DIY Vegan Holiday Gift Basket: Trader Joe's Edition

Can you tell I like Trader Joe's?

Every year, TJ's comes out with a bunch of mouth-watering holiday-themed treats.
However, many of those things are not vegan, which is both sad and rude.
But fear not!  There are still some delicious items in which we can partake.

If you wanna make a cute little vegan holiday gift basket, I have taken the guess-work out of what's vegan and what's not.

Ingredients:

 Oh, Candy Cane tea!  You make the holidays so much more enjoyable!

This stuff is great.  It's very minty with a delicious hint of vanilla, without the sweetness of course.

 

If you want a little caffeine, this tea is also yummy.

I actually drink this all year round.  I STOCK UP.

It's vegan, yo!  You can make hot chocolate or a thick chocolate beverage to sip on out of this, hence the name "sipping chocolate."

The cashier also told me he makes bomb milkshakes out of this, too.

Just add TJ's soy vanilla ice cream!

 

This is one big candy bar.

I haven't actually tried this, but another cashier told me it was really good.

Plus, the wrapper is pretty.

This special holiday-edition candy has dark chocolate, almonds, cranberries, and ginger.

 These are too addicting.  

If you like oreos, candy canes, or the mint/chocolate combo, don't even hesitate.

Just buy them already.

 

Ok, so when I first heard of  cookie butter, I was like OH MAN I NEED SOME OF THAT.

So, I went to 4 different TJ's trying to find it, like a mad woman.

But low and behold, it was sold out EVERYWHERE.

One employee told me that they only got 12 in a day and that there was a 2 jar limit per person.

This only fed my desire to get my hands on this stuff.

A couple months later, it appeared out of nowhere like magic!

I finally got it home and tried it...but I was not that impressed.

It was more gingery than I expected.

BUT this stuff, swirled with some cocoa is addicting!

It's better than Nutella!  I tried this on some pretzel thins and I couldn't stop stuffing my face with it.

So, proceed with caution.

If the person you're giving this gift to likes them some figs, you should get this.

It's very...figgy.  Which means it's delicious!

You can put it on toast or celery or basically anything you want to add a fig taste to...obviously.

And of course, to top it all off, you gotta add some Charles Shaw red.

They have a few options like Merlot and Carbanet Sauvignon, as well as others.

And you can't beat the price at $2.49 a pop! (ha ha, "pop!" get it?)

Just throw all these babies in a basket, slap on a bow, and BAM! 

You got yourself a super sexy, super easy, and pretty cheap vegan gift!

Happy holiday eating!

Foodie Friday: Trader Joe's Edition (vegan)

We like to eat.  It's one of our favorite things to do.  Also, we have to eat or we will die.

Trader Joe's is definitely a magical place for a vegan.
There are so many options available that we 0.5-percenters don't normally have at regular grocery stores. So--needless to say--grocery shopping has become exciting for me.

I have compiled a few of my favorite vegan items from Trader Joe's for ya'll; complete with (low-quality) pictures!!  (In my defense, I was uber paranoid that I would be kicked out of the store for taking pictures of the merch, so I was tryin' to be swift like a ninja.  I broke the law for you.  That's kind of romantic.)

DISCLAIMER: Just 'cause it's vegan, don't mean it's healthy! Vegans can still eat (most) sugar and bread products.  I try to eat the healthy stuff, but this list includes things that aren't so healthy.

Let's start with...

Fall Treats 

('cause they won't be here for long)

Unfortunately, there aren't too many vegan fall options.  A lot of the pumpkin-flavored things have milk or eggs in them.  
BUT this first item makes up for all that.  It is so delicious!  It's like autumn in your mouth.

Personally, I like to warm up a cup of this apple-cinnamon-spice flavored liquid goodness in the microwave.  It's perfect for that crisp fall morning.

 I love all things festive, so...you got me, Trader Joe's.  These are basically cute oreos.
They're vegan and look like pumpkins. Sign me up!

 **Be aware that this stuff has honey in it.

Snacky-Snacks

Here are just two things out of the plethora of vegan snacks that TJ's offers.

These babies are nacho cheese flavored. But alas!  They contain no dairy!

If you like saltiness and all things low-calorie, these are for you.

Food-Food 

 

I use this to make the most AMAZING pad thai.  

These almost taste like real chicken.  It kind of scares me.
 

CHEESELESS enchiladas.  'Nuff said. 

Eggrolls without the egg!  They have a really good flavor--it's kind of sweet on the inside.
One con: they get kind of soggy on the bottom.
They are good alone, but you can also pair them with...

It's very sweet, sorta spicy, and garlicy.

These are real good with hummus in a wrap.

Great on the grill.  I like to bring these to baseball games.
Makes me feel all American-like.

SO GOOD.

This pad thai is really yummy, but it basically only serves one person.

These are SO flavorful!  I eat them just by themselves with no bun or nothin'.

If you miss orange chicken, just buy these already.

Not the healthiest option, but these are super easy to take to work.
There are three flavors (peanut satay, kung pao, and pad thai), but I like this one the best.

This pizza has no cheese!  It does taste good, but the middle always stays cold/soggy for some reason.
**HOWEVER, this contains honey.

I could eat a whole bag of this for dinner, but you probably shouldn't do that.  
It has squash, zucchini, and sweet potato.  It also has a little kick to it.

Condiments

I like me some Vegannaise.  But that ish is expensive!  
I saw this by chance and upon reading the ingredients, I discovered that it is vegan!  

Yes, you can have cream cheese.  You can make cream cheese frostings, too.  
Let's take a moment to rejoice.  
Plus, the label makes me laugh...to myself...in a room full of strangers.

Every vegan has to have Earth Balance butter replacement. 

Sweet Thangs
  

 PROCEED WITH CAUTION.  These are highly addictive.

Great for making banana chocolate chip muffins!

Sweet, salty, and crunchy.

It's a giant candy bar. With almonds.

Cookie butter is the devil.  The sweet, sweet devil.  I like to put it on toast.
 

It just sounds super classy.  And hey, I get to drink hot chocolate!

I use this to make bomb milkshakes.
I like to blend it with espresso, peanut butter, bananas, almond milk, homemade caramel, you name it.
(Also available in cherry chocolate chip)

Heaven!  I'm not usually a fan of strawberry flavored things, but this ice cream is a winnah!
(Also available in chocolate)

My all. time. favorite. things to eat in the world, ever.  In terms of cookies, anyway.
Vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookies...without a weird texture or aftertaste!
PRAISE [insert deity of choice]!!!

Dranks

A lot of beers and wines are not vegan.  There are probably a lot at TJ's that are vegan, but these are the ones I personally like.  Check out Barnivore to see if your favorite alchy drinks are vegan-friendly.

Now, I don't really like beer.  But I will drink New Castle.
This is a CHEAP DUPE for New Castle!!!
It's got that very familiar taste.

And the good old (formerly-known-as) Two Buck Chuck.
They raised the price by .49 and I wasn't too happy about that.
But hey, it's still a steal.
**HOWEVER, only the RED one is vegan.  The white one and the white zinfandel ones are not!

That was a lot to take in.  I'm proud of you for truckin' through it.  I wish I could've shared everything that I love with you.  But wait!  I can!

Here is a list of all the vegan products available at a Trader Joe's near you!  

Happy cruelty-free snacking! 

do good. be good. feel good.