If I were to combine the words 'fry-up' and 'healthy' you'd probably think I was mad, but bear with me two minutes and I can open your eyes to this wonderful concept which is in fact a reality...
At the beginning of my vegan conversion a big question for me about alternatives was the classic 'fry-up'. For as long as I can remember my Sunday's have consisted of wearing pyjamas all day and eating the traditional English brunch; sausages, bacon, scrambled eggs, toast, mushrooms... Never did I expect to find a scrumptious, healthy and vegan alternative. And what was most surprising for me was how simple the formula is. So please read carefully as I'm about to give you the key to eternal happiness, well as close as you can get through the means of brunch.
* Linda McCartney veggie sausages (the red onion ones are particularly nice although they do contain egg whites sadly)
* Baked Beans (my mum sometimes makes them herself- they redefine perfection!)
* Scrambled tofu (there are no words.. I just can't... it's just so good...)
* Vegan mayonnaise (if you are an addict like me, no meal is complete without mayo)
* Toast (pretty self explanatory.)
* Tomatoes (I hate raw tomatoes, however when cooked well they are an absolute dream)
* Potatoes (my surname is Irish therefore I feel an obligation to eat potatoes at every opportunity)
I hasten to add that I am not a cook, I have zero skills in the culinary department and even I'm capable of making most of this meal (it's a pretty perfect hangover cure too!). You may be wondering whether I'm the most appropriate person to listen to when it comes to food but I make up for my lack of cooking skills in enthusiasm for eating. I am a huge fan of all things edible, and it just so happens that my Mum is a sublime cook. So she makes it and I eat it; it's an ideal arrangement.
Back to the point; find below a couple of pictures as an example of some of the components to the meal. It isn't the entire meal as I was in a rush but they show the integral foundations to the meal. If you think it all sounds fairly ordinary and bland just try it, I'm not sure what it is but the combination of all the foods is always absolutely divine. I'm pretty confident that you'll never look back to the greasy and health-problem provoking meat version, I certainly haven't.
love, bean xx
I think out of the few videos that I've put onto my YouTube channel so far I have mentioned in pretty much all of them a heavenly brand which is a slight obsession of mine; ''Booja-Booja''. There we go, blogpost done; enough said.
Well, I may say slightly more. It's a brand which I came across a few months back when my Mum & sister got given a box which was an assortment of various booja-booja chocolates. Of course, due to my nosey disposition I had to try them too. I can think of few pleasures in life which I deem equivalent to those feelings that I had tasting those chocolates for the first time.
I found that my favourite of all the chocolates were probably the champagne truffles, made with french champagne. Each time I eat one of those little wonders it reminds me of the fact that some of the best things in life really do come in small packages. However I do generally care very little for small things, especially when it comes to chocolate, but the compact chocolate sized treat that Mr Booja created is suffice. Well, this is dependant on the type of day you've had, some days call for a slightly higher dosage of chocolate.
Of course, the next best thing to Booja chocolate is Booja ice-cream. Now this stuff really is dangerous, my self-control tends to be fairly in tact when it comes to the truffles but for the ice-cream? Forget it. I can easily guzzle my way through a freezers worth. The simplistic recipe leaves me dazzled every-time, if something so simple with barely a handful of ingredients is so scrumptious then why are all our supermarkets filled with chemically, poisonous shit? Excuse my french.
Writing this post I realise I'm also giving away the secrets to winning my heart. It's a simple formula really: Bean + Booja product = Happy Bean. I feel I have done my good deed for the day, sharing the meaning of life for all people to freely read as they please. Happy eating!
love, bean xx
My most recent purchase has to be one of my favourite vegan finds in a long while, and that's saying something considering the luck I've had in finding some incredible brands and products. It was my first visit not so long ago to the beauty range 'Urban Decay', I was intrigued by their ethos and aims when I was having a good old browse on the Internet and following a quick visit on their American website I knew my only choice was to try and find a store and see the makeup in person. Luckily both 'House of Fraser' and 'Debenhams' stock them so it was pretty easy in the UK (and from what I can tell in most countries) to find a store near me.
Perhaps I got lucky but the shop assistant who served me was just so lovely! She does a lot of work in the middle east for Urban Decay and had a good history with the company so was able to readily give me some more detailed information about the brand. In each store they have a handbook type thing which for a vegan is absolutely golden, it is filled with all sorts of factual wonders such as a list of all their products with ticks stating which of their products are vegan, gluten free, etc.
They do absolutely no animal testing and the majority of their products are vegan. For example not all of their mascaras are vegan but they do have one which is, however all of their foundations are vegan. Not only is Urban Decay perfect for accessibility purposes due to there being stores located everywhere but their makeup is genuinely incredible! I think their range of colours and products is impeccable, it means that it is totally down to your own individual style and preferences, there are no limited choices just because you don't want to harm any animals in the process of putting on your makeup! Their 'Naked Eyeshadow Palette' is the biggest selling eyeshadow palette worldwide which is partly due to how pigmented their eye shadows are and the fact that they last all day long.
''Beauty with an Edge''
Another thing I love about this brand is that it has always been their aim to be free from cruelty and they are constantly developing their products to be vegan while maintaining their quality. Of course few things in life are perfect so it isn't altogether surprising that even this wonder brand has faults for example, their parent company isn't cruelty free. However, there are so many positives about this company that I don't really want to get too picky and let some of these details detract from what I love about this brand. Another slight downfall is their prices too, however I think they are definitely worth investing in due to the reviews I've read on how long the products last as well as their amazing results. After all, I believe it's all about quality not quantity.
I am going to do a review on the Vegan eyeshadows that I brought in the very near future and I shall also incorporate them into a makeup look on my YouTube Channel. I think Urban Decay is well worth a look into, it is getting so easy to make the transitions over to vegan makeup but I just don't think this company promotes what they have to offer for the vegan community well enough for people to be aware. However, have a look online for a store near you and just check them out; even if nothing takes your fancy (which I highly doubt!) you may end up, like me, having a riveting conversation for ages with the lovely shop assistants they have!
Love, bean xx
