Miss Mavyn's Vegan Blog

Save 25% on Vegan, Organic, Fair Trade Chocolates at Sjaaks.com

2012-01-25T02:28:00.000-08:00

Now through February 15, you can save 25% when ordering vegan, organic, fair trade chocolates from Sjaak's Organic Chocolates. If you have never had Sjaak's chocolates, now is your chance to give them a try (or get some for your sweetheart for Valentine's Day) and save 25% on your order.

Here is the coupon code to use when ordering from www.Sjaaks.com - Val2512

This Week's Highlights for Vegan Sales at NW Albertsons, Safeway, Top Food & Drug

2012-01-25T01:34:00.000-08:00

Here are some of the vegan grocery sales you will find at Safeway, NW Albertsons and Top Food & Drug this week...

Tip: If you are looking to stock your pantry with canned beans, tomatoes and vegetables, head to Top Food & Drug for some amazing deals. Otherwise, Safeway has the best overall deals (out of these three stores) on vegan foods this week.

Albertsons

Traditional Medicinals Teas - $3.99
Celery - $.89 each
Yellow Onions - $.59 per pound
Minneola Tangerines - $.99 per pound
Green Bell Peppers - $.79 each
Eat Smart Cut Vegetables (12 oz) - $1.99 each
Essential Everyday or Albertsons Canned Tomatoes - 10 for $10.00
Bush's Beans - 10 for $10.00
Deschutes Beer (12 pk) - $12.99

Safeway

Green or Red Seedless Grapes - $1.49 per pound
Vine-Ripened Tomatoes - $1.69 per pound
Strawberries (1 pound) - 2 for $5.00
Safeway Variety Beans (canned) - $.89 each
PictSweet Frozen Vegetables - 10 for $10.00
Pantry Essentials Canned Vegetables - $.75 each
Safeway Canned Fruit - $.88 each
Safeway Stewed or Diced Canned Tomatoes - $.79 each
Safeway Navel Oranges (4 pounds) - $2.00
Safeway Farms Yellow, Red or White Onions (3 pounds) - $1.00 each
Kettle Potato Chips - 2 for $6.00
Hass Avocadoes - 4 for $5.00
Texas Red Grapefruit - $.59 each
Russet Potatoes - $.79 per pound
Safeway Farms Grape Tomatoes - 2 for $5.00

Top Food & Drug

Red Seedless Grapes - $1.98 per pound
Broccoli or Cauliflower - $.98 per pound
Muir Glen Organic Tomatoes - 1 for $3.00
Amy's Natural Soup - 2 for $5.00 (not all varieties are vegan)
Nature's Path Flax Plus Cereal or Granola - 2 for $5.00 (not sure if all varieties are vegan)
Haggen Beans (canned) - 20 for $10.00
Haggen Tomatoes (canned) - 20 for $10.00
Haggen Vegetables (canned) - 15 for $10.00
Iceberg Lettuce - $.79 each (with coupon from sales circular)
Haggen Vegetables - $.69 (with coupon from sales circular)

Three More Days to Save with Fred Meyer Extra Savings Vegan Coupons

2012-01-25T01:17:00.000-08:00

The current Fred Meyer Extra Savings booklet includes a few vegan coupons that are good through Saturday, January 28. That means you have just three more days to get these vegan deals!

Here are some of the vegan coupons you won't want to miss out on:

Ancient Quinoa Pasta - $1.99
Hansens's Natural or Diet Soda - $1.99 (six pk)
Yogi Tea - 2 for $5.00
Good Earth Tea - 2 for $7.00
Tully's Pre-Packaged Coffee - $6.99
Yamasa Soy Sauce - 2 for $7.00
Golden Star Jasmine Rice - $9.99 (five pounds)
Gardenburger Veggie Burgers - $2.99 (not all varieties are vegan)

Remember - you will need the coupons from the Fred Meyer Extra Savings booklet to get these prices.You can pick up the Extra Savings booklet just inside the door next time you stop by Fred Meyer.

Other deals you might want to check out while you are there (no coupons needed):

Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar - 2 for $6.00 (32 oz)
Lundberg Rice Chips - 2 for $5.00

Vegan Finds at Dollar Tree

2012-01-24T21:00:00.000-08:00

We lost some of the food in our fridge and freezer during the recent power outages in the Seattle area, so today I started working on stocking up on some of the items we use most often. I go through lots of frozen berries and fruit for my vegan fruit smoothies (like this vegan fruit smoothie recipe) - and it's going to be a bit expensive to replace the food we lost - so while I usually prefer buying organic, I decided to hit up my local Dollar Tree to see what they had.

While I was there, I took a look around to see what other vegan deals I could find.

Here are some of the vegan Dollar Tree deals I found on today's trip:

Good Grains Whole Flax Seeds
Frozen Whole Strawberries
Frozen Mixed Berries
Frozen Sliced Strawberries
Frozen Mango Pieces
Frozen Sliced Peaches
French Fries
Tater Tots
Tater Sticks

If you don't have an issue with excessive packaging, they also have multi-packs of peanuts and other nuts. And if you make an exception for items that are made with conventional sugar (which is generally processed with bone char), then there are lots more accidentally vegan food items you might enjoy. I didn't write those items down to share, because it slipped my mind that some vegans make that exception -- sorry!

Considering how much these items usually cost at grocery stores, it looks like Dollar Tree (and other dollar stores) is a great place to check out when shopping for vegan foods on a budget!

Vegan Grocery Deals - Safeway, NW Albertsons, Top Food & Drug Highlights

2012-01-19T04:42:00.000-08:00

Here are some of the highlights of the vegan deals you will find at Safeway, Top Foods and NW Albertsons through January 24, 2012...

Safeway Vegan Sale Items

Blueberries or Blackberries (6- oz container) - Buy 1 Get 2 Free
Star Olive Oil (25-oz bottle) - Buy 1 Get 1 Free
Spice Island Grinders or Spices - Buy 1 Get 1 Free
Wonderful Pistachios or Everybody's Nuts - Buy 1 Get 1 Free
Safeway Farms Russet Potatoes (10-lb bag) - $1.99 (with in-ad coupon from newspaper or mail)
Fresh Express Garden Plus Salads - $.99 each
Organic Broccoli - $1.99 per pound
Organic Minneolas - $1.49 per pound
O Organic Salad Blends - $4.99 each
O Organic Red, Gold or Russet Potatoes (3-lb bag) - $3.49 each
O Organic Celery Hearts - 2 for $5.00

Albertsons Vegan Sale Items

Strawberries (1-lb package) - Buy 1 Get 1 Free
Essential Everyday Pasta - 2 for $1.00 (with in-ad coupon from newspaper or mail) *I've never purchased this, but I believe it's vegan.
Zevia Natural Soda (6-pack) - $4.99
Pirate Brand Snacks - 2 for $5.00 (not all varieties are vegan)
Hass Avocados - $.99 each
Wonderful Pistachios (10-oz package) - $4.99
Red or Golden Delicious Apples - $.99 per pound

Top Food & Drug Vegan Sale Items

Red or Green Seedless Grapes - $1.79 per pound
Blueberries (6-oz container) - $1.49 each (with in-ad coupon from newspaper or mail)
White or Crimini Mushrooms (8-oz container) - $1.49 each
Vitamin Water - 10 for $10.00 (mix or match sale)
Festival Water Chestnuts (8-oz cans) - 10 for $10.00 (mix or match sale)
Niko Niko Calrose Rices (5 pounds) - $5.99
Navel Oranges - $.69 per pound

Vegan Fruit Smoothie Recipe

2012-01-18T19:24:00.000-08:00

Now that I have a Vitamix, juicing has become so much easier and more convenient. Since I no longer have to wash multiple pieces of a juicer every time I want a vegan smoothie or some fresh, raw vegetable juice, it has become much easier for me to incorporate more juicing into my daily routine - yay!

This is the vegan breakfast smoothie I am now making each day, and you don't need a Vitamix to enjoy it - any blender should do just fine with this one.

Vegan Fruit Smoothie Recipe:

1 banana
1 cup mixed frozen berries
1 cup water or fresh orange juice
1/2 to 1 scoop Now Tru-Food Vegan (optional)

This is a super easy vegan juicing recipe that results in a delicious smoothie packed with good-for-you nutrients. You, of course, don't have to include the scoop of the Now Tru-Food Vegan supplement, but I like to add it in order to up the nutritional value, since I am currently reworking my diet to deal with those pesky medical issues that have been keeping me from posting as often as I would like lately.

If you do want to try Now Tru-Food Vegan, I buy mine at Super Supplements (which is local to the Pacific Northwest), but you can also find it online and likely at your local natural or vegan grocer.

To make this recipe raw, stick with the banana and berries -- and only use freshly squeezed, unpasteurized orange juice or water.

Thanks for Your Patience!

2011-09-24T19:11:00.001-07:00

I apologize for this unexpected break in posting about vegan deals and ways to save money.

I'm on a bit of a forced break while I deal with some challenging medical issues.

I promise to be back to posting regularly as soon as possible, and I greatly appreciate your patience!

Vegan Deals at Northwest Albertsons thru Sept 6

2011-08-30T18:39:00.000-07:00

Here are some of this week's vegan sales at Northwest Albertsons stores:

Produce

Green or Red Seedless Grapes - $1.99 per pound

Blueberries, Raspberries or Blackberries (6 oz) - 2/$5.00

Peaches, Plums or Nectarines - $1.49 per pound

Seedless Watermelon Bowls - $5.99 each

Strawberries (4 pounds) - $7.99

Bartlett Pears - $.99 per pound

Mini Watermelons - $1.99

Red Cherries - $3.99 per pound

Cantaloupe - $.79 per pound

Farm Stand Iceberg Lettuce - $1.29 each

Broccoli or Cauliflower - $1.49 per pound

Vine Ripe Tomatoes - $1.49 per pound

Sweet Onions - $1.29

Yellow or Orange Bell Peppers - $1.99 each

Farm Stand Baby-Cut Carrots (2 pounds) - $2.69

Cucumbers - $.79 each

Clementines (3 pounds) - $6.99

Jalapeno Peppers - $1.49

Sweet Corn - 2/$1.00

Whole Stuffer or Steak Cut Mushrooms - $3.49

Wild Harvest Herbs - 2/$3.00

Wild Harvest Salad Blends - $4.49 each

Other Vegan Goodness

Tim's Cascade Chips - $3.49

Libby's Canned Vegetables - $1.29

Gardein Meatless Entrees - 2/$8.00

Blue Diamond Almonds (16 oz) - $6.99

Deschutes Beer (12 pack) - $10.99

Albertsons Frozen Blueberries - $3.49

Barilla Pasta Sauce - $3.29

Albertsons Canned Mushrooms - $.79

Mezzetta Peppers - $2.19

Albertsons Canned Ripe Olives - $1.39

Vegan Deals at Top Food and Drug thru Sept 6

2011-08-30T18:20:00.000-07:00

Here are this week's vegan sales at Top Food and Drug:

Produce

Green Bell Peppers - 2/$1.00

Cucumbers - 2/$1.00

Jumbo Keitt Mangos - $2.00 each

Red or Yellow Potatoes - $.79 per pound

Sunbursts or Cherubs Tomatoes - $2.98

Italian Prunes - $1.00 per pound

Fresh Express Salads, Spinach or Shreds - $2.00 each

Cantaloupes - $.39 per pound

Hass Avocados - $1.00 each

Other Vegan Goodness

Cascadian Farm Granola or Cereal - $3.49 (when you buy 10 or more mix or match sale items)

Haggen Canned Vegetables - $.79

Haggen Canned Olives - 4/$5.00

Haggen Canned Fruits - 10/$10.00

Haggen Frozen Vegetables (select varieties) - 4/$5.00

Deschutes Beer (6 pack) - $6.99

S&W Canned Tomatoes - 4/$5.00

Food Should Taste Good Chips - 2/$4.00 (not all varieties are vegan)

Zevia Diet Soda (6 pack) - Buy One, Get One Free

Vita Coco Coconut Water - 2/$5.00

Vegan Deals at Safeway thru Sept 6

2011-08-30T18:09:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the vegan deals you will find at Safeway this week. Don't forget to bring along your store club card to get these prices!

Produce

Personal Watermelons - $3.99 each

Navel Oranges - $1.49 per pound

Red or Green Seedless Grapes (3 pounds) - $5.99

Bartlett Pears - $1.49 per pound

Whole or Sliced White Mushrooms (8 oz) - 2/$5.00

Eating Right Baby Peeled Carrots - 2/$6.00

Eating Right Veggie Party Platter - $9.99

Asparagus - $2.49 per pound

Jumbo Cantaloupes - 2/$4.00

Sweet Platinum Corn - 6/$2.00

Hermiston Sweet Yellow Onions - $.99 per pound

Other Vegan Goodness

Kettle Chips - 2/$5.00

Safeway Canned Vegetables - $.69

Vegan Deals at Grocery Outlet thru Sept 6

2011-08-30T18:02:00.000-07:00

Grocery Outlet has a few vegan deals this week that you might want to check out...

Cantaloupes - $.99 each

4-count Tomatoes - 2/$3.00

Bossa Nova Antioxidant Juice - $.99 (I believe these are vegan)

Pagasa Pasta - $1.49

Botticelli Extra Virgin Olive Oil - $6.99

Classico Pasta Sauce - $1.49 with in-ad store coupon (in today's paper)

Kettle Chips - $1.99 with in-ad store coupon (in today's paper)

Patio Gardening Update...and a Cute, Little Visitor!

2011-08-24T15:47:00.000-07:00

I'm very excited to announce that I harvested the first green peppers from my patio garden today. Yay!

Here is a picture of my little green peppers:

And I also had to share a couple pictures of the super cute little visitor that came by yesterday...

And now that you know what little critter to look for, here is one from farther away -- so you can see just how cute it was for this little guy or gal to be hanging out on the basil leaf.

Today's Vegan Juicing Recipe

2011-08-24T15:33:00.000-07:00

Today's vegan juice ingredients:

Today's vegan juice was awesome! Since my favorite juice is a tomato-basil-garlic combo, I decided to up the nutritional value by adding kale, carrots, celery and oregano.

Here is today's vegan juicing recipe:

1/2 bunch kale (leaves and stalks)
3 tomatoes
2 carrots
2 celery stalks
1 garlic clove
About 20 basil leaves (from my patio garden - yay!)
About 20 oregano leaves (also from my patio garden - double yay!)

Since I have a wimpy juicer, I used a grapefruit spoon to core the tomatoes and make a hole big enough to stuff with the basil and oregano leaves. This helps the juicer handle leafy greens much better!

Vegan Deals at Northwest Albertsons Through Aug 30

2011-08-24T15:23:00.000-07:00

Vegan deals you will find at Northwest Albertsons stores through August 30:

Conventional Produce

Sweet Corn - 2/$1.00

Whole Seedless Watermelon - $.49 per pound

Prune Plums - $1.49 per pound

Russet Potatoes - $79 per pound

Green Beans - $1.49 per pound

Yellow Onions - $.59 per pound

Roma Tomatoes - $1.49 per pound

Strawberries (1 pound) - 2/$5.00

Celery - $.89 per pound

Green Peppers - $.69 per pound

Broccoli - $1.29 per pound

Cilantro - 2/$1.00

Farm Stand Carrots (1 pound) - $.79

Navel Oranges - $.189 per pound

Zucchini - $.99 per pound

Eat Smart Cut Vegetables (12 oz) - $1.99

Peaches - $.88 per pound

Nectarines - $.88 per pound

Green or Red Seedless Grapes - $1.99 per pound

Wild Harvest Romaine Hearts (3-count) - $2.99

Other Vegan Goodness

Tim's Cascade Chips - 2/$5.00

Albertsons Pitted Olives - $1.49

Albertsons Olive Oil (25.4 oz) - $6.99

Deschutes Beer (12-pack) - $12.99

Vitamin Water - $.70 each when you buy 10

Cascadian Farm Organic Granola Bars - $3.99

Cascadian Farm Granola - $3.99

Westsoy Soy Beverage (32 oz) - $2.69

Morningstar Farm Products - 2/$7.00 (not all varieties are vegan)

Gardenburger Products - 2/$7.00 (not all varieties are vegan)

Vegan Deals at Safeway Through August 30

2011-08-24T15:07:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the vegan deals you will find at Safeway this week:

Organic Produce

Organic Red or Yellow Onions - $.99 per pound

Conventional Produce

Green Beans - $1.49 per pound

Tomatoes on the Vine - $1.99 per pound

Whole or Sliced Crimini Mushrooms (8 oz) - 2/$4.00

Red or White Potatoes - $.69 per pound

Red, Black or Green Seedless Grapes - $2.49 per pound

Hot House English Cucumbers - 4/$5.00

Navel Oranges - $.99 per pound

Peaches or Nectarines - $.99 per pound

Fresh Express Salads - $.99

Other Vegan Goodness

Silk Milk (soy or almond - 64 oz) - $2.79

Bush's Best Variety Beans - 4/$5.00

Vegan Deals at Top Food and Drug Through August 30

2011-08-24T15:01:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the deals you will find on vegan foods at Top Food and Drug this week:

Organic Produce

Organic Sweet Yellow or White Corn - 10/$4.00

Organic Leaf Lettuce - $1.00

Organic Cucumbers - $1.00

Organic Black Seedless Watermelon - $.49 per pound

Conventional Produce

Grape Tomatoes (1 pint) - $2.00

Nectarines - $1.69 per pound

Green, Black or Red Seedless Grapes - $1.98 per pound

Celery - $.69 per pound

Cantaloupe - $.49 per pound

Radishes - 2/$1.00

Green Onions - 2/$1.00

Russet Potatoes (5 pounds) - $.99

Whole Seedless Watermelon - $.33 per pound

Green Cabbage - $.33 per pound

Fresh Express Salad Kit - $2.99

Other Vegan Goodness

Silk PureAlmond Milk (64 oz) - 2/$5.00

Full Circle Organic Pickles - 2/$5.00

Gardenburger Products - 2/$7.00 (not all varieties are vegan)

Full Circle Organic Frozen Vegetables - $1.99

Haggen Frozen Fruit - $2.99

Vegan Deals at PCC Natural Markets Through August 30

2011-08-22T09:34:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the great vegan deals you will find at PCC Natural Markets through August 30 -- plus a couple of vegan coupon matchups to help you save even more!

Produce

Local, organic cantaloupe – $.99 per pound

Local, organic watermelon – $.79 per pound

Local, organic green beans – $2.99 per pound

Local, organic cherry tomatoes (pint) – 2/$6.00

Local, organic basil (1/4-pound pack) – 2/$6.00

Local, organic yellow nectarines – 2.99 per pound

Other Vegan Goodness

Equal Exchange Organic, Fair-Trade, Shade-Grown Coffee - $11.49 per pound (decaf - $14.99)

Tony’s Organic, Fair-Trade, Shade-Grown Coffee - $9.99 per pound (decaf - $12.49)

So Delicious Organic Coconut Milk (32 oz) - $1.99

Westsoy Soy Milk (32 oz) – 2/$4.00

Blue Diamond Almond Breeze (64 oz) - $3.19
Print this vegan coupon from the Almond Breeze website to save $.55 more!

Bionaturae Organic Pasta (16 oz) – 2/$5.00

Sunshine Organic Veggie Burgers (3-pack) - $3.25

Cascadian Farm Organic Granola Bars – 2/$6.00

Cascadian Farm Cereal – 2/$5.00

Kettle Potato Chips (5 oz) – 2/$4.00

Garden of Eatin’ Tortilla Chips (16 oz) - $3.99
Use this printable vegan coupon to save an additional $1.00.

Cascadian Farm Organic Fruit Spread (10 oz) – 2/$6.00

Back to Nature Cookies - $3.29

Vegan Deals at Fred Meyer Through August 27

2011-08-22T03:05:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the vegan items you will find on sale at Fred Meyer this week - and three vegan coupon matchups to help you save even more!

Organic Produce

Organic Yellow Peaches - $1.49 per pound

Organic Nectarines - $1.49 per pound

Organic Valencia Oranges - $.79 per pound

Organic Mangoes - $1.00 each

Organic Kiwi - $.39 each

Private Selection Organic Celery Hearts - 2/$4.00

Private Selection Organic Spring Salad Mix - $3.99

Private Selection Organic Baby Spinach - $3.99

Organic Mini Peeled Carrots - 2/$3.00

Conventional Produce

Bartlett Pears - $1.00 per pound

Eggplant - $1.00 each

Walla Walla Sweet Onions - $.79 per pound

Tomatoes on the Vine - $1.29 per pound

Mushrooms - $2.49 per pound

Colored Bell Peppers - 4/$5.00

Other Vegan Goodness

Blue Diamond Almond Breeze - $1.99
Print this vegan coupon from the Almond Breeze website to save $.55 more!

Garden of Eatin' Tortilla Chips - 2/$4.00
Use this printable vegan coupon to save an additional $1.00.

Fred Meyer Frozen Vegetables - $.88 each (with coupon in this week's sale circular)

Fred Meyer Frozen Potatoes - 2/$3.00 (with coupon from sale circular)

Gardenburger Products - 2/$6.00 (only a few varieties are vegan)

So Delicious Coconut Frozen Dessert - $3.99
Visit the So Delicious website for printable vegan coupons and save even more!

Private Selection Frozen Fruit - 2/$5.00

JASON Body Wash - $8.99

Deschutes Beer - $6.99

Today's Vegan Juicing Recipe

2011-08-20T21:51:00.001-07:00

I stocked up on organic produce at Fred Meyer today, so in order to make room for it, I figured I would just use up whatever I had in my produce drawer for today's juice.

That led to this easy vegan juicing recipe:

1 bunch kale
1 cucumber (not organic, so I peeled it)
2 carrots
3 celery stalks

Yum!

Vegan Deals at Fred Meyer Through August 20

2011-08-16T08:58:00.000-07:00

Here are just a few of the vegan sales you will find at Fred Meyer this week:

Produce

Medium Hass Avocados - 4/$5.00

Strawberries (16 oz) - $1.88

Organic Red or Green Grapes - $1.99 per pound (We got some of these last week - they are great!)

Organic Broccoli - $1.48 per pound

White or Yellow Untrimmed Sweet Corn - 5/$2.00

Clementines (3 pounds) - $4.88

Iceberg Lettuce - $.68

Donut Peaches or Nectarines (16 oz) - 2/$3.00

Red or Gold Potatoes (2 pounds) - $1.00

Cucumbers - 2/$1.00

Green Peppers - 2/$1.00

Jalapeno Peppers - 10 pounds for $10.00

Serrano Peppers - 10 pounds for $10.00

Green Beans - $.99 per pound

Washington Yellow Peaches or Nectarines - $.98 per pound

Fresh Selections or Fresh Express Salad Blends - 2/$3.00

Other Vegan Goodness

Kashi Organic Cereal - 2/$7.00

Vitamin Water - 10/$10.00

Smartwater - 10/$10.00

Easy Vegan Lentil Soup Recipe (Great for Slow Cookers!)

2011-08-16T08:24:00.000-07:00

I felt like eating soup yesterday, but wasn't in much of a mood for doing a lot of cooking -- so I threw together this easy vegan lentil soup recipe and let it simmer in my slow cooker for about six hours.

Easy Vegan Lentil Soup Recipe

What you need:

4 cups vegetable broth (organic, low-sodium if possible)
6 cups water
4 carrots
3 celery stalks
2 cups lentils (washed and sorted)
1/2 of a medium onion
1-2 garlic cloves (depending on how much you like garlic - I used two.)
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon cumin
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon olive oil (optional)

What you do:

1. Chop onions, carrot, garlic and celery.
2. Heat olive oil (if using) in a pan.
3. Saute onions and celery.
4. Put all ingredients in the slow cooker, and let it do it's thing for about six hours.

That's it!

You can include the garlic when you start cooking everything else, but to receive the most healthful benefits from the garlic, it is better to wait until close to the end of cooking to add it.

When you are ready to add your garlic, chop it up, and then let it sit for about 10 minutes before adding it to whatever you are cooking. This allows time for allicin to form, which is the sulfur-based compound that is credited with most of the health benefits of garlic.

Yesterday's Vegan Juicing Recipe

2011-08-16T06:50:00.000-07:00

I was pretty under the weather yesterday, so I apologize for not posting this vegan juicing recipe sooner. I'm not sure what I will be brewing up in the juicer today, but I will post that one later!

Yesterday's Vegan Juicing Recipe

3 carrots
3 celery stalks
9 kale leaves/stalks
2 handfuls of spinach
1 small beet
1 small chunk of onion
1 garlic clove

This was my first time juicing a beet, and I'm not sure how I feel about it. The taste of the juice was fine, so that wasn't the problem; however, I got a killer headache soon after finishing my juice. I also didn't feel well for most of the day after.

My guess is that is was either too much sugar from the beet-carrot combo I had in there or the detox effect from including the all-mighty beet. Either way, I didn't like how I felt after this juice, and I'm thinking I might skip the beets for now.

Maybe I just need to juice a bit longer before amping things up with beets. Any thoughts?

Vegan Deals at Bartell Drugs Through August 21

2011-08-16T06:36:00.000-07:00

Bartell Drugs has some great vegan deals this week, and you can save even more with a few vegan coupons that are currently available.

Here are the vegan sales at Bartell Drugs this week:

Food Should Taste Good Chips (6 oz) - $1.79
**Join the fan club at the Food Should Taste Good website to get a $1.00 off printable vegan coupon.

Lundberg Rice Cakes - $1.79

Lundberg Rice Chips (6 oz) - $1.99

Lundberg Gourmet Rice Blend (16 oz) - $1.99

Blue Diamond Almond Breeze (32 oz) - $1.39
**If you have the .55 off coupon from the 8/7 Sunday paper coupon insert, you can save even more!

RyKrisp Crackers - $1.69

Newman's Own Organics Prunes or Raisins - $1.99

Dr. Bonner's Products - 25% off

Kiss My Face Products - 25% off

Tree Hut Products - 25% off

JASON Products - 25% off

Natracare Tampons, Panty Liners or Pads - $20% off

Bob's Red Mill Cereal - $1.99

Seventh Generation Products - 25% off
**Visit the Seventh Generation website for currently available printable vegan coupons.

Renpure Organics Shampoo or Conditioner - $4.99 (Their website says they do not test on animals, but I could not find anything specifically saying they are vegan - so please check the ingredient list on the product you intend to purchase to be sure.)

Today's All-Green Vegan Juicing Recipe

2011-08-13T04:03:00.000-07:00

I wasn't feeling so hot today, so I decided an abundance of kale was in order. I was expecting this juice to taste super healthy and maybe not all that awesome, but it actually turned out to be really, really good.

Here you go...

Today's All-Green Vegan Juicing Recipe

1 bunch kale (about 15 leaves/stalks)
2 celery stalks
1 handful of spinach
1 green apple

I know the ingredient list might make this look a little too green for some folks, but give it a try - I think you will like it much more than expected!

Today's Yummy Vegan Juicing Recipe

2011-08-12T01:20:00.000-07:00

Today's recipe was super simple and super delish, so I'll just make this post short and sweet.

Today's Yummy Vegan Juicing Recipe

5 carrots
3/4-inch chunk of ginger

That's it! Yum!

Vegan Deals at Safeway Through August 16

2011-08-10T03:03:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the vegan items you will find on sale at Safeway this week.

Remember: You will need a Safeway club card to get these prices.

Produce

Organic Carrots (1 pound) - $.99
Sugar Tree Lone Star Pluots - $1.99 per pound
Sweet Platinum Corn - 4/$2.00
Kiwis - 2/$1.00
Green Leaf, Red Leaf or Romaine Lettuce - $.99 each
Yellow Nectarines - $.99 per pound
Variety Melons - $.59 per pound
Green, Red, Yellow or Orange Bell Peppers - Buy One, Get One Free
Radishes - 2/$1.00
Green Onions - 2/$1.00
Strawberries, Blueberries, Blackberries or Raspberries - 2/$4.00

Other Vegan Goodness

O Organics Spices - Buy Two, Get One Free
Bush's Best Variety Beans - 10/$10.00
Tim's Potato Chips - $2.79
Safeway Pasta - $.79
Bertolli Pasta Sauce - 2/$6.00
Safeway Mustard - $.99
Deschutes Beer (12 pack) - $11.99

Vegan Deals at Northwest Alberstons Through August 16

2011-08-10T02:49:00.000-07:00

Here is a list of some of the vegan sales at Albertsons this week - enjoy!

Produce

Sweet Onions - $.99 per pound
Zucchini - $1.39 per pound
Cucumbers - $.79 each
Blueberries (1 pint) - $2.99
Sweet Corn - 2/$1.00
Whole Seedless Watermelon - $.49 per pound
Vine Ripe Tomatoes - $1.99 per pound
Iceberg Lettuce - $.99 each
Peaches or Nectarines - $1.69 per pound
Green or Red Seedless Grapes - $1.99 per pound
Hass Avocados - $1.49 each
Celery - $.89 each
Pluots - $1.99 per pound
Navel Oranges - $1.99 per pound
Gala Apples - $1.99 per pound
Cantaloupe - $.79 per pound
Honeydew - $.89 per pound
Casaba or Crenshaw Melon - $.99 per pound
Wild Harvest Organic Celery Hearts - $2.49

Other Vegan Goodness

Garden of Eatin' Tortilla Chips - $2.99
**Use this printable vegan coupon to save even more!

Blue Diamond Almond Breeze 2/$5.00
**If you have last Sunday's paper, there were $.55 off coupons for this.

Wild Harvest Organic Tortilla Chips - $2.00

Top Food & Drug Vegan Deals Through August 16

2011-08-10T02:29:00.000-07:00

Organic Produce

Organic Wheat Grass - $1.49
Organic Peeled Carrots (2 pounds) - $2.69
Organic Seedless Grapes - $2.49 per pound
Organic Red, Green or Romaine Leaf Lettuce - $1.49
Organic Blueberries (1 pint) - $3.49
Organic Nectarines - $1.98 per pound
Organic Personal Watermelon - $3.00 each

Conventional Produce

Pence Peaches - $2.49 per pound
Broccoli or Cauliflower - $.89 per pound
White or Crimini Mushrooms (8 oz) - $2.00
Cantaloupes - $.39 per pound
Mixed Melons - $.79 per pound
Honeydew Melon - $.59 per pound
Dulcinea Pureheart Watermelon or Heirloom Cantaloupe - $3.00 each
Seedless Watermelon - $.33 per pound
Fresh Express Garden Salad, Cole Slaw or Shreds - $1.49

Other Vegan Goodness

So Delicious Coconut Milk (32 oz) - $1.99
So Delicious Coconut Milk (8 count) - $6.49 (when you buy 10 or more participating items)
Better Oats Instant Oatmeal - $.99 (when you buy 10 or more participating items)
Vitamin Water - $.75 (when you buy 10 or more participating items)
Kikkoman Sauces - 2/$5.00
Haggen Vegetable Blends or Petites (16 oz) - 3/$5.00
Back to Nature Products - 30$% off
Barbara's Bakery Cereals - $3.99 each (only some are vegan)
Haggen Diced Green Chiles - 10/$10.00

Today's Awesome Vegan Juicing Recipe

2011-08-10T01:12:00.000-07:00

Today's juice was absolutely divine!

Here is the produce I used today (please forgive the poor pic quality):

Today's Juice Recipe

4 tomatoes
2 garlic cloves
1 handful of spinach
1 sprig oregano (about 15 leaves)
About 15 basil leaves

The basil and oregano came from my patio herb garden. I'm hoping to someday get some tomatoes from that darn garden, but so far the tomatoes are just sitting there being green. I do have three green bell peppers that are just about ready to pick, so I'm excited to use those in a juicing recipe soon.

I really enjoyed the two cloves of garlic in this one, but my guy thought the garlic flavor was too strong. So if you are not a huge garlic fan, you might want to use just one garlic clove.

I actually was not excited about adding the spinach and did so only for the nutrients. I was sure that it was going to take away from the awesomeness of the basil-garlic-tomato combo, but I was rather pleasantly surprised that it ended up being quite good.

For those of you who have a wimpy juicer (like me), you might have issues getting the basil, oregano and spinach to juice well. To help fix this problem, I cored the tomatoes with a grapefruit spoon, and then stuffed the resulting hole in each tomato with as many of the leaves as I could squish in there. That seems to help quite a bit.

Today's Vegan Juicing Recipe (with pictures!)

2011-08-09T03:11:00.000-07:00

(This post was written before I posted the pics, so that is why the next part makes absolutely no sense now that the pics are up.)

I was so proud of myself for remembering that I wanted to get a picture of today's juice before gulping it down (so that I could post it on the blog with today's vegan juicing recipe).

Well...I had my guy take the pic - since he is a much better photographer - and then I promptly forgot to have him send it to me so that I could post it. He is now sound asleep, so I will post that darn pic as soon as I can get it from him.

In the meantime, here's the very green juice I made today:

Today's Vegan Juicing Recipe

1 cucumber
4 celery stalks
1 green apple
1 handful of spinach

This one was super simple to throw together and tasted surprisingly good!

As I was looking up some other stuff about juicing last night, I came across an article about celery being a bit high in sodium and recommending that it be used in moderation. I've been using it nearly every day at four stalks a pop, so I'll have to do a little more reading on this and see if I might want to cut back some on the celery.

Four stalks per day doesn't sound like a lot to me, but I'm no juicing expert. So I will have to look into that.

Awesome Sales on Organic Produce at Fred Meyer this Week! (and more vegan goodness)

2011-08-08T01:06:00.000-07:00

This week is going to be a great week for organic produce at Fred Meyer. The only downside is that you might have to try to get there early in the day to grab these deals before they get swooped up by others. Today was the first day of the sale, and it was already down to just two remaining bunches of organic kale and two bunches of organic beets at my local Freddy's when I got there.

Of course, I don't need more than two bunches of kale at a time, and there was plenty of other organic produce to scoop up, so it worked out just fine -- but if anyone wanting organic kale showed up after me today...I'm sorry that I took the last two bunches!

Here is a pic of just one of the great organic deals this week:

And here is your list of some of the other organic and vegan deals you will find at Fred Meyer through August 13:

Organic Produce

Organic Herbs - 2/$3.00

Organic Wheatgrass - Buy one, get one free ($1.99 for two)

Organic Green Cabbage - $.69 per pound

Organic Red or Yukon Gold Potatoes (3 pounds) - $2.99 each

Organic Collard Greens - 2/$3.00

Organic Red Chard - 2/$3.00

Organic Red Cherries - $3.88 per pound

Organic Cantaloupe - $.79 per pound

Organic Peaches - $1.48 per pound

Organic Nectarines - $1.48 per pound

Organic Blueberries (18 oz) - $3.98

Organic Medjool Dates (16 oz) - $5.99

Organic Kale - 2/$3.00

Organic Italian Kale - 2/$3.00

Organic Bunch Beets - 2/$3.00

Organic Bunch Carrots - 2/$3.00

(See - I told you there were tons of awesome organic deals this week!)

Conventional Produce

Jazz Apples - $1.48 per pound

Fresh-Cut Fruit Bowls - 25% off

Hothouse Bell Peppers - 4/$5.00

English Cucumbers - 4/$5.00

Tomatoes on the Vine - $1.28 per pound

Australian Navel Oranges - $1.48 per pound

Broccoli Crowns - $.88 per pound

Walla Walla Sweet Onions - $.79 per pound

Hermiston Seedless Watermelon - $3.78 each

Radishes - 2/$.88

Green Onions - 2/$.88

Yellow or Zucchini Squash - $.79 per pound

Spinach - $.78 each

Anjou Pears - $.88 per pound

Green Beans - $1.28 per pound

Donut Peaches or Nectarines (1 pound) - 2/$4.00

Peeled Mini Carrots (2 pounds) - $1.79 each

Cucumbers - $.50 each

Leaf Lettuce - $1.00 each

Other Vegan Goodness

Muir Glen Salsa - 2/$6.00

Nature's Way Supplements - 20% off (not all are vegan)

Fred Meyer Tender Twist Bread - 4/$5.00 (check front of package for vegan varieties)

Sabra Hummus - $3.99 each

Miss Vickie's Potato Chips - 2/$6.00

Deschutes Beers (6-pack) - $6.99

So Delicious Coconut Milk (1/2 gallon) - 2/$4.00

Today's Vegan Juicing Recipe

2011-08-08T00:33:00.000-07:00

I need another produce basket. Today's shopping trip to Fred Meyer filled both baskets I currently have, the veggie drawer in my fridge and most of one shelf in the fridge. One of the reasons I ended up with way more produce than originally planned is that my guy decided he would like to try juicing - but only with fruits. That is, of course, cool with me. I'm just happy he wants to try juicing at all.

So we ended up bringing home apples, pears, peaches, carrots, kale, spinach, cucumbers, garlic, onions, purple cabbage, beets, limes, kiwi, celery and more. Oh, and wheatgrass. I have no idea what to do with wheatgrass, but I now have wheatgrass sitting on my kitchen counter and will be looking up exactly how to incorporate it into my juicing recipes.

I bought organic beets with the intention of using them in tonight's juice. However, I have never done anything with a beet before, and after starting to do a little research online about juicing beets and beet greens, I decided to hold off until I have read more. As soon as it got into how I should use beet juice in moderation and not mix it with calcium-rich juices and such, I figured I better do a bit more research before popping a beet in my juicer.

So with all that said, here is the green juice I made this evening:

3 carrots
4 celery stalks
1/8 of a head of purple cabbage
1 handful of spinach
5 kale leaves/stalks
1 half-inch sliver of ginger

This was not the best juice I have made so far, but it certainly was drinkable. I think it would have benefited from a bit more ginger or maybe throwing in an apple, but it was still good.

I think I want to try juicing just carrots and ginger within the next few days. I love carrot and ginger soup, so I'm thinking carrot and ginger juice will be delish!

Saturday Vegan Juicing Recipe

2011-08-06T22:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday ended up being a pretty busy day, so I wasn't able to find the time to post yesterday's juice recipe. However, it was pretty boring - since it was just plain carrot juice.

Today's juice was much more exciting, so here is the list of ingredients I used in today's juice:

4 celery stalks
4 carrots
8 kale leaves/stalks
1 two-inch piece of white onion
1 roma tomato
About 1/8 of head of purple cabbage

This combo came about from me trying to use up the last of the produce I had on hand in preparation of heading to the store tomorrow to restock my produce drawer and basket.

I juiced the purple cabbage first and was surprised at how much juice I got from the somewhat small piece I juiced. I also tried the purple cabbage juice before I added anything else and was surprised again when I found the taste of pure purple cabbage juice to really not be that bad at all.

Once I added in everything else but the onion, the end result definitely had a distinctive green juice flavor going on, which wasn't exactly bad, but it wasn't quite as appealing as I had hoped. So I threw in the chunk of onion to spice things up a bit, which did the job nicely.

As for juicing the kale in my not-so-great juicer, I took the advice of Jackie, who was kind enough to leave a comment on a previous juicing post recommending that I run the kale through with the celery to give it something to wrap around. While I still think a better juicer would get more juice out of the kale, following this tip made a significant difference - thanks, Jackie!

If you would like to check out some of Jackie's other juicing tips and recipes, check out her blog here.

Today's Super Simple Juice Recipe

2011-08-05T00:53:00.000-07:00

Today's vegan juicing recipe was super simple and super delish!

Okay, so here's the deal: I'm trying to go through some random produce I have before I head back to the store to stock up for the next few days of juicing. Today, that meant throwing together some roma tomatoes and onion. I considered adding some kale to increase the nutrients in today's juice, but I decided to pass on it in order to enjoy some pure tomato-y bliss.

There are very few ingredients in this juice, and a wider variety would have increased its nutrition value significantly...but it was damn good!

Today's Juice Recipe:

4 roma tomatoes
1/4 of a medium white onion
About 20 basil leaves
1 tsp of minced garlic

I was craving this all night, and then discovered that I was out of fresh garlic when I went to make the juice. So I cheated by adding about one teaspoon of minced garlic from the fridge. Next time, I will make sure I have fresh garlic on hand!

As for the roma tomatoes...that is just what I happened to have in my veggie basket. I'm sure nice, fat, regular ol' tomatoes provide more juice and are probably cheaper overall, so I'll be picking up some of those this weekend.

After the kale fail I had yesterday, I knew my temperamental juicer was going to take one look at my basil leaves and laugh in my face. So since I basically made a hole in the top of the tomatoes when I cut out the stem, I just stuffed the garlic and basil leaves inside the hole before juicing. That seemed to work pretty well!

Also -- the basil was my fave part, because it came from my patio garden. Yay for growing herbs!

Vegan Deals at PCC Natural Markets August 3 Through August 16

2011-08-04T01:41:00.000-07:00

PCC Natural Markets always has sales on vegan products, so it's no surprise that there is quite a list of vegan goodness on sale at PCC through August 16.

Turtle Island Tempeh is just one of the vegan deals you will find, and I am super excited about this one. Have you tried their Smoky Maple Tempeh Bacon yet? We fell in love with it a couple of months ago, and there is now a permanent spot in the fridge reserved just for it. If you haven't tried it yet, I highly recommend it!

Here are some other vegan deals at PCC right now:

Organic Produce

Organic Seedless Watermelon (locally grown) - $.79 per pound

Organic Cantaloupe (locally grown) - $.99 per pound

Organic Red or Green Seedless Grapes - $3.99 per pound

Organic Packaged Basil (locally grown) – 2/$6.00

Organic Portabello Mushrooms (locally grown) - $4.99 per pound

Organic Heirloom Tomatoes - $3.99 per pound

Other Vegan Goodness

Turtle Island Tempeh (7 oz) - $2.99

Gardenburger Veggie Burgers - $3.25 (not all varieties are vegan)

Boca Veggie Burgers - $3.39

Nasoya Nayonaise (14 oz) - $3.59

Maranatha Organic Peanut Butter - $4.99

Luna Bar - $1.09

Back to Nature Crackers - $2.79

Nature’s Path Organic, Gluten-Free Cereal – 2/$6.00

Kalani Organic, Fair Trade, Shade Grown Coffee - $10.99 per pound (decaf - $12.79)

Fidalgo Bay Nature’s Crest Organic, Fair Trade, Shade Grown Coffee - $9.49 per pound (decaf - $10.49)

Eco Teas Organic Yerba Mate (24 count) - $3.29

Blue Diamond Almond Breeze (32 oz) – 2/$4.00

Vegan Deals at Whole Foods Through August 16

2011-08-04T01:14:00.000-07:00

Here are just a few of the vegan deals you will find at Whole Foods through August 16.

Blue Mountain Farms Organic Blueberries (18 oz) - $4.99

Kettle Foods Baked Potato Chips (4 oz) – 2/$4.00

Organic Red, Green or Lacinato Kale – 2/$3.00

Clif Kid Organic Twisted Fruit – 2/$5.00

Eco Teas Mate Teas - $3.64 to $6.74

Gabriel Cosmetics – 25% off

Today's Juice Recipe

2011-08-04T00:57:00.000-07:00

I've had a juicer for a couple of years now, but I've only used it a few times. After watching the documentary Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead - and then watching Food Matters a few days later - I was inspired to dig my juicer out of the garage and give juicing another go.

So as I begin my renewed commitment to incorporating juicing into my daily routine, I figured I would share a little bit about how it goes and the juicing recipes I use along the way.

Here's the juice with which I started off my day:

Today's Juice Recipe

3 carrots
4 celery stalks
1 cup purple cabbage
6 kale stalks/leaves
1 apple
1 one-inch piece of ginger

I will probably use a little less ginger next time. I liked the taste of this juice, but my partner thought the ginger flavor was a bit strong.

I sent the kale through twice to get as much green juice as I could out of it; however, I don't think my low-end juicer ($80 Hamilton Beach model) is going to handle kale very well -- at least not from the looks of things today.

I might have to incorporate kale into my diet in other ways and stick to juicing fruits and vegetables that my juicer feels like juicing.

Anyone have any tips on juicing kale?

Vegan Sales: Northwest Albertsons Vegan Deals August 3 to August 9

2011-08-03T20:58:00.000-07:00

Here are your Albertsons vegan sales for the week:

Local Produce (Pacific Northwest)

Red Cherries - $3.99 per pound

Blueberries (1 pint) - $2.99

Cucumbers - $.79

Green Cabbage - $.69 per pound

Sweet Onions - $.99 per pound

Green Beans - $1.69 per pound

Farm Stand Baby-Cut Carrots - $1.69

Other Produce

Green or Red Seedless Grapes - $2.99 per pound

Tomatoes on the Vine - $2.49 per pound

Strawberries (1 pound) - 2/$5.00

Granny Smith Apples - $1.29 per pound

Farm Stand Sleeved Celery - $1.29

Green Onions - $.69

Radishes - $.69

Yukon Gold Potatoes - $.99 per pound

Red Potatoes - $.99 per pound

Portabello Mushrooms - $1.99

Zucchini or Yellow Squash - $1.29 per pound

Albertsons Cut Vegetables (18 oz) - $3.49

Serrano Peppers - $1.49 per pound

Seedless Watermelon Bowls - $5.99

Other Vegan Goodness

Albertsons Salsa (16 oz) - $2.29

Vitamin Water (20 oz) - 4/$5.00 (Safeway has better sale)

Pompeian Extra Virgin Olive Oil (32 oz) - $8.99

Albertsons Mixed Nuts or Cashews - $3.29

Albertsons Mandarin Oranges (15-oz cans) - $1.69

Albertsons Ripe Olives - $1.39

Star Vinegar (8.5 oz) - $2.89

Vegan Deals: Safeway Sales on Vegan Items August 3 to August 9

2011-08-03T20:44:00.000-07:00

Here is a list of some of the vegan sales going on at Safeway this week. Remember: You will need a Safeway store card to get these prices.

Produce

Dino Egg Pluots - $1.99 per pound

Zucchini or Yellow Squash - $.99 per pound

Red Bell Peppers or Hothouse Cucumbers - 4/$5.00

White or Yellow Peaches - $1.99 per pound

Sweet Northwest Red Cherries - $3.99 per pound

Clementines (5 pounds) - $5.00

Red, Green or Black Seedless Grapes - $.99 per pound

Jumbo Cantaloupe - 2/$4.00

Safeway Grape Tomatoes - Buy One, Get One Free

Fresh Express or Eating Right Salad Blends - Buy One, Get One Free

Other Vegan Goodness

Vitamin Water (20 oz) or Smartwater (1 liter) - $.79 each when you buy 10 or more

Safeway Cashews (26 oz) - $10.49

Safeway Baked Beans - 2/$3.00 (look for ones marked vegetarian)

Star Olive Oil (17 oz) - Buy One, Get One Free

Classico Pasta Sauce (44 oz) - $4.49 (not all varieties are vegan)

Bush's Variety Beans - 10/$10.00

Bertolli Pasta Sauce 2/$5.00 (not all varieties are vegan)

Smart Balance Spread - 2/$5.00 (Smart Balance Light is vegan; regular Smart Balance is not.)

Emerald Nuts (10 oz to 11 oz) - $3.99

Almond Breeze Milk (64 oz) - $2.49 (with in-ad coupon)

Top Foods: Sales on Vegan, Organic Food August 3 - August 9

2011-08-02T19:59:00.000-07:00

Top Foods has some great vegan sales this week, including lots of organic produce!

Here is a list of some of the vegan and organic goodness you will find at Top Foods this week:

Organic Produce

Organic Girl Salad (10 oz) - $4.79

Organic Chard - $2.00

Organic Cilantro - $1.00

Organic Leaf Lettuce - $1.49

Organic Green Beans - $2.49 per pound

Organic Spinach - $1.49

Organic Cucumbers - $1.00 each

Organic Bunch Beets - $2.98

Other Organics

Full Circle Organic Soy Milk - $2.99

Full Circle Organic Orange Juice - $3.99

Full Circle Organic Oatmeal - $2.99

Full Circle Organic Cereal - $2.99

Full Circle Organic Applesauce - 2/$5.00

Conventional Produce

Walla Walla Sweet Onions - $.79 per pound

Green Peppers - $.59 each

Nectarines - $1.49

Red or Green Seedless Grapes - $1.98 per pound

Red or Black Plums - $.89 per pound

Iceberg Lettuce - $.89 each

Blueberries (2 pounds) - $4.98

Fresh Express - $2.00

Other Vegan Goodness

Libbey's Canned Vegetables - $.79

Libbey's Canned Fruit - 2/$3.00

Willamette Valley Farms Frozen Fruit (2 pounds) - $6.99

Tim's Cascade Style Kettle Chips - 2/$5.00

Full Circle Organic Coffee - $7.99

Que Pasa Tortilla Chips - $2.99

Boca Meatless Frozen Products - $3.99

Purely Decadent Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert - $3.99

Vita Coco 100% Coconut Water - $4.99

Full Circle Fruit & Cereal Bars - 2/$5.00 (I believe some varieties are vegan)

Haggen Ripe Olives (6 oz) - 10/$10.00 (mix or match sale item)

Haggen Canned Beans (15 oz) - 15/$10.00 (mix or match sale item)

Vegan Beer

Deschutes (6 pack) - $6.99

Vegan Baby

Seventh Generation Baby Wipes - $3.99
**Check out these printable coupons for even more savings.

Seventh Generation Diapers or Training Pants - $9.99
**Check out these printable coupons for even more savings.

Earth's Best Organic Baby Food - 10/$10.00 (mix or match sale item)

Vegan Deals at Grocery Outlet August 3 - August 9

2011-08-02T19:30:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the vegan items on sale at Grocery Outlet this week:

Seedless Watermelons - $2.99

Seedless Grapes (2 pounds) - $2.99

Organic Classic Salads (5 oz) - 2/$5.00

Walla Walla Sweet Onions - $1.99 per pound

Nature's Peak Berries (16 oz raspberries or wild blueberries) - $2.99

8th Continent Soy Milk (64 oz) - $2.49
**Visit the 8th Continent website for a printable vegan coupon to save even more.

Sun Valley Ripe Olives (6 oz) - $.79

Emerald Mixed Nuts with Peanuts (15 oz) - $3.99

Kettle Organic Chips (5 oz) - $.99

Another Reason to Love Bartell Drugs - and Vegan, DIY Soda Making!

2011-08-02T04:04:00.000-07:00

In a previous blog post, I mentioned the JET Home Soda Maker Starter Kit, Sodamix and Sodamix Specialty Flavors available at Bartell Drugs.

Just after I published the post and tweeted it, Howie (the GM buyer for Bartell Drugs) contacted me to let me know that he had sent an email to SodaStream to make sure bone char was not used when processing their flavors.

First off, I'm happy to report that he has received an answer, and it is confirmed that these DIY soda-making goodies are vegan friendly. So if you enjoy drinking sodas - but aren't quite as keen on buying all of those expensive, single-use bottles of soda at the store - you might want to consider this handy DIY soda maker for your home.

Secondly, I want to point out that Howie is awesome. He saw my post and took it upon himself to contact the company and to message me to let me know he was making sure the product was vegan.

Now that is what I call some awesome, vegan-friendly customer service!

Thanks again, Howie!

Vegan Deals at Fred Meyer through August 6

2011-08-02T03:40:00.000-07:00

Here is a list of some of the vegan deals you will find at Fred Meyer this week:

Produce

Olathe Sweet Corn - 12/$3.00

Kiwi Fruit - 3/$1.00

Yellow Peaches - $1.48 per pound

Nectarines - $1.48 per pound

Asparagus - $2.98 per pound

Grape Tomatoes (10 oz) - 2/$3.00

Private Selection Organic Salad - 2/$5.00

Organic Raspberries (1/2 pint) - 2/$4.00

Organic Blackberries (1/2 pint) - 2/$4.00

Red Cherries - $1.98 per pound

Vegan Beer

Deschutes (12 pack) - $11.99

Blue Moon (6 pack) - $5.99 (most are vegan friendly - just avoid the ones with honey)

New Belgium (6 pack) - $5.99

Mike's Hard Lemonade (6 pack) - $6.99

Other Vegan Goodness

Bulk Almonds (slivered, sliced or whole) - $2.99 per pound

Fred Meyer Canned Fruit - 10/#10.00

Pepsi (2 liter) - 4/$5.00

Country Oven Bread - 3/$4.00 (vegan options are marked as such)

Food Should Taste Good Chips - 2/$4.00

Emerald Valley Salsa, Hummus or Bean Dip - 2/$5.00

Cascadian Farms Cereal or Bars - 2/$6.00 (not all varieties are vegan)
**Visit the Cascadian Farm website for a printable coupon to save even more.

Household

All Bakeware - Buy One, Get One 1/2 Off

All FoodSaver Bags - Buy Two, Get One Free (with in-store coupon)

Kitchen Gadgets - Buy Two, Get One Free (with in-store coupon)

Wine Accessories on Sale at Bartell Drugs through August 7

2011-08-02T03:07:00.000-07:00

Bartell Drugs doesn't have many vegan items listed in their sale circular this week; however, they do have some good sales on wine accessories that would make great gifts for vegan wine lovers - or would just be handy to have around the house!

Vinturi Wine Aerator (for red wine) - $39.99
I bought this wine aerator for my uncle and his partner for Christmas last year. It works great and allows you to enjoy your wine faster, since you don't have to take the time to allow it to breathe a bit first.

Picnic Stake Set - $14.99
I have never seen something like this before, but it looks like a really cute gift for a wedding or commitment ceremony. The set includes a bottle holder and two glass holders. Throw it in a basket with some vegan wine and wine accessories, and it will make an easy-to-throw-together gift!

Wine Accessories - 25% off
Select accessories that are on sale include wine bottle stoppers, wine coolers and bottle openers.

Seven Printable Vegan Coupons from Mambo Sprouts

2011-07-29T01:08:00.000-07:00

Mambo Sprouts has several printable vegan coupons right now. Head to their website to print out these coupons:

$1.00 off McCann’s Irish Oatmeal

$.75 off Organic Valley Original or Vanilla Soy Creamer

$1.00 off Earth Balance Soymilk

$2.00 off Rescue Remedy Pet Products

$.55 off San-J Gluten Free Asian Cooking Sauce or Salad Dressing

$.75 off Two Mori-Nu Tofu Packages

$1.00 off Late July Organic Multigrain Snack Chips (I’ve never had these, but I believe they are vegan – correct me if I’m wrong!)

Sample Small Planet Organics Organic Dips and Spreads This Weekend

2011-07-27T17:35:00.000-07:00

In addition to the other great vegan deals at PCC Natural Markets this week, you might also want to stop by the Redmond or Issaquah locations this weekend to sample Small Planet Organics all-organic dips and spreads.

These organic, vegan, wheat-free, gluten-free, sugar-free dips and spreads are produced locally and are currently on sale at PCC Natural Markets for just $3.99, so even if you can't make it to one of the sampling locations this weekend, you can pick up this vegan deal at the PCC nearest you!

You can learn more about Small Planet Organics by visiting their website.

Vegan Sales at Fred Meyer Through Saturday (July 30) - Plus Save More with Vegan Coupons!

2011-07-27T03:32:00.000-07:00

As usual, Fred Meyer has some pretty good vegan sales going on this week. There are even a couple of vegan coupon matchups that make for even more savings!

Here are your Fred Meyer vegan deals for the week:

Organic Produce

Organic Strawberries (1 pound) - 2/$5.00

Organic Avocados - 2/$4.00

Private Selection Organic Frozen Berries - 2/$5.00

Conventional Produce

Personal Watermelon - 2/$4.00

Tuscan Cantaloupe - 2/$4.00

Blueberries (5 pounds) - $9.98

Blueberries (2 pounds) - $4.98

Blueberries (1 pint) - 2/$4.00

Rainier Cherries - $3.88 per pound

Red or Black Plums - $.98 per pound

Walla Walla Sweet Onions - $.79 per pound

Broccoli or Cauliflower - $.98 per pound

Other Vegan Goodness

Alexia Fries or Onion Rings - 2/$6.00
**Save more with this $1.00 off printable vegan coupon.

Fred Meyer Frozen Vegetables - $.79 (with in-ad coupon, limit 4)

Fred Meyer Frozen Potatoes - 4/$5.00 (with in-ad coupon, limit 4)

Turtle Mountain So Delicious Dessert (32 oz) - $3.98
**If you printed this .55 off vegan coupon when it was available, you can save even more!

Gardenburger Products - 2/$7.00

Fred Meyer 1/2 Gallon Orange Juice - 4/$5.00 (with in-ad coupon from sales circular - limit 8)

Fred Meyer Tender Twist Bread - $.99 (look for "vegan" at the bottom left corner of the package to find vegan varieties)

Imagine Rice or Soy Beverages - 3/$5.00
**Save even more with this $1.00 off printable vegan coupon! With a $1.00 off coupon, these will be just $.67 each - yay!

Vegan Beer! Vegan Beer! Vegan Beer!

Deschutes Beers (6 pk) - $5.99

I don't see sales on vegan-friendly beers very often, so I'm a bit excited. =)

Vegan Health, Wellness and Beauty

Alba Personal Care Products - 25% off

Nature's Way Select Supplements - 20% off (looks like coconut oil is included)

Vegan Deals at Safeway July 27 to August 2

2011-07-27T01:26:00.000-07:00

Here is a list of some of the best vegan deals at Safeway this week. Remember: You will need a Safeway store card to get these prices.

Organic Produce

Organic Raspberries - Buy 1, Get 1 Free (equal or lesser value)

Organic Blackberries - Buy 1, Get 1 Free (equal or lesser value)

Organic Blueberries - Buy 1, Get 1 Free (equal or lesser value)

Organic Cantaloupe - Buy 1, Get 1 Free (equal or lesser value)

Organic Red or Black Plums - $1.49 per pound

O Organics Salads - 2/$5.00

Conventional Produce

Roma Tomatoes - $1.29 per pound

Red, Yellow or Orange Peppers - 2/$4.00

Portabella Sliced or Whole Mushrooms (6 oz) - 2/$6.00

Eating Right Sugar Snap Peas (2 pounds) - $4.99

Rainier Cherries - $3.99 per pound

Walla Walla Sweet Onions - $.99 per pound

Apricots - $1.99 per pound

Red Seedless Watermelon - $4.99 per pound

Other Vegan Goodness

Red Lion Nectarines - $1.99 per pound

Wonderful Pistachios (8 oz) - Buy 1, Get 1 Free

Silk Non-Dairy Milks (64 oz) - $2.49 (with in-ad coupon, limit 3)
*If you have not yet used your printable Silk vegan coupons, you can save even more!

Kettle Chips - $2.75

O Organics Salsa (16 oz) - 2/$4.00

Safeway Ripe Pitted Olives - $1.29

S&W Beans - 10 for $10.00

Vitamin Water or Smartwater - $.79 each when you buy 10 or more

Vegan Deals at Northwest Albertsons for July 27 to August 2

2011-07-27T00:52:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the best vegan deals at NW Albertsons this week:

Produce

Organic Wild Harvest Salad Blends (5 oz) - 2/$6.00

Eat Smart Cut Vegetables (12 oz) - $1.99

Seedless Watermelon Bowl (52 oz) - $5.99

Broccoli - $1.49 per pound

Cauliflower - $1.49 per pound

Jalapeno Peppers - $1.49 per pound

Plums - $1.49 per pound

Hass Avocados (medium) - 2/$3.00

Green or Red Seedless Grapes - $2.99 per pound

Hot House Tomatoes - $1.99 per pound

Asparagus - $3.99 per pound

Mini Sweet Peppers (1 pint) - $2.69

Fuji or Gala Apples - $1.99 per pound

Strawberries (1 pound) - $2/$5.00

Raspberries (6 oz) - 2/$5.00

Blackberries (6 oz) - 2/$5.00

Cantaloupe - $.48 per pound

Sweet Onions - $1.29 per pound

Green Beans - $1.49 per pound

Cucumbers - $.69 each

Red Cherries - $2.99 per pound

Blueberries (1 pint) - $2.99

Blueberries (2 pounds) - $8.99

Other Vegan Goodness

Farm Stand Peanuts in the Shell (12 oz) - $1.99

Vitamin Water - $.75 each when you buy 10

S&W Beans (26 oz to 30 oz) - $2.19

Albertsons Tomato Paste (12 oz) - $1.19

Albertsons Sliced or Chopped Olives (2.25-4.25 oz) - $1.29

McIlhenny Tabasco Sauce (2 oz) - $1.59

Bertolli Olive Oil (select varieties, 17 oz) - $5.99

Tim's Cascade Potato Chips (18 oz, selected varieties)- $3.99

Sabra Hummus (10 oz) - $3.99

Lundberg Rice Chips (6 oz) - $3.29

Top Foods Vegan Deals July 27 to August 2

2011-07-26T19:15:00.000-07:00

Here is a list of vegan and organic deals at Top Foods this week:

Organic Produce

Organic Blueberries (1 pint) - $3.49

Organic Cilantro - $1.00 per bunch

Organic Radishes - $1.00 per bunch

Organic Girl Salad (5 oz) - $2.79

Conventional Produce

Apricots - $1.98 per pound

Rainier Cherries - $4.98 per pound

Red, Green or Romaine Lettuce - $1.00 each

Mann's Broccoli Cole Slaw (12 oz) - 3/$5.00

Mann's Snap Peas (15 oz) - %4.98

Fresh Express Salad, Spinach or Shreds (9 oz) - $2.00

Maui Gold Pineapple - $2.98

Yellow or White Sweet Corn - 10/$4.00

Carrots (2 pounds) - $.69

Cucumbers (2 pounds) - $.69

Yellow Onions - 3 pounds/$1.00

Olives (from the deli) - $2.99 (4 oz to 7 oz)

Other Vegan Foods/Drinks

San Juan Salsa (14 oz) - 2/$7.00

Juanita's Tortilla Chips (15 oz) - 2/$5.00

Mission Tortilla Chips (20 oz) - 2/$5.00

Stacy's Pita Chips (8 oz) - 2/$4.00

Drew's All Natural Dressing (12 oz) - 2/$5.00 (not all varieties are vegan)

Haggen Frozen Vegetables (10 oz to 16 oz) - 4/$5.00

Haggen Pickles (select varieties) - 2/$5.00

Napoleon Green Olives (6.5 oz) - $3.49

Napoleon Quartered Artichoke Hearts (13.75 oz) - $2.99

Zevia Natural Soda (6 pk) - $3.99

Pepsi (6 pk of 24 oz bottles or 12 pk of 12 oz cans) - 2/$9.00

Pepsi (2 liters) - $.99

Household

Method Cleaning Products (select varieties) - $2.99

Method Laundry Detergent - $6.99

Full Circle Natural Toilet Paper (4 rolls) - $2.99

Tons of Vegan and Organic Goodness on Sale at PCC Natural Markets (Through August 2, 2011)

2011-07-26T02:15:00.000-07:00

There is so much vegan and organic awesomeness on sale at PCC Natural Markets right now!

Here is a list of just some of the deals you will find at PCC for vegan and/or organic goods:

Organic Produce

Organic Cantaloupe - $.99 per pound

Organic Dapple Dandy Pluots - $1.99 per pound

Organic, Local Zucchini - $1.99 per pound

Organic Heirloom Tomatoes - $3.99 per pound

Organic, Local Walla Walla Onions - $1.49 per pound

Organic, Local LaPierre Blueberries (pint) - $3.99

Other Vegan Goodness

Small Planet Organics All Organic Dip and Spreads - $3.99 (also gluten free)

Remlinger Frozen Fruit (3 pounds) - $9.99

Popchips Potato Chips (3 oz) - $1.69

Garden of Eatin’ Tortilla Chips (9 oz) - $2.39
Print out this $1.00 off coupon to save even more!

R.W. Garcia Tortilla Chips (7 oz) - $2.29

Kettle Baked Potato Chips (4 oz) - $2.29

Popcorn Indiana Chip’ins Popcorn Chips (7.25 oz) - $3.29

Blue Diamond Nut Things (4.25 oz) - $2.09

Green Mountain Gringo Salsa (16 oz) - $3.99

Zing Bar - $1.75

Zevia Diet Soda (6 pk) - $4.59

Blue Sky Sugar Free Soda (6 pk) - $3.49

Columbia Gorge Organic Lemonade or Limeade (16 oz) – 2/$5.00

Volvic Spring Water (50.7 oz) - $1.99

Ancient Harvest Gluten Free Pasta (8 oz) - $2.29

Julie’s Organic Frozen Novelties (3 pk or 4 pk) – 2/$6.00

Bearitos Refried Beans (16 oz) – 2/$4.00

San-J Cooking Sauces (10 oz) - $2.99

Muir Glen Organic Tomatoes (28 oz) - $2.49

Guayaki Organic Yerba Mate (16 oz) - $1.75

Mediterranean Organic Organic Olives - $3.49

Wholesoy Yogurt – 5/$5.00

Rice Dream or Almond Dream Non-Dairy Beverage (64 oz) - $3.59

Tempt Hemp Milk Frozen Dessert (16 oz) – 2/$6.00

True Blue Juice (46 oz) - $3.99

Choice Organic Teas - $3.99

R.W. Knudson Just Juice (32 oz) - $6.99

Fidalgo Bay Nature’s Crest Organic, Fair Trade, Shade Grown Coffee - $9.49 per pound ($10.49 for decaf)

Kalani Organic, Fair Trade, Shade Grown Coffee - $10.99 per pound ($12.79 for decaf)

Vegan Supplements

Manitoba Harvest Hemp Protein Powders (16 oz) – 20% off

Organic India Turmeric Formula (90 veg caps) – 25% off

Spectrum Flax Seed, Flax Oil and Chia Seed (select sizes/products) – 20% off

Visit the PCC Natural Markets website to find the location nearest you.

Vegan Deals at Bartell Drugs for July 25 - July 31

2011-07-26T01:25:00.000-07:00

Bartell Drugs has several vegan deals that are worth taking a look at this week. If you head over there to check out the vegan sales, don't forget to pick up a Bartell Drugs Summer Savings Book while you are there. I haven't had the chance to pick one up yet, but I'm betting there are some additional money-saving vegan deals in there!

Here's what is on sale at Bartell Drugs this week:

Tully's Coffee (12 oz) - $5.99

Napoleon Olive Oil (16.9 oz, limit 4) - $2.99

Brianna's Dressing (12 oz) - $2.19 (not all are vegan)

Pacific Naturals Broth or Soup (32 oz) - $2.39 (not all are vegan)

Snoqualmie Falls Lodge Oatmeal (52 oz) - $4.29

Coomb's Family Farms Pure Maple Syrup (8 oz) - $4.99

Oregon Fruit (14.5 oz or 15 oz cans) - $1.99

Barilla Pasta (13.25 oz to 16 oz) - $1.19

Classico Pasta Sauce (24 oz) - $1.99

Erin's All Natural Popcorn (4 oz or 5 oz) - 2/$3.00

Bigelow Tea (18 or 20 bags) - $1.69

Sahale Snacks ( 4 oz or 5 oz) - $2.79 (not all flavors are vegan -- all are gluten free)

Blue Diamond Almonds (6 oz) - $1.79

Vita Coco Coconut Water (17 oz) - 2/$4.00

Nature's Bounty Vitamins and Supplements - Buy one, get one free (look specifically for vegetarian capsules)

I'm also a bit intrigued by this home soda maker they have on sale at Bartell Drugs. I'm not really a soda drinker, but my partner is...and it would be great to be able to make it at home for him, rather than purchasing it in single-use plastic bottles.

Here is the list of soda-making goodies they have on sale:

JET Home Soda Maker Starter Kit (no batteries or electricity required) - $79.99
Carbonating Bottles - $14.99
Sodamix Specialty Flavors (500 ml) - $6.99
Sodamix (500 ml) - $4.99

Save 25% on Certified Vegan Essential Oils and Natural Wellness Products

2011-07-21T18:07:00.000-07:00

Nature's Inventory is having a great sale on vegan, organic essential oils for wellness support.

Whether you are interested in natural menopause relief, joint support, sleep aids or organic detox aids, Nature's Inventory has it all on sale for 25% off when you use this vegan coupon code!

Examples of their offerings include:

Natural & Organic Products for Women
Natural & Organic Products for Men
Natural & Organic Products for Senior Health
Natural & Organic Products for Children
Natural & Organic Products for Babies
Natural & Organic Products for Emotional Health
Natural & Organic Products for Animals
Herbal Tinctures
Arousal Aids
Night Time Leg Calm - For Restless Leg Syndrome & Periodic Limb Movement

Aside from saving 25% with this Nature's Inventory coupon code, they are also currently offering free shipping on orders over $35.

For the best deals, check out their daily deals and clearance sections.

Here is the vegan coupon code to use for a 25% off discount:

SAVE25C

(I also put a widget thingy in the right sidebar and will leave it there for a while to make it easy to come grab the coupon code again without having to find this blog post.)

Printable Vegan Coupon: $1.00 off Alexia Foods Product

2011-07-21T15:50:00.000-07:00

There is a printable vegan coupon available at the Alexia Foods website for $1.00 off any Alexia product.

If you aren't familiar with Alexia Foods, you can find their products (sweet potato fries, onion rings, veggie side dishes and more) in the frozen or natural foods section at your local grocery store.

Not all of their products are vegan, but there are several vegan-friendly options available.

To print this vegan coupon, go to the Alexia Foods website. Click on the $1.00 coupon button on the left side of the home page. Enter your name, email address, zip code, favorite Alexia product and such. You will then be taken to a page where you can print out your coupon.

Remember to hit the back button after you print your first copy, which will allow you to print again and end up with two vegan coupons to save even more!

Printable Vegan, Gluten Free Coupon: Save $1.00 on DeBoles, Arrowhead Mills, Imagine, Dream and More!

2011-07-19T20:12:00.000-07:00

Visit the Gluten Free Choices website and sign up (requires name, zip, email, etc.) to print a $1.00 off coupon that can be used on a variety of vegan and gluten free products.

This printable gluten free coupon is good for $1.00 off any one Arrowhead Mills, DeBoles Pasta, Tropical Source, Gluten Free Cafe, Imagine Soup or DREAM (Rice Dream, Almond Dream, etc.) product.

**Remember to hit the back button to get a second copy of this printable coupon.

Printable Vegan Coupon: $1.00 off any Cascadian Farm Product

2011-07-19T20:03:00.000-07:00

Head over to the Cascadian Farm website and sign up for their newsletter to receive a $1.00 off printable vegan coupon.

Cascadian Farm offers over 75 organic products, including frozen fruits and vegetables, granola bars and cereals. This particular printable coupon is good for $1.00 any of their vegan and/or organic products.

When you get to the website, you will need to enter your name, city, state, zip, email and birthday (just month and year). Once you have signed up, you will receive an email with a link to your printable coupon.

**Remember: You are allowed to print two copies of this type of vegan coupon from each computer, so don't forget to hit the back button to get your second copy!

Three Printable Coupons for Seventh Generation Products

2011-07-17T17:25:00.000-07:00

Click the links below for three printable coupons for Seventh Generation Products.

Printable $2.00 Off Coupon for Seventh Generation Diapers, Training Pants or Wipes

Printable $.50 Off Any One Seventh Generation Baby Diapers, Training Pants of Wipes

Printable $.55 Off Any One Seventh Generation Product (Household, Baby or Personal Care)

Fred Meyer Vegan Deals for July 17 through July 23

2011-07-17T17:06:00.000-07:00

Fred Meyer has some pretty good deals going on for vegans this week. If you still have the printable vegan coupon for .55 off a So Delicious product (not currently available on their site), you can use that to save even more on the So Delicious Coconut Milk Freddy's has on sale this week.

Organic Produce

Organic Blueberries (1 pint) - 2/$5.00

Organic Peeled Mini Carrots (1 pound) - 2/$3.00

Private Selection Organic Salad (16 oz) - $3.98

Conventional Produce

Large California Oranges - $.79 per pound

Hothouse Bell Peppers - 4/$5.00

Hothouse English Cucumbers - 4/$5.00

Tomatoes on the Vine - $1.28 per pound

Yellow Peaches - $1.48 per pound

Cantaloupe - $.48 per pound

Green Beans - $.98 per pound

Green Cabbage - $.38 per pound

Washington Red Cherries - $1.49 per pound

Canned Foods

Santiam Canned Vegetables - 4/$3.00

Fred Meyer Canned Tomatoes - $.50 (with in-ad coupon)

Fred Meyer Canned Beans - $.50 (with in-ad coupon - excludes organic beans and lima beans)

Vegan Drinks

So Delicious Coconut Milk (1/2 gallon) - 2/$4.00

Fred Meyer Orange Juice (1/2 Gallon) - 4/$5.00

Vitamin Water (20 oz) - $1.00

Other Vegan Foods on Sale

Country Oven Bread - 3/$4.00 (vegan varieties are marked as such on the bottom-left corner of the package)

Fred Meyer 12-Pack Taco Shells - $1.00

Bob's Red Mill (select products) - 30% off

Kettle Chips (4 oz to 8.5 oz) - 2/$5.00

Sweet Baby Ray's Barbecue Sauce - 5/$5.00 (some flavors have honey, so check ingredients when choosing)

Non-Food Deals Vegans Might Like

Seventh Generation Diapers or Wipes - 20% off
**Save more with this $2.00 off printable coupon from Seventh Generation

Emergen-C - $7.98 per box

Kitchen Gadgets - Buy 2, Get 1 Free (with in-ad coupon)

All Home Decor Candles - Buy 1, Get 1 50% Off (with in-ad coupon - good selection of soy candles)

Printable Vegan Coupon: $1.00 off Garden of Eatin' Chips

2011-07-13T02:38:00.000-07:00

Vegan coupons are a great way to save money on healthier food options!

This particular vegan coupon is for $1.00 off a bag of Garden of Eatin' chips, which are made from natural ingredients, including organic corn.

To print this vegan coupon, go to the Garden of Eatin' website to complete a short form (name, email, etc.).

You can print this vegan coupon twice, so don't forget to hit the back button after you have printed your first one.

**Deal Idea**

Albertsons has Garden of Eatin' Tortilla Chips on sale for $3.99 until July 19...and we are getting Twice the Value coupons in this Sunday's newspaper. This means folks can save even more by stacking these coupons.

This means that you would use one Twice the Value coupon and one of your printable vegan coupons from Garden of Eatin' to save a total of $2.00 off of the sale price.

Yay for chips made from organic corn for only $1.99 per bag!

Side note: Garden of Eatin' is part of The Hain Celestial Group.

Safeway Organic and Vegan Deals for July 13 through July 19

2011-07-13T02:01:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the organic and vegan deals you will find at Safeway this week. Please remember that you will need a Safeway store card to get these sale prices.

Organic Produce:

Organic White Mushrooms (6 oz) – $2.50

Organic Red Leaf Lettuce - $1.99

Organic Green Leaf Lettuce - $1.99

Organic Romaine Lettuce - $1.99

Organic Red Onions -$.79 per pound

Organic Yellow Onions - $.79 per pound

Conventional Produce:

Envy Apples - $1.99 per pound

Apricots - $2.99 per pound

Artichokes – 2/$4.00

Eating Right Baby Carrots – 2/$3.00

Rainier Cherries - $3.99 per pound

Hot House Tomatoes - $1.99 per pound

Zucchini - $.99 per pound

Yellow Squash - $.99 per pound

Fresh Express Salads (9oz to 12 oz bags) - $1.00

Other Sale Items:

Hunt’s Diced Tomatoes (14.5 oz – cans) - $1.00

Safeway Frozen Vegetables (24 to 32 oz) - $1.99 each (w/ in-ad coupon)

Five Dollar Fridays Vegan Deals – Friday Only:

Walla Walla Sweet Onions (10-pound box)

Albertsons Vegan Deals for July 13 through July 19 (Northwest Region)

2011-07-13T01:22:00.000-07:00

This looks like a pretty good week for sales on produce and other vegan foods at Albertsons!

Remember: There will be Twice the Value coupons in the newspaper this coming Sunday. You can pair each Twice the Value coupon with one manufacturer's vegan coupon (with a value of up to $1.00 off) to double your savings.

Here are some of the vegan items you can find on sale at Albertsons this week:

Produce

Blueberries (1 pint) - $2.99

Red Cherries - $3.99 per pound

Apricots - $2.99 per pound

Rainier Cherries - $4.99 per pound

Zucchini - $1.49 per pound

Yellow Squash - $1.49 per pound

Walla Walla Sweet Onions - $1.29 per pound

Green Leaf, Red Leaf or Romaine Lettuce - $1.29 each

Green Cabbage - $.69 per pound

Farm Stand Iceberg Lettuce - $.48 each

Wild Harvest Romaine Hearts (3-count package) - $2.99

Sweet Corn - $.59

Peaches - $1.99 per pound

Nectarines - $1.99 per pound

Plums - $1.99 per pound

Hot House Tomatoes - $1.69 per pound

Asparagus - $3.99 per pound

Strawberries (1-pound package) – 2/$5.00

Strawberries (4-pound package) - $8.99

Pluots - $2.99 per pound

Pink Lady Apples - $1.99 per pound

Clementine Tangerines (3-pound bag) - $7.99

Jalapeno Peppers - $1.49 per pound

Seedless Watermelon Bowls (52 oz) - $5.99

Dole Salad Blends (6 oz to 12 oz bags/select varieties) – 2/$5.00

Drinks

Florida’s Natural Orange Juice (59 oz) - $3.49

Albertsons 100% Orange Juice (64 oz) - $2.99

Other Vegan Foods on Sale

Wonderful In-Shell Pistachios (10 oz) - $4.99

Blue Diamond Almonds (16 oz) - $5.99

Albertsons Balsamic Vinegar (16.9 oz) - $3.99

Smart Balance Cooking Oil (48 oz) - $4.49
**There is also a $.75 off coupon in the 7/10 newspaper.

Bertolli Olive Oil (Extra Light or Extra Virgin, 25.5 oz) - $6.99

Guerrero Corn Tortillas (80-count package) – 2/$6.00
**Go to the Guerrero website for a $1.00 off coupon to save even more!

Albertsons Pitted Olives (6 oz cans) - $1.39

Libby’s Vegetables (14.5 to 15.25 oz cans, select varieties) - $.99

S&W Beans (15 to 15.5 oz cans) - $1.19
**Go to the S&W website for a $.75 off three coupon to save even more!

A.1. Steak Sauce (10 oz) - $3.79

Garden of Eatin’ Tortilla Chips (16 oz) - $3.99
**Go to the Garden of Eatin' website for a $1.00 off vegan coupon to save even more!

Annie’s Naturals Salad Dressing – 2/$6.00 (only some are vegan)

Better Oats Oatmeal – 4/$5.00

Patio Gardening Update

2011-07-10T17:33:00.000-07:00

As I've mentioned before, I'm not exactly known for having green thumbs. With my past gardening fails, I'm pleasantly surprised at how well my little patio garden is doing this year.

I think the grow bags (which I'm currently using for tomatoes and peppermint) have definitely helped - as has the addition of the little greenhouse, which is now home to peppermint, spearmint, basil, oregano and cilantro.

While I'm certainly not yet growing enough to cut back on trips to the market, it's satisfying to grow even a small amount of my own vegan foods that come right from my patio and are grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers.

Here are a couple of pics of how things are going so far.

Tomatoes, bell peppers and serrano chiles:

My smallest bell pepper plant is the only one that has decided to produce anything so far:

And here is a pic of the greenhouse (this is actually from a few weeks ago, so things have been rearranged and have grown more since then):

Fred Meyer Vegan Deals for July 10 through July 16

2011-07-10T16:44:00.000-07:00

This is a good week for produce sales at Fred Meyer!

Here are some of the best deals Fred Meyer has on vegan and organic items this week:

Organic Produce:

Organic Grape Tomatoes (10 oz) - 2/$4.00

Organic Mangos - 5/$5.00

Conventional Produce:

Washington-Grown Rainier Cherries - $3.48 per pound

White or Yellow Corn - 5/$2.00

Clementine Mandarins (three pounds) - $4.88 each

Variety Melons - $.68 per pound

White Peaches - $1.68 per pound

Peaches - $1.68 per pound

Raspberries (1/2 pint) - 2/$4.00

blueberries (two pounds) - $4.98

Apricots - $2.49 per pound

Bok Choy - $.79 per pound

Napa Cabbage - $.79 per pound

Leaf Lettuce - 5/$5.00

Radishes - 2/$.88

Green Onions - 2/$.88

Yellow Squash - $.79 per pound

Zuccini Squash - $.79 per pound

Greens (Mustard, Collard, Kale, Red Chard) - 5/$5.00

Other Vegan Items:

Amy's Kitchen Whole Meals - 2/$7.00 (only some are vegan)

Boulder Chips - 2/$5.00

Nature's Gate Personal Care Products - 20% off

Vitamin Water (20 oz) - 10/$10.00

Fred Meyer Bagels - 2/$3.00 (I believe these are vegan, but need to confirm next time I'm there)

Vegan Coupons in July 10 Newspaper

2011-07-10T16:25:00.000-07:00

Sunday newspapers are a great place to get coupons, but we rarely see very many good vegan coupons in the inserts. That is why I was pleasantly surprised to see a vegan coupon or two in today's paper.

Here are the vegan coupons you can pick up today:

(From the SmartSource insert)

$1.00 of any two Smart Balance Buttery Spreads or Buttery Sticks (the light version is vegan)

$.75 off any one Smart Balance Rich Roast Peanut Butters

$.75 off any one Smart Balance Cooking Oil or Cooking Spray

$.75 off any one Smart Balance Popcorn (I believe there is a vegan option for this)

$1.00 off any one half gallon of Silk non-dairy milk

$1.00 off any two bags of Sour Patch Soft & Chewy Candy (This is made by Kraft, but is on PETA's list of accidentally vegan products)

Vegetarian folks, or those simply trying to eat healthier, might also be interested in these coupons:

$1.50 off any one carton of Smart Balance milk (This is NOT a vegan coupon)

$.75 off any one Smart Balance Omega Plus Light Mayonnaise Dressing (This is NOT a vegan coupon)

The Red Plum insert also has a coupon that might be good for vegan couponers, but I'm not sure. There is a $1.00 off coupon for any Nature's Bounty vitamin or supplement. I know this company offers several vegetarian options and does offer some supplements in vegetarian capsules; however, I'm not sure how many vegan options are available.

If you do not receive a Sunday newspaper at home, but are interested in these vegan coupons, here are a few ways you can obtain them:

- Ask friends, family members or coworkers who have newspaper subscriptions
- Ask local coffee shops if you can have the inserts from the papers they put out for customers
- Check local coffee shops for papers customers may have left behind for others to enjoy
- Visit a nearby recycling center

Of course, you can also run out and buy a Sunday paper, but if you do not have other uses for it, these are eco-friendlier options for just obtaining the vegan coupons you want without increasing demand for print newspapers and ending up with a newspaper that needs to be recycled.

**Also remember that coupon inserts vary by region, so the vegan coupons available in your region might be for a different amount off - or you could have some completely different vegan coupons.

Fred Meyer Vegan Deals for July 3 to July 9

2011-07-05T20:00:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the best vegan deals at Fred Meyer this week:

Bulk Sunspire Trail Mix – 25% off

Kettle Bulk Deluxe Mixed Nuts or Cashews - $4.99 per pound

White Wave Silk Soy Milk (64 oz) - $2.79

Private Selection Organic Salad (5-9 oz) – 2/$5.00

Fresh Selection 3-Pack Tri-Color Peppers - $3.98

Walla Walla Sweet Onions - $.78 per pound

Organic Red Raven Plums - $1.68 per pound

Roma Tomatoes - $.89 per pound

Red, White or Yukon Gold Potatoes - $.58 per pound

Washington Red Cherries - $1.68 per pound

Strawberries (16 oz) – 2/$4.00

Kiwis – 3/$1.00

Gold Pineapple – 2/$5.00

Organic Blueberries (18 oz) - $4.98

Asparagus - $2.78 per pound

Mangos - $.68 each

Peeled Mini Carrots (2 pounds) – 2/$4.00

Personal Watermelon or Tuscan Cantaloupe – 2/$6.00

Fresh-Cut Fruit Bowls – 25% off

Private Selection Frozen Berries (12-24oz, selected varieties) – 2/$5.00

Pistachios (1 pound) - $5.88

Country Oven Bread* – 3/$4.00 (first six with in-ad coupon)

Nabisco Oreos - $1.99 (first two with in-ad coupon)

*To find Country Oven Bread products that are vegan, look at the bottom-left corner on the front of the package – the vegan varieties will state “vegan” in that spot.

Vegan Deals: Safeway Sales on Vegan Foods & Drinks July 6 to July 12

2011-07-05T19:02:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the best deals available on vegan products at Safeway this week.

**Remember: You will need to have a Safeway Club Card to get these sale prices.

Morningstar Farms, select varieties - $3.99 (only a few options are vegan)

Organic Strawberries (2 pounds) - $5.00 (Friday July 8 only)

O Organics Salads (5-7 oz) – 2/$6.00

O Organics Blueberries (1 pint) - $4.99

Organic Red Grapefruit - $.99 each

Organic Broccoli or Cauliflower - $1.79 per pound

Rainier Cherries - $4.99 per pound

White, Red or Gold Gourmet Potatoes (2 pounds) – 2/$6.00

Romaine, Green Leaf or Red Leaf Lettuce - $.99 each

Spinach - $.99 each

On-the-Vine Cluster Tomatoes - $1.99 per pound

Green Onions – 2/$1.00

Radishes – 2/$1.00

Dulcinea Mini Watermelons or Tuscan Cantaloupes – Buy One, Get One Free (Save up to $4.99 on 2)

Kettle Chips (9 oz) – 2/$6.00

Safeway Canned Vegetables - $.69 each

Nabisco Oreos – 2/$6.00

Sales vary by region, so check your local ad circular to confirm that these vegan deals are going on where you live.

Vegan Deals at Albertsons for July 6 through July 12

2011-07-05T18:42:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the deals you can find this week at Albertsons for vegan foods and drinks:

Dole Classic Romaine, Greener Selection, Just Lettuce or Spinach (9-12 oz bags) - $1.88

Vitamin Water (20 oz bottles) - $.88

Blackberries (6 oz package) – 2/$5.00

Raspberries (6 oz package) - $2.99

Raspberries (1/2 flat) - $12.99

Blueberries (1 pint) - $2.99

Blueberries (2 pounds) - $8.99

Strawberries (1 pound) – 2/$5.00

Strawberries (4 pounds) - $7.99

Sweet Corn - $.59 each

Anjou Pears - $1.29 per pound

Rainier Cherries - $5.99 per pound

Casaba, Crenshaw or Orange Flesh Melons - $.99 per pound

Clementine Tangerines (3 pounds) - $7.99

Farm Stand Baby-Cut Carrots (1 pound) - $1.69

Zucchini or Yellow Squash - $ $1.49 per pound

Green Leaf, Red Leaf or Romaine Lettuce - $1.29 each

Plums - $1.99 per pound

On-the-Vine tomatoes - $1.99 per pound

Wild Harvest Green Onions (6 oz) - $1.99

Food Should Taste Good Chips (5.5 oz) – 2/$5.00 (I believe only some flavors are vegan)

Nabisco Oreos (11.3 to 16.6 oz) - $2.99

Also -- Clif Bars and Luna Bars are part of the 10/$10 Mix, Match & Save promotion this week, which means if you buy any combination of 10 of these items, they will be $1.00 each.

Vegan Deals: Top Foods Sales on Vegan Foods for July 6 to July 12

2011-07-05T18:22:00.000-07:00

Top Foods (www.top-foods.com) tends to be a bit pricier than other grocery stores in my area; however, they do sometimes have good deals in their weekly sales circular.

If you are a Top Foods shopper, here are some of the vegan deals you will find there during this ad cycle:

One pound container of Limited Edition Organic Strawberries - $2.98 each

Iceberg Lettuce - $.89 each

Broccoli or Cauliflower - $.79 per pound

Mangos - $.69 each

Green Peppers or Cucumbers - $.79 each

Rainier Cherries - $4.98 per pound

Cilantro bunches - $.59 each

Organic Chard - $2.00 each

Full Circle Organic Beans 15 oz cans – 4/$5.00

Food Should Taste Good chips – 2/$4.00 (not sure if all flavors are vegan, but some are)

Back to Nature Granola 12-13.5 oz packages - $3.99 (only some flavors are vegan)

**Also: In this week’s sales circular, there is a coupon for $1.00 off any produce item with any $10.00 purchase.

No More Twice the Value Coupons at Albertsons Customer Service Desks

2011-07-01T00:05:00.000-07:00

Since the introduction of Extreme Couponing on TLC and the following surge in coupon use, we have seen stores changing their coupon policies by adding limits to the numbers of coupons used or other little tweaks to curb overzealous couponers.
The most recent of these coupon policy changes comes from Albertsons, which will no longer be handing out Twice the Value coupons at in-store customer service desks.

Twice the Value coupons are store coupons that Albertsons periodically puts out in Sunday papers. Each coupon can be matched with a manufacturer’s coupon of up to $1.00 in value, which results in doubling the coupon for twice the savings. Three Twice the Value coupons can be used per transaction, and most Albertson’s allow three consecutive transactions per customer in one shopping trip. These Twice the Value coupons were also available at the customer service desk, which allowed folks to enjoy these savings – even if they did not purchase Sunday newspapers.

Unfortunately, some folks were going a bit overboard and doing things like sneaking behind the customer service desk and taking the entire box of Twice the Value coupons, stealing the inserts out of Sunday papers, selling the coupons on Craig’s List or acquiring mass amounts of them and holding up lines with 20+ transactions in a row after clearing the shelves of product.

In response, Albertsons is changing its policy, which should allow for better management of stock and help to ensure that more folks will be able to take advantage of great sales with coupon matchups.

Here are the most significant points of which to be aware:

• Albertsons stores will no longer distribute Twice the Value coupons at in-store customer services desks as of July 17, 2011.
• Twice the Value coupons will no longer be distributed in Wyoming and Montana (in stores or in newspapers).
• Customers will still be able to use up to three sets of Twice the Value coupons in one shopping trip.

The biggest downside to this is that people will now have to purchase Sunday papers or acquire the coupons in other ways – recycling bin diving, asking friends or co-workers, etc. – instead of just stopping by the desk to grab one of the inserts.

This change in the availability of Albertsons coupons is being reported on by coupon bloggers across the country – here are links to a few of the blogs where you can read more or see excerpts from the official emails the bloggers received form Albertsons explaining the changes.

The Coupon Project
Coupon Connections
Queen Bee Coupons

50% off @ ECOlunchboxes.com After Completing a Bolder Challenge

2011-06-30T06:29:00.000-07:00

If you haven't heard of Bolder yet, you might want to get on over to their website and check it out. On the Bolder site, you can take challenges and get rewards, which range from discounts and coupons to trees being planted or donations made to good causes.

For example, right now you can complete the challenge posted by ECOlunchboxes and earn a 50% discount on your next purchase of one of their reusable, eco-friendly lunch bags, containers or sets.

Here is how it works:
Go to the ECOlunchboxes challenge posted on Bolder.
Complete the challenge, which is to pack a snack without using plastic.
Post a message about how you completed the challenge.
You will then be given a discount code for 50% off, which is good at the ECOlunchboxes website.
You will also receive an email with the code, so you don't have to use it immediately.

While you are at the Bolder website, check out some of the other challenges currently available. While I was there today, I completed a challenge to have a tree planted and one where the challenge poster will eat vegan for one day for each action completed.

Sabra Hummus Deal at Albertsons - Through Tuesday, June 28

2011-06-27T19:47:00.000-07:00

Here is a breakdown of the Sabra hummus deal at Albertsons (that I mentioned on Twitter).

Regular Price: $4.99
Sale Price: $3.99 (with store card)
Use $1.00 off one Sabra product from Sunday (6/26/2011) Smart Source insert
Use one Albertsons Twice the Value coupon (also from Sunday paper)

Final Price: $1.99

This deal is good through Tuesday, June 28.

Occasionally, Fred Meyer will do a sale on the Sabra hummus for two for $5.00. This makes them $2.50 each (since Freddy's doesn't make you buy two to get the two-for price). If you use a $1.00 manufacturer coupon with that sale, you can actually get a better deal by getting them for $1.50 each. However, I don't know if Fred Meyer will be doing that sale before these coupons expire.

And - of course - it is even cheaper to make your own hummus, which also allows you to avoid the plastic packaging.

Vegan Extreme Couponing: Example and Intro

2011-06-26T04:25:00.000-07:00

A few folks have been contacting me to ask more about vegan couponing and exactly how it works. Of course, there is always the common way of simply using a coupon to save a bit of money the next time you go to the grocery store. But there is a better way to use vegan coupons that can save you even more.

It appears that the recent increase in interest regarding couponing is tied to the popularity of the TLC show, Extreme Couponing. So I think it’s important to get a couple of misconceptions out of the way before I talk much about how you can partake in some vegan-style extreme couponing.

For starters, a lot of long-time couponers absolutely hate this show, noting that it gives couponers a bad name and makes us look like a bunch of shelf-clearing hoarders. On the other hand, there are also plenty of folks who are happy to see a wider audience of consumers becoming aware of the potential for significant savings with couponing done right.

So the first thing I would like to make sure everyone is aware of is that the show has extreme in the title for a reason: Just like most reality television shows, this one is sensationalized to catch the attention of viewers. Most couponers do not spend 60 hours per week planning their shopping trips, and then head to the store to clear all of the shelves and leave nothing for regular shoppers. And most couponers do not show up at the cash register with a dozen carts filled with unhealthy foods and toilet paper for the next 20 years.

Now that we have that cleared up, it’s also important to note that no one should expect to be able to pay a few pennies for hundreds of dollars of food and personal care items on every shopping trip – or on any shopping trip.

Don’t get me wrong: You can walk out of a store with a bag full of items and a receipt that shows a total of zero, but that is not going to happen all of the time, and with us vegans it is even rarer.

If you have seen the show, then you have likely noticed that the items they are stockpiling are almost all products vegans would generally not purchase. And even in the world of an omnivore, no one can live on noodles, cereal and condiments alone.

This brings me to the next misconception I would like to address: Most vegans seem to think that we can’t benefit from extreme couponing because the products that are super cheap or free almost all have animal ingredients or are tested on animals. While this is partially true – many of the best deals are on products that most vegans (at least folks who are vegan for animal rights or ethical reasons) would not purchase – it is not entirely true. Vegan extreme couponing is possible and can help you save thousands of dollars each year.

In this blog post, I will start off by showing you an example of how you can save money by matching vegan coupons to sales at your local grocery store. In future blog posts, I will include more money-saving tips and additional specifics on what is now being called extreme couponing – we will just be doing it vegan style.

So here is your first example of how vegan coupon matchups can help you lower your grocery bill...

One quart of Rice Dream rice milk is regularly priced at $2.39 at the Fred Meyer down the street from my house.

Last month, I obtained 20 coupons for $1.00 off any Rice Dream product. We go through a lot of rice milk and almond milk in our house, so this is an item I like to stock up on whenever I can get a good deal.

I could have simply used those coupons each time I needed rice milk, which would have been a nice savings of $1.00 per quart. Over time, it would have resulted in saving a total of $20.00 (since I had 20 $1.00 coupons).

Saving $20.00 is great, but I also know that this brand of rice milk regularly goes on sale at Fred Meyer for three for $5.00. This means that each quart of rice milk is just $1.67 during these sales.

By waiting and using my $1.00 off coupons to stock up on rice milk during this sale, I significantly increased my savings and paid only 67 cents per quart.

(I split my purchases up on different days so that I wouldn’t clear the shelves, but for this example, let’s pretend I bought it all at once to make it easy.)

Retail Price: $47.80 (20 quarts of rice milk at $2.39 each)
Sale Price: $33.40 (cost of 20 quarts when on sale for three for $5.00)
Price After Coupons: $13.40 (sale price for 20 quarts minus 20 $1.00 coupons)

Total Savings: $34.40

At some stores, you can even save a few more cents by making sure you bring your own reusable shopping bags. Fred Meyer takes 5 cents off of your total for each reusable shopping bag you use.

This is just one example of a recent vegan coupon matchup I did; it is possible to save an even higher percentage, depending on the product, the vegan coupons you have and the sales going on at stores near you.

Because it can be difficult to find good sales and coupons for purchasing things like organic produce, bulk flours and grains, herbs and vegetable plants to grow your own foods, and other items that many of us vegans buy on a regular basis, I like to save money on things like rice milk whenever I can. This is one way to lower grocery costs overall, have more money to put towards your bulk grains, produce and other vegan foods, and have more money to put towards non-grocery necessities or special indulgences.

For more tips on vegan extreme couponing, and vegan coupons in general, come back by to check out future posts.

Also – please feel free to ask questions about how to save money with coupons or make suggestions from your own vegan couponing experience in the comments or by hitting me up on Twitter (@CheapVeganChick).

Side note: Rice Dream is made by Imagine Foods, which was purchased by Hain Celestial several years ago. I will not always remember to add these notes, but I will try to include this type of info so that vegans of different varieties can decide whether or not a product is right for them.

Patio Gardening: Loving My Grow Bag!

2011-06-23T01:20:00.000-07:00

My thumbs are not as green as I would like them to be, but my patio garden is almost convincing me otherwise this year. While I would like to take all the credit for making my plants happy, I’m pretty sure it has more to do with some changes I’ve made in their living arrangements.

For one, I bought an Oregon Breather Grow Bag to try out with a tomato plant. I only purchased one grow bag, since I didn’t really want to make much of an investment in them before I tested it out. I was intrigued by the idea of grow bags providing better drainage, being healthier for roots and working as an eco-friendlier option for container gardening. I chose this particular grow bag because it is made in the USA from recycled materials, shipped from just a few hours from where I live and can be reused each year.

Now that I have been using it for about a month, I’m totally crushing on it and am planning to order more. The handles (which you can't really see in the pic - sorry) make it easy to move around whenever I decide I need to redesign my patio garden, and I actually really like the simple, clean look of it.

Also - I can’t believe how much the tomato plant has grown and how happy it is – which may not seem very impressive to all of you expert urban gardeners, but this is a definite win for me.

The other change I made this year was getting a tiny greenhouse, which I will write about in a separate post.

Side note: I am not at all affiliated with House of Green – the makers of this grow bag – and they have no idea I am writing this. If you are interested in checking out their grow bags, you can visit their website here. If you look locally, you might also be able to find a company that makes similar bags in your area.

Save $1.00 on Florida Crystals Organic Agave Nectar

2011-06-23T00:40:00.000-07:00

I don’t generally use cane sugar when I bake, but I have used Florida Crystals organic sugar and was very pleased with the results. I also like that Florida Crystals is certified carbon free, their organic sugars are certified organic and they use no animal by-products in the production of their organic and natural sugars.

They have now introduced a new product that I am excited to try: organic agave nectar. And to make things even sweeter, they are currently offering a coupon for $1.00 off any Florida Crystals organic agave nectar product.

To get this printable vegan coupon, visit the Florida Crystals website. Look towards the bottom right of the home page to see where to click to print out your $1.00 off coupon.

I have been carrying around my coupon in my coupon binder and hoping for a chance to use it, but I have not yet found a store selling this product in my area. So if anyone knows where they sell Florida Crystals organic agave nectar in the Seattle-Tacoma area, please let me know!

Make Your Own Natural, Vegan Toothpaste - Easy DIY Tips and Recipes

2011-06-22T05:50:00.000-07:00

I've always admired those women and men who make all of their own soap and toiletries, grow and can their own food, live off of the grid with their DIY solar panels and whatnot, and just generally live in an almost completely self-sustaining manner.

Now, I really don't have much of an excuse for not doing that myself. I know how to make soap, I know how to can food and I reckon I could figure out how to install a solar panel (or better yet, delegate it to my partner). So, really my only excuse would be coming up with the upfront cash to buy the land and set up housekeeping in a manner that befits this lifestyle.

So, while we work out that little kink, my partner and I are always looking for new ways to go one step further and incorporate eco-friendly, natural, cost-effective (and, of course, vegan) products and habits into our life. We grow some of our own food in a patio garden, make about half of our personal care products, buy organic when we can and so forth.

Making our own toothpaste is one of those little steps and, really, I had no idea it was so easy to make my own toothpaste, or I would have been doing it a long time ago. Starting from a baking soda base, you can easily (and cheaply) make your own vegan, natural, eco-friendly, inexpensive toothpaste that the whole family will love.

I researched a ton of articles online to find little tidbits of info and recipe ideas in order to determine what would work best for us. So, I thought I would share that info with you just in case you are also thinking of easy, cheap ways to go green and improve your family's health and wellness.

Making your own toothpaste really is an easy and cost-effective way to take control of the products you use, save money and lower your impact on the environment. You probably already have everything you need and it will take you about five minutes to mix up your first batch. Plus, when you make your own stuff you know for sure that it doesn't have any animal products and that it hasn't been tested on animals.

For tips and recipes, check out this article: How to Make Your Own Toothpaste

**I apologize for making you click a link to get to my article on how to make toothpaste. When I wrote the article, I sold it (with exclusive rights) to the site that it now lives on, so I am not allowed to publish it separately on the blog -- I can only link to it.

Vegan Coupons: Printable Pacific Natural Foods Coupons

2011-06-22T01:35:00.000-07:00

Pacific Natural Foods has six printable coupons available on their site right now.

Here are the vegan coupons they have available:

$1.00 off one Pacific Natural Foods Soup or Broth

$1.00 off one Pacific Natural Foods 17.6 oz Hearty or 12 oz Condensed Soup

$1.00 off one Pacific Natural Foods Non-Dairy Beverage

$1.50 off one Pacific Natural Foods Original, Vanilla or Chocolate Hemp Milk

They also have two additional coupons (one for frozen pot pies and one for frozen pizzas), but I don't think there are vegan options for those products.

To get these printable vegan coupons, visit the Pacific Natural Foods website and input your name and email address. You will then be taken to a page where you can select which coupons you would like to print.

**A note to Albertson's shoppers: You might want to hold on to these to see if Twice the Value coupons will be coming out this Sunday (available in the Sunday paper or at the customer service desk). Each Twice the Value coupon is good for doubling one manufacturer's coupon of up to $1.00 in value.

This means, for example, if you print out the $1.00 off one Pacific Natural Foods Soup or Broth coupon and combine it with a Twice the Value coupon, you can save a total of $2.00 when purchasing one Pacific Natural Foods soup or broth at Albertson's between the Sunday that they come out and the following Tuesday.

So Delicious Vegan Coupons - Save .55 on Dairy-Free So Delicious Products

2011-06-21T23:20:00.000-07:00

**This printable vegan coupon is currently unavailable (as of July 17), and the website says that the campaign has reached it's print limit. I will leave this post up -- the link is still live and this is an easy way to check to see when they reset so that we can print more vegan coupons for So Delicious products. Thanks!**

So Delicious Non-Dairy Coconut Milk Creamer (in Hazelnut) is always in our refrigerator, so I'm excited about this new .55 off coupon for one So Delicious frozen dessert or refrigerated item.

To get this vegan coupon, simply visit the So Delicious website and enter your name, email and zip code. You will then be taken to a page where there is a printable So Delicious coupon for .55 off one Purely Decadent or So Delicious product.

You can also mark a box to let them know that you would like to receive emails when they post new vegan coupons on the site (which is how I found out about this coupon).

**Don't forget to hit the back button after you print your first copy. This type of printable vegan coupon can be printed twice per computer, which means twice the savings!**

Save Money and Get Schooled at Nasoya's Tofu U

2011-06-21T06:15:00.000-07:00

Do you love Nasoya tofu?

If so, you can earn a $1 off coupon by pledging to cook tofu once a week for one month.

All you need to do is visit the Nasoya Tofu U website and take the pledge, which requires your full name and email address. After you take the pledge, you will be able to print a vegan coupon for $1 off a Nasoya tofu product.

Nasoya will send you a new coupon each week during your pledge month, so you can save even more money!

**This type of printable coupon can be printed twice, so don't forget to hit the back button to get your two copies of this vegan coupon.**

Vegan Coupon for Silk Soy Milk, Almond Milk or Coconut Milk!

2011-06-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

Vegan coupons can be a bit hard to come by, but it is always nice to save a little money while eating healthier. While they might be a little more difficult to find, there are vegan coupons out there, so I've decided it might be helpful if I start posting links to the vegan coupons I find online.

For starters, you can save .75 now with a printable vegan coupon available on the Silk website.

All you need to do is visit Silk and register for their newsletter. (You will see the button to sign up and get your coupon on the bottom left of the home page).

Remember -- if you save your coupon and use it when your favorite grocery store is having a sale on Silk products, you can get an even better deal!

How to Make Easy Vegan Bean & Potato Soup

2009-04-13T06:26:00.000-07:00

What you need:

2 cups dry beans (soaked and drained), or 2 cans of beans
3-5 red potatoes (depending on size and how much you like potatoes)
2 carrots
2 stalks of celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tsp minced garlic
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup pearled barley (optional)
4 cups vegetable broth
4 cups water
2 T vegetable oil
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp thyme

What you do:

Put the 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in your soup pot (a regular dutch oven that comes with pretty much every cooking set will work - it will just be really full). Add your onions and garlic and saute on low heat while you cut up the rest of your vegetables, open your cans, etc.

Add your vegetable broth to the pot (but hold off on the water - I will explain in a second). Turn the heat to high and add your vegetables, beans, barley and spices, then stir.

Now that you have everything but the water in your pot, you can determine how much room you have left and add water accordingly. Four cups of water will fill a regular dutch oven to just below the top, which is fine as long as you aren't prone to boiling things over, but by adding your water last, you can see how high the level is in your pot and add water accordingly.

Once you have achieved a rolling boil, turn your heat down to a nice simmer that you feel comfortable leaving alone. Allow your vegan soup to simmer until the beans and veggies reach your desired level of tenderness - for me, this is about an hour, but it can be up to 1 1/2 hours if I'm using older beans.

That's pretty much it - see how easy that was? Now you just kick back and relax for an hour or so, checking on your soup every so often to stir and see how soft your beans and veggies are.

Mixing it up:

For a fat free vegan soup, simply nix the vegetable oil. You can toss the onions and garlic in the pot with the rest of the veggies and it will cook up just fine.

I use low sodium vegetable broth and we have never felt a need to add salt. So, this flavorful little number is good for folks on a low sodium diet. Just remember that if you use canned beans there may be salt added.

The pearled barley isn't necessary, we just really like a hearty soup, and this recipe was an offshoot of my barley bean soup recipe, so we just decided to leave some barley in there. Folks on a gluten free diet can cut the barley out and still have a tasty vegan bean and vegetable soup.

Vegan Soy Candles: Info and Product Review for Lorain’s Touch Soy Candles

2009-03-17T09:26:00.000-07:00

Did you know that most of the conventional candles you find in stores are actually bad for your health and the environment? With lead wicks, polluting paraffin wax, fake, chemical-laden scents - and even tallow - conventional candles might look and smell lovely, but animals, the environment and your health are paying a high price for that warm, inviting glow.

Fortunately, there are eco-friendly vegan candle options that are clean burning and create a warm, welcoming atmosphere that will enhance the ambiance of any space without harmful chemicals and pollutants. All natural, vegan soy candles are a great option that burn longer and cleaner than conventional candles, and I just happen to know where you can order them right from the comfort of your own home.

I recently came across LorainsTouch.com where vegan and vegetarian candle lovers will find deliciously scented vegan soy candles that are handmade by a fellow energy healer and artisan crafter, Lorain Danus.

Living and working in the Huntington Beach, CA area, Lorain founded Lorain’s Touch and began to make handmade soy candles to provide energy, mood and spirit enhancing options that are vegan and eco-friendly.

Each of Lorain’s vegan soy candle creations is energized with specific intentions and positive energy, which is released into the surrounding atmosphere when lit. Available in two, four and eight ounce reusable tins, Lorain’s vegan soy candle scents/intentions include:

Focused - Oatmeal Milk & Honey
Happy - Vermont Maple Sugar
Cheerful - Bergamont & Coriander
Creativity - Blackberry Sage
Harmony - Green Tea
Compassion - Gardenia Blossoms
Strength - Lemongrass
Enlightenment - Water Blossom & Ivy
Abundance – Amber

Lorain also offers additional scents and intentions (as well as her sacred jewelry) that can be found at her website, www.lorainstouch.com.

Lorain’s candles are surprisingly affordable for vegan soy candles, which can sometimes be pretty pricey, and their clean, chemical-free scents are an absolute delight. I particularly love their long burn time and the super handy reusable tin that adds to their eco-friendliness. If you are in the market for some vegan soy candles for a romantic evening, a relaxing bath, or an energizing aromatherapeutic experience, I highly recommend stopping by Lorain’s Touch to check out her vegan soy candle offerings.

Easy Tofu Scramble Recipe

2009-01-26T07:31:00.000-08:00

Here is a super easy vegan scrambled tofu recipe - it's sort of my basic tofu scramble recipe that I then change up to create different vegan scrambles.

What you need:

1 block firm tofu (drained well)
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 Tablespoons Bragg’s, tamari or soy sauce
½ Tablespoon chopped onion
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon fresh minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste

Optional:
2 Tablespoons vegan bacon bits
Chopped green onion

What you do:

Combine vegetable oil, Bragg’s (or tamari, or soy sauce), turmeric, onion and garlic in a skillet and heat on medium, while cutting the tofu into small pieces. Lower the temp of the burner a bit and add the tofu to the mixture in the skillet. As the tofu cooks, mash it up and make sure that the tofu and seasoning mixture are mixed well.

If you want to include vegan bacon bits, they can be added as a topping after or folded into the mix towards the end of cooking. Cooking them in the scrambled tofu for a few minutes will soften them, which I like better.

Notes:

I use a potato masher to mash the tofu into a more scrambled egg-like texture.
Topping the scrambled tofu with green onion adds a crisp, fresh flavor.

This is a very simple tofu scramble recipe that is quick and de-lish. I generally serve this with GimmeLean sausage or tempeh bacon and toast.

The Best Vegan Red Lipstick

2009-01-23T08:13:00.000-08:00

I have to admit, I love my make-up. And, prior to going vegan, a great red lipstick was always a mainstay in my make-up bag. I love a bit of a vintage look, and red lipstick is a must-have in order to achieve it. But, for years now, I have been without my red lipstick - ever since I found out that carmine (from ground up little critters) is the ingredient of choice that most make-up companies use for red coloring.

Finding vegan make-up is hard enough as it is, but finding vegan red lipstick is even harder. When I started my quest for vegan red lipstick, the first site I visited was Caring Consumer, which lists "cruelty-free" companies to help compassionate consumers make better buying decisions. However - and I think a lot of well-meaning vegans miss this - they list companies that don't test on animals and, according to Caring Consumer, that apparently makes them cruelty free, regardless of how loaded with animal-derived ingredients each company's products might be.

Now, don't get me wrong, caringconsumer.com is a great resource and great place to start - and they do mark which companies are completely vegan - but, you just have to keep in mind that you still need to do your own research.

For example, I was very excited to find Revlon and Jane Cosmetics on the list - Woot! Cheap cruelty-free cosmetics? - I'm there! But, when I went to the local drugstore and started reading labels, every single product that I picked up by either brand had at least one animal-derived ingredient. Naturally, this included carmine in their totally-not-vegan red lipsticks.

However, I am very happy to report that after an extended period of seeking out and testing vegan red lipstick options, I have found possibly the best vegan red lipstick in the world. Okay, maybe not in the world, since I haven't tried them all, but suffice it to say - I have found the vegan red lipstick for me, and I am thrilled to have a fab red lipstick back in my make-up bag.

Gabriel Cosmetics - which also makes Zuzu Luxe - uses St. John's Wort Extract to achieve rich red hues in completely vegan and cruelty-free lipsticks. Their eco-friendly, paraben-free, lead-free, vegan cosmetics are a tad more expensive than cheap drugstore brands, but the fact that they are better for your health, the planet and our animal friends make them completely worth it.

The Gabriel Cosmetics Pomegranate Lipstick is by far my fave vegan red lipstick I have found so far. Zuzu Luxe also has some great reds that I will try once this one runs out, and Gabriel Cosmetics also has some other rich red vegan lipsticks that I can't wait to try.

So, if you are craving some hot red lipstick that is vegan and lead-free, I highly recommend checking out Gabriel Cosmetics and Zuzu Luxe.

How to Make Easy Vegan Pumpkin Pie

2009-01-08T10:01:00.000-08:00

Vegan pumpkin pie is actually quite easy to make and takes very few ingredients. There are a few different ways to make a vegan pumpkin pie and, of course, you can easily make your own vegan pie crust or use separate spices rather than a pumpkin pie spice blend. However, since this is geared towards folks who are looking for a way to make a super easy vegan pumpkin pie, this recipe is about simple as it can get.

What you need:

1 pre-made vegan pie crust (graham cracker is a good, easy choice)
1 package of firm silken tofu
1 can pumpkin (organic if possible)
1 ¼ cups brown sugar
¼ cup sweetener of choice
4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice blend

What you do:

Step 1: Preheat oven (or toaster oven) to 425 degrees (Fahrenheit)

Step 2: Break up tofu and combine with the pumpkin. Blend with a hand mixer, food processor or whatever mixing tool you prefer.

Step 3: Add brown sugar, sweetener and pumpkin pie spice and mix well.

Step 4: Pour mixture into pre-made vegan pie crust and place in the oven or toaster oven.

Step 5: Bake your vegan pumpkin pie at 425 for about 15 minutes, then turn the oven down to 350 and bake for about 45-50 minutes. Baking time will differ depending on your oven, elevation and all that, so keep an eye on your pie.

Step 6: If your pie isn’t quite as firm as you would like, place it in the refrigerator until time to serve. Otherwise, this vegan pumpkin pie can be served warm or cold and goes quite well with vegan ice cream. I particularly love serving it with vegan Soyatoo whipped topping.

Eat Less Meat: Help the Planet and Your Health!

2008-12-18T08:55:00.000-08:00

While I sincerely hope that one day a vegan diet will be practiced by the majority, rather than a steadfast, caring minority, this blog post is for the folks who aren't quite ready to transition to a vegan - or at least vegetarian - diet.

There are many reasons to go vegan - animal rights, human rights, environmental concerns, spiritual beliefs, health and wellness, and an ethical belief in non-violence are just a few.

This quick blog post is addressed to those folks who aren't yet veg*n, but are concerned about their environmental impact and interested in ways they can help save the planet by making easy changes in their lifestyle.

So, here goes:

The energy, water and transportation involved in raising, processing and transporting animals raised for food and the resulting meat products have an enormous impact on the environment. Because of this, vegans and vegetarians significantly lower their impact on the environment the day they stop eating meat.

But, even if you aren’t quite ready to transform your diet and go meat-free, you can still lessen your impact on the environment by limiting your meat consumption – even if you go meatless just one day each week.

Meat alternatives are a great way to ease your (or your family’s) transition and still thoroughly enjoy hearty, filling meals on the days you choose to help the environment – and your health – by going meatless. Morning Star Farms, Boca, Yves and many other companies offer excellent fake meat products that allow you and your family to enjoy your favorite dishes and comfort foods without missing the meat you usually use.

Although meat substitutes do still require energy, water, transport and packaging, the environmental impact of fake meats is significantly less than animal-derived meat products, making vegetarian and vegan meat products a good place to start for folks who would like to improve their health and lower their environmental impact by limiting their intake of meat.

Check out the links in the right column to find easy vegan recipes, vegan and vegetarian meat alternatives and resources that will help you go meat-free for at least just one day each week.

Super Easy Applesauce Recipe

2008-11-26T08:47:00.000-08:00

My partner and I both love applesauce and it seems like I am always picking up a jar or two every time I grocery shop. Even though we buy the natural kind and the container is recyclable, I always get that little pang of guilt when I grab the jar off the shelf. You know the one - that little voice that says I should be making this myself and storing it in a reusable glass jar that won't leach chemicals and will last me the rest of my life, or at least until I break it.

Whenever possible, I like to make things myself anyways. That way I know it's vegan, I know there aren't any weird chemicals in it and I know that it isn't coming from some company that supports animal testing or uses animal products.

So, the other day I finally got motivated and decided to experiment on a huge bag of apples my partner's Dad gave me. Now, had I known making applesauce was so darn easy, I would have been doing this a long time ago.

The hardest part of making your own all natural applesauce is coring, cutting and peeling the apples. And, really, that isn't even that hard - it's just time consuming. Of course, if you have one of those handy apple corer/slicers or an apple peeler it's much easier, but I don't, so I did it the old fashioned way.

What you need:

A large pot with lid
A bunch of apples
Water
Cinnamon
Sweetener (I like to use brown sugar)
Container for storage
Something to use for stirring and mashing

What you do:

1. Wash, core, peel and cut your apples into small chunks

2. Place the apples in the pot with about an inch of water

3. Add about 2 teaspoons of cinnamon and 1/2 cup sweetener (if desired)

4. Cover and bring to a boil

5. Reduce heat to get a nice simmer, then simmer (with occasional stirring) until the apples are soft

6. Mash them up with your stirring spoon or a potato masher (I used a potato masher)

7. Serve warm or cold, or store for later use

Notes:

1. If your applesauce ends up too watery, you have two easy options - either strain the applesauce through a sieve or simmer on low, uncovered, until the unwanted water has evaporated out.

2. I have no idea what kind of apples I used since there were a bunch of different kinds of apples in the bag and some I didn't recognize. But, some were sweet and some were sour, which leads me to the conclusion that whichever kind of apple you have on hand should work - you just might need a tad more sweetener.

3. If you aren't sure how sweet you want it, start out with a small amount of sweetener - or no sweetener. You can always add more.

Vegan Stocking Stuffer Guides!

2008-11-13T09:47:00.000-08:00

As promised, here are links to four more guides to vegan stocking stuffers:

Vegan and Vegetarian Christmas Stocking Stuffers for Kids
10 Vegan and Vegetarian Stocking Stuffers Children Will Love

Vegan and Vegetarian Christmas Stocking Stuffers for Women
13 Vegan and Vegetarian Stocking Stuffers Women (and Others!) Will Love

Vegan and Vegetarian Christmas Stocking Stuffers for Teens
12 Vegan and Vegetarian Stocking Stuffers for Teenagers

Vegan and Vegetarian Christmas Stocking Stuffers for Men
17 Vegan and Vegetarian Stocking Stuffers that Guys (and Others) Will Love

Amy's Kitchen Vegan Shepherd's Pie: Product Info & Review

2008-11-13T09:37:00.000-08:00

Amy's Kitchen makes a variety of meatless vegan and vegetarian entrées, including Amy's Shepherd's Pie, made with organic vegetables and topped with organic mashed potatoes. If you didn't grow up in the English countryside or have never heard of shepherd's pie, think vegetable stew in a pie with mashed potatoes on top instead of crust and you will have a pretty good idea of what shepherd's pie looks like.

I love finding ways to make traditional, hearty meals into meatless, dairy-free, vegan delights. And, although I prefer to make them myself from scratch, I don't always have the time - or, let's face it, sometimes I'm just too lazy. Those are the times that I rely on companies like Amy's Kitchen that offer vegan and vegetarian entrées for easy meatless, dairy-free, vegan meal preparation.

As vegans living in the cold, rainy Pacific Northwest, my partner and I have a special appreciation for hot, hearty, savory vegan meals - not to mention that both of us just generally enjoy eating tasty vegan foods. So, when we spotted Amy's Kitchen Vegan Shepherd's Pie at our local PCC Natural Market, we decided to give it a try.

Read more about Amy's Kitchen Vegan Shepherd's Pie (and the full review) here.

Vegan Stocking Stuffer Guide

2008-11-12T07:01:00.000-08:00

If you celebrate Christmas - or just love the gift exchange - you know it can sometimes be difficult to find enough fun little vegan gifts to fill up a stocking. But, never fear - the Vegan Stocking Stuffer Guide is here! This one is for general stocking stuffers, but stay tuned - as soon as my other articles on vegan stocking stuffers for men, women, teens and kids are published, I will post those links as well!

In the meantime, here are 11 vegan (which also means they are vegetarian) Christmas stocking stuffers that are easy to find or make and will delight the vegan or vegetarian in your life.

Vegan Stocking Stuffer Guide

Vegan Black Pepper Steak by Vegetarian Plus: Product Information and Review

2008-11-10T08:24:00.000-08:00

All Natural, Cholesterol-Free Vegan Black Pepper Steak in Black Pepper Sauce

While shopping at our local PCC Natural Market a couple of weeks ago, my partner and I came across Vegan Black Pepper Steaks in Black Pepper Sauce made by Vegetarian Plus. Neither of us had ever tried them and they looked like a hearty, savory vegan meat alternative, so we decided to give them a try.

These soy-based steak medallions make a great meat substitute for a hearty meal on a cold day or a savory vegan entrée for a filling dinner. The black pepper sauce is very thick and rich - like a black pepper jelly - and I didn't need to add any herbs or spices to dress up the flavor. I served these vegan black pepper steaks with brown rice and vegetables, but I think that baked or mashed potatoes would also be a very nice side dish for this vegan meat alternative.

Read more about the nutritional information and my full review by clicking the following link:

Vegan Black Pepper Steak by Vegetarian Plus: Product Information and Review

Warm up your tootsies with vegan winter boots!

2008-10-30T07:43:00.000-07:00

It's getting colder here in Washington. We've only dipped into the low 30s a couple of times so far, but colder days will arrive soon, which means it's time to break out the winter clothes and boots.

Since I spent last winter in the South (North Carolina, to be exact) my wardrobe is not exactly up to Pacific Northwest winter standards, which calls for some serious scouring to find the best deals on vegan winter wear - especially warm winter boots to keep my always-freezing feet warm.

Since I'm searching for some cozy vegan winter boots, I figure other vegans are likely doing the same thing. So, I thought I would share a couple of the vegan winter boot options I have found so far...

If you loved Uggs before you went vegan, you might like this next style better. These vegan boots are made by Soda and also have a vegan fleece liner.

(Since this is an old post, the other items that were listed here are no longer available. So...I deleted those to clean up the post and just left this one pair of vegan winter boots up for now. I will make a note to write an updated post with some more vegan boots options. Thanks!)

Pass the Tings, Please!

2008-10-27T11:26:00.000-07:00

Tings Crunchy Corn Sticks are one of my favorite vegan, gluten-free snacks and just might be my all time favorite snack food ever. They are so absolutely, mouth-wateringly delectable that I'm sure you will find them just as addictive as my partner and I do. Tings are light and puffy and have that perfect amount of crunchiness that satisfies snack food cravings. I absolutely love Tings and just can't get enough of them.

Tings are one of many vegan and vegetarian snacks made by Robert's American Gourmet and - for less than $3 a bag - Tings Crunchy Corn Sticks are a great vegan, natural snack to add to your pantry. As an added bonus, you can indulge in them on a regular basis - and feed them to your kids - without guilt!

Click here to read my full article about this great vegan snack food!

Amy's Spinach Rice Crust Pizza: Vegan, Gluten-Free Product Information and Review

2008-10-27T10:36:00.000-07:00

Amy's Kitchen makes a variety of vegan and vegetarian foods that can be found in the freezer section of your local natural or health foods market.

Amy's Spinach Rice Crust Pizza is gluten-free, non-dairy and vegan and is made with organic ingredients. There are no GMOs (bioengineered ingredients), preservatives or trans fats.

Each Amy's Spinach Rice Crust Pizza is large enough for three servings and each serving has 350 calories, 20 grams of fat (including 2 grams of saturated fat), 580mg of sodium, 37 carbs, 4 grams of dietary fiber, 5 grams of sugar, 8 grams of protein, 25% of the daily recommended amount of vitamin A, 8% of the daily recommended amount of vitamin C, 6% of the daily recommended amount of calcium and 8% of the daily recommended amount of iron.

As you can easily see, Amy's Spinach Rice Crust Pizza is not the healthiest entrée on the market and is certainly not a low carb, low sodium or low fat food. However, it is vegan and gluten-free, which are two things you typically don't find when shopping for pre-made frozen pizzas. Because of this, it is a good option for folks who follow a vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free or flexitarian diet who would like pizza as an occasional treat, but don't have time to make their own homemade vegan, gluten-free pizza.

My partner and I tried this new vegan frozen pizza option the other night and, while it isn't our favorite pre-fab vegan entree, we will definitely have it again.

Read my full review of Amy's Vegan Spinach Rice Crust Pizza here.

Amy's Non-Dairy Vegetable Pot Pie: Vegan Product Information and Review

2008-10-27T10:32:00.000-07:00

Amy's Non-Dairy Vegetable Pot Pie is made with organic vegetables and tofu and has 30% less fat than their original Vegetable Pot Pie. There are no GMOs (bioengineered ingredients), no cholesterol and no trans fats.

Each package contains one serving (one non-dairy vegetable pot pie) which has 360 calories, 13 grams of fat (including 1.5 grams of saturated fat), 640mg of sodium, 50 carbs, 4 grams of dietary fiber, 3 grams of sugar, 10 grams of protein, 80% of the recommended daily amount of vitamin A, 15% of the recommended daily amount of vitamin C, 6% of the recommended daily amount of calcium and 15% of the daily recommended amount of iron.

Overall, Amy's Non-Dairy Vegetable Pot Pie is a delicious occasional addition to a healthy eating plan.

Not all of Amy's Kitchen's products are vegan and the packaging for the regular Vegetable Pot Pie (with dairy) and the Non-Dairy Vegetable Pot Pie are almost identical, so be sure to check for the text "Non-Dairy" above the name and the vegan logo in the lower left-hand corner of the box.

Find out more about Amy's Non-Dairy Vegetable Pot Pies and read my full vegan product review here.

Lightlife Smart Bacon: Vegan Product Information and Review

2008-10-22T09:42:00.001-07:00

I have tried Lightlife Smart Bacon on a number of occasions and have tried cooking them on the stove with a little oil, a lot of oil and no oil. I have also tried cooking this vegan bacon alternative in the oven to see if I would achieve different results. There may be a trick that I am not aware of, but each time I have cooked them they have come out hard, dry and brittle.

For vegans (and anyone else looking for healthier meatless bacon alternatives) I would recommend Lightlife Fakin' Bacon Organic Smokey Tempeh Strips instead. While I'm not a big fan of Lightlife Smart Bacon, their Fakin' Bacon is superb on BLTs, along side a healthy breakfast or for a great snack.

However, Lightlife Smart Bacon is still a great low fat protein source for vegans, vegetarians, flexitarians or others looking for non-meat protein to add to their diet. The flavor and texture leave something to be desired, but each serving of Lighlife Smart Bacon (2 slices) contains 45 calories, 2 grams of fat, 340mg of sodium, 95mg of potassium, 1 gram of carbohydrates, 6 grams of protein, less than 1 gram of dietary fiber, 2% of the daily recommended amount of calcium and 4% of the daily recommended amount of iron.

Read the full product information and review of Lightlife Smart Bacon here.

Tofurkey Italian Sausage: Vegan Product Information, Review & Cooking Tips

2008-10-22T09:34:00.000-07:00

Tofurkey Italian Sausage has a great, robust flavor - in part from the sun-dried tomatoes and basil, I'm sure - and is really a great addition to a number of meals. I have used this tasty meat alternative many, many times in a variety of dishes and have never been disappointed.

Here are my favorite ways to serve this tasty Italian sausage:
# Serve this tasty meatless sausage sandwich style - Cook on stovetop with a small amount of oil and serve on a bun with sautéed onions and green peppers.

# Add tons of flavor and heartiness to pasta - Cut into rounds (like coins) and cook on the stove with a bit of oil, stir into marinara and serve over your choice of pasta. (for an even heartier sauce I sometimes will also mix in vegan ground crumbles along with the Tofurkey Italian Sausage)

# Serve meatless sausage at your next BBQ - Tofurkey Italian Sausage is amazing when cooked on the grill. For added flavor and ease of grilling you can lightly oil the vegan sausage link before placing it on the grill, or just put it on there as is.

# Serve it like a hot dog - For a spicy, vegan alternative to hot dogs, cook Tofurkey Italian Sausage on the stove or the grill and serve in a bun with your favorite hot dog fixings.

# Serve it in a single-bowl meal - When I'm in a rush or just don't feel like spending hours cooking up a vegan feast, my partner and I enjoy eating Tofurkey Italian Sausage mixed with rice and veggies in a bowl. Cut up the Tofurkey Italian Sausage into rounds, cook on the stove with some oil and mix it in with brown rice and steamed vegetables for a quick, filling meal.

To read my full product review and cooking tips for Tofurkey Italian Sausge, click here.

Shells & Chreese - yes, please!

2008-10-22T09:29:00.000-07:00

Road's End Organics is famous for their Chreese vegan cheese alternative and the many delightful and easy to prepare Chreese meals they offer. Their vegan Shells & Chreese are just one of their many organic, vegan products that come in 100% recycled paperboard packaging and offer soy-, nut- and meat-free alternatives to some of the favorite meals we grew up with.

Road's End Organics Shells & Chreese is organic, soy-free, nut-free, vegan, trans fat-free and cholesterol free. This macaroni and cheese-type dish is also high in fiber, vitamin B12, iron and folate.

As for taste, well, let me put it this way - my partner and I bought two boxes so that we could give it a try. We split a box between us last night and have decided to buy 10 boxes next time we go grocery shopping. It really is that good.

Read more about Shells & Chreese here.

Tips for Healthy Grocery Shopping: Make Every Trip to the Market a Healthy Success!

2008-10-21T11:37:00.000-07:00

If you are vegan or vegetarian - or are just trying to improve your healthy eating habits - shopping for healthy foods doesn't have to be a challenge. At first, it might take you a few extra minutes to check for an organic version or to read a list of ingredients, but finding the healthiest foods for your family's health and wellness is well worth the effort.

Click here for seven tips to make sure you are getting the healthy foods you and your family need the next time you go food shopping.

Vegan Gifts: What to Watch For and Where to Shop

2008-10-21T08:53:00.000-07:00

Shopping for vegan and vegetarian gifts can sometimes be a challenge - especially if you aren't vegan or vegetarian and are not sure what is and is not okay to buy.

Shopping for gifts for vegans and vegetarians may seem like an arduous task, but with the right information and some tips on what to avoid, you will soon be shopping for vegan and vegetarian gifts like a pro. The following lists of ingredients and products to avoid might seem a bit lengthy, but the reality is that there are a lot of products out there that have either been tested on animals or contain animal-derived ingredients.

This guide to what to avoid when shopping for vegan and vegetarian gifts and where to find vegan- and vegetarian-friendly gifts will hopefully point you in the right direction and give you some helpful information for your next shopping trip.

From jewelry to cosmetics to textiles to candy, this is an informative article about ingredients and materials that are commonly found in consumer products.

Read the whole article here: Buying Gifts for Vegans, Vegetarians: Ingredients and Materials to Avoid when Shopping for Vegan Gifts

Miss Mavyn's Vegan Blog

Save 25% on Vegan, Organic, Fair Trade Chocolates at Sjaaks.com

This Week's Highlights for Vegan Sales at NW Albertsons, Safeway, Top Food & Drug

Three More Days to Save with Fred Meyer Extra Savings Vegan Coupons

Vegan Finds at Dollar Tree

Vegan Grocery Deals - Safeway, NW Albertsons, Top Food & Drug Highlights

Vegan Fruit Smoothie Recipe

More Frequent Posts Coming Soon...

Thanks for Your Patience!

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Vegan Deals at Top Food and Drug thru Sept 6

Vegan Deals at Safeway thru Sept 6

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Today's Vegan Juicing Recipe (with pictures!)

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Another Reason to Love Bartell Drugs - and Vegan, DIY Soda Making!

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Save 25% on Certified Vegan Essential Oils and Natural Wellness Products

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