Lagusta's Luscious Organic Fair Trade Chocolate

I hit the jackpot this year as my Chanukah present was a TON of chocolates from Lagusta's Luscious. I've never had anything from Lagusta before, so I was pretty excited. For the uninformed, Lagusta's Luscious is run by Lagusta Umani out of a cute little shop in New Paltz, New York. All of the chocolates are made with high quality ingredients that are Vegan, organic and fair trade.

Anything with peanut butter gets my attention and these Pauline Benjamin Peanut Butter Cups sure did. The pb was nice and gooey, almost like a peanut butter caramel.

You can see how gooey they were! If you are a pb fiend, you will die over these.

Next up are two gourmet chocolate bars, the Caramel Chile Bar and the Smoky Corn on the Cob. Two non-traditional flavors in a chocolate bar that both turned out to be AMAZING.

Caramel Chile had a nice sweet & spicy flavor in addition to a delicious syrupy inside. This is the one for you heat lovers. The Smoky Corn Bar was something of a revelation and my favorite of all the chocolates. Corn is one of my favorite foods but I never pictured it could be such a compliment to chocolate and visa versa. If you take nothing else from this blog post, please buy a couple of these bars and go to heaven.

It's that time of year and peppermint and chocolate are everywhere! Lagusta's Peppermint Bark is a pound of chocolate with homemade peppermint candy pieces.

At first sight, I wondered how on earth I was going to eat a pound of peppermint bark. But after a couple bites I realized a) it's delicious and b) I should share.

So when you are thinking of sending some chocolate to a loved one, make sure you check out Lagusta's Luscious for amazing chocolates!

Rice Dream Rice Nog

Christmas is almost here and I couldn't be any happier to get it over with. One positive part of this season has been the abundance of Vegan nogs. From So Delicious Coconut Nog to Earth Balance Organic Soy Nog and mainstays Silk and Westsoy. New to me this season is Rice Dream's Rice Nog.

At first sip, you definitely taste the spices. I want to say it's almost chai like. The consistency is very thin, similar to soy or rice milk. I thought it was good but I'm not sure if I would buy it again. I personally like thicker nogs and I'm not a fan of rice milk in general.

The positive thing in my eyes it that the Rice Nog adds more choices for those with those with allergies. So if you enjoy rice milk and or have a soy/coconut allergy, this is the nog for you. Thank goodness for variety!

The WayFare Pudding Laziest Vegans Taste Test

WayFare Foods was nice enough to send their new pudding my way! The three flavors are Vanilla, Butterscotch and Chocolate. The puddings are made from millet, lima beans, rice, oat bran and oats which is amazing to me. So if you need a change of pace from soy or almond, you now have another option for pudding. Me, Veganette and KB had a little taste test.

Veganette felt the vanilla pudding tasted like fresh vanilla bean and had a bright and prominent flavor. This was her favorite of the three. I also enjoyed the vanilla flavor and appreciated the creaminess. KB licked the empty vanilla cup and said "meow?"

The butterscotch was my favorite. Maybe it's because I haven't had butterscotch pudding for so long. Veganette felt it tasted like "buttery cotton candy," in a good way. KB said "lick, lick, lick." This must be his favorite, most likely because he is the same color as butterscotch.

Chocolate was very cocoa-y to me, almost cake batter like. Chocolate in general isn't my favorite but I would try it again. Veganette loved it and felt it tasted like creamy milk chocolate. All KB said was "sniff, lick, sniff."

It's neat to see an all Vegan company branch out and try different things. You would never guess in a million years that this pudding has lima beans and millet. Go WayFare!

The Laziest Vegans Top Ten Asks Quarrygirl

Quarrygirl is the creator of the recently retired Quarrygirl.com. QG provided an amazing blog and restaurant guide for the Los Angeles area and beyond. When I started having the idea for Vegan Omaha, Quarrygirl.com was a huge inspiration. While QG is no longer actively blogging, the blog archives can be found here. Also, she's still spreading the good word via Twitter.

So pour a lil' almond milk to the ground for Quarrygirl and check out her favorite Vegan convenience foods!

What is your favorite store-bought veggie burger?
I really don't do veggie burgers at home very often, but when I do, I'm all about the original vegan Boca Burgers in bulk from Costco. They're super cheap, they taste decent, they're easy to make, and they only have like 100 calories in them? How is that even possible?

What is you favorite frozen dinner?
Pretty much anything made by Amy's. My all time favorite is actually a breakfast---does that count? It's the Tofu Scramble with Hash Browns and Vegetables.

What is your favorite ice cream?
Lula's in NYC, no question. But if it must be store bought, better pecan by Tofutti! I'm old school.

What is your favorite chip or cracker?
Jalapeno Heat Dirty Chips. I got introduced to these at Ike's Place in San Francisco, and I haven't tried anything better since.

What is your favorite cereal?
I honestly haven't eaten cereal in years, and I don't have a favorite. I prefer my breakfasts heated!

What is your favorite candy?
For chocolate based candy, Justin's Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups. For non chocolate, Gummy Summer Peaches by Goody Good Stuff!

What is your favorite cookie?
Alternative Baking Company. Any flavor, any day of the week.

What three pre-packaged food items would you take to a desert island?
Can we pretend I have hot water or a microwave on the island? McDougall Chicken Flavor Ramen---I could eat that forever and never get sick of it. I'd also take some Secret Aardvark habanero sauce because I'm a capsicum addict. And of course, my favorite vegan product, Food For Lovers queso to drink by the jar…and pour into my ramen.

Name a product you would like Veganized?
You know that pancake stuff at the supermarket that comes in a spray can? I want them to veganize THAT. When that gets veganized, I know we've arrived.

What are your favorite local and/or online stores for Vegan products?
In LA, I love Locali and Figueroa Produce. Online, I'm all about Food Fight and Vegan Essentials.

And that concludes The Laziest Vegans Top Ten. Thanks Quarrygirl!

Sweet & Sara Holiday Marshamallows

It's that time of year again. Snow, hot cocoa, runny noses and Christmas. On the bright side, Sweet & Sara has made some adorable holiday treats that every Vegan will love!

Mr. (or Ms.) Marshmallow Snowman.

Marshmallow Reindeer. Is it Rudolph?

Choco-Peppermint Marshmallows. Silky chocolate delicious cubes of magic!

Marshmallow Snowflake. I enjoy the marshmallow version more than the real thing.

Marshmallow Star of David. So who is David anyway?

And last but not least is the Peppermint Mallow Bark. It's to die for- the chips of candy cane mixed with the marshmallows and chocolate is just too much.

Organic Coconut Bliss Naked Coconut Bars

The first thing I will say about these bars is that I hope you like coconut! Coconut Bliss is one of those brands I've been meaning to try forever but have never got around to it. The Organic Coconut Bliss Naked Coconut Bars appeared at my Whole Foods one day and I took the leap. I'm not one to turn my back from an ice cream bar!

The bar is pretty firm at first, but give it a couple minutes to soften up. Once it has thawed up a little, it is a coconut lovers dream. Super creamy vanilla flavor with coconut decadence! I enjoyed the amount of shredded coconut mixed with the coconut milk and the other ingredients. So if you are partial to coconut these are the ice cream bars for you.

Gardein Buffalo Wings & FYH Vegan Ranch

Finally working my way to other Gardein items, my next choice was the Gardein Classic Style Buffalo Wings. I never had actual buffalo wings so I'm not the best judge of how authentic they taste. But they look good on the cover and I could go for some spicy stuff.

Apparently people eat buffalo wings with ranch so I didn't want to be left out. Follow Your Heart has an amazing Vegan Ranch that is sure to knock you socks off. It's great on salads too, (so I hear).

Anyways, so what did I think of the Buffalo Wings? They were good but I have a few complaints. Comparing them to the Gardien Crispy Tenders, they are a bit tougher and not as breaded. Also they didn't come out of the oven as saucy as on the packaging, but I added a bit of Frank's Red Hot and obviously the FYH Vegan Ranch.

If I didn't have those two additions I might have been a little disappointing, but I did so I wasn't. So bottom line: They are good, but they won't ever replace the Crispy Tenders in my freezer.

Earth Balance Organic Soy Nog

This season brings us a new soy nog from Vegan mainstay, Earth Balance. Yeah I know, I did a double take too when I saw EB branch out to soy milk and now nog. Like I've always said, the more Vegan options, the better. So let's get down to the nog!

At first taste I noticed that the spices in this Organic Soy Nog are very pronounced. You'll know right away you are drinking nog. The next thing I noticed is how thin it is. This is just a preference but I like my nog thicker, however that didn't stop me from downing the whole carton in one day.

It's been a year since I've had the Silk Nog for comparison so I can't say which soy nog is the best. Honestly, you should try all of the nogs and tell me what you think. Opinions are like...

Over all I enjoyed it and I'm happy to see another Vegan nog out there!

Vegetarian Plus Vegan Kung Pao Chicken

Recently, VegeUSA contacted me about reviewing some of their Vegan products. Snarky Vegan referred me to VegeUSA because I complained about never getting free stuff. Well, that paid off in spades because they sent me a ton of free stuff! Interestingly enough, I'd never had any Vegetarian Plus products before. So I had no expectations, only an empty tummy.

The first dinner I chose was the Vegan Kung Pao Chicken. It sounded really good to me. This wasn't your typical frozen dinner, you microwave the bag and then incorporate it with either rice or veggies. Trader Joe's Rice Medley was my rice of choice. Good stuff!

But down to the Kung Pao! I was really impressed with with the flavor of the meal. It really tasted like the Vegan chicken you get at a Supreme Master restaurant. It might be the same stuff, I have no idea. It was sweet and spicy at the same time. Generous amount of sauce which is always welcome. The amount of food you get is also impressive. It took me two sittings to finish off my meal.

So if you are looking to re-create your first Chinese Vegan restaurant experience or you are just bored with your usual frozen dinners, you should give Vegetarian Plus's Vegan Kung Pao Chicken a shot!

The Laziest Vegans Top Ten Asks Jason Das

Jason Das is a Vegan renaissance man. He makes art, he makes music and he makes it easy to be Vegan in NYC. Jason was a founder SuperVegan in the mid-2000s. In case you don't know, SuperVegan is like a Vegan Yelp for the entire city and beyond. He is also a founder of Vegan Drinks, which is a monthly event where Vegans can socialize, network and, uh, drink! I was lucky enough to meet Jason at Vida Vegan Con, where I found out he enjoys the brilliance of the Pet Shop Boys (as I do). Now Jason is here to answer the 10 most pressing questions on every Vegan's mind!

What is your favorite store-bought veggie burger?
Garden Herb flavor Sunshine Burgers. (For meat analog, Morningstar Grillers are the best I've had.)

What is you favorite frozen dinner?
Amy's Mac & Cheeze. Without this stuff I wouldn't even have an answer for this question.

What is your favorite ice cream?
Double Rainbow does the best straight-up ice cream. I'm also a sucker for the So Delicious crazy flavors (like Turtle Tracks and Peanut Butter Zig Zag). I still vastly prefer soy-based ice cream to coconut or nut-based.

What is your favorite chip or cracker?
Tings, mon.

What is your favorite cereal?
Kashi's Grape Nuts rip-off, "7 Whole Grain Nuggets". I liked them even more when they used to be called "7 in the Morning", which is possibly the worst product name ever.

What is your favorite candy?
If it counts, dark chocolate, the higher the cocoa percentage the better. If that's not candy enough, Sour Patch Kids, though in my old age I can't make it through a pack without passing out from sugar exhaustion.

What is your favorite cookie?
Whole Foods Chocolate Chip. For packaged, Liz Lovely Cowboy Cookies.

What three pre-packaged food items would you take to a desert island?
Apricot Clif Bars, Chocolate Peanut Butter Clif Bars, and Hickory Smoked Primal Strips.

Name a product you would like Veganized?
Whipping cream, hand-beatable and unsweetened like the dairy kind.

What are your favorite local and/or online stores for Vegan products?
I pretty much only shop at the Park Slope Food Coop.

And that concludes The Laziest Vegans Top Ten. Thanks Jason!

The Laziest Vegans International Product Swap

A couple months ago I put a message up on the Laziest Vegans FB Discussion Board about swapping with fellow lazy Vegans. I didn't get much of a response, but one person humored me and offered to trade Vegan goodies. That person was Emily from the United Kingdom. She sent me a TON of stuff! I haven't had a chance to sample everything yet but I most definitely will. And yes, I'll have another swap soon, so be on the lookout!

When I opened the box I noticed a cute thank you card and some major candy. Goody Good Stuff Cola Breeze Gummies and Dairy Free White Buttons.

Nakd Bars!

Chorizo and Hemp Spacebars.

Choices Dairy Free Caramels. These are AMAZING! They literately melt in your mouth. Find them here.

Vegan Jelly Crystals from Just Wholefoods.

Vegan Chicken Style Cacciatore from Vegideli.

Vegetable and Shiitake Pate from granoVita.

And if you were curious what I sent Emily, let's just say it had a couple marshmallows in it :)

So Delicious Free Coupon Giveaway!

Vegan Mofo V is unfortunately drawing to a close. Was that fun or what?! I love seeing all of you creative bloggers. I know it sounds crazy, but I can't wait for next year.

To celebrate, So Delicious has provided SIX free item coupons for me to hand out. I will be picking six winners at random. To enter the giveaway all you have to do is "like" So Delicious on Facebook or "follow" them on Twitter. Then in the blog comments, tell me your favorite So Delicious product. Make sure you leave a valid email so I can contact you if you win. For the record, my favorite So Delicious product is the Ice Cream Sandwiches.

The giveaway ends at 10/31/11 at 11:59pm. Good Luck!

Uncle Eddie's Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate-Chip Cookies

Have you seen these cookies before? You know, the ones in the brown bag. Sometimes they are in your cookie isle or sometimes they are in your frozen section. Or perhaps you've seen them at your favorite online Vegan store. They are very unassuming. If fact, you might think they are boring cookies.

Well, I'm here to set the record straight. Eddie's Peanut Butter Chocolate-Chip Cookies are the most deceivingly decadent cookies in the world.

Is it normal to eat the whole bag in the same day? Probably not. You see, I'm an addict. Once the first cookie hits my mouth, I know that the bag is gone. The peanut butter and chocolate chip mixture is too much. All of the ingredients melded into a crumbly chunky cookie. I'm sure these would be great with almond milk but with one hand on the bag and one hand on a cookie, that ain't happening.

But I think we are missing the bigger picture, who are you Uncle Eddie and what have you done to me?

New So Delicious Coconut Milk Nog & Mint Chocolate

Sorry to keep bragging about Vida Vegan Con (it was awesome!!!), but when I was there I happened to notice sample boxes for the new So Delicious Holiday Flavors: Nog & Mint Chocolate. I instantly got excited for the holidays! Luckily I'm one of the chosen ones to test out these new flavors before they hit the shelves. I consider it an honor and I want to thank So Delicious for sending these out so quickly.

So let's start with the nog! The words "out of this world" come to mind. If you love your nog thick, creamy & nutmegy then this is the nog you've been waiting for. It's so good!!! I think it's the new standard for Vegan nog.

The mint chocolate was not as thick as the nog but it was equally delicious. I liked this better then the soy mint chocolates of the past because it didn't have the "beany" soy flavor. The mint was refreshing. You'd almost think they crushed candy canes to provide the mint flavor. If you love mint and chocolate, you'll be in heaven.

So when you're looking for holiday beverages, make sure you try both new flavors of So Delicious. I think they knocked it out of the park - even Santa is gonna want to chug this.

Food For Lovers Vegan Queso

A couple of months ago at Vida Vegan Con, everyone received a jar of Vegan Queso from Food For Lovers. I'd heard of their Vegan Queso before but it's not available in Omaha and I just never got around to ordering it. Everyone I know has raved about how delicious it is, so I was pretty impatient to try it myself. Also, I was lucky enough to meet Chris and Crystal, the owners of Food For Lovers, who were super awesome and sweet. In no way did their sweetness influence my review, it's just nice to see a Vegan-owned business that cares about their customers.

A disclaimer: YOU WILL EAT THE WHOLE JAR IN ONE SETTING. I promise you. There is no way not to. I told myself I would spread it out over a day or two. NOPE. I don't know what they put in this stuff but it's mad addictive. The Queso is soooo good. Tangy, spicy and silky all at the same time. I threw some nacho chips in a bowl with some hot Queso, and topped them with some fresh tomatoes. It was heavenly!!!

So, I know I'm like the 100th Vegan blogger to tell you to go buy some Vegan Queso, but you've really got to try it. In fact, I'm going to contact my local Whole Foods today just because I love it so much. And last but not least, if you have been enjoying Randomofo.com during this years Vegan Mofo, you have Chris & Crystal to thank! You two are some amazing Vegans!!!

Annie's Organic Orchard Fruit Bites

I've been known to forget to eat my daily allowance of fruit. It's not that I don't like fruit but unless it's a banana or already cut-up, I'm pretty lazy. So when I saw that these Annie's Organic Orchard Fruit Bites have one serving of fruit per pouch, I was pretty stoked.

The three flavors I purchased were strawberry, grape and apple. Shapes of the bites varied from the Annie's Bunny, a star and a flower. Taste-wise I enjoyed the grape the most. All three tasted really good and very natural. Not too sweet but sweet enough to be considered a treat. These are something I could throw in my lunch box and leave in there until I need a sweet snack.

Divvies Halloween Candy

I reviewed some chocolate bars from Divvies earlier this week and it got me thinking, what else do they make that I might like? Well, I headed over to their online shop and I found some pretty cool Halloween candy. Not that I need more Halloween candy, but you might!

How about a couple of Vegan chocolate ghosts? Hell yes! The same great chocolate as the Divvine Chocolate Bar. Yummy.

How about a Vegan chocolate dinosaur? Kids will love this. It's so cute!

My favorite discovery is this blue rock candy. It tastes like cotton candy!!! I know it's pure sugar but yum city! LOVE IT.

Cluckphrey Vegan Patties

When it comes to Vegan chicken I haven't had much luck. I do like Gardein's Seven Grain Crispy Tenders A LOT but that's about it. My girlfriend has an affinity for a brand called Cluckphrey from Food For Life. Up till recently I wouldn't go near them. I'm pretty picky about my lazy Vegan food and something called "Cluckphrey" just didn't appeal to me.

One fateful night I was home alone and there wasn't much in the fridge. I took a peak in the freezer and scanned my options and saw a box of Cluckphreys. I thought about it for a sec and just decided "what the hell" and cooked one up. I was taught that the secret to a great tasting Cluckphrey is to cook it in a skillet with a tiny amount of oil. Apparently microwaving them makes them soggy oggie.

Well guess what? It was pretty damn good! I dressed it up with Vegenaise, tomato and lettuce and had some fries on the side. Easy, lazy and all that. Since I cooked the patty in the skillet it was nice and crispy. It reminded me of a High School cafeteria chicken patty, in a good way. Very tasty! So if you are looking for a nice chick'n option, take a look at Cluckphrey.