London 2013

I've always wanted to go to England. Part of my being owes a debt to a place I've never been. So many of my favorite bands originated here (Pet Shop Boys, Iron Maiden, Carcass, Talk Talk, Pulp....I could go on forever) and my favorite TV show The Prisoner starts and ends in London. Also, the original Star Wars Trilogy was filmed at Elstree Studios. And most obvious, Veganism has its roots in England; the word was coined there in 1944. So in short, I've been waiting a long time to visit. Isa and I didn't get to do half of what we wanted to, but we'll have to come back soon. Here's a tiny recap of what we did get around to. If you've never been to England, hopefully this blog post encourages you to go. We were in London mostly, but I hear there are other Vegan-friendly cities in traveling distance.    

More than likely, you're gonna have to fly to England. Well, if you called ahead (and call again right before the flight) you should be able to get Vegan food on the plane. We took British Airways and got first class treatment. The food was better than expected and the attendants were super helpful. We received 2 square Vegan meals on the 8 hour flight. Off to a good start! 

We ended up staying in Camden, but we were all over London. I think I hit up every major Whole Foods and obviously I saw tons of new stuff. You gotta love it!

One thing that I have seen before is Isa's beloved Vegusto cheese from Paris. Who can forget? It's not my cup of tea, but I seem to be in the minority.

Another reason I was stoked about the trip is that Quarrygirl moved to London and was going to hang with us. To finally put a face to the infamous Vegan Beer & Pizza blogging Queen was exciting. Well, I'm happy to report that she is one of the nicest people I've ever met. The trip wouldn't have been the same without her tips and company. Nevermind that she gave me this bundle of Vegan goodies....that's besides the point! She's rad and I can't wait to hang again.

You know, if you're going to England, you have to eat Fish n' Chips. Well in this case, Vegan Fish n' Chips! There were a couple places that had it, but we ended up at a Loving Hut. Basically, it was breaded fried tofu and fries. It was pretty good! So I got that out of the way. I also had a lot of inSpiral Cafe because our hotel was close. Manna was delicious too. Oh, and I finally got to meet Jojo aka Vegan in Brighton at Mildreds! Both Manna and Mildreds offered Great Britain's signature Bangers & Mash. There's no shortage of Vegan eats in London, but my favorite of the favorites was...

Amico Bio! I don't know if it's because I never get good Italian food (minus Portobella and Isa, of course) but I tore both locations UP! We ate there three times and I loved it. My favorite was the John Lennon Pizza and the onion rings. And putting the onion rings on the John Lennon Pizza. I can't recommend it enough.

One of the most exciting parts of the trip was Isa's book signing at Ms. Cupcake. If you're seen my Laziest Vegans Top Ten blog post with Mellissa or seen Quarrygirl's YouTube video, you can probably tell Mellissa is a kind, genuine person and a riot to hang out with. The Ms. Cupcake staff was super cool and the shop was so cute, plus it's a good reason to visit Brixton. A MUST SEE.

Really close to our hotel in Camden Lock was this little shop, Cookies and Scream. They had some outstanding baked goods including donuts! But their claim to fame is the Wookiee, which is a bar with double choc-chip and thick chocolate. There's even a chalk board to keep track who can eat it the fastest!

So that's the trip in a nut shell! Bottom line is if you're Vegan you have to visit England in your lifetime, especially London. Lots or history, art, culture, music and of course food!

The Laziest Vegans Top Ten Asks Angela Gossow

I've always been a metalhead at heart. You know, that kid you made fun of in 1993 for wearing an Iron Maiden t-shirt in high school? Yeah, that was me. One of my favorite groups at the time was Carcass. I thought it was cool that they used gross/disturbing imagery and lyrics, yet they were self professed Vegetarians. Well, Carcass disbanded a couple years later and I was pretty bummed.

Fast forward to the early 2000's. One of Carcass's former guitarists, Michael Amott, was looking for a new singer for his band, Arch Enemy. Angela Gossow stepped into the role and helped create the classic album Wages of Sin. From that album on, I've been a huge Arch Enemy fan. I finally got to see them live a couple years ago in Denver and they blew the stage away! On their last album, Khaos Legions, Angela penned a song about animal experiments and torture called Cruelty Without Beauty. It has a great message and it's a wicked tune. But what I really wanna know is what kind of cookies does Angela like?

What is your favorite store bought veggie burger? 
I don’t eat veggie burgers. Too industrialized and over processed. I don’t eat any soy products to begin with.. Soy disrupts the natural hormone balance in the body due to its high content of soy-isoflavonoides which are natural estrogen triggers.

What is your favorite frozen dinner?
I love frozen veggies on tour. Easy to heat up and with a few spices you got a healthy, lean dinner.

What is your favorite ice cream?
I don’t eat ice cream as its either made from milk or soy milk and got a lot of sugar in it.

What is your favorite chip or cracker?
I love the veggie chips made from beetroot, parsnip, yakon, etc.. and plain kettle cooked potato chips. Only in small quantities though as chips have a crazy amount of fat!

What is your favorite cereal?
Plain oat meal. I add pumpkin seeds, raisins and a fresh cut apple to it.. and a dash of cinnamon - total comfort food! Great when you are stoned, haha.

What is your favorite candy?
I don’t eat candy.. If any, 80%-90% dark chocolate with no sugar added. Best are raw cocoa nibs.

What is your favorite cookie?
I only eat self-baked space cookies, haha.

What three pre-packaged food items would you take to a desert island?
There, I'd go for high calorie food items in case I get stranded on that island.. I am hoping the island got plenty of wild growing fruits, roots and veggies! I'd bring Nuts, oatmeal and dark chocolate.

Name a product you would like Veganized?
I am not really into processed and artificially created foods. I eat 90% of my food in the raw, untreated state. I think there is already enough food creations out there.. too many actually. People forget how great a simple apple tastes or a mango or grapes. Nature is the best cook! The more natural, the better for the body and for the environment.. The more manufacturing processes a product has to run through, the bigger its CO2 footprint! And we really need to reduce carbon emissions - so start with the food you eat!

What are your favorite local and/or online stores for Vegan products?
I love Whole Foods Market.. A fantastic choice of fresh produce plus a fantastic salad bar. A real treat on tour!

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