The Laziest Vegans Top Ten Asks Ginny Messina

Ginny Messina is a registered dietitian and is the creator of the website, The Vegan R.D., where she talks about Veganism and how it relates to your health. She is also an author, co-authoring the books Vegan For Life, Vegan For Her and Never Too Late To Go Vegan. I've followed her on Twitter for a while and I like that's she very informative and knows her stuff but still knows how to party. Also, Ginny is a cat lover and volunteers at her local animal shelter and is involved in feral/spay/neutering programs.

So I've always been curious about what kind of Vegan goodies Ginny likes. And now we finally get to know!    

What is your favorite store-bought veggie burger?
I just tried the Gardein sliders (chicken variety) and they are pretty great. But my favorite vegan meat is actually a sausage product—Field Roast Apple and Sage Sausage.

What is you favorite frozen dinner?
Tofurky Chik’n Pot Pies. Comfort food at its best!

What is your favorite ice cream?
I’ve been a Tofutti Cutie fan for a long time and I especially love the mint chocolate chip variety. I like that they are mini ice cream sandwiches, so I can have one for a treat without too much guilt. And they are really good!

What is your favorite chip or cracker?
Stacy’s Simply Naked Pita Chips. Talk about hyper-palatability. I can’t have them around but buy them once or twice a year for parties.

What is your favorite cereal?
I’ve never been a fan of cold cereals, although I occasionally eat them as a snack—never for breakfast. I do eat rolled oats in soy yogurt every day, so guess that’s my current favorite.

What is your favorite candy?
Go Max Go brand Mahalo bars. A decadent, but compassionate alternative to Almond Joy.

What is your favorite cookie?
I love the accidently-vegan Maple Leaf Cookies from Trader Joe’s.

What three pre-packaged food items would you take to a desert island?

Tasty Bite brand Chunky Chickpeas (I buy them at Costco); Trader Joe’s Rice Medley, made with brown rice, red rice, and black barley, and cooks up in 3 minutes in the microwave; Peanut Butter and Company’s Dark Chocolate Dreams.

Name a product you would like Veganized?
It’s been wonderful to see the selection of vegan cheeses growing and improving, through both commercial products and great recipes. But we still don’t have a good vegan brie. I can’t say I actually ate brie that much in my pre-vegan days, so it’s not as though I especially miss it. But it would be great to serve one up for omnivores at a party.

What are your favorite local and/or online stores for Vegan products?
My local food co-op has a reasonable selection of vegan foods even though their philosophy tends toward the “happy meat” perspective. I also find good vegan choices at the local Safeway and at Costco and Trader Joe’s. For harder to find items, I am very grateful for online vegan stores like Pangea and Vegan Essentials.

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

The Laziest Vegans Top Ten Asks Danielle Konya

Danielle Konya is the founder and owner of Pennsylvania-based baked-goods empire, Vegan Treats. Founded in 1998 and located in Bethlehem (cue Billy Joel's Allentown), Vegan Treats is one of the top Vegan bakeries in the world. From cookies, cakes, cupcakes, doughnuts, rolls, CANNOLI, pies, cheesecake and recently, ice cream, Vegan Treats does it all. Danielle loves animals, (especially great apes like orangutans, gorillas and chimpanzees!) and has dedicated her life to help people switch to a Vegan lifestyle. There's no better way than to make amazing Vegan desserts!
  
One of the first times I went to New York, I had a Vegan Treats Red Velvet Cake from Atlas Cafe and thought it was amazing! Ever since then, I've always been on the lookout for anything from Vegan Treats. Unfortunately, Omaha is out reach for most things (except for the Vegan Cannoli that can be shipped right to your house for Thanksgiving!!!) so I have to live vicariously through the Vegan Treats Facebook page. Now, the question that everyone wants to know is, what kinda of pre-packaged cookie does Danielle like?

What is your favorite store-bought veggie burger?
I REALLY like Gardein Sliders. I bring those to the bakery for a fast lunch on occasion! Now they came out with new “chicken” ones, mmmm…. SO GOOD!

What is you favorite frozen dinner?
Tofutti Pizza Pizazz. I’ve been enjoying these on occasion for over a decade.

What is your favorite ice cream?
So Delicious Turtle Trails! Caramel and chocolate, need I say more.

What is your favorite chip or cracker?
Baked Ruffles, I’m addicted. What’s up with the new, small bags?

What is your favorite cereal?
I will eat one cereal for six months straight before moving on to a new cereal (for another six months). Right now, it’s 365 Frosted Wheat Squares. They’re delicious! In another month or so I’ll have to pick a new one, I guess. haha.

What is your favorite candy?
Thumbs Up (vegan Butterfinger bar) by Go Max Go Foods. I love all of their candy bars. They’re also my favorite airplane and movie snack.

What is your favorite cookie?
Uncle Eddies. It’s a toss up between Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip and Oatmeal Chocolate Chip. It’s such a rare occasion that I find them, though. The scarcity makes them taste even better!

What three pre-packaged food items would you take to a desert island?
Obsessive Confection Disorder Caramels! Wow, so good. If you haven’t tried them yet, you absolutely need to. I had those sea salt caramels in my pocket while trekking for orangutans in Indonesia, that’s how much I like them. Baked Ruffles, I wasn’t kidding when I said I was addicted. Australian vegan nougat made by the Australian Nougat Company. I think you can buy it on Vegan Essentials- you need some!

Name a product you would like Veganized?
The child in me really wants Lucky Charms! Those fruity freeze-dried marshmallows are a fond memory of my childhood and I crave them every time I’m looking for my new favorite cereal.

What are your favorite local and/or online stores for Vegan products? Pangea, Obsessive Confection Disorder and Vegan Essentials.

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

Vegan Supplements

I guess you can say I'm pro-supplement. Besides the fact I drink Vega everyday (well almost), I also try to take a daily vitamin, an Omega-3 and a B-12. Some days I forget but that's life! Sure you can't live on supplements alone but they can augment a normal Vegan diet. Please consult a doctor before taking any kind of vitamin or supplement. I'm not a professional!!! Here are some of the things I like and use on a regular basis.

Deva is one of the best companies around for Vegan supplements. The two I take on a normal basis are Coenzyme Q10 and B12. Other supplements Deva manufactures are Vegan Multi-Vitamins, Vegan Essential Fatty Acids, Vegan Glucosamine, Vegan Calcium and Vegan Herbal Supplements.

The Omega 3 Capsules from V Pure. I've been taking them for about a year or so. Do they help my well being? I think so but try them for yourself and see. A great way to get your Omega 3 fatty acids.

Pangea's Vegan Life multi-vitamin is the first Vegan vitamin that I ever bought and I'm still with it. You're suppose to take three vitamins a day but I usually end up just taking one. Note that the bottle shown has added iron. Typically the only people who need added iron are premenopausal women (aka not me!).

So there you go! What kind of Vegan supplements do you take?

The Laziest Vegans Top Ten Asks Sara Sohn

Sara Sohn is the genius behind the Vegan marshmallow company Sweet & Sara. She has been making Vegans happy since 2005 with some of the most delicious and decadent desserts out there, from her peanut butter smore to her rice crispy treat. Vegan since 13, Sara set out to fill the Vegan marshmallow void. Taking over a year to get the perfect recipe, she unleashed her marshmallows unto the public. Now Sara shares with us her favorite Vegan goodies (besides her own of course!). It is with extreme pleasure that I bring you Sara Sohn!

What is your favorite store-bought veggie burger?
Not into veggie burgers too much but if Boca is grilled right it can be pretty darn good. I'm more of Chik'n burger kinda gal – the Boca Chik'n patties are awesome.

What is your favorite frozen dinner?
I used to live on Celentano Eggplant Rollettes but I think those don’t exist anymore but who cares because Tofurky Pizza is where it’s at. I cried when I first had one. Mmm

What is your favorite ice cream?
There’s nothing like Lula’s. I've trekked through blizzards, braved horrendous rainstorms, and endured blistering heat waves just to get my ice cream fix, no joke – it’s one of the happiest places on Earth. I'm there every Friday – see you there? When I cant get to Lula’s, I go for Purely Decadent coconut based Vanilla or Turtle Trails – near perfection.

What is your favorite chip or cracker?
Oh man, I'm a sucker for chips. Wanna be my bestie? Get me a bag of Lays BBQ chips or Tings. EcoPlanet “cheddar” crackers are crazy dangerous, I've eaten an entire box in one sitting and then eyed the other one.

What is your favorite cereal?
Peanut Butter Panda Puffs + Gorilla Munch + almond milk =breakfast of chimpions. I mean champions.

What is your favorite candy?
Besides Sweet & Sara vegan marshmallow goodness? Go Max’s Peanut Butter Cleos, Eli’s butterfingers, and Skittles, now that they’re gelatin free!

What is your favorite cookie?
Not too exciting but I think Whole Foods makes the best chocolate chip cookie ever. And Im obsessed with the Q-bel chocolate hazelnut wafer cookies.

What three pre-packaged food items would you take to a desert island?
Alright, here we go. Guacamole. Justin’s Chocolate Hazelnut butter. Tofurky’s Hickory Smoked Turkey Deli Slices.

Name a product you would like Veganized?
Spam – I know, so nasty but I loved spam! I miss omelettes too. I also haven’t had a good white chocolate bar.

What are your favorite local and/or online stores for Vegan products?
Food Fight Grocery, Vegan Essentials, Cosmos Vegan Shoppe, and Pangea for online shopping and Lifethyme + Whole Foods for local shopping.

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

The Vegan Easter Bunny

I really didn't want to do an Easter candy post because I'm still on a sugar high from Valentine's Day but I saw Vegansaurus's post about Vegan Cadbury Eggs and I fiended out. If someone were to ask me what I missed from my pre-Vegan days, I would say Cadbury Eggs. So I wasted no time and ordered the gang of Easter candy from Pangea.

So these are the VeganSweets Vanilla Cream Eggs aka Vegan Cadbury Eggs. They are delicious and do taste similar to the real thing. Sweet and creamy just like I remember. I wish they had the yellow yoke like the Vegan Etsy ones but that's just nitpicking. I totally give these two thumbs up!

Next up is Sweet & Sara Easter Peepers & Skippers. A faithful reproduction of Peeps only better! Sara has reformulated the marshmallow recipe and it's better than before. On the packaging it says "Skipper is the name of Sara's childhood rabbit and is Sweet & Sara's mascot." How cute is that!

Who doesn't love a big chocolate easter bunny? This Chocolate Happy Bunny is made out of pure Belgian chocolate. I'm saving it for a friend who is going to house-sit for me but I'm sure it's delicious.

You really can't have Easter without jellybeans. I can't even remember the last time I had one. VeganSweets Jellybeans are fantastic and no one will notice that they are Vegan.

These Dandies Tweets are similar to the Sweet & Sara's Peepers but they have a lemon flavor. I really loved them! The lemony flavor was nice and tangy and had me wanting more.

Sjakk's Crunchy Peanut Butter Easter Egg rounds out the treats from the Vegan Easter Bunny. Beautifully decorated and packaged, I would describe it as a gourmet Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. So darn good!

The Laziest Vegans Top Ten Asks Gary Loewenthal

Gary Loewenthal is the central brain behind the Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale. The WVBS is a Vegan bake sale hosted by different groups all over the world, occurring between April 23rd to May 1st. In the first two years, the WVBS has donated $65,000 to different charities. Gary is also behind the non-profit Compassion For Animals. From Veganizing recipes on popular non-Vegan foodie websites, to doing good old fashioned vegan outreach on the streets of Virginia, Gary is a tireless advocate of Vegan food activism (and bunny rabbits!) But what kind of frozen dinner does he like?

What is your favorite veggie burger?

Any vegan burger from a burger joint that has a veggie option. The ready-made ones in the deli section of Whole Foods. I fear they're tasty because they're full of oil. Can I put in a plug for homemade veggie burgers? They're way under-promoted IMHO, and suitable for lazy cooks. Basically you mix everything together in a bowl, shape them into patties, then fry, bake, or broil them. There's a huge variety of recipes online and in cookbooks, so you're almost guaranteed to find one or three that you think are delicious.

What is you favorite frozen dinner?My wife and I probably rely a little too much on frozen Boca Chik'n Patties and Nuggets. But they're so handy! You can serve them open-face, on a bun, with barbecue sauce or secret sauce (Veganaise and Dijon mustard), topped with lettuce, tomato, and red onion, you can chop them up and put them on top of a salad - and much more!

What is your favorite ice cream?Purely Decadent with Coconut Milk - it's so rich and creamy!

What is your favorite chip or cracker?I know this is pedestrian, but I keep coming back to Saltines. Maybe it's because they're so neutral. Peanut butter, non-tuna salad, and everything else goes great with them. I like other flavors though, and buy them randomly.

For chips – Kettle brand; they’re so crispy! Addictive, too!

What is your favorite cereal?I like them all – I’m a cereal enthusiast! Various varieties of Bare Naked Granola are current favorites, but it changes over time. I find a midnight snack of Grape Nuts after a stressful day to be very grounding.

What is your favorite candy?The Go Max Go candy bars are rock stars, but I also like any bar that’s dark chocolate mixed with some other flavor – mint, lavender, raspberry, doesn’t matter – and dark chocolate assortments like you get in a gift package; those are fun.

What is your favorite cookie?I love anything homemade or bakery-made, but I haven’t found one packaged vegan cookie that I like. Friends say “You’ve got to try [fill in the blank], they’re so good!” And I try them and I’m like “eh.” For me, the gap between store-bought and homemade is huge. Possibly that was a subconscious reason for starting the Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale – I wanted the public to see how good vegan cookies and other baked delights could be.

What three pre-packaged food items would you take to a desert island?After I built my water purifier, I would want organic peanut butter, whole wheat matzoh, and mandarin oranges.

Name a product you would like Veganized?Girl Scout cookies – all flavors. Imagine if every March, all the tables selling Girl Scout cookies outside grocery stores were totally vegan. What a great run-up that would be to the Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale!

What are your favorite local and/or online stores for Vegan products?I’m biased toward Cosmo’s Vegan Shoppe and Food Fight! Grocery because I’ve been to the stores and met the owners and they’re awesome! For things like shoes where I have to shop in person, it’s Pangea in Rockville, Maryland. Shout-out to all vegan stores everywhere, many of which have hosted bake sales!

I love supporting all local businesses that add vegan products. And an all-vegan Loving Hut restaurant just opened about a mile from my house, so I‘ll probably be a regular for life.

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