Vegan Dude Foods Potato Chips

I'm on the Vegan Essentials newsletter list, so every month, I get emails highlighting hot new vegan products that I'd previously never heard of (but suddenly can't live without). My dad also gets these emails since he's the best dad ever and often places just-because gift orders for vegan care packages for me!

A few weeks ago, Vegan Essentials showcased some new chips in their email by Vegan Dude Foods. They come in Cheddar & Sour Cream, Cheese Pizza, and Pyro Hot. Now I've LONG been saying somebody needed to come up with a vegan sour cream and cheddar chip. A few years ago, Earth Balance released their Sour Cream & Onion chips (filling a very large chip-sized hole in my heart). But cheddar and sour cream was still missing from my life.

Well no more! My awesome dad took a hint from me when I forwarded him the email newsletter with the note "man, those chips sound good!" A chip lover himself, my dad understood my longing and immediately placed an order for me. Isn't he the best?!

Turns out, those chips were GOOD. So good that I'd say they're the best chips I've ever had. Each chip is bursting with flavor, and they taste just like the classic junk food chips of childhood (not some healthy chip purporting to be junky — as so often happens with vegan chips).

The seasonings vary depending on the flavor, but all contain nooch. I'm pretty sure that's what makes them extra delicious. My fave was, of course, the Cheddar & Sour Cream flavor, but Cheese Pizza (it really did taste like cheese pizza!) was a close second. Pyro Hot were awesome too, but they were only mildly spicy (which is good because too many spicy chips make my nose run — not a good look when eating lunch at the office).

Vegan Dude Foods also makes Damn Good Ham and Premium Pepperoni vegan meat products. I haven't tried them yet, but I'd like too soon! You can find the chips online at Vegan Essentials or in-store at Food Fight, Rabbit Food, and Vegan Haven (if you're lucky enough to live in Portland, Austin, or Seattle!).

Vegan Meal at Kayne Prime

On Saturday night, Paul and I had a date night in Nashville at a — gasp! — steakhouse. Now I know what you're thinking. But Paul still eats meat, and he ran a half-marathon that morning so it was his day to celebrate. Plus, he had a gift card to pay for the meal.

The place was Kayne Prime, which happens to be one of the most acclaimed steakhouses in Nashville, and it's is SUPER fancy. Like so fancy that we felt a little out of place, even though we were all dressed up.

Paul won the gift card at work, and he had a selection of several steakhouses to choose from. But he picked Kayne Prime specifically because he'd read they had vegan options for me. After perusing their menu, I gave my approval, and he made a reservation.

We arrived a little too early though, so we had a beers at the bar while we waited. After we were seated, I opted for a cocktail since the place made me feel fancy. I find most cocktails are too sweet for me, so I typically opt for beer or wine. But when in a fancy restaurant ...

I ordered a Ginger Spice Cocktail with Ketel One Vodka, St-Germaine, grapefruit, lemon, and ginger because it didn't sound too sweet. But when it arrived, it was pretty darn sweet. Tasty but no way I could drink more than one. Probably should have gone with a dirty martini. Oh well.

We ordered some Kennebec Fries with truffle oil to share as an app. OMG. This was seriously my favorite part of the meal. These just look like ordinary fries, but they were saturated with truffle oil. I find truffle fries are usually lacking in truffle flavor (probably because it's pricy and people tend to use it sparingly). But I love that truffle flavor, and I like it to be strong. We devoured every last one of these.

Somehow, I still had a little room for my entree — Cauliflower Steak!!

Yes, even a vegan can get a steak at a steakhouse! This grilled cauliflower steak was slightly caramelized and filled with flavor. I'm not sure what all the sauces were, but I asked about the white one to make sure it was vegan. They said it was almond cream. I'm guessing the others were cilantro chutney, curry sauce, and maybe a beet ketchup? Regardless, they all tasted delicious.

We had a great experience at Kayne Prime, and I'm so grateful for amazing vegan options!

Vegan Eats in Nashville!

I spent the weekend in Nashville, where my partner Paul works (and lives part-time). He was running the Hendersonville Half Marathon (his first half!), so I wanted to be there to support him. Also, my friend Cassi needed a ride to Nashville because she was performing in a burlesque show there. She hitched a ride over with me on Friday afternoon.

While we were on the road, Cassi mentioned that she'd like to try White Castle's new Impossible Slider. We don't have White Castle in Memphis (it's a Krystal town), but Nashville has a few. So we looked up the one closest to where she was staying, and I put it in my GPS. This was our first stop off the interstate! Bianca and Cassi go to White Castle!!!

I ordered a couple sliders (no cheese) to save for lunch the next day! I heated these up in a skillet at Paul's parents' house and enjoyed with a salad from the Kroger salad bar. Loved them so much that we stopped back at White Castle on the way out of town Monday morning for brunch. Memphis REALLY needs a White Castle. How cool to get a vegan burger at a fast food joint!

After I dropped Cassi off in East Nashville, I headed to Hendersonville to meet up with Paul. Then we grabbed his friend Collin and headed to The Southern V for dinner. This is my favorite restaurant in Nashville! Vegan soul food, yes please. I got the Chicken Fried Chick'n with Mac & Cheese and Green Beans. Mmmmmm.

The next morning, Paul ran his half (and KILLED IT!). So proud of him. 

My lunch was those leftover White Castle sliders, enjoyed while Paul got cleaned up from his run. Then we headed downtown to check into our hotel. We had dinner reservations for a fancy place that I'll dedicate a whole post to tomorrow night. So check back for that!

Let's skip ahead to Sunday. We went to the all-vegan Graze for brunch — our usual spot. They have $5 Bloody Marys on Sundays, so we'll never miss that when I'm in town. 

I ordered the Loaded Potatoes — roasted taters with cashew cheese, sour cream, seitan chorizo (locally made from The BE-Hive in Nashville), and guacamole. These were super good and so filling. 

I was stuffed from brunch, but there was no way I was leaving East Nashville without a vegan doughnut from Five Daughters Bakery (conveniently located around the corner from Graze). I opted for a Maple Glazed Doughnut. Yeasted perfection. Tasted like pancakes.

Dinner on Sunday was Paul's leftovers from The Southern V. He was being a picky eater Friday night since he had the pre-race jitters, so he didn't finish his chicken fried chick'n. I gladly finished it off later in the weekend!

I'll be back tomorrow with a recap of Saturday's date night dinner.

Explore Cuisine: Pasta Primavera Marinara

Quick note: This is a sponsored post, thanks to my friends at Explore Cuisine — makers of organic protein-packed pastas made from beans, lentils, rice and peas. I don’t do a lot of sponsored posts, generally opting instead for more objective review posts where I can say whatever I want. But when I do agree to work with a company on a sponsored post, you can trust that it’s a company I REALLY believe and support. #UseYourNoodle

Time is precious, especially these days when I’m running from work to yoga and then trying to scarf down dinner and be in bed by 9:30 pm. Since I’m still recovering from a stress fracture in my left foot, I’ve traded in my morning runs for spinning classes at the gym. And they all start at 5:30 am! So I’m getting up at 4:30 these days.

All that is to say, I like a quick meal. And sure, I could just heat up a frozen veggie burger and throw some potatoes in the air fryer and have dinner on the table in 15 minutes. Sometimes, that’s exactly what I do. But lately, I’ve been trying to focus on getting more veggies into my diet, so a quick meal that’s also filled with nutrition is a bonus.

So that’s the focus with today’s Explore Cuisine recipe post. I used their Edamame Spaghetti to create a fast and easy Pasta Primavera Marinara. And I didn’t even have to include any traditional protein source, like beans or tempeh, because the protein is IN THE PASTA! Explore Cuisine’s Edamame Spaghetti is packed with 24 grams of protein per serving. And there’s just one ingredient: edamame. This is definitely the smarter way to pasta!

As for texture, the pasta is just a little softer than a whole wheat noodle, but it still has a firm al dente bite. And I actually prefer its texture over traditional pastas. Topped with sauteed veggies and jarred marinara, this made a perfect, simple dinner.

One quick tip: I pre-chopped my veggies the night before and placed them in the fridge. That meant my dinner came together in minutes! You can also save time by purchasing a frozen Italian vegetable mix. I’d recommend using about 4-5 cups of frozen, mixed veggies for this meal if you’re going that route.

Without further ado, here’s the recipe!

Pasta Primavera Marinara

Yields 3-4 servings

1 box Explore Cuisine Edamame Spaghetti

1/2 red onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup baby carrots, cut in half horizontally

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 zucchini, sliced and quartered

1 cup broccoli florets

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. dried basil

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 cup cherry tomatoes

2 cups jarred marinara (any flavor)

Vegan parmesan, to taste (optional)

Cook the spaghetti according to package instructions. Set aside.

Simmer the marinara in a saucepan, until heated through, while the veggies cook (instructions follow). 

Add the onion, garlic, and carrot to a large skillet. Add just enough water to coat the pan. Heat on medium heat for 5 minutes or until onion becomes tender. Add a few splashes of water if it begins to dry up.

Add the remaining veggies (except tomatoes), herbs, and spices. Saute for 10 more minutes or until all veggies are tender. Add the tomatoes, and saute another 3 minutes or until they begin to blister. You may need to check periodically for water and add more as needed. In the end, the veggies should be soft and the water absorbed. You don’t need much water, just a few tablespoons to keep the pan wet. 

Once the veggies are done, create your pasta bowl by layering noodles, the desired amount of marinara, and as many sauteed veggies as you want. Top with vegan parm if desired.

Nasoya Vegan Dumplings

Nasoysa — makers of my favorite tofu! — sent me a few free packages of their vegan dumplings to review. Few things make me happier than tofu and veggies stuffed into tender dumpling dough, so I was more than happy to oblige.

There are two varieties — Tofu Vegetable Dumplings and Thai Basil Dumplings. Each package contains about two and half servings (one serving is five dumplings).

If you've ever made fresh dumplings, you know what a pain it is to stuff and fold and cinch the ends OVER and OVER and OVER. I'd much rather have that process done for me, so Nasoya makes it easy. These are ready to fry or boil — your preference.

I tried these several ways. My favorite method, used on these Thai Basil Dumplings, was frying, of course. I used non-stick cooking spray instead of oil though because I didn't want them to be super-fatty. Since I've cut back on oil, I've found I can be pretty sensitive to too much.

These soft pillows are stuffed with tofu, peas, carrots, onion, bell pepper, and Thai basil. I'm not a huge fan of large amounts of Thai basil, but there's just a little in these so it's not at all overpowering. I served these with a bottled peanut-coconut satay sauce, and it was just perfect.

I boiled the Tofu Vegetable Dumplings, which are stuffed with tofu, breadcrumbs, mushrooms, onion, and carrot. The taste is pretty similar in both, but the mushrooms give this a little different boost of flavor. I served these with a teriyaki soy dipping sauce made with soy, teriyaki sauce, sesame seeds, water, and garlic powder. I had a green bean and tofu stir-fry on the side for a well-rounded, delicious meal.

One day, when I had to bring my lunch to work, I tried microwaving these and the texture, while a little chewier, wasn't that bad! I wouldn't recommend preparing them that way, but in a pinch, it works.

You definitely need these Nasoya dumplings in your life.

My First Trader Joe's Haul

Okay, that title is deceptive. I've been to Trader Joe's plenty of times and have had many a haul. But always from a Trader Joe's in another city.  Now, after YEARS of stops and starts, our Trader Joe's store in Memphis is FINALLY OPEN. It's an autumn miracle!

Technically, Trader Joe's is located in Germantown, Tennessee, which is a small suburban town on the outskirts of Memphis. But it's close enough that Memphis is claiming it. Now, I can get to TJ's in 30 minutes versus the 3.5 hours that it took to drive to the store in Nashville.

Cassi and I went on opening night — last Friday, September 14 — and it was INSANE. Parking was a challenge, and maneuvering through the crowded store was even more challenging. People and carts were bumping into each other. Items were selling out. Registers were breaking down. It was a madhouse, but it was so worth the hassle.

I plan to start posting my TJ's hauls (inspired by my favorite posts from Long Island Vegan). Unfortunately, I didn't think of that until I'd already eaten a few things — TJ's Baked Tofu and TJ's Firm Tofu. So those are missing from my pics. But here is everything else — Daily Bread Sprouted Whole Grain Bread, Organic Charles Shaw Pinot Noir (!!!! $5 buck chuck!!!!!!), Soy Creamer, Sriracha, Soy Sauce, ABC (almond butter cocoa) Bars, Tempeh, and Mouth Wash.

Some of this was stuff I needed anyway (like the tempeh and mouth wash), and other products are among my TJ's faves — the wine and sriracha. The ABC Bars are new this month, and they're awesome. Even better than Clif Nut Butter-Filled Bars!

I did not get my Vitamix at TJ's, but it made a cameo in the above pic. :-)

I also got this stuff — Strawberry Raspberry Oats, Tart Cherry Chia & Pumpkin Seed Oats, Coconut Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate, and Apple Cider hand soap.

I'm traveling this weekend, so the oat cups and coffee are going with me. And that hand soap smells like fall!

I am soooooo excited to have TJ's in the area! What are your fave TJ's products? I need some ideas for what to buy next time!

Pizza & Oatmeal & Tater Skins!

This past Saturday was our annual Cooper Young Festival, a massive arts/crafts/music fest in Midtown's Cooper Young neighborhood. Megan, Cassi, and I rented Bird scooters and scooted there since parking cars during CY Fest is always a nightmare. After walking around the fest for a couple hours, we were pretty hungry. So we grabbed Vegan Cheese Pizza Slices to go from Imagine Vegan Cafe (which is located smack in the heart of Cooper Young). Slices were just $3, and so were the beers (I got a Crosstown Brewing Traffic IPA).

Later that night, I joined my friend Misti for her birthday dinner at Midtown Crossing Grill. I hadn't eaten anything since that slice and was famished. These Vegan Potato Skins with mushrooms, Daiya, and arugula hit the spot.

This morning, I had a Dave's Bagels Whole Wheat Bagel with Miyoko's Creamery Plainly Vegan Cream Cheese & Hot Pepper Peach Jam. HIT THE SPOT, y'all.

I ate my lunch out on the second floor patio at Crosstown Concourse again today. Had a Hummus & Roasted Veggie Sandwich with roasted eggplant, bell pepper, tomato, baby spinach, and roasted garlic hummus. Plus, some more Vegan Dude potato chips (cheese pizza flavor today!).

Been eating lots of oats lately! One of my oat bowls last week had fresh plums, maple syrup, unsweetened almond butter powder (mixed in) and sunflower butter (on top).

Yesterday, I had oats with frozen berries (cooked in), maple, and peanut butter. Tasted like a PB&J!

Tacos & Sandwiches & Pizza!

New Wing Order –  a new Memphis food truck specializing in hot wings — also offers something for vegans! Yay! They have Fried Avocado Tacos with vegan sriracha aioli and pineapple slaw, and they are to die for. They're even marked VEGAN on the menu, which I think is super-rad because it's really nice that they offer something for everyone. I was invited to their VIP truck opening last Friday night at Memphis Made Brewing Co., so I got a couple tacos (and washed down with Memphis Made Huggy Bear Brown Ale).

I have a busy week ahead, so I brought my lunch to work instead of heading home for lunch (I live about 5 minutes from my office, so I typically lunch at home). I had planned to work through lunch and nibble at my desk, but it was just too nice of a day for that.

So I took a quick break outside and read Rich Roll's Finding Ultra while I enjoyed a Mustard Baked Tofu Sandwich (with Trader Joe's baked tofu, sauteed spinach & shallots, sliced tomato, and maple-dijon mustard) from The Vegan Reset Cookbook, along with a side of the BEST EVER CHIPS. These Vegan Cheddar & Sour Cream Chips are made by Vegan Dude Foods, and they taste just like the sour cream & cheddar chips of my youth. My dad ordered these from Vegan Essentials. So good! Full review (with more flavors) coming soon.

My life hasn't been all fried food and chips though. I did have this Mint To Be Green Smoothie from I Love Juice Bar at Crosstown Concourse one day last week before an evening yoga class. Mint, pineapple, mango, coconut milk, and apple juice. Yum!

Here's a Saturday morning ramen bowl! With Soy Curls, peas, carrots, and corn. The noodles are Koyo Tofu Miso. LOVE!

Bluff City Vegan Eats: Crosstown Arts Cafe

The long-awaited plant-based cafe at Crosstown Arts — where I work — is NOW OPEN! I can literally open my office door, walk about 30 steps, and find myself at the adorable retro teal green counter where one of our lovely cafe staff is waiting to take my order. We call it plant-based, but there are a couple vegetarian items (with eggs or cheese). I'd say 95 percent of the menu is vegan. Plus, there are daily pastries (generally always vegan!), coffee drinks (with numerous plant milk options), and beer/wine.

Just take a look at these pastries (all vegan!) and a fancy macchiato from our baristas.

And a few inside-the-cafe shots.

I'd say this is probably the greatest thing that's happened to me all year. And it's great for Memphis because our cafe is offering whole foods-based, scratch-made, mostly vegan meals in large portions with accessible prices. You really can't beat that. Full disclosure: As the communications coordinator at Crosstown Arts, it's my job to talk up the place. But I promise I'd be just as excited about this cafe if I didn't work here.

The cafe is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Tuesday-Friday from 8 am-7 pm, and on Saturdays, 10 am-4 pm for brunch (hours will be expanding soon). The cafe feeds both our resident artists (who come to Crosstown Arts from across the world) and the general public, making it a unique meeting space for artists to intersect with the greater Memphis community.

Chef Raymond and his crew are putting out some amazing dishes! My very favorite thing is the Chicken Fried Tofu over grits and greens. Chef has actually changed the cut of the tofu in later versions of this dish to be triangle-shaped, but this is the only pic I have for now. I could eat this every day.

The Thai Green Curry Bowl has a citrusy-coconut milk base with brown rice, veggies, and chunks of tempeh. The enoki mushrooms on top really step it up!

We have an in-house baker, Ali, who makes all of our breads and pastries, and she even bakes fresh buns for the Vegetable Burger (black beans/mushrooms/beets). Served here with crispy Home Fries. 

She also makes the marbled rye for the Seitan Pastrami Sandwich, which features Raymond's house-made seitan. It's thinly sliced and seasoned. So good you'd think this came from a vegan butcher shop! Served with Creole coleslaw and pickles. On the side, I had the Green Salad with baby greens, apple, radish, sunflower seeds, and the best-ever rice wine vinaigrette.

The Curry Tofu Salad is my second fave menu item (after the chicken fried tofu). Here's an older pic when Raymond was testing it as a sandwich. It was delicious but messy, so it's now offered atop a salad. Either way, it's to die for — curry mayo, chunky baked tofu, grapes, onion, celery, and spices. I'm craving it just thinking about it.

There's a Fried Chickpeas dish on the snacks menu that is absolutely addictive. These peas are fried with sage and seasoned with lemon and spices. I highly recommend grabbing an order to share with a friend! You can also order a smaller side dish of these with your sandwich.

The pastries and coffee drinks are offered all day, so every morning, on my way into the office, I'm forced to walk past pastries like this, Vegan Cream Cheese Danish (which Alli made with cultured cashew cream!!). Some days, I'm able to fight the urge. Other days, I give in, but I try to at least split my goods with my vegan co-worker/food buddy Madelyn.

It's also pretty amazing having a coffee bar right outside my office. They make the best oat milk lattes (soy and almond are also available, but oat is my fave!).

I've not yet tried the breakfast menu, but it includes a vegan yogurt & granola bowl that I can't wait to try. And I've yet to stop in on a Saturday for brunch but soon.

In addition to the regular menu items, the cafe also offers daily specials, so be sure to look out for those. 

In case you're wondering what we do here at Crosstown Arts, we have art galleries, a cafe and bar (I'll share more on the bar on the blog soon), a music venue, a 425-seat black-box theater, and an artist residency program. Here's a little background from our vision statement:

Crosstown Arts is a contemporary arts organization dedicated to further cultivating the creative community in Memphis. 

We provide resources and create opportunities and experiences to inspire, support, and connect a diverse range of creative people, projects, and audiences. 

The spaces and programs we manage integrate varying components of exhibition, performance, production, education, and retail. We welcome anyone in the community to join any of our events or projects, regardless of prior experience or expertise with creative interests.

Crosstown Arts Cafe is located in Crosstown Concourse, 1350 Concourse Ave., Suite 280. Check out the menu here.

Vegan Reset Cookbook

Y'all know I LOVE a good reset! Every January, I spent 3-4 weeks on some healthy eating plan, usually with mostly whole foods and very little processed food. Sometimes low sugar or low salt. Other times, no alcohol (but in recent years, I've stopped trying to give that up because that's just a tad too far for me!).

I'm probably embarking on a mini-reset soon, perhaps in late September. Working now on what that looks like. But I won't do a full-on 28 days until January because the fall and winter holidays are too hard to work around. But I do know EXACTLY what book I'll be turning to come January 1.

Vegan Reset: The 28-Day Plan to Kickstart Your Healthy Lifestyle by Kim Julie-Hansen just hit stands and is a gorgeous meal plan with tips on meditation, journaling, and exercise. It's a perfect program all wrapped up into one easy package!

I'll get into the nuts and bolt later in this post, but I wanted to show you a couple dishes I made from the book so far. I skipped ahead past the meal plan recipes to the Additional Recipes section to find this Sweet Potato Mac & Cheese Sauce, which I served over whole wheat elbow pasta.

This whole foods-based cheese is soooooooo creamy, and it's made from real plants, like sweet potatoes, cashews, bell pepper, garlic, nooch, and spices. I've read about squash or potato-based cheese sauces (this recipe gives you the option of sweet potato, butternut squash, or white potato) before, but I've never tried one. It blew me away how creamy and tasty this was!

On the side, I picked a recipe from Day 8 on the meal plan — Avocado Kale Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette. This simple salad is massaged with the vinaigrette and avocado, and it's flecked with raisins and sunflower seeds. It's supposed to be lunch (all of it!) on Day 8, but you'd be eating a much bigger portion. I had this small amount on the side.

Here's a meal shot! Such a great combo!

Vegan Reset opens with tips on movement, deep breathing techniques, journaling, and meditation. The author goes into why resets are important and busts myths about "detoxing" (which your body does just fine on its own, thank you!).

The meal plan is divided into four weeks, and each has a shopping list with everything you need for the week. Each day is prefaced with a prep section so you know what you need to do the night before. As a serious meal planner, this makes me SO HAPPY.

Meals are simple and whole. For example, Day 1 prescribes a Raspberry Peanut Butter Shake for breakfast, Purple Cabbage Boats with Peanut Tofu for lunch, Watermelon & Pear for snacks, and Loaded Sweet Potatoes for dinner. Day 2 starts with Watermelon & Orange Slices for breakfast, a Sweet Potato Bowl for lunch, Fruit & Peanut Butter for a snack, and Chickpea Cabbage Boats for dinner.

The recipes don't repeat, which concerned me a little as one who can't afford to cook every meal from scratch every day (I live on leftovers), but I noticed that most of the ingredients you buy are used for multiple meals (see the above cabbage and chickpea boats for an example). So I think that would make this plan affordable.

After the 28 days, she includes tips on staying vegan (for newbies) with recipes for homemade skincare products and other lifestyle tips. And then in the back of the book, you'll find non-reset recipes (like this mac & cheese) that would be great for continuing with healthy eating goals after the plan is over.

You'll definitely be seeing this book again (A LOT) on this blog in January. And hey, if anyone wants to do the plan with me, let me know! We can do a virtual reset together!

Pizza & Pie & Bowls! Oh My!

This past Friday, I drove home to Jonesboro, Arkansas to visit my parents, and my mom picked up takeout pizza from Uncle Maddio's. She got me a Tofu & Veggie Pizza with vegan mozz, mushrooms, red onion, bell pepper, spinach, and extra olives. YUM.

After dinner, she thawed out a frozen Peanut Butter Pie that she'd made a week or so earlier. This pie is my dad and my fave! It has vegan cream cheese and PB, plus a graham crust and chocolate ganache.

Her cookie jar was almost empty, but I spied a few Vegan Shortbread Cookies (decorated like sewing supplies) from Jonesboro's vegan baker Kind Confections. She ordered them awhile back, but they keep for a long time. I snagged a few and took them home with me. Enjoyed the next day with a cold glass of almond milk.

Here's my Saturday morning Ramen Noodle Bowl this week. This one has Soy Curls, Koyo Mushroom Ramen, peas, carrots, and corn. I always use frozen veggies for my ramen because it's super-fast. And ramen should be super-fast.

Pam and Megan came over Sunday night to celebrate the New Moon. We set intentions and did some Tarot readings. But first, we snacked on cashew cheese and crackers, hummus & veggies, popcorn, vegan s'mores, and watermelon. Somehow, I only managed to get a pic of Pam's homemade cashew cheddar. It was amazing!! We had it with hot pepper peach jelly on crackers.

I've been all about bowls lately. I got this idea for a Bean/Grain/Green Bowl with salsa and hummus on top from The No Meat Athlete Cookbook. The grain is brown rice, the bean is pinto, and the green is spinach. Plus, I added some air-fried squash. There's a great section in that book with all sorts of topping suggestions for bowls!

Here's another bowl — a Soy Curl & Broccoli Stir-Fry over quinoa. I used 365 teriyaki sauce, sesame oil, and sesame seed for flavor.

And finally, my breakfasts this week have been Savory Oats from The No Meat Athlete Cookbook. SO GOOD. Oats with carrot & spinach, seasoned with nooch and salsa, and topped with avocado and toasted pumpkin seeds.