Joshy's First Birthday Party!

I can't believe it's been almost a year since my little Joshy was born!  I also can't believe how much time has gone by since I last posted.  Needless to say, my culinary "adventures" have been more like culinary "what the hell can I make in 5 minutes?"

Well... I was determined to make something special for the event- so I carved a melon bunny.  It was something I had done a couple times before, so I knew it wouldn't take a whole afternoon to figure out. Plus, it was appropriate for Easter too... win-win!

I also made Joshy a little cake (although it looks huge in this picture).  Nothing special- just vanilla agave cake with vanilla soymilk custard on top.  He's such a picky eater right now, I knew he wouldn't do much with it.  Turned out, I was right.  In fact, he was so traumatized by the ten of us singing to him, that he barely noticed the cake with the big #1 candle on it.  After he calmed down, it didn't take long for him to explore this alien object in front of him... but he was cranky from missing his nap, and only got as far as putting a tiny fist full of custard in his mouth before wanting OUT!

But alas, a one year old child will inevitably recover, and go back to doing the things that really make him happy- like chewing on his socks and sitting on a keyboard.

Also, my best friend Cee (and Joshy's Fairy Godmother) made these cute little vegan deviled eggs (recipe from VegNews).  Note to all- the recipe calls for far too much black salt in the filling!  She had to alter it a few times to get it right.  They turned out yummy, but I wasn't fond of the agar egg whites- just wasn't the right texture for those who know what a deviled egg tastes like.

Well, all in all- it was a good event, and we had a blast!  It'll definitely be something we look back upon and have a giggle.  And before you know it, my baby won't be a baby anymore (sniff).  I'm glad I could share this with all of you!

Melon Bunny

Vegan Creme Eggs

...without the yolk! Come on, even before I was vegan I thought the "creamy yolk center" was gross. It made me think of raw egg encased in chocolate (gag reflex).

Anyway, I was at my neighborhood Safeway when I saw this egg plate amongst all their usual pastel bunny fare. And, after being holed up for almost a month with this scary flu that's been going around in my family, I was itchin' to play in the kitchin!'





























(In hindsight, I wouldn't use this egg plate to make chocolates, as it was hard to release them without breaking them. I would recommend your average crafty egg molds.)

Instead of the sickly-sweet fondant of the original, I made the creamy centers more healthy and not as sweet- almost like a custard or pudding. The agar helps it set up when cooled, but allows it to stay creamy in texture. These turned out to be half-eggs, but they're still very cute and get the Easter-y message across.

I froze some of them, and my friends liked them even better. They taste like frozen bon-bons.

Note: I made 12 chocolates, but had about twice as much filling left over. So if I would do it again, I'd either halve the filling or double the chocolate (probably double the chocolate) -!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 C. vegan chocolate chips, melted
(filling)
2 T. agar flakes
1 C. water
1 14oz. block of extra firm tofu
1/4 C. raw cashews
1 tsp. lemon juice
3/4 C. confectioner's sugar

Spinz:

In a small sauce pan, heat the water and dissolve the agar flakes in it, stirring often. In a blender, put the tofu, cashews, lemon juice, and confectioner's sugar, and blend with the agar mixture until very smooth and creamy. Set aside. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler (or as directed in the microwave). Spread chocolate into your mold and make sure you get an even thickness on the sides (about 1/8"). Spoon in the filling (no heaping). Then cover with another layer of chocolate, spreading carefully to cover all the edges and not to mix with the filling. Put into the fridge or freezer to cool and harden. Release chocolates. If difficult to release, you can try dipping the outside of the molds in warm water briefly. Enjoy!

Happy Spring!