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.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
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.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Calzones
This recipe is a winner in my house. Vegan and cruelty-free, it is literally a yummy filling pizza pocket that is healthy and easy to make.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 package of prepared refrigerated pizza dough
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 4 portabella mushrooms, thinly sliced (or 4 handfuls of sliced creminis)
- 4 cloves chopped garlic
- 2 Tbsp dried chopped rosemary
- 1 10oz box chopped frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 1 15oz can of white kidney beans OR cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 package of Vegan Gourmet Mozzarella Cheese Alternative, shredded
- 1 15oz can of pizza sauce
- pinches of salt & pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
Allow the pizza dough to come to room temperature to allow for easier handling.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Preheat a medium skillet.
Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the sliced mushrooms and 3 cloves of the chopped garlic to the hot skillet. Cook the mushrooms until they are dark and tender, approximately 10 minutes. (If the pan gets too dry, add bits of water to avoid using too much oil.) Then add the rosemary, salt and pepper.
In a food processor, add the beans, spinach, the remaining garlic, drizzle of olive oil, and salt & pepper. Pulse until you get a good mixture. If you don`t have a food processor, mash by hand with a potato masher or fork.
Cut the pizza dough into 4 equal portions. Dust your hands with flour and spread the dough into 4 rounds. On each round of dough, spread 1/4 of the bean mixture on one half of the dough. Top with 1/4 of the mushrooms and then a small handful of the vegan mozzarella. Fold the dough over and seal the calzones by pressing the edges lightly. Oil/grease a cookie sheet with oil and arrange the calzones on the sheet. You can also just line a cookie sheet with parchment paper if you wish, to avoid using oil if that concerns you. Brush each calzone lightly with olive oil and bake the calzones until golden brown. In my oven I baked for 20 minutes and broiled for 3 more minutes afterward to get a golden crust.
Serve calzones with a small bowl of pizza sauce for dipping. Enjoy.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 package of prepared refrigerated pizza dough
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 4 portabella mushrooms, thinly sliced (or 4 handfuls of sliced creminis)
- 4 cloves chopped garlic
- 2 Tbsp dried chopped rosemary
- 1 10oz box chopped frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 1 15oz can of white kidney beans OR cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 package of Vegan Gourmet Mozzarella Cheese Alternative, shredded
- 1 15oz can of pizza sauce
- pinches of salt & pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
Allow the pizza dough to come to room temperature to allow for easier handling.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Preheat a medium skillet.
Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the sliced mushrooms and 3 cloves of the chopped garlic to the hot skillet. Cook the mushrooms until they are dark and tender, approximately 10 minutes. (If the pan gets too dry, add bits of water to avoid using too much oil.) Then add the rosemary, salt and pepper.
In a food processor, add the beans, spinach, the remaining garlic, drizzle of olive oil, and salt & pepper. Pulse until you get a good mixture. If you don`t have a food processor, mash by hand with a potato masher or fork.
Cut the pizza dough into 4 equal portions. Dust your hands with flour and spread the dough into 4 rounds. On each round of dough, spread 1/4 of the bean mixture on one half of the dough. Top with 1/4 of the mushrooms and then a small handful of the vegan mozzarella. Fold the dough over and seal the calzones by pressing the edges lightly. Oil/grease a cookie sheet with oil and arrange the calzones on the sheet. You can also just line a cookie sheet with parchment paper if you wish, to avoid using oil if that concerns you. Brush each calzone lightly with olive oil and bake the calzones until golden brown. In my oven I baked for 20 minutes and broiled for 3 more minutes afterward to get a golden crust.
Serve calzones with a small bowl of pizza sauce for dipping. Enjoy.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
