Friends And Allergies

Webster's Dictionary defines a friend as:

noun \ˈfrend\

: a person who you like and enjoy being with

: a person who helps or supports someone or something (such as a cause or charity)

For a teen with food allergies, the second part of this definition is especially important. A true friend knows that you are allergic to peanut butter so they bring jelly sandwiches to school so they can sit next to you. A true friend asks if they can order a pizza without cheese for you. A true friend is interested in trying out your latest "non-dairy, nut and egg-free" recipe.

My teens' friends are true friends. Not only do they love to sample her many versions of cookies, brownies and cupcakes but they also love to come over and help her cook. Sometimes their experiments don't always turn out the way the want but they always have a fun time trying. In fact, I ran out of flour, sugar and baking powder over Christmas because they were baking on a daily basis.

The other day, one of her friends dropped off some extra cupcakes they had made for a party the night before. They had used one of Katie's recipes for Chocolate Lover's Chocolate Cupcakes. They had some left over so they dropped them off for us to enjoy! Very thoughtful and very delicious!

Last weekend, it was another cold day and Katie and another friend were sick of the snow. With no desire to go outside or to go sledding, they asked me if they could make Rice Krispy Treats. Our pantry was stocked so off they went.

A little while later, I peeked into the kitchen to see how it was going and this is what they had been making; SpongeBob and Patrick Rice Krispy treats. This made my heart sing!

Snow Girl

This statue has been a part of our back yard for over 10 years. At one time, she was holding two darling butterflies as she was lifting them up to fly away. The butterflies are long gone but I still love the look of pure enjoyment and wonder on her face.

Every fall I put all our topiary away for the winter but for some reason this year we ran out of time and even my lawn furniture ended up covered in snow. So for the first time, our little "Butterfly Girl" looks like she is excited to have a chance to play in the snow.

That was until more snow came......and more....and more snow and soon our little "Butterfly Girl" was up to her chin in snow. This morning we work up to 5 more inches of snow. Now when I look out all I see is my little girl saying, "Why me?"

At least the dog likes it!

Vegan Chocolate Mousse in Chocolate Cups

We have been dying to make this recipe, Vegan Chocolate Mousse in Tempered Chocolate Cups, for a long time because it's a chocolate lovers dream! Serve it at your next party, sit back, smile and listen to everyone "oh" and "ah" over your delicious vegan dessert.  It is a bit complicated but it is worth all the effort. This recipe comes from Emily Mainquist from her delicious Sweet Vegan cookbook (132, 134). 

Tempered Chocolate Cups

4 C	Vegan Chocolate chips
5	Small round balloons
Small stovetop pot
Medium stainless-steel bowl
Foil or wax paper

Add 1 cup of water to the small pot and simmer at medium heat. Place 3 cups of the chocolate chips into the stainless-steel bowl and place on top of the simmering pot. Stir the chocolate on a continual basis until 80 percent melted. Remove bowl from the stove and keep stirring until the chocolate is completely melted.

Add the remaining 1 cup of chocolate chips and stir until melted. The more you stir the better. Test the chocolate with your finger. To see if the chocolate is tempered, place a small amount on a piece of foil. Let sit for 2 to 3 minutes, if it is hardened and shiny, then it is tempered. If it is not hardened, add more chocolate, one ounce at a time, Stir and repeat the process until it is hardened.

Blow up five small, round balloons and dip each into the tempered chocolate. Shake to remove excess chocolate and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Let dry for around 10 minutes, pop balloon and remove excess balloons.

Vegan Chocolate Mousse

28 oz	Silken tofu, drained
2 C	Vegan chocolate chips (Enjoy Life)
8 oz	Tofutti cream cheese, at room temperature
½ C	Tofutti sour cream
1 C	Powdered sugar
¼ C	Xantham gum (optional)
5	Chocolate cups

Drain the silken tofu on a colander. Place the drained tofu in a food processor and blend. Occasionally scrape the sides until the tofu has a creamy texture. Melt the chocolate in a microwave bowl at 75% power until softened for 1 minute 30 seconds stirring at 30 sec. intervals. Time will vary depending on your microwave.

Pour melted chocolate into food processor at low speed. Mix for a few minutes, stopping and stirring along the way.

Beat the cream cheese in a mixer for about 1 minute until smooth . Scrape the sides and add the sour cream, powdered sugar and the optional, xanthum gum. Mix for a minute and add the chocolate tofu mixture to the bowl and mix on high for 1 minute.

Cover and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before piping into the chocolate cups. Add a strawberry or raspberry as a garnish for an added "wow" factor. The mousse will keep in the refrigerator for 1 week. This is so rich that you may not be able to finish it in one sitting.