ceasar salad vegan style

Right now I'm loving this cool, crisp salad everyday for either lunch or dinner.  I got the recipe here at Post Punk Kitchen.
It's so refreshing during this heat we've been having.  Some days I use Trader Joes Vegan Chicken Strips instead of the garbanzo's but the real star of this salad is the dressing.  It's easy to make and incredibly delicious.

I did change the recipe up just a tiny bit b/c I wanted my dressing a little thicker so I just cut back on the water a bit and only use 1 1/2 T of nutritional yeast instead of the full 2 Tablespoons that she calls for. Either way it is incredible.

Here is my version...

Dressing:
1/4 cup tahini (i use Trader Joes)
1/4 scant cup water (I use a little less)
2 small or 1 large garlic clove
1 1/2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes 
2 teaspoons whole grain dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt

Salad:
8 oz romaine (2 hearts), chopped
15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 avocado diced
Fresh black pepper to taste

Or any other topping you'd like such as vegan bacon, croutons, tomato

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painting an old lamp

I recently found myself in need of a new bedroom lamp.  I passed my cute bird lamp onto my grandaughters bedroom where it fits perfectly.  So I went to the Goodwill and found this $9 ginger jar lamp.  I'm so sorry I don't have a before picture of it but you can see in the next photo that it was classic 90's peach.
 

I did my best to tape it before I painted it but as you can see I did a horrible job of it.  It's okay though because I was planning to paint the wooden base black anyway.  I wound up just spray painting the shade black too.

I am no DIY expert by any means but this was easy and the results were good enough for me.  The trick to spraying the ceramic base is to keep the spray can a good 12" away and do multiple light coats so that there is no dripping.  I used a satin finish but I can always apply a glossy finish if I feel like it.  

So there you go.  Have a wonderful weekend!

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sugar scrub

Is your sun/saltwater/chlorine skin as parched as mine?

This sugar scrub is sure to help.  Unlike salt scrubs, sugar does not dry the skin.  Brown sugar is particularly rich in alpha hydroxy acids so it makes a great exfoliant and is much more gentle than white sugar, making it perfect for sensitive skin.  All that and it smells heavenly.

Sugar Scrub

1/4 cup brown sugar
1/8 cup sunflower or any other oil

Mix and apply to dry skin.  I like to do this in the shower before I turn the water on.  Just massage it in, taking extra time on elbows, feet and any other rough areas.  Rinse with warm water.  Pat a little olive oil on your skin before you dry off and you aren't going to believe how soft your skin is.

That's it.  Such an economical yet luxurious treat for your summer skin.

Side Note - If you are at all interested in letting your hair go gray, please pop over to the Revolution Gray website where they are profiling 25 bloggers who are going gray (me included) and writing about it.  Lots of great stories there.  Have a wonderful week!

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the best chocolate cake ever...that happens to be vegan

You guys, this cake is vegan and it is good.

Two years ago my friend J baked me this cake for my birthday.  I've made it several times now and I can say that it lives up to its name.  You can find the original recipe here but the way they wrote the recipe out you have to skip thru 4 or 5 pages to read the whole thing which is annoying.  So I put it all in one place.  It's super easy.

I did not change any ingredients in the original recipe but I do pierce the top of the cooled cake with a skewer and drizzle some homemade kahlua over the top before I frost it.  I also make the batter in a bowl instead of the pan that it bakes in.  As you can see by the photo, it makes just one layer so you'll have to double the recipe to get 2 layers.  Or you could double it and use a bundt pan, that would work too.  I also smear a little earth balance and flour the pans before I pour the batter in.

1 1/4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup warm water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp distilled white or apple cider vinegar

In a bowl mix dry ingredients well and then add the water, vanilla, oil and vinegar.  Stir until well combined.  Pour in pan and bake at 350 degrees for 1/2 hr.

Chocolate Glaze

1/2 cup sugar
4 tbsp earth balance margarine
2 tbsp soy milk/almond milk
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp vanilla extract

In a small saucepan combine the sugar, margarine, soy milk or almond milk and cocoa powder.  Over medium heat stir & bring to a boil for 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and continue stirring for 5 additional minutes then as the mixture cools down add the vanilla.

I'd like to thank you all for your kind comments re the office.  You guys are so sweet.  It can be scary exposing so much of yourself and your home online so I really appreciate your thoughtful remarks.  You are the BEST.  x

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