Vicious Dogs (Art's Guest Post)

I have the opportunity to guest blog here for Vicki, I've been on the hunt for new vegan grub in the LA area. I have tried various veggie dogs in town, including Pink's on La Brea (they have a "Pat Morrison Vegan Dog"), and also Orean's in Pasadena (they have a good BBQ tofu dog), but NOBODY beats the vegan dog at this place I found. It's called Vicious Dogs, located in the NoHo Arts District on Lankershim Boulevard. They have several vegetarian or vegan style dogs, take your pick. I grilled the owner (pardon the bun) on whether the dogs were actually vegan.

Sure enough, they are! Yves, and he was kind enough to pull them out and prove it! He tosses them on a special section of the grill, and you can order them any way you want. I've tried several varieties, but the best one, and what seems to be most popular there with vegans, is the "Sweet and Spicy" vegan dog. Damn, it's so good I have to cuss about it! I usually order two of them, they are $4.00 each, it's got grilled onions, grilled peppers, sweet and spicy sauce, and a delicious soft bun with the jumbo Yves dog in there.

The onions and peppers are grilled in a pan with olive oil. I caught this photo just as he had tossed the stuff on the grill. You could smell it already. They report that the vegan dogs are one of the most popular (there is a large arts community in the area and we know that artsy people are often vegans). Well, you can have it anyway you want, so I'm thinking about coming up with my own variety and asking him to name it after me. He has an "Original Willy Style" which has a special chipolte sauce and other stuff, but I'd say my favorite is the sweet and spicy and that's going to be hard to beat.

Look at that puppy! It was so good, after taking the photos, I wolfed it down and then got another one to go! You can call in your orders and each dog is made specially and ready to eat when you get there. Or, do like me, and order the dog there and talk smack with the owner, which is more fun, and probably why it's called Vicious Dogs. The difference here is that the vegan dog is cooked perfectly on the grill, as opposed to boiled or microwaved. We've tried the Foreman grill at home and it's okay, but nothing like this. So let me know what you'd put on a special vegan dog and maybe I'll get one named after me?

Hot Dog Top Dog

My family prefers Yves Hot Dogs, hands-down. We've tried other veggie dogs, and think these are by far the best. Abi digs the taste, Art likes how they grill, and I like that they are nutritious, vegan, and can be found at WinCo (our regular grocery store).



Even our dog agrees that these hot dogs are top dog.....



A Hot Dog slipped out of the package and on to the floor.

My daughter screamed "Oh no!" as our dog Jolie quickly claimed the spoils and trotted it back to her spot to enjoy...

Coming in for this photo, Jolie gave me a warning growl to say she wasn't going to give it back.



I came back to find Abi double-fisted with hot dog. She gave me a warning growl to say she was keeping both of them.


That's a lot of hot dog hoarding! So I thought it'd be fun to capitalize on the Hot Dog enthusiasm.





Vegan Lunch Box has a great recipe for 'Pups in Blankets'. After dressing them up, we liked calling them 'Mummy Dogs'.

It was a snap to also make the 'Piroshki' because I happened to have left-over mashed potatoes in the fridge.

Here they are oven ready. We gobbled them up without a photo they were so irrestible. What's stopping schools from serving these in their lunches?!

What's Been Goin' On...

This is a photo of Liv begging with all her might. When she heard we were baking a birthday cake for grandma, she made me get down Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World, and flipped through until she came to page 65, and said, "This is the one. Make this one." I've never seen her do this before. I was convinced, and would have attempted it if I'd been prepared. I couldn't find the agar I used back in 2006, was out of silken tofu, and am unfamiliar with castor sugar. So get this creamy picture out of your mind! It's not what I baked.


I came up with this 'Vanilla Cake with Chocolate Frosting' from Joy of Vegan Baking. I've found that one of those giant tupperwares upside down transports a cake from my spring form pan perfectly. The red lid is beneath the plate.
I like this cookbook because it uses ingredients I have on hand and I haven't found a dud. It was a dense & delicious cake, and the frosting could have used more soy milk (my bad). Olivia never mentioned the creamy cupcake again. We'll tackle that another day.



My mom LOVES roosters, so I felt lucky to spot this cookie jar from the street at a garage sale. $10. Sold.

I filled it up with the crowd pleasing 'Homestyle Chocolate Chip Cookies' from Vive le Vegan!

I went over the critical 11 minute cooking time, and even a little crisp, these cookies are great.





If I'd had an Endangered Species bar, I would have made our favorite cookie, 'Chocolate Mint Melties' from eat, drink, and be vegan.

We think these cookies are the best.









See Jolie checking out the best of a Farmer's Market run? Tomato, Swiss Chard, and Kale plants for our garden. I also picked up some vegetables from The Peaceful Belly, but overall, I can't help but be disappointed about the lack of variety at the market. Next time I'm doing a head count, cuz I think there's as many meat vendors as veggie vendors. Is that wrong? I'm for local selling, buying, eating, etc. & I know meat speaks volumes of my location, but still...



Speaking of veggies... This is the 'Super Spring Salad' from the May issue of Meatout Mondays. It's a recipe from the wonderful blog, Live It Up Vegan!

As much as I love this kind of food, my family does not. Their idea of trying the salad was plucking out the big chunks of fresh corn cut off the cob. I don't overly try to convince them and enjoy it myself over the course of a couple days. Loved it! Thanks, Gaia!


Lately, this has been occupying the girls while I cook or do the dishes. They love it.

Write the shape of a letter using white glue. Stick beans (or noodles, or whatever) along the shape.
They are now on "J" and I plan to string up the alphabet.

This idea came from Kids Craft Weekly, which is a great resource for fuss-free themed ideas.


The kids also love to get in on the kitchen action using rolling pin and cutters. Abi had fun making 'Whole Wheat Sesame Crackers' from May All Be Fed by John Robbins.

Originally I was drawn to his 'Chapatis' recipe on the opposite page to accompany the dish below, which was my second (hand) Smoked Paprika experience, which is much less harmful than it sounds! :)



The crackers scooped up this 'Chana Dal'

2 c (uncooked) split baby garbanzos (chana dal)
6 c water
3 cloves red garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp cumin
sea salt to taste

Saute the garlic in oil until fragrant, add the rest and simmer until tender. Puree to desired consistency (I reserved some). Feeling brave, I threw on tomatoes after learning that tomatoes are OK if they're still on the vine, cherry, or from your own garden!! Buy organic.

I broke my Smoked Paprika seal on this awesome 'Smoked Paprika Hummus' recipe that the urban vegan sent after reading my desperate plea below.

This was delicious! I used Triscuits to scoop, and when those were gone, I grabbed a spoon. Thank you for this yummy recipe, Dynise!!

We've been bicycling everywhere! I pull the girls in a trailer and it feels great on many levels. More later.....

Holy Smoked Paprika, Batman!!

A thoughtful friend gifted me a can of Spanish Smoked Paprika for my birthday after reading how deprived I was feeling.


Now, I can't wait to try it!!


Please, can you help me remember all those fabulous recipes using Smoked Paprika?

Go Vegan with Oprah!

She's doing a 21 day cleanse, which is vegan, sugar-free, caffeine-free, alcohol-free, and wheat-free. What's left?! Find out on Oprah's blog where she shares her menus and a few recipes. Oprah says, "How can you say you're trying to spiritually evolve, without even a thought about what happens to the animals whose lives are sacrificed in the name of gluttony?" Oprah is recognizing that conscious eating goes far beyond calorie counting, and in the process could become a "Skinny Bitch!" More importantly, conscious eating is about this, this, this, and even that is just the tip of the (melting) iceberg. Hey Oprah, have your chef make "Chickpea Cutlets" from Veganomicon, goes well with a green salad, and risotto topped beet circles. Do you think Oprah will stick with it?

How about her Chef? His name is Tal Ronnen, and he's worked Sublime in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Candle 79 in New York City and Madeleine Bistro in Los Angeles. He assisted rocker Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders in opening her restaurant, VegiTerranean in Akron, Ohio. He is also the founder of Veg advantage, a non-profit dedicated to helping other chefs offer vegan selections on their menus. That's quite a resume, and wouldn't it be nice to have him cooking?! For dessert, Oprah might like Apple pie from The Joy of Vegan Baking.

ProBar

I was excited to find a package from ProBar on our doorstep. They sent a sampling of their new 'Sweet & Savory' line for my consideration. How fun! I learned that Pro Bar is a whole food meal made with organic ingredients, no trans fat, rich in raw foods, and vegan. Sounds good, eh? They really are, but we had to play favorites, and Art was willing to humor me with a taste test. We ranked the bars according to what we thought we'd like (anticipated). Then, ranked them again after tasting and analyzing each bar (actual).


Art(anticipated) -- Art(actual)
#1MaplePecan #1MaplePecan
#2CocoaPistach #2CherryPretzel
#3CherryPretz #3KettleCorn
#4KettleCorn #4CocoaPistach
#5SesameGoji #5SesameGoji

Vic(anticipated) -- Vic(actual)
#1CherryPretzel #1CherryPretzel
#2KettleCorn #2KettleCorn
#3SesameGoji #3MaplePecan
#4CocoaPistachio #4SesameGoji
#5MaplePecan #5CocoaPistachio

I'll pick up a ProBar next time. Each bar is packed with whole pieces of nuts and fruit, and the combination of sweet and savory flavors keep your taste buds interested. They're delicious and good for you. What is your favorite flavor (anticipated or actual)?!

Flore & Fun

Art wanted to take me back to his current favorite, Flore (3818 W. Sunset Blvd. Silver Lake 323.953.0611) because last time we had brunch, which is a limited menu compared to the dinner and not a fair sampling of the many delectable options.

We both started with a bowl of the soup of the day 'Roasted Broccoli Soup' and I nearly licked the bowl. It was so tasty! I put the sprouty things in mine which tasted like radishes.



I was torn on what to order, and mentioned the 'Delectable Selectable' to our server. He kindly tipped me to get 'The Salad' instead because it includes all that and more: Bed of mixed baby greens topped with portions of tofu egg salad, shredded carrot, baked tofu, roasted beets, edamame salad, tomato, avocado, daikon sprouts, and a side of hummus. $9.95 Such a great sampling of the delicious, fresh food.
Art's regular is the 'Avocado & Seitan Salad' $8.95, which is basically what you see. We enjoyed the patio street scene.


If you have kids in LA, you gotta go here....

The Boone Children's Gallery -- LACMA West
6067 Wilshire Blvd. @ Fairfax Ave. 323.857.6128

This photo shows only a small portion of the large, stocked art studio that everyone is free to explore.




The exhibit is called Construct -- where you can learn, play, paint, build, and be artists. It's so great.

The Boone Children's Gallery is an open art studio for everyone.

Here are Abi & Liv painting to their heart's content.






We enjoyed checking out this city built from recycled materials, complete with planes and rocket ships hanging from the ceiling.

Did I mention that this is all free?! Free of charge for you, and for the kids. This must be the best deal in town for kid's activities. I highly recommend it, and we'll be back for sure.




The girls were zonked out in the backseat when we drove by Nature Mart on Hillhurst and Art says, "I'll drop you, and park," gifting me a rare opportunity to shop hands-free. I wandered around a bit, then spotted something I've been wanting to try for years -- Uncle Eddie's Vegan Cookies. I had to cross state lines to finally find them, and it was well worth it. I selected the peanut butter chocolate-chip cookies and they were soft, super delicious, and a family favorite for sure. Wish we had another bag.

So Cal.... So Nice

We had a blast in Santa Monica! We rented bicycles and cruised the boardwalk taking in the scene. Then we hung out on the pier before heading to the beach.


The girls took naps on the way to the Grandparents where they would spend the weekend.

Art & I were on our way to San Diego!


We picked up 4 orders of our favorite 'Sweet & Sour Ckn' from SipZ to-go. We downed 2 of them on a bench in Pacific Beach watching the surfers.

We stayed in our friend's pool house, and we ate the other 2 orders of sweet & sour beside the pool.





Our friend also loaned us a couple bicycles and that is how we got around. Riding bikes along the boardwalk is one of my favorite things in life.










But it made us hungry, and we were ready for something else! We found our way to Veg-N-Out in San Diego's North Park area.

I had a 'B.B.Q Chick'n Burger' and Art tried the 'Dijon Chick'n Mushroom burger', both with the house salad. We shared an order of Onion rings.

It's a small, casual, vegan & vegetarian restaurant with a patio to enjoy. Great food!



We were at the Goodwill on Garnet, when I looked across the street and saw this brand new sign. We walked over and the owner was literally painting the walls of this not even opened yet restaurant. Right now, they have the store open with all kinds of raw & vegan supplies. Next time we're in San Diego, we'll try Synergy. The owner told me they have raw vegan ice-cream!

I picked up a bracelet and vegan bar for my good friend who I was about to see.....


It was awesome to see Karen. We caught up to her in La Jolla with Mattie and friend Barney. We had a great time chatting it up, and she gifted me a big bag of birthday goodies. What a sweetie-pie! Thanks, Karen!!







Back in LA, we wanted to go back to the Hollywood Farmer's Market. We couldn't resist getting more soul food from A Taste of Life, including black eyed peas, macaroni & chz, bbq tofu, greens, rice, and cornbread.

We ate it on the curb with everybody else. So delicious, and all vegan.





I also picked up a mango-raspberry-peach cobbler from CobblerMania. They sell cobblers at several Farmer's Markets, and their slogan is, "So good you'll (want to) slap somebody!" Can't say I had that impulse, but it was very delicious. The cobbler has a hand-rolled crust, is dairy and egg free and sweetened with Agave nectar. All the cobblers, including peach, apple, pear, and rhubarb are made with fresh, hand-cut fruit.




Then, we picked up one of these unique bouquets for my Mother-in-law for Mother's Day.

We've been having a great time here, and I'm really amazing at all the new veg eateries.

Hope you are doing great, and I'll be by to say hello soon. :)

Leaf cuisine

Yesterday, we had lunch at Leaf cuisine, it is:

RAW
VEGAN
ORGANIC

They recycle, compost, use non-toxic cleaning supplies, bio-diesel vehicles, recycled paper & corn based to-go cups. Grains, seeds & nuts are soaked & sprouted. Their food is not heated above 110*F.


We were eager to give this nutritious, environmental, ethical, healthful, green, living foods restaurant a try!!

We went to the Sherman Oaks location (14318 Ventura Blvd - cross street is Beverly Glen) 818.907.8779

We shared a 'Tropical Trip' smoothie, and it was a delectable mix of mango, papaya, pineapple, banana, coconut mylk & dates. $5.99


I ordered the 'Trinity Sampler Salad' which is choosing 3 selections - what a great way to sample the menu! I chose Veggie Sunburger (veggie-seed croquettes topped with sweet tangy tomato sauce) Flying Falafel (sprouted chickpea falafel croquettes with creamy tahini sauce) and Bombay (sprouted lentil croquettes topped with creamy coconut-curry sauce) My favorite was the falafel. The salad was fresh with many kinds of lettuce, sprouted mung beans, cabbage, carrots, sprouts, tomatoes. $11.99


Art wanted the 'Hale Kale Salad' (chopped kale, avocado, sprouted wild rice, mung beans, tomatoes & cayenne) but they were out. $9.99

So he ordered 'Coconut Mushroom Medley Sandwich' (coconut & portobello loaf with mushroom sauce, romaine, tomato & sprouts between slices of herb bread) $9.99




Last night, we rode the Metro Rail to Olvera Street for some Cinco de Mayo celebration.

Here we are waiting in line, listening to the mariachi band, & watching people buy souvenirs at the outdoor markets. It feels like Mexico!
By the time we sat down, it was too dark to snap photos of our potato tacos and margaritas. OLE! We hopped off the metro at exciting Hollywood & Highland to have a beer before heading home. The kids are having a blast too @ Camp Grandparents! :)

Vegan Variety along the 101

After a nice long winter in Idaho, we are stoked to have a short visit to California to see family, friends, and have some fun!

We visited the Hollywood Farmer's Market, this morning, where we used to shop for organic produce and enjoy socializing and some food when we lived in LA.





Now, it's great to visit and see that many of the vendors are still there, and some have gotten better.











After passing some irresistible strawberries and piles of asparagus and other yummy veggies, we had to take time out for some grub.










We have loved the vegan soul food place for years, but we had never known the name, they are called A Taste of Life and we thought it was more like a taste of heaven.

The food was served, as always, with a smile and there were so many choices. As I snapped this photo, they asked if I was a vegan blogger. At first I was hesitant but I then admitted my mission, and they were very happy to let me know that they love vegan bloggers and they also love all things vegan!

We shared a $10 plate of food: mac & cheese, greens, bar-b-que tofu, and black-eyed peas. Of course, it's all vegan, along with the cornbread. We were tempted to go back for seconds but we had to save room for later.









Our market bounty: HUGE artichokes, strawberries, fingerling potatoes, oranges, lemons, and beets, as well as some pistachios.









After Art treated himself to a haircut in Silverlake, and myself to a Goodwill binge, we went to Flore (3818 W. Sunset Blvd. 323.953.0611), where they were having their Sunday brunch. I got the bagel, soy cream cheese, tomato, onion, avocado and a side of potatoes. Art got the Tofu Benediction which was amazing with a tahini style hollandaise, tofu on toast with kale, tomatoes and avocado. Art ate his quickly and did not flinch when the man at the table next to us asked what Art had ordered. It was too late because now brunch had ended and it was lunch time. Too bad for us because the lunch menu is amazing and extensive ... we will have to come back now (awww, too bad, huh?)

We also had a late nite dinner last night at Astro Burger (on Melrose near Gower) which was great as usual, I got the gardenburger with vegan patty, avocado, soy cheese, tomato/lettuce, veganaise and mustard! Art got his usual.... veggie ham sandwich. Along with fried zucchini sticks the tab was $17!
This fast-food restaurant sells it all ~ meat, vegetarian, & vegan.



We worked up another appetite after taking a 3 mile walk that we used to do many times back when we rented an apartment in the "Beachwood" area of LA. It's a beautiful loop through the Hollywood hills with amazing architecture, lush landscape, and breath-taking views of the city and Hollywood sign. Art had the great idea to go to Leonor's Restaurant. There was a point in our lives when we ate here every night. We ordered the same things. Mine is their "Salad Forever-Young" with cabbage, beets, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, & soy oil & apple cider vinegar. Art goes for the "Chicken Salad" made with soy mayonnaise, soy chicken and topped with soy cheese & avocado. They serve massive portions of food featuring super fresh veggies and all vegan. Go to their Studio City 818.762.0660 or Valley Village 818.769.6315 locations for great food with no frills.