Stuff I Ate

Hey everyone! I hope that you all had a great week and are enjoying your weekend! I'll be there with you in just a few hours :) Does anyone have any exciting plans? It has finally warmed up a bit here so I'm hopefully going to be able to enjoy it a little bit, although I think it is supposed to rain on Monday. That's no fun. Although I do have an adventure planned. I'm going to try out a new bubble tea place I found (not the one at the mall) because they have my all time favorite flavor :) A little rain won't stop me from getting there, haha.

Anyway, here is some stuff I've been eating this week!

This salad was amazing you guys. It is a full romaine heart, some slivered almonds, dried cranberries and some cut up Gardein Crispy Tenders. It is dressed with the Panera Asian Vinaigrette. I found it at the grocery store and it's one of my favorite dressings of all time. It's probably not the healthiest but it's vegan, really good and was perfect on this salad. This will be a staple meal for sure.

I got a quick lunch from the deli next door one day when I didn't have time to make it myself. This is simple rice with beans and broccoli. Really great. Now we just need them to stop using styrofoam. I feel like I should bring in a bowl and just keep it here and bring it over there.

I had my favorite treat meal as my lunch on Friday - this super fresh veggie roll for $6.49.

Pineapple Peach Kevita Kombucha.

I have been craving Date Coconut Rolls for a few weeks now and I randomly came across them when I wasn't even looking for them.

This is what they look like. The container came with 14 pieces and it was $3.99 which I think is a pretty good deal! I am keeping them at work because it is a really great, compact snack when I need a quick snack during the day.

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So I am on the e-mail list for Sweet To Lick, the only vegan bakery on Long Island (which happens to be very close to me!), and I got an e-mail with a VERY exciting announcement yesterday!! Apparently they are opening up an all vegan market a few doors down from the bakery! This is huge! I'm so excited and I can't wait to support it. There is no opening date but I'll definitely make sure to keep checking in to stay updated :)

And just because I can't help myself… in just a few days:

HAHAHAHA it's funny every year you guys.

So that's what I have for you today! I hope you all enjoy your weekend. I'm going to try really hard to do a What I Eat In A Day post on Tuesday because I have some pretty great meals planned for Monday. Hopefully I can get everything photographed!

Hauls

Hey everyone! This is going to be a short post since I just have two small hauls to share with you. I'm trying to get back on track with photographing meals. It's been all gloomy and chilly again lately and for some reason that always makes me lose my motivation to photograph anything. I'm guessing it is the lack of natural light that makes it harder. I'll get back on track though. I did make sure to photograph my hauls though!

This first haul is my weekly Trader Joe's haul. I got some gluten free waffles, medjool dates, romaine hearts, avocado, some sweet corn, all the way in the back my coconut oil spray got cut off, some grape tomatoes, mediterranean hummus, baby carrots and riced cauliflower.

I went to Stop & Shop to pick up a few things as well. Over there I got some shelf stable unsweetened vanilla almond milk, two bottles of the Kevita Pineapple Peach Kombucha, strawberries, raspberries, tofutti cream cheese, boca burgers for whenever grilling season decides to start and two So Delicious coconut milk yogurts (in the Strawberry Banana flavor). 

I'm looking forward to making some fun meals! I hope that you are all doing well and that you had a great weekend. Have you guys found anything new at the grocery store? From what I saw on Instagram there are TONS of great vegan products coming out over the course of the year. I can't wait to try some of them!

Have a great week! <3

What I'm Eating

Hey everyone! As promised, I'm here today with some pictures of things I've been eating over the past week. I don't have as many pictures as I'd like because I ended up eating a lot of the same thing (you'll see) but I do have plans for more variety next week. The weather has gone back to being cold and gray so my plans for delicious smoothies are bumped again. I just can't do smoothies when it is cold… it takes so long for me to warm up again after!

Here's some yummy stuff I ate this week!

I finally made my udon noodle stir fry! I used two servings of udon, half a block of tofu and lots of veggies (broccoli, Chinese eggplant and green onion) and got three meals out of it. I freaking love the texture of udon noodles. This was so delicious. I used the Soyaki sauce from Trader Joe's as a quick stir  fry sauce. It was nice and garlicky but I think a bit salty for my liking. I'll finish the bottle but I'll probably go back to my soy sauce (or coconut amines)/hoisin/garlic combo.

For lunch the next day I had some leftover stir fry and some fresh fruit in my bento box. Seriously love this thing. The grapes were amazing by the way.

This is an old picture but we went to a Turkish Restaurant for my mom's birthday and I had Shepherd's salad and hummus with bread for dinner. It was really dark so I couldn't get great pictures so I just pulled this one up. It was the same thing. Sorry for the recycled pic but the salad was so good I wanted to show it.

For breakfast this morning I got a plain "Flagel" (bagel that has been flattened before it is baked - I like these once in a while) with plain Tofu cream cheese. Way too much cream cheese to be honest. I had to take some off. So good though.

So that's some of the stuff I've been eating this week. I hope that you have all been having a great week! I'll be back Tuesday with another grocery haul and hopefully a few more meals to show you as well. I hope that you enjoy the rest of your weekend!

All the Hauls

Hey everyone! I hope that you are all well and that you enjoyed your weekend. It went by too quickly for me, as always and the grind starts again. I did hit up some grocery stores yesterday and I made sure to take a picture of everything so I could share it with you. Do you guys have to go to multiple stores to get everything you need? I do my main grocery shopping at Trader Joe's but there's just a few things that I can't get there. I went to three stores yesterday. It's exhausting, haha. I'm fully stocked though and I'm excited to make some fun things to share with you on Saturday.

First I have my Trader Joe's haul: Romaine hearts, tomatoes, cabbage, bananas and potatoes.

Also from Trader Joe's: The new Restaurant Style Tortilla Chips (you guys, these are amazing!), refried beans, pineapple, frozen corn and frozen broccoli.

You guys. I got some insider info from Trader Joe's. We'll probably not insider info but I got some exciting news! They are coming out with coconut aminos! They should be stocking it by the end of the month and it's perfect timing because I'm pretty much out of tamari.

I also went to H-Mart and grabbed a few things. I got 2 Chinese Eggplants, a bunch of scallions and some Black Bean Sauce. I don't know about you but I've been seeing jjajungmyeon noodle recipes EVERYWHERE lately and it looks so good. I think it's basically a Korean noodle with black bean sauce recipe and I finally gave in and said I have to make it! I can't wait to try!

I also got this soup spoon from H-Mart. I love this kind of spoon and I thought this one was so pretty so I picked it up.

Finally I went to Stop & Shop which is the regular grocery store because I wanted to try this Zevia ginger ale. If you've been reading for a while you'll know I tend to get nauseous a lot for whatever reason. Ginger ale helps but I just wanted to find a better option. I've tried Zevia before but not the ginger ale option so I figured it was worth a shot. I'll let you know when I give it a try.

So that's the haul! I have some fun meals planned for the week and am looking forward to sharing them with you. I hope that you are all having a good week!

This Week

Hey everyone. Thank you all so much for your supportive comments on my last post. It really does mean a lot to me. I know I missed Tuesday's post but I just didn't have anything to share. I'm happy to say that I did feel better after my therapy session. I'm not feeling 100% but I'm slowly climbing out of this rut. I'm feeling a bit more agitated than sad nowadays which I guess isn't really great but it's a change I guess. I do feel better though.

I don't have a whole lot to share right now unfortunately. I will show you the little bit that I do have. It's partially because it is Passover and I'm eating really boring food and partially because I don't really have any groceries to make anything interesting. I'm going to go shopping this weekend so I'll have a haul and next week I'll be cooking some more interesting things.

Anyway, here's what I have for this week:

This was pre-Passover avocado toast. I think I've mentioned in the past that I'm not religious at all but I do observe holidays out of respect and to be somewhat traditional.

I've been eating lots of salads this week. This one was spring mix, cranberries, almonds and a vinaigrette. It was simple and delicious.

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I told you a few weeks ago that I splurged on a gift to myself and I'd let you know what it was. I just received it about a week ago and I'm in love with it. I ordered a Labradorite silver ring from Anemone Unique on Etsy. I've been looking for a gemstone ring for years and I guess I'm very particular and I am also the kind of person that needs to be sure about something before I buy it. I'm really glad I waited because I really love this ring. It honestly wasn't even that expensive at all but buying jewelry feels like a splurge. Maybe that's weird, I don't know.

I heard about this shop in a High Carb Hannah video and decided to check her out. She is vegan and located in Israel. Her jewelry is absolutely stunning. I have my eye on several more pieces and maybe I'll build up a collection over time. I barely have any jewelry at all, especially now that I found out that I'm allergic to gold. I will definitely be purchasing from her again! Keep in mind that the pieces may differ from the picture because each gemstone is unique but equally beautiful. And nope, I'm not sponsored or anything, I just really think she is talented and love supporting vegans and their small businesses.

The weather was so gorgeous yesterday so I took a walk as a break during work. When the weather is nice out I like to do this to get out and move around a bit since I'm in front of a computer all day. We also keep the studio pretty dark because it is easier to edit the photos that way. It's nice to get out into the sunshine when I can. On my walk I came across this garden of adorable succulents! There were so many of them and I decided to stop and snap a picture. It was definitely a good find, I'm glad that I noticed them!

Have you guys ever heard of Activated Charcoal Toothpaste? I've been hearing about it a lot lately and have been looking for some better toothpaste. I really want something that will whiten my teeth without the chemicals because I have sensitive teeth and the chemicals make it so much worse. I decided to give it a try and I picked up My Magic Mud Charcoal Toothpaste in the Wintergreen flavor. It's definitely pricey but so far I like it! It's really weird to look in the mirror and your mouth is black and it doesn't foam but otherwise I really like it! No sensitivity and my teeth feel really clean after I use it. The only thing I'd warn you about is that it does make a mess and it tends to get black stuff everywhere but a quick wipe up will take care of it no problem. I've only used it twice so I can't speak to the whitening aspect of it but I'll let you know.

I also really like the box. They make it very clear that they are vegan and cruelty free so I really liked that.

I don't eat Lenny & Larry cookies ever but they had these three flavors that I can never find and have wanted to try so I decided to pick them up for after Passover. I'll let you know what I think about them when I try them.

So that's everything for today! I hope that you are all doing well and enjoying your weekend. I hope that it is warming up by you too. It's going to be 83 tomorrow. It's crazy how much the temperatures are fluctuating. See you Tuesday.

This & That

Hey everyone! I hope that you are all doing well and that you are enjoying the start to your weekend. Mine can't come fast enough. If I'm going to be completely candid with you, I've had a pretty shitty last few weeks. My depression has kind of come back in full force and I've barely been able to hold it together at work the last few days. I'm just pretty miserable right now… my mind is racing and I'm just not in a great place. I cry a lot. I haven't been eating a ton and I wasn't going to do a post today but I didn't want to let myself fall into that hole where I disappear for a while. I guess I'm hoping that sticking to the routine will help me pull myself out of it.

Anyway, the food is completely uninspired this week. I took a few photos to show you but don't expect to be dazzled in any way. I guess some pics are better than no pics though.

Toasted plain bagel - one half with Tofutti cream cheese and the other half with crunchy peanut butter.

This was one of the better meals of the week… yummy salad I got on the way to work with lettuce tomato, cucumber, craisins and almonds with a balsamic dressing. Really good.

Lots of clementines.

I felt like having chocolate and this was on sale so I grabbed one.

So this was posted on Chloe Coscarelli's Instagram the other day:

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"Thank you to everyone who has reached out regarding the recent news, which revealed that I have been pushed out of by CHLOE.—the restaurant I founded in 2015. I imagine this news has come as a surprise to many of you. Honestly, it’s quite surreal for me too.

I developed every single recipe for the restaurant over the course of several years in my tiny apartment kitchen. I slept on a couch in the living room with no bedroom of my own so that I could be close to my work in the kitchen and develop recipes 24/7, sleeping only 3 or 4 hours most nights, for years. I set my alarm to wake me up every half hour through the night to measure the progression of ice crystals in my ice cream recipes. I made 30 variations of beet ketchup and lined them up on my window sill to compare the difference in pink pigmentation. I turned my home into a vegan test kitchen and worked with my amazing vegan team from Natural Gourmet Institute to perfect every last detail. We tested every recipe literally hundreds of times. But it was a labor of love. 
From the day I began this journey, my goal was to create a fun, friendly restaurant that showcased how delicious vegan food can make a powerful and positive impact in the world —a belief that has never for a moment wavered. To me, veganism is so much more than a vehicle for business; it’s a vote for kindness, a dedication to sustainability, and a commitment to compassion. It’s a lifestyle I adopted more than a decade ago, and will forever be proud of, champion, and defend.

This year has been extremely painful—one that has challenged me to the core. But I will not let anyone deter my goals. I am committed to being strong and positive, and will continue to champion vegan cuisine and what it stands for. To budding entrepreneurs, I hope my journey inspires you to stand up for what’s right, even if it feels scary, and hope you never lose sight of your core mission. I haven’t. I won’t. I have some exciting new projects in the works and can’t wait to fill you in soon. Until then, I want to thank each and every one of you for your love and support. Community is everything, and I am eternally grateful to be a part of yours. Onward and upward! #vegan" - Chloe Coscarelli (@chefchloe)

Have you guys heard about the Chloe Coscarelli drama?! If you haven't you can read a little bit about it here. Basically she was forced out of her own restaurant chain. I'm so disgusted by this I can't even begin to explain. I can't imagine working so hard to achieve something so great for a movement I believe so much in just to have it ripped away seemingly for reasons based on greed. I am so sad for her and I'm sad I never visited by CHLOE before this because I'm certainly not going to give them a penny of my money now. It sounds like she has a few projects that she is working on now and I can't wait to be able to support those ventures, whatever they may be.

So that's all I have for you today. Sorry to be a downer. I hope that my next post will find me in better spirits. I do have a therapy appointment between now and then and I usually leave them feeling better so hopefully this week will be the same.

I hope that you all have a great weekend and I'll see you next week.

Another Grocery Haul

Hey guys! I hope that all is well and that you enjoyed your weekend. I was so excited we actually had a gorgeous day on Sunday where it was 60 and sunny. It was so perfect so I made sure to get out for a bit and enjoy it. And then I came home and took a nap haha. I haven't been feeling great the past few weeks so I'm just trying to catch up on sleep and feed my body some good stuff.

I did some grocery shopping at Trader Joe's and then stopped into H-Mart to grab a few things. Check out what I got:

For the produce I got a bag of baby spinach, a HUGE bag of clementines, a bag of spring mix, some zucchini, 2 avocados and some shredded cabbage.

For groceries I got some tofu, some soyaki sauce, frozen peaches and cherries and some of the garlic and herb pizza dough.

Guys, I seriously love H-Mart. The prices there are insane. In the back of this picture is a package of 5 servings of udon noodles that I got for $2.99! I don't know if that is a good price but 5 servings of noodles for $3 sounds pretty good to me. I also got a Chinese eggplant and a bunch of scallions. This cost me about $5.

I'm thinking I'm going to make an udon noodle stir fry tonight and I'll make sure to take pictures of it to show you this weekend. I hope that you are all doing well and that your week goes quickly! It's supposed to warm up again later this week and I'm looking forward to it!

What I Eat In A Day #4

Hey everyone! I hope that you are all doing well! Today's post is going to be pretty short. I decided to do another what I eat in a day post because sometimes it is just fun to show a full day of meals. I've been feeling kind of blah and sleepy today and incredibly cold. I think it's the weather since it has been rainy and dark and cold the last few days. Luckily tomorrow will be 60 and sunny and I can't wait to get out and enjoy it.

Anyway, check out the meals from today:

For breakfast I had this delicious plate of avocado toast topped with the Trader Joe's Everything bagel seasoning with a pear on the side.

For lunch I had some veggie rolls from the store. Delicious and fresh as always.

For dinner I had some mushroom ramen noodles and added in a frozen veggie medley to at least get a little bit of veggie goodness in there. This was really warming and comforting and just what I needed to finally get rid of the chill. 

So that's what I ate today. If I have anything else it will be some popcorn later but we'll see! I hope that you are all enjoying your weekend so far and I'll see you on Tuesday!