The Spooky Vegan

I have been stalking my TJ Maxx/HomeGoods store for the last couple of weeks, just waiting for them to start putting out their Halloween decor (I was told by a few stores that their Halloween stock was delayed this year, which explains why I haven't seen any yet)! I called them yesterday, and lo and behold the sales person told me they had just started stocking the shelves with Halloween stuff!

I headed to the store (for those interested, this is the TJ Maxx/HomeGoods store in Irvine) ASAP, filled with eager anticipation at what I might find. When I finally found their Halloween aisle (just one aisle for now, though I'm sure more will come!), I found they weren't foolin' when they told me they had JUST started stocking their shelves. Everything looked like it had just been thrown (as in literally tossed) haphazardly on the shelves. There was broken glass, and some of the merchandise was wet (hmmmm...maybe a snow globe had broken or something else was spilled?). I really had to dig to find worthwhile stuff, and it seemed like most of the decor was Halloween art painted on wooden signs (which I love, by the way, but there was a lot of it!).

I snapped a few pics so you get an idea of what they had:

Trick or Treat plus a danse macabre snow globe with two skeletons

dancing over a grave

Loved these blue and purple glass bottles with raven toppers!

That thing with the smiling pumpkin is actually the cutest lightbox -

I bought a few a couple of years ago and love them!

Potion bottles

Lottsa witchy signs, glass pumpkins and wooden sign art

Really love this bat marquee sign, but couldn't find a price on him and

I've seen reports he is going for $80, a bit out of my price range!

Pretty vintage-looking bottles

And here is what I ended up buying:

A changing-color LED skull lantern, Trick or Treat wooden sign art,

danse macabre skeleton snow globe, Sleepy Hollow wooden sign art,

Sweetie Pie Pumpkin Pie Coffee, witchy Halloween wooden sign

Does your HomeGoods has Halloween decor in yet? If so, did you score any Halloween goodies?

I'm hoping to go back in a week when they should have more stuff out.

I heard the best news last night! The documentary Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret, is scheduled to screen in Huntington Beach, CA on Thursday, September 4th, 2014! However, there is a minimum amount of pre-sale tickets that must be sold before the screening of this fine documentary can happen, so please buy your tickets now!

Cowspiracy is an extremely important documentary that is opening people's eyes to the unsustainable practice of factory farming. I have wanted to see this documentary for a while, so I am so excited that it might have a screening in Orange County! Here is the official synopsis:

"COWSPIRACY: The Sustainability Secret is a groundbreaking feature-length environmental documentary following an intrepid filmmaker as he uncovers the most destructive industry facing the planet today – and investigates why the world's leading environmental organizations are too afraid to talk about it. As eye-opening as Blackfish and as inspiring as An Inconvenient Truth, this shocking yet humorous documentary reveals the absolutely devastating environmental impact large-scale factory farming has on our planet."

Please join me in purchasing tickets for this event so we can bring it to Orange County! You can purchase tickets HERE.

If it does screen on September 4th, there will be a meetup at vegan restaurant Mitasie 3 (right across the street from the theater) either before or after the screening. If you are interested in meeting up, please let me know.

Written by Sarah E. Jahier

Attention UCI and Orange County vegans! Berkeley Dog, located on the UCI campus near Trader Joe's and Veggie Grill, has two vegan sausage options! I'm not sure how long these have been available, but after visiting the location with some non-vegans a few weeks ago, I was ecstatic to see "veggie dogs" on the menu.

Their website lists them as vegan, however their in-store menu just says "veggie", so I double-checked with the cashier to find out if they were vegan, and while she didn't know, she went and got the product sheet with a full list of ingredients for me. Lo and behold, not only were their two veggie options vegan, but they were Field Roast sausages! Field Roast is pretty much the king of vegan sausages/hot dogs, so I was totes stoked.

The two vegan options they offer are the "Veggie Italian" and "Veggie Chipotle". I got the Veggie Chipotle to go and was pleased when they cooked the Field Roast sausage in a separate pan on their grill. Now, I didn't verify if their bun was vegan, so double-check if you go there. It was a plain white bun with sesame seeds on top, and a little too thick and "bready" for my tastes, so I ended up discarding most of it anyway. Since I got my dog to go, it was plain when I got it home (I guess I was supposed to add my own onions, even though it specifies them on the menu?), so I just loaded it with my own relish, hot sauce and mustard. Since it was Field Roast, of course it was tasty!

The plain dog and bun was around $4 (same price as the rest of their gourmet sausage options), and while I could have bought my own pack of Field Roast sausages for this price, it is still nice to see vegan options at otherwise meat-heavy establishments.

If you are in the area and don't feel like eating at Veggie Grill, Berkeley Dog is a solid choice, especially if you are dining with non-vegans.

Check out Berkeley Dog's site!

Written by Sarah E. Jahier

There are tons of new artisinal vegan cheeses popping up, much to my delight (and to the delight of other vegans)! These vary from Daiya’s delicious and economical cheese spreads to the pricier Kite Hill, Treeline or Punk Rawk Lab cheeses. I hadn't really had the opportunity to try many of the artisinal cheeses, either due to high price or not being able to find them, but recently I discovered Parmela Creamery’s cashew-based cheeses! I found them at Whole Foods, and since they were only around $6 a tub, decided to splurge a little and have my own cheese and crackers party!

Parmela Creamery’s soft cashew cheeses are cultured from fresh cashews and coconut oil. They are spreadable cheeses, so they come in tubs much like cream cheese. They can be spread on crackers, toast, bagels, or whatever your heart desires, or added to dishes like lasagnas, pizzas, casseroles, etc. for a cruelty-free cheese substitute!

Right now, they are available in three flavors – Original, Black Pepper and Kalamata Olive. I picked up the Original flavor and the Black Pepper flavor (I didn't think I would like the Kalamata Olive flavor, so I skipped it), plus some water crackers. I made myself a small tray of the cheeses and crackers and dug in!

I tried the Black Pepper flavor first, and was a little surprised at just how strong it was. The peppercorns gave it a very spicy kick! While the strong flavors kinda turned me off at first, this flavor actually ended up growing on me and I quite enjoyed it! Along with the sharp pepper taste, the texture was creamy and the underlying “cheese” flavors were delicious. It’s really incredible to think that this amazingly smooth and creamy texture can come from treenuts and coconut oil!

Next, I tried the Original flavor, which was my favorite out of the two. Again, I was flabbergasted at how insanely delicious it was and really felt like it mimicked the traditional creaminess and tang of dairy cheese, but without all the cruelty and nastiness that comes along with dairy cheese (need a primer on the cruelty of the dairy industry? Read more HERE). The Original flavor was so smooth, creamy and flavorful that I had to restrain myself from eating the whole tub in one sitting!

I've already finished both tubs, but I can’t wait to go back and get more of this decadent deliciousness! Next time I may try using Parmela Creamery’s cheeses in a lasagna or maybe even host a vegan wine and cheese party!

Written by Sarah E. Jahier

It always seems like I am finding new vegan items to try at Trader Joe's, and I recently discovered this Uttapam with Coconut Chutney in the frozen food aisle! I had never seen it before, so I had to try it. As luck would have it, I was feeling particularly lazy the other night, so I decided I would try this easy-to-make uttapam. By the way, before I picked this up I had no clue what uttapam was (I really need to eat more Indian food), but from the box I learned that the rounds pictured on the front are rice breads topped with onions and cilantro. It sounded like quite a tasty, light meal, especially with the coconut chutney!

I heated up the uttapam in a cast iron skillet until it was crispy on the bottom and thoroughly cooked through (you can also heat it in the microwave, but I wanted it a little bit crispy on the bottom). I ate it right away, and dipped it into the coconut chutney for extra deliciousness!

The uttapam was really good, and the rice bread kinda reminded me of latkes in their texture and consistency. The cilantro and onion were yummy as well, and the topping reminded me of a Middle Eastern-style flatbread topped with spinach and garlic that I used to buy all the time! Also, the coconut chutney was the perfect addition to the uttapam, I just wish there had been more of it! The box came with two packets of the chutney and four uttapam bread rounds, but I pretty much used up all the chutney on my first two bread rounds!

The uttapam was great as a light meal and could also be used as a quick snack. I believe it was around $4, though that is a total guesstimation as I don't remember the exact price. I would definitely buy this again!

This black cat was totally creepy cute!

Written by Sarah E. Jahier

TPT Home is a home decor store located in Costa Mesa, CA that usually has a great selection of Halloween décor, tableware, artwork and more this time of year! They recently moved to a smaller location (just a building over, they are still located by the SoCo Collection), and unfortunately their Halloween section has also shrunk.

They still have some neat items, but the selection is much more limited than it was in past years (and lots of it seems to be coated in glitter...yuck).

You can check out the photos I took of their Halloween offerings below:

Cute signs, and they weren't glittery!

Pumpkins and owls - yes, they were glittery!

The paintings you see here actually lit up and were

rad! They had a pumpkin one (the one hanging on the top),

a witch flying over a pumpkin patch (the one in the middle),

and a haunted house one (not pictured). They were only $20,

so they were affordable as well!

Spiders and black cats attack!

Creepy witch/bat thingee holding court over the

Halloween display.

Witch panel shown hanging up was pretty cheap at $9.

Mostly ghostly.

Another neat display - love the Moroccan lamps and

big candleabra!

My favorite items this year - the spooky glassware

and tableware!

More boo-tiful storage jars and tableware.

Here are the plates I ended up with - skulls and bats!

Caramel Apple Oreos

Almost every Halloween season Oreo seems to release a new flavor - the past two years I have enjoyed the Candy Corn Oreos around the autumn season, but this year Oreo has released a new flavor, Caramel Apple, which is already available exclusively in Target stores.

As soon as I heard about the new flavor, I checked out my local Target and surprisingly already found the new cookie! It wasn't in the section with all the cookies, but rather tucked away on an end cap. The first thing I did was check the ingredients, and the product seemed to be accidentally vegan (however, it IS junk food, so the ingredients aren't healthy and ALSO, its "vegan-ness" depends on how you feel about processed sugar). On a personal note, I abide by the 99.99999% vegan rule and try not to stress too much about potential trace amounts of possible animal ingredients, especially since I don't buy these kinds of products on a regular basis.

Anyways, as soon as I saw that it was accidentally vegan I smiled ear to ear and snapped up a package. As soon as I got home (it's amazing I showed such restraint on the drive back), I opened up the package and inhaled the sweet, sweet scent of sugary caramel apples. These cookies are enticing just based on their scent alone! The smell is so drool-worthy I wish they would make a candle out of it - it was like caramel apples and sugar cookies all rolled into one delectable scent!

After huffing the cookie smell for a few seconds, I decided to actually eat one. The cookies are golden Oreos that have green and caramel colored filling. The taste totally reminded me of those caramel apple lollipops I used to eat in my pre-vegan days! I was obsessed with those lollipops as a kid and I remember we bought the huge box in bulk at Costco! My sister and I would fight for the last lollipop long after Halloween had passed. So not only did these Oreos taste incredible, they brought back a lot of nostalgic feelings from Halloweens past.

Caramel Apple Oreos now on the shelves at Target!

These Oreos do a great job of recreating the caramel apple flavor combined with the sweetness of a sugar cookie. I really liked them and would definitely buy again!

There is a rumor that Oreo will also release a Pumpkin Spice Oreo flavor this year - I will keep my eyes peeled for this since I am obsessed with all things pumpkin!

Have you seen these Caramel Apple Oreos or the Pumpkin Spice Oreos at your Target? What do you think about them?

These jack-o-lantern mugs with black cat handles

were EVERYTHING! So creepy cute!

Pier 1 Imports have had their Halloween items for a few weeks now, so I decided to stop into one of their stores to survey their selection. While they sometimes have cool stuff, I generally don't make it a priority to visit their stores since their items tend to be either covered in glitter or too expensive (or, heaven forbid, both!). However, a Halloween pal posted an adorable jack-o-lantern mug she found there and I had to visit, if for nothing more than to get that mug!

As expected, they didn't have much I wanted, but I did pick up the jack-o-lantern mug! You can check out what else I spotted in the pics below:

Cute jack-o-lantern wine glasses

Glittery everything! From those adorable bat ornaments,

black witch cats, and spiders. I wanted those bat ornaments,

but ended up passing since they were so dang glittery!

I do covet this spiderweb mat...might have to return to pick

it up!

Weirdly shaggy witch hats

These witchy candles smelled like black licorice!

You can't tell by this photo, but almost everything seen

was glittery!

Boo to you soap dispensers and Coffin Break signs!

Ok, I really did like the chevron jack-o-lantern towels!

And good news - no glitter!

Sassy orange apron! Love the chevron print!

I liked this black and purple spiderweb platter, but...

you guessed it - damn glitter! UGH!

Have you been to Pier 1 Imports? Were you able to find any non-glittery Halloweenie things? Do you wish the glitter trend would die as much as I do or are you a fan?

PizzaRev in Santa Ana

A fellow Orange County vegan clued me in on PizzaRev, a new pizza place that opened up near South Coast Plaza in Orange County. PizzaRev has other restaurants in SoCal (and are planning on expanding to other parts of the nation), but this is the first one I had ever heard of! They have a build-your-own pizza system, with a counter set-up much like Chipotle’s, where you tell your server what kind of crust, sauce, and toppings you want for your pizza. They are not a vegan restaurant, but they do offer vegan options!

Both of their crusts, the original and the gluten-free dough, are vegan! The gluten-free dough will run you an additional $2, though. The vegan sauces they offer are marinara, BBQ, or olive oil. And guess what?! They offer vegan cheese (I believe it's Daiya). The vegan cheese is $1 extra, but that’s not bad at all considering other places charge $3 for vegan cheese. As for toppings, they don’t have vegan meats, but do offer tons of veggies and other vegan options. Annnnnd they don’t charge by toppings, so feel free to pile on the veggies!

The menus - the first is the "Build Your Own" pizza menu,

the middle menu is "Our Way Pizzas" (didn't see any vegan

oneson this list, though), and the last one is the Salads,

Drinks and Dessert menu.

The assembly-line approach to their pizzas is pretty cool. I picked my dough, which comes in a personal-size, then my server went down the line asking what I wanted at each station (sauce, cheese, toppings). I told her I wanted a vegan pizza and she even changed gloves before handling any of the toppings without me having to ask her to do so! I got regular dough, marinara sauce, vegan cheese, pineapples, jalapenos, spinach and topped it with some Bob’s Red Hot Sauce. After choosing my toppings, into the oven it went. After about 10 minutes I had a piping hot pizza ready to be devoured! I loved the thin, crunchy crust and the rest of it was really tasty as well.

I only had a few minor complaints – They kinda skimped on the vegan cheese (though this could be because the crust is thin and would get soggy with too much). I would have liked to see a bit more than a drizzle of Daiya, though. Furthermore, I originally asked for arugula and was given spinach instead (they put it on after it came out of the oven so it wouldn't burn), but I actually didn't notice this until I looked at pics afterwards. Despite the lack of Daiya and the wrong greens, it still tasted yummy! However, the issue of more concern was that the server didn't seem to understand what “vegan” meant (I asked if all sauces were vegan, and she said yes, even though the white creamy sauce is obviously not vegan), but luckily I had checked out this section their site previously and knew what to order. Other than those minor issues, I had a great experience - the service was friendly (the manager even came over to greet me) and the pizza was delicious!

Here is my pizza creation!

My pizza came out to about $9, which isn't too bad. Their flat rate for pizzas is $7.99, but since I got vegan cheese it was a dollar extra. The pizzas are about 9 to 10 inches (personal pizza style), so I think the price is right.

They also serve beer and wine, so it would definitely be fun to get a group together to enjoy some pizzas and booze! They have a large seating area, a bar area, and even a patio area, which makes this location perfect for groups or families.

I will definitely be back!

For more info, visit PizzaRev’s site!

Roger's Gardens is one of my favorite places to go Labor Day weekend, since this is when they unveil their Halloween exhibits! Roger's Gardens is a high-end garden center, but this time of year they transform some of their rooms into showcases for all sorts of Halloween decor. Elaborate facades are put up to invoke the eeriest atmosphere, and high-end Halloween art and decor is put on display for all to enjoy.

I love just wandering around (usually with my mouth hanging open in awe) to soak in all the festive atmosphere and look at all the neat stuff they have out! It usually takes me about an hour or so to make it through the different rooms they have all decked out, since every surface is covered with some sort of Halloween decoration, art, ornament, jewelry, tableware, and more! So much spookiness to see!

Most of their items are way out of my price range (plus, I can usually find similar things for way less at discount stores like TJ Maxx), but it is my Halloween tradition to visit Roger's Garden every Labor Day weekend and it really is fun to just look at all their incredible displays!

This year, I took today (Friday) off, just so I could attend opening day of Roger's Gardens' Halloween Bootique! I got there just after they opened, and it was already pretty packed with lots of OC Housewives-type ladies vying for the most glittery of Halloween items (unfortunately, there are lots of glittery items). I just took my time looking at everything and snapping lots of photos. You can check out the collection below:

Roger's Gardens is located in Corona del Mar in Orange County, California. For more information, you can visit their website!

Here is a video of their displays this year:

Stumptown Cold Brew plus my two Vegan Caramel Pretzel doughnuts!

Written by Sarah E. Jahier

Orange County has some great options for vegan doughnuts - The Donuttery in Huntington Beach [review] serves up vegan doughnuts 24/7, Sidecar in Costa Mesa has a fancy vegan option every Thursday, and now Donut Bar in Fountain Valley, which just opened, offers up a different vegan option every day!

Donut Bar has a location in San Diego and recently opened their second location in Fountain Valley. I visited their new Orange County location this past Saturday morning and got there around 10:30 or 11 AM. Luckily, they weren't sold out of their vegan doughnuts yet (they usually sell out ALL their doughnuts by noon, and I'm sure the vegan ones go faster).

Inside the Donut Bar, with lots of hungry people waiting in line.

Their vegan option that day was Caramel Pretzel, so of course I had to get two (one for now, one for later). It was $3 per doughnut, which was totally worth it as they were HUGE! The doughnut was generously topped with a caramel-type frosting and pretzels. The cake-y inside was perfectly fluffy and moist without being greasy. I loved the crunch that the pretzels added to the exterior of the doughnut, too! Of course they have tons of other non-vegan options (see menu board below), and even something called a D-Waffle, or doughnut waffle, which is a waffle made with doughnut batter! I wish THAT was vegan! I'm really happy they have a delicious vegan doughnut option, though!

They also had Stumptown Coffee on tap (Stumptown cold brew on tap?! HEAVEN!!), so I was super excited about that too! There is another coffee shop next door, and if I were them I would be worried, because if I were closer I would hitting up Donut Bar every day just for the Stumptown cold brew! It was so, so good! They also have other coffee drinks available, including a hot cuppa coffee for a buck!

Doughnuts of the day, plus a peek at their prices.

The menu changes daily!

Besides the delicious doughnut and coffee, the atmosphere was awesome as well. The space itself is really cute, with a kind of vintage feel and a big open space. They only have a few seats inside, but lots of seating on the shared patio outside. It isn't in the prettiest area (just a strip mall across the street from a Costco shopping center), but biting into one of their doughnuts will make you forget about the surroundings!

I also want to mention that the friendly service really adds to the charm of this place. The servers were very helpful and all smiles! The server who helped me was knowledgeable of their vegan options and had a great upbeat attitude (without being annoying). The positive vibes really added to the fun atmosphere!

Love the warm and open design of Donut Bar!

I also had a chance to speak to a manager/owner, who said they have a different vegan option every day, like Salted Caramel, Spiced Chai, and other creations. He told me that menus are posted to their Facebook page and Instagram the night before so people can check out what options will be available the next day. I love this idea and think it is so helpful!

I really dug the Donut Bar and will definitely be back. I would recommend getting there early if you decide to visit, as they do sell out of their doughnuts fairly fast and they are a popular place (prepare to wait in line)! When I left there was only one vegan doughnut left and a line of customers out the door.

You can find more info on the Donut Bar by visiting their Facebook page and Instagram!

Boo!

Written by Sarah E. Jahier

Sweet and Sara announced today via their Facebook page that their Halloween marshmallows are now available for purchase! They have the fluffiest, most adorable marshmallow ghosts and chocolate-dipped marshmallow bats available! These Halloween 'mallows are only sold online via the Sweet and Sara store. They are handmade in small batches and hand-painted/hand-dipped, so only a limited quantity are available. These creepy cuties sell out very quickly, so get yours fast!

I'm batty for these chocolate-dipped marshmallow bats!

Sweet and Sara is a NYC-based family-run operation (if you follow Sara, you know how hardworking [and adorable] she and her parents are!) that makes delicious 100% vegan marshmallows! Their amazing marshmallows contain no animal products (none of that icky gelatin), and they even recently went non-GMO! They have a ton of other treats available online, and you can find their regular marshmallows in a variety of stores, like Mother's Markets here in SoCal and Duane Reade in New York.

To order these special Halloween treats, please visit Sweet and Sara!

Written by Sarah E. Jahier

I keep going back to my local TJ Maxx/Homegoods store to check out their spooky selection of Halloween items! I've been back quite a few times since my original post a few weeks ago where I shared their initial Halloween stock. They have had a ton of turnover since that original post, and it seems like the items they had just a few weeks ago have all disappeared and have been replaced with new items!

I've found some great stuff this year, from awesome framed artwork to vintage-looking wooden signs to some excellent tableware, and might be checking back a few more times this month until their selection starts to dwindle.

Here is the selection I found at my local store the last part of August:

Love some of the tableware I've seen this year, though

it gets snatched up fast!

Happy pumpkins

Such pretty serving trays!

Various odds and ends - I was debating getting that

creepy bust!

More terrifying tableware!

A surprisingly tidy aisle - I usually find them ransacked!

More macabre mugs and plates.

The popular masked bust was hanging out

with some witchy friends!

[image source]

Written by Sarah E. Jahier

In what is possibly the best Halloween news I've heard all day, it looks like So Delicious is releasing two new autumn flavors! Photos of their new Pumpkin Spice and Candy Corn coconut milk non-dairy frozen desserts have been popping up on a few Instagram users’ accounts lately, and today, VegNews posted pics of the alleged treats! I am really hoping these will be available in-stores soon!

If this is a trick rather than a treat, I think my soul will be crushed, so it better be true!

Halloween is my favorite holiday (duh), but unfortunately there just aren't enough vegan holiday treats out there this time of year! It looks like So Delicious is on the right path to remedy this with these treats in quintessential autumn flavors. I also adore the cute shapes they come in and their autumnal, Halloween-y packaging!

[image source]

Keep an eye out for these to be hitting stores soon (fingers crossed) and report back if you are able to find any! I will let you know as soon as I am able to try these!

Written by Sarah E. Jahier

I was ecstatic to finally find Mr. Dewie's Cashew Milk Frozen Dessert at Mother's Market this past week! I have been eagerly waiting to find this delightfully creamy dessert in stores here in Orange County since I had it in March (when I had my first taste of Mr. Dewie's at Expo West), so you can imagine my excitement when I found it in the ice cream section of my local health food store.

Mr. Dewie's is run by two amazing brothers, who are just nuts about their product and their customers. They have been working on perfecting a creamy frozen dessert since 2010, and I think they have succeeded in a phenomenal way! They have created some of the best ice cream (errrrrr, or "frozen dessert" as it is supposed to be called due to ridiculous "ice cream" labeling laws...yes, this is a thing) I've ever tasted!

Since I had such fond memories of tasting this frozen dessert back at the Expo, I looked forward to trying it again with excitement as well as a bit of trepidation. Would it really taste as good as I remember it tasting? I needn't have worried, because this stuff tasted every bit as good as I remember it tasting at the Expo, if not better!

Mr. Dewie's was kind enough to send me some coupons, so I was able to scoop up all four flavors and give them a whirl. The four cashew milk-based flavors are: Coffee, Chocolate, Caramel Almond Crunch, and Chocolate Orange Chip. All of their flavors are vegan, organic, non-GMO, soy-free, and gluten-free. They use only the highest-quality natural ingredients and don't use any binders, additives or preservatives.

The consistency of all the different flavors was pure silky, creamy goodness! This cashew milk base really blew me away with its smooth texture and incredibly rich taste! Besides the texture and feel of the product, the flavors were also spot on! The Caramel Almond Crunch had a toffee-like flavor that just made me want to keep eating more and also was studded with some delicious crunchy bits throughout its creamy texture. The Coffee flavor is hands down the BEST coffee-flavored ice cream/frozen dessert I've ever had. I love coffee, and the concentrated flavor of this dessert tasted just like espresso! In fact, the bold flavor and smooth texture reminded me of the gelato I had back in Italy! The Chocolate flavor was more subtle, and I think it would work so well in a sundae or a shake. The Chocolate Orange Chip was phenomenal, and reminded me of those chocolate orange candies that come out during Christmas. When I was younger, I always used to get one in my stocking at Christmas, so it brought back nostalgic memories as well as being decadently delicious!

Mr. Dewie's on the shelves of the freezer at Mother's Market!

If someone asked me to pick a favorite, I would have a really hard time, as all of the flavors are fantastic! Mr. Dewie's seriously makes some of the best ice cream (oops, "frozen dessert") I have ever tasted! Plus, I love that it is family-owned by two awesome brothers and it is handmade with love up in the Bay Area.

The only downside may be the price, which is around $7 for a 14 oz. size. However, I feel that the high quality ingredients, the superior taste and texture, and the fact that it is handmade really justifies that price. And once you try it, you'll understand too!

Mr. Dewie's is available mainly in the Western states of the U.S. at the moment (see their map of store locations), but will hopefully be expanding soon to other stores and to other parts of the country. Look for it in your local health food store and request it if you don't see it!

As their tagline states, you will definitely "go nuts" for their cashew milk frozen desserts!

For more info (including nutritional facts and where to buy), please visit Mr. Dewie's site!

Written by Sarah E. Jahier

Can you believe that October is a little over two weeks away?! And that means that the Countdown to Halloween is coming up fast! The Countdown to Halloween is an event where bloggers write about everything and anything Halloween-related throughout the whole month of October. It is a month-long celebration of all things spooky and Halloween-y!

I have been celebrating the countdown since 2010, so it will be my fourth year participating! I fell a little short last year, but my goal this year is to post every day for all of October! 31 posts for the 31 glorious days of October!

Each year I usually pick a loose theme to base some of my posts on, and this year I've decided to go a bit old school and choose ghosts as my theme! You can't get much more classic than ghosts, and I hope to share some fun haunted blog posts along with sharing recipes, art, poems, lists, events, and so many more Halloween goodies this October!

See you October 1st for the countdown kickoff!

I happened to be at Home Depot over the weekend, and noticed they have a fun little Halloween section! It was a small section, but they had some neat items. I especially fell in love with the scarecrow pumpkin prop shown above! Isn't he the creepiest and cutest?!

You can check out the rest of the pictures I took below:

Home Depot's Halloween section - candy, props, inflatables,

and more decor!

These "Frankengnomes" and Witch Gnomes" are ceramic

garden gnomes you can paint...I thought these were cute!

A close up of some of their Halloween props.

Zombie Chia Pet! This actually looked really cool!

This old school skeleton phone was really cool, and

said spooky stuff when you picked up the receiver!

Cost Plus World Market had a 25% off sale on their Halloween decor this past Monday, so I knew I had to scoot over there after work to check out their Halloween offerings and take advantage of their one-day Halloween sale!

They had lots of creepy cool items this year, including a great Dia de los Muertos section, awesome kitchen accessories, bloody candles, vintage-inspired decorations, mummies, skeletons, and lots of Halloween-inspired wine! I even found some vegan Halloween pasta, which is probably my favorite fiendish fine at World Market since vegan Halloween pasta is hard to come by as they usually use squid ink to color the pasta black! This brand just uses carrots for the ink, though, hurrah!

Here is what I found:

So much Frankenstein stuff! Frankenstein's Monster

and The Bride are plastered on serving trays, plates, and

napkins! They also had two elongated rectangular serving

trays that were really cool!

Lots of mummified animals, hands, and big skeleton heads!

Halloween pasta cut into shapes of pumpkins, bats, etc. and it is

actually VEGAN!!!! And it's only $2.99! Woo hoo!

They had a fun Dia de Los Muertos section with lots of good stuff!

I pretty much wanted everything in their baking section!

Those spatulas were so cool!

Aisle of Halloween make me happy!

These skeletons were just hanging around...

Lottsa candles, vintage-inspired Halloween items, and so on!

Bats are my spirit animal, so I loved this skeletal bat as well as this

lacy-winged bat!

So many Halloween brews! Unfortunately, the Pumpkin and Wicked

Apple sodas pictured in the top left were not vegan (they contain honey),

but the Cherry Cola Spider Soda was vegan (near as I could tell). Then there

was the SPUD Pumpkin Spice Vodka, Jones Halloween Soda in Caramel Apple

and Blood Orange, and a couple Dia de Los Muertos-themed wines!

They had some cute vintage-inspired decorations and crafts!

These glass Dia de Los Muertos tumblers and glasses were pretty neat!

More Halloween BOOze...lottsa different wines with cool labels,

but I have no idea if any of these are vegan (some wineries use

fining processes that involve isinglass, or fish bladders, to filter

wines or use other non-vegan methods in the wine-making process).

And here is my haul from Cost Plus World Market! I picked up two plates

with Frankenstein's Monster and The Bride, Halloween Pasta, a pack of

Dia de Los Muertos tissues, two bat LED flameless candles, a black

skull that oozes red as it melts, Halloween clips, ceramic skull measuring

spoons, and a Frankenstein bag!

I stopped into Target yesterday to look for the Halloween Pyrex bowls they have this season, and was surprised to find their Halloween section already taking shape! They had a lot of socks and various knick-knacks in their dollar bins, but beyond that their actual Halloween section was finally being set up!

Unfortunately, I didn't find my Pyrex, but I did want to share what they did have out...and it looks promising!

There are lots of vintage-inspired pieces this year! I love this style!

Adorable party hats!

Lottsa skulls, skeletons, and hooting owls!

Those gravestones are made out of chalkboard and you can write

on them! I need one!

These Victorian-inspired ornaments are beautiful! Just wish they

didn't have glitter on them.

Such cute Halloween baskets on the bottom shelf, plus I loved the

"Bone Appetite" platter on the middle shelf!

Jack-o-lanterns = happiness!

Neat-o R.I.P. plastic cups (I believe the black part is chalkboard

you can write on), kitchen towels, claw bowls (didn't they have these

last year??), and spiderweb bowls!

Um, I really want this pizza costume!! It was a kid costume, hope

they make it in adult sizes!

Tablecloths and cauldrons...essentials for any witch's kitchen!

The all-white ghoul was really creepy!

Halloween t-shirts in the woman's department!

These were a lot of cute Halloween party games!

Does your Target have anything out yet? What have you seen so far that you love?

Enjoying some Jif Whips on toast with rice milk!

One of the first Halloween/fall food items I bought this year was Jif Whips' Whipped Peanut Butter and Pumpkin Pie Spice, which I found at Target. I bought it over a month ago, so you may be wondering why I haven't reviewed it sooner. An explanation is below, which you are free to skip and go directly to the review if you choose.

Well, the truth is I've put off writing about this item because its ingredients include monoglycerides and diglycerides, which may come from animal sources (ew!), which would therefore make it not vegan (or even vegetarian, for that matter!).

Long story short, mono and diglycerides can be derived from vegetable, synthetic, or animal sources. Since Jif's ingredient sources are rather dubious, this may make their products potentially NOT vegan/vegetarian-friendly. Prior to purchasing the new Jif Whips, I was unfamiliar with these two ingredients and since the rest of the ingredients listed in the Whips appeared vegan, went ahead and purchased/enjoyed the pumpkin pie spice whip.

Now that I know this product has the possibility of having animal-derived ingredients, I probably wouldn't purchase it again. Personally, I don't stress about micro ingredients or potentially tiny amounts of animal ingredients due to processing, cross-contamination, etc., and am happy being a 99.99999% vegan. We don't live in a perfect world, and being 100% vegan is pretty impossible (there are animal products in tires, in electronics, and so on). I believe that veganism is not about personal purity but rather focusing on fighting the good fight for the animals. I think we lose sight of what we are fighting for when we squabble over micro animal ingredients that may or may not be in "accidentally vegan" food. However, by all means make your own call on this and do what you feel is best for you! And for those still with me, I still want to provide a review.

Jif Whips Pumpkin Pie Spice Whipped Peanut Butter smelled amazing when I first popped off the lid. It may have been the middle of August, but it smelled like autumn with it's sweet pumpkin-y and peanut butter-y scent! I stuck a spoon in it for my first bite and was delighted at the light, fluffy texture. I had never had "whipped" peanut butter before, so the airy consistency was a fun surprise. The taste itself was delicious, with the sweet flavors of pumpkin and maple syrup spiked with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves intermingling perfectly with the slight salty peanut taste.

I've tried it as a spread on toast, I've used it as a dip to dunk snickerdoodle cookies in, topped chocolate with it, crowned bowls of ice cream with it, and just eaten it straight out of the tub. Yep, it's pretty addicting! Have you seen the movie The Stuff? Ya, kinda addicting like that!

Of course, it is definitely not healthy, but a little treat once in a while doesn't hurt! However, if you are vegan/vegetarian, please keep in mind what was mentioned above - that this product contains mono and diglycerides and it is unknown if they are from vegetable/synthetic/animal ingredients.

Other than that, this is a yummy Halloween treat! It's also available for a limited time, and I think I've already seen it on sale at Target, so get it while you can!

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Food Review: Jif Whips' Pumpkin Pie Spice Whipped Peanut Butter