FROM THE KITCHEN: WHAT I ATE IN A WEEK, THE VEGAN EDITION

It’s been a while since I shared a new recipe or cooking related post, but it’s because I’ve been a busy bee in the kitchen, trying new and delicious things. One big change in my life has been my recent shift into a vegetarian diet, which was prefaced by tons of research and food testing. But wait! Before you close this post thinking I’m about to preach to you about why you should eat vegetarian, you can relax. This is simply a fun little entry to let you know what’s been going on in my life, and if you read until the very end, there’s even a yummy cookie recipe waiting for you!

I haven’t eaten red meat in over a year now, and I decided it was time to make the jump and cut out chicken and fish, too. My love of animals, plus my long-time dislike of most meat products (my mom’s meatloaf never stood a chance) made this an easy choice. So to jumpstart this change, I challenged myself and my fella to go vegan for a week. It was a great way to prep my pantry for this healthy change, and get me to think outside of the box when it came to meal prep. I even ventured into the city to check out a local vegan food festival and tried THE most delicious vegan Big Mac – don’t ask me how they make it, but it was amazing! It has been a great change thus far, and I thought I’d share a glimpse into what I ate for my vegan challenge. Hopefully this video whets your appetite and inspires you to try something new!

As promised, click here for my favourite recipe for vegan chocolate chip cookies from Oh She Glows. I’ve made them a handful of times now and they are delicious! Let me know in the comments if you end up making them, and if you love them, too!

IPSY’S JULY GLAM BAG

“We’ve cranked up the cool on Ipsy.com with new insider how-to tips, tricks and videos – everything you need to know to master your summer beauty.”

The heat is on with this month’s “Hot Summer Nights” glam bag. Below you will find all of this month’s products along with my reviews. Did you receive a glam bag this month? Be sure to leave me a comment and let me know what your favourite product was!

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The Balm Cosmetics Meet Matt(e) Trimony in Matt Kumar
I was thrilled to see another product by The Balm Cosmetics in my bag. I have previously received their lip colour (more here) and absolutely love it! My admiration for this product is no different – it’s a smooth and long wearing eye shadow that, although is a bit too dark for the eye looks I usually apply, makes a killer shade of blush.

Too Faced Hangover Replenishing Face Primer
Although this serum leaves my skin feeling smooth and fresh, there wasn’t enough in this sample to use it long enough to notice any major changes in my skin tone. But I will say that my foundation went on much smoother, and it was easier to blend over problem areas (where I have healing blemishes). I would definitely be interested in using this for longer to see the lasting effects.

Avene Thermal Spring Water
With temperatures soaring this month, seeing this thermal spray in my bag was a welcomed refreshment! This spray is made for sensitive skin which means no agitating, strong scents – just refreshing, pure thermal water. This product did wonders for my very thirsty, sunburnt skin.

BeFine Food Skin Care
I’ll be honest with you – I am not a huge fan of night creams even though I know they are great for your skin. Why? A lot of night creams tend to be thick and I don’t like the feeling of something heavy sitting on my face. But this cream was different. It absorbed nicely into my skin and didn’t leave behind a greasy film afterwards.

Vasanti Cosmetics Professional Eyeshadow Brush
What can I say? I love my make up brushes! This brush was a welcome addition to my ever-growing brush collection I have received from Ipsy. The bristles are super soft and my eyeshadow glides on with ease. I especially love the rounded tip – creating pretty eye looks with this brush is a cinch!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jp9fvGOXDRg

For more information on these products, or where to buy, visit the links above. To start receiving a monthly Ipsy glam back of your own, click here.

JULY’S JAPAN CRATE

My fascination with subscription boxes started well over a year ago, when fellow blogger babe (and long-time friend), Cobwebs & Pearls, and I discovered that you could get yummy treats delivered to our doors. With credit cards in hand, we entered the wildly addictive world of subscription boxes. We’ve since ditched our first subscription, found some favourites that we subscribe to faithfully, and are having fun trying out even more new goodies.

My latest discovery, Japan Crate, is a delightful red box made to “share the fun and unique experience of Japanese culture through candy”, and it definitely delivered! In my crate was: A Maruta Mini Bottle, SakuSaku Panda Anniversary Chocolate Torte Cookies, Morokashi Wa Taro Doubanjiang Flavor, Takaoka Choco Flakes, Yaokin Cocobis Biscuits, Animal Kid Biscuits, Yokai Watch Jelly Drink DIY, Milk Flavored Chocolate, Paicro Sugar & Butter Flavour, and Sumiyaki Coffee Candy. With the exception of a few items, everything was yummy and super cute!

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Although I would love to renew my subscription, the cost of shipping was over half the cost of the box, making the entire thing less appealing (I would rather put that $15 shipping charge towards a larger subscription box that includes shipping). But that didn’t stop me from enjoying July’s goodies. To see the full reveal of all this month’s Japanese snacks, be sure to watch my unboxing video below!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pO9_aXuI6s