Dessert for Dinner

A few weeks ago, my Granny e-mailed me a recipe for her Mandarin Orange Cobbler, a spin on the old-fashioned peach version. She even veganized the recipe before sending it (because she's awesome like that!). Last night, I wasn't terribly hungry at dinnertime, but I can't stand to let a meal time pass without eating, so I opted to have dessert in place of a full dinner.



I can't even describe how tasty the crust is. Imagine if the best sugar cookie ever had babies with a moist yellow cake...that's about as close of a description as I can muster right now. All that was missing is the melty scoop of vanilla soy http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifcream. I did
have some Soy Delicious Turtle Tracks in the fridge, but I wasn't sure how the caramel would mix with the citrus.

I used canned mandarin oranges, but I bought the kind that come in their own juice instead of the nasty sugar syrup. I also subbed whole wheat pastry flour for the self-rising flour in the recipe, but added baking powder and baking soda.

I'd relay the full recipe here, but I've decided this one's going in the cookbook. I love that it's a cobbler, which is a traditional Southern dessert, but with a tropical fruity spin.

By the way, I've been tagged again to name five things about myself. This time, the tag came from the Brazen Vegan.

1. I kill plants. And not just because I like to eat them. I just don't have gardening skills AT ALL! Every year, I try to grow herbs, and every year, they just die. But last year, my basil survived for several months. I will try again this year...

2. I went vegetarian at age 14 after spending the week with my friend Purvi and her family in Oklahoma. They were Indian, and except for the dad, were all vegetarian. When I realized how easy it was to eat meatless meals, I vowed to go veg on the car ride back home to Arkansas. I went vegan at age 24 on my 10-year vegeversary.

3. I wasn't a fan of sweets until my best friend Sheridan bought me Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World for Christmas several years ago. When I started making cupcakes, I magically developed a sweet tooth. It's decided to stick around for awhile, and I'm glad.

4. I was recently named one of 21 people in Memphis that "make a difference in the Memphis GLBT community" by our local gay newspaper, The Triangle Journal. The award was given to me because I write a lot of news stories on gay issues in Memphis for The Memphis Flyer, the alternative newspaper I work for. Stories on things like Tennessee's proposed gay adoption ban and other silly pieces of legislation that strip humans of their basic rights.

5. If you can't tell, I'm about as left of center as they come. I'm a bleeding heart liberal and proud of it. I voted for Hillary (I love the Clintons!) in the primary, but I'll vote for Obama in the general election if it comes to down to it. I'm pro-choice, pro gay rights, pro-universal healthcare, and everything else that liberals stand for.

I'm not tagging anyone because I think EVERYONE has already done this survey twice.