Fun Eats and Runs for the List

Wow, Sunday night already. Weekends are flying by too fast lately! It’s been a great weekend of fun and amazing eats while we try to enjoy the Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge as much as we can. And I’ve been trying to get into a healthier routine as we slide into cooler weather and wind down on the running miles with dishes like this curried tempeh and sweet potato saute.

For our dating anniversary, I got hubby this Cuisinart 5-in-1 Griddler and he’s been having fun this week making vegan paninis and grilled cheese sandwiches.

I can’t wait to try more grilled veggies and quesadillas with it. And, mmmm, even pancakes!

There have also been huge, loaded meal salads.

And lunch at Pho Vegan Asian Cuisine where hubby loaded on the spice for his tasty mock “chicken” dish.

And I got one of my favs – the vegan wonton soup with yellow noodles.

Very comforting and perfect since I’ve been dealing with a cold this week.

But last night was a fantastic meal from The Cellar in Folsom where they had an impressive vegan chef challenge meal.

And a hearty vegan section on their regular menu too!

They’re located in quaint old town Folsom with a classy and casual atmosphere and fabulous wine selection. Since we haven’t had great experiences with jackfruit in the past, we decided to try the two jackfruit items on the menu. I got the Korean Jackfruit Flat Bread which was almost too pretty to eat.

But delicious, the jackfruit chunks were marinated in a kicky and sweet sauce and it was great with mushrooms, peppers, onions, and vegan mozzarella.

Hubby got the Jackfruit Po Boy which was also loaded with tangy BBQ flavor.

Dessert was a supreme winner! Sweet and salty cookies topped with mocha vegan ice cream and salted caramel sauce.

Apparently it was so popular that we got the last available for the day because they were literally out of the ingredients to make more. We saw at least two other vegan tables order it too. That was our first time at The Cellar and I already can’t wait to go back! And love that it’s in such a scenic area of Folsom with trails, bridge and river views.

After we explored Old Town a bit taking in the sights and shops and this massive pumpkin on display.

And found the reason we had such a tough time parking in Old Town, the Glow Run was going on too! We were just in time to watch the runners and walkers take off from the start decked out in all things glowing for the night event.

Lots of fast and energetic kids lead the group and there were lots of dogs and strollers too.

This morning we participated in the Placer SPCA Barktoberfest 5K fun run with family and it was nice to participate in a later and more laid back race that wasn’t timed. Instead we got to run with lots of dogs in costumes and watch the doggy costume contest after – a cute chihuahua in a pirate costume won. And check out the dog-themed post race lineup of vendors handing out samples and dog swag like more poop bags, food, and folding water bowls for travel. Sadly I did not get many great dog shots it was so crowded, but I did get this cutie.

And chat with a fellow vegan society friend at The Humane Society booth.

The bummer was it was windy today – super windy! So windy most of the booths gave up on trying to tie down portable awnings and displays were getting blown everywhere. That also made running interesting, my eyes and sinuses were pretty unhappy with all the dirt getting kicked up into the air. But it was still a great festival and perfect race for my nieces and nephew to try since kids were free and who doesn’t want to run with dogs in a costume? We also discovered one of my nieces is a natural runner tearing through the 5k without getting tired in 24 minutes. Impressive for the hills and wind!

Okay, to the list!

This roasted garlic butternut squash soup looks perfect.

Public schools in NYC are getting the message.

This woman lost nearly 100 lbs. through running.

And a whole foods plant based diet can help depression.

12 great dishes for vegan inspiration.

There’s a new vegan festival in LA thanks to Moby.

And this vegan festival is insanely popular!

Preacher Lawson is entertaining us with another great vegan comfort recipe.

Jason Derulo is a vegan now!

So is Fall Out Boy’s drummer, Andrew Hurley!