Vegan Mofo 2012 #8 Vega Energy Bar Review

VEGA ENERGY BARS

I love love love these things. If you're away from home and don't have any vegan resources nearby, this bar will make you feel like you've just eaten a grand meal full of revitalizing nutrients. All of a sudden you're not starving, you've got more energy, and you can take on the rest of the day. Recently I went on a day-trip and the place that I went to didn't have much for vegans to choose from (MAYBE I could have found a salad somewhere...) and the Energy bar saved my life (at least, that's how it felt!). Anyway, I've only tried the berry flavor and I love it. They're chewy and flavorful but if you like a bit of crunch (as my boyfriend does) then bring a trailmix or a few nuts with you to eat along with the bar. If you haven't tried it, DO IT. I plan on going on a hiking trip soon and of course these will be in my pack!
Click here to view the website for Vega Energy Bars.

Happy Trails
--Kyndal

Vegan MoFo 2012 #7! Field Roast Celebration Loaf Stew!

Today I decided to try this Field Roast Celebration Loaf and I'm so glad I did! It has no soy and is full of nutrients and tastes amazing. I even tried it cold and it would make the best sandwiches. It has a texture similar to turkey. To see what I'm talking about and to find it near you, click here.

Field Roast Celebration Loaf Stew!

Field Roast Slices after baking. Yum!

What I did was throw it in a glass dish and baste it with some day-old home made soup. I put it in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20-30 minutes (as per the directions) and when it came out it was the perfect fall stew! Give it a try, it's completely worth the cost ($6-$7) and I could barely eat two slices so it will go a long way. Hope you enjoy it!

--Kyndal

Vegan MoFo 2012 #6 Vegan Chicken Scallopini

Vegan Chicken Scallopini with pasta and red wine/olive oil sauce.

Vegan Chicken Scallopini with pasta and red wine/ olive oil sauce.

To make:
Gardein Frozen Chicken Scallopini patties Click to visit the Gardein Website!
Annie's Red wine/olive oil dressing Click here! (It does contain soy, but I haven't found an alternative dressing. If you know one please let me know!)
Your favorite pasta.
Spices that you love; We use Citrus-A-Peel (Click me! ), pepper, red pepper flakes, paprika, all purpose italian, and whatever else we feel like throwing on at the time. All of our spices are organic.

If you use the entire packet of Gardein patties (4 total) you will only need about half a box of noodles or 1 cup. How much dressing and seasoning you use depends on your tastes and what you like. We simmer the frozen patties in the dressing as we cover them with spices and then flip to cook the other side and then cut them into small bite-size portions so that the oils and spices really soak into every side of the patties.
Toss in the noddles and stir and you are done! Make some toast if you like and chow down. Yum!!

Warning: This recipe contains soy. I haven't been able to make it lately so if you have an idea to make it without the soy-based products, please let me know! :)

Vegan MOFO 2012 #4!

VEGAN/ORGANIC GRAVY POTATOES!

It's like mashed potatoes and gravy, only the potatoes aren't mashed. Haha.


Ingredients: (*=Organic)
Potato, russet, diced (*)
Spices and Herbs (Simply Organic/Spicely *)
-Secret ingredient- Curry Powder ;) ..shhh..
Raw Coconut Oil (Artrisana *)

Bean Gravy:
Black/Red/Pinto/Garbanzo Bean Juice (*)
Spices and Herbs (Simply Organic/Spicely *)
Unbleached, Unrefined Flour (Arrowhead Mills *)
Coconut Butter (Earth Balance *)

If you already have some bean water left from cooking beans, save it for this gravy!

To Make Oven-Roasted Potatoes:

Turn oven to 400 degrees F. Dice your potato and place it in an oven-safe glass pan coated in coconut oil. Sprinkle on your spices of choice and put the potatoes right into the oven (no need to pre-heat). Check occasionally to mix up potatoes-some may stick. Oven times vary so to check that they are done (20-30 minutes) choose the largest piece of potato and cut into it (or you could always do a taste-test). If it smashes, it's done!

To Make Gravy:

In a small sauce-pan put two tablespoons of coconut butter, let melt. When it's pretty much melted, put two tablespoons of flour and stir until mixed. You are making a roux. Once combined, add at least a cup of bean juice (or more depending on how thick you like your gravy) and any spices/herbs you like in your gravy. I use Salt, Pepper, and even chili powder sometimes. Stir until it boils then take it off the flame and cover/let sit for a few minutes until it reaches desired thickness.

Pour gravy over potatoes and you are DONE! YUM!
(Optional- Take it to the next level with a few squirts of ketchup.)

Thanks so much for reading! If you have any questions or want to tell me how you liked the recipe, leave a comment! Subscribe (via Google Friend Connect or E-mail!) if you'd like to be notified of new recipes from Viva La Vida Vegan!

Have a great day!

--Kyndal

VEGAN MOFO 2012 #3!

RAW/ORGANIC/VEGAN CHOCOLATE TART!!!!!

Completely raw, and amazingly YUM!

I just throw a bunch of raw superfood powders in to give the tarts some taste dimension and extra vitamins but you can make the filling with only raw cacao powder and maple (and/or) agave syrup, and they will still taste great!


Ingredients: (* = Organic)

Filling: (Just mix everything together)
Raw Cacao Powder (Navitas Naturals *)
Raw Acai Powder (Navitas Naturals *)
Raw Lacuma Powder (Navitas Naturals *)
Raw Maca Powder (Navitas Naturals *)
Raw Goji Powder (Navitas Naturals *)
Raw Maqui Powder (Navitas Naturals *)
Raw Camu Powder (Navitas Naturals *)
Pure Maple Syrup ((Grade A) Shady Maple Farms *)
Raw Blue Agave Nectar (Ohgave *)

Crust:
Filling (*)
Raw Almonds, Crushed (*)
Raw Pecans, Crushed (*)

Topping:
Raw Walnuts, Chopped (*)

Get out a piece of parchment paper to place the tarts on and mix the almond/pecan flour in with some of the filling and mold into tart shape. You can use a small bowl or just your hands to mold them into a small bowl-shape. The smaller (bite-sized!) the better. Then pour the filling into the molded flour mixture. Put some crunchy walnuts on top if you like them. Then place the tarts on the parchment into the fridge to chill for a while. I like them super cold because the filling gets fudge-y. Yum!! 

They're so delicious and you can have as many as you want because of all the nutrients you get from them. It's my "This-feels-wrong-but-is-so-right" snack!

If you try it let me know how it works for ya!

Thanks for reading and happy Mofo-ing to all of you!

O.C.C. Lip Tar Review

Today's post is a product review! *Que cheering sounds* What I want to review is a new product by Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics.

O.C.C.-LIP TAR!

Lip Tar in-"Hush" shade.

I've been wanting to try them out for so long but I wince at the thought of buying makeup online. Unless you're a daring, lover-of-mystery type of person, I'm sure you like to actually see the colors before you buy them also.

I went to Sephora to exchange a product and met a great new girl who helped me out by showing me the Lip Tars before they've hit the shelves. I didn't ask her to, she just wanted to find me a new VEGAN lipstick so badly that she searched the entire stock room for it. I love this girl! Now that I think about it, the color pretty much matches exactly what's shown on the Sephora website. The tube looks dark and kind of dull but the lip tar goes on really bright and pretty. I'd have no problem ordering online now. (Funny how that goes.)

Anyhoosels....

I have medium toned skin, brown hair, and brown eyes. This is what it looked like on me:

Me wearing O.C.C. Lip Tar. 

It's very "peach" (almost too peach for my tone.) and nice but when I add a little bit of a berry color to the center it looks amazing. It comes with a little lip brush and even though it's only .33 ounces, the tiniest drop imaginable goes a LONG LONG way!!! I'm the girl that will spend a minute or more slathering my lips in balms and glosses because it takes a lot to get my lips covered. That fact is completely irrelevant with the lip tars! This tube is going to last me forever, I can just tell. Also, It was completely inexpensive given these details. I have paid way more for a lot less product from other companies. I also love that O.C.C. is 100% Vegan friendly. There's no guess work here. I will buy all of their stuff without a worry. I just love it!

All in all, my review is simple--GET IT WHILE YOU CAN! It's amazing stuff.

--Kyndal

By the way, this comes to my mind every time I think of "Lip-Tar":

(Reptar)

  

Am I the only one? Really? Oh...

Vegan MOFO 2012 #2!

Today I want to talk about a discovery that I made this week. I randomly found it whilst perusing the cereal isle at Whole Foods. I'm always trying to find something new without soy and I think I've found the ultimate childhood snack (In my personal opinion anyway!).

Vegan/Organic "Sugar Smacks"!!
(Nature's Path Organic Kamut Puffs)

The set-up. Obviously, I've eaten quite a bit of the cereal already! Read on for more pics.

Cereal with nutrition info.

What the bag looks like

Just One of the brands of Raw Agave that I like. (It has a pop-top so of course I love it!)

Do any of you remember eating sugar smacks as a child? It was one of my favorite cereals because well, it was my mom's favorite! The cereal is nothing but wheat BUT I like it that way because instead of ingesting loads of sugar, I can pour on some raw agave nectar (my favorite!). I know there is a lot of drama surrounding rice and all rice products right now (possible arsenic outbreak-google it), but Rice Milk is really my favorite so I splurged just a bit. Almond and coconut milk are really good too.

I know this post really isn't a recipe and doesn't have much detail but I had to tell someone about this find! Haha, I hope this helps anyone out there with a craving for "Sugar Smacks" cereal. Let me know if you can find it!

VEGAN MOFO #6!

Today's Vegan MOFO is:

BLACK BEAN SOUP W/CORN BREAD!!!

Vegan Black Bean Soup w/ cornbread and crackers.

Ingredients and Brands (* = Organic) Dry Black Beans, Cooked (Eden *) Celery (*) Red Bell Pepper (*) Carrots (*) Golden Potatoes (*) Tomatoes (*) Corn (*) Spices and Herbs (Simply Organic/Spicely *) Yellow Corn Mill (Arrowhead Mills *) Unbleached, Unrefined Flour (Arrowhead Mills *) Aluminum-Free Baking Powder ((Non-GMO) Rumford) Egg Replacer (Ener-G) Rice Milk (Rice Dream *) RAW Coconut Oil (Artrisana *) Corn (*) Red Bell Pepper (*) Saltine Crackers (Back to Nature *) To make the soup: Add a tablespoon of oil to a pot and cook the celery, carrots, and pepper for a few minutes on medium-high heat. Then add spices like Cumin, Black pepper, and chili powder. Next add about 2 cups of beans with as much bean juice as you can and stir. Heat that to a boil and then add in your potatoes and tomatoes. Boil for a few minutes and then turn the heat down to a simmer and simmer the soup while occasionally stirring.  While it's simmering make the cornbread.  1 Cup of flour 1 Cup of cornmeal 1 Tablespoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon of salt Mix those together Add in: 1 Cup of rice milk Egg replacer equivalent of 2 eggs (3 teaspoons replacer and 4 tablespoon water mixed together) 1/4 Cup of oil (we used coconut oil) Mix ingredients together and then add corn if you want. We cooked our corn from frozen with a little bit of butter and some red pepper flakes before putting it into the cornbread mix. Leave a bit of corn out to spread on top. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 or so minutes (until the cornbread starts to crack and you can stick a toothpick or knife in the center and it will come out clean). Add the corn to the top a few minutes before the cornbread is completely done. Voila'!

Like what you see? Feel free to leave a comment and subscribe for future updates!

<3 Kyndal

VEGAN MOFO #5

Today's Vegan Mofo is brought to you by my boyfriend Matthew.

MINI APPLE PIES!!!!!!!

Vegan Mini Apple Pies!

Cupcake….Cuppie Apple.. pie? .. ugh, MiNi APPLE PIE!!!

Yeah, let's stick with the whole 'Mini Apple Pie' thing. 

But yea, I think that these things speak for themselves!

--Matthew

I really don't even like Apple pie…. UNTIL NOW!!! He has truly converted me into an apple pit loving girlfriend. YUP!!

Ingredients and Brands: ( * = Organic)

The filling:

Golden Apples (*)

Cinnamon (Simply Organic *)

Nutmeg (Simply Organic *)

RAW Blue Agave Nectar (Ohgave*)

Pure Maple Syrup (Shady Maple Farms * Grade: A)

The dough:

Unbleach, Unrefine Flour (Arrowhead Mills *)

RAW Coconut Oil (Artisana *)

The cups:

Unbleached Chlorine-Free Baking Cups ( If You Care Brand)

We followed the recipe that's in Kim Barnouin's cook book titled "Skinny Bitch Ultimate Everyday Cookbook" Except that we halved the recipe and made four little apple pie cupcakes!

Invest in this book--it is WELL WORTH IT!!

About to go gobble up some Apple Pie!

<3 Kyndal

P.S. Today was a very sad day for the world as entreprenuer extrodinare Steve Jobs passed away. He's greatly missed by those who both did and did not know him personally. He changed many, many lives and taught us all to live each day like it's our last. It was much too soon for him to go. I hope to meet him one day chilling on his iCloud. Until then, I will reassure myself with the words he spoke to at the Stanford Commencement in 2005.



"Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."

— Steve Jobs, 1955-2011

Video of his speech found here:

Vegan MOFO #4

Today is National Taco Day! Yay! Jee..I wonder what we could make to celebrate?

VEGAN CHICKEN TACOS!!! 

The Ingredients

( * = Organic)

"Chick'n" Strips (Gardein) Tomatoes (*) Spices and Herbs (Simply Organic/Spicely *) Wrapped in: Tomato Basil Tortilla (365 *) With a side of: Refried Beans: Dry Pinto Beans,Cooked and then Mashed while frying in some of the bean juice. (Eden *) And Spanish Rice: White Jasmine Rice (Lundberg *) Bell Pepper (*) Spices and Herbs (Simply Organic/Spicely *) Who needs a spoon or fork with these chips!: Black Bean Tortilla Chips (Garden of Eatin' *) .. And no 'Mexican' dish is complete without the Rotel Dip!: Chedder "Cheese" (Daiya) Tomatoes (*) Jalapeño Pepper (*) Spices and Herbs (Simply Organic/Spicely *) Additional info:

-Basically make the vegan tacos the same way you would regular tacos. 

-When cooking the rice, add the spices before the water is completely soaked up.

-A fresh jalapeño and tomato in some daiya cheese goes a long way. (Don't forget to handle the pepper with care, it will stay on your hands for a while if not.) 

-I like to cut the chicken strips into small bites as I fry them to make them more dry and less rubbery.

- Did you know "refried"(beans) is a loose translation of the spanish term refrio? Refrio more closely means "fried well" instead of "refried" or "fried twice".

Hope you enjoy your tacos!

Secret: We initially created these Tacos on Monday but saved them for a separate post. Shhhhh!!

VEGAN MOFO #3!!

Today's Vegan Month of Food is: 

SPAGHETTI & MEATLESS BALLS!!!!

INGREDIENTS LIST (With Brand names)

(* = Organic) Whole Wheat Pasta (Delallo *) SAUCE: *Strained Tomatoes (Bionaturae *) *Jalapeño Pepper (*) *Spices and Herbs (Simply Organic/Spicely *) Meatlessballs (Nate's) BREAD: *Colorado Cracked Wheat Bread (Rudi's *) *Mozerella "Cheese" (Daiya) *Herbs (Simply Organic *)

How To: 

Proportions are all relative to how much you want. Want a whole box of spaghetti? Make an entire jar of sauce too. That sort of thing.

Throw some strained tomatoes into a pot and add Herbs like crazy. Basil and green pepper is what is normally used for an kind of marinera sauce. Oh if you like them, add onions first with a bit of oil and simmer until cooked. Anyways, once you put the spices you like into the spaghetti, cover it and simmer it on low heat.

While your sauce is simmering start boiling water for your pasta. And throw as many meatless balls as you want into the oven (read directions on package for temp and time).  Once your water starts boiling, throw in some pasta until cooke and mix everything together. Also you can make some toast in the oven if you like (and we do!) but don't forget to sprinkle some spices on them too. I also like to throw a little Daiya cheese on top and melt it for good measure. It's so good! Try it and let me know what you think!

<3 Kyndal

VEGAN MOFO #2!

For day #2 my boyfriend and I made FRIED PICKLES!! 

Vegan Fried Pickles

It's a complete southern favorite and not exactly the  healthiest thing you can eat but so what!? Nobody's perfect and these are the healthiest fried pickles you will ever eat! This is a recipe for  every-once-in-a-while when you just crave something fried OR for new vegans who are transitioning and miss fried foods. Frying in coconut oil seems strange at first...until you eat it! Try it and you will see what I mean. Coconut oil is loads more healthy than traditional vegetable oil, but if that's what you have then go ahead.

All you need is:
*Some rice milk (about 3 tablespoons for two small whole pickles) in one bowl. You can judge whether you need more or less.
*Some flour and cornmeal in another (about 2 tablespoons each) mixed with whatever spices you like. I used Cream of Tartar and All seasons salt.

*We like to bread our pickles twice before frying. Also, we just bought whole, organic pickles from Whole Foods and sliced them ourselves. It was worth it to find what thickness we liked the most.
*You don't need much oil, a few tablespoons should do.
*Get the oil to a medium to medium high heat and plop in the pickles. Remove them once they are as crunchy as you like.

The sauce:
We mixed Vegan mayo (I use Organicville mayo) with some relish (diced pickles), and equal parts of paprika, all purpose italian seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes, cream of tartar, and Bragg's Liquid Aminos (kinda like soy sauce), and all-seasons salt.

There you have it: Best Appetizer Ever! Hope you like it and if you try it, please let me know! :)

All of our spices are by either Spicely Organic Spices or Organicville Spices. Both are great!

VEGAN MOFO #1

The first "Vegan MOFO Post" is coming from last night's dinner.

Vegan Chicken Scallopini with pasta and red wine/olive oil sauce. MMM!!!

Vegan Chicken Scallopini with pasta and red wine/ olive oil sauce.

To make:
Gardein Frozen Chicken Scallopini patties Click to visit the Gardein Website!
Annie's Red wine/olive oil dressing Click here!
Your favorite pasta.
Spices that you love; We use Citrus-A-Peel (Click me! ), pepper, red pepper flakes, paprika, all purpose italian, and whatever else we feel like throwing on at the time. All of our spices are organic.


If you use the entire packet of Gardein patties (4 total) you will only need about half a box of noodles or 1 cup. How much dressing and seasoning you use depends on your tastes and what you like. We simmer the frozen patties in the dressing as we cover them with spices and then flip to cook the other side and then cut them into small bite-size portions so that the oils and spices really soak into every side of the patties.
Toss in the noddles and stir and you are done! Make some toast if you like and chow down. Yum!!

VEGAN MONTH OF FOOD

Today is the first of October! Which marks the beginning of Vegan MOFO! The challenge is to update your vegan blog everyday, maybe with recipes! I accept this challenge! But declare today a non-threatening, non-cooking day. Instead, I will tell you what I've been loving that you can buy pre-made at Whole Foods. 

The Mediterranean Crunch Salad! Find The Recipe Here! It includes Kale, Cucombers, Garbanzo (chickpeas) beans, Tomatoes, Broccoli, Olives, Red Onions, Red Wine Vinegar, Minced Garlic, Parsley, and Thyme. Sound AH-MAZING? Well, it is! Go try it. And there's even a coupon in the Whole Foods Whole Deal book for $2 off of a pound. And that is a LOT. I don't really like the olives but I do make a point to always ask for extra Kale. :)

Hope You enjoy!