Pinspiration - Vegan Halloween Treats

The only thing I'm more obsessed with than Pinterest is Halloween. As soon as October rolls around every year I'm all about ghosts, horror movies, and pumpkin in everything and I've always been a sucker for sweet treats. So, for today's post I thought I'd attempt to combine the two and present you with my top 5 Pinterest recipe picks, just in time for Halloween 2016. I really rely on Pinterest when it comes to finding great vegan recipes. A quick keyword search on Pinterest usually turns up all the recipes you will ever need. It's also cheaper than buying expensive cookbooks and brilliant for discovering fabulous new food blogs. It's a vegan's dream! So here are my top 5 picks for vegan Halloween treats...

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Healthy Pumpkin PopTarts from Recipe Girl:

PopTarts are so easy to make at home. Even though the regular kind (unfrosted) are usually vegan friendly, they are loaded with refined sugars and additives so this spooky homemade version should please both parents and kids alike. Simply sub for vegan butter and this recipe is perfect!

Chocolate Pumpkin Candies by Veggie Staples:

All you need for a batch of these pumpkin-based chocolate bites is a chocolate mould. Sub the honey for agave or maple syrup and you've got an entirely vegan sweet treat.

Healthier Halloween Bark by House of Vegan:

Doesn't this look fantastic! I'm definitely going to attempt to make a big slab of something like this this year (even though the only halloween party I'm having this year is by myself, on the sofa, watching bad horror flicks on Netflix, so this should do nicely). This is a sweet and salty combination using crushed pretzels, seeds and homemade nut-butter candy corn.

Sugar-Free Chocolate Pumpkin Fudge by My Darling Vegan:

You gotta love fudge, regardless of the time of year but what a great idea to add pumpkin as an ingredient! Although we don't celebrate it here in the UK, recipes like this would be perfect for Thanksgiving as well as Halloween.

Monster Rice Cereal Treats by Fork & Beans: 

Definitely saved the most impressive for last here! Cara at Fork & Beans is one of the most creative cooks I've come across. All of her recipes are also dairy, egg and gluten-free. What's more, she's produced an eBook showcasing all of her Halloween creations. Perfect if you're planning a party this Halloween!

*****

Tough to pick out just 5 from the many thousands of great pins I've come across lately! If you want more fang-tastic vegan food inspiration you can follow my Halloween-themed Pinterest board. 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!! 

My Vegan Life (In Pictures)

I've been vegan for over two years now. It's not a secret. I've completely embraced it in every aspect of my life and it's been the most positive thing I've ever done for myself - although I didn't actually do it for myself to begin with - but I don't talk about it much. Sure, I'll wax lyrical about cruelty-free beauty products or what I had for dinner and I think I've used all of the vegan hashtags at some point in the last two years, but I don't really get deep and ethical about it online. To be honest, I'm a little self-conscious because I don't really fancy being stereotyped, and I don't want it to overshadow other aspects of my identity. Today, however, I really feel like giving a bit of insight into my day-to-day life as a vegan...

Vegans are some of the most food-obsessed people I've ever come across, and I'm right in there with them. It's not because we have trouble finding food either; it's more to do with the fact that a whole new world of food options opens up to you when you ditch old habits. Hand on heart, I can honestly say I don't miss anything that I used to eat - mainly because I've been veggie for most of my life, and because, a lot of the time, the meals I cook now are just plant-based versions of the meals I used to make.  I may experience the odd feels when I see someone with blue cheese or a poached egg, but I definitely don't want to eat those things now. They don't register as food with me any more. Those feels are pure nostalgia and have been relegated to the 'been there, done that' folder in my brain. 

Pizza Express Pianta Pizza

Nowadays, you'll find me getting ridiculously overexcited about artichokes, guacamole and sweet potatoes (although not on the same plate). Yesterday I baked a swede in the oven and devoured it whole, sprinkled with salt, pepper and nutritional yeast. I never enjoyed steak or bacon as much I enjoyed that swede yesterday. I'd describe my current diet as high-carb-low-fat, with mostly whole foods, although that may not be reflected in some of the photos in this post. We're all allowed treats once in a while, and vegan treats are positively saintly compared to their meat, dairy and egg laden counterparts. I shop in regular supermarkets and eat out at regular chain restaurants. 

Beauty has been more of a challenge. I'm still using up the dregs of my pre-vegan makeup stash because I'm not in a position to be able to afford to throw away expensive makeup. Non-vegan ingredients are harder to identify on beauty products and animal testing is a minefield thanks to various legal loopholes. Thanks to sites like Logical Harmony though, I'm able to make more informed choices now and, although there are occasional slip ups - I bought myself a new Barry M eyeshadow palette recently and the primer included with it turned out to contain beeswax - you live and learn) - I now know which brands to avoid and which brands offer amazing cruelty-free products for vegans. 

I wouldn't say that being vegan has changed anything about my personality or who I am as a person, although I'm definitely more mindful now in my day to day life. I've learned that it's okay to ask questions and not to be scared to say no to something because it conflicts with what you feel is right, because people who belong in your life, and deserve your time, will always understand and respect your choices. The most powerful thing I've learned is that it's okay to change your opinion based on new information. One of the most humble things we can do in our lives is to be constantly in search of knowledge and to grow and shape our lives around the things we experience. Some things we see along the way may be shocking and unpleasant, but sometimes they make us better people. I'm definitely a happier, healthier person today because of those things. 

Now that I'm starting to ease myself back into regular blogging again, I'm going to try and share more vegan lifestyle related content, some amazing resources, and maybe even dabble in the odd plant-based recipe post (although don't get too excited about that - I'm a 'fly by the seat of my pants' kinda cook and very rarely use precise measurements or keep track of what ingredients I'm throwing in my pot). 

For more snippets of my vegan lifestyle, feel free to stalk me over on Instagram and Pinterest. I'd love to see you all there! 

Unboxing The Vegan Kind #TVK29

This month's The Vegan Kind* lifestyle box had a lot to live up to. It's March. March means Easter. and Easter means treats. Luckily, vegan and cruelty free treats are what TVK do best. Somehow I've managed to keep the lid on this box for almost an entire month, and finally broke the seal on it on Easter Sunday to check out what was inside (and apply it to my face)... 

Considerit Chocolate Cream Egg

No Easter is complete without at least one creme egg, and vegan/dairy-free folks no longer have to miss out. This version by ConsiderIt is ever-so-slightly more luxurious than it's Cadburys counterpart, made from hand-tempered Belgian dark chocolate with a fondant filling. It's also not as sickly as the original, which is a bonus for me. Also, excuse my fake-tan-stained nails in this pic (because it appears that 6 years of beauty blogging has taught me nothing)

Wheaty Red Hot Chilli Pepper Spacebar

I'm familiar with Wheaty products. One of the best things about my digital marketing internship with PETA was that their offices are just around the corner from Vx in King's Cross and I could exploit their Wheaty gyro kebab wraps every day. The Spacebar is a first for me, and I found it most like a Pepperami/Frankfurter hotdog hybrid. I wouldn't say it was *red* hot, but then again I have a high tolerance for spice. 

Vegan For The Animals Magnet/Choose Compassion Sticker

These really are delightful. The Vegan Kind have thrown these into the box themselves, as an added extra. The magnet is now proudly stuck on the side of my filing unit in my office. I'm looking at it right now as I type this. I'm still looking for a home for the sticker. You can also buy these separately from the TVK website.

Hectares Red Onion & Black Pepper Sweet Potato Crisps

Always happy to find a bag of Hectares in my box. Hectares are a regular feature with TVK and they always manage to come up with great flavours that pack a punch. These have the moreish-ness of the red onion favour along with the bite of black pepper. Winner!

The Foods of Athenry Cookie Shots Brownie Biscuits

I love The Foods of Athenry. I devoured an entire box of their vegan, gluten-free mince pies over the festive period. They are a gorgeous family business hailing from Ireland, and these Cookie Shots are a cross between a biscuit and a mini brownie. I devoured them straight from the bag, but I must get my hands on some more because I feel like they'd be perfect for decorating a huge chocolate cake, which now obviously has to happen. 

Soypresso

Vegan, organic, fairtrade, recyclable packaging.. Soypresso is one seriously ethical iced coffee! I'm an absolute sucker for iced coffee and I'm drinking this as I write. Soypresso is the first cold coffee drink to be made from a soya base. 

So, once again, TVK can do no wrong. It shouldn't really be a surprise to me by now, to be honest. They're the most consistent subscription box service I've ever known (and I've tried a few and had my fair share of disappointing boxes). Their quarterly beauty boxes are also very special. Note to self - must order one of those soon. 

TVK monthly lifestyle boxes are £10 each (plus £3 P&P)
For more information about The Vegan Kind, visit their website at
www.thevegankind.com

You can also find them on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram

Unboxing The Vegan Kind TVK20

Recently, I've taken to posting my The Vegan Kind* reviews on my other blog, Bananas For Breakfast, which is solely dedicated to all things vegan. However, I thought it was about time I offered my readers here a fresh dose of TVK deliciousness. For anyone unfamiliar with TVK, they were the first to offer a 100% vegan and cruelty-free lifestyle subscription box in the UK and, in my opinion, are still the best. They also offer a quarterly Beauty Box packed full of bunny-friendly toiletries and beauty finds. June marks their 20th lifestyle box: Here's what's in it...

The first thing to jump out at me when I opened this box was the glorious Coconut Choc Shot liquid chocolate and I was so delighted that I may have cradled it in my arms for a moment. The first TVK box I ever had contained the original Choc Shot and I've been a fan ever since. Despite my rocky love/hate relationship with coconut, I'm happy to report that this stuff is like a liquid Bounty bar. I'll be using this in milkshakes and ice cream sundaes galore over the summer! 

I already love Roots Vegetable Crisps so I was pleased to see them included in this month's box. They are a combo of carrot, parsnip and beetroot with a pinch of sea salt. The Pip & Nut Almond Butter is a completely new product to me and I look forward to trying it out. I'm not a big user of nut butters so I'll have to get my thinking cap on as to how I'm going to use it. I can imagine it would be fantastic for smoothies or baking.

Because the brownie deserved a photo all of its own

This box really hit the mark with its sweet offerings. This Elements For Life Yummy Scrummy Brownie was seriously special. It's a gloriously decadent product, yet contains wholesome ingredients such as goji berries, coconut and lashings of raw cacao. It's practically a superfood salad! Guilt? What guilt? 

I'm not much of a fan of bar soaps, to be honest (or peppermint). I much prefer a liquid with a pump top, but I will definitely use this Friendly Peppermint and Poppy Seed Soap with essential oils. I love that it's SLS, paraben and palm oil free and there's always room in my heart for any handmade, cruelty-free product. I think it's really important to support natural, handmade companies and increase the demand for ethical, sustainable products. TVK do a fantastic job of introducing more and more people to these options.

All in all, this box is another resounding hit for The Vegan Kind. They pull it out of the bag every time with their product selections and I've never had a disappointing box from them (which I can't always say about other beauty/lifestyle boxes I've subscribed to in the past). The highlights of TVK20, for me, have to be the sweet offerings. The featured charity for June is Rabbit Run-Away Orphanage, who will receive 10p from every box sold.

The TVK lifestyle box is £10 per month (plus P&P) 

For more information on The Vegan Kind and to subscribe to any of their boxes, check them out at
www.thevegankind.com

You can also connect with TVK via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram 

New Addiction! Rebel Kitchen 'Mylk'

Wow, I'm on a bit of a roll with the food and drink type posts this year! A bit different for me I'm quite enjoying it actually. Fresh out of sweet treats from my The Vegan Kind box last week, I went on to discover Rebel Kitchen via Instagram and just HAD to make an order. My greedy Vegan tummy just NEEDED them. I'm a complete sucker for flavoured milks and Veganism isn't going to put a stop to my obsession. In a way I'm loving them even more! 

I just love the whole attitude behind Rebel Kitchen. Seriously, if a product says "Drink me, I'm Epic" then I am gonna drink it. And trust me when I say these badboys ARE epic! Consisting entirely of whole foods, no artificial nasties and no added sweeteners, Rebel Kitchen 'Mylk' is one of those treats that you won't feel guilty indulging in. They are made using a combination of coconut milk, spring water, date nectar and cacao. Per 200ml you're getting approx 100kcal and 4g fat (only 2 of which are from saturated fats and there's ZERO cholesterol). Obviously there is a fair portion of sugar involved BUT the good news is that it's all naturally occurring sugars and nothing refined. Plant-tastic! 

Sooooooooo... what's the verdict??

Rebel Kitchen Mylk is my new treat of choice. I was really pleasantly surprised how creamy they are. I thought they would be quite thin in texture, which is slightly true for the Orange Choc variety but not so for the other two. The flavours are amazing. None of that artificial taste that you get with regular milkshakes. A little Instagram birdie tells me that there will be new flavours emerging soon which I am definitely excited for and will be purchasing without hesitation. 

Right now you can purchase Mylk on the Rebel Kitchen website and at Whole Foods Kensington. I ordered a 'taster pack' with one of each flavour for £5.70 which isn't cheap. Definitely an occasional indulgence, BUT Rebel Kitchen gives you the opportunity to bulk buy packs of 12 and 24 which saves a few pennies. I'm not sure on the price in the shops at the moment as I don't live near Kensington. Hopefully they will be adding more stockists soon to save me on P&P. 

Check out all of these flavours at 

rebel-kitchen.com

What are your favourite dairy alternatives?? Do you have a particular animal-friendly sweet treat of choice?? Have you tried Rebel Kitchen Mylk?? 

Veganised It! Creamy Courgette Soup

I said I was going to start featuring the odd Vegan foodie post on this blog. Seasoned Vegans will probably scoff at this post but, since I'm such a newbie, I'm still learning ways to adapt recipes and replace ingredients to make them more 'earth-friendly'. I thought a little series on 'veganising' amazing, simple recipes might be a nice idea to inspire a few people to reduce the amount of animal products in their diet (it's better for your health too, you know) and possibly help other new Vegans with their transition by showing what can be made. I came across this lovely, simple recipe on Pinterest (the original dairy-laden recipe can be credited to Chef In You) and I always have courgettes lying around.

I had to half the ingredients as I'm a woman on my own (insert violin solo here) but I'll give you the full recipe  which serves 4. My reduced quantities made 2 large portions for me. 

Ingredients

• 2 lbs ( abt 900 grams) White or Green Courgette
• 1 Onion, chopped
• 1 tsp dried Oregano (I only had Schwartz Italian Herb Mix in the cupboard but it worked just as well)
• 3 cups Vegetable Stock/Water
• 1/2 cup Alpro Soya Single Cream (or as much or as little as you like depending on your taste)
• Fresh Oregano to garnish (I just used black pepper)
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 
  
• To Prepare (approx cook time 30mins)
• - Trim and uniformly slice courgettes
• - Melt 2tbsp Pure Dairy-Free Sunflower Spread in saucepan
• - Add chopped onions and saute for several minutes before adding the dry Oregano
• - Add all of the courgette and a pinch of salt
• - Cook for approx 10mins until the courgette just starts to soften
• - Add the stock to the pan and simmer gently with saucepan lid half on for 15mins
• - Using a hand blender, process the soup to your desired consistency. 
• - Add the Alpro Soya Cream to the pan and mix (you could also add more stock if the soup is too thick)
• 
  
• 
  
• ENJOY!
• 
  
• This recipe really is no effort at all. I've loved it this week with toast and lashings of (dairy-free) spread. I've never been a huge fan of heavy cream soups but the Alpro Soya cream is so much lighter. It almost tasted a little 'cheesy'. I'll definitely be making it again as I've always got courgettes in my fridge. It's the kind of recipe I'd make all year round. Soups are brilliant in the Winter to warm you up but, somehow, they also work in the Summer when you're too hot and bothered to stomach a big meal. 
• 
  
• Eeeeeek, my first ever recipe post!! Hope you don't mind the occasional break from the beauty chatter, normal service will resume tomorrow. Okay, so it isn't my own original recipe, but I just wanted to demonstrate how easy it is to make a few little tweaks (using products that are readily available in supermarkets) and create a yummy, healthy Vegan alternative. Definitely check out the Chef In You blog though. They have some fab recipes for carnivores and plant eaters alike!
• 
  
• Are you a soup fanatic?? Would you consider the Vegan option?? Are you a new Vegan looking to eliminate the dreaded dairy from your recipes??
• 
  
• 
  

Soooo... I went Vegan

A little impromptu lifestyle news from me today folks! I'm a little bit nervous about posting this one, if I'm honest, so I'd be really grateful if you'd all refrain from calling me a nutter in the comments box after you've read it haha. If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram you may be able to tell by now that I recently made the HUGE decision to switch to an entirely vegan diet. Don't worry, I'm not going to go all militant on you and get all preachy about how 'meat is murder' and all that malarkey (even though it kind of is... Sorry not sorry). I just wanted to do a little post to let you know my inspiration and reasons for choosing vegan and why it's been such a positive change for me going into 2014...

I've never been a huge consumer of meat or dairy in general. I was vegetarian for almost 9yrs as a teenager and, to this day, never really ate anything more than Quorn (which isn't vegan either) except for maybe once or twice a week. However, I recently came across a very inspiring film, whilst working on a University project, called The Ghosts in Our Machine which really made me stop and think properly. I'd been suspicious for a long time that meat and dairy farming methods weren't how I'd assumed they were. Again I'm not going to go into telling you all how cruel and barbaric things are, it's not for me to tell you that what you're eating is wrong after all and it is a choice every person must make for themselves and for their own reasons. I just think we're not as informed as we should be, as consumers, on how our choices affect other sentient beings, with whom we share our planet as well as our planet itself.

The fact is I'm really enjoying my vegan diet, regardless of my reasoning. I also feel more content in myself knowing that I'm making lifestyle choices based on principles of non violence and which are kinder to the environment. I'm enjoying finding alternatives to foods I used to enjoy and discovering new foods that I love that I never would have tried had I not become vegan. The photos above are just a couple of recipes I've been trying out this week. I made a dairy free super-creamy courgette soup and my breakfast this morning was a berry chia pudding that I'd soaked overnight in almond milk. I must admit that I am mourning the loss of eggs and Cadbury's Dairy Milk BUT, on the upside, I can eat all the Oreos I want! Really though, nomatter how good something tastes, is it really worth it? I know my conscience couldn't cope with it in the end. 

I've spoken to a few people via social media while I've been making the change to Vegan and a few people have said that they'd be interested themselves but don't know where to start. As well as The Ghosts in Our Machine, there is another brilliant US documentary called Vegucated (available on Netflix) which really helped me get my head around the types of things I can eat and gives the basics on why and how you should go Vegan. Even if you just swap one thing at a time. I found a trip to Holland & Barratt very inspirational as they have so many egg/dairy alternatives. I've also decided to start sharing a few vegan recipes on this blog every once in a while. I'm learning to 'veganise' a lot of the things I used to enjoy eating so that it doesn't feel like so much of a loss. I've already started pinning loads of recipes on my Pinterest account for veg-spiration. On the whole I feel amazing, positive and pleased that I can do my little bit towards saving the planet.

If anyone has any vegan tips, questions or recipe ideas for me I'd love to hear them in the comments.

Have you considered Veganism as a diet/lifestyle option?? What would be your main concern about making changes like this?? 

Addiction of The Month: M&S Iced Teas

Something a bit different this time!

I've been really trying to branch out in terms of topics lately. This was a big factor which influenced the recent rebranding and renaming of this blog. I really want to feature more food, fashion and lifestyle-related posts in and amongst the usual beauty news and reviews. So I thought I'd start featuring my food addictions every once in a while in a little post so that perhaps you, my readers, can try something new and tasty and perhaps even love it as much as I do. I'm kicking off with these M&S Infused Iced Teas!

I fell head over heels for these since I first tried them a couple of weeks back. They're such a fresh twist on your regular Liptons varieties and taste so crisp. I've been running to M&S in Greenwich on my lunch break for them ever since I started my University course. I suppose it's a funny time of the year to be drinking iced tea now that the weather is turning chillier but I seriously can't get enough!

The teas come in three flavours (or these are the three stocked in this particular store anyway). Raspberry and Rooibos Tea, Moroccan Mint and White Tea and Peach, Camomile and Green Tea. I think the Peach would have to be my ultimate favourite as I'm a die-hard peach iced tea lover and am very particular about it (not just any old brand will do) but the Moroccan Mint flavour is so different from any other iced tea I've ever come across and extremely refreshing. The flavours of all three are out of this world though. They're not exactly saintly, with approx 20g of sugar and 100kcal per 330ml bottle, however it's a price I'm willing to pay for the sheer tastiness. 

You can pick these up in M&S stores for £1.10 per 330ml. They really are something a bit special compared to regular iced tea varieties and feel like a real treat!

Do you love Iced Tea?? Do you rate M&S?? Do you fall prey to little addictions once in a while??