Fabulous French Toast

Mmmmm...I love having big weekend breakfasts. Here is some French Toast I made recently, heavy on the cinnamon. I used dark whole grain bread from a local bakery and some left over Wegman's whole grain bread. It was so good slathered with Earth Balance margarine and drizzled with some maple syrup. The recipe I used was from How it All Vegan, it's so simple to make. I like leaving the French Toast in the oven at 200 degrees for a few minutes before serving it, I picked up that tip from Sarah Kramer in one of her books. The result is perfectly warm and delicious French Toast! I love to pair it with organic, freshly ground, fair trade coffee.

Vegan a Go-Go!

I finally got a copy of the much awaited Vegan a Go-Go! , Sarah Kramer's new vegan travel book. Even though I knew it was small and travel sized before I ordered it, its size initially surprised me when I recieved it because it really is tiny. That is a good thing, as its purpose is for travel! I can definitely see myself popping this book into my suitcase the next time I go somewhere, as it won't take up that much precious room in my carry-ons.

As promised, it's filled with familiar recipes and travel tips for vegans. Many of these recipes require an oven, stove, microwave, food processor, or other kitchen appliance. Staying in a place with some sort of kitchen is usually the best option for travelers anyway, as you can save a lot of money by preparing your own food. There's also some "no-bake" recipes in the baking section. No-bake pie, no-bake cookies, no-bake bars and icing will come in handy when we're craving something sweet and we're staying in a place without an oven.

I really liked the vegan travel tips in the beginning of the book. To seasoned vegan travelers, some of the tips seem obvious, but it's nice to have a handy checklist when you're planning a trip. I think my favorite part, and the one I will use first when preparing for my next big trip, is "In Sarah's Travel Bag". She's got some good ideas in there that I never really thought of. There are also some new recipes that I have yet to try like Multigrain Porridge and Fettucini Alfredo (it's made with no-cook sauce!) . The milk alternative section will come in handy if we are traveling in a place without soy or rice milk readily available.

Sarah stresses the importance of being packed and prepared well before your trip so that you can get plenty of sleep and relax the night before. I really need to work on that as I tend to be a procrastinator when it comes to last minute travel details like packing, getting tickets printed and passports ready, getting my little shampoos and other liquids to fit inside a 3 oz container, then smushing all of the little lotion bottles into a quart size zip lock bag. I always leave this to the last minute thinking it won't take that much time, and it always stresses me out and leaves me sleep-deprived in the airport the next day.

Overall, I think this book is practical and helpful to vegan travelers, especially those that are new to vegan travel. I look forward to actually using this handy little book on my next vacation. Another winner from Sarah Kramer!

Vegan Pad Thai and Thai Travel Dreams

I love Thai food. There aren't really that many great vegan (not drenched in fish sauce) options in my immediate area. If I'm in NYC, I love to eat at Pukk, but if I'm craving Thai food at home, I make my own Pad Thai. I use A Taste of Thai rice noodles and A Taste of Thai Pad Thai sauce (Yes, I cheat. It's so much easier than making my own!). As the noodles are cooking, I lightly fry the tofu. Once the noodles are ready, I add them to the frying pan and stir in chopped peanuts. Once it's all hot and cooked, I turn off the heat and add the sauce. I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure Pad Thai sauce usually consists of palm sugar, tamarind juice, a salty soy sauce (traditionally a salty fish sauce) and some chili powder or paprika for heat. Usually I also add in scallions, but I didn't have any on hand the other day. Right before it's ready to go on a plate, I add chopped cilantro, bean sprouts, and some freshly squeezed lime juice. It's pretty easy to make when the sauce is all ready before hand, and it's really good!

Now if only I could afford to eat vegan Pad Thai in Thailand...

Eco-Friendly and Vegan Beauty Products

I'm a sucker for splurging on lotions and hair care products, but it's not always easy for me to find vegan options. I know they can be pricey ($38), but I really like the travel set from Jonathan Product. It's got all the hair care products you could ever need already in a little airline-approved travel bag. And, of course, it says 100% vegan on each little bottle. I love that!

Juice Beauty is made with 95% organic ingredients and is 100% vegetarian, which sounds like it would be 100% vegan, but some of their products contain animal derived ingredients (beeswax). One totally vegan product that I've been using lately is Juice Beauty Cleansing Milk, which has red raspberry and white grape juice in it. It smells like yummy creamy raspberries, it cleans so well, and it leaves my skin feeling so soft.

Astara prodcuts are made with "natural, raw botanicals, potent anti-oxidant plant extracts, nourishing vitamins, energizing flower essences and uplifting essential aromatic oils", according to the Astara website. I like their Daily Refining Scrub, it's an excellent facial exfoliant, with lots of scrubby bits that make your face feel squeaky clean.

Fresh products are pricey but so worth it. This sugar face polish, made with "no animal by-products", is so indulgent. It smells like brown sugar and strawberries (which are two of its main ingredients), and it's a mask and an exfoliant. The brown sugar just melts into your skin while your rubbing it on your face, and when you take it off your skin is smooth and dewy. And the smell is heavenly!

These vegan exfoliants have the added bonus of being natural, which is better for the environment. Click here to read about what's happening to synthetic plastic beads found in other exfoliants (gross!).

Macadamia Blondies and the Beach

The months of July and August are like a long, extended vacation for those of us lucky enough to live at the Jersey Shore. For some of us, the beach is just steps away from our homes, and it seems like the beauty and sunshine are ever present. Labor Day weekend can be bittersweet, as the water temperatures are warmer than ever, but the end of the summer season is close at hand. Lucky for me, I live here year round, and September brings smaller crowds to the beach! Here is a bunch of photos I took over Labor Day weekend, followed by a pic of the super scrumptious Macadamia Blondies from Vegan With a Vengeance.

I didn't make the caramel sauce that was supposed to go with the recipe, but I found the blondies to be perfectly sweet enough, with a buttery smoothness from the macadamias. I loved them, and I'll probably make them again soon!