Keep up the BEET: Wholly Veggie Patties Review!

Wholly Veggie is a Canadian company (based out of my hometown of Toronto!) founded by two friends who love their veggies and want to make sure every table has access to them! Their mission is to create a more sustainable food system, which I think is very important considering the incredible population growth reaching now 7.8 billion in 2021.  How do we continue to feed everyone? This is definitely a challenge but they are up for it!

The company has a great line of veggie products to choose like their taco bites which has a sweet potato crust (yum!), Buffalo Cauliflower wings, veggie pizzas and more! 

Trying out the "Southwest Beet Burger" the ingredients and nutritional profile looked great.  Beets are loaded with various vitamins and minerals, including potassium, magnesium and Vitamin C. 

Packaging

I sliced a beet patty into strips and added some dressing

on top underneath a mixture of zucchini and carrots.

My Honest Thoughts?

By themselves, these patties are fairly bland tasting and a bit more on the chewy side, as opposed to a softer texture that I was expecting. I'm not sure if "beets" are more of an acquired taste overall, but I don't like to turn down a healthy vegetable.  Since 4 patties come per package, day two of trying these out tasted a lot better. I enjoyed them more sliced up, instead of like a regular patty.

Although it does have some spice, it's pretty minimal, so it helps to add your favourite condiments!

They also check off the boxes of being:

✔vegetarian 

✔gluten-free

✔soy-free

✔dairy-free. 

So if those are labels that are important to you, then this would be a good fit!

Another awesome thing to know is that you can "donate a meal" by making a purchase on their website.

"For every meal you donate, we'll match it with another meal to Community Food Centres Canada. 

Your meal donation will go to Harmony Community Food Centre (CFC), one of 13 Community Food Centres supported by CFCC. Harmony CFC is a welcoming place in Toronto where people come together to grow, cook, share and advocate for good food. Their programs support local families and individuals by increasing access to healthy food, skill-building, knowledge sharing, and providing leadership and advocacy opportunities."

I'm excited to try other products from this brand, and I'll be sure to fill you in on whether they'll make my shopping cart again or if they'll stay on the shelf.

Try them out and let me know your thoughts! You can leave a comment or send me a private email using my contact form!  I always love to hear your comments. 

💜Wholly Veggie Website

💜IG

💜Facebook

*Note: All opinions of this product are always my own.

Recipe: Flourless Apple Crisp

Baking dish of Flourless Apple Crisp (left)
Portioned individual containers (right)
These are ready for the fridge/freezer.

I am not sure if I am allergic to certain foods or whether I have food intolerances, so I am awaiting an appointment with an allergy specialist in... August. Yep, the wait is long but I really hope I get a call sooner. The IGG testing is confusing, not to mention ridiculously expensive and eliminating a lot of foods from different groups all at once can be very harmful. Some say there is some credibility to these tests to at least give an indication of what foods you may want to try to start eliminating to see if that helps with inflammation, digestion, while others say it's a total sham.

 IGE testing seems to have more validity, but not total accuracy either.  I've been given mixed reactions from numerous health care practitioners on both, so right now I am pretty much on the "flexitarian" side of things, just trying to eat a balanced diet, although I have pretty much cut out most dairy (I love my substitute of Silk almond milk which has high amounts of calcium and protein and other vitamins/minerals!) and have limited red meat to once/twice a week because I find this seems to be helping with digestion.

Anyhow, I really enjoy making healthy treats and even though it's easier to buy a pie from the store or grab cookies off the shelf, I rather make food at home, with the occasional treat out.  So, looking through many sites, I found a great version for a Flourless Apple Crisp that I was able to tweak that was so easy to make, didn't require any sugar (aside from the natural sugar found in apples) and absolutely no flour! To sweeten it up a little bit bit, I did use a little bit no-sugar added jam, but that's totally optional.  You can add any toppings you like before or after too. Of course, this is not going to taste like the usual decadent apple crisp that you'd find in a restaurant, but I've been making this now for a few weeks now and it's pretty delicious and packed with lots of great nutrients, especially fiber from the oats!

What you need:

• 4-6 medium sized apples of choice
• 2 cups of oats (quick oats will work best)
• unsweetened shredded coconut 
• 1/4 tbsp of butter or margarine 
• Sprinkle on as much cinnamon as you like
• 1-2 tsp of oil
• *optional for more sweetness: a spoonful of jam/syrup/honey

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Peel and dice apples. Place into your baking dish. This is the most consuming part with peeling the apples so it's always nice to have a helping hand in the kitchen, if possible!

Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine oats, unsweetened shredded coconut, cinnamon, oil and jam (or other alternative as listed above, if desired).

Microwave butter or margarine for about 20-25 seconds (depends on your microwave) or until melted and pour into mixture.

Give it all a good stir. Add more margarine/butter and/or oil if it's still too dry.
Once you like the consistency, pour over the apples, making sure to spread out everything as much as you can to cover all the apples.

Bake for approximately 35 minutes or until the oats have a nice golden brown look.

Serve on its own or add some fresh fruit on top or even some ice cream on the side. You can eat this warm or cold. Also perfect for freezing once cooled.

Serving size is 6-8 depending on how much you fill each container. I used the smaller Rubbermaid containers, so that seemed like an ideal portion size.

Enjoy and make sure to leave me comments or send me an e-mail of your own creations!

Happy holidays 2017!

Wishing all my wonderful readers...

As the year wraps up, stay tuned for my 

"Top 10 Movies of 2017!" blog.

Recipe: Cinnamon Sweet Potato Fries!

A good recipe to follow for Cinnamon Sweet Potato Fries.

What I did:

• Washed 1 medium sweet potato. I like to keep the skin on, instead of peeling it all off, but the choice is yours. 
• Cut in half and then chop in whatever way you want. (you can see that none of them are really uniform in shape, I just try to make them thick enough so they don't burn).
• Drizzle extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle cinnamon and whatever else you want on them, and mix all together in a bowl. I just put on EVOO, cinnamon and a little bacon salt.
• Spread onto a baking sheet, not overlapping any of them. 

I found that keeping the oven at 400 degrees worked well, then after 15 minutes, flipping them over and baking for another 15 minutes or so until they were all nice and crispy.

Once I took them out, I put a paper towel down for any excess oil.

They turned out great and really tasty! My boyfriend will have a nice snack at work tomorrow. ;)

Recipe: First Time Cabbage Rolls

With food prices soaring, we're eating a fair amount of frozen vegetables, instead of fresh ones. Fear not, despite what many have said, they are just as nutritious! My boyfriend, Bill,  went shopping the other day to pick up a few items and came home with a large cabbage. The previous one was made into cabbage soup and many days of raw cabbage salads and steamed cabbage and mixed vegetables. 

Thanks to Google I was able to type in "what to make with a head of cabbage" and cabbage rolls popped up. I love watching Youtube cooking videos because I am definitely a visual person. Just giving me instructions to cook doesn't always work.  So I came across Jenny Jones' Cabbage Rolls recipe. A couple seconds into the video, it occurred to me that this woman not only looks identical but also sounds like the famous talk show host "Let's Do A Makeover" Jenny Jones! I didn't know she was a cook, so this was a surprise.

Just a few things to note.

• We used some different ingredients that suited us best, so i'll show the recipe below and what we used. Tweak to your tastes and I am sure these cabbage rolls will still turn out amazing.

• We have also done this recipe many times without any meat, so it's vegetarian, just with rice and lentils. 

• Be cautious when taking out the cabbage from the boiling water!

• It took longer than 10 minutes for the cabbage we bought to soften enough to peel the top layer off and after a few layers in, we put it back into the boiling water for another 5 minutes to soften more.

Cabbage Rolls

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes

Makes: 16 to 24

Ingredients:

1 large head of cabbage (about 3 lbs.) – or use 2 smaller heads

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 cup diced onion

2 cloves garlic, minced   Used a variety of Epicure spices to sprinkle into the meat mixture

2 large mushrooms, finely diced - 1 1/2 cups (optional) Bill does not like any 'shrooms

1 pound ground sirloin   we used extra lean ground beef

3/4 cup uncooked long grain rice 

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1 cup Pomi strained tomatoes or canned tomato puree   Large can of Hunts Tomato Sauce (look for low sodium kinds!)

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

pepper to taste

3/4 cup liquid (beef stock, cabbage water, or combine with some leftover tomato for 3/4 cup)

Instructions:

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cut center core out of cabbage and place, core side down, in boiling water. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

While cabbage simmers, heat oil in pan over med-high heat and sauté onion and garlic 3-5 minutes until browned. Add mushrooms and cook another 2 minutes. Transfer mixture to a large bowl to cool.

Remove cabbage to a rimmed baking sheet, keeping water in the pot. Gently remove leaves from cabbage, cutting away from the core with a small knife. Set aside the best 16 unbroken leaves and cut off the thick spine in the center for easier rolling. Set all remaining broken or small cabbage leaves aside. (If the core is too firm, return it to boiling water for a few minutes to soften)

Preheat oven to 350° F.

To cooled onion mixture, add meat, rice, parsley, tomato, salt & pepper. Combine well.

Place about 1/4 cup of filling in each leaf, roll, and place seam side down in a 13 by 9-inch pan. Pour liquid over rolls and lay some leftover leaves on top. Cover pan tightly with foil, and bake for 1 1/2 hours. (Place pan on a cookie sheet in case it drips)

Remove from oven and let rest 30 minutes or better still, refrigerate overnight. 

Smelling these from the oven, we couldn't wait to eat them. After that we let the rest cool, put some in the fridge, delivered a couple to a friend who was ill, gave my parents some to try, and the rest went into the freezer!

Taken out of the oven

Ready to eat

Thanks again to Jenny Jones for a terrific recipe that we'll be making again since we just purchased another cabbage!

If you make these cabbage rolls, send me an email, or leave a comment on this post, letting me know how they turned out and what tweaks you made to this recipe!

Recipe: Banana Chocolate Chip Craisin Oatmeal Hemp Seed Squares!

Well these cookies from Weelicious have been such a hit that I decided to use another pan that I had and see what they'd turn out like as squares. Yep, still amazing!  These are perfect for snacks, especially when you want something healthy and filling on-the-go. I've even had them for breakfast with yogurt. They freeze great too, which is another bonus. I love them nice and hot, so you can just pop them in the microwave for about 35-40 seconds. Makes 12.

Baking in the oven with The Pampered Chef brownie pan!
(Make sure to grease well so the mixture doesn't stick)

Hot out of the oven, waiting to cool

Another shot of them

Ready to enjoy!

Ingredients:

2-3 bananas
2 cups of oats
1/4 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of cinnamon
1/4 cup of oil (I use extra virgin olive oil)
add your toppings (I used some craisins/raisins and some semi sweet chocolate chips - you can really use anything you like and put in as much or as little as you wish)
*one addition this time for added nutrients: raw hemp seeds

That's it!

Directions:

Mash bananas up well and mix all the ingredients up in a large bowl
Let sit for about 10 minutes.
Grease the brownie pan well, take a bit of the mixture and pat nicely into the pan to fill up the spaces.
Put into the oven at 350 degrees for approximately 25 minutes.

__________________________________

I'm really happy how these turned out and the fact that I just had to use a few ingredients - so budget friendly is a bonus.

If you make these, let me know how you like them!

Recipe: Banana (c)raisin chocolate chip cookies!

Cookies for breakfast? In this case, yes!

Ingredients:

• 2-3 bananas
• 2 cups of oats
• 1/2 tsp of cinnamon
• 1/4 cup of oil
• add your toppings (I used some raisins and some semi sweet chocolate chips - you can really use anything you like and put in as much or as little as you wish) 

That's it!

Directions:

• Mash bananas up well and mix all the ingredients up in a large bowl
• Let sit for about 10 minutes.
• Grease a baking pan and take a scoop of the mixture and place on the sheet. (I made some small and some a bit larger)
• Put into the oven at 350 degrees for approximately 25 minutes.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

I took the recipe from Weelicious and just tweaked it a little.

I'm really happy how these turned out and the fact that I just had to use a few ingredients - so budget friendly is a bonus.

If you make these, let me know how you like them! I froze a bunch to see how they will taste for future snacking.

Recipe: October soup

Woke up feeling a little chilly and so I decided to head to the kitchen and make soup! I put in chicken broth, red cabbage, broccoli, carrots, lettuce, and potatoes. Added in Pesto seasoning from Epicure, garlic and crumbled some veggie chips.

Nothing fancy, just a delicious soup on a chilly October day. :)

Family Moments 2015

Family is one of the most important things in my life, so I am taking the time to share a few photos that I took over the weekend. Enjoy!

My Dad loves his flowers, so I took a picture of them all blooming so vibrantly outside. 

My parents. They are really happy living in Tecumseh.
Although I wish my Dad's illness never occurred, it has brought my parents closer together
 in so many ways, not to mention the rest of our family.

What's that, only kids colour? Ha! Adult-colouring helps to promote relaxation and it stimulates the brain in a lot of positive ways.  My Dad was not keen on doing this at first, but it's growing on him. He did a really good job!

My dad is happy to be able to use his computer to keep up with what's going on in the world.
A big switch from the monster desk at the old house, but he really likes it.
We got my mom a matching desk too!

We had a great Sunday afternoon taking a walk. That is usually one of the "must-do" activities when I come over.
I also wanted to snap a "selfie" with my Dad.
This is our first one together. A bit awkward as I looked the wrong way, but I hope you like it. lol

Snack Review: Living Snactive with Mediterranean Snacks

I hate the word “diet” when it is referred to people's weight loss regimes because as everyone knows, it's short-lived and usually meant for short-term success. It's the same routine, you go on a health kick and feel great, like you can conquer the world, but then it goes downhill because the motivation weens and you're back to the very start. The miserable beginning where it all feels hopeless.  So what do you do?

Well for starters, you can ditch the sugar-laden sweets, salty chips that make your hands glisten from all the grease, but don't be duped, even the “health” snacks can be loaded with sugar and tons of sodium, plus other ingredients that may be problematic, based on your individual circumstances.

We need to Live Snactive! Nope that's not a spelling mistake. Going on the philosophy of Mediterranean Snacks, having a Healthy Attitude + Nutritious Snacks + Active Lifestyle = Living Snactive! Everyone has their marketing buzz word, but I can say this really meshes well with me, and I think many others can relate.

 Now there is a full line of products by a great company called Mediterranean Snacks that offers a glorious amount of options for people who have specific dietary needs or just choose a different way to eat.

Here is the assortment that I received in the mail. I was blown away at this big haul. I will go into more detail on what we liked and ones we probably wouldn't buy again.  I ended up sharing these with my boyfriend and the rest of my family.

Before that, I need to talk about how much I love the bold packaging. It's full of vibrant colours, plus the fonts are easy to read, so you don't have to sit and squint wondering what flavour you're getting or what the main features are of the product. All the ingredients are also listed on the back, which is great because I'm a label reader.

So here we go.  I have also taken a bunch of photos, so you can get an idea of what some of the products look like.

Vegetable Medley – An absolute favourite and as you can see, you get a lot of them per bag. I love how they are slightly rounded, so ideal for dipping, or still worth munching on without any extras. Oddly enough, they are seasoned with sea salt, which I usually don't like, but these are a winner.

Baked Lentil Chips (Rosemary) – Baked not fried which is a huge plus. They were also very savoury and crunchy. My parents raved over these, especially my Dad. Due to his condition, his sense of smell has been impaired, so I was pleasantly surprised that he could taste the Rosemary.

Baked Lentil Chips (Roasted Pepper) - A personal favourite and a great chip to dip into some homemade guacamole.

Bean Stalks (Sea Salt, Cheddar and BBQ) – A whole lotta crunch to these babies! Since the number one ingredient is actual beans, they are packed with fibre and protein. Unfortunately, i'm not a fan of sea salt to begin with, so that bag was the least favourite of the bunch.

Cheddar ones were great on their own (think of a healthy version of a cheesie!) and my boyfriend liked the tangy BBQ ones.

Tapaz 2 Go – Mixed feelings here. Although these are meant to be eaten without refrigeration required, I would personally recommend refrigerating them, before taking on-the-go.  For me, it was just awful at room temperature. It had a strange off-putting taste. On my second attempt, I decided to stick it in the fridge for a while and that really made a big difference. It had a nice cooling taste. A good serving size too.

The classic hummus is very mild, the garlic hummus tastes pretty much the same, but I couldn't really taste a very strong aroma of garlic at all. The red pepper hummus has a real kick, my mouth was kind of on fire, but if you like spice, this one is for you. Keep in mind, you'll need to swirl around the mixture a bit. The pretzels were ok, but if you're watching your sodium, probably best to pack a little container and toss in some of their lentil or veggie chips.

I am truly blessed to have my Dad still with us today.  He has made huge strides in improving his health, both physically and mentally.  We all struggle in different ways and it's good to know there is a company looking out for us and providing healthier options.

I am grateful for companies like Mediterranean Snacks that exist and will probably be leading the pack for naturally-based nutritional health snacks for many years to come.

If you would be so kind to excuse me now, I have the munchies and eyeing a bag of Vegetable Medley Straws that are calling my name!

UPDATE 2018: I am not sure what has happened to this company or their website!
You can still purchase from here though: 

Cooking with Pampered Chef

Everyone loves to eat. Sometimes we are able to spend a lot of time preparing delicious food for our families and, other times, we need to be realistic and realize that short-cuts are helpful and often necessary.

After attending a Pampered Chef party, I was immediately intrigued by PC’s newest item called the “Brownie Pan.”

If you’re not a baker, but take interest in cooking, like I do, don’t shy away based just on the name. This pan actually does so much more than just bake sweets. You can prepare appetizers and full meals.

There are hundreds of recipes that you can try and, since I have been craving lasagna for the last while, I decided to try out the Pampered Chef – Mini-Spinach Lasagna Squares.

With 12 individualized wells, aluminized steel provides ideal heat distribution and offers a non-stick coating for quick and easy clean-up. Say goodbye to those awful scrubby pads that end up ruining all your cookware.

Also, if you’re a little clumsy, the extended edges are a nice touch to the pan so you have a good grip with your oven mitts. It is also safe in conventional and convection ovens up to 450°F.

So what’s the downside?

Well, unfortunately, the only negative is that it is not dishwasher-safe, so this pan needs to be washed by hand. However, for the time that you ended up saving making dinner, it’s not a terrible inconvenience.

The Pampered Chef Mini-Spinach Lasagna Squares recipe:

• 4 oz (125 g) part-skim mozzarella cheese (1 cup/250 mL grated), divided
• 1 oz (30 g) fresh Parmesan cheese (1/4 cup/50 mL grated)
• 1 pkg (10 oz/300 g) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 3/4 cups (425 mL) marinara sauce, divided
• 24 small (approx 1½-2-in./4-5-cm squares) frozen cheese ravioli (12 oz/350 g)

• Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Using Microplane Adjustable Coarse Grater, grate cheeses; place in two separate (1-cup/250-mL) Prep Bowls.
• In Classic Batter Bowl, combine ½ cup (125 mL) of the mozzarella, Parmesan, spinach and garlic pressed with Garlic Press. Mix well with Small Mix ‘N Scraper.
• Place marinara sauce in (2-cup/500-mL) Easy Read Measuring Cup. Using the Measuring Spoon Set, spoon 1 tbsp (15 mL) marinara sauce into each well of Brownie Pan; top with one ravioli.
• Using Medium Scoop, place one rounded scoop of spinach mixture on top of each ravioli. Top with another ravioli. Spoon remaining marinara sauce over each ravioli and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella.
• Bake 20-22 minutes or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly. Remove pan from oven to Stackable Cooling Rack. Serve with Mini Nylon Serving Spatula.

I tweaked the recipe a little bit to meet our needs. I used a plain, low-sodium tomato sauce and added herbs and spices. For the cheese, I used a mild cheddar and about half the amount of what the recipe suggested, just to keep it healthier and not so heavy.

Lasagna squares waiting to go into the oven

This recipe is really versatile and allows for proper portion-control, so the possibilities are endless for what you can create. All the italicized items can be found on the Pampered Chef website.

I would recommend getting the Mini Nylon Serving Spatula if you’re going to use the Brownie Pan. You really can’t have one without the other. The spatula is designed to fit this particular pan, it lifts up items without scratching the finish, and it is dishwasher safe.

I was quite proud that I didn't have a lasagna meltdown on the plate. These mini lasagna squares were a hit and I even have a few leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

The pre-portioned lasagna squares are done and just waiting to be served.

The plated lasagna squares made easy with Pampered Chef.

Pampered Chef has a product line of over 500 items and, with the holidays right around the corner, this is one of the many gifts that beginner cooks all the way to the culinary chef, in your life, will cherish for a lifetime.

Snack Review: Valuing The Good Taste Of Nature

I think we are truly blessed as a society to be able to have the luxury of choice. It can be a double-edge sword, however, because of the overwhelming amount of choice that we are faced with every single day, especially when it comes to snack foods.

You can find just about any flavour out there, but sometimes you are sacrificing taste for something healthy. Or you’re just delving into a sea of sugar that will satisfy your immediate craving, but leave your waistline unhappy and your energy levels depleted.

I recently came across a snack bar by a Canadian company called Taste of Nature, whose facility is in Markham. Going to their website, I noticed the usual participation in the Non-GMO Project, gluten-free (this lifestyle choice can come with its own risks for those who are not celiac, as many gluten-free products contain loads of sugar in comparison to gluten ones; watch those labels), being vegan and kosher, as most organic companies are nowadays.

However, what really made me stop was the variety of choices that fit with the Glycemic Index. This is a number associated with a particular type of food that indicates the food’s effect on a person’s blood glucose.

Informing consumers about what number each product is on the GI scale was the most impressive. So kudos to Taste of Nature for creating a snack that is low in sodium, sugar, and high in the areas that we should be consuming more of like fibre, protein, omega 3’s, and other important vitamins and minerals.

The one problem I have, though, with a lot of so-called healthy foods is that they taste awful. They may be packed with a great deal of health benefits, but there has to be a balance for me. I think I found it with Taste of Nature.

As you can see, they have so many flavours. It’s hard to actually say which one is my favourite because they all have very distinct tastes, but I have quite a liking for the California Almond Valley. It has a nice blend of raisins, pumpkin, sunflower, and sesame seeds, agave syrup, and a hint of rosemary extract.

Photo by: Melissa Arditti

I don’t get a weird aftertaste which I have experienced with other bars. The texture is perfectly chewy so it’s not a struggle to bite into. And it’s portioned well so you’re not overindulging, but reaping the nutritional benefits, too.

Some bars are a little sweeter than others, like the Louisiana Pecan Parade, but I can honestly say that any of the bars are a great post-workout snack, super for kids’ lunches, or a good alternative from hitting the fast food joint or coffee shop for a donut.

Another plus is many of their green business practices which include recycling food waste to farms for use as animal feed and priding themselves on reducing their carbon footprint as much as possible.

I will also applaud them for excellent customer service since I initially contacted them regarding their Taste of Nature Snacks that Care promotion, which wasn't working online. For my inconvenience, they sent me out a care package as a “token of our thanks for being so patient with us as we worked to get the contest fixed.”

Photo by: Melissa Arditti

Founded on the basic principle to, “work together as a family to create a food company that makes a simple, great tasting product that would give back to the world more than it took,” Taste of Nature has surely succeeded.

For more information, you can visit their website: Taste of Nature