Vegan Cheesecake: My First Time

My first attempt at vegan cheesecake was a complete success! Cheesecake has always intimidated me. Even when I was a lacto-ovo vegetarian and still consumed cheese, I never tried making cheesecake. It seemed so daunting and scary!

I looked over a few recipes online for vegan cheesecake and decided on this one:
I Eat Trees: Perfect Vegan Cheesecake.

As displayed on the sourced website:

Classic Vegan Cheesecake
Ingredients:

16 cinnamon graham crackers, crushed
1/2 cup vegan butter
1 tablespoon agave nectar
1 tablespoon whole wheat flour
16 ounces vegan cream cheese
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons Ener-G egg replacer whisked into 4 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. To make the crust, combine crushed graham crackers, vegan butter, agave nectar, and whole wheat flour in a medium bowl. Thoroughly combine ingredients by hand and press crust mixture into an 8.5 inch springform pan. Set aside.

To make the filling, add cream cheese, sugar, egg replacer mixture, lemon juice, and water to a blender and blend until just smooth. Pour filling over prepared crust. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheesecake is set in the pan. Allow cheesecake to cool at room temperature to 30-45 minutes. Cover pan and refrigerate overnight, or at least 8 to 10 hours. Slice, top with berries or sauce if desired.

I made a few slight changes when I made the cheesecake. First of all, I couldn't find any cinnamon graham crackers without honey so I found some regular vegan graham crackers that I used for the crust and added some cinnamon and nutmeg. For the crust I also added about a tablespoon of ground flaxseed and about 1/4 cup coconut flakes.

For the cheesecake filling I followed the directions almost exactly, however, for the egg replacer I whisked some of it into almond milk rather than water. I also added about 1/4 teaspoon almond extract and only about 1/2 teaspoon of the vanilla.

This cheesecake was taste-tested by myself, of course, and I loved it! Also, my picky boyfriend and four co-workers sampled this treat and it was very well received by everyone.

Many were very shocked when I said I'd made a cheesecake without "real" cheese, since they know I am vegan, and were a bit iffy about how it might taste. I think everyone was pleasantly surprised. Someone from another office actually contacted me and told me they heard it was good from a mutual co-worker, which made my day!

To top it off, I decided to try the coconut cream whipped cream I've read so much about. I used a chilled can of full fat coconut milk and scooped the top white part out and beat that with a few tablespoons of powdered sugar. It turned out white, fluffy, creamy and delicious! It's a great way to make vegan whipped topping and wasn't too difficult, either, so I was incredibly happy.

It was very tasty and topped the cheesecake with that extra something special. The cheesecake was phenomenal regardless of whether whipped topping is used or not.

Next time I may use a bit more graham crackers and flaxseed in the crust and I may increase the amount of Tofutti vegan cream cheese I use as it was not quite as thick as I prefer, but the taste was flawless. I may also try a gluten-free recipe so my good friend and neighbor can try it. I plan to experiment with ground almonds and different types of gluten-free flours for the crust.

Thanks for the recipe!

Vbar Sunflower & Cranberry Review

In my latest Vegan Cuts Snack Box I received a Vbar amongst the goodies. I brought it to work to try today. It looks pretty plain and similar in appearance to most other vegan energy or nutrition bars. It's a bland beige-like color with some specks of cranberry visible. How would it taste?

I admit wasn't too excited about it, but boy was I wrong! It tastes phenomenal! I was expecting a blah texture and plain bar, but this one has a nice substance to it and is slightly chewy without being overly sticky or having weirdly soft texture as some other bars I've tried. It has just the right balance of sweet and wholesome. The flavor was a mild sweet vanilla nutty kind of taste with a slight cranberry essence. I thought it was perfect! There are several varieties available and I am anxious to try them all!

I searched online for a website and cannot find one anywhere, but they are available for sale at different vegan retailers, such as Vegan Cuts. I am a little tight on cash this month but next month I plan on buying the variety pack, which has my mouth watering!

The bars come in a biodegradable plastic wrapper (and the variety pack comes in a biodegradable paper/cardboard box). The bars are gluten free, soy free, vegan, non-GMO and all natural. Ingredients: Brown rice cereal, sunflower seed nut butter, white sorghum syrup, coconut flakes, dried cranberries, vanilla extract, sea salt, coconut oil. No palm oil or preservatives!

Nutritionally, one bar (1.5 ounces) contains 210 total calories (120 from fat). Since it's vegan, of course there is no cholesterol in this product, a very small amount of sodium, and total fat of 13 grams (only 6 of which is saturated fats, probably from the coconut ingredients and the remaining fat is the good kind: monounsaturated and polyunsaturated types). It provides 4 grams of protein per serving, 3 grams of fiber, as well as phosphurus, calcium, magnesium, iron, and other vitamins and minerals our bodies need.

Sorry for the horrible quality pictures, but here are a couple shots from my lunch at work this afternoon:

This delicious product is distributed by Benefit Foods, which is a California company (big surprise there!). Other varieties include: Almond/Fig/Carob, Almond/Cherry, Almond/Blueberry, Sunflower/Ginger, Sunflower/Cashew. The slogan on the front is "Unwrap Goodness!" YES, I agree and want more!

Healthier, Less Processed.....

I've been trying to eat less processed foods, even though I love Gardein and Veggie Brothers mock meat and other things I shouldn't consume so much of. I've also been trying to add more nutritional yeast to my foods for the B vitamins. Even though I have been vegan now for over 4 months, my cholesterol was still a bit high, although this does run in the family (and I'm not as active as I should be!).

Anyway, I had some extra potatoes laying around and don't often crave them, but I was craving something cheesy and I love broccoli, so I cooked the potato and halved it a few times on a plate. I prepared a broccoli-cheese sauce using Daiya cheddar shreds (I know it's processed, but it wasn't too much), nutritional yeast, a ton of broccoli, some minced garlic, cayenne and black pepper, and some almond-coconut milk.

It turned out to be just what I was craving. Although it does contain some processed goods, the majority of it, I would imagine, seems healthy and fairly basic. Hopefully it's a step in the right direction. I always drink plenty of clear water and have cut back on some of the snacks like potato chips and sweets.

Since becoming vegan I have probably at least doubled the amounts of raw fruits and vegetables that I eat. I eat a banana a day, usually an apple, orange, and/or pear as well. I love taking kale mixed with corn and nutritional yeast as a side to work and often enjoy salads, raw carrots, broccoli, celery, cucumbers, etc. Just this morning for breakfast I had half an avocado, a handful of mixed blueberries and blackberries, and some pine nuts.

If I can set myself up for some kind of rewards system, perhaps only indulging on mock meats and delicious Amy's Vegan Margherita Pizzas on the weekends and eat right Monday through Friday, I think that would be a great start for me. I also started Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred and am on day 4. If I keep up with the healthier eating and more exercise, hopefully I can get my cholesterol at better levels and become more toned as I desire.

What's Wrong with Palm Oil??

I only recently learned of the devastation harvesting palm oil creates on natural habitats, destroying rainforests and ecosystems and crippling the orangutan and other animal populations.

In an effort to raise awareness I have tried to find the most pertinent information from what I consider to be reliable sources. Education, although sad, is empowerment and people must be aware of what's going on in the world, especially when something causes so much harm that can be avoided.

Palm oil, one of the cheapest and most popular oils, also commonly referred to as palm kernel oil, palm fruit oil, and dozens of other names, is found in about half of all packaged goods, if not more. Palm oil can be also listed as PKO, palmate, sodium laureth sulphate, sodium lauryl sulphates, glyceryl stearate, stearic acid, chemicals which contain palm oil, and others, so it really can be difficult to know if this ingredient is in any of the foods you're eating or any of the products you're using. It can even be listed under the blanket term: vegetable oil.

Many shampoos, lipsticks and other make-ups, candy bars and other snacks, and even crackers and other food and cosmetic products often contain palm oil. Even beloved vegan products such as Daiya cheese uses palm oil in their block cheeses (not the shredded cheeses to my knowledge), Lucy's vegan cookies, and delicious vegan candy bars such as Jokerz, among others.

According to Greenpeace: "Demand from emerging economies such as India and China as well as a growing reliance on biofuels in Europe and elsewhere means global production is only set to grow... The environmental damage that can be caused when expansion of industrial production continues unchecked and the undeniable link between palm oil and deforestation can be witnessed via the destroyed peatlands and rainforests in Indonesia, the world’s largest producer."

Many different animals have adapted to the specific environment from which palm oil derives, and reducing the forests and destroying the land from production is causing many species to dwindle rapidly, soon to be on the brink of extinction. The UK-based news publication The Independent claims "The wildlife-rich forests of Indonesia and Malaysia are being chain-sawed to make way for palm-oil plantations. Thirty square miles are felled daily in a burst of habitat destruction that is taking place on a scale and speed almost unimaginable in the West... When the rainforests disappear almost all of the wildlife – including the orangutans, tigers, sun bears, bearded pigs and other endangered species – and indigenous people go. In their place come palm-oil plantations stretching for mile after mile, producing cheap oil."

Please be aware of the devastation palm oil causes and be compassionate enough to check your food and product labels. Do your own research and let everyone know about this. I was unaware of this for so long, and, sadly, I'm sure many others are as well. I have stopped buying products that contain palm oil as much as possible (by this I mean I read all ingredients and if I think it contains palm oil I do not purchase it, but with all the many ways it can be listed, it can be difficult to know I am avoiding it 100%) and will continue to boycott them. Please do the same.

Also, if you choose to become more active concerning this problem, please voice your opinion by calling companies to let them know you are against the use of palm oil and will not be using their products until they stop using it as an ingredient. Spread the word!

My Sources:

http://www.cspinet.org/palm
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/the-guilty-secrets-of-palm-oil-are-you-unwittingly-contributing-to-the-devastation-of-the-rain-forests-1676218.html
http://ran.org/palm-oil
http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/campaigns/forests/Our-current-projects/congo-rainforest/africa-palm-oil-herakles

Erin Baker's Breakfast Cookie: Chocolate Chunk

During the work week I am usually in a rush to get to work on time, so after showering and getting myself ready, feeding and walking my two dogs, and taking care of our chinchilla, I usually only have time for a quick breakfast. I often eat a bowl of cereal with almond milk or, occasionally, a bowl of oatmeal or cream of wheat.

While browsing online for cool new vegan foods (am I the only one who does this?) I found Erin Baker's Chocolate Chunk Breakfast Cookies, which are vegan. There are lots of varieties of these breakfast cookies, but not all are vegan-friendly. The reviews were mostly favorable (4.1 stars out of 5 on Amazon with 29 reviews total), so I decided to buy a pack, which consists of 12 individually wrapped 3 ounce cookies. I paid $16.56 USD for the dozen, which equates to $1.38 per cookie (or $0.46 per ounce). This product qualified for free shipping through Amazon.com with my total purchase of over $25.

I was excited to try them when they arrived, so I didn't wait until breakfast the next morning. With the first bite I thought they were just okay, nothing too special, but they actually got tastier as I ate more, which I found odd but delightful. The first bite was a little bland and dry yet soft, but as I took a few more bites it seemed to get sweeter as my tastebuds adjusted to this product. They are sweet and tender like a soft-batch cookie and a little chewy, not hard or crispy at all. You can see the oats and other whole grains in the cookie. They taste great. I've eaten two of them (one last night and one this morning for breakfast) and I'm not at all disappointed.

I highly recommend this product. It's easy to eat (unwrap the cookie and eat it), versatile (can be heated in the toaster), and vegan, which means there is no cholesterol or cruelty. They are a fast choice for breakfast and full and satisfying. The only complaint I have is that it could contain more chocolate chips! It's good the way it is, but I would like it better with more chunks of chocolate. I'm going to try the peanut butter chocolate chunk variety next; I think that one will be very good!

Erin Baker's Chocolate Chunk Breakfast Cookies are all-natural, made with whole grains, and sweetened with fruit puree. Because they are all natural and don't contain preservatives, the shelf life is only a few months, but the cookies can be stored in the freezer for a longer period of time. (Ingredients: Whole grain oats, unbleached wheat flour, prune puree, evaporated cane juice, chocolate chunks, water, brown rice syrup, canola oil, banana puree, inulin, molasses, baking soda, vanilla extract, sea salt, baking powder, cinnamon.)

At 300 calories per cookie, they're a bit high in calories, but considering how much protein (7 grams per serving), fiber (5 grams per serving), and nutrients (iron 20% RDA, vitamin A 6%, vitamin C 2%, and calcium 2%) they provide, I don't think it's so high when putting those things in perspective. They keep me feeling full for hours after eating one, so it's perfect for a quick, delicious breakfast. Great with a cup of non-dairy milk!

Find more information at ErinBakers.com or check them out on Amazon by clicking either of the pictures of the cookies.

Health is Wealth Veggie Munchees Review

Health is Wealth is an all natural company that makes a variety of natural vegan and vegetarian products. They do also make some chicken products. The thing I like most about Health is Wealth is that all their products are labeled very clearly on the front and a decent variety of products are available at my local grocery store.

I have tried the following products from Health is Wealth: Vegetable Spring Rolls, Thai Spring Rolls, Chicken Free Nuggets, and others. Most recently I sampled the Veggie Munchees for lunch. The product is filled mainly with cabbage and carrots wrapped by an enriched wheat coating. It is flavorful. I did have mine with duck sauce (sweet and sour sauce) and it's also good with soy sauce or even vegan sour cream to enhance the flavors. Of course, they are also satisfying plain as well.

The serving size is 6 munchees and each package has about 12 munchees, thus providing two suggested servings. One serving is slightly high in sodium (at about 21% recommended daily intake!) but contains very low fat, only 150 calories, about 11% of your daily fiber, 4 grams of protein, 20% of the recommended vitamin C, 10% of the recommended vitamin A, and some other nutrients. Because they are vegan, of course there is no cholesterol in this food.

Health is Wealth Vegan Veggie Munchees are very easy to prepare. I just popped them on a plate and in the microwave for about a minute (there is no toaster oven or conventional oven at my work). I had half a package for lunch with a small side salad.

I was not a huge fan of their mock chicken products, but would like to try their vegan sprouted burgers, which are also gluten free.

Health is Wealth has been around since 1977 and make all their products in the USA. They use no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives. Visit their website to check out all their products, the company philosophy, and where to buy: HealthisWealthFoods.com.

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