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Recently, I had the pleasure of doing a trade with Cutecumber from Etsy. I wear clips and ponytail holders almost daily and these are SO fun! The top pair is my favorite (I have them in right now). She has a bunch of sweet options in her shop and she takes requests for custom orders.
P.S. The photos are hers. I was (sadly) way too lazy to take my own. :)
It's been awhile, but I actually completed a few new pieces. I have a lot of work that has been partially finished. Hopefully, it will see the light of...the computer soon.
This top one is called "Big Bee" and it's created on a 7x9 illustration board with ink and acrylic.
The lower one is called "Zebra" and it has the same exact specs except the orientation has been rotated 90 degrees. I wanted a zebra that was closer to a majority of the work in my shop. I have not abandoned my button work. Promise (too many buttons laying around).
I suppose it would be prudent to mention that these are both up for sale in my Etsy shop. Time to make some lunch.
I hope everyone had a good Mother's Day! Mine rocked. I made chocolate cupcakes piled high with buttercream frosting. I got the recipe from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. If I was on the ball, I would have a photograph of said cupcakes at the top of this post. Then, you could "oooooh" and "ahhhhh" and desire your very own cupcakes. Maybe I should get on that and stop back later.
I suppose a recipe or two would also be a good idea. You'd think I was brand new to this blogging thing.
I'll be back after I have changed out of my jammies and gotten some caffeine.
Mission complete. Those delicious cakes look a lot like they have pink and white dog poo piled on top, don't they? I assure you, the frosting tastes nothing like poo. Uh, not that I have tasted poo, mind you. I'm just guessing.
According to copyright law, I can post the ingredients but I have to put everything in my own words. I will try not to confuse anyone as my words can get a little crazy.
Chocolate Cupcakes
1 cup non dairy milk (I prefer soy, but rice or almond or oat will probably do just fine...I hope)
1 tsp apple cider vinegar (regular vinegar will work in a pinch)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup oil (they recommend canola, but I use sunflower or safflower or vegetable)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract (or chocolate extract or more vanilla)
1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
PREHEAT oven to 350 F. Prep your muffin pans by lining with those little cupcake papers or grease.
Now add the vinegar to the milk in a bowl and stir. Let it sit for a few minutes to curdle (you are approximating buttermilk). Next add the sugar, oil and extract. Beat until foamy.
In a different bowl, sift together the dry ingredients (that means flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add into the wet ingredients and mix until no large lumps remain. Pour into the individual cups and bake 18-20 minutes. Now let them cool on a rack. Makes 12 cupcakes.
Buttercream Frosting
1/2 cup non-hydrogenated shortening
1/2 cup non-hydrogenated margarine
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup non dairy milk (again, I use soy milk, but you can use whatever you like).
Beat the shortening and the margarine together. Add the vanilla and milk and mix until well blended. Add sugar and beat for 5 minutes until fluffy.
FYI- the original recipe said to add the vanilla and milk at the end. I found this very awkward and messy. Do what you wish.
Makes about 4 cups to pile onto your cupcakes. You can halve the recipe if you aren't piling.
I highly recommend the book if you are a collector of cookbooks like I am. You never know when you might need 75 vegan cupcake recipes.
