Another Vegan Haul!!

I got some groceries yesterday and for the second week in a row I made it to Trader Joe's! I feel like it's a personal accomplishment when I can brave that store without crying! I did my usual Sprouts, Natural Grocers and Trader Joe's trip. If you live near a Sprouts, spring is a great season to find amazing deals on produce! This week they have all mangoes two for one dollar, and strawberries on sale for $.98 a pound!!

Ataulfo mangoes, sweet onion, raw cashews, vegan cheese puffs(!!!), potatoes, cumin, ginger, vegan protein powder,strawberries

Kelp noodles,daiya smoked gouda,forager lemon yogurt(clearance!!), bath salts,booch,little secrets candies

I've looked at the kelp noodles at Natural Grocers a million times and I'm always scared to try them. I must be feeling frisky because I decided to be brave. They aren't super expensive, and kelp is a really good source of iodine which is something always mentioned when I read about hypothyroidism.

avocados,bananas,butter lettuce,shredded carrots,Romaine lettuce,Persian cucumbers,big avocado,spicy hummus,tortilla chips, green tea

coconut milk,black beans,taco seasoning,lemons,garlic,cauliflower gnocchi,coconut oil,mango booch,peanut butter,salsa, tofu

I also had a gift card for Target so I went there for cat food and these few items. Pineapple popsicles, yes please!!

The Target here is SLC still doesn't have the Starbucks vegan frappuccino, but it does have these two options which I have heard nothing about!! When I lived in Seattle, Peet's was definitely my favorite of  the  coffee chains. I've had the Stumptown black cold brew before and I liked it. The cheese puffs and kelp noodles were my splurge items for the week so I didn't  get either of these, but I will try them in the future!

Magnum Vegan Ice Cream Bars!

I had almost given up on ever seeing the Magnum vegan ice cream bars anywhere in Salt lake City! I think these have been out for a year or maybe even more. I almost forgot about them until yesterday when I spotted them at Smith's! 
They were on sale for $3.99 a box, but their normal price is $4.99 a box. Pretty Spendy, but cheaper than Daiya and So Delicious bars.

The chocolate coating is really,really nice.More like a milk chocolate than super dark which I prefer. And the ice cream is so incredibly creamy and has a really,really nice vanilla flavor. The ice cream is made with coconut oil and pea protein which I find really interesting because it has absolutely NO protein powder flavor at all. It tastes creamy and vanilla-y and amazing.
I did discover that these are not gluten free. Apparently there is wheat in the glucose syrup. I let myself have one anyway, but for people who have actual allergies these are not safe.
I highly recommend these bars. I believe these are the best vegan ice cream bars I've had. I would definitely buy a pint of the ice cream alone if that were an option. And if I were in mixed company, I would definitely whip these out to blow some non vegan's minds!!!

Cruelty Free Skin Care!

I don't share very many beauty products on this blog because honestly I'm super low maintenance when it comes to that stuff. The only make up I wear is mascara and lip gloss or lipstick. I sometimes watch make-up videos on YouTube and I'm so amazed by what can be done with make-up! It really is art. But alas, that life just isn't for me.
I do love to take care of my skin. I've always loved lotions and potions more than anything. My friend and I used to joke that if you want to torture us and make us tell all our secrets, just put us in a room with no lotion and we will crack for sure!
I found two new to me skin care goodies and I figured I'd share. They're cruelty free of course! I also have a favorite vegan chapstick that's under two dollars and works great!

I love to exfoliate. I dry brush my skin almost everyday, and I love a good face scrub. This one from Trader Joe's is a good one. It smells so incredibly good, like fresh blueberries. It instantly lifts your spirits as soon as you open the lid. The scrub definitely exfoliates, but it isn't super harsh to where you feel like you scrubbed half your face off. It also was also under five dollars so it's budget friendly!
The face mask I found on clearance at Natural Grocers. It's really nice, and it leaves your skin looking bright and very clear. Also cruelty free of course!!

This is my favorite chapstick ever! Or lip balm or whatever you want to call it! It's only $1.89 and it's a nice size that lasts quite awhile. I highly recommend this!

New and Old

This is my first attempt at homemade sauerkraut! I made it Sunday, and so in two weeks I should have some tangy probiotic goodness. I kept it simple this time and only used salt, but once I get the hang of it I will experiment with other seasonings. Once again, thanks Ttrockwwod for the suggestion. This is so much more budget friendly than store bought, and it's really super easy. You really just shred your cabbage, salt it, and put it in a Mason jar.

More taco potatoes! I made the filling with black beans, corn, soy curls and a bit of leftover tofu. I seasoned it with taco seasoning from Trader Joe's. Served with a green salad this is everything I could want in a meal!

Last night I had another rice and veggie bowl with tofu and spicy peanut sauce. For veggies I used Romaine, cucumber and cilantro. I love this meal because you get lots of veggies, and the warm rice and tofu make it filling and also comforting. I also love a meal with different temperatures and textures.
Happy Tuesday!

Another Budget Day!

Yesterday I went to Big Lots to see if they had any surprising vegan deals. Sometimes the most random stuff shows up there. I found a few things, but they didn't really have anything too exciting. Womp womp.

Spicy German mustard, french fry seasoning(!?) vegan Mr. Goodbar! BBQ ketchup

I love a good spicy mustard, and the glass jar is cute and of course reusable, same with the BBQ ketchup.
I also went to Smith's to pick up a cabbage. I'm going to attempt to make my own sauerkraut!! Thanks again Ttrockwood for the tip about making your own. I didn't realize it was so easy!!

I love sauerkraut but I don't buy it that often because the good stuff with probiotics is pricey. But cabbage is so cheap so this seems to be the answer! I will definitely report on my fermenting progress!!

I can't go to Smith's without checking for clearance goodies and look what I found for $.49! I needed the cheer!

I made more zucchini fritters for dinner last night. I had some spicy German mustard and vegan mayo on the side as well as some cucumbers with Balsamic vinaigrette. This was a really light but filling meal.I'm loving all the zucchini I can trick myself into eating with this meal!

It's almost impossible for me to get a picture with all five girls. One of them always has to be off doing their own thing. I know this isn't the greatest picture, but it's all five! The living room window has become very exciting. Lots of springtime squirrel and bird activity! I really want to save for a bright and cheerful area rug to brighten up the drab industrial carpet my apartment has!

Saturday Haul!

I got some groceries yesterday, and I managed to get to Trader Joe's early enough that I didn't lose my mind! I went to the trinity, Sprouts, Natural Grocers and Trader Joe's. It felt great to be back on my normal routine.

Bulk brown and Jasmine rice, rasperry pops!!!,potatoes, grapefruit,avocado, garbanzo bean flour, bulk spices, gluten free fried onions, vegan greens and protein powder

The gluten free fried onions are so random, but they just jumped out at me, and they were on sale so I had to get them. I didn't even know gluten free fried onions existed!

You guys. These bars are my new obsession. Raspberries are one of my top three favorite fruits ever. And these bars are strong on the delicious raspberry flavor. They have other flavors as well, and they're $2.49 for a box of four which is a pretty decent deal for the quality. Really, really delicious!

I saw this new to me vegan yogurt and I always want to try new vegan yogurts, but forgive me I was too busy having a heart attack over the price. Yes, you see that correctly. It is $3.99 for a single tiny container. I'm actually offended by some of the prices of vegan stuff. I know there are bougie non vegan foods that are super expensive too, but it just seems to be a real problem with vegan and gluten free foods.

Nag Champa,Epsom salts, soy curls, booch,chapstick and fruit enzyme face mask

Lemons, nooch, flaxmeal,romaine,sweet potato crackers,carrots,frozen strawberries and blueberries, Persian cucumbers, tofu, coconut milk, red and yellow onion,red and green lentils,conditioner

My haul pictures seem to always have to include some part of a kitty or two. When I line up my groceries for a picture, they just have to snoopervise and be all up in the mix!

Last night I made something I haven't had in awhile, Bibimbap! I used shredded Romaine, cucumbers and green onion for the veggies and baked tofu as the "egg". When it's all mixe together with the gochujang sauce it's total food heaven.

Easy Meals and Kitty Cuddles!

Wednesday I whipped up a cheese sauce using potato, tahini, nooch and some smoked gouda from daiya. I think that potato and cauliflower cheese or Alfredo sauces are great, but I definitely think they need a little fat to make it taste like a sauce, not just pureed vegetables. Tahini helps, and of course vegan cheese helps a lot! I added a little liquid smoke to amp up the smokiness. I also simmered some cooked lentils in Carolina Gold BBQ sauce which made the meal even better. The mustard-y bite went well with the creamy pasta.

Last night I had no energy to cook, plus my landlord finally had someone come and fix my leaky kitchen faucet which has been leaking for a year! So when I got home, the guy left a disgusting mess in my kitchen which made me not want to cook even more!! So waffle fries to the rescue! I dipped them in vegan mayo and A1 sauce. Super tasty, even if it's not the healthiest!
Today is grocery day, and I'm going to try to make myself go to Trader Joe's. We'll see how that works out, I kind of feel itchy just thinking about it. It just seems like even when I can force myself to get there early it's still a madhouse. Which will I choose, mental health or budget this week??

Just when I thought I was going to see less cuddles, Etta and Afro decided to prove me wrong. I have no problem being wrong!

And just to really show me how wrong I was, Kiki joined the pile a few minutes later. She's very lucky to get to use that belly for a pillow!

Too Much Goodness!

I'm still loving rice cakes! They're so much cheaper than gluten free bread and I like the weird dry crunchy texture. Yesterday I had one with hummus and one with some smashed avocado to start my day. Delicious!

For dinner I made some coconut rice with black beans. I made a little salad of cilantro, red onion and jalapeno to put on top of the rice, and had it with a green salad. I love this meal so much, especially because it tastes so great for so little money!

Remember those Chloe's chocolate pops I picked up last week? Well, I've tried them and I can happily report that they are AMAZING! They totally remind me of fudgesicles! They're made with bananas, cocoa and cane sugar. That's it which I really like! I really couldn't taste banana to be honest, but the banana made it nice and creamy!  So far I've tried the strawberry, mango and chocolate Chloe's pops and they've all been stellar. I think the mango might be my favorite just because mango! I've only seen these at Winco which makes me kind of sad, but hopefully they will start appearing at more stores!

Sometimes I walk in on things that are so freaking cute I almost can't even believe it. I caught these two holding paws and it's just almost too much!! Just two floofs taking a nap and being adorable!

Reading and Snacking

I am so excited to read this book. I reserved it at the library quite awhile ago, I'm actually surprised it came back so soo. I used to read Lindy West's articles in The Stranger all the time when I lived in Seattle. The Stranger is a really great alternative newspaper published in Seattle, obviously. This book was made into a show on Hulu also called Shrill, starring the AMAZING Aidy Bryant. If you have Hulu, I cannot recommend Shrill enough. I found it so relatable in so many different ways. I can't wait to read the book!!

I picked this up on my last trip to Sprouts. I saw someone rave about it on YouTube, and it gave me a craving I guess. I know popcorn is so easy to make, but I don't own a microwave, and I always, always make the worst stove top popcorn. It's bad. So I haven't had popcorn in who knows how long! This tastes rally great, like homemade. Not too salty or greasy.

Smith's had Lantana hummus on sale buy one get one free so I absolutely couldn't resist. Lantana is definitely my favorite packaged hummus, and I've tried a few times to mimic the carrot sriracha and I just can't!

I want to thank Ttrockwood for mentioning splashing some red wine vinegar on still warm potatoes. Genius! I roasted these potatoes with garlic, thyme, salt and pepper and then splashed some red wine vinegar fresh out of the oven. It added so much more flavor!! It makes sense that I love this because I've always loved malt vinegar on fries. I love learning new, easy and inexpensive ways to add so much flavor to food!

Saturday Stuff

This is my favorite time of year. It seems like every day there's a new blossom somewhere! Even though the weather has been all over the place, the flowers soldier on.

I loved the strawberry lemonade flavor so much I decided to try the pomegranate lemonade. I really don't know what I was thinking because I don't even like pomegranates!  Needless to say this wasn't my favorite, but it was definitely still drinkable, and if you like pomegranate I think you would LOVE this. Humm has definitely become one of my favorite brands of booch!

I can't stand cooked zucchini. I hate everything about it, the slimy texture, the seeds that float around, just everything. When I was a kid, my mom would make zucchini pancakes in the summer when her garden was producing little zukes at an insane pace. That was the only way I could stand to eat them cooked. She would serve them with sour cream and a salad and it was a delicious summer meal.
I randomly thought about those pancakes the other day and decided I had to try and make them!I just shredded about four zucchini, added salt, pepper, garlic powder, green onion and garbanzo bean flour.  These tasted so amazing!! I was going to make some vegan sour cream but I got lazy. It was fine without! I had the cakes with a salad and some sauerkraut. I see a lot more of these in my future, especially in the summer when stores are practically giving zucchini away!

Caturday morning cartoons with Roxy! She will watch an entire forty five minute bird video on YouTube, and then look at me like, is there more??