The #HarryPotter #Christmas Book Tag - #AmReading

Of course, having stumbled across this one via this post on a blog called "For Books Sake" earlier this year, I knew I had to do it.  I mean, it's Harry Potter, and a tag I haven't done yet!

 

Interestingly, this one has a rule where you're not allowed to use any of the Harry Potter books for your answers.  That's a nice twist.  Good thing I've read plenty of other books too, isn't it? *wink*

 

As usual, I'm not tagging anyone, but if you want to play along, feel free to do so, either in the comments section of this post, or on your own blog.  Just don't forget to tell me where your answers can be found, because I'd hate to miss reading them.  For now though, here are the questions, along with my own answers:

 

1. It’s your first Christmas at Hogwarts. What’s one book you’ve asked for this year?

 

The rest of the "Animals Of Farthing Wood" series by Colin Dann.  I got the first book last year, and am hoping for the next this year, or maybe more than one of them.  Bet I don't get those books though.  I mean, there are a lot of books on my list...

 

2. You spot Hagrid hauling the Christmas tree through the grounds. What is the longest (or heaviest) book you own?

 

By page count, the longest is probably "The Lord Of The Rings" by JRR Tolkien.  But the heaviest is my copy of "Lief's Vegetarian Bible" - a recipe book in more than a dozen braille volumes.  Trust me when I say that even a doorstop like "The Lord Of The Rings" is easier to carry around than this thing.

 

3. It’s time for the famous Great Hall feast. What’s one book you can’t read without snacks?

 

Any of the books in Kim Harrison's "Hollows" series.  I don't always snack while eating, but so many of the scenes in those books revolve around food it's hard not to grab a snack while reading that series.

 

4. Well done, you’ve brewed your first Polyjuice Potion. What’s one book you’d change the cover of?

 

I can't think of one.  I mean, I wouldn't change the covers of any books I own.  Not just because I can't see them either, but because I did try not to judge a book by its cover even when I had the option to do that.  Or maybe I would be able to pick one if I could see them? *shrugs*

 

5. You receive a brand new Firebolt for Christmas. What’s one book you read super quickly?

 

I read most books super quickly, especially compared to most people.  I mean, there are people who read faster than me, but not many I know personally.  Most people don't read the 100 books and over that I read each year.  So I really can't pick one for this question either.

 

6. You join Harry for his first proper Christmas. What’s one book you’d love to receive this year?

 

To be honest, any book I don't have a copy of will be welcome.  Although, if you want a spacific book to be mentioned, just see my answer for the first question, since my answer for this question would be the same: the next book in the "Animals Of Farthing Wood" series by Colin Dann.

 

7. You get hit by one of Fred and George’s flying snowballs. What’s a book you wanted to throw across the room?

 

Throw a book across the room? *gasps in horror* I can't do that, and have never been tempted to do so.

 

8. You’ve just visited Hogsmeade for the first time. What’s one popular book you haven’t read yet?

 

Where do I start? Since I work to my own reading schedule, there are an awful lot of popular books I haven't gotten around to reading yet.

 

9. Congratulations, you’ve been invited to the Yule Ball. What book about Christmas do you love?

 

I can't pick just one, but my favourites are: "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens, "The Bear Father Christmas Forgot" by Diana Kimpton, "Winter Solstice" by Rosamunde Pilchar, and "The Little Match Girl" by Hans Christian Anderson.

 

10. You find Ron’s deluminator. What’s one book that’s helped you through some dark times?

 

It's not one book, but a series: Diana Gabaldon's "Outlander" series.  Those books got me through the early weeks of the pandemic.  Being able to escape to 18th century Scotland and America (with some 20th century parts thrown in) was a great - and incredibly welcome - distraction from the year 2020.

#AmReading + #AmWatching + #AmListening - Media Shares And #Reviews 27-02-20

Hold a book in your hand and you're a pilgrim at the gates of a new city.
~Anne Michaels

Welcome to this week's weekly media shares and reviews post!

*Disclaimer: no matter what's being reviewed, all opinions in this post are entirely my own, and I reserve the right to have them, regardless of who may or may not share them. Feel free to express your own in the comments, but please respect my right - and the rights of other commenters - to have opinions that might differ from yours, and to express those opinions too.

Also, please remember that I read/watch/listen to things in a variety of genres, and for all ages, so you should make sure you check that the book/movie/show/song is suitable for the intended audience before reading/watching/listening to it, especially if children are involved. I take no responsibility for anything which may happen as a result of failing to do so.

If you want to know more about the book, or the author, click on whichever it is you want to learn more about, and it will take you to the appropriate page on Goodreads. Clicking on my rating should take you to my actual Goodreads review for the book in question. Please bear in mind that the format I've reviewed on Goodreads may not be the format I actually read.

Alternatively, if it's a movie or TV show you want to know more about, just click on the title to go to a page where you can find out more details about the movie or TV show in question; the title links will usually take you to a page on IMDB.

Unless otherwise stated, all music videos are via YouTube.

OK. Let's see what I've been reading, watching, and listening to, and which song I'm going to share this week, shall we? After all, that's the point of this post, and why you're here today, right?

• Reading:

This week I read two books. So, here's what I read, along with my book reviews.

The Poinciana Tree by Rita Lee Chapman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book was an enjoyable read. It’s well-written, has an intriguing plot, and contains a cast of interesting characters. However, while it was a wonderful read in many ways, it didn’t grip me the way this author’s previous mysteries have. Maybe it’s just me, and has nothing to do with the book. I don’t know. I mean, it was a great book, with plenty of twists in the plot, etc. But it didn’t grip me the way the author’s previous books have. I still thoroughly enjoyed it though, and would still recommend it to mystery lovers.

Leith's Vegetarian Bible by Polly Tyrer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book was brought for me by a family member as a gift, and I'm glad it was, because it seems like an excellent book for a vegetarian - or even a vegan - to have a copy of (I'm a vegan at this point, but was still vegetarian when the book was brought for me). I love how you get all kinds of information on the vitamins and things you can find in various foods as well as the recipes. I'm no expert, but from what I've read elsewhere from those who are, it seems like pretty reliable information. It's great that you get measurement conversions too. As for the recipes: well, I haven't tried any yet, but they look amazing, and generally pretty straight-forward to follow. Plus, many seem to either already be vegan friendly, or could be easily adapted to become vegan friendly, which I was glad to see. I only don't give it the full five stars because I think the way the recipes are organized is kind of weird (it's done by main vegetable ingredient, rather than course) and also because I haven't actually tried the recipes yet, because I was so over-whelmed with the number of choices that I never got around to picking one to try.

• Watching:

This week I watched the last of "NCIS" season 13, as well as several Disney movies that were on Sky Cinema Disney this week (because I couldn't be bothered to get up and put a DVD on). I'm not going to bother listing them. Just know they were mostly the old classics, apart from the new "Aladdin" movie, but I'd seen them all at least once before (in some cases so many times I could probably tell you what happens next at any given point in the movie if I tried).

• Listening:

This week I've been listening to all kinds of things. Mostly panpipe music though, because all the storms have been hurting my head (a Glaucoma related issue I still have to deal with; it's a pressure thing) and I find panpipe music soothing. So, here's some panpipe music for you to enjoy some too.

Medical Mutterings, #Vegan #Recipe Experiments, #Tortoise Playpens, And #StormCaira

Happy Tuesday! At least, I hope it's a happy one.

I appear to still be sick; my cold and cough are still lingering. I've thought they were getting better a few times, but apparently not. I'm still sniffly and coughing, especially at night and first thing in the morning. It starts to look like it's going to stop, and then starts back up again. At least it's not getting worse. That's something.

Anyway, another week has come and gone, so let's see what I've been up to, shall we?

***~~~***

Tuesday was my appointment with the dentist at the hospital to look at my tongue.

The consultant I saw had a look at it, and agrees with my regular dentist that it needs to be removed. He's going to do it himself in a few weeks. I'm booked to have it done on March 3rd at 4:10pm.

Officially, he could have booked me in sooner. However, there's a slight complication.

You see, they're insisting on having a sighted person signing for me - again.

At least this guy offered me an explanation that makes sense as to why though.

Basically, there's no official procedure for my situation. Normally people fall in to one of the following catagories:

• People under a certain age, who require a parent or guardian to sign for them.
• People old enough to sign for themselves, with no disability.
• People with a physical disability that doesn't stop them being able to read and understand the document, so allows them to be able to sign for themselves. Such as people in wheelchairs.
• People with a mental handicap, where another has to make decisions on their behalf, since they lack the ability to do so. In which case the person making the decisions would be the one who signs.
• People with some kind of disability who have an assistant with them, who is generally expected to be the one signing on their behalf. This being what happens in most cases with blind patients.
• People who can't make decisions because of the medical circumstances, so their next of kin needs to.

However, I'm a person with the kind of disability that prevents me from reading the document myself, who has the mental capacity and intelligence to make the ddecisions for myself, and is insisting on doing so. Something they don't usually encounter, so have no procedure put in place to deal with. So, since they have no procedure put in place for it, the consultant wants to follow the lead of the gynecologists, since everyone was obviously happy for things to be done that way, so he knows he won't get in trouble for it.

I guess it does kind of make sense, but is stupid, annoying, and a load of hastle that could be avoided if they just let me sign the ******* piece of paper myself. They could even just call Kelly (listed as my next of kin) ask him if he accepts my decision to sign myself, and then - when he tells them he does, which I know he will, since he agrees it's ridiculous that they won't let me - let me do it. But... No! They have to be awkward. *sigh*

So, what all that boils down to is that we need to enlist the help of our friends Andy and Lorna again - or one of them anyhow - to come sign for me. Either that, or put Lilie and Logan in doggy daycare for the day so Kelly can come do it. Either of which I needed time to arrange. Hence me being given four weeks between seeing the consultant and having them remove the lump, since we could guarantee that would be long enough to arrange doggy daycare if Lorna and/or Andy couldn't help. Or give them plenty of notice if they could, which is the case, since Lorna says she'll do it.

Yes, I can assign the job to anyone I want. They just have to be able to see to read what they're signing. Like I said, it makes sense, but is stupid, annoying, and involves some extra steps that are a waste of everyone's time.

Anyway, apparently it will take just 20 minutes to do, since they just give me a local anasthetic, do a quick cut, and send me home. So I should only be at the hospital for an hour or so at most. But they advise I don't eat anything for the first couple of hours, and then stick to a soft food diet for a few days afterwards.

Yeah? Ya think? I'd have done that even if they hadn't advised it. I'm pretty sure even that's not going to be fun for those first couple of days. But only drinking won't be an option, because the only painkiller I can take is ibuprofen, and taking that without food is not a good plan. Weetabix and soup are my plan for those few days... Soft but filling.

Logan is going to be unhappy come toast and sweetie ball time... Might have to have Kelly share some toast with him. Kelly's not a big toast eater, but he will eat toast, and I'm sure he'd do it for those few days so Logan will settle properly.

Yes, my dogs are spoiled. No, you won't change that. *wink*

***~~~***

Wednesday my monthly supplies of the vegan items that are tricky to get locally arrived (like my jars of jackfruit, and a few other things). So I had to get all those put in their places.

Also, this was the day I did a bit of a food experiment, and worked on an idea I had for a vegan cottage cheese recipe, so I could try it in a recipe that called for cottage cheese, which Deanna had posted.

It was the rice and bean pie recipe she posted recently, in case you were wondering. It's a great one as is for vegetarians, but needs some adjustments and replacements to be made for vegans. One of which is a vegan alternative to the cottage cheese.

Deanna did find this vegan cottage cheese recipe. But I had an idea that was simpler and quicker to do, so figured I'd try my own idea first. I might try that other cottage cheese recipe at some point though, as well as check out some of the other recipes on the Loving It Vegan website.

In the meantime, I made my own simpler tofu-based version - which may or may not be what others who have used tofu as a cottage cheese substitute have done in the past - which tasted pretty close to cottage cheese in my opinion, and Kelly said looked a lot like cottage cheese too. I tried it in the recipe, in tortillas with some refried beans, and also just plain on a bit of bread, so I've tested it chilled, as well as cooked with something. The recipe will eventually go up on my website, and I think Deanna is planning to add it to the recipe of hers I linked to in this post, but if you want me to share it on my blog too, let me know, and I'll post it next week.

***~~~***

Thursday I mostly enjoyed petkid time, only doing the day to day things that always "have to" get done, and tried to take it a bit easy, because apparently the two days one after another with things going on took a lot out of me. So, even though I thought - wrongly, as it turned out - the cold might have improved, I was feeling really drained and achy; I was extremely low on spoons, and didn't have it in me to do more than absolutely necessary that day.

I might be doing great compared to how I was before I had my hysterectomy, but I still have health issues to deal with, and still have days - sometimes a few in a row - like that, and this was one of them. Hey, even on these kinds of days I feel better than I did on my best days before the hysterectomy, so I'm definitely not complaining. But it's why I mostly try to do only a few things each day, and most of them can be done sitting down.

***~~~***

Friday we did the dogs' flea and worming stuff, and I marvelled - as I do every time - at how much easier Lilie and Logan are to do it than just about any other dog I've had to do it for. When it comes to their spot-on flea stuff, they'll both come to you when you call them for it (even though they've seen you getting it ready) and stand there patiently while you put it on them. As for the worming tablet: Logan takes it without a fuss, even without it being hidden in anything, and even Lilie will take it without issue if you put it in whatever her current favourite food item happens to be (right now that means ham). Two minutes at most, and you've got the stuff out, treated both dogs, and are done with it. Completely different to all the times I've had to crawl under beds and desks to capture hiding dogs.

Speaking of Lilie and Logan: on Friday I also called the groomer. Logan is booked in for a full grooming session on February 21st at 11:00am, and Lilie's booked to go in at the same time for her nails to be done (since she doesn't need a full grooming session again yet, but she doesn't wear her nails down properly, so those need trimming regularly). They'd have normally been on the same grooming schedule, but Logan missed the last one because of his upset stomach. I was going to just leave him until Lilie was due to be groomed again - especially since that would be right before we plan to get him neutered, so then his fur would be relatively short for them doing that - but he's starting to look really scruffy, and it's getting difficult to keep his fur from getting tangled and knotty (even with regular brushing) so I thought I better get him groomed now, before it becomes a problem for him.

I was still feeling kind of achy and drained - most likely not helped by my cough and cold deciding to inform me it hadn't left after all - so didn't really do much else on Friday, except sort a few eMails (since at least that didn't take much energy to achieve) and discover one of the blogs I follow was talking about this Little Library Cafe site, which I definitely need to check out some of the recipes on.

***~~~***

I wasn't feeling so drained and achy by Saturday, but had a mostly petkid play and DVD day anyhow, since it was the weekend. So, the main thing I achieved was to set up a playpen for Artemis. Actually, other than the "have to do" daily tasks, several games of fetch and tuggy, and watching of DVDs, it was the only thing I achieved. But that's fine.

Anyway, I needed - and wanted - Artemis to be able to come out of the vivarium for playtime without having to be cuddled the whole time (other than bath time, when we have a designated tortoise bath bowl that Artemis is in, which you may have seen in a recent post from Mollie) since it's good for the tortoise to have the change of scenery, exercise, etc. But the tortoise is too tiny to be wandering around loose (even if some people do that) and the pet playpens you can get are made of mesh, with gaps in the mesh that are either big enough that Artemis could easily fit through them, or just right for the tortoise to catch a foot or something. In short, not designed for tortoise playpens. So I improvised, emptied some stuff out of a plastic storage box, and made a little tortoise playpen out of it.

Artemis loved it!

The playpen isn't particularly large, but neither is the tortoise, so it's good enough. I'll look for a bigger box to make Artemis a larger playpen when I can, and sort out a few more toys for it when I do. For now, Artemis has space to stomp around out of the vivarium without getting lost or squished, a log tunnel thing to climb in and on in that space, and some sticks to play with. Like I said, Artemis seems pleased to have those things.

Here's a photo of Artemis in the tortoise playpen:

***~~~***

In a rare display of the weather reports being completely accurate, in the early hours of Sunday morning, "Storm Caira" showed up, bringing lots of wind, and a fair bit of rain too. Luckily, we had nowhere we needed to go that day, since we wouldn't have wanted to be out there. Even Lilie didn't want to go out there. There was nothing much we had to do either, which meant I could enjoy more DVD watching and petkid playtime while listening to the storm.

We tried to get a video of Artemis in the tortoise playpen, but Artemis wasn't in the mood to play. All we got was a tortoise who refused to do more than stomp a little in one spot and look kind of sulky. I'm sharing the clip anyway.







Listen to that wind. Is it any wonder the tortoise was feeling kind of cranky? I mean, look at the storm:







The jingling you hear in both clips is the tags and bell on Lilie's collar. That's her barking in both clips too.

Artemis did play some later, so I tried to get a video of that. In fact, I did a few short videos, and a couple of photos too. But I did them myself, and Kelly hasn't had a chance to look at those to see if the tortoise is actually in them.

I also tried to get some photos and videos of Mollie, Lilie, and Logan. But, again, Kelly hasn't had a chance to sort through them yet. I'll share any that successfully got animals in them in the near future. Probably in a Friday post.

***~~~***

Monday was still stormy, with lots of wind and a fair amount of rain, though the weather was calmer than it had been Sunday. The sun even tried to shine a few times. There was still a weather warning alert on for the area though, complete with a flood warning. Some parts of the country got some snow, and the snow is meant to be heading South, but doesn't seem to have made it as far South as where I am. At least, it hasn't as of writing this, though it still could. I won't hold my breath, but I will hope, especially since some areas only a couple of hours drive from us have seen some.

I spent some time sorting eMails between when I woke up and when it was time to deal with the petkids, and then spent the rest of the morning alternating between dealing with chores, seeing to the petkids, and helping my Mam with something over the phone. The afternoon was mainly spent beta reading a story for an author friend, with some time squeezed in to finish putting this post together and sort a few more eMails between sending her my notes on it by eMail, and needing to go start preparing dinner.

***~~~***

So, that was my week. How was yours?

The New Year Bookish Resolutions 2020 Tag, Via @tstrawberrypost - #AmReading

I know we're now about three weeks in to the year, but you can blame Cat for this one, since she posted this last week, and you know I have a weakness for these things.

Anyway, here's a fun tag for what I hope to be reading in 2020. As I say about all these tags, if you want to do it too, go ahead. Just make sure you tell me where I can find your answers, because I'd love to read them.

For now though, here are mine, which we'll look back on when I do my yearly reflections on the past year at the end of 2020, to see if I actually read what I said I'd like to. So...

1.  An author you’d like to read that you’ve never read?

There are several, but I'm going to go with Darlene Foster. I've had her "Amanda Travels" books on my to-read list for a while, and I'd really like to get to those.

2. A book you’d like to read?

Where do I even start with this one? I've got a LOT of books on my to-read list, you know, and I wish there were more available reading hours in a day, because I want to get to them all (something I doubt I'll ever manage, but I'm sure going to read as many as I can in this lifetime). But, I'll try to pick just one which I'd like to get to this year, even though it's really tough to choose.

You know what? It's no good. I can't. The best I can do is to cheat a bit and pick too, but they're part of a series, so it's only kind of cheating. Either way, I'm going to go with "Laughter Lines: Life from the Tail End" and "Doggerel: Life with the Small Dog" by Sue Vincent. I've read "Notes from a Small Dog: Four Legs on Two" and really enjoyed it, so since I have the follow-up books, I'd like to read those too, especially since I love Ani's posts on Sue's blog, so am eager to read more from/about her. If you're a dog-lover, you might want to check them out too.

3. A classic you’d like to read?

There are several, as I'm sure you aren't surprised to hear. But, if I had to pick just one, I'd have to go with "The Time Machine" by H.G. Wells, which I keep meaning to read, and not getting around to reading.

4. A book you’d like to re-read?

My copy of Jean Adamson's "Topsy And Tim" series. I don't think it's marked as having been read on Goodreads, but I read the books as a child, and loved them. I'm looking forward to getting to read those again. I'll wait until I do to rate and review the series on Goodreads though, especially since it's been so long since I read them.

5. A book you’ve had for ages and want to read?

All of them! Seriously, I could be here for ages listing titles for this one. But, if I had to pick just one I'd like to read this year, I think I'm going to have to go with "The Four Treasures of Eirean" by Ali Isaac, which I've been meaning to read for some time. I'd like to get to the other books in the series too.

6. A big book you’d like to read?

I'm going to have to go with my copy of "Leith's Vegetarian Bible" that my brother got me the Christmas before last. I've glanced through it once or twice, but I'd really like to sit down and give that a proper read, and maybe try some of the recipes (or veganized versions of them, if they contain eggs or dairy).

7. An author you’ve previously read and would like to read more of?

There are several I could list for this one too, but I'm going to go with Sally Cronin. I've read - and enjoyed - a few of her books, and have many others of hers, which I'd like to read very soon.

8. A book you got for Christmas and would like to read?

Even though it's technically going to be a re-read for me, it's got to be "The Animals Of Farthing Wood" by Colin Dann. I remember listening to it with my brother when I was younger, and used to love the TV series version, so am looking forward to getting to read this one again. I need to get, and read, the rest of the series too, but I'm not sure if I'll end up doing that this year. The first book, yes, but since I don't have the others in the series yet... We'll see what happens with them.

9. A series you want to read from start to finish?

There are several, but one that springs to mind is Diana Gabaldon's "Outlander" series, which I have the books for, but haven't gotten to yet. I'd really like to get to that one this year.

10. A series you want to finish that you’ve already started?

There are several, but the two I'm most eager to finish are Eoin Colfer's "Artemis Fowl" series, and Amber Fox's "Mae Martin Mysteries" series, both of which I've read the first few books for, have the rest of them, and haven't had a chance to finish reading. I'd definitely like to fix that this year.

11. Do you set reading goals?  If so how many books do you want to read in 2020?

I want to read 104 books in 2020. I usually read more than that (last year was the least I've read in the time I've been recording things on Goodreads, and it was 114 books) but I'd rather finish it early than be stressing about not having read enough books, so I'm keeping my reading goal set to 104 books.

12. Any other reading goals?

No. I often do have other reading goals, but not this year. I mean, there are certain books I'm hoping to read this year - as mentioned above - and I do have the ongoing hope that I'll actually read more books than I add to my to-read list. But I'm also realistic enough to know that's highly unlikely to actually happen, since I seem to find new ones I want to read faster than even I can read them, so don't bother adding it as a goal (though I have had goals for reading a certain number of books from those that have been on my to-read list for more than a certain amount of time in previous years). This year though I mostly want to just focus on enjoying reading the books I read.

13. Are there any reading goals from last year that you’d like to carry into this year?

No. My only goals for last year were to read 104 books and do the two versions of the A-Z reading challenge (titles and authors) and I did those things, so don't need to carry them forward. Though the number of books I hope to read this year is the same as it was last year, as you may have noticed.

#BonfireNight Again, The #Moon, #Vegetarian & #Vegan BBQs, And #Fireworks

As I said last week, it was Bonfire Night last Tuesday (November 5th).

I had hoped the combination of bad weather, and the fact it fell on a weekday this year, would mean it wasn't so bad for fireworks. No such luck. The fireworks started going off as soon as it was getting even a little dark (so about 5:30pm) and went on until a little after 10:00pm, despite it being quite windy and a bit wet out there too (though admitedly not as wet as it has been a lot of the time lately; it was only a bit drizzly, rather than raining heavily).

A lot of the fireworks were big ones too. In fact, the fireworks were so bad that night that even Lilie - usually pretty relaxed about them - got distressed. Someone suggested part of it might have been that she was upset by how upset Logan was, which is quite likely, but she definitely wasn't liking the bigger fireworks we had at one point. Some of them sounded like they were right outside, even though Kelly looked, and could tell they were coming from at least a few streets away. It was an evening of attempting to comfort puppies, while making sure either the TV or a book was playing to muffle the sound some. I even put the laundry I'd planned to dry the following morning in the dryer, in hopes the dryer noise would cover some of it. It helped with the smaller fireworks anyway, so that's something.

There's talk about making it that only the official events can do fireworks, like it used to be at one point. To be honest, I'd back that in a heartbeat. Yes, I love fireworks, but still. Apart from anything else, we'd have a better idea of exactly when they'd be starting, and which day they'd be coming from which direction. They also probably wouldn't happen in the week if Bonfire Night fell in the week, since the organized events for it are usually held on the weekend... Most of the big events are when possible.

There's also talk about silent fireworks, which I'm not so enthusiastic about. From the point of view of the animals, and how it would help them, I'm all for it. However, speaking as a blind person, I have to point out here how that would exclude me - and other visually impaired people - from enjoying them. So... Yeah. There are pros and cons to that idea.

Either way, despite everything, I did go to a private firework display this year, since I was invited to one.

Our friends, Lorna and Andy, did a firework display and BBQ this past weekend, and I was invited, as I said. Officially Kelly was invited too, but since we couldn't take Lilie and Logan (especially with how scared Logan is of fireworks) and Kelly's less enthusiastic about fireworks than I am, it was decided only I would go, and Kelly would stay home with the furkids. We don't leave them home alone anyhow - neither have been left totally alone for more than five minutes in the time they've lived with us - but definitely wouldn't have during firework season. Poor babies were distressed enough when they had someone there to comfort them. I wouldn't like to think how much worse they'd be if they were here alone during it.

Of course, even without the nearby fireworks to upset him, Logan wasn't at all happy about me being out for so long, but he'd have been even less happy being so close to the fireworks - even though he is starting to get a little more used to them now that we've had them going off near us so much. I can't always stay home to spare his feelings, even if it seriously tugs at my heartstrings to walk away when I hear him cry as I walk out of the door. I went through the same thing with Kero. So, Logan's feelings aside, I went to the late Bonfire Night firework display and BBQ at Lorna and Andy's place.

It should have been happening Saturday, but was rescheduled for Sunday due to rain. Of course, it being the UK, there was a chance we'd have rain Sunday too, but we got lucky, and Sunday evening was perfect weather for it, with no rain, and hardly any breeze. In fact, here's a couple of pictures of the almost full moon, which I took that evening:

The BBQ that was part of the evening was an entirely meat-free BBQ, since Lorna and Andy are vegetarians, and don't have meat or fish in their home. But, despite it being a vegetarian BBQ, I did take some stuff for myself at Lorna's request, just to be 100% certain I had burgers and sausages I could/would eat, because a lot of the ones they get involve dairy or eggs. I don't usually buy the ready made burgers or sausages, but found some promising looking ones from Birds Eye that I'd seen other vegans mentioning as being good, and having been eaten by them at a BBQ, so I grabbed some of those. Had them in buns with my favourite vegan mayo and vegan cheese alternative (Helmans and VioLife respectively) and some onion and tomato. Lorna and Andy had baked some potatoes, so I had one of those with some vegan mayo in place of butter, as well as some onion and tomato. It was all delicious. So, I didn't mind when Lorna gave me back the leftovers of the vegan stuff to take home, since it meant I could have the rest of those burgers and sausages for my dinner the following evening.

Lorna and Andy also had some vegan milks, which they sent home with me afterwards too. So I was able to have a nice cup of tea with almond milk in it, and have some extra almond milk, oat milk, and soya milk, which is never a problem, since I use all three in either my cups of tea, smoothies, or cereal. They've usually got herbal tea of some kind anyhow, so it wouldn't have been a big deal if they hadn't had those milks. It was nice that they did though.

Anyway, as you might have guessed by the above moon photos, I also took the camera with me, since Lorna and Andy said I could, so here are some fireworks for those of you who enjoy them... Before pressing play, please ensure any pets aren't in the room, or use headphones or something. I didn't end up getting the bigger fireworks in any of the clips. Partially because they're too difficult to follow when two people are attempting to work together to operate a camera - thanks to Annie for the camera operation assistance, and firework descriptions, by the way - and partially because with all the clips I took (what I'm about to share is just the good ones we got, which were considered worth keeping) the camera was running out of battery by the end. Take a look at all these firework clips, and you'll understand why. Each one is short, but there are a lot of them.

OK, so... Are the pets out of the room? Great! Then here are the clips:

There were sparklers too, and I had to have one, of course...







By the way, forgive the chatter and appearance of other guests at times... It was unavoidable.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the fireworks.

#BonfireNight Thoughts, And Celebrating #Halloween 2019

It's Bonfire Night here in the UK. Though you'd have thought it was this past weekend with all the fireworks that were happening when the weather was allowing for it. I also happen to know people are doing fireworks this coming weekend.

Not that I'm complaining. I mean, I enjoy fireworks, and I'm hopefully going to one of the ones happening next weekend, assuming the weather is better than it has been a lot of the time lately, and it doesn't get rained off. But I'll tell you about that another day. At least, I'll tell you about it if it does end up happening (it's meant to be, as of the time I'm writing this post; I've just spoken to the people regarding my transport arrangements).

Anyway, I'm torn when it comes to fireworks, because I feel bad for the animals that don't like them - like Logan, apparently - and all the wild animals with nowhere dark and quiet to hide. For their sakes I do wish there weren't so many fireworks happening. Still, I can't help enjoying them. It's like snow: I love it, despite knowing it causes so many problems for some people, especially when there's a lot of it, and even while I acknowledge that, can't help feeling you can never have too much of it.

I actually kind of wish we could all arrange our fireworks displays on the same night. The animals would still get scared, but at least it would just be once. That's not a 100% perfect solution, but it would be better than the scattered displays the animals have to deal with these days.

But, despite the date, and the firework themed introduction to this post, today's post is actually supposed to be about my Halloween celebrations for this year. So let's talk about those now, shall we?

So... I put up my Halloween decorations the Monday before Halloween.

I don't have loads of them, but I have a couple I've had for a few years, and a few new ones. So I set up displays in the living room windows, since it seemed like a good place that was out of reach of the dogs. Plus, I liked the thought that if someone looked up, they might be able to see and enjoy some of them too. It's not very likely, since people almost never look up. But it was a nice thought, and you never know...

Anyway, here are my Halloween window displays:

In the first photo: the beware sign and maple leaf I've had for a while. The bat is a wooden one Kelly helped me decorate a couple of years ago. The lit up black pumpkin is the one I picked up when we took the dogs for their grooming session at the start of September. The ghost, pumpkin lights, orange pumpkin, candle, and Frankenstein figure are new.

In the second photo: the skull in the frame is the quilling one I made last year. The witch and Frankenstein masks are old masks I turned in to decorations a few years ago. But the hanging skeleton and those little candles are new.

There should have been some little bats too. Two on the window sill with the skeleton theme, and four on the pumpkin themed window sill. But Kelly took the photos before I'd added those, we didn't think to grab new photos, and the decorations were put away over the weekend, so it's too late now.

I forgot to get a photo of the Fall themed table runner we stitched on the table too, and didn't keep it on there because Kelly's working on some figures, and I didn't want him getting stuff all over it. But you can see that in this post, if you want to see it, and missed doing so when I shared it among the other things in that post at the time it was finished.

I did get you a photo of this year's Mr. Pumpkin-Head though. I almost didn't get to do one this year, because our local fruit and veg shop ran out of pumpkins. Luckily the supermarket still had some, and Kelly grabbed one when he was doing his shopping. Quite an impressive one too. So, here's a photo of this year's Mr. Pumpkin-Head once he was finished, and all lit up:

Lilie's a fan of the "big orange ball"...

(Don't worry, the candle was removed before the pumpkin was put where she could check it out, and anyway it's a battery one - one of the ones you see in the above photos - so wouldn't have done her any harm anyhow).

We managed to get Lilie to pose with the pumpkin, but Logan wasn't feeling co-operative... I don't think he was sure what to make of it. So this is the best we could do for a photo of both the dogs posing with Mr. Pumpkin-Head:

For more puppy Halloween photos, check out Lilie's post from last Friday (if you haven't already read that post) where you can see photos of Lilie and Logan in their Halloween costumes.

Anyway, Mr. Pumpkin-Head went back to his favourite job of being a jack-o-lantern after the photos of him with the dogs were done. Though it took me lifting her up so she could check him out in his new spot, and the destraction of her favourite ball, before Lilie would leave him alone, since she kept yapping at him to come back down on the floor and play with her. Even with the destraction of her favourite ball, it took a while before she completely gave up trying to persuade him to come play. Like I said, I think she liked him. Haha!

Naturally, there had to be some pumpkin themed baking. In fact, it's sort of a tradition for me these days to do pasta with pumpkin sage sauce on or around Halloween. So, since this was my first Halloween as a vegan, I veganized my pumpkin sage sauce recipe. It wasn't difficult, since it just meant swapping out the milk for a plant-based milk (I used a can of coconut milk) and the butter for a vegan butter. The latter of which I'd actually done for the past couple of years anyhow. So, I had pasta with pumpkin sage sauce, sprinkled with some vegan cheese, for dinner on Halloween and the day after.

I also had my first attempt at a vegan pumpkin pie. I don't make pumpkin pie every year, but wanted to this year, partially for the challenge of veganizing it, and partially because I fancied some. I brought some evaporated coconut milk as a vegan friendly alternative to the evaporated milk usually used, and used cornflour in place of the eggs to help the filling set (a tablespoon of cornflour for each egg the recipe I was adapting called for). The rest of the ingredients were just pumpkin puree, sugar, and pumpkin pie spice anyhow. And the pastry, of course, which I just used my usual basic pastry recipe for. Anyway, here's a photo of it freshly baked:

When it had fully cooled, I served it with a soya based squirty cream...

The vegetarian friendly versions of both recipes can be found on my website's recipe section already. When I can, I'll get the full vegan pumpkin pie recipe posted up there too. I won't be bothering with a vegan version of the pumpkin sage sauce recipe though, since it's straight-forward to veganize, so I figure you can work it out for yourself.

Anyway, I had also considered making some pumpkin spice cake, and maybe some cookies too. But decided not to. I mean, I already had the pumpkin pie, after all. I'll make cake and cookies another time.

I did make myself another pumpkin themed treat though: a pumpkin pie smoothie. One of the vegan recipe sites I get newsletters for posted about it leading up to Halloween, and I couldn't resist. It's milk (they recommend coconut, but I used almond, and my Mam tried it with dairy milk) a bit of pumpkin puree, some pumpkin pie spice, a banana and a bit of maple syrup (that last being optional; I did choose to add it, but my Mam didn't) blended together in a smoothie. Well, they say to sprinkle the pumpkin pie spice on top, but I went ahead and threw it in my smoothie maker with the rest of the ingredients, since I drink my smoothies out of a bottle anyhow. I'm pretty sure Mam threw hers in her smoothie maker when blending too.

It was all delicious. Mam seems to have enjoyed her version of the smoothie too. I wasn't worried about whether the smoothie or pumpkin sage sauce would turn out to be good, but I do confess I was a little bit worried about the pumpkin pie. I mean, I was pretty sure my plan for the pie would work, but it was an experiment, so... Yeah. Sometimes those work, and sometimes they don't. But I got lucky. The pumpkin pie turned out great. Kelly even had a very tiny taste of the pumpkin pie - only enough so he could tell me how well it compared to traditional pumpkin pie, since he generally shys away from eating most of what I bake or buy that's clearly vegan alternatives to things he usually likes - and agreed it had turned out really well; Kelly says it looks and tastes like a pumpkin pie should, though is a bit darker in colour than most are, which is probably because I used unrefined cane sugar instead of caster sugar. So I have it from a Canadian that I did a good job with my pumpkin pie. That's good enough for me!

Anyway, that's about it for my Halloween celebrations. I didn't expect any trick-or-treaters. We don't generally get them here, because of the type of building and where it is. I think it's a shame, because I'd love to have some trick-or-treaters. But there you go. I usually get a bunch of treats in, "Just in case," and then eat them myself when nobody comes. But I resisted that urge this year, deciding I had enough in the way of treats with the pumpkin pie I'd be having pretty much to myself.

So, what about you? Did you do anything for Halloween? If you did, I'd love to hear about it. Tell me about it in the comments.

#Vegan And #Vegetarian Friendly Food Themed Thoughts - October 2019 Edition

I had my first attempt since becoming vegan at making a quiche the other day. I'm a fan of quiche normally, but it took me a while to get around to trying a veganized recipe. I'd seen a bunch of different ones online, some more complicated than others, some using actual egg replacers - which I tend to avoid doing - and some that were more like vegetable tarts than quiches in my opinion, so not really what I was looking for. So I used those as a base for ideas on how to veganize my usual quiche recipe. Basically, for the eggy part, I blended tofu, nutritional yeast, and garlic granuals. Then I put those in a pastry-lined tin along with some vegan cheese, some mushrooms, and some spinach, and baked it in the oven for about 40 minutes. The result was actually really good, though I think a bit more seasoning is called for next time... I forgot to adjust for the fact tofu needs plenty of seasoning, so didn't add the bit of crushed garlic I usually add to my spinach and mushroom quiche, since I was using the garlic granuals in the tofu mixture. But I think I should have used both. Or, for a recipe without garlic - if you don't want to use it for whatever reason - use plenty of whatever seasoning you decide to use. It had the right sort of quiche-like texture though, and tasted good, so I was really pleased with my first attempt at making a vegan quiche.

I'll get the recipe written up, and when the person in charge of doing so gets a chance, it will get put on my website's recipe section, along with a few other vegan recipes I plan to put on there. No promises as to when though.

In the meantime, since today marks three months since I went vegan, I thought it was a good day to give a mention to some of the websites I didn't list in my last post like this, so you can check them out if you're looking for vegan or vegetarian friendly recipes, information, and nutrition resources. It's also a good way for me to gather them together, so I can find them more easily myself when I want to. *wink*

Remember: just because these are vegan recipe sites, doesn't mean they aren't worth checking out for those of you who are non-vegans. Sure, some of the recipes won't appeal to you. But that's the case for vegans checking them out too. Besides, you might find some great ideas for starters or side dishes, or things you can serve your vegetarian and vegan guests if you're cooking for a crowd, or even something you fancy trying for a meat-free Monday meal idea, or healthy breakfast/lunch. You might even get inspired to create your own recipe based on one of the ones you see on these sites, but adapted to fit whatever your own dietary preferences might be. Options are limitless when you're cooking and baking, so check out as many recipes as you can, and experiment. After all, that's half the fun of cooking!

Anyway, as I said in last month's post, this is far from a complete list, but here are those websites...

• So Vegan
• Rabbit And Wolves
• The Buddhist Chef
• PETA UK
  
• Oh My Veggies


• Rebel Recipes


• Ordinary Vegan


• Art Of Zen Foods


• Vegan Recipe Club


• Fat Free Vegan Kitchen


• Minimalist Baker (mainly vegan/plant based, but not exclusively).

Friends Of #FurkidFriday: Dot

Hi everyone. This is Lilie the Westie.

I've got another friend for you to meet today. Her name is Dot. So, let's meet her, shall we?

Hi Dot. Nice name... Short and simple. So, Dot, how did you get your name?

My name is Dot because I have a large dot on my back. I was called Dottie when mom and dad adopted me, but mom didn’t like it so she shortened it to Dot.

That makes sense. What species and breed are you?

I am a Bodeguero, a Spanish breed. I’m part Jack Russell and part Fox Terrier. We were bred initially to keep the vermin out of the bodegas (wine cellars). Now we just chase cats.

You sound like an interesting dog. Mummy says she bets you're adorable. So, can you please describe your appearance. I know you also sent a photo - which I'll share in a moment - but please describe yourself too, for the benefit of those who can’t see the photo, like my Mummy.

I’m adorable, at least that’s what mom says. I have short white hair, with a few black dots. My face is white, black and brown, my eyes are chocolate brown and I have brown velvety floppy ears. I have long legs and have the shape of a whippet but not quite as skinny. I can run very fast and jump over walls and fences like a gazelle.

Ah! You are as cute as Mummy thought you must be. For those who can see it, here's a photo of Dot with her Mom:

By the way, Dot, that's some impressive running and jumping. OK, since that photo includes your Mom, this is a good time to think about this, so... Let's talk about others in your life. What sort of place do you live in? Who do you share it with?

I live in Spain in a garden apartment with a large patio. So there is lots of room to run and play ball. I even have a palm tree in my yard where I can hide my ball and toys behind. I have an outside bed and an inside bed. I share my home with my human mom and dad. Sometimes my doggy friends come over for a play date.

Oh, that sounds lovely! Especially the play date thing... That sounds like so much fun! Hey, on the subject of fun things to do, what’s your favourite thing to do?

My favourite thing to do is playing in the park with my BFF, Patch. He is a Bodeguero as well, except he is a boy dog and is younger and a bit smaller than me. We always have so much fun chasing each other, digging holes and sitting in them and rolling around in the grass or dirt. We often get kind of dirty.

Speaking as an Earth dog breed, I have to say that definitely sounds like fun! So, what about when you aren't out on play dates? Do you have a favourite toy? If yes, what is it?

Every time mom goes away to do a book promotion, she comes back with a new toy for me. That one is always my favourite until she brings me another one. Once she brought me a Santa Claus from Canada and I loved him to death. There is only a few pieces of him left.

Ah, yes... Toys do have a habit of falling to pieces, don't they? Not sure how that happens... *ahem*... Anyway, since we're talking about your favourite things, what’s your favourite food?

Food! Did you mention food? I love food. My favourite is chicken. Mom is a vegetarian but she makes chicken for me and dad. I also love ice cream and when the ice cream truck comes by our house, dad buys me my own cone of soft ice cream. It is so yummy! Excuse me now as I have to go and check out my bowl.

Dot? Hey, come back! We're not done. You can check your bowl after we've finished.

Are you back? Yes? Good! Anyway, that's nice of her. My Mummy's the same. Well, she was vegetarian, but now she's vegan, which mostly seems to mean she doesn't eat ice cream or cheese any more either. Still gives us all those things though, which is great... I'd hate to not have those things. I'm glad your humans make sure you get to have chicken, even though you have a vegetarian in the house. That's really great of your Mom! So, Dot, on the subject of the things they do for us, tell me: what’s the one thing your humans do that you love most?

My human mom and dad take me to the beach where I can run and play with other dogs. I love that as well as riding in the back seat of the car when they go out for a drive.

Both great things to do. Of course, they don't always do things we enjoy, do they? So, what’s the one thing your humans do that you hate most?

They give me baths and I hate that. I know, I get smelly and dirty sometimes, especially if I roll in stuff. But I just hate having a bath.

Most dogs do. I don't mind it personally. Or, I wouldn't if they didn't insist on using that smelly stuff. Anyway, Dot, I happen to know your human is a writer and blogger. Has she written anything about you? If yes, can you tell us about it? If no, do you think she will in the future?

Yes, mom has written about me on her blog. Sometimes she lets me write my own post like when we went to France together in the car. Here are a couple of posts.

https://darlenefoster.wordpress.com/2018/06/25/dot-goes-to-france/
https://darlenefoster.wordpress.com/2016/11/06/dot-update/

Thanks for sharing those with us. I hope everyone reading this goes to check them out... After they're done reading the rest of our interview, of course. By the way, Dot, what do you do while your human writes?

I usually sleep on her bed while she writes. When I think she has been at the computer too long, I come into her office and look at her with my big eyes and wag my tale. Then she says, “OK, let me finish this sentence and we’ll go for a walk.” It works every time.

That's fantastic! It sounds like you've trained her really well. I still need to work on Mummy's training some. I hope she gets to be as well trained as yours soon. Alright... I know you want to go see what might be in your food bowl - I hope there's something nice, by the way - so we should finish this up. Before you go though, is there anything else you’d like people to know about you?

I’m a rescue dog. I was found on the side of a scary busy road when I was four months old. I lived with a nice lady, her husband and two Boxer dogs for a while until mom and dad came and got me and took me to my forever home on the Costa Blanca three years ago. I think am one lucky puppy but they say they are lucky to have me. I´m almost 4 years old now.

Sorry you had that kind of start in life. It sounds awful... I'd hate to be all alone on the side of a busy scary road like that! It's sad someone would do that to you. I'm glad you have a great forever home now, and your story has a happy ending. Anyway, it was great getting to know you. Thanks for coming over for a visit.

***~~~***

Author bio:
Darlene Foster, a long time dreamer and tale spinner, created the exciting Amanda Travels series featuring spunky Amanda Ross, a twelve-year-old Canadian girl who loves to travel. All ages enjoy following Amanda as she unravels one mystery after another in unique destinations. Darlene, an avid traveller herself, divides her time between Canada’s west coast and the Spanish Costa Blanca with her husband and entertaining dog, Dot. She believes that dreams do come true.

Links
Website: http://www.darlenefoster.ca/
Blog: https://darlenefoster.wordpress.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/supermegawoman
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DarleneFosterWriter/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Darlene-Foster/e/B003XGQPHA/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3156908.Darlene_Foster

Amanda in Holland: Missing in Action

Amanda is in Holland to see the tulips with her best friend, Leah; as well as travelling the canals of Amsterdam, visiting Anne Frank House, checking out windmills and a wooden shoe factory, and taking pictures of the flowers of Keukenhof Gardens. She is keen to find out what happened to her great uncle who never returned from WWII and was declared missing in action. What she doesn't expect to find and fall in love with is Joey, an abandoned puppy. While trying to find a home for him, she meets Jan, a Dutch boy who offers to help, a suspicious gardener, a strange woman on a bicycle, and an overprotective goose named Gerald. Follow Amanda around the charming country of Holland, filled with colourful tulips, windmills, and more bicycles than she could have imagined. Once again, intrepid traveller Amanda encounters danger and intrigue as she tries to solve more than one mystery in a foreign country.

Buy it from Amazon.com, Amazon UK, and other Amazon sites.

***~~~***

I hope you enjoyed meeting my friend, Dot, and learning more about her and her human Mom, Darlene. Make them feel special by leaving a comment, sharing this post, or both. I'm sure they'll be very happy if you do.

Don't forget, we're always looking for more friends, so... If you're a bird, cat, chinchilla, degu, dog, gerbil, guinea pig, hamster, rabbit, rat, or any other non-human animal, you live with a human who calls themselves a writer - yes, blogging counts - and you'd like to be featured as a friend of Furkid Friday, follow the instructions on the "Friends Of Furkid Friday" page. You can also use that page to check out the posts for friends we've previously featured.

Lots of licks,
Lilie

#Vegan And #Vegetarian Friendly Food Themed Thoughts - September 2019 Edition

When I announced on Facebook and Twitter that I had decided to become vegan, I was given all sorts of tips and resources by the online vegan community. Today I'm going to talk about some of them, along with a couple of recent local eating experiences.

This is by no means a complete list of resources and tips. But it's a great starting point.

I know most of my readers aren't vegan, or even considering becoming vegan, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy a vegan meal now and then, right? Plus, there may be some who find the information in this post useful, or just interesting.

Websites:
Vegan Food UK is a great site, especially for those just starting out on their vegan journey. They've got a great Facebook group too, where the members are really supportive, and usually helpful if you have any questions, or want meal recommendations, or whatever. A vegan friend recommended them to me, and I'm glad she did.

On The Path To Zen is a recipe blog I've been following for a while, which belongs to a friend of a friend. I was introduced to the one who ran it when I was still vegetarian, and put out a call for some quick and easy vegetarian friendly meals, and have been following it ever since. There are some great recipes on there. I might have mentioned this one before, but if I did it's not been for a while, and it's worth mentioning again.

Connoisseurus Veg is another one I've been following for a while - long before I became vegan - and might have mentioned on here before. It's worth mentioning again though, because it's got some fantastic recipes. Some are pretty simple, and some are quite unique, but all I've tried from there have been very tasty. Not that I've tried loads of her recipes, but I've tried a few, and I recommend you do too, whether you're vegan or not.

The Cheap Lazy Vegan is the one that was most often recommended to me, especially given my request for meals that are quick and easy to prepare in particular. She has some great recipes on the site, and some helpful information for new vegans too. She even has a YouTube channel, in case you do better following videos, as well as a couple of eBooks full of recipes. I'm not sure how good the eBooks are, because I haven't brought them. But her site is great, I'm following her on social media now, and I've had some excellent recipe ideas from her. Like making a tofu based substitute for an egg-mayo sandwich filler, which I was definitely eager to try, considering how I'd been a fan of egg-mayo sandwiches when I was still vegetarian. It was a very tasty and satisfactory alternative to the egg-mayo, if you're wondering. Also, I experimented with some of the leftovers, and discovered the mixture can make a great tofu scramble if cooked a little in the microwave (or frying pan).

Aaron Calder Vegan is another great one for meal inspiration. His site - and social media feeds - are especially useful if you want tips on making sure you're getting all your different vitamins without having to resort to the use of supplements, like I am.

Deliciously Ella has some great recipes too. She also has a recipe book available, I think. Plus, I know for a fact you can buy some of her stuff ready made in a lot of places (at least, you can in the UK... Not sure about elsewhere). Personally, I'm interested more in the recipes, but her stuff is a great option if you want something ready made that's also going to be healthy, and she's good for recipes too, which is why I'm also following her on YouTube and social media.

You can also find tips and things on Veganuary. Including some suggestions for filling your cupboard with vegan friendly staples, like various grains, beans, pulses, dried fruits and nuts, etc. They've also got a starter kit and some recipes, along with a lot of other potentially useful information.

You'll be surprised what you can find in most supermarkets for vegans these days. However, for those harder to find items, try The Vegan Kind, or somewhere similar. If you're in the UK, and try The Vegan Kind spacifically, clicking on the link in this post will tell them I refered you, which will earn me some reward points when you sign up and make an order. Plus, you can use NEWBIE15 to get 15% off your first order, and will get 50 points immediately for signing up yourself. Reward points add up to give you money off later purchases. Anyway, they have some great stuff on there that's hard to find elsewhere, including vegan gummy bears, which I'm super pleased about, since I haven't been able to have gummy bears since becoming vegetarian. Sweets aren't the only things on there, but they were the thing I was most excited about finding. They also have lots of jackfruit, which I'm pleased about too.

Also, just because I can, I'd like to remind you that there are recipes on my own recipe page, and some of those are vegan friendly, while many others are vegetarian friendly and potentially easily adaptable for vegans. Some are omni recipes though, since they're on there for Kelly, so just bear that in mind if you go take a look. Like I said though, most of them are easily adaptable for vegans. For example: the vegan friendly cookies I've been making for the past couple of months just use the basic biscuit recipe I have on there, with the dairy ingredients exchanged for vegan alternatives, some extra plant milk in place of the egg, and then whatever spices and such I decide to add.

Tips:
Someone suggested I use neutritional yeast to make a cheese sauce. I tried this myself, using neutritional yeast and oat milk, and happen to think it made a really nice cheese sauce. I had it with cauliflower and broccoli cheese and a baked potato, but it would work well with pasta too, I think.

If you're looking for a cheese alternative that will give you a similar texture to actual cheese, try VioLife. It's a mild cheese, which is good enough that my Mam now eats it, despite being neither vegan nor vegetarian. They also have a feta version of it, which is very close in flavour and texture to dairy versions of feta, so ideal if that's your cheese of choice. I've tried both their original and feta, which I'd highly recommend. I haven't tried any of their other varieties yet, though I know they do have others.

Miss cheese, and don't want to buy a vegan cheese alternative? Use nuts! Either make cashew Parmesan...Just whizz up cashews, salt, garlic and nutritional yeast in a food processor. Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Sprinkle onto anything . Or, grate Brazil nuts on top of pasta dishes and sprinkle generously with himalayan salt. Looks like parmesan, and you get all of the benefits of the Brazil nuts without the squeakiness of eating whole ones. So, two more great alternatives for cheesy flavours. At least, they're great if you don't have nut allergies.

If you find falafels too dry, try cooking them in the microwave instead of the oven. It makes them softer and moister. Or so I'm told. I haven't tried it myself.

Not a fan of tofu as an egg replacement? Try chickpeas, vegan mayo, and onion. The result of those things blended together is something like egg mayo sandwich fillers. Haven't taste tested this one yet, but the person who suggested it assures me it's the case.

Blend together 1 cup of toasted sesame seeds and 3 tablespoons of olive oil, and you have your own homemade Tahini paste/butter.

Several people have assured me you can make a thick paste with flour and water to stick bread crumbs to things. Dipping what you're using in plant-based milk before rolling it in the bread crumbs also works. I haven't tried either, but know of loads of people who have tried one or the other with great success.

If you want some crispy tofu chunks for salads, stir frys, etc, coating your tofu chunks in corn flour (cornstarch; same thing, different name) will help them crisp up nicely when cooking. Yes, I've tried this one, and it works; it makes for lovely crispy tofu chunks.

Corn flour makes a great thickener for sauces, gravy, and jam. I've tried this too; I was already using this before becoming vegan.

I'm told real Cocoa powder, combined with avocado, makes amazing chocolate mousse. I have yet to try this, but I don't doubt it's the case, since I know avocados are the right texture, and don't doubt they'd blend well with the cocoa powder. Apparently you can also freeze it to make chocolate ice cream.

If you want a frozen treat, you can apparently whizz frozen berries in dairy-free yogurt for delicious ice cream. Alternatively, blending frozen fruits - like banana or pineapple - will make sorbet. Haven't tried either myself yet, but it's something I'm glad to know.

A lot of people commented on how some plant based milk can seporate when added to hot drinks. Someone mentioned they'd had good luck with avoiding this by adding the milk first. I've been doing that, and experienced no curdling, despite having now tried a variety of plant-based milks, including almond, cashew, coconut, hazelnut, oat, rice, and soya. If you're wondering: my favourite is the hazelnut milk, which is so good that Kelly - definitely not vegan - now likes to have that in his coffee sometimes, after he tried it when he ran out of his own milk, and decided he'd ask me to get more of that for his use. But it's oat that tastes most like cows' milk, if you're looking for that particular taste. That also seems to be the one people are saying is least likely to have issues with mixing in hot drinks.

When you've no plant milk and want a brew, you can apparently make some homemade oat milk by sticking some rolled oats in the blender with plenty of water, and blitzing it... Its obviously not perfect as you haven't strained it, but I'm assured it will work. Haven't tried it myself yet though.

Finding your meals boring? Experiment with different herbs and spices. A little seasoning can turn an otherwise bland dish in to a taste sensation, and you'll be surprised what works well together. You can find recipes to start you off, but remember: most of those came about when the cooks experimented, and you can do the same. Sure, you might get some kitchen disasters, but you might also find your new favourite taste combination.

Local Eating:
Oscars - our favourite cafe - are still our favourite. I was pretty sure they carried vegan mayo, and was right, so they were easily able to veganize the jackfruit poorboy I have most times I go, and were more than happy to do it. Regardless of whether you're vegetarian, vegan, or whatever, I'd still highly recommend Oscars On The Square if you're ever in the area.

The Goats Ledge still proves to be a good option for vegans. They have a lovely vegan breakfast roll they call a "Vegan Sunrise Burger" or something like that, and do a very tasty tofu burger. They aren't the cheapest place around, but they're definitely worth the money.

Kassa Koffee is another great place, with plenty of options, and a willingness to veganize anything from their menu they can. I had a humous and salad wrap from them recently, which was the best humous experience I've ever had. They make it themselves, and serve it slightly warm. I really enjoyed it.

I also recently discovered that our local bakery sells two different versions of vegan sausage roll. One is a sage and onion one, the other tomato. Both made using vegan quorn, if I remember correctly (they did tell us at the time). The tomato one is better, in my opinion. They also assured me that all their bread is 100% vegan friendly, so that's nice too.

Speaking of bakeries, we discovered when in town that the 1066 bakery in town has a few vegan pastries. I haven't tried them, because I was looking for something savoury at the time, and they only had sweet. But it's good to know they have options should I fancy a pastry when in town at any point.

Take-out options are thin on the ground, despite both Just Eat and Deliveroo claiming their vegan options are increasing. What options there actually are mostly involve vegan pizza, or various forms of salad or humous raps. They're also quite expensive. The good thing about this is it makes me much less likely to just be lazy and call for a takeaway, which is good, because I am trying to mostly make everything from scratch. Although, I can personally recommend the vegan garden party pizza from Papa John's, and have seen plenty of other vegans recommending that too.

I did also learn recently that there are a lot of other vegan friendly places around here that I hadn't found yet - both near me, and in town. But I haven't had a chance to properly investigate further.

***DISCLAIMER: all advice and recommendations in this post are my own, or were passed on to me by fellow vegans via Twitter and Facebook. I am nnot an expert, and I'm pretty sure none of the people who gave me advice are either, though most have been vegan for many years. Neither am I being compensated in any way for any websites or cafes I recommend, except for any reward points I might get if you sign up to The Vegan Kind using the link in this post.

Random Ramblings - August 13th 2019 Edition

Today's going to be another one of my random posts, since it's been a couple of weeks since I've done a proper Tuesday post again, and a lot happened during the past two weeks. So...

***~~~***

I wanted a doughnut.

Now, normally this wouldn't be a big deal. Well, unless it's a Sunday. But the rest of the time it's no big deal. I mean, we have a bakery just up the road, which is open Monday through Saturday. So, why is it worth mentioning?

Because the doughnuts at the bakery aren't vegan friendly.

Actually, since I know they don't see a problem with putting the vegetarian stuff in with the meat stuff - despite the fact I know they've had plenty of complaints about it from vegetarians - whether or not any of their supposedly meat-free stuff is even completely vegetarian friendly is debatable, never mind vegan friendly. So, going to the bakery was out of the question for me.

Yes. Some of the supermarkets do vegan friendly doughnuts. But since all of them take a cab journey to get to, going all the way to one of them just for a doughnut wasn't really an option either. Tempting as it was.

Besides, I did want to be making stuff myself as much as possible.

So I looked for a simple doughnut recipe that either was vegan friendly, or could easily be converted, because I didn't have one, having never actually made doughnuts before. Then I made these:

Yeah, I know they don't look like much, but I assure you they tasted great. It was probably - in fact, definitely - a very good thing I only made those dozen small doughnuts you see in the picture, that's all I can say. *wink*

***~~~***

I saw mention of banana peel bacon on one of the groups I'm on over on Facebook. I'm sure I've seen it mentioned elsewhere too. Either way, it sounded interesting, and I thought it would be a good way to make use of the peels from the bananas I've been having in some of my smoothies, rather than just throwing the peel away. So I tried it.

However, as far as I'm concerned, this was a much less successful cooking experiment than the doughnuts were.

Banana peel bacon is not for me.

At least I can say I tried it.

Although, since I ended up burning my hand a little during the attempt, I have to say that no part of this particular cooking experiment was fun for me. I'm actually lucky I reacted fast enough that it was only a small burn to be honest. It could have been a lot worse. As it was, it was just part of my hand became red and tender, and I ended up with a small blister, all of which cleared up quickly, and none of which stopped me using my hand normally. We were worried it would be worse than that at first. It might have been if I hadn't reacted so quickly. My hand is fully healed now.

If you're wondering: I misjudged the location of things, and put my hand down on the plate of freshly fried banana peel bacon, which was coated in a "sauce" that involves syrup. So think of what it might be like to put your hand in hot caramel, and you'll have some idea of what I did, and why I was lucky I reacted fast enough to avoid it being worse than it was. I'm usually careful enough to avoid doing things like that, but apparently wasn't this time.

***~~~***

I got a new slow cooker a few days ago.

Well, OK. I had one brought for me by my Mam.

I used to have a really good slow cooker several years ago, but it needed replacing, and never was. We got rid of the old one that didn't work right after it stopped working, but never got around to getting a new one. Since I'm making most of my food myself these days, and having the cooker on for a long time turns the flat in to a sauna - not only on warm days either - I figured I should get one for those times when I want to make soup, chilli, curry, etc, but don't want to feel like it's me being cooked rather than the food. Plus, they don't have to be watched as carefully as a boiling or simmering pot does, which is a huge bonus. Now I don't need to worry about getting one, because Mam beat me to it.

It's only a small one. But I did tell Mam that's all I wanted. Partially because it makes finding room for it in our little kitchen easier. But also because that's really all I need. Just one big enough to do me dinner for two nights, or tonight's dinner and some leftovers to go in the freezer, or - as will be the case with some things, depending what I'm making, and what I decide to have with it - two days dinner plus leftovers. Either way, I didn't need a large one, so Mam just got me a little one, as requested. As a bonus, it's really simple to use, so no complication of trying to remember what button does what, and needing someone to tell me again if - or when - I forget.

I tried it out over the weekend. I made some vegan chilli. It was really good! It's lucky I think so, since I had enough for two days dinner, plus some leftovers (which are now in the freezer, since I didn't want to be having chilli for more than two days in a row). I had a baked potato with the chilli on Saturday and Sunday, and will likely do that again when I have what's in the freezer, since that's my favourite way to have chilli.

***~~~***

I recently reorganized the kitchen cupboards so we could see exactly what we had in there, and get some order to them. Then I stocked them back up with a variety of grains, herbs and spices, nuts, seeds, etc, so there are plenty of non-perishable items in them to use - along with fresh fruit and veg, which I'll buy as needed - to make my meals.

I guess doing that put me in the mood for some decluttering, because I didn't stop there.

I went through my craft stuff. Organized it better, and got rid of a few things I know I won't use. I don't know if some of the things are actually of any use to the charity shop near us (and I do mean near... It's literally across the street from us) but I bagged them up for them anyhow, since we were taking other stuff to them, so they could use what they can, and pass on what they can't. I figured it was better to give them stuff they can't use, than find I didn't give them stuff they can use. We just told them to do what they want with anything that's no good to them.

I also went through clothes. I checked what's showing so much wear I need to get new really soon, and bagged up anything I know I won't wear again (stuff I was given at some point and don't really like, or stuff I got that I like but don't like how it fits me). I ended up with several bags of clothes, which we took to the charity shop too. Hopefully someone can make good use of them. As I said, I also figured out what I need to replace of the clothes I actually do wear, which thankfully isn't much. Going to have to do a bit of clothes shopping soon though. Ugh! I hate clothes shopping! That's one of the reasons why I wait until I actually need to replace things, along with not wanting to contribute to waste more than I need to. I'm at the point where I can't wait much longer with some things now though, unfortunately.

***~~~***

We got another baby gate.

We have a special stair gate at the top of our stairs, and a pressure fit one in the living room doorway. The stair one is so we can answer the door without the dogs escaping. The other one is so we can keep them out of the kitchen area when we're cooking, and give Joshua and Mollie a break from them in the evening. This new gate - also a pressure fit one - is for the computer room doorway, so they can be in there with me out of the way when Kelly's dealing with bringing the shopping in, and that kind of thing, so needs them to not be under foot.

I used to just pick Lilie up when that was happening. That worked fine with both of them at first too, while Logan was still tiny. Now Logan's getting bigger, it's more difficult for me to keep hold of both of them, since the way I have to hold both means I can't guarantee they can't jump out of my arms. I suppose I could put them on their leashes, which would keep them with me easily. But I feel kind of mean putting them on a leash if they're not going for a walk, and would only want to use that option if I had no other choice, or could be sure they could go for at least a short one right afterwards. Hence buying another baby gate, and being glad we have small-ish dogs, so baby gates work as barriers.

***~~~***

Avout two weeks ago - after having been kept busy elsewhere for the past few months - the repair guy came to do a few of the jobs in our building again, though not the ones in our place. Although, he did test the fire alarms, since they need to be tested regularly, and were due for that again. We wish he'd been here to fix that stupid skylight though.

Last week, we had him back here, but it wasn't for the skylight then either. It was because the cooker stopped working. Every time we tried to make dinner, it would blow the main fuse, and the electric would go off, only finally able to be turned back on again when we turned off the cooker.

So, we got a new cooker out of it.

At least, we half have, and eventually will. It should have been a quick replacement, but our cooker is one of those in two parts because it's built in to the kitchen units. They had the oven part in stock, so we had that replaced within 48 hours, but they didn't have the hob part in stock, so had to order it, and haven't made it back to install that yet. It meant we didn't have access to a cooker at all for two days, and have so far not had access to the hob part for about a week, which is a bit of a pain. Not to mention, I'm a bit annoyed that they said they'd be back, "Friday or Monday," to install the hob - which they said would be available for them to pick up on Thursday - and neither came back, or let us know they wouldn't be coming for whatever reason. If they weren't doing it on one of the promised days, they should have at least had the decency to let us know.

I'm happy about the result being a new cooker for us, since the one we had hasn't been all that great the whole time we've been here, so it was about time we got a new one, if you ask me. But I'm not too happy about the new hob still not being installed.

I'm starting to wish we'd moved after all...

Not to mention, I REALLY wish they'd fix that stupid skylight. Preferably before the Autumn and Winter storms show up. It's annoying enough with the Summer storms happening and it not having been fixed yet.

***~~~***

We've had some storms, some hot and sunny days, and some days where it's overcast but dry and warm. We really never know from one day to the next what the weather will be like, and sometimes it changes from hour to hour.

Luckily, Logan's getting better about tolerating the storms. Now he just wants to cuddle close during them, which is fine by me, since I happen to think cuddling up with a puppy listening to storms is a great way to spend your time. Of course, Lilie wants to get in on the cuddle time too. So, I end up curled up on the bed with Lilie and Logan, and get to enjoy the storm and puppy cuddles at the same time. Yep... Works for me!