Umpqua Oats

Being at the airport makes me SO hungry. I don't know why this is, but I think it's just that flying is less nauseating when you have had something to eat. So, I was really excited when I found these Umpqua Oats available for sale in a bookstore cafe at Midway Airport in Chicago. They are super simple, no sweetener, and delicious! The staff at the cafe added hot water and I added a cut up banana and this was a great travel meal. It also passed the "not stinky" test, which I think that ALL travel food should adhere to lest you gross out your fellow travelers with your food smells.

While I probably wouldn't buy these for home due to all of the excess packaging waste that creates, I would definitely buy them again while I was on the go. I believe I have seen them in other airports, as well, so keep your eyes peeled!

Golden Krust at Newark Airport

My first trip to Newark Airport a few months ago was pretty miserable. We had just finished a week-and-a-half trip and were eager to get home. We get to the airport, return our rental, take the train with the too-tiny-to-navigate pods that people can't get their luggage out of quickly, get to our terminal, go through the security line, and discover that there is pretty much NO real food in the gate area (which is also really sequestered - this airport has a strange design). So, my partner goes back out of security and finds Golden Krust, a "Caribbean Bakery & Grill" located in the outer ring of the airport. They have fresh juice, but of course you can't bring juice through security (it being a liquid and all), so I go out and meet him, enjoy our juice, and we return back to our gate in plenty of time to leave.

On my most recent trip to Newark Airport, I was slightly wiser from my past experience. I stopped by Golden Krust before hitting up the (LONG) security line and picked up something security-line-friendly, a delicious fruit salad! Seriously, in terms of most airport food, and especially most airport fruit, this thing was like the Holy Grail. Super fresh, delicious, and not just a pile of dry melon with a few grapes (or a waxy apple, or two bananas shrink-wrapped against a foam tray). I mean, look at it!! Mango! Berries! Delicious! I ate half at the gate and half again a few hours later on the plane. Extra points for this being non-stinky plane food (it should be a crime to allow people to bring McDonald's on the plane).

I have not yet tried anything else available at Golden Krust. It is, as the name implies, all Caribbean food, which I am not much familiar with and I'm pretty sure would be decidedly un-vegan, but the fact that they are making fresh fruit and juices available to travelers still makes them a thing that I definitely like. Also, check out this Jamaican "Peanut Punch" that I found there (didn't try it, though). "Ingredients: Water, Peanut Paste, Soy Protein, Sugar, Flavouring." Interesting! Probably not something I would buy, but maybe you will??

Bobo's Oat Bars

We're currently in Massachusetts and spent the last two days at the Whole Foods North Atlantic Region All Access show. This is a show exclusively for Whole Foods Market employees to come, check out products that are newer to the store, and eat eat eat! As a result, we ended up leaving with quite a few snacks of our own. One was this Original flavor Bobo's Oat Bar! Needing a quick, healthy breakfast this morning before we get on the road, I grabbed this and it was delicious! The first three ingredients are oats, brown rice syrup and Earth Balance. They are vegan, wheat free, and really tasty! Not too sweet, which is always a plus. This version is also nut and coconut free (my personal allergies). What a great snack!

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.)

Kelly Peloza likes Speculoos/Biscoff Spread

 Kelly Peloza is a super cool lady who I finally met in person at this year's Milwaukee Veg Fest when she gifted me a tasty cookie on a stick. She is a super cutie and the author of a book profiling my favorite food group, The Vegan Cookie Connoisseur! So, we know she's a great baker, but she also travels and cooks other vegan food, which you can read about in her cleverly-titled blog, Seitan Beats Your Meat. She even made some tasty tacos and competed in this year's Chicago Vegan Chef Showdown to benefit Mercy for Animals. And she is a student and photographer and makes her own clothes and probably does a ton of other cool stuff that I don't even know about yet. Also, she JUST turned 21 last month! Now don't you feel like a slacker?!

In addition to all of that, Kelly also has a really cute bunny sidekick named Gnocchi who she recently dressed up as our company mascot, which amuses me to no end. I love Gnocchi Upton. You can see her styling his little bunny hair in the photo here. Isn't he a charmer?

Anyway, without further delay, here is Kelly's Vegan Thing She Likes: Speculoos/Biscoff Spread!

This stuff is all the rage on the PPK forums, but just starting to become popular amongst all vegans. Speculoos is a peanut butter-like spread made out of cookies and it tastes like spreadable cinnamon ginger cookie magic. I was skeptical at first, but after eating it on bagels, in baked goods, and by the spoonful, I'm a total convert. I've even added a few spoonfuls to buttercream frosting and completely transformed a cupcake. It can be a little difficult to find nowadays (and make it last if you do find it), but speculoos is just one of those inconceivable things you always wished existed. Speculoos 4eva!


The picture  at the right is just of the cookies that are used to make the spread that Kelly is talking about. If you're still confused, watch this video!!

Dan Staackmann likes Olive Ciabatta

The best way that I can think to kick off a whole month of Vegan People I Like is to feature my personal number one vegan person. He is my partner in all aspects of life, including at work (where he is technically my boss, though it never feels that way). He is my boyfriend, Dan Staackmann! Dan is the owner of Chicago-based seitan company, Upton's Naturals, where we both work and which takes us on so many vegan-centric adventures that I was inspired to start this blog. He is a natural entrepreneur, always encouraging people to take the leap into finding their own path towards meaningful work and a happy life. He's extremely humble and extremely easy to get along with. There is no one else on earth who I'd rather have as my partner or as my first Vegan People I Like entry!

The Vegan Thing Dan Likes is the olive ciabatta pillow from Fox & Obel in Chicago.

A vegan thing I like is the Fox & Obel olive ciabatta...perfectly crafted with a firm outer crust, air-bubble-filled chewy center, real olives (not sliced and from a can) and a cornmeal dusting below. Also, no ridiculous “dough conditioners” or additives... flour, water, olives, yeast, cornmeal, salt. Perfect. Like all good breads, best consumed within 8-12 hours of baking and NEVER put in a plastic bag. I challenge anyone to find a finer ciabatta in Chicago, or anywhere else.

Dan hit the nail on the head with this pick. I willingly vouch for these being some of the most amazing bread that you will ever eat. Well worth a stop. We often pick one of these up each for a snack when we're in the area.

Fearless Chocolate

I love chocolate. Even more, my partner loves chocolate! I think he exists on at least 25% chocolate, so we can really go through a lot of chocolate around here! When I saw this raw organic chocolate from Fearless was right around $6 a bar, I was pretty excited! Raw chocolate can be pricey and I'm not sure how this variation is so affordable, but it's very welcome! This chocolate is rich and delicious and a square or two will easily curb any cravings without having to devour the whole bar. I've tried both the Sweet & Hot (Hibiscus Ginger) flavor and also the Matcha Green Tea Peppermint bar. Both are highly recommended. I will be on the lookout for a local outlet for this brand, and so should you!

Ginger Candy

Ginger candy is another one of my must-have travel items. If you find yourself getting queasy on a plane, then a ginger chew will fix you right up! They also help keep all of those buggies that your fellow travelers bring with them from settling into your system so that you stay healthy on your trip. During takeoffs and landings, you can almost always find me with a ginger chew in my mouth. Much better than gross gum or sugary candies, too!

I picked up this box of Gin-Gins (made by the Ginger People) on clearance at Food Fight several trips ago and it has served me well. The final Gins were consumed on the most-recent flight and I will have to restock before next month's trip for certain!

Travel Food

I always get hungry in airports. And on airplanes. I don't know what it is, but I crave food that is healthy and satisfying. Typical airport fare leaves a lot to be desired to this end, so I always try to pack my own.

In my experience, this is the ultimate travel food: grainy bread and a ripe avocado. It's simple, healthy, comforting, filling, and easily portable (and not a liquid, so you can get it through security). It also doesn't have much of an odor, so your fellow passengers aren't disturbed (sat next to a guy eating a breakfast biscuit on my most recent flight home which was unpleasant to say the least). Grab a disposable plastic knife somewhere on your travels (or ask your friendly flight attendant) and you're good to go. I cut my avocado in half and then use each half as a little bowl to chop up the contents before spreading them on a chunk of bread, but you can enjoy these two paired any which way you like!

I picked up this Dave's Killer Bread Seed Bomb at Food Fight in Portland, OR and the avocado (requesting "one that will be good to eat tomorrow, please!") at a produce stand in Pike Place Market in Seattle (the produce and flower markets there are awesome, but the stinky, gross fish markets kind of ruin the fun).

Nopal Cactus Corn Chips

When I saw these on the shelf at Rainbow Acres in LA, I couldn't resist. The ingredient list on these chips includes: Corn, water, vegetable oil, powder cactus, salt, and traces of lime juice making their bright green color totally natural! Their flavor is unlike any chip I've ever tried and very unique. They are a little thinner than the chips that I usually prefer, but they are definitely worth trying out if you ever see them on the shelf. In the meantime, you can read more about nopales!