DC Harvest Spring Menu

*Sponsored Post
DC Harvest is excited to highlight fresh seasonal local ingredients in their new Spring menu.  We were invited in by general manager/owner Jared Ringel to sample some of the newest dishes made by his brother, chef/owner Arthur Ringel.  The duo have kept DC Harvest a popular mainstay along the bustling H St NE/Atlas District area for the past 4 years now. Check out my original review here. Closest Metro is Union Station.

Wild Kombucha

*Sponsored Post
The team from Baltimore's Mobtown Fermentation reached out to me to try their new Wild Kombucha.   Specializing in the art of fermentation, they brew their own unique brand of kombucha and currently have three flavors available: mango-peach, ginger-grapefruit, and elderberry. Like many of you, my first question was "What is Kombucha?"

At Home: Coconut Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

I was always intimidated by homemade ice cream.  But I was recently gifted a neat little battery-operated ice cream machine and Keith kept asking, "when are you going to make ice cream?"  So I researched for simple recipes to try as my next experiment for What Micky Eats...At Home.  You only need five ingredients to make this creamy and dreamy Coconut Chocolate Chip Ice Cream.  It is dairy-free and can also be vegan.  Coconut and chocolate lovers will scream for this ice cream!  Makes 1 pint.

Vegan a la Mode Cookbook Giveaway

Averie over at Averie Cooks is giving away Hannah Kaminsky of Bittersweet’s latest book, Vegan a la Mode: More Than 100 Frozen Treats for Every Day of the Year. This is a cookbook that any dessert lover will enjoy and all the recipes are vegan. With an emphasis on fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs, Hannah insists that fresh, local produce at the peak of ripeness offers incomparable flavors that cannot be replicated with any amount of sugar, salt, or any baking extracts. As a result, her creative recipes will appeal to health-conscious bakers (all recipes are low in cholesterol and many feature natural sweeteners and whole grains), though even the sweetest sweet teeth among us will be more than satisfied by these tantalizing treats.

Adventures in Veganism: Conclusion

I survived all seven days of vegan meals.  The food was a mix of fresh ingredients that left me feeling light throughout the day, to odd frozen or canned ingredients with sour tastes that made me want to throw out the entire thing.  A roller coaster is the only way I know how to describe the experiment. There were good and bad days. The pros of my experience with the Gobble Green Vegan Starter Kit include a nice international variety, four different pouches each day, and a general feeling of eating healthy.  Some of the dishes were decent, while others were disappointing and made me regret spending my money on. The stand outs included Asian Vegetable Salad and Sauteed Cabbage with Tofu.   

Adventures in Veganism: Day 7

My final day of eating vegan has come! Day 6 ended on a high note, so I was eager to finish out this experiment on top.  For breakfast on Day 7, I ate another dense Apple Carrot Muffin.

Adventures in Veganism: Day 6

I know I have been a bit delayed in posting the final half of my vegan adventure, but it has been a roller coaster ride! Between recent work travels and this crazy heat wave, I admit that eating vegan hasn't been very inspiring.  Yet, onward with Day 6 of my vegan adventure.

Adventures in Veganism: Day 5

Last night Keith asked me how I was doing with this whole "vegan adventure thing" and I kind of shrugged my shoulders and say "meh."  He still did not understand my quest and stated how no one could ever pay him to try it.  So that put a little more fire under my feet to really stick it out to the end.  I mean it is not terrible - there are way many more worse things a person could eat.

Adventures in Veganism: Day 4

Half way there!  Day 3 didn't end so bad, so I was motivated again to see what other meals were in store for the rest of my vegan adventure.  Day 4's menu had some unusual and common items that I was eager to try.

Adventures in Veganism: Day 3

With a disenchanting Day 2 behind me, I had positive thoughts going into Day 3.  I wanted to be a good sport about this vegan adventure I committed to.  No giving up just yet!

Adventures in Veganism: Day 2

Day 1 started off pretty well.  The food tasted decent so far, not like cardboard as Keith presumed. Each dish had intense flavors that distracted me from thinking "oh-no-this-is-totally-vegan-will-it-taste-good-yikes".  I was not starving (yet) and so I felt better about heading into Day 2 of my vegan adventure. 

Adventures in Veganism: Day 1

As I wrote in my introduction post, I am giving veganism a try for a week.  I received my vegan starter kit from Gobble Green fully packed in dry ice, with each meal packaged individually.  Each day comes with breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert and it's own set of instructions for reheating and preparation.  I sorted through and organized each day's meals using the menu provided.

Adventures in Veganism

For a solid 12 years of my young teen through adult life, I was a vegetarian. I did not eat meat of any kind. There was no political or religious motivation for me not eating meat, although I did join the “Save the Animals” club in high school and we watched lots of PETA videos; I simply did not like meat. I did not like the taste, the texture, and so I basically excluded it from my diet. Soon, I lost any kind of interest for meat. I never even had a craving or curiosity. I admit - it was not fun for my family who always had to make a separate meatless dish for me during holiday gatherings, or have to make sure a restaurant menu had a vegetarian dish available for me. But my body got so used to it, that if I even ate something that had beef broth or “seasoning” in it, my stomach would get very upset.

GRAND PRIZE: 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway

This giveaway has ended.  The winner is Courtney Dredden.
For a list of all #12DaysDC winners look here
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For Day 12 of the 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway, I am happy to feature this fabulous What Micky Eats Holiday Bundle worth over $200!

In addition, I will donate $1 for each giveaway entry below to the World Food Program, up to the total value of the prize.  Each dollar donated will fill 4 cups with nutritious meals and help build a world without hunger.