What I eat in a day – vegan

Hi everyone

Today is a Saturday and I thought this seemed like a good day to tell you what I eat in a typical weekend day. I eat a bit differently in the week as I have to fit around work and most of the time eat at work but here is a typical Saturday.

To start the day I have avocado on toast, not very adventurous I know but amazing. Each time I have avocado I am reminded how good it is I tend to have it quite plain with just vegan butter on toast, then smashed avocado with a hint of lime. Amazing!

For lunch I tend to meet my mum, we don’t meet ever Saturday but at the very least every other Saturday and we tend to go to a café called Cooper. It has an amazing veggie sandwich with avocado (yep again!), peppers, aubergine, courgette and salad on. They normally have halloumi as well which of course I don’t have but for you veggies out there my mum very much enjoys.

Finally for dinner I had cheesy mushroom on a roasted aubergine. Firstly I cut the aubergine in half and spread olive oil, paprika and pepper on it then roasted it for about 15 minutes.

While this is roasting I put my mushrooms in a pan and add a tablespoon of vegan butter, more paprika and more pepper and cook them until everything is absorbed and the mushrooms are soft.

One the mushrooms are cooked I add the cheese, I do this at the very last minute as most vegan cheese is oil based and so basically disappears so I add it last minute so that it keeps its texture.

Once the mushrooms are cooked and the aubergine roasted you basically need to assemble. I cut strips into the aubergine as when it is roasted the aubergine bloats (for want of a better description) so once you cut into it there is a small space for filling. So load it up and dig in.

So that is what I ate today, I am going to do the same for a week day as there is quite a big difference. The meals at the weekend tend to be heavier and I snack less so less fruit and nuts so you will see the difference.

Thanks for reading

AKL

My favourite vegan blogs

Hi everyone

I love reading blogs and I especially love vegan blogs. I like finding out what every is eating, what there struggles are and how they live there vegan lives. So here are my top 5 favourite blogs talking about vegan lifestyle (and what amazing food they eat).

1. https://www.elephantasticvegan.com – I really like this blog, I think it appeals to me because it has not only recipes but lifestyle, blogger tips and more. I also really like the storey going vegan. It quite similar to mine in terms of the books I read and watched and so it feels really authentic and fresh. The recipes themselves are also amazing!

2. http://www.Sharonpalmer.com – I love this blog because it is full of amazing recipes but also really practical. It also offers tips for how to get certain vitamins, myth busting and more and that is why I really like this blog.

3. http://www.The awesome green.com – On her blog she says …. I made the decision to give up meat because I have a deep respect for any form of life and I believe that living in harmony. I thought this was such a lovely way of expressing her life choice and I agree with this. Not to mention how amazing the recipes are.

4. Healthy nibbles and bits – I love this blog as it is based on health an d also affordability as well as having vegan recipes. It is the affordability side that appeals to me as sometime there are a lot of recipes that are expensive or require a lot of product so I love good food on a budget.

5. The Vegan 8 – This does exactly what it says on the tin it gives you vegan recipes with 8 ingredients – what more could you want!

Who are you reading at the moment? Any recommendations?

Thanks for reading

AKL

 

Cruelty free hair styling products

Hi everyone

I talk a lot about skincare and toiletries but less so about my hair. I do have a lot of products for my hair but I tend to use them less often and I change them up less frequently but I have had a few additions recently and I have built up quite a collection so I thought it was time to share.

These are all my current hair styling products and as you can see I am showing a lot of love to Superdrug here.  I do admit to being a little boring with my hair when it comes to styling, I tend to focus most of my hair attention on conditioning and adding in as much moisturiser as possible.

For every day hair styling I use hair protector, straightening gel, root boost and anti frizz gel. For these I use Superdrug own brand for all.

I have been using the hair heat protector spray for years it was one of the first products I brought where deciding to use only cruelty free products. It is really light weight and I use it all over before blow drying on wet hair and also on dry hair before straightening and curling. The reason I like this one so much is because it is very light weight. I have fine air but quite a bit of it but I find that products really sit on my hair and heavy products can make my hair look and feel greasy.

Next I have the straightening styling spray this is designed to keep your hair straighter when blow drying and straightening and I put this on wet hair all over. I am actually not sure about this product, I don’t dislike it but I am unsure if it makes any difference to the ‘straightness’ of my hair so while I do use this now I don’t think I will repurchase. Although it does serve as a heat protector so you could use it as that instead.

 

Next is the root boost and I do like this product and I do think this makes a difference.  I don’t use this every day as I am worried about build up at my roots although this has never happened yet. You spray this products on wet hair right at the root and then blow dry and it is designed to add volume. I do feel that my hair is bouncer at the root with this product. I particularly like this if I curl my hair as this tend to pull my hair flatter than when my hair is straight.

The last product from the Superdrug own brand range is the anti frizz serum, I like this product and have used it again since the very first cruelty free shop. It is very thick and really does coat my hair but again without leaving any residue or greasy texture.

However I have been using the Argon oil hair therapy which I discuss in my hair care blog and so I do think I will replace the anti frizz serum with this.

Another styling product I use a lot is Batiste dry shampoo, I do use this mainly as a dry shampoo but I do find that it also works as a really good pick me up for clean hair that is a bit flat. The 2 that I have are the Rose Gold Batiste dry shampoo and then the mini blush dry shampoo. The Rose Gold is massive and has lasted me so long, when I use as dry shampoo I spray really liberally but when I use to style I use sparingly as I don’t want my hair to be too stiff. I use the blush after work in the absence of making it home for a shower to freshen up my hair before after work drinks.

I also use the Batiste hair spray when curling my hair, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by this. It doesn’t make my hair brittle or dry and it brushes out really well, it doesn’t have that really strong hair spray smell that some sprays have which is good and it has lasted me ages. I don’t feel people talk about the hair spray as much as the dry shampoo but I would recommend it.

The other hair say I use is the travel size Superdrug firm hold spray. This is a good travel size but makes my hair more brittle than the Baptiste one. It is really affordable at aprox £1.

My final styling spray is the Lee Stafford anti humidity spray. I love this product, it is light weight, non greasy and smells amazing. It smells so nice and I especially like using this on holiday but I do find it lasts a long time even if I spray everyday.

What do you use to style your hair? I would love to hear about your routine and what your favourite products are.

Thanks for reading

AKL

 

The simplest vegan coleslaw ever

Hi everyone

I almost didn’t post this as I figured this is too simple and didn’t count as a recipe. The truth is it probably isn’t a recipe but then I thought being vegan is about choice it isn’t about not having the things you love and it isn’t about making the most difficult food or recipes sometimes it is just about yummy food. So here is my quick, easy, cheap and yummy vegan coleslaw.

The ingredients you will need are:

Baxter’s red slaw – this is the type and brand I use but I’m sure there are others just as good. Basically it is carrot, beetroot and cabbage then there is a mixture of herbs, spices and then vinegar and pepper. You could make this mix yourself and one day I’m sure I will but this was £1 at the supermarket so if you are in a rush, feeling lazy or catering for a group of people then this is perfect.

Egg free mayonnaise – again you can use any vegan mayonnaise, I use this one as it taste the closest to actual mayonnaise and is also the closest in texture. It is about £2.20 so it is a little expensive but for me so worth it.

Paprika and turmeric – I then add a little spice into mine as I love paprika on things and I also add in turmeric and I loved that. You could have this plain though if this isn’t your taste. You could just go for the Baxter slaw and the egg free mayonnaise.

The technical bit (sort of), take the slaw out of the jar, drain the vinegar (most of it) add in as much mayonnaise as you like and mix until combined. See what I mean so quick, so easy and trust me so tasty.

It may not look pretty but it doesn’t need to. I have this on sandwiches, burgers, sausages or salads. I am a big vinegar fan so I like this on most foods, I also had family around who were not vegan and then enjoyed this just as much as the coleslaw with actual mayonnaise in.

So I hope you enjoyed my recipe if you can call it that and I hope it helps you speed up your family parties or just dinner after a long day at work.

Thanks for reading

AKL

Vegan toothpaste

Hi everyone

Toothpaste is such a basic thing but there are a million and one choices so how do you know which is the best one. Add into that the need for vegan and cruelty free choice and it can get a bit difficult. So here are some good ones that I am currently using and why I like them.

Before I started buying vegan and cruelty free products I always used Arm and Hammer Baking soda toothpaste as I have always drank a lot of tea and teeth staining drinks and I’ve found it really good. So I was really happy to find this Simply Natural version which is vegan friendly, I believe that none of the end products for Arm and Hammer are tested on animals but I’m not sure about the ingredients that make up the product so its nice to ne 100% sure with this product.

It has all the same promises as the ‘normal’ range including using baking soda, freshening breath and cavity protection. It is made from natural ingredients and is preservative free. For me it shows a real difference in the colour of my teeth, it is gentle but gets rid of any staining and protects my teeth. The taste is very subtle as well but really freshens my breath.

The other toothpastes I am using is the Superdrug own brand Charcoal whitening toothpaste. I have this in the normal and sensitive. This is actually very similar to the Arm and Hammer toothpaste it made my mouth feel really fresh but it is very gentle. It did whiten my teeth after brushing. I didn’t notice anything different between the sensitive and the normal toothpaste but I did like them both.

All in all I would recommend the both of these brand of toothpastes as an every day tooth paste for vegans (and non vegans).

What are your recommendations for toothpaste? Have you tried of these or do you have any brands you can recommend to me.

Thanks for reading

AKL

 

My everyday cruelty free hair products

Hi everyone

I am going to fess up immediately as one of those  people who wash there hair (almost) everyday. I have been doing it for years ever since I got a fringe which actually I don’t have any more but it has become a bit of a routine.

I used to have quite an oily scalp (I still do a bit but not as much as when I was a teenager) and so I have always washed my hair frequently but when I got a fringe I become a little obsessed. I found that my make up and moisturiser were getting into my fringe and making it greasy. I also have a really bad habit of playing with my hair.

I feel that unless I washing my hair at the end of the day I just don’t have clean hair and it really knocks my confidence on those second day washes. The only exception to this is the weekend so for example if I am up and out early Saturday then ill wash my hair Friday but not Saturday and then just wash it Sunday or if I am out later on Saturday I wont wash it Friday. That was a long way of saying that I average 6 washes a week.

This all means that I need a really good shampoo and conditioner to combat the drying effects of all of this washing and of course the blow drying and styling that goes with that. Ill do a whole post on the extra treatments that I use to add moisturiser back in as well but for now my everyday I have been using Palmers products.

I have the Palmers Coconut oil Conditioning shampoo. I really love this, it is a conditioning shampoo so as soon as I start to wash my hair I feel that I am adding the moisturiser back in. This shampoo is really creamy, thick and lathers amazingly (I like a good lather). It also smells really good full of lovely coconut fragrance. It is quite a big bottle so although I am guilty of using too much it does last a long time and it is roughly £5 depending on which store you buy this from. It amazing for getting the Henna hair dye off my hair as well and rinses out so no build up on my hair.

The conditioner is the Palmer Coconut Oil Repairing conditioner. The conditioner is so creamy and lovely, it really detangles my hair. Along with the over washing, drying and styling up until about 10 years ago I was blonde (so I had my hair bleached at my hairdressers) and up until about a year ago I used packet brunette hair dye. All of these things add up to quite weak hair from about half way down my head. My hair is getting so much better now that I use Henna as a hair dye and pay much better attention to my hair care.

This is why I love this conditioner it is about £5, again depending on the store but I do sometimes find that Superdrug has buy one get one half price deal on. The only bad thing about this conditioner is that it is much smaller than the shampoo so the shampoo will last me about three weeks and the conditioner will last me max two weeks. I end up buying nearly two conditioners for every shampoo. Maybe its me and I just use too much but this has happened to me every time I buy it. However I would still recommend it as I can really see the difference in my hair when I am using this. It is softer, shinier and much stronger and therefore less breakable. I just take advantage of any deal to stock up on conditioner.

The other item I use every day is the Superdrug Argon Oil Hair Protection oil. I used this as treatment as I often put this all over my hair on my day off but in addition to this I use this as a serum on wet hair before drying.

I use about a 10 pence piece sized amount and run it over my hair from about mid length to the ends. I start with mid length and go to the lengths as I actually feel the middle of my hair is more damaged that the ends as it got quite damaged when I was dying my hair and then breaking using hair bobbles. There is no greasy residue or build up with this just smooth, shiny hair.

So that is my ever day hair care and I do think it is working to make my hair mush stronger and healthier. I would love to hear what you use? Have you used this product or any of the other Palmers products? Let me know I always love a recommendation.

Thanks for reading

AKL

 

Fry’s Vegan nuggets – Review

Hi everyone

Sometimes I feel a little bit odd talking about vegan junk food. When I tell people I am vegan they automatically expect to see me nibbling on lettuce leaves and broccoli while a lot of the food I eat is vegetables or made from vegetable I still have the same junk food craving as before, its just an animal friendly craving these days.

One way that I satisfy this craving is chicken style nuggets. One of my favourites is the Fry’s chicken style nuggets, they are about £2.50 from Morrisons and I get about 2 or 3 portions depending on what I am having them with.

They are crispy, actually taste good by themselves and are so quick and easy to cook with about 10 – 15 minutes in the oven. I cook them just in a baking tray on 220 degrees in a fan assisted oven until they are just turning brown and you can see the coating start to crisp.

Once cooked I have them 2 ways, firstly just plain with egg free mayonnaise for dipping. I think I have talked about is brand of mayonnaise before, for me it tastes the most similar to the real thing and also has the best texture. It is thick, creamy and the jar last a long time. They do it in plain mayonnaise, garlic mayonnaise and lemongrass mayonnaise. I haven’t yet tried the lemon grass one so that’s next on my list.

Another way I have this if I want it to be more of a meal and not just a snack is with salad and guacamole, its a good way to add in some good nutrition as well as satisfying your craving.  I had lettuce and celery  in for this salad but normally I have tomatoes and cucumber as well and maybe sweetcorn to pad it out and add another colour to the mix.

To make my guacamole I have avocado (of course), limes and personally I add a little paprika to the top for a bit of a kick. I cut around the middle and squeeze out the avocado (if you are not sure the best way to test if an avocado is ready is to squeeze it and it should feel soft but not mushy) squeeze the lime, I do the whole limed as I like the tang but whatever suits your taste sand give it a good mix. Personally I like my guacamole a bit chunky so I don’t mix too much. Then I just sprinkle my paprika over the top and it is perfect to dip my nuggets in.

So that is my junk food snack or meal. Have you tried these nuggets or any other vegan nuggets? Do you have any recommendations?

Thanks for reading

AKL

 

 

 

 

Superdrug affordable cruelty free shampoo and conditioner – leaping bunny

Hi everyone

I love Superdrug, all of there own brand products are cruelty free and have the leaping bunny symbol which is amazing. I buy the vast majority of my toiletries and make up there as it is so affordable.

One of my essentials is shampoo and conditioner of course. The amazing thing about Superdrug is the choice that you have and there are is that they have so many different varieties. I love trying new ones and my most recent purchase is the Coconut water shampoo and conditioner.

Coconut is one of my favourite fragrances in beauty products, its so fresh and sweet but it isn’t over powering, This product is no different.

The shampoo and conditioner cost me £5 for both as they have an offer on at Superdrug currently so it is so affordable. I think without the offer they are about £3 each normally which is still really good.

I really liked the shampoo it lathers well and I didn’t use a great deal only about a 50p size dollop all over my hair (shoulder length). It also gets my Lush Henna off really well when I dye my hair, it is quite thick and so seems to really clean my hair. (If you are interested in how I dye my hair see my Lush Henna hair dye post).

I also really liked the conditioner, it is creamy and the fragrance seemed to last on my hair really well, could smell the coconut freshness all day. It is also much more moisturising than I thought for the price. I’ve said in a few posts that my hair is quite damaged and while it is  getting much better with the Henna dye I still really notice quite quickly if my hair is not being conditioned enough by my conditioner and this one is leaving my hair really soft and shiny.

Do you use any of Superdrug own brand hair products? Do you have any recommendations? I would love to hear.

Thanks for reading

AKL

 

Vegan hand cream Review – The Body Shop British Rose

Hi everyone

A little while ago I talked about the fact that I have a big issues with keeping my hands moisturised, I have really dry skin on my hands all year around and no matter how often I apply moisturiser. It gets worse in winter or if for example I do a big clean without gloves (whoops) but even if I try it still looks terrible. So I am constantly on the look out for a hand moisturiser that is going to solve my issues.

For my birthday this year my boyfriend brought me this lovely tube of The body shop Vegan British Rose hand cream and I love it. Its smells amazing, I wouldn’t have normally gone for rose as it can sometimes be a little over powering but this one is just right it smells amazing but just about the right amount and it is so fresh and sweet.

It also rubs in really well with no greasy residue which is great as I have tried so many hand creams and then had to sit there not touching anything while it soaks in.

Then comes the most important parts does it cure my dry hand issues, well yes actually for the most part because it rubs in so well and smells so nice I am encouraged to use it as it is do convenient.

Do you have any recommendations on hand creams that you use or what do you think of this?

Thanks for reading

AKL

 

Vegan recipes – spinach and tomatoes pastry

Hi everyone

Now that summer is here I am looking for lighter summery snacks that are good for vegan parties and BBQs. We have a lot of BBQs over the summer and while I love the smell I find it difficult to get as excited about the food. So I decided it was just a case of getting a bit adventurous with the food that wasn’t going to be chargrilled.

One of the things I love is puff pastry as you can put just about anything with it and it tastes amazing and one of my favourite combinations is spinach and tomatoes.

So here is what I do. I use Just Roll puff pastry as this is vegan, I take this out of the package and then roll it out slightly thinner. It comes out in a square so I tend to keep this shape but you can use cutters and just a knife to make any shape you want. Cut it into 6 squares and then for each one roll the edge up slightly, when cooking this will make like a border to stop and ingredients from sliding or dripping off.

Once done I then lay the spinach on first as the other ingredients will flatten this down, then I add in tomatoes (you can use salad tomatoes or sun dried if you want) add some black pepper and a tiny bit of olive oil and then place in the oven at 220 degrees.

This takes normally about 15 minutes to cook the pastry and you will find the spinach will wilt and the tomatoes will cook. Once cooked you can either eat hot or cool them down and eat at any time. This makes them good for if you are hosting a party and so you can prepare the day before.

They look like there is more effort gone in to these than there actually is but that is what is good about them. You can add any sort of chutneys or sources to go with your pastry and then enjoy.

Le me know your recipes or if you try this let me know what you think I would love to hear.

Thanks for reading

AKL