Good Deal on Non-Dairy Ice Cream at Publix

So Delicious non-dairy ice cream bars are on Advantage Buy at Publix right now for $3.50. Plus, click HERE and HERE for $1-off coupons.

I tried a coconut almond bar for the first time tonight. It's been about three weeks since I started My Vegan Experiment, and about two weeks since I stopped eating desserts of any kind. I've been carrying around two big hang-ups that I put to the test tonight:

1. Does non-dairy chocolate and ice cream taste good? The answer is yes, yes, yes! The chocolate was great - no different than regular dairy chocolate. The ice cream is actually fantastic! It's very rich and creamy, and has a subtle coconut flavor that works well in ice cream.
   
2. Can I handle occasional desserts without falling back into sugar addiction? That's yet to be seen. I ate it about 30 minutes ago, and so no sugar cravings just yet. I will say that this product does adhere to my "no empty calories" rule. It actually adds a few good things into the mix:
   
   
   • 3 grams of fiber
   • 2 grams of protein
   • 6% of the daily value of iron
   • only 10 grams of sugar (agave and beet sugar)
     
   • although there is 7 grams of saturated fat, coconut milk is rich in medium chain fatty acids, and potentially has a number of health benefits (another controversial topic)
     

So, if I can handle having a dessert once in a while without letting it spin out of control, I will definitely buy this product again. It really is So Delicious.

My Experience at the Seminole Heights Sunday Morning Market

It was such a lovely spring day, I decided to check out the new Seminole Heights Sunday Morning Market. I'm so glad I did! This sizable market in the progressive community of Seminole Heights in Tampa, Florida was packed full of healthy, organic, and green wares. Here are my impressions of the event:

• Beautiful Setting. The Seminole Heights neighborhood has such charm and is full of warm, diverse, community-minded individuals. The market is set up on the lawn of Hillsborough High School, a rare architectural gem in the concrete jungle that is Tampa. I wonder if the students appreciate how beautiful their school is?
• Kid Friendly (Dog Friendly). There was a little area full of hula hoops for the kids to play with. There were lots of well-behaved children in strollers and well-behaved dogs on leashes. It was a nice way to spend time with your little creatures.
• Nice Music. Not too loud or overpowering. The band played covers of Sheryl Crow and The Beatles. It set the tone perfectly...♫ I want to soak up the sun ♪....
  
• Healthy Food to Eat Now. I'd say there were at least 10 food vendors serving up all sorts of appetizing food, much of which was organic, vegetarian and even vegan. There was a neat little stand that sold vegan patties made from quinoa and oats. There was a juice stand, a smoothie stand and a coffee stand. There were lots of hearty and healthy options, including wood-fired pizzas and breakfast foods.
• Healthy Food to Eat Later. I was a little disappointed to find only three produce stands. Only one was organic, and there really wasn't too much local produce to be found. The prices were pretty good, though. Much of the produce was gorgeous!
• Eating Organic on the Cheap. I enjoyed chatting with the man running the organic produce tent (see picture above). He runs an organic food co-op with his wife. They buy organic produce at bulk prices and divide it among the members. It sounds like a great way to get organic fruits and vegetables for the same price as conventional. I plan to look into this further! Click HERE to find out more about their co-op.

To see more pictures of my outing this morning, click HERE. While you're there, be sure to become a fan of Healthy, Green & Frugal on Facebook.

The next installments of the Seminole Heights Sunday Morning Market will be April 11 and May 9. If you don't live around Tampa, click HERE to find a farmer's market near you.