A Shredded Review

Last month, Galaxy Nutritional Foods contacted me to see if I would be interested in trying their new line of vegan shredded cheese. I happily accepted their generous offer while simultaneously envisioning pizza, tacos, and quesadillas on my plate.

Now, admittedly, I don’t like vegan cheese very much (crazy nonsense, I know!). Tim and I rarely purchase it because we try to avoid processed foods. But, there is always room for exceptions. Plus, it’s fun to snazz up our meals with specialty items from time to time.

I received two flavors: Mozzarella and Mexican. Both varieties are soy-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free. Since I am an enthusiastic snacker, I decided to try the cheese straight from the bag. The verdict? It was powdery and dry. I attribute this to cornstarch, which is one of the main ingredients. I don’t think this is a problem though because most people don’t eat shredded cheese as a snack. The ultimate test was to see if it melted on a pizza:

We used the mozzarella flavor and it definitely melted! Unfortunately, it also stuck to my teeth – a lot. I don’t like it when food adheres my teeth. Pizza is one of my favorite meals and when one of the components sticks to every surface of my mouth, it ruins everything (touch dramatic?). The flavor was mild, very similar to Daiya. I thought this was a plus because when I eat pizza, I like to taste the fresh veggies and sauce.

Next, we sampled the Mexican flavor. Tim and I both love tacos and quesadillas, so we made both over the course of a few weeks. You can see how well the cheese melts in this spinach quesadilla:

A few days later, we made tacos. We just sprinkled the cheese on top, so it didn’t melt:

I was expecting the Mexican variety to taste different than the mozzarella but it tasted exactly the same. The ingredients for both cheeses are very similar. The only noticeable difference is the color. I was bummed because I really wanted a spicy kick to my quesadillas and tacos!!

Overall, I was disappointed with Galaxy’s new shredded cheese. Maybe I am fussy. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great that both cheeses melt so well and are allergen-free. I also fully support more vegan food products on the market. But, I just can’t get past teeth coated in cheese glue. I will “stick” to making my own cheeses or occasionally splurging on Follow Your Heart brand.

I would like to thank Galaxy Nutritional Foods for sending me samples of their new shredded cheeses. Despite my review, I think everybody has their own preferences and tastes. Please don’t hesitate to give these new cheeses a try for yourself.

Weekend Happenings

Tim and I enjoyed delicious food, lovely weather, and a fun adventure over the weekend. On Friday night, we strayed from our menu plan and opted for homemade pizza instead. The finished pie had a whole grain crust and was topped with cashew cheese, marinara sauce, chopped garlic, herbs, and kale crumbles. It was a bit puffier than our usual pizzas, so we had leftovers for Saturday lunch!For dessert, I made Lemon Zinger Squares! The recipe for these refreshing treats will be featured in my forthcoming cookzine. I think they might be one of my favorite creations to date. Tim ate most of them. These squares differ from regular cake because you can pick them up and eat them with your hands – kind of like a brownie, but also very different from a brownie!On Saturday, Tim went kayaking, so I stayed home and worked on some miscellaneous projects. When dinner rolled around, I was too lazy to make much effort, but also quite hungry. My usual answer to the hungry/lazy dilemma is a meal-in-a-bowl. I love the ease and versatility. This particular bowl had quinoa, lightly steamed kale, roasted chickpeas, diced bell pepper, grated carrots, avocado, and a citrus tahini dressing. I also added some dried cranberries.On Sunday, Tim and I met a group of friends at Blossoming Lotus for brunch. These occasions are such a special treat since we rarely go out to eat. Tim had the Seitan Rancheros (his favorite) and I had the Pumpkin Battered French Toast (oh my, was this ever incredible!!).

After brunch, Tim and I drove about a half hour to the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge in Washington. We saw (and heard) a massive array of wildlife, including hawks, snakes, kingfishers, frogs, water bugs, rabbits, birds, ducks, cranes, and geese. I feel so comforted when I am surrounded by the sounds of nature.

Here is a sassy Spotted Towhee! Tim loves to record sounds, so if you are curious to hear this bird sing and chirp, listen to his recording here.We also saw a Song Sparrow:Along the hike, we enjoyed views across small lakes and plenty of flowers (and some pretty dandelions, which I guess are actually weeds?).

And then, we drove home and had more leftovers for dinner. It was a fulfilling weekend! Hope you all enjoyed your weekends too!

Bake Sale Crazy

On Saturday, I spent nearly eight hours in my kitchen baking treats for Portland’s Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale. It was a gorgeous sunny day, but that didn’t stop me from laboring away amidst clouds of flour and scoops of sugar. In fact, it only motivated me further since I could open the windows and listen to melodic, chirping birds.

One of my favorite tips for making big baking sprees go more smoothly is to prepare your workspace first:

I like to put all of my ingredients, mixing bowls, utensils, and recipes out on my table before I start. Eventually the rows of jars become a scattered mess, but at least I don’t have to run back and forth between my cupboards and work counter.

Here is what I ended up making:

Pizza rolls filled with bell peppers, spinach, marinara, and Follow Your Heart mozzarella;

Lemon cupcakes filled with lemon curd and frosted with lemon cream cheese frosting;

Hello Vegan Bars (recipe in Let Them Eat Vegan by Dreena Burton) – oaty/coconutty cookie crust with caramel, chocolate, pecans, and coconut;

Biscochitos – a snickerdoodle with crushed anise seeds in the dough (recipe also from Let Them Eat Vegan);

Double chocolate mint chip cookies and ginger cookies

Tim and I dropped everything off at the bake sale Sunday morning. Unfortunately, I was so concerned about transporting the cupcakes safely that I forgot my camera. There was  an absolutely gorgeous array of baked goods to choose from; we ended up with one of Kittee’s pretzel dogs, a cupcake from Dovetail Bakery, and a s’mores brownie. Everything was hit-the-spot delicious. And, the sale raised over $2,400!!! Success!

Catching Up

Can you believe how quickly April is disappearing?! I am very excited for warmer weather, lots of bike rides, and a month-long road trip Tim and I will be taking soon. But, for now, here are some highlights from the past few weeks:

Beautiful Portland sunset taken from my kitchen window

Tulips!

View of the Astoria Bridge and the meeting of the Columbia River and Pacific Ocean (taken from the top of the Astoria Column in Astoria, OR)

Bald Eagle at Fort Stevens State Park on the Oregon Coast

Relaxing under the St. John’s Bridge at Cathedral Park

Tim and his dream bike – We spent an afternoon with my dad (who was visiting from out of town) at some crazy auto-themed flea market at the Portland International Raceway. There was more than enough weird stuff for sale. I saw the coolest El Camino.

Mini gluten-free cutout cookies (I may have eaten the whole batch…)

Shanghai Noodle Bowl = brown rice noodles + lots of shiitake mushrooms + kale + marinated soy curls + tasty sauce

Tomorrow I am spending a majority of the day baking in my kitchen. The World Wide Vegan Bake Sale is happening in Portland on Sunday (Happy Earth Day!!!) and I am bringing plenty of yummy treats! So far my list includes: Lovely Lemon Cupcakes, Pizza Rolls, Chocolate Caramel Cookie Bars, Snickerdoodles, and maybe Ginger Cookies!!! I plan on taking lots of pictures while simultaneously devouring treats, so stay tuned for a recap of the event next week!!

Happy Weekend!!!

Over the River and Through the Woods

The sunshine made an appearance today! Tim and I took full advantage of abundant blue sky and went hiking in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest (located in Washington state). The snow levels this time of year can make finding a trail difficult, so we opted for a lower level hike we had done before called Siouxon Creek. Despite our careful planning, we still encountered snow! It was primarily on the forest roads leading to the trailhead, but it dotted much of the trail as well. We weren’t deterred though-we had the trail to ourselves for most of the day!

This area is absolutely gorgeous. There are plenty of waterfalls, lush greenery, tall trees (Douglas Fir and Red Cedar), and chirping birds to keep hikers company. Plus, the trail parallels Siouxon Creek most of the route. Even though the sun was shining overhead, the forest was COLD! Winter hats, gloves, and fleece pants kept us cozy. And, monster-sized veggie sammies kept us fueled for the 7.5 mile roundtrip hike.

My favorite spot on the hike:

Horseshoe Creek Falls

Unfortunately, the last stretch of the hike was impassable due to a creek crossing over a massive slippery rock. The water level was too high for a safe crossing, so we stopped just shy of the last waterfall and had lunch before turning back to the trailhead. Want to know the funniest part? I was looking through old photographs and discovered that the last time Tim and I hiked this trail was exactly 5 years ago (well, minus 1 day, but still!)!! We didn’t plan that, it was simply coincidental!!

This hike was just what I needed to get me even more excited for warmer weather and lots of hiking and backpacking. Nothing compares to being surrounded by the comforts and sounds of nature.