Disclaimer: I prefer cooking to eating processed foods, but every once in a while, I’m in a hurry.

I’ve been saving up these products to tell you about and I need to be quick. Sleep-sleep is calling my name after too many nights in a row with only 4-5 hours worth. So we take a mini-break tonight from Veganizing Martha’s Muffin – Dessert Week. We’ll continue back tomorrow.

Purely Decadent Made with Coconut Milk

Turtle Mountain Purely Decadent made with Coconut Milk:
Know what befuddles me? How can you release a new product and not update your website at the same time? I guess if you’re Turtle Mountain you can get away with that. The first two products I’d like to review come from them, yet I can’t find any info about these products on their website. Huh.

If you’ve read any other posts on my blog, you know I’m a fan of Turtle Mountain’s Purely Decadent made with Coconut Milk ice-cream products. They’re creamy and satisfying, in fact, you’d have a hard time putting some of the flavors second to their dairy counterparts. Maybe this flavor isn’t so new, but it’s definitely new to me. I’ve never seen it in my own grocery store until earlier this week.

Introducing Cherry Amaretto. Pinkish in color with big chunks of cherry and creamy tasting ice-cream with an amaretto flavor that’s powerful enough to remind you of your partying days when you’d drink amaretto sours like you’d drink anything, but not so overwhelming to remind you of those nasty amaretto hangovers. Oh boy, I’m not giving this thing enough credit. It’s really, really tasty and delicious. Once again, Turtle Mountain makes one I can count on!

On the flip-side Turtle Mountain, I have a bone to pick with you. Why in the world would you make me pee my pants with excitement over Coconut Milk Creamer only to let me down so hard when I actually used the stuff? I mean, what a great idea! Coconut Milk Creamer! Sadly, it was like adding bright, white-colored, tasteless liquid to my coffee. Oh, it looked rich and creamy, but tasted like there was nothing there. I actually had to pour out my coffee. It was that disappointing! There isn’t any fat in the creamer! How can that be? It’s COCONUT MILK! It’s CREAMER! Add some taste to it, and I’ll give it another shot. Okay? Please?

Veggie Crab Cakes Taste Crabby

Taste Above Veggie Crab Cakes:
You know the routine. You start talking about your veganity and someone asks what you miss most about your lifestyle choice. In the food world, for me, it’s seafood. Hands down. It’s difficult to recreate the taste of seafood, and being from south Louisiana, seafood is such an important part of Cajun cooking.

La-de-da-de-da, I’m moseying through the grocery store, and hark! What is that calling my name? Why it’s VEGAN crab cakes. Shut the eff up! I buy and the minute I get home, I try. First bite, shock! They do really taste crabby!

The fake meat is seitan that somehow replicates the stringy texture of crab meat. And the flavor is fairly close to spot-on. Probably as close as you’d ever get without actually putting crab meat in there. The most noticeable spice is dill, which definitely imparts part of the crab taste, but it’s more than that and so is my love for this new processed find. I love ‘em. Sue me.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I’m a 10 days late and several dollars short, but I’m giving you my list anyway. Better you know than not. In no particular order (da-ta-ta-da-ta-DA!)

Curly's Vegetarian Lunch

If you’re in New York City and you’re looking for something to eat, stop by this quaint and spectacular “diner”. They serve sandwiches, salads, burgers, breakfast, and sides. All vegetarian with many, many, many vegan options. We happened to be in the City the day after my birthday, so this is where we celebrated for lunch. It’s difficult for me to narrow down the particular food highlight, because it was all completely scrumptious. Buuuut, don’t miss the gravy-smothered fries or the (Holy Crap, this is the best-I’ve-ever-had) Red Velvet Cake. In all my vegan reading, I had never heard of this place. Damn shame, but we’re changing that, right now! Curly’s Vegetarian Lunch = Scrumptious 2008 Pick!

Giovanni Straight Fast

I just discovered this hair product and can’t imagine my life without it. Use about a dime-sized dollop for jaw-length hair. Makes my hair feel soft, shiny, and younger. I guess what I mean is that when I wear this product, my hair feels the way it did when I was in my teens and twenties. It straightens it very, very nicely and smells reeeal good! Fresh, straight, soft, shiny, and young. Huh. Seriously, could I ask for more? Giovanni Straight Fast = Scrumptious 2008 Pick!

Queen Bee Creations

I first discovered Queen Bee Creations in 1999 after admiring a friend’s handbag and asking her to pass along the webshop info. After my first few purchases I had the opportunity to become more intimate with Queen Bee’s business practices and products when I carried them in a boutique I used to own. I still get warm and fuzzy inside knowing that my support over the last 10 years has helped Queen Bee Creations owner, Rebecca Pearcy supply her employees with healthcare benefits and good wages, something so rare and precious in the small, independent business environment. Every item purchased from this group of fantastic people helps support the kind of small business economy we all dream of for the future. Even though I’m listing Queen Bee as a 2008 find, my feeling is: Queen Bee Forever! The quality is high, so much so, that I continue to use the wallet I purchased in 2002, simply because it still is completely IN TACT! Queen Bee’s designs are functional, practical, and beautiful. My “winter” handbag is pictured above. Stuff for guys, too. Queen Bee Creations = Scrumptious 2008 Pick!

Smashbox Eyeliner

I love this little kit by Smashbox! Cream eyeliner goes on thin or super-thick depending on your brush size. More importantly, it stays put after application. No smearing or smudging on its own, you’d have to do that manually if you want the smoky look. Looks to me like all the cream eyeliner colors are awesome, but the kit allows you to play around with any color you want. Stay vegan by staying away from their brushes. Baby steps hopefully mean synthetic brushes on the way. Smashbox Cream Eyeliner = Scrumptious 2008 Pick!

Smashbox Mascara

Another Smashbox product passes my rigorous tests. This mascara makes my lashes look thick and long, yet natural despite the amount I have to use to make my thinnie-minnies look like lashes at all. Having such good luck with two products from this cruelty-free company makes me want to try more. Again, stay away from their brushes. Smashbox Bionic Mascara = Scrumptious 2008 Pick!

Florere Cream Deodorant

Finding natural deodorants that actually work is difficult, but I’ve discovered a new one that I absolutely love! The smell is clean with lavender undertones. Application is easy, smooth, and sheer, leaving no mess. It’s not abrasive, so there is no irritation after using it on cleanly shaved armpits. You can get it in stick format, but for some reason, I like the idea of a cream. Florere Cream Deodorant = Scrumptious 2008 Pick!

Salt Lake City

With its slew of vegetarian and vegan restaurants, endless network of bike paths, a downtown street car system, easily accessible and free downtown street parking, plenty of nearby outdoor activity areas and beautiful scenery, Salt Lake City was a pleasant surprise when we visited for a few hours last summer. We were passing through on our way to California. Our vehicle, an 18-wheeler, caused us no problem when we tried to park near downtown. We actually parked for free on a street just outside of the downtown core. We walked all over downtown, shopped at a local, independent bookstore, peeked into a local music venue, and ate at one of the many vegan options we found online. Salt Lake City is beautiful and has an odd, under-the-radar coolness, exactly the way I like. I’d like to go back and visit again, this time for more than one evening. I get the sense there’s much more here than meets the eye or the preconception. Salt Lake City = Scrumptious 2008 Pick!