Oh boy, I've really been slacking on the posts this past week. Since I'm still not eating too healthy, I'll talk about some more snacks!

I took a trip to Whole Foods this weekend and managed to only spend about $30. I had a $5 off coupon for my whole purchase, a free coupon for any Tofutti product, and $1 off of So Delicious.

I got some Tofutti Cuties. I tried the mint chocolate chip for the first time and I really liked it. I've never seen them anywhere else, so I figured I should pick them up. I've never actually had any cuties that I didn't like.

I also got some Purely Decadent bars. I can't find them online to include a picture, but they were vanilla coconut bars, covered in chocolate and crushed almonds. Mmm! I thought these were pretty good. You can definitely taste the coconut, but that's not a bad thing. My only complaint is that they're too small! I'd much rather be eating a Tofutti Marry Me Bar because they are so much bigger and more satisfying.

I ALSO picked up an Endangered Species chocolate bar. This time I got the Dark Chocolate with Deep Forest Mint. I really need to stop buying this one. I always think it's the one with the mint crunchies in it, but it's definitely not. It just has a minty taste to it. I like my chocolate bars with STUFF in them. Next time I should get the dark chocolate with blueberries.

Besides snacks, I did buy some real food. I picked up some soup (for eating), more soup (for making green bean casserole), tempeh and english muffins (which I already ate with Egg McVegans, of course).

Since I want to keep this recipe in a place that I'll never lose it, I should post it here. It's originally from the blog Yeah, That Vegan Shit (link is above). I used this recipe last year and it came out perfect. Can't wait to make it again this year!

INGREDIENTS:

• One 16-oz. carton of Imagine brand Creamy Portobello Mushroom Soup


• 1/8 tsp. black pepper


• A tiny bit of flour if it becomes necessary to thicken up the soup


• 2 pkgs. (9 oz. each) frozen cut green beans, thawed (Or 2 cans (14 1/2 oz. each) cut green beans, drained)


• 1 1/3 cups French's® Original French Fried Onions

DIRECTIONS
1. Combine soup and pepper in a 1 1/2 qt. baking dish; stir until blended. Stir in beans and 2/3 cup French's French Fried Onions.

2. Cover and bake at 350ºF for 30 minutes or until hot. (Make sure you've thawed the frozen green beans out sufficiently if you're using them--otherwise expect a longer baking time.) Check the casserole and see if the soup's thickened up enough--if not, add a couple teaspoons of flour and mix in. Stir.

3. Sprinkle with remaining 2/3 cup French Fried Onions. Bake 5 minutes or until onions are golden.

Boston Vegetarian Food Festival

This is my favorite time of year. Do you know why? Because of the Boston Vegetarian Food Festival! It's usually around the end of October/the beginning of November. This year it's Saturday, November 1st. I've gone the past two years and they've been really fun*. There are tons of free samples, you get to meet lots of cool people and you get to bond with your fellow vegetarians.

*Last year kind of sucked, but only for personal reasons. I KNEW my boyfriend was going to break up with me, and he totally did the day after. At least he waited so I could try to enjoy the fest even though I was pretty much crying all day.

Here are the details for you!

Saturday, November 1, 2008
10 AM – 6 PM
Reggie Lewis Athletic Center
1350 Tremont Street, Boston Massachusetts
Free admission - Free food sampling
Free parking - Subway stop across the street

Speaker Schedule:

10:45 AM — Vegan Travel Tips and Q & A with Sarah Kramer
Cookbook Author (of a million books)

11:30 AM — Meat Production's Impact on Climate Change and the Environment
Danille Nierenberg

12:15 — Cooking Demo: Favorite Whole Foods to Energize You Throughout the Day
Jae Steele, RHN (author of Get it Ripe!)

1:30 PM — Understanding the Evidence for a Plant-Based Diet
T. Colin Campbell, PhD (author of The China Study. Holy crap! )

2:30 PM — Rethinking the Way We Treat Animals
Karen Dawn (author of Thanking the Monkey)

3:30 PM — The Latest in Human Nutrition 2008
Michael Greger, MD (author of Bird Flu and Carbophobia)

5 PM — Passionate about Dessert
Hannah Kaminsky (author of My Sweet Vegan; fellow ppker!)

I'm really bummed because I work until 1pm, and then would have to drive for an hour to get there. I'm going to be missing a bunch of people I REALLY want to see, like Jae Steele and T. Colin Campbell. I want to see them especially, because as a Nutrition major, I love listening to people talk about nutrition stuff. I'll DEFINITELY be there in time for Hannah, so I'm happy about that. I'll probably end up buying Get it Ripe and My Sweet Vegan because I've been wanting to get those for awhile. I'll also nerd it up and have them sign them too.

Snacks

I am getting a little sick of pudding, but thankfully I'm starting to be able to eat more solid food. Last time I got the Kozy Shack Soy Pudding, I only got the chocolate flavor. I got a coupon for $1 off my next purchase of two packs, so I went back and got another chocolate and a vanilla. I can officially say I really super like the chocolate one. The vanilla one, not so much. It's not awful, but I don't enjoy it on its own. When I did eat it, I ate it along with a chocolate one to balance it out. I'm not sure what it is that I don't like about it, so don't let my opinion sway you either way. If you typically like vanilla pudding, you should go out and pick some up. This will encourage Kozy Shack to keep making this, and maybe in the future they'll even make butterscotch? Oh that would be a fabulous addition.


Another product I've been eating the hell out of lately is Sweet Nothings Fat Free Non-Dairy Fudge Bars. Whew, that's a mouth full. After looking these up online, I realized they are put out by Turtle Mountain, which are the same people who make So Delicious ice cream. No wonder these are so good. They are fudgsicles, but super healthy. Check out their Nutrition Facts:

Servings Size 1 bar (75g) Servings Per Container 6
Amount Per Servings
Calories 100 Calories from Fat 0
% Daily Values*
Total Fat 0g	0%
Saturated Fat 0g	0%
Cholesterol 0g	0%
Sodium 5mg	0%
Total Carbohydrate 23g	8%
Dietary Fiber 0g	12%
Sugar 12g
Protein 1g

•	Vitamin A 2%	•	Vitamin C 8%
•	Calcium 0%	•	Iron 0%
INGREDIENTS: FILTERED WATER, MIXED FRUIT CONCENTRATE (PINEAPPLE SYRUP, APPLE, PEAR AND PEACH CONCENTRATES), BROWN RICE SYRUP, PEA STARCH, COCOA (PROCESSED WITH ALKALI), CAROB BEAN GUM, GUAR GUM, NATURAL FLAVOR.

These are great if I want something like ice cream. I can eat 1 for 100 calories, or I can eat the whole damn box for 600 calories. Not that I would necessarily go that wild, but if I DID I wouldn't ruin my calorie intake for the day.

Mofo Survey (#2)

I've had a pretty lousy weekend, so food is the last thing on my mind right now.

1. If you have to choose between locally grown or organic, which do you usually choose?
It depends. I'm not going to choose an organic tomato from California over a local tomato from a town near here.

2. Favorite way to prepare potatoes:
Pirogies!

3. Do you press your tofu before preparing/cooking it (if you eat soy)?
Yep. Since I usually use it in things like Egg McVegans or Buffalo Tofu, I like to get out as much water as possible before putting it into hot oil.

4. Name your favorite recipe that is a tradition in your family:
Poutine râpée. My grandmother and grandfather used to make this a lot when I was younger. It's not the fries covered in cheese curds, but rather a snowball shaped potato thing. We always served it with butter and salt. MMM.

5. Any food allergies?
Not that I'm aware of. I did see to have some weird things going on after I ate that pesto a few weeks ago, but I'm not sure if the basil had anything to do with it.

6. When you want to go to a fancy dinner, where do you go?
Grasshopper or Nancy Chang.

7. When you have a cold, what do you crave?
Wonton soup.

8. What kind of water do you drink? (Filtered, spring, tap, etc.)
Filtered tap water.

9. Name a flavor of soda you'd love to see:
Anything I like is already out there.

10. If the recipes you ate as a child were compiled into a cookbook, what would the title be?
Scrambled Hamburger and Kraft Mac n Cheese: Two recipes to delight you every other day of the week!

11. If you were allowed to grow one food that can't grow in your climate, what would it be?
Mangoes.

12. Favorite type of mushroom?
Ugh. I can only stand mushrooms once in a while, so I can't answer this one.

13. Most frustrating part of your kitchen?
There is no room to do anything. The only space I have to prepare things on is the kitchen table, which is always at least half-covered with my mom's junk.

14. Last food you burned?
When I made Tofurkey last week, a bunch of onions fell out of the dish onto the bottom of the oven.

15. Usual response to a veg*n's favorite question, "But where do you get your protein?":
Um...protein is in almost everything...

16. If you were baking your own birthday cake today, what flavor would it be?
Chocolate

17. Favorite brand of chocolate chips?
I usually just get the Price Chopper brand of semi-sweet chips.

18. You have $200 of your tax return reserved for Williams Sonoma- What do you buy?
A heavy duty food processor

19. Do you plan your menus in advance? Any tips to share?
Not at all. I'm awful at that, though I hope to one day get better. I think it would be easier if I lived on my own and not with my parents.

20. You have 3 minutes before you have to leave the house and you're starving- What do you eat?
I don't. I'll just drink some water or juice and have a rumbly tummy all day.

21. If Martha Stewart, Paula Deen, and Rachel Ray got into a fight, who would win?
Probably Martha. She did spend time in jail. I'm sure she learned a few things.

22. If you eat oatmeal, what do you add to it before serving?
Soy milk.

23. If you got to travel to one country and learn all the traditional dishes there, where would you go (ignore commitments in your current place of residence)?
India.

24. Favorite late night snack?
Chips and salsa.

25. Favorite springtime food?
Fiddlehead ferns. I wish they were around longer.

26. Favorite food-related magazine?
Veg News? It has some food-related stuff in it.

27. Which do you prefer: shoyu, tamari, conventional soy sauce, or Bragg's Aminos?
Conventional soy sauce is what I typically have on hand.

28. What vegetable or fruit do you dislike the most?
Eggplant. Everything about it disgusts me.

29. Name a holiday food you look forward to all year long:
I've been meaning to veganize my mom's sweet potato pie recipe. I should get on that this year finally.

30. If you could convert anyone to veganism with your magic wand, who would you convert?
Oprah. That woman has entirely too much power. I know she "went vegan" for a month, but it was more like a cleanse.

Mofo Survey

1. Favorite non-dairy milk?
I usually just get a small container of plain Price Chopper brand soy milk. If I have a lot of cooking to do, I'll get a half gallon.

2. What are the top 3 dishes/recipes you are planning to cook?
Egg McVegans, pizza on my new pizza stone, pad thai

3. Topping of choice for popcorn?
Hmm...I haven't had popcorn in a pretty long time.

4. Most disastrous recipe/meal failure?
I can't remember making anything that tasted too foul, but one time I made crepes. Before I was able to cook them, I dropped the bowl of batter on the floor and it all went down into the heater vent.

5. Favorite pickled item?
Dill pickles! I also enjoy pickled beets.

6. How do you organize your recipes?
I have the top shelf of my bookshelf in my room filled with cookbooks and zines, then I have a few in the kitchen, and I also have a 3-ring-binder with printed out recipes in it. It's all very unorganized and I tend to reprint recipes because I can never find what I'm looking for.

7. Compost, trash, or garbage disposal?
I try to compost at much as possible. We have a compost bin in the backyard for our garden.

8. If you were stranded on an island and could only bring 3 foods...what would they be (don't worry about how you'll cook them)?
Ribz, pad thai, pizza

9. Fondest food memory from your childhood?
My mom making her homemade mac and cheese. She would always add diced tomatoes to it at the end, and now I almost always do that when I make my own version.

10. Favorite vegan ice cream?
Tofutti Marry Me Bars. Whoamigod.

11. Most loved kitchen appliance?
My blender.

12. Spice/herb you would die without?
Garlic/onion powder

13. Cookbook you have owned for the longest time?
Probably the Vegetarian Times cookbook, though I've never made anything out of it.

14. Favorite flavor of jam/jelly?
Blackberry

15. Favorite vegan recipe to serve to an omni friend?
Pasta

16. Seitan, tofu, or tempeh?
I choose not to choose one. I think I use tofu the most, then tempeh, then seitan, but I love them all.

17. Favorite meal to cook (or time of day to cook)?
Dinner.

18. What is sitting on top of your refrigerator?
My crappy food processor, random recipes, hazelnuts that I need to use eventually, other really random stuff

19. Name 3 items in your freezer without looking.
Banana slices, mixed berries, lots and lots of peas.

20. What's on your grocery list?
Fruits and vegetables, english muffins, pasta sauce

21. Favorite grocery store?
I like Price Chopper because it is so close to me and has vegan butterscotch chips (and I get gas discounts there), Shaws has a good "natural foods" section, Trader Joes has some good cheap stuff, and Whole Foods has so much variety. I also like Price Rite because it's so effing cheap.

22. Name a recipe you'd love to veganize, but haven't yet.
Shit meat! My stepmom used to make this stuff, and my dad can't pronounce it so he always calls it shit meat. It was so good. I have the recipe waiting for me to try it someday. I'll probably use seitan when I do it.

23. Food blog you read the most (besides Isa's because I know you check it everyday). Or maybe the top 3?
Get Sconed! Vegan Feast. Kittee's blog.

24. Favorite vegan candy/chocolate?
I love those dark chocolate truffle bars from Trader Joes.

25. Most extravagant food item purchased lately?
I haven't bought anything lately except pudding.

Future cooking

I'm still not in the mood for chewing, though boy am I hungry. Since there's no way I'll be able to cook and eat real food for at least the next few days, I decided today was a good day to talk about recipes I would like to try eventually. I've been on livejournal since I was 13. I've gone through a few journals, but the one I'm on now I started saving recipes in my memories since 2004. It was through VeganCooking that I found Isa's recipe for Raspberry Blackout Cake. It was my go-to cake for a long time. When I opened up VwaV for the first time, I was so surprised to see this recipe in there! Then I made the connection and have had a girl crush ever since.

Future cooking endeavors!
Cream of Broccoli Soup
Lattice Top Apple Pie
Meatloaf
Roasted Garlic Dressing
Peanut Butter Eggs
Beef Stroganoff
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Naan
Inari
Seitan Philly Cheese Steak
Traditional Tasting Tofurkey
Meatloaf (2)
Melty Cheese
Chocolate Martini
Chana Masala
Cheesecake with Raspberry Sauce
Roasted Garlic Potato Leek Soup
Beef Stew
Swedish Meatballs
Jalepeno Poppers

Well, today I got 3 wisdom teeth taken out. It was such a weird thing. I got there, sat in the chair, and got strapped to all sorts of things. The oral surgeon was impressed that I didn't even flinch when they put the needle in my arm. She said that so many people come in who have tattoos and then get freaked out by the needles. True, they are different types of needles, but I have never had a problem with getting blood taken or any of that stuff. So after a few minutes, I guess I passed out. They didn't have me count down which seems to be a common thing people do (at least on television). I just remember waking up and getting in a wheelchair and being brought to a little bed to lay down in for awhile.

So, as you can imagine, it's relatively hard to eat. I prepared myself yesterday by buying the new Kozy Shack Soy Pudding. I got it in chocolate, but they also have vanilla. I've heard of it around the internet, but I finally found some at Shaws. I tried it on Wednesday night, and I thought it tasted a little weird. Kind of a chalky taste. BUT today I ate the other 3 that were in the package and I really liked them. I'm not sure if it has to do with the fact that I just sort of sucked it down because that was the easiest thing to do. Since I got a coupon for this pudding after I checked out last night, I'm gonna buy some more. Needless to say, I am super grateful that I found a relatively popular brand of pre-made soy pudding. Sure, there is ZenSoy pudding, but I can only get that at Whole Foods, which is 45 minutes away, or at Living Earth, which is currently going through tons of renovations. I also definitely wasn't in the mood to make my own from scratch.

I also made pancakes today for dinner. I was able to eat 3 or 4 small ones, and I have a few left over for breakfast tomorrow. I also had a can of Progresso soup that was delicious!

I'm on some pretty powerful painkillers right now, so I think I'll end this now before I start babbling too much.