i like to be prepared

my regular vegan chocolate go-to is kroger valu brand chocolate chips. they're $1.15 a bag. but when i feel kind of fancy i like either one of these chocolates: ghirardelli twilight intense dark chocolate or green & black organic dark chocolate. both are accidentally vegan and a little pricey, but my awesome spouse is the coupon king and we can get a good deal on them every now and then. they both are so rich with dark chocolate goodness, they have that fruity-dark-sweet taste i like so much out of a good quality chocolate. i like to be prepared and make sure i always have chocolate on hand. i know that's an awful cliche, but it's so true. i have to have a little bit every day.

another thing i need to get ready for is passover. it's just around the corner. for 8 days i'm not supposed to have any of the following grains: wheat, barley, spelt, rye, and oats. this year i really want to do things right eating wise and not have kitniyot-(means 'little things' and includes corn, rice, and BEANS). what the hell is a vegan supposed to do without soy and other kinds of beans?

since most of you faithful readers are vegan, you know what it a pain in the ass it is to read labels for animal products. now imagine having to increase the effort to look for those extra ingredients. why am i doing this again? oh yeah, to remember my people were slaves in egypt. sometimes i feel like i'm a slave to the details instead of remembering what is truly important about the holy-day. but ah, i digress. this ain't no jewish blog. it's a food blog. if you're curious about the details, veg family has a really nice article about does vegan=kosher right here.

most people assume being vegan means kosher, but it doesn't. the laws of kashrut are complex, baffling, and at times pretty stupid. when meat is labeled as "kosher" there is a claim that the animal was killed in a humane manner, which we all know isn't true. what about the conditions for the employees? not much different. Agriprocessors, the biggest kosher meat plant in the US recently declared bankruptcy after being charged with hiring 389 illegal immigrants. kind of leaves a bad taste in your mouth, eh?

coming up next: pictures from a vegan oneg, featuring CCV's s'more muffins.