tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3415907685736018892024-03-12T19:44:31.739-07:00vegan and so forthJennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11320336368732794711noreply@blogger.comBlogger190125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341590768573601889.post-46678074143281463712015-04-03T16:23:00.001-07:002015-04-03T16:27:06.896-07:00New York City! (Part 2)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<strong>Continuing on - our February NYC trip:</strong></div>
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It's so difficult to cram everything into such a short trip that I made a probably unwise choice to take off for a new place very late that night (in the cold). It took longer than I had planned to find our way there, part walking/part subway/part taxi. My daughter fell asleep in the taxi, and I should have just turned around and called it a night. But I had been following the progress of the newer and bigger <strong>Dirt Candy</strong> (with owner/chef Amanda Cohen) on instagram for months and was so excited that it was opening the week of our trip. I didn't get a better photo of the exterior or interior of the restaurant, but it's all very pretty. </div>
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After our arduous journey to <strong>Dirt Candy</strong>, we walked in to the hostess apologetically telling us that they stop seating people at...about 15 minutes before we got there - maybe 10:15 or so. However, the owner came over and let us in which was fabulous and so appreciated.</div>
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One menu item I'd always heard about that I knew I wanted to try were the jalapeno hushpuppies with maple butter. They were good. SO spicy that I had to start picking out some of the peppers. They were still so fresh inside that they were on fire. <br />
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We shared the <strong>Broccoli Dogs</strong>. I love the concept of <strong>Dirt Candy</strong>, which is making delicious meals using vegetables, without relying on fake meat products. The "bun" was probably (?) gluten free - it seemed to be. <br />
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The "dogs" were the broccoli stalks, and it was all covered in broccoli kraut and a mustard sauce. Overall, it was good and a fun concept. The "chips" were crispy salt and vinegar broccoli rabe.</div>
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We chose the <strong>Onion Chocolate Tart</strong> (with smoked almond ice cream) at the suggestion of the table next to ours. This might have been our favorite dining experience had it not been so late for my girl. We had great conversations with people on both sides of us. I don't know if that's how it always is there! It was interesting ordering a dessert with onion. I think the other dessert choice contained celery. Overall, I was impressed with the innovation of <strong>Dirt Candy</strong> and hope they do great! </div>
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I'm including this photo because she was so exhausted by the time we made it back to our room. I told her to just get in bed, and I would do everything - brush her teeth, get her in her pj's, etc. I pulled at her coat, and it popped off the hood, and then we had a good laugh.</div>
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I also promised her I would tuck in Sadie and Samantha. <br />
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The next morning:</div>
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Hi, Brooke Shields and <strong>Today Show</strong> hosts!</div>
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We went up to the <strong>Top of the Rock</strong>, something I'd never done.<br />
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If you ever go to <strong>FAO Schwartz</strong>, you need to be there right when they open. That's what we had done last time, which Sis was too young to remember. The employees line up and cheer when you enter, which is very fun and cheerful.<br />
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My sweet girl was in sweet heaven. I think she was more impressed with the candy than the toys...<br />
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which inspired our next destination: <strong>Dylan's Candy Bar</strong> on the Upper East Side.<br />
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I had heard they had candy from <em>Premium Chocolatiers</em>, which we've enjoyed ordering before. It took awhile to find it because this place is so big. I even asked a couple of employees who didn't think they carried it. I actually had to call <em>PC </em>from <strong>Dylan's</strong> who confirmed it was definitely there, so I insisted to an employee we must find it. (It was in the allergy/specialty section.) We ended up spending way too much money on <em>Peanot Cups</em>, <em>NoNo's</em>, and <em>No Whey</em> bars, etc. <br />
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She also filled a bag with as much candy as we could deem "probably vegan" from the walls of scoopable candy. (My guess is she probably still has about 3/4 of this in her room. I think she loves the idea of candy more than she actually loves candy. Or it's that she wants to save it because if she eats it, it will be gone quicker. My boys would have eaten the whole bag by the next day but not her.)<br />
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We really like the <em>NoNo's</em>. The company started making them with a marshmallow filling. But then they switched over to the chocolate filling, which the kids had tried at Christmas. I'm not a marshmallow person (like she totally is), but these were GOOD. Maybe even better than the new chocolate version, and I'm usually a chocolate purist. <br />
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<em>Side note: there is no information on the website about whether the ingredients in their products are genetically modified/organic or fair trade, etc. I emailed the company and was told "they are not certified in either but try to comply with both."</em><br />
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We continued walking up the street to my first love.<br />
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And I ordered one of my favorite foods of all time, the <strong>Cajun Seitan Sandwich</strong>. I was a little embarrassed when I looked back at how many pictures of these I have on my blog. And I've referred to it as a "utopian metaphor" between my husband and me.<br />
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These have showed up a few times, too: <strong>citrus herb marinated seitan skewers</strong>.<br />
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Sis got to enjoy cheese sticks for the second time this trip. So good. <br />
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To be continued!</div>
Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11320336368732794711noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341590768573601889.post-40839771790430846702015-02-28T08:24:00.001-08:002015-02-28T08:26:02.010-08:00New York City! (Part 1)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<u><em>pre-flight snack at Tampa airport</em></u><br />
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After my 4th child was born, I decided to take each older child (along with my nursing/co-sleeping baby) on special vacations since life was busier and my attention spread out thinner. (And I love and NEED to travel, or I go stir crazy.) That's when I took my second oldest on Amtrak to D.C. and NYC. My oldest son chose to visit St. Louis. My daughter, who was 5 at the time, had the foresight to declare she wanted to hold off on her trip until Baby was old enough to be left behind. She waited patiently for 3 years, ha! <br />
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<em>our airplane snack choices</em><br />
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We had been planning all along to head down to Miami, a place I've never explored (and a location for an <strong>American Girl Place</strong>, one requirement). But then we start talking about New York, and it's hard to fight the urge. I let her decide, and NYC won out because she was too young to really remember our last trip there. We were weirdly captivated by the idea of visiting during the heart of winter. We were able to afford this trip entirely because of credit card rewards. I started digging and found rewards I didn't know we had. Our flight and hotel were covered! The week before we went was the big northeastern blizzard, so we were concerned we would get snowed out. But since NYC didn't get hit as bad as expected, it all worked out fine. Despite my mother calling me repeatedly the week we left to tell me how crazy I am.<br />
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We had it all planned out. Our flight was going to arrive at 8:30. I assumed that we would have enough time to retrieve our luggage, hop on the air train from Newark, call in food from some great place that closes at 10 or 10:30, pick it up and take it back to the hotel to relax. We didn't make it out of Penn Station until 10:15, though, so we had to formulate a new plan. The closest place opened was <strong>Maoz Vegetarian</strong> at Times Square. <br />
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We shared an order of falafel with cilantro sauce and tahini plus fries and brought it back to our room to eat. The amazing bonus to our trip was scoring a suite upgrade. We had a bedroom plus a living room and small kitchen which included a fridge and microwave. That was so unexpected and awesome since the room was free to begin with.<br />
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This is our favorite subway stop in Brooklyn...<br />
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because it leads us here:</div>
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<strong>where dreams come true.</strong></div>
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The first night we arrived, we thought it wasn't even that cold (but we changed our minds by the next day). While we were walking to the subway the next morning, we talked about how much we wished it would snow. When we walked up the steps into daylight toward<strong> Dunwell</strong>...it was snowing! It felt like a scene out of a movie.</div>
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I got glazed because I believe it to be the best possible doughnut. Sis got blueberry. We shared a lavender lemonade. These doughnuts are just so amazingly soft and light and perfect.<br />
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Aren't there plates cool? On instagram they said they were a gift from their parents and that people had been stealing them. I hate thinking about vegans or those wanting to eat vegan doughnuts stealing custom made wood plates. I hope they get them back.<br />
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Since we were already in the neighborhood (They are about a block apart.), we hoped we would still have some room for brunch at <strong>Champs Diner</strong>. It turned out that my Directions took us to the old location which is almost a mile away from <strong>Dunwell Doughnuts</strong>. Therefore, after walking two miles and then waiting for our food, we were ready to eat again. My dumb mistake was not realizing that the old location is now home to a vegan store from the same owners of <strong>Champs Diner</strong>. We could have went in there, but I didn't realize it.<br />
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We shared two dishes (and my daughter and her tiny tummy had to take a lot of her portion back to the hotel for supper) - this perfect breakfast platter...<br />
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and mozzarella sticks!!!<br />
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They deserve the 3 exclamation points because they taste good and because it's such a fun menu item.<br />
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<strong>Champs Diner</strong>, which was new to us, is awesome, and I could have eaten every meal here (and we did eat here again) during our visit. Sometimes I will visit a restaurant like this where I will think it's <em>good</em>, but I could have eaten just as well at home. I feel like <strong>Champs</strong> does it better than I might do at home, which is the mark of a great vegan place to me.<br />
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Later that afternoon, we had reservations at <strong>American Girl Place</strong>. Samantha Rose (a gift from Googie and Papaw for Christmas) and Sadie Sunshine came with us. It's all very, very sweet.<br />
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In the café, they bring your dolls a highchair and a cup and saucer. You get to keep the cups and saucers plus the napkin rings, which are hair bows. If you do not have a doll, they let you pick one of theirs (and they even have boy dolls) to sit with you. <br />
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When I made the reservation, I was told they could accommodate vegans. Instead of little muffins waiting on the table, we had fruit kabobs.<br />
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Our appetizer was fruit and veggies.<br />
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She loved her sparkling drink. My daughter loves drinks. She loves tea and sodas and anything special. She did not inherit this from me as I mostly only drink water and have a difficult time even drinking that.<br />
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The only entrée choice was salad. I asked if they could make her a pasta or something but was told no. Fortunately, she likes salad. (My 9 year old son wouldn't have eaten.) These salads were really large. I appreciated that it contained beets and wasn't just lettuce, carrots, and tomatoes. The problem with our meal was: we were both so tired of chomping. There was so much chewing involved in this meal combined with the appetizers. I wrote a suggestion on the comment card that although everything was good, what would make it even better was offering a different vegan option or at least adding beans or pumpkin seeds or something to the salad. I never really mind going to a restaurant and having limited options to eat, especially when it is one like this where the experience and ambiance are a part of the meal. However, if it's prix fixe $25 apiece (plus the specialty drink), I hope it's fair. <br />
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By the end of dinner, I was pouting a little (probably from lack of simple carbohydrates and protein) watching the girls next to us receive their fancy non-vegan desserts and thinking how unfair the world is. I thought we weren't going to get dessert (or that it was going to be more veggies and fruit). But they brought her out this cute flower pot lemon sorbet, so all was well!<br />
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Overall, we had a great day here. The restaurant and store are darling (and expensive for all and maddening and annoying to some, I'm sure), and we got to participate in a craft time. I banned all kinds of plastic dolls in our home for many years, but my daughter is 8 and only has a few more years of childhood enchantment and dolly fun, so I've loosened up. (And truthfully, no one squeals and gasps more than me looking through the historic dolls and clothes.) Sadie Sunshine (who isn't a "real" <em>American Girl</em> doll) got her hair styled in the salon, and their wardrobe has increased! This is thanks to Grandma and Grandpa who gave us a big gift card for Christmas. My favorite thing about the meal were the conversation starter cards on the table. We had a great time asking and answering questions back and forth. <br />
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<span id="goog_1765862927"> That night, I was able (with my daughter having a super time with a babysitter) to enjoy Bradley Cooper in <strong><em>The Elephant Man</em></strong>. I really enjoyed my first row mezzanine seat and loved the performance!</span></div>
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That's Day 1 1/2. To be continued!</div>
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*Also, since blogging is apparently so elusive to me these days, I thought I might do better posting daily pics on instagram. Follow me if ya want! <strong>@veganandsoforth</strong></div>
Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11320336368732794711noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341590768573601889.post-11260680862676287302014-08-19T08:52:00.001-07:002014-08-19T08:56:57.102-07:00Askinosie Chocolate Factory Tour<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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One fun activity we chose to do in Springfield, Missouri (on our visit this summer) was touring Askinosie Chocolate Factory. I had been wanting to take the kids to do this for years because we love factory tours, and we <em>really</em> love factory tours that include vegan food. We had wanted to do it during our chocolate unit in homeschooling (since we were only a few hours away in Arkansas) but never made it. <br />
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The tour, given by this cordial, knowledgeable young man, started with a history and background of the company and Mr. Askinosie (who left his job as a criminal defense lawyer to make chocolate). These are the candybars they sell in their store front and in local establishments. Most of them are vegan, but several are not. They are pricey at $8.50/bar.<br />
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Hi, cocoa pod!</div>
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I wish I would have typed this soon after our visit because the details are a little fuzzy, but this is one of the first steps in the chocolate making process. Let's just take a moment to think about how wonderful chocolate is and how grateful I am that machines like this exist<br />
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We first got to sample cacoa nibs, which obviously the kids didn't enjoy plain. I told her to smile because that would be rude to make a face, and this was as much as she could muster. <br />
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They are the first small batch chocolate maker in the U.S. to press their own cocoa butter, and they are apparently the first small-batch makers of natural cocoa powder.<br />
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I asked him several questions about the "may contain milk" label, and I felt satisfied by his assurance of cleaning practices. This was very good for me to see it in person because I am someone who is sometimes too grossed out to eat something that says "may contain milk" no matter how much I know it probably doesn't. (I am really trying to get past my OCD on this.)<br />
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Although they are not organic certified or fair trade certified (so the farmers do not have to go through the required financial obligations), they claim to be directly involved with the growing practices and pay above fair trade prices:<em> "We go to great lengths to make sure the farmers do not use chemicals and pesticides; not only do they sign a contract, we visit these farms yearly and can personally verify their practices. We also make sure that our beans are shade grown and that the cocoa trees are intercropped with other trees and crops. Our cocoa beans are not certified, however, in part for the same reason we aren’t Fair Trade certified—the certification process for the beans is very expensive and our farmers can’t afford it. Though we are not certified organic, our beans can be traced completely back to their origin. We have the name of every farmer who contributed to each crop."</em><br />
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Another nice thing this company does is called <strong><a href="http://www.askinosie.com/chocolate-university">Chocolate University</a></strong>. They involve local elementary and middle schools in different worthwhile programs. Local high school students get the opportunity to travel to Africa to learn about not only chocolate growing and Direct Trade practices but ways to inspire their own community and become more socially responsible. Factory Tour proceeds go toward Chocolate University.<br />
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At the end of the tour, we got to taste test many of the different bars (and they will let you taste test any of them before you buy, I believe). The kids expressed mixed reviews because they do not all love dark chocolate as much as I do. They LOVED the tour and expressed how much several times afterward.<br />
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We wished we could have afforded to try some of the other products, such as hot chocolate mix. I was also interested in purchasing a rice bag that had been harvested by schools in Tanzania or the Philippines - 100% of the profits are returned to the local schools for their lunch programs.<br />
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Askinosie Chocolate is located in old downtown Springfield. I enjoyed driving around the area on our way out, reminiscing, since I hadn't spent time here in 15-20 years - seeing certain places I recognized such as the spot where an old movie theater existed when I was a little girl and the area where my dad worked on the railroad. I thought the area was neat, and I want to go back and explore more when I have time.<br />
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Our chosen bars: dark chocolate from the Philipines and the toasted hemp seeds bar. The hemp seed bar had a bit of the texture (a plainer, healthier texture) of a rice crisp chocolate bar, which was nice. <br />
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An interesting fact is the strings that tie up the packages are made by women from a local shelter. They make the strings from the bags (see below) that hold the cocoa beans shipped to the factory.<br />
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We walked a few doors down to see the building where they store their cacoa beans. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAlNOHV0Cq621MubHxEnSAeQE20GFkFairqkJL-8NfN0YiJfhTb2JsO_4VePvCp3rHdXAMWKZhFTh5g272uCFkPaixHgJYXQOoTLIH9Zhc9XsojmIh86X7c8ObnpBsdYkbdvkYrahHukY/s1600/IMG_3823.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAlNOHV0Cq621MubHxEnSAeQE20GFkFairqkJL-8NfN0YiJfhTb2JsO_4VePvCp3rHdXAMWKZhFTh5g272uCFkPaixHgJYXQOoTLIH9Zhc9XsojmIh86X7c8ObnpBsdYkbdvkYrahHukY/s1600/IMG_3823.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
If you like DARK chocolate, then you would like Askinosie chocolate. I'm not an expert review-er, and my taste buds aren't so refined to tell you that it has a "fruity," "woody," "sharp," "earthy," "clean," or "acidic" flavor like other reviewers online. I can say that we really liked the special touch of "askinosie chocolate" spelled out on the bar.<br />
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Thank you, Askinosie Choclate, for the fun tour and for making vegan chocolate in a seemingly very nice way.</div>
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Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11320336368732794711noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341590768573601889.post-23284889296891302802014-07-24T16:09:00.000-07:002014-07-24T16:24:26.206-07:00Summer and So Forth<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
In June, we roadtripped it back to Arkansas to visit family and friends. Ryan had to work while we were there, but it's nice that he can just work in Little Rock without having to use vacation days. We were gone for 15 days. We spent time with my parents, sisters, niece and nephew, and some of our friends. The kids and I also drove to Missouri to stay with my brother and his family for a few days. It was good to be "home." </div>
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<em><span style="font-size: x-small;">spinach, kalamata olives, roasted garlic, and artichoke </span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-size: x-small;">with olive oil </span></em><em><span style="font-size: x-small;">instead of red sauce at ZaZa's...</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-size: x-small;">one of my favorite pizza topping combos</span></em></div>
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On the subject of vegan: we met my youngest sister one day at Mellow Mushroom in Little Rock, which opened RIGHT AFTER we moved, good grief. We were also happy (and also bummed that it happened AFTER we left) to discover that ZaZa's Pizza in Conway now carries Daiya. (We always brought our package of Daiya with us for them to use.) </div>
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We have missed our old Whole Foods! It's a lovely location for a Whole Foods. We just loved everyone there and were always treated so nicely (despite the fact we are a lot of people and we do things like lick the sample tongs). We actually found out they are planning to move locations soon, which will be weird. (I also worked here for a short time many years ago.) I will say...as happy as I was to return to our home away from home, I quickly realized how much better the selection is in Tampa. So there's that. (And it wasn't me that licked them, by the way, and I gave them to an employee.)</div>
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He fell right over to sleep against my chest while we were shopping.</div>
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In Missouri, the kids and I had lunch one day with my parents' best friends from my childhood. We ate at <strong>The Grotto</strong> in Springfield, which is vegan-friendly. I enjoyed my salad (which was a fulfilling greek-style salad), and the kids enjoyed their hummus, etc. Our friends chose this place to eat after googling vegan restaurants in Springfield. And I love that they did that because even though we rarely see each other, they know me. And that was pretty much the theme of this trip...it was really nice to be around familiar people again. To watch my nephews play baseball. To reminisce and catch up with four of my best friends from high school.To see my kids giggle with their cousins. To eat cucumbers out of my aunt's garden and tomatoes out of my dad's. To cry along with relatives who were happy to see us and sad to see us go. </div>
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I write all of that to say: I'm in a bit of a weird phase right now. We love Tampa. I like Florida better than I like Arkansas and Missouri for enough reasons that Florida probably wins. However, if we choose to stay here, we are choosing a life without the people we love in it. So if I live there, I'm not 100% content, and if I live here, I'm not 100% content. I know that's the way life is, and you just have to find a way to be content, regardless. Maybe most people aren't 100% content? I'm a restless person, in general, so I have that against me. These are just some of my thoughts right now.</div>
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My parents also decided to put in a saltwater pool upon our departure. Seriously, y'all.<br />
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Another big event of the summer (ok, not so big - but it happened) was my birthday this week. Ryan wasn't even here - he was on a business trip, and some other dumb stuff happened the night before that ended up taking up most of my day. But I did make myself a chocolate pie because it's always a good time to have chocolate pie. I let the kids decorate it themselves with strawberries, ground up chocolate chips, and candles. 5 candles seemed like a better number than 39, apparently.</div>
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HAPPY birthday.</div>
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It had been a dilemma: <em>chocolate pie or pumpkin pie</em>? I was going to pick pumpkin since I don't have it as often but didn't have enough time for it to set. So since we had to buy pie crust and Soyatoo anyway, we made a pumpkin pie the next day.</div>
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And then I'm going to eat salad today.</div>
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Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11320336368732794711noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341590768573601889.post-23304054670706672392014-05-11T20:17:00.001-07:002014-05-11T20:28:43.315-07:00Another School Lunch Post<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When I blog so infrequently, it's a bit of a challenge to recall what the foods were that I took photos of. I really don't know why I continue to take pictures of so much of the food we eat. It's a habit or an addiction, I guess. Or maybe just optimism that one day I will blog again regularly. I'm going to take a shot at some of these school lunches from the past many months.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXKD4dmHsN4Tqy4NUY4U_6yOPw5ocFnfwhIcY7g47ePd2Zj4Ze2kNOTKIQJG7J3FMsNE5IvXx9YVxH_b-GKI61xAVemTNX6SLJU3IYsYc7ozZ46vRNmqN6BgzlOD_4yHRcoKJV_CfEY70/s1600/IMG_7214.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXKD4dmHsN4Tqy4NUY4U_6yOPw5ocFnfwhIcY7g47ePd2Zj4Ze2kNOTKIQJG7J3FMsNE5IvXx9YVxH_b-GKI61xAVemTNX6SLJU3IYsYc7ozZ46vRNmqN6BgzlOD_4yHRcoKJV_CfEY70/s1600/IMG_7214.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
baby carrots, grape tomatoes, strawberries, baked <i>Snapea Crisps</i>, and part of a <i>Tofurky</i> kielbasa, and pizza that appears (judging from the crust, but I could be wrong) to be a leftover piece from Mellow Mushroom<br />
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watermelon, a mandarin orange, toast with <i>Earth Balance</i>, pasta with black beans, olive oil, nutritional yeast, etc.<br />
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grape tomatoes, cucumbers, salad with dressing, watermelon, pasta with tomato sauce and nutritional yeast, etc.<br />
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<i>Gardein</i> slider (I think this was the Chik'n one, perhaps.), tomatoes, bell peppers, carrots, chips, and vegan marshmallows<br />
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mini pitas, hummus inside the container, carrots, a mandarin orange, <i>Hilary's</i> veggie bites, applesauce</div>
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raspberries, chips, a Justin's PB cup, an<i> Amy's</i> bean burrito</div>
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<i>Back to Nature</i> Multi-Seed Rice Thin Crackers, hummus, smoked almonds, blueberries, carrots<br />
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blueberries, celery, <i>Stretch Island</i> (no added sugar) fruit chews, an <i>Amy's</i> gluten-free burrito</div>
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carrots, a leftover Valentine's Day cupcake, cantaloupe, and your guess is as good as mine as to what's inside that sandwich...I'm guessing nut butter and fruit spread. On a side note, the little <i>Wilton</i> decoration is not something you see with me often but is a result of <i>my</i> love (and respect to the fact that she eats vegan and healthy typically) for my candy-obsessed girl whose eyes widen with glee at the sight of all things chemically colored and preserved. <br />
<br />Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11320336368732794711noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341590768573601889.post-79626858042987952742014-04-16T09:15:00.001-07:002014-04-16T09:19:05.275-07:00Fun Friday: Trader Joe's Opening and Frozen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Look what we got in March!</div>
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The kids and I decided to go to the grand opening because I needed groceries, anyway. I had read in the news that they were expecting a big crowd, including traffic police. We soldiered on, undeterred! They weren't kidding. There were long car lines coming from every direction, trying to get in. At first, I thought, <em>"Forget this; we'll come back another time."</em> But as I circled back around, I thought, <em>"All of these people must want in for a reason! We can't miss out!"</em> And the longer we waited, we more I felt I NEEDED IN! So I circled around and around until finally the policeman ushered me into an available parking spot. </div>
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The 5 of us walked slowly through the crowds, taking in every aisle. The kids eyed the samples as they generally do, like you would assume it is the first food they've had all day. I felt as I have before - that Trader Joe's isn't as vegan friendly as Whole Foods. They just don't have everything I want or need. And there seems to be ambiguous sugar in everything packaged. What is all of this sugar? Does my obsessive compulsive bone sugar aversion want to eat it? </div>
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However, we clearly found <em>plenty</em> of things to purchase. I made mental notes of all the great prices. I have really been wanting to make a page that tells me which stores I frequent have the best price for each item we buy. (For example: <em>Daiya</em> is $4.79 at Nutrition Smart, $4.99 at Whole Foods, and a whopping almost $5.59 at Winn Dixie. This is important information to us because we love our <em>Daiya</em>.) What do you recommend I buy at Trader Joe's as opposed to other places?</div>
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The good news: when I fill my cart like this at Whole Foods, I know I'm looking toward at least a $350 debit. My full cart at Trader Joe's: a little over $150! </div>
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That night, we <em>finally</em> joined the club. </div>
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I splurged on these instant download printable popcorn boxes which were a few dollars on Etsy. They were so cute and fun, I don't know if I can go back to popcorn in bowls. (The kids decorated the table with handmade snowflakes.)<br />
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I also printed off these for our "party."</div>
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Look at the guy in the back. How happy is he?</div>
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I had really been craving icecream cake recently. When I was little and stopped eating eggs first, I always had an icecream cake for my birthday so it feels nostalgic to me. I don't remember what all of these layers were. I know there were cookie crumbles for the crust, there was vanilla, there were crumbled <em>Justin's</em> pb cups...<br />
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and there was chocolate icecream, crushed nuts, ganache, whipped cream...I don't know, maybe other things, too. <br />
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It ended up being better the next day as I hadn't allowed it to freeze long enough before we tried cutting into it. But it achieved its <em>Frozen</em>-themed purpose. And I'm glad I got it out of my system because it reminded me that I'm just not a huge icecream person anymore. (Soft serve is a different story.) My kids totally loved it, though, and thoroughly appreciated it. And I had to listen to <em>Let it Go</em> in the car on repeat for about two weeks straight.Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11320336368732794711noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341590768573601889.post-4057306036863049992014-03-06T09:58:00.000-08:002014-03-06T09:58:02.438-08:00Orange and Berry Pickin'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Can I still say "pickin'" even if I don't live in Arkansas anymore? It's a new, wonderful experience living in a city which offers fresh local organic produce at your fingertips all year. And most of the farmer's markets don't even open until late fall/early winter. </div>
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Our lovely Saturday began by stopping at the Manatee Viewing Center at Apollo Beach. The manatees will gather in the canal next to Tampa Electric during colder (68 degrees and colder) water months. It is a federally protected manatee sanctuary, and there is a small educational center open during winter and early spring. There were several manatees in the photo, but it's difficult to catch them coming up for air. <br />
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There is a long pier through a mangrove estuary, and we just enjoyed walking around for awhile, enjoying the perfect weather. We had also visited this place last March when we were here looking at houses. We had meant to come back during the few weeks it got cold in Dec-Jan because I think the manatees congregate here in greater numbers then.<br />
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Then off to picking Honeybells at <strong><a href="http://www.dooleygroves.com/">Dooley Groves</a></strong>. They told us we were going to be the last pickers of the season - until next January! We apparently made it just in time.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTcFVPwN3NM8M9-jHZKfKn3CBp65mPhp32XJYbOrLiRWkVy6V7spm2V26581zw-fkQW0iJ8C7kUe8etcy38Ci_kSmDEylBIw-t3I-KBu06SHx_IJe6ahIv0kiBpK3QSOOKniRdaAypKrg/s1600/IMG_6867.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTcFVPwN3NM8M9-jHZKfKn3CBp65mPhp32XJYbOrLiRWkVy6V7spm2V26581zw-fkQW0iJ8C7kUe8etcy38Ci_kSmDEylBIw-t3I-KBu06SHx_IJe6ahIv0kiBpK3QSOOKniRdaAypKrg/s1600/IMG_6867.JPG" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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We had a lot of help. </div>
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It was fun to sample all of the types of citrus they had for sale (especially because we hadn't eaten lunch yet!). There were also little cups of Honeybell juice and grapefruit juice, which hit the spot so much that we bought a half gallon of the orange juice. When we were back in the car, we drank cup after cup of juice. I just kept refilling everyone's cups. We were all saying, <em>"Mmmm,"</em> over and over. We also bought some pineapple oranges and grapefruit. We'll try the gigantic lemons next time.<br />
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Next up was <strong><a href="http://fortlonesome.org/">Fort Lonesome</a></strong>, which was also down south in the same basic region as Dooley Groves. When we first pulled up, it just seemed like a house with a little garden in front, but we soon realized that wasn't the case. There were rows upon rows of amazing fruits and vegetables waiting on us to pick them and plenty of space for the kids to run and explore.<br />
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Fort Lonesome is a member supported CSA. If you don't have a membership, you have to pay a per-person admission, but fortunately he let us try it out this time. We really do want to join a CSA and need to decide on the closest organic one to us.<br />
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Picking strawberries in the 2 1/2 acre prairie was even more fun than picking oranges because it takes longer to fill a basket. The berries were so big and beautiful that it made it hard to think about paying $5.99/lb in the store.<br />
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We also picked some herbs (stevia, chocolate mint, and rosemary) and some veggies (cabbage, kale, green onions, and chipotle peppers). I don't garden, so this was such a soulful experience for me. The man advised us to try chewing on a stevia leaf along with a chocolate mint leaf, and it was delicious. The big kids and I took off on the forest trail, which was amazing. It led back to a creek, and my country-turned-city kids were thrilled to be back in nature.<br />
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<em>the fruits of our labor:</em></div>
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We enjoyed strawberry shortcake for the next few days. The first night we used pie crust, and the next morning I made sweet biscuits, which were even better but not photographed.</div>
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And we have been juicing the tangelos. They are SO juicy, they are almost impossible to eat (without getting juice everywhere). I just take the peel off and stick the whole orange into my blender (with a little ice) so it's juice without wasting anything. We've felt very healthy this week.</div>
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<em><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands; </strong></span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.</strong></span></em> </div>
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<em><strong> </strong> <strong>-Psalm 128:2</strong></em> </div>
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<span class="p"><br /></span>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11320336368732794711noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341590768573601889.post-7298337263173776312014-01-19T13:18:00.000-08:002014-01-19T13:20:45.520-08:00Vegan Tampa: Pizza Fusion Although we actually don't eat out THAT often (maybe once week but not every week), it is nice to have places I like in Tampa. In Little Rock, we had a few go-to's. Tampa is no New York City. But I do look forward to eating out now, which is a new addition to our lives. <br />
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One of my favorite places in this area is <em><strong>Pizza Fusion</strong></em>. There are two that we frequent, one downtown (where I love going) and one in the Westchase area of Tampa (which is one place we like to stop for take-out after a day at the beach). There are several other locations in Florida, as well as spots in North Carolina, Colorado, Ohio, New Jersey...and apparently, I just realized, many <em><strong>Pizza Fusion</strong></em> restaurants in Saudi Arabia.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtXESU-vtOf8nYhYYZ64Spjypj0clyxF50BAlOxxWw2XXM8R557sP2Sa0qkSNOR6CNNONwK0EEj1EXQvGzSjL4fQlAaSP-ghLkE1DATaB_lV6a7p_cwHLpoiRkGj8wR47LmC2zETAvrYI/s1600/525.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtXESU-vtOf8nYhYYZ64Spjypj0clyxF50BAlOxxWw2XXM8R557sP2Sa0qkSNOR6CNNONwK0EEj1EXQvGzSjL4fQlAaSP-ghLkE1DATaB_lV6a7p_cwHLpoiRkGj8wR47LmC2zETAvrYI/s1600/525.JPG" height="400" width="298" /></a></div>
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One reason we like <em><strong>Pizza Fusion</strong></em>: <strong>vegan breadsticks with Daiya</strong> at the location downtown. We tried ordering at the other location, but the waitress looked at me like I was crazy so not sure what's up with that.</div>
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I don't know if we have ever gotten to order appetizers at a pizza place before, so it's fun (even if an order only gives us all about one small breadstick each). We also like the choice of <strong>all-natural, organic drinks</strong> (like <em>Honest Tea</em>, <em>Honest Kids'</em> juice pouches - and they even have organic beer, etc. if that's your thing).</div>
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Another reason we like <strong>Pizza Fusion</strong>: <strong>organic tomato sauce and veggies</strong>. (We also like the size and shape of the pizzas.) I don't really want to talk about the non-vegan pizza toppings, but let's just say there are words and phrases like "free-range," "hormone & preservative-free," and "organic" associated with them.<br />
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<a href="http://pizzafusion.com/saving-the-earth/">Other ways</a> the company is committed to making <strong>conscious choices</strong> for the Earth: delivering food in hybrid cars, recycling, and using recycled/Earth-friendly products and cleaners, <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEsIoUBI4Ynzn6rzWSe6zQ_wQRbTkkmaDCUhZUySLGxKUu2aBMtc19WamyyvgXT97Ts-GgsDJrh7R4Fm8ugSKjhSYqj4wkq3lzaC4iiZ1MeGMr-SouW_QRsZJdOwFC7Tn82A9zRqYhATM/s1600/526.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEsIoUBI4Ynzn6rzWSe6zQ_wQRbTkkmaDCUhZUySLGxKUu2aBMtc19WamyyvgXT97Ts-GgsDJrh7R4Fm8ugSKjhSYqj4wkq3lzaC4iiZ1MeGMr-SouW_QRsZJdOwFC7Tn82A9zRqYhATM/s1600/526.JPG" height="400" width="298" /></a></div>
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They offer <strong><em>Follow Your Heart</em> <em>Vegan Gourmet</em></strong> and <em><strong>Daiya</strong></em> for cheese. Half of our family members prefer Daiya, and half prefer <em>Follow Your Heart</em>.</div>
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In an effort to eliminate soy protein isolate from my life, I had mostly stopped buying <em><strong>Vegan Gourmet</strong></em>. But I DO prefer it on the pizza here. Ryan likes <em><strong>Daiya</strong></em> better, though. They will do half and half for us.<br />
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My oldest son's pizza of choice: </div>
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cheese, pineapple, and black olives.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii5NWwo03olDhgTOTLKJqOqMMy13CDe24H64Xq2UBe15BLYUJOdJncDbNmMnjb2Y-w1mL7NuMpG-YY8GTZPe4ws0vUBiCBHNWDLjUO_aeIynUtf0lBzigIOTrSeRwvg1WHSpTmsIU1_78/s1600/iphone+pics+jenny+12262013+075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii5NWwo03olDhgTOTLKJqOqMMy13CDe24H64Xq2UBe15BLYUJOdJncDbNmMnjb2Y-w1mL7NuMpG-YY8GTZPe4ws0vUBiCBHNWDLjUO_aeIynUtf0lBzigIOTrSeRwvg1WHSpTmsIU1_78/s1600/iphone+pics+jenny+12262013+075.JPG" height="298" width="400" /></a></div>
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You can choose from <br />
original and multi-grain crust.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCOcJ76yi5naF5NZxlfGaXYL2TRuhY1a87xEpUNTe0TF9Mf0XSmuAR5Ym9lz6idGFArgbdomXs90Lx6kmiZjX2_BLNxWK68HmOAkoItiGQSUDqVisl69g8Su-ACfA7ccFz7OJxN2-t2fM/s1600/475.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCOcJ76yi5naF5NZxlfGaXYL2TRuhY1a87xEpUNTe0TF9Mf0XSmuAR5Ym9lz6idGFArgbdomXs90Lx6kmiZjX2_BLNxWK68HmOAkoItiGQSUDqVisl69g8Su-ACfA7ccFz7OJxN2-t2fM/s1600/475.JPG" height="400" width="298" /></a></div>
They also offer gluten-free crust, which I'm told by both locations is vegan (despite two different recipe lists on the website, one which is vegan, one is not). I've never tried the gluten-free crust. But what we HAVE tried are the vegan, gluten-free brownies.<br />
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They are not the best brownies we've ever had, but they <em>are</em> good, with the toppings adding a nice touch. And the kids love being able to order dessert at a restaurant.</div>
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Another reason I love this place: Once I called in an order downtown, but my toddler was asleep in his carseat. I would have had to wake him up and pay $5 for parking. I called the restaurant, and they let me park in a very temporary spot and brought my order out to me, took my credit card in, and brought it back out. And the girl smiled the whole time she was doing it. I majorly appreciate things like this.</div>
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<a href="http://pizzafusion.com/home/"><img alt="Pizza Fusion" border="0" src="http://pizzafusion.com/storage/logo.png" height="127" width="392" /></a></div>
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Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11320336368732794711noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341590768573601889.post-3048053703917459872013-10-18T13:34:00.000-07:002013-10-18T13:34:08.460-07:00Veggie Festivals!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We are so excited about <b><a href="http://tampabayvegfest.org/">Tampa Bay Veg Fest</a></b> this weekend! We actually live in a city that has a Veg Fest! Feel happy for us! We have been counting down the days. And it made me think about the <b><a href="http://www.texasveggiefair.com/">Texas State Veggie Fair</a></b>, which we attended one year ago. I never blogged about it, so here it is. The <b>Texas State Veggie Fair 2013</b> happens to also be this weekend - Sunday, October 20 in Dallas. We had a nice time - one of the bad things about living in Florida is that I love Texas, and I can't road trip there anymore. As much as I like the vegan food in Tampa, there's nothing like <a href="http://www.spiraldiner.com/">Spiral Diner</a> here.<br />
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Here is a little photo journal of our day:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr7NGGTxmFM3hIGuTr2dfNTi4Pd-UkehDpCE3pe0AnFHDBOQJfG3Nj1M_mAPs1XguU0BDjf7Wi30T4AsrnThrwj8CwLkUEtLdgpcdwqqWb_x2mroGdCv1TgreGJlomfWpUG-al6kGNqw8/s1600/368.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr7NGGTxmFM3hIGuTr2dfNTi4Pd-UkehDpCE3pe0AnFHDBOQJfG3Nj1M_mAPs1XguU0BDjf7Wi30T4AsrnThrwj8CwLkUEtLdgpcdwqqWb_x2mroGdCv1TgreGJlomfWpUG-al6kGNqw8/s400/368.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Ll83hEfE7gGgM9XNQQXnLdnCMLVUumyQvQSD1tty9LD5Gd6kD8Cbh6pO5AQ4tOs-FuPCE0f8WzP8i029VKR1VBxbw1AIF4LPIHXU2fVpzUyQ4Q6thLOe9GpYhUuneKnZ1mm7nkt8xCE/s1600/369.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Ll83hEfE7gGgM9XNQQXnLdnCMLVUumyQvQSD1tty9LD5Gd6kD8Cbh6pO5AQ4tOs-FuPCE0f8WzP8i029VKR1VBxbw1AIF4LPIHXU2fVpzUyQ4Q6thLOe9GpYhUuneKnZ1mm7nkt8xCE/s400/369.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
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all day vegan free samples - love!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA2v-hvuhIhSDFMzyvXDFU3kJ9J5ClBemNVEpvW-cDVckFp-Eb35kQcoSYs6jhqZpxhZAdtlK954CPCm8Tu_VtCj3TRwlagL1mroEtgWZgt9ZubMvBSoja661EGUAo0xIBiDFLtWXyOn8/s1600/370.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA2v-hvuhIhSDFMzyvXDFU3kJ9J5ClBemNVEpvW-cDVckFp-Eb35kQcoSYs6jhqZpxhZAdtlK954CPCm8Tu_VtCj3TRwlagL1mroEtgWZgt9ZubMvBSoja661EGUAo0xIBiDFLtWXyOn8/s400/370.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSLh5oAUhP0Jfujc0VI6aij9ZuNbuckHCeJAmOQ2cpRzH9lIz32ShyphenhyphenQkaql7lhptfefCDo5TDNjj0lZftHqKsweNIXVSWsv4Jme-_tS8VBrGEIpvbh3P1zWzrA5-PeOCJDpDC3MZTVJ6Y/s1600/388.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSLh5oAUhP0Jfujc0VI6aij9ZuNbuckHCeJAmOQ2cpRzH9lIz32ShyphenhyphenQkaql7lhptfefCDo5TDNjj0lZftHqKsweNIXVSWsv4Jme-_tS8VBrGEIpvbh3P1zWzrA5-PeOCJDpDC3MZTVJ6Y/s400/388.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh80Od9RsGFX4RwVUFwaBPCOBNoXOmQfcg4eLDoGLJ-XRo5kcVQmesNUTGxEsmvhAlVqXDTWuk6FmQU2NJw6AS5IHGJuLJCAbwY8q69Dj__3Fd4tL6SFjPyDWwNIFSRhwY00I_amIt-IJk/s1600/373.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh80Od9RsGFX4RwVUFwaBPCOBNoXOmQfcg4eLDoGLJ-XRo5kcVQmesNUTGxEsmvhAlVqXDTWuk6FmQU2NJw6AS5IHGJuLJCAbwY8q69Dj__3Fd4tL6SFjPyDWwNIFSRhwY00I_amIt-IJk/s400/373.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
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Tasty Bite was another one of our favorite sample tables, but I didn't get a pic.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAc3ZjkNWgp_s-6gI44RKTr_LqZyWQCoCA1XRDIDya1twP6_03ouhRDDl9uzRK_ZulM8WjeY8BZtrPDW0uf3UmE8pxLUGiG6h4HHml8uOkyhu_kN1IVWoGuLN4UVYAiumjagROhRIAW0w/s1600/389.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAc3ZjkNWgp_s-6gI44RKTr_LqZyWQCoCA1XRDIDya1twP6_03ouhRDDl9uzRK_ZulM8WjeY8BZtrPDW0uf3UmE8pxLUGiG6h4HHml8uOkyhu_kN1IVWoGuLN4UVYAiumjagROhRIAW0w/s400/389.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
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Finally - I found a kombucha I liked! I think this was Holy Kombucha. They were giving free samples, otherwise I would have never bought a cup for us to share. I think I've only tried different brands a couple of times before this, and I thought it was <i>disgusting</i>. So maybe I've just been trying the wrong ones? Suggestions? </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGEuOF77P3BjXjvRAkkrdbX7l35FUB8JpMNRATi_WlpZwVSDIzgEdF-EvQLSaAdiiUoQu7R9PdRBDy7YzQscqE9g1LjSjeuUJ-41RjoW1SctrSB40DBgHG5DH0oOsTJXVMU4qRMpt2y0Y/s1600/371.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGEuOF77P3BjXjvRAkkrdbX7l35FUB8JpMNRATi_WlpZwVSDIzgEdF-EvQLSaAdiiUoQu7R9PdRBDy7YzQscqE9g1LjSjeuUJ-41RjoW1SctrSB40DBgHG5DH0oOsTJXVMU4qRMpt2y0Y/s400/371.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I've forgotten - perhaps this was Spiral Diner?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEjB4DjediKKtyylsVMl41vl778VEyQIDOOhH-kjfeyqv8ydA9Olo4MluRsCLYvZwf0e_GXXEETKeYIRTST4ggCWLEqcoAQl35Oo-GKMZin0x1NtNqjwW2N-zu5r6gcsSvuWgrlnEKgOE/s1600/372.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEjB4DjediKKtyylsVMl41vl778VEyQIDOOhH-kjfeyqv8ydA9Olo4MluRsCLYvZwf0e_GXXEETKeYIRTST4ggCWLEqcoAQl35Oo-GKMZin0x1NtNqjwW2N-zu5r6gcsSvuWgrlnEKgOE/s400/372.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
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I'm pretty sure the mac and cheese was Spiral Diner.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZDz_ZwN-3Y7Ez0LwJXCmm_gfBKmG93c0GCihZLuuvFN8VsWUoQtrZjD2_fh6xCicMMTIkVCBga6sf6PXCZVkze0rVPhYqqmd6C6NqVLr-l1b2nRgJbJ9mFlkHlY2ab5FbM7C7T_tXwB8/s1600/375.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZDz_ZwN-3Y7Ez0LwJXCmm_gfBKmG93c0GCihZLuuvFN8VsWUoQtrZjD2_fh6xCicMMTIkVCBga6sf6PXCZVkze0rVPhYqqmd6C6NqVLr-l1b2nRgJbJ9mFlkHlY2ab5FbM7C7T_tXwB8/s400/375.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirzctrwnZCIHcnx1FfJhQ5DgZE1ZxA6GxTh_j251sozG9CzxgM0o7NF4vku_m1eQOwziMQyb8tHPluOM207NTQ0WTcg1_LBioib5H6pjuIyr-cX-ZS4BiAtjcCAX4xgmrekE-qNOiu2zU/s1600/376.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirzctrwnZCIHcnx1FfJhQ5DgZE1ZxA6GxTh_j251sozG9CzxgM0o7NF4vku_m1eQOwziMQyb8tHPluOM207NTQ0WTcg1_LBioib5H6pjuIyr-cX-ZS4BiAtjcCAX4xgmrekE-qNOiu2zU/s400/376.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
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This crust was really good.</div>
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These ice cream sandwiches - good idea in theory, but they were impossible to eat. When you took a bite, the icecream just spewed out of it. The cookies were too crisp with the ice cream, and the kids just ended up a sticky mess.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaURsMQyHQTVeL8wFqJUVANN0ss11AgkmMqcDRl0s0hE-b_9BPLkwDxstARWVbI3KefDWLkmMj3ntnKe89Wfuo5jvsWJKfeGt43YHOSTGEw0ZhyxGBKWWFxlgzb34eej7-LkYZ9WyuNos/s1600/380.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaURsMQyHQTVeL8wFqJUVANN0ss11AgkmMqcDRl0s0hE-b_9BPLkwDxstARWVbI3KefDWLkmMj3ntnKe89Wfuo5jvsWJKfeGt43YHOSTGEw0ZhyxGBKWWFxlgzb34eej7-LkYZ9WyuNos/s400/380.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
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But<b> Deep Fried Cinnamon Rolls</b> - </div>
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good idea all around.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcRT-bhmeaweXe5n9v_roBXdfugQyCeUGMa9FyBrXx_I3Jf5T7lJ-ewty8Ksvg42Yk0mjeX2coTgs9nz-wBxn2K6Ty1W6Fb4dYQX_WUNbqdyALhE3yV3wwJcxGJC2M_lkCF4aY-V-mslk/s1600/381.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcRT-bhmeaweXe5n9v_roBXdfugQyCeUGMa9FyBrXx_I3Jf5T7lJ-ewty8Ksvg42Yk0mjeX2coTgs9nz-wBxn2K6Ty1W6Fb4dYQX_WUNbqdyALhE3yV3wwJcxGJC2M_lkCF4aY-V-mslk/s400/381.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
I did not partake in the corn dogs because...I just cannot...it's just all too life-like and unappetizing to me. But these are what the kids were probably the most excited about.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguxBqYD42CuW79EOAc-rWEdqiSA4p8-9-4EZjiG_dTQVIdA80z9mPXhBkMCp1J_aNVZVuvuwQGLKwQqpy-2JMyXZ-sC87LpRzbSul3wMsYJhKIOL7sqFhGQHJt7BUemyTcX8PMnhu20Uk/s1600/382.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguxBqYD42CuW79EOAc-rWEdqiSA4p8-9-4EZjiG_dTQVIdA80z9mPXhBkMCp1J_aNVZVuvuwQGLKwQqpy-2JMyXZ-sC87LpRzbSul3wMsYJhKIOL7sqFhGQHJt7BUemyTcX8PMnhu20Uk/s400/382.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
Well, except this kid. He was most excited ALL DAY about getting fresh veggie/fruit juice. Poor guy stood in line three times, I think, and every time he made it to the front, the blenders were overheated or something. By the time he got a juice at the end of the day, there was a weird combination of veggies and fruits left, but he was thrilled, regardless.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP7J6-KwLzhgCn8D6bknLAssyAyMv33ptYmguiik80jlG8qzn3natyEiJD6UGamsPMEoVeXLYidPg4HVTVD1mSAbb0fWHa24WUokkovHA8ulv7c2G5D0lxuQ0RGCxat2_NUe-0nhIsN5Y/s1600/377.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP7J6-KwLzhgCn8D6bknLAssyAyMv33ptYmguiik80jlG8qzn3natyEiJD6UGamsPMEoVeXLYidPg4HVTVD1mSAbb0fWHa24WUokkovHA8ulv7c2G5D0lxuQ0RGCxat2_NUe-0nhIsN5Y/s320/377.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Kid Yoga!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvg0Hke_KuY-BhBomMWRZ8354BItsmAmI8bQy5E7fE64d7rVgQMGvpsYfq08wkEriHUsYAAFXuDeDsyYgIoruT63hoiwNBARiTJXjF2L-bHqz1aMCHcs1nqx0qVxG2l4ashFxfxgIZKj4/s1600/386.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvg0Hke_KuY-BhBomMWRZ8354BItsmAmI8bQy5E7fE64d7rVgQMGvpsYfq08wkEriHUsYAAFXuDeDsyYgIoruT63hoiwNBARiTJXjF2L-bHqz1aMCHcs1nqx0qVxG2l4ashFxfxgIZKj4/s320/386.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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I've never understood why my kids want to get their faces painted when it is so hot outside! Sounds so...hot to me.<br />
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And if you are ever in Dallas, </div>
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you have to check out <a href="http://www.greenspotmarket.com/"><b>Green Spot</b></a>!</div>
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A healthy gas station/convenience store </div>
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which also includes a cafe!</div>
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Someone please expand this idea!</div>
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I want more healthy convenience.</div>
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We spent a large amount of time deciding which snacks to take for the car ride.<br />
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<i>Daiya</i> at a gas station!</div>
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And best of all...vegan soft serve!!!!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ecUeq0h_qgjqmcuD38sXfyKo0BYslVKAQ1LAaWwNv4VY70yoNDQjfKP3rfK6FiN3HcF7U4G2rjy7P93SVRW6bF0jcPvbFI3UJzu1lzhgls9wM5JFp4QLlHJ_pylwZBResjG_4zoInCA/s1600/358.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ecUeq0h_qgjqmcuD38sXfyKo0BYslVKAQ1LAaWwNv4VY70yoNDQjfKP3rfK6FiN3HcF7U4G2rjy7P93SVRW6bF0jcPvbFI3UJzu1lzhgls9wM5JFp4QLlHJ_pylwZBResjG_4zoInCA/s320/358.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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I'm using a lot of exclamation points in this post!!!!</div>
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The kids loved picking their toppings from the topping bar. I bought a <i>Justin's</i> PB cup to break apart into my twist cup in memory of my pre-vegan highschool days. It's what I always ordered at the mall.<br />
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<img alt="Veg Fest will take place at Cotanchobee Fort Brooke Park" src="http://tampabayvegfest.org/images/cotanchee_fort_brooke_park2.jpg" />Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11320336368732794711noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341590768573601889.post-400138646054860212013-09-13T06:34:00.001-07:002013-09-13T06:34:45.628-07:00Back to SchoolA new city hasn't been the only change around here. My kids are going off to school this year; we are taking a break from homeschooling. It's different and weird, and I haven't fully wrapped my head around it yet. It has been good overall, so far. We have always said that we will play it semester by semester and do what we think is best for our kids and our family at the time. For now, this is best. I do not know what the future holds.<br />
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A little Night-Before-School-Starts party with root beer floats. (Baby got plain ice cream.) My oldest son doesn't like carbonation, so he had a "milk" float.<br />
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Also new to our lives: <b><a href="http://www.planetbox.com/">Planetboxes</a></b>. I've been eyeing them ever since they came out. They are very expensive, which is why I never bought them before. They were a little gift to myself in honor of this new phase in life when I'm sort of at a loss as to what to do with myself and my time.<br />
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A few of their school lunches, so far:</div>
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<em>Annie's</em> bunny fruit snacks, <em>Garden of Eatin'</em> multi-grain chips, grape tomatoes, <em>Starlite Cuisine</em> taquitos cut in half, and guacamole with bell pepper strips. They also like it when I put an "after dinner mint" in the middle hole. It's also hard for me to leave a space empty.<br />
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Another kid that day had a similar yet slightly different take on the taquito/guacamole meal with mandarin oranges and mango slices. One kid leaves before the other two, so his lunch is sometimes a little different. She also had to share a baggie of fruit snacks with her other brother. (Not fair!)</div>
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Mandarin oranges, blueberries, bell pepper strips, half of a Tofurky/lettuce/avocado/mustard (with some hemp seeds thrown in) sandwich, and Veggie Straws. She has since let me know that she is still hungry if I only give her a half sandwich. One thing I often do for her is give her 3/4 of a sandwich (because the sandwich compartment is a little snug) and give the other 1/4 to her baby brother.<br />
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Edamame, baby carrots, grapes, <em>gardein</em> sliders, trail mix, and a <em>Justin's</em> pb cup. My daughter sometimes sweetly asks for TWO mints when she sees me packing her lunch.<br />
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Cheezey kale chips (which I put inside the sealed container to keep them crisp), fresh mango slices, bean/olive/palm hearts salad, baby carrots, and <em>Tofurky</em> slices. (If it looks like I rolled up the carrots, I did not.) And of course, a mint.<br />
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Bell pepper strips, peanut butter pretzel pillows, pistachios, a sandwich with tofu and veggies, mango slices, a <em>Nibmor</em> chocolate mint square...and a mint!<br />
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<img src="http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0219/2354/products/rover-magnets-557_medium.png?11560" /></div>
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You can pick the magnet set you want for the outside of your lunch box. You should remove these when you wash it. My oldest son chose the Andy Warhol art set. I had no doubt that was the one he would choose.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqAmyrBDYbxb0NBQcWSajdjZ1yK0PYN9o39dBhddB7bDcNgK6ElARxXP8mf60FZ7skp0yqApQ7JF1mrey7R9X5u8MO8z-ogqt6yU2zmvsVhd68Dcoej-gSInG648595xBOm3RMKRTFsVM/s1600/lunchbox-e1376061177368.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqAmyrBDYbxb0NBQcWSajdjZ1yK0PYN9o39dBhddB7bDcNgK6ElARxXP8mf60FZ7skp0yqApQ7JF1mrey7R9X5u8MO8z-ogqt6yU2zmvsVhd68Dcoej-gSInG648595xBOm3RMKRTFsVM/s320/lunchbox-e1376061177368.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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My 8 year old son chose dinosaurs. </div>
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To be honest, I had no idea how he would embrace the <em>Planetbox</em>. He is so weird sometimes. He is my child who gets embarrassed about everything. (The other two kids are extremely confident in themselves and their choices.) I thoroughly questioned him before I purchased him one because I didn't want to waste money. He is too embarrassed to bring grilled or baked tofu in his lunch. Once at our home school co-op he was so embarrassed by what I had put in his lunch, he immediately zipped it back up and just didn't eat that day. He will take tofu if it is hidden on a sandwich and all other forms of meat alternatives are acceptable. </div>
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He is the same way about a lot of things in life - clothing choices and family PDA, etc. His older brother is very affectionate, and it's the end of the world if he tries to hug his brother in public. Oh, and I put little notes in their lunches on the first day of school. He said he hid his immediately, but he is afraid someone saw it. So no more notes for him. I am understanding, though, because I was very self-conscious when I was young, too. I mean, I try to include a nice mix of fresh and processed in their lunches. His lunch does sometimes look slightly different than theirs. (No salad. There are certain veggies that are acceptable, and some are sooo embarrassing.) He does like his lunchbox, though. For now.</div>
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<img height="213" src="http://www.momtrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/fairies500.png" width="320" /></div>
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My 6 year old daughter chose fairies.</div>
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I'm going to get them each a different set of magnets (which are only a few bucks) for Christmas. <strong>What I like about these boxes:</strong> they're cute, they have compartments which are fun to fill, and I only have to clean one object, not lots of little containers and cloth baggies. We have a <em>Laptop</em> lunchbox and like it, but I was constantly misplacing all of the containers or realizing one piece was dirty as I was trying to pack a lunch. Each <em>Planetbox</em> comes with two sealed containers, one small and one larger for liquid items. We don't use them too often, but they are nice to have. </div>
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I put ketchup in one of the small containers the other day, and my son and his teacher couldn't open it. Somehow it got sealed up tight, maybe with ketchup. I still can't open it. I have no idea how to get that lid off; any ideas? I hate wasting a solid stainless steel piece.</div>
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<strong><em>Happy </em></strong></div>
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<strong><em><a href="http://www.veganmofo.com/">Vegan Month of Food</a></em></strong>! </div>
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null"></a>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11320336368732794711noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341590768573601889.post-85870494047334415882013-07-15T13:46:00.000-07:002013-07-15T13:47:11.171-07:00Independence Day and Our New City Revealed<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Here is the next clue in our big move reveal:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-945yp8AfZuJv0eD3oQjM3My_jjOvJ6t1eC8Y8dlu4YlRNzD5bm1UwhromimtgUeIZUqX4VqC4RLZQmKd8VrXTtdkLKwCzrnJdMFRxWO89XDalko0npkHuA9XED9-EBXav_IWzb768iE/s1600/IMG_9913.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-945yp8AfZuJv0eD3oQjM3My_jjOvJ6t1eC8Y8dlu4YlRNzD5bm1UwhromimtgUeIZUqX4VqC4RLZQmKd8VrXTtdkLKwCzrnJdMFRxWO89XDalko0npkHuA9XED9-EBXav_IWzb768iE/s400/IMG_9913.JPG" width="268" /></a></div>
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I actually had a correct guess (and loved all of your other guesses!) by: Candyce! She guessed...<b>Tampa</b>! So Candyce is the winner! (Do you live here? If you see this post, I'd love to know!) Yup, we have moved to Florida, fulfilling Ryan's lifelong dream of living near the ocean. The kids love the new activities to choose from, and we have had a lot of fun, so far. But, like I think I wrote before, it has been a lot of work - with a lot more work in the near future.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEharFBdhlptDeYLHcnGWHhzHqQEqjK1mTFIdw0rpd_lgOt7nN5mPkLUEXeNtCuZ7HrmGdggcXGaITdyoLGUz7tbLDXJ5NF5ZsCknxSApzucsg_lmOG-r7LMbxvRNbbvC_2eMVYuqfPKCqY/s1600/IMG_9869.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEharFBdhlptDeYLHcnGWHhzHqQEqjK1mTFIdw0rpd_lgOt7nN5mPkLUEXeNtCuZ7HrmGdggcXGaITdyoLGUz7tbLDXJ5NF5ZsCknxSApzucsg_lmOG-r7LMbxvRNbbvC_2eMVYuqfPKCqY/s400/IMG_9869.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>part of our breakfast</i></span></div>
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We had a nice 4th, making it a priority to celebrate and to take the day off from household pursuits.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhImbOnbJ3kmFTokrasBIKc9NJBRfPuYc6Z2AAT4vGIY7CJoMeedZcILIIF-bLUzoD_iA74S7A5DF8U-baMgnvZiX-NzzovtGaRTAsQv4hR1f_q2fWYYSGB_QMUPnvlAyXRMVEZknZDV2o/s1600/IMG_9918.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhImbOnbJ3kmFTokrasBIKc9NJBRfPuYc6Z2AAT4vGIY7CJoMeedZcILIIF-bLUzoD_iA74S7A5DF8U-baMgnvZiX-NzzovtGaRTAsQv4hR1f_q2fWYYSGB_QMUPnvlAyXRMVEZknZDV2o/s400/IMG_9918.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
We spent the day on the beach, taking the ferry to Caladesi Island. We made it back in time to feast upon veggie burgers, corn on the cob, tater tots, and watermelon.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5VSFDfHCC76vTRytbpThYyXF7Je-iZYvk_W-OfkyJQkkI3QsFzisZOFTWM8sSfuuxUefvqFu6vN42XLJICl-DHfpeqzm3m4_EKWfrdMisVWFV0uLD7CbfRYOuU-RGlgFI_FnNbWmvFVU/s1600/IMG_9919.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5VSFDfHCC76vTRytbpThYyXF7Je-iZYvk_W-OfkyJQkkI3QsFzisZOFTWM8sSfuuxUefvqFu6vN42XLJICl-DHfpeqzm3m4_EKWfrdMisVWFV0uLD7CbfRYOuU-RGlgFI_FnNbWmvFVU/s400/IMG_9919.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>supper</i></span></div>
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Why, yes, there is an extra person seated next to Ryan. As if we didn't have enough to do already, we are currently hosting a young teen from Eastern Europe. He is actually a social orphan, living in what is called an internat, an orphanage/boarding school. He's great; we adore him! If you are interested in knowing more about this, you are welcome to read about this program on <b><a href="http://agreaterhand.blogspot.com/2013/07/new-horizons-for-children-hosting.html">my family blog</a></b>.</div>
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You can also get a glimpse of the piles of boxes in the background that I need to address.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8mnoSizqseIOYMQU_uI5S4LSLTs-u417TS3Lbd7ebiYrNY9rcHkEfR1QiwpZN3_u-U0YUrRnadZKUO5g4pUjm4fr8019in_0szmPqOFjlnRZ7bfTacdOuY7lHMnixJ1xcf8HlNzWhyoQ/s1600/IMG_9924.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8mnoSizqseIOYMQU_uI5S4LSLTs-u417TS3Lbd7ebiYrNY9rcHkEfR1QiwpZN3_u-U0YUrRnadZKUO5g4pUjm4fr8019in_0szmPqOFjlnRZ7bfTacdOuY7lHMnixJ1xcf8HlNzWhyoQ/s400/IMG_9924.JPG" width="268" /></a></div>
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He tried as hard as he could.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjPrGyJzcOTDM_nXYhdEsYPs1YGXs5qrlebK6DCD6QmSCqCe7DnE1JNxgrc_X6YX02F1GrK-gwv3lcluX4flb7Z8BpEmegO2wTCNVIIu_seX30bCVzzDzEPO_RMafvbewgx_3sRBBAl3Q/s1600/IMG_9873.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjPrGyJzcOTDM_nXYhdEsYPs1YGXs5qrlebK6DCD6QmSCqCe7DnE1JNxgrc_X6YX02F1GrK-gwv3lcluX4flb7Z8BpEmegO2wTCNVIIu_seX30bCVzzDzEPO_RMafvbewgx_3sRBBAl3Q/s400/IMG_9873.JPG" width="268" /></a></div>
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This explains a lot of what<br />
my life is like right now.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxQOXrlbPquArCWW6fxhKhiRgMyxhGQD1lMSQBV23j8Sw-kvusUFdmTnR3nq9iWxJks8U6hVamSaFxDfQ-zvIQ2kUlde5tx85C0NZJwFpw9FzfwdTSFiBQXan5p0WTDL2l14h8PfMFcF8/s1600/IMG_9821.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxQOXrlbPquArCWW6fxhKhiRgMyxhGQD1lMSQBV23j8Sw-kvusUFdmTnR3nq9iWxJks8U6hVamSaFxDfQ-zvIQ2kUlde5tx85C0NZJwFpw9FzfwdTSFiBQXan5p0WTDL2l14h8PfMFcF8/s400/IMG_9821.JPG" width="268" /></a></div>
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And this makes it worth it.</div>
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Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11320336368732794711noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341590768573601889.post-3150921508247750692013-06-12T10:19:00.001-07:002013-06-12T10:22:38.390-07:00Big News!We have BIG NEWS in the Vegan and So Forth family!!!<br />
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No, we aren't having another baby. Not anytime soon, at least.<br />
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All 8 of us (Jenny, Ryan, 4 kids, 2 dogs) have packed up and moved across country. It hasn't been easy - what were we thinking, moving with a very active toddler?! - but we are looking forward to new adventures. <br />
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I'm also looking forward to having Internet again. Bear with me as I attempt this post with my blogger app. I have no idea how the format and photos will be.<br />
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WHERE did we move? Here are a few clues:<br />
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1) about 1,000 miles from our old home in Arkansas<br />
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2) We didn't move to NYC. :(<br />
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3) Here are the two Whole Foods in our area if anyone recognizes one of them.<br />
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Any guesses? You aren't allowed to guess if you know me in "real" life and actually know already. I will be back when I can see over the stacks of boxes, and technology is with us again.<br />
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<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCIsFGeXnoewB88os4fiLs6wHXfs2w-vrTF02OrD94WwCXSljPkkQF0eyyTsqa_HAquZcQpHpGZEd8Tk1XwjCOZkeIM5uhwYlFJU1gQpHpjd3B-CTyp4OezVeo3q8qggeEYPh3EtnyucU/s640/blogger-image--2084710863.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCIsFGeXnoewB88os4fiLs6wHXfs2w-vrTF02OrD94WwCXSljPkkQF0eyyTsqa_HAquZcQpHpGZEd8Tk1XwjCOZkeIM5uhwYlFJU1gQpHpjd3B-CTyp4OezVeo3q8qggeEYPh3EtnyucU/s640/blogger-image--2084710863.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxqcMk6YZyP7z5S7rjLrKaowjmJ6YbC9J0PjDJcXLsaKR5Bk8BcOf7BBY5sXEVsmF45cY7ArVa6qe4F6jjtyGiSbJGIXk9seYw7GaTJQ3oxhRdwWUzOyaBuDxoDP7bqvqsMDqRdFL_z9A/s640/blogger-image-1798474395.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxqcMk6YZyP7z5S7rjLrKaowjmJ6YbC9J0PjDJcXLsaKR5Bk8BcOf7BBY5sXEVsmF45cY7ArVa6qe4F6jjtyGiSbJGIXk9seYw7GaTJQ3oxhRdwWUzOyaBuDxoDP7bqvqsMDqRdFL_z9A/s640/blogger-image-1798474395.jpg" /></a></div>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11320336368732794711noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341590768573601889.post-20964958470736503902013-04-10T15:28:00.002-07:002013-04-10T15:31:32.362-07:00The Wild Cow<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
During a bout of insomnia around 3 a.m. the other night, I began reading through several of your blogs. It made me miss you all (well, more than usual, of course)! I just haven't been into blogging lately (as it seemed like some of you had voiced as well), but I'm pushing myself through my writer's block! </div>
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I sometimes do not blog because I am so backed up with blogging material, I don't know where to begin. My OC side wants to go in order, but I determined to blog whatever pics I had last taken with my phone! Fortunately, it was decent material.</div>
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A couple of weeks ago, we found ourselves traveling through Nashville on an <i>ARDUOUS</i> trip home from somewhere (a location I'll disclose at another time). A good meal was the only thing that promised Ryan determination for the remaining 6 hour drive. And he had to drive because we had so much stuff in our car, he wouldn't have been able to fit his legs on the passenger side. Short legs come in handy sometimes.</div>
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<img src="https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSTJhbO3jl_gHs91s1RNkhXsTrvJkMAXE_rUbhIA9fQEVfBD3oKWg" /></div>
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We stopped at <a href="http://www.thewildcow.com/" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">The Wild Cow</a> and remained as patient as possible standing with 4 kids (who somehow remained fairly vertical with inside voices) during our wait, which turned into at least 45 minutes. I suppose the popularity should be seen as a good sign. It was even a weird time to eat, like 3:00 p.m.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPuIn7yF5ADgRj0HEYnJ3v-IlFtIL16uDX0pBrYHDQ23O8q0pLtDwane9cwLN5jVASmYasIBojB03dhOCWK_bvyGtu8uR228oxWYOHviBKfeI4SK4t-usiRDtD-7CP4X-GVlrwqn1wNsc/s1600/photo132.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPuIn7yF5ADgRj0HEYnJ3v-IlFtIL16uDX0pBrYHDQ23O8q0pLtDwane9cwLN5jVASmYasIBojB03dhOCWK_bvyGtu8uR228oxWYOHviBKfeI4SK4t-usiRDtD-7CP4X-GVlrwqn1wNsc/s400/photo132.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
My oldest son ordered <b>Nachos</b> with all the extra topping choices like fajita style seitan, peppers, and onions and avocado <i>(around $10)</i>. They come topped with homemade salsa verde and homemade vegan sour cream.<br />
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The other kids ordered beans, rice, and a plainer version of the <b>Nachos </b>to share.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM1a2dd0q2P9dsarifEMqdvCiJ7E-EZNOe6-QIVxZFRo1UV6kd7oE7QJUrLHDZkrIxXjWPRSoGvL2pDNLoEw_4qG3EfIvh0czYvYS4iE9XzMpQhz0BHwSDS6UUPOJtszWVaaIyxxkT4IQ/s1600/photo130.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM1a2dd0q2P9dsarifEMqdvCiJ7E-EZNOe6-QIVxZFRo1UV6kd7oE7QJUrLHDZkrIxXjWPRSoGvL2pDNLoEw_4qG3EfIvh0czYvYS4iE9XzMpQhz0BHwSDS6UUPOJtszWVaaIyxxkT4IQ/s400/photo130.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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Ryan ordered the <b>French Quarter Dip</b> <i>(homemade seitan, mushrooms, and onions marinated in a Creole seasoning; served on a wheat hoagie with au jus dipping sauce: $8.50)</i> and <b>Garlicky Kale</b> (<i>yummmm</i>) as his side.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP4US_HuRmoMmPfUXUUHYVxIZNs3efr97wQyp4VS4xRxuvdm_m54_0D-hgFLTFPUhvzvlUKOAFcIE6uo3JWJi1B64RN4DCg81wG9ni-xWcAtub7SUXSwGqQFdovl2Tdof2fD943xeJqgQ/s1600/photo131.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP4US_HuRmoMmPfUXUUHYVxIZNs3efr97wQyp4VS4xRxuvdm_m54_0D-hgFLTFPUhvzvlUKOAFcIE6uo3JWJi1B64RN4DCg81wG9ni-xWcAtub7SUXSwGqQFdovl2Tdof2fD943xeJqgQ/s400/photo131.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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I opted for the <b>Caesar Salad</b> <i>(fresh spinach and green leaf lettuce tossed in homemade dressing; topped with cashew parmesan, seasoned croutons, pumpkin seeds, and grilled tofu, $8.50)</i>. It was really delicious, but I have been obsessed with salads lately. I've even been eating salads for breakfast most mornings.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTjyNQ2gRTvlqoNd9DtE10l3B-WOuPOaSYF7BzljMXNDfos4rZ0bNS3pW8SFXy9m9UTV9zktkNvl6_dhSgGCbu9PszQWMHZrRDi1QbMhYXuLwknqrmlFWn0Z9XMdCp26AsjROUZHmVO5o/s1600/PicMonkey+Collage9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTjyNQ2gRTvlqoNd9DtE10l3B-WOuPOaSYF7BzljMXNDfos4rZ0bNS3pW8SFXy9m9UTV9zktkNvl6_dhSgGCbu9PszQWMHZrRDi1QbMhYXuLwknqrmlFWn0Z9XMdCp26AsjROUZHmVO5o/s400/PicMonkey+Collage9.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I remembered that I never blogged about our only other trip to <i><b>The Wild Cow</b></i>, which was during our <b>2010 Cross Country Road Trip to NYC</b>. I remember not being overwhelmed with the experience, but you know, maybe it was because of the circumstances rather than the food. </div>
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Something had been majorly wrong with our car, and Ryan had to drop us off at the restaurant while he went to find a mechanic. I don't remember what that sandwich was I had ordered for Ryan to-go (I'm guessing <b>Buffalo Grinder</b>, and it sure does look good to me), but I had the <b>Wild Reuben</b>. During our second visit, I didn't remember having that the first time, so I almost picked it again. I'm so predictable. </div>
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I do remember being sad that the kids' meal consisted of a piece of bread with Daiya melted on top. But kudos to <i><b>The Wild Cow</b></i> for the probably mark-up of that meal. I also didn't love the raw pie I had last time, and I usually love raw pie. So I guess those were my only complaints. Maybe I just wasn't as used to raw pie in 2010 as much as I am now. I should say, though, that the kids weren't at all displeased with their meager offering. They thought it was cool to get cheese toast at a restaurant.</div>
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<b><i>The Wild Cow</i></b> is entirely vegan unless you ask specifically for non-vegan (hormone/rennet-free cheese) to be added to your meal. That's nice that you have to <i>ask </i>for non-vegan, rather than the other way around.</div>
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Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11320336368732794711noreply@blogger.com39tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341590768573601889.post-84555860784735781302013-01-30T20:50:00.001-08:002013-01-30T21:15:52.013-08:00Happy Birthday, Monkey!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdHvBie_21CBmu224e2XGobAmwr96S0Oxt9RmJDxYDI408trBHfFbXnu4lf9RdB6Yee31_250wNEC83CrVQhntjX3GdcfQl26sf4cyfUXyu7D4VWJz39DXKwD37BnH6Cwo4viKIkefULE/s1600/IMG_9156.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdHvBie_21CBmu224e2XGobAmwr96S0Oxt9RmJDxYDI408trBHfFbXnu4lf9RdB6Yee31_250wNEC83CrVQhntjX3GdcfQl26sf4cyfUXyu7D4VWJz39DXKwD37BnH6Cwo4viKIkefULE/s400/IMG_9156.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I got accused of being a tease on my previous short post. This one may be overload. This month, my baby boy turned ONE so bear with me and all of my pics. I can't believe it. That's what we parents always say as our kids grow. It's true, though. I can't believe it has been a year. The infant stage of life is entirely too short for me. I wish the baby stage lasted 2 or 3 years. </div>
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<b>Sock Monkey</b> theme, obviously. I went "shopping" at my parents' house for antiques to use, like this old potato crate, books, and lantern. </div>
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painted paper mache letter: Hobby Lobby </div>
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organic cotton stuffed monkey: </div>
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<b><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/73645225/organic-sock-monkey-doll-organic-cotton?ref=sr_gallery_1&ga_search_query=organic+sock+monkey&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_search_type=all">Heidi's shop</a></b> at Etsy</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1lvwoxZz1KorCGSZsLpHy6dKTygDEdDp4TQD_pgUBRR52wV3kHu6A8kX2HtlmyR0MD9LoyksE8oFZcpXZLA6t-sqRD-7zmdxSnIIlAM5cUVkQ4z6nDpJTXy417r_IMdX3s6glfDj7UKM/s1600/PicMonkey+Collage2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1lvwoxZz1KorCGSZsLpHy6dKTygDEdDp4TQD_pgUBRR52wV3kHu6A8kX2HtlmyR0MD9LoyksE8oFZcpXZLA6t-sqRD-7zmdxSnIIlAM5cUVkQ4z6nDpJTXy417r_IMdX3s6glfDj7UKM/s400/PicMonkey+Collage2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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birthday printables: <b><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/88965884/instant-download-diy-sock-monkey-deluxe?ga_search_query=sock%2Bmonkey">Cupcake Express</a></b> at Etsy</div>
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candy: <b><a href="http://www.naturalcandystore.com/">Natural Candy Store</a></b></div>
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decoupaged paper mache 1: Hobby Lobby</div>
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old wooden <i>Coca-Cola</i> box: my parents</div>
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<i>mixed nuts, olives, crackers, carrots, hummus, fruit, pasta, Smiley Face fries, tater tots, soy nuggets, Gardein strips, chips, salsa, PB & J sandwiches, <b>banana</b> chips, and <b>banana</b> mini-muffins</i></div>
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<i><b>I Love Monkey</b></i> by Suzanne Kaufmann </div>
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is a cute book about being yourself.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2SVXX-76WsTPVaXJ-1Z8VwaRwTBROoZw7VBPTu5egnDLKnBsYN8mz_4HtxwKQiK9ucK_Z0vD6zHl26aJT8Cwu0axviJ4WyYdfKI8OmqkZOeSZO5iv3o4fZ32cT1rLlImEOX5or3pWL0w/s1600/IMG_9159.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2SVXX-76WsTPVaXJ-1Z8VwaRwTBROoZw7VBPTu5egnDLKnBsYN8mz_4HtxwKQiK9ucK_Z0vD6zHl26aJT8Cwu0axviJ4WyYdfKI8OmqkZOeSZO5iv3o4fZ32cT1rLlImEOX5or3pWL0w/s400/IMG_9159.JPG" width="268" /></a></div>
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<i><b>Dr. Oetker Organics</b></i> brand<br />
cake and frosting mixes</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLRUe6NQj1JVj7VgGnXEuZMETQ-YWtpQeSMNegowWZ6WSiPXYcvuxtKI6j4uCSiDj7n3KoOBsr2MTFg_KcUI47njHiea0rZ96WO4YjASjGdc2pLzjdZQzp4xRXGSoA3Fnwjs0GinJ7bbs/s1600/IMG_2479.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLRUe6NQj1JVj7VgGnXEuZMETQ-YWtpQeSMNegowWZ6WSiPXYcvuxtKI6j4uCSiDj7n3KoOBsr2MTFg_KcUI47njHiea0rZ96WO4YjASjGdc2pLzjdZQzp4xRXGSoA3Fnwjs0GinJ7bbs/s400/IMG_2479.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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t-shirt: <b><a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/lilthreadzclothing?ref=seller_info">this Etsy shop</a></b></div>
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He really didn't know what to think about having a cupcake. Upon examining it, he thought it was weird and seemed to wonder if he was really supposed to eat it. He figured it out, though, and wanted to share with everyone. He didn't make a huge typical 1st birthday mess as it was just a little cupcake...</div>
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however, his little pal didn't seem to have any trouble.</div>
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Every monkey party needs to end with <b>banana</b> splits, of course.</div>
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We had <i>Rice Dream</i>, <i>Almond Dream</i>, <i>So Delicious</i> soy and <i>So Delicious</i> coconut milk ice cream (added with bananas, chocolate syrup, <a href="http://www.naturalcandystore.com/product/organic-strawberry-sauce-st-dalfour-france"><b>strawberry sauce</b></a>, crushed pineapple, nut topping, sprinkles, cherries, and <i>Soyatoo</i>) to choose from. One non-vegan family preferred the <i>Almond Dream</i>, and I think one family preferred the coconut.<br />
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He did also enjoy a few bites of ice cream.</div>
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lots of sweet help opening presents</div>
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I love you, my ONE-derful little man who has brought so much joy to my life. Every day with you is fun. (Slower and more difficult, etc., but I smile and laugh so much every single day because of you.) I love that you love it when we squeeze you into a group hug. I love how you've recently been hugging your brothers and sister around the neck tightly when we tell you to give them a hug. I love how fast you army crawl toward Daddy as soon as you see he's home. I don't like how you make a face and spit out pieces of steamed veggies, but we'll work on it! I secretly love how you can be screaming inconsolably with someone else, then the moment I enter the room and pick you up, there's silence - and you sometimes even giggle through your tears because you're so happy. I love your comb-over, and I promise I'll figure out a way to style it soon. I pray for peace and goodness and all wonderful things for you. <i>Happy birthday!</i></div>
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<i>*Thank you to my photographer friend/party guest <b><a href="http://sarahlewisphotos.com/">Sarah</a></b> who let me use her camera at the party and took a lot of the pics for me!</i></div>
<br />Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11320336368732794711noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341590768573601889.post-29815800268819768492012-12-24T19:15:00.004-08:002012-12-24T19:17:04.359-08:00Merry Christmas!<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Hey, friends!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Don't be blue...</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I'll be back to blogging soon!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">But until then, </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>have a Merry Christmas! </i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I miss you all!</span></div>
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Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11320336368732794711noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341590768573601889.post-19559441516703089272012-10-19T16:54:00.000-07:002012-10-31T10:25:30.863-07:00Texas State Veggie Fair/Handmade Girls Dresses GiveawayI'm heading off, on my way to the Texas State Veggie Fair in Dallas. If you're going and you happen to see me, say hi!!! I'll be the one with a bunch of <strike>obnoxious</strike> cute kids hanging onto me. And I'll try to catch up on my blog reading this weekend, too.<br />
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Until then...<br />
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This isn't going to be applicable to many of you, but if you have a young girl or know someone who does, take a look at the rest of the post. (And sorry for two consecutive posts with my daughter modeling. I promise we'll move on to Kid A in the next post.)<br />
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I was really excited when one of my hometown best friends told me about a sewing initiative that she is working on. It is called <a href="http://www.ginghamtrundle.com/" style="font-weight: bold;">Gingham Trundle</a>, and it is helping to provide jobs for women in Africa.
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Taken from Gingham Trundle's <b><a href="http://www.ginghamtrundle.com/about.html">website</a></b>:
<b>Who we are: </b><i>We started as a mother and daughter making clothes together. When a good friend <b>(<a href="http://www.leastofthese.net/">www.leastofthese.net</a></b>) of the daughter donated sewing machines to a sewing collective in Africa, we all got an idea. Now, we bring Gingham Trundle to you. </i>
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</i> <i>Fair trade: We employ fair trade principles in all of our purchasing. We pay above-market wages agreed upon by the women; we give no time frames (so no undue pressure); we put a portion of our profits back into the community through healthcare and economic programs; and we ensure safe working conditions and no child labor. We are too small to afford the free trade certification process, but we are working toward that goal.</i>
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I am offering this giveaway to help spread the word about this project. Right now, they are seeking to improve the development process (creating products that are high enough quality to sell - and verifying fabric content, etc. so they can be sold in the U.S.), and as they do this, they are offering free dresses in the hopes of building customers and gaining feedback. There are imperfections in this round of dresses. The women are selling the dresses in their communities. The end goal is to create sustainable, long-term jobs for these women. Great, right?
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIAopHx7bFmBReMWkF-F4Bq73YGrzF6p8tIKMU3z-5R1O6V6XsmsW35Wo5GzYQKLn4-hdxlfQcnRTPfEiJfcL5IM28iOqmADMenOd0XR3IUSrvFwVlmPZFTOSs00IRFPZOPlvV22yHyjo/s1600/IMG_3237.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIAopHx7bFmBReMWkF-F4Bq73YGrzF6p8tIKMU3z-5R1O6V6XsmsW35Wo5GzYQKLn4-hdxlfQcnRTPfEiJfcL5IM28iOqmADMenOd0XR3IUSrvFwVlmPZFTOSs00IRFPZOPlvV22yHyjo/s400/IMG_3237.JPG" width="270" /></a></div>
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My 5 year old daughter helped me out by modeling the dresses. They are sized anywhere from 3T-5T, but this will kind of show you that they will fit a range. (I mean, my daughter still has 2T dresses in her closet that she wears as shirts. It's really hard for me - and her - to part with them, if you know what I mean.)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1kLNRtAZmHb3AiZrTfU6c78HRIqO5HKPk6LzTNMAed8j8Z2C6rXSXO59s37pSLwwBeRQwmhDMDhVZyEE4tsLHf5gTS7b4Wyw4lvYj-wJD9ok2xC-yylr_r0uIVsQ7oH-ZAvmXLiM_Bls/s1600/IMG_3238.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1kLNRtAZmHb3AiZrTfU6c78HRIqO5HKPk6LzTNMAed8j8Z2C6rXSXO59s37pSLwwBeRQwmhDMDhVZyEE4tsLHf5gTS7b4Wyw4lvYj-wJD9ok2xC-yylr_r0uIVsQ7oH-ZAvmXLiM_Bls/s400/IMG_3238.JPG" width="268" /></a></div>
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I wanted to show you the cute pocket on the back.<br />
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<b>Tiny Flowers</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOLD1lFabei_4C81NvgPiuNJkkbQcS3YtI3NoAjr8h5v7CM-y3dV3wD6qjpZrkU-y4GPOiZlh4nOv70umU4hMKs4tpHmuFHtroQZ-NvgBylK1X8TlUCMi7PRJkxvWENM3uYiawhGoT7Uc/s1600/IMG_3221.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOLD1lFabei_4C81NvgPiuNJkkbQcS3YtI3NoAjr8h5v7CM-y3dV3wD6qjpZrkU-y4GPOiZlh4nOv70umU4hMKs4tpHmuFHtroQZ-NvgBylK1X8TlUCMi7PRJkxvWENM3uYiawhGoT7Uc/s320/IMG_3221.JPG" width="214" /></a></div>
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I believe this one is sized 4T. There are some faded spots on the material, but it fits very cute. (Read more about this and the dresses in general <b><a href="http://www.ginghamtrundle.com/index.html">here</a></b>.) My daughter has one like this that she is going to wear as a shirt. I think any girl from age 2 to a small 6 would fit.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggvDoJYse2joSZEEGGFN3v25pbZGu7l2AQGhAc6TLCSiDO2x2PP9I0y8zBQIiqDqyf2pzhmrU87CPshaImn3qTs3ATgO9yfT1TJbk6OOuJqtiRd68NPadRor1d3wUE6iZx9gPNHAFwDyU/s1600/IMG_3235.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggvDoJYse2joSZEEGGFN3v25pbZGu7l2AQGhAc6TLCSiDO2x2PP9I0y8zBQIiqDqyf2pzhmrU87CPshaImn3qTs3ATgO9yfT1TJbk6OOuJqtiRd68NPadRor1d3wUE6iZx9gPNHAFwDyU/s320/IMG_3235.JPG" width="214" /></a></div>
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<b>Red, Red</b></div>
The equivalent of a "little black dress," this one would go with so much and could be dressy or casual. I love it.
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<b>Grandma's Quilt</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJPsBgO5ycmeeN47aXDAuav8E9pMaBJf1BUVrhFZlMKxfblr94zsHeEvtSDoEDgGehKLbdJ8F04RoC4He8oNdFKKcRrMzB6Cncbx79dUz9MuQXqKD8hgmmfGseL1qo22A2eB2knXZbIS4/s1600/IMG_3228.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJPsBgO5ycmeeN47aXDAuav8E9pMaBJf1BUVrhFZlMKxfblr94zsHeEvtSDoEDgGehKLbdJ8F04RoC4He8oNdFKKcRrMzB6Cncbx79dUz9MuQXqKD8hgmmfGseL1qo22A2eB2knXZbIS4/s400/IMG_3228.JPG" width="268" /></a></div>
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This one is sized 4T. It's very sweet. I would say it's a true 4T size, as she <i>could</i> wear it - but it's starting to get a little snug under the arms. I love the short-sleeved dress designs.</div>
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I will pick a winner for the 4 dresses on November 4, at 9 pm. Please just leave a comment telling me which dress you like the best. <i>If you do not have a blog, comment as "Anonymous." Just make sure you leave an email address or way that I can get a hold of you. </i>
If you would please share a link to this giveaway, I'll give you 2 extra entries. (Feel free to leave it all in one comment, however, to make it easier for you.) I am going to list this giveaway on my family blog and combine the entries.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqSVXpZrOCUV6fjuDnbafsKZfhNgyJ_sVrUXAJqnldBFuTO0uxZLWrPlgxwOCJq4sVarInyruwJwPuXr15c5o-9Q5-qwhDlPsxm3BrN_tRZWdgbmMr1gTjQqvRxtLLFuPz_ZD77TqnX6M/s1600/IMG_3223.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqSVXpZrOCUV6fjuDnbafsKZfhNgyJ_sVrUXAJqnldBFuTO0uxZLWrPlgxwOCJq4sVarInyruwJwPuXr15c5o-9Q5-qwhDlPsxm3BrN_tRZWdgbmMr1gTjQqvRxtLLFuPz_ZD77TqnX6M/s400/IMG_3223.JPG" width="268" /></a></div>
Please check out <b><a href="http://www.ginghamtrundle.com/">Gingham Trundle's website</a></b> to see more designs like this one above. Check out the reversible coats which are so cute and include a hidden doll in the pocket. You can request a FREE DRESS on their site, but you will just need to pay for shipping (flat rate $5.15).
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Thanks for taking a look, and consider supporting <b><a href="http://www.ginghamtrundle.com/">Gingham Trundle</a></b> in the future!<br />
<br />Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11320336368732794711noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341590768573601889.post-85848983444413072522012-10-12T08:21:00.001-07:002012-10-12T18:05:30.160-07:00Vegan Cuts: Vegan Jewelry<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Have you had a chance to shop at <b><a href="http://vegancuts.com/">Vegan Cuts</a></b>? I have been browsing around for months, determined to make an order, so I was very excited when they asked if I wanted to participate with a review.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Vegan Cuts</b> was co-founded by a vegan couple named John and Jill. They work with a team to find vegan products to sell at more affordable prices. They offer daily deals, the vegan version of groupon.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOZO0kV9IV_g6qys7gXeG19DzMTystnnTw00CWMg1x9Jyh1IbKPCULLrKqZ-wm-ItktW2FzJi4QvEZx-gqtRJC72AImEIHH0rlbntIIxvxqz0biRppvoLUsOzGOxE8PossbjYJbvMHgyI/s1600/IMG_3183.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOZO0kV9IV_g6qys7gXeG19DzMTystnnTw00CWMg1x9Jyh1IbKPCULLrKqZ-wm-ItktW2FzJi4QvEZx-gqtRJC72AImEIHH0rlbntIIxvxqz0biRppvoLUsOzGOxE8PossbjYJbvMHgyI/s400/IMG_3183.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">I was sent two necklaces designed by </div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Christy Robinson</b>, an artist in Texas.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_-aeQuEBcWx7CFh2tgIREf6YwiKXPaS0Hvqn1UKzwFbDPqTwCdm2Q6IQEBxmvSizEHQQ-TT212WFgMNTkfzprkNikZnR1VjDWSIVtEzYDA0UTRA-_KRPuGry1BfTC95a-YFU5_eGZcLU/s1600/IMG_3184.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_-aeQuEBcWx7CFh2tgIREf6YwiKXPaS0Hvqn1UKzwFbDPqTwCdm2Q6IQEBxmvSizEHQQ-TT212WFgMNTkfzprkNikZnR1VjDWSIVtEzYDA0UTRA-_KRPuGry1BfTC95a-YFU5_eGZcLU/s400/IMG_3184.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">You can view more of Christy's jewelry (including rings and bracelets) on <a href="http://www.christyrobinsondesigns.com/"><b>her website</b></a>. Two of my favorites: <b><a href="http://www.christyrobinsondesigns.com/People-Friendly.html">here </a></b>and <b><a href="http://www.christyrobinsondesigns.com/More-New-items.html">here</a></b>. (Oh, I keep seeing more that I like: <b><a href="http://www.christyrobinsondesigns.com/New-items.html">this Ahimsa locket</a></b>.) She can custom design something for you, as well.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg03M7nweX8lBWWQjV7-obds9dQNyHJzXCvA4KbOnJWFY5-nDbinHehS8zeaPBFMA13RlYMqVXHNQCisBLQfOOmiEL6_S9_bCZpeWWTyz0u7EWgkSakD0zHIr0n4c3ZKlDXFO6yJXQFd24/s1600/IMG_3186.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg03M7nweX8lBWWQjV7-obds9dQNyHJzXCvA4KbOnJWFY5-nDbinHehS8zeaPBFMA13RlYMqVXHNQCisBLQfOOmiEL6_S9_bCZpeWWTyz0u7EWgkSakD0zHIr0n4c3ZKlDXFO6yJXQFd24/s400/IMG_3186.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>These necklaces are made from recycled aluminum with a sterling silver chain. Also, the baggies are biodegradable, and the cards are made from recycled paper!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Q-4mEiVnbL9XMhIgWAp9-7Kf_zMqHQ670NWHrNn_eHwFqXLGT8PPynF8Pj_URqoHEvpTV8_QMIqvIsFaulgYOXjEakm9BswE0GbtyCNKUhmyEdOVT-t1JpBnkzpv-p1c3l-FFtht0do/s1600/IMG_3196.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Q-4mEiVnbL9XMhIgWAp9-7Kf_zMqHQ670NWHrNn_eHwFqXLGT8PPynF8Pj_URqoHEvpTV8_QMIqvIsFaulgYOXjEakm9BswE0GbtyCNKUhmyEdOVT-t1JpBnkzpv-p1c3l-FFtht0do/s400/IMG_3196.JPG" width="268" /></a></div>You know how I said <i>I</i> was excited about reviewing these products? Guess who was EVEN MORE excited to open the box and try them on?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgerhJVDf3xFS-xYEx1cxChBcy3Al1DGygXxa5kVwD1gop867ZYyq87a8kSr3MvpVd2GXc86DViA9DlJqBX8KaJ8awh8FfSzuAMUEXHWEN6q-XpXXyJTj_Fi2atuuWW12W6MgwiLO6u1AE/s1600/IMG_3197.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgerhJVDf3xFS-xYEx1cxChBcy3Al1DGygXxa5kVwD1gop867ZYyq87a8kSr3MvpVd2GXc86DViA9DlJqBX8KaJ8awh8FfSzuAMUEXHWEN6q-XpXXyJTj_Fi2atuuWW12W6MgwiLO6u1AE/s400/IMG_3197.JPG" width="268" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img alt="I Heart Kale Earth Friendly Pendant" height="239" src="http://img2.etsystatic.com/000/0/5198972/il_570xN.243713446.jpg" width="320" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I like this necklace, which is only </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">$13 right now <b><a href="http://vegancuts.com/offer/i-heart-kale-necklace">at Vegan Cuts</a></b>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdoha2B_BV3pJV_QTyOSVrHOGkJQE5tcofywdmI9udEh9Q8io6nK1pJ1Jg3h00WnlzZAr1TutQGtu9KjbOPrEK1zF8M3ZBQ8Wx0rs9JqJ7Z8z9HgSsgB1MiuRdOa_qefAap-owZThOwLg/s1600/IMG_3199.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdoha2B_BV3pJV_QTyOSVrHOGkJQE5tcofywdmI9udEh9Q8io6nK1pJ1Jg3h00WnlzZAr1TutQGtu9KjbOPrEK1zF8M3ZBQ8Wx0rs9JqJ7Z8z9HgSsgB1MiuRdOa_qefAap-owZThOwLg/s400/IMG_3199.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>When ordering myself, I might choose something longer than the 16" chain. But it is definitely light and a good feel.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_fkoSGRC8-gXzitQ6b4Wz2MKk3LceA1oRoEcQDUMkDcySHNtEZExCddTBjeXYaLB9T6GRo5bodDp2eOrkNNYQFzC5ysYsvwvjFXpM0ECE0jCK2TZlQJ1Qz2IrknIrYiSAjoP3o2qNa9E/s1600/IMG_3203.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_fkoSGRC8-gXzitQ6b4Wz2MKk3LceA1oRoEcQDUMkDcySHNtEZExCddTBjeXYaLB9T6GRo5bodDp2eOrkNNYQFzC5ysYsvwvjFXpM0ECE0jCK2TZlQJ1Qz2IrknIrYiSAjoP3o2qNa9E/s400/IMG_3203.JPG" width="268" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">We'll get back to the cuter model.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghyUvFNmidZM-vHcsvctkUIea49JuxE5N1e2HYDhiPXAZ08p1tbUESsb-oDh_Bc3UACisLjhfkx6yNA8T6aV7nOfpkFOj4PKTDAHITKDPNGkaRawzVrV28lJiSBLQgABVXH1GUUmFTBDw/s1600/IMG_3204.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghyUvFNmidZM-vHcsvctkUIea49JuxE5N1e2HYDhiPXAZ08p1tbUESsb-oDh_Bc3UACisLjhfkx6yNA8T6aV7nOfpkFOj4PKTDAHITKDPNGkaRawzVrV28lJiSBLQgABVXH1GUUmFTBDw/s400/IMG_3204.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Here are <b><a href="http://vegancuts.com/company/christy-robinson">Christy's other designs</a></b> listed on <b>Vegan Cuts</b> right now. They all ship FREE.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzFyIlyR3Z-o5Vor9c-CyxqJb_4Mf-9UjBnUcyyTFP_fXXuj_x7lzMmOfW9Qt2yYdF3sCdHDOb0QRxmI1R2_YRyV1p5aWD4S_IU0KESJ7RSGreG8NN4x3h-QnIllfgFtcQA97RLR18RO0/s1600/PicMonkey+Collage5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzFyIlyR3Z-o5Vor9c-CyxqJb_4Mf-9UjBnUcyyTFP_fXXuj_x7lzMmOfW9Qt2yYdF3sCdHDOb0QRxmI1R2_YRyV1p5aWD4S_IU0KESJ7RSGreG8NN4x3h-QnIllfgFtcQA97RLR18RO0/s320/PicMonkey+Collage5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Some of the other goodies from <b><a href="http://vegancuts.com/">Vegan Cuts </a></b>that caught my eye: GF lavendar cake mixes, flavored caramels made with coconut milk, glass straws (I need some more.), Parmesan (made with almonds and cashews), and kale chips (less expensive than the ones I get at WF). You can even find a deal right now on vegan caviar. I'm also thinking about trying out <b><a href="https://vegancuts.com/subscription">November's Snack Box</a></b> for $19.<br />
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Andrea recently highlighted <b><a href="http://cookeasyvegan.blogspot.com/2012/10/ive-seen-countless-reviews-of-gone-pies.html">some yummy chocolate and peanut butter treats</a></b>, available through <b>Vegan Cuts</b>.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">Until October 31, 2012, you can save an additional 10% off your order, when using this code: </div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>BLOGFRIEND</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><b>If you want to shop, consider going through my referral link: <a href="http://goo.gl/nzkhz">SHOP HERE NOW</a>.</b><br />
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</i></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>*I received these necklaces free for the purpose of review. However, all opinions expressed are my own.</i></span>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11320336368732794711noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341590768573601889.post-14487564698912331482012-09-27T20:22:00.000-07:002012-09-27T20:25:28.615-07:00Dunwell DoughnutsThere's no way I would have left NYC without heading to Williamsburg for DOUGHNUTS!!!
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ALP5rd5St2awlSLEJxk7KskMAza_6MEwncUHUchWAaZNVMJ4ObLCVSNI6ZK9vhpKkP_nf2khiooNRYpuyrWbHiXD4vWb6zaNzv_bXy6goy9gtkqM7Eq0KOovAPltSS2mqe6ZEF9ruok/s1600/100_0223.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ALP5rd5St2awlSLEJxk7KskMAza_6MEwncUHUchWAaZNVMJ4ObLCVSNI6ZK9vhpKkP_nf2khiooNRYpuyrWbHiXD4vWb6zaNzv_bXy6goy9gtkqM7Eq0KOovAPltSS2mqe6ZEF9ruok/s400/100_0223.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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One thing I love about this place is the story behind it. Dan Dunbar and Christopher Hollowell (get it: <i>DUN</i>-bar and Hollo<i>WELL</i> = <i>DUNWELL</i>) raised $15,000 to help open their store front. Watch <a href="http://www.indiegogo.com/Dun-Well-Doughnuts-1"><b>this video</b></a> for more about them. I'm just really into the idea of someone being inspired and brave enough to take on something like this. (I <i>SO WANT</i> to open a restaurant or business one day.) And then others rallying behind them in support!</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Lx7GFx7eBtw?feature=player_embedded" width="640"></iframe></div>
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Watch this video from their website. Before our trip (and after), I think my kids and I watched it no less than six times. We called Ryan in to watch it, too. </div>
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<i>"Finally, the solution to all our problems..." </i></div>
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Anyway, I just thought it was fun advertisement.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEu8v5VvDl-E5x6XRpzRmodkUN_SemLT1yQAcN6oJ7eHN0E7eTZFDjIp2BWasd8SyPKJ0JvZaRsnADezkpfoRqgXNI42aoMm9157SzbaBk0tZOkzSCfOLyCb-MWKFLtz2d-p3kRdPSXws/s1600/100_0219.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEu8v5VvDl-E5x6XRpzRmodkUN_SemLT1yQAcN6oJ7eHN0E7eTZFDjIp2BWasd8SyPKJ0JvZaRsnADezkpfoRqgXNI42aoMm9157SzbaBk0tZOkzSCfOLyCb-MWKFLtz2d-p3kRdPSXws/s400/100_0219.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
The store is really cute, somewhere I would want to hang out all of the time. It's really easy to find, as well. Just take the L to the Montrose Avenue stop, and it's RIGHT THERE.<br />
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It's<i> too easy</i> to get there. If you know what I mean. We were staying in Chelsea (my new favorite area to stay) right by the 23rd street subway entrance, so we were one stop away from the L.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6CsDKXw0vYiWkDWzjneRl0vSSwy_uaa7BzsZ9XBs-0gA_zzi7PDrbFDXnDtXP-ZdRcmYDRjh2Vh1nbcAVhJilq6NpxtyMnipNczaBJBVLKTxHCoU5m7WBKk6dV-cpzZtEW_k2gOEWJ_k/s1600/100_0220.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6CsDKXw0vYiWkDWzjneRl0vSSwy_uaa7BzsZ9XBs-0gA_zzi7PDrbFDXnDtXP-ZdRcmYDRjh2Vh1nbcAVhJilq6NpxtyMnipNczaBJBVLKTxHCoU5m7WBKk6dV-cpzZtEW_k2gOEWJ_k/s400/100_0220.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Each day, they rotate a variety from over 200 flavors. Check out <a href="http://dunwelldoughnuts.com/products.html">all of the flavors</a>. I'm talking <i>Pecan Pie</i>, <i>Root Beer</i>, <i>Raspberry Pistachio</i>, <i>Maple Blueberry</i>, <i>Sliced Pear and Pumpkin Spice</i>, etc.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN9W8arV61JHAO0jV6Khm9lfFpWWS0KjTJiw7izS1oKTE7xcnn8JPKDkTvaIagQogdMRB8WAHm9jIWtwW9ZPeP64a2-Q2kp3erF1bqvp4Zt3WAl3fEJF4okFlUHXYzCkjt7srtO1QNNl8/s1600/100_0214.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN9W8arV61JHAO0jV6Khm9lfFpWWS0KjTJiw7izS1oKTE7xcnn8JPKDkTvaIagQogdMRB8WAHm9jIWtwW9ZPeP64a2-Q2kp3erF1bqvp4Zt3WAl3fEJF4okFlUHXYzCkjt7srtO1QNNl8/s400/100_0214.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
Since this was my first time, however, I stuck with my old-time favorites. <i>Chocolate Covered</i>, <i>Chocolate and Peanut Covered</i>, and <i>Glazed. </i>(And my son also chose <i>Raspberry</i>.) They use fresh, organic ingredients.<br />
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Although it's hard to go against <i>Glazed</i> (I mean, soooo good.), the <i>Chocolate Peanut</i> <i>Covered</i> will probably always be my favorite because it evokes a memory of being the first kid to get up on Sunday mornings. I was an early riser back then, so I got to ride to <i>Casey's General Store</i> with my dad for a newspaper and Chocolate Peanut Covered Long Johns.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp6UOIbeFDTfaHFW8d7UJqfDCNyr2BvF-eZ3tps9JRcrRZWO84w1HbjWihnSbr6H1rpdv9Kkru3XiuT3qAgsR65Vq0mbYAxT_Z83xGdXCVN5q50G1PVR8efv-nh7d5brtNlDj75YRtBWQ/s1600/100_0215.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp6UOIbeFDTfaHFW8d7UJqfDCNyr2BvF-eZ3tps9JRcrRZWO84w1HbjWihnSbr6H1rpdv9Kkru3XiuT3qAgsR65Vq0mbYAxT_Z83xGdXCVN5q50G1PVR8efv-nh7d5brtNlDj75YRtBWQ/s400/100_0215.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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We only bought half a dozen on our first visit. I questioned Hollowell about how long the doughnuts would stay fresh. He suggested only a day or two. As my son and I were contemplating how many to order for our hotel room, the guy asked, <i>"Is it just you two?" </i></div>
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My mind pondered quickly with panic,<i> </i></div>
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<i>"Tell the truth or not tell the truth?! </i></div>
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<i>Tell the truth or not tell the truth?!"</i></div>
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<i>"Yeah, it's just us."</i></div>
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<i>"Oh, I would think half a dozen would be more than plenty."</i></div>
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Dang it. Now I had to choose between looking like the <b>Vegan Dessert Pig</b> that I am - or presenting myself normal and cool in front of this very cute, charming person. I agreed with him that 6 doughnuts would be <i>plenty</i>, we ate those 6 doughnuts within a few hours, headed back the next day hoping outfit and hairdo changes would throw him off...smiled at him when he commented that it was good to see us again...and scurried on our way with another DOZEN doughnuts to go.</div>
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You can even get a Doughnut Sundae!</div>
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I can tell you what I'm getting next time.</div>
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a <i>Doughnut Sundae</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2AznlEGrpu76F859TPN8c4BpBMTYfKKyHdmNJe3qnHUTcoj7J5oxHvwNpjLVmCeOroXKZPooFtbYYMU0vIFpoTTuNfbhy6ampTdgafQP6Q3CokG0Wswz5iXGA02J55JtdKT2LkjvG4vg/s1600/100_0222.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2AznlEGrpu76F859TPN8c4BpBMTYfKKyHdmNJe3qnHUTcoj7J5oxHvwNpjLVmCeOroXKZPooFtbYYMU0vIFpoTTuNfbhy6ampTdgafQP6Q3CokG0Wswz5iXGA02J55JtdKT2LkjvG4vg/s400/100_0222.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I mean...there are just those places that can merit a visit to a city all on their own. <i><b>Dunwell Doughnuts</b></i> is one of those places for us. I'd travel to NYC, pick up a dozen or two, then come right home. To Arkansas. I would.</div>
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And if that's not enough to convince you, <i><b>Dunwell's</b></i> were chosen by <i>The New York Daily News</i> as the <b><a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/eats/best-new-york-dun-well-east-williamsburg-takes-honors-best-doughnut-article-1.1026311#ixzz1nXLXDq3V">city's best doughnuts</a></b>. Of all the doughnuts, not just the vegan ones.
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On our second visit, they had started serving Lavendar Lemonade, an excellent addition. I can't speak on the other drinks such as coffee, "egg" creams, Italian Soda, etc. I think they also had vegan candybars when we were there.</div>
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They're open 7-7 on weekdays (closed Mondays!) and 8-7 on weekends. Free wi-fi. Cash only.</div>
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<br />Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11320336368732794711noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341590768573601889.post-80813987929353350482012-09-07T14:55:00.001-07:002012-09-07T14:59:50.615-07:00NYC Trip 2012: Part 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I'm disappointed that I went on this great trip with such great food and wasn't able to photograph it very well. A lot of my food pics are dark or out of focus.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPxf0bIkSAGB4duFY_n7b0crcbkQBx5X8P10Cz5FysQor0UdYpv0crFKsC6SaqPTSZPUtuoZPqQvrfZcHMgPgDdt9rHsKly1RbUpVUMm1GSfNA7YogUJ7hQZBsKoi_fRFa3v9CToklQpA/s1600/photo+(48).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPxf0bIkSAGB4duFY_n7b0crcbkQBx5X8P10Cz5FysQor0UdYpv0crFKsC6SaqPTSZPUtuoZPqQvrfZcHMgPgDdt9rHsKly1RbUpVUMm1GSfNA7YogUJ7hQZBsKoi_fRFa3v9CToklQpA/s400/photo+(48).JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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I blame this guy.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJhEE5XuUuva5Df_fIjFVM5TB_SlQ6UJvLct1QAFP885WBywyvgY6D-ydjskainTUJlqkJTYixLAtbvIHJd-bVXEoPyBZZnY1UVUhdxhKC8fAwfcTrZ2BbuoYn1f8Mr3LdvUjgukk3ibg/s1600/photo+(51).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJhEE5XuUuva5Df_fIjFVM5TB_SlQ6UJvLct1QAFP885WBywyvgY6D-ydjskainTUJlqkJTYixLAtbvIHJd-bVXEoPyBZZnY1UVUhdxhKC8fAwfcTrZ2BbuoYn1f8Mr3LdvUjgukk3ibg/s400/photo+(51).JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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One of my goals for this trip was to try at least THREE new places. (I ended up far surpassing my goal!) This was significant because I definitely have my favorite places to repeatedly revisit. I checked one off my list an hour or so after we exited Penn Station. My sister strongly suggested I check out <b><a href="http://www.caravanofdreams.net/#/Menu">Caravan of Dreams</a></b>. It did not disappoint. This was our <b><i>Seitan Nachos</i></b> appetizer.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqg6K6DET-1gI71aQsqTZD39qY6hZB6ToxcoorJ0q_XJ9S1Zjs5xqnK1FrL426W0nZ57RW9TSGvmN0rfnWcWgkJD9EbZ5LDFFqigbDlo89u6g9yk0PUaMGQrlqCAVYx8zcreKCa-nIaJ4/s1600/photo+(50).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqg6K6DET-1gI71aQsqTZD39qY6hZB6ToxcoorJ0q_XJ9S1Zjs5xqnK1FrL426W0nZ57RW9TSGvmN0rfnWcWgkJD9EbZ5LDFFqigbDlo89u6g9yk0PUaMGQrlqCAVYx8zcreKCa-nIaJ4/s400/photo+(50).JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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This was my entree: <b><i>Seitan Taquitos</i></b>. </div>
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<i>pineapple, guacamole, chili d'arbol sauce, leafy greens</i></div>
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I was expecting more of a rolled up taquito, but it was tasty. I enjoyed the healthy feel to the meal plus the asparagus and citrus.</div>
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I'll definitely go back to <b>Caravan of Dreams</b>. I was tempted to try the raw dishes. And I'm certain there was live music, although I was a little tired and distracted to fully appreciate it. The downsides: it's pretty pricey, and it wasn't really kid-friendly. We sat outside so that part was fine, but inside it's a fairly cramped space. And it was REALLY dark. I highly prefer dim lighting; I mean, it's romantic - <i>plus</i> <i>I just look better in dim lighting</i>. But it was so dark (see dark pics above) I could barely see my food.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Pfi20viXUxrb9qia2bdr1js_zJlmW99v9s4C3BvEVFGSMM02dYCd9pKRb6lPC9lOtuILxycEmeZIgdIwotNYfLQhZqs3E6tGRoufpdeaeQiV1SmmkKF7cBZlzgZJQxbjr8JHTeFEfFk/s1600/100_0155.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Pfi20viXUxrb9qia2bdr1js_zJlmW99v9s4C3BvEVFGSMM02dYCd9pKRb6lPC9lOtuILxycEmeZIgdIwotNYfLQhZqs3E6tGRoufpdeaeQiV1SmmkKF7cBZlzgZJQxbjr8JHTeFEfFk/s400/100_0155.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I spent a <i>pretty penny</i> at my #2 new spot: <b><a href="http://www.oneluckyduck.com/">one lucky duck</a></b>. We were able to walk there since we were staying in Chelsea. It's located inside the very cute Chelsea Market. I would have enjoyed a more leisure stroll through the market, but I'll tell you, my son was not a fan. Some smell within the market did not agree with him, and he was in a huge hurry to leave ASAP. </div>
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Back to our breakfast the first morning: I should have bought something more breakfast-y or filling like nuts or granola, but I couldn't bear buying something I could buy just anywhere. We each picked a juice/lemon-aid that was flavored with agave. I picked up this dish of macadamia "cheese." It was tasty but not really satisfying to eat plain for breakfast. I would have enjoyed it more on a salad. I liked our other three choices, which we shared at a nearby park.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh570Y9lyLjttza7kY9ri9XefnK98Vl52_4MIdi2HKV_OBl3djYk5agtq8saxI2XTckyeiXQEEb3FsZytwHaYNl-NL1TF7o2NgJnRg3UAidKR_gKSbZBHI34QOYRlo6680HdsUS00vQroQ/s1600/100_0154.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh570Y9lyLjttza7kY9ri9XefnK98Vl52_4MIdi2HKV_OBl3djYk5agtq8saxI2XTckyeiXQEEb3FsZytwHaYNl-NL1TF7o2NgJnRg3UAidKR_gKSbZBHI34QOYRlo6680HdsUS00vQroQ/s400/100_0154.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: left;"><b>Lemon Bar </b>with almond, coconut crust</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoucfjPiKW5ZfyNCj1S9Py6t-ud7BDPDJmejBOhJJaWDUjb-opFdJY-F3CYMtZ1OKKSS-ujea6uqNStVK9E0BS0ycjbdzUTaWPl0GkNbM9MtJog9Woifz7_WAjq9_ozii2iPxl8zwvOpA/s1600/100_0157.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoucfjPiKW5ZfyNCj1S9Py6t-ud7BDPDJmejBOhJJaWDUjb-opFdJY-F3CYMtZ1OKKSS-ujea6uqNStVK9E0BS0ycjbdzUTaWPl0GkNbM9MtJog9Woifz7_WAjq9_ozii2iPxl8zwvOpA/s400/100_0157.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Chocolate Ganache Tart </b></div>
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with yummy cream</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSZ52Fd1SVR7W-4hbud0e3XcC20t1mRZ0mEeWf3JskgdxGxtG7i7_vmeel2N7itR8OxON3SGqgd_rP8y8VCXsVv_zT9vE5gy9mWsYW30_ZElks43dQnJqfGh-SZKKEV5oUxg5_qaNlkW4/s1600/100_0159.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSZ52Fd1SVR7W-4hbud0e3XcC20t1mRZ0mEeWf3JskgdxGxtG7i7_vmeel2N7itR8OxON3SGqgd_rP8y8VCXsVv_zT9vE5gy9mWsYW30_ZElks43dQnJqfGh-SZKKEV5oUxg5_qaNlkW4/s400/100_0159.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I don't remember what this was, but:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6-1JRc_gtzpMUO2nvTGaNslQ9wJSzT0UnopfHseeHLsmShXHfl0_QqJBwkWbjjTHHgAypAdGrHkvQrt2EufZC1lW7mHt-myNpU5yaHAkR9ATneeVUV15P4Q6oA8s71W6kMoieqPOQzBk/s1600/100_0161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6-1JRc_gtzpMUO2nvTGaNslQ9wJSzT0UnopfHseeHLsmShXHfl0_QqJBwkWbjjTHHgAypAdGrHkvQrt2EufZC1lW7mHt-myNpU5yaHAkR9ATneeVUV15P4Q6oA8s71W6kMoieqPOQzBk/s400/100_0161.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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raw chocolate with cream filling is </div>
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generally going to equal good.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixdT3JSJKSCv0818RU9GzRHp-MR2t6Zz_5mIOYtxMSf2XIBMOcZL4hV8ErnBANZ1cD2t24CnExaLTmeokY73IcRBKjvniOqeqzZ561sDda5Jy6CbadtgbASH33twR7UH99HhUfeMs-v4M/s1600/IMG_2015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixdT3JSJKSCv0818RU9GzRHp-MR2t6Zz_5mIOYtxMSf2XIBMOcZL4hV8ErnBANZ1cD2t24CnExaLTmeokY73IcRBKjvniOqeqzZ561sDda5Jy6CbadtgbASH33twR7UH99HhUfeMs-v4M/s400/IMG_2015.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
That night my son begged to go out for pizza. I had in mind a certain pizza place in Brooklyn for sometime that week, but I didn't feel like doing the whole subway thing that night. I tried to change his mind, and it's not like he's <i>the</i> <i>boss</i>. However, part of the point of this trip was to allow him to make a lot of decisions, a privilege not always allowed in a family of 6. So I found a place in the West Village - <a href="http://www.menupages.com/restaurants/slice-the-perfect-food-2/menu" style="font-weight: bold;">Slice</a>, which earned the spot of New Place #3.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoZdVo9SMK9376R3KPOMB9sYAu8QwqDuMW0zPi-GUBSOxIpI-HlhHLFTqymqrFom1juSIP3UxudfKn7gkat-i5lgMaxdxSv-nzPTXJxq57pJ9wedS5FANNSDGeuyZU-vVx_C3d6uZJHGE/s1600/IMG_2017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoZdVo9SMK9376R3KPOMB9sYAu8QwqDuMW0zPi-GUBSOxIpI-HlhHLFTqymqrFom1juSIP3UxudfKn7gkat-i5lgMaxdxSv-nzPTXJxq57pJ9wedS5FANNSDGeuyZU-vVx_C3d6uZJHGE/s400/IMG_2017.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
Fortunately, the pizza was more of the healthy & fresh variety. I liked the crust. I opted for kalamata olives and fresh arugula. They weren't kidding about it being fresh. I'm of the belief that lettuce makes anything better, and I was happy to eat my first green food of the day.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNi5WzjbOkl89ODj9yKX9NQ4I3gLR_tK6GciZaj1Ir33qyjuneNoAQr481p3kSO5J8Mr8MUOlY3zZYNDni3eGB27ujO6qmUAtpLK7wrrzBDT8I43hiS9VPjIsN2U7y5JQiR-inNLO06_4/s1600/IMG_2019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNi5WzjbOkl89ODj9yKX9NQ4I3gLR_tK6GciZaj1Ir33qyjuneNoAQr481p3kSO5J8Mr8MUOlY3zZYNDni3eGB27ujO6qmUAtpLK7wrrzBDT8I43hiS9VPjIsN2U7y5JQiR-inNLO06_4/s400/IMG_2019.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
It wasn't crowded when we arrived but started filling up. The guys who worked there seemed very easygoing and friendly. I like the neighborhood, and there were parks nearby, which is a plus for us. They also offer gluten-free crust to those who are concerned. They also use other healthier options of ingredients, but I'm not going to talk about no longer living animals here so you can look for yourself if that's your thing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Gpv0C1Lusok8D_zGOGjj2J1Q6sCD4JYJf3q2XxOg7dHsMzMK36C__ak-zgbykpxGTpzpMQHYTRkW2m4ptBgKcD7pNYM4H_EByQDLjzmRhlKTdCRyvozMnE5sc8OQj3fceaiIN9h8_o0/s1600/IMG_2037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Gpv0C1Lusok8D_zGOGjj2J1Q6sCD4JYJf3q2XxOg7dHsMzMK36C__ak-zgbykpxGTpzpMQHYTRkW2m4ptBgKcD7pNYM4H_EByQDLjzmRhlKTdCRyvozMnE5sc8OQj3fceaiIN9h8_o0/s400/IMG_2037.JPG" width="268" /></a></div>
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That evening we were close enough to check out <b>The High Line</b>. It is a public park developed on an old elevated train track. It runs a good distance up western Manhattan, with several entrances. I thought it was nice with fun views of the city and water. There were quite a few people walking through since it was late evening.</div>
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The next day, guess who I got to meet? Some of you may have already read about it <b><a href="http://feudfood.blogspot.com/2012/05/food-and-friends.html">here</a></b>. Maud from <b><a href="http://feudfood.blogspot.com/">Food Feud</a></b> joined us for lunch at <b><a href="http://sacredchow.com/">Sacred Chow</a></b>, which I certainly always believed was Sacred <i>Cow </i>when I apparently looked too quickly at it in print. So, <b>Sacred Chow</b>: New Place #4.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjmk2JGK818PwSyjki2jAF-um9IcMKZyv5_EDnvz2dm0Lid5lOSx_Wd1JgTO4n-W3FVb576If3alg1eDd31qCZCKLKypxr3zYZcRAKGThNgldFmnhPI2YcTCAV-jOmMB-RXn3yQIOs2dc/s1600/100_0199.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjmk2JGK818PwSyjki2jAF-um9IcMKZyv5_EDnvz2dm0Lid5lOSx_Wd1JgTO4n-W3FVb576If3alg1eDd31qCZCKLKypxr3zYZcRAKGThNgldFmnhPI2YcTCAV-jOmMB-RXn3yQIOs2dc/s400/100_0199.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
We both ordered <b>Kale Caesar Salad with</b> <b>Tofu Croutons</b>. I wasn't being a copycat. I had already looked at the menu before we arrived and thought it sounded the best. The tofu had the chewiness you achieve from freezing it. The salad tasted like my favorite salad I eat regularly at home, so I obviously liked it. I have never used my favorite caesar dressing on straight kale, though, so this was inspiring to me.<br />
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In a less green move, my son </div>
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opted for the cheese "dog." </div>
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I got a pic of Maud and me together, but I won't post it since she's pretty private. I should, though, since she's super cool and cute and pleasant, and we enjoyed our meal together. Plus, it's nice for my son to hang out with someone with...wait for it...<i>real tattoos</i>. Not just the kind you apply with water. He pointed this out later. I'm pretty sure he was impressed. He also likes her because she wrote nice things about him. :) I appreciated the suggestion for a new place, and I was able to broaden my NYC restaurant scope. I'll see ya next time we're around, unless you're living on a commune in the Appalachians by then.</div>
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Next up from NYC: </div>
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<i>doughnuts that changed our lives</i>.</div>
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<br />Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11320336368732794711noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341590768573601889.post-29958757460626014762012-08-29T20:09:00.001-07:002012-09-01T21:22:00.813-07:00French Meadow Bakery Bread Giveaway (Ended)<b>Update: the winner is Carrie from Texas!</b><br />
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<b><i><a href="http://www.frenchmeadow.com/">French Meadow Bakery Bread</a></i></b> is giving away a lunch kit to one of my readers. The lunch kit includes: a lunch bag, sandwich box, and water bottle - plus a coupon for a free product (up to $9.99)! I really love <b><i>French Meadow Bakery</i></b>. I'm not just saying that!<br />
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This is my favorite bread:</div>
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<img alt="Flax & Sunflower Seed Bread" src="http://www.frenchmeadow.com/components/com_virtuemart/show_image_in_imgtag.php?filename=Flax___Sunflower_4dcd6a454e401.jpg&newxsize=121&newysize=198&fileout=" />
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<i>Flax and Sunflower Seed </i></div>
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It's vegan, organic, and yeast-free!</div>
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I like so many of the other breads, etc., too. We eat the hemp bread, the sprouted breads, and the sprouted bagels a lot. They carry gluten-free and Kosher Parve options.</div>
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<img height="320" src="http://www.crunchysavings.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/fm.jpg" width="320" />
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To enter, visit <a href="https://www.facebook.com/frenchmeadowbakery/app_95936962634"><b>the contest tab on their facebook page</b></a>. That way, you are not only eligible to win my prize, you will be entered to win over there, as well. They are asking you to upload a picture of you or your child heading back to school, in whatever capacity that is. If you don't have a current photo, a past one will do. A bonus entry is given if the photo contains a <b><i>French Meadow Bakery</i></b> product.<br />
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All you have to do is email me a screen shot of your entry to that contest. (Are you like me and had no idea how to take a screen shot? My husband showed me in two seconds, by pressing two buttons on our computer...good to know!)<br />
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EMAIL your entry (or questions) to:<br />
changchang 75 @gmail.com (remove the spaces!).</div>
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That's all you've got to do!</div>
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But act fast, because the contest ends tomorrow night (the 30th) at 5:00 p.m.!!! <span style="text-align: center;">I'm getting this out late, so your chances are probably very good.</span></div>
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Enter over on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/frenchmeadowbakery?ref=ts"><b>facebook</b></a>,<br />
then email me your screenshot.</div>
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<br />Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11320336368732794711noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341590768573601889.post-57801266459492286732012-08-26T19:47:00.000-07:002012-08-26T19:56:02.580-07:00NYC Veggie Pride Parade 2012When I found out the dates of our NYC trip, I looked on an event calendar to see if anything fun was going on. We were just in luck! The <b>Veggie Pride Parade</b> was taking place the Sunday after our Saturday night arrival. I read that costumes were welcome - and might be rewarded! So an hour before we were leaving for the train station in Little Rock, I was hot gluing felt together for my costume.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7d-ENpW0WmtRcRssgKuzsPehkQGqT0REHgxhxISKxywbvU447q87A7i-SPdEzn1_zElupJtO_lEHMZrRCkaTs2Egocpth8S0TbjcfUMWjZUhlHfhDBqtXQoosQZuVi0GT91KWVwTbrBA/s1600/photo+(34).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7d-ENpW0WmtRcRssgKuzsPehkQGqT0REHgxhxISKxywbvU447q87A7i-SPdEzn1_zElupJtO_lEHMZrRCkaTs2Egocpth8S0TbjcfUMWjZUhlHfhDBqtXQoosQZuVi0GT91KWVwTbrBA/s400/photo+(34).JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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I had given my 7 year old a few costume ideas, and he <span style="text-align: center;">picked a baking/chef theme for the three of us. </span></div>
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He was a <b>Vegan Chef</b>...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_QFO8SJa4duGfORrXsN36qmxjkGM7ImECC1sYKy8D4Pu8M7SY8tc5MfSW4VJ62FaVzKEb87UYMEF9_aCLnJKQyDoq6wv31Np6hIZWqLUsZSPBAVxrVR2BrGGGx6hfnwrBInEUrDlRdfo/s1600/100_0183.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_QFO8SJa4duGfORrXsN36qmxjkGM7ImECC1sYKy8D4Pu8M7SY8tc5MfSW4VJ62FaVzKEb87UYMEF9_aCLnJKQyDoq6wv31Np6hIZWqLUsZSPBAVxrVR2BrGGGx6hfnwrBInEUrDlRdfo/s400/100_0183.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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and Baby Brother was his little <b>Sous Chef</b>.</div>
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I was a <b>Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie</b>.</div>
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One side of our sign: </div>
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<i>Eat vegan cookies and help save the world!</i></div>
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The other side: </div>
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<i>VEGAN COOKIE - one small step for mankind!</i></div>
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I'm not impressed with my sign making abilities here, but we were in such a rush. And I just never have pretty sign handwriting! We arrived at the parade site early, thinking surely there would be a store nearby to buy poster board. It was not that easy. (Why is it easier in small town Arkansas to locate poster board than in Manhattan?) We asked cops, we asked everyone, and finally had to hop a cab to hit the nearest Staples.<br />
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<b>Scenes from the parade:</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhma5jjpFES75pTFsAm1MrQosSOFLznQdB1CfmF3p0M374dvvkmRRNgYxb7OYT_xoCdYSMIQXCuH4Ur6GvdkdolPkptfZCrf1HlQbUwgBtgBWWNAhEcm0QFnyzX48zULxjcx-wqJKmRtGo/s1600/100_0171.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhma5jjpFES75pTFsAm1MrQosSOFLznQdB1CfmF3p0M374dvvkmRRNgYxb7OYT_xoCdYSMIQXCuH4Ur6GvdkdolPkptfZCrf1HlQbUwgBtgBWWNAhEcm0QFnyzX48zULxjcx-wqJKmRtGo/s400/100_0171.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjquKBYUKNLhTX3MdsdwdlD0_gR_xw6hf-CiG8CA-E60AbN5rJaZAW2Ddlbt8rxeYaTaQyR_u5ZxY5R4zSpPpZVxelqNqG_XwJkq1X7LLwazIGnQnfaAlmX60jIK28P5PB9BRmc5JBiACI/s1600/photo+(30).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjquKBYUKNLhTX3MdsdwdlD0_gR_xw6hf-CiG8CA-E60AbN5rJaZAW2Ddlbt8rxeYaTaQyR_u5ZxY5R4zSpPpZVxelqNqG_XwJkq1X7LLwazIGnQnfaAlmX60jIK28P5PB9BRmc5JBiACI/s400/photo+(30).JPG" width="300" /></a>
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This was a really great experience for my son because I know he feels isolated at times as a vegan. None of his friends are vegan, and it causes him to want to experience and participate in what his friends are participating in, ya know? But he looked around in amazement,<i> "Do you think all of these people are vegan?!" </i>With all of the chanting and cheering, I think it felt rather spectacular to him.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6-rcMpI4OR0raZZLNE6h-7uZk6-7zkkqpla0STKfxzeK9i2xm3gGcqUJKxF-Nn5V9CiciavFS1jJWBf62xXjf9YSV-wwMr6SlHARCq2Ff68FwFXCUCspGOh4fan1T5R62ni9ZqsbuLT8/s1600/100_0185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6-rcMpI4OR0raZZLNE6h-7uZk6-7zkkqpla0STKfxzeK9i2xm3gGcqUJKxF-Nn5V9CiciavFS1jJWBf62xXjf9YSV-wwMr6SlHARCq2Ff68FwFXCUCspGOh4fan1T5R62ni9ZqsbuLT8/s400/100_0185.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Sometime after the parade, which culminated at Union Square, <span style="text-align: center;">everyone in costume was called up on stage. </span></div>
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From the beginning, I did not know how my son was going to react to all of this. You'd have to know the little fella. He's so self-conscious. And he's way "too cool" for a lot of things in life. (For example, we were on a field trip to the post office the other day, and his older brother raised his hand a few times to ask questions. He was mortified by this and kept hissing at him to stop asking questions, even though<i> they asked</i> if anyone had any questions.)<br />
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But he was taking his role here so seriously! He had the Veggie Pride! :) I was giggling inside, watching him. I loved it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-LQFnz9jLmQiyGfrwr7ktVqc6a19778p4hlXWaX8kCKSUNgYSXMoZc5raPxJ4jxsIhR3h1Vez2Vk0UxqnnegR8hI4kZ8QC_pjT4Lcs2pSv-HtisKTTDOIc_lcVfQDkURWCzFvtjhgGws/s1600/100_0187.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-LQFnz9jLmQiyGfrwr7ktVqc6a19778p4hlXWaX8kCKSUNgYSXMoZc5raPxJ4jxsIhR3h1Vez2Vk0UxqnnegR8hI4kZ8QC_pjT4Lcs2pSv-HtisKTTDOIc_lcVfQDkURWCzFvtjhgGws/s400/100_0187.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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I think everyone who was in costume won some sort of prize.</div>
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There are more pictures of us and everyone else on <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/26879333@N05/sets/72157630890180126/detail/"><b>this flickr page</b></a>.</div>
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We earned the 4th prize: a $50 gift certificate to <b><a href="http://www.peacefoodcafe.com/">Peacefood Cafe</a></b>! I was ecstatic!<br />
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After the parade, we bought cold drinks and ducked into Barnes and Noble for a bit to read books and cool off while we were waiting for the costume competition. Once back outside, we mingled around all of the tables and listened to some speakers.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3TMcY_msQGdumYSdNVqH15IA7ZOiLkp_mXqCnNq9gsD4hSYzhJ0wvfck_IBj-P66fyQabzASKHxYewqiNfXry0SrV7gVpe7-upPPaTg62MjEI-GS5ZICdgNLuEpFnvINNJJCbRcO9k4Y/s1600/100_0195.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3TMcY_msQGdumYSdNVqH15IA7ZOiLkp_mXqCnNq9gsD4hSYzhJ0wvfck_IBj-P66fyQabzASKHxYewqiNfXry0SrV7gVpe7-upPPaTg62MjEI-GS5ZICdgNLuEpFnvINNJJCbRcO9k4Y/s400/100_0195.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
When we were ready to head back to our hotel, I promised him ice cream. We stopped into the Whole Foods at Union Square and were disappointed there weren't any individual ice cream bars for sale. We asked a very nice employee if they had any, and he was so sweet that he came out of the back with two wrapped bars from an opened box that couldn't be sold. My son was thrilled.<br />
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Fun day! Thank you to everyone who organized the parade (especially Pamela Rice, author of <i>101 Reasons Why I'm a Vegetarian</i>) and to Peacefood Cafe (review to come) for our yummy meal. Whether anyone in NYC was drawn into the veggie lifestyle that day, you helped open the eyes of a sweet little guy from Arkansas.<br />
<br />Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11320336368732794711noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341590768573601889.post-27758515758565002012-07-28T14:15:00.002-07:002012-07-28T14:23:36.959-07:00Chicago and AmtrakIn my last post I told you I was going to <b>NYC</b>. I like to promise I'm going to blog soon because I think if I say it, I'll have to make it come true. But who are we kidding? I'll just quit saying it. I wanted to blog every night during my trip, but my head couldn't wait to hit the pillow at the end of each day. (Sorry about this long post; you can read it in bits. And this would have been posted two weeks ago, but my html has been driving me bonkers. I still can't fix all of the spacing...but I'm going to give up.) It was a fun, successful trip, including lots of great <b>vegan food and so forth</b>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC5ZZxtfpuxW_m4_2_TMA5hbIFNVh7YwThNwGRJyvw7SE2I6Mi-y8FU1qWh1oU9I1GCwB7Pzm8CVnRTAy7TEO0sFw86XCJftEQllJ-8EA7yXZVD-QwJYRAqtiPJBaWiQbKJbHbjaItlm8/s1600/IMG_1955.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC5ZZxtfpuxW_m4_2_TMA5hbIFNVh7YwThNwGRJyvw7SE2I6Mi-y8FU1qWh1oU9I1GCwB7Pzm8CVnRTAy7TEO0sFw86XCJftEQllJ-8EA7yXZVD-QwJYRAqtiPJBaWiQbKJbHbjaItlm8/s320/IMG_1955.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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This was my first journey with <b>Amtrak</b>, and only these two guys accompanied me. I had decided to take each of the big kids on their own little adventure with Mom (and baby, my extra appendage for the next year and a half or so). My 7 year old was up first, and although<b> NYC</b> might not sound like the most logical, laid-back place to take two kids, I really wanted my trip to include no driving or carseats. (Baby HATES the carseat.) And my 2nd child hasn't been there as many times as my oldest child. And I'm familiar with NYC enough to get around. <b>And it just makes me happy.</b></div>
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We booked a sleeper car (above: two seats that turn into twin bunk beds) on the way out, but we didn't get one on the return. We saved money that way, and I was curious to find out the difference for the sake of future trips with the whole family. I think that although the sleeper car was definitely the better way to go (very cute and fun!) if it's ever possible, a regular coach seat would suffice just fine.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWqiBGAqCH3eg6nIk0vnSVOV4z2JCsumQEyLW1qlM2RBxIq9D1dWSED9EnGzkYYPrry2_j5ZrA7pAqJ22jJFi0nr-kCdqb0w1tmGAjC97LKdhq7MK6RQtrGK-LkAZhFdPRH8co1fSc2A4/s1600/IMG_1954.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWqiBGAqCH3eg6nIk0vnSVOV4z2JCsumQEyLW1qlM2RBxIq9D1dWSED9EnGzkYYPrry2_j5ZrA7pAqJ22jJFi0nr-kCdqb0w1tmGAjC97LKdhq7MK6RQtrGK-LkAZhFdPRH8co1fSc2A4/s400/IMG_1954.JPG" width="400" /></a>
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One part of the sleeper car that my son particularly enjoyed was the dining car. Meals were included, and I was too cheap to pay for meals on the way home, much to his dismay. (We had plenty of food packed to eat.) I think it's entirely possible to eat vegan on <b>Amtrak</b> for a several day journey, even if you didn't pack food. Now, would it be possible to become full if you were also heavy raw or gluten-free? Eh, probably not. I brought my own oatmeal packets (above) and enjoyed the grapefruit. (They did offer oatmeal; I just preferred to use my own with built-in sweetener.) They also had soy milk.</div>
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For the lunch and supper meals, they offered veggie burgers and pasta, etc. My son ate those, although I'm pretty sure the burgers were vegetarian, not vegan. (During travel and eating out, etc., although my eating habits remain exactly the same, I am not a picky label reader with my kids. As long as it's vegetarian and not overtly non-vegan, I'm fine with it, if that makes any sense. This is not my ideal, just the way it is.) I mostly just ate as much dry salad as I could stand since it was free.<br />
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They DO, however, sell a Vegan Burger in the lounge car on most trains. I didn't end up purchasing one because the list of ingredients was way too long (and included sugar, etc.) for my OCD healthy standards, but I like knowing it's available for my kids and Ryan on future trips. The lounge car also sold chips, salted nuts, oatmeal (with sugar) cups, and maybe even fruit, etc.</div>
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<span style="line-height: 17.5px;">You could always bring a small cooler if you weren't worried about the amount of luggage you were carrying. That's another bonus, if you ask me, about<b> Amtrak</b>. You can bring more "stuff" with you, as opposed to flying (even your bike, it seemed). We, however, tried to keep it light because I did not know what to expect, getting on and off so many times. We brought a tiny stroller, two small backpacks, and one very small pull bag.</span><br />
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It was a surprise to me that they seat strangers together in the dining car booths. At first, my social anexiety disorder was not impressed, but I quickly learned that this can be another great aspect in the <b>Amtrak</b> experience. We always sat with really nice, interesting people. I had to smile and nod a lot to one lady who said things like, <i>"Well, I guess being a vegetarian is okay...as long as you get plenty of protein...now WHERE do you get your protein?"</i> and, <i>"I think homeschooling can be okay...if you know what you're doing."</i> She also kept trying to offer my son bacon or yogurt, etc. AFTER I told her we didn't eat it.<i> "It would be okay if he had a piece, wouldn't it? I'd love to give him a piece."</i> Me: <i>"No, REALLY - he's never eaten meat. We DON'T eat it."
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We had a layover, around 3 hours, in Chicago on the way there and back. Our next stop on the way to New York was D.C. We were really looking forward to this 4 hour layover because my son had learned a lot about the different monuments and such this year and had never seen them (and I hadn't been since I was 17). We were able to hit most of the main ones by walking and then taking a pedi-cab. And I'm sure Chubs here was overly fascinated to be in our nation's capital for the first time, as well.</div>
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Because it took so long to get across town (Duh, it was Memorial Day Weekend; why didn't I realize this?), my dreams of hitting up<b> Sticky Fingers</b> before jumping back on the train were dashed. That's okay, though; my son's education comes before my gluttony.
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Besides, I was still happy from our jaunt to <b>Native Foods</b> (all vegan!) in <b>Chicago</b>. This was my first time to sample one of the <b>THREE</b> newish locations in the area. (I have been to <b>N.F.</b> in <b>California</b> multiple times.) The one on <b>South Clark</b> was in walking distance from the train station! (We always paid to put our bags in a locker during layovers.)
I was happy to see the line going out the door during this visit and the one on our way back home (and happier that we arrived before the line grew). There were a lot of business people coming in for lunch. This says to me that hopefully <b>Native Foods</b> will continue expanding, eventually to a city near you!
Our <b>Native Foods'</b> eats (and I'm not going to write much other than the descriptions to avoid saying, <i>"It was sooo good!" </i>over and over again):
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs8Jjp6UIgWQO78pJg4Mr1dLBstGydJyChxJL6q1cfI-pxU3zeOqv1YRPV6KCWevvyb46KR0cIuHTjQ-K2ALaJvsrRJxV8Jjcl3K2NyMrSu8VLyD09ZX-24-d_XKvLpk_kD7myo0VYkp4/s1600/IMG_1964.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs8Jjp6UIgWQO78pJg4Mr1dLBstGydJyChxJL6q1cfI-pxU3zeOqv1YRPV6KCWevvyb46KR0cIuHTjQ-K2ALaJvsrRJxV8Jjcl3K2NyMrSu8VLyD09ZX-24-d_XKvLpk_kD7myo0VYkp4/s400/IMG_1964.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>
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<b><i>Pizza Fingers and Steamed Broccoli</i></b></div>
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He also ordered the<b><i> Native Chicken Nuggets</i></b> with vegetables and ranch dressing for dipping, but I didn't get a picture. I thought it was fine, but as my pickiest eater, he wasn't a fan.<br />
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<i><b>Freddie's Mac and Cheese</b></i><br />
<i>Quinoa super pasta with a cow-friendly cheese sauce and broccoli trees. Soy and GF.</i><br />
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<i><b>Classic Deli Reuben</b></i>
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<i>Thinly-sliced deli-style Native Reuben Seitan piled high on grilled marble rye. Topped with homemade sauerkraut, Native Horseradish Cheese, and a slather of Russian dressing. </i></div>
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The pink color is kind of freaky, no?<br />
Was very tasty.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvT2AL6ElRU-vrKYf5Sjj1LGc2nmNNVplYjdo8Hh3KadKaxeWZ8e1-_-grZ9qBIkWAVhyphenhyphenEL6O-LuviJxGO21QqKYhWQyOuseoUk1LioNISF43of9stbShL9CbHxK-boChmy9nn0FMYulI/s1600/100_0329.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvT2AL6ElRU-vrKYf5Sjj1LGc2nmNNVplYjdo8Hh3KadKaxeWZ8e1-_-grZ9qBIkWAVhyphenhyphenEL6O-LuviJxGO21QqKYhWQyOuseoUk1LioNISF43of9stbShL9CbHxK-boChmy9nn0FMYulI/s400/100_0329.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
<i><b>Chili Cheese Fries </b></i><br />
<i>Seasoned potato fries smothered in our homemade </i><br />
<i>Native Chili. Topped with Native Cheese and diced </i><br />
<i>red onions. </i><br />
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I like that these chili cheese fries felt much healthier/less greasy including light, homemade cheese<i>.</i><br />
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<i>Chopped romained, crunchy grilled veggies and corn kernels, sweet roasted peppers, garlic croutons, warm shaved Native Peppered Seitan, tossed with chimichurri sauce, and drizzled with ranch.</i></div>
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I realized with this salad HOW MUCH I prefer chopped salads. It's just so much nicer to eat a salad when the lettuce is the same size as the rest of the salad ingredients. Don't you think?<br />
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<b><i><b><i><b>Oklahoma Cheese Burger</b></i></b></i></b></div>
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<i><i>Thinly sliced Native Original Seitan, melted cheddar, caramelized onions, and crispy Native Bacon on a bun slathered with BBQ sauce and ranch dressing, romaine, carrots, onions, and tomato. Topped with crunchy battered dill pickle chips!!!</i></i><br />
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Let's get another look at this bad boy. </div>
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There's just so much going on here.
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<b><i><b>Strawberry Shortcake Parfait</b></i></b></div>
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<i>Moist vanilla cake layered with almond creme and fresh sliced organic strawberries.</i>
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Light and not too sweet.<br />
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<b><i>Cheesecake</i></b></div>
(above and here, on another day - one of our fave desserts the whole week)
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<i>A rich cream cheesy filling, ginger granola crust, </i></div>
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<i>sweetened just right and served with blueberries on the side.</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMsaSr4GDbzhM2zWWFDBUDByION8iVm5ZfmX-nsjhqWaipkjazDclYwDN3Um2YQf08YRHGMqtbimShNNll2a_2ejOlOqyil15trw0UoPs_PnBQLa-wiQBzRYUev5Wr4oB_01mvVqJA92I/s1600/IMG_1983.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMsaSr4GDbzhM2zWWFDBUDByION8iVm5ZfmX-nsjhqWaipkjazDclYwDN3Um2YQf08YRHGMqtbimShNNll2a_2ejOlOqyil15trw0UoPs_PnBQLa-wiQBzRYUev5Wr4oB_01mvVqJA92I/s400/IMG_1983.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>
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Good Luck Cupcake</div>
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<i>
Made in-house using the finest ingredients including
fair-grade cocoa powder and trans-fat free veg shortening.
Flavors include Chocolate, Vanilla, Cardamom Rose.</i><br />
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We also got a brownie that wasn't photographed. It was good but not my favorite here; when unwrapped, all of the chocolate chips fell off everywhere.</div>
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NOTE: I know by now you are thinking, <i>"Didn't you just go TWICE? Wasn't it just you and a 55 pound boy? Aren't those big portions? Don't you have 30 pounds to lose?" </i>Yes, yes, yes, and yes, BUT we always ordered extra food to take back onto the train for the next meal, which is why it might seem like a lot.
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<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxmUnYKrjQE-XjQ_IRc4XW9NrWj8IPLskPHRXSpG7HaETgrunD0uITezgDLuWWOvkaRhfKNC8NtjOjdS-DESmLuQES_60lw5aY2WTe9MDzqvwC8lnf6A_ak6By2nB1rIatY9efPnTo8zE/s1600/IMG_1963.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxmUnYKrjQE-XjQ_IRc4XW9NrWj8IPLskPHRXSpG7HaETgrunD0uITezgDLuWWOvkaRhfKNC8NtjOjdS-DESmLuQES_60lw5aY2WTe9MDzqvwC8lnf6A_ak6By2nB1rIatY9efPnTo8zE/s400/IMG_1963.JPG" width="400" /></a></i></div>
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<i><i><b>Lavender Lemonade</b></i></i></div>
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<i><i>French lavender steeped with fresh lemons. </i></i></div>
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<i><i>Sweetened with organic sugar.</i></i></div>
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Free refills!!!<br />
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<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhds7DtZ9JQcRnyVu_bBUZlG23zKXq5NkugoW2QwP0VxahjQbcf3BHUZvvYwXOM6Al18v7GcFMSFJQituzYYJDhNdAhERjXtNRCx_baiY9pJtDuorUpW5_Je6Jubn_skW2P1rnKs-fgw4Q/s1600/IMG_2055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhds7DtZ9JQcRnyVu_bBUZlG23zKXq5NkugoW2QwP0VxahjQbcf3BHUZvvYwXOM6Al18v7GcFMSFJQituzYYJDhNdAhERjXtNRCx_baiY9pJtDuorUpW5_Je6Jubn_skW2P1rnKs-fgw4Q/s400/IMG_2055.JPG" width="266" /></a></i></div>
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We had plenty of time during our second layover to head up into the Skydeck of the Willis (Sears) Tower. It is located in walking distance between Union Station and Native Foods.<br />
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<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigp1nMDR0rvosKogM2GdfKVIDlz2p36fV5MSgtYlsSc-Fc7wDiHVBCQh7mRCczLOLXg410ewawjwDEpEtab5HR5o9WSwDTymK4HXhuK-h9IUN2DQt81-MhlSOQvYszGk2y7r7NAE1MgIc/s1600/029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigp1nMDR0rvosKogM2GdfKVIDlz2p36fV5MSgtYlsSc-Fc7wDiHVBCQh7mRCczLOLXg410ewawjwDEpEtab5HR5o9WSwDTymK4HXhuK-h9IUN2DQt81-MhlSOQvYszGk2y7r7NAE1MgIc/s400/029.JPG" width="298" /></a></i></div>
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A passing shot of the Shenandoah River in honor of our friend, <a href="http://www.shenandoahvegan.blogspot.com/">Shen</a>.</div>
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I will try to blog about the rest of our cross country trip soon...</div>
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oops, there I go again.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Until then...</span></div>
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<i style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXTwQLwP0aWlvHCS-DI_edEI7c6nbmZ5Dn5J7Udwf1cQ0XolQzaVEigMefi1rSkcoxJFmS8Ezg15nS94tw3tXW_TxwkOwyrM5eTQpsLkFBLXqcp8zvW3xfQ2wFVOuqtRHJzp9WZNP0VNs/s1600/IMG_2088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXTwQLwP0aWlvHCS-DI_edEI7c6nbmZ5Dn5J7Udwf1cQ0XolQzaVEigMefi1rSkcoxJFmS8Ezg15nS94tw3tXW_TxwkOwyrM5eTQpsLkFBLXqcp8zvW3xfQ2wFVOuqtRHJzp9WZNP0VNs/s400/IMG_2088.JPG" width="266" /></a></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">stay cool, dudes.</span></i><br />
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</b>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11320336368732794711noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341590768573601889.post-81199273182142400492012-05-23T15:03:00.000-07:002012-06-14T08:16:36.597-07:00Recent Restaurant EatsWhen I was looking back through my recent pictures, I sort of surprised myself that we've actually traveled so much the past few months. We had promised ourselves we were going to lie low for the first 6 months or so of having four kids. I haven't slowed down too much, though, actually. When Baby was 2 1/2 months old, we headed to Missouri to visit my brother in the southern part and my sister in St. Louis.<br />
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My favorite place to eat in St. Louis (beyond my sister's because she is a vegetarian and always has my kind of food around) is <a href="http://www.sweetartstl.com/index2.php" style="font-weight: bold;">Sweet Art</a><b> </b>on 39th street. I've <a href="http://veganandsoforth.blogspot.com/2010/06/sweet-art-bakery-in-st-louis.html">mentioned going there before</a>. It's a cute little place with great sandwiches, among other things. They are also known for their cupcakes. (Some are vegan; some are not.)<br />
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I also made it a point to stop by <b>Trader Joe's</b> since we do not have one in Arkansas. I always think about going after seeing all of your scores. I LOVED these burgers. I think they are similar to <i><b>Wildwood's</b> </i>version of tofu burgers. Among other things, I also bought the <b>Trader Joe's</b> brand of <b><i>Hummus Salad Dressing</i></b> (which I finally found in the refrigerated section) that I had seen on my friend <a href="http://portionsofgoodness.blogspot.com/2012/03/loot.html">Pam's blog</a>. I really liked it.<br />
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About a month ago, we also headed over to Dallas for one night. We were motivated to make some purchases from Ikea to get our life & home organized. (It's a little crazy, folks!) Once I get everything straightened officially, I'll post pictures of our new stuff. Until then, feast your eyes on the desserts we got to share at <b><a href="http://www.spiraldiner.com/">Spiral Diner</a></b>: a cinnamon roll, which I would never pass up...<br />
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...and bread pudding, also a rare find and so delicious.</div>
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I didn't mean to post the dessert pictures first. I meant no disrespect to my <b><i>Mitch</i></b>. My beloved <i><b>Mitch</b></i> that I order almost everytime I go to <b>Spiral</b>. I asked Ryan if he thought I should order something else, and he said he didn't really think I should. I actually also ordered the Chef Salad to share with everyone, but they never brought it.<br />
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One kid ordered the Nachos, even though he won't eat guacamole. His siblings and father helped clear it off of there.<br />
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One kid ordered the <b>Tofu Scramble</b>. And another kid ordered <b>Spaghetti & Meatballs</b>.<br />
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And Ryan - the <b>Chipotle Quesadillas</b>.</div>
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If you are interested, I am hosting a giveaway <a href="http://agreaterhand.blogspot.com/2012/05/rudis-organic-bread-giveaway.html">on my family blog</a> for 2 loaves of FREE <i><b>RUDI'S</b></i> BREAD!!! There are also free art supplies and other items included. <a href="http://agreaterhand.blogspot.com/2012/05/rudis-organic-bread-giveaway.html">Head on over here</a> to sign up. All that is required is a comment/entry - nothing else. You can even <a href="http://agreaterhand.blogspot.com/2012/05/rudis-organic-bread-giveaway.html">enter</a> without having a blog log-in; just comment as Anonymous, but make sure to leave a way I can get a hold of you.</div>
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<i><b>Rudi's</b></i> is currently offering some fun promotions, so check out their <a href="http://www.rudisbakery.com/">website</a> (where there is a 75 cent off coupon) or facebook page. They are offering a free sandwich box that features your child's own artwork; these look fun!</div>
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I might be blogging more this week, so check back. Also, I'm going to be in NYC next week (I changed my blog background in honor.) so if any of my NY pals are going to be in Manhattan, (or at Dun-Well Donuts because that's where you might find me) let me know!<br />
<br />Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11320336368732794711noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341590768573601889.post-57386295634053151232012-05-18T17:03:00.000-07:002012-05-18T17:03:11.612-07:00Frozen Casseroles & the New Man in My LifeI can't show you any new exciting meals I've made recently. I've got nothin'! I'm too busy playing with this little man:<br />
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How do I love thee? Let me count the ways!</div>
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In the weeks leading up to his birth, I stocked the freezer with as much food as I could. I got some inspiration from one of my Mom's non-vegetarian casserole cookbooks.<br />
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<b>Pizza Pasta</b><br />
(pre-frozen/pre-cooked)</div>
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Elbow macaroni with everything I might top a pizza with: garlic stuffed green olives, black olives, tomatoes, bell peppers, chopped soy pepperoni, ground up veggie burgers <i>(Amy's)</i>, Italian seasoning, Daiya cheese, and onions. If I would have had shiitakes on hand, I would have added those, as well.<br />
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<b>Tater Tot Casserole</b></div>
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First, I made chili using several kinds of beans and carrots, bell peppers, tomatoes, etc. I'm lovin' the <b><i>Eden</i></b> brand of tomato products minus BPA.</div>
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<img alt="NEW - Amber Glass Jars of EDEN® Organic Tomatoes & Sauces" src="http://www.edenfoods.com/articles/images/191/191.jpg" />
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I topped the chili with Daiya and frozen tater tots. </div>
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It was every bit as delicious as I had hoped for.</div>
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<b>Kale Tofu Lasagna</b><br />
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Apparently nothing says casserole to me better than Daiya.</div>
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<b>Enchiladas</b></div>
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(pre-frozen/pre-cooked)</div>
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Beans, rice, kale, corn tortillas, homemade enchilada suace (using more of Eden's tomato products), and cheezey sauce. I actually made the cheezey sauce primarily because by this point I was thinking, <i>"I can't put Daiya on every one of them!"</i></div>
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And I also made about 16 garbanzo bean/sweet potato/oat/sesame seed veggie burgers to freeze. And finally - a big pot of lentils divided into different containers were added to my frozen stash. I was lucky to be able to spread my loot out a little bit because my mom was super nice about bringing lots of food over, like quinoa, beans, pasta, etc. One of my sweet friends brought over 3 different kinds of salad one night, and another sweet friend made us some healthy muffins. I'm also fortunate that I have a husband who knows his way around the kitchen and doesn't huff if dinner isn't on the table when he walks into the house.<br />
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I'm getting nostalgic thinking back to the time I had all of this food ready to eat in my freezer. </div>
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Those were the days.</div>
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<br />Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11320336368732794711noreply@blogger.com40tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341590768573601889.post-10249953085786414452012-03-26T09:19:00.000-07:002012-03-26T09:19:17.713-07:00Closing Up Christmas, Movin' Toward BabyI wrote on my family blog (when I finally updated the other day) that I have a bad habit of starting posts, then getting sidetracked. I've slowly been catching up on everyone else's blogs (which takes me awhile because I don't want to miss anything). I hadn't been in a blogging mood lately, but I think I'm back. Here is the post I started at the beginning of January.<br />
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On Christmas Day, Ryan requested fondue. I tried to add a few things this time we don't usually eat with fondue. Here we have: romaine, crusty bread, roasted brussels sprouts, ravioli, roasted potato fingers, Brazil nuts, garlic-stuffed olives, <i>Tofurky</i> kielbasas, and tofu cubes.</div>
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We also had our bell pepper/edamame/broccoli, tomato, almond tree to use for dipping.</div>
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I used a recipe from <i>The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook</i>. We love it.</div>
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I can't get enough of roasted brussels sprouts.</div>
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I had told my mother we were absolutely <i>not</i> leaving our home on Christmas Day. I was staying put to relax. If she could just remember clearly, this is how she always was when we were growing up. She would <i>not</i> visit any relatives on Christmas Day; it was a day for my parents, siblings, and me. Of course, now she can't stand the thought of us doing the same, ha! (We celebrated Christmas with them and my siblings the weekend before.)<br />
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So she goes to Whole Foods and buys A TON of vegan food and prepares it just to try to lure us over (and my youngest vegan sister was going to be there, too). Not that I can be bought or swayed by food (well, sometimes I can), but we did end up going over there for supper. (You're not going to sway me with food again, Mommy! Don't even try it!)<br />
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I took this picture only because she had such a overwhelmed, dissatisfied look on her face while asking what she was supposed to do with "the <i>Tofurky</i>." I told her to just cut it like she would anything else, and the "non-vegan" that my mother is, she just kind of hacked into it with her <i>"I can't believe I'm doing this." </i>face. My Mom is funny - she's so sweet to always buy us special food, and if someone criticizes our diet, she turns into Momma Bear in our defense. But I know she can't imagine how she ended up with 3 vegan/vegetarian daughters, a veg son-in-law, and 6 veg grandchildren.<br />
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This was my supper plate: <i>Tofurky</i>, homemade apples, brown beans, sweet potato casserole with nut topping, homemade cranberry sauce, a roll, mashed potatoes, and brussels sprouts.<br />
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After supper, we had our usual <i>Happy Birthday, Jesus!</i> party.</div>
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So...I started this post before baby was here. This was me two days before I went to the hospital. If you blow up this picture, it might show how huge my ankles (along with everything else) had gotten.<br />
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And that's where my post was going to end, but...something came along before I finished typing it...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii4xKuS7G6lV6Ge_AjFK4LuHR0J-ROkqPBMkSb-1dENW1Y8zUt9HpPkiLMrPKieVUGEJaRiJbGUHGob96xhkSG-faiYetPkfboq2My0Vsi66KHrkJ3KU4Gq1g4Grh9wgggnz4xYe8XLIE/s1600/IMG_1103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii4xKuS7G6lV6Ge_AjFK4LuHR0J-ROkqPBMkSb-1dENW1Y8zUt9HpPkiLMrPKieVUGEJaRiJbGUHGob96xhkSG-faiYetPkfboq2My0Vsi66KHrkJ3KU4Gq1g4Grh9wgggnz4xYe8XLIE/s320/IMG_1103.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Introducing <b>Baby Vegan and So Forth</b>! We are having a total blast with this new little guy. I'm seriously in love. I'll give ya more details in my next post!<br />
<br />Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11320336368732794711noreply@blogger.com17