Category : review

Product Review: Sodastream Jet Soda Maker

July 6th 2010 Posted at review
4 Comments

Sodastream Jet Soda MakerHey Bloggies Hubz here to bring you a product review of my new favorite kitchen gadget!

A couple of months ago, the fine people at Sodastream sent us a Sodastream Jet Soda Maker and a whole host of flavours to sample.

As someone who used to drink way too much soda, the soda stream is definitely a great product.  While the upfront cost may be a little intimidating, it doesn’t take long for it to be paid back. When you take into consideration the cost of the flavours and the cartridges it works out to about $0.25 per can of soda or $0.25 per litre of soda water.

It’s also wonderfully convenient.  It’s nice to be able to make some seltzer to mix a drink or some soda to go with your meal whenever you want.

We were also provided with many different soda and water flavourings.  The flavours were similar to those of mainstream soda brands.  One good thing about adding your own flavouring is that you are able to control how much you add.  I found this great because it would allow me to control how sweet the soda was.  My favourite soda flavours were the cola and lemon lime.  My favourite of all though were the  “MyWater” flavourings.  These flavours are made from natural ingredients. With a little drop of the flavours, you could add a little punch to your drink.

There is a lot less sugar and calories in these sodas than commercial sodas (and they have no High Fructose Corn Syrup), but this comes at the expense of combining sugar with the artificial sweetener Splenda to keep the calories low.  To avoid the artificial sweeteners, you can stick to the MyWater flavours or by coming up with your own flavours for the sparkling water.

Overall, I think the SodaStream is a great value for people who drink a lot of soda and seltzer.

Disclaimer: SodaStream provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

Restaurant Review: The Pulse Cafe- Somerville, MA

July 5th 2010 Posted at Boston, Uncategorized, restaurants, resturant, review
1 Comment

Over the long weekend the Hubz and I made a quick overnight trip to the Boston area for a little getaway and to visit a few stores in search of items for our new apartment.  The first night we were there we decided to try The Pulse Cafe; a vegan restaurant in Somerville that was rumored to be good.

The cafe is a small cafeteria like place with table service, we were greeted and seated immediately as there was no one else there.  After looking over the menu we decided to ask our waitress which two items she recommended and based on her recommendation we went with the BBQ Seitan with slaw and cornbread and the Veg Burger with a mixed green salad.

At this point we are seeing the food and thinking wow this looks pretty good….however our eyes were deceived.  The seitan was like eating a sponge, the texture and consistency was awful and I couldn’t finish my half it was that bad. The bbq sauce on the seitan was like sweetened tomato paste, the cornbread was dry, and the slaw was AMAZING. The slaw was the highlight of both dishes which is pretty disappointing considering it is just a side.

As for the burger it was was bland even with the chipotle mayo which you couldn’t even taste.  The burger was mushy and with the bun and tomato there was a real lack of great texture, it needed something crunchy and more seasoning.  The greens were boring and under a few leaves we found a piece of tomato and red pepper.  There was dressing on the salad leaving it very bland as well; just a little lemon juice, salt and pepper would have made the salad 100x better.

The food was disappointing, the prices were expensive ($13 for a veggie burger? come on) and to top it all of the seating was horrible.  The dining area has two levels that are separated by a railing; we were seated on the lower level.  A group of 3 people came in and were seated on the upper level right next to us so the only thing separating us was the thin railing.  The group then proceeded to look down on us and watch as we ate which made both of us extremely uncomfortable.  To top it all off we were the only people in the cafe so there was no need to seat someone so close to us.

Overall I would not recommend or visit this cafe again. I found that there was as lot of hype on the internet over this place due to the pure fact that it was vegan. All though it is vegan the food and prices were not worth the visit, especially with a number of great vegan friendly restaurants nearby. To top off the whole experience both the Hubz and I left hungry since we were unable to finish our food.

Ratings:

  • Value: 0/5
  • Food: 2/5
  • Vegan Friendly: 5/5
  • Atmosphere: 1/5

Vega Shake & Go Smoothie

June 22nd 2010 Posted at Uncategorized, review
0 Comments

Vega Shake & Go Smoothie

For the last few weeks I have been trying out the Vanilla Almondilla Vega Shake & Go Smoothie and I have come to the conclusion that I like it sometimes.  I know you’re going how can you like some just sometimes? Well in the case of this Vega Shake & Go Smoothie I really didn’t like it as a shake & go smoothie.  I appreciated the simplicity of adding 2 tablespoons to one cup of water and shake to create a smoothie filled with

  • Two servings of veggies
  • 2500 mg Omega-3-6-9
  • 11 g complete protein
  • Only 100 calories
  • 1 billion probiotics cultures

However the flavor was just off for me.  I felt that the smoothie was just too sweet and it over powered the drink.  I alternatively used the smoothie powder in my one hour oats and I thought it was great because the bland oats helped to balance the sweetness.  I also found the smoothie powder great when added to a blender with water, spinach, banana and flax meal.   Overall I did like the Vega Shake & Go Smoothie however the forms in which I enjoyed it was not in the intended “shake & go” style.

Disclaimer: Vega provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

On The Rise and an Earthlust Giveaway

April 15th 2010 Posted at giveaway, restaurants, resturant, review, vermont
47 Comments

Hubby was running late at work tonight and since we were starving we decided to go to On The Rise in Richmond VT (finally).  We have wanted to try it forever but have never seemed to be able to make it there.  The menu is so vegan friendly there is even a vegan pizza! We ordered a small vegan pizza, a deluxe salad with marinated tofu, and a chocolate macaroon.  The food was delicious, fresh and amazing.

Now onto the giveaway: Earthlust sent me one of their stainless steel water bottles and guess what the sent me an extra one just for one of you lucky readers. EarthLust bottles are hand made from high quality #304 (18/8) food grade stainless steel, which is naturally safe unlined. They use non-toxic paints and BPA-free safe polypropylene #5 caps. I received one of the 13oz bottles and it is the perfect size to take every where with me.  I am thinking about investing in a 1L bottle for trips and such but the smaller bottle is great for everyday use.  I also love that they are unlined, unlike Sigg bottles which have a weird lining and make your water taste funny. Additionally, their bottles have some really great designs. So now it’s your chance to win this bottle (see below) isn’t it so cute?

Disclaimer: Earthlust provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

How to Enter: Please leave individual comments for each entry. Entries will be accepted until April 17th at 8am.

  1. Visit the Earthlust website and tell which bottle is your favorite. (Leave me a comment)
  2. Follow me on Twitter (Leave me a comment)
  3. Tweet about this giveaway (Leave me a comment)
  4. Become a fan on Facebook (Leave me a comment)
  5. Follow my blog in a reader (Leave me a comment)
  6. Blog about this giveaway (Leave me a comment)

It was a Soygurt Kind of Day

April 14th 2010 Posted at Uncategorized, review
4 Comments

Yesterday all I seemed to want to eat was soygurt- Whole Soy of course- I had it for breakfast and lunch.  I would have had it for dinner as well but hubby stopped me. Yesterday a.m. I had a big beige bowl of vanilla soygurt with cashews, flax sprinkles, oatmeal (not cooked) and a banana. I had seen on Caitlin’s blog about using uncooked oats in her oatmeal and I was skeptical at first but decided to give it a try.  It is actually really good and makes the yogurt have a little more body and makes it filling. I even got the hubby to try it since to his disappointment I did not make granola as I had intended.

Disclaimer: Paramount Coffee provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

Since hubby decided to work from home/day a half PTO I didn’t go to the coffee shop like I usually do, we both commute to work right now and I have to be to work later than him so I hang out at Speeder and Earl’s sipping coffee and doing school work or blog posts.  Anyways, since he didn’t go into work I didn’t have to leave early so I enjoyed some of my “weekend coffee” which lately has been from Paramount Coffee who was kind enough to send me a few samples of their coffee (I recently spotted some ground flavors at the local TJMaxx).  My favorite of the three I received has been this Fair Trade Organic Community Blend which is a medium roast and is “A combination of Asian and South American coffees in a medium-dark roast. A very rich cup with low acidity and pleasant flavor. (source).”  I have also been enjoying the Fair Trade Organic Swiss Water House Blend (Decaf) which I like to sometimes mix with my caffeinated beans to cut back on the caffeine.  Both of these have been really tasty and I can’t wait to try the third one I received which is a Fair Trade Organic Music Morning- sounds uplifting eh?

Following work I headed straight home to get something to eat since all I had at the office were some veggie sticks, pretzels and Tribe Forty Spice Hummus which is my absolute favorite! However I was super hungry when I got home and to my disappointment the wonderful smell of food that I came home to was non existent, hubby had made himself lunch and it smelled amazing!  So I turned to the soygurt this time mixed berry and added a little oats and flax sprinkles.  I also made hubby and I a green smoothie to share that included a frozen banana, a packet of chocolate Amazing Grass, unsweetened chocolate Almond Dream, a small spoon of Sunbutter and lots of spinach.  I also enjoyed a tangerine and some water out of my new water bottle from Earthlust.  Isn’t this water bottle so cute? GUESS WHAT! I have one to give away to you all as well so keep your eyes peeled for a post tonight about how you can enter to win your own stainless steel water bottle from Earthlust.

I forgot to take a picture of dinner but don’t worry it wasn’t very appealing to the eyes however it was delicious!  We had a mix of onions, peppers, celery, cabbage, mushrooms, broccoli and tofu all stirfried up with BBQ sauce, soy sauce, chili flakes, garlic powder, and a little brown rice syrup and I served it over greens.  It was really delicious but I was hungry later so I had a small banana with Sunbutter as we caught up on an episode of House and The Amazing Race- I forgot how much I love this show, GO COWBOYS! Haha.

This morning I am just hanging out at the coffee shop sipping on some decaf maple french toast coffee and I ate a bagel with hummus and tomato that I had picked up before we left home.  You’re probably saying why not just get a bagel at Speeders? Well I would but they have Montreal style bagels which have eggs in them! I know right BOOO! So they are usually pretty good and don’t say anything if I eat outside food- love Speeders.

Oh and P.S. I found the charger  for my camera battery so no more mediocre iPhone shots!

Question of the Morning: What is your favorite soygurt brand and flavor?

Mochi Wraps, Vita Coco and a Poll

April 13th 2010 Posted at review
4 Comments

I recently decided to purchase a package of mochi (pronounced mo-chee) to try but have been having a hard time figuring out what I wanted to do with it. Finally last night I made a savory version of it but heating a small amount of sesame oil in my cast iron pan putting in the mochi (making sure they didn’t touch) and then turning the heat down to low and covered for 4 minutes. After 4 minutes I flipped them and sprinkled with soy sauce then put the cover back on for another 4 minutes. At this point the mochi gets nice a gooey almost like cheese and I wrapped them in nori and served along some colorful stirfried veggies. (I apologize now for iPhone pics I can’t seem to find the charger for my digital camera battery).

This morning I forced myself up after a few too many Wolaver’s Pat Leavy’s All-American Ale and jumped on the elliptical for a quick sesh.  I have a hard time waking up and just drinking a glass of water especially when I go to work out when my eyes are barely open so I usually turn to coconut water.  It is great for hydration and a healthy alternative to those sugary sports drinks. I have tried a number of different kinds of coconut water and currently I have been sipping on some samples of Vita Coco.  Vita Coco has a number of different flavors of their coconut water which include: acai & pomegranate, pineapple, peach & mango, tangerine and regular.  My favorites were the regular and peach & mango; as for the others I didn’t care for them the flavor just wasn’t right for me.  I did really enjoy the regular coconut water though.  My husband who is not crazy about coconut water decided that the regular one of these is his favorite kind, success!

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Disclaimer: Vita Coco provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

Product Review: Pirate’s Booty

April 6th 2010 Posted at Uncategorized, review
7 Comments

Ahoy! As as kid I remember I always wanted those electric orange cheese puffs, you know the ones that were horrible and looked radioactive? Well as an adult I have come to realize that things that are florescent colors are probably not that great for you, okay they are horrible for you. No don’t fret there is an alternative to those nasty finger staining “cheese” puffs because Pirates Brand has come out with a variety of yummy snacks that are all-natural and low calorie.

Pirates Brand sent me a bunch of their Booty and some Tings to try and I was pumped when I saw the Barbeque however to my disappointment I read the ingredients and saw that honey was listed, boo! They also sent me some of the Aged White Cheddar Pirate’s Booty, which I can tell you was  a favorite of mine when I was a vegetarian but of course they are not vegan so I gave them to my parents who loved them.  As for the other two flavors that were vegan:  Pirate’s Booty Veggie and Original Tings I loved them both.   Now with the veggie booty how can you NOT love it? It’s green which is fun and is crafted from puffed rice, corn and a medley of veggies including spinach, kale, carrots and parsley.   Lastly there are the Tings which are crunchy, salty and the perfect snack to munch on.

Now for those of you who didn’t know Pirates Brand has a bunch of new flavors (since I last checked there site like a year ago) which I am really excited about. As for vegan treats they have:

  • Pirate’s Booty- Veggie
  • Potato Flyers- Original
  • Potato Flyers- Homestyle Barbeque (I wish they had sent these I heart BBQ)
  • Original Tings

What is your favorite product from Pirates Brand?

Disclaimer: Pirates Brand provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

Product Review: Lucy’s Cookies

April 3rd 2010 Posted at Uncategorized, review
4 Comments

"Dr. Lucy’s gluten-free cookies are made without milk, eggs, peanuts or tree nuts, but you’d never know it. They taste delicious! We use only high quality ingredients in our carefully controlled bakery to ensure our products meet our tight allergen testing criteria. And with 0mg cholesterol and 0g trans fat you can feel guilt-free about making them part of your healthy, balanced diet." Click Photo for Source

The hubby and I have been snacking on these bad boys over the past month and they are yummy! I have also given some to friends and family to try and everyone has come back telling me how much they enjoyed them.  There are 4 types of cookies: Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Cookie, Cinnamon Thin and Sugar Cookie.  The great thing about these cookies is that you can find them in stores and Starbucks in individual sized packages.  You can also get small boxes of these cookies to share with the whole family.

The Chocolate Chip cookies are so delicious and are great for vegans as well as people with nut allergies as all of Lucy’s Cookies are nut free!  I really enjoyed these cookies because there was just the right amount of chocolate in every bite. Now my husband’s favorite is the Cinnamon Thin which is inspired by the snickerdoodle.  These cookies are filled with cinnamon and have a great crisp.

The Oatmeal Cookie was a favorite of mine because they were light and airy and reminiscent of childhood oatmeal cookies.  I also love that these ones are low in calories so they don’t disrupt my (usually) balanced diet.  Lastly, the Sugar Cookies are just like they say SUGAR- I found these ones to be the sweetest and a little too much for me but once I paired them with a cup of coffee it was a great balance of sweet and bitter.

Which of these cookies are calling your name? Have you tried any of Lucy’s cookies yet?

Disclaimer: Lucy’s Cookies provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

Let’s Wrap It Up!

March 27th 2010 Posted at review
0 Comments

I recently received some samples of Maria and Ricardo’sTortillas so Neil and I have been on a wrapping frenzy! These wraps are so yummy and come in a variety of flavors.  We tried the 12″ Chili Wraps, 10″ Spinach Tortillas, a low carb Tortillas, and gluten free tortillas. These wraps have no cholesterol, are vegan and kosher and have no trans fats! We have had a good time making some wraps and tacos with these tortillas.

The chili wraps are great when you your entire meal rolled up into one hand held meal.  You can really fill them with anything and if you want you can bake or grill them.  The spinach tortillas were yummy and we had them stuffed with tofu scramble the other day for lunch.  Our favorite was the low carb tortillas however which with only 45 calories per tortillas made them feel a little more guilt free.  We ate them with yummy homemade refried black beans.  Lastly were the gluten free tortillas which i used to make soft tacos- honestly we hated these they tasted like cardboard.  So sorry gluten free friends I would not recommend these gluten free tortillas.  However all of then non-GF ones that we tried were delicious!

Black Bean salad with Low Carb Tortillas

Spinach Wrap stuffed with tofu scramble and grilled

Disclaimer: Maria and Ricardo’s Tortillas provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

Product Review & Giveaway: Coach’s Oats

March 22nd 2010 Posted at Uncategorized, giveaway, review
12 Comments

The Winners are:

Jenna- “My absolute fav.. pumpkin oats with banana, pb, flax seeds, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla. I could eat it every day and not get sick of it!”

And

Regina “I like mine with vanilla soy milk chocolate PB, banana’s, and flaxseeds.”

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

As many of you know I am a huge fan of oatmeal and eat it most mornings with banana, cinnamon and stevia.  So you can imagine that I was delighted to have a chance to try a new kind of oats.  Coach’s Oats sent me a few packages of their oats to try.  Their oats are prepared a different way than steel cut and rolled oats.  ”The groats are toasted to bring natural sugars to the surface of the oat then cracked into small pieces.”  (source)

The oatmeal cooks up in only 5 minutes so it is a quick nutritious breakfast when you are short on time.  Unlike other oats these get so creamy and delicious, I loved them.  These were also super filling along with my traditional fixings. Since Coach’s Oats sent a long a number of packets for me to sample I would love to get 2 readers a chance to win 2 packets to try themselves.  If you would like a chance to win enter By March 24nd, 2010 at 8am leaving a comment letting me know what your favorite oatmeal creation is.

Disclaimer: Coach’s Oats provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.
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