Expo Explosion

Imagine a Whole Foods the size of 15 football fields…now imagine browsing it’s aisles for two days straight…now imagine representatives from every product giving your samples of their latest and greatest to try (for free!)…and THAT, my friends, is EXPO WEST.

In other words, hippie heaven.

Friday started bright and early as Kyle and I made our way to Anaheim to register and all that jazz.  And before we knew it, the doors pearly gates opened and BAM!

Instantly we were slammed with people pushing samples at us…nibbles and bites of savory, creamy, sweet, smooth, crunchy, and everything in between.  Nothing like making a breakfast of mini-spoons of peanut butter followed by burritos, naan, soy yogurt, noodle stir fry, and vegan cream cheese!  To be honest, my stomach wasn’t happy (but how could I say no to all these wonderful treats!).

Food for Life had a HUGE booth but I never saw a single representative.  I didn’t see any new products out to display, so I’m assuming their presence was mostly for buyers/customers that didn’t yet have their standard lines.

Of all their products, their sprouted breads and english muffins are my favorite.  The faux chik’n nuggets and veggie burgers aren’t the best.  I still have yet to try their granola or pasta though.

Mary’s Gone Crackers will soon have COOKIES on the shelves.

N’Oatmeal Raisin (without oats) was out for people to try.  Mmmm.

The thing I noticed very quickly about the show was how huge the role of allergies were in all the new product lines.  Gluten free was DEFINTELY this years hot trend.  There were wheat-free options at every turn, and even the most obviously non gluten items (ie pulled pork) had the GF label proudly displayed on every part of their packaging.

While I love this trend of awareness for the gluten free community and those suffering from food allergies, I am leery about the motives behind some of the companies.  It seems that several of them had no idea WHY there was a need for this kind of food in the market.  Rather than research the rationale, they simply went with the buzz word of the moment to get attention on their product.  I suspect these are the companies that won’t have the longest shelf life and come 2012 they will be absent from Expo West.  By contrast, the more responsible companies (ie Enjoy Life Foods) with actual knowledge supporting their motives will continue to thrive.

LARABAR!!!

Chocolate Chip Brownie, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Carrot Cake, and Blueberry Muffin

Love

Of course I had to stop by and say hi to my beloved Alvarado Street Bakery.

Their new line of breads are bigger (as in wider) and look especially fluffy for sprouted breads.  Can’t wait for them to hit the shelves!

Navitas Naturals superfoods

New from Clif Bar…drumroll please…

Coconut Chocolate Chip!!!!

 

 

Eat your heart out.

Medjools stuffed with coconut butter and peanut butter.

I’ll take the whole tray thanks.

Artisana repping their delicious, unique, raw nut butter creations!

If I worked for this company I’d be so obese.  Cashini is one of my desert island foods for sure.

Luna and Larry’s organic Coconut Bliss

They are debuting new flavors in 2011, including lunaberry swirl, chocolate walnut brownie, ginger cookie caramel, and mocha maca crunch.  I think it differs for Canadians, but as usual, the entire line of ice cream is non dairy, soy free, gluten free, and vegan.  Holler.

Steaz (I was so obsessed with these back in NYC but then I moved to CA and completely forgot about them!)

They were kind enough to hook me up with a four pack, but accidentally gave me the regular kind as opposed to the zero calorie ones I requested.  Oh well.

Alexia had the grillers on full blast.

Sweet potatoes anyone?

So Delicious was pushing their coconut milk products full blast – coconut ice cream, coconut milk, coconut yogurt, coconut creamer, etc.  And who was there to pimp out the goodies on Saturday???

My fave hard a$$ trainer Jillian Michaels!

Pacific Natural Foods was another company with a display the size of a small country…

Much more than boxed soups!

Look at all those non-dairy options!  Oat, hemp, 7 grain, almond…and the latest to hit the shelves is a CHOCOLATE flavored hemp milk.  Sweet!

Everybody loves Nature’s Path.  I never knew how many different products they had though!  This was a mere fraction of their display.

I only wish Stonyfield had more dairy free items.

Zico debuted the world’s 1st chocolate coconut water.  Uh, blech.

Mrs. May’s is not only a Costco staple (Trio bar love!), but they are the perfect snack for anyone with a food allergy.

Rounds are their new product coming out soon with fruit and nut fillings wrapped in chocolate love.

Baby balls

Had to say hi to my ooey gooey cheesy Daiya friends 🙂  They have a new flavor (Pepper Jack) coming soon!  They were grilling up sammies on one side of the booth…

While offering up vegan mac ‘n cheese and “cheese” pizza on the other end.

Bob’s Red Mill had a rather massive area on the show floor…did you know they have over 400 products!?

Oh and guess what?  I met Bob!!!

While Nana’s isn’t offering any new flavors, they did have Curious George on staff to get kids (and me) excited about their cookie bars.

Mmmm…minis!

Justin’s nut butters

VEGAN PEANUT BUTTER CUPS!

 

Dear Justin, You officially have my heart and soul (and taste buds).

New Gardein goodies!

According to their rep, frozen meals are their best sellers.  I like that their products come in re-sealable bags so you can choose your own portion based on what you are doing with it (salad topping, entree, whatever).  This is especially useful in the packaging of their frozen veggie burger patties, which never seem to avoid frostbite in my experience (I’m looking at you Boca).

I sampled the Mandarin Orange Crispy Chik’n made fresh on the skillet one frozen bag at a time.

Oh ma (faux) chik-a-dees was this good.  Vegan or not, add this to your grocery list stat.

Ozery Baking Inc.

Time for Morning Rounds!

This Canadian company wins the award for cutest product name.

Sunland Peanut Butter

 

Nasoya’s Super Hummus is basically like the tofummus I made way back when (but far thicker).  They also make a spinach garlic flavor.  I don’t really buy into the whole mega protein thing, but it tasted good, so that’s all that matters.

 

 

Given the small percentage of photos I took, and the even smaller percentage I am showing you now, you can imagine the magnitude of the day.  There were THOUSANDS of companies present.  I was in vegan foodie heaven.  I came home with some major loot, which I have already started to make my way through.

Like trick or treating in a Whole Foods – could you fathom anything better?

All in all, the weekend was a huge success – I saw new items that I am thrilled to see hit the shelves and I met people who are changing the way the nation eats.  Vegans have much to look forward to, but then, so do non-vegans as well.  I truly can’t wait for the average market to catch up with the natural foods market, because what I saw at Expo West was more than an explosion of fabulous flavors, companies have the consumer’s health in mind.

What’s your favorite healthy/natural foods company?

Read Full Post »

Would you hold it against me?

If I told you I’ve been blasting the new Britney Spears song on repeat for most of the day?  You probably should.  It’s not exactly brilliant in the lyrics department.  It’s catchy, but overly repetitive.  At least it inspired me to make a new running mix…which inspired me to go on a run…which made me feel like a million bucks for the entire day.  Chain reaction a la B. Spears.

This morning started with a late wake up.  Unlike yesterday’s garbage truck fiasco, this was the perfect way to enjoy my morning off.  Then I got a rude awakening when I realized my to-do list was longer than Charlie Sheen’s.  Aren’t my days off are supposed to be more relaxing than my work days? 

 

I tackled my a few tasks while sipping on my 19th cup of coffee and eventually took a break for some food.

Shocker of all shockers, this morning’s breakfast was NOT oats. 

No worries, I just subby subbed in some cereal and the likes.  This was one of three bowls of Udi’s granola with greek yogurt.  I have no self control.  Actually, Udi’s is just that good. 

After digesting, I went on a nice long run, which left me completely energized.  I started cooking and prepping for the work days ahead of me and soon enough lunch cravings set in.

 

Ooey gooey cheeeeeze  😀

I managed to stuff Sabra hummus, Tofutti cream cheese and Daiya cheddar inside the toasted whole wheat bread, which explains why the sammie is bursting at the seams. 

This is vegan cheese bliss.  The apples on the side provided a contrasting sweet crunch.  J’adore.

The reason my dinner appetite was so weak is because of the following sequence of events.

I should not be permitted to buy family sized tubs of hummus.

Let alone multiple tubs.

After destroying the above plate, I then proceeded to make my way through these Food Should Taste Good Sweet Potato chips.

For the record, I was actually hungry throughout this chowfest.  I never felt like I was full, and so I kept eating.  My appetite is truly a wondrous thing.  So are those chips.  They really taste like sweet potatoes.  Yummy.

Finally my stomach was sated. 

Because of this, I didn’t get hungry again until rather late.  At which point I had the above carob chip & almond mix.  But I refilled it a few more times 🙂

And it’s back to work manana. 

Have you heard the new Britney song?  What’s your favorite upbeat/workout song at the moment?

Read Full Post »

The (new) Veggie Grill

On Saturday night I was invited to a pre-opening meal at a new restaurant…

[these are the perks of food blogging that Kyle really enjoys]

You may have heard of The Veggie Grill before, since they have a few other locations in the Southern California area.  This new site is mere blocks from our apartment, so we were both excited to try it out (for free no less!). 

Several staff members welcomed us upon arrival and then explained the menu, highlighting the favorites while encouraging us to browse it for ourselves.  We both ended up ordering burgers with the same side. 

Iced teas, lemonades, and the likes…no soda, no fake sugar. 

Agave was the only sweetener option, and the other condiments were just as pure.  I love that they stay true to their mission with real, wholesome, quality products (like Annie’s ketchup).

While waiting for our meals to arrive we chatted with one of the owners, T.K. Pillan.  I was really impressed with his passion for making healthy living more mainstream.  Making simple (yet delicious) plant based food for the average diner seems like a lofty goal, but he was definitely 100% behind the operation.  I couldn’t be more pleased to help spread veganism to the fast-food eating community. 

Then our food came and it was time to get down to business. 

I got the Bayou Chickin’ burger which had a (plant-based) chickin’ patty, lightly blackened with cajun spices, lettuce, tomato, red onion, avocado, spicy vegan mayo.

On the side I got an order of mac ‘n cheese.

Gooey. 

I really didn’t know what to expect with the chickin’ since faux meat can be hit and miss with me.  The weirdest thing was how real the texture of it was to meat.  The way it was blackened made it so similar to how a BBQ-ed breast might be.

See how the inside is thick and tough?  It was eerily meat-like. 

Since I have no meat cravings whatsoever, this wasn’t really a pro in my book.  I liked the flavor and I thought it was a good dish, but I’m not sure it’s something I’d seek out.  I think the nearly authentic meaty quality of the chickin’ may be more of an advantage for those who are newly vegetarian or just seeking to reduce the amount of meat in their diet (it’s certainly a healthier option for carnivores who want a hearty burger since the plant based protein doesn’t clog your arteries with cholesterol). 

The avo and spicy vegan mayo added a real punch that definitely “made” the burger. 

I was getting full as I polished off my last bite, so I saved the mac ‘n cheese to take home. 

I can’t wait to try the rest of the menu, especially some of the salads.  The menu was packed with things I was debating ordering – always a sign of a good restaurant. 

Kyle ordered The V-Burger which had a marinated and grilled veggie-steak burger, pickles, lettuce, tomato, red onion, chipotle ranch.  He nixed the pickles, and got mac ‘n cheese on the side, too. 

He described it as a cross between a fatburger and a veggie burger since it was like a greasy, but healthy patty.  Kyle mentioned this (as a compliment) to T.K.  Similar to my reaction, he was surprised by how close to a real burger it was in texture.  He and T.K. then went on to discuss business mumbo jumbo…while I zoned out and returned to my meal. 

After our dinner plates were bussed, dessert arrived! 

First up, carrot cake.  The frosting on this was sooooo good.  It tasted like cream cheese with a subtle sweetness and carrot flavor.  Yum.  The cake was good, too, and I don’t even like walnuts (which were sprinkled throughout the entire dessert).

The chocolate chip cookies were also quite tasty.  I like my cookies with more hearty grains (like oats), but these tasted about as traditional and close to the classic dessert as you could get (without butter, eggs, and sugar of course).  I was totally impressed. 

Thank you to The Veggie Grill for treating us to this delicious pre-opening meal!  The restaurant seems like it will be a big hit…the inside is vibrant and fun, the dining crowd looked like a good mix (with multiple generations represented), and the food was healthy, wholesome, and delish.  I’m thrilled that it’s so close by and now I can’t wait for it to open.  I know I’ll be back many many times. 

As far as vegan restaurants go, The Veggie Grill is (hopefully) paving the way for the future of food.  I love that plant-based menus are now becoming more mainstream…clearly the owners have found success already because they are expanding to more locations.  I only hope that this trend continues and veganism continues to get the spotlight it deserves.  With more support, maybe their growth will eventually allow them to replace some of the McDonald’s and Taco Bell’s.  The I-5 could certainly use some of these veg-friendly establishments.  ;)  I hesitate to compare it to fast food, as that implies a poorer quality, but it’s definitely a quicker to-go option (that doesn’t cost as much as Whole Foods) and exponentially superior for your health. 

The next day I was back to work. 

The leftover mac ‘n cheese made for easy lunch prep.

Mmmm…Daiya deliciousness.  Apparently they just revamped the recipe, and I have to say…It. Was. Awesome. 

How long has it been since I’ve had mac ‘n cheese?  Ummm…years!  I was completely and utterly content, sitting in the hospital cafeteria, watching the rain pour down outside, with my warm ooey gooey mac ‘n cheese. 

I also repeated my quinoa and veggie dish from the other day…this time bringing Artisana’s raw cashew butter to add in.

SO DAMN GOOD.

My oatmeal add-ins included pumpkin, shredded coconut and raisins. 

 

I snacked on this cereal, almond, granola, carob chip mix en route to the hospital (Kyle drove…to be explained later).  Other lunchables included apples, chocolate, dried fruit, candied ginger, and a pear. 

But this guy stole the show.  It’s no wonder it was voted #1 restaurant in Orange County.  The crumbled toasted topping, the gooey nature of the cheese, the perfect ratio of noodles to sauce…it was all amazing. 

Read Full Post »

$$ in your pocket

On my days off, I like to sleep in.  The first thing I do upon waking up is wash my face and brush my teeth.  But less than a second after, I make coffee.

After that I water my babies. 

Then, I set up shop on our dining room chairs and read blogs, write, and do whatever internet related errands I’ve put off for the past few days.

All while enjoying coffee. 

Coffee topped with froth and cocoa, to be exact.  At least, that’s what I did on Friday.

I also had the last piece of my pumpkin banana bread.  It’s created quite the buzz in the blogworld, which is evidence enough of how tasty it is…but in case you still don’t believe me, how’s this for a glamour shot.

I drizzled creamy peanut butter on top of the warm heel piece.  While I’m sad this loaf is gone, I still have the other loaf in the freezer to enjoy in the coming week (hooray!).  I try to make extra portions of my meals, baked goods, just about anything and everything to freeze and save.  It’s especially helpful during the work week, to have already prepared, home-cooked food, that requires nothing more than a quick session in the microwave.  Easy peasy. 

Lunch was a different kind of sammie. 

Layers of fall and breakfast.

You see, I had some fall items on hand, but wasn’t quite ready to say goodbye to the AM part of the day…

…hence the breakfast ingredients in the sandwich.

Daiya love it?  I do.  I also love avocado. 

This was the weirdest avocado I’ve ever seen.  When I tried to split it open, the entire skin came off the one side, leaving the fruit in tact.  As a result, I had a tough time slicing it, and resorted to using the entire top portion.

One half avocado, one half winter squash.  This frikin’ gourd was the most impossible thing to cook by the way.  I went to desperate places, involving Halloween-inspired knife maneuvers, multiple microwave intervals, and quite a bit of sweat.  I actually gave up half way through the first time I tried cooking it.

[Photo evidence]  I seriously couldn’t get the knife out of the dang gourd for a few hours.  And since I was starving at the time, I gave up and came back to it the next day. 

After a few different sessions on the microwave, I was finally able to get the knife through it. 

And look how pathetic the yield was?  That little amount of flesh was hardly worth the effort.  In other words, this may be my last gourd purchase.

Cool looking?  Affirmative.  Worth it?  Negative. 

But because I am persistent above all else, I vowed to use it in some way.  Thus, the following sandwich. 

After caking each half with avo and gourd guts, I topped it with an egg and vegan cheese.

Fall breakfast sandwich

• 1/2 avocado
• winter squash, mashed (ie butternut, delicata, chayote, etc.)
• 1 egg, sunny side up
• Daiya cheddar cheese (or whatever cheese you want)
• sprouted bread (I used Ezekiel 7 grain)

Fold the egg, give the bread a quick smoosh, and dig in. 

I usually cut my sammies in half to make them easier to eat.  Heaven forbid the ingredients slide out…

And I always eat the smaller half first, because that way once I’m done I don’t get sad, because I still have the BIGGER half left.  I’m a freak, I know. 

This sando was good, but next time I will use a different squash.  Maybe one that doesn’t require 2 days of prep?

I ended lunch on a sweet note.  An extra special one, at that. 

OH. MY. PEAS.

To say this was a treat would be an understatement.  So where did this delicious looking cookie come from?

I thought this family couldn’t get any cuter, but I was wrong. 

Mama Pea you have outdone yourself…  The cookies are light, moist, and flavorful.  Not too crumbly, not too chewy, but rather a perfect hybrid of both characteristics.  There was a subtle ginger flavor, which I loved, but the outer sugar crystals were the best part.  And somehow they weren’t overly sweet either.  Brilliant!

I have no doubt Mama Pea’s imminent cookbook is going to be a huge success.  After tasting this recipe, I’m beyond thrilled for it’s release.  Her reci-peas are gonna be the next best thing since sliced bread Ezekiel english muffins. 

After digesting another cookie and a half :)  I went for a run.  I try not to force exercise in on work days (unless I feel up to it), because I have way more energy on my days off and I prefer saving it for a more productive session.  I think that pushing myself to do a half-a$$ workout when I don’t have much energy is pointless.  Even if this philosophy means fewer workouts and less time exercising as a whole, I’m pretty sure my body gets way more out of a workout when I’m giving 100%.  Granted I’m not doing the kind of mileage that really requires recovery time, but I’m sure the days off don’t hurt with that either. 

Post run (and post shower), I had some vegan fudge.  Then Ethel came over and we went for a romantic stroll. 

We enjoyed the sunset from Ocean Ave, and then walked back to la casita.  On the way home this happened:

Ick.  How gross am I for showing my foot on the blog?  The blood just wouldn’t stop.  Rather than freak out, I couldn’t help but brag at how vascular my toe was.  What seemed like a simple stub looked like a Dexter-esque blow.  My hands and feet are almost always 15 degrees cooler than my body’s core temp, so I sometimes worry that I have crappy circulation.  But this blood-fest confirms it – I’m a very vascualr girl.  If I had diabetes or if I smoked my toe would’ve produced maybe a drop…but no…I’m a healthy bleeder.  Perhaps I’ve taken my cardiac nursing too far…

Back to the food.

WF prepared eats!!!

The end of the work week needs to be celebrated, right?  Ok, ok, so I didn’t even work on Friday…whatever…any excuse will do. 

I got the tofu fumi salad and Asian sesame tofu too. 

So greasy! 

Ordinarily, WF is know for it’s fresh, local, organic, clean prepared eats, but let’s not forget they have perfectly delicious hangover food too.  Not that I was hungover while eating this, but that’s kinda the genre I put certain foods in.  And Whole Foods’ prepared tofu is the perfect meal when you are craving super greasy Chinese food (which – and I’m sorry to make this association – is sometimes a post-boozing necessity).  While still insanely oily, it’s a good alternative to a generic Chinese take-out order.  I mean, for one, there’s no MSG, plus, there’s no hydrogenated nastiness, unhealthy oils, and the produce involved in the fumi salad is quality produce.

After dinner, Ethel got out her goods for a major girly night. 

My toe finally stopped bleeding enough for her to give me a pedicure.  Now that’s a good friend!!

Plus my fingies.  I’m in a purple phase. 

***********************

Ok, so now, about the post title…(yes, it’s a giveaway)!

CSN has generously offered to give one HHH reader $65 to use on any of their goods (which is pretty sweet considering they have everything under the sun available).  Check it out for yourself, CSN Stores literally has anything you could ever want, with over 1 million products and 200+ online stores…it’s basically free money in your pocket.

I will announce the winner Monday evening (Nov. 1st), so get your entries in stat!

The only thing you have to do to enter is comment telling me your favorite thing to do on your day off. 

*Bonus entry for tweeting the giveaway and then commenting here to tell me you did so. 

Read Full Post »

Bruins, birthdays, and BBQs

Saturday was sponsored by the letter “b” apparently. 

Kyle and I woke up at 7 am to get in a morning jog.  I hate working out early in the AM, but I love how it frees up the rest of the day.  So conflicting.  The reason I don’t like rise-and-shine cardio is because I suck at it.  I’m slow in the mornings.  I don’t really start to function until an hour (or two, if I’m being honest) after I’ve been awake.  The route I took Saturday morning typically takes me 24 minutes (when I do it in the afternoon).  At 7:15 in the morning, however, it took me 31 minutes.  That’s a pretty big difference for a 3ish mile run.  I told ya – it takes my body a while to warm up.  Without coffee to grease my gears, I just feel slow and my joints feel creaky. 

By 8:15 I was packing my lunch for the day, and by 8:45 we were off to the Rose Bowl.

Here’s what I packed up:

Ezekiel english muffin sammie with avo, mustard, spinach, Cedar’s roasted red pepper hummus, and Daiya vegan cheddar “cheese.”

Ezekiel 7-sprouted grains English muffins are the best kind of english muffin ever.  And that’s a fact.  Don’t even try and tell me otherwise unless you’ve tried them yourself.  In addition to being ridiculously hearty, they are so fluffy.  If you think that sprouted whole grains are more like cardboard than carbs, you haven’t tried these yet.  I will say, Ezekiel’s sliced sandwich breads are a little tough for my taste buds, but their english muffins more than make up for those shortcomings. 

So if you’ve written Ezekiel’s products off (or other sprouted ones) because you’ve only tried their breads, please, do yourself a favor and try the english muffins.  You’ll never buy any other kind again. 

 

And if you happened to forget all the reasons SPROUTED grains are good for you, here are a few reminders:

• Phytic acid (a GI irritant) is reduced when you sprout grains before baking them
• Nutrients are more available to the body because germination pre-digests the enzymes that inhibit absorption
• Enzymes produced during sprouting break down amino acid protein bonds enabling digestion of the entire grain and increasing vitamin content
• Unlike enriched* grains, sprouted grains are made from the endosperm of the wheat kernel (the inside portion), which retains all the natural fiber, bran, and 22 vitamins and minerals

*Enriched bread is milled into white flour which requires the removal of the bran and the germ and results in the loss of it’s natural fiber, bran, vitamins and minerals.  In order to compensate for this, vitamins and minerals (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, iron and folic acid) are added back in, "enriching" the flour.

Also, as per the FDA’s guidelines, only 50% of a bread’s grains have to be “whole” in order for the bread to be considered “whole” wheat.  So always look to see that your bread specifies 100% whole wheat.

But back to my packed goods…

I also brought a baggie of homemade trail mix (with cheerios, raw almonds, carob chips, and raisins), a Braeburn apple, baby carrots, and a Raspberry Pomegranate Supercharger PranaBar.

I was nervous this would be either overly fruity or overly nutty, but it was neither.  I had half on the car ride to the Rose Bowl and the rest in the stadium. 

Pros: It held me over well, it wasn’t sticky, it wasn’t headache-inducingly sweet, and it tasted good. 

Cons: The texture was too uniform (?) – basically, I wanted to see more visible chunks of individual ingredients.

Would I buy it again?  Yes.  I love PranaBar for their organic, unprocessed, dairy free, gluten free, no sugar added, vegan, non GMO, all natural perfection.

We made really good timing on the way to the game, so we met Kyle’s parents at the Pasadena Whole Foods.  Lord help me, this place was HUGE. 

Lucky for me, Kyle’s parents know that it’s really not fair to bring me into a massive Whole Foods and then leave empty handed…

Vegan desserts up the yin yang.

How, oh how, shall I choose?

We picked 8 different vegan truffles and boxed them up for later. 

I couldn’t wait!!

Eventually we made our way into the stadium.

It was hotter than hot.  Blazing hot.  Triple digits hot.  You get the idea. 

With all our cheering, we were sweating like crazy.  And get this, the Rose Bowl ran. out. of. water.  Seriously. 

Remember those vegan truffles?

Oy.  Goodbye my sad melted liquid lovers. 

On the way home from the game, we stopped at (a different) Whole Foods to pick up dinner.  It makes me very happy to know that I’m not the only one with a healthy foods’ store addiction…my in-laws are just as obsessed with Whole Foods as I am.  Guess we’re a good match.  😉

I had a mini-stroke when I discovered my beloved Synergy Kombucha was back in stock!  YES! YES! YES!  For those who are now screaming in delight at their computer screens, this is not a mirage, they are officially back in stores (in the wine shop/alcohol section).

We also picked up some appetizers. 

Mary’s Gone Crackers – Original and Herb flavored

I’ve heard about these crackers for a while now, but was never able to find them in New York.  I did manage to find (and try) the curry stix, but wasn’t a fan.  I ended up using them to bread tofu and accessorize my salads & soups. 

Needless to say, I was really excited to give these a shot despite my iffy past with Mary’s Goods, since they are:

• wheat free
• gluten free
• dairy free
• vegan
• organic
• kosher
• non GMO
• whole grain
• hydrogenated oil free
• trans-fat free

Plus all the ingredients are recognizable things like brown rice, flax seeds, quinoa, and sesame seeds. 

I put them on a pretty tray and served them alongside two kinds of Cedar’s hummus. 

This is going to sound weird, but they reminded me of the wafers you get during communion.  If you aren’t Catholic, this comparison means nothing to you.  But basically, they were really light, crispy, and flavorful.  I liked how some were thicker than others.  Call me crazy, but it somehow made them feel more home-made (and less processed).  I loved the seedy, nutty flavor of the Original, and the subtle presence of seasonings in the Herb flavor.  They weren’t the least bit hard or stale tasting either, as many “healthy” crackers can be.  They were surprisingly airy while hearty at the same time.  Those are pretty opposing characteristics, but somehow Mary’s Gone Crackers achieved it.

Figs and wine made their way into the mix, too.

A nice spread, no? 

Ramsay’s 2008 North Coast Pinot Noir.  Love.  [Read: I might have to go buy another bottle] 

After chatting, munching, and more chatting the boys got to BBQing. 

Salmon grilled with EVOO, salt & pepper (for the fish eaters).

The vegan portion of the meal included:

Sumi salad, Israeli couscous, and butternut squash. 

So while the rest of the dinner party passed around the fish, I made myself this lovely plate.

In addition to Israeli couscous, this salad had eggplant, portabella mushrooms, wild rice, dried cranberries, sunflower oil, canola oil, turmeric, mint, oregano, thyme, sea salt, and black pepper.

The Sumi salad had cabbage, green peppers, scallions, almonds, sesame seeds, canola oil, sesame oil, rice sticks, rice vinegar, evaporated cane juice, sea salt, and black pepper.

The butternut squash dish had red chard, apple cider vinegar, canola oil, sea salt, and black pepper.  It was way more citrusy than I was expecting, and I went back for seconds and thirds of it. 

When more friends joined us, we poured more wine. 

I didn’t try any of the St. Francis Chardonnay, but the Dry Creek Meritage Zin was another winner.  For being so different from the Pinot, I actually don’t think I could choose a favorite between the two reds.  They were both great in different ways. 

After a few drinks it was time to sing to the birthday girl! 

What’s cuter, the monkey cupcake or the loving look on Kyle’s dad’s face?  Awwww…

Read Full Post »

Vegan Enchiladas

Oh yes I did.

This shiz will blow your cabeza.  I cannot put into words how awesome this recipe was.  Even Kyle was making googly eyes at it.  I have a feeling I am going to be making this with the same frequency as Lindsay Lohan’s relapses. 

Ingredients:

• small green bell pepper (I used 2/3 medium bell pepper)
• 1/2 yellow onion
• 1 tbsp garlic (I used garlic gold nuggets)
• 1 tomatillo
• 1 can (2 cups) black beans
• 10 corn tortillas
• 4 oz. diced green chilies
• 1 tsp lime juice
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 28 oz. can of green enchilada sauce
• (optional) vegan cheese (I just sprinkled Daiya on top)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Add onion, bell pepper, and tomatillo to food processor and pulse until it looks like the below photo

Next add the drained and rinsed beans and pulse again until it’s blended and mostly smooth, but still with some chunks.

Then add the garlic, cayenne pepper, and diced chilies. 

Once the guts of the enchilada are blended, spoon reasonable portions into corn tortillas like so.

One by one, add them to a pan lined with some of the enchilada sauce…

All lined up!

If the tortillas crack, no worries, they will all bake together in the oven anyways, so just keep lining them up.

Pour more enchilada sauce over the tortillas, using a spoon to coat the entire tortilla. 

Once they are reasonably coated in sauce, sprinkle some vegan cheese on top. 

The recipe yields enough for 8-10 enchiladas depending on how packed you make them.  So after I finished the first pan full, I started working on the second batch.

Then I popped them in the oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  Let me tell you, the apartment smelled effing fantastic.  The aroma literally had me salivating. 

Not too shabby!

I had one right away (for poison control purposes of course), but the rest were put away for the weekend.  Talk about self control.  Arg.

Nope, not poisonous.  In fact, it was mighty tasty.  No.  That doesn’t do it justice.  It was 100% my dream vegan enchilada. 

See that perfect spicy mexican bean medley bursting out.  That’s the sh!t right there. 

Not to toot my own horn or anything, but if any of my recipes are worth making, it is this one.  I would never lie to you…just do it. 

I feel sorry for our neighbors because I’m gonna be brawling with Kyle for these. 

Read Full Post »

Nine two nine

It’s 9/29!  You didn’t think I’d forget National Coffee Day did you!?!?

Not a chance.  I’m a tad behind in blogging because I’ve been playing catch-up around the casa.  I’ve been productive, but I hardly deserve a pat on the back since it’s all stuff that I should have accomplished last weekend. 

For breakfast on Tuesday I had a bowl of One Lucky Duck grawnola, cheerios, and bananas on top of greek yogurt.

Tuesday I got my running mojo back and after this bowl of deliciousness had digested I set off for a nice 30 minutes of jogging on the beach.  It was glorious.  I stretched for another 15 minutes when I got home, which was almost better than the run. 

Lately I’ve been into throwing curve balls when it comes to normal flavor combinations.  Like making foods that are typically savory into sweet dishes, and vice versa…

Continuing the trend, for Tuesday’s lunch I toyed with the idea of creating a sweet hummus.  Sounds weird, right?  It took a looong brainstorming sesh, but I finally came up with a winning recipe. 

Don’t knock it ‘til you try it.

Remember that delicious almond butter fluff I made a few days ago?  Allow me to introduce sweet almond hummus.

Sweet almond hummus

• 3/4 cup chickpeas
• 1/2 cup raw soaked almond butter
• 1/4 cup water

*If you don’t have almond butter made from soaked nuts you could use 1/4 cup regular almond butter with an extra 1/4 cup water instead

Pulse in a blender or food processor until everything is super smooth.

I dipped carrots and apples in it, and I have to say, it was pretty awesome.  As far as dips go, this one is really versatile because it can work for both sweet and savory foods.  Next time I make it I’ll use less water and see how it goes with pita wedges. 

The afternoon was fairly snacky.  I had a berry MIX1 smoothie which was absolutely stellar.  It’s not vegan because it contains whey, but it is lactose free. 

I rarely drink (a) smoothies that I haven’t made myself and/or (b) pre-made beverages that are more than 100 kcals (that’s an arbitrary numeric amount, but it’s generally about right).  That said, I felt like a thick and fruity drink.  What can I say, I don’t live in black and white and MIX1 has good smoothies that don’t leave you feeling like you just downed a sugar bomb. 

Later I had 3 apples (2 galas, 1 braeburn).  Hello fall!

Dinner was a vegan quesadilla. 

• La Tortilla Factory whole wheat tortillas
• hummus
• Daiya vegan cheddar “cheese”
• kidney beans
• chili powder
• paprika

Beanie weeney (that’s for you Kailey)

I smooshed the kidney beans then threw it in the micro for a few seconds.

 

Fold and feast.

It’s kinda like a new and improved crack wrap…more hearty, more beany, and all around delicious.  Plus the chili powder kinda gave my taste buds a run for their money.  Spicayyy. 

 

On the late night I had some hummus with Livin’ Spoonful raw crackers.  I effing love these things.  I even order them from my own OpenSky shop because I adore them and can’t find them ANYwhere. 

This was my last pack though :( 

On Wednesday, I got up early and celebrated National Coffee Day.

Then I headed off to the farmer’s market.  This is basically becoming a Wednesday tradition since I’ve now gone the past 3 weeks in a row, with 2 Saturday trips as well.  I love the atmosphere and supporting the local farms, but I also love scoping out good deals.  I have scored bags of multi-colored bell peppers (that taste out of this world) for $2.  That said, I also think some stuff is triple what it would cost in the store (like the pears I “had to have”). 

Fig had a mini-kitchen set up going on and their menu looked legit.  I’m going to have to remember to try the restaurant out soon.  Being semi-new to the area, I am continuously discovering good places to dine…when I got home and googled Fig, I decided it was right up my ally.  Add that to the to-do list!

Anyways, today I was supposed to meet a friend at the market, but there was a miscommunication and we wound up taking a rain check on our date.  I still came home with some mighty fine loot, which you can see in the bowl below.

Pears, peaches, greek yogurt, oh my!

Not too much later I made lunch since I had to run out for an afternoon errand.  I wasn’t that hungry, but I didn’t know how long I’d be away from the casa. 

Round two with the Fakin’ Bakin’ tempeh.

This time I cooked it in a pan with minimal cooking spray so it crisped up.

Let me tell you, the kitchen smelled amazing…even better was the fact that the smoke detector didn’t go off (I don’t miss my NYC kitchen shoebox with a sink and oven at all). 

 

On the one half of the sando I careful caked on spicy dijon mustard, half an avocado, and the crispy tempeh, while on the other half I melted some vegan (Daiya) cheddar “cheese.”

In the words of Joey Tribbiani “put those hands together” (Friends fans?). 

Yeah buddy. 

I think I can get on board with tempeh if I keep making sammies like this! 

Anyways, I’ll post the rest of the day’s eats later, since I’m gonna work on the seitan tutorial you guys asked for.  Ciao for now.

Read Full Post »

Mundane

Monday had very little going on for me.  My bicycle (which was getting new gear switcher thingies) was finally done and ready for pick up, but aside from that I did little else worth mentioning.

I started the day with another carob coffee concoction.  This time I added a tsp of carob powder to the milk during the frothing process.

Turned out pretty well.

Later on I had a big bowl of fruit, including two apples and some strawberries with cinnamon on top.

I reread Skinny Bitch on Sunday night and it reminded me of several things, including the digestion benefits of starting your day off with fruit.  Some people may not agree with certain parts of the book or the tone the authors take to present the advantages of veganism, but there are some things that leave you stunned and wanting to do further research.  That’s how I felt the first time I read it, and that’s how I wound up looking into the topics that the book highlighted.  Maybe it’s not a Pulitzer Prize winning work, but it successfully opened my eyes, so I’d say it’s worth reading if you haven’t yet.

But back to the fruit thing.  The concept of eating fruit first is mentioned in Skinny Bitch as a means of cleansing your system as you start your day.  To me, this seems similar to the logic behind food combining, which is based on the idea that different foods or food combinations may be digested with greater ease and/or efficiency than others.  I’m not going to get into gastric physiology here, but I do think there are overlaps in as far as fruit is concerned.  In a perfect GI system (which I don’t have btw) fruit is digested faster than other things, therefore eating it first will aid in digestion.  Or, to put a different spin on it, not eating it last will be less of an irritation in digestion.  I have IBS, but I’m certainly not an expert on this, so please don’t think this is the answer to all your problems (I wish it were that simple).  However, the goal of food combining (or eating fruit before other foods) is to avoid fermentation in the GI tract.  This delays digestion, slows the passage of food, and is just plain painful.  How’s that for a light morning discussion.

Who else has read Skinny Bitch?  Thoughts? I (still) choose to ignore the coffee part…yes, I’m aware I have a problem…does admitting it at least remove me from the denial category?

For lunch I had grilled cheese with Daiya cheddar (obsessed much?).

Later I did a Jillian workout (15 minutes) and then ran to the bike shop (~1 mile) to pick up my baby.  I rode all the way home and loved every second of the ride.  I wanted to keep going, but I had to meet Kyle on campus, so my longer ride will have to wait.  I’ve missed riding my bike so much!  I need to look up trails and routes in the Santa Monica area.

I rushed to get ready, which left me hardly enough time to eat a quick snack before catching the bus to Westwood.  They weren’t glamorous to photograph, but stuffed medjool dates are the perfect snack when you’re in a rush.  I typically opt for almonds, carob chips, or nut butter, but I had pumpkin seeds on hand, and figured why not.  It’s autumn appropriate, right?

Campus was still fairly empty since school hasn’t started yet for undergrads.

We are having pretty weird weather lately, but school still looks as gorgeous as ever.

Welcome home Bruins!  I can’t remember the last time I was on campus, so it was weird and cool to be back on my old stomping grounds.

I met up with Kyle just as he was finishing at the clubs fair and we made our way to the first official Joint Ventures event.

At the risk of sounding like a huge nerd (what a pointless battle), I’ll explain to you what Joint Ventures is.  As a grad student, Kyle has social events up the yin-yang (and some school too 😛 ).  As a grad school student’s wife, I’m going to be as involved as possible with the social events.  And because there are several other married/engaged couples in the same position, there’s a club for all the couples called Joint Ventures.  Sounds semi business-y huh?  Well, it’s really just a club for the old farts to act like the wild children we once were.  I was a bit overwhelmed at first, but I’ve already gotten to know tons of fun people.  Cheers to having a social life!

We mingled for a while and then hit up Whole Foods for dinner.

Fumi tofu salad with slivered almonds.

We bussed home and called it a night.

Before I forget, I wanted to let you know that the following coupon code will get you 30% off anything in my OpenSky shop.  The coupon is good for the first five customers who use it and expires on September 30, so don’t wait.

Coupon Code: THIRTYHIPPIE

Read Full Post »

Interview with a vegan

If you are wondering what a type A person looks like before a job interview, here you go:

Prepping slash watching the seconds on the clock tick by.  SO nervous.  Keep your digits (all of ‘em) crossed for me. 

After an hour of selling myself offering to give up my first born child for the job, I noshed on a colorful bowl of strawberries and apples. 

It was still gloomy weather when noon arrived, so I felt like a warm comfort sammie. 

Tempeh fakin’ bacon.  I bought this on a whim (and because it was on sale).  I really want to like tempeh, so I’m trying to slowly immerse myself, starting with more disguised products like the above.  It wasn’t bad for a (processed) meat alternative, but I could definitely taste the fermented, bitter tempeh flavor hidden in there. 

Melted cheddar Daiya + tempeh “bacon” + steamed kale

I figured the kale canceled out the over-processed portion of the sando.  That’s how it works, right? 

I had a hefty dose of Vitamin A on the side with my new crush, D’s BBQ sauce. 

I’m going to sign off for now since my sister’s flight is arriving soon and I have to go pick her up at the airport.  It’s so nice to live close enough to family that a visit can be an impulsive last minute decision, rather than a long planned cross country trek.

OH!  I almost forgot!  The winner of the CoverMate Food Covers is Courtney! 

Among many of her entries, she said “Cover mate covers are made of FDA food safe materials…shower caps are not!”  Congrats  Courtney!  I know these will be put to good use in your home.  Now hit me up with your mailing address so I can get the goods headed your way. 

I still have another couple of giveaways coming up soon…but for now, I’m going to enjoy the weekend with my sister.  Hippie out.

Read Full Post »

Krav Magic

I went to bed sooo late last night because I was waiting for Kyle to finish his homework (yes, he has homework).  Too bad for me that didn’t end up being until 1 am.  I wasn’t too concerned because, hey, it’s not like I have a job or anything.  But instead of sleeping in and regaining those lost hours, I was up and at ‘em at 7:30.  😡

6 hours of sleep?  Meh.  Not bad, but not a routine I want to roll with all the time.  The early rise and shine did give me time to get a sh!t ton of work done though, which included the creation of a mighty fine mocha beverage. 

Carob + coffee.

Who would’ve known that just one tsp of carob powder mixed in my morning coffee could make such a difference!  Top ‘o le manana indeed-y (how’s that for a smorgasbord of languages?).

Guess what I had for breakfast?  Crunch.  Anyone else crave carrots at 10 am.  I know there must be others out there, too.

I spent allllll morning doing job application stuff.  Seriously, some one hire me. 

I would’ve gone to Starbucks for maximal productivity (it’s like my red zone – football reference anyone?), but I was waiting on a repairman.  The guy was supposed to arrive before 11 am, but wouldn’t you know it, he called at 11:45 saying he was running late.  Uhhhh…no sh!t sherlock.  He finally arrived at 12:30, conveniently RIGHT as I sat down to lunch.  Perfect.

My lunch was worth the wait.

Ciabatta.

Kale sautéed in EVOO & Bragg’s liquid aminos.

Avocado.

Hand-mashed cannellini beans.

Put it all together now.

The juice from the kale soaked into the bread a bit making it perfectly moist, but not soggy.  The outside of the bread was still fresh and crispy and as we all know, avocado makes everything 1 million times better. 

Basically, the sandwich was perfection. 

Once I handled ma biz around the apartment, I ran out for some errands.

And came home starving…which is why this thing Daiya and hummus monstrosity looks like a hot mess of a snack.  No worries, it tasted ah-maze.

Plus I washed it all down with a naranja fizzy pop and apple numero tres of the day.  Holler!

Instead of running along the beach (my typical fitness activity as of late), I had a cool and exciting workout date.  One of my girlfriends is really into Krav Maga, and she took me as a guest to a class.  Oh my goodness, it was a blast!  So much energy, so much fun, so much punching and kicking!  It’s now a full day later and I’m feeling the burn all over the place.  Random back muscles that I hardly knew existed are aching.  Don’t mistake this for a bad thing though, I love feeling sore because it means I busted out of my workout comfort zone. 

Anyone else tried Krav Maga before?

Pre-workout electrolytes.

Going into the class, all I knew was the name: bag class.  I figured that meant punching bags, but other than that I was going in with no background knowledge whatsoever.  It was intense in the best way possible.  In case you couldn’t tell, I loved it.  I may have to get a membership…once I have an income…

Before leaving the casa, I had mostly prepped dinner, so all I had to do once I got home was assemble it.

Sweet taters and kale – steamed and tupped.

Nooch and Bragg’s – condiment all stars.

And dried cranz for good measure somethin’ sweet.

Solid, simple ingredients.  Yummy clean eating 🙂

My body was hungry for dessert a few hours later so I did tha damn thang.  Super salty assorted nuts + carob chips + raisins.  These were the last of our massive (Costco sized) tub of nuts.  Uh-oh.  :P 

Don’t forget to enter my latest giveaway.  It’s a good one!

Read Full Post »