NYC Vegetarian Food Festival 2014 + I’M BACK!

Late post but better late than never! Sorry for the long and sudden hiatus but I am happy to be back! The NYC Vegetarian Food Festival 2014 was a blast! As always, a ton of fun to check out new foods and try yummy samples! The second I heard Sweet Maresa’s was going to be there was so excited. I am a HUGE  French Macaron fan and to see that there were going to be vegan ones there, it was my first stop and I bought far, far too many! They are delectable and amazing and everything you can possibly imagine and more! I tried all the flavors that were available and Cherry Vanilla  was my favorite! Although there were some textural issues, I didn’t mind because hello vegan + french macarons!

Click read more for more festival highlights!

4th of July Nail Love with Priti NYC!

Vegan, Cruelty and Carcinogen Free nail polish from Priti NYC is my new favorite way to have my nails looking gorgeous without all of those gross chemicals!

Priti NYC is quickly becoming a leader for eco friendly and SAFE nail polishes which are child and mom-to-be friendly! How awesome is it to find nail polish that is non-toxic?! Since I’m currently transitioning to a chemical free lifestyle, I find it hard to find nail polishes that are both non-toxic and have good color pigment and texture but Priti NYC is a perfect addition to your nail polish collection! I am loving all of the different color combos they have especially the summer colors! They have this awesome soy based nail polish remover which is also non carcinogenic and free of any harsh chemicals for your nails and skin.

They were recently featured backstage at the Acne and Stella McCartney 2014 shows where they created a signature color for Stella called Lady of the Dawn

The Red, White and Beautiful collection is a classic color combo that is perfect when you’re feeling a little patriotic especially with the upcoming 4th of July holiday!  The colors are very pigmented and for the red and blue, there is no need for a second coat unless you want a deeper and richer color. I will have to admit that the white is not my favorite — only because the color tends to be inconsistent and doesn’t go on as cleanly as the rest of the kit. I wouldn’t judge it completely though because I am no nail guru. I’m sure there are some tips and tricks that I don’t know about putting nail polish on especially because my motto is lather it on and all the messed up bits will come off in the shower haha.

Want high quality, vegan and non-toxic nail polish? Priti NYC is PERFECT for you! I recommend you check them out now, now , now!!

Looking for some summer colors? These collections are sure to deliver! Use the coupon code PRITISPECIAL now to get 10% off! Valid until August 1st! 🙂

 

May Petit Vour Review and June Vegan Presence Review!

I am loving the trend of vegan subscription boxes lately and I was so happy to get to review the Petit Vour and Vegan Presence boxes! They are both FABULOUS and you should definitely be checking them out right about ….NOW!!

I am BEYOND late on posting my May Petit Vour review but better late than never! I love, love, loved this box! It has so many cool elements and I WORSHIP the Odacite skin care that I got to try because of it! Just to give you a little overview of what Petit Vour is – they are a monthly subscription box that sends you vegan and cruelty free beauty product minis each month for only $15 and free shipping! How awesome is that price?!

Here is what came in the May Box:

• A gift certificate for a 10 day skin care treatment with a consultation from Odacite (this is almost a $30 value on its own!!)
• Tsi-La Organic Perfume Oil
• Go Raw Spirulina Energy Bar
• Sample sizes of Acure’s Morrocan Argan Oil and Argan Stem Cell Shampoo and Conditioner
• Misa Nail Polish in the color Looking for Trouble

I seriously adored the Odacite skin care treatment! The consultation was very descriptive and you answered several questions related to your skin and lifestyle and they sent you this kit with everything from day cream and eye cream to jojoba exfoliate! This treatment changed the texture of my skin COMPLETELY and every product was amazing! I miss it!

I didn’t get to use the perfume oil as much but I was thankful to be introduced to a vegan perfume company! One of the greatest things about the subscription boxes is their ability to introduce you to all of these amazing companies you had no idea existed!

The Acure shampoo and conditioner —- just OH MY GOD! The smell is just AH-MAZING!!! If you love marzipan, you are going to LOVE how this smells! I love how this makes my hair feel as well and if it smells like marzipan all day – I will use it forever and ever! I have curly hair that tends to be on the frizzy side so whatever product there is that is formulated to help calm it, I love to try and I have to say my hair came out pretty damn awesome after using this stuff! Try it out now!!

I have to say, I HATE THE TASTE OF SPIRULINA so I didn’t love the Go Raw bar but I respect the benefits of it and it was a nice little treat within the box!

I am always looking for nail polish brands that are vegan and formulated without “the big three” so I was ecstatic to try this out and I loved the fact that it was a full size bottle! I do have to say that you’re going to be putting on at least a couple of coats to get a nice finish. This is a pretty see through color but when it goes on right, the color is so pretttty!

All in all, I loved the Petit Vour box and if you haven’t tried it or you are looking for a vegan beauty box to try – check it out now!

Now, onto the Vegan Presence box!

All Hail Vegan Cookies!!

“If someone doesn’t like cookies – be suspicious of them because come on now, who doesn’t love cookies (VEGAN COOKIES IN PARTICULAR!)?!”

I was so stoked to get to review AMAZING cookies/treats from OM NOM NOM Cookies, Sweet by Jana, Dauphin Bakery and Black+Blanco! These people are cookie magicians or something crazy cool like that. I swear you have tasted little bits of heaven each time you take a bite of these luxurious (yes, I am using luxurious) cookies! The best part is that they make GLUTEN FREE varieties too so really how amazing is that?! Woah, amazing is going to be so overused in this post but again these cookies are AMAZING! I am so in love with them and if you haven’t tried them yet – I plead with you to place your orders now to pick up these tasty treats!

My absolute favorite from OM NOM NOM Cookies is the orange zested chocolate chip cookie of scrumdiddlyumptious, crazy fantastic, totally delicious, awesomness! Each bite is like an explosion of yummy orange and chocolate and I love the fact that these cookies are so crunchy on the outside yet have that moist cookie interior we’re always searching for. I have to say a really good cookie, beyond the flavor, HAS TO HAVE that crunch when you bite into it or it can’t be deemed most amazing cookie ever. Unless of course, it’s soft on purpose and soft cookies hold a special place in my heart too. Remember, back in the day (in your pre-vegan days) when Chips Ahoy! Chewy Cookies were the best thing ever well these cookies trump those by leaps and bounds and intergalactic space time warps.

Good Belly: The 12 Day Challenge!

While growing up I struggled immensely (and still do at times) with body image, body dysmorphia and disordered eating and my drug of choice was bulimia nervosa. I spent two years of my life struggling with this disease, while doing everything in my power to keep it hidden. It became this crutch of mine that evolved from a superficial look oriented wish for weight loss to an emotional release. When things were chaotic in my life, which they were most of the time, my bulimia would get out of control and anything would set me off into a binging and purging rampage and I felt as if there was nothing I could do to stop it. There were times when a simple apple was all it took to ruin my day and suddenly everything around me became a numbers game. Numbers existed in everything; how many calories I ate that day to the number on the scale and I was sucked into this world of bathroom trips and an overwhelming sense of not being good enough.

Eating disorders will take over your life and every waking moment revolves around the disease and I am so grateful to be in a better place now. I am not in any way a 100% better because having been affected by such a disease it will live with you every day and every day becomes a work in progress. I have been blessed with a renewed vision and perspective that has given me the amazing chance to start over again and look at life through a new and positive lens. I do struggle at times because I wish to lose weight but through this new look at life I have found that there is no need for numbers or scales but to judge how I feel  through my health and not through looks. I no longer want to lose weight to look better but to FEEL BETTER.

To get the point and my love of probiotics, one of the affects of having disordered eating is a slowed down and all around messed up digestive system. When I started to eat real food again and basically get back to eating a normal balanced diet my stomach went crazy and every time I ate I ended up with these horrible stomach pains. It got so bad that I barely wanted to eat at all and I was living on just one meal a day because I didn’t want to deal with those pains and issues more than once a day, if at all. I struggled to find an answer to these issues and I spent countless days googling digestive disorders and ways to alleviate these symptoms and the best answer for me was probiotics.

Vegan Quesadilla w/ Pinto beans & Pepper jack Cheese from Daiya!

The pepper jack cheese from Daiya sounded perfect for this yummy vegan quesadilla with pinto beans! It’s stuffed with the beans, peppers and tomatoes for a fresh twist and topped with a quick and simple salsa! There are SO MANY variations you can do with this like a mixed bean filling or stuffing it with different kinds of veggies and topping it with some fresh guacamole and vegan sour cream! I find that quesadilla or on a more broad note Mexican and Spanish foods are one of those things that you really miss when you go vegan. I swear everyone thinks it is so hard to replicate them but it really isn’t now that there are tons of vegan cheeses out there as well as easy nut based cheeses that actually melt.

These are SO QUICK and EASY to make!

I pulled these together within a few minutes and the only real waiting part is for the cheese to melt! Isn’t that the best part though?! It does take a bit for it to melt because it isn’t a traditional cheese but that problem is modified with cooking them on low for an extra amount of time so the tortilla doesn’t burn! Definitely try using a bunch of different color variety of peppers because the extra color looks so pretty in this! As you can see from the pictures I stuffed these a little too much because they’re not as thin as regular quesadilla but hey, the more the merrier! Feel free to use a whole wheat or gluten free wrap as well for an even healthier version!

Now, the salsa I made with this is not an authentic “omg I am in love” kind of salsa but a very simple one you can make when you don’t have anything else on hand. I actually used the “salsa” as a seasoning for the beans because I hate when you have smashed beans and they’re too dry so I like to add a little liquid while they’re cooking. You can definitely try adding whatever seasonings you like to it to spice it up a bit!

Creamy Leek and Split Pea Soup & Terri Juice Cleanse Experience and Contest!

My boyfriend actually came up with this recipe on a whim so I have to give him a little credit for this one haha. Everyone has those moments when there’s nothing to eat and you have to brainstorm a little to figure out what dinner is going to be that day and this was definitely one of those days! We tried this out a couple of times with the potato and without it and I can voucher that it is delicious both ways but it is more creamy with it! Can you believe this gorgeous soup only has five main ingredients?! The rest you would most likely find in your cabinet or pantry and remember you can play around the spices to suit your tastes! Don’t ever feel obligated when doing a recipe because the best part is taking that recipe and making it your own!

Such a yummy, fast and summery dish!

Also, did you check out that awesome bowl?! Sambazon sent me it along with a matching spoon! I adore it! Now back to the soup, this is literally the easiest thing in the world to make and the cooking time is basically how long it takes for the split peas to cook and that’s it! You just saute the leeks with a little garlic and you add that to the split peas — blend, blend, blend and you’re good to go! Don’t worry, there are more detailed instructions with the recipe! 🙂

If you follow me on twitter, facebook or instagram, you know I recently did a one day Terri Juice Cleanse and let me tell you; those juices were delicious! The Cashew Milk was the bee’s knees man! This cleanse features six drinks a day ranging from Strawberry Mint Lemon to of course my favorite Cashew Milk. The instructions recommend you sip the juices throughout the day and drink them along with tons of water. I felt amazing after this cleanse but I will admit it got harder throughout the day definitely towards the night but the cashew milk was much appreciated because it provided that extra protein and healthy fats to get me through the night!

I would recommend it 100%! The juices were delicious and filling and Sarah, the Cleanse Guru is awesome! One thing I would say is that if you’re new to juice cleanses, I would ease into by only eating fruit and veggies for a couple of days before the cleanse and it will make it SO MUCH EASIER! If you feel super hungry during the cleanse, eat some raw fruit and veggies and won’t mess with the detoxification process to much!

I’m excited to say Terri has provided me with a TWO DAY CLEANSE to giveaway through a contest to one of you lucky readers! Find out how to win below! 🙂

Glam Natural Makeup Review!

  I find it questionable and straight up generalizing to say that all girls love make up but for the ones that do; keep reading for my Glam Natural Makeup Review!

I like subtle, natural make up with my signature winged eyeliner and I occasionally go for a neutral smoky eye when the situation warrants it but the Glam Natural Starter Kit is an amazing intro to all natural make up. For me, one of the last ways I’ve gone vegan or rather eco friendly was with make up because it’s such an expensive commodity. When you’re into make up, you find your favorites and it’s hard to stray from something that has worked SO WELL for you in the past. As humans, we are creatures of habit and one of mine was sticking with the brands that have worked for me and keeping them for long after their expiration date!

When Glam Natural sent me a free starter kit, I was ecstatic to review it because I am always searching for a new make up products (even if I stick with the old ones!). Foundation is one of the hardest things to find because you have to get the shade right and the consistency has to work with your skin. I have dry skin so a lot of foundation tend to make my skin look chalky, dry it out more or there will be obvious dry skin spots especially during the winter months! To add to the never-ending list, I also have sensitive skin so I have to be careful of what I put on my skin because it’ll make me break out. I had no problem at all with break outs when using the kit!

I love this kit because it’s a perfect start to all natural makeup and  because it has everything from foundation and concealer to lip gloss and blush! Everything in the kit is fabulous and I couldn’t recommend it enough! Click read more for the complete review and color swatches!

I am IN LOVE with this whole kit!

Will Travel For Vegan Food End of Trip Party & Fundraiser!

I’m excited to announce that Sugar Coated Vegan will be sponsoring and (hopefully) attending the Will Travel For Vegan Food End of Trip Party and Fundraiser supporting the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary! The event will features tons of amazing food, special key note speakers, a high end auction and tons of other fun features including announcements about Kristin’s upcoming book chronicling her amazing journey across the United States.

When & Where

Top of the Garden                                                                                                Thursday
251 West 30th Street, 16th Floor                                                                  August 22nd, 2013
New York, NY 10001                                                                                         7:00PM – 10:00PM

The event will be supporting the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary which Kristin Lajeunesse’s parents rescued veal calf, Dylan, resides. The WFAS is a sanctuary for rescued animals where they can seek refuge from the devastating effects of agribusiness on the animals, environment and humans. At the farm, people can come and interact with the animals and build a new connection with them that retreats from societal norms.

• The event will by catered by the up and coming vegan chef and owner of the soon-to-be NYC fine dining vegan restaurant Jay Kitchen, Jay Astafa.
• Delicious treats will be served by creative and quirky Vegan Treats.
• Red carpet entrance interviews by Jon and Chris from The Vegan Zombie.
• Music by Paulo Coelho and dance performances from an NYC based dance troupe.

I am honored to be apart of such an inspiring event! Kristin’s journey across the US is an amazing one that I am incredibly jealous of! I cannot wait to read her book and hear about her journey in such a personal way. This event is not only a fundraiser but a celebration of her journey!

For more information about where to buy tickets and special updates please check out events.wtfveganfood.com.

Strawberry Almond Waffles + Surprisingly Vegan Giveaway!

When you’re a child you often wake up to breakfasts like this or rather dream of waffles smothered in everything you can imagine! When you grow up, you start to realize that maybe that isn’t such a good idea but it’s alright to indulge every once in a while! I hardly eat waffles so you can imagine my first time trying to *make* (key word: trying) was a happy disaster! I bought a waffle maker just for this review and everything! There was a point during the whole ordeal (an ordeal it was!) that I thought I was going to disappoint Isaac from Surprisingly Vegan and there wouldn’t be a recipe at all! I tried every different variation of batter amount from 1/4 cup, 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup and each time they failed….

I dubbed them happy snowflakes as I was internally freaking out!

Eventually as proof of these drool worthy photos — I found a happy medium and these Strawberry Almond Waffles smothered in chocolate shavings, coconut caramel, rawmio chocolate hazelnut spread, Go Veggie! strawberry cream cheese and finally Soyatoo! Rice Whip were born! Woooooah, what a mouthful that is to say!

Surprisingly Vegan is made with only six ingredients; gluten free oats, ground flaxseed, english walnuts, coconut palm nectar, sea salt and vanilla beans. How awesome is it that you can recognize each and every one of those ingredients? Can you believe these babies are gluten and refined sugar free?! They are divine! I had no idea what to expect but I was very pleasantly surprised! It’s a delicious, whole grain and healthy alternative to the usual waffle!

I will be giving away three boxes of this vegan waffle mix! One to three different people to try but EVERYONE who enters will be receiving a special coupon for a percentage off buying a box of Surprisingly Vegan! Remember to click read more for the recipe for these yummy Strawberry Almond Waffles!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js

*Disclaimer*

Just to be on the safe side; Surprisingly Vegan sent me these to review for free but all opinions stated within are my own and I am not being paid to write this review.