oreGONEo

Sorry - I got a little more excited than I anticipated about the fact that tonight's dinner, though selected from The Complete Vegan Cookbook, did not contain even a dash, not even a conservative sprinkle of oregano.  It was a great dinner:

Tonight, I made Bulghur and Red Lentil Pilaf with Kale and Olives.  It was spectacular, honestly, and not just because oregano was conspicuously absent.  I love everything about the ingredients.
Bulghur has a fabulous texture and an overall pleasant flavor.
Red Lentils subtly provide the missing amino acids to create a complete protein in combination with the bulghur, meanwhile also acting as a thickening and binding agent, holding the whole mess together.
Kale is a delightful "dark leafy green" with a heartiness to it I haven't found in other greens.  I'll admit - this vegetable is so strong the idea of eating it raw is both stimulating and terrifying.  Not planning to try it anytime soon, but if I ever work up the courage, you can trust you'll hear about it.
Kalamata olives are among the most amazing edible treasures my husband and his crazy Greek family have brought into my life and for that, I will always be grateful.  The only thing I can think of that would not be improved by their flavor is ice cream (maybe oatmeal, too).

glamour shot - not as pretty as it was tasty

So, speaking of ice cream, I do believe Tempt hempmilk "ice cream" has earned a more or less permanent place in our freezer.  I picked up the Coffee Biscotti flavor at Essene last week and we tried it the other night.  It was just as creamy as the Mint Chip was, but the coffee flavor was much richer than the mint was.  The chunks of chocolate cookie were a little dry, but I figure, so is biscotti, being all twice-baked and whatnot.

I don't care if you are vegetarian, vegan, or if you think chicken is a fruit - find this somewhere, buy it, and then eat it very slowly, savoring every moment.  Then, once you've placed your spoon in the empty bowl, realize that this is a product that is better in every way than ice cream made with cow's milk and chicken's eggs.

It tastes better.

It is lower in calories (140 for a half cup versus 270*)

It is lower in fat (7g with 1g of sat. fat versus 18g with 11g of sat. fat)

It is lower in cholesterol (NONE versus 120 mg)

It is cruelty free - nothing that breathes and has a heartbeat was hooked up to a metal machine to be milked electronically and run the risk of being cut by the clamps on the udders, resulting in infection, which ultimately leads to:

It is pus free.  Yes.  That's what I said - pus free.  With no infected cow udders anywhere near it, there is no chance that there was a government-guidelines-acceptable amount of pus in the milk that became the ice cream.

It is allergen free - my sister could eat it and not break into hives or have trouble breathing.

(all nutritional comparisons made to Haagen-Dazs coffee ice cream)

Have I convinced you to try it yet?  You don't want to miss out on this - go!