Inside The Oven: Uncle Eddie’s Vegan Cookies, Variety Is The Spice Of Life and Essential For Vegan Health, Do You Really Care What Food Critics Think in Week Links.
Update 5/11/08: Uncle Eddie’s Vegan Cookies Are Here! At least at the Whole Foods in my city.
For the times, they are a changing. And so too will your grocery list. OK, so maybe that is a strange rendition of the famous Bob Dylan song. But who knows, it could have been a B-side. It seems to be the theme song for my food shopping trips these days. There have definitely been changes since Whole Foods acquired Wild Oats, some good, some bad (in my little consumer opinion, of course). The Good: Some of my favorite snacks have been reduced by 50 cents or more. Fresh made guacamole from the deli is scrumptious. The Bad: Rearranging of displays adds minutes to my ”shop time” record as I try to navigate my way around the store. The Ugly: My beloved Uncle Eddie’s Vegan cookies have become near extinct. Since the acquisition, I’ve made numerous calls to the Whole Foods in my town. Exciting conversations have taken place. Here are a few of my favorites:
Me: When are you going to get the Uncle Eddie’s Vegan Cookies in stock again?
WF Bakery Employee: Those are going to grocery. Check with grocery.
2 weeks later
Me: (to WF grocery employee): Do you have any of the Uncle Eddie’s Vegan Cookies in stock?
WF Grocery Employee: Those are in our bakery.
Me to WF Bakery Employee: Grocery told me you were carrying them.
WF Bakery Employee: Actually no, they’re being moved to grocery.
2 weeks later
Me: (bringing this up to Grocery Employee with quote from Bakery Employee)
WF Grocery Employee: Actually, we’re going to have those. But we aren’t able to find a distributor to order from yet.
2 weeks later
Me: (blah, blah, you know the question by now)
WF Grocery Employee: They’re not in our system to order. But they’ll be in our system as of (insert date of choice). I know as a fact we’ll be able to order them on (insert date of choice). So check back on (insert date of choice) and we should be able to order them.
2 weeks later and eagerly excited. We have a distributor. We have them in the system. Could we have a winner?
Me: Do you have the Uncle Eddie’s cookies in yet?
WF Grocery Employee: I think I saw an invoice for those. Hold on. (Instrumental 80s music plays). No, I’m sorry we don’t have those. You’ll have to check back.
At any rate, this has been going on for several months and while I could give you every scenario that’s taken place, I firmly believe that repetition is good for learning, bad for entertaining your readers. The last answer I received gave the solution to go to the Whole Foods in an adjacent town, that I’ll admit is not so distant, but still distant enough, where Uncle Eddie’s have been sighted. (I called to confirm the speculation and yes, the-not-so-distant-but-still-distant-Whole Foods carries Uncle Eddie’s now.) Sigh…What do you have to do to get your vegan peanut butter chocolate chip fix these days? (Shown above is indeed my favorite, along with a tall glass of Silk Vanilla Soy Milk.)
Quite possibly, the best vegan cookies made, both myself and other known vegans have experimented and concluded there are no other vegan cookies that come close in taste. One bite and you’ll wonder why anyone ever needed butter, milk or eggs to make cookies. If you’re not careful, it will break in your hand as they are so soft and moist. The quote on their website from L.A. Times says it best, ”Uncle Eddie’s puts its competition, vegan or non vegan to shame!” More on the different flavors of Uncle Eddie’s, where you can get them besides Whole Foods after the break… Read the rest of this entry »
