I’ve been meaning to post a review, but I didn’t want to write it up in a post that had too much going on. But first I have some exciting news to share! This past Sunday I went to a casting call for Richmond’s Fashion Week with a dear friend of mine. Well guess what? We both made it!

I’ve got to work on my walk though so I’m going to put my heels, my legs, and books (for balance) to use. Anyway, back to the review… here goes!

Hail Merry is a company that makes raw organic snacks. Raw food chef, Susan O’Brien came up with these recipes because she wants “… to bring awareness to the powerful benefits of healthy oils, which we must obtain from our diets.” She finds that the less heat the food goes through, the more nutrients are preserved. Interesting thought, don’t you think? Although I do know that in some foods certain enzymes are actually only available if the food is cooked, i.e. the lycopene in tomatoes.

I love when there are clusters in granola.

Now the taste? First off, I take texture into great consideration, and the Grawnola had one that was very much to my liking. If you like to have crunch and chew, then this may be for you. The cinnamon flavor was spot on, and the natural flavors were able to shine through with just enough sweetness from the maple syrup and fruits. The packaging makes it great for an on-the-go snack as well, and since it’s so clustered you won’t make a mess. Not to mention, this is gluten-free so all of you out there with this sensitivity can still enjoy some delicious granola!

I just love saying that word. Anyway, I knew I’d be in for a treat because I just had an inkling that these would be fantastic. Any raw vegan macaroons I’ve tried in the past have been nothing short of insanely delicious. These did not disappoint! In fact, they kicked it up another level. I was surprised at how fresh and moist these were. I couldn’t decide which one I liked better. The chocolate macaroons were rich and had a great balance of coconut and dark chocolate. The blonde macaroons simply melted in my mouth.  These could cure any sweet tooth that’s for sure… until you find yourself wanting more!

You can check out more about Hail Merry over here, and make sure to check out their snacks!

Too bad I didn’t have a muffin tin so I could have jumbo muffins like Kelsey’s. The coffee cake muffin recipe actually says that it makes 12 jumbo muffins, alas I didn’t have a jumbo muffin tin.

They were moist and fluffy on the inside and crumbly on the outside. Sadly, things with granulated sugars have been giving me headaches and making me nauseous so I’ve been trying to keep these kinds of sweets to a minimum. I still recommend trying this recipe though! It’s such a perfect thing to start off your day.

These oats are thicker, and actually cheaper than the usual Quaker’s old-fashioned oats I buy. Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve been let down by any Bob’s Red Mill products, and they’re very fairly priced as well.

I made a nice big batch of Banana-Coconut granola–two of my favorite things in one bite!

Here with Greek yogurt + chia seeds, a sliced banana, and Artisana’s Cacao Bliss.

Over the summer I bought some of Justin’s Nut Butter squeeze packets since they’d be perfect for on-the-go. Well, I finally used them and I wasn’t on-the-go. Nope, I was very much sitting on a chair, enjoying my bagel spread with Justin’s cinnamon peanut butter, banana slices, and some banana-coconut granola to boot! And I just found out that they don’t sell this kind anymore! Darnit, because I really liked it. Oh well, I guess it wasn’t popular with most folks though.

Awhile ago I had bookmarked Averie’s Raw Vegan Pumpkin Spice Donut Holes recipe. So I finally made a batch, and rolled them in shredded coconut as she suggested. These were a tasty change to the usual raw vegan treats that have dates (although I’m not complaining)! But like Averie said “I need variety in my dessert life, I tell ya!”

My winter intersession course was finally over, and I finally had time to make a special breakfast. So what kind of waffles did I decide to make?

I’m not sure what happened, but atleast it was salvageable!

I topped these waffles with vanilla Greek yogurt, Canadian maple syrup (aka the dark infinite abyss), almonds, and a pear, apple, and cranberry compote. Lastly, I dusted it with nutmeg confectioner’s sugar.

I used Katie’s banana pancakes for one recipe. Although they came out rather burned, I still enjoyed them!

When I started reading blogs again I knew that I’d be bookmarking recipes galore. Well, one of those recipes happened to be Jess’s Orange Date Cookies. Unfortunately, I don’t the date syrup she used for this recipe so I had to sub in honey. It’s amazing how all of the flavors stood out and complemented each other just the same. The texture  was also very much to my liking! Chewy with enough bite, and not crumbly. Nothing was overly so, just the right balance. Not to mention, these little treats did not give me a headache!

Having a physical planner in my hand is a lot more effective than the one on my laptop. There’s something about my to-do list written in ink staring back at me that just motivates me to just get things done. So one by one I cross off the list. Anyway, I hope you all have a wonderful week ahead! Classes start today for me, and I am heading into an intense semester. It’ll be my final semester: 18 credits of hands-on studio! Wish me luck.

p.s. today is the last day to enter my giveaway!