Reduced.

I love the reduced bit in shops.

Buy fruit and veg from the reduced table. There are several reasons for doing this.

1. You're paying a good deal less for something that would have been full price yesterday.
2. You tend to be more adventurous and try fruit and veg you might otherwise have passed over or considered too expensive.
3. When foods are in season and there's a glut of them you often find BOXES of reduced.. things like strawberries, spinach etc.. this is the time to buy  them up and freeze, make soup, make jam, whatever!
4. If you time it right you can get MASSIVE reductions. It's worth noting when they get deliveries, the night before is usually the time to grab a bargain.

HOWEVER.
Check prices carefully. If something is reduced by a few pence, make sure it's not part of an on going special offer or you could be spending MORE on reduced than on produce still in date!

You have to be prepared to cook or preserve what you get though.
There's been times when I've come home with bags of stuff only to end up giving half of it to the chickens.
Now, when I have a stash, I nip to google.... the internet is your friend and  there are whole websites devoted to ONE vegetable or fruit, so there's no excuse ;)

     

World Vegan day.

Date for your diary dear greenies, World Vegan Day is on November the 1st 2010, so how about giving it a go?
I'll hold your hand I PROMISE and it'll be fun and its only ONE day, although who knows?

One of the things that stops many people making the step to go vegan is fear.
All vegan jokes talk about the pale, sickly, sandle wearing, hippy skited, pious and preaching vegan and no one wants to be labeled a "lentil muncher".

People are not stupid.
They know that thoughtless meat consumption is not healthy for anyone, not their body, their environment (local AND global) and their own mental well being.

People are not stupid.
They know that Animals die to make meat and milk, they know factory farms are the worst invention of the cruelest nature, that modern slaughter houses employ the dregs of humanity and that few of these workers care about sending an animal off with dignity.

People are not stupid.
They understand that animals pumped with drugs to keep them alive in filthy conditions compromises their OWN health and are possibly a factor in the modern resistance to anti-biotics.

People are not stupid.
They wouldn't keep their dog in a cage he couldn't turn round in in a dark room for his whole life. They wouldn;t think that a kind end for him would be a slapdash stunning and having his throat cut still half (or fully) conscious.

People are not stupid.
They know that huge concentrations of farm animals mean huge amounts of waste, waste that spills into the surrounding areas and pollutes rivers, killing fish and plant life.

People are not stupid.
They understand the madness behind using prime agricultural land to grow food to feed farm animals to them eat. They know it makes sense to cut out the "middle man". 

People are not stupid.
They can see beyond the scare studies against dairy alternatives (funded by milk boards), they know that too much dairy steals away more calcium from their bones than not eating anything calcium giving. Osteoporosis is a western affliction and almost unheard of in countries where dairy is not consumed.

I KNOW people are not stupid.... but sometimes they need a little kick up the arse ;)

So how about it?
If anyone here is willing to give it a go for ONE day I can help, maybe make up a meal planner for the day, give you a shopping list.
Give me some suggestions but don't go quiet on me!!!

Who will try this for me?
More importantly, who will try this for THEMSELVES?  

Don't take my word for it, be smart and look it up for yourselves.

Do yourself a favour and please watch.

Watch more videos at PETA.org

Do yourself a favour and please watch.

The Vegan Society

Peta UK

Compassion In World Farming

New chickens and meatless Monday.

Just a quick post to introduce you to our new ex-layer rescue hens, Wavey, Petal and Agnis ( I just finished reading "The Shipping news" so...)

We got them from the same private hen rescue home as the last lot but what a difference! These girls are fully feathered, friendly and laying already! In fact we just picked up the hens that came and sat on the box! Last time it took us ages to catch the skittish girls.

Pauline, who does a fantastic job of rescuing and re-homing these birds, had thought she wouldn't have any more birds as the usual farmer had started charging her £2 a hen and insisting she take 2000!!! Obviously as someone who does all this out of her own pocket, this is ridiculous, and an unhappy reminder that people who make money out of animals want only to squeeze every last drop they can from them.
If he sold them in the normal way (to be ground up for pet food) he would make a MAXIMUM of 25p a bird, and if the market was slow he may even have to pay to have them taken away as farm "waste".
He could have charged 50p a bird and still made twice as much profit.



Anyway, the girls are settling in. They will spend a couple of days in the small run talking to Lloyd, Emily, Victoria and Sally through the fence and then we will let then all in together.


For those who are muttering about my laxness, I have come up with a Meat-less Monday for you!

Butternut squash and potato bake.

You will need.

1 butter nut squash.
@ 6 potato's.
1 onion thinly sliced.
1/2 and 1/2 of soya milk and stock, enough to cover the dish.
chives.
salt and pepper.

Peel 1 squash and slice thinly.
Peel and thinly slice @ 6 medium potato's.
Thinly slice the onion.
In a large dish make up layers of squash, potato and onion finishing with a layer of potato.
Mix the stock, soya milk and chives in a jug and pour over the dish. You should have enough to just cover the whole thing.
Place in a moderate oven (@ 180oC) for @ an hour until the potato is soft.If you find the top browning too quickly (Like I did..oops!) pop some foil over the dish and leave n until the last 20 mins or so.
Serve with warm baby spinach and bread :)

Meatless Monday- Tofu Thai curry.

Ok, this is a firm favourite I am sharing with you here, so I hope you all appreciate this when you try it ;)

Tofu is a very misunderstood food and people often wrinkle their nose at the thought of eating it (I know I used to) but once you understand a few "rules" it will become a store cupboard/fridge staple!

Rule 1. Choose the right tofu for he job!
Tofu comes in many guises..really! The two main ones are silken and firm. Firm has an almost meaty texture and is best used for things like stir frys and to make "faux" fish fingers with (that's a recipe[ie for another day!). Silken tofu is like a block of very firm custard and no use for that sort of cooking. It is however great for dips and sauces.

Rule 2. Always cook well seasoned.

Tofu, on its own, tastes of nothing. It IS however fantastic at absorbing flavour. So if you want to throw some into a stir fry with some plain veggies you should marinade your tofu first, even just a little soya sauce and veg stock is enough. If you try to eat it as it is as a straight meat sub you will be disappointed.

Rule 3. Always read the packet!
I have been caught out before. In some Asian markets tofu is processed with lactose and other milk products so always read your label first!!

Rule 4. (ok its actually a tip really!)
For an extra firm tofu that will keep its shape and cook really well for you do this.
Place your chilled FIRM tofu in the freezer and leave for a day or two. After defrosting the tofu will be even former than usual! I always do this with mine and it makes a HUGE difference, especially when stir frying, when "fresh" firm tofu can start to stick and disintegrate.

Ok..on with the show!




For a family friendly Thai curry you will need...

1 lrg Onion.
2 small courgettes/ or a small aubergine.
1pk (@250g) firm tofu (frozen and defrosted as above)
1tsp dry bullion vegan stock.
1/2tsp hot curry powder.
2tsp ground coriander seeds.
2tsp ground cumin seeds.
1/2tsp chili powder.
1 can (@400ml) coconut milk (the thick kind, no slimming here please ;)
150g cashew nuts (unsalted)

Fry the onion in a spray of oil until starting to soften.
Add the courgette and fry for a few more minutes.
Add the tofu (chopped into cubes) and stir well.
Stir in the stock, curry and chili powder and spices, well so that all the tofu and veg are well covered.
Dry cook for a few minutes to let the spices in.
Add cashews and stir in well.
Gradually stir in all the coconut milk and bring to a LIGHT boil.
Immediately turn down heat, cover pan and allow to simmer for @ 20 mins. (This curry will sit for an hour or more on a LOW heat without any ill effects though.)

While that is cooking you can make the yogurt dip.
You will need...

1 tub (@500g) soya yogurt (plain and unsweetened)
1/3 of a cucumber.
1 small onion
1 lrg handful fresh mint. (really young leaves are best)

Chop the onion finely and add to the yogurt.
Roughly chop the mint and add.
Whizz ingredients together until mint if chopped and onion combined but WITHOUT making the yogurt too runny. (A couple of seconds is enough).
Chop the cucumber into small chunks and mix into the yogurt dip.





Serve the meal with rice and vegan nan bread (most nan bread contains dairy!)

Meatless Monday - snack time :P *yum*

Sometimes you need a meal, something that sticks to your ribs, some potato and beans and veg...buuuuut then sometimes you just want something sweet and snackish to go with a cup of tea or coffee!
So this week I'm giving you my recipe for Rhubarb muffins!! NOMNOMNOM!!

What you need:-

1 and 1/2 mugs of self raising flour. (You can also use S/R gluten free flour or replace 1/2 mug flour for some rice flour for a denser muffin)
1/2 mug of sugar.
1/4 mug of rapeseed oil.
1/2 mug of soya or oat milk.
1 egg (or for vegan use 3/4 mug of milk instead of 1/2, put milk in a bowl, add a table spoon of cider vinegar and set aside for a few minutes to curdle)
@ 1 mug of chopped rhubarb or your favourite fruit. Blueberries or raspberries are also very nice!.
(makes aprox 12 cupcakes (small) or 6 muffins)


To make:-
Simply mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Add spoon fulls to muffin cases or small cup cake cases.

Cook in a pre heated oven (190-200oC) for aprox 20 mins or until golden on top.
Allow to cool before eating.
Make tea or coffee...grab a book...sit in front of a fire and enjoy :)

EEK! Where did the week go???

Here we are..Monday ...and its been a week since I last posted and I have no meatless Monday for you!!
I should fire myself from this job :P

Anyway my crimes are due to the very enjoyable few days we have spent entertaining my sister and her husband to be.


I hope I can speak for them when I say that although the trip was too short (!!) I think we had a really good time.
Some of this is definitely down to the bikes and general none use of the car.

After flying in to Edinburgh they hired a car to get to us and arrived at lunch time. After lunch and a bit of dithering I thought what the hell and said we should all cycle up to the art gallery.
So 6 off us on various bike set off down the road.
This was also the first time I had really tried out the tag along as well, and as its a nice straight run I really got into a good rhythm and found it easy enough.
An added advantage of the tag along is the incessant prattle of Alfie behind me (although the conversation tends to be one sided, my contributions running along the lines of "Stop pedaling!" and "Stop wiggling!").
As well as a first for the tag a long it was also the first time I had taken 6 year old Owen out on his bike, he having been out with his Dad before that, so when I wasn't yelling at Alfie I was yelling at Owen( "Keep left!!" and "Stay by the verge!" and "Car coming stay straight!" and "SLOW DOWN!!" and often after breaks have been applied "SPEED UP!!")

**sigh** Stressful times!

Reminds me of going for a walk with toddlers...walking so slow you seem to put weight ON rather than burn calories.

Anyway....

It was lovely to get out with our visitors and slowly wind our way up the country lanes to a waiting bit of culture at the end, so much nicer than driving there!

The next day was another really lovely warm autumnal day and while Kim and my soon to be BIL took the kids for a walk, I unhitched the tag along (FREEDOM!!!) and took my sister down to town to pick up the Sunday papers.
Because the weather was so nice we went home the long and scenic way, a way I haven't been home before.
This longer way has a steeeeeeep hill straight out of town, but this temporary inconvenience is well worth it when you reach the top and realise you have @ 2 miles of beautiful countryside lanes, with views all across Bennachie and the Cairngorns AND that it is now 90% DOWNHILL or flat!! **YAYYYYY!!!*
A really lovely ride for the sake of riding, lots of chatting and just admiring the beautiful leaves and patchwork fields that make autumn so special.

Today we went for a walk, 5 1/2 miles in total, up onto Bennachie and a drop down to the Brindy and across fields back to the village.

Before our adventures in car-less-ness, we would have driven down the road a few miles and taken our walk from one of the visitor car parks dotted around the mountain.
Now though we have made the effort to find routes to these walks directly from out house.
Not only does this save us money in fuel (as well as reducing carbon footprints) but also means we get to walk many routes that are either little used or in some cases forgotten.
A hard slog but worth it when up the top of Towlies we had a 360o vista of Aberdeenshire and could see every major landmark for miles.
From Bennachie, across to the Caingorms, tap'o the North over Rynie way, Dunnydeer towards Insch and the village like a toy town in the valley below.
A view like that makes me wish that more people would get out of their cars and explore the treasures of their locality, the views right under their noses.

So often when we have had visitors we have felt the need to "entertain" them, to take them out and about and show off the area, but this time, by doing everything local, even down to having a meal out in the village pub rather than driving out for a take away, I personally think we had a much better time.

In the three days they stayed with us they took their car out once (BIL to be needed some anti-histamines on a Sunday, although we tried to buy some in the little town they had none, so he had to make a trip into the big town).

Viva La Car-less, Viva La Bike, long may this continue!!

Oh and meatless Monday??
I will get one in for you bloggers one day this week :D xx

Meatless Monday; Bolognaise sauce.

Who doesn't love Bolognaise?
Its comfort food for the soul right?
Also most kids love it, especially if you serve it with wiggly, slippery spaghetti ;)

This weeks Meatless Monday is totally vegan and totally tasty...and totally sneaky as well *heehee*

The great thing about a tomato sauce is the scope for hiding things in there...so you might throw in a little extra veg, but when its whizzed up who's to know right?

S0...for The sauce we need ;

1 lrg onion
@6 fat garlic cloves (less if you don't like garlic, more if you LOVE it!)
3-4 sml handfuls of grated veg (I used carrot, swede, courgette (yellow)and cabbage, but use what you have)
2 400g tins of chopped Italian tomatoes
2-3 fresh tomatoes
1 tbs vinegar (apple cider for pref)
2 tsp sugar
1 mug TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein)
1 mug of just boiled water

Chop the onions and crush the garlic, then fry in a pan in a very little oil until starting to get soft. Add the extra veg and again cook until softening. Next add the tomato's (tinned and fresh) then leave to cook until bubbling, then simmer for @ 10 mins.

Meanwhile, in a bowl tip the TVP then add the hot water and stir in. Leave for @ 5 mins until the water has been absorbed.

When your sauce has simmered remove from the heat and then blitz with a blender until smooth.
(no extra veg here heehee)


Return to the heat and add the vinegar and sugar. If so inclined a good glug of red wine also goes very nicely in the sauce! It adds a real punch to it and as the alcohol is evaporated when cooking is fine for kids as well (although some may not like the taste).
Let the sauce cook briskly until it begins to reduce a little and then add the TVP and leave on a low heat while you cook your pasta.


You can use any pasta (including spaghetti!). I used Doves Farm gluten free pasta this time.

Once cooked, drain the pasta, add to the sauce and mix well, sprinkle with basil and serve.

Nutritional yeast is lovely sprinkled over the top instead of dairy Parmesan or you can source an alternative. Free From do a parmezzano shaker which is suitable for vegans and taste just like the real thing :)

Oh and you can save some of that wine for dinner as well ;)

Meatless Monday :- Bean burgers and soya cheese.

Ok..The first post for Meatless Monday (or MM!).
The following may seem complicated but is really simple, just plan ahead the first time and you'll breeze through it :)

For the bean burgers you will need...

1 can of green lentils (@400g) in water.
1 can of red kidney beans (@400g) in water.
@2 tbs of plain flour (I used Doves farm gluten free plain flour)
1 1/2 tbs vegetable stock granules (I used Marigold Swiss bullion vegan stock)
1/3rd tbs marmite or vegemite
1 small handful of oatmeal.(or add extra flour if excluding gluten from your diet)

In a large bowl, whizz all the ingredients with a handheld blender, till smooth but not runny.
With floured hands shape the mix into burgers (makes @11/12 small burgers), and place on greased baking sheet.


Leave in the fridge to shill for @ 1 hr or more.

To cook, spray with a little olive oil and cook in a moderate oven (@ 180-200 o)until crisp. Alternatively you can shallow fry for a moister burger.

Served in this recipe with a baked sweet potato and vegan cream cheese. Also goes very well in a bun with all the trimmings!

For the cream cheese you will need:-

@1 lt of PLAIN soya yogurt.

Use an old clean tea towel and peg inside a large jug. Pour the yogurt into the towel and leave to drain for a couple of hours.


After a while it should look like this.





This "cream cheese" can then be used with salt and herbs for a savory spread or dip, or sweetened with agarve nectar and vanilla essence to substitute for cream or even a cheese cake filling (veeeery nice:)

You should have enough to put half back in the fridge for another day, or to use as a topping for dessert :)

Let me know how you get on!