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20% OFF JANUARY SALE

January 25, 2016Jade Green VeganLeave a comment

Foal Farm Animal Rescue Centre is the wonderful charity I have chosen to receive £1 from every sale made in December 2015 and January 2016. They are currently raising funds to build a much-needed new and improved kennel block for all of their beautiful dogs (like the ones in the photo down below) ▽▼▽▼▽

To encourage as many sales and therefore raise as much money for the kennel fund as possible, I will be offering 20% OFF every item in the store until the end of January when you enter the code ‘FOALFARMFRIENDS‘ at checkout. Head over to jadegreenvegan.com/shop to grab some awesome clothing and help Foal Farm continue to save countless dogs’ lives!

THANK YOU so much for all of your support!

Frozen banana pops recipe | vegan & delicious

January 19, 2016Jade Green Vegan2 Comments

For my second recipe video on my YouTube channel, I decided to stick with the banana theme because, well why not? Not only are they delicious, they’re also a great source of vitamin C, potassium and various B vitamins!

These frozen banana pops are so easy to make and are really aesthetic so make the perfect party treat! As always, I’d love to hear your feedback and if you have any requests for future recipe videos!

Ingredients

2 bananas
2 tablespoons lotus spread
2 tablespoons peanut butter
2 tablespoons dark chocolate chips
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 tablespoons strawberry alpro soya yoghurt
2 tablespoons granola

Cooking instructions

Cut ends off of bananas into quarters
Place a straw into each of the banana chunks
Place banana pops on a plate covered in baking paper
Cover 2 banana pops in strawberry alpro soya yoghurt, then in granola
Cover 2 banana pops in lotus spread, then in dark chocolate chips
Cover 2 banana pops in maple syrup, then in sesame seeds
Cover 2 banana pops in peanut butter, then in dark chocolate chips
Freeze for 1 hour
ENJOY!

Cookies and nice cream sandwich recipe (vegan & delicious)

January 12, 2016Jade Green VeganLeave a comment

Ever since Matt and I first tried the cookies and ice-cream sandwich at Manna on my birthday last year, I have wanted to recreate my own version of this delicious dessert! Half a year later and I have finally gotten around to it (oops!) but it was definitely worth the wait, and I’m sure you all are gonna love this chocolate and banana nicecream sandwich as much as I do.

As this is such an incredible dessert, I decided that as well as sharing it on the blog, I would film it for my youtube channel. This is the first of many recipes I’ll be sharing on Youtube so I’d love to hear your feedback and if you have any requests for what you’d like me to film next!

Ingredients

Cookies

1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup non-dairy margarine
1/2 cup almond milk
1 cup flour
1/2 tea spoon baking soda
3 cups oatmeal
1/4 cup cacao powder

Nicecream

4 ripe bananas

Cooking instructions

Cut bananas into small chunks & freeze for at least 2.5 hours
Preheat the oven to 250°c
Mix together the sugar and margarine until smooth
Add in the almond milk and stir until the milk has combined with the mixture
Add in the flour and baking soda and stir until well mixed
Add in the oatmeal and cacao powder and stir
Shape into small circles and place on baking paper
Smooth circles down before placing in the oven for 10 minutes
Remove cookies from oven and flatten before coking for further 5 minutes
Leave cookies to cool for 1 hour
Blend frozen bananas until smooth
Spoon 1/2 the blended nice cream onto cookies and freeze for 1 hour
Spoon remaining 1/2 of blended nice cream into yorkshire pudding style tray and freeze for 1 hour
Remove all components from freezer and sandwich nice cream between 2 cookies
ENJOY!

BOXING DAY SALE

December 26, 2015Jade Green VeganLeave a comment

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and are now feeling very excited for some Boxing Day sale shopping (I know I am!) I’ve discounted everything in the shop to 25% off from now until NYE so head over to jadegreenvegan.com/shop to grab your favourite designs at a huge discount! Happy shopping everyone xo

CHRISTMAS EVE CLOTHING SALE

December 24, 2015Jade Green VeganLeave a comment

HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVE FROM ME & KITTY THE DOG!

Kitty wanted me to remind you that if you’re thinking of adding a dog to your family this festive season, remember that a dog is not a toy, they are a lifelong commitment, albeit an incredibly rewarding & loving one. If you think you are ready for this commitment & have room in your life for some unconditional love then please visit your local shelter & adopt your next best friend!

To celebrate this wonderful festive season & promote responsible pet parenting, I have reduced everything in the Christmas line to 40% off from now until Boxing Day when you use the code ‘CHRISTMAS‘ at checkout, meaning t-shirts are just over £10, jumpers £15 and hoodies £18!!! Head over to jadegreenvegan.com/christmas-line to grab yours & in the meantime, enjoy these festive photos taken by my very talented friend Anna Lenda.

Compassionate Clothing Line Launch – Making My Dream My Reality

December 14, 2015Jade Green Vegan5 Comments

This past week has been a crazy/stressful/exciting beyond words blur for me; as last weekend I launched my compassionate clothing line at Vegfest Scotland, then very late on Wednesday night, I launched my online store!

I have been dreaming about/working on this clothing line for over two years now, so I couldn’t be happier that it is finally here. However, in the lead up to the show, to say I was nervous would be an enormous understatement.

Earlier this summer, after four years of working in a job I didn’t really enjoy and feeling as though I wasn’t working towards creating the kind of world I would like to live in, I decided to quit my job and finally use my life savings and my innate desire to help save as many animals as I possibly can, to pursue my dream of creating this clothing line.

With little to no knowledge of what it entailed to set up an online clothing business, I dove head first into building my business. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

Now I won’t pretend that it has been all vegan cupcakes and nicecream because the reality is, this has been one of the most worrying/stressful things I have ever done. There have been times where I have questioned whether it’s worth it and if it would have been easier to have kept the financial security of my previous job. However, there is now no doubt in my mind that I made the right decision.

Since embarking on this adventure, I have learnt more than I could have ever imagined about: accounting, marketing, designing, web developing, photography, branding – the list goes on. Whilst it is undeniably challenging at times, seeing people out in the world wearing my designs spreading compassion and kindness, and being able to actively give back to animal charities I admire (for every sale made, £1 is donated to various animal charities) make it all worth it.

And no matter how stressed I get nowadays, it’s no longer the kind of ‘what am I doing with my life?’ stress I used to feel in my previous job. Instead it’s the kind of stress that motivates me to get the job done because I truly care about what I’m doing and why I’m doing it. For me, my motivation is the animals. I know that no matter how bad things may seem for me in a difficult moment, it could never compare to the pain of a dairy cow as her baby is ripped away from her at birth and killed for veal so that humans can consume her milk, or to the sorrow of a dog who has been abandoned by its family because having a pet is no longer convenient for them.

One of my favourite quotes by Lily Tomlin is: ‘I used to think somebody should do something about that, then I realised, I am somebody’. I want to help create a world where we value cows and pigs lives just as much as those of our beloved dogs and cats. I want to help create a world where people don’t abandon their dogs at a shelter because they’re too old/too fluffy/too (insert ridiculous excuse here). I want to help create a world where people are compassionate to all beings on this earth.

After years of watching from the sidelines, I am finally doing this and I can honestly say I have never been happier.

So my message to you reading this would be, pour your energy into something you’re passionate about and follow your dreams. I know it sounds cliche, but trust me, it’s worth it! Even if you’re not exactly sure right now how you’re going to make it happen, know that if you want it enough, you can and you will make your dreams a reality. Life is too short to spend all day every day doing something that doesn’t make you feel alive! You’ll never regret trying. So give it a go!

Funky Pies | Bondi Beach

October 30, 2015Jade Green Vegan2 Comments

Hey guys!

I’m coming at you today with my first (of many) travel posts from Australia. To start off this travel series, I wanted to share with you one of my favourite places that we’ve eaten at on this trip:

▹▸▹▸ FUNKY PIES AT BONDI BEACH

This cute little café is just a short walk from the beach front and serves 100% plant-based pies that are 100% delicious! The pies can be served with mash potato, peas and gravy or a healthier alternative of side salad.

Matt and I both opted for the Funky Chunky pie which is made of shiitake mushroom chunks in a rich gravy with a touch of creamy mash, and of course, we opted for more creamy mash, peas and gravy on the side. We both agreed that the meal was absolutely delicious, so delicious in fact that we decided to go back to Funky Pies for round 2 at dinner time (where Matt ordered not one but two pies #bigfan)!!

For dessert, we shared a slice of mint chocolate cake and a caramel slice that were both deliciously sweet and the perfect way to finish off an incredible lunch.

Funky Pies is by far my favourite restaurant that we visited in Sydney, not only because of the amazing food but also due to the friendly and helpful staff and the cool vibe of the café itself. If you’re planning on visiting Bondi Beach soon and you love eating wholesome, delicious food, visiting Funky Pies is a must!

I filmed a little vlog of our day in Bondi Beach and our meal at Funky Pies, you can check that out here:

Vegan Quorn Launch

October 20, 2015Jade Green Vegan7 Comments

I recently received an email inviting me to attend the exclusive blogger event for the very highly anticipated…

▹▸▹▸ Vegan Quorn Launch

I was absolutely ecstatic… until I realised that the event would be taking place this month whilst I’m travelling in Australia and New Zealand. Unfortunately I was therefore unable to attend the event; however, Quorn very kindly extended the invitation to my mum who was more than happy to go in my place. It was great to hear how much fun the event was and moreover how great the new products are (even if it did make me a little envious ;)).Here’s what my mum had to say about the event & the new vegan quorn range…

“On arrival Micaela from Quorn warmly greeted us and we were offered a drink and a selection of vegan hors d’oeuvres. Micalea explained there would be a presentation from Jen Shepherd, UK Digital and PR, followed by an opportunity to try the new vegan Quorn products.

The presentation was informative and interesting, with Jen Shepherd explaining how and why Quorn was initially developed. In the 1960s it was predicted that by the 1980s there would be a shortage of protein rich foods. In response, research was undertaken to address this perceived problem resulting in the development of Mycoprotein, which was launched to the UK in 1993 as a retail range of protein rich, meat alternative ‘Quorn’ products. As opposed to simply a meat-free alternative, recent market research has shown that Quorn is now perceived as a health product.

Vegan Quorn has been developed in response to demand from the vegan community via all aspects of social media, including influence from numerous celebrities such as Beyonce, adopting this lifestyle. For three years, Quorn have been working behind the scenes to develop a range of vegan products. Currently, they have developed and perfected five products that are ready to launch to the mainstream supermarkets. However, at present only ASDA and Waitrose have committed to stocking two of these products: Quorn Vegan hot and spicy chicken style burger and Quorn Vegan chicken style pieces.

quorn vegan products

After the presentation we were able to sample the Quorn Vegan hot and spicy burger in a brioche bun. The burger was delicious, with a great texture and the perfect amount of spice. Two dishes were prepared with the chicken style pieces; one a stir fry with baby corn and mange tout (which was also delicious), and the other a mini pizza style dish with tomatoes and onions.

vegan quorn pizza

Even though we don’t generally buy meat alternatives (apart from meat-free sausages), after having the opportunity to try these recipes, I will definitely be buying both products and look forward to creating some of our own recipes with the meat-free pieces.”

vegan quorn launch

It makes me so happy that more and more people are switching to a healthy and compassionate vegan lifestyle and that there has been such an increase in the demand for vegan products that Quorn have decided to create this range.

Both the chicken style pieces and the spicy burger will be available at Asda from October 2015 for only £2.49 each! After hearing all of my mum’s feedback, I can’t wait to purchase both of these products when I’m home and try out some of the recipes that Quorn have kindly sent me and also create some of my own to share with you guys, so look out for those in the coming months!

In the meantime, find out more about the products at quorn.co.uk/vegan

Interview with Katarina from Lola’s Cookie Jar

October 18, 2015Jade Green Vegan2 Comments

Today I am so happy to share with you all my interview with Katarina, the lovely founder of all natural veggie pet bakery: Lola’s Cookie Jar. Katarina kindly sent some vegan treats for my gang to try out and they were big fans (read more about that in my last post), so I was really excited to get to know more about this awesome little business and how it all got started. I’m sure you’ll love reading Katarina and her gorgeous pup Lola’s story as much as I did ▹▸▹▸

Q: I love that your business sells all natural veggie & vegan dog treats as they are so hard to find! Tell us all about Lola’s Cookie Jar and how you became a small business owner. What were your main inspirations and influences?

A: 10 years ago I got Lola from a Windsor Pet Shop that got closed down for selling sick puppy mill puppies. Lola was a half Yorkie half Dachshund puppy that stole my heart with one glance, I looked at her, she looked at me and in that moment I knew she was gonna be my dog and I was gonna be her human. She is truly the best dog a girl could have. We traveled the world together and Lola got to go to Europe 2 times. She spent over 6 months in Europe on the coast of Adriatic Sea before she turned 1 – I seriously took her everywhere. She got to see Cancun Mexico and the Bahamas 2 times and she absolutely loves to travel. When she sees the suitcases she gets so excited that there is no doubt in my head that she knows that we are going somewhere for vacation.

Although we have lots of fun together not all of our 10 years have been fun and games. Lola has had a series of health problems, probably 10 times more problems than an average dog. She is in and out of vet offices and we usually have to have at least 2 surgeries per year. I had to work 2 jobs to pay my vets. Lola has an extra vertebra deformity that pressed on a nerve and caused severe pain in her back legs. She is doing great now but not long ago she was completely on bed rest. I had to carry her out to pee and hold her up in the air, she couldn’t do anything alone for 4 months. I even traveled to see an out of country Neurologist in the US that specializes in these issues to try and help her the best I can. Thank God she is doing great now but for the rest of her life no stairs or running. She has also had issues with Cancer, Liver, Kidneys and that’s what got me into the low protein, holistic, vegetarian food and treats.

Currently Lola is on a Renal Diet and I prepare her food from scratch. Her diet is mostly vegetables and Sol fish and fish oils. She can’t have chicken, beef, pork or lamb. Only a low protein, kidney safe diet. I love the fact that both of our lifestyles include fresh foods. I believe that nature has a solution to every problem if you look hard enough. Nature’s little miracles are not just for humans but for animals too and that is why I use nature’s power food and herbs for our furry kids. Milkthisle has helped my Lola so much, and Chamomile, don’t even get me started on Chamomile, and Turmeric – I love giving her my Heart Healthy Treats. So to sum it up the cookies were all for her, she is my motivation for everything. What can I say? My love for her brings out the best in me.

Q: That’s awesome that a predominantly veggie diet has been able to help with Lola’s health problems! Have you got any tips for someone hoping to start up their own small veggie/vegan business?

A: My tip to anyone starting their own business is to make sure you choose something you truly love!!!! Something that comes natural to you, something that you are truly passionate about, and once you start don’t let anything hold you back!!!

Q: If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life what would it be?

A: And if I could eat one last meal of food I choose Pomegranate!!!!! Pomegranate is my favorite fruit. I have a tree in the back yard of my Croatia home and I miss that fruit more than anything in the world. Since I was a kid I would clean 4 or 5 of them and eat them all, that’s how much I love it. What can I say? I love my fruit! If you ask any of my girlfriends they will tell you I am fruit crazy lol.

Q: Describe a day in the life of Katarina…

A: My favorite day is a day with my family. We love to go to the beach and lay and feel the sun on our skin… Lola loves to nap on the beach in the shade and go on walks in the park. I am a simple girl who doesn’t need fancy things to make her happy. All I need is my dog Lola, and my mom, Lola’s Granny, feels the same way. Seeing Lola happy is instant joy to both of our hearts. Some people have their kids, we have our Lola. My family is my everything.

Q: Do you have a favourite inspirational quote to leave us with?

A: My inspirational quote of the day is “Believe In The Glory Of Your Dreams”.

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Thank you so much Katarina for sharing yours and Lola’s story with us. It’s so inspiring to know how beneficial a holistic, veggie diet can be for our furry friends too. To learn more or to order some yummy dog treats, check out Lola’s Cookie Jar here.

Lola’s Cookie Jar – vegetarian and vegan all natural dog treats

October 14, 2015Jade Green Vegan1 Comment

Lola’s Cookie Jar is a cute little pet bakery offering vegetarian and vegan dog treats made with all natural ingredients; meaning no artificial colours, flavours, or preservatives. As I’m sure you all know, I am obsessed with my four beautiful dogs (Poppy, Panda, Teddy & Kitty), so naturally I want to feed them the best and healthiest food to help them live long, happy and healthy lives. This is why I was absolutely thrilled when I came across Lola’s Cookie Jar on instagram, as it can be so hard to find dog treats that are not only vegan but are also made from wholesome, natural ingredients (unlike many of the commercial dog food brands).

Katarina, the lovely founder of Lola’s Cookie Jar, kindly sent me three bags of the vegan treats in her range for my gang to try out. Luckily the treats arrived on the day I left for Australia, so I got to have a little treat tasting session with the dogs (they thought it was all of their birthdays and Christmas rolled into one), and of course, take lots of cute pictures.

lolas cookie jar treats

▹▸▹▸ “Just Relax” Calming Treat

As you can tell from Poppy’s ‘must not look at treats’ face, the dogs found these ones pretty hard to resist. Poppy, who is normally the fussiest eater, absolutely loved them so they must be pretty darn tasty .

▹▸▹▸ Lola’s Lucky Charms

After nudging them around a little, the dogs were big fans of the Lucky Charms. I’m not sure if this had something to do with the colour (particularly for Teddy, as he loves all pink anything!) but whatever the reason there wasn’t a pink crumb in sight.

▹▸▹▸ Carob Bone Truffles Delight

True to their name, the truffles are definitely the most luxurious of the range. They look and smell so good that I was even a little tempted to give them a try, and it is safe to say that the dogs definitely shared my excitement with these ones being their favourite!

I absolutely love finding and supporting awesome small vegan businesses, so I’m really happy we found Lola’s Cookie Jar and I’m sure we’ll be placing our next order very soon.

To check out Lola’s Cookie Jar’s delicious range of treats, go to lolascookiejar.com

You can also follow Lola’s Cookie Jar on instagram @lolascookiejar and on facebook Lola’s cookies and bits.

I’m also really excited to be able to share with you all my interview with Katarina about the inspiration behind Lola’s Cookie Jar and what it’s like to run a small vegan/vegetarian business, so look out for that later this week.