New Year's Birthday

VM is lucky that her birthday falls on a holiday because that means there's always plenty of time to celebrate (sorry, OD; that's just the way the cookie crumbles).

 

This year we did a Boston Creme-esque pancake breakfast to celebrate.

 

Our family's favorite pancake recipe from Vegan with a Vengeance schmeared with Rigoni di Asiago's Nocciolata Dairy Free Hazelnut & Cocoa Spread (vegan nutella) and dolloped with So Delicious coco whip and ample maple syrup.

 

89 helped with setting the table.

Then ate more than her fair share of pancakes.

THREE (#pancakegate)

This put us in a food coma until dinner, which was takeout Ethiopian food because VM refuses to cook for her own birthday. This is kind of a downer because she's the best cook in the family, but who can complain about Ethiopian food? Not us.

 

Certainly not her.

For dessert, Peaceful Provisions donuts in our current fave flaves: rainbow and cannoli because I masterfully plan ahead for all contingencies.

Happy Bday, VM! And happy new year to all; let's get ready to stand up for ourselves and those around us...beginning now!

As Jeannette Rankin told to a journalist re: if she had her life to relive, she said she'd, "do it all again,” adding, “But this time, I'd be nastier.”

GIVEAWAY: Nocciolata Hazelnut & Cocoa Spread (think vegan nutella)

When the folks at Rigoni di Asiago offered to send me a jar of their *NEW* Nocciolata Dairy Free Hazelnut & Cocoa Spread (certified vegan) to sample, of course I jumped at the opportunity. Who among us hasn't been dreaming of a vegan alternative to the non-vegan (yet beloved) nutella?

But, in the short time before I actually received it, I talked myself down from the excitement. I convinced myself that it would probably be a subpar excuse for the decadent staple and readied myself for the disappointment.

When the jar arrived, I was impressed by how much it looked like it belonged in a gourmet shop (ahem, Riverdel), but still I didn't have high hopes. Veganizing nutella AND making it organic, non-GMO seemed like too tall an order, so didn't open it- let alone smell or taste it.

Big mistake. HUGE! Read on, my friends.

A few days later I baked up a dozen of my go-to chocolate cupcakes, the toasted coconut cupcakes from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. I waited until they were completely cooled before first snipping the seal on the jar of Nocciolata and only then did I realize what I'd been missing. Based on scent and sight alone, I was instantly aware that if I'd opened the jar upon arrival, I could have made quick work of it with only a spoon. Rich, dense, and creamy; I knew it was going to be fantastic before I even tasted it.

But fantastic is an understatement. While part of me felt that simple cupcakes weren't fancy enough for this high-quality spread, I still knew it would make an exquisite "icing," so I persevered. It was a phenomenal call.

 

From the company, "Made with organic ingredients completely free of GMO's, preservatives, colors, additives, or artificial sweeteners, Rigoni di Asiago's Nocciolata Dairy Free Hazelnut & Cocoa Spread combines hazelnuts, cocoa and cocoa butter, natural vanilla extract, and raw cane sugar for a chocolate-hazelnut spread with undeniably superior flavor. Nocciolata Dairy Free is like a vegan, organic, better-for-you Nutella, made with environmentally-responsible cold-pressed sunflower oil. It also contains far less sugar than other brands and is free from hydrogenated fats!"

So, good news/bad news:
Bad news first: Nocciolata Dairy Free Hazelnut & Cocoa Spread is so new that it's not yet available for purchase. Soon, though! only currently available at Whole Foods Markets and will be coming soon to Amazon.com!
Good news: In the meantime, YOU CAN WIN A JAR RIGHT HERE!

 

CONTEST TIME:
Believe it or not, I was able to generously ice 12 cupcakes with half of one jar. So, I need suggestions for how to maximize my enjoyment of the 2nd half of the jar. This is where you come in.

• Kindly leave a comment below telling me how you'd like to enjoy Nocciolata and the mastermind behind my favorite idea wins a jar of their very own to devour. 
• All entries must be received by August 31st @ 11:59pm EST. 
• Please be sure that your email is accessible via your comment sign-in, or simply include it in your comment so the company can be in touch to send you your jar.

Winner will be announced early September; good luck!

Tour De Crepes

Walking down NE Alberta for the second day in a row I was determined to find Tour de Crepes; I hadn't had a crepe since my eighth grade french class! As it turned out, it was a tucked behind “Suzette”: an adorable little restaurant that is somehow connected to the tiny silver crepe cart in back. I’m still not entirely sure how the two are related, but after you order at the cart you can seat yourself either in their restaurant or in their front garden/patio area where they'll serve you your freshly made crepe with your silverware in an adorable little box on the side.

So, despite having just had breakfast, I couldn’t pass up 1) the welcoming chalkboard sign exclaiming, "Vegans Rejoice" as a header to their vegan options and 2) the offering of a vegan nutella crepe. It was soft, fresh, generously sprinkled with confectioner’s sugar; overall: divine. I was no longer lamenting having passed up the unusual crepe from Perriera Creperie, as this was exactly the soft, desserty crepe I’d had in mind when I’d dismissed their crispy one.

In a nutshell, Tour De Crepes' crepe was delicious. Make a conscious effort to look for them (apparently there is a sign that says, cryptically, "This way to order crepes" but I somehow missed it) and then enjoy in the courtyard of Suzette.