Much Love Monday: Mini Vegan Donuts
Every Friday night, Scott and I would walk down to the donut shop down our street to pick up a dozen donuts. Yes, one box of donuts for two people. It’s as disgusting as it sounds. On Saturday mornings, I would wake up in pain and groggy from the wild night my body experienced with the calorie-filled donuts. I know those donuts are horrible for me, but I still miss them. After trying all kinds of vegan pies, cupcakes, muffins and tarts, it could never replace the donut for me. Thankfully I came across VeganYumYum’s Mini Donut recipe. I changed a few things around the recipe, to make it a bit healthier for my family. Here is my version:
First, I used a non-stick heart shaped donut pan
Mix all the dry ingredients together:
1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 Cup Coconut Sugar
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Sea Salt
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
Add wet ingredients to saucepan and warm ’till the butter melts
1/2 Cup nut milk
1/2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
Egg Replacer for 1 Egg (I used Ener-G
4 Tbs Earth Balance Vegan Butter
Add dry ingredients to saucepan and mix. It’ll have a wet-dough consistency but don’t overcook it or you’ll ruin it (like I did the first time I tried this).
Add to pan. Just a little warning- don’t overfill and smooth out. The original recipe warns about this or you’ll come out with a muffin top. I see this daily, I don’t need to see it in my actual donuts.
Bake for 12 min, let ‘em cool and mix the toppings
1/2 cup powered sugar
1 tbs nut milk
now, dip them in the glaze, sit for a quick second and then dip them into sprinkles!
That was my favorite part other than eating them. You can also find a cream cheese glaze here but alternate the dairy cream cheese with Tofutti’s.
So there you have it, mini vegan donuts. Mine are a lot darker because of the ingredients I used, but I recommend checking out the original from VeganYumYum.
and remember- the more dishes you have to clean, the tastier it will be!
To learn more about Much Love Monday, read about it here.
Rilakkuma iPad 2 Case
Remember this post? Well, I’ve been on the lookout for a Rilakkuma iPad 2 case since and after searching the web, I found it in the last place I thought would carry it- Amazon
iPad 2 has a horrible camera but this is what it looks like. Excuse the dirty mirror and closet. It’s perfect and I can’t wait to show it off! Although, it wouldn’t really be showing it off when you’re 30, right? 
You can buy it here for $12.99
Much Love Monday (on a Thursday)
For 2012, I haven’t been updating Much Love Monday, but just because my blog was down a few weeks doesn’t mean I want to skip on this year! I’m playing a little catch up for the past 3 Mondays.
I felt a little dirty buying this from j crew. Especially since Liz showed me a DIY (and they are all over the web), but by the time I purchased a decent quality sweater plus the supplies, I was out almost the price of the original sweater. I’ve been wearing it at least every other day since it came in the mail. It can be layered, worn alone or just pretty to look at. Classy meets kawaii? Yes, let’s go with that.
I’ve been eating more raw eating and greens in my diet, and following a strict no cheese and dairy routine. I miss mac & cheese most and I’ve found a delicious alternative, Road’s End Organics
Every season, Target sells the cutest items according to the holiday. I left the store with tablecloths, regrettably. I wish I would have left with the whole Valentine’s section. Everything just looks better with hearts, guys.
I know it’s only been 3 Mondays in, but here’s a bonus. I love these gloves- they keep my hands warm and I don’t have to take them off because they are touch screen-friendly! Gadchick is doing a giveaway this week. Click here to enter!
To learn more about Much Love Mondays, read it here.
Much Love Monday 2011
Anna had an awesome collage for Much Love Monday. Her commitment to the photo project is inspiring, I’m excited for her photos in 2012.
I couldn’t choose just one favorite from MLM. I have two- the thank you post, and the frocktober post. They had nothing to do with heart shaped objects, but everything to do with heart.
Here’s to more love in 2012.
I’ll Have Pink Christmas
For the past 3 Christmas’, I’ve been collecting pink themed ornaments. It’s not exactly an inviting color for the traditional holiday, but it’s a conversation starter. Sadly, when my in-laws cleaned out their garage, they cleaned out my decorations and ornaments. The only thing salvaged was the pink tree. It was bittersweet- I loved shopping for new ones but I missed our old decorations.
I thrifted great ornaments, but I also treated myself to one from an artist I’ve had in mind forever, my very own Skunkboy Creatures ornate bird. Katie did a wonderful job and it’ll be something I’ll treasure for years.
Another thing she did a wonderful job on? Raising her daughter, Hope, to be so sweet. My heart grew ten sizes larger when I read her note and saw her handmade ornament. It’s one of the most adorable things I’ve seen and the story behind it makes it extra sweet.
We have a few Kate Gabrielle pieces around the house (a calendar, a Diana camera painting, her Flapper Doodle prints and color books to name a few), we’ve added this house she modeled after ours. Look at it! The details are spot on, from the house colors to the color of the roof, the exact house address, and our pink Christmas tree! The only thing missing is the California snow (haaaa, I wish!).
I also got a heart plate set from Ana B. from On Dressing Up. I loved the mini plates, but I loved the card she wrote me even more. It reminded me of the amazing power the internet carries to hold friendships and memories even from miles away. Cheers to handmade and loved gifts!
Greedy Wishlist 2011
Wishlists are fleeting for me, but these are the things I’ve had my eye on throughout the year. It sounds silly but wanting things makes me feel guilty. It doesn’t help that I have ridiculous taste. Buying for myself makes me feel worse. So let’s hope Santa can smooth out that detail by getting a thing or two on the list for me. From my 2010 Wishlist.
1. Corner Store Leather Bag I love a good cheeky gift. This has luxury and novelty written all over it, and with the black color adds a tinge of sophistication.
2. Momiji Mugs- Gigi, Astrid, Chihiro, Stella. I’m slowly building a kawaii themed kitchen and these would be perfect.
3. KitchenAid Ice Cream Maker Attachment. My white KitchenAid was a wedding gift almost 4 years ago, but I’m just using it for more than baking. Ice cream is a bit chilly, but not in California. I’d love to make my own ice cream all year ’round.
4. The Karaoke Singer’s Guide to Self-Defense Tim Kinsella is big brother to Mike Kinsella (Cap’n Jazz, Joan of Arc, American Football, Owen, to name a few bands he’s been in…) and just released a novel. From the reviews I’ve read, his MFA in writing has paid off.
5. Doxie. Doxie is a portable scanner, not just a small scanner like some scanners claim to be portable. This can be thrown in my bag with my computer for travel, client meetings, and scanning my film.
6. Jawbone UP. I’ve had my eye on this for some time, and sadly it’s sold out but I’m impatiently waiting on it’s arrival on Jawbone’s webiste. It’s a tracker to help with weight loss, has iOS integration, and it’s stylish, unlike those bulky weight loss arm bands.
7. Big Bow Scarf by susanahbean. I love this scarf, and kudos to the handmade craft! It can be chic as it is fun.
If you’ve had a wishlist, link it, I’d love to see it. Maybe I can get some ideas for next year!
Much Love Monday: Baking
With some minor details like lighting fixtures, and curtains, my kitchen is officially done (pics soon, promise!). I christened it with baking a rich chocolate cake! I didn’t bake much in my apartment, I was limited on space and patience with the small space.
I used Le Creuset French oven enameled cast iron, I haven’t used it enough to season the pan, but I don’t want to buy a cake pan when this will do just fine. I used a gluten-free recipe, doubled the time for the enameled cast iron. {The bowls were purchased on sale from Joss & Main, for the curious. Cute, right?!}
The cake came out fluffy, and moist. The texture was soft, nothing like I’ve ever baked before. I drizzled some white honey on it, and yes, I did have it for breakfast. And some after lunch. Maybe dinner if you promise not to judge me.
I’m excited to bake, and spend some time in the joys of cooking.
{Much Love Monday is an online photo project started by Anna, from Much Love Anna. It’s open to everyone. If you’d like to participate, click here for more details.}
Much Love Monday: Anna
Yes, this is meta at its best. Using Anna, the creator of Much Love Monday for Much Love Monday (you following?) Anna is one of the sweetest bloggers I know and naturally, she’s participating in raising money for ovarian cancer in a program called Frocktober. For a few days in the the month of October, she’ll be posting wearing a dress everyday to raise money for the cause. You can see her past posts here. She’s asking for either sponsorship to raise money or you can help her by doing a fashion post with pic from head to toe. I’ll be donating funds rather than an outfit post on Anna’s behalf and I’d love to spread the word of supporting the cause. Read all the details here.
Cancer can be a really uncomfortable topic but when a familiar face in the blogesphere is personally dealing with it, the best of the community really pulls through. Kate’s boyfriend who was recently diagnosed with testicular cancer, blogs at For Me, For You is raising money for his health bills. Another familiar face is Amit Gupta, founder of one of my favorite companies, Photojojo. He was diagnosed with Leukemia and needs your help. You can read all the information on how to help here.
I know Much Love Monday is usually a topic of tangible things, but every once in awhile we’re reminded that it really isn’t what we love, but how we love.
Hello Kitty at Thirty
When it comes to Hello Kitty or anything kawaii, I compromise everything. I told myself I didn’t need a new pair of shoes this year, but I bought a pair of the Hello Kitty + Vans collab pair (even if I already have the Dr. Marten pair. Tsk, tsk!) I’m also really against using anything that has chemicals (at what I could best control at least) on my body and in my home, and of course, I had to pick up this toxic-ridden glue nail set. Yes, they feel a little funny typing this, but they also match my shoes.
I’ve questioned having “cutesy” things many times, I remember reading many, many “fashion don’ts” and Hello Kitty is one of them, and I’ve wondered if growing up (or lack of) has ultimately lead me to this obsession. It doesn’t matter. They ultimately make me happy to look at them and to have them. Now why on Earth would I deny myself happiness?
Are you a Sanrio/kawaii fangirl like me?
Much Love Monday: Rome in Bokeh
I wanted to edit the video above like I did my other bokeh video, with pretty music, deduct the background noise, and my nervous held at the camera. iMovie wasn’t working as I wanted, but glad it wasn’t- this video is completely organic and shows you one of my favorite corners of Rome, The Bernini. Unlike the other video, it lacks anything serene about it. It’s loud, lively, and electrifying. Unlike living in Southern California, as busy as it gets, there’s something about the excitement of Rome that I can’t exactly describe. Maybe I was in a food coma and my lack of perception is blinding, but I have yet to find a reason to not return to Rome. {Lensbaby Kit for the bokeh effect.}
{Much Love Monday is an online photo project started by Anna, from Much Love Anna. It’s open to everyone. If you’d like to participate, click here for more details.}