Vegan smoked cheddar and portobello...99 cent store veg*n Philly cheesesteak?

Caveat empor!  Not everything at the Berkeley "99 cent only" store is 99 cents anymore.  Sadly with inflation and Bay area prices, that's totally understandable.  Still, the prices can't be beaten!

I am leery of any food made in the People's Republic of China, so I'll note it if that applies.

Here are vegetarian/vegan deals that I found at the Berkeley 99 cent store (prices above 99 cents are noted):

• Violife vegan smoked cheddar block $1.99.
• This is cashew free.  It's the same brand of cheese the King's Feet (which is walking distance from the 99 cent store!) uses if you don't want the cashew based Butcher's Son mozzarella.
• Violife vegan cream cheese 7 oz. container $1.99
• Shiitake mushrooms (fresh, 4 oz.)
• Portobello mushrooms 4 oz.
• Baby bella mushrooms 4 oz.
• White button mushrooms 4 oz.
• Green beans (fresh, 1 lb.)
• Cauliflower
• Yellow squash
• Grape tomatoes
• Cherry tomatoes
• Broccoli
• Romaine and butter lettuce
• Medjool dates $1.99
• Blackberries 5 oz. for $0.99 (double size container is $1.99)
• Raspberries 5 oz $1.99
• Avocados - bag of about a half dozen small ones for $1.99
• Butternut squash- the entire squash, whereas other markets charge the same price or more per pound
• Kabocha squash
• Spaghetti squash
• Sugar cones (12 per box)
• Clabber Girl baking powder
• Clabber Girl cornstarch
• Chocolate cookies made in Germany (not vegan)
• Crushed red pepper- two options, made in China or India
• Himalayan pink salt
• Frank's red hot sauce
• Tapatio flavor hummus, plus a couple other hummus flavors 
• Dried parsley, whole black peppercorns, French seasoning, dried basil, lemon pepper, ground pepper
• Carey brand salsa (mild and hot)
• 24 oz. pastas (rotini, penne, rigatoni); 16 oz. whole wheat pastas (spaghetti, rotini); 12 oz. tricolore rotini
• 1 lb. or more brown and Jasmine rice
• Garbanzo beans
• Split peas
• Pink beans, kidney beans, and several other types of beans for $1.99 each (> 1 lb. each)
• Pillsbury refrigerated biscuit dough- they had the tiny canisters this time.  A couple months ago they had the 8 oz. crescent roll double packs for $0.99!
• Lemon or lime bags $1.99 each 
• Diced butternut squash 8 oz. bag
• Diced yams
• Boxed soy milk
• Tomato paste 50 cents per small can
• Green olives
• Olive oil spray

They also had, but I didn't note the prices for: shallots, onions, potatoes, jalapeno peppers, strawberries, baby spinach, salad mixes, yams, fresh coconut, jicama, large cans of pizza sauce, tomato sauce, and tomato paste, French rolls (not sure if they're vegan), sandwich bread

If you buy French rolls, vegan cheese, and portobello mushrooms, you're well on your way to making a super affordable vegan Philly cheesesteak!  

Rest in Peace Oakland 99 Cent Store

Sadly, the West Oakland 99 cent store closed.

The only 99 cent only chain store is in Berkeley, walkable from the North Berkeley BART station.

At my most recent visit there, I was able to get:
- portobello caps and crimini mushrooms, now in a smaller package than before (4 or 5 oz.)
- 5 lb. bag of red potatoes
- 16 oz. bags of dried garbanzo beans
- Ocean spray dried cranberries
- large heads of cauliflower
- canned cherries made in USA
- black peppercorns
I also saw guava paste and pink Himalayan salt.

Coconut Cream Pie & More Thanks to Dollar Store

I made a coconut cream pie with ingredients found at the 99 cent store (mostly from my most recent trip in November unless otherwise noted):

Besides the pie ingredients, I found other veg*n goodies, too:

• Coconut flakes (made in USA or Vietnam)
• Graham cracker crust (from previous trip here)
• Coconut milk
• Silk brand boxed non-dairy milk (in refrigerator section but refrigeration not required since it's a tetra pak that is shelf stable)
• Veggie burger patties (made in India)
• Veggie samosas (made in India)
• Blueberries, fresh (~5 oz.)
• Blueberries, frozen (from North America)
• Portobello caps (2-3 per pack)
• Lemons (4+ per bag)
• Cremini mushrooms
• Crushed tomatoes (32 oz. can)
• Rice vinegar
• Lentils
• Dried garbanzo beans
• Lasagna noodles

Dollar Store Deals: Quinoa, Cauliflower, and Mushrooms, oh my!

Here are what veggie-licious goodies found in late Oct. 2016 at the 99 cent store:

• Portobello caps
• Cremini mushrooms
• White mushrooms
• Morningstar brand quinoa Thai curry bowls (frozen, vegan)
• Bananas (49 cents a pound)
• Bag of limes
• Celery
• Zucchini and yellow squash
• Bag of snow peas
• Cauliflower (huge ones!)
• Bag of sweet mini peppers
• Vegetarian spring rolls (frozen)
• Baking white chocolate (not vegan)
• Canned crushed tomatoes
• ~40 oz. canned Sun Vista brand garbanzo beans
• Rice vinegar
• Heinz brand apple cider vinegar
• Clabber girl brand baking powder
• 5 lb. bag white potatoes
• 3 lb. bag red potatoes
• Dried split green peas

Feel like baking?  How about some vegan tacos?  Check out these Oakland 99 Cent Store Veg*n Deals this week:

• hummus
• 28 oz. canned crushed tomatoes
• cumin
• red pepper flakes
• fresh tomatoes
• baking soda, baking powder
• Ortega brand whole wheat taco shells
• Kelloggs NutriGrain strawberry bars (contains milk)
• Westsoy vanilla soy milk boxes
• Tapatio hot sauce 10 oz.
• Betty Crocker watermelon, candy corn, and mint chocolate flavored 16 oz. frosting (may contain milk ingredients)
• almond extract (artificial)
• graham cracker crumb crust
• 16 oz. canned baby corn
• Craisins dried cranberries
• Dried lentils, black beans, split peas

How about some Dollar Store Vegan Desserts?

Double crust fudge bars from Chloe's Vegan Desserts recipe.
Sugar and unsweetened baking squares from Oakland 99 cent store.

Lemon raspberry pie from Chloe's Vegan Desserts recipe.
Mrs. Smith's pie crust, lemons, cornstarch, soy milk, sugar all available at Oakland 99 cent store.

What Can You Make from Dollar Store Vegan Deals?

Italian 'messy rice': Portobello mushrooms, baby bella mushrooms (both from 99c store); vegan 'chicken' strips (Trader Joe's) and rice; spices from 99c store

Artichoke and potato-stuffed portobello mushrooms; artichoke hearts from Trader Joe's; portobello mushroom caps, potatoes, and paprika from 99c store