Weekly links (Late Edition)

Hope you're having a wonderful weekend! Links...

learn how to use Craigslist to find the perfect apartment at Apartment Therapy

make gluten free and vegan Three Sisters Posole at Gluten A Go Go

make cherry blossom garlands from disposable tablecloths at Creative Jewish Mom via Craftzine

make a flowery pom-pom pendant lamp at Craftynest via Curbly

use old jigsaw puzzle pieces to create a heart pin or recycle crayon pieces into swirly, usable Valentines at Family Fun (Twenty-three more Valentine's Day crafts here.)

create your own rub-on letters at Can't Stop Making Things via Craftzine

learn 4 new indoor ways to grow a little green at Apartment Therapy

(Photo via People)

Babycakes opens in Los Angeles!

I just found out that New York-based Babycakes opened this weekend in the Pacific Electric Lofts at 6th and Main in downtown Los Angeles. Though we never made it to their East Coast headquarters, Babycakes L.A., here we come!

I love seeing "gluten free" written all over the display window...

No writing. Just yum.
(Photos via Style Section L.A. and Quarry Girl)

Food With A Face

There was an article last week in The New York Times about Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson - author, former psychoanalyst, animal lover and vegan. He was in New York recently to promote his new book advocating veganism, “The Face on Your Plate: The Truth About Food." Masson's other books include “When Elephants Weep” and “Dogs Never Lie About Love,” both best sellers.

Of course I was immediately drawn to this photo.
Then I read this...

“And the thing is, I can’t bring home delicious, wonderful French bread and just eat it in front of him while he has to eat that gluten-free bread that tastes like paper or something.” (Mr. Masson is referring here to his 12-year-old son's gluten sensitivity.)

So I continued reading. Things like...

“Cats don’t appreciate it when you give them vegetables."

“The chickens were very sociable. They would come inside the house and watch me writing at the computer. And I would be picking up after them with a box of Kleenex."

As a Harvard undergraduate, Mr. Masson saw his own demons in a can of tuna.

Call it feeling loopy at one in the morning. But I then had face with a smile.

You've got to watch this.

I must think I'm her PR person or something: I wrote about Erin McKenna's BabyCakes back in February, and now here's this new music video of hers that I'm posting.

I just think it's really fun. (Wait a couple seconds for it to start.)


BabyCakes, the Book of Recipes: It's Here! from BabyCakes NYC on Vimeo.

I love Cynthia Nixon who loves YummyEarth candy.

And guess who features YummyEarth's organic candy in their gluten free gift baskets? You guys are so smart. Here is Vanilla Spoons' description of the candy:

[Featured are] YummyEarth's handcrafted organic lollipops with flavor names like Mango Tango, Pomegranate Pucker and Chili Mango Mambo. Best of all, these little suckers are certified organic, 100% vegan, kosher, gluten free, peanut free and tree nut free, egg free, dairy free, corn syrup free and soy free. Now that's a mouthful! In fact, this candy company has been recognized by Harvard Medical School for their organic mission.

You can find these yummy pops in Movie Mania, The Graduate and Close Encounters of the Sweet Kind.

Weekly links

Are you looking for Absolutely Not Martha's fabulous weekly roundup of homemaking/cooking/crafting must-do's? Look over here:

discover five ways to use an alcove at Apartment Therapy

make a gluten free, vegan flourless chocolate cake in a Vita-Mix at Karina's Kitchen

add some flair to your typography wall in 13.5 steps at Dreambird Designs via WhipUp (I love fonts.)

make a bubble chandelier at Apartment Therapy

repurpose vintage pant hangers into impromptu frames at Design Sponge

make a Moroccan-inspired paper doily lantern at Craftzine

learn several ways to measure without a tape measure or ruler at Apartment Therapy (This sounds handy.)

*BONUS GLUTEN FREE RECIPE*
make a gluten free spoon salad at Simply Gluten Free (It can't be all about the chocolate this weekend.)

Have a happy Friday the 13th, Valentine's Day, President's Day, school vacation week...anything else?

(Photo by Corrie Bond)

Planning a trip to New York, babycakes?

There's a bakery on New York's Lower East Side called BabyCakes. They specialize in vegan, wheat- and gluten-free desserts. I want to go there. (Numero uno on my list of places to go on our next New York visit.) A recent article in Gourmet features BabyCakes along with a few other vegan sweet spots throughout the U.S.

I love Erin McKenna's (founder of BabyCakes) philosophy about wanting "to create something that would be fun and cool-looking and didn’t make people feel even more alienated by their food sensitivities or choices." I so get this. Recently my son (who is gluten intolerant) was invited to a friend's birthday party. I asked him if he wanted to take along some of his own food. Come on. Just in case. He insisted no. He doesn't want to be viewed as that kid. I told him: "You're not special." We laughed.

So if you're in New York and have a sweet tooth, check out BabyCakes. Let me know if you run into Natalie, Zooey or Mary-Louise. Parker. Weeds, The West Wing, Fried Green Tomatoes...

*Pre-order BabyCakes' new cookbook in which Erin finally shares her trade secrets.*

(Cupcake photo by Horacio Salinas via Gourmet; Natalie photo via Cupcakes Take The Cake via Just Jared)