I was so excited to have received the new Yves Rocher Nourishment Hair Care Routine! I received the 2 in 1 Cream Mask, Shampoo and Rinsing Vinegar. Continue reading below for a review on each product!
I’ve never used a nourishing cream before but the directions were self-explanatory. You could use it as a treatment before your regular hair wash routine, or as a leave in solution after you wash your hair. I prefer to use it as a treatment before my regular routine, which was convenient because you only have to leave the product in your hair for 10 minutes prior to rinsing it out. The mask is thick, creamy and a little goes a long way. I noticed my hair felt softer until my next wash after using the treatment!
I used the shampoo after the cream mask. I love that the shampoo has avocado oil in it as it left my hair feeling really soft. In my usual hair care routine, I tend to only wash my hair after 3 days, with the 3rd day desperate for a wash. However, with using this shampoo, I found that even on the 4th day my hair was still soft and clean looking.
I’ve never thought to use a rinsing vinegar before but will definitely consider adding this to my routine in the future. This vinegar solution left my hair smelling like raspberry for days and in combination with the mask and shampoo, it really left my hair feeling soft and volumized, even after 4 days of no washing.
Hope you guys found this review helpful. Overall I really like how these new Yves Rocher products use 95% natural ingredients, are silicone free and vegan. It’s great to see such large companies making a change with their formulation to adapt to changing demands within the beauty world.
We’ve made it through a month of vegan holiday recipes! With this final video, I wanted to share recipes that had a dual function: dessert and a gift. These are so addicting because of their sweet and salty quality, so be sure to make a big batch to giveaway and the snack on at home!
Hope you guys enjoyed the recipes in this series. Leave a comment below on what you’d like to see in the new year. Now set forth and be Savvy!
Ingredients for the Toffee Crackers
1 sleeve of saltines
1 cup of vegan butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup dark chocolate, melted
½ cup shredded coconut
1 tsp sea salt
Directions for the Toffee Crackers
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper – this step is vital
Lay out the saltine crackers in 1 single layer over the parchment paper
Melt the butter in a pot and let it come to a bubble
Add the brown sugar and mix, allowing the mixture to come to a bubble, about 5 minutes
Take off the heat and pour over the layer of saltines
Bring a small pot half filled with water to a boil
Place a small heat safety dish on top of the pot. Once the pot comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium low
Fill the dish with the chocolate and melt gently, stirring constantly
Once all of the chocolate is melted, pour over the caramel mixture
Sprinkle with the shredded coconut and sea salt
Bake for 10 minutes
Let cool, and separate the saltine crackers
Ingredients for the Chocolate Covered Pretzels
24 large pretzels
4 candy canes
1/2 cup chocolate
Directions for the Chocolate Covered Pretzels
Place the candy canes in a food processor and pulse for 10 seconds so that you still have some large pieces of candy cane
Fill a small pot halfway with water. Place a small bowl on top (ensuring that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water), and place the chocolate in the bowl
Bring the pot of water to a boil and slowly melt the cholate over medium heat, stirring constantly until smooth
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Dip one side of the pretzel in the chocolate and sprinkle some crushed candy cane on the chocolate
Set on parchment paper to dry, about 3 hours
Makes 24
Ingredients for Gingerbread Energy Bites
20 dates
1 cup pecans, 1 cup walnuts
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp flax seed
1 tbsp hemp seeds
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp molasses
½ tsp cloves
¼ tsp salt
Directions for Gingerbread Energy Bites
Place all ingredients into a food processor
Mix until the mixture sticks together when you pinch it, about 2 minutes
Scoop into small balls and roll out with your hands
Welcome to the 3rd post in my Vegan Holiday Series! I will be sharing with you 3 easy mains that you can impress any guest! All of these recipes take 30 minutes or less to prepare which is always great during this hectic time of year. I’m excited to share with you my pot pie made easier with store bought pastry, a lentil loaf with homemade cranberry orange sauce and a pumpkin barley risotto that is so creamy that you’re guests won’t even realize it’s made with barley!
Hope you guys enjoy these recipes! Now set forth and be Savvy!
Ingredients for the Pot Pie
1 cup of soy curls (you can substitute beans or tofu if you cannot find soy curls)
1 tbsp butter
1 cup of leek, sliced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 carrot, diced
1 celery stock, diced
1 potato, diced
1/2 tsp sage
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup soy milk
1 1/2 cup of water
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/4 cup bunch of parsley, chopped (about 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped)
1 premade crescent roll dough (Pillsbury is vegan, though it does contain palm oil so it’s debatable)
Directions for Filling of Pot Pie
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Put the soy curls into a large bowl and cover with water to hydrate – set aside
In a large sauce pan, heat the butter and cook the leeks and garlic over medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute
Add the diced carrot and celery and cook for another 3 minutes
Add the potatoes and dried spices and cook for 4 minutes (if using fresh parsley, do not stir in yet)
Add a splash of water if the veggies seem dry and are sticking to the bottom of the pan
Add the flour and coat all of the veggies until you don’t see any raw flour left
Add the soy milk and water and mix until well incorporated. You will notice that a thick sauce is starting to form
Drain the soy curls by squeezing out all of the excess water. Add the soy curls to the pot along with the frozen peas and corn
Mix until well combined. Take off the head and add the parsley and mix into the mixture.
Directions for Assembling Pot Pie
Pour the mixture into a 10-inch pie dish
Arrange the premade pastry dough on top of the mixture so it creates a crust
Bake, covering the top with a baking sheet (to not burn the pastry dough) for 40 minutes
Uncover and bake for 10 minutes to brown the top
Ingredients for the Lentil Loaf
3 flax eggs (3 tbsp flax seed, 9 tbsp water)
1 tbsp butter
1 onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 carrots, diced
1 package 222g mushrooms, diced
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp sage
1 tbsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp thyme
2 cups packed chopped kale
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp ketchup
2 cup brown lentils
1 cup quinoa
Ingredients for the Cranberry Orange Sauce
1 bag of cranberries (340 g)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
the zest and juice of 1 orange
1/2 cup of water (you want 1 cup of liquid when combined with the orange juice)
Directions for the Lentil Loaf
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
Prepare the ingredients for the flax egg and set aside
Heat the butter on medium heat and cook the garlic and onions until fragrant, about 2 minutes
Add the carrots and cook for another 4 minutes
Add the mushrooms and all of the dry spices and cook for 2 minutes
Add the kale, soy sauce, ACV and ketchup and cook until the kale is wilted, about 1 minute
Take off the heat and add the mixture to the food processor along with the lentils, quinoa and flax eggs
Pulse until well combined, but do not puree completely as you will need to texture in order for it to hold up
Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and add loaf mixture to the pan
Bake for 60 minutes with a cookie sheet covering to prevent burning
Directions for the Cranberry Orange Sauce
Add all ingredients to a pot and simmer with the lid ajar on medium heat for 30 minutes
Blend half the mixture in a food processor, and add to the other half of the sauce to get a chunky consistency
You may also blend the entire mixture in a food processor if you like your cranberry sauce to be well blended
Ingredients for Pumpkin Barley Risotto
4 1/2 cups stock or water
1 tbsp vegan butter
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 cup barley
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 cups packed spinach
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 cup vegan parm
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
Directions for Pumpkin Barley Risotto
Bring the stock/water to a simmer in a small pot, and keep in on low while you prepare the remaining ingredients for the barley risotto
Add the butter to a large dutch oven and cook the garlic until fragrant over medium heat, about 1 minute
Add the onions and cook for 3 minutes
Add the barley and coat in the onion and garlic mixture
Add pumpkin puree and mix well into the barley mixture until well combined
Turn heat down to medium low and add ½ cup of the warm broth/water to the barley mixture and stir. Let sit and stir for 4 minutes until absorbed. With the barley risotto, you do not need to tend to it the entire time so you can periodically stir as you add in more liquid
Continue adding ½ cup broth at a time to the barley mixture and stirring until all of liquid is absorbed, covering the pot with the lid ajar after each time you add the liquid to allow the barley to soak the broth up
After all of the liquid is added and absorbed, take off the heat and add the spinach and remaining spices and stir to combine.
Welcome to the 2nd post in my Vegan Holiday Series! Today’s post will be sharing with you 3 easy sides that are traditionally found at holiday functions, only they’re made vegan. Components of this recipe (roasted beets) as well as the entire recipe itself (scalloped potatoes) can be made ahead and frozen.
Hope you guys enjoy these recipes! Now set forth and be Savvy!
Ingredients for Scalloped Potatoes
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup vegan butter
1/4 flour
3 cups soy milk
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg
10 small white potatoes (how ever many fit within your dish)
1 large pie dish or baking dish (the size you would usually use to make lasagna with)
Directions Scalloped Potatoes
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
To prepare the sauce, sautee the butter and garlic over medium heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes
Add the flour and whisk into the butter mixture until a paste forms, cooking for about 1 minute
Slowly add the soy milk and vegetable broth into the flour mixture so that it thickens, about 5 – 7 minutes
Ad the remaining spices and stir into the sauce, set the sauce aside to cool
To prep the potatoes, peel all of the potatoes.
Using a mandolin (or using a knife), slice 1/8 inch thick slices.
Now the sauce should be fairly cool to handle. You will place each slice of potato into the pot with the sauce to ensure all of the slices are evenly coated with sauce
Oil the bottom of a pie dish
Transfer each coated slice of potato into the pie dish, arranging so that they overlap. Add extra sauce between each layer of potato so that the potatoes cook evenly and do not dry out
Bake for 60 minutes, covered (I just put a cookie sheet on top), and uncovered for 20 minutes
This can be frozen and baked for a later use.
Ingredients for the Salad
2 beets
1 tsp oil
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
6 cups of kale, chopped
1 apple, sliced
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
Ingredients for the Dressing
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 cup oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp maple syrup
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp salt
Directions for Kale & Roasted Beet Salad
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees
Peel the beets and slice into bite sized pieces. Toss in oil, salt and pepper
Roast for 35 minutes, flipping halfway through
As the beets are roasting, prepare all of your ingredients for the dressing.
In a jar, mix the Dijon mustard and oil and until it becomes emulsified (it will look like a thick sauce)
Add in the rest of the ingredients and mix until well combined. Set aside in the fridge.
To assemble the salad, place the kale at the bottom of a large serving bowl. Massage about 1 tsp of oil into the kale so that it becomes slightly wilted
Top with 1 sliced apple (of your choice, I like honeycrisp) pumpkin seeds and the roasted beets
Drizzle with the salad dressing (start with half to taste) and toss.
Add more salad dressing if desired
Ingredients Red Wine Vinegar Green Beans
1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp oil
1 lb green beans, trimmed and washed
1 tsp herb de Provence
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp water
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp chopped parsley
Optional: balsamic glaze (recipe found in a previous post here)
Directions Red Wine Vinegar Green Beans
Roast the chopped hazelnuts over medium heat for 5 minutes, constantly stirring to prevent burning
You’ll know the nuts are well roasted when they start to be come fragrant. Set aside in a bowl
Sautee the garlic in the oil over medium heat for about 1 minute
Add the green beans and toss in the garlic and oil mixture, about 1 minute
Add the spices and a splash of water to keep the beans from drying out, cooking for about 5 minutes
Turn the heat up to medium high and splash in the vinegar and cook until evaporated, about 2 minutes
Take off the head and toss in the chopped parsley and half of the roasted hazelnuts
Serve on a wide plate, drizzling the top with balsamic glaze and the rest of the hazelnuts right before serving
Welcome to my Vegan Holiday Series! I will be sharing 5 blog posts with you featuring recipes that you can bring to any holiday gathering, whether you are hosting or need to bring to a potluck. The recipes are all easy, can be made ahead and frozen, and of course use all plant based ingredients.
For the 1st post, I wanted to provide you with a variety of appetizers that will surely please a crowd. I am presenting you with crostini recipes, 4 ways, using white bean dip and hummus but with different tasty toppings. See below for the recipes.
Enjoy! Now set forth and be Savvy!
*Savvy tip on the below recipes, make the dips ahead of time and freeze for later use.
*Savvy tip for the veggies and bread, you can roast all of the veggies at the same time in the at the same temperature and bake the bread when there’s 10 minutes left on the veggies
Ingredients for Hummus
1 1/2 cups of cooked chickpeas (1 15 oz can)
1/2 of the roasted garlic bulb
1/2 lemon juice and zest
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup tahini
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup aquafaba (the juice from the chickpeas) or water
Ingredients for Caramelized Onions
2 tbsp vegan butter
1 large onion (or 3 smaller ones)
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 tsp salt
Directions for Hummus
To a blender, add the chick peas, half the roasted garlic bulb, lemon juice, zest, salt, pepper and tahini to a food processor
Blend the ingredients in a food processor for about 30 seconds
Stream in the oil and aquafaba until smooth, scraping down when necessary
Set aside until assembly
Directions for Caramelized Onions
Melt the vegan butter in a pan, and caramelize the sliced onions and garlic on medium low for 30 minutes
Periodically stir the onions but let sit so that it can get caramelized. You can stir them in increments of 5 minutes to prevent burning
Just before you take it off the heat, add some salt
Set aside until assembly
Ingredients for Roasted Tomatoes
1 pint of grape tomatoes
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dried basil leaves
1/8 tsp black pepper
Ingredients for Balsamic Glaze
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
boil on medium for 10 minutes until syrupy consistency
Directions for Roasted Tomatoes
Preheat your oven to 400 degress
Cut the tomatoes in half lengthwise
Place the tomatoes on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper
Add the rest of the ingredients and toss so that tomatoes are fully coated
Roast in the oven for 40 minutes, tossing half way through
Directions for Balsamic Glaze
In a small sauce pan, add the balsamic glaze
Boil on medium for 10 minutes until syrupy consistency
Watch out, it will thicken as it cools down. If it gets too thick, you can add a bit of hot water to thin out
Ingredients for White Bean Dip
1 12 cup white beans (1 15 oz can)
1/2 of the roasted garlic bulb
1/ 2 lemon juice and zest
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dill
1/2 tsp chives
1/2 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp black peppers
Ingredients for Sauteed Mushrooms
6 mushrooms
2 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp oil
1/4 tsp rosemary
1/4 tsp thyme
a splash of soy sauce/tamari (about 1/4 tsp)
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp salt
Directions for White Bean Dip
Add all of the ingredients for the white bean dip into a food processor and blend until smooth
Set aside until assembly time
Directions for Sauteed Mushrooms
Sautee garlic on medium heat for about 2 minutes
Add mushrooms and sautee for 4 mins, adding a splash of water if the mushrooms are getting stuck to the pan
Add the spices and stir for 30 seconds until well combined
Take off the heat and set aside in a dish for assembly
Ingredients for Roasted Beets
1 beet
1 tsp oil
1/2 tsp salt
Directions for Roasted Beets
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Cut the beet up into thin slices
Place onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper
Toss with the oil and salt
Bake for 40 minutes, tossing half way through
Ingredients
1 baguette
2 tbsp olive oil
Hummus
Caramelized Onions
Roasted Tomatoes
Basic
White Bean Dip
Sauteed Mushrooms
Roasted Beets
Balsamic Glaze
Mint
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Slice the baguette in to thin slices on an angle, about 1/6 of an inch thick
Brush olive oil on both sides, placing them on a cookie sheet
Bake the bread at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, flipping halfway through
The Savvy Pantry 