Green Options

Summer is starting to wind down, and it’s time to say goodbye to weeks of eating far, far too much delicious ice cream. Thanks for all of the great comments and suggestions. You guys really helped take this challenge to the next level!

After six weeks of grueling, scientific research, here is my favorite flavor and the runner-up:

As the dog days of summer come to an end, a 3 course, no cooking required meal sounds pretty good to me. Turn that stove off, shut down the oven, choose to go meatless this Monday and cool off with this appetizer, main course and dessert.

It’s been hovering in the upper 90s here in Atlanta, and weather like this makes me crave ice cream like no other. This year, I’m on the hunt for my favorite vegan ice cream! The plan is to try new pints each week and share my findings right here. I know, it’s a tough life I’ve got.

This is going to be the last week for this challenge. Next week, I’ll do a wrap up and pick a favorite!

While staring at the frozen foods, I realized that despite reviewing vegan ice creams for weeks and weeks, I’d somehow managed to not pick a soy-based brand the entire time! Let’s be honest here: part of that was intentional. I’m not a fan of that soy aftertaste, especially in desserts. Still, in the name of science, it felt like the right thing to do, so I grabbed a pint of Soy Delicious green tea ice cream. This is a soy-based brand made by Turtle Mountain: the same folks who produce the Purely Decadent coconut-based ice creams. It’s gluten free and the label touts that it’s “fruit sweetened.” Here’s how it stacked up:

When I was in college I briefly dated a boy whose idea of a meal was eating cold meat chili from an open can. In retrospect, how and what he chose to feed himself provided a very telling insight into his character and values. How and what we eat shapes our lives and who were are. Nothing we do is more intimate; our meals sustain our very existence. When we choose to grow our own food, buy from local farmers markets and not eat highly processed packaged food, we are not only taking positive steps toward building and sustaining a locally based economy, but we are also lessening our collective carbon footprint upon the planet.

If you are starting to feel inspired to create some simple, affordable, tasty meals from locally available seasonal food, but are a bit clueless how to begin, Lisa Jervis‘ new book, Cook Food: A Manualfesto for Easy, Healthy, Local Eating, may provide just the help that you need.

It’s been hovering in the upper 90s here in Atlanta, and weather like this makes me crave ice cream like no other. This year, I’m on the hunt for my favorite vegan ice cream! The plan is to try new pints each week and share my findings right here. I know, it’s a tough life I’ve got.

This week’s pick was a suggestion from my pal Rachael who works at the local co-op. It turns out they carry Living Harvest’s Tempt, a hemp-based ice cream. Hemp! I was pretty excited to try this one. Hemp is really excellent for you. It’s packed with essential fatty acids and all nine amino acids. On top of the superfood base, this ice cream is soy- and gluten- free, too! I felt pretty good about myself when I picked out a pint of chocolate fudge Tempt and served up a generous bowl after dinner. So what’s the scoop?

Have you ever found yourself longing for rich cream in your coffee, a creamy mushroom soup or gravy?  Me too… that’s why I was glad to find MimicCreme Non Dairy, Vegan, Kosher, Gluten Free, Cream Subsitute. MimicCreme comes unsweetened, sweetened and sugar-free sweetened.

This substitute is made from almonds and cashews, so its out for those with nut allergies.  I feel blessed that among all our food issues, nuts do not pose an issue (I don’t know what we’d do if my GF girl couldn’t have peanut butter or almond butter, she eats it by the spoonful!). Some of our favorite uses for MimicCreme are ice cream, french toast and cream of mushroom soup.

Here’s our favorite recipe made with MimicCreme (adapted from an Alton Brown recipe):

It’s been hovering in the upper 90s here in Atlanta, and weather like this makes me crave ice cream like no other. This year, I’m on the hunt for my favorite vegan ice cream! The plan is to try new pints each week and share my findings right here. I know, it’s a tough life I’ve got.

This week I tried Luna & Larry’s Coconut Bliss, another coconut-based ice cream, on a suggestion from commenter Hungry Hungry Veganos. Coconut Bliss is soy- and gluten-free, and they use some fair trade ingredients. We used to get coconut ice cream from time to time when I was growing up, so feeling a bit nostalgic, I picked up a pint of their Naked Coconut variety to try it out.

So, let’s see how it stacks up!

Occasionally on hot, long drives, I will treat myself to either Peet’s Freddo or a Starbucks Frappuccino.  Although I’d prefer to support a local coffee shop, the interstate does not offer many options.  Recently, thanks to a friend’s suggestion, I realized I could make these drinks at home. A vegan homemade mocha espresso frozen blended drink is the perfect pick me up on a lazy, hot afternoon and as easy to make as a smoothie.

Homemade Mocha Espresso Frozen Blended Drink

Place in blender:

If you are a vegan and want to build up your protein intake here is a guide to grains, beans, nuts, and veggies that will help. Remember to seek out local and organic whenever possible.

 Grains and beans are a truly remarkable way to add protein to a meat and dairy free diet. Quinoa (pictured in a field above) has nine grams of protein. Tempeh is a vegan food that has 41 grams of protein in a cup. Sometimes it is made from cultured organic soybeans, water, organic barley, organic brown rice, and organic millet, like this lightlife tempeh. Here are more grain facts:

• Quinoa (shown growing in the image above) has 9 grams of protein
• Bulgur, cooked into cup has 6
• Brown rice, cooked into a cup has 5

Sunflower seeds make great additions to salads. 1/4 cup of sunflower seeds (pictured below) has six grams of protein.

Do you ever have an insatiable craving for a delicious, summery burger — but don’t want the autolyzed yeast extract and soy protein isolates contained in many commercial veggie patties? There’s no need to go without!  You can make your own grain-free version using just a handful of healthy ingredients. Organic french lentils and fresh portobello mushrooms combine to make a nutritious, mouthwatering vegan burger.

It’s been hovering in the upper 90s here in Atlanta, and weather like this makes me crave ice cream like no other. This year, I’m on the hunt for my favorite vegan ice cream! The plan is to try new pints each week and share my findings right here. I know, it’s a tough life I’ve got.

OK, confession: We had a strange temperature drop over the weekend, but I remained dedicated to my quest. This is in the name of science, after all!

I got adventurous this week and picked up a pint of organic, gluten free Banana Fudge ice cream from Good Karma. Like the Purely Decadent last week, this one is not soy-based, but it isn’t soy free, either.

On Monday night the Lady Rogue Business Network, local underground supperclub Rogue Apron’s business-oriented spin-off, hosted a Bring Your Own Pint Ice Cream Social. What better opportunity to try out a new ice cream and see what other folks thought?