Daiya Jalapeno Garlic Havarti Style Wedge Cheese

Last year at the Toronto Veg Fest, I stopped to by the Daiya table and tried a sample of their newest cheese, the Jalapeno Garlic Havarti Style Wedge. I was really impressed with the flavors! The garlic and jalapeno obviously stood out. I told myself that if and when it showed up in Omaha, I would buy one and blog it. Guess what I saw on the shelf last month?  

I think the great thing about the Jalapeno Garlic Havarti is its versatility. I've been using it for sandwiches, nachos and even just on crackers. The creaminess is exceptional and I love the bits of garlic and jalapeno floating in there. People who still eat dairy might be impressed by how delicious Vegan cheese can be. So if you don't have an aversion to garlic or jalapeno and you don't mind a little kick in your cheese, the Dayia Jalapeno Garlic Havarti is an outstanding choice!

Teal Cat Project Valentine's Day Sampler from Obsessive Confection Disorder

Obsessive Confection Disorder and The Teal Cat Project have teamed up to create one of the cutest Valentine's Day boxes out there, The Teal Cat Project Valentine's Day Sampler! I've raved about OCD's Twix and Easter Veggs before, but now Melodi has brought cuteness to a whole new level. In this V-Day sampler you get 2 Mel's Ways, 2 Rose Petal Caramels, 2 Love Bomb Lollies and 4 Love Nips. A nice variety and something for everyone. But the best part is that 100% of the profits go right to The Teal Cat Project, a great organization that I'm proud to be a part of. Teal Cat Project takes used kitty tchotchkes, paints them teal, numbers them and then sells them off in campaigns. Then the proceeds go towards Cat Trap-Neuter-Return organizations around the United States. A great win-win this Valentine's Day! Let's look a little closer inside the box...     

You get 2 lavender & mint shortbread kitties with chocolate whiskers and 2 vanilla bean shortbread hearts dipped in chocolate. I've never had a lavender cookie before, but I'm here to tell you they are delicious. It's about time Meowmy (the Teal Cat Project mascot) had his own cookie, even if he got a little smushed  =^..^= 

OCD is known for their caramels and the Rose Petal Caramel lives up to the legend. Fresh rose petal tangerine caramel with bittersweet chocolate. And an interesting and eye catching addition are the 23-carat gold flakes within the caramel. I don't think I've ever consumed gold (there is a very funny David Cross joke on the subject), but honestly, if you didn't see it, you never would have known it was in there. So, it's a fancy touch that is sure to impress your significant other.

I know Mel's Way very, very well. It's basically a Vegan Milky Way (aka layers of nougat and caramel drenched in dark chocolate.) Rich and decadent just like you like it. Probably my favorite part of the box. 

And of course you can't have a Valentine's Day without a chocolate heart. In this case, it's the Love Bomb Lolly. A salted caramel pop dipped in bittersweet chocolate. I loved the sweet and salty mixture. Quite the treat...hopefully your loved one shares!

So, if you are in the market for some V-Day candy, make sure to take a look at The Teal Cat Project Valentine's Day Sampler. I think it has a lot of variety and I know it's produced with love. And the best part is that kitties will benefit from your choice!

Amy's Kitchen Proof of Purchase Giveaway 2013

Most of you know what the deal is with Amy's Kitchen Proof of Purchase Program. I've blogged about it a few times: here, here and here. Those little squares are worth something! If you go through Amy's products like I do, then you'll be able to get some cool swag. It would be nice if more companies had a program like this! I recently redeemed a TON of points and I thought I would share my winnings with you...literally! With a giveaway.
  

 

All you have to do is tell me your favorite Amy's product and if you would rather have the pizza board or the soup bowls. That's it! It doesn't get any lazier than that. Well, you have to fight past the captcha, but then I know you REALLY wanna win. The giveaway ends Wednesday, January 16th at 7pm CST. Good luck!

Engine 2 Rip's Big Bowl Banana Walnut Cereal

I'm not very knowledgeable about the Engine 2 Diet, but I'd be living under a rock if I said I didn't know about it. From blurbs on Twitter to books and DVD's for sale at Whole Foods, it's seems to be very popular. I'm definitely all for anything that gets people to go Vegan. So when I saw three varieties of Engine 2 cereal for sale, I wasn't entirely surprised. There seems to be an entire line of Engine 2 foods available exclusively to Whole Foods (including crackers, hummus, and almond milk). The three cereal choices are Original, Triple Berry Walnut and Banana Walnut. I always found bananas in cereals to be interesting, so I opted for Banana Walnut.

There are so many things going on in this cereal that I really don't know where to start! You've got oats, shredded wheat biscuits, millet, sprouted lentils, sprouted soybeans, flaxseeds, bananas and walnuts. It's probably fair to say that this is one of the healthiest cereals I've ever had, very nutritionally solid. Taste-wise, I thought it was very hearty and had a nice toasty flavor that kept me coming back for more. There is an ever slight sweetness from the bananas. I would have liked more bananas, but you could always cut up your own or add some other kind of fruit. The texture is all over the place. If you like Muesli, then this is your kind of cereal.

One caveat: I noticed that the cereal tends to get soggy pretty quickly, so make sure you eat it right away after adding your almond (or whatever) milk. Ultimately, I enjoyed the Banana Walnut and now I'm excited to try the Triple Berry Walnut. If you are looking for a super healthy cereal with no added sugar, I think you just found it!

Trader Joe's Vegan Mozzarella Style Shreds (plus John's Laziest Pizza)

Trader Joe's has a new Vegan cheese and it's not Daiya! Trader Joes's Vegan Mozzarella Style Shreds are basically Galaxy Vegan Mozzarella Style Shreds, which I've never had before. Since it's Mozzarella, I thought I would put it to the true test and try it on a pizza. Lazy pizza anyone???  

I keep my pizzas pretty simple. First, I procured some Whole Foods pre-made dough and marinara sauce. Both are super tasty and obviously very easy to work with. For toppings, I grabbed Tofurky Pepperoni Slices and some black olives. The Tofurky Pepperoni Slices are great if you miss that old pepperoni flavor. I normally would do green pepper with the olives but I totally forgot. Now let's see how the cheese and pizza turned out!

The Trader Joe's Mozzarella was really interesting. If you eat it raw, it honestly doesn't taste very good. But when I melted it all over the pizza, I found it to be quite good! When it melts (and it does melt), the mozzarella gets a bit gloopy almost like a glaze. It's definitely a different beast than Daiya. So if love Daiya and think it has no faults whatsoever, this probably isn't the cheese for you. I like Daiya too, but I find it to be too rich in large quantities, the flavor taking over whatever you put it on. It's just nice to have another option out there. This cheese is pretty mild and didn't overwhelm the other flavors. The pizza itself was great and I really love those Tofurky Pepperonis.

In closing, I'm always happy to see new Vegan products, especially cheese. I thought the Trader Joe's Mozzarella tasted great when melted and had a nice neutral flavor. It is almost an anti-Daiya cheese, which I feel the world needs.

Rudi's Organic Cinnamon Raisin Bread

I picked up a loaf of Rudi's Organic Cinnamon Raisin Bread to check the ingredients, fully expecting it to have dairy. It's true that Rudi's is very Vegan friendly and they even label it as such, but I seriously had my doubts. Well, I was excited to be wrong and thus the loaf went right from my hand straight to the grocery cart. When was the last time you saw Vegan Cinnamon Raisin Bread at the store? Um, never!

I'm not sure how you eat your Cinnamon Raisin Bread, but mine goes in the toaster. Lightly toasted with some Earth Balance Coconut Spread. Delicious! Just the right amount of cinnamon and raisins make this the perfect sweet snack. And I can't emphasize enough how much the Coconut Spread enhances the experience. If I were you, I'd leave the loaf in the freezer to keep it fresh, and just take out and toast what you need. Shout out to Rudi's for make some amazing Vegan bread that fills a void!

Vegan Cuts Snack Box

Vegan Cuts is a Vegan deal site that sells a wide array of products. One of their new programs is the Vegan Cuts Snack Box. Every month for $19, you get 5 to 8 Vegan products that can range from edibles to household products. As you can see, I recieved a wide variety of food stuffs that varied from candy to savory treats (plus I got a mini laundry detergent, but I didn't put it in the picture because you'll blame me when you accidentally eat it.) A couple of the items I've eaten before, like Surf Sweets Sour Berry Bears, Wayfare Pig Out and The Simple Bar. New to me were Seasnax, Betty Lou's Cashew Pecan Nut Butter Balls, Delights Brownie, Veggie-Go's Mountain Berry Spinach Bar and New Tree Chocolates.

The appeal is that for $19, you can get a bunch of Vegan products you've never tried before delivered right to your door. Now is it $19 worth of products? It's debatable, but you have to remember the cost of shipping, too. In my eyes you are paying for the convenience of having new products sent to you every month like clockwork. I think folks who don't live near a Whole Foods or people in the middle of nowhere will get the most out of this program.

So, overall I'm pretty pleased with the Vegan Cuts Snack Box. As long as they introduce new products every month, I think the premium price is more than worth it.