July Favorites

Happy August!

I recorded a new video for my July favorites. I didn't try many store-bought items this past month, but did want to share a little of what we've been eating and drinking. Did you try anything new and exciting in July? Leave me a comment below. :-)

Items mentioned in the video:

*Banana smoothie....I've been adding chia gel  (1 tbsp of chia seeds and about 1/2 cup water soaked for 30 mins) to my smoothie.

*I didn't have many store-bought items but I wanted to tell you guys about my Diva Cup. I love having an alternative that's better for the environment, convenient, and discreet. Check out the Diva Cup website for more info. I also wrote about my experience last year here.

*Quinoa rocks! I love it for lunch with black beans, cilantro, salt pepper and lime juice. 

*Book:  You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life

*Quote: "Don't compare your chapter 1 to someone else's chapter 20." 

Be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel for more vlogs and cooking videos.  

*****All items in the video were purchased with my own money**** 

Vegan Favorites | June 2013

I really like putting together these quick videos sharing my favorite vegan food, cosmetics, smoothie, quote and book for the month. "Faves" videos are very popular with the beauty community on YouTube, so I figured it would be cool to talk about the vegan stuff and some of my other interests, too.

Products mentioned: 

**Tinkyada Pasta Joy brown rice pasta-We're not a gluten-free family but I've been testing out gluten-free pasta since my youngest son has an intolerance.

**LaraBar Apple Pie 

**Smoothie:
2 1/2 cups spring mix
1 ripe banana
1/2 cup mixed berries
1 tbsp ground flaxseed
1 cup water
8-10 ice cubes

This smoothie isn't sweet at all. You can reduce the amount of greens and add medjool dates, agave nectar or more fruit if you prefer a sweeter smoothie.

**Baby Cakes Donut Maker I posted a donut recipe here

**Quote "Freedom is realizing that you can do anything you want with your life AND NO ONE CAN STOP YOU." Happy Black Woman I LOVE quotes and post several a week on my Lifestyle blog.

**Book: Choose Yourself by James Altucher (affiliate link)

*******All items were purchased with my own money*******

May 2013 Vegan Favorites

I finally made my first favorites video!

In this video, I talk about some of the food and cosmetics I loved in May.  I plan to do more videos like this, so be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel get new videos.

Products mentioned in the video:

Life-Flo Pure Almond Oil

Black Rice-I purchase mine in the bulk section at Wegmans

Lupicia Paradise Green Tea

Way Better Snacks

Wegmans' Pistachio Blend

Pampered Pits-I use Lavender Dream

Quote of the Month:

"Don't think about making art, just get it done.  Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." -Andy Warhol

Songs on Repeat:

Daft Punk "Get Lucky" & Kendrick Lamar "B*tch Don't Kill My Vibe"

Did you try any new products or food last month? Leave me a comment below. :-)

Disclaimer: All products were purchased with my own money...except the tea. Thanks again, Cobi!

What We Tried Today: Gimme Lean "Ground Beef" Style Burgers

Finished burger with ketchup and Vegenaise

My youngest son asked for a "regular burger" a few weeks ago, so I knew eating our favorite vegan burger was out of the question. He was looking for something with a bite and similar texture to ground beef. I picked up a pack of Gimme Lean ground beef style veggie protein and went home to experiment.

What I liked:

*I was able to prep and cook the burgers within 30 minutes

*Great source of protein and zero fat and cholesterol

*The flavor was pretty good and reminded me of char-broiled burgers

*It has a similar texture to regular ground beef and has a great bite

What we/I didn't like:

*Way too sticky to handle-one of my Youtube viewers mentioned it isn't as sticky when handling with wet hands

*Pricey-about $6 for 4 hamburger patties

Will I buy it again? Even though the kids liked it, I probably wouldn't buy it again because it caused my stomach to hurt. :-(  Fortunately, the boys didn't have any problems.

Watch my full review here. :-)

Have you tried this Gimme Lean product or any of their other products?