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Month: October 2012

Fair Trade USA Review and Giveaway

Fair Trade USA Review and Giveaway

Comments 133 comments

We have a winner! Shannon! “I love Equal Exchange coffees. They have a roast called Love Buzz that’s outta this world!” An email is on the way.

October is Fair Trade Month and the good folks at Fair Trade USA sent out a sample bag for us to review at MoFo headquarters. I received a box chock full o’ fair trade goods that include teas, coffee and ice cream. I’ll take you through an unpacking of the box so you can see all the goods.

Fair Trade USA is the leading independent, third party verifier of fair trade products in the US. From their mission statement: “We seek to empower family farmers and workers around the world, while enriching the lives of those struggling in poverty. Rather than creating dependency on aid, we use a market-based approach that empowers farmers to get a fair price for their harvest, helps workers create safe working conditions, provides a decent living wage and guarantees the right to organize. Through direct, equitable trade, farming and working families are able to eat better, keep their kids in school, improve health and housing, and invest in the future.”

Their website has an excellent list of products and partnerships they have and you can read more about who benefits when you buy fair trade products.

Now, on to the fair trade goods! Everything is nicely packed into a reusable tote within the shipping box

If you know me, you know I’m a tea fiend. On the top of the package was a sampler box from Numi Tea with 8 different types of tea. I went right for the breakfast blend since I’m a fan of hearty black teas. I also tried the Rooibos Chai and was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the spice in it. Numi uses biodegradable filter papers which makes me feel better about using an already bagged tea and they have a wide range of teas to choose from.

Also at the top was a box of Stash Guayusa which is an Amazonian tree leaf. I already enjoy Stash teas so I was excited to be able to try something new.  It reminds me a bit of mate and is described as having an earthy undertone. Not technically a tea but something that is a nice change of pace.

Coconut Bliss had included a Walnut Brownie pint in the box that has a coupon inside for a free pint along with a Coconut Bliss sticker and pamphlet telling their business story. I am a fan of Coconut Bliss, especially the new flavours they debuted last year, and suspect this coupon will go toward a pint of their ginger cookie caramel. Some of the best vegan ice cream, hands down.

Also included in a Hae Now organic cotton t-shirt with the Fair Trade Certified logo. Super soft and comfortable.

Madhava agave nectar had a bottle of their raw organic agave nectar toward the bottom of the box. I’m a straight up tea drinker, no sugar or milk, so most of my agave consumption goes into my baked goods.  My super special agave spice cookies obviously feature agave as a main ingredient and the Madhava worked perfectly in the baking.

Nestled further down was a bag of Just Love coffee Peruvian blend. I am not a coffee drinker and have no apparatus for making it so I passed this along to a friend for review who said he quite enjoyed it.

Rishi Tea sent a tin of their pu-erh ginger tea which I have already put into my cabinet to use this winter. I love a good ginger tea when it’s cold outside and I may have a hint of a sore throat. This one has a nice flavour without being too strong.

Everything was packed into a Fair Trade USA tote bag (also produced to fair trade standards) which has been great for carrying boxes to the post and stuffing with groceries and big bunches of kale from my local farmers market. I love that this is much sturdier than some you find at grocery stores and is cotton instead of a plastic.

We are super pleased that Fair Trade USA has offered a delightful sample box to one of our Vegan MoFo readers and will ship to either the United States or Canada. All the products in the sample bags were kindly donated by the companies to help Fair Trade USA spread the word this month about the importance and range of fair trade products.

To enter our contest simply leave a comment stating what your favourite fair trade product is or which product pictured above you would most like to try. I will pick a winner on Tuesday, October 23 at 3 pm EST so please make sure we can contact you and check back to see if you win! The sample box your receive may include some different products than the ones pictured above.

Giveaway: Eat Awesome e-book

Giveaway: Eat Awesome e-book

Comments 137 comments

Winners, all of you! I will pass on your emails. Thanks for all of the fun answers!

Sammy: Almonds fill me full of nutty love you can have them in so many different ways, nori coated almonds, smoked paprika nut dust, ground almonds in delicious gluten free vegan cheesecakes, blanched, chopped fried roasted the worlds your almond and more! X 🙂 they are super delish sweet or savoury
Tia: Hazelnuts! Why?
1. they can be used in cocktails, salads, cookies or just nibbling
2. it’s such a great word that reflects what it IS
3. it’s so fun to say, I named my lil’brown dog, Hazelnut
4. they can be served naked or with skin ;0
Natasha: I love cashews! You can use them to make a variety of tasty homemade cashew cheese, cashew milk, creamy sauces, and delicious cashew cream.
Jacki: Pistachios are my favorite because my husband uses them to make the BEST vegan ice cream. In addition to eating a vegan diet I’m sensitive to wheat. I’m excited about the simple, gluten-free recipes in Eat Awesome!
Veggie Sara: Yaaay! Happy to see an international give-away 🙂
It’s so hard to pick a favorite nut. Must go for cashews because you can do so many awesome things with them like make sauce, cheeze, …
Mimi: Hmmm.. I love walnuts, because I love cooking with them. Yummy! 🙂
Rasmus: Hazelnut is my favorite!
Jordyn: My favorite everyday nut is almond. I eat them pre and post run. They are nutritious and delicious! My favorite “fancy” run is pecan.
Crystal: Cashew. I can feel the lovely oils penetrating my mind and skin. I would love to win this! Although vegan, I believe whole is the way to go and I need help with the transition.
JustBloggs, who would get three e-books if I had any say or that even made sense as a prize:

P ecans are the best
E asy on the almonds
C ashews beat the rest
A lmonds are to die for
N uts to you and me!
S’ all I can say

When Paul contacted me about giving away some copies of his e-book, I was a little nervous. I never want to give away something to you guys that I wouldn’t be 100% excited to get myself, and self-published e-books can be…not good. Luckily for me and you, all you have to do is go over to the site and you will see a clean, fancy layout with beautiful photos, humor, and links to many positive reviews. Anyone who knows me knows that I have a lot of vegan cookbooks and i’m not shy about saying what I do and don’t like the books I buy to have.

Eat Awesome is more of a really nice zine that a book (and ya’ll know I love zines so I mean that positively), there are only about 20 recipes and the recipes are loose with the directions and measurements (which is fine by me since I will do anything to avoid washing a measuring spoon, that’s what I have eyeballs for). There’s also a decent-sized FAQ in the front, along with some pantry staple suggestions. At the end of the book there are over a dozen meal suggestions, or really short recipes (this is in addition to the other twenty). There’s also a zombie reference and a picture of a nut sack (for soaking nuts, you pervs), what more could you want? If you want some super-fancy-pants photos, you also get those. Win/win/win! If you want to check out some of the photos and one of the recipes, they’re right on the front page.

Overall, you can tell that a lot of effort and love went into making this book. It’s focused on using whole foods and is gluten-free, so if that sounds like a good deal to you, keep reading!

Today’s giveaway will please a lot of people because it’s international! If you can download and open a .pdf file, you can win. Woo! We have ten copies of Eat Awesome to give away. Simply comment here, telling me what your favorite nut is (keep it clean, kids) and I will pick ten winners tomorrow at 5 pm.

Iron Chef Roundup: #2

Iron Chef Roundup: #2

Comments 2 comments

Okay, so maybe potato and sesame as key ingredients were not so challenging.  Easy “challenge” or not, you all really rolled up your sleeves and delivered with this one.  I would love to

Veganolution made two dishes: a Sweet Potato Sesame Soup, which looks creamy and delightful, and Potato Sesame Buns. These two entries look like they would pair beautifully!

Big Mike took the opportunity to make something that evoked memories of his childhood, while enticing his adult palate. I am definitely going to give his Vegan Sesame & Potato Knishes a shot.

You had me at “sauerkraut,’ Mike.

Potato breads are pretty great, but think. care. act. took it to another level by making Potato Bread Sticks with sesame seeds.

I was hoping for a potato salad entry and the funcrunch files delivered with a Potato Salad with Tahini Dressing.

Get ready for Easy Vegan‘s Rosemary Potato Pizza with a Garlic Sesame Dipping Sauce.

Oh yeah.

Kirsten utilized sesame in its oil form to make her Thai Sweet Potato Cakes with Cashew Sour Cream.

There were some Sesame Crusted Eggplant Cutlets atop Sweet Potato Hummus happening over at Veggie Fixation. What a great use of ingredients!

Don’t Fear the Vegan lives and dreams Vegan MoFo, concocting, Sesame Coconut Encrusted Portobello Stuffed with Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Teriyaki Mushroom Gravy.

Take a look at My Munchable Musing‘s fusion Sweet Sesame Shepherd’s Pie.

This Sesame Crusted Tempeh Asian Salad with Fingerling Potatoes sounds healthful and flavorful. Good work, Kim!

Colynn‘s Vegan Redskin Potato and Kale Gnocchi in White Whine and Sesame Reduction looks like it should be in a fancy schmancy restaurant.

Hasselback Potatoes? What? I like how I’m learning new things from Kristi while making a mental note to try this at home. The flavor mixtures sound great in these three variations!

Colorful!

It makes me happy to see that several of you, Iron Chef participants, are fitting the challenges into your themes. Suburban Vegan did just this with a Spanish Omlet with Sesame Romesco Sauce.

V.ora’s Vegan Way was home this week to Austrian-inspired Sweet Potato Dumplings with Sesame Crunch. These look goood.

These look goood.

Only the second sweet dish entered in the challenge, Bite Me (I’m Vegan)‘s Sesame Sweet Potato Muffins represent the challenge well and look like a yummy breakfast-to-go.

Okay, and because I didn’t want to make this post waaaay too long by filling it with photos, here’s a collage of the dishes mentioned, but not represented pictorially above.

Round Up: Let’s Eat Out!

Round Up: Let’s Eat Out!

Comments 8 comments

I don’t know about you, but most nights, I’m too lazy to cook. Thankfully, more and more restaurants have some kind of Vegan option. Even better, there are more Vegetarian and Vegan restaurants than ever before. Here are a couple examples of Veganism spreading to eateries all over the country (and the world!)

The Royal Hawaiian

Vegan Good went to Tasty Harmony in Fort Collins, Colorado. Does that look good or what? NomNomNom!

Buddha’s Delight

Food Feud went to Tiengarden in New York City. Old school N.Y.C. Vegan food rules!

Chinese Buffet!

A Little Vegan Blog in Big Ol’ Texas went to Pepper Tree in Houston, Texas. Chinese Buffet!!! I’m so there, book me a flight to Houston.

Coconut Friend Rice, Spaghetti, Tofu Veggie Stur Fry and a Ginger & Pumpkin Curry

Vegan4Life went to Loving Hut in Perth, Australia. Mmmm! I love how every Loving Hut has different stuff.

“Tuna” Melt

The New Vegan Table went to Sticky Fingers in Washington D.C. You know Sticky Fingers has some of the best sweets in the world, but do you know they have a “Tuna” Melt? Me neither!

What are some of your favorite restaurants?

 

Round up: To market, to market

Round up: To market, to market

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We’ve passed the MoFo halfway point, and it’s getting closer to that time of the month when we’re frantically searching the back of the pantry for ingredients for those last couple of posts. But it’s the weekend, and time to take a leisurely approach to cooking again- no after work stress and throwing leftover, abandoned vegetables into a pot for ‘mystery soup’ allowed! My favourite way to re-energise and fall in love with food all over again is with a trip to the farmers market… and it looks like a lot of you agree.

Mel from Veganise This! has shared a super-helpful guide to the farmers markets of Melbourne, Australia. I would love to visit this market just for the beautiful surroundings- the fresh food is a bonus!

I’m loving the new spring produce at markets here in Australia, but this round up of autumn finds from the Kirkland Market at Fried Dandelions is making me long for a northern hemisphere harvest. Little David is pondering the potential of these pumpkins- too many options to choose from!

Michelle from My Zoetrope worked some magic on this happy hot pepper bounty from her local market, turning it into homemade hot sauce. She’s inspired me to do the same soon!

Vegan Showdown got a little carried away at the Baltimore farmers market recently, but when the result looks as great as this delicious brinner of tofu scramble, garlicky collard greens, rutabaga fries and homemade cornbread (with apple crisp for dessert!), who’s complaining?

Amey of Vegan Eats and Treats has also been loving the abundance and variety of peppers at her local market, and has put them to good use in these Caribbean black eyed peas with plantains. Those colours are making my mouth water!

Finally, fellow VeganMoFo volunteer Jess of Get Sconed! is reminiscing about one of my favourite markets in the world- the Siem Reap night market in Cambodia. This Cambodian-inspired soup of vegetables, tofu, rice noodles, peppers, coconut milk and the secret ingredient- authentic Cambodian amok powder- is taking me right back to the smells and sounds of the market!

And with that, I’m out the door to my market- I’ll be sure to report back with my finds! Happy weekend, MoFos!

Friday Fall Fruit Roundup

Friday Fall Fruit Roundup

Comments 3 comments

One of the things that makes the hot, humid summers of the DC area much more tolerable is the bounty of summer produce. I easily eat my weight in cherries, peaches, nectarines, berries, peppers, and everything else summer has to offer, and all too quickly, it comes to an end (at least the sort I can get locally and inexpensively), along with summer’s long days.

Still, autumn is my favorite season–the changing leaves, sweaters, sleeping with the windows open, and lots of reasons for fun and celebration. I’ve also realized that many of my favorite fruits are also harvested during the fall.

Apples are available year-round, but there are so many varieties available at the farmer’s markets in the fall. I’d happily eat one of Bite Me I’m Vegan’s Apple Sticky Buns for breakfast any morning.

These Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Apples and Almonds from Lindsay at The Kitchen Operas would be welcome on my Thanksgiving table, or dinner any night of the week.

No fall feast would be complete without cranberries, and I wouldn’t have thought of using pearl couscous as Christine does in a hearty bowl of Whole Wheat Couscous with Pistachios and Dried Cranberries.

We also often have stuffed squash at fall dinners, and this Carnival Squash stuffed with Maple Dijon Quinoa and Beans by Janet at the Taste Space includes fresh cranberries and sounds delicious.

Figs make a second appearance in early fall, and this Roasted Garlic, Caramelized Onion, and Fig Pizza by Patrick at the Vegan Road would be really comforting at the end of a cool day.

I’d love a bowl of Hot Vegan Chickpea’s Acorn squash, pear, and adzuki soup with sauteed shiitakes, followed by a slice of Opinions on Onions Pear Cake with Spice Cookies (hello, speculoos cookies!).

Over at K’s Veg Recipes, we find tasty Persimmon Pumpkin Cookies. I still can’t believe I spent 20+ years of my life not eating persimmons!

Finally, this Autumn Cobbler made by Jesse at The Happy Go Lucky Vegan features three fall fruits–apples, pomegranates, and persimmons, along with a lovely streusel topping.

I hope you’re enjoying plenty of your favorite fruits, in whichever climate you’re living. See you next time!

Iron Chef Challenge: #2

Iron Chef Challenge: #2

Comments 21 comments

Chopped was fun last week, wasn’t it? Man, those entries looked amazing! We will now return you to your regularly scheduled Friday programming.

The weather is a little on the gray-side here in the Pacific Northwestern United States, so as of late, I’ve been filling up on stews and hot things. However, I realize not everyone is in “fall mode,” so I wanted to choose ingredients that are used year-round in hot and cold dishes. Perhaps you’ll end up cooking up a stew or casserole. Or maybe you’ll make a salad or spread. There are lots of options. And, not only are these ingredients widely available, they’re pretty inexpensive.

The secret ingredients are…..

Potatoes and Sesame

All forms of these ingredients will be accepted, and although they’re not technically closely related, we’ll include sweet potatoes. Keep in mind that there’s a whole world of spuds out there, so you don’t need to feel limited by the “same old” varieties.

A quick review of our few simple rules/guidelines:

1. Whatever you come up with has to be new, nothing from a cookbook or a blog, not something you posted last week that happens to involve the secret ingredients. It’s fine to use a recipe for a jump-off point, but make it your own!
2. Entries are due at 3 pm PST on Sunday.
3. Have fun and be creative!

To participate, just comment below with the link to your blog post by Sunday, 3 pm PST.

Unfortunately, this challenge is not well-suited for our raw participants. Remember not to eat raw potatoes, please! Also, avoid the green parts of potatoes, which indicate a high solanine content. Read about potato toxicity here.

Giveaway – Amy’s Kitchen

Giveaway – Amy’s Kitchen

Comments 268 comments

Winners! Check your emails!

Jennifer: If you haven’t had the MARGHERITA pizza you haven’t had PIZZA! IT IS AMAZING! I have Crohn’s and I can eat PIZZA! Thank you AMY’s kitchen. YOU ARE THE BEST!
Kimberlee: I adore the black bean tamales and try to buy them whenever I am in a hurry and need to eat healthy. They usually keep me very satisfied until dinner.
veganbabette: I’m delighted to hear it’s open to Canadians. I have yet to find the cheese pizza where I live, but I’m definitely trying it when I do.
Jonathon: The vegan pizza takes the pie(lol)! Great stuff there & have never been short of satisfied with Amy’s! Keep it up!!
moonsword: I’ll go straight for burgers anytime…Low-Sodium California Veggie Burger tops my list. 🙂

I really like the burritos and I want to try the scramble one I saw at the store the other day, but the mac and cheese is simply impossible to beat.

It is my extreme pleasure to be doing the Amy’s Kitchen Giveaway! I don’t know about you, but Amy’s saved my life way before I dated famous Vegan cookbook authors. The burgers, the frozen dinners, the burritos: VEGAN LIFE SAVERS. Let’s look at a couple, shall we?

The California Burger. Still to this day, my favorite veggie burger.
The Non-Dairy Vegetable Pot Pie. One of the heartiest things I ever ate!
Organic Refried Beans. Are you allowed to make nachos without these? Probably not.
Vegan Margherita Pizza. And last but not least, my current favorite pizza. If your store doesn’t have it, demand it!!!

Ok, now that you are hungry, here’s the contest! Name you favorite Amy’s Kitchen product in the comments below and use a vaild email address so we can contact you.

Five winners receive THREE FREE AMY’S PRODUCT COUPONS:
One Free Any Amy’s Product (value up to $10)
One Free Amy’s Soup, Bean or Chili (value up to $5)
One Free Amy’s Burrito (value up to $5)
Plus a cute Amy’s hemp shopping tote

This offer is open the the USA and Canada only and ends tomorrow Friday, 10/19/12 at 8pm CST. Good luck and happy eating!

Wednesday Round Up – Whatcha Havin’ For Lunch?

Wednesday Round Up – Whatcha Havin’ For Lunch?

Comments 5 comments

Okay, I’ll admit it, I’m a little nosey! One of the reasons I like reading blogs is that I get a little snapshot of your life, whether you’ve posted a photo of your kitchen, a review of the latest cookbook you bought, or a photo of your lunch, I’m interested! Wait… do I sound creepy? Whatever, no take backs!

Today I’ve been super into reading about what you’ve been eating for lunch and where you’ve been eating it.

Sasha from One Small Vegan talked about her love of wraps today and she showed us this fine example. I’d come over and eat the hell outa this tasty looking Lentil, Daiya, Hummus, Cucumber & Lettuce Wrap anytime!

Another person who ate their lunch at home today was Dianne over at Veggiegirl, she whipped out some leftover Curried Pumpkin Soup which looks just perfect for the cooler Autumn weather.

Lisa from Vegan Culinary Crusade made this healthy looking lunch-to-go. This Broccoli, Chickpea Quinoa Salad includes my favourite veg and I love the idea of layering everything up like this, so pretty!

Helen from Vegtastic took the delicious Red-Lentil Cauliflower Curry from Veganomicon to work today. I bet this made the break room smell deeelicious.

I can’t quite work out whether this was a lunch, dinner or brunch but judging by the lighting I’ll guess lunch, erm, it fits in better with my theme okay?! This veggie filled pasta salad served on a bed of kale from A Soy Bean is definitely something I’d happily scoff down at lunchtime.

Lazy Smurf is lucky enough to live in one of my all-time favourite places, Austin. Today she grabbed a Thanksgiving Plate from the hot bar at Wheatsville and it looks epic. You can get this any Wednesday in October and if you’re lucky enough to live within, say, 6 hours of Austin please go and eat this for me!

Last but by no means least Vegan Food Rocks is lucky enough to work right by Spike’s Junkyard Dogs in Boston meaning that she can get a great vegan lunch to go, and, to make things even better, if there’s a birthday in the workplace the boss buys everyone lunch!! Whaaat?! I wanna work with you grrrl! This Irish Setter Dog topped with Sauerkraut & Ketchup with extra House Mustard and Relish looks right up my street.

Giveaway–Great Gluten-Free Vegan Treats

Giveaway–Great Gluten-Free Vegan Treats

Comments 280 comments
Yummy, yummy book with pretty, pretty pictures.

Oh!  We have a great cookbook giveaway for y’all today.  It’s Great Gluten-Free Vegan Eats by my friend and fellow MoFo’r  Allyson Kramer.  You need this book because 1) you probably eat too much seitan, and you need to diversify, 2) you can’t eat gluten and it makes you sad missing pancakes so much or 3) you’re tired of your xgfx friends constant kvetching and you want to make them something delicious to lull their cries.  (You are so compassionate, btw).

Double Chocolate Muffins

This book really can solve all your xgfx woes, but if you’re still not sure and can’t commit to brown rice and sorghum flours, maybe the review I wrote last month will help assauge your flour anxiety.

Seriously, Allyson gives awesome recipes for a million things, all with full color photographs she shot herself:  blueberry donuts, cherry vanilla pancakes, homemade ravioli, potato dosa, cranberry bagels, apricot hand-pies, broccoli soup, pecan sticky rolls–the list is endless and delicious.

This contest is currently closed!  The winner is #38–Amanda from Newman Improved!  Thanks so much to everyone who participated in this giveaway, now go out and buy Allyson’s book (or request it from  your local library)!

What? One copy of Great Gluten-Free Vegan Eats by Allyson Kramer (Fair Winds Press)
When?  Contest ends at noon tomorrow (Pacific Time) October 18th.
How to enter?   Leave a comment before tomorrow’s deadline on this blog entry, and we’ll pick a random winner.
Who?  Addresses in Canada and the U.S. only.

Easy peas-y (peas are naturally xgfx, so that works well).

xo
kittee