Vegan Suzy-Q Mini Chocolate Cakes with Fluffy Cream Filling (On My 399th Blog Post: How'd This Happen?)

This is my three hundred and ninety-ninth post. Seems pretty remarkable to me. There were moments when I thought, Well, that's all I have to say; I've cooked just about everything I can think of. Or this: I've shared just about enough drama. It's over, no more sharing. Then . . . this incredible pull toward the blog happens and I once again begin typing, opening that iconic window, "New Post". The blog has taken on a life of its own. Short of giving it a seat at the dinner table, it's here to stay. I reflect on this a bit at the end of this post. But let's get to the chocolate first. 

This was our Valentine's Day: flowers and chocolate. When Dr. Thyme came home, he had flowers for me. So sweet. (Good thing that "Roses" guy in the van at the bottom of the hill hadn't closed shop!) I had these chocolate hearts I'd baked for him. Could we have been any more cliche'?

Vegan Buttermilk Cake with Chocolate Fudge Frosting (Triple-Layered for Cake Weather)

It started raining on me this morning while I was taking this picture of the cake on the back deck. Perfect. Just what I need on day four of living in No-Sun-St. Louis in the middle of winter. Not that we're in the sub-zero's or anything. It's just that when it's cold AND sunless here in the Midwest (close to the Mason-Dixon line) with temps hovering in or about the thirties combined with rain and/or snow (which is what is predicted), it feels somehow much worse than if it were snowing a blizzard and a mere ten degrees. Don't ask me why, it just does. 

Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup with Homemade Noodles (More Selfish Knitting Chronicles)

If I saw one more photo of chicken noodle soup, I was going to scream. What's a vegan girl gotta do to get some chicken noodle soup respect around here? Well, make her own of course. It's the stress of life at Almost Fifty that forced me into this. I tend to be really healthy most of the time. If I get struck down by something, it's a good indication I've been living on the cusp of coming undone. It doesn't take much, let me tell you. If I were to list all of the things of life that have forced me into this chicken soup mentality of late, you'd be reading my version of War and Peace. I'll spare you.

White Loaves: Tuesdays with Dorie is "Baking with Julia" and So Am I (. . . albeit a little late)

So you may look at this and say, Um, that isn't exactly the picture I have in mind when I see the words White Loaves. And you would be correct. Yesterday was a bad day. My horoscope even said so. Always trust the horoscope. As I was checking in on the blog rolls, I read a new post on White Loaves for the Tuesdays with Dorie group and my oop-sie! bell went off. I immediately headed over to my trusty wall calendar where all things Vegan Thyme are posted and yep, there it was, right above "guitar lesson" and below another appointment (that was probably contributing to this 'mood' I was having) was "TWD/BWJ white loaves". Well, it was still early. I had time to whip up a loaf of bread together for crying out loud. Never mind that I had a migraine. Woman UP! So the flour began flying, the Kitchen Aid cranking and soon the yeast smell filled my kitchen, my happy hormones crept back in. Nonetheless, I kept the bottle of ibuprofen and sinus pills at the ready. Like I said, it was a bad one yesterday.

Vegan Cheeseburger Soup with "The Works" (Dr. Neal Barnard Would Love This!)

I am a recovering cheeseburger addict. I know. It's horrible to have to lay all my confessional stuff into my food posts like this. But that's the plain truth. I was weaned on the burger from a young age. After all, back in the Dark Ages, whose mother didn't make a weekly trek to the burger palace for a "dinner" fix? We certainly paid homage. Plenty of times.

Vegan Whole Wheat Cinnamon Raisin Bread (The Hitchhiker Finished! And . . . Kindle Book of The Month)

It is hard for me to believe that in less than forty-eight hours, we will be entering February. Is this time-passing-at-warp-speed the end product of my own clock running down? It's all happening so fast lately. (Less than two years away and I hit my half century mark. But who's counting.)

Rose's Bagels

The weather lately has been very January-middle-of-winterish. No sun. Spots of rain. Dark days. One day without sun in January in St. Louis is like a month of sunless days. Not that I thought it possible, but I think I'm actually getting "paler".