Over the past few years, more and more mainstream brands have been making vegan alternatives, like non-dairy Ben & Jerries for example. And even though you do not have to have these alternatives to have a great-tasting vegan diet, I love the convenience if I want to treat myself to a sweet, unhealthy snack. This…
Ugly Christmas sweater Christmas cards
I know this is a bit early, but I made these last minute last year and was too late to upload it then. These Christmas cards are a bit non-traditional but perfect for a person who is into knitting. The supplies are quite simple, although some of the steps might be a bit tricky. The…
Vegan “salmon” and cucumber pasta
This vegan dish is inspired by a pasta my parents made when I was young. Of course, they used real salmon and I believe they used Boursin for the sauce, but I have to make some adjustments. It is a perfect and fresh, simple summer pasta. To make this pasta, you will need a vegan…
Albert Heijn – Vegan apple pie review
Vegan stuff is coming to Dutch supermarkets and I am here for it! Recently, Albert Heijn added some vegan desserts (honestly, I wouldn’t buy them again) and now there’s apple pie! This is just a short review of the apple pie, which I hope will be helpful! The apple pie is 2.50 for two slices,…
Peanut butter/tahini protein cookies – only 50 kcal!
This recipe uses the same first steps as my peanut butter/tahini cookie dough protein balls, but includes baking instructions to turn them into crumbly cookies. The texture of these cookies is not like regular cookies, I have to warn you upfront. They are crumbly, but do hold their shape. Ingredients: 8 grams of coarse brown…
Peanut butter/tahini cookie dough protein balls – only 50 kcal!
Ingredients: 8 grams of coarse brown sugar – do not omit!* 4 crushed coffee-sweeteners*, I use these ones (https://www.ah.nl/producten/product/wi216331/ah-zoetjes) containing cyclamate and saccharine, being virtually calorie-free ¼ tsp. of salt 22 grams of soy protein isolate, I use this one (https://www.hollandandbarrett.nl/shop/product/holland-barrett-soja-proteine-60082201?skuid=033649) 44 grams of nut butter, I use a mix of 100% peanut butter and…
Easy vegan coffee chocolate mousse – healthy-ish
Is there a better dessert than chocolate mousse? Well, I might have a thing; coffee flavoured chocolate mousse! My parents used to make a coffee chocolate mousse at diner parties, but their version includes eggs and whipping cream if I am not mistaken. Since I try to eat mostly vegan, I wanted to make a…
It’s been a long time, now I’m coming back (maybe?)
Hey everybody that reads this, as you may have noticed if you have read my blog before, you know that I have started in 2017. I have had periods in which I have tried to post once or twice every week, but lately there has been a long silence from my side. With starting my…
REVIEW: Alpro barista almond, does it really foam well?
I love coffee. I like it black or with (soy)milk. However, when I do add plantbased milk to my coffee, I am a bit picky. I want a nice bit of foam and I don’t want it to seize (which sometimes happens if the coffee is a bit more acidic, especially with decaf-coffee). Of course…
PRODUCT REVIEW: valsoya caramel and chocolate “Magnums”, ice cream on a stick
I recently went on a trip to a different supermarket (the Plus), which has a different vegan range of products than my normal supermarket. I therefore wanted to test some things and share my experience with you guys, especially since my vegan Halo Top and Oppo ice cream reviews are some of my more popular…
PRODUCT REVIEW: vegan tuna (good catch)
I recently wanted to test out some (new) vegan products, and one of the products I had my eyes on was a vegan tuna alternative by Good Catch. I had to go to another supermarket (the Plus) to get this, and it was fairly pricey, 3.15 euro’s for 94 grams. One of the things that…
VEGAN ICE CREAM REVIEW: Alpro salted caramel and Madagascar vanilla
Due to the popularity of my review of the Oppo vegan very berry ice cream review, which can be found HERE, I thought I would share my thoughts on another vegan ice cream, that is a bit lighter. Alpro has different flavours of ice cream depending on the region where you live, and I reviewed…
RECIPE: LOADED VEGAN JACKET SWEET POTATOES to please even meat-lovers!
I don’t see myself as a militant vegan. Sure, I think the world would be a better place if everybody started eating (more) plant-based foods and reduced or diminished their animal products intake, but I understand that that transition isn’t easy. One of the things I like to do therefore, is show meat-eaters how tasty…
RECIPE: VEGAN MANGO CHEESCAKE – light and airy, with passionfruit
I love baking cakes, and even though I like a rich chocolatey cake or cakes with lots of spices, I think summer asks for lighter and fruitier options. I especially love the flavour of tropical fruits like mango and passion fruits. I think they go well into a fruity and light dessert with a mousse…
REVIEW: Urban Decay Vice lipstick – blackmail
I love a good liquid lipstick. Previously, I have reviewed several lipsticks by high end and drug store brands. Some of my favourites include the YSL liquid lipstick (which I unfortunately cannot find anymore, which I am pretty sad about) and the Dior liquid lipstick. However, these lipsticks, in contrast to the drug store, two-step…
VEGAN LEMON POPPY SEED CUPCAKES WITH LEMON CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
I love the fresh smell of zested lemons. The freshness just really lifts my spirit. One of my favourite flavour combinations with lemons is poppyseeds. Not only do the flavours go well together, I think that incorporating poppy seeds in recipes adds that extra bit of crunch. In this cup cake recipe, I used quite…
VEGAN OIL-FREE APPLE PIE GRANOLA
I love granola’s, but I am quite picky. I don’t really like raisins, dates or cranberries, and I prefer my granola not too sweet. I do however like some crispiness and some nuts. I did like the Eat Natural granolas, but they tend to be made with honey (why?) and they tend to be really…
DIY: Knit Spanish slippers
Call me boring, but I like giving (and receiving) socks. I showed you before how to knit baby socks or booties, which I still think make a perfect (baby shower) gift. However, my brother-in-law recently celebrated his birthday and I didn’t know what to gift him, but I noticed he always wore slippers or warm…
NAIL ART: sky blue geometric nail art
We are still in lock down and I still have too much time and too little to do. That is why this week, I am presenting another nail art design. I saw this beautiful Herôme nail polish in my nail polish drawer and I just had to use it. To be honest, the way it…
VEGAN ICE CREAM REVIEW: Oppo very almond berry
I love trying out new vegan products, especially ice cream. I have previously tried several kinds of (low calorie) ice cream, some with more success than others. I enjoyed the Alpro 360 flavours that I tried (see HERE), while the different Halo top flavours were less of a hit (especially the salted caramel flavour, see…
SPRING NAIL ART: daffodil nails
Being in quarantine means you can make time to do the things (inside) that you normally don’t make time for. For me, one of those things is painting my nails. Plus, not being able to go into work/university means I am actually allowed to wear nail polish as well 😉 For this weeks nail art…
VEGAN DINNER: super easy and quick udon noodle soup bowl with shiitake (one pan!)
I love udon noodles. I have said it before when I shared my meal prep udon noodle soup with you HERE. The soft texture of these thick noodles is something I can really crave sometimes. Another bonus is their short (or non-existent) cooking times. Check the packaging of your noodles to see if you have…
VEGAN PRODUCT REVIEW: Halo Top peanut butter cup vs. Alpro 360
I know that this is a stressful time for everybody, with all the uncertainties that the new coronavirus, COVID-19 brings. Everything in our every day life is affected, including shopping for groceries. I understand that getting the basics is difficult enough, let alone be able to spend that extra bit of money on luxury products…
VEGAN LUNCH: sesame roasted broccoli with ginger rice and soy “chicken”
I love meal-prepping, can you tell? Over the last couple of weeks I have been posting some warming soups, but sometimes I want something more substantial. My sister recommended oven roasted broccoli to me, so I had to try that. Since the green asparagus were on sale in Tesco, I chugged them in as well….
RECIPE: Quick vegan pumpkin and swede soup
I hope you enjoyed my roasted tomato soup (which can be found here), which I made for a meal-prep two weeks ago. This week I am back cooking soup to meal-prep lunches for the week with another warming soup. Since it is still quite cold, I thought I would use some nice pumpkin (bottle gourd,…
REVIEW: vive vegan protein bars
I know it is not “Veganuary” anymore, but I am (mostly) vegan anyway, so when I came across this add for a new vegan protein bar, I had to try it. Vive is a brand that offers protein powders, protein bites and protein bars. Recently, they had an offer to try their three flavours of…
RECIPE: vegan slow-roasted tomato soup
I love meal prepping. Having grown up in the Netherlands and eating bread for lunch for the majority of my life, I am kind of bread-tired. That is why I love making big batches of food for the week, taking lunches into work/school every day. Since it is winter, I thought I would make a…
VEGAN PRODUCT REVIEW: Halo top non-dairy ice cream – the worst vegan ice cream ever?
I have recently moved to the UK for an internship in my university studies, and I am getting used to the new supermarkets here. I mostly shop at Tesco, since it is the closest (and biggest within reasonable walking distance) and I have been greatly enjoying trying new vegan products. One of my new favourite…
DIY: Pancake plant/Pilea Terrarium
This is just a super quick DIY, in which we will be making a mini terrarium for a pancake plant or Pilea Dutch; pannekoekenplant). Pancake plants are all over Pinterest, where you can find loads of tips on how to propagate. In this DIY we will be focusing on something else; making a cute terrarium,…
MY NEW FAVOURITE LUSH PRODUCT: let the good times roll facial cleanser
I have talked about Lush before on my blog, and I am generally a fan of their brand. I think it is amazing that they focus on reducing packaging, recycling whatever packaging they do produce and making their products cruelty free, vegetarian and even vegan. The last product of Lush that I mentioned on this…
MY HAND-KNIT SCARF COLLECTION: ombre Chevron scarf
Hello everybody, this is part 4 out of 6 of my “hand knit scarf collection”. This time I want to share a scarf that not only has a nice pattern, but that is knitted with a special kind of yarn; a yarn with an ombre effect. The reason why I chose this yarn for this…
HIGH PROTEIN PASTA REPLACEMENT/WEIRD TOFU INSIPRATION
As you might have seen in someprevious blogposts, I recently spend some time in China, and even though groceryshopping required a lot of text-scanning and translating, I did want to step outof my comfort zone to try some new products. One of the things I definitely discoveredwas “tofu skin”. When I first saw this I…
VEGAN DUTCH RECIPE: sauerkraut casserole with smoked sausage and apple
I know that not too long ago I posted that I would stay in China for the next 3 months (see THIS post), but some unexpected things happened and I decided to go home early. Even though I really enjoyed the Chinese food, when I was preparing to go home again, I suddenly craved typical…
YVES SAINT LAURANT TATOUGE COUTURE MATTE STAIN review – colour black red code (8)
Duty free shopping has never really been my thing, here, I said it. I think most of the items aren’t that much cheaper than in regular stores, and I think regular stores that sell high end make up (like the ICI paris XL or Douglas in the Netherlands) over better service. However, I recently spent…
AUTMUMN TABLE DECORATION – a perfect pattern for left over yarn
This is going to be a super short post, but I just want to share my love for a crochet pattern I found on Pinterest lately. It is a pattern for crochet pumpkins that look knit, and since I love pumpkins, crocheting and knitting, this was the perfect pattern for me! I am going to…
RECIPE: pesto flavoured celeriac fries
Since being back in Holland after five weeks in Beijing, I have been craving some European foods, like root vegetables, cabbage and potatoes. So I went into the supermarket last week without a clear idea what to make and I picked up a celeriac root. Not really knowing what to make with it, I steamed…
VEGANISED RECIPE: Liège waffles made with yeasted dough (Luikse wafels)
My parents have recently bought a new panini-maker/tosti-maker/waffle iron, and this is the first time in my life that I have actually owned an appliance to make waffles. Needless to say, I immediately went along and made different types of waffles. I found out that there are two types of Belgian waffles: Waffles from Brussels:…
MY HAND-KNIT SCARF COLLECTION: Airy but warm scarf with cross stitch pattern
This is part 2 out of my 6-part hand knit scarf collection. I hope you enjoy this simple, but cool-looking scarf!
ANOTHER RETURN
Oh the irony, a little over a month ago I posted that I was going on an adventure and would be back to posting regularly – but since I haven’t posted in a month, it is safe to say things didn’t work out that way. I was a lot busier in China and due to…
MY HAND-KNIT SCARF COLLECTION: Make your own Slytherin scarf!
Hello everybody, this is part 1 out of 6 of my “Hand-knit scarf collection”. To start off with, I thought I would share with you my easiest (and definitely the nerdiest) scarf, inspired by the Harry Potter house Slytherin. This scarf can of course by modified to suit your favourite house. This scarf is the…
I’m back, and I am going on an adventure!
I know I haven’t posted a blogpost in a while, and even though I think nobody really missed me on here, I wanted to announce that I will be posting regularly again – hopefully. The past month or so I have been enjoying a nice holiday away with family, but now I am back again….
Vegan food in Glasgow pt. 4 – review of Scottish/British snacks and foods
I would definitely call myself a snack lover, so when I travel abroad, I am often amazed by the different snacks to try. Since I went to Glasgow to visit my sister, I had to use this opportunity to discover new vegan snacks, and there were quite a bit of those ;). I will talk…
Vegan Food in Glasgow pt. 2 – exploring the city
A new day in Glasgow! I am here visiting my sister and I want to see more of the city, so we decided we would go out for breakfast, after which we would take a hike around the city to see some highlights. To start our day off, we went to Turadh in Glasgow, which…
Vegan Food in Glasgow pt. 1 – review of ready meals at Waitrose
I know it’s been a while. I was really busy with the last month of my bachelors, doing a research project which consumed most of my time. I also moved back in with my parents, because I am taking a gap year next year and I don’t want to pay my rent while traveling. This…
RECIPE: healthy Mediterranean super grain salad – lunch meal prep
I recently moved houses, so I had to clean out all the cabinets in my kitchen. There I found a lot of super grains which I bought at some point, but didn’t finish. I was therefore left with small quantities of spelt, buckwheat and freekeh. This lunch salad was a convenient way to clean out…
RECIPE: Super grain buddha bowl with rainbow carrots
I am clearing out my pantry and somewhere to the back I found some dry spelt and dry buckwheat. Seeing that it was not a huge amount, I thought I would throw them together into a buddha bowl! This bowl is packed with fibre and veggies, and the sesame and soy sauce add a nice…
REVIEW: vegan chickpea cookie dough + a way to turn them into truffles
I love cookie dough. When I was young I would ask my mother if we could bake cookies, but I would try to eat as much of the dough instead. Unfortunately regular cookie dough isn’t that healthy (especially with raw eggs), so when I was browsing on Pinterest and found this pin for healthy chickpea…
5-ingredient MEAL PREP IDEA: bulgur-chickpea salad with lemon, basil and beetroot
I love meal prepping lunches, not only because I think the flavour is better than sandwiches, but also because it makes it easier for me to include a source of plant-based protein in my lunch. For this lunch I used chickpeas, because I love how they combine with almost any flavour. If you wanted to…
Festive NAIL ART IDEA: pink sprinkles
Do you have anything to celebrate? Or are you looking for a festive touch? This sprinkles-inspired nail art reminds me of sprinkles on a cake or confetti. The colour scheme could even be modified to fit a themed party! I personally chose colours that reminded me of a pink birthday cake; I do however think…
VEGAN ICE CREAM REVIEW: Oppo simply the zest
I love trying out new vegan products, especially ice cream. I have previously tried several kinds of (low calorie) ice cream, some with more success than others. My favourite regular ice cream is probably the Alpro salted caramel and almond, or Ben and Jerries coconutterly caramelled. I enjoyed the Alpro 360 flavours that I tried,…
Cocoacooning.com 