The Impossible Burger Comes to Memphis!

We finally have the Impossible Burger in Memphis! And I had a chance to try it out Friday night. The Liquor Store — a hip, diner/cocktail bar located in an old converted liquor store in the Broad Avenue Arts District — recently added the Impossible Burger to their menu! It's not a totally vegan restaurant, but they're super-vegan friendly, and I could not be happier that they're serving this burger.

This burger was EVERYTHING it's cracked up to be. It seriously tasted just like the beef burgers I remember, even more on-point than the Beyond Meat Beyond Burger (which I also love). The patty is thinner, and the Liquor Store cooks it up diner-style so it's pressed flat and cooked all the way through.

This burger contains heme, an iron-containing molecule found in plants and animals, and that's what's responsible for the red, bloody burger look when the Impossible Burger is prepared rare. But the Liquor Store serves them well-done. I'd still love to try a rare version, but honestly, when I did eat meat as a kid, I always preferred everything to be well-done and a bit crispy on the outside. The Liquor Store's preparation captures that perfectly!

It's served on a vegan bun with vegan cheddar (pretty sure it's Daiya) with thinly sliced dill pickles and red onions, iceberg, and tomato slices. On the side is a generous portion of fries. The only thing that could have made this meal any more magical would have been a vegan vanilla milkshake. But they don't have those, so I had a Crowd Control IPA instead.

I've blogged about the Liquor Store before (you can read that here) and their amazing Cuban Platter with black beans, yellow rice, and perfectly crisp plantain chips. Love that they have options!

And they even have vegan dessert! They keep fresh desserts on the bar counter, and I spotted this last Vegan Danish and had to have it. It was just lightly sweet with a raspberry jam and slivered almonds. I took this to go and enjoyed it before my Saturday morning bootcamp class at the gym.

New Ben & Jerry's Vegan Flavors!

Ben & Jerry's has DONE IT AGAIN! They've released two new non-dairy flavors, and I was thrilled to be sent a couple pints for review!!

I've had a lot of vegan ice cream in my day, and let me tell ya — Ben & Jerry's makes the best. It's delightfully creamy, and it doesn't even try to masquerade as health food. Ice cream is a treat, and it should taste like one. Fat and calories be damned! Also, I just so happen to prefer chunky over creamy, so all the flavorful bits and bites in the B&J's ice creams delight me.

The new flavors blew me away! There's Cinnamon Buns and Peanut Butter Half-Baked.

Out of the two, Cinnamon Buns is my fave since I'm always one to choose a vanilla base over a chocolate base. The ice cream is cinnamon flavored with chunks of cinnamon bun dough and a cinnamon streusel swirl. The bun dough is soft and sweet and chewy, and the streusel adds a bit more chunky sugar texture. This is like eating a cinnamon roll topped with ice cream.

The Peanut Butter Half-Baked is great too though! And if you're a chocolate ice cream fan, you'll no doubt love this one the most. Chocolate and peanut butter ice creams are swirled together (!!!!) and mixed with fudge brownie chunks and gobs of peanut butter cookie dough. YES! Those PB cookie dough gobs are pretty special. I found three big ones in my bowl today, and I savored those bites for last.

I can't recommend these flavors highly enough! Out of all the vegan B&J's flavors I've tried, Cinnamon Buns may be my very top fave (right after PB & Cookies!). That said, I still haven't gotten my hands on a couple of flavors — Coconut Seven Layer Bar and Caramel Almond Brittle. I've seen the coconut one in stores here but only ever when I've already got a freezer full of ice cream and can't justify buying more. And I've never seen Caramel Almond Brittle in Memphis, though I'm sure it's around here somewhere (probably at the East Memphis Ben & Jerry's scoop shop — they tend to have all the flavors).

More Stuff I Ate

Here are a few meals I've been enjoying over the past couple weeks. I've been doing a LOT of dining out, probably because I ate at home so often during all of January. One day, after a lunch time yoga class at the Church Health YMCA in Crosstown Concourse, I stopped at Juice Bar before walking back to my office. I got the Salad Rolls with Peanut Sauce and the Raw Pad Thai Noodles (my fave thing they serve). They're made with sweet potato noodles.

I also had to try Mama Gaia's new Vegetarian Meatball Pita one day for lunch. I'm sooooo lucky to work in a building filled with vegan-friendly restaurants! This has Mama Gaia's homemade veggie burger meatballs, marinara, and your choice of vegan or dairy mozz. Of course, I opted for the vegan cheese. Btw, this pic came from Mama Gaia! My pic was of a takeout pita that wasn't as pretty since it had been wrapped up.

Another fun meal out — Vegan Vegetable Pizza at Midtown Crossing (my fave neighborhood pizza joint). This had vegan cheese, mushrooms, bell pepper, black olives, and baby spinach.

Last Saturday, I picked up some Carrots in Blankets from Don at Lulu's Baked at the Cooper-Young Farmer's Market. He'd made a bunch to sell for SuperBowl weekend. The croissant is made with his homemade bread dough. Perfection! I dipped these in a homemade bee-free honee-mustard sauce.

Don also happens to make the world's best cookies, so I grabbed a couple of Chocolate Chip Cookies from him. I gave Paul one, and I had the other with a nice, cold glass of almond milk.

I had a bunch of Lacy's Slow Cooker Red Sauce leftover after Reclaim & Revolt, so I froze it in small portions. Had some one day last week over blanched zoodles with chickpeas and nooch. Sorry for the terrible pic, but it was dark outside, and I was too lazy to haul out my lightbox.

On the final day of R&R, Hannae shared a mocktail recipe that I just had to try! Finally made it a couple days ago and packed it in my lunch bag for a work day snack. This has fresh-juiced oranges, ginger, carrots, and lime, plus a splash of nettles infusion, a few drops of flower essence, and sparkling water. Felt very fancy!

And finally, here was my lunch today! I had some leftover Black Bean Layer Dip from The Simply Vegan Cookbook, which I made for SuperBowl Sunday. In the cookbook, Dustin recommends having leftovers as a burritos. And I'm always looking for an excuse to make a burrito. The dip has black beans, avocado, sour cream, salsa, and lettuce. I added some pickled jalapenos and black olives too.

Stuff I Ate

Hey! It's been awhile — over a month — since I've done one of these Stuff I Ate posts! So I've got some pics from meals I had in December (before January's Reclaim & Revolt) and a few from the past few days (just following the end of R&R). So I'll divide this into two posts!

Going WAY back, here's a Kale Salad and Sweet Potato Fries from Farm Burger in Crosstown Concourse. My parents and I grabbed dinner from there just after Christmas, when they were in town to install some new blinds in my dining room.

And here's a slice of my BFF Sheridan's famous Zucchini Bread, which she gifts to me every year. I LOVE her zucchini bread. It stays so moist and fresh for days. I finished off my loaf a few days after Christmas.

Random clean-out-the-fridge meal before R&R started. I had some Daiya cheddar that needed using up and some Sweet Earth bacon, so I put the cheese on a burrito and had the bacon as a side dish.

Here's some super-amazing Sweet Potato Sesame Focaccia Bread from Lulu's Baked at the Cooper-Young Farmer's Market. My friend Don always has some fun savory bread treats, and this was one of my top faves.

My last meal before R&R started — the Philly Cheezesteak and Onion Rings at Imagine Vegan Cafe. Imagine is temporarily closed while they have work done on their piping, and man, I miss that place! It'll be back soon, but the work is taking longer than expected. Sigh.

And here's a post-R&R meal — quiona, black beans, sweet potato, homemade kraut, baby spinach, and tahini.

And a post-R&R sandwich with Lightlife Chickpea & Red Pepper Deli Slices. Plus, some leftover Moroccan Veggie Stew (one of Lacy's recipes that I had leftover after Reclaim & Revolt ended).

Okay, more recent pics are coming tomorrow!

The Simply Vegan Cookbook

Back in 2015, I had the pleasure of appearing as a special guest on Dustin Harder's (aka The Vegan Roadie) YouTube show, OMG! That's Vegan?! He was passing through Memphis on his travels and invited me to his Air B&B, where we filmed an episode featuring my Tofu Deviled Eggy Bites recipe from Cookin' Crunk. 

Dustin was so nice! And fun! And he's been at it ever since, creating episodes of his highly successful travel show, The Vegan Roadie, and working on his new cookbook — The Simply Vegan Cookbook — which launches Tuesday, Feb. 6th. Dustin sent me an advance e-book copy for review, and that's what I used to create my spread for last night's SuperBowl. His book is filled with main courses, sides, breakfasts, and desserts. But there are plenty of party foods too.

Buffalo flavors are crucial for game night, and I'm still trying to balance junk foods with super-healthy dishes following my January reset. So these Buffalo Chickpea Zucchini Boats were perfect! The zucchini is hollowed out and stuffed with spicy buffalo chickpeas and baby spinach, and then it's all baked in the oven. I drizzled the dish with Dustin's Unhidden Valley Ranch Dressing — a simple, creamy cashew ranch.

Dip is also crucial, and he has several dip recipes in the book. In true SuperBowl fashion, I opted to make the Black Bean Layer Dip with mashed black beans, mashed avocado, vegan sour cream mixed with taco seasoning, salsa, and shredded lettuce. I wish you could see all the layers in this pic! 

Here's my chip plate. The dip layers mixed together after scooping, but you can only imagine how delicious this dip is! By the way, that yellow dip wasn't from Dustin's book. It was a cashew beer cheese from Lulu's Baked, which I picked up Saturday at the Cooper-Young Community Farmer's Market. The chips, which were taco-seasoned and perfectly fried, are also locally made by Miracle Acres (and also procured from Saturday's market). They're soooooo good!

Bonus recipe! In the recipe for the zucchini boats, Dustin includes a tip recommending you save the scooped out zucchini flesh to make a yummy spread for toast. I had that this morning on a whole wheat bagel (locally made from Dave's Bagels). This spread is so good! It has lots of onion and garlic, and it's so soft and spreadable.

The Simply Vegan Cookbook is going to be a big hit! It's arranged in chapters based on ingredients, so there's a chapter for Greens, Beans, Lentils, Grains, Broccoli/Cauliflower, Root Veggies, Tofu, Squash, Avocado, and Mushrooms. Plus, there's a dessert chapter for Simple Sweets and one for Kitchen Staples (that's where you'll find the amazing ranch recipe). And as promised, the recipes are super-simple. Just a few ingredients and a few steps for each dish.

Other dishes I'll be making soon: Maple Bourbon Acorn Squash, Funfetti Pancakes, Drunken Mushroom Noodles, Avocado Breakfast Pizza, Baked Fries with Gravy, BBQ Hawaiian Tofu Bowl, and Sweet Potato Mac! 

Oh, and just in case you want to watch, here's that episode I guest-appeared on with Dustin!

Imbolc Eats!

Friday was Imbolc (also known as Candlemas) — the mid-way point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. It also happens to be Groundhog Day — no coincidence!

As I've said on this blog many, many times before, I despise winter. HATE IT. I don't like the cold. Sure, snow is pretty for a day or so, but down South, we're lucky to get one good snow per season. I don't like the dead plants, the layers, the coats. I'd much rather be in flip-flops, tees, and shorts. I'm happier with less clothing, thanks.

But winter is a fact of life, so I've no choice but to deal with it. That said, I count every day until spring, and when this mid-point comes at Imbolc, I know we're almost there. I never miss a chance to celebrate Imbolc. Traditionally, it's celebrated with dairy products since way back in the ancient times, fresh produce was scarce during winter yet the animals were still producing milk. But these days, we're smart enough to know that animal milk is meant for animal babies, not humans. So I celebrate Imbolc with non-dairy products.

This year, my main course was Baked Pumpkin Ziti with Caramelized Onions and Sage Crumb Topping from the Veganomicon.

This has whole wheat penne pasta, cashew ricotta, pureed pumpkin, caramelized onions, and whole wheat breadcrumbs with dried sage. I picked out the recipe from my new copy of the revised VCon, which I won from the Cadry's Kitchen blog. YAY!! The new edition has color pics for many of the recipes, and each recipe is on one page — rather than the old format of flowing recipes in columns over several pages. It's been so fun and nostalgic to look through the new version. I was just a baby vegan when the first edition came out, and it was such an important book for me.

On the side, I had a Salad with Vegan Ranch — from Daiya.

And for dessert, I had a Muddy's Bake Shop vegan Vanilla Cupcake. The white frosting symbolized snow for me and served as a reminder that, while spring is near, I should brace for a few more cold days.

Happy Almost Spring! And Happy SuperBowl Day! Paul and I are getting ready for the game (AKA the JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE CONCERT) now, and I'll be back with a review post tomorrow for a new cookbook that I'm using for my game night recipes.

Super Blue Blood Lunar Eclipse Moon Ladies' Night!

My friends Pam and Megan proposed we get together last night to celebrate the Super Blue Blood Lunar Eclipse Moon. It was such a magical moon! I hope y'all got a chance to go outside and see it right at dusk, when it was closest to the Earth and HUGE.

We met up at Pam's new apartment. Pam provided some ritual crafting supples. Megan and I supplied the wine and snacks. Here's our snack spread.

I took this as an opportunity to develop a new recipe using a review product and to make a recipe in a cookbook that was sent to me for review, so I'll save the close-up shots for those two review posts (coming soon!). But just so ya know, I made the Beet Hummus (served with pita chips and baby carrots) and some Pizza Pinwheels. More on each of those soon!

Megan brought Miyoko's Creamery Double Chive Cream Cheese & Water Crackers, plus some Chocolate Chip Cookies from Whole Foods. We each brought a bottle of red wine. It's been quite awhile since I've had Miyoko cheese, and it was sooooo good.

We had lots of great conversation, fueled by wine and snacks! The full moon is a great time to focus on fulfillment of goals and release of that which does not serve you, and we talked a lot about that stuff. We also spent plenty of time complaining about patriarchy and white, hetero-normative B.S. It felt very cleansing.

Pam had all the stuff we needed to create some full moon herbal tea and bath salts, which she instructed us to charge under the full moonlight over night. The Full Moon Tea is a blend of white peony, rosebuds, jasmine pearls, and cardamom pods. I had some this morning during my meditation time, and it was superb. Here's the recipe!

The Full Moon Bath Salts smell heavenly, and I can't wait to soak with them in the tub before bed tonight. This has Epsom salt, pink salt, lavender buds, baking soda, rose petals, rose oil, and almond oil. I don't have a recipe link for this, but I'd say we used about a cup of the Epsom, a 1/4 cup pink salt, 3-4 tbsp. lavender buds, 1/2 cup rose petals, 1 Tbsp. baking soda, 1 Tbsp. almond oil, and 3-4 drops of rose oil.

Such a lovely time! We're hoping to start getting together for regular new or full moons.