Summer Travels Food Diary – Seattle and Vida Vegan Con
As the owner of a vegan bakery and confectionary, I seek any opportunity to visit other vegan bakeries, confectioneries and sweet shops to eat exquisite morsels and celebrate the delightful creations whipped up by my colleagues in the compassionate food business. On a recent trip to my old stomping grounds near Seattle, I made a point to stop in to the new, all vegan Bouteloua Bakery for some marvelous baked goods. 
Owner and master baker, Megan Jensen, crafts mouth-watering goodies in the kitchen, from cupcakes, cookies, and cinnamon rolls to pain au chocolat and croissants. Deciding how many of which to buy was my favorite part. If I’m dreaming, do not pinch me!
With its lively vegan community and Nia HQ, Portland, Oregon (PDX) has seen the wheels of my suitcase many times this year. A last-minute schedule change in August allowed me the opportunity to attend the phenomenal Vida Vegan Con. In addition to making new friends and finally getting to meet many gifted and entertaining bloggers and vegan superstars I knew already online, another highlight was the creative vegan food, including labels on the raw and gluten-free offerings. It was a rare pleasure to know that all weekend, I would be eating delectable meals and I didn’t have to cook a single dish! The fabulous organizers, Jess, Janessa, and Michele, took such good care of us that for once, eating at a conference didn’t require finding the only meager vegan option at the buffet or requesting special treatment from the servers. Instead, every one of us got special treatment!
Photo by Ryan Suffern
Dare I neglect to mention the inspiring, intelligent, rejuvenating workshops and extra events like the screening of the impassioned film, Vegucated, tour of Bob’s Red Mill, Galarama, meeting the lovely Carolyn Scott-Hamilton (who happens to share my high school alma mater in Florida!) and my newly discovered soul sister, Kim Garr and her all-things-camera wizard husband, Ryan? No way! I learned some new photography tricks from the ultra-talented Hannah, Isa, and Susan; expert writing tips from Dynise, enjoyed a demo of Fran’s Chocolate Cake to Live for (and it IS!); vegan parenting camaraderie from Ben, Sarah, Sayward, Joanna, and Michelle; uplifting encouragement from Colleen, and mad story writing skills from Terry. Marketing suggestions flowed from Fran, Kyle, Anika, Stephanie, and Jess; plus publishing know-how by prolific authors, Bryanna, Julie, Joni Marie, Ryan, and Isa. (Yes, I am still working on my cookbook!) Finally, blogging motivation gushed from Laura, Ben, Jordan, and Jasmin.
Photo by Gena Hamshaw
For me, relishing uniquely prepared food is one of the best parts of being vegan and getting to do so for my “Veganize It!” column in VegNews Magazine is especially rewarding. Not only do I get to share my savory side, but the VegNews founders take good care of their family of writers. Those of us who happened to attend the conference were treated to multiple foodgasms at Portabello on Friday night. Now, you all know that I’m a food snob, right? Well, this was easily one of the top five meals I’ve savored. It may have even shot to number one. I’m not sure. I was drunk on said ‘gasms, as were my tablemates, Jasmin of Our Hen House, Elizabeth of VegNews, and Gena of Choosing Raw. So entranced was I that my camera didn’t make an appearance. But, who needs to take photos when you’re at a table of bloggers? Luckily Gena took gorgeous photos of each course and chronicled our meal on her blog post, Unsurpassed. Read it. And weep.
PDX isn’t only a vegan mecca, it’s also the national headquarters of Nia, my favorite way to move, that ranks very close to my predilection for fair-trade chocolate. I was on cloud nine when I got to balance all that luscious eating with an invigorating Nia class on Friday morning.
I returned from the conference all-jazzed-up and no time to spare. Drats! Truthfully, I feel thoroughly blessed to have a virtual plate full of all my favorite things and a magnanimous vegan community with whom to share it all. Deep gratitude to all my friends for making this summer’s travels memorable, inspirational and lip-smacking!
Blue Lotus Bags Review
Paper or plastic? We all know it’s a good idea to bring our own shopping bags to the grocery store. Some states are even trying to ban plastic shopping bags and some stores are charging extra for them. 
But have you ever thought about those plastic bags that accrue from bulk and produce shopping? Well, I have, and frankly they’re a peeve of mine and I’d be happy to see them go as well. Their problems are many, including:
● They’re not reusable and are devastating to our planet and its inhabitants.
● They get all gross inside and are impossible to dry. You might try turning them inside out, but then you’ve got the dirty outside of the bag on the inside, going next to your food and well, my touch of OCD just can’t abide that.
● They’re made from plastic. Whenever I can avoid plastic touching my food, I’m a happy woman. You’ve heard about BPAs, right? Well, I recently read that even BPA-free plastic has problems.
● They don’t work well for storage. These bags don’t breathe and they don’t close well, so food has a tendency to spill and expires prematurely.
Thankfully, I’ve found a wonderful answer to my plastic bag woes: Blue Lotus Goods’ sustainable Produce & Bulk Food Bags! Here are the reasons I love them:
● They’re reusable, and machine washable! You can toss these right in with your laundry to get clean and then pop them inside your shopping tote, stored in the car, for your next shopping trip. *Do follow the care instructions and line dry your bags (I put mine in the dryer and they shrank!)
● They’re made from 100% Organic Cotton! Put your food in these lovely bags and you will have no qualms about putting said food in you. They’re even committed to using inks that contain no phthalates, are non-carcinogenic and non-toxic. Plus, they are free of heavy metals and solvents. Why this isn’t the norm, I may never understand, but that’s a topic for another post.
● They’re great for storing veggies. Moisten the bags slightly with water (every couple of days) and place them in the crisper section of your fridge to keep water-loving vegetables (like carrots, broccoli and greens) fresh and crisp for more than a week.
● The designs are adorable. Carrots! Grains! Greens! These graphics just make you want to use them and they’ll garner enthusiastic comments (and perhaps a touch of envy) from everyone who sees them. Blue Lotus even prints the tare weight on the bag (lower left corner) so you don’t pay for the weight of the bag. Just ask your checker to deduct it.
● They’re the perfect sizes. The bags for Greens are big enough for plenty of greens, which is very necessary for our kale-hungry family!
Surely you can understand why I’m so in love with these bags. All of the goodness and no downside! Easy decision if you ask me, especially since they’re offering 20% of your next purchase at BlueLotusGoods.com to our fabulous Sweet Talk readers. Just enter code: ALGO11 on their website before July 31st to take advantage of this offer.
Weekly Wrap Up: Earth Balance & Pre-Lunch Desserts
This is an exciting post for me as it’s my first here at Allison’s Gourmet. I’m a big fan and have followed Allison’s recipes in VegNews for some time, so you can imagine how thrilled I was when she asked me to join the Sweet Talk blog team. 
I’ve been a vegan since I was a teenager and love watching the vegan diet become more popular, thanks to efforts by folks like Allison. So here I am, aptly submitting my very first post on some of the great buzz going on around the internet about Allison’s Gourmet!
Allison’s tasty and healthy Grilled Tempeh Rueben Sandwiches were featured on Earth Balance’s Made Just Right website. We are huge fans of Earth Balance and we’re honored that they chose to feature Allison’s recipe. We’re also super excited about their brand new and oh-so-yummy Coconut Spread. You’ve got to check it out!
In the Twittersphere, we love this Tweet from jchenwriter:
“Love it! Best recipe ever! @craft publishes @VegNews Mac ‘n’ Cheese. Recipe by @AllisonsGourmet, photo by @bittersweet_ http://t.co/D6KcHCE.“
Our friends at Raven + Crow Studio — “a ‘lil Brooklyn-based graphic design studio that specializes in not being jerks” — tweeted that they were,
“Enjoying a pre-lunch dessert of Double Chocolate Chunk cookies from @AllisonsGourmet.”
We love that, and you’ll love them. We can’t take all the credit, but surely vegan cookies have something to do with their coolness. 
And big Congrats to Carrie, the winner of our Dad of the Day Giveaway! She has won a $30 gift certificate to give to a special Dad of her choice. Although her answer was chosen randomly, we really liked what she had to say:
“My father is no longer with us, so on Father’s Day I like to celebrate all the other awesome Dads in my life! My husband will surely get spoiled with breakfast in bed, lunch, dinner and dessert! He also gets to choose whatever activity we will do as a family for that day!”
We’re cooking up some fun surprises for you this summer, so stay tuned for more information on that very soon. Have you seen any Allison’s Gourmet products mentioned on a blog or website? Send us the link and we’ll include it in our weekly round up—and if you Tweet @AllisonsGourmet, we might include that too, especially if you’ve got your own reviews and photos to share. Please upload to our Facebook or Twitter pages and spread the love!
Keeki Giveaway Winner!
Congratulations to Hilly whose name was chosen at random from last week’s Keeki Review and Giveaway post to be the lucky winner of an all vegan, non-toxic Keeki nail polish set including:
1 Keeki Nail Polish in Pink Frosting
1 Keeki Nail Polish Base Coat
1 Keeki Nail Polish Top Coat
and
1 Keeki Nail Polish Remover
(Retail Value: $33.49)
Also, in case you missed it in last week’s post, Keeki is offering our readers 20% off one order on their website right now. All you have to do is enter the coupon code “take20off” during checkout. Happy manicures and pedicures!
Beautiful Non-Toxic Nails: Review and Giveaway!
I’ve led an increasingly wholesome life over the past 20 years. Naturally, when I was pregnant in 2006, I became even more careful about what I was putting in (and on) my body. Olivia’s 4 years old now, and her latest request is nail polish like mine (even though I rarely use it). Well, melt my Mama heart, how cute is that?! 
Doing her nails would be a fun way for us to bond and yet I didn’t feel good about the ingredients in nail polishes, even though I bought them at the health food store. Especially since the smell is so strong; I still have to put it on outdoors because I’m chemically-sensitive. Instantly I decided; if it’s not pure enough for my child, it’s not pure enough for me either! I vowed to her that I would stop using nail polish altogether until I found a product I could feel good about both of us using. I’m happy to report that day has come!
Natalie Bauss and Katy Scheffler are two West Michigan moms who faced a similar situation and did something wonderful about it–they created Keeki Pure & Simple, a brand of non-toxic USDA Organic Certified cosmetics. They have a lovely line of 16 food-named nail polishes like Glazed Donut and Chocolate Covered Cherry. There are fun colors for the kid in everyone, elegant colors for adults, and there’s even a color (the bottle on the far left) that is seemingly invisible, but glows in the dark! Spy nail polish? Super cool!
On top of all that fun, they’re way better for the world (and our bodies) than traditional nail polish since they’re certified organic, 100% biodegradable, water-based, vegan, and free of gluten, toluene, formaldehyde and phthalates! Best of all, these polishes (and the polish remover) don’t have that terrible toxic smell. Yippee!! Because they’re such pure and natural products, I have discovered that if you want your nails to stay beautiful for more than one day without chipping, the base and top coats are a definite must.
I discovered Keeki at my Natural Products Expo West adventure this spring and tried out several of the colors. 
When I got home Olivia loved the look so much she wanted to try different colors too! All the colors are so beautiful and Keeki is committed to only adding to their palette, so if you fall in love with a color, you needn’t worry about it being discontinued. Women after my own heart!
And speaking of women after my own heart, they’re letting us do a giveaway of their products just for AG Sweet Talk readers!
Comment here on our blog telling us your favorite Keeki color and we’ll choose a winner at random one week from today, on Wednesday, May 18th. That lucky reader will receive 1 Keeki Nail Polish in Pink Frosting, 1 Keeki Nail Polish Base Coat, 1 Keeki Nail Polish Top Coat, and 1 Keeki Nail Polish Remover, all vegan! (Retail Value: $33.49).
This Giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to Hilly, our lucky winner!
Just in case you don’t win the giveaway, and you’d still like some polish to add to your summer fun, Keeki is also offering our readers 20% off one order by entering the coupon code “take20off” during checkout!
Beware: their lip products contain beeswax–something they promised me they’d work on replacing. I’ll keep my beautifully polished fingers crossed!
Vegan Wedding Website Debuts This Week!
A friend of Allison’s Gourmet, Kristin (you might remember her contributing to the AG blog a few months back), has launched a brand new website dedicated to vegan couples who are engaged and/or married. We’re so excited!
The aim of the website, adorably named Rose Pedals Vegan Weddings – and yes, that pedals like on a bicycle! – is to feature real vegan engagement and wedding stories each week; as well as provide resources to vegan couples who are planning their big day. They plan to list a variety of vegan vendors, everything from cruelty-free photographers, dresses, and tuxedos to makeup, nail polish, décor, and music. And yes, our vegan wedding favors will be there too!
The website has just launched this week and they are actively seeking couples who would like to be featured, as well as vendors, and advertisers.
Check out www.rosepedalsveganweddings.com for details.
Good luck, Kristin!!
Amazing Valentine’s Day Offer from Blendtec
I know it’s Monday Yumday, but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to share a special offer for one of my favorite kitchen tools, the Blendtec Total Blender. I first tried this high-powered blender in November and decided that it would be my holiday gift to myself, so ordered one in December.
We use it every morning for smoothies and it’s pure perfection when making all the rich creamy sauces needed for my vegan recipes. One of my favorite things is that you simply push a button for a pre-programmed setting and walk away. The blender does the rest and even turns off when it’s done!
There are two promotions they’re offering.
The first is for $50 off a factory reconditioned Blendtec Total Blender (see details below), which carries the exact same warranty as a brand new model. This is the machine I ordered, but when I discovered that it has just the 3-inch blade, I later ordered the Wildside container, which has the unique and fantastic 4-inch blade. The 3-inch will do just fine, but if you want the full experience, the 4-inch blade will pulverize just about anything (and they have some crazy videos to prove it – warning, not all videos are vegan) and makes it super easy to scrape out the contents from the wide base.
This offer applies to orders placed between January 31 and February 8, but I wanted to give you a little time to research and fall in love with it before you send the link to this post to someone special who will be delighted to get this gift for you (unless you want to be your own Sweetheart and get it for yourself!) So, to get the $50 off the reconditioned model, use this link, order between January 31 and February 8, and then enter the code “CHOCOLATE”.
The second offer they have is free shipping on only the Wildside 3-quart (left) and the Wildside 2-quart & 3-quart Combo (below right).
Enter “HEART” at checkout when ordering these two items to receive free shipping. (Note: The $50 off does not apply to this offer.)
Blendtec Special Offer for Cyber Monday Only
Soon, I’ll be sharing a new series of posts where I talk about some of my favorite kitchen tools. What better way to kick it off than with a special offer? Blendtec is a wonderfully powerful (3hp) blender that I’ve recently had the opportunity to try. I’ve used a VitaMix for many years and was wowed by the Blendtec. I love the sleek look, square container that has a wider base (4-inch blades) than the VitaMix, which helps it blend better and makes it low enough that it doesn’t bump into my cabinets when on the counter, and easy clean-up. The presets are great for smoothies – I simply push a button and walk away. In 1 minute and 28 seconds, my morning protein shake is perfectly smooth and waiting for me. Now if only it could measure out all the ingredients!
Blendtec is offering a fabulous Cyber Monday deal (see P.S. below) of an additional $50 off a Factory Reconditioned Blendtec Total Blender, complete with a 3-year warranty! Note: This model has the standard container with the 3-inch blade, but you may choose to do as I did and order an additional “Wild Side” container, which has the awesome 4-inch blade. Quantity is limited, so if you’re ready to go for it, order now and enter “Cranberry” in the promo code field. This is a perfect gift for the chef (or budding chef!) in your life. And if that’s you, feel free to send this post as a hint. 
Be sure to check out the great live demo videos on their site too!
Bonus: They’re made in the US!
Allison’s Veganizing “Top Chef: Just Desserts”
Last Week's Veganized Recipe: Vegan Battleship Chocolate Bundt Cake with Sour Cherry Compote and Frozen Soy Yogurt with Orange Flower Water
In case you’re out of the loop, our friends at vegansaurus! have been putting a vegan spin on the Bravo show “Top Chef: Just Desserts.” Here’s how it works: each week on the show the contestants create these crazy desserts and one (or several) of them win that night’s challenge. Then, vegansaurus! gives the winning recipe (or one of them) to a Top Vegan Chef to veganize.
This has been going on for weeks with amazing veganized recipes from the likes of Terry Hope Romero, Alexandra Jamieson, and Melisser Elliot. The final episode of “Top Chef: Just Desserts” aired on Wednesday night and our very own Allison is hard at work creating a vegan version of one of the winning desserts as I write this. For now, which recipe she’s working on is top secret, but the smells coming from our test kitchen are making it hard to concentrate…
what was I saying… oh yeah – Check out vegansaurus! on Monday for Allison’s complete recipe and photos!
Save Lives: Go Fur Free!
As you prepare for winter this year, wear your own skin, and let animals keep theirs by avoiding fur and leather, even as trim or decoration on your winter outfits. Animals used for fur are either trapped and suffer horribly for days before being killed for their skin, or are fur-farmed where they suffer extreme weather conditions and cramped, crowded cages before being killed in horrible ways to preserve their pelts. Also, although fur may be labeled “fox” or “rabbit,” imported fur is often from cats, dogs, and any number of other animals due to lax labeling regulations.
There are so many animal-friendly, cruelty-free options for your cold weather clothing that there is really no reason not to choose vegan! Check out vegan companies like Alternative Outfitters and Vaute Couture for super cute faux-wool and faux-leather jackets, as well as shoes and bags. You also might be surprised to find how many mainstream companies offer vegan options as well. Instead of down, try ecological synthetic insulation (often made from recycled plastic) for your coats and sleeping bags. Polar fleece is another green and vegan option to replace your wool sweaters or socks. For more compassionate bundle-up options see this post on Compassionate Coats by the lovely ChloéJo at The GirlieGirl Army.
