Review of Daiya's Cream-"Cheese" - Chive-Onion Flavour

Since I stopped eating dairy, I've missed eating something like philly cream cheese. I've seen this in the store before but have always thought it was too expensive.
So when I saw it on sale last week, I jumped at the chance to try it!

And I was not disappointed! This spread tastes remarkably similar to regular cream cheese, and has the same consistency too.

I was also pleasantly surprised with the ingredient list: no sugar. Score!

Conclusion

I would highly recommend this to anyone who has a dairy-free diet.

Review of Jergens Wet Skin Moisturizer - with Refreshing Coconut Oil

I received a free sample of this product and decided to try it. It is not the kind of product that I usually buy, because I know this brand uses a lot of harmful chemicals.

I tried it after the shower before drying my body, as the instructions directed. The first thing that I noticed is that it does smell nice and sort of natural (which is the appeal of this brand).

But when I looked at the list of ingredients, I was not thrilled.

Searching them in EWG's Skindeep, I noticed that 5 out of its 16 ingredients are classified as Moderate Hazard:

• CETEARETH-20 - Hazard Level 3
• METHYLPARABEN - Hazard Level 4
• PHENOXYETHANOL - Hazard Level 4
• ETHYLPARABEN - Hazard Level 4
• SODIUM HYDROXIDE - Hazard Level 3

And one is High Hazard: PARFUM - Hazard Level 8!

Having said that, my skin did feel hydrated, even for several hours after the shower.

Conclusion: the product does deliver on its promise, but at a high price to the consumer's health. I strongly recommend using something else.
 

Review of "Made Good Granola Bar - Mixed Berry"

Sweet but not too much. More mushy than crunchy. I like it because it has no refined sugar. Can definitely taste some raspberry flavour. Smaller than other bars.

What's in an egg?

After I've started eating healthy, one of the things I do when I crave unhealthy food, is go through its ingredients in my head and ask myself which one am I actually craving.
I will write a more detailed post about this technique in the future.

So I've been craving chewy, moist dough (from cookies or pastry) for the past few days now. After much googling I found out what makes a dough chewy.

And after analysing my craving it seems like my body wants eggs.

So I wanted to see what exactly is in eggs, or why exactly do I want them.

I found this great article explaining what is in an egg - most specifically in an egg yolk. It seems to be mostly fat and vitamins & minerals. The protein seems to be only on the whites. Interesting.
Since I haven't eaten chicken, red meat or dairy in about 2 months, I think it would make sense that I am craving animal fat.

I like the article because it also gives tips on what to look for in egg labels/packages.

Side note: I don't eat paleo, but a lot of my eating habits match paleo. For those who are curious, my diet consists of just avoiding what my CCM Dr. told me to avoid (sweets and foods high in animal fat).

Review of Van's Gluten Free Original Waffles

Review of Van's Gluten Free Original Waffles

Let me be clear that I did not buy this because it is gluten free. I don't like this gluten free hype (I'll rant about that on another post). My advice is that if you want to go "free" of something, go sugar free. It will change your life. It has completely changed mine.

Back to the waffles, I bought them because they don't have sugar (in the "original" flavour).

This is actually the only frozen waffle I've seen so far that doesn't have sugar (or it's euphemisms like "cane juice"). So kudos to Van's for making something that is really healthy instead of just cashing in on the gluten free hype.

The waffle tastes great and is not too sweet (it is sweetened with fruit juice).
It heats up quickly straight from frozen, which is great when you are starving and have a busy morning ahead.

The directions in the package are right: you need to heat them up on a very low setting (on a toaster) two times in order to make them completely crispy. However, it tastes great even when not completely crispy (so if you're in a hurry you can just heat it once).

It stays firm either way, unlike most other gluten free foods I've tried that tend to be very crumbly.

I had them with 1/2 cup of raspberries on the side, and a mug of soymilk. A great healthy and delicious breakfast, that takes care of 1 serving of fruit, 1 of dairy alternative and 1(?) of carbs.

I'll definitely buy the waffles again.

Review of Kettle Brand's Real Sliced Potatoes

Review of Kettle Brand's Real Sliced Potatoes - Sea Salt

Wow! I haven't had chips that taste so real in a long time!
I think part of the reason is because it's not loaded with spices like most chips, so you can actually taste the potatoes.
It's not loaded with salt like most chips either.
You can see the potato skin still on the chips too, so you know they are real.
The list of ingredients is short and pronounceable (potatoes, oil, salt) - just the way I like it.
Bonus for having them certified GMO free.
The only improvement I would recommend would be using organic potatoes.

Also, there is a great story on the package about the company culture and what they stand for. It's written by an employee who's been with them since their second year (the company was founded in 1982!) And it even lists his email. It shows they are genuine and don't mind if people contact them with questions.
This is the kind of company I want to buy from (and would love to work for too!)

Easy Healthy Halloween treat

This was the easiest treat I've ever made!
It's delicious, healthy and also very affordable (tip: leave your Halloween shopping to the last minute and you can get some really good deals at Michael's)

What you will need:
- Small plastic treat bags
- Colour bands
- Halloween themed silicone baking moulds
- Ingredients listed here

Instructions:
1) Make the brownies as explained here
2) Put them on the silicone moulds and place in the fridge for several hours, overnight is better
3) When done, remove from the fridge and pop the brownies from the mould over a plate.
Pop the stem first so that it doesn't brake off from the pumpkin. If it does, just gently push it back onto it.
4) Place each pumpkin in a treat bag, making sure they are upright.
5) Finish with the colour band (I would recommend orange to contrast with the dark colour of the brownies). Just 3-4 twists is fine. Twist it just a bit above the pumpkin stem so that it doesn't look squished inside the bag.