Bianca Phillips's Blog, page 62
April 22, 2020
Donuts! Pizza! Gnocchi!
My co-worker Lily runs Darling Donuts Memphis, and she's taken a bit of a break from slinging donuts during the pandemic. But this week, she decided to do "ding-dong donuts" where she just drives around dropping donut surprises on doorsteps! And yesterday, I got a ding-dong surprise! Best package ever.
I'd already started my 16-hour fast for the day (it was around 4 pm), but I broke fast and had two donuts (one glazed, one cinnamon sugar) because my priorities are in order. :-) I considered sharing the rest with friends but quickly thought better of that plan and froze the rest to enjoy later. I've missed Lily's vegan donuts so much, and who knows when life will return to normal. I need to be well-stocked!
I also had pizza yesterday, so I'd say it was a good day. I made the Tuscan White Bean Pizza from Robin Robertson's Vegan on the Cheap. This recipe was reprinted with permission on the No Meat Athlete Intermittent Fasting page, and I had everything to make it. So I did! Mashed, seasoned white beans stand in for cheese here, and I topped this with some farmer's market tomatoes, fresh basil from my herb garden, and kalamatas.
On my last big grocery trip to Trader Joe's, I picked up some Kale Gnocchi. And I had some leftover silken tofu in the fridge, so one day last week, I whipped up the tofu alfredo recipe from the Happy Herbivore Cookbook and served with the gnocchi. Wow!! This stuff is amazing, and I will be picking up more bags of gnocchi on my next TJ's run.
I've been making simple meals with canned foods quite often, like these Refried Bean Tacos. I used a can of TJ's refried beans, plus some Daiya (I keep mine in the freezer), black olives, and fresh tomato, sprouts, and lettuce from the farmer's market.
Here's a quick stir-fry I made with marinated tofu, brown rice, and sauteed cabbage and asparagus. I stocked up on cabbage because it lasts forever. I'd gotten the asparagus on sale a few weeks ago and immediately chopped it up and froze it for later.
Everybody is baking bread these days, so I jumped on that bandwagon with some fresh Banana Bread! I usually freeze ripe bananas for smoothies, but I let a couple sit out and get super-ripe for bread. I googled until I found this recipe on Nora Cooks that I had all the ingredients for. It was really good! I'd highly recommend this recipe!
I'd already started my 16-hour fast for the day (it was around 4 pm), but I broke fast and had two donuts (one glazed, one cinnamon sugar) because my priorities are in order. :-) I considered sharing the rest with friends but quickly thought better of that plan and froze the rest to enjoy later. I've missed Lily's vegan donuts so much, and who knows when life will return to normal. I need to be well-stocked!
I also had pizza yesterday, so I'd say it was a good day. I made the Tuscan White Bean Pizza from Robin Robertson's Vegan on the Cheap. This recipe was reprinted with permission on the No Meat Athlete Intermittent Fasting page, and I had everything to make it. So I did! Mashed, seasoned white beans stand in for cheese here, and I topped this with some farmer's market tomatoes, fresh basil from my herb garden, and kalamatas.
On my last big grocery trip to Trader Joe's, I picked up some Kale Gnocchi. And I had some leftover silken tofu in the fridge, so one day last week, I whipped up the tofu alfredo recipe from the Happy Herbivore Cookbook and served with the gnocchi. Wow!! This stuff is amazing, and I will be picking up more bags of gnocchi on my next TJ's run.
I've been making simple meals with canned foods quite often, like these Refried Bean Tacos. I used a can of TJ's refried beans, plus some Daiya (I keep mine in the freezer), black olives, and fresh tomato, sprouts, and lettuce from the farmer's market.
Here's a quick stir-fry I made with marinated tofu, brown rice, and sauteed cabbage and asparagus. I stocked up on cabbage because it lasts forever. I'd gotten the asparagus on sale a few weeks ago and immediately chopped it up and froze it for later.
Everybody is baking bread these days, so I jumped on that bandwagon with some fresh Banana Bread! I usually freeze ripe bananas for smoothies, but I let a couple sit out and get super-ripe for bread. I googled until I found this recipe on Nora Cooks that I had all the ingredients for. It was really good! I'd highly recommend this recipe!
April 21, 2020
Intermittent Fasting Challenge, Week 3
For the past few weeks, I've been trying intermittent fasting on the No Meat Athlete 30-day IF Challenge. In the first week, I did 12:12 (12 hours of fasting/12 hours of eating), and that was a breeze. Too easy. Last week, I did 14:10 (14 hours of fasting/10 hours of eating), and that was still pretty easy. Drinking booze was a challenge, but other than that, I was cool.
This week, I'm doing 16:8 (with two 12:12 flex days), and y'all, this is haaaaaard. Mad respect for anyone who does 16:8 intermittent fasting long-term! On the first day, I attempted to have my eating window run from 11 am-7 pm, and I very quickly realized that would NOT work for me. I'm a big breakfast eater, and I get my runs in early so I like to have immediate post-workout carbs. On that day, I didn't have a run scheduled though. So I did light yoga and made myself wait until 11 am for breakfast. I thought I was going starve to death! I couldn't concentrate on my work. All I could think about was FOOD. At 11 am, I had some Avocado Toast and fruit, and I've never been more excited to eat.
So no go on the 11 am-7 pm routine. The next day, I decided to start eating at 8 am and stop at 4 pm. Much better!! I had my usual post-run White Rice Bowl (this time, it was topped with Herdez guacamole salsa — my new obsession).
The problem with eating from 8 am-4 pm is having dinner in the 3 o'clock hour. Since I'm working from home, this is much better than if I was, say, at the office. But it still sucks to work through dinner. Some days, I'm in Webex meetings during that hour, so I'm scarfing down food while in a meeting. My co-workers are used to seeing me eat, so it's fine. Just not terribly enjoyable. I like to enjoy my meals.
I'm also having to cram three meals (plus snacks!) into 8 hours because I don't want to lose weight on IF. If you're looking to lose weight, I can see how this 16:8 would be beneficial, but if you're trying to keep your calories up, it means eating non-stop in your eating window.
This 8 am-4 pm eating window does completely alleviates the hunger issue. I do get a slight twinge of hunger before bed at 9 pm, but it's not bad and goes away while I sleep. I wake up feeling good, and I've been enjoying my fasted runs in the morning.
This weekend, I used my two 12:12 days for Friday and Saturday. That made virtual cocktail hours go more smoothly (because I could drink), and it meant I was able to properly fuel for my long run. Here's my Saturday morning pre-run Blueberry Bagel with Almond and Peanut Butters.
My other favorite breakfast (on non-running days) has been Overnight Oats (oats, chia, maple, and almond milk) topped with berries and peanut butter.
I have another week of 16:8 ahead (through the end of April) with one more optional 12:12 day. But at this point, I can't see myself doing this for long-term. I may consider doing 14:10 days fairly often though, and I see no reason not to do 12:12 all the time!
This week, I'm doing 16:8 (with two 12:12 flex days), and y'all, this is haaaaaard. Mad respect for anyone who does 16:8 intermittent fasting long-term! On the first day, I attempted to have my eating window run from 11 am-7 pm, and I very quickly realized that would NOT work for me. I'm a big breakfast eater, and I get my runs in early so I like to have immediate post-workout carbs. On that day, I didn't have a run scheduled though. So I did light yoga and made myself wait until 11 am for breakfast. I thought I was going starve to death! I couldn't concentrate on my work. All I could think about was FOOD. At 11 am, I had some Avocado Toast and fruit, and I've never been more excited to eat.
So no go on the 11 am-7 pm routine. The next day, I decided to start eating at 8 am and stop at 4 pm. Much better!! I had my usual post-run White Rice Bowl (this time, it was topped with Herdez guacamole salsa — my new obsession).
The problem with eating from 8 am-4 pm is having dinner in the 3 o'clock hour. Since I'm working from home, this is much better than if I was, say, at the office. But it still sucks to work through dinner. Some days, I'm in Webex meetings during that hour, so I'm scarfing down food while in a meeting. My co-workers are used to seeing me eat, so it's fine. Just not terribly enjoyable. I like to enjoy my meals.
I'm also having to cram three meals (plus snacks!) into 8 hours because I don't want to lose weight on IF. If you're looking to lose weight, I can see how this 16:8 would be beneficial, but if you're trying to keep your calories up, it means eating non-stop in your eating window.
This 8 am-4 pm eating window does completely alleviates the hunger issue. I do get a slight twinge of hunger before bed at 9 pm, but it's not bad and goes away while I sleep. I wake up feeling good, and I've been enjoying my fasted runs in the morning.
This weekend, I used my two 12:12 days for Friday and Saturday. That made virtual cocktail hours go more smoothly (because I could drink), and it meant I was able to properly fuel for my long run. Here's my Saturday morning pre-run Blueberry Bagel with Almond and Peanut Butters.
My other favorite breakfast (on non-running days) has been Overnight Oats (oats, chia, maple, and almond milk) topped with berries and peanut butter.
I have another week of 16:8 ahead (through the end of April) with one more optional 12:12 day. But at this point, I can't see myself doing this for long-term. I may consider doing 14:10 days fairly often though, and I see no reason not to do 12:12 all the time!
April 20, 2020
Vegan Fried Chicken! Biscoff Cake! French Toast!
Since I'm not eating out as often these days (typically just once a week at Imagine Vegan Cafe), I like to splurge hard when I do get takeout! No healthy-ish takeout meals for me! I want pure junk food. I indulged this Saturday night with Imagine Vegan Cafe's Fried Chick'n Drumsticks meal with sides of vegan mac and seasoned greens ("honey" mustard for dipping). Y'all, these crispy, chicken-y drummies are my fave, but I rarely order them because fried food makes me feel yucky. But sometimes, it's worth it. This was one of those times.
When eating something this decadent, I wouldn't usually also spring for dessert. But when I saw they'd just put out a fresh Biscoff Cake, well, it had to be eaten. This is my very favorite dessert at Imagine! There's a thin layer of vanilla cake swirled with Biscoff spread, topped with creamy vegan whip and drizzled with more Biscoff. Y'ALL. Y'ALL. I can't even.
LuLu's is back at the CY Farmer's Market! They're only doing pre-order pick-up, so you order and pay on their website and pick up in-person. This minimizes contact, and they're doing a pay-what-you-can deal, so people who have lost their income can pick up goods for free if they need to. Those who can pay more are doing so to off-set that cost. Very cool! I picked up some sandwich loaf and country loaf from them on Saturday, and I made this French Toast the next day using slices of sandwich loaf. Topped with homemade berry syrup (made with frozen berries and maple) and hemp hearts.
It was nice to be back at the farmer's market! It was fairly busy, but everyone was wearing masks so I felt super-safe. I picked up a bunch of fresh tomatoes, some sprouts, and some butter lettuce as well. All of those veggies went into a big ole salad on Sunday afternoon. I also added some leftover, chopped vegan fried chicken from Imagine. Topped with homemade lemon-tahini dressing and lots of toasted sesame seeds. YUM!
When eating something this decadent, I wouldn't usually also spring for dessert. But when I saw they'd just put out a fresh Biscoff Cake, well, it had to be eaten. This is my very favorite dessert at Imagine! There's a thin layer of vanilla cake swirled with Biscoff spread, topped with creamy vegan whip and drizzled with more Biscoff. Y'ALL. Y'ALL. I can't even.
LuLu's is back at the CY Farmer's Market! They're only doing pre-order pick-up, so you order and pay on their website and pick up in-person. This minimizes contact, and they're doing a pay-what-you-can deal, so people who have lost their income can pick up goods for free if they need to. Those who can pay more are doing so to off-set that cost. Very cool! I picked up some sandwich loaf and country loaf from them on Saturday, and I made this French Toast the next day using slices of sandwich loaf. Topped with homemade berry syrup (made with frozen berries and maple) and hemp hearts.
It was nice to be back at the farmer's market! It was fairly busy, but everyone was wearing masks so I felt super-safe. I picked up a bunch of fresh tomatoes, some sprouts, and some butter lettuce as well. All of those veggies went into a big ole salad on Sunday afternoon. I also added some leftover, chopped vegan fried chicken from Imagine. Topped with homemade lemon-tahini dressing and lots of toasted sesame seeds. YUM!
April 16, 2020
Lentils! Soy Curls! Tostadas!
JL Fields of JL Goes Vegan offered a free, virtual Instant Pot class a couple weekends ago, and I've been needing some tips for the Instant Pot I got for Christmas. I use it almost daily for rice, but I know it can do so much more. JL made two recipes in the class, and I just happened to have everything to make both in my pantry and fridge! So I made her Potato, Lentil, and Apple Soup first. This hearty stew is savory and sweet (from the apple), and comes together so quickly. I believe this recipe is in her Vegan Pressure Cooking cookbook, which I really need to buy!
A couple days later, I went to make her Soy Curl Mac & Cheese but realized my last bag of Butler's Soy Curls had expired. I typically eat things way beyond their expiration date, but they smelled (and tasted) rancid! Yuck. So I quickly ordered a box of six fresh packs from Butler Foods, and they arrived in a couple days. This tasty nooch-based vegan mac & cheese is loaded with protein from the Soy Curls!
The next day, I had my leftovers with a bunch of steamed kale. It just needed something green!
Over the weekend, Paul, who NEVER cooks, decided to play chef and whip up a vegan Cabbage Stew with mushrooms, potatoes, and white beans. It's not the prettiest dish, but it's really yummy. And he made a ton, so I'll be eating leftovers all week!
I loaded up on canned beans, tortillas, and all kinds of Mexican food ingredients on my last big grocery trip. A couple nights ago, I used some corn tortillas and refried beans and salsa to create some easy Skillet Bean Tostadas, topped with lettuce, tomato, and fresh avocado (I always grab a few when I make a quick produce run!). On the side, I had some corn chips with cashew queso.
A couple days later, I went to make her Soy Curl Mac & Cheese but realized my last bag of Butler's Soy Curls had expired. I typically eat things way beyond their expiration date, but they smelled (and tasted) rancid! Yuck. So I quickly ordered a box of six fresh packs from Butler Foods, and they arrived in a couple days. This tasty nooch-based vegan mac & cheese is loaded with protein from the Soy Curls!
The next day, I had my leftovers with a bunch of steamed kale. It just needed something green!
Over the weekend, Paul, who NEVER cooks, decided to play chef and whip up a vegan Cabbage Stew with mushrooms, potatoes, and white beans. It's not the prettiest dish, but it's really yummy. And he made a ton, so I'll be eating leftovers all week!
I loaded up on canned beans, tortillas, and all kinds of Mexican food ingredients on my last big grocery trip. A couple nights ago, I used some corn tortillas and refried beans and salsa to create some easy Skillet Bean Tostadas, topped with lettuce, tomato, and fresh avocado (I always grab a few when I make a quick produce run!). On the side, I had some corn chips with cashew queso.
April 15, 2020
I Tried Banana Peel Bacon!
My dad is quite the cook, and he loves sending me recipes — often strange vegan recipes that he finds online! This weekend, he texted me a link to a recipe for Banana Peel Bacon on It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken. IDTLC is one of the best vegan recipe blogs out there, so I knew this was worth trying, as weird as it sounds. And I just happened to have some very ripe bananas on my counter!
You can find the recipe here. But basically, you shave the banana bits off the peels and marinate it in a bacon-y marinade. Then you fry it in a skillet like bacon!
You need to let it fry until it's super-crispy. One of my strips didn't get as crisp, and it tasted much more like banana than bacon. But if you almost burn it, it works and loses some of that banana flavor! It's not the best vegetable (or, I guess, fruit?) bacon I've had. I much prefer mushroom bacon and eggplant bacon, but in a pinch, this works!
I used my bacon and some of my homemade vegan pimento cheese (from Cookin' Crunk) to make a Grilled Pimento Cheese and Bacon Sandwich.
Would I make this bacon again? Probably not! But it was fun to try!
You can find the recipe here. But basically, you shave the banana bits off the peels and marinate it in a bacon-y marinade. Then you fry it in a skillet like bacon!
You need to let it fry until it's super-crispy. One of my strips didn't get as crisp, and it tasted much more like banana than bacon. But if you almost burn it, it works and loses some of that banana flavor! It's not the best vegetable (or, I guess, fruit?) bacon I've had. I much prefer mushroom bacon and eggplant bacon, but in a pinch, this works!
I used my bacon and some of my homemade vegan pimento cheese (from Cookin' Crunk) to make a Grilled Pimento Cheese and Bacon Sandwich.
Would I make this bacon again? Probably not! But it was fun to try!
April 14, 2020
Intermittent Fasting Challenge: Week 2
For the month of April, I'm doing the 30-day No Meat Athlete Intermittent Fasting Challenge. Mostly for fun! There's no time like a pandemic for a fun food challenge. I'm also curious to see how I feel doing 16:8 intermittent fasting, which is supposed to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation in the body, protecting against certain chronic diseases. It can also help with digestion and gut health.
The 30-day challenge, available to members of the NMA Academy (No Meat Athlete's membership group) has several options, and I'm doing the "gradual build" option. I started last week with 12:12 fasting (12 hours of eating/12 hours of fasting), and this week, I've graduated to 14:10. The plan did allow for one optional 12:12 day this week for those who have long runs, so I used on Saturday when Paul and I ran 10 miles. On days that I run long, I need to eat more, so having more hours to do that is helpful.
So far this week, 14:10 has gone pretty smoothly! I'm using the Zero app to track each day's fast, and they provide a filter to use on your breakfast pic. On Sunday, I broke my fast (after 12 hours, thanks to Saturday's 12:12 plan) with my favorite lazy Sunday breakfast — Rice Noodle Ramen with Veggies & Tofu.
Yesterday, I went on a three-mile run when I first woke up. I'm learning to run in a fasted state. Before, I always had a Larabar first. And then immediately after, I broke my fast with a banana for post-run carbs. About an hour later, I had my breakfast — a Mango Pineapple Green Protein Smoothie with banana, walnuts, flax, and spinach.
This morning, I pushed my fast to 15 hours! That's because I planned to run after work, and I knew I'd need to push my dinner back to 6 pm instead my usual 5 pm to make the 10-hour eating window. I was pretty famished by the time I got to eat this bowl of Overnight Oats with PB, Berries, and Banana at 9 am!
Tomorrow, I start the first of two weeks of 16:8! Eeeek! For this first week of 16:8, I get two optional 12:12 days, which I'll save for the weekend — one for my Saturday long run and the other probably on Friday (so I can drink later in the evening). The hardest part of 14:10 for me this week was over the weekend, when I wanted a glass of wine after 6 pm but couldn't have it!
The 30-day challenge, available to members of the NMA Academy (No Meat Athlete's membership group) has several options, and I'm doing the "gradual build" option. I started last week with 12:12 fasting (12 hours of eating/12 hours of fasting), and this week, I've graduated to 14:10. The plan did allow for one optional 12:12 day this week for those who have long runs, so I used on Saturday when Paul and I ran 10 miles. On days that I run long, I need to eat more, so having more hours to do that is helpful.
So far this week, 14:10 has gone pretty smoothly! I'm using the Zero app to track each day's fast, and they provide a filter to use on your breakfast pic. On Sunday, I broke my fast (after 12 hours, thanks to Saturday's 12:12 plan) with my favorite lazy Sunday breakfast — Rice Noodle Ramen with Veggies & Tofu.
Yesterday, I went on a three-mile run when I first woke up. I'm learning to run in a fasted state. Before, I always had a Larabar first. And then immediately after, I broke my fast with a banana for post-run carbs. About an hour later, I had my breakfast — a Mango Pineapple Green Protein Smoothie with banana, walnuts, flax, and spinach.
This morning, I pushed my fast to 15 hours! That's because I planned to run after work, and I knew I'd need to push my dinner back to 6 pm instead my usual 5 pm to make the 10-hour eating window. I was pretty famished by the time I got to eat this bowl of Overnight Oats with PB, Berries, and Banana at 9 am!
Tomorrow, I start the first of two weeks of 16:8! Eeeek! For this first week of 16:8, I get two optional 12:12 days, which I'll save for the weekend — one for my Saturday long run and the other probably on Friday (so I can drink later in the evening). The hardest part of 14:10 for me this week was over the weekend, when I wanted a glass of wine after 6 pm but couldn't have it!
April 13, 2020
Tacos! Burgers! Tofu Eggs!
I made Black Bean & Veggie Tacos last week using canned beans, frozen bell peppers, frozen corn, and some fresh veggies (like kale and onions) that need using. I also made some Cashew Queso from the No Meat Athlete Cookbook, and wow, that stuff is good! Best cheese dip I've ever made!
I enjoyed my weekly takeout order from Imagine Vegan Cafe on Saturday night after spending the day running and gardening (yay outside!!). I got a Beyond Burger with Vegan Cheese & Sweet Potato Fries. The cheese got a little melty in the takeout box, but hey, it's takeout!
Here's a healthy, super-easy pantry/freezer meal I made last week. Baked Sweet Potato with Chickpeas, Spinach, and Guac. I used canned chickpeas, frozen spinach, and Herdez guacamole salsa from a jar (a great stand-in for fresh guac when you can't get avocados!).
For my Easter Sunday supper, I made my Tofu Deviled Eggy Bites and Pimento Cheese from Cookin' Crunk ! The "eggs" have black salt for a super eggy flavor. I stocked up on tofu for the pandemic like most people did with toilet paper! The pimento cheese is really just a fancy hummus with pimento peppers and a little Vegenaise for extra creaminess. Great on a sandwich. I had some Beanfield's Korean BBQ Cracklins on the side. It rained all day here on Sunday, so my hopes for an Easter picnic with Paul turned into chillin' on the couch and watching Ozark.
I enjoyed my weekly takeout order from Imagine Vegan Cafe on Saturday night after spending the day running and gardening (yay outside!!). I got a Beyond Burger with Vegan Cheese & Sweet Potato Fries. The cheese got a little melty in the takeout box, but hey, it's takeout!
Here's a healthy, super-easy pantry/freezer meal I made last week. Baked Sweet Potato with Chickpeas, Spinach, and Guac. I used canned chickpeas, frozen spinach, and Herdez guacamole salsa from a jar (a great stand-in for fresh guac when you can't get avocados!).
For my Easter Sunday supper, I made my Tofu Deviled Eggy Bites and Pimento Cheese from Cookin' Crunk ! The "eggs" have black salt for a super eggy flavor. I stocked up on tofu for the pandemic like most people did with toilet paper! The pimento cheese is really just a fancy hummus with pimento peppers and a little Vegenaise for extra creaminess. Great on a sandwich. I had some Beanfield's Korean BBQ Cracklins on the side. It rained all day here on Sunday, so my hopes for an Easter picnic with Paul turned into chillin' on the couch and watching Ozark.
April 9, 2020
The Vegan Easter Bunny Arrived!
I got a special delivery in the mail on Wednesday! Every year, my dad orders me treats from Vegan Essentials for my "Easter basket." Yes, I'm almost 40, and I still get an Easter basket! My parents are awesome.
This year, since I can't physically see my parents (because I don't want to risk unknowingly spreading COVID-19), my dad picked out a few items from Vegan Essentials and had them shipped to my house. He asked for suggestions, and I said "anything with chocolate and peanut butter or caramel", and I hinted that I'd like to try the new Beanfield's Vegan Cracklins. I'm on a vegan pork rind kick these days. Here's what he picked out!
The big Easter surprise was this Sjaak's Dark Chocolate Chunky Peanut Butter with Caramel Egg!
It's a hefty egg, and I was pleasantly surprised to find the whole thing stuffed with peanut butter and a caramel swirl. I always loved the Reese's PB eggs, and this is like a giant one! Sjaak's makes the best chocolates!
My dad picked out these Amy E's Bakery Caramel Cashew Bars, which also really surprised me when I cut into them. I wasn't sure how much caramel or cashew would be stuffed inside, but it's a lot! This bar reminded me of a Snickers but better — because cashews are better than peanuts, and there's no yucky nougat.
The Beanfield's Korean BBQ Cracklins are awesome! I'm planning a review post soon for another brand of vegan pork rinds (made with puffed rice), and these are very similar to those in taste, but they're made with beans. The Korean BBQ flavor was the only one in stock on Vegan Essentials when he ordered (Vegan Essentials has been hit with pandemic shopping!), but I'm glad this was flavor was left. It's a spicy-sweet barbecue cracklin with lots of crunch!
Hope y'all have a Happy Easter this Sunday! I don't celebrate in a religious sense, but I'm all about tofu eggs, Easter bunnies, and spring picnics (enjoyed only with your quarantine partners, of course)!
This year, since I can't physically see my parents (because I don't want to risk unknowingly spreading COVID-19), my dad picked out a few items from Vegan Essentials and had them shipped to my house. He asked for suggestions, and I said "anything with chocolate and peanut butter or caramel", and I hinted that I'd like to try the new Beanfield's Vegan Cracklins. I'm on a vegan pork rind kick these days. Here's what he picked out!
The big Easter surprise was this Sjaak's Dark Chocolate Chunky Peanut Butter with Caramel Egg!
It's a hefty egg, and I was pleasantly surprised to find the whole thing stuffed with peanut butter and a caramel swirl. I always loved the Reese's PB eggs, and this is like a giant one! Sjaak's makes the best chocolates!
My dad picked out these Amy E's Bakery Caramel Cashew Bars, which also really surprised me when I cut into them. I wasn't sure how much caramel or cashew would be stuffed inside, but it's a lot! This bar reminded me of a Snickers but better — because cashews are better than peanuts, and there's no yucky nougat.
The Beanfield's Korean BBQ Cracklins are awesome! I'm planning a review post soon for another brand of vegan pork rinds (made with puffed rice), and these are very similar to those in taste, but they're made with beans. The Korean BBQ flavor was the only one in stock on Vegan Essentials when he ordered (Vegan Essentials has been hit with pandemic shopping!), but I'm glad this was flavor was left. It's a spicy-sweet barbecue cracklin with lots of crunch!
Hope y'all have a Happy Easter this Sunday! I don't celebrate in a religious sense, but I'm all about tofu eggs, Easter bunnies, and spring picnics (enjoyed only with your quarantine partners, of course)!
April 8, 2020
Tofu Wings! Jameson Slushees! And Healthy Meals!
Slider Inn, a Memphis bar famous for their sliders and Jameson slushees, is offering curbside pick-up during the pandemic, so I stopped by this past Saturday to grab my favorite meal from them — Tofu & Cauliflower Wings with Fries.
The wings (you get three tofus and three cauliflowers) are served with vegan ranch. The fries always come with bourbon mayo (but the mayo isn't vegan), so the best part of takeout is making your own bourbon mayo at home. I mixed bourbon with a little Vegenaise for a fun fry-dippin' treat! I also got a Jameson Slushee to go! Memphis has lightened up on our booze laws for the pandemic, so bars are now allowed to sell cocktails to go! Let's hope that's one side affect of this bad situation that stays well beyond the virus!
After all that grease and booze, I needed a detox on Sunday! So I made a big batch of Kitchari (inspired by Hillary's kitchari posts) using this recipe for Ayurvedic Cleansing Green Kitchari Bowl. It has finely chopped broccoli and spinach added along with the red lentils, and it made me feel so good inside. I topped my bowl with the last of my homemade unsweetened soy yogurt.
Here's an bowl of Berry PB Oats that I had for breakfast one day last week. I try to eat fresh berries daily, but that's hard when I'm trying not to leave for groceries as often. So I'm turning to frozen berries to fill in the gaps. Frozen berries are great in oats!
The wings (you get three tofus and three cauliflowers) are served with vegan ranch. The fries always come with bourbon mayo (but the mayo isn't vegan), so the best part of takeout is making your own bourbon mayo at home. I mixed bourbon with a little Vegenaise for a fun fry-dippin' treat! I also got a Jameson Slushee to go! Memphis has lightened up on our booze laws for the pandemic, so bars are now allowed to sell cocktails to go! Let's hope that's one side affect of this bad situation that stays well beyond the virus!
After all that grease and booze, I needed a detox on Sunday! So I made a big batch of Kitchari (inspired by Hillary's kitchari posts) using this recipe for Ayurvedic Cleansing Green Kitchari Bowl. It has finely chopped broccoli and spinach added along with the red lentils, and it made me feel so good inside. I topped my bowl with the last of my homemade unsweetened soy yogurt.
Here's an bowl of Berry PB Oats that I had for breakfast one day last week. I try to eat fresh berries daily, but that's hard when I'm trying not to leave for groceries as often. So I'm turning to frozen berries to fill in the gaps. Frozen berries are great in oats!
Tofu Wing! Jameson Slushees! And Healthy Meals!
Slider Inn, a Memphis bar famous for their sliders and Jameson slushees, is offering curbside pick-up during the pandemic, so I stopped by this past Saturday to grab my favorite meal from them — Tofu & Cauliflower Wings with Fries.
The wings (you get three tofus and three cauliflowers) are served with vegan ranch. The fries always come with bourbon mayo (but the mayo isn't vegan), so the best part of takeout is making your own bourbon mayo at home. I mixed bourbon with a little Vegenaise for a fun fry-dippin' treat! I also got a Jameson Slushee to go! Memphis has lightened up on our booze laws for the pandemic, so bars are now allowed to sell cocktails to go! Let's hope that's one side affect of this bad situation that stays well beyond the virus!
After all that grease and booze, I needed a detox on Sunday! So I made a big batch of Kitchari (inspired by Hillary's kitchari posts) using this recipe for Ayurvedic Cleansing Green Kitchari Bowl. It has finely chopped broccoli and spinach added along with the red lentils, and it made me feel so good inside. I topped my bowl with the last of my homemade unsweetened soy yogurt.
Here's an bowl of Berry PB Oats that I had for breakfast one day last week. I try to eat fresh berries daily, but that's hard when I'm trying not to leave for groceries as often. So I'm turning to frozen berries to fill in the gaps. Frozen berries are great in oats!
The wings (you get three tofus and three cauliflowers) are served with vegan ranch. The fries always come with bourbon mayo (but the mayo isn't vegan), so the best part of takeout is making your own bourbon mayo at home. I mixed bourbon with a little Vegenaise for a fun fry-dippin' treat! I also got a Jameson Slushee to go! Memphis has lightened up on our booze laws for the pandemic, so bars are now allowed to sell cocktails to go! Let's hope that's one side affect of this bad situation that stays well beyond the virus!
After all that grease and booze, I needed a detox on Sunday! So I made a big batch of Kitchari (inspired by Hillary's kitchari posts) using this recipe for Ayurvedic Cleansing Green Kitchari Bowl. It has finely chopped broccoli and spinach added along with the red lentils, and it made me feel so good inside. I topped my bowl with the last of my homemade unsweetened soy yogurt.
Here's an bowl of Berry PB Oats that I had for breakfast one day last week. I try to eat fresh berries daily, but that's hard when I'm trying not to leave for groceries as often. So I'm turning to frozen berries to fill in the gaps. Frozen berries are great in oats!
Bianca Phillips's Blog
- Bianca Phillips's profile
- 6 followers
Bianca Phillips isn't a Goodreads Author
(yet),
but they
do have a blog,
so here are some recent posts imported from
their feed.
