Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

Wait just a minute. Where in the world did this summer go? I feel like it was just two days ago that I was starting my hostessing job and unpacking all of my college things. Now suddenly it's the middle of August and I am leaving for Europe in exactly three weeks. Whoa.

I always begin the summer with a list of things I want to do. Usually by the end, I have only checked off about three of those things, but done a million other things that were not on the list in the first place. While I did not go kayaking (yet), go camping, or salsa dance (again, there's still time...), I did go to Chicago twice, I went to see a movie in the park, ate at new restaurants in Minneapolis, and made new friends through my job. Summers always have their ups and downs, but overall this one has been pretty successful.

One thing on my list that I didn't quite accomplish was to "frequently sit on the back porch and drink lemonade." I sat on the back porch a lot, but I tended to drink cup after cup of coffee instead. To make up for my lack of actual lemonade, I decided to make lemonade cupcakes and throw in some strawberries, because strawberry lemonade was always my favorite.

These cupcakes are light and fluffy and perfectly sweet. They are a great farewell-to-summer dessert, reminiscent of lemonade stands and picnic lunches on the beach. You can get the recipe from my post on One Green Planet!

Do you ever make summer to-do lists? They are great in theory, but a little more difficult in execution. It's funny how sidetracked life can get you!

Strawberry Muffins

Some girls daydream about being on the beach.

Some girls daydream about their weddings.

Some girls daydream about their future careers...

and I daydream about food. Not even eating it, just making it.

Lately these daydreams have been filled with lemon and citrus, avocados, always chocolate, vegan caramel, and strawberries. I decided to make the last fantasy a reality. A delicious, delicious reality. That's right, these are double-delicious.

Strawberry Muffins

makes a dozen muffins

1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp soy milk
1/2 cup soy yogurt (could also substitute applesauce)
2 tbsp canola oil
1/4 cup agave
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup chopped strawberries

1. Preheat your oven to 375º and line a muffin tin.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the soy milk, yogurt, oil, agave and vanilla. Stir in the flour and baking powder until just combined. Fold in the strawberries.
3. Divide the batter evenly into 12 muffins. Bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for about 10 minutes and enjoy!

Side note: If you haven't seen yet, I have updated my list of favorite blogs to the ones I've been following more recently. There are some beauties on there, check it out!

What do you tend to daydream about?

Strawberries and Spring

85ºF one day and 35º the next, shorts with sweaters, flip-flopping between hot coffee and iced lattes... Yep it is officially Spring in the Midwest. 

I'm trying to do some hard-core spring cleaning this year. It suddenly hit me that everything I'm going to need for the next coming year has to fit in a single backpack. Everything I currently own would probably need at least two moving trucks, so I'd say it's time to do some serious purging.

Spring cleaning is the not-so-fun part about this season. The fun part, however, is switching from winter to spring flavors! This means more salads, less soup and my favorite part- more berries. Berry season is my favorite. 

Strawberry Cream Cheese Crumble Bars

1/2 cup earth balance buttery spread
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup rolled oats

1 tub vegan cream cheese (I used Tofutti)
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch

1. Preheat your oven to 350º and lightly grease an 8x11 or 9x13 inch pan.
2. In a medium bowl, cream together the brown sugar and earth balance. In a separate bowl, mix together the remaining crumble ingredients and then add them into the sugar mixture. Combine with your hands until nice and crumbly. If it seems too dry (not enough clumps) add a tablespoon or two of water.
3. Press half of the crumble mixture into the bottom of your pan so that it covers the whole thing evenly. Set aside.
4. Now to prepare the filling, combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth. Pour on top of the crumble layer and spread evenly with a spatula. Sprinkle the remaining crumbs on top of the cream cheese layer.
5. Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until the top begins to turn golden brown. Remove from the oven and stick in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes before serving. If there happen to be leftovers, make sure to keep them refrigerated.

Mmm just looks at that perfectly creamy sweet filling. These are melt-in-your-mouth delicious.

These would the perfect treat to bring for an easter brunch! Your friends and family won't even guess that they are vegan.