Good evening, MoFoz. I am very excited to post about the 2011 vegan care package swap. Organized by the fabulous Lindsay of
Cook. Vegan. Lover., this is my third year participating, and the best year yet! (The last two years, neither of my blog partners posted my stuff... *sad face*) My partner this year was Sam of
Quantum Vegan - an awesome new favorite blog! After e-discussing some of our favorite types of vegan products we sent out our packages. I received mine on Thursday and have consumed over half of it already! Let's take a look:
Some Road's End Organics shells & "chreese" - fabulous stuff, it really grows on you. Near East lentil-rice pilaf (love this company). And two interesting Indian dishes: Delhi Saag (spinach & mustard greens with ginger and peppers) & Punjabi Chhole (spicy, tomatoey chickpeas, potatoes, & onions). I was looking forward to branching out and trying something new - and I love the convenience factor of all of these foods.
Goodies! Some oat & chocolate "Cowboy" cookies, two kinds of Mary's Gone Crackers crunchy treats (the curry "Sticks & Twigs" are pretty darn good!), two Primal Strips, a moist and lovely granola & cacao bar, and some little gluten free oatmeal cookies.
Sharing my love of tea was definitely the right move: Sam gave me some samples of delectable teas including coconut creme (tried this one today - BOMB), Mexican chocolate, and Irish breakfast. These are sitting in my desk at work, waiting to be assembled into the perfect afternoon pick-me-up. And a sample of chipotle cayenne Parma!, which I have yet to decide how I want to use... *muah ha*
Having craved some mac & cheese like WHOA lately, I first whipped up this boxed delight, adding some cheddar-style Daiya for good measure. This stuff is beyond fantastic. The spices in the sauce mix really add some complexity - a much deeper flavor than Amy's frozen entree. I want about 8 more of these bowls in my face. Now.
On my lazy Sunday I threw some rice in the cooker and heated up both of the Indian dishes - WOW. So fantastic. The punjabi chhole reminded me of chana masala, except it had more layers of flavor - simply superb. The greens were a nice complement and had a nice tart ginger flavor. I still have leftovers, woo.
All in all, this was an awesome exchange. Thank you so much, Sam, for your efforts and stellar picks! Hope you're enjoying your package. :)
And to those who haven't participated in a swap - I highly recommend it. If it's through Lindsay's yearly swap or something you come up with on your own, it's a great way to connect with other vegans and get to taste some local and interesting flavors from across the country (or globe!).
And I haven't forgotten about... an upcoming giveaway!
