Eli's Earth Bars from Sjaak's

A couple weeks ago I got a surprise in the mail from my friend Amy who runs the awesome blog tahinitoo. I tore the package open and inside were three Eli's Earth Bars! Amy lives in the Vegan paradise known as Portland, Oregon and has access to stuff I won't see here in Omaha for a couple years. I honestly had never heard of these bars before but became excited when I read that they are produced by Sjaak's, who makes tons of excellent Vegan treats. What is also exciting is the fact that the bars are all organic and Sjakk's donates 5% of every sale to a non-profit charitable organization that benefits children. Pretty amazing!

Now to the nitty gritty. Obviously people will compare these to Go Max Go Bars but I think Eli's Earth Bars are good enough to stand on their own. Out of the three I would say the Treasure Bar was my favorite. Loaded with sweet pb crunch, it's definitely something I've missed in a Vegan candy bar. It melted in my mouth and was gone in no time. If you've had Sjaak's pb cups before then you know what I'm talking about.

My second favorite was the Celebrate Bar. I'm not usually one for coconut but it really hit the spot. It's definitely an Almond Joy descendant with crunchy almonds and soft coconut.

And last but not least is the Dream Big Bar. It has some of the elements of the Treasure Bar but a little too much caramel for me. But I did enjoy the addition of the peanuts, though. In all honesty, I would eat any of these bars at any time because they are delicious. You can purchase them at Food Fight, Cosmo's, Vegan Essentials, Pangea and even Sjaak's!

Kashi Mayan Harvest Bake

The Kashi Mayan Harvest Bake is one of the most unique frozen dinners I've ever had. The list of ingredients includes plantains, sweet potatoes, kale, polenta and pumpkin seeds. Definitely not your usual line up for a frozen dinner! As someone who has a handful of frozen dinner standbys, it was nice to mix it up and try something new.

What came out of the microwave wasn't as fancy looking as the picture on the box but don't let that fool you. If I were to describe the meal I would say it definitely leans towards Latin cuisine but unlike anything I've ever had before. I enjoyed all of the different flavors from the sweetness of the potatoes and plantains to the spiciness of the ancho sauce and the sheer number of ingredients made it very filling. My only complaint is that it isn't organic. Minus that minor gripe, I think this is one is a winner. I look forward to new and interesting offerings from Kashi.

Frank's Red Hot Sauce: An Addiction

I've never had a taste for hot, tear inducing food. Some might even accuse me of having a farmer's palate (you know who you are). My brother Doug for example loves to eat hot sauces and hot peppers for fun. I never wanted any part of it, mild is fine with me, thanks. But something odd happened about 2 months ago. While making some nachos with Amy's Traditional Refried Beans I noticed I was out of salsa. I was pretty bummed as I usually enjoy some salsa or taco sauce on top of my nachos. While looking in the cabinet I noticed an unopened bottle of Frank's Red Hot and that's when everything changed.

So I opened the bottle just hoping it wasn't too hot or gross. I put on a couple drops for a test taste. My first reaction is that it's hotter than what I'm used to but it wasn't so unbelievably hot that I couldn't eat it. I put a couple more drops on my nachos and I went to go eat. While eating the nachos I noticed that the taste of the hot sauce was actually addicting. I went back into the kitchen and checked the label for ingredients and was shocked that there were only 5 (Aged Cayenne Peppers, Distilled Vinegar, Water, Salt and Garlic Powder) and they were all natural! Needless to say I grabbed the bottle and dumped Frank's at will. The sauce encouraged me to eat more nachos until the whole can of beans were gone and half of the bottle disappeared.

2 months later I'm even more addicted than ever. I take a small bottle to work in my lunchbox in case I have the urge to dump it on something. My favorite thing to put it on besides nachos is Amy's Roasted Vegetable Pizza. I also sprinkle Frank's on tortilla chips, which is a nice snack. And don't tell anyone but I put a little on a gingerbread cookie (wow, I'm bearing my soul aren't I?). So I admit I have a problem, but I'm not hurting anyone else. Frank's has became a guilty pleasure that I never would have been able to predict and if nothing else, it really clears my sinuses! Stock up on Frank's Red Hot today!

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!

I Spy Mexican Vegan Treats

Back in March, I went on a cruise through the Caribbean. Stops included Key West, Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Cozumel. At each stop I looked for pre-packed Vegan food. I didn't have very much luck but it was still fun looking!

While in Cozumel, I ran across these chickpeas and peanuts from Fritehsa in a gift shop. I had my fingers crossed that they were Vegan and sure enough they were. The Strawberry Candied Peanuts were my favorite. Can you go wrong with sweet coated peanuts? Nope! I also enjoyed the Hot Chickpeas as they reminded me of spicy CornNuts. Yum yum!

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!

Salt Lake City Treasure Hunt

I took a short trip to Salt Lake City and I'm happy to report that it's very Vegan friendly! Great places to eat include Sage's Cafe, Vertical Diner, Evergreen, Este Pizza and City Cakes. I also spent a lot of time at the Trolley Square Whole Foods. While there I found a couple things I haven't seen anywhere else.

In the freezer section I spied these Raw Macaroons from Raw Melissa. They're straight outta Utah and pretty good! Coconutty goodness.

I've heard rumors of Chocolate Pirate Booty but I haven't seen this treasure with my own eyes...until now. Pirate Brands has made a nice twist on the existing Pirate Booty and they are addictive! Absolute chocolate heaven. Now Pirate Brands, pretty please put some more flavor on the Tings, thanks!

One of Annie Shannon's favs, I was excited to spot the Eco Planet Cheddar Crackers on the shelf. Growing up with Goldfish I needed to know if they were really the Vegan equivalent. It's my pleasure to report that they are! Cheesy with cute shapes, kids (and adults) will love these.

This Pacific Mango Macadamia bar from Bora Bora is one delicious snack bar. Flavorful Mango mixed with the crunchy macadamia was a pleasant surprise. It fell apart in my mouth, in a good way. I really enjoyed this!

Last but not least, Sharkies Berry Bites turned out to be one of my favorite finds. They are similar to Annie's Bunny Fruit Snacks (which I also love). Fruity and chewy and fun for big and little kids. Chomp!