Menses munchies: Cinnamon buns are tasty, tasty lifesavers

By Giselle Wedemire

Update: It's recently come to my attention that due to a change in either the recipe or labelling of Safeway cinnamon buns, these are no longer vegan-friendly. This post has been updated to reflect the change in Safeway's cinnamon buns' vegan-friendliness, but has left the rest of the content untouched.

Welcome back to Menses Munchies, a feature just for us girls where I regularly spotlight sweet, calorific vegan treats that I've found help me chase away my menstrual camps and make me feel less like an ogre that's set on destroying the nearest village.

Some ideas are so great that they elicit extremely visceral reactions from others. I mean, I'm 99% sure that when people first heard about amazing ideas like sliced bread, or iPods, or sanitization, a lot of emotions were felt. I'm sure of this because that's exactly how I react whenever someone suggests I buy a cinnamon bun.

You see, I have a very hard-and-fast rule for myself: never make anything that requires yeast. Between the rolling, the kneading, the proving (and the second proving), I have zero patience for making yeasted baked goods because I value my time more than I value freshly baked bread. So when it comes to foods that require yeast and/or kneading, I am 100% on board with forking over cash for something pre-made.

While I like to think that I’m a pretty healthy person, during my own personal shark week I find that I need to have immense amounts of sugar and fat mainlined into my maw. And during such terrible times, I often turn to the most majestic accidentally vegan* convenience food ever: the Safeway cinnamon bun.

Menses munchies: Mug brownies make everything better

By Giselle Wedemire

Welcome back to Menses Munchies, a feature just for us girls where I regularly spotlight sweet, calorific vegan treats that I've found help me chase away my menstrual camps and make me feel less like an ogre that's set on destroying the nearest village.

Real talk: periods are like Dementors, especially on the first day. Each time they roll around, they leave you feeling tired, listless, joyless, and completely miserable. Basically, for me, that time of the month is like having my own personal Dementor visit and suck the will to live right out of my body.

Only a slight exaggeration of how awful the first day feels.
Also, chocolate helps you feel better while cramping and after a Dementor attack; coincidence?!

Sweet treats for a sweet cause: another vegan bake sale hits YYC

By Giselle Wedemire

In case you missed the Sixth Annual Calgary Vegan Bake Sale in May (or if you just couldn't get your fill of cruelty-free sweets the first time around), fear not! Another vegan bake sale is coming to town this weekend.

Event poster via Facebook

Matcha green tea ice cream sammiches from the planet Delicious

By Giselle Wedemire

You know that feeling when you decide, quite firmly, on what it is you're going to be baking, only to find that your hopes and dreams have been dashed because the recipe you had in mind actually doesn't exist?

Well, I do.

Yesterday, I had planned to test out some of Kiss Me Organics' matcha green tea powder by making the green tea ice cream sandwiches in Veganomicon. But when I flipped to the page in question in the veritable vegan bible, I found that that recipe was actually for green tea ice cream which you could then sandwich between cookies of your choice. 

Disappointed, I embarked on a harrowing and frustrating search for the perfect matcha cookie recipe via Google and came up short. Then, I stomped into my kitchen like a three-year-old throwing a temper tantrum and, after a few deep yoga breaths, I set out on making up my own matcha cookies.

One of the easiest crowd-pleasing desserts ever

By Giselle Wedemire

For family gatherings, I'm usually in charge of making and bringing along dessert. This is often easier said than done considering my family is comprised of two omnivores, one celiac, and three vegans (one of whom is trying to go soy- and gluten-free). Keeping this demographic in mind, the number of fun, tasty, and wallet-friendly desserts I can make dwindles.

Recently, though, I stumbled across a lifesaver of a cake recipe while browsing Finding Vegan, the drool-inducing online recipe gallery. And with popcorn as this easy recipe's main ingredient, you may be a bit dubious, but keep an open mind here. 

Popcorn's not just for the movies anymore! A popcorn-based cake has opened my eyes to its potential for making tasty desserts even more delicious. 

Enter peanut butter popcorn cake.

Enjoy snacking again

By Casey Knoll

Snacking gluten-free can be tough. But take it from celiac Rachel Feddema – things are better.

Picky bitch Casey shows 
some gluten-free muchies including 
Rice Krispies (not the gluten-free brand in the photo), 
dried cranberries, rice cakes, and Lara Bars.

“There are so many more options than there were before,” says Feddema, who explains you need only go down the health food isle of Safeway, or a health food grocer to get munchies.

Here’s a few of Feddema’s snacks:

• Lara Bars - Superstore, Planet Organic. 
• Judy G’s Pizza - Slice Bakery, Planet Organic.
• Mesa Sunrise Cereal - Planet Organic, Superstore.
• Riceworks Chips - Superstore.
• Gluten-free Kellogg’s Rice Krispies – Safeway.
• Home-made trail-mix: dried fruit, sunflower seeds, and Enjoy Life chocolate chips.

Share your favourite gluten-free snacks!