job is that it offers benefits (minimal, but better than what I have now, which is nothing) and I get to make my own hours while working with a deadline which means I can still watch the boys part time! All of this couldn't come at a better time because we are moving into my mom's house next week and taking over her mortgage for her in the middle of July. Yes, this means we have to live with my mother for a few weeks. I mentioned something about the possibility of just being homeless for a few weeks (it is summer anyways) but apparently that wasn't taken as seriously as I'd hoped.

Busy. It's the word that could sum up all of our lives, but right now it's crowding mine. Packing, cleaning, moving, working, training, sewing, baking...and painting starts today. So I'll be busy over the next few weeks, don't think I'm ignoring you. In fact, I've already wasted too much time writing this...

Monday, May 30, 2011

Damn, Look Who's At It Again

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins. Hello.
 I made these cupcakes for my mom and family on Mother's Day. Turned out to be addicting...majorly.
Vanilla and Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache and Raspberries
Chocolate Chip Brownie Cookies
Very Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache and Raspberries/Strawberries

Those banana chocolate chip muffins have tuned out to be a favorite of ours, but I realized this morning that we were out of liners...gasp! I did, however, have a loaf pan. Score.
Banana Chocolate Chip Bread
 I make these rolls almost weekly now. We use them for sandwiches and burgers. They're also awesome warm with butter! Instead of making a dozen rolls I only made four this time, just enough for our burgers, and decided I would see how well the dough worked to make a pizza pie...turned out to be delicious!
"a roll is a roll, and if we don't get no tolls, then we don't eat no rolls"

 








 
"pizza! pizza! pizza!"

 Truffles!



Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Busy Baking Bee

I've been really busy lately trying to benefit myself in every way possible...one being baking, vegan style of course. I've got to get better about updating my blog because I have way too many tasty desserts to share with you! I apologize for some of these pictures, they're from my phone. Anyways, enjoy!

vanilla cupcakes hot out of the oven!

vanilla cupcakes with blue frosting

homemade rolls with seasoning on top. we used these for sandwiches and veggie burgers. they were awesome warmed up with some earth balance butter!
chocolate chip cupcakes

chocolate chip cupcakes with chocolate frosting and walmuts

chocolate chip cupcakes with vanilla frosting

peanut butter cup!

AMAZING!

cookie bars made with oats, my mom's homemade jam and chocolate chips

chocolate chip cookies

apple cinnamon bread

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Who Said Becoming Vegan Was Hard?

In case you're curious what sort of vegan deliciousness we've been getting into while I'm unemployed...

We had to eat it a day late but here's the feast I made for my boyfriend's birthday!
Ma! The meatloaf! FUCK! (and corn and mashed potatoes w/ gravy)


 No, it's not a veiny sausage.I know it looks gross but I promise you it was yummy!
 Frozen banana smothered in chocolate, drizzled with homemade peanut butter topping 

We finally got a bed! No more futon! But before we got the mattress we had to make some treats as a trade.
Mexican Wedding Cakes
 Here's my dessert platter from the other night. Who said becoming vegan was hard?
Mexican Wedding Cake, Oatmeal Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie and a Snickeroo!

We're leaving for Philly in the morning to spend an overnight, eat vegan food and check out a basketball game  as my present to the boy to celebrate his birth. We're stoked about going! I wrote down a few vegan bakeries to check out and we'll be paying a few visits to some record stores too. Anyone have any suggestions for a quick visit to Philly? 

Feeling Ambitious? Read These Too! (sorry for all the LOST posts)