I have been slack... :/ ... heres some great info to make up for it :)

Ok so vegan on a budget has worked out better! nutritionally that is ... I'm quite sad that I can no longer afford nice organic vegan products and again have been slack with making my own ...

but getting there.. getting there ...sigh :p

So you may be wondering why I am nutritionally better off as a vegan on a budget, when I last year I could afford to be nutritionally sound? Well... I found a veggie wholesale right next door to a bean and nut wholesale shop in Randburg and as a result I am coming home with a box full of fresh veg every week and a mixture of veg, seasonal veg and fruit and of course beans and lentils at less than R300 a week. Yes that's right! Food for a whole week and some to spare for less than R300!

I still purchase quinoa which as we know is not the cheapest but very much needed, I also wont compromise on my multi vit and always get Solgar or Viridian and Organix Omega 3:6:9 oil, which I would be purchasing even if I wasn't vegan, just so any meat eaters out there reading know O.o

Favorite winter meals at the moment with my abundance of life giving veg are of course soup, my vegan roast, vegan break fast and a good ol' stir fry.

Soups~ so easy so tasty ~ don't forget to get a nice accompanying bread om nom nom!

Quite simple really I purchase a soup pack and any other veg which I may like to add, cauliflower, broccoli, potatoes, bok choy, whatever I feel like but not pre-cut you need to chop your own veg! I don't know what they do to it when they chop it but its just not the same :/ oh and also don't forget to soak the beans I find two nights of soaking will do the trick, some say 6hrs or a night but that never seems to be enough for my beans.

A hand blender is also required, you can get them quite cheap and they are bloody useful, no really very useful!

So what I do for my most amazing soup and it really is the bees knees and quite versatile, is ....
(now remember you must change things to your own liking its no fun if you don't)
Chop up some onions garlic and chili and fry in the soup pot with olive oil
Chop up the veg, doesn't need to be perfect little sizes ... cause we are going to blend yay hap hazard chopping for the win!
Add veg stock and water to pot
Add veg and beans or lentils (if you are going to use lentils may I suggest some tomato product of some sort or adding tomatoes just helps with the flavour)
Then boil about an hour or two will do ~ but not on full heat you want to keep some nutritional value to your soup~
When cooked use hand blender and blend to your liking
Simmer for a bit ~ I like to add whole mushrooms at this point, any mushrooms they are all divine unless you don't like or have mushrooms the soup will still be divine!

and voila super amazing soup :) ~ get creative share with wine, friends and family^_^  its lots of fun!

The roast is quite simple aswell

(I'm a single working lady ... if you were expected anything but simple...well not gonna happen!)
Frys schnitzel, steamed veg, and on occasion boiled brussel sprouts hmmm.... roast potatoes and gravy oh precious gravy! I just get Ina parmans instant gravy and the trick is to make the gravy in the cup as per instructions but while you do that sneakily fry some onions in a pot and add the mixture, but not for long thickens up very quickly!

Hearty and somewhat healthy Vegan breakfast 

an adaptation of my moms more meaty breakfast.. well before she became veg :)
Needed and what to do;
Whole wheat seed loaf - toast when everything is ready 
Tin of whole peeled tomatoes - pop in a pot and simmer
Tin of baked beans - pop in a pot and simmer 
Onion - Fry in pan with olive oil and herbs 
Mushrooms - Fry in pan with oil 
I fry my onions on one side of the pan and the mushrooms on the other side, Onions first at a higher heat and when brown turn down heat and fry mushrooms 
Veg sausages are also an option for a really hearty breakfast!

Cant go wrong with a stir fry!

Chop up some chili and garlic and fry with onions, Chop up veg try and use bok choy if you can is so nutritious and fry with some soy sauce but the trick is instead of rice cook quinoa in boiling water with cayenne pepper and cajun spices ~ makes for a very tasty meal :)

So I hope that I may have helped some aspiring veggies with some meal options or anyone who may be catering for a vegan and doesn't just want to leave the cheese out the salad again...

Wishing you much luck and happimess with your cooking!

Namaste x.Lesleigh

Helllllooooo and welcome to my blog ... my first official rant!

I have decided to write this blog as a guide for me and other vegans in this world of struggle and debt, as you will most likely have heard at some stage that being vegan is expensive ... It can be but it also can be quite cheap. However health should not be compromised otherwise people will continue to think we are frail and that a vegan diet is not suitable for man kind.

I just recently purchased a bakkie which has sucked up all my disposable income, leaving me in a desperate search to maintain my healthy eating habits without getting into more debt! I am doing two vegan nutrition courses (correspondence) and have been vegan since 2007, I have not eaten any meat since 2002 and I am a healthy person with more energy and a higher concentration span then allot of my meat eating friends ~ so hopefully I should be able to help someone or at least myself by sharing what I have learnt and mistakes which I may make :)

~ Until next time ~

Peace Love and Tofu

Les.