Index: lib/fixture_replacement/fixture_replacement.rb
===================================================================
--- lib/fixture_replacement/fixture_replacement.rb  (revision 31)
+++ lib/fixture_replacement/fixture_replacement.rb  (working copy)
@@ -70,7 +70,9 @@
           hash_given = args[0] || Hash.new
           merged_hash = self.send(attributes_method).merge(hash_given)
           evaluated_hash = Generator.merge_unevaluated_method(self, :create, merged_hash)
-          obj = class_name.create!(evaluated_hash)
+          obj = class_name.new
+          evaluated_hash.each { |k, v| obj.send("#{k}=", v) }
+          obj.save!
           obj
         end
       end
@@ -86,7 +88,9 @@
           hash_given = args[0] || Hash.new
           merged_hash = self.send(attributes_method).merge(hash_given)
           evaluated_hash = Generator.merge_unevaluated_method(self, :create, merged_hash)
-          class_name.new(evaluated_hash)
+          obj = class_name.new
+          evaluated_hash.each { |k, v| obj.send("#{k}=", v) }
+          obj
         end
       end
     end
Index: spec/fixture_replacement/fixture_replacement_spec.rb
===================================================================
--- spec/fixture_replacement/fixture_replacement_spec.rb  (revision 31)
+++ spec/fixture_replacement/fixture_replacement_spec.rb  (working copy)
@@ -18,6 +18,14 @@

   attr_reader :hash

+  def method_missing symbol, *args
+    if symbol.id2name =~ /\A(.+)=\z/
+      @hash[$~[1].to_sym] = *args
+    else
+      super
+    end
+  end
+
   def gender # this would be a has_many call in rails
     17
   end
@@ -222,14 +230,14 @@
       created_gender.hash.should == {:sex => "Female"}
     end

-    it "should call Gender.create! when the default_gender method is evaluated by default_gender" do
+    it "should call Gender.save! when the default_gender method is evaluated by default_gender" do
       gender = Gender.new
-      Gender.should_receive(:create!).and_return gender
+      Gender.should_receive(:save!).and_return gender
       @instance.create_user
     end

-    it "should not call Gender.create! if the default_gender is overwritten by another value (say, a string)" do
-      Gender.should_not_receive(:create!)
+    it "should not call Gender.save! if the default_gender is overwritten by another value (say, a string)" do
+      Gender.should_not_receive(:save!)
       @instance.create_user(:gender => "a string")
     end
   end
@@ -385,12 +393,12 @@
     end

     it "should call Gender.save! when the default_gender method is evaluated by default_gender" do
-      Gender.should_receive(:create!)
+      Gender.should_receive(:save!)
       @instance.new_user
     end

     it "should not call Gender.new if the default_gender is overwritten by another value (say, a string)" do
-      Gender.should_not_receive(:create!)
+      Gender.should_not_receive(:save!)
       @instance.new_user(:gender => "a string")
     end