I’m trying something new today. Instead of sharing a fruity recipe, I’m sharing 5 of my favorite products of the moment. Some are ingredients. Some are snacks. Some are old favorites. Some are new finds. I might even slip in something non-edible, who knows! Lots of possibilities, and lots of amazing things I want to share.
I love reading these sorts of posts–a trusty recommendation from a blogger friend is my favorite way to discover new products. So if you like this sort of post too, let me know and I might make it a regular thing.
1. Sweet, salty, saucy! I’m starting off with an old flavorful friend: Coconut Secret Coconut Aminos. You’ve probably heard of it by now, (at least I hope so) but if not you MUST try it!
There are many things that make it healthier than soy sauce/tamari: a lower sodium content, no soy, no MSG, and a higher amino acid content. But even if none of those things were true I would still choose coconut aminos over any soy sauce because the flavor is at least 27 times more delicious!
It’s slightly sweeter, not hit-you-over-the-head salty like soy sauce. And even though I have tried and enjoyed the Coconut Secret teriyaki and garlic sauces as well, the simple coconut aminos is my absolute favorite! You will find a bottle of this sweet-salty stuff on the door of my fridge at all times.
2. My newest sweet-baking bestie! If everyone would just try a taste of these little crystals, brown sugar would not exist anymore. It would be completely obliterated by the amazingness that is Big Tree Farms Vanilla Coconut Sugar, because it is SO much tastier and healthier!
I’ve muffin-made, cereal-sprinkled, and banana-coin-coated with this sweet stuff all to delicious ends. And I may or may not have eaten it straight off my my finger as well…I gotta thoroughly test this stuff out. I even made a batch of my Possibly Addictive Vanilla Date Bars substituting this for the Bee Free Honee, and it was probably the best batch I’ve ever made!
It is a perfect pouch of sweet vanilla goodness.
3. Soft chewy snacking! Yes I am including something as simple and obvious as dried apple rings, because I need to tell you about these!
I’m sure I walked by these Made in Nature Organic Dried Apples a thousand times in the grocery aisle and never thought to try them. But these snackable apples have really been filling my afternoon snacking void lately. The taste? Well they taste like apples, duh! But the texture is what I’m crazy about.
They are soft and pillowy and light and amazing! I wouldn’t go so far as to say marshmallowy, but my mind does wander in that direction when I eat them. They’re chewier though. And of course all natural made of nothing but organic apples.
Just an edible reminder that the best things are often the simplest!
4. Those little black specks. My one true flavor love: Sunfood Vanilla Bean Powder. No I haven’t tried every brand out there, but I have tried a few others and none are as sweetly potent as this. Why mess with a good thing?
I would put this in just about everything if I could, but my baking budget couldn’t handle that. I only use it when there aren’t lots of other flavors around, so it’s fantastic flavor can really shine through. I like to think of it as pantry gold. Just a whiff of the bag is absolutely heavenly!
5. Cuckoo for coconut bowls! Last on my list is a non-food favorite. You might’ve caught a glimpse of this bowl on Instagram if you follow me there, but I wanted to formally introduce you to my favorite bowl. This purple piece of bowl beauty is the Bambu Coconut Bowl. It was created out of a coconut, how cool is that!?!
It’s totally food safe. I use it for everything from rice to cereal to smoothie bowls. I’m kind of dangerous around glass and ceramic things (I broke 2 glasses in one day a few weeks ago!), so this is the perfect food vessel for me. Plus it’s super lightweight, and since the bottom is round it spins 🙂
It can’t be dishwashered, so I just clean it by hand and reuse it next meal. This way I save dishes and water. It’s pretty much the only dish I eat from…unless I make pancakes…pancakes need plates.
And if the fun factor isn’t enough, they are also formaldehyde and bleach free, crafted by a fair trade certified company, and made from materials that would otherwise go to waste. So brownie points for sustainability!
Now you tell me: what are you loving right now?
I looooooove that vanilla bean powder! So much more flavor than the extract! I use it in everything…lots of baked goods!
I agree, vanilla extract is no comparison to the powder! There’s a such thing as vanilla bean paste too, but I’ve never tried it…I love this stuff too much to change 🙂
The coconut bowl is so pretty!!! Currently I LOVE the new vegan Vegavita ice creams, which I am posting on instagram all the time.. 😛 It’s so cool that Austria is getting more and more vegan products in the stores. Finally!
Those ice creams all look so good, you give me an ice cream craving every time! It is so exciting when new vegan products pop up locally!
Oh yes, the Vegavita ice creams are so good! I’m so happy that there is finally a rice based, non sorbet, dairy free ice cream available in the supermarket! 😀
We need that here!!! We have good nut-based and coconut-based, but not much in the way of rice 🙁 And yeah sorbet is never enough to satisfy any ice cream craving of mine! haha
Love this new type of post Natalie! It’s such a great way to come across new products 🙂 Oh and I’m quite ashamed to admit I’ve never tried coconut aminos to this day – I better do something about it, lol
Thanks Lucie, I’m glad you like it! I’m just bursting with favorite finds, I need to share 🙂 You really do need to try coconut aminos!!! I assume it’s available worldwide, although I’m not really sure…but if you can find it buy it! After one taste I will never go back to soy sauce!
O coconut aminos…I just used it for a recipe (I’ve had my bottle for awhile, but rarely use it…I hate salt), and then I realized you’re supposed to refrigerate it after you open it! Mine had been in the pantry for like a year…..I think I might die now!
And I need to try vanilla bean powder! SWOON….and swooning over that bowl too…..Love beautiful dishes <3
ANDDDD Yes!!! Do posts like thissssss!
Hahaha death by spoiled coconut aminos…that will be a new one 😀 I did that with a natural PB once…it was so gross and moldy by the time I got back to it…now I remember to refrigerate. I like salt, but not too much of it so coconut aminos is perfect for me 🙂 But you make so many of your own sauces, you don’t need anything from a bottle!
And I will keep up the favorites posts then <3
I’ve been eyeing those coconut aminos online for a while now – soy sauce sometimes gives me headaches, so I think that would be such a good alternative. If they were just readily available here! And I love coconut palm sugar, if it was just not that expensive! I’ve paid 12€ for the little packet I currently have at home…
My current favorites? Well, for sure the cinnamon crispies I got from you 😉 Apart from that, everything that is currently ripe in our garden 😉
what a great post although i wish we had the same products here in the UK I would run out and buy them all that bowl is great.. I also use coconut sugar for everything.. and you know what my current favourite is which I blame you for and your love for dates! My organic date syrup is so good I keep drizzling it on everything! Great post it encourages me to try and look for new things.. (havn’t had dried apples in aaaaages! good reminder 🙂
You should do a favorites post of products in the UK, like that date syrup in your chocolate mousse! I want that…and sorry for passing along the date obsession 😀 hehe I recently saw a bottle of ‘date nectar’ but it was like 17 dollars!!! Not worth it. There is a brand of date syrup here, but I’d have to order it online 🙁 Trying new things is fun, but something I often forget to do!
I love this!
I’ve been eyeing up vanilla bean powder and coconut aminos for some time now and you may have just convinced me haha!
Lately, I’ve been loving vanilla beans! But they are pretty tedious to work with so the powder would be a much better idea. I’ve also been snacking on grapes and cherries like crazy. Aaaaand the Love Grown Chocolate O’s. They’re made with beans and they are soooooooo goooooood!!
OMG I really need to order those Love Grown Foods Chocolate O’s, that’s the 3rd recommendation this week! Obviously I’m missing out! But yes, vanilla bean powder and coconut aminos are both pricey, but I so suggest you try them! Vanilla beans are kind of tedious, and still pretty expensive…if only there was a cheap way to harness that wonderful vanilla flavor 🙁 The main way I use the whole bean is in something that is going to be blended when I can just throw a whole chunk in, pod and all!
Fun post!
I’m curious if you have had tried to make your own dried fruit? I have a really inexpensive food dehydrator and make mostly dried apples, and pears. I’ve made them crisp, and soft, I’ve also dried them with a bit of lime juice and chili. Spicy but good….and healthy! 🙂 , .
I have! I’ve tried apples, bananas, and strawberries in the past. They were all good, but the apples were definitely my favorite! The lime and chili idea is really creative, I never considered flavoring them before dehydrating 🙂 I do get a little sad by how small they end up after drying out though haha! Thanks for reading 🙂
I LOVED this post!!!! I would be lost without coconut aminos (since I can’t do soy) and coconut sugar is MY baking bestie ❤️ But let’s talk about the vanilla….the smell is intoxicating, it’s almost therapeutic. Sometimes I’ll open the bag just to take a whiff and now I’ve got Willow hooked on it! She’ll come running asking to smell it, too. I NEED that bowl!!! The three humans in our house have all broken something recently! Great post, Natalie! I’ll be looking forward to future ones just like it ❤️
I can’t do soy either, but even back before I realized that I still loved coconut aminos <3 OMG yes I can just sit there and smell the vanilla for FOREVER! I love that Willow is already hooked 😀 When I was little all we had around was vanilla extract and that stuff just smells gross like alcohol! I love the powder so much i tried just tasting it once...not good but not terrible either 😀 hahaha I don't understand why dishes and glasses just seem to jump right out of the hand onto the floor as if they have a death wish, but coconut bowls and bamboo plates are the way to go! Thank Mandy, I'm glad you like this sort of post 🙂
yum, vanilla! I love vanilla everything so I’ll have to get some of the coconut sugar and vanilla powder 🙂 i bet the vanilla bean powder is amazing!
Yes! I’m glad you share my love for vanilla, some people find it boring, which I just don’t get :/ The vanilla powder would be my number one recommendation, but I warn you it’s pricey! But a little bit goes a long way, 1/2 tsp is the most I ever need in a recipe, it’s much more potent than the extract. Thanks Mel 🙂
I love these kind of posts! Such a great way to learn about new products! I’ haven’t tried the vanilla powder, but it’s definitely going on my list for in the near future.
The vanilla is probably my favorite of them all…heck it’s my favorite ingredient in my kitchen! But I warn you once you try it you will never be able to switch back to the extract 🙂
Oh wow, I feel I have to broaden my ingredient horizon! The vanilla bean powder sounds super intriguing above all!
I like your top pick, definitely my favorite of the favorites! 🙂