Hannah's Veggie Lifestyle

                                   I recently joined a social justice group at my church, and it's been a real eye-opener as to how much injustice there is in the world. Over the lent period, we've been looking at International Justice Mission's   lent videos , in which every week they focus on a different food product that slavery is a problem in. After this week's video on chocolate, it inspired me to share some of the tips to have your own Ethical Easter... 1. Choose ethical chocolate brands If you haven't already bought your Easter eggs, then 2021 is the perfect year to spend some time seeking out the impact unfairly traded chocolate has on the growers and workers. IJM's video on chocolate was a real eye-opener for me, and it led me to get my family's Easter presents from Tony's Chocolonely this year.  If you've already bought this year's Easter presents, then don't worry! Make i...

Over the years, I've made meat, vegetarian, and vegan versions of sloppy joes and I have to say I've enjoyed them all. The vegan version uses green lentils instead of mince, and I love the fact that they still give a meaty texture, but without using real mince or a processed plant-based mince. Using tinned green lentils takes out all the fuss of having to soak and boil the lentils, so if you have the option, I'd use these! The arrival of delicious vegan mayonnaises and cheeses on the market means that it's easy to top the mince with some tasty toppings, but you can also use dairy versions if you prefer.  I like to make the coleslaw from scratch because it's not difficult to make, but I don't normally bother making the rolls from scratch. If you do want to, I'd recommend putting a tray of boiling water in the bottom of the oven to keep the crusts soft. If I fancy a different filling, I like to swap out the sloppy joe mix with pulled barbeque jackfruit too (pi...

My final product reviews article for Veganuary is here, and I tried out some really tasty new products that I hope you'll give a try! Enjoy x Pukka Pie Vegan Chicken and Mushroom Pie (£1 for one pie) I've been getting a bit bored of not having many veggie/ vegan options when having fish  and chips, so when I saw this for sale in Sainsbury's I knew I had to pick one up ready to go in the freezer. The pastry was just as good as a meaty Pukka Pie, and the sauce inside was really tasty. Considering how many great chicken style pieces you can get nowadays, I was a little disappointed in the ones in here. They were quite soft and chewy rather than meaty- quite similar to the mushroom pieces. This meant I couldn't really differentiate between the chicken and mushroom. However, it was still very tasty, and even better once doused in gravy. ASDA Plant Based Wraps (£2.50 each) We've started going food shopping in the evenings so it's quiet, and this means there's ofte...

Another week means lots more vegan products to try, and I found some really tasty new foods to add to my vegan journey this week. Enjoy! ASDA Roasted Veg and Houmous Pizza (£1.75) Don't grate directly onto the baking sheet if you don't want difficult washing up later Perhaps I should have read the description more carefully, but I was very surprised when I went to cook this and found it didn't have any cheese on it. Pizza without cheese is pizza not worth having at all in my mind, so I topped it with some Violife mature cheddar before baking. This worked well and I enjoyed eating this. The houmous didn't really add much, but nonetheless it made for a very tasty, easy to prepare dinner. ALDI Double Chocolate Cookies (£0.99 for 8) Already took a bite sorry xo When the only vegan biscuits on the market are often Oreos and bourbons, snacks can get a bit boring. So when I found these in ALDI, I knew I had to try them. They reminded me of Maryland cookies, as they're more...

With more and more supermarkets jumping on the bandwagon and releasing new products during Veganuary, I thought I'd review some of the new things I try whilst I take up the challenge. I'll be trying to cook more from scratch throughout the month too, so keep an eye out for some posts about my favourite recipes too! Gregg's Vegan Sausage Rolls (Iceland: Bake at Home, £2.50 for 4) I've had the Gregg's Vegan sausage roll countless times, but more often than not, it's cold by the time I buy it so it's often a bit disappointing. So, when I noticed these, I bought them purely so that I could finally try one hot! They take 30 minutes to bake from frozen, but it was worth the wait! They were just as good as I was expecting and work out a bit cheaper than going to Gregg's, so it's a win win.  ALDI Pain au Chocolat (£1.49 for 8) These were placed at the end of a random aisle and I almost didn't notice they were vegan, so it's a good job I was checking ...

For the second year running, I'm taking part in Veganuary , where you pledge to live vegan for the whole month of January. After last year, I resorted back to a fully veggie diet, but this year I'm going to try and stick to a vegan diet beyond January. I'm using this month to try out lots of new recipes, and revisit some of my favourites, so I thought I'd share some of the best with you guys! First up is a delicious, comforting curry that you won't miss having meat in. The textures of the chickpeas adds a feeling of meatiness and are a good source of protein too. I adapted this recipe from Eat Like a Girl's post , which alone is a very delicious curry. However, I added in a couple more spices to give it an extra depth of flavour. Also, I like to swap out the butternut squash for sweet potato sometimes, to change it up a bit. Make sure to chop up the spinach well, otherwise it can form quite large clumps once it's wilted. If you're not a big fan of spinac...

I finally got to visit The Ivy in Cardiff, and it was so worth the wait! My friend and I booked in to go as a treat before I went home for Christmas, and it's a good job we did when we could! The Thursday we went was the day before pubs and restaurants had to shut again in Wales, so luckily we got in just in time. The restaurant was decorated for Christmas, with Christmas trees made completely of baubles and beautiful wreaths. It's a beautiful restaurant at the best of times, so with the added magic of Christmas it looked even more spectacular! I love any excuse to dress up and feel fancy and this was the perfect place to do this. The atmosphere was lovely, and the staff were so polite and accommodating. We were sat next to eachother on a small table rather that opposite to ensure we were two metres away from everyone else, which did feel a bit strange, but we got used to it. It meant we both got a good view of the rest of the restaurant, so we could really appreciate the décor...

A couple of weeks ago, I got to try out the new Hubbox restaurant in Cardiff Bay with the other food editors for Quench, Indigo and Sasha. We had unlimited access to the menus, and were given goodie bags when we arrived so we were certainly treated well!  From the moment we walked in the door, the staff were very friendly and helped us get settled straight away. The vibe was very energetic, and the music quite loud, but it did make for a very fun evening. To get started, I went for an espresso martini. The drink was extremely smooth and velvety, and started the night off on a great foot!  Often, I avoid going to burger restaurants because the focus can be so much on the beef and chicken options that the veggie and vegan burgers can get overlooked. There's often only one meat-free option available which takes away the excitement of getting to choose something you're really craving. However, Hubbox really delivered with five vegetarian and vegan options! There were two vegetable...

Watching Keith Habersberger from The Try Guys eat the whole of the Shake Shack menu before visiting counts as research, right? After some Christmas shopping, I visited Shake Shack with my housemates and we all really enjoyed it. Read about our experience below...  'Shroom burger As it was the only meat free option on the menu, I went for the shroom burger. This was a whole portabello mushroom stuffed with cheese, and deep-fried in a breadcumb coating, with lettuce, tomato, and Shack sauce. It was delicious, but I was a little disappointed that there wasn't a vegan option. The cheese was stuffed inside the burger, so there was no way to order it without. However, I did really enjoy this burger and it made a nice change from the usual veggie burger patty. The portobello mushroom was really meaty, and the breadcrumb coating was delicious and add a lovely crisp texture to the burger. Writing about it is making me want to eat it all over again! Due to an order mixup I got to try the...

2020 has certainly been far from normal, but I haven't let it stop me from trying to make sustainable swaps where I can. There's still so many things I need to change (dental routine, cotton buds, etc.), but all in all, it's been a good year for making lifestyle changes. If nothing else, I've had plenty of time to think about it all! 1. Deodorant I've always used spray deodorant for as long as I can remember, and although I've been made aware of the benefits of swapping to a natural alternative, I've chosen to ignore it out of ease. Before going into lockdown in March, there never seemed to be a convenient time to find a new deodorant that works for me. Also, a lot of the natural deodorants I've seen have still come in plastic packaging, and if I'm going to swap, I want to make it completely worthwhile.  Then I discovered Wild , and it was a game-changer. The reusable applicator is made from aluminium and recycled plastic, and the refills are complet...

Chucking out food has become far too common in society now, which means valuable resources, energy and money are being wasted. If you want to find out more about the problems of food waste, then click here to read my previous blog post. There's some common foods that get wasted a lot, so I'm going to be sharing some of my favourite ways to make delicious treats out of leftover ingredients so they never get thrown out again. Here are 3 easy recipes to start us off... 1. Potatoes ~ Homemade chips Before we get started, let's just talk about one of the best things to ever exist: the humble, yet absolutely delicious, potato. You can literally eat them for any meal, in so many ways (hash browns, I'm looking at you) yet still, they're the  third most wasted food item  in the UK. Often, you buy a big bag with the intention of making golden roast potatoes or mounds of creamy mash, and then they get overlooked for a quicker carb to prepare. Considering how cheap, versatile a...

Food waste is a huge problem world-wide, with around 1/3 of all food produced going uneaten. Here in the UK, the average household throws away £700 of food every year. Although the introduction of food waste bins means less and less food waste is ending up in landfill, but the food that still isn't disposed of properly rots and releases methane, a harmful greenhouse gas. However, it isn't just the food that's wasted in the home that's an issue. Often, with environmental issues, large companies try and shift the blame onto individuals so they feel guilty and focus on individual change, without realising that the people causing the most problems are not us. Food waste is no different in this issue. When all we see is the only food waste we create, it’s easy to feel guilty and think that waste in the home is the only problem. With supermarket's being the most popular choice for food shopping in the UK, it's unsurprising that these shops are causing massive amount...

I was chatting to one of my housemates about fast fashion brands the other day, and she was asking me what brands counted as fast fashion. I gave a pretty general explanation, but because the question caught me off guard I realised afterwards if I'd have done more research myself, I'd probably be able to give a better explanation! Even if you think you know what fast fashion is (like I did), it's worth giving this a read so you can make sure you have a really good idea, so you do a better job of explaining it to others (and avoiding it yourself!). Definition: Fast fashion is the process where fashion companies are reproducing clothing created by established designers, to fulfil customers' demands of high fashion and the latest trends for low prices. These production of these clothes has been made to be so cost and time-efficient that the clothes can be made available to consumers with a very quick turnaround, which is why many brands constantly have new items available ...

When it comes to restaurant chains, I have very mixed feelings. On the one hand, when I'm craving food from a certain restaurant, if it's a chain there's a pretty good chance I can get what I want without too much fuss. But then again, I love the excitement of finding local spots when I'm out somewhere new; the places treasured by locals that are sure to leave you with fond memories on any trip.  Franco Manca is the best of both worlds in my eyes. There are more and more branches popping up around the country, but when I first visited the Cambridge restaurant I wouldn't have known. It had the feel of an independent restaurant, and the staff have always been so friendly and accommodating in both the Brighton and Cambridge branches I've visited that it's always been a great time, and even better pizza. Brighton (visited August 2020) Whilst spending a few days away in Brighton this summer, I couldn't turn down the opportunity to eat at another Franco Manca ...

Working as one of the food editors for Quench (Cardiff University's lifestyle magazine) has been a blast so far, and it got even better when we were given the opportunity to have a free meal out at Wahaca. Due to lockdown, it was the first time I got to properly meet the other two food editors, Sasha Nugara and Indigo Jones, which made the experience even better! We've written a review together about the meal out, so I thought I'd share it here too! Enjoy x Last week our section editors were offered the chance to review Wahaca Cardiff, a Mexican chain which can be found across the UK. The restaurant prides itself on sustainability, and its new menu explains how it’s the most sustainable yet. After having been to the restaurant our editors decided to write a collaborative review to discuss the highs and lows of the visit, whilst showcasing the wonderful food they were able to indulge on. Indigo Jones ( @indigoesforfood ) When I opened our mailbox and noticed an email from W...

No matter how extroverted or introverted you might be, starting university is a daunting experience. But it's also the perfect place to grow so much as a person, achieve more than you ever thought possible and create so many amazing memories. Regardless of whether you have just started uni or you're going into your final year, here's my advice for starting this year in the best possible way! 1. If there's something you know you want to do, get involved straight away. It's very easy to use the stress of moving to uni and settling in to never get involved with doing much else than surviving at uni, rather than thriving. It's okay to give yourself a week or so to adjust, but don't put off joining societies or other groups for so long that you get so busy with your degree you never bother or no longer feel you've got the time to. If you're a returning student who didn't get stuck in with much last year, use this year as a fresh start to make the most...

Sometimes I get sad that my brother, Adam, doesn't live at home anymore. But then I remember that if he lives somewhere different, it gives me a whole new range of independent restaurants and cafes to explore, and then it doesn't seem so bad after all. He's currently living in Cambridge which is only a 45 minute drive away, so we get to visit fairly often. And every time, he shows us a new place to eat he's discovered. Strawberries and cream (left), dark chocolate and sea salt (right), passion fruit and basil (front) The last two visits, we've stopped for an afternoon treat at Jack's Gelato , which is a small gelato and sorbetti business with two shops in Cambridge. The menu changes everyday, and the flavours on offer are no short of incredible. There are classic flavours with a twist such as malted vanilla and chocolate truffle cake, and more out there flavours too like pine nut, candied orange and olive oil, and toasted white chocolate.  Passion fruit and basi...

Everything's been feeling a bit upside down It's crazy to think about how different the world looked at the beginning of 2020. Now, phrases such as 'social distancing', 'the new normal' and 'key workers' are part of our vocabulary like they've always been there. Tiger King, 'Run 5 Tag 5 Donate 5', and staring in disbelief at the empty supermarket shelves, wondering how you're supposed to make banana bread now everyone else has had the same idea...  As scientists discovered more about the virus every day, and cases and deaths seem to be doing nothing but rise, these qualms allowed us to feel united from afar. Not being able to find toilet paper began to feel quite comforting. Nobody's going to forget these times, especially those who have lost loved ones or been seriously ill from the virus. My heart goes out to everyone that has, and if that's you, I am so sorry. Another way lots of people have been affected by covid-19 is through...