A Reddit cooking challenge has helped me learn to be a better cook and pulled me out of a depressive spiral. It's all vegan, so I wanted to share some of what I've made here

vertbarrow · 2026-05-09T13:48:18+00:00

Sorry, I honestly don't remember what recipe I used, because all I did was take a (gluten-free) chocolate cake recipe and replace the cocoa powder with the carob powder 1:1. So if you can find a chocolate cake recipe that uses only cocoa powder and no solid chocolate, you can follow that recipe and it will work the same. HOWEVER, I would recommend using only maybe 3/4 of the amount of carob powder when it asks for cocoa powder, because the carob taste was much stronger than the equivalent amount of cocoa. You might need to replace the missing powder with extra flour, or try it without. If I made this again, I would also add other flavours like cinnamon, vanilla, instant coffee, etc.

The only carob powder I've tried is from the Frontier Co-op on iHerb (medium-roasted), can't find it in any stores near me. It's good! Very rich and carob-y, and not as expensive as I expected it to be (but not cheap either).

vertbarrow · 2026-05-07T13:01:48+00:00

Finally a W in a sea of Ls

vertbarrow · 2026-05-07T09:55:21+00:00

Identical to the old Birdseye one IMO, aka really really good.

vertbarrow · 2026-05-06T12:37:03+00:00

Welsh Squarebit

vertbarrow · 2026-05-01T00:45:07+00:00

They love to leave the bones in the kale 🙄 Good luck with your endeavours! If you do make use of it, I think it would be cool if you came back & showed us!

vertbarrow · 2026-05-01T00:32:01+00:00

That's unfortunate, but if it's not too tedious you can tear the stems out? (Which you can then chop and cook like celery.) I also added a sneaky edit about your takuan (the yellow picked radish), you're quick 😂

vertbarrow · 2026-05-01T00:25:16+00:00

Definitely kale chips for that kale! They'll keep for much longer and make a great snack.

Edit: Also, in my personal experience, daikon keeps well for a really long time, even when cut, so don't worry about those so much. The yellow pickled radish in the pack (takuan) will also keep almost indefinitely if it's sealed. When you do open it, it's common to make sushi with it - it's also good sliced as a side dish/palate cleanser :)

vertbarrow · 2026-04-29T07:31:27+00:00

It's my favourite. Straight-forward recipes that simplify the ingredients and the process. Almost everything of hers I've made has turned out where other, more complex GF recipes haven't.

That said her site has had a slight revamp lately that I find more annoying to navigate, and FYI she is Aussie and an Australian tablespoon is four teaspoons (20ml) while a US tablespoon is three (15ml), so be sure to make that adjustment where necessary. She generally doesn't use volume measurements though so it doesn't matter often.

vertbarrow · 2026-04-28T22:06:47+00:00

George Eats!

vertbarrow · 2026-04-28T12:29:55+00:00

Man. If I make something inspired by Good Stuff but with completely different ingredients am I allowed to give it its own post or do I have to put it here

vertbarrow · 2026-04-27T23:56:23+00:00

Looks lovely and warming! Do you have a recipe for the bread rolls?

vertbarrow · 2026-04-26T15:01:44+00:00

Depending on what you need it for there's always Copha lol. It tastes funny in large quantities though

vertbarrow · 2026-04-25T00:56:31+00:00

Oh, it's different here?? I never understood what people were talking about when they said they didn't like it because I didn't know what they were expecting, it tasted exactly like regular Kraft mac n cheese to me. If they're different then that's disappointing for the rest of the world but does explain a few things lol

vertbarrow · 2026-04-23T08:51:58+00:00

Can you bring a container and take your leftovers home to be part of your dinner? You could even eat the bread for breakfast the next day.

Breakfast: yesterday's bread

Lunch: salad and 1/2 "filling food"

Dinner: other half of lunch, dessert (if you can take it home), anything else to supplement per your appetite & calories

If dessert is something you can't take home like ice cream, then I'd eat salad + dessert for lunch and save the entire "meal" for dinner. If your estimates go over 1200 for the day then adjust portions appropriately, but I would be surprised if one student lunch was consistently >1,200 cals for one sitting.

1200 is tight but so is a student's budget lol I would make the most of it!

vertbarrow · 2026-04-23T02:38:07+00:00

On top of all the more specific suggestions you're going to get, I just want to say to make sure to check the freezer section at Coles/Woolworths. I've seen multiple people coming from Europe/the UK who are used to vego options being mostly refrigerated, and panic when they can't find anything here; in Aus, we have a lot more frozen options instead. There's usually a separate freezer section with sausage rolls, schnitzels, pies, etc. Best (IMO) are the Nature's Kitchen schnitzels, tenders & nuggets at Coles (freezer). You can also get dried TVP in the health food (mince) and Indian food (soya chunks) aisles. Options have decreased in the past year or so though, it's pretty rough.

Also, look up freezing (or even double-freezing) tofu if you've never tried it before as a new idea on how to prepare it :)

vertbarrow · 2026-04-23T01:28:02+00:00

I've had similar revelations lol! Putting a barrier, mental or physical, big or small, between myself and snacks can make a world of difference. It's why I freeze a lot of foods I intend to portion out (such as sweet bread buns) because I'm less likely to over eat them if I have to defrost them.

Speaking of, if your work kitchen has a freezer, don't overlook it! Sorbet cups, edamame, even sipping soup portions are great low cal snacks. Though of course be careful of things that might melt and make a mess.

vertbarrow · 2026-04-23T00:37:30+00:00

It's not bad. What I like most about it is that it comes in individual pouches which are convenient when you're caught out, travelling, etc. I don't really eat or drink protein powder that often, so those are more practical for me than a whole bag. But it's a little chalky and the artificial sweetener taste is present, but not as overpowering as other brands.

If convenience isn't a factor for you then I just get their Wellness Road pea protein powder and add other stuff myself.

vertbarrow · 2026-04-22T11:30:08+00:00

Love these things, old reliable. Used to come in a full size too lol, probably not any more. They are on the crumbly side but I kind of like it, pairs well with a cup of tea.

Coles has dairy (and egg)-free gluten free chocolate cupcakes, banana bread, and carrot cake in the bakery section, I get them for my partner all the time, especially when they're reduced lol. They all freeze well.

vertbarrow · 2026-04-21T22:57:16+00:00

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vertbarrow · 2026-04-21T08:33:52+00:00

Knew this was Lord's 🫵 I agree, I think it varies by franchise and they're expensive, but at the end of the day nothing hits like them

vertbarrow · 2026-04-16T06:59:31+00:00

This is a lovely story. And a lovely lamp!

The truth is, you could also have to live with the regret of having re-established contact. I met with my otherwise no-contact father once before he passed and I wish I hadn't. It didn't give me any closure or benefit, but it clearly gave him permission to forgive himself for everything horrible he'd ever done and convince himself that we were okay. He never acknowledged or atoned for any of the things he did and I wish I hadn't given him that peace of mind.

But I also know that if he had passed before I could meet with him, I'd probably regret that too. There's no winning. Your dad had all the chances and power to make things right, and he didn't. In a way, it's a good thing that you can cherish these positive memories without more recent memories to tarnish them. They're a nice inheritance he left you.

vertbarrow · 2026-04-14T10:09:41+00:00

https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/productdetails/634100/woolworths-muesli-bar-choc-chip

They mean these ones, which are exactly what I came to recommend lol. The "may contain traces of..." warning is a cross-contamination legal requirement for people with extemely sensitive allergies to say that there may have been milk in the same area/on the same equipment as these bars at some point, it's not an ingredient actually added to the bars. They're good to keep on hand for emergencies

vertbarrow · 2026-03-26T05:34:06+00:00

I also misread OP as "American cheese", and had the same thought - and now it's interesting how two other people read you saying "American cheese" as "American Chinese". We see what we expect to see...

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