Heather

Heather has been happily heating and eating since 1978. She is currently pursuing graduate coursework in anthropology and enjoys eating cheap, convenient, and occasionally tasty meals. She's been an on-and-off again vegetarian for seven years and recently made the momentous decision to go whole hog (or whole not-hog, as the case may be) to adopt a vegan lifestyle. For the sake of her craft (and cheesy deliciousness), she'll still review some vegetarian (cheesy!) meals for Heat Eat Review from time to time.

Latest Reviews by Heather:

Trader Joe’s Middle East Feast

November 28, 2006 | Reviewer: Heather

Trader Joe's Middle East Feast

Price: $3.89
Serving: 1 package, 13 oz.
Calories: 860
Fat: 75%, 49g
Sodium: 68%, 1630mg
Protein: 25g
Carbs: 30%, 89g
Fiber: 73%, 18g
Weight Watchers Points: 20 Points

Heather says: Yes, readers, you read that nutritional information correctly. I would love to know who decided that this entire package constitutes one serving. I had to eat this meal in two fell swoops, and even a half portion left me quite full both times. Le’s just call this feast a Hungry Man for the vegan, Mediterranean food-loving set. “Good grief,” is all I can say to this portion size. I think someone at Trader Joe’s has been talking to my grandmother, and they are both VERY CONCERNED about us vegans getting too skinny (that’s a myth, by the way).

Portion size ranting aside, this meal was fantastic. It contained not just pita and hummus, but also falafel, cutesy little packages of tahini, and a generous portion of tabouleh. While I’ve had better, less parsley-heavy tabouleh, everything else gets top marks. The pita was fresh and soft, the hummus was divine, and the falafel was top-notch. I’ll definitely buy this one again. Only next time I’ll share it with a friend.

Filed Under Trader Joe's Reviews, Vegetarian | 8 Comments

Amy’s Soy Cheese Pizza in a Pocket Sandwich

November 13, 2006 | Reviewer: Heather

Amy's Soy Cheese Pizza in a Pocket Sandwich

Price: $2.99
Serving: 128g (1 Pocket)
Calories: 290
Fat: 16%, 10g
Sodium: 23%, 540mg
Protein: 12g
Carbs: 13%, 38g
Fiber:6%, 1g

(Veggie but NOT vegan)

Amy’s Kitchen says: The classic vegetarian combination pizza in a pocket sandwich, made with mozzarella style soy cheeze, Amy’s special pizza sauce, mushrooms, olives and green peppers. Lactose free

Heather says: I’ll make this review as brief as Amy’s marketing description of this product. In short: these are yummy. If you’re a fan of both Amy’s and the Hot Pocket, you will enjoy these. They taste like a gooey, cheesy Hot Pocket, only infinitely better for you. The crust is pleasantly whole-mealish, and the filling is a perfect balance of cheesy and tangy tomato goodness.

In fact, I have but one small detraction. Despite containing soy cheese, these pocket sandwiches also contain a small amount of caseinate, a cow’ milk derivative. Thus, they are not vegan. Oh, Amy, why? Why go to all the trouble of making something tasty out of soy cheese and then ruining it for the die-hard vegans? This is akin to run 26 miles of a marathon and then throwing up your hands and going ‘Zero point two miles more? I can’t do it. I cannot. I end here.’ Oh, Amy, finish the race. Please, woman, for the sake of humankind and vegan soy cheese pizza pocket lovers everywhere. Do it for us. We make you lots and lots of money (because, trust me, you have quite a market on frozen vegan goodness.) Now consider your fans, please. That is all I ask.

Filed Under Amy's Kitchen Reviews, Four Stars, Frozen Pizza Reviews, NaBloPoMo, Vegetarian | 5 Comments

Amy’s Toaster Pops (Apple)

October 30, 2006 | Reviewer: Heather

Yes, sometimes HeatEatReview.com seems like a series of laudatory paragraphs on Amy’s Kitchen meals. Sometimes we’re highly critical (see Black Bean Enchilada Meal), but generally we love the foods produced by Amy’s Kitchen. According to Heather, the toaster pops are no exception.

Amy's Toaster Pops (Apple)

Price: $2.99
Serving: 1 Toaster Pop (55g)
Calories: 150
Fat: 6%, 3.5g
Sodium: 5%, 110mg
Protein: 4g
Carbs: 9%, 26g
Fiber: 4%, 1g

Amy’s Kitchen says: Made with Organic Apple and Flour. The same crisp Granny Smith apples that are in Amy’s popular Apple Pie and Country dinner. Perfect for dessert. Non-dairy/low fat.

Heather says: Oh, Amy, how do I love these? Let me count the ways:

They’re like Pop Tarts - only healthy!
They’re kinda like apple-filled empanadas - only healthy!
They would make an awesome substitute for those nasty McDonald’s apple pie things I crave now and then because my Mom bought me one when I lost the eighth grade spelling bee (vacuous, v-a-c-o-u-s, vacuous. What, no?)

But I digress.

In short, these are yummy. I grabbed one on my way to campus and felt like I got both a tasty and healthy start to the morning. And that’s even after I burnt mine in my hot new toaster oven. Although not especially filling (I was hungry again after about two hours), they’d make a great snack or part of a breakfast. I’m also contemplating topping one with some soy ice cream and calling it apple pie a la mode. I have no doubt of the deliciousness. Next time you’re feeling hungry (or are having spelling-related anxiety), do give ‘em a try.

Filed Under Amy's Kitchen Reviews, Four Stars, Vegan, Vegetarian | 11 Comments

Gabila’s Potato Knishes

October 11, 2006 | Reviewer: Heather

Gabila's Potato Knish

Price: $3.49
Serving: 1 piece, 4.5 oz.
Calories: 170
Fat: 9%, 6g
Sodium: 18%, 440mg
Protein: 6g
Carbs: 10%, 29g
Fiber: 22%, 5g

Gabila’s says: The Original Coney Island Square knish.

Heather says: Right. I know. “What is this?,” you might ask. Lean Cuisine, it is not. Take this random product review as testament to the dearth of vegan products in the local mainstream grocery store. Normally, I get my tasty earth-friendly meals from one of the local whole-foodsy chains, but I was in a rush last week and needed to grab something from the local Fry’s supermarket. Ha. Rush. Right. What a joke.

If there’s anything you do a lot of as a vegan, it’s reading the back of labels, throwing up your hands in disgust, moving on to the next product, and repeating aforementioned behavior. So it was that after about five minutes of trying to find something anything, please God, anything that didn’t have animal product in it, I finally found this item, the knish.

I have tasted a fresh-baked knish before and found it to be mighty tasty. I did not, however, have high expectations for this product. Something about frozenness and mushy potatoes just not coexisting peacefully. Imagine my surprise then, to find that these knishes kicked vegan ass. They tasted, not surprisingly like: “lightly seasoned mashed potatoes wrapped in a crispy crust” (as Gabila’s says). They were, in short, delicious. I would recommend slicing one open and topping it with whatever you fancy. These things would make your Jewish vegan grandma proud. Seriously. Eat up.

Filed Under Four Stars, Gabila's Reviews, Vegan, Vegetarian | 47 Comments