Archive for the ‘YDV Reviews’ category
The Secret to Having Your Cake and Eating It Too
A Vegan MoFo post, a YDV review, and food porn all rolled into one? Hell yes, that’s what I’m talking about (today).
One thing pretty much everyone can agree on is that sweet treats are awesome. In fact, you’d better know how to run fast if you wave a vegan cupcake in front of a hungry vegan crowd- you’d get tackled for that kind of goodness. This is, of course, probably not true- I’m using it as an analogy (but you wouldn’t want to try that around my friends, just saying).
If you ask me, the only bad thing about sweet treats is the results they have on my ass size health. So, what is the secret to having your cake and eating it too? Ask Ani Phyo. She’s the author of a seemingly sinful book, Ani’s Raw Food Desserts: 85 Easy, Delectable Sweets and Treats
into a good-for-my-health dessert. She’s amazing. I’ve written about Ani Phyo before, I have and love her cookbook Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen. Ani’s dessert book is new to my personal collection but actually has been out for a few years. I should have gotten it sooner. It contains recipes to goodness like Ice Kream Sandwiches, Sundae Cones, Tiramisu, Chocolate Crunch Cupcakes w/Molten Mint Frosting, and much more. And the best part? The very best part? They are all raw and vegan. That means you’re ditching the flour and oils found in other vegan treats in place for the healthy fats from nuts and antioxidants from fruit.
You can officially have your cake and eat it too. You’re welcome.
I’ve made a ton few desserts out of this book and I haven’t found one I don’t care for. Intermingled in the book are helpful eco-friendly and green (gah! I hate to use that term but it fits here) tips for using natural ingredients to create beauty treatments like facial masques and living gently and considerate to our environment. I love, love, love this book.
I offer up “5 Goatz” to Ani’s Raw Food Desserts because it’s packed full of information I can use to keep my ass looking good while stuffing my face with treats health in tip top shape and keep myself pretty using the food in my cupboards. Win = Win.
Do you own Ani’s Raw Food Desserts? Lucky vegan you! Rate your experience below!
I’ve put the recipe for that tasty cake up there and other food porn after the jump.
Rhythm SuperFoods Chips: They’re Crunchy.
They’re crunchy. They’re not oily. They’re crunchy. They’re all-natural and vegan.
Rhythm Super Foods makes kale chips and sweet potato chips perhaps the most minimal way one can- raw and vegan. No added oils (except what occurs in nuts and seeds used in some flavors), raw sugar (used in a couple of varieties), and a slew of organic ingredients top off the awesome naturalness of these crunchy morsels.
The simpleness of the dehydrated Rhythm chips allows the flavors of the veggies and accompanying spices to come through clearly- no oils no muddle the experience or dilute the massive crunchiness.
We tried the Kool Ranch Kale Chips and the Hickory BBQ Sweet Potato Chips. Both flavors met expectations. We exclaimed, “These chips are probably the best packaged raw chips we’ve tasted!” My kale chips were broken during shipping, which is a damn shame- though I still dumped every morsel I could into my mouth. They were good.
They are crunchy. Dehydrated things get that way. A disadvantage of not making your own raw chips is having to buy packaged raw chips- which must be very fresh and handled very gently. For they are filled with crunchy goodness and will break.
Another disadvantage of not making your own raw chips- cost.
Many scoff at the “high price” of raw convenience snacks. I say, “Pshaw!” Yes, convenience is a premium, and so is quality, I suppose. At a bit over $6 per 2 oz. pouch, you should really feel like you’re getting some primo convenience. They say you’re getting 2 servings in one bag, I say, “Pshaw,” again. As with most convenience foods, it seems, the “servings per container” recommendation is unrealistic. If I’m paying over five bucks for two ounces of something, I’m darned likely to eat all two ounces myself, at once. It also makes me feel more justified in spending those kind of drachmas when I get all these nutrients in the bag, all to myself:
You can find out more about them at the Rhythm SuperFoods Website. You can also give them a like on Facebook, or follow them on Twitter.
Rhythm SuperFoods Kale Chips & Sweet Potato Chips get 3 Goatz- they’re tasty nutritious, crunchy morsels, that are priced just below the Federal Minimum Hourly Wage.
What do you think? Are Rhythm Chips worth a fair exchange for an hour of your labor? We think so. Rate your experience!
Kaeng Raeng Detox: Good Stuff
Everyone has thought of doing a detox at some point. No matter how healthy you think you eat, you still build up toxins in your body, which in turn toxifies the mind and spirit.
Detoxes can be perceived as time consuming and expensive. This is relative, of course. How much time and money do you spend/waste on being sick- mentally or physically? I’ve done detoxes and fasts, and I have yet to feel worse or not markedly better for them. Still, some need a little extra push or direction to get started. Enter Kaeng Raeng.
Blend the Kaeng Raeng good- with plenty of water- it's got psyllium husk in there
Kaeng Raeng is a simple, easy to use detox plan from a company who supports animal rights (the Humane Society) and the vegan lifestyle- kind of (they recommend adding honey to their detox mix, which isn’t vegan because it comes from an animal- the bee, who is on the brink of destruction because of environmental toxins and domestication).
The Kaeng Raeng detox works like this: One purchases a Beginner plan for $65. This includes 3 meal replacements (more on that in a moment) for 3 days (another plan is available for a 6 day detox). In addition to these meal replacements, one drinks at least 64 ounces of water daily (not to include the water added to the mixes) and eats raw fruits and vegetables. The meal replacement is the star of the Kaeng Raeng show. The main ingredients are fruit, non-GMO soybeans, psyllium husk, and probiotics. Your vitamins and minerals, protein, and fiber are packed into a little pouch. Probiotics are added for good measure. Add liquid and drink. So, a beginner plan will set you back about $7 per pouch (meal) in addition to what you spend on produce and clean water. This is far cheaper than an HMO copay, lab bloodwork, regimen of pharmaceuticals, or an average therapy session, not to mention the “pits of old age” that people complain about. It’s pretty convenient too, especially compared to preparing your own detox foods and making sure they have adequate nutrients, protein, and fiber.
Kaeng Raeng sent us some meal replacement pouches to try, so we did. Basic mixing instructions are to add with 24-32 ounces of water, vegan milk, or fruit juice. They say that you can also blend with frozen fruit and ice. Did I mention this stuff contains psyllium husk? For those unfamiliar, psyllium husk comes from the seed of a plantago plant. It is a perfect fiber for humans because it is indigestible- it cleans you out real good. It also becomes extremely gelatinous and thick when mixed with liquid. I found that 32 ounces of liquid is the minimum you need to put in the Kaeng Raeng mix. I used more, and I put it in a blender. I could not get it to mix well otherwise. However, after using so much water, it became rather weak in taste. Kaeng Raeng states that beginner detoxees may want to blend with another liquid such as milk or fruit juice. I believe it is counterproductive to detox with milks since they are processed and contain fats, and also with most fruit juices since they contain added sugars. Kaeng Raeng says “first time users may also enjoy adding sugar, honey, or yogurt.” Other than trying to make the detox drink appealing to those new to detox, I don’t understand why Kaeng Raeng would encourage adding what amounts to “toxins” to a detox. Yes, detox can be hard, but that’s the point. Getting rid of built-up toxins in the body ain’t gonna be easy. I think it’s great that Kaeng Raeng has made available a healthy and nutritious meal replacement for detoxing, but I don’t think they should encourage such nonsense. This stuff is 7 bucks a pouch and you’re putting your effort and commitment into it as well- I would not recommend adding sugar, fats, or other processed foods to it- you’d be defeating the purpose.
[Honey. I really wish that vegan companies wouldn't advocate using honey.]
If the taste bothers you, add some fresh or frozen fruit to it with plenty of filtered water. That should sweeten it up and still keep it a proper detox.
Kaeng Raeng gets 3 Goatz for offering a relatively affordable, convenient, ultra-nutritious detox meal plan that anyone would have an easy time using.
Have you done the Kaeng Raeng detox? Rate your experience!