Posts tagged ‘review’
Soy Candles by Phebes – Review & Giveaway!
When Mike from Soy Candles by Phebes contacted me and offered to send me some candles to review – there was no doubt in my mind that the answer was yes! I had visited their website a few days prior to when they contacted me, and at that point I had already had it in my mind that “Sweet Cotton” was a candle I needed in my life. So this was quite a fortuitous offer!
According to their website, Soy Candles by Phebes are handmade in America (Georgia) and are hand poured at the time of each order – talk about made to order! The candles use only essential oils and plant derived fragrance oils, and are blended with 100% American grown soy beans! To boot, they are vegan owned and operated!
And if the fact that they are vegan made and eco-friendly doesn’t win you over, you need to check out their list of available fragrances. I have to say the variety of scents they offer on their website truly are both unique and modern. I was lucky enough to receive the scent that I had been coveting, “Sweet Cotton” and a surprise scent “Osmanthus Fragrant Tea Olive”. Check out the sleek and simple glasses the candles are sent in, which are unadorned with stickers and are all neutral in color.
“Sweet Cotton” was everything it is described as “Fresh Green Apple with hints of Orange & Pineapple on a Downy Base”. This candle is out of this world delightful! I love a crisp fruity candle, and I am not exaggerating when I say that this is my officially my favorite summer smell. Even unlit this candle’s fragrance fills our office – which also houses the cat’s litter box, so that says a lot. The strength of this candle is quite unreal, and upon entering the room my nostril’s are instantly greeted with a light fruity fragrance. I LOVE IT!
The “Osmanthus Frangrant Tea Olive” was my surprise scent. Traditionally, I enjoy two types of candles: fruity and desserty, florals rarely make their way into my home. However this scent manages to pull off floral with a hint of fruity – and that’s how it won me over. Again, the strength of these candles is astounding. I’ve found the perfect home for this calming scent – in my bathtub for a spa shower/bath. It’s soothing and quickly fills the bathroom with it’s aroma.
By now you should be practically drooling at the endless possibilities that Phebes can offer your home – and you may be lucky enough to receive one free candle of your choice!
The kind folks at Phebes have offered to give one lucky reader a candle of their choice! How do you enter?
- First and foremost, visit Soy Candles by Phebes website and comment on this page to tell me which scent you secretly are coveting!
- For an “extra” entry and to spread some Domestic lovin’, link back to this post and let me know you did in the comments!
The contest runs until Friday at midnight – and I’ll randomly choose a winner on Saturday morning! Good luck!
*SPECIAL OFFER: Visit www.soycandlesbyphebes.com and buy three candles and get a fourth free! Simply mention that you found us on Amanda’ss Domestic Adventures and indicate what scent you’d like for the free candle and you’re in!”
Southern comfort.
About three month ago I got on a homemade chili kick. A work friend and I took turns making a vegan dinner each night for 3-weeks as my kickoff to vegan eating. One night she totally hit it home with a sausage lentil chili that D and I demolished. I kept asking her for the recipe but she is one of those “just throw it together” types and really had no recipe to share, aside from the key ingredient: Mexican Chipolte Field Roast Sausage. I spent some time investigating recipes until I came around to PPKs Lucy’s Real Vegetarian Chili recipe. I tweaked it by adding the Field Roast sausage, and changing a few ingredients around to my liking.
Holy wow. D and I demolished this even moreso than the first chili! It absolutely has a kick to it – but nothing over the top by any means. This is 100% my go-to chili recipe. In fact, when D came home tonight and saw me at work in the kitchen, he asked “Is that the really good chili? YES!” he also asked “Are you making cornbread too?”, to which of course I answered, YES. I made Veganomicon‘s Skillet Cornbread, except, not in a skillet – and I halved it. Perfection! Enjoy my tweaked version of the chili below, and I heartily thank the PPK for this meal!
_____________________________________________________________
Vegan Sweet Potato Chili
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped fine
1 sweet potato, medium, peeled and chopped
1 Field Roast Chipolte Sausage (1 link); chopped
1 15 oz. can fire roasted tomatoes
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 15 oz. can pinto beans, drained
2 Tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon oregano
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped fine
1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon sugar
2 bay leaves
Directions
Heat olive oil over medium heat in a deep cast iron skillet or large soup pot. Before it begins to smoke, add onions and saute until softened, about two minutes. Add the sweet potato and saute another minute. Stir in the sausage and allow to brown for three more minutes.
Add tomatoes. With a potato masher, crush the tomatoes until tomatoes are slightly smushy and sausage is more crumbly. Add beans, garlic, chili powder, oregano, cumin, red pepper flakes and stir to incorporate. Add the sugar, bay leaves and stir. Lower the heat to simmer and cover. Simmer for twenty to thirty minutes, stirring one or twice to prevent it from scorching.
On a side note, I’m not really sure in which direction I want this blog to go. I am beginning to feel that daily eats/fitness updates are not my style. I think this may tend to lean more towards cookie/baking recipes and reviews, with some side notes on my fitness adventures as well (once they get up and running). This is still to be determined, however this may suit my needs and interest more in general. We shall see!
