Love hearing about progress in the Veg World!

Hi there.....
So, I'm doing some research and finalizing my Dietetic Internship application, and I stumbled upon this vegetarian food service distribution company: http://www.vegadvantage.com/

I got so excited, I had to post it on here! If you or anyone you know is interested in adding vegetarian options at their food facility, have them contact Veg Advantage.  Or, if you yourself would like to see more vegetarian options at your work or school, mention Veg Advantage to your food service dept! They use products from Follow Your Heart, Gardein, and Turtle Island's Tofurky. Not only are these options better for your health, but they are DELISH!

Ever heard of the Dirty Dozen?

This is an updated list of the fruits/veggies that you should try to buy organic (Dirty Dozen) when possible due to large amounts of pesticide use in their harvesting.  The Clean Fifteen lists fruits/veggies that don't require much pesticide use in their harvesting.

Get edumacated people!

Did I mention I LOVE COFFEE???!

Random? Well, I really really REALLY love coffee.  Pure, black, straight-up, no sugar, no milk, nada, just the good strong black italian stuff. yum.

So I was at the Americana in Glendale today and found this adorable, authentic espresso set for sale at the cafe (Deluca's Italian Deli) that we had lunch. FYI, Deluca's has great food as well, and good vegetarian (some prepared vegan foods from the deli case) options.  Check out the menu here: http://delucasdeli.com/menu.html (I ordered the combo salad option: Capponata, Insalata di Farro, and a Wild Rice Salad with Marcona Almonds)

Anyways, I had to make me some espresso AS SOON AS I stepped foot into the house, and I did... So how was it?

Well, I love coffee, the stronger the better, so I felt the espresso fell a little flat in terms of strength and depth of flavor.  It was still good and enjoyable, but I think I'm gonna head out and get me some fresh Italian espresso beans and grind them up myself, to get the best espresso experience!

Either way, this machine is adorable, easy-to-use, and gave me an old-school, European feeling that I loved.... So...very glad I got it and plan to use it DAILY :)

Figueroa Produce Market - Highland Park

I was in downtown LA today for some work/school stuff and decided that it would be the perfect time to make that long-overdue trip out to Figueroa Produce in the Highland Park area of LA.  So, it's FAR, really FAR, and it's tucked into this tiny little store in a huge shopping center.

After I finally found it and went in, I saw what a cute, charming little local market this actually was.  I made my rounds through the aisles: fresh produce, lots of vegan/vegetarian options, the famous match meats, jackfruit, non-cheese cheeses, cupcakes, breads, etc.  But I gotta be honest here, as EXCITED as I was to go there and get a vegan sub sandwich and the oh-so-famous jackfruit tamales, I couldn't get around the strong RAW BEEF smell permeating the store.  It really ruined my appetite and the experience for me, unfortunately...

They carry Dr. Cow, Teese, Daiya, and a few more...

Either way, I did pick up some stuff from the store (and enjoyed meeting the very nice owners of the place): 

I had tried both of these at the Natural Food Expo & was DYING to get my hand on some since!

Vegan Yogurt and Vegan Fudge Pops??!!! YUMMM

Here are some must-haves when you go to Whole Foods for your regular groceries:

 ---> REALLY HELP with that Chocolate Fix! Vegan!

This vegan yogurt has AMAZING BENEFITS! It's FULL OF FIBER: 7g per 1 cup serving! Full of Protein! And filled with Essential Minerals, most imp IRON AND CALCIUM!! DEF give it a shot! They also come in smaller, one serving size portions!

FAUX meat can be ....... GOOD???!

So, I have never been a huge faux meat kinda vegetarian, but today's food experience made me eat my words. Bought some Chicken-less Pulled Chicken in BBQ Sauce from Trader Joe's today.  Listen, I don't like fake meat, I usually rather just have veggies and beans and nuts and call it a day, but THIS WAS DAMN GOOD.  Tasted like real down-home bbq, saucy, meat consistency, sweet, tangy (I like it extra tangy so I added some dijon mustard in the cooking process).  Stuck the pulled "chicken" in between a whole wheat toasted bun with a shmear of mustard and a side of homemade broccoli slaw coleslaw and a pickle! It was the BOMB!!!!  Here are some picks of the packaging:

It is made with mostly Wheat Protein, so NO BUENO for those that are doing the GLUTEN FREE thing, sorry :(

It's very healthy: low in calories, fat, sugar, and high in protein and some minerals!

It's really really good, trust me! Give it a shot the next time your at TJ's, just remember to add some mustard (if you like some tang) and/or some red pepper flakes (if you like it spicy)!