SHE’S GREEN JOHN BURKHART
HE’S GREEN
EARTH-FRIENDLY SWITCHES
Product reviews from our eco-conscious couple John & Jennifer Burkhart
JENNIFER BURKHART
With temperatures as nice as they are in April, you have to get outside and appreciate Mother Nature. It's also good to show our appreciation by choosing products that don’t damage our amazing planet. Celebrate Earth Day this month by making at least one product switch to something more Earth-friendly. Need some inspiration? Read on, fellow Earthlings.
3BBAGS
REUSABLE PRODUCE BAGS HE SAID: Let’s be real, single-use plastic bags are ridiculous. I don't
want to soap box too much here, but as a scuba diver, I've seen firsthand the staggering amount of plastic in our oceans. These 3BBags are sturdy, with a solid cross-stitching on the seams. They are also machine washable, so they can be used over again without much work. In one year, just one package of these can keep 150 bags out of the oceans. Get one...please.
SHE SAID: These have been one of my favorite eco-
friendly switches. It's such an easy way to get rid of those insidious plastic bags. I love that these are made in the USA, have a lifetime warranty (sweet!), and that you get two different sizes for all your produce needs. Handy tip: I usually toss them in with a load of towels to keep them clean. The only tough part? Not forgetting them in the car.
PLANT PERKS
GARLIC AND HERB CHEEZE SPREAD HE SAID: We have reviewed quite a few of these cream
cheese alternatives over the years, and I'll tell ya, there are some funky ones out there. Some too tart, some too fluffy, but this Plant Perks spread was about as good as it gets. It had a delectable garlic herb flavor that had me going back to the cupboard for more crackers, and the texture was spot on. I could taste the cashews in the background a bit, but this is still a great sub for cream cheese.
SHE SAID: Wow. Cashews for the win if you want creamy, “I can't believe it's not cheese,” cheeze! I couldn't get enough of this perfect blend of garlic, basil, cilantro, and parsley. So grab some water crackers (read: bland, plain) and let this deliciousness shine! You'll be fighting off voracious vampires in no time. And if it wasn't so spendy, I'd always keep some in the fridge.
SO DELICIOUS
BLUEBERRY CARDAMOM FROZEN DESSERT HE SAID: Milk alternative ice creams have come a long way.
We reviewed So Delicious coconut ice cream years ago and it was an icy mess. But this new So Delicious dessert was smooth and creamy just like the real deal. I'm not a huge fan of this flavor though. It tasted like blueberry pancakes with a cup of chai on the side. Interesting, but not amazing. Also… kudos to the person who named this company, though I've been telling you how I'm not a fan while also calling it So Delicious... well played.
SHE SAID: I've been dairy-free for a while, and miss
cow’s milk ice cream so much. Non-dairy ice cream rarely achieves that creamy, rich flavor. Imagine my surprise when this coconut-based dessert tasted deliciously creamy! Sure, the cardamom was weird, but it was light, and kind of worked with the rich blueberry flavor. There is hope, yet!
UPTON'S NATURALS BAR-B-QUE JACKFRUIT
HE SAID: I went into this expecting pulled pork, which was a lofty expectation, I know. This is not, nor will it ever be, a replacement for good ol' fashioned barbecue pulled pork. Once I stopped comparing it I started to appreciate it a bit more. It was a sweet and peppery barbecue sauce slathered over a particularly fleshy fruit (think artichoke hearts). I would think this was pretty good if I'd never had the real thing.
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greenliving | April 2020
SHE SAID: If you've ever wondered what artichokes drenched in spicy BBQ sauce would taste like, just grab a box of this! Sure, it looked like shredded pork, but had a slippery texture and tangy taste of artichokes. All the chili pepper in the world (and this had a lot) couldn't distract me from the fact that this was nothing like meat-based BBQ.
greenlivingaz.com
