Ice-Cream and Giggles

Deep Fried Vegan Donuts, so yummy! Recipe link below.

You might have caught on to my obsession with donuts by now...but I made deep fried donuts and they are so perfect! They taste exactly like normal donuts (link below!). Honestly, apart from macarons, donuts are probably the food I miss most since going vegan, so I am really happy this recipe turned out so perfectly! Now I just need to find the perfect vegan macaron recipe. I hope I can find one!

Food

Sweet

• Vegan Deep Fried Donuts! They taste just like normal donuts, my non-vegan parents even approved!
• Vegan and Gluten Free Scones
• Gluten Free Vegan Crepes
• Vegan Gluten Free Choc-Chip Cookies
• Vegan Blueberry Bagels

Savory

• Vegan and Gluten Free Tofu Popcorn Chicken! So delicious. 
• Vegan and Gluten Free Mushroom and Leek Quiche. My current obsession!

To Inspire:

• I NEED this plate
• ...and these elephant salt and pepper shakers

To think about:

Why oils are not healthy

Minimalist Baker's Vegan Funfetti Cupcakes!

Because it is spring, I am so excited, and want to fill everything with flowers and colour, from donuts, cake, pineapple, watermelon, mango... and everything and anything that may resemble these items! So here, in my current favourites, are a mix of well, cake recipes, and well, donut floats, donut stools, pineapple bags... and everything seems to be mostly birthday related... I also managed to make Katherine Sabbath's Hamburger Cupcakes (but vegan!). Basically, I tried to vegan-ize her recipes (and failed = 3 batches of cupcakes and 2 brownie batches later). So I used Minimalist Baker's Funfetti cupcakes (without the sprinkles and icing), and brownies; for the rest I simply followed Katherine Sabbath's how-to, using vegan fondant icing, and tofutti for the cream cheese icing part. See my attempt here!


Food

Savory

• Smoky Black Bean Beet Burgers
• Southwest Tofu Scramble (my current addiction)

Dessert

• Vegan Victoria Sponge Cake. I used this recipe for my dad's birthday (who typically loves sponge cakes with passionfruit, but I wanted to make a vegan one), and this went down so well! My non-vegan parents loved it, which means it is a damn good cake recipe!
• Funfetti Cupcakes! Image above! I made them gluten-free by using coconut flour and more almond milk!

To Inspire:

• I have been wanting this donut pool float for soo long! I think I might finally take the plunge and get it for summer!

DIY

• Donut Stools! I need to these. ASAP.
• Pineapple favour bags!!!
• The key to my heart: watermelon peter pan collar!
• Watermelon Friendship Bracelet!

To think about:

I only recently learned that a lot of Urban Decay's makeup is vegan! And all is cruelty free. This makes me happy.

Vegan Peanut Butter Donuts! Recipe from Fo Reals Life.

Yay, it is finally the mid-semester break! I am super dooper excited to get baking and back into making ice-cream! I recently bought "Uncooked" by Sadhana Kitchen, authored by my favourite cafe in Sydney, which is FULL of raw vegan and gluten free food, including raw vegan Ferrero Rochers (I know right, it is pretty much number one on my list of things to make), though there is also heaps of vegan sauces (e.g. sour cream etc), so I will be experimenting heaps over the next two weeks (whilst doing assignments, of course!)

Food

Breakfast

• Vegan French Toast

Treats

• Rocky Road Brownie. This recipe isn't vegan, but super easy to adapt: I made it vegan using vegan butter, chocolate, marshmallows and Organ No Egg replacement. Too easy!
• Hazelnut Frappuccino
• Vegan Peanut Butter Pretzel Truffles (I need to get some pretzels STAT!)
• Spicy Mexican Chocolate Tartlets 
• Delicious Vegan Chocolate Cake 
• Vegan Peanut Butter Donuts

Savory

• Buffalo Cauliflower Wing Pizza. Omg.
• Kale and Artichoke Dip.
• Creamy Vegan Spinach Dip

To Inspire:

• DIY Cat Hammock! (I couldn't resist: WARNING, cat lady approaching!)
• Sandwich Cakes Exist. Omg.

DIY

• Free Printable Wrapping Paper
• Tea Party Printables
• Gold Marbled Cup

Vegan and Gluten Free Banoffee Pie, recipe from "Oh Almonds"

Phew, it is now week 5 of the semester, and I am finally (finally!) into the swing of things! Which is great news, in that I can make lots and lots of food and not feel so guilty about it! This week I am sharing some of my favourite recipes that I have cooked in the past few weeks. Now if you make anything from this list, please make the Vegan Nutella! You will not be disappointed. Except for the fact it will not last long. I think the longest it has lasted in my house is 24 hours... Though, having said that, the Tofutti cheesecake is ridiculous good (my sister who is virtually sugar-free consumed 4/6 cheesecakes despite the large amount of sugar), as is the banoffee pie, and the taco baked potato... so you might as well make everything here! :D

Food

Breakfast

• Vegan Blueberry Muffin Pancakes 
• Quinoa Banana Skillet Bake 
• The Greatest Vegan Nutella you will ever make

Treats

• Vegan Tofutti Cheesecake (tastes just like real cheesecake!)
• Vegan and Gluten Free Banoffee Pie (I used Soyatoo whip instead of coconut cream; image above)
• No Egg Meringue

Savory

• Epic Taco Stuffed Baked Potato
• Four-Ingredient Vegan Bacon
• Chili Rubbed Portobello Tacos with Cilantro Jalapeno Crema

To Inspire:

• Burger Cupcakes! I can't wait until I have the time to make a vegan version! I am thinking it will make a great cake for Father's Day, I already have the vegan yellow fondant icing in my cupboard!
• Glazed Donut Bread Pudding! All I need now is vegan glazed donuts!

Vegan Donuts, made using the recipe from Drop Dead.

Phew, it has been a busy few weeks! I am back at uni being super busy with a truckload of readings, lectures and assignments with the additional pressure of formulating a research proposal, and having it approved, by a supervisor for my thesis next year! However, I have been able to squeeze in some baking time! Tuesdays and Saturdays are officially my new favourite days, as I have the whole day off to do homework baking! Anyway, here are some recipes that I am loving at the moment!

Food:

Breakfast

• Caramel Apple Pull Apart Bread 
• Blueberry Chia Seed Jam 
• Toasted Oatmeal with Strawberry Chia Jam and Coconut Whipped Cream

 

Meals

• Vegan Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
• Vegan Spinach Mushroom Sticky Balls
• Potato and Grilled Corn Salad with fresh dill

Treats

• Raw Vegan Fig, Blueberry and Coconut Cream Cheesecake? Yes, please!
• Mint Chocolate Oreo Cupcakes
• Drop Dead Vegan Donuts (pictured), just make sure your sprinkles are vegan! Avoid colouring 120 (carmine), gelatine and milk products. The cheap alternatives tend to use carmine. I like to use soy based sprinkles that use vegetable colouring.

To Inspire:

• This doughnut cake!
• I bought this elephant milk jug, so in love! I am also thinking of buying the rabbit! I am such a sucker for homewares, it really is becoming an issue.

DIY

• Watermelon Wrapping Paper
• Strawberry Garland 
• Fruit Slice Umbrellas! 

To Think About:


I recently learnt that Oreos are not vegan everywhere (they are in Australia and US, phew!) but not necessarily Europe. For a great discussion read this, though as always, the most important thing is to always read the label!

Vegan and Gluten Free Scones, recipe from "Like a Vegan".

I thought I would try out a new post: namely, posting my favourite links and recipes. I often get asked on instagram and facebook: "where do you find those recipes?!", so I thought on a regular basis I would try and make an effort to share them here. Today I start yet another semester at uni after five weeks of holidays! But don't worry, I have prepared a few posts* so that I will still be able to blog regularly (once or twice a week) for the next few weeks or so, as from experience the first few weeks of the semester (especially post-grad) can be the hardest as you have to adjust to a phenomenally large workload, after well, doing nothing for weeks on end. And all I want to do is incessantly bake delicious vegan food (and eat it), so for now, this will have to do. Enjoy!

Food

Breakfast

• Raspberry Chia Seed Jam! Just sub maple syrup for honey: goes down really well with toasted sour dough bread!
• Yummy blueberry and banana pancakes!
• Vegan Scones! I made them gluten free by using 1 cup almond meal, 1 cup potato flour and 1 cup plain gluten free flour.

Treats

• These were so yummy: super healthy peanut butter date special K bars!
• Vegan Cinnamon Rolls! 

Savory

• Easy Vegan Parmesan Cheese!
• Delicious Vegan Pot Pies
• Vegan Caesar Wraps so scrumptious: my sister even claimed they were the best wraps she had ever had! To make them gluten free just use gluten free bread crumbs and gluten free wraps.

To Inspire

• Ice-Cream Donut Sandwiches (not vegan, but such a great idea!)
• I made a vegan cupcake bouquet using this tutorial! See my attempt here.

DIY

• I made this amazing watermelon bike bell last week!
• How cute is this ice-cream caddy?!
• Watermelon Ice-Cream Cone Wrappers!

And in case you missed them:

• The Easiest Cookies and Cream Ice-Cream
• Vegan Chocolate Cake Pops
• The Ultimate Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Sundae
• Vegan Oreo Thickshake
• Oreo Ice-Cream Sandwiches  

* Teaser alert: Cherry Ripe ice-cream bars, "Nutella" popsicles, and Neapolitian ice-cream cups, to name a few!