Baking Bread...My New Obsession!

Ok lovelies, this post is completely off topic of what I've been talking about lately. Hell, it's not even vegan-related. However, in my quest to find the perfect tasting gluten free bread for my youngest son (aka the manchild), I've given up on the store-bought stuff and went back to baking my own.

Some may know that he is on the autism spectrum and gluten is not an ingredient I want in his food for various reasons. Gluten is a protein that exists in many grains such as wheat, barley, rye, etc. Some people cannot digest the protein (as in celiac disease for example), but for my son and others like him with autism, there has been a link between autism and the inability to break down gluten in their gastrointestinal tracts. This prompts the release of opiates. Yep! He basically gets high off his own supply. Poor guy! There is debate about this of course, but let's just say it has been medically proven in my son.

Since his gluten "addiction" has seemed to worsen over the past few months, I'm slowly removing it from his foods. The main source for him being bread, why not start there? I baked breads from scratch before, but with the use of a bread maker. I was nervous about how my "real bread" would turn out. I started out with a gluten free flour pre-packaged mix that I found at Kroger (about $4.99).

 

 

It turned out pretty good!He and the fiance LOVED it. Still, I wanted to use my own flours and other ingredients, so I searched the web.

 

 

I found this site, which has an amazing variety of not only gluten free breads but also paleo, yeast free, dairy free, refined sugar free...it goes on. Man! My head was spinning, but I did spot a multigrain recipe that looked good. I based the bread I baked on this recipe, but tweaked some ingredients. I went back to the Dekalb Farmer's Market here in Atlanta and did some shopping.

 

I subbed organic oat flour for the almond flour (although I will try it in the future), and since I couldn't find sorghum flour in the store, I subbed coconut flour. Megan stated coconut flour "would not work" with this recipe, but it turned out just fine for me. It just calls for a bit more liquid to be added to get the right consistency. I use almond milk in my breads because I find it adds a bit of lightness to the bread. Total liquid I used was about 1 1/2 cups. 1 cup water, 1/2 cup almond milk. I also used agave syrup instead of honey. I later found sorghum flour online at Amazon.com, and it should be arriving any day.

 

Fresh out the oven. Smell it?!!

Sliced easily. Think I'll slice smaller next time. He had ginormous sandwiches at school =)

 

 

That's it. It was simple to make, and smelled deeelicious! Of course, I'm doing raw now, so I couldn't taste it. Still was another hit with the fellas, so I'm excited to see what else I can come up with. I'm thinking raisin bread, or something vegan friendly. I have also started using organic coconut sugar, which is so much better for you than agave (in my opinion), and you can also bake with it so I will be trying it out in my baked goods soon.

Thanks to everyone who has been asking for the recipe. I'll keep posting more as I make them.

 

 

Love and Happiness,

 

 

Nikki



Emotionally Raw...20 Days

Back again, my lovelies to update you on this raw journey of mine. Are you all well? Good! I've got lots to share so let's get to it. Days 16-20 were a roller coaster, but I held on!

Days 16-20

Day 16 was like a gift from the perfect life fairy. I kid you not. Tuesday is usually a good day for me. Don't know why. I don't question it, I just ride the wave. Ha! I woke up feeling so clear headed and light inside. Very energetic. Still congested and "sneezy" since my arch enemy pollen was lingering around like an unwelcome house guest. I had resumed my intense workouts in the past few days and was about to do a kickboxing class, when my fiance said he wanted to "go shopping". Screeech! This from the king of frugal?! I quickly ate 2 bananas for breakfast, along with 2 cups of water. I also take water with me wherever I go. After shopping (he bought me 2 GORGEOUS summer dresses!), we went to lunch at Macaroni Grill in Marietta. I had a really great HUGE house salad and water with lemon. I was hungry by dinner time, so I had lots of fruit and raw nuts-I find that helps with any cravings. Grapes, blueberries, bananas, raw cashews & peanuts, and pineapple. I also had a cup of herbal tea before bed. Still sleeping well with vivid dreams, 6-7 hours/night.

My lunch salad at Macaroni Grill

Day 17 found me with a ton of energy, but not much of an appetite. Boooo!
I only had a small breakfast of 6-8 Medjool dates (I swear they taste like candy) and that was it. About 2 or so hours later, I had a banana and herbal tea for a snack. Lunch was a smoothie made with oranges, pineapples, and bananas. Dinner was a big veggie salad made with red leaf kale, carrots, avocado, onions, raisins, and spinach. Going to the bathroom is now my most frequent past time =\
I'm also noticing that I am always burping or gassy (not stinky tho! That's another plus to this whole raw thing). Morning breath is also waaay less offensive! Almost non-existent. I said almost. Skin is soft and clear. Wish my allergies would disappear.

Day 18 was quite interesting. I woke up feeling pretty good. Worked out first thing (kickboxing and some yoga), and had a deeelicious Berry Banana Smoothie for breakfast. Snack was a handful of raw pumpkin seeds and 2 Medjool dates. Drank lots of water this morning, about 4 cups already. The day was uneventful until about 1 or 2 pm. I began feeling very anxious and wasn't sure why. I used to suffer from panic attacks, and it almost felt like the beginning of a panic attack which was very concerning. I also started to feel very tired physically and mentally. I don't know if I was having an emotional detox ( I talk about this in my first "raw" video), but it was not fun. I went on to eat a couple of oranges and bananas at work and drank about 4-5 more cups of water for the day, not including 2 cups of herbal tea. I didn't eat my salad for dinner.

Berry Banana Smoothie:

1 med-large frozen banana

1/4 cup frozen blueberries

1/2 cup strawberries

1/2 cup pineapple chunks w/juice

3/4 cup frozen peaches

Blend!

Day 19 had me feeling a little better, but still emotionally flat.Wth? I wanted something crunchy with my breakfast so I had raw cashews and a fruit salad. I have to say my taste buds appreciate food in its natural state now. I can actually taste the flavors of each food I eat without having to season it or drown it in sauces or dressings. I was off from work that Friday, and slept most of the early part of the day. Maybe I just needed some rest because I woke up and had a smoothie my fiance made for me and went back to sleep for the night!

Day 20 Hallelujah. Woke up feeling like my fabulous self again! Lol. My energy was back. I jumped out of bed, but not before reminiscing on the dream I had about being married to Lil Wayne and...well, never mind. I've lost about 8-10 pounds so far for those who are asking. I didn't really weigh in on the first day, so yeah. I had a green smoothie for breakfast (spinach, kale, 1 banana, and pineapple). So good. I caught up with my best friend on the phone, talked with another girlfriend, went to the nail salon, and then shopping for the 80's Throwback party my fiance and I were invited to that night. Somewhere in there I fit in a mango and 2 bananas for lunch, 4 cups of water, and 2 nori rolls with lettuce and avocado for dinner. The party had an open bar, and this was the first time in recent memory that I partied while drinking only water all night...and had a blast!!! Go figure. Btw, I was Jody Watley and he was a B-boy =)

Nikki "Watley" wearing the fiance's B-boy glasses

MC Roc in the house!

There you have it...my crazy emotional detox days. I'm thankful for them, though because it means I've let go of whatever was buried deep down unbeknownst to me. I'm currently on day 24 and am almost sad this is coming to a close. I do miss rice and beans, and hummus, to be quite honest. Other than that, I feel amazing. We'll see what happens! Thanks for hanging with me again. Be well.


Love and Happiness,

Nikki

 

Two Cent Tuesdays! Restaurant Edition

Hello again my lovelies! I trust you are all having a fabulous Tuesday.

I thought I would switch it up a bit this time and give my two cents on some of the vegan/vegetarian restaurants I have visited over the past few months. If you live in the Atlanta area and are vegan/vegetarian, feel free to suggest or comment on some of your favorite eateries. Let's go!

Cafe Sunflower

2140 Peachtree Rd. Atlanta, GA 30309
404-352-8859
Menu

My honey and I went to Cafe Sunflower in Buckhead back in January after some shopping at nearby Lenox Mall. This location is in the Brookwood Square Plaza.There is also another location in Sandy Springs.
Parking is easy and adequate.The decor is cozy and colorful, my favorite touch being the Chinese lantern type light fixtures dangling from the ceiling. Our waitress was really friendly without being overbearing. Their menu includes both vegetarian and vegan dishes with a touch of international variety. I was finally able to order a vegan  artichoke & spinach dip (that was actually very good!), so that's what we had as an appetizer. The fiance ordered a tall glass of herbal iced tea and I had a glass of vegan friendly cabernet sauvignon. Both of our beverages hit the spot, and our waitress was kind enough to tell us where we could purchase a bottle of our wine at a less expensive cost than at the establishment. See? I can be as frugal as the next chick.
Right at about the time our chips and dip ran out (and my buzz started knocking), our entrees arrived. Mine was a truly delicious sesame crispy soy "chicken" stir fry with snow peas, broccoli, and other veggies in a sweet & spicy sauce and brown rice. Lawd! He chose the orzo eggplant lasagna which was comprised of layers of portabella mushroom, eggplant, tofu ricotta and other veggies, laced in their marinara sauce. It also came with a side of salad greens with artichokes & olives in a balsamic vinaigrette dressing. This is bomb...he said (or something similar).
We were adequately satisfied for a surprisingly reasonable cost of just over $40 for a "specialty" lunch that tasted very good. I had to fight off our waitress's dessert Jedi mind tricks. I won. This time. The vegan dessert tray looked mesmerizing.

 Vegan Spinach & Artichoke Dip, $9  Herbal Iced Tea, $3



 Orzo Eggplant Lasagna, $12

 

Sesame "Chicken", $12

 

Bottom line: Recommended

The lunch menu had a great variety, and although you may have to hand over a few more dollars than you're used to for lunch, it's worth it. The food is delicious, the service is great, and they state they support local farms and use organic "whenever possible". Note: menus differ at each location.

Healthful Essence

875 York Ave. Atlanta, GA 30310
404-806-0830
 Menu

If you are Carribean (like me) and have adopted a non-meat eating lifestyle (again...moi), there are times that you can become nostalgic for the foods you grew up loving. Healthful Essence solves this problem without question! The fiance and I were in a throwback mood and decided to hit up this spot and give it a try. It's not easy substituting West Indian dishes, so we were not sure what to expect.
We made our way across I-20 to the West End of Atlanta. We nearly missed the restaurant due to it being a lot smaller than we anticipated. It's located in a strip plaza (kind of) behind a Krispy Kreme. Hmmm...I was skeptical. Ample parking was available on the lot, so I kept my judgement at bay.
When you walk in, there's the  cash register and the counter with the food to your left, a few tables and chairs to the right, a menu on the wall above, and that's about it. Double hmmm.
We were greeted by a very loud and cheerful character, who happened to also be from Guyana like the fiance. He explained our options for ordering "hot" and "cold" items and gave us a sample of anyting we wanted. One taste of the food and any concerns I had were GONE!
One section had raw, or cold dishes and my absolute favorite of those options was the seaweed salad. Let me repeat: THE SEAWEED SALAD IS BEYOND! I have yet to find another in Atlanta that is as good. They also had broccoli and cauliflower salads, cole slaw, kale salad, and other live salads which were all pretty good.
On to the cooked foods. Yessir! They call their vegan/vegetarian versions of meat dishes the "Un" dish. For instance, we sampled the curry UnGoat and the stewed UnSalmon. We ordered 2 cold and 2 hot sides each, along with our choice of "meat" all for $7.50 each. Pretty good, huh?
I copped the seaweed salad, live salad casserole, curried veggies, steamed greens, and curried UnGoat. Whew! My little belly was screaming for me to stop, but instead I gave it some ginger beer to muzzle it.
The fiance had the marinated kale salad, veggie wrap salad, jerk UnChicken, sauteed cabbage, and stewed veggies. His drink of choice was mauby. We sampled off each other's plate for the full experience, of course! We could barely move when done.

Bottom line: Highly Recommended
I love the fact that they have a raw foods selection that tastes amazing, and I can get vegan food reminiscent of my childhood that actually comes close in flavor. They are true to their name, and the price for dinner for 2 was about $25! What? I gladly traded a fancy decor for this amazing food. They also serve smoothies, roti, veggie burgers, patties, and nori rolls. We will definitely be returning customers as long as they are around and the food is this divine.


Why I did this review while on a raw vegan challenge is beyond me. Thank goodness I'm feeling strong. However, I know on day 31 where we will be headed to eat!! Thanks for spending time with me again today, lovelies. Until next time.


Love and Happiness,

Nikki

Still Raw!

Hello lovelies! I hope you are all well.

I want to take a moment to send my condolences to all affected by the horrible bombings in Boston last week. As a runner, it made me physically sick to imagine feelings of euphoria and triumph turn to fear and pain. As a human being, I am saddened by some who choose to also call themselves human, yet bring themselves to commit such unthinkable acts against others. My heart and spirit is encouraged, though. I know as a people, overall we are still good, kind, and full of love. RIP to all those who lost their lives, and peace to all those they left behind.

Well as promised, here is an update on my 30 day raw challenge journey! Today is day 15 (cheer, roar, clap..take your pick)!!! Dare I say that I feel like this could be a MAJOR change in my life? I know it may be a bit premature as I'm only 2 weeks in, but I feel so amazingly fabulous that I can't imagine not doing this from here on out. At least 80-85% raw, while incorporating some of my faves such as brown rice, beans, almond milk, and grains into the other 15-20% of my diet. Let me slow down...and take you back to the last 5 days =)

Days 11-15

Day 11 was a pretty good day. My diet is pretty much the same now daily. Over the past year I have grown to love bananas, which is funny because I used to hate 'em. Since on this raw challenge, I have been eating them like I'm a baby monkey. I had 2 for breakfast along with an Ataulfo, or yellow mango. Lunch was another banana and an orange. I snacked on raw nuts and dried cranberries and later had more fruit for dinner. I had no veggies today. Not sure why, but wasn't really wanting any. I drank about 6 cups of water and had 3 cups of herbal tea. My skin is softer and the eczema that occasionally flares up on my hands are gone.

Day 12 started with a fruit cooler for breakfast: 1/2 cup seeded watermelon, 1/2 cup strawberries, 1/2 cup blackberries, juice of 1 lemon, 1 peeled orange, 3 cups water and 2 tsp agave nectar blended. Really refreshing! I bottled and refrigerated the leftovers. Lunch was a spinach, kale, cucumber, and tomato salad with my home made curry dressing. I forced myself to have 2 bananas and an orange for dinner later that night. I was not hungry at all. I only drank about 4 cups of water today and had 2 cups of herbal tea. I have to increase my water intake to flush these toxins out and keep hydrated! My allergies are still irritating me. I wake up very congested still.

Day 13 started out with any innocent desire to have something different for breakfast and turned into a trail mix buffet of sorts. I received a call from my cousin in Canada and we were on the phone for about an hour. By the time 10 o'clock rolled around, I had eaten more than a handful of raw cashews, dried papaya, raw hazelnuts, raisins, and dried pineapple. I felt bloated and thought that it felt like a bit of a binge, but guilt has no business here so I let it go. I had a banana and some dried seaweed for lunch with herbal tea and water. I had fruit for dinner as the fiance and I watched a movie later. I'm in the bathroom so much, I might as well slap on a diaper =\
My sleep continues to be good with very vivid dreams. I sleep about 6-7 hours a night and feel rested.

Day 14 was a BEAUTIFUL, beyond day. Although I still woke up congested, once I hit the shower, my nose and sinuses cleared up and I stopped sneezing like a fiend. The fiance wanted to picnic in the park and that's what we did. He made a smoothie for my breakfast before we left: strawberries, blackberries, bananas, coconut and dates. Bam! Delicious. I packed a ginormous salad for the both of us, sandwiches for the manchild, a bottle of wine for the fiance, hummus and chips for the both of them, and fruit and water for me. We sat by the water at Sweetwater Creek State Park, played some Teena Marie and had a blast. Dinner was more salad for me and water. I feel noticeably lighter and my clothes are a bit looser. I haven't weighed myself in a while. Maybe I will tomorrow.

Day 15 has been a bit of a stomach churner. Literally. I swear it's like I can actually FEEL and HEAR all the food I eat digesting! Weird. I'm still congested, but not as bad. I had 2 bananas and some of my watermelon cooler drink for breakfast. I felt a bit tired today so I had a 2 hour nap from about 12-2pm and that did wonders. I snacked on raw cashews, papaya, seaweed, strawberries and blackberries. Dinner was leftover salad from yesterday's picnic. I drank 8 cups of water today and had 1 cup of herbal tea. I made sesame-ginger stir fried rice for the fam's dinner and for a split second, I thought I wanted some rice. This was the first time I've had something close to a craving since I've started. I even baked bread last night for the manchild without a second thought. Thankfully, as quickly as the thought came, it was gone. I'm actually excited for the the next two weeks.  My fiance says I smell like berries. I didn't believe him until I smelled my arms. I actually SMELL like fruit. Awesome!

 Picnic Salad

 Yellow Mango

Toasting life with my love

 Picnic basket

Well, there you are. I'm truly loving this challenge. I want to incorporate more veggies because it seems like I'm eating more fruit than veggies. Which, I'm not sure that it's necessarily bad, but I want to make sure I'm getting all my nutrients. I'll probably do another vid tomorrow. Until next time,


Love and Happiness,

Nikki

30 Day Raw Vegan (Is She INSANE?)

Hello my lovelies! I really have been here, I promise. Life is great and is keeping me busy. I hope all is well with you and that you are rocking this life OUT!

Last week I announced on Twitter, FB, Instagram, etc that I would be starting a 30 day raw vegan challenge, which I started on April 8. Today is day 10 of my journey and I have to say that I FEEL AMAZING. You can check out the video below for some quick info on what this is and why I'm doing this. I will be doing this challenge from April 8-May 8 and it will incorporate raw fruits, veggies and some nuts as well. Raw eating is an incomparable way of living. It's actually a lifestyle, because it impacts every other aspect of your life. I love this blog by 19 year old Em from Vancouver, Canada. She embodies my philosophy and has some pretty impressive raw recipes on her site:

This Rawsome Vegan Life

Wasn't that beyond?? Good for her!!

I thought I would be blogging about my journey 2-3 times per week, but I felt like it would be monotonous to keep posting about what I'm eating all day =) 
So instead, I will blog and vlog periodically with updates (that you may or may not care about..lol).

Days 1-6

Day 1 was pretty good. I didn't feel sluggish or have any detox symptoms. I ate bananas and grapes for breakfast. For lunch I had a green smoothie (spinach, kale, bananas, and pineapple) and dinner was a big salad made with avocado, spinach, tomatoes, cabbage, orange slices, onions, and my homemade dressing made of curry powder, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, spicy mustard, sea salt, pepper, and raw sugar. I slept well and had no major issues.

Day 2 was a bit of a mixed bag. I woke up feeling very positive and light. I had a strawberry banana smoothie for breakfast. I ate similar to above, but I started to feel "snacky". Ha! That means I wanted some pita chips and hummus, folks. I worked that day, so that kept me from focusing on it too much. I ate a lot of raw almonds and raisins to help with the snacking fever. However, I did have to make a pit stop to Sevananda (a whole/heath foods store here in Atlanta), and found some raw vegan kale chips that were amazing. Satisfied that demon! Also, lots of visits to the bathroom (or water closet, as my BFF's hubby calls it-ha!). No details needed.

Day 3 was a sleepy day. My body just felt heavy and foggy. I tried to eat as much as I could, but I mostly just rested. Detox. Yuck. More fruits today than veggies.

Days 4-6 were much better. We were out of town for spring break in the Smoky Mountains! I surely did haul my raw life with me. For the road, I had bananas, grapes, water, and Bolthouse Farms unpasteurized juices (Green Goodness and Berry Blast), along with my raw trail mix. That kept me satisfied. Once we got to the cabin, I made a huge salad for dinner and banana ice cream for dessert. Banana ice cream is the shizzz! All you do is freeze a peeled banana (or several for more people) and let it soften a bit before you blend it. Once it's blended, it looks just like soft serve. It has a great taste, and you've used ONE  RAW ingredient. You can always add peanut butter, chocolate, fruits, etc if you want to, but I love it just like this. So did my future hubby =)
Throughout our trip, I noticed my appetite had begun to diminish, so I would have to remind myself to eat a banana or an orange just to keep my nutrients up. My boo even brought some cognac with us and I just sat back and watched him drink. Didn't even want  a sip. I KNOW....ME! You'll notice that the more natural, whole foods you eat, the less cravings you'll have. True hunger is an amazing feeling. I also slept very well and woke up by 6-3:30 on my own feeling refreshed. That mountain air is intoxicating, by the way. Had a blast.

Days 7-10

Day 7 had me thinking I was Superwoman. I felt so high! I was buzzing all over the place. My poor fiance just wanted to go and rest somewhere after our trip and I was so full of energy. Ha! I had a smoothie made of 1/2 apple, juice of 1/2 lemon, 1 banana, and 1 orange. It was sooo good. It reminded me of that old school juice place in the mall, Orange Julius! Remember that? No? Ok, moving on.
We were on the road by lunch/dinner time so I had some more raw trail mix (raw peanuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, raisins). For dinner, I wasn't really hungry so I had some herbal tea and 2 bananas.

Day 8 was another great day. I woke up feeling refreshed and had some beyond dreams that I won't puzzle you all with. They were dope, though. I had peach herbal tea and grapes for breakfast. Me and the hunny went to the Dekalb Farmer's market and scored big. I was in vegan girl heaven! I've lived in Atlanta for going on 8 years and I had never been there. Smh. We ended up spending about $115, but we got a ton of goodies. Can I just take the time to say how supportive my fiance has been this past week? He has unconsciously joined me on this journey and he didn't have to. Thanks, babe!!!
We came home and immediately, he made a huge salad from our exotic veggies. The most notable taste was the red leaf spinach. I swear it tastes like licorice!! I made another dressing from red wine vinegar, lemon juice, turmeric, cayenne pepper, ginger, garlic, and raw agave nectar. Beyond.
Dinner was a small amount of some more of the amazing salad. It was a great day.

Day 9 KICKED MY ASS!!! I felt horrible! What happened?? And I was funkeee. The fumes coming from my armpits could have won the war on their own. Oh my goodnasss. Since the skin is the body's largest organ, you will detox through it in the form of either increased body odor, rashes, pimples, or a combination of all. I was also cramping in my back, and my allergies were turned all the way up; I couldn't breathe. I felt like utter crap. I really pushed myself to eat, but ended up only having tea, water, 2 bananas, some raw trail mix that the fiance made out of our dried fruits and nuts, and a fruit salad that was the highlight of my day. I was in bed most of the day and finally drifted off passed the hell out around 10:30 or so.

Day 10 (today) is like I'm someone else. I feel like I did on day 7. My energy is through the roof. I was literally doing twirls around the house this morning as I got the manchild ready for school and yapping a mile a minute at my fiance. He just made me the most amazing "berry delight" breakfast smoothie as I'm working on this post. Just what I needed. Sometimes I think we can read each other's minds. Which makes me monitor my thoughts around him sometimes. Ha ; )

30 Day Raw Vegan Challenge Video 

Some of our Dekalb Farmer's Market Haul!!

Raw nuts and dried fruit, red kale, red spinach, organic red chard (hey, we were on a "red" kick), organic seaweed (so good!), fruits-including yellow mangoes, which were DIVINE, avocados, tomatoes/lemons/hot peppers, and my day 9 fruit salad

 

So that's where I am lovelies. I feel good today and hope I have made it through the worst of it. Don't let the funky days discourage you if you're joining me on this journey. It's just your body's way of ridding itself of the ish it doesn't need. Hope you enjoyed the pics, vid, and journey. See you soon!


Love & Happiness,

Nikki

Two Cent Tuesdays!

Hello again my lovelies. I know it's almost Valentine's Day, but um, Happy New Year (and Chinese New Year)! Hope you're having a helluva time keeping up with all of those resolutions you made so far =)

As for me, I've decided to be a bit more consistent with my Two Cent Tuesdays. I know! That's big news, right? It is for me...I realized that I can still be on track with curbing my spending and review products I already use. No need to go crazy buying things just to review! Light bulb.

So stick around to see what shenanigans I've been up to on my quest to find products I absolutely need in my life!


Apricot Oil

I discovered this oil by accident. I was shopping for avocado oil that I normally use in my hair and on my skin, and GNC was out of it. I read that Apricot oil was good for dry skin, so I decided to try it. Let me say that it did not disappoint. This oil is light, non-greasy, and absorbs really well. I ended up using it mostly on my skin and noticed it cleared up the eczema flare on my hands almost immediately. Looking for Vitamin A, E, and essential fatty acids? Check. It reminds me of sweet almond oil in texture and properties. Great also for psoriasis, dry, dull hair, and even scabies (ew!)

  Now Solutions apricot oil $4.99, GNC
Bottom line: Recommended


Benefit Cosmetics
benefitcosmetics.com

So it was my birthday on January 25th, and of course I made my annual pilgrimage to Sephora for some new goodies. I tend to splurge in there, but the good thing is you get a freebie on your birthday. Yep.
This year, I received the They're Real mascara mini and Watt's Up soft focus highlighter for the face. The price for the two on Benefit's website are $10 and $30 respectively.
The mascara's wand has a cool shape, and my lashes definitely rivaled the look my Maybelline Mega Plush Volume mascara currently gives me!
The highlighter looked okay under my brow line and on my cheekbones, but it was nothing mind blowing. I may have to go back to the store and have a demo of how to apply since this is not something I normally wear. I checked their website to see if their products are cruelty-free (owned by twin sisters Jean and Jane Ford), and the answer was somewhat ambiguous. They say that they don't test on animals, but also state that no company can completely make that claim...huh? Read for yourself here.

 

 Bottom line: Somewhat recommended. I would definitely purchase the mascara, but not quite sold on the highlighter for myself...yet. Especially for $30!


Sephora

 My new obsession is pink/purple lip color, so I tried several different shades while at Sephora for the perfect shade. I ended up choosing the 12 Hour wear Jumbo Liner Crayon in Lilac Shimmer, which is actually for the eyes. The color was perfect, and it does go on with a smooth, almost powdery feel. I make sure to wear lip balm first to prevent my lips from drying out and looking like a crazy person. It's also waterproof so I can eat and drink without having to reapply constantly throughout the day.
Sephora, $14

 
Loves it!!

 

 Bottom line: Highly recommended 

 

 Susan Nichole Handbags

I have been a fan of Susan Nichole vegan handbags for a couple of years now. I finally treated myself to one for Christmas. After rocking lots of high end leather bags for years, I was skeptical about "vegan" accessories because I hadn't found any that lived up to my taste...until now. These bags are fab, hot, and most importantly cruelty free. I was feeling kinda "hobo" and ordered the Meghan bag in gold. Since I was on their email list, I receive offers for special sales and other perks; to that end, I received my bag for only $38 versus the $125 it is sold for. Heeeck yeah!
The bag itself is very spacious, colorful with a funky burgundy strap that I wear across my body. I get lots of compliments on it.
Of note, on their website, you can learn how to enter to win a FREE BAG of your choice every Thursday at 10pm EST on Twitter and Facebook. Really simple to enter.
They even let you return your bag/wallet for recycling once you're done with it...AND they give you a $10 credit towards your next purchase for doing so! What else do you NEED??

Ivy in Dark Green, $125

Miss Betty in Oatmeal, $150

Meghan in Gold, $125 (but I received for $38)


Bottom line: With both fabulous fashion pieces and conscientious business practices, it's a no- brainer. I will definitely be a repeat customer. Highly recommended.


There you have it. Overall, I was very satisfied with the products/merchandise I purchased. I'm excited that some or all of this helped you guys. Thanks again for all the messages and love you all have been showing me here, on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. We're gonna keep this thing growing!!!

Until next time,

Love and Happiness!!

Nikki




Food!

I know. It's been a long time...um, nearly six months? Sorry. BUT I do have good reasons...I moved back to Atl from an unexpected detour to Baltimore this summer. I worked at Johns Hopkins' new children's hospital. Loved it...great experience.

Soooo..when I got back to Atl in October, I then went to NY (following me still?) because my honey was officiating his cousin's wedding on the 14th. He then proceeded to PROPOSE to me during the reception...with his cousin Vernon and his wife's prior permission, of course (unbeknownst to me!) Thank GOD I looked decent! Ha ha.

I say all that to tell you guys that I'm engaged! So my life has been a tiny bit hectic, on top of the usual frantic. Yet, I still find time to cook and shop...yep! I'm excited to share some of the details of the planning and fun stuff for our 2013 wedding, but for now here are some good vegan eats for you.

Happy Holidays, lovelies!


1. Hearty veggie burger sandwiches with home fries AND sweet potato sticks****

I made these using two types of bread for variety. The one on the left is on a Telera roll (so good) and the other is a rosemary potato bread that I sliced and baked in the oven for about 5 minutes. I found both at Kroger.
Other ingredients for the sandwich:
Boca burger vegan patty sauteed in olive oil
sliced avocado
sliced onion, pickles, tomato, Dijon mustard, baby spinach leaves
mayo (for my honey as he is not vegan, but vegetarian)
ground sea salt, pepper to taste
potato wedges and sweet potato sticks, baked in extra virgin olive oil and sea salt for about an hour in 350 degree oven
One of my BEST sandwiches ever!!!

2. Sweet potato pie****

I made 2 of these for Thanksgiving...one with raisins and one without. Really, it's the only pie I eat. I also made 2 different types of apple/fruit pies for the rest of the fam. This pie received great kudos, even from the kids =)

Ingredients for two pies:
2 graham cracker crusts (ready to bake), or your choice of crust
4-5 moderate to large sweet potatoes/yams, baked for about an hour, then peeled when cooled
cinnamon, cloves, vanilla, nutmeg (to taste...I never measure-sorry)
1/4 cup white sugar, 3/4 cup  dark brown sugar
1/2 cup orange juice, grated rind of 1/2 lemon
3/4 cup or so of vanilla almond milk
                                 3-4 tablespoons flour, raisins (optional)
                                 bake at 350 degrees for an hour or until toothpick comes out clean

3. Vegan Asian stir fry****

If you don't try ANYTHING else, please try this stir fry! Absolutely delicious. I was inspired by my love of Chinese food growing up in Brooklyn. This is my vegan version.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of sesame oil, heated...stir fry 1 chopped onion and 3-4 cloves of garlic, and about 1/2 tsp grated ginger
-add about 1 cup of broccoli heads, chopped along with salt and pepper to taste
-add about 2 cups frozen vegetable mix (peas, corn,carrots, etc), and about 1/2 cup zucchini or other squash (optional)
-add Chinese 5 spice powder and red pepper flakes to taste. I also add genuine pepper sauce from Trinidad to make it EXTRA hot...but that's just me =)
-now add about 3-4 cups cooked hot white rice, tamari sauce, and one package of veggie crumbles. Stir together and enjoy!!!


   

4. Black Bean Salsa and Guacamole***

 This was a joint effort between the fiance and myself. We were craving Mexican food this past Monday night, and we came up with something delicious!

He made the black bean salsa:

1 can of black beans, drained, chopped onion, garlic, celery, diced tomatoes, fresh cilantro, salt, pepper, more pepper sauce (see above), and a dash of Old Bay seasoning. Mix together and heat through.

I made the guacamole:

2 avocadoes, juice of 1 lemon, ground sea salt, pepper, 1/2 cup of salsa sauce (hot)  or 1 small tomato, cilantro, and 1 clove of garlic. Mix in food processor until you reach desired consistency. Done!

We added a dollop of salsa, chips for dipping, and of course a glass of red wine...Fab!!!

Hope you enjoyed some or all of these. Until next time, lovelies!

Love & Happiness!

Nikki