The Noodle Shop and Cupcake Corner II, Asheville, NC

March 19th, 2008

Firstly, I’ll say that even though I was very careful to remember my camera I was a little bit rushed and forgot such important things as my camera’s data cable, my cycling license, and my race numbers (these last two things being necessary for the race in Pittsburg on Saturday).

In any case, cycling has been going great and I’m lucky enough to have today off due to pouring rain and the fact that I was pretty much cracked yesterday and have nothing left in the tank. The good thing to note, however, is that the limiting factor has always been my legs and not my energy levels.

Anyway, to get to the point, two days ago we were taking a somewhat easy recovery day (30 miles), so another team member and I decided to hang around town a bit. The first stop was a little place called “The Noddle Shop,” which served delicious noodles and had tons of vegan options. I was blown away!

The menu, which has a special designation for vegan food, was perhaps 1/3rd vegan, and everything looked delicious. I ended up with grilled noodles, or fried noodles, or something like that that I can’t quite remember (I was, frankly, distracted by the waitress). For 7.50 I got a great meal that I really enjoyed and filled me up even after 20 miles of riding bikes. My companions were all similarly satisfied.

From there we went back to the Cupcake Corner, which happened to be next door, and I got myself another piece of chocolate orange cake. Even though I couldn’t finish it, it was just as heavenly as it was the day before.

So, for another place to check out in Asheville (and one that’s a bit cheaper than Salsas), check out the Noodle Shop.

del.icio.us Reddit Digg Facebook Technorati Google StumbleUpon Furl Yahoo Squidoo

Salsas + Sisters McMullen Cupcake Corner in Asheville, NC

March 15th, 2008

Sister McMullen Cupcake Corner

Photo credit: Flickr 

As I recently posted, for this week and a bit I am down in North Carolina training with my cycling team. So far things have been pretty good, but I was a little nervous today before we all went out to dinner with not wanting to inconvenience people too much.

First we went out to a place called Salsas, which is the cactus you can see in the background of the picture. They described themselves as a Mexican/Caribbean restaurant and it was extremely easy to order vegan there. I got a Veggie Enchilada with no dairy and was amazed at the richness of the flavor and the fact that I couldn’t finish my meal, even after a hard day’s riding. The price came in at about 20 bucks when we all split it up, so a little expensive for a college student, but I imagine we won’t eat out much and it was totally worth it.

From there we went to the Sisters McMullen Cupcake Corner, which is an extremely small cupcake place just next door. I was wondering if they’d having anything I could munch on, but luckily I was presented with two clearly marked vegan options. The first was a spice cake, the second a chocolate orange cake. Let me tell you, it was heavenly. On top of that, the proprietor was extremely nice and the overall experience was great, I hope I can get back there soon.

So if you live in or are ever traveling through Asheville, give these two great places some business.

del.icio.us Reddit Digg Facebook Technorati Google StumbleUpon Furl Yahoo Squidoo

Vegan Road Trip!

March 13th, 2008

How to make a pain face

Okay, so I’m not in this picture, but I am going down for cycling spring break in just a few minutes! It will be interesting to be on the road and away from easy food choices while doing the vegan thing.

We leave today at 4 and plan to arrive in North Carolina after an breezy 18 hour drive, :). I’ve packed up will, with energy bars, gatorade, miso soup, and some Hunan Dumplings from Marco Vegetarian. It should be interesting!

I’ll update with what I’ve learned when we get there and get settled in! Has anyone else had an experience like this? I hope it’s not as bad as I’m guessing it’ll be.

del.icio.us Reddit Digg Facebook Technorati Google StumbleUpon Furl Yahoo Squidoo

Good vegan blogs?

March 5th, 2008

I don’t know any, do you?

I haven’t been doing this blogging thing for too long (and have recently been sidelined by illness and finals), but I’d really like to know what other bloggers readers are following.

If you have your own blog or know some good ones, please share in the comments, :), thanks!

del.icio.us Reddit Digg Facebook Technorati Google StumbleUpon Furl Yahoo Squidoo

Vegan Lentil Soup (Is Mental Fruit)

February 24th, 2008

Now, I love this song, but I don’t recommend it for those faint of heart around explicit lyrics. That said, I think this is the only rap tune I’ve heard to date advocating a healthy life based around vegan eating. Also, this song (“Be Healthy” by Dead Prez) is the reason I went ahead and made this lentil soup, so it deserves a lot of credit for some of the best food I’ve had in a while.Anyway, on to the good stuff! I made a date with the girls in the apartment upstairs to cook this past Thursday, and for lack of time to think of anything special to make we pretty much patched a meal together. Lentil soup was suggested by one of the girls and while at the local co-op we decided to make some chocolate chip cookies and pick up some bread from a local bakery…little did we know it would come out so well!

Here’s the quick-and-dirty of what we ended up making (recipe from about with many adjustments):

Ingredients:

  • 1 tsp vegetable oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 carrot sliced
  • 1 potato, diced
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 cup dry lentils
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1/4 tsp dried thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • dash salt
  • 1 tbsp curry powder
  • 3 cloves garlic

Preparation:
Sautee the onions in the vegetable oil until they turn clear (just a few minutes), then add the vegetable broth, lentils, potato, carrot, pepper, thyme, bay leaves, curry powder, garlic and salt. Reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook until lentils are soft, about 45 minutes. Remove bay leaves before serving.

Nutrition Facts (from about, so may be a bit different with my substitutions):
Calories: 230, Calories from Fat: 27
Total Fat: 3.0g, 5% Saturated Fat: 0.7g, 3%
Cholesterol: 0mg, 0%
Sodium: 852mg, 36%
Total Carbohydrates: 33.0g, 11%
Dietary Fiber: 15.6g, 62%
Sugars: 4.6g
Protein: 18.7g
Vitamin A 37%, Vitamin C 12%, Calcium 5%, Iron 28%, Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Gotta love the protein in lentils. We used green lentils because they are even more protein dense than the average lentil. You may think the garlic and curry powder a bit odd, but it happened on the fly and ended up giving the soup a very strong, interesting flavor. When served up with some fresh potato bread and topped off with some cookies, it made for a great meal and a calming study break.

Hope you all enjoy!

del.icio.us Reddit Digg Facebook Technorati Google StumbleUpon Furl Yahoo Squidoo

Unhealthy, Late-night Study Food

February 5th, 2008

Soy Delicious Vegan Ice Cream

What am I eating right now? So Delicious Chocolate Peanut Butter ice cream with a Tropical Source chocolate chip garnishing.

Why the devil am I eating such unhealthy food? Well, that’s a fair question. See, the thing is, I’ve been up to 4am every night and my mind and body are starting to crumble under the stress, so I figured, why not enjoy some ice cream! I should be able to get some rest later on in the week, but for now I need to grit my teeth and bear it.

That said, I wanted to share with you all some of the snacks that I pick up when I just feel like letting go and replacing real food with junk. You may remember the chocolate chips from my favorite cookie recipe, but I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned that ice cream before. So Delicious (and it’s fancier counterpart, Purely Decadent Soy Delicious) is made by Turtle Mountain to strict vegan standards and is also registered organic by the USDA.

I prefer the Chocolate Peanut Butter flavor for the ice cream with it’s the only thing I’m eating (yep, dinner tonight was ice cream), but if I’m bringing ice cream to a dinner or hosting a social event, I will usually get the richer chocolate version. This stuff is rather good, and I’ve had it (especially the fancier stuff in the pint tubs) with many non-vegan friends and they all enjoy it. There are tons of flavors to try, and if you’re getting Soy Delicious, I would recommend Peanut Butter Zig-Zag (have you noticed a pattern?).

Anywho, if you’ve never tried it, don’t be scared! Vegan ice cream can be great and So Delicious leaves nothing to be desired (though I have had vegan ice creams that are not quite up to par). So, go out to your grocery store and pick some up. If they don’t have it leave them a note to tell them to buy it and head to a Whole Foods, local co-op, or other more hippy-friendly store and get some!

Well, that’s my quick aside, it’s back to work for me! Perhaps tomorrow night I’ll pick up some bananas instead of ice cream to keep me company through the long night.

What do you eat when you’ve got to be up and can’t fight the hunger pangs?

del.icio.us Reddit Digg Facebook Technorati Google StumbleUpon Furl Yahoo Squidoo

Vegan energy bars

January 26th, 2008

Clif Bars

We all know that one of the most difficult things for vegans into fitness or on the go is something quick, tasty, and energy packed that we can eat on the run.

In my case, I’m a runner and a cyclist. I’ve always lived by the theory of eating something small and quick after a good work out to help the body begin the recovery process early. However, it can be hard to find something pre-packaged that can do this for a vegan. Rather than have you make it for yourself (I know I don’t have the time), I’ll do a quick review of the available products on the market.

Clif Bars: I love Clif Bars, not only are they vegan, but they’re mainstream. This means they can be picked up almost anywhere and bought in bulk to save money. There’s a bit sugary, but most of the time I just don’t really mind. I recommend them to anyone who hasn’t had them to see if they fit your taste.

Luna: Those among you in the know will know that Luna bars are made by Clif, and specifically for women. I’m not a woman, but I still like to eat them. They’re a bit lighter and less sugary than their Clif counterparts, and serve as a tasty post-work out pick-me-up. I would recommend these to anyone, regardless of gender, *wink*.

LaraBar: To be honest, I don’t really like LaraBars. Don’t ask me why, because it’s hard to put my finger on, but it just always seemed like I was eating them because I felt like I had to be rather than because I wanted to. Nevertheless, I know many vegans and non-vegans who like them, so don’t discount just because of me.

Betty Lou’s Organic Vegan: Again, hate to be a downer, but I had one of these in the airport once before flying back from school and while it wasn’t bad, it wasn’t delicious either. Given no other options, I’d eat it, but that said, I’d pick a banana over one any day.

That pretty much sums up my experience. I’m sure there are more bars than this out there, but they’re not easily available enough for me to have tried or try in the near future.

If you’ve got anything to add, please leave a comment! Thanks!

del.icio.us Reddit Digg Facebook Technorati Google StumbleUpon Furl Yahoo Squidoo

Is making out vegan?

January 23rd, 2008

Love

My gosh, I sure hope so!

But seriously, in every vegan and vegetarian’s life, there usually comes the question of how our beliefs will affect our interpersonal relationships and love lives.

I’m still a youngin’ (19 as of writing this post), so I can’t offer the life’s wisdom that goes along with finding and settling down with that one special person, but I’ll take this time to look forward and see think about how my veganism will affect my future with the ladies.

So far I’ve had two “significant” relationships, both of them with omnivores at the onset. During the first was when I made the initial transition to vegetarianism, and to be honest, it was one of the things that drove a wedge between us. She didn’t understand and didn’t want to, and the change just seemed to be emblematic of a greater drift. In the end, after we broke up, she became a vegetarian (and might be a vegan these days), but at that point I definitely felt a bit antagonized.

My second serious girlfriend also started out as an omnivore, but in relatively short order she became a vegetarian and then a vegan. Thankfully, I no longer had to worry about kissing her after she ate something I found ethically reprehensible.

Hypercritical? Maybe. Truthful? Yes.

And I think that’s really the most important thing to keep in mind here: you’re going to feel a certain way about people with different eating habits than you. Eating is a big part of life, and if you try to put those feelings aside, it may come back to haunt you. Be honest and upfront, with yourself and your partner.

That said, I really don’t know where I’ll be going. I don’t feel like I mind too much, but cooking and vegany things are definitely on my top lists of fun things to do, so it’s not easy to discount the role veganism could play in a future relationship.

Time will tell, I suspect!

Has anyone else given this issue any thought?

del.icio.us Reddit Digg Facebook Technorati Google StumbleUpon Furl Yahoo Squidoo

If George Foreman were vegan…

January 21st, 2008

 George Foreman Grill

This is what he’d cook when he got hungry and didn’t have much time!

As I type I am preparing myself a very tasty sandwich on my roommate’s George Foreman grill. This tasty sandwich will take less than 10 minutes to prepare and will fulfill a nagging desire to eat at 11PM that only occurs when you don’t get up until after 11AM.

Everyone knows about the lean, mean, fat-reducing, grilling machine by now, I am sure. However, I never really thought about using one until my roommate brought one to college this year. At first I thought eww, most certainly from years of meat-filled infomercials where you could actually see disgusting amounts of fat draining off of that slab of junk you were supposed to be eating.

That image, coupled with the fact that I rarely eat meat substitutes prevented me from using it for a while. However, one day I remembered the vegan barbecue I put on last year and gave me a burning desire to make one of my old favorites, the chicken parm.

Read more after the jump.

Read the rest of this entry »

del.icio.us Reddit Digg Facebook Technorati Google StumbleUpon Furl Yahoo Squidoo

Vegan Chocolate Pudding

January 20th, 2008

Chocolate Pudding

Remember pudding from your non-vegan childhood? I sure do!

Just the other day I received this recipe via email from a reader and it sounds great, so I wanted to go ahead and share it with you all. I hope some of you have the time that I don’t to go out and try it soon! Thanks, Don.

Modified vegan chocolate pudding recipe from the daily green, a great website.

Read the rest of this entry »

del.icio.us Reddit Digg Facebook Technorati Google StumbleUpon Furl Yahoo Squidoo


lil' kim with jizz on her face, ebony college girls, gay son and dad, nude housewives housewife, gay escort, ass toy, in his asshole, religious fetish, sylvia navarro, ankh tattoo artwork, bbw dildo, full porn movies, alicia ashley amateur facials, dip set bird gang, blondes with big tits, msi bitches, blonde getting fucked, , wife share, brazil black tranny, naked male celebrity, pierced gallery, girls gone wild girl power dvd, moms and boys, dprk military, gang bang mom, gnant orgasm, , creampie pussy, gaping asses, asshole drinking game, hustler taboo dvd, gay dad fucking son incest, knoxville, ariel hentai, hairy men naked, reality amateur porn sites, sapphic video, female aussie celebs, brazil shemale, wife swap sex video, squirting female ejaculation squirting orgasms, teen asian ladyboy, lynda leigh pornstar, , ear got his pierced, clit lick pussy, hardcore cum, dress knee high boots, anal sex penetration, handheld shower head, ottawa bdsm, shawnee bo peep pitcher, big breast small tits shaved pussy, scat singing, , female domination, fat women xxx, , ottawa bdsm, , teeny swallow thumb nail, sculpting cloth doll faces, hot sexy thongs, trans sexual girls, elbow deep fisting videos, cartoon hotties, hot upskirts, new reality porn views, nude young moms, gay studs fuck, fucking free videos of coeds, young nudist girls, animal nine inch nails, fucking pornstars, facial teen swallow, acrobatic stunt, naked housewife, ron andrews smoking fetish links, bareback bisexuals, devil designs tattoo, teen lingerie pics, mature cum shots, teeny toons, voyeur nudist nudist voyeur beach, creampie slut, free nurse sex pictures, coed butt, weather cams in las vegas, dating posters, ethnic sex clips, up skirts for celebrety, male movies tgp, ultra xxx, hot girls boobs, forced performance red, amateur interracial sex, chubby bbw, gay guys hardcore fucking gallery, teens in uniform, adult video downloads, the edge extreme, free indian sex movies, granny gangbang videos, photo pierced pussy, free office sex pictures, free ebony hardcore, lingerie ladies, paparazzi oops photos, milf hunter.net, enormous dildo, wild boy parties, rosewood spanking, crossed legs gallery, pussy outdoor, silicone glue on breasts, sluts sucking dick, brunette porno, enormous natural tits, , fisting king, fisting nurse, cheerleader accidental upskirt, latin quartier furnished apartment, adult text stories, bdsm slave blog, celebrity sex videos, toy orgasm, office xp pro crack, free ebony porn, ethnic feet fetish, hot cartoon chicks, naked bikini models, the asshole song, zoo suprise, spanking otk, cheerleader tryouts, butt babes, busty amateur boobs, educational wooden toys, sissy cum swallow, military wives forums, electric scooter drive tran, gangbang slut, , latina big melons, buxom blonde candy samples, sapphic erotica sharon, men with shaved dicks, fantasy football keeper, marge simpson incest, coed nude models, teen mouth cum, lesbians smoking, wife pussy, naked hairy bears, cfnm free pics forum, hot hentai nurses, masturbation male, symptoms of blood clot in leg, milf phone sex, hairy old pussy, dad son free gay sex, asshole licking movies, bad ass teens, free teen blowjobs, small tiny dick, acrobatic gymnastic, speculum insertion picture, live oak florida, gay weddings, , host sex toy party, old lady face, forced perspective drawing, bbw huge penetration, adult swinging parties in yorkshire, cheerleader accidental upskirt, thai handjob, spanking dad, gay scat pics, gaping butt, white cock, free anal movies, hot indian girl, having sex in publiublic nudity pictures, death cab for cutie tiny vessels, lingerie boy shorts, suck boobs, puffy olga redhead, learning to eat pussy, shrek 2 puss in boots, shemale handjob, japanese schoolgirl bondage galleries, teen girls nude, dbz hentai gay, licking cock, busty porn stars, health benefits of masturbation, big tits mom, gushing teen orgasms, sexy karate feet, wetlands wives thumbs, swap magic software, granny cum, nylon kidnap bondage mpegs, shower cam male, hot sex threesome ffm, free porn videos download, designer diaper bag for dads, nipple slip oops celebs, brianna loves jenna dvd, naked midget woman, celebrety fucking, brunette lady, free hardcore porno, facial gang bang, tied handjob, free ebony lesbian thumbnails, free public nudity nudity in public, chicks with dildos, birthday cfnm exposed, ethnic nude models, dog swallow, female foot smelling, dick butkus, teachers naked, secretary sex galleries, celebrety endorsement bad product, skinny chicks ass, funny dirty cartoons, dad vs twink, horse dick sex, oiled boobs, erotic lesbian stories, schoolgirl uniform bondage, young maid, men fucking fat women, sweety the chick, femdom bitch shack, feet gay, hot studs nude, huge bbw nude, , free beastiality stories, teen nylon feet, hotwife reality movies, girls shower cam, spanking positions, skinny nude teens, teen toon, speculum stirrups, child slut, free thumb nail sex pictures, bi housewives, filipinos suck, hentai movie, teen redhead lesbian, streph throat, free ffm sex clips, bikini hardcore, hot naked brunette, stretch wrap machines used, brittany spears pregnant, schoolgirl pictures, index of pics closeup pussy, hentai cartoon sex, pegasus fantasy mp3, anna tranny, ebony spanking, extreme mail sports, chubby voyeur, tribal heart tattoo, sylvia plath's, beastial penetration, blow job ffm, final fantasy henti, asian fetish, trial video clips, titanic sized tits, first time fisting, beach bags, women with strap on dildos, senior sluts, tits with long hard nipples, spanking digest, redhead asshole, cheerleaders suck fuck, group orgasm, fat women pussy, french pornstar, women who fuck men, parental spanking, latin gangbangs, walk in shower design, ripped vagina, gay flexible, cum face teens, extra wide long leather riding boots, pregnant young, nude military woman, creampie for the straight guy, shemales with massive cocks, brazilian sex, dildo worship nyc, bang mom, skinny japanese girls, zoo boy, midget love slave, gay toon studs, cock and balls, brutal throat fuck, free adult news groups, sex in public video, albuquerque public library, free tanned mature sluts vids, , amateur young, law enforcement uniform boots, commercial outdoor furniture, brady bunch incest sex stories, erotica wife sharing impregnation, als speculum, acrobatic troupe wuhan, acrobatic dance song, double wing football offense for youths, mature ladies in pantyhose, redhead chicks, 35 weeks pregnant, free orgasm sounds, domination mistress torture, masturbation tips for women, adult movies free sample, twin lesbians, woman ejaculate during an orgasm, funny sex videos, free boy video clips, sit spanking, dvd jizz movies, large black tits, girl scout pin swaps, hotel paris montparnasse, ass lick movie rimjob, xxx dvd download, jizz drinking, ps flexible water pipe, celebreties speak for education, amateur erotica mature women, lacey duvalle movies, retro vintage, free personals dating, outdoor nude pregnant women, secretary hard, teen coed action, chubby women sex videos, black girls who swallow, outdoor advertising billboards leasing, enormous pic tit, shaved galleries, suck my cock bitch, slut pussy, definition of oral communication, sperm in the vagina, saline and silicone breast implants, young teen blowjob, cumshot closeup, tight chicks, cheerleader carwash, fucking machines movies, facial load, amateur anal sex, bisexuals mmf, massage groups for gay and bisexual men, eat my cunt dad, young teens wearing thongs, dirty quizzes, hustler taboo website, creampie free, young tiny pussy, men wanking, , milf porno, gang and prison tattoos, hot teens in bikinis, extreme detail, anima rape, girl gang bangs, dog blowjobs, nude peep cam, gothic teens fuck, shemale midget, creampie review, hot live peep show, flexible buses, bitch bus, nasty facial, rubber maid containers, nude office girls, tranny tiny, hingis upskirt, free ass movies, male bondage captured, balance nails head one, free hardcore bondage and domination, naked on the beach, free mature blowjobs, duke rape victim prior police record, granny cum, sharapova upskirt, hilton paparazzi paris picture, plumas county surveys and facts on youth children and teens, handjob cum, gang showers, spy voyeur, live fuck movies with samples, exploited asian teens, swingers group party, naughty maids punished, nude beaches in hawaii, french sexy secretary, las vegas party bus, silvia saint videos, pornstar lisa ann, cute swimsuit teens, cfnm passwords, , maids getting fucked, speed dating in nj, nude man, extreme close up photos, big ass titties, sluts videos chubby, toon cunt, lyric night sylvia, nipple biting, midget lesbos, swap makeup, flexible girls pictures, rei ayanami hentai, brazil beastiality, gay son fucking dad, dirty maid, women naked in the shower, growing breasts melons, pussy cam, brazil airline tickets cheapest, young models gallery, teenage twinks free, nude celebs 4 free, throat trample, girls feet lick clips, dirty deeds done with sheep, party sex, , naked shower, male sex machine, cfnm extreme gallery, doc johnson adult toys, lion king hentai, jizz on faces, sexy mouths, gothic maternity clothes, stockings suspenders view under the skirt, big cock anal, free pics of bisexuals, internet dating statistics, big mouth and ugly girl, young models gallery, white dick black chick, young kids,