Vegan snack exchanging

After the success of my previous snack exchange I couldn't help but let out a squeal when I saw talk of a random vegan snack exchange. In fact, I don't think I've ever been more excited for an exchange theme. As the only veg*n in a family of meat eaters, it's very rare that I get vegan goodies unless I make or buy them for myself, or explicitly point out what I want, which does sort of ruin the surprise.

The random part of the exchange was also fun. Random being, you sign up for it and then when sign up closes, all participants are randomly assigned a match. The person could be in a different country and the only caveat on the whole exchange was that anyone was welcome to sign up, but anything sent had to be vegan. As there is no option to communicate directly with your giftee in this case, all participants had to fill out a short questionnaire about allergies, preferences and whether they were happy to accept home made snacks. The exchanges don't really specify a budget but say that most participants usually spend about $20-25 (excluding postage), although you are welcome to spend more as you like.

I watched the statistics and analytics on this exchange quite avidly. Many of the people who signed up were vegan or vegetarian, but others were not although were curious to try. When gifts are received, many people post a picture to a gallery and there were lots of surprised comments about how some foods were unexpectedly vegan (Oreos! Pringles! Hummus! Skittles!). There were also a few disappointed posts about how they could tell their match had tried, but just wanted to point out that a selected snack had beeswax, or milk, or gelatine in, so wasn't considered vegan. I'm sure these were honest mistakes though, as I remember how hard it was to read labels when I started to vet my food in the beginning too.

Anyway, in the spirit of sharing again, here's what I sent my giftee:

• BBQ flavoured broccoli chips
• French onion flavoured chickpeas
• Spinach and wholegrain protein crunch bar
• Sweet carrot rice chips
• Roasted pumpkin seed munch snacks
• Lemon 'jelly' crystals (made from agar)
• Salted caramel mylk chocolate
• Chia seeds

I had a lot of fun picking out what I'd send. My giftee told me their preference was for savoury snacks and things that weren't too commonly found so I think I got it pretty right. I'd also baked a batch of herbed sourdough crackers to include, but somehow Mr Fork and the kids managed to consume them in between baking and the postage deadline, so they didn't make it in.

Here's what I got back. I really think my Santa went above and beyond with my gift. Everything was individually wrapped and carefully packed with bubble wrap (I did not get a picture of this unfortunately as my kids were all.... wrapping! bubble wrap! and deconstructed it all while I was mid blink admiring it all).

There was also a hand written note describing all of the thoughtful inclusions, and even suggestions for using them. I am really looking forward to making those patties...and eating the cacao spread... and, well, everything!

I was also really spoilt with some non-snacky things - a reuseable bag as a little love note to the environment (perfectly handbag sized and great timing with the major supermarkets discontinuing single use plastic bags!) and even some vegan Lush goodies.

I am so, so happy with my exchange. While some of these products I had tried before, some of them are also new to me, and I really appreciate all the thought my gifter put in.

I really love getting mail, and I love seeing the thought that all the participants have been putting into this exchange. I'm keeping a list of all the delicious things that pop up that I need to try! So many ideas and regional favourites I'm learning about! What would be in your package if you sent a food exchange to someone?

I did a snack exchange thing...

Recently I took part in a snack exchange through a site I participate in regularly. Basically, you respond to someone's post asking for an exchange partner, agree on a dollar amount of food that you are willing to trade (excluding postage) and then exchange boxes of local food. Sure, it might be cheaper to buy the exchange items off Amazon or whatever, but it wouldn't be nearly as much fun or mystery.

My exchange partner was from Texas, told me that her birthday was coming up and she wanted foreign snacks to enjoy. She had no preferences or dietary restrictions, but liked gummy things, chocolates and hadn't tried anything from Australia so was happy for me to choose a selection (she wasn't enthusiastic about Vegemite or I'd have popped a small pack in too). We agreed on a budget of $15USD for snacks, which worked out to be just under $19AUD. I think I got a pretty good representation of Australian snacks!

I always like seeing both side of an exchange, so here's what I sent:

• French Fries
• Chicos
• Allens Party Mix
• Twisties - both cheese and chicken variety
• TimTam - gelato messina choc mint and cherry coconut varieties
• BBQ shapes
• Pods - snickers variety (because Americans are all about the horrible Tide Pod challenge at the moment and I thought it would be funny to send actual edible ones)
• Chicken salt - surprisingly, this is a uniquely Australian seasoning and even more surprisingly is ninja vegan! Who knew
• Not pictured - half a container of a Favourites selection that I used to fill the gaps - Cadbury mini cherry ripes, moro, boost, dairy milk, crunchie, turkish delight, flake and dream bar

I wrote a note explaining each item, explained the TimTam Slam and why she should try it and told her I'd love to know what was her favourite item once she got through them all (Pods are the winner at the moment but she hasn't tried everything yet).

Here's what I got back in my box. I hadn't provided any dietary restrictions because I figured if I wouldn't eat something, Mr Fork or the smalls would. The only thing I said was that I would prefer not to get any American chocolate (I think it's not very nice) and when asked I said I was happy to have spicy snacks! Every single thing she sent was totally new to me and if I'm honest, I don't even know what half of it is!

Lots of it is spicy and some of it I think are Spanish or Mexican sweets so the ingredients lists aren't in English at all.

   

The bright lollipops on the right are watermelon flavoured and then coated with spicy coating (I think they're amazingly delicious). The colourful chain of lollies underneath are spicy tamarind coated things which are delightfully spicy and sour at the same time.

Interestingly, the twizzlers (root beer and cherry flavoured) are both ninja vegan and SO GOOD! I haven't had a gummy sweet in a long time and these were good (I wasn't sure initially but I quite like the root beer flavour). The Laffy Taffy (watermelon and guava flavour) is also a ninja vegan product and I found it a chewy, fluffy sort of starburst type thing. It was good.

My smalls liked the milky (real milk!) lollypops, and there were also some soft caramels which Mr Fork tells me were amazing (but very milky... he thinks maybe goat milk). Mr Fork also claimed the spicy Fiesta mix and warhead worms as soon as he saw them. 

It was a super fun thing to do - I had fun picking snacks and then the anticipation of trying something surprising and new-to-me was half of the excitement, and then it was like opening a box to get a glimpse of someone else's favourite snack culture.

I'd definitely do it again in the future, and Mr Fork is already putting in requests for exchange locations to keep an eye out for. I certainly have some places in mind I'd like to try snacks from... I've even seen some posts pop up where people are looking for vegan or healthy snack exchange partners too which seems fun.

So I'm interested to know, if you could choose a location to exchange snacks with, where would you pick? And what would you send in an exchange that was representative of your location or your favourites?

What's in my kitchen, July 2016

I skipped last month's in my kitchen round up. I nearly didn't make this month's either. We have been the house of sick here. With children in daycare, winter does tend to mean that we are all constantly teetering on the edge of illness, but I overbalanced off that edge and fell right into a chest infection. Probably the kids had it too, but they were much peppier than I was. I'm putting it down to the resilience of youth. It really couldn't have come at a worse time either (not that there is ever a good time to be ill). I work in a stream of technology related to payroll and the systems behind them, and the month leading up to the end of financial year is always busy. None the less, I'm on the mend and the work deadlines have eased so the end of financial year celebrations can now begin as well as a few other work milestones that were met simultaneously.

Although there is no central host for this month, here are some highlights from my July kitchen:

In my kitchen is...

Pei Pa Koa. I generally hate using cough syrups, but when it gets to the stage that I'm keeping myself and everyone else awake with my constant hacking, I resort to Pei Pa Koa, which is a herbal syrup that I obtain from my local asian grocer. By all reports it was originally developed by a physician back in the Qing Dynasty. It is taken orally, I usually just use a tablespoon and take it straight, although for my children I mix it into water and have them drink it.

It does contain honey so it is not vegan, but it works and I feel comforted using something that I have used over the years whenever I have been ill. There is something to be said for habits and traditions, which I'm sure contribute as much to a cure as real medicine does as well.

In my kitchen is...

In keeping with my chest infection, I found myself cross, thirsty, hot (perhaps a little fevered) and heaty. Yes, that was deliberate; I do mean hot and heaty as two separate symptoms. Instead of rushing to the doctor at the signs of illness, there are many, I suppose one would call them 'old Chinese wives tales' that can help cure what ails you. Traditional Chinese wisdom uses food as medicine, and the notion of cooling and heatiness relates to a balance of yin and yang within the body. In the Chinese context, barley water is good for cooling internal 'fire'  and calming a sore throat and other heat related issues. Apparently, the English used to serve barley water to the sick and infirm, so perhaps there is something to it all. Regardless, I wanted some, and so I cooked up a batch.

I didn't have the proper Chinese barley on hand, so mine was made with plain old pearl barley and not sweetened at all, although I did doctor the servings depending on my mood. Some were plain. Some were served with Pei Pa Koa mixed in. Some had some lemon and a splash of rum included too (perhaps not very traditional that last one!). I am not a rum drinker, but Mr Fork is and he nearly went into hysterics when he saw which of his precious rums I had chosen to use in my barley toddy (apparently it was a very good one). I have never seen the point of straining all the good barley bits, so I leave mine in when serving.

Pictured in a glorious glass bottle that has it's own little neoprene cover. I was gifted a set of these BBBYO (Beautiful Beaches, BYO) bottles by a dear friend of mine. They are wonderful - I use them for hot and cold drinks and find them one of the nicest reusable bottles I have ever used.

In my kitchen is...

The most amazing rocky road. Made by the Noosa Chocolate Factory in Noosa, Queensland, their rocky road comes in white, milk and dark chocolate varieties. Amazingly, and oddly not well advertised, their dark chocolate version is completely vegan! That's right, ninja vegan rocky road!! So good, it has me walking from one end to the other end of the city regularly to stock up. I've told them that they're missing a prime opportunity to cater to vegan chocoholics by shouting that from the rooftops, but they said that, although the machinery is cleaned in between batches, they do use the same machines for the milk versions as well, so can't 100% guarantee that there aren't trace ingredients.

It's my guilty pleasure. Guilty because, if I eat without restriction, I can quite easily polish off an entire bag in one sitting. Look at it though! I have no idea how they make such delicious marshmallow and jelly without the gelatine, but they've done a spectacular job of it. Many of their dark chocolate items are also vegan, but this one is my favourite.

In my kitchen is...

A gift from my work colleague who, knowing what a chocolate fiend I am, brought me a dark chocolate frog when she was up visiting from Melbourne recently. As she works very closely with me, I suspect that she is also feeling all kinds of relief that it is the end of financial year too. Perhaps a package of celebratory rocky road may need to find it's way to her desk soon.

I love that I have colleagues who love and appreciate me as much as I do them. I have been slowly nibbling away at this dark chocolate (vegan!) frog when I have a hot drink after dinner at night times. Mr Fork and my children all shun dark chocolate, so these treats are pretty much all mine (which means they last for ages and don't just disappear when my back is turned)...

In my kitchen is...

Lovely thick and hearty dahl, made from split peas. I've been making lots of legume meals lately. They're easy to make in bulk, freeze well for the nights I don't feel like cooking, and are so soothing and warm now that winter has settled in and the weather is most decidedly chilly. This particular version included tomato, coriander seeds that I'd dried from the garden, some mustard seeds and a whole bunch of lovely spices which made the house smell gorgeously fragrant. Served over some rice, it was a warming meal and perfect for soothing a sore throat.

There is no official link up for the In My Kitchen this month, so I'm just going to throw it out there to all... what's going on in your kitchen this month?

What's in my kitchen, November 2015

Wow, it's November. The year is just that much closer to being over soon. Christmas is coming, the weather is heating up and it's starting to feel very much like Summer! If things continue the way they are, it's going to be a very hot, stormy season I think. Which will probably do fabulous things for the garden, but probably won't be as appealing for human (and animal) comfort levels. Already it's getting to be difficult to sleep - although possibly I could write this off to the fact that Jimmy likes to sleep curled up close to my head, with one of his fat little hands touching my face. If I dare to move away, he wakes, so I've had to get used to sleeping next to a warm babe for now.

October was a busy month, with my mother's group in full on baby birthday season, so weekends were busy attending parties (and throwing our own). This is the part of the year where we get busy with celebrations and parties as the lead up to Christmas gets earlier and earlier... in fact, my work Christmas party falls in the middle of November this year! Crazy, but at least it's a great season for fresh foods, gorgeous stone fruits and lots of festivities and catching up with people.

In my kitchen is...

Nuttelex made with coconut oil. I saw this while grocery shopping and had to get it. I'm a sucker for trying things that are a little bit different from the items I usually have at home. I was impressed with the absence of palm oil and the fact that a donation would be made to the Orangutan Foundation. It is smaller than my regular spread, and not really much of a change in flavour. Further research also suggests that it is just rebranded Sunburst spread (no advertising that fact anywhere on the package though!), so I probably won't purchase it again unless it was on sale.

 

In my kitchen is...

 

Another birthday cake. This time, it was for Jimmy, who turned one. I have a one year old! Gosh, it doesn't feel like a whole year, but to be fair, I have been in a bit of a sleep deprived fog. I kept it very simple for his cake. A plain chocolate cake (not vegan as it had our eggs and some milk in) and a chocolate 'butter'cream icing made with nuttelex (I forgot to buy proper butter but it still worked out). As the party was on Halloween weekend, I kept decorations simple with some coloured fondant cutouts on top and around the sides.

Easy to make, and I'm told, delicious. It certainly looked lovely, moist and cake-y inside.

In my kitchen is...
 

Ninja Vegan jelly from Aldi. Ninja Vegan is the term I use when something is sneakily vegan. I'm always super chuffed when that something is a food I would usually expect to contain animal bits.

I haven't had jelly in years due to gelatine, but when I was looking for something for Jimmy to snack on that I could easily pack into a bag for his carers when I don't have time to make my own jelly. I found these. They come in three flavours (there is also a strawberry version) and they are all thoughtfully labelled suitable for vegetarians and vegans. Yay!

In my kitchen is...

Fairy bread! I haven't had fairy bread in so long, but with it being Jimmy's first birthday party and our guests ranging from the not-even-at-solids stage through to the young at heart, I figured you couldn't go wrong with sprinkles on bread. It was store bought white bread at Mr Fork's insistence, as he said my sourdough was too gourmet for fairy bread. I was happy to indulge him, but I did use nuttelex instead so that the dairy allergy attendees could also indulge. It was a party hit, although I was criticised for being too stingy with the sprinkles.

 

In my kitchen is...
 

Halloween cupcakes. Well, if I'm going to be honest, there isn't anything really specifically Halloween-ish about these, except for the fact that they're in pumpkin cases with a little pumpkin toothpick in them. In fact, they're the recipe for my coconut bread baked in cupcake form. Quite a few of my friends have food intolerances, so these cater for the soy, dairy and egg free people.

 

In my kitchen is...
 

Lollypop spiders. A quirky little addition to the goodie bags at Jimmy's party. So easy and fun to make with Ellie as well. Take a lollypop, bend pipecleaners around to look like spider legs and then hot glue on some googly eyes. They turned out really well and were a bit of a hit. Also included in the bags was a box of Peppa Pig sultanas (I'd hoped the merchandise would encourage them to eat it!), a bottle of bubble mix, a chocolate pumpkin and a Halloween themed chocolate coin.

In my kitchen is...

 

Tomatoes from a friend's garden. Her plants got a pest infestation and had to go, but she harvested what she could first, and was kind enough to share some with me. Let me tell you, there is nothing like home grown tomatoes. Just look at the gorgeous colours on them (my favourite is that little one at the front that is almost a bit pink). Yes, they taste as good as they look too!

I am linking this post in with Celia of Fig Jam and Lime Cordial's monthly In My Kitchen event. Go have a peek through other kitchens around the globe!

What's in your kitchen this month?

What's in my Kitchen, September 2015

September is a busy month in our household. It marks the beginning of birthday season for our family, so there is lots to do and prepare. Ellie has been most vocal in her demands, even though her birthday is not first, but I am well advised that she would like a 'chocolate puppy cake please mama'. Right-o then! Of course, September also means that the year is 2/3 over and that Spring is here. I don't know if it's just me or if the year is going so fast for everyone else as well!

I'm certainly looking forward to warmer weather and a shift toward lighter meals (and better light for photography!).

In my kitchen is...

Coconut iceblocks. I saw these on sale at Coles when I was doing the grocery shopping and thought I'd try them out. I was impressed by the fact they were gluten free, dairy free, lactose free, allergen free and proudly proclaimed themselves vegan too. Sure, Winter isn't the best time to be buying cold icy things, but they were rather delicious.

I can't remember exactly what I paid, but I suspect that, although tasty, these won't be a regular purchase unless I find a super sale. There are three flavours, lime, mango and pineapple, and the pineapple is far and away my favourite. Jimmy seems to think they're pretty good too when I've let him share to help sooth his teething gums. Ellie doesn't care for them, but that just means more for me to eat!

In my kitchen is...

Three bean Tim Tams. I saw these on one of my rare shopping trips to Woolworths and I was so glad that I did, since they're exclusive there (aside, it really annoys me when stores do that!). Anyway, a combination of cocoa, coffee and vanilla beans in that delicious timtam format... these are amazing. I'll say it again for emphasis. AMAZING.

In my kitchen is...

Haighs chocolate peppermint frogs. I'm obsessed with these. I think it started many years ago when I had a client based in Adelaide and would often have to spend a week or two there sorting things out. When I asked for recommendations about what to do over a weekend, someone pointed out that it wouldn't be proper if I didn't take a tour of the Haigh's chocolate factory. I've been a chocolate frog convert ever since. Mr Fork likes the milk chocolate ones, but I think the dark ones are nicer. They are of course both tasty, but I can stop after a single dark frog, and lose my willpower with the milk ones.

In my kitchen is...

Mickey tongs, generously gifted to me by Jimmy's godparents. Just the sort of kooky thing I love, brought all the way back from Disneyland in America. I love these so much.

In my kitchen is...

Disney princess tea towels, featuring Belle and various Beauty and the Beast icons. These were also a gift from my lovely friends. It seems a little irreverent to wipe kitchen things on a princess, but these tea towels are beautiful and fluffy still as new towels are. When Ellie helps me with the washing, she constantly asks if we can use the princess towels, so I'm not the only one who thinks these are fabulous.

In my kitchen is...

White White Cocoa Tea from T2. I hadn't intended on buying more tea to add to my admittedly quite large tea collection but I couldn't resist this one. A blend of white tea, pieces of cocoa, and coconut was too good to resist. Even made on plain hot water, it's yummy and creamy with a hint of sweetness and a taste of coconut. Some might call it overkill but I think it goes nicely with a three bean timtam after I've put the babies to sleep and I'm winding down from the day... 

I am linking this post in with Fig Jam and Lime Cordial's monthly In My Kitchen event. Go have a peek through other kitchens around the globe!

What's in your kitchen this month?

The Chocolate Room - Bean Scene #2

Wandering around Westfield Garden City with a sleeping Jimmy wrapped on me, I was loathe to go home and therefore have to unwrap him, put him in the car and wake him up. How fortuitous then, that I came across The Chocolate Room just as I was thinking about food (that happens often, the food thoughts).

Located at shop 1370, within Garden City on the corner of Logan and Kessels Roads in Upper Mount Gravatt, I couldn't go past a place that so blatantly screamed out 'chocolate indulgence'! Especially when I saw that they had a special deal for a coffee and cake at $6.50. Just take my money already!!!

The server was lovely enough to let me change the coffee to a hot chocolate, because if I'd had another coffee, Jimmy would certainly have been up all night as payback. I was even more chuffed when I realised that they have over 20 flavours of hot chocolate drinks!! I'll say it again for emphasis. TWENTY FLAVOURS!!! They even had no problems with me changing to soy milk (an extra $0.50).

Much deliberation saw me choosing a coconut hot chocolate, with a side of apple and raspberry crumble. The things I do for Jimmy!! My hot chocolate came out in one of those nifty little mugs which unfortunately remind me of a bedpan. Not that I'd let that stop me from enjoying this frothy cup of deliciousness! The coconut flavour was mixed into the drink, and there were also some little pieces of desiccated coconut on top. It was delicious and definitely not overwhelmingly chocolate/coconutty at all. Jimmy is too little for marshmallows, and I don't eat them so I definitely appreciated that they were left on the side instead of added into the drink.

The crumble came out presented as a piece of art in itself. There was a big dollop of cream (again, I don't eat it but it's very generous) a swirl of chocolate sauce and a sprinkling of more chocolate, and the crumble, which was more like a little tartlet was heated just enough so that it was warm but not so hot to burn the roof of your mouth off. It was also delicious, which is important as no amount of presentation can make up for bad food in my books!

The staff were lovely, and were obviously dedicated and devoted chocolate lovers themselves. Service was fairly prompt, but even if you have to wait awhile, there is plenty of chocolate deliciousness to appreciate  and tempt you in the display cabinets and on the walls.

With such a delicious range of chocolate and sweets, I didn't look at the savoury menu in detail, but I know that there are some lunch and sandwich options available. Since there are 20 flavours of hot chocolate alone, I'm fairly certain I will be making this one of my regular cafes when I need a chocolate hit!

Do you have a favourite local cafe?