Vegan Apple and Cinnamon Muffins for Dogs - But you don't have to be a Vegan Dog to enjoy them!

The wonderful Molly of It's a Vegan Dogs Life very kindly donated recipe cards to the Vegan Sample Bags and I have wanted to try one for quite some time. Finally earlier today, I got baking!

I had some ingredients ready, but the ingredients I didn't have, I decided to 'make do' with very similar. The main ingedient that was different was 'Corn Flour' instead of 'Corn Meal', I sort of thought they may be different, but decided to use it anyway, as I haven't seen Corn meal recently. I discovered that they are quite different in their results. Corn flour is easily available in UK and used to make sauces, or as a thickening agent, whereas Corn Meal is more popular in USA and used to add to muffins etc. So the end result was maybe not quite as it was supposed to be, but edible nonetheless. Also I couldn't find a non sweetened apple sauce, so I used a tin of apples, and doubled the amount, it seemed to need it, but that may be due to the corn flour! I also used plain white flour, as I didn't have any wholemeal flour in the cupboard, and couldn't wait to try out the recipe. So not entirely different, but adjusted to my cupboard! I should say also, that US recipes use cups as a weight measurement, whereas UK uses grams or ounces, I looked up 1 cup= 230g. I decided to quarter the recipe, as my dogs are small, and are a bit overweight already, also I only have a small 12 cake baking tray. That's why you can see pencil notes on the recipe!

I must say, they were really easy to make, very quick, and simple. Took no time at all. I put them in the oven and left them to bake. Now this is where the corn flour mistake made a difference! they came out very pale, and a bit sticky in the middle, even though they were cooked. I had to try them, of course, mmmm not bad, just another bit, mmmm quite nice, better leave some for the dogs!
Left them to cool down. Took the dogs for a walk, to work up their appetite and make them work for their treat!

When we got back the muffins were cool, the house smelled of apple and cinnamon, lovely! I got my camera, and tried to take some photos of the dogs eating their muffins, but they were too eager to wait, and would have had my hand off! Therefore the photos are not brilliant, but as you can see they thoroughly enjoyed their muffins. look at Maggie's eyes, she wild for the muffin! And I couldn't even get a photo of Kady with hers, I just wasn't quick enough, here's the best photo I managed:
The muffins are a hit!
Thank you very much to VeganDogsLife for the recipe. I've put the rest of the muffins securely away, and will ration them, so that Kady and Maggie can look forward to them over the next few days (assuming I don't eat them first! - only joking -as tasty as they are- I'll leave them for Maggie and Kady!). You too can treat you doggie companion by baking them a fab, tasty vegan treat, courtesy of It'sAVeganDogsLife, and either download a free copy (PIF), or buy a hardcopy. Your dog doesn't have to be vegan to enjoy them, they're a healthy alternative to mass produced junk food. Also Molly's website It's A Vegan Dogs Life is a fabulous read with lots of information, adorable photos, and wonderful insights. I thoroughly reccommend it.

Beautiful Handmade Polymer Clay Beads

I recently purchased these adorable beads from ContinuumDesigns. 
They are beautiful. I love the colours and the detail. They remind me of something very sumptious and slightly vintage, kind of like a treasure. I haven't decided where I will use these gorgeous beads yet, but I know wherever i do use them, they will add a touch of opulence.
ContinuumDesigns has an amazing collection of Handmade Polymer Beads, suitable for a multitude of purposes such as jewellery, textile work, card decoration, their uses are only limited by your imagination. Everything in the shop is vegan friendly, and they store owner is a very friendly vegan who lived in the UK. She has a fab blog All Those Things , which is full of information and photos of beads and supplies. Well worth checking out!

Part three of the fabulous Vegan Sample Bag

Wow, the samples go on forever, so many lovely goodies, it's such a treat receiving a Vegan Sample Bag.

This is an amazing Flowering Tea called Shooting Star. The instructions are: place one Flowering Tea in a durable glass teapot. pour water over the tea. Admire the unfolding leaves. Allow to steep 2-3 minutes or to the desired stength. Flowering teas may be re-steeped 2-3 more times. How wonderful. Donated by sbsteas. Their website has delightful gourmet, custom blended teas, coffees, and more. An enchanting website, and a very intriguing selction of goods.

Then there is this adorable handmade card by Scrappy Rat Designs - Your Animal friendly stationer.
Scrappy Rat Designs Esty shop, is filled with the most gorgeous cards for every occassion. Scrappy Rat Designs will even design collage cards with your own pet and it's personality reflected on them.

 Next is a fabulous Peace (CND) pin, in bright pink and black from Teeny Tiny Tantrums. Their Etsy shop has a whole range of pins with funky, fashionable sayings and images. A fabulous accessory with a message.

This wonderful card from Vegan Dogs Life has a sooper-dooper recipe for dogs biscuits on the back. Although I've not got around to trying them yet, they're on my list of things to do, and I'll let you know how well they go down when I make them. I will, of course, try them myself too! Vegan Dogs Life has a fabulous, interesting Blog, with all sorts on interesting and unusual articles. Check it out for a good read.

Here is an adorable Scrabble Tile Pendant from YumYum Pendants. If the idea was to give it to someone you love on Valentine's Day, it didn't work, it was so cute I just had to keep it myself (oops!). Well made, sturdy yet delicate. their shop has so many Scrabble Tile Pendants, at a reasonable cost, it would be hard to chose just one, and you'll be tempted to buy several. Theres one for everyone and every occassion. With cute pictures, quotes, and patterns, who could resist. I want them all!

And finally, my personal favourite, a sample mini zine from Uber Duper Creations. and Ginger Card Co. The zine is packed with articles, information, artwork and more. It's trendy, it's interesting, and not just because I have contributed to it! I love reading it, and the artwork is always fabulous. The Zine focuses on a different topic each issue, so all the articles etc are based on a theme.The next one being 'Civil Rights', and I've already submitted my written piece. Can't wait for it to come out, it's gonna be a good one.


So, the end of my Vegan Craft Samples Bag, a wonderful bags of fabulous surprises. And all helping animals. A chance to treat youself and do some good at the same time, guilt free shopping is the best! Next bag out soon, check out the website for further info.

These Caramel Chocolates melt in your mouth.

Being vegan, it is not always easy to get chocolates, let alone chocolates that taste divine. So whenever I see chocolates that look good enough to try, try then I must!
I have seen other chocolates by Celtic Chocolates, but I think mainly sugar free, and after dinner chocolate mints. Today, in my local Sainbury's store, although probably in other supermarkets too, I found the gorgeous Caramel Flavoured Choices Chocolates. I just had to have some. And I am so glad I did. They taste wonderful. A firm chocolate shell with a smooth creamy caramel centre. Hard to believe there's no dairy, they are so creamy tasting. They melt on your tongue. They are just too good. Hard to stop at just one, or two. They cost about £2.99 for a box of 12, so not cheap, but nor are they so expensive that they are prohibitive. They are super, smooth, creamy, melting, gorgeous! And so easily available. Chocolate heaven. Well done Celtic Chocolates for making a caramel chocolate that tastes delicious and is dairy free, wheat free, gluten free, egg free. Now if only they could make them calorie free....................

Third part of the Vegan Craft Samples Bag - such a lot of goodies!

The Vegan Sample Bags contain lots and lots of wonderful vegan goods. Opening the bag is such a wonderful surprise, filled with a fabulous assortment, all from amazing talented artists and crafters. I excitiedly dipped into my Vegan Sample Bag to find this adorable card by Pandabunny:
Just in time for Valentine's day, and such a cute card. Pandabunny sells original artwork, prints, cards and more. A very talented artist, with everso cute designs.

Next out of the bag was this Lemongrass and Clary Sage soap from EatMeAlive . A curious name, I checked out the 'about' section of their shop. None the wiser, but nice to read about the shop. The soap smells divine, so fresh and inviting, I am so looking forward to using it.

The next item was an interesting, colourful packet that contains seeds to grow Ruby Queen Beet from Hudson Valley Seed Library. Inside the packet are the seeds, instructions on sowing, and a bit about the artist that designed the packet. very cute indeed.

Kittyanydots is the designer of the lovely bag that the Vegan Craft Samples arrives in. Their shop sells cute kawaii cat and animal cards, prints, mirrors and other cute and delightful things. An adorably cute selection of birds, bunnies, cats and other animals, all very beautifully designed by Kittyanydots. A real Etsy treasure of a shop!

I absolutely adore this Pink Piggy Keychain/Zipper Pull from Ladies Blend Design Studio. As well as her own website, Ladies Blend has an etsy shop, selling imaginative Jewellery, many with hand stamped messages of inspiration.

 The next item out was this sweet little mini lavender sachet from Brynnalex. I love the smell of lavender. This little lavender sachet is going in my sock drawer, to keep them smelling lovely. The shop Brynnalex at etsy .
was set up as a memorial to Brynn who tragically lost her life in a traffic accident at the age of 12. There is a site dedicated to Brynn, and shares her hopes and dreams, with photos and words. Elaine, Brynn's mother has set up a memorial fund, to grant a bursary to help one student annually, who is excelling in the arts, fashion design or journalism, just as Brynn would have been. A wonderful way to remember a precious child, who was tragically taken away from her family.

The next sample I picked out was this lovely pot of cosmetic mineral eye shadow powder from PURE natural minerals. Wonderful Iced Mocha colour, an easy colour which will go with most things. The list of eye shadow mineral make up is fantastic, with a colour for every occassion. The etsy shop sells eye shadows, concealers, foundations, all in natural minerals.


So, another look at my amazing Vegan Sample Bag and a review of the wonderful items. And you know what? There's still more to come. I look forward to dipping deeper into my fabulous Vegan Sample Bag and seeing what delights I pick out next!

The Crafter of the Red Pendant

In my previous post I mentioned that a Red Pendant included in my Vegan Craft Sample Bag had come seperated from the identity of the craft person who donated it. I'm very happy to report that the very talented crafter who donated the pendant was the wonderful Michele who's Etsy shop is called Mvegan5.

Michele is a very special Etsy member, as she founded Etsy for Animals which has done amazing work raising funds for animal charities worldwide. I admire Michele's dedication and drive in helping animals, she is truly an inspiration.
Her shop sells gorgeous, funky, Jewellery, cards, prints and lots more.

10% of everything sold at Mvegan5 is donated to an animal cause, and Michele also donated items to http://heartsforhaiti.etsy.com/ , http://handmade4hounds.etsy.com/ and http://brynnalex.etsy.com/.Indeed a very busy, generous, caring person, and I'm so delighted to have received one of her pendants.

Second part of Vegan Craft Samples Bag Review.

Another day, another exciting dip into my Vegan Craft Sample Bag.

So many goodies, which to look at first! How about this little mix:
A little Compassionate Shopping Guide from Leaping Bunny -
Lots of info about Cruelty Free Shopping from companies that do not test on animals.





Then there's the adorable Red Pendant, which I'm sorry to say I am not sure who donated it, as it's got mixed up with so many other goodies, it must have come away from it's sender. Wherever it's from, it's darling, and maybe the crafter who made it can let me know, and I'll review their shop in another post.

This funky card comes from Late to the Revolution. A novel card, showing vegan love in a unique way. I love it. Their shop sells imaginative  items such as handmade headphones, paper goods, beanies and lots more.

This sweet magnet, displaying a pretty pattern inspired from Japanese Temari balls from CraftyPanties.
Their shop has the most adorable Temari Balls and Fabric Balls, in wonderful colours and patterns. For those that don't know what Temari Balls are, check out Crafty Panties, and prepare to be amazed.

Crye's Creations was adorable little envelopes, the right size for business cards, I know i'll be using them soon! also cute little note books for those very inportant messages. love the pretty paper used. Her shop is full of lovely creative goodness such as art doll kits and mini envelopes.

A very useful lip balm from Earth Natural Essentials  . The lip balm is a tasty (!) peppermint flavour, and I used it straight away, this cold weather does nothing for my lips and the lip balm is fab! Their store has lots of vegan toiletries and cleaners, all vegan and made from earth freindly ingredients. there's also lots of information on the site, and it's well worth checking out.

Phew, lots of lovely vegan goody fun! and this is only just a little way through my Vegan Craft Sample Bag.

Have you got yours?

.

Vegan Craft Samples Valentine's Bag

Having just received my Vegan Craft Sample Bag, I wanted to blog about it. However, instead of posting a few photos and a general write up, as I have done previously, I decided to review each item and shop seperately. A bit of a mammoth task, since the bag is full of many lovely goodies, so I'm going to write about it in stages. Starting with a photo of the bag itself and a couple of photos of the items swished accross it.

As you can see, a fab mix of vegan goodies. Wanna see them close up? So did I. I had so much fun looking through my bag, and more fun photographing the individual items, cos I could them look at them all again!
In no particular order:

Anam Cara Candles Store
An adorable 'rose bouquet' scented t-light, in a little cute basket. it's a very pretty two tone pink, and smells light and lovely. I can't wait to try it.
The website has lots of adorable candles, just waiting to be tried out. (Be careful not to eat them - they look very tempting!)

I wanted to photograph the label as much as the incense sticks from Mrs Tattooed Geek.
The label is funky and very intriguing. the incense sticks have a strong smell, that will scent my room nicely. they are dusted with glitter, a very nice effect. The gorgeous Etsy shop sells such wonderful items as air fresheners, jewellery, candles, and lots of other fabulous delights.


How's that for starters, lots more samples and reviews to come, keep checking back, as I sample the samples, and am delighted at the delights!
Vegan Craft Samples can be bought HERE, and check out the blog for further information.
And I forgot to mention the important bit- as well as receiving a bag full of fantastic vegan items, 100% profits from the sale of the bags go to help animal charities - a perfect chance to treat yourself without the guilt of spending - it's all good!

VegiDeli Organic Brussels Style Pate

A vegan alternative to Pork Liver Pate.
I must say, I was a bit hessitant to try this, as I don't like fake meats that are too realistic (meaty), kinda scary. But as I've not seen this pate before, I thought I'd give it a try. Made some toast, buttered it, which I don't know if one would butter toast to spread pate on, or if one should just have the pate on toast, but I fancied mine buttered!
The pate spread quite thickly, which I guess is what it's supposed to do, after all it is a pate copy not a paste.
The taste, hmmmm, well, the taste was meaty. scarily meaty. I can't say I liked it. It left a fatty meaty aftertaste in my mouth. I suppose that if you like the taste of meat but don't want to eat it, or if you want to give your meat eating friends something vegan without them moaning they've not got meat, then this would be a good product to use. I can't remember ever having pate (pre vegan days), so I looked it up on the web, to see what brussels pate contains, the ingedients varied but the overall idea is pork liver, pork fat, some had chicken liver too.
here's a typlical ingredients list:
Pork Liver (35%), Pork Fat, Pork (17%), Cows' Milk, Water, Preservatives (Sodium Lactate, Sodium Nitrite), Salt, Onion, Pasteurised Whole Egg, Milk Protein (From Cows' Milk), Spices (Celery), Emulsifier (Mono- and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids), Dextrose, Antioxidant (Ascorbic Acid). 

nutrient	per 100g
Energy kCal	390	kCal
Energy kJ	1,612	kJ
Protein	10.6	g
Carbohydrate	1.1	g
of which sugars	1.1	g
Fat	38.2	g
of which saturates	16.6	g
Fibre	Trace
Sodium	0.7	g
Salt	1.8	g

compared to :

Organic ham style pieces, water*, sunflower oil, textured soya protein, tofu, wheat starch & protein, yeast extracts*, sugar, onion powder, salt*, carrageenan* & locust bean gum, herbs & spices, iron oxide*

Energy:	1143.90kJ / 273.40kcal
Protein:	15.20g
Carbohydrate:	8.00g
(of which sugars)	1.80g
Fat:	20.40g
(of which saturates)	3.90g
Fibre	1.30g
Sodium	0.88g
Calcium	0.00mg

Both high in fat content, but there is a difference (if fat content counts for you), the vegan option has about half the fat compared the the animal one.  Also the vegan pate has higher protein content. so hey, when someone asks the silly question "were do vegans get their protein?" -  well from vegan brussels pate of course!!!!!!!!!!

Two of my favourite things.

I guess it's the time of year, or maybe I just feel indulgent, but recently I had the pleasure of acquiring two of my favourite things. perfume and Cheesecake, and not always in that order!

Last year, when I was in Swansea, I visited Govinda's Restaurant in Swansea. What a delight that turned out to be. First impressions was that it was very clean, the decor a bit like a canteen, lots of white and metal. The staff were very friendly and helpful. The food was simply amazing! The Restaurant is vegetarian, but has plenty of vegan options. They serve mainly Indian styled food, which was delicious, aromatic and not too spicy. The real treat came when we selected our dessert. They had Lemon Vegan Cheesecake. Wonderful.
A quick trip to the loo was worth it too, as the toilets were spotless, I've
 never seen such clean premises. While we were at the restaurant, one of the waiters mentioned that they  were bringing out their own line of cheesecake to be sold at Holland and Barratt (I guess he could see how thrilled we were with their cheesecake!). Which brings me onto the next item Cheesecake found in Holland and Barratt -

Now I don't know if this is the one they were talking about, but it's vegan and delicious. I have only seen it in strawberry flavour, which is fab, as I love strawberries. It is sold frozen, so once defrosted eat it! I eat half of one earlier - I just couldn't stop- well actually, I didn't want to stop, you know how it goes - 'just one more piece', looking at the calorie load on the box, i managed to consume about 900+ calories in one go! oops! luckily I'm not on a diet! Moderation is not my strongest point. the cheesecake has a tasty biscuity bottom, and was sweet, strawberry flavoured and creamy tasting. a real treat.



Wonder how long the other half of it will last!



 My other treat was this sumptuous fragrance by L'Occitane. A quick read on their website FAQ under "are L'Occitane products vegan products" -
"Yes, since we do not use any animal products or by-products, except for beehive products such as honey or royal jelly."  also  "Ever since the company was created in 1976, we have chosen not to test our products on animals. As a reflection of this approach, we have never used products of animal origin, with the exception of beehive products (honey, royal jelly, propolis) and we were among the first to indicate this commitment in writing on our products."
Which actually means NO, but many of their products are suitable for vegans, although not all. The bee ingredients are in the minority, and easy to avoid.
The sell online, and also have nationwide stores. Their shops are a delightful experience, with friendly staff, and testers to try out. They have a wonderful range of perfumes, each splendid and different.

I chose one of my favourite scents - Rose.
I comes in two sizes, of course I chose the largest :).
The Eau De Toilette 75ml.
The description on their website says it much better than I ever could, it reads:
"The delicate freshness of a bouquet of roses, the velvety softness of petals kissed with dew. 
Provence holds many secrets and legends of which the passer-by is often unaware.
The daughters of the Count of Forcalquier were as beautiful as the roses they cherished - the Grasse rose, the Bulgarian rose, the Moroccan rose and the Turkish rose. Each one of these daughters married a king, and so it was that Marguerite, Eleonore, Sancie and Beatrix became the four Queens of Forcalquier. 
Their favourite roses are blended together, concentrated in the 4 Reines Eau de Toilette, a fresh, delicate and velvety scent."

How I love to treat myself - I know I'm worth it ;)

The most delicious Coconut Ice ever!

The Ultimate Candy Company has produced this wonderful Coconut Ice.
This Coconut Ice is simply the best I have ever tasted.
It is pure luxury.
It tastes of strawberries and coconut. It is sweet without being too sweet. It tastes creamy. It is very satisfying.
It is Vegan!
I have only found this delicious candy at Holland and Barrat Food stores.

Starrlight Jewelry - Trendy, Gothic and Fabulous.

One of my favourite shops on Etsy is this fabulous shop called Starrlight Jewelry .
Everything in this shop is Cruelty Free, vegan suitable.
The owner Starr has a wonderful, kind, caring spirit and is very helpful and friendly. She makes beautiful jewelry, gifts and home decor,  as well as caring for many  homeless cats, and raising funds for worthy animal causes. Certainly a busy lady!

I purchased this stunning necklace, made with black and red beads, and a beautiful black rose cameo. It looks gorgeous on, and I've received many lovely comments about it. I've worn it on  'dressy' occassions, as it goes very well with black clothing, of which I have many! It certainly turned a plain outfit into a glamourous one.

A look at Starrlight Jewelry will show you a good assortment of fashionable, alternative jewelry, in a Gothic/Victorian style. All unique and handmade.

If black is not your colour, then with luck, you may catch a beautiful coloured item such as this multi coloured ring, which would look gorgeous with everything, and could be worn as an evening piece or equally look good in the daytime. Just wear it with confidence, and accept the compliments!

I'm a big fan of spiders, and this brooch is one of my favourites. It's Stylish and exciting.

Starrlight Jewelry has a good assortment of jewelry at reasonable prices. Actually, considering all the time and effort that goes into creating such gorgeous, individual pieces, they are well worth the money. There's Home Decor such as fan/light pulls, to add a touch of elegance (or decadence - depending on your choice) to any room, and who could resist this adorable stich marker. If I was the lucky owner of it, I would just have to wear it as a brooch - sorry Starr - it's far too beautiful to be hidden away with knitting, it needs to be shown off, on a black jumper or wrap!

So next time you are on the internet, feast your eyes, by checking out this wonderful shop, Starrlight Jewelry and treat youself - you know you want to!