National Apple Harvest Festival & Pumpkin Penne

I spent my weekend in Gettysburg visiting my friend Julie. She lives about 20 minutes away from the fairgrounds where the National Apple Harvest Festival is held, so we spent most of Saturday there. It was cloudy, insanely chilly, and a little rainy at some points. Still, we braved the weather to indulge in as many apple goodies as possible.

They sold apple everything. There were the usual suspects: apple butter, apple jelly, apple juice, apple sauce, apple cider. And then there were other apple things that I wasn't really expecting (and most of it wasn't vegan friendly): apple syrup, apple daiquiris, apple funnel cakes, apple fudge, apple cookies, apple cake. There were loads of autumnal decorations, too, and I loved every bit of it.

We met a bee and an apple along the way. Yeah, my eyes are closed. I'm good for that.

Just when I thought my hands were going to fall off, we found the hot apple cider tent. No way in hell was I settling for cold apple cider in 50 degree wet weather.

We saw a dance performance by the Hanover Children's Ballet Theater, too, and it was really cute.

There wasn't a whole lot of vegan-friendly to eat while at the festival, but it definitely sparked my interest in trying to veganize some things I saw (this is your warning). I was able to pick up some things to bring home, though!

Cinnamon apple syrup, apple butter, apple jelly, an apple scented soy-based candle,
doggie treats in the apple container, and apple syrup. 

Back at her apartment, we made pumpkin penne. Julie was a fantastic chef, I was a less than stellar photographer.

Garlic & Onion 

Crispy Sage

How was your weekend? What did you get into?

Charm City Vegan goes to New Orleans, LA

I'm back from New Orleans, and since then, life has kind of been a whirlwind. New Orleans was fabulous, though, and I can't wait to go back.

To my pleasant surprise, finding yummy vegan food wasn't hard. I tried a few different places while I was there, so if you're ever in the Big Easy, check them out!

Juan's Flying Burrito

This is a neat little punky place that serves Meixcan inspired food. The menu offered a couple of different vegan options so long as you request no cheese. It was hard to choose between a burrito with regular potatoes and a potato with sweet potatoes, but I ended up choosing the gutter punk (regular potatoes) and I was not disappointed. The food was good and the prices were reasonable, and with two locations, there's pretty much no reason to not try it.

Satsuma

Named after a native Louisiana fruit, I ended up at Satsuma, located in Bywater, for breakfast one day. Though tiny with limited seating, especially during brunch, this place is really neat. They try to use as many local and organic ingredients as possible. I was a bit disappointed that the only vegan breakfast option was a bagel (hello, I can get a bagel in Baltimore) and a cup of fresh fruit. I will say, however, that was hands down the best bagel I've ever had. Satsuma also offers a variety of fresh juice drinks that combine fruit and veggies for an awesome morning pick me up. And had I been there for lunch or dinner, it would have been fabulous because the salad and sandwich menu has several delicious sounding options.

Bennachin

This restaurant is located on the edge of the French Quarter, and serves amazing African food. Online reviews of the place suggest otherwise in terms of authenticity, but I've never been to Africa, so I can't speak to that. The food was fantastic, though. My friend and I split the black eyed pea fritters for an appetizer, which were great. I can't remember the name of my meal, but it included fried plantains, coconut rice, and spinach. The wait time for your food is a bit longer than other restaurants, but that's because everything is made from scratch. And the wait is totally worth it. This restaurant, too, is small, and you may have to wait for seating during busy hours, but you won't be disappointed!

Gumbo Shop

Located in the French Quarter near Jackson Square, this place serves traditional Creole food. While most of the food is not suitable for vegans, their menu includes a daily, rotating vegetarian dish, which often times is also vegan. I called ahead of time to see what they offered, and they had a beans and rice veggie option, free of meat and dairy. Score! The food was really yummy and filling, too. It was a neat place to go, because it's much more traditionally New Orleans than some of the other places I ate at while there. 


A variety of foods and cultures to sample while in NOLA, but when you think about the city, I guess that isn't too surprising, is it? New Orleans gets the CCV Seal of Approval, just because I loved it so much.