Green Beans Are Delicious! Especially The Way I Make Them.

I always forget I have this recipe in my repertoire, which is a shame because it's definitely a crowd pleaser! It goes wonderfully with holiday dishes - I like to make it for my family on Thanksgiving and Christmas. They actually ask for it! Talk about an ego boost! This is great as a side dish, because it's vegan without being a substitute for something else, or 'weird vegan food', if you know what I mean.
With the weather being what it is in San Francisco, (the same, year round/slightly colder in the summer than the winter) it's appropriate for me to make this dish in all seasons!
This dish is a alteration of Isa Chandra Moskowitz's 'Sauteed Green Beans with Mushrooms' from Vegan With A Vengeance.

You will need:
     *A little over a pound of mushrooms, chopped. (I like cremini).
     *2 pounds of green beans (washed with the ends cut off. Sometimes I cut them in half)
     *4 - 8 cloves of garlic (chopped or minced)
     *Olive Oil
     *1 TBS Salt
     *1/2 TBS Pepper
     *1/3 cup of sherry
     *1/4 cup of coconut aminos, soy sauce or Braggs.
     *Water
     *1 medium red onion (chopped). Shallots are a nice flavor, instead of onion, if you so desire.
     *1/2 TBS Italian seasoning

Heat up olive oil in a pan, add onions. I like to cook them until carmelized, but transparent is fine too. Add garlic, being sure not to brown or burn it. After about 3 minutes, or until garlic is fragrant, add mushrooms. Cook for about 5 - 10 minutes, until moisture is released and they shrink in size. Add salt, pepper and Italian seasoning, let them cook in. Add coconut aminos, soy sauce or Braggs, Sherry and let it come to a light boil. Add green beans, and then enough water to cover beans about half way. Cover and cook until green beans are soft. It's nice when they still have a little crunch, but I am also a fan of mushy vegetables. Basically, they are done when they are fork tender.

 Mushrooms, onion, garlic and spices.

 

Adding the green beans. 

 I don't have a cover for this pot.....

Done!

New thrift store dish! Very Mad Men inspired!

 Sam loved it! This elegant lady despises mushrooms, yet she had seconds! I wasn't lying when I called it a 'crowd - pleaser'.

Crowds Drive Me Insane. Farmer's Markets Might Be Worth Ripping My Hair Out For.

As I was on my way to Whole Foods, I passed the Upper Haight Farmer's Market.

Of course I had already bought most of my groceries in the Inner Sunset, on my way home, but I was missing a few items. I took a deep breath, and went towards the crowd. This probably goes without saying -  there was totally a jam band present. Whatever. I needed kale.

I'm not one to frequent farmer's markets.
     1.) I dislike crowds and jam bands.
     2.) I never remember when and where they are being held.
     3.) I am not one to carry cash on me.

Excuses, excuses, I know. Well, I had $4 on me and some patience, so I went in and got my kale. OMFG! So delicious! So cheap! So fresh! This particular farmer's market is held about 3 blocks from my pad and I need to find a prescription to xanax frequent it!

By the time next Wednesday comes, I'm totally going to forget it goes down, which is why I need to sign up for a CSA box. Instead of doing research myself, can someone tell me which company to sign up for? Send me a link so I don't actually have to do any work myself? A box of food a week?! It'd be like Iron Chef, in the privacy of my kitchen, without a time limit! That sounds like so much fun!

Vegan, Soy Free, Gluten Free, ALFREDO SAUCE! That's Right - The Search IS OVER!

Ladies and gentlemen, I have done it. On my first try, I nailed Alfredo Sauce. I've been wanting to make it for months, I've been thinking about how to do it (for months. MONTHS!) and today, I put theory into action. There were a couple taste testers (non - vegans I might add) who helped with the spice ratio and cheer-leading of the sauce tonight. The end result is something I think you'll find quite tasty.

You will need:
     *1 cup of soaked, raw, unsalted cashews (2/3 heaping cup, dry)
     *1 1/4 cup water
     *Juice of one lemon
     *1 small yellow or white onion, finely chopped
     *4 - 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
     *1/2 TBS salt (I probably ended up using a full one, but it's best to salt things slowly. Our palates are different and I like SALTY)
     *3 scant TBS nutritional yeast (large flakes -  not the finely ground stuff)
     *1 tsp pepper (again, you may end up adding more...)
     *1/4 tsp nutmeg
     *2 tsp Coconut Aminos (soy sauce would be fine as well)

When I got home, I set down my groceries and checked Facebook, then twitter, then my email. I pet my cat. Oh yeah! I was going to make Alfredo sauce. I  poured myself a glass of wine and got down to business.

Measured out 2/3 cup dry cashews and let them boil on medium for about 20 minutes. Chopped the yellow onion (to keep with the color scheme, you know I love my red onions) and then coated a pan with about a TBS of olive oil. Set to medium heat and caramelized the onion. As that was going on, chopped the cloves of garlic.

Finely chopped yellow onion.

Finely chopped garlic.

After the onions had caramelized (it takes about 15 to 20 minutes on lowish heat), add the garlic. Once the garlic became fragrant (about 3 minutes) add  nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, coconut aminos and nutmeg. Let all those cook together for about 3 more minutes. Medium low to low heat the whole time.

Onions and garlic.

Onions, garlic, seasoning.

Next add the lemon juice. Let it cook in for another minute or so.

Almost done!

As for the cashews, they needed to be taken off the heat when soft (again, after about 20 minutes), rinsed, and then put into a blender, Vita - Mix or food processor (an immersion blender would work too). Add 1 1/4 cup water and pulverize. Add seasoned onions and garlic to the cashews and blend until smooth! Taste. How is it? Does it need more of a cheesy flavor? Add some nutritional yeast. More salt? Go for it!

What do you think? Best vegan Alfredo sauce ever?

Here's what I made with mine. It's got sauteed portobello mushrooms, garlic, red onion, zucchini, kale and soy noodles in there. Baked at 350 for about 20 minutes. It's my low carb, veggie rich casserole dinner!

I Have to Admit, I've Missed Deviled Eggs

Crystal Paul is an brilliant and talented vegan chef. I'm so lucky to have her as a roommate! She's got a knack for finding amazing vegan recipes online, and then making them a reality in our kitchen. Her most recent endeavor -  deviled 'eggs'.

Crystal Paul, putting her dish together.

 Complete!

Follow the recipe here! (She did reduce the salt and mustard a little.)

Dear Will.I.Am

It has come to my recent attention that you made a comment to Elle magazine, describing women who have condoms at their house as tacky. As a woman, I am horrifically offended. Perhaps you did not realize that we are living in a day and age where STDs, HPV and AIDs run rampant? Perhaps you did not realize that pregnancy comes from unprotected sex? As a woman, I have to take care of myself, and yes, that means I have condoms in my drawer. While it is always a little awkward when someone you are newly seeing pulls one out (Why do they have those? Who were they sleeping with before? How recent? Is there some else?), let's not kid ourselves that in the heat of the moment, Walgreens is open or a feasible distance to travel to. As a woman, I need to look out for me. So, according to you, I am tacky. Turns out I'm also STD free which I think is decidedly, untacky.

As long as we are on the adjective, I'd like to point out a couple of incidents that you and your band have engaged in, which I find, for lack of a better word, tacky.
  
     A.) Using the word 'retarded' to describe, in the chorus and title of a song, how you are going to act at a social gathering.
 
     B.) Performing a concert in Spain that is a major sponsor of the TV show, Involucion, which directly supports the abuse and exploitation of chimpanzees. Involucion is a competition based reality show, literally meaning 'de-evolution', in which a chimpanzee dubbed 'Darwin' (real name Noah) competes alongside humans in very humiliating and unfavorable ways (mostly for the humans doing these competitions voluntarily). Animals don't belong in the entertainment industry, as in order for them to perform or do tricks, unnatural and abuse methods are commonly used. Noah is no exception, as he belongs to animal trainer Steve Martin, who has already been cited numerous times by the USDA for violations of the Animal Welfare Act. I understand your band has supported PETA in the past, by urging KFC to treat the chickens used for their chain, more humanely. How about all animals, and in this case, specifically Noah?

Please Will.i.am, take a stand against unprotected sex, animal abuse and exploitation as well as derogatory words in your top 40 songs.

Sincerely,
Jenny Bradley

Sign the petition telling the Black Eyed Peas to stop supporting chimpanzee abuse!

How to Host a Successful Vegan 'Mad Men' Inspired Cocktail Party

Think of this as your preview!

The Spread (I made the Spinach Dip and put together the 'Shrimp Cocktail!)

 

 Crystal Paul's Deviled 'Eggs'.

 

 Vanessa Elise's Stuffed Mushrooms

 Kevin's Truffle's

Most Successful Party to Date!

This Vegan Finally Went to Millennium!

The last birthday post! It's finally over! Birthday week? Try birthday month!

After almost two years of living in San Francisco, I finally made it to Millennium on July 20th. Peeps were always shocked I had never been, but I had never had a special enough reason to go. I'm not gonna front, it's totally out of my price range.
Then, I turned 30. The family offered not only to come to the city, but let me pick the restaurant we ate at. I spent a split second deciding between Gracias Madre and Millennium, reasoned that my sister HATES vegetables, and chose the latter. (The month my sister went vegetarian, her diet consisted of pasta with marinara sauce and french fries.)
There's not much else to say, except that Millennium is everything I'd hoped it'd be - fancy and tasty!


The cocktails:

Madame Butterfly for me.

Mai Tai for my mom.

The appetizers:

Bread with white bean dip.

Crusted Oyster Mushrooms. By far my favorite food of the night! They reminded me of calamari, which I LOVED. I may have gone back a few days later, with Crystal Paul, for a glass of wine (or two) and these guys. Give me 15 minutes notice, and I will meet you for a plate of these. Wherever I am, I WILL GET THERE.

The entrees:

 Tamale for me. I really, really love vegan Mexican food.

Macadamia nut crusted tofu for my mom and sister. 

Brik Pastry Roulade with Seitan for my Auntie Lisa.

My sister's side (in case she hated her food):

Steak Fries!

It was hard to remember to take pictures of all this food before diving in (Gawd, not to mention it being totally embarrassing to be taking pictures of my food in a restaurant) so I didn't get any of our dessert. I'm not a big fan of ordering desserts in restaurants (probably because I'm a baker - get sweets away from me! Overkill!) but everyone else is. Plus, on our reservation, my sister had put down it was my birthday. So we got a mint sundae, with a candle and birthday song (which secretly I JUST LOVE. EVERYONE LOOK AT ME!), plus a plate of truffles -on the house - from our super cute waitress.

Unfortunately. my dad couldn't join us, as he is a pilot and flies to super exciting, international places on the regular. I did get to spend my second birthday dinner with him though!

I know you are dying to know - did my sister like her food?! Haha, she really enjoyed the steak fries.

Drink This! It's Good For You.

I used to be a big fan of Odwalla's Superfoods 'smoothie'. It's green, it has to be good for you, right? Not exactly - if you compare the amount of sugar in a Superfoods beverage, to that of ice cream, you will see that the amounts are nearly identical! That is why you will never see me drinking Superfoods or even eating soy/coconut yogurt. I could save the calories and eat ice cream!
But I won't. Refined sugar and too much fructose make me feel sick. I can't even drink smoothies, they are too intense. Personally, I think you are better off eating a piece of fruit than drinking juice. Fruit juice is full of sugar and calories - how many oranges does it take to make one glass of orange juice? Would you eat that many oranges in one sitting?

I feel differently about vegetable juice, however. It's very low in calories, with almost no sugar! You probably shouldn't eat 10 oranges at one time, but a bunch of kale, some celery, parsley, a bunch of spinach - much better for you.
That's why I like to buy this beverage at Trader Joe's...(Of course the same kind of juice can be found at Whole Foods, Health stores and sometimes even Safeway.)

6 grams of sugar and 60 calories! Though the ingredients tend to vary from brand to brand, Trader Joe's contains: celery, spinach, parsley, cucumber, kale, romaine and sprouts. The only way this could be healthier for you is if it was raw, as in, not flash pasteurized. Raw foodists will argue that when these kinds of drinks are pasteurized, they lose all nutritional content. I'm on the fence about that one.

Cafe Gratitude carries a raw, organic green juice called 'The Healthy'. It's good stuff. I used to hate it, but then I started ordering it without the lemon, which gave the juice a much sweeter flavor that I really enjoyed.

Source carries a raw vegetable juice called 'The Super Eight'. It's my favorite! This particular juice has eight different vegetables in it, including beets and ginger. For a healthy, all veggie drink, it's naturally sweet (the beets and apples) and DELICIOUS. Plus, beets are a great source of iron!

Jamba Juice offers shots of wheatgrass! I love the stuff, but I've heard it's an acquired taste.

Usually health food stores/co-ops/natural food stores will have some kind of juice bar where you can obtain these kinds of beverages, even personalize them! One mango in your juice - not so bad.

You can possibly even make your own green/veggie juice at home. I know I can, I own a Vita-Mix! But I don't. Everytime I go into Trader Joe's, it's the same thought process - I tell myself "You know, you really should just buy all the vegetables and make it at home, Jenny. It'd beeee so much cheaper and you'd get so much more juice out of it". Then I go buy some more pre-made green juice. 

So, my friend, put down the Superfoods. Unless of course, you were planning on drinking it for dessert.

(My favorite time to drink Green Juice is the morning after a night of elegant debauchery)

No Impact Man! Movie Review!

I really, really loved this movie.

Watch it so we can discuss. After seeing it last year, I was inspired to change my lifestyle into one that is more green/sustainable. I liked that the family was one I could relate to, as in, urban dwellers, not birkenstock-wearing, quinoa-noshing (I just hate quinoa. It makes my stomach hurt for days.) co-op dwelling, community-gardening hippies. Not that any of those things are bad or wrong, but they are definitely things that I do not take part in. (To tell you the truth, it's very possible I am a hippie, though I have started to wear deodorant on the regular.)

I highly recommend this movie! You reality-TV-addicts will LOVE it.

I'm completely freaked out/anxious/hyperventilating RIGHT NOW about the state of the Earth/overpopulation/overconsumption/plastic/extinction. I think it's just incredible that this family  went a year, an entire year, making as little impact on this planet possible (sometimes unwillingly by one member - I don't blame her). WTF is wrong with our society, that the only day of the year people use their travel mugs for coffee, is Earth Day, aka the day Starbucks gives away a free hot beverage if you bring it in.

All it takes is one short train ride on the N, from downtown SF to Cole Vally, to understand this planet is FUCKED. The overcrowding! The plastic shopping bags! The horrendous smells of too many people in one small space!

Why Doesn't Starbucks Have Compostable Cups?

I'm just going to come out and say it - I'm a hypocrite! A liar! Not that long ago, I made a vow to you all that I was not going to buy coffee if I didn't have my travel mug with me. What have I been doing as of late?? Buying frappucinos in PLASTIC CUPS! Why doesn't Starbucks have compostable, corn-made cups? Surely they can afford them.
Which got me to thinking...
Is anyone interested in helping me draft a letter to the higher ups, asking them why? Possibly forming an online petition? Taking this to the streets??! (And by streets I mean the technology freeway called the internet.)
If Starbucks went green, they would have so many bragging rights. I think that's reason enough for them.
Email me!
xoxo

I LOVE Truffles! Cafe Gratitude Does It Best!

Sees Candies are a really nostalgic thing for me - one of the bummers of being a vegan is that I cannot indulge in them anymore. I have to watch my family go nuts on them, whilst crying in the corner. Just kidding! I'm proactive and bring Coconut Bliss ice cream to my Grandma's house, so I can expand my waistline with everyone else!
I missed the truffles. Missed because I've found something I like even better than See's. Cafe Gratitude's raw, vegan truffles! They come in a variety of flavors, including peppermint (my favorite), rawmond joy, maca malt, macadamia cream (pictured) and pistachio.
They are probably pricey (SO WORTH IT), I wouldn't know because just maybe I used to work at said cafe. Maybe I worked next to the chocolate station. Maybe I've tried every flavor and can tell you that no matter which ones they have at any of the locations on any given day, you will not be disappointed.

GORGEOUS.

Because I am very smart, I looked at the Cafe Gratitude dessert menu and found that these little nuggets of bliss run for $5. Still worth it. It's fair trade, organic, raw, vegan chocolate! 'You are delighted'!

Let's Get Internet Famous Together!

I have conducted a few interviews on Vegansaurus, been enjoying it, and am looking to do some more! Are you a vegan with something to say? Have an interesting occupation that deals directly with veganism, or one that makes your diet/lifestyle more difficult, yet you refuse to give up? Send me a line! Let's chat.
Find my email in my profile/about me section?
xoxo
Also, judging from this post, I have watched waaaaaaaay too many day time talk shows in my life. Will our interview be as entertaing as watching Maury with Crystal Paul?? Doubtful. I mean, YES! Send me an email!

Saturn Cafe! Does Going Over the Bay Bridge Count as Going Out of Town?

Up until about two months ago, I wouldn't have recommended Saturn Cafe to any vegans I know. I just didn't get the appeal. I can make myself a Boca burger at home and actually put all the condiments I want on it, thank you. I think it's a great place for vegetarians, as that's who the menu is catered towards.

Then I had the nachos.

Apparently, I loved them so much, I forgot I wanted to document the meal until halfway through eating them. Super delicious, you guys!

My friend Landon got this salad (not vegan). I don't remember what it was and I can't find anything matching it's description on the online menu. Whatever! Landon's not a veg and he was stoked with it.

My friend Bethany ordered the Santa Fe Salad (also not vegan).

I ate up the Guacamole Burger (vegan. so very vegan). I'm just going to leave it at that. Every time I go there I tell myself it's not worth it to get a burger, but every time I STILL DO. WHY?


So, in the future, I am ordering the vegan nachos (FULL ORDER) and a pitcher of beer. Their microbrews are $12 a pitcher! For the Bay Area, and downtown Berkeley especially, I think that's a great deal. Saturn has finally wedged itself into a little part of my heart.
I still don't think it's as fun to go there if you are vegan as opposed to vegetarian, but it is a happy medium to bring a group of friends, some of whom consume meat and some who don't. There is enough damn cheese on that menu to please any omnivore.
Oh yeah, the employees are all very attractive and the interior is pink! It is actually a fun place to go, which is why I keep going back. It's also one of those vegetarian haunts that will remind you that just cause it's veg, that does NOT make it healthy. I keep ordering the burgers because I can't bring myself to order the deep fried taquito plate. It doesn't matter, I feel like I gained 15 pounds every time I walk out of there, no matter what I ate.

Out and About in Downtown San Francisco

Running errands is such a drag. Actually, these days, anything that doesn't involve sleeping or watching Netflix is like, OMG the biggest inconvenience, ever! So recently, I alleviated my unhappiness about leaving the apartment with a couple vegan treats from some popular chain restaurants downtown. Nothing fancy, but immensely satisfying none-the-less. Sometimes I'm just stoked I can get fast food as a vegan; the very food that reminds me of the suburban waste-land I grew up in. After all,  I am an American -- I want my burrito bowl and frappucino! NOW!

Pictured above is my Coffee Light Frap with soy. I'm annoyed just typing that - I always feel for my barista, with these paragraph long drink orders. But not when they fuck it up! Then I just want to go cry because I usually only go to Starbucks when I need to feel better about something, because I like to eat my feelings.

.
And now for one of my very favorites, the Burrito Bowl from Chipotle! I've heard rumors that some of the chains carry Gardein products! Not by Montgomery BART though. Not quite yet.

Sauteed Zucchini

Side dish time! This one is super easy and goes with just about any entree. Eggplant Casserole? Yes. Imitation Meat or Meatloaf? Yes. Tacos? Maybe.

You will need:
     *Olive oil
     *Zuchini (About two per person. That means I make myself four)
     *Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat up some olive oil (Maybe about two tablespoons? I never measure) in a pan/skillet/whatever it is you use to cook food on the stove. Medium heat. Thinly slice your zucchini and place in pan. With a spatula, keep them moving every coupe of minutes or so, flipping them over and making sure they cook evenly. I like my salt and pepper to cook into my veggies, so I add them when the zucchini starts to get soft. Now, I like my vegetables really mushy so I take them until that point, adding salt and pepper until I am pleased with the result. Cook them to the point that you like and then...simplest side dish ever! Well, maybe except this one.

 Raw zucchinis in oil.

Somewhat cooked down. Not nearly mushy enough!

Final product! Also featured: steamed kale and Vegan Pepper Steaks.

If you felt extra fancy, you could saute garlic and onion with the zucchini, or even just add garlic salt/powder!

The Burnt Out Vegan

I haven't cooked a meal for myself in months. Somewhere between commuting to Oakland for my last job and hating my life/not having time to do anything fun or fulfilling, EVER (you can see how my posts really dwindled in June and July) to starting a new job in the city (that I love, love, love!), I seem to have lost the drive. Which is very disappointing, seeing as how it used to be one of the highlights of my day. Time to get back on track!
Unfortunately, when I relied on processed, carb-heavy meals, whether prepackaged or from a restaurant, my ass grew to four times it's normal size. I'm not surprised. That's what stress does to me. Oh, to be a person who simply cannot eat when they are depressed and stressed out!
Nothing like planning a trip to Vegas (be there in a month and a half!) to get me motivated and ready to reverse the effects of the last four months! This vegan is going to get svelte, starting yesterday.
I made this low carb meal for myself last night. I am starting to get back into cooking with baby steps, as I still bought and made pre-made, freezer section, Black Pepper 'Steaks'.

Steaks, steamed kale and sauteed zucchini. OMG the stove top is a mess! How embarrassing!

I've also been feeling really weird about the amount of imitation meat I've been consuming. It used to be a treat, a once in a while kind of thing, but lately I've been eating it on the daily. I've been thinking to myself that maybe I should just start eating meat again if I'm going to indulge like this BUT that's not going to happen. The thing with meat substitutes is that they are not from an animal that's been slaughtered for me to eat. However, they are super processed and really not all that great for you. On that note, I'm definitely going to cut back! I didn't go vegan to eat like this. I need more vegetables in my life!

Any imitation meat by this company is going to be scrumptious, I assure you!

Here's to not being burned out, eating better, having some fun and getting ready for Vegas! The countdown begins....

Birthday Dinner/ Birthday Week Continued

I'm continuing my posts of Birthday Week, they just aren't coming very quickly. Never mind that my birthday was like, 3 weeks ago. I HAVE A LIFE! I can't be in front of my computer constantly. Lies. I'm sorry. That's no way to lay the groundwork for our relationship. Sometimes I want to use my internet connection to watch Mad Men on Netflix, or reload my Facebook/Twitter page every 15 seconds to see if I got a new notification/mention as opposed to rub your nose in all the DELICIOUSAMAZINGTASTY food I ate for a week.

Morning Star ribs, potato salad, green salad, fruit salad

.

It looks almost exactly like my Fourth of July meal. Whatevs, there are no Whole Foods out in Discovery Bay. I gotta eat what I can get at Family Dinner! Plus, it's just easier on everyone if I 'settle with' delicious Morning Star ribs to pretend to gnaw on. Safeway in DB carries Veganaise and Morning Star - no Coconut Bliss/ So Delicious ice cream yet! So my Aunt picked up a vegan cake for me at the San Ramon Whole Foods. They really go all out there! So fancy! It's the one vegan food item my family is forced to eat on MY special day. 30 going on 15, I know, I know.

Check out the ribbon and fruit mountain on this baby!

Yeah, I may be a professional cake decorator/baker, but not on MY special day. Sorry! It's so obnoxious to write that, but something in me (the brat) just had to do it again!

Coconut Aminos! Or, What I Buy When I Feel Like A High Roller!

On a trip in LA last October, I bought a raw, vegan, deep dish pizza from Matt Amsden's company, Euphoria Loves Rawvolution at Co-opportunity in Santa Monica. Maybe the next day I went back for another one. Maybe I dream of it every night and curse myself for being HELLA BAY AREA and not so much a So Cal girl, therefore, I can't eat Matt Amsden's raw creations everyday of my life, or at least until I run out of money cause raw food is like, so, so expensive.
While scanning the ingredients (because at the time I was all 'Oh, I am so making this when I get home') my eyes fell upon coconut aminos. What? I worked at a raw food restaurant at the time and had never heard of such a thing. All it took was a shopping trip to Rainbow Grocery and I had my answer. It's a raw, soy sauce substitute!

Coconut aminos are soy-free, gluten-free, raw and have 65% less sodium than soy sauce. Coconut Secret brand (I've never seen another brand of it) is GMO-free and 100% organic. I think it tastes just like soy sauce, unlike Bragg's, which I think is tasty but is definitely an acquired taste. Now, coconut aminos are not cheap (around $6 -$7 for an eight oz bottle) but neither is Nama Shoyu.  If you are into the raw foods or need a gluten free substitute for soy sauce, do yourself a favor and pick up a bottle of this delicious 'seasoning sauce'.Then write me a comment about how much you love it and you wouldn't be able to wake up in the morning if you didn't have The Effervescent Vegan to look forward to reading. xoxo.

Living Room Picnic!/ I'm Still Putting My Food on the Floor/ All of this Cost Way Too Much at Whole Foods

Here's what a cliche I am: I went into Whole Paycheck (on payday, nonetheless) to get myself a couple treats, maybe of the raw food variety seeing as how I gorged out on Indian food the other night (or, on everything for the past 4 months. I'm not going to admit one of the reasons I had a hard time going out last night was because all the sudden my clothes weren't fitting. That's way too embarrassing and TMI to say on the internet). I walked out $50.00 later with all this stuff. Okay, the second bottle of wine, coconut aminos, third Lara bar and soy creamer are not pictured, but still! Please don't take this as an opportunity to be all "Don't you complain about how broke you are all the time?" because I know. I KNOW. And what is the worst is that all of this will be consumed in about 36 hours. That's me being generous with the time frame.

Here's why I couldn't resist:

Goji berries are a fruit! A superfood, with anti-aging and anti-oxident power! (Yeah, I'm 30 and still get carded...while sitting at the restaurant table with my parents!! Sometimes mortifying, but I don't really mind all that much, SO BRING ON THE ANTI-AGING SUPERPOWERS.) They taste like candy. I have to remember to bring these with me to the movies. A different bag, as this one will be consumed in about 20 minutes.

Whole Foods has a TWO BUCK CHUCK! It's called Three Wishes, I just went ahead and bought two. Opening it right now...Someday I will use my webcam and new flip camera to start vlogging, like this chica, or as I like to think of her, my hero.

Lydia's Organics raw Nori Crackers. Not cheap, which explains the not so raw, store brand hummus. I may think I'm made of money on payday, but deep down, I know I am not.

 

 Lydia's Kale Salad and Lara Bars in my favorite flavors - apple pie and blueberry! Kale salad for dinner and Larabars for breakfast tomorrow. That's the plan anyway. I work at a veg restaurant in which I bake off vegan twinkies first thing in the morning. The Lara Bars are meant to keep me from consuming said twinkies. 

The Kale Salad packaging is biodegradable?! What a concept. 

The hangover kit.