Tuesday, December 05, 2006

We've gone Soyatoo Crazy! and Bulbs...

So I've heard about this fabulous new product called "Soyatoo" for about a year now, and I've been dying to try it. I mean, vegan, healthy whipped cream in a can? How could I not? Except that... it costs $5.99 or more. But recently, Soyatoo has been on sale at our Co-op for "only" $3.29, so Daiku and I snapped up a can.

Our first try was to have it on top of Purely Decadent Raspberry À la Mode ice cream with some sprinkles.



First reaction? I must admit, we were both a little disappointed. It tasted so... soy-like. Its blandness contrasted badly with the sweetness of the ice cream. (I think Raspberry À la Mode is my new favorite Purely Decadent Flavor! I'm usually a sucker for anything chocolate, but this stuff was good, with thick swirls of raspberry and chewy brownies... mmmm).



Our second try was somewhat better... a banana split sundae with bananas, frozen blueberries, ice cream and Soyatoo sprinkled with cocoa powder. Much better combination of flavors.

But it was with THIS:



that we had a revelation! Mexican hot chocolate made with cocoa, cinammon, and chilli powder, topped with Soyatoo and more cocoa. Guess what? Soyatoo is SO much better on hot things than on cold. As it melts, its flavor mellows and becomes sweet and creamy, just what you'd want on top of hot chocolate or chai or nog or...

* * *

On the day after Thanksgiving, Daiku and I knew that we could no longer put off preparing our lawn and yard for winter. So we did some raking, put some things away, and funnest of all, planted our bulbs.



I love planting these bulbs at the beginning of winter, and having them surprise us with beautiful blooms at the beginning of spring. Believe me, after a long Syracuse winter, some simple flowers are all it takes to lift your mood!

What did we plant?



Daffodils, muscari, and scilla. We also have some tulips and hyacinths from last year that we hope will come back.

And it seems like winter is finally here. After being amazed with the lack of cold weather and snow for so long, I can now report that it's freezing and snowy in Syracuse!


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20 comments:

Anonymous said...

i cant wait to have that in the island!

Anonymous said...

I absolutely agree about Soyatoo !

I love it with Teecino "coffees" and hot chocolate. So good !
Too bad it is so expansive :p

I didn't get to plant bulbs like I wanted :( I hope you will take a pic when yours come out !
Great symbol of hope when you just can't wait for winter to be over LOL

Eat Peace Please said...

I love soyatoo. My first recation was a very soy flavor too, and usually the first bite is all the time, but I love this stuff.

It sells here for $4 normally and I often find it on sale for $3. It lasts up to 10 days in the fridge, and I get a lot of use out of it when I have some. I agree about putting it on hot things, your mexican hot chocolate looks amazing. I've been having it recently on Vitasoy Peppermint heated up. Yum.

meesh said...

I have never heard of Soyatoo. I'll have to look for it at Whole Foods or something. I miss whip cream on my hot chocolate. :)

I hope your flowers come up nice and pretty in the spring. Good for you for getting them planted in time! :)

laura k said...

I love the Soyatoo stuff, though my first reaction was the same--"Yuck! That tastes like tofu!" But it really, really is much better on hot things... great with a latte and a sprinkle of cinnamon on top!

Speaking of hot things, I was wondering if there's any chance of getting your Mexican hot chocolate recipe out of you? I have always wanted to try it, but have perpetually been afraid of ruining a great cup of hot chocolate by putting in TOO MUCH chili powder! Proportion guidance would be much appreciated...

Dori said...

Whisper, hot cocoa, a wonderful Thanksgiving menu... wow! A real treat for my eyes to read today. I haven't said YEAH! congrats on the win yet. ... now I have. Have a great day. The hot cocoa....mmmmm!

Kati said...

I can't wait to have a house (and a yard) so I can have my own garden. Exciting!

I've been curious about the soyatoo for awhile, too, but now that I've decided to go and give up sugar, I probably won't be trying it any time soon. Ah well. It at least makes for good eye candy!

Paulie said...

You can't beat hot chocolate with chili and real cocoa - there's nothing quite like it!

Anonymous said...

Good to know about the Soyatoo. I've been very curious to try it but unwilling to pay the high price. If I ever do buy it I'll definitely stick to hot treats. Your cocoa looks delicious!

runswithdog said...

Oh yeah, winter is here. I can't believe how cold it is - it feels so much colder than what the temperature says and that hot chocolate looks like the bees knees LOL I second the request for the recipe!

I didn't get to the Plowshares Crafts fair this year. I usually try to go at least one day. For a few years one of the local greyhound adoption groups had a booth and I volunteered with them. This year it just wasnt' to be - too much on the agenda last weekend :-(

aTxVegn said...

I recently spent $6 on Soyatoo and it wouldn't spray onto our warm brownies. What a waste! I think I'll do like Candi and just stick to Soy Delicious and really get my money's worth.

I wish I had a green thumb. Between my lack of skills and our heat, I've given up on gardening.

That hot cocoa is sounding really good right now!

bazu said...

Hi all,

We just kind of made up the hot chocolate on the spot, so I can't give an exact recipe, but this is what we did:

Ghiradelli unsweetened cocoa powder
Sugar
Soymilk
Cinnamon

tiny pinch of chili powder (I'd say ~ 1/4 tsp. per cup) to taste

mix cocoa with small amount of milk to create a paste. to that add hot milk, sugar, cinnamon, and chili, mix well. top with whipped topping and cocoa powder and/or cinnamon.

enjoy!

p.s. I noticed I could taste the chili more with each sip- it's really assertive, but really good!

Anya said...

I've only tried Soyatoo on coffee and liked it a lot. Can imagine thought that it wouldn't be as good on ice-cream.

Anonymous said...

I haven't heard of soyatoo, only hip whip (I think that's what it's called). Are they similar?

wheresmymind said...

I'd still suck that right from the can and drive my wife up the wall ;)

Eat Peace Please said...

Kati, the Soyatoo has 1g of sugar in 2 tablespoons! That's amazing.

Here's the whole nutrition facts for all of you:

2T serving (about 33 servings total)
Calories 10
Total Fat 0.5g
Sat Fat 0.5g
Trans Fat 0g
Sodium 0mg
Carb 1g
Fiber 0g
Sugars 1g
Protein 0g

Ingredients: organic soymilk, organic coconut oil, organic fractionated palm kernel oil, organic sugar-beet syrup, organic maltodexrin, tartaric acid, carrageenan, sea salt, natural vanilla extract.

(the only "bad" part is the plant oils, so it's not really that bad).

Kati said...

(this is a repost from my own blog that I felt justified in repeating - sorry to clutter up your comments, Bazu!)

EPP - thanks for posting the nutrition info. My concern is not for the amount of "sugar" grams a product has, but rather for the type of sugar it contains. In the interest of seeking a less "extreme" diet (in terms of yin and yang, stimulating effects, etc), I have chosen to avoid both cane sugar and beet sugar, however minutely they are present in a food. Unfortunately, the food labelers have created much confusion by labeling all sugars (whether they come from fruit, grains, or cane) as SUGAR, despite their differing effects in the body.

I appreciate your comments, though, and hope you visit again soon.

Nikk said...

Okay, so I tried Soyatoo when M and I went on a binge trip to Whole Foods to buy stuff to stock up his parents house... I think I am the only person who loved it at first try. It tasted like Cool Whip to me, which I always loved.

I did not like how it got all melty either...

Anonymous said...

I saw Soyatoo at Whole Foods but haven't tried it yet. Thanks for the heads up about using it on hot beverages. I definitely want to try it on some hot cocoa. Looking forward to seeing pics of your flowers when they bloom in the Spring :)

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