[110] GIVEAWAY My Memories Suite

It's time to reveal Vegging for Health's FIRST giveaway!!!

I'm a lover of all sorts of crafts, especially scrapbooking. Before I had started scrapbooking, I would make photo collages both using physical photos as well as digital photos, but I had yet to try digital scrapbooking... until My Memories contacted me about hosting a giveaway. I am so excited to help promote such great software for my first giveaway!

My Memories Suite V2!

Some of us just don't have the time to sit down and capture memories in scrapbooks. Cutting and sorting paper, applying embellishments, cropping photos and choosing whether or not you want to use monograms. It's a lot of work. With My Memories Suite you have a choice of creating pre-made layouts or starting from scratch with downloadable kits. Just load the program and start creating. It's that easy. You can find all sorts of videos from MyMemories on their YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/MyMemoriesSuite

My Memories Suite is by far one of the easiest programs I have ever used. You'll find a variety of paper backgrounds and embellishments that come with the program, as well as many different styles available for download straight from the My Memories website. I went a little overboard with the downloads within the first day of using this software, haha! You can choose to print your own scrapbook layouts at home or have them professionally printed and made into a book for you. Don't have the funds or the room to print and store physical scrapbooks? Create an online photo album using various photo upload websites or your preferred social network site.

Now to the fun stuff. You can enter for a chance to win a free copy of My Memories Suite V2! You have until November 2, 2011 11:59pm (eastern) to enter this giveaway. Extending the giveaway an extra week, you have until November 9, 2011 11:59pm (eastern) to enter this giveaway!


Here's what you need to do:

1. Go to www.mymemories.com and browse their digital scrapbooking kit.
   (1 entry) Then come back here and leave a comment with:
   -Your Name
   -Your E-mail
   -Your favorite digital scrapbooking kit from the MyMemories website
   -Link to your blog/website if you have one

Example:
Jasmine Young jasmine.thelovely [at] gmail [dot] com
Head In The Clouds Pack
http://veggingforhealth.blogspot.com

It's that simple!

Additional entries:

• (+1 entry) "Like" my Facebook page: www.facebook.com/VeggingForHealth
  Comment here that you "Like" my page along with:
  -Your Name (Note your Facebook name if different)
  -Your E-mail
• (+1 entry) Tweet about this giveaway: tag me @iJasmineYoung and include the link to the post
  Comment here with:
  -Your Name
  -Your Twitter Name
  -Link to the tweet
• (+1 entry) Blog about this giveaway:
  Comment here with:
  -Your Name
  -Your E-mail
  -Link to the post

You can tweet about this giveaway once per day, just be sure to come back and post a comment each time you tweet about it.

I will be keeping track of each entry by each comment posted, so be sure to get those entries in! Remember, the deadline is November 2, 2011 11:59pm (eastern). November 9, 2011 11:59pm (eastern).

When a winner is chosen and announced, I will also share a coupon code for $10 off the My Memories Suite V2 software and $10 coupon for MyMemories.com store. (A $20 value!)

Check out My Memories at the following links:

blog.mymemories.com
MyMemories on Facebook

@mymemoriessuite on Twitter

(New header image was created using My Memories Suite V2, MMSv2 kits, and Photoshop CS2.)

[108] Product Review: Kashi's Tuscan Veggie Bake

via Kashi.com

I recently tried Kashi's frozen entree, Tuscan Veggie Bake. During my last grocery trip, I walked through the freezer aisles and came across Kashi's selection of frozen entrees. I was interested in trying out on of their entrees, so I began skimming through the ingredients on each box before I chose their Tuscan Veggie Bake. It's vegan friendly and it was the only entree available (in my store) without meat in the ingredients.

"Yellow squash, roasted eggplant, red onion, and sweet potato. Zesty basil tomato sauce with sun dried tomatoes served inside Kashi seven whole grain noodles."

 Growing up, I ate a lot of microwaved meals. Over the last 4 years I've dramatically reduced how often I use microwaves to cook anything. If there's a stove-top, oven, or toaster oven option, I'll take it.

The Tuscan veggie bake comes with two cooking methods: microwave (11 minutes total) and conventional oven (45 minutes total). I was starving and opted for the microwave cooking instructions. Upon opening the box, I was surprised at how big the veggie bake actually is. It's a pretty decent sized portion of food, but you'll have to decide for yourself if you need something on the side to fill you up.

I found the vegetables absolutely delicious, as well as the noodles. However, I did find this dish to be a little too spicy for my taste. To put it simply, I'm not a fan of spicy foods. If you're the type who enjoys any and all spicy foods, this just might be the meal for you. Since I am not vegan, I would probably put a dollop of sour cream on this if I choose to eat it again.

If you like spicy foods, this meal is for you.
If you're not a fan of spicy foods, don't even bother.

[100] Thrift Store Pen Pals!

Yaaaaaaaay! *applause*

You may have read in post [096] that I was chosen as Woody's next Thrift Store Pen Pal. Well, I have received his package!

Close up of the Parcel Post stamp so nobody can see our addresses. :D

This package actually came in the mail yesterday while I was out, so a slip was left in our mail box. On our way out for breakfast, Shawno and I stopped by the leasing office to pick up this package of mystery. As I walked from the leasing office back to the car I began to inspect the bubble wrapped envelope. This envelope certainly traveled far (approximately 1500 miles) and it showed. Something lumpy and kind of heavy was inside... but I wouldn't open it until we come home from Dunkin Donuts.

As we're sitting down to enjoy our breakfast while watching Parks and Recreation On Demand, I'm constantly eyeing the package as it's sitting on the table. Part of me wanted to go the route of Nhya/Carrymel's post by making a video, but I chose to stick to photos.

What did I find inside my package?

I'd like you to meet...

[096] Woody's Thrift Store Pen Pals

A month ago, Woody from Woodn't Ya Know It started something he calls Thrift Store Pen Pals. Woody himself frequents local thrift stores and blogs about the weird items he finds. Honestly, you just have to check it out for yourself: Thrift Store Adventures.

Guess who has been chosen as the next Thrift Store Pen Pal? Yours truly!

I used to have pen pals as a child and I'm a long time lover of thrifting (thanks Mom!). Excited to see what Woody sends my way.

[093] Jenny Made Lea's Dolmades

You might remember Jenny from Vegging for Health's very first interview. She's a recent pescatarian who enjoys trying new recipes (read her review on Sinigang Sa Sampalok, a soup made from tamarind root).

She posted on my Facebook wall:

"I made Lea's dolmades recipe tonight and wow.... Yum! Even Scott liked them. Carnivores can like vegetarian food! :) You are my source for tasty veggie cuisine :)"

Here's a picture of Jenny's dolmades:

Looks delicious!

Trying a recipe featured on Vegging for Health? Feel free to send me a photo and I'll feature it here! You can email your photo to veggingforhealth@gmail.com with the subject line "Recipe Photo Submission".

[052] Thanks Jenny!

I'd like to give a huge thank you to Jenny for being part of Vegging for Health's first interview and guest review. Thanks Jenny! Hoping for more reviews from you in the future!

More interviews coming soon! Currently have two interviews in the works, but I need more! If you, or anyone you know, is a vegetarian, vegan, or pescatarian please contact me at: veggingforhealth@gmail.com

Do you have a veg-friendly recipe you'd like to share on Vegging for Health? Send me an email and we'll chat all about it!

I am currently in the process of making handmade items and paintings that will be available for purchase here on VfH. I'll post more info later as I start to gather more and more items.

Thanks for stopping by!
Happy vegging!

[051] Guest Review: Sinigang sa Sampalok

via google

MamaSita's Sinigang sa Sampalok

Sinigang (sin-e-gang) sa Sampalok is a sour soup that gets its sour taste from tamarinds (sampalok). A delicious Filipino dish, I grew up eating this soup with pork, bok choy, tomatoes, and onions. The broth is delicious both by itself and with rice. Your vegetable options are almost limitless when it comes to this soup.

You can buy the mix packets from oriental grocery stores in your area.

If you're military it's likely you'll find it in the international aisle at your commissary.

My friend, Jenny, tried sinigang for the first time recently. After reading her reaction on Facebook, I asked her to write up a mini-review on the soup. I always love a persons first reactions to trying this soup. Enjoy!

Jasmine: How did you first hear about sinigang? Is this your first time trying any Filipino cuisine (that you know of)?
Jenny: I heard about Sinigang from this cute little Asian girl I know named Jasmine. It was a first for me.

Jasmine: What drew you in the most about the soup before you tried it?
Jenny: I think one of the most important things about living meat-free is being willing to try new dishes and new foods. It’s critical to do that for nutrition’s sake in general, but it’s even more important when living meat-free. I’ve tried a Vietnamese soup called Pho before and absolutely loved it (although it has meat, so it is no longer an option), and with rave reviews from Jasmine, I thought what the hell? Might as well try it. 

Jasmine: Where did you find Mama Sita's sinigang mix packets in your area? And roughly how much did each packet cost?
Jenny: I googled “Asian Supermarket” in my area and found a few options. Ocean Mart in Sandy had the best reviews and claimed to be the biggest Asian supermarket in the greater Salt Lake City area, so I went there. Each packet I believe was $1.89.

Jasmine: What vegetables did you choose to use in your first time making sinigang?
Jenny: I used about 3 chopped tomatoes, ½ an onion, ½ head of cabbage, about 1 cup of green beans, and 1 cup of baby bok choy.

Jasmine: Tell me about your experience as you went through the cooking process. How did you prepare your vegetables? Did you follow the cooking instructions on the packet or did you go your own way? What did you think about the smell of the mix (haha)?
Jenny: I followed the cooking instructions on the packet as much as possible, although I substituted shrimp for prawns and used slightly different vegetables than it calls for. The mix smelled DISGUSTING! When I got to step 2 and added the mix to the pot I was sure that I would not like this soup. Thankfully, though, by the time everything had cooked and it made it to my mouth the flavor had changed quite a bit and it was DELICIOUS! 

Jasmine: Did you prepare anything else to go with the soup? Rice? Side dishes? How did the flavors work together?
Jenny: I prepared vegetarian pot stickers on the side. I also poured the soup over leftover cilantro lime rice to go with it. I think the flavors blended very well.

Jasmine: Was this a solo adventure into Filipino cuisine? or did someone else try the sinigang with you? (If so, how did they react to the taste and smell?)
Jenny: I shared the dish with my boyfriend who also enjoyed it. He said it was “alright” which is very good from someone who doesn't like to try new food.


This is how her sinigang turned out! Sinigang may not look very appealing at first glance. But I assure you, if you like sour foods or willing to try new foods, sinigang is the soup for you!

[044] Product Review: Aveeno® Ultra Calming Foaming Cleanser

Aveeno® Active Naturals
Ultra-Calming Foaming Cleanser

Aveeno® Ultra-Calming Foaming Cleanser
gently cleans and softens
even dry, sensitive skin
fragrance-free
with naturally calming feverfew
6 fl oz (180mL)

Fragrance-Free, Noncomedogenic, Soap-Free, Hypoallergenic

This light foaming cleanser helps visibly reduce redness and calms dry, irritated or sensitive skin while gently cleansing, so your skin looks and feels back to its healthy best. With an extract of Feverfew, a natural ingredient related to Chamomile, known for its soothing properties, and gentle, soap-free skin conditioning cleansers, it lifts away dirt, oil and make-up without over-drying or aggravating even very sensitive skin.

Directions: Moisten face and pump Aveeno® Ultra-Calming Foaming Cleanser into your hand or cloth. Massage lather over face. Rinse and pat dry.


Ingredients: water, glycerin, cocamidopropyl betaine, decyl glucoside, PPG-2 hydroxyethyl cocamide, PEG-16 soy sterol, polysorbate 20, disodium lauroamphodiacetate, phenoxyethanol, butylene gylcol, sodium citrate, sodium coco PG-dimonium chloride phosphate, tetrasodium EDTA, methylparaben, xanthan gum, propylparaben, ethylparaben, Chrysanthemum parthenium (feverfew) extract, sodiu cocoyl amino acids, sarcosine, potassium aspartate, magnesium aspartate, May also contain: citric acid, sodium hydroxide.

Pros:
Light and clean smell
Gentle enough for everyday use and multiple daily cleansing
Skin feels refreshed
Leaves skin feeling smooth and free of dirt and oil
Removes make-up
Free of harsh chemicals


Cons:
Pump can become stuck when pushed down (just pull it back up)
Dryness, although minimal
A bit pricey

(note: I'm not a professional dermatologist. These are my opinions through my experience with this product.)


I've been using Aveeno® Ultra-Calming Foaming Cleanser for approximately 5 years now and it has been one of the greatest facial cleansers I have ever used. I highly recommend this product! I have very oily skin that is also sensitive, especially to scented skin products. When I found this fragrance-free cleanser that contains natural ingredients to calm my skin, I knew it was for me.

As far as acne goes, I got lucky with clear skin. Through out junior high and high school I had pimples maybe once a month. Thanks, Mother Nature! While I didn't have bad skin during my school years, I wasn't so lucky during my two years living in Alaska.

Everyone loves having a four square collage of their acne problems.

In March of 2006 I had moved from Texas to Alaska and it didn't take long for my skin to react to this change. Pimples started to form along the bottom of my cheek bones. My skin had become dry from the cold and windy weather. As my skin's conditioned went down hill, so did my confidence. After trying different products that left my skin feeling over-dried from their harsh chemicals I needed something more suited for sensitive skin.

And then... that's when it happened. The clouds in the sky parted! Rays of light shine down upon this little bottle... Okay, so maybe that didn't happen (maybe it did and you'll never know!) but that's how it felt. As soon as I started using this cleanser I could feel an improvement with my skin. My skin felt clean, smooth, and not as dry as it had been. Nothing a little moisturizer can't fix (which I'll discuss in a later review).

Not only does this product effectively cleanse your skin of oil and dirt, it's great at removing make-up. Now, before I started writing this review I checked out what other people had to say about this product. A lot of people had some really great stuff to say for both the pros and cons. Others, not so much. After reading what people had to say I'd like to point out a few things.

-First and foremost you need to know that this is not for severe cases of acne. I would personally recommend this for persons with light to moderate acne. But remember, I'm not a professional dermatologist. Either visit your doctor for a prescription or go on the adventure of finding the acne treatment that's right for you.

-Some complained that this product doesn't remove make-up. If you're wearing light make-up you shouldn't run into any problems with excess make-up being left behind on your skin. Heavy make-up users will have a different story. While this product will remove powders and foundation applied to the skin. I've found you'll have to do a little more work with removing any eye make-up left behind. Q-tips and cotton balls will do the trick! Besides, if you want healthy skin, you'll go that extra mile to make sure your skin is clean. Even if it does take more than using one cleanser.

-Dryness is pretty common with facial cleansers. I too get that minimal dryness from this product. Some days are worse than others and the weather might have a helping hand in this. It's nothing a little moisturizer can't fix! And lets face it, you probably already have a moisturizer that works for you. If you don't... well then I can't help you.

-As with all products, it may cause allergic reactions. Always check the list of ingredients for anything you may be allergic to.

This is how my skin looks now compared to 5 years ago.

I look so happy to be photographed with my freshly cleansed skin.

Happy cleansing!
-Jasmine

[038] Product Review: Veggie Patch™ Veggie Dogs

Veggie Patch™ Veggie Dogs 
0g Trans Fat - Good Source of Vitamins B6 and B12
Good Source of Protein - Good Source of Zinc


Nutrition Facts:
Serving Size: 2 veggie dogs (70g)
Calories: 170
Total Fat: 11g, 17%
Saturated Fat: 1.5g, 8%
Sodium: 560mg, 23%
Carbohydrates: 5g
Fiber: 1g, 4%
Sugars: 2g
Protein: 13g

Allergies: contains eggs, soy, wheat. May contain traces of sesame.


In my first year of vegetarianism I started out exploring tofu options rather than diving head first into meatless "meat" foods. While tofu is a delicious replacement, it's not exactly my cup of tea for every dish that calls for some sort of meat. And believe me when I say, I loved meat before going veg.

I'm less than a week from celebrating my 1st year anniversary of (ovo-lacto) vegetarianism. With that being said, I just tried veggie dogs for the first time. Veggie Patch™ took my veggie dog v-card.

When I first picked up Veggie Patch™ Veggie Dogs I wasn't paying much attention to the brand. I actually thought I was picking up MorningStar Farms®. It wasn't until I made it to the register that I realized my mistake, but I still bought them. For those of you who didn't know (like myself), MorningStar Farms® discontinued their veggie dogs. From what I understand they just recently brought back their corn dogs.

Anyway. I was a little nervous about trying veggie dogs. What if I hated them? What if they taste like cardboard? What if I'm allergic to them? What if they decided they didn't like me? Would our relationship be over so soon? Am I going to end up in the Veggie Patch High School "Burn Book"? "She doesn't even go here!" Okay, clearly I enjoy Mean Girls way too much for my own good. Why would veggie dogs have a Burn Book? Right?

The cooking instructions call for you to boil the veggie dogs in a saucepan of boiling water. Reduce heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Drain before serving. In fine print they add; Avoid overcooking. Appliances vary. Heating times are approximate and will vary upon number of Veggie Dogs.

I used the smallest saucepan I own to boil some water. I then added 2 veggie dogs (Serving Size 2 veggie dogs, 70g). After allowing them to boil for a few minutes I then reduced the heat and simmered for what I thought was 2-3 minutes. You see, I was distracted by my french fries in the toaster oven. I drained the water from the saucepan and began to inspect the middle of my veggie dogs. I had to make sure these little guys were fully cooked. Of course, they weren't, but that was completely my fault! I immediately boiled more water and added the veggies back to the saucepan.

As I waited for my veggies to finish boiling themselves to perfection I prepared my bread. My boyfriend and I don't eat hot dogs often enough to remember to pick up hotdog buns. But my boyfriend does eat enough buffalo chicken to remember to pick up some hoagie buns. Spinach, honey mustard, and relish are my condiments of choice. Some people may question spinach on a hotdog. I really needed to use my spinach before it started to go bad and I just really enjoy the taste of spinach.

A few bites into my veggie dog sandwich and I decide, "This is actually really good."
Gretchen Wieners would probably say "Veggie dogs are so fetch!" In that case, "fetch" just might happen.

I don't recall these tasting very "cardboardy" at all. Then again, I didn't try it without condiments. Also, I haven't tried other veggie dogs so I don't have other brands to compare this to. Maybe in a future review I'll compare brands.

While reading other Veggie Patch™ Veggie Dogs reviews I have come across this extra bit of information: "For a meat-eater, these aren't going to do it for you - in fact, Ball Park Fat Free Beef Franks has less calories (50 calories per 50 gram dog) and are mighty tasty. But if you don't eat meat, then these will do ... but only just." -i{ATE}A{PIE}.net
"For those of you watching your points, they are 2 points+ each. Not bad!" -The Peppertree

It looks like an 8 pack of these will run you anywhere from $3.50 - $5, assuming your local grocery store carries Veggie Patch. I'd tell you how much I paid for mine, but I threw away my Wal-Mart receipt.

Happy vegging!