The Vegan Kind #TVK4

There are now lots of monthly food and beauty product subscription boxes on the market, and the only reason I had never signed up to one before was because generally most of the products are not vegan or cruelty free. Late last year, when I heard that fellow cruelty free blogger Karris was launching her own 100% vegan and cruelty free subscription box The Vegan Kind, I wasted no time in signing up!I have received all four boxes so far (I would've reviewed all of them but I had a little blogging break), and I have loved every one of them. You get a good mix of items in each box (5-8 products) ranging from food, toiletries, cosmetics, cleaning products, accessories and household supplies - plus a recipe card - all for just £10 + £2.95 p&p. 10p from the sale of each box goes to a different animal charity every month! February's chosen charity is the Society for Abandoned Animals in Manchester, who care for and rehome unwanted cats, dogs and rabbits.
The recipe inside this month's box is bean sushi by Self Sufficient Cafe. Though I'm not really a fan of Japanese cuisine, this recipe does look good - maybe I will try it out sometime! Here's what was inside February's box: 

 

Jack having a sniff!

 inSpiral Kale Chips 30g (RRP £2.19)I've heard good things about kale chips and have been wanting to try them for ages. inSpiral's chips come in 5 different flavours; I received baobab & onion. I haven't got round to trying these yet but hopefully they will be a good replacement for regular potato crisps (my weakness!).  Sweet Freedom Choc Shot, 320g (RRP £3.59)A liquid hot chocolate that can also be used on ice cream or toast, in porridge and milkshakes etc. I opened this straight away and used it as a topping for some chocolate chip pancakes I made for breakfast one Saturday (and topped with raspberries and hazelnuts!). It is so divine! It's 100% natural so you needn't feel too guilty about smothering everything in this dreamy chocolate sauce. I haven't tried it in hot chocolate as I don't really drink it, but I did use it to decorate the plates when I made an amazing chocolate raspberry semifreddo for our Sunday dessert last week. The choc shot went really well with the richness of the dessert - so well, in fact, that I could've even poured some more over the top!

 Organic Surge Sugared Almond Shower Gel, 250ml (RRP £4.35) I haven't tried this yet but I hope it smells as good as it sounds! This shower gel is 98.89% natural, which is great as I prefer to avoid chemicals as much as I can. It also contains palmarosa essential oil, aloe vera and glycerine to nourish and hydrate the skin. 1066 Cake Stand Cinder Toffee, 50g (RRP £1.50)I love honeycomb/cinder toffee, and I am looking forward to dipping this in chocolate, or perhaps crumbled on top of some cupcakes. This took Jack's fancy as well! 1066 Cake Stand are a vegan bakery in Hastings. They have a separate wheat and gluten free kitchen, perfect for people with allergies.  

 Braw Pressed Fruit and Oat Bar, 35g (RRP 99p)These healthy snack bars come in four different flavours (I got blackcurrant) and count as one of your five a day. All the bars are 100% natural, contain no added sugar and are gluten free. Again, I haven't tried this yet but I'm sure it's delicious. I love these kind of bars as they are so handy to keep in your bag for when you need a snack on the go.Jack and I can't wait for next month's box!

Mum, what do you mean I can't have any of it?

 

PHB Ethical Beauty Skincare Review

I recently decided to change the product range that I use in my facial treatments. I have a strict range of criteria when it comes to buying personal beauty products, but even more so for my business. Firstly, the products must be vegan (goes without saying!), and secondly, I prefer to buy from companies that carry the Leaping Bunny logo. I also only desire to use natural products on my clients' skin - there are far too many harsh chemical-based products out there. Lastly, I prefer products that have little or no fragrance so that I can add different essential oils to them depending on each client's needs. The company that ticked all my boxes was PHB Ethical Beauty. Having already tried (and loved) their mascara and lipstick, I had confidence that their skincare products would be just as brilliant. I bought a selection of products to try out for myself first. I opted for the 'gentle' range which is aimed at sensitive skin and therefore not heavily scented. 

 Gentle Facial Cleanser, £12.95This is such a gorgeous, luxurious cleanser - my skin felt really clean and smooth after using it. It is rich and creamy, and gently melts away your makeup (even waterproof mascara). Organic cucumber helps to cool and refresh the skin.   

 Gentle Facial Tonic, £12.50This toner is made with organic rose water and it has a beautiful aroma. It left my skin feeling refreshed and calm. You can either spray it directly onto the skin or apply with cotton pads. 

 Gentle Moisturiser, £15.85This moisturiser contains coconut and vitamin E to soothe and nourish the skin. It is quite a rich moisturiser but it is easily absorbed. I suffer from dry skin in the winter so this moisturiser is perfect for me (I do still get an oily nose and chin, but it didn't make those areas look greasy). My skin felt really soft and supple after using this. 

 Gentle Poppy Seed Exfoliator, £12.50 I love using a good exfoliator to slough away dead skin cells, but often they can be too harsh. This product is made with natural poppy seeds (as opposed to plastic beads which harm the environment) to gently exfoliate the skin without causing irritation. It also contains olive and argan oils to leave skin looking and feeling radiant. I loved this exfoliator as it left my (sometimes) sensitive skin feeling fresh and smooth. 

 Gentle Face Mask, £16.75 Out of the whole range I would say that this is one of my favourite products. It just feels so nice on your skin - soothing and cooling. What I also love about it is that it is thick, creamy and non-setting. Setting face masks can often leave your skin feeling tight and dry afterwards, but this one leaves it feeling smooth. It is also so much easier to remove than a setting mask! Avocado and camellia are added to help to soothe, nourish and rejuvenate the skin. 

   Organic Aloe & Strawberry Firming Eye Treatment, £13.80This eye gel left my eye area feeling soothed and refreshed. It is easily absorbed and contains vitamins and amino acids to help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.  

 I have started using the products on my clients and they love them too. I am really impressed with PHB's skincare range; it is so nice to find products that are as natural as they claim to be (I often see 'natural' products that still contain one or two chemical nasties). Whilst the products aren't too expensive, they aren't cheaply priced either. However I definitely think that it is worth paying a little bit more if you want natural, high-quality, ethical products.Have you tried anything from PHB's skincare range?

 

Gooey Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Gooey, chewy chocolate chip cookies are easily one of my favourite sweet treats. Before I went vegan I used to buy the packs from supermarket bakeries and eat two or three in one sitting. It occurred to me this morning that I have not indulged in the fudgy delight of these cookies for well over a year, since I've yet to find a ready-made vegan version. But home-baked goods always taste ten times better anyway, and as I had a friend coming over for the afternoon I decided to whip up a batch of cookies. I dug out an old recipe and easily veganised it. I used a packet of dark chocolate chunks and also some vegan white chocolate which I roughly chopped up. These cookies are also great with raisins and/or nuts in, and maybe even some cocoa for a double chocolate version.  

 Ingredients♥125g vegan margarine♥100g light brown sugar♥125g caster sugar♥1 tablespoon sunflower oil♥2 tablespoons water♥1 teaspoon vanilla extract♥225g self-raising flour♥½ teaspoon salt♥2 teaspoons baking powder♥200g chocolate chips
Method1. Preheat oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. Lightly grease a couple of baking trays. 2. Cream together the margarine and both sugars until well combined and fluffy. 3. Add the oil, water and vanilla extract and stir to combine. 4. Sift in the flour, salt and baking powder, then add the chocolate chips and stir until a soft dough forms. 5. Roll the dough into walnut sized balls, place on the baking trays and flatten with a spatula. If the cookies rise up slightly during baking just flatten them again whilst they are still hot. 6. Bake for about 7-10 minutes depending on how gooey you like your cookies.  7. Once out of the oven, leave the cookies to harden on the trays for a minute then transfer to a wire rack to cool.  

 These cookies are delicious when eaten warm from the oven! 

Fern Tor Vegetarian & Vegan Guest House Review

Jamie and I decided to go away for a few days over the new year for our 6 year anniversary. As we live in Cornwall, we usually go to the next best place - Devon! We wanted to go to a veggie B&B, and eventually decided on Fern Tor, which is situated near the town of South Molton in North Devon. Fern Tor is an award winning guest house set in 12 acres of land and is run by a lovely couple called Cliff and Jane (who is a Cordon Vert trained cook!). All the food they provide is vegan with the exception of cow's milk and eggs from their rescue hens for vegetarians. The house is very eco-friendly; there are no feathers or down in the bedding, and the toiletries and cleaning products are all vegan/non animal tested.  

 Solar panels help to heat water and generate electricity, low energy light bulbs are used, and the loo rolls are recycled. The food portion sizes you are given are huge, and on more than one occasion we had to give up trying to consume everything on our plates! We were worried about leaving so much food, but Jane reassured us that nothing at Fern Tor gets wasted as they have lots of rescued animals to help with leftovers! At Fern Tor there are goats, sheep, pigs, chickens, geese, rabbits and 2 gorgeous greyhounds. Jane and Cliff have kindly taken in all these animals who have often been neglected and abused, and they now have a happy, healthy life in the countryside. I loved having a cuddle with the goats, who cheekily tried to eat my hair and the buttons on my coat! We spotted lots of wildlife around the grounds, including mice, squirrels, pheasants, and various little birds. 

 

 

 

 Fern Tor is dog-friendly, so Jack came too of course! We had a ground floor room, which has its own private garden entrance, an en-suite bathroom (with a lovely deep bath) and a private sitting room with a log fire. It was very hard to get up for breakfast in the mornings as the bed was extremely comfy!  

 When we arrived at Fern Tor we were offered tea, coffee, and freshly made vegan fruit scones with jam which were really delicious.  

  After we got settled in we explored the grounds and met the rescue animals, then relaxed before our first meal. We opted for a main and a dessert.Our first dinner was aduki bean pie topped with vegan cheese and served with mushroom gravy, leeks and cauliflower, and a side salad. It was really tasty but very filling, although we just about managed to finish it all!  

 For dessert we had a choice of lemon mousse or gooey chocolate pudding; as we are both chocolate lovers, we naturally opted for the latter, which was served with ice cream. 

 The next morning we eagerly awaited our first breakfast. There were many cereals to choose from (including vegan cornflakes - yum!), plus fruit and toast made from delicious homemade bread. We both opted for a fried breakfast, and I had the full works (except tomato which I am not too keen on): fried bread, tofu 'bacon', vegan sausages, baked beans, mushrooms, potatoes, and scrambled tofu. It was my first time trying scrambled tofu and I loved it! 

 We then embarked on a 3 hour walk in the countryside, which was mainly uphill! Luckily it was a dry day in between all the storms but we got stuck in the mud quite a few times - admittedly it was rather fun! In the evening we drove to South Molton to pick up some food from an Indian takeaway that Cliff and Jane had kindly recommended. 

 

 

 

 Time for our second breakfast and I chose the vegan pancakes with maple syrup, fried potatoes and scrambled tofu (Jamie had a fry up everyday). The pancakes were amazing! Definitely my favourite breakfast. 

 We were going to drive up to Exmoor on New Year's Day but as the weather was so bad we didn't want to risk it. Instead we drove to a nearby village called Witheridge where we had some chips and a drink in a very cosy pub called the Mitre Inn. Back at Fern Tor we snuggled up and spent the afternoon watching films - we were all still tired from our trek the day before! 

 For our last dinner we were served crusted cassoulet - vegetables and beans in tomato sauce topped with garlic bread and cheese. It was served with new potatoes, broccoli and salad. We both thoroughly enjoyed it, and I definitely want to have a go at making it myself.  

 Although we struggled to finish our meal we couldn't turn down dessert, which was Jane's famous Fernbocker Glory - layer upon layer of ice cream, chocolate cake, raspberries and chocolate cream. It was absolutely amazing!  

 I could barely move afterwards as I was so full; in fact, I couldn't face breakfast the following morning as I was still full up! Which was a real shame though as there were still 2 breakfasts I hadn't tried - bagel with cream cheese and scrambled tofu, or a breakfast Fernbocker glory (fruits, yogurt and granola).  We had such a good time at Fern Tor, and would love to go back again. Cliff and Jane were very friendly and helpful, the room was relaxing and comfortable, and the food was amazing. If you are looking for somewhere veggie/vegan friendly to stay then I highly recommend Fern Tor. 

Blog Update - Where Have I Been?

Happy New Year! It's been a while since I've posted so I thought I'd let you all know what I've been up to. I had loads of blog posts planned but I just haven't had time to blog! I've been really busy with my business and I've also taken on a few writing jobs. I've always loved writing and I recently decided to pursue it as a sideline to my business. First of all I signed up to be the aromatherapy writer for Becoming Psychic Magazine. Aromatherapy is one of my specialist fields and I love the power of essential oils. Over the course of the last year I also developed an interest in spiritual things such as crystals and meditation so this magazine is perfect for me! The magazine is published at the beginning of each month so take a look if you'd like to find out how to use essential oils (and don't forget to browse the other articles while you're there!) http://becomingpsychicmagazine.co.uk/Aromatherapy.htmlSoon after that I got invited to become a blogger for The Animals Post, a website that has all the latest animal related news, petitions, and advice on going vegan. It is a brilliant site, please check it out and help it to grow even bigger! http://theanimalspost.com/category/blogs/Finally, the lovely Sascha of Coffee and Heels recently realised her dream of starting the world's first online vegan fashion and beauty magazine! I was so excited when she invited me to join her team as a beauty writer. I am so proud to be part of Vilda Magazine, all the other girls seem so lovely and I love reading everyone's articles. Go have a read and please share! http://www.vildamagazine.comI had a lovely relaxing Christmas, and have just got back from a much needed break to an amazing veggie/vegan B&B in Devon (blog post coming soon!) and I feel ready to blog again, so watch this space :)

Chocolate Tofu Pie Recipe

After discovering the versatile wonders of tofu, I have been on the lookout for some new recipes. I am better at baking than cooking, so I decided to make a dessert! I had seen a few recipes for a chocolate tofu pie/torte and I really liked the look of it. I decided to take elements from a couple of different recipes and put together my own. I've never really made up a recipe before, but I was really impressed with how it turned out so I thought I would share it. 

 This dessert is so rich and decadent, and is kind of like a cheesecake. Unless you told someone it was vegan they would never guess! It was a huge hit with my non-vegan family. 

  Ingredients   ♥ 250g vegan digestive biscuits (such as Co-Op own brand)♥ 100g vegan margarine♥ 2 packs silken tofu, pressed  ♥ 200g good quality dark chocolate, melted  ♥ 2 tablespoons golden syrup (agave nectar or maple syrup would probably work well too)♥ 1 tablespoon cocoa♥ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Method1. Crush the digestive biscuits into crumbs. Melt the margarine and stir in the biscuit crumbs until combined. Press into the bottom of a lightly greased 9 inch springform tin and bake for about 7-8 minutes at 180C. Leave to cool in the tin. 2. Blend the tofu until really smooth. Add the melted chocolate, cocoa, golden syrup and vanilla extract and blend until smooth and combined. 3. Pour the tofu mixture over the biscuit base and smooth out the top. Leave to chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours. 4. Decorate with chocolate curls or fruit and serve with raspberry coulis, ice cream, or whatever you fancy!

The pie should keep for 2-3 days if stored in the fridge (if there's any left that is!). Let me know if you try out my recipe!

Collective Mini-Haul: My Recent Purchases

I haven't been on a big shopping trip lately; instead I have gathered a few bits and pieces that I have seen around the shops.  I saw this chunky knit cardigan a few weeks ago in the Original Factory Shop, but didn't buy it until the other day. I think if you can't get a certain item of clothing out of your head, then it's a sign you should go back and buy it! That was definitely the case with this cardigan, and there was only one left in my size when I went back for it. It was £18 and is so thick and snuggly, but I haven't had a proper chance to wear it yet as the weather has still been quite warm. It is 100% acrylic and it has soft suede-effect patches on the elbows. 

  

 I also couldn't stop thinking about these desert style boots which I had seen in the same shop. Originally £25, they were reduced to £15, and as there weren't many pairs left I thought I should buy them. They are faux-suede and have a chunky heel. I am looking forward to wearing them with tights, dresses and cardigans when it gets a little colder. 

 Also from the Factory Shop are these black faux-leather dolly shoes. I had been needing a new pair of plain black shoes for work, but kept putting it off. Then one day as I was walking to work I noticed a flapping sound coming from one of my shoes - I looked and half of the sole had come off! I took that as the sign to buy some new ones right away, so I popped into the shop and got these ones, which were £6. They have a cushioned lining which is comfy, however the backs are a bit hard and have cut my heels a few times! 

 I needed some new patterned scarves as I only really have plain ones. I spotted this leopard print one in Peacocks (I love leopard print!) which was £7, and decided to buy it along with this blue butterfly print one, which was £6. 

 I am really into big earrings at the minute, and I found both these pairs in the sale in Peacocks. I can't remember exactly how much they were but I think they were each £2 or under. 

 I saw these cute socks in Tesco and bought four pairs as I needed some new ones. How could I leave animal print socks behind?