WIAW: 24 Hour Bug

I'm joining the WIAW party again over at Jenn's!

Yesterday something came over me. I had horrible stomach and intestinal issues for the last part of the day. It was quite concerning, actually. Anyway, I woke up with similar feelings and decided to keep my meals a little toned down at first. By the end of the day, I felt fine! I don't know what it was, but after I ate lunch, the storm cleared and I had no more problems. Weird? Has anyone else had something like this? 

Ok, so here are my eats: 

Breakfast: 7:45 am

Like I said, I wasn't feeling great so I decided to keep it light and easily digestible  Oatmeal, banana and berries! Wowza! This ended up tasting so good! Simple combinations continue to surprise me! I put all of the fruit on the oatmeal and mixed it up. Oh and I added the smallest bit of Pumpkin Pie Spice to my oats. They were made with water as well. Maybe I should join the rest of the health bloggers out there and get back on the oatmeal train. (The bananas on campus have been really weird lately. They have a greenish hue and don't ever ripen to a yellow color. It's weird.)

Lunch: 10:15

Back from classes, I was pretty hungry. I wasn't sure what my stomach would handle but I decided to just go for it and eat something satisfying. A meal similar to breakfast sounded so good because I wanted something with a lot of water since for some reason I couldn't stomach drinking a gulp of water. 

I had a huge bowl of oatmeal, an even bigger bowl of berries (which by the way were to die for! Why are there such good berries here when it's winter?), a banana, and two huge spoonfuls of almond butter. I was worried the almond butter would be hard to digest (fats are more complicated to breakdown) but I decided I needed something more substantial then carbs and fruit (plus those extra few hundred calories). 

Dinner: 5:00

Yeah, it was quite a big gap from lunch to dinner. It was just one of those days. Luckily, I didn't get hungry until about 4:30. It was a miracle lunch- it healed my stomach/intestines and it held me over for nearly 7 hours! JEEZ!  So dinner was a lovely salad that contained spinach, corn, green beans, mushrooms, banana peppers, and lots of chickpeas. I also tried this black bean dip which was made of black beans and sweet potatoes! How interesting! I would have never thought of putting sweet potatoes in black bean dip. I also had a banana and a big ol' scoop of almond butter (unpictured). 

Kind of a boring and repetitive food day, but you gotta give your body what it wants! I think its funny that I had a banana with every meal :) Has anyone else ever done that?

Have an awesome Wednesday!

Crock-Pot Ratatouille

I debated whether to call this "Crock-Pot Ratatouille" or "Mediterranean Crock-Pot Vegetables". Technically, Ratatouille is a french baked vegetable dish that usually contains tomatoes, garlic, onion, zucchini, eggplant, bell peppers, basil,and thyme.

Since I changed the ingredients up a bit, I hesitated to call it a version of the traditional French dish. But, to tell you the truth, "Crock-Pot Ratatouille" just sounded so much better to me!

Ok, so this was a dish I made to keep on hand during the week. Crock-Pot meals are awesome to keep in the fridge as a side, snack or main meal. [Hint: You will be seeing a lot more Crock-Pot meals around here ;)]

The flavors work really well together, you don't have to have/measure exact quantities, and prep is easy as 1-2-3!

Crock-Pot Ratatouille
Serves 4-6 (as a side)
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 3 1/2 hours on high
Ingredients
2 Medium Zucchini (Cut into 1/4" thick half moons)
1 Medium White Onion (Largely diced)
2 Cups of Halved Cherry Tomatoes
1 Red Bell Pepper (Cut into 1"x1" pieces)
1 Yellow Bell Pepper (Cut into 1"x1" pieces)
1/3 Cup Pitted Kalamata Olives (Cut in half-lenghwise)
1 Tsp. Dried Thyme (heaping)
3/4 Tsp. Dried Garlic Powder*
Salt to taste

Directions
Layer onions, bell pepper, zucchini, tomatoes, olives, spices into the Crock-Pot (in that order). Turn on high and cook for 3 1/2 hours. Feel free to stir once everything starts to cook down. 

The natural juices from the vegetable creates a little bit of broth- there is no need to add water to help start the cooking.
*Feel free to use fresh garlic. I used dried because that is what I had on hand.

Enjoy!

Having an Off Day

My system is off again. Off in the sense of "off of its schedule". 

This happens to me quite frequently. Once a week? Wow, typing it makes it seem like a lot. 

I think it's a mixture of the fact that I'm still figuring out how much, when, and what my body needs. Plus the fact that life gets busy, and when each day is different and crazy, it can be hard to plan. 

Can anyone else relate?

I was reading this post (specifically the last paragraph) and I was reminded [for the millionth time!] why it is so important to listen to my body. Today and yesterday I wasn't really listening and therefore felt like I was having trouble finding what my body was saying to me. Rereading [<<Procrastinating >:) on my studying] Paige's posts it reminded me how important it is that I go back to listening to what I need now matter what that entails (a light dinner? a bigger breakfast?). 

I've heard of a few great books lately that I want to start reading that might help me to understand a little more about this topic. When I get my hands on them, I'll let you all know how they are :)

[I love <3 Mutts :)]

Recipe Test: Quinoa Pie Crust

Pie crust. Is delicious.  A good pie crust is an art to make. It is also usually made up of butter (or lard), refined flour, and a little sugar. Not the healthiest vehicle for the delicious filling inside! But it tastes lovely, kind of like a cookie.

Usually there are two options when making a crust:

1. Cookie Crust

            Cookies crumbled with extra added oil and sugar. 

2. Traditional Dough Crust

            Refined flour and butter (or lard)

Upon stumbling across this recipe, I was intrigued that maybe pie crust could be revolutionized. 

The ratio of oil to flour for this recipe is less than many cookies or cakes. Plus, its grain free, high in protein, sugar free (if you so desire), and anything else? 

When baked, it produces a crumbly and tender crust that is sturdy enough for a filling yet tender like a cookie. I was so excited! My mind started zooming off to the possibilities. 

So grab your quinoa flour and run to the kitchen!

Quinoa Pie Crust

Adapted from 84thand3rd

Makes 1 personal crust

Prep time: 7 minutes

Bake time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

Dry

   1/4 C. Quinoa Flour (Make your own)

   1/8 Tsp. Baking Soda

   Tiny Pinch of Salt
   Sweetener*

Wet

   1 Tbs. Coconut Oil

   2 Tsp. Water

   1/2 Tsp. Vanilla Extract

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Farenheit. 

2. Mix dry ingredients. Add the coconut oil to the middle of the flour mixture and pour the  water and vanilla over the coconut oil. 

3. "Chop" the coconut oil into the flour until its combined. The dough should be crumbly.

4. Pour the dough into a pan. (I didn't need to grease my pan at all, but feel free to.)

5. Press into desired form. 

6. Bake until edges and center has turned slightly golden (about 10 minutes).

*I was fine with no sweetener. If you prefer sweeter desserts, feel free to add up to a half a Tbs. of dry sweetener. I haven't tested this and cannot vouch for the results. 

Let cool, fill and enjoy! 

<<This is what the dough should look like after mixing.

I used a mini tart pan and created a nice thick crust. I prefer a thicker crust, but if you prefer a thinner one, feel free to use two tart pans!

Enjoy!

Wiaw: Unusual Appetite

Talk about an unusual appetite today! I just wasn't thrilled to eat- very unlike me! Of course I ate anyways.

If you are unfamiliar with What I Ate Wednesdays, it is the awesome creation of Jenn from Peas and Crayons. Check out her website to read more about it. 

So here are my eats for today!

Breakfast 7:45

I wanted to start of with something light and just listen to my body: A small bowl of berries and a small handful of almonds. Normally, this small breakfast wouldn't hold me through two classes. But it did! Shows you how off my system was.

Look at this baby raspberry! It's adorable :)

Lunch 10:15

I call this lunch, but I actually ate this at 10:15. I had these awesome crock pot veggies I made. So good! I'll hopefully post the recipe soon.  I also had some cooked white beans. I couldn't decide if I wanted chipotle salsa or this awesome dehydrated seasoning I have. So I split it! 1/2 the beans had salsa, 1/2 had seasoning. Lastly I had the smallest bit of sweet potato.

Snack/Dessert 11:30

After lunch, I had to try  eat the pie my mom sent me. She is famous for her sour cherry pies and she made one that I could eat! This has to be one of my favorite pies and I haven't had a slice in over 3 years! So when she called me up and asked what she could put in the pie that I would eat, I was overjoyed! The crust is made of Earth Balance, whole wheat flour, and cardamom. The filling is made of our home picked sour cherries, Madhava coconut sugar and Erythritol [<< My request to lesson the sugar content. It turned out great!], and cornstarch.  It was so good!  I had two slices- yes that equaled 1/4 of the pie.

Snack II 4:15

Just a little tidbit to put some food in me since it had been awhile since I last ate. I had more of the Crockpot veggies with some beans and a few quartered artichoke hearts. The combination was great! [You can't really see the beans, but I swear they're there.]

Dinner 6:00

Like I said, my "no appetite" was really hitting it's stride here. I decided an apple was calling my name. I figured a light dinner meant that I would be able to give my system a rest and hopefully have an appetite back for tomorrow. 

I didn't take a picture because I didn't have my camera, but this is a pretty accurate representation. 

Hope you all had a great Wednesday!

New Goal: Don't Forget to Stretch!

My physical activity has gone down the last week- less than I'd like to admit.  Although, this little hiatus excites me to get back on my regular schedule this week. One thing I have realized is the importance of stretching. During my regular workouts, I try to dedicate at least 10 minutes of stretching. Honestly, I view stretching as extremely important. Of course with the obvious flexibility advantage, there is also the benefit of improved circulation, reducing stress (in the muscles which can help lead to overall reduced stress), and so much more. 

Ok, so on to my new goal. 

15 minutes of stretching before bed. 

No matter what my physical activity of the day, this is a small thing I can do to help my muscles. I think it will help me settle down at night and prepare for bed. Increased flexibility and improved circulation can't hurt either!

Pumpkin Berry Breakfast Bowl

Yes, yes. I know. Christmas was just under a month ago. Thanksgiving, two months. But I am one of those people who, once they find a breakfast, will eat it for months on end. Last year, my favorite breakfast was berries topped with raw oats and almond butter. So good! Before that, it was a banana and peanut butter. A couple years ago I ate a bowl of oatmeal made with just oats and water. (Yeah, that was kind of crazy. How boring is that? But I guess the simple things can be the best!) Before that I used to eat a banana mashed with milk and leftover plain rice with cinnamon. The reason I can remember all of these is because I literally ate them for months on end. Yes, I know switching up your diet is important, but I like morning routines. Also, it is awesome when you are all excited for the next days breakfast because it's awesome :)

Ok, so my current breakfast fave is Pumpkin Berry Breakfast Bowl. 

Yeah, I know. Doesn't photograph the best. 

Here's what I like about this breakfast:

• Lots of water to start your day off hydrated and to fill you up
• Healthy fats
• Whole grains
• Protein
• Get 2 servings of fruits out of the way (Pumpkin is technically a fruit!)
• No added sugar
• It is made the night before
• Easy peasy!

Awesome right?

There really isn't a recipe to make this. Its one of those guestimate, no fuss things. But I'll tell you how I make it, and then you can play around with it on your own. 

Pumpkin Berry Bowl

1 heaping C. of your favorite berries

1/3 C. Pureed Pumpkin (I use store bought)

1/4 Package of Mori-Nu Tofu (Firm or extra firm)

1/4 C. Oats

2 Tbs. Pecans, chopped

1/4 Tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice

3/4 C. Non-dairy Milk

Directions: Mash pumpkin and tofu as best you can. (if you prefer to have a smooth as possible, feel free to blend it. I don't think it's worth it to dirty another dish so I just mash with a fork.) Add milk and oats and continue to mash until as smooth as you like. Mix in pumpkin pie spice. Refrigerate overnight so the oats absorb some of the liquid and the mixture's flavors meld. In the morning, top with chopped pecans and berries!

Enjoy!

Beans and Salsa Lunch

Mmmm. I found a new combination. I had it yesterday for lunch and again today. 

Here was lunch:

About a cup of beans with salsa on top, 1/2 a grapefruit, and a big ol' spoonful of Pili Nut Butter

My mom got the nut butter for me at a chocolate trade show in Chicago. The pili nut is from South America-that's all I know about it. Anyway this nut butter is super super delicious! I don't know why it took me so long to open the jar and just give it a try. I didn't think that I wouldn't like it... I just never opened it. Anyway, super glad I tried it and super sad that the jar is so small ;) 

(You might ask why there are white blobs in the nut butter. That is fat that for some reason hardened... I think it was outside in the cold for a bit and the freezing temperature changed the texture of some of the fats- but I really have no clue. It still tastes awesome and provides a cool texture.)

After I ate that, I wanted something a little more munchy. 

I popped up some plain popcorn and had the rest of some gluten free crackers called Skinny Crisps. 

Overall, very delicious lunch! It filled me up quite nicely and it hit all the major food groups. 

Cheesecake Cookies

If you're ever in St. Louis, swing by PuraVegan. It's a great raw cafe focused on healthy eating. 

On my first trip there, a member of my party decided to end our meal with a little cheesecake tasting. After he took his first bite, his eyes lit up. Ok, I decided to try give it a try. 

Wow. All I could say was wow! It tasted wonderful! Definitely the best raw cheesecake I've ever tasted. Until I could return, I decided I would try and recreate it. 

Unfortunately, the first try wasn't extremely successful [hopefully I'll try again soon and get a recipe to post]. It tasted fine, but not something that I would eagerly eat more than a bite. So I decided to turn the unsuccessful attempt into another experiment. 

Since raw cheesecake tends to involve a higher fat content (due to cashews and coconut oil), I decided it would make a good cookie base. A little of this, a little of that, and bam! Some awesome gluten free and vegan cookies! They taste sort of like a sugar cookie but with more depth of flavor. 

Cheesecake Cookies

Makes about 8 3'' cookies.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Bake time: ~12-16 minutes

Ingredients:

Wet

   1/4 C. Raw Cheesecake*

   2 Tbs. Applesauce

   1 Tbs. Non-dairy Milk

Dry 

   1/2 C. Oats ground into flour (gluten free if you'd like)

   1/4 C. Garbanzo Bean Flour

   1/2 Tsp. Baking Soda

   *Tiny* pinch of salt

Optional: about 1/3 c. Erythritol (or any other dry sweetener to roll the dough in)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and line a cookie dough sheet with parchment.

2. Mix the wet ingredients thoroughly.

3. Mix the dry ingredients thoroughly.

4. Add dry to the wet and mix until combined. Do not over mix. The dough will seem a little wet.

5.  Put the Erythritol in a small dish. Using a tablespoon, scoop some dough and plop it on the erythritol. Shake the dish until the cookie dough ball is completely coated in sugar. It should form a complete smooth round shape. 

6. Place on the cookie sheet and repeat step 5 with the rest of the dough. 

7. Baking time will vary depending on the size of your cookies. Anywhere from 12-16 minutes will produce a soft yet chewy cookie. More importantly, the cookie will still look quite doughy when its done baking. Look for a light brown around the very edge of the cookie for indication when it is done baking. 

              

*As mentioned above, I used a homemade raw cheesecake. The cheesecake was lightly sweetened and had a strong vanilla flavor. Therefore the cookies required no extra sweetener or vanilla. If you prefer an extra sweet cookie, feel free to experiment with adding different sweeteners.  If you don't have any raw cheesecake lying around, you can try mixing 1 Tbs. of Coconut oil, 2 Tbs. of soaked and blended cashews or 2 Tbs. of Cashew Butter, 1 Tbs. of mashed banana, and vanilla. I haven't tested this method yet. 

Enjoy!

Snack: Peanut Butter Banana

Snack today!

It was so good to eat it while sipping on hot tea. 

Yesterday while planning my snacks for today, I decided it was time to pull out an old favorite. Peanut butter and banana. I filled a 1/3 c. container with some raisins and topped them with peanut butter. Perfect for on the go!

A Salad by Surprise

One night on vacation we decided to just drive around and find a restaurant. (Compared to my usual extensive research prior to dining at a new place.)

We happened upon a restaurant that sounded promising. I wasn't particularly hungry, and so I was fine letting the family choose a restaurant. Worse comes to worst, I thought that if we ended up at a not vegan friendly joint, I could just end up ordering a bowl of lettuce. 

I'll spare you the details of the next 25 minutes, but in the end the waiter, after hearing my dietary constraints, recommended their "famous" house made salad with avocado substituted for salmon. 

1 hour and a clean plate later I determined that that was the best salad I had ever ordered at a restaurant. So many flavors and textures! For the rest of the trip, I had a hankering to go back and order another.

Back at home I decided one of my first acts would be to recreate this salad. Lucky for you all, I was successful :) and now you all can enjoy a great salad. 

Sometimes salads get boring. Its easy to forget that different things can be incorporated for a completely new salad experience. So, break out of your salad rut and get choppin'!

This Super Protein Salad has protein from 3 sources (quinoa, pumpkin seeds, and black beans)! It is also colorful- and you know what they say: Eat the rainbow!

Super Protein Salad

Serves 4 as a side dish

           2 as an entree

Prep time: 15 minutes

Salad

4 C. of Arugula*
1 C. Cooked Quinoa
1 C. Cooked Black Beans
1 C. Quartered Cherry Tomatoes
1/2 C. Raw Hulled Pumpkin Seeds (also known as Pepitas)
1/2 C. Freeze Dried Corn Kernels
1/4 C. Dried Cranberries** (optional)
1/2 Diced Avocado (optional)

Dressing
Juice of 2 lemons
1/4 Tsp. Salt
Fresh cracked black pepper
2 Tbs. Olive Oil

Directions:
1. Assemble salad
2. Prepare dressing on the side. Pour over salad immediately before serving.


*Mixed field greens can be substituted for those who don't like the taste of Arugula. Personally, I never liked arugula before eating this salad. The flavors complement each other so well, that my mind was completeley changed about arugula and I truly enjoyed it. 
**I did not include these in my salad because they don't provide any nutritional benefit. They do add a nice sweet bite every once in awhile if you would like to add them. 

Enjoy!!

Freeze Dried Corn: A Delicious Snack

Today I discovered this wonderful snack: 

I actually bought it to try in a salad recipe (coming soon!). 

But of course, I had to try a few kernels straight out of the bag before putting them in my salad.

Wow! They blew me away! Such a strong corn flavor in a crunchy little package. Extremely sweet too! Plus a serving is quite large, and since it is still a vegetable it has all of the wonderful benefits vegetables have. 

Definitely this is a winner and I will be purchasing more bags to keep on hand for snacks. 

Cookies for the Family

I love baking for the family! Especially when it's something they end up loving :)

This recipe is my go to chocolate chip cookie recipe. The main ingredients are oil, white [vegan ;)] sugar, flour, and lots of chocolate chips. Not healthy at all! It was my favorite recipe a few years ago when I was trying to gain weight and didn't care about wholesome and healthy ingredients. I can attest to how good they are!

They are my brother's favorite, and my little sister adores them too :)

   It says "sad cookies" because the parchment folded over some of the 
cookies after I put them in the oven. When the cookies baked up, 
they hit the parchment and created a weird looking top.
 They are still just as tasty though!

Usually I use chocolate chips when I bake these. We had none on hand this time. Instead, I chopped up some Scwarffen Berger which is my favorite brand of chocolate to use when baking.

They came out so much better! Chopping up chocolate creates different size pieces. Little shavings disperse throughout the batter while the bigger chunks create gooey, chocolaty pockets. From now on I will always used chopped chocolate!

Recipe Test: Banana Chocolate Chunk Almond Butter Cookies

Banana Chocolate Chunk Almond Butter Cookies. What a mouthful! Literally too :) 
Wow! These came out quite delicious.
I stumbled across the recipe a few months ago. Of course my Costco sized bag of milled flax seed was at home, so I had to wait until my next visit to test this recipe out. 

I loved the ingredients list at first sight. Flax, banana, almond butter? Sounds like the perfect cookie!

The banana adds the perfect sweetness, the flax creates a chewy inside yet crisp outside, and the almond butter helps create the nice "doughy" texture. I added unsweetened chocolate chunks to my cookies, but that is the type I like in my cookies. Feel free to use your favorite chocolate in yours!

Adapted from this recipe by the lovely Cassie. 

I divided the recipe by 3 because that's a lot of cookies for me to keep on hand. This is my adaption, but feel free to use her recipe for a larger quantity. 

Banana Chocolate Chunk Almond Butter Cookies
Makes 6 cookies
Prep time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
1 Medium-large Super-Ripe Banana*
2 Tbsp. Almond Butter (generous tbsp.)
3/4 C. Milled Flax Seed
1/4 Tsp. Baking Soda
1/4 C. Chocolate**
A pinch of salt

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
2. Roughly slice the banana and slightly mash. Add the almond butter and continue to mash until there is a smooth batter.
3. Separately, mix the flax seed, baking soda, and salt. 
4. Add the banana mixture to the dry ingredients and mix. Add in your chocolate.
5. The dough will be rather sticky, but dollop the dough on the cookie sheet and press into a round form. (It helps to wet your fingers slightly.)
6. Bake until the outside is golden brown (about 15 minutes).

* I like eating desserts that are not very sweet. If you like a sweeter dessert, feel free to experiment with adding a packet or two of sweetener or maybe a tbsp. of dry sweetener. I have not tested either of these adaptions so I can not vouch for the results.
** Like I mentioned above, I used unsweetened chocolate. Feel free to try your favorite baking chocolate, chips or chopped is fine. 

I ate four a few ;) cookies while baking my family their favorite cookie recipe. Their favorite recipe isn't the healthiest but it is very delicious. I enjoyed my cookies while they enjoyed theirs! Its lovely when everyone gets to enjoy a treat together!

Enjoy  without one ounce of guilt! 

Vacation Indulgences

   Taking time off of a daily routine is needed. Put bluntly, everyone needs a vacation every once and awhile. This can also mean putting yourself in a different environment which is challenging for anyone now forced to create some type of a temporary new routine. If you are someone who tries hard to balance healthy living and eating at home, this can be difficult in a new place.

Vegan Soft-Serve from Tsoynami

   I'm here to say that it's ok if things get out     of whack for a week or two. Its expected that a new place will bring new opportunities and a new routine. Vacation is all about relaxing and recharging. If you stress too much about how you are abandoning the "healthy living ship", you might end up in a worse place when you return home. The absolute worst thing you can do is return home and put your self on lock down by punishing yourself for the choices you made on vacation.

Vanilla Cupcake from WF and Fabe's Carrot Cake

   

  
 Instead, embrace the opportunity to have a little freedom. In the end, you might be reminded why you choose to lead a healthy lifestyle the other 350+ days of the year and will end up returning home ready and energized.

   It is necessary to take a break once and awhile and reflect upon what you have accomplished and where that has led. Often times it is easy to get stuck in a rut, and a complete shift in routine can help you get out. Like I said earlier, you may end up coming back more enthusiastic about the healthy choices you can make. 

  Now I'm not saying that you should throw all self control out the window, make yourself sick, feel horrible about yourself, or combination of those. Use common sense here. You can have your cake and eat it too. If it helps, maybe incorporate one thing that will make you feel like you have things under control. For example: for me it is drinking water. On a daily basis I drink a lot of water along with a diet high in fruits and veggies. On vacation, my fruit and veggie consumption goes way down and my carb, sugar, and salt intake goes way up. To compensate for this shift so I don't feel rundown and uncomfortable, I increase my water consumption. Drinking pure, clean water helps your body flush out that excess salt and any other fluids your body wants to retain. (Read more about it here.) This will help if you end up eating out at restaurants or are eating more packaged foods and less fresh produce during your vacation.
  But, it doesn't have to be water. Whatever will help you stabilize and adapt to the new temporary routine will help in an overall relaxing and recharging experience. So don't feel bad- have that lovely little cupcake, order the slightly more decadent meal. Its ok :)

Whole Foods Connoisseur and Scottsdale Review

Maybe I'll start at the end of my visit to Whole Foods: 
At the checkout, the cashier started some friendly conversation. He asked if we were from around there [nope], where we were from [Chicago area], and then, surprisingly, he was able to name off the Whole Foods that I typically shop at at home.

   What? I was shocked! Suburbia Chicago is not the most sought after travel spot. How did he know the area? Upon asking, he replied that he was a "Whole Foods Connoisseur" .  "Me too!" I eagerly replied.

 Not that I thought I was the only one who researched the nearest Whole Foods before traveling to a new city or high tailed it to one on the first day of vacation, but I had never actually met anyone else. Walking out of the store, I repeated the name "Whole Foods Connoisseur" to myself. It sure seemed like the perfect way to describe my "hobby". Yes, what an interesting day!

Okay, onto the review!












The Scottsdale store was built in 2008. The website boasts that the store has "50,000 square feet of foodie heaven". But yeah, upon walking up to the store, it definitely seemed that the website did it justice. Upon comparison to the three-floored behemoth in Kensington (London) or even the expansive one floored Whole Foods in Chicago, it was definitely not in that league. But, in comparison to the "regular" sized stores it was definitely much bigger.

Lincoln Park Whole Foods in Chicago

Coming from the Midwest, the Whole Foods out West definitely are fun to visit because they carry a wide range of products that are more localized to that region [yeah, I know, it makes sense]. But putting aside my special finds, [Kookie Karma! Hooray!] this Whole Foods had a lot to offer. Starting in the produce section, there was a large variety. The staples were there such as their beautiful refrigerated display of romaine, carrots, parsnips, broccoli, etc. They also had a number of unique items that weren't staples in other stores such as Buddha's hand fruit and a separate display for the many kinds of kale. 

Moving on to the bulk section:

The bulk section had such variety. Items like "Red Walnuts" or "Whole Dried Bananas" were new to me. There was also a plethora of sprouted items like beans, quinoa, and nuts. I'll spare you by not naming everything in the section and just say that they had a very, very impressing amount of food.

Bakery:

 This delighted me the most. I was not prepared to find so many vegan foods at this Whole Foods.

 Their case of vegan chocolates contained a whole row of vegan ones.

They had beautiful house-made vegan cupcakes and the most variety I've seen of out-of-house vegan packaged items (mainly from Cafe Indigo, Fabe's, and a few raw "bakeries").






These were actually the vegan cupcakes >>
They were right next to the ones above, the little sign was in front of the wrong ones. 
This was super delicious. The frosting was my favorite and the raspberries were an excellent touch.

For non-vegans, they had a Pie Bar [for lack of a better name] where you could a slice of pie like you would order a slice of pizza. Overall they had a nice variety of gluten-free, no-sugar, vegan, raw, and regular baked goods to satisfy most any dietary requirements.

There was also a wide and unique variety of in-house and out-of-house made breads.

Prepared:

They had a nice array of prepared foods. The nicest thing, which I have only seen in the Whole Foods out west, is that on top of the ingredients label there is a colorful tab with "Vegetarian" or "Vegan". This makes scanning the cases and trays of food so much easier! In their hot and cold foods bar there was a decent amount to choose from. You could definitely put together a nice dinner from there, although it wasn't overwhelming or the biggest I've seen. The deli-like cases of prepared foods contained many holiday and seasonal staples that were unique and special. 

Fun Tidbits:

• The location contained a Burger Grill Bar that served gourmet grill food as you watched a sports game on the large flat screen located at the bar.
• The store contained a raw food aisle complete with a built in refrigerated shelving for the perishable foods. [<<This section really amazed me.] It even contained a whole shelving unit full of different sprouted flours!
• The beauty section contained a vast array of products. More all-natural makeup was available than the Chicago locations.
• The wine drinkers in my group were impressed with the selection available, they even found one of their favorite wines. 
• The amount of unique local made goods gave a nice local touch to the store. 

Lastly, for any meat/dairy eaters I'm sorry I don't have a review for the selection of the store. It is outside my range of familiarity. The cheese selection did not seem as large as other stores I've seen, but the meat and seafood looked like there was a variety.

All comments written in this post are my own thoughts and records of what I experienced at the Scottsdale location on 12/30/12. They are not intended to damage or promote any brand.