Life, Love, and Cookies

Please let me preface this review by stating that I am not a vegan. In fact, I am not a vegetarian.  While I will share with this audience my love and appreciation for these outstanding cookies, I would also like to share the mission of the dedicated Liz Lovely company.  This review isn’t just about cookies—it’s about life and our approach to it.

While wandering our local natural food market with my husband, I stumbled upon Liz Lovely Cookies.  More than anything, I suppose the colorful, clever packaging caught my eye—oh, and the decadent chocolate peeking through the clear wrapping.  Although I noticed that the cookies are certified vegan, I was far more entranced by the sugary coating and dark, rich cacao nibs of the Chocolate Moose Dragons.

Like many 30-something women, I am admittedly a chocoholic.  In a sense, though, I am changing.  After my recent 50 pound weight loss, my views of food have changed, and as a result, so has my perspective on life.  Now, I care more deeply about what I put in my body.  I ask myself: How does this taste?  How was it made?  What are its ingredients?  Similar to so many busy, young, career-minded women, I never used to ask myself such questions.  Rather than mindlessly shoveling junk food into my mouth as I used to do, I now put a lot of thought into my meals and snacks.  To me, it has to be worth it—worth the money, worth the calories, and even worth our impact on the environment.  Liz Lovely Cookies are worth it.

In a culture gone crazy, filled with obese people, and carbon footprints we should all be concerned about, I am wholeheartedly impressed with the mission and devotion of the Liz Lovely company.  They not only make an exceptional impression with their cookies, but also with their dedication to people and to the environment.  On their website, the folks at Liz Lovely state, “Our mission is authenticity from start to finish… That means an uncompromising commitment to perfection, and a relentless approach to social responsibility.”

As an educator, the Liz Lovely mission is striking to me.  As a university professor who prepares our future teachers, I dedicate much of my teaching passion towards promoting social justice, mostly through literacy.  Liz Lovely inspired me to see the ways I need to extend this into my personal life, beyond my teaching. In addition, on their website, Liz Lovely goes on to say, “Every day requires a level of courage and dedication above and beyond anything we’ve ever done before.”  So true!  No matter the cause—how big or small, we owe it to ourselves, to one another, and to the earth to care deeply about our approach to life… to go above and beyond in all we do, and to have the courage to do so, day after day.  Whether we are preparing meals, or educating our youth, we must be mindful of our impact.

The Cookies and Their Impact

Liz Lovely supports sustainable agriculture through Organic, Non-GMO, and Fair Trade products.  They refer to their cookies as artisan products—a name they deserve.  In a world where companies are constantly obtaining products in irresponsible ways, I am proud to support companies such as Liz Lovely because they only acquire the ingredients for their products in a responsible fashion.  The commitment of Liz Lovely is obvious in their extraordinary taste; they outshine mass-produced and co-manufactured products by miles.  I can see, taste, and feel the attention to detail that Liz Lovely brings to their cookies, and you will, too, I guarantee.

It’s difficult to believe delicious Liz Lovely cookies are vegan.  They are made without animal products, which, of course, means no milk, no butter, and no eggs.  In their concerted efforts, they are saving animals, helping the planet, and improving overall health.

Liz Lovely uses green packaging. Most, if not all, of their packaging materials are recycled, reused, recyclable, and/or compostable.

Cookie Flavors

Before I gush about individual cookie flavors, I must remind readers of my chocolate addiction.  As a result, three of the following four cookies I’m reviewing have chocolate in them.  Since I also love coconut and lemon, I was careful to allow a flavor other than chocolate into my review, however!

Perhaps what I love most about Liz Lovely cookies are their lightly baked, doughy texture, which is decadent and moist.  In short, these cookies are qwowi!

1. Out of respect to Liz, I will start with her favorite, the Cowgirl Cookies.  (While I can totally see why this is Liz’s favorite, I’ll get to my favorite next, which I think is far better in the chocolaty qwowi category!)  Cowgirl Cookies are basically chocolate chip cookies with a sharp name, and a taste and texture unlike anything you may have tried before.  As their packaging indicates, Cowgirl Cookies are just like chocolate chip cookie dough.  They are so velvety in their consistency, it is just like picking the cookie dough out of cookie dough ice cream!

2. My absolute favorites are the Chocolate Moose Dragons.  It was the first Liz Lovely Cookie I ever sampled, and I immediately fell in love.  This is decadence at its best, simply because the taste is outstanding in the ways they capture the best attributes of chocolate.  To do so, they use fudgy chocolate chips with cacao nibs.  This combination allows the bitterness of the chocolate to be present, while maintaining a sweetness with the sugary coating.  I have to admit I am moderately obsessed with these cookies, and they are my dessert of choice.  Beyond the extraordinary taste, I love the texture, which is soft and cake-like.

3. I get a special buzz from Mochadamia Mountains, probably because they contain coffee, macadamia nuts, and chocolate.  What a fabulous flavor combination!  Again, the texture is phenomenal– rich and doughy, with the crispness of the nuts, and the tang of the coffee.  Liz Lovely bakers use “Vermont-roasted fair trade organic coffee, organic macadamia nuts, a generous layer of organic dark chocolate on the bottom, and a decorative drizzle of chocolate on top.”   Trust me—this is a unique cookie, unlike anything you’ve ever had.  It’s obvious they put lots of love and attention into these special treats.

4. For you less chocolate-minded people out there, please know that Liz Lovely makes plenty of treats for you, too!  In particular, I was struck by the Macaroonies Sock-It-To-Me! They are made with coconut and lemon essence.  I am willing to forego chocolate every once in a while, especially if there’s coconut and/or lemon involved.  I must admit, I was a little skeptical of the package when I first picked it up a few days ago.  It was my first Liz Lovely voyage without chocolate, after all.  Hey—Liz didn’t disappoint.  For a chocolate lover to say she likes these Macaroonies as much as her chocolaty flavors is… well, saying a lot!  Each cookie is hand-rolled in coconut.  They are buttery without butter!  They are luxuriant and indulgent while feeling light!  Liz, I don’t understand it, but thank you!

Anxiously awaiting…

Trust me, I don’t always indulge in chocolate, although I may have led you to believe otherwise.  Cinnamon is another one of my passions.  For years, I have sought the perfect snickerdoodle, so I am anxious to try Liz Lovely’s new Snicker Dudes. I’ll be sure to let you all know what I think.

What is perhaps even more exciting is that it appears Liz Lovely is getting ready to launch their first Gluten Free (GF) products.  As some of you may know, my husband, Jason also writes reviews for Qwowi.  Jason has gluten sensitivity, and often writes about his favorite GF products.  He was thrilled today when I told him Liz Lovely now has Gluten Free Chocolate Fudge and Gluten Free Ginger Molasses.

So…

Are Liz Lovely Cookies a little expensive?  Sure, but I understand their expense, and they are worth it!  On their website, Liz Lovely offers Seconds and Gift Samplers, which are great values.

Liz Lovely products are available in many natural food markets, and of course online at Liz Lovely’s beautiful and extensive website.

You won’t be disappointed.  You’ll be loving life and loving cookies… all with a social conscience.