When it’s not possible to pile on anymore topping 😁
Hotdog – odd little pieces of red stir-fried onion, okaaay 😐 but loads of spicy BBQ seitan pieces (to bulk up the skinny sausage), mayo and jalapeños, which tasted lush as a whole but I really missed having a big pile of soft, brown onions
Curly fries – who doesn’t love a curly fry!
ZFC – spicy fried cauliflower, so much like popcorn chicken
Lemon sheese cake – Delicious
Overall really creative and tasty! 😋
The Hip-Hop Chip Shop has gone mobile! They are parked throughout February at The Carlton Club in Whalley Range, Manchester.
We decided to book on their pop-up website (which I now think is mostly booked up) to make it easier ordering food from their pop-up van. You can visit the van but you might have a bit of wait so (as they advise) wrap up warm!
Skin-on chips; Mushy Peas; Battered Sausage and Tartare Sauce; with a side of Battered pickled gherkins and a Chocolate Brownie by Lush Brownies (Chortlon) for desert.
They also have a battered halloumi meal if that’s more your deal.
The fact that people peel potatoes when making chips now amazes me. Battered gherkins have some real bite to them in texture and flavour. The inside of the sausage has a soft consistency like sweet potato pakora but it tastes exactly like a chippy sausage – whaat?! The choccy brownie is perfection.
FYI This is enough food to last me for my tea tonight and breakfast and dinner tomorrow.
Hello lovely people! Between the wind, rain, cold and central heating it’s no wonder our skin can become sensitive, dehydrated and dry, or like mine, freak out and become oily and dry in different places.
Here are my winter skin saviours!
e.l.f. Holy Hydration Face Cream
A really light, easily absorbed daily moisturiser which can be layered with serums and balms. This moisturiser contains (plant based) Squalane to improve moisture balance and elasticity, Peptides to protect skin, B3 to brighten and even the complexion and Hyaluronic Acid to help the other ingredients sink deep into the skin.
This serum uses repurposed coffee extract, which is rich in antioxidants and rosehip and jojoba oils to brighten and care for dry, dehydrated skin. I apply this serum and before it sinks in completely I apply moisturiser, which helps the moisturiser to sink in easily. It does have a tiny tingly sensation at first but doesn’t make my skin flush or react.
Wild Tree Skincare Organic Body Scrub Melt
This has the most delicious chocolate scent! It also has the most amount of oil (cacao seed butter and Shea butter) and scrubby bits (cacao seed powder) in anything I’ve ever used before. It’s really easy to hold in your palm and one melt covered my whole body. I don’t think I’ll have dry skin again for the next year! Okay, a slight exaggeration there.
Lucky Cloud Soothing Super Balm
This balm contains Oat Oil, Evening Primrose Oil and Sweet Almond Oil to calm dry, sensitive, itchy skin. The Lavender and Geranium Oils also calm body and mind. It’s a little miracle in a pot!
Balade En Provence Solid Night Cream
I normally have very cold hands so I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to use this but it melted into my palms straight away! Containing Cocoa Butter and Apricot Kernel Oil, this cream is both hydrating and moisturising, without clogging pours or creating an oil slick on your pillow.
Quite the dream team and all plant based!
Feel free to Like, comment (ask questions), follow and share.
These are the products I’ve been using and purchasing repeatedly over the past year. They have been perfect for balancing my combination-type skin and hair.
I hope you’ve found this helpful and, as always lovely people, leave any questions or comments.
Extra…
Over the next couple of months I’ll be reviewing more skincare and beauty (including tinted lip balms and super moisturising lipsticks), as well as self-care and pampering products. Keep an eye on my Insta for a heads up!
This year I’m going to be doing a series of posts focussing on independent business, starting off the year with skincare.
Love Absolute was created by Holistic Therapist Sarah Bisset and specialises in botanically derived skincare. The brand is 100% cruelty free, vegan, organic and uses locally sourced ingredients, to support farmers, biodiversity and to cut down on carbon emissions.
I love their minimalist and recyclable packaging and it’s also good to know that their products are natural, fresh and free from unnecessary chemicals.
If you are someone who gets ‘Christmas money’ or likes to buy their self a prezzie, then Eden Perfumes (non animal tested, vegan) tester sets are a great way to help you find cruelty free replacements for your fave scents.
You search for the name or the type of scent (woody, fruity, citrus, oriental) you want to replace and choose three that you think are close matches (or just sound really lovely), then you receive those three (generous) handbag sized perfumes.
I’ve bought two sets and have found replacements for Beyoncé Heat, YSL Opium and Paco Reban 1 Million and I also chose two of Edens totally original scents which are gorgeous!
Trick or treat, give me something good to eat!
A 400g bag of vegan sweets for a fiver from Zad’s takeaway, made by Cruelty Free Candy
The Zadam’s Family Pumpkin Spice Pizza from Zad’s is THE best vegan pizza I have ever eaten!
Not too sweet (like a lot of vegan pizzas tend to be), but savoury, with just a little sweet spice. Perfect balance!
‘Pumpkin, squash and sweet potato puree base, with garlic drizzle, sage, thyme, crispy kale, cheese, red onion, roasted chickpeas, sun-dried tomatoes, apple chunks and diced walnut coated with cinnamon and dash of chilli flakes to warm your soul’.
The most Autumnal thing I’ve eaten this year!
Spot my bloke on the right
I’ve always loved that Bundobust is a no frills, eco friendly canteen and bar (even the cutlery is biodegradable), serving Indian street food.
It’s really spacious but still manages to be cozy and friendly. We reserved a booth because I’m not able to climb into and sit on the bench seating, plus we wanted to be isolated because of Covid.
They have gluten free beer, mango lassi, cocktails, chai tea, the most delicious peshwari paratha (sweet bread) and kulfi (pistachio ice cream).
Saag Aloo (spinach and potato); Paneer, mushroom and pepper kebabs; Peshwari Paratha (sweet bread); Sev Puri (Dry noodle, layers of samosa, yoghurt and tamarind sauce); Okra fries.
Now the weather has cooled my chronic fatigue and brain- fog has calmed a bit. Unfortunately this makes my ADHD (self diagnosed as a teen but wildly obvious) a lot worse. It’s like I’ve drunk three espressos all of the time. Nice to have some energy and my quirky personality back though! 😄 It took me five six attempts to be able to write this properly. 😆
My ‘sensible dress’ which I hardly ever wear. However, I got so many compliments on it (over on my Instagram) that I’m going to wear it a lot more.
We went to Allotment Vegan Eatery in town, which had beautiful food and cozy decor but would have been too dear if we hadn’t taken advantage of the government ‘eat out to help out’ scheme.
Had a lovely meal at Sai Spice in Chorlton. Here are leftovers of Mutter Panner (peas and cheese which tastes nicer than it sounds), Young coconut and green beans and vegetable Kolpahuri which was really piquant!
Vegan and gluten free cheese-on-toast using Genius bread and Follow Your Heart, Pepper Jack flavour. Wow!
After three months of loosely following The Curly Girl Method (but with other products) my hair is shiny and soft, with less frizz AND holding it’s curl shape.
The most geeky and awesome book I have ever read! This is like the crazy dreams I’d have regularly as a kid in the 80’s.
Still writing down happy things that have happened, as and when they occur, so I can read them back when I’ve been having a succession of shitty mental/physical health days, to give me some perspective.
Dark – Complex, family oriented sci-fi
Boardwalk Empire – Sprawling 1920’s Gangsta series set in Atlantic City
Hero’s – Series featuring time travel and a big cast of characters discovering they have unique powers.
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Really looking forward to a chilly but beautiful Autumn and Halloween of course. 🦇
