Organic Vegan Gluten-Free Twinkies

As Promised.
Can I just say that it was near impossible to find all of the ingredients for this stuff.
So, They aren't completely organic, but a majority of the products that I used are organic.
They are 100% vegan and gluten-free though.


Goodness Gracious. What an experiment.


Let's just say that when I got the cake batter together... and it smelled awful, and didn't taste very good... I was not feeling confident.
I was sure that these little cakes would taste terrible after they baked.
It took me hours and I made three different icings for the center before deciding to take the simplest, most delicious route... and made a Vegan Buttercream frosting.


Wow. Am I surprised at the outcome.
These Twinkies are not only Vegan, Gluten Free and mostly Organic, but they also taste pretty darn good.
They are Sweet and fluffy and even have a Twinkie texture.
They were actually a little too moist when they came out of the oven and they stick to everything.
but overall... I am very pleased and proud to present......
I got the recipe from Scoochmaroo on instructables.com... but I varied her recipe greatly
and ended up using my own filling...

Organic Vegan Gluten-Free Twinkies

Ingredients:

Cake:
1 1/2 cup Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Baking Flour
1/2 cup Bob's Red Mill Stone Ground White Rice Flour
1/4 tsp Arrowroot
6 Tablespoons Florida Crystals Pure Cane Organic Sugar
1 teaspoon Aluminum-free baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
 ½ teaspoon Wegmans Fresh Ground Sea Salt
1/3 cup 100% Natural Wesson Vegetable Oil
 ¾ cup Wegmans Grade A, dark amber Maple Syrup
2 T Organic Agave syrup ¾ cup Wegmans Organic Rice Milk
1 Tablespoons Pure Vanilla Extract
1 Tablespoon Flavorganics Organic Coconut Extract
2 1/2 teaspoons Wegmans Apple Cider Vinegar



Filling:
3 Cups Woodstock Farms Organic Powdered Sugar
1/3 cup Organic Earth Balance Whipped 
2 Tablespoons Wegmans Organic Rice Milk
1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract




Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. For Twinkies: Fold sheets of aluminum foil in half and cut to create 3x5in sheets. Roll them around mini spice containers and fold in at the ends to create little Twinkie shaped boats. Line the boats into a cake pan and spray the insides with vegetable oil. (For little cupcakes, spray mini muffin pan). Set aside.
3. Sift together flours, arrowroot, sugar, powder, soda and sea salt, stir until well mixed together.
4. In a separate bowl whisk together oil, syrup, Agave, Rice Milk, Vanilla, coconut, and Vinegar. Let sit in refrigerator for 5 minutes. Whisk again.
5. Beat dry and wet ingredients together until smooth.
6. Fill Twinkie boats a little more than half full, they rise a lot.
7. Bake about 20-25 minutes until they look spongy and toothpick test is clean.
8. Remove from oven and let cool 5-10 minutes in foil. Remove the foil and let them cool on a rack or parchment papered plate the rest of the way.
9. Use a thick straw to puncture a hole most of the way if not all the way through the Twinkie.
10. Put in refrigerator while making Filling.
11. Filling: Mix together Sugar, Vanilla and Earth Balance. Slowly add in Rice milk until desired thickness is achieved. 
12. Use a piping tool or cut a hole in the corner of a ziplock baggie with the filling to fill the Twinkies.
Voila.  Keep leftovers refrigerated.

Busy Week!

Hello!
I haven't abandoned you! I promise! UBGrease opened last week! Wooooo!

Oh Eugene...

And Danny!

Summer Nights :)

Well, So far so good! The audiences seem to love it!
My favorite fans came on Saturday, It was nice to see my Mother, Aunt, Cousin and Grandmother!
They are so supportive, I absolutely love them.

Anyways-- I have started collecting the ingredients for My Organic-Vegan-Gluten-free Twinkies.
I have received coupons in the mail from some very generous companies to support my healthy baking endeavors and I am super excited to see what happens in the oven!

I'm hoping to kick start the recipe this week after my Mime presentation (Which I am hoping to video and potentially post).

This is a busy week and my BIRTHDAY is so soon!
Maybe a dairy-free birthday recipe to come?

Thanks for sticking with me. Much more to come soon!

Say Yes

Some organic food for thought...
Someone recently said to me "If it sounds spontaneous... go for it."
It has been going pretty well for me.
Try and say yes to everything. If it's not harmful, obviously...

Liza Minnelli is so Inspirational. Watching her perform is absolutely amazing.
Love this woman.

Venison Chili

Venison. 
Being the daughter of a devout hunter, I grew up on wild game.
From Deer Meat to Fresh Fish to Duck and Wild Turkey...
Hunters are the best solutions to the overpopulation of deer. The other options include birth control, poisons, relocating populations, harvesting and nothing.
All of the above options are very unnatural and actually harmful to the environment.
Hunters provide a natural (the way humans as animals should be getting our food) way to control them.
It's part of the circle of life in nature.

That being said. Venison is one of the best red meats that you can eat.
-Because it's wild, it is naturally grass fed and has no chemicals, additives, antibiotics, added hormones... etc.
-Venison has a very low fat content. Just lean meat.
-It contains a lot of iron, great for women. Iron is a necessary component that transports oxygen from the lungs to all body cells and is also part of key enzyme system for energy production and metabolism.
(Source)
-Its high riboflavin content helps reduce migranes and headaches.
-Venison has a very low amount of cholesterol, even less than chicken, so it's a great choice for those who are vulnerable to heart disease.
-When it is fresh it has a rich, woody flavor and after it is frozen it is safer for you to eat, guarenteeing that parasites that may be present will have died in the freezer. Either way, it's a win/win situation.
-It is rich in protein, iron, vitamin B12, B6, riboflavin and niacin.

Venison can be a substitute for beef in most cases. Although, because it is so lean, it often needs additives (in burgers for instance) to stay moist while being cooked.
In chili, however, this is not the case since it is in a globby mixture anyways.
The cool thing too about chili is that there is really no wrong answer. As long as you have the meat, the beans and tomato sauce, everything else just makes it your own! My chili is rarely the same twice.
Here's my basic recipe, based on Kevin Blewett's Famous Venison Chili.

Dad's Famous Chili















(Sorry this isn't the most appetizing photo... I need to work on my food photography)

Ingredients:

1 Package Venison burger (about a pound)
1 Package Chili-O seasoning

1 28oz can Tuttorosso Crushed Tomatoes

2 cups Wegmans Organic Pasta Sauce

1 can Dark Red Kidney beans (organic)

1 can Chili beans (organic)
1/2 Red Onion (organic)
1/2 White onion (organic)
2 Peppers, One red, One green (organic)
1 Jalapeño pepper, small
1 or 2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup (or less to taste) Brown Sugar
A few squirts of Franks Red Hot sauce
Sea Salt

Organic Yams
Potatoes

Preparation:
1. Brown Venison on the stove, following the instructions on the Chili-O packaging.
2. Dump Venison into crock pot with crushed tomatoes, pasta sauce and beans.
3. Dice the onions and peppers and mince the garlic. Stir into crockpot.
4. Cover and set Crock pot to low heat. Let sit at least 6 hours.
5. Add Sugar, hot sauce and sea salt to taste.
6. Right before eating, Wash yams and potatoes, cut into inch sized pieces and boil until tender (aprox. 15 minutes). Drain.
7. Serve Chili over the potatoes, or enjoy with crackers or bread instead.

Mmm. This is a great winter food.
Also, if you are a college student or a full time worker, get a crock pot if you don't have one.
You can't ruin anything in a crock pot and everything tastes good.
It takes 5 minutes to prepare and it's ready when you get home in the late afternoon/ evening.
Perfection.

Blah.

I'm never sick... seriously. I mean, I always feel like there is something wrong with me and I have allergies and stuff, but never sick.

Especially since college started.
And now... I feel like crap.
I picked up some Organic Orange juice the other day and drank that.
Vitamin C!! Help meeee...
Now I'm eating Chicken noodle soup.
There are so many good looking flavors in Natures Market at Wegmans. I had a hard time choosing.
So I got Chicken Noodle and Thai Sweet Potato.
But Chicken Noodle is classic for sick days... so that's what I am eating.
It's really good. And I hate Chicken Noodle soup. It weirds me out.
AND it came in a container made ou of recycled materials... and it wasn't in a BPA can...
So all in all it was a great purchase. And it's making me feel good. As I sit here eating it and blogging about it.

Stream of consciousness:
Rainbows, Unicorns, Beam Me Up Scotty, Blankets, Warm and Fuzzy, Cuddlemuffintop, Treebranch....
Sorry.

Anyways.
I like taking care of myself. It feels good.

PS. Why doesn't anyone comment?
If you read, Leave me comments, Friends :)

Twinkies

Hahahaha...

It's tech week for Grease!!
Lots of down time. Lots of time for curiosity.
We use twinkies in one of the scenes and obvious, since nutritional facts are my new favorite hobby, I just NEEDED to know.

Here's the scoop.
Let's start with how a Twinkie is made...
HowStuffWorks.com

Now Lets look at the Ingredients.
Literally.
Photo Source

Here's a list of what you are looking at:
Enriched Bleached Wheat Flour [Flour, Reduced Iron, B Vitamins (Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate (B1), Riboflavin (B2), Folic Acid)], Corn Syrup, Sugar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Water, Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable and/or Animal Shortening (Soybean, Cottonseed and/or Canola Oil, Beef Fat), Whole Eggs, Dextrose. Contains 2% or Less of: Modified Corn Starch, Glucose, Leavenings (Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Baking Soda, Monocalcium Phosphate), Sweet Dairy Whey, Soy Protein Isolate, Calcium and Sodium Caseinate, Salt, Mono and Diglycerides, Polysorbate 60, Soy Lecithin, Soy Flour, Cornstarch, Cellulose Gum, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Sorbic Acid (to Retain Freshness), Yellow 5, Red 40.


That's a whopping 37 ingredients.
And it's not just an online-made-up-whatever type thing...it's word for word what's on the box of Twinkies that I am currently looking at right now.
Also, Just in case you were wondering...
It's allergens include Wheat, Egg, Milk and SoyBeans. May contain Peanuts.
And if you didn't look close enough, THEY AREN'T EVEN VEGETARIAN!
I have Highlighted Animal Shortening and beef fat for you in red.
But... your biggest concern is that it may contain peanuts... obviously.
Actually... if you are not deathly allergic to peanuts, that may be the best part about hem for you.
Because at least peanuts are real.
They only use a small amount of real eggs for the leavening process of the cake. The other what-should-be egg is replaced by monoglycerides and diglycerides.
Even the Butter is replaced by hydrogenated shortening (the bad kind of fat that clogs your arteries) which gives the cake that rich, fluffy, delicious texture and flavor... mmmm.
This is good though because it extends the shelf life... by 30 years.....
(not actually good... I was kidding... but not kidding about the shelf life... Well... I don't know if that's actually true but is a prominent rumor... and it sounds good...)
And can we talk for a second about the frosting...
Cellulose gum. Cellulose Gum can absorb 15 to 20 times its own weight in water.... (See the howstuffworks link above)
WHAT IS IT DOING IN YOUR BODY!?

And here's how that looks in terms of Nutrition Facts:

So... what am I gonna do about it?
I am going to make Organic, Gluten free, Dairy Free, Vegan Twinkies.
And I'm going to blog about it.
As soon as I get the ingredients.
I already have a recipe that I am going to modify slightly.
Hopefully they are delicious.

I also sent an email to the Hostess factory. They don't show the ingredients or nutrition facts anywhere on their website. And there is no warning anywhere saying that they are not vegetarian...
Although if you are a vegetarian and don't look at labels then you should probably start.

Moral of story: Twinkies probably won't actually save you in a zombie apocalypse. They may actually kill you. And you won't be able to run as fast if you eat one.

So... if Not Milk, than what...?

I started thinking. Why do adult humans continue to drink milk?

Where is the benefit?

If dairy has so many negatives...

(To catch up, read my former blog post "Lactose free endeavors" about why I made the switch from dairy and then come back.)

Dairy Milk. 1%

Wegmans Brand

Here's why

Many people drink milk for its Calcium content.
Calcium is vital in bone recovery  (re-calcificaion), bone structure, muscle contraction and blood coagulation.
Inappropriate levels of calcium can lead to osteoporosis, kidney stones and even seizures.
(source)
The recommended daily allowance of calcium is 800-1000 mg, and 1200 mg is ideal according to the FDA.









GREAT!
But guess what? Milk isn't even the best source of calcium. Click here for 11 foods that help you absorb calcium into your system and utilize that calcium better than milk.
If you decided not to link away here are a few...
-Sesame Seeds
-Dark, Leafy Greens (Spinach!)
-Oranges
-Beans
-Supplements

And if that's not enough. Here are the most common milk alternatives and their nutrition facts.

Starting with Soy.
I chose "Original Silk Soy Milk"


Here are six reasons why Soy milk is good for you:

1. Improve your Lipid profile
2. Strengthen Blood Vessel Integrity
3. Promote Weight Loss
4. Prevent Prostate Cancer
5. Prevent Post Menopausal Syndromes
6. Prevent Osteoporosis











Next is Coconut:
I chose "So Delicious Original Coconut Milk"

Here are five reasons why Coconut milk is good for you:

1. It's one of the Best Sources of Electrolytes
(great for hangovers)
2. Aid in Weight Loss
3. Boost the Immune System
4. Aids in Skin and Hair Care
5. Known to relieve Sore Throats and Ulcers















Next is Almond
I chose "Almond Breeze Original Almond Milk"

Here are six reasons why Almond milk is good for you:

1. Weight Loss Aid
2.Heart Health
3. Blood Sugar Friendly
4. Skin Care
5. Eye Health
6. More Muscle Power















Last is Rice Milk.
I chose "Rice Dream Original Rice Milk"

Here are five reasons why Rice Milk is good for you:
1. Easy to digest
2. No saturated fas or cholesterol.
3. Only Rare Cases of Allergies
4. Naturally Sweet
5. Energy Aid
































I'm so tired.
If you have questions, I'd be more than excited to research about it.
Alright kids... See you soon. It's time for sleeping.
I hope this was a little helpful a least!

Lactose Free Endeavors

So recently I have been trying to eat better and I have been actually listening to what my body is telling me. My body tells me that dairy doesn't make me feel good.

So... I am attempting to cut milk out of my diet.

That means milk, yogurt, cheese and BUTTER!

You wouldn't believe how hard this is.

It's in virtually every rich meal and dessert.... and everything that tastes good...

But... Milk is actually awful for you.

Think about it... it makes sense.

Here's why:

- We are the only species that drink other species milk. 

- Eighty percent of milk protein is "casein". Casein triggers histamine production which in turn triggers mucus production. (see "mucus" at notmilk.com)

- Galactose found in milk is a cause of infertility in women

- "Milk contains plenty of calories, growth hormones, fat and cholesterol. The most powerful growth hormone in the human body is identical to the most powerful growth hormone in a cows body. That hormone instructs every cell in the body to grow."...every cell... including FAT cells.

- Hormones found in cow's milk include: Estradiol, Progesterone, Testosterone, 17-Ketosteroids, Corticosterone... and others, which aid in the making of acne. (Speaking of which, I can't wait to see what this dairy detox will do for my face...)

-Speaking of pimples... Milk = Cow pus... if that's not enough go here.

There are so many other reasons, too, why milk is bad for you. I just liked these reasons the best.

www.notmilk.com--- go there, spend some research time and reconsider your milk intake habits.

It's actually ridiculous. If you think about it, once you have grown out of early development stages in life, you no longer need the concentrated fats in milk. Babies gain tons of weight in their first few months of growth out of the womb and their only source of food is milk.That's why milk makes people sick and why lactose intolerance is so huge.
On that note...As I said before... there is butter or milk in almost everything!

When it comes to dessert... forget it. 

And if it doesn't, most vegan desserts taste super crappy. 

Soooo... I explored. And I came across this awesome Peanut Butter Cookie recipe.

And it's actually delicious.

(Modified from Ashley Skabar's recipe)

Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies

Yields about 2 dozen

Ingredients:

1/2 cup rice milk

1 1/2 T. lemon juice

1 2/3 cup crunchy natural organic peanut butter, chilled

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup sugar

2 cups organic pastry flour

1/2 cup oatmeal oats

1 t. baking powder

1 1/2 baking soda

a sprinkle of fresh ground sea salt

(Olive oil for baking sheets)

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Oil baking sheets and wipe with damp paper towel forming a thin layer of oil on the whole surface.

2. In a small bowl, combine the rice milk with the lemon juice, mixing until well combined. Let sit for 5 minutes or until slightly thickened.

3. In a medium sized bowl, sift together flour, oats, baking powder, soda and salt. Set aside.

4. In a large bowl using an electric hand mixer, beat the peanut butter with the sugars for 3 minutes on a medium speed setting.

5. Add the milk mixture, mixing until just combined.

6. Gradually stir in the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon, mixing until just combined.

7. The mixture should be thick and a little crumbly.

8. Place in the freezer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

9. Drop the batter onto the prepared baking sheets in small mounds about 2 inches apart. Flatten slightly with a fork.

10. Bake 10 to 12 minutes (I always go for less time), or until golden brown.

11. Let cookies cool for 2-4 minutes on the baking sheets before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

They come out soft and wonderful and as they sit for a few hours they turn into a lovely crunchy cookie.

So try it! Make these cookies and with every bite just think about how awesome you are because you are eating a vegan snack! Your friends will be jealous.

Also-- Soon I plan on doing a post about milk alternatives. THERE ARE SO MANY!

See you in a little while... Just a little while.... (you and I will be 1, 2, 3, 4...)

(Musical reference.... I'm not crazy...)

Hello new blog.

I am going to try to be faithful to you and really use you to your fullest potential.I have had diary's and blogs and online journals before, but never have I been true and loyal. 

Lots of turns of events have happened in my life and I have no real focused way to get it all out.

I want to blog about baking, about politics about being healthy and about things that get under my skin.

I want to take more photos and I want to write about times that I am happy and sad.

I want to keep a log of dates and when things happen, so that one day in the future I can look back and remember and maybe even write a book someday. 

So, here's to you, blog.

Starting here. Starting... Now.