Today, I’m taking part in the Travelodge #FlauntYourHaunt campaign and I’m going to share what I love about my home city. I’ve lived in Bath for sixteen years now, but not a day goes past that I don’t count my lucky stars that I ended up in this incredible place!
So what makes Bath so special to me?
With just over a week until Easter, our minds have been on all things egg and bunny shaped, and preferably made of chocolate. We’ve been scouting the shops and online stores, checking out what’s on offer for vegans and the dairy free. Every year, the selection gets bigger and bigger. I remember not so long ago that it was impossible to find a dairy-free egg (even the dark chocolate eggs contained dairy :/). This year, whether you’re a milk, white or dark chocolate lover, we’ve got you covered. Here’s our top picks for 2015.
1. Moo Free Organic Dairy-Free Milk Chocolate Bunnycomb Egg 100g (Vegan Town, Animal Aid, Viva!)
2. Moo Free Organic Dairy-Free Milk Chocolate Egg 100g (Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Holland & Barrett, Ocado)
3. Moo Free Organic Dairy-Free Milk Chocolate Cheeky Orange Egg 100g (Animal Aid, Viva!)
4. Plamil Organic Dairy-Free Milk Chocolate Egg 85g (Holland & Barrett, Vegan Town)
5. Choices Dairy-Free Easter Egg & 6 Choc Discs 125g (Holland & Barrett)
6. Choices Dairy-Free Caramel Flavoured Egg with 3 Caramel Chocolates 120g (Holland & Barrett)
7. Vantastic Large Vegan Milk Chocolate Easter Bunny 100g (Vegan Town)
Guaranteed dairy-free: Moo Free, Plamil
1. Vantastic Large White Chocolate Bunny 100g (Viva!)
2. Zotter Mi-Xing White Easter Egg 100g (Viva!)
3. Choices Dairy Free White Chocolate Egg & Buttons 65g (Holland & Barrett)
4. Choices Dairy Free White Chocolate Bunny Bar 40g (Holland & Barrett, Sainsbury’s)
1. Montezuma’s Dark Chocolate Chunky Button Egg 250g (Ocado)
2. Cocoa Loco Dark Chocolate & Ginger Easter Egg 225g (Cocoa Loco)
3. Divine Luxury Dark Chocolate Easter Egg with 100g Dark Chocolate Raspberry Bar (Waitrose, Ocado, Animal Aid)
4. Hotel Chocolat Dark Egglets 110g (Hotel Chocolat)
5. Hotel Chocolat Dark City Bunnies 90g (Hotel Chocolat)
6. Montezuma’s Dark Chocolate Mini Eggs with Almond Praline 150g (Montezuma’s, Ocado, Animal Aid)
Hotel Chocolat Milk-Free Milk Chocolate – NEW for 2015!
As soon as I heard that Hotel Chocolat had launched a range of milk-free milk chocolate, I headed straight to our store in Bath to check it out. It didn’t taste quite as I expected… it’s got that quality cocoa flavour that we know and love about Hotel Chocolat, but it didn’t have the creaminess (or sugary sweetness) that we associate with dairy chocolate. When Lil’ L tried it, he said that it was more like a dark chocolate than a dairy chocolate. If you’re a milk chocolate lover, I’d recommend trying a sample before you buy to make sure it suits your tastes. I like it… but then again I’m a dark chocolate lover 😉
1. Milk-Free Milk Scrambled Egg 210g
2. Milk-Free Goose Egg 130g
3. Milk-Free Milk City Bunnies 90g
What chocolatey treat would you love from the Easter Bunny this year?
This month marks the first anniversary of The Vegan Kind Monthly Subscription Box. I can’t believe it’s been a year already since the postman handed me my first box. I was so excited to open it (as I have been every month since then!)
It’s so much fun getting surprise gifts, and the fact that this box is filled with vegan, planet-friendly, cruelty-free products, means it couldn’t be more perfect for me.
TVK has introduced so many amazing brands to me these past 12 months. Snacking moved onto a whole new level of deliciousness, thanks to Landgarten’s dark-chocolate covered raspberries, seeds and nuts, Propercorn’s Sweet and Salty Popcorn and Hoots Pickled Onion snacks.
And how about that almighty Vego Hazelnut Bar in TVK9 and Ombar Coco Mylk Raw Chocolate Bar in TVK11? Pure yumminess ♥
The boxes have introduced some new treats for Lil’ L too. He’s especially loved the Rebel Kitchen Choco Mylks, Landgarten goodies, Vego bars, Hoots snacks, Propercorn, Ten Acre crisps, Choc Shot and Freedom Mallows. Thanks to TVK and Freedom Mallows, last Christmas he enjoyed his first marshmallow topped hot chocolate 🙂
As well as the snacks, I’ve loved experimenting with the ingredients and spice mixes. The Coconom Coconut Sugar in TVK6 and Mr Organic Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto in TVK8 were particular favourites of mine. The recipe cards have been awesome too. I love how they’re printed on quality, wipe clean card and come with a handy storage binder. I was more than delighted to share one of my family’s all-time favourite vegan pizza recipes in TVK8.
Through TVK, we’ve also got to try products that aren’t yet readily available in the UK. I’d heard a lot about CocoBacon in ‘foodie world’, so I was beyond excitement to find it in TVK9. I especially loved it sprinkled on BLT style salads. I was so gutted when I came to the end of the packet. Not everyone enjoyed the Cocobacon as much as I did though. It definitely seemed to have the ‘Marmite effect’ on TVK readers 😉
The TVK boxes are not all about food though. They also include toiletries, beauty, personal care and household products. In TVK2 we received a full-size bottle of Greenfrog All Purpose Natural Cleaner. Its neroli scent is so lush that I actually look forward to cleaning my kitchen and bathroom now.
One of the biggest ways TVK has impacted my life is on the home laundry front! I’d tried and failed with so many ‘eco friendly’ laundry detergents and ‘solutions’ in the past, that I wasn’t holding out much hope for the soap nuts that arrived in TVK1. I was really surprised and happy with the results though. Not only do they clean our clothes, but they seem to soften them too. For the best part of a year now, detergent and softener has been ditched in favour of soapnuts and a few drops of lavender oil 🙂
It’s been a real privilege to share in TVK’s first year. And what an incredible journey it’s been! From starting in their kitchen, sending out a couple of hundred boxes in the UK, they moved to warehouse premises where they now mail out thousands of boxes worldwide! Did anyone see the video footage on Instagram of the boxes stacked floor to ceiling? Honestly, my jaw dropped!
Whether you’re already vegan, just starting out, or simply curious to find out more, the TVK community is a great place to connect with like-minded folk. You’ll find them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.
As part of its month of celebrations, TVK has kindly offered to send an anniversary box to one of my lovely readers. It’s an international giveaway, so everyone can join in ♥ To be in with a chance of winning, simply leave me a comment under this blog post answering the question featured in the Rafflecopter below. Do make sure you tick the box in the Rafflecopter to register that you have done so. There are a number of additional ways you can enter in order to increase your chances of winning. You will find these listed in the Rafflecopter. All entries will be verified prior to the winner being selected. This giveaway is open to residents aged 18 and over. The closing date is Thursday 13th November 2014 at midnight GMT. The winner will be selected at random and notified by email. The winner will have 7 days to respond. If they fail to do so, another winner will be selected at random. New to Rafflecopter? It’s pretty easy! Simply click on ‘Use Your Email’ and enter a name and your email address (rest assured it won’t be published anywhere). You can also log in using your Facebook account, if you wish. A quick demo of how to use Rafflecopter can be accessed here. * If you experience any technical problems when trying to enter the Rafflecopter, let me know in the comments section below and I’ll submit your entry for you * a Rafflecopter giveaway
And if you’re already a TVK subscriber, you could always be super generous and pass on the prize. It would make a fab Christmas present for a veggie friend ♥
Good luck everyone! xx
The market for tasty, healthy snacks and dairy-free alternatives seems to have exploded this year! Honestly, every time I visit the supermarket the ‘free from’ aisle seems to grow bigger and bigger! I love checking out new products and sharing my favourites with you in these posts. I also love to hear about your new discoveries so please do share them in the comments section below. I’m always on the look out for new things to try!
Here are five yummy goodies that me and the family have been loving lately…
Ombar Organic Coco Mylk Chocolate Bar
Dairy free / Gluten free / Vegan
Individual bars (35g) £1.99
Ombars are no ordinary chocolate bar. They’re made with raw organic cacao which not only gives them rich flavour, but also means that each little bar is packed with antioxidants and minerals. The bars are gently sweetened with organic coconut sugar (perfect for me as my body tolerates cane sugar less and less well these days) and some of the bars, like the Coco Mylk and Strawberries & Cream, also include probiotics (‘friendly bacteria’).
I’ve loved all the flavours I’ve tried so far but my absolute favourite has to be Coco Mylk. With its creamy flavour and melt in your mouth texture, it’s like a high quality milk chocolate, yet its 100% vegan. While the bars might seem pricey for their size, the chocolate is incredibly satiating, so I find that a little goes a long way. Since Coco Mylk is my favourite flavour, you can imagine how delighted I was to find a bar in my latest TVK Box!
Ombars are currently available in the UK in independent health food stores and online.
Propercorn Sweet & Salty
Dairy free / Gluten free / Vegan
Individual bags (30g) – 75p, Family bags (90g) – £1.59
Lil’ L and I had never tried sweet and salty popcorn before, so when a packet arrived in our August TVK box, we couldn’t wait to tuck in! We were amazed at how well the flavour combo works, and loved how the brown sugar coating gave the popcorn a light ‘crunch’ as you bit into it.
Since Lil’ L discovered that Waitrose sells Propercorn, a family size bag seems to magically appear in my shopping basket every week. It’s his favourite treat for movie nights and, since it’s so light, he also likes to stash a bag in his backpack for school trips and biking adventures.
Propercorn individual and family bags are currently available in Waitrose; individual bags are available in Tesco.
Nakd Bars
Dairy free / Gluten free / Vegan
Individual bars (35g) 75p; Multipacks (4 x 35g) £2.70
My family are big fans of Nakd bars and I like to keep a stash in backpacks and handbags for snacking on the go. I love how they’re made of 100% natural ingredients (basically raw fruits and nuts squashed together) with no added sugars, syrups or oils. They come in nine flavours and there are three in particular that I absolutely adore – Cocoa Orange, Cocoa Mint and Caffe Mocha. The packaging’s really cool too!
In the shops, you can buy individual bars and four bar multipacks. Selection boxes are also available from the Nakd website. I love the ‘Find Your Favourite’ box which has one of each bar in the range. It makes a yummy treat for health conscious friends. I recently sent one to a friend that was going travelling as a ‘bon voyage’ gift.
You can get great deals on Nakd bars in the UK supermarkets, so I stock up whenever I spot them on offer. This month, Waitrose are offering two bars for £1 and two multipacks for £4.
Oatly
Dairy free / Vegan
Oat drink (1 litre) £1.39-1.49; Organic Creamy Oat (250ml) 75p
I’ve only recently discovered the Swedish company Oatly, but they’ve been making oat drinks since the early 90s. In Sweden, Oatly is the number one milk substitute, and they’re rapidly growing in popularity here too. There are currently five Oatly products available in the UK. The Organic ‘milk’ only has three ingredients – oats, water and a little salt. For those that prefer fortified ‘milks’, the one in blue packaging comes fortified with calcium and vitamins D2, riboflavin and B12. There’s also a dairy-free alternative to single cream called ‘Organic Creamy Oat’, which is perfect for drizzling on desserts and can also be used for cooking.
Oatly has recently had a re-brand and the new packaging is really cool!
The Oatly ‘milks’ are available in most major UK supermarkets, and the cream alternative is currently available in Tesco and Waitrose. Since they have such a long shelf life, I like to stock up on the UHT ‘milks’ when they’re on offer. Both Waitrose and Sainsbury’s are currently offering multibuy deals (3 for £3; 2 for £2).
Hoots Snacks
Dairy free / Vegan
Individual bag (38g) £0.60
We first discovered Hoots through the September TVK box, and were delighted to meet the team behind this delicious snack at London VegFest last weekend ♥ Hoots sell a range of oven baked snacks made of wholegrains and mixed seeds (all free from added colours, flavours, preservatives and MSG). The pickled onion flavour is lush! For me, it tastes like a healthy version of my favourite childhood junk food – Pickled Onion Monster Munch! Lil’ L loves them too, and has enjoyed taking them to school and on trips as a ‘treat snack’.
They’ve only recently launched in the UK and aren’t widely available, so I’ll update this post once they launch nationwide (Fingers crossed that will be soon!)
Over to you, lovely readers ♥ Have you discovered any new yummy plant-based products lately?
In today’s post, I thought I’d take a break from home cooking and share my latest favourite store-bought snacks. Like most families, we don’t always have the time to create all our food from scratch, so I like to keep a stash of ready-made snacks and treats in the pantry. They come in really handy when we’re heading out for the day or travelling, as well as for serving at impromptu coffee mornings and play dates.
All the goodies I’m featuring have recently been launched, so I’m very excited to be sharing them with you today! In my opinion, they are easily as good (if not better!) than my home-made snacks. They’re all filled with whole food ingredients, contain no junk, and taste totally scrummy. Oh and they also happen to be both gluten free and dairy free!
9bar Breakfast
I was really excited when I heard that a new range of 9bars were coming out this month, and especially that they were going to be vegan and gluten free! These new bars are designed to be a ‘breakfast on the go’ so perfect for those days when we need to dash out early, or when we’re travelling. I’ve found they also make a great refuelling snack for hikes and bike rides, and after-school snack (Lil’ L and his friends enjoy sharing a bar). They’re packed with nutrition – sunflower, pumpkin, sesame and hemp seeds, nuts, oats, puffed brown rice and soya ‘crispies’ (which give them a lovely crunchy, crispy texture). They come in a range of flavours – Cashew & Cocoa, Apricot & Strawberry, Almond & Raspberry and Peanut & Raisin. They’re all totally scrummy but, if I were pushed to pick a favourite, I would have to say the Cashew & Cocoa. I’m a sucker for anything chocolatey 😉
Nairn’s Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Biscuit Breaks
I would never have guessed that these choc chips biscuits are gluten-free. They taste just like regular oaty biscuits, well nicer actually… M is the ‘biscuit connoisseur’ of the family and he said he would choose to buy these choc chip biscuits over regular ones! Nairn’s oats are carefully farmed to ensure there’s no cross-contamination with gluten grains, and all their products are made in a gluten free bakery. These yummy biscuits (‘cookies’ to our overseas friends) make a great accompaniment to hot drinks, or as a ‘snack on the go’ (they come in pouches of four, so handy for popping in your bag). I have a number of friends that are coeliac or gluten-intolerant, so I’m going to keep a stash of these biscuits in the pantry ready for coffee mornings. They don’t contain dairy either, so perfect for vegans and the dairy intolerant (that’s me!)
Landgarten Organic Dark Chocolate Soya Snack
The Vegan Kind April Subscription Box arrived the day before our trip to Lanzarote and when I spotted the chocolate-covered roasted soya beans, I knew they’d make the perfect snack for the journey. As soon as I found my seat on the plane, I ripped open the packet and started tucking in. The packet is a pretty substantial size, but I was so absorbed in my holiday read (Chris Hadfield’s An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth) that, before I knew it, I’d scoffed the lot! I’m a bit of a fan of the Landgarten goodies. I featured their chocolate-covered pumpkin seeds in my January ‘Stuff I’m Loving’ post. I think I love the soya nuts even more!
Pudology Puddings
I very rarely buy shop-bought desserts as they tend to contain dairy, however as soon as I heard about the new range of Pudology indulgent desserts that are both dairy and gluten-free, I couldn’t wait to try them! They come in a range of flavours and, so far, we’ve tried three – Chocolate (chocolate ganache with Madagascan vanilla), Chocolate Orange (chocolate & orange ganache with Brazilian orange oil) and Banoffee (layers of biscuit, toffee, banana & chocolate). Oh my word they are good! Lil’ L described them as a “luxurious treat” which sums them up perfectly. These desserts make a wonderful weekend treat. They’re also perfect for treating your dairy or gluten intolerant loved ones ♥
Rebel Kitchen Choco Mylk
This is another goodie that Lil’ L and I were thrilled to find in the The Vegan Kind April Subscription Box. We love chocolate milk, but find that the shop-bought brands tend to contain dairy or are too sugary for us. The Rebel Kitchen Choco Mylk is 100% spot on! It has a beautiful, rich chocolatey flavour and is definitely sweet enough to suit children’s palates. However, unlike other chocolate milks, this one is full of goodness and contains no nasties. It’s made with just four ingredients – water, coconut milk (11%), date nectar and cacao (2%). And what cool packaging too! I can’t wait to try out the other Rebel Kitchen mylks (they even have an adult range!)
Have you discovered any tasty dairy- & gluten-free snacks lately? If so, please do share details below. I’m always on the look out for new products to try! 😀
This feature is usually dedicated to new-to-me products but, this time round, I thought I’d throw in one of my old favourites too. We can’t neglect the oldies can we? Let’s kick off with the new…
1. Meridian Natural Nut Butters
Ever since we first tried these nut butters, the family has been hooked on them. They contain no added sugar or oil yet, in our opinion, they taste far superior to those with added ingredients. Our pantry is stocked with four Meridian butters – peanut, almond, cashew and hazelnut. They all have different tastes and textures, and are delicious in their own way! I’ve been buying 1kg tubs of the peanut butter and need to start doing the same for the almond butter, as we get through it so quick! We spread it on toast and use it for stir fry sauces, dips and dressings. Lil’ L will even eat apple slices less begrudgingly if he can dip them in almond butter 😉
2. Perry Court Farm Apple Crisps
I first came into contact with Perry Court Farm and their scrummy fruit crisps through The Vegan Kind Subscription Box. There are two apple varieties to choose from – ‘Sweet’ Cox Orange Pippin or ‘Tangy’ Bramley. They’re air dried to retain all the goodness and flavour of the fruit, and the only ingredient they contain is apples! They make a wonderful, healthy snack and a great treat for lunchboxes.
3. Sweet Freedom Choc Shot
I was over the moon to find Choc Shot in February’s The Vegan Kind Box as I’d been wanting to try it for ages! It contains all natural ingredients, is free from cane sugar, has a low glycaemic load (GL) and is suitable for vegans and diabetics. It’s great for drizzling on pancakes, waffles, ice cream and for making milkshakes and hot chocolate. Sadly I reached the end of my bottle today after making Lil’ L and his friend a hot chocolate. Not a single drop was wasted though as I thoroughly scraped out the bottle with a latte spoon. Some of it may have accidentally found its way straight into my mouth 😉 Will definitely be adding Choc Shot to future grocery shops.
4. Olives et al Egyptian Spiced Dukkah
Dukkah is one of my all-time favourite spice mixes, and I’m really enjoying the Olives et Al Egyptian Spiced Dukkah. It’s warming and aromatic yet mild, so perfect for those that can’t handle too much heat (like me!) Lately I’ve been adding it into flat breads and hummus, as well as making lots of batches of Dukkah spiced roasted chick peas. I haven’t actually tried eating it the traditional way yet, which is to dip bread in oil then into a plate of Dukkah. I’m very much looking forward to trying it though!
5. Marigold Engevita Nutritional Yeast Flakes with B12
And finally, here’s an old favourite. I didn’t realise how hooked I was on nutritional yeast (aka ‘nooch’) until we run out earlier this week and, shock horror, the local health food store was out of stock too! I felt totally lost without it! If you haven’t come across it before, nooch is a nutritionally-rich savoury condiment made of deactivated yeast. It has a cheesy, nutty flavour which makes it a great vegetarian/vegan substitute for parmesan. We love ‘cashew’ parmesan which we make by grinding ¼ cup cashews with 3 TBSP nutritional yeast. I also use nooch for making pestos, tofu ricotta, scrambled tofu and many more dishes. Rather than be caught out again, I’ve bulk ordered from Amazon and it’s already arrived. As of tonight, Italian is back on the menu! 😀
So those are five products I’m currently loving. How about you? Have you tried any new products lately that you’d recommend?
