NEW YEAR GIVEAWAY! - I have two $25 vouchers to help you start your year off right!

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Hannah Kaminsky - My Sweet Vegan

Happy Wishes for 2012  

So, you may have noticed I am digging you quite a lot, and LOVE to give you stuff to help you eat well.   Something you don't know about me is I love to tell people how wonderful you are....when I do, well...they start loving you too.  To prove it, I have not one but two $25 vouchers to give away.

The very lovely (they really are) people from iherb have generously donated 2 lucky people $25 to have a shopping spree at their online store.

iherb have been an online source of vegan goodies both in the US and the UK for a couple of years. I get ridiculously excited, waiting for my package to arrive with treasures from America I might not be able to hunt out in the UK...

Everyone LOVES a bargain and iHerb offer great discounts on supplements, wholefoods, grocery and toiletries.  I was so excited to see that have begun to add books to their product list.  I place two I'd wanted to get my mitts on for a while into my virtual cart.  Both from Hannah Kaminsky.  I was not disappointed.  She is one creative girl.  More than one original creation amused me....Ant Hill Cake, Wasabi cupcakes, she's cooking up some crazy ideas!    Both her books are crammed with tarts, pies, pops, caramels, cupcakes, tray bakes....the list is endless (well, not literally).  Her book Vegan Desserts is sectioned into the four seasons which I've never seen done with desserts before in a cookbook.  Her recipes are easy to follow and could be picked up well by a beginner or experienced cook.   It's my new BFF.

I used some products I'd ordered to test out some of Hannah's recipes. I have never made things like caramel or honeycomb (using the coconut sugar and brown rice syrup) and I felt it a triumph to discover I can make something I'd gone wide eyed for as a child and thought only magicians and dinner ladies could make.  Lots of new recipes to look forward to trialling. Is it wrong that food can make you so happy?!!

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Coconut sugar made from coconut palm nectar.  Reportedly lower in carbs and GI then processed cane sugar.  It has rich, caramely flavours and its high burn point makes it great for candy makers.

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I made vegan sponge sugar/(not)honeycomb...call it what you will.  I coated it in chocolate and it tasted like a Crunchie bar.  My thrill at this achievement burst through my limbs and I was dancing around the kitchen like Queen of the Zumba dance!

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 molten sweetness.  Careful that stuff gets seriously hot!

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Tip* use a candy thermometer and your honeycomb will always turn out right.   Though happy accidents that occur.... because I get all scaredy that it 'gone burn' and take it off the heat too soon.... make caramel.  I used one of Hannah's coconut ice cream recipes to make 'salted caramel' ice cream, using my failed second batch of (not)honeycomb.  Verdict? Hands down the best ice cream I've EVER had!  My friend, who usually only has two descriptive words for food in his vocabulary became very animated about it. 

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salted caramel coconut ice cream.  Made without an ice cream maker....Yes, it is possible AND marvellous.

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I  also ordered Lydia's  Kale-Krunchies-Mega-Green flavour - crispy - good for you - snacks (totally hooked on them!)  and SEASONING: contains a whole manner of crushed seeds and sprouted stuff, carrots, arugula (rocket leaves), dulse to name but a few, that taste so good I am just eating it off a spoon!.  I scrunched up some kale chips, added a few spoons of seasoning and vegan Parmesan and a little water to mix, then stuffed a generously sized Portabello mushroom with the mix.  Let me tell you, they made for harmonious and happy bedfellows.... 



Peanut Flour - only 12% fat. With all the festivities and Xmas baking I have, so far, only used the flour to whip up some 'Chili Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate' which was comforting, malty, chocolate, peanutty goodness in a cup..with a kick.  Wonderful to make whilst thawing out from after a walk in the English drizzle. It replaces the smile winter ran off with.  When I get chance  I will be knocking up a batch of muffins with part peanut flour part gluten free sorghum flour...with some berry of some sort and I'm also thinking gado gado (peanut sauce) stir fry....

If you are interested in trying the products I have reviewed in this post,  please use Coupon Code COF924   to receive $5 off your first order.  But only if you are a first-time iHerb customer.  iHerb do ship outside of the US but please be aware you may have to pay additional customs taxes.

To enter the giveaway, to get your hands on a $25 shopping spree:

The more times/ways you enter the better chance you have of winning. Here's how;

• Please leave a comment in this post telling me your favourite A VEGAN OBSESSION recipe
• LIKE me on my Facebook page AND leave a comment on my WALL telling me why you to want to win.
• Post a TWEET mentioning this GIVEAWAY and @aveganobsession. You could say something like 'I so want to win  $25 vouchers' from @aveganobsession & @iherb

Comment/entries must be made by 8pm GMT on , Friday January 5th 2012 .

Two winners will be randomly selected (using random.org) from the entries/comments received. The winner will be announced on 6th January 2012 in a new blog post. If you are  one of the lucky ones. Please email me your address. The Winners will have 24 hours to respond or new winners will be randomly chosen. PLEASE READ OFFICIAL RULES BELOW BEFORE ENTERING...

Good luck and wishing you a year of fulfilment, happiness, friendship and great health in 2012

x

Official Rules:

Open only to those age 18 and over. Odds of winning depend on the number of entries received.
Winners MUST REGISTER to iHerb to claim your prize.

*If you are outside of the US,  by claiming your prize you accept that you are to be responsible for any additional customs taxes and/or duties. IHERB DO NOT SHIP TO ALL COUNTRIES and you may have to pay customs taxes and/or duties  - PLEASE CHECK BEFORE ENTERING THAT YOUR COUNTRY IS LISTED: go to iherb.com, add a product to the shopping cart and click the "Country" drop down menu to see if YOUR country is  listed. If YOU  are an international winner, your prize will be shipped via International Airmail.