Almond Joy

I’m talking about the joy that I, as a vegan, derive from seeing new almond-based products cropping up everywhere.  Don’t get me wrong, I love soy.  I also think that a diet too heavy in any one ingredient is not a healthy diet, and I tend to eat a lot of a soy on a daily basis without even trying.  Hence my almond joy.

Most recently, I discovered Amande Almond Milk Yogurt.  I came across these babies in Whole Foods (on sale, no less) two weeks ago, got super-excited, and pulled out my wallet right quick.

Strawberry and Cherry flavors

Blueberry and Peach flavors

I really like these.  They are very creamy, decently filling, and subtly sweet (being fruit-sweetened).  And they have little bits of real fruit sprinkled throughout, which taste really fresh and awesome.  The peach one was my favorite, which was a bit surprising because I normally love “red” flavors most.  I’ve been eating these for breakfast a couple times a week and plan to make them a fridge staple going forward.  I really love the texture.  Check it out:

See the peach pieces in there? Yum!

I guess this product really is pretty new still, because when I Googled it to try and grab a link to share on the blog, I couldn’t find one, just a bunch of reviews, similar to this, from other bloggers and food lovers.   I would definitely recommend checking it out if you haven’t already.

So, confession: this post isn’t all about almond-based products.  Because let’s face it, Almond Joy* is about the almonds but also the coconut.  And with that, I present my latest venture into the world of coconut milk ice cream, Purely Decadent Cookie Dough!

It’s delicious, of course.  Plenty of big, satisfying chunks of chocolate chip cookie dough do not disappoint.

*I actually hesitated before naming my post after an actual food product, due to the insane amount of people that have now been directed to this post on my blog by searching “me want honeycomb.”**  For realz.   But in the end my nerdy pride over my own cleverness in coming up with a post  title that could incorporate both almond milk yogurts and coconut milk ice cream won out. 

**They must have been really disappointed.

Indulgence

I know I promised a proper post very soon, and I intend to keep that promise, but it might have to wait until finals are over.  I officially finished law school classes forever last Wednesday, but I am not truly done until May 13th, when I turn in a 30-page paper and take a 3-hour sit-down exam.  Prior to that I have to complete a 7-hour take home exam and turn in another, shorter paper.  So really, I don’t have time to do justice to the post I want to write, which is all about my newest obsession, food trucks.  When I do post it, I hope it’ll be worth the wait!  In addition to my food truck wrap-up, I have a bunch of other stuff to share, as I’ve been eating a lot of really great food.   I feel like I’m finally getting the hang of being vegan on a tight budget and schedule and it feels awesome.  Plus, as the weather gets warmer, I am just feeling good all around…despite finals.  Ha! I will post all of this soon!

In the meantime, I will continue to put up these cute mini-posts in the hopes that they are entertaining and possibly informative.

Right now, I’m going to show you something really friggin amazing.  I bought a pint of Purely Decadent coconut ice cream yesterday at Whole Foods because it was on sale. Plus, the flavor, Mocha Almond Fudge, sounded fabu.

Oh my sweet Lord.  This is SO. GOOD.

Check out the perfect swirl of fudge in there:

YUM

And yeah…iced coffee with mocha almond fudge ice cream? I went there.  I get to indulge a little during finals, right? 🙂

Also, while I type, these little beauties are roasting away in my oven, making my apartment smell like sweetness and love whilst I study:

I can’t stop marveling at how incredibly beautiful these are.  It’s amazing to me that such a vibrant color exists in nature.

I also have their greens waiting for me later.  I would by lying if I said I didn’t eat about a full pound of kale and spinach earlier with lunch, so these don’t stand a chance come dinner time.  I might need a leafy greens intervention soon…

Man I love beets!!!

Ah-ee-ooooh…killer tofu!!!

Woo! That Sicky Sicky Shake

Boo for being sick 😦  I stayed home from school yesterday and spent 25 of the last 36 hours sleeping.  Because I’m able to stand up and actually walk today, I figure I’m “recovered” enough to be back at school.  Now that I’m here though, I’m realizing that I’m too out of it to pay much attention, so I’m blogging instead.  Whoops.

I started today with a little something I call my Sicky Shake.  I invented this last May when I was recovering from my tonsillectomy.   I just throw the following into the food processor and go to town: 1/2 c. Purely Decadent Peanut Butter ZigZag soy ice cream (my faaaave), 1/2 a large frozen banana, and about 1/3-1/2 c. unsweetened soy milk (I just pour it in as necessary to thin out the shake.  The end result is sweet, cold, and delicious and is a total pick-me-up when you’ve been bed-ridden.   Here’s mine from this morning:

Sorry for the weird picture.  My head is not really working properly yet.

Moving along, I said last time that I had some potato-y goodness to share.   Basically what happened was that I had a 5-lb. bag of Yukon gold potatoes that needed to get used, so I had some fun with those.

One night I decided to cut them in wedges and roast them.  A pretty elementary recipe: Cut potatoes, toss in a little olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt and fresh ground pepper, bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes, turning once.  With a side of kale steamed with garlic:

The next night in order to use up a greater number of potatoes at once, I made them mashed.  I peel the potatoes and cut them into quarters, bring them to a boil then simmer then for 20 minutes, drain them, then use a fork to mash them with about 6 T. Earth Balance, 1/2 c.-1 c. unsweetened soy milk, and sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.   With a side of–you guessed it!–kale steamed with garlic:

I like to take the garlic out of the pan after steaming the kale and mix it into the mashed potatoes.  I also eat them with tons of hot sauce because I love my food spicy!  These are sooooo yummy and literally last me a whole week.  I’m pretty proud of my use of this big bag of potatoes!

As a sidenote, I know that neither of these really look like complete meals, especially to a non-vegan eye.  I actually on both occasions had planned to eat a grilled portabello mushroom with the meal, but never got there because I was full enough from the potatoes and the kale.