Simply Having...
…A wonderful Christmas time!
Need a helping hand deciding what to buy? They* don’t call me the Shopping Sister for nothing. Read on to see my recommendations for feasting this festive season. NB: I am sent things to try, but I only review the things I love.
*They is my husband. When I’m with my sisters. We try to rein it in these days but I still have a penchant for spending my pension.
Let’s start with one of those ‘I got this for you because I want it’ gift ideas. Fudge Kitchen have produced two goodies worthy of a posh stocking this Christmas - and not just because the packaging is super fancy.
Sunflower & Pumpkin Seed Brittle is right up my street, because my street often has pumpkin and sunflower seeds sprinkled on it. (My dinner does anyway). These seeds are little powerhouses, which means the fact they are here encased in a caramelly sugar-hug can be declared justifiable. Plus they taste bloody amazing. Seedy, but in a good way, not like an old uncle. Plus, caramel is the flavour of gods.
125g £6.50 fudgekitchen.co.uk
The Fudge Kitchen’s double whammy continues with Drinking Fudge. I mean, WHAT! I don’t know what I was expecting before I opened the box. Some kind of hot-chocolate-esque powder? A lump of fudge that would melt into hot water? But lo, behold, herein lies six smaller boxes containing fudgey syrups to melt into mylk. Chocolate Orange, Classic Chocolate, Ginger Spice (hi Geri), Chocolate Caramel, Chocolate Mint and Salted Caramel. Instructions invite you to warm your mylk in a microwave but I am a microwave snob so I tried the old classic, mylk on the hob, which worked a charm. A sweet, decadent hot drink which bats hot chocolate out of the park.
FYI, Fudge Kitchen have a growing list of products officially registered with the Vegan Society and two new vegan friendly hampers. Nice!
Nibble Gingerbread Protein Bites
Like little Sylvanian Family cakes, each morsel is circular and comes sprinkled with chopped almonds perfect for an entire family of Sylvanians or one hungry human. They have the perfect kick of ginger, almost like I baked them myself to my exact specifications.
It’s good to enjoy some things over the festivities that don’t just fill you up and make you feel like human lard. There’s hints of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves too, for extra special festive feels. A good source of iron, potassium, magnesium and vitamins K and A, they’re made from antioxidant rich plum puree, so they’re ever so low in sugar. Just 1g per piece.
Fill your boots! And your stockings. £1.49 nibbleprotein.co.uk
Now that my Christmas dinner does not revolve around a dead bird, I like to experiment with nontraditional dinner ideas. How about Thai or Mediterranean inspired? Vegan Cookbook’s Thai curry wtih lemongrass rice is delicious and I loved their spinach tofu stir-fry with seaweed.
Then there’s the puds! Some of my family are still lagging behind in the plant based stakes so I try to dazzle them with sweet treats. Chocolate avocado cream tart is PERFECT and baked squash with coconut custard? What a snazzy little thing to do with a squash!
Beyond Christmas, it’s just never a bad thing to add another vegan cookbook to the shelves, especially one packed with photos of unusual yet attainable ideas.
Vegan Cookbook, by Tony and Yvonne Bishop-Weston, published by Lorenz Books. isbn 978-075483444
Baked Squash and Coconut Cream - HELLO!
Colourful birchers for new year breakfasts.
The 140 recipes range from Granola Breakfast Bars and Vegetable Seaweed Dahl to Roasted Squash and Mushroom Ramen and Apple Chia Puddings. Perfect for starting the new year off with a vegan bang, whether you’re doing Veganuary or you’re a full blown level five vegan.
I can see your halo, halo…
I read an interview with a divorcee who said the best thing about divorce was she can now make chocolate last a month. The rate at which my husband consumes MY chocolate is a divorceable offence. I want to savour it! Nibble it! Have one square a day until the end of time! No chance. So here’s what I do and I don’t care if he reads this. I hide the best stuff. He doesn’t even know I was sent Raw Halo Dark & Salted Caramel because it was too good for his grubby hands. It might be my favourite chocolate ever and I don’t say that lightly. I did, generously, share with him the Dark & Raspberry and I was sorry to see it go so quickly.
Raw Halo vegan chocs are made from ethically sourced, plant-based ingredients. They’re packaged plastic-free and are available in various sizes, depending how greedy your companions are. Oh and here’s something clever: Raw Halo’s cacao beans aren’t roasted; instead, through careful temperature control, the raw cacao is minimally processed to retain the nutrients and flavour of the original cacao beans. Science, yo!
From £1.20 for a 22g bar. Available all over the place - find out more at rawhalo.com
Joe & Seph’s Popcorn
We’re spending Christmas at home this year, after several cheeky years abroad, soaking up Santa sunshine. I envision lots of movie nights. Joe & Seph’s new range of vegan-friendly popcorn in Salted Caramel, Toffee Apple and Cinnamon and Coconut Cacao will be there with us. It’s brilliant to see a brand developing some lovely vegan-friendly offerings. Toffee Apple & Cinnamon was my fave. Joe & Seph’s popcorn is air-popped (not fried) then hand-coated in all-natural ingredients.
£2.99 per 80g pouch joeandsephs.co.uk
Last but so far from least this is probably actually my favourite Christmas-themed idea EVER, it’s not too late to buy a feel-good Advent Calendar! This glorious idea returns for the second year, donating 50p a day to one of 24 incredible charities. Each charity has been researched and selected for their extraordinary contribution to communities across the UK and the world. Open a window and you might have provided Christmas dinner to a rescued cat or dog waiting to be rehomed, or given a week’s worth of feed to a rescued lion in Ethiopia. And seeing as I’ve just suggested we eat our weight in popcorn, fudge and chocolate, we really don’t need a chocolate advent calendar too! Save the lions instead!
From £16.95 from adventofchange.com John Lewis and Waitrose stores nationwide.
Merry Christmas!
