Today Tony's car was in the shop, so he took my car to work. I figured it was a good day to get a lot of cleaning and laundry accomplished, since I couldn't take the kids anywhere. But Jackson was sticking to me like glue. If you've ever tried to mop a floor with a barefoot 2-year-old trailing behind you, you know it's a wasted effort. So I told him, "If you let me clean in peace, you can help me bake something later." He paused to consider the deal I was offering. Then he said, "We not bake something. We bake cupcakes."
The kid drives a hard bargain.
We made the red velvet cupcakes from Quick & Easy Vegan Celebrations, topped with the sour cream frosting from Vegan Bake Sale. I picked that frosting recipe for one reason -- I had a tub of Tofutti sour cream sitting in my fridge. I don't like its super-thick texture dolloped on top of a baked potato or nachos, but it worked perfectly for making a creamy frosting.
I let Jackson and Olivia share a cupcake, and froze the rest. I was in the mood for a different kind of sweet.
Everyone has their own method for making iced coffee. I brew my coffee twice as strong as normal, chill it, and then add ice. I figure the ice cubes dilute the coffee to the point where it all balances it out. I used to just sweeten it with stevia, but then I found out that my liquor store carries all the Torani flavor syrups. Sugar-free hazelnut is my favorite. (The raspberry flavor is good in iced tea, too!)
I always hated coffee until I moved to New York, and then I started drinking it to stay warm during the long, cold winter. (I also drank tons of hot tea, but it wasn't enough!) When we moved back to Texas, I had a full canister of coffee, so I started drinking it iced, just to use it up. Now I am hooked. Most days, it's my treat when the kids nap. Are you a coffee or tea drinker? Or both, like me?
For dinner I made Chili Lime Rubbed Tofu and Pineapple Collards, both from Appetite for Reduction, with roasted butternut squash. Everything was delicious. The tofu is fast and easy to make (no marinating necessary) and I always adore collard greens. I peel and cube my squash and roast it with a little bit of olive oil, salt, and dried sage, at 400 degrees for 40 minutes. It turns sweet like candy.
