Veganlovlie

Groupon With A Green Twist

2012-01-26T23:50:00.001Z

This week savegreennow.com a company like Groupon (but with eco-friendly products in mind) is offering a 50% discount on Kaia foods ($15 for $30 worth of organic & vegan snacks from Kaia foods & Alive and Radiant Foods).

There's just about 3 days left to benefit from this offer. So, don't miss out, here's their website for the discount!

Vegan Copper Jewellery

2012-01-24T23:55:00.001Z

Really love those vegan copper jewellery by Susmitha. I particular love the 'Vegan for Life' one. It would be the perfect Valentine gift for a vegan girl! Find more in her shop. Also check out her Veganosaurus blog with loads of yummy food!

Oatmilk Yogurt Cake

2012-01-23T14:15:00.000Z

Oat milk yogurt was new to me until I came across it on Shin's Vegan Lovin' blog.
The only non-dairy yogurt I've had until now was soy yogurt. When I saw the recipe for oat milk yogurt on Shin's blog, I was intrigued and I had to try it. I usually make oat milk at home so I only had to add some lemon juice to it and leave it to rest for a day.
I am happy with the result, although it isn't as thick as yogurt. I think I need to use a thicker milk. I have another batch that I am leaving out for a few more days; I'll see how it turns out.

The taste is definitely very close to yogurt and I really like it.

Yesterday, I got a request from Boyfriendlovlie for a white cake with raisins. Now, who can refuse such a request?! So, I decided to use the yogurt in this cake since it was a bit too thin to eat as yogurt.

The cake turned out great! This yogurt definitely works well in cakes.

Oatmilk Yogurt Cake

Ingredients
Dry:
2 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch salt

Wet:
3/4 cup sugar (I used demerara, any granular will do)
1 cup oatmilk yogurt (Recipe from Shin's blog)
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon vanilla essence
1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup (or more) raisins

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celcius.
Mix all dry ingredients together in a bowl.
Mix all wet ingredients in another bowl.
Add wet to dry ingredients and mix well with a wooden spoon. Do not beat the mixture.
Add raisins and mix well.
Pour into a cake mould.
Bake for 35 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

What are you crochetting for dinner tonight?

2012-01-21T12:09:00.000Z

Impressive crochet work by jungjung (via elephantine)

My First Recipe Video for Mauritian Style Banana Pie

2012-01-17T23:45:00.001Z

A nice cup of tea in the mid-afternoon becomes a little feast when accompanied by a piece of this scrumptious banana pie. Indeed, much loved by young and old alike, this banana pie is a very popular pastry in Mauritius. Dessert or afternoon tea time snack, for me this is just an anytime heaven in the mouth.

Banana pie is something I make quite often at the Lovlie Cocoon. It has made its way a number of times to bake sales and friends' parties. So, it's about time I share this recipe.

Right. Now, not just the recipe, I have also made a video. Yay! This is my first recipe video and I had so much fun doing it. I hope you like it too! A million thanks to Boyfriendlovlie who encouraged me in doing this. And for his patience behind the camera while I was turning the kitchen upside down (which he cleaned afterward, niahahaha!) Well, what? Ok, I helped him a bit, but banana pie is his favourite sweet treat after all. So, I deserved some pampering for it, no?

Enjoy!

Ingredients (for a 28-cm pie mould)
Shortcrust pastry:
400g plain flour
175g vegan margarine (cold)
100ml water (cold)
1/4 teaspoon salt

Banana filling:
5-6 ripe bananas
1/2 cup soft dark brown sugar
water as required

Oats milk for glazing

Prepare banana filling:

Peel and slice the bananas.
Add sugar and mix well until sugar starts to melt.
Place in a thick bottom pan and cook over medium for about 20 minutes.
Mash and stir bananas occasionally.
Then add about 1/2 cup water and stir well.
Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

To make the dough:

Place flour in a bowl. Add salt.
Cut margarine into small pieces and fold into flour. Keep cutting and folding until margarine are small and well mix. Then work the mixture between the fingers by rubbing in and lifting the flour. Mixture should ressemble fine breadcrumbs.
Add water and knead to form a nice and smooth dough. The dough should not be sticky and the inside should look like the texture of the inside of bread. Divide roughly into 1/3 and 2/3 portions.
Refrigerate for 1/2 hour.

Prepare the crust for pre-baking:

Then, take out the larger dough and spead out to 4mm thickness and large enough to fit into a 28-cm pie mould.
Transfer dough into mould by loosely rolling it around the rolling pin then unroll into the mould.
To work the fluted edge, take a piece of dough and dip into some flour. Press into the fluted edge to shape it.
Line the dough with baking paper and place some dry beans onto it. (I am using mung beans, but any dry beans will do, even rice). This is only to prevent the dough from rising or forming bubbles during the pre-baking.
Bake for 15 minutes.

Make the strips for the lattice top:

Meanwhile, prepare the strips for the lattice top.
Take the other portion of dough and roll out to approximately 30cm diameter.
Cut strips of 1cm width.

Fill and make the pie:

Remove crust (after 15 minutes) from the oven.
Save the beans for later use in other pie baking recipes. These beans can be used a few times.
Fill the crust with the banana paste, even out.
Make the lattice top:
Take the longest strip and line it in the middle. Press to secure on one side only.
Take every other strip and line a little distance apart.
Then, lift and pull back alternating strips.
Place one strip across (to make a criss-cross pattern).
Fold back the strips.
Then lift alternating ones (i.e. the strips that are now under) and place another strip across.
Continue in this way of alternating each row until lattice is complete.
Trim off excess strip length.
Brush with some non-dairy (I used oats milk) milk.
Place in oven and bake for 45 minutes or until crust is golden.

More Cranberry Cleansing...

2012-01-15T12:18:00.001Z

I don't know whether it's my body's natural call to be cleansed that's attracting me to this cranberry smoothie but I sure am definitely addicted to it. It's my third time having this before breakfast. This time I had it minus the kale.

The good thing about this smoothie is that I can feel it working as soon as it hits my stomach; a quite soothing effect but also very energising.

I still have some fresh cranberries in the fridge leftover from the holidays. It's a shame that they are only seasonal. I guess I'll have to get frozen ones after, although I'm not sure how much of the goodness are retained in the frozen ones...

Vegan Pesto made in a Mortar and Pestle

2012-01-09T22:54:00.000Z

I realised that I had never actually featured any pesto recipe here before. With my nut allergy, I don't actually make pesto that often. But I was inspired to make a nut-free version when I got this mortar and pestle as a Kris Kindle (Secret Santa) gift for Christmas in the office. What a thoughtful gift!

Did you know that pesto infact originates from the use of a pestle to make it? (It's from the Genoese word Pestâ (Italian: pestare), which means to pound, to crush, in reference to the original method of preparation, with marble mortar and wooden pestle).

While it does sound like it involves a bit of work to grind pesto in this way, it actually is very agreeable. The fragrances that are released during grinding are really exquisite and the result is a much tastier pesto despite the fact that this one was a nut-free version.

This is also garlic free but feel free to add it in if you like.

Vegan Nut-Free Pesto

Ingredients (yields only about 2 tablespoons of pesto)

25g, washed, fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoons olive oil, as needed
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (adjust to taste)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Sea salt, to taste

Grind basil leaves in mortar and pestle (or blender).

Add the nutritional yeast and salt (be careful with these two as nutritional yeast is already quite salty).

Add lemon juice.
Lastly add enough olive oil to keep it moist and spreadable.
Cover and store chilled for at least an hour.
Pour a thin layer of extra olive oil, if you like, over the top to help keep it bright green.

Keep Going Green...

2012-01-07T17:52:00.001Z

My dream dress this year! The green trend still going strong...

Photo credit Sarah Illenberger.

If I can't get the tree house, I'll do with the broccoli house.

Photo from 'It is the world that made you small'.

Green knickers? Ahem!

Photo manipulation by Christophe Gilbert.

Although I do like all the green in Ireland, I should remember to put some diapers on the clouds when I don't want it to rain here!

Photo from 'It is the world that made you small'.

And a cute fruit hoot!

Photo Credit KomodoEmpire.

Vegan Dish - Functional Pottery for Vegans

2012-01-06T02:33:00.000Z

Some nice vegan stamped dish by Jeannette Zeis. Have a look.

Cranberry Kale Smoothie for a Great New Year KickStart!

2012-01-03T01:19:00.001Z

Instead of making resolutions (I don't usually make any), I have a list of what I'm looking forward to in the coming year. Last year has been a busy year for me and I haven't been regular on Veganlovlie. This year, I'm looking forward to...

firstly, getting organized, and donating things we don't need, clearing the space really.

learning more about photography and food styling.

working more on my handmade jewellery project.

incorporating more yoga in my routine and hitting the gym more often.

cycling around the neighborhood more often.

...and posting new varied content on Veganlovlie (stay tuned).

Happy 2012!

Now to kick start that New Year, here's a smoothie that is surprisingly much more delicious than it sounds! Definitely going to be a regular one.

A great way to make use of all the cranberries too, that are now reduced in most stores.

Cranberry and Kale Smoothie

Ingredients
a handful of kale leaves (you can rip them from the fibrous boney centre)
7 - 10 fresh cranberrries (frozen is also good)
juice from 2 slices lemon
1 banana
1/2 ripe pear
1 tablespoon agave nectar (or maple syrup, both optional)

Mix all ingredients in a blender. (I used a hand blender).
Pour and drink!

Yummy Fresh Start!

Re-organising Veganlovlie Blog

2011-12-30T17:04:00.001Z

If you haven't already noticed, I have made some changes on the Veganlovlie blog. Initially, when I started my handmade jewellery project, I started to write a separate blog which would be a collections of things I like, crafts and my adventures in jewellery making. However, after a while, I found that I wanted to sometimes share similar things on Veganlovlie. So I've decided to merge the two blogs and have everything in just one place.

You can navigate through the different sections by using the tabs above where I've classified related posts. Additional tabs are Handmade Jewellery, Crafts and Newsletter (which, if you join the mailing list, is a low frequency email that I send out for updates, promotions, giveaways etc).

Those of you subscribing by email or in a reader would probably have had a surge of new posts being delivered. This happened when I did the merge. Sorry about the slight stir; I hope you will enjoy the new content though.

That said, I have loads of plans and ideas coming up for the new year and I'm very much looking forward to them. I hope you keep enjoying your read at Veganlovlie. And don't forget to like Veganlovlie's or Bijouxlovlie's Facebook page for updates and news. If you've ever made one of my recipes and want to share a photo, I would very much like to hear from you; please share on Veganlovlie's Facebook.

Now then, is it time for tea yet? Of course, it's always tea time for me!
Here's a nice Rooibos blend (no. 25 Rouge) that I bought at Le Palais des Thés in Wicklow Street in Dublin.

It's a tasty Christmassy blend of South African Rooibos, scented with citrus fruit, rose, almond and spices: vanilla, cinnamon. Really nice for celebrating the festive season!

If you are new to Rooibos tea, you should definitely try it if you can get it where you are. It's naturally caffeine free and packed with antioxidants. It grows in South Africa and is also known as redbush tea. Rooibos is purported to assist with nervous tension, allergies and digestive problems.

You can purchase this particular blend online here.

This is my own review of this tea. I have not been contacted by Le Palais des Thés to blog about their teas. I am just sharing my love for their teas!!!

Julia Butterfly Hill - Adventures In Treesitting

2011-12-30T03:48:00.002Z

This is the amazing story of Julia Butterfly Hill who spent more than two years on a giant tree without touching the ground.

Julia's determination to withhold storms, cold and pressure by the logging company inspired countless activists around the world to this very day. Julia spent an incredible 738 days on top of the tree she named 'Luna'. Witness a truly fascinating adventure of activism.

Granose Meat-Free Products

2011-12-28T02:06:00.000Z

I mentioned the Granose Chicken Style Roast that we had for Christmas Eve dinner in my previous post. Here's the Burger mix that I had yesterday. I find these quite convenient sometimes; they only require water, shaped them into patties, then bake for 20 minutes or so.
Products available in the Granose range are :

Meat Free Lincolnshire Sausage Mix
Meat Free Burger Fix
Meat Free Nut Roast Mix
Meat Free Chicken Style Roast Mix
Sunflower, Lentil and Vegetable Roast Mix
Meat Free Falafel Mix
Soya Mince

In Dublin, I buy them at Holland and Barrett stores.

So far I have tried the Burger Mix, Sausage Mix and Chicken Style Roast.

I had some homemade baps that I had made the night before.

Added some salad.

And voilà! Yummy!

Giveaway at Millie's Blog

2011-12-27T04:07:00.000Z

Here's a great giveaway at Millie's blog.

PHILLPS SONICARE BATTERY OPERATED TOOTHBRUSH

So, make your way there for the rules to enter and your chance to win. Entries end Dec 30. Good luck!

Christmas Eve Dinner

2011-12-26T01:50:00.001Z

Happy Christmas (if you celebrate) or Happy Holidays otherwise. Here, at the Veganlovlie cocoon, we had a nice cosy time with some really heartwarming comfort food on Christmas eve.

We had broccoli and brussel sprouts bake, risotto stuffed peppers and meat-free 'chicken' style roast loaf. I'm not especially keen on fake meats but sometimes for a change I quite like the Granose range of products. You reconstitute them with water then bake. It was really delicious and a very nice dinner indeed.

The risotto stuffed peppers is a re-visited recipe from here. This time I stuffed it with risotto. I used the mushroom and spinach risotto recipe from here with a few modifications; I substituted the parmesan with nutritional yeast to make it vegan and I didn't use any white wine...
It was very tasty.
Once the risotto was ready, I stuffed the peppers with it. A little tip if the peppers are not standing upright, slice a thin layer from the base to make it flat (but take care not to take too much out as it might leave holes and juices from the stuffing may leak...).

The broccoli and brussel sprouts bake, I don't really have a proper recipe as I just made this without measuring. Basically, I boiled the brussel sprouts (after washing and removing a bit of the stalk and top leaves) for about 10 minutes, drained then added a tablespoon of vegan margarine. Placed in an oven-proof dish (I used a lasagna dish).

Then I blanched the broccoli for about 5 minutes and added them to the brussel sprouts with some red onions.

For the white sauce, I made a 'roux' with one and a half tablespoon of vegan margarine with 3 tablespoons of plain flour.

I then added about 500ml of soymilk. It became a bit lumpy this time (sometimes it doesn't... anyway...), so I poured it into a jug and ran the hand blender through. This is great to remove lumps from sauces that need to be smooth.
I poured this back into the pan as it was a bit too thick, so I thinned it with some water and at this point added 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast.
Now it was ready to be poured onto the veggies.

Already looking yummy!

I sprinkled some breadcrumbs, dried oregano and some grated vegan cheese.

Bake for only 15 minutes (because the veggies are already half boiled) just before serving.

And the yummy Christmas eve dinner!

Because kindness keeps the world afloat

2011-12-23T21:27:00.001Z

Life Vest Inside
Their mission:
"By creating an exciting and accessible kindness experience, we will become more aware of the opportunities that surround us and recognize our potential to change the world, simply by changing ourselves."

Some Crochet Projects

2011-12-10T23:20:00.001Z

Here's a couple of crochet projects I've been making. I'm still a beginner but I'm really enjoying this. It is so relaxing to just sit quietly somewhere and turn a yarn into something amazing that I will cherish or offer as a gift. Crochet very much feel like a mindfulness meditation... Some people even chant while crocheting. I will try this next! Chanting the words of happiness so that the message is encrypted in whatever I'm crocheting!

Here's a hat that I've made using this pattern that I bought. It's an easy pattern for a beginner and I very much like the results.

How does it look on me?

I can see a pixie! Oh, where is it hiding?!

And I've also made a bag. I made this one without a pattern, just measured according to the frame and increased/reduced as required.
My sewing skills helped in making an imaginary pattern for this...
I've still got to attach a chain to it and it will be done!

The back view. I think I got excited with the frills but I kind of like it! It's nice a girly!

So, here's some inspiration for some handmade gifts for the holidays! I'd be making the hat again!

Vegan Pain Perdu or French Toast

2011-12-10T18:40:00.001Z

Pain perdu in French means "lost bread" or otherwise stale bread that might have been thrown away could be used in this recipe. But do you know, I've been waiting for my store bought bread to go stale for a while and it still seems like it's fresh. Goodness knows what horrid things they put in those breads.

I don't actually like the store bought breads, I just find homemade ones taste much better and I like the rich dense texture of homemade bread.
I know some people strive to make their bread very store-bought like but for me homemade bread cannot be compared.

But anyway, although I wish I had the time to make my own bread all the time, I do buy store bread for convenience sake and this morning (to improve on their taste) I decided to make some French Toast, my vegan version sans the eggs.
It's really so simple to make that it hardly needs any recipe...

Ingredients
6 slices bread (I used pre-sliced bread but thickness can be about 1/2" / 1.5cm)
300ml oatmilk (more or less but make sure it's cold, other non-dairy like soy or almond milk will work fine too)
2 teaspoons custard powder or cornstarch
3 tablespoons sugar (optional, omit if making a savoury version)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Vegan margarine for frying

Mix the milk, custard powder, sugar and cinnamon in a big bowl (large enough to accomodate your bread)
Heat about 1 tablespoon of vegan margarine in a non-stick pan or skillet.
Dip the first slice of bread in the milk, coat on both sides (but do not soak the bread too much).
Place in pan and fry the slice until golden on one side then turn and fry on the other side until golden.
If you can fit more than one slice in your pan, you can do so and keep frying the rest of the batch. Add more margarine as required for frying.
If not serving immediately, you can keep them warm in a 130 degrees Celsius oven, until all the slices are done.

Now, just make a nice cuppa and enjoy!

Is it possible for us to thrive?

2011-11-22T23:20:00.001Z

I recently watched the Thrive movie which I wanted to share with you as it gives a clear picture on energy, how the world economy is managed and where our world is heading to. Visit the ThriveMovement website for more info and to rent/buy the movie. It is well worth your time.

It is crucial to know where our money is going - an important stepping stone for change.

New items in store

2011-11-19T15:35:00.001Z

These are a few pieces I have been working on. Find them in the Reminisce Mauritius section of the shop. I hope you like them!

Plumeria and Blue Leaves
Hibiscus and Leaves
Plumeria and Autumn Leaves
Plumeria and Lilac Leaves

Cupcakes for a friend's birthday...

2011-11-19T00:58:00.001Z

Last Saturday, I met with a friend for a little hike trip to Howth which is a small fishing village north of Dublin. Although I'm not keen on the fishing aspect, it is a nice place to visit nevertheless. We took a nice hike around the hills and cliffs.

At the end of the day, we came back to the village for a nice meal at Ivans restaurant. Of course, being located in a fishing village, Ivans is just an oyster bar and grill; it's not a vegan restaurant but the chef did do a tasty vegan linguini with veggies for me.

Infact, we also met because it was going to be my friend's birthday on the coming Tuesday and as I wasn't going to meet her during the week. So, I made her some cupcakes and a handmade jewellery gift which she got in advance!

I was so pleased to be able to find a nice cupcake holder box in a shop close to my place. It was my first time packing cupcakes for a gift and I was pretty excited!

The handmade jewellery I made for her. She really loved them!

See more photos of our day trip on ~~my other blog - Bijouxlovlie~~this post.

So, the cupcakes? They turned out great! I made them in two flavours, coconut and lemon.

Here's the recipe below. For the frosting, the quantities below are for 12 cupcakes of each flavour. If you want to make 6 of each, then used the quantity for 1 batch of icing, split in half just before adding the coconut milk or lemon juice. Then add half the amount of the coconut milk to half and lemon juice to the other half of the sugar and margarine mixture.

Vegan Coconut (and/or Lemon) Cupcakes (or Cake) Recipe

Ingredients (12 cupcakes or one 23cm / 9-inch round):
1 1/2 cups all purpose (or plain) flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar (I used demerara)
1/3 cup vegan margarine (I used Pure Sunflower Spread)
1/4 cup coconut flakes
1 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (white vinegar is also fine)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
(Variation for lemon cupcake: 1 teaspoon lemon zest if making lemon cupcakes)

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celcius.
In a larger mixing bowl, cream together margarine and granulated sugar with an electric mixer.
Next, mix in coconut milk, vinegar, and vanilla extract.
In a separate bowl, whisk together all purpose flour, baking powder and salt.
Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix until well combined. I find mixing with a spatula quite handy for this.
Bake for 20 - 25 minutes for cupcakes (or 25 - 30 minutes for cakes).

Vegan Coconut Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:
1/2 cup vegan margarine
1 3/4 cup icing sugar
1 tablespoon coconut milk
1 cup coconut flakes

Using an electric mixer, lightly beat margarine.
Add in powdered sugar a little at a time while continuing to beat.
When well mixed, add in coconut milk and beat a little more until smooth.
Use the prepared mixture and frost the cooled cupcakes or cake. Make sure cupcakes are not warm but well cooled.
Lightly press coconut flakes onto the frosting. The easiest way to do this is to gently dip and roll the frosted cupcake in a bowl of coconut flakes.

Variation with Lemon Frosting
Ingredients:
1/2 cup vegan margarine
1 3/4 cup icing sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions are same as for the coconut buttercream. To apply the frosting, I used an icing bag made with parchment paper and a star nozzle. Just apply from the centre and spiral out.

A Friend's Birthday and Visiting Howth...

2011-11-15T02:40:00.002Z

Today is one of my friends birthday. But as I wasn't going to see her during the week, we met on Saturday for a little trip to Howth which is a small cosy fishing village north of Dublin city.

I made her a little handmade jewellery gift which I think she liked and some cupcakes!

The cupcakes was a good excuse to make some for me as well. They are vegan and the recipe is ~~coming soon~~ here.

Happy Birthday!

Our day trip in Howth was a really refreshing one. Howth is actually close to where I live but I had never been around the area before. It is more than a fishing village actually. There's a nice mix of picturesque residential development and a breathtaking serene hillside.

We spent our time leisurely, walking around the cliffs and up the hill. We were lucky to be blessed by great calm weather on that day, Ireland being windy and rainy for most of the year!

At the end of the day, we came back to the village centre for an early dinner or late lunch.

Howth is definitely a place to go back and visit anytime. There is still a lot more to see in this little village.

Peep!

2011-11-09T13:52:00.001Z

A midweek peep! So cute!

Fine Art Photography by SherriConley on Etsy

Coming soon in store... a little teaser...

2011-11-06T10:36:00.001Z

This is what I've been working on recently. Coming soon in store.

My Paper-to-Pearls™ Bag-o-Beads! Sweet!

2011-11-05T21:16:00.001Z

The call within me is starting to hit really hard. I can no longer live every day without constantly thinking and doing a little bit to serve my purpose. My purpose? Settled and maybe starting a family? Nah! Not that I have anything against it but I’ve decided that this wasn’t going to be my life a long time ago. And a long time ago, I feel I've even thought this out before the first day I saw daylight on this planet.

It has taken me 30 years and a bit to really feel the right path for this but now I am flowing, no resistance, just being.

A little step each day, and it will all add up. Yesterday, I received my Bag-o-Beads from Paper to Pearls. I talked about them in a previous post. Wow, could these beads be more gorgeous!

They are absolutely magically as if made by little fairy hands. I felt so much happiness just looking at these little wonders inside the bag. Each bead is telling a story of its own...

And the first idea that came to my mind when I saw them was that they must indeed have been made my fairies!

Stay tuned for what I'm going to be creating out of them... I can't wait!

You can purchase a Bag-o-Beads for your craft projects here. Let me know if you do and what you're making out of them!

Or see the Paper to Pearls™ Online Store for paper bead jewellery.

Paper to Pearls™ is a fair trade initiative of Voices for Global Change — a not-for-profit founded on the belief that when people who have had no voice, speak, they change their world.