This version is gluten-free, and dairy-free, and is made with common ingredients you likely already have in your pantry. 
Yields: 12 muffins (or 24 mini muffins)Prep time: 10 minutes Bake time: 35 minutes Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 5 organic carrots
• 2 eggs
• ¼ cup coconut butter (softened)
• ¾ cup oat milk
• 6 pitted dates
• ¾ tbsp baking powder
• ¾ tbsp baking soda
• 1 serving of vanilla protein powder (2 scoops of Orgain)
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tbsp cinnamon

Tools

• Food processor (or box grater), Large mixing bowl, Rubber spatula, Gallon ziploc bag, Cupcake Pan, 12 Cupcake liner

Cake Baking Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Peel the carrots and cut the ends off. Process the carrots in the food processor using the disc attachment or grate the carrots on a box grater. After processing, empty the shredded carrots into a large mixing bowl.
3. Process the dates until they are small bits, then empty the dates into the mixing bowl.
4. Combine eggs, coconut butter, and oat milk with carrots and dates.
5. Add remaining dry ingredients: baking powder, baking soda, vanilla protein powder, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Stir until the batter is even in texture.
6. Line the cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
7. Transfer the batter to the zip lock bag, slice the corner off to make it a piping bag, and fill the liners with batter until it’s ¾ cull (leave enough room for the cake to rise). 
8. Bake for about 35 minutes until the top is golden brown and the insides are fully cooked.

Icing Ingredients

• 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter
• 8 ounces dairy-free cream cheese
• 4 cups confectioners sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Tools

• Large mixing bowl, Whisk, Rubber spatula, Gallon Ziploc bag

Icing Instructions

• Mix all the ingredients together and whisk until combined.
• Transfer the icing to the gallon-size ziplock bag, slice the corner off to make it a piping bag
• Once the cake has cooled, swirl the icing over the carrot cake

If you’re looking to speed this up, store-bought icing works just as well!
A fun way to color the icing: Option 1: If you would like to add a fun, whimsical touch, add beet juice to the icing before pouring it into the piping bag to create a pastel pink.Katy Hack: For a “tie-dye” effect, don’t fully combine the beet juice, gently stir it in but leave the streaks in. Option 2: To create a more elevated look and stay within the carrot color scheme, sprinkle turmeric over the white icing to make the color pop. Don’t worry, you don’t taste the turmeric!

I recently sat down to do a Q&A with children’s book author, Mandana Vetto. I loved her book The President Wears Pink and wanted to ask her some questions about being an author and her inspiration. The book has such a wonderful message and I have purchased it for many of the young girls in my life. For more information or to purchase the book, click HERE.

What inspired you to write the children’s book, The President Wears Pink?

A compilation of things led me to think up this book. Mainly, in 2014 Always came out with a powerful campaign “Like A Girl” – the link below will take you to one of the commercials for this campaign. I absolutely love this campaign and found myself pondering the term “like a girl.” When I think of girls I think: of strong, smart, tough, kind, movers, shakers, leaders, fearless, powerful – and completely unstoppable. Absolutely nothing in the pejorative. It was very important for me to convey this positive message of what “like a girl” means by essentially redefining it, which is when I wrote “when someone says run like a girl they mean really fast. When someone says act like a girl they mean really kind.” The book sort of went from there. 

Does anything in the book come from your own childhood? 

My father is elderly and has a very old-school mentality regarding women and their place.
Is writing easy for you? 

Can being a writer be a lonely business? 

While I love writing, it does not come that easy to me, yet this book did.

Who illustrates your book and why did you choose her? 

Sara Foresti was my illustrator, and I found her through Astound Agency. They represent amazing artists and Sara’s work really stood out to me. She was just brilliant when we collaborated together and had a lot of great ideas from the get-go. We both put a lot of thought into every page and every illustration, and the meanings behind them, and she was so talented in her execution.

Do you try to write without expressing your own opinions? 

It depends on the subject matter.

What is the main idea you wanted to get across to your young readers in this book?

Empowerment and girl power. The definition of what being a girl is on a basic level so that if anyone says anything that feels deprecating to them they can defend themselves. Quote the book. Use your strong voice. Whatever it takes. And to believe and feel what they are saying. Girls can do anything – we just need to believe it. As Glinda, the Good Witch said to Dorothy: “You’ve always had the power, my dear, you just had to learn it for yourself.”

As a grown-up how hard is it to write in for Children? In a child’s voice?

I surprised myself when writing this book as I never thought I’d write a children’s book, yet the message came very easily to me.

How long does it take you to write a children’s book?

This one did not take me long once I put pen to paper, however, I had given it a lot of thought beforehand and it was rolling around in my thoughts for a while.

How much research is involved?

It is a children’s book so not have a lot at all compared to, for example, a historical novel. But it did have some research; e.g. on page 4 of the book we see a young girl on her trail to the moon, and in many of the steps of this path are names of women who are trailblazers and have made history. There are just so many amazing women who have made history. I wanted to make sure I had a representation across the board, so I did a lot of research here and put a lot of thought into which women I chose.

Where can we purchase your book?

Amazon.com is everyone’s best bet. Locally Arcade books in Rye carries my book and has had me come in and sign books that have been ordered through them, which make for great gifts.

What is next for you?

As this book was released right before Covid I hope to re-launch it and garner the attention it deserves. 

VL. Cepher is a contemporary fine jewelry house created by local mother and daughter Rachel Fogel and Niva Benzino. Taking inspiration from the designer’s unique backgrounds in artificial intelligence and the visual arts. VL. Cepher is an exploration of the simplification of forms to their geometric essentials. 

Upending the traditional for a new take on classic, the house examines the delicate balance of precision and pattern to deliver subtle sophistication, impeccable details, and uncompromising quality.

VL. Cepher’s debut ESKER collection blends a reimagination of ancient symbols and recurring forms through a modern lens.

All elements in the Esker collection stack seamlessly as they are a derivative of the deconstruction of a geometric structure comprised of nested hexagons.

Effortless and versatile, each piece is designed for how the modern woman lives and dresses – architected to be worn every day for every occasion.

All of the VL. Cepher designs can be viewed on their website HERE.

ABOLISH THE GAP BETWEEN THE BODY, THE MIND AND THE SOUL, BETWEEN SCIENCE AND ART, BETWEEN FICTION AND NONFICTION

-Nawal El Saadawi

Here comes Peter Cottontail. Let’s start thinking about a dinner side. Our amazing client, Kate from She’s Cookin’ in Brooklyn sent me this delcious green bean recipe. Beautiful, vibrant green beans aren’t hard to make! BLANCH them and you’ll have an easy, healthy side dish when you sit down with your family this Easter.

Blanching is a technique that quickly heats and then very quickly cools your food. It also ensures your food, keeps its crisp, texture, and fresh color for as long as possible.

For green beans, the process is very simple. Heat a large pot of boiling water, and add a healthy pinch of salt to the water.

Once the water has come to a rolling boil, drop the green beans into the water and let them cook for about 30 seconds or until you’re happy with the brightness of their color.

Using a strainer or large, slotted kitchen spoon, transfer the green beans to an ice bath (large bowl of water with a few scoops of ice).

Let them rest for a couple of minutes and then remove them from the ice bath and reserve them in a large bowl.

At this time, you can season them of you as you like. My favorite is with a little extra salt sometimes some butter and always a little lemon juice for freshness. You can top it with toasted slivered almonds and some zested lemon too. Bon Appetit