Remember when I said I’d be doing some interviews and non-food (not directly anyway) reviews and interviews on here? Well here’s another one! I got so excited when I found out that Kristin Lajeunesse from Will Travel for Vegan Food was about to release her book, and I lucked out with the opportunity to interview her right here on my blog. The book is titled Will Travel for Vegan Food: A Young Woman’s Solo Van-Dwelling Mission to Break Free, Find Food, and Make Love. Read on to see what she has to say about the book, and how this journey has been so incredibly life-changing for Kristin (and how it can help change your life too). (more…)
So Delicious Cashew Ice Cream
So Delicious recently debuted their new line of vegan ice cream made with cashew milk, and I was blown away when I tried it at Expo West. In the past, I honestly haven’t been a regular buyer of their coconut-based ice cream because they are just a little too strong in coconut flavor for me. However, I loved their unsweetened cashew milks when I first tried them so it was inevitable that I would love these. Ice cream was one of my favorite treats before going vegan, and I tend to be really picky with a lot of the vegan varieties on the market. Read on to see what I thought of the different flavors of their cashew-based dairy-free pints! (more…)
Bitchin’ Sauce and Bars
Since I was only able to go to Expo West for two out of the three days, there were inevitably some companies that I missed out on. One of them was Bitchin’ Sauce, which I had heard about online long before Expo began. Thankfully, I was able to contact the company and they were super awesome to send me some samples of their sauces and bars. This is a review of their products as well as some meal ideas if you’re not sure what to do with their sauces. Hint: they go well with just about everything! (more…)
Dark Chocolate Chip Mint Shake
Is it mid-April already?? Something that almost immediately comes to mind for me when it comes to Spring is mint – the color, flavor and everything in-between. Because Easter, Mother’s Day and my birthday all happen during this season, I also automatically associate it with chocolate. So I figured, why not combine the two in a Sweet Mint Chocolate Shake made with some of my favorite products of the season! (more…)
Salted Dark Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwiches
If you know me, then it’s no mystery to hear that I love both chocolate and ice cream equally. But honestly, who doesn’t? And why should you have to choose? Growing up my family and I would vacation to the lake, and after a long day in the sun it became a tradition to go to the local grocery mart to pick up a Big Wheel. If you don’t know what that is, well essentially it’s a cookie ice cream sandwich. Big Wheel’s were delicious, full of processed ingredients and definitely not vegan. Since the weather’s been so nice, I decided on these homemade big wheels that ended up being a big hit in our house. Keep reading on to see how you can make this easy recipe for yourself! (more…)
Salazon Chocolate Co
I’m one of those people who gets really excited about chocolate. More specifically, high-quality fair trade, and organic dark chocolate. I discovered Salazon at Expo and really enjoyed hearing about their company and sampling some of the dark chocolates with sea salt. Salazon Chocolate Co was super generous to send some samples for me to try and review for you. I even have a recipe coming in the next week using one of their bars that you definitely won’t want to miss out on! (more…)
Vanilla Lucuma Buckwheat Shake
Remember when I promised another Sprout Living recipe in my previous post? Well, you’re looking at it! After trying the Original, Chocolate Maca, and Green Kingdom EPIC Protein flavors I was just dying to use the Vanilla Lucuma in a recipe. This shake/smoothie is nut-free, gluten-free, soy-free and low in fat but still high in protein and fiber. I only recently started using buckwheat in smoothies, and I was amazed at how it makes them so creamy and filling. The frozen pear, vanilla, and spices all compliment the Vanilla Lucuma protein quite nicely. Keep reading on for the recipe! (more…)
Raspberry Chocolate Chip Shake
I’ve had a few Sprout Living smoothie recipes on my mind lately, and I couldn’t wait any longer to share them with you! If this is the first time you’re hearing about Sprout Living, well basically they make a line of super nutritious, raw, gluten-free and vegan protein powders. One of my favorite flavors of all time has been their EPIC Protein: Chocolate Maca. Sprout Living recently reformulated their line, and I was eagerly waiting in anticipation to try it out! The first recipe I made with their reformulated Chocolate Maca is for this Raspberry Chocolate Chip Shake, which isn’t your standard protein shake. This one is filled with protein and healthy fats, without any artificial sweeteners or color additives. Believe it or not, the color is from raspberries and the sweetener comes from bananas and dates. Read on for the recipe, and to learn more about one of my favorite products from Sprout Living! (more…)
Manna Organics Giveaway
As my first post-Expo giveaway, I’m super excited to introduce one of the companies I discovered at the Natural Products Expo West. Manna Organics makes a line of fantastic sprouted breads that are yeast-free and made with just a few ingredients. I was lucky enough to try their really tasty nut butters (the Dark Chocolate Pecan is out of this world), and after Expo ended Manna sent over a few loaves of their breads and kale chips. I’m really excited that they agreed to doing a giveaway so you can try their products too! Read on to find out the details on the prize and enter below! (more…)
Loving Hut in Upland, CA
There was no shortage of food to be enjoyed over my trip to California a few weeks ago. Despite it being an Expo West-centered trip, I still got the chance to enjoy some food outside of the trade show. That is, on the days that I wasn’t completely full on all the samples that were handed out over the weekend. I went here with some vegan friends I made on Instagram, including UnhealthyVegan who I recently did an interview with. It was actually his idea to go to Loving Hut in Upland, which is a completely vegan establishment located in Upland, CA. Read on to see what we ordered and shared with our whole table. (more…)