A Couple of Good New Products

Yes, this is a grilled cheese sandwich! I had a craving the other day, and remembered I'd recently purchased a new kind of Daiya:

This is the chunk-version of the delicious non-dairy cheese. I was flying through the grocery store when I saw "havarti style wedge" so I popped it into the cart. Upon unloading the groceries, I read the fine print, "jalapeno garlic".  "Hmm," I thought to myself. If I'd have noticed that informative tidbit, I'm not sure I would have picked it up, since the combo doesn't sound good to me in theory. Also, I've found the vegan palate to be more sensitive to strong flavors, i.e. many processed foods seem to be overly-flavored.  I needn't have worried about this cheese, however. It is very meltably gooey and rich, with a jalapeno-forward flavor, which I found agreeable. I didn't actually detect garlic. The grilled cheese sandwich is un-buttered. I just cooked it slowly in a non-stick pan -- a couple of slices of Eziekiel bread, and some pieces of daiya. Delish!

Here is something really, really yummy -- Go Raw's Chocolate Super Cookies. They truly are super in my book: not too sweet, 100% organic, gluten-free, wheat-free, nut-free and raw. What could be better?  I picked these up in the Natural Foods Warehouse, imagining them fitting the bill when I need a little jolt of protein/cacao power during the post-lunch energy slump. These have only one downside. They are addictive. I really intended to have only one serving (a third of a package), or at least only one and a half servings. I ate the whole darn bag at one sitting. I did the same thing a couple of months ago with a product called "A Hot Mess" which was also raw and gluten-free and hot and sweet and salty.

I am learning so much about myself pertaining to my relationship with food. When it comes right down to it, certain fabulous vegan products are best relegated to the role of "occasional treats", in other words, not usually present in my larder. Nevertheless, I do recommend the Daiya wedge "cheese" and the raw chocolate super cookies. The flavor and texture of each is sublime, and, while decadent, they are both relatively guilt-free, providing a nutritional punch  along with the fab flavors and textures. Give these a try!

I Love Chipotle!

I've said it before, and I'll say it again! Since we returned from our mid-Atlantic family extravaganza, more than a couple of days have been spent in pajamas. Some cookery has obviously happened during these jammy days, mostly of the soup persuasion, but sometimes I get a hankering for a burrito bol and pull on a pair of jeans and venture out to satiate the crave.

I love a place with fresh food choices, some of them organic, a place where a vegan, a vegetarian, a health-conscious(ish) carnivore and a non-health conscious carnivore can each find what they want (those are my core family members).

Here's how I have it:  a burrito bol --  lettuce, brown cilantro rice, black beans, peppers-n-onions, pico de gallo, verde salsa, a giant pile of guacamole and more lettuce. The servers want to call this a salad, since I cannot get enough lettuce, and tend to want to push a little tub of dressing with it, but I've no idea why anyone would choose lackluster vinaigrette of unknown origin when they could instead enjoy pico, verde and guac! Call it what you like, Chipotle, and charge whatever you need to, just keep this fab food coming!

In a couple of days we will all return to real life, but for now, I'll get back into my jammies and dive into this bol! I love Chipotle.