For my 30th birthday my best friend treated me to dinner at the Deliciously Ella supper club at The Kitchen Counter, Ella’s deli in Herne Hill.
On arrival to The Kitchen Counter, which is located a short walk from the tube station, there were two long tables with benches laid up ready for diners. As we were a little bit late arriving, we took the last two places near the entrance of the deli, which suited us fine.
Meeting Deliciously Ella. This week I got to finally meet the plant-based queen, Ella Woodward at Harrods, London.
Before buying Deliciously Ella’s first book (review here), I would never have really known or understood how to live on a plant-based diet. I wouldn’t have learnt about the different plant milks, properly understood the benefits of various nuts and seeds, and overall how to replace the things my body would be otherwise missing.
That all being said, you can imagine my excitement for the release of the second Deliciously Ella book, Deliciously Ella Every Day and it made sense to try and time the purchase with a signing so I could meet her.
Meeting Deliciously Ella was a really positive experience, as there’s always a worry about meeting your idols. Ella was as friendly and lovely as she comes across in the media and on her blog and social media. Rather than say how much I love her book, I thought I would instead congratulate her on her upcoming wedding (one bride-to-be to another ‘n all). She then asked me about my upcoming wedding and it turns out we’re both getting married in April.
Since trying a vegan/plant-based lifestyle, my body doesn’t miss meat and thrives on vegetables and the like and exploring the journey has in many ways given me a new found enjoyment for food preparation and recipe discovery. I also feel great both in body and mind (despite wedding stress, but that aside).
To be fair, my diet changes haven’t been dramatic so my body hasn’t suddenly had to cope with a complete change of diet, and I feel better on the inside. While I don’t believe everything I read, there is a lot out there now on the benefits of living meat and dairy free (see Cowspiracy for example).
For now I now live a 90% plant-based lifestyle –that 10% allows me the flexibility to not deny myself the odd non-vegan treat if I feel I want it or if I’m in a situation where I cannot avoid eating something with dairy in it.
Ultimately, I’m doing this because I enjoy it and not because I think eating animals and animal products wrong.
Have any of you bought either or both of the Deliciously Ella books?
Until next time x
Hey Sweeties,
I am contemplating going vegan.
I have been doing a ton of reading on this as it’s not something to take on lightly. That being said, I can be quite impulsive and when I get an idea or I want to do something, I want to do it now.
Becoming vegetarian, I have activated straightaway, I now no longer eat meat. Becoming vegan on the other hand is something I am still exploring but I like the idea of living off a plant-based diet so why not give it a go? I have nothing to lose. I already know that my body does really well on a mostly plant-based diet since leaving the family nest eight, nearly nine years ago and my meat consumption more than halving. From a moral perspective, as an animal lover I can simply no longer ignore the facts and realities of food manufacturing and it’s not something I am willing to support.
When people think of vegans, they think of malnourished looking skinny people. There are of course people that match this description completely and you know why? Because they haven’t educated themselves on how to replace the nutrients and protein they miss from a normal diet. They also don’t support their well-being with good quality skincare, if at all but I recognise that this is regarded as a privilege. Nowadays, being vegetarian and vegan is so well researched and understood, it’s easy to live a healthy, well balanced lifestyle on a plant-based diet.
This is such a good book! Lots of delicious recipes
People also approach decisions about going vegetarian and vegan as if it’s a bit of a whim and not to be taken seriously. But it’s a serious decision and it doesn’t matter if it appears out of the blue or something that has been slowly researched and worked towards by the individual. If I recognise that my diet needs changing, regardless if it’s for health and/or moral reasons, it’s my decision and it needs respecting.
When I informed my Mum on the phone, I knew the first concern she was going to have was how I was going to replace the protein and other nutrients I would now be missing, and true to form, that was her concern and rightly so. But I haven’t lived with my family since 2007, they have no idea what my kitchen cupboards look like or what my daily diet involves. But as regular readers will know, I have been building to a more sustainable change for a while now, particularly since purchasing and reviewing Ella Woodward’s Deliciously Ella, Madeline Shaw’s Get the Glow and Davina McCall’s Five Weeks to Sugar-Free a few months ago. During the same conversation, my Mum also highlighted that we (humans), weren’t born with teeth if we weren’t meant to eat meat and I agree with that, before supermarkets we ate what we caught, but I’m not becoming vegetarian/vegan because I think eating meat and animal products is bad or wrong. Becoming vegetarian for me has been a long time coming, I have simply never enjoyed meat, always favouring meat-free meals where possible and I have just got to the time of my life where I want to make a very definite and deliberate change to address it once and for all. As for becoming vegan, I am up for the challenge to see if I can live on a plant-based diet sustainably, but the world won’t end if I accidently/deliberately eat a cake made with eggs over a coffee in Costa. Life isn’t about restriction and I think when you start banning certain foods from your life for the wrong reasons you just create problems and resentment and make falling off the wagon more likely.
In western culture, we are very blessed to have so many things open and available to us and I am not just talking about food. But in equal measure, where certain rules are in place, we can get away with our own interpretations in order for something to adapt and fit into our lifestyles. We should never take this for granted.
While I acknowledge that veganism will be more difficult, once I become familiar with the brands and food stuffs that I can eat, they’ll become routine as will the preparation of meals without animal products. The biggest thing I think I’ll miss is cheese and regardless to the vegan friendly versions, it will never quite be the same. I also don’t interpret the production of honey (from bees) in the same league as other types of food manufacturing involving animals, so as an FYI, I’ll still be eating honey!
So what do you guys think? Anyone else thinking of making a similar change or maybe you already have? Let me know and please share any tips and advice.
Until next time x
Hey Sweeties,
One of the key things we look forward to when the summer begins to kick in, is that summer glow. The cold winter months and shorter days means we can’t get outdoors, so our body, skin and mind feels sapped of enough daylight and energy; this is why we love heavier food and cosy nights in during this time.
As you guys know, I love keeping active and the summer months of longer days and warmer weather provide the perfect opportunity to get yourself outdoors in the fresh air catching up with friends, playing sport or even just going for regular evening walks to stretch your legs after a day in the office. By taking some exercise, you’ll increase blood flow and the fresh air will plump your skin and body with oxygen that will do wonders for how you feel and look.
Hey Sweeties,
So this is how it began: Bought Deliciously Ella, loved it. Got curious and thought it might be worth buying Madeline Shaw’s ‘Get the Glow‘ book, loved it. Thought I might as well complete the collection and buy Davina’s ‘5 Weeks to Sugar-Free‘… so I did. Now I have all three books and I thought it would be a good idea to review and compare them for you, my lovely readers, in one place. So I am (FYI I would grab a cuppa, it’s a long one!).