Ok I really love ice cream. I really, really do.

I'm a little bit sore today. Actually, a lot. I did a pilates class yesterday and a yoga class this morning. I never thought yoga would take strength and endurance, but that's what yoga is. I work up a sweat every time I take the class. After class, my mom and I went to LUSH!! It just opened in our mall and we got so much stuff. They overcharged us by 50 bux, but that won't stop me from going back there all the time. haha. I wanna apply there because Sears is just a mess. I need a job where people are happy to be there and not wanting to stab themselves with ink tags.

And of course, I just had to put a picture up of this Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream that I've been living off of. Straight out of the container is always the way to go. Oh and I almost forgot to mention... Whole Foods might be moving closer to me!! Thank God. Now I can eat copious amounts of ice cream any time I feel like it. haha... so it wouldn't really be different than usual. But their bread is unbelievable! I just had a slice of oatmeal bread with Crunchy Time Peanut Butter.

Anyway, the recipe!! Yes, let me get to that. It's super easy but very good. It's actually almost classy haha... and I never associate myself with the word classy let alone my food. It's for tempeh wrapped figs. I am obsessed with fakin bacon and figs, so the two join together in perfect harmony.

Here's the recipe:
Tempeh-Wrapped Figs

2 strips Tempeh Fakin Bacon
2 Figs
Balsamic Vinegar
Honey

Directions:

Wrap the tempeh around the fig and poke a toothpick through to secure it. Without spraying a pan, heat the figs over medium heat. Turn the figs so all the sides can cook and begin to brown. This takes about 5 minutes. When the figs are done, put them on a plate, and pour balsamic vinegar and honey onto each one. Make them look nice and fancy. haha.
Note: I use honey in the recipe because I don't understand why vegans don't eat it. It's probably my favorite food haha.

I eat a lot of ice cream

Okay. So the carrot cake was absolutely delicious. I gave a piece to me neighbor, and she said that it was the best carrot cake she has ever had. I wouldn't say it's the best I've had, but it was damn good. There's none left, so you know people loved it. The party was just all around fun. My aunt ordered a singing Gorilla to come to the house to surprise my mom. My mother was MORTIFIED!! Harry, the gorilla, brought her a bunch of bananas and then dragged her outside to parade around the neighborhood with her. My poor mother!!

Anyways, my title has nothing to do with the recipe for today/tonight. I just love ice cream. I make myself one or two sundaes every night, actually, it's always two. haha. I just bought the Purely Decadent Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream. Need I say more? Yeah. It's pure sex in my mouth. I love it. I eat it with Vegan Fluff, marshmallows, and dates rolled in coconut. If I wanted to lose 5 pounds, I'm positive that would be the reason it wouldn't come off. haha. Luckily, I don't care about my weight. I care about good food!! So here's a recipe for you guys. I made this salsa for the party. It was VERY spicy, so we had to mix it with regular salsa as well. I'd still recommend making it though because it's so fresh and it has a great kick. I found it on the Food Network website by some random, not famous chef. Let me warn you though... my fingers burned for 2 days after cutting those damn chiles. I washed my hands like crazy, too. So Godspeed my friends.

Here's the recipe:
Dancing Salsa
5 medium tomatoes, diced
1/1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
4 fresh serrano chiles, seeded
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp turbinado sugar
3 tbsp lime juice
salt and pepper

Directions:
Seed tomatoes, dice, and throw into a bowl. Seed chiles, dice, and throw into same bowl. Add onion, fresh cilantro, garlic, sugar, lime juice, and salt and pepper. Stir together and eat up as is or mix in jarred salsa.

Happy Birthday Mama and Michael Jackson!

It's my mom's 50th birthday today, and Michael Jackson's, so we are having a big party at my house. It's not just her birthday we are celebrating though- it's my sister's and 3 cousins, too. So our house is gonna be a complete disaster when everyone leaves. haha I'm really excited because I love parties!! Plus, I don't have to work today!! Thank God. I do have a ton of homework that I've been avoiding all weekend, but I'll get around to it tonight.

I made my mom's birthday cake because homemade is ALWAYS better. She got a gigantic cake for the rest of the birthday people because my sister wanted a Spongebob cake. She's obsessed with Spongebob and yes, she is 17. It's a vegan carrot cake made in a bundt cake pan. I found the recipe on "Live It Up Vegan" and I have been dying to make it. It turned out so beautiful, and I can't wait to try it. It's a fairly healthy cake, so I won't be shy about eating half of it. haha

Here's the recipe:
Carrot Cake

• 1 cup all purpose whole wheat flour
• 1 cup all purpose unbleached white flour
• 3/4 cup fine turbinado sugar
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1Tbsp baking powder
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 cup sunflower oil
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 2 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar
• 3 cups grated organic carrots (not too packed)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

For Cream Sheese filling:

• about 1 container of Creamy Sheese original (about 250g) (or non-hydrogenated Tofutti Cream Cheese)
• 1/4 cup fine turbinado sugar
• 1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tsp water

1. Preheat oven to 375F and lightly oil a Bundt Cake pan (or a 9-in round cake pan - or even a muffin pan for cupcakes or muffins). Grate the carrots with the food processor and set aside until needed.

2. In a big bowl, sift together the first 7 dry ingredients and set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whip together the oil, water, applesauce and balsamic vinegar. Set aside.

4. In a small bowl, mix the Creamy Sheese, sugar and cornstarch/water mixture. Set aside.

5. Add the liquid ingredients in the medium bowl to the dry ingredients in the big bowl. Mix to incorporate only (don’t overmix). Add 3 cups of grated carrots and the walnuts. Again, mix to incorporate only.

6. Pour half to 2/3 of the cake batter into the Bundt cake pan. Pour the Cream Sheese mixture on top of the batter. Then delicately spread the rest of the cake batter on top of the Sheese to cover it completely.

7. Bake in the oven between 45 and 55 minutes, depending on your oven or the cake pan you have chosen (it may very well take longer for a regular 9-in pan and a shorter amount of time if you use a muffin pan - generally 20 to 25 minutes for muffins). Verify “doneness” with the blade of a knife or a long skewer, if you have one - I find that toothpicks are too short for this cake when baking in a Bundt pan.

8. Let cool completely then turn over a serving plate and sprinkle with unfiltered icing sugar (Wholefood Sweeteners) before serving.