Beefayre Review

I was recently offered the chance to try some products to review from a company called Beefayre. I had never heard of them before, and my first thought was that their products were going to be full of beeswax and honey. Upon emailing the company to find out more information, I discovered that most of their products are actually vegan, with the exception of the lip balms and gardener's balm (they also sell some honey and bee pollen products which are obviously not vegan). Furthermore, Beefayre are PETA certified and donate 3% of their profits to bee conservation, which is great as we need to help save the bee population from declining.  I was sent a candle and a reed diffuser to try. Both the reed diffuser and the candle are packaged in pretty boxes, and they would make lovely gifts. 

 

 The Winter Scent Votive candle comes in a cute little glass jar with bees on it, and it retails at £7.50. The candle is hand poured and is made of 100% soy wax with a cotton wick. The jar is made of recycled glass and can be reused for other things once the candle has finished. The scent is described as 'a delicious wild fig aroma that captivates the senses'. I really like the delicate, slightly sweet aroma, and when it burns it gently scents the room. It burns cleanly and evenly, and has a burn time of approximately 25 hours. 

 

  The Bluebell & Wood Anemone reed diffuser also comes in a cute glass container with bees on, and it retails at £14. The diffuser is made with alcohol free natural bio oil. The scent is described as 'the wonderful fresh scent of Spring and glades of dewy bluebells; nature coming back to life'. I really like the scent and how it leaves the room smelling sweet and fresh. The scent lasts for approximately 6 weeks.  

 

 
I really enjoyed using both of these products as I love their designs and natural scents. Have you tried any of Beefayre's products?

Jack's 4th Birthday

This post is really late but I thought I'd share a few photos of Jack's 4th birthday back in August. I always spoil him on his birthdays and at Christmas by buying him lots of presents and wrapping them up. He just loves unwrapping presents (just like me!) and every time I receive a parcel he helps me to rip it open. 

 

 We got Jack lots of treats and a few new toys. He loves balls so we bought him a giant one but sadly it didn't last half an hour before it burst! So we ordered him a giant proper tennis ball instead. We also got him a cute hoodie to wear on walks when the weather gets colder.

 

 I made Jack a birthday cake as I do each year (recipe here). I also made one for my brother's dog Rhino as his 4th birthday was a few days before Jack's. 

 

 We went for a long walk to one of our favourite spots. There were lots of beautiful cows in the fields and one even let me stroke her. 

 

 

 Jack had a lovely day and was worn out by the end of it :) 

Review: Divine Fair Trade Dark Chocolate Ginger Thins

I'm always on the look out for new vegan chocolates, so when Traidcraft, the UK’s leading fair trade organisation, invited me to try out one of their products, I eagerly browsed through their selection. Traidcraft sell a wide range of fair trade products, including groceries, toys, clothing, jewellery, homeware and gifts.  I decided to try the Divine fair trade dark chocolate ginger thins, as I thought it would make a nice change to have something other than mint chocolate. 

 The chocolates come in a nicely presented box. They are made with Ghanaian cocoa and fair trade sugar, and consist of thin dark chocolate squares with a ginger jelly centre. You get 20 in a box and they retail at £3.95.

I shared these with my boyfriend and my family after dinner one day. Everyone loved them! The chocolate is nice and rich without being too bitter, and the ginger filling is tasty but not overpowering. 

These dark chocolate ginger thins are perfect for passing around after a family meal. They would be great after Christmas dinner, and even as a stocking filler too. Because the ginger thins are dark chocolate, you know they are (somewhat!) good for you, and because they are fairtrade, you know you are helping to make a difference to other peoples' lives. 

My Week on Instagram #1

I've recently joined Instagram (better late than never) and thought I'd jump on the 'my week on Instagram' bandwagon. I'm always looking for new accounts to follow so do send me your links :) 

  Jack looking out to sea | Picking the last of the blackberries | My first attempt at banana nice cream (Lotus biscuit spread flavour!) | Beautiful cows | Wild chamomile | New perfume from Superdrug | Curled my hair using my new curling wand | My gorgeous doggy nephew Rhino

Vegan Life Magazine Issue 1

As mentioned in a previous post, I am now part of Vegan Life magazine's blogger team. Issue 1 of Vegan Life was released in August and is still on the shelves; issue 2 is due out at the end of October. Each issue I will be writing a blog post about my favourite articles from the magazine, and as this is the very first issue, I have decided to review the whole magazine. 

 I was really impressed with both the look and the content of the magazine. It looks modern and professional, and the layout is clear and easy to read. There is a nice, varied range of articles, features and recipes. A feature that I really like is Vegan News. Sometimes news gets missed on the Internet (by me anyway!) so it was really interesting to see what's happening in the vegan world. A particularly interesting piece of news is that a team of US scientists are working on creating a vegan milk that will be practically identical to dairy milk but without the cholesterol and lactose. It will be made by replicating the proteins, fatty acids and vitamins found in dairy milk, but using only vegan ingredients. I think this is great as it will hopefully pave the way for more people trying veganism. 

 One recipe that I cannot wait to try from issue 1 is the apple crumble cheesecake. Yum! 

 I also enjoyed reading about Donald Watson, the founder of the Vegan Society. He established the society in 1944 and worked hard to promote veganism until his death in 2005, aged 95. Donald and his wife Dorothy created the word vegan, explaining that the word was created out of the first and last letters of 'vegetarian' because the diet grew out of vegetarianism and was its natural conclusion. How very true! 

 I liked the debate on whether it is acceptable to eat the eggs of rescue hens, as it is a question that regularly pops up. Arguments for included the waste of throwing away perfectly edible food and the fact that the hens are kept ethically and lovingly, and they naturally produce eggs, thus no animal cruelty is involved. Arguments against included the fact that vegans don't eat any animal products at all, and by eating starting to eat eggs, it may confuse people over veganism. I really agree with this statement. Vegetarians who eat fish have caused great confusion, especially in restaurants where fish dishes are often labelled as suitable for vegetarians. If a lot of vegans started saying they eat eggs sometimes, then restaurants and supermarkets are likely to get confused and start incorrectly labeling food. Another argument against eating eggs from rescued hens is where do you draw the line? Would it be okay to wear leather or fur from animals that died naturally in the wild? It also gives the impression that vegans like to supplement their plant-based diet if they can.  Personally, I don't think it's okay to eat eggs as a vegan, as the bottom line is animal products are not ours to take, use or consume, and we don't need them in our diet. If you wish to eat eggs, or honey (which is another questionable product among vegans) for example, then by all means go ahead; it is your life and no one can dictate to you what you can and cannot eat, but don't call yourself a vegan. It only adds to the confusion of what we do actually eat. Veganism is a lifestyle, not just a diet, and it is for the animals. I don't miss eggs at all, in fact the thought of eating them makes me feel rather sick! Scrambled tofu is so much better. 

 I really enjoyed reading issue 1 of Vegan Life magazine and I can't wait for issue 2! You can subscribe to the paper copy here or buy the digital version here, which you can read on your phone, tablet or computer. 

Oatly Review

I was recently offered the chance to try some Oatly products. Oatly is a Swedish company that make oat-based alternatives to dairy products such as milk and cream. They also make products such as ice cream and a creme fraiche alternative, which aren't currently available in the UK, but I hope they will bring them over here because they sound amazing! Oatly products are suitable for vegans and are a great source of the soluble fibre beta glucan which lowers cholesterol, helps to keep the heart healthy and controls blood sugar levels. Swedish oats are used to make the products, which grow strong and tall in the Nordic climate, without the use of pesticides. The products that I tried were Oatly Original Oat Drink, Oatly Organic Oat Drink and Oatly Organic Oat Alternative to Cream. The products can be found in most good supermarkets and health food shops. I did want to try the Chocolate Oat Drink, but sadly I couldn't get hold of any. 

 I only really use milk alternatives in porridge, baking or cooking as the texture of any milk grosses me out (it was really easy for me to become vegan since I've never really drank dairy milk anyway)! I've never tried any oat based milks before (I normally use soya, rice or almond) so first of all I tried the oat drinks in my usual porridge with raisins and cinnamon. I couldn't really taste any difference between the original and the organic oat drinks, but the organic one is not fortified with any vitamins or minerals. They both worked well in porridge, however the texture was a little 'paste-like' due to the high water content of the product. My porridge still tasted lovely and creamy though, and I probably did overcook it a little to be fair (I can never get it right!). 

 I also used the oat drinks to make some Yorkshire puddings. Unfortunately they didn't turn out as well as they usually do when I make them with soya milk. I'm not sure why but the Yorkshires stuck to the tin and didn't rise as much as they normally do. The two that could be salvaged still tasted quite nice though. Finally I made some chocolate brownies using the oat drink. They turned out well and were really tasty. I made a ganache topping by melting equal parts of the oat cream and some dark chocolate in a double boiler then leaving it to set in the fridge. Once it had thickened considerably I spread it on top of the cooled brownies then placed back in the fridge. I cut them into squares and served them warm with vegan ice cream and they went down a treat with my family. The ganache was absolutely divine! I think it would work well as a filling in a rich chocolate cake, but I think if I were to make it again as a topping I would use a little more chocolate and a little less cream to make it firmer. It would also be great on its own as a mousse. 

 I also used the oat cream in a savoury recipe. One of my favourite meals to make at the moment is pasta with mushrooms, peppers, courgettes and ready-made pesto as it is so quick and easy to make. I mixed a little of the cream with the pesto, veg and pasta before serving and it worked really well. The dish tasted lovely and creamy and I will definitely be making it again. 

 Overall I thought the Oatly products I tried were really good and I will purchase them in future. I think the oat drinks work best in cooking and baking, and although I didn't try them like that, I feel they would be good used in tea and coffee and on cereal. The oat cream is a great all round product to use in both sweet and savoury dishes, and again, although it didn't try it this way, it would be fab to pour over desserts and fresh fruit. Have you tried any Oatly products? 

Cornish Classics Veganised: The Cornish Pasty

I live in a county that is famed for its culinary delights: pasties, saffron buns, heavy cake, Cornish fairings, cream teas, splits and much more. When I went vegan I wasn't worried about giving up these delicious foods, as I would simply veganise the recipes!  This is going to be the first in a series of Cornish recipe posts, and what better way to start off than with the thing that Cornwall is perhaps most famous for - the Cornish pasty. Pasties were a staple food for Cornish working men back in the day; the size and shape made them ideal for carrying to work, and the pastry would help keep the filling warm. Pasties were perfect for miners as they could hold them by the crimped edges whilst eating to prevent transferring arsenic on their fingers to the pasty. The crimping was then discarded and left for elfin creatures called 'knockers' in the hope that they would protect the miners from harm (don't discard your crimp though, it is the best bit!). Pasties were a complete meal and often consisted of half savoury and half sweet filling. After the collapse of the tin mine industry, miners emigrated from Cornwall and now variations of the pasty can be found all over the world, although a true Cornish pasty can only be made in Cornwall! 

 The following recipe is the one that my mum and I use, and it is really a rough guide more than anything. We usually make 2 large pasties and 2 small pasties out of the pastry (or sometimes 4 medium), but you can adjust the quantities accordingly. Similarly, you can add more or less potato and turnip to suit your tastes. Once you have mastered the basic recipe you can play around with additional ingredients and flavours such as creamy mushroom and sweetcorn, vegan cheese, vegetable curry and even sweet pasties such as peanut butter and chocolate or apple and blackberry. 

 Ingredients Pastry (enough for 4 pasties):  ♥ 1lb strong white bread flour  ♥ 4oz vegetable shortening such as Cookeen or Trex  ♥ 4oz vegan margarine Filling (for one pasty):  ♥ 2-3 decent sized potatoes, diced  ♥ 4oz swede, diced (confusingly we call this turnip in Cornwall, but swede is what you actually want to use)  ♥ 2oz onion, diced  ♥ salt and pepper Method1. Place the flour in a large bowl and add a large pinch of salt. Rub the shortening and margarine in with your fingers until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. 2. Add enough cold water to the mixture to form a dough. Knead the dough a little then chill in the fridge for at least an hour (you can make the pastry the day before if needed, just wrap in clingfilm and store in the fridge). 3. Generously flour your work surface, then roll out some of the pastry to form a circle the size of your desired pasty (make sure your pastry is not too thin or it will split when cooking). Cut around a plate to form a neater circle (use a dinner plate for a large pasty and a side plate for a smaller pasty). 4. Place a layer of turnip, onion and potato across the middle of the circle. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Repeat the layers, seasoning as you go but do not season the top layer as the salt can make the pastry taste slightly bitter. Place a knob of margarine on top of the vegetables. Don't overfill your pasty as it may split. 5. Dampen one side of the pastry with a little water. Fold the damp side over to the other and press firmly together so that you are left with a semi-circle shape. 6. Crimp the edges of the pasty to seal. It's probably easier if you watch a video rather than me try to explain, so click here to learn how to do it (and hear a proper Cornish accent!). 7. Make a small slit in the centre of the pasty and patch up any holes with a little dampened pastry. Brush the pasty with soya or rice milk and place on a lightly greased baking tray. Bake at 180°C for about 50-60 minutes until the pastry is golden and the potatoes are soft. 8. Take the pasties out of the oven and leave to cool slightly before eating. If you want to take your pasties on a picnic or a journey and keep them hot, wrap them up in greaseproof paper and a clean tea towel straight from the oven.Pasties can also be enjoyed cold the next day (or reheated if you wish), making them a perfect lunch or snack to take to work or on a day out. Simply leave to cool completely then wrap in tinfoil and store in the fridge. Pasties are also great to keep in the freezer for when you can't be bothered to cook. 

Creamy mushroom pasty

Let me know if you have a go at making your own pasties!