Review of Tom's Of Maine Luminous White Toothpaste

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Tom’s of Maine . All opinions are 100% mine.

When Todd and I first went vegan over three years ago, we immediately began to replace our conventional toiletries, housewares, apparel, and accessories with vegan-friendly alternatives. It took some time; we didn't throw out our old products on the spot, but replaced them when they were used up.

For replacing toiletries like face wash, soap, shampoo, deodorant, lotions, etc. this meant finding natural products that did not contain animal products nor were tested on animals. For the most part, we had been buying items such as these long before becoming vegan. However, I still had a few products that didn't fit the bill and on occasion, it was harder than I thought to find cruelty-free, natural, and effective products! Toothpaste happened to be one of the items that I still had yet to find a decent substitution for. 

This is why I was so excited to test and review Tom’s of Maine new Luminous White ™ Toothpaste which is exclusively handpicked by Target for their Made To Matter collection. I don't know why it never occurred to me to check Target for the vegan products I had been seeking! The line's mission is to challenge brands to create products that meet at least one of five criteria: reduced sugar, dietary restrictions, clean label, and/or less packaging & closed loop; all of those are things that I myself look for in products, so I am super excited to support this new collection. It actually includes a ton of vegan brands!

Luminous White ™ Toothpaste is Tom's of Maine's most advanced natural whitening toothpaste. As I'm someone who has been scolded by my dentist to, "Try not to brush so hard..." I'm relieved to know that this toothpaste is completely safe for enamel and everyday use. Luminous White ™ Toothpaste is comprised of biodegradable and mineral-derived ingredients, water, and contains no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives.It's also gluten and paraben free, and it's vegan; containing zero animal products. Tom's of Maine never tests on animals either, which is great.

While I haven't been using Luminous White ™ Toothpaste long enough to comment on its whitening ability, I can say that I really appreciate that it doesn't have a strong minty flavor. There was a little 'whitening' aftertaste to it, but what else would you expect from a whitening toothpaste? Subtle in flavor, this toothpaste is a more of a paste consistency as opposed to a gel consistency (I'm anti-gel toothpaste). I can't wait to see the whitening results as time goes by! 

So, if you're like me and searching for an effective, natural, and cruelty-free toothpaste that you can feel good about... look no further. Don't forget Luminous White ™ Toothpaste exclusively at Target. Have you discovered this new toothpaste or any of the items from the Made To Matter collection? With Tom’s of Maine®, there’s something for everyone in your family – Wicked Cool!TM Deodorants, Luminous White ™ Toothpaste, and Men’s Naturally Dry North Woods™ Antiperspirant. Free of artificial dyes, fragrances, flavors and preservatives, Tom’s of Maine products are good for the planet and are Made to Matter® - handpicked by Target. What did you think? I'll be excited to try more. It's great that stores are listening to their consumers and offering an easy way to discover products that matter to them and align with their values and morals: products that are good for the planet and good for us too. 

Penne w/ Broccoli & Miso Pine Nut Gremolata + Dreamfields Giveaway

This bright and zesty pasta is a great way to get in some greens! Toasted pine nuts lend a unique flavor that blend excellently with par-boiled broccoli. It’s lemony and earthy with plenty of umami from red miso and nutritional yeast; a plant-based protein meal sure to please the whole family and done in the time it takes to boil the noodles!  

Go Green! Today I'm thrilled to partner with Dreamfields Pasta to bring you this zesty, Penne w/ Broccoli & Miso Pine Nut Gremolata. Using Dreamfields Pasta is an easy way to make your meals a little bit healthier! Check below to enter a giveaway to win a case of their delicious and nutritious pasta.

Dreamfields pasta is made with premium durum wheat semolina here in North America. It's also a great way to fill up on fiber and protein with 5 and 7 grams respectively in each one-cup cooked serving! Dreamfields unique recipe contains inulin, a prebiotic fiber sourced from chicory root, which helps promote healthy digestion. Visit their website to learn more about the brand and find some more great pasta recipes. 

Penne w/ Broccoli & Miso Pine Nut Gremolata

By Kathleen Henry @ Produce On Parade

Published 10/04/2016

This bright and zesty pasta is a great way to get in some greens! Toasted pine nuts lend a unique flavor that blend excellently with par-boiled broccoli. It’s lemony and earthy with plenty of umami from red miso and nutritional yeast; a plant-based protein meal sure to please the whole family and done in the time it takes to boil the noodles!

Ingredients

• 1 box Dreamfields Penne Rigate
• 1 medium broccoli head chopped, florets only
• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• 1 large lemon
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon red miso paste (or other favorite variety)
• Dash black pepper
• Dash crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons large-flake nutritional yeast
• Vegan Parmesan cheese (optional)

Instructions

1. Prepare pasta according to package directions, adding chopped broccoli to pan during last 3 minutes of cooking. Before draining, reserve 1/4 cup cooking liquid. Return pasta and broccoli to pan; set aside.
2. Meanwhile, in small skillet, toast pine nuts over medium-low heat about 10 minutes or until fragrant, stirring often; set aside Watch carefully so they do not overcook.
3. Zest lemon; measure out 1 tablespoon of zest. Juice lemon, measure out 2 tablespoons of juice.
4. In liquid measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon zest and juice, miso paste and peppers, whisking until miso is well incorporated.
5. Stir reserved cooking water, oil mixture, parsley, garlic, yeast and toasted pine nuts into pasta. Toss to coat well. Serve immediately, topped with vegan Parmesan, if desired.

Yield: 6

Prep Time: 20 mins.

Cook time: 10 mins.

Total time: 30 mins.

Nutrition

• Calories: 380
• Fat: 17
• Totalcarbs: 51
• Protein: 12
• Saturated Fat: 2
• Cholesterol: 0
• Sodium: 160
• Dietaryfiber: 8
• Calories:

A big thanks to Dreamfields Pasta for sponsoring this post! Enter the giveaway below. #HealthyPastaMonth

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Healthier Avocado Vodka 'Cream' Pasta + Classico Riserva Giveaway

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Classico Riserva for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

A healthy and modern twist on traditional vodka cream pasta. Avocado stands in for heavy cream, smokey TVP packs a vegan protein punch, and swiss chard gives itself for a nutritional boost. This pasta is everything; creamy, meaty, cheesy, and so darn delicious. Whips up in the time it takes to boil the noodles!

I just love it when a recipe comes together so, so perfectly. Todd adores vodka cream pasta. Me? Not so much. It's always been way too heavy for me and let's be real, it's obviously not that nutritious; heavy cream, cheese, vodka, and ground meat... it makes my arteries wanna clog up just thinking about it!

It was time something had to be done about this. So, I created my own version! In this healthier take on vodka cream pasta, I use avocado instead of heavy cream, TVP instead of oily ground meat, and added an entire bunch of swiss chard for a boost of nutrition. I couldn't believe what a couple wonderful, creamy avocados could do to kick heavy dairy to the curb. This will definitely be a staple in our house. I'm telling you, wonderful things happen when you have two aging avocados mingling about in your fridge. 

A couple jars of Classico Riserva pasta sauce were eyeing me from the pantry and I knew I wanted to do something fun with them. They Riserva sauce line is free from artificial ingredients and added sugars! I wanted to create a dish that was as sophisticated and delicious as this thick and savory pasta sauce itself and a vodka 'cream' sauce was just the ticket.

Riserva comes in five, slow-simmered flavors: Arrabiata, Roasted Garlic, Marinara, Eggplant Artichoke, and Puttanesca. Perhaps the greatest thing about the new Riserva line (besides everything else I've already listed) is that all the flavors are totally vegan. Yay!! Usually I have to scour the ingredient lists (which is always lengthy for some reason) on the back of pasta sauce jars, but not with Riserva! In addition, these sauces only contains a few ingredients, as they should. 

I'm also hosting a giveaway for three full-price coupons for this new sauce. Tell me in the comments what dish you'd like to make with Classico Riserva to be entered to win. Winners will be drawn at random and will close on 6.6.16 at noon EST. Open to U.S. only. Thank you, Classico Riserva for sponsoring this post! Open up a bottle of the good stuff! *** This giveaway is no CLOSED, thank you!***

Healthier Avocado Vodka 'Cream' Pasta

By Kathleen Henry @ Produce On Parade

Published 05/20/2016

A healthy and modern twist on traditional vodka cream pasta. Avocado stands in for heavy cream, smokey TVP packs a vegan protein punch, and swiss chard gives itself for a nutritional boost. This pasta is everything; creamy, meaty, cheesy, and so darn delicious. Whips up in the time it takes to boil the noodles!

Ingredients

• 1 lb pasta of choice (I like penne ), dry
• ⅓ cup vodka
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 28 oz jar of Classico Riserva pasta sauce
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp liquid smoke
• 2 ripe avocados, pitted
• ½ cup TVP (textured vegetable protein)
• ½ cup vegan shredded mozzarella cheese (optional)
• 1 bunch of chard, destemmed and chopped

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat for the pasta. Cook according to package until al dente, about 9 minutes; drain and return to pot.
2. While the pasta boils, simmer the vodka in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes until it’s reduced by half.
3. Add the pasta sauce, nutritional yeast, liquid smoke, and avocados to a blender; blend on high until completely smooth. Transfer to the reduced vodka and stir in the tvp. Cover and simmer an additional 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the chard to wilt; cover and continue to simmer for 2 minutes.
4. Over low heat, stir the sauce into the pasta to combine. Stir in the cheese ; serve hot.

Yield: 6

Yum