Obligatory First post: Here it goes...

For starters, I won't bore you with a lengthy discussion about why I created this blog because there's a very good chance you already know why: I like cooking vegan food and wanted to share my culinary adventures with wonderful people like YOU! I boil, steam, chop, bake and yes, sometimes burn (ack!), all kinds of fancy and sometimes not-so-fancy vegan treats! Regardless of the outcome, I enjoy every minute of it. Well...except for the cleaning up aspect...blah! That I could do without!

How's that? Succinct enough? Good. On to the food then...

* * * * *

Up first, photos of 3 tasty things that I've baked lately:

1) Check out these YumBerry Cupcakes! Freshly picked blueberries and strawberries as well as a handful of frozen raspberries make this a refreshing summer treat. The light swirl of frosting on top is a homemade citrusy blend of flavors enhanced by a splash of dark rum. Definite Yum!

2) Just in time for summer and the Fourth of July:
Vegan Hamburger Cupcakes! These little babies were a labor of love, but in the end, truly worth all of the effort. And bonus: no animals were harmed in the process. ;)

3) Last but certainly not least: Peanut Butter, Oatmeal, & Chocolate Chip Cookies! A single cookie with so many irresistible flavors all rolled into one! Can life get any better?! I submit that it cannot!

* * * * *

First Watch Daytime Cafe
Restaurant Review (sort of...)

So a couple of weeks ago, my boyfriend and I decided to try this restaurant in the local Town Center by my house. I had heard good things about First Watch Daytime Cafe from friends but had not yet had a chance to visit it myself. We rolled out of bed around 11:30am on a lazy Sunday morning, decided we were in the mood for a late breakfast/brunch and so off we went!

Boy oh boy! Let me tell you: it did not disappoint! I'm always a little bit leery of breakfast restaurants where the potential for a lousy fruit cup or dry toast is about all I can order. Not here! At First Watch, I was treated to a fabulous sandwich wrap called the:

Not Guilty Your Honor ©

An explosive combination of flavors and textures made this meal both tasty and satisfying. The Not Guilty Your Honor © comes on a wheat tortilla filled with cucumber, spinach leaves, mushrooms, roasted red peppers, tomato slices and feta cheese. It's served with all of the following sides: hummus, potatoes, a small signature salad and a cup of mixed fruit.

I am pleased to note that the staff was very accommodating to my dietary needs and a quick swap of avocado instead of the feta cheese as well as the omission of the red peppers (I don't like them) yielded a wonderfully tasty meal! In fact, it was YUM*TASTIC! (Oh, c'mon. I had to use that word at least once in my first post! Haha!) Needless to say, Tom and I will definitely be trying this place again!

* * * * *

Alright folks, that's all I've got for you today. Stay tuned. There's loads more to come!