Tag Archives: vegan mofo

Vegan MoFo 2017 Day 30: Vegan Halloween Party Recap

Posted by Banana Curl Vegan Girl in Halloween, Unicorn, Vegan MoFo 2017 and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

This post might seem a little all over the place. I’m tired and excited and I’m still recovering a bit from how awesome my birthday ended up being. This evening I went to a Halloween hot yoga class dressed as Wonder Woman. It was SO fun. I was so impressed with the soundtrack. It was choreographed to our yoga practice! I’m a little yoga high as well.

Anyways, today I’m here to share another Halloween event I went to. It was an all vegan Halloween Party hosted by the nonprofit group Rhode Island Vegan Awareness (RIVA).

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Of course, I went dressed as a unicorn:

halloween 17 unicorn costume

Since I know most of you are here for Vegan Month of Food, I figure I’ll talk about the food first. When we arrived, the tables had a smattering of delicious vegan gummy candy from Surf Sweets all over them and some chips and hummus. We had dinner soon after, and there was a gluten-free option that I had. It was pasta, pizza, and salad and they gave us a lot of it! There was the option for seconds too, but I was pretty full. Towards the end of the night, they passed out 2 packages of Justin’s Peanut Butter cups to each guest. It was awesome! I had been refraining from buying them the week before because I had heard a rumor we were getting them at the party.

The event was planned as a fundraiser for a vegan billboard that will be put up in Providence. This party was able to fund it and I’m excited to see it.

RIVA’s president is also named Laura. Together we make two vegan Lauras. She went as Belle from Beauty and the Beast alongside…well…her partner the Beast. Haha. Here’s a picture of the two vegan Lauras together. “The Beast” took our photo! Thanks!

halloween 17 belle and unicorn

RIVA did a great job organizing and running the party! Not only did we have food, but there was a cover band, vegan vendors, dancing, a trivia and costume contest, and raffles. I also got an astrology reading done in honor of my birthday. She gave me some great advice based on my chart and shared lots of stuff about me that helped confirm some life stuff I’ve been considering taking action on. I am going to keep it cryptic for now, but maybe I will talk about it sometime in the future. I was really glad I got to see and talk to her.

Oh! There was also a really awesome spoken word performance by my new friend, who I happened to carpool with after Laura had asked if someone could help with a ride for them. The piece was about how annoying it is to be asked, “where do you get your protein?” Even though most of us vegans often complain about hearing that question, the performance was still really inventive, funny, and well put together.

Oh! and there was a couple that dressed as B-12 and won the best vegan themed Halloween costume! I got such a kick out of it! If you go to RIVA’s facebook page and look at the pictures of the event, you might see them, amongst some other really awesome costumes! RIVA’s Facebook.

Anyways, I’m super tired from all this activity lately. I really hope I am able to post my last Vegan MoFo 2017 post tomorrow about the vegan Trunk or Treat event, but if I get home too late it might be a challenge. If I don’t make it in time, I will post November 1st, even though it won’t be the same.

Happy Halloween everyone! And Happy MoFo if I don’t post tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

 

Vegan MoFo 2017 Day 20: Hipster Stuff

Posted by Banana Curl Vegan Girl in Vegan MoFo 2017 and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hey there, Laura here.

I had a really hard time thinking of what kind of a dish I could deconstruct and be in line with the unicorn theme. In fact, I wasn’t really 100% certain at first what a deconstructed dish was or why it was considered “hipster.”

I had decided a while ago, that for today, I’d do some kind of post about coffee since I feel like hipsters are gourmet coffee snobs. I was even going to try to make a vegan version of bulletproof coffee or whatever–you know the kind that people blend butter into? But, I got stung by a bee in my finger yesterday and was in no mood to do so this morning, especially since the reaction I had made my stomach act up for some reason. I guess we can’t all have the constant positivity of a unicorn.

I did, however, want to share this really cool company I recently found that makes deliciously flavored coffees. I emailed them when I found them to verify the coffee was vegan, and they said all their coffee is, even the ones that say the flavor is some kind of “creme”. The “creme” flavors are actually made with soy according to the person from their company that emailed me back.

The company is called Coffee Shop of Horrors, which is perfect for this time of year. They are based out of Florida.

Anyways, I was super excited because they have a coffee flavor I’ve been wanting to exist for a long time but had never been able to find. Peanut butter cup! It was delicious, we just used the bag up today. And I also bought a waffle and syrup flavor which I am excited about trying and this toasted coconut flavor:

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Which, although it is not a unicorn, is a siren/mermaid creature, which is also pretty mystical and rare.

Then I realized earlier this week, that I accidentally made a salad from the cookbook Salad Samurai by Terry Hope Romero and it was basically a deconstructed samosa.

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So, there you go #VeganMoFo, hipster food in a deconstructed dish. It’s not in line with my theme, but, yeah. Oh well.

Oh, and I might not be posting for the next two days or so. Tomorrow (Saturday) I am going to Boston Vegfest and Sunday I was planning on having a break, but who knows for sure. You’ll probably get some kind of information or recap from VegFest at some point.

Vegan MoFo 2017 Day 19: Minimalist White Chocolate Fudge

Posted by Banana Curl Vegan Girl in Desserts, Unicorn, Vegan MoFo 2017 and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Today’s theme is Minimalist (5 ingredients or less!) vegan recipes. May I present vegan white chocolate fudge fit for a unicorn! This stuff is really good, and it’s almost as hard to find vegan white chocolate as it is to find a unicorn, so it seems fitting. I usually get culinary cocoa butter online, but I believe places such as Whole Foods sell it in the nutritional supplement/superfoods section. Just be sure you’re buying food grade and not cosmetic grade as I believe there is a big difference between the two! 

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Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups cocoa butter (I used a brand that was recommended by Food Empowerment Project)
  • 1 can sweetened condensed coconut milk
  • 2 cups organic powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Toppings of choice such as Dandies Mini Marshmallows, a variety of freeze dried fruit slices, crushed up cookies or candy, sprinkles, etc. I used Sweet and Sara’s rainbow cereal marshmallows I got before they announced their closure.

Directions:

  1. Melt the cocoa butter and condensed coconut milk until all the cocoa butter bits are liquified. It will become a bit of a golden brown liquid, that’s okay.
  2. Slowly stir in one-half cup of the powdered sugar at a time until smooth and no longer clumpy. Unicorns don’t like clumps.
  3. Grease an 8×8” pan and spray the bottom and sides with a nonstick spray. You may also want to line it with parchment paper to make it easier to remove from the pan later.
  4. Pour the liquid fudge into the pan. Spread the toppings across the shiny surface. They should float to the top like a mermaid who has come to the surface of the ocean.
  5. Make sure the top is pleasing to the eye, cover, and place into the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight until set.
  6. Slice into cubes and serve.
  7. Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

unicorn fudge 1 of 2

Vegan MoFo 2017 Day 17: Unicorn Drink

Posted by Banana Curl Vegan Girl in Drinks, Unicorn, Vegan MoFo 2017 and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hi! Welcome to day 17 of Vegan MoFo. Today’s ingredient challenge is “Let’s Get Boozy,” but Unicorns want nothing to do with alcohol. It makes their tummies hurt and they do funny stuff (not good funny) when they consume it. So today, we’re sharing the official drink of unicorns.

It’s called Unicorn Milky Drink. The way it’s made is kinda cool. First, you make a drink mix, then you add 2 tablespoons of the mix into your favorite nondairy milk after it’s been heated up on the stove or in the microwave. It becomes a grayish purple (the color of most unicorns), sweet drink. We topped it with freeze-dried rainbow colored Sweet and Sara marshmallows and put it inside this awesome unicorn mug with a stirrer.

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Unicorn Milky Drink Mix

Makes one jar of a flavored hot milk mix, to give as a gift with instructions or use yourself.

You can mix it with vegan milk anytime you want a hot caffeine free drink

Ingredients:

½ cup vegan organic sugar

¾ cup vegan coconut milk powder (be sure there are no dairy ingredients in the brand you buy)

1 tbsp acai powder (for a unicorn worthy purple) or dried raspberry powder (for a unicorn worthy pink)

1 tablespoon vegan non-pareil sprinkles

A Mason Jar for storage

8 oz non-dairy milk, heated until hot mixed with two tablespoons of the mixture, topped with mini vegan marshmallows

Directions:

Stir or place the sugar and coconut milk powder in a food processor and pulse until the two ingredients become one. Add in the acai powder and watch the mix become purple, as if by magic! For a final dose of color, stir in the non-pareil sprinkles. Transfer to a glass mason jar. This makes a great gift for unicorn lovers all over the world. You can also keep it for yourself, which is what I would do. You turn it into a hot drink by heating 8oz of nondairy milk and then adding two tablespoons of the mixture and stirring well. If you can, I recommend adding some mini vegan marshmallows as a topping. Savor each velvety sip. I enjoy this before I go off into a field and slumber, dreaming of shooting stars in the milky way.

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Vegan MoFo 2017 Day 13: Sell Yourself (your book)

Posted by Banana Curl Vegan Girl in Desserts, Unicorn, Vegan cookbooks, Vegan MoFo 2017 and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hi, it’s Laura.

I did not post here yesterday, as I posted a video on my Instagram account instead. If you missed it, check me out there at @bananacurlvegangirl

Today I’m sticking with the daily prompt. Sell yourself. And since everything I’ve done so far is about the book I’m writing featuring Fluffy the Vegan Unicorn for my thesis project for my master’s degree in Humane Education, I figured I’d write a bit of a pitch of the idea and where I hope to go with it beyond publishing it in my school’s thesis database or whatever.

I am actually planning on sending it to vegan-friendly publishing companies after I have a manuscript so that everyone can access it. I have no idea how that would go, but if I am rejected by everyone, then I may look into self-publishing, although that seems really hard and expensive for me right now. I’d rather turn it into a zine if formal publishing does not work out. Please send positive vibes for me that someone will want to take it on to publish!

This book is designed to bring humane education to the masses in a wholly positive, compassionate, and loving way. It will make learning about hidden cruelties that affect humans, animals, and the earth in food and craft supplies less overwhelming because alternatives and resourced to avoid products free of the suffering will be recommended at every point and Fluffy’s voice will be comforting and pleasant. Fluffy also brings their sense of pizzaz and humor to each recipe, so that it makes reading them a bit more magical.

unicorn parfait 4 of 5

It is designed to appeal “grownups and not-so-grownups who never stopped believing in magic.” Really, it’s for everyone, with special attention to kids and their parents. The cookbook portion will go beyond recipes for rainbow tinted cakes and desserts. There will be savory dishes, unicorn-inspired lunch box bento ideas, and more! However, the concept of the book is more than just cooking fun food once in awhile. There is an emphasis on planning a party. So, there is also a chapter on craft projects that are fun to make for presents, decorations, party activities, goodie bags, and beyond. Then everything is tied together to culminate in the epic unicorn party! There are suggestions on unicorn themed books, movies, products, etc. too that I love as well.

While I am trying to maintain a good balance between secrecy and sharing so I don’t spoil all the surprises awaiting you in the book, I do want to share a few of the recipes I’ve created so far that I am most proud of:

An amazing white cake that can be colored any color of the rainbow

All natural food coloring dye

Unicorn Poop Sugar Cookies

Rainbow Cloud Cupcakes

Energy Bars

Dessert pizza

Parfaits

& more (plus others in progress)

Tomorrow I’ll be sharing a behind the scenes look at the test run of my birthday cake (for the end of October).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vegan MoFo 2017 Day 11: Talkin’ ’bout sprinkles!

Posted by Banana Curl Vegan Girl in Unicorn, Vegan MoFo 2017 and tagged with , , , , , , , , , ,

Did you know unicorns get clean by bathing in bathtubs full of vegan sprinkles? Must be nice, huh?

Sprinkles are an important element in making unicorn-worthy desserts. They make everything so pretty, crunchy, and colorful. What makes most sprinkles not vegan? Confectioner’s glaze, which is made of insects. Usually, if you’re looking for non-specified vegan sprinkles (as in their not labeled as such),

What makes most sprinkles not vegan? Confectioner’s glaze, which is made of insects. Usually, if you’re looking for non-specified vegan sprinkles (as in they’re not labeled as such), you will find carnauba wax instead.

However, those mindful of environmental, health, and animal testing issues should note that most vegan sprinkles are still problematic in different ways. For example, carnauba wax is made of palm and artificial colors are tested on animals and harmful to our health (especially for children). If you want to fully avoid these concerns (I tend to lapse my ethics when it comes to sprinkles because they’re usually used in small amounts and I don’t have kids which I’d be more concerned if they were eating them too). However, I plan to try to look for more vegan sprinkles once I use up my current stash that uses natural coloring instead.

For example, Let’s Do…Organic makes non-pareil “sprinkelz” but their color retention is really poor. A promising company that makes vegan dye-free sprinkles is the seller NakedSprinkles on Etsy. I have yet to try them, but I am going to try them very soon.

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So, now that I’ve shared the dye free sprinkle options, here are some options if you aren’t as concerned about that. As I said earlier in the post, you can read the ingredients in any sprinkle bottle you may encounter out in the world, and if it’s free of confectioner’s glaze or other non-vegan ingredients, they’re vegan! I’ve had good luck at places like Home Goods, Marshall’s, and TJ Maxx finding vegan colored sugars and such.

My favorite source for awesome vegan sprinkles, however, is Sweetapolita. They make regular and vegan kinds of sprinkles, so make sure to verify before you put them in your cart that they really are the vegan kind. They sell a pretty sweet vegan sampler which is a variety of their most popular vegan sprinkles.

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Here is most of my collection of Sweetapolita sprinkles. My favorites are the ones with the stars.

Now I can take a bath in my sprinkles while you sprinkle them over all your baked goods! ❤

Remember to follow us on Instagram @bananacurlvegangirl and @unicornseatvegan.

 

Vegan MoFo 2015 Day 3, Post #3. Quick and Easy recipe.

Posted by Banana Curl Vegan Girl in Childhood Favorites, Gluten Free, Kid Friendly, Nut free, Recipes, Vegan MoFo 2015, Zine and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hey everyone!

This quick and easy recipe also happens to follow yesterday’s theme, which is something I grew up with as a kid. The recipe is also in my zine. See yesterday’s post for details about that.

This recipe is simple and can be gluten free if you use gluten free english muffins (I like Ener-g, they remind me of brioches a little bit!) If you don’t like almost raw onions, however, I do not recommend you try this! But if you can tolerate them or like them, I definitely recommend you keep an open mind! It sounds a little weird, but it’s one of my favorite snacks/easy small lunches.

Onion and Green Pepper English Muffin Melts

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Ingredients:

  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 green onion, chopped
  • 1/2 cup Just Mayo (Veganaise by Hampton Creek)
  • 1/2 cup daiya shredded mozzarella
  • English Muffin (gluten free or regular)

Directions:

  1. Toast English muffin.
  2. Prepare the spread by mixing together all other ingredients in a large bowl.
  3. Spread the mix on each muffin half.
  4. Broil the English muffins until the cheese melts. About 2-5 minutes depending on the oven/toaster. Watch very carefully.
  5. Eat!

Have fun, kids! Happy MoFo! 🙂