Vegan hair dye: Manic Panic and makeup by Kat Von D

I looove Manic Panic. Their products are all vegan! Here is my new hair color: I used their beautiful voodoo blue. I am heading to Hawaii so I wanted a cool color to match the water haha. I am wearing Kat Von D's shade and light contour palette and her lipstick in Vampira. All of her makeup is also vegan. So great to have cruelty free options.

Vegan sliders and peanut butter chocolate chip cookies!

The other day I made delicious vegan sliders from Gardein. Yum Yum and I sliced some tomatoes and avocados on the side (not pictured) Later I made vegan chocolate chip peanut butter cookies from a great recipe I found online. Here is the recipe if you are interested :D Vegan Cookies

Simple vegan dinner: Pasta with zucchini and chickpeas

A lot of people complain about pasta meals that don't have any protein. This is an incredibly easy fix for vegans. All you need is a can of chickpeas, black beans or some other sort of bean, toss in some kale or some other green leafy, calcium filled snack and you are good. Tonight all I had on hand was a zucchini and a can of chickpeas. This made a delicious dinner and I will reheat left overs tomorrow for lunch. Below is my simple recipe that anyone can make:

Ingredients: 1 can of organic chickpeas (drained)

2. 1-2 organic zucchinis (chopped)

3. 1 jar of marinara sauce 

4. 1/2 onion (chopped) 

Directions: heat marinara sauce on the side in small pan (low heat) 

Saute' zucchini, onion on low/medium heat with dash of olive oil or vegetable spray until tender

Boil pasta noodles in separate pan. 

After all is done combine and throw in the chickpeas. Mix and there you have it! 

You can make some home made vegan garlic bread with earth balance spread and garlic powder on the side and add a simple salad with a handful of spinach leaves topped with your favorite vegan dressing or just some olive oil and balsamic vinegar. 

ENJOY! 

Tofu with Teriyaki sesame glaze

Tofu with Teriyaki Sesame glaze, baby broccoli, wild rice and side of zucchini and onions


Ingredients:

1. 1 large zucchini (chopped)
2. 1 whole sweet onion (chopped)
3. 1 bunch of baby broccoli (chopped)
4. Sesame seeds (as much as you like)
5. 1 cup of wild rice (4 cups of water)
6. 1 block extra firm tofu (drained and pat dry with paper towel)
7. Teriyaki Sauce ( a few tablespoons)

For Sauce. If you want a quick sauce just use Teriyaki Sauce and marinate tofu before hand or if you want to do a homemade sauce like we did we found a great recipe online: Teriyaki Sauce

In Pan: fry up zucchini with some olive oil or vegetable spray, sweet onion and chopped broccoli. Cook on low to medium heat until soft. (to steam and not brown you can add a bit of water and cover with lid on low heat)

Boil separate: 4 cups of water for wild rice (follow directions on package otherwise I do 4 cups to 1 cup of rice because wild rice uses more water than white) Simmer for 45 minutes. (Regular rice you do for 25 minutes but wild rice takes longer)

Fry tofu on medium/hight heat to brown.

After Teriyaki sauce is made. Place tofu and veggies on plate and  drizzle desired amount onto tofu.

Lisbeth Salander inspiration. Vegan style/ fashion and why Lisbeth Salander is such an important character

I discovered this badass Lisbeth Salander style shop on etsy a while back. The owner is vegan and she uses vegan products faux leather etc for her accessories and clothing. All items are made well and on point with Lisbeth's look. Please check this out if you get a chance! On a personal note one of the reasons The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is such an important story for me is because Lisbeth is such a strong female heroine. I am a survivor of rape and abuse. I really look up to Lisbeth and I wish there were more characters for women and young girls to look up to in books, the media/film etc. To me and many others she is a feminist hero. With all the shallow people in the media today I feel that Lisbeth is a breath of fresh air and a heroine that embodies an authenticity that is hard to find. She is raw, fierce, brave, honest and beautiful. If you are a fan of Girl with the Dragon Tattoo books or film series and even if you are not I think you should give the shop a look. I purchased the Lisbeth torn sleeveless top , the faux leather back pack and a lot of other items I will be blogging about in the future. My favorite items were probably the back pack and razor blade necklace. If you want to rock some goth/punk compassionate fashion this is the place.

Link to shop below: Disaster in a Halo

Link to tumblr: Tumblr

Link to Instagram: Instagram

Salander style backpack

Keep calm and be Lisbeth Salander ;) 

Torn Front Sleeveless Thermal

Mohawk Skull shirt

FYYFF Mature deluxe shirt

Noomi Spiked Scarf

Lisbeth Replica Miriam Wu Kiss tank

Vegan leather jacket (my own/not found on shop) 

Lisbeth Scarf

Lisbeth Soft Long Gray Cardigan (This is sooo soft dude. Go get one!) 

Review of Pinkberry: Mango and Coconut Milk frozen yogurts

Whoa!! these were both sooo incredibly delicious. I loved the coconut flavor a lot. It was incredibly creamy not tart at all and definitely had real coconut inside. It was honestly one of the best non dairy yogurts I have tasted. A lot of other vegan coconut flavors have a bit of a crunch to them and have too much coconut but this coconut melted in my mouth. It wasn't overly chewy. It just melted and was blended extremely well. It was sooo good. The next flavor I tried was the mango flavor. This was tart but not too tart. If you are not a coconut fan and want something a tad tangier and tropical  with a sweeter taste I would recommend Mango but if you are in more of a creamy, chill mood try the coconut. I hope you get to try them both. I can't wait to try out their other non dairy yogurts in the future and give a review. Both taste very good if you top them with your favorite vegan cereal or some berries. I prefer the mango with the blueberries because it balances it out. Strawberries for me are a bit too tangy paired with mango but it depends on my mood. Hope you get out there, enjoy the warm weather and pick up some delicious vegan yogurts to cool you down!

Simple vegan Spring dinner: Toasted baguette with marinara, vegan cheese, Side of steamed asparagus and raw veggies

It is Spring so I like to make light, healthy meals that aren't too heavy. I love all the beautiful flowers that have bloomed so of course when I see a pretty bunch of them I must snap a pic. The recipe I made below is simple and super easy to follow. I am not into overly complicated recipes unless it is a particularly special occasion and I get some help in the kitchen.

I got most of my items at my local Trader Joes. They have quite a few vegan things. The baguette I got was vegan. It is usually listed on the bag but if it isn't and you aren't sure you can always check the ingredients or ask a staff member. I toasted the bread and warmed up about 2 tablespoons of marinara on top than I topped that with one slice of vegan Chao cheese that I got at Whole Foods. I sliced 1/2 a red bell pepper and spread a generous dollop of hummus on top for protein. I steamed some asparagus (make sure you steam in pan with water and put a lid on top) I like mine a bit al dente and less mushy but if you like it softer you can steam for over 10 minutes. I always dry my asparagus on a paper towl and let it cool. Sometimes I place a dollop of vegan mayo or olive oil and vinegar on the side to dip my steamed veggies in. I chopped up an organic tomato  for more vitamin C and color. I don't like all my food touching too much. I am like a little kid so if you are like me try putting all food on a larger plate and it makes for cooler pictures too if you take pics. 

Food review: Veggie Grill Spring Pea Guacamole

I must be honest when I first saw there were jalapenos in guacamole I was hesitant just because I don't like food too spicy but when I dug in and had the first bite it tasted amazing! It had just enough spice not to bother my taste buds. The chips were crisp and fresh. I loved the guacamole chunks and the fact that they were not too blended. The peas were my favorite part. It reminded me of a more fresh version of the mushy peas I got in England and I loved the toasted sunflower seeds on top. I definitely recommend this to people who want something a bit different than regular guacamole.

Vegan treats at Borough Market

In London you can always go to Borough Market to get fresh and healthy veggies to bring home and cook or just eat some fruit raw. There is bread, nuts, olives and other veggie snacks. People there will be more than happy to answer any questions you have about their produce. After you get some goodies to take home with you go for a long walk and head over to London Bridge or check out all the theaters.