The Best of 2012!

I never got a chance to do a 2012 round-up of all my fave vegan finds of the year, so I'm doing it now! I got to try out some really spectacular stuff this last year, which I want to share with you. I would love if you then shared your favorites with me, so we can try all sorts of new things in 2013! Alright, here goes:

Pura Vida 
Flaco's
Hella Vegan Eats
Donut Farm
Pressed Juicery
Sow Juice Bar
Healthy Surprise Snack Box
Cookin' Crunk by Bianca Phillips
Wholesome Chow Gluten-Free Baking Mixes
Occadite Skin Care 

And here's why:

Pura Vida
We did a round-up of our favorite meals of 2012 on Vegansaurus (because I really wanted to do a list, and I LOVE eating), that you can read here. Not only did I want to make a list, I also wanted another chance to praise Pura Vida in Vegas! My breakfast burrito was out of this world, plus Sarah, Britney and I got the opportunity to meet Chef Mayra! She was awesome - very friendly and such the spitfire! I can't wait to go back - another trip to Vegas can't come soon enough.

Latin'tude Breakfast burrito! 

Sarah, myself and Chef Mayra! 

Flaco's, Donut Farm and  Hella Vegan Eats
My honorable mentions in this category include Flaco's and Donut Farm. I also really enjoyed Hella Vegan Eats and am excited for their next night at Dear Mom!

Tofu "fish" tacos from Hella Vegan Eats!

Pressed Juicery in LA! Word on the street is that they may be coming to SF!

Sow

I also thoroughly enjoyed the juice pop-up Sow, located at Pause Wine Bar on in San Francisco!

Green juice is my jam!

Healthy Surprise
The Healthy Surprise snack box has also been a favorite of mine! It's like a CSA box for snackers, filled with all kinds of nutritious, tasty, gluten-free, mostly sugar-free, soy-free and vegan treats. I actually received a three-month subscription as a gift from my parent's recently, and I couldn't be more stoked! (The kale chips are always the first to get demolished.)

This company fills their boxes TO THE BRIM! It's an incredible deal!

Cookin' Crunk
Bianca Phillips' cookbook, Cookin' Crunk has been so much fun to cook and bake out of! I've really enjoyed every recipe I've made out of it - they are big on flavor, easy to follow, entertaining to read, and the ingredients are easily accessible. I don't want to give too much away, because I still owe her a review on Vegansaurus, but you WANT this cookbook - TRUST.

Country-fried Tempeh Steak, with soy milk gravy and the Mess'O Greens! (I changed the mess'o greens up by using kale and sweet potatoes instead of turnips and collard greens. Kind of blasphemous, I know, but I love the cooking method, yet the original recipe is too bitter for me!)

Old-fashioned coconut pie - I've made this baby about five times because I JUST LOVE IT. 

Wholesome Chow baking mixes are an incredible product, which take a lot of the hassle out of gluten-free and vegan baking! You can read my glowing reviews over at Vegansaurus. I made a wedding cake with the chocolate mixes, and I was told it went over beautifully!

Chocolate Wholesome Chow cake, with homemade espresso frosting! (Not the wedding cake, btw.)

Ocadite
Ocadite skin care is another product that I bought after receiving a Discovery Kit to review for Vegansaurus (which I still need to do!). It's all-natural and cruelty free line, made out of mostly raw ingredients. Yes, it's very expensive, but the quality of this line is phenomenal. After using the products for a few days, my skin looked great! I was also drinking a lot of green juice at the time, so I think both of those factors had to do with my glowing complexion over the summer! I just bought the Discovery Kit for my sister to try out, as she's had some issues with her skin lately. I've been using Clinique for years, but recently I've been wanting to switch to an entirely vegan and chemical-free company, as my esthetician friend told me down the line, Clinique is actually causing more harm than good to my skin because of the chemicals it's made with. SCARY. Anyway, totally into Ocadite - I now have their toner, hydrating masque and exfoliant!

That wraps up my fave vegan finds of 2012! Now tell me yours! 

Happy 25th of December - I Made a Video!

I made my first vlog! When I say I'm a wreck, it's because I'm nervous. Awkward in front of a camera, awkward in life.

I recorded it on an iPod, I hope you don't get motion sickness.

A couple of things I forgot to mention - it's December and I'm wearing a tank top because California is the best state, NO QUESTION, and I've made the coconut pie a couple times; it's phenomenal!

Makin' Dinner with "Vegan Soul Kitchen"

Hey everyone! Sorry it's been awhile - I've been facing the most intense creative block, which means I've been sitting around watching movies, sleeping, hanging out in establishments with low lights and a tipsy clientele, eating out way too much on account of not feeling inspired in the slightest, and my all-time-fave - TRAVELING! It's been quite a year of boarding airplanes and seeing friends, eating the cuisine of such vegan paradises including Vegas, LA, Chicago, and the Pacific Northwest. This year, I hope to hit up the south - eat my way through Austin Texas, party on through New Orleans down to Athens, Georgia, to end up on a beach in Florida. That is a trip I've been planning for years and years; maybe the next 12 months will see it happen?

But this blog is not about travel plans, it's about eatin' and cookin'! So let's get to it!

I have owned Vegan Soul Kitchen, by Bryant Terry, for about two years now, without making a single thing! I have loved reading through that cookbook - it's just beautiful, but for some reason have not felt the inspiration to make his concoctions. That is, until a couple months ago. I was quite pleased with the results! Let's check it out.

Sorry all the pics are taken with my phone, and therefore may be Instagrammed out. I've been the most obnoxious dweeb this last year AKA the year I finally bought myself a smartphone. (INTERNET ALL THE TIME! I'VE ONLY EMBARRASSED MYSELF 90% OF THIS LAST YEAR ONLINE.)

First we have some garlic and white wine-braised brussels sprouts. Now, I never ate Brussels sprouts growing up because my mom is NOT a fan. But I'm into them. They can be hard to digest, so I don't indulge all the time, but these little cabbages sure are a delectable little treat. Terry's version are incredibly tender and rich, definitely a "must- make".

Next up we have his Sweet Coconut Ginger Creamed corn. Coconut creamed corn -- who would've thought? So creative! I did really like this dish, but I would change the spice mix in the future to be geared more towards my white-girl-California palette. They are very Carribean-esque, with the all-spice; I'd probably just tone that down while working to make it a little more savory, less sweet.

AND NOW -- the Smothered Seitan Medallions with Mushroom Gravy (vegan pork chops)! I made my seitan from scratch (obvi), and then dived into this recipe head-first. I was unsure about adding both cabbage and jalapeno, but let me tell you - PERFECTION. This recipe ended up being a little time intensive, but well worth the effort. I can't wait to make it for a group of friends because I am a huge show-off. 

 I feel like it is necessary to tell you I did take many short-cuts with these recipes, as I did not make all the different stocks he calls for. I think I used boxed veggie stock and made my own with sauteed onions, garlic, salt, pepper and bullion. It was quite a while ago that I made this feast for myself, and I miss it now.

BOOKS!

Ani's Raw Food Kitchen and the Babycakes recipe-book are at work.

Happy Halloween! Here's what I was going on about last year on this day - how-to melt Follow Your Heart soy Mozzarella! Oh, how the time flies! 


 

COOKING CRUNK!

Look at the cookbook I received to review for Vegansaurus! I'm so excited. I love Bianca's blog, and actually used it once as an eating guide in Memphis! REMEMBER THAT? I was on my way to SXSW, back in my glory days. Actually, at time I was sick as a dog and also very depressed, but EVERYTHING HAS TURNED AROUND! I'm the epitome of health (ahhahahahahahahahaha) and not depressed (always a good thing!).

Anyway. Super stoked. Can't wait til payday so I can make EVERYTHING in here!
(Specifically the Tofu Ham with Redeye Gravy!)

Cookbook Time!

NEW COOKBOOK! Very exciting stuff over here. I wasn't necessarily interested in the low-fat aspect of it, but because Isa Chandra Moskowitz is a vegan GENIUS. I'm very much looking forward to making recipes out of here, although with modifications. Because low-fat translates into high carb and I CANNOT be having that.