Since becoming vegan, I thought I would have to say goodbye to my love of ice cream. I figured good ice cream could only be made from dairy & eggs and I resigned that this was just the way it had to be... to give up ice cream for good. I was wrong. I have discovered Turtle Mountain frozen desserts. They are vegan and sooo good. I found them at a specialty store and then recently found them at my local small grocery store. So readily available.. could that not be a good thing? (thinking of my waistline here)
I've tried their Purely Decadent made with COCONUT MILK Mint Chip, Gluten Free Cookie Dough, So Delicious made with Coconut Milk Coconut Almond Bar, and Organic So Delicious™ Dairy Free Mint Marble Fudge - loved them all. Now if I can only get my hands on their Cherry Nirvana...
Becoming vegan these days is getting easier and easier with so many great and healthier alternatives to animal products. Why stay omnivore?
Monday, June 7, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Shampoo & Conditioner
I'm super excited. There are quite a few vegan shampoos and conditioners out there, but trying to find ones that don't make my hair feel like crap was a challenge. On a whim, I tried Earth Spirit Organics. At first I tried their Earth Spirit Organic Botanical Conditioner and was so impressed I tried their Earth Spirit Organics™ Botanical Shampoo. They are so wonderful. My hair feels soft and smells great. I can't say enough about these products. Not only are they vegan, but they are generously supported by verifiable, certified organic ingredients, herbal extracts and aromatherapy essential oils... such as, Lavender, Marigold, Canadian wildcrafted Red Clover, Clary Sage, and Sweet Grass. Earth Spirit Organics is a family run Canadian company. Every Earth Spirit Organics product is offered in (non-PVC) eco-packaging with sustainable, 100% certified forest-free (recyclable paper) labels.
Give it a try, I don't think you will be disappointed.
Give it a try, I don't think you will be disappointed.
Apple Raisin Walnut Muffins
I make these muffins and store for lunches. Yummy and full of goodness.
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1-1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp each ground cloves and salt
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1-1/2 cups diced cored peeled apples
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 2 handfuls of chopped walnuts
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together brown sugar, applesauce, granulated sugar, pumpkin puree, oil, and vanilla; pour over flour mixture. Sprinkle with apples, raisins, and walnuts; stir just until combined. Spoon into greased or paper-lined muffin cups.
Bake in center of oven until tops are firm to the touch, about 20 minutes. Let cool in pans on rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pans; let cool completely on rack.
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1-1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp each ground cloves and salt
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1-1/2 cups diced cored peeled apples
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 2 handfuls of chopped walnuts
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together brown sugar, applesauce, granulated sugar, pumpkin puree, oil, and vanilla; pour over flour mixture. Sprinkle with apples, raisins, and walnuts; stir just until combined. Spoon into greased or paper-lined muffin cups.
Bake in center of oven until tops are firm to the touch, about 20 minutes. Let cool in pans on rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pans; let cool completely on rack.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Body Bar Soap
I've been on the hunt for a really good vegan soap for a while now. I'm very picky. I want it to smell great, last long and be of good value with great ingredients. I also want it to be made in Canada and be 100% cruelty-free (meaning no animal ingredients (which most soaps are) and no animal testing). I think I hit the jackpot today. I purchased NBW's (Nature's Body Works) Gentle Natural Glycerine Soap in "Desire" from our local holistic market. NBW is a small Canadian company based out of Guelph, Ontario that make vegan spa products. If all goes well in my experience with their soap, I am going to branch out and try their lip balms and sun protection.
Update: These soaps are the best! I've tried several of their other soap varieties and was very pleased. This is a keeper.
Update: These soaps are the best! I've tried several of their other soap varieties and was very pleased. This is a keeper.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Tofurky Sausage Rolls
These are easy, peasy. My mom would make these for me as a kid, but with animal weiners. These little rolls are yummy, quick, and cruelty-free.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 can (8 oz each) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
- 1 package Tofurky Breakfast Links
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Unroll the can of dough; separate into 8 triangles. Cut open package of Tofurky Breakfast Links. Take four of the five links and cut in half lengthwise. Place a half link on the shortest side of each triangle. Roll up each, starting at shortest side of triangle and rolling to opposite point. Place point side down on an ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat until you have 8 rolls. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 can (8 oz each) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
- 1 package Tofurky Breakfast Links
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Unroll the can of dough; separate into 8 triangles. Cut open package of Tofurky Breakfast Links. Take four of the five links and cut in half lengthwise. Place a half link on the shortest side of each triangle. Roll up each, starting at shortest side of triangle and rolling to opposite point. Place point side down on an ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat until you have 8 rolls. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Mushroom Stroganoff
I promised my mushroom stroganoff recipe so here it is.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup of long grain brown rice
- 3 cups of water
- 1/2 vegetable bouillon cube
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 4 handfuls of sliced button mushrooms
- 1/4 cup of vegan worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tbsp ketchup
- 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk
- pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare rice according to directions. I use a rice cooker, so I put in the rice and water and add in the bouillon cube minced up by my fingers. I turn the rice cooker on (set it and forget it) and the rice is usually ready in 45 minutes.
Heat a large skillet on medium heat. Add the olive oil and onions. Sautee for a couple of minutes, then add the garlic. If the mixture begins to stick, add water to the pan. After one more minute, add the mushrooms. You probably will need to add a little bit of water to keep the pan nonstick. Let the mushrooms, onions, and garlic sautee together for about 10 minutes. Add a pinch of pepper, the vegan worcestershire sauce, and ketchup. Stir together to combine. Add the almond milk. Heat until bubbly. Taste to see if you want more worcestershire for tang or ketchup for sweetness. Serve over hot rice and enjoy.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup of long grain brown rice
- 3 cups of water
- 1/2 vegetable bouillon cube
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 4 handfuls of sliced button mushrooms
- 1/4 cup of vegan worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tbsp ketchup
- 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk
- pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare rice according to directions. I use a rice cooker, so I put in the rice and water and add in the bouillon cube minced up by my fingers. I turn the rice cooker on (set it and forget it) and the rice is usually ready in 45 minutes.
Heat a large skillet on medium heat. Add the olive oil and onions. Sautee for a couple of minutes, then add the garlic. If the mixture begins to stick, add water to the pan. After one more minute, add the mushrooms. You probably will need to add a little bit of water to keep the pan nonstick. Let the mushrooms, onions, and garlic sautee together for about 10 minutes. Add a pinch of pepper, the vegan worcestershire sauce, and ketchup. Stir together to combine. Add the almond milk. Heat until bubbly. Taste to see if you want more worcestershire for tang or ketchup for sweetness. Serve over hot rice and enjoy.
Dish Care Products
I got asked by a friend what I use to clean my dishes. She did her homework and saw that most products available in the regular grocery store are produced by companies that perform horrendous animal testing, not to mention they are bad for the environment. So thought I'd share. I use Bio Spectra's ATTITUDE Certified Eco-Friendly Automatic Dishwasher Phosphate-Free Detergent in my dishwasher. It is a vegan product that happens to be environmentally friendly and produced right here in Canada. I also use their dish soap to wash dishes in the sink. They smell great and work.
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