Faux Cheeses - Highly Requested

This one is highly requested so I’m going to jump right into it. Here is my list of current faux cheese favorites and other faux dairy brands below. Enjoy!

Let me know what you love so I can give it a try and shout out some more amazing brands!

And one quick caveat. Nothing replaces the flavor and texture of cheese but with these products, you aren’t harming animals, the environment or your body the way dairy cheese and products would, so I’d say that’s a win.

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Plant Based Faux Cheese

Treeline Soft French-Style Cashew Cheeses - Best cheese and cracker cheese. Veganize your charcuterie board with this one.

UPDATE CHAO - Best sliced cheese. It’s the only one I enjoy cold. Great in sandwiches and grilled cheese.

Oh my Heart Vegan Smoked Gouda - Also good for grilled cheese cheese. Melts considerably well. Doesn’t taste like smoked gouda so set those expectations but it’s good. My son snacks on this one but I personally don’t like it cold.

Kite Hill Ricotta - Best for lasagnas, pasta, sandwich spreads.

DIY Parmesan - I use the recipe from Oh She Glows Crowd Pleasing Cesar Salad - It takes about 2 minutes in the Vitamix.

Violife has also been recommended to me but I haven’t had a chance to try it.

Nutritional Yeast - This is basically a vegan goddess food. It’s so high in B12, I get my daily dose here. I add it to roasted veggies, vegan mac and cheese sauces, pasta, really anything that you’d like to make savory, nutty, delicious. It’s not cheese. Set your expectation. But it is wonderful. Some add it to popcorn, but I have yet to try that.

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Plant Based “CHEESY” Snacks

Late July Jalepeno Lime Chips - These are as close to cool ranch as they come. And the kicker is that they are even better! Warning: These are super addictive.

Hippies Organic Chickpea Vegan White Cheddar Puffs - Like cheesy poofs that are semi-healthy.

Forager Cheesy Greens Chips - These are on my list to try! Have you had them? Are they good? I love this brand so let me know!

(I am not a huge fan of the Earth Balance Vegan Cheddar Squares. They just taste kind of greasy and fake to me. I’ve tried them. My son loves them. But they aren’t my favorite so don’t let them convince you that plant based snacks don’t rock.)

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Plant Based Faux Yogurt

Forager Cashew Yogurt, Plain - It’s hands down my favorite plant based yogurt. I add it to smoothies so that Mateo and I get our daily dose of probiotics.

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Plant Based Faux Butter

Miyokos European Style Cultured Vegan Butter - Vegan butter that’s not made from palm oil! Finally!

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Plant Based Faux Milk

365 Brand and Blue Diamond Almond and Soy Milks - I prefer the refrigerated ones versus shelf stable but we keep a ton of both in the house. This is our smoothie base so we go through a lot. Kids don’t need cow’s milk at any point in their development despite what the dairy industry wants us to think.

DIY Cashew Milk - I have a whole blog post - Cashews are Magic - so take a look for that and other recipes there.

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Plant Based Ice Cream

Ben and Jerry’s Non Dairy PB and Cookie - Thank you, thank you, thank you.

FoMu - This one you may only find locally in MA but man oh man, if you haven’t had it, especially right from their store, you are missing out! All birthday ice cream cakes of mine come from here, too.

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Veganized Dinners

These are a repeat from my Whole Foods Market Vegan Virtual Haul post but they are worth repeating.

Kite Hill Plant Based Ravioli and Tortellini - I nearly cried when I saw this at Whole Foods in early 2020. Wow. Just wow. I love ravioli and tortellini and never thought I’d have it again because even the pumpkin and butternut squash varieties that I’d seen before all contained egg. Not this one.

Gotham Greens Vegan Pesto - Goes great with the Kite Hill pastas above. So delicious. I make my own in the summer when I have a ton of basil but wow this is great when I don’t have basil on hand.

Sweet Earth, Vegan Veggie Lover’s Frozen Pizza - This is my current favorite frozen vegan pizza. For me, pizza was my vegetarian to vegan deal breaker for a long time. When I finally found my motivator (compassion for animals) I said goodbye and to be honest, it was hard. But, I have had some faux brands that I like and mostly, I make my own that I think are so delicious.

Annie’s Mac and Cheese - It tastes just like what I remember boxed mac and cheese to taste like, which is to say, delicious. I make my own faux mac and cheese regularly now thanks to Ellen Fisher’s ebook recipe but I got this to try for a quick fix and I am definitely adding this into our pantry back up’s!

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Whole Foods Market Highlight - Virtual Vegan Shopping Haul

Today, I’m sharing my favorite plant based finds from Whole Foods Market. Mateo and I eat as much actual whole foods (produce, grains, nuts, seeds, beans etc) as possible and semi-limit processed foods but we do love them as a treat.

I obviously buy a ton of produce but that’s not all that exciting to see in a haul, so here are the packaged goodies you’ll love.

Plant Based Faux Dairy

Oh my Heart Vegan Smoked Gouda - This one is awesome for grilled cheese and my son likes it just as is as a snack. I can’t say that it tastes like what I remember smoked Gouda (or even cheese) to taste like but it is delicious and creamy and melts considerably well.

Forager Cashew Yogurt - It’s hands down my favorite plant based yogurt. I like plain but am about to try vanilla bean, pictured above as they were out of plain last time. I usually add berries, banana and granola. I also add it to smoothies so that Mateo and I get our daily dose of probiotics. I started putting some on top of oatmeal, a little happy accident from when I wanted both at the Kripalu breakfast bar but only had one bowl.

Miyokos Vegan Butter - Vegan butter that’s not made from palm oil! Finally! I usually get the “European Style Cultured Vegan Butter” but tried out oat milk based one this haul. I prefer the original.

Kite Hill Ricotta - Yep. It exists. Vegan Ricotta. And it’s amazing in lasagnas and pastas, and even makes for a nice sandwich spread.

365 Brand and Blue Diamond Almond Milks - I prefer the refrigerated ones versus shelf stable but we keep a ton of both in the house. This is our smoothie base so we go through a lot. Kids don’t need cow’s milk at any point in their development despite what the dairy industry wants us to tihnk. They don’t need a dairy free substitute either. But, it’s nice to have something other than water and Mateo really enjoys drinking it so this is what we use.

Veganized Dinners

Kite Hill Plant Based Ravioli and Tortellini - I nearly cried when I saw this at Whole Foods in early 2020. Wow. Just wow. I love ravioli and tortellini and never thought I’d have it again because even the pumpkin and butternut squash varieties that I’d seen before all contained egg. Not this one.

Vegetable Pot Stickers - It’s tricky because many dumplings and pot stickers have egg either in the filling or dough but these are vegan and really yummy.

Sushi and Fresh Rolls with Peanut Sauce - The prepared meals section usually has a sushi bar and the ones wrapped in green rubber bands are vegan. I love the brown rice avocado-cucumber-carrot sushi and the fresh rolls with peanut dipping sauce. The price mirrors take out but they’re good!

Hilary’s Veggie Burgers - I love the whole line.

Sweet Earth, Vegan Veggie Lover’s Frozen Pizza - This is my current favorite frozen vegan pizza. For me, pizza was my vegetarian to vegan deal breaker for a long time. When I finally found my motivator (compassion for animals) I said goodbye and to be honest, ti was hard. But, I have had some faux brands that I like and mostly, I make my own that I think are so delicious.

Amy’s Roasted Vegetable Frozen Pizza - This one is a runner up that I’ve had a handful of times. It does not taste like traditional pizza at all but it is really delicious. They apparently now have a vegan pesto and roasted artichoke one so sign me up for that!

Pizza Dough - As you can see, I love pizza and making my own has been my favorite way to enjoy it. I usually top with a little tomato sauce (homemade or jarred), black olives and artichokes and then fresh arugula and basil after it’s finished cooking. Yum.

Annie’s Mac and Cheese - It tastes just like what I remember boxed mac and cheese to taste like, which is to say, delicious. I make my own faux mac and cheese regularly now thanks to Ellen Fisher’s ebook recipe but I got this to try for a quick fix and I am definitely adding this into our pantry back up’s!

Sauces

Gotham Greens Vegan Pesto - Goes great with the Kite Hill pastas above. So delicious. I make my own in the summer when I have a ton of basil but wow this is great when I don’t have basil on hand.

365 and Siete Enchilada Sauces - You have to make the enchiladas but both of these sauces are delicious.

Tessemae’s Vegan Zesty Ranch - The best light salad dressing with the ranch flavor. It’s just so good.

Breakfasts

Kashi 7 Grain Waffles - Believe it or not, most frozen waffles are not vegan. But these are, woo hoo!

Annie’s Cinnamon Rolls - Betcha didn’t know these guys are vegan.

Abe’s Blueberry Muffins - Yum. We usually make our own but these are really tasty.

Desserts

Rubicon Vanilla Cupcakes - Hands down, the best vegan cupcake out there. They even have a dollop of frosting in the center. Yum. The top frosting to cake ratio is a bit high for me so frosting lovers, get on this one.

WFM Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies - A totally non-vegan friend of mine got me hooked on these.

Chocolate Covered Cocomel Bites - I found these originally on Thrive Market but I know that WFM carries them too. Super yum.

Ben & Jerry’s Vegan Ice Creams - Have you had them? This nice cream is amazing! My favorite is PB Cookie. Mint Cookie is a runner up.

Everything Else

And then there are so many obvious ones that I don’t think I really need to mention them. We buy peanut butter, almond butter, apple sauce, dried fruit, pasta, tea, snacks, etc. along with our produce.

Coffee

They have the best cold brew at the coffee bar. Even the decaf gives me a kick in the pants. And I am loving the prepackaged cold brew options. I haven’t disliked any of the brands they carry. It’s a nice alternative to going out to get coffee if you’re trying to save a bit of money on that. Obviously, brewing your own is much cheaper but these are a nice treat!

What I don’t buy at Whole Foods

I hear often that folks think that Whole Foods is expensive. I actually don’t agree. I just think you have to shop smart. I don’t buy things like Maple Syrup for example because I can get a large jug of it at Costco for half the price. But their produce, and packaged vegan products are on par with any other grocery store except perhaps Trader Joe’s. If you think you’re saving money at Stop and Shop though, I’d like to compare receipts.

I don’t love their vegan donuts. Let’s shout out that they should veganize their apple cider donuts because I bet those would be amazing!

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In my opinion, Whole Foods Market is good for…

• Foodies

• Those looking for specialty items that traditional grocery stores may not carry

• Those looking to avoid a lot of the junk found in traditional grocery stores. One thing that used to bother me so much was the trash magazines and candy in line at other stores. I love that the Whole Foods lines have beautiful magazines featuring beautiful food and yoga photography and limited junk food.

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Do you have a Whole Foods near you? Do you love it? I’d love to know your thoughts. Leave a note in the comments below or join the conversation on Instagram.

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Costco Highlight - Virtual Vegan Shopping Haul

Costco

Are you a Costco member? I’ve had a pretty strong love affair with this store for several years now and am pretty frequently asked about the products I buy there. They seem to be overlooked by most and then coveted. So, I thought I’d put this virtual haul together to share which plant-based products I buy at Costco.

I have not been to a Costco store since February. We are staying home, quarantined, and I hope you are doing the same. But, if you use instacart, you just may snag some of these goodies.

I’m often asked if I think Costco makes sense for my small family and actually, I do. I buy smart. I stock up. I use their gas station for cheap gas and even have their credit card for great rewards. There are certain items I would never need to buy because the quantity is so large but I think that would be the case for any family.

In my opinion, Costco is good for…

• Cost savers - I get a thrill from a good deal

• Bulk buyers

• People who don’t mind shopping at more than one store for their groceries

• People who like to hunt and find amazing deals

• People who live near a Costco gas station because the savings are amazing

The types of products I buy most are…

• Inexpensive, organic bulk produce

• Frozen fruit

• Bulk nuts and seeds

• Canned goods

• Pasta

Without further ado, here is my Costco virtual vegan shopping haul. I included links to those items I could find on their website.

Fridge Items

• Fresh Fruit - Raspberries, Strawberries, Blackberries, Blueberries, Watermelon, Peaches, Pineapple, Cotton Candy Grapes

• Fresh Vegetables - Broccoli, Spinach, Romaine, Cucumber, Celery, Bell Peppers, Green Beans

• Asian Cashew Chopped Salad

• Chunky Guacamole

• Sprouted Extra Firm Tofu

• Salsa - Organic Jack’s Cantina

• Ciabatta Rolls

  Freezer Items

• Frozen Fruit - Pineapple, Blueberries, Strawberries

• Vegetable Pot Stickers - Bibigo

• UPDATE: I just learned that the Morning Star Chipotle Black Bean Burgers are going VEGAN! I LOVED these with a passion when I was a vegetarian. They had milk and eggs in them though so I stopped eating them when I transitioned from vegetarian to vegan. Holy cow! I am so excited.

Pantry Items

Maple Syrup

• Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Kirkland Signature

• Rolled Oats - Quaker

• Cheerios

• Cashews - Kirkland Signature, Unsalted

• Mixed Nuts - Kirkland Signature, Unsalted

• Maple Syrup - Kirkland Signature

• Quinoa - Kirkland Signature

• Hemp Seeds - Manitoba

• Chia Seeds

• Canned Black Olives

• Canned Chickpeas

• Medjool Dates

• Millet and Brown Rice Ramen

• White and Whole Wheat Pasta

• Pasta Sauce

• Jarred Artichoke Hearts

• Jarred Hearts of Palm

• Vanilla Extract

Snacks

Lentil Crackers

• RW Garcia Lentil Turmeric Crackers - The best snack in the world

• Nature’s Bakery Fig Bars

• Autumn’s Gold Granola Bars

• E & C Heavenly Hunks

• Harvest Snacks Green Pea Snack Crips

• Off the Eaten Path Veggie Crisps

• Veggie Straws

• Skinny Pop Popcorn and Boom Chicka Pop Popcorn - Sometimes this size is actually too large for me and they bottom spoils before I finish it so I really only get this if I’m in a super popcorn mood. I don’t let my 2.5 year old eat it because of the threat with it going into the lungs.

• Hippeas Vegan White Cheddar Puffs

• Tortilla Chips

• Stacy’s Pita Chips

• Pouches - At least at my Costco, the brands have rotated. We love Mama Chia, GoGo Squeez Organic Apple Sauce, Kirkland Signature Apple Sauce, Kirkland Signature Organic Fruit and Vegetable

• Pure Organic Fruit Bars

Beverages

• Espresso Coffee Pods - Starbucks

• POM Pomegranate Juice

• IZZE Glass Bottles - My favorite for a backyard BBQ

• Seltzer - But then I got a soda stream

• Suja Organic Cold Pressed Juice

Cooking / Kitchen Items

Vitamix, Photo from Costco.com

• Vitamix! - Hands down, my favorite kitchen appliance

• Food Processor - I have a Cuisinart

• Small ceramic bowls - Awesome for kids but also beautiful and not plastic

• Pyrex Food Storage Containers - I only use glass now. I don’t have the snap top personally but they’re probably more secure than the ones I have.

  Household Items

Soap in the most beautiful amber bottles

• Trash Bags - Kirkland Signature

• Hand Soap - Home and Body - These amber bottles are just beautiful. Although, I originally got them in a 4 pack.

• Hand Soap Refill - Softsoap brand

• Baking Soda - Arm and Hammer - Yes, I am aware of how huge this is. I use it for cleaning.

• Dishwasher Pods - Cascade - This may be the only item where I do not like the Costco brand. I just find the powder still on the dishes at the end of the cycle and had to do a lot of rinsing afterwards. Wait for a name brand sale.

• Baby Wipes - Kirkland Signature

• Laundry Detergent

• Epsom Salt

• Eye Glasses Wipes

• Lawn Bags

• Eneloop Reusable Batteries

• Light bulbs

Other Departments To Mention

(Not really a haul but I love them for having so many great non-food items)

• Contacts & Glasses

• Gasoline

• Photos in a pinch - The quality is okay for quick things like a birthday party photo banner and things you need the same or next day. My professional career is as a photographer and I cannot stress enough using a professional print house for your large prints. Trust me, there’s a difference. And this isn’t a slight to Costco. They do a great quickie job. I like them more than other megamarts and pharmacies.

• Rugs - I have two large high pile rugs that every single person comments on because they are just so soft. They do shed a bit and like any high pile rug, it takes a bit of muscle to vacuum them, but I’d buy them again for sure.

• Sunglasses - I have both prescription and non-prescription sunglasses from Costco. They were both super inexpensive but great looking.

• Clothing - I have made a bunch of adult and children’s clothing purchases here. I have an awesome white athletic jacket that everyone comments on, yoga pants, a rain coat, decent rain boots, puma socks, and even my favorite undies. They also have good deals for children’s Carter’s PJs and sets. You have to dig. But I usually just loop through the area and see if anything catches my eye.

Items I Want to Try

• Birthday Cake Granola - I have heard it’s amazing! Has anyone tried it?

• Cauliflower Bites

• Coconut Sticky Rice

• CHAO vegan cheese

• Good Planet Shredded Mozzarella

• Chipotle Bitchin Sauce

• Vegan Ranch Dressing - Primal Kitchen

• Chocolate Fudge Crunch Bars - Daiya

Vegetarian Honorable Mention

Before we switched to plant based, I loved these items for myself and my son.

Morning Star

• Vegetarian (not vegan) Chipotle Black Bean Burgers by Morning Star - These were a fan favorite at BBQs the last few summers - See update above that they are GOING VEGAN!!!

• Vegetarian (not vegan) Tasty Bite Madras Lentils

• Vegetarian (not vegan) Aussie Bites

Items I don’t buy there

• Avocados and Bananas - They are just usually not ripe at the right time for me.

• Apples - They are usually way over priced per pound.

• Almond Milk - I have yet to find an unsweetened original that I like.

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Are you a Costco member? What are your favorite buys? Do you love it? Not use it? Have you tried any of the products on my want to try list above? I’d love to know your thoughts! Leave a note in the comments below or join the conversation on Instagram.

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A note on referrals: This post is not sponsored and the product links are not affiliate links. I just really like this company. Maybe they’ll sponsor me one day in the future!

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Misfits Market Highlight - Virtual Vegan Shopping Haul

I’m excited to highlight another plant-based shopping haul with you today. My first order arrived from Misfits Market, a weekly produce delivery service that brings fresh fruit and veggies to your doorstep. It feels kind of like a CSA delivered right to you. I’m super happy with the quantity and quality of what I got - broccoli, kale, zucchini, celery, carrots, potatoes, an onion, an acorn squash, mangoes and oranges - all in my first haul. Everything you see in the photos here, all for $22. Pretty amazing. I’ll include some information below on why they’re “misfits.”

My weekly subscription is the smallest size but I feel like I got a solid amount of produce with it.

While this post is not sponsored, they do offer a referral program so if you use the code below, you’ll receive 25% off your first box and it kicks back 25% off a future box to me, too. Win-win.

Code: COOKWME-PE4QBK

Due to the high demand during this Corona virus pandemic, they are currently running a wait-list. I would recommend getting your name on this list.

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Their Purpose: “Almost half of the food grown by farmers in this country is never sold, but eating healthy keeps getting more expensive. This is a cycle of food waste that needs to end, and there’s a very simple solution to this very ugly problem. Eat Misfits Market.”

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How it works (from the Misfits website)

1. We source fresh organic produce that farms and stores can’t sell.

2. You choose your box size and delivery frequency.

3. We deliver a box of Misfits Market straight to your door.

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IN MY OPINION, Misfits Market IS good FOR…

• Anyone in self quarantine who cannot or do not want to go to a grocery store

• Busy parents

• People who do not enjoy shopping in person

• People who like to eat organic

• People who want to help combat food waste

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A big thank you to all of the farmers, companies like Misfits Market getting that produce over and out, shipping and handling, everyone involved. I have so much gratitude to those bringing us our food always and especially during these unknown times of the Corona virus.

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Are you a Misfits member? Do you love it? I’d love to know your thoughts. Leave a note in the comments below or join the conversation on Instagram.

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Misfits Market, photo from their website

A note on referrals: This post is not sponsored and the product links are not affiliate links. I just really like this company. Maybe they’ll sponsor me one day in the future! But, they do offer the refer a friend promotion I mentioned above. If you’re interested in signing up, use the code below to receive 25% off your first box. It gives me a 25% off a future box kick back, too.

Code COOKWME-PE4QBK

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Thrive Market Highlight - Virtual Vegan Shopping Haul

Thrive Market

Thrive Market is a member-based, online market place. I joined last summer and feel so grateful now to have groceries delivered during this crazy quarantine time. In talking with family and friends about getting groceries these days, I realized that many aren’t familiar with Thrive Market. So, I put this post together so that you can learn about them and see what I purchase on the regular.

And while this post is not sponsored, they do offer a referral program. If you join through my link, you’ll get 25% your first order and I get a $25 Thrive Market cash kickback. That’s not what this post is about, but who doesn’t love an offer + kick back?

Also, you guys, they have boxed cold brew. It’s a blessing. <3

In my opinion, Thrive Market is good for…

• Anyone in self quarantine who cannot or do not want to go to a grocery store

• Busy parents

• People who do not enjoy shopping in person

• People who live in remote areas, where grocery stores like Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s are not easy to get to

• People on specific diets - i.e. plant based, vegan, gluten free, etc. (They have plenty of non vegan, non gf, etc. as well.)

The types of products I buy most are…

• Pantry staples - seeds, nuts, dried and canned beans, shelf stable plant based milks, etc.

• Snacks and school lunch type items

• Spices - I love that they offer these little 2 oz spice pouches so you can try new spices without committing to a huge container. They’re super inexpensive, too.

• Thrive Market branded products because they’re a great deal and great quality

An annual membership is $59. For every membership purchased, one is donated to someone in need. How amazing is that?

Without further ado, here is my Thrive Market virtual vegan shopping haul. You can click any of the products below to go to the purchase page on Thrive.

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Pantry Staples

Snacks and Treats

For Mateo (Toddler)

Spices

Smoked Paprika

Herbs de Provence

Turmeric

Crushed Red Pepper

Paprika

Ground Ginger

Black Peppercorns

Nutmeg

Garlic Powder

Cinnamon

Italian Seasoning

Curry Powder

Products I want to try

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Are you a Thrive Market member? What are your favorite buys? Do you love it? Not use it? Have you tried any of the products on my want to try list above? I’d love to know your thoughts! Leave a note in the comments below or join the conversation on Instagram.

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A note on referrals: This post is not sponsored and the product links are not affiliate links. I just really like this company. Maybe they’ll sponsor me one day in the future! But, they do offer the refer a friend promotion I mentioned above, so if you join through my link, you’ll get 25% your first order and I get a $25 Thrive Market cash kickback.

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A note on shipping delays due to Corona: Due to the current demand, Thrive has noted on their website that orders are shipping out 8-9 days delayed. This is not typical but I do recommend shopping this market for things you need in the future rather than something you’re planning on cooking right away. In general, I feel we’ve become so used to the Amazon next day delivery that a 4-5 day shipment feels like a long time. To me, 4-5 days to get all of these amazing products at my doorstep is actually a miracle. And two weeks in a pandemic, I’ll take it! I have so much gratitude for this company and all of it’s employees. Thank you all.

Also, they have a note up many days in the afternoon that says they are not accepting new orders. I believe that this is only for the rest of that day. The next day at noon EST, in my experience, they have opened back up to more orders. It reads almost as though they are closing and they are not. I have gotten orders in recently.

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