Avocado and red pepper sushi.

Today I made some avocado and red pepper sushi for lunch, and it was sooo delicious! I have really missed veggie sushi (I have never had the fish variety) as both M&S and Pret have egg in theirs and I don't know where else you can buy vegan sushi in Norwich. I decided on avocado for it's creamy texture and it's flavour works really well here but you could use alfalfa sprouts, cucumber or green beans. I also used normal white rice, I find it works just as well as special sushi rice for half the price. You could use brown rice but it might not stick so well, or even quinoa for an even healthier lunch!

Avocado and red pepper sushi.
This amount makes around 15 sushi depending on how large you cut them.
Ingredients:

Half an avocado cut into slices
Half a red pepper cut into slices
1 cup of White rice
2 cups of water
1 tsp sugar
1 tbs of rice wine vinegar
Pinch of salt
Nori sheets

Pop your rice on to cook. They are all different, just follow the instructions on the packet. Usually though it is 1 cup of rice to 2 cups water. Cook until the water is nearly all gone, then give it a good mix, the remaining water in the pan will help make the starches come out of the rice and make it a little sticky. Add the salt, vinegar and sugar and mix, leave to cool while you prep the rest of the sushi.
Slice up your avocado and pepper.

Then spread some of the slightly cooled rice on a nori sheet.

Leave a slight gap along on edge, then lay some avocado and pepper in a line down the middle of the rice.

The gap you left along the edge can now be moistened with some cold water to help the edges stick together once rolled. Your fingers are the best tool for this!

Then from the top edge gently roll it towards you, going as tightly as you can.

You will then be left with a long sushi roll.

Then just slice it up into bite size pieces and enjoy with tamari, pickled ginger and wasabi!

Vegetarian Living Magazine

The October edition of Vegetarian Living magazine is out today and altho it might only be a small article, I am very proud of Deerly Beloved Bakery getting into the best selling vegetarian magazine in the UK!

birds and flowers wedding cake

This is a carrot cake with 'buttercream' filling, decorated with birds and white fresh flowers to match the brides dress! I hope I get some pictures of the wedding as it sounds amazing!

Photos from a beautiful sunday at the Plantation Garden summer fayre.

Thankyou to everyone who came to support me, to buy cakes and to say a happy birthday to my beloved, Kyle.

All finished and ready to go home with you!

I know my last post was about them too, but I am really pleased with how these have turned out now I have put them altogether with ribbon and felt hearts!

I hope you love them too!

Recipe jars!!!!!

Recipe jars will be available to buy from this week!

 Kicking of with my favourite recipe, the 'My boyfriends dumped me cookie'. This cookie mix will see you through your worst days including situations such as...

I got a bad haircut!

I lost my job! 

I lost one of my favourite socks!

My house has been attacked by werewolves/zombies!

 These great presents come with a handmade full recipe and method booklet, and is packed in an airtight glass jar that can be made into a cookie jar to store your cookie creations in! Once you get this recipe jar home all you have to do is empty the contents into a bowl and add 1/4 of a cup of your favourite 'milk' substitute to it and voila! Ready to shape, cook and eat!

Come have a nose at them this weekend at the Earlham Road Plantation Garden which will be holding it's summer craft fair and I will be having a stall! You can also order from me directly at msredmond@aol.com or 07768762998

A few things I can't be without...

I was thinking about products I can't live without and actually there isn't that many! I am quite a low maintenance gal and spend most of my 'disposible' income on, you guessed it food! ( I am a geek that gets excited about coconut water or organic veg boxes), but there are a couple of products I use religiously which I will tell you about! But first of all I would like to say that in the past and even now around 'that' time I don't have the best skin and have struggled with spots, acne and clogged pores since I turned into a teenager! However since changing my diet and became first a vegetarian at 17 and now vegan my skin is soooo much better. When I was 17 I cut out milk and embraced soya, almond, and rice milk and rarely ate cheeses, butter or eggs. My only downfall was chocolate and working in a chocolate shop didn't help my addiction! However now I don't miss it and crave fruit instead, which is a huge turn around for me (just ask my family and friends), that's not to say when my family have chocolate bars or a birthday cake that I can't eat, I don't feel my chocolate cravings digging their claws in! I do, but can now deal with it and come prepared with some delicious vegan treats in my rucksack!
Anyway back to my favorite things.......

This is my mineral foundation that I use everyday! It's by Lily Lolo and is called Blondie foundation. It is a mineral powder foundation, covers like a dream and has a natural SPF too! I get compliments about my skin all the time when I wear this, and people seem shocked to learn about my skin problems! I also wear their shimmer powder called Star Dust and makes your skin highlighted and wonderful. I have been using their mineral foundations for around 6 years and a little goes a long way! I buy probably 2 pots a year of the foundation and 2 of the shimmer and I wear it every day! They do however have a couple of eye shadows that do contain carmine which is NOT vegan. Which is a real shame as everything is else is animal free! They are however SLS, SLE free, no Parabens, and are BUAV approved.

My next favourite is Faith in Nature Rosemary shampoo! It is lovely and doesn't dry your hair even tho it is all natural ingredients. I love it! The price point is amazing considering Faith could charge as much as it's competitors as it is a natural biodegradable shampoo! They have a great range of other products too, but I so far use this as bubble bath, shower gel and (to my ex co-workers horror) my face wash! It doesn't dry your skin out or your hair and for a girl with long nearly elbow length hair it's magic! I don't use conditioner which may shock most people as I know not conditioning your hair is a deadly sin. But since going vegan my hair regulates it's natural oils (it's not greasy or dry) and to be honest I cant be bothered!  

So my final 'I can't be without product' is my pit rock, I know it's not the most attractive looking or exciting way of applying a deodorant but it sooo works, lasts FOREVER and I am happy in the knowledge that I am not heightening my risk of breast cancer while using this little baby!

So what are your must haves? Lemme know in the comments box! Oh and if anyone knows of a moisturiser that won't give me break outs do share, as I am now on the wrong side of my 20's and think it might be good to slap something on my face now the few little lines have started to say hi!