Author: Samantha

Vegan Food

Easy Homemade Vegan Bread

Samantha

Bread. My worst frenemy. I love it so much, but my hips feel otherwise. I don’t normally eat sandwich bread (lies, because avocado toast is now my new best friend), and the one time I hoard bread in my cheeks like a hamster is at Italian restaurants. So we made pasta one night and I thought, hey, why not make some bread, instead of going to the store to buy some with ingredients I don’t know about? My quest filled my home with the heavenly aroma of fresh baked bread. I know you smell it as I read it and want your home to smell the same too. Well do it. If the bread doesn’t come out great, at least you can thank it for the heavenly scents. Give it a shot and let me know what you think!

VEGAN HOMEMADE BREAD – WHAT YOU NEED

DIRECTIONS

  1. Prep one half of your work surface with a dusting of flour
  2. In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt and yeast
  3. Put your wooden spoon in the middle of the bowl and create a medium-sized hole–fill this hole with the water and the oil
  4. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and work the mixture into a large ball
  5. Put your dough ball on the surface covered with flour
  6. Grease your second large bowl in preparation for the dough
  7. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes then place the dough in your greased bowl, loosely cover it with a thin towel or tea towel and let it rest for about 2 hours
  8. After 1.5-2 hours, preheat your oven to 375 degrees, then knead the dough on your floured work surface until you remove all the air bubbles
  9. Divide the dough in half. Set one half aside and the other half in your pan and into the oven once preheated
  10. Bake for 40 minutes
  11. Once this roll is ready, let it cool on a rack and use the same pan for your second roll of dough
  12. Voila! Enjoy with vegan butter.

Question of the Day

What is your guys’ favorite baked bread?

Favorites, Friday Favorites, Vegan Cruelty Free

VCF: 5 Friday Favorites

Samantha

Who doesn’t love a little sneak peek into what people are loving these days? Just like the weather, my mood and interests change all the time, much to my husband’s demise. Right now, I’m really into a lot of random things instead of being hyper-focused on one thing, which is quite unlike me. Anyways, I hope you enjoy a peek into my favorites at the moment and I’m curious to know what you’re all loving!

Our New Mini Goldendoodle

Vegan Orange Cranberry Scones

If you want a breakfast that will keep you full for hours, like literally you don’t think about food for hours, then try this decadent vegan treat. Here is the recipe if you want to give it a shot: vegan orange cranberry scones.

Vegan Loafers

If you love some of Gucci’s looks but don’t want to shell out nearly $1,000 for trendy loafers that you maybe won’t love forever, especially if you’re fickle like me, head to Target. I got these red loafers for <$20 on clearance. They’re the perfect pop to a basic outfit and not to mention, it was the perfect hint to red, blue, and white at work the day before the 4th. Being fashionable on a vegan lifestyle is not that hard, and tbh, I’m still transitioning away from my love for luxury to more vegan fashion options.

Avocado Toast

I’ve literally had avocado toast every morning since I first tried it and I am obsessed with it. I made it for the hubs for the first time this past weekend and even he loved it. Eat this and you’re pretty much vegan 😉

Panda Planner

I did buy an iPad Pro and I love it for many things, but I just haven’t figured out a way to substitute it for a good ol’ fashioned planner. The cover of the Panda Planner feels supple to the touch and according to the Panda Planner site, it’s made of pu/vegan leather (and I bet even a cowboy couldn’t tell). Not spon but you can use the code JULY20 for 20% off in the month of July! Or you can buy Panda Planner on Amazon here.

Question of the Day

What are you loving this week?

Vegan and Cruelty Free Beauty, Vegan Cruelty Free

Fenty Beauty Lip Gloss Review

Samantha
Fenty Beauty Lip Gloss

Whether you have big lips like I do or not, every one needs a conditioning lip product. Add a little shine and bam, you’ve got the perfect lip gloss. My previous favorite and a possible dupe for this is the Milani Brilliant Shine Lip Gloss in bare secret and mauve fetish!

Color Payoff & Color Options

I have the Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer in Fenty Glow, which I find is the perfect nude for my naturally darker covered lips.

It does come in three color options that may be better suited for those of lighter or darker complexions: Fenty Glow (the one I have), Diamond Milk, and Fussy.

Something I really appreciate about this brand is that they show what all the colors look like on every skin tone. I borrowed this photo straight from their site:

Source: FentyBeauty.com

Price

At $18, the price is relative at this point. I think a good lip product under $20 is worth it but it may seem overpriced to others. As I’ve noted in most of my other Vegan and Cruelty-free beauty posts, you can always wait for a Sephora sale to get 20% off!

Texture

It’s pretty sticky, not gonna lie, but I like that it’s sticky enough that it lasts forever on my lips and not so sticky that it’s hard to rub off your thermos when it transfers. Speaking of, yes of course it transfers. Please let me know if you find a magic lip gloss or tinted balm that doesn’t and I can officially end my search!

Oh it also has a giant applier, which I personally love as one swipe with the brush covers my entire lip.

Is Fenty Beauty Vegan and Cruelty-free?

According to Fentybeauty.com:

Regarding if Fenty Beauty is cruelty-free: “Fenty Beauty is a cruelty-free brand. We never test products or ingredients on animals, nor do we allow suppliers or affiliates to conduct testing on our behalf. “

Regarding if Fenty Beauty is vegan: “Fenty Beauty is cruelty-free and never tests on animals, nor do we allow suppliers or affiliates to conduct animal testing on our behalf. While the majority of the products are free of animal byproducts, Fenty Beauty is not considered a vegan line: A handful of our products may contain ingredients of animal origin, such as beeswax and carmine. The following products are considered vegan-friendly: Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation, Match Stix Matte Skinsticks, Invisimatte Blotting Powder, Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer, and our Brushes & Tools. “

Thankfully, yes! This lip gloss is vegan & cruelty-free.

The Verdict

I give this product a 9/10 and because it’s VCF, it’s Bloo approved!

Question of the Day

What is your go to lip gloss or lip balm? I used to work with a woman who would order one lip balm from Denver, CO in bulk and that’s the one and only lip treatment she uses. Now that’s love.

Vegan Cruelty Free, Vegan Food, weight loss

An Easy (Healthy) Vegan Meal – Avocado Toast

Samantha

Eating out as a vegan usually isn’t hard, but it can be boring, especially in your run-of-the-mill brunch places. My husband and I are fancy, yes, but we aren’t brunch fancy. Don’t get me wrong, I still drink my Evian with my pinky up 😉

I digress. We went to brunch with our lovely neighbors to switch it up (hi neighbors!) and it was a great time! Especially since I had more options than just oatmeal or a side of potatoes. On the menu was (drum roll please) avocado toast! Sorry for the spoiler.

Now believe it or not, but I may be the only vegan on the planet who has never eaten avocado toast. I can hear your gasp, I know. Well, I dove right into the millennial hype and had some and I gotta say, it was ah-may-zing. So I set out to recreate it. Here my friends, is my gift to you: healthy avocado toast.

Healthy Vegan Avocado Toast – What You Need

  • 1 slice of bread (toasted to your preference)
  • 1 tsp of vegan butter
  • 1/2 to 1/4 (depending on the size) of a soft avocado
  • 3-5 grape or cherry tomatoes
  • Everything But the Bagel (EBTB) Seasoning
  • 1/4 of a lemon
  • Red pepper flakes (optional)
  • A handful of arugula (optional)

Directions

  1. Toast your bread
  2. As your bread toasts:
    1. Cut your avocado in half and save the other half or the other quarter (depending on how big your avocado is)
    2. Cut your lemon into a quarter (you’ll only need a pinch, so you’ll end up saving the whole lemon)
    3. Half your cherry or grape tomatoes
  3. Once your bread pops up, spread a bit of your favorite vegan butter (you only need a bit)
  4. Dice your avocado and smush it onto the toast and press down throughout with a fork (really smash it in there)
  5. Top with a handful of arugula and also press that in with your fork.
  6. Top with your grape tomatoes (cut side up for artistic effect and to impress your friends)
  7. Sprinkle EBTB Seasoning on top
  8. Sprinkle with some red pepper flakes (if you like if spicy)
  9. Squeeze a bit of your lemon across the top of your avocado toast
  10. Enjoy!

Question of the Day

Have you tried avocado toast? If so, do you top it with balsamic vinaigrette? What are your favorite toppings?

Vegan Cruelty Free, Vegan Desserts, Vegan Food

Healthy Vegan Dessert Recipe: Frozen Berry Pie

Samantha

Fourth of July is tomorrow, which means a spread of red, white and blue indulgences on the picnic table. It’s the night before your soiree and you’ve nothing to bring. Well I have you covered. At most, this takes <10 minutes to make, but about 4 hours to set in the freezer so be sure to make this easy vegan dessert at least the morning of if not the night before your July 4th party or get together.

Growing up, my house was literally behind a theme park. Not right behind…but it wouldn’t be far from the truth for me to say that we could hear the screams from the roller coaster #funtimes. One of the perks of living so close to a theme park was the free, unobstructed fireworks shows, and that was the extent of our July 4th celebrations. I always envisioned myself as that single boss-lady who threw Pinterest-style parties that were so on theme. Enter: Frozen Berry Pie. Let me tell you that I 100% envisioned this to be a layered “red-ish”, blue and white frozen pie…but that it 100% turned into a purple mush. HOWEVER, the star sprinkles saved me. None the less, it tasted good and thought it was worth a share. Forewarning though, when you go to buy your ingredients, make sure the star sprinkles are at the top of your list–they’ll save you.

Vegan Frozen Berry Pie – What You Need

  • Two large bowls
  • 1 cup frozen wild blueberries (thawed)
  • 1/2 cup sliced strawberries
  • 1 small cup (usually 5.3 oz) of vegan blueberry yogurt (I opted for Forager)
  • 1 small cup (usually 5.3 oz) of vegan strawberry yogurt (I opted for Forager)
  • 1 tub of cocowhip lite
  • 1 pre-baked graham cracker crust (while not healthy, the Keebler Graham Cracker Crust is vegan, although it does have palm oil in it…)
  • Vegan whipped cream
  • …and lastly, STAR SPRINKLES

Directions

  1. In one bowl, add the thawed wild berries, the blueberry yogurt and half of the cocowhip and fold them all together
  2. In the other bowl, add the strawberry slices, the strawberry yogurt and the rest of the cocowhip and fold them all together
  3. In your graham cracker crust, pour the strawberry mixture then even out the top
  4. Slowly pour in the blueberry mixture being careful to not let it blend with the strawberry base if you can
  5. Top with sprinkles
  6. Let freeze for at least 4 hours
  7. Once it’s set, top with whipped cream, more sprinkles, and serve!

Question of the Day

What is your favorite pie? Do you have a no-bake one?