Cashewgurt & Numista

The last several days or weeks have totally gotten away from me!  I knew for the last 5 or 6 days I wanted to post something but other things kept popping up!

Finally, as I get back into the swing of things and posting again I thought I would share a couple of things with you starting with this Cashewgurt!  Hillary has mentioned it on her blog a couple times or more and I was so excited I finally found it in my region!  Problem is - because I didn't blog about it right away - I can't remember if I found it at Wegman's in Lakewood or Buffalo Whole Foods!

Regardless, here are the two flavors I found and tried.  I enjoyed both of them.  I think the Strawberry was sweeter but I think the Blueberry was more intriguing.

The most important thing I want to mention here is the texture!  This has the best texture I have tasted to date when it comes to vegan yogurt alternatives!  It's not gritty or mealy or grainy.  It's completely smooth.  I do think it was a bit on the thin side but I would gladly have that over the goofy texture if you know what I mean!

In other news...

I know I have been blabbing about the virtual flags I have been collecting on my flag counter widget but over the last week I went 'dumpster diving' thru my old boxes of memories and found my Foreign Coins from over 20+ years ago!  They are from when I had over 120+ pen pals from around the world.  A few of them swapped low value coins with me.

I decided to finally catalog what I had which ended up being about 90 coins from 26 countries!  I used a site called Numista and it's a wealth of info - that is for sure!

Thai Tom Yum, Snowstorms, & Veganize It!

I had to order this Thai Tom Yum online because I haven't been able to find it in ANY of the stores I have been thru the last several months.  It's a vegan version of Thai Tom Yum and the brand is Dr. McDougall's.  I have to say - I am a fan!

It sure helped with the extreme cold we have experienced the last couple of days.  We had a back-to-back snow storm hit us with COLD temps.  Yesterday I don't think it passed the 15-degree mark.  When I was driving home it was 12.  Over the last 2 days, we have had between a foot and a foot and a half of snow so far.  Eventho I live in the snow belt I still don't like it. 

I've been doing a lot of thumbing thru my new vegan cookbooks as well as a lot of online research of recipes from different countries that I can try and veganize.  ANd speaking of Veganizing...look at my other new book!!  It has some really great ideas in there but there is a large fake meat chunk I will probably never do anything with.  I've also been able to collect a lot more flags on my flag counter which is really exciting!  HELLO to my newest visitors from the countries of Georgia, Albania, Cambodia, Armenia, Costa Rica, Libya, Mali, and United Arab Emirates.  I smiled when I saw newbies from Columbia, Djibouti, Timor-Leste, Serbia, Burundi, Greenland, Somalia, Algeria, Seychelles, and Palestinian Territory.  Plus my new friends from Malawi, Botswana, Ethiopia, and various islands including Pitcairn Islands, Virgin Islands, and Christmas Island.

2 Friday Finds!

I didn't plan on grocery shopping when I went out today but there were two things I couldn't pass up!  The first one was this Veggemo Milk.  I had not seen it around 'these parts' yet so when I saw it was vegan and made from Peas, Potato, and Tapioca I was intrigued!  From what I read online the texture is supposed to be similar to 2% Milk.  Not that I was really looking for that, but still.

The other item I couldn't pass up were Alyssa's Healthy Vegan Bites.  These are another new-to-me-product.  They were REALLY expensive but I figured I wasn't buying all that much and it would be my treat for the week.  You only get 6 small cookies in the package and I believe they were priced at $4.99.  As for the Veggemo the price was right in line with Almond Breeze Brand.  Oh!  I opted for the unsweetened one, by the way!  Have you had either of these items?  What are your thoughts?

I also thought I would take this time to welcome my newest visitors from Comoros, Iceland, Belarus, and Cocos (Keeling) Islands!  Thanks for stopping by!  I'm researching recipes from your regions and hope to veganize some of them soon!

I have 3 more books to share with you in the near future, too, but I wanted to give you more than 'just books' to see here on my blog this week.

Virtual Vegan Bookshelf & Shout Outs!

Just a mini post of sorts at the moment.  I might post another one later in the day, too!  Here is another book that has been on my wishlist for a long time.  The Vegan Stoner Cookbook.  No...I'm not a stoner.  But, I do find this book funny, cute, and interesting on several levels!  There are some real thrown-together dishes in this book and they are really speaking to me since I tend to throw oddball dishes together when I don't know what to make or really try and Eat From The Pantry!

I've been pondering another tab up top to create a Virtual Vegan Bookshelf.  I'm still trying to think how to tackle this project.  I would like to archive the books I have and display them here on the site, too!  I'm a visual person so I want to have photos of the book covers which is easy enough but with the books I want to include (all of the ones I have on my actual bookshelf at home), it will be a lengthy page for sure.

Another thing I will be posting about soon is FotoJet.  I have been playing around with the site and really LOVE some of the graphics I have been able to create while using the site.

Finally, I'm totally addicted to my new(er) Flag Counter and checking in often to see which new flags I am virtually collecting.  Over the last 2 or 3 days, I have had new visitors from Belize, Kazakhstan, Cyprus, Svalbard, Portugal, Poland, South Korea, Ukraine, Eritrea, and Brunei.  Thanks so much for visiting!  I have been looking into World Foods from those areas and would like to do veganized versions soon!  If you have any suggestions please let me know!

Daiya's Pumpkin Cheesecake, Around The World, & Letter Writing

I was FINALLY able to go grocery shopping this weekend!  YAY!  I was oh-so-happy to be able to shop at Wegman's and I can't wait to share my findings with you!  I'll start with this Limited Seasonal Daiya Pumpkin Spice Cheezecake!  

Yup!  I found it!  It was a delightful surprise to see it!  I know some of my buddies in larger cities and area might think I'm crazy but when I find things in my small(er) area I get excited!

I do, however, have a confession to make.  I ate half of this for dinner last night! Oops!  So...YEAH...I'm a fan!  It had 'just enough' pumpkin flavor and spice flavor, too!  It still tasted like a cheesecake but as you might know, it's VEGAN!  I would recommend this for those who enjoy pumpkin!

Another thing I would like to mention today is towards the bottom of my sidebar you will see I added a World Visitors graphic.  I have been searching for one of these for a while.  The others I didn't really care for but I'm totally digging this one so far.  I've always LOVED learning about different countries and cultures.  I think I mentioned it before, but when I was a teenager I used to have over 120 penpals from over 30 countries!  Which brings me to my next topic...

World Foods!  It's been a while since I have attempted to feature World Food Recipes that are vegan and I want to jump into that again!  I think these additions will inspire me to try new recipes and blog about them again.

And when it comes to letter writing, a while back Opal and I started writing to each other and I'm going to jump back into that again soon.  I have also been thinking about writing weekly letters to my niece Trinity, too!  I know she's only 5 months old but MAYBE my sister will read them to her and keep them for her.  I want her to know I think about her daily and show her how much I LOVE her.  I have been thinking of things that she and I can do when she gets old enough to understand.  I have a lot of ideas and I will surely share them with you once we are able to do them.

ALDI Locations & Vegan Options

The other day I blogged about a Vegan Kale Burger I found at my local ALDI Store.  After reading the comments and a few other notes I've decided to blog a bit more about about the chain.  More specifically about their locations around the world, a bit about their history, and more about the vegan options that they seem to be offering more and more each day!
Above you will see a cropped screen shot of the world wide locations that I was able to find.  I know it's a bit hard to see - in some browsers you can click on it to see a larger photo OR you can keep reading because I have some more info on the locations in this post.  ALDI was founded in 1913...YUP!  103 years ago!  By brothers Theo and Karl Albrecht.  In 1962 they split into two companies...Aldi Nord and Aldi Sud.  They are headquartered in Germany.

This next screen shot is from their Wiki Page and it shows the name they go by, which Aldi group they belong to, which year they started showing up, and how many outlets they have in that part of the world.  When you get to the bottom you will see in RED that The US Locations show 1,400 locations bare the Aldi name and an additional 418 stores have the Trader Joe's name.  The explanation of this on the Wiki Page says: "Both Aldi Nord and Aldi Süd also operate in the United States; Aldi Nord is owner of the Trader Joe's chain, while Aldi Süd operates as "Aldi"."  The closest Trader Joe's locations near me are in the Buffalo, NY, area which is about a 2 hour drive (maybe a little less), the Pittsburgh, PA, area which is about 2 1/2 hours from me, and the Woodmere, OH, area which is outside of Cleveland and just under a 3 hour drive from my house.  My local Aldi's is about a 5 to 7 minute drive from my house.  I have to say I would LOVE to visit Trader Joe's more often but since they are all over an hour and a half away that isn't always possible.  Aldi's is a great alternative.

Here you will see how many locations are in each state here in the US.

A few issues the chain has had to face is back in 2013 when that 'horse meat' thing was taking place it was found they were one of the many stores in GERMANY that were found to have products that contained Horse Meat instead of "Beef".  From the information I found this was the case ONLY in Germany.  They quickly made the correction.  As a vegetarian/vegan I don't eat ANY meat so whether it's meat from a chicken, cow, fish, horse, etc I won't eat it regardless.  But I'm very much FOR consumer rights and the right-to-know, overall, regardless if the consumer is a vegetarian, vegan, or otherwise so this was something that was chalked up as a negative in GERMANY that is for sure.

Another thing that some critics have swung at them for is selling 'cheap' products.  This doesn't bother me.  I am often a thrifty shopper and like a deal.  I know a guy here that won't shop at Aldi's because you have to deposit a quarter to 'use' a cart.  I laugh at this because I think it is genius for more than 1 reason.  One...you get your quarter back!!!!  That means someone who works at the store isn't out casing carts all day long!  This is one of the cause/effect things as to why they have so few employees working at the location at any given time.  And you know what?  Those employees are paid pretty well here in the US.  Higher than minimum wage.  About 10 years ago I saw a sign that starting pay was over 30k a year here AND there were benefits!  I don't know what the current wage is but they are historically higher than minimum wage from what I have read about the history of their company.

A fun fact...in December 2002, a survey conducted by the German market research institute Forsa found 95% of blue-collar workers, 88% of white-collar workers, 84% of public servants, and 80% of self-employed Germans shop at Aldi.  I'm NOT sure the percentages here in the US but you see all sorts of people in there - as well as vehicles in their parking lot - everything from motorcycles, to Corvettes and Mustangs, to SUVs, Trucks, and Vans, to clunker and junkers.  So I like that they smash the stereotypes of only a 'certain shopper' shops there.  

Another reason I like that they have 'rent a carts with deposit' is because it encourages conversation.  What I mean by that is when you go to get your quarter back there is often another person coming in and needing a cart - you can either give them your cart and save them a trip to the cart area and they hand you a quarter OR you can do a good deed for the day and tell them to keep their quarter!

One of the other ways Aldi is different from other stores - especially here in the US - is they are one of the few chains who not only ENCOURAGES you to bring your own bags (and reuse them) they make it hard for you NOT to which in turn is better for the environment.  They sell bags.  The canvas ones are HUGE and only $1.99.  I've bought several over the years.  They sell heavy-duty plastic bags for around 10 cents.  I am not completely sure about that because I don't by them.  They also have thicker paper bags with handles for around the same price.  They even sell freezer bags as an option.  If you don't have a bag and/or don't want to buy a bag there is another way to transport what you bought, too!  In the photo above you will see the products on the shelves...they are stacked in boxes.  At any given time you can find one that is empty or close to empty and grab it for your own personal use.

Another interesting tidbit is that Aldi's doesn't have a 'back room' or at least the ones I have seen haven't had them.  I think this is WONDERFUL...here's why...

When their trucks come in...they unload the trucks and the products are brought out on to the floor right away!  This is DOUBLY important when it comes to the produce!  Their produce is NOT laying in the back room somewhere until they find a spot for it - instead - it's comes off the truck and on to the floor right away!  End result?  You get fresher produce than in other chain stores.  SCORE!

Not only is Aldi's getting more and more vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options - they are bulking up and offering more and more organic options, too!

And speaking of Vegan Options...check out what Ireland did for the vegans there...they have a printable PDF of all of the vegan products they offer!  I have yet to find one for here in the US but I think it because it's constantly changing!
I'm grateful that I have an Aldi's in the small area I live in.  I know that more of them are popping up around the US.  I heard there is one opening in San Diego this month, too!  Actually you can see there are many opening in California and other states in their GRAND OPENING section of their website.

Oh!  I almost forgot - on the same site for the Ireland Vegans - they also have a Meat-Free Zone on their site, too!  Check that out here!

Their US website is a great resource, too!

In comments - let me know if you have one nearby and what country you are in!

The Bellamy Brothers Concert

Wednesday of last week during the Warren County Fair the featured band to perform was...The Bellamy Brothers!

I helped with the flow of the Meet N Greets prior to the concert and then helped with various things during the show so I didn't get to see much of their performance but the crowd LOVED them!  The 'house' was PACKED the whole time!

Here's a shot from the audience that a friend of mine took.

I also helped sell merchandise towards the end of the show.

New this year - is the front of the stage.  The wood is actually 29 years old and reused/repurposed from the Motor Sports Arena and was sanded and treated and it looks amazing!  The Cornplanter Stage Sign is new this year, too!

After the show the 'brothers' stopped over at the Entertainment Office (a new addition during last years fair) and signed the wall and a few other promotional signs we will be hanging on the walls in the coming weeks.

These guys sure were busy prior to visiting our county fair!  In about a week they traveled from Switzerland to Germany to Denmark to Norway and then to Pennsylvania.

I will be posting at least one more time today so be on the look out for that.  I have 2 more concerts to report on and will post in between other My Blissful Journey posts, too!

Up On The Roof

I've kind of been 'sitting on' these photos and this post for a few weeks so I figured I should probably blog a little bit about the space in which we will be trying to grow some fruits and veggies.  This is the roof area we will be trying to grow our Rooftop Garden.  We are still in the planning stages because of the awful weather we have been having but I think the first step is to start them indoors for 6 to 8 weeks and gradually bring them outside.  Eventho spring is only 16 days away it sure doesn't feel that way!  It was -9 this morning.  Brrr!

If you look at the very top of this photo you can see that 'our neighbors' also have a Rooftop Garden of sorts up there.  They have some trees in Rubbermaid containers.  I don't think they are doing any produce or flowers...just trees.  In the summer last year they had a table and chairs out there as well as a small grill.  Prior to last summer no one had been in that building for YEARS.  I'm glad someone is using it!  I think they might be vampires because we never see them during the day! LOL

Because this building is so old and looks 'pretty bad' we are going to have to give it some TLC but because we 'just work here' there isn't much we can do to it.  Sure...we can clean it up a bit but that's about it.  that's ok...I'm sure we can make something 'grow' in the meantime.  I think by bring some life to the rooftop it will make it look a bit better than it looks right now.  Like I said in previous posts - most of the things we will be using will be reusing and re-purposing such as old equipment that has just been laying around.

This office is only used once a month at the most so we are thinking about setting some of them on the windows for the 6 to 8 week period to tend to the seeds.  We do have other windows throughout that we might also use in this process.  More on that later.

I can't help but think of the song by The Drifters...Up On The Roof!  I'm hoping this will give us an escape or an oasis of sorts!

A little off topic but I did want to do some daily shout outs to those who visited from Brazil, Bahamas, Angola, and Bosnia & Herzegovina.  I appreciate you!  Feedback always welcome!  Have a great day!

Blog Randomness, Funnies, and Around The World Shout Outs!

Well, NOT 15...but a few!  I enjoy reading the search words and phrases that some enter to get to my blog!  Some make sense and others just leave me laughing and/or scratch my head.  Regardless here are a few that I have seen lately...

Wine Cork Leprechaun (Rock, Paper Scissors...I WIN!)

I'm So Irish My Liver Hurts (Well, LIVER alone!)

And While I Was Waiting (I waited LONGER?)

And speaking of looking at some Website Stat's...you know how I LOVE visitors from all sorts of countries!  It's not uncommon for me to see the following over and over and I appreciate them...USA, Canada, UK, Germany, Russia, Australia, China, Malaysia, Poland, Israel, Italy, Indonesia, Netherlands, etc.  But more recently I have seen more and more from...Morocco, Greece, Ecuador, France, Hong Kong, Jordan, Lithuania, and South Korea.  Now...I'm not saying those are the only countries that have people to visit me...just a few shout-outs to those showing up recently on my top hits!  Is your country not represented?  Let me know in comments!

Keywords, Q&A, and FAQ

I've been looking at my stats again and thought it might be a good time to do some 'explaining'.  Whether you have searched my site or searched the web and stumbled upon a post of mine I appreciate and welcome you!  Last time I did a bit of a techie post I shouted out to some sites I have received some visitors from as well as mentions from around the world.  Today I thought I would write a little bit about the things that have been searched for here.  Some of them have been "Cold Curried Beans", "Corona Beans", "Raw Stuffed Peppers", and "Pickle Power".  The latter made me giggle - I'm not sure why. 

One of the things I have been asked a lot lately as well as been receiving hits for is..."Are Wildtree Products Vegan".  As some of you know my mom, sister, and I are all Wildtree Reps.  The answer in simple form is YES...and NO!  As a vegetarian or vegan or even just a responsible shopper and consumer you should always read your labels!  With Wildtree they are very open about their ingredients and have always been all natural.  The end of last year they were certified organic.  There are many Wildtree Products that are vegan.  Others are vegetarian (but may contain dairy).  There are a select few that are NOT Vegetarian or Vegan...but again they are clearly marked in the ingredients!  One thing I have learned and LOVE is to NOT assume that something of theirs is NOT veg.  You will be surprised at just how many of them are!  If you have a question about a specific product PLEASE let me know.  I can help.  Also...my store/link is in the side bar if you would like to browse (or buy).  But I am low pressure so I will never twist your arm!

A few other keywords lately have been..."Healthy Vegan Cabbage Rolls", "Make Norwegian Sweet Soup", "Vegetarian Irish Stew", and "Vegan Meals In A Bottle".  This makes me wonder if I should start my Vegan Foods From Around The World Weekly Theme back up again...hummmm.  Speaking of Around The World - I would like to give a shout out to my readers in (of course the US and Canada) as well as Russia, Germany, Ukraine, the UK, Poland, Austria, France, New Zealand, and Switzerland!  AND...speaking of Shout Outs...another phrase searched, here, was "I Want Shout Outs".  Well, I have been known to give "shout outs" on my blog from time to time.  The best way is to first and foremost be a legit reader/visitor and not a spam3r.  If you visit often and have a blog of your own I will - probably - at some point - give you a shout out or two!  Thus far...my individual post/blog entry with the most hits of all time is THIS ONE.  It's wonderful because I LOVE that company and their products and have a few other products from them on tap for reviews down the road.

I will say that feedback-wise I have gotten a lot of positive feedback about my Mixed Media lately and will be doing more soon!  Thanks for all of the encouragement!  My friends and readers contribute to this truly being a "Blissful Journey".  I appreciate you all!