Thursday, May 4, 2017

Vegan Care Package!

The absolute best thing about blogging is community! I've made so many friends from all over the world through blogging. I've had the pleasure of meeting (and eating/drinking with) quite a few of those online friends, thanks to the three Vida Vegan Con (RIP, sadface) events in 2011, 2013, and 2015. There are so many more blogging friends I've yet to meet. But somehow, I feel like I KNOW those people even if we haven't met. And I know that, if and when we do meet, we'll be fast friends!

One of those awesome people is Sarah from Long Island Vegan. I've been following her blog for years through all of her grocery hauls, her photo spreads of creatively designed monthly planners, her snacky hummus plates, and so much more. I feel like every time I head over to Sarah's blog, I learn about some new Trader Joe's product that I wish I could try. But sadly, we don't have a Trader Joe's here (YET), so I have to stock up on TJ's products when I'm visiting Nashville (3 hours away). Last time I was in Nashville — last month for VegFest — I went into TJ's with a list, mostly derived from Sarah's blog!

But they were out of the one thing I was most excited to try — Everything But the Bagel Seasoning! I mentioned that on Sarah's blog comment section one day, and she offered to send me a bottle in the mail!! And then one day late last week, I came home to this box of goodies in the mail.


Yay for vegan care packages! She sent the bagel seasoning, plus Soft-Baked Snickerdoodles, Dark Chocolate Crisps, a Long Island bottle opener, and a magnet from New York City. So cool to get new-to-me foods and some souvenirs from her city.

I tried the crisps first! These are like dark chocolate Pringles, except they're all chocolate (no chips). They're loaded with little crispy bits, like a Nestle Krunch bar. Such a nice little afternoon treat. Perfect for when you want something sweet but not too much.


The snickerdoodles absolutely blew me away. I guess I haven't had a soft-baked cookie since going vegan. I'd forgotten how awesome soft cookies are. These practically melt in your mouth. And bonus — they're gluten-free. Definitely the best gluten-free cookie I've ever had.


I finally got to try the Everything But the Bagel Seasoning this morning on ... A BAGEL! So technically, it was everything AND the bagel. But the bagel (a Cajun flavor bagel from Dave's Bagels) wasn't an everything bagel, so I made it one! Plus, the flecks of onion, garlic, salt, and sesame seeds stick on a little better when sprinkled over cream cheese. So good! Can't wait to try this on avocado toast.


Thanks so much Sarah!!

7 comments:

Sarah said...

Yay!! I'm so glad you liked everything! Thank you so much for your kind words, I'm so happy to be a part of this amazing community <3 I know we would be fast friends for sure! Hopefully our paths with cross sooner rather than later :) I'm so happy you are enjoying those goodies! I think I may have to pick up one of those bottle openers for myself, haha! Those chocolate crisps are everything (I think I may have to crumble some over some banana ice cream!) and the seasoning is so good. I can't wait to see what else you put it on!

Enjoy!!

Hillary said...

I love those crisps so much! And I never knew the snickerdoodles were not only vegan but gluten free! I've never even bothered to check the ingredients because I guess I figured even if they were vegan they were still full of gluten! I need to try them, I love snickerdoodle cookies!
What a fun package!
And you're so right, this little blogging vegan community really is the best!!

Barb said...

YUM! There's a TJ's just a few blocks from my current job (and an additional 2 blocks from my new job, haha!), and you're making me want to run there right now. I've never even heard of that seasoning, but it sounds amazing!

PS- I'll never forget the vegan twinkie you mailed to me :)

Jennifer said...

I do the same thing with everything bagel mix. Sometimes the store doesn't put enough everything on the bagels! I used the mix from King Arthurs Baking Company? I think. It was a gift.

Unknown said...

How awesome!! I have seen those crisps so many times but walked right by because i thought they were chocolate potato chips (not my thing) but now i have to get some!
I'm using that everything bagel spice on seriously everything. Great on salads, sprinkled on sliced cucumbers, avocado toast of course and plain hummus.
Ttrockwood

vegan.in.brighton said...

That seasoning looks so great! I'm 100% with you on care package swaps and the awesome vegan blogger community. I'm so sad that there won't be a VVC this year but I'm in Australia right now and I've been hanging out with / have plans to hang out with blogger peeps I've met at VVC!!

Susan said...

So lovely! Those chocolate crisps in particular looks great.
Care packages are so much fun!
I know what you mean about meeting people from the blogging world, it is like you have known each other for so long, generally you just hit it off straight away.