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Tag: chocolate

Marble Cupcake Break

My guy’s son’s birthday is here, so I’d need to make his classroom cupcakes before heading to celebrate yet another awesome Pisces, my Mom! When I asked him what kind of cupcakes he wanted, he was torn between vanilla and chocolate… so it was marble cupcakes for the win. A Read more…


Black Velvet Cupcakes

Black cocoa calls to me from the pantry, and so a deep, dark chocolate cupcake would be today’s plan. This recipe would be my guide, though I was skeptical my cakes would be as black because of the prevalence of enhanced photos on blogs. But this batter had real potential… Read more…


My Brother’s Birthday Cake

In the mad dash of awesome Aquarius celebrations is my brother’s and the reason for my visit to Long Island. I had two, count em, two birthday cakes chilling in my trunk on the 5.5 hour drive back. The cold chocolate ganache was made this layer cake very durable and Read more…


The Big 5-0

My guy just turned 50 and I suppose I will be soon-ish too! It is very surreal to me; the passage of time seems to pass in modules–chunks of years spent in specific mindset, followed by the next evolution of your perceptions. It is why I cannot remember my age Read more…


January ’24 Outtakes

Month 1 of 2024 took its sweet time–the pace of ordinary, the pace of feeling things out. Here are some outtakes. The late 1900’s. A really yummy mac and cheese I made with that cheese sauce you make from potatoes and carrot. It is so damn good. I had a Read more…


One Off the Vegan Bucket List: A Baked Alaska πŸ’•πŸ¨πŸ”₯

Being a lover of vintage dessert cookbooks, the Baked Alaska always appealed to me. The beautiful pastel layers, the encasement of torched meringue… the cohabitation of ice cream, cake and marshmallowy meringue. So with the new year, I’d start with checking it off my to-make Bucket List. It was partly Read more…


Another Christmas, Another BΓ»che De NoΓ«l πŸͺ΅πŸŒŸπŸŽ„

With the motivation of making a showstopper for the big day, I embarked upon the annual challenge of assembling a vegan BΓ»che De NoΓ«l. And though the end result is always spectacular to look at, I have accepted that, thus far, the texture of a vegan cake rolled and compressed Read more…


This Year’s Christmas Cookie Boxes

Usually my treat holiday treat boxes go to my colleagues in teaching… ones that help add a little fun to the dysfunction. But not being in the classroom anymore, these boxes would go to my guy’s children’s teachers (Boy, I really hate double-possessives). First, the very much loved pumpkin chocolate Read more…


Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies

This recipe for ooey-gooey fudgey brownie-like cookies was a real crowd pleaser in my household. I snipped up some Dandies vegan marshmallows for the batter and used crunchy almond butter. The result had it all… A very thick batter Ah, they’re out! Time for all to devour… after taking a Read more…


November… Another One in the Books

Well, somehow it’s December. To follow, November’s outtakes. Trips to the playground which will likely not be a often in the winter… An amazing calzone from Create-A-Pizza… vegan ricotta, some vegan cheese and some mushroom bacon So happy to have found an amazing Indian lunch buffet: Tandoor of India Another Read more…


Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies πŸŽƒ

Out with the apple and in with the pumpkin! It is that time of autumn when the pumpkins have served their decorative purpose and can now finish out their lives as sweet and savory treats. The first pumpkin I processed was the yellow one, so that orange hue is not Read more…


Little Girl Birthday Cupcakes

It was time to bake a batch of cupcakes for a special girl’s 7th birthday. And because class sizes are so large, they had to be little itty bitties. So the perfection of VCTOTW‘s basic chocolate cupcake would do the trick. All done Just a small piping of vanilla buttercream Read more…


πŸŒΊπŸŒΌπŸ’€πŸŒΌπŸŒΊDia de los Muertos 2023Β πŸŒΊπŸŒΌπŸ’€πŸŒΌπŸŒΊ

Even though I no longer teach, I would still follow the tradition I have grown so accustom to… setting up my ofrenda and honoring the lives of dearly departed. This year, a Calavera cake after I came across this pan. I imagined it decorated to the nine’s. This was a Read more…


Leaf Peepin’ 🍁 On My Birthday
Camping in Potter County, Pennsylvania

To celebrate my birth so long ago, we headed south to Pennsylvania’s Potter County for a stay in a cabin in the mountains. I chose this location for a few reasons. For one, it is very near to the dark sky park Cherry Springs State Park. In the unlikely event Read more…


Some Marble Banana Bread…

After ordering some black cocoa, I’m excited to make some dark cocoa delights. With some old bananas waiting for me to return home, I quickly hopped to making one of my faves: Chocolate marble banana bread from Post Punk Kitchen. Ah, such a stark contrast Each slice is a unique Read more…


All Roads Vegan
Lake Hopatcong, NJ

All Roads Vegan is one of those gems you stumble upon while traveling and you wish you could airlift back with you. I call them “Airlift Eateries” and they get that high rank by doing what they do with a passion and attention to detail that is extraordinary. Not only Read more…


And So Are the Days of Our Lives…

This year, the summer seems endless. I never know what day is and thus time is passing in giant chunks of leisure. This is my daily life right now. Until it isn’t. So I am basking. Above, an amazing tempeh rib special from Red Fern. Cornbread, sweet potato mash, pilaf Read more…


Vegan Cookie Delivery
Insomnia Cookies

I was really psyched to learn that Insomnia Cookies has a nice selection of vegan options for those of us who would like to partake in late-night ordering of fresh baked cookies! And I was even more psyched to discover that they are really darn good. Here they are in Read more…


Postcards From the End
Labor Day in Port Bay, NY

It is always hard to say goodbye to summer. So I take a lot of pictures. Here are its last unofficial wisps… from sun up to sun down. A rainbow upon arrival And into sunrise… My friend in the tent because… packed cottage I made the tofu scramble in advance! Read more…


Random About Rochester

With a friend in town, we had to see some sites and we had to eat well! So first, Red Fern–with wide ranging dishes and sweet treats, it’s a vegan go-to. I took a risk on the special, the po’ boy made with battered soy curls. It was tasty but Read more…


National Banana Split Day! 🍌🍨

Being vegan for about 26 years now, I have a White Whale… something I have always been searching for being done right vegan. But no place anywhere in the world is making the 🍌banana split🍌 I want… really creamy delicious ice cream in chocolate, vanilla and strawberry… home-made thick and Read more…


St. George Vegan Eats

Ok, so part of the reason I was so psyched about St. George, Utah was the vegan options. Starting with a good breakfast that hits all the notes from Gaia’s Garden Cafe… The Buddha Toast with avocado, curried chickpeas, radish, cilantro & house-made tahini dressing on Organic artisan sourdough. Just Read more…


National S’mores Day
And Fireflies

August 10th is National S’mores Day! So instead of making rice krispy treats using up the stale marshies in the cupboard as I had planned, they were used for s’mores. I had a box of Partake‘s Classic Grahams from VeganCuts a few months back and though they are gluten-free and Read more…


The Best of Rochester πŸ† (Too Soon?)
Hedonist Chocolate Sorbet

Hedonist‘s chocolate sorbet is simply the best I’ve ever had! So rich and fudgy, I did not want it to end. But I held out to get back home so I can enjoy it with some sliced banana. This is my new thing… adding banana myself as so many ice Read more…


Eating Things Everyday

Though it has been very hectic integrating all my stuff into the household and reinterpreting all the space about us, I must eat. In-between the labor, some tasty bites. Tacos are the perfect summer bite… plus you can satisfy so many tastes by making it interactive. Here my marinaded tofu Read more…


To & Fro
Rochester/Brooklyn

Somehow I made it through a very grueling July.. heatwave, back and forth hauls to transport all my ridiculous stuff… we made a plan and stuck to it! Here are some pictures and eats in-between. While I was in Rochester for a hot minute, we got ice cream for breakfast! Read more…