vegan

I have been cooking with Gimme Lean Sausage Style a lot lately. It is really tasty and adds a good shot of protein, where if I only used the veggies to make the same meal (which I often do), I would otherwise miss out on.
Try this excellent pasta dish. It is fast, easy and not too messy to make. One skillet and one pot to boil the pasta.

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I found these VAN 100% Vegetarian Egg Rolls in the “deli” (it’s not a deli, it’s just a refrigerated island of packaged food) section of my super Wal-Mart. Right next to some brats and brie. It’s funny, I never look in there, but wandered over and found these. I read the ingredients and couldn’t believe it.
They are pretty good for egg rolls minus the eggs.
Be warned, they make 4-5 different kinds, the rest have meat in them.
*(of note) Angela, a new reader who has taken a great interest in Almost Vegan, emailed me about these egg rolls the very next day after I found them. I think they must be new, at least at Wal-Mart.

I found one.

Now I have been looking for a vegan granola bar for some time now. I don’t know how many bar’s ingredient lists I have read and it surprised me that I didn’t find one that was vegan. Always milk in them. I had almost given up.
But then I noticed the Full Circle brand on this package and because I have recently discovered Full Circle, (Hey, I live out in the middle of nowhere) I thought what the heck.
Score.
I tried the wild berry. Yum. They have a little, Rice Crispy Treat-like texture to them. Don’t be fooled though, their Cobbler Cereal Bars do have milk in them. Rats!

I received this email today, and by God I’m gonna make this my post. No, it is not entirely because I have been working really hard lately so I have not had the time to post much (true), but it is a really good email and I liked it a lot.
(Especially the part about the potato wedges at Wal-Mart)
Enjoy:
——————————-
Hi Denise!
I ran across the almost vegan website just a couple days ago, and I
was delighted to find every day commercial things listed. I wanted to
contribute a post, but I couldn’t figure out how to do it. I’m
guessing the only way to get a post up is to email you, so here I am!
I’ve been a vegan for 8 months or so now and I’m constantly reading
the ingredient lists for this. I put together a little webpage with my
usual things on it because other people wanted to know what I could
eat as well. All three of these pages have pictures too:
http://www.brick.net/~izaah/diet/katdiet.html
http://www.brick.net/~izaah/diet/newstuff.html
http://www.brick.net/~izaah/diet/newstuff2.htm
Here are some other things that I didn’t list that are vegan:
Snyder’s of Hanover Jalapeno Pieces
Website and Picture:
http://www.snydersofhanover.com/Pages/Bakery%20Selections/products_pieces_jalapeno.html
The Potato wedges sold at walmart in the deli are also vegan. I got to
see the box of ingredients!
The spaghetti marinara at Fazoli’s is vegan (they used to put parmesan
on top, but now they only put parsley)
Domino’s thin crust pizza dough is vegan…remember to leave off the cheese.
Thanks!
Angela

I always feel the need for protein and this Tofu Mate is a good help with that. It makes a nice sauce and is great over rice.

I actually am trying to cut down on hydrogenated fats so I went to the store and looked for some popcorn. Gosh, what trouble finding some without butter flavor! This Full Circle brand has no hydrogenated oils and is also organic.

www.fullcirclefoods.com
Most of them were in fact vegan, but one after the other had hydrogenated oil in there and simulated butter flavor. They were all way too flavorful, even for me, which is saying a lot.
I found this brand and it was nice and clean tasting. The popcorn? I joined Netflix. No late fees.

Ore-Ida’s Fast Food Fries are just one of their many offerings that are vegan. Check the ingredients, (please).

The tater tots are legal and even some of the seasoned curly fries have no animal products in them. Hard to believe, cause they are so good. I started eating these because my family, big meat eaters who think I am nuts, make these thinking they probably have some sort of animal ingredients in them.
HAH!
Ore-Ida Website

This vegan Oreo newflash was brought to my attention by Violaine, a regular Almost Vegan visitor. She’s funny and seems really fun too. Here’s the note she sent me…
——————-
Indulgence AHOY!!!
The new Golden Oreos are VEEEEEEEGAN!!!!
*dances*
Just thought you might like to know!
-V
———————
See for yourselves at the Nabisco site.
Thanks V.
***ATTENTION #2*** I have heard, on very reliable authority that at least in Florida, these are vegan. Danielle is a regular Almost Vegan contributor, (and a great blogger herself: http://www.joeparadox.com)She writes:
——————
Hi Denise! I saw these on a recent trip to Florida, and the label did indeed prove them to be vegan. I tried one at a party a few weeks ago and I thought they were ok! (No Liz Lovelies, of course!)
Posted by: Danielle
——————
***ATTENTION #3***
Another commenter offered this…
—————–
It seems there are multiple factories which produce the cookies (shocking, no?), and it’s up to each factory to choose their ingredients… (continued in comments)
Posted by: Tougi
——————
***ATTENTION*** I’ve gotten a complaint-comment on this post:
——————
That’s strange…the ones I bought today say “modified milk ingredient” listed in the ingredients….why is that?
Posted by: Nancy
——————
This is scary, so please read the label! Do not take my word for it. I have been known to be wrong about stuff from time to time. Nobody’s perfect. All I can do is print the labeled ingredients from their website below and the company’s own disclaimer circled in blue.

If you are ever in Chicago, go to this place!
Chicago Diner
3411 N. Halsted
Chicago, IL 60657
773.935.6696
It is very close to Wrigley Field in a great neighborhood. The decor and seating is a bit nicer than a normal diner and they have incredible vegan and vegetarian food. They do serve eggs and real cheese, but the menu is very well marked and if you tell them straight up you are vegan, they take good care of you.
If for nothing else, go for their deserts. Huge cakes, cheese cakes and “milk shakes”. The place is very Chicago, which is the best part. (I am originally from the Chicago area)
Here’s an E-Z Artichoke Dip I got from their email newsletter. I’m still looking for the best vegan mayonnaise, suggestions?

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Carrot cake for Easter seems to fit. I think I’ll leave a piece out for the Easter bunny.

Don’t even think about making this a layer cake, just be happy to be eating tasty carrot cake as a vegan and count your blessings. I tried to get fancy and ended up eating a lot of gooey, broken pieces of cake that I could not paste together for the life of me.
This recipe does it in a 9×12 pan. Good enough.

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