Quality Over Quantity

Folks, I tried.

I tried to blog on the daily for Vegan MoFo this year, but I just cannot do it. I know that most of my recent posts have been pretty sucky, and I hate posting BS entries just for the sake of posting. It isn't enjoyable for me, and it certainly isn't enjoyable for you.

I'm not giving up on Vegan MoFo entirely, and I'm DEFINITELY not giving up on blogging, but I am no longer going to post these worthless entries every day, just so I can say, "I did it! I blogged every day!" Quality over quantity, right?

And I just need to be real with myself. I have way too much going on in my life to manage posting juicy, worthwhile posts every single day. Plus, dealing with a lack of internet (that's right -- no interwebs at my current dwelling, which means schlepping my 80-pound laptop to the nearest wifi hot spot, which is sometimes more difficult than it sounds) just adds to the frustration.

So, no more fluff pieces. Just the good stuff. From here on out.

PS. Did you check to see if you won the Tampa Bay VegFest Swag giveaway?

Win Some Tampa Bay VegFest SWAG!!!

Hey folks!

I'm really coming out from under this cold now. HOORAY! Time to make this Vegan MoFo fun again! Let's start with a giveaway.

Since I was volunteering at this weekend's Tampa Bay VegFest, I was pretty distracted by all the critters and people and speakers and activity going on, but I still managed to scoop up a decent bundle of swag for you.

One winner will receive a package of goodies from the Humane Society of the United States (buttons and stickers!), Mercy for Animals (including a DVD of "Farm to Fridge"), Action for Animals (cute stickers and recipes!), postcard prints of art made by the residents of Save the Chimps, coupons from So Delicious, some info from GMO-Free Tampa Bay, and a sticker and pencil made from recycled materials from Hillsborough County Recycling, and more.

How to Enter

* Comment telling me about your favorite vegetarian/vegan festival that you have attended. When and where was it? Did you volunteer at it? What speakers were featured?

Additional Entries
- Follow Hungry Vegan Traveler with Google Connect
- Like Hungry Vegan Traveler on Facebook
- Post about this giveaway on Facebook and link back to the HVT Facebook page

Be sure to leave a comment for each additional entry that you make. If you already follow and/or like, then just leave a comment stating that you already do!

I will randomly select a winner on Thursday, October 20th at 12pm/noon (Eastern Time).

Looking forward to reading about your own vegfest experiences!


THE WINNER HAS BEEN DRAWN! Random.org says comment #2 is the winner: Murdercake! Please email your mailing address to HungryVeganTraveler (at) GMAIL dot COM. The sooner I receive your address, the sooner I can mail your goodies! Thank you, everyone, for participating! And stay tuned for another giveaway after the weekend.

February CSN Giveaway Winner!

Happy March everyone!

I had intended to draw the winner of the CSN gift code giveaway last night, but I ended up having a busy and late day/night and passed out as soon as my head hit the pillow. I apologize for the delay, since I'm sure you're all on the edge of your seat.

There was a great turn-out for this giveaway! 50 comments! According to Random.org, though, comment #36 is the winner, which was written by...

Jenny!

Congrats, Jenny! Please send me your email address and I will send you your gift code!

Thank you to everyone who participated in this giveaway, which is now closed and under the bridge. (I felt like I should have another Red Hot Chili Peppers tie-in to match the giveaway post.)

Have a great week and, of course, stay tuned for more fun content on Hungry Vegan Traveler!

Give(it)away now!

The fine folks at CSN Stores have generously offered to host another giveaway to one of my lucky and lovely readers! This giveaway is for a gift code worth $35, which you can use toward anything -- kitchen gadgets, bedding, office doo-dads, even swingsets!

How to Enter
* Comment with what item you would use the $35 gift code toward off the CSN site

Additional entries
* follow Hungry Vegan Traveler with Google Connect
* "like" Hungry Vegan Traveler on Facebook
* "like" the Facebook update with this blog/giveaway link
* spread the word about this giveaway via your blog and/or facebook

Make sure to leave a separate comment for each thing you do (or are already doing). The winner will be randomly chosen using Random.org on Monday, February 28th.

Please note: This giveaway is only available to participants in the USA or Canada.

So enter now so we can GIVE IT AWAY, GIVE IT AWAY, GIVE IT AWAY, GIVE IT AWAY NOW! (Well, not "now," but on Monday the 28th.)

Go Max Go Giveaway Winner!

Iiiiiiiit's that time, ladies & gentlemen. Time to announce the winner of the Go Max Go vegan candy bars giveaway! But first, some mood music (you should know by now how I do).



If that didn't pump you up for some delicious candy bars, then I don't know what will. Well, maybe a picture to remind you of what's at stake here.


The lucky winner of 1 Buccaneer, 1 Twilight, 1 Jokerz, and 1 Mahalo, according to random.org, is comment #26...

WISHUPONAKATE!

Congrats! Please message your mailing info to me ASAP and I'll get these sweet little bars out to you soon (and hopefully they'll arrive in time for Christmas!).

Thank you to Go Max Go for generously donating these candy bars for the giveaway, and thank you to everyone for entering. Stay tuned -- another giveaway could be around the corner. In the meantime, here's some music to console you.

Go Max Go Giveaway!

It seems like I've been on a Post-MoFo Hiatus lately. It was difficult to blog on the daily, especially in an organized fashion, after I moved. I've been super duper ultra-busy trying to get settled and put my life in order. That, plus the recent cold snap down here definitely put a freeze on my blogging efforts. I'm trying to get back on track now.

I could also say that my recent absence was in part due to a sugar coma I was in while sampling Go Max Go candy bars. (It's a tough job, but someone has to do it, and it may as well be me.) This giveaway was intended for the MoFo festivities, but you know, life happened and I moved and you know how it goes.

I may have mentioned a few times before, I was definitely a junk food vegetarian when I was growing up. In fact, the reason it took me two years to fully transition from vegetarian to vegan is because of two foods: ice cream and milk chocolate (but yet I drank soy milk - weird, I know). I had such an unhealthy relationship with Hershey's for many years. I count February 2004 as my vegan-versary because it was the first year I did NOT eat any Hershey's on Valentine's Day.

As my diet changed and improved, my cravings for chocolate and ice cream died down considerably. This doesn't mean that I don't EVER crave chocolate (because I do), but it's not nearly as frequent nor severe as it was in my youth. (I find that I very rarely crave ice cream-type desserts, but when it strikes, I am a fan of Temptation soy ice cream and Purely Decadent's coconut milk line.)

Still, who doesn't love a good candy bar from time to time? (Maybe a ROBOT.)

While sampling Go Max Go's candy bars, I was slightly surprised at which one ended up being my favorite. Let's go through Exhibits A-D, shall we?

Up first, the Buccaneer bar (a nod to the Tampa Bay Bucs, by chance?)

Described as containing "chocolatey nougat" with a "rice-milk chocolatey coating," this was my least favorite of the bars. It's good, don't get me wrong, but it's a bit too plain for me. If you like no-frills, chewy chocolate, this is your bar. (And when I say chewy, I mean CHEWY! My jaw got quite a work out.)



Exhibit B: The Twilight Bar

"Caramel, chocolatey nougat, rice milk chocolatey coating"

Twilight is a step up from Buccaneer. That gooey layer of caramel adds more substance to the bar. It's also not quite as jaw-breakingly chewy as the Buccaneer. We're getting warmer.

Exhibit C: Jokerz bar

"caramel, peanuts, nougat, rice-milk chocolatey coating" - the vegan version of a Snickers bar. Call me crazy, but I was never a big fan of Snickers in my pre-vegan days. Still, I enjoyed this bar quite a bit because it had a variety of ingredients: crunchy peanuts, gooey caramel, fluffy nougat, and of course, chocolate.


Exhibit D: My favorite, Mahalo

This is the vegan version of an Almond Joy. I hated Almond Joys as a kid, which is why it's somewhat surprising to me that the Mahalo is my favorite of the 4 flavors. (It's not a huge surprise, though, as I've grown to love coconut over the last couple of years.) Whether you were a fan of Almond Joys or not, this is a delightful candy bar.

"coconut, almonds, rice-milk chocolatey coating"
The coconut is creamy, the rice-milk chocolate is perfect, but just like an Almond Joy, the Mahalo is stingy on the nuts. Seriously?! The nuts are the best part of ANY candy! Bring 'em on!

Still, despite its nut limitations, this is a fantastic candy bar!

These Go Max Go bars are not for the faint of heart. They are heavy duty candy bars. They all contain corn syrup, beet sugar, AND evaporated cane juice. I found that these bars can go a long way, though; these bars can easily provide 2-3 servings, they're so rich and sweet. If you have a slight sweet tooth, these bars will go far for you. If you have a massive sweet tooth, you'd probably knock out a bar in one sitting. Either way, everyone wins.

You have the opportunity to find out for yourself by entering to win one of EACH of these bars. That's right: 1 Buccaneer, 1 Twilight, 1 Jokerz, and 1 Mahalo could be yours!

To enter, comment on this entry with which Go Max Go bar sounds the best to you.

Extra entries
Leave a separate comment for each & any of the following that you do:
* Follow Hungry Vegan Traveler via Google Connect
* Like Hungry Vegan Traveler on Facebook
* Blog about this giveaway and comment with a link
* Add Hungry Vegan Traveler to your blog roll

(This giveaway is limited to participants in the USA.)

Get your comments in -- I'll randomly draw the winner on Thursday, December 16th!

Hurraw! (and Larabar) Giveaway Winner(s) Time

The time has come to announce the winner of the Hurraw! Lip Balm giveaway! The lucky winner of this cute little baggie of lip-tastic balming (what?), according to Random.Org, is the author of comment #27...

PALINDROME. Congrats! Please email your mailing info to *HUNGRYVEGANTRAVELER[AT!]GMAIL DOT COM* before Monday, November 29th!

Thank you to everyone for participating in this very popular giveaway! I wish I had enough Hurraw! lip balms to share with all of you, but when you do your holiday shopping, consider ordering some Hurraw! products for the chapstick users and lovers in your life. Or for yourself ('cause you deserve it, too).

Aaand, since it's been over a week since I announced the winner of the Larabar giveaway and still have not heard a peep from her, I'm drawing a new winner. According to Random.Org, the winner of a box of Ginger Snap Larabars is... the author of comment #3 on that post... Jenny of Vegan and So Forth! Please send your mailing info to the email address mentioned above and the bars will be shipped out to you ASAP.

And for the rest of yous, don't worry -- I still have a couple little tricks up my sleeve before Vegan MoFo comes to a close. Stay tuned!

A Giveaway That's Good Enough to Eat!

I don't know about all of you, but I am a collector of chapsticks. I have to have at least one on me at all times. Over the years, I've come to seek them out at natural food stores, looking for exotically-scented sticks using all natural, organic, vegan-friendly ingredients. Vegan lip balms are more difficult to find, since bee products are so commonly used, so when I read about Hurraw! raw, vegan, and organic lip balms, I was immediately intrigued. I sent them an email and they generously sent me three lip balms to try out. They have many fun flavors/scents to choose from, but I was able to narrow down my options quickly: chai spice, green tea, and almond.


Hurraw lip balms have a unique, oval shape, which fit comfortably in my pocket.

(That's my favorite of the three flavors: almond).

These are high-quality lip balms, folks. Seriously, they are so deliciously smooth, they are almost downright buttery. And I can't help but think that the chai spice lip balm is part of what made me crave so many iced chai lattes while I was on the road last week. (The scent is spot on!)

The lovely folks at Hurraw! sent me an additional three-pack of those exact three flavors that I enjoyed - almond, chai spice, and green tea - for a giveaway to my lovely readers! That's right, I'm giving away a 3-pack of those same delicious, smooth, and creamy lip balms... and I'm opening this giveaway to one randomly-drawn winner ANYWHERE on the planet! (Heads up, non-USA readers!)

How to Enter:
Comment with your favorite lip balm scent/flavor of all time (think back to your Lipsmackers days, if it applies).

Additional entries:
* follow Hungry Vegan Traveler with Google Connect
* "like" Hungry Vegan Traveler on Facebook
* blog about this giveaway and comment with a link
* spread the word about this giveaway on Facebook

I shall randomly draw the winner using Random.org on Tuesday, November 23rd!



Comment and this little baby-burlap-sack-of-goodness could be yours! I truly believe that these lip balms will have you shouting Hurraw! for real! (I know I'm hooked.)

The "A Better Life or BUST!" Giveaway

Happy Sunday, folks!

While I'm busy cleaning and packing all day, I want to celebrate this exciting new chapter in my life with a giveaway.

To my knowledge, there aren't any concrete, "official" rules to veganism. But if there were, the first one should be: Always Be Prepared. Most vegans know that planning ahead can be crucial, especially while traveling. Whether it's by plane, train, or automobile, it never hurts to have some vegan grub on hand. I know I'll have some healthy snacks riding shotgun with me when I hit the road this week. In fact, I'm even going to share some road-friendly vegan snacks with one lucky winner!

This giveaway is for a box of Ginger Snap Larabars, provided by the fine folks at Larabar.


All 16 of these fruit-and-nut bars can really come in handy over the holiday season, between traveling to visit family and having them as a back-up at some not-so-vegan-friendly holiday dinners.

How to Enter: If you are a US resident, comment with your favorite Larabar flavor.

Additional entries (separate comments for each):
* follow this blog with Google Connect
* mention this giveaway on your blog and comment with the post link
* "like" Hungry Vegan Traveler on Facebook
* Share your favorite vegan items to take along while traveling

One winner will be randomly selected using random.org. US residents only, please! The winner will be announced on Sunday, November 14th!



So let's get started: What's your favorite Larabar flavor?

CSN Giveaway Winner & Another Note from Houlihan's

Hello dear readers!

It's time to reveal the randomly drawn winner of the CSN $35 gift code giveaway! Drumroll, please.



And the winner is, according to Random.org's Random Number generator, comment #19!

La Vida Vegga!

Congrats! I'll need your email address to pass on to the fabulous folks at CSN, who will then contact you with your one-time use, $35 gift code.

Thank you to everyone to entered! More giveaways are a-comin' in celebration of Vegan MoFo!

And while I'm here, I wanted to share a very quick and less descriptive email I received from a different Houlihan's associate regarding vegan items at the Hou. Shane writes,
Thanks for your interest in Houlihans!

Here is a list of our new vegan menu items:

Veggie Burger
Veggie Pizza no cheese
Basil Pasta
Spinach Salad
Veggie Salad

The other response was more informative, but I still wanted to throw out this info, as well.

Stay tuned for another MoFo post, later today!

My Vegan Story

It's November 1st, which means it's officially VEGAN MOFO TIME! I thought a nice way to get this party started would be to share my vegan story. Every vegetarian and vegan has a story of how they came to live a cruelty-free life.

My story starts in late 1994. I am freshly 10 years old and at the dinner table with several family members. A chunk of steak is placed on my plate and as I pick up my knife and fork, a family member shatters my world by saying: You know that's a cow, right? I eye this family member skeptically, and ask, "What do you mean?" This person goes on and on about how that brown piece of meat on my plate is actually a piece of a murdered cow, that I'm a "cow-killer," and some other descriptive details of blood and veins. Despite all of this information, the speaker was eating meat themselves, but I guess that's beside the point. I had never made this connection before: meat comes from animals? Why didn't anyone tell me?! I did not eat the steak that night. I was in a state of shock and told my mother that I couldn't eat meat anymore. Somehow she convinced me that chicken was okay. (You know how mothers are.)

Almost exactly 1 year later, now freshly 11 years old and living in Florida, I clearly remember the day that changed it all. I rounded the corner into the kitchen, where my mother was preparing dinner. I heard some strange, disturbing sawing sounds and my world was shook once again when I realized what the sounds were: my mother cutting up a chicken. The grinding, sawing sounds were of the knife scraping up against the bone. Do you remember that part of The Tell-Tale Heart where the guy can only hear the dead man's heartbeat through the floor boards, louder and louder and louder? The knife scraping the chicken bones was the heartbeat for me. This is over dramatic, but mind you, I was only 11 years old: I dropped to my knees and sobbed, swearing off ALL meat products for the rest of my life. My mom did not argue and she tried to comfort me. Later, she would ask if I was sure that I didn't want to eat even chicken. Oh, I was sure. I have not eaten meat since that day.

My journey to veganism isn't quite as dramatic. In my later high school years, I started to read about a lot of vegan issues, starting with the dairy industry. Reading about pus in milk and poor living conditions for dairy cows made milk products much less enticing for me. I immediately switched to soy milk and grew to like it quite a bit, much more than regular milk, which I was never a huge fan of to begin with. I was not a fan of eating eggs, either, so that was easy to quit. I started eating pizza with no cheese (a concept I had never heard of until my super-cool, world-traveled uncle told me that yes, you CAN order a pizza without cheese!) and leaving cheese out of other foods, too. Since I went vegan, I can't even begin to estimate how many people told me that they could never be vegan because they're "addicted to cheese." Cheese was one of the easiest foods for me to give up. The hardest? Ice cream. It was a comfort food, especially since, for awhile, I would often have hot fudge sundae dates with two of my good friends at the time. But it ended up being a hot fudge sundae that did me in and finally pushed me to The Vegan Side.

After a few months of being almost entirely dairy-free, I went out for a hot fudge sundae with a friend one night. About half way through, my stomach started to churn. I had overdosed my body with lactose (and probably pus, barf) and my system couldn't take the shock after being without dairy for so long. I ended up leaving our little get together early, racing home, and was sick for the remainder of the night. That experience, that feeling, was the turning point for me. I count February 2004 as my vegan-versary because it was the first Valentine's Day that I did not eat Hershey's chocolate. That pretty much sealed the vegan deal for me right there.

Now, my first year of veganism was not a healthy one, but I'll save that story for another time. Let's just say that, since 2004, I've learned a LOT about cooking and eating.

As far as Vegan MoFo will work for me, I wish I was as organized as some of the bloggers out there, doing a theme for the whole month, each week, or for some, each day! My entries may take on a theme from time to time, but I'm not quite planning it out that way. I'm just going to go wild and carefree with vegan food. What better way to be?

What is your vegan story?

PS. There's one day left to enter the CSN gift code giveaway! Chances of winning are high right now. The winner will be randomly drawn at noon (central time) tomorrow.

The 72-Hour Giveaway: CSN Stores

Hey friends!

I thought I'd give you a TREAT this weekend and host a giveaway for a $35 CSN gift code! Are you familiar with CSN Stores? They have over 200 online stores, offering everything from contemporary coffee tables to kitchen gadgets to office supplies.

How to enter: Just comment and share what you would like to get with the $35 gift code. Click HERE to go to their main site.

I'll select a winner randomly at 12-noon (Central time) on Tuesday, November 2nd!

Please note: This is only open to readers in the USA and Canada.

Bonus entries:
* How are you celebrating Halloween this weekend?
* What treats are you handing out, if any? (This can also include food you're bringing to a party.)
* Your favorite Halloween memory.
(Post a separate comment for each answer.)

Last year I dressed as "multiple personalities," by sticking a package of "Hello My Name Is" stickers with different celebrity names written in all over my clothes.


Have a great weekend! Remember, I'll be announcing the winner at 12pm (Central Time) on Tuesday!

Happy Monday! Let's do a giveaway!

Happy Monday, everyone! I hope you all had a delightful weekend. The weather was gorgeous in ol' northwest Missouri.

Whether you had a fabulous weekend or not, I'd like to kick off everyone's week with a giveaway!

As some of you may recall, I visited Noodles & Company for the first time on my birthday last week. I was quite pleased with my order, too.


A few days later, I was contacted by a Noodles & Co representative, asking if I'd like to host a giveaway for my readers. Naturally, I was all aboard!

What's Up for Grabs: TWO WINNERS will each receive one coupon for a free noodle bowl, along with a spiffy Noodles & Co t-shirt.

The following dishes are vegan:

I ordered the Indonesian Peanut Sauté with tofu, which is seen above.

How to Enter the Giveaway: Comment on this post with your answer to this question - Which vegan option at Noodles & Company would you most like to try?

Bonus Entries: To increase your odds of winning, leave a separate comment if you decide to do (or are already doing) any of the following:
* follow this blog
* "like" Hungry Vegan Traveler on facebook
* post about the giveaway in your blog (leave a link in your comment)
* "like" Noodles & Company on facebook

That means you have up to 5 chances of winning.

Not sure if there's a Noodles & Company near you? Check for locations here. (This giveaway is only open to US residents.)

The two winners will be randomly chosen & announced this Friday, October 22nd.

Sooo... Which vegan option at Noodles & Company would you most like to try?