So I'm realizing something...
After posting the chick factory thread and seeing the (predominantly) awesome replies, as well as links to other important vids, sites and articles, I got up this morning and couldn't buy anything non-vegan.
I've been vegan in the past, and I have been vegetarian since then. All in all, meat free since 2001. Wow, that's six years. Never the less, while I buy local, farm raised cruelty free milk and eggs, there's (duh) no way to know where restaurants and stores get their products from. Logic dictates they buy cheaply, not ethically.
I know, you guys are like, "wow, how dumb can this cutething chick get?"
It's to the point where the idea of buying animal products, even if I know where they're from and that the farms that produced them do not condone cruel practices. please don't flame me about how farms are cruel to begin with -- I respectfully disagree. I believe there is a cruel form of farming, but I've been on the traditionally farms, and chickens and cows who are raised on those farms, with plenty of room to run around and lots of grass to munch on are quite content with their lot in life -- those are the ones I buy from. They're local, and I can see the chickies and cows chilling out. Yeah, I pay a lot more money for products from these farms for a very good reason.
In any event, I'm seriously thinking of becoming strict vegan again. Absolutely no animal products when I'm buying food at a restaurant, and I really can't stomach the idea of buying eggs or dairy from the market anymore, despite the fact that I wouldn't and haven't supported factory farms.
Okay, but here's the point. All of that stuff was just lead up. Today, I'm at starbucks, and while I generally hate starbucks on principle, they have soy milk and vegan cookies and stuff.
Except their vegan cookies taste like crap. Super sweet, mushy crap. What the heck? If I'm paying $3 for a cookie, not only should it be vegan, but it should be the best cookie I've ever tasted.
That's my realization. Starbucks, no matter how vegan, still pretty much sucks. :(
i bet alot of smaller, non-franchisey coffee shops use soymilk too if you ask for it. they may even have some non-mushy crappy vegan cookies.
ha ha! I totally did not expect the way you ended that thread!
I've never had a starbucks cookie... didn't even realize they were vegan. good to know? if they're crap, then maybe not... thanks for the heads up!
mmMMmmm... a local coffee shop near me sells vegan cake and soy stuff.
i bet alot of smaller, non-franchisey coffee shops use soymilk too if you ask for it. they may even have some non-mushy crappy vegan cookies.
Oh yeah, they totally do. In north philadelphia, though, the only alternative to starbucks is dunkin donuts.
Also: Starbucks isn't making these cookies themselves -- sorry about that. They are reselling a vegan bakery's cookie product. I say cookie product, because I would be lying if I said "cookies."
:o How do you mess up vegan cookies? :-X Obviously whoever is making the cookies for starbucks isnt using vegweb ;)
This reminds me of a day, about seven years ago, when I barely knew what a vegan really is... my mother and I were wandering the centre of Sydney and we happened upon a small shop with a sign for vegan ice-cream. "Hmmm, interesting," we thought, so entered the shop and bought some chocolate and pear ice-(not)cream.
It... was..... vile!! :o :o :o I'm talking pasty and grey/brown and bland.
Now, in that case, and in the case of Starbucks - who's to know whether the bakers or ice-cream makers were non-vegans cooking for vegans, or whether they were vegans who didn't have a clue about how good food can be? Unfortunate, either way.
i hope all these nasty vegan foods aren't turning people off from veganism :'(
i hope all these nasty vegan foods aren't turning people off from veganism :'(
My thoughts entirely. We know it can be better than that! It's our job to educate clueless veg*ns and non-veg*ns alike. :D
What we need, here, is a group of Vegan Ninja Turtles who will go out and open hard-core vegan eateries and shops that produce edible food. Somebody needs to find a vegan millionaire to invest in Ashley Kimball's Baked Dreams...and a few others.
(Is Ninja-ism vegan? Suppose not. But you know what I mean. Crack vegan food-troops.) ;D
And just because I use the term Ninja Turtles, I don't expect y'all to live in the sewers...sewers are so not vegan.... ;)
What we need, here, is a group of Vegan Ninja Turtles who will go out and open hard-core vegan eateries and shops that produce edible food. Somebody needs to find a vegan millionaire to invest in Ashley Kimball's Baked Dreams...and a few others.
(Is Ninja-ism vegan? Suppose not. But you know what I mean. Crack vegan food-troops.) ;D
And just because I use the term Ninja Turtles, I don't expect y'all to live in the sewers...sewers are so not vegan.... ;)
Best. Post. Evar.
Seriously (ha!) though, what is the deal with premade vegan foods tasting like butt? The only place I've ever gotten really kick ass vegan food was from whole foods. Their bakery knows what's up. Nothing spells heaven like a vegan cookie from wf.
But to everyone else's point -- I *love* the recipes on vegweb. Even though I haven't been vegan for a while, the recipes are delicious, there's a friggin' rating system so you know what you're getting (or you're adventurous and want to try something untested), and most of the time, the stuff on here is easy as heck to make.
So, like, OBVIOUSLY being vegan and cooking vegan isn't hard. Nor is it difficult to enjoy vegan food -- when it's this delicious , who has to try? I think it's so cool how creative everyone is here in making really delicious food that's still vegan. The recipe that first comes to mind is the pumpkin muffins where the only liquid ingredient is a tin of pureed pumpkin, but there are tons more like that. Not only are these recipes simple and ingenious, they taste great.
Why then, dear god, why, are these businesses selling overpriced crap because there is no affordable vegan alternative? I think I answered my own question there. Which raises another: Why hasn't anyone made a mint providing pre-made affordable, delicious and vegan food?
I am doing my part to promote veganism. I bring baked goods into work. This morning it was Banana chocolate chip muffins, mini muffins and Banana mini loaves. nom nom nom. They were all snatched up and eaten before 10! hehe
Where do you work, and are you hiring?
Where do you work, and are you hiring?
'Fo real! I just happen to be looking for a new job.....and if one of the benefits is homemade vegan yum yums, consider my resume sent!
:D ;D
As far as chain coffee shops go, I love love love Pete's. They have tasty vegan goodies, too.
i HAVE gotten a cookie from pete's. it was ok.
my roomie brought me a vegan chocolate chip cookie from the wf bakery one day and i was totally disappointed! it wasn't browned at all, and it kinda tasted like half-cooked dough... but not in a good way. it totally made me rest assured that i wouldn't need to go to them for quality baked goods when i know the ones i make from this site are so much better.. seriousely, where are they finding their recipes?? blah!
my roomie brought me a vegan chocolate chip cookie from the wf bakery one day and i was totally disappointed! it wasn't browned at all, and it kinda tasted like half-cooked dough... but not in a good way. it totally made me rest assured that i wouldn't need to go to them for quality baked goods when i know the ones i make from this site are so much better.. seriousely, where are they finding their recipes?? blah!
Gross! You know, I just realized a lot of it is specifically which store you go to. Depending on the store and the region, each WF has a different head chef! There was one WF that had a "spring garden sandwich." It was a vegan sandwich with all kinds of good stuff, but you could only get it at that store, which happened to be on Spring Garden St.
Man, now I'm hungry for that sandwich. :/
So far, I REALLY like ABC cookies and WF brownies & cupcakes. The icing on their cupcakes is insane! I've thought about ordering a vegan cake from there before, but haven't yet. Maybe I will for the party I'm having in early Decemeber. I'm trying their chocolate moose today after lunch.
In any event, I'm seriously thinking of becoming strict vegan again. Absolutely no animal products when I'm buying food at a restaurant, and I really can't stomach the idea of buying eggs or dairy from the market anymore, despite the fact that I wouldn't and haven't supported factory farms.
Cutething, I can't comment on Starbucks...I think I've been there a whole of two times (a $4 soy latte? That's nuttiness!). Besides I don't drink coffee. I'm an herbal tea/water person.
I know this ultimately ended up being a coffee and cookies-related thread, but I did want to say that it makes me happy that you are even *thinking* about becoming a strict vegan again! That's wonderful!
i haven't seen their mousses or cupcakes, but mine carries a vegan parfait in their dessert case which is so delicious. they have a vanilla one with berries and a graham crumb layer and a chocolate one. i can only vouch for the vanilla but i heard the chocolate one is great, too.
i hope all these nasty vegan foods aren't turning people off from veganism :'(
No, you're just letting us new vegans know where not to shop!
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