Vegan Orange Chocolate Chip Cake

Back to blogging, woo! And I actually have stuff to tell you all. Are you excited? ;)

A month ago, the fabulous Leigh and Ken of Cosmo's Vegan Shoppe organized a free screening of the documentary Fowl Play in Atlanta.

Fowl Play is a documentary from Mercy For Animals that takes viewers on an unforgettable journey behind the closed doors of some of the country's largest egg production facilities and graphically illustrates the heartbreaking plight of laying hens condemned to lives crowded inside file-drawer sized cages. Through touching interviews with animal rescuers, undercover investigators, veterinarians, and animal behaviorists, we hear powerful stories motivated by kindness and courage from the dedicated individuals who are fighting to save the modern day hen- perhaps the most abused and exploited animal on earth. Connecting the dots between consumer demand for meat, dairy and eggs and the perpetuation of animal abuse, Fowl Play leaves viewers with a groundbreaking message of personal responsibility and the potential each of us holds to change the world- one meal at a time.

I really wanted to go because these kinds of documentary help to educate me, so that when people ask about a certain part of veganism, I can explain why the egg industry isn't innocent or why we shouldn't consume dairy. I also knew going into this viewing that I was going to cry. Grey's Anatomy usually has me tearing up every week, so watching footage of live male chicks being thrown into grinders and trash cans broke my heart. We ended up having a really great turn-out, and several non-vegans that were sitting with me remarked that they were embracing the vegan lifestyle by the end of the documentary. If you can get your hands on a copy, I really do encourage you to watch it. Ignorance is no longer a valid excuse. And check out Food, Inc while you're at it!

The following weekend, I ran my first 5k race! My brother is working for the Atlanta Beat (Atlanta's own professional women's soccer team), and they were sponsoring this race along with the YWCA. The money raised benefited victims of domestic violence, and I found it incredibly fitting that the message of my first race was so dear to my own heart. As my brother hadn't ever run a race, or even a mile, I offered to help him train for it. We ran a few times at our old high school track, and kept the pace steady. I knew he'd make it to the finish line in one piece. Kev had a couple of other friends meet him at the race, and we all started together, near the back. I had every intention of running with Kev, but I got gripped by race fever. I asked him if he minded me running ahead, and he told me to go. So, I ended up running it in 27 minutes, so I was really proud! And now that I have my first one out of the way, I can't wait to sign up for my next race. I'm eyeing up an October half-marathon. I am sooo making that happen this year. In fact, I ran 11 miles at Kennesaw mountain last weekend, so I'm pretty much all set.

I finally chopped off the mullet! I now have a very short bob with even shorter bangs. It's cute, but it'll look adorable once my hair grows out a bit. I'm just happy to have all the ratty over-bleached stuff cut off.

I'm still in therapy, and it still feels like I'm simultaneously making progress and moving backwards. It's a worthy investment though - I'm finally gaining all the tools I need to deal with anything in my life in a healthy, positive manner.

Finally, I'm going to leave you with a recipe. Gasp. My brother turned 24 yesterday, so I baked him a birthday cake. However, this was no ordinary birthday cake. It was an orange chocolate chip layer cake with chocolate buttercream frosting. It seriously reminded me and my family of a Terry's Chocolate Orange that you can buy at Christmas. Sooooo damn good.

Orange Chocolate Chip Cake

Makes 1 9x13 sheet cake

2 cups hemp milk (or your favorite non-dairy milk)

2 tsp apple cider vinegar

2.5 cups all-purpose flour

4 Tbsp cornstarch

1.5 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2/3 cup canola oil

1.5 cup sugar

4 tsp orange extract

1 cup vegan chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 9x13 pan

2. Measure out the hemp milk and whisk together with the vinegar. Let it sit for a few minutes.

3. In a large bowl, mix together hemp milk mixture, canola oil, sugar, and orange extract.

4. Sift in flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix until no lumps remain.

5. Stir in chocolate chips, then pour into baking pan.

6. Bake for 45 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

This will yield a delicous moist and airy cake. Yum!

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Enough to frost a layer cake

6 Tbsp vegan margarine

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 2/3 cup powdered sugar

1/3 cup hemp milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Cream margarine in a mixer.

2. Add cocoa powder and a little hemp milk.

3. Start adding the powdered sugar, alternating with the hemp milk when it gets too stiff.

4. Add the vanilla extract to finish.

Here's the lop-sided finished product:

Vegan Orange Chocolate Chip Layer Cake

Happy Birthday Kev!

And while I had the camera out, here are a couple of shots of my first ever lasagna! It was incredibly delicious, with balsamic roasted veggies, homemade marinara, and a balsamic basil pinenut tofu ricotta. Let me know if you guys want the recipe!

It looks like lasagna!

Interior shot of deliciousness.