Lilly Handmade Chocolates: How Sweet It is

So I won a couple gift certificates for Halloween (I won Most Gruesome Costume for my Carrie costume), and one was for Lilly Handmade Chocolates in my neighborhood. So you can only imagine my IMMENSE glee when I found that they actually sell some vegan chocolates.

The shoppe itself is super cute, bedecked with rows of beer and wine and other alcoholic sundries. And in the back are the chocolates, the sweet divine chocolates. You pick them out ($11 for 6 pieces is what I redeemed my gift certificate on), and Lilly herself boxes them up for you, with a cheerful smile and pink hair ablaze.



I got two of each of the following chocolates (pictured from left to right):



After Midnight--"Bitter chocolate stout mixed with intense dark chocolate for a crazy rich fan favorite!"

The Redhead--"She stands out in a crowd and loves the attention! Intense dark chocolate truffle that is filled with a blueberry vintage port ganache."

In the Pink--This one's not listed out on the website, but it was our favorite of the three and I think it was cranberries in a berry drink of some sort.

We nibbled on them out on my roof on an unseasonably warm night and lavished in their rich flavors. They were rich enough that I was only able to eat two of them in one sitting.

The Chomp Monster was much the same:



Since I had $4 still left after the 6 chocolates, I also got this chocolate bar to round the gift certificate up. The Chomp Monster is "a fan favorite! Dark chocolate with Black Mission Figs, Roasted English Walnuts & just a touch of Sea Salt" and it actually was my favorite of them all as well. The mix of the figs and the salty bite of sea salt mingling with the crunchy sweetness of the walnuts was AMAZING. And even though the bar was $5, it took me a few days to eat it all, it's that rich.

So: my point. If you're in Tremont, swing by Lilly Handmade Chocolates and hug her the hell up for being vegan-friendly. And then DEFINITELY pick up the Chomp Monster. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Spinach & Artichoke Pasta

So the original recipe for this came from The Vegan Cook's Bible (which actually is a really cool cookbook if you haven't yet perused it).

The recipe itself is super easy-peasy, easily adaptable (get inventive and throw in some more seasonings or, as I did, add some shroomies), and it actually tastes like a lot more work was put into it than is actually the case.

And it's one of those recipes where you can really just wing the quantities and go entirely by taste.

It also is REALLY REALLY good, *AND* you could easily adapt it into a spinach-artichoke dip by leaving out the liquid from the artichokes and also leaving out the shrooms.

So: make it.

INGREDIENTS:

• Frozen spinach (about 2 cups if you wanna be anal)


• 6-oz. jar of marinated artichokes


• Vegan sour cream (1 to 2 cups, depending)


• Penne pasta


• 2-4 cloves garlic, minced


• White mushrooms, quartered (I used about 2/3 of a large container)


• Olive oil

DIRECTIONS

Cook penne pasta according to package directions, drain, and set aside.

Reserve the liquid from your artichokes and dice the artichokes up finely.

Heat oil in a pan on low. Add garlic and cook a minute or two until fragrant.

Add mushrooms and cook for a few minutes until they start putting off moisture.

Add spinach, artichokes, and reserved liquid.

Let simmer for maybe 10 minutes or so, however long it takes for the frozen spinach to cook through.

Add vegan sour cream and stir until mixed. Simmer on low until sauce is heated through.

Season with fresh pepper and salt to taste.

Serve over hearty portions of pasta.

(The sauce goes a long way, so you can get at least 6 servings out of it and possibly up to 10)

Things I Ate Recently That You Did Not, Unless You are an Enzyme in My Stomach Which is Likely No

Vegan brunch to benefit Books 2 Prisoners. These buckwheat pancakes were the effing bomb, esp. drizzled in strawberry sauce; also featured: muffin, tofu scramble, biscuit & gravy:




Casa Nueva's autumnal burrito. Holy hell!! Got this when SS & I roadtripped down to Athens one Sunday to catch the tail-end of fall colors. Was phenomenal. Packed with tofu, black beans, leeks, local apples, and more, and topped with apple salsa. Seriously orgasmic:




QBL's cabbage & noodles. This shit is SO simple and yet SO GOOD. This is the second time she's brought some in for me (thanks, QBL--batting eyelashes), and I'm not sure which I like more: the taste, or the fact that it totally stinks up the office like B.O.:




And last but DEFINITELY not least:

Melt Bar & Grilled's Mom's (Vegan) Meatloaf Melt: Homemade Vegan Meatloaf, Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes, & Spicy Chipotle Ketchup, packed between two pieces of thick-ass bread. This was their Oct. sandwich special, and I seriously have been crying for about 7 days over the fact that I won't be able to taste this again 'til next year. Then again, their sandwich THIS month is a (vegan) turkey sandwich with Mom's Homemade Sage Stuffing, Roasted Butternut Squash, Sweet Cranberry Dipping Sauce, and vegan cheese, so maybe I should stop blubbering: