Springtime Adventuring
Spring is here, at least here in Northern California. Flowers are blooming, birds are singing and all the oak trees are getting their first new green leaves. It’s warmer too, I even got a little sun working in the garden this weekend. 
Spring is my favorite season, but I always get a little restless this time of year, too. In April of 2007 my boyfriend and I set out on a thru-hike of the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail from the Mexican border to Canada. We backpacked 2,400 miles in 5 1/2 months. It was the most amazing adventure of my life, and every year I wish I was doing it again. Unfortunately, whether it’s rural or urban adventures you seek, heading out into the backcountry (or urban wilderness as the case may be) doesn’t really combine well with real life most of the time. But that doesn’t mean we have to be starved for adventure all together. Although it may not be world travel, trying new things can be done right at home on a smaller scale. 
Take a weekend staycation at an Inn or B & B in your own town, explore places nearby that you’ve never been (they’re there, you just have to pretend you’re a tourist to find them), or try our new Artisan Truffles, Caramels and Vegan Milk Chocolate Bites bursting with enticing flavors. Even if a long backpacking trip is out of the question, getting moving outside whether it’s an urban walk in a new-to-you part of town or a rural jaunt on a previously undiscovered road or trail, breathing fresh spring air and enjoying the sights and sounds of the earth coming alive is my best medicine for spring fever.
That or chocolate, which is my go-to remedy for almost every malady. We even have some organic brownies and vegan gift baskets with seasonal flavors to complement the warmer weather. Springtime Salted Almond Bark is also available right now, and keep an eye out in a few weeks for some new truffle flavors we’re working on as part of our vegan Mother’s Day gifts collection.
Winner: The Healthy Voyager’s Global Kitchen Vegan Cookbook Giveaway!
Thanks a bunch to all those of you who shared your favorite ethnic dishes and vegan foodie destinations for this week’s vegan cookbook giveaway! Some of your mouth-watering recommendations included Vietnamese Pho soup, Indian curry, dal and naan, and pupusas (Salvadorian stuffed masa flatbread).
We’re very please to announce that this week’s giveaway winner is Jenna Z, who told us that she LOVES Thai food, especially spicy noodle dishes. We couldn’t agree more! Jenna will receive a copy of Carolyn Scott-Hamilton’s new vegan cookbook The Healthy Voyager’s Global Kitchen. For more of The Healthy Voyager, check out Carolyn’s blog and travel show, too.
Stay tuned in a couple of weeks for another Giveaway!!
Still Available: Easter Chocolates, Springtime Fudge, and Vegan Cookbook Giveaway!
First things first: Don’t miss your chance to enter our latest Giveaway for a copy of Carolyn Scott-Hamilton’s new cookbook The Healthy Voyager’s Global Kitchen. We’re picking a winner tomorrow morning, so enter now!
I know Easter is over, but just because the holiday has passed doesn’t mean you have to forgo our delicious vegan bunnies and eggs.
Spring is still going on, after all, and they’re just too good not to try, so if you missed them last week, or if you had some and were so blown away that you just have to get some more, you’re in luck! For the next few weeks we’ll keep up our stock of luscious Vanilla Rice Crispy Bunnies and creamy Flavored Solid Chocolate Eggs, just in case there are some chocolate-lovers out there who want an ongoing supply.
Springtime Salted Almond Bark will be available at least through May, in case you’re looking ahead for some Mother’s Day gift ideas. In that same vein, Spring also hails the arrival of wedding season and this year we’re very pleased to offer our new Artisan Chocolates in elegant 2- and 4-piece vegan wedding favor boxes. If, on the other hand, it’s a non-chocolate springtime treat that you seek, I highly recommend our Vanilla Chai Fudge, sweetly spiced in perfect harmony.
Fridays with Friends: Carolyn Scott-Hamilton and The Vegan Voyager’s Cookbook Giveaway!
Carolyn Scott-Hamilton is the brains and beauty of The Healthy Voyager travel blog and cooking show. 
Making the world easier to navigate as a traveling vegan is what Carolyn does best. When we met a few years ago, we discovered that we grew up a few blocks from one another in South Florida. We even went to the same high school, though not at the same time. What are the chances?! (Not to be outdone by our previous several Fridays with Friends interviewees, Carolyn is giving away a copy of her amazing-sounding new book, The Healthy Voyager’s Global Kitchen! See detail below.)
Allison Rivers Samson: You adopted a vegan diet after moving to Los Angeles; was it something in SoCal that prompted the change? How did you make the decision?
Carolyn Scott-Hamilton: Well, it was inadvertently Los Angeles’s fault. 
As an impressionable 22 year old in a city where image is everything, I wanted to lose a few pounds. I stumbled upon a book written in the 70′s called Fit For Life and the light bulb went off in my head. It wasn’t so much a book about veganism as it was more about food combining and overall health. Knowing no vegans or anything about it, I decided to leave my meat and dairy eating days behind for healthier pastures! Since I went vegan for health, I got my masters in holistic nutrition and went to culinary school to make sure I did it right and could help those around me understand not only why I did it but that I could thrive! It was the best decision of my life, 14 years ago!
ARS: Fit for Life was my first healthy eating book too! Healthy vegan eating is a big part of your message, what are some of the biggest health mistakes vegan makes?
CS-H: Well, I think the biggest myth is that if you go vegan, you will lose weight. That’s not necessarily true. These days especially, there are so many vegan options as far as convenience foods, junk foods and junk food vegan options at restaurants. If you’re just swapping out a carnivorous junky diet for a vegan one, you are more than likely eating a ton of processed foods and not consuming healthy, whole, plant based foods. Sure, an occasional slice of pizza or cupcake is fine, but meal after meal of mock meats and fried carbs isn’t a healthy way of life, vegan or not. I think that no matter the reason for going vegan, the most important thing is to focus on nutrition. Making sure that you are getting the vitamins and nutrients you need in order to sustain a healthy life is most important, and will, in turn, prove the naysayers wrong and add yet another reason to the checklist of why going veg is ideal. 
ARS: Your new cookbook, The Healthy Voyager’s Global Kitchen, is available in stores now. Congratulations! How was the writing process for you? Did you enjoy it? How does it compare with making videos?
CS-H: Thanks!! It was a great learning experience along with being quite exhilarating and stressful all at the same time! I’ve always loved experimenting in my kitchen and since this book is part history and cultural lesson, I really enjoyed the research that went into exploring the folklore behind each dish. It’s super different than shooting my show since on the show I’m out and about discovering new places whereas writing the book locked me in my kitchen and office for just under 4 months. Which was fine because both involved food!
ARS: You often report on eating healthy/vegan while traveling (thank you!). What are a few key tips you can recommend for the healthy vegan traveler? Some easy mistakes to avoid?
CS-H: My biggest tip is to always be prepared. From packing snacks for small trips to planning where you will be dining at the airport as well as when you arrive at your destination and finding local markets where you can stock up on basics like fruit, veggies, beans, bread and other accoutrements for in-room cooking and prep. An easy mistake to avoid is loading up on junk foods out of convenience. Be sure to pack protein powders, nuts and healthy foods to keep you sustained as well as a green veggie powder to ensure that you are getting vital nutrients if and when you can’t locate a good salad on the go!
ARS: Be prepared, indeed! What’s one of the most surprisingly healthy places you’ve visited?
CS-H: Kenya stands out because I thought I’d only be served zebra and giraffe. I was totally wrong! They had wide varieties of fresh fruit, veggies and delicious vegan dishes, some of which made it into the cookbook! Stateside I’d have to say Memphis Tennessee! I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of healthy and vegan options I found in the BBQ kingdom!
ARS: Definitely not places I would have suspected. If you could recommend 2 or 3 tips to healthy eating anywhere, what would those be?
CS-H: 1) Don’t be shy to ask for what you want. ALWAYS tell your server right away that you are vegan and have them recommend some items. If they aren’t knowledgeable, have them modify a dish per your specifications and double check with the manager or chef.
2) When in doubt, go ethnic. Ethnic food like Asian, Indian, Middle Eastern and even Latin American can be easily veganized as there are tons of plant based dishes in international cuisine.
3) Snack. Always be prepared and don’t leave home or hotel without some kind of snack. You don’t want to be caught somewhere where nothing is available for you and you’re left to starve.
ARS: If you and I were playing in the kitchen together, what would you want to create?
CS-H: Mmmmm, some kind of savory and sweet concoction! Maybe some pain au chocolat, chocolate covered chipotle pretzels, cocoa mole drenched enchiladas….
ARS: Mmmm… sounds good to me! Do you have a favorite Allison’s Gourmet sweet?
CS-H: YES! Your vegan toffee, vegan peanut butter cups and artisan truffles!
Thanks Carolyn, it’s always great to catch up with you! If you’re feeling adventurous, or even if you’re not, Carolyn’s new book will fill your kitchen with delicious vegan dishes from near and far, and it can be yours! 
To enter, just reply to this post telling us your favorite foodie destination or international dish. Easy as that! You must be a resident of the US or Canada to win. We’ll pick a winner on Thursday, April 12th.
Happy travels!
This giveaway is now closed. See who won and stay tuned for more giveaways coming soon!
Your Last Chance to Order for Easter!
I’m guessing there were a lot of us who turned over our calendars this weekend and were surprised. Not just because it’s April already, although time does fly when you’re eating vegan chocolate, but also because, yep, that’s right, Easter is this weekend! 
Which means that your orders for delectable vegan Easter chocolates need to be placed before 9am tomorrow!!
Choose from our adorable and melt-in-your-mouth delicious Chocolate Rice Crispy Bunnies, Springtime Salted Almond Bark, or Flavored Solid Chocolate Eggs, or opt for one of our elegant Easter & Springtime Gift Baskets that include all three lovely Easter chocolates plus delectable organic cookies nestled in green “grass.”
If you’re holding out hoping to win our Easter Chocolates and Chloe’s Kitchen Giveaway, place your order now and if you’re the winner tomorrow morning, we’ll give you a $25 refund.
Happy Easter shopping!
