5 Favorite Things

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Polish Painted Easter eggs given to my husband by his Babci

Happy Easter to all that are celebrating!

This week brought my family a nasty head cold, so my favorites this time around are all about convenience. I have been on a quest the last few years to eliminate as many processed foods as possible, or at least choose healthier, cleaner products without artificial ingredients or colors. I’ve shifted away from most mainstream processed food products, and gravitate towards better products with cleaner ingredients. But, there is still much room for improvement. As the saying goes, I remind myself to strive for progress, not perfection.

These are some items that I am currently enjoying, most are premade processed items but you’ll find they’re all made much healthier than the standard items on grocery shelves.

Wishing you a beautiful week!

Violife Dairy Free Cream Cheese

I love this cream cheese alternative from Violife because it tastes pretty close to the real thing and yields great results in cheesecake, baked goods, and frosting. The ingredients meet my standards of keeping it on the cleaner side, too. Here’s the ingredient list as of 4/17/22:

Filtered Water, Coconut Oil, Potato Starch, Salt (Sea Salt), Glucono-Delta-Lactone, Flavor (vegan sources), Olive Extract, Vitamin B12.

I use this with great results in my Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Tart and cream cheese frosting.

Yum Earth Organic Candy

Yum Earth is a brand that I’ve loved for years. Although my son outgrew his intolerances, I still prefer this allergy friend brand over most others. These products contain no artificial dyes, high fructose corn syrup, or GMO ingredients, and they taste great too! You can find their products on Amazon, on their website, and at retailers all over. You can use their store locator here.

King Arthur Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mix

I usually like to make my cakes from scratch but I just wasn’t feeling up to it this week. We’re celebrating another birthday so I gave this cake mix from King Arthur a try. My pics here do not do this mix justice because it was incredible! The batter was silky smooth and the cake was light, fluffy, moist, and perfectly sweet. I added some fresh lemon zest to the batter to brighten it up a bit and topped it with a layer of raspberry jelly, cream cheese frosting, and a generous dusting of shredded coconut. I’ll definitely be keeping a box of this mix in my pantry from now on.

I bought this at Whole Foods, and have also seen it at Target, Walmart, and on Amazon.

Lesser Evil Snacks

If you liked cheese curls at one point in your life, you’ll love these Paleo Puffs from Lesser Evil Snacks. These are a great option if you’re craving something crunchy with that Cheeto-type flavor. What I admire about this brand is its dedication to providing healthier snacks with minimal processing and sustainable farming practices. They also sell popcorn, cookies, veggie sticks, and Lil Puffs which are perfect for younger kids. I get these at Whole Foods and they’re also available on Amazon, Thrive Market, and you can use their store locator here.

Dairy-Free Coconut Whipped Cream

The berries are getting sweeter and sweeter as we progress through spring, and that means it’s time for shortcake! Berries and freshly whipped cream may be one of my favorite things to enjoy, and homemade whipped coconut cream is a great substitute if you’re avoiding dairy. The trick is to get the right coconut milk that produces that nice thick layer of cream that whips up beautifully. If you haven’t tried it yet, check out my recipe here and let me know how it works out for you!

Other things I’m loving:

Dazzle Dry Nail Polish – I’ve been using this for a few years now and I seriously love this stuff. It wears like gel polish for up to two weeks but it applies and removes just like regular polish. No lights or soaking are needed, and it helps keep my nails strong. You have to use the whole system, but they have these great mini kits that come with everything that you need so you can try it. Helpful tip: Make sure your brush the tip of your nail with polish and especially the topcoat. That’s what makes this last on your nails for up to two weeks. This stuff is seriously awesome!

Nordic Ware Geometric Cookie Stamps – I got these adorable cookie stamps and the patterns are so pretty. The stamps are easy to use, just remember to spray them with cooking spray before you use them to prevent your cookie dough from sticking.

Nordic Ware Prism Cookie Sheet – This cookie sheet caught my eye because the prism pattern is supposed to allow better air flow with more uniform baking and crisping. My first test with these turned out great. All of the cookie bottoms were evenly browned and the cookies came right off the sheet.

Cuisinart Hand Mixer – I’ve been using my hand mixer alot to make cookies and cakes when I’m not in the mood to deal with my Kitchenaid stand mixer. I love this because it comes with the whisk attachment too, which is great for making coconut whipped cream.