I don't even know where to start.

WARNING: This is going to be quite the post.

So the 13th was my mom's birthday, and I pulled out all the stops. I wanted her to have a great birthday, without having to worry about eating something that would make her sick, or something that would make her have to take gravol. Being allergic to wheat, sugar, and dairy, I had to hunt around for a special cake for her to eat. For the last couple of years, we didn't know about any vegan, wheat free bakeries, and I hadn't really started experimenting with vegan gf alternatives. Thanks to an AMAZING friend who has a gluten allergy: (http://omgicanbakeglutenfree.blogspot.com/), I went to a bake shop/vegan eatery by Bathurst and Bloor Streets called Kensington Bakery. GO THERE!!!!

I first went there last Monday, didn't have cash on me (they don't take debit), so I came back on Wednesday to order. I chose a vegan, gluten free spelt chocolate cake, sweetened with maple syrup, and ordered it to be ready to be picked up this morning.


So Wednesday night, I came home from working with a friend at the gym, and on the way I picked up agar agar, dates, an organic lemon. I rushed home, made my mom's present of her favorite treats: macaroons. They were based on THIS RECIPE:


http://eatnveganintoronto.blogspot.com/2009/02/simple-vegan-macaroons.html that I made in February. This time, I tried different flavours like chocolate (added cacao powder), lemon (added organic lemon zest and juice), double coconut (coconut milk), ginger and orange (ginger, orange...), and maple (100% Canadian Maple Syrup).




Just in case the cake wasn't all we hoped it would be, I decided to make a back up. Using the agar, I made Jello Fruit Cake. I'll post the recipe soon!


I also made a sort of fruit pudding/sorbet, just bananas pureed with coconut milk, and pureed strawberries. Just pop them in the freezer and you have a sweet treat.




Sooo flash forward until today. This morning, I missioned it downtown at 8, picked up the cake, and brought it home and hid it. Which was a shame because it was a glorious cake, vanilla on the outside, chocolate on the inside, and chocolate writing!



I made this deliciousness for a birthday lunch with my mom: Arugula salad with Spinach and Avocado soup.



Later on, I gave her the macaroons, she loved them!

Here's where the comedy begins. So we give her the presents, and out comes the cake, lookin' mighty fine, we light the candle, sing Happy B-Day, and honestly, it was the most delicious cake I have EVER eaten, never mind gluten free, vegan, sugar free. Even my carnivorous sister and father loved it. We loved it so much, we sat in my living room after, sitting around the cake, just dwelling in its awesomeness.

(Can anyone tell me why my picture loaded this way? Or how to fix it?)

Along comes Marble.



She jumps up onto my lap to say hello, and my mom grabbed her to giver her a pet. I guess my mom grabber her so fast, she spooked her, and the rest happened like it was in slow motion.


She freaked out, jumped straight up into the air...

and landed...


spread eagled...

right on top of...

THE CAKE!!!

As she was in the air, all I was thinking was: "NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!"

Anyway, after her bath, Marble calmed down, and we cleaned it all up. I was laughing because I'm not sure if the cake could even be considered truly vegan anymore...But it was amazing, and I'll be going back the Kensington Bakery MANY TIMES!