A Birthday Fit for A Vegan Queen

So, recently my impossibly lovely friend Tessa started the exciting journey of going vegan. It's one of the things she discusses on her brand spanking new blog, in addition to a whole host of other cool topics. So far she's loving it, and, needless to say, I'm pretty pumped. While most of the people in my life tolerate my veganism, and do so cheerfully enough, it's awesome to have someone to share the lifestyle with, especially because Saturday was her birthday, and for the first time ever it was significant that the cake I baked was vegan! At her request, I made an Italian rainbow cookie cake, and she wins award for Best. Idea. Ever.

Few things in life are better than almonds, and a cake made entirely out of chocolate-covered, multilayered almond cookie goodness?

Yes, please.

While I was researching different rainbow cookie recipes to cobble together a vegan version, I didn't make any changes so it would be more cake-like. I really wanted the consistency of the classic cookie, making this recipe a twofer; make one layer (or one set of three layers, really), for cookies, and two (six) layers for a cake!

Venetian Rainbow Cookies/Cake
(1 dozen cookies or one layer of an 8 in. cake)

8 oz almond paste (NOT marzipan)
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup Earth Balance, soft
4 1/2 tsp Ener-G egg replacer (you could also use three eggs' worth of flax seed and water, but I can't vouch for that method)
6 tbsp warm water
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 cup AP flour
Food coloring of your choice (classic combination is red, white, and green)
Apricot preserves as needed (1/2 to 1 cup)
Chocolate as needed

Preheat oven to 350F, and put parchment in three 8 inch pans (square or circle, up to you), and grease the parchment.
On medium speed, beat almond paste until broken up into small pieces, add 1/3 of the sugar and 1/3 of the softened butter, beating until the mixture blends together. Add rest of sugar and butter in one or two additions and beat until everything is mixed and there aren't big chunks of almond paste. Mix the Ener-G with the water and add to the almond paste mixture along with the extract, scraping down the sides and bottom. Sift the flour into the mix and beat until just blended. Separate into three equal amounts and color to your liking (classic combination is reddish pink, white, and green, but play around with it!)
Spread into three prepared pans and bake 12-16 minutes, til the sides are browned and middle is starting to firm.
Let cool in pans for 15 or 20 minutes and turn out. Once cool, assemble layers, spreading apricot preserves between them. Melt chocolate and spread over top, and even the sides if you'd like! If making cookies, cut into desired shape, if making a cake, repeat whole process and place second layer of cookies on top!

Then share with some beautiful people!

Day One!

Last time, I mentioned that replacements for the rods that came welded onto the wrong part of my trailer have arrived. So yesterday I finally started real construction! And lemme tell you, it was NERVEWRACKING. Drilling holes into my precious trailer (and my second most expensive belonging) made me more nervous than I have been in recent and not-so-recent history. But once I got used to it (and with the Fella's help), I calmed down and started to simply enjoy the feeling of progress.

Albeit slow progress.

Day one we accomplished exactly this:

And this: 

And the one on the other side, obviously.
Hardly leaps and bounds. By all rights, I should be frustrated because after day one I've only just got my trailer to the state in which it was supposed to arrive. But I'm actually pretty damn happy about it. Baby steps are still steps, and this baby step was a big one toward keeping my house from falling off somewhere in middle America.

Worth it, no?

(Mis)adventure No. 1!

Well. Last time I posted I was all full of excitement to show off pictures of my new trailer.

By Monday I realized something is very, very wrong in those pictures.

You see those rods, circled in blue? Definitely supposed to be where the arrows are pointing.

I was preeeetty heartbroken about it. I've already attached to my trailer like a mother hen, and the thought of her being faulty is awful.

I gave a call to BWise, one of the companies Tumbleweed works with to actually manufacture the trailers, and though they're incredibly friendly every time I've called, I never actually got a true "sorry" for the fact that they messed up, and the replacement rods they agreed to mail out to me ASAP took two and a half weeks to arrive.

But at long last I have all my bits and pieces, and once I attach those bad boys, I can officially start in on turning this baby into a house!

Today is the Day!

Trailer day is here!

I don't have accurate words to express my excitement at finally seeing the very core of my home in person. As well as a hefty amount of excitement and trepidation at the next bit, where I have to teach myself how to build a house. I'd say we're working with an 80/20 split, and I can work with that.

Earlier this week, I went out to double check that the lot I'll be building on is still in good shape, no downed branches and such.

It's still pretty damn beautiful.

After several frustrating skirmishes with National Grid that got absolutely nowhere, walking the property turned out to be the perfect antidote to those stresses. It's heaven out there.

Then this afternoon, I got a lovely sneak peek from my friend who kindly agreed to pick her up for me:

And around eight it was finally here!

It's the easiest step, and therefore one of the littlest, but having the trailer here in person is both exhilarating and soothing. Like a mountain view. It's a lot of work, but it's reassuring knowing you'll get to it one step at a time.