Love Being Vegan

Cookbook Review: Vegan Ice Cream: Over 90 Sinfully Delicious Dairy-Free Delights

2014-07-25T16:01:00.000-05:00

About the book:

This revised edition of Vice Cream features more than 90 delicious ice cream recipes using all-vegan ingredients like nuts, dates, coconut milk, maple syrup, and fruit, plus recipes for raw vegan ice creams and sauces.

Whether you’re vegan, lactose intolerant, or following a dairy-free diet, you don’t have to miss out on one of the world’s favorite desserts. Although ice cream substitutes are available, none of them achieves the richness of the real thing or offers the breadth of delicious flavors—until now. Vegan Ice Cream offers decadent frozen alternatives that don’t rely on milk, cream, or refined white sugar. Instead, these luscious recipes use nut milks, fresh fruit, and natural sweeteners to create simple and inventive ice cream flavors, from old favorites like Chocolate Chip and Strawberry to exotic creations such as Pecan Pie, Pomegranate, Kiwi Mandarin, Piña Colada, Chai, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Gingersnap, and many more.

This fully revised edition now features more than 90 recipes, including raw vegan ice creams and sauces, and full-color photography throughout. From the very first taste, you’ll be astonished at just how tasty and rich vegan ice cream can be. So make room in your freezer, and never miss out on the joys of ice cream again.

My rating:

(View my rating system)

My thoughts:

I've made several recipes from this cookbook and my two favorites are the Peppermint (which I added chocolate chips to - mint ice cream needs chocolate, in my opinion) and the Chocolate Pecan. The ingredients for most of the recipes are expensive (like raw cashews and maple syrup), but they are healthier than other ice cream recipes I've made. I love how quickly the ice cream can be ready to eat -- within a couple hours.

It takes a blender and ice cream maker to make these ice creams. I used the Vitamix and Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker - both of which I love and highly recommend.

Peppermint Ice Cream:

This flavor is soooooo delicious! I've made it 2-3 times already and just love it! For this recipe alone, I love this cookbook. The ingredients are healthy and it's very easy to make. The green color (which you can't really see in the picture above) comes naturally via a superfood, which I love.

Chocolate Pecan Ice Cream:

This was a unique, but good flavor. I'm used to butter pecan ice cream, but I really liked how this recipe mixed chocolate with pecans.

Overall, a great cookbook. All of the recipes I've tried have turned out and, even though the flavor of a couple (like the Apple Cinnamon) weren't my cup of tea, there have been some real gems. I can't wait to try more recipes.

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my other blog, Christian Bookshelf Reviews. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*

Was my review helpful? If so, please click "yes" on Amazon. Thanks!

Reviewing Free Apps

2014-03-02T15:58:00.000-06:00

I've gotten a bunch of free apps from Amazon's Appstore for Android, so I've decided to share my thoughts on some of my newer favorites.

Phrase Friends

I heard about this game from Apple users who loved the game, so I'm glad it's finally available on Amazon and that it works perfectly on my Kindle Fire HD. :) It's so much fun to play Phrase Friends with people I know as well as random opponents. I recommend this app for anyone that enjoys word games and/or games like Wheel of Fortune. Fun game!

Review on Amazon.

ColorNote Notepad Notes

I was looking for a good "notebook" app and ColorNote has been really useful so far. I've used it several times for writing reviews and other things. I haven't used the checklist option much, but from what I can tell it's great if you have a use for it. I like how you can change the color of the notepad and the calendar is nice. I also love how you can archive the notes you are done with so the main page isn't filled with old notes. I love this app!

Review on Amazon.

Adobe Reader

This app is really useful for me. It's a great app to download and read PDFs on. There have been a couple documents that didn't work on the Kindle Fire itself, which is why I got this app. It works great and I love it!

Review on Amazon.

Just Had To Share This Video - It Made Me Laugh!

2012-09-21T23:46:00.000-05:00

I've been really absent (again) from this blog, BUT I plan on being back soon with a post showing some of the recipes I've tried this past summer. :D

In the meantime, I wanted to share this video with you - it really made me laugh! Be warned, though, the song gets stuck in your head. :)

Anyway, hope you like it and feel free to share your thoughts in a comment below.

Music Review: The End is Where We Begin by Thousand Foot Krutch

2012-07-16T00:00:00.000-05:00

The End is Where We Begin by Thousand Foot Krutch

Okay, I'm pretty sure this is now my favorite TFK CD. While I still love the other CDs of theirs I have, The End is Where We Begin is so great and fantastic that I'd say it is my favorite so far.

Among other genres, I love Christian rock and The End is Where We Begin is definitely that! There are a few slower songs (So Far Gone, Be Somebody, and All I Need To Know), but mainly this album is rock.

I love so many (if not all) of the songs on this album, but my favorites are probably So Far Gone, All I Need To Know, The End is Where We Begin, War of Change, and Fly on the Wall.

I've listened to this CD on my iPod so many times and am still not tired of it - it is that good! The lyrics to many of the songs speak to me, especially the lyrics from So Far Gone.

The End is Where We Begin is just another reason why Thousand Foot Krutch is one of my favorite bands! This is a fantastic CD that I definitely recommend if you like rock music.

*I won a copy of this CD. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.*

Was my review helpful? If so, please click "yes" on Amazon. Thank you! :)

New Look!

2012-07-12T17:45:00.001-05:00

I changed my blog's background and stuff.... How do you like it? Please let me know in a comment below. Thanks for stopping by. :)

Product Review: Earth Science - Purifying Facial Masque Mint Tingle

2012-07-09T00:00:00.000-05:00

Photo via Amazon.

I'll admit, when I first tried this facial masque, I was a little shocked at the color (blue) and afraid it might dye my face blue! Luckily, it came off easily and I was anxious for naught. :)

I have somewhat oily skin and find this to be a great product! It appears to reduce the oil and somewhat clear my complexion when I don't overuse it (at most three times a week) and follow up with Clarifying Herbal Astringent.

It makes my face tingle (in a good way) and I absolutely love this product! I definitely recommend it!

Find it on Amazon
Find it on Lucky Vitamin

Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Bentonite, Glycerin, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Menthol, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil, Mentha Viridis (Spearmint) Oil, Bixa Orellana Extract, Hedera Helix (Ivy) Extract, Cola Acuminata Seed Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Extract, Allantoin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate, Guaiazulene, Peg-35 Castor Oil, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance (Parfum).

Directions: Use 2-3 times weekly as a deep facial mask. Apply a thin coat except under eyes, and rinse off with warm water after drying completely (15-20 minutes). For blemishes, apply before bed directly to blemishes and rinse in the morning.

I'm Back!!!

2012-07-07T12:40:00.000-05:00

I've been kind of absent from this blog, but I plan on posting more.

What you'll find on this blog from now on:

Cookbook reviews
Food recipe reviews
Music reviews
Product reviews
Plus other things as well.

While I most likely won't be posting daily, I do hope to post at least once a week or every two weeks.

Desert Essence Coconut Shampoo and Conditioner

2011-06-23T18:35:00.002-05:00

Are you trying to grow your hair longer? Do the ends of your hair feel dry? Do you want your hair to feel soft and silky? Then try 'Desert Essence Coconut Shampoo & Conditioner'!!

I've been trying to grow my hair longer, but the ends continued to feel dry. Which made it hard for me to let my hair grow - until I started using these products. This makes my hair feel so great!

I've been alternating between 'Desert Essence's Coconut Shampoo & Conditioner' and 'Desert Essence's Fragrance Free Shampoo & Conditioner' ~ which I also love! Since using these products, my hair feels softer and silkier.

I love the coconut fragrance! I continue to smell it long after my shower. I even smell it when I use the 'Fragrance Free Shampoo and Condition'.

I love the fact that these products are vegan ~ some shampoo and conditioners contain silk! The ingredients are WONDERFUL! No Parabens, No Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfates.

I 100% recommend this shampoo and conditioner! I love it!

My Rating:

Shampoo Ingredients:

Water (Aqua), Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract*, Arctium Lappa (Burdock) Root Extract*, Achillea Millefolium (Yarrow) Extract*, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Leaf Extract*, Foeniculum Vulgare (Fennel) Seed Extract*, Sambucus Nigra (Black Elderberry) Flower Extract*, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract*, Sodium Coco-Sulfate (Coconut Derived), Decyl Glucoside (Coconut and Corn Derived), Propanediol (Corn Derived), Coco-Glucoside (Coconut Derived), Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter*, Coco Nucifera (Coconut) Oil*, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil*, Cannabis Sativa (Hemp) Seed Oil*, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil*, Dehydroacetic Acid, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides (Coconut Derived), Sodium Chloride, Potassium Sorbate (Fruit Derived), Lauryl Glucoside (Plant Derived), Benzyl Alcohol, Citric Acid, Stearyl Citrate (Vegetable Derived), Fragrance (Parfum) * Certified Organic

Conditioner Ingredients:

Water (Aqua), Olea Europaea (Olive) Leaf Extract*, Urtica Dioica (Nettle) Leaf Extract*, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract*, Cetearyl Alcohol (Coconut Derived), Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Coco Nucifera (Coconut) Oil*, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter*, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil*, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil*, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil*, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (Coconut Derived), Dehydroacetic Acid, Cetrimonium Chloride, Benzyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Potassium Sorbate (Fruit Derived), Citric Acid, Fragrance (Parfum) * Certified Organic

You can find the shampoo here and the conditioner here

Desert Essence Tea Tree Oil Mouthwash

2011-06-18T16:35:00.000-05:00

Find this at www.desertessence.com

Desert Essence Tea Tree Oil Mouthwash is a really good mouthwash in my opinion. The minty flavor isn't that potent, but I like how this doesn't burn or sting my mouth. I got the 16oz refill bottle because it was cheaper than getting the regular 8oz size.

I think this works great with Desert Essence toothpaste - right now I'm using the mint flavor but I plan to try ginger and wintergreen soon. My teeth seem whiter now that I've been using both products, which is a definite plus! I'm also glad that both the toothpaste and mouthwash are Xylitol free! Even though I still have some things that contain Xylitol (like vegan gum) I'm glad that I can minimize the amount I use by not using toothpaste/mouthwash that contains it.

Desert Essence is one of my favorite brands. I love their toothpaste, mouthwash, shampoo, conditioner, etc. I also love how most of their products are vegan - including this mouthwash!

I give this -

The reason this isn't 5 stars is because the mouthwash's aftertaste is somewhat bland. Other than that, though, I love it!

Ingredients:

Water (Aqua), Glycerin (Vegetable Derived), Polysorbate 80, Eco-Harvest® Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Mentha Viridis (Spearmint) Leaf Oil, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Extract, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Calcium Ascorbate, Citric Acid.

NO Alcohol
NO Animal Testing
NO Artificial Fragrances/Dyes

YES Vegetarian
YES Vegan
YES Recyclable

Vegan Homemade Dog Treats!

2011-05-28T20:02:00.001-05:00

Recipe from: My Sweet Vegan by Hannah Kaminsky - Page 84

I made this recently for my dogs and they loved them (at least I think they did because they devoured them so quickly).

I made a double batch and put the batter in a mini muffin pan, so that they would be a good size for dogs of all sizes and last a couple of days. These treats were quick and easy to make, vegan, and homemade!

The ingredients are so healthy that even humans can eat these treats!

Note: Vegan Soapbox is giving away a copy of this cookbook.

Free Vegan Cookbook Contest

2011-05-18T23:10:00.001-05:00

The following website is giving away a free copy of 'My Sweet Vegan' by Hannah Kaminsky. Contest ends soon.

www.vegansoapbox.com/win-a-cookbook/

Desert Essence Natural Tea Tree Oil Toothpaste With Baking Soda

2011-05-13T17:10:00.000-05:00

Desert Essence Website

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

This is a great toothpaste! The ingredients are wonderful and it really works. I love that this toothpaste doesn't contain xylitol - many other toothpastes do, but I prefer ones without it . It cleans my teeth really well and leaves my mouth feeling fresh. I have the mint flavor, but Desert Essence also sells Wintergreen, Fennel & Ginger. This toothpaste isn't very minty and, even though I like it, I would have preferred it to be more minty. I love the new design - the flip cap is really nice! The toothpaste is also 100% vegan!

Ingredients (from LuckyVitamin.com)

Calcium Carbonate, Glycerin (Vegetable Derived), Water (Aqua), Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Distillate, Sodium Coco-Sulfate, Carrageenan (Plant Derived), Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil, Sodium Bicarbonate, Eco-Harvest Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Sea Salt. 100% Vegan.

No

Animal Derived Ingredients
Animal Testing
Parabens
Sweeteners
Harsh Abrasives
Artificial Fragrances or Dyes
Petroleum Compounds: Mineral Oil, Petrolatum or Paraffin
SLS
PEGS, PPG, MEA, DEA or TEA
Glycols
Phthalates

Yes

Vegetarian/Vegan
Recyclable
Gluten Free
Biodegradable
Renewable Sources
Cruelty Free

Dr. Tung's Stainless Steel Tongue Cleaner

2011-05-10T20:28:00.001-05:00

http://www.luckyvitamin.com/p-12542-dr-tungs-tongue-cleaner-stainless-steel

Amazon.com

I really like this tongue cleaner, it's by far the best that I have tried. It's really good at getting the tongue clean of unwanted matter. I think the quality of this is great and will last for years. The rubber-like handles are really nice as well. This is a great tongue cleaner.

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-07T22:22:00.001-05:00

This is the cake I made for my mom for Mother's Day this year. I think it turned out good, considering I'm a novice in decorating cakes.

For the cake, I used the 'Chocolate Cake' recipe (page 72) from 'The Joy Of Vegan Baking'.

I frosted the cake with 'Chocolate Fudgey Frosting' (page 259) from 'La Dolce Vegan!' & used 'Butter Cream Frosting' (page 261) from ' La Dolce Vegan!' for in-between the layers and for decorating.

I like how it tastes - sweet, but not too sweet. I think it's especially delicious with a glass of Silk Soymilk.

Happy Mother's Day Everyone!!!

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream....Update

2011-05-02T21:53:00.001-05:00

Recipe from - The Vegan Scoop

This is my absolute favorite ice cream! I have made double & triple batches. As I've said before, I find that this ice cream tastes way better if you minimize the peppermint extract to 1/2 tablespoon (otherwise it is way too minty). The picture on the left is from when I added chocolate chips that I chopped in a food processor. It turned out great, but it's really hard to tell which way I like this ice cream better (with whole chocolate chips or with chopped chocolate chips). This way there are chocolate pieces in every bite, but with whole chips it's a lot more refreshing and smooth. Either way, I really love this ice cream...it's delicious!!!

What's in McDonald's Oatmeal

2011-04-16T23:14:00.001-05:00

This link shows the calories, sugar, fat, etc., in McDonald's Oatmeal.

http://www.mnn.com/food/healthy-eating/stories/infographic-mcdonalds-rocks-the-oat

Nearly Half of Meat ‘Widely contaminated’ with Staph, Study Finds

2011-04-16T14:16:00.000-05:00

I originally heard about this on the 'News in Focus' program and decided to share the link to this study. I would think that this would make people think about what they are eating before they eat it. Another reason I am glad that I am a vegan.

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/united-states/staph-in-meat-nearly-half-of-meat-widely-contaminated-54743.html

Minestrone Soup

2011-03-16T19:08:00.000-05:00

Click For Minestrone Soup Recipe (recipe from veganagogo.com)

This soup is really delicious. One of my favorites. I love everything in the soup except for the spinach (I don't mind a little spinach, but hate when there are clumps of spinach).

Chocolate Cupcake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

2011-02-16T17:33:00.003-06:00

The recipe for this cupcake can be found in the book, 'Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World' by Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero, on page 37 ('Your Basic Chocolate Cupcake') & page 144 ('Chocolate Buttercream Frosting').

It was quick & easy to make. The cupcake batter took me under 20 minutes to make. This tastes really good, not too sweet & very moist. They were also fun to decorate.

Five stars because of its taste, easy instructions, and quickness. Yum!

Baked Mac & Cheeze Recipe Review

2011-02-03T21:30:00.000-06:00

Recipe from "Vegan Yum Yum" by Lauren Ulm

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Made this for dinner

I've been making this recipe for about half a year and still love it. Even though the recipe calls for it, I don't bake the Mac & Cheeze. I think this is by far the best & I mean BEST mac & cheese recipe. It tastes different than the traditional mac and cheese - more flavorful (which I find so delicious!). Another thing I love is that the recipe calls for nutritional yeast flakes, so there is Vitamin B2, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12 in the food. The sauce is very easy to make & takes under 10 minutes. This recipe tastes great with broccoli on the side.

Homestyle Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe Reviews

2011-02-01T20:29:00.001-06:00

Recipe from Vive le Vegan!: Simple, Delectable Recipes for the Everyday Vegan Family By Dreena Burton

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Fresh from the oven.

I LOVE these cookies!!!! They don't have that much sugar, yet they taste so good (with or without a glass of soymilk). The recipe only makes
about 9-13 cookies, so I normally double or triple the batch - which is easy enough to do. I think anyone, vegan or non-vegan, who likes chocolate chip cookies will love these - my family and I do:)

Try this recipe & enjoy!