The 2013 Gift Guide For....[THE VEGAN]

Welcome to the SECOND edition of the Passing Daisies holiday gift guide! Last week, we talked about HIPSTERS.This week, we are focusing on the vegans in our life. Here are the other holiday gift guides you can look forward to!

[The MUSIC JUNKIE]

[The GEEK]

[The BOOK NERD]

[The VINTAGE]

[The TRAVELER]

[The DRINK SNOB]

[The DIY ENTHUSIAST]

[The BLOGGER]

I used to be vegan for a year, and now I will generally eat anything, but I eat dairy in moderation. I shop mostly vegan at the grocery store, and I eat normally when I'm out with friends. Everything is okay in small amounts! 

Still, I like to embrace my vegan roots, and I think I've got a pretty good grasp on what kind of gifts vegans would enjoy. I would love to get any of the gifts below. I hope these help you find the perfect gift for your vegan friend!

Better World Brownies

An all vegan and fair trade brownie mix, you can't possibly go wrong. This company also makes vegan hot chocolate mix, fruit & chocolate snack mixes, and other yummy treats. Everything is fair trade, too.

Crazy Sexy Kitchen

Kris Carr is a vegan celebrity - she beat cancer by switching to a mostly raw, plant-based diet, and has been a role model in the vegan world ever since. This is her new cook book!

Isa Does It

Another famous vegan chef, Isa Chandra Moskowitz, just released a brand new cookbook this month. Everything she makes is delicious, so I'm sure this cookbook won't disappoint.

Vegan White Chocolate Chips

Vegan white chocolate is crazy hard to find in stores, unless you make it yourself. These chips are delicious. Make sure you order a few bags! Wanna hear what I think? Click here!

Vegan Bowls [and other dishes]

This lady's vegan dishes and mugs are pretty famous. They are expensive, but homemade and high quality. They are also cute! If you don't want anything with the word "vegan" on them, she also makes some adorable cake stands, fruit bowls, and other dishware. There is also another etsy shop, Vegan Dish, that you can check out when the owner is back from vacation.

Vegan's Daily Companion

This book features 365 different articles to read, one for each year. It has recipes, health info, animal stories and pictures, and so much more! A great guide for any vegan.

Tofu Xpress

Any true vegan will press tofu at some point in their life. This is a great tool to have in your kitchen so you don't end up pressing your tofu with a stack of books, pots and pans, and cans of soup {in other words, anything heavy}. If you want to see my review of this product, click here.

Hail Merry Macaroons 

These are quite possibly the best macaroons I've ever had, and they are raw! You can find them at Whole Foods stores across the country. Apparently they just released a limited edition, seasonal flavor - Chocolate Chocolate Chip - so run to the stores and buy some now!

Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter

This is just like Nutella, but it's vegan. They also make a line of peanut butter cups that are AMAZE-BALLS. For a limited time, you can buy their white chocolate peanut butter cups exclusively  at Whole Foods. 

Tea Forte

I have yet to find a flavor of tea by this brand that I dislike. They are crazy delicious, and their triangular shape makes them unique. 

Blackberry Maple Waffle Tea

This is a delicious flavor of tea, and it has real waffle pieces in the mix!

Libre Tea Glass

While we are on the topic of tea, this loose leaf tea "to-go" glass is GREAT for when you want loose leaf tea but are about to walk out the door. The tea stays in a separate compartment, and you just flip upside down to brew. When you are ready to drink, just turn the glass right side up. Check out my review of these glasses here.

Forks Over Knives

This is a great documentary about the way meat and dairy effect our health. Although it does talk about animal rights and welfare, the emphasis of this film is health, and that's why I enjoy it. If you want a documentary that talks more about animals, then check out Food, Inc.

Vegan Makeup

There are multiple great places you can get quality vegan makeup, including Juice Beauty, Tarte, and Urban Decay.

Yes To...

The "Yes To" brand has a TON of quality vegan beauty products, including facial cleansers, lip balm, shampoo & conditioner, and sunscreen, to name just a few. 

Well, I hope those items sparked some ideas for your vegan friend! Let me know if you found other great products you would recommend! 

Coconut Kissed Peanut Butter Banana Cookies

Peanut butter. Bananas. Two classic flavors that really go well together. 

But those PLUS coconut?

Get ready to taste something so good, you just might eat the entire batch yourself. 

The coconut flavor in the recipe comes from Earth Balance Coconut Spread (making this the second recipe made with that I've been meaning to share!). It gives just a very subtle coconut flavor. Not overpowering, and not something that stands out significantly in the cookie. It's just enough. 

The past few days, I've been craving peanut butter cookies like CRAZYYYY. But there are a few problems with this craving:

1. I'm out of peanut butter. boo. 

2. I've only made one batch of gluten free cookies so far, this not being one of them. (Lemon shortbread cookies!)

3. I don't need to spend money on baking supplies to make more cookies or buy some GF ones already made. 

So. Sad face. :( 

Someone want to send me some as a present in the mail? :)

In other news, I got my list of residents for my hall (I'm an RA this year at school, remember?)! There are so many. I planned on having like, 30, but I have 41! Geez. But I'm excited! That means I have to buy more supplies for decorating... 

I more back to school in about 2 weeks for training, so it's a short summer this year. That means I need to get packing and buying all the stuff I need to go back to school! Lots of money being spent.. which means I need to stop wasting my money on food and clothing like I have been doing. Oops! 

Okay...recipe time!

Coconut Kissed Peanut Butter Banana Cookies

Based on Isa Chandra Moskovitz's Peanut Butter Crisscross Cookies

Makes about 2 dozen cookies

1/2 c. Earth Balance Coconut Spread

1/2 c. smooth peanut butter (use the no-stir kind if possible. I used Trader Joe's PB with flaxseeds!)

1/3 c. mashed banana (about 1 medium banana)

3/4 c. evaporated cane juice

1 t. vanilla

1 1/2 T. molasses

2/3 c. unbleached all purpose flour

1 1/3 c. whole wheat flour

2 T. cornstarch

1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with baking spray or line with foil or parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, mix coconut spread, peanut butter, and sugar until smooth. This will take about 2 minutes in a high speed mixer.

3. Add mashed banana, vanilla, and molasses and mix until combined.

4. In a small bowl, mix flours, cornstarch, salt,  and baking powder. Add to wet ingredients and mix until just combined.

5. Scoop 1 T. size balls on to cookie sheet. Using a fork, press down on top of the cookies in opposite directions to form a crisscross shape. Sprinkle with more evaporated cane juice and bake for approximately 12-15 minutes, until the bottoms are a dark golden brown.

Much love,

S'mores Cookies!

Last week, my good friend Elizabeth had a bonfire at her house. 

Let me start by saying just how much I love bonfires. There is something about sitting around a fire, keeping warm, and looking at the stars. Watching the sparks fly and ash fall. Watching the smoke rise to the sky. Chatting with friends. Maybe even cuddling with your significant other. 

Whenever I'm at a bonfire, I always want smores. It's tradition, right? I mean, what a fire without roasting some marshmallows?

Needless to say, vegans can't eat marshmallows. Although Dandies vegan marshmallows are delicious, I wanted to make something to take that everyone at the bonfire would enjoy and not be skeptical about. 

That's when these were invented!

First, I made a batch of Isa Chandra Moskovitz's graham crackers (pictured above). So delicious. Then I spread vanilla icing all over the top (you could substitute this for Ricemallow creme! Icing was all I had.) and drizzled each one with melted dark chocolate. 

Oh. my. goodness. 

These cookies were utterly DELICIOUS, and others at the bonfire agreed as well. And they had no idea they were vegan!

Sorry I don't have exact measurements. It's really however much you want to put on top. Do what your little heart desires.

S'mores Cookies
You'll need:
1 recipe Isa Chandra's Graham Crackers
Vegan vanilla frosting, or Ricemallow Creme
Melted dark chocolate

Directions:
To assemble, just spread each cracker with icing and drizzle with melted chocolate.
Enjoy!

Much love,