Special Edition: Vegans on Valentine's Day! Episode II

The Betty Crocker Project : Shortbread Cookies

I know we're behind on posting this. We left the country at the end of January for a long overdue escape and found ourselves in a few situations where the internet access could have been better. It's probably a good thing. We aren't very good at that whole "unplugging" thing. So while I do feel pretty bad for not being able to post this sooner, part of me knows that having more time to enjoy Rome, Athens and Istanbul was a good thing - in the big picture sense. But more about that later. 

Today we're here to talk about St. Valentine's Day! Tonight, you might find The Shannons at Soy and Sake in Manhattan or maybe we'll camp out at home with a bottle of wine and some Doctor Who... maybe both. Here's what some of our favorite vegans are doing for St.Valentine's Day with their significant squeezes: 

I would bet even the newest vegan knows Colleen Patrick Goudreau. Her numerous books and 30-Day Vegan Challenge have made her a reliable resource for vegans and not-yet-vegans for years! What you might not know is that she is a pretty romantic lady. Here's a little glimpse into  her plans and her dreamy marriage: 

To be honest, we're probably more romantic throughout the year than we are on Valentine's Day. We're sappy dorks and do lots of lovey dovey things on a regular basis, including doing "planned surprises" for one another. We alternate each month - one month he says "I have a surprise planned on X date, so don't make plans," and I'll do the same the next month. HOWEVER, on Valentine's Day proper, David and I are treating ourselves to the Prix Fixe romantic dinner at Millennium Restaurant in San Francisco along with another couple, our good friends John and Randy. We recently renewed our vows for our 10-year wedding anniversary, and John and Randy led the ceremony. Friends and family came to our home to celebrate with us, and Chef Barry from Local Love catered an amazing (vegan of course) dinner. The weekend before Valentine's Day, we're going up to Farm Sanctuary (the CA shelter, which is just 2 hours from our home) to visit a newly arrived baby goat who has been named after my dear friend, Michael Scriber, who died tragically and unexpectedly in July of last year. Scribbles (a nickname given to Michael) is adorably adorable, and we can't wait to spend the day with him and the other rescued critters. Can't think of a more love-filled way to celebrate Valentine's Day!

Most people know Chole Coscarelli from her historical win for vegan baking on The Food Nework's Cupcake Wars in 2010 but what they might not know is that she is a cruelty-free pro at more than just pastry and she has a book coming out in March that we're looking forward to checking out! This year, she has two new loves in her life, her brand new adopted chihuahua puppies! So she will probably stay home on Valentines day with them and cook something delicious. Most likely Fettuccinne Alfredo for the humans and Peanut Butter Dog Cookies for the pups (both recipes from her upcoming cookbook Chloe's Kitchen)! She feels and we agree "Home-cooked food is the best way to celebrate love."

Of course, this year I was thrilled beyond belief to see Doron Petersan from Sticky Fingers Bakery not only on The Food Network's 2011 Cupcake Wars defending the title for vegan bakers everywhere but kicking some serious culinary tuckus and taking the crown! When I lived in DC, I was a loyal fan of her exceptional bakery and was thrilled to she her get the recognition she deserved. As if things couldn't get more awesome for this compassionate cooking powerhouse - Doron's book Sticky Fingers Sweets comes out this week! So tonight she's going to be taking it easy after some pretty busy months following her win. "It will be an at-home love fest this year.  No better excuse to make our favorite dish; fettuccine pasta, porcini mushrooms, garlic, rapini, and a touch of  truffle oil.  And cupcakes, of course!"

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Senior Campaigner Ashley Byrne and Green is The New Red's Will Potter live in different cities (DC/NYC), so they had to celebrate Valentine’s day a couple of days early with Will visiting NYC. Their plan was to start the day with donuts and coffee at Dun-Well Donuts in Brooklyn, and end it with sundaes at Lula’s Sweet Apothecary.  And since Ashley's birthday was on February 11^th - they actually had an excuse to visit Lula's a few times. If last year is any indication of what she can expect, they'll also be enjoying a birthday cake from Headless Horseman bakery (featuring her handsome dog Mongo), chocolate from Sjaak’s from Will, and an amazing vegan birthday dinner at John’s on 12^th. All this a side of sleeping in with food and sugar comas by the time Valentine’s day actually rolls around!*

Of course, no Vegans on Valentine's Day post would be complete without mentioning Florian and Shannon Radke, the sweethearts behind Cinnaholic Bakery in Berkeley, CA. This duo is pretty much the definition of romance and cruelty-free sweets! But here's where I suck. See at the beginning of the month - They had this extremely cool project they were working on with the incredibly cool Beagle Freedom Project in Los Angeles. They were donating $5 for every Valentine's Day order that came in before February 9th. But we were in Europe then and this post didn't go up in time. So! Please consider donating to help those beagles anyways and/or ordering your sweetheart a dozen spicy and sweet rolls as a "just because I love you" treat. Both are rewarding in their own way... 

Happy Valentine's Day everybody! See you tomorrow with more about our travels, a Betty Crocker update, upcoming Vegfests, new vegan products and yet another belated Good News Monday! XO 

* We approve! Dan calls this type of weekend "Eating to win!"

The Betty Crocker Project : Candy Cane Cake

So the other night I poisoned myself with vodka and orange juice to try and shake this bad case of writer's block I've been dealing with. I did shots and typed. I giggled till I cried and typed and ate pizza and drank more shots. Did it help? Was I able to make some progress on the anecdotal sections of the book? I'm embarrassed to say it did. Though what I wrote needs way more editing than my usual random typing. I know there is a lesson here and I'm hoping it's "don't fall into bad habits like thinking every time I'm stuck on something the answer is doing shots of alcohol so strong it can eat the stain off a table"*.

My Weapons.

Will I be drinking again anytime soon? Dear God No. Yesterday was just awful. What was left of my brain vowed revenge for their fallen brethren and punished me severely for most of the day. I think that although my experiment was a success, it's something that I should hold on to for those rainy brain days. I guess you're also wondering where the cookies are. Well, I made this cake yesterday and it was just too fun to keep to myself and much cuter than the brown on brown hazelnut latte cookies. I already love campy bunt cakes but this one has a brightly colored and flavored peppermint swirly ribbon inside it that is pretty cool too. It's a super sweet treat to bring to a holiday party or make for someone who has a Christmas birthday. It's also super easy.

Don't press on the cake when you cut it - it will crush the prettiness.

'Tis the season for sharing...

The Family Album : Launching The Month of Baking with Vegan Good Things' Leinana Two Moons & Tuscan Lemon Cake

Way out East there was this lady I wanna tell ya about*. Goes by the name of Leinana Two Moons. At least that was the handle her loving parents gave her with a little help from her husband Anthony. But you may not know her by that name. See, this Two Moons, she writes the ultimate cruelty-free living blog Vegan Good Things. I first met Leinana over Twitter back when The Betty Crocker Project was still an angry fit that hit me like a hammer from the heavens above. I can't remember when or how we became friends, but I know that over the years I came to rely not just on her posts and kitchen skills, but on her clever insights. I'm so privileged to call her my friend and to have her feedback and encouragement. In a world that has multiple The Fast and The Furious movies, I think have higher standards than the general population concerning what's "cool", but I can say this with no hesitation: if you're interested in going vegan but not in turning your life upside down, Leinana is one of the coolest vegan gurus out there.

November is going to be our Month of Baking! Yes, we'll still feature Thanksgiving recipes like last year, but we also plan to bake now that it's cold enough to crank that oven. To launch it all off, Leinana made our Tuscan Lemon Cake. This is one of my very favorite cake recipes ever and I have to admit her tips at the end are dead on! Again, Leinana's feedback = awesome. 

But... aw, hell. I've done introduced it enough. Here's Leinana!



I can’t remember when I first discovered Meet the Shannons, but I do remember that I instantly loved it because 1) I actually wanted to eat ALL the food on it, and 2) I loved their crazy sense of humor and all their funny links. I totally related to the food they were making, and I was excited that they were veganizing the types of recipes that I grew up eating. I also admired all the amazing animal activism that they did, but in my personal life, the best kind of vegan outreach has been trying to make delicious vegan food that manages to surprise and comfort people at the same time. I love showing people that anything, really anything, can be made vegan. Want a pepperoni pizza? I can make a vegan one! Want a tuna noodle casserole? Make a vegan one! I just feel that if people realize all their favorite and familiar dishes can be easily veganized, AND they start to learn about the various reasons – health, environmental, and ethical – for not eating meat and dairy, then there really leaves no reason for them to not consider going vegan. It seemed clear to me that the Shannons share this same approach and this is exactly what they manage to accomplish for so many people with their blog.

When we first started communicating with each other online, I just knew that Annie was someone I really wanted to be friends with. Lucky for me, she and her husband have since moved to Brooklyn, not far from where we live, and now we are all friends in “real life” as well. Not only are we friends, but we seem to have some kind of vegan food ESP going on. It works something like this: I suddenly have a craving for something sort of nostalgic that I ate growing up (like cheeseburger pie or shrimp gumbo) and no sooner do I think it than Annie posts a recipe for it. It’s kind of amazing. The same thing happened when I recently had an overwhelming craving for lemon cake. I wanted to make one, and Annie reached out to ask me if I wanted to make her Tuscan Lemon Cake for a guest post.

I’ve since made this cake a few times and I’m totally in love with it. Annie calls this a “special occasion lemon cake recipe,” and it is special, although for me the occasion is usually something more like “Tuesday” or “Sunday.” This cake comes out incredibly moist and hits just the right tart-sweet notes. It’s pretty much a perfect lemon cake.

Just a couple of notes about the recipe: definitely scrape your mixer beaters, because a lot of the lemon zest seems to stick to them, and you want that zest to end up in the batter. Just use a spatula to get all the zest off and then mix it in. Also, it helps to wait a little while for both your cake and your glaze to cool before you drizzle the glaze on top, or else it will just run off the cake and pool onto your serving dish. Then you’ll have to spoon it over the cake again until it sticks on top. Other than that, there’s nothing I can add to improve this recipe. I know it’s become somewhat cliché to note that “it doesn’t even taste vegan,” but it’s true. There’s nothing about this cake that anyone, vegan or not, wouldn’t love.

* If you're seen The Big Lebowski as many times as I have, you'll appreciate this intro more.

The Betty Crocker Project : Adventures with Strawberries & Rhubarb

Strawberry Rhubarb Spice Muffins

Once upon a time there was a girl* who had never eaten rhubarb. Over the years, several opportunities to bake with rhubarb presented themselves, but it never really appealed to her. Then one day she found herself in a position where she had to be open to new ideas... because Betty Crocker said so.

Last weekend, we had a perfect married weekend. When I say perfect, I mean super crazy mega-married weekend**. We got up early on Saturday, filled our travel mugs with coffee, and went to the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. They're free 10am to noon every Saturday, and it's rose season. You don't have to love flowers to love this place, but if you do, it totally rocks. I strolled around for about an hour with my best friend and talked about the random things friends talk about when there are pretty things to look at. Then we walked over to the Grand Army Farmer's Market to load up on organic and locally grown everything.


The Situation.

Yes, that's where we got that gorgeous bread from yesterday's post. It's also where I found organic locally grown rhubarb and these huge irresistible baskets of organic strawberries from New Jersey. We bought too much because this was my first time baking with it, but I knew there were two recipes in Betty's Big Red that asked for this pretty pink celery looking stuff - so sometimes you just have to be brave and commit.

Now, like always, I did a little research before I committed to a big bag of rhubarb. You may already know these things about rhubarb, but in case you don't, I hope you find this helpful during your own rhubarb purchasing and baking missions:

1. Rhubarb can be very tart, so Betty's recipes call for a lot of sugar to be added to offset that. I've tried to replace and decrease sugar where I can, but it was tough because Betty is pretty much always right. The earlier in the season you get the rhubarb, the sweeter it is and the less sugar you need. Since April appears to be prime Rhubarb Season in NY, we followed Betty directions for "older rhubarb" - hence the sugar.
2. Rhubarb is a good source of Vitamin A. That's good for you.
3. Strawberries can have a very subtle flavor that can be hard to capture in baking sometimes. Rhubarb compliments it so well, it really would be shame to not combine them. It not only makes your baked goods a bit healthier, but it makes the flavor more vivid too.
4. Don't eat the leaves - I guess they're poison. I think this is a pretty important tip, even though most of the time when you go to buy it the leaves are removed. Poison is bad.

First thing we made was Strawberry-Rhubarb-Mint-Tea-Tarts and if you're wondering where the Tea Tart recipe is, well I should be honest and tell you, the crazy person in me wasn't satisfied with them. The crust was just a little too crumbly. We made a tiny tweak to a recipe we already love with our vegan chicken pot pie and used a different vegetable shortening, but apparently it made a big difference. I think this tart would have been perfect with the crust we used for the fresh berry & tea tart and so we're going to try that next. The other thing was that I wasn't sure how rhubarb cooked down. So my first 2 tarts were overflowing like Jane Mansfield in an evening gown***.


I just want to point out that if you ever find yourself getting a look like that from Sophia Loren - You must be doing something right.

It was a sad moment when I realized these little tarts, tasty as they were, weren't ready for the public. But the kitchen can be a funny place. Just when you want to give up and order a pizza, you remember there's a coffee cake recipe you still need to try. These muffins are our take on Betty's Rhubarb Coffeecake and are lovely little buddies to start the day with. They've also convinced me that I can take on rhubarb.

So enough chatter... to the rhubarb!

The Betty Crocker Project : Blackberry & Walnut Coffeecake

I've spent a number of years being a best friend/amateur therapist to several young men and one woman who were addicted to "complicated" women. Some would call them "crazy", but I prefer to use a word that's just as judgmental when you say it in quotes and in a certain tone. When I'd look back at the countless hours I spent over the years listening to detailed accounts of crazy, I admit I used to shake my head in bewilderment. This delicious amazing coffeecake changed all that.

I feel like I should tell you - this is a bittersweet love story. See, I think I may have met my "complicated" woman.

Now you'll look through this recipe and wonder what I mean, because really it's a pretty simple, pretty awesome cake. But in less than 24 hours, this cake has come to make me realize that something beautiful can also be a real pain in the ass. You could even say this cake and I were doomed from the beginning. The fact that I forgot to defrost my berries over night so that I could bake the coffeecake for breakfast may lead you to say that the timing was just wrong. But really it was more than that. Things were going so well while I was blending the ingredients and filling our angel food cake spring pan. The Blackberry & Walnut filling was so good it was hard to not just sit down with a bowl of those berries and skip the cake altogether. While I sat typing away, waiting for this cake to get ready (bake), the warm vanilla fragrance that filled our home held the promise of true love. Then as I pulled this wonderful cake from the oven, I bumped my elbow on our kitchen island and dropped the pan. It flipped in midair like a freaking circus performer, and using reflexes that I can only describe as 'spidey*', I caught half of the cake in my skirt and the pan with the other half of the cake still in there with my other hand.

The cake that tried to get away.

The other half that was saved was less than pretty, but still absolutely freaking great. I debated just making this again, trying to undo what was done, but that's not how relationships work, is it? You can't just try again and pretend like nothing happened. The other thing is that this a real blog about real people really cooking their way through The Betty Crocker Cookbook, and this really happened. It's dumb, wasteful and sketchy to rebake another cake just so I can pretend everything I do is perfect and like I've never dropped a cake on my dress. I mean do I have to have a pretty picture when I can tell you this recipe works and is wonderful using the real photos from this really great cake. Don't believe me? You still need photographic proof?

A peak at the Blackberry & Walnut Filling.

Also yesterday was Geek Pride Day! Yes. Yesterday in 1977, Star Wars IV - A New Hope was released and no one was ever the same again...

Let's bake some cake.

The Betty Crocker Project : Creamsicle Cupcakes

Never tell me the odds.

If you're frantically flipping through your copy of Betty's Big Red looking for this recipe, you can stop. Kinda like what we did with the Pink Lemonade, Peanut Brittle, and Soy Nog Cupcakes, we used a vegan version of Betty recipes as a starting point, and then applied a little creativity to make these. They may seem a little summer-y for January, but who couldn't use a sunny treat on a cold winter night?

These cupcakes began with some meddling with our vegan version of Betty's Starlight Yellow Cake recipe and Vanilla Frosting, and were inspired by this Betty Crocker Ad I saw from 1969... and maybe a little of The Han Solo style of Ship Enhancement and Repair. They are super simple and kitschy... in the very best way. We made them this weekend for a (not vegan) food writer that came to hangout with us and they got the thumbs up*. So if you're looking for something fun for a office potluck, birthday party or maybe something to make for your not-yet-vegan sweetheart... I think you can count on these being just as popular as those frozen treats we all loved so much we would've chased an ice cream truck through an asteroid field. Of course, without the hyper drive and C-3PO backseat driving, the odds of us finding vegan creamcicles in space are 99,678,345,102 to 1**. Yet another reason we just made our own.

The Super Chocolate Vegan Hootenanny! Episode III : German Chocolate Cupcakes

If you'd asked me a month ago why it was called German Chocolate Cake, I would have grasped at straws and guessed it had something to do with Germany, even though that doesn't make sense really. I mean, Bavaria isn't really known for their coconut trees. (insert shrug here)

The truth is that an English immigrant named Samuel German developed a certain type of sweet chocolate for the Baker's Chocolate factory in 1852 that became quite popular, so the company named it after him. Over 100 years later, a homemaker in Dallas, TX used Mr. German's signature chocolate to create this baking masterpiece, and shared her recipe with the world in the local newspaper. The rest is cake history!

I'm really excited to add our version of Vegan German Chocolate Cupcakes to our Pantheon of Baked Treats. Even though we didn't use Mr. German's chocolate to make it, I feel like these cupcakes really capture the spirit of this classic American dessert. And when you make it, please give a little tip of your hat to all those generations of creative and talented women who shared their recipes with us in newspapers and home journals. Here's to the first food bloggers!

Soy Nog Cupcakes & A Very Special VegNews Contest!

There's not really much more I can say about Soy Nog Cupcakes, other than that they're fantastic and you should try them! I mean, I guess I could talk up how moist and distinctively enjoyable they are for the holidays, but those would only be words. Something wonderful about this time of year is that you don't just talk about some pretty marvelous things - you actually get them! Think about it. You get to make a list of things you've always wanted and you get at least some of them - unless you've been bad. You get to bake all kinds of wonderful projects and warm up your house at the same time. People donate and volunteer more during these winter holiday months than any of time of the year. There are countless parties to throw and go to. Mistletoe to kiss your husband under. Still don't believe me this is an awesome time of year? You get to drink hot chocolate. You're drinking warm liquid chocolate! And one of my personal favorites - Silk Soy Nog hits the shelves.

These cupcakes combine 2 things that we love: Cupcakes and Silk Soy Nog! (insert starry eyed lovesick swoon here) They also seemed like a great post to announce our next contest. That's right, we're partnering up with one of our favorite magazines, VegNews--the premier magazine focusing on a vegetarian lifestyle since 2000--to bring you A Very Special VegNews End of the Year Contest!

All you have to do to win is leave a comment below answering these 3 questions:

• What has been your favorite Meet The Shannons Recipe thus far?
• What recipe have you always wanted to see veganized and would like to see next year?
• What is your favorite feature on VegNews.com - Saavy Abby, Book Club, Cafe VegNews...?

Before you leave your comment - remember in order to win one of our contests, you need to be a "follower" of Meet The Shannons. If we can't email you, then we can't send you your prize! So before you leave your comment with the answers, make sure you use the "follow" button on the side of the blog.

We'll randomly choose a follower from the correct answers posted below on Jan. 1st and send you a MAJOR AWARD! (Please keep in mind that it will take a few days for processing and shipping). What is this major award all the kids are talking about? Well, a gift pack from VegNews, of course! This includes a one-year subscription, the current issue of VegNews, an over-sized tote bag, and six vegan cookies, a gift pack totaling $50! I know - It's like a Christmas Miracle!

Let's bake some cupcakes!

The Betty Crocker Project : A Halloween Treat - Vegan Devil's Food Cupcakes

You knew they were coming. All the signs were there. I mean we're a blog that spends a lot of time veganizing Betty Crocker recipes. It was only a matter of time before we made adorable holiday cupcakes. I won't bore you with chit chat about what our cats have been up to, what video game is kicking my ass this month or various other random updates. You're here for chocolate cupcakes and I'm here to help you out.

Now if you're not familiar with Devil's Food Cake it is light, fluffy chocolate cake that has a hint of coffee to it. Now some doesn't have the coffee in it but the fancy ones do and who doesn't want to be fancy?

Who's ready to bake some cupcakes?

The Betty Crocker Project : The Peanut Brittle Cupcakes

I hope you're not frantically flipping through your Big Red right now looking for the not-vegan version of this recipe... because it isn't in there. This is an adaption of the Peanut Brittle and Starlight Yellow Cake recipes into, well, something quite lovely that goes great with your morning coffee. I made them mini, because that's how I roll*. They are a little sticky, but that's kinda part of their charm. They are perfect breakfast cupcakes! These little guys aren't your mama's cupcakes; they're almost like mini - coffeecakes or monkey bread, and would be great for a brunch potluck or to help make a hard week a little better.

They do have a lot of steps, so let's get going so you can have these ready in case this week is already looking a little rocky. This recipe will make around 2 1/2 dozen mini-cupcakes with some Peanut Brittle filling left over to drizzle over some Soy or Coconut Ice Cream. Yeah, it's that good.

The Betty Crocker Project : New York Cheesecake - Pleasecake

I grew up with New York Cheesecake. Big, thick, virtually crust-less slices of dreamy creamy cheesecake. I could never finish a slice alone, and suspect they were always secretly intended to share. I've always had these romantic ideas of this dream date: two people splitting a huge slice of NY Cheesecake in a place like Carnegie's at like 3 am, after seeing a show or a night of wandering the city. I've never done that, but I have walked through NYC at 3 am and seen this scene a dozen times. By the time I was wandering the city with the love of my life, I was vegan. This isn't Carnegie Cheesecake, but to be honest, it's been so long since I've had it that I don't think even Carnegie's is really what I remember it to be.

But this "cheesecake" is better. It's vegan, and I can share with the love of my life anywhere I want. I didn't even realize how much I missed this cheesecake till I took these pictures. Funny... I'm 35, married to the most amazing man, and can finally have my childhood dream date.

The Betty Crocker Project : The Pink Lemonade Cupcake

So, if you're flipping through your copy of Betty's Big Red, you aren't going to find these. They're kinda an invention of sorts that I pieced together using 3 adapted Betty recipes. I made them for our dear friend Sarah's birthday, and might have had a little too much fun decorating them (yes, those are dinosaurs you spot there). I made them mini so that Sarah could eat a few throughout the day for many many days. I mean, who doesn't love dessert with their breakfast?

Summer is winding down, and I have to admit I'm eager for soup and baking season again. I kinda feel like these cupcakes bridge that gap. A little bit of summer you an enjoy anytime of year.

There are a few steps involved so let's bake some cupcakes!

The Betty Crocker Project : Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

This weekend, we went to see the all-star overdose The Expendables. We're, friends right? So let's be honest here. This movie made me feel old. It was like seeing all the great old action movies in some kind of Cocoon kaleidoscope--with more tattoos and stabbing in the neck, but fewer Wilford Brimley cameos. Sadly, it was the kind of movie where you spend the drive home talking about the previews. For example: Dan and I have decided that the new Green Hornet is going to be our new favorite movie of all time. I personally am willing to overlook the fact it has Cameron Diaz in it, and instead focus on Bad-Ass Kato. I mean new Kato really had to kick more ass than usual - considering one of the original Katos was Bruce Lee. It looks like a great, modern take on an old classic.

While I baked this cake, I debated whether I could be overdosing on comic book movies, special effects, and cupcakes. Nothing really makes me awestruck anymore, like when the Millennium Falcon first hit light speed; and nothing strikes me as just automatically cool, like Jack Nicholson as The Joker. Maybe the classics have ruined me for the new movies, unless it's a re-make of a classic (see: The Green Hornet). Luckily, this cake isn't just another cake - it's a classic. It was easy and fun to bake, but still special. When I flipped it over and the sticky sweet glaze melted over the pineapple and cherries - I had to smile. This isn't a hard cake to make, and maybe not the fanciest, but I'm glad we have a vegan Pineapple Upside-Down Cake recipe now. It fills this hole in our cooking resume that I didn't even know we had.

Come with me on this adventure.

Special Edition : Vegan Mexican Hot Chocolate Cupcakes

One cupcake to rule them all!

I won't bore you with stories about how a certain portion of my life has been dedicated to searching out and locating ways to eat chocolate with chili pepper. They're uninteresting stories about mixing soy chocolate ice cream with Tabasco, or baking dozens of chocolate cookies till I figured out how much chili powder to add to get that kick at the end. Some flavors just really speak to certain palettes, and mine loves dark chocolate with a dash of cayenne. If someone ever made a master list or database of Annie's favorite foods, Mexican Hot Chocolate would have its own category/folder/color code, depending on how they choose to record this data. Because really, there's so much you can do with Mexican Hot Chocolate: beverages, frozen treats, baked goods, candy. I love them all.

I'm going to cut myself off here before I start on a tangent wondering why someone would need such a database, and if that information would be used for good or evil. For the record - I prefer good to evil.

I also prefer that you all make these precious cupcakes this weekend and send me one. I'll be expecting those shortly for second breakfast, elevenses, and/or afternoon tea.

The Betty Crocker Project : Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Once upon a time in the little neighborhood of Ghent, I used to bake a lot of cupcakes.

I baked dozens and dozens of cupcakes. I baked for birthdays and parties, slow Wednesday nights, whatever. I just really like to bake, and cupcakes are easy to make vegan and pass out to various loved ones. I also find them just charming. I like their little wrappers and sprinkles and all the cute things you can do with them. I like injecting them with fruit or frosting. These little handfuls of adorably-shaped sugar were a nice outlet for some bottled-up creativity in my life.

But lately something has changed.

Since Dan and I started working our way through The Betty Crocker Cookbook, we've found ourselves faced with more creative outlets than we have room in the fridge. I know, I know. Your first instinct is to call "shenigans," but seriously, we often find ourselves running out of hunger before we run out of casseroles and cookies. You know who pays the price in the end? The cupcakes. The neglected little cupcakes.

But now they're back!

The Betty Crocker Project : Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache

Oh, good morning little cupcake!

Aggie*, our bittiest Shannon, likes to bring me presents. She does it all day, every day. She brings me plastic bags, toy mice, dirty socks from the hamper... once she even brought me a shoe. And, if you've ever seen how small she is, you know that took real willpower--and like five minutes to drag it from the living room closet. I appreciate Agatha's determination, creativity, and of course her thoughtfulness.

This morning, I woke up and she had brought me a cupcake.

She had taken one off the cooling rack, trotted into the bedroom, and dropped it next to my nightstand.

What a nice way to start a day.

Herbivore Meets The Shannons Contest!

It's been almost a year since Dan and I invited a handful of friends and family to Lynch Park to witness us make a public, lifelong commitment to each other. I could rattle on about the how the dresses, shoes, ties, suits, whatever were all cruelty-free. No wool or silk in anything, and my dress was second hand. I made my veil myself, to look like one I saw Sophia Loren in. I also won't bore you with the details that went into flowers and wine bottle centerpieces. I won't brag too much about the spreadsheets and budgeting and other nerdotechnics* that went into planning a wedding in Massachusetts from Virginia. I'll also skip over how excited I was to marry my best friend, and how much fun we had dancing at the wedding to old school Chuck Berry and rockabilly music. You probably don't even want to hear about how our buddy Josh Hooten over at Herbivore Clothing designed the best wedding invitations ever for us. You guys aren't here for any of that.

What you want to know is how you can win a $25 Gift Certificate and a stash of buttons and stickers from Herbivore Clothing**. I know how you guys think.

So here's the contest! Our wedding had exceptional food - I mean really good stuff. Since Dan and I are both half Italian, the food at our reception was a 100%-vegan take on classic Italian dishes. Some the dishes were a bit harder to make than others, but they are all worthy recipes to add to a vegan resume. So please VOTE below in a comment for which menu item from our wedding reception you want to see featured as a Meet The Shannons recipe. We'll randomly choose one follower (sorry to be so strict, but we have to have a way to contact you) to win a $25 Gift Certificate and some awesome stickers and buttons from Herbivore.
We'll announce the winner and recipe on Monday, August 2nd.

Here are the contenders:

• Italian Wedding Soup with Focaccia Bread
• Fig & Apple Summer Salad
• Tofurky Sausage & Peppers
• Gnocchi with Marinara
• Pesto with Bowtie Pasta & Vegetables
• Coconut Vanilla Cupcakes
• Chocolate Mint Cupcakes
• Almond Biscotti

So let's get this vote on!

*Yeah that is a made up word.
**We were trying to think of a prize that we'd want to win, and this was at the top of the list. I mean, besides the clothes, there's a wide variety of cookbooks and other cool stuff you can get from Herbivore. You want to win this.

The Family Album : The Blueberry Banana Muffins by Katie Willheim

4th of July Red & Blueberry Banana Muffins by Katie Willheim

We've reached that stage where we need to "test" our recipes. Even though we're making them and like them, there might be something in the way the recipe communicates the steps, or different ovens bake differently, or whatever. So we've started the Family Album!

The Family Album is going to be a reoccurring segment on Meet The Shannons for your feedback and photos of your "tests" of a Meet The Shannons recipe. If you'd like to test one of our recipes, please send an email to Shannons@MeetTheShannons.net telling us a little bit about yourself and what recipe you want to test. The Blueberry Banana Muffins have been taken already, but there are a lot to choose from, and many more to come! We'll email you back and let you know if that recipe is taken. Once you send us your photo and your thoughts on the recipe--like it took you 5 minutes to bake, not 10; or you added soy sauce instead of Braggs; whatever-- we'll post them! We hope to post one or two a month. Please know that we will photo credit and acknowledge all images and tips sent us, but that we won't pay for them, and by submitting a photo and tips you are consenting to those photos and tips being reposted and used by Meet The Shannons.

Here's a little bit about our first photo in The Family Album. Katie Willheim was one of the danciest dancey-pants at our wedding. That's saying a lot. We had a really fun wedding. She sent us this photo of her patriotic take on our Blueberry Banana Muffins all the way from California. Katie added some red berries to some of the muffins making these little guys perfectly adorable and welcome at a 4th of July potluck!

Thanks Katie for kicking this off and being a baking bad-ass!

The Betty Crocker Project : The Cream Cheese Brownie Pie

I keep starting and deleting blog posts on the following topics:

• Why I'm happy Dan isn't a vampire. Vampire/human romantic relationships always seem so dramatic and dysfunctional.
• How robots are cool because they're vegan, but how a misplaced affection for them may someday lead to our destruction in a robo-apocalypse.
• What superheroes I suspect would go vegan if there were a way to get these brownies into the Marvel Universe; but Dan already wrote something like that like a billion years ago.
• How every vegan has their own favorite brownie recipe that they think is the second coming, and how they're all pretty good in different ways. In fact, I can't remember the last time I had a bad vegan brownie.
• Why I think my cats are Russian Spies.

But none of them ever really come together. I mean, in theory they made me giggle--and I am sincerely glad Dan isn't a vampire--but I think instead I'll stick to the subject. These brownies are pretty good if you like a dark chocolatey fudgey chewy brownie, but if you have your own favorite vegan brownie you can always substitute it, because the real star of this recipe is the cream cheesecake layer. I drizzled some of the caramel sauce from the Caramel Sticky Rolls over them, because that's how we roll around here. Of course, I've heard from some of you that you prefer the caramel sauce on the Turtle Cheesecake... so follow your heart. I won't judge.

OK - let's do this.

The Betty Crocker Project : Peanut Butter Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

So I admit I have taken an unforgivable amount of time to post this recipe. I've been away from technology for a few days. I highly recommend it.

I also kept debating posting something very personal here about turning 35. How this is the first birthday that really made me think about where I was and what I want to do with my life in a way that only leading ladies in romantic comedies do when they turn 30. Just something about how I may not be where I want in my career or living in Europe or skateboarding* anymore but I have the personal success of marrying my best friend and that's actually what really matters. . . seems trite. 

Instead I'll tell you about my Unplugged Holiday. For my birthday, my thoughtful and clever husband took me to Assateague Island off the coast of Maryland to see the wild horses and wildlife and unplug for a few days. It was the perfect gift! We went canoeing around the island to see the horses up close which was - well just breathtaking and pretty much the definition of fun. Really the best part was just walking around looking at the snowy egrets and holding hands. We also stopped in this little town called Berlin and stumbled across a classic car show that was pumping Springsteen. i don't even like cars all that much but this was awesome. It was such an American All-Star Weekend featuring Wild Horses and Muscles Cars.I'll post the photos soon in our Adventure section. What I can post now is the recipe for this delicious cake.

I have to admit it has been a long time since I have baked a cake. I've been kinda caught up in the handy cupcake trend. Cupcakes in my opinion are kinda superior to the proper cake. You can personalize each little cake. You can make them smaller and make more. Everyone gets their own and no dishes! Really what can't a cupcake do? I mean besides math.

I'm hoping my next cake turns out a little bit more polished but just as tasty as this guy. . . if you are following along in your own Betty Crocker Cookbook. You will find the recipe for what we are adapting under Starlight Yellow Cake. Betty always comes up with the best names.