Today I ran in the Brooklyn Pride 5k. Standing at the start line, I thought, ‘Pride week is to many of the people here, probably like what a Veg Fest is to me.’ And, for me, Veg Fests are an opportunity to feel less in the minority. The labels I carry with me (woman, vegan), I’m somewhere in the rainbow ribbon of my finisher’s medal; we all are.

One of the most adorable things I saw, aside from puppies and tutus, was a family in Joe hearts Jeff t-shirts. The couple was getting married right after the race! At the Brooklyn Half, I saw a newlywed running in a veil. It always impresses me when people go out of their way to hype up for a race. At the Brooklyn Pride, one guy even had wings on. So help me, if I ever run a Disney race, it’s on like Donkey Kong.

Can’t say I’m super excited about my time of 28:21. Wish I’d dug deeper to at least maintain under a 9 min mile. It’s not about not meeting or exceeding your expectations or dreams. It’s that feeling after when you think, I could have done better. I was off my target at the Brooklyn Half by 14:02–sub 2 hour you will not elude me–but I felt I’d given all I had. I felt accomplished. I’m signed up for a 10k in July; I want sub 1 hour…I’ll take no regrets.

Afterwards, after cheering on the remaining runners, I hopped the subway to Smorgasburg. After devouring a couple of Fatty Beet Sliders from Chickpea and Olive, I sucked back the most delicious mango lemonade from Bombay Sandwich Co. I almost got a second it was that good. I wasn’t the only one who thought Smorg was a good call and spotted a few rainbow ribbon racers sprawled out on the grasses.

Satisfied, and getting a little too sun-kissed, I headed back to the train. I nearly spent $4.90 on ice cream when I spotted the Van Leeuwen truck–they now have two vegan flavors–but common sense got hold of me through the delirium of the mid-Saturday sun. Don’t get me wrong, I love it when places have new vegan offerings…but I had to seriously talk myself into buying a pint last week for $5, so I’m not about to shell out so much for a little cup of it. With my sweet tooth peaked though, I headed to Peacefood Cafe.

Fellow bloggers Emily, of Jersey City Vegan, and Stacy, of Vegan Fatty Boombalatty, were exchanging about the vegan ‘cronut’ and I had to check it out. A cronut is a croissant married with a donut…and it makes one fuggly baby in my humble opinion. Apparently, it’s good, but my eyes locked onto the chocolate croissant and I knew it was love.

After I made it home, I nursed that baby and a good book. I’m pretty aware my measly 5k didn’t justify all the food I knocked back today, but there are some days when you have to just say, ‘I’m fortunate. This day may not happen again. Carpe fudgin’ diem!’

This weekend, the clouds were kept at bay for the Chile Pepper Fiesta at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. The event brought together vendors to showcase the many variances of the Chile pepper.

Sarah Gross of Rescue Chocolate once said to me, ‘if you’re gonna splurge on anything, make it chocolate.’ While I’m a cupcake gal, I can’t deny the indulgence of letting a piece of chocolate melt slowly on your tongue.

At the Fiesta, chocolatiers married their sweets with heat. Some, like Raaka, even went for broke; crafting a bar with the infamous Ghost Pepper.

My favorites:Pink pepper and Citrus from Madécasse: This bar wasn’t at the Fiesta. I tore into one in the last few weeks. Delicious sweet citrus chased by the subtle warming of the pepper. (Note: Madécasse is not a vegan company but offers a variety of vegan bars.)

Ghost Pepper from Raaka: This bar was made exclusively for the Chile Pepper Fiesta. Ghost pepper is one of the hottest (if not the hottest) in the world. This bar though, smoothed the heat from an intense burn to a strong warmth.

Mission: Warm up as the temperature starts to drop with some heat infused sweets.

Pictures from this event coming soon. Be sure to Like A Life Vegan on FACEBOOK!

“It was great to be Catholic and go to confession. You could start over every week,” said C in 1993′s A Bronx Tale. No matter your religious denomination, Champs Family Diner and Bakery is giving you the chance to start your week off right. Their monthly Drive-In Dine-In will be this Sunday, April 29th at 8:30pm, this month featuring Robert DeNiro’s directorial debut.

In true Italian fashion, the all vegan $30 prix fixe dinner will include:

• Appetizer: String beans, mixed olives, artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers and chickpeas with fresh herbs
• Main course: Tagliatelle pasta with sweet Italian sausage and porcini mushroom ragu
• Dessert: Chilled “raw” Tiramisu with coconut, rum, cacao, and espresso

Seating is limited, so be sure to make a reservation at 718-599-2743.

(Please note, Champs is a cash only establishment. They do have an in-house ATM, though.)

Champs Vegan Bakery and Diner
176 Ainslie St
Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY 11211

After last month’s successful (ok, slightly problematic) online handout of free general admission tickets to The Great Googa Mooga, the organizers went for broke with round two today. At noon, more GA tickets, touted as “An amusement park of food & drink,” went up for grabs.

The two-day festival being held in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park is powered by the brain children behind Bonnaroo. If you were not amongst the lucky ones to have snatched up free tickets to this festival, Extra Mooga tickets are still available at a measly $249 a pop. (From free to $250? LOL.)

Currently on the music line up are acts like The Roots and Hall & Oates. For eats, vendors include Luke’s Lobster and The Meat Hook, which probably won’t peak the taste buds of veg*n attendees. The organizers, though, “promise to make vegetarians and vegans happy, too, as well as those with any other dietary restrictions.” However, with less than a month to curtain, the veg pickings look slim…which might be an understatement.

Brooklyn Restaurant Week is running until March 29th. If you’re vegetarian or vegan looking to get out for a bite to eat in the upcoming days and benefit from “discounted lunches and dinners (for $20.12 and $25, respectively), plus two-for-one and brunch options,” the pickings are slim.

Of the 195 Brooklyn restaurants participating in Restaurant Week, 18 of these restaurants are Clean Plates approved. Clean Plates promotes themselves as a way “to make it easier and more enjoyable for you to eat healthy, sustainable food.” Of the 18 Clean Plates approved restaurants participating, 9 carry their Vegetarian seal.

Here’s my review of the options:

• Al Di La Trattoria (The Winter Squash Ravioli sounds good…but they serve calf liver and rabbit…it’s your call.)

• Applewood (All the veggie combinations sound delicious…then they muck it up with meats and cheeses. Pass.)

• Aurora (Heavy on the cheeses. Prix Fixe menu not available to view online. May be worth visiting for restaurant week if they offer some substitutions.)

• Chestnut (Website not updated since before Thanksgiving. Call.)

• Lunetta (Likely not worth visiting for restaurant week; prix fixe menu not available online but general menu doesn’t seem well rounded enough to accommodate three veg courses.)

• Miranda (One of the desserts expressly says vegan. May be worth visiting for restaurant week if they offer some substitutions.)

• Moim (May be worth visiting for restaurant week if they accommodate some substitutions.)

• Palo Santo (May be doable; ask about desserts.)

• Rose Water (Not worth visiting for restaurant week; prix fixe doesn’t offer a veg option in all three courses and there are no substitutions.)

Click to view the full restaurant listings.

If you’re really looking to join in on Brooklyn Restaurant Week, call ahead to confirm these restaurants carry sufficient menu options for your lifestyle needs. Otherwise, just patronize the places that treat you right…and don’t make you play this guessing. Maybe even encourage them to participate in the future.

Visited 03/24/2012

Sitting at a counter on a sunny Saturday listening to The Replacements while noshing on a vegan Croque Madame (tofu, sham, daiya on a hero roll) is the cure for…anything.

P.S. – they have $1 Oreo cake balls…nom…nom…nom…

Champs Vegan Bakery and Diner
176 Ainslie St
Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY 11211
718-599-2743

Visited 03/19/2012

Monday night, new cookbook author Christy Morgan gave a cooking demonstration at Brooklyn’s Sun in Bloom. Morgan’s book is filled with all vegan, simple, and healthy recipes, like the Un-Tuna Salad she made that evening.

Sun in Bloom offers organic, preservative-free, vegan and gluten-free, including the delicious Western Wrap. Conserve calories, limit gluten, and get an extra boast of antioxidants by selecting a collared green wrap.

Surprisingly, while I had many, many, many animal-based cheese steak sandwiches in my youth, growing up near the city most known for them, I haven’t really partaken in the veggie variety over these last 9+ years.

Recently, I decided to see what was available, posing as Philly-style in NYC. I ordered a Philly Cheese Steak at FoodSwings in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. I’m not sure if whomever thought it up had ever even seen the traditional version of the sandwich. It should be renamed Brooklyn Cheesesteak or anything else cause this sandwich, with its chunks of mock meat, ain’t nothin’ I’d ever seen in the City of Brotherly Love.

‘Surely a sandwich from home would stack up better,’ I thought. So two days later I ordered another. This time from Blackbird Pizzeria. Let me start by saying, I love me some Blackbird. Hell, my sister planned our whole trip home around me getting a slice of their pizza…oh, and try their fries! This sandwich just tasted off.

If you’re looking to convert someone who worships at the shrine of Pat’s or Gino’s, neither of these sandwiches would help your cause.

Look wise, Blackbird trumped FoodSwings. Taste wise, score for FoodSwings; which doesn’t mean their sandwich was good, just better than the other. Ultimately, if the two were married, it still wouldn’t be enough alone to convert a meat addict, but it’d be a much more worthwhile sandwich than its’ parents.

FoodSwings
Vegan Fast Food
295 Grand Street Brooklyn, New York
718-388-1919

Blackbird Pizzeria
507 s 6th St.
Philadelphia, PA, 19147
215.625.6660

Some old adage goes, “The fastest way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” True of women too, I suppose, considering how many want (or at least men are made to believe want) chocolate.

Let me not even try to deny I have a sweet tooth…I have probably 100+ posts to counter me. After a weekend of noshing on baked goods of my own creation, plus goods from the vegan bake sale at MooShoes, I was having a tooth ache…literally.

After hitting the gym, I doubt pizza is the best recovery food, but wow did I eat like an a**hole. Totally restrained myself from the Vegan Treats but the slice of pizza I got was so good I went back for another.

The Valentine’s Vegan Shop Up at Pine Box Rock Shop yesterday was a zoo…in the best way possible. Shout out to the organizer(s) for a great time.

Grabbed a new lip balm, some vegan queso, sampled some Heat Sweets, then settled at the bar for a Caribbean Jerk Empanada and a cider.

A nice close to the weekend.