apparently i’m getting spring fever lately.. I’ve planted a bunch of things in (indoor) pots… and when i ran out of pots, i started using things around the house, like: paint cans, oversized mugs, etc. searching for things to put plants in, is what gave me the idea to do a cupcake herb garden. so far, i’ve planted a rosemary. oregano, mint, sage, chamomile (in a large tea mug), and grass seeds (i really just like the green around; it’s my favorite color!). I remembered a recent issue of readymade where someone planted some herbs in a bread pan… and i thought, why not a cupcake pan? herbs are abou the only thing that will grow shallow enough for this, but cactus’ are a pretty neat idea, too.

I just took some super strength glue, and glued some cheap-o silicone cupcake liners in a cupcake pan… and voila! i experimented with drilling holes in the bottom of one pan, but it proved to be uneccesary and messy.

lets see what grows! :)

You Will Need: (recipe from vegweb)
16 graham cinnamon graham crackers
1/2 cup vegan margarine
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
16 oz. (two tubs) Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese
1/3 cup raw sugar
4 EnerG egg substitute “eggs” (no water)
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
juice of 1/2 lemon

Directions: for the crust, crumble your graham crackers up finely and mix with corn syrup and melted margarine. press firmly into a round pie pan. for the filling, mix all remaining ingredients together, and pour onto crust. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 25-30 minutes, until set (doesn’t jiggle when you move the pan). Let cool. Place in refrigerator and chill for a few hours. Serves 8-10.

i made this recipe twice in one day. the first time, i omitted the lemon juice, because i’m not a huge lemon fan. I also (without thinking) added water to my Ener-G egg powder. I followed the recipe otherwise, and what i found was that the cheesecake tasted off because i omitted the lemon (it tasted like eating straight up creamcheese)… and i also found it to be a little too tough on top (too long in the oven). also, the consistency of the inside was a bit mushy, which i think was due to the added water.

the second try, i used the juice from about 1/2 a lemon… and boy did that make a difference! take my advice and dont omit the lemon! i didnt add water to my ener-g egg replacer. i think this helped the consistancy firm up a bit. i added 1/2 tsp of extra vanilla extract, because i like things strong on the flavor side. I also only left it in the oven for about 20 minutes, and watched it pretty close. i supposed all you’re waiting for the heat to do is to ’set’ the creamcheese… so it’s ok to take it out early if it’s already set. it shouldnt brown on top, because it will turn out tough. plus, i found that the crust browns really fast, and you have to watch that as well, so it doesnt burn, too! once it cooled down, i immediately put it in the fridge… and the longer you leave it there, the firmer it gets. i suggest if you’re having problems with it being mushy, maybe pop it in the freezer for 30 minutes before you serve it?

i made a blackberry suace to go on top by mashing a handfull of fresh blackberries with some agave nectar… yum :)

overall, this recipe was really fast and easy. it would have been even easier if i would have used a premade crust. i found it was actually pretty hard to get the graham crackers as fine as i would have liked… i ended up having big chunks of graham cracker still in my crust. perhaps if you have a food processor, it would be helpful to grind it up in there… too bad i dont have one :( my boyfriend loved this cheesecake… i thought it was alright. I’m one of those people who doesnt take ‘cheese’ substitutes very well, unfortunately. i like tofutti when i make creamcheese icing, so i’m not sure why i dont like this more than i did. i think i’ll try a chocolate version and see if i like that more!

a side note: from what i’ve read it’s best to use raw sugar, than substitute for granulated sugar or something different. the raw sugar apparently helps the cheesecake set more firmly and it alters the texture a bit.

not too much exciting here on the home front. We went to victor’s cousin’s wedding around the beginning of january, and my brother is getting married towards the end of february. I’ve never really been to a wedding before this past one, and dressing up was fun! I’ll take better pictures of us this next wedding, I’m sure. We just bought a DVD player that plays AVI files, so we’ve been downloading movies and tv shows like crazy (we dont have cable). I’ve been catching up on ugly betty, season two. other than that, just working a lot, trying to make our apartment feel like home, and missing my old home a lot.

I’ve been planting some seeds in indoor pots the past few days; i’m excited to see what grows! Chamomille, & other herbs. Trying to eat healthier, and cook at home more (thank you, vegweb!). I made awesome Vegan Lasagna a few nights ago; i’ll have to post about it soon. My next sewing task will be to make curtains for our apartment. I’m looking for a red fabric with white polka dots (approx) 1/2″ in diameter.. and suprisingly, i’m having a hard time finding it(?). if anyone knows of any, let me know! also, i have a feeling going vegan is close! hmm!