Apparently my friend Joe heard that I had fallen off of the chocolate wagon and came to my rescue.
I swear, Trader Joe’s just keeps rolling out more vegan goodness. It’s like a new, animal-free surprise every time I shop. The treat this week, dark chocolate mint “UFOs”.
They are basically hugely oversized chocolate chips. I am at a loss as to what to do with them, so for now I’ll keep eating them by the palmful. I was very pleasantly surprised with the quality of the chocolate and of course I love all things chocolate and mint.
Last week was a really stressful week for me at work and Jim continued taking the reign of dinner preparation. Keeping it healthy, our dinner on Friday was a millet pilaf with sauteed onions and garlic, pinto beans and sweet corn, served over kale.
Even though it appears to be a big ol’ pile of beige, it was remarkably tasty and will probably enter into regular rotation. The only change I’d make is to add more pintos. My tequila sunrise is on the horizon, much needed after a too-long week.
On Sunday I REALLY wanted brunch, but really didn’t want to cook. After whining for about 30 minutes and then imagining the 1 hour wait at Jam on Hawthorne (our favorite breakfast place) I caved and started making brunch. Jim is happy with toast and coffee, but I just can’t live like that on Sunday, it’s uncivilized.
I made the apple peanut butter pancakes from Peanut Butter Planet with white whole wheat flour and subbing water with some agave for the apple juice called for. I appropriately served these up with some applesauce and what Jim deemed my “best tofu scramble ever” with dried basil, artichokes, kalamata olives, shallots, sundried tomatoes and fresh spinach. On the side, some kiwi.
Now, am I alone here, because I always eat the skin on my kiwis. I never knew that other people didn’t until I moved to Minnesota in middle school and kids started picking on me. Minnesotans not eating kiwi skin didn’t strike me as odd because these were the same people who were wearing toe-socks and sandals to school in January. But I have since been looked at with disgust for eating something “furry” while living in other parts of the country. Half of the flavor is in the skin! Can I get a witness?
0 Responses to i spoke too soon
Featured Friends of nom!
It’s here!
those TJs UFOs are adorable!!! too bad i don’t like chocolate and mint together, for some odd reason! i like almost everything…
Also, i’m excited to see someone else who had PB planet! i was beginning to think i was the only one…which wouldn’t make any sense. so far i’ve only made the granola, but i loved it! do you rec the pancakes highly?! and that tofu scramble looks amazing! a nice change from the typical noochy one!
Yes, the pancakes are good, but I did increase the peanut butter amount a little. We’ve also made the peanut butter oatmeal with maple peanut syrup, which is insanely good, and one of the peanut stirfry recipes which was also delicious. We made a muffin recipe, too, but I forget which one it was.
wait, i have a joke.
did the chocolate mint UFOs come from Peanut Butter Planet?
haha so lame.
Haha!
Mmmm chocolate mint. Heavenly! I’d keep eating them by the handful, I’d melt them and pour them over ice cream, I’d bake them into choc mint brownies, I’d bake them into cookies (ummm I think I sound a little obsessed here so I’ll sush up now :P).
LOVE the millet! Sometimes beige tastes fantastic!
And *gasp*. There’s an entire book on peanut butter?!?!?!?
There is an entire book on peanut butter AND it’s vegan! It’s by Robin Robertson, the author of Vegan Planet.
Pancakes and a tofu scramble…could it get any better?!
Must. have. UFOs. I just pilgrimaged to TJ’s in Santa Fe last week and no sign of them there. Maybe when I get back to planet Seattle…in just over 2 months!!
i’d buy the UFOs just for the package–without knowing how big they are, i would imagine them melted down as a thin layer in some fabulously minty pie, like cookie crust, minty chocolate sheet, minty creamy filling, more chocolate on top (way off the wagon, but still). or eating them straight from the bag is good too.
and you just might be alone on the kiwi skin. it’s got fur!
I only eat the skins of golden kiwi’s (with their not so hairy skin). Next time I’ll try and eat the skin of a kiwi!
That brunch is awesome, I love that you made both pancakes and tofu scramble! And I love me some millet, mixing it with beans sounds fantastic.
*planning immediate trader joe’s trip*
Hey–no bashing Minnesotans! Hahaha–I had never heard of “hot-dish” before moving here, and the whole socks with sandals thing?! Weird!
I occasionally eat the kiwi skin, depending on how the kiwi is cut. I know people think it is strange, but they already think I am strange, so I don’t mind!
Courtney
Hey, I love Minnesota, but I’m not going to defend things like socks and sandals. Prior to living there, the only person in the world I knew who did that was my grandfather, who was not a hot dresser.
I also had never heard of hotdish and don’t get me start on pronunciation of words like “bag” or “aunt”!
I really wish I hadn’t read this post because now I want chocolate mint UFOs!
I’ve never heard of eating kiwi skin, but if you like it, keep it up!
I’ve never eaten a hairy kiwi skin but if you enjoy it, why not?
What I really want are those TJ alien chocolates. I wonder if my TJs has them. (I heard they have vegan rice crispy treats.)
I’m flattered you commented on my blog! I love yours
Sooooo jealous you have TJ’s, those choc-mint UFO’s look delicious. Also, you have Turtle Mountain ice-cream over there! Come on Australia, catch up!
Native Minnesotan here who does not wear sandals in January . . . or toe socks . . . saying eeeeeww on the hairy kiwi skin! The rest of your brunch looks divine, though! And I am going to look for that PB book. Thanks for the tip!
Yay to Minnesotans! I’ll forgive you for the the “ewww” on my kiwi eating habits.
i was super happy when I saw those ufos at TJ’s the other day!!! I got 2 bags. They are VERY rich so 3 hits the spot. not sure what I’m going to do with them – I was thinking some sort of baking project involving choc & mint would be in order!
Someone on here suggested chocolate mint brownies with the UFOs chopped up- yum! We have almost eaten through the whole bag, though. Oops.
I too love Trader Joe’s BUT have you noticed that a lot if not most of their products are made on equipment which also processes egg and shellfish!! Which in true vegan reality makes them neither veg or vegan. In my book this is similar to eating in a restaraunt which isn’t veg/vegan but serves “veg/vegan” stuff (aka cooked in the same pots). I personally avoid the products as well as only eat at places which are strictly vegan. Some would say this is too extreme but logically and ethically it makes sense because otherwise you are supporting the bogus cattle culture while simultaneously maintaining the self righteousness of the title VEGAN. Whaddaya think on the issue?
I completely respect your view on this subject and appreciate the thought that many veg people put into this topic.
Personally, I feel that it’s important to support companies and restaurants who are making efforts. I eat at non-exclusively veg restaurants that offer vegan options and I purchase products that use shared equiptment. In terms of food processing, it’s very expensive to have dedicated equipment, so it’s not feasible for many companies to do, plus TJ’s doesn’t actually manufacter their own goods, as they are relabeled. I think they fact that they research their products for their new vegan labeling is huge. I have seen products there that by reading the ingredients you might think they are vegan, but aren’t labled as such and after asking their crew, it turns out the sugar wasn’t vegan or something, so I know they are taking it seriously. In regards to restaurants I think that showing a demand for vegan options will lead places to create more and more vegan options and by having them on their menu, will entice non-veg people to try something new. But I completely respect this, it’s one of the complicated issues to ponder in a non-vegan world.
Oh man, and I’ve been trying to avoid Trader Joe’s! Those chips look too good, though. WILLPOWER!
I have also never heard of eating kiwi skin. I personally have some kind of allergic reaction to the skin (at least of regular green kiwi–golden is fine)–it makes my lips swell and burn. But if it doesn’t do that to you, I say keep it up!
I’ve know a few other people who have had reactions to kiwi skin, too. I wonder what’s in it?
Those ufo chocolates look SO cute! I guess you couldn’t really use them in something you cook ’cause they’d melt and loose their shape. You could use them to decorate the top of a cupcake or a tart or something??
There’s a book all about peanut butter? That sounds like paradise!
Ooh how I love TJ’s. I hope the UFO’s are in stock at mine!
I always eat kiwis whole, just bite right through them. The sour skins are awesome!
And those pancakes! Oh my, I wish I had that recipe, they look fluffily peanuttily perfect.
Finally! I’m not the only one!
Hey I bet those mint chocolate UFO’s would be out of this world (heheh no pun intended) all chopped up into some cookies or a smoothie!
-I’m Natalie by the way
I had to resist buying another bag of them the other day after reading your comment. Yum!
I too, have been eating those UFOs by the palmful. It’s cool, that’s the best way to enjoy them!!!