Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert Bars - So Delicious!

Okay... today, I found this frozen dessert at my local health food store and even though they were a tad expensive, they were absolutely delicious... just like the name suggests!

I don't know about you, but I am always looking for new vegan products.  Unfortunately, for me, my eyes seems to always look towards the desserts.  In this case, as I walked past the dessert isle, this box caught my eye.  The "vegan" label jumped out at me and I decided to splurge and purchase these frozen treats.

They are only 150 calories each and are wonderful.  Vegan or not, everyone who tries these will love them. 

This is their official website which offers coupons: 

http://www.sodeliciousdairyfree.com/products/almond-milk-frozen-desserts/mocha-almond-fudge-bars

Do you have a favorite vegan food that you have found and would like to share? 

I would love to hear from you at talkvegancom@gmail.com.

ENJOY!

English Muffins - Food for Life

One of the questions that I am asked on a regular basis is, "What exactly CAN  you eat?"  Of course, those of us who are vegans, know that there is a large number of things we can eat.  (Otherwise, I would be super skinny!) The problem is not finding things to eat in a grocery or health food store, it is finding things to eat in restaurants that are healthy, as well as vegan.  I have gone out to eat with my family and the only things on the menu that is offered me is a salad, which turns out to be lettuce and a faint sliver of tomato.  Most other items, unless there is a thoughtful owner, are non-vegan. I find that it is much easier to make my own food. However, that is another story and post....

Now, this leaves me with my thoughts for today which are on my current favorite English Muffin brand which is Food for Life.  Their website explains the breakdown of ingredients of these muffins, and they are clearly marked vegan on the site.  Here is the Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Whole Grain English Muffins link.

For those of you who have not tried them, I found them in the freezer section of my Publix grocery store.  They are delicious and I defrost one and pop it into my toaster, then top it with raw almond butter.  Delicious!

** The cinnamon raisin muffins by Food for Life are also vegan and wonderful.  :-)

Best Chocolate Birthday Cake!

For my birthday, this past January, I wanted to have a vegan birthday cake.  I decided to make my own and have it for my birthday celebration.  I looked through all of my cookbooks by Isa Chandra Moskowitz.  I found one that sounded perfect.  It was in her Vegan With A Vengeance cookbook. I LOVE chocolate and as the title above states, it is her Raspberry Blackout Cake with Ganache-y Frosting.  

The first paragraph of her recipe shared that it is a great birthday cake.  Everyone who tried it loved it and I made it again a few weeks later.

I used the ingredients stated below (unless changed in parenthesis), vegan, and organic.   

Here are the ingredients for the cake:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I used pastry)

1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa power (I used cacao)

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups rice or soy milk (I used almond)

1/2 cup canola oil

1 (10 oz) jar raspberry preserves (reserve 1/2 for batter)

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups sugar ( I used 1 cup)

Here are the ingredients for the icing:

3/4 cup soy creamer (I used 1/2 cup almond milk)

6 TBS non-hydrogenated margarine (I used 4 TSP)

10 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

If this recipe sounds like one you would love, check out her book Vegan with a Vengeance.  I found it in paperback on Amazon.  I only wish I had my birthday cake photo to share with you, but I can tell you that it was ALL gone by the end of the evening.  (HINT: When you make the icing, don't melt the margarine all the way so that it has a spreadable consistency.) This will be one of my favorite cakes to make again and again, particularly on special occasions.  LOVE IT! :-)

I've included a link below from a recipe/cooking vegan blog which includes photos of the baking of this cake; step by step.  If you would like to see the photos of the cake and read the step-by-step directions (ingredients may vary slightly on this blog from the original Isa recipe), then check out this link: Raspberry Blackout Cake

Favorite Vegan Cookbooks

Isa Chandra Moskowitz is my favorite vegan cookbook author!  I purchased Isa Does It, her latest cookbook in November (2013), and she never fails to disappoint with her excellent, tasty recipes, and easy to find ingredients.  I don't know about you, but when I want to try and create a new vegan recipe, I don't want to have to look up most of the ingredients on the internet first.... 

I have made many recipes from her cookbooks for my vegan and non-vegan family members, and everyone loves her recipes.  Prior to her new book, my favorite was Vegan with a Vengeance.  

My collection of Isa's books are Vegan with a Vengeance, Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook, and Vegan Brunch.

If you are new to vegan cooking or Isa, give her latest book a try, you will LOVE it!  

How to grow your own celery plants

This post explains in detail about how to grow your own celery plants from organic produce. Check out the link below:

Celery Plants: Organic Celery Plants from Scratch.: The purpose of this post is to demonstrate how to grow your own celery at no cost.  Actually there are cost for supplies that can be reused ...

Olivia Care Triple Milled Soap - Lavender

I was looking for a great bath soap that was vegan and cruelty-free and found it with Cote' Jardin Bath Soap in Lavender.  It is a triple milled soap, made in France, that is cruelty-free, has no animal testing, and is hypo-allergenic.  It has a wonderful lavender smell but is not too overwhelming.  

It is a large bar of soap and perfect for the shower at 8 oz. or 227 gr. 

Give it a try, you will love the way it leaves your skin, soft and smooth.  

I found this bar at TJ Maxx for $3.99, regular price $8.00.  

I have sensitive skin and also allergies to many artificial fragrances.  It was a perfect soap for me.  

For more information about this soap, visit Olivia Care - Cote' Jardin - Lavender Soap . 

Katie's Fudge Babies - My favorite raw chocolate fudge!

This recipe, which has only five ingredients, was made using the original Fudge Babies recipe, which you can find by visiting Katie’s site, listed below:

http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2009/10/13/make-these-now/

I have been making them for over four years and usually double the recipe.  I try and keep a small glass container of them in the fridge at all times.  You will love them!

You use:

1 cup of walnuts

1/2 pound of Medjool dates (14 to 15 or 230 gms)

1 tsp. vanilla

1/8 sea salt (optional)

4 heaping teaspoons dark cocoa

(I have also used cacao, instead of dark cocoa, and even though it is good, it is not as chocolaty as the dark Hershey's cocoa.)

Put everything in the food processor until blended.  The mix is easy to handle and roll into balls.  Refrigerate after rolling and place in sealed container. ( I use glass.)

LOVE them!!! :-)

    

Vitacost - Online Store

Today, I received my latest Vitacost order of vegan products.  I have ordered from other online companies and so far, Vitacost has the best packing and pricing. If you order glass products, they are individually bubbled wrapped.

This week, I ordered vegetable broth, almond milk, granola, and ginger snaps.  

One of the nice features that I've found on Vitacost is that if you search "vegan", you will have a nice selection of items to purchase at discounted prices. Free shipping, over $49, at this time.  

One item that I ordered is made using essential oils:  Pillow Potion.  If you would like to encourage a restful sleep, I love this product.  I have purchased the bottle, in which you use a couple of drops on your pillow, and love it.  This order, I thought I would try the spray.  I'll let you know if it works as well.

:-)

Nature's Gate Skin Products -> Vegan

One of my favorite stores is TJ Maxx.  The reason I love this store is because I usually can find several vegan products hiding on their shelves.  Today, I found three!

Just last week, I ordered the night cream from Vitacost, which is my favorite ONLINE store, regular price $26.94 - discounted to $16.49.  It was Nature's Gate Organics "Oh What A Night" Walnut Therapy for Overnight Renewal.  Today, I found the exact item for $7.99.  They had three of the Nature's Gate products on their shelf which were clearly marked Paraben-Free, Cruelty-Free, and Vegan!

On recent TV commercials for this store, they compare Marshall's as an equal rival, but for vegan products, I never find the sales at Marshall's that TJ Maxx offers.  Maybe you will in your area, but in mine, there is no contest.

Prior to Christmas, I found my favorite purse at the same store.  It is a Sherpani vegan bag.  It was originally $70 and I found it for under $30 at TJ Maxx.  I looked again today and they did not have any Sherpani bags.  (Not all Sherpani bags are vegan so you need to do your research.)  They claim to be eco-friendly but not all vegan.

Another great shopping day at this store for vegan shoppers.

Vitamix

If I could only have one appliance in my kitchen, it would be my Vitamix.  Every morning for breakfast I have a smoothie with two or three bananas, 1 heaping tbs of hemp seed, four or five Brazil nuts, 1 tsp cacao, frozen cherries, and almond milk (unsweetened) Blue Diamond.  I change up the fruit, nuts, and sometimes use filtered water, but the bananas, hemp seed, and cacao are staples every morning.  I try and buy organic when I can find it and it is affordable.  I bought a reconditioned Vitamix from their company website and have been using it daily for over three years.  I'm sure other blenders are also good, but this is the one I have used personally to make smoothies and soups; it has never failed me to date.  It is expensive, but I think it is SO worth it.

Talk Vegan

My thoughts, as I begin this blog, are that I am always searching for vegan websites and blogs where I can read about positive personal vegan experiences.  I will share anything that I find that will help you and at the same time, log information that I have collected for myself and others for future reference.

I am a newly retired teacher who loves to write, take nature photos, work in my garden, and mostly spend time with my family. I love God. I have six dogs and a cat; most were rescued, and two parrots almost 30 years old (update: now, only one parrot :-( ).  I love animals!

 I love animals so much that even though I know it is important to share the horrible abuse of animals with others, such as within factory farms, etc., I can not post horrific photos of the torture that happens all around us. If I did, I would be physically sick all the time. My goal with this blog is to share day-to-day products, videos, books, and my personal thoughts about living vegan in today's world in the hopes that my thoughts will make you think, wonder, and help as you look into, walk through, and/or continue your vegan lifestyle. I hope you visit often.

Jen :-)