Vegan Awesomeness & Favourites

I wanted to share some of my absolute favorite plant-based/vegan products in case you were looking for something in helping you or/and loved ones adopt a kinder, healthier way of eating.

Our favorite go to 'milk' is Silk organic soy milk.

My absolute favorite coffee, now that I am off of caffeine, is Starbucks Decaf house blend

but it must be with my absolute favorite creamer, also from Silk, their almond vanilla flavored creamer...try it, you'll never crave 'real cream' again and it's so much better for you.

We recently, just in time for summer, discovered that Nestle makes a vegan drumstick

and as far as we can remember what the dairy ones taste like, these taste the same, super yummy.

One of my favorite plant based companies is Gardein (they are Canadian by the way whoot whoot)

I don't think I've disliked anything that they make.  They are on the pricey side for the amount you get but well that's unfortunately the culture of vegan food right now because it's not subsidized like dairy and meat products.  These pork-less bites are my honey's favorite,

they have a really nice spiciness to them with a ooey gooey sauce and very tender 'meat'

and I love the crab-less cakes, they are creamy and as far as I remember, taste quite a bit like crab.

Califia Farms makes these cold brew espressos that's just dreamy.

I admit, I had to add a bit of sugar because I like my coffee super sweet.

I can't have it now because I am off caffeine for my migraines & chronic pain but

if your a coffee drinker, love your summer time cold cafe treats, I highly recommend them.

(If you've never had salted dried broad beans, find them, they are delicious).

SoFresh's cold brew coffees are really tasty too, they just aren't as strong as the Califia

but when we can we stock up on SoFresh's oat milk, oat milk it one of my favorites,

it tastes so fresh and just so nourishing for the body.

Earth Island makes one of my favorite cheese, a provolone and a cheddar.

We are also huge fans of Sheese's cream cheese, it actually tastes like real cream cheese,

the slices not so much but  we love love love their feta too.

Vegannaise is my favorite mayo, especially the garlic one but nowadays even Walmart has vegan mayo and they are all wayyyy healthier for you than regular dairy mayo. 

Now back to Gardien...the beefless tips are one of my favorite treats.

They don't look like they do on the package but they are yummy all the same.

We like to just cook up a whole bag & eat it beside steamed broccoli and mashed potatoes.

We  recently gave the Emborg cheese a try on pizza and it did a really good job.

SoDelicious has so many super delicious vegan ice creams available,

we try every single new flavor and we haven't been disappointed once.

However one of my favorite all time ice creams comes from Ben & Jerry's, it's their Cherry Garcia.

I am honestly not a fan of any of the Halo ice creams...not after the other ones.

I am always so surprised that even in our little Northern meats & potatoes town,

plant-based options are quite readily available, not so much in restaurants sadly but in grocery stores, there is usually an option for most things I find, sometimes you just have to search.

You can't get attached to anything unfortunately because it seems that most things plant-based

seem to come and go without rhyme or reason (except for your big companies like Tofurky or Daiya) BUT it's always fun trying new products anyway.

You don't need any of this stuff to go vegan, this is all just extra treats but if your looking for

substitutes to make kinder, better, smarter choices, these are all a really great place to start.

If you ever have any questions about going plant-based, don't hesitate to contact me,

I am more than happy to try to answer any questions, to encourage you & to cheer you on XO.

It's Not The Price, It's The Life You Save

Trying new vegan goods is one of the joys in life in my opinion.

The New plant based Breyers ice cream is really nice.

I prefer the salted caramel whiles my honey prefers the cookies & cream flavor.

   

The cheesecakes from Daiya do to me taste like real cheesecake.

We love to top them with fresh fruit & coconut whipping cream.  The key lime is my fav.

There are so many tasty cheese alternatives & meal substitutes out there

but still some of my favorites are made by our friends at The Kind Choice Food Co.

I highly recommend giving your local artisan cheese-makers a go, I am sure they'd appreciate it too.

And three of our favorite new brands available pretty readily even in our meats & potatoes town is;

Gusta, Field Roast and Sheese...

The Sheese cream cheese is our go-to, the Gusta 'cheese' isn't cheese but it's yummy, especially the original flavor & their sausages are my absolute favorite, especially the Brunche & Germaine kind.

I am not a fan at all of the Field roast cheeses BUT their Smoked Apple Sage sausages are delicious.

Sure vegan products can be on the pricey side, I admit that, they definitely can be BUT

here the biggest thing...you don't need them to be plant-based, they are just treats

& most important thing...

the price of them is nothing compared to the price of an innocent animal loosing it's life!

Go Here When In Barrie

I had some appointments with a pain specialist in Barrie this past summer

and we never complained about having to go back during the lengthy fibromyalgia diagnosis

because we got to go to this awesome place called The Vegan Pantry.

 

If your ever in Barrie, I highly recommend it.  It feels like a haven for me.

We've been several times and we've not been disappointed once.

Their menus is huge with not only sweets but pizzas and air fries etc & really good cappuccinos.

A Black Hat

Did I ever show you guys the hat I crocheted?  I can't really crochet well at all

but I did stumble my way through a pattern, added some buttons and I am pretty happy with it.

Anything Can Be Meatfree

I believe that there is a vegan version of everything, sure it won't taste the same as a meat or

dairy version but to me it would taste better because it doesn't mean the torture & death of anyone!

All it takes is a bit of effort and a willingness & desire to be one less person harming animals.  

Take our vegan "Beefaroni" here (with homemade marinated mushrooms, soy milk & eggfree bread).

It took awhile to perfect it but it is so so tasty & would satisfy any meat-eater.

If anyone wants our recipe, let me know & I am happy to write it out for ya XO

Boon Burger

If you ever gave a chance to try a place called Boon Burger don't pass it up.

It's Canada's first all vegan burger cafe chain and is seriously super awesome.

Grateful For Green

Are you like me where you just have days where your heart is flooded over with gratitude...

gratitude for green!  For fresh greens & beautiful kind healthy food and beautiful new plants!!??

Choose Love

I so far only have one regret in life.

That regret is that I haven't always been vegan...if I could go back in time & change that I would.

Spending time with precious beings like these two duck friends

is such a powerful reminder to me of why I choose compassion and love over the alternative.

Vegan For Laura

I've just been missing my beautiful gentle intelligent welcoming feathered soul.

I spent a lot of time out at a farm sanctuary last summer and made many friends and many lasting

memories, most revolving around this beautiful lady, my late photo bombing turkey friend Laura.

She was incredible, I miss her so much.  People have no ideal how social & smart turkeys are,

it's so so beyond sad to me that we humans eat them.  I wish everyone had a Laura in their lives

than they would feel magic and friendship and kinship and everything wonderful and amazing.

Muskoka VegFest

Last summer we went to a Vegan festival in Muskoka Ontario and it was amazing.

To see all of these new vegan products, to listen to animal activists,

to be around other people who care about animals and who advocate for them etc

was really really empowering and awesome to experience.

We ate and ate and ate, we had hot dogs, popsicles, fresh-pressed juice, the best cappuccinos ever

and we came home with vegan chocolate, cheeses, spreads, pie, pizza buns, shortbread etc.

If your vegan or have interest in being vegan I highly highly recommend seeking out

a Vegfest near you, it's so worth it and veganism is on the rise so I bet there is one near you XO

Touched With Kindness

A friend dropped off this amazing treat awhile back to thank us for helping her bun,

vegan french onion soup, apples from her garden, vegan tees, HELLO!

Tahini Date Coffee Cups

Hi guys, sorry, I meant to post this last week but things got away from me.

You have to try these, they are so tasty and different than any other dessert.

I made them a couple weeks back and now we keep a ready supply in the freezer

because they are the perfect little healthy treat when our sweet tooth scream for something.

"Tahini Date Coffee Cups"

Coating:

·  1/2 cup tahini

·  1/2 cup coconut oil, melted

Filling:

·    1 cup of dates (make sure you get the pitted kind)

·   2 teaspoons coconut oil

·   1 teaspoon vanilla

·  1/2 teaspoon sea salt

·   1 cup of water (to soak the dates in)

·   3-4 tsp of instant coffee

Instructions:

1. Put the dates in the water and soak for atleast 2 hours or until soft enough for you to mash.

                     2. Line 20 to 22 mini muffin cups with paper liners.

                     3. In a medium bowl, beat together the tahini and coconut oil until smooth. Line the cups with a little under half of the mixture. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes until set.

                     4. Make the filling by mashing up the dates using as much of the water as you need from the prune soaking, I just use a fork, it takes some arm power but it won't take too long.  Than add the coconut oil & tahini mix, the vanilla, the salt and the instant coffee and mix until you have a smooth, thick paste.

                   5.. Remove the cups from the refrigerator. Evenly drop about a teaspoon of the filling into each cup, let it pool in the middle, do not spread out.  Than fill the cups with the remaining of the tahini mixture until each cup is. 

6. Chill in the refrigerator again until set and then gobble up and enjoy.

(These need to be kept in the freezer afterward or in the fridge otherwise they will melt).