Tag Archives: love

REJOICE! Red Rabbit Doughnuts have become Wheatsville Doughnuts & they are better than ever!

For a moment, we thought we had entered the darkest timeline. Red Rabbit, our beloved vegan anarchist doughnut making collective that had taken the town by storm, announced they were ceasing production.

I didn’t cry.

I just kept buying their doughnuts from Wheatsville until they were all gone filling my belly with delicious sadness. We were all shocked. The doughnuts are universally beloved and they seemed to be growing and adding gluten free options. The atxvegan community was freaking out. Everyone was upset. There were rumblings that the 12th Street Bakery and Fat Cats Organic Coffee And Dessert occasionally had doughnut on the menu and we learned that Portland’s infamous Voodoo Doughnuts was opening on dirty sixth…but none of that was what I wanted. The Red Rabbit Doughnuts are perfect and since they sell them at Wheatsville (and I got to Wheatsville at least once a day) they are incredibly convenient. We started to hear rumors that it might not be the end.

An inside source let me know that Red Rabbit was turning over their recipes to our beloved Food Co-op and training the bakery staff on how to make them perfectly. Today Wheatsville sent me a box and I want to assure you that the doughnuts are as good as they always were, maybe even better? Maybe I just missed them? But biting into it was like tasting piece of heaven on earth. My co-worker tried the apple fritter and her day went from dreary to dreamy.

Starting tomorrow, October 10th, glazed, chocolate iced, maple pecan, apple fritter, and bite sized donut holes will be available at both Wheatsville locations. They have also assured me that gluten free doughnuts are on the way in the future and that our luscious cream filled varieties will eventually be back too. What a wonderful turn of events. I love Austin Texas.

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vegan cream PUFFS OF DOOM

A while back one of my oldest friends told me she was starting a small cream puff business in Chicago called Puffs of Doom. When she told me she was going to have vegan cream puffs I was really excited and thought there would be a token puff I would one day get to try on a trip to my home state. I followed her new company on twitter and on the facebook and I watched her business grow and get recognition from all kinds of fancy foodie press, even the Today Show covered them! The many different kinds of vegan puffs all sounded unique and delicious, she has creamy chocolate ones and noochy savory ones like potato curry. Seeing the puffs filled me with longing but it wasn’t until last spring when my other friend was having a bridal shower that I finally got to try them.

I was blown away.

So was Amanda who ended up having them at her wedding (along with a cake from Capital City Bakery)

I started begging Becky to ship some out to me but she was only selling them at farmer’s markets and coffee shops in Chicago. Finally, this Valentine’s day it happened, I got a giant package of puffs in the mail.

I wanted to save them to eat with Dan when he got out of work late but I had to take photos while it was still light out… and then I couldn’t resist. I tried the Salted Caramel Chocolate Espresso and I had to close my eyes and let the world just stop. It was kind of like a cross between a Boston cream pie doughnut and a rich flaky croissant. The best of both worlds.

I thought, “I should really bring some to Kristen she would love these” quickly followed by “That would mean less puffs for me” and “I wonder how many I could eat before Dan noticed some were missing”. And they were his Valentine’s Day surprise!

The puffs brought out the worst in me!

And in Dan too. He tried them late when he got home from work and then, the next day told me to leave work early so we could eat them together. I mentioned our friend was coming for the weekend and he said “hide them!”. When I got home he told me I would love the chocolate peanut butter…and I did.

He said, “I didn’t think I’d like the Strawberry Champagne but it is amazing and has, like, a whole strawberry in there”… it does…

And the Oreo…oh the Oreo

and, oh yeah, Espresso Chocolate

We talked about joining the “puff of the month” club and knew that would never be enough. Maybe a Puff of the week club? We talked about moving to Chicago. Dan said they were the best dessert he ever had. And this kid loves his dessert more than just about anything.

I recommend you try them.

Or, maybe be better off for never having known true puffed out bliss.

I’d rather have the perfect moment.

Chicago, you win this round.

a merry little christmas

I stayed in Austin for American Christmas this year. Mr. Smurf said he used to be really good at wrapping presents but then somehow lost the ability.

We started the day with a cuddle puddle. I am under there.Dinger inspected the groceries to make sure everything was vegan.I made a ton of Indian food starting with Khandvi so we would have something to snack onI popped more spices and made more mixtures than ever in my life.I cut cauliflower and was reminded of this picture I saw of a human brain

The dogs napped together

I battered and deep-fried bananas and peppers but not banana peppers

and I set them in front of Ganseha who is known as a fan of deep fried goodness and feasting in general

and we ate a ton of food and will end the day with another session of hugs.

Happy Holidays!

Reason 337 that I have the best boyfriend

He came up with that title after I took a picture of this meal he made for me last night.

I have had a tough week, all of my staff has suffered major tragedies, baker smurf got hit by a truck on his bike on his way to work and broke his clavicle, sleepy smurf had a hit and run, acupuncturist smurf has been really sick for about a month with symptoms of pneumonia but no access to Western Medicine, and chatterbox smurf”s house burned down. I spent the entire rush hour driving and running errands, when I got home I was so stressed out that Mr. Smurf made me dinner while I drank delicious beer and cuddled with puppies.

I have wanted to make this meal since I got the book. It is chipotle spiced black-eyed peas that are cooked with some other aromatics and spices, served on top of maple mashed sweet potatoes, and steamed collard greens. This is one of the greatest super healthy meals I have ever had! It tasted decadent and flavorful and comforting. I love sweet mixed with spicy which is kind of the theme of a lot of recipes in Get It Ripe. Collard greens, black-eyed peas, and sweet potatoes are some of my favorite foods as well and they are all very nutritious. I also liked that everything was a whole food and lots of greens were involved. Another thing that I appreciate about this book is that the serving sizes are very accurate for us. In the Veganomicon and other books usually things that say four servings aren’t true since Mr. Smurf will easily eat 2+ servings. Get it Ripe is accurate for us, though, which is great because that way the recipes yield leftovers for lunch the next day, which I love. So thank you Jae for writing the cookbook and Dan for making the meal! If you have the book you should try it, or better yet, get someone who loves you to make it for you.

People love dogs

Today I read an article that talked about a study where they tested if people love their dogs the same way they love their human children. The control group had people in a play session with their dogs and the experiment group was the same except they had to gaze into their dogs eyes. Both groups were tested and they found that those who looked into their dogs eyes had elevated levels of oxytocin which is a chemical that make you happy.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/4241224/Owning-a-dog-is-a-similar-emotional-experience-to-having-children-claim-scientists.html

I wonder if it would work from looking at this picture of my dogs?