So today I came to the abrupt realization that my veganism studying period is falling straight into, and over, my very favorite chocolaty holiday ... Easter.
It was a very sad moment as I stood at the end of the cash register, (where they display all the best impulse buy items, like any self respecting retail store) and stared at the enticing bag of Easter decorated M&M's. Moving quickly from my initial regret of being unable to consume the M&M's (due to their milk enriched chocolate content), onto the heart breaking realization that the pastel painted colors of those dainty little candies forced me to uncover ... almost ALL my favorite Easter candies have chocolate in them!
I'm telling you, I almost cried like a little girl. I'm positive a small whimper escaped through my loosely self controlled grasp. And as I started to stew about the cursed milk content of chocolate in all my favorite candies, the saddening names quickly turned from candy, into a stream of desserty goodnesses that was compiling (to my horror) into a endless list of "can't haves".
Damn Carob Chips and their unsatisfying flavor! Why does cocoa and milk have to taste so cleverly good together!
It's a sad world the day any self respecting girl realizes she must part ways with her beloved chocolate friends. A sad, sad day.
Alas! As I mournfully called my sister and recounted my tale of woe 2 minutes later, she (in her ever astonishing wisdom and determination), refused to give up so easily and began naming possible substitutions. Moping in my despair, she listed a few items that I quickly discounted because of their hidden milk content, and she had to repeat twice the name of the cookie that saved my evening ... nay, the next few months.
No Bake Cookies.
While overloaded with chocolaty goodness, No Bake Cookies are one of the few cookie recipes that are made from real cocoa rather then chocolate chips! And 100% cocoa is exactly that, 100%! Leaving no room for milky taintedness. And while the recipe does call for milk and margarine, both are easily substituted in a vegan diet by soy milk and fake margarine (I use Earth Balance)! Holy Mother of Mercy! All is not lost! My dreary days of trying to consume Carob Chips in substitute of chocolate chips were beginning to brighten. It wouldn't stop at No Bake Cookies, any item that is baked from cocoa instead of chocolate chips can be made dairy free! :) Yay! That means my favorite brownies are still fair game, and I already looked up a yummy cake recipe. Even that tricky egg is beautifully substituted by an egg replacer with the same baking results! Phew. Life is not as lonely as it was beginning to seem.
Granted, all good things must be consumed in moderation. But I was so focused on milk, cheese, and processed foods with small traces of whey or powder milk, that I completely forgot to think about my deprivation of chocolate. I don't intend on binging upon my new discovery of coveted treats, it simply eases my mind that they are still an option.
It was a dramatic moment, cleverly saved by my brilliant sister.
Gotta love family.
It was a very sad moment as I stood at the end of the cash register, (where they display all the best impulse buy items, like any self respecting retail store) and stared at the enticing bag of Easter decorated M&M's. Moving quickly from my initial regret of being unable to consume the M&M's (due to their milk enriched chocolate content), onto the heart breaking realization that the pastel painted colors of those dainty little candies forced me to uncover ... almost ALL my favorite Easter candies have chocolate in them!
I'm telling you, I almost cried like a little girl. I'm positive a small whimper escaped through my loosely self controlled grasp. And as I started to stew about the cursed milk content of chocolate in all my favorite candies, the saddening names quickly turned from candy, into a stream of desserty goodnesses that was compiling (to my horror) into a endless list of "can't haves".
Damn Carob Chips and their unsatisfying flavor! Why does cocoa and milk have to taste so cleverly good together!
It's a sad world the day any self respecting girl realizes she must part ways with her beloved chocolate friends. A sad, sad day.
Alas! As I mournfully called my sister and recounted my tale of woe 2 minutes later, she (in her ever astonishing wisdom and determination), refused to give up so easily and began naming possible substitutions. Moping in my despair, she listed a few items that I quickly discounted because of their hidden milk content, and she had to repeat twice the name of the cookie that saved my evening ... nay, the next few months.
No Bake Cookies.
While overloaded with chocolaty goodness, No Bake Cookies are one of the few cookie recipes that are made from real cocoa rather then chocolate chips! And 100% cocoa is exactly that, 100%! Leaving no room for milky taintedness. And while the recipe does call for milk and margarine, both are easily substituted in a vegan diet by soy milk and fake margarine (I use Earth Balance)! Holy Mother of Mercy! All is not lost! My dreary days of trying to consume Carob Chips in substitute of chocolate chips were beginning to brighten. It wouldn't stop at No Bake Cookies, any item that is baked from cocoa instead of chocolate chips can be made dairy free! :) Yay! That means my favorite brownies are still fair game, and I already looked up a yummy cake recipe. Even that tricky egg is beautifully substituted by an egg replacer with the same baking results! Phew. Life is not as lonely as it was beginning to seem.
Granted, all good things must be consumed in moderation. But I was so focused on milk, cheese, and processed foods with small traces of whey or powder milk, that I completely forgot to think about my deprivation of chocolate. I don't intend on binging upon my new discovery of coveted treats, it simply eases my mind that they are still an option.
It was a dramatic moment, cleverly saved by my brilliant sister.
Gotta love family.
http://www.zazzle.com/im_mostly_vegan_t_shirt-235314240438581140
(P.S. Many vegans swear by carob chips, and use them in place of chocolate chips on a regular basis to quench their chocolate cravings. It is only my personal opinion that they do not substitute nicely for chocolate. But I am an AVID chocolate lover and have a hard time replacing it with anything.)
No comments:
Post a Comment