Another fabulous cider suitable for vegans

I was lucky to find this fresh and fruity Woodland Berry Cider by Belgars at an Asda Store. it's a large 750cl bottle, and reasonably priced at £2.35. A lovely light fruity summer drink, best served chilled. Labelled suitable for vegans, which is always a bonus when shopping, I'm a sucker to try anything labelled vegan, just because the company has gone to the trouble to label it. This cider is definitely worth a try. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and look forward to buying it again.

A white chocolate spread, for Vegans !

At last there is a vegan white chocolate spread. I found it on the Vegan Store website, and just had to try some. This chocolate spread is simply delicious. I love white chocolate, and to have it in a jar to spread is just heaven! I would so love to see this product in local shops, but I guess since it's come all the way from Germany, it'll be a specialist item, at least for now it's available at the Vegan Store. I always like to keep an eye on the Vegan Store, as they have new products in all the time, and sell everything a vegan could want (although you don't have to be vegan to shop there!!!!!) mmmmmmmmmmmm.

More Vegan Suitable Ciders.

My latest mission seems to be to find cider that is suitable for Vegans. Hmmmm, nice mission! The latest finds are these two, scrumptious, yummy ciders. Strawberry cider from Brothers. Wow, this cider is so delicious. It's easy to forget it contains alcohol. it's sweet, it's strawberry tasting. Makes a lovely summer drink, on a hot day - not that we see many of those in the UK. I love this sweet cider. I look forward to finding more sweet, fruit ciders. Also I found this refreshing cider, which is more traditional tasting (that is just apples!), from the wonderful Welsh Cider company Gwynt Y Ddraig. I'm not sure if all of their ciders are vegan, but this one is labelled as suitable for vegans making it sooooo easy to buy! I can't wait to try their Cider and Blackberry.
A good reference for vegan alcohol is Barnivore. Check it out, make a not of your favourite vegan drinks, and head to your nearest stockist, in some cases, supermarkets, making it easy to get those drinks in, and when the next sunny day happens, fire up the barby and enjoy. next mission is to check out the barby treats for vegans!

Peace to all Creatures this Easter Time.

 Whether Religious or not, Easter is a time for reflection. Spring is here, the world is showing us hope for new life, and abundance. How will you use these precious resources?
We are what we eat, so what are you made of?
Animals are slaughtered, in fear and pain. Do you absorb the terror they feel?
Beautiful lambs and chicks are born, innocent and free. Or so they think, they do not know what horrors lie ahead of their brief, pitiful lives.
At the same time, trees bringing forth an abundance of fruit, vegetables are starting to grow. There is nothing in a vegan diet that is lacking for health and nutrition. Nature gives us an abundance of delicious vegetables, grains, pulses, herbs, fruit. Colourful, fresh and tasty. These days, vegan foods can be easily bought, ready made, so even the most time pressed or laziest cook, can have a quick nutritious vegan meal. Food with a clear conscience.

Spring. Little rabbits being born. Domestic rabbits make wonderful pets. But please remember that just like any other animal, they are for life not just for Easter/Christmas/birthdays etc. Not usually a good idea to buy someone a pet for a present. The recipient may not really want it, and the novelty soon wears off, leaving a poor abandoned animal, that has gone from having a warm , loving home, to being neglected and discarded. At this time of year, rabbits are becoming more popular to give as Easter gifts. Research rabbit care first, only give as a gift if the recipient really wants it, and is able and willing to care for it for it for the whole of the rabbits' life. Or better still wait until after Easter, and give a home to one of the poor abandoned rabbits that were given as an Easter gift.

Sir Wilfred Grenfell 1865-1940
Kindness to all god's creatures is an absolute rock-bottom necessity if peace and righteousness are to prevail.
The Adventure of Life

Pythagoras, 6th century B.C.
Alas, what wickedness to swallow flesh into our own flesh, to fatten our greedy bodies by cramming in other bodies, to have one living creature fed by the death of another1 in the midst of such wealth as earth, the best of mothers, providers, nothing forsooth satisfies you, but to behave like the Cyclopes inflicting sorry wounds   with cruel teeth! You cannot appease the hungry cravings of your wicked, gluttonous stomachs except by destroying some other life.
depicted in Ovid: the metamorphoses, translated by Mary M. Innes

Probably the best vegan cheese for pizzas.

Since Heather Mills bought the Redwood Wholefood Company, their products have increased to satisfy a wide range of tastes. mainly savoury, but also some sweet.
The Cheezly range is a delicious range of cheeses, styled in familiar flavours, such as Cheddar, Edam and Mozzarella. Also more adventurous flavours such as Pepperjack, and Cranberry, mmmmm very nice! Some cheeses come in super melting type, so perfect for cheese toasties or pizza.
Redwoods produce other delicious savouries, such as their Cheatin range, which are 'fake meats' sure to satisfy vegans and non-vegans alike. Different shops stock different bits of their products, so it can be pot-luck as to what your local wholefood shop sells, but most well stocked wholefood shops will have something in their chiller cabinet from Redwoods.
While talking heather Mills and Redwoods, it's worth a mention about VBites. Based in Hove near Brighton, this fabulous vegan cafe has just re-opened for the summer, and has a new menu. The cafe is family friendly so a welcome break on a warm Spring day.

Cider with Raspberry on a hot sunny day...........................

Sometimes you just have to thank supermarkets for their vegan products, especially when they are labelled as vegan, making shopping so much easier.
Here's a gem of a find - Sainsbury's Cider with raspberry. Serve chilled. I'm not a big cider drinker, but on a hot day, a glass of Sainsbury's  Cider with raspberry, served chilled, really does hit the spot. Pure refreshment! It tastes quite mild, neither too much apple or raspberry. It reminds me of summer, and I will certainly be buying the odd one or two when the weather is hot.
It's got me thinking about other flavoured ciders, and which ones are vegan, so I'll be on the look out, and checking, and will report back my finds, and my thoughts. Now, if only the UK had more sunny days......................

the Extended Circle - A Dictionary of Humane Thought edited by Jon Wynne-Tyson

I am inspired by the book 'The Extended Circle' A Dictionary Of Humane Thought edited by Jon Wynne-Tyson. It makes me think, it makes me cry. It is a collection of phrases, quotes and short stories about animals and the way they are treated, by humans. It is hard to read in places, and some stories have left a deep impression on me that will haunt me forever. This is the most harrowing tale I have ever read:

Joseph Addison 1672-1719
 A person who was well skilled in dissection opened a bitch, as she lay in most exquisite tortures offered her one of her young puppies, which she immediately fell a-licking; and for the time seemed insensible to her own pain; on the removal she kept her eye fixed on it and began a wailing sort of cry which seemed to proceed rather from the loss of her young one than the sense of her own torment.
Spectator, No 120, 1711

I will from time to time relay quotes and stories from this thought provoking book. Read it and weep.

Vegan 'cheese' from Tesco

Well done Tesco for adding a new line of dairy free, vegan suitable chilled foods. they have yogurts, desserts, milks, cheeses.
Good news for vegan pizza lovers, the cheese melts, and tastes quite good. Makes fab toasted cheese and onion sandwiches!
the more mainstream vegan products become the more accessible to all, and a good way to promote veganism. Suddenly not so freaky that people have to ask 'where do you get that' or' and where is that- I never go there!'. Anyone can get to Tesco's, and try delicious dairy free foods. Now all we want is other supermarkets to follow their example and stock such delights! the vanilla desserts are delicious, and their caramel desserts are wonderful. I also like their natural yoghurt, which is unsweetened, and tastes quite creamy. Hey tescos, how about bringing out a whole range of vegan suitable savoury products, vegan burgers, ready meals etc now there's an idea.

Fabulous soaps from a lovely company in Wales.

I have discovered the most wonderful soaps. Made by a local couple, Derec and Rhian, who call their company 'Sebon Soaps'.

I chose two adorable soaps, one lavender and one patchouli and sweet orange. I really can't decide which I like best, as both are gorgeous. They are vegan suitable, and environmentally friendly, they are all natural and do not contain palm oils (which destroy the habitat of animals, and the rainforest). They lather nicely, and feel smooth and creamy on the skin. They smell divine. The soaps are sold on the website Sebon Soaps, or if you're in Cardiff on a Sunday morning, they can usually be found at the Riverside farmers market,  where you can also pick up delicious fresh fruit and veg, and get a vegan takeaway, from Fran, who also makes the most wonderful vegan welsh cakes. A lovely way to spend a sunny Sunday morning - a leisurely stroll alongside the Millennium Stadium, and check out the Riverside market.

Quinoa Milk - so good for you!

My latest try out is this milk made from quinoa.
A bit on the pricey side (around £3.15 a carton), but well worth it, when you taste the delicious, nutty flavoured, smooth, creamy tasting milk. I easily drank it on it's own, which is good for me, cos sometimes some milks can be a bit hard to swallow unless on cereal.
Our baby liked it too, in fact he guzzled it down and wanted more, that has to be a good recommendation!

I would definitely treat myself to this yummy drink again. it's very good for you and very tasty.

For interesting info about quinoa, click here.
It's high  in protein and essential amino acids.
It's a good source of dietry fibre and phosphorous and is high in magnesium and iron. A complete protein source.

Ever stuck for what to do with left over cabbage?

A cabbage goes a long way. Nice steamed with a cooked dinner, but even feeding a few people, usually leaves some left over. So what do you do with it? Feed it to a friendly rabbit? Make cabbage soup? mmmm, maybe - I'll have to work on a recipe for that (cabbage soup that is!)
How about spicy sauteed cabbage. I admit it doesn't look too inviting, but it tasted delicious. So now thatIi have that recipe, I'll never have waste left over cabbage again! It's quick, it's tasty.
Ingredients: cabbage (any cabbage, any colour, any amount and the cabbage doesn't have to be pre-cooked), olive oil for sauteing, cayenne pepper, now experiment with this, as we tend to like spice food, so try a small shake the first time, as cayenne pepper is hot. Add garlic, again adjust to taste, as we are BIG fans of garlic, and I added 4 large chopped cloves. A shake of natural sea salt (or not if you prefer). That's it simple. All in a large deep sided frying pan, turn up heat, and saute. let it brown slightly, keep turning it. It doesn't take long, as it's nice to have the cabbage textured (but not crunchy!) and not all over cooked. Voila! Spicy cabbage. Serve hot, with vegetables of your choice, a lovely addition to any meal.

Careful when shopping at Sainsbury's!

Sainsbury has added fish to one of it's olive oils. Not nice Sainsbury's!
And the bottle is stacked amongst it's ordinary olive oil. making it a very easy mistake to pick up by mistake. I mean, even if you're not vegan, would you really want your olive oil tainted with fish? Yuk! Double YUK!







The label is very similar to their other olive oils. OK, so it has in small print omega oil from fish. But who really reads the small print? Well I will be from now on. I don't expect my olive oil to be fishy. And you know what..... you can taste the fish in it too! AWFUL!
Come on Sainsbury's leave it out, keep the olive oil pure as nature intended, and shoppers expect.

Update on my Ikea lamp.

Ikea not such a good idea. days of glorious sunshine, and the light still does not work. Faulty product or not suitable for UK environment? Either way, I've given up on it, and given it away.
Fab idea but if the product doesn't live up to expectations, it's just no good!

However, I've found another light product that I'm super impressed with - a wind-up torch. It works, and I've used it when the fuse box blew. It does what you'd expect it to do, and is easy to wind up. I like it. Can't remember where I bought it, but it may have been a garden centre or somewhere like that? anyway, I recommend it as a good little gadget, put it in a safe place, and next time the power goes out, wind it up, and hey-presto- you have light. easy peasy, and it's light and compact, so easy to keep anywhere.

The world of reusable nappies..........................

The world of reusable nappies gets ever so complicated. Different brands and different fabrics, different fits and different washing instructions.
I was glad to find a washing powder that has been made specifically for reusable, nappies. Potion made by TotsBots fits the bill.
It has been designed to be used at a lower temperature of 30degrees, so saving on heating water costs to the pocket and planet.
Not tested on animals and stated as vegan. Excellent buy!

Reusable is so much better for so many reasons! at least that's what I think...

There are many versions of reusable nappies on the market. They come in a range of colours, patterns, sizes, fabrics. Something for everyone. But where does a novice start? We had that predicament. We researched the market a bit, and tried quite a few makes, but in the end it's very much try it and see what suits the individual.
We found the type that suits us the best (as in seems to keep waste in best) is the PopIn by Close Parent. They have a good selection, and seem comfortable, easy to use, adjustable, washes well, and will keep baby dry for about 2 hours or so. Some of the others we tried, leaked very quickly. Some seemed less comfortable around the leg. So all in all these seem to fit our need. We still use disposable for night-time or going out, as the reusable do not keep the waste in as long, so going anywhere for longer than an hour or so  would be difficult, and overnight would mean too many changes. However, while at home, we happily use these reusable nappies. It's a compromise, but every little counts!
But, now here's a big BUT! reading about the impact on disposable nappies (diapers) v reusable, apparently there's a big debate going on. Now without going into the whole argument, briefly summarised it's about landfill v energy and water use (for washing nappies) and the land needed for cotton for reusable. More can be read by googling the subject or click here for one article about the debate from familiesonline. So I guess it's about personal choice. And now I'm off to do a bit more reading about the pro's and cons of nappy types!

Vegan by chance, eco by design.

I went shopping in Ikea recently, and found this solar charged desk light. A fabulous idea, and I had to have one. Now, I know the UK is not very sunny, not even in summer are we guaranteed glorious sunshine! But I assumed that if they were selling them in the UK, they would be suitable. Well, hmmmmm, maybe I have to wait until the summer for my final judgement on this, but so far, it doesn't work :(
The instructions say the initial charging time is 12hours of sunshine, outdoors sunshine, not through a window. I've put the charge pack outside for several days in various places outdoors, on days when it has been sunny, and so far ....nothing...... No light.
The solar pack pushed out of the light base easily, so it is simple enough to charge. it's a great idea. Free power for lighting, and portable -  it's quite light and the arm is flexible (bendy) so could be used anywhere. But without being able to get enough sunshine to charge it up, it's a waste of money. It may be just a money making gimmick, it may be a fabulous energy saving, eco deivce, that I can sing praises about, while saving money and helping the earth, but so far, it's just a desk light that doesn't work. I'll keep my fingers crossed for a happy surprise in the summer!

Trying to replace plastic in the home, one item at a time ..........

I won't claim to have done any research on this. I'm just going by what feels better for me. But lately i have been thinking a lot about replacing plastic in the home. Of course I already use re-usable bags for shopping, recycle what I can, and am trying to only buy things I need, rather than for the sake of it. But I am concerned about the effect plastic has on our well being. I use containers for storing food, in the fridge for keeping food fresh, and it occurred to me that the kettle is also plastic. it would be wasteful to just throw it away, as it works perfectly well. So I decided I will give it away to someone who doesn't mind plastic and really needs it. I bought a metal kettle.I may be wrong in thinking that metal is better (stainless steel), but my instinct tells me it's better for my body and the environment. As for performance, - the metal kettle is noisier, quite a bit noisier. and of course the outside of the metal kettle gets a lot hotter, so careful around it! At first the water tasted add, but after a few boils, it seems to taste fine. Now I must do some research into the benefits of a metal kettle as opposed to a plastic one, and I'll post my findings when I have.......................

Not such a website geek!

I've tried, oh how I've tried, but I cannot get on with a website! I've tried Mr Site, couldn't suss that out, tried 1and1, but no joy there either, my latest attempt is with Bluehost, but things are still not going right. I want a website that is easy to use, that I can update myself, and looks good. I tried the site feed from this blog, to go to my website, but no, after the first few feeds, it seems to have stopped, so I've just deleted the feed, as I didn't want my posts to be hanging in mid air (cyberspace), and gone back to good old blogger, that I understand on a basic level, maybe this is as good as it gets for me? If anyone has any ideas on how I can get a website that i can easily use and update as I please,, without spending a fortune on web designers, I'd like to know. oh, and if anyone wants to have a look at my pathetic attempt at a website via blue host, the address is: www.veganessa.com  .
Any ideas on how to improve the site would be gratefully received too!

Superdrug - They label products suitable for vegans!

What a super surprise I had when I went into a Superdrug Store and found that they label the products that are suitable for vegans.
So instead of just buying the one thing I had gone in for, I ended up with a basket full of moisturisers, toiletries, oh, everything I could use, and all labelled vegan! So, other shops, how about you follow the good example of Superdrug and give vegans a clue as to what is suitable for them, after all, it can only increase sales!
Thank you Superdrug, and WELL DONE!

Freedom Frozen Dessert .............. for Allergy sufferers and everyone else!Recipe Free From... * Dairy * Sugar * Gluten * Soya * Egg * Nuts * Artificial flavours or colours Suitable for vegetarians, coeliacs and vegans

An interesting introduction to Freedom Frozen Dessert.
Available from a range of large Supermarkets, as well as independent retailers, so easily available. I happened to spot the Vanilla flavour at a local Adsa store, and the "vegan" labelling drew me to it. I had to try some. A new vegan product always has to be tried! It reminded me of a glace rather than an ice-cream, and was refreshing and sweet. I liked it. i like the company's profile and history. I like the fact that it can appeal to such a wide audience, why shouldn't allergy sufferers have treats too. A fabulous idea, and a lovely product. It was kinda luxurious without the guilt! or at least that's what it seemed like to me. Now I want to try the other flavours, mmmmmmmmm quite fancy the chocolate one right now!