Chi-Town Treats!

I just got back yesterday from Chicago, where I went this weekend for a good friend's bachelorette party!! It was lots of fun, of course, but it was also great because of all the awesome vegan food Chicago has!!!

First and foremost, I got to try Go Max Go! candy bars!!!! The Whole Foods downtown had all sorts of treats that I can't get back in Kansas City, so I stocked up. I tried all the varieties of candy bars, and I just can't decide which is my favorite! Pictured is the Buccaneer bar, which is the Three Musketeers alternative. So. freakin. good. I hadn't eaten a candy bar in soooooo long, so this was quite a treat!Also from the downtown Whole Foods: Jerk Tofu Wrap, made by Soul Vegetarian East, a local veg restaurant that makes some prepared foods for sale at WF. Yum!! I got to try Wildwood's Soyogurt, which was seriously awesome. My second favorite soygurt, only after Whole Soy and Co. This was suuuuper thick, too, which was very nice!Since I really love yogurt as snacks, I also tried the Ricera Rice Yogurt! I've never had rice-based yogurt before, so I had to branch out. It was pretty good! I am definitely more of a soygurt fan, but if you have a soy allergy, this would be a great alternative!

Now for some restaurant food!! I got to go to Karyn's Cooked for the first time ever!! Yay for me :) I am in love with this place! So much that I went there twice over the weekend! haha

Our appetizer: the Mixed Basket...a basket of fried mushrooms, fried BROCCOLI, and fried tofu. Served with Creamy Garlic Sauce and homemade BBQ Sauce for dipping. OMG fried fooooooood! A rare indulgence, sure, but it is just so tasty! Fried broccoli might be my new favorite food!Our entrees: I got the Grilled Steak Wrap....thinly-sliced seitan "steak," grilled onions and peppers, shredded lettuce, and chipotle sauce in a grilled whole wheat tortilla!! Like a Philly cheese steak on steroids. Vegan steroids. (huh?!) It came with Coleslaw--yum!--and Potato Wedges! With more BBQ Sauce! I was so full and happy!A couple of the girls I was with got the Jerk Tofu Wrap...jerk-spiced tofu, jerk sauce, creamy garlic sauce, and shredded lettuce in a spinach tortilla. Also with the slaw and wedges. This was seriously spicy and delicious!!Also ordered: the Taco Salad Bowl!! This salad is not kidding around, guys. It's a deep-fried taco shell bowl filled with lettuce, seitan taco meat, pico de gallo, guacamole, jalapenos, creamy garlic sauce, and chipotle sauce. Holy freakin cow. Just salty, spicy decadence. So good!

We split some desserts, of course! Banana Cake!! Moist as heck! With a carob drizzle.And Coconut Bread Pudding! Warm, gooey, rich, amazing! Another night, I got take-out from Karyn's--I just couldn't get enough!! This time I got the Green Enchiladas: corn tortillas stuffed with garlic mashed potatoes and topped with green tomatillo sauce and soy sour cream, with a side of spanish brown rice and refried black beans, with some tortilla chips. Mex-amazing!!One great thing about Chicago is that they have Trader Joe's stores!! We don't have them in Kansas City, so I loaded up on snacks and such. I wish I could go there every day with those prices!!

Vegan Brown Rice Marshmallow Treats!
Joe-Joe's!!!!!!

Chile Spiced Mango!!

And I just couldn't leave Chicago without going to Chicago Diner!! It's my favorite place ever!!

It was a rainy, snowy, cruddy weather night, so I got to go food and the girls and I all stayed in and watched New Moon. What a great night!!

I got the Radical Reuben with Sweet Potato Fries! This is the best sandwich ever made. Ever!

The reuben going....

Going....Gone.Room for dessert?? Heck yes!! Cookies and Cream Cake. For when you really want a food baby and sugar coma all at once. My favorite cake I've EVER eaten I think I can safely say! Thank you, Chicago Diner!!!

Man, I can't wait to get back to Chicago soon for some more great vegan food!!!!

Noodles and a Taste Test

I have been really in the mood for cooking lately, which makes me really happy! Also, I have been doing this thing where I plan the meals for the next week and make a grocery list to match, which has been saving me a TON of money, time, and stress for cooking...and that makes cooking all the more fun!! Here's a few dinners from the past week...I have been craving noodles, so we've had them several times! mmmmm. nooooooooodles.punk-in pasta...with my home-roasted pumpkin, from La Dolce Vegan (with greens added!) and a side of baked apples! the pasta is whole wheat and made LOCALLY! bonus!
mugwort soba noodles with baked tofu, veggies, and a homemade peanut sauce

freaking amaaaazing tempeh reubens!!! ok, it's not noodles, but sauerkraut is noodl-y looking i guess :)

Okay, now on to the chocolate taste test! Our local natural foods market, Clover's, starting carrying this limited edition Chocolove chocolate that is single-origin, fair-trade, and from a 2007 vintage cacao bean crop! I adore chocolate in all ways, so when Steven and I saw that there were four different varieties, he had the genius idea of doing a taste test! We are now well on our way to becoming chocolate connoisseurs!! The four varieties were: 76% cocoa from Tanzania; 72% cocoa from Ecuador; 70% cocoa from the Dominican Republic; and 60% cocoa from Grenada. They were all some of the best chocolates I have ever tasted...perfectly creamy with a good bite, and a wonderful balance of sweetness and bitterness. We did a side-by-side comparison of the four and here were our results (we cleansed our palates in between, of course!)

(Steve took this picture! how cute :) )

Steven's Picks:
1. Grenada 60%

2. Tanzania 76%

3. Dominican Republic 70%

4. Ecuador 72%

My Picks:

1. Tanzania 76%

2. Grenada 60%

3. Ecuador 72%

4. Dominican Republic 70%

You should give these wonderful chocolates a try...even if you don't do a taste test! Or try doing a taste test with a different favorite food...it is a ton of fun!!!!