After having the incredible vegan mac & cheese at Mono Cafe in Glasgow, I set out to make something just as good at home – a colossal challenge considering how good Mono’s recipe is. I’ve tested quite a few on-line recipes which were, shall we say, less than great. There was one that called for…
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I am grateful to have played a small part in this podcast about Scottish Independence. It’s coming. https://www.theguardian.com/news/audio/2019/nov/14/election-2019-is-scotland-moving-towards-independence-podcast
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As with most plant-based substitutes, I want to make clear that this recipe does not taste exactly like butter. Because nothing tastes exactly like butter. If the margarine companies could have replicated the taste, texture, and mouth-feel of butter, they’d have done it by now. Even so, this is a pretty darn good recipe for…
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In an effort to reduce spending, I cut way back on my skincare budget. I tried exchanging my favourite products for like-for-like cheaper alternatives and I’m sad to say that the difference in the appearance of my skin was noticeable. Over time it became more lined, dull, and textured, especially now that the weather is…
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Switching to a plant-based diet can be a challenge. Learning an entirely new way of eating comes with all sorts of unknowns. How will I survive without cheese? What will I add to my tea? Can I adapt meals I regularly prepare to fit in with a plant-based diet? Transitioning is made a lot less…
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I’ll begin with a disclaimer: This does not taste exactly like a popular name-brand ranch salad dressing. I’ve come across so many disappointing recipes for plant-based alternatives that promise to be ‘just like’ their meat or dairy-based counterparts, but are nothing of the sort. That said, this is a really delicious, creamy, tangy, herby salad…
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It’s difficult to believe my mom’s been gone for over five years. In some ways, it feels like it’s only been days, and in others, a lifetime ago. I think about her every day. Her dear friend Drucie Brown remembers her fondly this obituary, and it’s an absolute joy. With space limited in the local…
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With a bit of hard work and perseverance, I’ve managed to lose a little weight. I don’t do scales, so I’ve used my clothes as a guide, and I’m happy to report I’ve lost two dress sizes. I’m thrilled to bits, but the downside is I can no longer wear the wardrobe I’ve spent the…
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No one speaks about the benefits any more, which makes sense. There weren’t any. Brexit is the project of the morally-corrupt 1% who managed to trick a small part of the population into thinking they were all on the same page, yet those on the bottom tier either don’t know or don’t care that every…
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I missed the fireworks in Parliament last night as I was too exhausted to watch. I’m mourning the loss of a family pet, and thought it best not to add to my grief. This morning’s press is no surprise – the ramping up and inflaming of rage, prejudice, and discord. But death tends snap everything…
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This post will go up a few of weeks after the event, so it might not be news to my friends on Twitter, but today was a good day. My husband and I paid off the mortgage on our house eight years early. I am relieved and happy to know that if the worst happens…
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This is another hybrid hen, and she looks a lot like our cuckoo marens, so I’m guessing the marans is the ‘mar’ in marsbar. I’m only able to tell her from the marens in our flock by the spiky hairdo. The ‘bar’ bit of her name is probably from a hen called a cream legbar…
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Off grid. It’s a scary concept for some, but for people like me, it’s an aspiration. Imagine living a self-sufficient life and no longer being beholden to ‘the man’. It sounds quite hippy-trippy-60s anti-establishment, but there is great appeal in disentangling oneself from the clutches of societal expectations. To truly live off grid means digging…
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Is this not the sweetest little thing? She gives me cute rage. She’s a silkie, bred to be broody, but so far we’ve been lucky. She’s been a good layer right through the summer. Our silkie is a partridge, but they come in all sort of colours. They lay smallish brown eggs and are endlessly…
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I’ll be totally honest. Vegans have, for the most part, always made me feel uncomfortable. I didn’t question their choices, but I did find that their decision to live a life free of animal products made me examine my own way of life and feel a bit bad about it. I knew deep down that…
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