Light, flaky, fried perfection

Herb Polenta with Artichoke Marinara Special from Chicago Diner

"Herby" polenta topped with delicious marinara sauce + Daiya Cheddar

My tummy is quite content now, thank you very much.

But when I found out that Bleeding Heart Bakery carried a vegan chocolate peanut butter cupcake in their stores, I just had to give ‘em a try. I mean, c’mon… it’s peanut butter and chocolate, only known as the BEST COMBO EVER.

I give you the moist, delectable, and oh-so-yummy chocolate pb cupcake.

The chocolate cake was perfectly moist, not sweet, but had a deep, intense chocolate flavor and it paired so well with the rich, sweet, and peanut buttery goodness that was the frosting. It was seriously the best frosting ever (you know I LOVE anything peanut butter).

A view of the cuppie's innards

Ahh… sinfully delicious!

Be sure to keep tuning back to check out more yummy vegan eats,

But with a little more free time that post grad life grants me, I will post from time to time any interesting eats I have. Today my sister invited my mom and myself to the Chicago Diner (my fave restaurant ever). We ordered the Nachos to start as an appetizer…

Nachos

The nachos were amazing, as always… and totally vegan! Hooray! Then since I was in a Brunch kind of mood I decided to order their new sandwich, the Egg Biscuit (asked to be made vegan) to be nostalgic, as I used to LOVE McDonalds breakfast sandwiches back in my pregan days.

Yummy Egg Biscuit Sandwich with Diner Fries

 So good, so heavenly … best thing ever! Can’t wait until my next visit to Chicago Diner. Which I am sure will be pretty soon.

In an effort to ignore my powerpoint slides, I decided now’s a good a time as any to write a little bit about what I’ve eaten these past few days. It’s been such a long time, forgive me for my absence. I am in the home stretch of my nursing school career. It is still crazy to think that I graduate in MAY. Ahh!

Before this post takes up more time, on with the eats.

Buckwheat Noodles and Roasted Broccoli

Roasted broccoli is so good, you guys! It makes the veggie crispy and gives it another dimension of flavor. I used this recipe, except no cheese.

Virgil's Diet Cream Soda

Mmm, this diet soda was very tasty and reminded me of my childhood, when every once in a while I would drink Swiss Creme soda. I picked this up at my local health food store because it was on sale and cheaper than Zevia. Glad I gave it a try because now I’m hooked. I highly recommend this delicious, no artificially sweetened carbonated beverage.

Banana Oat Bran

It was my first time trying oat bran, and while I still prefer oatmeal, this was a nice change of pace. The banana helped to sweeten as well as “creamify” the oat bran. It was simply to prepare, too. 1/2 cup oat bran, one cup Rice Dream Enriched, and one banana. I topped it with cinnamon, but I wish I had not ran out of all my nut butters, because a dollop would’ve hit the spot.

Kale Chips

Omg, Kath is a GENIUS! Her recipe for kale chips rock!! I got to admit, I was a bit skeptical in trying this recipe. I thought it wouldn’t be anything to sing about, but boy, was I wrong. These babies are so good and so addictive! I’ve been making a batch almost everyday. Instead of parm, I use nooch. Mmm, nooch… so “cheesy” and so good for you. These do not taste healthy, but these most certainly are. I can’t persuade you enough. You must try the brilliance that is KALE CHIPS.

A while back the kind people at Larabar sent me three new larabar flavors to try. I love larabars, like seriously LOVE them. If I could marry them, I definitely would, believe me. Obsessed much? Oh yea.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Larabar

The peanut butter larabar is certainly one of my top favorite flavors (it shares the #1 spot with Cashew Cookie) so when I saw this flavor I jumped up in joy and excitement. Unfortunately, when I saw that the “jelly” part was dried cherries, my excitement quickly turned into disappointment. The Cherry pie flavor is my least favorite. I just don’t like cherry that much… it reminds me of medicine, blah! As for this bar, it was just ok. I think it would’ve been way better with dried strawberries… or larabar should make an “Elvis Larabar”, with pb and banana. Mmm!

Tropical Fruit Tart

Now this was a great flavor! I felt like I was in the tropics, enjoying the ocean breeze and sunshine. Ahh.. But seriously, this flavor was really good. It almost tasted like a dessert. Highly recommended.

German Chocolate Cake

Interesting name, but nothing real special about it. It tasted like a regular chocolate Jocalat. Not that that’s a bad thing, since I thoroughly enjoyed my piece of choco heaven.

And what post would be complete without the best dessert ever?! COOKIES!

Homemade Peanut Butter Cookie

I came up with this recipe based on another recipe I found in my computer’s recipe folder. I don’t know where it came from, but I can give you the one I did to make this piece of peanut butter nirvana. The recipe is so easy, it’s ridiculous.

Easy Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies

Makes 2 good sized cookies

• 3 tbsp peanut butter, crunchy or creamy (I used creamy)
• 3 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup + 1/2 tbsp of unbleached all purpose flour
• 1/8 tsp baking soda
• pinch of sea salt

Preheat oven (I used my toaster oven) to 375 degrees F. Mix the first 3 ingredients in a bowl until well incorporated. Mix the flour and baking soda in another bowl. Add dry to wet until just combined. Split the dough in two. Place on cookie sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes. Mine were done in 13. Let cool for a bit, then enjoy with a tall glass of vegan milk (I drank it with Rice Dream Enriched, mmm!).

See? Easy peasy! I also decided to make another easy cookie recipe, this time using Polly’s recipe.

Polly's No Bake PB Cookie Balls

These are great because you don’t need to bake ‘em! Just mix the ingredients and put in the fridge to harden. Even though these were super simple to make, the taste is beyond simple. So indulgent and peanut buttery. Go ahead and make yourself a batch. You won’t regret it, I promise.

Well, I guess it’s time for me to go back to studying for my last final. I will return soon, though. To those who are also doing finals, happy studying. And to those already on vaca… I wish I were you, haha.

Yikes, where has the time gone! I offer my apologies, fellow bloggies, for not updating my blog since the summer (even though I’ve been eating loads of glorious vegan fare).

I will try my best to update more frequently, but I just wanted to let you all know I am here and I hope to be back soon!

Stay tuned!

Evey

And then we decided on a whim to go to…

We went to the most wonderful place in the world.. DISNEY WORLD! Yay! We went to…

Ah, it was such a great time!! I hope to come back again sometime soon… best place to be, imho.

Oh, and since this is a food blog, here’s a pic of me enjoying fresh coconut water at Miami Beach.

Be back soon!

I have been on my summer break for a couple of weeks now and let’s just say I’ve been relishing it.

Don’t worry though, I have been able to snap some pics of blog worthy food, so let’s go on to some eats!

It’s summer time (well, not technically, but whatev) and we all know what that means.. ice cream! And there’s no other better way than to enjoy this treat than…

Um, yea, it was as GREAT as it looks! MMM!!

I have also been enjoying lots of pizza lately. There’s nothing more satisfying than a cheesy piece of pizza. I get my vegan fix at Pizza Fusion, where they have an awesome “Very Vegan Pizza” on their menu.

Their vegan soy cheese is like none other! The crust was thin and slightly burnt, JUST the way I like it. Defintely good eats.

A brand new HUGE Whole Foods opened here in Chicago and of course I had to go check it out. The store was so overwhelming, I didn’t know where to start, yet luckily I quickly found the many vegan items they had there. I had so much difficulty deciding what I wanted to buy there, so I decided to purchase things I know I couldn’t get at my regular Whole Foods.

One such item was a ready to go vegan meal.

WOW! Dare I say, best taco salad I’ve had so far? The queso sauce was out of this world, it made the whole dish!

I also picked up two things to satisy my ever-present sweet tooth.

Swirlz is a local bakery that specializes in cupcakes. Their cuppies are decorated so cute! Just look at it..

But was it tasty? You be the judge of that…

And I also found a new type of cookie I haven’t had in ages – the classic sugar cookie!

You didn’t think I would end a post without the obligatory cookie, did you? It’s like you don’t even know me…

Be back soon!

Right now I am in the midst of glorious finals week and I only have one more to go and then it’s FREEDOM! I can’t wait, but before I get back to studying my butt off I wanted to update my blog with tons of food pics that have been piling up in my camera’s memory.

In April, this blog turned one year old! YAY! I have had loads of fun becoming a part of this wonderful blogosphere and I can’t believe it’s been a year since I first started Vegan Nurse. I can’t wait to see what this next year holds in store.

On to the food!

First off, I tried a new Larabar flavor – Lemon Bar. Now usually I am not a huge fan of citrus flavors, but this one was really good. The Lemon flavor was spot on and it wasn’t too overpowering like I thought it would be.

OMG, believe the hype people! VeggieGirl’s blondies are the shiznit! What are you waiting for? Go bake some right now!

I also was able to try some of the BEST COOKIES EVER

You guys know me and my cookies… but man, oh man, was this the best cookie I’ve ever had (and I’ve had my fair share of them, trust me!). If you are able to find these cookies, I highly recommend Hilary’s – she knows what she’s doin’.

My mom has been really awesome lately as she’s been cooking up vegan meals like none other. One day she decided to make the fam Grilled Veggie Pesto Burgers! Oh yes, it is as amazing as it sounds, friends. My mom would grill up portabella mushrooms, eggplants, zucchini, red/green peppers, and the marinate them in a delicous (vegan!) pesto sauce. HOLY YUM.. best burger of my life. Period.

The onion rings were the bomb, guys! They are vegan amd gluten free and so darn tasty. The brand we got we found at Whole Foods and it was Ian’s. Definitely recommended.

New obsession alert!

Nope, but they sure are addicting little fellas! These little cafe twist are really good and it’s amazing that they’re only 30 kcals per twist! Trader Joe’s has managed to create a vegan delicacy with these little cinnamon sugar sticks. The perfect sensible dessert.. or you could eat a ton of ‘em and not feel too guilty, haha.

This is hands down my favorite Kombucha flavor. Love how it makes my tummy feel.

What – you STILL haven’t baked a batch? What are you waiting for?

My lil sister fell in love with Chicago Diner shakes after she ordered this baby. “This is, like, the BEST THING EVER” she exclaimed as she downed her beverage in two seconds flat. I still haven’t tried the famour PB Cookie Dough Milkshake, but don’t worry it’s definitely on my to-do list, Ruby Red!

I ordered a bit more sensible and healthy drink for my meal -

Ah, nothing beats freshly made carrot juice. So delicious and so invigorating! What did I order for my meal…

I ordered the raw special of the day – the BLTease Sandwich. Described on the menu as “eggplant ‘bacon’, avocado, tomato slices, sprouts, cashew-date mustard sauce on kamut-walnut-flax bread. With almond-cashew “mayo” coleslaw & parsnip-sweet potato chips.” Umm, yea, how heavenly does that sound? It was a pretty radical sammy, guys. The flavors were outstanding and everything was just so delish! I was completely satisfied with my meal, but of course you know me – I can’t say no to dessert! My mom and I decided to order…

OMG, was this AMAZING! My mom and I were in heaven with each and every bite. And the awesome thing about raw desserts – they actually fill you up! Of course this put me over the top, but it was so worth it. Nom, nom.

On a routine trip to Trader Joe’s I found something I wanted to give a try.

It sounded amazing, but it was just ok. I wish the BBQ sauce had a more dominant flavor.

Recently, I’ve been obsessed with raw desserts and I had to jump on the blog bandwagon when I saw these little guys popping up…

I have Ani Phyo’s “cookbook” so as soon as I saw these babies on everyone’s blogs, I decided to whip out Phyo and make these babies. Oh, yes, it is true guys.. they are as amazing everyone said they are. MMM! But don’t despair if you don’t have Miss Phyo’s book (although it is highly recommended)! You can go here and get the recipe to make ‘em yourself.

My local Whole Foods has started stocking up on raw desserts that have intrigued me for quite some time now. I finally decided to give one a try. How couldn’t I when it was the raw version of my favorite dessert ever…

Raw Creations is a local place that cranks up amazing raw desserts. Check out their website and look at the amazing things they make. This carrot cheesecake, I’m not gonna lie, was the best carrot cake I’ve had in my life. It was AMAZING! Like heaven in dessert form. Yum!

I found this Bobo’s Oat Bar at my local health food store because it sounded amazing, but it was just ok. The PB flavor was not as strong as I thought it would be.

Last but not least..

I’ve been having these babies pretty much twice a week. They are so good and so easy to make. A definite fave recipe, for sure. I used this recipe and I just love how they come out. Fluffy, with just a hint of sweetness. Ah, nothing beats pancakes on a Saturday morning.

Alright guys that’s all I have for you for now! Sorry this post was so long, but I promise to be back more frequently once school is over. You all have an amazing weekend!

‘Til next time,

Evey Out!

]]> http://vegannurse.wordpress.com/2009/05/09/glorious-finals/feed/ 9 vegannurse DSCN5245 DSCN5246 DSCN5251 DSCN5255 DSCN5259 DSCN5261 DSCN5265 DSCN5266 DSCN5402 DSCN5404 DSCN5405 DSCN5409 DSCN5410 DSCN5433 DSCN5436 DSCN5437 DSCN5440 DSCN5474 http://vegannurse.wordpress.com/2009/03/29/minneapolis-fun/ http://vegannurse.wordpress.com/2009/03/29/minneapolis-fun/#comments Mon, 30 Mar 2009 03:30:40 +0000 Evey http://vegannurse.wordpress.com/?p=1040 ]]> Minneapolis was a good ol’ time! I am such a city girl at heart, so when I found out that the hotel we were staying at was smack dab in the middle of Downtown, I was ecstatic!

The weekend was so fun (with business mixed in, of course) and it pretty much revolved around food! That’s what happens when you travel with food lovers, haha! Our first Minneapolis food stop? Pizza Luce, of course! Cuz who doesn’t like pizza?

After much deliberation, I decided to “Build My Own Pizza” with soy cheese, mushrooms, pineapple, and mock breaded chicken. Mmm!

Afterwards, we decided to walk around town, though it was chilly! Luckily, we used the Skyway.. such an brilliant idea!

After walking, shopping at Nicollet Mall and getting to know the city, we worked up quite an appetite and my omni friends wanted to go to The Melting Pot.

I wasn’t able to participate with the cheese fondue, but I did have my fare share of dippers while my friends gladly chowed down on the cheese. But they didn’t want to leave me out with dessert, so we ended ordering The Original Chocolate Dessert, subbing DARK chocolate for milk chocolate.

Umm, dark chocolate with peanut butter?? YUM, are you kidding me??

I gladly dipped my fruit and dipped it into melty, smooth delicious mix of dark chocolate with peanut butter. Oh, yea!

We were all quite content with our first night in Minneapolis. On Saturday it was pretty much all business, attending the conference and presenting our project. It was fun and we learned a lot, too!

After the presentation we decided to enjoy our last night by making a mandatory stop at the Mall of America! On our way there, I was delightfully surprised to find the legendary OatsCreme!

I ordered the small vanilla with carob chips(!!) and strawberries…

I was so happy and I throughly enjoyed my OatsCreme experience. Soo good, and soo healthy, too! Why don’t I have this in Chicago?

When we finally arrived at the Mall of America, all of our jaws dropped! Whoa, this mall is INTENSE! We were so overwhelmed!

And then we saw this…

And they had…

Then it was time to head back…

For breakfast this morning I was able to find another vegan goodie!

I was happy to have found these, since I can’t find them anywhere in Chicago. Ruby Red has recommended the Heart Thrives to me for quite a while. This delicious California Suncake packed quite a nutritonal punch! It totally satisfied me during the trip back home. Oh, and I did nibble a bit on a Pizza Luce dessert…

A delicious way to end my fun weekend at Minneapolis. I was pleased to find how vegan friendly this city is! It was a wonderful place and I hope to visit again sometime and hit up even more of the wonderful vegan places this town has to offer.

Well, I think it’s time for me to get to bed and get ready for another week of classes. Ugh!

I wish you all a happy week!

This time the destination isn’t South, but up North. I’m off to Minneapolis, MN! I have never been up north and am prettyexcited for this trip. I am going there to attend a conference (in which I will present in as well!) and I think it’s going to be a great ol’ time.

I will be traveling with two other nursing students and we already have planned in a swim at the hotel’s pool!

But before I’m off, let’s review some of this week’s eats.

I made VeggieGirl’s PB Banana Bread in muffin form for a potluck this weekend. I was inspired by the Hungry Yogini to make this recipe into muffins, plus it was easier way to disperse them at the potluck. I made 24 of these babies and NONE were left. Everyone raved over them and kept asking me for the recipe. Definitely a keeper!

For lunch one of these days I decided to try some of Amy’s Chili. At first, I was lovin’ it. It is chock full of veggies and beans, but then as I started to eat more and more I realized that this was getting a bit too spicy for me. My mouth ended up on fire by the end of the bowl, but it was good. I topped it with Galaxy Vegan Rice Cheese slice, for good measure. Mmm, the only thing I needed was a good ol’ corn muffin.

Lately, I’ve been enjoying fresh fruit and yogurt for breakfast. Today I had raspberries, blueberries, and bananas topped with unsweetened shredded coconut alongside Silk raspberryyogurt. Mmm! So refreshing!

This week I was  bit by the baking bug, after such a success with the PB Banana Chocolate Chip muffins. I decided to make more baked goods! Once again, I decided to turn to the vegan baking queen for inspiration and decided to make her Almond Butter Hemp Cookies, with one yummy substitution.

I didn’t use just any almond butter… I used the most delicious one out there – Barney Butter! MMM! These cookies were AMAZING! Better than any peanut butter cookie I’ve ever consumed (and trust me, I’ve had a lot of them in my time). Definitely making these again, though sadly it won’t be anytime soon…

But luckily this awesome recipe yielded 8 large cookies (my favorite kind!) and I’m able to enjoy the taste of Barney Butter for a bit longer.

Yes, this snack had almond goodness all over it!

I also had some very ripe bananas that were begging to be made into Veganomicon’s Lower Fat Banana Bread, although I don’t think my version of it was exactly “lower fat”. I decided to add in two tbsp of coconut oil and boy did it take this recipe to a whole nother level! This bread was so moist and bursting with banana goodness with a subtle hint of coconut sweetness. I highly recommend it!

I am going to finish up packing for my weekend excursion up north. My flight leaves tomorrow morning and I’m hopeing to have a swell time in the twin cities. I’m hoping to hit up the legendary Pizza Luce and grab some fresh baked goods at the French Meadow Bakery and Cafe. I’m excited!

Have a great weekend guys!