Product Review: Dr. Woods Soap

Recently Dr. Woods sent me samples of two vegan soaps from their line of products, Ginger Citrus Castile Soap (bar) and Lavender Castile Soap with Shea Butter (liquid). Now that I've tried both I'd like to share my thoughts on them.

I'll start with my favorite of the two, Ginger Citrus. I don't really smell the citrus in it but it definitely has a delightful ginger scent. It isn't overpowering, just pleasant, and it doesn't linger on skin after washing so I can enjoy the scent while bathing without smelling like it for hours afterward. For a bar soap, Dr. Woods Ginger Citrus really gives a lot of nice, rich lather, the lack of which is usually my biggest issue with bar soaps.

The Lavender liquid Castile soap I found less exciting. The scent is much stronger and I think the lavender stays on my skin after use, not necessarily a good thing in my opinion but if you want lasting scent then this is a good choice for you. It also doesn't give as much lather as the bar soap.

Overall I think both soaps are good, with the Ginger Citrus being the better of the two. If you are interested in trying Dr. Woods soap and you want to start with just one kind I would definitely go with a bar soap. Not all products from Dr. Woods are vegan but they do offer many that are so you'll just want to read the ingredients before purchasing.

You can find Dr. Woods on Facebook and on Twitter.

Breakfast Potatoes **

When I was a kid my mom would sometimes make breakfast potatoes, seasoned and cooked with onion in a frying pan. Although pancakes are my favorite hot breakfast this is definitely next on the list! I decided to add some protein to my version with black beans and I actually think it tastes better with them.

This recipe doesn't photograph so well but I promise you it is delicious! In this photo I've made it with the addition of some Field Roast brand veggie sausage.


2 cups chopped onion (a sweet onion will work best)
2 cups shredded potato (if you are using frozen potato allow it to thaw first)
1/2 TBSP safflower oil plus more as needed
1 cup prepared black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 tsp salt plus more to taste
1/4 tsp ground black pepper plus more to taste

Optional ingredients:
1/2 to 1 cup cooked veggie sausage, cut into bite-size pieces (note: if you are avoiding soy or gluten make sure yours gluten/soy free!)

Heat a large frying pan over medium and add oil and onion. Cover the pan and cook until the onions are soft and translucent or slightly brown if desired, stirring occasionally. Transfer the cooked onion to a bowl and add a little more oil to the pan before spreading the potatoes evenly in the bottom and replacing the lid. Watch carefully to allow the potatoes to brown a little before turning them over and letting them brown on the second side. After the potatoes are cooked put the onion back in the pan with them and add the black beans (and veggie sausage if using). Sprinkle the salt and pepper on and stir everything together. Serve while hot and enjoy!

Peachy Oolong Iced Tea with Peachy Syrup *

I love tea, both hot and iced! It is a nice little treat any time of day and I could happily sip it all day long. In the winter I choose hot tea but once warmer weather rolls around I find it is nice to make iced tea by the gallon and keep it in the fridge, ready to drink whenever. I make a variety of different iced teas but this one is an especially summery treat. The nice thing about making a syrup instead of sweetening the tea is that you can choose just how sweet (or not sweet at all) you want each glass to be.

If you keep some frozen peach slices around dropping them in your tea in place of ice cubes is a nice little touch when you have a guest.


For the tea:
1 gallon water
5 or 6 oolong tea bags, 6 for stronger tea
5 herbal peach tea bags (I use Celestial Seasonings Country Peach Passion)

If the tea bags have tags remove them. In a large pot bring the water to just a boil and then remove it from heat. Add the oolong and peach tea bags and stir a few times with a slotted spoon to ensure they steep properly and don't cluster together too much. Allow the tea to sit with the teabags in while it cools. Do not remove the tea bags for at least 10 minutes! It is actually best to leave them in until the tea has cooled to room temperature; unlike standard black tea the oolong tea won't become bitter if left in for a long time. Once the tea is cooled to room temperature use the slotted spoon to drain and remove the tea bags. Pour the tea into a pitcher or gallon jug (using a funnel will aid with the latter) and store it in your refrigerator. This makes a bit less than a gallon of tea due to evaporation and the moisture the tea bags take with them when removed.

This syrup won't have as strong a peach flavor as commercial peach syrups, but it also doesn't have artificial flavoring, artificial coloring, or high fructose corn syrup, and you can make it with organic sugar if you like.


For the Syrup:

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 cup sliced peaches, fresh or frozen

In a saucepan combine the water and sugar over high heat and stir until somewhat dissolved. Add the peaches and allow to cook until the sugar is completely dissolved and the liquid is clear. Cover the pot and turn the heat off. Allow the peaches to sit in the syrup until cooled to room temperature. Remove the peaches (they will be very sweet but you can save them if you like) and pour the syrup into a container you can seal. If you don't want little bits of peach in your syrup you will want to pour it through a strainer before storing it. Unless you like your tea very sweet this will probably be more than enough syrup for one batch of tea.

NOTE: You can always just sweeten all of the tea, either by stirring syrup into the whole amount or by stirring sugar in before the tea cools if you prefer not to sweeten by the glass.

Strawberry Smoothie *

I refuse to buy "fresh" strawberries when it isn't strawberry season because they are never actually ripe and taste either very tart or very bland. I get my off-season strawberry fix in the form of a smoothie using frozen strawberries!

You'll only need three ingredients:

1 cup frozen whole strawberries (it is okay to go slightly over)
1 1/4 cups vanilla coconut milk, such as So Delicious or Silk
1 TBSP agave

Place all ingredients in your blender. Pulse a few times to break up the strawberries some and then blend on low to medium speed until smooth. If the consistency is too thick try adding more coconut milk no more than a few tablespoons at a time until you get the thickness you prefer. Makes about 16 oz of smoothie, enough for two people or one very thirsty person.

For a treat with less sugar you can reduce or skip the agave but if your berries are tart it will affect the flavor.

NOTES: If you aren't using vanilla coconut milk and opting for plain or unsweetened instead you may need to add extra agave and little bit of vanilla extract.

Dr.'s Remedy Valentine Delight: Vegan-friendly Nail Polish

This is actually my first not-food-related post on here! Vegan-friendly nail polish brand Dr.'s Remedy has asked me to share with you their Valentines Day nail polish picks and I think they are pretty shades (can you guess which on is my favorite?)!

The colors are described as:

REVIVE Ruby Red: "A shimmer-infused, Wizard of Oz-inspired shade of crimson"

RESOLUTION Red Glitter: "A red-meets-copper spin that's sequin-look-alike laden with high-shine and sparkle"

RESCUE Red: "A classic fire engine red REVIVE Ruby Red: A shimmer-infused, Wizard of Oz-inspired shade of crimson"

These shades and other Dr.'s Remedy Shades are available at for $17 per bottle at www.remedynails.com.

In addition to being vegan, Dr.'s Remedy polishes are free of harmful ingredients like formaldehyde and enriched with beneficial ones like tea tree oil. You can read more about their formula here.

Just a little more info about Dr.'s Remedy:

"Dr.'s REMEDY is a line of doctor-inspired cosmetics that is dedicated to using clean, hypoallergenic ingredients. The brain-child of two New York-based podiatrists, Dr. Adam Cirlincione and Dr. William Spielfogel, Dr.'s REMEDY proves quintessentially-perfect for any person looking to better the condition of her skin and nails. Dr.'s REMEDY is sold exclusively at www.remedynails.com or by calling 877-323-NAIL."

Will you be painting your nails with vegan nail polish this Valentines Day?

Banana Nut Muffins

I already have a Banana Bread recipe posted here but this recipe for banana nut muffins is a bit different. It is lighter, fluffier, and is soy-free (the other recipe uses tofu). I don't actually like eating raw bananas but I love them in bread/muffin form, especially with walnuts and chocolate chips! My favorite way to eat these muffins is warm, cut in half and spread with some soy-free vegan margarine or coconut spread.

2 cups unbleached flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
6 TBSP safflower oil (or other vegetable oil)
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup So Delicious coconut milk yogurt (I use plain but vanilla would work also)
1 TBSP vinegar
2 ripe bananas, mashed (equal to 1 cup or slightly under)
1 cup walnuts (optional)
2/3 cup vegan chocolate chips (optional), try Enjoy Life to keep this recipe soy-free

Combine sugar, vanilla, yogurt, oil, and vinegar in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on a low speed until well combined. In a smaller bowl, stir together the flour and baking soda and then add this to the wet ingredients. Mix starting at low and increasing to medium speed, periodically scraping the sides and bottom with a spoon until the batter is free of lumps. Add the mashed bananas and mix, then the walnuts and chocolate chips. The batter will be thick but stir-able. Scoop into lined muffin tins and bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Makes 18 to 20 muffins if both walnuts and chocolate chips are included.

Hazelnut Coffee Cookies

1 1/2 cups vegan margarine, softened (I use Earth Balance soy free)
1 1/3 cups powdered sugar
large-ish pinch of salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla
1 TBSP instant coffee (regular or decaf)
1 cup ground hazelnuts (finely ground but not enough to become a paste)
extra margarine or nonstick cooking spray

Beat margarine on medium high with a mixer until it looks whipped. Add powdered sugar and salt and beat again until well combined and fluffy-looking (like a very light frosting). Add flour and start the mixer on a low speed, gradually increasing the speed until it is thoroughly mixed. In a small bowl or measuring cup combine the vanilla and instant coffee and stir until dissolved. Add the hazelnuts and vanilla-coffee solution to the dough and mix. The dough should turn a light coffee color evenly throughout. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease cookie sheets lightly with margarine or nonstick spray. Roll balls of dough about 1" wide and place 2-3" apart on cookie sheet. Mash the balls down to about 1/4" thick. Bake for about 15 minutes and allow to cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring to brown paper* to finish cooling.


*The reason for cooling the cookies on brown paper is that the paper absorbs some of the excess oil and when laid completely flat puts less stress on delicate cookies than a wire rack does. Paper grocery bags cut into flat sections work perfectly for this!