Posts by brighteyes82

Here's my list of some vegan ready made junk food :)

Ghirardelli Hot Chocolate (Chocolate Hazelnut) is really good

Reese's Peanut Butter Puffs cereal and Cocoa Puffs

Nutter Butter Cookies

Famous Amos Sandwich Cookies (Chocolate)

Ferrara Wafer Swirls With Chocolate

Goldenberg's Peanut Chews

Keebler Vienna Fingers

Nabisco Teddy Grahams (Chocolate and Cinnamon)

Nabisco Uh-oh Oreos, Spring Oreos, Chocolate Creme Oreos, and Mint Creme Oreos

Nestle Double Chocolate Thin Mints

Mambas (chewy fruit candy)

Ghirardelli Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix

Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Chic-o-Stix (taste like the inside of a Butterfinger bar)

In response to mafium's great suggestion on the veg chili...here's what I did this weekend...

We had an awesome Halloween party and I made a "meaty" vegan chili. Most of the people didn't know or even ask what was in it and the entire (HUGE) pot of chili was gone by the end of the night.

I just sauteed some diced onions with green and red peppers and some garlic. I added some sea salt, fresh cracked pepper, cumin and lots of chili powder. I added a package of 'Smart Ground' veggie ground 'beef', some cans of beans (cannelini, black & kidney), a few cans of diced tomatoes (with jalapeno in them), some fire roasted chipotle salsa, and 1/2 a bag of frozen corn. Just before serving, I topped it off with some fresh cilantro and some chopped scallions for a bit of freshness. MMMmmm!

It came out really great, and people were either eating it by the bowlful or scooping it up with blue corn tortilla chips. Some vegan corn bread on the side also makes a great addition! It was pretty easy on the wallet as well...the 'Smart Ground' was a few dollars, the beans were probably 50 cents or so a can, the diced tomatoes were about a dollar each for very large cans, the corn was inexpensive, and the salsa and spices we had at the house already, so didn't cost me anything extra at the time :)

I made the best vegan 'cheap' banana bread yesterday while I was home feeling under the weather based on a recipe of Isa's on the PPK website.

• I took the 3 very ripe bananas that were on the counter, and mashed them up.
• I used 1 cup of all purpose unbleached white flour & 1 cup of whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup regular sugar and 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup Smart Balance Light (or use 1/4 cup applesauce & 1/4 cup marg.)
• Lots of cinnamon, and a little nutmeg, allspice and a pinch of salt
• 1/2 tsp of baking soda
• 1/4 cup of soymilk with a tsp of apple cider vinegar added (I used red wine vinegar since I didn't have apple cider and it was still awesome...it curdles the soymilk and thickens it to a 'buttermilk' like consistency)
• I toasted some chopped pecans in a pan and chopped up some dried cranberries as well to add into the mixture, and to sprinkle on top on the batter in the loaf pan

Then I sifted the flour and the spices together and creamed the smart balance with the sugar and added it to the mashed bananas and soymilk mixture.

I sprayed a loaf pan with some non-stick canola oil spray and preheated the oven to 350 and set the timer for 1 hour. I added the wet ingredients to the dry and mixed in most of the toasted pecans and cranberries. Once all of the batter was in the pan, I sprinkled the rest of the chopped pecans and cranberries on the top with some cinnamon/sugar and popped it in the oven for just over an hour.

It rose a lot in the oven, made the house smell amazing, and it tasted FANTASTIC...and it was super cheap! :) Big winner all around!

Wow, edamame3...there are a lot of great suggestions, thank you!

Also, beans! Cans of beans tend to run pretty cheap, and bags of dried beans, even more so. I use them to make all sorts of different things...You can make chili with black and kidney beans...Burritos - just add rice, lettuce, tomato and sauteed peppers and onions, maybe some guacamole and salsa...Hummus - awesome in wraps or used as a dip with vegetable sticks...You can mash any kind of beans together with spices and things such as leftover rice or breadcrumbs to make burger patties...You can mix beans with corn and salsa and avocado to make a good southwestern salad...There are lots of uses for them, and varieties which make it relatively easy to keep yourself from getting bored.

Soups, as mentioned above, the perfect fall/winter staple. So easy to make...I just saute some onions, celery, leeks, etc and add some vegetable stock in a pot and then add veggies like carrots, potatoes, corn, peas, whatever's around and on sale at the grocery store...and add spices to taste. You can puree it for a creamy soup...add a little margarine or ricemilk to make it creamier...or leave it chunky and hearty with some crusty bread. I also love butternut squash soup, we just roast it in the oven with a little vegan margarine on top and some cinnamon/nutmeg and then blend it together with a little vegetable stock until it's the right consistency and spice to taste.

I'm also on the bandwagon...I absolutely LOVE Purely Decadent Coconut Milk ice cream! I would agree that the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough is my favorite, along with the Mint Chip. It's coconut milk ice cream, so if you aren't a fan of coconut, you probably won't like it, as there is that underlying taste mentioned above...but I think it's to be expected.

What is the best thing I've had so far are the bars made from the same brand with the coconut and almonds, dipped in vegan chocolate...AMAZING! : )

Peanut or other nut butter sandwiches on whole grain bread - Love cashew butter :)

Avocadoes are a great addition to wraps and sandwiches, or made into guacamole with vegetable sticks for dipping.

Smoothies made with fresh fruit and the addition of soy yogurt, or tofu, banana and nut butters are great as well and easy for on-the-go.

The Marshmallow Fluff has dried egg whites in it, which is why it isn't vegan friendly :)

We've been whipping up a white bean spread to serve with crusty whole grain breads at dinner time...or to dip fresh veggies in...It's great when there's unexpected company...there's usually White/Cannelini Beans and onions on hand...

A can of Cannelini Beans, A medium sweet onion, EV Olive Oil, A splash of white wine, fresh lemon juice, minced garlic, salt and pepper to taste and Crusty bread, crackers or vegetable sticks for dipping.

Sautee the onions in the Olive Oil and garlic with some sea salt and fresh cracked pepper until slightly translucent and add the splash of white wine and cook for a few additional minutes. Add the sauteed onions into a food processor with the Canellini beans, squeeze some fresh lemon on top and add salt and pepper to taste. Blend and add a small amount of EV Olive Oil until the spread/dip is the consistency you want it to be.

Serve it with your accompaniments and enjoy! xo

I felt the same way when I first went vegan...that I would really miss cheese and other dairy products. I haven't even looked back honestly. If I get pizza, I load it up with vegetables and sauce and don't even notice the lack of cheese...If I get a burrito, I have it filled with beans and veggies and guacamole...there are lots of other creamy textures to make up for a lack of cheese. I purchased vegan cheese slices one time, and realized the food was better without it. I do like the Tofutti 'Better Than Cream Cheese' and I use that a lot...I also like adding avocado or hummus to sandwiches for a creamy texture as well. Instead of crackers and cheese, I have peanut or cashew butter instead, or a hummus or white bean spread.

For ice cream, I love the new 'So Delicious' Coconut Milk Ice Creams and bars...Tofutti is also great, and some of the Rice Dream products are pretty good as well.

Good luck! I hope you find something that will make you happy and satisfy your cheesy cravings :)

The nutritionist at my work recommends Spirutein Protein Powder.

I have yet to try it, but it's on my shopping list :) and comes highly recommended.

I am vegan as well.

This isn't directed at anyone in particular...Just as moderator of this forum I felt it would be a good time to say something.

As for being exclusive and having a thread for vegans only... I like to think that at least for myself, a vegan lifestyle is about being a compassionate individual and living the best life that I can, feeling good and being healthy. It's not about pushing my beliefs on anyone, or excluding people who eat honey or figs or meat from my circle, or conversation or forum on calorie count. No one in my family is vegan, none of my friends are  either and my fiance is an extremely compassionate intelligent and wonderful person who eats meat, and also happens to be fantastic at preparing and cooking vegan.

I do not intentionally consume use or eat any animal products. I'm sure you have swatted at a fly or a mosquito, is that not vegan as well? I will have a bit of honey on rare occasion. I don't purchase it, or seek it out, but if it is an ingredient in something that is vegan, I won't not eat it. How many bugs have you accidentally stepped on in your lifetime, or inhaled in your sleep unknowingly? There has to be a line somewhere as to how far a person can go, there's just so much you can do, and I don't think it makes you any less of a person, no one is perfect. We share our planet with millions of creatures and plants and living organisms, we as vegans or otherwise have probably without knowing it and unintentionally consumed something or done something not considered to be vegan-friendly. Will you not sit in your mother's car or on a bus if there are leather seats or a steering wheel? Break off a friendship with someone who wears suede boots...Not develop any family pictures, because there is gelatin in the processing items? We can only do what we can to be moral and compassionate people, I don't think it's fair to judge others who are also doing as they see fit to be the best people they can be.

I love that this is a place for people who are vegan, vegetarian, interested in veg-recipes or the lifestyle of being compassionate or health conscious to come and express their opinions and values, share recipes, and find support. Some people seem to get so caught up in labels and their frustration with others who follow their own rules. I myself do not consider fish or other animals to be vegetarian friendly fare, but I don't judge people who decide to eat them, make them feel guilty or bad about it and I do not think they are not compassionate people. I wouldn't close my mind to being friendly towards anyone or think that I am better than them, or more moral of a person. That seems to go against the vegan lifestyle that I am proud to represent and be a part of.

There's my earthy crunchy statement of the day :) Have a wonderful rest of the week!

I second the Clif Builder Bars. My fiance and I have them for breakfast each morning during the week. They have 20 Grams of Protein, 3 Grams of Fiber, 8 Grams of Fat & 270 Calories...They are the only bars that keep me full for a long time, and I love the taste. I buy the Vanilla Almond and the Chocolate or Peanut Butter, he really likes the Chocolate Mint ones.

I just made Carrot Cake Cupcakes recipe from the book "Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World" and EVERYONE (me, the one vegan) and everyone else (all non vegan) were amazed and surprised. I highly recommend anything out of that book!

That sounds delicious...I LOVE cilantro and cumin in everything and lime juice as well. I'll have to try that out.

A good strong cup of black coffee ;)