billie jean is not my lover {cupcakes}

a buddy from work asked if i could make cupcakes for her 5 year old granddaughter's birthday. she said that she didn't need them decorated, because the theme her granddaughter wanted wouldn't work. I asked what the theme was... Michael Jackson! OMG. I immediately started googling Michael Jackson cupcakes / cookies and found a ton of inspiration. I told her, I'm down, and that I could absolutely make Michael Jackson cupcakes. I mean who doesn't like Michael Jackson? That's a rhetorical question, no need to answer. ;) You can see that I had fun making these cupcakes below!

All the cupcakes & frosting were vegan, the fondant was not.

Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting (I veganized this with Earth Balance Sticks & Almond MIlk)

 Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Vanilla Cupcakes w/ Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Banana & Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting & Chocolate Cupcakes w/ Ganache

Banana & Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

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got hormones?

the almond milk i drink doesn't even have these ingredients in them... and you can make homemade with just almonds & water. therefore, this advertisement is false advertisement and a real stretch. especially since in the middle ages they used almond milk instead of dairy milk due to NOT HAVING REFRIGERATORS, so the basis of "real" milk being the only way, is actually an ignorant statement. wtf?  Pin It Now!

raw vegan vs non-raw vegan

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what the hell is kombucha?

Since going vegan, I've heard the word Kombucha thrown around a bit. I had never heard it before, so while at my weekly whole foods visit, I decided to grab one. I picked out the GT's Enlighted Organic Raw Kombucha in Hibiscus.

Now, this drink is full of enzymes, probiotics, and detoxifiers. Also, has a high amount of B12, which you can't really find outside of eating animal protein other than nutritional yeast, so great for vegans! It's also great for diabetics, because it helps break down sugar in your system, and it only consists of 2 sugars. :)

So, what's the big deal with Kombucha and why should you at least try it (it's an aquired taste, sort of like apple cider vinegar mixed with a Izze drink & tea)? Well, Kombucha has been consumed for thousands of years. It's made by yeast and bacteria fermenting in green or black tea for around 10 days. It creates a layer of bacteria on the top of the drink, and there are even pieces of it left in the drink, if it's Raw Kombucha. This might gross some people out, but it doesn't bother me, I look at it like yogurt. Yogurt never grossed me out, so this drink shouldn't either. It's used as a medicine in China to treat ailments, and is just a good drink to add to your daily diet. It's expensive for tea, so I wouldn't drink it everyday, but it's good to have it once or twice a week to make sure your digesting properly. You can make it at home, but I wouldn't suggest that because it has to be precise temperature and time, otherwise you can actually make a toxic drink instead of an healthy one. Health benefits that kombucha is claimed to ail are: preventing cancer, improving digestion and liver function, and stimulating the immune system. (Although, there is no medical research supporting these claims), but that won't stop me from drinking it, and when do I ever listen to the FDA? Most likely never. Pin It Now!

Two Days in New York in Pictures

Dun-Well Doughnuts

Katz's Deli - NO, I didn't eat that pastrami sammich, that was my mom's lunch ;D

Chelsea Market

Waldorf Astoria

Cinnamon Snail

9/11 Memorial

Harvey on Broadway

Times Square

Empire State Building at Midnight - Too Tired to Take Pictures
Room Service for Breakfast

Bliss 49 Manicure

Organic Avenue

Tiffany's on 5th Avenue

Columbus Circle & Walk Central Park

Strawberry Fields (Central Park)

Magnolia's Bakery - NO, I didn't eat these either. For my mom & sister. :)

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Organic Avenue {NY}

Being on a juicing kick, I wanted to find a place to get me & my mom wheatgrass shots, and also a vegan smoothie for me, and some snacks for the plane ride and for when we were back in Chicago. Organic Avenue was just down the street from where my mom was getting a manicure, so we went there when she was done.

I got us both a shot of wheatgrass, and I got myself their Chocolate LOVE smoothie. The wheatgrass tasted like grass... like most wheatgrass does. The Chocolate smoothie was thick and tasty. A little bitter, but that's expected from raw caco powder. This place was a little overpriced, but that's to be expected in a large city, and then add organic to the name, and it's like you're buying spun gold. But all in all it was a nice little place, service was fine. They had an even larger store near Central Park, which I'd be interested in seeing what kind of selection they had. I would recommend this place, just know that you can make a juice for a lot cheaper at home, and I even bought the ingredients to make my own Chocolate drink at home once we got back. :)

My mom also bought some kale chips, and some pizza flavored flax seed chips. Yum!

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