Vegan Marshmallows and Vegan Love

I was rewarded for my diligence and patience yesterday with vegan marshmallows! I found them at Trader Joe's! I haven't been this excited since getting my first package of Chao cheese! To be honest, I don't have a lot of experience with marshmallows besides s'mores and rice crispy treats which I already learned I don't like at all.. I do remember the first time I had a s'more was at girl scout camp, where I also discovered a deep love and connection to horses. I remember the first bite of that s'more, and never wanting that moment to end. As I've mentioned, I was raised in a typical "crunchy" way. If my mom would have made s'mores. it would have probably involved carob being spread on a barley cracker, and I don't know what the substitution for marshmallow would have been. So, yea, it was an exciting moment. I don't know how easy it is to find vegan graham crackers, but I guess I need to start the hunt! I wonder what else I can do with marshmallows?

Marshmallows and  Soy ice cream minis!!

I really wanted to grab some more mango mochi, but those dang Seattle vegans bought them all! There was a huge empty hole in the freezer case where they should have been! I feel scared of the mango bon bons, which are mango sorbet dipped in dark chocolate. I have a hard time picturing those flavors together. But, for a long time I was scared of chocolate and orange together, and now I love it. Maybe one day I will be brave!

Jasmine rice, linguini, baked tofu, basil, garlic powder, and fruit bars(soooooo good)

For some reason I forgot to include shredded carrots, two avocados, and lemons in the picture. Both yellow and pink lemons. I am loving the pink lemons! I add a whole one to my morning water, and it tastes like a less toxic, much more natural Country Time pink lemonade!
I made a really delicious Thai red curry dish last night! I finally used the correct amount of the red curry paste. Curry is something I sometimes fail at because I don't use the right amount, and I try to fix it and usually make it worse.

I let the veggies (mushrooms, garlic and onion) simmer in the curry mixture while the tofu baked, and then added it to the mix. I used two tablespoons of the paste, and it was perfect. I added a little crushed red pepper while it was cooking because I like it spicy, and of course sriracha at the end. This was really tasty, and I didn't have to go to a restaurant! The fresh basil at the end really added that final touch. I love the Thai kitchen red curry paste. You can really smell the lemongrass! The green and red curry paste is vegan, but they also make a yellow paste that does contain fish sauce so that one isn't safe.
Before I sign off, I wanted to mention that I definitely feel a shift towards a more vegan friendly, and even vegan earth. My veganism has come up several times in random conversations with strangers, and every stranger has said, oh yeah, I know so and so is vegan, whether it's a relative or friend. It seems like only a few years ago when even in Seattle if I mentioned I was vegan,  I got a lot of questions, and a lot of "I could never be vegan" or even "what is vegan" So, not only are vegans becoming more accepted, but it is becoming more common. It's not nearly enough, but it is progress.
Happy Friday and here's to spreading vegan love more and more!

MidWeek Munchies?

Before I show pictures of my mini haul, and this delicious pizza I made last night I just wanted to say that I am a person who is still learning and growing, and I make mistakes by the second. But I never want to be someone who rests on my laurels. I don't know where this quote came from,but I stumbled across it last week and it really zinged me. "Your beliefs don't make you a better person, your behavior does." I always want to improve my behavior, and there is always more I can do and lear. So, I say all of that to say that I have decided to return my clothes I recently bought to Old Navy, save for one shirt that I already wore because, well I bought clothes because I need clothes, not because I wanted them. So, anyway I was really just being Lazy. I know how unethical these companies are. And I know that by buying their stuff, even if it's on clearance is making me part of the problem, and I always want to be part of the solution. I just am not a fan of my bod right now, so thrifting is more of a pain in the arse, and also there are no guarantees of what you will find on any day and blah blah blah. I was using excuses, and that's not okay. So, not that anyone cares but there you go. I will be returning the bad, and thrifting for the good. I was already not liking myself and feeling dirty, and then I listened to a Vegan Warrior Princesses Attack podcast that just really sealed my decision. I know I've said it a gazzilion times before, but that podcast is the best. They always make me think, and inspire me to improve.
I was searching for rice paper yesterday, and unfortunately didn't find any, but I sure did find some other fun stuff! It's so funny to me because I feel like I see rice paper everywhere, except for when I'm looking for it!!

Oregano, sesame seeds, red curry paste, nori sheets, and soy sauce

Black pepper, Franks Sriracha(?!) Tofurky peppered and tofurky chic'n and booch

I didn't know Frank's was getting into the sriracha game! I have my doubts as to how good it will be, but I figured I'd give it a try.

Strawberries, golden raspberries, grapes and cherries

Romaine and Dirty Chai

You know what I just realized? This might be the first haul with no kitties! It's because in a different bag there were treats, food and toys for them so I guess they were more interested in that! It's weird not seeing any little noses or feet. Never to fear, because I have a picture of straight up cuteness for you!

Animal and Scrappy

This was unusual because Animal is kind of like me, a little bit of a loner and she doesn't cuddle with the group as much as everyone else. Animal was the first born, so she's miss Independent!
For dinner I made a delicious pizza with a pizza dough ball that had gotten lost in my fridge and needed to be used. I added spinach, black olives and daiya, and it was perfection. Well, it would have been perfection if I had remembered the banana peppers, but it was very close! I chopped up a whole bunch of spinach for this pie. It always amazes me how much spinach cooks down!

I'm trying to convince myself to have a responsible breakfast like a smoothie with all the fruit I bought, but leftover pizza sounds so much more fun!
Will I find vegan Marshmallows today?????

Beware of the Clearance Stickers and Taco Tuesday

So last week when I was at Target, I saw a couple of Amy's frozen vegan breakfast burritos with a clearance sticker. I love Amy's tofu scramble hot pocket type thing, they used to fuel me in my nanny days, so I figured these were a safe bet. I didn't notice till I got home that they're gluten free, but whatever right? Well, as I've mentioned before I don't like saying bad things about companies that are making vegan food, but I also don't want other vegans to waste their money on crap, and I also absolutely do not want non vegans to taste bad vegan food and be turned off for life. The burrito is a tofu scramble, but they use different seasonings and I don't like them. But that alone wouldn't make me write a bad review, everything is not for everyone. But my main problem is that it has hash browns inside. Sounds amazing right? Well, they weren't cooked first, or if they were they were steamed or something so they're just like slimy shreds of whatever inside. This burrito loses on both taste and texture. It's also very small, and has a surprising 350 calories!

See how it just looks all gloopy?

The most annoying part is they weren't even that cheap on clearance, I should have gotten a Sweet Earth Curry Tiger burrito! If you see these, I suggest looking for anything else! I looked on the ingredients to try and figure out what the tortilla was made of, it seems sorghum flour and rice flour? The tortilla was not my favorite, but it was the least of this burritos worries.
Onto much happier food news, yesterday was Tuesday, so I decided to make tacos! I'm like so on trend! Ha ha. Anyway, I made some green chili black beans with smoked paprika, garlic powder, green chilis and nutritional yeast. Something I've recently discovered about nutritional yeast is that it goes really well with smoked paprika. It really brings out the taste. They're like soul mates or something. While the beans were getting all flavored and warm, I heated up a couple Gardein fishless filets and made a little spicy slaw, and made some super delicious fishless tacos! This was my best batch yet, all three ingredients went really, really well together!

I think it was the beans. I've made tacos with these filets before, but I just used the filets, and made a slaw. They were good, but I remember thinking they were missing something. I think they were desperately missing black beans!
I hope to get my hot little hands on some rice paper today so I can attempt the rice paper bacon that has kind of taken over the webz. I saw a picture someone posted on Instagram, and it looked terrifyingly real. I have many doubts about this phenomenon, but I also have some hopes so we'll see!
Happy Hump Day!

Tuesday Musings

Well, I braved the mall yesterday and got myself a few thangs for the warmer weather. I am a tried and true thrift store shopper, but I do usually let myself buy a few new things a year, and supplement the rest with thrift finds. It's hard when you need something specific, like a pair of jeans or something to always shop in a thrift store. I truly hesitated about showing what I got because I know the best and most ethical thing is to shop local, or find an American Apparel or something, but truth be told I can't afford to shop local. There are some amazing clothes shops or I guess boutiques in Ballard, but I can't even afford anything on their clearance racks. When I was a nanny, my boss one time bought a pair of shoes at one of the shops in Ballard, and they were insanely expensive. She told me it was okay, because the shoes were so well made they would last forever and all that. But the problem with that for people who live paycheck to paycheck is that you can't invest in your future like that. You have to buy the cheap shoes you can afford, and pray they at least last until you get paid again, and you can replace them, and so they cycle goes. Or, if you need clothes, as in all your clothes have been worn down to threadbare status, you need several things, and you can't afford to "invest" in that one great locally made shirt that is going to be out of style in five minutes. Also, on a side note shoes last longer for people who have several pairs of shoes, and also drive cars. No matter how 'Merican and well made shoes are, they don't last as long for people who might only own one pair of shoes, and for the most part walk everywhere. Trust me, I am speaking from a lifetime of experience. Sorry, I swear I could write a book on my frustration with the buy local, buy organic movement, and some of the judgment that comes with it. But that's not my plan for today! So, judge me or don't, here are the few things I bought to help me get through the summer. I wasn't going to get shoes, but I thought these sandals were adorable, and they were in the clearance section for six dollars, so I decided to get them. I thought they could be worn with the dress if I needed to look a little nicer. Like, flip flops for daytime, these sandals for the evening, or something like that!

two flow-y tanks, one high waisted jean skirt, one dress and one pair of sandals

When I'm in the water, I am a mermaid for sure

These sandals are made out of synthetic ingredients, no gross leather. Chunk approves.

I also needed to get some more tea lights for my salt crystal candle holders, so I ran across the street to Target, and they had the Truffle Just Mayo, so I just had to! I don't even know what to expect, and I'm a little scared, but I had to try it!

I don't know what to use it for. For some reason, I feel like I should pair it with mushrooms, maybe slather it on a Portobello burger or something? I just feel like I trust Hampton Creek with my taste buds 100%! And to touch back to my rant from above, one of their specific goals is to make these vegan products accessible to the masses, and that includes making sure it isn't priced in the ridiculous range. For that reason alone I support them more than a million percent!
I randomly thought of this mushroom quesadilla that I had a long time ago, back in my pregan days. I don't even know where it was that I had this quesadilla, maybe I made it myself because I don't eat out often. Who knows, but it wouldn't leave my mind. I remember it had really delicious sauteed mushrooms, and two kinds of cheese, I think one was maybe goat cheese. I had a little bit of the Go Veggie chive and garlic spread, and a little bit of daiya, so while I was at Target I picked up some mushrooms and tortillas and made my foggy memory become a bright reality.

I sauteed the mushrooms in a little coconut oil with some garlic, smoked paprika, cumin and nutritional yeast. I had to stop myself from eating just the mushrooms! Then I just smeared some of the spread, the mushrooms and a sprinkling of daiya. I cooked the quesadillas in the same pan that I sauteed the mushrooms in, so it was a one pan meal! I used some Trader Joe's tahini sauce as a sour cream, and a little Tapatio to spice things up. It was sooooooo good, I will be making this a lot this summer. Dinner was ready in under twenty minutes, and it was so satisfying. I sometimes forget how meaty and delicious mushrooms are. Mental not, buy shrooms more often!
Happy Tuesday!

Eighty Degree Bang!

June has really come in with a bang here in Seattle. Yesterday was in the upper eighties, and today it's supposed to be eighty as well. It's so weird because when I lived in Seattle before, June was usually a cooler, rainy month. The joke was always that summer started after the fourth of July. It makes me sad that sometime in my lifetime, I'll be talking to a "youngster" and I'll have to explain to them what it was like to live in a world with actual seasons. I sometimes feel like I'm forgetting myself. I brought my fan in from the deck, and it's always hilarious to watch the cats have to sniff it, and be scared of it until they get used to it.
I have to buy a pair of shorts today, or a skirt which I prefer to shorts anyway. Being the minimalist that I am, I pretty much rocked one pair of shorts last summer, so they are beyond trashed. I at least can say without a doubt that I got my moneys worth! Wish me luck because I really loathe clothes shopping, and I really hate trying stuff on and figuring out if it "suits my body type"
Speaking of shopping, I know I mentioned this Pacifica face scrub I got at Target the other day, but I have now used it, and it gets all the thumbs and paws up from me. It is right where I like my face scrub to be, right in the middle. It isn't so gentle that you don't feel any exfoliation happen, but it isn't so rough that you feel like you are punishing your face for some reason. Also, a little dab will do ya, so you don't have to use a ton of product which is nice.

It'll never make me as cute as this face!

I will definitely buy this again. I don't think I've ever tried a pacifica product that I haven't loved when I think about it. They have a perfume that is some kind of Gardenia, maybe Tahitian Gardenia, I don't know it's been awhile but it is seriously one of my favorite scents. I want to live in a field of Gardenias!
For dinner I made a meal that will be repeated a lot during the next few months. Rice with oven baked tofu, avocado, sweet chili sauce and sriracha. So simple and satisfying, and it's filling without that super full feeling. Also, it's all quick cooking which is nice in the summer.

I swear, tofu with a little coconut oil rubbed on it, a little salt and pepper and a 350 oven equals tofu perfection. I've been making my tofu this way for over a year now, and it turns out perfect every time!
Well, I'm going to take a deep breath, maybe give myself some positive affirmations and try to find some type of summer bottom that works for me. Yikes!
Happy Monday!

So Much Vegan Goodness at Trader Joe's!

Cilantro, Tahini sauce, Strawberries, bananas, oranges,spinach,pink lemons, and 2 tomatoes

Frozen mango, chocolate truffle bar,pizza dough,fruit bars with chia seeds,mango mochi, and pita bread

English cucumber,red potatoes,pickle popcorn(!!), Ataulfo mangoes, smoked paprika and ground ginger

Basmatti rice, coconut cream, and garbanzo beans

Close up of the pink lemons! I didn't even know these existed!

They look like mini pink grapefruit!!

No need to say that I went to Trader Joe's yesterday! I got there about thirty minutes after they opened, so it was much more pleasant and relaxed. Although there are lots of people who have the same idea as I, so even at eight thirty in the morning they're pretty hopping. They are still out of the vegan marshmallows, but I was told they should have them this week. Apparently they were not expecting the response they got, which is everyone wants some! The guy I asked said he is a vegetarian, but avoids gelatin himself. We had a nice chat about how GROSS gelatin is, and how whether you're veg or not, it should be avoided. It's times like that when I'm blissfully reminded that I am in Seattle, not in Erie anymore. I did get my hot little hands on the mango mochi, and suffice it to say these will be a summertime staple. I need to stock up, because mango must be a theme for this month, they had mango EVERYTHING! Mango Joe O's, mango cereal, mango licorice, mango dressing/marinade, just total mango overkill. Did you ever have that one friend who wore all the accessories at once and it was just too much? Well, Trader Joe's is that friend, and mango is the accessory. They also have frozen mango bon bons! It's mango sorbet covered in dark chocolate! I almost got them, but I just stuck with the mochi. But since mango seems to be a theme, I'm scared the mochi will disappear! These mochi have mango sorbet on the inside with a center of mango jam. They are very sweet, but not too sweet. I am in love, I'm obsessed. I have heard some people say that they don't like the outside texture compared to other mochi. I am not a mochi expert, so I can't say if these are exactly how they should be, but I can say that for my unsophisticated self, these are AHMAZING!! And they taste like real mango, not mango from a beaker!

The kitties were super interested!

Something for my friends!

I got a new double wide cat scratcher for my babies. This was pre-nip. Things got crazy once the cat nip was passed around!
The pickle popcorn is also my new favorite snack. I don't know if you knew this, but it's Trader Joe's policy to let you taste stuff if you don't know if you'll like it! I asked the cashier if she had tried the popcorn, and she said she like it, and next thing you know she was opening the bag so I could taste. Then, they got me an unopened bag! She said they'd put the opened bag in the break room. So, that's one more reason to love Trader Joe's! I don't know how they did it, but the popcorn is not greasy, it doesn't have a weird powdery feel, and the pickle flavor is perfection. It's like the flavor was infused in the kernel somehow. It's really delicious if you like pickles.

I was so sneaky!

I had to take a picture of that price! That's the cheapest price I've seen, especially for Ataulfo mangoes! I was so scared to take the picture, because I'm pretty sure Trader Joe's frowns on pictures and videos. I'm getting so brave!

Gorgeous!

I had to take a picture of the GORGEOUS day yesterday! This was while I was waiting for my bus. The building way in the background you can barely see behind the trees is my apartment building!
I did not do my budget challenge shopping. I didn't spend a whole lot, but I did spend more than thirty five dollars. I was too obsessed with finding the mochi and marshmallows. Summer fever is messing with my mind!

Pita with homemade hummus, and cucumber salad with a side of fries!

 For dinner I was craving a salad-y type thing with hummus and pita, so I used half a can of garbanzo beans for some homemade hummus, and then the other half got tossed with some diced cucumber, red onion, cilantro and lemon juice. They all combined to make the perfect sandwich! The hummus was really garlic-y, and all that raw red onion made this a perfect single person meal! Ha ha.

This sign in the bus shelter was another of those ah ha moments when I realize how far away from Erie I am. In Erie this would be a poster promoting Trump. For every Bernie sign I see in Seattle, I always think of Erie, and imagine all the lawns peppered with Trump signs. He speaks their language. Anyway, I love you Seattle!
If you take anything away from anything I've said ever, please try mango mochi and pickle popcorn if you're able!
Happy Sunday!

Just Ranch is Just Amazing!

As promised I went to Target yesterday, and they actually had the Just Ranch!! I could hardly believe my eyes, I had started to think that space on the shelf would be permanently empty! They were out of the truffle Just Mayo, but hey you can't have everything! Plus, I love seeing that people are totally snatching up the Just Mayo.

Pecan caramel creamer, kombucha, and Just Ranch!!

Mini Justin's cups, and mini ocho bars! Woot woot!!

Clearance tofu scramble vegan burritos and Chunk

Face scrub to make me glow! Another great sale!

I'm so happy that Target is selling Kevita kombucha now! Target is an easy walk to and from my apartment, so the more stuff they carry, the easier my life is! I didn't notice that the burritos were gluten free until I took this picture! I checked for vegan, saw clearance, and grabbed. I have one in the oven now, so we'll see. Gluten free foods are hit or miss for me. But this burrito has hash browns inside the burrito!
Target was having a sale on Pacifica products. I think Targets are all the same with the sales? Not sure, but this face wash was on sale for like six bucks. I used to be a huge fan of the St. Ives apricot face scrub. I love exfoliating in general. I haven't used St. Ives in years, just because I went all hippy and started scrubbing my face with baking soda and other homemade scrubs. Anyway, I had a bad week with feelings and stress so I treated myself. Although I do prefer to make my own stuff, I also like to support vegan companies when I can, especially in the lotions and potions and make up department. Pacifica is one of my favorites, I love their perfumes and I have a tube of their mascara that is the best mascara I've used. It never gets clumpy or gunky like so many others do.

A classic

So, I just had to try the Just Ranch last night. I made some crinkle cut fries because I'm out of fresh potatoes. This ranch is amazing. It's a little thicker than the FYH ranch, which I think is a good thing. It's much more similar to the consistency of a traditional ranch. The taste is out of this world. I don't know how those guys do it. I really don't. The flavor is spot on. It really reminds me of like a buttermilk ranch or something like that. I still love and adore FYH ranch, but this stuff is just Wow. I think the FYH ranch is maybe a better salad dressing because it is a little thinner, and this is definitely a better dipping sauce because of the consistency. My mind is blown, and I just love Hampton Creek so much. I truly feel like this would please any non vegan. And it's at Target right with all the salad dressings, so it's easy to find, it isn't uber expensive, it's perfect. I want to move to a secluded island with Just Ranch, and Cenk Uygur. And my cats of course.
I'm off to Trader Joe's this morning, going early so I can avoid as much madness as possible. We're getting into sandal weather, and parents let their kids push those tiny carts, and my toes always get run over! I'm keeping my fingers crossed so tight that I can find the mango mochi and also maybe the vegan marshmallows!
I have to leave you with a Caturday picture of course! This is Afro. I wanted to post her picture because I've been thinking about Dylan lately, and I remembered how Afro just always got on his nerves so bad! I don't even know why, she was never mean or obnoxious to him. But if she tried to cuddle up with him, he would get up, gripe at her and then move away with disgust. It was just one of those mysteries! Her name is Afro because when she was a kitten she had quite the mane and it flowed in the wind when she would run for dinner. She's outgrown the fro, but the name still fits!

Happy Caturday!

You Can't You Won't and You Don't Stop

                              


Have you heard of this new trend in vegan bacon making? Something that I love and adore is how vegans can't, and won't stop until cheese sauces and bacon have been veganized to perfection! Using rice paper feels like one of those slap yourself on the forehead for not thinking of it first ideas! I plan on trying this recipe out hopefully this weekend, so you know I'll report back. I think this might be the answer for people who like their vegan bacon really crispy. I've made many kinds of vegan bacon both homemade and packaged for non vegans, and a lot of them pass the taste test, but not the texture test. If this turns out as good as I'm imagining, when tomatoes start coming in season it can make for some epic vegan BLT sandwiches! It's so funny to me that some non vegans believe that a vegan diet is so limiting or restrictive or boring, when in actuality I've learned more about cooking, and become much more experimental since becoming vegan. I mean, we're making bacon out of rice paper, come on!!

She's got legs

Time for a cat intermission! I mean, it's hard to get anything done sometimes when I walk into this. You'd think I would get used to it, but  they're always switching the cuteness up on me!
Yesterday was an overcast, gloomy day so I made a nice warm red lentil curry for dinner. I'm so happy that I finally learned how to use curry correctly. It's one of my favorite meals, and it's total proof that vegan food is neither expensive or bland.

I had a small handful of baby spinach so I added it to the bowl raw. It was a nice little addition, I'll have to do that more often.
I have some things to get at Target today, and I'm hoping they have replenished their Just Ranch supply, because I really want to try it! I'm also thinking about trying their truffle Just Mayo. I also plan on going to Trader Joe's this weekend(super early) or if I can't deal I'll go on Monday to get stuff for my second budget challenge. I'm going to do another week of living on a thirty five dollar budget for seven days, but I'm going to show how much easier it is when you have a store like Trader Joe's, and also Grocery Outlet. It's supposed to be gorgeous and sunny all weekend so life is good!!
Happy Friday!

When I Dip You Dip We Dip

I decided to start the post with more cat cuddles! I went to pet Chunk, and didn't realize that Kanye had nestled herself in there too. Chunk stretched out a little as he does. He likes to look his best in pictures you know! If you're wondering why there's a towel under them on my bed, it's because for whatever reason, my cats love towels. So, I put a towel next to where I sleep in the bed, and now I always have someone sleeping with me. Cats.
During one of my no computer having days, I whipped up a pretty tasty mac and cheese using sweet potato. I basically used Buzzfeed's vegan mac and cheese recipe, but I didn't use any cashews and I used sweet potato instead of regular. I also added classic vegan ingredients to the sauce like tahini, and miso pate to add to the tang. It turned out much better than expected. It was incredibly rich, to be honest I'm glad I was out of cashews because I think it would have been too much.

It was still really thick and creamy even with no cashews. And the miso and tahini helped counter the sweetness from the potatoes. I love all of the versions of mac and cheese I've tried since going vegan!
For dinner last night I made an old fave, tofu rice lettuce wraps! I made a tasty dipping sauce with hoisin sauce, sriracha, and a little Trader Joe's soyaki. It was a super simple, but tasty meal.

I had this great idea that everything would look great on this wood platter, but alas it didn't pop the way I had imagined. There's something I find so satisfying about this meal. I'm a big fan of different textures, and also I like the warm rice and tofu with cool lettuce. And of course I'm like a toddler in that I love to dip my food! And I like eating with my hands, silverware is SO overrated.
I was watching a video on YouTube the other day, and guess what I found out? Trader Joe's now has vegan mochi in their freezer section! It's mango mochi and in the center instead of ice cream, it's mango jelly or jam or something like that! I will be checking for that the next time I go to Trader Joe's for sure! I love the texture of mochi! Between this and the vegan marshmallows, Trader Joe's is making for a very sweet vegan summer! I have to go there in the next few days to stock up for part two of my budget challenge, so hopefully they will have both items!
Happy Thursday!

Batteries Not Included

My laptop is working again! It no longer has a battery, so it always has to be plugged in, but that doesn't really bother me. I have never taken my laptop anywhere. I always see people in coffee shops typing away, and I wish I could be one of those people, but I find it hard to focus and concentrate in public.  Compressed air did the trick with the keyboard issue, and as far as the other issues, they all stopped once the battery was taken out. I am so beyond relieved to have a working laptop again. I really thought this thing was done for good!
The other day I was in the grocery Outlet neighborhood, so of course I had to stop in. I always have to see what's going on in Outlet world!

Candle cafe Empananda, Go Veggie chive and garlic spread, and chocolate!

I only grabbed one box of the Candle Cafe Empanadas, and I really wish I would have grabbed more! Tempeh isn't always my favorite, and either is cooked zucchini which is the first vegetable listed. I shouldn't have scared myself. These things are incredibly delicious. Like, I almost want to cry because who knows when I'll have these again. The vegan cheese they use is the best tasting vegan cheese I've ever had. It's not daiya, and the ingredients don't say what brand. They probably make it themselves. They have a mild chili heat, the perfect amount of vegan cheese, and best of all the tempeh flavor is so subtle, it's barely there! These were way better than I ever expected!

The cheese that was inside reminded me of some non vegan cheese-y food, but I cannot for the life of me remember what the heck it is. I would so serve these at a party with a mixed crowd. I wouldn't even mention vegan or tempeh until people tried them and begged to know where you got them!

String???

I've been drinking green juice again. I weirdly found a great deal on apples so it's made green juice affordable again. I cannot drink the super bitter veggie tasting green juices. I need lots of apple or pineapple to sweeten the deal. This juice had kale, apple, ginger, turmeric and spinach.
Last night for dinner I made a pizza using Trader Joe's pizza dough. I had a deep craving for one of my favorite pizzas in my pregan days, which was just cheese and banana peppers. My favorite two toppings. Usually when I make a pizza I try to put lots of veggies, and some type of bean on it to make it healthy. I decided to allow myself my craving and just use daiya and banana peppers. I threw a little green onion and garlic on there just to make it extra good! I've been sweating my arse off doing these hardcore workouts and doing my best to eat a healthy diet, and yet my jeans feel the same, so I said eff it to eating healthy for one night. It was worth every empty calorie!!

Pizza!

Although I really do love veggie heavy, no cheese pizzas, this pizza took me back. It was definitely a nice treat. I realized that I got kind of trapped in the HCLF world for awhile, and while that is how I eat most of the time, I don't want to get restrictive or obsessive about my diet. I know how I like to eat to feel my best, but I've come to realize that feeling my best includes some meals where I throw broccoli to the wind. I was raised in a house where every freaking thing was whole wheat, and it sometimes took the fun out of pizza night. Or soft pretzel night. They just aren't as good made with whole wheat flour! I appreciate the healthy start in life and all of that, but for me I like to be a little flexible and have fun with food every now and again.
Happy Wednesday!