Vegan Bakesale for Haiti Tomorrow in Sacramento January 22, 2010

We here in America are so blessed with everything we have and the things that most of us don’t have we could probably still do without.  Our neighbor Haiti has endured something so devastating, so incredibly sad, how could one not do anything about it.  Children are without their parents roaming the streets.  The images I have seen have ripped my heart out. It makes me grab my son Jasper a little tighter and count my blessings.

The amazing vegan community has organized bakesales across the nation and we are doing our part this Saturday!!  Please join us at the soon-to-be Sugar Plum Vegan Cafe at 2315 K street in Midtown Sacramento.  We will have lots of SPV treats as well as homemade goodies from lovely vegans in the area.  Organic and Fair Trade Coffee will be served as well.

You can also catch a glimpse of our cafe makeover.  We are working hard to paint and patch and get it open but aren’t there yet.  Excuse the dust and come see your local vegan cafe in the making.  Suggestions are welcome as well.

I want Sugar Plum Vegan Cafe to me a mecca for vegans.  A home away from home.  I open my arms and heart to you all as my family.  Think of this cafe as yours and join me in this beautiful adventure.

See you Saturday!!

sugar plum vegan cafe update December 30, 2009

Well I got the keys for the Sugar Plum Vegan Cafe on December 1st and honestly it’s been a slow month for progress due to the personal problems I have been having.

I am in the midst of a beak up with my husband/partner and it has taken up a lot of my time along with maintaining the wholesale accounts I have.  It has not been an easy month but I am finding the power and strength within myself to continue on in this venture.  And know that it is not alone.  I have found some amazing helpers these past few weeks and have had so much support from family, friends and those invested in the cafe.  Thank you all as well as my current accounts that have endure some changes due to all of this.  And I also apologize to those who may have missed out on getting some SPV goodies due to my scatter brain these past few weeks.  I have taken on many roles: mother and father, baker, marketer, accountant, business owner and more and some things may have fallen through the cracks.

I have dedicated 2010 to be the year of the vegan.  So many good things are going to happen to our community both locally and nationally.  This is not a trend folks, this is a lifestyle that stands for all things good in this world.  Our heart, minds and hands are pure and free from the blood of another being.  And as we enter this new decade, others will come to see that our way of living is the only way we are going to be able to endure without killing our Mother Earth.  Let 2010 and beyond be an awakening to all of us that life is sacred and beautiful.  Cherish it and those around you.

I am not much of a resolution person but I will try my hardest to post to this blog on a regular basis.  Whether it be a journal entry, update, recipe, review, I will get something up here at least once a week. I encourage you all to follow my blog, comment and let me know what you think.

Bright Blessings to all of you for 2010.

Melissa Sugar

And in case you don’t know where the cafe will be:

Sugar Plum Vegan Cafe

2315 K Street, Sacramento, Ca 95816

Call me for orders or to chat at: 916-706-8100

Realizing the Dream November 14, 2009

(24th & K Sacramento Sugar Plum Vegan Cafe, Restaurant, Catering, Venue, Co-op & more!)

pure vegan awesomeness November 3, 2009

Holiday Menu 2008 November 5, 2008

We have listed our Holiday Menu below.

Please call to order.  Wholesale inquires contact us for pricing 916-706-8101.

Blessings!!

Winter Holiday Menu

All items are wheat, dairy, casein, egg and animal free (gluten free where noted)

Traditional Pumpkin Pie $14

Custardy and Delicious with a Spelt Crust or Crustless for Gluten Free

Chai Spiced Sweet Potato Pie $14
Exotic Spices make this Delectable with a Spelt Crust or Crustless for Gluten Free

Double Crust Apple Pie $18
Local Apples piled high in a Spelt Crust

Pumpkin Cheezecake 9-inch $24 4-inch $7.50
Vegan Cream Cheese/Tofu/Agave Filling With a Gluten Free Cinnamon Pecan Crust

Orange Scented Chocolate Mousse Pie $16

Chocolate Agave Mousse with Gran Marnier and Local Oranges in a Spelt Crust or Gluten Free Curst

Jelly Donut Cupcakes $2.50 each

A Hanukkah Favorite in a Cupcake

Gluten Free Vanilla or Chocolate Cupcakes $2.75 each

With choice of Cream Cheez, Vanilla or Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Raspberry Walnut Rugelach $1.90 each

A Traditional Jewish Recipe Veganized

Gluten Free Chocolate Dipped Agave Macaroons $1.50 each

Delicate Haystacks kissed with the Food of the Gods

Pumpkin Whoopie Pie Sandwich Cookies $2.75 each

with Cinnamon Spice Cream Filling

Gluten Free Pumpkin Walnut Chocolate Chip Muffins $2.50

Moist, Delicious and Perfect Anytime

Sweet Potato Layer Cake 9 inch–$32 6 inch –$22

With Candied Walnuts and Cream Cheese Frosting-A Kwanzaa Delight

Assorted Cookie & Bar Platters Available

Contact our Sales Manager for More Information

Sugar Plum Vegan Sweetly Humane™

Call Khy’em To Order: 706-8101

Daring Bakers Challenge: Gluten Free Vegan Lavash September 28, 2008

A first in Daring Bakers history: every post from this group will be vegan!  Victory for us Alternative Daring Bakers thanks to this month’s hosts Natalie from Gluten A Go Go and Shelly from Musing From the Fish Bowl.  We were give a vegan lavash recipe that could also be made gluten free.  Lavash is a crisp flatbread that goes excellent with dip and part of our challenge was to make a vegan dip to accompany this delightful cracker.

I made gluten free lavash as well using a blend of sorghum and brown rice flours along with tapioca and potato starches and a touch of xanthan gum to bind it all together.  I sprinkled poppy and sesame seeds, Hungarian paprika and dried oregano, thyme and basil from our garden on top of the crackers.  Our house smelled heavenly while the lavash cooked and we could not wait to try them.

For the dip I used white beans and house made sundried tomatoes that were reconstitued in warm water.  I added a little lemon juice, roasted garlic cloves, olive oil and cumin.  I sprinkled the dip with coarse sea salt, lemon zest and dill.  It was a great accompaniment to the lavash and me and Sugar Plum Vegan Man gobbled it up in a matter of minutes.

I really hoped all of the Daring Bakers out there enjoyed baking vegan and will do it again some day soon.

Iron Cupcake Challenge 2: Ingredient-Basil September 23, 2008

Home Grown Purple Basil Cupcake with Chocolate Orange Mousse

My second Iron Cupcake Challenge has arrived and the secret ingredient is basil.  What a perfect challenge for me because we have tons of basil growing in our garden.  We have eaten the wonderful herb in so many different ways but not yet in a sweet treat–Sugar Plum Vegan Man will love this one!

I chose to use our Purple Basil variety.  It’s a beautiful plant with a gloriously fragrant basil smell.  I put the basil in a food processor with organic sugar and created a basil sugar that I added to my vanilla sponge recipe.  The cake tuned out incredibly moist and delicious.  For the frosting I made a chocolate orange mousse out of silken tofu, dark chocolate, maple syrup and orange oil.  It complemented the basil cake quite well and was a winning flavor combination in my house.

Purple Basil Growing Strong

As much fun as I had this is a competition so vote for my organic, vegan and local purple basil cupcake beginning on Sunday, September 28th until Wednesday, September 30th (our two year anniversary!) at No One Puts Cupcake in the Corner.  We are competing to win the
following prizes: a cupcake ring by be sure to include reference and a link to our prize providers:
ETSY artist METAL SUGAR, Head Chefs Cooking Tools by Fiesta Products,  Hello Cupcake Book by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, a Jessie Steele Apron, a Cupcake Courier and gifts from Taste of Home magazine.

Wow! That’s a lot of prizes that I would love to win.  So be sure to vote for your lovable Sugar Plum Vegan.  Blessings and Basil for all!

The Perfect Balance-Kyanite and Moonstone September 11, 2008

My harmonious balance Kyanite and Moonstone

I have had a moonstone pendant for as long as I can remember.  I bought it while in college in Boston but at that time I did not know the healing properties it would bring me.  I just thought it was pretty and I would put it on every once in a while when it matched an outfit I was wearing.

Years have passed and my husband found it in my jewelry box and insisted that I start wearing it again. He says it would help balance me and my emotions.  I had just had Jasper, our son, and was feeling a bit “crazy” I guess you could say.  My emotions were overwhelming me and I didn’t know which way was up.  This period was very trying on our relationship and the outcome did not look good.

I had already started taking “happy pills” as we call them.  They are a natural blend of St. John’s Wart, Kava Kava, Passionflower, Schizandra Berry, Siberian Ginseng and Wild Oats.  The pill did help but I felt like there was something missing so I happily agreed to wear the moonstone on a regular basis.

Minutes after I put the pendant on I did feel a slight shift of calmness overtaking me.  It was like a light went on inside me that softened all my feelings of stress and anxiety.  I felt less overwhelmed and depressed.  I felt like the fire had lit inside me again and I was shining.

But if I skipped a happy pill, I was pulled back into the darkness.  It saddened me to think I could only function with my ultra does of mood balancing herbs.  The moonstone just seemed to be one ingredient to my well being and without the rest it did not make me a happy cupcake.

So I stuck with this combination until one day my husband gave me a Kyanite pendant and that is when everything changed…

Kyanite is a gemstone that does not accumulate negative energies, and it therefore never need to be cleansed or cleared.  As the energy of kyanite is all but unlimited, it is said to be one of the best gemstones for use as an atonement stone.  And that is exactly what I need right now to find my inner peace!

Ever since I put the kyanite on along with the moonstone I have felt an amazing transformation.  I feel more at peace and I find myself to be able to express my self in a positive way.  I have also found that it has helped with my meditation.  I have been able to clear my mind and meditate on my mantra much easier than before.  And the dreams I have been having are intese, vibrant and releasing a lot of my hidden feelings and emotions.

And guess what?  No more happy pills!!  As wonderful and natural as they are, I had a problem with taking them.  Now I am feeling the energy of the world so intensely but not holding on to any negative vibes.  Some call kyanite a shield.  I would tend to agree.

I encourage everyone to get kyanite and moonstone.  Where them as jewerly or just hold the stones in your hand for a bit to feel their energies.  It will change you.

Light and love to you!

Daring Bakers Challenge–Eclair–Making it Vegan August 31, 2008

A vegan puff--gooey and delicious

This is my second Daring Bakers challenge and boy what a challenge it was this month for a vegan! The recipe was from a cookbook written by Dorie Greenspan: Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Herme.

Pierre Herme is a world-renowned French pastry chef who Vogue called, “The Picasso of Pastry”. His website demonstrates his beautiful creations that can be found in at his jewel box pastry shop in France.

We were given his eclair recipe to replicate. I’ve made eclairs before in my past non-vegan life and they are quite delightful to make and eat. Pate a choux is the dough that is used to make this puffy babies. One of the key ingredients is the eggs to help them rise. I thought about this for some time and tried to figure out how this was going to work for a vegan. I surfed the web to find any inspiration for this recipe and found a lot of chefs saying it’s just not possible. Well, I did not want to give up so I daring took this challenge on not sure of my success.

Eclair and a Cream Puff--Twice as nice!

So I used Ener-G Egg Replace and whipped the heck out of it with my mixer. My pate a choux did not turn out as puffy as it should be but I kind of expected that. I filled them with a coconut pastry cream and dipped them in a delicious dark vegan chocolate ganache and drizzle some homemade white chocolate on the tops.

Homemade White Chocolate is so yummy!

If I had more time in my life I would spend hours and hours perfecting the recipe but I have to run a business and be a mom.   Maybe when I retire and Sugar Plum Vegan is so successful that I have other people doing my job for me I will tackle the vegan eclair again.  Until them I am satisfied with my outcome, they are good enough for me and my husband to eat and sometimes that’s just all you need.

One Hot Mama!! Coconut Serrano Cupcakes with Avocado Lime Filling and Toasted Coconut Buttercream– My Iron Cupcake:Earth–Chili Challenge Entry August 23, 2008

Vote for my Coconut Serrano Cupcake!! Click on the photo to vote.

Ever since I joined the Daring Bakers I’ve really enjoyed the idea of challenge baking with a group of talented chefs from all over the world. It really inspires me and helps get my creative juices flowing. So when I came across Iron Cupcake:Earth I was estatic! I’ve watched the original Iron Chef on TV before but was always grossed out by all the meat they used; however I thought the idea of using a specific food to make your items with was interesting. You can get so many different takes and ideas using this one food and that fascinated me.

Iron Cupcake:Earth is similar to this concept and the best part is that there is voting for the best ideas and they offer prizes!! Woo Hoo! Who doesn’t like a prize for baking? This is the first challenge for the group and the ingredient is the chili pepper. I liked this ingredient because it’s fun to add spicy or savory item to your sweet baking. It brings out a complexity that you just don’t get from only using sweet ingredients. I really think I’m going to like being a part of Iron Cupcake!

And now for the prizes.. We will be competing to win original artwork from the wonderful and talented Etsy artist Cakespy as well as a awesome Cupcake Courier, a cute as a button apron from Jessie Steele Aprons and finally a cookbook from Taste of Home.

I’m happy with my entry. I really think the flavors blend together tastefully and delicously!

So Vote for me at No One Puts Cupcake in a Corner from Sunday, August 31, at 9 a.m.PST until Thursday, September 4, at 9 a.m.PST. Support your local vegan Hot Mama Baker.

Beautiful Serrano

Coconut Serrano Cupcake with Avocado Lime Filling and a Toasted Coconut Buttercream
(Vegan and Wheat Free)

Preheat Oven 350 degrees

Cake
1 1/2 cup organic white spelt
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp sea salt
Combine these dry ingredients in bowl and set aside

Cream in a mixer
8 Tbs Earth Balance Vegan Spread
1 cup organic sugar

Add first and mix
1/2 cup natural coconut milk (get one with no preservatives)

Add Second and mix
1/4 cup vanilla soy yogurt

Add Third and mix
2 En-R-G Egg Replacer “eggs” whisked stiff

Now add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients

Finally add 1-2 Tbs pureed serrano chili pepper, adjust the hottness to your likening

Scoop mixture in cupcake holders a little less than 3/4 of the way up–these babies rise!
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool before filling and frosting.

Avocado-Lime Filling
This is actually “raw” and I use it in one of my raw tarts. It’s delicious to just eat on it’s on so don’t be upset if you have a little extra.
2 ripe avocados
1/4 cup agave nectar
Juice from 1 large, ripe lime–or 2 small ones if you can’t find a large
1 Tbs of lime zest
1 Tbs coconut butter
1/4 tsp sea salt
Blend all ingredients in the food processor until smooth and creamy and oh so good!
Cover and refridgerate for 2 hours before using so it sets. Don’t worry about the avocado turning brown–the lime stabalizes it and keeps the lovely green color.

Toasted Coconut Buttercream
Blend in mixer until smooth
1/2 cup Earth Balance Vegan Spread

Add
2 1/2 cups of sifted, organic powdered sugar (use organic!)
Blend for a few minutes and then

Add
1/4 cup coconut milk (there should be leftovers from your cake so conserve a can and use it)!
Add
2 tsp organic coconut extract
Blend until it becomes powdery and fluffy. Refridgerate a few hours or make the night before.

Garnish
Toast unsweetened coconut flakes in a 325 oven for a few minutes. Be sure to watch them because they can burn easily.

To Assemble
Scoop a hole into your cupcakes for the filling. Eat the scraps and get yourself on a sugar high.

Fill each cupcake with the avocado lime filling. I used a pastry bag and piped it in.

Refridgerate for 30 minutes so the filling can set again.

When set, frost the edges with the coconut buttercream using a piping bag.

Sprinkle the toasted coconut around the edges.
Viola!
Enjoy the firey cupcake balance by the cool filling and sweet frosting.