Shoyu - Healthier Soya Sauce Option

Many of you probably already know about Shoyu but I'm afraid I only discovered it this year. I was shunning soya sauce altogether every time I made a stir-fry because of the salt, sugar and colourings. Then I read about Shoyu! The Clearsping sauce I've been using is organic, made in Japan and only contains water, whole soya beans, wholewheat, sea salt and milkawa mirin. The taste is everything you want from a soya sauce but it's so much healthier. If you make one switch in your kitchen this week, why not consider organic Shoyu?

Purchase at health food stores or online at Planet Organic - £3.99

For anyone seeking a wheat-free soya sauce, you can try organic
Tamari.

It's A Tree Thing

Organic Cotton Onesie
The life of a 'Little Tree Hugger' starts early. If you know one, I'm sure their parents and them will love this. It's made with organic cotton and environmentally friendly water based paints. Made in Honolulu.

Purchase -
Little Dew Drops (Etsy) $20

Eco-friendly Tree of Life Notebook
Printed on 'tree-free lokta paper' and made with recycled chipboard and paper. Available in many pretty colours. Made in Oregon.

Purchase -
This Is It (Etsy) $12

Upcycled Maple Tree Apron
For some autumnal cooking, this apron couldn't be better. It's made from remnant fabrics and features a lovely tree design on each of the large pockets. Made in London.

Purchase -
Green Lashes and Fashion (Etsy) $42

Organic Cotton Redwood Tree T-shirt
All green girls should have a fabulous tree t-shirt in organic cotton. Wear with your favourite organic jeans for the perfect casual, weekend look. Made in Chicago.

Purchase -
Look for Fiddleheads (Etsy) $26

Vintage Money Tree Handbag
Wonderful kitschy, cool bag that will attract many stares and smiles.

Purchase -
Planet Claire Vintage (Etsy) $35


Three New Ways With Rice

Rice with Fennel and Golden Raisins
by Ruth Cousineau, image - Mikkel Vang
I love rice but sometimes it's good to try cooking it a new way. These three recipes are bursting with flavours that may just steal the spotlight from the main dish. First up, why not try this anise-flavoured rice speckled with a bit of sweetness.
View at
Epicurious

Orange Rice (image Susie Cushner)
This is a real summer rice dish made with brown rice, oranges, black olives and basil or mint.
View recipe at
Real Simple

Toasted Coconut Rice - Martha Stewart Living
You don't need much to make this fragrant rice. It would be great with your favourite curry.

View at
Martha Stewart


Great Gift Idea - Recycled Can Bikes and Cars


Here's some stellar fair trade gifts for anyone with a thing for cars or wheelie things. They are made from recycled cans in Madagascar by the cooperative, Bezalila. I think they're incredible and personally adore the bicycle most of all. Aside from the ones pictured here today, you can also find a Harley Davidson, lorry, plane and helicopter. Which one is your favourite?

Recycled VW Beetle - £6.99

Recycled Classic Silver Car - £10.99

Recycled Racing Car - £7.99


Recycled Jeep - £7.99


Available at Shared Earth (and I Ran The Wrong Way for Australians).


Vegetarian Boots for Fall

Felicita (Happiness) Bootie - Kailia - $275
This Ruby shade couldn't be more autumnal if it tried. Also available in Cypress and Violet (h
and-made in Europe).

Pixie, Over The Knee Boots - Beyond Skin £199
As the weather gets cooler, the boots must get higher. As in over the knee. These Pixie boots are a dream and are available in classic black but I think the purple is fun.
Hand-made in Spain (100% recycled faux suede and faux leather).

Vintage Embellished Ankle Booties
- Chicas Vintage (
Etsy) $25.40
It's not every day you spot a pair of 'so-kooky-they're-cool', blue booties that are vintage and vegan. Pounce on them, while you can!


Seven Vintage Zebra Finds

I couldn't stop myself from finding all things vintage and zebra-related on Etsy today. The zebra is quite often my fashion muse. I just love black and white stripes and anything striking and unique. Here's what I found.

Zebra Print Top (above) - Fine Feathers Vintage,
Etsy ($18)
Wear with skinny jeans or under a jacket for an edgy look.


Chiffon Scarf - Candy Apple Crafts, Etsy ($15)
Perfect for those times when you need to give your basic black outfit a little lift.


Vintage Purse - Shop at Moxie, Etsy ($16)
Animal loving kids and adults will love this sweet bag.


Velvet Zebra - Cottage Farm, Etsy ($46)
So refreshing to see plastic-free toys! This velvet zebra has so much charm and would make the perfect gift for anyone who is zany for zebras.


Safari Mini Dress - Dirty Betty Vintage, Etsy ($30)
I could see this dress on Gwen Stefani or Rihanna. It's a dress that will always look different but will always stay in fashion.

Wood Bracelet - Ditbge, Etsy ($8.75)
Chunky bracelets always look great, especially in a zebra print!


Recycled Zebra Gift Tags - Paper Piggy, Etsy ($2.99)
Forget boring gift tags. Why not use these fun ones made from vintage playing cards instead?


Let me know if you want another animal inspired round-up next week. Meerkats, rhinos... I'll do my best. It may not be stylish but I'm sure it will be entertaining!


Organic Green Olives in Provencal Marinade

Have you tried these green olives from Organico? They are seriously divine! These pitted olives come in a glass jar and are bobbing about in a heavenly provencal marinade. It's all organic and it's all good. I've been tossing a handful onto my pasta, pizza, sandwiches, salads and couscous. They're perfect for adding a little piquant punch to any dish!

Buy online -
Ethical Superstore (£3.52)


Green Lashes and Fashion on Etsy


Exciting news to share! I opened a shop on Etsy over the weekend so I could share my favourite, hand-made, upcycled fashion with you. I'm starting with upcycled aprons first for women and children. Each one is unique and made in London from remnant fabric and clothing. I hope you love them as much as Ali and I do (mum and co-Etsy seller). I was so smitten with the purple dotty apron (second last image), I just couldn't sell it but here's a look at some of the other aprons for sale on Etsy.

Maple Tree Apron

Leaf Print Apron

Red and Navy Apron

One Pocket - Apron

My Purple Dotty Apron

Children's Aprons

All aprons feature adjustable straps, so they can fit different shapes and sizes. To learn more about each design, please click the links above or view the aprons at
Etsy. Thanks everyone!


Exterior images: Hannah Banting

Five Vegetarian Mushroom Recipes

Little Gem, Mushroom, Apple and Celery Salad
-
Delicious Magazine (Linda Tubby)
The perfect dish to transition from summer to fall. It's drizzled with a lovely mustard dressing.


Pasta with Tomato-Mushroom Sauce
-
Real Simple (image: Antonis Achilleos)
I think the cheese could be optional in this dish and it would still be rich and flavoursome.


Brown Rice Pilaf with Mushrooms and Apricots
-
Whole Foods Market
A healthy pilaf dish speckled with dried apricots and walnuts.


Mushroom, Red Wine and Thyme Ragù
-
Delicious Magazine (Matthew Drennan)
This ragù can be served with mashed potatoes which you could make with a dollop of dairy-free milk or a splash of olive oil, salt and pepper.


Couscous Salad with Black Beans, Mushrooms and Corn
-
Martha Stewart
Made with Israeli couscous and cremini or button mushrooms.


Enjoy and have a great weekend!


Unique Vintage Coats



There's no black or grey, play-it-safe coats in today's round-up. These three pieces are bold and different and I love them. The Tapestry Coat is fun and right out of the '60s while the Blue Coat provides a strong bolt of colour and the blazer offers something a little more unusual yet stylish.

Kooky coats work so well for fall and winter. Whenever I'm vintage shopping, I always gravitate towards the coat section. You always find the most unique pieces that somehow look perfect for 2010 (and beyond). If you can't get your hands on one of these three coats, why not see what your local vintage store has to offer?


Tapestry Coat -
Crafty Crow Vintage (Etsy) $44
Blue Coat -
Jules Atelier (Etsy) $98
Tapestry Blazer -
Huckleberry Vintage (Etsy) $30


Gamarde Organic Concealer Review

I'm always looking out for a stellar organic concealer. I've been using Gamarde's Concealer for Dark Circles for several months now and think it's so good, it's worth telling you about it. I love how this concealer doesn't go cakey or dry the eye area like so many other concealers do. It blends in well and looks natural but like it's doing its job (disguising dark circles and imperfections).

The 6g tube that the concealer comes in looks teeny but it seems to last a long time. You only need to apply a small amount under the eyes or any other iffy areas on the face requiring a bit of extra coverage. Remember to apply the concealer gently by tapping it under the eye, rather than dragging the delicate skin. I don't apply an eye cream or anything beforehand because the ingredients feel nourishing and moisturising.

The concealer contains Gamarde thermal water from France as well as exotic argan oil. Gamarde list their full ingredients on their site in French but thanks to Google Translate, the list should read something like this in English:

Ingredients:
Gamarde water, eucalyptus hydrosol, argan oil and sunflower oil, bamboo extract, horse chestnut tincture, essential oils of lavender, palmarosa and ylang ylang.


Certified organic by Cosmébio. Made in France. Not tested on animals.


Gamarde Concealer for Dark Circles
is available at Naturisimo for £13.22. For further information on this product, you can view Gamarde's page in French.
Image from Gamarde

The Best Falafel Recipe

Here's a great falafel or vegan burger recipe. I've made this recipe a lot with chickpeas and other beans and it's definitely a staple for me now. The two tablespoons of plain flour bind the burgers really well (I shape them like burgers rather than typical falafels). Just make a batch over the weekend and then pop them into your freezer and you'll be able to make hearty sandwiches and burgers any day of the week. It's quick, nutritious and scrumptious!

View recipe at BBC Good Food



image: BBC Good Food

Expand Your Yoga Repertoire

The first of the month is often a good time to start something new. If you want to try doing a bit of yoga each day but can't make it to a class, you may like to check out Yoga Journal. You can view a ton of poses that are categorised either by anatomical or therapeutic focus. If you want to find a pose that targets your arms or helps with insomnia, you can find it on their site. There is even a tool to help you build your own yoga sequences so you can enjoy a personalised session at home. My new favourite pose is Half Moon but maybe I'll be able to do this Side Crane pose (above) by the first of October. Ha!

Image: David Martinez (
Yoga Journal)