Autumn, Little Reminders, Pumpkin Spiced Latte & New Boots........

As the seasons change, the trees start to remind us of how beautiful it is to let dead things go, pumpkin spiced soy lattes are everywhere and you can put on your fav chunky jumper – my thoughts (and many other women’s!) turn to the dreaded winter boots. Expensive but a necessity, they must be affordable, go with everything in your wardrobe, be water proof, stylish, keep your tootsies warm and most importantly , be vegan.     Millions of animals are killed for leather every year and it’s also often impossible to find out where your leather comes from or even which animals’ skin it is. Most people would be shocked to discover that leather can be made from cows, pigs, goats and even cats or dogs. Before buying real leather, think of the true cost of this material, which is really the skin of a dead animal.

It’s easy to avoid all this cruelty by simply not buying leather. You can find stylish vegan-leather shoes on any budget, from cheap high-street offerings to high-end vegan-fashion brands. These are some of the best -

Bourgeois Boheme  - Bourgeois Boheme offers loads of stylish luxury vegan shoes for men and women.

ASOS -  ASOS has a search filter for non-leather shoes, making it even easier to find cruelty-free footwear.

Pull&Bear  - Boots from Pull&Bear are made from synthetic materials. There’s no need to buy leather shoes when animal-friendly alternatives look this good.

Wills Dock Boots - Wills has a wide range of vegan men’s shoes in every style that the compassionate shopper could ask for!

New Look - New Look has many styles in synthetic materials, and it’s easy to check whether your shoes are cruelty-free by looking at the materials information sticker on the sole.

Esprit - High-street brand Esprit has embraced the demand for animal-friendly shoes by releasing a whole range of faux-leather footwear, all clearly labelled as suitable for vegans.

Beyond Skin - Classic ladies’ loafers are a wardrobe essential, offered here in black faux patent leather. Beyond Skin offers a huge selection of styles from sandals to high heels, all suitable for vegans!

River Island Double- Faux-leather shoes are available at fashion retailers like River Island at bargain prices.

Good Guys - Good guys (and girls) don’t wear leather! This cool brand has a selection of trendy vegan shoes for men and women.

 Dr. Martens - Dr. Martens has a small selection of vegan shoes, including its most popular styles, so compassionate shoppers can still get the classic look. These products are clearly labelled and easy to find in stores and online.

Some companies can’t guarantee that all their glue suppliers are cruelty-free. If you find a pair you like, call or e-mail the company to find out! Now that you’ve got animal-friendly shoes sorted, what about the rest of your wardrobe? Why not make the pumpkin spiced latte below and check out the PETA vegan fashion awards to see the most stylish cruelty-free clothing and accessories of 2016.

Pumpkin Spiced Latte

Coffee/Soymilk Base:

1 1/2 cups almond milk

1-2 shots espresso OR 1/2 cup strongly brewed coffee

1 1/2 Tbsp canned pumpkin (unsweetened)

sweeten to taste (I used agave syrup)

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice OR cinnamon/nutmeg

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

dash of cayenne (optional, but recommended!)

 Sweet Pumpkin Foam:

1 tsp canned unsweetened pumpkin

1/4 cup warm soy milk

1 tsp agave syrup

dash of spice

tiniest pinch of salt

tool: hand foaming tool

1. In a small soup pan heat all the base ingredients. Note: If you are using coffee you can add it directly to the pan here. However if you are using fresh hot espresso you can add it last.

2. Stir all ingredients until simmering. Make sure the pumpkin dissolves into the base well and the spices don't clump. Add the spices last if you are having clumping issues. When mixture is at a low/med boil you can remove from heat, pour into a serving mug and set aside. Optional: I like to get my base mixture extra fluffy by whipping with my foaming wand a few times. A few nice bubble form..

Foamy base mixture..

3. Quickly whip up your pumpkin foam by heating all the ingredients in a tall circular glass until warm. Then whip into a foam with a foaming wand. (If you do not have a foaming wand you will have to skip this step and simply go with a no-foam latte. Simply add the 'foam ingredients' to the main base mixture.)

4. Top your steamy hot base with a few scoops of pumpkin foam. If you have not added your espresso yet, do so now. Dash of spice on top.

5. Top with soy whip if you are feeling luxurious. ENJOY!

 

 

African Adventures, Cat Worshiping & Not A Camel in Sight.......

I have a little confession to make…. I have totally forgotten how much I love Egyptian food. Which is odd as since returning from my African adventures a year ago now all I have done is think about the amazing foods I ate. During my travels I spent time in various places across Egypt and also Morocco, and being honest, it is the Moroccan food which has stayed with me the most. So when Sunday lunch with the girls came round and an Egyptian restaurant was decided upon I was very excited to get my teeth into every dish on the menu. Egyptian food lends itself to veganism incredibly well. Just ask for no cream or milk to be added and voila! A door of foodie opportunities opens up. Being unable to decide what we wanted we opted to share a large sharing platter made up of 5 dishes plus some olives on the side (which were AMAZING!) These were some of the delicious dishes we tried -

Foul – Mashed fava beans served with salad and pita bread.

Falafel – Deep fried balls of mashed broad beans and/or chickpeas with dill, parsley, garlic, onion and cayenne pepper. Served as a dish or in a sandwich with pita bread

Kosheri – Rice, pasta, lentils, chickpeas, noodles and fried onion, lovingly topped with spicy tomatoes source..

Hummus – As sold across the world but only better in Egypt. Hummus is a thick, filling dip made from mashed chickpeas, sesame paste, and olive oil. In Egypt a bowl of hummus and pita bread is a meal in itself.

Tabouleh – Quintessential Middle Eastern salad made from chopped parsley, cucumber, tomatoes, spring onions and bulgur wheat

Tahini – Thick, rich, sesame seed paste served with olive oil and pita bread.

Mahshi – Assorted vegetables stuffed with rice.

These are really just a small selection of what’s out there for vegans. Egyptians do a zillion and one things with okra, aubergine, and courgettes most of which involve no meat or dairy products at all. They are super easy / cheaper to recreate at home and minus the oil are extremely healthy. All the vegan foodie delights and no camel spit in sight!