and i do!

so, one of my grad classes passed around a sign up sheet entitled "snacks" today. i was the last to sign up so naturally it will be my turn to bring snacks first, so next week. (ummm kindergarten anyone?)

before class let out i asked if there were any requests or special diets. no one said anything. so i mentioned that i had a vegan diet and if anyone thought that would be hard i could bring my own things. one chick rolled her eyes and said, "i think we can manage to bring some carrot sticks" and everyone else treated me like i was a, well, braggart. (ever get this?)

anyhoo-

so next week i want to wow em with vegan snacks that cannot be mistaken for rabbit food. sort of a, well, vegan bragging affair. hey, look how good we eat, if you think vegans are braggarts then maybe we should put your mouth where your negative assumptions are...or...something. i don't mind spending some time in the kitchen, but it has to be

a) easily portable
b) "snacky"
c) tasty
d) not messy as we will be eatin in class

any ideas?

A friend of mine makes a mean sun dried tomato pesto and cream cheese dip with Tofutti cream cheese. With crackers, it's to die for. It might be a little messier than you're aiming for, though.

I've done those crescent roll veggie pizzas with the Tofutti cream cheese, too. I could live on those. I think it was originally a Pampered Chef recipe, but it's way easy to veganize.

You could do banana or zucchini muffins. Does it have to be healthy? You could wow them with some VCTOTW cupcakes.

Just wondering about Tofutti cream cheese--I got a coupon for 75 cents off at suzycoupons.com. When I went to get it, I noticed that it contains partially hydrogenated oils. If there another cream cheese substitute that doesn't contain that?

Sorry--not a suggestion, but thought I'd throw it in here since Modjeska mentioned Tofutti cream cheese.

You might consider the lemon coconut bundt cake--that sounds like it would wow them!

Thanks!

Tofutti makes a non-hydrogenated plain one, and that's the one I use. I've never seen the hydrogenated one for sale around me, actually.

Follow Your Heart makes a cream cheese and a sour cream now. Both are non-hydrogenated. At the WF near me, it's twice as much as Tofutti, though.

How about some freeze dried fruit packs. They sell like 30 packs to a box at Costco. I think it is like 45 calories with 2 grams of fiber and no fat. Just something to keep the hands busy.

dried fruit packs are a good idea. so are VCTOTW cupcakes, although i have never been much of a baker, it seems like something tasty. i think the library has a copy of the book. any faves out of the book?

and yes, i think tofutti (although very yummy) cream cheese may be a little messier than i'd like.

I like the basic chocolate ones, and every variation of those that I've had. Cookies and cream are awesome, as are mint cookies and cream. I think they, or the basic vanilla, are the easiest. Some of the others are more labor intensive. The apple cider ones are so good, but have a lot of steps.

I did an almond raspberry variation of both the vanilla and the chocolate, and they were amazing. I just replaced all the vanilla extract with almond extract, added almond extract to the frosting, and topped them with homemade raspberry sauce and toasted almonds.

The Washington Post put the cookies and cream recipe online, and it's just the basic chocolate cupcake with cookies and cream frosting.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...112800506.html