The Mostly Vegan Post

Before I dive into this post I thought I would say something about the title. I chose to title it mostly vegan because I decided to only eat vegan instead of purchasing vegan clothing or shoes.

After watching a film about being vegan, I decided to try some vegan food. I ate vegan butter, chocolate, meat and cooked with vegan eggs. First I tried vegan butter on toast with dairy free cheese. The butter was delicious and tasted like real butter.

The real test is how it works in baking, which I tried with pumpkin (vegan) chocolate chip cookies. Instead of using eggs, I substituted one teaspoon flax seed mixed with three teaspoons of water. This mixture works for one egg and needs to be doubled for multiple eggs. The cookies baked fine but there were two problems. The batter tasted strange from the butter and the cookies gave me gas even though they were dairy-free. The pumpkin chocolate chip cookies also gave me a headache.

Vegan American Cheese:

I thought I would try dairy-free, vegan American cheese in a meal. I made mini grilled cheese sandwiches to go on top of home made vegetable soup. The cheese was so-so because it tasted a little strange. The cheese stuck to the wrapping when I was trying to remove it from the wrapper and was also slimier than regular American cheese, which grossed me out.

Even though I tried going dairy free while I was in college, I knew I could not give up chocolate and ice cream. When I first learned about lactose intolerance, I found the company So Delicious and learned they made dairy-free ice cream.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice cream:

The dessert itself is the normal consistency of ice cream: creamy and thick. It also melted like traditional ice cream. In terms of flavor, it tasted just like peanut butter and chocolate ice cream. It did have a strange taste that went away as I ate more of it.

Chocolate Chips

When I was making my cookies, I decided to try the chocolate chips. They tasted just like chocolate and were delicious. I think it is the ingredients: non-dairy chocolate liquor, cocoa butter and cane juice. The chips melted nicely in the cookies and were smooth when I ate them. I would definitely get them again if I have a hankering for chocolate.

Imitation Chicken (Chick'n)

The imitation chicken is meat-free and vegan. It looked like chicken nuggets and came with a sesame sauce. The taste was not bad and reminded me of a healthier version of chicken nuggets I would get from a fast food place. The sauce made the brussels sprout and of course the imitation chick'n taste great. If I had the choice, I would eat them again.

Chipotle Bean Burgers

After trying Dr. Praeger's Asian style bean burgers, I thought I would try the chipotle flavor. The burgers cooked well and got a little crunchy, which is the way I like them. Taste wise, they were spicy but not too spicy. They went very well with spinach leaves and alone. I like that it doesn't only have beans but other foods as well such as potatoes.

The Results:

It was an interesting change but I do not think I will be continuing eating vegan. For some reason, after eating all those different imitation foods, my digestive track was not very happy. I might just try to eat less dairy since I know that will help me better than cutting out meat, eggs and dairy. If I had to choose my favorite vegan food I would say the ice cream, chocolate chips, and black bean burgers.

Two for Thursday: Candy and Cake

 Well, since it is Thursday, also known as Throwback Thursday, I thought I would review a candy from my childhood, Fireball. I remember eating this spicy candy with my dad in his friend's glass shop. This cinnamon flavored candy is as spicy as I remember. After popping it in my mouth, it was not that spicy but as I sucked on it, it got spicier. The hot cinnamon flavor burns a little as I swallow. It makes me wish I could breath fire. After a few minutes, the flavor calms down since all the color as well as flavor is gone. My fireball has changed from red to white, almost like the flavor has surrendered. I also tried the alcoholic version, Fireball whiskey. It tastes just like the candy but is too spicy for more than one shot.

To calm down my mouth from all that cinnamon spice, I decided to try Project 7's Birthday Cake Gourmet Gum. It definitely took away the heat from the candy and filled my mouth with the taste of vanilla cake. It is a little too sweet for my taste buds and also tastes like colored sprinkles. The good thing about this gum is that it does not lose its flavor and lasts a long time.

The Pumpkin Post

If you haven't guessed from the title, this post is about pumpkin flavored treats.

Jello Pumpkin Spice Pudding

Jello's Pumpkin Spice Pudding is pretty good despite the strange flavor. It has a good balance of flavor and the spices are not overpowering. I can clearly taste the pumpkin flavor as well as one of the spices, cinnamon. I could not taste the other spice, ginger. I was surprised to see that ginger was the second spice used in the mix. It was a welcomed surprise since most pumpkin flavored foods have spices found in pumpkin pie recipes, which is normally cinnamon as well as nutmeg.

For a sweet topping, I chopped up almonds and mixed them with cinnamon as well as brown sugar. The topping went very well with the pudding and added a delicious, sweet note.

Little Debbie Pumpkin Delights

These are my favorite seasonal treat. The pumpkin flavor is perfect, since it is not overpowering or lacks flavor. There are also other subtle- spices such as cinnamon. The texture is soft similar to an oatmeal patty or whoopie pie. The appearance is cute and clever. The pumpkin filling makes up the face and mouth of the pumpkin while the cookie makes up the pumpkin itself. The cookie as a whole is a good choice for a different but not outrageous pumpkin treat. 

Auntie Anne's Pumpkin Spice Pretzel

Well, they definitely had flavor. I could taste the pumpkin, and this being a pumpkin spiced item, some spices. There is probably nutmeg and some cinnamon. The flavor was not that great because I would have liked to taste less spice and more pumpkin. The texture was softer than their normal pretzels. It was different but I would not get them again. Good try for creating a seasonal treat but I think I'm going to stick to plain or cinnamon pretzels.

Quaker Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal

 

Blah! That is the word that can describe this oatmeal because it was one toned. All I could taste was pumpkin and spices. However, unlike the other pumpkin spiced food I tasted, I do not taste individual spices such as cinnamon or nutmeg. It tasted like someone mixed pumpkin spice mix into oats and tried to make it exciting. Yuck! If I had to grade the oatmeal, I would give it a C for trying. I decided to give it a second try the next day and bumped the flavor up a notch by adding brown sugar as well as cinnamon. After giving it a flavor boost, I raised the grade from a C to a B-.

 

 

Kashi Pumpkin Spice Granola Bars

These crunchy bars have a mild pumpkin flavor with a hint of cinnamon. The taste is pleasant and not overpowering. Unlike other sweeter pumpkin treats, these granola bars have pumpkin seeds in them. I taste a lot of the nutmeg, which does not bother me. If it is the middle of winter and you have a hankering for pumpkin, these will do the trick, since you can find them year round.

  

Pumpkin What?

Pumpkin candy and sweets are alright, however, sometimes companies go a little overboard on pumpkin. At my local grocery store, Giant, there is a display of pumpkin flavored foods. Most of them are normal such as pumpkin pudding and pumpkin cookies. Then there are the oddball items such as pumpkin pasta sauce and soda. It seems like a contest to see who can create the weirdest pumpkin flavored items.

Chocolate Bread With a Surprise

 

The chocolate zucchini bread is different but still good. The taste is similar to a brownie but with a hint of cinnamon. It tastes even better after I added chocolate chips to the batter. I do not mind the zucchini and really only taste a bit of the vegetable. As with any warm dessert, it was difficult to slice but might be easier to cut when cold. After trying it a second time, the bread tastes and cuts better when it is cold.

Unique Chocolate Candy is Exploding With Flavor

WARNING: This candy may explode if eaten incorrectly. That is the lesson I learned after I ate the first piece of Chocla-Taschen Dark Chocolate Candy. I took a bite towards the middle and caramel started pouring out as the candy broke apart. The dark chocolate was bitter but smooth while the caramel was not as sweet as other caramel. The candy is gluten-free, kosher, nut-free and non-GMO. It also has a mixture of white chocolate and dark chocolate, which is the reason for its unique taste. Even though the candy was a little different, it was still delicious. Also, it comes in a two pack, which makes it even better.

Chocolate Cats Scare Up Some Flavor

Meow! When I bit into the bottom of the sugary cat, yum! The marshmallow cat tasted like a creamy peep. The flavor was spot on, very chocolaty and delicious. It tasted like it should: an airy chocolate mousse marshmallow. I like it when candy companies come up with creative sweets for different seasons. In comparison to the original Peeps, these little guys are as good as their colorful siblings. Doesn't hurt that they are dairy free!