Vegan in Sacramento, Farm Sanctuary's Walk for Farm Animals, & Austin bound!

Please head over to my new blog at TheUrbanHousewife.com, where you'll find this post & more!

A few weeks ago I found myself in Sacramento, once again informing people about circus cruelty, & took the chance to check out some local vegan dining options!

An inexpensive & tasty option is Mati's Indian Express in Natomas. Mati's has a great selection of vegan options that are clearly marked, including the elusive vegan Naan! I opted to share two combo platters with friends, which contain your any choice of two items with rice & naan, for only $5. We had the Channa Masala, Mix Veggie Curry, Aloo Gobhi, & Eggplant Curry, which all hit the spot. While it's not the most epic Indian food I've had, I would totally grab a bite here again if I was in the area.

After hearing about Sunflower Natural Restaurant, the vegetarian drive in that's been around since 1978, I had to check it out. People warned me it was far off the beaten path in Fair Oaks, but I ignored them & pressed on. With the very awesome Honor by my side, we rolled up to this little stand & ordered the classic Nutburger. Dang, not bad! A flavorful patty in a whole wheat bun smothered in creamy sauce with lots of veggies is likely not what you would expect from a natural foods joint, but it is certainly what I got! In addition to the tasty food, there's chickens hanging out while you eat! Apparently, they live in the neighborhood & come over to eat people's scraps. After my meal, I headed over to the park where they hang out & even made a friend when I saw kids harrassing a little chicken & brought her back to hang with her chicken homies. Too cute!

It was a sweltering 105 when I was in Sacramento, so I was thrilled to find Here's The Scoop! has a fair amount of vegan options. They serve up 4 flavors of Soy Cream by Double Rainbow, one of my favorite vegan ice creams out there, as well as soy bon bons & Gunther's Fruit Freezes. With Soy Cream being readily available in my area, I opted for a Fruit Freeze with Strawberry Banana & Orange flavors. Oh MAN, I could eat these everyday! Made from fruit juice, they totally quench your thirst & quell your ice cream cravings at the same time. I hope I get a chance to have them again soon!

While there are a fair amount of vegan options in Sacramento, I was happy with what I opted for & would recommend these places to others!

The Farm Sanctuary Walk for Farm Animals is coming to a town near you! This event is a great way to raise money for the animals, but it's also an opportunity to inform the public about animal cruelty. San Francisco's Walk is on October 24th, which I'll sadly be out of town for, but Megan & Kelly from The Sisters Vegan will be there walking & Sugar Beat Sweets has donated a prize, so I I suppose I'll be there in spirit. Participants get a rad shirt, designed by Herbivore Clothing! If you can't walk, consider making a donation to someone walking! (maybe Megan & Kelly?!)

I'll be in Austin in ONE WEEK! I'm excited to check out the local vegan scene, nervous it's going to be hotter than Hades, & ready to stuff myself silly! Crystal & Chris from Vegan Explosion are kind enough to be putting me up & we'll be having a potluck, so PLEASE get in touch if you want to meet up!

Dining on the run; Frozen Yogurt, Circus Demos, Donuts, & a Potluck!

Please head over to my new blog at TheUrbanHousewife.com, where you'll find this post & more!

Life has been busy lately & it seems like I've been everywhere but home! Last week, I headed down to Palo Alto to have a meetup at Fraiche, home of my favorite vegan frozen yogurt. It was a small group of Ladybros, but the attendees included Megan from Say It's Not Soy, Jordan from Too Vegan to Function, Erika from Strange & Violent Creations, & Jennifer who may be the only vegan on earth without a blog! You may also recognize Jordan & Erika from their podcast The Cosmopolitan Hour! I can be heard babbling on Episode 21 & a few other episodes, so you should listen in! Back to the frozen yogurt, did I mention I'm obsessed? It's plain & tangy yogurt topped in your choice of toppings. I went with Mango & Apricot this time & was saddened to find out they've discontinued Pineapple, my topping of choice. Rumor has it, San Francisco gets a Fraiche location a mere 6 blocks from my house in 2 weeks. Oh man, I'm in trouble! Delicious, delicious trouble.

Recently, I've been down in San Jose with Citizens for Cruelty-Free Entertainment to pass out fliers to circus-goers to let them know Ringling Circus abuses their animals & animals should not be used for entertainment. It's always an interesting time, as reactions vary wildly, but ultimately if you change the minds of a few people, it is completely worthwhile. If you're in the Sacramento area, Born Free USA will be at the Arco Arena leafleting Thursday, August 27th through Sunday, August 30th & volunteers are always welcome. I'm going to try to make it out there Friday & Saturday. Not in the area? Born Free USA has circus & other animal related literature to hand out in your own area.

While in the South Bay, I had the chance to check out Psycho Donuts in Campbell & bring back some donuts for the circus volunteers. While I'm not the biggest fan of their shtick (mental illness isn't funny), I AM a big fan of their "We Been Vegan" donut. A donut covered in Cinnamon & Sugar may not sound like much with all their other over-the-top offerings, but this old fashioned cake donut was fluffy & moist with just the right amount of sweetness & spice from the coating. There's rumor of the vegan options expanding & I hope that's the case!

Over the weekend, I went to a housewarming party for two of my favorite gals, Meg & Kelly from The Sisters Vegan. It was a potluck, of course, & the theme was Middle School Foods. I made some Coconut Cake Balls, which didn't quite fit the theme, but I also made mini Bagel Pizzas, ala Bagel Bites! I took the highbrow route & made them Garlic & Heirloom Tomato with a blend of Italian & Cheddar Daiya Cheese. I have to say, they were pretty darn good & I wouldn't turn down another chance to eat them! The potluck spread was pretty tasty, Erin from Vegan Homemade made an awesome Potato Salad & there was everything from TWO types of Corn Dogs to Peanut Butter Cups, Cookies, & Box-style frosted Brownies. Do I even need to say we were stuffed?!

On a final note, did anyone else celebrate National Waffle Day yesterday? We had vegan Cheddar & Green Chile Waffles with Roasted Brussels Sprouts last night & I had hoped to bring you a recipe today, but those little buggers wouldn't stop sticking! They were tasty though! I think my waffle iron may be on its way out, so I may get a new one & try them again, so I can share the wealth!