Blue Burrito Grille in the Salt Lake City airport, Utah

The first stop during our trip was to Blue Burrito Grille in the Salt Lake City airport. We needed a snack before our dinner time flight to Seattle so we dropped by the place that looked the most vegan-friendly. Blue Burrito Grille had no-lard refried beans, their guacamole was just avocado, and their veggies were sauteed in oil. So we got a veggie burrito to split with guacamole and lettuce which came with chips and salsa.

It was pretty basic and borderline tasteless, but decent for airport food. Plus the chips and salsa were tasty. In the end, I would give it a 2/5. Their food was decently healthy, decently tasty, and definitely convenient.

Cosplay Gallery

Remember that cosplay gallery I said I worked my butt off for? Well it's up! Check out where all my hard work went (and try not to giggle too hard): http://www.quartercirclepunch.net/pax-prime-2011-cosplay-gallery

Vida Vegan Con

Wishing we could have made it to Vida Vegan Con... From all the posts I am reading about it it looked fabulous—the food, the panels, everything. Maybe next year?

Professional Wedding Photo Teaser!

Today we got a link to an online album of our professional wedding and reception photo proofs! HOLY SHIT. They are so beautiful and amazing and AH! I love them. I feel sick with happiness every time I look at them. Sooo I just had to take a screenshot (cheater) and put it up. This one is one of my favorites. It looks like a painting!

Back From Seattle

So we have been back from Seattle for two days and I haven't posted anything about it! I am such a slacker. I have hardly posted at all in the last two weeks.

Anyway, here is a post about our trip. We got in to Seattle last Tuesday night and then hung around the city touristing Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. We visited the Fremont Troll, the Fremont Lenin statue, the Volunteer Park Conservatory, the Kubota Gardens, the Japanese Gardens in the Arboretum, and the Lake View Cemetery where Bruce and Brandon Lee are buried.

Friday PAX started and we spent all day and night playing video games, going to panels, doing interviews, meeting people, handing out business cards, and taking pictures. Well, Ben was the one doing all that stuff. I basically spent my days walking around requesting cosplayers to let me take their picture and getting pictures of the conference for Ben's website. I also went around collecting random "swag" (video-game related junk, or "Stuff We All Get") for Ben's upcoming PAX 2011 swag giveaway. At night I would head home and watch crap on tv (including Sex and the City, who knew it was actually fun to watch?!) while Ben bought people drinks until the wee hours of the morning.

Besides all that we ate at a TON of amazing vegan restaurants. We seriously probably spent 50% of our time eating. I haven't written any reviews yet, but just to wet your appetite: We went to Wayward Vegan Cafe, Araya's Place, Mighty O Doughnuts, Cyber-Dogs, Pizza Pi, Georgetown Liquor Company, Baguette Box, The Juicy Cafe, Bamboo Garden, Thrive Cafe, Flying Apron, and Side Car for Pigs Peace (not a restaurant, but still a vegan food activity). Reviews to come soon(ish), I PROMISE.

Aaaaand here are the photos of our adventures:

Seattle

Hello everyone! We are in Seattle and LOVING IT. We have been here for two and a half days and have already been to a TON of amazing restaurants. I can't wait to start blogging! Hopefully I can get some posts up over the next couple days before we come home on Sunday.

A Daily Occurrence

Iced wild sweet orange tea with agave and basil.

A Day on Deer Creek Reservoir

From left to right: My brother, me, Ben, and my sister hanging out in the shade.

Ben and my sister

Hanging out at the boat ramp

The lovely sailboat we went out on. We even got to help work the sails!

Setting sail

Ben with the boat

Getting ready for a swim

Veganism FTW

Three amazing articles have popped up on CNN in the last TWO DAYS about veganism. Seriously, check them out:

The 'Heart Attack Proof' Diet?

From Omnivore to Vegan: The Dietary Education of Bill Clinton

Asking the Right Questions About Healthcare

Swimsuit!

Just bought this swimsuit in black and white polka dots from Victoria Secret. This may seem like a stupid decision since it will be snowing in Utah in 2-3 months. Let me explain. First, I have been wanting this swimsuit for FOREVER and it was finally on sale. Second, Ben and I have a mysterious December vacation/honeymoon planned that I have not yet announced. Let me just say that I am SO amazingly excited for this undisclosed vacation but want to make sure we get our plane tickets before I start announcing it to the world. So, stay tuned.

Union Street Eats in Salt Lake City, Utah

FINALLY. Ben and I finally got over to to the Union Street Eats food cart in Salt Lake.

On Saturday, Ben and I headed up to the Salt Lake City Farmer's Market with some friends to walk around and get some tasters. Afterward, we headed over to Union Street Eats across the street to grab some yummy Mexican food. Union Street Eats is a new Mexican food cart run by local vegans Larayn and James. Besides being yummy, local, and all-vegan, 5% of all of their proceeds go to Ching Farm Rescue and Sanctuary!

Ben and I each got a taco plate and horchata. The taco plate consists of two tacos of your choice with chips and salsa. Since tacos are $3 each and the taco plate is $6 it's a pretty good deal. It was especially great because we were able to get one of every taco and have a better variety.

Larayn and James

Here are the four tacos they have:

1. Tacos La Paz, which is a breaded tempeh with cabbage, hot sauce, lime, and cilantro.
2. Tacos Rancheros, which is shredded seitan with garlic-chili sauce, daiya, grilled cactus strips, and tomato.
3. Tacos Soyrizos, which is spicy fried soyrizo and rice, onions, tomatoes, avocado, sour cream, and cilantro.
4. Tacos Barbacoa, which is grilled jackfruit, chipotle-tequila BBQ sauce, cabbage, and sour cream.

Tacos Soyrizos, Racos Rancheros

Tacos Barbacoa, Tacos La Paz

Of the four, the Tacos Barbacoa and Tacos La Paz were both Ben and my favorites. All of them were good, but I loved the jackfruit in the Tacos Barbacoa and the classic lime and cilantro in the Tacos La Paz. I think all of the tacos could have used a bit more spice and flavor, but I was impressed by how different they were from each other. I really want to go back and try the quesedillas and the burritos.

The horchata was FANTASTIC. Probably the best vegan horchata I have ever had. If you like really spicy horchata, it may not be for you. But if you like really sweet milky horchata, Union Street Eats is your place. What was even more awesome is that Ben and I only ordered one to share but James gave us a free one so we could each have one. Not saying they will do that for everyone—but still sweet, right?

In the end, I would give Union Street Eats a 4/5. Their food is tasty, unique, and in a reasonable price range. The owners are awesome and what could be better than getting good food AND donating to an animal sanctuary?

More Thrive Diet Eats

Banana Coconut Pie

Buckwheat Pancakes with Agave, Orange Tea

Make-your-own Vegetable Kale Wraps with Hummus

Easy Banana Chips? Yes, Please.

I love, love, love my food processor. Look at those perfect banana chips!

Cinnamon Pumpkin Seed Granola

Clever Ben made some really, really tasty granola last week. We were both getting a bit bored with the Thrive Diet Eats, so Ben invented a granola recipe that stayed within the bounds of the diet and was good to eat! WHAAAT? Is that even possible? Yes, yes it is.

3 C Rolled oats
3/4 C Slivered almonds
1/2 C Sunflower seeds
1/2 cup Pumpkin seeds
1/2 Tbs Hemp protein
1/2 Tbs Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Salt
2 Tbs Coconut oil
1/2 C Pure maple syrup

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or tin foil.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, seeds, protein, cinnamon, and salt. In a small bowl, mix the coconut butter and maple syrup. Pour the liquid mixture over the dry ingredients and toss until the dry ingredients are completely coated.

Spread the mixture on the baking sheet and bake for 30-45 minutes, or until the oats and seeds are toasty and browned. Be careful not to cook it too long, the granola may seem sticky while it is still warm and then will harden up as it cools. Place on a wire rack to cool. Once the granola is cool, break it up into small chunks. It should stay good in an air-tight container for several weeks.

Note: If you want, you could add some dried fruit to the cooled granola before serving. We didn't do this, but I imagine it would be pretty tasty.

City Cakes Has Doughnuts!

Hello Utah county and Salt Lake vegans! City Cakes (my favorite bakery of all time) is now selling DOUGHNUTS! Yes, doughnuts. This means that we don't have to drive all the way to Las Vegas to get a doughnut fix. How seriously awesome is that? They have chocolate, vanilla, and cinnamon doughnuts.

Ok, there is a downside. The doughnuts aren't that great. I mean, they will probably cure your doughnut cravings, but they aren't to die for. City Cakes took a bit of a shortcut and decided to bake their doughnuts instead of deep fry them (DUMB). That means that the doughnuts are more like strangely shaped cupcakes with drizzly frosting. In the end, I would give the doughnuts a 2/5. If it weren't for the proximity thing I don't think I would ever eat one again. Oh well, I guess that just means I won't gain ten pounds from having doughnuts available within an hour radius.

It's Time for the 2011 VegNews Veggie Awards!

It's that time of year again! Time to vote in the VegNews Veggie Awards!

So, I already voted, and I was completely shocked by how many SLC vendors were nominated. In some categories SLC vendors were competing against each other--amazing! I am so excited that SLC is finally being recognized as an awesome veg-friendly city. This coming right after VegNews' visit to SLC in which they declared it a vegan hotspot! See an article about this in our local newspaper here and on their Facebook here.

Click here to take the survey.