World Vegan Day Super Giveaway!

Happy World Vegan Day! I'm celebrating with a few of my favorite things! OK—I'm not Oprah. But I do love sharing, so I'm giving my readers a chance to win a fantabulous prize package containing every one of my favorite things! So let's get right to it! Here are the very special gifts that await you ...

1. So Delicious Coconut Nog and Mint Chocolate Holiday Beverages

Not only are these the most decadent-tasting holiday treats to come along in ages, (this is seriously the best vegan nog I've ever tasted!), you can also make some spectacularly festive and delicious dishes with them, too—like this fabulous French Toast! (Imagine waking to the sweet smell of cinnamon and nutmeg wafting through the house on a chilly morning!)

Or how about this luscious Mint Chocolate Macaroon Tapioca Pudding? The recipes for both dishes are right on the cartons! Visit So Delicious Dairy Free's website, and explore their many delicious dairy-free possibilities! 

2. Mac-n-Mo's Morselicious Treats

What's not to love about these luscious little morsels? These guilt-free treats were created out of a daughter's love for her father and her desire to help him heal and achieve vibrant health. And now you can enjoy them, too! They're salt-free, low in sugar, and made with yummy wholesome ingredients like brown rice, organic coconut, almonds, and flax meal. Whether you buy the mix or the morsels, you will enjoy eating them with your favorite dairy-free milk! Here's the yummy batch I made with pumpkin and cranberries, along with a delicious glass of sugar free coconut milk!  Visit Mac-N-Mos and check out Mac's favorite flavor!

3. Libre Tea Glass

When I first posted about these lovely, useful, eco-friendly tea carriers, I had just become the proud new owner of my very own Libre Tea Glass. It's lightweight, durable, practical, and beautiful. More than six months later, I am still madly in love with mine, and I rarely drink tea from a cup or a mug. Is it because the Libre Tea Glass is made from lightweight BPA-free polycarbonate surrounding a glass interior that keeps nine ounces of tea warm for up to an hour? I'm not sure. I think it's more likely that I just love the way it looks and how comfy it feels in my hand. Sipping herbal tea from a Libre Tea Glass makes me feel special. This is the most elegant way I know to tote around your coconut nog, hot cocoa, or chai tea on a crisp autumn or cold wintry day! And WOW! I just noticed they have a new glass 'n poly mug! I'm going to need one of those! To see how cute it is, click here! 

4. Dark Chocolate Fantasy Stevia-Sweetened Hot Cocoa Mix

It has become my bedtime ritual: sipping a cup of hot cocoa made with Dark Chocolate Fantasy, So Delicious Sugar-free Vanilla Coconut Milk, and a sprinkle of Sweet Spice. It's sweet, chocolatey, sugar-free, creamy, rich, deliciousness. It feels like a naughty indulgence, but each cup contains just 54 calories! (There are only 9 calories in a one-tablespoon serving of Chocolate Fantasy!) Treat yourself to a cozy chocolate indulgence! You can order your very own Chocolate Fantasy right here on their website. 

5. Chocolate Brownie from Allison's Gourmet 

Speaking of chocolate, I've been a fan of Allison's Gourmet for more than a decade. Nowhere else will you find the kind of vegan baked goods and confections that will exceed the expectations of even the most discriminating palate (vegan or not!) Whether you choose Mexican Chocolate, Toasted Coconut, Pecan (my favorite!), or Original, you will think you've died and gone to chocolate vegan heaven when you bite into one of Allison's deep, dark, sin-sationally scrumptious chocolate brownies. Want to explore all of Allison's tantalizing options? Satisfy your sweet tooth with everything from cookies to candies and so much more. You can even choose a Cookie, Brownie, or Fudge of the Month Club and start enjoying your favorite delectables discounted and delivered each month right to your door! Visit Allison's Gourmet for details.

6. Glass Drinking Straw from Glass Dharma

I am crazy about my Glass Dharma Straw. Their motto is "sip the world, taste the difference." And you really can taste the difference when sipping your favorite hot or cold beverage through one of these elegant, eco-friendly straws. They come in several sizes, some are straight and others have the classic bend, and their smaller gauge "shorty" straws are perfect for children, juice glasses, single-serve beverages, and even martinis! They also make decorative dots straws like the ones you see above, in Green, Blue, Amber, Clear, and Black. I drink my morning smoothie with a Glass Dharma straw, and I take one with me when I go out to eat. It makes drinking Thai iced tea (one of my few decadent indulgences!) even more special. Get yourself a Glass Dharma Straw, and discover just how much fun sipping your smoothie (or anything else) can be!

7. Vegan Unplugged 

So many fabulous vegan cookbooks, so little time ... (sigh!) It would be impossible to choose just one favorite, but when it comes to preparing knockout meals using simple, inexpensive ingredients in lightning-fast speed, Vegan Unplugged: A Pantry Cuisine Cookbook and Survival Guide by Jon and Robin Robertson is my go-to choice.

Don't let the book's unassuming cover deceive you! Although it may look like something you may only want to keep on hand for emergencies, consider that anytime you are short on time can become a "what the heck will I make for dinner tonight?" emergency! Within the pages of Vegan Unplugged you'll discover a bounty of taste-tempting recipes, like this delightfully colorful Tuscan Chickpea Stew. Made with garbanzos, potatoes, artichoke hearts, and roasted red bell peppers, this dish showcases how easy it is to create a spectacular meal using ingredients you can always keep on hand.

Whether you're the kind of person who plans ahead for emergencies, or you just want to sink your teeth into some super delicious, easy-to-prepare dishes, Vegan Unplugged is a must-have. You'll come back to its recipes again and again. Want to learn more about this wonderful book and several other great vegan titles? Head on over to the blog at Vegan Heritage Press!

8.  Vegucated DVD

What happens when you challenge three meat-and-cheese-loving New Yorkers to adopt a vegan diet for six weeks? Documentary filmmaker Marisa Miller Wolfson's award-winning tour de force is taking America by storm!

Travel with veg-novices Brian, Ellen, and Tesla as they uncover the hidden side of animal agriculture and discover for themselves just what's inside the burgers, cheese, and egg omelets formerly resting on their plates! With compassion, creativity, and a healthy dose of comedy, Vegucated is an inspiring and insightful account of the journey towards creating a healthier, more sustainable, and kinder world, one delicious bite at a time. Take a peek at the trailer, and find a screening near you by clicking here.

9. Hurraw Lip Balm

Finally, a vegan lip balm that is smooth (not sticky!), shiny, sleek, and long-lasting! And wait until you get a load of all the amazing flavors, (like vanilla, chai spice, black cherry, almond, and chocolate!)

I love my tasty grapefruit flavor lip balm. It smells just like freshly cut fruit, and makes my lips feel silky smooth! Visit Hurraw's website, and explore all the yummy options! The only problem you'll have is deciding which flavors to choose!

10. Mountain Rose Herbs Firefly Chai and Make Tea Not War Ceramic Mug

I am a chai drinker from way back when, but caffeine and I don't get along. So when I discovered Mountain Rose Herbs Firefly Chai, it was like a gift from the gods. Its perfect balance of exotic spices and red rooibos tea delivers the most intoxicating fragrance and flavor experience. (Think: bliss in a cup!) For a delightful steamy, hot November brew, check out this recipe for Pumpkin Pie Coconut Chai!

Visit the Mountain Rose Herbs website, and immerse yourself in the most heavenly, organic herbs, spices, teas, essential oils, and skin, body, and pet care products on Earth! 

Update: The giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to Lauren, who pens Everyday Revelry! She won the whole vegan enchilada! Lauren, please send me your postal address, so we can send you all of your lovely prizes. Thanks so much to everyone who made this the most amazing giveaway ever! Stay tuned for my next post, and more chances to win some of my very favorite vegan things!

Well, there you have it, dear friends! One lucky winner will take home a prize package containing ALL TEN of my favorite things! To enter, browse the wonderful prize sponsors' websites by clicking on the links above. Find one or more fabulous things, and leave a comment here telling me which vegan-wonderful things you might  like to give as gifts this year! That's it! (Please make sure I have your email address so I can contact you when you win!) And if you would like to earn extra entries, do any or all of the following, and leave me a comment for each one you do:

1. Follow this blog by clicking the "follow" link in the upper left-hand corner of this page, subscribe by email, or through NetworkedBlogs.

2. Tweet the following message: It's Vegan Awareness Month! Enter to win the super #vegan prize package on @Vegiegail's Hungry Vegan Blog! http://bit.ly/thr3MV 

3. Follow @Vegiegail on Twitter!

4. Like So Delicious on Facebook or follow @So_Delicious on Twitter.

5. Like Mac-n-Mo's on Facebook or follow @macnmomorsels on Twitter.

6. Like Libre Tea on Facebook or follow @libretea on Twitter.

7. Like Chocolate Fantasy on Facebook or follow @fantasyDrink on Twitter.

8. Like Allison's Gourmet on Facebook or follow @AllisonsGourmet on Twitter.

9. Like Glass Dharma on Facebook or follow @GlassDharma on Twitter.

10. Like Vegan Heritage Press on Facebook or follow @GlobalVegan on Twitter.

11. Like Vegucated on Facebook or follow @vegucated on Twitter.

12. Like Hurraw on Facebook or follow @HurrawBalm on Twitter.

13. Like Mountain Rose Herbs on Facebook or follow @MtnRoseHerbs on Twitter.

* Prize package contains the following:

1. Two VIP coupons redeemable for free So Delicious for Coconut Nog and Mint Chocolate Coconut Milk Beverages or the products of your choice. (Expires 12/31/11.)

2. One package of Mac-n-Mo's Morselicious mix.

3. One Libre Tea Glass.

4. One package of Dark Chocolate Fantasy.

5. One individual chocolate brownie from Allison's Gourmet.

6. One Glass Dharma straw.

7. One copy of Vegan Unplugged.

8. One DVD copy of Vegucated. 

9. Three flavors of Hurraw Lip Balm.

10. One 3-oz bag of Mountain Rose Herbs Firefly Chai and one Make Tea Not War ceramic mug.

Prizes will be sent to the winner individually from each of the prize sponsors. Please allow up to four weeks for delivery. (Vegucated will  be shipped in December.)

Sorry international friends, you must have a valid US mailing address to be eligible. Canadian readers may enter to win the Libre Tea Glass.

Book Review and Giveaway Vegan Diner by Julie Hasson and World Vegan Feast Winner!

When I was growing up in the neighborhood of Long Island City/Astoria, in the borough of Queens, in the city of New York, I couldn't wait for Friday nights after dancing school, because that was when my mom would take me out to dinner at the Bel Aire Diner. It's sad to say, but I look back on those meals with great fondness, because they were a welcome reprieve from my mother's cooking. Burgers, onion rings, macaroni and cheese, BLT sandwiches, malts, and rice pudding were (and still are) true comfort foods to me and could be had just two blocks from our home. 

Bel Aire Diner then

Bel Aire Diner now

How exciting to find delicious recipes for vegan versions of these dishes and so many more in Julie Hasson's new book, Vegan Diner! With recipes like Breakfast Benedicts Florentine, Malted Waffles, Skillet-Baked Panko Cutlets (think: parmigiana), Not Your Mama's Pot Roast, Pastrami-style Seitan Roast, and even a Blue Plate Special, you'll think you've died and gone to vegan diner heaven! The book is sprinkled with gorgeous food photos to whet your appetite and vintage diner shots that will put you in the perfect mood to plan your diner-style meal!

As you can see from the photo, Julie's Cheezy Mac is dreamy creamy.  

I'm a huge fan of Soy Curls. They're made from whole soy beans, instead of isolated soy protein. Nobody cooks Soy Curls better than Julie. And her recipe for Smoky Curls with lettuce and tomato makes the most scrumptious vegan BLT ever!

The recipe for Sandwich Slaw paired perfectly with this sandwich! But next time I will try making her husband Jay's Creamy Horseradish Potato Salad.

I honestly can't remember the last time I had dumplings. But I do remember the ones my bubbie used to make, and Julie's Veggies and Dumplings brought me right back to my childhood. Not only was this dish filling and delicious, it was really fun to make and went from stovetop to table in just slightly more than 30 minutes!

    

Back in Astoria, the best part of any diner meal was dessert, and there were three sweet treats I used to enjoy at the Bel Aire more than any other: Napoleons, Apple Crumb Cake a la mode, and Rice Pudding. Julie has very thoughtfully provided recipes for two of the three—there's even a recipe for vanilla ice cream for my a la mode! I haven't had a vegan Napoleon yet, but I have been enjoying a life-long love affair with rice pudding, and I feel compelled to try every recipe that comes my way. Julie's foolproof  recipe for Old-fashioned Rice Pudding was every bit as good as the Bel Aire's. 

So what dish will I endeavor to make next from this wonderful book? With so many taste-tempting recipes, it's going to be hard to choose. But one thing I know for sure is that any recipe I try will be wonderful. If you want a cookbook that is going to bring good 'ol American comfort foods right into your own kitchen, Vegan Diner was written for you. Don't wait another second to get your hot little hands on a copy, and get cooking, deliciously!

With the kind permission of Running Press Book Publishers, the recipe for Old-Fashioned Rice Pudding from Julie Hasson's Vegan Diner is excerpted here. Copyright © 2011.

Ingredients:

1 cup medium-grain sushi rice (such as calrose)

1/2 cups raisins (optional)

1 1/2 to 2 cups plain or vanilla non-dairy milk (I used So Delicious Original Coconut Milk)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Freshly ground cinnamon

Directions:

In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine 2 cups water, rice, and raisins (if using), and  bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Removed saucepan from heat and let sit, covered for 5 minutes. Remove the cover.

Add 1 cup of the milk and the sugar to the cooked rice, stirring until combined. Return the saucepan to stove. Cook over medium heat, stirring often. Continue adding more milk as the pudding cooks and thickens, stirring as needed. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the pudding is very thick and creamy. If the pudding is too thick, stir in a little more milk as needed to thin slightly. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Scoop the pudding into serving dishes and sprinkle with ground cinnamon. Refrigerate pudding until ready to serve. Makes 4-6 servings.

Congratulations to Christina Katz, who won a copy of Bryanna Clark Grogan's World Vegan Feast! Please send me your postal address, so I can arrange to have your copy sent to you! Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway! If you'd like a chance to win a copy of Vegan Diner, here's all you do: just leave me a comment telling me your favorite diner food. That's it!* And if you want to earn additional entries, you can do any or all of the following, and leave me a comment for each one that you do:

1. Follow @everydaydish on Twitter.
2. Follow @Vegiegail on Twitter.
3. Tweet the following message: Enjoy a homemade vegan blue-plate special! Win a copy of @everydaydish's Vegan Diner via @Vegiegail http://bit.ly/qNztt0 #vegan #giveaway
4. Follow this blog! (Click in the upper-left corner of this page if you are on google, subscribe via email, or follow via NetworkedBlogs on Facebook.)

Good luck!!

Update: Congratulations to Julia P., who won a copy of Vegan Diner! Please send me your snail mail address, Julia, so we can get your book right out to you! You are going to love it! Many thanks to everyone who entered and made this such a great giveaway. Stay tuned for my next post, and check out the prize package for the next giveaway. You won't want to miss it!

*Sorry International friends. Giveaway is only open to US residents.

World Vegan Feastby Bryanna Clark GroganReview and Giveaway And Chipotle Sauce Winner!

My friend, Bryanna Clark Grogan, had been teasing me (read: torturing me) by posting tantalizing photos of recipes from her new book, World Vegan Feast: 200 Fabulous Recipes from Over 50 Countries on her Facebook page for months. So by the time the book was published and I was able to get my hot little hands on a copy, I was practically foaming at the mouth with anticipation. 

I got my palate ready to embark on a journey to delicious with a bounty of delightful dishes from the four corners of the earth, beginning with fantastically flavorful dishes such as ...

Pasta with Cauliflower and Spicy Tomato-Creme Sauce

I adore cauliflower. Like broccoli, I much prefer it cooked, rather than raw. Roasted cauliflower has become a favorite lunch dish, and I'm always looking for recipes that contain this oft-maligned cruciferous vegetable. This delicately flavored dish boasted a creamy sauce that lingered on the tongue after each bite.

Persian Stew with Spinach and Prunes
Give me a good khoresht (Farsi for stew) any day! One of my oldest and dearest friends is from Iran, and Persian cuisine is among my favorites. I never before tasted this particular stew, and it's quite possibly the most delectable I have ever eaten. I mean it was slurpy-lick-the-bowl good. (I never lick the bowl, but this time I just couldn't resist!) I used seitan to make it, but I'll bet it would also be incredible with tempeh. 

Ugandan-Style Peanut Butter Stew
I've discovered that I really love stew! I didn't love it when I was a meat-eater, because I guess I never really loved the taste of meat. But I'm crazy about soy curls, and they were perfect in this flavorful peanutty dish! People often ask why vegans would want to eat food that imitates meat. I love the chewy texture of substitutes like tofu, tempeh, and seitan, and the way they soak up the flavors of spices, sauces, and marinades. And I really love how they satisfy the palates of omnivores, who are accustomed to eating a meat-centered diet and would otherwise never believe that a vegan dish could be so satisfying.

Peruvian Purple Corn Pudding
Okay—so there's not really any corn in this pudding. But it's so fruity, sweet, and delicious, you won't miss the corn a bit!

Italian Chocolate Hazelnut Spread

(Gianduia in Italian) is creamy, rich, and fabulously decadent! I loved toasting my own hazelnuts, creating a "butter" with coconut oil, and watching the finished spread get all melty on my toasted English muffin! Eating it felt like the naughtiest thing I have done all year—and I enjoyed it with a huge smile on my face!

Following is the for recipe Italian Chocolate Hazelnut Spread from Bryanna Clark Grogan's World Vegan Feast excerpted by arrangement with Vegan Heritage Press. Copyright © 2011.

Ingredients:

12 oz vegan semisweet chocolate chips or baking chocolate, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup non-dairy milk, heated just to the boiling point (you know which one I used!)
3/4 cup hazelnut butter or 1 cup peeled, toasted, hazelnuts
1 Tbsp coconut oil (omit the oil if you use hazelnut butter)
2 Tbsp confectioners' sugar
1 Tbsp soy or rice protein powder
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Place the chocolate in a food processor. Pulse briefly and then let the machine run until the chocolate is ground into very small pieces.
2. Heat the nondairy milk to the boiling point, in a small pot on the stove over medium-high heat, or in a microwave in 2-cup microwave-safe pitcher, at 100% power for 1 minute.
3. With the machine running, pour the hot milk slowly through the open tube. The chocolate will melt as you run the processor. Quickly open the processor, scrape the chocolate down from the sides fo the bowl, and add the hazelnut butter. (If you are using whole hazelnuts, grind them along with the oil in the food processor first. Scrape out of the food processor and place in a cup, leaving as little behind as possible.)

Process briefly to disperse hazelnut butter (or hazelnuts and coconut oil) evenly throughout the chocolate. Scrape down the sides of the bowl once more. Add the remaining ingredients and process again until mixture is smooth.

World Vegan Feast is your passport to delectable dishes from around the globe. Don't wait another second to get your very own copy, and start cooking like the culinary world traveler that you are!

If you'd like a chance to win a free copy of World Vegan Feast, simply leave me a comment below telling me what your favorite world cuisine is or what country's cuisine you'd most like to "visit." That's it! One lucky winner will be selected at random. And if you want to earn additional entries, you can do any or all of the following, and leave me a comment for each one that you do:

1. Follow @VeganFeaster on Twitter.
2. Follow @Vegiegail on Twitter.
3. Tweet the following message: Travel to deliciousness! Win a free copy of @VeganFeaster's World Vegan Feast via @Vegiegail http://bit.ly/qvN2MH  #vegan #giveaway
4. Follow this blog! (Click in the upper-left corner of this page if you are on google, subscribe via email, or follow via NetworkedBlogs on Facebook.)

Good luck!!

Congratulations to Melinda Dalke, who won the giveaway for Karry's Chipotle Sauce and So Delicious Coconut Milk Ice Cream! Please send me your postal address, and let me know which flavor sauce you'd like: Peach, Raspberry, or Marionberry!

Update: Congratulations to Christina Katz, who won a copy of Bryanna Clark Grogan's World Vegan Feast! Thanks to everyone who participated in this giveaway! 

Fire and Ice

Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice
~Robert Frost

The longer I live in the Pacific Northwest, the shorter the time between rainy seasons. Last year it didn't stop raining until July 1st. (And then it actually rained some in July and August.) It started raining again at the end of September. This year it also seems like the sunshine made a late appearance. I don't remember signing up for ten months of grey, wet weather out of twelve, but it could be worse. It's still sunny now! I did get spoiled living in places like Santa Barbara and Albuquerque, where the sun shines 300 or more days out of the year. (Heaven!) I think Bend, Oregon is beckoning to me.

We received the first few drops of rain yesterday, so fall is surely on it's way! Before the clouds set in, I spent some time catching a few remaining precious rays in my backyard. While basking in the sun, I became thoroughly enchanted with the way the sunlight played off of the leaves on my fig tree, so I snapped the photo above. I thought this particular leaf had a really interesting pattern, too—almost like a nautilus. 

Recently, I've been busy in the kitchen playing with recipe ideas for the new So Delicious seasonal coconut milk beverages that will be coming out this fall. (Coconut Nog and Mint Chocolate!) These Coconut Nog Muffins were mighty tasty. 

We may be short on sunshine most of the year, but one thing we're not short on is fabulous food companies. Oregon is home to Turtle Mountain, Turtle Island, Chocolate Decadence, Dave's Killer Bread, Bob's Red Mill, Soy Curls, Living Harvest, Chocolate Fantasy, and Heidi Ho Organics. A few weeks ago I discovered a new company, Karry's Chipotle Sauce, while shopping at my local Market of Choice. Karry was sampling her deliciously sweet and spicy sauces, and I was charmed by Karry and blown away by the flavor of these fruity sauces. 

There are so many ways to enjoy them, I couldn't wait to start experimenting. I knew they'd be great with peanut butter, but I wanted to try something a bit bolder, so I paired the Raspberry Sauce with a bit of Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter. WOW! That was crazy good!

I poured some of the Peach flavor over some succulently sweet fresh strawberries, and all I can say is "Oh, yeah!"

But what I really wanted to do was pour some Marionberry sauce over a scoop of So Delicious No Sugar Added Vanilla Coconut Milk Ice Cream. Sweet and spicy, fire and ice. Major yum. Very nice.

There are lots more great recipe ideas on Karry's website. I am looking forward to making salad dressing with the raspberry sauce. What would you make, and which flavor would you choose? Leave me a comment with your most creative culinary idea, and I'll pick a winner at random and send you a jar of Karry's sweet and spicy chipotle fruit sauce and a free VIP product coupon for your favorite So Delicious Coconut Milk frozen dessert!*

Speaking of winners, the lucky person who won a copy of Hannah Kaminsky's spectacular book, My Sweet Vegan is ... Andrea Gardner! Congratulations! Please send me an email with your postal address, and we'll get that book right out to you!

Who will win today's delicious giveaway?

Update: Congratulations to Melinda Dalke, who won the giveaway for Karry's Chipotle Sauce and So Delicious Coconut Milk Ice Cream! Thanks to everyone for participating! 


*Sorry International friends. Giveaway is only open to US residents.

My Sweet Vegan by Hannah Kaminsky Book Review and Giveaway!

Desserts are an indulgence I allow myself more than occasionally, and they are my one true weakness. So when I finally became the proud owner of a copy of Hannah Kaminsky's My Sweet Vegan I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into the recipes contained within its spectacular, full-color pages.

And oh, what glorious recipes they are! The fact that each and every one of the more than 75 recipes in this book is accompanied by a mouthwateringly tantalizing, drop-dead-gorgeous color photo, only increased my already excited sensibilities. I had to dive in. There was no stopping me. And with a refrigerator filled with So Delicious Coconut Nog and Greek-style Coconut Milk Yogurt, (coming to stores soon!) I had to start with Hannah's recipe for Not-Nog Cupcakes.

The gooey-chewy, sweet caramel topping was the perfect companion to the lusciously moist nog cake. I don't know what these babies are like made with soy yogurt (which is all that was available at the time the book was published in 2008), but the thick, creamy coconut milk Greek yogurt gave these cupcakes incredible texture. 

When I got home with my copy of My Sweet Vegan I did what I always do with a new cookbook—now don't think this is weird—I read it from cover to cover. (I usually do this at bedtime, which explains why some mornings I wake up feeling famished.) When I landed on the page for Black and White Cookies, my heart skipped a beat. These were one of my most favorite childhood treats, and I have long dreamed of a vegan version. If you have never tasted a Black and White Cookie, you are missing out on one of life's luscious little luxuries. Perhaps you remember this scene in a bakery from an episode of Seinfeld:

This sums up how I feel about Black and White Cookies—chocolate and vanilla are delicious together, and if you could actually eat a whole one of these giant cookies with a bit of chocolate and a bit in vanilla in each bite, you'd be a magician, given that most of the black and most of the white are on opposite ends of the cookie! As a child vanilla-worshipper, I would eat all of the chocolate first and leave the vanilla half of the cookie for last. But for my first vegan Black and White Cookie, I ate all away around the outside of it, savoring a little chocolate, then a little vanilla, and round and round and round I happily ate my way around the whole cookie! All those years of dreaming about a Black and White Cookie. It was even better than I had remembered! Thank you, Hannah!

I experienced a minor disaster when I removed the cookies from the oven. When I opened the oven door, I heard a loud "bang!" and one side of the oven door broke. Hanging down a bit more on the left than the right now, it no longer closes properly, but with a tree full of plums, there was one more recipe in My Sweet Vegan I had to make before writing this post. And oh, how sweet it is! Plum-Good Crumb Cake doesn't begin to describe how good this cake is. I love a good crumb cake, and making crumbs is so much fun! Adding chopped plums made this cake even more memorable. Just look at the vibrant color!

I'm still trying to wrap my brain around the fact that all of the amazing recipes in this book were created and published by Hannah at the tender age of eighteen. I can only imagine the future accomplishments and extraordinary life this brilliant young woman has before her!

A further sampling of what you'll find in this gorgeous book are such yumminess as Green Tea Tiramisu, Coconut Custard Pie, Dried Fruit Focaccia, Golden Glazed Donuts, Orange-Hazelnut Biscotti, and Whoopie Pies. There's even a Canine Cake recipe you can make (and share with) your dog!

All of the lucky duckies who attended Vida Vegan Con walked away with a copy of My Sweet Vegan. But if you're like me, and somehow you went through the last few years without owning copy, wait no more. Click on the link above, and head on over to Amazon.com (or your favorite bookseller) and grab a copy for yourself and second copy for someone who thinks that vegan desserts are anything short of spectacular. They'll be pleasantly surprised at just how sweet vegan can be.

If you haven't visited Hannah's blog, Bittersweet Vegan, head on over for some eye-poppingly amazing photos, delicious recipes, and all kinds of great vegan inspiration. Oh, and Hannah's second book, the aptly titled, Vegan Desserts: Sumptuous Sweets for Every Season is filled with even more heavenly delights like: Roasted Apricot Ice Cream, No-Bake Pumpkin Crème Brulee, Chai Poached Pears, and Golden Saffron Pound Cake! It sounds like she's outdone herself in this book, which is at the top of my holiday wish list! (Hint, hint!)

Update: Congratulations to Andrea Gardner! She won a copy of My Sweet Vegan! Thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway and for all of your wonderful comments! Stay tuned for lots more fun giveaways to come!


One last thing—I promised you a giveaway, didn't I? OK then: One lucky reader will receive a copy of My Sweet Vegan. All you need to do to enter is leave me a comment below telling me what your favorite dessert is. That's it! One winner will be selected at random via the handy-dandy number generator at random.org. And if you want to earn additional entries, you can do any or all of the following, and leave me a comment for each one you do:

1. Follow @BitterSweet_on Twitter.
2. Follow @Vegiegail on Twitter.
3. Tweet the following message: Love desserts? Be inspired! Win a free copy of @BitterSweet_'s My Sweet Vegan via @Vegiegail! http://bit.ly/qvWpmg #vegan #giveaway #dessert
4. Follow this blog! (Click in the upper-left corner of this page if you are on google, subscribe via email, or follow via NetworkedBlogs on Facebook.)

Good luck!!

*Sorry international friends. Giveaway open to US residents only.

Vida Vegan Con: A Photo Diary

Just as you might expect, there was an endless stream of tasty vegan food at Vida Vegan Con. But what I'll remember most about this past weekend is not the bounty of food, the plethora of amazing workshops, or even the cupcakes and champagne reception or Saturday night Galarama. What I'll remember for the rest of my days is the extraordinary sense of camaraderie among all of the lovely vegan spirits who came together to share their experiences and support, nourish, and learn from one another.  I've been to many vegan events in my lifetime, but never before have I seen so many beautiful, happy people in one place. The atmosphere was jubilant. We were all so appreciative to be together in this very special place and time! 

And it is a very special time. I've said this before: vegan is going mainstream, baby! We old-timers can feel it, and we have waited patiently these last decades knowing that someday the day would come, the lights would shine, and the mainstream would awaken from its collective state of unconsciousness. We haven't yet achieved critical mass, but what a glorious moment in vegan evolutionary history this is! The sheer number of vegan blogs out there, (those attending VidaVeganCon represented but a fraction of them), is evidence that the tide is turning in favor of compassionate, sustainable, plant-based eating. 

Before I arrived at the Portland conference venue, I met up with my amazing VFFs, (each of them an author, chef, and culinary goddess!) Julie Hasson, Bryanna Clark Grogan, Dynise Balcavage, and Fran Costigan, at Julie's vegan food cart, Native Bowl. They were already camped out at this table when I arrived, and I was overjoyed to see all of my gorgeous girlfriends. Having my favorite Mississippi Bowl for lunch, well, that was just an added treat!

While I was checking in at the front desk of the hotel, a charming young woman walked up to the desk. She began speaking in the most lovely Australian accent. I had no idea who she was or that she was attending (let alone speaking!) at Vida Vegan Con. But when I asked her if she would say my name (because the Australian pronunciation of my name makes it sound like music), she happily obliged. "Gai-yllll," she purred. (Can't you just hear it?) She made my day! Every time we ran into each other throughout the weekend, Viva La Vegan's Leigh-Chantelle would make it a point to say my name. I smiled so hard each time, it almost made my face hurt. Your friends in the States miss you already, Leigh-Chantelle! Come back soon!

What can you say about finally getting to meet someone face-to-face whom you've already fallen in love with online? That's how I felt about Kathy Hester, who pens Healthy Slow Cooking. I was so happy to meet her that it felt like being reunited with a long, lost sister. She and her partner, Cheryl, are just about the cutest, sweetest couple I have ever met. (I call this photo, "Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy!")

And what words have been left unsaid about the two amazing women who started a vegan revolution? Here I am with PPK's Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero. Not only do they each boast three names, but if you look on my bookshelf, you'll find that their cookbooks are the ones that are most well-worn. (Complete with crinkled spines, dog-eared pages falling out, and food stains galore!). The enigmatic John McDevitt of The Laziest Vegans in the World (how he chose that name I'll never know. He is anything but lazy!) rounded out the photo. I think Terry's face must have hurt from too much smiling by this point, don't you?

I appreciated the opportunity to take a break from work and hang out at the Galarama for a spell with my favorite vegan food scientist, Turtle Mountain's Ken Viscidi. (Great job on the Greek yogurt, Ken!)

What an enormous surprise when an old friend arrived! Bodybuilder Robert Cheeke really got the party going into high gear with an impromptu strut out on the dance floor.

The weekend was filled with surprises—it was so great meeting all the people you tweet with all day long. One of them is Vegan Mainstream's marketing maven, Stephanie Redcross.

Susan Voisin is one of my heroes. She helped me through my early McDougall days with an endless stream of delicious fat-free (and nearly fat-free) vegan recipes. What a thrill to meet the beauty and brains behind the Fat Free Vegan Kitchen!

A few weeks ago I took my first vacation in over a year and hooked up with Vegan Radio's Judy Petullo and Barb Troyer, hosts of All Things Vegan Radio in Bend, Oregon. I hope to see you again in a couple of weeks! You and Bend totally rock!

To Jess Scone, Janessa Philemon-Kerp, and Michele Truty—the three of you put together an amazing event, and I sincerely hope you are enjoying a well-deserved sense of accomplishment. I can't wait until the next VVC. It will no doubt be even bigger and better! 

And a very warm shout out to all of the exquisitely beautiful souls I met this weekend, but did not get the chance to memorialize in pictures. I consider it an enormous gift that I had an opportunity to spend a weekend with you. Until we meet again, let's keep doing what we do best: inspiring others to eat healthfully, compassionately, and sustainably and showing them that going vegan is just so incredibly delicious!