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Hi Everyone! Welcome to this week’s Wellness Weekend.
By the time you read this, I will be on my way to this year’s Vida Vegan Con, the premier vegan bloggers’ conference! I’m really excited to meet up with so many vegan bloggers whom I’ve come to know via the internet. And, of course, will report back to you all when I return–with lots of stories and FOOD pics!
And speaking of food–well, as usual, you all outdid yourselves last week! Thanks for all the incredible recipes and inspiring ideas. I can’t wait to see what you share this week.
Have a great weekend! 
Continue reading Wellness Weekend. . .
Hi Everyone! Hope you’re all having an awesome week and enjoying some down time outside (here in Toronto, it’s been in the high 20s/low 80s and sunny all week! Can’t ask for better than that.
I was a bit MIA last week, but did get a chance to check out your delectable entries to Wellness Weekend. From the Frosted Vanilla Cupcakes to the Raw Coconut Fudge to the Mexican Chili Salad Wraps to the Vegan Cheese Biscuits, I loved ‘em all! My “to make” list is just getting longer and longer. . . ! 
Continue reading Wellness Weekend. . .
[What might be hiding under this neatly wrapped tissue? Read on to find out!]
I’ve been thinking about the perfect giveaway for Mother’s Day. Something that would make life easier for Mum. Something filled with good food that everyone could eat.
With this Tasterie box, I think I’ve found it. (Disclosure: I received a free Tasterie box and am on the Tasterie advisory board. Tasterie is also providing a prize for one of my readers. The opinions in this post are my own). Even though I lost my own mom years ago, there are still many moms in my life that I love and value. And I know that all mothers out there appreciate a little help–and recognition for what they do!
I first learned about Tasterie last year when I was contacted by the company’s owner, Lama Rimawi, to see if I’d be interested in sitting on the advisory board for her new company. Tasterie is an allergy-safe food and snack box that is delivered right to your door each month. They have a dozen (yes, 12!) different types of boxes to cover virtually any kind of allergies or diets, from simply “gluten and wheat” or “egg” allergies to “top 8″ or “vegan and gluten-free” (the one I got). And each box is packed by hand and overseen by their attentive and educated staff.
Rimawi is herself a pediatrician and mom. She created the company as an antidote to endless hours scouring the store shelves to find safe foods for her two young sons with multiple allergies. As she says,”The lack of allergy-safe and great tasting food products available is ridiculous! I can remember standing in the aisles of supermarkets trying to read labels, sleep deprived, with a newborn at home and a toddler running around my legs wanting an easier and better option. All I wanted was to find something to eat that wouldn’t cause a reaction in my little son.” The result was Tasterie, which has been growing steadily since its inception.
Can you trust the foods you receive in a Tasterie box? Absolutely. Again, I think Rimawi says it best when she describes the procedure her company uses to source and pack the items in each Tasterie box. She points out, “We search the globe to find the most amazing foods and snacks that fit your food allergy and dietary needs. As a food allergy mom, I place safety as our top priority.” They also have in place a “rigorous selection process developed by physicians and industry experts. This quality controlled, multistep process has been peer reviewed to make sure that it is as thorough as possible.” Rimawi also taste-tests every item in the box first, with her family, to ensure that the foods and snacks are delicious and will appeal to kids. (It’s a tough job, but somebody’s gotta do it!).
My May box contained seven items:
- Farmstand Split Pea Soup (a dry mix to which you add water or vegetable broth);
- Really Great Foods Vanilla Muffin Mix (the mix itself is vegan; can be made with egg or egg substitutes);
- Ener-G Crackers (a great gluten-free version of saltines);
- MiniPops – itty bitty butter (popped sorghum grain–like mini popcorn!);
- Tasty Brand Fruit Snacks;
- Barney Butter Almond Butter; and
- Bumble Bars – chocolate flavor (a sesame/seed bar).
- Bonus: coupons for most of the items in the box!
I should note that this is not a sugar-free box, so I couldn’t taste everything, but the items I did sample were terrific. I’m going to make the muffins for the HH so will report back! I tried a nibble of the cracker (just like those saltines of yore), the mini-pops (a fantastic snack for just 100 calories), the Barney Butter (which I’ve been pining after since I first heard about it–not available in Canada), and the Bumble Bars (yum). Each month is a different selection, so you’ll have the chance to try out different foods from these as well, of course.
I think a delivery of a Tasterie box would be a great gift to help ease the pressure on Mom, don’t you?
If you’d like to win a free sample Tasterie box for June, enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter form below. I’ll choose a winner on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 12, so check back on that day to see if you’ve won for your mom!
Eligibility: US residents (apologies to my Canadian and international friends!)
How to Enter: Use the Rafflecopter form to leave a comment (required), below. Click on the green +1 to open the box, then leave a comment in the comments section below the post. Clicking on “I commented!” allows you to access the other options. Then, increase your chances with any of the other options, if desired (not required).
Deadline: Contest ends at 11:59 PM EST on May 11th. Winner announced Mother’s Day, May 12th.
Good luck, everyone, and enjoy the special day with Mom this Sunday!
["Sounds great, Mum! We're happy to help you eat your vegan and gluten-free snacks, but wouldn't it be great if they started a Canine Treat Box, too?"]
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Hi Everyone! Welcome back to this week’s Wellness Weekend!
I’m popping in to say that I may be absent for a few more days on the blog. I hadn’t expected to be gone for a whole week this past week, but have been having some health challenges and I’m not sure when things will be resolved. For now, I’m going to take a little hiatus until things are sorted out. I’m hoping that will be soon.
So, I apologize that there are no Newsy Tidbits this week.  I hope to be back up and running by next week’s event.
In the meantime, thank you all as always for your support. And please do share all your wonderful recipes this week! I hope to peek in and see what you all have cooked up.
I look forward to chatting with you all again soon!
Hugs,
Ricki
Continue reading Wellness Weekend. . .
Hello there, Wellness Weekenders!
We had 38 mouth-watering entries last week, with everything from TWO Banana-Based pies to Earth Day Rice to Gingerbread Almond Butter (mmm!) to shakes, soups and sandwiches. As always, your recipes impressed me with how delicious and creative they are! Keep ‘em coming!  And now, for this week’s news. . . .
Continue reading Wellness Weekend. . .
[The different kinds of Growing Naturals protein powders, plus rice milk powder.]
Several months ago (I’m embarrassed to tell you how many), I received a lovely package from the folks at Growing Naturals.
Growing Naturals create amazing raw, whole food, protein powders and rice milk powder that are gluten-free, dairy free, corn free, soy free, and vegan. They are organic and non-GMO, carefully sourced and tested before they’re packaged and sold. I love their motto, too: “Natural Products for All People!” That’s because they offer a great source of protein to everyone, vegans and omnivores alike (24 grams per serving!).
Click here to read more and enter the giveaway. . .
Hi and welcome to this week’s Wellness Weekend!
I couldn’t start tonight without mentioning the horrific events that have touched so many people across the US this past week. I’ve been walking around with a heavy heart and keep thinking about all the victims whose lives have been changed forever (and those whose lives have been taken away), both in Boston and in Texas. I don’t have any great wisdom to add to what’s already been said, but I wanted to share my love and positive thoughts for those who are dealing with the aftermath of such senseless violence. I’ll be hugging the HH and my Girls a little tighter today.
There haven’t been too many blog-related items amassed with the focus on Boston and Texas, but here are a few newsy tidbits for you this week. . .
Continue reading this week’s Wellness Weekend post. . .
Hi Everyone and happy Thursday! I’m still sulking because it isn’t *quite* spring yet here in Toronto (in fact, as I mentioned this morning, we had snow today!! SNOW. On April 11th! Yes, that was me you heard sobbing in the background on your way to work. . . . ).
Well, at least Wellness Weekend didn’t suffer any lingering effects of winter! Last week’s recipes were bright with the promise of spring. I loved all the colorful cakes, the Sweet Broccoli Juice, the pancakes and green naan (yep!), the homemade BBQ sauce and more. Check out the 35 entries from last week for yourself!
Continue reading this week’s Wellness Weekend post. . .
Thanks for visiting Wellness Weekend again this week! I love, love, LOVE all the good-for-you dishes you share here each week.
Last week featured some amazing coconut waffles, Italian kale chips, Apple Cinnamon Buckwheat Granola, Grain-free Cinnamon scones, and all kinds of yummy Easter treats. Totally delicious!
Newsy tidbits:
Do you have a blog linky event or giveaway you’d like me to mention? I also will occasionally mention new courses that bloggers offer their readers. Send me an email with the details to dietdessertdogsATgmailDOTcom and I’ll include three or four each week. Please note that I cannot always accommodate all requests.
PLEASE DO NOT ADD YOUR GIVEAWAYS OR CONTESTS TO THE LINKYS BELOW–THEY ARE FOR RECIPES ONLY.
This Week’s Picks:
In honor of not one, but TWO greens-related posts last week, I thought it only fitting to make the theme here a green one, too. And so, green veggies it is!
Dandelion Greens and Mushroom Soup from Rebel Grrrl Kitchen. Dandelion greens are one of my faves, and I don’t have them often enough!
Lupini Bean and Brussels Sprouts Slaw from Wayfaring Chocolate. Hannah uses a rare bean for this slaw. I’ve tried lupinis once–bet they are great in this dish!
Dill-icious Kale Chips from Rock My Vegan Socks. Another flavor of kale chips–never too many, I say!
And This Week’s Readers’ Choices:
Readers’ Choice, Savory:
Lentil Bread from Awaken Your Taste Buds. I love the simplicity of this bread. So cool how it works!
Readers’ Choice, Sweet:
Super Safe Carrot Cake from What Smells So Good. Carrot cake for everyone–yay!!
Thanks for joining in and sharing all your healthy, sugar-free and vegan recipes. I love seeing what you whip up each week! And I hope you’ll also share on twitter, Facebook and Pinterest, too!
Here’s How to Participate:
The event occurs once a week, starting Thursdays at 8:00 PM my time and running until the following Monday at midnight.
- Simply link up a vegan recipe you made (and posted about) that contains health-supporting ingredients. This means any good-for-you whole foods, especially those with antioxidant properties or “functional foods” (ie, offering naturally medicinal or health-promoting qualities–such as garlic, coconut oil, all vegetables, fruits, herbs, etc.)–but any fresh, real food is welcome! No-no’s include white flour or sugar, highly processed foods, or animal products. Definite no-no’s include: cane sugar (evaporated or otherwise), sweeteners ending in -itol, margarines, or faux meat products.Items like vegan protein powder, grain or bean flours, or coconut milk are fine even though they are technically “processed,” since they either contain a single ingredient, or could technically be made at home. Also, please note that this is a vegan recipe event. A minor ingredient with a vegan option is fine, but if the main ingredient is intended to be meat or other animal product, your recipe likely belongs in a different link up event.
- This is a recipe event. Your blog post must contain a recipe.
- You may link up older posts from your archives as long as they contain a link to this post. Please do not link up any posts you have previously shared at an earlier Wellness Weekend event.
- Please link the post with your recipe, NOT your blog’s home page or another event page.
- You may submit up to three recipes, but please follow the guidelines for each one individually. ONLY ONE THUMBNAIL FROM EACH BLOG POST, PLEASE.If your post contains two suitable recipes, link up once and people will still see all your fabulous recipes when they click on the linky.
- Please mention this event and include a link back to this post so that others can find all the recipes posted!
- Feel free to use the blog badge, above (or see the left sidebar of this page–if you need the html code, let me know and I’ll send it to you). Many thanks to Adrienne of Whole New Mom for setting up the badge code for me!
PLEASE NOTE: In order to promote your posts and the event, I like to occasionally tweet, mention on Facebook, or pin your blog post(s). On occasion, I will repost your photos in the following week’s Wellness Weekend as well. If you prefer that I NOT use your photos or links, please let me know in the comments below, or send an email to me at dietdessertdogsATgmailDOTcom. Thanks!
I will reluctantly remove any links that don’t comply. I apologize, but I will no longer be able to leave a comment telling you that I’ve removed a non-compliant link. I hate to have to remove links! PLEASE READ THE GUIDELINES BEFORE POSTING!
And now. . . what have you been cooking up lately? Please share!
DDD READERS: It May Be Time To Update Your Subscription!
I know that many of you, like me, read your favorite blogs via Google Reader. Well, if that’s how you keep up with DDD, be warned that Google Reader is closing down as of July 1, 2013! (I know–boo hoo).
I am always so grateful for your visits and your comments on the blog and I don’t want you to lose touch! To ensure that you continue to receive notices whenever I add a new blog post–or to get updates on the new cookbook or other happenings here at DDD–you can easily subscribe via email. That way, you won’t miss a thing! Just click here to receive every new DDD post right in your Inbox.
Thanks so much for reading. (And if any of you know of other good readers to use, please feel free to share in the comments!).
© Ricki Heller 2013.
For those of you celebrating Easter, I hope you have a great long weekend and enjoy your holiday! There are some great last-minute recipes in a previous roundup post.
For those of you celebrating Passover, I hope you had a great start to the holiday! If you’re looking for more Passover friendly recipes over the next few days, you’ll find a whole bunch in that roundup post as well.
As always, your recipes blew me away last week. Since I barely had time to sleep, let alone cook on my own, I just drooled over your dishes instead: Almond Butter No-Bake Bars, Better Than Nutella Cheesecake, Savory Cous Cous, Peanut-Free Tagalongs, Smoky Carrot and Cabbage Salad, and so many more! Check them all out (and 34 more!) here.
Now that major book work is done, I had time to lift my head from the keyboard and look around blogland a bit more. Here’s what’s been going on.
Newsy tidbits:
- Do you sometimes feel like sugar controls your life? I’ve been there (and sometimes, I’m still there). Could you go two weeks without sugar and see what happens? A new course from functional nutritionist Andrea Nakayama, “You’re Not the Boss of Me: Control Your Blood Sugar Before it Controls You,” examines issues of blood sugar, getting control of sweets cravings, and detoxing from sugar with a 2-week program with live support. I’m delighted to be part of this course (I developed all the recipes and will offer insights into the emotional and psychological aspects of sugar addiction). To listen to a free audiotape about Why Blood Sugar Matters, or to learn more about the course, check out Andrea’s website, here (early bird discount applies until April 1st).
- Sonnet from For the Love of Food is giving away a prize pack of savory teas! Totally intriguing, right? I hadn’t heard of these, either, but they sure do sound good. To read Sonnet’s description of the teas, learn more and enter the giveaway, check out Sonnet’s blog. Ends this Sunday.
- If you’re anything like me, mornings can be hectic, and it’s not always easy to prepare a good breakfast. Here are some of my best tips for breakfast on the go.
- The “Orange Foods” blog event continues over at The Blissful Chef with a month of orange recipes! If you love porridge but are trying to cut down on grains, I’m sharing one of my favorite recipes for grain-free “porridge.” Head over to Christy’s blog to check out the recipe!
- There’s a great Dairy-Free Chocolate Easter Bunny (and more!) roundup over at Go Dairy Free. If you’re looking for allergy-friendly treats this Easter, check it out!
- I’m giving away a SIGNED, PERSONALLY INSCRIBED COPY of Nava Atlas’s Wild About Greens! For a sample recipe and to enter, see this post. Ends at midnight, Wednesday, April 3rd!
- Wellness Weekend has its own Pinterest board! Now you can find all your favorites in one place. Check it out here (and be sure to follow!)
Do you have a blog linky event or giveaway you’d like me to mention? I also will occasionally mention new courses that bloggers offer their readers. Send me an email with the details to dietdessertdogsATgmailDOTcom and I’ll include three or four each week. Please note that I cannot always accommodate all requests.
PLEASE DO NOT ADD YOUR GIVEAWAYS OR CONTESTS TO THE LINKYS BELOW–THEY ARE FOR RECIPES ONLY.
This Week’s Picks:
I’ve been blending like mad since I finally got my repaired Vitamix back from the company (did you know they will take it back, fix it, and then ship it back to you for free if it’s still under warranty? I love my Vitamix!!). Naturally, this week’s picks all focus on the theme, “raw & blended recipes”:
Raw Spicy Garden Soup from Gluten-Free Cat. This would be a perfect first course for any meal, but especially with warmer weather coming up.
Fruit Tray Smoothie from Gluten Free Easily. Shirley shows us a great way to repurpose party leftovers!
Chocolate Cherry Basil Smoothie from Sweet. Smart. Vegan. Oooh. . . I’m drooling just at the thought of those flavors all melding together. Mmm!
And This Week’s Readers’ Choices:
Readers’ Choice, Savory:
Raw Sunflower Seed Butter from Small Footprint Family. I love making my own nut butters, and happy to see you all like the idea for seed butter, too!
Readers’ Choice, Sweet:
Fudgy Sweet Potato Brownies from The Healthy Maven. These hardly need an introduction–I mean, they’re brownies! And fudgy! With sweet potato!
Thanks for joining in and sharing all your healthy, sugar-free and vegan recipes. I love seeing what you whip up each week! And I hope you’ll also share on twitter, Facebook and Pinterest, too!
Here’s How to Participate:
The event occurs once a week, starting Thursdays at 8:00 PM my time and running until the following Monday at midnight.
- Simply link up a vegan recipe you made (and posted about) that contains health-supporting ingredients. This means any good-for-you whole foods, especially those with antioxidant properties or “functional foods” (ie, offering naturally medicinal or health-promoting qualities–such as garlic, coconut oil, all vegetables, fruits, herbs, etc.)–but any fresh, real food is welcome! No-no’s include white flour or sugar, highly processed foods, or animal products. Definite no-no’s include: cane sugar (evaporated or otherwise), sweeteners ending in -itol, margarines, or faux meat products.Items like vegan protein powder, grain or bean flours, or coconut milk are fine even though they are technically “processed,” since they either contain a single ingredient, or could technically be made at home. Also, please note that this is a vegan recipe event. A minor ingredient with a vegan option is fine, but if the main ingredient is intended to be meat or other animal product, your recipe likely belongs in a different link up event.
- This is a recipe event. Your blog post must contain a recipe.
- You may link up older posts from your archives as long as they contain a link to this post. Please do not link up any posts you have previously shared at an earlier Wellness Weekend event.
- Please link the post with your recipe, NOT your blog’s home page or another event page. The post must contain a recipe.
- You may submit up to three recipes, but please follow the guidelines for each one individually. ONLY ONE THUMBNAIL FROM EACH BLOG POST, PLEASE.If your post contains two suitable recipes, link up once and people will still see all your fabulous recipes when they click on the linky.
- Please mention this event and include a link back to this post so that others can find all the recipes posted!
- Feel free to use the blog badge, above (or see the left sidebar of this page–if you need the html code, let me know and I’ll send it to you). Many thanks to Adrienne of Whole New Mom for setting up the badge code for me!
PLEASE NOTE: In order to promote your posts and the event, I like to occasionally tweet, mention on Facebook, or pin your blog post(s). On occasion, I will repost your photos in the following week’s Wellness Weekend as well. If you prefer that I NOT use your photos or links, please let me know in the comments below, or send an email to me at dietdessertdogsATgmailDOTcom. Thanks!
I will reluctantly remove any links that don’t comply. I apologize, but I will no longer be able to leave a comment telling you that I’ve removed a non-compliant link. I hate to have to remove links! PLEASE READ THE GUIDELINES BEFORE POSTING!
And now. . . what have you been cooking up lately? Please share!
Never miss a recipe–or a comment from The Girls! Click here to subscribe to Diet, Dessert and Dogs via email. (“We love subscribers, Mum. . . almost as much as we love treats!”).
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