{VeganMoFo} The Perfect Bowl of Oatmeal

Blueberry, Walnut, Cinnamon Oatmeal

I'm a sucker for a good bowl of oatmeal.  Always have been, always will be.

And although I do have a bit of nostalgia for the old days - when making "oatmeal" meant tearing open a packet of instant Quaker Oats (maple 'n' brown sugar, represent!) - I'm quite enamored with the weekend ritual of preparing oatmeal from scratch.  The slow-cooking, don't-walk-away-or-the-pan-will-overflow cadence of breakfast preparation kinda feels good.  In my soul.

{VeganMoFo} Silent Saturday: Costco, Vegan-Style!

{VeganMoFo} Raw Zucchini Pasta w/ Fresh Tomato Sauce

I absolutely love the way that eating raw foods makes me feel.  It's kinda my equivalent to that feeling some people describe when making the leap from an omnivorous diet to a vegan one.

Since my path to veganism essentially started at birth (my mom can attest to this fact), and I was a long-time vegetarian before becoming a vegan, I didn't experience an overnight change in my mood and energy when I altered my diet.

Honestly, my changes have been much more subtle (but nonetheless magnificent), which sometimes makes me envious of people who have a different story.  Fortunately, however, I've been able to cultivate that missing feeling through raw foods.

{VeganMoFo} Restaurant Review: 'Snice

I have a bit of a confession to make: I'm kind of addicted to 'Snice.  And.  I.  Don't.  Care.

Even though NYC is full of great vegan options, I generally fall back on the same few places, mostly due to proximity (in this case) or to sheer picky-ness (my trademark).

Now, I'm not gonna sit here and claim that 'Snice is the be-all-end-all of vegan cuisine.  It's not.  But it is reliably good, and it's one of those places that you can take just about anyone - even non-vegans (le sigh!) - for a satisfying, relaxing meal.

Bonus: they even have vegan desserts.

{VeganMoFo} Vegan Chocolate Chip Banana Nut Muffins

Bananas are a staple in our house (ahem... very small apartment).  If we don't have them, it's a pretty safe bet that something crazy has happened.  Yet, because they're always around, they sometimes get passed by for more novel fruit, which means that overly-ripe bananas occasionally plague my kitchen counter.

Whenever I notice said offender(s), my mind instantly flashes to an episode of 'The Simpsons,' where Marge says to Lisa, "We have black bananas, and you know what that means!"  To which Lisa gleefully shouts, "Banana bread!"

Start Your Engines, it's Almost VeganMoFo Time!

Jerk Black Bean Burger from the Mac'n Food Truck @ The Seed Vegan Immersion (NYC)

In case you've been hiding under a blogging rock for the past few weeks, I'm here to remind you that Vegan Month of Food 2012 (aka VeganMoFo) is just around the corner.

For those uninitiated, VeganMoFo is a month-long period wherein hundreds of bloggers attempt to post as much as humanly possible about vegan food.  Translation: tons of delicious recipes, fascinating articles, and, most importantly, FOODPORN, delivered directly to your inbox (if you subscribe to the MoFo feed, that is) on a daily basis.

Super Easy No-Cook Pizza Sauce

I've never met a person who didn't like pizza.  It's basically the great uniter as far as food is concerned.

Oddly, some of my most vivid childhood memories revolve around it: saving up my "Book-It" reading coupons to earn a free personal pan from Pizza Hut (cheese and sausage!); visiting the mall with my family, specifically to devour delicious pizza-by-the-slice at Luca's (from the guy who always pretended to add anchovies - ick!); and drooling over "pizza night," when we made individual pizzas on Pillsbury dough crust (cheese, sausage, black olives!), just they way we liked 'em.

Ahhh... pizza.  The perfect food.

But what's a good pizza without a good sauce?  For this girl, nothin'.  Especially since becoming a vegan, I've noticed that sauce is immensely important on a pizza - even more so if you forego vegan cheese all together, as I do.

Instagram Pics: Cleo's Peanut Butter Cups

Let me be frank: I take a lot of Instagram photos, none of which has ever made it onto this blog.

Why?  The simplest answer is that I'm often too lazy to write up a lengthy post to go along with every single picture, so I figured it'd be kind of silly to put any of them on my blog.

However, it recently occurred to me that there's no rule stating that each and every Veggie Terrain post must absolutely, unequivocally contain "hard-hitting" (read: overly-verbose) analysis.  This is my blog, after all, and if one of my Instagram photos is itching to be shared, then gosh darnit, share it, I shall...

See that package of candy, above? It contains Cleo's vegan, gluten-free peanut butter cups.  They're made of "creamy peanut butter in a rice-milk chocolatey coating," and, I suspect, crack.  They're super-sweet, decadently melty, and highly addictive.  Proceed with caution.

Get your hands on Cleo's Peanut Butter Cups at:

• Whole Foods
• Fairway Market
• Lula's Sweet Apothecary (NYC)

Not near Whole Foods or Fairway? It's okay! Try online:

• Vegan Essentials
• Food Fight Grocery

DIY: The Perfect Iced Coffee (+ Coffee Ice Cubes)

I've become quite enamored with money-saving DIY projects as of late.  From homemade toothpaste and clarifying shampoo, to body lotion and laundry detergent, I can't seem to stop myself.  Of course, all of this do-it-yourself-ness has spilled over into the kitchen, as well, which is what brings me to this post.

All summer long, CH and I have been basking in the glow of refreshing iced coffee. Pitcher after pitcher disappears, yet I never tire of it.  One of the best parts is the serious savings that accompany the DIY aspect of making iced coffee, especially when compared to what you'd pay for it at Starbucks, or, say, Cafe Grumpy.  There's also something kinda magical about the way that two simple ingredients (plus one night's worth of sleep) can turn into sheer deliciousness.

When making cold-brewed iced coffee, feel free to use any brand or roast that you like.  Even flavored coffee is great, especially if you drink yours black (or with just a splash of soy milk) as I do.  Just make sure to start with fresh, whole beans - grind 'em yourself - and a French press (or a large container, a fine mesh sieve, and a cheesecloth), and you're good to go.

Now, even though CH informed me that once he learns how to make perfect iced coffee, he won't need me any more (ouch!), I'm gonna go out on a limb and share my method here.  I'm also including a quick primer on coffee ice cubes.  As if you'll have any coffee left over.  Right.

The Best in NYC: Dun-Well Doughnuts

coconut + vanilla w/ sprinkles

You know what I kinda hate? When I haven't posted in eons, and I (like so many other bloggers) feel compelled to apologize profusely before even attempting to get back into the game. 

Yea, it kinda sucks...

So, let's just skip over that whole thing, shall we?

On to the sweet stuff: Dessert at the famed Dun-Well Doughnuts. (Well, technically it's breakfast, but we all know that isn't quite true...)