Sweet & Sara Halloween Marshmallows Treats

Happy Halloween everyone! Without a doubt, Halloween is my favorite holiday. Candy, costumes, scary movies and jack-o-lanterns...what's  not to love? Sweet & Sara Halloween Marshmallow Treats are quickly becoming a Vegan tradition. Marshmallow Spiders, Bats, Ghosts and Cats are the standard for decadent Halloween loving Vegans. And you can't forget about Pumpkin Spice Marshmallows, Chocolate Dipped Pumpkin Spice Pumpkin, Marshmallow Pops or the Chocolate Dipped Rice Crispy Treats. I hope you got to try one or all of these treats this season. If not, there is still time! I mean, really it's never to late since everyday is Halloween as far as I'm concerned.

And this brings us to the last day of Vegan MoFo 2012! Thank you to everyone who followed me this month while I blogged my little heart out. Between the posts I did here, I also blogged for Vegan MoFo and Vegan Omaha. Quite the busy month! I hope you had as much fun as I did. Enjoy the rest of your Halloween and watch the Magic Pumpkin....watch....
 

Amy's Organic Beans & Rice Burrito

In the last three years, I feel like I've represented all of my favorite Vegan convenience foods. From Uncle Eddie's Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, to Upton's Seitan Tamales to So Delicious Almond Milk Ice Cream Minis, I feel like I've been covering my bases. Well, shockingly, there was one glaring omission. Amy's Organic Beans & Rice Burrito! For real, I eat that thing all the freakin' time. How have I not blogged it yet? Maybe I take it for granted? I have no idea, but I'm glad to finally show my love for one of the best Vegan convenience foods EVER.

So, there are many way to eat an Amy's Beans & Rice Burrito. My favorite way right now is to simply douse the burrito with Frank's Red Hot. I also love it with Food For Lover's Queso on top with lettuce and tomato. To those who have never had the pleasure of eating a Beans & Rice Burrito, it's got lots of flavorful refried pinto beans and yummy brown rice. Not spicy at all, which is great because you can dress it up how ever you want. On the nutritional tip, you are looking at 10 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber. A pretty nice meal when you're in a jam. And don't forget to save those burrito wrappers for Amy's Points! Thank you to Amy's for creating one of my all time favorites.

OCD Sweet Stix aka Vegan Twix

A couple of months ago, I was able to sample the amazing "Vegan Twix" from Obsessive Confection Disorder. They're called Sweet Stix and they're something I've been waiting a long time for! Twix was always one of my favorite candy bars, so I've been pretty bummed for the last 10 year or so. But thanks to Melodi, I can stuff my face with delicious Sweet Stix!

Rich and buttery caramel makes Sweet Stix light years better than your old boring Twix. Handmade with love, these Stix are wide and chubby, not the long and skinny bars of old. Also, I enjoy the high quality chocolate and assorted natural ingredients that make it so tasty. Four Sweet Stix come to a box but I guarantee you will inhale them right away. 

So if you've been longing for your Twix fix, the answer is finally here!

Koyo Tofu and Miso Ramen Noodle

Growing up in the 80's, I used to eat packages of supermarket ramen noodles like there was no tomorrow. Ramen was super cheap (like 10 cents when on sale) and super easy to make (an eight year old kid could make them). If there was nothing else to eat in the house, you always knew you had ramen. Fast forward 26 years...I still love ramen, but I'm not as impressed with supermarket ramen because of the gross ingredients. Fortunantly, Koyo Tofu and Miso Ramen Noodle fills that void.   

I know you're saying "John, supermarket ramen noodles are supposed to be a little gross." Yes, but I don't think it's too much to ask for decent ingredients with lots of Vegan choices. The Tofu and Miso Ramen tastes like a classier version of what you grew up with. Baked organic noodles, little tofus, and no additives, preservatives or msg. My only complaint is that the portion is kinda tiny and I inhaled it. You're probably going to need two packages for a meal. And the best part is the wealth of different flavors. You don't like miso? No problem, there is also Mushroom Ramen, Seaweed Ramen, Asian Vegetable Ramen, Lemongrass Ginger Ramen, Garlic Pepper Ramen and Soba Ramen.

So if you miss ramen noodles and want a ton of Vegan choices, I think you will appreciate the line of Koyo Ramen Noodles and especially the Tofu and Miso Noodle!

Saffron Road Dates, Tamarind & Walnut Appetizers

Every once in awhile, I come upon something that doesn't fit into a particular category. The Dates, Tamarind & Walnuts Hors D'oeuvres from Saffron Road are kind of all over the map. It's a pastry that has sweet and savory features, which could be either an appetizer, main dish or dessert.  But no matter what you call them, for whatever occasion, I think you'll enjoy them.

My first bite is telling me, "This is dessert!" The warm sweet dates, cinnamon, walnuts and phyllo pastry all melted in my mouth. I particularly loved the phyllo, because it's something you don't see in a lot of Vegan frozen foods. Once I had a couple more, the tamarind taste became more apparent, and now I felt it was a proper savory appetizer. I ate them on their own, which you can do, but I'd love to see what other people eat with the Saffron Road Hors D'oeuvres. Either way, I think you will enjoy this complex and refined appetizer!

Rescue Chocolate Peanut Butter Pit Bull & Foster-iffic Peppermint Chocolate Bars

There is nothing better than eating something you enjoy and being able to help a cause. Well, every time you purchase a Rescue Chocolate chocolate bar, 100% of the net proceeds go to animal rescue groups. As someone who went Vegan for my cat, I really appreciate businesses that support animal groups. And as if that wasn't enough, the candy bars are slammin'!

This bar literally melted in my mouth. It was really soft with just a hint of crunch. A peanut butter center with chocolate on the outside. My only complaint is that it's so good that I need more than one! A pb lover's dream.

A yummy dark chocolate bar with peppermint notes. I would have liked a bit more peppermint flavor but it's a minor quibble. I like that you can break this bar into squares very easily. Although you're just going to eat the bar all by yourself, right? So, next time you are jonesing for chocolate and or candy bars, check out Rescue Chocolate!

Earth Balance Organic Coconut Spread

When I was at the Toronto Vegetarian Food Festival this year, one of the samples I got to try was the Earth Balance Organic Coconut Spread. I've seen it in the store before, but I'm not a huge Earth Balance/ Margarine person. The sample I had in Toronto really blew me away! When I got back to Omaha I bought a tub because I was so impressed. 

As you can see, the spread is white as snow. The flavor is obviously heavy on the coconut, which is good as long as you like coconut. It melts in your mouth!

You can use the Coconut Spread for many things, but my personal favorite has been on toast. Eventually I'd like to use it on something sweet. Cornbread, pancakes, banana bread? I think the sweetness plus the coconut flavor would be divine. I makes you wonder what new coconut product will they come up with next?