Hey all! This post is to announce the winners of my Jade Monk matcha tea giveaway. So, without further ado, the winners are...

Judy W and Audrey! 

Thank you so much, everyone, for entering. I was so pleased to read about your experiences with tea. In fact, I enjoyed the feedback so much, I thought I would share some of it with everyone.

Audrey, one of our winners, let us know that she's never tried matcha before. Audrey, please let me know what you think of Jade Monk! 

Aaron mentioned a type of green tea that has lemongrass added to it. That sounded really fabulous! I'm not sure if it's the same brand, but here's one I located on Amazon that might be similar. 

Rachel let me know that she likes matcha flavored things, like ice cream and smoothies. She also stated that she wants to make her own almond milk matcha latte, and if she'd like to try it, I found a recipe that sounds really good I thought I should share!

Jamie P mentioned that she usually sweetens up her tea a lot because she hasn't found a type she really likes. This can happen pretty easily. Jamie, if you really would like to drink more tea, I would recommend steeping your tea for a shorter amount of time as well as trying different brands until you find one you enjoy. A green tea blend could also improve things, like green tea with raspberry or mint. The one I mentioned earlier, the green tea with lemongrass, also has other herbs in it, which would lighten up the bitter flavor. It does sound very good!

Sara told me that she likes to make iced green tea, which is great, but that she's never tried matcha before. Jade Monk is an excellent type to buy for that purpose. Other matchas also make wonderful iced tea, especially if you're making individual servings. I've purchased the kind made by Republic of Tea, but it does need to be sweetened. If you'd like to make iced tea with it without having to brew anything or dissolve your sweetener, mix your iced matcha with some agave nectar, which doesn't need warmer temperatures to dissolve (just a bit of stirring is required!)

And finally, the other winner, Judy W, shared with me that she struggles to like tea and typically just enjoys herbal teas "disguising" them with honey, agave, or almond milk. Well, I hope you enjoy your Jade Monk, Judy! It really is the sweetest, most palatable matcha I've encountered.

I've also chosen to make my April posts devoted to tea. Check out An Introduction to Tea Drinking, which is full of flavor recommendations and preparation advice. Recipes for things like tea based cocktails and DIY chai lattes are on my agenda!

Again, thank you everyone who entered. And thank you Jade Monk for providing the variety packs to Judy and Audrey. Happy steeping!

I had the great pleasure of meeting the Jade Monk crew at Techmunch on March 10th. Co-founded by Cort Bucher and Derek Pippin, the Austin based company makes a flavorful line of matcha teas. Standing at their booth in the Techmunch break room, I had one sip and became transfixed! In fact, it's possible that my eyes bugged out of my head a little bit, it was that good.

I had only tried a few types of matcha before. It is usually plain, unflavored, slightly bitter, and expensive. I always need to add sugar or agave to it. Which could be why I have yet to explore that type of tea more thoroughly. It was just more convenient to brew the traditional version! But when it comes to Jade Monk brand matcha teas, you'll find a different experience altogether.

There are currently four flavors to choose from- Palau Peach, Lime Blossom, Cranberry Blood Orange, and Chai Spice, each represented by different mythical characters from Japanese folklore. In addition to being flavored, these matchas are also slightly sweetened with both evaporated cane juice and stevia leaf extract. According to the company, Jade Monk teas also have 137 times more antioxidants than traditional green tea as well as "vast amounts of Polyphenols and the highest percentage of L-Theanine available on the market today." This means that the energy you get from your matcha won't give you that unwelcome crash later on. You know, on top of it being extremely flavorful and healthy at the same time!

The lovely folks at Jade Monk were serving their teas on ice at Techmunch but after trying some at home I can verify that they are just as delicious when served warm, particularly the Chai Spice flavor. And there are a number of ways to drink it! Try adding a bit of non-dairy milk or soy based creamer to your warm mug for added richness, or mix a packet of matcha with carbonated water (slowly, of course!) for a green tea flavored fizzy drink! You can also try making a vegan milkshake with it, and if that idea seems delightful to you, here's a recipe to get you started!

This smooth and creamy milkshake is so much healthier than the conventional type. And it tastes reminiscent of key lime cheesecake! I used my homemade Almost Sugar-free Very Vanilla Vegan Ice Cream in mine, to further cut back on the fat, sugar, and calories. Any vanilla non-dairy frozen dessert could work, though.

INGREDIENTS
3 packets of Lime Blossom matcha from Jade Monk
1 cup plain soymilk
1 1/2 - 2 cups vanilla ice cream (see below)

DIRECTIONS
Add the soymilk to a blender. Open the packets of Lime Blossom matcha and sprinkle over the soymilk. Then add your ice cream. My blender has measurements on the side. I added scoops of homemade ice cream to the blender until it reached the 24 ounces or 3 cups line. Pulse the mixture a few times to get it started and then blend. Pour into two glasses and enjoy. Ahh, refreshing!

Makes 2 servings.

In order to win a box of matcha tea to try, I'd like to hear your thoughts on green tea. Jade Monk is giving two of my readers a 12-count Variety Pack containing three of each flavor of their matcha teas. I've decided to have a drawing in order to pick a winner. All you have to do is comment on this blog post with something related to green tea. Here are some examples of questions you could answer:

•  Have you ever tried matcha before?
• Is there a type of green tea you drink regularly? 
• Which of the Jade Monk flavors do you think you'd like to try most? 
• Is there something that's green tea flavored that you really enjoy?
  

Everyone who comments will be entered into a raffle. For additional entries, you can comment on this photo on Facebook and this photo on Google+. You must comment on this blog post first in addition to the social networking sites in order to be eligible. You will have until March 31st at 5PM, central standard time. I will announce the winners on my blog as well as the other services, but will be emailing the winners to obtain their mailing addresses. That means you need to use a valid email address when commenting on this blog post!

A big thank you has to go out to Jade Monk for making this giveaway happen! Visit them on Facebook and Google+ to show your appreciation! And, as always, thank you for reading!

Hi everyone! You may have seen me mention this a few times via social networking sites but this is the official announcement.

My latest e-book, Vegan Glass Jar Goodies, is available for purchase. It is currently for sale as a printable full-color PDF for just $2.99. It features 10 recipes as well as step by step instructions, tips, and recommendations on making layered gifts in a jar (aka Glass Jar Goodies) in your very own kitchen. And each and every one of the recipes included is vegan.

The idea for this book came from working for my family. My mother, Carolyn, owned a gifts in a jar making company called Glass Jar Goodies. It was based in New Hampshire and and I was one of her busy-busy employees while I lived there. After I finished Summertime Sippers, I chose to return to my proverbial roots and devote my next e-book to my original food-related trade! Seven months later, Vegan Glass Jar Goodies is finally born.

I am currently working on an instructional video and formatting the photos and recipes to be compatible with an iPad app. More details on both of those are to come. 

In the meantime, I have posted three recipes from the book here on my website. And I'll be giving three readers a copy of the PDF book as a giveaway. But first, the book information!

If you would like to win a free copy of my new e-book, there are three ways to enter. 

• Visit this page on Facebook and share it with your friends.
• Visit this page on Google+ and share it with your followers.
• Visit this page on Twitter and retweet it to your readers.

One winner will be picked from each page. You may only enter once on each page. Winners will be chosen on December 10th. Thank you for reading and encourage your friends and family to have a vegan holiday by sharing this post with them!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I know I did. The week left me incredibly busy but it was so totally worth it. I had a great time with family over the extended weekend. Lots of food, fun, and relaxation. And awesome food! I filled up on Gardein stuffed roast, sweet potatoes, Brussel sprouts, and other veggies and washed it all down with seasonal fall Woodchuck!

I mentioned last week sharing the recipe for my Thanksgiving dessert with you. I had intended to do this prior to leaving for Midland on Wednesday, but things got away from me. So I'm sharing it with you today instead.

When Hodgson Mill emailed me a few months ago about their Build A Better Pizza competition, they mentioned to me another contest they would be having soon. I started thinking about what I would be making for my Have A Grain Holiday entry very soon after. I wanted to make something that had whole grains but was also a dessert. In the beginning, I was leaning toward a breakfast item. In the end, that seemed too easy. Ultimately, I decided to make a cake roll using seasonal spices and whole wheat pastry flour.

This picture to the left is of my second attempt. I made a smaller version initially, experimenting with using 100% whole wheat flour as opposed to a mix of both whole wheat and all-purpose. While I thought the flavor was better in the 100% whole wheat version, the texture was a lot less desirable. You can see an image from the first batch at the bottom of this post.

I was really impressed with this dessert; it's extremely tasty but isn't so rich that you can't enjoy a slice or two. It's also very easy to make. You may be intimidated by rolling up a sheet of hot sponge cake, but it isn't as hard as it seems. Here's a nice how-two video.

INGREDIENTS
For the cake:
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
12 ounces vanilla soy yogurt

For the filling:
1/2 cup vegan butter
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Powdered sugar and/or cinnamon for garnish

DIRECTIONS
To make the cake, combine your dry ingredients well. Add the yogurt and vanilla and mix thoroughly. Line a deep cookie sheet or a rectangular cake pan with parchment paper or wax paper. Traditionally, wax paper is recommended, but I'm not fond of the way it makes the house smell while its baking. It gives the exterior of the cake a smoother appearance, but I prefer the parchment.

Smooth the cake into a rectangular shape. It may not reach the edge of your pan, but that's okay. Just flatten the dough into a rectangular shape using a spoon or silicone spatula. 

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.

Let cool for a few moments before trimming off the uneven edges and rolling into a swirl like in the video above. You can also just roll it using the parchment paper instead of transferring it to a towel. I don't bother with the towel step. When done, let the roll cool completely before filling.

Finish by dusting with powdered sugar and/or cinnamon. Slice and serve!

And don't forget, Hodgson Mill has a $1 off printable coupon on their website right now that you can use toward flour until the end of December! You can also enter to win 1 of 50 gift packs worth $85 full of Hodgson Mill goodies by filling out this form. Enjoy!

I'm really getting excited for the holidays. This will be the first season in three years where I'll have every weekend off and I won't be working nights. Ah! I plan on doing a lot of baking, shopping, and wintry themed activities!

Thanksgiving is just about a week away, which is nuts. I've always found this holiday to be especially challenging as a vegan, namely because when I share holidays with non-vegans I find myself vying for oven and stove top space in order to make things I can eat. Dessert is particularly trying! 

Chris and I drove to Midland (where her family lives right now) last year and will be doing so again this time. We aren't able to bring things like ice cream with us, or anything that needs to be at a very cold temperature as it wouldn't survive the car ride, even in a cooler (it's six hours away in a worst case scenario). There is no Whole Foods in Midland, although there is a Natural Grocers. But they wouldn't be open by the time we arrived in town. This doesn't leave a lot of options when it comes to decadent seasonal desserts. Cookies? Cake? Hm.

This is one of the many reasons that I've been experimenting with the idea of vegan cake rolls. Several years ago, Chris and I made a (not vegan) pumpkin roll and it was a nightmare; trying to roll up a sheet of hot, sticky dough fresh out of the oven was no small task. I've wanted to try creating a new recipe in a similar style for a long time now, and when Hodgson Mill told me about their Have A Grain Holiday contest I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to try it out.

The Have A Grain Holiday is a competition, sweepstakes, and savings event all rolled into one. For starters, anyone can print a coupon for $1 off a Hodgson Mill Flour or Cornmeal from their website. Then, they can enter to win 1 of 50 gift packs full of goodies worth $85 by filling out this form. The last part of the event is where I'll be sharing this recipe with you next week as part of their competition for bloggers. The pictures in this post are of my first (and practice) attempt. It's actually a pretty small cake roll, but it's really, really tasty. I'm going to make another, full size version and share the recipe with you at the beginning of next week. In the meantime, be sure to use that coupon and enter the contest. Thanks for reading!

Greetings, everyone! This post serves a multitude of purposes. It announces a contest winner, asks you to do me a favor, and gives you another opportunity to win delicious products! So let's get to it.

As mentioned and shared in a previous post, Hodgson Mill contacted me awhile back seeing if I would be interested in joining their Build A Better Pizza competition. The premise was pretty simple; create a healthier pizza using at least 50% whole wheat flour in the crust. In exchange for my participating, they would send me a pack of flours, cornmeal, and yeast that I could use to create my concoction. And that's exactly what I did. 

I dubbed it the "Rustic Whole Wheat Garlic & Herb Pizza" and topped it with my favorite toppings (zucchini, marinated artichokes, garlic cloves, sun-dried tomatoes, and Daiya cheese).

It really was the best pizza I've made at home.

I shared the recipe with the world on Friday. You can get it by clicking here.

But the next part of the competition involves YOU. I need YOU to VOTE for my creation at the Hodgson Mill Facebook page.

Voting for my pizza is easy enough. You must first Like the Hodgson Mill Facebook page. If you entered the corresponding contest, you will have already done this. Next, you have to click on THIS LINK, scroll through the options and find the picture of MY PIZZA, and click the VOTE button underneath it. The picture looks just like the one at the top of this post. You'll also see a link below the pizza directed back toward the lizz delicious website. You'll have to allow an app to install in order to vote, but that's it. With your support, I could win an outdoor grill valued at $1,300, a $200 gift card to Sur La Table, or other great prizes.

But there's something in it for you, too. As a part of the competition, I got to raffle off a gift pack full of flours, cornmeal, yeast, and utensils to one of my readers. By voting, you can win a similar gift pack, also valued at $25. Ten voters will be selected, which is 9 more than I was able to pick! And now that I mention it, here's the announcement for the winner of my Hodgson Mill Build A Better Pizza Gift Pack!

Now, I've hosted a number of giveaways since starting my blog in December. I nearly always use this little online raffling service called Rafflecopter. It saves my life and makes the whole process so easy. This time was no exception. Up for grabs was a Hodgson Mill gift pack valued at $25 and containing two 2-lb. bags of flour, a 2-lb. bag of cornmeal, four packets of active dry yeast, a gluten-free pizza crust mix, Hodgson Mill measuring cups, and a Hodgson Mill spatula. In order to qualify, readers were required to submit "entries" by completing tasks. In addition to liking both my page and Hodgson Mill's on Facebook, readers could enter by leaving a comment on the giveaway post, by sharing the giveaway on Facebook, and by Tweeting about it. Multiple entries could also be garnished by sharing and Tweeting about the giveaway daily.

The winner did just that and earned a total of 31 entries! Wow! And her name is Jamie P! Here's a screencap of the widget when I hit the "Pick a Winner" button.

Congratulations, Jamie! I'll be emailing you to request your mailing details very soon! In the meantime, please consider sharing this post with your friends and family. I need YOUR help to become a winner of the Build A Better Pizza competition! Thank you!

It's that time again. What time is it, you ask? Giveaway time!



Earlier last week, a representative from Hodgson Mill contacted me to share with me a competition I might be interested in participating in. The concept? Building a better (healthier) pizza. Was I up for it? Absolutely!



Chris and LOVE making pizza crust for homemade pizza. Our favorite, which I'll be making for the competition, is a sauceless pizza with zucchini as well as my favorite vegetable... or should I say, flower? Perhaps that will keep you intrigued until the recipe goes live!

You'll be the first to know when the recipe goes online, and I'll need your support in order to win as Hodgson Mill fans will be voting for their favorite on the company's Facebook page.



That won't be for another week or so. In the meantime, though, Hodgson Mills will be sending one of my readers a better-pizza-building kit full of the flours you'll need in order to make my recipe!

This prize pack is really awesome, so I'm gonna make you work for it. But first, here's what you'll win.

•  One (1) 2lb. bag of Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Flour
  
• One (1) 2 lb. bag of Hodgson Mill Organic Naturally White All Purpose Flour
  
• One (1) 2 lb. bag of Hodgson Mill Yellow Corn Meal
  
• Four (4) 8.75 gram packets of Hodgson Mill Active Dry Yeast
  
•  One (1) 2 lb. bag Hodgson Mill Gluten Free Pizza Crust Mix
  
• Hodgson Mill measuring cups
  
• And a Hodgson Mill spatula
  

Neat, huh? All you'll end up having to get is the fixin's for on top!

The winner will be determined raffle style like in times previous. In order to enter, users must use the Rafflecopter widget located below. Liking the lizz delicious and Hodgson Mill Facebook pages is required for entry; and you have to click on each of those buttons in the widget in order to complete your entries. You can't open Facebook in another tab or window, like both pages, and think that you're entered. It has to be done THROUGH the widget. Just click on the buttons below and follow the instructions. Furthermore, if you choose the option to enter by leaving a comment on this blog post, you must both comment on the post AND click the button on the widget that says you did so. If you comment but don't finish hitting the corresponding buttons, I won't count your entry- and vice versa.

Please note: Tweeting about the giveaway and sharing it on Facebook can be done DAILY for extra entries into the raffle! This option is NOT required, but the more times you enter, the more likely you are to win.

As always, thank you for reading! 

Hello, everyone! I hope you're having a most excellent Wednesday. Mine is going really well. I went to the eye doctor's this morning. My peepers are in excellent shape and I was even told that my prescription was too high for my vision. My doctorface didn't imply that my vision has gotten better at all, but that perhaps my previous prescription was too strong and that my eyes have not gotten any worse. I am very pleased. I did order new glasses, though, because my current set keeps falling off of my face and does look like it's about to snap on the bridge. It was actually a pretty fun appointment; the staff was nice and enthusiastic and we played with, like, five crazy fun machines. Yay!

I walked my poodlebutt when I got home and am currently enjoying a bit of lunch. While it was cooking, I compiled all of my current recipes into a page for your convenience. The RECIPES page now lists all of the recipes I've made on the blog in various categories. Do check it out.

My mother and stepfather safely landed in Oklahoma City last night and are preparing to head to Dallas in a few hours. I'll be meeting up with them tomorrow for fun frolicking. I am hoping to take my mother at least to a vegan eatery of some kind so I can write about another vegan hot spot in steak-loving Texas; it's just how I roll. Especially considering my upcoming Houston trip is going to be far less about Houston than I anticipated. It seems as though the space center is between 30-45 minutes away from all the awesome vegan places that that area has to offer. Hopefully Chris and I don't have to live off of Souper! Salad or Subway. Life is just kind of rough sometimes.

The rest of my Wednesday will possibly involve a visit to the farmer's market at the Triangle and making kale for dinner. I am hoping to clean and rearrange my living room to make it more yoga friendly, but we'll see how things go.

In closing, I should mention that I have picked the winner for the $25 coupon code from Glass Dharma, redeemable toward glass straws and accessories. If you've been checking on the entries, you'll have noticed that there was one highly competitive young lady that was determined to win, and she did. That's right, JAMIE P. has won the coupon code. Congrats, Jamie!

Thank you, everyone, who entered. If you'd still like your chance at winning some glass straws, be sure to stay a fan of Glass Dharma on Facebook. You can also enter other giveaways at My So Called Balanced Life, Party of Five, and Green Mama Jama! I did!

Have a great day!

One of the many reasons a lot of people consider going vegan is the lifestyle's beneficial impact on the environment. In the United States, 80% of our agricultural land goes toward farming livestock, a process which also pollutes the air with dust and bacteria and is responsible for using thousands of gallons of water, the vast reduction of which could drastically reduce drought and be better served on grains for direct human consumption. A lot of vegans don't stop there, though. They buy items from health food stores in bulk, collect reusable shopping bags, recycle, shop secondhand and do a lot of other things to reduce their environmental impact. We try to do a lot of these things, Chris and I, especially when it comes to reducing our use of plastic.

My partner, Chris, listens to public radio religiously. She heard about Glass Dharma, reusable glass straws, during a segment on one of her favorite shows. We quickly ordered our own and have been incredibly happy with our purchase. These straws are stylish, lightweight, and durable. They come in different designs as well, and can be ordered with carrying sleeves for when you eat out, and straw brushes, too. They really are just so pretty and I love to use them. Don't you think they're attractive? Check out those reusable ice cubes I picked up at Bed, Bath, & Beyond, too.

I like them so much and wanted to write about them I decided to write to Glass Dharma and see if I could give you some for free! They said, "yes!" and are going to give one lucky winner a $25 coupon code to redeem for glass straws and accessories. Woo hoo! Their lovely straws come in different lengths and widths and can also be ordered with decorate "dots" (see my photos). They also have a design with a slight bend for you bendy straw lovers! For $25, you could purchase a "sipper" sized straw with carrying case and have a bit leftover to go toward a cleaning brush. Or you could buy three "ice tea" or "sipper" sized straws and have some of your credit leftover for an accessory. However you want to make it work!

And, as per usual, you'll have to use the Rafflecopter widget located just below in order to enter. The first thing you have to do is "Like" the lizz delicious page on Facebook. All other modes of entry are optional, but will increase your chances of winning by three or five times! If you do not follow the instructions, any incomplete entries will be deleted once the giveaway deadline has been passed. Here's the widget! And once you're done, scroll down for a recipe from my book Summertime Sippers!

Lemonade is such a wonderful treat! I love making it and do so pretty regularly. It's so easy, too. I always have a bottle of lemon juice in my refrigerator, ready to go. This was another recipe I developed prior to having the idea for Summertime Sippers, my first cookbook which is devoted entirely to iced cold beverages for enjoying on warmer days of the year. If you'd like, you can even try three more recipes from the book by visiting its page on this website. Today I decided to make the recipe variation I included in the book, which uses turbinado sugar as opposed to white sugar. It gives the lemonade a rich, creamy flavor, similar to "brown sugar lemonade" you might find at some restaurants. The flavor is just slightly different. You can always use regular sugar, if you'd prefer.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup lemon juice
3/4 cups turbinado sugar
Water and/or ice

DIRECTIONS
In a 2-quart container, dissolve the sugar in slightly warmed, room temperature, or from the tap water. Stir or swish until dissolved. Add lemon juice and some ice and fill the rest of the container with cold water to the 2-quart line. Stir. Let chill completely before serving or serve over ice immediately!

Makes 2 quarts.

Thanks for reading, as usual!

Happy Tuesday everyone!

This little post is made to announce the winner of the Bare Fruit Giveaway I've been hosting. First of all, I want to give a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who entered- this was, by far, my most popular giveaway. Bare Fruit themselves were a huge help getting word out in addition to offering such an amazing price (a case of their wonderful products!).

Even if you aren't a winner, you should go grab a bag of these chips and enjoy. They're phenomenal. 

But, without further ado, the winner of the case of chips is JAMIE P!! Wow, Jamie. You are quite possibly the luckiest person I know. I've already sent you an email requesting your address. Your winnings will be sent to you directly from Bare Fruit!

For a recap of the contest, and to see the snazzy Rafflecopter widget displaying the winner's name, click here.

Again, thank you everyone. I wish I had more prizes to give out! :( But another giveaway will be coming in August, so don't fret!

Be on the lookout tomorrow for a post about my burger making adventures I'll be having today...