Posts Tagged ‘review’

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?

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

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

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 & Giveaway: Namaste Foods

March 18th 2010 Posted at giveaway, review
21 Comments

The winner is: Ashlei

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Namaste Foods small manufacturer of fine foods that contain no wheat, gluten, corn, soy, potato, dairy, casein or nuts. Most gluten free products can be pretty expensive however Namaste Foods has created a number of meals and mixes that are GF and inexpensive. Their products include mixes for muffins, waffles & pancakes, flour mixes, cookies, cakes & desserts, pastas, bread & pizzas. As you can see there are a number of great products for anyone who is looking for GF products.

Namaste Foods sent me a sample package of their Pasta Pisavera Pasta Meal to try. This product is easy to make in ready in about 15 minutes. Just boil this veggie brown rice pasta, drain, and add the delicious Italian Seasoning packet to make 4 side portions. I decided that I wanted to make 4 entree portions from this so that we could have dinner and leftovers for lunch the next day. I added steamed cauliflower, black beans, onions, mushrooms, sundried tomatoes and artichoke hearts to make it a hearty meal.

Namaste Foods has decided to give you all a chance to try their products. You can enter to win a “Namaste Tote with perhaps a pasta mix and a Pizza crust which may be better for the vegan diet, along with a Living Without magazine, recipe cards, coupons and assorted goodies!” If you would like to enter please visit the Namaste Foods Website and let me know which product you are interested in trying. Please enter by March 22nd at 8am. (Sorry this is open to US residence only.)

For Additional Chances to win:

1. Follow me on twitter @cookveganlover (come back and leave a separate comment)

2. Tweet “I want to win the Namaste Foods Giveaway @cookveganlover http://wp.me/pFVWo-zk” (come back and leave a separate comment)

Disclaimer: Namaste Foods 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: HURRAW! Lip Balm

March 8th 2010 Posted at review
2 Comments

Click to View Source

I recently posted a review for Crazy Rumors vegan lip balm. I have found another great vegan lip balm, HURRAW! a great all natural, vegan and made from premium raw and fair trade ingredients. One thing that I love about this lip balm is the shape, it’s oval versus round which helps to coat the lips better. I loved the Cinnamon Tinted Lip Balm; it was a great flavor and gave my lips a nice pink tint. My hubby loved the Vanilla Bean Lip Balm and he was also a big fan of this stuff. It’s great to find not only a vegan but also raw lip balm. I would definitely recommend these to any raw foodist or vegan looking for a new lip balm.

Disclaimer: HURRAW! 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: Perfected Foods Soy Jerky

March 7th 2010 Posted at Uncategorized, giveaway
14 Comments

And The Winners Are:

Jessie: “Yum, the Cajun flavor sounds awesome!”

Gina- “YUM! The Sweet BBQ sounds so good “

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"Perfected Foods strives not only to improve the quality of food, but improve the quality of life. Our Soy Jerky is all natural, cholesterol free, vegan, packed with protein and made right here in the United States." Source

Perfected Foods sent me a few samples of their vegan jerky to try. They sent me one of each of their flavors Mesquite, Hot Wing, Cajun, or Sweet Barbecue flavors. Although these products are all natural, cholesterol free and vegan I didn’t find them to be my favorite vegan jerky. They were really dry and tough to chew. I have to say I really like the creative flavors that they have. Now I am not a huge fan of jerky myself so others might like these more than I did. I am going to give 2 of you a chance to try Perfected Foods vegan jerky out for yourself. This giveaway will end March 9, 2010 at 8am.

To Enter:

Visit the Perfected Foods website and let me know which flavor you’d like to try.

Additional Entries:

Follow Cooking For A Vegan Lover on Facebook (leave a comment)
Follow cookveganlover on twitter (leave a comment)
Tweet “I want to win @cookveganlover Perfected Foods Vegan Jerky http://wp.me/ppaTI-ug” (leave a comment)

You can also send a photo of yourself with a pack of Perfected Foods to info@perfectedfoods.com and they will post it on our site. ONE LUCKY PERSON A MONTH WILL WIN A FREE CASE OF SOY JERKY!!!!!

Disclaimer: Perfected Foods 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.

New Restaurant: Mint

March 3rd 2010 Posted at restaurants, vegan, vermont
3 Comments

The hubz took me out for a spontaneous date night to the new vegetarian restaurant and tea lounge Mint in Waitsfield, VT. The small restaurant is all vegetarian and focus primarily on natural, organic whole foods and ingredients. They try to source all of their ingredients locally when possible and are 95% organic. The restaurant is quaint and has a really relaxing atmosphere. The food menu is small but has a number of really tasty sounding dishes. Although their food menu is small their tea list is extensive and is even broken down into types of teas such as dessert and evening teas. We opted for a glass of organic wine instead of tea but I’d like to try one of their teas on our next visit.

After spending awhile looking over the menu hubz and I finally decided on what we would order. I ordered the Sproutada:

Sproutada: toasted corn tortilla with brown rice, black turtle beans, chili sauce, soy mozzarella, topped with tahini dressed greens, snowpea sprouts, shredded carrots, fresh avocado and homemade salsa

and the Hubz ordered the Flavors of Mint Special:

Flavors of Mint Daily Special: roasted tempeh and asparagus over citrus braised greens and a peanut dipping sauce (their description was a little better but I forget what is actually said)

The food was delicious! Although the prices were slightly high you are paying for what you get which is not only delicious organic & local whole foods but a great experience. I also must say that although the plates looked small the food was filling and we left satisfied with our meal. We can’t wait to go back!

Also don’t forget to enter the Bodum French Press giveaway that ends March 5, 2010 at 8am.

Review: Chocolate Inspirations

February 28th 2010 Posted at Uncategorized, review
5 Comments

Chocolate Inspirations sent me a few samples of their toffee and brittles to review. The great thing about Chocolate Inspirations is that a number of their chocolates can be made sugar-free and vegan and they taste amazing. Among the flavors that I was sent to try were:

Vegan Cashew Brittle- This chocolate was delicious mix of brittle, chocolate and nuts.

Vegan English Toffee- this was my favorite of all the samples and it was great because I haven't had toffee in years (I don't count the xmas I attempted to make my own and set the stove on fire). This was creamy, caramel and delicious.

Vegan Coconut Brittle- this one was really tasty with it's creamy coconut taste and toasted coconut topping

Vegan Coffee Toffee- this was my hubby's favorite - he loves chocolate and coffee together and this was a great combo especially with the chopped pecans.

Overall this chocolate was amazing and my hubby and I can’t wait to order more of it. I think we will definitely be ordering some chocolate from here soon. Did I mention there are vegan caramels cups? I am sure they are to die for.

Disclaimer: Chocolate Inspirations 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.

Review: Ayala's Herbal Water

February 25th 2010 Posted at review
3 Comments

Ayala’s Herbal Water recently sent me samples of their Herbal Water, a water that has been infused with organic herbs to create a wonderfully tasty water. The flavors are different than most flavored waters and taste great. At first I as as bit apprehensive and expecting this water to taste like all the other flavored waters that I have tried, which is basically like an empty juice bottle was filled with water. This product was nothing like that, the flavor was strong but not over powering. It also was extremely refreshing.

The flavors hubz and I tried were:

lemongrass mint vanilla
- My husband described this perfectly “it taste like your drinking a fresh roll” and it did – the flavor was fresh and cooling and we both loved it.
lavender mint
- at first I didn’t know what to expect with this considering lavender is not something I generally eat or drink but the flavor with the mint was really nice
ginger lemon peel
- this was one of my favorites it almost reminded me of a iced ginger tea it was delicious
cinnamon orange peel
- another favorite of mine (who am I kidding I pretty much loved all of them) this one was different than the other because the cinnamon actually had more of a savory warming taste
cloves cardamom cinnamon
- this was similar to the cinnamon orange peel in that the flavors were warming and reminded me of the fall
lemon verbena geranium
- I liked this one but it was the only one that I didn’t love. I think it was the geranium flavor it was a bit too much floral tasting for me.

Overall these were a hit at my house. After one bottle my husband was asking where we could buy more because he loved it. This is my new favorite go to drink when I’m looking for something refreshing that isn’t just plain water.

Click to View Website

“At Herbal Water™, we make our beverages by infusing organic culinary herbs in pure water. We use no artificial sweeteners, no preservatives, and no additives of any kind. Culinary herbs have been prized for centuries, for their calming, stimulating and aphrodisiac qualities, and are the natural way to flavor and enhance any food or drink. You’ll find Ayala’s Herbal Water a delightfully refreshing, mellow yet complex aromatic drink that’s 100% good for you!™. Enjoy our taste of the garden, with fresh spring breezes in every sip.” source

Disclaimer: Alaya’s Herbal Water 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.

Giveaway & Recipe: Coconut Red Curry Peanut Stir Fry

February 24th 2010 Posted at Recipes, Uncategorized, giveaway, review
63 Comments

Coconut Red Curry Peanut Stir Fry

Ingredients:

1 cup firm tofu, diced
1 large carrot, diced
1 small onion, diced
5 cremini mushrooms, sliced
1.5 cups frozen edamame
1T coconut oil
1T coconut peanut butter (can substitute half coconut butter/half peanut butter or just use peanut butter)- win your own Coconut PB below
1T red curry paste
2T soy sauce, tamari or shoyu
1/2T vegetarian oyster sauce
1T arrowroot powder mixed with 1/4 cup of water
1t garlic powder
1/4 cup of dry roasted peanuts

Directions:

In a wok over medium high heat melt the coconut oil and coconut peanut butter together.
Add in the red curry paste and stir fry together for about a minute.
Add in all the remaining ingredients EXCEPT the peanuts and cook for 7-10minutes until the vegetables are soft.
Add in the peanuts at the end. Serve with your favorite rice or noodles.

To make this recipe I used Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil and Coconut Peanut Butter. The coconut peanut butter is rich and creamy tasting and works really well in this dish. The peanut butter flavor is not overwhelming but is rather great combined with the coconut. I found that this is not an easily spreadable butter but is great on warmed foods such as oatmeal, stir fries, noodles, and sweet potatoes.

“Tropical Traditions Organic Coconut Peanut Butter is made from organic peanuts and organic coconut. Two ingredients: nothing else! No fillers, no binders, no sweeteners, and no preservatives. The peanuts are 100% organic Valencia peanuts grown organically by family farmers in New Mexico and Texas. Grown in the dry climate of the southwestern United States, these peanuts are certified organic and free from aflatoxins. The dried coconut is certified organic coconut meat from the Philippines from coconuts that are grown with no fertilizers or pesticides. This premium dried coconut contains no additives or preservatives, and is not sweetened. Unlike most dried coconut on the market, our dried coconut products are not treated with sulfites to keep them white. Together, these premium organic roasted peanuts and the premium organic dried coconut are ground together to make a delicious and nutritious spread!” soucre

Tropical Traditions Giveaway- Please Enter by 8am on February 26, 2010

To win your own jar of Tropical Traditions Coconut Peanut Butter visit the Tropical Traditions website and take a look around- leave a comment on my blog telling me something you’ve learned or about a product that interest you.

Additional Chances to Enter

Subscribe to Tropical Traditions email Sales Newsletter here:http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/subscribe_for_special_sales.cfm(Leave me a comment saying you did)
Tweet about this giveaway – “I want to win @Troptraditions Coconut Oil from @cookveganlover http://wp.me/ppaTI-vQ
(Leave me a comment saying you did)
Follow me @cookveganlover on twitter (Leave a comment saying you did)
Visit Tropical Traditions Free Coconut Recipe websitehttp://www.freecoconutrecipes.com/ and leave a comment telling me what your favorite recipe is.

Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions 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.

Giveaway Winner is:

hihorosie // February 24, 2010 at 6:32 PM | Reply (edit)

How can one ever go wrong when there’s coconut involved? But there are a couple of recipes that catch my eye: coconut ice and Coconut Peanut Butter Cup Hot Cocoa. YUM!

Review: Caffe Ibis

February 4th 2010 Posted at review
1 Comment

Click to Visit Caffe Ibis Website

Caffe Ibis, located in Logan Utah, was great and sent me four samples of their organic coffees. The four coffees I tried were:
1. Organic Mayan Sunrise Blend- I really loved this coffee it was a great morning coffee that is a blend of dark and light roasts.
2. Organic Aztec Blend- what I loved about this coffee was that it is smooth, sweet and spicy.
3. Organic French Roast Blend- this coffee is rich caramelly, and smooth.
4. Organic Highland Sumatra Dark- This is my absolute favorite of the 4- it is a light french roast that is full bodied and has light acidity.

I drink a lot of coffee and I loved these coffees. The other thing that influences my coffee purchases are the companies ethical practices. Caffee Ibis has great ethical practices that are both socially and environmentally responsible:

Caffe Ibis Mission

“Our mission for thirty years has been to be “unbeatable for quality and freshness, while supporting social and environmental responsibility.” Caffe Ibis endeavors to:

1. Provide customers with mountain grown and mountain roasted specialty arabica coffee with unbeatable quality and freshness.
2. Provide due respect and fair compensation for the people whose labor brings us our exceptional organic coffees.
3. Respect and safeguard the environment that provides the extraordinary growing conditions true specialty organic coffee requires
4. Utilize buying practices that support shade grown and organic coffee, a sustainable coffee future, and social and environmental responsibility.
5. Honor and respect our partners in this endeavor, and the employees and customers of Caffe Ibis Coffee.

We believe that by adhering to the above principles that we will show returns that justify the costs incurred in presenting our goods and services along with the additional costs of future growth.” Source

To find out where you can get yourself Caffe Ibis Coffee you can visit their website or you can order direct from their website.

Disclaimer: Caffe Ibis 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 in return for the free product.