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One of the perks of blogging is learning about new foods and other food-related products. I love finding out what’s “out there” and discovering healthy, sugar-free ingredients or products that people can enjoy on an anti-candida diet, low glycemic diet or exclusive diet. Oftentimes, I’ll post a review on the blog, but sometimes I don’t have the opportunity.

With holidays around the corner, I thought you might like to learn about some of my favorite products (some new, some old faves)–and try them out yourself!

This giveaway is open to anyone in the US or Canada (with huge apologies to my international readers!) BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN TO THE GIVEAWAY FOR YOUR COUNTRY OF RESIDENCE, AND ENTER BY FILLING IN THE RAFFLECOPTER FORM THERE!

GIVEAWAY #1: PRIZE FOR US RESIDENTS

COOKBOOKS!

Going Vegan: The Complete Guide to Making a Healthy Transition to a Plant-Based Lifestyle, by Joni Marie Newman and Gerrie L. Adams. In this engaging, approachable and non-preachy book, Joni and Gerrie begin by outlining the various reasons for going animal-free and then move on to amazing recipes for every type of food from breakfast to snacks. The book also includes menu plans and more. A great guide for anyone interested in eating more plant-based.

Vegan Food Gifts by Joni Marie Newman (photography by Celine Steen and illustrations by Kurt Halsey). If you’re looking for some gorgeous, delectable and innovtive DIY food gifts for the holidays, this book is the only one you need. Joni shows you how to make everything from “eat-’em-now” gifts like truffles or cookies to “just add water” mixes for beverages, cookies or soups and more, to homemade jams, jellies, sauces or dressing and alcohol-based drinks, to full-on themed gift baskets. Plus, Vegan Food Gifts supplies you with all you’ll need to make your own gift tags, wrappers or contains tips for creating all these amazing gifts! This gorgeous book is both a great resource AND cookbook.

Naturally Sweet & Gluten-Free (signed copy). I’m adding a copy of my second cookbook to the prize pack! Filled with over 100 low glycemic, refined sugar-free recipes for baked goods and other treats, the book also includes a full chapter on ingredient substitutions and a comprehensive glossary of ingredients. Yes, you can bake fudgey, decadent brownies, chocolate pecan pie, bread pudding with caramel sauce, cinnamon buns, muffins, scones and more–all without gluten, eggs, dairy or high glycemic sugars. Learn more about the book here. NOTE: While the recipes are made with low-glycemic sweeteners, this book is NOT for anyone just starting an anti-candida diet; most of the recipes are suitable for Stage 3 and beyond.

Your Prize: All three books!

Visit Joni Marie Newman on her blog or connect on Facebook, twitter or instagram.

And just in case we’re not connected yet, you can also find me on Facebook, twitter, instagram, Google+ and Pinterest. 🙂

A few months ago, I was contacted by Kelly at Ellovi to see if I wanted to try their body butter and lip butter. Since I’m always on the lookout for new, natural body care products, of course said “yes”. What makes Ellovi special is that they don’t add any water to their butters, allowing them to stay pure and fresh without any added preservatives. They’re made from six totally natural ingredients (in fact, the site informs us that these ingredients are “so pure you can eat them”–and believe me, I’ve been tempted): macadamia ternifolia seed oil; cocos nucifera (coconut) oil; cannabis sativa seed (hemp) oil; sclerocarya birrea (marula) oil; non-GMO corn starch and butyrospermum parkii (shea). I was surprised to find no cacao butter in the jar, as I could have sworn that’s what I was smelling; the scent is light and slightly chocolately with nutty undertones. Truly delightful! And the body butter goes on smooth and light as well, without any greasy residue. I’ve been using it straight out of the shower and my skin’s remained soft and smooth this winter as a result. I’d say this is one of my best finds of the year!

Your prize: one jar of Ellovi body butter and one Ellovi lip butter.

Visit the Ellovi site or connect on Facebook, twitter, or instagram.

[Note: This photo illustrates several of the Growing Naturals products. Your specific prize is described below.]

I love how clean and simple the ingredients are in Growing Naturals protein powders. Plus, they’re sprouted and raw–how great is that? The best part is the taste, of course! Flavorful and not the least bit chalky. I’ve made many recipes with their rice and pea protein as well as the rice milk powder, but my favorites have to be this Chocolate Peppermint Bark with a Protein Boost and the Easy Raw Protein Bowl. And, of course, I create high-protein pancakes and smoothies at least once a week with their powders!

Your Prize: A pack of one Rice Protein powder, one Pea Protein powder and one Rice Milk Powder (note that the illustration above shows more jars than are in this prize).

Visit the Growing Naturals site or connect on Facebook, on twitter, on instagram or on Pinterest. And be sure to check out their “Winter Weight Challenge” event, too: the slogan is “It’s easier to keep it off than take it off!” In other words, let’s not add any excess weight in the first place! Visit the challenge page to enter to win a $2500 spa vacation package, and if you want some of their protein powders STAT, get 20% off your first order! There are also weekly prizes–a great event!

I’ve been a fan of Grain-Free JK Gourmet ever since I had my bakery, Bake it Healthy, back in the early 2000’s, and I used to bump into Jodi (the company owner) as we each made deliveries to various specialty stores and health food shops in the city. I loved that Jodi healed her ulcerative colitis by following the SCD (Specific Carbohydrate Diet), and started Grain-Free JK Gourmet so others could eat well on a grain-free diet as well. When I found out that they’d introduced baking mixes sweetened with coconut sugar, I was thrilled, and more than happy to sample the mixes and almond flour they sent me. I immediately set myself the task of trying both the waffles and cookies (I know, it’s a tough job. . . ). The waffles (which I made with flax eggs) were fabulous, crispy on the outside and light in the middle, perfect with a slather of homemade blueberry compote. I baked up the cookies with my own added unsweetened carob chips, and loved the results. The HH has been enjoying the cookies daily since I made them, and even remarked how pleased he was that I baked some “regular cookies.” Yep, he assumed they contained refined sugars and gluten–they taste that much like the “real thing.”

Your Prize: One bag of almond flour, one box of cookie mix, one box of waffle/pancake mix.

Visit the Grain-Free JK Gourmet site or connect with them on Facebook.

[Note: this photo illustrates the whole family of Love Beets products. Your prize is described below.]

It’s true: I really DO love beets! (To wit, this and this and this and this). Love Beets is a brand of marinated and cooked beets that come in a vacuum pack in the refrigerated section of your supermarket so you can have them ready-to-go any time. They’re all natural (no artificial anything) and most are gluten-free. And they taste amazing–just like the ones you cook yourself! Even though I do cook beets often, I think I was spoiled by the Love Beets I’ve been using over the past few weeks. Sooooo convenient! I’m sharing the candida-friendly varieties of cooked beets in this package, but if you can have other sweeteners, be sure to check out the Sweetfire (sweet and spicy) and Honey & Ginger varieties–they both sound ah-mazing. If you think you don’t like beets, Love Beets will change your mind!

Your prize: one package of Cooked Beets and one package of marinated Mild Organic Vinegar beets.

Visit the Love Beets site or connect with them on Facebook, instagram, twitter or Pinterest.

[Note: This photo illustrates some of NuNaturals’ fabulous products. Your specific prize is described below.]

What more can I say about my favorite brand of stevia? If you’ve been on my blog for any time at all, you’ve no doubt seen many recipes that use this wonderful sweetener. NuNaturals is known for its pure quality and taste, totally lacking that common “metallic” or bitter aftertaste that so many other brands have. And they also offer a plethora of flavored stevias, from vanilla to orange or lemon and peppermint. Their most recent products, the Simple Syrup and Cocoa Syrups (both plain cocoa and cocoa mint) have provided a new freedom to those on sugar-free diets, allowing recipes unheard of before. And the syrups are fantastic over pancakes or waffles, too! I absolutely LOVE NuNaturals stevia and recommend it virtually every chance I get!

Your prize: one bottle Cherry Vanilla Stevia Liquid, a 50 packet box of NuStevia White Stevia Powder packets, a bottle of Cocoa Syrup and a bottle of Cocoa Mint Syrup.

Visit the NuNaturals site or connect on Facebook, twitter, Instagram or Pinterest.

[Note: I have one no-salt and one low-salt mix; your prize includes two low-salt mixes.]

Okay, I will admit it: I’m a bit obsessed with Outer Spice seasonings! I first tried them after Derek contacted me to try our some of these unique, healthy spice mixes. What I LOVE about these spice mixes is that the blends have been hand-selected from whole spices based on both taste and the curative properties of the spices (such as high antioxidant content, or anti-inflammatory properties). And they do taste amazing! I tried both the Original flavor (low salt) and the Spicy mix (without salt) and fell in love with both. I’ve been sprinkling them on pretty much everything savory the past few weeks. I’m already sad that they aren’t available in Canada once I run out!

Your Prize: One jar of Original Low Salt and one Spicy No Salt.

Visit the Outer Spice site or connect with them on Facebook, twitter or instagram.

I’m one of those people who loves to bring my matcha tea with me in the car if I have to get somewhere in the morning. I’ve tried various thermal mugs and jars, but always pined after the traditional Thermos container I used to have in my 30s. Still, I stubbornly stuck to the more modern thermal cups, thinking I’d be able to one day find one with the same power to retain heat (or cold) as my previous container. Nope. Nothing matches the original Thermos container. That’s why I was thrilled to receive this nifty little Vacuum Insulated 16 oz model courtesy of Thermos. What I love about this baby is that it can be used for any kind of beverage OR soup/stew. And look at that cute little folding spoon! Fold it up and tuck it in the cover of the Thermos and you’ve got one totally portable meal that will retain the temperature it’s meant to be.

Your Prize: one 16-ounce (500 ml) Vacuum Insulated thermos container with spoon.

Visit the Thermos site or connect on Facebook, twitter or Pinterest.

ENTER THE US GIVEAWAY HERE:

a Rafflecopter giveaway



GIVEAWAY #2: PRIZE FOR CANADIAN RESIDENTS

COOKBOOKS! Three brand new books for you:

Going Vegan: The Complete Guide to Making a Healthy Transition to a Plant-Based Lifestyle, by Joni Marie Newman and Gerrie L. Adams. In this engaging, approachable and non-preachy book, Joni and Gerrie begin by outlining the various reasons for going animal-free and then move on to amazing recipes for every type of food from breakfast to snacks. The book also includes menu plans and more. A great guide for anyone interested in eating more plant-based.

Vegan Food Gifts by Joni Marie Newman (photography by Celine Steen and illustrations by Kurt Halsey). If you’re looking for some gorgeous, delectable and innovtive DIY food gifts for the holidays, this book is the only one you need. Joni shows you how to make everything from “eat-’em-now” gifts like truffles or cookies to “just add water” mixes for beverages, cookies or soups and more, to homemade jams, jellies, sauces or dressing and alcohol-based drinks, to full-on themed gift baskets. Plus, Vegan Food Gifts supplies you with all you’ll need to make your own gift tags, wrappers or contains tips for creating all these amazing gifts! This gorgeous book is both a great resource AND cookbook.

Naturally Sweet & Gluten-Free (signed copy). I’m adding a copy of my second cookbook to this prize pack, too. Filled with over 100 low glycemic, refined sugar-free recipes for baked goods and other treats, the book also includes a full chapter on ingredient substitutions and a comprehensive glossary of ingredients. Yes, you can bake fudgey, decadent brownies, chocolate pecan pie, bread pudding with caramel sauce, cinnamon buns, muffins, scones and more–all without gluten, eggs, dairy or high glycemic sugars. Learn more about the book here. NOTE: While the recipes are made with low-glycemic sweeteners, this book is NOT for anyone just starting an anti-candida diet; most of the recipes are suitable for Stage 3 and beyond.

Visit Joni Marie Newman on her blog or connect on Facebook, twitter or instagram.

And just in case we’re not connected yet, you can also find me on Facebook, twitter, instagram, Google+ and Pinterest. 🙂

Here’s what you’ll get from my (gently used) collection:

As a food blogger, I receive a lot of cookbooks. Periodically, I just have to clear out my bookshelves, and I give away some of the books that I know are most popular. These three are from my collection. They have been read by me, but are in excellent condition nonetheless (as a book lover, I take good care of my reads!).

The Oh She Glows Cookbook by Angela Liddon. Who doesn’t love Angela and her recipes?! Of course I’m a fan, too. But since I started the ACD, I’m no longer eating maple syrup or dates, and my food is all gluten-free. As much as I love the recipes in this book, I just can’t eat many of them any more. As a result, I’d giving this away so the book can be truly appreciated by one of you!

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Gluten-Free Vegan Cooking by Julieanna Hever and Beverly Lynn Bennett. I loved this book when I got it to review. It’s a comprehensive guidebook and cookbook for anyone new to GF, vegan living. At this point, though (almost 15 years into it), I am basically set in my gluten-free, vegan ways. I think this book could better benefit someone else now.

The Natural Vegan Kitchen by Christine Waltermyer. This lovely book is also a kind of primer for anyone new to a natural-foods kitchen. Again, while I think it’s a great book, I’ve been living in a natural kitchen for a few decades now, and am happy to pass this along to someone who will use it more than I will.

Super Healthy Cookies by Hallie Klecker. I love this book. So much, in fact, that I actually bought my own copy before I received a copy for review! Hallie (of Daily Bites) has a food philosophy that’s very similar to mine, except omnivorous. We both favor fewer grains, low glycemic sweeteners, and whole, real gluten-free foods. Although this book isn’t 100% vegan, 35 of the 50 recipes are, and others can be easily adapted (in fact, I adapted the recipe I made for my review of the book, here). Rather than keep two copies, I’m giving my extra one to one of you.

Your prize: one each of all six books!

I’ve been a fan of Grain-Free JK Gourmet ever since I had my bakery, Bake it Healthy, back in the early 2000’s, and I used to bump into Jodi (the company owner) as we each made deliveries to various specialty stores and health food shops in the city. I loved that Jodi healed her ulcerative colitis by following the SCD (Specific Carbohydrate Diet), and started JK Gourmet so others could eat well on a grain-free diet as well. When I found out that they’d introduced baking mixes sweetened with coconut sugar, I was thrilled, and more than happy to sample the mixes and almond flour they sent me. I immediately set myself the task of trying both the waffles and cookies (I know, it’s a tough job. . . ). The waffles (which I made with flax eggs) were fabulous, crispy on the outside and light in the middle, perfect with a slather of homemade blueberry compote. I baked up the cookies with my own added unsweetened carob chips, and loved the results. The HH has been enjoying these daily since I made them, and even remarked how pleased he was that I baked some “regular cookies.” Yep, he assumed they contained refined sugars and gluten–they taste that much like the “real thing.”

Your Prize: One bag of almond flour, one box of cookie mix, one box of waffle/pancake mix.

Visit the Grain-Free JK Gourmet site or connect with them on Facebook

There are many reasons why people shun traditional wheat-based, or even gluten-free, pasta: you’re on the early stages on an anti-candida diet; you’re on a Paleo diet; you have food sensitivities or allergies; or you just don’t want to eat that much starch. And if you’ve heard of shirataki noodles, then you’re already familiar with the concept that NuPasta is based upon: a low glycemic, low calorie and fiber-rich alternative that can be eaten by almost anyone. I’ve had regular shirataki noodles before and must admit I wasn’t a fan; there’s just something about the liquid in which they’re packaged that seems to linger in terms of taste and aroma. But when I got the NuPasta samples, I was blown away by how much they really do resemble “regular” noodles, with a perfectly neutral and really delicious taste. The HH was instantly a fan and actually thought these were wheat-based! (If you’re accustomed to regular pasta, I will note that to me, the texture was different; these are more chewy and sturdy than typical pasta, in my opinion). I’ve been cooking up NuPasta regularly over the past few weeks and just love the convenience and the fact that they can be used with whatever sauces you like. No, I wouldn’t eat pasta (even NuPasta) every week, but what a fabulous treat it is to enjoy when I do want to indulge!

Your prize: three different varieties of NuPasta: Angel Hair, Fettucine and Spaghetti.

Visit the NuPasta site or connect on Facebook, twitter, or instagram and Pinterest.

MYSTERY PRIZE PACKAGE!

As an additional gift in the pack, I’m including a bundle of my favorite baking and cooking ingredients and snacks. These are all vegan, gluten-free and refined sugar-free, and include some of the ingredients I use most on the blog—as well as a few I’ve discovered in recent years.

Your Prize: A surprise pack containing at least 5 of my favorite ingredients and snacks.

[Note: this image illustrates all three varieties of Yoso coconut yogurt. Your specific prize is described below.]

I’ve written before about how much I love the rich, silky, luxurious and delectable coconut yogurt by Yoso. Made from coconut milk, Yoso’s yogurt is perfect for anyone on a vegan or dairy-free diet; but this gem is also wheat-free, gluten-free, nut-free, peanut-free, carageenan-free and casein free. The yogurt is a great source of probiotic cultures, too. And it tastes absolutely amazing! I loved the chocolate and vanilla flavors just on their own, too. And if you eat soy and/or nuts, check out the company’s other products, like soy yogurt, almond-cashew yogurt, dips and spreads, or yogurt-granola packs. Love!

Your Prize: One case (6 containers) of Yoso unsweetened coconut yogurt.

Visit the Yoso site or connect on Facebook, twitter, or instagram.

ENTER THE CANADIAN GIVEAWAY HERE: a Rafflecopter giveaway

GOOD LUCK! BOTH GIVEAWAYS END AT 11:59 PM ON TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2014.

Disclosure: Prizes were provided by Ellovi, JK Gourmet, Joni Marie Newman, Love Beets, NuNaturals, NuPasta, Outer Spice, Thermos and Yoso. I provided the copies of Naturally Sweet & Gluten-Free and the contents of the Mystery Package.