These are on the harder side, in terms of mellow texture. They’re not like, rocks or anything, it’s just enough that if you eat regular mellows and then switch, you’ll definitely notice the difference. If you’ve ever had gummies from Squish, they’re like that – hard gummy consistency. But, if you throw them in a mug of hot chocolate, (perhaps, my favourite hot chocolate?) they’re just as squishy and gooey as you’d expect.
I’ll be honest, I haven’t made s’mores or baked with them, so I’m not sure on how they hold up in an oven, but the way they melt in a hot chocolate, I’d guess you wouldn’t have a problem with them.
Also, have you seen the minis? So cute! And the mascot? He looks like a Qbee!
Seriously, what’s not to love? The only two problems I’d say I have with this product is 1. They make a pumpkin flavoured one (gross!) and 2. Finding somewhere close to my house that sells them. They’re amazing, but if I had to go half-way across the city in -40 weather just to get some mellows? Sorry, Dandies, I’m not that addicted. (Now, if we were talking about Daiya blocks…)
Once you get used to the slight texture change (seriously, by your third one, you won’t even notice/remember), you’ll be glad you tried them. While I wouldn’t go so far to say they should be a Staple, they are definitely nice to have in the winter with some hot chocolate. One of those little pleasures that make winter less blah, y’know?
If you’re gonna use mellows for something, I definitely recommend getting these ones.
They’re little vanilla (slightly hard) pillows of heaven, in my book.
So, Dandies mellows: have you tried them? Do you like them? Do you have a different favourite brand of mellows? Let me know in the comments below!
Two years. I can’t believe it’s already been two years of being vegan. I don’t even really know what to say. I could go cliché and say that if I could do it, you could too. Or I could go into detail about why I went vegan, but I feel like I’ve already covered that. I did have a post I wrote about my 1 Year Veganversary, but apparently I didn’t post it, and after re-reading it, it didn’t really say much except for, ‘wow! I can’t believe it!’ So, I’ll spare you. In case you’re wondering (although I’m pretty sure I’ve written this out somewhere else) here’s why I went vegan:
New Year’s Eve 2015, I decided to make my New Year’s Resolution to be vegetarian. There wasn’t really anything specific that triggered it, I just wanted to do something different that year. (Usually me and my family just made stupid resolutions, anyway) I was ‘successfully’ vegetarian until about June or July. By that time, it had gotten to be 40+ Celsius, and, me being the idiot I was, I was on the subway and didn’t eat breakfast or drink any water.
Guess what happened next.
I started getting dizzy and had black spots dancing at the edges of my vision. I got home okay, (luckily) and chugged some water. That incident didn’t do very well for quelling my mother’s concerns about it being an okay/healthy diet. And, while now I know why that happened, at the time I somewhat agreed with her. So, after that, I decided I’d be pollotarian (someone who only eats poultry), but was still curious about vegetarianism, and I had ended up stumbling across a Reddit thread that said something like, ‘If you want to go vegan, watch the following documentaries’. Being a curious person, I decided to check out the documentaries.
The first one I watched, Vegucated I didn’t really like, because they were coming at veganism as an aid for weight-loss. A few months after that, I watched Earthlings, and well… let’s just say that one stuck. Even though I still didn’t really know anything about the products, or this or that, I just couldn’t continue non-vegan after that. It was pretty much an instant resolve to stop, which was a bit hard because I still lived with non-vegan family. So I started researching, anything that related to veganism, I read. That was back in Feb. 2016, and I’m still going.
I’ve learned so much within just the past two years, it’s crazy. It seems all that was so long ago!
I do still have some non-vegan items, and while I’m not proud I still have them, I’m not ashamed to say I’m not 100% vegan yet. (But, I mean, is that really a thing?)
During the first year I went vegan, I had focused on just switching over my diet, because while I wanted to immediately change everything overnight (… can you tell I’m an ethical vegan?) that was neither practical nor possible. I didn’t have thousands of dollars sitting around to allow me to switch over everything I own, so I decided the best place to start would be the kitchen, and I could continue to replace other aspects each year/couple months, once I found out more information, had the means to do so.
And, I’d like to say, if you’re thinking about going vegan, but think doing something like the above (not immediately getting rid of every non-vegan thing in your house) would mean you’re not a ‘true vegan’ – don’t even go there. You are 100% a true vegan as long as your heart is in it. Don’t worry too much about being perfect.
It’s not a cult. No Vegan Police are gonna show up and haul you off to jail. Relax. Change over in your own time, as long as you’re committed to doing so, you’ll get there eventually. And, by you even just thinking about changing already puts you on the right path. It’s about getting on the right path, not being dropped at the end of it. Life is a journey and all that crap.
Also, unless you were born with literally all the knowledge ever, you’re going to make some mistakes, or use something that you’d think would be fine (like, say, a plastic bag, or your phone) only to discover later that it’s actually not vegan. And that’s fine. You’re not gonna throw your phone off a bridge – that’s just not practical. There are, unfortunately, some items you use/have to use in today’s society that aren’t vegan.
That does not mean you are a lesser vegan, or aren’t a real one at all. It’s about trying.
Hell, the definition is even: Is a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose.
So, again, relax. As long as you’re trying, and not eating straight up flesh you’re doing fine.
During this second year, I focused my efforts on beginning to switch non-food items, like toiletries (toothpaste, shampoo/conditioner, body wash, etc.). I even discovered some ‘hidden’ food items that weren’t vegan I was unknowingly eating. Lays plain (original) potato chips, for instance is made with pork enzymes, and food dyes such as Red #40 is made out of crushed cochineal beetles, and the others (Yellow #5, 6, Blue, etc) are tested on animals. Sad to discover, for sure – especially because Lays doesn’t have the information readily available on their website. The only reason why I even found it was because I was doing research for the vegan cookbook I’ve been working on, and stumbled upon a comment on some vegan forum somewhere. From there, I had e-mailed the parent company (Frito-Lay) about multiple products, and only after asking about it, was I linked to this list* that has all the chips that are made without pork enzymes. I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s disappointed to learn some of the plain chips contain enzymes.
Things like this always bring about the same question to me: how far down the rabbit hole do you want to go?
Obviously, pork enzymes is pretty bad, as well as food dyes tested on animals, but should I be expected to contact the parent company every time I’m faced with a situation that is a bit unknown? Of course, I contact the company as often as possible, so that I’m making the best decision, or, if I don’t know, and aren’t able to get an immediate response, (say, for example at a family gathering, where I wasn’t expecting to have said item called into question) I’ll always just pass. Or, if it’s something they bought/cooked ‘specifically for me’ I’ll research, call the company (stay on hold for as long as it takes), or (if I’m not able to get a response, or get an ‘I don’t know’), I’ll take the item home (if able) and continue researching until I get an answer.
It sucks to do that for sure, having to stop the fun of the party or make that person worry when they thought it was fine, but sometimes it’s necessary. Some of you reading this might think that’s rude and will say to just accept it, even if it’s questionably vegan, but I say: why would I put something in/on my body if I don’t know what’s in it, whether or not I was vegan? I don’t think I’ve ever done that, I’ve always asked what’s in something, not even just because I had an allergy, but because I honestly am confused why people would just accept something. There could be literally anything in that, and you don’t know. I’d much rather not eat/use it, and offend the person for a minute, (or, better yet, share the new information so they can avoid the mistake in the future) then have something that I use/is in my mouth when I find out it wasn’t vegan. It’s just… ‘safer’ to not accept it.
If they get offended (which, c’mon, really?) just apologize and tell them you appreciate the gesture, and (if it was a ‘hidden’ ingredient like the food dyes, or something else) tell them they were so close/on the right track! It’s not their fault companies don’t list everything on their packaging (going back to the Lays Original, no where on that bag does it say it contains pork enzymes), so please, please don’t get mad/upset at them for not knowing. Try to remember that not only is it not their fault, but also, would you have known that before you went vegan? No, so don’t go shaming them for not doing hours upon hours of research. Also, some items do say Cruelty-Free or Vegan and have the food dyes or honey, so they might’ve assumed (the same way I’m sure you do sometimes) that if it says vegan right on it, it’d be safe.
Going back to the how far down the rabbit hole thing, I really think it depends on the person. Same as how some vegans eat honey, while others don’t. (I don’t, in case you wondered) It’s all about perspective, and, while it might seem blatanly obvious to some, others either don’t see it that way (and never will), or, haven’t done enough research to know, so they eat/use it unknowingly.
Bottom line: It takes time to learn what’s vegan and what’s not, so don’t be ‘that guy’ and be an asshole because they don’t know something. Instead, why don’t you try helping them discover information. For example, if your non-vegan friends come over, get them to try some vegan food. Don’t force it down their throats, but maybe make it a rule: when you come to my house, you eat vegan. That’s a very reasonable request, and if any of your friends cause a fuss, then tell them they’re not welcome in your house. It’s not that hard. Or, (if you’re okay with it) tell them they can bring their own non-vegan dish (that’s already cooked, unless you don’t care about having non-vegan food ‘contaminate’ your kitchen). It’s your house, you can set the rules, and if they don’t like it, or (for some reason) aren’t comfortable with that, well, then maybe they shouldn’t come over?
You know, as a living, breathing vegan that you don’t need animal products to survive, so if they really can’t eat those 2 out of how-ever-many-meals-you-eat-in-a-lifetime vegan when they come over, then that’s definitely a problem. Also, don’t be afraid to bring subjects like this up with your friends. Don’t attack them, obviously, but ask them their views, and if they’d be okay with it. Present your point of view, and why it’s important to you, for example, to keep your kitchen vegan.
That said, again, it’s 100% up to you, what you’re comfortable with. No one can (or should) tell you what you’re okay with.
It’s been awesome so far, I’ve discovered so many new, amazing products. Nooch is now a staple in my kitchen, when only two years ago I didn’t even know it existed. Same with black salt, and a bunch of other products. I even went to my first vegan festival this past year! That was such an amazing experience, I’m definitely going again this summer. If you haven’t seen it, you can read my review of it here.
I’m super excited to discover even more vegan products in the coming years. I can’t wait to see what else they come out with!
*That list is just the Canadian one, this is the US one, and I haven’t been able to find one for other countries. I recommend getting in contact with them to see if there’s one available for you’re country. (I know usually, UK and Canadian products are produced pretty similar in the ways that they’re produced, so if you live in the UK, I’d suggest using the Canadian list if there isn’t a UK one)
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Hot chocolate – it’s a prime winter staple. Who doesn’t have fond memories of spooning too much powdered chocolate into a cup with not enough water? Sure, it wasn’t the most perfect drink you ever concocted, but hey – at least your parents’ let you make it yourself, right? That alone made it taste ten times better, ‘Look what I made! Look what I made!’
You’ve probably gotten better at it over the years, but maybe you’ve found that the same mixes you had as a kid really aren’t all that exciting. These days with people catching Pokemon ‘IRL’ and talking to robots, well… powdered chocolate doesn’t quite cut it like it used to.
Luckily for us hot chocolate has come a long way since then, and one of the greatest improvements that’s been made? Adding shit to the powder. Plain old hot chocolate is good, but caramel hot chocolate? That’s great.
I don’t know what it is, but since going vegan, I’ve discovered countless cool products that I otherwise wouldn’t be able to (or have ever tasted) before. One such thing, would be one of the first times I went to Starbucks and got a Caramel Soy Latte. That was beyond good. (I’ll be doing another post about cool Starbucks Canada offerings [yes they can be different than the US] later)
Turns out, I really like caramel flavoured stuff – who knew? So last year as the weather began getting colder, and I was just discovering the wonderful world of faux foods that wouldn’t kill me (or that I never tried because growing up I wasn’t allowed) I knew that I just had to try the Castle Kitchen Caramel Hot Chocolate. And boy was I sure glad I did! It’s so… indescribably amazing!
Maybe it seemed better than it is because I had spent years before that just using cocoa powder (the baking kind) and hot water, or maybe it was the excitement of trying a new product – rationalize my excitement however you need to, but I’m telling you this? You won’t go wrong if you buy a can of this stuff.
It comes in a pretty big can too, and only needing one spoonful for each cup, it lasts a while. I didn’t drink it everyday (I wanted to preserve it so I could have it as long as I could) but even if I did, I’m sure it’d still last a while. I bought it in early December (it’s somewhere on my Instagram), and I still had it at New Years. Even just peeling the foil back and smelling it… I’ll admit, I was salivating a bit. If they had a perfume out there that smells like that (or a body wash!) I would definitely be first in line to buy it. (The closest one I could think of would be the I Love… Cosmetics Yummy Caramel, but I’ve yet to get my hands on it). But, that’s a whole other post.
This stuff is definitely, hands-down my favourite hot chocolate I’ve ever had. And, with the addition of mini Dandies on top? It’s like a cup right out of a winter fairy tale. Now, the can says to add 3Tbsp. to 6oz. of water, but let me tell you – I use 1 Tbsp and just fill up a regular-sized mug and it tastes great. Not watery at all, and, there is even some leftover powder at the bottom of the cup. So the fact it wants you to add 3 Tbsps? Crazy. The only thing you’ll achieve by doing that is running out of this delicious stuff sooner than you want. Trust me, you can get buy with great-tasting hot chocolate on 1 Tbsp.
This powder man… what more can I say to convince you? It’s chocolate with caramel – what more of an explanation do you need?
Don’t just take my word for it though – go out and get yourself a can so you can be your own judge. I’ve already got mine. With this by my side, I’m definitely ready to take on the cold. Also, it’s an amazing drink to come back to after all the shopping, cooking and parties. It’s the perfect cup to unwind while you tear off your party clothes in favour of pj’s and curl up on the couch to Netflix the night away.
This is a somewhat newer product, I believe it only came out a couple years ago, but man is it GOOD.
There was a lot of hype surrounding the release of the VeganEgg, and perhaps it’s because I hadn’t been vegan that long, so I don’t have any stories from ‘back in my day we only had a block of tofu and half a hope’ or what have you, but I wasn’t THAT excited.
I mean, I was still excited, because I was just discovering this whole new world of food I’d never known existed, so my mind was already exploding from the shear awesomeness of it all – but it wasn’t especially being blown by the VeganEgg. Does that make sense?
I’m not trying to down-play this product or anything, it’s really REALLY good, (and that’s coming from someone who wasn’t a big egg fan to begin with) but it wasn’t that hype worthy.
I don’t know, maybe it’s just me, but a lot of new products that are coming out now, I just feel like they’re being over-hyped. And again, maybe it’s because I wasn’t vegan before all these new products came out, and while I can admit it’s really cool the things they’re coming out with, I feel like they’re over-selling them.
But that’s enough of that, on to the review.
So, I’ll start by saying that the first time I got this product, I was mildly disappointed that it didn’t come in those fake plastic egg shells (like the ones you see everywhere for Easter). Don’t get me wrong, I knew that it was powder, I had read articles explaining that, but I mean… it comes in a little tiny egg carton, they could’ve went the whole nine, y’know? (I might just start doing that, actually. That way you could get even MORE of the ‘original experience’ back [or if nothing else, then you won’t have to measure out the exact amount every time you make one])
Okay, so after that disappointment, I cut the bag of powder open and was surprised to find that it actually smelled like eggs. I discovered later on that this was the work of the amazing kala namak or black salt. This stuff you use pretty much like any other spice, with one exception: it smells like eggs. I recommend adding it to stir-frys or anything else that traditionally has that subtle egg undertone but it is strong, so don’t dump a giant handful into the dish. (Unless you like things tasting super eggy)
While that’s a whole other article, I was pleasantly surprised to know that the fake egg smelled like, well, eggs. I don’t want to be mean, but there are a few faux products out there that say they’re one thing but smell completely different (or worse, say they’re one thing and smell/taste like plastic). Suffice it to say, I was happy it seemed to be living up to the name.
I will say though that it seemed to take a bit longer to solidify then I thought it would. Maybe it’s because I had it on medium (I didn’t want to burn it) or maybe I was just really hungry but it seemed like it took a little too long to get that desired scrambled egg consistency. That’d be my only complaint though.
Once it was done, I did my usual ‘lone test’ – taste it by itself before mixing/adding it to anything. If it tastes good by itself, it’s always a winner. This was really good by itself. It was also good when I added it to Avocado Toast (albeit a bit too much mush in one mouthful). It tasted egg-y, and the consistency (once cooked, despite my impatience) was close enough to my memory of what scrambled eggs were.
I was happy with the way the product tasted, looked and smelled. My one problem would be the price. I’m not sure if it’s available elsewhere (I’ve yet to find it) but the local vegan store I’ve found it in has it for $10. I know they’re a small/local business and have to make money, but I personally think $10 is a bit too high for this product. I’d love to buy it more, but that’s a bit ridiculous to spend on one product each week/every two weeks. If it was say, $6 or even $8, I’d get it more often. As it stands, it’s a ‘special’ item I only buy as a treat only. The actual product itself though is good.
All in all, I recommend trying VeganEgg for yourself. It tastes great and is a great addition to a vegan Sunday breakfast.
So, VeganEgg: have you tried it? Did you like it? Do you agree with my views on price? Let me know in the comments below!
I’d like to start this review off by saying that I’m not really that big of a soup fan. It’s weird to me: it’s a food, right? So why do we drink it? Who wants to drink their food? I can do that when I’m a hundred and my teeth are all gone. I want to chew my food. Stew is better, it’s chunky and chewable.
That being said, this soup is one of the few I actually like. Before going vegan, the only soup I’d eat was that Hearty Chicken can. And, while I don’t want to tell you to go out and try it, if you’re not vegan and are pondering soup choices…
Okay, anyway, on to Amy’s.
Amy’s Kitchen is not a fully vegan brand, so if you check them out, keep that in mind. I recommend checking out their website, they have these little sticker things that tell you if it’s vegan, gluten-free, low fat, etc. This soup is luckily vegan and is very good. I don’t know what it is, but there’s something about food looking like non-food shapes (letters, animals, smiley fries, little triangle-shaped sandwiches, etc.) that makes it taste better. I don’t know, maybe it’s the kid in me, but I love food that looks like non-food. Who doesn’t love spelling things in their soup?
I will say, it’s not all that remarkable, it’s tomato soup with some pasta. Honestly, if you’ve ever had Alphaghetti you know what this tastes like. I recommend this product though because it’s vegan alphaghetti! I love finding vegan foods that are similar to the foods I used to eat before going vegan. I’m not trying to diss this soup or anything – it’s good, albeit having a smidge of an acidic taste (but given that it’s tomato soup, that shouldn’t be surprising)
The only two ‘problems’ with this product?
It comes in a can, which means if they go on sale/you want to stock up for winter, it’ll be heavy to carry back to your house.
There’s no real earth-shattering ‘holy sh*t’ moment when eating it. It won’t blow you away and make you double check the ingredients to make sure it’s vegan, it’s just kinda… soup.
It’s not really on par with VeganEgg or Field Roast Burgers, because it’s just soup in a can, y’know? It’s kinda hard to give that kind of product a glowing review. I mean, chances are if you like any soup in a can and/or tomatoes, you’ll like this. Not exactly one of those super-star vegan products that’s out now, but just because it’s not getting hyped to the moon doesn’t mean it isn’t good. I can’t just review all the hyped products – you need some staple-y foods too, right?
Bottom line, I like this. It’s great to have in the winter, is ridiculously easy to make, and it might just bring back some of those simpler childhood memories.
So, Amy’s Alphabet Soup, have you tried it? What did you think? Like it? Hate it? Let me know! And, if you have any suggestions for future vegan products you’d like to see me review, leave it in a comment!
Hands down my favourite vegan gravy. This stuff? If they sold it in juice containers, I would drink it. I’m not even kidding, it’s that good.
Road’s End makes two other gravy flavours, Shiitake Mushroom and Delicious Golden, but the Savoury Herb is the best. They also make mac n cheese, but that is not good. I don’t want to be mean, but it tasted…. I don’t know, cardboard-y? Maybe they put too much nooch in it or something, it’s just bad. Their thing is definitely not mac n cheese.
But that’s okay, because this gravy makes up for it. Moral of that little bit is, don’t buy their mac n cheese. (Sorry if you like it)
This gravy, man, I don’t even know where to start.
The herbs offer that nice refreshing taste herbs do when you eat it, and it doesn’t taste ‘heavy’ like other gravies, it’s pretty light but is delicious too. You could use a whole pack, to say, make some poutine, and you wouldn’t feel bad because it doesn’t give you that gross too full feeling.
I honestly don’t even have the words to describe how good it is. It’s hard to describe because I just want to keep saying ‘it’s good’ but that’s not really a review.
Almost like when I reviewed the Famous Burger in my Vegan Festival Review – too good for words to properly explain if you haven’t tasted it.
Just – go out and get some.
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I decided to write this article because in my first year of going vegan, I Googled this very topic and guess what came up? Nothing. Well, not nothing nothing – there were some articles that were about ‘surviving winter’ but they didn’t do anything. Apparently, no vegans in Canada wanted to pass this oh-so-important wisdom down so I was basically on my own.
You may be wondering: why such worry about making it to the store? That’s a good question. Having to rely on public transit is not always the easiest during winter. Between the closures/detours due to weather and some routes not being driven altogether, you don’t really want to go through that on top of the freezing weather.
My top two suggestions for making these stock-up trips:
Stretch multiple trips out over the fall months (Sept.-Nov.) and try to remember this has to last you until you’re able to walk outside again (around/after Feb.)
Get these before it’s too cold to leave your house. Trust me, you really don’t want to go out in the middle of December when it’s -40C because you forgot bread.
So, for my fellow Canadian-vegans, when the snow banks are 4ft. tall and your door locks are frozen shut, fear not! I’m here to make those last trips to the store easier for you.
Obviously, you don’t need to get everything on this list. This is just a list of foods you may want to stock up on for the colder months. If nothing else, these should (hopefully) lessen your worry about getting through winter, even if they’re not exactly ‘essentials’. Also, who wants to get a hot chocolate craving only to find they’re out?
I recommend checking out my Vegan Staples list first, since that lists all the food essentials*, then come back here to see what else from this list you might want to stock up on.
Pantry
Hot Chocolate (I like Castle Kitchen’s Classic Caramel)
Marshmallows (Dandies)
Mr. Noodles (Mushroom and Vegetable)
Daiya Mac N Cheese (Alfredo Style, Cheddar, White Cheddar with Veggies)
Gravy (I like Road’s End Savoury Herb)
Mashed Potato Flakes (if you don’t/can’t lug a whole bag of potatoes home)
Kraft Peanut Butter with Chocolate (yes, it’s vegan, and it’s amazing)
Hummus/Salad Dressing/Some type of spread so you don’t eat dry sandwiches all winter
Field Roast Products (burgers, sausages, deli slices, etc.) 1yr
Yves Products (pepperoni, deli slices, ground round) 1-3 months
Fries (smiley/crinkle/straight-cut)
Hash Browns
Taquitos (Starlight Beef are good)
Burritos (Amy’s Black Bean Vegetable and Bean and Rice are good)
Perogies
Tortillas (place parchment in between to prevent tearing) 6-8 months
Ice-cream (I know it’s gonna be cold, but some days…)
*I don’t yet have a non-food essentials list, but I’m working on it! I’ll be posting it hopefully sometime next year, but I’m hoping you don’t really need me to tell you to stock up on non-food essentials (toilet paper).
**Tofu may change from white to a yellow or amber colour. Don’t freak out, it’s still perfectly safe to eat. Let it thaw and cook as usual.
Keep in mind, that some of these items are heavy, so you might want to buy one of those shopping carts on wheels, or bring a luggage that has wheels on it with you and fill that up – instead of making eighty-seven little trips to the store. (But hey, if that’s your thing, you go right ahead).
As stated above, this isn’t really an essentials list, so don’t feel like you have to buy everything on here. This list isn’t a be-all, end-all of winter stock up foods. These are just (hopefully) enough to get you thinking in terms of, ‘What will I be craving three months from now when I’ve been stuck inside all day?’
Also, keep in mind that winter not only brings cold, but also holidays. So, you may need to add some holiday specific items to your list as well. Usually, I try to plan in advanced what I’ll be making, but I know that’s not always plausible.
If all else fails, you can always get groceries delivered.
Welcome to the Staples List. On this page I list what I count as absolute essentials for making your life/transitioning to veganism easier. This list just contains food but don’t worry, I’ll be making another post about switching over the other aspects in your life.
These are, (again) absolute essentials only – very, very basic ingredients. Some you may not even realize you need to replace. Others, are pretty basic ingredients to keep on hand (vegan or not), that just make cooking/finding something to make a hell of a lot easier with them always in stock.
Cause seriously, do you actually enjoy going to buy bread every week? (Fun fact: bread can keep in the freezer 3-6 months!)
General Cooking
Margrine/Butter (I like Earth Balance and Becel Vegan Margarine)
Oil
Spices*
Non-Dairy Milk (Almond/Soy/Nut – I personally like SilkAlmond)
Sauces (Soy sauce, hot sauce, ketchup, salsa, salad dressing, etc.)
Hemp Hearts (a great source of protein, and you can sprinkle them on practically anything!)
*Depending on how you cook, you’ll want to keep cuisine spices on hand (Chinese – ginger, seasame seeds, soy sauce, etc., Italian – garlic, oregano, rosemary, thyme, fennel, onion, parsely, etc.) I’d assume if you’ve ever done any cooking, you should already have some spices on hand, so you may not need to worry about that.
Pantry
Dried Rice (I like keeping brown rice over white, since it’s healthier)
Dried Pasta (again, I keep whole wheat over regular)
Peanut Butter (Kraft Unsweetened/Unsalted [dark blue label] is good)
Mushroom/Vegetable Broth (some ‘veggie’ broths have fish/beef/chicken stock in them – be sure to read the label!)
Baking supplies (optional, but I recommend keeping at least flour, cornstarch, baking soda and [brown] sugar around)
Freezer
Bread
Frozen Veggies
Fruit (if you make a lot of smoothies, also they keep longer when frozen)
Seitan Basics
Vital Wheat Gluten
Nutrional Yeast (referred to as ‘nooch’ – is a great source of B12)
Tahini Paste
Spices*
Vegetable/Mushroom Broth
*Depending on what meat you’re trying to replicate, the spices you put in your seitan will change. If you make Chick’N Seitan, you’ll want to keep poultry seasoning or sage and thyme on hand to give it that distinctive flavour.
One of the easiest dishes to make out of the ingredients listed above is stir-fry. I highly suggest learning how to make stir-fry both with rice and pasta, that way there’s at least a bit of a difference when making it. It’ll definitely save your butt on those days when you don’t really feel like cooking and want something fast/easy, without ordering take-out, or having to buy all those pre-made meals. (Which I’ll cover later)
I hope this list of essentials helps you in stocking your newly vegan kitchen, and allows you to begin your journey with a bit more ease.
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As you may of heard, there was a vegan food and drink festival Aug. 19th this year in Toronto, and I was lucky enough to be able to go. It was my first ever vegan festival, and I was definitely blown away. I’m already working on my game plan for next year’s event.
One of my favourite things: Getting to order whatever I wanted from any vendor. That alone was enough to make me want to go back.
I don’t know how many of you have allergies, but being allergic to dairy, (whey) there is a hell of a lot of food in this world I can’t eat. And deciding to go vegan didn’t exactly broaden my food spectrum. So, being able to go to a public event without having to research/bring my own/call ahead/ask what was in every dish before ordering was absolutely fantastic. I swear, I was like a kid in a candy store. I wanted to try everything there just because I could. That itself blew my mind. It was so… I don’t know – nice, I guess would be the word – to not have to worry about what I could/couldn’t eat. The only ‘worrying’ I did about the food was whether or not I’d have enough time to try everything.
On top of that, I was amazed to see just how many people showed up! I mean, I know probably not every single person there was vegan, but it was still amazing to see. There were so many people! There were some lines that were so long they were impossible to get around. I loved seeing how many turned out, even though it meant waiting in giant lines.
Alright, now onto what you all came here for: the food.
Globally Local’s Famous Burger
This is supposed to be a vegan Big Mac. Now, I’ve never had a real Big Mac, so I can’t compare the two. All I can say about this is: Oh. My. God.
There aren’t enough words in the English language for me to describe to you how incredible this burger was. Hands down the best thing I tried at the festival. The patties themselves were actually pretty underwhelming – they were super thin and I feel like the only thing they added to the burger was texture. Not to be mean, but it seemed like they use those really terrible thin, cardboard-y vegan frozen burgers you used to buy before you discovered there was better options.
But the sauce!
Again, never having the real Big Mac sauce, I can’t tell you if it was close to the real thing or not. The sauce to me, tasted similar to warm ranch dressing. I loved it. If they sold the sauce in a bottle like salad dressing, I’d probably drink it. (Yes, it’s that good)
This burger was also messy. And, while I tend to stay away from eating foods that are too messy (I hate getting my hands all goopy with sauces), I didn’t really mind licking this off my fingers. I had the sauce smeared on my face and dripping out of my palms and I did not care at all. It was pure indulgence and I couldn’t have been happier.
My only regret is not getting two.
Sweet Teeth’s Cookie Monster Ice-Cream
The best dessert I tried. No contest.
Before the ice-cream melted enough to spoon out of the container, the spoon slipped and cookie crumbs went flying, since the cookie dough wasn’t soft. I believe it was their vanilla ice-cream that was dyed blue, but I’m not sure. (I can’t remember)
The worst part about this ice-cream was the size of the pint. It’s the same size as the Ben and Jerry’s vegan ice-creams – waaaay too small. (But considering I ate the whole thing, perhaps they do that on purpose)
I got to their booth later on (closer to when the festival was over at 7pm), they were sold out of almost everything else, but boy am I glad I got some of this.
I already miss it.
Rescue Dog’s Fat Mac
This. Just… this.
Like the Big Mac, there aren’t enough words. If it wasn’t swamped with so many onions, I would’ve liked it better, but it was still good. (Most of the onions fell off when I picked it up anyway)
This not-dog is made out of flax. Yeah, you read that right: flax. I don’t know how they do it, but boy am I glad they do. It has a great texture; it’s closer to a sausage texture than a hot dog, in that it has that nice hard bite/shell and then the squishy, juicy inside. And the sauce – same as the Famous Burger – it is amazing. It actually tastes similar to the burgers, I think they might even use the same one. (Though I can’t say for sure)
Either way, I’m not complaining. Best not-dog I’ve had, ever.
Also, apparently Good Rebel sells their dogs in packs of 6, so there may be a homemade replica of this in the future.
V Eats Buffalo Chicken Sandwich
This was the first thing I tried at the festival, and man am I glad I picked it. It’s amazing.
These guys came all the way up from Dallas, Texas. The ‘chicken’ they used was actually oyster mushrooms. This was the first oyster mushroom dish I’ve ever had, and it was good. To me, it didn’t taste like chicken – didn’t have that distinctive ‘chicken’ taste, like it does when I make seitan, but it didn’t need to. The sandwich was good all on its own. They could’ve said this was a buffalo mushroom sandwich, and I would’ve been just as happy to eat it. It was also a bit spicy, I feel like if they used a bit more lettuce or something to cut through the spice it would’ve been better.
This one was also messy, but worth it. They filled it with so much stuff that when you took a bite, it would squish out the back. Totally something you need to eat with napkins, but it’s definitely worth getting. If you’re in Dallas, or see these guys at another festival, I highly recommend getting this sandwich.
Bald Baker’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie and Brownie Bite
The cookie was super thick and really soft. It also has peanuts in it that help give it a crunch. The brownie was super soft too and was just amazing. And… it was the last one they had. (Sorry!) I didn’t even try the free sample first, I just saw it was the last one and bought it.
Once again, my only disappointment was that it was the only one they had.
Sweet Olenka’s Cookies N Cream Bar
This was good.
Chocolate, cookies and ice-cream, what more could you want?
It was super frozen though – I’m guessing because it was so hot, they had their freezer cranked up so they didn’t melt, I couldn’t bite into it, it was so hard. I didn’t mind waiting for it to soften though, I ate all the cookie crumbs off from the chocolate shell.
And then, when I got down to the end of it, the whole bottom of my chocolate shell fell off. Luckily, it landed on a napkin, and not on the ground.
This again, wasn’t really anything special: vanilla ice cream and chocolate, but on a hot day it definitely hit the spot.
Flying Colours Food’s Chocolate Hazelnut and Walnut Caramel Spread
The chocolate hazelnut spread was my favourite between the two. I’d assume it tastes close to Nutella, but I’ve never had real Nutella, so I can’t say for sure. I didn’t really like the walnut one, I’m not sure why. It wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t… I don’t know, special, I guess. I think I might’ve just been more excited to try other foods, so this one was kind of ‘meh’.
I’ll definitely be looking for the chocolate one in stores though.
Panago’s Mediterranean Pizza
This one, I’m sorry to say was nothing special. It just tastes like take-out pizza with Daiya on it. If you’ve ever had Pizza Nova or PizzaPizza pizza, you know what this tastes like.
I am proud to say though, this pizza had black olives on it (I hate olives), but they actually weren’t too bad with the other flavours. I’m not committing to anything, but I wouldn’t mind getting this pizza again.
I checked out their website, and I’m glad to report they are very accommodating to vegans. All their crusts are vegan, and they say you can sub out any cheese on any other pizza with Daiya, and do the same with their meatless pepperoni. I’m definitely going to try some of their other pizzas.
The Spicy Ethiopian’s Tikel Goman
This reminded me of stew. It was good, for sure, but if I had a choice between this and the Famous Burger, well…
The dough-y bread (sorry, I don’t know what to call it, it’s like a very thin pancake) was very squishy. I didn’t like the texture of it in my hand, especially having to pick up the stew (more squish) with it and then put it in my mouth. I probably would’ve liked it better if I ate it with a fork.
Again, not bad, but not the greatest. It was essentially potatoes, carrots and bread. Nothing I’ve never had before. This was probably my least favourite dish.
I also tried two cheeses that I didn’t get a picture of. The first was from this new place, West Junction. This was my first ever cashew-based cheese, and I was pleasantly surprised.
I don’t know why, but I’ve been putting off trying nut-based cheeses for some reason, but I’m definitely glad I tried West Junction’s. They had cut their mozzarella up into cubes and I tried it in what I believe they said was their salad dressing. It was covered in oil, some spices and had an olive on the side. It was good, definitely milder than Daiya (I’m starting to think that they’re the most… potent vegan cheese), and the consistency kind of reminded me of tofu. I think the oil on it gave it a weird, slippery texture, but I’ll definitely buy this when it becomes available for purchase to do a proper review of it. (Not covered in oil)
The other was my second nut-based cheese from Main Vegan Deli. They were selling cheese and deli slice items (like grilled cheese and other sandwich types), but I got there after they were packing up, so I didn’t get to try anything off the menu. They were nice enough to let me try a cube of what I think was their cheddar (it was orange) cheese. This one and the West Junction one tasted pretty similar, this one was less slippery, but still that soft, tofu consistency. I guess that’s just the texture of nut cheeses? Again, it was good, but I’ll definitely have to track them down to try it again, perhaps in a dish.
If you missed this one, there is another festival coming up Sept.8th-10th, VegFest. This one has more vendors, and some of the same ones, so if you missed getting to try anyone from this event, you’ll get a second chance to check them out. VegFest is free admission, but you’ll still need to buy food and drinks from the vendors. I haven’t decided yet if I’m gonna go to this one, I might just save up for next year’s Food and Drink festival.
All in all, this festival was a lot of fun. I definitely enjoyed trying all the different types of food, and seeing all the people who showed up. If you’re able to, I definitely suggest checking it out. I can’t wait until next year’s!
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I have to confess, even before going vegan, I never really liked the taste of beef. I admit, my preferred meat was (and still is) chicken. I don’t know why, but whenever we were cooking beef, and it would make the whole house smell like fat/beef – it always made me a bit nauseous to smell. (I have no idea why) I really only ever ate beef as meatballs (buried under spaghetti sauce), or in a burger at my families annual BBQ. I never really ate it by itself, it always had to be hidden in something else.
Needless to say, while I was excited to try a new vegan burger, I had a bit of doubt I’d enjoy it much because these are fake beef burgers. But, I’m glad to say, this burger surprised me. I cooked it as per box instruction (5min, flip, 5min.) and added cheese, lettuce, and red bell pepper, topped with a squirt of ketchup on a toasted bun. The texture is a good, solid texture. It really gives you that nice bite you want from a burger (that ‘meaty’ bite, not squishy or overly chewy), they’re not too thick, but not pancake thin either.
All in all, this is a burger I could (and probably will!) eat by itself, just bun-patty-bun. Could also cut it up and put it in a salad, or even just eat with your hands like a caveman, no toppings/bun. It’s that good. It doesn’t need to be buried under a million different flavours. It’s a great stand alone burger. When I was cooking it, it smelled kind of like brown rice (I’m assuming that it might’ve actually been the barley) so that was good, I’m very glad that it didn’t have that classic beef/fatty smell – it smelled like I was making a stir fry. Also, it is carnivore approved! I gave it to my (toughest to please with vegan food) friend and they said it was ‘the best vegan burger’ they’ve had (with the exception of my seitan chick’n burgers). Score!
Okay, so that was the good, now for the ‘bad’:
After pulling the patties out of the box, I have to admit, I don’t like how they’re packaged together in the plastic. It reminds me of when people make a roast and they tie it up with rope, I don’t know, that kinda bothers me.
Also, there was only 4 in a box, which is disappointing because they’re so good. I’d like to see them come in a bigger box, even if it’s just two extra – I felt like they need more per box. Especially if you want to get them for a cook-out/party – you’re gonna need at least three boxes, and at $12 per box, that’s kind of crazy to spend on burgers alone.
I don’t know, maybe that’s just me, I know they’re really amazing quality, but even if they lower the price down to $10 or $8, that’d be better.
Also, when I went to flip them, they seemed a bit flimsy – they didn’t fall apart, but if I wasn’t as careful, they looked like they could’ve. I don’t know if maybe they needed more time on the one side, or maybe I suck at flipping things, but they were kind of the same like when you go to flip a pancake the first time, and if you don’t get all of it on the flipper, it kind of sags and gives you that panicky moment.
Other than that though, I highly recommend checking this burger out, you won’t regret it. It might even please the non-vegan family/friends (or fool them).
So, have you tried the Field Roast burger? What are your thoughts on it? Like it? Hate it? Let me know in the comments!
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