48 VEGAN FOOD & LIVING OCTOBER
Swap meets with mates.
This is possibly my favourite tip of
them all, because with a couple of
bottles of wine it can turn into a
brilliant evening’s entertainment. We
all own things we don’t use, wear, read,
listen to, or want, so why have them just
sitting around collecting dust? Hosting a
swap meet declutters your home, scores you
new stuff and makes a cheap night out all at
the same time. I’d call that a win.Easy peasy bread (with special thanks to Esme)
- 285g (10oz) fl our (I prefer a
granary or one with seeds and
grains mixed in)- 1 tsp salt
- 1 heaped tsp fast-acting yeast
- 230ml (8fl oz) warm water
In a large bowl, add the fl our, salt and yeast and mix thoroughly. Make a well
in the middle and add the water and stir. Add more water a tiny bit at a time
if your mixture is too dry, or use excess fl our when kneading if too wet. Knead
for a good 10 minutes and place in a warmish spot, in a fl oured bowl and
covered with a clean tea towel. (I put mine beside the hob when I’m cooking).
Leave to prove for 2 hours. Punch out the air and
shape into a loaf and leave
to prove in a fl oured tin for
another 45 minutes. Pop into
a preheated oven for
30 minutes or a cool one
for 35 minutes, at 200°C/
Gas Mark 6. Remove from
the oven and tap on the
base – if it sounds hollow it’s
ready, if not, then pop back
in for another 5 minutes or
until you get a hollow sound.
Delicious warm with Marmite
or houmous and great for toast
and sandwiches!Reuse
Reusing what we’ve already got is a habit much lost
from our generation. Recycling has come to mean
washing out containers and chucking them in a box
for collection every week, but we can do much, much
more. Obviously this is easier if you’re crafty or artistic
and not everything needs to be gorgeous or decorative
either. Simply ask yourself “Can this have a second
life?” before you throw something out and you’ll be
surprised at what a diff erence this can make. Flowers
defi nitely look better in jam jars than posh vases if you
ask me. And, if you do fancy a bit of DIY craftiness,
then the internet is full of videos and ideas on how to
turn packing crates into tables and old towels into dog
toys, so get searching.Don't just recycle it,
upcycle it, and make use of
it again in your own home
Charity shop!
If that old Primark keeps getting you
down, then do the opposite and buy
from a charity shop. Over the last nine
months, every item of clothing I have
purchased has been from a charity shop
and it has been an utter revelation. I
know I’m not the fi rst to discover the
wonders of charity shopping (in fact,
I’m positively shame-faced that it’s
taken me so long to fully embrace it),
but I am now an out-and-out convert.
Why spend £40 on one item of clothing
when you can spend £24 on eight? The
dress I’m wearing in my author photo?
It cost me £9. One woman’s trash really
is another’s treasure!