Taste Test | Egg Alternatives.

I won't be alone in my frustration at missing out on many foods due to the presence of egg, most desserts and sweet treats tend to have egg in even if they are advertised as "dairy free".
I have been craving cakey goodness for a while now and so I decided to research and test some of the recipe options we have as vegans by replacing egg with alternatives.

CREPES
First of all I thought I'd try something simple that I was fairly certain couldn't go wrong .... CREPES.
I found a recipe that replaces the egg with olive oil and works an absolute treat!
I can't stress how yummy these turned out, just like my Mum used to make. They were enjoyed by all including the two non-vegans that I was feeding and I even managed to flip a couple without completely destroying the pancakes.



RECIPE
3 cups flour
6 tablespoons brown sugar
3 cups soy milk (or other alternative)
2 tablespoon olive oil

This makes about 6 pancakes..

Just top with anything you like... I went for traditional lemon and sugar but would be tempted by Sweet Freedom chocolate spread next time!



So admittedly this isn't "cakey" but do not fear as the next one is well on it's way to being actual cake (you'll have to read to the end to see the real thing!).

BROWNIES

I read about this hack a long time ago but hadn't quite got round to trying for myself but it intrigued me and now you'll know whether it's worth trying for yourselves. Brownies can easily be made vegan with one simple ingredient, Coke!
Now stay with me here because I was just as unsure as you are at this point but I honestly recommend it as a quick and easy way of enjoying gooey in the middle, crunchy on the outside brownies.

RECIPE
Simply buy a box of brownie mix (making sure there is no milk powder or milk chocolate in it) mix it up with 3/4 a can of coke and cook to instructions!

VICTORIA SPONGE CAKE
Lastly but most terrifying is a cake made using "Orgran No egg, egg replacer" - a powder that is mixed with water to replicate egg. Victoria sponge has always been my go to baked good, it's simple, quick and generally delicious. Everyone loved Vicky sponge right!?
No I was very skeptical about using this product and it has actually been sat in my cupboard for months since I bought it because I was so unconvinced! However for the sake of this post I knew I had to give it a try!
My worries came to reality sadly as the cake didn't rise ... not even a little bit. The poor thing looked very sad when I took it from the oven. Having said that the flavour was still great - it reminded me of shortbread more than cake and I love shortbread so no complaints from me!
I was pleased with the overall outcome even if it more resembled a biscuit than cake, the taste was there and I'm definitely going to experiment further with this reaplacer to try and work out how it works best.
Recipe I used is posted below the photos

RECIPE

• 6oz caster sugar
• 6oz butter (I used vitalite)
• 6oz self-raising flour
• 3 "eggs"
• Dash of soya milk 

1. Mix butter and sugar until creamy
2. Add egg
3. Add flour
4. Add milk to correct consistency 
5. Place into cake tins
6. Bake in oven 180^oC for 25 mins

Butter cream and jam to fill!

Monthly Favourites | February.

A little late with this post which I apologise for.... work has been a little crazy lately. However I have managed to get sat down at my keyboard and am ready to this months bunch of favourites (this month really meaning last month!)

Firstly (as per usual) is a food item. I have always loved onion ring crisps, yes they stink and you'll be burping onion flavour for weeks afterwards but they are just SO good and I was very sad to loose them when becoming vegan.
Normally the ingredients (like a lot of crisps) contain milk powder ..... UNTIL NOW! Thanks to Sainsburys new and improved formula there's no longer any animal products involved and they're completely vegan, HALLELOO!

The second food item I've been obsessed with this month are Sainsbury's Meatless Meatballs ..... or as I like to call them Balls.
Some people are very skeptical of fake meats (rightly so in some cases) but these are soft, moist, filling and taste suspiciously like stuffing, which in my opinion is no bad thing!
If you are looking for an easy and healthy vegan alternative I can't recommend these enough, they were also omnivore improved.

I wanted to share this next item with you because I could not believe just how incredible it was!
Now a thermos might not seem like the most exciting product, but anyone that enjoys a hot beverage on the go knows the struggle of keeping it at a temperature that doesn't make you cringe when you finally get around to drinking it.
Look no further than the Bestek flask, it isn't too pricey and kept my coffee warm for at least 4 hours and it was still tepid 6 hours after I made it!
I found mine on Amazon  for £7.99!

My final and possibly number one favourite for this month is actually a new online coaching programme I have signed up to. I technically joined in January but wanted to try it for a few weeks before rating and sharing it.
The idea is to sign up to the website to get access to hundreds of at home workout programmes which are of different lengths and intensities (they also come with meal plans if you want to fully commit). This doesn't sound like anything new but what makes this one special is the accountability groups you can join to help you stay motivated. You find a coach (I came across mine on Instagram) and they will set you up in a group using the app which allows you to update the workouts you do and communicate with other people on the journey.... the daily notifications to remind you to workout are also pretty encouraging!
I've always struggled to keep up with my fitness, I'm lazy, busy and hate gyms, but this option takes all of that out of the equation - the workouts are 30 minutes on average and can be done anywhere!!
If you are interested please go and speak to Jen because she is wonderful and can talk you through everything you need to do.
Granted I am not a fan of the name Beachbody on Demand - if you have a body then it's a beach body regardless of shape or size - but the actual product is fantastic!