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.

Vegan Sushi Recipe

One of my favourite things to make is sushi. It's perfect for when you've got a hodge-podge of ingredients and you don't know what to do with them. I'm going to teach you how to make plain sushi with just rice and nori, and then give you ideas on what to add to them.

(Makes 2 sushi rolls)

Ingredients

• 2 sheets of nori
• 100g of sushi rice
• soy sauce, as much or as little as you desire.

1. Cook the sushi rice according to packet instructions. I found the best way is to wash the rice by adding it to a sieve and rinsing it 3 - 4 times, then adding it to a pan with 200g of boiling water, cook on a low heat for 15 minutes, then turn off the heat (make sure there is no remaining water in the pan) and leave to cool in the pan for 20 minutes.
2. place the rice on the lower half of the nori. It must go all the way to edge.
3. If you want to add any extra ingredients, now is the time. Add them to the lower half of the rice.
4. Wet the tip of the plain nori side with a tsp of water.
5. Roll up the sushi, from the rice side first.
6. With a sharp knife, cut the sushi into pieces. If your knife is not sharp enough, the nori will tear so make sure it is a very good knife.
7. Drizzle with soy sauce.

Fillings Ideas

• Papaya is fleshy, slimy and pink so it's the perfect substitute for fish. Add some papaya, mint and carrot slices to your sushi if you're a fan of the fishy sushi.
• Avocado is perfect for lovers of creamy sushi. Add some chives and tomatoes for a delicious treat.
• Many sushi places use egg in vegetarian sushi. Vegans can replace the egg with cooked, scrambled tofu.

DON'T SUPPORT LIME CRIME!

I decided to create this blog to show off incredible vegan products whether they be food brands, makeup, clothing companies, etc. I wasn't planning on writing negative reviews simply because I don't see the point. If I love a product, then it's worth my time. If it's not, then it's not worth writing about. But with Lime Crime, I've decided to make an exception to my rule. If you don't like negativity, maybe it's best not to read this. I have decided that Lime Crime is a company too corrupt to not write about and I can't risk anyone believing that this company is really as cruelty free as they say they are.

Yes, they've done some shady things in the past. All of these things will be listed below under the cut. But more recently, they have put the bank accounts of their supporters in danger and it is NOT OKAY. Basically, if you don't want your credit card details sold by a sociopathic CEO, don't buy any Lime Crime products.

Prior Park + February OOTD = Red Riding Hood

I don't think I've ever seen such miserable weather in Bath, but nethertheless, my mum was visiting, so we went to Prior Park and ate lots of vegan food. Despite the weather, it was a really cute morning/afternoon.

Read more for what I ate and my outfit of the day!

Vegan Dauphinoise Potatoes

Purely because it's French, dauphinoise potatoes makes me feel very cultured and like I should be watching Audrey Hepburn movies, even though it literally is carbs on carbs on carbs with more carbs.

Ingredients:

• 3 large potatoes, pealed
• 75ml of Alpro vegan cream
• handful of chopped chive
• 2 slices of Violife cheddar or mozzarella cheese (or your favourite vegan brand equivalent)
• 2 cloves or garlic, chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 180c or gas mark 4
2. Thinly slice the the potatoes and boil in a pan with water for roughly 5 minutes. This is to soften them slightly, not to cook them.
3. In an oven proof dish, cover the bottom with the softened potato slices
4. Add in a layer of chopped garlic and chives
5. Chop up the vegan cheese and add a thin layer of that
6. Repeat the layers with more potatoes, chives, garlic and cheese
7. When you have reached the top, or run out of ingredients, pour the cream over gradually. It will sink to the bottom over time so keep adding more until it reaches the top layer
8. Cook in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour.

I usually eat this as a snack (because I'm greedy and it tastes nice) but it should be a side dish. You could serve it with a salad on a hot summer evening, or with a nut roast on a cold night in February.

Why I Like YOOX and Vegan Brands to Look Out For

YOOX is one of those websites nobody knows how to pronounce. I've heard 'yux' but I usually just say the letters really quickly, 'why-oh-oh-ex' but all of that is irrelevant today. I want to tell you about my experience with them and why I continue to buy from them again and again.

Black Forest Vegan Cupcakes

I am not a baker. But some people have mentioned to me that the dessert section of my blog is a little bit dessert-ed. HA! I make puns as often as I bake so you guys better appreciate my efforts.

These are gorgeous little black forest cupcakes that are completely vegan and egg free. I hope you enjoy them!

(Serves 12)

Ingredients:

• 230 ml of almond milk
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 150g of granulated sugar
• 80ml of rapeseed oil
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract
• 130g of plain flour
• 45g of cocoa powder
• 3/4 tsp of baking powder
• 3/4 tsp of salt
• 40g of frozen cherries
• 1 tbsp of morello cherries juice
• 12 morello cherries for garnish

For the butter icing:

• 140g of vegan butter
• 200g of icing sugar
• 80g of cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp of morello cherries juice

1. Preheat the oven to 180c / gas mark 4 and fill a muffin tin with muffin cups.
2. In a bowl whisk together the milk and vinegar and leave to one side to curdle.
3. Add the sugar, oil, vanilla extract and morello cherry juice to the milk and vinegar and beat together until they foam.
4. In a separate bowl sieve flour, baking powder, cocoa powder and salt. Add in the frozen cherries and mix together.
5. Add the wet ingredients in 2 - 3 batches and stir till they are combined and you have no lumps.
6. Pour the ingredients into the muffin cups and bake for 20-25 minutes. When cooked, stick a toothpick in the centre and if it comes out clean, they are cooked, if not, cook for a further 5 minutes or till the toothpick comes out clean.
7. Transfer to a cooling rack and wait till they are completely cool.
8. In a bowl, mix together the butter icing ingredients and whisk till it is smooth.
9. Lather on the butter icing to the cupcakes and garnish with a morello cherry.

Rice Noodles with Spicy Garlicky Kale

Not only is this recipe super healthy, it's cheap, easy to make and delicious! Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 40g kale
• 100g rice noodles
• 1 clove of garlic, chopped
• 1 Scotch bonnet chilli, chopped
• 1 tsbp of olive oil
• 1 tsbp of soy sauce

1. In a frying pan, pour in the olive oil and sauté the garlic and chilli for 1 minute.
2. Add in the kale and sauté for 5 minutes
3. Add the noodles and the soy sauce
4. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly
5. Serve

How I did the Maths:

• 200g of kale from Sainsburys cost £1. we are using 40g and that is £0.20
• Sainsbury's rice noodles cost £1.40 for 300g. We are using a third. This is £0.47
• 1 clove of garlic costs £0.03
• Sainsbury's Scotch bonnet chillis cost £0.80 for roughly 8. We are using 1. This will cost £0.10
• 100ml of olive oil cost £0.32. Tbsp converted into ml is 17ml per tbsp = £0.06
• The average soy sauce is £1.20 for 150ml. 1 tbsp is 17ml. This is 13p.

Altogether this recipe costs: £0.99

UK Vegan Toothpaste Brands

Before I went vegan, I tried to make a conscious effort to buy products that weren't tested on animals. Or at least I did for the obvious stuff, makeup, shampoo, skin care, etc. But there's so many things you just don't think about. One of those things is toothpaste. You buy brands like 'Colgate' and 'Aquafresh' because they're easy, cheap and always around in supermarkets. BUT, these brands test on animals unnecessary.

It's not vivisection like the naive mind would imagine. It's not cute animals getting a dental treatment. It's brutal and entirely unnecessary. If you want to get more informed on vivisection, I'd recommend watching this video. (Click the link)

Luckily, there are options! Below I've listed three of my favourite inexpensive toothpaste brands that happen to be both cruelty free and vegan!

Green People

Green People make loads of Earth-friendly vegan products and I feel like I need to rave about them to you UK vegans for multiple reasons, not just for their toothpaste. But let's stick to the topic here.

They make different flavours, minty cool, citrus and aloe vera, peppermint and aloe vera and fennel and propolis (stay clear of this one unless you know for a fact you love fennel). They also have a range of children's toothpastes, all of which are organic, fair trade, vegan and cruelty free. What more could you ask for? Oh, they're also amazing for sensitive teeth too, and this is coming from someone who has really bad sensitive teeth.

All of the Green People products are available from their website. Click the link here.

Sarakan

Sarakan is another toothpaste brand that is vegan and cruelty free. As well as toothpaste, they also have mouthwash that is free from all the nasties you'd imagine popular toothpaste brands stay clear of.

You can buy Sarakan toothpaste and mouthwash from Holland and Barrett or online at their website. Click the link here.

Lush Toothy Tabs 

So they're not exactly toothpaste but I wanted to introduce you to something a little different. These are Lush's Toothy Tabs. They are easy to store, vegan and cruelty free (of course) and the packaging is cardboard therefore recyclable. They come in loads of scents and flavours (it's Lush, expect weird ones) so there's something for everyone.

In my experience of using these, I came across a few positives and negatives. Let's hear the bad news first; they taste a little bit like eating a bath bomb for the first few times using it and it feels unnatural, but you do eventually get used to this. Another thing is if you get the packaging wet, the tabs tend to merge together and you are left with 30 out of the 40 toothy tabs promised and the rest makes a soggy mush at the bottom of the packet.

However, I did like these. I felt like they not only cleaned my teeth, but my entire mouth. No mouthwash was required. I also like how little the packaging it, they are perfect for travelling. It feels weird going back to normal toothpaste after you've tried these.

You can buy them at your nearest Lush shop, or online here.

Fusilli with Vittoria Tomatoes, Kale and Balsamic Vinegar

The recipe is simple, easy and delicious! It's not incredibly time consuming and it only has a few ingredients. Let's get started.

Ingredients

• 100g of vittoria tomatoes, halved
• 100g of wholewheat dried fusilli
• 2-3 handfuls of kale. You can add more or less depending on your preference.
• 1 clove of garlic, chopped
• 1 tbsp of aged balsamic vinegar (try to find a good quality balsamic. You'll really be able to taste the difference)
• 2 tbsp of olive oil
• salt and pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 180c or gas mark 5
2. On a baking tray, lay out the tomatoes face up, drizzle with 1 tbsp of the olive oil. Add some salt to draw out the moisture and cook in the oven for 30 minutes
3. Meanwhile, cook the fusilli in pre-boiled water for roughly 10 minutes or until the pasta is al dente. Drain and set aside
4. In a frying pan, add the remaining oil and sauté the garlic for 1 minute
5. Add the kale to the frying pan and the balsamic vinegar. Sauté for 5 minutes
6. Drain the oil from the tomatoes and add the tomatoes and fusilli to the frying pan with the kale and garlic. Mix together then serve.

Lush Skin Care

I'm not really one to be discussing skin care. I have horrible acne and have for more than half my life. Please excuse my lack of photo evidence (I'm not really a picture person) but in the past few years, my skin has improved slightly.

In defence of all of the creams, scrubs, tablets and medicine I've had to take for my skin and all of the great products wasted on me, I do believe spots can be cured by eating a healthy diet. If you want more information, I'd recommend a video by one of my favourite youtube duos, Nina and Randa, found here.

But now, the fun stuff! What do I use for my skin care? Lush! They are one of my favourite brands. They make amazing, cruelty-free, mostly vegan products that actually work, smell amazing and look divine. Here are my favourite products for their skin care:

Breath of Fresh Air is a refreshing spray of toner water. It reminds me of being at the beach when the sea air hits you, even after after months of using it, every day is like being at the beach.

It's gorgeously refreshing and it's perfect for rehydrating your skin especially in the cold weather.



Celestial is a creamy, delicate moisturiser that is perfect for all skin types. I have oily skin so usually I tend to stay away from creamy, thick moisturisers but this one is perfect. It rehydrates your skin and keeps it from getting dry, but it doesn't make it oily either. I'd recommend this moisturiser for any skin types.

Ocean Salt is considered to be a cleanser, but I use this as an exfoliator. It is creamy, salty and made from avocados and it makes your skin feel a-may-zing. It definitely makes your skin feel soft and gorgeous and I'd fully recommend this product to anyone.

Whittard's Hot Chocolate

It's February. It's cold. It's depressing. But good news! Hot chocolate exists! Today I want to discuss Whittard's hot chocolate and why it might be the best thing in the world to help relieve the doom and gloom from the dreary winter months.

First of all, some (NOT ALL) of the flavours are vegan, which is good news for us as so many brands these days add milk. All you have to do is heat up your favourite kind of vegan milk (I prefer almond milk) and then you add 2 - 3 tsps of Whittard's hot chocolate in what ever flavour you desire.

My favourite flavours are; chilli, rocky road and banoffee. Unfortunately, the banoffee flavour has been discontinued, but don't worry. Me and all of the other banoffee lovers are on it. If enough people request for it to return, they might just bring it back.

So what flavours are vegan?

Hot chocolate 70% cocoa, caramel, rocky road, chilli, dreamtime, 60% cocoa flaked drinking chocolate, luxury hot chocolate, 55% Ecuadorian cocoa, orange and 77% cocoa flaked drinking chocolate. Click on the links to be directed to the flavours and where to buy them.

What flavours aren't vegan?

Mint (Weird, right? Don't worry. Mint chocolate's gross anyway), strawberry white hot chocolate, vanilla caramel, white and dark flaked drinking chocolate, créme brûlée white chocolate and luxury white hot chocolate.

Vegan Places to Eat in Bath

I currently live in Bath for University. I've almost been here for two and a half years and I definitely have to say it's my favourite city in England. There's the Therma Spa, the Roman Baths, Prior Park, the Weir. There's so much stuff to do and it's so difficult to get sick off.

As I'm starting to sound like a travel ad, I'll get to the point I'm trying to make. Where is there to eat in this gorgeous city? Well, I'm from the North West and coming from such a meat-eating place, it's a pleasant surprise to find so many vegan options in such a small city. There's the famous Acorn Vegetarian Kitchen right by other veggie places such as The Green Rocket Cafe.

Before I leave (I've only got a few more months! *Cries*) I'm going to make it my mission to visit all of the vegan/vegetarian places in Bath and review them. You might be surprised to find I've never actually been to Acorn (have you seen their prices???!!) so I'll have to save that for another blog post. Until then, I'm going to tell you about my favourite places to eat as a vegan...

'Cheesy' Spinach and Garlic Risotto

Risotto is one of those things you imagine to be really luxurious, but it isn't at all. It's easy and cheap to make, it's even made it on to my recipes for under £1 series!

Ingredients:

• 100g of Sainsbury's Frozen Baby spinach
• 175g of risotto rice
• 200ml of vegetable stock
• 2 tbsp of vegan butter
• 1 clove of garlic, chopped
• 30g cheezly mozzarella

1. In a large frying pan, melt the butter and add in the garlic and risotto rice. Stir until everything is coated with butter.
2. Pour in a portion of the stock until it is absorbed. Continue doing this until all of the stock is gone and the rice is cooked.
3. Add in the blocks of spinach and stir them in till they are cooked.
4. Grate the 'cheese' into the risotto. The consistency should change at this point to a creamy mixture.
5. Serve! I hope you enjoy!

How I did the maths:

• Sainsbury's Baby Whole Leaf Spinach 1 kg = £1.40. We're using 100g, so that's £0.14
• Sainsbury's Arborio Risotto Rice 500g = £1.10. We're using 175g, so that's £0.38
• Marigold Swiss vegetable Bouillon is £2.00 for 150g. We're using 1 tsp, so that is 5g. This is £0.06
• Vitalite Dairy Free Spread is £1.20 for 500g. 2 tbsp is 30g. This is £0.07
• 1 garlic is £0.30, 1 clove is £0.03
• Cheezly mozzarella is usually around £2 in Morrisons or Holland and Barrett. It is 190g, and we will use 30g. This is £0.31p

All together this recipe costs £0.99

Thank you mum for helping me with the maths c: