The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

Sisters Country folks who love to eat fresh and plant-based have a new option in town. Lively Up Yourself, a vegan food cart in Bend, has opened a second location at Eurosports at 223 E. Hood Ave. Owners, Sarah McKay and Elliott Roloff were inspired to create vegan comfort food based on their Midwestern upbringing. Their Midtown Yacht Club location in Bend has grown a loyal following of both vegans and many who just love their flavors and healthy offerings.

When their families back home were excited and ready to try their veganized, comforting food, they knew they'd figured out a way to combine dishes made without animal products and their creamy, mouth-watering tastes of hometown favorites.

The couple has been serving up vegan food since 2019, when they opened their first dream kitchen at Bunk + Brew Hostel in Bend. Settled and popular at the Yacht Club, they were thrilled to hear there was an opening at Eurosports at the corner of Hood Avenue and Fir Street. The additional location has its own menu and can be ordered in person or online. See http://www.livelyupyourselffood.com for menus and online ordering.

"We've been wanting to open a food cart in Sisters for quite a while and feel like the time is right. We welcome people to come by and try our comfort foods, from macaroni and cheese to our version of the BLT and favorites like crabby cakes," said McKay.

They always use high-quality ingredients and go organic as much as possible. They like to keep their prices reasonable too. They receive some of their ingredients from Earthly Gourmet products from Portland, which are all vegan. Their faux meats are made from mouth-watering seasonings, vital wheat gluten, and nutritional yeast which has a cheesy, delicious flavor. Years of trial and error have resulted in dishes that are familiar and delicious without dairy, meat, or eggs. This is stick-to-your-ribs food, but healthier than the original version.

"Our recipes are original and all homemade. A lot of people don't realize we make our vegan meats and sauces ourselves. Our cheese sauce is one of our main attractions. Eventually, we want to sell it in stores. We've had a lot of practice and have many years developing recipes that taste fantastic to our customers whether they're plant-based or not," said McKay. "A lot of our customers give us a try after hearing how good our food is and how much it tastes like the original dishes. Once they've tried it, they keep coming back for more."

The mission statement for Lively Up Yourself is: "To provide as many vegan meals to the world as we can through our diverse menu that will treat vegans to familiar and nostalgic meals, and to entice non-vegans to try veganism. Vegan food is the most positive way to treat our world, ourselves, and the animals with respect."

Avid rock climbers, Sarah and Elliott moved to Bend for the incredible climbing at Smith Rock. With their pups, Baloo, Hazel, and Goose, they're enjoying all the outdoor adventures Central Oregon has to offer while fueling folks with foods that sustain the planet, are kind to animals, and nutritious too.