We have exciting news!

We have some fun and exciting news to share with you!  We are launching a new MADE to ORDER food menu this week.  We will be temporarily suspending our grab and go food while we work out the kinks with our new menu.  We will start offering this menu from 11am-3pm Tuesday through Friday TO START.  We like taking things slowly and making sure we do it right to bring you the very best.   We will still have brunch and pizza/hot food on Saturdays!

Eventually we would like to expand this menu to be available during all open hours, but for now we wanna get it right.   We will probably make a few sandwiches and grain bowls (SAY WHAT?) to have available in the grab and go cooler for after lunch hours.  We do realize that some of you like to  grab dinner after work or lunch for the next day so we have a plan for you:  give us a call before 2:30pm and we can make an item for you and hold it for later with prepayment.  No big deal on our end and you get something fresh!   We will basically have 5 items on the menu BUT you can get them as a sandwich (gf available) with one side, a grain bowl (alternating rice and quinoa), or a salad bowl.

Once we are familiar with our new system, we will start having specials and want to even have packaged items again…like tofu piccata or lasagna.  We also want to eventually utilize our now almost empty drink cooler and have fun things like raw desserts and parfaits, etc.  Stay tuned for more fun ideas!  Check out our new food menu below.  We’re working on a nice in house menu and new paper menus, so please bare with us as we transition…we will have an in house paper menu to order from for now.

Savory Food Menu

We now make made to order food from 11am-3pm Tuesday through Friday. If you want an item for dinner please call us before 2:30pm and we will package it and set it aside for you.

Be gentle….we are new at this!

* ALL of our items can be made gluten free

* Substitutions and custom orders are not available at this time

*Sandwiches come with choice of 1 side from our daily side specials!

Tempeh Reuben *soy

Smokey tempeh bacon, sauerkraut, creamy herbed cheese spread and Russian dressing.

Get it as:

1. A SANDWICH with either wheat or gluten free bread

2. A GRAIN bowl: One cup of our grain of the day topped with the above fixins!

3. A SALAD bowl: A hefty serving of mixed greens topped with the above fixins!

Tofu Turkey Club *soy

Tofu turkey cutlets, smokey tempeh bacon, spinach, tomato and creamy avocado dressing.

Get it as:

1. A SANDWICH with either wheat or gluten free bread

2. A GRAIN bowl: One cup of our grain of the day topped with the above fixins!

3. A SALAD bowl: A hefty serving of mixed greens topped with the above fixins!

Buffalo Tofu *soy

Buffalo tofu cutlets, creamy herbed cheese spread, sliced cucumber, shredded carrot and spinach.

Get it as:

1. A SANDWICH with either wheat or gluten free bread

2. A GRAIN bowl: One cup of our grain of the day topped with the above fixins!

3. A SALAD bowl: A hefty serving of mixed greens topped with the above fixins!

Veggie Burger *soy free

Homemade bean and vegetable burger, sauteed seasonal vegetables, BBQ sauce, spinach, and tomato.

Get it as:

1. A SANDWICH with either wheat or gluten free bread

2. A GRAIN bowl: One cup of our grain of the day topped with the above fixins!

3. A SALAD bowl: A hefty serving of mixed greens topped with the above fixins!

Chickpea Salad *soy free

Homemade chickpea salad of the day topped with spinach. Curried comes with spinach and cucumber. Chickpea of the sea comes with a tomato and spinach.

Get it as:

1. A SANDWICH with either wheat or gluten free bread

2. A GRAIN bowl: One cup of our grain of the day topped with the above fixins!

3. A SALAD bowl: A hefty serving of mixed greens topped with the above fixins!

ADD ONS!

Extra .50 cents each: shredded carrots, tomatoes, sliced cucumber, pickled red onion, pickles, sauerkraut, dried cranberries

Extra 1.00 each: avocado, gluten free croutons, hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds

Valentine’s Day!

Valentines Day Sweets

Available for pre-order by February 12^th!

*Rose Cupcakes by the dozen (chocolate or vanilla, available gluten free) $30

*GANACHE covered organic strawberries, 4 for $4.99

* Large Heart sugar cookies 4 for $8.00

*Small Valentines sugar cookies 6 for $8.00

*4 inch cakes-winter strawberry and dark strawberry for $15.00

*Ganache covered strawberries can be added to any treat for .75 cents extra.

We will also have a variety of 4 inch cakes, decadent donuts, french silk pie, bars, decadent canoes, and MORE for sale that day!

Holiday Ordering!

Here are our December holiday specials!

Special Holiday Items!

Orders must be placed by Saturday December 20^th and can be picked up Tuesday the 23^rd or Wednesday the 24^th.

It’s a Party Treats: (all little party sized bites) (gluten free available for extra)

Bars: brownies and blondies                                                                                                                        

48 party pieces (1 dozen normal sized) $25.00

-Can be mixed (gluten free must be ordered separately)

-Gluten free available

Cookies: chocolate chip, cashew nougat, Jelly Thumbprints, Snickerdoodles 

24 party sized cookies (half normal size) $16.00

-Can be mixed (gluten free must be ordered separately)

-Gluten free/soy free available

Cookie Pies: Oatmeal Cream Pies, Peppermint Whoopie Pies

12 party sized $20.00

-Can be mixed

Specialty Items

Gingerbread People and Sugar Cookies: 12 for $24

Pies: Apple $20

Pumpkin $18

Blueberry with Crumb Topping $20

** As always our cakes/cupcakes/cheesecakes are available to order.

** We will have a lot of the party treats and cupcakes on the 23^rd and 24^th!

WE ARE HIRING!!

 

Wanna join our team and work in a fun, challenging environment with like-minded people?

We are hiring!  We have two part time positions open: a decorator for 25 hours a week, and a counter person for 10 hours a week.  See the descriptions below and either drop off a resume in person or email it.

 

DECORATOR WANTED!!!

X’s to O’s Vegan Bakery seeks part time decorator/counter person for about 24-25 hours per week (varies on need). We’re looking for someone to grow with us who will help our bakery excel. Will train if needed. Job starts ASAP!!!!

The optimal candidate must have:

-any foodservice or customer service experience

-experience decorating cakes/cupcakes

-be very versatile and able to stay cool under pressure

-friendly/outgoing personality

-knowledge of and passion for veganism/vegan food

-creativity for different flavors

-be hardworking and self motivating (and ready to clean!)

-experience working a cash register/handling money

-be punctual/responsible AND be self-motivated

-be comfortable in a fast paced environment

-have an understanding of food allergies-particularly gluten and soy

-experience making smoothies (at home counts)

-have good verbal communication skills

-be comfortable working in a feminist environment 

-able to lift 50 lbs

This position is part time and requires availability Monday 1p-6p, Tuesday 10am-3pm, Wednesday 3pm-8pm, Friday 10am-3pm, Pizza Saturday 10am-2pm OR 11am-3pm, and Brunch Saturday 11am-5pm. We are looking for HARDWORKING, SERIOUS people only.

The perks?:

-working in an environment with like minded people, eating a reasonable amount of baked goods for free, you get food for 50% off, meeting tons of cool people (customers), sometimes we volunteer at farm sanctuaries for staff days or do other cool stuff, you will be respected for your energy and time

 

Please drop or email resumes off to the bakery if you’re interested. Be sure to include a blurb about WHY you want to work here, your knowledge of veganism, and your knowledge of food allergies.  Phone calls will not be accepted. Email info@xoxoveganbakery.com

 

 

 

COUNTER PERSON WANTED!!

X’s to O’s Vegan Bakery seeks part time counter person for about 10 hours per week (varies on need). We’re looking for someone to grow with us who will help our bakery excel. Will train if needed. Job starts ASAP!!!!

The optimal candidate must have:

-any foodservice or customer service experience

-be very versatile and able to stay cool under pressure

-friendly/outgoing personality

-knowledge of and passion for veganism/vegan food

-be hardworking and self motivating (and ready to clean!)

-experience working a cash register/handling money

-be punctual/responsible AND be self-motivated

-be comfortable in a fast paced environment with an ability to multi-task

-have an understanding of food allergies-particularly gluten and soy

-experience making smoothies (at home counts)

-have good verbal communication skills

-be comfortable working in a feminist environment 

-able to lift 50 lbs

This position is part time and requires availability Thursday 10am-3pm, Friday 10am-3pm and some Saturdays as a possible alternate. We are looking for HARDWORKING, SERIOUS people only. There will be A LOT of dishwashing/cleaning.

The perks?:

-working in an environment with like minded people, eating a reasonable amount of baked goods for free, you get food for 50% off, meeting tons of cool people (customers), sometimes we volunteer at farm sanctuaries for staff days or do other cool stuff, you will be respected for your energy and time

 

Please drop, or email resumes off to the bakery if you’re interested. Be sure to include a blurb about WHY you want to work here, your knowledge of veganism, and your knowledge of food allergies.  Phone calls will not be accepted. Email us at info@xoxoveganbakery.com

WE ARE HIRING!

We are hiring and are looking for some awesome people to join our team! We currently have one position available now and another opening up in a few weeks. Please see below for the two descriptions and apply in store!

Part Time Decorator/Bakery Assistant
X’s to O’s Vegan Bakery seeks part time decorator/counter person for about 10-12 hours per week (varies on need). We’re looking for someone to grow with us who will help our bakery excel. Will train if needed. Job starts ASAP!!!!
The optimal candidate must have:
-any foodservice or customer service experience
-experience decorating cakes/cupcakes
-be very versatile and able to stay cool under pressure
-friendly/outgoing personality
-knowledge of and passion for veganism/vegan food
-creativity for different flavors
-be hardworking and self motivating (and ready to clean!)
-experience working a cash register/handling money
-be punctual/responsible AND be self-motivated
-be comfortable in a fast paced environment
-have an understanding of food allergies-particularly gluten and soy
-experience making smoothies (at home counts)
-have good verbal communication skills
-be comfortable working in a feminist environment 
-able to lift 50 lbs

This position is part time and requires availability Monday 1p-6p, Tuesday 9am-12pm, Friday 10 or 11am-3pm, and possibly brunch Saturdays or Wednesdays if needed. We are looking for HARDWORKING, SERIOUS people only.
The perks?:
-working in an environment with like minded people, eating a reasonable amount of baked goods for free, you get food for 50% off, meeting tons of cool people (customers), sometimes we volunteer at farm sanctuaries for staff days or do other cool stuff, you will be respected for your energy and time
 
Please drop or mail resumes off to the bakery if you’re interested. Be sure to include a blurb about WHY you want to work here, your knowledge of veganism, and your knowledge of food allergies.  Phone calls will not be accepted.

Part time Counter Person/Closer
X’s to O’s Vegan Bakery seeks part time counter person for about 20-30 hours per week (varies on need). We’re looking for someone to grow with us who will help our bakery excel. Will train if needed. Job starts May 21st!!!!
The optimal candidate must have:
-any foodservice or customer service experience
-be very versatile and able to stay cool under pressure
-friendly/outgoing personality
-knowledge of and passion for veganism/vegan food
-be hardworking and self motivating (and ready to clean!)
-experience working a cash register/handling money
-be punctual/responsible AND be self-motivated
-be comfortable in a fast paced environment
-have an understanding of food allergies-particularly gluten and soy
-experience making smoothies (at home counts)
-have good verbal communication skills
-be comfortable working in a feminist environment 
-able to lift 50 lbs

This position is part time and requires availability Monday 1p-6p, Wednesday 5-8/9pm, Thursday 5-8/9pm, Friday 5-8/9pm and brunch Saturdays from 11a-5/5:30pm. We are looking for HARDWORKING, SERIOUS people only. There will be A LOT of dishwashing/cleaning.
The perks?:
-working in an environment with like minded people, eating a reasonable amount of baked goods for free, you get food for 50% off, meeting tons of cool people (customers), sometimes we volunteer at farm sanctuaries for staff days or do other cool stuff, you will be respected for your energy and time
 
Please drop or mail resumes off to the bakery if you’re interested. Be sure to include a blurb about WHY you want to work here, your knowledge of veganism, and your knowledge of food allergies.  Phone calls will not be accepted.

Veganize It: Buffalo Wings

It’s still chilly and I’m dreaming of hot buffalo wings and ranch dressing. It’s a comforting twist of hot and creamy. There’s also an element of pure trashy, fried food if you want it.

Here is Alton Brown’s recipe from the Food Network.
Ingredients
12 whole chicken wings (WINGS are for FLYING Alton not frying!)
3 ounces unsalted butter
1 small clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

OUR awesome and vegan ingredients!
12 or so vegan chicken wings (May Wah brand at Honest Weight Coop or you could use tempeh strips or Beyond Meat or Gardein brand)
3-5 oz melted vegan margarine
1 small garlic clove
1/4c-1/2c Red Hot or hot sauce of choice
1/8-1/4c nutritional yeast (trust me)

Bake wings (if May Wah brand) for about 10 minutes before drowning in hot sauce mix, then bake 8-10 more minutes or until done. If using Gardein, Beyond Meat, or tempeh strips- dip in hot sauce mix and bake for 10-15 minutes or more depending on level of desired crispiness. You can also dip them again in the hot sauce after cooking if you like it really messy.

Pair with my really rad ranch dressing recipe below and some celery/carrot sticks while contemplating the meaning of life (and cuddling with a cute kitten).
Sarah’s Ranch Dressing
1 container Mori-NU silken tofu (it’s not all created equal)
2 heaping TBSP vegan mayo
1-2 TBSP lemon juice
2-6 pinches/dashes nutritional yeast
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried dill
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp celery seed
salt and pepper to taste

Blend all in food processor. I sometimes add more nutritional yeast and lemon juice after tasting, it depends on what you like.

ENJOY!

Veganize It: Mac and Cheese!

Welcome to the very first installment of “Veganize It!”. I (Sarah) will feature a non-vegan recipe and show you how easy it is to make it vegan. Get ready to learn some sweet vegan moves in the kitchen as I teach you the basics and then some. Put on yo’ oven mitts or apron and get ready to EAT!

First up, a super delicious and decadent dish that everyone loves…mac and cheese. Not just any mac and cheese either. PAULA DEEN’S creamiest mac and cheese. Why not? Here is the link to the original recipe: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/recipe/paula-deen-recipe-creamiest-mac-cheese-18155375
I will repost the original recipe’s ingredients and then our recipe replacements so you can start to learn how to veganize common dishes. Enjoy and be sure to follow the ingredients on the BOTTOM (please don’t eat Paula’s). 🙂

Paula’s Recipe
2 cups elbow macaroni (8 ounces)
3 tablespoons butter
2 large eggs
3/4 cup heavy cream or evaporated milk
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon mustard powder
Pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (6 ounces)
8 slices American cheese

Our recipe!!!
2 cups wheat elbow macaroni OR gf brown rice macaroni
3 tbsp earth balance or coconut butter
(We won’t be using an egg replacer here!)
1 cup almond, soy, or plant milk of choice!
½ tsp-1 tsp salt (dang Paula!)
½ tsp black pepper¼ tsp mustard powder
pinch of smoked paprika (optional)
1 ½ cups Daiya vegan cheddar cheese
¼ cup- ½ cup tofutti cream cheese OR a cashew cheese spread OR sunflower seed spread (soy free)
¼ cup nutritional yeast flakes
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 ½ tsp cornstarch or tapioca starch
2 tbsp sesame tahini
1 ½ tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp flour (wheat or chickpea)

OUR directions:

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the macaroni according to the package directions. Drain well and return the pasta to the pot. Add the butter and stir over medium heat until the butter has melted and the pasta is coated.

IN a separate medium saucepan, whisk the milk, pepper, salt, mustard powder, paprika, nutritional yeast, flour, starch, ketchup, tahini, and lemon juice over medium heat. Stir continuously until thick. Add in the cheeses and stir with a spoon until cheese is all melted and well combined. Pour cheese sauce over macaroni and stir well. EAT! You can also pour it into a casserole dish and bake for 15-20 minutes until the top is crispy (just like Grandma used to make!).

Valentines Day Specials!

Valentines Day Sweets

Available for pre-order by February 12^th!

 

 

*Rose Cupcakes by the dozen (chocolate or vanilla, available gluten free) $30

*GANACHE covered organic strawberries, 4 for $4.99

* Large Heart sugar cookies 4 for $8.00

*Small Valentines sugar cookies 6 for $8.00

*Heart sugar cookies with custom messages 2 for $5.00

*Ganache covered strawberries can be added to any treat for .50 cents extra.

We will also have a variety of 4 inch cakes, decadent donuts, french silk pie, bars, decadent canoes, and MORE for sale that day!

 

New Year, New Plans

It’s 2014, and we’re proud to announce our new line of X’s to O’s Automatic Dispensing Cupcake-Bots, available for residential or commercial use! Bleep bloop!

Just kidding.

We’re excited to share another year with our customers and local community, and we are thankful for all the support and recognition we received in 2013. Most notably, our recent gift card sale was an incredible success, as well as a much-needed boost to our motivation and creativity.

In the spirit of the new year and how futuristic it seems (Twenty…fourteen… where are the hoverboards?!), we are turning over lots of new ideas for the bakery. We want to expand our wholesale deliveries to new locations, potentially increase hours at our retail location, raise awareness of our healthy lunch options downtown, host more events, and continue to develop our savory menu (potentially with made-to-order hot items). While we have ideas and plans for new developments, we would love your input on what YOU would like—stores and restaurants for us to sell to, what hours you would like to see and utilize in our shop (i.e. would you rather we were open earlier? Later?) events to hold or be a vendor at, and so on. While perhaps we can’t make every dream come true (no water park on the roof… it’s a bummer, we know), we really do take suggestions into account. Our four years here have been built on the relationships we’ve made—from long-time vegans in the capital region, to neighbors who enjoy a decadent treat here and there, lunch-goers, customers with allergies, to people looking for healthy food options, a late weekend brunch, a good WiFi connection, or a place to have a cup of coffee with a friend. We are grateful for everyone who walks in, and we want to hear more feet creaking across our old Troy floors! So let us know what brings you here, and what would make your day.

We look forward to your feedback, and to seeing you in the new year!

XOXO

X’s to O’s Needs Your Help!!!

X’s to O’s needs your help!

The Bad News: We need to raise money to stay open.

The Good News: We have a fabulous gift card promotion just in time for the Holidays! Buy one between now and December 11^th, and redeem your card after January 10^th when it will increase in value by 15%.

The Details: We currently need $2500 by December 11^th in order to stay open. About a year ago, National Grid did not bill us for a period of 6 months. With all the responsibilities and chaos of single-handedly managing the business, I most unfortunately did not notice the lack of invoices from them. As you might imagine, this accumulated into a large sum of money. We were taken off the budget plan because of the lapse, and while I have personally spent a dozen hours on the phone with them trying to work something out, they refuse to accept smaller payments. I have spoken to many different representatives, all of whom tell me something different or, in some cases totally wrong; misinformation has exacerbated this problem into the crisis that it is now. Despite their mistakes and inconsistencies throughout this year, I’ve never been able to get them to agree to work with me. They do not budge on commercial accounts, and now we must pay $2500 or our electric will be shut off.

I have an extremely hard time asking for help—while running a small business is never easy, this is the most serious obstacle the bakery has experienced. This is where we need you! We are running a special gift card promotion to get through this, because we want to be able to show our appreciation for you in return. We will be selling $25, $50, and $100 gift certificates, now through December 11^th. These certificates will increase in value by 15% after January 10^th. This means you not only get what you paid for, but additional goodies, too! These will make perfect holiday gifts for you, your friends, and loved ones, and you will help us stay open! This bakery is NOT finished… we want to keep making veganism accessible to everyone. We love making you delicious treats and exciting food, and we have big dreams for growth in the future. Please consider buying a gift card!

The certificates will be available in our physical location and online in our webstore. If you are local, but can’t get here in time, you can buy one online and it can be mailed to you or picked up in the store. If you are not local, you may buy one online and use it for online ordering (shipping not included)!

Buy a gift card here!

Remember to get your gift card by December 11^th to help us avoid shut off. Thank you SO much. We love you all!

UPDATE!!!  WE MADE IT!  We will still run the gift card promo until Christmas so everyone can enjoy free treats if they want!  Thank you so very much everyone!  The amount of generosity and compassion that we have seen in the past 24 hours has been amazing.  We are definitely feeling loved and big things are sure to come from us!  ❤