Washington | Freeheel Vegan

Oh, my–> Major discovery here!

While doing my regular grocery shopping at the Skagit Valley Food Co-op yesterday, something caught my eye on a high shelf in the baking section…

Something about peppermint, fudge and fat free REALLY does it for me.

I went in for a closer look…

Vegan?…Check! The fruit-sweetened part intrigued me.

My first instinct was to get the peppermint flavor, because I love mint combined with chocolate. But, I decided to buy the classic flavor first.

The texture was nice and thick…

The Classic Fudge flavor is utterly delectable. The fruit juice sweeteners provide a subtle background flavor. They are noticeable, but not overpowering.

Today I went back for the Peppermint Fudge flavor. The fruity note definitely hides behind the peppermint. Delicious!

Check out the Wax Orchards website for their story, their Fudges (I need to try the Orange Passion flavor!), their Berry Syrups, and their Gift Box. It’s also nice to know that these guys are from my home state of Washington.

I plan to eat this stuff one spoonful at a time, right out of the jar. 🙂

Little Mountain Park Trails, Mt Vernon – Mountain Biking – October 21, 2012

If you drive on 1-5 near Mt Vernon, Washington, you might pass the “little mountain” on the east side of the highway, without even knowing what delightful trails are up there.

Our first visit to Little Mountain was in September 2009. At the time, we were still new to mountain biking. We went to LM just once, to participate in a work party for trail building along the Sidewinder trail. It was one of those perfect late summer days, when Mt Baker was especially magnificent. I included some pictures from that day in this set of photos.

Click this link to check out the– still ongoing!– work of Jim “JT” Taylor and the Mount Vernon Trail Builders. They’ve been busting their butts for years to create such a great community asset. (Thank you!) I admit that I feel a little bit guilty that we only helped out the one time. We’re still on the e-mail notification list, 3 years later.

Today we finally went back. Our ride took just 2 hours to go up and down all of the “Multi Use” trails. If you live in Mt Vernon, these trails are an ideal location for your after-work workout. Who needs those cardio machines at the gym? For bikes, the singletrack trail surface is generally smooth to somewhat rocky and not too rooty…Very nice! Today the trail offered an additional, “slickish” layer of multi-colored fall leaves.

We parked at the lot between N. Pamela Street and the Silver Arrow Bowmen Archery Range. I felt extremely unsettled there, as I empathized with the animals who fall victim to the arrow. I couldn’t help but think of a certain image that I have in my computer– of a deer shot with an arrow. The arrow entered at the center of her nose and exited at the back of her right jawbone. I shudder as I imagine the suffering endured by that animal. She is not alone.

And– as this vegan’s luck would have it, right from our parked car, I could also see the green building for Andal’s Custom Meats. Those are the folks who were hired to slaughter Barbara’s Cows. Ugh. (Breathe, Elisa.)

Let’s get back on a happy note! At the end of the ride, we stopped in for wine tasting at Carpenter Creek Winery. It’s located right across from where we parked. I recommend the 2011 Signature Series Riesling and the 2009 Viognier.

Now for the pictures. Try to find…