Collective Haul: Primark, New Look & Select

Whenever I go up to Birmingham I always sneak in a little shopping trip (although this time I did actually need to buy clothes; Jamie's birthday presents took up all the space in my little suitcase so I couldn't take much with me!). I was particularly after some new summer dresses and was really pleased with everything I managed to pick up.

I was so happy that these maxi dresses weren't too long on me (I'm only 5'3). They are really comfy, there were loads of other prints and colours too.

Aztec Print Maxi Dress, £10 - Primark

Floral Print Maxi Dress, £10 - Primark

Paisley Print Maxi Dress, £15 - Primark

Heart Stud Pack, £2, Large Oval Earrings, £1.50 - Primark

Lace Hair Bow, £1.50, Floral Hair Bow, £1.50, Hair Donut, £1 - Primark

Bird Print Dress, £12.99 - New Look

Faux-Suede Diamante Sandals, £9.99 - New Look

Faux-Leather Cross Body Bag, £7.99 - New Look

Bow Print Tea Dress, £14 - Select

Aztec Print Midi Skirt, £8 - Select

Nude Faux-Leather Patent Heels, £14 - Select

Have you bought anything nice recently?

Restaurant Review: The Warehouse Cafe Birmingham

A couple of weeks ago I went up to Birmingham for my boyfriend's birthday. We did lots of fun things during the week, including going to lunch at the Warehouse Cafe. The Warehouse Cafe is completely vegetarian with most things on the menu suitable, or adaptable, for vegans. The cafe is located on a quiet street not too far from the Bullring shopping centre. It is next door to a vegan store, the One Earth Shop, which has lots of lovely goodies. We popped in there after our meal but I was too full up to think about food, so I just bought some Moo Free honeycomb bars (which were very nice!).

Everything on the lunchtime menu is very reasonably priced. I decided to go for the original burger with triple cooked wedges and a salad garnish. It was really tasty and packed with different flavours.

Jamie has decided to give vegetarianism a go, and so far he is really enjoying it. He went for the open enchilada with wedges and salad, which he said was very tasty and filling.

For dessert we both had the vegan chocolate brownie with ice cream. I cannot describe how delicious it was! It came with cherry sauce too, so it was very Black Forest gateau-like. The brownie was very rich and I couldn't eat another thing afterwards (though I probably wouldn't have said no to another one!).

The Warehouse Cafe is a cosy little place with a relaxed atmosphere. The staff were very friendly, the service was excellent and I would highly recommend it. We can't wait to go again!

Real Foods Tasting Campaign

Real Foods, an online health food store (that also has two shops in Edinburgh) recently advertised for bloggers to review some of their new products. I applied, detailing my diet and any allergies, and was chosen to pick a product from a list. I decided to go for The Raw Chocolate Co raw chocolate mulberries.

I generally eat very healthily, although I do not deny myself anything and if I want a piece of cake or some ice cream then I will have it! However, sometimes if I am a little peckish between meals I will choose biscuits over fruit or nuts, so I was really pleased to find a healthier sweet snack.

Jack found his way into my photos as usual

I have never tried mulberries before, either fresh or dried. I thought the chocolate mulberries looked very appetising; they reminded me of the chocolate caramel clusters I used to eat years before becoming vegan. I was amazed to find that they tasted very similar to them too! The mulberries (which are 74% cacao) are full of rich, cocoa flavour with a hint of caramel, and have a crunchy, chewy texture. I offered some to my mum (who is an omni) and she loved them too. I only had a few but I did not feel hungry or feel the urge to snack again before my next meal, and I didn't get a sugar rush and its dreary come-down either.

The raw chocolate mulberries are Vegan Society registered, Fairtrade and organic. They contain iron, magnesium, calcium, and are a good source of polyphenol antioxidants (chemicals that protect the body from damaging oxidative stress).

Nutritional Information

Typical Value	100g	% 100g
Energy (kJ)	2296.0
Kcal	548.7	27.4%
Protein	8.8g	17.5%
Carbohydrate	60.0g	20.0g
Fat	23.9g	34.2%
Fibre	7.8g	31.1%
Iron	2.0mg	11.4%
Magnesium	134.4mg	33.6%
Calcium	62.9mg	6.3%

% recommended daily allowance based upon a 2000 kcal diet

 I can't get enough of the mulberries and will definitely be stocking up on them!

My New Handbag: Designer-Look Satchel

I haven't blogged in what feels like ages! I have been so busy that I haven't really had time, but I've got a few posts planned so keep an eye out!

I thought I'd ease myself back into blogging by doing a short post on my new handbag, which I absolutely love. I have quite a few bags, but I tend to hate them after a while and wonder why I ever bought them. A few months ago I kept seeing celebrities with what I later learned to be the Mulberry Alexa (whilst I love fashion, I don't really follow the industry!). Of course the Alexa bag - as well as being overly expensive - is obviously made of leather, therefore I eagerly searched for a cruelty-free dupe. I stumbled upon a website called a-shu.co.uk which stocked a faux-leather lookalike version of the bag in several colours (A-shu also sell loads of other cruelty-free bags in designer styles). But when I eventually got round to buying the bag, they had sold out! Luckily I found the same bag on Ebay; there are a few different sellers but I purchased mine from this one, which is a very affordable £16.95.

A couple of days after ordering, my gorgeous new bag arrived and I couldn't wait to use it. I opted for a neutral tan coloured bag so that it will go with most outfits. It has a very pretty floral design on the inside, and a few handy compartments to store your phone and keys etc.

I already have a wishlist of other bags that I hope to buy :) What do you think of this one?

OOTD - Shoebou Heels

I was recently offered a pair of shoes from Shoebou, an online shoe shop that offers a wide range of styles at affordable prices. There were so many gorgeous pairs of shoes to choose from, and the great thing is, they are all made of cruelty-free materials such as faux-leather and faux-suede! I eventually decided on this leopard print satin pair.

I wore them on a recent night out when some friends and I ventured into the big city (Truro!). Despite having a heel height of 6 inches, they weren't that bad to walk in, except when on the street as Truro is all cobbles! I did a lot of dancing and my feet didn't ache too much.

I wore my new shoes with a black dress that I picked up in the sales in New Look, and teamed them with my faux-leather clutch that I found in the sales in Peacocks.

I am really impressed that all the shoes from Shoebou appear to be cruelty-free, so I will definitely be ordering from them in the future! 

My First Vegan Food Swap

This month I took part in my first UK vegan food swap. You sign up and get paired with two people, one who will send you a parcel, and one you will send a parcel to. You buy vegan goodies to the value of £10 that you think your partner will enjoy. I was really excited to join in as I love sending and receiving parcels!

I was assigned to send some goodies to the lovely Els of Cookie Von Stir. I decided to send a couple of Cornish items, which were a peppermint flavoured raw choc pie, and a jar of organic raw almond butter made by Carley's.  I also included a pack of Moo Free chocolate buttons, a bar of Seed & Bean mandarin and ginger dark chocolate, and some lentil chips (which are absolutely amazing!)

I couldn't wait to receive my parcel as I am loving trying new food. My parcel came from Heather, (who does not currently have a blog). I was thrilled with everything that Heather included, and she even added a dairy free guide which has some great recipes. Here is what I got:

Firstly were a few bags of alternatives to crisps. I absolutely love crisps and similar things so I was really happy that I had some new ones to try. I have only tried the Llama's so far but they were amazing! They taste just like bbq cheddars which I used to love. The other ones were some popped corn chips and some crisp thins.

Heather sent me a few packs of sweeties and sprinkles for putting on cupcakes. I ate half of the Love Hearts last night though as I had a busy day at work then was up late decorating a 100th birthday cake and needed something sugary to keep me going!

The finished cake!

I also got a jar of Mexican chilli bean sandwich filler which I am looking forward to trying. Heather says it is great on toast too (I much prefer toast to sandwiches). I was really pleased to find a bottle of agave nectar, which is a vegan alternative to honey, in my parcel. I have been wanting to try this for ages, and Heather suggested using it in cupcakes so I will have to give those a go soon. Also for baking was a pack of silken tofu. In the 8 years I have been veggie and few months that I have been vegan I think I have only had tofu twice, and never the silken kind! I am planning to make chocolate brownies and a cheesecake with this :)

The other goodies were of the chocolate kind: white chocolate buttons, Co-op mint chocolate creams, and a box of strawberry creams. I have tried the buttons and the Co-op creams before and I love both of them, but I was really excited to try the strawberry creams, and they certainly didn't disappoint! They melt in your mouth and taste exactly like the well known strawberry creams you get in boxes of milk chocolates! I hope I can find some of these near me, they are so yummy.

I really enjoyed taking part in the vegan food swap and I can't wait for next month's!

The Old Church House Inn, Torbryan

Last week I stayed at the Old Church House Inn in Torbryan, Devon. My boyfriend Jamie was coming down from Birmingham with a few people from uni on a little research trip, and we thought it was stupid for him to come so close to home without seeing each other, so I booked in to stay for 2 nights too :)

Before I arranged everything, I asked the hotel whether they would be able to cater for vegans. It is always a worry when going away whether you will be able to have decent meals! Luckily they said they were able to cater for vegans with notice.

The evening meals I had at the Inn were absolutely amazing, so delicious! The staff were really helpful and friendly, even checking labels on things and advising that the chips might not be suitable as they were cooked in the same frier as the scampi. I went there expecting to be given whatever they decided to make for me, but I was really impressed when they gave me a few choices! Usually when you ask for a vegan meal in restaurants you get what you are given, or at least that is what I have found so far. The dinner was three courses, which again I was not expecting, and I thoroughly enjoyed everything I ate. Here is what I had:

Ratatouille Tacos

Thai Vegetable Curry

Grilled Oranges

Stuffed Mushrooms

Stuffed Peppers, New Potatoes & Salad

Oranges & Cherries in a Brandy Snap Basket

The Inn itself is very old fashioned and cosy, with copper plates and horse brasses hanging all over the walls. I had to sleep with the light on though as the Inn has been on Most Haunted! Although I was scared I love the paranormal, but apart from hearing the floorboards creaking at night, we didn't spot anything!

Our Room

Cosy Bar Area

Holy Trinity Church (opposite the Inn)

We went exploring the local areas around Dartmoor. We even got to feed the wild ponies some carrots :)

Remains of Longstone Manor

Burrator Reservoir

Grave of Bertram Fletcher Robinson, who was a regular at the Inn. It is believed that he was the true author of Hound of the Baskervilles, and that Arthur Conan Doyle stole the story and poisoned his friend!

We had a lovely relaxing break, and would highly recommend the Old Church House Inn. It is dog-friendly too, so we would love to go back and take Jack with us.