Posted on

Coconut & raspberry pudding – dairy free & vegan friendly

coconut & raspberry pudding

Great as a dessert, even better as breakfast, my simple coconut & raspberry pudding, which is dairy free and vegan friendly.

You will need;

  • 1 can coconut milk
  • 1 teaspoon agar agar
  • 2 cups raspberries
  • 1 teaspoon coconut sugar
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
  • 1 tablespoon desiccated coconut

Check out my YouTube video, on how to make this simple pudding. You can make it in advance and it will keep well covered in the fridge for a few days.

I am inspired by all the fresh produce at my local market in Tavira. Today I picked up a large punnet of fresh raspberries and couldn’t wait to get home to make this delicious dessert. I divided the mix into three, 2 desserts for today, and 1 breakfast is ready for me tomorrow. I will add a little bit of home made granola to create a delicious and filling plant based breakfast.

Let me know if you try this recipe. I don’t add extra sugar to the milk mixture, but you may like to add a teaspoon of sugar if you have a sweet tooth.

It’s very hot here today, too hot for cooking, but this simple dish is perfect chilled to enjoy under the shade of a carob tree. The dogs are shuffling around the kitchen to keep cool, so it’s Ginger and Bird my Hungarian Vizsla you may be able to hear in the background.

I don’t use exact measurements, use a tea cup if you don’t have a proper cup measurement – its the same thing!

Thanks for stopping by, have a beautiful day!

Posted on

Asian style breakfast. Italian style lunch. What I eat in a day.

asian style breakfast, Italian style lunch

Asian style breakfast? Italian style lunch? yes please! Here’s what I eat in a day. Lots of you enjoyed seeing what I eat in a day. I really prefer savoury food rather than sweet. Today I made some crispy tofu with Thai rice, veggies and sauce for breakfast and an Italian inspired pasta and bean dish with lots of fresh tomatoes.

Thank you for the lovely feedback on my videos. I like to keep trying different styles, so today there’s no talking, just the sounds of my small kitchen, in my cottage, in the middle of an orange grove in Algarve, Portugal. Listen out for Mr Blackbird singing along outside my window.

Asian style breakfast.

Breakfast was; Steamed Thai rice, crispy tofu (see my previous recipe for KCF style tofu) cucumber, raw carrot, fried spring onions/scallions, sesame seeds, fresh chopped coriander and a sauce made with;1 tablespoon crunchy peanut butter, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar, 1 or 2 teaspoons of maple syrup.

asian style breakfast, Italian style lunch
asian style breakfast, Italian style lunch

Italian style lunch.

For lunch I fried red onion and garlic, added 4 large chopped red tomatoes and simmered until tender, and liquid reduced. I added 1 tablespoon oregano, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 tablespoon Moscatel (it’s a sweet wine). I added 1 cup large butter beans and 1 cup small pasta. Cook until pasta is al dente. In a separate pan fry mushrooms with crushed whole garlic as much as you like) and vegan butter. I am using Veganbloc. When cooked, remove the mushrooms and use the leftover butter and garlic to wilt the spinach in the hot pan.

Drizzle over pesto (I’m using homemade vegan – without cheese) and sprinkle over sunflower seeds and a few fresh herbs. Serve with baked sliced bread.

Let me know what you think about this style of video. It’s good for when I don’t want to be on camera and can really enjoy cooking rather than talking. I lost 32lbs eating this way. I eat between 8am and 2pm, then fast until 8am the next day. It really suits my body and lifestyle.

Thanks for stopping by, have a beautiful day.

#intermittentfasting #menopauseweightloss #menopausehealth #plantbased #healthyaging

Posted on

Nutella made the vegan way

nutella

My home made dairy free, gluten free, vegan friendly version of Nutella couldn’t be easier! You will be shocked how much sugar is contained in the store bought original Nutella and similar products. I will show you how much sugar the store bought contains, versus my simple home made version using a high grade dark chocolate.

Join me in my tiny kitchen, in a little rented cottage in the middle of an orange grove, close to Tavira, Algarve, Portugal. I really enjoy making all my food from scratch, based on what I find at the market each day. Sometimes I fancy something sweet, rich and chocolatey. This spread is great to use in baking to make vegan delicious French Pain au chocolate. Or straight out of the jar, by the spoonful!

Here’s my simple vegan nutella recipe:

  • 410g hazelnuts (3 cups)
  • 100g dark chocolate (half to 3 quarters of a cup)
  • 1 pinch of sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

Bake the hazelnuts in the air fryer (highest setting) for 3-4 minutes. They burn very quickly so be careful. You could toast them in a fry frying pan instead. Melt the chocolate and add the salt and vanilla extract. Add all the ingredients to the blender and run at full power until smooth. Pour into a container and allow to set.

Enjoy! Let me know if you like this vegan Nutella recipe, I’m happy to answer any questions.

Thanks for stopping by, have a beautiful day. #veganeats #vegannutella #dairyfree #wholefood #plantbased

Posted on

Burrito with a twist – what I eat in a day.

burrito

Burrito with a twist!

This is my burrito with a twist. I am a huge fan of Lizzo on TikTok, and I’m always jealous when she orders in Mexican or TexMex food. We have avocados growing all around us here, but it’s still Russian roulette whether the avocado will go straight in the bin, or be perfect to mash.

Bonus trip to the market.

I thought I’d add a quick trip in to the market, and show you what I bought. I love to see what other people buy at the market. I guess I am just nosey, but it’s wonderful to see what’s in season all around the world. I go to the market almost every day to see what’s on offer. Cherries and figs are incredible at the moment, I will be stuffing my face with fruit for the next few months whilst prices are low and stocks are high.

I like to play around with flavours, using what I have on hand rather than sticking to a recipe. You won’t find any authentic recipes on my page, everything is off the cuff, based on my knowledge of flavours. I used a small corn tortilla today for my burrito, I am sure you will think it’s tiny compared to a store bought one in the USA, but I prefer to have two small ones, rather than one big one. My husband is quite a fussy eater, so I have to work around him. I didn’t add onion in the salsa as that’s a big no-no for him.

What I eat in a day – series.

I’m attempting to film as many meals as I can throughout this month, as I’m asked daily what I eat as a 100% plant based 55 year old vegan, intermittent fasting for weight maintenance. I used tempeh today, you could use vegan fake meats but I prefer tempeh seasoned with smoked paprika, cinnamon, thyme, garlic, and a little brown sugar for sweetness – similar to bacon seasoning.

Posted on

What I eat in a day 100% plant based vegan food.

What do I eat in a day, with no dairy, meat, eggs or fish?

Lots of women ask me what I eat in a day 100% plant based vegan food. I’m including everything I eat and drink except water, tea and coffee. I really enjoy watching videos like this, and it’s fascinating to see what people eat, and how much – portion size varies so much!

I buy all my produce from the local farmer’s market and tofu and tempeh from the health food store. I don’t visit the supermarket very often, because I like supporting small businesses. I avoid all processed fake vegan food as much as possible, additives and preservatives, I don’t use a microwave to avoid any damage to the nutrients in the food. 

Head over to YouTube and please give me a follow!

Essential supplies

My store cupboard is full of herbs, spices, and varied ingredients from all over the world, to make humble veg into something spectacular. I do use a small amount of seed oils, which I agree are not a healthy choice, however, it’s a compromise I am willing to make to ensure I eat lots of lovely plants rich in fibre. 

I am always shocked how much ready made food people eat in their ‘what I eat in a day’ videos on YouTube, as I like to make all my food from scratch. 

Intermittent fasting changed my life. Two meals per day keeps my weight stable and provides me with enough energy to complete a strenuous workout, plus another activity later in the day such as paddle boarding or mountain biking.

Please support my page.

Give me a follow, or a share as I really need some support to keep posting. I love creating meals from fresh fruit and veggies and I want to share my passion of eating good, fresh, wholesome food. I will attempt to film at least 5 days per week for this month. If there’s enough interest I will keep going!

I am 55, soon to be 56 and I’ve never felt better. I will film some of my workouts too, so you can see how I build muscle and keep in shape.

Thanks for stopping by, have a beautiful day!

Posted on

You can now support me on Patreon.

I will now also be posting all new blog posts, recipes and videos (plus more exclusive content) on Patreon. The reason for this is that I now create for Fiftysister full time. Patreon gives fans and followers more value through my writing, recipes, videos, exercise routines and wellness information. Click here to join my Patreon community.

Why Patreon?

Lots of followers asked how they could; support me, get their hands on my recipes, get a reply from an email and message, or watch a regular live stream. Patreon helps keep my information within my control and allows me to be more open with my thoughts and future plans.

What is Patreon?

Patreon is a members only social media platform, where supporters choose who they wish to sponsor through a pledge or monthly subscription. It’s a way for writers and creative people to earn money by providing value to their audience, without having to endlessly sell products.

Facebook page and group

We are building an amazing supportive group on Facebook – ‘Team Sparkles’ which I am very proud of. A safe place for women to ask questions and network with other like minded women. My Facebook page and group are managed by an incredible team – from wecreatepopular.com I will be posting content regularly on Facebook and you will find me posting photos and videos on Instagram too. I’m everywhere!

I appreciate all your support. Thanks for stopping by, have a beautiful day.

Gail

Posted on

Fakeaway time! KFT – Kentucky Fried Tofu in the airfryer.

You love KFC but you’ve decided to eat more plants? Let’s talk about KFT – Kentucky (style) air fried tofu. My husband was a big fan of KFC until I switched us to a 100% plant based diet 10 years ago. He was reluctant to try my KFT at first, but now he asks me to make it every week, the man is completely obsessed, especially when it’s drizzled in my hasty sweet and sour pineapple sauce.

You will see that KFT does involve using a lot of ingredients, but that’s how KFC get their delicious crispy flavour packed coating. The only ingredient missing from the original recipe, which would give it extra pizazz is MSG. I don’t cook with it, but it doe’s take it to the next level.

KFT – Airfried tofu ingredients

  • 1 cup extra firm tofu
  • 1 cup all purpose white flour
  • 1 cup unsweetened plant milk
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp vegetable stock powder
  • 1 large pinch ground sea salt
  • 1 tsp sweet paprika
  • 1 tsp sage
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 1 tbsp mixed herbs
  • 0.5 tsp celery salt
  • 1 Tbsp garlic powder
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper
  • 0.5 tsp dry mustard powder
  • 0.5 tsp white pepper
  • 0.5 Tsp ground ginger
  • 0.5 tsp Chinese 5 spice
  • Handful of cornflakes
  • 1 cup of pineapple juice
  • 1 tsp cornflour + dash of ACV
  • 0.5 tsp nigella seeds – optional
  • Spray oil.

Method for crispy Tofu

Get your hands on some extra firm tofu. Drain away the water from the tofu and crumble it into bite size pieces. Put the plant milk and 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar into a bowl and mix. You have just made vegan buttermilk. Mix all the four and all the spices in a separate bowl. Pick up a piece of tofu, let it have a swim in the buttermilk, scoop out and douse in the flour/spice mixture. Do all of them, and get ready to repeat.

Now you’re going to need to smash up the cornflakes and add them to the flour mix. Repeat the dip and roll process, making sure lots of cornflake mix is stuck to your tofu. Place the pieces in the airfryer (I use baking paper to avoid too much mess and washing the air fryer pan) and spray with a little bit of oil.

Cook for 8 minutes on high before turning and cooking for a further 5-7 minutes. The cooking time will depend on your airfryer. The important thing to note is that you don’t need to worry about the tofu being undercooked, like you would chicken.

Sweet and sour sauce.

Your KFT is ready! Now for the sauce. Mix cornflour with the pineapple juice and heat until thickened. Add a dash of apple cider vinegar. Sprinkle in some nigella seeds too if you’re feeling fancy.

Video coming soon, stay tuned!

Posted on

My top 10 sources of plant based protein

This is my list of personal top 10 sources of plant based protein. Things I keep in the store cupboard to ensure I always have a natural and wholesome source of protein with every meal.

Where do I get my protein?

I don’t eat anything from animals, so where do I get my protein? If I had a dollar for every time I was asked this question I’d be a millionaire! I’m going to post more info about plant based macros in the future as many people don’t seem to appreciate how much protein can be found in nuts, beans, seeds, veggies and even fruit. Enough to fuel a gorilla, elephant, rhino… you get the idea.

Plant fibre is incredibly important to our gut microbiome. It’s been removed from processed foods, so it’s vital to eat lots of natural, unprocessed plant matter to keep all the bacteria in the belly happy. I grabbed a few things out of my pantry and will be sharing more nutrition content with you over the coming weeks.

This is where I get my protein and of course, lots of fibre. Have a beautiful day!

Follow me on social media

Follow me on Instagram by clicking here or Facebook by clicking here.

#veggie #veganfood #plantbased #wholefood #slowfood #menopausehealth

Posted on

Go in search of authenticity.

Authenticity means you’re true to your own personality, values, and spirit, regardless of the pressure that you’re under to act otherwise. You’re honest with yourself and with others.

When we give ourselves permission to be ourselves, we can live free from others’ ideas and expectations, and we can choose to navigate our own course in life.

It isn’t always easy to live authentically. Being true to what you know is right, means swimming against the current, in the opposite direction to everyone else. It may mean you’re considered unconventional, opening yourself up to criticism and possibly hate, it can mean taking the harder road.

It may mean missing some opportunities – I have learned to accept this, but in the longer term, it’s likely to open up many more opportunities; opportunities that simply wouldn’t be available to someone who has been seen to be insincere, conflicted, vacillating, or fake. 

Living an authentic life is vastly more rewarding than hiding your true self. When you live authentically, you don’t have to worry about what anyone else thinks, what you said, how you acted, or whether you did the right thing. Living authentically means you can trust yourself and your motivations implicitly.

Authenticity brings peace and a quietened mind. If I’d never been lost, I wouldn’t have found my true self. 

#authenticity#authentic#awakening#midlifeawakening#theroadlesstraveled#findingyourself#findingpeace

Posted on

Jumprope and Kettlebell 40+ Fitness daily workout

Jumprope and Kettlebell workout on YouTube

I’ve just edited and uploaded my 40+ fitness, daily workout with Jumprope and Kettlebell to YouTube. My main social media platforms are Facebook & Instagram, but as so many people pleaded with me to post on YouTube too, here I am attempting to post on all platforms. I must be crazy! But I want to reach as many women as I can to help them regain their strength and fitness after 40.

In July 2021 I was overweight, stressed, depressed, suffering with anxiety and rather unfit. I started intermittent fasting to lose weight, then in Feb 2022 I started jumprope. In December 2022 I added kettlebell into the mix and started building upper body muscle. I have shoulders of steel!

I share as much information as I can to help other women who are struggling with weight gain and lack of motivation. This is my first jumprope and kettlebell workout video on YouTube, you will also find more videos on my Facebook page. Click here to see FiftySister on Facebook. I am work in progress, learning as I go, so check back often for new videos and posts.

You can find out more about my jumprope journey by clicking here. Click on the video above or here to view on YouTube.

Thanks for stopping by…. I’m back to posting on my blog so stay tuned!