My Top 10 Vegan Products at Natural Products Expo West

Written by Sarah E. Jahier

This year was the first time I attended the Natural Products Expo West, held every year at the Anaheim Convention Center, which is only about 20 minutes from my house. I was super-excited to be able to attend the Expo, where companies show off their latest and greatest products. Lots of vegan companies were in attendance (represent!), so I was able to check out many, many new products as well as stuffing my face with samples of my favorite vegan foods. Yes, I ate LOTS and LOTS of samples, but it was all for you, dear readers! I just HAD to eat every vegan thing in sight so I could dutifully report my findings to you, right? Righhhhhtttt...

5 Must-Try Vegan Options in Orange County

Written by Sarah E. Jahier

I have SUCH exciting news, ghouls and boils! I wrote my first article for Vegansaurus about "5 Must-Try Vegan Options in Orange County" and it was published this past Monday!!! I am so over-the-moon excited about this because 1) Vegansaurus straight up rocks and you should be reading it regularly if you aren't already, 2) Vegansaurus has always been there for me on my vegan journey and I could always rely on them for straight talk peppered with sass! It truly is an honor to see my writing on a site I have read for years and years now!

You can check out the article on the "5 Must-Try Vegan Options in Orange County" on Vegansaurus or read all about these awesome places below. 

I’m gonna let you in on a little secret: while LA is undoubtedly the vegan Mecca in Southern California, Orange County isn't far behind. Orange County is located between Los Angeles and San Diego, roughly an hour from each, and has amassed quite a collection of excellent vegan restaurants that are definitely worth the visit.

Since it would probably take at least a few dozen paragraphs to tell you about all the vegan options in Orange County, I've decided to spare you a wall of text and instead recommend restaurants based on meal-times throughout the day, from brunch to a late night snack. A lot of people will be coming to town this upcoming weekend to attend the Natural Products Expo, not to mention those who visit for the beaches or Disneyland on a regular basis, so now is the perfect time to recommend the best vegan options for those on a tight schedule or for those that may only be visiting Orange County for a day or two. I've only included restaurants that are unique to Orange County so you can maximize your time and try new things!

The vegan Huevos Rancheros at Seabirds Kitchen

Vegan Hot Dogs at LinX Artisan Sausage in Old Town Orange, CA

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Written by Sarah E. Jahier

I am always so stoked when non-veg restaurants offer up a vegan option to their customers! So when I heard that LinX Artisan Sausage in Old Town Orange was serving up a vegan hot dog, I couldn't wait to go down there and check it out!

Restaurant Review: Vegan Cuisine in Fountain Valley, CA

Written by Sarah E. Jahier

I've said it before and I'll say it again - we are spoiled with vegan food places here in Orange County! We are so spoiled that in my 6+ years as a vegan I haven't even been to all of them yet. Shocking, right?! Plus, new ones keep popping up! I'm definitely not complaining, it just means I have oodles of options when it comes to dining out!

A new vegan restaurant called "Vegan Cuisine" opened up within the last two months in Fountain Valley, California, less than 10 miles where I live. After some friends posted pics on Instagram, I knew I had to check it out! This is another restaurant that serves vegan Asian food, but they also have some good old fashioned Americanized comfort food like fried chicken, burgers and even lasagna on weekends!

Vegan Options at Universal Studios Hollywood

Written by Sarah E. Jahier

Mister Spooky surprised me last month with an impromptu trip up to Los Angeles to visit the Universal Studios Hollywood theme park. I was super-stoked to go since I hadn't been there since I was a kid! Plus, I hadn't yet been to their "House of Horrors" maze or ridden The Mummy ride yet! However, I was a little concerned about finding vegan options at Universal, since I hadn't exactly heard good things from other vegans regarding the theme park's food.

Visiting my friend Norman at the Bates Motel.

Whatcha got there, Norman?

Restaurant Review: SunCafe in Studio City, CA

Written by Sarah E. Jahier

Last month Mister Spooky and I were having a fun morning at Universal Studios (read all about it and their vegan options), hanging with the Universal Monsters, Beetlejuice and Norman Bates, but we finished up around lunch time and were looking for a nearby vegan place to eat. Lo and behold, just down the street (or down the hill) was a small restaurant called SunCafe, which is a mostly-raw vegan restaurant serving up organic and healthy food. We decided to check it out since it was so close.

The street parking is metered, and they don't have their own parking lot as far as I could tell. We had to park a ways down the street and walk back up, which was no biggie, but I can see parking being an issue, especially on busier days or weekends. When I walked in, the place was pretty packed (it was Friday at lunchtime, so it wasn't surprising), but we were seated quickly and the service was attentive.

We had actually eaten previously at Universal Studios, so we decided to go easy and just order appetizers and drinks. I could not resist ordering their Orange Cremesicle Shake, which is a raw drink containing just fresh orange, pineapple and agave, topped with coconut shreds and goji berries. It was delicious and tasted just like an Orange Julius (confession: I used to get those all the time at the mall as a teen in my pre-vegan days!)! This Orange Cremesicle was dreamy and definitely hit the spot!

SunCafe's Orange Cremesicle Shake

Food Review: Trader Joe's Chicken-less Salad

Written by Sarah E. Jahier

I love Trader Joe's and always love how they have neat new vegan options! Last month, I noticed they had a new Chicken-less Salad and I just had to try it!

Trader Joe's Chicken-less Salad

The "chicken" salad is made from vegan chicken, carrots, celery, currants in a light, mayo-like (vegan) sauce (sorry I don't have a more comprehensive ingredient list - I didn't photograph the ingredients and I can't seem to find an ingredient list online). Upon opening the package, it looked pretty good. The only thing I wasn't too enthused about was that the sauce seemed to be a bit runny. Nevertheless, I felt like I was ready for a picnic with this Chicken-less Salad!

Restaurant Review: Au Lac in Fountain Valley, CA

Written by Sarah E. Jahier

I apologize for the long absence, readers! I've been busy with the day job and have just been so exhausted lately...so exhausted, in fact, that I actually came down with a nasty flu bug, which is why I actually have some time to write now! However, I do plan to make more time to write because I have lots and lots of posts to share with you!

First off, I wanted to share with you the lovely birthday dinner I had at Au Lac restaurant in Fountain Valley, California (way back at the beginning of January...that is how far behind I am, yikes!) with my Mister Spooky. Au Lac is a vegan and living foods restaurant that focuses on Asian food. All of their items are vegan and they have a separate menu for their "living foods" or raw foods. They also carry many teas and health elixirs as well as a variety of desserts. It is considered a higher-end vegan restaurant, and their Chef Ito is world-renowned.

It was my first time at Au Lac, and while it is in the middle of a weird little strip mall that doesn't really make you think "vegan haute cuisine", the inside was pretty cool. The dark red walls, red lighting and Asian decor made it feel opulent. We had reservations and were seated quickly. I felt like there was some confusion as to who our waiter was initially, but that was soon cleared up as we had a very helpful and friendly waitress.

Wild Orange Blossom Tea

Restaurant Review: Bodhi Tree Vegan Cafe in Huntington Beach, CA

Written by Sarah E. Jahier

For one reason or another, I had never been to Bodhi Tree Vegan Cafe in Huntington Beach, though it is on the busy Main Street and I must have walked by it a dozen times! It is tucked into a row of storefronts slightly up from the hustle and bustle of the Main Street and offers a welcome respite from the crowds and traffic. Mister Spooky and I went on a Sunday around lunch, and we were the only ones there.

We were greeted by a friendly hostess and seated. I was surprised how large it was on the inside with lots of tables, plus outside seating as well. This would be a perfect place for large groups and/or meet ups! The ambiance was warm and inviting, even peaceful (despite the Christmas music still playing). Maybe it was just that we had the whole place to ourselves or that our hostess/server was so welcoming, but I felt totally relaxed there.

My Top 10 Horror Movies of 2013

Happy New Year, fiends!

I didn't post much horror content on this blog in 2013, but that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the hell out of a lot of horror movies this past year! I've had a blast with the releases in 2013 and thought it was a pretty decent year for the horror genre overall.

That said, 10 horror movies stood out for me in 2013. Please keep in mind I haven't watched every single horror release, so feel free to let me know what I missed, but also please respect my opinion on *my* favorites, which may differ from your own. Also, I've included films that may have had a limited release in 2012 (whether on the festival circuit or limited release) but were given wide (or wider) release in 2013, so please don't come at me with "well, technically, so-and-so is a 2012 release". I know and I don't care since I am going by the wider release date, k?

So without further ado, here is a list of my favorite horror movies from 2013: