Stooow, Childhood Memories & Admiting I Was Wrong....

As the nights are still so cold and dark, my mind has been filled with thoughts of soups, casseroles, curries and chillis, which can only mean one thing  – it’s time to dust off the slow cooker and put it to good use.

I purchased my first slow cooker last year and although you can really use the slow cooker at any time of the year, it is best used as soon as the cold weather kicks in and I get lazier in the kitchen.

If you haven’t yet got a slow cooker, I seriously recommend you invest in one as soon as you can.

I am the first to admit for years (and years!) I resisted. Haunted by memories from my childhood where a brown lumpy ‘stoooow,’ as we called it, would be regularly served up to mine and my sister’s horror.  I swore I would never own one.  Until I got one. And now it is a game changer, without a drop of stoooow (gag) in sight! They’re generally between £15 and £30 from Amazon depending on which size you require and they’re really worth every penny. If you are feeling super fancy (and have my aversion to stooow) I would highly recommend the Sage by Heston Blumenthal Fast Slow Pro Slow Cooker (you can buy it here ). Not only does it slow cook but it steams, pressure cooks and makes the most amazing risotto in 7 teeny tiny minutes. Winner winner, no stoooow for dinner! There is nothing quite like opening the front door on a cold evening and being greeted by the inviting smells of comfort food that’s been simmering away all day.

Other benefits of a slower cooker (I can barely believe I am typing this, 3 months ago I could not find one let alone other benefits!) is that they use minimal electricity making them eco-friendly as well as making enough left overs  to stock your freezer from now till the clocks change back. What’s not to love?!

I have a couple of tried-and-tested slow cooker recipes that I’ll be blogging about in the coming weeks with not a stooooow in sight so first let’s start with this winter warmer –

Sweet Potato & Red Lentil Dahl

•3 large sweet potatoes, diced

•3 cups vegetable broth

•1 onion, minced

•4 cloves garlic, minced

•2 teaspoon each ground coriander, garam masala, and chili powder

•½ teaspoon salt

•1½ cups uncooked red lentils (masoor dal)

•1 can coconut milk

•1 cup water

How To -

1.Place the sweet potatoes, vegetable broth, onion, garlic, lentils and spices in your slow cooker. Cook on low for 7 - 8 hours, until vegetables are soft.

2.Stir in the coconut milk and as much water as needed to get the right consistency. Serve with rice poppadum’s and cozy socks. Enjoy!

Chocolate, Confessions and a Mug Cake...... (Vegan / Gluten Free)

Confession time – it has been a whole month since I have put finger to key board and created a blog piece. Yep – I am a little ashamed of myself! I love blogging /rambling / chatting to you all so please know it hasn’t been my choice to abandon the blog (though it seems to have fended for itself quite well – all my blog post views have shot through the roof so happy days!!) Life, as it does, has come zooming in at a million miles an hour and the only typing I have been doing is uni work – sob! The good news is it has paid off and I passed my first term with a first, plus it is now the Christmas holidays so I am able to get into  full on blogging mode again, which incidentally is my happy place, win win. To make up for my disappearing act I am gifting you gorgeous lot the secret recipe for my vegan, gluten free, CLEAN EATING (oh yeah!!) chocolate mug cake. Please don’t lick the page……

Chocolate Mug Cake – serves 1

•1 medium ripe banana - mashed

 •2 tablespoons Choc Shot (liquid chocolate made from fruit)

 •2 tablespoons coconut sugar

 •½ teaspoon vanilla extract

 •2 tablespoons almond milk

 •3 tablespoons rice flour

 •½ teaspoon baking soda

 •2 tablespoon dark chocolate chips

How To -

1.In a large mug mash the banana up as much as you can so there are no large lumps visible.

 2.Add in the choc shot (liquid chocolate),  sugar, vanilla extract and almond milk and mix everything together.

 3.Add in the flour and baking soda, give everything a good mix to make sure everything is well combined.

 4.My microwave is 800 watt power and I found the perfect amount of time was 2 minutes and 45 seconds on full power.

 5.Start with 2 minutes on full power in your microwave then test your cake it should be firm to the touch with a little spring in it. If not give it another 15 seconds and test again.

 6.One cooked let it stand for 1 minute before topping with oatly vegan cream and eating. Enjoy!

Hot baths, bath bombs & a little Christmas Inspiration......

With the nights getting cold and dark nothing beats a long hot soak in the tub and the bath bomb is definitely the icing on the cake as they say. Lately I have developed a new found love of LUSH bath bombs – the smell, the way they leave your skin feeling sooo soft  and the fizzing / whizzing they do in the bath is an addictive combination! However the price tag (I am on a savings mission) does not excite me. So I decide to have a go at making my own and they turned out surprisingly well! Why not have a go or make them for little stocking fillers as Christmas approaches. - perfect Sunday afternoon craft session or what?!

Homemade Bath Bombs (makes two large size or 3-4 "Easter Egg" size depending on your mould (you can easily double or triple)

4 oz. baking soda

2 oz. corn starch

2 oz. citric acid

2 oz. Epsom salt

1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons water

1 teaspoon essential oil (I love otto rose)

1 1/4 teaspoon oil (I like coconut or olive oil here)

1-2 drops food colouring (optional)

How To -

1 - In a bowl combine the dry ingredients (the first four listed above).

2 - Whisk to remove any clumps, corn starch tends to be clumpy.

3 - In a small glass jar stir together the wet ingredients (the last four ingredients listed). If you're using coconut oil, give it a quick melt in the microwave or stove top first so it will more easily combine with the other ingredients.

4 - Slowly pour the liquid mixture in with the dry mixture, whisking as you go. If you see the mixture fizz or foam, you may be adding the liquid too quickly.

5- Once all the wet ingredients are combined with the dry, take a small amount in your hand and squeeze it together. It should stick together fairly well in one or two big chunks. If it's still too powdery to hold together, just add a tiny bit more water and mix until it does hold together.

6- Then fill each half of your bath bomb mould with the mixture until it's just overflowing a little. Press together, then gently remove one side of the mould.

7- Place the bath bomb on a tray and allow to dry out just a little (10-12 minutes) before removing the other side. Once you are ready to remove the other side, gently invert the bath bomb so the uncovered side is facing down, then gently remove the other half of the mould from the top.

8- The key word, if you haven't noticed, is gently. These can fall apart on you very easily if you're not careful. If a bath bomb does crack in half while you're removing it, you can gently press it back on top of the other half, or remove all the mixture back to the mixing bowl and start the moulding process again. I had this happen to a few, so don't fret, it's easy to fix.

9 - Once they are completely out of the mould, allow them to dry out for 8 hours or overnight. Once very dry, you can wrap them in plastic wrap and store in a dry place until you're ready to use them, or you can gift them to friends. Enjoy!

You can add dried flower buds, like lavender buds, to these pretty easily. Just remember to use food grade dried flowers to avoid flowers that might have been grown with pesticides as you don't want to soak in a bath with that. No thanks! Do keep in mind that after using a bath bomb with dried petals, you will have to remove these from your tub. So if that bothers you, then leave the buds out.

Winter days, Yoga & Comforting Tomato Soup.......

After discovering the benefits of yoga , I promised myself that I would work hard to move the positivity of my practice off my mat and into the typical, everyday moments of life. Most specifically, I wanted to use mantras to help combat moments of stress, lack of motivation, anxiety, and frustration, which tend to rear their ugly heads all at once when I’m feeling like my plate is overflowing with tasks.

Since upping my practise recently, I’ve been using mantras (positive things I say to myself)  more regularly to push myself through moments when I feel stuck. Do you use mantras? If so, what are your favourites and when do you use them? Below are some of the mantras I find most helpful…

 1| Let. It. Go.

 

2| Yes, I can.

 

3| The time is now.

 

4| Inhale love, exhale hate.

 

5| I am enough. I have enough. There is enough.

 

6| Quiet. Focus. Trust.

 

7| Breathe in peace, breathe out love.

 

8| Be true. Be kind. Be present. Breathe.

 

So what does this have to do with tomato soup? Nothing other than the fact that it’s the perfect meal to warm up and nourish your body after some quality time on your mat. Considering most of the UK has experienced a freeze over the last few days, a soup recipe was warranted. This vegan tomato soup gets its rich and creamy texture from puréed cauliflower and nutritional yeast. The addition of red bell pepper, garlic, and plenty of spices creates layers of flavour that will keep you coming back for more. It’s the perfect meal to warm your heart during lunch or dinner, and it’s pretty much a requirement that it be paired with grilled (vegan )cheese. This soup will warm your soul on a chilly winter's day.

Creamy Vegan Tomato Soup – Serves 4

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for garnishing

 4 cloves garlic, minced

 1 medium yellow onion, diced

 1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped

 2 28-ounce cans whole peeled tomatoes in juice

 1 small head cauliflower, roughly chopped

 1 teaspoon dried oregano

 1 teaspoon dried basil

 dash of red pepper flakes (optional)

 ½ teaspoon sea salt, more or less to taste

 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes

 ½ to 1 cup water (if needed to thin soup)

 fresh basil, chopped (optional)

 

How To -

 1.Add olive oil to a large stock pot and heat over medium heat.

 2.Add in garlic and onion. Cook for 3-5 minutes until tender.

 3.Add in the red bell pepper and cook for another 2 minutes.

 4.Add in the tomatoes, cauliflower, oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes (be sure to submerge the cauliflower chunks in the tomato liquid as much as possible -- it will seem like there is too much cauliflower, but there is just enough)

 5.Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and allow the mixture to simmer vigorously for 25 minutes.

 6.Turn off heat and purée mixture with a blender for 5-10 minutes or until the mixture is very smooth

 7.Add in salt (to taste) and nutritional yeast. Simmer on low for an additional 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. If soup is thicker than desired, add in ½ to 1 cup water and whisk into soup.

 8.Ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle with olive oil and top with chopped fresh basil, if desired. Enjoy!

Cozy Socks, Winter Nights & a guide to Vegan / Cruelty Free Candles.....

When the days grow shorter and the dark of night begins its wintry reign, you know the signal to cozy-up your living space and create a nurturing environment has been officially sounded. A key ingredient in this process is the addition of candles. They provide ambience at dinner parties, set the mood for romantic evenings at home, and even play a role in our spiritual lives, giving our personal spaces a warm, peaceful glow. They smell good, look good, and cast a snuggly light that begs for you to whip up a cup of hot cocoa and settle in for the night. Best of all, today's cruelty-free, alternative-wax candles support our desire to live compassionately while keeping the home fires burning with a cozy warmth.

But did you know that many conventional candles contain harmful ingredients and animal by-products like paraffin, benzene, toluene, lead, parabens, and other artificial fragrances that have been linked to asthma attacks, allergies, eczema, and even lung cancer, with regular exposure?

Most candles are made with paraffin—a petroleum waste-product. When burned, paraffin releases carcinogenic toxins like benzene and soot into the air, which, in addition to being dangerous for your lungs (and your animal companion's lungs), can settle on furniture and countertops, damaging surfaces. A better bet for a soot-free home is soy. That's right: The mighty soybean that yields so many health benefits also lends itself to candles. Natural soy-wax candles are not only healthier for the environment, but more economical, too, because they burn up to 50-percent longer than their paraffin counterparts.

Alongside soy Mother Nature has generously supplied us with another natural source of cruelty-free candle wax in the bayberry. You could call bayberry the "patriotic alternative to paraffin," since colonial Americans were the first to transform the teensy little berry into candle wax. Today, as in the past, bayberry candles enjoy extra popularity around the holidays, when they are burned to bring good luck for the coming year. When scouting for these special candles, be sure the wax consists of pure bayberry (a pleasant, delicate fragrance on its own) and not artificially scented paraffin wax.

My quest for cruelty-free candles made from renewable resources brought me to an unexpected source: palm wax. Like olive oil, palm wax oil is a ”virgin" oil that doesn't require refining—just a bit of filtering and deodorizing. Shaped from the fruit of the oil palm, palm wax candles also burn clean and last longer than those made with paraffin, and are a fabulous alternative to beeswax—the production of which usually involves drug and pesticide treatments, genetic tampering, wing clipping, and the use of manufactured pheromones. There's nothing natural about that.

Once you've made the choice to bring natural-wax candles into your home, be sure any added fragrance is pure, essential oil—otherwise your good intentions will go literally up in smoke as harmful by-products from artificial scents are released into the air.

There is no denying the magic of candlelight. With a little detective work, you can enjoy the beauty and comfort of candles while keeping your home cruelty- and toxin-free.

Candle-buying Guide

 

These online retailers offer candles for the conscious consumer.

 

A Scent of Scandal

This vegan-owned company is committed to creating quality soy-wax candles—and a healthy dose of sass to match. Our favorite scent? Oh Snap! Smells like fresh-baked gingerbread.

Intoxicated Zodiac

There's one of these organic soy-wax candles for every sign of the zodiac. Not into astrology? The packaging is subtle enough that you'll never notice you're actually an Aries.

Pacifica Candles

The company known for its beautifully-designed perfumes also produces a seductive line of scented votives. Try Bourbon Island Vanilla, Zanzibar Cinnamon Almond, or the Indian Chai scent.

SoyBeam

GMO-free soy wax and cotton wicks are just two reasons to love these green candles. With soothing scents such as Lavender & Geranium and Vetiver & Sweet Orange, you'll be relaxed in no time flat.

Yankee Candle

From a small start, Yankee Candle has become the most-recognised name in the candle business worldwide. Today they offer the world’s largest and most compelling selection of scented candles, accessories and home fragrances. All of which are vegan and cruelty free.

Harper’s Candles

Save the best until last they say and Harpers, to me, are they very best. Their candles use no animal products, they are not tested on animals and neither is the wax or the fragrance – and they carry The Vegan Society logo to prove it.  They also support dog sanctuaries with charity candles that have proper donations (£3 from each candle sold). On a green note, the tins can be recycled and they use recycled paper wherever possible. They use high grade soya wax made from 100 percent sustainable resources and as many as possible of the local deliveries are done on foot. Amazing right?!