1. All this week we’ll be coming up with easy food gifts that you don’t have to make with your oven. The first one up is this super simple peppermint chocolate bark. Click through to read how to put it all together! As always, check labels (or company websites) to make sure the ingredients you use are vegan. Bark Supplies a 24 oz. bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips 1 tsp mint extract 4-5 candy canes parchment or wax paperBark Instructions Line a rimmed flat baking sheet with the parchment/wax paper. In a double boiler (or, if you’re unequipped like me, a small pot inside a large pot filled 1/4 with water) melt your bag of chocolate chips with the mint extract, until it’s consistently smooth and creamy. Be careful to stir slowly - if you do it too fast the chocolate will seize up and become hard. (Not that I’ve ever done that or anything….) Meanwhile, crush the candy canes with a hammer or in a food processor/blender. When the chocolate’s melted, pour it into the baking sheet. Spread it out carefully until the whole pan is filled. Sprinkle the top with the crushed candy cane. If you want to keep the top very flat, lay another piece of parchment/wax paper on top and roll it with a rolling pin. Freeze for a few hours, at least one hour. How I packaged these bark pieces: Break the bark into small pieces. Wrap in tissue paper, then tie it up with twine. Get some small gift boxes - I got mine from a craft store in the baking aisle. Before assembling, write your message on the box - I carved “to” and “from” stamps myself, but you could just as easily draw/write it out. Put the bark in the box, then tape it shut with some washi or decorative tape. Make sure to keep the bark in the freezer until you plan to give it away. Hope you like this little project, and find it easy enough to make! :)
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    All this week we’ll be coming up with easy food gifts that you don’t have to make with your oven. The first one up is this super simple peppermint chocolate bark. Click through to read how to put it all together!

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    December 17, 2012
  2. christmas breakfast! the best part about christmas for me, beyond getting presents, is the breakfast! since we’re not spending it with our families this year, i thought it would be extra important to make something fantastic. so our spread here is a tofu scramble, lemon-blueberry muffins, and a cinnamon-sugar bagel with cranberry vanilla cream cheese. (we made the muffins last night, to make less work for this morning.) zest two whole lemons combine 2 cups flour, 1 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, the lemon zest, and 1 cup sugar in a separate bowl, combine 1 cup rice milk, 1/3 cup vegetable oil, 1/2 of a freshly squeezed lemon, 1 tbsp white vinegar mix the liquids and solids until just combined add in 1 1/2 cups freshly washed blueberries bake at 400F for twenty minutes. these are PERFECT when served hot. (we made another batch without cupcake liners, and they looked way better than these. so much so that we ate them before i could take a picture :D) the tofu scramble is so easy and delicious, i don’t know why i haven’t ever made it before. in one pan, crumble tofu in with some olive oil, and COVER it with lots of cumin, turmeric, curry power, and a little bit of salt. cook until it’s done how you like it - i like mine a little crispy, so i waited until it browned. in another pan, just sautee some vegetables in non-dairy butter or water with salt & pepper. we used mushrooms, onions, broccoli, asparagus, and loads of spinach. combine when the vegetables are cooked through. we got this vegan cream cheese from the wonderful balsam bagels. hope you guys have a great xmas :)
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    christmas breakfast!

    the best part about christmas for me, beyond getting presents, is the breakfast! since we’re not spending it with our families this year, i thought it would be extra important to make something fantastic.

    so our spread here is a tofu scramble, lemon-blueberry muffins, and a cinnamon-sugar bagel with cranberry vanilla cream cheese.

    (we made the muffins last night, to make less work for this morning.)

    • zest two whole lemons
    • combine 2 cups flour, 1 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, the lemon zest, and 1 cup sugar
    • in a separate bowl, combine 1 cup rice milk, 1/3 cup vegetable oil, 1/2 of a freshly squeezed lemon, 1 tbsp white vinegar
    • mix the liquids and solids until just combined
    • add in 1 1/2 cups freshly washed blueberries

    bake at 400F for twenty minutes. these are PERFECT when served hot. (we made another batch without cupcake liners, and they looked way better than these. so much so that we ate them before i could take a picture :D)

    the tofu scramble is so easy and delicious, i don’t know why i haven’t ever made it before.

    in one pan, crumble tofu in with some olive oil, and COVER it with lots of cumin, turmeric, curry power, and a little bit of salt. cook until it’s done how you like it - i like mine a little crispy, so i waited until it browned.

    in another pan, just sautee some vegetables in non-dairy butter or water with salt & pepper. we used mushrooms, onions, broccoli, asparagus, and loads of spinach.

    combine when the vegetables are cooked through.

    we got this vegan cream cheese from the wonderful balsam bagels.

    hope you guys have a great xmas :)

    December 25, 2010