Archive for the ‘Good Eats’ Category
Baking, Cake, Chocolate, Confectionery, Cookies and Cream, Cream filled, Cupcake, Food, Lavendar, nut free, organic, Vanilla, vegan
In Good Eats, Recently Reviewed on September 16, 2013 at 1:48 pm
Sweets from the Earth has done it again by adding their own vegan offerings to the plethora of choices out there in the current cupcake rage. Beautifully decorated, these cupcakes could easily sit beside any bakery version but are ideal for anyone wishing to avoid nuts, dairy, eggs and all the other additives found in many mainstream baked goods.
Sweets from the Earth Nut Free Cupcakes The variety package of four caught my eye as I was perusing the dessert section in the freezer of my local health food store. PRODUCT NOTES Although the combinations vary each cupcake has distinctly different flavours: Lavender packs an unexpected lavender punch in the icing atop a chocolate cupcake (personally I prefer my lavender in soap but it was surprisingly good); Cookies ‘n’ Cream tasted more like mocha coffee but was delicious nonetheless; Cream Filled features a dense chocolate brownie-like cake with an equally lovely glaze; Vanilla was the plain Jane of the bunch but not without its merits. BOTTOM LINE Although a bit on the sweet side for my liking, they certainly are less sugary than confections you’ll find elsewhere and definitely made with higher quality organic ingredients. Definitely splurge and special-occasion worthy. Invent an excuse.
breakfast, cereal, chia seeds, Costco, Cranberry Vanilla, Food, Genetically modified organism, GMO, Hemp, hemp seeds, Natural product, Nature's Path, organic, Shopping, superfood, Vegetarian
In Good Eats, Recently Reviewed on July 9, 2013 at 1:02 pm
We’re big cereal eaters in our home and have come to enjoy many of the organic and non-GMO varieties that Nature’s Path makes. And anytime we see something new and organic at Costco, we’re quick to snap it up, as it’s often less expensive than at the health food store.
Qu’i Superfood – Chia, Buckwheat & Hemp cereal in Cranberry Vanilla by Nature’s Path $15.49, Costco. 
Hemp and chia seeds have already made their way into our home, as we continue to discover their many uses, so we were eager to see how this cereal measured up. PRODUCT NOTES As soon as you open the bag, a wonderful waft of vanilla greets your nose. The cereal itself is just as flavourful but you have to wait and let the seeds soak unless you want to crack a tooth. BOTTOM LINE My picky teenager absolutely loves it mixed with almond yogurt while I like to use it as a cereal topping since the recommended amount seems a tad skimpy to me for a proper breakfast on it’s own. But if you’re looking for quick convenience and are the type who rushes each morning in a mad dash to get out the door, you might find this cereal a bit hard to chew.
Disclosure Notice: We participate in the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program, which earns fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites. Our participation does not influence our content decisions but helps to offset the costs involved in maintaining this website.
cancer, Food, Food study, Genetic engineering, Genetically modified food, Loblaws, organic, Shopping, Shortbread, tumors
In Good Eats, Recently Reviewed on June 25, 2013 at 12:08 pm
There was an article from across the pond about a study on genetically modified (GM) foods that included horrifying photos of rats that got cancer tumors as a result. Not sure why we never saw the story over here but it only served to reaffirmed my resolve to continue avoiding these items and to encourage other people I care about to do the same.
But for those people who haven’t quite embraced a lifestyle that includes organic products, here’s an easy switch. Now I’m not an advocate for eating cookies every day, as easy as it would be to do but I have to admit my weakness for shortbread and other biscuits alike.
Walkers Organic Shortbread Fingers While this certainly isn’t a vegan or gluten-free snack, for those of us who occasionally indulge in a buttery treat, this traditional shortbread cookie is definitely splurge-worthy. They would also make a great gift. PRODUCT NOTES There’s little chance you would guess you were eating an organic biscuit if you didn’t see the packaging. These fingers are so like the original famous variety (perhaps even better), I challenge anyone to try serving them up for tea as I doubt anyone would even notice the difference. BOTTOM LINE With products this good, it’s easy to see how little steps can add up to bigger ones. Even your most skeptical guest will find these most palatable.
Disclosure Notice: We participate in the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program, which earns fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites. Our participation does not influence our content decisions but helps to offset the costs involved in maintaining this website.
Food, gluten-free, Health, Loblaws, organic, Shopping, soy, vegan, Veganism, Vegetarian, Vegetarianism
In Good Eats, Recently Reviewed on June 18, 2013 at 10:32 am
I’ve finally found an organic ground beef substitute! When I stumbled upon this non-GMO-verified version from Sol Cuisine, I couldn’t wait to try it in my usual recipes such pasta sauces, stir fry’s and Sheppard’s Pie.
Sol Cuisine Organic Veggie Crumbles, $4.99, Loblaws . 
We eat a lot of soy products, so I try to find organic ones wherever possible since I discovered that soy is one of the most genetically modified (GMO) foods out there. This ground is also vegan and gluten free. PRODUCT NOTES Looks and tastes as good, if not better, as the other veggie grounds we’ve used in the past. My family devoured the spaghetti sauce I made. Not even a speck of it was leftover for lunches the next day. BOTTOM LINE Lately, I haven’t been able to find this product in my regular supermarket although I noticed they do carry other Sol Cuisine products. I’ll have to shop around, as it’s too good to pass up. More importantly, we don’t want the GMOs that you get in regular soy products or other foods for that matter.
Chocolate chip, Chocolate chip cookie, Cookie, Cookie dough, Dough, Gluten, Gluten-free diet, gourmet, organic, Sweets, vegan
In Good Eats, Recently Reviewed on June 4, 2013 at 10:01 am
If you’ve ever eaten any desserts from Sweets from the Earth, you know how rich and delicious they are. So you can imagine how excited I was to see frozen cookie dough in the freezer section of my local health food store. In our shopping flurry, I grabbed the gluten-free chocolate chip dough and later lamented it wasn’t nut free. We checked their website though and noticed they offer both types – too bad they don’t make a dough that is both gluten and nut free. Plus there are other varieties – so we’ll just have to soldier on and try them all!
Sweets from the Earth Gourmet Cookie Dough, $5.99, Qi.
It’s amazing to finally find products that include quality organic ingredients just like you would use at home. Why did it take so long? PRODUCT NOTES The dough looks and performs as well as any frozen cookie dough you might have used in the past but is certified vegan. The only thing we didn’t like is that it didn’t include a suggested yield – we made 24 mouth-watering chocolate chip cookies. And they certainly didn’t last long. BOTTOM LINE Stock your freezer! You never know when you’ll be in the mood for some freshly baked cookies. Bonus: If you’ve got kids, they’ll need no coaxing at all to whip up this quick treat without using every bowl, measure and utensil in the house.
Chili pepper, Chutney, Cook, Coriander, Indian cuisine, Lemon, organic, vegan
In Good Eats, Recently Reviewed on May 9, 2013 at 11:07 am
As you might have noticed, I’m always interested in trying out new products particularly if they are organic. Some of the places where I shop know this too, so staff will even make the effort to point out recent arrivals. This was one of them.
Down To Earth Organic Lemon Chilli Chutney , $4.49, Sanko.
Indian food has become a staple in our family and thus we’re keen to find authentic additions to our menus. PRODUCT NOTES Now I like lemon but this is way too lemony even for me and there’s very little chili flavour. BOTTOM LINE Doubt I’ll get this one again unless I find a really good use for it because used on its own as a relish or chutney, we didn’t really enjoy it. Perhaps I’ll try mixing it into a sauce, dressing or marinade.
Belgian waffle, Belgium, Food, gluten-free, nut free, Parry Gripp, Shopping, Special Diets, trans fat free, Waffle, wheat free
In Good Eats, Recently Reviewed on May 7, 2013 at 9:10 am
Yes, I like waffles – so the Parry Gripp song goes. If you’re lucky enough to have time on your hands and a waffle maker to boot, then you probably make waffles all the time. My brother-in-law has it down to a fine art so when he and my sister visit, we try to be as welcoming in our hospitality but it’s hard to do without said appliance. Add to the mix the fact that my niece has a peanut allergy and you can see why I was quick to jump on these nut free Belgian waffles.
El Peto Belgian Waffles Loblaws $5.29
They look exactly like the fancy versions you get in restaurants and match the texture. I whipped up a lovely fruit compote to top them off and have to say they were quite tasty. PRODUCT NOTES Not too sweet – but in my mind, this is a good thing. Although they are not vegan they are gluten free, wheat free and trans fat free for those looking to avoid a slew of other ingredients. BOTTOM LINE For those occasions when I don’t have time to bake, I’m always on the lookout for good nut free products. So this is definitely a good one to grab when you’re pressed for time as you simply heat and eat!
bee pollen, Canadian Bee Pollen Gold, Food, natural remedy
In Good Eats, Recently Reviewed on April 5, 2013 at 12:18 pm
Recently I read an article in Vitality Magazine that highlighted the benefits of using bee pollen. After being plagued for years by a variety of allergies such as dust and mould as well as seasonal hay fever, I have also developed mild asthma–making breathing easy an ongoing concern. My body’s reactions to allergens fluctuates in severity from year to year, so anything that reduces my dependence on antihistamines and allows me to enjoy the great outdoors without tissues in hand would be welcomed.
Canadian Bee Pollen Gold for Allergy. If you’re looking for guidelines be warned! The only instructions read, “start with a small dose and increase gradually…” Luckily the article suggested starting with about half a teaspoon and work up to a full one. Apparently bee pollen is best consumed with fruit, so I’ve been sprinkling it on my morning cereal, which I top with fresh or dried fruit. PRODUCT NOTES The pollen looks like tiny yellow stones. They’re somewhat granular to chewy in texture and not really tasty eaten on their own. If you didn’t know it came from bees you’d be hard-pressed to make the connection, as it doesn’t taste like honey at all. BOTTOM LINE While I haven’t noticed any dramatic change, the height of allergy season has yet to arrive so I’ll continue my research into spring and see how I feel when the garden explodes to life. A word of warning though, some people could have severe reactions to bee pollen.
old sage hands 