VEGAN HUMMUS MESABACHA + A COOKBOOK GIVEAWAY! (V+, ChF, GF, GrF, NF)
In a rush? Need the delicious vegan Hummus Mesabacha recipe now? Then scroll down!
There are hundreds of thousands of food blogs out there. In fact, there's one source on the net which claims that there are over 2million food blogs currently in existence. CRAZY, right!?! Yet, somehow I feel I've been lucky enough to find the right food blogs to get stuck into and get excited about. They aren't always the most well known (in fact I love 'discovering' blogs with smaller followings ;)), but the food blogs I read all have two key things in common:
1. They are about good, home-made, delicious, flavoursome food and
2. They are written by kind, thougtful bloggers whose voices I want to 'listen' to.
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COLOMBIAN BEAN STEW (ChF, GF, GF, NF, V+)
COLOMBIAN BEAN STEW (ChF, GF, GF, NF, V+)
At the start of 2016 I had made it one of my goals to post more recipes of the actual foods I eat on a day to day basis here on the blog. This meant more savoury dishes with whole grains and legumes as the star attraction. No sooner had I put that statement out there, did life firmly grab hold of it and make it become a reality. Or better, NETFLIGHTS did. They contacted me, asking me to prepare a dish that represented my heritage and this Colombian black bean stew - which I veganised ;) - instantly came to mind as THE recipe I needed to make for them.
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VEGAN MATCHA PISTACHIO TRES LECHES CAKE WITH TWIGG STUDIOS AND SALVIA+LIMONE (V+, V, ChF, GF, R)
Today it's all about collaborating with the brilliant forces behind Twigg Studios and Salvia + Limone, but if you just want the recipe for this beautiful vegan Matcha Pistachio Tres Leches Cake, please don't be shy and make your way to the end of this blog post where you'll find it.
I am never sure how I come across on social media. If the person you envisage me to be, is anything like the person I really am. If you hear my voice in your mind the way it actually sounds (deep-ish, subtle American accent, that's gone a bit British – think Madonna in her Guy Richie days) or if you're totally off the mark ;). So in case it's not blatantly obvious – and just for your info - I am a social creature. Now, don't get me wrong, I LOVE my own company and have no problems being alone, but I thrive mostly in social situations. Hence going from a busy office full of chatty, like-minded social workers to a quiet studio (AKA the guest bedroom) where I work in solitude has been an interesting change. I am extremely happy I followed my heart and moved into blogging/food photography/recipe development (you can read more about that change here), but that's not to say being on my own during the day hasn't required some getting used to.
Consequently, I relish any given opportunity to replace my hours of solitude with moments of chatter and laughter surrounded by talented, creative and lovely women. Women who are eager and open to share their special gift and unique talent with me (I feel so lucky!). Women whose generosity made today's blog post possible.
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VEGAN SOURDOUGH SPELT WAFFLES (V+, ChF, NF) + REVIEW OF NO-MESS SAGE WAFFLE MAKER
In a rush? Need the scrummy Vegan Sourdough Spelt Waffles recipe now? Then scroll down!
A few days ago my son turns 6. Can you believe it, 6! I know it sounds so cliché, but time truly does fly when you're having fun. And when you have children you can actually see the physical evidence of life's continual forward flow, which is quite grounding as well as - for me on this occasion - really upsetting. (I so wish my blog platform did emojis cuz I'd insert that crying face with buckets of tears streaming out of its eyes right here).
It's not that I miss the baby stage, I don't at all and every day, every week and every year that passes by I enjoy motherhood more and more. But it's that realisation that everything is just temporary and that I can't hold on to the here and now forever, not even for my little boy. And that recognition left me feeling a tiny bit lost the other day. I don't know, but I just felt emotional.
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GLUTEN-FREE CHOCOLATE CHIP BANANA BREAD DOUGHNUTS (V+, ChF, NF, GF, V) + A COOKBOOK GIVEAWAY!
Today it's all about cookbooks, but if you just want the fun and delicious Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Doughnuts recipe please don't be shy and make your way to the end of this blog post where you'll find it.
Before I started writing my blog, I read blogs. Loads of them. All the time. And what I noticed as I did so, was that many of the food bloggers I followed got cookbooks send to them. For free!!!! Sometimes even before they were released in the shops!!!! I mean if getting free cookbooks isn't the best thing EVER about food blogging, I don't know what is. And (confession time!) though the hope of receiving free cookbooks wasn't the main reason I started The Little Plantation ;), it sure did play a teeny tiny role (*blush*).
So when insanely talented food photographer, stylist and blogger Aimee, from Twigg Studios, asked me if I wanted a copy of her brand new cookbook, Love Aimee x, to review on the blog, I don't think I actually even let her finished her sentence before shouting a loud, resounding YES!!! In fact when Aimee asked me, I may or may not have nearly choked on the toast I was munching on as we sat in a quaint little cafe in the heart of East London's Spitalfields. And, in case you're wondering, yes, she is just as sweet in real life as she comes across on her blog ;).
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VEGAN BENTO BOWL (V+, GF, NF, ChF)
Lots to tell you today, so if you just want my yummy Vegan Bento Bowl recipe, you can find it towards the end of this blog post.
I am feeling stressed :(. Totally stressed. It's because I have a nutrition exam that I need to do some SERIOUS studying for. And I am sad to report that I am sooo behind with my revision, which in turn is stressing me out even more (insert crying face).
But I'm also stressed because I feel really busy with all the other little projects in my life including the blog. Not to say I don't LOVE this space because I do, I really, really do. But as the bloggers amongst you know, writing a blog comes with TONS of commitments such as visiting other blogs (which I LOVE to do btw), posting images on facebook, instagram, twitter, pinterest and of course on countless recipe sharing sites too. I enjoy all these social media platforms and the opportunities they provide to connect with like-minded foodies and be inspired, but - and of course there is always a but - they are all rather time consuming activities and time is something I just don't have at the moment :(.
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CREAMY WINTER CAULIFLOWER, PARSNIP AND GARLIC SOUP (V+, GF, GrF, ChF, NF, P)
CREAMY WINTER CAULIFLOWER, PARSNIP AND GARLIC SOUP (V+, GF, GrF, ChF, NF, P)
I love January! Sure it's cold and dark and I'm always short of cash, but there is something so fresh and promising about having the whole year ahead of me; it's what makes me January's biggest fan. You see, I feel the beginning of the year gives us a chance to reinvent ourselves, to dream of all the things that weren't possible the previous year and to make them happen this year. With that sense of hope in mind, I've been thinking loads about the direction of the blog for 2016. What do I want this space to be and how can I make it better still? That's not to say that I haven't been incredibly pleased and proud of what I've achieved in the last 12 months. I SO have, but I know that I haven't reached my destination yet and that I am STILL moving towards my own creative peek. So what does this mean for the blog in 2016 and what can you expect to find here over the coming year?
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RAW VEGAN TENDERSTEM® PESTO (V+, R, GF, GrF, ChF, NF, P)
Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all had a safe and fun journey into 2016. May your new year be filled with joy, happiness and great health!
I don't know about you, but I sure feel ready to get back onto the healthy bandwagon with this delicious raw vegan Tenderstem Pesto, as Christmas was a feast of utter indulgence *ooops*. That's why I love the fact that the start of a new year and the opportunity to renew my commitments to healthy eating come so close after Christmas. I think that's because the universe knows a thing or two about perfect timing :).
As I was putting my blog schedule together for 2016 I was certain that I really wanted to start the year with a raw and savoury blog post (anyone else had enough of baking?). So when I was asked to do a sponsored blog post for a raw recipe including Tenderstem®, I jumped at the chance. Now, before I delve into the recipe, I wanted to say something about doing sponsored posts, as well as about Tenderstem® itself. I hope that's ok.
In terms of sponsored blog posts - over the past 12 months I have been approached a few times by companies asking me to do sponsored posts or review their products; those of you who visit the blog regularly will know that I have never accepted any of these offers. That's because none of the companies that contacted me were selling products that I would ever eat, would consider healthy or could wholeheartedly recommend to you. So please rest assured that if ever I write a sponsored blog post or review something, it is because I genuinely enjoy the items featured and think you will too. I have no plans of making sponsored blog posts a habit, but when I do one I'll be totally open and upfront about it. Sound cool?
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NOURISHING WINTER RAINBOW SALAD (V+, P, R, GRF, GF, NF)
Perhaps, on the surface of it, nothing much has changed in 2015. This is still a plant-based blog (for today's raw Nourishing Winter Rainbow Salad, please skip to the end of the post), I am still living in London and I am still very much studying nutrition (counting the days though, getting so near now to the end!). But once you take a closer look it soon becomes evident - I feel - that this blog as well as I have gone through a major transformation.
I mean, let's start with the biggest change of all – I quit my job and have now spent the last month (YIKES) at home, focusing on the things I realised mattered so much that it became impossible to keep neglecting them for the sake of following the wrong career path. Though I still wake up some days rather perplexed by the fact that I don't need to rush to the office, I am happy to report that resigning from my job was very, very clearly the right decision for me and my family.
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