Vegan Cinnamon Buns

Cinnamon buns are one of my favourite treats. I don't make them too often because they are a little on the, umm, less healthy side of things. Even when prepared in my health-conscious way, they are definitely an indulgence. I had been craving them for a few days and finally caved and made them, making sure to send as many home with friends who visited rather than keeping them all for myself! They are so gooey, so flavourful, and so unbelievably yummy.

Dough ingredients:
1 package active dry yeast
1/3 cup organic cane sugar
1/2 cup lukewarm water
3/4 cup vanilla soy milk
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 heaping teaspoon ground cinnamon
3.5-4 cups whole wheat pastry flour

Directions:
1: Combine yeast and lukewarm water and 1 teaspoon of sugar in a bowl. Allow to dissolve and rest for a few minutes.
2: Add sugar, oil, salt, soy milk, cinnamon, and 2 cups of flour. Stir well. Add remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time kneading until a nice, not-too-sticky dough is achieved.
3: Transfer dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover, let rise one hour. Beat down. Let rest ten minutes.
4: Flour a work surface and roll the dough out to a 12x18 rectangle. Sprinkle filling and chunks of vegan margarine all over (see ingredients below).
5: Roll tightly from long end, and cut into 12 rolls. Allow rolls to rest for 1o minutes before backing at 375 for 18-22 minutes.
6: Drizzle with icing and enjoy!

Filling Ingredients:
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup organic cane sugar
1 heaping tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour

Combine above ingredients in a bowl, and have 1/4 cup of margarine on hand separately to drop in small chucks all over dough before rolling.

Icing ingredients:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1.5 tablespoons vanilla soy milk

Mix all ingredients well until a smooth icing is formed.

Here Comes the Rain Again

[H&M dress, American Apparel sweater, lace tights, Christian Louboutin pumps]

Thunderstorms make me want to curl up and go nowhere. But plenty of rain over the last several days left me in a funk. The solution: slinky dress, warm knit, lace tights, and sky-high Louboutins. Instant uplift. Thankfully, a few short hours later the skies cleared and the temperatures rose and I was able to step outside and stroll the neighbourhood. I even managed to snag a tea and a few pages of my current book on a patio before the rain began once more and I ran for cover.

Vegan Chocolate Brownies

I mentioned yesterday having spent the long weekend at roomie's parent's home. My contribution to the festivities was delicious low-fat organic whole grain vegan brownies. The brownies were supposed to be a rich double chocolate cake with chocolate ganache frosting, but in typical style, I forgot to go shopping for ingredients before stores closed for the long weekend. Instead, I went with plan B: pantry leftover brownies. Every single non-vegan person at dinner gushed about how tasty, moist, and chewy these were. Most expressed surprise discovering that they were also whole grain and low fat. Mmm, healthy (healthier?) brownies...

Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup unrefined cane sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup cacao
1 teaspoon salt
1.5 cups soy milk (plain, chocolate, or vanilla)
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup applesauce
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts - optional

Directions:

1: Preheat 350
2: Combine and dry ingredients.
3: Add all wet ingredients and mix until a smooth batter is formed.
4: Fold in walnuts.
5: Pour into a greased pan and bake for 30-45 minutes depending on oven and pan.
6: Cool, cut, enjoy.

[brownies on my lap driving out of the city]

Escape from the City

Roomie, her man, and I escaped the city for the Easter long weekend and hit the highway north to her parents acreage in the country. We passed a lovely couple of languid days reading by fires, eating more than we could handle, and watching the dogs run fervently around the property. Morning meditation without carhorns and the hum of the city was beautiful. Homemade biscuits with gourmet jams set the tone for the morning. Great family, great friends, and great amounts of belly laughter made the experience complete. Returning home late last night, we invited a few friends over, ordered a plethora of Thai takeout, and snuggled up to a movie on our sofas under piles of blankets with a brooding thunderstorm outside. I can't imagine a better way to watch a few days float past.

Pssh, I'm a Professional

[Talula Babaton blazer, Silence + Noise dress (worn as a shirt), Garage denim shorts, vintage belt, Markio shoes, L'Incontro bag, friendship bracelet made by roomie, signature lotus necklace from California]

It's finally warming up in Toronto! Because much of my work as an editor here and doing freelance PR work allow me to work on my own schedule from anywhere I choose, I tend to spend many an afternoon lounging in coffee shops with my MacBook. Every now and then I even like to look not completely grungy while doing so!

Vegan Carrot Cake

I decided to do something nice for some of my coworkers and make a little Easter treat last night. I had been craving my always crowd-pleasing carrot cake for a few days, and decided that it would fit the bill perfectly. I also had some (non-vegan) chocolate eggs laying around that had come into my apartment with a guest and decided to let my non-vegan friends enjoy them with the cake. I used all organic ingredients, making this cake a truly guilt-free indulgence.

Cake ingredients:
1.5 cups whole wheat pasty flour
1 cup cane sugar
1.5 cups applesauce
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup shredded carrots

Directions:
1: Combine dry ingredients in a small bowl.
2: Combine wet ingredients and carrots in a large bowl (save a small pinch of carrots to garnish the cake later).
3: Add dry to wet mix, half a cup at a time, stirring until well incorporated.
4: Bake at 350 for 45-65 minutes, depending on oven and size of cake pan.

Vegan cream cheese frosting ingredients:
1 container vegan cream cheese
1-2 cups organic confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Blend vanilla and small amounts of sugar with vegan cream cheese until desired sweetness and consistency are achieved. I like to chill the frosting while the cake cools so that it applies thickly and easily.

Yummy

Summer Wishlist

Things I really really really need for summer:

Pale canvas or leather combat books that will look killer with denim cutoffs and tees.
A rad fringed vest, for what roomie refers to as the Stevie Nicks summer look.
A sheer peach maxi skirt that will double as a belted tube dress.
Copious amounts of bangles clinking as I move.
A simple and sweet floral bikini.
A killer pair of cobalt blue wedges that will be comfortable for long summer nights.

Calling the Sun

[DIY scarf dress, American Apparel zipper-back belt, Christian Louboutin espadrilles, custom-made suede clutch, Aldo flower ring]

I fell in love with this dress made by The Glamourai a little while back. On a particularly chilly day I found myself in need of some sunshine and decided to give the project a try. It was so simple! The day started with lunch and vintage shopping with a couple of my ladies. I did, after all, require a couple of rad vintage scarves to start off with. I fell in love with scarves in pink and purple florals - perfect to brighten things up on an otherwise gloomy day. The end result: a gorgeous, summery, flowy dress that is sure to be a go-to in the months to come.

Simple Sandwiches

I have an early-in-the-week tradition with a girlfriend. We meet just outside of my local yoga studio after my late-morning class and sit in the adorable cafe directly underneath the studio sipping chai and catching up. We usually end up wandering off after tea to either run errands together or grab a bite.

This time around, it was a rainy day and we both just wanted to be indoors and lazy. I threw together some quick and simple sandwiches layered with arugula, tomatoes, and vegan cold cuts, as well as hummus and dijon mustard. They were fresh, yummy, and the perfect way to watch a few rainy hours slip away.