Just Humans Being...

We hope you have enjoyed our month of vegan posts in support of World Vegan Month & if you feel inspired to improve your health & want to avoid the unnecessary murder of our animal friends - then here is some ongoing free help from Viva's  30 Day Vegan Plan . We keep forgetting to take photos of our meals, but since our Wednesday veg box delivery we have had: Wed - spinach pasta with red pepper & courgette in fresh tomato sauce, with steamed broccoli on the side. Thur - chilli (from leftover pasta sauce) & brown basmati rice, with added mushrooms, kidney beans & sweetcorn. Fri - red lentil hippy slop with mushrooms, mashed spuds, steamed cabbage & carrots. Sat - leftovers made into cottage pie with dry roasted brussel sprouts... Tonight's dinner - red cabbage & shallot stew (cooked in the slow cooker), served with baked sweet potatoes, dry roasted courgettes & scrambled tofu with mushrooms, garlic & fresh turmeric. We...

My childhood best buddy died last week, she had battled with breast cancer for 8 years. We had been friends since we were 4 years old, though we had practically lost touch - she found me via social media a few years ago. We were pretty inseparable in our teens, more like sisters & very much a part of each other's families. We attended the same college after finishing school & even lived together in North London for a while... We shared a house with the guy she would eventually spend her life with & I think I knew it before they did. I returned home to care for my siblings when my mum was taken ill & within weeks of returning, I was offered a well paid post with the local authority. A few months later, when Sime & I got together - I realised my return up north was meant to be! My friend & I continued to meet up occasionally, but our growing families meant it was difficult, we had various commitments & so time went on, moving further & further aw...

If you live in or near Bristol go along to this tomorrow...  Taste a whole range of vegan foods from international dishes you can whiz up at home to ready-to-go convenience foods Receive one-to-one nutritional advice Pick up free recipes and helpful factsheets Sit in on cookery demos and informative talks Browse and buy lots of vegan goodies – from chocolate to cruelty-free cosmetics, bags to books, convenience foods to clothing, wallets to wallcharts and cuddly toys to T-shirts and more! Find out how you can get active Take a break with a cuppa and veggie snack  So if you've ever given the idea of going veggie - or even better vegan - a go but need a helping hand, come along, and pick up your free copy of our It’s Time to go Veggie magazine (all vegan!), packed with tips, recipes, celebrity views, nutritional info and detailing the many reasons why "it's time to go vegan". Sounds like it's going to be a great day!!! Kay ...

We've been debating what John McDougall is saying in this video about salt & sugar... I agree that if helps a person to stay on track, then salt & sugar are ok in moderation, but Sime thinks he should be talking about the alternatives, because iodised table salt & white sugar are really not good at all. We use sea salt sparingly & did buy a bag of  Breton Marais natural sea salt last time we were in Brittany, which is great in bread. We occasionally use organic dark sugars or maple syrup in baking, but mainly stick to medjool dates these days. We have found since cutting out oil that our taste buds have improved, so we don't need to use much in the way of seasoning & definitely feel better for it! Kay xx    

Wednesdays are always exciting as it's the day our veg box & extras arrive... We have a large box, which is supposed to be enough for 4 people per week - it used to feed up to 6, but a recent regrade brought in a new bumper box for more pennies... It costs £17.25 & this week's contains: potatoes, carrots, onions, leeks, broccoli, red cabbage, brussel sprouts, tomatoes, sweet potatoes & a salad bag.  Although it's mainly just the two of us eating - we do eat lots of vegetables, so each week we buy extras... Our regular weekly order is: 2 bags of bananas, 1 bag of apples, 2 tubs of mushrooms, 2 lemons, 3 garlic bulbs & a pack of tofu.  This week we added a bag of courgettes, 3 peppers, a tub of blueberries & a cabbage...  The total bill came to £42.18   We buy from Riverford , not the most ethical of veg box companies, but the best we have found delivering in our area. They also will take all the packaging for recycli...

Food for thought! Kay & Sime xx

We took the day off yesterday & were thrilled to have chosen the right day for a day out... We used to visit this area lots with the kids, as Daymer was our nearest beach when we lived in North Cornwall. We really needed to be out in the sun & get away from home for a bit...   So we had a thoroughly enjoyable day! Kay & Sime xx

50g Dates - chopped 50g Carob Powder (flour not the gritty stuff) 100ml Plant Milk Heat in a saucepan for about 10 minutes on low. If it needs to be a quick dessert, just whizz up & you'll have a lovely sauce (which I have been known to just eat from the pan) or put into the fridge & it becomes more like a mousse or fudge icing. Tonight, I added: 1 heaped teaspoon of pure almond butter, zest of a small orange, splash of bourbon whiskey (you can use 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence if preferred), a few oats & a sprinkle of cinnamon.  Dessicated coconut, peanut butter, chopped nuts, chia seeds are all good too. Whizz with a hand blender & dollop onto a tray.  Leave for at least an hour & you'll have gooey, but healthy truffles! Makes about 12. Enjoy! Kay xx

Tonight's dinner... Butternut squash stuffed with yellow split peas, hazel nuts & mushrooms, served with roast potatoes, baked cauliflower & steamed kale. Delicious & filling! Kay & Sime xx

We experienced a lovely side to Bebe earlier in the week, she seemed fairly happy & content, but over the last few days - she has been back to normal. Dwelling on the past & worrying about the future are her main topics... We go through periods of trying to distract her - treading lightly to keep her happy, though more often than not we get drawn into this incredibly frustrating loop & end up asking her to stop!  We have an appointment this coming week with her GP, there really doesn't seem any need in carrying on with the new drugs, but we'll see what the doc has to say. Poor Bebe - her enjoyment of life is getting less & less & there's nothing we can do.  Kay & Sime xx

We threw the leftovers from the previous night's dinner - spaghetti, sweetcorn sauce & watercress houmous into an oven dish. Topped it with breadcrumbs & served it up with baked potatoes & some steamed M&S non-organic broccoli (left by guests in the holiday home we look after). We had worked on the house for over 6 hours, stopping only for fruit & nuts, but by the time we got home - we were craving some stodgy food. We never eat potatoes with pasta, but last night we were so hungry... It all looks a bit bland, but it tasted great & we felt loads better once we'd re-fuelled!  Kay & Sime xx 

Healthy Approaches to Weight Control, Reversing Diabetes, and the Best of Health with Dr Neal Barnard. Please watch & learn how easy it is to turn your life around... Hope you are having a good weekend! Kay & Sime xx

With sweetcorn sauce, topped with watercress, butterbean & walnut houmous. We used Suma's tinned organic sweetcorn, tons of onions & garlic, along with fresh tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers, courgettes & a couple of heaped teaspoons of smoked paprika for the sauce. The houmous also has fresh parsley, garlic, lemon juice & black pepper. Yum! Kay & Sime xx

When we think about having a meal out, we often forget about  The Lost Gardens Of Heligan , which is just on our doorstep. For the last year, the chefs have been much more adventurous & on occasions have whipped up great food especially for us.  Today we were tired & hungry, we'd popped into the farm shop next door to Heligan & thought we'd just see if there was anything on...  Imagine our delight when we discovered they were doing a vegan gardener's lunch - simple meals using their garden produce... It was cheaper than usual & when they mentioned that the soup was also vegan, we got very excited - we just had to have it!  Delicious pumpkin, coconut & ginger Soup... Nut roast, mashed sweet potato, roasted beetroot, greens & gravy... A wonderfully tasty meal! And to top it all - we bagged the table with the exotic view! Kay & Sime xx

Another day in the Smith household...  This is what happens very early in the morning - Bebe gets up at around 6am (when she does sleep) & she likes to get herself ready for the day! After the video I spent ages looking for her other lilac sock & eventually found that she'd put them both on the same foot - which does happen sometimes!  On other occasions, Bebe can be fully dressed complete with her lace up shoes tied & yet she can't work out how to tie them when I'm in the room! Have a good day! Kay xx

Sunday night we made a lentil & vegetable stew, which we forgot to photograph... Nevermind here's 3 nights of leftovers! Monday night, we added the last of the kale (buried on the right), butter beans & rice... Tuesday night, we made more rice, turned the stew into a curry & baked sweet potato wedges & cauliflower... Tonight, we warmed up the remainder, baked some potatoes & fried up (in water & soy sauce) some leeks, tofu, mushrooms & fresh turmeric... We keep our cooking simple when working lots & never waste a morsel! Hugo & Jess will be pleased to hear that there will be something fresh for tomorrow night's dinner! Kay & Sime xx

I took this video at the beginning of the month, Bebe's sundowning was getting worse & this was actually the third video that evening - you can also hear my frustration of going through the same things for the umpteenth time in an hour... We have found that when Bebe becomes agitated, she soon calms down once she sees the camera... Since returning from respite yesterday, she has been a happy bunny - they too reported a good weekend with her, so we're keeping our fingers crossed that the new tablets are finally doing their job.  We hate the fact she has to take them, but if they stop her from becoming anxious & distressed, then that has to be a good thing - it's lovely to see her calm & content again! Kay xx

What are you going to be eating this Christmas? Kay & Sime xx

We have shared many a pot of porridge with family, friends & guests... We eat it every day throughout the year & look forward to our bowlful each morning! Sime is the champion porridge maker & he spends time simmering the pot to perfection... Oats, chia seeds, rose hips, hemp powder, sesame seeds, ground pumpkin & flax seeds, sliced banana & apple (sometimes puréed apple), nutmeg, ginger, blueberries & water - occasionally we have molasses in it & at the table we add cinnamon, as well as sometimes a little sugar free jam or maple syrup (we have the real Canadian stuff - thanks to our Canadian friends)!   Early start today, as lots to do...  Bebe's returning from respite & we've not really achieved everything we wanted to do & the house is in chaos - surprise, surprise!!! Nevermind - we'll get on top of everything one day! Bye for now, Kay & Sime xx

Yesterday, we had a Bebe free day out with Hugo - Which was lovely & as the weather was miserable - we decided to visit Plymouth, which has to include a visit to Samphire, a veggie/vegan brasserie... They are quite different to Wildebeest in Falmouth, which is deliciously wholesome & although they do feature healthy alternatives on their menu, they also cook up great vegan grub! Our side salad with vegan coleslaw... Kay's pizza with scrambled tofu, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes & caramelised onions. Sime's all day breakfast with lentil burger & tempeh slices. Hugo's seitan burger, chips, onion rings & salad. Hugo's kidney bean chocolate brownie with vegan ice cream... We both opted for the vanilla cheese(less)cake with ginger & shredded halva topping. Then on to the Hoe - Smeaton's Tower now... And then - before WW2. Tinside Lido , built in 1935. Above the pool now... And back in 195...

Another old recipe booklet... Isn't it great? Published in 1969 by  Beauty Without Cruelty's  Lady Muriel Dowding (later becoming Baroness) who was a vegetarian animal rights activist - along with her Husband, Baron Hugh Dowding. Night, night. Kay & Sime xx

Addiction to meat and dairy products and to factory processed food has got such a hold on the minds of people of the dominant western culture that they not only find it difficult to question it in their own lives but, often with the best intention, they are spreading it throughout the world. This wasteful trend must be arrested if the famines of today are not to be repeated on an even more horrifying scale as the population of the world increases. All men of good will are challenged to strive ceaselessly for that change of heart and habit that can alone safeguard the earth and bring the hope of a better future for man and his fellow creatures.   ~ Kathleen Jannaway 1974 We dug out this old book last night, which Sime found at our local rubbish tip in the late 80s...  It was amongst lots of vegetarian booklets published in the 60s & early 70s - which we still have too! First Hand, First Rate was published in 1974.  All the recipe ingredients in this w...

Many British people think the meat industry over here is superior to that of most other countries.  They believe the animals destined for their plate are well cared for & of course killed humanely... No death is humane - it is MURDER!!!  Thanks to Viva!  we get to see the reality... This video is important, please watch it especially if you are a meat eater & maybe you too will make the connection. No animal wants to die & end up on a plate!!! Kay & Sime xx 

Last night's pasta dish... And tonight's chilli - made from the leftover sauce. Our bowls look much bigger than they really are... Honest! Kay & Sime xx

If you want to successfully change your diet & regain health then check out this great  Free McDougall Meal Plan . Here is what Dr McDougall says about plant-based nutrition: To understand why the McDougall Program is such powerful medicine, you must start by recognizing that plant foods are the most abundant sources of nutrition on earth. Nutrients are the raw materials your body needs to function properly and can generally be split into two types – the ones your body can make by itself and the ones it can derive only from your food. The latter are called “essential” nutrients. There are 13 essential vitamins. Eleven are made in abundance by plants. The two that are not produced by plants are vitamins D and B12, both of which are stored in your tissues for long periods of time. You’ll get enough vitamin D with adequate exposure to sunlight and B12 can be easily supplemented. I tell pregnant and nursing women, and people who follow my diet strictly for more th...