Visiting the Apartheid Museum

Ultimate Travel Bucket List

Here is my ultimate travel bucket list. In the next few years I would like to travel to every country in Europe and every country in the world in my lifetime. Below is a list of must-go-to destinations, things to do and where to stay. Once I've completed something on the list, a picture will be inserted as photographic evidence. Pics or it didn't happen! I hope you enjoy this. Perhaps you'll find some holiday inspiration from it!

Tomato and Basil Soup

I am back with my Recipes That Cost Less Than £1 series with a classic. Good ol' tomato soup. If you think there's nothing special about soup, you'd be wrong. This recipe is simple, easy to prepare (although it does require a blender so keep that in mind) and it's cheap as chips (except much much cheaper than chips). I hope you enjoy!

(Serves 2-3)

Ingredients:

• 400g Sainsburys basics chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 400ml Vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 handful of chopped basil

1. Add the olive oil and the onions to a large pan and cook on a medium heat for 4-5 minutes or until they are browned.
2. Add the chopped tomatoes and stock. Once boiling, simmer for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper if you wish.
3. Add the basil and leave to cool.
4. Once cooled, add the soup into a blender and blend until smooth.
5. Reheat on the stove, this time be careful not to boil and serve when hot.

The Maths:

• 400g Sainsburys basics chopped tomatoes cost £0.35
• 1 onion (roughly 20p depending on where you buy them from) halved is £0.10
• Marigold Swiss vegetable Bouillon is £2.00 for 150g. We're using 1 tsp, so that is 5g. This is £0.06
• 100ml of olive oil cost £0.32. Tbsp converted into ml is 17ml per tbsp = £0.06
• Sainsburys fresh basil costs £0.80 in a packet. We would use about 1/4 of this which is £0.20. If you want to save even more money, consider growing your own basil or purchasing a basil plant.

All together this adds up to 79p

Lentil and Vegetable Pasties

In my year seven food tech class, I was labelled the pasty queen. I burnt my cupcakes, I somehow managed to scramble my quiches and boil my brownies (I know, right? How does that even happen?) But trust me when I say, pasties were my jam.

These pasties were an experiment because I had some random veggies in the fridge and an ever-looming best before date on the puff pastry. I decided to have a little bit of fun and created these magical little things which are, by far, the most delicious things I've ever made.

Ingredients:

• 1 sheet of Jus-Rol Puff Pastry
• 1 tbsp of plant based milk
• 2 tbsp of vegan gravy graduals
• 1 tsp of vegetable stock powder
• 1 tsp of nutritional yeast (optional)
• 1 potato
• 1/2 carrot
• 100g lentils
• 1 leek
• 1 tsp of coconut oil
• 1 tsbp of flour

1. Chop the potato, leek and carrots into small cubes. Sweat in a pan with the coconut oil, then pour in some boiling water and boil for 10-15 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
2. Meanwhile in another pan, cook the lentils for roughly 10-15 minutes. Before you do this, make sure you rinse the lentils as they contain an indigestible starch.
3. Cut your pastry into 6 squares and set aside to soften.
4. Once the lentils and vegetables are cooked, drain the water and mix together in a bowl.
5. Cook your gravy, stock, nutritional yeast and flour together in a new pan, until it is thick and there is no lumps.
6. Pour the gravy over the vegetable and lentil mixture. Mix together and cool in the fridge for 30 minutes.
7. When the mixture is cool, add a spoonful to the middle of the pastry squares and fold down the top corner to reach the bottom corner to make a triangle shape.
8. With a fork, indent a pattern on the edge of the pasty where the pastry meets.
9. With a knife pierce two holes in the top of the pastry. I like to make a 'v' for vegan shape.
10. Brush the pastry with the plant based milk.
11. Cook in the oven on gas mark 7 for roughly 20 minutes or until they are browned. Enjoy!

What I did/ate in Provincetown

From what I've heard, Provincetown is like the Brighton of Massachusetts. All year round, it's pride time and there's no stopping the rainbow flags, the day time drag queens, or the proud flamboyance. However, despite the progressive liberal take, it's still Cape Cod, and that means one thing. You're having fish for dinner. You're a vegan, yeah, we don't care, you're eating fish.

Luckily, thank goodness for Happycow am I right?, we managed to find an amazing little vegan place  called Grab 'n' Go along the main road. I ordered a vegan acai bowl, and if it had not been for the magnificent portion sizes, I would have ordered everything else on the menu. Smoothies, soft serve ice cream, raw vegan tacos, and so much more. My friend ordered a chocolate serve so I did get to try some. Having never been a fan of soft serve, I have to say, that stuff could have turned me.

I have to say, Provincetown was beautiful. It was definitely out of the way but I think it was well worth the drive. There, I purchased a vegan cookbook (you can see it in my bag on the picture above) and I tried paddle boarding for the first time. We hired the boards at Provincetown Aquasports, and the whole experience was extremely well priced. I expected to pay a lot more than $20 for an hour boarding, a locker and a waterproof case to put my phone in. If you're not into paddle boarding, they also offered canoes and kayaks for people a little less lazy than us. If you want to see the video I filmed of our time in paddle boarding, you can watch that here, although be warned, it's a lot of shaky camera work and trying to figure out how GoPros work.

Golden Ponies Shoes

I know, I know, I'm talking about shoes again. I can't stop, guys. I have a real problem.

This shoe brand is a Guatemalan company who make affordable, cutesy made-to-order shoes and accessories including bags, coats, socks and more. You can visit their website here or their etsy account here.

Here is a selection to show you some of their shoes and what they have to offer.

Raspberry, Almond and White Chocolate Smoothie Bowl

I feel like I've outdone myself for this bowl, not only is it delicious and beautiful, it's pink! Pink, guys, get excited. This is the second smoothie of autumn and it's perfect for mornings when you have some extra time, or you're feeling particularly decadent.

Ingredients

• 1 handful of frozen raspberries
• 1 bar of vegan white chocolate (in the UK, these can be found in the freefrom section of supermarkets, but only around Easter and Christmas. Around October time they start selling white chocolate father christmases. I used one of these)
• 10-15 almonds (that have been left to soak overnight)
• 100ml almond milk
• Coconut shavings for garnish
• freeze dried raspberries for garnish (can be found in the baking section of most supermarkets)

1. First, melt your white chocolate in the microwave for 1 minute, stirring every 20 seconds.
2. In a blender, blend together the almonds, raspberries and almond milk.
3. Pour the smoothie into a bowl.
4. Add the melted white chocolate to the centre of the bowl and create a marble effect with a chopstick or the back of a spoon.
5. Garnish with coconut shavings and freeze dried raspberries.

HOW TO GO VEGAN

This is a post for all of the lovely people thinking about going vegan, but aren't quite sure how. It can be quite daunting at first if you're not used to checking labels or restricting what you eat, but trust me, once you know what you're doing, it's the easiest thing in the world.

The Tree Kisser: Vegan Fashion

Today I want to introduce to you a company that I love. The Tree Kisser. They make beautiful, well-made American Apparel shirts, hoodies, tanks and more. Take a look at some of their designs on their website here or see some of my picks below.

 

Apple and Blackberry Smoothie Bowl

Autumn is officially here. The clouds and rain were so heavy this morning, the so called "natural light" didn't want to cooperate and I was left with a mediocre picture and very little time to eat and get to work.

Enough complaining from me. This is my new seasonal smoothie recipes series. I'm going to make ten recipes per season and to start off Autumn, here is a very simple, fruity recipe to get you in the mood.

Ingredients:

• 1 pink lady apple, cut into chunks (save a small slice for garnish)
• 1 handful of blackberries, washed (save 2-3 for garnish)
• 1 tsbp maple syrup
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 100ml almond milk
• 2 tbsp of soy-based yoghurt. I used Alpro vanilla (for garnish)

1. Add your apple, blackberries, almond milk, maple syrup and cinnamon to a blender and blend until smooth. You can add more almond milk if you prefer a thinner smoothie.
2. Pour into a bowl. Add a dollop of soy-based yoghurt to the middle of the bowl and create a marble effect using a chopstick or the back of a spoon.
3. Garnish with the rest of your apple and the blackberries.

Lulu Vegan Shoes

Long gone are the days of ugly, hemp and soy-based vegan shoes. We live in a new world with options, options, options! Shoes to suit the fashionista, the conservative and the outrageous.

Lulu's is an online clothing company who make vegan shoes. These shoes are less flamboyant then some of my previous shoe brand picks, however, they're perfect for lovers of the classic shoe, and those who don't want to destroy their bank account.

Vegan Deodorant: Introducing Herban Cowboy

Going vegan can be extremely daunting when you're not familiar with cruelty free products. Not all vegans are about being one with nature, growing out our armpit hair and frolicking in the wilderness, thank you very much. Some of us like our luxuries, like soap, razors and deodorant.

Unfortunately, it is one of those products, like toothpaste, that we all just take for granted (most of us anyway), and having to find a new brand is extremely stressful. What if you choose one that doesn't work? We've all been there, on a hot summer's day, and the air conditioning at work is broken, and you're running around trying to do make sure all the customers are happy but you bought a natural, eco-friendly deodorant that is basically the equivalent of rubbing leaves on your armpits. Okay, maybe it's just me who has experienced that, but I am here to tell you about my favourite brand of vegan deodorant so that you'll never have to experience that feeling.

Herban Cowboy is an organic, cruelty free and vegan company that specialises in making colognes, deodorants, shaving creams and perfumes. At first, they only made scents for manly men (although gender marketing is totally a thing you should ignore - you'll save gazillions) they recently broke out into the girly girl market and released this gorgeous smelling deodorant for us ladies.

Blossom is floral, pink and best of all, it actually works. I've seen lots of vegans raving about this product and I have to agree with them. I've yet to have experienced any problems with this brand.

You can buy any of the Herban Cowboy products on amazon, if you live outside the US or Canada. Or if you do live there, you can check their website for retailers here. 

Raw Vegan Spaghetti with Creamy Cauliflower Sauce

This recipe is simply to die for. You'll never believe you're eating something vegan, let alone something raw and cold. It's so delicate and creamy in taste, you'll instantly forget the temperature and become absorbed in the thick, delicious sauce. It's simple, inexpensive and luxurious. Keep in mind you will need a blender and a spiralizer.

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 1 large cauliflower
• 100ml raw almond milk
• the juice from 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp cayenne pepper
• 4 large courgettes

1. Combine the cauliflower, almond milk and lemon juice in a blender or a food processor until you get the texture you desire.
2. Using a spiralizer, spiralize your courgettes and add to a mixing bowl.
3. Pour the cauliflower sauce over the courgettes and mix together until all the courgette 'spaghetti' is combined with the sauce.
4. Sprinkle over the cayenne pepper for an extra kick.

Dolls Kill Girly Shoe Heaven

Pink, pastel and girly things are always my first choice. You probably know the type, the dreamy, trippy, Lolita-type. This style has been around for a long time and I'm very happy that it's stuck around for so long. Below I have compiled some slightly "out there" vegan shoes from Dollskill.com, my favourite girly books and favourite films so everyone know exactly my aesthetic. Hope you enjoy!

CRUELTY-FREE HAIR CARE

I have always struggled with my hair. It's never been an aspect of my appearance that I've been proud of and when I went vegan, and my selection of good quality shampoos and conditioners quartered, I thought there would be no hope left for my ugly mop.

Fast forward a few years and I've tried every vegan hair care product on the market, and I'm happy to say I've found my favourites, ones that actually work and might even give the non-cruelty-free world of hair cosmetics a run for their money.

My Vegan Shoe Collection

Where to buy all the shoes featured in this video:

Flats

•  Black & Pink Jason Wu Melissas (I can't find these exact pairs anywhere, but you can find similar styles here and here)
• Jason Wu Pink sandals. Same as above, I can't find the exact pair but there's lots of similar styles still available.
• Black Melissas with Spikes (Not exactly the same pair, but extremely similar: here)
• Purple Melissa Brogues were by Alexander Herchcovitch but I don't think they're available anymore.
• White Kerol D Moon Shoes (here)
• Zodiac Kerol D Shoes (here)
• Kerol D Holographic Sandals (here)
• Good Guys Don't Wear Leather Shoes (here)
• Running Shoes (here)

Heels

• Stella McCartneys (I can't find the exact shoe but yoox sells cheap Stella shoes from a few seasons ago here)
• Red Melissas (No longer available but here are some similar shoes)
• Mink Shoes (Neither pair are still available but you can look for new Mink Collections here)
• Red Velvet Kerol D Shoes (here)
• Pink Aubrey Kitching Kerol D Shoes (here)
• Betsey Johnson Leather (NOT VEGAN) (available here)
• Iron Fist Skull Booties (I don't think these are available anymore but you can find other Iron Fist Shoes here)
• Cri De Coeur Heels (here)
• Cri De Coeur Blue Boots (exact pair no longer available but this is a very similar black pair)
• Beyond Skin Romy&Michelle-esque (here)
• Jeffrey Campbell (exact pair is no longer available but here is the rest of the collection)
• Jean Paul Gaultier (I can't find the pair in gold but here is a green pair)
• Vivienne Westwood Black skull heels (here)
• Vivienne Westwood Melissas (I can't find a white pair but here is a discounted black pair)

What I Ate Today

I decided to make a youtube video to show people what I like to eat in a day. I'm obsessed with watching these kinds of videos and hopefully this will be the first of many.

'Cheezy' Tagliatelle with Spinach

This recipe is creamy and full of flavour. It's perfect if you're missing cheese or fancy making something inexpensive and delicious.

Ingredients:

• 50g tagliatelle
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 tbsp vegan margarine
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp sun dried tomato paste
• 25g fresh spinach
• 100g soy/almond milk
• the juice of 1 unwaxed lemon

1. In a frying pan, stir together the margarine and flour until it creates a yellow paste. Stir in a quarter of the soy/almond milk, slowly. Add in the lemon juice and season with pepper.
2. Meanwhile, cook the tagliatelle according to packet instructions
3. Stir in the sun dried tomato paste to the 'cheese' mixture and continue to add the rest of the milk slowly. Stir constantly.
4. When the tagliatelle is cooked, drain and set aside.
5. Add the spinach to the cheese mixture and cook for 1 minute.
6. Mix together the tagliatelle to the cheese mixture and remove from the heat/ Mix until well combined then serve.

How I did the maths:

• 500g tagliatelle costs 85p in Sainsburys. We're using 10% of this, so this is 8.5p. Rounded up to 9p.
• flour + margarine + pepper = roughly 5p
• sun dried tomato paste costs £1.50 for 90g. We're using roughly 5g. This is 1/20 so this costs roughly 8p.
• 100g fresh spinach costs £1 in sainsburys. We're using 1 quarter. = 25p
• Almond milk costs £1.70 for 1l. We are using 1/10 so this is 17p.
• 1 lemon costs 35p.

All together this recipe costs 99p

Vegan Donuts Recipe

So, it's pretty obvious by my lack of posts that I disappeared from the face of the Earth for the last month. Yep, that's exactly what happened. Anyway, I'm back and I've brought donuts with me, so all of my 1 followers (hi mum) can calm down.

This recipe is an edited version from Mrs Cupcake's The Naughties Vegan Cakes in Town, a recipe book filled with sweets and treats that are completely indulgent and delicious. I've made quite a lot from this cookbook and I'm very pleased with all of the recipes.

My version calls for the juice from a jar of morello cherries rather than vanilla extract. Sometimes you've got to improvise when you don't have all the ingredients. This particular mistake created something beautiful so I had to share it with you.

*Side note. Don't start making these when you're about to go to bed. They take a long time.

So, let's get onto the donuts...

(Makes 8 Donuts & Donut Holes)

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp vegan butter
• 170ml almond milk
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 tbsp morello cherry juice
• 340g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 2 1/2 tsp dried active yeast
• 100g rapeseed oil (for frying)

For the glaze:

• 120g icing sugar
• 2 tbsp almond milk
• 1 tbsp morello cherry juice

1. Melt the butter in a pan over a low heat. Add the milk, salt, sugar and morello cherry juice but do not boil. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the yeast, flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and mix until combined. Add in the butter mixture and kneed for 10 minutes.
3. Leave in a bowl covered with cling film for 1 hour.
4. Roll the dough out until it is 2cm thick. With a large glass, cut into shapes. With a smaller shot glass, cut out a hole in the middle of the circles. Leave to rise for another hour.
5. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the glaze.
6. Heat the oil in a pan on a medium-low heat. Drop in the donuts and donut holes and cook for about 30 seconds on each side or until they are golden.
7. While still warm, coat with the glaze and serve.

Which Non-dairy Milk is Best?

If you're new to the vegan lifestyle, you might be confused as to why we have loads of different milks and what they're all for and which one is best for you? Here's a handy guide to help you understand the top six* non-dairy milks.

Keep in mind this list was created by someone who has never liked cows milk. Grossness. You won't find any comparisons here.

*If I made a list about ALL the milks, we'd be here forever. Trust me, there's so many options for vegans, guys. Too many options.

Hurraw! Lip Balms

I've been obsessing over Hurraw! Lip balms for over a year now so it feels right that I should rave about them here. Incase you've been living under a rock, Hurraw! is a company that makes raw, natural, vegan lip balms and lately they've been adding new fun flavours and lip balms with different purposes such as the moon balms and sun balms. Ugh, it's just too much for me. I need them all.

So my first question was, what exactly is a moon balm? I'd been using the blue chamomile vanilla moon balm obsessively for a few weeks before looking into it. Basically, you wear it at night. It's longer lasting so you don't have to reapply it very often and it tastes and smells divine.

During the day I like to alternate between the green tea lip balms and any of the nutty ones like the coconut or the almond. I find the fruity ones to be too sickly. I loved the black cherry tinted lip balm at first but then the taste became too sickly and I soon grew to hate it.

The sun balm is another one that basically speaks for itself. It's basically sun tan lotion for your lips. Do I need to say more on the topic?

There's so many flavours so you're always covered. Root beer, mint, liquorice, earl grey, whatever you like, whatever you feel like, Hurraw! have probably made it into a lip balm or are likely going to in the near future. There's so many flavours where I just think, 'really?' and so many others where I think 'YES. Need it' so there's really something for everyone.

I love love love Hurraw! lipbalms, they're a great vegan alternative to chapstick or Vaseline and they taste so good! Everyone needs to own at least one. Or ten.

Vegan Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

These were a result of accidentally adding orange essence to cookie dough mixture. Didn't I already tell everyone that I'm terrible at baking? Well, that's irrelevant here because these turned out SO GOOD! I made a gazillion of them and all my meat-eating friends and family said they tasted as delicious as real cookies, if not better.

The only weird ingredient here is egg replacement powder. If you think about it, it's a lot less gross than chicken periods, but if you're not comfortable with egg replacement, I would recommend making flax eggs out of flax seeds and water. Google it. But trust me, egg replacement powder makes these cookies really decadent and delicious.

(Makes 20 Cookies)

Ingredients:

• 200g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 100g vegan chocolate chips (if you can get orange flavoured, even better!)
• 1 tsp orange zest
• 75g vegan butter (I use Vitalite)
• 2 1/2 tbsp rapeseed oil
• 75g caster sugar
• 90g brown sugar
• 1 tbsp orange essence
• 3 tsp egg replacement powder
• 3 tbsp lukewarm water

1. Preheat the oven to 180c/gas mark 4 and line two large baking trays with greaseproof paper
2. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda.
3. Stir in the chocolate chips and orange zest.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the dairy free butter, rapeseed oil, caster sugar, brown sugar and orange essence. Set aside.
5. In a small bowl or jug, whisk together the egg replacement powder and lukewarm water until light and frothy. Combine with the flour mixture, then add the butter mixture. Stir together until well combined.
6. Form the dough into 20 small balls and place on the baking sheets. Allow a couple of inches in between each cookie to give them room if they want to spread out. Bake for 12-13 minutes. They should be golden and still soft. Flatten them out on a counter and leave them to cool and harden.

March Favourites

Beauty

Deodorant is one product that is really difficult to find a vegan version of. I've tried all sorts of products but my favourite has to be 'Blossom' by Herban Cowboy. It smells floral, is easy to use and has good protection. You can buy it online on Amazon or just have a look on google if you're in the UK and looking for a good vegan deodorant.

My second beauty product of March is Lush's 'Kerbside Violet' perfume. I've been a little bit obsessed with the scent 'Vanillary' for a few months but I became bored with it when every single person started smelling like it. I know it's cliche to say, but I'm a big hipster when it comes to products and as soon as something becomes popular, I get bored. Kerbside Violet is another scent by Lush that is vegan, obviously, and smells divine. It smells exactly like Parma Violets, and it's not too over bearing like other Lush scents. It's slightly less popular than the Vanillary scent, therefore it's better.

Books

This month I've been busy so I've not had much time to read but I have read some of 'Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs and Wear Cows' by Melanie Joy. It's a great book if you're interested in the theory behind Carnism and philosophy.

Simple Green Smoothie Bowl

This is a simple delicious with four ingredients that will vitalise you and help you to become the best version of yourself. Add whatever ingredients you want to the top to make it become instagram- worthy. I choose a chopped banana, chia seeds and pomegranate seeds.

Ingredients:

• 4 chopped bananas, frozen for at least 2 hours
• 2-3 bunches of kale
• 100g of coconut water
• 1 tsp of wheatgrass powder

1. Add in the kale, coconut water and wheatgrass powder to your blender. Blend them up.
2. Add in the chopped bananas. Adding them last will make them easier to blend.
3. Pour into a bowl and decorate however you want to make it pretty for the pictures.

How to Make Almond Milk Frothy Barista-Style

This is just a quick how-to on making almond milk look frothy and pretty for instagram purposes. What you'll need is a Kilner jar or an empty jam jar or something similar. Add the amount of milk you want for your tea or coffee, make sure the lid is on tight then shake it up. Then microwave for about 20 seconds with the lid off, then add to your drink.

I sprinkled cinnamon on top of mine. If you have one of those things that create the shapes on top of the froth, definitely use one. I didn't and also, I'm lazy. But I was still very happy with mine anyway.

This method will almost definitely work with whatever type of dairy free milk you're using, not just almond milk.

Fried Plantains

I recently discovered plantains and I fell in love. They look like bananas but they taste like potatoes! It's the weirdest experience for someone who eats a lot of bananas and isn't too cultured when it comes to exotic fruits and vegetables. They're starchy and in my opinion, these fried plantains taste just like chips in the shape of chopped bananas.

I served mine with homemade salsa and guac. Recipes for those might come some time in the future. They don't go too well with the plantains so perhaps they're not the perfect recipes to go side by side.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp of olive oil (for a healthier option, try coconut oil)
• 1 plantain

1. Chop the ends of the plantain, then cut a line down the middle, breaking the skin but not digging into the fruit. Then peel it off in one go.
2. Chop the plantain into smaller pieces.
3. In a frying pan, fry the oil then place the plantains in the oil and fry for 2 minutes or until brown on one side.
4. Flip the plantains then fry on the other side for a further 2 minutes.
5. When they're done, place on kitchen roll to drain away the access oil.
6. You're done!

Almond Dream Ice Cream Review

Recently I bought some Almond Dream vegan ice cream from Waitrose and I thought I'd share my opinions here. The flavours available were praline crunch, salted caramel, mint chocolate chip and vanilla. I got praline crunch and salted caramel. They were delicious and creamy.

I particularly loved the way the salted caramel one had drizzles of caramel sauce throughout, my only complaint was that it didn't taste salty at all. It might as well have just been caramel ice cream. The praline one was crunchy and delicious.

I will definitely go for Almond Dream ice cream again simply because the flavours were slightly more interesting than the other vegan ice cream brands in the UK, I just wish they were a little bit cheaper.

Life In Plastic

Anyone who knows me will know I'm obsessed with shoes and my favourite shoe brand of all time has to be Melissas, a Brazilian company who have had numerous designers such as Vivienne Westwood, Karl Lagerfield, Jason Wu and plenty others collaborate with them to make unique, beautiful designs that are unlike any other shoe brand today.

If, like me, you love all things vegan and glamorous, keep reading for my review on Melissa Shoes.

Cacao, Date and Chia Seed Banana Bread

This banana bread is gooey, bananary and packed with goodness. It's oil free and vegan (obvy) and tastes delicious.

Ingredients:

• 250g of wholewheat flour
• 50g of raw cacao powder
• 2/3 of baking powder
• 2/3 of bicarbonate of soda
• 3tbsp of chia seeds
• 120g of almond milk (you can use any non-dairy milk)
• 200g of medjool dates (chopped and stones removed)
• 5 ripe bananas

1. Preheat the oven to 180c and line your bread tin with greaseproof paper.
2. In a jug with 120g of water, soak your chia seeds for 15 minutes. They should go goopy and start to stick together.
3. Meanwhile, sieve the flour, cacao, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda into a bowl. Stir.
4. In a blender, add the bananas, almond milk and dates and blend together.
5. Pour out the blender mixture and stir into the dry ingredients.
6. Add your chia seed 'eggs' and mix together. Make sure everything is well combined and light and fluffy.
7. Cook in the oven for roughly 45 - 60 minutes. It can vary depending on your oven. I ended up cooking my bread for just over 2 hours. You will know when your bread is done if you stick a cake tester (or a chopstick) into the bread and it comes out clean.
8. Serve with banana slices on top! Or not. This last part is completely optional.

Green Juice

Ingredients:

• 3-4 bunches of kale
• 1 celery heart (with the end cut off)
• 1 large pineapple (with the skin removed)
• 1/2 a large cucumber

1. Juice the kale first. I find it can be messy and leaves jump all over the kitchen and into the jug of juice. So I always juice the kale first so I can pick out any leaves then continue with the rest of the ingredients.
2. Juice the celery, pineapple and cucumber.
3. You're done!

Benefits

• Kale is arguably the healthiest food on the planet. It has vitamins A, K, C and B6, potassium and more calcium than a glass of milk (it has 150mg per 100g while milk only has 125mg).

Raw Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake

I'm bad at taking pictures of food. Particularly baking. I swear to you, this picture took over half an hour to get right. And it's still rubbish. But, the good news is that the recipe is delicious and not only is it raw and vegan, it's packed with super foods and is perfect for a treat or for entertaining friends.

Ingredients:

• 170g of rolled oats
• 2tbsp of maple syrup
• 140g of raw cacao powder
• 75g of raw hazelnuts
• 170g of raw cashews (soaked overnight)
• 70g of medjool dates (stones removed)
• 50ml of water (alternatively you could use raw almond milk)
• 1 ripe banana
• 2tbsp of coconut oil

1. To make the base, add the oats, dates, hazelnuts and half of the water to a food processor and process till the become a stodgy mixture. You can add more water if you like to get the desire consistency.
2. In a cake tin, scoop out the mixture from the food processor and line the bottom of the cake tin. This will become your base.
3. Store in a freezer while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
4. Add the maple syrup, cashews, cacao, coconut oil, banana and the remaining water to a food processor and process till all the ingredients are combined. Again, you can add more water if necessary.
5. Add the next layer to your cake tin and freeze over night.

Good Guys Don't Wear Leather

Today I'm going to review one of my favourite brands of vegan footwear. Good Guys Don't Wear Leather. They are a French company who make gorgeous, classic faux suede and faux patent shoes made from vegetables. They make shoes for all the genders and many of their classic designs are unisex, which is perfect.

I've been wearing my plain black canvas shoes since January, mostly for work (which is a shame because they're the only fashionable part of my uniform) but also for days when I just feel like I need a sturdy, comfy pair of shoes for either nipping to the shops or to uni. They're amazing quality, they can withstand rain and they didn't get ruined when an industrial amount of jalapeño juice exploded on my feet at work (that happens at all work places, right?), I'd recommend them completely.

Although these shoes are on the pricey side (usually around €150 or around €100 for sale items), they're good quality and it's worth investing in if you want a good, sturdy pair of shoes that won't get ruined easily.

Super Healthy Green Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 4 bunches of kale
• 4 ripe bananas
• 1 handful of spinach
• 1 tsp of wheatgrass powder
• 1 tsbp of maple syrup/agave nectar
• 50g of almond milk

1. Steam the kale for 5 minutes, or alternatively, boil for 2 minutes then drain away the water. The kale will taste less leafy this way and make the smoothie extra delicious. It will taste a lot less like sticks.
2. Add the kale, spinach, banana, wheatgrass, almond milk and sweetener of your choice to a blender and blend.

Beetroot, Plum & Ginger Juice

This is the nicest juice in the entire world. Trust and believe.

Ingredients

• 4 large beets
• 6 plums
• 1 unwaxed lemon (the wax often isn't vegan)
• 1 thumb of ginger

1. Cut off the skin from the lemon then add to juicer.
2. Destone the plums then add those to the juicer.
3. Peel the skin from the beetroots then add the skinned beets to the juicer.
4. Finally, add the ginger and then you're done.

Benefits

Beetroot contains potassium, magnesium, iron, antioxidants, folic acids and protein. It has been know to lower blood pressure. And it tastes a-may-zing.

Vegan Lingerie: Lost in Wonderland

I'm a the-knickers-must-match-the-bra kind of girl and I wouldn't be caught dead in nudes, whites or blacks. I'm obsessed with all things girly, cute and lacy. Lingerie lingerie lingerie. All day every day. Unfortunately, most lingerie companies use silk or some kind of non-vegan dyes. It's difficult to find cute, vegan lingerie that isn't boring. But luckily, companies exist and today I want to introduce you to a gorgeous brand that I just discovered. Lost in Wonderland.

They are a German company that make beautiful, sexy, ethical and cruelty-free lingerie for girls who don't want to be caught in boring underwear. Here's a link to their website. And below are some of my favourite designs by them. (Warning: Might not be safe for work)

February Favourites

I've decided to do a new thing where I list my favourite beauty products, TV shows, books, films, etc on the last day of said month. I hope you enjoy!

Beauty

Right now, I am loving 'Yummy Mummy' shower gel by Lush. It's vegan and cruelty free (of course), it smells like strawberries and cream AND it's purple! Honestly, I'm obsessed with this shower gel right now.

It leaves a faint shimmer to your body after use, but not enough to feel like a glittery freak. It's barely noticeable but the scent is absolutely divine and makes your whole bathroom smell perfumed and fresh. I'd fully recommend this shower gel.

Books

This month I read Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer and I have to admit, the only reason I was interested in this is because the main character is vegan. But, aside from that, it's actually a wonderfully well-written book that is not only fast paced, humorous and heartbreakingly sad but very moving.

TV Shows

Right now, I'm watching Community and I am LOVING it. It's a clever type of funny that is very different from what I usually watch. Also, I can definitely relate to Britta's character because she's an animal rights activist like me.