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My date… at a gas station?

oatmeal square

But first, breakfast:

I spread peanut butter on one of these: Banana Oatmeal Squares.

(Plus a simple veggie scramble, unpictured.) I played around with the ingredients and proportions of the boatmeal, devising a new version of the recipe that yields 10 servings instead of just one. Or you can freeze the leftovers and have one ready as needed. (I’m not sure yet whether the cookbook will include a chapter on breakfast. Right now I’m leaning towards desserts only, and if that ends up being the case I’ll definitely post the larger-serving recipe online.)

In the afternoon, the boy and I went out to White Rock Lake and rented a kayak. I’m terrible at kayaking; you don’t want to be stuck in a boat with me, as I will be no help in making it move. Still, I had fun, which is all that matters, right? And afterwards, we hit up The Green Spot:

vegan soft serve

A healthy gas station??

Imagine a gas station convenience store where the Twinkies and candy have been replaced with Larabars, organic produce, and kale chips. Oh, and vegan soft-serve.

In Texas.

In a gas station.

vegan soft serve

(P.S. Note my 4th of July nails :))

the green spot

green gas station

The Green Spot is the first of its kind: a healthy convenience store and gas station with regular unleaded gas, diesel gas blended with biodiesel and B100 biodiesel.

Their soft serve was seriously delicious. The chocolate tasted rich and creamy, and the vanilla was so surprisingly flavorful I think I might’ve liked it even more than the chocolate!

I got a swirl of both vegan flavors (the aforementioned chocolate and vanilla). The boy had chocolate-raspberry (non-vegan) soft serve, but he was at least brave enough to take a taste of mine. (It feels weird to keep referring to him as “the boy.” I’ll just call him “S” from now on.)

Question of the Day:

When was the last time you had soft-serve frozen yogurt?

Until yesterday, it had been years since my last soft-serve cone. Sadly, vegan soft serve is very hard to come by. Now that I know The Green Spot exists, I will definitely be going back!

Link of the Day:

brownie batter frozen yogurt

Brownie Batter Frozen Yogurt

Published on July 8, 2012

Meet Katie

Chocolate Covered Katie is one of the top 25 food websites in America, and Katie has been 
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ABC's 5 O’Clock News. Her favorite food is chocolate, and she believes in eating dessert every single day.

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101 Comments

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  1. Sarina @ Earthgiven says

    It’s great when you find vegan treats in unusual places! There is only one place near me where we can find vegan soft serve and that’s Menchies, but their vegan sorbet is just flavoured sugar water. Wonder what is in the Green Spot’s soft serve?

    It’s encouraging to see places like gas stations embrace healthier eating!

  2. Alyssa (Down To Earth) says

    How awesome! This is great news for travellers…when my boy and I road trip, it’s always so hard to find something reasonable to snack on when we fuel up. I sure hope more of these pop up across the country.

  3. Jen E says

    Oh I miss white rock lake it’s so nice there. You make me miss texas so much I can’t wait to move back there. Where is the gas station at? I’ve never seen soft serve vegan anything. The last time I had soft serve was probably well over 10 years now.

  4. Inlove with chocolate and bananas says

    Your 4th of July nails are really cute. It’s so great you found vegan treats in an unusual place. There’s ABSOLUTELY NO PLACE NEAR ME that makes vegan soft serves (or ice cream, or candy, or cakes.. nothing) I don’t live in the U.S and also there’s the fact that I live in very small town and there’s not much here.. 🙁 It doesn’t make being vegan easy! That’s why I love your recipes so much.. because if it wasn’t for them I would have been left without any ice cream or desserts(AND NOBODY WOULD WANT TO BE AROUND ME IF I DIDN’T GET MY ICE CREAM)
    The last time I had a soft serve was … about a week ago..when I made frozen banana soft serve ( I add chocolate almond butter) .. It’s amazing!
    P.S
    I’m just getting ready to make your brownie batter frozen yogurt (I saw the link of the day and decided it wouldn’t be a good day unless I made some fro -yo).

      • Inlove with chocolate and bananas says

        Yes, that’s the one.. but I’ve been making it for sometime now.. with chocolate chips, peanut butter and other stuff like that… I tried it with chocolate almond butter.. and it was AMAZING. Usually I just put some cocoa powder in with the bananas, but it’s much better this way(with almond butter). First I saw the cocoa powder version on http://tarastileseats.tumblr.com/ and I started to experiment – putting strawberries with the bananas (Yummy), chocolate, peanut butter, chocolate hazelnut butter and other stuff like that.. I guess I was thinking about that video when I commented.. LOL. And you’re right it probably would have been harder to stay healthy if there were places with vegan fast food, ice cream and candy .. 😀

  5. Tanya says

    It’s been YEARS that I’ve had soft serve… but I now that there is a vegan restaurant here in Germany that has vegan soft serve! Too far from here though…

    For when is your cookbook scheduled? Any plans on when it might be published? Please let me know!!!

    Oh, btw, I am creating a RAW version of the frozen hot chocolate at the moment.

      • Tanya says

        Thanks! I’m excited, can’t wait to get your book! =)
        I guess by now I created so many recipes, I should actually start a foodblog myself… plus we always make beautiful photography! I’m just not that much into creating a website…

  6. Katie @ Peace Love & Oats says

    I had some yesterday! And um, that gas station needs to expand to all states, IMMEDIATELY! I had to do a roadtrip last week and I was thrilling to find fruits and veggies at one place! Haha that looks way better!

  7. Sami says

    There is a Portugese deli in Gloucester, Massachusetts that serves frozen tofu yogurt in dozens of flavors. It tastes just like fro-yo, and I had mine in Peanut Butter. This looks equally delish though!!! Cute patriotic nails, btw!!

  8. Anonymous says

    The frozen yogurt place near me just added a dairy free flavor called Mango Tango. I haven’t tried it yet.

  9. nikki says

    wow! how awesome! and… in dallas?! so great to see all of the healthy (healthier) choices there. too bad, though, that they’re selling beef burgers and everything else there still, though. 😛 still, great to see… especially in texas of all places.

  10. Sandy Gillett says

    I just googled this and learned you’re in Dallas!!! OMG! Please, please, please Green Spot people, open one in Midland. (Next time I’m in Dallas I will make a special trip to Green Spot!) I love your blog Katie – you’re on your way to the top – congratulations on the cookbook – put me down for three at least!

  11. Lauren says

    I don’t tolerate dairy very well, so I would love to come across a place like this! I’ve tried making fro yo in the past, and it came out pretty well! It’s nice to be able to control what goes into it! Love the patriotic nails!

  12. JJ says

    VEGAN SOFTSERVE?!?!?!?!!
    Ohhhhmmmyyyyygooooodnessss!!!!
    What was it made of?!
    Hopefully not soy, because then I still can’t have it 🙁

  13. Stephanie Niles says

    Oh, soft serve. Last time I had is was in St. George, Utah at a little health food store. Oat cream I believe it was and it was GOOD!

  14. Cheerfully Vegan says

    How very, very sad that there is only ONE Green Spot in the whole USA. *sniff* I sent them an e-mail telling them to please, please hurry and spread across the whole US, because there are those of us in Ohio who need such a place!

    I haven’t had a soft-serve anything since becoming vegan. I feel blessed when I find vegan things sometimes! I’ve been researching a vacation at Hilton Head and there are precious little options there for vegans (esp. gluten-intolerant ones) unless you wish to live on salads. I long for the time when vegan options are as wide-spread as vegetarian ones are.

  15. Amber with Slim Pickin's Kitchen says

    That is so awesome! What an amazing idea! I hope they start popping up all over the place. The last time I had frozen yogurt was on Thurs night. I loooooooooooooove Yobe! It’s so good! My favorite flavor is one that is made with Taro, a Hawaiian root vegetable. *so good*

  16. Melissa (Better Fit) says

    Yum! Wow, I LOVE that someone has come up with healthy gas station foods! It’s about time. I hope they do well and expand like crazy!

    Your nails are so cute!

  17. Brandie says

    Ack! I miss soft serve…. or ANY vegan ice cream at an ice cream STORE! I’ve long thought it extremely prejudiced that places like Coldstone and the Marble Slab (who cater ENTIRELY to ice cream) can’t provide at least ONE ice cream in an alternative form. I mean, how hard is it to have soy vanilla??? plain ol vanilla would be good enough for me y’all! That way us veg’s can still go OUT with friends/family and enjoy a bowl. I’m SO happy for you that you found the Green Spot! Wish it was closer 😉

  18. Lesley says

    If anyone is in the Chicago area, the Chicago Diner in Lakeview has AMAZING vegan milkshakes!! I just had one yesterday and it blew my mind. I don’t know how they make the whipped cream, it tastes exactly like the real deal.

  19. Lauren Stewart says

    Whaaaat, I am so impressed that a gas station like that exists! And in Texas! They definitely need to open more. Having healthy food available on the road 24/7 would make such a difference, in my opinion. Also, love the oatmeal recipe and can’t wait to try it!

  20. Lisa @ The Raw Serenity says

    Wow! This truly gives hope.
    I wonder how business is going for them and whether it is more profitable than a junk food gas station..
    I wish I had one in town! The Gas station would be the new super market 🙂
    I have never had vegan soft serve (that’s if you don’t count my banana soft serve).

  21. Rachelle B. says

    I can’t believe how cheap your gas is over there! In SoCal it’s close to $4! I’m also loving this gas station. They should definitely have more around the country!

  22. Vegan says

    It’s been a long while since I saw gas prices that cheap! Very smart on their part to offer healthy options. Thanks for sharing.

  23. theresa @ aspoonfulofsunshine says

    Wow that looks like an awesome gas station! I really hope the GreenSpot expands to California too. It would be great to have healthy places to stop and grab snacks when you are in the middle of nowhere 🙂

  24. Emma says

    wow!! I’m thinking that ALL gas stations should be more like the green spot – so many people eat food on the go, having more healthy options at gas stations would make choosing healthy items so much easier.

  25. Artymism says

    The world needs more gas stations like that! I have never seen such a thing myself, but the idea is a great one…the next time you go, put in a suggestion for branching out to North Florida! 😉 Maybe they can slowly take over all the junk food stations.

  26. Keri says

    Oh my gosh! I can’t believe there is such a place here in Dallas (of ALL places!!), and I didn’t even know about it! Amazing, can’t wait to check it out, which I will be doing soon! Thanks for bringing this to our attention!

  27. brianna says

    I’ve never had vegan soft serve, but I had fro-yo on Friday. I work at a day camp, so some of my co-counselors and I have invented fro-yo Friday. It’s a welcome treat at the end of a long week.

  28. PK says

    My last soft serve yoghurt was October 2010. Why so specific? I was in Vegas with the hubby, and in one of the hotel malls (I forget which one) there was this awesome self-serve, pay-by-the-ounce soft serve yoghurt shop. I had a swirl with too many toppings, and it was delish. We don’t have anything like that here on the west coast of Australia, and I’m looking forward to our next trip back to Vegas/the States (I’m in the planning stage right now!), and I am watching these comments closely for places to hit up when we get there 😀

    PS I *love* your nails. I wish I could keep nail polish on for more than two hours 🙁 Oily nails means it chips right off mine – even acrylics/gel nails and shellac lift off within a couple of hours 🙁

  29. Erika says

    Some how I’m not surprised by a healthy, fancy, gas station in that area! 🙂 Will check it out next time I’m hanging out north of 30.

  30. ML Bishop says

    Hi Katie, I’m new to your blog. It’s amazing, your recipes are fabulous. I’m from Dallas too, I grew up in Richardson. How cool that the df dub has such a weird/awesome gas station! I’ll have to visit there the next time I’m in town!

  31. Haylee says

    Am I the only one that is dying to see the boys face? I can’t be, but I was so surprised to read through the comments and see no mention of picture request! You’ve got me dying of curiosity here! I’m sure you two are adorable together and I definitely don’t blame him if he’s hesitant to have his picture out there for the world to see but I just hope he knows how lucky he is!

  32. Jojo says

    ehm why was there no post on national chocolate day? did i miss it? or do you just want to stay unpredictable? =D

  33. Adrianne says

    Thank you so much for posting this!!!! My daughter has a severe dairy allergy and has never in her life had soft serve. I didn’t know vegan soft serve existed. We’re making the drive out there this weekend. I’m going to surprise her and she’ll be thrilled! Maybe we’ll swing by Spiral Diner on our way home. That’s one of our favorite restaurants. Slurp!

  34. amcole says

    I LOVE The Green Spot!!! I do all of my marathon training runs at White Rock Lake and the hubby and I stop by there everytime.

  35. Nicole says

    I am seriously envious of your Green Spot gas stations! I am very heartened by their mission to provide healthy (and local!) food and environmentally-friendlier fuel. It is so hard to find healthy anything, especially on a cross-country road trip (as my fiance & I mournfully discovered on our cross-country move last year in Summer 2011). There needs to be more of these types of gas stations across the country!
    Also, I do hope your date went well! :o)

  36. Katie says

    I think the last time I got yogurt soft serve was last summer. There’s a place near us that specializes in frozen custard, and as much as I like frozen yogurt, I have a soft spot for that custard.

  37. vogelstar says

    Funny I call everyone by their first initial on my blog too.
    I love soft serve. I love gelato more. There is a cute European gelato shop just a short walk away from us and we have been hitting that place hard this very very hot summer. Ps, while I’m not vegan, 80 percent of what I eat is and he goes along for the ride and has even developed a taste for it. The other day he requested tofu for goodness sakes!

  38. Katy @ My Vegan Weight Loss Journey says

    I LOVE the Green Spot. When I visit my friend in Dallas, we often go to the Green Spot on the same day that there’s a little farmers market in the parking lot too! It’s great! This time I was in town, we didn’t go to the Green Spot but we did go to the Spiral Diner, Anvil Pub (they have quite a few vegan options) and Best Thai…..all great vegan options! Also, Tutti Frutti frozen yogurt has a soybean vegan frozen yogurt option now too. Not all of the locations have it but you could give them a call and find out. It’s delicious!

  39. Megan says

    I’ve never heard of such a thing as a healthy gas station! That’s impressive! I’m from New England, so we have a lot more ice cream places than frozen yogurt, but a new frozen yogurt place just opened up near my house which I’m super excited about. It’s self-serve soft-serve (haha try saying that five times fast!), and you fill the cup up as much as you want, then add whatever toppings you want. There’s over 50 options, from fresh fruit to candy to hot fudge to caramel to granola…everything you can possibly imagine. Last time I went, I discovered they had brownie bites 😀

  40. Anna @ The Guiltless Life says

    That is SUPER impressive. I live in Vancouver, a city that prides itself on supporting ‘alternative’ diets, but I am really struggling to even find dairy-free ice cream, gelato, fro-yo etc at a fro-yo joint, let alone a gas station!

  41. Laura says

    There is NOTHING out here. We have half of an aisle of “organic” foods at one grocery store. Makes vegan/healthy eating quite difficult. Where we used to live, we had something called New Pioneer Food Co-Op that my mom always went to. But the only thing I remember about it is that it always smelled like wheatgrass, and it was during the time that I was vomiting several times a night every night, so I didn’t have fond memories of the place. I do wish we had a whole foods near.

  42. Giselle says

    Ahh Katie, I swear, you are like the sister I never had! I seriously love all of your recipes and ideas, especially since they’re super chocolately and super healthy. If I ever open a restaurant (fingers crossed), I’m inviting you to taste test 🙂

  43. Karen says

    Holy Cow, Katie! I had no idea such a thing existed! I could eat soft serve! And we’ve got a trip to Dallas planned in a couple months!

    But I wanted to ask you a question on a completely different topic. Vegan White Chocolate. Now I’ve spend my entire life thinking of white chocolate as fake chocolate, but this past week when a friend of mine made cake balls with my daughter and some of her friends, I got to experimenting. White chocolate instead of frosting inside makes them so fudgy!! (I’m not vegan just very lactose intolerant.) Sooo… now I’m on a quest for dairy free white chocolate and I can’t find a good source! I don’t know if I should order cocoa butter online and try to make my own or maybe you know of a good source? What’s your experience with white chocolate? Thanks for the help!

  44. Danie says

    Hi Katie, question for you. . . How would you recommend altering your recipes from single serving to larger/multi serving recipes? Or are these posted on your blog somewhere? I ask because I love your recipes and tend to host brunches a lot and I would really like to incorporate some of your recipes like your banana boat bread etc, with out having to make a bunch of single serving portions. Thanks! You’re amazing!

  45. Keri says

    When I told my hubby about the Green Spot, he immediately wanted to go check it out! We took the kiddos and all got the swirled vegan fro-yo, and oh my gosh – SO GOOD! I normally don’t like soy ice cream very much (I prefer coconut), but this was amazingly tasty! Thank you so much for the recommendation! We can’t wait to go back – even though we drove 15 miles to get to it! Haha! 😉

  46. Megan@eatmybeets says

    haha wow that’s awesome! I love little gems like that. It makes you really think about why the junk is everywhere when healthy stuff is just as stockable (all-be-it not as cheap).

  47. Lies says

    You in the US are so lucky! Here in Holland you can’t find vegan-ice cream anywhere 🙁
    Not to mention all the other vegan-products you have there, and here you just don’t or only in one exclusive store far away hidden in some city…

    Oh and btw, I love your nails! Did you do that yourself or someone else? (If you don’t mind, I think I am going to give my nails a pattern just like yours this afternoon 😉

  48. Nikki Pelley says

    I had a gas station date. It was a chance encounter that led to a date on the curb of the gas station drinking cokes and peanuts. We joked about the country song about putting peanuts in your coke! Later we went for a drink down the street. We had two more dates and he went out of town on business. That’s where it ended so I thought, then we spoke on the phone in 2009 due to another chance circumstance, of my friend being at the same place he was. We just said hello, how are you and goodbye. I don’t think he even knows my real last name…..stuff that movies are made of!

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