A new holiday tradition

For Thanksgiving, I made this delicious bad boy! (Yea, I realize it's almost February and I'm just getting around to telling you about it.)

My pictures aren't as good as the pictures on that (linked) web site, but I was so proud of my first ever, "rolled cake." I thought it would be harder than it was. The hardest part was figuring out what a jelly roll pan was. I put my silicone liner on it and baked and it worked well!

After it cooled the prescribed amount of time, I frosted one side and rolled it up. Don't be shy with the frosting!

I then slathered it all up.

Here's the recipe copy and pasted from the other site. (They get full credit; I just like to put the recipe here for safe-keeping.)

Dry Ingedients
1 1/2 cups of whole wheat pastry flour (Can use 1/2 unbleached white flour and 1/2
whole wheat pastry flour for a slightly lighter cake)
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves (optional)
1/4-1/2 teaspoon allspice (optional)  

1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Wet Ingredients
1 tablespoon of flax seeds
1 cup pumpkin puree (canned or fresh, drain off liquid if using fresh)
1/2 cup vanilla soy milk
2/3 Maple syrup
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cider vinegar

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cut parchment paper or use a silicone pan liner to fit a 9 x 12 inch jelly roll pan.
2. In a large bowl sift the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, pumpkin pie spice, ginger, salt, baking soda and baking powder.
3. Put the wet ingredients into a blender and blend completely.
4. Gently pour the liquid mixture in to the dry mixture and stir.
5. Pour and spread the batter into the prepared jelly roll pan. Bake for 10-15 minutes, check after 10 minutes, cake should be just firm with a little spring. Remove from oven and cool for 2-3 minutes.
6.Roll the cake with the parchment paper inside the cake and place seam side down to cool. (I did this with my silicone liner and it was fine to use!)
7. Prepare the filling and when the cake is completely cooled, gently unroll the cake being careful not to break or crack it and spread with filling on the inside.
8. Sprinkle half of the Cinnamon Walnut mixture inside the cake on the filling. (I left this out 'cause some little girls aren't into nuts.)
9. Roll the cake back up again without the parchment paper, wrap it with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.
10. Frost with remaining filling and sprinkle with the cinnamon nut mixture.
Makes about 10-15 servings.

Tofu-Cashew Frosting 
2 12.3 oz packages extra-firm silken tofu – drained and pressed dry.
1/2 cup raw cashew pieces
1/3 cup light grade A maple syrup
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Put all ingredients into a food processor.
2. Puree ingredients in a food processor until very smooth.
3. Refrigerate while you make the cake. Check the frosting when you take
the cake out of the oven. If it is too firm to spread, leave it at room
temperature while the cake cools. Refrigerate the frosted cake.

Cinnamon Walnut Topping and Filling
1 cup of chopped walnuts
1/2 cup of sucanat (dried cane juice) (Can use brown sugar)
1 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Mix ingredients together and sprinkle on the frosted cake

All Cashew Frosting
2 cups raw cashew pieces
1/2 cup pitted dates
1 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

My notes:
I used the tofu frosting, but next time, I'll use the all cashew frosting.
What the original site doesn't tell you is to make it in advance! The cake gets more moist from the frosting and is softer and more delicious after at least 8 hours in the refrigerator. The one I let sit in the fridge overnight was HEAVENLY. I might need to make this again soon!

Gratuitous shot of a homemade pumpkin pie.  (Store bought crust… I don't love crust so it hasn't been my mission to make a homemade one. I am trying to figure out a pecan-chocolate one and will report back.)

Great Resource (also known as still catching up!)

If you want some beautiful vegan food pictures to drool over ...

Seriously. I could spend lots of time looking at all the recipes there!

Recipes I'm considering include:

http://www.thesweetlifeonline.com/2013/03/05/thin-mints-oreos-one-recipe/
(omg! thin mints!)

http://chefchloe.com/sweets/vegan-thin-mints.html
(omg, again! very similar to the other recipe, it looks like this one might have come first, but the other one seems a slight bit simpler... I guess, in the name of science, I'll need to make both!)

 http://www.thesweetlifeonline.com/2012/04/26/no-bake-chocolate-oatmeal-cookies/
(I love no-bake cookies!)

Okay, I'm going to stop now before I get too crazy! I'll let you know if I make any of these!

Treadmill Desk Version 2

Oh my. It's almost February.

I was going to start the year with a reflective post about the last 8 years and our diet. Hrm, it might have been boring. I haven't gotten it done--it's started. I think might break it up and post it in more digestible bites (pun intended since this is a food blog primarily).

 It's always so hard for me to get back to blogging after a time off, so this is that first awkward post that just gets things going again. So, what are we talking about, today? My treadmill desk!

Below is a picture of my corner in our new office (in our new house). On the front half of the office is a desk that is Nick's. My area, shown below, shows my treadmill desk. Yes, I walk on my treadmill desk and do work when ever I can! I get to work at home at least once a week, and often twice.

I have no problem walking when I'm reading and answering emails, answering student questions from my class, writing simpler documents, or taking phone calls (though I often just pace around the house when I'm on the phone so that it's quieter). I can successfully multi-task on all those tasks.

[Sidebar: There are studies that say we can't multi-task; I agree it is challenging and while I might be slower, so that I'm still accurate on my tasks, I don't think I am noticeably slower. Walking is a very automatic task and I don't think it's taking very many cognitive resources (for me). Plus, walking on the treadmill keeps me engaged in my tasks longer so if I am slower, it's okay. I'm committed to being there and getting things done. Walking and working WORK for me. To me, it is worth any slight speed trade-off to MOVE and work at the same time. I like accomplishing two things at once.]

 
This picture was taken right after we moved in and we hadn't gotten pictures on the wall. Now this picture hangs over my treadmill desk. Click, it's worth it!  I've had my treadmill desk at home for 1 and 1/2 years and I love it. I'm so glad I decided to do it.

If you have any questions, just ask!  (See Treadmill Desk V.1 here)