Many Vegan Aldi Finds...But Some Others, Too!

Over the summer I noticed yet another gas station chain that started carrying more random vegan things!  YAY!  This Willy's brand of salsa had 2 or 3 of them that I tried.  I have to say it's unlike other salsas and I truly believe it's because of their punchy-use of bold cilantro.  I know cilantro is one of those things that some people love and others hate.  I've always liked it but I can see in some cases where the over the top use of it could give certain things that soapy taste.  For some reason the loads of cilantro worked here.  They also seem to love garlic.  Lucky for them...I love garlic, too!

Here's a pic of the new, local Falafel that is being made in-house at Total Evolution.  It's also vegan and pretty wonderful!  This was a HUGE sandwich!  You can pick your own toppings for it, too!

Prior to August, this was our set-up for camping season.  Our new-to-us-but-gently-used 5th Wheel is on the left and my parents Jayco is on the right.  I don't especially like the specific spot we had this year or last year but I didn't complain too much either.

Here's another meal I grabbed at Total Evolution this past summer.  You can build your own wrap.  Most places that tends to be the vegan option around here but you basically get lettuce, tomato, and onion.  I then see if places have salsa or a balsamic for the dressing...BUT...with Total Evolution they have some really neat things to include.  This one contained their in-house hummus, carrots, greens, sprouts, celery, tomato.  I've done variations of this from time to time and I will certainly start sharing more of them with you!

At our local Tops I have fell in love with a new product but that love comes with a hefty price tag so when I see them on sale I will grab one.  It's the line of products from The Coconut Collaborative.  In this pic, here, you will see the Chocolate Ganache.  When I opened the first one I thought...gee...I could eat all 4 in one sitting!  But, you know what?  They are so rich I could only eat one!

Many of the products in this post are new or new-to-me products from Aldi and that includes this one!  It's the Vegan Vegetable Potstickers!  They are tasty!

Another find at Aldi are these Eggplant with Yellow Pepper Raviolis!  I LOVED these and hope I can find them again soon!  There is another kind, I hear, but I haven't seen those locally yet.

I finally spotted their Vegan Sour Cream.  I grabbed some.  It was ok.  It was certainly good enough for the price!  A nice, cheaper alternative.  I would probably buy it again!

One of the one pot meals I did in the camper this year was squash with vegan margarine, vegan pepper jack cheese, and topped it with tortilla strips!  It know it doesn't look like much but it was VERY yummy!  I would categorize it as a vegan comfort food for sure!

I don't really have time to do a blog post YET re-capping fair week but I thought I would give you a little teaser for now.  These were our new work banners that were at our broadcast booth!

Moving on to a thing or two from Wegman's!  I did grab this to have the camper during fair week.  Let's just say...it lasted about a day!

I can't remember which place I spotted these at since there were about 2 to 3 weeks I seemed to travel all over the country-side grocery shopping at various places.  I'm not sure if I grabbed them at Wegman's or Mustard Seed.  I don't think I went to Whole Foods Market, Whole Foods Co-Op, or Trader Joes during that specific time so it might have been Wegman's or Tops.  I'm leaning more towards Wegman's as the possibility.  They were easy to do in the microwave and for a nuke-able meal it was tasty!  I recommend vegan mayo and ketchup on them!

One thing I know I found at Tops was THIS!  Mango Sorbet!  I thought I would try it but didn't really have a WOW pre-judgement, however, when I had my first taste...I was blown away!  This was one of the BEST naturally-tasting mango flavored treats I think I have ever had!  YUM!

Also at Tops - right around the same time - I found these gorgeous watermelon radishes!  I knew I had to buy them since we don't usually see them available for purchase in our area!  I really enjoyed them.  I share them with my mom, dad, and 2 ladies at work and all for of them thought they didn't have much taste.  They were a sweeter flavor and not a spicier flavor like regular radishes usually are and I think that threw everyone off.  I think most people go for your 'standard' fruit or veggie and then when you ask them to try something new they already have a pre-judgement that they aren't going to like it.

When I saw this at Aldi this summer I knew I had to buy it because my local Aldi isn't consistent with what they carry so when you see it you should buy it because you don't know if or when it will be back.  I still have yet to open this but it sits nicely in my freezer until then!

And finally, another find at Aldi!  The first go around with these - that everyone was talking about - I didn't have them at my local store - but - I was able to find them this summer and tried them.  They were pretty good!  Next time I would like to try and top them like they did on the box...with mushrooms and onions...and greens, oh my!

  

Mostly Food But Some Flowers, Too!

LONG POST AHEAD!

This one will be mostly vegan food finds but I have a gorgeous floral photo to share, too!  I'm still going thru MONTHS of photos to catch-up and I have a lot of event-related, family, and life type photos to share but I'm a little low on time to write thought-out captions and explanations so I thought I would theme this as a food post.  

First up...Dr. Praeger's California Burgers.  Dr. P's might not seem like an awesome find but for me, locally, I have been seeing more and more of this brand popping up and wanted to give credit where credit is due.

From several months ago here is a picture of some tofu nuggets I made at home.  It's mostly flour and spices with nutritional yeast and I baked them.  I know it's not a wonderful photo but I was pretty proud of the attempt!

Here's another vegan product from the candy show that my Dad found a while back.  They were tasty!  A tad iffy on the gums but I just need to learn to pace myself!

I'm sure I have already posted this product from Upton's, however, at the beginning of summer I found it on sale over at the Erie Whole Foods Co-op and I just HAD to buy it.  I enjoyed it while camping!

Another snack from the show.  Just HAD to share!  I LOVE the Cranberry and Pistachio combo!  YUM!

Here was another meal I made at camp this year.  It was when I was running low on groceries but it 'did the job'.  It's the new VEGAN Morningstar Buffalo reformulated jobbers.  I can usually find them cheap at our local TOPS.  Sometimes I see them on sale 3 for $9.  I put Vegan Mayo on the bottom and Organic Ketchup on the top.

I can't remember if my Mom found these at Wegman's or if I spotted them at Walmart but I tried them and they weren't bad.  I'll probably only buy them again if I find a super good deal on them again, however.

You know veganism is going mainstream when you can find these at the local gas station!  Oddly, it was my first and only time to date that I have tried this flavor.  They were pretty tasty!

INSERT random yet beautiful floral photo here!

I saw these in the spring at peak bloom on my way to OR from work.  I park near this church and these really bloomed this year!

I have been seeing more and more places carry Lenny and Larry's and I have to say I am thrilled.  Some I like 'ok' and others I adore...like this one!  YUM!

Another Gas Station Find.  LOVE THESE!

Haven't seen them since at that location but so glad they carried them for a while.

Here's another newer product from Vegan Rob's.  Again...from the candy show.  My dad also grabbed me one of their hats!  These Wild Mushroom Potato Chips were way better than I thought they would be!

I have been telling you about my VEGAN FINDS at Ollie's...well...here's another one!  $2 each - Earth Balance Peanut Butters.  But...not just ANY Earth Balance Peanut Butters...they're flavored ones!  Coco Pretzel Crunch and Coffee Chocolate Crunch.  BOTH were a tad dry-ish so you might not be able to snack on it like you normally would BUT I still need to try them in smoothies thru my Vitamix or BlendTec and report back!

I've had these before and really liked them but when someone finds you a FREE SAMPLE you must cease the day, right?

And speaking of FREE SAMPLES...here is another one!  It's was lovely.

Check these out!  I've seen them before but it's been since this past summer that I had a chance to try them!  They were freakin' figgy I will tell you that - and I enjoyed them!

And just to prove that I have been eating real food and not just snacks...here is one of the wonderful veggie dishes I made a while back.  It's simply...broccoli, purple baby potatoes, regular baby potatoes - in a skillet with coconut oil!  I adored this as-is...

...but I was eager to try is as a leftover so I did.  I added cashew cheese, pico, and lettuce and made them into little burritos or soft shell tacos!  They were fantastic!

Earlier in the summer a group of us brought back our local WWN (Working Women's Network) and had meet-up at a local flower shop that also opened a winery/sampling room.  It was right around that time that the business had an Open House of their own and had a local band perform and provided munchies.  The store owner is a friend of mine.  She actually graduated with my sister.  Her parents and my parents are friends.  Her mom and sister actually do my hair, too!  I had a nice time at the open house and LOVED she included so many fresh fruits and veggies in her munchies/offerings!

I almost forgot about these pea puffs.  Not because I didn't like them but because it's not a great photo and because I haven't seen them since.  I believe I found these at our local Walmart in Spring/Beginning of Summer.

Here is a thrown together veggie curry I made a while ago.  I remember it being good and thinking I should have made more of it at the time.  Fall is here in NY and PA and I am sure I will be making more curries SOON!

Total Evolution has been my go-to the last several months.  They have been coming up with some really great vegan options.  They always have vegan buddha bowls and this is one of them!

Yet another vegan camping foods type photo!  Indian Vegan Burger, Vegan Italian Pasta Salad, and Zucchini - peppers - and onions in coconut oil.

As you can see it was July when I bought this.  I do LOVE this bread.  When I visit the Erie Whole Foods Co-Op and see it on sale I have to grab some!  It's soooooo filling!

Are you still with me?  I know this has been a monstrously LONG post.  Let me know in comments if you made it to the very end!

I found this flavor of Bobo's at Wegman's along with 2 others and they helped me get thru breakfasts during Fair Week.  I haven't even talked about Fair Week YET but I have so much more to share with you before I get to Fair Week!  YIKES!

Certainly more posts to come SOON.  In the meantime, tell me what you have tried, what you haven't, what you liked, what you didn't, what you have found in your neck of the woods lately, and all that JAZZ!

Juicy Burger Bar - Hamburg, NY

Something I wasn't able to blog about last week due to catching up on other posts was our recent visit to JuiCy Burger Bar in Hamburg, NY. For those of you who aren't familiar with Hamburg, NY, it's just outside of Buffalo.

I was thrilled to find out they had clearly marked vegan options on their menu! I opted for the ALL UP IN MY BEAN-US Burger. You could get a vegetarian or vegan option. The vegan option was a dollar less than the vegetarian option. It was made out of black beans, carrots, quinoa, and mushrooms with greens and the carrot vinaigrette is what you see on the bottom and on top is the pickled red onion. 

I was very pleased with my choice but just have to mention the other vegan options I noticed on the menu, too! There was a Falafel Burger that could be made vegetarian or vegan and again the vegan option was a dollar less. It was made out of tomato, cucumber, onion lettuce, tzatiki. They also had vegan poutine that featured a Smoked Onion Gravy and grilled tofu. If we visit there again I would like to try that. They also offered a Field Greens Salad.

I enjoyed the novelty of the mini fryer baskets to hold the fries when they came out to the table. Another thing I have to tell you is I could have eaten a whole jar of those pickled onions! I think I need to make some of them soon! I was so intrigued by the carrot vinaigrette I wish they would have given me more! I love different and creative vinegars!

I have noticed that Western New York is getting more and more vegan options in non-vegan restaurants! I can't wait to see what else we come across in 2019!

Weekend Roundup: Local Fundraising, New Copper Skillet, Tandoori Spice Vegan Burgers

Saturday was a BUSY day!  I volunteered to help the local Zontas with their Lucky Numbers Fundraiser.  It's the first time I attended the event but I hope to be a member and wanted to get one under my belt before I was a member next year (that is if I am accepted as a member).  It was a pretty crazy yet fun event!  The ladies who organized it did an AMAZING job!  I didn't win anything (as far as the large prizes go) but it wasn't about that for me...I just wanted to help if I could.  I did, however, win this lovely mug and gift certificate to a local coffee & tea shop!

Well over 200 people attended and it was a HOOT to see everyone go bonkers over the winnings!  Here are a few photos of some of the high-end prizes at stake.

With my ticket, I received 5 chances.  With those - I went for the kitchen items.  The 8-Quart Instant Pot on the far right was one of the ones I had my eye on.

There was a heavy-duty Spiralizer, too, that looked pretty cool.  I already have 2 spiralizers but nothing like the one that was on the table.

Here was one of the sections of the room that was filled with participants!

Lunch was served (I had a salad) and there were other drawings and such that you could participate in.  Some people dressed up and some people had noisemakers for when someone at their table won!

After the Lucky Numbers Event, DH and I went over to a friends house for dinner.  I didn't have a lot of time to make anything special but I brought the makings for a large salad and grabbed some storebought hummus and pretzels.

Yesterday, we wanted to find a Waffle Maker but couldn't find one locally.  Instead, I found this Copper Electric Skillet and make pancakes.  I would show the pancakes but I would rather wait to post one that was tastier than the first attempt.  I will show this Vegan Burger for now.

This is the Veggie Burger on the skillet above.  I found them at Mustard Seed Market and have had them in my freezer since we got back.  Last night I thought I would finally try them.  They were pretty good.  I didn't put it on a bun but I did make some dipping sauce for it.  You can see that in the next photo.

The Tandoori Spice in these was potent - but you know me - I'm a fan of spice!

For the dipping sauce it's basically a Vegan Aioli I threw together.  I think next time I will make it thicker.  The flavor was good, tho!

It was just Vegan Mayo, Garlic, Sriracha, Smoked Paprika, Lemon Juice, and a pinch of Black Sea Salt.

It was pretty good on corn chips, too!

I probably could have added some nooch to it, too!

Question of the Day...what was the last brand of veggie burgers that you tried that was 'new to you'?  What did you think of them!?

2 New Vegan Finds at Aldi

Happy World Vegan Day everyone! 

I almost wasn't sure what to blog about today until I realized I never told you about these two new-to-me products I found at Aldi's!

First up is their new Vegan Quinoa Crunch Veggie Burger!  Not too shabby!  I've actually bought these twice now and I enjoy them in wraps or plan with no bun since I have been shying away from bread this month. 

I LOVE that VEGAN is mentioned in TWO places - one with the label and logo we all know and love at the bottom and again at the TOP in a nice colorful and fun font!

Next up is their Hummus.  I should do an "Evolution of Aldi Hummus" post at some point because they keep getting more choices, more brands, and more packaging.

This what fairly unique in that it was layered with full chickpeas and other veggies and spices on the bottom.  And that's in addition to the yumminess on top, too! 

Normally I like my hummus creamy and smooth but there was something about this one that made it more like a full meal!  Very impressive!