Vegan Blueberry Muffins

These are probably the best blueberry muffins I've ever made.
I don't even like blueberries. Can we still be friends?

Vegan Blueberry Orange Muffins

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup soy milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1 cup fresh blueberries

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare cupcake pan with liners.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir in soy milk and oil.
3. Gently fold in blueberries. Pour into baking cups and bake for 25 minutes.

Stay warm my friends!

Happy Birthday Paula

Happy birthday to the sweetest most beautiful person I know. Not sure how I was lucky enough to score Paula as my mother but I'm really happy I did. I am always learning from her and her compassion never ceases to amaze me.
I hope I can be so cool one day.

cupcakes and cat sitting

Last night Sarah and I baked these Joe Joe Peppermint Cupcakes. We followed the recipe very closely, except for substituting dark chocolate for the unsweetened chocolate.

http://www.beantownbaker.com/2011/12/candy-cane-chocolate-oreo-cupcakes.html

They smelled divine.

I brought them to work today and asked my coworkers for an honest critique of them. We are going to make them again next week for a party that Sarah is attending and want to know what we can do better next time.
So far the feedback I received:
-a little dry but tasty
-frosting is delicious
-oreo at the bottom was weird and stuck to the wrapper, or it just disconnected immediately from the cake. we will omit the oreo on the bottom next time.

I love honest feedback! People always tell me that everything tastes sooo goood but really? All the time? I don't think so. Some of my cakes have to be a little dry. Some of my cookies are probably overcooked. If you tell me kindly, I'll try harder next time to avoid those things!

I'm time-sharing watching this pretty little baby. Her name is Sally. She is sweet and meows like a dog barking with a dry mouth?

Sam

When I found out Camille was pregnant with Sam I was afraid my heart would not be able to grow large enough to love both Olivia and Sam to infinity and beyond. It's a childish fear but I really felt that way. I love Olivia so much I wasn't sure it would be possible to share that with another little human. Then I held the little guy in my arms and just like the Grinch my heart grew three sizes that day. He gets bigger every time I see him. He responds with a tiny meow whenever I meow at him. He's observant and smart and full of life. It blows my mind to see how different Olivia is from Sam. I love to see how much she loves him, she is a wonderful big sister.

Now that Camille is pregnant with her third baby I'm not afraid anymore.

I know I am capable of more love.

Happy Birthday little Cheeto. Meow.

Thankful (I suck)

I suck at being thankful apparently. No, really I just suck at blogging. I'm extremely thankful, no shortage in that department.

Since I can't seem to do it every day I thought I'd take a minute and make a list of just some of the things I can think of that I'm happy about and thankful to have in my life.

books
my job
tea
college
waffles
my parents
elton
cooper
monster
coffee
pencil sharpeners
rainbows
brussels sprouts
cold sheets
disco balls
olivia
sam
my sisters
my sweet brother
carmex
rainy days
poetry
my girlfriends, they rock
trees
flowers
calculators
the incredible curtis
avocados
my pyrex
my life

Thankful #5

A Few photos of things I am thankful for. 

 My Boys. Elton and Coop are five and a half years old and if I'm lucky they will live for another 500 years. 

 This amazing chocolate cake recipe that I favor over any other. It's in a zine called Papa Tofu full of other delicious goodness.

Curtis shoveling the snow off the back deck. I love this man. What could be sexier than a man shoveling snow?

 

My Mom. Isn't she pretty?

Thankful #4

Today I'm thankful for my freedom to live how I want and believe what I think is right.
I'm thankful that my government allows me to practice my own beliefs.
I'm thankful that my family can worship in the way they believe to be right.
I'm thankful for many of the values my parents raised me with.
I'm thankful that we have a president who believes in a womans right to make choices for herself. I'm thankful that he also believes that love between a man and man or woman and woman deserves the same respect and rights as love between a woman and a man.
I'm thankful that even though my beliefs may differ greatly from those of my family, we can still get along and love one another.

Because that's what it's all about isn't it? Loving one another. At least, that's what I was told.