Daiya Havarti Style Wedge

I was so excited to find this that I didn't really pay attention to what I was buying. I saw that it was daiya (a cheese replacement) with a Havarti flavour. I thought I was getting cheese slices. I did not notice that it had a jalapeño kick or that it was a wedge.

Overall, I much prefer this to the shredded cheese by daiya. It has a better flavour and it has better melting potential.

Unfortunately, I'm a bit of a wuss so I find it a tad too spicy. To compensate, I try to use a little less.

Recipe Review: Lentil Walnut Apple Loaf

Just imagine this less blurry and with
general improved picture quality

Someone recommended that I try Lentil Walnut Apple Loaf from ohsheglows.com. I generally like recpies found on this site, so I figured I would give it a chance.

I went to the grocery store to gather my ingredients. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get walnuts so I figured I would sub in almonds. I didn't know if this would work but I didn't see an alternative.

When I got home and started the prep work, I began to think that it was a mistake....not because of the recipe itself, but because I never ever liked a true meat loaf....the texture, flavour, meat....blech. However, I felt kind of committed to follow through with my plan so I forged ahead.

The only thing I changed was the use of almonds instead of walnuts. The end product was pretty good. The apple sauce gives it a nice flavour. The only thing I would do differently next time is chop my almonds smaller. My chunks were too big and out of place.

Blackfish

Blackfish played on CNN recently so I set the PVR to see what everyone is talking about. Essentially, it explores how SeaWorld has exploited orcas for entertainment. Some reviews I've read expressed concern that it portrays orcas as frightening and that this takes away from the point of the documentary.

However, I feel that this was balanced well and it was clear that orcas should not be used as entertainment. They should not be forced to live their lives in aquariums.

After watching Blackfish, I'm left with an understanding of the bigger picture of animal exploitation and that I don't want any part of it. If you are 'into' documentaries, I highly recommend you check this out.

The official site: Blackfish and facebook page.

Fitbit One

I have had my Fitbit One for two weeks now and I continue to be satisfied with my purchase. When I first got it, I opted to have a 'lazy day' to see the number of steps on what used to be a typical day and I found that I only had 1628 steps. Talk about lazy and embarrassing!

Fortunately, seeing this number was a bit of a reality check. The predetermined daily goal is 10 000. That's a lot of steps. You can change this goal if you would like. For myself, I'm satisfied with 7000 steps on a day that I've done an intense workout. I opted not to change the number officially though because I figured that would make it too easy to slack off.

In these two weeks, I have averaged 8198 steps per day. That is a significant improvement over the 1628.

Other general features that I enjoy include the silent/vibrating alarm and the ability to link my Fitbit to My Fitness Pal. And the fact that it can track your sleep is pretty cool, although not that accurate or useful.

In terms of the actual device, I opted for the One over the Flex (which is a bracelet) because I wanted to be able to quickly see my numbers without having to check my phone or computer. (The Flex just has lights that show your progress). I do still use the website so I can get added details and see how I'm doing over time.

I can understand the appeal of the Flex. It would be much harder to forget to put it on and you are less likely to throw it into the wash, but these aren't issues that I have encountered with the One. You can compare some of the features here.

Anyway, I realize that my review isn't super in depth or earth shattering, but I did promise you a review - so that's what you get.

Fudge & Fire: Testing (delicious) Coconut Fudge

I finally got around to testing out a coconut fudge recipe. It is amazing. It has perfect consistency with a light taste of coconut. Most testers raved about the finished product.

The one exception was my husband who said that it was "pretty good". It is important to note that "pretty" is paired with most of his reviews. He uses "not bad" when he wants to change things up.

For example:


Me: how does this shirt look?
Him: pretty good.

Me: Did you like the movie?
Him: Ya, it wasn't too bad.

Me: Your arm is on fire. How does that feel?
Him: Well, it's pretty hot. Pass the popcorn.




Ok, so I haven't tested the last one out but I think it is accurate to his typical reviews and his reaction to uncontrolled fires involving BBQs or ovens. But that's a story for another day. 

Anyway, all of that to say that everyone who I'm counting said the recipe rocks.



Edited to add: I learned from this experience that I cannot cut a pan of fudge into 36 even pieces.

Also, when I input the ingredients into a calorie calculator, my calculations did not match those of the original recipe. Each piece is over 100 calories more than the other calculation so if you are concerned about it, double check your numbers. But really, if you are that worried about calories you probably wouldn't be eating fudge. 

Watermelon Gazpacho

You know what happens when you have an entire watermelon to consume by yourself? You get creative. I can't count how many bowls of watermelon I've eaten in these past couple of days and when that got boring, I mixed things up. I added it to my smoothies and my salad. I gave some away. And I still had 7/8 of a watermelon left. So, I froze some and was down to 1/2 a watermelon.

I searched for recipes. I found a lot of drinks but not much else. So I sucked it up and made watermelon gazpacho. And then I froze the rest of the watermelon....until I realized that it had been breeding in my fridge and somehow I still have watermelon left.

But onto the gazpacho...I found the recipe on allrecipes.com. I doubted that I would like it but I figured if I put it into a recipe I could give more away. And it worked, I was able to pawn some off on the same family member. I was also right about not really liking it but my sampler said it was ok so maybe normal people like it? (well, as normal as someone can be if they like gazpacho to begin with).

Now I just have to freeze the remaining watermelon and I will have enough for a lifetime of smoothies.

Fat Sick & Nearly Dead

I recently watched the documentary Fat Sick & Nearly Dead. My overall impression is that it is interesting and I hope it encourages people to eat more fruit and veggies. However, I am concerned that viewers will jump on the juicing bandwagon to be part of a fad as opposed to making real long-term changes in their diet.

I know for myself, I'm not about to run out and buy a juicer. And I can't imagine that the juice tastes that great. I will stick to my morning protein green smoothie and that will likely be the closest I get to drinking vegetables.

As an aside, this is post 100! Now I'm off to make my smoothie and move on with my day.

Miessence Foundation (Review)

Previously, I used Almay Smart Shade foundation. I liked the price point (18.99 on well.ca) and Almay's cruelty-free status. Things changed in the cruelty-free claim so I began my hunt for a better foundation.

I started by ordering a sample of Miessence foundation. The sample cost $8 (with tax and shipping) and I was mostly satisfied, so I ordered the actual product.

The good:

• It works better than the Almay foundation. I don't get shiny nearly as quickly.
• And that's pretty much it.

The bad:

• If I worked with little kids there would be a problem. At first, they would love me. But then that would wear off because while I smell like Play-Doh they would be let down when they realized I am not made of Play-Doh. Yes, that's right. Miessence has a Play-Doh odour.
• The sample I ordered was an ok texture....but the real deal is watery. It may get better in time, but I've been using it for a week and it's still watery.
• So, at $80 (including shipping and tax), this will not be a repeat purchase.  

Haunted, but not by Earthlings

Earthlings is frequently referenced as a must-see for everyone alike....either to reaffirm a veg*n's commitment or to convert omnivores. I say skip it. The only good thing I can say about it is that it covers the whole animal picture...pets, entertainment, food, etc. If you manage to get through the super slow and boring introduction, then you will be assaulted with horrific images of slaughter and cruelty to animals.

Now, I was prepared for this documentary. I knew what I was getting into. However, I find the
stance is pushed so hard that it is just a turn off. If I were an omni, I would just walk away. And really, I only watched to the end because I was knitting and distracted....and because I wanted something to blog about.

This documentary didn't traumatize me. It didn't haunt me. It really just made me ompare it to more powerful documentaries and books. For example, right now I'm reading Eating Animals. In this book, it describes some of the things seen in Earthlings but the viewpoint isn't forced on you as much, so it still keeps its credibility (in my opinion).

So, if Earthlings doesn't haunt me, then what does? The animals that are soon-to-be food. When I was little, my sister and I used to count the cows we passed on our road-trip to the family cottage. Naturally, I didn't make the connection.

But recently, my husband and I went for a walk. It was a gorgeous day. And in our travels, we walked by a field of beef cattle. At first, only one took interest in us. It slowly walked over to check us out. And then the others followed. It was kind of cool and super haunting.

So, no, I'm not haunted by an-overly-referenced agenda pushing documentary. I'm haunted by animals. I'm haunted how their personalities are ignored and glossed over so that they can end up on the table. I'm haunted by the human rationalization that animals should suffer at the expense of human taste buds. I'm haunted by language that allows people to disassociate the animal connection from what they are eating.

I'm sticking with veggies and my appreciation for animals.

Make-up review

A while ago I purchased 100% Pure foundation powder from Raindance Cosmetics. I put off using it because I'm adverse to change and had been using Almay's Smart Shade pressed powder. I was satisfied with how it worked but decided to change over to a company that is cruelty-free. Almay was once upon a time but have made concessions to be able to sell their products in China. Anyway, that's not the point of this post. (Can you tell that I'm still bitter about having to change over all of my cosmetics?)

I wasn't sure about the shade of the 100% Pure powder. It doesn't match Almay's. I wasn't really expecting it to, but I was worried that I would like orange or something. Thankfully, that didn't happen. The 100% Pure goes on sheer. The powder is a bit looser and it doesn't blend quite as well. However, it's not awful and I can live with doing a few extra brush strokes.

The main downside is the price. Almay's is 14.99 (on well.ca) and the 100% Pure is $33 on Raindance Cosmetics. Yikes. My ethical views support the change and (at the moment) my wallet can handle it.

Almay's Smart Shade comes with it's own brush. 100% Pure did not. The thing with cosmetic brushes is that some (many?) are made with animal hair. It could be horse/pony, goat, squirrel, etc. I have no interest in being that close and personal with a squirrel (or any animal really) so I wanted to buy a set that is cruelty-free and vegan.

I bought a set from EcoTools that I found at target. I love them. They are *so* soft. And they are kind of pretty. The bristles are synthetic and the rest is made from bamboo and recycled aluminum.

Chocolate Mousse

This weekend I wanted to make something new. So, I went through my pins (on Pinterest) and asked my husband to pick between a few different options. He chose mousse. Had he known that it meant using the blender for the fourth time this week, he might have selected differently because he hates washing the blender. Because I'm nice, I washed it for him. (as a way to procrastinate on the garden prep work).

I followed the recipe for the most part....except I didn't toast the coconut and I used almond milk. I was upfront with my husband and warned him about the tofu, mainly because I figured he was on to me at the grocery store when he complained that I was buying *more* tofu. I told him it was different but I don't know that he believed me. Anyway, he was game for the treat despite the tofu. His awesomeness in this area made up for today's annoyingness in other areas. Mostly.

Overall, it turned out pretty good. The texture is nice and smooth. There's a sweetness to it but it isn't overpowering. The original recipe said that it would yield 6-8. I divided it up into 11 portions because I found a little bit goes a long way. It only slightly bothered me that 11 is not an even number (but I told myself that my taste-testing along the way was portion number 12 so it really was even after all). Ya, I'm a bit weird sometimes.

Anyway. Let's move on. What isn't quite right (in my opinion) is that this mousse is *much* thicker than a typical mousse. So much so that I'm considering popping it into the freezer and relabelling it ice cream. Either way, this is something I would make again.

Oh. so. yummy!

No Bake Chocolate Macaroons

I recently made up these decent macaroons from oh she glows. They turned out pretty good. I didn't have any kitchen disasters or anything!

However, I don't love them. I find they have a super strong banana flavour (even if my taste testers didn't notice). My husband didn't love the coconut flavour. He thought it was overpowering. Myself? I didn't even taste coconut. And yes, we really did taste-test from the same recipe.

Next time I would put in more maple syrup because, if I'm honest, I like super sweet things. Once everything was mixed together I felt it was too late to add more, so I threw in some vegan chocolate chips to add a bit of sweetness to it.

I'd probably make them again. They're ok and super easy to make.

Silly Cow Farms Hot Chocolate

You know that 'rule' that you shouldn't go grocery shopping hungry? Well, when you do, you just might come home with some interesting new products.

I was wondering around looking for crackers when I found myself staring at hot chocolate. I do have some already in the cupboard at home but it doesn't count because it contains dairy. The stuff I was drooling over in the grocery store does not. It likely helped that the hot chocolate was in a cool little bottle. I was content to add it to my basket though, since I haven't had hot chocolate in forever (due to the dairy thing).

Anyway, I'm home now and have just finished my first mug. I added the powder to almond milk with nearly satisfying results. The only thing missing was the marshmallows...and I'm sure I can scrounge up a vegan marshmallow recipe somewhere.

But that search will have to wait until after I figure out what to have for Easter dinner. (Feel free to offer suggestions!)

Cauliflower wings

I was recently talking to my brother about my diet changes and he commented that I've always been a picky eater. I'm not sure if he was taking the angle that I've just gotten *way* pickier (likely) or that he's surprised I'm trying so many new things. It doesn't really matter because I know that I'm trying *tons* of new food and more vegetables are making their way onto my plate.

Cauliflower wings included. And they are so good. I made my own sauce that consisted of BBQ sauce, ketchup, salsa, maple syrup, spices, garlic and onion. I don't measure anything. It's all trial and error and deliciousness.

Huh. Eggplant *isn't* icky

I was away from home recently so I could visit family. My mom is super accommodating with my dietary restrictions and is willing to try new recipes when I visit. She asked if I have ever tried eggplant. I said no, but that I would try it.

Now, I believe I have previously referred to it as 'icky eggplant' on here and I have definitely ruled out recipes based on the inclusion of eggplant. So, I fully expected it to be 'icky'...based on my scientific evidence of assumption.

However, this scientific method is flawed (I know, shocker, eh?). I made Eggplant Parmesan from Oh She Glows and it is really good. So good that it will be making a regular appearance in my recipe rotation. The downside? I have to find other recipes that use eggplant because while my husband tried it and said it was 'ok', he's not quite on board. I likely wouldn't make the full recipe just for myself.

Please forgive the poor picture quality. I was hungry and impatient. It tasted better than it looks. And pretend the (Daiya) cheese looks nice. It got all clumpy the first time and wouldn't spread well so I sprinkled a bit more. I suggest that you check out the actual recipe link for a pretty picture.

Green Beaver Makeup Remover

I am slowly replacing all of my Almay products because (IMO) they are technically no longer cruelty-free since they sell to markets that require animal testing. I'm not a wasteful person, so I didn't throw everything out and am instead replacing products as they run out.

The first item to replace was makeup remover. I had been using Almay's makeup remover pads and I have recently tried Green Beaver's Eye Makeup Remover.

While I like the convenience of Almay's pads, Green Beaver works a lot better at removing my stubborn waterproof mascara. It seems gentle on my skin and does not sting even when I smash it into my eye.

The only not-so-great part is the price. I bought Green Beaver off of well.ca for $13.00 versus Almay's pads for $7.59. However, in time I will find out if the Green Beaver lasts longer than what I would get out of the pads (approx 5 weeks).

Unless I decide to try some other product next time, I do like Green Beaver enough for this product to become a regular. The product itself works really welll.....*and* it's cruelty-free, vegan, Canadian, and all natural. Take that Almay!

Apple Pie Oatmeal

I am on a cooking kick these days. It's kind of nice, except for the dishes. Anyway, on the weekend I like to treat myself with 'special' breakfasts. This past weekend I figured I would try the Apple Pie Oatmeal since I didn't have the pear I needed for another recipe (which is kind of funny, because I actually do have pears - I just didn't know it).

This is not a recipe I would make again. The flavour is nice, but I didn't like the consistency/texture. I prefer a drier oatmeal and this was very moist and almost slimy. I also found the serving size too large, so I put half aside for the next day. Hopefully it reheats well.

New-to-me foods

I tried a bunch of new stuff this week. It's like I'm a whole new person.

• Pizza with no cheese at Boston Pizza: yummy.
• Veggie burger (no feta) at Montana's:  so good that we are engaged to be married. My husband may need to move out. Unfortunately it has *a lot* of calories and fat.
• Silk Chocolate almond milk: not a fan.
• Amande coconut cultured almond milk (like a yogurt): very good. It's a bit sweet so I would probably have a smaller serving with a bunch of fruit.

Reviews to follow for: Crockpot Honey Lentils; Coconut Black Bean Brownies; Vegan Mocha Chip Muffins; and Garlicky Mushrooms and Kale from the cookbook Appetite for Reduction.

Crap I've tried

Typically I use the home-made deodorant but I recently put in an order from well.ca and needed to add something to it to qualify for free shipping. I decided I wanted to try the salt-rock deodorant thing again because there will likely be times that it is more convenient to use.

It's something my sister had me try years ago. I was satisfied with it until I dropped the rock into the sink and it became all jagged-like and slightly unpleasant to use. So, I purchased this. It's the same thing, just with the stone inside a more typical deodorant container thing. This makes it much handier to use and reduces the chances of it breaking into lovely little shards. (Nothing says feeling fresh like running a jagged rock on your armpits).

Moving on.....I've noticed this week that I am becoming increasingly sensitive to dairy. My usual routine consists of having milk and a sweet-treat as my evening snack. I have since switched to almond milk. I previously blogged about Daiya and how it wasn't super fantastic (IMO) so I'm still doing the cheese thing. I was looking for other non-dairy products to try and came across So Delicious Coconut Almond Bars. They are pretty good. Sure, I'd prefer something like a Rolo ice cream bar but since it would likely come with bloating and general feelings of ickiness, it probably wouldn't be my first choice (anymore)...especially since my husband would probably be like, 'see, that's why you shouldn't eat dairy'. And then he would enjoy said dairy treat while sitting across from me. He's awesome that way.

More stuff to check out

Meet your Meat:

This is one of the more graphic videos on the meat industry. Some parts are really hard to watch. It has prompted me to make more vegan choices, but I think it would be more effective to have a longer documentary with a balance of in-your-face graphic stuff with more information-based stuff. At the same time, that would decrease the shock value. If you choose to watch this, you can't say I didn't warn you! I didn't embed the video due to the graphic content.

A Cow at my Table:

I don't really have a lot to say about this documentary. It looks into attitudes on the meat industry and the fight between the industry and animal rights activists. It was interesting because of the Canadian content but the documentary just didn't grab me, which is unfortunate because it does have valid points. I've embedded the trailer but the full-length documentary is linked in the title. Some parts may be difficult to watch.