Hello Again!

 

I've seen these at a few stores, and I've heard good things, but they're usually pretty pricey, especially for a snack. But, the WooHoo sale is my love language so I finally got to try them! They're okay, but honestly given that it's a dill pickled flavored kraut chip, I expected a bigger pickle punch. They're pretty mild, I think you get a better pickle punch from the Lay's dill pickle chips. I'm glad I got to try them, but all in all my rating is meh.

While at Smith's scouring for WooHoo sales, I stumbled across this Organicville dairy free ranch that is vegan. I also found the Just Egg folded! Honestly, I don't miss eggs, I never loved them as a pregan, but I had to try these for the novelty of it all! It's exciting to see these at a regular old grocery, not a specialty shop.

I found these a few weeks ago on sale, and I love hodo soy, Their curry tofu nuggets are my all time fave. Their tofu has the best texture of any tofu EVER!

I made a green chili cashew sauce, tossed that with some Banza chickpea pasta and then added the tofu. Topped with cholula of course! I also had a salad and tried the ranch, it is not what I would call ranch, and I definitely wouldn't use it as a dipping ranch. It's more like a creamy lemon-y herb dressing. 

Look at this big long guy getting a tan! He's doing so well, and I'm so happy watching him love life on the inside!

Pumpkin Spice and Tom Yum Soup

 

This was on sale at Whole Foods, so I decided to try it. It's really nice. Because it's unsweetened, the pumpkin spice flavor really shines. And it's nice and thick and creamy. I love it with Chai tea and also maple flavored coffee!

If you like your coffee of tea to have a little extra flavor but not so much sugar, I noticed Nut Pods have several flavors and all are vegan and all are unsweetened!

I remember the first time I tried Tom Yum soup at some tiny little restaurant in Seattle. It was such a delicious explosion of flavors I was hooked. I haven't had it in years, definitely since moving to Utah. I've been feeling a bit off lately, so yesterday was a great time for some soothing soup!

I wish I would have had some fresh lemongrass to add to the soup, but a nice squeeze of lime at the end really brightened everything up. This was soothing to my soul in many ways.

I also would like to thank Etta for being my background model in two of the three pictures!

All the Tofu!

 For some reason, the last few times I've gone to Whole Foods they've been out of medium, firm and extra firm tofu. They have one or two packages of silken, but I don't use silken tofu often. I'm not sure if they're having issues because of covid, or if there are just a ton of tofu loving vegans who are buying it all up. I hope it's the latter. It's okay, because it gives me an excuse to make the trek to the Asian Market. 

Spicy tofu, tofu cutlets,green onion, golden kiwi, lemons,ginger, fried tofu, medium tofu, oranges, reishi coffee,Thai basil, coconut milk, mushroom seasoning,potato mochi

I was going through the frozen aisle and feeling blue because while there are so many vegan dumplings and scallion pancakes and buns and spring rolls, they all contain wheat!! Then, I came across these potato mochi! I've only ever had the sweet mochi ice cream treats, so I have no idea what to expect with these, has anyone had potato mochi?

Fall is slowly coming around, even though the temperature here has still been very summer-like, except for the three days when I had no power! Ha!

The other day I was grating some daiya farmhouse cheddar, and Bubba was so interested and definitely begging, so I decided to leave a few shreds on the plate to see if he liked it, and he does! It made me cry because it reminded me of my sweet Dylan, who this blog is named after because he did love daiya!

Whole Foods and More!

 I have a little haul to show. I was going to go to Trader Joe's, but as I've learned over time, Friday's are almost as bad as Saturday and Sunday and I just wasn't feeling up to that stress. Grocery shopping is already stressful during these times, so I try to go to places that are as mellow as possible. So far my favorite places for groceries have been Sprouts and Whole Foods. They are never that busy, and most importantly all of the staff and customers wear masks correctly. When I go to Winco or Smiths, it's shocking how many people are just brazenly walking around with their masks around their chins. 

First a few things I grabbed at Smith's. I can't resist the gluten free tortillas for two dollars! They're normally seven! They've also come out with their own line of water kefir, and it's pretty tasty. They were on sale two for four! And they had Treeline cheese on sale so I treated myself. I wish Treeline were a little cheaper because I would have it all the time! 

Vegan gummies, bath salts, garlic, Japanese sweet potato, oranges, onion, veggie burgers, vegan cheddar crackers, grape booch, pumpkin spice nut pods, fizzy water, iceberg lettuce, celery, kale, green onions, romaine, peanut butter, carrots

Sadly, the Surf Sweet gummies are not vegan. I missed gelatin in the ingredients. I know Surf sweets makes vegan gummies, I've bought them at natural grocers. Returns and exchanges are weird with covid, so I'm just going to give them to a non vegan. Le sigh.

I wasn't specifically going for any type of budget, but I spent thirty seven dollars and some change at Whole Foods. Not too bad considering I got some treats.

Since I do so much griping about all of the horrible and expensive gluten free items out there, I have to be fair and give credit where it's due. I saw someone mention how great these are, and I put them in my cart, and almost changed my mind because gluten free crackers are super hit or miss for me, and I don't always love the fake cheddar taste. But, I decided to give them a chance, and WOW, I'm so glad I did! They have a decent texture, a tad dense but not too bad, and the taste! It has like a roast-y cheddar flavor, similar to what I remember Goldfish crackers tasting like. They aren't too pricey, compared to other gluten free crackers either. They are $3.99 a box, and given the quality I say totally worth it. I highly, highly recommend these, and I definitely will be buying again!

Rest in Power RBG

 What a sad day yesterday was, We lost a wonderful, strong champion. I can't believe Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She was so strong, and so tough I somehow always imagined her outliving us all! 

And the saddest thing is that we can't even process and mourn her death, because we just know the cheeto in chief is going to scramble to find the next rape-y ex frat boy to fill her seat. 

One of my favorite RBG quotes that I think of everyday, especially in terms of how I interact with non vegans. "Fight for the things you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you." Beautiful, amazing woman.

I have a haul and a delicious new to me vegan find, but I think I'm going to wait until maybe tomorrow. Today I want to honor RBG and figure out how we can keep fighting, and focus on voting, getting people to vote. I know voting won't solve everything, but it's going to help and it's a start.

RIP Notorious RBG.

A Whole Post of Random

 When I stopped at Trader Joe's for their new vegan milk chocolate bar(S), I was going to grab a water kefir. I don't really care for GT's kombucha, but their kefir is really tasty. Especially the pink grapefruit. I do love their pineapple booch, and so I decided to give the strawberry lemonade a chance, and it's as good as the pineapple!

I definitely would buy this again! As a matter of fact it inspired me to make my next batch of booch strawberry lemonade!

Everywhere you look in this city you see the devastation from last week's windstorm. Huge, beautiful old trees ripped out of the ground like they were just twigs. It's so sad. here, you can see where the wind took down a billboard! You can also see the grey haze from wildfires covering the blue sky. 

I'm so late to the party that the party's pretty much over, but I finally tried cauliflower mash! Well, I should say cauliflower potato mash. I did about fifty fifty cauliflower to potatoes. And, to be honest I couldn't even taste the cauliflower! I added a dollop of oat butter to the top for extra richness, and had a lentil shitake gravy. Beige but delicious!

By the way, Miyoko's oat milk butter is cheaper than her original cashew based butter, and in my humble opinion it's just as rich and buttery.

I found these in the gluten free section somewhere, and WOW! These are incredible. Really great BBQ flavor, the right amount of smokiness. Eleven out of ten!

Last night I made tomato cheese rice again. This time I used Violife mature cheddar, but I could only find the slices which is why it looks a little weird. Served with some vegan honey mustard slaw. The honey mustard is courtesy of FYH. I never had honey mustard in my pregan days, but the vegan version is pretty dang tasty!

Restocking With a Rant Interlude!

 After the power outage earlier this week, I lost almost all the food in my fridge and freezer. It hurt really bad to throw stuff out. Since I needed to replace a lot of stuff, I chose Sprouts and the Asian market since this was a setback, and I needed to find the best prices. I did run into Trader Joe's because I saw they now have VEGAN MILK CHOCOLATE!! I've mentioned it here a million times, but I was a milk chocolate girl all the way, and it's been a struggle to deal with dark chocolate. 

I also picked up a GT's strawberry lemonade booch. GT's is my least favorite booch, but I do love their pineapple flavor, so I'm hoping this is just as great!

I tried a square of the chocolate when I left, and OMG!!!! It tastes like I remember Hershey's milk chocolate tasting!! Totally worth standing in line, and the Saturday chaos!!

Lemon, nectarines, avocado,powdered ginger, gluten free bread,celery, shredded cabbage, cauliflower, veganaise,lemon ginger tea, kombucha, veganaise,raspberries,popsicles,oranges, white nectarines,onion,tomatoes, plums,clearance poke sauce(?), jalapeno, serrano pepper, potatoes

I should have mentioned first this is my Sprouts haul! I got all this for thirty some dollars. I don't think anyone, including discount stores can beat Sprouts prices on produce!

I saw this new vegan chicken alternative at Sprouts. Unfortunately, this bag is very light, and is eight dollars. I need to have a little side rant, I was just reading a review on the new gardein canned soups, and when the price issue came up, it was mentioned that yes, it is pricey, but as the demand for vegan food grows, that will bring the price down. I've been hearing that excuse for years, demand has grown, but yet every new vegan offering is more expensive than the last. It's frustrating not so much because I personally can't afford them, it's more that we are trying to save animals here, and no meat eater on any kind of budget, especially if they have a family would be able to even consider these. Same with Just Egg, I know the price has come down a bit, but even at five dollars for that small bottle compared to a buck or two for a dozen eggs. It's maddening and while I like seeing new alternatives, I wonder how much they're really helping animals. 

Sorry, rant over now on to my Asian market haul. I bought all the tofu and I couldn't be happier!

BBQ potato crackers,sriracha,fried tofu,thin and wide rice noodles,rice cakes,nori wraps, emerald tofu,inari pouches, baked tofu, more tofu,golden kiwi, enoki mushrooms,oranges,Jasmine rice

I spent close to forty at the Asian market, so all in all I spent a little opver seventy dollars which is more than I usually spend a week, but considering that I was basically starting fresh, I feel pretty good.

Lights Out!

 Last week I found a recipe for tomato rice. It's a NYT recipe, and it was super easy to veganize. I used daiya cheddar, but the next time I make it I want to get some mature cheddar from violife, I think it's probably the most similar to a really sharp cheddar. As I was making the rice, I got scared it was going to be boring or bland, but man was I wrong! It's delicious and satisfying!

I halved the recipe since I was making it just for me, and I wasn't sure if I'd love a lot of leftovers. Next time I make it, I'm definitely making the whole recipe. It tastes great right out of the oven, room temperature and cold! And this is a great time of year for tomatoes! Here is the recipe, I highly recommend!!

I'm back. It's now three days after I started this post, because on Monday night, early Tuesday morning we had a huge windstorm, with winds going seventy miles an hour! They say some winds were 100 MPH! It was freaking scary, and right in the middle of typing my post the power went out and stayed out for almost 70 hours!! Because 2020 likes to pile on, we also had a major cold front move in, and temps were in the forties!! So my apartment was forty degrees at the most. 

This city got torn up! It's sad and scary, I've never seen damage like this, and I've never experienced a power outage for this length of time. Here is a picture where a huge tree and freaking concrete sidewalk are just ripped from the ground!

I feel so sad for the squirrels and the birds!! What happened to them, did they get blown away? 

You guys know I had just gone to Trader Joe's for my forty dollars of groceries. Almost everything in my freezer and fridge had to be tossed. I cried. But, this is where living on a shoestring budget is better I guess, because on social media I've read about people who lost hundreds and in some cases thousands of dollars worth of food. 

The first night with no power, my neighbor was going to get food and offered to take me to get something. She was getting fast food, so she went to Carl's Jr. so I could get something more than fries. I of course got the Beyond burger, no mayo no cheese, add BBQ sauce and tucked in a lettuce wrap to keep it gluten free. 

I had this can of soup one day, right out of the can because why dirty a bowl for cold soup? I was hoping it would at least be room temp., but it was pretty chilly. I have to say, for canned cold soup this was pretty good. I'll have to get another can and have it warm. 

This is a sad burrito bowl from Chipotle. When I got it, it looked like someone shook the bowl, and it had five Romaine butts in it!! Also, I know the tofu sofritas is beloved, but honestly I didn't care for it.

Today I feel like crap because I've been stressed and full of anxiety, and also those two takeout meals didn't sit all that well with me. I'm very happy to have power again so I can make my own food. 

One thing I've learned about myself is that I don't handle emergency situations well. I need to toughen up, and get a grip. And maybe when I have a few extra bucks invest in a cooler or something so that I don't lose food that I can't afford to lose. 

Tomorrow I'm going to try and restock what I can in my fridge, but it's going to be a process. I'm going to put my what can I buy for forty dollars on hold for a week or two so I can regroup and all of that. So, I'll be back soon with a restock haul!

Everything's Coming Up Vegan!

 Yesterday I ran to Smith's for some cat related items, and of course I always have to see if there's anything fun on clearance, and if there are any fun new vegan items. 

Am I the only one who can't just run in to a grocery store? If I need one item at a clothing store, I have no problem running in for that one thing, but put me in a grocery store and I just have to browse!

Smith's has been carrying Impossible grounds for awhile now, and now they have the burgers, just in time for a huge grilling holiday! You only get two burgers in a package, so I think it's still a better deal to buy the grounds, which you can easily make four or five burgers. But, still, what a time to be vegan. Plant milk is slowly taking up more and more space like plant milk. I love it!

I saw an ad for the new vegan Starbucks creamers just a day or two ago. I figured it would take awhile to trickle down to my area, but apparently I am a pessimist! I had to splurge, and I also had to splurge on the So Delicious frozen mousse/ice cream treat. Have you tried these? It's not protein-y and weird like vegan Halo or those other low calorie ice creams, it's more like their whipped cream with flavors stirred in. I prefer the fruity flavors, but they only had the salted caramel. Poor me!

Last night for dinner I made a delicious lentil soup, and I made it extra delicious and creamy thanks to my hand held blender! I also had a gluten free pita with this AMAZING Za'atar oil/condiment stuff. It's olive oil with Za'atar seasoning. I need to make pizza with this as the base. Delicious!

Le Love

 I couldn't wait for a recipe inspiration to try the Big Mountain Foods breakfast sausages. So, I decided to cook one up plain, and see what I was working with. They are soy and gluten free, pea protein seems to be the main base, with spinach, garlic and onion powder and maple syrup. I just heated it in a pan with a smidge of oil.

Sorry my hand wasn't the steadiest but as you can kind of see the texture is almost similar to Beyond sausage, but it's much less greasy. There was no oil in the pan after cooking this, complete opposite of Beyond. Taste wise these reminded me of like an apple-y peppery sausage. I didn't get strong breakfast vibes, but that's good because these can go breakfast or other meals. Eleven out of ten, will buy again!!

Last night I made another amazing Wil Yeung recipe! This is vegan peanut chili noodles, and it is of course out of this world! Here is the recipe if you'd like to try. 

This was made in one pot, and took under twenty minutes including prepping ingredients. I subbed rice noodles for udon to keep it gluten free, and added edamame instead of bamboo shoots. I will definitely be making this a million more times!

You guys, if you love fizzy water the way I do, you must try this flavor!! OMG, it's so freaking refreshing! I remember the dark days of plain, and if you were lucky lemon and lime being the only options for fizzy water. Now that it's popular there are so many flavors and flavor combos!!

I know I've mentioned this flavor before, but it deserves another mention! GT's is not my favorite kombucha at all, but this flavor is hands down one of my favorite of all time. I've only seen it at Trader Joe's, and it's always a hard choice between this and their grapefruit water kefir!  Eleven out of ten!

Forty Bucks at Trader Joe's

 During this pandemic I would say I've shopped at Trader Joe's the least. Somehow it's still the most stressful place to shop, even though they are limiting how many people they allow in at one time. But, I've been so curious about what's new I grabbed my forty dollars and got on the bus, aka the scariest place on earth during a pandemic. 

I stopped at Smith's first, and I spotted these. Winco has several products from this company. It's a small, female owned company based in Canada I believe. I don't hate their stuff, but it's definitely on the very, very healthy side. These sausages just look so much like tofurky or field roast, I couldn't resist. I'm hoping this is the product that will blow my mind!!

Oranges, apples, plums, fizzy water, romaine, beefsteak tomato, red and green lentils, tofux2,carrots,lemons, sweet potato, green onion, edamame, celery, popsicles, taco seasoning, booch,coconut milk, black beans, coffee creamer

A Few Things I've Been Loving

 I know I am extremely late to this party, but I have arrived. Last week I decided to try Oatly milk for my coffee and tea needs. A half gallon of Oatly was on sale for less or the same price as much smaller containers of creamers. Can't pass that up!

I know Winco has cheaper oatmilk, Planet Oat I think? I have gotten that in the past, but it just doesn't compare to Oatly, which is so much thicker and creamier. In the end, I think Oatly is actually a better deal, since you use much less.

I loved this kombucha so much! It's not spicy, you just get a tiny kick at the end. Very refreshing. I've tried several Suja flavors, and while all delicious, this is definitely my favorite.

I picked this up on my first trip to the downtown Whole Foods. I finally decided to give it a try the other night. You just mix some of this sauce with a little tamari/soy/aminos and a little water, and then add it to some cooked veggies and noodles! 

I added some baked tofu and had a little salad on the side. The sauce has pineapple in it, which scared me a little, but it really just adds some sweetness. It's salty, and sweet with a little tang from the tamarind. Really delicious and super easy. 

And since this post seems to be about things I've tried and loved, in the past couple of weeks I discovered Wil Yeung's amazing YouTube channel, and last week I made his Aloo curry potatoes, and it was so incredible I made it again this week. And I'm sure I'll make this so many times I'll memorize the recipe!

The Experiment No One Asked For!

I've been in a pretty dark headspace the past few days. I think 2020 is doing that to most of us. One day you're dealing with everything, and the next day you feel like the weight of it all is holding you down. 

As a way to unwind and try to turn it all off, I got sucked into watching a bunch of super budget, extreme budget, cooking out of my pantry type budgeting videos on YouTube. I don't know why, but they soothed me and allowed me to forget about reality for awhile, and just spend some time learning from the masters.

The videos inspired me to do more of an experiment than a challenge. I decided to see what forty dollars will buy at a few different stores. I chose Whole Foods first, because I figured that would be the most challenging. I didn't search sales or deals, I just bought what I normally buy.

Carrots, popsicles, cilantro, coconut milk, watermelon wedge, Oatly, romaine, oranges, celery, onion, almond flour crackers, tofu, eggplant, apples, nectarines, tomato, potatoes, kombucha

I love when I stumble across free peaches! This tree is in an alley, and all these peaches were just sitting on the ground! I'll be going back for more tomorrow!

The haul that I showed was bought last week, Thursday to be exact, and along with some rice and noodles I have in my pantry I've eaten well all week. This Thursday I'll go to either Trader Joe's or Sprouts, and the runner up will be for the third week. 

The eggplant from my haul was turned into this delicious dish! It's spicy braised eggplant, another delicious Wil Yeung recipe! I really can't recommend his beautiful channel enough!