Posts Tagged ‘Christmas’

Christmas Wrap Up

H and i went to Birmingham for Christmas and we had a great time with friends and family. My sister and I decorated gingerbread and sugar cookies on Christmas Eve. We forgot to leave some out with a glass of soy milk for Santa.

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After a hilly run and opening presents, we had a lovely brunch: spinach artichoke dip quiche, Field Roast sausages, my mom’s famous sticky buns, a healthy fruit salad, cranberry mimosas and Barney’s Santa’s white Christmas coffee.

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Brunch put us way behind, so dinner preparations went hours past the scheduled time (not that we would have been hungry any earlier). We had portobello Wellingtons with carrots and roasted potatoes, but I didn’t get any pictures.

Between making the marshmallow fondant, baking the cake and delicately putting the dragees on the side, I spent hours on this cake. It tasted good and looked okay, but I definitely need to work on my fondant skills.

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(photo credit: Clara)

Eggnog Cupcakes with Spiked Eggnog Frosting

This is the first of two recipes I entered in the Earth Balance baking contest.

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Ingredients

Eggnog Cupcakes
1 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup Earth Balance Buttery Sticks
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup Earth Balance Soynog
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Spiked Eggnog Frosting
1/4 cup Earth Balance Shortening
1/4 cup Earth Balance Buttery Sticks
4 cups confectioners sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons Earth Balance Soynog
1 tablespoon rum
12 cinnamon sticks

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 and line muffin pan.
  2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; set aside.
  3. In an electric mixer, cream together 1/2 cup Earth Balance buttery stick and sugar (brown & white). Add soynog and vanilla extract.
  4. In two batches, add flour to butter mixture until just combined.
  5. Fill muffin tins 2/3 of the way and bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean
  6. For the frosting: In an electric mixer, combine shortening and buttery sticks until fluffy. Add two cups of confectioners sugar, vanilla and 1 tablespoon of soynog. Add remaining confectioners sugar, remaining soynog and rum. Mix on high for several minute until light and fluffy.
  7. When cupcakes are completely cooled, pipe frosting and garnish with a cinnamon stick.

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And I’ve bought some Corn for Popping

So it’s nowhere near cold enough to snow, but we have a wreath and a decorated tree, so we’re ready for Christmas.

We went back to Anthony’s Tree Farm to get our tree. In the past we have always stuck it in the back of my old Oldsmobile, but there was no way I was putting a sappy tree in the backseat of my new Prius. So we took Hsiong’s Mini and tied it to the roof.

Our tree

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Ready to go home!

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I went a little overboard with cookies this year. I made gingerbread and sugar cutout cookies. Over six dozen if you include the Band of Outsiders cookies. Angels, candy canes, stockings, bells, candles, stars, Christmas trees, gingerbread men, women & houses, reindeer, ornaments, snowmen, mittens, and the lamp from a Christmas Story (a movie I don’t even like that much, but it’s a funny cookie and the cookie cutter was free).

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We decorated the tree Monday night and celebrated with hot chocolate and Christmas cookies.

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Merry Christmas! (Christmas Baking, pt. 2)

So this is super late, but I had a great Christmas this last year, so it’s worth sharing. I had Christmas breakfast with my mom and dad. I think 1982 was the last time just the three of us spent Christmas morning together. My mom made vegan gingerbread waffles and Field Roast sausage. Yum!
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I wore my new Stella McCartney wedges in a Christmassy red.

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H flew in from Pennsylvania in the morning and my Grandmother and uncle’s family came over for a Christmas dinner. My mom made a roasted vegetable pot pie with filo crust.

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And a salad with delicious caramelized shallots.

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The table was very pretty. My mom made candy cane cases for red and green flowers.

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I handled dessert: a Yule log, cupcakes and gingerbread cookies.

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This Santa cracks me up. It looks like a character from The Oatmeal

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After the extended family left, we drank champagne and opened presents.

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Santa had previously been spotted in Pelham the night before, so there were lots of presents.

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Vegan gifts included a non-wool sweater, a pair of Cri de Coeur ballet flats, and the Vegan Slow Cooker cookbook.

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Of course, there was a problem with H’s gift to me. Endless.com erroneously labeled size 9 shoes as size 6. Twice it has sent me the wrong size, so I went with the 6.5, because it’s hard to read that upside down.

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I bought my dad and brother-in-law ties from J. Jaan and they were really nice. I want to get one for H. The satin tie looks just as luxurious as any silk tie. I really like this green one.

I got to see my favorite gray cat, Javsmav, who ignored me much of the trip but immediately jumped up on H’s lap.
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Christmas Baking, Part 1

Yesterday it was all about cupcakes. First up, Cream Soda Cupcakes with Whiskey Brown Sugar Frosting, which I entered into the Earth Balance cupcake contest (click here).

Cream Soda Cupcakes

  • 1 1/4 cup(s) of all-purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp. of arrowroot
  • 1 tsp. of baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. of baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp. of salt
  • 1/2 cup(s) of white sugar
  • 1/4 cup(s) of brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup(s) of Earth Balance original soymilk
  • 1/2 tsp. of apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup(s) of cream soda
  • 1/3 cup(s) of canola oil
  • 1 tsp. of vanilla extract

Whiskey Brown Sugar Frosting

  • 1/4 cup(s) of Earth Balance margarine
  • 1/4 cup(s) of Earth Balance vegetable shortening
  • 2 cup(s) of powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup(s) of brown sugar
  • 2 tsp. of vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp. of whiskey
  • 1 tbsp. of Earth Balance original soymilk
Steps
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F and put cupcake liners in muffin pan.
  2. Whisk apple cider vinegar into non-dairy milk and set aside. Mix flour, arrowroot, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
  3. In another bowl, combine sugars (white and brown), soy milk mixture, cream soda, oil and vanilla extract.
  4. Create a well in the middle of the flour mixture and pour in the liquid mixture. Stir until no large lumps remain.
  5. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 of the way. Bake 18 minutes (a toothpick should come out clean). Cool completely before frosting
  6. With an electric mixer, cream margarine and shortening until fluffy.
  7. Add brown sugar, 1/2 cup of powdered sugar, and vanilla. Add 1/2 cup more of powdered sugar with whiskey; then 1/2 cup of powdered sugar with soy milk. Taste for sweetness. Add the final 1/2 cup of sugar (I like my frosting super sweet) with any extra soy milk or whiskey.
  8. After cupcakes are cool, pipe frosting on top and enjoy!

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Next up, the basic chocolate from Vegan Cupcakes Take over the World with red and green swirled buttercream frosting.

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And finally, my holiday favorite, gingerbread cupcake with lemon buttercream frosting. Also from VCTOTW.

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And then they were boxed up in festive gift boxes.

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Christmassy Happy Hour

A cup of this

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+

a shot of this

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+

one (or more) of these

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=

Deliciousness

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It’s going to be a Christmas filled weekend: baking, parties, decorating and shopping! Cheers!

Christmas in the City

Merry Christmas Eve!

H & I are spending Christmas in Chicago, so we opened presents this morning to avoid lugging them down on the train. H got me the A+O zebra faux fur jacket! It’s gorgeous & soft & too big! :(

Here’s H opening his universal remote while wearing his new pig neck pillow.

After opening present, H & I ran (literally) to the train station and made it just in time. We are staying at Hotel Palomar with a special deal that included a $25 credit at the restaurant, so we checked out Sable for lunch. I had the wild mushroom-brown rice burger sans cheese with salad and to drink I had a champagne cocktail with a strawberry-paprika syrup. It was all so good.

After lunch, I ran (literally) to Saks to exchange my Christmas jacket. Unfortunately, the store didn’t have the item so I just returned it and ordered a cheaper one from Cusp.

Then we went to see White Christmas, which I really enjoyed but Mr. Scrooge H did not.

Now we’re on our way to Trump Tower for drinks & apps.

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