Imperfect Foods Subscription Box Review

After moving to Seattle, one of the first things I did was re-start my Imperfect Foods subscription box! I had been without it for a few months while in the middle of the move, and I missed it so much! I originally started my subscription in 2017 (read my then review of the box HERE), loved it and been a big supporter of Imperfect ever since! Not only am I getting fresh produce and pantry staples straight to my door, but with every box I am helping to fight food waste.

You see, Imperfect sources produce with minor cosmetic imperfections that would otherwise be discarded by grocery stores as well as other groceries that are short-coded, have a label change, or some other reason they aren't able to be stocked in stores. In providing what most would consider "unusable," Imperfect helps support farmers by helping them sell more of what they grow, helps save product, water, land, and labor from going to waste, advocates that fresh fruit and veggies be affordable and accessible for everyone, and embraces beauty in all shapes, sizes, and colors!

Kick Off Summer With Plant Fest at Tanaka Farms

Plant Fest returns to Tanaka Farms in Irvine, California this weekend for two days of vegan food and fun! Parking and admission are both free, and the event will be held Saturday, June 2nd and Sunday, June 3rd, 2018 from 10AM to 3PM. It is the perfect way to kick off summer, with vegan vendors, food trucks, cooking demonstrations, special speakers, all on a working farm!

Over 20 vendors will be there selling both vegan food and cruelty-free merchandise. Check out the list of food trucks, vendors, and schedule of events below:

Organic and Vegan Halloween Candy at Target

Target's Organicals (lol) - Organic Halloween Candy

Last year Target had so many rad organic and vegan Halloween candy options, so I was looking forward what they had on shelves this year. So far, the selection is kinda limited, but I'm hoping they add more as the season progresses. At my local Target (Tustin, California location if you're interested) I've only seen the YumEarth and Black Earth Organic brands at Target that are both organic and vegan. Check out the different varieties they have below:

Plant Fest at Tanaka Farms This Weekend

This weekend Saturday, September 23rd and Sunday, September 24th, Tanaka Farms in Irvine, California will host its first ever Plant Fest featuring vegan food trucks, cooking demonstrations, speakers, cruelty-free vendors, fresh fruit and veggies, live music, and farm tours. Tanaka Farms has partnered with SoCal VegFest to host this event as a fundraiser for the Animal Protection and Rescue League (APRL) - a 501c(3) organization. More below!

Imperfect Produce Box Review

I recently signed up for my first ever Imperfect Produce box after deciding I wanted to try a produce subscription box to save money and trips to the grocery store. I researched several services offering subscription or CSA boxes in my area, and decided upon Imperfect Produce because they are fighting food waste and supporting a more sustainable industry by offering "ugly" food at a discounted price. This "ugly" food is simply produce that would usually be discarded due to having too much of it or due to imperfections. Rather than just tossing it, Imperfect rescues it from farms and offers it to the public at discounted prices. This way less food is wasted, and people can get nutritious, delicious produce directly from farms in a subscription box for less! How could I not get behind that?

Imperfect Produce offers several sizes and varieties of boxes. You can get organic boxes, veggie-only or fruit-only boxes, or a mix of both, and a variety of sizes is offered for each category of subscription box. You can adjust your box preferences at any time, and with every box you have the option to customize the box and decide the frequency you want to receive it (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly). For my very first box I ordered the small organic box to be delivered weekly, which runs approximately $14 to $19. I was lucky enough to receive a referral discount code from a friend, so I saved money on my first box (if you want to save money, too, here is my referral link which will score you $10 off your first order!).

Bakery on Main Ancient Grain Instant Oatmeal

Is there anything more comforting and nourishing than a big bowl of oatmeal? There is just something so cozy and relaxing about enjoying a hot bowl of oats, whether it's a cold, drizzly winter day or a bright, sunshine-filled summer day. Plus, oatmeal is so nutritious and filling that it really puts a pep in your step to help you conquer your day!

15 Vegan Holiday Finds at Trader Joe's

Trader Joe's holiday products are now available and I recently took a spin through my local store to see what items were vegan. Unlike their bounty of autumn vegan items (covered HERE), it seems like their winter vegan offerings are a little lacking. However, I was still able to find a bunch of delicious vegan options for the holidays. Some of these are new, others are old favorites, but all of them are only available for a limited time this holiday season, so grab them while you can!

Boulder Organic Garden Minestrone Soup

Boulder Organic Garden Minestrone Soup

At the beginning of summer, Boulder Organic was kind enough to send me some coupons to try their pre-prepared soups, of which they have a few hearty vegan options. However, since it was summertime and hot I was in no mood for soup (unless it was ice cream soup, had a lot of that over the summer!). Luckily, the weather FINALLY seems to have cooled down here in SoCal and I excitedly busted out these coupons when I felt the chill in the air.

Vegan Halloween Candy Available at Target

YumEarth's Organic Gummy Bears and Worms - they changed their formula 

(no more gelatin), so they are now both vegan! The big bag of 30 gummies

is $7.99, while the smaller snack packs that come with 10 were $3.49. They

also had YumEarth vegan lollipops.

Target's vegan Halloween candy selection just keeps growing every year! This year, my local Target even has its own "Organic Candy" section that has tons of delicious vegan options! These treats are perfect for satisfying that spooky sweet tooth this fall, but they are also fantastic for passing out to trick or treaters. These vegan candies are not only mouth-watering (seriously), but they also tend to be organic and healthier than other brands. Plus, trick-or-treaters who are vegan or allergic to certain ingredients will appreciate these treats! You can check out some of the organic and vegan candy Target is carrying this year below:

Food Review: Two Tias' Organic Tortillas

This is going to be a quickie, because I mainly picked up these lovely Two Tias' Organic Tortillas because of their packaging. I cannot resist any foodstuffs with sugar skulls on it, okay?! I mean, who could?! I found these at Sprouts grocery store, and though I was enthralled by the packaging, I was even further thrilled when I found them to be vegan! I flipped over the package to check the ingredients (as vegans do), and right smack-dab on the package it said "vegan". Plus they are organic/non-GMO and use simple ingredients (basically just flour, water, and salt). Swoon!

Food Review: I Heart Keenwah Quinoa Puffs

I had my first taste of I Heart Keenwah's Quinoa Puffs at last month's Expo West, where they were one of the best things I sampled (you can read about my top 10 picks from Expo HERE!). I have been craving these delightfully crunchy snacks, in both sweet and savory varieties, ever since then! Their vegan flavors of savory quinoa puffs include Sea Salt Truffle, Sweet Chili, and Herbes de Provence. These are like cheesy puffs all grown up, with refined flavors and crunchy texture! Their chocolate puffs come in two flavors (both vegan!), Dark Chocolate Himalayan Pink Salt and Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter, and taste like vegan malt balls! Are you drooling yet? 

Food Review: New Grounds Food's CoffeeBars

When I was offered a chance to try three different flavors of the energy snack CoffeeBar made by New Grounds Food, which boasts "a cup of coffee in every bar!" I was intrigued. As a coffee drinker, I had to know more about a healthy energy bar that also doubled as a caffeine pick-me-up! Plus, all their bars are made with fair-trade coffee, and are organic, non-GMO, vegan, and gluten-free. and come in three yummy flavors - Mocha Latte, Coconut Mocha, and Caramel Macchiato. Yes, please give me ALL your CoffeeBars!

Two college students, Johnny and Ali (who you can see in the first photo above), came up with the concept for CoffeeBar. Their mission is emblazoned on the back of every CoffeeBar and says:"Starting out in our college dorm room, we were two freshmen who wanted a simpler way to stay energized, without sacrificing nutrition. We promise this delicious, edible coffee will give you the natural, on-the-go energy you need to keep on exploring!"

Food Review: Laughing Giraffe Organics' Pumpkin Spice Snakaroons

Written by Sarah E. Jahier

I found Laughing Giraffe Organics' Pumpkin Spice Snakaroons in my local Sprouts' grocery store (check out my other pumpkin finds HERE!), along with the rest of their pumpkin products. This was a new item for me, and I was super excited to try it! The Snakaroons are macraoons, and they are delightful mounds of coconut and pumpkin spicy goodness! They are also vegan, raw, gluten-free, non-GMO, and certified organic.

The Snakaroons are made with simple, natural ingredients, with no preservatives added. Their nutrient-rich and power-packed ingredients include coconut, pumpkin puree and seeds, vanilla extract, coconut oil, lemon juice, and spices.

Beauty Review: SoapyLayne Vegan Perfumes

I discovered the coolest vegan and cruelty-free company at Vegan Faire this past July called SoapyLayne. Their witchy signage first caught my eye, and when I investigated I found that they had some lovely perfumes and other body, bath, and makeup products. By the time I checked out their booth at Vegan Faire I had spent the majority of my cash on food, but I still had enough money to pick up two scents that I was swooning over, a solid perfume called Moonlight Butterfly and a roll-on perfume oil by the name of The Woods.

Food Review: NII Bars

Last month at the Natural Foods Expo West (check out my coverage here!), I was fortunate enough to stop by the NII Bars booth, where I got to sample their vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, and non-GMO verified nutrient-dense organic food bars!

While I sat there stuffing my face with all the flavors they had to offer, their founder Shanais Pelka told me all about her vision and her company. As a mom and nutritionist, Pelka was always looking for a quick and healthy to-go meal for herself and her kids. She didn't want to sacrifice nutrition for convenience, so she spent lots of time experimenting to create the perfect food bar. The end result is the NII Bar, which comes in five scrumptious flavors!

Product Review: Good Clean Love's Vanilla Chai Body Candy

I've been familiar with Good Clean Love's intimacy products for quite some time now, as their products are vegan, cruelty-free, safe, and effective. In fact, their personal lubricant was named one of the safest on the market! Not only that, but the company is woman-owned and socially responsible, committed to promoting sexual education and awareness while supporting green, sustainable love. How can you not get behind something like that?!

Beauty Review: Acure Argan Oil

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Lately I have been embracing my hair's natural curl and letting it do its thing instead of straightening it. The switch came about a month ago, when I decided to give my hair a break since it was becoming damaged from all the heat styling (blow drying and using a straightening iron at least 3 times a week) I was subjecting it to. Without blow drying and straightening, my hair is naturally curly, but it is also really coarse and thick with some frizz. I needed a product that tamed my hair, made it softer, but also one accentuated my curls, all with minimal styling (I refuse to spend more than five minutes on my hair in the morning).

Food Review: Mr. Dewie's Cashew Milk Frozen Dessert

Written by Sarah E. Jahier

I was ecstatic to finally find Mr. Dewie's Cashew Milk Frozen Dessert at Mother's Market this past week! I have been eagerly waiting to find this delightfully creamy dessert in stores here in Orange County since I had it in March (when I had my first taste of Mr. Dewie's at Expo West), so you can imagine my excitement when I found it in the ice cream section of my local health food store.

Sweet and Sara Halloween Marshmallows Now Available

Boo!

Written by Sarah E. Jahier

Sweet and Sara announced today via their Facebook page that their Halloween marshmallows are now available for purchase! They have the fluffiest, most adorable marshmallow ghosts and chocolate-dipped marshmallow bats available! These Halloween 'mallows are only sold online via the Sweet and Sara store. They are handmade in small batches and hand-painted/hand-dipped, so only a limited quantity are available. These creepy cuties sell out very quickly, so get yours fast!

Food Review: Eureka Baking Company Organic and Vegan Bread

Written by Sarah E. Jahier

Carb queen here to confess I never pass on the opportunity to review (ahem, eat) a good vegan bread! So when the folks at Eureka Baking Company contacted me to review some of their vegan loaves I was very excited! I was especially excited since I go through at least a loaf of bread a week, and that is generally all by myself! I have sandwiches on a daily basis and love toast any time of day, so a loaf doesn't last long.

I received three different loaves from Eureka Baking Company – Seeds the Day, a wheat bread packed with flax, sunflower, sesame, pumpkin and poppy seeds, Grainiac, a loaf made with 12 different grains, and Saaa-Wheat!, a wheat bread. All of these breads are organic and certified vegan.