June 17, 2013

Om Nom Nom (Cookies)

by jmichael614

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I’ve been wanting to try these Nom Nom Vegan cookies for a while and yesterday I finally got to snag one from the Sitter City booth at Parrot Jungle during the Father’s Day event.  Isn’t that a great name for a cookie?  The name says everything- yummy!  The Spicy Mexican Snickerdoodle was delicious, couldn’t even tell it was Vegan and the spicy was a great kick!

I think I might try to see if they have something special for my son’s first birthday.   Cookies might be a great first birthday treat!  I tried looking online for special orders but it looks like their site seems to be down right now.  Hopefully by the time you read this, it will  be back up and you’ll be able to check it out!  I’ll be going back even if they don’t do special orders but just sayin’ that blueberry Cookie Monster cookies are on my wishlist for his first ;0).

They are located in the Miami area so if you’re local, definitely check them out.  They also have cookie “spottings” around town that they list on their website.  If you’re outside of Miami, order online!

♥ For Om Nom Nom http://www.omnomnomcookies.com/

Jungle Island Father’s day!

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May 22, 2013

Beyond Meat is now served at Tropical Smoothie Cafe!

by ashleyjmorgan

I just received an exciting e-mail that I thought I’d share with our readers. Beyond Meat, whose products I’ve been anxiously waiting to try, are now available at any Tropical Smoothie Cafe nationwide. I will be visiting Tropical Smoothie Cafe  soon to try their Beyond Meat menu items. Below is the e-mail sent out today from Beyond Meat’s CEO Ethan Brown:

Beyond Meat™’s vision has always been to perfectly replace animal protein with virtually indistinguishable plant protein—delicious and super clean protein, at an affordable price, and on a large scale.

I am personally thrilled when we come across a progressive retailer who has a vision that shares space with our own.  Earlier this year, I had the good fortune to meet up with Mike Rotondo, the CEO of Tropical Smoothie Café, a chain of over 300 locations across the country. Within a matter of minutes, the strength of Mike’s personal and business vision of delighting consumers with healthy food and drink became clear, as did the work that we could do together.

Fast forward a few short months and I’m so pleased to announce that you can now go into any Tropical Smoothie Café across the country and substitute Beyond Meat™ Chicken-Free Strips in any chicken wrap, sandwich, flatbread, or salad for no extra cost.

With a full menu of tasty meals and real-fruit smoothies, Tropical Smoothie Café reflects our belief that eating nutritionally dense foods can and should taste great. With locations in 36 states, Tropical Smoothie is the first national chain to roll out our plant-based chicken line.

I’m passionate about this launch because I believe it represents a milestone for Beyond Meat and the people who believe in our Company and broader mission.  A national chain has now made the seamless switch from animal to plant protein easier, tastier, and more affordable.

It is my hope that we can reward Tropical Smoothie for leaning forward by enthusiastically embracing the chain and spreading the word—together mainstreaming plant protein one yummy sandwich at a time.

Visit a Tropical Smoothie Café today and tell us what you think!

As always, thank you for all your tremendous help and support.

Keep going beyond,

Ethan Brown
Founder and CEO,
Beyond Meat™
www.beyondmeat.com

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May 22, 2013

Organic Rice Cakes for Babies- Happy Munchies

by jmichael614

My son is still trying to figure out eating so I’m giving him larger food items to teach him.  I haven’t figured out the whole “baby-led weaning” myself so it’s a work in progress.   These rice cakes are a good step in the right direction though!

I just ordered from Citrus Lane (link here: www.citruslane.com), a service that sends out goodies once a month for your baby or child.  This month’s box came with some stacking bowls, a baby book teaching about clocks and time, some dish soap for babies, a very nice lavender tube for mom (love that they include mom in these boxes) and this wonderful little bag of rice cakes.

I’m not big on rice cakes because I think they taste like cardboard but these nifty little snacks are only 140 calories and are made of brown rice and fruit!  The blueberry and beat make them very tasty.  In fact, the hubs and I ate the whole bag once we figured out that our 8 month old needs some time to get used to eating them.  I think in a month, he might figure it out but right now he cries and gags even though he likes the flavor.

I will definitely be going out and purchasing some more of Happy Munchies food items, in fact I already have their oatmeal and puffs at home so I know their products are good.  I might just buy a few more bags for myself in the process.

http://happyfamilybrands.com/product_lines/happy-munchies/

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May 21, 2013

The Rabbit Ear Cafe on a the dusty road to Colorado (or Texas)

by jmichael614

IMG_1148[1]It was late in the afternoon on a Friday when we finally rolled into town.  Shaking the sleep out of our legs, we woke the cookie up and pulled him out of his dreaded car seat.

I had looked all over Clayton, NM (all one street of it) for a decent, inexpensive hotel and alas! All I could find was the Super 8 (sad face).  Even the Best Western was $109 a night (there are approximately 2900 people that live in this town and they can afford to raise the rates that high?).  There was nobody there, why would the rates be so high?   The room at the Super 8 was less than stellar but it provided a soft place to sleep and it was close to a great restaurant (see photo).

The Rabbit Ear Cafe is New Mexican food at its finest! {In case you’re wondering, New Mexican food is a slight tweak on the Mexican favorites}.  I felt like I was home, I couldn’t believe how delicious the chili relleno was and the mexican rice was just a little soupy, perfectly tomato-y.    The place was empty, probably because they rely on the few straggling travelers that come through this town.  Two older gentlemen were there talking about old times while my child’s cries and screams echoed in the empty room.  He was teething and it’s very hard bringing him someplace that won’t send you packing when your child acts up.  Thankfully we didn’t have to worry about disturbing too much peace.  The place itself is really quite cute with signs on the wall and a cabin-ish feel.  Definitely someplace you could come in and relax to eat.

Our meal ended with a New Mexican favorite, Sopapillas.  Drizzled in honey, this is the kind of desert that would make you sell your firstborn just to have another bite.

Make no mistake, this is not a gourmet restaurant but if you want some down-home, tasty, New Mexican favorites, this is the ticket.  And look! They even have a website http://www.rabbitearcafe.com/

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May 15, 2013

Cuisine of India, Clear Lake, TX

by jmichael614

Cuisine of India is a popular place in Clear Lake, a city on the outskirts of Houston.  Clear Lake houses the famous “NASA” as well as the Kemah Boardwalk.  I was in Houston for business and wanted to try a few veggie-friendly places for our readers and this was the perfect spot!

For an appetizer, I tried the veggie samosas which were suprisingly lightly flavored and delicious (I say suprising because I expected a salty flavor and instead they let taste the vegetables shine through).  For the main meal, I picked the Vegetarian Delight dish, it’s about $14 and is big enough for two if you’re on a tight budget.  This dish is full of several different thick soups such as: dal makhni, malai kofta, saag paneer, peas pullao all scooped up with a fluffy peice of naan bread.  On the side they serve salad and samosas.

Of course, no Indian meal is complete without adding some chai tea!

Our service was excellent, the food took a little while but I’m assuming that’s because it was fresh.  I definitely recommend this great little place if you’re anywhere south of Houston and in the mood for some great Indian food!http://www.cuisineofindiaclearlake.com/

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May 7, 2013

Healthy Authentic Vegetarian Palestinian/Israeli Breakfast: Shakshuka

by ashleyjmorgan

Healthy Authentic Vegetarian Palestinian/Israeli Breakfast: ShakshukaOriginally a Tunisian dish, Shakshuka is now served throughout the middle east and most popularly in Israel. There are many Israeli and Palestinian restaurants that serve Shakshuka, a rich egg and tomato dish which is traditionally a breakfast food (although I eat it just about any time of the day!).

The ingredients are surprisingly simple and despite its popularity through the middle east, it rarely strays from this simple recipe of eggs, tomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic, cumin, turmeric, paprika, salt and pepper. In order to make it as authentic as possible, you will need a nice cast iron pan to cook and serve it.

The way I like to make Shakshuka is actually quite a bit healthier, as I cut down on the oil by a lot. You can also cut calories and cholesterol by using only egg whites or taking half of the yolks out. Being that I don’t eat it very often, I usually keep a whole egg and just lower the olive oil. It still tastes delicious. I also love that it is traditionally vegetarian, so there are no substitutions necessary to experience the authentic meal. In order to make this vegan, all you would need to do is omit the eggs and substitute a tofu scramble.

Healthy Authentic Vegetarian Palestinian/Israeli Breakfast: Shakshuka

Serves 4

Cast Iron Pan

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 cup chopped sweet peppers

2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon whole cumin

Pinch of salt, pepper and cayenne pepper, to taste

4 eggs

Heat olive oil in cast iron pan over medium heat. Once the oil has coated the bottom of the pan, add the onions and garlic. Allow to sauté until translucent and starting to caramelize. Add the sweet peppers and mix until they begin to soften. Add the tomatoes and sauté for another few minutes until they begin to break up. Add the tomato paste and spices, stir to incorporate. Allow to simmer for 5-6 minutes, stirring gently. Once the mixture is fragrant, gently drop the eggs onto the top of the mixture to poach in the juices. Remove from heat and serve in the cast iron pan.

This can be served as is, or more traditionally with white flat bread. Enjoy!

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April 30, 2013

SoFla Healthy Vegetarian Meal Delivery: ECO Healthy Meals

by ashleyjmorgan

Despite trying several different healthy food delivery services throughout South Florida, I’ve never found anything that impressed me enough to justify the extra cost. I enjoy cooking at home and usually can create meals that please me, and my family, without much effort. However, I would like to continue losing weight (I have kept off the 16lbs I lost originally!) and if a meal service could help with this, I’m all for trying it.

The price is what first drew me to ECO Healthy Meals. They are significantly less expensive than any other meal delivery service (save for greasy home-style cantina delivery services, which, of course, are not healthy). Jessica wanted to give them a try because she has no time for cooking with the new baby boy, and I decided I would try out lunch delivery for calorie reduction. At $9.99 USD per day for lunch it isn’t exactly cheap, but the food is very high quality. Larger packages can be purchased and reduce the price down to $8.49 USD per day.

Here is this week’s lunch menu, for an idea of what they offer. Each week you must choose your lunches, and they do offer omnivorous options, so you have to ensure you choose the vegetarian options. It doesn’t appear that they have an alternative vegetarian choices, so you get what they have mostly. I had a slight issue with menu selection, however the owner, Lionel, resolved this for me within a day.

MONDAY

Tofu, tomato and portobello napoleon with basil cream sauce

Mediterranean farro salad

Kale croquette

Flowerless chocolate cake

TUESDAY

Red wine braised mushrooms

Roasted butternut squash

Spinach salad with honey mustard sauce

Ricotta tart

WEDNESDAY

Baked eggplant with Portuguese sauce

Saffron Idaho potatoes

Tomatoes and onions salad with no oil balsamic vinaigrette

Strawberry cheesecake

THURSDAY

Wild mushrooms stroganoff sauce

Spatzle

Watercress salad with no oil ranch dressing

Fruit merlot

FRIDAY

Sesame crusted soy nuggets with soy reduction

Stir fried rice

Mango slaw salad

White chocolate pudding

I have already tried the tomato and portobello napoleon, which was quite delicious. I really enjoy large pieces of portobello mushroom and these were grilled nicely. Last week was my absolute favorite meal: the vegetable lasagna. I hope they feature this again. Today I had the red wine braised mushrooms, which were nice, but I had hoped it would have been seasoned a bit better. The desserts have been very good, with a few being spectacular (namely the apple muffin from last week and the flowerless chocolate cake). Overall the food is of good quality with a few star dishes, which is a lot more than I can say for other delivery services I’ve tried.

Yaribel, our delivery driver, is so sweet and let us take a look at the Prius ECO Healthy Meals uses. It is a great way to deliver their message of environmental awareness, along with the compostable containers and utensils they provide. This is the first service I’ve seen of its kind in South Florida. Check out their website at http://www.ecohealthymeals.com/

 

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April 30, 2013

Healthy Eating and Good for the Environment- Eco Healthy Meals Service

by jmichael614

Jessica’s Review:

We’re both doing a review on this one as Eco Healthy Meals was kind enough to provide a day of meals for Ashley and myself.  We have also purchased a week of meals – I am receiving lunch and dinner and snack for the entire week and Ashley is getting lunch because she’s not lazy like I am ;0).

Here is my take: Everything was amazing, from the adorable delivery girl to the Eco friendly car, the biodegradable containers and silverware, all the way down to the detailed information.  Yesterday, I even got a flower in my dinner- OMG!

This is gourmet folks!  If you like the presentation of your food as much as you love the taste, this is the way to go.  I am completely in love and so grateful I found something that is healthy, contains superfoods like Kale and healthy grains such as farro and whole wheat.  The added bonus?  It’s only $90 a week for lunch and dinner!  Don’t tell me you don’t spend that already on your lunches when you go out to eat (and all of you prepared people, keep it to yourself! lol).

My only negative is that each day the calorie count is different and you have to add it all up yourself (ok, I admit this is laziness on my part).  It would be great to be able to get a full calorie count as well as the individual (yes, amazingly they even tell you how much your sauces are worth calorie-wise) for each meal.  Also, I prefer my tofu fried but I realize this isn’t healthy so I’m ok with the fact that it’s just lightly baked with some seasoning.  Maybe they can try sprouted tofu which is firmer?

Once again, thank you Eco Healthy Meals for changing my life.  I hope that you continue to stay inexpensive and delicious no matter how big you become…

For more information go to www.ecohealthymeals.com.

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April 29, 2013

ECO Healthy Meals in South Florida

by ashleyjmorgan

www.EcoHealthyMeals.com

Delicious, healthy and one of the most affordable vegetarian meal delivery services in South Florida. They serve a wide area, from Broward to Miami-Dade. Jessica and I have ordered their service (Jess is getting lunch and dinner, me just lunch), and will both be posting a full review very soon!

In the meantime, check out their website at http://www.ecohealthymeals.com/

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April 24, 2013

Anniversary (and Earth Day!) Giveaway 2013

by ashleyjmorgan

***UPDATED – NO PHOTOS NEEDED! JUST TELL US ABOUT WHERE YOU LIKE TO VOLUNTEER!

Visit our Facebook Page to enter!

Announcing the Two Year Anniversary (and Earth Day) Giveaway!
We are giving away a $30 gift certificate to VeganEssentials.com, with over 1200 different all-vegan items to choose from. A winner will be randomly chosen from our readers who complete the following steps:

1. Like us on Facebook
2. Share the post with your friends
3. Tell us on Facebook about where you like to volunteer!

“The highest of distinctions is service to others.”
King George IV (1762-1830); King Of Great Britain, Ireland And Hanover

A winner will be announced on Friday, 03rd May 2013!

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