Saturday 25 October 2014

My October TVK Box

The Vegan Kind October Tuck Box

As some of you already know, I subscribe to The Vegan Kind and receive a wonderful box of goodies every month. Usually most products are suitable for a gluten free diet but unfortunately this month two of the treats weren't! But then I discovered a little pot hidden beneath the large onion bhaji snack bag which more than made up for my slight disappointment!

Triumph Moisturising Cream

I'm not expecting any of you to rush out and buy this crème balm because this 10 ml sample is worth £33.66, the standard 15 ml pot is £51.00!!!  To be honest, I was just a tad reluctant to use it...how much do you need to apply?  I was worried I'd waste it since I'm used to plastering my face with coconut oil. But I'm happy to say a little does go a very long way! Containing vitamins A, C and K and enriched with frankincense the triumph crème balm from Premae is a powerful and rich moisturiser. Please let me know if you've tried this product long enough to see a difference!

Landgarten's Raspberries in Dark Chocolate

"The perfect combination of rich dark chocolate and whole, sun kissed organic raspberries, Landgarten's Raspberries Love Dark Chocolate is a taste of the dark side and turns healthy snacking into an experience of utter decadence. Experience juicy, experience unforgettable flavour, experience deep aroma and experience the contrasting wonder of Landgarten's bright natural raspberries and irresistible fair trade dark chocolate. Raspberries Love Dark Chocolate: Your route to incomparably better snacking."

If you've never tried the snacks from Landgarten, I urge you to try them. I'm particularly fond of the dark chocolate covered pumpkin seeds and was incredibly surprised and lucky to find them recently in a well known supermarket at 47p a packet and with a long sell by date - they were reduced following a health food promotion. I bought every packet they had so I couldn't wait to try these organic dark chocolate covered freeze dried raspberries. The intense, sweet yet sharp flavour of the raspberries combined with the smooth dark chocolate was beyond decadent!

Landgarten's Raspberries in Dark Chocolate

Other delicious flavours available in their chocolate covered fruit range are Amarena Cherries, Berries Love a Mix of Chocolate and Ginger in Dark Chocolate - perfect stocking fillers, I think!

Angelic Gluten Free Double Chocolate Cookies

These Angelic cookies looked OK and if you are searching for an alternative to a non gluten free product, they may fit the bill. They're not a healthy alternative and I wouldn't normally buy them but I decided to try one... I wish I hadn't. Sorry Angelic, they were not my cup of tea. I thought they were too sweet, I couldn't taste the chocolate and they had an odd after taste. The company produce a range of sweet and savoury biscuits and not everyone can have the same opinion as me because they are stocked world wide and seem to be quite popular.

Organic Nom Bar

I truly wish I could have had a bite of this Organic Nom bar. Unfortunately, it's not gluten free otherwise I would have gobbled it all up! Instead I had to watch in envy while a friend ate it, savouring every mouthful! He stated it was the best oat bar he had ever tasted, lucky him! Made from organic oats, coconut oil, cacao nibs and oat bran and sweetened with agave nectar and coconut palm nectar it is the perfect energy bar. I find it unusual that they didn't consider making this a gluten free bar because the company was founded by someone who was aware of how difficult it is to find fabulous food, allergy free..
"Nom foods was born out of a fruitless search for easily accessible foods which were tasty, but didn’t contain any refined sugars and nasties. Founder, Steph, developed severe allergies in her early 20′s and became increasingly interested in diet and nutrition. Steph quickly realised that there was a gap in the market for free-from foods which were organic, nutritious, and appealing to everyone."
Steph, please would you consider using gluten free oats?

Howdah Onion Bhaji

The final product in the box looks so very delicious but sadly, it too isn't gluten free. Fortunately, I know someone I can give this to who adores onion bhajis almost as much as I do! On the website I noticed that some of the snacks produced by Howdah are gluten free including: Peanut Pakoras, Masala Banana Chips and Peppered Banana Chips..I'll have to look out for them.

Lastly, the recipe card which is included in every box is for a cake created by Little Miss Meat Free who recently won the 2014 PETA Great Vegan Bake-Off. This is easy to adapt to a gluten free diet if I fancy trying to make it.