Polenta and Empanada

Apple Cinnamon Empanada from Lito’s Empanadas in Chicago, IL

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. 😀

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcake

I don’t know about you, but lately I have been partially obsessed with cupcakes. I do not know why I hated them before, but I think it was most likely due to the fact that most cupcakes are pretty mediocre.

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, 🙂

Minneapolis Fun

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!

LOVE Big Buildings!
LOVE Big Buildings!

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!

Nom, Nom!
Nom, Nom!

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

The Skyway
The Skyway
View From Skyway
View From Skyway

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.

Cheese All Gone.. I assume that means it was good?
Cheese All Gone.. I assume that means it was good?

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??

OMG! Check out the spread!!
OMG! Check out the spread!!

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

Hooray for Chocolate!
Hooray for Chocolate!

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!

Non Dairy Soft Serve! Score!
Non Dairy Soft Serve! Score!

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

I Scream for OatsCreme!
I Scream for OatsCreme!

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!

4 floors?
4 floors?

And then we saw this…

An Amusement Park.. Inside? Cool!
An Amusement Park.. Inside? Cool!

And they had…

LEGOland
LEGOland

Then it was time to head back…

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

Lemon Poppyseed Suncake
Lemon Poppyseed Suncake

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…

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bar (it's vegan!)
Chocolate Peanut Butter Bar (it’s vegan!)

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!

Headin’ North

Here I go again… I’m off to another location! Oh, how I love to travel! I really hope to be able to do much more traveling once I have me some $$$.

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.

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PB Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

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!

Amy's Medium Chili with Veggies
Amy’s Medium Chili with Veggies

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.

Fruit N Yogurt
Fruit N Yogurt

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.

Barney Butter Cookies
Barney Butter Cookies

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…

The deliciousness is gone! :-(
The deliciousness is gone! 😦

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.

Barney Butter Cookie and Almond Milk
Barney Butter Cookie and Almond Milk

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!

Straight out of the oven
Straight out of the oven

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!

Back From Break

Actually, I’ve been back for almost a week, but I barely found time to post until now. My, how time flies! I can’t believe that it was 3 weeks ago when I started my Spring Break Medical Missions Trip to Costa Rica and Nicaragua.

It was an awesome experience, where it was both rewarding and challenging at times. There were some days in which I wanted nothing more than to be at home, relaxing and having a break, but most of the time I was so happy and glad to have helped out so many people in need. It feels good to help others! Here are a few photos to recap the trip…

Arrived @ San Jose, Costa Rica Airport
Arrived @ San Jose, Costa Rica Airport
Pretty Blue Costa Rican Building
Pretty Blue Costa Rican Building
Costa Rica's National Theatre
Costa Rica’s National Theatre
1st Clinic Day... Dressed in Scrubs!
1st Clinic Day… Dressed in Scrubs!
Setting Up the Clinic
Setting Up the Clinic
Kids Playing Outside the Clinic
Kids Playing Outside the Clinic
Patients Waiting to Be Seen
Patients Waiting to Be Seen
The Pharmacy
The Pharmacy
See the Rainbow?
See the Rainbow?
@ the Costa Rica-Nicaragua Border... WELCOME TO NICARAGUA
@ the Costa Rica-Nicaragua Border… WELCOME TO NICARAGUA
1st Stop in Nicaragua? Restaurant!
1st Stop in Nicaragua? Restaurant!
Volcano
Volcano
Ahh... hammocks by the water...
Ahh… hammocks by the water…
Closer to a volcano... check out cloud on top!
Closer to a volcano… check out cloud on top!
At the Beach
At the Beach
The Clinic in Nicaragua
The Clinic in Nicaragua
Ready for Another Day of Clinic, Dressed in Scrubs
Ready for Another Day of Clinic, Dressed in Scrubs
Clinic
Clinic
Another Volcano.. so many in Nicaragua!
Another Volcano.. so many in Nicaragua!
Last Night, so we had a Fiesta.. pinata included!
Last Night, so we had a Fiesta.. pinata included!
Yours Truly took a couple swings @ it, blindfolded of course
Yours Truly took a couple swings @ it, blindfolded of course
Bye Nicaragua... It's time to go back home!
Bye Nicaragua… It’s time to go back home!

There is so much more photos of the trip that I can post, but I think this post already has enough pics, but if you have any questions about the trip, please don’t hesitate to post it. Like I said, it was an amazing and uique experience and I am so happy that I got to be a part of it.

Oh, but this is a food blog of course, so without further ado, the obligatory cookie post. 😉

ABC Cookie of the Season - Peppermint Chocolate Delight
ABC Cookie of the Season – Peppermint Chocolate Delight

Very tasty.. if you love the combo of chocolate and mint, this is the cookie for you! Added bonus – vegan white chocolate chips!!

ABC Luscious Lemon Poppyseed Cookie
ABC Luscious Lemon Poppyseed Cookie

Wowee!! This cookie was the bomb diggity! Luscios lemon flavor and the awesome crunch of the poppyseed made this super sweet cookie a joy to eat. While some may find it a bit too sweet, it more than satisfied my ever present sweet tooth. Yumo.. go get yourself some vegan cookies!

Til next time, peeps!

RAWsome Weekend

I just had a great weekend, but now I’m back on campus and have a ton of stuff to do. Boo!

Before I do some work, I wanted to fill you in on what I did these past few days. I don’t have classes on Friday, so when I’m able to go home I like to leave on Thursday afternoon so I arrive in time to watch Supernatural with my lil sis, just like old times. 🙂

Eatin’ Out

On my way home on Thu, I stopped by Noodles & Company on the recommendation of my roomie, stating this was a great place to eat and that there were vegan options! I decided to try the Japanese Pan Noodles, which is described as “satisfying and hearty, carmelized Japanese udon noodles in a sweet and spicy soy sauce.” I decided to add tofu and extra veggies to my order, as well. I never had udon noodles before, but the description alone was able to convince me to give this dish a try, and I’m glad I did. The noodles were pan fried and had a nice sear on them that complemented the dish’s crunchy veggies and chewy tofu so well. Mmm.. this dish was good! Definitely give it a try if you’re able to. I was not able to snap a pic, but I found a web image for your guys’ viewing pleasure.

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Then on Friday, I asked my mom if she wanted to accompany me to try a new vegan restaurant I found that was uber close to our house. Normally, all the veggie eateries are located in the city, but I stumbled upon a review for this cafe that is located in the suburb town of Downers Grove. My mom was happy to take me there (she’s not too thrilled when I ask her to take me to Karyn’s Cooked or The Chicago Diner) and so we headed out.

There was one tiny little secret about the restaurant that I did not let my mom know until AFTER she ate her meal (which she happily gobbled up like there was no tomorrow)… every single menu item was 100% raw. Yes, you read right – I had a completely raw and vegan meal NOT in Chicago, but in one of its suburbs, and let me tell you, it was good!

I was a bit skeptical about going to Borrowed Earth Cafe, since I did not know what to really expect from a completely raw meal. Though, recently, I have been interested in the raw food movement, I still had my doubts, even after reading such rave reviews of the place. Let me tell you, though, my doubts quickly disappeared as soon as I entered the quaint, homey cafe. I was actually surprised to find the place was actually packed with patrons happily enjoying their meals. For starters, my mom decided to order one of the drinks called “Holy Cacao!”

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Smoothie made with raw cacao nibs, banana, and agave

Umm, yea, I LOVED this drink. There’s just something about cacao (raw/dark chocolate) that I just love. This was so good, guys, and my mom and I thoroughly enjoyed every delicious sip.

Next came our meals! What was so cool about this place (besides the awesome owners who actually prepare the meals) is that you can get to see your meal prepared as the “kitchen” is open and there are monitors showing your meal being made. I decided to order the daily special – the Chili-rito.

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Spicy sunflower seed “beans” wrapped in a “corn tortilla” alongside three tasty side salads

This was RAW? Seriously, the sunflower seed “beans” tasted so eerily like their cooked counterparts, I was stunned! I don’t know how they did it, but it rocked my socks off! So good! And the side salads were phenomenal! I left that plate CLEAN and was shocked at how filling and tasty my raw meal was. Wow!

My mom decided to order a salad because she thought the name was funny – I Can’t Believe It’s Not Egg Salad.

Creamy eggless "egg" salad made with nuts, diced celery, scallions, served on a fresh bed of greens with flax crackers for dipping

Creamy eggless "egg" salad made with nuts, diced celery, scallions, served on a fresh bed of greens with flax crackers for dipping

Yea, my mom is not really a “salad person”, so I have no idea why she ordered this, but let me tell you – that dish was left clean. Oh, and yea, I was able to taste a bit of the “egg” salad and it was very tasty, I wish I could have tasted more, but my mom didn’t really want to share, haha.

Like I said, I did not let my mom know that the meal was raw until AFTER she ate it, and to my surprise, she did not react the way I thought she would. She was pleasantly surprised and said she would definitely come here again. Both of us were very content with our meals and we were STUFFED. Yea, stuffed.. whoever said raw food isn’t filling was seriously mistaken. I had been eyeing the dessert case all this time, but me and my mom decided it was best to take it to go. What did we get, you ask?

Apple Pie

Apple Pie

One bite and I was in heaven! My mom and I attacked this baby and kept yelling out “yums” and “mmms” as we took each bite. WOW.. this was the best apple pie I’ve had, hands down! And I’ve had my fair share of apple pie in my day. That frosting on top seriously tasted like the icing on cinnamon rolls. Most amazing dessert ever, period. It’s safe to say that we will definitely be back for more meals.. especially since it’s so conveniently close to home.

On Sat, my sister decided to invite the fam over to Karyn’s Cooked. Yay! I decided to order the Stuffed Eggplant dish.

Thin grilled eggplant stuffed with a homemade faux ricotta cheese topped with marinara sauce

Thin grilled eggplant stuffed with a homemade faux ricotta cheese topped with marinara sauce

This was tasty, but I thought the filling could’ve been even better.

New Finds

Guava Kombucha

Guava Kombucha

I had seen these drinks featured on Kristin’s and Jenna’s blogs and after their good reviews I decided to give it a try, too. It was definitely not love at first sip. I was surprised to find that this drink is quite fizzy (I’m not a huge soda fan..) and that it had a hint of alcohol-like undertones to it. Very different from what I was expecting, but as I kept drinking it, the taste grew on me. I tried the Strawberry one also and it also took some time for me to like it, too. The nutritional info on this is pretty cool, so I totally suggest trying it out (though they can be expensive! Right now, though, WF is having them on sale for $2.96).

New flavor Larabars (for me, at least)

Cocoa Mole

Cocoa Mole

I LOVE mole.. it’s such a delicious dish and after seeing this bar get positive reviews on Amy’s and Brooke’s blogs, I just had to try it. It is muy delicioso!

Cinnabon .. I mean, Cinnamon Roll

Cinnabon .. I mean, Cinnamon Roll

The first time I tried this flavor I was not a fan. Umm.. was I crazy? I decided to give this bar a second chance and was blow away at how good it really is. It really does take like a cinnamon roll. Another awesome flavor! 🙂

COOKIE!

Of course, what post would be complete without my quintessential cookie dessert?

Coconut Chip Cookie

Coconut Chip Cookie

YUMMY in my TUMMY! I was a bit apprehensive in trying another Nana’s cookie variety (my first one was a total downer), but I’m so glad I’m a believer of second chances because this cookie was out of this world. Sweet, “coconutty” with a hint of chocolate.. it was like a Coconut Cream Pie larabar with chocolate chips in them. I loved this cookie, but I think it would’ve been so much better had it been sweet, plump raisins instead of chocolate chips.

Well, that was my weekend.. time to get some actual work done, now. Hope you all enjoyed your weekend!

WCMN Obsessed

So, I think I have this new obsession going on… I’m lovin’ anything white chocolate macadamia nut right now! Today, I had some white chocolate macadamia nut oatmeal (so good) for breakfast and both of my snacks were white chocolate macadamia nut flavored.

Hmm… obsessed much?

AM Snack

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SO FREAKIN’ GOOD! I totally agree with Brooke in that this bar totally reminded me of a Rice Krispie treat, except 100x better! Mmm, my fave Luna flavor ever

PM Snack

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Omg, this was like eating heaven. Seriously.. when I took a bite, I was like “Is this an energy bar or is this dessert??” You MUST try it now!

Dessert

My ravenous sweet tooth started kickin in a few hours after dinner, and the only thing I had in my dorm room was this..

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While I thought the Cherry Cashew was a bit to sweet for me, the Chocolate Brownie bar blew me away. It really did taste like a brownie… yum-yum! I savored every bite and paced myself while appreciating the chocolate goodness. Mmm! While this wasn’t exactly sweet (that’s ok, I don’t really like sweet chocolate), it was pure cocoa yumminess. I highly recommend this to chocolate (and non-chocolate!) lovers alike. Thanks for recommending these bars Shelby!

I know it seems like I eat only bars, but I promise you guys, I do eat real food, too. It’s just that these past few days I’ve been eating in the dining hall with friends, and I still feel a bit awkward photographing my meals in front of my friends. Someday I’ll muster up the courage to do so, though.

Before I go, I wanted to let you guys know about this awesome juicer giveway. Go enter (though I secretly wish I’ll win it, haha).


Back For Now.. And Some Uber News!

Hi fellow bloggies!

Currently, I am still experiencing technical difficulties with Internet at home BUT I’m at the library so I can update my blog for you wonderful readers!

I really miss having Internet, mostly because of you guys.. you always put a smile on my face with each and every one of your comments. THANK YOU guys! I really do appreciate you! 🙂

So, in hopes that you haven’t given up on me, I came to the library to show you some of the eats I’ve been having these past few days. They are pretty random food pics, but hopefully they will entice you. 😀

Breakfast

HempPlus Waffles dusted with powdered sugar with fresh fruit and a dollop of Soyatoo along with Wildwood Vanilla Soyogurt and Barney Butter. Mmm!

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Snacks

Katie’s Dark Chocolate Walnut Bar

dscn3888This was actually pretty good. Not as good as the Jocalats, imho, but pretty tasty nonetheless. Thanks for the bar Katie!

And thanks to Katie for also turning me onto the Jocalat line.. I decided to try two other flavors!

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I had really high hopes for the Chocolate Orange flavor (I mean, doesn’t that just sound AMAZING?), but it didn’t really live up to my hopes. I think I found the orange flavor a bit too overpowering and distracted me from the pure cocoa flavor I’ve come to love. But hey, don’t let my review of this  bar get you down, Brooke raved about it, so don’t let me stop you from trying this bar.

As for the Chocolate Hazelnut bar, oh my gosh. Holy yum! This was very tasty and just oh so decadent, it’s hard to believe these bars are actually good for you. Definitely give this one a try.. so good! I’d say both the Chocolate Coffee and Chocolate Hazelnut share the top spot on my list. Yum!

dscn3971My mom’s traditional “fruit punch” (ponche). It’s traditional that my mom make this for us on New Year’s Eve. It’s chock full of tropical fruits galore. The drink is usually more liquid than fruit, but I’m all about the fruit and sucking on the sugar canes. Mmm… delicioso!

Karyn’s

My sister loved Karyn’s so much, we went back two times! I forgot to bring my camera on one trip, sorry! BUT I got to take pics of our New Year’s Eve dinner there.

We ordered two appetizers – the Combo Fried Basket (mushrooms, tofu, and zucchini)

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I had two of each (this is my first serving).

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Then we had some Vegan Pizza!

dscn3966This is just one of my the three slices I had… yum-yum!

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Oh, yeah! And I also helped my sister eat some of her delicious Shitake Mushroom Soup (special of the day) and the delicious cornbread.

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Just for Halie

A reader by the name of Halie recently commented on how much she loved when my mom made me vegan pupusas. Well, ever since she commented, I had a craving for them, and so I called up my mom’s best friend (who is from El Salvador) and she invited the fam over for pupusas yesterday. And she was so nice as to fulfill my request for vegan pupusa (basically, refried red beans stuffed inside masa and grilled to perfection). This was yummy in my tummy! Thanks Halie for the reminder and here is a pic just for you (and the rest of my readers too, haha).

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Desserts

You had to see this coming right? 😉

Basic Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes

Made them for my sisters (didn’t eat them, but they happily gobbled up two each. I guess that means they were good..)

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COOKIES!

Karyn’s Cashew Cookie

Tasted just like a Larabar Cashew Cookie!

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Karyn’s Peanut Butter Cookie

Wowee! REALLY GOOD! May be the best vegan pb cookie yet (even better than Chicago Diner’s!)

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Karyn’s Oatmeal Cookie

Oatmeal Raisin is my fave type of cookie, and this one is my favorite oatmeal cookie yet! Yea, I know there are no raisins in it, but I didn’t even miss them! The cookie was just so tasty on its own, it needn’t the help of plump raisins at all.

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Oh, and by the way, yes, Karyn’s cookies are that large! No exaggeration!

MORE COOKIES!

Vegan Sugar Cookies

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Another WF Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookie

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WF Vegan Pumpkin Pie and Susan’s Eggnog Cheesecake

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That’s all folks!

Foodwise, that is…

blog-award

The lovely Astra gave me this award and honestly, I couldn’t be more happier! An award.. wow! What do you say to that, except thank you! THANK YOU to Astra for awarding me this and for all you bloggers and readers. You are the reason I do this and I enjoy so many of your blogs as well. I know the rules say that I must award this to 5 other people, but I award this to ANYONE who has a blog. All of your blogs each have something great to offer and I truly enjoy reading them, even if I don’t comment all the time, know that I do read them and I enjoy every single one of them! 🙂

Unfortunately, it’s time for me to go, but I promise I will keep updating the blog as often as I can. You all have a great weekend and, oh, HAPPY NEW YEAR!

And It’s Over

I can not believe Christmas is over.. it came far too quickly and now it’s over. My, how time flies!

I  am sorry to say that I did not take any photographs of my food on Christmas.. I just wanted to savor the day and festivities, so I did not even bother to bring my camera over to our friends’ house, which is where we spent our Christmas. We also went to the movies and saw The Spirit, which was alright, but not as great as I thought it was going to be.

I did manage to photograph my eats for today, though, so on with the recap!

Breakfast

ZenSoy Banana Pudding topped with a serving of Sunflower Agave Plus granola and an orange

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The banana pudding was really good – I was pleasantly surprised! I never really liked regular pudding, so I was not really expecting to like this, but it was really good. Definitely give these puddings a try. The granola was out of this world crazy good. I LOVE Nature’s Path granolas, they are by far the best out there, hands down! I personally liked that this box was clearly labeled “VEGAN” and not simply “vegetarian”. I highly recommend purchasing this granola. Really tasty!

Lunch

Katie’s Larabar Jocalat Chocolate Coffee bar and a Chill Strawberry Bubble Tea

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My mom and I decided to head on over to Woodfield Mall to check out the sales. Boy, was it PACKED! It took us 30 minutes just to find a parking space! While shopping, I ate the Larabar, which I really enjoyed. I’m not a fan of chocolate nor of coffee, but I’m really likin’ the Jocalat line! Thanks Katie for turning me onto them… I never would’ve given them a chance if it weren’t for you! I also found a place in the mall that sold bubble tea and I immediately ordered myself one. I hadn’t had one of these in years, so it was a great treat. I especially love the tapioca pearls – so chewy!

Dinner

Dinner was leftovers galore! I ate both of my sisters’ leftovers from Karyn’s the other day, as well as a dollop of Sabra hummus (mmm!!) and some baked tortilla chips.

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Dessert

Cookie!

My name is Evey and I am addicted to cookies.

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I told ya I restocked my cookie stash! Tonight’s dessert was from Karyn’s – I had her Sweet Potato Cookie. Holy yum! Although this had more of a bread texture than a cookie texture, I thoroughly enjoyed every single bite. The sweet potato was definitely noticeable, as were hints of lemon and chunks of sweet pecan pieces. This was an amazing cookie and I can’t wait to try the other flavors I got.

Before I go, I must encourage you to comment on Katie’s blog post. She is so sweet – for every comment posted, she will donate 20 cents to the Enough Project, which is a great cause. So if you haven’t done so already, go over there, post a comment, and help out. 🙂

I’m off to get some shut eye. Night, bloggies! 🙂

Weekend Wrap-Up 12/20-12/21

Hello my bloggies! Happy Monday!

I hope you all had a great weekend. My weekend was great, except for the awful weather we’ve been having lately! Yesterday was so frigid that it was so hard to breathe outside! No wonder I couldn’t breathe, it was -5 degrees, but with the wind it felt -30!!! Brrr!

Needless to say, I think I will be staying indoors today, haha.

On to the weekend’s eats! I didn’t take pics of ALL my food (sorry, forgot my camera sometimes! I gotta get the hang of carrying it with me all the time), but here are the ones I did take.

On Saturday morning my sister wanted to go to the Chicago Diner for their amazing brunch! I was so happy! I decided to keep my breakfast light with a bowl of the SWEETEST PAPAYA EVER and an orange. Light and refreshing!

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Then we headed over to the Chicago Diner! I have gone there once before, but it was for dinner. I’ve never had a vegan burnch before, so you could say I was pretty excited! I had my eye on the Cornbread French Toast, but once I got there, the waitress recommended I get the special – Bananas Foster French Toast. Ummm, yes please!

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Let me just say.. THANKS A MILLION to my waitress for recommending this! HOLY YUM! The Bananas Foster French Toast is described as “oven baked banana walnut bread dipped in our new french toast batter and grilled to a golden brown… topped with a rich caramel rum sauce with toasted walnuts.” It should be described as heaven on a plate. Yes, this was the most rich and decadent breakfast I have ever had in my life. It was soo good, guys. I savored each and every bite of the banana bread. It was so moist and just so perfect. Ah, I can’t stop raving about it!

For your viewing pleasure, my little sister chowing down on her Chickin Filet Sandwich w/Sweet Potato Fries.

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Needless to say, after such a decadent brunch, I could not even fathom the idea of dessert, but my sisters wanted some, so they ordered the vegan Cocoa Mousse Cake.

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I’m not a chocolate lover, but I’m guessing it was good…

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I was full pretty much all day, but I did manage to eat some sort of dinner later that night. I had some cole slaw, roasted asparagus and green beans, and some more of my mom’s yummy chipotle lentil soup (this time it was pureed).

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I know I had a very decadent brunch, but I still wanted to end the night with something sweet, so I served myself a scoop of Purely Decadent Snickerdoodle Ice Cream and a dollop of Soyatoo. Best vegan ice cream ever!

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On Sunday…

Breakfast was a Chai Spice Scone I bought at the Chicago Diner on Saturday with an orange, banana, and Ginger Zing tea (not pictured). The scone was so perfect! It was slightly sweet, had perfect crumbly texture, and was delicious to boot! If you ever find Chicago Diner scones at your Whole Foods, get one! They’re so good!

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For lunch, I had a frozen meal. I know, I know! I should be cooking home meals now that I’m at home and there are no time constraints from school and such, but this meal sounded tasty at the time and I’ve just come home from church and I wanted something quick. So, I heated up a vegan Pad Thai Tofu meal that my mom got from Whole Foods. I had that with the last of my mom’s chipotle lentil soup (this stuff was so good!).

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For dinner, I had some beans, rice, and some more of my roasted green beans and asparagus. No pic, sorry!

For dessert, I had an ABC Snickerdoodle Cookie. Yumlicious!

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Overall, I had quite the tasty weekend! Now, I’m going to finish my brekkie and then start reading some books. I bought Twilight so I guess I should start on that. I’ve heard from so many bloggers and friends that it’s good. Enjoy your day guys!