Today is my birthday. Du-na-na-na-na. Happy birthday to me...
Cake Batter Truffles. These truffles are made using creamy soaked cashews and coconut oil. Vegan sprinkles add that "cake batter" coloring and a hint of vanilla bean does the rest. But before my bday treat (recipe below), a few bday wishes.
Birthday wish: pink sunsets, always.
And many wishes for my favorites: kitties! (And all animals, really.)
Happy busy birthday to me. This is probably the least amount of attention I have paid to my birthday in all my life. Mostly because in just ONE day I turn in a huge project, cookbook#2 (yay!) and so I have been manuscript editing, photo editing and basically pulling all nighters like a college student during midterms. And it feels very strange, but come February 1st I will literally have the first pause in my schedule in a very very long time. After Nelly's kitty cancer fight, I literally dove right into cookbook writing. It was strange really. But I was glad to have a project to keep me super busy. But come February, I get some true pause, reflect and centering time. I plan on seeing lots of friends and soaking in this time before round two of cook-booking comes along. Oh, the editing phase...
But anyways, enough about me.
For my birthday this year I wanted to do something nice for my favorite furry friends. Since we still are not ready to adopt a new kitty (though we hope to soon) I decided to "adopt" a kitty. And remind all of you guys that YOU can help too if you want to. There are so many ways to give love to animals. And yes, going vegan is one of them.
For this bday, Blind Cat Rescue stole my heart...
"Blind cats do not know they are blind, they know they are cats. They act like cats. Blind cats can do pretty much everything that a seeing cat can do. They can climb trees, climb up on to the top of cabinets and get into places that you can not figure out how they did it!" - Blind Cat Rescue
So.. Meet Gallie! The kitty I "adopted" via Blind Cat Rescue. Aw, head rubs. Though I will never actually meet this sweetie pie, I am so happy to know that I am helping her in a tiny way.
*photo credit: Blind Cat Rescue
About Gallie from BCR: "Gallie came to us from Brevard County Animal Control in Florida. We were notified by a citizen that she was there and with lots of help by lots of wonderful people, she came to us. A Huge thank you to Diane & Bill from Atlanta Animal Clinic in Pompanao Beach, Fl for driving 5 hours to pick her up and bring her back to their clinic , Also a huge thank you to Elizabeth, her mother & Mindy, Ivonne for facilitating her journey to us by driving 10 hours to bring her to us. She is super super sweet and I know is going to feel so much better once her eyes are taken care of."
How to help? For just $30 a month ($1 a day!) you can adopt a rescued kitty at the Blind Cat Rescue. There are SO many kitties who need some help. You can even browse photos and pick out a kitty to adopt.
Why do blind kitties need help? Did you know that many public animal shelters simply quickly get rid of any handicapped or special needs kitties (like blind cats) that fall into their hands because of the low chances for adoption. So thank goodness for the kind volunteers at Blind Cat Rescue who take in these sweet creatures. Gallie, the kitty I chose, was suffering from painful and very severe eye problems and needed surgery to remove her eyes (the source of the pain). Blind Cat Rescue stepped in. Now Gallie is a sweet and happier girl who I am told loves to chase bugs outside in the yard π
More about BCR: "Blind Cat Rescue was started in 2005 to answer the need for a safe place for blind cats that were deemed unadoptable by regular shelters. They were going to be killed just because they are blind. And in 2011 we built a building to provide a safe sanctuary for FELV+ & FIV+ cats."
So for my birthday wish, I hope you guys will check out this list of my favorite animal organizations. Please feel free to leave more names of great animal organizations in the comments below. And if you have means, please consider donating. You hear it all the time, but it is TRUE: Every little bit helps. (If you do donate or adopt, please feel free to leave me a comment so I can give you a big thank you!) xo
For my bday wish, I hope all these kitties and pups have many more happy birthdays to come!
Click to help the kitties + more:
Blind Cat Project Wishlist and ADOPT a kitty program (like Gallie!)
Farm Sanctuary - One of my faves. Love the amazing Gene Baur!
Sea Shepherd - amazing group. And if you have been following the dolphin slaughter in Taiji Japan you know the amazing work that organizations like SS do, and how crucial they are!
Love & Leashes - wonderful adoption non-profit here in LA
Best Friends - another awesome non-profit
ASPCA - helping animals, fighting for animals!
Humane Society - they do amazing work, and I am a big fan of Wayne Pacelle!
Teal Cat Project - found this via Isa Chandra, who is one of the founders, love everything about TCP! I am the proud owner of three teal kitties.
Hendrickson Boards - awesome company that supports a wide number of shelters and animals, plus they sell super cute tees "every purchase saves animals around the nation"
And ok, something sprinkled to nibble on for my happy bday...
Cake Batter Truffles
makes 9 truffles
Β½ cup raw cashews, soaked
β
cup extra virgin coconut oil, melted
2 Β½ tablespoon liquid sweetener (I used agave)
2 tablespoon non-dairy milk, warmed
pinch of real vanilla bean seeds (or a few drops vanilla extract)
pinch of pink salt
fold in:
1 teaspoon vegan rainbow sprinkles
Nutrition per ball: 139 calories, 11g fat, 8g carbs, 2g protein
1. Soak cashews in salted water overnight, or for quick soak method, boil them in water for a few minutes. (Raw soaking works best though)
2. Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend until silky smooth. Pour mixture into a small bowl. Fold in the sprinkles, leave out a few or more for coating.
3. Place mixture in the freezer until firm enough to work with.
4. Scoop small balls once the mixture is firm enough (but not too hard) and roll into balls. Place on a greased plate and place back in the freezer to fully firm. Serve chilled or slightly warmed to room temperature.
Kathy Patalsky says
The rainbow sprinkles on top are optional but quite fun. You can find Sprinkelz brand in most Whole Foods stores and also Lieber's brand is the one I used. Both are vegan.
Spatty918 says
Oh I'm so glad that you posted this! I adopted my kitty with one eye and a whole slew of health issues. And he is the sweetest cat ever....even coverts those cat haters into cat lovers. π We just need to give these cats with character a chance, because they have so much love to give.
Abbarrella says
What Brand of Vegan Sprinkles do you use I am having trouble finding some!
Amanda Sileo says
Happy Belated Birthday Kathy! Those truffles look awesome. What a great thing you did adopting that blind kitty for your Birthday. You inspired me, tomorrow is my Birthday and to celebrate I adopted a chicken from Farm Sanctuary. Thank you for the inspiration and all that you do. I hope you are enjoying your two new kitties, they are beautiful. =)
Julia Ralston says
Happy B-Day, I hope it was all you wanted. Thanks for the post about blind cats, I didn't know such a place existed, and am very pleased it does. What a wonderful idea. We help out at our local spca, that is where we adopted our two pittys. Thank you for the list of organizations, have to check them out.
Betty Bloop says
A very happy birthday to you! Thank you for thinking of the blind kitties for your own special day!
RockMyVeganSocks says
HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATHY!!! I hope you had a super awesome day yesterday =) Cake Batter Truffles are a great way to celebrate. And what a wonderful thing to do on your birthday to help a kitty in need. You're such a beautiful person inside & out!
More About Lasik says
Awesome photos!
Thrifty Travel Mama says
These look delicious! But, I'm allergic to cashews - can another nut be used?
Heather McClees says
Kathy! What a lovely birthday post! I hate I missed this post on your birthday! I hope you had a wonderful, wonderful birthday and you deserve such an awesome year<3 I think it is wonderful that you've posted about the Blind Cat Rescue Program. My heart is just FILLED with so much love for animals, and for animal rescue, specifically. I am a huge advocate of Farm Sanctuary as well as ASPCA, who I donate to. If I could, I'd adopt them all!:)
By the way, these truffles are crazy delicious looking- thank you for sharing! I love the recipe and will have to give them a try tomorrow:) Coconut oil is a staple in my diet<3
Hope this year treats you as wonderfully as you deserve<3
XoXo
A.L. says
Happy birthday, Kathy! π
Olivia Welte says
Happy Happy Birthday Kathy! What a beautiful, special birthday wish - and an amazing cause. These truffles look simply divine.
Maribel Ramirez says
Do you rinse the cashews after the salt water soak?
Maribel Ramirez says
Happy Birthday Kathy!! Can't wait for your new cookbook.
beachmama says
Happy Birthday Kathy! And OH MY these do sound AMAZING!!
Pamela @ Brooklyn Farm Girl says
Happy Happy Birthday girl! Raising a truffle to you!
Suzanne says
Happy Birthday Kathy! May all your birthday wishes come true π
Herbivore Triathlete says
Happy Birthday! For Christmas in lieu of presents for my younger brother and his girlfriend I sponsored a bird at the rescue they've adopted their birds from.
Katie @ Produce on Parade says
Happy Birthday! I hope it is just splendid. What a wonderful organization! π Great post!
Dorian Jackson says
Happy Birthday!!
Robin P says
Have a lovely birthday and enjoy your very special gift!
Averie Cooks says
Happy Bday!! These are so awesome! Pinned π
Aimee Brimmer says
Happy Birthday, Kathy! What a beautiful gift! Hope your birthday is as magnificent as you! (((hugs)))
Deb says
Happy Birthday Kathy!<3
Guest says
Happy birthday Kathy, what a wonderful gift! Hope this birthday is truly memorable and blessed! Can't wait for the new cookbook!
A Swirl Girl says
Happy Birthday to you! Your love for your cat Nelly is what first drew me to your blog (and I'm a dog person - go figure!). Thanks for all the great recipes and uplifting posts. May you have a birthday that is as inspiring and wonderful as you are.
Crystal Elston says
** HAPPY ** BIRTHDAY ** to you !! Cha Cha Cha
Have a wonderful day Kathy! I am so glad to hear so many wonderful things going on in your life. Thanks for the reminder about such a wonderful organization like Blind Cat Rescue, they are sweet angels that need more publicity and support. Since I just finally got a job (start on Monday) after looking for over a year, it will be my pleasure to adopt a Kitty when I get my first paycheck. Thanks for always being such a devoted advocate. Enjoy your day, girlfriend!
Nezumi says
Happy Birthday Kathy! I was very moved by your post about Nelly and now Gallie. Such a sweet present. I didn't know blind cats were so vulnerable so I made a donation to Blind Cat Rescue too π
And that pink sunset, what a way to end a day!
Abby @ Heart of a Baker says
Happy Birthday! Oh my heart, I love this idea, I am going to donate to this wonderful place!
Keri N says
Happy Birthday, Kathy! I love your idea to "adopt" a kitty as a present to yourself. I donate to Empty Cages Coalition and Sean Casey Animal Rescue, both fantastic rescues in Brooklyn.
John Hartil says
Have a beautiful day...Happy Birthday!! The truffles look oh so delicious!
Claire Elizabeth says
Happy Birthday Kathy! I hope your day is full of peace and joy and laughter! May God bless you on your special day, and bless your new cookbook project. Happy Birthday! π
What should I eat for breakfas says
Happy happy birthday Kathy!!!!!!!!! Mine is in 2 weeks π I hope you had a perfect day and a perfect meals this day.
coconutandberries says
Happy Birthday Kathy! This is heartbreaking to read. I had no idea about the plight of handicapped animals. You're doing a wonderful thing in "adopting" Gallie.
How scrummy does these little truffles look? Hope you enjoyed plenty on your bday π
Johanna says
Happy Birthday! Mine is Sunday! π I think I'm making cupcakes.