Vegan MoFo Day 7: Salsa, guac, and bean dip! And cake!

Okay guys, I'm going to open up with the dips even though the only picture I got is atrocious:



For the Emperor's birthday party, I made a trio of dips for him:  salsa, guacamole, and a creamy bean dip.  (Recipe at the end!)  We had two types of tortilla chips per his request-- blue chips and normal yellow corn rounds.  We also had yellow carrots, celery, red radishes, cauliflower, and cucumber for dipping.  Excellent dipping was had all around.

After dips, we moved on to what birthday parties are really about:  CAKE.  Here's the cake before serving:



Here's the Emperor trying to lick the frosting before serving:



And here's a piece of the cake after we cut into it:



It's a lemon genoise cake with triple berry jam (jam homemade by a friend!) in the center and raspberry frosting and fresh raspberries on the outside.  Very close to the cake I made him for his second birthday, and just as delicious.  We banded together and managed to eat the entire thing before the party was through.

We had a really lovely party.  It was so nice to see some friends we haven't seen in a while, and great to see the Emperor having so much fun.  It's weird, but I sometimes tear up when I see him really lost in enjoyment-- I love seeing him just that happy.  Maybe this is why people cry at weddings, I don't know, I've never been one to do that.

Anyway, if I'm a bit incoherent it's 'cuz I'm exhausted-- up late to make cake, up early to get ready for the party, and then more socializing in 4 hours than I usually do in 4 days.  I feel exactly like the Magician looked when we got home from the party:



And on that note, I'm outta here for tonight.

Oops... forgot I promised that bean dip recipe.  Here it is!

Creamy Bean Dip
makes about 3c

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 c cashews, soaked for at least an hour
1 c water
2 tsps ground cumin
2 tsps chili powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp coriander
1 can vegan refried beans
more water as necessary

1.  Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the oil.
2.  Fry the onion, pepper, and garlic until soft and somewhat brown, about 10 minutes.
3.  Place the cooked vegetables, the cashews, the water, the cumin, the chili powder, the salt, and the coriander in a blender and puree til smooth, about 5 minutes.
4.  Pour into a bowl and stir in the refried beans.  Mix well.

Taste for salt and serve!