• 'real' (refined etc etc, blah blah) flour is way easier to use and cook with than buckwheat or rice flour, and it has a much better texture
• cocoa powder is tastier than cacao powder, sorry babes
• please use sugar, don't deprive your gorgeous lil' body of the good stuff

I don't know about you, but I totally agree with the notion that breakfast is the most important meal; having a delicious breakfast accompanied by a big mug of coffee is by far my favourite part of the day, and I definitely notice a drop in energy later on if I don't eat a large enough meal or if I skip it entirely. It does get kind of boring eating the same thing every day though, especially if you're vegan and can't eat a number of the more popular breakfast choices anyway, so I thought I'd put together a list of super tasty (and really easy to make!) ideas for you all so you don't get stuck. Of course there are plenty of other options but this is a good starting point for beginners or people who don't have a lot of time on their hands in the morning!

Oh my goodness, you guys - I can’t even begin to describe to you how addictive these cookies are! The combination of peanut butter and chocolate is always a winner and when you put them both into a cookie then it creates the ultimate snack or dessert. I used dark chocolate to make these (most dark chocolate is vegan but make sure you check beforehand!) because it’s cheaper and easier to source than other vegan chocolate but you can use whatever type you wish!

Hello lovelies! It's been a couple of weeks since I last posted anything - things have been pretty hectic recently and I haven't really had time to create any new recipes or write product reviews. Life just gets in the way sometimes and that's okay!

Today I wanted to share some exciting news with you all; I recently wrote a blog post about some of my favourite vegan fashion companies, one of which was the wonderful . Beyond Skin are a certified vegan brand who create the most gorgeous footwear which is stylish as well as being cruelty-free. They're currently in the process of launching their new  collection (which is insanely beautiful!), including a collaboration with World Animal Protection UK. They've designed to support their 'Wildlife Not Entertainers' campaign which helps end the use of animals in tourism, such as tigers being used as tourist photo props. 10% from each sale of the shoes goes to World Animal Protection, which is amazing and such a good cause to get behind - I don't know about you but being able to help animals and donating to charity whilst buying new shoes is a dream come true for me!

The shoes themselves are absolutely stunning and are made with the highest quality material - and of course, no animals are harmed in the process! Definitely head over to Beyond Skin if you're looking for luxury vegan footwear, and make sure you check out their fabulous new collaboration while you're at it.


Disclaimer: I was not paid or given a free product in exchange for this blog post, I just wanted to spread the word about a wonderful cause! As usual, all opinions are my own.

Fashion has always been something that's excited me, and especially so over the last few years. I tend to opt for clothing and accessories that are slightly 'quirky' and my colour palette ranges from pitch black to baby pink (recently I've also been obsessed with mustard and burgundy which aren't the easiest colours to find in the middle of summer, unfortunately!). However, when I went vegan, my once-loved pieces suddenly made me feel extremely uncomfortable. My trusty Dr Martens now had a sinister sentiment behind them and all I could see when I looked at my favourite lilac leather satchel was the life of a beautiful animal, cruelly snatched away just so I could have a pretty bag. I felt sick and selfish every time I looked at all my leather, wool and suede clothes and shoes (although I wasn't purchasing any more animal-derived products, which was a start), so one day I decided to just get rid of them and start looking for conscious and cruelty-free alternatives. Going vegan meant it became a bit harder to find good quality, fashionable clothing, shoes and accessories, but I'd never in a million years change my lifestyle; why should an intelligent, sentient and caring animal be murdered simply for my (and everyone else's) enjoyment? Luckily, vegan fashion brands are becoming more and more mainstream, and eco-friendly clothing isn't the same as it was 30 years ago. It's not all hemp fabric and hippy sandals anymore (although those are totally cool and I'd definitely wear them myself!); you can now buy gorgeous and affordable cruelty-free fashion pieces which - get this - are actually up to date with current trends! Getting the hang of checking labels is difficult if you've just switched to a vegan lifestyle and aren't used to it, so to help you along your way I thought I'd share three of my favourite conscious fashion companies with you all. They're all 100% vegan so you can purchase whatever you like from them without having to double check the details!

Flapjacks have always been one of my favourite snacks and they were the very first thing I learned to bake as a child. The process of making them was very therapeutic; melting the butter and syrup in the saucepan, mixing in the oats, eating the leftover mixture in the bowl and on the spoon, and, of course, tasting the finished product! However, the flapjacks I made all those years ago weren't exactly what you'd call healthy, so I thought I'd have a slight throwback to my childhood and try and create a flapjack recipe that was as similar in method and taste as possible - the only difference being that these flapjacks are plant-based and are full of nutritious ingredients! Oats are the base of the recipe - they're full of complex carbohydrates and fibre, meaning they'll give you long-lasting energy and they'll keep your digestive system happy too! The bananas and date syrup are used to sweeten the recipe, so there's no need to use any unrefined sugar, and the coconut oil helps everything stick together while providing healthy fats. The result is a treat which is sweet and crumbly, bursting with juicy blueberries and finished off with a hint of banana. Believe me when I say that they're definitely my new favourite snack! 

Today I want to share my skincare routine with you all - I don't talk about my skin that often on my blog or any of my social media accounts but I used to struggle pretty badly with eczema when I was a toddler and then again from the age of 13 - 20. It's only in the last year or so that my skin is actually behaving again and now, at age 21, I'm finally happy with it! Suffering from eczema was incredibly debilitating and I couldn't stand people seeing me when I was experiencing a flare up. Luckily it's all gone now and, even though that may be due to me getting older and my skin sorting itself out on its own, I do contribute a lot of my success to my diet (lots of plants and no dairy!), the amount of water I drink (at least 2 litres a day) and my skincare routine. I use products free from harsh ingredients, and facial oils which are amazing for hydrating your skin and giving it a natural glow.

As a vegan, the question "where do you get your protein?" is one of the most common and frustrating things you'll hear. If you're eating a whole foods plant-based diet that's full of abundance in the form of fresh fruit and vegetables, grains, nuts and seeds then you'll hit your protein needs with very little effort (as long as you're eating enough food!). However, depending on your goals, you might want to add a bit of extra protein into your diet; a good quality vegan protein powder is a fab way to do this because it's super easy to add to meals you'd be eating anyway such as oatmeal, waffles, smoothies, banana ice cream and pancakes. I love having a scoop of protein powder with my breakfast as I find it keeps me full and satisfied and gives me lots of energy to power through my day. This protein pancake recipe is a Sunday brunch favourite and it's boyfriend-approved too!

I feel like I'm just posting breakfast recipes at the moment - that will change soon though, I promise! Have no fear, I've got a couple of kitchen experiments in mind so stay tuned for how those turn out. Anyway, this week's recipe is for vanilla protein waffles, a delicious vegan and gluten-free breakfast that not only tastes good but is super nutritious and full of ingredients that will give you energy all morning. I usually have my waffles served with lots of berries, nut butter and syrup (maple, rice or date syrup are the best - leave the bees alone and avoid honey!) but yesterday I decided to go a bit crazy and have poached apple. The result? A plate of pure breakfast joy. Very sweet apples such as Pink Lady apples are best for this as you don't need to use any additional sweeteners. I'm a bit of a picky eater when it comes to apples and only ever have the Pink Lady variety anyway so I've always got a ridiculous amount of them lying around - poaching them to add to breakfast dishes is actually a great way to use them up! Of course you don't have to have the apple with your waffles if you're running a bit low on time or simply can't be bothered (this is usually the case for me) but it's highly recommended, trust me.

This raw cheesecake has got to be one of my favourite ever recipes! The combination of chocolate and berries is just heavenly and it's so aesthetically pleasing too. For the filling I used frozen berries plus a scoop of Organic Berry Complex powder from Neal's Yard Remedies. I'm absolutely in love with this powder and I really recommend it but if you don't fancy buying it then you can just use a tablespoon of any other berry powder (such as acai), or you can leave it out altogether - the cheesecake will still taste fab and have heaps of nutritional benefits!

If you have stubborn family members or friends who refuse to eat vegan food then this is the perfect dessert to serve - let them try it before you tell them it's raw and vegan though! As well as being delicious, this cheesecake is also one of the most nourishing treats you could have - it's full of healthy fats and protein which will help make your nails strong, your skin glow and your hair shine. What more could you want?