Book Review! The Vegan Way by Jackie Day

       When I picked up the Vegan Way I didn't know what to expect. From the cover I thought it would just be a really cool vegan guide for newbies to help you go on your vegan journey. After reading the first few chapters I knew that it was more than that. Some vegan books are good but they aren't personal, they don't all speak to your heart. Jackie opens up in the beginning in such a way that you feel like you are speaking to your friend. She even has some recipes tucked in there that you can make. The voice of the author is gentle and non judgmental. She doesn't yell at you she speaks to you and has a wonderful conversation. She also explains the reasons why wearing wool or leather is cruel. She has not only compassion but conviction. She does not compromise but she isn't pushy or obnoxious.  Don't get me wrong I don't personally have a problem with the vegan police but I do feel at times that not all personalities are going to be persuaded to go vegan with aggressive wording. The Vegan Way is something that new vegans, long time vegans and people who are interested in veganism can get quite a lot out of. I love the aesthetics of the book. It is has bright pictures and it keeps me interested with all the fun chapters.

       It is not a book that will be shoved at the back of your shelf collecting dust. It is a handy manual, a journal, a guide that one can pick up again and again. I have already read several chapters a few times. One of my favorite parts of the book is how Jackie talks about her transition from younger meat eater to vegetarian to later on a vegan. She is not afraid to be personable and it feels really nice. She has been vegan for over 28 years. She is educated and informed but does not dumb down her audience. Another favorite part in the book was Planting Seeds of Compassion where she talks about steps you can actually take to make a difference in the world from emailing coffee shops and asking for vegan snacks to writing your elected officials. New vegans and some old don't always have a guide to help them out and remember things or do things that can be proactive so this helped me and other young and old budding vegan activists. I also really liked her tips and tricks to stay vegan, her guide on cruelty free products and little helpful checklists and thoughts for the day. If you want to live a healthy compassionate, cruelty free life this book is definitely for you! Thank you for everything you do for the animals and environment Jackie <3

Author's facebook page My Vegan Journal

Book Review! The Vegan Way by Jackie Day

       When I picked up the Vegan Way I didn't know what to expect. From the cover I thought it would just be a really cool vegan guide for newbies to help you go on your vegan journey. After reading the first few chapters I knew that it was more than that. Some vegan books are good but they aren't personal, they don't all speak to your heart. Jackie opens up in the beginning in such a way that you feel like you are speaking to your friend. She even has some recipes tucked in there that you can make. The voice of the author is gentle and non judgmental. She doesn't yell at you she speaks to you and has a wonderful conversation. She also explains the reasons why wearing wool or leather is cruel. She has not only compassion but conviction. She does not compromise but she isn't pushy or obnoxious.  Don't get me wrong I don't personally have a problem with the vegan police but I do feel at times that not all personalities are going to be persuaded to go vegan with aggressive wording. The Vegan Way is something that new vegans, long time vegans and people who are interested in veganism can get quite a lot out of. I love the aesthetics of the book. It is has bright pictures and it keeps me interested with all the fun chapters.

       It is not a book that will be shoved at the back of your shelf collecting dust. It is a handy manual, a journal, a guide that one can pick up again and again. I have already read several chapters a few times. One of my favorite parts of the book is how Jackie talks about her transition from younger meat eater to vegetarian to later on a vegan. She is not afraid to be personable and it feels really nice. She has been vegan for over 28 years. She is educated and informed but does not dumb down her audience. Another favorite part in the book was Planting Seeds of Compassion where she talks about steps you can actually take to make a difference in the world from emailing coffee shops and asking for vegan snacks to writing your elected officials. New vegans and some old don't always have a guide to help them out and remember things or do things that can be proactive so this helped me and other young and old budding vegan activists. I also really liked her tips and trips to stay vegan, her guide on cruelty free products and little helpful checklists and thoughts for the day. If you want to live a healthy compassionate, cruelty free life this book is definitely for you!

Cool dessert for summer

Since everyone is on a coconut kick this summer I decided to swap out my almond milk for coconut for a while to get some different flavors. I paired some yummy Whole Foods vegan donuts crumb and chocolate with a splash of coconut milk to drink and dip them in. So yumm! Happy Summer everyone <3

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! 

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!

How to find vegan friendly fashion shops in London

If you want to find leather and fur alternatives look no further than Camden Town in London. Usually alternative and gothic style stores will have pleather, non leather and other alternatives plus faux fur and wool alternatives. Here are a few shops I found that I loved. Even Doc Martens has vegan docs! So rad. Rock your badass style cruelty free.