Silk Nog

This time of year makes me want all my favorite holiday treats. I LOVE egg nog. My new vegan best friend is Silk Nog. It's not as thick as egg nog, but the taste is very similar. A little bit of nutmeg on top on my Nog, in my grandmother's 1950s martini glass. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Feeling artsy

I've been so lucky to have been exposed to some amazing artists lately.

At the Sunnyslope Art Walk earlier this month, I discovered local artist Dianne Nowicki. I fell in love with a large painting of coke cans. Yes, coke cans. I didn't purchase the painting that night, as I felt like I needed to think about it. I couldn't stop thinking about how much I loved the painting. So, I bought it a couple weeks later. The painting is now in my entryway....at home. Check out Dianne's work on her website DianneNowicki.com.

On the wearable art front, I am always on the hunt for unique jewelry, but I rarely purchase anything.  I scored this beauty as my new right hand ring via Etsy. I love it because it looks a lot more expensive than it was. It's like architecture for your finger.

How I survived 3 busy months being vegan...the catch-up post!

It's been a busy 3 months since I last blogged. How hard is it to take 10 minutes a day to post about the day? Well, harder than it sounds. Time flies by when you are busy. I have been taking back my time and working on taking better care of myself. I've been eating healthy meals, but have slacked on making my own meals from scratch.

I survived busy nights by eating a lot of the following:

Eatwell vegetarian chili from Fresh And Easy with a little Diaya cheddar Cheese

Vegan tacos. I tell everyone I know that it is the year of the vegan taco. Yums!

Gardein 7 grain crispy tender sandwiches with balsamic drizzle (1/2 cup balsamic vinegar and 1/2 tbsp raw sugar), fresh basil, sun-dried tomatoes on a bun or ciabatta bread. 

Blood orange sorbet from La Piccola Cucina

Parfait with warm apples, soy yogurt, pumpkin and cranberry granola, apple-cooked quinoa (cooked with apple juice instead of water), topped with soy whipped cream

I've discovered many new restaurants in my quest for continued veganism. My favorite find over the last 3 months has been La Piccola Cucina. Their roasted eggplant sandwich, ratatouille and blood orange sorbet are what dreams are made of. Andy, the owner, is awesome. You need to go here, vegan or not. It is located in the Coronado Historic district in a cute house. Address is 2241 N. 7th Street Phoenix, AZ 85006. I gave it 5 stars on yelp. I'm serious.
I've found yummy vegan dishes at RnR, Picazzo's, Culinary Dropout and Eddie's House, all in Scottsdale.
At RnR, vegans can rejoice in a old town Scottsdale restaurant with options for vegans. Their veggie burger is to die for (I asked and was told there were no eggs or dairy in the burger), their fries are super tasty and their veggie tacos are unique with a jicama "tortilla". I really liked their apple gorgonzola salad minus the cheese, with prickly pear vinaigrette.
At Picazzo's, vegan cheese isn't even on the menu ANYWHERE. So strange, as they have a whole section of the menu with vegetarian options! Luckily, I asked if they had a vegan cheese option and they did! I ordered the Margharita pizza with medium crust and vegan cheese. I wanted to eat it for days.

At Culinary Dropout, The waitress did not know of anything vegan on their menu. I asked for a custom salad with romaine lettuce, apples, pistachios and ginger vinaigrette. I wish they had more vegan options on their menu. It's so cute there.
I was so worried about eating at Eddie's House, after looking at the online menu. Luckily, we contacted them in advance to ensure they would be able to accommodate me. They made me a special vegan pesto dip and an entree with a salad, grilled vegetables and hummus with pita chips. I can't wait to go back. My meal was amazing!

I look forward to sharing more of my vegan finds in the near future.