Meat-free Monday: Sweet Potato Pie

I've seen so many people on social media lately going vegetarian/vegan or at the least trying to reduce the animal products in their diet. I thought I'd occasionally share the vegan recipes I make on a regular basis that are tasty, filling and cheap!

This is what the Horrigan/Bochocki/Spens folk will be eating later today....

What you need:

3 x medium sweet potatoes
1 x courgette
1 x butternut squash (use about a third of the squash for this)
3 x carrots
1/2 tub mushrooms
1 x onion
2 x clove garlic
1 tin kidney beans
1 tinned tomatoes
veggie stock
marmite
cheese of choice (I use Tesco Dairy-free strong soya)

Really you can put whatever vegetables you want in.

First things first...

Put the sweet potatoes in boiling water and leave them on to boil until soft.

In the meantime, peel and chop all your garlic/onions/vegetables and fry them in oil of choice. Then add your tinned tomatoes. Keep stirring and then add your vegetable stock (I usually use 3 cubes/spoonfuls but it's up to you). I then add about a teaspoon of marmite to really give it flavour. Drain the water from the kidney beans and put them in the pot with the vegetables. Simmer it to let the vegetables soften.

In the meantime, take your cheese of choice (soya to make this recipe completely vegan, dairy cheese for just vegetarian) and grate a few handfuls. When the sweet potatoes are soft all the way through you can drain them and peel them. Put the peeled sweet potatoes in a dish with the grated cheese and whisk them together until you have a soft, fluffy mash.

Put the pie filling in an ovenproof bowl and smooth the top flat. Then use a spoon to cover it completely with the sweet potato mash. Pop in the oven for about 30 minutes (as the mash starts to go a little bit brown on top) and you're done!

This pie is delicious and perfect for winter, you can have it with garlic bread too (Tesco value one is vegan!)

This Is How It Feels

This is how it feels
Dread creeping up your throat
Tendrils weaving their way
Into your head
Rendering you immobile. 

Panicked, 
Yet you float
Unencumbered, above your body. 
As he rages. 
At the universe, you, 
Everything. 
Is that your heart beating? 
You cannot tell. 

This is how it feels
The silence of the condemned
As your transgressions pile up. 
You were anxious, 
Eager to please, 
Once. 

Until you realised
The reckoning was always coming. 
No matter how meekly
You kissed his cheek
and prayed for forgiveness. 

This is how it feels
Skin, untouched. 
Aching for the reciprocal tenderness
That you once glowed with. 
Angel girl
Basking in love. 

Then mouth grew stern
Face turned away from yours
And your pleading turned pitiful
Until altogether you
Stopped.

I Got Soul (carrier review)

As the amount of parents babywearing is steadily increasing, I've noticed a huge demand for buckle carriers. I often have a waitlist for consultations to try mine. Parents are realising that high street carriers, usually chosen for convenience and brand respectability, are simply not ergonomic enough for the length of time they want to carry their babies for. As a result I needed to stock some extra in my library...

Introducing the Soul Slings Full Buckle in garnet on maroon, baby size (around £80). They are suitable from 7-18kg (15-40lb). The design immediately caught my eye and I knew that I wanted it in my collection. Soul Slings are a family-owned company with fantastic values. The panel itself is handwoven in India supporting local weavers and the local economy.

I was really impressed with the delivery time from India which was under 2 weeks and the box was well-packaged. If you are buying direct from Soul remember you may have to pay customs fees. When I opened the branded cotton bag I was really excited about the quality of the fabric and the beautiful design. I knew it would be super soft and comfy to wear.

I managed to bribe my very independent toddler to go UP. The carrier buckles around the waist, through a safety loop. The waistband is fairly wide and padded. I pulled the body of the carrier up and put my arms through the straps, rucksack style. There is a clip that you fasten behind your neck that was easy to access. The carrier is incredibly adjustable, with many different adjustments to get a perfect fit. I found it was easy and smooth to tighten and felt perfect. There is a lovely sleep hood in the same fabric to provide extra support for sleeping babies.

What I love about this carrier is that the panel is wide - this is important for those with bigger babies and want a carrier that will last and provide optimum comfort for their child. Although the bigger our babies get, the less knee to knee is an issue, I loved that even my three year old felt well supported in it without dangling legs. If you are looking for a buckle carrier to invest in, this would be a great choice. I also love the shoulder straps which are padded and wide to prevent any digging or pressure.

This carrier can also be used for back carrying, which I was lucky enough to try with a client a few days ago. The feedback was that her baby felt weightless! :)

I am a woven wrap fan but I have to admit the ease and comfort of this carrier and the beautiful fabric tempted me away and I can't wait to start showing it to parents looking to move on from newborn carrying.

(as a brand ambassador, I received a discount on this carrier. All thoughts and opinions are my own :))