Bianca Phillips's Blog, page 103
April 3, 2018
Bluff City Vegan Eats: Hopdoddy Burger Bar
Memphis is home to the newest Hopdoddy Burger Bar — a chain burger joint that has a number of vegan options, including the Impossible Burger!!!!!!! My friend Susan and I were invited to check it out on a media preview night last night.
Of course, we both ordered the Impossible patty. Look at that juicy, "bloody" plant burger!
The burger can be ordered vegan-style or vegetarian. The vegan burger has Follow Your Heart smoked gouda and vegan mayo, plus you can add avocado, which I obviously did. When you have the option of avocado, you should always take it!
If you're not familiar with the Impossible Burger, it's a plant-based patty made from wheat protein, coconut oil, potato protein, and heme. Heme is responsible for the taste and aroma of meat and is exceptionally abundant in animal muscle. But it's a basic building block of life in all organisms, including plants. The heme in this burger is soy-based, not cow-based, and it's what gives it that "bloody" look and meaty taste. It's so good! I think it's even more realistic than the Beyond Burger, which I also love.
Hopdoddy also serves a vegan black bean & corn veggie burger called La Bandita that can be served with the vegan cheese. Not everyone would be comfortable eating a burger as meaty as the Impossible, so it's great they have a more whole foods-based option for the healthier vegans! I'd like to try it sometime, but I don't know if I could ever not order the Impossible!
Besides the Impossible Burger, we also tried two kinds of fries — the Kennebec Fries, which are made from Kennebec potatoes (a variety that retains its firmness after frying due to a low moisture content).
And Sweet Potato Fries! I loved both, but Sweet P fries are always my fave everywhere I go.
Multiple sauces for dipping — Chipotle Ketchup, BBQ Sauce, and Classic Ketchup. All made with natural sweetener (no HFCS).
Susan and I ordered 18-ounce craft beers, which came in a goblet! I had High Cotton Scottish Ale, and she had a Crosstown Brewing Co. Traffic IPA.
They also have a full bar. Paul ordered the 3 Whiskey L.I.T., which tasted a little like a long island iced tea. It had three whiskies, dry curacao, cola, and lime. I'm not typically a whiskey drinker, but I really liked this!
Hopdoddy is located in Overton Square at 6 S. Cooper. View the menu here.
Of course, we both ordered the Impossible patty. Look at that juicy, "bloody" plant burger!
The burger can be ordered vegan-style or vegetarian. The vegan burger has Follow Your Heart smoked gouda and vegan mayo, plus you can add avocado, which I obviously did. When you have the option of avocado, you should always take it!
If you're not familiar with the Impossible Burger, it's a plant-based patty made from wheat protein, coconut oil, potato protein, and heme. Heme is responsible for the taste and aroma of meat and is exceptionally abundant in animal muscle. But it's a basic building block of life in all organisms, including plants. The heme in this burger is soy-based, not cow-based, and it's what gives it that "bloody" look and meaty taste. It's so good! I think it's even more realistic than the Beyond Burger, which I also love.
Hopdoddy also serves a vegan black bean & corn veggie burger called La Bandita that can be served with the vegan cheese. Not everyone would be comfortable eating a burger as meaty as the Impossible, so it's great they have a more whole foods-based option for the healthier vegans! I'd like to try it sometime, but I don't know if I could ever not order the Impossible!
Besides the Impossible Burger, we also tried two kinds of fries — the Kennebec Fries, which are made from Kennebec potatoes (a variety that retains its firmness after frying due to a low moisture content).
And Sweet Potato Fries! I loved both, but Sweet P fries are always my fave everywhere I go.
Multiple sauces for dipping — Chipotle Ketchup, BBQ Sauce, and Classic Ketchup. All made with natural sweetener (no HFCS).
Susan and I ordered 18-ounce craft beers, which came in a goblet! I had High Cotton Scottish Ale, and she had a Crosstown Brewing Co. Traffic IPA.
They also have a full bar. Paul ordered the 3 Whiskey L.I.T., which tasted a little like a long island iced tea. It had three whiskies, dry curacao, cola, and lime. I'm not typically a whiskey drinker, but I really liked this!
Hopdoddy is located in Overton Square at 6 S. Cooper. View the menu here.
April 2, 2018
Green Goddess Gourmet Vegan Foods to Open Memphis Store!
For as long as I've been vegan — 14 years this fall! — I've been following the career of fellow Memphis vegan, Omi Ogunwale El (formerly known as Bastet and referred to by that name on my older posts). Long-time vegan Omi has done it all! She's co-led a vegan awareness group (Vegan Sisters). She's run a vegan lunch pick-up service, and she helped launch the (sadly) now-closed Deja Vu. She co-hosted weekly vegan brunches and ran a catering business under her old company, OC Vegan Foods. She operated a natural foods/herb shop (the Natural House of Wellness). And she organized a Memphis vegan festival for three years.
And for the past 10 years, she's run Green Goddess Gourmet Vegan Foods — makers of the most amazing vegan flavored popcorns, which are sold at Memphis Whole Foods, Cash Saver, and Super Lo stores, plus Whole Foods in Nashville, Chattanooga, Knoxville, and Atlanta. Now Green Goddess Gourmet Vegan Foods is growing into a brick-and-mortar shop in the Binghampton neighborhood of Memphis! The store will be at 3078 Summer Ave (suite 510) and should open in early June. The new store and lounge will sell vegan snacks, spices, and other products, serve teas, and offer community classes and workshops focused on healthy living.
Omi's PR agent Aisling popped by my office last week to drop off some popcorn samples. I've had all of these flavors before, but I'd forgotten just how delicious they are! The original — and my personal fave — is the Green Goddess Popcorn, which has spirulina and kelp powder, garlic, cayenne, and nooch.
All of her popcorns are popped in a mix of coconut and safflower oil, and that coconut flavor shines through too! They're perfectly seasoned, and it's hard to eat just one serving (that's one cup according to the bag).
Here's the Garlic Popcorn, which is super-duper garlicky. I'm a big garlic fan, and I don't even care what my breath smells like after I eat this. This popcorn could kill vampires, and that's a good thing. I also love all those herbs!
And here's the Caribbean Curry Popcorn, which is seasoned with curry powder, nooch, and rosemary. It's slightly sweet but more savory than anything, and it's truly addictive. I wiped out an entire bag over the weekend — all by myself.
Next door to Green Goddess will be Angels and Tomboys — a vegan bath and beauty product business run by Omi's sister, Viara Iyadunni. Angels and Tomboys is primarily markets to tweens, but I'm the kind of adult who refuses to grow up, so I'm sure I'll be buying stuff there too! I mean, they have a body spray called Lemonade Doughnuts, so I'm pretty sold!
Angels and Tomboys' products have been sold online and at Memphis pop-up shops and trade shows. It was launched in 2016 by Iyadunni’s daughters, Madison Star and Mallory Iyana. The tween sisters gained national attention after striking a deal with Dallas Maverick’s owner Mark Cuban and FUBU founder Daymond John on ABC’s “Shark Tank."
Look for another post about these two new vegan shops soon! I'll definitely update y'all when the stores open this summer.
And for the past 10 years, she's run Green Goddess Gourmet Vegan Foods — makers of the most amazing vegan flavored popcorns, which are sold at Memphis Whole Foods, Cash Saver, and Super Lo stores, plus Whole Foods in Nashville, Chattanooga, Knoxville, and Atlanta. Now Green Goddess Gourmet Vegan Foods is growing into a brick-and-mortar shop in the Binghampton neighborhood of Memphis! The store will be at 3078 Summer Ave (suite 510) and should open in early June. The new store and lounge will sell vegan snacks, spices, and other products, serve teas, and offer community classes and workshops focused on healthy living.
Omi's PR agent Aisling popped by my office last week to drop off some popcorn samples. I've had all of these flavors before, but I'd forgotten just how delicious they are! The original — and my personal fave — is the Green Goddess Popcorn, which has spirulina and kelp powder, garlic, cayenne, and nooch.
All of her popcorns are popped in a mix of coconut and safflower oil, and that coconut flavor shines through too! They're perfectly seasoned, and it's hard to eat just one serving (that's one cup according to the bag).
Here's the Garlic Popcorn, which is super-duper garlicky. I'm a big garlic fan, and I don't even care what my breath smells like after I eat this. This popcorn could kill vampires, and that's a good thing. I also love all those herbs!
And here's the Caribbean Curry Popcorn, which is seasoned with curry powder, nooch, and rosemary. It's slightly sweet but more savory than anything, and it's truly addictive. I wiped out an entire bag over the weekend — all by myself.
Next door to Green Goddess will be Angels and Tomboys — a vegan bath and beauty product business run by Omi's sister, Viara Iyadunni. Angels and Tomboys is primarily markets to tweens, but I'm the kind of adult who refuses to grow up, so I'm sure I'll be buying stuff there too! I mean, they have a body spray called Lemonade Doughnuts, so I'm pretty sold!
Angels and Tomboys' products have been sold online and at Memphis pop-up shops and trade shows. It was launched in 2016 by Iyadunni’s daughters, Madison Star and Mallory Iyana. The tween sisters gained national attention after striking a deal with Dallas Maverick’s owner Mark Cuban and FUBU founder Daymond John on ABC’s “Shark Tank."
Look for another post about these two new vegan shops soon! I'll definitely update y'all when the stores open this summer.
April 1, 2018
Fried Avocado Taco from New Wing Order
Last week, my friend Susan invited me to join her for a media preview of New Wing Order, a new hot wing food truck launching in Memphis this September. You're probably thinking, "What's a vegan going to eat from a hot wing truck?" Or maybe you're not thinking that if you've read the title of this post. Duh.
So yea, they have vegan Fried Avocado Tacos, and they are AMAZING.
The avocado is coated in panko and fried in oil. It's served with pico, diced pineapple, and a spicy sauce (called bang bang sauce) on a soft flour tortilla. So, so, so good! And since Susan and I both are vegetarian, the New Wing Order folks gave us an extra taco since we couldn't eat the wings everyone else at the party was eating. Since this was a tasting, New Wing Order staff went around and asked for thoughts on each item. All of meat eaters at our table loved this taco as well.
I'm especially impressed that a hot wing truck would even think to add a vegan option. That's a cuisine that typically doesn't lend itself to being inclusive for non-meat eaters. And even though it's just one item, it's a very delicious, gorgeous dish that they put lots of thought and care into. And that's awesome.
New Wing Order hits the streets in September, and I cannot wait. I'll be stalking this truck on Twitter to get my taco fix! Read more about the story behind the truck on my friend Susan's blog, Hungry Memphis on the Memphis Flyer website.
So yea, they have vegan Fried Avocado Tacos, and they are AMAZING.
The avocado is coated in panko and fried in oil. It's served with pico, diced pineapple, and a spicy sauce (called bang bang sauce) on a soft flour tortilla. So, so, so good! And since Susan and I both are vegetarian, the New Wing Order folks gave us an extra taco since we couldn't eat the wings everyone else at the party was eating. Since this was a tasting, New Wing Order staff went around and asked for thoughts on each item. All of meat eaters at our table loved this taco as well.
I'm especially impressed that a hot wing truck would even think to add a vegan option. That's a cuisine that typically doesn't lend itself to being inclusive for non-meat eaters. And even though it's just one item, it's a very delicious, gorgeous dish that they put lots of thought and care into. And that's awesome.
New Wing Order hits the streets in September, and I cannot wait. I'll be stalking this truck on Twitter to get my taco fix! Read more about the story behind the truck on my friend Susan's blog, Hungry Memphis on the Memphis Flyer website.
March 29, 2018
Eating for My Dosha
This month's Goddess Provisions box was Ayurveda-themed, and it included The Idiot's Guide to Ayurveda. I really love The Idiot's Guide series because the books have a way of breaking down concepts and philosophies in a way that's fun to read and easy to understand. I'm about halfway through the book, and I'm really into the idea of Ayurveda!
Ayruveda is an ancient Indian system of medicine, which is based on the idea of balance in bodily systems and uses through diet, herbal treatment, and yogic breathing. I've long been curious about Ayruveda, but I've never really looked into it. Now thanks to this book, I've taken a dosha quiz and learned that my dosha is vata-pitta. In a nutshell, that means I have a thin frame with dry skin and tend to be cold all the time. I'm also creative, always on the go, and an over-achiever who thrives on ambitious goals.
According to Ayruveda, there are certain ways to eat depending on your body type. I'm more vata than pitta, so I'm supposed to focus on warming foods (to balance my cold nature), moist and fatty foods (to help with my dry skin), and foods that are easy on my digestion (vatas have the most sensitive digestive issues). The Idiot's Guide suggests a few recipes, one of which was this breakfast suggestion of Quinoa Porridge (mine has almond milk, cinnamon, cardamom, walnuts, and pumpkin and hemp seeds).
It's warming, and it contains whole grains, which are great for vata types. Nuts and seeds are also recommended since they're higher in fat. I had this yesterday morning, and I did feel pretty great all morning. It was filling, and it didn't cause any gassy issues (my biggest digestive problem).
For lunch yesterday, I had the Curried Tofu Coconut Curry from the book.
Vatas are supposed to limit beans and legumes because they're hard to digest, but tofu is supposedly easier to digest so it's recommended. Also the coconut milk is high in fat, and that's great for vata too! This curry also has carrots and okra. It was really hearty and delicious.
I won't be eating for my dosha all the time, but I'd like to focus on this as much as I can without giving up my junk foods, beans, or salads (vata are supposed to limit raw veggies because they're harsh on the digestion). I only ate this way yesterday until dinner, and then I had some vegan pizza! But during the day, when I was eating the Ayruvedic way, I felt pretty amazing. No digestive issues, and I felt satisfied.
I ordered the Vegan Ayruvedic Kitchen Cookbook too, but I haven't had a chance to dig in yet. I'll probably use that book to do a full 3-day (or maybe even a week) Ayruvedic diet just for fun soon!
Ayruveda is an ancient Indian system of medicine, which is based on the idea of balance in bodily systems and uses through diet, herbal treatment, and yogic breathing. I've long been curious about Ayruveda, but I've never really looked into it. Now thanks to this book, I've taken a dosha quiz and learned that my dosha is vata-pitta. In a nutshell, that means I have a thin frame with dry skin and tend to be cold all the time. I'm also creative, always on the go, and an over-achiever who thrives on ambitious goals.
According to Ayruveda, there are certain ways to eat depending on your body type. I'm more vata than pitta, so I'm supposed to focus on warming foods (to balance my cold nature), moist and fatty foods (to help with my dry skin), and foods that are easy on my digestion (vatas have the most sensitive digestive issues). The Idiot's Guide suggests a few recipes, one of which was this breakfast suggestion of Quinoa Porridge (mine has almond milk, cinnamon, cardamom, walnuts, and pumpkin and hemp seeds).
It's warming, and it contains whole grains, which are great for vata types. Nuts and seeds are also recommended since they're higher in fat. I had this yesterday morning, and I did feel pretty great all morning. It was filling, and it didn't cause any gassy issues (my biggest digestive problem).
For lunch yesterday, I had the Curried Tofu Coconut Curry from the book.
Vatas are supposed to limit beans and legumes because they're hard to digest, but tofu is supposedly easier to digest so it's recommended. Also the coconut milk is high in fat, and that's great for vata too! This curry also has carrots and okra. It was really hearty and delicious.
I won't be eating for my dosha all the time, but I'd like to focus on this as much as I can without giving up my junk foods, beans, or salads (vata are supposed to limit raw veggies because they're harsh on the digestion). I only ate this way yesterday until dinner, and then I had some vegan pizza! But during the day, when I was eating the Ayruvedic way, I felt pretty amazing. No digestive issues, and I felt satisfied.
I ordered the Vegan Ayruvedic Kitchen Cookbook too, but I haven't had a chance to dig in yet. I'll probably use that book to do a full 3-day (or maybe even a week) Ayruvedic diet just for fun soon!
March 28, 2018
More Stuff I Ate
More random meals! I went home to Jonesboro, Arkansas on Sunday to get my dad to help me with my taxes, and my mom decided that we should also just go ahead and celebrate my dad's birthday while I was there (it's April 3). Ha! I would have planned some kind of dessert for us, but I didn't realize we were doing birthday too. Anyway, she made a celebratory meal of filet mignons for them and a Grilled Beyond Burger for me, topped with sauteed mushrooms and served with Grilled Vegetables, Baked Sweet Potato, and Garlic Toast. Delicious!
Months ago, when I was in Nashville visiting my friend Greg, I picked up some Nashville-made BE Hive Seitan Slices. I thought I'd grabbed the filets, and I planned to use them in a dish sometime, so I threw the seitan in the freezer until I was ready. Well, turns out that I grabbed the slices, which I noticed this week when I was thawing it out. And what a happy accident! The seitan is super thinly sliced, like deli meat, so it's perfect for sandwiches. I made this sandwich with Follow Your Heart Pepper Jack, mayo, lettuce, and tomato. I plan to make some philly cheesesteaks with it later this week. I'll be back in Nashville later this month, and I can't wait to get more BE Hive Seitan. It's the best I've ever had!
Leftovers! This is the Sausage & Collards I made for Ostara and the Colcannon (with gravy!) that I made for St. Patrick's Day.
I've been all about smoothie bowls this week! I had this Green Kiwi Apple Banana Bowl (base of banana, kiwi, apple, spinach, and Vega One Natural protein powder, topped with Natural Grocers' bulk pistachio mulberry granola, hemp seeds, and raspberries) after a 4-mile run on Monday.
And I had this Mango Green Smoothie Bowl (base of mango, banana, and Vega Coconut Almond Protein & Greens powder, topped with more pistachio mulberry granola, fresh mango, and coconut flakes) after a 5-mile run on Tuesday.
On Monday night, our Crosstown Memphis CDC hosted the Crosstown Cop Stop — where neighbors meet officers who patrol our neighborhood — at Midtown Crossing Grill. Owner Octavia is on the CDC board with me, and she provided some awesome vegan options in her spread of free food for the neighbors and cops. The police (and myself) were all about the Bianca Banh Mi (her vegan tofu banh mi) and Black Bean Corn Salad. She actually said the police requested healthy options! Of course, there was also BBQ and non-vegan pizza, but the tofu banh mis were gobbled up quickly.
Months ago, when I was in Nashville visiting my friend Greg, I picked up some Nashville-made BE Hive Seitan Slices. I thought I'd grabbed the filets, and I planned to use them in a dish sometime, so I threw the seitan in the freezer until I was ready. Well, turns out that I grabbed the slices, which I noticed this week when I was thawing it out. And what a happy accident! The seitan is super thinly sliced, like deli meat, so it's perfect for sandwiches. I made this sandwich with Follow Your Heart Pepper Jack, mayo, lettuce, and tomato. I plan to make some philly cheesesteaks with it later this week. I'll be back in Nashville later this month, and I can't wait to get more BE Hive Seitan. It's the best I've ever had!
Leftovers! This is the Sausage & Collards I made for Ostara and the Colcannon (with gravy!) that I made for St. Patrick's Day.
I've been all about smoothie bowls this week! I had this Green Kiwi Apple Banana Bowl (base of banana, kiwi, apple, spinach, and Vega One Natural protein powder, topped with Natural Grocers' bulk pistachio mulberry granola, hemp seeds, and raspberries) after a 4-mile run on Monday.
And I had this Mango Green Smoothie Bowl (base of mango, banana, and Vega Coconut Almond Protein & Greens powder, topped with more pistachio mulberry granola, fresh mango, and coconut flakes) after a 5-mile run on Tuesday.
On Monday night, our Crosstown Memphis CDC hosted the Crosstown Cop Stop — where neighbors meet officers who patrol our neighborhood — at Midtown Crossing Grill. Owner Octavia is on the CDC board with me, and she provided some awesome vegan options in her spread of free food for the neighbors and cops. The police (and myself) were all about the Bianca Banh Mi (her vegan tofu banh mi) and Black Bean Corn Salad. She actually said the police requested healthy options! Of course, there was also BBQ and non-vegan pizza, but the tofu banh mis were gobbled up quickly.
March 27, 2018
Stuff I Ate
We'll start today's random meal round-up with this gorgeous bowl of ravioli! These are the Rising Moon Organics Butternut Squash Ravioli with Artichoke Alfredo (by Victoria Vegan). It tasted as delicious as it looked.
Here's a popsicle from MEMPopS, the paleta shop in Crosstown Concourse. MEMPopS seriously makes the best popsicles earth, and this new flavor — Tres Limon — is my new fave. It's mint lemonade, strawberry lemonade, and hibiscus lemonade all in one! I had this on Saturday after an 18-mile training run. Hit the spot.
I met up with a former Memphis Flyer staffer (the newspaper where I used to work) for lunch last Friday at Midtown Crossing Grill. I got the Hummus Flatbread, which I often get intense cravings for. This has hummus, kalamata olives, olive oil, and cucumber. I even like the arugula on this, and I kinda hate arugula.
One day last week, I was so busy that I couldn't leave work for lunch, so I grabbed an Asia Bowl with sesame-coated tofu, Asian slaw, and quinoa from Mama Gaia in Crosstown Concourse. Got a side of Hummus & Veggies. It's so awesome working in a place with so many vegan options (with even more coming soon!).
Here's a terrible photo of a weird but tasty brinner from Saturday night. Leftover Curried Cauliflower Frittata, Veggie Sausage, Potato Pancake with Ketchup, Sauteed Cabbage, and Toast with Vegemite. I made the potato pancake using leftover colcannon from St. Patrick's Day.
Thursday night was our bi-weekly girls night at my friend Shara's house. She always drinks Crystal Light with vodka, which never sounded good to me. But she convinced me to try it last week. She uses the stevia-sweetened Crystal Light, so it's a little more natural than the regular kind. And you know what? It works! It's pretty good!
Here's a popsicle from MEMPopS, the paleta shop in Crosstown Concourse. MEMPopS seriously makes the best popsicles earth, and this new flavor — Tres Limon — is my new fave. It's mint lemonade, strawberry lemonade, and hibiscus lemonade all in one! I had this on Saturday after an 18-mile training run. Hit the spot.
I met up with a former Memphis Flyer staffer (the newspaper where I used to work) for lunch last Friday at Midtown Crossing Grill. I got the Hummus Flatbread, which I often get intense cravings for. This has hummus, kalamata olives, olive oil, and cucumber. I even like the arugula on this, and I kinda hate arugula.
One day last week, I was so busy that I couldn't leave work for lunch, so I grabbed an Asia Bowl with sesame-coated tofu, Asian slaw, and quinoa from Mama Gaia in Crosstown Concourse. Got a side of Hummus & Veggies. It's so awesome working in a place with so many vegan options (with even more coming soon!).
Here's a terrible photo of a weird but tasty brinner from Saturday night. Leftover Curried Cauliflower Frittata, Veggie Sausage, Potato Pancake with Ketchup, Sauteed Cabbage, and Toast with Vegemite. I made the potato pancake using leftover colcannon from St. Patrick's Day.
Thursday night was our bi-weekly girls night at my friend Shara's house. She always drinks Crystal Light with vodka, which never sounded good to me. But she convinced me to try it last week. She uses the stevia-sweetened Crystal Light, so it's a little more natural than the regular kind. And you know what? It works! It's pretty good!
March 26, 2018
My Vegan Easter Gifts!
I'm 37. But my parents still get me an "Easter basket." There are some serious benefits to being an only child with no (human) kids. I get to be a kid forever!
Anyway, these days, my Easter baskets don't come in actual baskets. No stuffed bunnies or plastic toys. Just awesome vegan treats. This year, my parents — who are still happily married — got me separate gifts just because they each had a different idea of what to get.
My mom's gift arrived first! She ordered a unicorn bath product care package from Luxury Wellness. These handmade bath bombs, soaps, and bath salts are all totally vegan, and they're made by a woman she was introduced to on Facebook. She placed her order there and just said "my daughter likes unicorns, and she's vegan," and this is what they picked out for me!
Her stuff is amazing! The unicorn bath bombs are filled with mini rainbow-colored bombs, so they turn bath water into a rainbow (seriously!). Even the bath salt has mini multi-colored bombs. The big unicorn is SO BIG. Saving her for a special occasion. Everything smells amazing, and one of the unicorns was Fruit Loop-scented (omg!).
Here's a close of of the horns. These turned the water purple and blue!
The soaps smell amazing and are covered in glitter, which looks awesome and also doubles as scrub for my dry skin.
I got my dad's gift yesterday — a vegan jerky care package from FakeMeats.com. He let me pick out everything, and I was so excited to open the box yesterday and see all this jerky goodness (plus some vegan maple bacon caramel corn and an Elianni veggie roll that looks like summer sausage). If you haven't poked around on FakeMeats.com yet, do it! They have every kind of vegan jerky imaginable — coconut jerky, mushroom jerky, soy curl jerky, seitan jerky, and more.
My mom threw some stuff into that care package too — Earth Balance White Cheddar Popcorn and these Sriracha Lentil Chips that are to die for (my dad has already gone through a few bags of his own). Plus some Larabars because she knows I eat these almost daily.
My parents are the best! Thanks mom and dad! I can't wait to eat all that jerky and popcorn in a rainbow bathtub (cause no shame, y'all. NO SHAME).
Anyway, these days, my Easter baskets don't come in actual baskets. No stuffed bunnies or plastic toys. Just awesome vegan treats. This year, my parents — who are still happily married — got me separate gifts just because they each had a different idea of what to get.
My mom's gift arrived first! She ordered a unicorn bath product care package from Luxury Wellness. These handmade bath bombs, soaps, and bath salts are all totally vegan, and they're made by a woman she was introduced to on Facebook. She placed her order there and just said "my daughter likes unicorns, and she's vegan," and this is what they picked out for me!
Her stuff is amazing! The unicorn bath bombs are filled with mini rainbow-colored bombs, so they turn bath water into a rainbow (seriously!). Even the bath salt has mini multi-colored bombs. The big unicorn is SO BIG. Saving her for a special occasion. Everything smells amazing, and one of the unicorns was Fruit Loop-scented (omg!).
Here's a close of of the horns. These turned the water purple and blue!
The soaps smell amazing and are covered in glitter, which looks awesome and also doubles as scrub for my dry skin.
I got my dad's gift yesterday — a vegan jerky care package from FakeMeats.com. He let me pick out everything, and I was so excited to open the box yesterday and see all this jerky goodness (plus some vegan maple bacon caramel corn and an Elianni veggie roll that looks like summer sausage). If you haven't poked around on FakeMeats.com yet, do it! They have every kind of vegan jerky imaginable — coconut jerky, mushroom jerky, soy curl jerky, seitan jerky, and more.
My mom threw some stuff into that care package too — Earth Balance White Cheddar Popcorn and these Sriracha Lentil Chips that are to die for (my dad has already gone through a few bags of his own). Plus some Larabars because she knows I eat these almost daily.
My parents are the best! Thanks mom and dad! I can't wait to eat all that jerky and popcorn in a rainbow bathtub (cause no shame, y'all. NO SHAME).
March 22, 2018
Imagine Vegan Cafe Is Open Again!
It's been a long, sad couple of months, but my home away from home — Imagine Vegan Cafe — has reopened after an unexpected building maintenance issue put them temporarily out of business. They had some issues with the old pipes in their building, and crews ended up having to tear the floor apart to fix the pipes! So they were closed for about two months.
I usually eat at Imagine once a week (or at least every two weeks), so I've had some serious withdrawal. But their much-anticipated grand reopening was yesterday, and they came back with BOOM by adding Vegan Mozzarella Sticks back to the menu!
My friends and I went last night for dinner, and I ordered a whole plate of these for myself. I disclosed to the table that I was not sharing, and they'd have to get their own. I did end up "loaning" Pam a cheesestick when her order came out later than everyone else's. But I made her pay me back when she got hers.
Just look at that gooey cheesiness! Owner Kristie is making these in-house, and they're just perfect. When Imagine originally opened, they had Teese brand cheesesticks, but Teese stopped making them. After that, Kristie would occasionally offer homemade ones on special, but these are back on the regular menu. And I hope they stay that way!
The restaurant was PACKED last night when we were there (and I heard it was slammed all day). People have really missed this place!
To balance out my cheesestick gluttony, I ordered the Fried Chicken Salad with Ranch. Ha! More fried! More junk food! But hey, there were salad greens, right? Imagine makes and bottles their ranch, and I've been hella missing it over these past few months. I probably poured a quarter-cup of ranch on this salad. And I purchased a bottle to take home.
Pam got the Vegan Drumsticks, Mashed Potatoes, and Garlic Kale. She couldn't keep her hands out of plate long enough for me to snap this photo.
Megan got the Vegan Turkey Cutlets with Gravy, Mac & Cheese, and Collard Greens.
Melissa went with a veggie plate, so I didn't take a pic cause y'all know what veggies look like. Shay was the responsible one who only ordered a side of spinach since she also had a whole order of cheesesticks to herself.
Here's our crew! Megan, Melissa, Shay, and Pam (minus Jennifer and Simon, who'd just finished their dinner and we arrived).
I usually eat at Imagine once a week (or at least every two weeks), so I've had some serious withdrawal. But their much-anticipated grand reopening was yesterday, and they came back with BOOM by adding Vegan Mozzarella Sticks back to the menu!
My friends and I went last night for dinner, and I ordered a whole plate of these for myself. I disclosed to the table that I was not sharing, and they'd have to get their own. I did end up "loaning" Pam a cheesestick when her order came out later than everyone else's. But I made her pay me back when she got hers.
Just look at that gooey cheesiness! Owner Kristie is making these in-house, and they're just perfect. When Imagine originally opened, they had Teese brand cheesesticks, but Teese stopped making them. After that, Kristie would occasionally offer homemade ones on special, but these are back on the regular menu. And I hope they stay that way!
The restaurant was PACKED last night when we were there (and I heard it was slammed all day). People have really missed this place!
To balance out my cheesestick gluttony, I ordered the Fried Chicken Salad with Ranch. Ha! More fried! More junk food! But hey, there were salad greens, right? Imagine makes and bottles their ranch, and I've been hella missing it over these past few months. I probably poured a quarter-cup of ranch on this salad. And I purchased a bottle to take home.
Pam got the Vegan Drumsticks, Mashed Potatoes, and Garlic Kale. She couldn't keep her hands out of plate long enough for me to snap this photo.
Megan got the Vegan Turkey Cutlets with Gravy, Mac & Cheese, and Collard Greens.
Melissa went with a veggie plate, so I didn't take a pic cause y'all know what veggies look like. Shay was the responsible one who only ordered a side of spinach since she also had a whole order of cheesesticks to herself.
Here's our crew! Megan, Melissa, Shay, and Pam (minus Jennifer and Simon, who'd just finished their dinner and we arrived).
March 21, 2018
Ostara Eats
Yesterday was the first day of Spring! That makes me sooooo happy. Of course, it's unseasonably cold here this week (45 degrees! WTF??), but I know it'll warm up in a few days. And I keep reminding myself that at least I'm not dealing with snow like my friends in the Northeastern US (sorry y'all, that sucks!).
I always celebrate Ostara, the pagan celebration of the Vernal Equinox. Ostara (also known as Eostre) is a fertility goddess who heralds the arrival of Spring. And as you might have guessed, Eostre is the origin of the name for the Christian holiday of Easter. Ostara is also the reason Christians use fertility symbols, like bunnies and eggs, in their holiday fun. Back in the day, when Christians were trying to convert people who practiced ancient religions, much of the old ways were co-opted into the Christian holidays in an effort to convince folks to switch over.
Anyway, history aside, it's nice to get back to the roots of spring celebrations with this ancient Ostara tradition. People typically consume eggs at Ostara to symbolize the earth's fertility, but of course that isn't vegan. So I always make dishes with vegan egg substitutes. This year, I went with the Curried Cauliflower Frittata and Collards & Sausage from Vegan Brunch. Plus, buttered whole wheat toast.
It was so fun to cook from Isa's Vegan Brunch again! I've had this book for years — such a classic. And when it came out, it was one of maybe 20 cookbooks on my shelf (now I'd estimate that I have at least 500), so it got used a lot. Yet somehow, I'd never made this Curried Cauliflower Frittata. It's so simple. Crumbled tofu, sauteed cauliflower, curry powder, and some more spices, pressed into a pie pan and baked. It holds together well for slicing after it's been cooked.
The Collards and Sausage is really great too! I'd made it once before, but it's been so long. The sausage is homemade steamed seitan (I had some in the freezer from another Isa recipe), but you could easily use Tofurky here. The collards are lightly sauteed, rather than cooked to death like we usually do down South. I do love slow-simmered collards that have been cooked for hours, but these were really good too and reminded me more of kale.
I also had a vegan Vanilla Buttercream Cupcake from Muddy's Bake Shop because it was a holiday, so why not?! This was the last of several I had in my freezer from a few months ago. It thawed beautifully and tasted like a fresh cupcake.
I always celebrate Ostara, the pagan celebration of the Vernal Equinox. Ostara (also known as Eostre) is a fertility goddess who heralds the arrival of Spring. And as you might have guessed, Eostre is the origin of the name for the Christian holiday of Easter. Ostara is also the reason Christians use fertility symbols, like bunnies and eggs, in their holiday fun. Back in the day, when Christians were trying to convert people who practiced ancient religions, much of the old ways were co-opted into the Christian holidays in an effort to convince folks to switch over.
Anyway, history aside, it's nice to get back to the roots of spring celebrations with this ancient Ostara tradition. People typically consume eggs at Ostara to symbolize the earth's fertility, but of course that isn't vegan. So I always make dishes with vegan egg substitutes. This year, I went with the Curried Cauliflower Frittata and Collards & Sausage from Vegan Brunch. Plus, buttered whole wheat toast.
It was so fun to cook from Isa's Vegan Brunch again! I've had this book for years — such a classic. And when it came out, it was one of maybe 20 cookbooks on my shelf (now I'd estimate that I have at least 500), so it got used a lot. Yet somehow, I'd never made this Curried Cauliflower Frittata. It's so simple. Crumbled tofu, sauteed cauliflower, curry powder, and some more spices, pressed into a pie pan and baked. It holds together well for slicing after it's been cooked.
The Collards and Sausage is really great too! I'd made it once before, but it's been so long. The sausage is homemade steamed seitan (I had some in the freezer from another Isa recipe), but you could easily use Tofurky here. The collards are lightly sauteed, rather than cooked to death like we usually do down South. I do love slow-simmered collards that have been cooked for hours, but these were really good too and reminded me more of kale.
I also had a vegan Vanilla Buttercream Cupcake from Muddy's Bake Shop because it was a holiday, so why not?! This was the last of several I had in my freezer from a few months ago. It thawed beautifully and tasted like a fresh cupcake.
March 20, 2018
Stuff I Ate
Happy Spring!! So excited that spring has finally sprung, and I'll do a full post on my Equinox eats tomorrow. But tonight, I only have time for a quick Stuff I Ate post.
So here goes! We'll start with this Vegan Hot Dog! Smart Dog with homemade kraut and Dijon. I love the fancy Field Roast dogs and Tofurky brats, but sometimes you need to kick it old school with a Smart Dog.
I've been eating a lot of hot dogs lately, mostly cause these come eight to a pack (and Paul only ate a couple). Besides enjoying them on buns, I also tried mixing some in my leftover Boozy Baked Beans (see yesterday's post) for Beanie Weenies! Served with leftover Colcannon and Corn on the Cob with vegan butter and everything bagel salt. This was last night's dinner.
Last Friday night, I grabbed some takeout from Crazy Noodle. Got my very fave soup there — Mandu Guk. This is a Korean soup with vegetable dumplings, chewy Korean rice cakes, cabbage, and shiitakes. It's usually not vegan at Crazy Noodle, but they're happy to make it vegan if you ask. They also happen to have the best ramen in town.
Yesterday's post-run breakfast was a FitQuick Pizza Protein Waffle topped with pizza sauce and sauteed kale, bell peppers, and black olives. YUM.
Here's my new favorite snack (that I CANNOT stay out of) — Whole Foods brand PB&J Bites. They're crunchy and peanutty on the outside and filled with sweet, strawberry jam. God, these are good.
So here goes! We'll start with this Vegan Hot Dog! Smart Dog with homemade kraut and Dijon. I love the fancy Field Roast dogs and Tofurky brats, but sometimes you need to kick it old school with a Smart Dog.
I've been eating a lot of hot dogs lately, mostly cause these come eight to a pack (and Paul only ate a couple). Besides enjoying them on buns, I also tried mixing some in my leftover Boozy Baked Beans (see yesterday's post) for Beanie Weenies! Served with leftover Colcannon and Corn on the Cob with vegan butter and everything bagel salt. This was last night's dinner.
Last Friday night, I grabbed some takeout from Crazy Noodle. Got my very fave soup there — Mandu Guk. This is a Korean soup with vegetable dumplings, chewy Korean rice cakes, cabbage, and shiitakes. It's usually not vegan at Crazy Noodle, but they're happy to make it vegan if you ask. They also happen to have the best ramen in town.
Yesterday's post-run breakfast was a FitQuick Pizza Protein Waffle topped with pizza sauce and sauteed kale, bell peppers, and black olives. YUM.
Here's my new favorite snack (that I CANNOT stay out of) — Whole Foods brand PB&J Bites. They're crunchy and peanutty on the outside and filled with sweet, strawberry jam. God, these are good.
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