Bianca Phillips's Blog, page 153
March 6, 2016
A Pig! A Donkey! A Potluck!
Kristie, who co-owns Imagine Vegan Cafe with her husband Adam, had a birthday last week, and they held a little vegan potluck and bonfire out at their house in Mississippi Friday night (for my non-local readers, Mississippi is just across the border from Memphis — like 20 minutes away). There was tons of delicious food. And I finally got to meet their rescue pig and donkey!
Here's Kristie with her newest baby Aspen. Adam and Kristie have four kids, six dogs, four cats, a pig, and a donkey, and they run a restaurant full-time. They're pretty much superheroes. Or robots. No idea how they manage all that.
Even though it was potluck, Kristie made most of the food. She made these Vegan Chicken Sliders with veggie bacon, Gardein scallopini, and Imagine's homemade white cheese.
And there were Onion Rings! Lots of them.
She also made a big ole dish full of Vegan Cheese Scalloped Potatoes. These came out of the oven after most people had eaten, so I took a couple servings home to enjoy this week.
Kristie's French Onion Dip is insane! When I was a kid, french onion dip was my favorite food group. And this was just like the stuff I remember. She just mixes Tofutti sour cream with Lipton Onion Soup Mix (yes, it's vegan), and it's so perfect. I need to start making this! She also made a bean dip that was delicious with Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos (yep, they're also vegan), but I failed to take a picture.
There were Gardein Chicken Tenders because they're awesome.
Kristie's oldest daughter's best friend Svea is an excellent cook, even though she's only a teen. And she made the most amazing Stuffed Bread Rolls. She stuffed Pillsbury Pizza Crust (yes, it's vegan) with shredded Gardein chicken and Daiya cheese and then rolled it up and baked it. Wow!
I brought Muhammara Pit-za triangles from Vegan Finger Foods. These are tiny pita pizzas topped with a homemade aged cashew-almond cheese and a roasted red pepper-walnut spread. They're really yummy, and Kristie's kid Sierra (who is 6) was extremely impressed that there were tiny pizzas at the party. She declared that day the "best day of her life."
After dinner, we all gathered around the bonfire in the backyard, and Kristie let Miss Piggy (the rescue pig) and Diego (the rescue donkey) out of their barn. Diego came out first, and we didn't see Miss Piggy. So Diego went back into the barn and coaxed Miss Piggy out by bumping her butt with his nose. Cutest thing ever. Here's Diego.
Diego is really protective of Miss Piggy, and he didn't want us to get too close at first. But once he decided we were cool, he let us feed Miss Piggy slices of bread. She LOVE bread, and she makes the best snorty pig sounds while she's eating.
It was awfully chilly on Friday night, and the animals were far enough away from the bonfire that I got cold quickly. I ended up sneaking back inside to warm up, and everyone else got the same idea too. Here's me and Stephanie.
And Megan and Joey!
Once our dinner had settled, it was time for birthday cake! Stephanie — a professional vegan baker — made Kristie a giant sheet cake. It was chocolate cake with raspberry frosting and chocolate ganache. So good!
Happy Birthday, Kristie!
Here's Kristie with her newest baby Aspen. Adam and Kristie have four kids, six dogs, four cats, a pig, and a donkey, and they run a restaurant full-time. They're pretty much superheroes. Or robots. No idea how they manage all that.

Even though it was potluck, Kristie made most of the food. She made these Vegan Chicken Sliders with veggie bacon, Gardein scallopini, and Imagine's homemade white cheese.

And there were Onion Rings! Lots of them.

She also made a big ole dish full of Vegan Cheese Scalloped Potatoes. These came out of the oven after most people had eaten, so I took a couple servings home to enjoy this week.

Kristie's French Onion Dip is insane! When I was a kid, french onion dip was my favorite food group. And this was just like the stuff I remember. She just mixes Tofutti sour cream with Lipton Onion Soup Mix (yes, it's vegan), and it's so perfect. I need to start making this! She also made a bean dip that was delicious with Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos (yep, they're also vegan), but I failed to take a picture.

There were Gardein Chicken Tenders because they're awesome.

Kristie's oldest daughter's best friend Svea is an excellent cook, even though she's only a teen. And she made the most amazing Stuffed Bread Rolls. She stuffed Pillsbury Pizza Crust (yes, it's vegan) with shredded Gardein chicken and Daiya cheese and then rolled it up and baked it. Wow!

I brought Muhammara Pit-za triangles from Vegan Finger Foods. These are tiny pita pizzas topped with a homemade aged cashew-almond cheese and a roasted red pepper-walnut spread. They're really yummy, and Kristie's kid Sierra (who is 6) was extremely impressed that there were tiny pizzas at the party. She declared that day the "best day of her life."

After dinner, we all gathered around the bonfire in the backyard, and Kristie let Miss Piggy (the rescue pig) and Diego (the rescue donkey) out of their barn. Diego came out first, and we didn't see Miss Piggy. So Diego went back into the barn and coaxed Miss Piggy out by bumping her butt with his nose. Cutest thing ever. Here's Diego.

Diego is really protective of Miss Piggy, and he didn't want us to get too close at first. But once he decided we were cool, he let us feed Miss Piggy slices of bread. She LOVE bread, and she makes the best snorty pig sounds while she's eating.

It was awfully chilly on Friday night, and the animals were far enough away from the bonfire that I got cold quickly. I ended up sneaking back inside to warm up, and everyone else got the same idea too. Here's me and Stephanie.

And Megan and Joey!

Once our dinner had settled, it was time for birthday cake! Stephanie — a professional vegan baker — made Kristie a giant sheet cake. It was chocolate cake with raspberry frosting and chocolate ganache. So good!

Happy Birthday, Kristie!
Published on March 06, 2016 18:05
March 3, 2016
Stuff I Ate
I've eaten a lot since I posted one of these random meal posts last week. And, after looking through my pics, I'm realizing that I must on some kind of crazy sandwich binge.
Here's a sandwich I ate last week at Pink Diva Cupcakery. It's the Vegan Fried Fish Sandwich with Gardein fishless filets, sriracha aioli, and lettuce on a hoagie bun. There was avocado-kale salad on the side, but it's behind all that bread. I didn't care for fish in my meat-eating days, unless it was Captain D's, and then I was all in. The Gardein reminds me of Captain D's, and Cassi (owner of Pink Diva) prepares it in a deep fryer. Yay!
I've been eating a lot of yogurt for breakfast lately, but one morning, I woke up needing something savory and hearty. So I whipped up this Breakfast Sandwich with Follow Your Heart Vegan Egg, Lightlife Smart Bacon, and Daiya cheddar.
Imagine Vegan Cafe has a new manager, and he's looking to make some big, positive changes. I've been a loyal customer there since opening day in 2011, managing a visit almost every week since then. So he wanted my feedback on ways to improve the menu, customer service, etc. And they treated me to a meal while we brainstormed strategy. I went with the Vegan Chicken Bacon Melt and Onion Rings. That's a Gardein chicken filet with housemade mozzarella, vegan mayo, and veggie bacon. The onion rings are a new menu item! Yay!
Hey look, it's not a sandwich! But it's also from Imagine. For brunch last Sunday, I was feeling the need for greens, so I went with a Veggie Plate with broccoli & garlic aioli, garlic kale with sriracha, brown sugar-glazed carrots, and vegan mac & cheese.
Oh, we're back to sandwiches now. Earlier this week, I popped by I Love Juice Bar in the morning and grabbed a Sprout Sandwich from their grab-and-go case to have for lunch at my desk. Avocado, vegan mayo, cucumber, tomato, and sprouts on sprouted grain. I brought a side of Pirate's Booty Carrot Puffs from home.
The reason I was at I Love Juice Bar that morning was actually to pick up a Grand Slam Shot. I'm having some issues with my hip bursitis flaring up on runs, and ginger helps with inflammation. This has a ginger-cayenne shot, a lemon juice shot, a wheatgrass shot, and a pineapple shot. Best enjoyed in that order.
We had a game night at my friend Andy's house last weekend, and Mike brought Field Roast Apple Maple Sausages in Blankets. I ate my fair share that night and took a few home for breakfast the next day. Mmmmmm.
It's Girl Scout cookie time! And now that Thin Mints are vegan, that means Cassi can use them in her cupcakes. I picked up this Thin Mints Cupcake from Pink Diva Cupcakery earlier this week for a little after-work snack.
And finally, check out these sexy tacos. There's a new LYFE Kitchen location just blocks from my office, and a few of my co-workers hadn't made it there yet (I've been three times in about as many weeks). So we took a field trip there for lunch yesterday. I got the Maui Tofu Tacos with chayote slaw, vegan chiptole aioli, and salsa.
I knew I wanted more ginger in my diet for inflammation, so I ordered an Orange Ginger Chia LYFE Water to wash it down.
Here's a sandwich I ate last week at Pink Diva Cupcakery. It's the Vegan Fried Fish Sandwich with Gardein fishless filets, sriracha aioli, and lettuce on a hoagie bun. There was avocado-kale salad on the side, but it's behind all that bread. I didn't care for fish in my meat-eating days, unless it was Captain D's, and then I was all in. The Gardein reminds me of Captain D's, and Cassi (owner of Pink Diva) prepares it in a deep fryer. Yay!

I've been eating a lot of yogurt for breakfast lately, but one morning, I woke up needing something savory and hearty. So I whipped up this Breakfast Sandwich with Follow Your Heart Vegan Egg, Lightlife Smart Bacon, and Daiya cheddar.

Imagine Vegan Cafe has a new manager, and he's looking to make some big, positive changes. I've been a loyal customer there since opening day in 2011, managing a visit almost every week since then. So he wanted my feedback on ways to improve the menu, customer service, etc. And they treated me to a meal while we brainstormed strategy. I went with the Vegan Chicken Bacon Melt and Onion Rings. That's a Gardein chicken filet with housemade mozzarella, vegan mayo, and veggie bacon. The onion rings are a new menu item! Yay!

Hey look, it's not a sandwich! But it's also from Imagine. For brunch last Sunday, I was feeling the need for greens, so I went with a Veggie Plate with broccoli & garlic aioli, garlic kale with sriracha, brown sugar-glazed carrots, and vegan mac & cheese.

Oh, we're back to sandwiches now. Earlier this week, I popped by I Love Juice Bar in the morning and grabbed a Sprout Sandwich from their grab-and-go case to have for lunch at my desk. Avocado, vegan mayo, cucumber, tomato, and sprouts on sprouted grain. I brought a side of Pirate's Booty Carrot Puffs from home.

The reason I was at I Love Juice Bar that morning was actually to pick up a Grand Slam Shot. I'm having some issues with my hip bursitis flaring up on runs, and ginger helps with inflammation. This has a ginger-cayenne shot, a lemon juice shot, a wheatgrass shot, and a pineapple shot. Best enjoyed in that order.

We had a game night at my friend Andy's house last weekend, and Mike brought Field Roast Apple Maple Sausages in Blankets. I ate my fair share that night and took a few home for breakfast the next day. Mmmmmm.

It's Girl Scout cookie time! And now that Thin Mints are vegan, that means Cassi can use them in her cupcakes. I picked up this Thin Mints Cupcake from Pink Diva Cupcakery earlier this week for a little after-work snack.

And finally, check out these sexy tacos. There's a new LYFE Kitchen location just blocks from my office, and a few of my co-workers hadn't made it there yet (I've been three times in about as many weeks). So we took a field trip there for lunch yesterday. I got the Maui Tofu Tacos with chayote slaw, vegan chiptole aioli, and salsa.

I knew I wanted more ginger in my diet for inflammation, so I ordered an Orange Ginger Chia LYFE Water to wash it down.

Published on March 03, 2016 16:51
March 2, 2016
The 1960s Meets the 1990s
One of my New Year's goals was to really buckle down and finish up recipe development for my vintage vegan cookbook project. If you've been reading my blog awhile, you've heard me talking about it for years now. And I swear it's coming! But I have a day job and other books and products to review, so I've really been taking my time with it.
I did get a couple easy appetizer recipes together this week. Both of these are so easy they don't even really need written recipes, but I'm including them in the book — a veganized look at American food trends over the last century — because they're so retro and so tasty.
Someone sent me this article on The Kitchn awhile back. It features 10 recipes that defined the 1960s, and one of those was stuffed crescent rolls. You know, like pigs in blankets. That's straight-up 1960s cocktail party fare. But the photo in the article showed a classier version with asparagus. I veganized that with these Asparagus Roll-Ups. They're super-simple — wrap steamed asparagus spears up in a crescent roll with a sprinkling of vegan cheese. I used Daiya cheddar for some and the new Follow Your Heart smoked gouda slices for some. Both were amazing.
Tip: Pillsbury Crescent Rolls are vegan, but for these, I used the Immaculate brand because they're made with better quality ingredients.
Fast forward about 30 years for this next one — Veggie Bacon-Wrapped Dates. Bacon-wrapped dates (well, bacon-wrapped anything really) were all the rage in the 1990s. And while it sounds like a weird combo, the smokiness of the bacon really does do something magical with the sweetness and softness of dates. For these, I literally just cooked a couple slices of storebought veggie bacon (Lightlife or Upton's works well) and wrapped it around dates. See? I almost hate to include a recipe that's so easy, but it's so 90s that I just can't leave it out.
I had my asparagus roll-ups and my bacon-wrapped dates as part of what I like to call a "snacky dinner," my very favorite kind of dinner. I love to make a big plate of finger foods, pour a glass of red wine, and savor every casual bite while catching up on reading. Tonight, my snacky plate also had a pitted olive mix and marinated mushrooms (from the Kroger olive bar), white bean hummus, pretzel chips, and baby carrots. All washed down with a side of cab sauv.
I did get a couple easy appetizer recipes together this week. Both of these are so easy they don't even really need written recipes, but I'm including them in the book — a veganized look at American food trends over the last century — because they're so retro and so tasty.
Someone sent me this article on The Kitchn awhile back. It features 10 recipes that defined the 1960s, and one of those was stuffed crescent rolls. You know, like pigs in blankets. That's straight-up 1960s cocktail party fare. But the photo in the article showed a classier version with asparagus. I veganized that with these Asparagus Roll-Ups. They're super-simple — wrap steamed asparagus spears up in a crescent roll with a sprinkling of vegan cheese. I used Daiya cheddar for some and the new Follow Your Heart smoked gouda slices for some. Both were amazing.
Tip: Pillsbury Crescent Rolls are vegan, but for these, I used the Immaculate brand because they're made with better quality ingredients.

Fast forward about 30 years for this next one — Veggie Bacon-Wrapped Dates. Bacon-wrapped dates (well, bacon-wrapped anything really) were all the rage in the 1990s. And while it sounds like a weird combo, the smokiness of the bacon really does do something magical with the sweetness and softness of dates. For these, I literally just cooked a couple slices of storebought veggie bacon (Lightlife or Upton's works well) and wrapped it around dates. See? I almost hate to include a recipe that's so easy, but it's so 90s that I just can't leave it out.

I had my asparagus roll-ups and my bacon-wrapped dates as part of what I like to call a "snacky dinner," my very favorite kind of dinner. I love to make a big plate of finger foods, pour a glass of red wine, and savor every casual bite while catching up on reading. Tonight, my snacky plate also had a pitted olive mix and marinated mushrooms (from the Kroger olive bar), white bean hummus, pretzel chips, and baby carrots. All washed down with a side of cab sauv.

Published on March 02, 2016 20:04
March 1, 2016
So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Yogurts! With Recipes!
It's day two of yogurt reviews! Yesterday, I reviewed the new carrageenan-free line of fruity So Delicious coconut yogurts. Those yogurts are pretty sweet and best for enjoying with fruit, granola, nuts, and seeds. But So Delicious also sent me their unsweetened coconut yogurts to try. These aren't new (at least I don't think they are), but I'd never had them because, for some reason, my Whole Foods doesn't carry any unsweetened vegan yogurts. And that makes me a little sad because unsweetened varieties are so versatile!
These are super-creamy yogurts, and there's no separation (unlike in their fruity yogurts, which do have a little separation). They have a nice tangy flavor. The coconut flavor is there, but it's subtle and mostly overpowered by tanginess. I really wish our Whole Foods would carry these. I've had some luck with special requests, so I'll have to ask about these.
I used the Unsweetened Vanilla Cultured Coconut Milk to make a banana yogurt smoothie that's loosely based off a recipe from the Vitamix cookbook. The yogurt not only made for a thicker, creamier smoothie, it also added just the right amount of yogurt-y tang to counter the sweetness of the banana and chocolate syrup.
Chocolate Banana Yogurt Smoothie-------------------------------------------------1 cup almond milk1/2 cup So Delicious Unsweetened Vanilla Cultured Coconut Milk1 frozen banana1 scoop vegan vanilla protein powder (I used Vega One French Vanilla)1 Tbsp. chocolate syrup
Combine everything except chocolate syrup in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Top with chocolate syrup.---------------------------------------------------------
I decided to try the Unsweetened Cultured Coconut Milk in a savory application. The few times I've been able to get my hands on unsweetened yogurts, I've typically eaten them with bee-free honee or agave or something to add sweetness back in. But why add sweetness when they've created a yogurt without it?
So I googled "savory yogurt" and found some inspiration for savory yogurt breakfast bowls. After reading through a few ideas, I settled on making a Greek-inspired bowl that was sort of a cross between tzatzki and a salad.
Savory Greek-Style Yogurt Bowl---------------------------------------------1 cup So Delicious Unsweetened Cultured Coconut Milk1/4 English cucumber, diced1 radish, diced5 kalamata olives, sliced1 Tbsp. hemp seeds1 tsp. dried dill weedSea salt, to taste
Spoon the yogurt into a bowl and top with remaining ingredients. Salt to taste. Dig in!

These are super-creamy yogurts, and there's no separation (unlike in their fruity yogurts, which do have a little separation). They have a nice tangy flavor. The coconut flavor is there, but it's subtle and mostly overpowered by tanginess. I really wish our Whole Foods would carry these. I've had some luck with special requests, so I'll have to ask about these.
I used the Unsweetened Vanilla Cultured Coconut Milk to make a banana yogurt smoothie that's loosely based off a recipe from the Vitamix cookbook. The yogurt not only made for a thicker, creamier smoothie, it also added just the right amount of yogurt-y tang to counter the sweetness of the banana and chocolate syrup.

Chocolate Banana Yogurt Smoothie-------------------------------------------------1 cup almond milk1/2 cup So Delicious Unsweetened Vanilla Cultured Coconut Milk1 frozen banana1 scoop vegan vanilla protein powder (I used Vega One French Vanilla)1 Tbsp. chocolate syrup
Combine everything except chocolate syrup in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Top with chocolate syrup.---------------------------------------------------------
I decided to try the Unsweetened Cultured Coconut Milk in a savory application. The few times I've been able to get my hands on unsweetened yogurts, I've typically eaten them with bee-free honee or agave or something to add sweetness back in. But why add sweetness when they've created a yogurt without it?
So I googled "savory yogurt" and found some inspiration for savory yogurt breakfast bowls. After reading through a few ideas, I settled on making a Greek-inspired bowl that was sort of a cross between tzatzki and a salad.

Savory Greek-Style Yogurt Bowl---------------------------------------------1 cup So Delicious Unsweetened Cultured Coconut Milk1/4 English cucumber, diced1 radish, diced5 kalamata olives, sliced1 Tbsp. hemp seeds1 tsp. dried dill weedSea salt, to taste
Spoon the yogurt into a bowl and top with remaining ingredients. Salt to taste. Dig in!
Published on March 01, 2016 19:55
February 29, 2016
New So Delicious Coconut Yogurts!
It's about to real yogurt-y up in here. Or should I say, we're about to get cultured. Yea, that sounds smarter. Anyway, So Delicious sent me samples of their new yogurts to review, and another vegan yogurt company also sent me some review samples. So I'll tackle So Delicious this week — today and tomorrow — and, later this month, expect even more yogurt reviews and recipes!
So Delicious coconut yogurt has been around for years, but they have a new formula that's carrageenan-free and made with organic coconuts. Of course, they're still soy-free and gluten-free. Plus, there's a adorable new packaging. Any time you add hearts to a design, it instantly becomes better.
In case you're not familiar, carrageenan is extracted from seaweed, and it's often used as a thickener in natural food products. But there's been some recent concern because some studies have linked it with GI issues and inflammation. As an ethical vegan, I'm not really one to worry much about stuff like that. But plenty of folks are vegan for health reasons, and it's good to make products that satisfies their needs too. These new yogurts do just that.
I'm a huge fan of yogurt parfaits, so I tried the vanilla one first in a parfait with chopped nectarine and hemp & greens granola (from the Whole Foods bulk bin). I couldn't tell much difference in taste in this new formula compared with the old formula, which I certainly have eaten my fair share of. There's a subtle hint of coconut, a creamy-ish texture (but a slight chunkiness), and just the right level of tartness. Like all sweetened vegan yogurts, the So Delicious ones are quite sweet. But I prefer that in a fruity yogurt.
Next, I had the strawberry banana with fresh strawberries, bananas, and more hemp & greens granola. This one was my fave, probably because I just love banana. The strawberry and banana flavors outshone the coconut more than in the vanilla flavor.
I decided to save myself from having to wash an extra bowl one morning with this raspberry yogurt, eaten straight from the carton. Since raspberries go great with chocolate, I topped this with cocoa-flavored coconut chips and carob chips. I believe the raspberry yogurt was the smoothest of the three. While the texture of the yogurts is creamy, you can see a little separation, probably because of the coconut fat. But I didn't notice that as much with this one.
The strawberry was excellent! Sweet, tart, berry-ful, and it had little bits of berry chunks mixed in. I enjoyed it with fresh berries and a package of Cocoa Coconut Larabar Renola Fruit, Nut, & Seed Mix (almonds, sunflower seeds, coconut).
Even though I'm not terribly concerned about consuming carrageenan, I'm glad So Delicious omitted that ingredient from their yogurts. As a vegan, I know how happy it makes me when a non-vegan company takes animal by-products out of their products (remember when that happened with Skittles?! That was the best!). So I can imagine it's super-awesome when a company removes ingredients that you can't eat for health reasons.
So Delicious also sent me two of their unsweetened yogurts to try, but I'll be reviewing those tomorrow. And posting recipes!
So Delicious coconut yogurt has been around for years, but they have a new formula that's carrageenan-free and made with organic coconuts. Of course, they're still soy-free and gluten-free. Plus, there's a adorable new packaging. Any time you add hearts to a design, it instantly becomes better.
In case you're not familiar, carrageenan is extracted from seaweed, and it's often used as a thickener in natural food products. But there's been some recent concern because some studies have linked it with GI issues and inflammation. As an ethical vegan, I'm not really one to worry much about stuff like that. But plenty of folks are vegan for health reasons, and it's good to make products that satisfies their needs too. These new yogurts do just that.

I'm a huge fan of yogurt parfaits, so I tried the vanilla one first in a parfait with chopped nectarine and hemp & greens granola (from the Whole Foods bulk bin). I couldn't tell much difference in taste in this new formula compared with the old formula, which I certainly have eaten my fair share of. There's a subtle hint of coconut, a creamy-ish texture (but a slight chunkiness), and just the right level of tartness. Like all sweetened vegan yogurts, the So Delicious ones are quite sweet. But I prefer that in a fruity yogurt.

Next, I had the strawberry banana with fresh strawberries, bananas, and more hemp & greens granola. This one was my fave, probably because I just love banana. The strawberry and banana flavors outshone the coconut more than in the vanilla flavor.

I decided to save myself from having to wash an extra bowl one morning with this raspberry yogurt, eaten straight from the carton. Since raspberries go great with chocolate, I topped this with cocoa-flavored coconut chips and carob chips. I believe the raspberry yogurt was the smoothest of the three. While the texture of the yogurts is creamy, you can see a little separation, probably because of the coconut fat. But I didn't notice that as much with this one.

The strawberry was excellent! Sweet, tart, berry-ful, and it had little bits of berry chunks mixed in. I enjoyed it with fresh berries and a package of Cocoa Coconut Larabar Renola Fruit, Nut, & Seed Mix (almonds, sunflower seeds, coconut).

Even though I'm not terribly concerned about consuming carrageenan, I'm glad So Delicious omitted that ingredient from their yogurts. As a vegan, I know how happy it makes me when a non-vegan company takes animal by-products out of their products (remember when that happened with Skittles?! That was the best!). So I can imagine it's super-awesome when a company removes ingredients that you can't eat for health reasons.
So Delicious also sent me two of their unsweetened yogurts to try, but I'll be reviewing those tomorrow. And posting recipes!
Published on February 29, 2016 19:11
February 28, 2016
Kite Hill's Vegan Cheesecake is AMAZING
I know I've told y'all before, but I have a little food hoarding problem. I like to buy things I don't need, stock them in the pantry, fridge, or freezer, and just look at them for a couple weeks before I open them. I take great joy in dreaming about when I'll finally eat them and how awesome it's gonna be. And then, I wait for JUST THE RIGHT TIME. When I do finally eat that chocolate bar or raw food tart or frozen vegan pizza, it tastes so much better because I've spent all that time anticipating eating it.
Yea, I know it sounds batshit crazy, especially when I type it all out. But whatever. That's exactly what happened with this Kite Hill Ricotta Cheesecake.
I've had this cheesecake since November. But I just ate it today. Let me explain: So my mama and I picked up a couple of these at Whole Foods on Black Friday. We stopped there after we did our holiday sale shopping, and Whole Foods had just gotten these cute little single-serving vegan cheesecakes in. They were frozen, so when I got it home, I just popped it in the freezer.
Well, December happened, and cookies and candies and holiday treats were everywhere. And I figured I'd rather save my cheesecake for a time when I wasn't bombarded with treats. And then January happened, and I did that month-long, no-sugar cleanse. So cheesecake was obviously out of the question then. After my cleanse, I was all doughnuts and ice cream and cupcakes. And here we are at the end of February, and I just ate this cheesecake. But you know what? It was soooooo worth the wait.
This is THE BEST VEGAN CHEESECAKE I've ever had. It's made with Kite Hill's almond ricotta, and it has a very authentic cheesecake flavor. Despite the fact that I do enjoy cheesecakes made with Tofutti or Daiya cream cheese, the flavor just isn't quite the same as a dairy cheesecake. But this little cake was just perfect. And it was just the right size. Like a cheesecake in a cupcake size.
I was prepared to eat it plain, because I do love unadorned cheesecake. But at the last minute, right before I was about to load the first delicious bite into my mouth, I got a hankering for a strawberry topping. I had some frozen strawberries, so I added three to a small saucepan with about two teaspoons of sugar and a 1/4 cup water. I cooked them down to thaw and smooshed them up with a fork. And then I whisked in about a teaspoon of cornstarch to thicken.
I served the warm strawberry topping over my cool cheesecake. Mmmmmmmm.
Totally worth the three-month wait! Now I need to head back to Whole Foods (Kite Hill is making these exclusively for Whole Foods) and stock up on another, so I can wait to eat in, say, May.
Yea, I know it sounds batshit crazy, especially when I type it all out. But whatever. That's exactly what happened with this Kite Hill Ricotta Cheesecake.

I've had this cheesecake since November. But I just ate it today. Let me explain: So my mama and I picked up a couple of these at Whole Foods on Black Friday. We stopped there after we did our holiday sale shopping, and Whole Foods had just gotten these cute little single-serving vegan cheesecakes in. They were frozen, so when I got it home, I just popped it in the freezer.

Well, December happened, and cookies and candies and holiday treats were everywhere. And I figured I'd rather save my cheesecake for a time when I wasn't bombarded with treats. And then January happened, and I did that month-long, no-sugar cleanse. So cheesecake was obviously out of the question then. After my cleanse, I was all doughnuts and ice cream and cupcakes. And here we are at the end of February, and I just ate this cheesecake. But you know what? It was soooooo worth the wait.
This is THE BEST VEGAN CHEESECAKE I've ever had. It's made with Kite Hill's almond ricotta, and it has a very authentic cheesecake flavor. Despite the fact that I do enjoy cheesecakes made with Tofutti or Daiya cream cheese, the flavor just isn't quite the same as a dairy cheesecake. But this little cake was just perfect. And it was just the right size. Like a cheesecake in a cupcake size.

I was prepared to eat it plain, because I do love unadorned cheesecake. But at the last minute, right before I was about to load the first delicious bite into my mouth, I got a hankering for a strawberry topping. I had some frozen strawberries, so I added three to a small saucepan with about two teaspoons of sugar and a 1/4 cup water. I cooked them down to thaw and smooshed them up with a fork. And then I whisked in about a teaspoon of cornstarch to thicken.
I served the warm strawberry topping over my cool cheesecake. Mmmmmmmm.

Totally worth the three-month wait! Now I need to head back to Whole Foods (Kite Hill is making these exclusively for Whole Foods) and stock up on another, so I can wait to eat in, say, May.
Published on February 28, 2016 19:50
February 25, 2016
Vegan Steak & Tater Salad
Who else is super excited about Terry Hope Romero's new book,
Protein Ninja
? I know I am! I don't own it yet though. But the recent buzz about her new vegan protein book inspired me to pull Protein Ninja's prequel — Salad Samurai — down from the cookbook shelf this week. One of my post-January cleanse goals was to work more salad into my life.
And I have to admit that, since the cleanse has ended, I've been doing a lot of junk food-binging and not a lot of salad-eating. It's time to fix that! Salad Samurai is loaded with hearty dinner salads, and it's organized by season. We're still in the throes of stupid winter, and the one thing that gets me through these cold, cold nights is seasonal produce. As much as I hate the cold, I do admit that I love the cold weather foods — sweet potatoes, hard squash, turnips, kale, etc. Terry's winter salad section has plenty of salads using those hearty veggies.
I picked the Seitan Steak Salad with Green Peppercorn Dressing for three reasons — seitan, sweet potatoes, and cashew ranch.
Homemade steamed seitan is sliced, marinated, and grilled (I used my indoor grill). The sweet potatoes are boiled until just tender and then they're grilled as well. There are tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, and romaine.
But the thing that really tied it together (to steal a phrase from The Dude) was the green peppercorn dressing. Soaked cashews (okay, I didn't actually soak them because I have a Vitamix) are blended with spices, herbs, and green peppercorns in brine. This my first exposure to brine-packed peppercorns, and I was blown away. They're a bit like capers but spicier. And they add a twangy-spicy punch to this creamy nut-based ranch.
I'm definitely gonna try to make many more salads from Salad Samurai soon! And I hope to get Protein Ninja soon too!
And I have to admit that, since the cleanse has ended, I've been doing a lot of junk food-binging and not a lot of salad-eating. It's time to fix that! Salad Samurai is loaded with hearty dinner salads, and it's organized by season. We're still in the throes of stupid winter, and the one thing that gets me through these cold, cold nights is seasonal produce. As much as I hate the cold, I do admit that I love the cold weather foods — sweet potatoes, hard squash, turnips, kale, etc. Terry's winter salad section has plenty of salads using those hearty veggies.
I picked the Seitan Steak Salad with Green Peppercorn Dressing for three reasons — seitan, sweet potatoes, and cashew ranch.

Homemade steamed seitan is sliced, marinated, and grilled (I used my indoor grill). The sweet potatoes are boiled until just tender and then they're grilled as well. There are tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, and romaine.
But the thing that really tied it together (to steal a phrase from The Dude) was the green peppercorn dressing. Soaked cashews (okay, I didn't actually soak them because I have a Vitamix) are blended with spices, herbs, and green peppercorns in brine. This my first exposure to brine-packed peppercorns, and I was blown away. They're a bit like capers but spicier. And they add a twangy-spicy punch to this creamy nut-based ranch.
I'm definitely gonna try to make many more salads from Salad Samurai soon! And I hope to get Protein Ninja soon too!
Published on February 25, 2016 18:31
February 24, 2016
Mystic Crystal Revelations!
I know most of my readers come here for food, not airy-fairy crystal hippie stuff. But I'm so excited about my Goddess Provisions Gem Show Box! And I want to share its contents with y'all. As you may know, I subscribe to the monthly Goddess Provisions box, a monthly goodie bag of crystals, candles, vegan makeup, chocolate, teas, bath stuff, and other fun, cruelty-free things to help you embrace your inner goddess. I always post an unpacking of that monthly box (you can find my February box post here).
But this month, Goddess Provisions offered its first limited edition, one-time-only box, and I just had to order that too! The company's founders Jill and John (the same folks who run Vegan Cuts) brought a ton of beautiful crystals back from the Tuscon Gem & Mineral Show, and they offered subscribers a chance to sign up for a box of random crystals. You didn't get to choose what you got, which made it more fun. I figured whatever crystals I needed would just be cosmically directed to end up at my house! My box arrived on Monday (the night of the full moon!). Here's what I got.
My very favorite piece is this big ole chunk of stilbite. It's from the zeolite silicate family, and it's associated with the heart and crown chakras. It's best used for reaching higher consciousness, feeling spiritual vibration, and practicing universal love. This baby has such amazing energy!
I'm also in love with this labradorite! I got my first piece of labradorite in a Goddess Provisions box a few months ago, but this hunk has more shiny, iridescent detail. Labradorite is associated with the crown and third eye chakras, and it's used for transformation, intuition, and strength. It can also help boost self-confidence and reduce anxiety.
I'm super-busy at work this week, working on a tight deadline for a story, and this lepidolite couldn't have come into my life at a better time. This sparkly, rough stone bring calming energy. It's also a great crystal for boosting love and friendship. It helps with awareness, transition, and balance (so needed this week!), and it goes with the crown, third eye, throat, and heart chakras.
Finally, there was a ton of quartz crystal in my box! I have quartz all over the house, practically in every room. But a girl can never have too much quartz. It's an amazingly useful stone. It amplifies and enhances the energy of other crystals, and it's got super healing and protective powers.
Goddess Provisions sold out of the limited gem show boxes really quickly, so I was lucky to get one! If you want to know more about the company and the monthly subscription boxes, check 'em out here. Okay, I promise to come back tomorrow with foods pics! Now I'm off to see the Dropkick Murphys at the New Daisy!
But this month, Goddess Provisions offered its first limited edition, one-time-only box, and I just had to order that too! The company's founders Jill and John (the same folks who run Vegan Cuts) brought a ton of beautiful crystals back from the Tuscon Gem & Mineral Show, and they offered subscribers a chance to sign up for a box of random crystals. You didn't get to choose what you got, which made it more fun. I figured whatever crystals I needed would just be cosmically directed to end up at my house! My box arrived on Monday (the night of the full moon!). Here's what I got.

My very favorite piece is this big ole chunk of stilbite. It's from the zeolite silicate family, and it's associated with the heart and crown chakras. It's best used for reaching higher consciousness, feeling spiritual vibration, and practicing universal love. This baby has such amazing energy!

I'm also in love with this labradorite! I got my first piece of labradorite in a Goddess Provisions box a few months ago, but this hunk has more shiny, iridescent detail. Labradorite is associated with the crown and third eye chakras, and it's used for transformation, intuition, and strength. It can also help boost self-confidence and reduce anxiety.

I'm super-busy at work this week, working on a tight deadline for a story, and this lepidolite couldn't have come into my life at a better time. This sparkly, rough stone bring calming energy. It's also a great crystal for boosting love and friendship. It helps with awareness, transition, and balance (so needed this week!), and it goes with the crown, third eye, throat, and heart chakras.

Finally, there was a ton of quartz crystal in my box! I have quartz all over the house, practically in every room. But a girl can never have too much quartz. It's an amazingly useful stone. It amplifies and enhances the energy of other crystals, and it's got super healing and protective powers.

Goddess Provisions sold out of the limited gem show boxes really quickly, so I was lucky to get one! If you want to know more about the company and the monthly subscription boxes, check 'em out here. Okay, I promise to come back tomorrow with foods pics! Now I'm off to see the Dropkick Murphys at the New Daisy!
Published on February 24, 2016 17:20
February 23, 2016
Vegan Drinks at R.P. Tracks
Our Memphis Vegan Drinks group had our monthly meetup at R.P. Tracks tonight. It's a fun little college bar on the University of Memphis campus, and they have lots of vegan (and veganizable) options. We've had our Drinks meetups there before (and I've probably even blogged about us meeting there), but I didn't have anything else planned to post tonight. So here's a recap!
Here's the table. We had a nice crowd tonight, and we got a surprise visit from the owners of Imagine Vegan Cafe (Adam and Kristie) and all their kids! They don't get out much because running a restaurant and raising four kids doesn't leave them much free time.
I started with a Memphis Made Fireside — a full-bodied amber ale. Later in the evening, I ordered my very favorite local craft beer, the High Cotton Scottish Ale.
Most people stuck with beer, but Pam ordered something called a Urine Sample. No kidding. She didn't know what liquor was in it, but the yellow stuff was pineapple juice.
Kristie got a Wedding Cake Martini.
And Vaughan and Nicole ordered some cocktails too — a Dirty Martini for Vaughan and a Rum & Coke for Nicole.
R.P. Tracks is famous for their BBQ Tofu Nachos (fried tofu coated in BBQ sauce, black beans, salsa, lettuce, black olives, and seasoned tortilla chips), and since it was Jennifer's first visit to Tracks, she had to try them.
Pro tip: Always order these with the chips on the side. It keeps them from getting mushy and makes it easier to pack some for leftovers because the portion is huge.
A bunch of folks got nachos because they're hard to resist, but I'd ordered these the past three or four times I'd visited Tracks. So I mixed things up with the Vegetarian Tofu Club — marinated tofu, vegan tomato aioli, hickory coconut bacon. It normally comes on honey-wheat bread, but that's not vegan (because honey), so I sub out their focaccia bread instead. No idea why they serve vegan aioli on non-vegan bread. But the sandwich is probably better on focaccia anyway. Sweet potato fries on the side!
Melissa got the BBQ Tofu Burrito — same toppings as the nachos but stuffed inside a spinach wrap. YUM!
A few folks ordered the Buffalo Tofu Wings. I was always afraid these weren't vegan before because some wing sauce contains butter, but tonight, we got for-sure confirmation that they are vegan! So I'll be trying these next time. The ranch pictured here isn't vegan though (Vaughan eats dairy sometimes, so he didn't mind).
Pam got another of my go-to faves — the BBQ Tofu Sandwich with Sweet Potato Fries. It normally comes with slaw, but the slaw isn't vegan. But the tofu is so good that it doesn't need a slaw to be delicious on a bun.
Finally, Steven made a pretty genius order — Waffle Fries with Chipotle Hummus for dipping. The hummus usually comes with pita, and that's delicious too. But fries are better than pita.
It was a fun night! And now I'm stuffed!
Here's the table. We had a nice crowd tonight, and we got a surprise visit from the owners of Imagine Vegan Cafe (Adam and Kristie) and all their kids! They don't get out much because running a restaurant and raising four kids doesn't leave them much free time.

I started with a Memphis Made Fireside — a full-bodied amber ale. Later in the evening, I ordered my very favorite local craft beer, the High Cotton Scottish Ale.

Most people stuck with beer, but Pam ordered something called a Urine Sample. No kidding. She didn't know what liquor was in it, but the yellow stuff was pineapple juice.

Kristie got a Wedding Cake Martini.

And Vaughan and Nicole ordered some cocktails too — a Dirty Martini for Vaughan and a Rum & Coke for Nicole.

R.P. Tracks is famous for their BBQ Tofu Nachos (fried tofu coated in BBQ sauce, black beans, salsa, lettuce, black olives, and seasoned tortilla chips), and since it was Jennifer's first visit to Tracks, she had to try them.

Pro tip: Always order these with the chips on the side. It keeps them from getting mushy and makes it easier to pack some for leftovers because the portion is huge.

A bunch of folks got nachos because they're hard to resist, but I'd ordered these the past three or four times I'd visited Tracks. So I mixed things up with the Vegetarian Tofu Club — marinated tofu, vegan tomato aioli, hickory coconut bacon. It normally comes on honey-wheat bread, but that's not vegan (because honey), so I sub out their focaccia bread instead. No idea why they serve vegan aioli on non-vegan bread. But the sandwich is probably better on focaccia anyway. Sweet potato fries on the side!

Melissa got the BBQ Tofu Burrito — same toppings as the nachos but stuffed inside a spinach wrap. YUM!

A few folks ordered the Buffalo Tofu Wings. I was always afraid these weren't vegan before because some wing sauce contains butter, but tonight, we got for-sure confirmation that they are vegan! So I'll be trying these next time. The ranch pictured here isn't vegan though (Vaughan eats dairy sometimes, so he didn't mind).

Pam got another of my go-to faves — the BBQ Tofu Sandwich with Sweet Potato Fries. It normally comes with slaw, but the slaw isn't vegan. But the tofu is so good that it doesn't need a slaw to be delicious on a bun.

Finally, Steven made a pretty genius order — Waffle Fries with Chipotle Hummus for dipping. The hummus usually comes with pita, and that's delicious too. But fries are better than pita.

It was a fun night! And now I'm stuffed!
Published on February 23, 2016 20:35
February 22, 2016
More Stuff I Ate
I'm back with some more random pics of stuff I ate over the past week or so. On February 1st, the new downtown location of LYFE Kitchen opened, and my co-worker Susan and I were there for opening night dinner. But the official grand opening/media celebration didn't happen until last Thursday. Of course we were there for that too! The downtown is LYFE is dangerously close to my office, and the media event had free food and wine!
They had these little Vegan Beef Tip-Stuffed Cucumbers! These were stuffed with the filling from their lettuce wraps — Gardein beefless tips, wheat berries, and spices.
And there were samples of their Quinoa Crunch Bowl in little cups. This had quinoa, edamame hummus, avocado, tomato, broccoli, and hot sauce. So good!
My fave thing was the Chocolate Bundino! This is a coconut-based vegan chocolate mousse served in a pomegranate-chia sauce with toasted almonds. They have this on the menu at their East Memphis location (which I've visited many times), but I've never ordered it because I'm always too full for dessert. I have a feeling I'll be hitting up the downtown LYFE for this often, when my mid-afternoon sugar cravings kick in and I need a break from staring at my computer. It's a super-healthy dessert!
A few weeks ago, my friend Stephanie sent me a link for a free burrito coupon from Chipotle. I downloaded it, and so did Stephanie and Pam. On Friday night, we met up for burritos there! I got a Tofu Sofritas Burrito with black beans, guacamole, fajitas veggies, corn salsa, hot red tomatillo sauce, and lettuce.
The Chipotle is way out in East Memphis, not far from the city's only Ben & Jerry's scoop shop. We'd been dying to try the new B&J's vegan ice cream. And I called ahead to make sure they had it. They didn't have it in bulk for scoops yet, but they did have the pints for sale! So we picked out a couple pints, grabbed some plastic spoons and a table, and dug in. I went with P.B. & Cookies — vanilla almond milk ice cream with chocolate sandwich cookie bits and peanut butter swirl.
OH MY GAWD. I seriously cannot get enough of this. I didn't really expect this to be better than my fave So Delicious Cashew Milk ice cream, but I do believe Ben & Jerry's has them beat on this. It's ridiculously creamy. I seriously doubt someone in a blind taste-test could tell the difference between this and dairy ice cream. Oh, and that peanut butter swirl!! It's salty and sweet. Can't stop, won't stop. The price is a little steep — $7 with tax! — but it's so good, I'd pay that again and again. Here's another scoop the next day at home. I think I've eaten some every day since Friday. It's pretty much gone now.
On Sunday morning, we went to brunch at Imagine Vegan Cafe as usual. I'd imbibed a bit too much the night before at Raiford's — a downtown disco — so I needed grease. I ordered the Memphis Slam (biscuits, gravy, tofu scramble, sausage, vegan cheese) and a side of hash browns (which comes with two fried patties). I plopped one of the hash browns right on top of my Memphis Slam, and it was heavenly. EXACTLY what I needed.
Tonight, I had a Field Roast Hand-Formed Burger with Parmela Creamery Chipotle Nut Cheese, tomato, lettuce, red onion, pickle relish, & sriracha mustard. I love these Field Roast burgers so very much!
That's it! We're all caught up now on random meals!
They had these little Vegan Beef Tip-Stuffed Cucumbers! These were stuffed with the filling from their lettuce wraps — Gardein beefless tips, wheat berries, and spices.

And there were samples of their Quinoa Crunch Bowl in little cups. This had quinoa, edamame hummus, avocado, tomato, broccoli, and hot sauce. So good!

My fave thing was the Chocolate Bundino! This is a coconut-based vegan chocolate mousse served in a pomegranate-chia sauce with toasted almonds. They have this on the menu at their East Memphis location (which I've visited many times), but I've never ordered it because I'm always too full for dessert. I have a feeling I'll be hitting up the downtown LYFE for this often, when my mid-afternoon sugar cravings kick in and I need a break from staring at my computer. It's a super-healthy dessert!

A few weeks ago, my friend Stephanie sent me a link for a free burrito coupon from Chipotle. I downloaded it, and so did Stephanie and Pam. On Friday night, we met up for burritos there! I got a Tofu Sofritas Burrito with black beans, guacamole, fajitas veggies, corn salsa, hot red tomatillo sauce, and lettuce.

The Chipotle is way out in East Memphis, not far from the city's only Ben & Jerry's scoop shop. We'd been dying to try the new B&J's vegan ice cream. And I called ahead to make sure they had it. They didn't have it in bulk for scoops yet, but they did have the pints for sale! So we picked out a couple pints, grabbed some plastic spoons and a table, and dug in. I went with P.B. & Cookies — vanilla almond milk ice cream with chocolate sandwich cookie bits and peanut butter swirl.

OH MY GAWD. I seriously cannot get enough of this. I didn't really expect this to be better than my fave So Delicious Cashew Milk ice cream, but I do believe Ben & Jerry's has them beat on this. It's ridiculously creamy. I seriously doubt someone in a blind taste-test could tell the difference between this and dairy ice cream. Oh, and that peanut butter swirl!! It's salty and sweet. Can't stop, won't stop. The price is a little steep — $7 with tax! — but it's so good, I'd pay that again and again. Here's another scoop the next day at home. I think I've eaten some every day since Friday. It's pretty much gone now.

On Sunday morning, we went to brunch at Imagine Vegan Cafe as usual. I'd imbibed a bit too much the night before at Raiford's — a downtown disco — so I needed grease. I ordered the Memphis Slam (biscuits, gravy, tofu scramble, sausage, vegan cheese) and a side of hash browns (which comes with two fried patties). I plopped one of the hash browns right on top of my Memphis Slam, and it was heavenly. EXACTLY what I needed.

Tonight, I had a Field Roast Hand-Formed Burger with Parmela Creamery Chipotle Nut Cheese, tomato, lettuce, red onion, pickle relish, & sriracha mustard. I love these Field Roast burgers so very much!

That's it! We're all caught up now on random meals!
Published on February 22, 2016 19:49
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