Vegan

London has to be one of the most beautiful places on earth that you can visit. It has a rich cultural and historic heritage. Many people from all over the world visit the place yearly. For those who are looking for a travel destination then this surely is the place to be. As is with any trip it is important that you look for the best deals so that you can do more with the amount of money you have. Check out AirportHotels.com for deals at Heathrow when booking your trip. Here you will get very good deals that will help you save quite a lot. And you can find similar deals for other cities across the UK, allowing you to use London as a great travel hub. The number of tourist attraction sites in London are quite many. They are magnificent and they will leave you awed at their splendor. From museums to historical buildings you eyes will see a lot of stuff. Some of the attraction sites that you really need to see are the world famous museums found in London. They include Natural History Museum, British Museum, Tate Museum and the Royals Museum Greenwich. This museums have a rich history and their collections are composed of world famous artifacts. The London Eye which is once of the most pronounced features in London’s skyline is also a major site that attracts tourists. It is the world’s highest observation wheel. The London Tower is a 900 hundred year old building which is very famous throughout the world. It tells a story of England through the dark ages to the present. Britons have a very good taste for food and this can easily be seen in their cuisine. There have been many inhabitants in that country and this had led to the development of hybrid cuisines. British foods are prepared in such a way that the sauces used bring out the flavor of the food rather than disguise it. Typical British foods that you should try include; shepherd’s pie, Sunday roast, steak and kidney pie and bangers and mash. Fish and chips, pies and sandwich are also very common in London. This food is part of their culture and their everyday lives. Famed British food can also be found at one of AirportHotels.com’s other deal destinations, Gatwick. For a country that has been existence for a long period they have a very rich culture. The fashion sense in London is also very vibrant. The city plays host to some of the most glamorous fashion events in the world such as The London Fashion Week where top class designers come to showcase their products. The city has many people who are not original inhabitants and this has led to the city being very diverse culturally. There are many live comedy shows in the city that make the place very vibrant. It’s also home to quite a few festivals, as is neighboring city Birmingham. Birmingham is another city where you can find great deals on airport hotels through AirportHotels.com. Visiting London for a family holiday is definitely a good idea. The memories and feelings that the place will give you will forever be etched in your heart. The inhabitants are friendly and the diversity of people found there will help you feel like you are in the right place. If you are planning on creating memories that will last a lifetime then this is the place to be. Photo Credit: Jim Bahn The post Escape to London appeared first on .

You've got questions... about minimalism! This is the second post in our two-part Minimalist Monday series answering your fantastic questions about minimalism.You and your husband often move internationally. In fact, I am amazed and jealous. Do you take any furniture, appliances or bedding etc...with you? Do you have staples that go everywhere? Once you get there, do you end up spending extra money on needed items you should have kept?Whatever doesn't fit in the suitcase doesn't go (limit 4 suitcases per person). We try to rent furnished places, so there is very little we would need to "buy" and anything we can't take with us to the next place, is donated to those who need it. I don't see it as a waste, but a gift. We recently gave away all our furniture to a family in need who has sent me several emails about how much they are enjoying our furniture and how it's changed their life. Money can't buy that warm fuzzy!How do you let go of greeting cards? Scan them! If being a minimalist is part of the equation to work less, how do you afford health insurance without full-time employment? And, if you don't have insurance, who will pay for your medical bills? I don't have medical insurance. Even when I worked full-time (as a lawyer!), it was never offered to me. I rarely need to see a doctor because of my healthy lifestyle, thankfully! The only medical issue I had in the last 5 years was a dental issue and I paid out of pocket for it. My dentist was great about helping me create a cash payment plan. I also went for a routine exam 2-3 years ago, and paid cash. You can get "hit by the bus" insurance for a pretty reasonable rate.How do you decide what is left out on surfaces, i.e., countertops, bookcases, etc.? I'd like things to look nicely decorated yet simple. Not stark and not cluttered.I keep my surfaces totally clear, less is MORE! See my kitchen organization post for more detail.I would love to minimalize our lives. How much clothing, how many shoes? Get real basic for me please.See my previous MM post about sticking to a color palette and this post about shopping for clothes during weight loss, which has some great tips from Herbies about clothing.Can you be a minimalist with kids? Kids are bombarded with heavy consumerist messages and until a certain age they don't really understand ideas like "less is more." How can you help kids understand a minimalist philosophy? Here are some thoughts from minimalist families, as shared on Facebook:"I think if they are raised in that way with you as an example, they will appreciate the things they DO have more, while maybe not fully understanding it until they are grown ups. Have you ever heard a kid say, 'I have enough toys, I don't need anything else.'?""The toy thing is a constant evolution in our household. I purge toys that the kids (1.5 and 4.5) no longer play with. Anything that is missing a part or doesn't work = tossed. New toys require an old one getting tossed or donated. When family and friends ask what the kids want or need for holidays and birthdays we always recommend experience gifts — a plane ticket to visit, take the kids out for a meal, to a playground, swimming lessons, skating lessons, gift certificates to an art studio, etc. The kids have fond memories of the things they did with their family instead of what they were bought. My family is on a minimalist path - downsizing from a townhouse to a 2 BR condo and the kids are happier than ever. Less space = less stuff = more life!""For my step-son, it took a few volunteer hours at the local food bank where he was able to play with kids whose families were 'down on their luck'...some of them living out of their cars. He saw that it was possible to have fun and play all day long without an Xbox or hundreds of toys to choose from and he was able to kinda grasp the idea that not EVERY one has all of the latest and greatest toys... Each time we went he understood more and more. He wanted to rid himself of the excess toys he alr

You read it right, gluten free and vegan. Life does not suck. Biscuits and Mushroom Gravy Serves 4-6 people Gluten free Nut free Soy free if using soy free Earth...

For the last four years, my neighborhood arts organization, Crosstown Arts, has been holding annual MemFEAST dinners. What's MemFEAST? Well, the "Mem" stands for "Memphis," and FEAST is an acronym for "Funding Emerging Artists with Sustainable Tactics." Still not clear? Let me explain.Community members and arts supporters from all over the city pay $35 for a ticket to MemFEAST. Money from all the ticket sales — plus some generous donor contributions — totals at $5,000. In return for their $35 ticket, patrons get a massive and awesome vegan dinner. And while they're eating dinner, artists make presentations for art projects that they could create with that $5,000. After the presentations are through, the patrons vote for their favorite art project. The winner gets the $5,000 to make their art project a reality.I love the MemFEAST concept, and I've attended the event every year. The meal hasn't always been all vegan (the first two years featured a mostly vegan menu with one or two meat dishes for the omnis). But for the past two years, Chef/farmer Miles McMath has been preparing the food. And he makes everything vegan! Crosstown Arts, the arts organization that represents my neighborhood in Memphis, is probably the most vegan-friendly arts organization in town. They always have vegan options at their events, and many times, all of the food is vegan. Lucky me!This year's MemFEAST event happened on Saturday night. Each year, the location has changed, but this year may have been my very fave. The party was held outdoors on the V&E Greenline, a 1.8-mile bike and pedestrian path on an old rail track. It was like a lovely garden party!Here I am (with new hair!)And here are my friends Cassi and Greg, who are both vegan as well, checking out the menu before dinner.Each table had multiple bottles of Ginger-Basil Aqua Fresca.And look at these adorable decorations! Old airplane-sized liquor bottles with flowers!The buffet was AMAZING!!! It started with antipasto — Heirloom Bean Hummus, Olive Tapenade, Raw Veggies, Portobello Mousse, and Burnt Naan (The naan had a light grilled flavor and was among my favorite things).And there was French Lentil Caviar, Beet Tartare, Pickled Spring Vegetables, and Rustic Bread.But the real icing on the cake was the vegan slider bar! I had one of each! There were Edamame & White Bean Burgers with Field Lettuce, Spring Onion, and Chow Chow, Redneck Reubens made from Vegan Andouille, Kimchee, and Creole Remoulade, Green Lentil & Quinoa Burgers with Vindaloo Vegetables, and Tamarind Chutney, Hominy-Green Chili Burgers with Avocado, Salsa Roja, and Lime Crema, and Sweet Tater Logs with Chipotle Ketchup.And at the end of the buffet (and I failed to take a picture) were Curry Spiced Tofu with Broccoli Rabe and Basil-Mint Pesto, Sweet Corn & Farro Risotto with Green Butterbeans and Arkansas "Feta" (my fave!), and Springtime Soba Noodles with Ginger Miso Broth, Pok Choi, Daikon, and Shoots. And let's not forget dessert! Brownies and Raw Peach Cobbler with Green Wheat Freekah Crust.I tried everything on the menu. So needless to say, my plate was a little overstuffed. I took a picture of Greg's much tidier, less gluttonous plate.After dinner, we were so full! But the artists' presentations helped get our minds off our very full bellies. Five artists gave presentations, and the winner was Jeannie Tomlinson Saltmarsh, who proposed the installation on the greenline of metal fish sculptures that move with the wind.We stayed for awhile after dinner and drank more wine. Look how lovely this little garden party was after dark!Another successful MemFEAST has come and gone, and this one was definitely the best so far.

If you made pancakes and caught up on Game of Thrones today instead of going to day two of the Seed, I’m not going to say you made the wrong choice. If you went yesterday (like I did—read about my Saturday visit), there were few reasons to return today since the vendors were basically the [...]

When I'm zapped after a long day, I tend to make my old standby tofu for dinner because it's easy. No doubt, you know the drill: press, marinade and then either bake or pan fry. But the addition of just two more easy steps – breading the flavor-infused tofu and making a no-brainer dipping sauce – results in a fun, seemingly fancy dinner – lots of crispy flavor for very little effort. These Popcorn Tofu Bites also make fun appetizers, served with toothpicks – perfect for warm weather outings. The Sweet-n-Spicy Dipping Sauce is Asian-inspired [or more accurately, CSA-inspired since I still have a huge bunch of scallions from last week's haul sitting in a mason jar in my fridge]. It's a veritable United Nations-inspired melange of flavors that play nicely together, despite their differences – a little sweet, – gracias agave; a little salty – domo arigato, miso, and a little spicy – kob-kun, kah, Sriracha You will have leftover dipping sauce, but it has legs. Use it as a marinade for seitan or soy curls, or as a salad dressing. [I'm thinking baby arugula and spinach with chickpeas, sliced pears, candied pecans and a wee sprinkle of wasabi powder] popcorn tofu bites with sweet-n-spicy dipping sauce Makes 32-36 tofu bites 1 pound extra-firm tofu, pressed for about 2 hours, then cut into 32-36 1-inch cubes marinade: 1 T olive oil 1 garlic clove, minced 1 T soy sauce 3 T vegetable broth [I use Better Than Bouillon No-Chicken Base] 1 tsp dried basil 1 whole clove Mix everything in a shallow dish. Coat tofu cubes in marinade and let sit at least one hour [turning to coat all sides every once in awhile ] or overnight in refrigerator. breading: 1/2 cup panko [Fear not, my gluten-free friends. Yes, Virginia, there is gluten-free panko ] 2 T nutritional yeast 1 tsp smoked Spanish paprika [or substitute regular paprika, but the smokiness of the Spanish adds wonderful, almost grill-like complexity!] Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment or foil and spray lightly with cooking spray. Mix breading ingredients in a shallow dish. Coat tofu cubes in breading, patting on extra on "bald" spots, and then place onto prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 25 minutes, then gently flip and bake 25 more minutes. Serve with dipping sauce, below. sweet-n-spicy dipping sauce: 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced 2 large garlic cloves, minced 1 T vegetable broth [I use Better Than Bouillon No-Chicken Base] 1/2 tsp Sriracha [or to taste. Start with less!] 1/4 cup scallions, chopped 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar 3 T agave nectar 1 tsp miso 1 tsp sesame oil [Olive oil is a fine sub, but sesame is so much better] Process everything in a mini food processor or Vitamix until smooth-ish. Dip tofu bites in sauce.

Breakfast was just a couple of Sarah Kramers Banana Pancakes with TJ's Maple Syrup to keep the hunger at bay till... Tofu Scramble at Cafe Nola for lunch. They did an excellent job crisping up the Tofu and Roasting the Potatoes.Wegman's Chickenless Chicken with Steamed Broccoli for dinner. (I've gotten some good deals on Organic Broccoli lately so expect to see a lot of it the next week or so).A Two Moms In The Raw Almond Butter Cacao Truffle for dessert. Disappointing product for the high price. I fell for the precious yuppie name. Can't recommend. Stuck with two more in the pack now.WFH Grub tomorrow.

Adriana of  Vegan Magic has come up with a really tasty burger that is so simple to make. We really enjoyed these tonight for dinner. They had a nice spiciness, lots of flavor, and a nice crunch from the walnuts.  We enjoyed them as patties, but they’d be great on a bun. or rolled into [...] Related Posts: Review: Quinoa and Kale Patties Review: Spicy Chickpea Crackers Review: Black Rice, Asparagus and Chickpea Salad Review: Jamaican Tempeh Patties Review: Quick Walnut Pâté Sandwiches with Pears and…

Spelt Flour, Whole Wheat Flour, Sunspire Grain Sweetened Chocolate Chips, Coconut Oil, Muscavado Sugar, Fair Trade Vanilla, Soymilk, Sea Salt

Doing work from my hammock this morning with a cup of tea. There is no better way to start a new week! This weekend was definitely one to remember – lots of laughs and memories made.  On Friday I got to celebrate my best friends birthday by taking her on a mini day trip to one of my favorite places in Cleveland – LUSH. LUSH HAUL Lots of fun new products to try, I’m super excited! We also went to Teavana, Whole Foods, and a couple of other places. By the end of the day we were completely exhausted and needing nourishment so we went to Melt Bar and Grill. What is “the melt” you ask? Melt Bar and Grill is a Cleveland based chain featuring gourmet grilled cheese and 150+ kinds of beer plus 20 others on draft. I KNOW. They are also completely vegan friendly, and anything on the menu can be made that way usually at no extra charge. I KNOW! I tried The Big Popper which had  jalapeño peppers, and cheddar and herbed vegan cream cheese. It came with this delicious mixed berry dipping sauce which easily was the best part of the dish. I couldn’t even eat half of this thing before I had a major food baby. The only complaint I have is that it’s not closer to me. Have you ever been to Melt Bar and Grill? Whats your favorite thing on the menu? Michal