08.05.2011 I scream for…I’m a banshee?

I finally dragged my derrière back to Trader Joe’s after hearing how awesome their new coconut-based ice creams are.
I can confirm they’re good, especially with waffles underneath. And cashew nut topping. And chocolate syrup.
Take that, Coldstone: you got nothing on us.

I find the strawberry flavor to be kind of muted, but I actually prefer that to the chemical-tasting and overly sweetened fruity desserts I’ve had in the past.
The chocolate, on the other hand, is stronger in flavor and just like its strawberry counterpart, not overly sweet. Both would be fantastic combined with chocolate chunks and bits of fresh strawberries (for the strawberry-flavored one, clearly) to add a little extra oomph, texture and crunch.

Just so it’s clear: no, we don’t eat decadent, processed foods like this every day. Yes, we thoroughly enjoy it on the rare occasions we do and balance it out with a generous amount of whole grains, leafy greens, and beverages made of unicorn tears.
(Unicorn tears aren’t vegan?)

In unrelated news, Joni and I are supposed to receive the first printed & bound copies of Hearty Vegan on Tuesday for one last thorough inspection before it comes out. Exciting!

Did you know that Joni’s book is now officially up for grabs, by the way? Here’s the top 5 list of my favorite ones out of the 60+ I’ve made from it. It was hard to narrow it down, but you do what you gotta do.

1. Trifecta burgers: I’ve talked about these repeatedly, and I feel like I will never grow tired of them. They have a flaky, yet sturdy texture and somehow remind me of the fishy sticks I used to eat as a kid. Note that they don’t have a fishy flavor, but neither did the fishy sticks I’m talking about. Confused yet? Welcome to my world.
I make mine bigger, using the otherwise rather unpalatable reduced-fat mayo from Trader Joe’s, bake them in a muffin top pan, and let them cool in there for easy extraction. I always double the batch and still see them fly out of our fridge in less than 3 days.

2. Bacon Cheeseburger…burgers: Joni isn’t kidding when she says these fit in the “little bit crazy category”. Good news is, she’s not kidding either when she says they will please omnivores as much as they do veg-heads, and that they’re close to being carbon copies of some fast food joint’s signature burger.

3. Noochy burgers: If loving nooch is wrong, who would want to be right? Rich and meaty, this was the first batch I made. Insert nostalgic tearing up here.

4. Quiche Lorraine burgers: Quiche her? I hardly…yes, please. Their impeccable flavor allows them to be served at any time of the day, breakfast included. What does Joni mean though, say what you will about the French? Nom d’une pipe.

5. Chow Mein burgers: these are decadent, and might not be the best looking ones of the bunch, but I hogged them all when I made them, hiding them from Chaz’s view so I wouldn’t have to share. Consider this my confession. I sure consider myself absolved.