Simply Suzanne Granola

Yesterday, we were at Whole Foods stocking up on snacks for our upcoming trip to India on Tuesday and I saw this on an end cap: Simply Suzanne's Lotsa Chocolate Granola. It is vegan, nut-free, and really tasty! It's also made in my home state of Michigan. The ingredient list is simple and includes things like cinnamon and black pepper in addition to the chocolate, brown sugar, and maple syrup for a great balance of sweet and savory. They have a few other flavors listed on their website that I will be interested to try, but this chocolate is pretty darn good!

(For some reason, the Lotsa Chocolate flavor is not listed as vegan on their website, though it appears to be totally vegan based on the ingredient list.)

Caveman Foods Water Kefir

We are currently at ExpoWest, which is turning out to be the most magical place in the world both for discovering awesome vegan products and also for business expansion possibilities (which is the real reason why I'm here... no really!). We've had a lot of awesome people visit our booth including today's visit from George of Caveman Foods. George is a vegan dude from Philadelphia who now makes and distributes a kombucha-like fermented water kefir drink in five flavors. He brought over one of each and I decided to start with the original flavor (rose!). I haven't tried the others yet, but with flavors like tarragon, vanilla, and black pepper, they sound pretty promising. One of my favorite things about their brand is that all of their products are flavored naturally with things like real vanilla beans and not with "natural flavors." These taste very strongly fermented (stronger than most kombuchas) and are very refreshing and have a number of health benefits. Check out their website (which is very informative)!

Isabella's V-Chip Cookies

I am currently in Southern California for Natural Products ExpoWest and stopped by Santa Monica's Co-Opportunity Natural Foods store today for a snack. I was in the mood for something sweet and didn't see anything nut-free in the cooler case with all of the raw vegan desserts where my co-travelers were looking, so I asked an employee if they could recommend any local vegan baked goods. She had a few tasty-looking suggestions, but none looked as exciting as these chocolate chip cookies from Isabella's Cookie Company. I shared these with my travel companions and they were winners all around. These tasty vegan chocolate chip cookies are sweetened without refined sugar. They reminded us of the Soft Batch cookies of years past (remember when those were vegan?!).  A must-try if you find them in your area!! They also have an option to order online if you are so inclined. They are definitely worth the effort!

(Very exciting - I now have a laptop and can make these updates on the road instead of storing up pictures until I get back home!)