I met two of the ladies of Le Clairer at the Your Plant Based Guide Conference earlier this year and – as I am with pretty much any vegan, organic skincare line – I was immediately interested. Believe me, this girl can hoard some skincare products.
 
So, when they offered to provide me with a product to review for Cheap Vegan Chick, I jumped at the chance. Given a couple of options, I chose the Rose Geranium lip balm – mostly because my love of rosewater has expanded to nearly any skincare product that smells like roses.
 
Aside from lip balm, Le Clairer offers body butters, facial scrubs, toners, creams, massage oils, and soaps.
 
Le Clairer currently offers four options in their line of lip balms: Lavender, Green Tea & Peppermint, Orange, and Rose Geranium. At the time of this writing, there are $3.99 each and can be ordered on the Le Clairer website.

However – and this is a big however – the lip balms on the website have beeswax on their ingredients list, so you may need to contact them directly to inquire about purchasing their vegan options. The Rose Geranium lip balm I received at the plant-based conference clearly states that it is vegan on the label, and there is no mention of beeswax in the ingredients.
 
Here are the ingredients in the Le Clairer vegan lip balm I reviewed:
 
MCT oil
Organic rice bran wax
Organic olive oil
Organic moringa oil
Organic coconut oil
Organic rose concentrated oil
Organic avocado oil
Organic mango butter
Organic geranium essential oil
 
It looks like most of their products are vegan and made with organic ingredients, so that is awesome. Just be sure to check the ingredients list or shoot them an email before ordering.

an Lip Balm Review
 
The Rose Geranium lip balm I have been testing for the last few months goes on quite smoothly and is not at all heavy or waxy. It has held up better than expected while being toted around in warmer temperatures, which Le Clairer credits to the inclusion of moringa oil.
 
The scent seems to be a bit more geranium than rose to me, so if you are a geranium fan, this is going to be perfect for you. If not, you might want to try one of the other scents; I think I’m leaning towards trying the Orange next.
 
If you try one of the other scents, leave a comment and let us know what you thought of it!

Have you tried Trail Truffles yet?
 
They are a relatively new product that I came across at a recent plant-based conference in SoCal. Since I had never heard of them, I thought maybe you hadn’t either, so I figured I better let you know!
 
So, here’s the deal: Trail Truffles are little bits of vegan goodness made with a creamy nut butter center inside a cacao and date “chocolate” shell. They are designed for active folks who need portable, non-messy trail foods but don’t want to give up things like chocolatey goodness while they are on the go.
 
If this sounds like you, then you should definitely try these non-melting, tasty truffles that come in a convenient zipper pouch for easy travel.

Here are a just a few things to love about these vegan energy bites:
 
Vegan
Non-GMO
Organic Ingredients
Gluten Free
No Refined Sugars
Soy Free
Low-Glycemic Ingredients
 
At the time of this writing, there are four flavors available: Mint Crème, Chocolate Hazelnut, Peanut Butter Cup, and Coconut Macadamia. I tried all four and found all of them perfectly palatable, although I did like the Chocolate Hazelnut and Peanut Butter Cup best. I don’t know if it was just the packages that I purchased, but I found that the Chocolate Hazelnut and Peanut Butter Cup were moister, while the Mint Crème and Coconut Macadamia were a bit more on the dry side.

The folks behind Trail Truffles note that the shelf life is about one year but recommend consuming open packages within about a week to enjoy the full freshness. I tested this out and agree. Once you have opened the package, I recommend eating them within a week or so for the freshest, most flavorful treat.
 
While there is a lot to love about these tasty truffles, it should be noted that all of the currently available flavors contain nuts, so this particular snack is not appropriate for folks with nut allergies. This is also not the right choice for energy on the trail if you are sensitive to the theobromine in cacao.
 
Trail Truffles were created as an indulgent but healthy fuel for hiking, camping, backpacking, and other activities that require quick energy, but the convenience of these little energy bites also makes them a good option for busy people who need convenient, vegan, gluten free snacks, or for anyone with an interest in healthy eating who still craves sweets or chocolate at times.

Trail Truffles were created in Draper, Utah, which is where they are currently made. They are available in a few dozen stores across the country, but the easiest way to get your hands on this vegan trail food is to order from the Trail Truffles website or from Amazon.
 
They are slightly less expensive on Amazon, plus, if you are an Amazon Prime member, you get free shipping. So, that’s how I will be getting my future orders.

For our friends at the FTC: I purchased this product and did not receive compensation for this review. There are affiliate links in this post, which help you easily find the product to buy online while also helping to pay for things like website hosting to keep the Cheap Vegan Chick blog online as a resource.

On May 19-20, I'll be joining one dozen leading nutritional and fitness experts, including Dr. Joel Kahn, Dr. Michael Klaper, Dr. Brooke Goldner, Ocean Robbins, and Robert Cheeke at an incredible event in Costa Mesa, California.

The live (and life-changing) two-day event will help you convene with kindred spirits, get answers to your burning questions, and realize your healthiest dreams. You'll get to meet and hear from world-renowned physicians and others who'll share secrets to preventing and reversing disease, lasting and rapid weight-loss, and non-stop energy.

Click here to find out all about it and use the following discount code to save $40.00 on VIP and General Admission tickets: SAVE40

(Ticket prices increase on May 18, so get yours now!)


P.S. Whether you're interested in losing weight, building muscle with plants, or reclaiming your good health and energy, this conference will give you real solutions, from experts you can trust. Find out more here, and SIGN UP NOW!

About six months ago, Aaron at Everything Vegan contacted me to see if I would be interested in reviewing one or more of their clothing items to let you all know what I think of them. He sent me a gift card to pick up a couple of product samples to review, but when I went on the site and started looking through all the awesome designs, I ended of buying WAY more than the gift card covered. There was just too much vegan awesomeness, and I couldn’t pass it up.
 
But, this works out great for you, because now I have stuff to give away! (Visit Cheap Vegan Chick on Twitter for the vegan sock giveaway.)
 
So, let’s talk socks.
 
Everything Vegan offers an ever-expanding line of vegan apparel, including hats, t-shirts, tank tops, hoodies, and socks. If you have never been on the website, you really should stop by just to go through the dozens of shirt designs with vegan messages, such as “Not Your Mom, Not Your Milk” and “Powered by Plants.” There are simple designs that just say “Vegan” and those that show your activism, such as “Animals Don’t Have a Voice, So You’ll Never Stop Hearing Mine.”

Then you get to the socks. These vegan crew socks are printed with water-based inks and have designs that range from cute baby chicks to animal rights messages. You can get some cow-print socks that say “Not Your Mom, Not Your Milk,” socks that simply say “Vegan AF,” or cozy crew socks with pics of tofu, broccoli, corn, cows, peppers, watermelon, pigs, kale or avocados.
 
I am wearing a pair of the tofu socks as I write this. It’s been raining here, and now it’s super windy, so I’m loving wearing these cozy socks while I work.
 
Each pair of unisex socks is about eight inches in length, which means they are going to go about mid-calf on most of us. If you have large calves (like me), you will be happy to know that these socks have no problem stretching for a comfortable fit. Now, if you are stretching them over large calves, you will notice that the design stretches, too, which reveals the white parts between the ribs, but this is pretty typical of crew socks with printed designs.
 
You can probably wash these socks like you would any other socks, but I wash mine in cold and hang them to dry. Like all of the vegan clothing items from Everything Vegan, the images on these socks are printed with water-based ink, so I’m pretty sure you will experience less fading over time if you wash on cold and line dry.

At $17.95 (at the time of this writing), these socks are not exactly cheap. However, they are statement pieces that you are not going to easily find anywhere else – and they make unique gifts for the vegans, vegetarians, and other plant-loving folks in your life. Plus, I have been on the website several times when Aaron is offering a buy two, get one free deal, so you might want to keep an eye out for these sales to save some money.
 
Overall, these printed vegan socks are a fun addition to your wardrobe and are great gifts for vegans and vegetarians. Plus, you get to support a small, vegan-owned business – and that is always awesome.
 
To check out these socks, vegan clothing, vegan stickers and more, head over to Everything Vegan. Be sure to sign up for the email newsletter to find out about sales and save a little money on your first order.

V and I got to sneak away for a quick weekend trip to Dallas to visit our uncles a couple of weeks ago. They come to California all the time, but it was the first time I had been to visit them in Texas in like 10 years, so it was definitely overdue!

Plus, with everything my uncles had been telling me, I really wanted to check out the Dallas vegan scene.

It rained most of the time, but we did have one clear afternoon that allowed us to explore downtown Dallas a bit. We, of course, went to the Dealey Plaza Museum in the book depository for a history lesson, and then walked to Reunion Tower to check out the GeO-Deck.

Here is a pic of the book depository...

And this is what Reunion Tower looks like from the ground...

Here is one of the views of downtown Dallas from the GeO-Deck at Reunion Tower...

After our day of exploring, it was definitely time to sit down for an amazing meal -- and, having two foodies as uncles, we knew they would already have the perfect place in mind. 

Now, I should mention that I was the only vegan in the group, but my uncles do eat a lot of plant-based meals, and they occasionally eat at vegan restaurants even when we are not traveling together.

For this night, they had chosen V-Eats Modern Vegan, which is located at Trinity Groves. For folks who are not familiar with Dallas, Trinity Groves is home to a super-hip row of restaurants where you can find anything from tapas to a cake bar.

V-Eats is an all-vegan restaurant, so folks on plant-based diets can order anything on the menu without having to ask a million questions or worry about anyone accidentally serving us meat or dairy. Yay!

I don't know about you, but whenever I get to eat in an all-vegan restaurant, it takes me forever to order. I so rarely have more than a handful of options when we go out to eat that I have a really difficult time deciding and kind of want to order everything.

This is one reason why I completely forgot to take any pictures of of the Chili con Queso that we ordered as an appetizer...I was a bit distracted!

But I did manage to pull myself together before the entrees arrived, so you do get to see pics of those!

This is the Beggars Purse that one of my uncles ordered, which is (from the menu): Spinach, Smoked Potato, & Mushroom Phyllo Truffle Oil Roasted Red Pepper Sauce & Grilled Vegetables.

This is the Fried Chick-Non Sandwich that my wife ordered. She added the buffalo sauce for an extra $2.00 and was very happy that she did.

This gigantic sandwich is The Mystery Machine, which is a (from the menu): Fried Chick-Non and Bar-V-Q Brisket Hoagie topped with Chipotle Mango Sauce, Guacamole, Lettuce, Tomatoes.

My other uncle ordered this one and ended up taking half of it home to enjoy the next day.

And here is what I finally chose after much debate -- the Salisbury Steak served with mashed potatoes, onion rings and grilled vegetables.

For dessert, the uncles ordered the Banana Fosters Bread Pudding (above), and I ordered the dessert flight with these tasty bites (below).

Everything was absolutely delicious and everyone said that they would order their meals again (even though three of them are meat eaters!). This is probably because, "Chef Troy Gardner and his culinary team specialize in crafting succulent plant-based “meats” that will amaze your taste buds. Their clever use of cruelty-free ingredients creates the texture and flavors of meat with compassion."

You can read more about Chef Troy and their mission of bringing great vegan food to Dallas here.

Aside from the amazing food, one of my favorite things about V-Eats was finding out it is a family business. Our server was the nephew of the owner (Chef Troy) whom we were able to meet while we were there.

It didn't even occur to me to ask to meet the chef, but my foodie uncles are fancy like that, so they didn't hesitate. Chef Troy was awesome, as was everyone working there, so that is all the more reason to support V-Eats!

I, personally, can't wait to go visit the uncles again just so that I can try something else at this awesome Dallas vegan restaurant. I mean, I obviously want to hang out with the uncles, too, but V-Eats Modern Vegan is SO worth the trip.

You can check out the menu here and, if you plan on going on a busy night, you can make reservations here.

Have you been to V-Eats Modern Vegan in Dallas?

If you have -- or if you get the chance to in the future -- leave a comment to let me know your fave dish. I can't wait to try more of the awesome options on the menu!

Every time I head to the Kindle Store on Amazon to look for free books, there are always at least a handful of offerings related to vegan cooking, plant-based diets or organic living.

The only catch is that you have to get these ebooks right away, because the price can increase back to the normal retail price any time.

You do not have to have a Kindle to enjoy free Kindle ebooks; you can download a free app on your phone or tablet, and then start filling your library with free vegan cookbooks and more!

These are the four free vegan ebooks I found today, so head to Amazon as soon as you can to grab them while they are still free:

It's been a while since I have mentioned Ebates on the blog, but my last two checks definitely reminded me that it is time to post about it again!

My last check from Ebates was $96.31, and the one before that was $103, so I have made more than $200 from Ebates on just my last two checks. Now, this might not sound like a lot of money to some folks, but when you are vegan on a budget or just a cheap vegan, every bit helps.

Plus, all I had to do to get this cash back was click the Ebates button in my toolbar before placing an order on various shopping sites. So, I was just going about my day buying vegan food or booking hotel rooms or ordering my supplements, and I got cash back for just clicking one extra button. It really is that easy -- and so worth it!

This is from the Make Money page and better explains how easy it is to make money with Ebates while making the online purchases you would be making anyways:

What it is: Ebates is an easy way to earn cash back for purchases you make online. By shopping online through Ebates, you can enjoy special discounts using coupon codes provided on the site, while also earning cold, hard cash every time you make a purchase at a participating online retailer. There is no membership fee and no mail-in rebate forms or other hoops to jump through --– you just shop online through Ebates and earn cash back.

How to Earn: Shop online at more than 1,500 retailers and earn cash back for every purchase. For example, at the time of this writing, Sephora shoppers receive 8% cash back, Target shoppers get 6% cash back, Best Buy customers receive 1% to 3.6% cash back and Drugstore.com shoppers get 6% cash back. You simply login to the Ebates website before you do the online shopping you would be doing anyways. You can even add your favorite stores to your profile to make it faster and more convenient to find the stores you regularly shop at online.

Rewards: Money! You can choose to either receive a check in the mail or a deposit in your PayPal account for whatever you have earned during each three-month earning period. You can also opt to have the money you earn donated to a charity or sent to a family member. The minimum payout per quarter is $5.01, so if you have earned less than that, they will just roll that over into the next earning period.

My Experience: This cash back program couldn’t be simpler. You sign up with just your email address, so it’s easy to get started and see if you like the program. I don’t do anything special; I just shop online like I normally would at retailers I would normally visit. You can track your earnings as you go along, which is nice. Then, every three months, you get paid whatever cash back you have earned (if there is $5.01 or more in your Ebates account at that time). I use this program, so I can verify that it is a legitimate way to earn cash back when shopping online. It’s also great to get to stack deals by using coupon codes and earning cash back on the same purchase.

Getting Started: Head over to the Ebates website to sign up. Once you are there, you will find all the information you need to start earning cash back every time you shop online.

I shop at Vitacost a lot. This is where I order all of my vegan supplements, as well as gluten-free foods, vegan food, and almost all of my vegan, cruelty-free, organic personal care products.

Shopping on Vitacost already saves me quite a bit of money every month, since I have found the prices to always be less than retail prices for vegan and organic goods in local stores. Plus, they have sales and promo codes all the time, which helps me save even more.

Then, on top of the discount prices, promo codes and sales, I also earn cash back from Ebates every time I place an order on Vitacost. It is as easy as clicking the Ebates button in my toolbar before I place my order. Seriously, I click one button, and I get cash back with every order. In fact, Ebates even reminds me to use the available coupons on Vitacost to make sure I am saving as much money as possible.

I use Ebates when I'm shopping elsewhere online as well, but I have found the combination of Vitacost and Ebates to be a particularly good way to save money on vegan, organic and gluten-free products. So, this is one money-saving tip that I use all the time and that I totally recommend!

You can sign up for Ebates here and for Vitacost here.

This post contains affiliate links.

Bambu Dru is a small business based in Southern California offering bamboo-blend, organic clothing, towels and fabrics. Some of their offerings include bamboo-blend tank tops, t-shirts, boxers, lounge pants, onesies, and organic dresses for little ones. I had the opportunity to review their ankle socks, which come in two colors (black and natural) and four sizes (small through x-large).
 
In the past, I have had bamboo socks that were super thin and, while they were comfy and soft, they wore out faster than I expected.
 
That is not at all the case with these Bambu Dru bamboo ankle socks. These are much thicker than the typical bamboo socks I see on the market and are more like the thickness you expect from cotton athletic socks. I love this, since it makes them even cozier, more comfortable for long days of walking, and they have held up really well to months of wearing and washing.

Speaking of washing, the bamboo blend (87% bamboo, 17% nylon, 3% spandex) makes these socks machine washable and dryer safe. Of course, it is always better to line dry your clothes, if you can, to make them last even longer and to lower your carbon footprint, but it is also nice to have the option of using a dryer, if needed.
 
The one thing to keep in mind is that they should not be bleached. But, interestingly, they can by dyed. This means that you can buy these bamboo socks in the natural color, and then dye them any color you choose. This is also a good thing to keep in the back of your mind in case you ever get a stain on them, since dyeing them could then extend their useful life.
 
Another thing that I am loving about these socks is that they have maintained their softness throughout several washings. While they are super comfy for all-day wear while working or running errands, the softness makes me really want to wear them around the house. I have found that they are a particular good pairing for curling up in a chair with a cup of tea and a good book.

You can purchase these Bambu Dru socks or any of their other offerings on their website. At the time of this writing, the ankle socks are $6.00 per pair, and the crew socks are $7.25 per pair. You might also get lucky and run into them tabling at local festivals but, if you don’t want to wait, definitely jump on the website to order a few pairs!
 
If you have any questions, you can call Bambu Dru at (714) 990-1210 or email them at bambudru@gmail.com.

Look what I found at the 99 Cents Only store yesterday!

In case it is difficult to read, that is a bamboo cutting board made from organic bamboo for only $1.99, a Himalayan pink salt grinder for $.99, and a Himalayan pink salt shaker for $.99.

As you can see in the photo below, this super-cheap Himalayan pink salt is certified non-GMO, kosher, vegan and halal.

I LOVE coming across awesome dollar store finds like these!

As you probably know, inventory can change quickly, so if you are interested in picking up one of these organic bamboo cutting boards or some Himalayan pink salt, get to your local 99 Cents Only store soon!

Have you found any organic or vegan deals at your local dollar stores lately? Let us know in the comments below!

I should start this vegan tomato sauce review by noting that I’m not a big fan of jarred tomato sauces. There are plenty of vegan and organic options out there, but they usually have too much sugar, too many additives or just don’t have that homemade taste you want in your pasta or pizza sauce. You know?
 
I’m also not one of those vegans who eats a lot of pasta. So, since I only eat it occasionally, it’s not a problem for me to take the time to make homemade sauces when I do.
 
However, my omnivore wife -- who isn’t all that concerned with eating organic -- is a huge pasta fan and is not the type to cook from scratch, which means we always have jarred tomato sauces in the pantry. Since I am far more concerned with her eating organic (and non-GMO) than she is, I was very quick to say yes when I was approached by the folks at Uncle Steve’s Italian Specialties to review their vegan, organic sauces.  
 
After all, if I can stock the pantry with tasty pasta sauce and pizza sauce options that just happen to be organic and vegan, everyone is happy.
 
So, let’s talk sauce.

Folks who eat plant-based, organic diets are usually more concerned with where their food comes from and who is making it than our conventional-Western-diet counterparts.
 
So, of course, we all want to know who Uncle Steve is.
 
Uncle Steve is Steve Schirripa. You probably know him as Bobby Baccalieri on The Sopranos or Detective Anthony Abetemarco on Blue Bloods. Aside from his numerous acting credits, he is also an author and launched Uncle Steve’s Italian Specialties in 2014 as a tribute to his late mother and using family recipes handed down from her.
 
As a little side note, the first line in his Twitter bio is, “Tomato sauce with a conscience.”

The sauces made by Uncle Steve’s are different than most others on the store shelf for several reasons. First off, they are made in small batches, which is not usually true of sauces you can buy on Amazon or from stores like Walmart. Secondly, they are made with fresh, organic ingredients – and you can recognize and pronounce every word on the ingredient list.
 
As noted on the Uncle Steve’s Organic Sauces website, “Our products are USDA certified organic, gluten free, dairy free, vegan, kosher and contain no added sugar. With no GMOs, no harmful pesticides, and nothing artificial.” His sauces are also certified paleo.
 
Sounds pretty good to me.

We were given three flavors of sauce to review: Organic Marinara, Organic Tomato and Basil, and Organic Arrabiata. I’m noticing that the Organic Tomato and Basil is not currently available on his site and is only available in limited quantities elsewhere. This leads me to believe he may be focusing on just the marinara and arrabiata now, so I, too, am going to focus on those two in this review.

The Organic Marinara sauce is made from organic, imported Italian whole peeled tomatoes, organic fresh onions, organic extra virgin olive oil, organic fresh garlic, sea salt, organic fresh basil and organic black pepper.
 
As mentioned above, it is organic, vegan, paleo, gluten free, non-GMO and kosher.
 
Although my wife is usually only in charge in the kitchen when Mexican or Puerto Rican food is on the menu, she has somehow also become the chief pasta maker. So, I handed her the jar and went back to work in my office. Soon, the house was filled with the aroma of simmering tomato sauce that smelled just as good as the homemade sauces I occasionally make.

Normally, she adds all sorts of stuff to jarred sauces, such as fresh garlic, peppers, onions and hot sauce (I did mention the Mexican/Puerto Rican thing, right?). But I requested that she add nothing this time so that we could get a real feel for how this sauce tasted without the normal doctoring.
 
The first thing I would say about the taste is that it was clean and fresh, which are two things I do not expect from pasta sauce in a jar. It also had a bit of chunkiness to it, which is much more like a homemade sauce than something you grab off of a grocery store shelf.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by this sauce and really enjoyed the pasta dish we made using it. We also both really dug dipping our gluten-free garlic bread in it.
 
I can definitely see using this sauce in a variety of dishes and just adding different ingredients to fit the dish.

We decided to use this sauce on homemade pizzas and were not disappointed.
 
The Organic Tomato Basil sauce is made from organic, imported Italian whole peeled tomatoes, organic fresh onions, organic extra virgin olive oil, organic fresh basil, organic fresh garlic, sea salt, and organic black pepper.
 
It tasted fresh and delicious as pizza sauce, and I can see this one being just as delicious on pasta or in other dishes that call for tomato sauce.

Since we like things a little spicier than some folks, we saved the Arrabiata for last and were very much looking forward to giving it a try.
 
Let’s start with the ingredients: organic, imported Italian whole peeled tomatoes, organic fresh onions, organic extra virgin olive oil, organic fresh garlic, sea salt, organic fresh basil, organic crushed red pepper, organic black pepper.

Now, I’ve read some other product reviews for Uncle Steve’s Organic Arrabiata where the reviewers thought it was pretty spicy. I agree that it has a bit more kick than the others, which is great for folks who like a fuller flavor in their tomato sauce. However, we didn’t find it to be particularly spicy…and we did end up adding some hot sauce after trying it without. If you like a little bit of heat, I think you will like this one quite a bit.

The first night, we made spaghetti with some sauteed vegetables and garlic bread, which was pretty darn good. Then, I added some vegan Italian sausage and vegan parm to the leftovers the next day, and it was borderline amazing.
 
Overall, this one also had the fresh, clean taste of a homemade sauce, which was just such a nice surprise from a jarred sauce.

You can buy Uncle Steve’s Organic Sauces (plus pasta and gift sets) on the Uncle Steve’s website, from Walmart or on Amazon. If you purchase them on the Uncle Steve’s website, you get free shipping on orders over $40. If you purchase them from Uncle Steve’s through Amazon, you get free shipping even if your order is less than $40, so that’s a little bonus.
 
If you live in the northeastern US, you can also use this store locator on the Uncle Steve’s website to find a store selling Uncle Steve’s Organic Sauces near you.
 
At the time of this writing, each jar comes out to about $7.97 on the Uncle Steve’s website with free shipping on orders over $40. It is $8.97 per jar on Amazon, but you get free shipping on orders totaling less than $40. So, if you plan on buying one set of three jars, you are better off getting them on Amazon. If you are planning on buying more than one set of three jars, buy them on Uncle Steve’s website.

For our friends at the FTC: I was provided with free product samples in exchange for this product review. The opinions are my own and are never influenced by whether I receive a free product to review or I purchase the product to review.