I have always loved the scent of mint. It’s probably because when I was a little girl, my mother used to plant mint in the backyard. After I was done running around playing, I always used to break off a spring and smell it. So naturally when I was asked to review LifeTree Botanicals Smooth Peppermint Natural Soap, I was more than happy to do so.
I have been washing my hands with this soap all week, and my skin has been soft and smooth, never dry. The soap smells faintly of a stick of peppermint gum, but it is not pungent or overpowering. Also, I can pronounce all the natural ingredients, which are simply: water; olive, palm and coconut oils; dried mint leaves; and peppermint essential oil. There are no strange or harsh chemicals, and all the soaps are free of animal products.
If you visit lifetree-botanicals.com, you will find a company, run by Elizabeth Cappuccio, whose tagline is: Handmade soap is one of the worlds most natural luxuries. You will also notice a variety of other scents you can purchase individually or in a gift basket. These small soaps are also commonly used at favors at weddings and showers, which is a really cute idea.
These lovely little squares of clean will make you happy. I’d love to try more, especially the lavender oats soap! I highly recommend them.
Welcome to the first edition of What’s Cooking? Hope you like this new feature where we review products by cooking with them.
I stole this recipe from Meatout Mondays, which oddly enough gets emailed to me on Friday. We decided to try it out and improvise just a tad bit.
The recipe was awesome. I added some corn to the mix and a few drops of habanero sauce to my portion. It was such a great dish that Lala and I have passed it onto everyone we know. We purchased the quinoa at Trader Joe’s, but they have quinoa at various supermarkets now too.
Quinoa is the official grain of the Mayans. It’s healthy and high in protein for a grain.
Amy’s Tortilla Casserole with Black Beans
I thought the Tortilla Casserole was going to taste like the Mexican Lasagna from Park and Orchard. Not even close. I actually did not like this at all. The tortilla chips did not microwave well, and the beans didn’t taste good either. It is overall a bad product. Maybe that is why I can’t seem to find out any information about it on Amy’s website.
Maybe they pulled it off their active line. Amy does have new products out like oatmeal and low sodium meals. Hope we can try those soon.
Amy’s Indian Samosa Wraps
These are the best samosas I have ever had and I’ll tell you why. These aren’t purely a carb product anymore. They are not greasy and have tofu in the mix as well. Samosas are my favorite Indian appetizer, but usually it is so heavy and not worth ordering. Amy makes these small wraps that cook up nicely and taste very authentic. The vegan spices are well balanced.
These wraps are high in sodium, decent fiber content and a good protein source. Great for lunch or dinner, Amy has another hit!
Sweet Avenue Bakery graciously invited me over for their pre-Oscar vegan ice cream tasting hosted by Wheeler’s Frozen Desserts. Well worth the 4 mile commute to Rutherford. Emily and Ashley tried to make me guess their special flavors. It was tough and I failed miserably, but I could pick out some key ingredients.
I tried five different vegan ice creams and sorbets. I had the Peanut Butter, Black Russian (mystery flavor #1), Margarita Sorbet (mystery flavor #2), Chocolate and Chocolate Sorbet.
The best flavor, hands down, was the Peanut Butter. I could taste the peanut butter and the creamy vegan ice cream just made it melt together so nicely. I did not like the Chocolate because it had chunks of coconut, even though they assured me it did not. I liked the others, but my second favorite was the Black Russian.
Good news though, Wheeler’s is opening a storefront, so the next time you are in Boston, head over. It will be opening on Mass Ave near Huntington. Apparently this is a prime location.
Thank you to Dani and Jake and the always-spectacular crew of Sweet Ave and to Wheeler’s for providing the goodies.
Feel free to check out Wheeler’s online. Sweet Ave put up some pictures of the event also. Look closely; you may just see someone that wrote this review
I don’t have to hype Cucharamama more, but I find it necessary. If you want unique South American food with a hip, urban twist, check out Cucharamama in Hoboken, NJ.
There is not much for vegetarians and vegans, but whatever you choose will make your taste buds screaming for more and more. Make sure you try the Croquetas de Arroz y Queso, Salsa de Ají Mirasol, it’s like butter. Though there are not that many choices for vegetarians, I still managed to leave stuffed and smiling.
Next time, I will leave room for dessert, so I can have some Acai Ice Cream, the traditional way.
If you want the best stuffed grape leaves ever, go to The Hummus Place in New York City. They are filled to the brim with rice, veggies and spices and come sitting on a bed of creamy mint sauce. There’s more on the menu too, check it out, it is heavenly!
With three locations in Manhattan, you shouldn’t have an excuse not to visit!
Soy On The Go, a new product by Zen Soy are individual servings of soymilk. The cappuccino flavored soymilk really sounded good, but after trying it, I was rather disappointed. This soymilk is organic, non GMO, Vegan and all that, but one thing it was missing was flavor. It definitely needed more of a kick.
A positive aspect of Soy on The Go is the packaging. It’s packed in Tetrapaks and that makes me happy. Hopefully the vanilla and chocolate soymilk taste better. Come back soon for those reviews.
Continue reading ‘Soy On The Go Cappuccino’
There is no way I could have been disappointed with two of my favorite things mixed together. The creamy peanut butter blended with the sweet white chocolate and just melted in my mouth. Or melted in my girlfriend’s mouth, since apparently those are two of her favorite things as well.
This product is vegan, gluten-free and doesn’t contain high fructose corn syrup.
Spread it on hearty bread, eat it with celery, or just a spoon and enjoy. The nutritional facts are available here, but who is really going to look?
The White Chocolate is definitely Wonderful.
I took my girlfriend, Lala, to Park & Orchard for dinner. I have always wanted to eat there, but never really had the chance. I’m glad we went the food was amazing. This eclectic restaurant in East Rutherford, New Jersey is known for their special menu consisting of fresh whole foods, all natural and organic ingredients, unrefined sugar, and unbleached flour. They will cater to your tastes whether it is fat free, salt free, vegan, vegetarian, or celiac. Park & Orchard is also known for their extensive wine list and craft beer selections.
Lala ordered her usual Cabernet Sauvignon and I drank a Sierra Nevada Celebration pint. Love that hoppy beer. As an appetizer we ate stuffed mushrooms that were full of breadcrumbs, cheese and seasoning that just melts in your mouth.
I ordered the vegetarian Cajun meatloaf and Lala had the stuffed eggplant. The meatloaf is full of veggies, legumes and some soy protein topped with cheese and veggie chili (perfectly spiced) on the side. The eggplant was massive and full of spinach, peppers, onions and more veggies covered with sweet tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella.
Prices are reasonable for the huge portions as well as the effort that goes into each dish. It is completely worth it. This dinner was one of the best I have had in a very long time.
It was so amazing that we went back two weeks later and had an even better experience. This time I had Mexican Lasagna and Lala had the Polenta and Veggies.
Bottom line: check out Park & Orchard. Great taste for an incredible value in Bergen County. It’s my second favorite restaurant in Bergen.
You can read more information or see the menu at parkandorchard.com.
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