Tag: macaroni and cheese

Amy’s Rice Mac & Cheeze Review | Vegan & Gluten Free Mac and Cheese

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Food Friday! Today I am excited to share a review of the Amy’s Rice Mac & Cheeze with you. A few weeks back I had a craving for boxed macaroni and cheese. Yes, boxed mac and cheese specifically! I know there are some vegan varieties out there, but unfortunately my local grocery store doesn’t carry any. I luckily spotted the Amy’s Rice Mac & Cheeze in the freezer section, and internally squealed with joy! My mac and cheese craving was about to be conquered!

This box was a bit expensive at $3.69, especially when compared to what boxed mac and cheese normally costs, but it was worth it for a special treat! Amy’s Rice Mac & Cheeze is not only vegan, but it is gluten free and soy free as well, so it’s great if you have a lot of food allergies. This is, of course, a junk food, and it is very high in fat at a whopping 22 grams. Luckily, it has 8 grams of protein, which I think is pretty good for this small container. Once I got home I noticed that the product is made using Daiya cheese. I think Daiya has a very specific and acquired taste, so I was a bit nervous about how this would be. Luckily, I really enjoyed it!

Here is what the Mac & Cheeze looks like once it is cooked. I used the microwave, but it can also be made in a conventional oven. It may not look that appetizing, but it’s quite delicious and definitely satisfied my mac and cheese craving! I love how creamy the sauce is, and the pasta has a nice texture to it. I don’t think I’ve ever had rice pasta before, but it’s really tasty in this dish. I wouldn’t say this tastes exactly like non-vegan mac and cheese, but it is a close substitute for sure.

You can tell I am a big fan of this product because I repurchased it the next time I went to the grocery store! This time I added some sautéed broccoli and chickpeas to the pasta to add some more nutrients. It was absolutely delicious! I will definitely be experimenting with this more in the future. I bet there are a lot more combinations that would taste great and also make the meal a bit healthier.

All in all, I’m very happy with the Amy’s Rice Mac & Cheeze! If you need to satisfy a mac and cheese craving, this is a great way to go. I will be sure to buy this again in the future, but I’m also hoping my grocery store will get a boxed vegan mac and cheese, since that will be a more affordable option. I also plan to try to make my own mac and cheese at home, but sometimes I just love the boxed variety!

What is your favorite vegan mac and cheese? Let me know in the comments!

My January Julep Maven Box!

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Wednesday! Today I have a review of my January Julep Maven Box. Better late than never, right? January was the month of neons and nudes over at Julep, and for the first time since I joined the program I was a bit disappointed with the polishes. Let me show you what was in my box.

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Here is a quick Instagram photo of my box and its contents. I chose the It Girl style, which guarantees three nail polishes. My extras were “swatch me” stickers to put on the top of the polishes with a dab of polish, and three yoga hair ties. I love the hair ties so much and have been using them every day since I got the box! Since I was home for the holidays at the time, my mom even gave me two of hers. That was a great bonus. The polishes, on the other hand, were not as thrilling.

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Up first is Amelia, what Julep calls a “light champagne frost”. This polish, as I’m sure you can tell from the photos, was just awful. I needed three coats to achieve opacity, and each layer was uneven and extremely streaky. Amelia’s formula was goopy, and hard to see during application due to its opalescent nature. It did have a nice shimmer quality to it, but this was so hard to work with I’m not sure if I would ever use it again. Amelia is the first dud I have ever received from Julep!

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Nikki is the first of the two neon shades in my January box. According to Julep, Nikki is a highlighter yellow polish, but in reality is is a mix between pea soup green and mustard. I needed three coats to achieve opacity with Nikki, as it was very sheer. Formula wise I didn’t have any problems, and it actually dries really quickly. I am really disappointed with the color, as it is not neon on its own as advertised. I definitely would need a white base underneath to bring out the color. Nikki also has a satin finish instead of a creme look. Finally, it stained my nails upon removal! I’m not too happy with Nikki either.

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Last but not least is Nina, a tangerine orange neon. Finally! A polish I love! Nina is opaque in two coats, and while the formula is a bit goopy, it’s not streaky and dries quickly. Nina also has a satin finish, and reminds me a bit of macaroni and cheese color. It is definitely my favorite from the box.

Overall, I was a bit disappointed with my January Julep Maven box. This was the first month since I joined the program that my polishes were not top notch. I do have to say that with all of the Juleps I’ve tried to date, I am more than okay to accept a few duds and move on. Spoiler alert: I’ve already tried the polishes from my February box, and those formulas are great quality! I still support the Maven program, and will continue to receive a box each month even after one bad experience. If you’d like to join the program for $19.99 per mont, go to the Julep website HERE. You can also get your first month for FREE with the code FREEMAVEN at checkout!

Illamasqua Optimist: It’s Okay to Splurge (Sometimes)

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

While Adventures in Polishland is all about fabulous nails at an affordable price, there are times when it is okay to splurge on a special polish. After seeing beautiful swatches of the Illamasqua Limited Edition Rubber Finish Nail Varnish over at LacqueredLover.com, I decided to treat myself to a polish from the collection to celebrate my start of law school. I headed over to Sephora’s website, and chose Optimist, what Illamasqua describes as “warm yellow.” I was a bit surprised when my new polish came in the mail and it was a bright orange! At first I was a little bummed, but I paid $14 for my new Illamasqua and the least I could do was try it on.

I have never tried a polish with a rubber finish before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. The formula is easy to work with, but you can definitely see any imperfections and brush strokes. I began with two coats, but I added a third coat just to make sure the finish looked the way I wanted it to. I knew that I wouldn’t be using a top coat with this polish, because the whole point is to showcase the rubber finish! It took a little while for me to get used to this new look, but after a few hours I came to love Optimist!

 

The color of Optimist actually reminds me of the Crayola crayon “Macaroni and Cheese.” I love how smooth and creamy the finish looks. I have been looking for the perfect orange polish, and I found it here with Illamasqua’s Optimist even though I thought I was buying a yellow polish. This color is great for fall, and even reminded me a bit of a pumpkin. I like how the color is bright, but not a neon.  That way it a bit more subdued, and not as “in your face.”

 

 

Though I can’t spend $14 for nail polish on a regular basis, I am sure glad I splurged on Illamasqua. If you are looking to try out a great, higher end brand be sure to stop by your local Sephora store. After buying this polish online and being surprised by the color, I definitely suggest looking at these in person first. That way you will find the perfect color for you!

Have you tried Illamasqua polish? What do think of Optimist?