• January 23rd, 2010quarrygirlvegan bakers

    whoa, i never thought i’d see the day. first a national pizza chain offers a dairy-free cheese option, then a mexican fast food joint flirts with a huge plant-based protein, and now starbucks (the corporate-est of all corporate mofos) is offering lucy’s vegan cookies in locations across the nation!

    lucy's vegan cookies: $1.50 per bag of 4

    that’s right, starbucks has officially begun rolling out lucy’s line of vegan/gluten-free/nut-free cookies in several of their stores, and each bag of 4 cookies is under 200 calories! the cookies can be found in locations all over los angeles, and i gotta say, they are surprisingly delicious.

    when i first heard the healthy low-calorie stats on lucy’s cookies and learned that they were super allergy-friendly, i wrongly assumed that they wouldn’t taste very good. however when i got them home and took a bite, i seriously couldn’t stop. they are so addictive!

    chocolate chip, cinnamon, sugar cookie

    they’re hard, crunchy, and super sweet…and are seriously like little sugar-coated pieces of crack. they come in chocolate chip, cinnamon, and sugar cookie flavor; and while my personal favorite is the chocolate chip, all varieties are awesome.

    so next time you are in starbucks, be sure to buy a bag (or 3) of lucy’s cookies! let’s support their huge decision to cater to vegans.

    oh, and if you wanna go even further and send starbucks a thank you note, check out this form on veggywood.com!

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  • December 8th, 2009quarrygirlvegan bakers

    sometimes you want a dessert that will satisfy your sweet tooth but not bog you down with loads of fat and sugar. enter tia’s bakery—a company focused on making healthy treats that are agave-sweetened and gluten-free, with plenty of vegan options.

    vegan cookies from tia's bakery

    recently, tia’s bakery hooked me up with a lovely lot of samples…and after being bummed out by some gluten-free food in the past, i was pleasantly surprised by how much i enjoyed their goods. they gave me a box of each of their cookie varieties—peanut butter, almond tea, and oatmeal raisin—all of which were delicious. the almond tea was my favorite, with a very unique and nutty flavor.

    vegan macaroons by tia's bakery

    tia’s also supplied me with a box of vegan macaroons, which were absolutely awesome. these bite-sized balls are like yummy vegan crack rocks made of coconuts, dates, and agave. once i started, i couldn’t stop eating ’em.

    now keep in mind, tia’s bakery does not make insanely decadent desserts, but scrumptious treats that taste great and light at the same time. these are the kind of healthful snacks i could eat a ton of and be satisfied, but never feel guilty. with a low calorie count, and pure simple ingredients that you can not only pronounce, but have used in a sentence, there is no reason not to make them a regular indulgence. i can’t wait to go get more of tia’s goods…especially the almond cookies and macaroons! oh, and they also make VEGAN CAROB TRUFFLES which i haven’t tried but sound so good.

    and for those of you who can’t eat gluten, i can imagine these sweets are a godsend!

    tia’s bakery products are available at wholefoods, santa monica co-opportunity, erewhon, rainbow acres, follow your heart, locali, earth bar and pc greens. yum time.

    vegan desserts from tia's bakery

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  • September 16th, 2009quarrygirlvegan bakers

    vegan-twinkie

    about a year ago, los angeles was buzzing with the news of amazing vegan twinkies that tasted way better than the real thing. these twinkies were so popular, not only did they get rave reviews from the vegan blogs, but also the non-vegan foodie blogs, as well as the LA times! however these fluffy, delicious, cream-filled vegan twinkies disappeared completely earlier this year when the bakery that made them decided to take a break.

    well now it’s with much excitement that i announce to you, the original LA vegan twinkies are back! that’s right, starting today no whey vegan bakery will be accepting private orders for a short time through their website. if you never got a chance to try these amazing baked goods, now is the time.

    Read the rest of this entry »

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  • August 31st, 2009quarrygirlvegan bakers

    sugarplum-cupcake

    i’ve got good news, los angeles! it is with great pleasure that i announce there is yet another vegan baker on the scene, and i can vouch for the goods. sugar plum vegan is bakery from sacramento that was selling treats to the local whole foods and co-op up there. lucky for us, they recently moved to LA and are in the process of getting food available in stores around town.

    assorted treats from the sugar plum vegan bakery

    assorted treats from the sugar plum vegan bakery

    over the weekend, i was fortunate enough to sample several of sugar plum vegan’s creations, and they were all excellent. pictured above, starting at the back with the cookie and going clockwise, we have the peanut butter creamie, an orange goji scone, a cinnamon bun, a sticky bun, gluten-free carrot cake, the entertainer, and in the middle is a red velvet cupcake.

    sugar plum vegan peanut butter creamie

    sugar plum vegan peanut butter creamie

    the peanut butter creamie was one of my favorite things i tried from sugar plum vegan. the sweet sandwich was made of two chocolate chip, chocolate dipped cookies with peanut butter frosting in the middle. this thing was rich and decadent, and didn’t taste vegan at all. the soft cookies and smooth chocolate went great with the thick and creamy frosting. five stars.

    sugar plum vegan sticky bun

    sugar plum vegan sticky bun

    my other favorite treat was the sticky bun, a delicious breakfast pastry with a caramel nut topping. the bun was filled up with gooey sugary goodness, and the nuts on top were so sweet, they tasted like candy. once i took a bite of this thing, i couldn’t stop.

    all the other sugar plum baked goods i tried were great as well—the cupcakes were moist and flavorful, the cinnamon bun was soft and covered in delicious frosting, and the goji scone was perfectly fruity. oh, and the gluten-free carrot cake didn’t taste gluten-free…or vegan for that matter.

    for info on how to order these goodies for yourself, contact sugar plum vegan through their website. and starting today, you can also find some of sugar plum vegan’s goods for sale at locali. melissa sugar, the baker behind all this, tells me locali will be offering the following items: the entertainer cupcake (a chocolate cupcake with cream cheese filling), gluten free carrot cake, sticky buns, cinnamon rolls, and gluten free/soy free pumpkin chocolate chip walnut muffins.

    so try some sugar plum vegan stuff when you have a chance, it’s all really tasty. damn, we are getting spoiled in los angeles with all these talented vegan bakers popping up!

    sugar plum vegan
    916-706-8100

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  • July 21st, 2009quarrygirlvegan bakers

    there are new vegan treats in town, and they are comin’ straight outta the fakery bakery! the vegan baker whose whoopie pies, cinnamon rolls and peanut butter cups have been making a huge splash among some lucky eaters, has now opened her own bakery and started selling her goods to the public online.

    thefakerybakery.com

    thefakerybakery.com

    the fakery’s new website is up and running with a full on menu, ordering info, and absolutely gorgeous photos taken by foodeater of ToLiveAndEatInLA.com! seriously, this stuff is all super drool-worthy. the fakery has everything from cakes, cupcakes, cookies and bars….to whoopie pies, muffins, cheesecakes and breads. and if you feel like putting the fakery bakery up to a challenge, you can email them a special request.

    before the fakery bakery was official, i got the chance to try some of their cookies, cakes, and even pound cake. everything i sampled was absolutely amazing, i am so stoked that these goods will be available to the general public. these are some of the best vegan baked goods i’ve ever tried.

    i will be ordering something from the fakery bakery ASAP and will post a review here for you to read. i am thinking it’s gonna have to be some peanut butter cups. what do y’all think looks the best? here’s the menu.

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  • May 13th, 2009quarrygirlnews, other, vegan bakers

    hey los angeles vegans, i have some pretty exciting news for you! on thursday may 14th at noon, jennshaggy of vegan twinkie fame will be selling some of her beloved treats as well as a slew of other no whey baked goods in hollywood to benefit various animal charities. since jenn has retired from baking officially, and her goods are no longer available, i highly suggest you get out to hollywood tomorrow and pick up as many twinkies and cookies as you can carry!

    here are all the important details:
    what: no whey vegan bake sale for charity
    when: thursday may 14th, noon until sold out
    where: 7200 Melrose Ave Los Angeles, CA 90046 (outside the fratelli cafe near melrose and formosa)
    baked goods: twinkies, pinwheel cookies, sugar cookies, snickerdoodles, cakes, and fudge
    price: everything will be between $2-$4

    vegan-twinkie

    if you have ever tried no whey twinkies, you know how bad ass they are. don’t miss this rare opportunity, these baked goods are no longer available!

    vegan-twinkie-2

    also try the pinwheel cookies, they are my personal favorite.

    pinwheel-cookies

    i don’t know what you have planned for your lunch break on thursday, but whatever it is, drop it and get down to this bake sale at noon! see you there!

    [googleMap name=”vegan bake sale with no whey twinkies!” description=”outside fratelli cafe at melrose and formosa”]7200 Melrose Ave Los Angeles, CA 90046[/googleMap]

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  • December 13th, 2008quarrygirlintelligentsia coffee, LA restaurants

    UPDATE!!! PLEASE READ THIS IMPORTANT UPDATE ABOUT DEE’S DONUTS BEFORE EATING THEM.

    yawn! i usually don’t post on saturday morning, but as of today, there are finally vegan donuts in los angeles and that is so worth writing about at this dreadful hour! intelligentsia in silver lake has started selling dee’s nuts donuts and i can’t get enough.

    dee's nuts vegan donut with chocolate frosting and purple sprinkles. yum.

    dee's nuts vegan donut with chocolate frosting and purple sprinkles. yum.

    it’s about fucking time vegan donuts made their way to los angeles. i mean, jeez, we have a gazzilion vegan restaurants, vegan cupcakes, vegan cookies, and (my fave) vegan twinkies, but no vegan donuts. …UNTIL NOW.

    today, it seems that dee’s nuts donuts, a vegan donut brand has shot up overnight and started offering a line of baked goods at the very popular intelligentsia coffee shop in silver lake. dee’s nuts is a one-woman, animal-free donut company (she doesn’t advertise her goods as vegan, because the v word makes flesh-eaters recoil in horror) who has has been getting quite the buzz in the vegan community and causing a stir among herbivores on twitter.

    dee’s nuts treats have been available for private order through her website for quite awhile. but today for the first time, they made their debut on the los angeles restaurant scene. since silver lake seems to have the most vegan restaurants per capita, it seems fitting that vegan donuts would first show up at a trendy sunset junction coffee shop.

    intelligentsia is known for its superior coffee, tea, and pastries. how awesome is it that thanks to dee’s nuts, vegans from all of la county have a huge reason to visit there now.

    vegan donuts at intelligentsia. $2.50 each.

    vegan donuts at intelligentsia. $2.50 each.

    glazed and chocolate-coconut are both delicious.

    glazed and chocolate-coconut are both delicious.

    dee’s nuts creates a line of super fresh donuts, baked right in our own downtown los angeles, that taste authentic and sinful just like the real thing. plump, porous, juicy cake deep fried and covered in thick and creamy frosting make for absolute decadence. and at only $2.50 a pop, they are very reasonably priced, and give you an excuse to buy several.

    because they aren’t advertised as vegan, i know that SO MANY omnivores will order these donuts and think they are “real.” muahahahahhahahahahahaha.

    la vegans, get over to intelligentsia and buy some donuts. right now they only have one dozen per day. i got my silly ass there at 6am on a saturday and heard that other people had been calling about them as well. considering there are no other vegan donuts in town, i’d act fast and buy ’em whenever the fuck you can.

    i was so stoked when i heard about these vegan donuts, that i couldn’t even wait for them to become available in stores. lucky for me, deanna of dee’s nuts invited me to her kitchen yesterday and gave me a quick tour, as well as a piping-hot donut fresh off the press. you can order your own batch through her website, and i highly recommend doing so, even if its just to be able to taste a donut moments after its been made. check out this cell phone picture i snapped of the vegan donut maker:

    this is where vegan donuts come from.

    this is where vegan donuts come from.

    i know, i know. i am very lucky.

    dee’s nuts donuts also made a smaller debut today at fix coffee in echo park. fix has already been offering cookies baked by dee’s nuts, and as of today they will be selling donuts too. if you can stomach it, i would recommend getting to fix and trying the cookies out as well. there is a freshly-baked chocolate chip cookie that is melty and out of this world, along with a thick spongy sugar cookie slathered in creamy frosting. these treats are also not advertised as vegan, and they are tasty enough to fool anybody.

    vegan sugar cookie. $2.50 and vegan chocolate chip cookie. $2.25

    vegan sugar cookie. $2.50 and vegan chocolate chip cookie. $2.25

    i will keep you posted as these baked goods and donuts become available in more locations. now that i’ve had vegan donuts in la, i definitely don’t want them to go away.

    oh yeah, and dee’s nuts! lol.

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  • November 14th, 2008quarrygirlLA restaurants, o!burger

    ever since i found out the soy cheese at zpizza in west hollywood isn’t vegan friendly, i have been pretty much avoiding that part of town. what can i say, it brings back bad memories. well now, i have a whole new reason to go back to weho. you see, an awesome burger joint called o!burger, has been serving up healthy, organic alternatives to fast food with plenty of vegan options for quite sometime. i recently checked them out, and i think i’m addicted.

    i’ve never had a vegan meal that scratches that dirty, guilty fast food itch, but at the same time tastes unique and reassuringly healthy like the scrumptious o!veggie burger.

    the classic o!veggie: a homemade patty with spinach and corn. $7.99

    the classic o!veggie: a homemade patty with spinach and corn. $7.99

    the o!veggie is insane, unlike anything i’ve ever tasted. most burgers use soy protein or some kind of meat substitute when they go vegan, but at o!burger, they make the veggie patty with just downright genuine ingredients. their website states, “the veggie burger is made in house, filled with vegetables, oats, and corn — it’s vegan and dairy free.” i was reticent to try o!burger when i spotted it once as i cruised by on santa monica blvd. i figured they used some kind of garden burger or other unsafe patty for their veggie option. boy, was i missing out. the unexpected blend of spinach, corn and other vegetables made for an awesome surprise. i couldn’t believe how tasty it was. un-bloody-real.

    also, it came served up on a delightfully grilled bun with a huge heap of sauteed onions and cucumbers instead of pickles. a whole new experience. the patty, presentation, and additional vegetables were all spot on. i cannot believe i waited so long to try this place.

    we also grabbed an order of the o!fries, which were delicious and served up in a brown paper bag, proper fast food style. they weren’t too baked, or overly greasy. i’d say they were just right…and crinkle-cut! like when i was a kid!

    o!fries. $2.99

    o!fries. $2.99

    but that’s not all, o!burger also caters to vegans like me with a voracious appetite for sweet things. first off, they have vegan cookies, which are absolutely delicious!

    o!vegan cookie. $1.75

    o!vegan cookie. $1.75

    when i got this cookie home, it had started to melt a bit and the chocolate chips were moist and soft. seriously, it was incredible. this fast food treat didn’t even taste vegan. normal cookies: look the fuck out, this one is coming for you.

    lastly, we rounded everything off with a pleasant milkshake. we got the vegan chocolate with oat milk, and it was delish. my only qualm was that it cost $4.50! that seems like a lot for a shake…what is it with everyone driving up prices on milkshakes lately? sheesh!

    o!vegan shake. $4.50

    o!vegan shake. $4.50

    o!burger has definitely conquered the intersection of delicious and healthy. everything they serve is organic, and their vegan food is out of this world. plus, they serve it up old school burger joint style. i really feel like i’m gettin’ some down and dirty real fast food when i eat there. you definitely pay more than you would at a normal burger joint, but for organic and vegan junk food, i’ll comply.

    well done, o!burger. you may be a bit pricey, but you rock my socks off!

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  • November 5th, 2008quarrygirlmore restaurants (not LA), NYC

    what self-respecting, sweets-lovin’ vegan doesn’t go nuts over the thought of VEGAN CUPCAKES!!?? i know i do. and since leda’s bakeshop in los angeles has practically shut down, i’ve been fiending for my next vegan cupcake fix. that’s why when in nyc, i absolutely had to check out manhattan’s famous vegan bakery, babycakes! i sure wasn’t disappointed.

    cookies 'n cream frosted cupcake: $3.95

    cookies 'n cream frosted cupcake: $3.95

    for my cupcake choice, i went with a chocolate cake topped of with cookies ‘n cream frosting. it was out of this world. the cupcake sure wasn’t as pretty or daintily decorated as the ones over at leda’s, but it tasted even better. the frosting was by far the best part, being rich, creamy, and full of little chocolate chunks. the cake was moist and decadent as well…i seriously could have eaten like 5 of these. so friggin’ delicious.

    best frosting ever.

    best frosting ever.

    i happened to be at babycakes on halloween, so they had a selection of ghoulish goodies for sale as well. i decided to buy a variation of the chocolate chip cookie sandwich with orange frosting and the word “BOO” written on it.

    chocolate chip cookie sandwich, halloween style! $4.25

    chocolate chip cookie sandwich, halloween style! $4.25

    the cookie sandwich was even more scrumptious than the cupcake and filled with so much sticky-gooey frosting. i loved every last bite. seriously, i can’t figure out how they get a frosting with no eggs and no dairy to taste so damn rich and creamy.

    the cookies themselves were incredible as well. crunchy on the outside, soft and moist on the inside, and littered with almost-melting chocolate morsels. by far the best cookie sandwich i’ve ever had. now if only they sold a version with soy ice cream in the middle. mmmm.

    i can’t wait to get back to nyc and eat at babycakes again and again. rumor has it they are even gonna open one in los angeles, right here in our very own weho! i hope that happens sooner rather than later. i don’t think i can wait.

    everything i tried at babycakes was off the chain and worth raving about. although their treats are pretty expensive, they make up for it with healthier, natural, organic and VEGAN ingredients along with a tastiness that is unmatched. yum. yum. yum.

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  • October 20th, 2008quarrygirlhealth, nutty steph's, products, recipes, veganomicon

    as a vegan, i am always looking for the perfect snack. it’s easy to find ubiquitous junk food items that don’t contain animal products (i’m talking to you, oreos!), but are full of scary ingredients that are hazardous to my health. for so long, i have been looking for an indulgence item that makes me feel like i am living it up, but not eating something that is gonna kill me. enter nutty steph’s. nutty steph’s is a vermont-based company making healthy, organic granola that tastes so decadent, it can compete with any household junk food.

    nutty steph's vermont granola, nutty steph's trail mix, and cookies made with nutty steph's ingredients

    nutty steph's vermont granola, nutty steph's trail mix, and cookies made with nutty steph's ingredients

    steph started selling her granola in 2003, when she was only 23 years old, and had no knowledge of commercial food production. what she lacked in age, however, she made up for in creativity and over the past five years her granola has gained tons of respect from buyers and chefs alike. and even more importantly, i love it! her granola is so packed with flavor, i almost don’t want to sprinkle it on top of anything. i’ve never tasted a “healthy” snack that is so perfect straight out of the bag. sweet, slightly salty, and above all, nutty, this granola is beyond delish.

    nutty steph's vermont granola: organic oats, pure vermont maple syrup, sunflower oil, almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, cinnamon, vanilla extract and sea salt.

    nutty steph's vermont granola: organic oats, pure vermont maple syrup, sunflower oil, almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, cinnamon, vanilla extract and sea salt.

    and, nutty steph’s granola can be used in various recipes. steph even has a whole category dedicated on on her website to the various uses for the granola. since i am a vegan, i decided to put the granola to the ultimate test and use it a recipe from veganomicon, the ultimate vegan cookbook. i made a recipe i already knew to be delicious, the chocolate-chocolate chip-walnut cookies, and substituted nutty steph’s granola for the actual nuts. i also used nutty steph’s magic chunks for 1/3 of the chocolate chips called for in the recipe. i can tell you, these cookies have never tasted so delicious. the delicate blend of sweet sugary oats and pure nut flavoring added more to the cookies than i could have imagined. these were so much better than the cookies with walnuts.

    veganomicon's chocolate-chocolate chip-walnut cookies using nutty steph's vermont granola and magic chunks

    veganomicon's chocolate-chocolate chip-walnut cookies using nutty steph's vermont granola and magic chunks

    the crunchy granola and magic chunks were the perfect compliment to the soft dough and chocolate chips. unlike when baking the cookie with actual walnuts, the oats mixed in throughout the dough making for a much more substantial and satisfying cookie. plus, there were plenty of nuts in the granola, so i still got the intended nutty taste. the granola was absolutely great to bake with, and i am sure it would make a fine substitute in many of my favorite dessert and snack recipes.

    lastly, nutty steph also offers her own brand of trail mix which is out of this world. the minute you try this, it will be hard not to eat the whole bag in one sitting, because it is so damn addictive. the already irresistible granola gets thrown in with fresh batch of raisins, huge and whole crunchy nuts, and large chunks of dark chocolate to make something i can’t resist.

    nutty steph's granola trail mix: vermont granola, peanuts, raisins and chocolate chips

    nutty steph's granola trail mix: vermont granola, peanuts, raisins and chocolate chips

    this is by far my favorite product of nutty steph’s. i’m sure it would be great sprinkled onto some soy ice cream, or mixed in with some cereal, but i just enjoyed the entire bag plain, on its own. the chocolate discs really bring out the nutty-ness in crispy granola, and the raisins provide a softness to all the crunch. steph really has found the perfect way to combine natural ingredients and make them taste ridiculously good.

    this trail mix is so freakin' delicious

    this trail mix is so freakin' delicious

    nutty steph’s is a vegan junk food/health food dream come true. an unashamedly delicious snack containing ingredients that i can pronounce. all real food, no chemicals or fake shit is contained in nutty steph’s. let’s support this cool chick from vermont who makes the perfect vegan snack, and stick it to the big corporations!

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