Ryan's All White

Those who know me are aware of the fact that I work in a bar, a beer bar.....a very, very, very popular beer bar which happens to be so busy that I am sure just working there has taken years off my life. In the midst of all that hard work, my coworkers and I will engage in some gentle ribbing from time to time. A favorite target of said ribbing is Ryan, a bear of a man with a gentle spirit and a 'wicked' (he's from the east coast) sense of humor. This cupcake is my special tribute to him, and how much he loves a good, frothy Belgian- style wit beer topped with a juicy orange slice for garnish.

Today I tried my hand at taking an unknown, non vegan recipe and turning it into my own, very much vegan recipe. The recipe is pretty much still in the works. I'm not going to post the recipe until I have perfected it, but I will share some
photos of how it progresses!

The batter was very thick, so I wasn't sure it would rise much.









Unfortunately it rose a little too much and I ended up with some overly fluffy/ crumbly cakes.

Definitely wouldn't be able to stand up to the frosting I have in mind. Oh well, that's what experimenting is all about!

Steel Cut Oats

So, when I was a youngster I absolutely hated oatmeal. Ask my mother, she has a great story involving three year old me and a bowl of oats that somehow made it on top of my head. Now, I am a mature lady with a taste for the finer things in life, one of which is steel cut oats!

If you are not familiar with steel cut oats, they are a bit different from your average rolled oat. Steel cut oats are whole grain groats (that's the inner part of the oat, DUH) and instead of being rolled they are cut into two or three pieces with a steel blade.

These babies are high in protein and fiber, and provide a healthy dose of iron, which is great for veggies out there who struggle with getting enough iron!

Now, steel cut oats are not as quick to cook as rolled or instant oats, but I think the flavor and nutritional profile makes them totally worth the wait. My standard recipe is as follows:

1 cup water
1/3 cup oats
pinch of salt
Toppings:
1 banana, sliced
sprinkling of light brown sugar or drizzle of maple syrup
healthy spoonful of nut butter

In a small saucepan, bring water to a rolling boil. Once boiling, add a pinch of salt and stir in oats. Cover pot and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer for 15 minutes, being sure that pot does not boil over. Once 15 minutes is up, transfer oats to a bowl, add toppings and enjoy!