Bianca Phillips's Blog, page 146
June 21, 2016
June Goddess Box Unpacking!
I typically review my monthly Goddess Provisions subscription boxes a couple days after they arrive, but life has been crazy and busy lately. So I've put this post off for a few weeks. If you're not familiar, Goddess Provisions is a monthly subscription box company run by the same lovely folks who run Vegan Cuts. The monthly goddess box features crystals, teas, chocolates, bath products, essential oils, and more. And they're usually all full-sized items!
I've been a subscriber since the company launched last October (and I'm also an ambassador for the company, so click here if you want a box of your own and I'll make a buck or two). Anyway, this month's box was themed "Dream Time," and it was filled with stuff to help you sleep or to use on your skin and teeth before bedtime.
There's Anima Mundi Herbals lucid dreaming tea and dream elixir, The Ritual Store face mask, Essence of Vali sleep essential oil roll-on, Smart Ash activated charcoal tooth whitener, and a spirit quartz.
I was most excited about the tea and sleep elixir. I actually sleep really well every night. I'm the type who falls asleep the minute my head hits the pillow and can sleep through a tornado. But this herbal tea (made from passionflower, skullcap, kava kava, rose, stevia, and other herbs) and sleep tincture/third eye tonic (made with ashwagandha, ginger, kalia, rose, and other herbs) are said to not only help with getting to sleep but also with dream recall. I've made the tea and spiked it with the elixir several times since I got this kit in early June, and I swear I've been recalling my dreams better. It may be the placebo effort of thinking about recalling my dreams before I drift off to sleep, but regardless, it's either directly or indirectly working. And it's delicious! The gentle herbal tea flavor really gets me in the mood to drift off.
The spirit quartz is just gorgeous — like a quartz crystal covered in tiny quartz points! Spirit quartz is known as the stone of harmony and alignment.
I didn't take any pictures of the Essence of Vali Sleep oil roll-on, but I did take it to Bonnaroo to help me sleep in the tent. Despite my usual ability to drift off quickly at home, I do still struggle with sleeping well in a tent, especially at a loud festival where the music goes on until 4 a.m. But this stuff smells like a soft pillow, thanks to lavender, cedarwood, marjoram, and ylang ylang. It helped!
At home, I've been using the Ritual Store's Moon Dust mask once a week. It's made with crushed crystals!! Selenite to be precise, which means this mask can you tap into your intuitive powers. The mask comes in powder form, and you mix it with water before applying to your face. And then you let it dry. It makes my face feel all firm and concrete before I wash it off.
And finally, I've been using the Smart Ash activated charcoal tooth whitener at night before bed. It's a black powder (coconut shell charcoal and Bentonite clay) that you dip your wet toothbrush into, and then you brush with it for two full minutes. It's supposed to remove toxins and make your teeth whiter. Mine are pretty stained from years of coffee, but I've been using this in hopes that it'll make a difference. I'm totally against those tooth bleaching systems because they freak me out with all those chemicals. Hoping this natural method will work!
And that's it! It's actually about my bedtime now. I think I'll go put on my face mask and whiten my teeth and hit the sack.
I've been a subscriber since the company launched last October (and I'm also an ambassador for the company, so click here if you want a box of your own and I'll make a buck or two). Anyway, this month's box was themed "Dream Time," and it was filled with stuff to help you sleep or to use on your skin and teeth before bedtime.
There's Anima Mundi Herbals lucid dreaming tea and dream elixir, The Ritual Store face mask, Essence of Vali sleep essential oil roll-on, Smart Ash activated charcoal tooth whitener, and a spirit quartz.
I was most excited about the tea and sleep elixir. I actually sleep really well every night. I'm the type who falls asleep the minute my head hits the pillow and can sleep through a tornado. But this herbal tea (made from passionflower, skullcap, kava kava, rose, stevia, and other herbs) and sleep tincture/third eye tonic (made with ashwagandha, ginger, kalia, rose, and other herbs) are said to not only help with getting to sleep but also with dream recall. I've made the tea and spiked it with the elixir several times since I got this kit in early June, and I swear I've been recalling my dreams better. It may be the placebo effort of thinking about recalling my dreams before I drift off to sleep, but regardless, it's either directly or indirectly working. And it's delicious! The gentle herbal tea flavor really gets me in the mood to drift off.
The spirit quartz is just gorgeous — like a quartz crystal covered in tiny quartz points! Spirit quartz is known as the stone of harmony and alignment.
I didn't take any pictures of the Essence of Vali Sleep oil roll-on, but I did take it to Bonnaroo to help me sleep in the tent. Despite my usual ability to drift off quickly at home, I do still struggle with sleeping well in a tent, especially at a loud festival where the music goes on until 4 a.m. But this stuff smells like a soft pillow, thanks to lavender, cedarwood, marjoram, and ylang ylang. It helped!
At home, I've been using the Ritual Store's Moon Dust mask once a week. It's made with crushed crystals!! Selenite to be precise, which means this mask can you tap into your intuitive powers. The mask comes in powder form, and you mix it with water before applying to your face. And then you let it dry. It makes my face feel all firm and concrete before I wash it off.
And finally, I've been using the Smart Ash activated charcoal tooth whitener at night before bed. It's a black powder (coconut shell charcoal and Bentonite clay) that you dip your wet toothbrush into, and then you brush with it for two full minutes. It's supposed to remove toxins and make your teeth whiter. Mine are pretty stained from years of coffee, but I've been using this in hopes that it'll make a difference. I'm totally against those tooth bleaching systems because they freak me out with all those chemicals. Hoping this natural method will work!
And that's it! It's actually about my bedtime now. I think I'll go put on my face mask and whiten my teeth and hit the sack.
June 20, 2016
Summer Solstice! Full Moon!
Wow! I can't remember a time when the longest day of the year coincided with a night of a full moon. Full sun! Full moon! So much energy! Can you tell it's got me all wound up?! My body is pretty well in tune with the earth and the seasons and cycles of the moon, and I've just been stoked all day — for no particular reason other than today's energy just feels extra special. Also, summer is my favorite season. I love hot weather, tank tops, flip flops, fresh melon, lightening bugs, cicadas, sunburns — the whole nine!
I started my first day of summer with a new running training program. I signed up for my first marathon in December, so I need to make sure I don't lose fitness before I start training for that in August. I downloaded the Runner's World Go (called RW Go) app for my iPhone on a recommendation from the Runner's World podcast. It's got all kinds of training plans, and I selected a Half-Marathon Maintenance Plan that just keeps you at half-marathon fitness. Today's prescribed run was an easy 4-miler. Nailed it! And in my new Run Memphis singlet from my fave local running store, Breakaway Running.
I always follow my morning runs with a breakfast of a protein smoothie or a protein waffle. This morning, I picked a really summery recipe from the Vega website for this Effortless Orange Smoothie (orange, strawberry, banana, almond-coconut milk, and French Vanilla Vega One protein powder). It tasted like summer in a glass!
Then I went to work and had a totally productive day — wrapping up today's news deadlines and getting a head start on a story for next week's cover. I even took a little mid-day walk by the Mississippi River to really soak up the sun (my office is just a block or two away from the river). I'd made an awesome Solstice celebration meal on Saturday to have for lunch today. So I enjoyed this super-fresh summer salad at my desk. It's the Fiery Fruit & Quinoa Salad from the summer salads chapter in Salad Samurai. It has grilled peaches (from the farmer's market), grilled corn, and grilled onions, baked ginger beer tofu, black beans, fresh herbs (from my front porch!), and red and white quinoa.
I wish I could show my very summer dinner, but I'm saving that picture for a cookbook review that I'll be posting on Thursday. But I'll just tell you that it was a yummy jackfruit bbq sandwich with grilled pineapple from the Minimalist Baker's Everyday Cooking book. So good! So summer!
After dinner, I went to a hoop skills class at my neighborhood hula hooping gym — Co-Motion Studio. It seemed like a good night to dance out all the posi vibes. I came home and gathered all my crystals to charge under the full moon, and I did a little house blessing with herbs to keep out negativity since there's been a lot of that in my life this month.
And I ended my lovely Summer Solstice evening with a mouth-watering slice of Raw Lemon Cheesecake that I picked up from the Raw Girls food truck this weekend. It's a super-tangy and creamy cake made with cashews, coconut oil, cold-pressed lemon, and a pecan crust. Topped with fresh blueberries! I followed that with a hearty locally brewed Ghost River Golden Ale.
Happy Summer, y'all!
I started my first day of summer with a new running training program. I signed up for my first marathon in December, so I need to make sure I don't lose fitness before I start training for that in August. I downloaded the Runner's World Go (called RW Go) app for my iPhone on a recommendation from the Runner's World podcast. It's got all kinds of training plans, and I selected a Half-Marathon Maintenance Plan that just keeps you at half-marathon fitness. Today's prescribed run was an easy 4-miler. Nailed it! And in my new Run Memphis singlet from my fave local running store, Breakaway Running.
I always follow my morning runs with a breakfast of a protein smoothie or a protein waffle. This morning, I picked a really summery recipe from the Vega website for this Effortless Orange Smoothie (orange, strawberry, banana, almond-coconut milk, and French Vanilla Vega One protein powder). It tasted like summer in a glass!
Then I went to work and had a totally productive day — wrapping up today's news deadlines and getting a head start on a story for next week's cover. I even took a little mid-day walk by the Mississippi River to really soak up the sun (my office is just a block or two away from the river). I'd made an awesome Solstice celebration meal on Saturday to have for lunch today. So I enjoyed this super-fresh summer salad at my desk. It's the Fiery Fruit & Quinoa Salad from the summer salads chapter in Salad Samurai. It has grilled peaches (from the farmer's market), grilled corn, and grilled onions, baked ginger beer tofu, black beans, fresh herbs (from my front porch!), and red and white quinoa.
I wish I could show my very summer dinner, but I'm saving that picture for a cookbook review that I'll be posting on Thursday. But I'll just tell you that it was a yummy jackfruit bbq sandwich with grilled pineapple from the Minimalist Baker's Everyday Cooking book. So good! So summer!
After dinner, I went to a hoop skills class at my neighborhood hula hooping gym — Co-Motion Studio. It seemed like a good night to dance out all the posi vibes. I came home and gathered all my crystals to charge under the full moon, and I did a little house blessing with herbs to keep out negativity since there's been a lot of that in my life this month.
And I ended my lovely Summer Solstice evening with a mouth-watering slice of Raw Lemon Cheesecake that I picked up from the Raw Girls food truck this weekend. It's a super-tangy and creamy cake made with cashews, coconut oil, cold-pressed lemon, and a pecan crust. Topped with fresh blueberries! I followed that with a hearty locally brewed Ghost River Golden Ale.
Happy Summer, y'all!
June 19, 2016
Father's Day Pizza Time!
If you've been reading my blog for very long, you probably already know that I have an awesome dad. I often blog about how he just randomly orders me vegan care packages from Vegan Essentials — just because. But he's awesome for so many other reasons.
My dad is a big kid at heart. He's funny. He's kind. He's a biker with a tough look and a heart of gold. He likes whiskey and moonshine, the blues and rock 'n' roll. He's just a cool dude. He's the kind of guy who'd wear a skull tee-shirt to a fancy party and not give a crap what anyone thinks. Then again, my dad would probably just avoid that fancy party altogether and instead throw back a few beers with his biker buds.
Most importantly, he'd do anything for me and my mama. I pretty much won the dad lottery. Last week, when my house was broken into, my dad and mom hoped in his truck and drove the hour to Memphis to help me repair the broken window. He wasn't feeling great that night, but that didn't stop him. I'm very lucky to have him as my daddy.
I went to Jonesboro, Arkansas today to spend a few hours with my dad. I brought him Old Smokey Charred Moonshine and Bulleit Bourbon. After gifts, we went out for pizza! Jonesboro has a build-your-own pizza chain called Uncle Maddio's, and they have vegan cheese and tofu as toppings. Their whole wheat crust is pretty amazing too. It's thin and crisp and sturdy under a ton of toppings (because that's how I do pizza!). I got mine with marinara, Daiya shreds, marinated tofu, sundried tomatoes, portabella mushrooms, bell peppers, jalapenos, green & black olives, and caramelized onions. So good! I devoured the whole thing.
In fact, we all ate way more pizza than we probably should have. It was one of those meals where one person says, "I'm gonna stop and take the rest home so I'm not too full." But then another person says "Well, I'm having another slice." And so then, everyone just eats more because who wants to sit and watch someone else eat when you could also still be eating? And that just kept happening until my pizza and my parents' shared pizza was all gone.
We spent the rest of the afternoon back at my parents' house, just chilling and watching TV. And then I made the drive home so I could be here in time to feed my cats and Maynard. It was a lovely Father's Day! Happy Father's Day, Papa Crunk!
My dad is a big kid at heart. He's funny. He's kind. He's a biker with a tough look and a heart of gold. He likes whiskey and moonshine, the blues and rock 'n' roll. He's just a cool dude. He's the kind of guy who'd wear a skull tee-shirt to a fancy party and not give a crap what anyone thinks. Then again, my dad would probably just avoid that fancy party altogether and instead throw back a few beers with his biker buds.
Most importantly, he'd do anything for me and my mama. I pretty much won the dad lottery. Last week, when my house was broken into, my dad and mom hoped in his truck and drove the hour to Memphis to help me repair the broken window. He wasn't feeling great that night, but that didn't stop him. I'm very lucky to have him as my daddy.
I went to Jonesboro, Arkansas today to spend a few hours with my dad. I brought him Old Smokey Charred Moonshine and Bulleit Bourbon. After gifts, we went out for pizza! Jonesboro has a build-your-own pizza chain called Uncle Maddio's, and they have vegan cheese and tofu as toppings. Their whole wheat crust is pretty amazing too. It's thin and crisp and sturdy under a ton of toppings (because that's how I do pizza!). I got mine with marinara, Daiya shreds, marinated tofu, sundried tomatoes, portabella mushrooms, bell peppers, jalapenos, green & black olives, and caramelized onions. So good! I devoured the whole thing.
In fact, we all ate way more pizza than we probably should have. It was one of those meals where one person says, "I'm gonna stop and take the rest home so I'm not too full." But then another person says "Well, I'm having another slice." And so then, everyone just eats more because who wants to sit and watch someone else eat when you could also still be eating? And that just kept happening until my pizza and my parents' shared pizza was all gone.
We spent the rest of the afternoon back at my parents' house, just chilling and watching TV. And then I made the drive home so I could be here in time to feed my cats and Maynard. It was a lovely Father's Day! Happy Father's Day, Papa Crunk!
June 16, 2016
Stuff I Ate, Part 2
Last night, I posted about half of the random meal pics I'd saved up over the past few weeks. And I promised I'd post the rest tonight. Got a bootcamp class at 6:15 a.m., so I'm gonna make this fast so I can get some sleep!
One day a few weeks ago, Paul and I grabbed some noodles for lunch at our favorite Korean noodle shop — Crazy Noodle. They have the best ramen bowls in town. I got the Tofu Ramen — veggie broth, tofu, noodles, and assorted veggies.
The very next day, my friend Nico had a birthday party at Crazy Noodle. I typically alway order ramen or mandu guk when I'm there, but since I'd just gotten my ramen fix, I opted to try something new to me — Japchae! I'd made this sweet potato glass noodle dish at home before, but this was my first time ordering it. It was so freakin' good. The noodles are soft and chewy, and it was loaded with shiitake mushrooms, carrots, onions, and bell peppers.
We had Vegan Drinks at Babalu Tacos & Tapas at the very end of May. They have a few vegan dishes on the tapas menu, but I'd been wanting to try their Black Eyed Pea Hummus for awhile. So I ordered a plate off the appetizer menu and made that my dinner. Served with homemade chips and fresh veggies. Yes, I ate ALL OF THE HUMMUS by myself. It's covered in what they call "black eyed pea popcorn," which are crunchy, whole fried peas. Adds awesome texture.
I ordered FitQuick Java Chip Protein Waffles for post-run meals. I became a fan of FitQuick waffles after listening to the Rise & Resist podcast, and I'm already most of the way through bags of their pizza waffles and birthday cake waffles. But now I have java chip in the rotation too. Each waffle has 22 grams of vegan protein! One morning, I had one with the chocolate gravy from Cookin' Crunk.
Yesterday morning, I had a java chip waffle with maple-agave syrup, vegan white chocolate chips (the Vegan Sweets ones are super-good!), and fresh raspberries.
On Monday, after driving all night to get home from Bonnaroo, I woke up craving breakfast for lunch (because I woke up around noon). I made a Follow Your Heart Vegan Egg omelet stuffed with FYH pepper jack and Cool Foods bacon bits. On the side, I fried up some frozen hash browns with frozen mixed veggies (because, after being gone for four days, my crisper was empty of fresh veggies except for some salad stuff). Also toast with Miyoko's Creamery VeganButter.
Even though I tried to eat a fair amount of veggies and fruits at Bonnaroo, I was still feeling deprived of fresh food. And I did have some lettuce and carrots and radish in the fridge. For dinner on Monday, I made a Big Ole Dinner Salad with veggies, pinto beans, Daiya, Just Ranch, and homemade croutons. That new Just Ranch dressing has filled the ranch-sized hole in my heart. Thank you, Hampton Creek.
Finally, yesterday, I popped into Pink Diva Cupcakery for lunch. Got the Tangy Gold BBQ Tofu, Vegan Mac & Cheese, and Sauteed Mixed Veggies. Cassi's tangy tofu is made with a mustard-y 'cue sauce that's so good, I may have licked my plate when I was done. No shame. And her mac is on point.
One day a few weeks ago, Paul and I grabbed some noodles for lunch at our favorite Korean noodle shop — Crazy Noodle. They have the best ramen bowls in town. I got the Tofu Ramen — veggie broth, tofu, noodles, and assorted veggies.
The very next day, my friend Nico had a birthday party at Crazy Noodle. I typically alway order ramen or mandu guk when I'm there, but since I'd just gotten my ramen fix, I opted to try something new to me — Japchae! I'd made this sweet potato glass noodle dish at home before, but this was my first time ordering it. It was so freakin' good. The noodles are soft and chewy, and it was loaded with shiitake mushrooms, carrots, onions, and bell peppers.
We had Vegan Drinks at Babalu Tacos & Tapas at the very end of May. They have a few vegan dishes on the tapas menu, but I'd been wanting to try their Black Eyed Pea Hummus for awhile. So I ordered a plate off the appetizer menu and made that my dinner. Served with homemade chips and fresh veggies. Yes, I ate ALL OF THE HUMMUS by myself. It's covered in what they call "black eyed pea popcorn," which are crunchy, whole fried peas. Adds awesome texture.
I ordered FitQuick Java Chip Protein Waffles for post-run meals. I became a fan of FitQuick waffles after listening to the Rise & Resist podcast, and I'm already most of the way through bags of their pizza waffles and birthday cake waffles. But now I have java chip in the rotation too. Each waffle has 22 grams of vegan protein! One morning, I had one with the chocolate gravy from Cookin' Crunk.
Yesterday morning, I had a java chip waffle with maple-agave syrup, vegan white chocolate chips (the Vegan Sweets ones are super-good!), and fresh raspberries.
On Monday, after driving all night to get home from Bonnaroo, I woke up craving breakfast for lunch (because I woke up around noon). I made a Follow Your Heart Vegan Egg omelet stuffed with FYH pepper jack and Cool Foods bacon bits. On the side, I fried up some frozen hash browns with frozen mixed veggies (because, after being gone for four days, my crisper was empty of fresh veggies except for some salad stuff). Also toast with Miyoko's Creamery VeganButter.
Even though I tried to eat a fair amount of veggies and fruits at Bonnaroo, I was still feeling deprived of fresh food. And I did have some lettuce and carrots and radish in the fridge. For dinner on Monday, I made a Big Ole Dinner Salad with veggies, pinto beans, Daiya, Just Ranch, and homemade croutons. That new Just Ranch dressing has filled the ranch-sized hole in my heart. Thank you, Hampton Creek.
Finally, yesterday, I popped into Pink Diva Cupcakery for lunch. Got the Tangy Gold BBQ Tofu, Vegan Mac & Cheese, and Sauteed Mixed Veggies. Cassi's tangy tofu is made with a mustard-y 'cue sauce that's so good, I may have licked my plate when I was done. No shame. And her mac is on point.
June 15, 2016
Stuff I Ate, Part 1
I intended on doing one of these random meal round-ups last week, but things were crazy. Only two days before we were set to leave for Bonnaroo, our house was broken into while I was at work. I failed to blog that night and then I took a blogging break while I was at the fest. Now, I've got a ton of pictures saved up, so I'll be doing a two-part Stuff I Ate series.
The first picture actually doubles as an announcement for Memphis vegans. Cafe Eclectic Midtown now has Vegan Granola Bars! You may recall that I blogged about their brunch a few weeks back and mentioned that they had vegan pancakes that were topped with honey granola (which didn't make much sense since honey isn't vegan). Those pancakes can be ordered without granola of course, and they're delicious. But shortly after that post, Cafe Eclectic tweeted at me that they were working on an agave granola, and it was already available there in bar form. I picked one up, and it was fantastic! Loaded with dried fruit and nuts. I enjoyed this in my car one weekend while I ran some errands.
Speaking of healthy snacks from local restaurants, one of the best things I've eaten in a long time was this Raw Hummus Toast from the Raw Girls food truck. There's a raw sundried tomato bread, and it comes packed with a scoop of hummus, mustard, homemade pickles, and hot chili sauce.
Sounds like a weird combo, but it seriously works so well together. I've been dreaming about this ever since I ate it. I need to go back for more!
A few weeks back, just before my half-marathon, I helped my friend Pam move to a new house. She was super sick, and since I had a race coming up, I was afraid I'd catch her cold and not be able to run. I was careful to wash my hands a lot, and after we were done, I booked it over to Cosmic Coconut for an Immunity Juice (pineapple, orange, lemon, ginger, cilantro, and cayenne). Such a yummy juice.
One day at brunch at Imagine Vegan Cafe, I ordered the Vegan Beef Tips & Rice with a side of Brown Sugar Carrots and Sauteed Spinach. They use the Gardein beefless tips, and they fry 'em up in lots of oil, so it's super-delicious. I actually recreated this meal at home this week, and I plan to share the recipe soon!
Another Imagine meal — enjoyed with my friends Sheridan and Drew from Little Rock. They were passing through Memphis on the way to Disney World, and we met up at Imagine. I got the Stuffed Peppers with Garlic Bread. They're stuffed with vegan beef and rice and topped with their housemade cheese sauce.
The week before last, Imagine ran a brunch special that totally rocked my world. It was a Breakfast Casserole with a layer of diced hash brown potatoes, a layer of tofu scramble, a layer of vegan sausage, some gravy, and tons of vegan cheese. It was served with two biscuits and extra gravy. I ordered some spinach on the side for good measure.
I met Stephanie and Leslie for Ethiopian lunch buffet at Abyssinia one day a few weeks back. Their buffet is about 90 percent vegan, and of course, there's all-you-can-eat injera bread. I could seriously eat that buffet every day and never tire of it. But I'd eat way too much every time because I always do.
Hey, here's something I made at home! But it wasn't homemade — Rising Moon Organics Olive & Artichoke Ravioli, Whole Foods Roasted Garlic Marinara, and FYH Vegan Parm. Simple and satisfying. And just as good (if not better) than homemade.
That's it for tonight! More tomorrow!
The first picture actually doubles as an announcement for Memphis vegans. Cafe Eclectic Midtown now has Vegan Granola Bars! You may recall that I blogged about their brunch a few weeks back and mentioned that they had vegan pancakes that were topped with honey granola (which didn't make much sense since honey isn't vegan). Those pancakes can be ordered without granola of course, and they're delicious. But shortly after that post, Cafe Eclectic tweeted at me that they were working on an agave granola, and it was already available there in bar form. I picked one up, and it was fantastic! Loaded with dried fruit and nuts. I enjoyed this in my car one weekend while I ran some errands.
Speaking of healthy snacks from local restaurants, one of the best things I've eaten in a long time was this Raw Hummus Toast from the Raw Girls food truck. There's a raw sundried tomato bread, and it comes packed with a scoop of hummus, mustard, homemade pickles, and hot chili sauce.
Sounds like a weird combo, but it seriously works so well together. I've been dreaming about this ever since I ate it. I need to go back for more!
A few weeks back, just before my half-marathon, I helped my friend Pam move to a new house. She was super sick, and since I had a race coming up, I was afraid I'd catch her cold and not be able to run. I was careful to wash my hands a lot, and after we were done, I booked it over to Cosmic Coconut for an Immunity Juice (pineapple, orange, lemon, ginger, cilantro, and cayenne). Such a yummy juice.
One day at brunch at Imagine Vegan Cafe, I ordered the Vegan Beef Tips & Rice with a side of Brown Sugar Carrots and Sauteed Spinach. They use the Gardein beefless tips, and they fry 'em up in lots of oil, so it's super-delicious. I actually recreated this meal at home this week, and I plan to share the recipe soon!
Another Imagine meal — enjoyed with my friends Sheridan and Drew from Little Rock. They were passing through Memphis on the way to Disney World, and we met up at Imagine. I got the Stuffed Peppers with Garlic Bread. They're stuffed with vegan beef and rice and topped with their housemade cheese sauce.
The week before last, Imagine ran a brunch special that totally rocked my world. It was a Breakfast Casserole with a layer of diced hash brown potatoes, a layer of tofu scramble, a layer of vegan sausage, some gravy, and tons of vegan cheese. It was served with two biscuits and extra gravy. I ordered some spinach on the side for good measure.
I met Stephanie and Leslie for Ethiopian lunch buffet at Abyssinia one day a few weeks back. Their buffet is about 90 percent vegan, and of course, there's all-you-can-eat injera bread. I could seriously eat that buffet every day and never tire of it. But I'd eat way too much every time because I always do.
Hey, here's something I made at home! But it wasn't homemade — Rising Moon Organics Olive & Artichoke Ravioli, Whole Foods Roasted Garlic Marinara, and FYH Vegan Parm. Simple and satisfying. And just as good (if not better) than homemade.
That's it for tonight! More tomorrow!
June 14, 2016
Campsite Meals at Bonnaroo
I just returned from my sixth year covering Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival for the newspaper I work for — the Memphis Flyer. Bonnaroo is a four-day outdoor festival in Manchester, Tennessee (about 4 1/2 hours away from Memphis) with multiple stages, campgrounds, and an average of 80,000 attendees. The fest takes place on a massive farm, and the campgrounds are on the farm's outskirts while the festival takes place in the center of the property (it's called Centeroo).
There's tons of vegan food for sale inside Centeroo, but unless you're out there to watch a band or attend an event (comedy, cinema, workshop, yoga, etc.), that's a long walk in the hot sun just for a meal. I'd say our campsite this year was about a mile from Centeroo and maybe two miles from the big main stage. So I always pack lots of easy campsite meals for breakfasts and lunches. That's what this post is about, but you can read about all the food I purchased inside Centeroo in last night's post.
Here was our home for the weekend. Our tent — not pictured — was to the left of the shade canopy. Please note that those cans of sausages on top of the cooler are not mine! Paul brought weird canned meat and stew for the campsite.
We arrived on Thursday afternoon, and I stopped at Walmart Subway (Manchester is a tiny town with very few options for vegan food outside of the fest — just Subway and Taco Bell) for a Veggie Delite Sandwich. But on Friday morning, I started digging into the snacks I'd stashed. Breakfast on Friday was one of my fave Bonnaroo campsite treats — Instant Noodles! I get these imitation chicken kosher noodle cups at Kroger. They're vegan! I pack a portable gas stove and a pot for boiling water, so instant cups are my go-to.
Every morning at the campsite started with Instant Coffee with Oat Milk (stashed in the cooler). I'm typically a coffee snob, but I have a weird thing for Cafe Bustelo.
Lunch on Friday was a GoPicnic meal with Plantain Chips and Black Bean Dip, Edamame & Pumpkin Seed Mix, Ginger Peanut Trail Mix, and an Apricot Fruit Strip. I love these meals! They're so snacky and perfect for camping.
We made a Walmart run on Friday afternoon. We typically hit up the Walmart for clean bathrooms, ice, beer, and A/C at least once a day while we're at Bonnaroo. While I was there, I picked up some Tribe Garlic & Herb Hummus, which I snacked on with baby carrots and Beanfield's black bean chips all weekend. By the way, I noticed this year that the Manchester Walmart went all out on vegan food! They had Field Roast Chao Cheese and sausages in stock! They must have known the hippies were coming.
On Saturday morning, I'd planned to hit up a 9 a.m. vinyasa flow class in Centeroo. And I wanted a super-healthy breakfast to power me through. So I made these Earnest Eats A.M. Trail Mix Oats.
These were made with a supergrain blend (oats, quinoa, and amaranth), raisins, hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, and coffee flour (for caffeine!). I added freeze-dried bananas and strawberries and a packet of Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter. So good!!!
Later in the day, I grabbed a rice bowl from Centeroo for lunch, but it wasn't very filling. And it didn't satisfy my craving for fresh veggies. It was so hot this year! The sun was bearing down and temps were in the 90s, and my body was begging for fresh veggies. So on our Walmart trip Saturday afternoon, I grabbed one of those prepared salads with the individual compartments of dressing and toppings. The only one I could find that was almost vegan was one with mixed greens, walnuts and almonds, dried cranberries, raspberry vinaigrette, and feta. The feta was in a separate container, so I tossed that out (yuck). I added a scoop of my hummus for extra protein.
By Sunday, the last day at the festival, Paul and I were both feeling a little worn out. Lots of beer, hot sun, and not enough sleep (music goes on until 4 a.m. or later, and it's impossible to sleep past 7 a.m. in a hot tent) will do that to you. I packed these Earnest Eats Detox Oats just for the occasion. They were lemon-maple-cayenne oats, and honestly, they weren't tasty at all. But I forced myself to eat them because they had good-for-you stuff.
To treat myself for eating not-so-yummy oats, I had a second breakfast of Dr. McDougall's Teriyaki Noodles. These were delicious!
Since it was so hot, I made it a point to drink lots of hydrating, electrolyte-boosting Coconut Water! And hey, check out the cool mosaic guitar that Paul won at Bonnaroo's silent auction on Sunday!
There's tons of vegan food for sale inside Centeroo, but unless you're out there to watch a band or attend an event (comedy, cinema, workshop, yoga, etc.), that's a long walk in the hot sun just for a meal. I'd say our campsite this year was about a mile from Centeroo and maybe two miles from the big main stage. So I always pack lots of easy campsite meals for breakfasts and lunches. That's what this post is about, but you can read about all the food I purchased inside Centeroo in last night's post.
Here was our home for the weekend. Our tent — not pictured — was to the left of the shade canopy. Please note that those cans of sausages on top of the cooler are not mine! Paul brought weird canned meat and stew for the campsite.
We arrived on Thursday afternoon, and I stopped at Walmart Subway (Manchester is a tiny town with very few options for vegan food outside of the fest — just Subway and Taco Bell) for a Veggie Delite Sandwich. But on Friday morning, I started digging into the snacks I'd stashed. Breakfast on Friday was one of my fave Bonnaroo campsite treats — Instant Noodles! I get these imitation chicken kosher noodle cups at Kroger. They're vegan! I pack a portable gas stove and a pot for boiling water, so instant cups are my go-to.
Every morning at the campsite started with Instant Coffee with Oat Milk (stashed in the cooler). I'm typically a coffee snob, but I have a weird thing for Cafe Bustelo.
Lunch on Friday was a GoPicnic meal with Plantain Chips and Black Bean Dip, Edamame & Pumpkin Seed Mix, Ginger Peanut Trail Mix, and an Apricot Fruit Strip. I love these meals! They're so snacky and perfect for camping.
We made a Walmart run on Friday afternoon. We typically hit up the Walmart for clean bathrooms, ice, beer, and A/C at least once a day while we're at Bonnaroo. While I was there, I picked up some Tribe Garlic & Herb Hummus, which I snacked on with baby carrots and Beanfield's black bean chips all weekend. By the way, I noticed this year that the Manchester Walmart went all out on vegan food! They had Field Roast Chao Cheese and sausages in stock! They must have known the hippies were coming.
On Saturday morning, I'd planned to hit up a 9 a.m. vinyasa flow class in Centeroo. And I wanted a super-healthy breakfast to power me through. So I made these Earnest Eats A.M. Trail Mix Oats.
These were made with a supergrain blend (oats, quinoa, and amaranth), raisins, hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, and coffee flour (for caffeine!). I added freeze-dried bananas and strawberries and a packet of Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter. So good!!!
Later in the day, I grabbed a rice bowl from Centeroo for lunch, but it wasn't very filling. And it didn't satisfy my craving for fresh veggies. It was so hot this year! The sun was bearing down and temps were in the 90s, and my body was begging for fresh veggies. So on our Walmart trip Saturday afternoon, I grabbed one of those prepared salads with the individual compartments of dressing and toppings. The only one I could find that was almost vegan was one with mixed greens, walnuts and almonds, dried cranberries, raspberry vinaigrette, and feta. The feta was in a separate container, so I tossed that out (yuck). I added a scoop of my hummus for extra protein.
By Sunday, the last day at the festival, Paul and I were both feeling a little worn out. Lots of beer, hot sun, and not enough sleep (music goes on until 4 a.m. or later, and it's impossible to sleep past 7 a.m. in a hot tent) will do that to you. I packed these Earnest Eats Detox Oats just for the occasion. They were lemon-maple-cayenne oats, and honestly, they weren't tasty at all. But I forced myself to eat them because they had good-for-you stuff.
To treat myself for eating not-so-yummy oats, I had a second breakfast of Dr. McDougall's Teriyaki Noodles. These were delicious!
Since it was so hot, I made it a point to drink lots of hydrating, electrolyte-boosting Coconut Water! And hey, check out the cool mosaic guitar that Paul won at Bonnaroo's silent auction on Sunday!
June 13, 2016
Vegan Festival Food at Bonnaroo!
I'm back! I spent the past four days on a massive farm in Manchester, Tennessee for the 15th annual Bonnaroo Music & Arts Fest. I go every year with media passes, so technically, I'm still working while I'm there (photographing bands, writing daily recaps for the Memphis Flyer website). But I'm also having a ton of food and stuffing my face with lots of delicious vegan festival food.
In the past, my co-worker Shara has come with us (and usually her boyfriend or another friend), but this year, she opted out so it was just me and Paul.
The overall line-up wasn't all that impressive this year, but I was pretty stoked about Saturday night's acts — Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Ellie Goulding, and Pearl Jam. They were playing back to back with some overlap, so I knew I'd only catch parts of each show since there's a super-long walk from stage to stage.
Unfortunately, a lightening storm came through, forcing Macklemore to postpone his set when he was only five songs in. At least I did get to see them play "Same Love" and "Thrift Shop" (that's when I snapped the above photo from the pit). When he started playing again after the storm passed, Ellie's set was beginning. So I made the tough choice to watch her show rather than the rest of Macklemore (I've seen him perform before at Bonnaroo, and I'd never seen Ellie). The night ended with an AMAZING set by Pearl Jam.
Other bands I enjoyed over the weekend — Bully, Waxahatchee, Flosstradamus, LCD Soundsystem, GRiZ, Jason Mraz, and Third Eye Blind. But you're here for the food, right?
Since we camp out at Bonnaroo, I pack lots of easy-to-heat camping meals for breakfasts and lunches (and I'll post a recap about my campsite food tomorrow). But the highlight of the fest for me is always seeing what sorts of vegan goodness I can buy in Centeroo (the main festival grounds). The fest is massive, attracting about 80,000 people from all over the country (well, the world really), so as you'd imagine, the vegan options are everywhere.
The very best thing I ate at Bonnaroo this year was this BBQ Soy Curl Wrap. It was stuffed with Soy Curls coated in 'cue sauce, vegan coleslaw, black beans, and spinach. I enjoyed this in true festy style — on the dirty ground surrounded by hippies on blankets.
The wrap was extra special because, the night before, I'd walked past the main stage food vendor area, which was the very furthest food area from our campsite, and noticed a sign advertising vegan wraps. I made a mental note to check back there for dinner the next night, but I didn't bother to check the menu to see if the wraps were just boring old veggie wraps or not. So on the last night of the fest, when my stomach was grumbling, I convinced Paul to walk with me over to the wrap place. It was a good two miles from the campsite. I knew it was a gamble because I didn't want a dumb veggie wrap. I wanted something fun with vegan meat! Thankfully, when we arrived, I was overcome with joy when I saw Soy Curls on the menu! Score!
There's a pizza vendor that sells vegan slices, and most years, I order one at some point in the weekend. Their Vegan Pizza is cheeseless, and while I'd prefer it with Daiya, the crust is so good that I can almost overlook that.
One day, I grabbed a quick Falafel Wrap to take back to camp because it was the closest vegan thing I could find near the stage where I was and I wasn't willing to walk out in search of more food. This was a solid falafel wrap. Didn't let me down at all. Falafel, tahini sauce, pita, tomatoes, red onion, lettuce, soft pita.
Most of the food vendors are set up in little booths throughout the farm. But in one far corner, there's an area called the Food Truck Oasis, where trucks from all over the country set up shop for the weekend. Eatbox is there most years, and I've always enjoyed their food. So I stopped by there to grab a quick lunch one day.
I was in the mood for something healthy, so I ordered the Toi An Chay Veggie Rice Bowl. The menu advertised it as spinach, mushrooms, onions, black beans, sunflower seeds, and brown rice all hand-rolled together and topped with green pepper, carrots, and sweet garlic sauce. That sounded amazing, so I ordered one. Unfortunately, this bowl wasn't exactly what I was expecting. "Hand-rolled together" meant the veggies were smooshed into the rice, which was fine I guess. But I imagined a bowl filled with fresh veggie and seeds. Also, they gave me raw broccoli (yuck) instead of bell pepper and totally left off the garlic sauce (or maybe it was mixed in too?). Oh well. The taste was good, but it wasn't what I was expecting. And for the price — $8 — the serving was really small.
It's a Thursday night (opening night) tradition for me to snag a late-night Samosa snack. They're all over the park. Paul ordered a bowl of plain white rice because he's weird.
On another night, when I got a late-night craving, I grabbed these Wild Mushroom Dumplings. The insides were stuffed with a mix of mushrooms, and the outside was a doughy, crispy deep-fried ball of goodness. I'll definitely seek these out again next year.
One night, Paul and I got some Tater Tots from a corndog stand (they had vegetarian corndogs, but they weren't vegan — bummer). Man, these were some of the BEST tots either of us had ever had. Maybe we were just hungry. Maybe it was the beer. But we both agreed that these were greatest tots.
Out the six years I've been going to Bonnaroo, I'd have to say this was the hottest one. Temps were in the high 90s throughout the weekend, and it was easy to get dehydrated and sunburned. I stayed out of the sun as much as possible by skipping most of the daytime shows and hanging out under the shade tent at the campsite. But we ventured out in the sun some, and thankfully, there were vendors selling fresh Watermelon Slices to help cool folks down.
That's all the food I purchased inside the fest. But here's a pic of my Saturday morning yoga class! Yoga classes are offered every morning at Bonnaroo, and I always try to make a point to attend at least one. It's so nice to get out and stretch in the early morning light while most fest-goers are still hungover at their campsites (or, in some cases, awake from the night before).
And just for fun, here's a pic of me and Paul on the festival ferris wheel!
In the past, my co-worker Shara has come with us (and usually her boyfriend or another friend), but this year, she opted out so it was just me and Paul.
The overall line-up wasn't all that impressive this year, but I was pretty stoked about Saturday night's acts — Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Ellie Goulding, and Pearl Jam. They were playing back to back with some overlap, so I knew I'd only catch parts of each show since there's a super-long walk from stage to stage.
Unfortunately, a lightening storm came through, forcing Macklemore to postpone his set when he was only five songs in. At least I did get to see them play "Same Love" and "Thrift Shop" (that's when I snapped the above photo from the pit). When he started playing again after the storm passed, Ellie's set was beginning. So I made the tough choice to watch her show rather than the rest of Macklemore (I've seen him perform before at Bonnaroo, and I'd never seen Ellie). The night ended with an AMAZING set by Pearl Jam.
Other bands I enjoyed over the weekend — Bully, Waxahatchee, Flosstradamus, LCD Soundsystem, GRiZ, Jason Mraz, and Third Eye Blind. But you're here for the food, right?
Since we camp out at Bonnaroo, I pack lots of easy-to-heat camping meals for breakfasts and lunches (and I'll post a recap about my campsite food tomorrow). But the highlight of the fest for me is always seeing what sorts of vegan goodness I can buy in Centeroo (the main festival grounds). The fest is massive, attracting about 80,000 people from all over the country (well, the world really), so as you'd imagine, the vegan options are everywhere.
The very best thing I ate at Bonnaroo this year was this BBQ Soy Curl Wrap. It was stuffed with Soy Curls coated in 'cue sauce, vegan coleslaw, black beans, and spinach. I enjoyed this in true festy style — on the dirty ground surrounded by hippies on blankets.
The wrap was extra special because, the night before, I'd walked past the main stage food vendor area, which was the very furthest food area from our campsite, and noticed a sign advertising vegan wraps. I made a mental note to check back there for dinner the next night, but I didn't bother to check the menu to see if the wraps were just boring old veggie wraps or not. So on the last night of the fest, when my stomach was grumbling, I convinced Paul to walk with me over to the wrap place. It was a good two miles from the campsite. I knew it was a gamble because I didn't want a dumb veggie wrap. I wanted something fun with vegan meat! Thankfully, when we arrived, I was overcome with joy when I saw Soy Curls on the menu! Score!
There's a pizza vendor that sells vegan slices, and most years, I order one at some point in the weekend. Their Vegan Pizza is cheeseless, and while I'd prefer it with Daiya, the crust is so good that I can almost overlook that.
One day, I grabbed a quick Falafel Wrap to take back to camp because it was the closest vegan thing I could find near the stage where I was and I wasn't willing to walk out in search of more food. This was a solid falafel wrap. Didn't let me down at all. Falafel, tahini sauce, pita, tomatoes, red onion, lettuce, soft pita.
Most of the food vendors are set up in little booths throughout the farm. But in one far corner, there's an area called the Food Truck Oasis, where trucks from all over the country set up shop for the weekend. Eatbox is there most years, and I've always enjoyed their food. So I stopped by there to grab a quick lunch one day.
I was in the mood for something healthy, so I ordered the Toi An Chay Veggie Rice Bowl. The menu advertised it as spinach, mushrooms, onions, black beans, sunflower seeds, and brown rice all hand-rolled together and topped with green pepper, carrots, and sweet garlic sauce. That sounded amazing, so I ordered one. Unfortunately, this bowl wasn't exactly what I was expecting. "Hand-rolled together" meant the veggies were smooshed into the rice, which was fine I guess. But I imagined a bowl filled with fresh veggie and seeds. Also, they gave me raw broccoli (yuck) instead of bell pepper and totally left off the garlic sauce (or maybe it was mixed in too?). Oh well. The taste was good, but it wasn't what I was expecting. And for the price — $8 — the serving was really small.
It's a Thursday night (opening night) tradition for me to snag a late-night Samosa snack. They're all over the park. Paul ordered a bowl of plain white rice because he's weird.
On another night, when I got a late-night craving, I grabbed these Wild Mushroom Dumplings. The insides were stuffed with a mix of mushrooms, and the outside was a doughy, crispy deep-fried ball of goodness. I'll definitely seek these out again next year.
One night, Paul and I got some Tater Tots from a corndog stand (they had vegetarian corndogs, but they weren't vegan — bummer). Man, these were some of the BEST tots either of us had ever had. Maybe we were just hungry. Maybe it was the beer. But we both agreed that these were greatest tots.
Out the six years I've been going to Bonnaroo, I'd have to say this was the hottest one. Temps were in the high 90s throughout the weekend, and it was easy to get dehydrated and sunburned. I stayed out of the sun as much as possible by skipping most of the daytime shows and hanging out under the shade tent at the campsite. But we ventured out in the sun some, and thankfully, there were vendors selling fresh Watermelon Slices to help cool folks down.
That's all the food I purchased inside the fest. But here's a pic of my Saturday morning yoga class! Yoga classes are offered every morning at Bonnaroo, and I always try to make a point to attend at least one. It's so nice to get out and stretch in the early morning light while most fest-goers are still hungover at their campsites (or, in some cases, awake from the night before).
And just for fun, here's a pic of me and Paul on the festival ferris wheel!
June 8, 2016
Sweet Earth Vegan Breakfast Sandwich!
Quick post today! Life has been CRAZY lately, so I'm sorry for the sporadic posting. And this will be my last post until at least Monday night (because I have some fun planned — but more on that when I return!).
I wanted to pop in though and tell y'all how much I love the new Sweet Earth Farmstand Flaxbread Vegan Breakfast Sandwich. I actually spotted a coupon for this in a Whole Foods coupon book, and then I found it in the freezer aisle there. And OMG!! New fave thing.
This is a frozen vegan breakfast sandwich with meatless ham (which they adorably call Harmless Ham), a chickpea patty, and a sundried tomato spread. You heat it for a few seconds in the microwave, and it comes out perfectly.
You'd think a frozen breakfast sandwich would have soggy bread or be a little tough after microwaving. But nope! So long as you don't overcook, it's just like homemade. The chickpea patty is a great stand-in for eggs and a nice change from the usual tofu-based egg substitute. And that tomato spread really takes it to the next level.
These are a little pricy (even with the $1 off coupon I had), so I can't make these an everyday breakfast. But they're awesome for an occasional treat!
Here's the box!
Well, I'll see y'all next week. I promise lots of delicious food pics!
I wanted to pop in though and tell y'all how much I love the new Sweet Earth Farmstand Flaxbread Vegan Breakfast Sandwich. I actually spotted a coupon for this in a Whole Foods coupon book, and then I found it in the freezer aisle there. And OMG!! New fave thing.
This is a frozen vegan breakfast sandwich with meatless ham (which they adorably call Harmless Ham), a chickpea patty, and a sundried tomato spread. You heat it for a few seconds in the microwave, and it comes out perfectly.
You'd think a frozen breakfast sandwich would have soggy bread or be a little tough after microwaving. But nope! So long as you don't overcook, it's just like homemade. The chickpea patty is a great stand-in for eggs and a nice change from the usual tofu-based egg substitute. And that tomato spread really takes it to the next level.
These are a little pricy (even with the $1 off coupon I had), so I can't make these an everyday breakfast. But they're awesome for an occasional treat!
Here's the box!
Well, I'll see y'all next week. I promise lots of delicious food pics!
June 6, 2016
We All Scream for N'ice Cream!
Thanks y'all for the outpouring of support and kinds words for Datsun. Losing him was so hard, but y'all make it a little easier to deal with. The best way to move on is to get back into a schedule, so I'm back to my regular blogging tonight with a review that I'd planned for last week but postponed due to crappy, sad life stuff.
There's a new vegan ice cream book out just in time for summer, and it's filled with homemade ice creams, popsicles, banana soft serves, milkshakes, and ice cream cakes and cookies.
I received a galley copy of N'ice Cream: 80+ Recipes for Healthy Homemade Vegan Ice Creams a few weeks back, and I've had a chance to try a couple recipes. I've reviewed a number of vegan ice cream books over the years, and as far as I remember, all of those have required the use of an ice cream maker. Now, I do have an ice cream maker (two, in fact!). But I'm kind of lazy, and I hate dragging the makers out and doing the whole ice and salt deal. Plus, my big one is pretty cheap, and it gets stuck about midway through ice cream-making.
But N'ice Cream — by Saveur Award-winning Finnish authors Virpi Mikkonen and Tuulia Talvio — features methods for making both instant and non-instant ice creams without a maker. And while some of the recipes do include maker instructions, any recipe in the book an alternately be made without one! And some recipes don't call for one at all!
Since I'm lazy, as I've already pointed out, I opted to try two recipes that don't call for a maker. I have some popsicle molds that don't see nearly enough use. So I figured I'd put them to work with these super-simple Coconut Water Coolers.
These have just three ingredients — coconut water, kiwi, and strawberries. The recipe calls for blueberries too, but I'm going camping soon, and I didn't want to buy too much fruit that would I wouldn't be able to finish before the trip. Anyway, these were so refreshing. I helped Cassi move on Sunday, and it was hot outside! So afterwards, I grabbed one of these to cool off. The frozen coconut water really hits the spot.
I picked the Coconut Sundae from the Instant Ice Cream chapter.
This is basically a banana soft serve made with full-fat coconut milk and maple syrup. The ice cream base is yummy, but it's the peanut butter caramel sauce that really sets this off. The sauce is made by combining peanut butter, maple syrup, and almond milk. I whipped up more than the recipe called for on accident, and I couldn't help spooning more and more onto my sundae as I worked my way through it.
When I first poured over the sauce, I thought, this sundae could use some texture – maybe cacao nibs or peanuts or something. But after a bite of the cold cream and sweet PB caramel, I understood why this didn't have any garnish. It's so amazing and creamy, and you really don't want anything standing between you and that caramel sauce.
Throughout the summer, I plan to try more simple recipes from this book. The recipes are made with whole foods, so they're pretty darn healthy for frozen treats. The ice creams and shakes have a base of banana or coconut milk or cashews (and some use all three), so nothing artificial or bad for you. It's like health food ice cream! On my list are Creamy Tahini Popsicles, Raspberry-White Chocolate Ice Cream, Salty Caramel Popcorn Ice Cream, Chocolate Creamsicles with White Chocolate Glaze, the Caramel Peanut Ice Cream Cake, and the Mint Chocolate Chip Sundae.
There's a new vegan ice cream book out just in time for summer, and it's filled with homemade ice creams, popsicles, banana soft serves, milkshakes, and ice cream cakes and cookies.
I received a galley copy of N'ice Cream: 80+ Recipes for Healthy Homemade Vegan Ice Creams a few weeks back, and I've had a chance to try a couple recipes. I've reviewed a number of vegan ice cream books over the years, and as far as I remember, all of those have required the use of an ice cream maker. Now, I do have an ice cream maker (two, in fact!). But I'm kind of lazy, and I hate dragging the makers out and doing the whole ice and salt deal. Plus, my big one is pretty cheap, and it gets stuck about midway through ice cream-making.
But N'ice Cream — by Saveur Award-winning Finnish authors Virpi Mikkonen and Tuulia Talvio — features methods for making both instant and non-instant ice creams without a maker. And while some of the recipes do include maker instructions, any recipe in the book an alternately be made without one! And some recipes don't call for one at all!
Since I'm lazy, as I've already pointed out, I opted to try two recipes that don't call for a maker. I have some popsicle molds that don't see nearly enough use. So I figured I'd put them to work with these super-simple Coconut Water Coolers.
These have just three ingredients — coconut water, kiwi, and strawberries. The recipe calls for blueberries too, but I'm going camping soon, and I didn't want to buy too much fruit that would I wouldn't be able to finish before the trip. Anyway, these were so refreshing. I helped Cassi move on Sunday, and it was hot outside! So afterwards, I grabbed one of these to cool off. The frozen coconut water really hits the spot.
I picked the Coconut Sundae from the Instant Ice Cream chapter.
This is basically a banana soft serve made with full-fat coconut milk and maple syrup. The ice cream base is yummy, but it's the peanut butter caramel sauce that really sets this off. The sauce is made by combining peanut butter, maple syrup, and almond milk. I whipped up more than the recipe called for on accident, and I couldn't help spooning more and more onto my sundae as I worked my way through it.
When I first poured over the sauce, I thought, this sundae could use some texture – maybe cacao nibs or peanuts or something. But after a bite of the cold cream and sweet PB caramel, I understood why this didn't have any garnish. It's so amazing and creamy, and you really don't want anything standing between you and that caramel sauce.
Throughout the summer, I plan to try more simple recipes from this book. The recipes are made with whole foods, so they're pretty darn healthy for frozen treats. The ice creams and shakes have a base of banana or coconut milk or cashews (and some use all three), so nothing artificial or bad for you. It's like health food ice cream! On my list are Creamy Tahini Popsicles, Raspberry-White Chocolate Ice Cream, Salty Caramel Popcorn Ice Cream, Chocolate Creamsicles with White Chocolate Glaze, the Caramel Peanut Ice Cream Cake, and the Mint Chocolate Chip Sundae.
N'ice Cream Review
Thanks y'all for the outpouring of support and kinds words for Datsun. Losing him was so hard, but y'all make it a little easier to deal with. The best way to move on is to get back into a schedule, so I'm back to my regular blogging tonight with a review that I'd planned for last week but postponed due to crappy, sad life stuff.
There's a new vegan ice cream book out just in time for summer, and it's filled with homemade ice creams, popsicles, banana soft serves, milkshakes, and ice cream cakes and cookies.
I received a galley copy of N'ice Cream: 80+ Recipes for Healthy Homemade Vegan Ice Creams a few weeks back, and I've had a chance to try a couple recipes. I've reviewed a number of vegan ice cream books over the years, and as far as I remember, all of those have required the use of an ice cream maker. Now, I do have an ice cream maker (two, in fact!). But I'm kind of lazy, and I hate dragging the makers out and doing the whole ice and salt deal. Plus, my big one is pretty cheap, and it gets stuck about midway through ice cream-making.
But N'ice Cream features methods for making both instant and non-instant ice creams with a maker. And while some of the recipes do include maker instructions, any recipe in the book an alternately be made without one! And some recipes don't call for one at all!
Since I'm lazy, as I've already pointed out, I opted to try two recipes that don't call for a maker at all. I have some popsicle molds that don't see nearly enough use. So I figured I'd put them to work with these super-simple Coconut Water Coolers.
These have just three ingredients — coconut water, kiwi, and strawberries. The recipe calls for blueberries too, but I'm going camping soon, and I didn't want to buy too much fruit that would I wouldn't be able to finish before the trip. Anyway, these were so refreshing. I helped Cassi move on Sunday, and it was hot outside! So afterwards, I grabbed one of these to cool off. The frozen coconut water really hits the spot.
I picked the Coconut Sundae from the Instant Ice Cream chapter.
This is basically a banana soft serve made with full-fat coconut milk and maple syrup. The ice cream base is yummy, but it's the peanut butter caramel sauce that really sets this off. The sauce is made by combining peanut butter, maple syrup, and almond milk. I whipped up more than the recipe called for on accident, and I couldn't help spooning more and more onto my sundae as I worked my way through it.
When I first poured over the sauce, I thought, this sundae could use some texture – maybe cacao nibs or peanuts or something. But after a bite of the cold cream and sweet PB caramel, I understood why this didn't have any garnish. It's so amazing and creamy, and you really don't want anything standing between you and that caramel sauce.
Throughout the summer, I plan to try more simple recipes from this book. The recipes are made with whole foods, so they're pretty darn healthy for frozen treats. The ice creams and shakes have a base of banana or coconut milk or cashews (and some use all three), so nothing artificial or bad for you. It's like health food ice cream! On my list are Creamy Tahini Popsicles, Raspberry-White Chocolate Ice Cream, Salty Caramel Popcorn Ice Cream, Chocolate Creamsicles with White Chocolate Glaze, the Caramel Peanut Ice Cream Cake, and the Mint Chocolate Chip Sundae.
There's a new vegan ice cream book out just in time for summer, and it's filled with homemade ice creams, popsicles, banana soft serves, milkshakes, and ice cream cakes and cookies.
I received a galley copy of N'ice Cream: 80+ Recipes for Healthy Homemade Vegan Ice Creams a few weeks back, and I've had a chance to try a couple recipes. I've reviewed a number of vegan ice cream books over the years, and as far as I remember, all of those have required the use of an ice cream maker. Now, I do have an ice cream maker (two, in fact!). But I'm kind of lazy, and I hate dragging the makers out and doing the whole ice and salt deal. Plus, my big one is pretty cheap, and it gets stuck about midway through ice cream-making.
But N'ice Cream features methods for making both instant and non-instant ice creams with a maker. And while some of the recipes do include maker instructions, any recipe in the book an alternately be made without one! And some recipes don't call for one at all!
Since I'm lazy, as I've already pointed out, I opted to try two recipes that don't call for a maker at all. I have some popsicle molds that don't see nearly enough use. So I figured I'd put them to work with these super-simple Coconut Water Coolers.
These have just three ingredients — coconut water, kiwi, and strawberries. The recipe calls for blueberries too, but I'm going camping soon, and I didn't want to buy too much fruit that would I wouldn't be able to finish before the trip. Anyway, these were so refreshing. I helped Cassi move on Sunday, and it was hot outside! So afterwards, I grabbed one of these to cool off. The frozen coconut water really hits the spot.
I picked the Coconut Sundae from the Instant Ice Cream chapter.
This is basically a banana soft serve made with full-fat coconut milk and maple syrup. The ice cream base is yummy, but it's the peanut butter caramel sauce that really sets this off. The sauce is made by combining peanut butter, maple syrup, and almond milk. I whipped up more than the recipe called for on accident, and I couldn't help spooning more and more onto my sundae as I worked my way through it.
When I first poured over the sauce, I thought, this sundae could use some texture – maybe cacao nibs or peanuts or something. But after a bite of the cold cream and sweet PB caramel, I understood why this didn't have any garnish. It's so amazing and creamy, and you really don't want anything standing between you and that caramel sauce.
Throughout the summer, I plan to try more simple recipes from this book. The recipes are made with whole foods, so they're pretty darn healthy for frozen treats. The ice creams and shakes have a base of banana or coconut milk or cashews (and some use all three), so nothing artificial or bad for you. It's like health food ice cream! On my list are Creamy Tahini Popsicles, Raspberry-White Chocolate Ice Cream, Salty Caramel Popcorn Ice Cream, Chocolate Creamsicles with White Chocolate Glaze, the Caramel Peanut Ice Cream Cake, and the Mint Chocolate Chip Sundae.
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