...a nice big bruise across my nose and what looks like a black eye.  I have been staring at my nose in the mirror trying to convince myself that it isn’t crooked and I don’t need to go to the doctor to get it adjusted.  So far, my psyche is winning. 

At least the pseudo shiner makes me feel tough when I go to work out.  My husband and I train at a boxing/martial arts gym, so I certainly don't look out of place.  Facial injuries are definitely more of a hazard in sports when you are petite I have noticed.  Fortunately, I have far too much fun to care. 

Back in dairy-free mode…I trialed a fabulous Chocolate Cake mix from Sylvan Border Farm.  I am not a huge chocolate fan nor big on cake (yes, I am a woman I swear), but this one was enjoyed by myself and all other tasters.  Very surprising considering it was also gluten-free!  The texture and flavor were perfect, though after a full day, it did get a bit crumbly.  I topped it with a homemade, dairy-free coconut pecan topping (chunkier than a frosting) for a German chocolate cake twist.  I really liked the frosting as well, though I found that using evaporated cane juice made for more of a coffee-like flavor.  The cake mix review should be up in our Product Reviews section in the coming week.

We trialed and reviewed Sylvan Border Farm’s Lemon Cake a couple of weeks ago, which was also wonderful.  My favorite was actually the lemon cake.  I dressed it with a dairy-free cream cheese frosting.  Delicious!

Lunch today was another successful meal (I am on a role!).  I whipped up the Veggie Hot Pot recipe, mixing up the additions quite a bit.  Since we were over-spiced from some weekend Thai food, I omitted the chili, and I was unfortunately out of basil.  I kept the rest of the curry sauce the same and it was wonderful. I think I actually prefer it without the chili pepper.  It is quite full bodied.  I used ground turkey, butternut squash, mushrooms, onions, and jasmine rice for the rest of the recipe.  This is one of my favorite recipes as you can throw in whatever vegetables, meat, or tofu that you have on hand. 

Tomorrow morning I will finally have the opportunity to test out Namaste Foods Sugar-Free Muffin Mix.  I was eager to prepare them for a holiday brunch when I suddenly realized I had no muffin tins!  With a new muffin pan(?) - it is one of those new silicone bakeware items - in hand I am ready to give these a whirl. 

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