Cat Cookie - FAIL!

A couple weeks ago a good friend of mine asked if I would mind making a bunch of baked goods to use as props for a movie he was working on. Of course, I agreed because my friend is awesome. He wanted a dozen brownies, 2 dozen chocolate chip cookies, a dozen cinnamon rolls and a dozen cat shaped cookies. I thought, 'Sure, no problem'. I got through the majority of it just fine. That is, until I got to the cat cookies.

They looked like cats going in.... but looked more like elephants coming out. Maybe it was the wine, (that's what I'm going with) or maybe I just really suck at making cat cookies.

The moral of the story? Don't bake and drink. Or ever ask me to make you cat cookies.

East Bay Vegan Bakesale - Round deuce!

As most of you know, life is CRAZY for us right now. Between holding down a full time job, going to school, filling bakery orders, planning our wedding and marathon training, we barely have time to breathe! I told the hubs it was time to take a break from all the bakesale's and charity stuff for a minute. This beezy needs some SLEEP!

Then I saw this ADORABLE flyer. By far, the raddest one yet. LOVE the new logo!

The uber awesome ladies of Fat Bottom Bakery asked if we were interested in contributing and of course, I couldn't resist.

So.... it  looks like we'll be seeing  you at the next East Bay Vegan Bakesale in front of Issues on Saturday, March 20th!

EAST BAY REPRESENT! Ya heard?!

PETA Pack Bakesale!

As most of you know (from my repetitive Facebook and Twitter posts asking for your money), I've been training with the PETA Pack for the last couple of months in order to prepare for the Oakland Half Marathon in March.

Why am I running? To raise money to stop animal suffering fool!

This is my first attempt at a half marathon EVER. Last Sunday I managed to huff and puff my way through 10 freakin' miles and was feeling pretty good about life when I was done. Monday morning, that was a different story. I somehow jacked up my hip and I've been hobbling around like a 90 year old lady for the past week. No bueno.

Saturday, March 13th, the PETA Pack will be taking a break (THANKYOUGOD) to set up shop in front of the PETA office in Oakland and sell our baked goods. The proceeds will go to the investigations and rescue fund which means you can feel good about shoving all those cinnamon rolls in your mouth!

If supporting good causes and animals isn't your thing, at least come buy some baked goods out of pity for my 90 year old broken hip. Or even better... help me reach my fund-raising goal HERE. By donating directly, this entitles you to be 'loved forever' by me.

See you March 13th!

PETA cookie giveaway in the Castro!

Hells yes!

Nothing makes me more giddy than the folks who inhabit the Castro district. I've met some of the most flamboyant, fun, outgoing, amazingly charming people in the Castro then I have anywhere else in my life. And the thought and creativity that goes into some of the outfits I've seen passing through there?! Fuggetaboutit!

This Saturday night we're on a mission. To save some animals and feed you cookies!

Swing by (no pun intended) 18th & Castro around 8:30pm, say hello, and check out the goods!

SF Weekly's 'Artopia' event @ Project One!

A few weeks ago SF Weekly contacted us and asked if we'd like to participate in an event they were organizing called Artopia. The event was being held at Project One in SF and it's focus was on Bay Area art, music, film, fashion and culture and even awarded local artists with grants up to $2,500.

Ummmm.... hellooooo? Of COURSE we would like to participate! Who doesn't like culture? Pffht.

So, where would we fit in exactly? We would be feeding all the artsy-fartsy people! Art and food. What's not to like?

 

OK, so now for the flavors....

We decided to go with 200 samples of our signature rocky road, pumpkin spice and mocha almond rolls. Totally not because it had anything to do with art, but because it's what we had on hand. Cause we're hella prepared like that.

After 6 hours of slaving away in the kitchen, we were ready to box up our 200 samples and get our art on.

The first thing we saw when we walked through the door was this beautiful, massive piece of artwork. What can I say? I'm a sucker for glitter. And no, not in the Mariah Carey/stripper kinda way. It's hot though, right?

We set up shop at a table that had been reserved for us, watched the perfectly chiseled dancers (damn you beautiful people!) warm up for their routine, took advantage of the open bar, and waited for the event to start.

A few of the other vendors seated around us included 'Mission Minis' (our fellow competitors at the SF Food Wars cupcake competition) and Tallulah Wines. I have to admit, one of the most entertaining parts of the night was watching the offspring of the Mission Minis guy shove mini cupcakes into his mouth then run around all amped up on sugar and attempt to break dance all over the furniture. Good times.

Finally. It was 6 o'clock. The candles were lit, the doors opened, the DJ started spinning, and the people started filing in. By 8 o'clock the place was PACKED! Cinnamon rolls were flying off our table left and right! We met some super interesting people, we pointed and giggled at some ridiculous outfits and I think I even attempted to translate chinese at some point. Horribly, at best. The two hours we were there flew by!

By 8:30, we were officially tapped out. Then, just like that, it was sadly all over. 

Feeling pretty accomplished and slightly buzzed, we packed up our stuff, hung out and mingled for a bit, then reluctantly said our goodbye's.

The event was no doubt a huge success for everyone. Great people, sweet beats, amazing artwork - all of the above = a super bomb time in my book.

Huge thanks to Holly and SF Weekly for inviting us to be a part of the event. YOU GUYS ARE THE SHIZ. For more info on other dope stuff SF Weekly has coming up, check them out here.

Until next time San Francisco!

Planet Raw

Oh my, what to say about Planet Raw...

I had to go to my college bookstore to pick up a textbook for one of my classes today and much to my dismay, the campus was closed. Disgruntled, I gave in to the calling of my wallet and walked across the street to Planet Raw. Everyone and their mother had been asking me if I'd tried this place so I figured, why not? I'd heard many good things about it so far.


Planet Raw is an all-organic, all-vegan, gluten-free and raw restaurant located in my very own lovely little town - Pleasant Hill, CA.

Not to sound like a negative Nancy right off the bat or anything, but I'd been skeptical of this place for a few reasons. First of all, there was my damaging one and only experience at Cafe Gratitude with raw food. I felt like I was eating a dirt salad. Nasty. I'm still willing to give it another shot regardless. I just need some recovery time. Two, Planet Raw's website. While they are located in Pleasant Hill, the website says www.planetrawwalnutcreek.com. Huh? OooKkkk.... Call me a website snob, but I believe that marketing and advertising are very important when it comes to promoting your product. If a website looks sloppy, it gives me the impression that the food is going to be the same. Also, I was a bit confused by this picture (of the owners?) that's actually on the website and what it has to do with the food.

Thirdly, the appearance of the actual restaurant. It's located towards the back of a really old, run down looking shopping center across from a community college and seats about 15-20 people max. Not my idea of an ideal place for a unique restaurant. "Whatever", I told myself. It's just a building. Moving on...

I decided to place a quick to-go order, swing by the house, and drop some off for the hubs before I had to get back to work. I went with the Maki Roll Sushi (mock salmon walnut pumpkin pate in a nori roll with baby greens and spears of red bell, avocado and cucumber), the Cali Wrap, and the Bangkok Thai soup (a light coconut creamy blend of Thai herbs and spices over veggie shreds and shrooms). The server told me it would be about 3-5 minutes. Perfect, since I was in a hurry. To be honest, the ambiance was weirding me out a little so I stepped outside. I started feeling a little claustrophobic and wasn't really diggin' whatever crazy kinda music they had goin' on.  

10 minutes later, I paid for my goods and rushed out the door. $35 dollars?! I almost had a stroke! Instead, I sighed and crossed my fingers and hoped that it was worth it. Now don't get me wrong, I don't mind paying a little more for organic. Like, a dollar more for a head of broccoli or something but $35 for 2 rolls and a cup of soup? Whoa there buddy! Simma down now.

When I got home and unloaded the bag, I noticed my $9 cup of soup was missing. I'd mistakenly been given a salad instead. Double sigh. Rushed for time, I started shoveling away.

The salad? Good! The 'special' dressing? AWESOME. Next up, the 'salmon' roll. DOUBLE AWESOME. I have no idea how they did it, but they worked that s**t! Last but not least, the Cali roll. It tasted somewhat similar to the 'salmon' roll but that could be because I was eating like it was my last meal.

Overall, our menu choices proved to be EXCELLENT. And this is coming from a non-raw foodie. Worth the $35? Not on a regular basis, that's for damn sure. I'm definitely going to give it another try but I still have my pro and con list. The staff was super friendly but the order mix up was a little frustrating. The ambiance isn't anything special so I don't see myself sitting down for an actual meal in the restaurant. I'll stick with the take-out option thankyouverymuch. The price? I get that the bills need to be paid and the ingredients are probably pricey, but $35 for 3 small things is a little much. Especially given the the location with the majority of residents being broke-ass college students.

My conclusion: go check this place out at least one time. If you can handle the music and don't mind staring into the tanning salon next door (maybe that's your thing? I don't know) - the food is worth it. If you can't handle all that, take it to go. Even though my experience was a little weird, who's to say that yours will be the same? I give them props for being all vegan and super healthy and I'm SUPER stoked to have another all vegan option so close to home. My advice to them? Hire someone to clean up the website and fix the stretched pics, then relocate to Walnut Creek or Danville or something where all the Oprah-watching soccer mom's who are following the new trends can access them more easily and the prices make more sense.

While I don't see myself frequenting this restaurant (due to lack of funds), I will recommend the take-out option to others and drop in occasionally for a special cleansing treat. Most likely after a long weekend of drinking. I can honestly say I was slightly disappointed in my first experience but I do have high hopes for this place and I fully support the all-veganness they have going on.

So yeah, GO try it!

Gracias Madre!

Last Sunday was one of the best days I've had in a long time. My husband and I started off our morning with an incredible 8 mile run with the PETA Pack that stretched from Fort Mason to the Golden Gate bridge and back. I was amazed that our new little pup could keep up with us the entire time without so much as a single pant!

After our run, the PETA Pack headed over to Gracias Madre to refuel. I'll admit, I was skeptical. I'd been wanting to try the new all-organic, vegan restaurant since it opened but I'd read some recent reviews that weren't so flattering. Thankfully, they were wrong.

Gracias Madre's food is 100% organic and all vegan. All of their cheeses, milks and ice creams are made using nuts and their tortillas and tamales are handmade from non-GMO organic heirloom corn. HELLS YES.

One of the first things I noticed when we approached the restaurant was how clean and neat everything was. If you've ever hung out in certain areas of the Mission, you'd know that's not too common. I'm not hatin', I'm just saying... we were off to a good start.

 

While the rest of the PETA Pack took a seat inside, we opted to sit in the covered patio area with Toby and soak up the heat from the giant heat lamps overhead. 

Now, what to order....

Famished from our ridiculously long run, we started rambling off items from the menu. We began with two glasses of orange juice, a regular coffee & a coffee Americano. 

And now... the good stuff. I decided to go with the Enchiladas con Mole Poblano (Mole enchiladas topped with mushrooms and cheese, served with sauteed greens and beans) while Flori chose the three tacos. One had roasted poblano chile strips sautéed with onion, the second had roasted butternut squash and the third was sautéed wild mushrooms with garlic. The final touch? They were all topped with creamy cashew cheese and served with a side of piping hot black beans. The enchiladas were a little on the spicy side which I loved but it may be too much for those who are sensitive to heat. The greens were insanely good. Sauteed kale with some sort of seed on top.OMFG.

 

I tried my damnedest to finish my plate but I ultimately failed. Reason # 7,648 husbands come in handy. 

After a 5 minute rest, we decided that dessert was a must. We split the seasonal (pear) crisp with dulce de leche ice cream. Duuuuuude. OK, not the most amazing dessert ever but definitely nothing to complain about. 

After all was said and done, I'm pretty sure we packed on all 8 miles we ran worth of calories. 

The verdict? SO WORTH IT.

If you're in the area, you should definitely check this place out. Our tab only came to $50 and we got a ton of stuff. The food is super tasty (not to mention it's all bought locally), the portions are huge, the servers are friendly and the atmosphere is pretty cool if you're into colorful, cultural artwork. Seriously, ALL the food looks super bomb. The party next to us ordered pretty much everything on the menu so we got a sneak peek at what to order next time we go.

Coconut Lime Cheesecake... watch out.

Vegan Outreach Valentine's Dance!

Food.  

Booze.  

Music.  

Gifts. 

Showing off your supa fly dance moves.  

And a chance to win a date with these 2 super sexy veg-maniacs!

That's 6... count em'...1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6  reasons you should be coming to the

Vegan Outreach Valentine's Dance!

So, when is all this awesomeness taking place?

Friday, February 12th, 2010
7:30 PM to Midnight 

Where?

Brower Center
2150 Allston Way 

Berkeley, CA

Singles and couples welcome! 

Your $50 ticket includes vegan hors d'oeuvres, an open wine/beer bar, a raffle ticket, desserts provided by Sugar Beat Sweets and Fat Bottom Bakery, a gift bag full of surprises from the sponsors (including yours truly), and a date auction! 

Essentially this whole deal includes getting your grub on, getting your swerve on, getting your groove on, getting your...uh...gift on?, gettin' some lovin'.... you get the point. You get a lot of cool stuff. 

So what are you waiting for?! Get your tickets NOW!

Oh, and a big thank you to Karine Brighten Events for organizing all this crazy good stuff. 

SF Vegan Bakesale - Mission: "Cupid"!

Valentine's day. A celebration of love, commitment and giving... right? Actually, it's corporate America at it's finest demanding your hard earned money and making you feel guilty if you don't cough it up.

We spend a ton of money on crap that gets thrown away a week later, gorge ourselves on processed chocolate EVERYTHING and in the end, we have nothing to show for it except a fatter ass and a skinnier wallet. Ok, maybe you scored a 45 minute romp session with your sweetie if you were lucky. Props to you.

This year, we're saying screw corporate America and hitting our local streets to gather a basket full of homemade vegan goodies to share with our loved ones.

YOU SHOULD TOO!!!

Come check out our Valentine line of cinnamon rolls! 

All proceeds will go to Cycles of Change and Harvest Home Sanctuary. Isn't that way more awesome than giving your money to all those greedy corporations?!

Thanks to Megan of Say It’s Not Soy for the amazing design and for Vegansaurus for sharing this uber cute flyer!

See you there!

Bad Ass Homemade Dog Treats!

We've had our new pup for a week now and yes, I'm still being super obnoxious about him. I want to take him everywhere, talk in a really high-pitched, squeaky voice, kiss him all over his head, dress him up in cute little sweaters... Yes... I'm THAT lady.

And of course, being a bake-a-holic, I wanted to bake him his very own badass treats. So... I did!

Awesome, right?!

Want to make your own? Check out the recipe here! *We substituted regular milk for soy milk.*

P.S. -

The sweater doesn't suck like you think it does either. See?

He's gonna be stylin'!  I have to admit though, my husband did have to put his foot down when I started to mouse over to the brass knuckles dog collar charm.

*sigh* Can't win em' all I guess.