Chocolate Red Wine Cake

I love boozy desserts.  I had brought this over to a housewarming party, because, of course, being who I am, I don't bring just a bottle of vodka or whatever to a house party, no no, not Maria.  I bring food, I love an excuse to bake.

It's a really dense and rich chocolate cake that leaves a trailing after note of red wine, so it's absolutely fantastic.  It's not one of those overwhelmingly sweet cakes, and you can definitely taste the alcohol.  It's a "staff-favorite" on Food & Wine so you know it's good.

Vegan Chickpea and Quinoa Pizza Base

I had it coming.  I had been bragging about my amazing immune system for weeks as all my friends fell ill with runny noses and unbearable coughs, and now --  it's over for me too.  I should be sitting in the library working on economics right now but I'm currently wrapped in a duvet and scarf and I feel just germy and unhealthy and just as a whole very unpleasant.  It's karma.  Not my immune system, but karma.

Carrots and Peanut Butter

Step away, jelly and bananas -- carrots have become the new mistress of peanut butter.

Is it just me or have other people discovered the lovely relationship between the two already??  During my vegan challenge, at one point I got really hungry and desperately needed a snack.  I had carrots and the obvious vegan combination was carrots and hummus, but I had no hummus.  As I had just made some peanut butter, I decided to try the two together on pita bread and oh wow.  New healthy snack.  No more peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, I'm now having peanut butter and shredded carrots.  

Red Pepper Falafels

Warning: please skip directly to the recipe if you don't want to read about my mundane life problems below

Carrot Quinoa Casserole

It's difficult to keep in touch with everyone, even if you live in a small university town where you probably bump into everyone in your social circle at least once a month.  In attempt to maintain good relations with the people that I know, I set up so many coffee dates and dinner parties and whatnot..and as much as I enjoy them, they take up a lot of time and $$$.  So I've decided to go by a different strategy and have routine in my life instead.  On Tuesdays I go to the Psychology lunch with a group of friends, every Tuesday.  Wednesday nights are pub quiz nights with another group of friends (where my friend is the quiz master, and may I say an excellent quiz master).  And now Thursday nights there is the Vegetarian Society's potluck.  I'm going to have to go to that every Thursday with another group of friends.  It's less stressful this way.  It's good.