Sunday, October 12, 2014

Behold, Vegan Mac and Cheese in a Box!

After some initial trouble getting Earth Balance boxed vegan mac and cheese in stock, I was informed the other day that my local Co-op had it in stock! I couldn't believe my eyes, they had both beautiful options, yellow cheddar, and white cheddar. And as I've mentioned before, often times when a product is brand new to the Co-op, it's on a new to the store type of sale/promotion, so that's when I can sometimes afford little treats that are not usually in my budget. As a side note, this was the same day when I couldn't afford the unfortunate cost of organic Brussels sprouts, it's kind of weird and sad when processed, boxed food is cheaper than a fresh veg. Anyway, to soothe my feelings over the sprouts, I grabbed a box while on sale.
Well, yesterday was just one of those days where I just couldn't be bothered to cook. I was emotionally drained from a lot of toxicity at work the previous night, and I needed comfort. Boxed mac and cheese to the rescue! It was super easy to make (duh) and while it wasn't quite the neon unnatural orange of the you know who brand, it still had the familiar, nostalgic hue. It was creamy, the powder packet mixed in beautifully with plant milk, and in my case coconut oil, as I don't have Earth balance buttery spread. When I still lived with my non-vegan boyfriend, I made lots of boxed mac and cheese for him as that was seriously something he liked to eat, almost exclusively. (his palate was something I have never witnessed. I've known children who are less picky.) Anyway, I remember quite a few brands, including Kraft, having issues with the powder mixing together without a few small clumps that just wouldn't mix. Not with this lovely vegan mac. It took almost no stirring effort to have a creamy bowl of childhood noodles. The sauce was a perfect consistency, and taste wise, it was delicious and cheesy. I don't know how they have mastered the art of the cheddar powder, but they have. Like the cheddar chips, and cheddar crackers, and cheddar popcorn this mac and cheese fills a void in the vegan community, and could easily satisfy any omnivore. And it is such great news for vegan kids. It's nice to sometimes be able to just "be one of the kids." And, it can show judgy non-vegan parents that vegans eat other things besides oatmeal, spirulina, and kale. All in all I can't say enough good things about this mac and cheese. It looks like the regular, not on sale cost will be $2.99 a box, which I've seen worse, but it is more expensive than it's non-vegan versions, so for me it will be a sometimes treat, but it will be in my splurge rotation for sure!

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