Ashtanga goes youtube

Well, this is new!
The KPJAYI now has an official youtube channel.  Check it out:
KPJAYI on youtube

Valentine’s Cupcakes gone bad, then good again

Posted by ebean

The plan seemed simple enough:  make some cheesy Valentine’s Day themed cupcakes.  What ensued was a long and arduous escapade topped off with a happy cupcake ending.

Step 1:  Find Supplies
This should have been easy.  This is New York!  But no.  I didn’t have a recipe, but wasn’t about to trek all the way back home and then all the way out again.  I was confident that we had all baking basics (flour, sugar, oil, baking powder and soda, vanilla extract, margarine [soy], salt, eggs) except for milk (soy), cupcake cups, and corny red sprinkles for the top.  Three stores later, I headed home without the red sprinkles.

Step 2:  Secure Recipe
Ugh.  Why do frosting recipes always seem to include so much butter?  I settled on a vegan cupcake and frosting recipe from How it All Vegan.

Step 3:  Make Cupcakes
I was a bit sad I didin’t have any egg replacer.  I kept thinking about how in a way I was making meat cupcakes–yuck!  But, finally convinced myself that most cupcakes are made with eggs and it would be okay.  I used a gluten free pancake and baking mix for the flour.  So at least they were gluten and dairy free… What does “just mixed” mean really?

Step 4:  Make Frosting
A complete disaster.  I read “2 cups soy milk” when it was actually 2 tablespoons.  I tried to drain it out, then had to creamy it up.  Not exactly a marketable consistency, but it tasted yummy with lemon juice and strawberries.

Step 5:  Taste Test
Surprisingly delicious.

Vanilla Cake
From How it all Vegan

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup dry sweetener
• 3/4 cup soy milk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup oil
• egg replacer (equal to 1 egg)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350.  Mix dry ingredients, then add wet ingredients. Mix until “just mixed”.  Pour into cake pan or cupcake cups and bake for 25 – 30 minutes.  Check with toothpick to see when done.  Let cool before frosting.

Read this blog: 100 Days in India

Posted by ebean

Photo from 100 Days in India's post "Cultural Program"

We’ve gleaned that someone (Bobby?) is traveling around India for 100 days (or at least that’s what the many pictures and title imply).  Amazing pictures of India.

100 Days in India

Sign the Petition for a Secretary of Arts

posted by lalabean

Dear Friends,

You may already have received this, but it is so important, I’m passing it along.

Quincy Jones has started a petition to ask President Obama to appoint a Secretary of the Arts. While many other countries have had Ministers of Art or Culture for centuries, The United States has never
created such a position.

We in the arts need this and the country needs the arts–now more than ever. Please take a moment to sign this important petition and then pass it on to your friends and colleagues.

http://www.petitiononline.com/esnyc/petition.html