New Years is always a bittersweet time for me. I get really excited about the idea of a new beginning but I also feel sad about leaving another year behind. Sometimes it feels like I didn't accomplish enough which I have to remember isn't true!

To celebrate this year let's take a look back at my top three most popular posts!




As you might know, earlier this year I made the resolution to eat vegan once a week. I am proud to say that I have stuck through that! I wasn't always vegan of Fridays, there might have been two weeks where I was vegan on Thursday. I learned a lot about the different types of animal products that go into foods and about how my own body responds to certain foods.

I will not become a full time vegan yet but I am going to try and avoid dairy and eat other animal products only occasionally. One thing that I am having difficulty with is  that sometimes I overindulge in things high in white flour, sugar, and fat. I'm not sure if this has to do with eating vegan or some other reason. My goal is to improve on this because sugar makes me tired!

I hope all of you had a great 2011 and will have an even better 2012!

Last year when I posted my recipe for Cranberry Filled Eggnog Cupcakes, many of you admitted to not liking eggnog. I have to admit that I was slightly taken aback by this. I don't understand how some do not like eggnog. Although, I do have to confess, I also cannot drink eggnog on its own. There's just something about it being so thick and sweet. I still love the taste and creaminess eggnog brings to things!

Christmas is almost here and you know what that means?
Cookies!



I can't wait to bake and sample multiple cookies. For me the quintessential Christmas cookie has to be filled with spices. Of course there's the traditional gingerbread cookie which is lovely and delicious but I don't always like to go traditional.

This year it feels like Christmas has come too quickly. I love Christmas and I can't believe that I have had no time to enjoy all of my favorite things about it and I still have one more exam left!

I can't believe that I have already had this blog for a year!
My real blogiversary was on November 7 but I decided that today being 11/11/11 was an extra special occasion to celebrate. I hope all of you are enjoying it too!

I can't believe Halloween just past. It already feels like Christmas! Where I live we just got our first snowfall. Time passes quickly, doesn't it?


I mentioned in my Brown Rice Syrup post about a recipe I was dying to try. The recipe I had in mind were the Apple Peanut Butter Caramel squares from Veganomicon. The  recipe only calls for a small amount of brown rice syrup in the peanut butter caramel but I think it makes all the difference. The brown rice syrup makes a gooey and sweet topping.

October may be my favorite month. What's not to love?

The earth becomes draped with beautiful fall colours making walking around my university campus so much more enjoyable. At the end of the month there's Halloween where one can dress up and eat lots of chocolate. Then of course there's pumpkin. It seems that everywhere comes up with a special pumpkin treat.

Hi everyone! I hope all of my Canadian friends had a wonderful Thanksgiving

I have to share some special news with you all.



Yup, this weekend my Cookies of Awesome were featured as one of the Top 9 on Foodbuzz!
I was so excited and want to thank of all of supporters for this.

I don't know about you but I am so excited for October! Because to me October = pumpkin and I love baking with pumpkin.
This weekend I baked a bunch of pumpkin recipes which were all delicious. I have been super busy lately and still do not have internet at my new house but I hope to post these very soon.

Hi guys!
Sorry about the lack of content lately. I have been busy busy and my new house has yet to discover Internet. As things settle down, I promise to make it up to you with plenty of delicious recipes that I have been hiding!

Moving can be a very stressful and busy time in one's life. You're sad to leave your old home but excited to enter another.


This is what I have been experiencing as I am currently in the process of moving out of my house and have been busy busy!

My first full day at the new house was yesterday and the first thing I did in the morning was bake cookies. I couldn't wait to christen my new place with yummy home baking! Especially since I have a brand new pretty stainless steel oven. Awe-some!

Brown rice syrup has been on my "to try" list for some time. I have seem it used in many vegan recipes and I love trying out new natural sweeteners. I haven't been able to find some at any health food stores so when Tropical Traditions asked if I would like to review it, I happily said yes!

Drinkable cake!
Hope that got your attention...

Do you ever get that craving for a little something extra sweet? You may have had a healthy dinner and a nice little dessert but you feel like you want something more. Well, I get that feeling pretty much everyday so I try to fill my belly and satisfy my sweet tooth with nourishing but delicious foods.

Before I present to you tons of delicious goodies I just want to mention that I now have a Facebook account! Please head on over and like me please! Please

The past while I have baked so many things thanks to some lovely days off. Too many for multiple posts and most I consider the rights to author bloggers so I thought I would share some of these treats with you in one post!
Here we go...

A few days ago on a walk I found this cute little birdie who couldn't fly.

Being who I am, I couldn't just leave him there so I brought home. I made him a small space where I could hopefully nurse him back to health. He eventually began eating and drinking and looked like he was getting a lot better. But unfortunately a few hours later he got worse and I am sad to say that he did not make it.



Poor little birdie. I hope you're happy where you are now.

I love desserts that taste decadent but are actually healthy. I especially love foods that are fun!



This recipe is the normally savory hummus made sweet. Please do not think that chickpeas won't go well with sweet things because they do! I have been wanting to make a cookie dough hummus for a long time and I wish that I had done this sooner. It tastes so good!

I recently got tagged for the Amazing Blogger Award by Kat at Kat's Health Corner! I am so happy to get my first award and I hope you enjoy learning some more about me

This year is a very special birthday for me because I turn 19 years of age on the 19th day of the month! I consider 9 and 19 my lucky numbers so I'm pretty excited. Sometimes I really can't believe how old I am getting. Sometimes it scares me but I know that it is inevitable so I try to live with it.



I would like to celebrate this past year of my life by reflecting on what I have accomplished:

It appears that Spring has finally arrived here... and just in time for Summer!



Here is one of the crab apple trees near my home. My favorite time of year is when they bloom. I can't wait to get some yummy crab apples.

Have you ever discovered a recipe but didn't have a key ingredient so you went out of your way to buy that ingredient just so you could make it? That's what I did when I saw this recipe a while ago. I've been thinking of making my own milk for some time and I thought that cashew milk sounded super yummy. The only thing was, I didn't have any cashews! So I bought a huge jar of cashews to satisfy my desire to make this milk.

Cats like Cashew Oat Milk too!

My cat decided to make an appearance for this post. Her name is Blaky. Yes, that is the correct spelling. It's how I spelled her name when I was a little kid and so that is how I will keep spelling it. I love her, she is my best friend!
Isn't amazing how everyone loves their pet? They can provided us with so much joy and friendship. I wonder if they know how much they mean to us.

I love doughnuts more than I care to admit. I first discovered this when I visited Japan. I was introduced to the iconic Mr.Donut shop and fell in love. I don't think I lived before I had one of their doughnuts. They are made fresh, indescribably tasty, and have many unique flavours. I went to Mr.Donut many times and even got a Mr.Donut club membership card while I was there! I considered bringing a box of doughnuts home with me but my suitcase got too full.

Hooray for coconut!



I recently found some coconut flour at a new bulk store in my area. I have been intrigued by this interesting gluten free flour after seeing it on many other blogs. I knew that I had to try it!

I was recently offered a jar of Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil to try out. I was so happy when they did because I have been searching for coconut oil in every store with no luck.


When I received my coconut oil, I did a happy dance and then determined how I would have my first taste. I couldn't wait long enough to bake something and I also wanted to be able to experience its pure taste. So I decided to just spread some on an english muffin.

I hope everyone has been able to catch a little bit of the royal wedding. I did not see it in live time but I have been watching highlights all day. I must say that it was the absolute perfect wedding! Kate and Will looked so elegant and happy. I love Kate's perma-smile! She is a gorgeous bride.



It’s great to see everyone so preoccupied with joy and love. The excitement makes me dream of my own fairy-tale wedding. It also makes me want to travel to London and get my own fascinator!

For Lent I decided to give up peanut butter. I know what you’re thinking "Peanut butter? But you love peanut butter!" I thought it was crazy too but I wanted to give up something I really cared about for Easter.

For the most part I did well; I didn't even crave peanut butter. I do admit that I had lots of help from almond butter and Nutella!

Due to my peanut butter fast I knew that I wanted to make something delicious and filled with peanut butter. I love scones but I haven't made them for a while so I decided I would bake up some healthy scones.

It’s a combination you've probably seen countless times. Dates and nuts. Aren’t they just perfect together!

I call these Spheres of Joy because they are like little sweet balls of energy. My mom calls them candy, so you can call them that too. But remember they are better than candy because they have no unhealthy fats or sugar in them.

Every now and then I come across a dish that makes me question everything I thought I knew about baking. This is one of those recipes. Its vegan, gluten free, refined sugar free, and low in fat. It also happens to be incredibly tasty and moist.

Happy April Fool's Day!

I hope you had an exciting day. I love hearing the funny stories on April Fool's Day. My favourite this year was IKEA's Highchair for dogs. Did you like or take part in any pranks?



Surprise all of your friends with this vegan pudding. I swear it tastes just like the real thing! It requires about 10 seconds to make and uses no stove top. I think I like it more than regularly dairy pudding.

• Vegan margarine can be substituted equally in any recipe
• Vegetable oil is best for muffins or anything requiring a cake-like texture. Use 1/3 cup oil for every 1/2 cup butter. I used oil instead of butter in my Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Latte Muffins with great results!
• Apple sauce will provide a cake-like texture as well as adding some sweetness. This is a great choice for low fat baking
• Nut butters can also be substituted for butter as long as you want to have that nut butter taste

• Flax egg works well for chewy things like cookies as well as breads. This is made by mixing 3 tbsp water with 1 tbsp ground flax seed and allowing the mixture to sit for a few minutes.
• Silken or soft tofu is great for anything with a dense structure like brownies, pound cake, or pies. Use a 1/4 cup blended for each egg.
• Apple sauce or mashed banana can be used in cakes, bars, breads, muffins, and cookies. Use 1/4 cup sauce for each egg. The banana in my Banana Pancakes acted as a great binder.
• Soy yogurt is good for a cake-like structure. Use 1/4 cup for each egg.
• Egg replacer can be used in almost any recipe. Some people don't recommend it for things you want to stay moist like cake as egg replacer is starch-based. Follow directions on box

• Coconut milk for very creamy textures. My Vegan Gluten Free Coconut Pancakes were extra creamy thanks to this
• Soy milk, almond milk, hemp milk, or any non-dairy milk can be substituted in almost any recipe
• Water can be substituted in many basic recipes too but your outcome will lack richness
• Juice is a great option if you want to add a little extra flavour to a recipe. For example you could substitute more orange juice for milk in my Orange Vanilla Poppy Seed Muffins

Before my post today I want to say how sad I am about the earthquake in Japan. About a year and a half ago I went to Japan for three months as an exchange student. I have not been able to contact my host family but luckily they live in a part of Japan that was not affected.
I love Japan so my heart has been broken due to this tragedy. All my prayers go out to Japan and those affected by this disaster.

On a lighter note, this week I participated in my first bake sale! I was so excited. I love bake sales. Nearly every day there is one somewhere at my university. I never was asked to participate in one until a couple weeks ago. Of course I immediately said I would help out.


 



The other day I over heard someone say that they don't like peanut butter. People who don't like peanut butter must be crazy. I think that even people who are allergic to peanut butter must like it! (But if you are allergic please don't eat it)

Honestly peanut butter goes well with anything. You can spread it on toast, eat it with fruit, eat it with veggies, make cookies with it, spread it on cookies, make drinks with it, use it in savoury peanut sauces, or even just eat it with a spoon. Mmmm delicious, I eat peanut butter every day!

One of the possible best combinations is peanut butter and chocolate. Is there any thing better than salty creamy peanut butter paired with silky bitter dark chocolate? How about pairing with it with some coffee?
I thought it sounded delicious too so I put my favourite flavours together and made a muffin!

Happy Vegan Friday!
I mentioned in a previous post about how eating vegan can be surprisingly simple. However, part of being vegan is that you get to experiment with all the fun stuff!
I love trying new things. Especially when it comes to food. Some of my favourites are tofu and almond milk. I also have an obsession with seeking out tempeh, nutritional yeast, and coconut butter because I really want to try those!

Gluten free and vegan. Those words are the essence of health to me. It has been a goal of mine to make a special gluten free and vegan dish for a while.  I have also wanted to experiment with coconut milk. Today I finally got around to doing it! I must say the result were scrumptious.

The perfect winter morning breakfast has definitely got to be pancakes. Especially as the week upon me is going to be freezing. And what better way to dream of summer than with the tropical taste of coconut? I don't know about you but I love coconut. I love the taste, the smell, the texture, and even the shape. Right now I am imagining myself sipping the milk from a coconut on a warm sunny beach. Ahh...

I tried hot yoga for the first time a few days ago! It was excellent and in fact I am going again today!

Hot yoga is an experience every yogi should try. If you don't like yoga because you find it too "easy" then I highly recommend hot yoga because you'll be sweating buckets.
I went in for a 75 minute class and it went by so fast! I enjoyed every second of it. Much to my surprise, my muscles were sore the next day. That was strange for me because I hardly ever get sore muscles.

In case you don't know what hot yoga is, it’s basically a normal yoga class done in a room at a higher temperature.
Some benefits of this form of yoga are: it helps your skin to sweat out toxins, allows you to relax while working harder, relaxes and warms your muscles, its great to escape the cold, and helps flexibility.

I've always been a big fan of yoga so naturally I loved this. If you want to try it, find a class near you and don't be shy!

To help fuel my yoga practice. I have been eating Single Serving Bean Brownies by Kate from What Kate is Cooking all credit goes to her for this great idea! I just changed it a bit and I think it tastes delicious so I want to share it with you. It also has the extra asset of being a healthy indulgence.

It has been too long since my last post! I had some midterms this past week and I was more worried about where the subclavian artery was located than anything else. Sorry! But now I am back. I also have the week off so you can expect a few posts.

So what's new? Well, you may have noticed that little button at the top that says "Contact". I have been working on making an e-mail for my blog and I now have one! If you would like to contact me please e-mail me at cupcakeskat@gmail.com.

I also just got a Twitter so if you like please follow me. I'm really new to Twitter and not so sure what to do so I would appreciate your friendship.

Though university can be stressful at times, it can also be a lot of fun.

My favourite professor, teaches me the Social Science of Sports. She is absolutely crazy but I love her because she is fun, makes class time go by fast, and makes the content interesting.
She also loves cheesecake!
My favourite quote from her recently, which she said upon a student leaving class, "One day, if any of you become a teacher, you'll understand. If a student leaves your class early, all you'll want to do is: pack up your stuff, buy a cheesecake, go home, and have a party"

I think any excuse is a good excuse for cheesecake! And that is why I am so excited to share this recipe with you.

My favorite way to eat Toaster Cheesecake. With honey and cinnamon

Dear Train,

Please never leave me out in the freezing cold again. It was minus 30 degrees Celsius outside at seven in the morning. Yet somehow you collided with a car.
And you made me late for my lab.
Why is it that emergencies like this always happen in freezing weather?
This is the second time you have left me trapped downtown in the winter weather
And like the fourth or fifth time overall that I have been abandoned by you
The first time I was actually a passenger on you when you got into an accident.

Today I am not posting a vegan recipe (sorry to all you vegans) or a gluten free recipe (sorry to all you on a gluten free diet) but I am posting a lovely, healthy, and delicious muffin recipe.

My beautiful pan

Recently I bought a silicon muffin pan. I've never used a silicon pan before so I was very excited to try it. As soon as I found a recipe I wanted to try out, I set myself to work. Plus its heart-shaped! Who can resist hearts, especially as Valentine's Day is nearing?

Last weekend I went to a retreat that focused on the True Colors communications style personality test. This test focuses on what type of person you tend to be when working in a group. It also builds a model for understanding yourself and others. It is called True Colors because you can either be labelled as gold, blue, orange, or green.

Gold is responsible. This color represents a need to fulfill duties in order to organize and structure life. People who are gold are practical and sensible. They believe in hard work.

Blue is compassionate. It represents calm. Blue people are very emotional and caring. They tend to put others before themselves. Blue people are also sensitive and creative.

Green is conceptual. This type of person values intelligence. They are determined and practical.

Orange is spontaneous. They enjoy doing things and being active. Orange people are energetic and like doing things that are different.

I ended up having an equal score for orange and green. This helped me understand a lot more about my personality and I believe that I really am an orange and green type person. I can't stand sitting still and love moving. I consider myself a quirky person and I'll jump at the chance to do something different. I also value intelligence, doing well at school, and I am organized.

If you also happen to be two colors it probably means that you are dominant in a different color in different situations. For example you could be blue when with family but gold at work.

Of course I also realize that you can't always be just one color. For example I recognize that I also share traits from the other two categories as I'm sure all people do.

If you're curious about what color you are, you can take the True Colors test here. If you do be sure to comment back here and tell us what color you are!

And now for something even more exciting... pancakes!!
I made Katie's Banana Pancakes for One and they were absolutely delicious. I love pancakes and make them frequently but I have to say that these were some of the best I ever had.
For my pancakes:
I used lime juice (which I think put them over the top!)
I had to add more liquid to get the consistency of pancake batter I like.
I also left the banana a bit chunky so I had yummy, squishy, sweet pieces of banana in my pancakes.
Here is my recipe with the changes I made.

Three of my pancakes topped with banana slices and sprinkled with cinnamon

Banana Pancakes
Adapted from Chocolate-Covered Katie
I got 6 small pancakes

1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 tsp fresh lime juice*
1/2 mashed banana
1/2 cup almond milk**

Mix whole wheat flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. In another bowl, add the mashed banana, lime juice, and almond milk. Stir dry ingredients into the wet.
Now make your pancakes!

* You can try using lemon juice
** May substitute any other milk

These pancakes are honestly amazing by themselves. If you want to serve them with something, you can use the rest of your banana, peanut butter, and maple syrup. I'm thinking that some shredded coconut added into the batter would also make it wonderful.

School is back in session and I'm as busy as ever. My week has mainly consisted of lectures, work, skating, the gym, volunteer training, freezing in the cold, more work, and then a little bit of studying and blog reading. Blah.... and by the way happy late 1/11/11! That's January 11, 2011. Just take a look at all those ones! In case you did not know this day was supposed to be one of good luck and achievements. Did you achieve anything?

I also want to take this chance to thank all of you for your wonderful comments left on my last post. I value each and every word you write. So if you’re reading this right now please remember to leave a comment. You can say something positive, something to help me improve my blog, or just say hi.

Now I know that Christmas is over and you probably don't want to see another dessert or Christmas recipe for some time but I need to share this because its delicious. Its also a great way to use up the last of your cranberry sauce and eggnog!



When I saw this I just knew I had to make something like it. However I was not satisfied with the recipe as I found it a little too indulgent so instead I modified this recipe. The cupcakes have no eggs or butter so they're easy to half or double.