Sweet Berlin; Ice Cream Galore & a Cupcake Video!
As if the savory selections of Berlin weren't enough, there's plenty of sweet treats to be found in Berlin as well! When I wasn't loading up on candy from the local bio markets, you could find me consuming sweet treats all over the city!
ufa Bäckerei is an organic bakery with everything from breads, pastries, & cakes available in Natural Food Shops & markets throughout Berlin. Not everything is vegan, but some items are labeled & the staff is knowledgeable. The "Walnuss-Birne" was delicious with chunks of sweet pears laced with walnut pieces, wrapped in a flaky, sweet pie-crust like pastry. I found ufa Bäckerei stands at two separate weekend markets, as well as in Viv, my favorite bio market, so I had to have this treat more than once!
ufa Bäckerei is located throughout Berlin, for a list of locations, go to their webpage.
One thing I consumed a whole lot of was Eis, aka ice cream! Having missed out on Caramello Eis last time I was in Berlin, I made a point to make it there this time around. Imagine by surprise when it was closed for the season on my 1st attempt to visit! Luckily, by the end of my time there they had re-opened & I snagged some strawberry & chocolate soy ice cream. While the strawberry was a bit seedy for my taste, the chocolate was rich & decadent, some of the best I've had!
Caramello Eis is located at Wühlischstr. 31, 10245.
Finding myself in Prenzlauer Berg after brunch, I had to make a return to the darling Maja's Deli, home of 100% vegan goodies! If the adorable cow logo doesn't bring you in, the hot meals & full range of desserts will. I opted for the super tall Citron Cake which I found to be a bit bready & the large pieces of lemon rind were a bit off putting, but the lemony glaze was downright delicious! Next time I'll just have to opt for something else.
Maja's Deli is located at Pappelallee 11, 10437.
Tanne B is the home of delicious vegan ice cream & treats, so delicious that I went there no less than 3 times! They have daily rotating flavors of vegan soy ice cream, as well as sorbet, & crepe-like vegan waffles, made to order, with various topping options! While the vanilla, strawberry, hazelnut, & chocolate ice creams I tried were good, my heart was stolen by a little gem
named Limetta! You see, I was a major Rainbow Sherbet fan my whole life. I battled my mother often for scoop at the local Thrifty's & when I struck out on my own I was known to polish off a multi-gallon bucket in a week. Being a fan of lime, I decided to try Limetta & it was L-O-V-E at 1st.. lick? Over the course of a few trips, I had 6 scoops, & I would eat one every day for the rest of my life, if you let me!
Tanne B is located at Eisenbahnstraße 48, 10997.
Der Eisbärliner is a a new shop in Friedrichshain serving ice cream made by Tanne B. While they don't quite have the same selection, they're a nice little spot to hit if you find yourself in the area. They actually opened while I was in town, so they may have expanded vegan options in the future. I grabbed a scoop of vanilla to go & ate it at the Sunday 2nd hand market in Boxhagener Platz.
Der Eisbärliner is located at Gärtnerstraße 11, 10245.
Of course, no trip to Berlin would be complete without a visit to Germany's 1st cupcake shop, Cupcake Berlin! Home of daily vegan selections, you never know what yummy treat you're going to get when you pop in to this 50's Americana styled shop! I took some carrot cupcakes to my ladies in Copenhagen, but every day in the shop I saw something new from Chocolate Mint to Raspberry, all beautifully piled high with frosting. In celebration of this cute shop with a bit of rock & roll edge, I had to make a video. Enjoy!
Cupcake Berlin is located at Krossener Straße 12, 10245.
Whether you like sweet or savory, Berlin is the place to be! It remains to be one of my favorite cities in the world, go check it out!
OnlineShoes.com Contest Winner, new flavors from Purely Decadent, & a new blog!
The recent contest for the OnlineShoes.com giveaway was a smashing success! Closing at 150 comments & many tales of the infamous jellies shoes of the 80's, I am glad I let Random.org do the decision making! Without further ado, the winner of the $100 gift certificate to OnlineShoes.com is..
#22- mamafabun, aka Honor! Here's what she had to say..
"Worst shoes? Hand-me-down cowboy boots that were about four sizes too big. I had to wear them to school one day because my other shoes were missing. Oh I was teased."
This is just one of the crazy stories contained in the comments, I encourage you all to go read the entries & have a laugh!
I recently had the chance to try some of the new ice cream flavors from Purely Decadent, which is just one of the many treats made by dairy free darlings, Turtle Mountain. Packed in a cooler filled with dry ice, 5 pints arrived on my doorstep, ready to be consumed. I decided to take them to share with my friends over at Vegansaurus.com, so we could all partake in the fun of taste testing!
Dark & creamy Belgian Chocolate, tangy Key Lime Pie, sweet & fruity Blueberry Cheesecake, cinnamon laced Snickerdoodle, & a coconut milk based Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
were all devoured & discussed by the group. While I favored the soft dough & cinnamon swirls of Snickerdoodle, many preferred the coconut milk concoction, declaring Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough their favorite. One thing that struck most everyone was the Blueberry Cheesecake would have been better received if named differently, as expectations of cheesecake bites were met with only firm crust-like chunks, luckily the blueberry pieces kept us happy.
The great news about many of the new flavors is they take those with allergies in to account. The cookie dough & pie crust additions are gluten free, while the coconut milk flavors are soy free, so no one should feel left out! Speaking of the coconut milk flavors, I recently had the So Delicious Coconut Milk yogurt in Pina Colada & thoroughly enjoyed it! Go try some of the many new products from Turtle Mountain for yourself!
In other news, my 2 lbs of terror, Strummer the chihuahua, appears here from time to time. There's no denying she's a cute one, so to spread the chihuahua cheer, I've created Strummer Calling, a photo & video blog for "The Only Pup That Matters". It won't be heavy on text, but will be drenched in photos & videos for your viewing pleasure. Oh & she's vegan, so technically it's a vegan blog! Check it out at http://strummercalling.blogspot.com/
Sweetness in New York City + Lula’s Sweet Apothecary (with video)!
As my plane touched down in New York City, I found myself anxious to get out of the airport & on to my planned destination. A group of friends from the PPK were gathering at Lula's Sweet Apothecary & I was running late, due to delays beyond my control. As the rain trickled down, I ran in to the door to find a tiny little shop with warm colored wood, a wall of candy, & ice cream options galore!
Friends gathered along the strip of seating along the wall 
& at the end of the ice cream bar. I was happy to see Terry's familiar face, as well as a few faces of those I've been wanting to meet, such as Evan from Bjorked Off & Sarchan of Emo Potato! Evan & I connected on all things dessert, while Sarchan was sweet enough to bring me her awesome Chewy Peanut Butter-Banana-Oatmeal-Peanut Chew-Chunk Cookies!
I started with a sundae, topped with all sorts of goodness from 
Ricemallow & Whipped Cream to Peanut Butter Cookies, Crumblz, & a Cherry! The ice cream flavors rotate, I was able to sample them all that night, the Peanut Butter Fudge flavor being my favorite at the moment. Not holding back, I also had a swirl of soft serve, provided by Tempation, makers of all things Soy Dairy. Once the ice cream was flowing, other treats started to make their way around, like Malt Shots. It's safe to say I left Lula's on a sugar high!
Lula's Sweet Apothecary: 516 E 6th Street between Ave A & B
On another afternoon, per Evan's suggestion, we decided to seek out some Red Mango treats. 
The rumor was that they have fabulous cheesecake & we were able to track it down at The Bean, a coffee & tea spot with two locations in Manhattan. We sat down to a slice of Peanut Butter Cheesecake & WOW, people are not joking! This confection contained a chocolate cookie crust, a layer of sweet peanut butter, a layer of plain cheesecake, & then thick ganache topped with peanut butter frosting. It was rich, decadent, & we both agreed it may be the best cheesecake we've had.. ever. Do yourself a favor & find this cheesecake!
Red Mango Bakery: Available throughout NYC
Atlas Cafe is known for their expansive menu with many vegan options & their case full of Vegan Treats, but they also have tofu soft serve. It's certainly no Lula's, but if you're in the neighborhood, get it mixed with peanut butter & enjoy a refreshing treat. Of course, there's also donuts & cinnamon rolls delivered in addition to the cakes on Tuesdays, so it shouldn't be too tough to find an excuse to go there.
Atlas Café: 73 2nd Ave at E 4th St.
Wandering in the East Village late one night, 
we decided to pop in to Vox Pop, knowing they had more of Red Mango's sweet treats. We acquired two Cupcakes, a Chocolate covered Peanut Butter Krispie treat, & a Chocolate covered Twinkie, oh my! Unfortunately, the were refrigerated & so cold, they were almost frostbitten! The Krispie was interesting at the cold temperature, not bad, & the Chocolate Covered Twinkie had serious potential (although it was no No Whey!), I would be curious to try it at room temperature. The cupcakes suffered from the cold, but I can't see myself anxious to have another.
Vox Pop: 308 Bowery at E 1st St.
On a rainy day in Brooklyn, we headed to the Penny Licks for their selection of Vegan Treats & Tempation ice cream. 
A large case of sweets, as well as old timey decor greeted us, & I was thrilled by the wire backed parlor chairs. I was looking forward to trying more of the Tempation ice cream flavors, as I loved them when I visited Chicago. While the Peanut Butter Brownie & Vanilla Cupcake baked goods didn't quite do it for me, I was thrilled to try a trio of "Penny Licks" in Strawberry, Cookie Dough, & Pumpkin. Creamy ice cream on a crunchy mini cone? Yes, please! Now if only we could get Tempation around here!
Penny Licks: 158 Bedford Ave between 8th St & 9th St, Brooklyn
Of course, I had to end my trip with another visit to Lula's Sweet Apothecary. Blythe & Derek are so kind & generous, we found ourselves chatting with them, finding many things in common as our final afternoon in NYC slipped away. Another round of soft serve & sundaes yielded the discovery of a new favorite ice cream, S'mores! I have a major marshmallow obsession, so the smooth chocolate ice cream flanked with graham crackers, fudge ribbons, & Sweet and Sara marshmallows may have hit the spot so well, I had two servings!
To commemorate some kick ass ice cream, I made a little video of my trips to Lula's. Check it out!
Don't forget, Lula's Sweet Apothecary: 516 E 6th Street between Ave A & B, yum!
Wheeler’s Black Label Vegan Ice Cream!
For those of you who are avid veg blog readers, you've probably been reading the hype about Wheeler's Black Label Vegan Ice Cream. Everyone from Isa at the PPK blog, Emilie at the Conscious Kitchen to the crew at SuperVegan is raving about this tantalizing treat. Well, I'm here to say, BELIEVE THE HYPE. I was able to get my hands on two flavors of Wheeler's ice cream & I'm here to give you the scoop (sans additional puns).
It all started with a visit to the VegNews headquarters where the goods were delivered after being flown in from Boston. That's right, an actual person brought them on a plane, 
then walked in the door with a box of ice cream for us to sample! I acquired Chocolate Chocolate Chip (rumored to be Wheeler's favorite) & Passionfruit, then quickly ran home to try them.
I'd planned to wait for Ryan to come home, but decided to have a little taste of Chocolate Chocolate Chip. Wow. It was tough not to devour it all on the spot! Of course, I had to taste a bit of Passionfruit as well & it invoked the same reaction.
Chocolate Chocolate Chip is a smooth & creamy ice cream with a deep chocolate flavor and hand cut pieces of chocolate. The depth of flavor & texture is decadent & unparalleled by any vegan ice cream out there, but it will also give any diary drenched dessert a run for its money.
I decided to use a portion to make a sundae topped with peanut butter & toasted Sweet & Sara marshmallows, it can only be described with one word: HEAVEN. Wheeler's is using Sweet & Sara in some of their new ice cream flavors including "Sweet and Sara Hot Chocolate" & "Ambrosia"; yes, please!
Passionfruit is not a sorbet, but a luscious ice cream & while it didn't immediately register as passionfruit, it does register as smooth, mellow flavored, & delicious. I'm not normally a fruit flavored ice cream person, I like my desserts sinful & over-the-top, but this tickled my taste buds in a way fruit rarely has!
To say I was impressed would be an understatement, both Ryan & I found ourselves wondering how something this creamy & smooth could be a vegan ice cream. While the current market options are fine, this blows them all out of the water! Based on what I've tasted thus far, I give Wheeler's ice cream a solid 4 1/2 stars & we all know how strict my rating system is!
Do yourself a favor & check out the Wheeler's Black Label Vegan Ice Cream blog. While this treat is currently only available on the East Coast, & a Wheeler's storefront is forthcoming in Boston, rumor has it there's other ways you can get your hands on some!
Holiday Survival, Los Angeles Eats, & a Peanut Butter Fudge recipe!
Happy New Year! I hope everyone survived the Holiday season & is ready for a fun & fabulous 2008! Here's a shot of our vintage silver tree complete with vintage ornaments. I wish I could capture the lighted color wheel as well, but the reflection of the tree on the walls will have to suffice.
The Christmas season started for us with a road trip to Southern California to spend time with Ryan's family. Being so close to Los Angeles, we decided to check out restaurants & meet up with friends. To kick things off, we dined together at Madeleine Bistro in Tarzana, a lovely restaurant with organic, vegan fare & a seasonal menu. The meal was just what we needed after the stress of a long drive! 
Lemon rosemary seitan with an asparagus crepe and vegetables, as well as a holiday special of "chicken fried seitan" with mashed potatoes, cranberry, & sweet potatoes tickled our taste buds! We wrapped up the meal with a trio of pies; pumpkin, pecan, & french apple & I insisted on the chocolate souffle. At the time, I didn't realize what a feat a vegan souffle can be! It was delicious & I feel as though I should replicate it when I have the time.
Another night brought us to Pure Luck in Los Angeles with a group of awesome friends from the blog world to the PPK! Bazu from Where's the Revolution, Teresa from MaybePigsCanFly, Sharon from To Live and Eat in LA, Trina from Your Vegan Mom, as well PPKers Mike, Jenny Shades, Jenny Stench & friends all gathered to nosh & drink beer together!
The jackfruit carnitas tacos 
are something that need to be tried to be believed! Ryan & I practically inhaled them with a side of fried pickle chips in BBQ sauce, as well as two more tacos filled with plantains with sweet cream! The jackfruit carnitas tacos have been on my mind ever since this meal, so I'm going to attempt to make them this week.
After the grub, we headed to Scoops across the street only to find they were just about out of vegan flavors! A few of us ended up with some Lemon Jasmine ice cream, not my first choice, but it was smooth & refreshing nonetheless. It sounds like I'll have to make it back to Scoops earlier in the day sometime in the future as we missed out on flavors like
Strawberry Balsamic & Tiramisu!
Sharon was kind enough to bring mini cupcakes from Leda's Bake Shop for Ryan & I! Everyone "oohed" & "ahhed" at their lovely decor & they were throughly enjoy later that night in our car before heading home. In addition to the lovely cupcakes, Teresa gave me a copy of Eat, Drink, & Be Vegan & Bazu gave me a Make Your own Chai kit! Aren't I the luckiest?! Thanks again ladies!
On Christmas Day, we were back in the Bay Area to spend time with my family. 
I didn't think I would have time to bake, but I managed to whip up some goodies for the celebration! Once again the Snickerdoodles from Kelly & Garrick's upcoming cookie book were made with the addition of their amazing English Toffee Bars, which you can find a recipe for here! Make them! The easiest thing I whipped up was Peanut Butter Fudge, which doesn't get baked at all, so you can whip this up for yourself anytime.
Peanut Butter Fudge
Ingredients:
3/4 cup Earth Balance or other vegan margarine
1 cup peanut butter (natural works best, as sweetened will be far too sugary.)
3 cups confectioners' sugar (sifted, if clumpy)
2/3 cup cocoa powder
Instructions:
Lightly grease a 9x9 baking dish, parchment is another option for the bottom.
In a saucepan over low heat, melt margarine.
Remove margarine from the heat and whisk in peanut butter until smooth.
Stir in the confectioners' sugar & cocoa, a little at a time, until well blended. It should be thick!
Smooth & press the mixture into your prepared pan & chill until firm.
Once it's firm, cut it in to squares & enjoy!
This fudge tastes awesome right out of the freezer! It's a somewhat soft fudge, & it melts a bit, so it's nice to have some completely solidified.
In addition to sweet treats, I had quite the feast of savory foods! Family dinners can leave a vegan's plate pretty empty, 
but my mother was wonderful & prepared the mashed potatoes & green beans dairy-free, plus she surprised us with delicious fruit kabobs. My plate was full with Celine's Seitan "steaks", mashed potatoes & punk rock chickpea gravy, Ryan's cranberry sauce, green beans, & fruit kabobs. Needless to say, I was very satisfied with my holiday feast!
Well, 2008 is here! I started it dancing on a bar & playing Guitar Hero with friends, but after some rest time, I attended a brunch at the home of Shane & Mel from Veglicious Recipes! Mel was the most amazing host & made all the
food herself, which included Lettuce Wraps, Peanut Butter coffee cake, roasted vegetables, Apple & Pear salad, & Cherry Coconut muffins, many of which you can find recipes for on her blog! It was an excellent way to start 2008 & if it's any indication of the year in store, it will be a fabulous year!
Check out my other site Cruelty Free Face for the latest and greatest in compassionate cosmetics. 100% vegan and cruelty free!
Nominee for "Favorite Blog".
Check out the uber cute Gardenia Knits, an all vegan crochet, knit, and embroidery online shop!
Favorite Frostitutes
- Anarchy in the Garden
- Bake and Destroy
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- Could It Be …SEITAN!?
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- Everyday Dish
- FatFree Vegan Kitchen
- Get Sconed!
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- Good Girls & Geeks
- Hair Fix
- have cake, will travel
- Lifestyles of the Chic & Vegan
- Madcap Cupcake
- Meet The Shannons
- My Zoetrope
- No Murders in the Rue Morgue
- oh, glorious food!
- Post Punk Kitchen Blog
- Quarry Girl
- Say It's Not Soy
- Search For The Best Deals On Cuisinart Cookware And More At Pebble.com!
- Seitan is my Motor
- Semicircular Vegan
- Shrinkle
- Strummer Calling
- Strummer Calling; The Only Pup That Matters!
- Such A Vegan
- Sugar Skull
- Super Vegan
- The Cosmopolitan Hour
- The Sisters Vegan
- To Live and Eat in LA
- Too Vegan to Function
- Veg Out With Us!
- Vegan Bean
- Vegan Beauty Review
- Vegan Cookies
- Vegan Crunk
- Vegan Eats and Treats
- Vegan Explosion
- Vegan Homemade
- Vegan In Brighton
- Vegan in the City
- Vegan Marshmallows, hooray!
- Veganbaking.net
- Veganize It, Don't Criticize It!
- Vegansaurus; a San Francisco Dining Guide!
- Veggie Thing
- Veggywood
- veglicious!
- Walking the Vegan Line
- Where's the Revolution?
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