*I’ll keep adding to this blog post when I learn more “hacks” – current version – 24th of August, 2020*
There are a million and one ways to store your veggies, this is just a little guide on how you can store your veggies to make them last longer. All of these examples below worked for me and I’ve been using these methods for a couple of years now. Also, make sure you keep your veggies in the fridge!
Celery & Carrots
Submerge these bad boys in water, and they will last for weeks in the fridge! Carrots tend to last about a month or more submerged in water. Celery is a little shorter at 2-3 weeks. Be sure to leave a some space in your jars as they will expand a little.
Green onion
Storage green onions in a jar of water, and leave it inside your fridge. You will legit have green onion growing next to no time.
Be sure to wash the roots and change the water occasionally, as it will give off a funky smell!
Wrap you greens a in a damp cloth and store in an airtight container. This will keep your green crisp for WEEKS. Some key points below.
> wash your veggies and strain excess water but you DON’T need to pat them dry. In fact it works better if you don’t
> you don’t need to wash your veggies again, I occasionally change the tea towel. But mostly, I make sure the towel is still damp each week or two. If the towel is dry just lightly re-damp the tea towel
> it is important you use a clean tea towel! I haven’t had any issues with mould when I use a clean tea towel
> the tea towel will help prevent it from going slimy and the dampness of the tea towel will prevent is from wilting. The airtight container keeps it fresh
> key tip is a damp tea towel. You shouldn’t be able to squeeze out water from the tea towel. So, the tea towel shouldn’t be soaking wet, but just lightly damp!
> use a cotton tea towel
> tip is good for a lot of the leafy greens like spinach and rocket and random leafy goodness!
Coriander, Kale & Bok choy
This trick a little particular – especially with the coriander. You can actually keep your coriander fresh by submerging the roots (do not fill the jar all the way, you legit, only want to submerge the roots). Wrap a damp cloth around the leaves and store in the door of your fridge. This will keep the coriander fresh for WEEKS. This trick will also work for most leafy greens like kale and bok choy.
Other
Oh, did I really just make an “other” category/heading?? Yes, I did. But other really does encapsulate the term “other”!
The damp cloth method (i.e. wrapping your veggies in a damp cloth) will help keep your veggies fresher than say chucking all of your veggies in the fridge, just as it is. You can technically use the damp cloth method for most veggies, even the ones that I mentioned above.
But for me, the veggies I mentioned above are best keep using the method I described. But for other fruit and vegetables, using a damp cotton cloth does a really good job of prolonging the life your produce. This isn’t the foundation of youth! Your veggies will still rot eventually
I get so caught up between being lazy and my lack of social life and my full-time job, that well, a lot of things start falling apart, mostly due to laziness!
Okay, okay. Enough chit chat. If you’ve followed my Instagram for long enough, you probably know that I post about veggie stock from scraps a lot. Probably every month! Mostly, because it takes about a month to fill my bag and when that bag is full, I know it’s time to make some more stock.
Making veggie stock is ridiculously easy. But there are some things you should add to your stock and some things you shouldn’t add to your stock. This isn’t by any means a comprehensive list. I tend to not really cook with any “exotic” types of fruit and veggies. I like sticking to the basics, occasionally trying something different when I feel like it.
Please note the list below is just things that I have tried out myself. I’ll continue adding to the list when I try out different veggies and see how it makes the stock taste.
Tasty things for your stock (must have’s)
end bits of carrot
celery leaves
end bits of onion
onion skins (this gives it a nice dark colour, but you can omit)
tomato core (*what the fork is a tomato core, you ask? Photo below)
end bits of broccoli stalk
bits of garlic (or can use garlic powder)
bits of spring onions/green onions
bits of potato (use sparingly! too many potato bits can make your stock bitter)
bits of eggplant (use sparingly! too much eggplant bits can make your stock bitter)
Not really important but can add:
cobs of corn (yup! you can just use the eaten up corn and use the cob in the stock!)
ends or heads of zucchini
Not-so-tasty things for your stock (no no’s)
cabbage
cauliflower leaves/stalks
fork load of potato
bok choy
spinach (personally I avoid this, but you can add those limp looking spinach at the end, if you place it at the beginning it’ll make the stock bitter)
What the scraps actually look like. This is a large zip lock bag, when it gets full – I know it’s time to start making some stock!
What it looks like when the bag is full and ready to be cooked. The picture below is a pot that holds 5 litres. With the pot of scraps and I fill the pot until all the veggies are covered in water. This makes about 2-3 litres of veggie stock
There are a couple of ways you can cook the stock.
Over the stove, you can simmer over a low heat for about 2-3 hours.
Or you can leave it in a slow cooker overnight. For me, this yields the best results. You’ll get a nice dark and rich stock at the end! And it’s honestly made curries and stews so freaking tasty! Slow cookers are very energy efficient, so you don’t need to worry about the gas or electricity 🙂
Let’s get straight into the recipe! No real story here!! Blah!!!!!!
Makes about 12-14 pizza pockets
Homemade bread pocket
3 cups of white flour (can use wholemeal, but the bread will be a little more dense)
2 teaspoons of dry active yeast
1.5 cups of warm water
1 teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon of white sugar
olive oil
homemade tomato sauce
1 can of diced tomatoes
4 ripe tomatoes
1 red capsicum
1 celery stalk
1 onion
4 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon of sweeter (I use maple syrup)
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
salt to taste
chilli flakes to taste
dried herbs to taste
1.5 cups of soy mince. If using dry soy mince, make sure it is already soaked (or can use standard beef mince if not vegetarian or vegan)
500 ml of water or vegetable stock
olive oil
NOTE: For the sauce recipe, I like to double the sauce recipe and freeze the sauce and use it for lasagne or bolognese later down the track. It just makes life easier. Making pizza pockets from scratch can be a little time consuming! So, make a big batch of sauce and use it for other meal preps. Or you can just buy the sauce, which also works.
Sauce recipe:
1. chop onions and garlic and in a pot, fry with olive oil until translucent 2. add chilli flakes (I used about 1 teaspoon, but this is optional), fry for about 1 minute 3. chop celery (if you have celery leaves this will also work) and fry with onion, garlic and chilli 4. add tomato paste 5. chop capsicum and ripe tomatoes and add to pot, cook until soften 6. add 1 can of diced tomatoes to the pot and add water or vegetable stock 7. here I would add my mince – I use soy mince, but if you’re not a veggie eater, normal mince will also work 8. stir mixture and simmer on a low heat for a two hours (or until the mixture reduces to the consistency you like. I prefer a thicker sauce. That’s what she said!)
Dough recipe + assembly:
NOTE: that if you double the recipe you can halve it, and make standard old bread or even garlic bread (I’ll have that recipe up soon)! To make the bread, just let it rise for 2 hours. Then knead it a little to knock out the air. And let it rise again for another hour before placing it in the oven.
1. in a bowl, add flour, salt and olive oil 2. mix warm water with sugar and add active dry yeast and stir. Place a cloth over the water and let the yeast “bloom” this will take about 5 mins
blooming yeast
3. pour water into bowl and mixture together, until combined 4. knead dough until the dough becomes “smooth” – the dough shouldn’t be sticky or dry, but a little tacky. So, you may need to add more water or flour here
5. rub dough in olive oil and place a towel on top 6. set dough aside for an hour, it should have doubled in size after an hour
7. rub hands in olive oil and rip about a handful of dough into your palm. Flatten dough, so that it’s a disc, slightly larger than your hand 8. in the centre of the dough, sprinkle a little bit of cheese (I used vegan cheese, but you can use dairy cheese), add a tablespoon of sauce and sprinkle a bit more cheese 9. pull edges to the centre until you have sealed the sauce in the dough 10. repeat until you have no dough left (you can freeze the pizza pockets before you bake them they will turn out exactly the same, you just need to defrost them)
11. put the pizza pockets aside and let it rise for about an hour. They will increase in size, so leave some space between the pizza pockets! (As per photo above) 12. pre-heat oven 13. brush olive oil on top of pizza pockets 14. bake pizza pockets for about 20mins or until brown on top
the one on the top right, looks like a BOOB!!!!!!
15. they are piping hot out of the oven, so I would wait about 15 mins! 16. keep in an airtight container and store in the fridge. It’s good for about a week. And to serve either microwave or place in the oven for a crispy pizza pocket!
i added a little bit of meat-free “pepperoni” in mine 🙂
I’m going to tell you a little story first, BUT please know that it’s going to sound completely and utterly fancy pants BUT this story is not a flex. It’s just something that stuck with me for all these months.
In October (2019), I headed to the USA and I caught up with a few people I met online in New York. (See, told ya. First sentence in, I’m already mentioning New York!) One of the people I caught up with was Sabs (she runs a Instagram page called sustainablesabs she totally awesome please check her out!) and she had asked me what I had done so far. I mentioned I had walked around SoHo the day before and for some reason I mentioned checking out Sézane.
I mean, it is a beautiful looking store front!
She asked me what made the brand ethical and sustainable, because she started to see a lot of ethical influencers promoting it online. I mumbled off some words about making classic styles, but I honestly didn’t know. I guess, I never really know anything! I like to pretend I’m smart sometimes!
The truth was – I hadn’t looked into it. I mostly trust the people I follow online and when I saw them promoting it, I was like: oh cool. I trust you. I’m going to check Sézane out. Which is pretty much the adult version of accepting candy from strangers! I’m the first to admit, this is super gullible but I do try my best to follow people that I feel like I can trust, so maybe it isn’t so bad??
I’ve purchased a few pieces over the last couple of years from Sézane and really love them. So, I wanted to dig a little further and see if they were as sustainable or as ethical as they claim to be. If not to settle your own conscious, but mine.
From a quick cursory glance, there isn’t too much third party information about Sézane online and there was even less information regarding its ethicality and sustainability practices – so I reached out to them. After reading their mission statements, I had a few lingering questions as like most mission statements, it was little vague.
To my surprise, they responded and gave me a specific email to direct my curious mind to! And I received another response from Elleore and it wasn’t your standard run-of-the-mill response.
To me, this shows a couple of things: they are trying and; they are willing to be transparent.
I understand no business is perfect, nor should we expect perfection. But, I’m always happy to see brands being open: open to questions and being open with their responses. So often brands ignore the questions because it’s easier to evade the truth than to lie. After all, if you say nothing, then did you really ever lie?
Is Sézane sustainable?
Firstly, let me make a little disclaimer. Everyone’s idea on “sustainability” is different. Some people may only consider secondhand items as sustainable. I fall on the spectrum of, brands can’t be perfect, we can’t be perfect, but there’s always room for improvement. So, yes, I do buy new and secondhand items. You know, balance right?
Now, that’s out of the way. Let’s get down to the facts.
By 2021, Sézane aims to have over 70% of their line made from eco-friendly materials. But what are eco-friendly materials you say?
Accordingly to Sézane these materials are:
– silk which is Oeko-Tex certified
– cotton which is organic
– viscose which is FSC certified
– recycled polyester
– leather which is vegetable tanned
I know the debate is still out on recycled polyester or recycled plastic, but personally, I’m not against it. It’s better to create a use for it than for it to let sit in landfill. But of course, some people choose to maintain completely plastic-free, some don’t. The choice is yours!
In the last 36 months, Sézane has worked hard to implement these changes meaning their collection is now:
– 71% of silk is Oeko-Tex certified
– 67% of cotton is organic
– 47% of viscose is FSC certified
– 31% of leather is vegetable tanned
They have also implemented a new line of denim which is organic certified and consumes two times less water than the traditional (manufacturing) washing methods.
A couple other things to note which I thought were interesting:
– 100% of shipping boxes are now made from recycled and/or FSC certified cardboard
– flexible opt-out packaging options are now in place (which has lead to a 50% reduction of packaging on their leather goods) and
– all of Sézane’s addresses are powered by renewable electricity
The further I looked into Sézane’s practices, the more I realised, heck, they are actually doing something. More than something, which is pretty great.
I didn’t realise I needed this top. But. I need this top. Soz. Random thought there for you!
I did need a couple of clarifications, as there were sections of their mission statement which seemed a little vague. For one, they mentioned they had hired a team of “experts” to manage their sustainability program. Experts? You might ask? Experts is term used very loosely, so I was a little sceptical.
But they do have a skilled team, diverse in sustainability and real world experience. In fact, they have a team dedicated to implement more sustainable and ethical practices.
When asked what type of real world experience they had, they said:
“Our Social Compliance project officer is a former auditor, so she has a very good field experience and knows how to support our factories. Our Environment project officer has more of a consulting background, both on due diligence and Carbon accounting. Sustainability is a very complex topic and we don’t pretend to know everything – we also work with selected external experts, depending on our needs”
With many larger brands, unsold stock or deadstock can be a huge issue. Often unsold stock are ripped and shredded, going into landfill, then say, homeless shelters or those who could benefit from the unsold stock. So, I was curious to know what Sézane did.
“The products of our past collections are sold at a gentle price during the Archives, or in our Charity Boutique in Paris, whose proceeds go to our charitable program DEMAIN.”
In short, they try their best creating smaller batches of clothing to avoid unsold stock. But once a season has past, apart of the stock moves to the Archives and the other to their Charity Boutique. The garments being sold are at a discounted price, with all proceeds going to Demain. (More on Demain below!)
Is Sézane ethical?
Naturally, the next question of whether a brand is sustainable, is whether they are ethical. Before I head into the details about factory audits and liveable wages, let me write a little more about Demain.
I honestly, did’t know much about Demain. But, I was very curious to learn more. My prior knowledge of Demain was that it had raised 2-3 million euros, with the funds going to children in need around the world. Vague? Yes.
So, what is Demain exactly? A company within Sézane ? Or is it not-for-profit?
Their response:
“Demain is not a social compliance program within the brand, but a philanthropic program: more precisely, it is an endowment fund independent from Sézane and thus a not-for-profit organization.”
In short, Demain is a not-for-profit charity and not, a branch of Sézane.
I was honestly so pleased to read this. There wasn’t a lot of information about Demain on their website, so I had naturally assumed the worse – that Demain was just a sub-division of Sézane and it wasn’t all as charitable as it seems. BUT. Great news is Demain is a not-for-profit organisation. And so the funds, are actually going to children in need.
If you are searching through the Sézane website, you might notice a few things. Each garment has some information about where it was made AND what is it made from.
Yay for transparency!
Sézane’s garments are made in “Audited factories” – these audits are based off International standards, either the: SMETA, BSCI and WCA audit standards. The audits are carried out by third-party providers, to guarantee the best possible working conditions for their employees (including regulated working hours and meal breaks).
As quite a few of their garments are made in developing countries, I was curious if these working conditions also meant a their employees were paid a “liveable wage”.
Their response:
“Among many points, the auditors check that employees are paid above the minimum wage, in compliance with the local law. An audit itself does not guarantee that a living wage is paid in a factory, but we make these calculations ourselves based on the data of the WageIndicator and are actively working on this point.”
A couple of things to note, they refer to their factory employees as employees (seriously, this is awesome. It honestly bothers me when brands don’t consider their factory workers as their employees), AND they admit, that while the audit ensures their employees are paid above minimum wage, the audit itself does not mean they are paid a living wage.
What is a living wage and how it differs from a minimum wage?
“A living wage is defined as the minimum income necessary for a worker to meet their basic needs“.
In essence, a living wage is suppose to correlate to a minimum wage – but this isn’t always the case. Often, people may work two or more minimum wage jobs, to make a living wage. So, while a minimum wage may be the standard, the aim should be a living wage.
Often brands will skim over this little detail. But Sézane admits this flaw in their auditing process, and are actively working to improve their employees wages.
Summary
Okay, I know I could have totally come up with a better title than Summary and now this blog post totally feels like a school assignment. But seriously, what better way to summarise a blog post than with a title of summary. ANY WHO.
So, is Sézane ethical and sustainable?
In short, (and in my opinion) they genuinely seem to be, and are making real steps to creating an ethical and sustainable brand. But – the biggest takeaway? Is that they are willing to be transparent. And if a brand is willing to be transparent, then there is little to hide.
Homemade tortillas! You’ve definitely seen this recipe on my Instagram before, but I thought it was time I finally added this recipe on my blog. It’s just easier for everyone involved.
If you have time to make these I definitely recommend making these.
The recipe below makes four, but I’ve doubled and tripled the recipe on many occasions.
Ingredients:
> 1 cup plain flour
> 1/4 tsp of fine sea salt
> 1/3 cup of water
> 1.5 tbsp of olive oil
Steps:
> In a bowl mix ingredients together with your hands
> Knead until the dough becomes “smooth”. (Smooth…honestly, the dough does become smooth. You might need to add some more flour or water to make this happen. It takes about 5 mins)
> set aside for 10 mins (you’ll notice the dough will become softer)
> cut into 4 pieces
> flour surface and rolling pin and roll out dough as thin as possible (it rolls out to the size of a large plate)
> add a little bit of olive oil in a large pan
> place rolled dough onto pan. Make sure the pan is hot. If the pan is hot, bubbles will form quite quickly. Flip tortilla to the other side until lightly brown.
1/2 cup of margarine (can use vegan butter, butter or semi-solid coconut oil)
1 teaspoon of vanilla powder (or vanilla essence)
1 cup of sugar (I use 1/2 a cup less, but my partner prefers the sweeter cookie, so you can go 1 cup OR half a cup)
1 cup of natural unsalted peanut butter
1 1/2 cup of white flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
2 tablespoons of cashew milk (or any plant milk)
chocolate spread
Steps
> With an electric beater beat margarine, sugar and vanilla powder (or essence) together for two minutes
> add peanut butter and beat for another minute
> pour in tablespoons of cashew milk
> fold in white flour and baking soda until combined
> each cookie about 1 tablespoon
> add a 1/2 teaspoon of chocolate spread in the middle, then roll in to a ball. Repeat!
> makes about 16 cookies
> bake until golden brown and the cookies feel a little firm (you can totally just cook them until they are just golden brown, but I like the cookies a little firmer)
> leave on a rack to cool down and eat!
> store in an airtight container up to a week
*ROAD-TESTED is a new series where I test products for at least 1 to 3 months. I’ll only be doing these road-tested reviews each yearly quarter. This series is different from my standard reviews, as my standard review focuses on one product, while road-tested will focus on a category of products. Next, in the series, Vegan shoes which aren’t sneakers!)
Hi 2020! Ain’t ya’ll glad 2019 is over? Time for new starts. New habits. And then letting it all fall by February! Which happens to be a week away – only a week. Damn
It’s pretty trendy to hate on resolutions, but I LOVE resolutions. Admittedly, I don’t ever wait until January 1st to start making plans, but I often find myself making resolutions and starting resolutions sometime in October. Perhaps, it’s just me being impatient?
One of my resolutions I gave myself in 2020 was to keep up with a regular workout routine. Did someone say pumpkin spice latte??? Yeah, it’s a generic as freak, but, my state of mind is infinitely better when I’m active and what better way to be eco than to look after your health inside and out!
I’m a huge flake when it comes to life, but I’m the biggest flake when it comes to exercising. I wake up in the mornings not wanting to be uncomfortable. The thought of discomfort literally keeps me in bed. I. DO. NOT. ENJOY. WORKING. OUT. But dude, yes dude, I feel so much better afterwards!
One of the things that has helped me get out of bed in the mornings, is actually wearing activewear when I go to bed. I don’t do this all the time. But I do it A LOT and even if it seems a little childish, it really does help!
SO! I tested out 6 different activewear brands over the last few months. And when I say tested, I mean I went into a lab and tested it. Okay, I don’t mean that. But I really put it through the wringer – I exercised in it, washed it a dozen or more times, slept in it and done my grocery shopping in it. They’ve gone through the “general life test”.
I know, I know, I know. You can totally buy your activewear secondhand. BUT if you are looking for activewear brands that have a conscious, then continue reading my friend. Yes, I called you my friend. So, now you have to be my friend. I’m incredibly clingy.
What are the 7 brands you say?
girlfriend collective
organic basics
pansy
vyayama
boody
sezane
everlane (not in this review! Once I receive them I’ll start testing them out and update this post)
Yes, Sezane actually has an activewear range, but more on that later. Please note that most of these items were gifted to me (excluding Sezane), but in no way will this influence the review. Unless someone paid me a lot of money then I may be a little loose with my morals.
No? Okay!
Now, back to the review. Each item of “activewear” will go through a certain number of tests, these tests are:
> sweat-mark test
> squat-proof test
> camel-toe test
> quality test
> how it fits (i.e. is it small to size? does it hug the belly?)
> how it feels when exercising test
> the wash test
For my squat test I’ll be wearing red underwear. Which is probably TMI but it’ll give you a good idea of how sheer or not a pair of leggings are. For reference this is the colour red I’m wearing. It’s the same colour with the black trimming. Yes! It’s a top! It’s actually from the same brand – Hopeless Lingerie, but they don’t sell the underwear in this colour style anymore and I can’t be bothered taking a picture of it >_< (soz)
When I first received my items I actually did take photos, but a few months ago I deleted them in my deleting-all-my-photos haze. I don’t actually have an unboxing of each of these! But alas an unboxing isn’t all that interesting anyway!
If you’re interested in sustainability and fitness you’ve almost certainly heard of Girlfriend Collective.
Girlfriend Collective has an inclusive sizing range, ranging from: XXS to an 6XL. PLUS, their line is made from recycled water bottles. In fact, one pair of leggings saves 25 water bottles from the landfill! As their line is made from recycled plastic, you should probably use a Guppy bag or a microfibre ball.
My first impressions of Girlfriend Collective was the quality and the fact it actually came in a cute little bag. The bag is completely irrelevant to the review, but I appreciated the fact that the bag was embroidered
Okay, enough chit chat. Now to the review!
> sweat-mark test
I’ll start off my saying I’m a huge butt and thigh sweater. I barely ever sweat, but butt and thighs??? It’s a freaking waterfall. So, this test is pretty huge for me.
I think the fabric is thick enough and dark enough that it’s pretty difficult to see any butt or sweat marks. I haven’t had any issues, during my HIIT workouts! No butt or thigh sweat presence.
For the sake of testing though, here’s what a water stain would look like:
> squat-proof test
Nothing to see here! Legit, as you can see there’s no “thinning” around the butt. You can squat in ease my human friends! See the image below to see how it looks while squatting. You don’t need to correct my form. I’m just horrible at everything unless it’s the Asian squat. (I totally wasn’t going to post these squatting photos, because they felt so unflattering, but I did it anyway. I guess who really cares? And what better way to show if they are squat-proof)?
gosh, is this going to end up in some porno or fetish site?
> camel-toe test
No camel. Winning! (Please note there are three photos, one with leggings just as they are, one standing up, and one with leggings pulled right up)
pulling up leggings
I generally find that leggings with this little bit in the crotch area tends to prevent camel toe!
> how it fits (i.e. is it small to size?)
For reference I got an extra small in the leggings and I’m 5 foot 3 inches.
The XS was a good fit for me. I definitely wouldn’t have gone a size smaller. But, I probably could have sized up with a small.
While the fit is great, it’s a bit of a hop and a jump dance to get these babies on. Taking them off rest assured is easy. So, if you need a quick pee stop, you don’t need to worry.
> how it feels when exercising test
The leggings hold you nice and snug and although it’s a bitch to put on, it’s not at all tight and is super easy to work out in. Definitely recommend!
> quality test (first and “last” impression, how it is after a wash or a dozen?)
The leggings have been washed over a dozen times and are probably over 4 months old. Still just a new born! But in clothing world, I guess not. These have been worn a lot and it’s held up really well. Here are some photos:
the stitching has held up well
little mini pocket for you keys
Out of the bunch, the Girlfriend leggings are probably my favourite in quality and how it feels while training. They are super comfortable. If you are going to buy a pair, these are the one I would recommend for leggings!
I also received a sports bra/ crop top from Girlfriend Collective and I’m not the biggest of it. It could be that I have a larger rib cage for my size, but there’s a lot of side boob going on. And while, I have a larger rib cage, I have a rather small chest. There are other styles on the website, but the one I tried out was the topanga bra – I do not recommend this style. The “Paloma Bra” could probably remedy the side boob action, but I did not get to test out that particular style out.
Here’s what the topanga bra looks like.
…
organic basics
You’ve probably seen this brand on my blog before, mostly because I’m an affiliate of theirs! Don’t worry, it’s not going to influence this review. (Or is it? Nah, it won’t bro). Their activewear line is made from recycled nylon and sizes ranges from XS to XL. Like the Girlfriend leggings, these will also need to be wash with either a guppy bag or a microfibre ball to help reduce the amount of micro-plastics going into the water.
> sweat-mark test
This test is probably pointless because the leggings are black. But I haven’t found that I overly butt or thigh sweat in these so that’s a bonus!
> squat-proof test
Sometimes, with black leggings the light can make the fabric look sheer and then bam! Everyone sees your underwear. These are pretty close to passing the squat-proof test. You can only slightly see my bright red underwear. And guys, talk about the level of detail in this post. I wore bright red underwear ON PURPOSE for this shoot! (And pretty much stood in direct light).
> camel-toe test
No camel toe folks! (Please note there are three photos, one with leggings just as they are, one standing up, and one with leggings pulled right up)
with leggings pulled up
> how it fits (i.e. is it small to size?)
Unlike the Girlfriend leggings these leggings are incredibly easy to put on and easy to take off. They still have some firmness to them, but they don’t hold you “in” or in place like the Girlfriend leggings do. These are probably second in line in terms of leggings. I’ve worn these a couple of times for hiking and I really like these for outdoor walks and hikes over the Girlfriend ones. They are really sturdy and I’ve scaled up and down rocks with these and they didn’t tear or snag on anything at all. Plus, they are a little more “breathable” and when you are hiking for 5 hours, that’s pretty important.
For reference I got an S/M, although I probably could have gone the XS/S. I read online that it ran small, so I sized up. But honestly, I think it’s pretty true to size.
> how it feels when exercising test
The Organic Basics leggings as I mentioned, is great for the outdoors and “endurance” activities. I think because they are slightly more comfortable and breathable than the Girlfriend ones. BUT I still recommend Girlfriend leggings for HIIT workouts or for weights, as the Organic Basics ones aren’t as snug or are not like compression leggings.
> quality test (first and “last” impression, how it is after a wash or a dozen)
Here are some photos of what these leggings look like today! These have gone through the wash A LOT and are probably my most worn leggings as I also go walking and hiking in them. I know, I know, how can I recommend the Girlfriend ones and wear these ones more? I think it’s because the Girlfriend leggings are so good for working out and just feel more dynamic, BUT if you are more of an outdoors person, my pick would be these Organic Basic ones.
I also had a sports bra which I got to try out and I love the bra! Admittedly, if you have a larger chest I wouldn’t recommend it as it won’t give you support if you’re larger than a C. But I’m fluctuate between an A and an B. So, this bra was just super comfortable.
Perhaps you’re not a huge fan of synthetic fibres and prefer to stick to cotton?
Pansy is an USA brand and its line is made from cotton – grown directly in the USA. Pansy is a small brand, so show them some support – but because they are a small brand their sizing only ranges from S to XL.
> sweat-mark test
Full disclaimer, I’ve yet to wear this out for a gym workout, mostly because of the colour, I’m a little concerned over how the sweat marks would appear. I’ve worn these on long walks, as I tend to not sweat walking and there were only little bits of sweat marks on the band of the leggings.
Here’s what it would look like with some water on it. I was actually a little surprise as it took a lot of water to show these water “stains”. And it appears to dry very quickly.
> camel-toe test
No camel toe folks! (Please note there are three photos, one with leggings just as they are, one standing up, and one with leggings pulled right up)
with leggings pulled up
> squat-proof test
As you can see I’m wearing my bright red underwear again. These don’t quite pass the squat test
> quality test
I’ve found the quality of these leggings very good and they are held up really well in the wash.
I’ve worn their bras along with the Organic Basics sport bra pretty much all the time. Their bras aren’t as comfortable, but they really hold you in place!
> how it fits (i.e. is it small to size? does it hug the belly?)
For reference, I got a small in both the top and leggings. I would say their sizing is pretty true to size and are great for lounging around the house in!
> quality test (first and “last” impression, how it is after a wash or a dozen)
I honestly don’t think I would recommend these for gym workouts or HIIT workouts, but they are sooooo comfortable and I honestly wear them at home a lot. I think if you are doing a yoga or pilates workout these would be great! Or even if you just wear them at home or to bed. (Which I have done many times!)
I definitely recommend their bras for working out it.
Vyayama is another USA brand! Their sizes range from XS to L and a majority of their leggings are made from 85% Cupro 10% Polyamide 5% Elastane. Cupro-elastane is an innovative botanical cellulose fibre. These leggings probably fall on the “upper” end of the activewear scale (at $125 USD), but their leggings are so beautifully made.
> sweat-mark test
AGAIN – This test is probably pointless because the leggings are black. But I haven’t found that I overly butt or thigh sweat in these so that’s a bonus!
> camel-toe test
REPEAT PETE. No camel toe folks! (Please note there are three photos, one with leggings just as they are, one standing up, and one with leggings pulled right up)
> squat-proof test
Are you tired of my butt yet? There’s only the slightest of sheers around the butt area while doing a squat. Seriously though, that red underwear is making those leggings work hard!
> how it fits (i.e. is it small to size? does it hug the belly?)
For reference I got a size XS/S.
They do seem to run true to size, so I wouldn’t size up or down! They also sit comfortably around the belly AND are super stretchy. And because they are super stretchy, I think if you sized down it wouldn’t be a huge deal.
> how it feels when exercising test
These leggings kinda fall mid-range. I sometimes, forget that I have these. But they are super comfortable to exercise in, PLUS they do look good on. If you’re looking for activewear with some beautiful detailing on it then I would definitely recommend. I also got to try out their sports bra and was a huge fan. I took about the padding in it as it did move around heaps, but after I remove them, they were really good! (Probably not suitable for those with a larger chest).
> quality test (first and “last” impression, how it is after a wash or a dozen)
Vyayama does fall on the expensive side of activewear and I would even classify it as booshie. The quality on the leggings and bras are great, and I love the detailing on them. If you have dollars to spare I would definitely try them out.
Gosh, so many American brands, you’re thinking. What about Australia mate? Don’t worry, I got you buddy.
Boody is an Australian brand and a majority of their pieces are basics made from organic bamboo (around 80% and 20% elastane). Their size ranges from XS to XL
> sweat-mark test
REPEAT PETE – This test is probably pointless because the leggings are black. But I haven’t found that I overly butt or thigh sweat in these so that’s a bonus!
> camel-toe test
REPEAT PETE. No camel toe folks! (Please note there are three photos, one with leggings just as they are, one standing up, and one with leggings pulled right up)
> squat-proof test
So far, all the black leggings on this list have some sort of sheer-ness to them. But just like all of them, the see-through-ness is barely noticeable and you would really need to stare and look hard to see what type of underwear I’m wearing. So, you are totally a perv for staring. Stop staring at my butt!
> how it fits (i.e. is it small to size? does it hug the belly?)
For reference I got a size small and I would say this is pretty close to true-to-size, it might even run on the slightly smaller side. An XS would have been too small. So, if in doubt for Boody, size up not down.
> how it feels when exercising test
I was fortunate enough to try out a few of their items, including short, top and socks. While the Boody leggings did kinda get lost with all the other leggings (as I admittedly had my favourites) – I would definitely recommend if you are looking for natural fibre activewear. The leggings are genuinely comfortable and the waist band didn’t roll down or fold down on my belly when exercising.
My favourite were the bike shorts and I love working out in them or doing high intensity cardio in the bike shorts. The socks are freaking awesome, which is a weird thing to critique, but I definitely recommend their socks. I would actually spend my hard earn cash for these two items.
> quality test (first and “last” impression, how it is after a wash or a dozen)
The quality of the socks, bike shorts and leggings is seriously impressive! I like wearing Boody for HIIT workouts as they feel a little breezier. The brand admittedly does get lost against the “flasher” brands, but if you’re looking for no-frills, good-quality and simple loungewear or activewear, then I would give Boody a go.
Sezane has an activewear line? I was surprised too. But they do! You know what’s even a bigger shock? I actually like them!
These leggings are made from at 50% recycled materials which is pretty neat. AND it’s super cute. But can cuteness win over functionality and practicality?
> sweat-mark test
So, let’s just be straight. I’ve worn these leggings a few times and each time I’ve gotten compliments! But I shouldn’t base my decisions on compliments, ALTHOUGH, girl loves a compliment on her outfits. Just don’t compliment me, just my clothes. Okay? Got it? Any way. I’ve done some pretty hard workouts in these and I haven’t had any issues with sweat marks.
However, here’s a photo of what a water stain would look like on the leggings.
> squat-proof test
These legging surprisingly passed the sheer test. You can’t see my bright red underwear underneath.
> camel-toe test
REPEAT PETE. No camel toe folks! (Please note there are three photos, one with leggings just as they are, one standing up, and one with leggings pulled right up)
> how it fits (i.e. is it small to size? does it hug the belly?)
I got a size small and I feel like these where the right size for me, although they are a little loose on my ankles. These are the only pair of leggings on this list that had this issue. Other than that they run true to size. (I tend to fall between a XS to S). So, if you oscillate between sizes, I would go with the larger size.
> how it feels when exercising test
Okay, you’ve probably over the “cuteness” talk, but the look and feel of these leggings are pretty darn good! Exercising in them is also pretty comfortable – ALTHOUGH – while the waist band sits nicely and snug on my stomach, it does fold or roll down (once) when you’re moving up and down (i.e. doing a burpee). If you’re doing burpees galore then and don’t particularly like your leggings rolling then I wouldn’t recommend. Other than that, I haven’t had any issues exercising in these spotted leggings!
> quality test (first and “last” impression, how it is after a wash or a dozen)
These have been through the wash a few times, and the photos shows how it’s held up! The stitching and quality is pretty up there, although the white spots do look like they are painted/printed on. I’m curious to see how these spots actually hold up and whether or not they “flake” off. If they do start to flake, I’ll let you guys know!
…
Everlane
(coming soon)!
Overall thoughts?
Wouldn’t you like to know!!
I’ll keep my overall thoughts short because this is a freaking long blog post. I honestly, felt each pair of leggings had its strong and weak points. If I were to recommend a “gym” legging it would be Girlfriend Collective.
If you’re more of an outdoors type of person I would recommend Organic Basics. But I definitely recommend the sports bra! (I have an affiliate code for 10% off CATOBC4).
If you purely looking for good leggings that are cute, the Sezane ones will do the job!
If you are looking for fancy activewear with beautiful detailing then Vyayama would be my pick!
Pansy leggings are super comfortable, and are perfect for yoga or lounging around the house. I admittedly use these to sleep in all the time when it isn’t so warm!
If you’re after something a bit closer to home, then Boody would be my pick. In particular, their bike shorts and socks! I would also recommend if you’re looking for activewear that utilises natural fibres as a majority of their line is made from organic bamboo.
Everlane? Well, I can’t tell you yet! But once I’ve tested them out thoroughly I’ll update this blog post!
1.5 cups of rolls oats
1/2 cup of (un-sweeten) rice puffs
1 cup of shredded dry coconut
2 handfuls of dried fruit (I like using raisins and mulberries)
3 handfuls of nuts (I like using cashews, pistachios and walnuts)
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of vanilla powder (or can use vanilla essence)
5 tablespoons of protein powder (I use vanilla & coconut – this one from Bare Blends – not sponsored! Just really like their vanilla and coconut one)
1/4 cup of coconut oil
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 tablespoon of peanut butter
1/4 cup of maple syrup
Steps:
1. Mix coconut oil, olive oil, maple syrup and peanut butter together 2. Roughly chop nuts 3. In a bowl add dry ingredients and wet ingredients together 4. Bake in the oven until golden brown (give it a little toss around so that it browns up on both sides!) 5. Wait until it cools down before you store in an airtight container (last for about 1-2 weeks, although it’ll be gone way before then)! 6. Enjoy with coconut yoghurt or with a chia seed pudding or just eat it by the handful
These are a little bit of a hybrid between a meat loaf and meat ball, but without the meat! This recipe uses nuts and mushrooms to mimic the meaty texture. It’s super easy to make, and I’ve included some “hacks” in there for you if you don’t feel like chopping!
This recipe comes in two parts. BUT don’t be deceived just because it comes in two parts it doesn’t mean it’s a hard recipe at all.
Makes 12 balls (or 6 servings)
Ingredients PART ONE:
2 cups of mixed nuts
1 cup of grated carrot
1 teaspoon of mixed herbs
1/3 nutritional yeast
1 cup of white flour + 1 teaspoon of dried yeast (or 1 cup of bread flour)
Ingredients PART TWO:
olive oil (this is for frying I normally use about 1-2 tablespoons)
1 brown onion (finely chopped)
1-2 teaspoons of minced garlic
1 celery stalk with leaves (finely chopped)
1.5 cups of finely chopped mushrooms
1 teaspoon of tomato paste
1 tomato (finely chopped)
1 teaspoon of Vegemite (can sub for miso paste!)
1 teaspoon of vegan Worcestershire
2/3 cup of water
1/3 cup of apple sauce
1 teaspoon of chilli flakes (optional)
1 teaspoon of mixed herbs (yes! more herbs!
1 tablespoon of tomato sauce (aka ketchup also optional)
salt to taste
*Hack – if you don’t feel like chopping use your blended or food processor and pulse until it looks like it’s finely chopped!
STEPS:
Place two cups of mixed nuts into a blender and pulse until there are fine bits and chunky bits! Just like the picture below!
Grate 1 large carrot and add flour, grounded nuts, nutritional yeast, dry yeast and herbs into a bowl. Mix and place aside
Finely dice one brown onion and fry with olive oil and garlic until golden brown.
Add celery, tomato paste, chopped tomato, chilli flakes and mushrooms until mushrooms become a little soft.
Add Vegemite, vegan worcestershire sauce and herbs and apple sauce, reduce heat to a simmer and add 2/3 cups of water. Reduce the mixture until it becomes jammy, like the picture below
Pour into the bowl with the dry mixture and combine. The mixture should look a little like this. If it’s too dry add a little more water. If it’s too wet add some more flour or grounded nuts
I tend to add the salt here when I’m combining the wet and dry ingredients together. I normally add one teaspoon but go with what suits your tastebuds!
I personally like pouring the mixture into muffin trays so it means it’s fairly uniform plus just less messy that way! For me 1/3 of a cup fits into one muffin tray thingy (what are they actually called???) but remember to oil your tray! If you don’t it will stick! Place into the oven on low heat (about 40 mins). Every oven is different, but my low heat is between 140-150 degrees celsius
The meat balls should feel a firm, but still have a little bounce to them. If it’s still too soft, leave in the oven for longer! If it’s firm, it’s still good! Continue on with the recipe
Flip each ball over and bake in the oven until crispy on top. Take out of oven
In a small bowl add 1 tablespoon of tomato sauce (ketchup for the Americans!) and brush the sauce on top of each ball!
Place the tray back into the oven on high heat, until the ketchup caramelises a little. Then it’s ready to finally come out of the oven for good!
Let it sit for about 30mins before serving. I like having it with veggie gravy and some roast veggies! But you could totally have it with pasta as well! And it’s great as for “meal preps” as the “meat” balls are actually tastier a day or day later
Ingredients and steps
Makes 12 balls (or 6 servings)
Ingredients PART ONE:
2 cups of mixed nuts
1 cup of grated carrot
1 teaspoon of mixed herbs
1/3 nutritional yeast
1 cup of white flour + 1 teaspoon of dried yeast (or)
(1 cup of bread flour)
Ingredients PART TWO:
olive oil (this is for frying I normally use about 1-2 tablespoons)
1 brown onion (finely chopped)
1-2 teaspoons of minced garlic 1 celery stalk with leaves
(finely chopped)
1.5 cups of finely chopped mushrooms
1 teaspoon of tomato paste 1 tomato (finely chopped)
1 teaspoon of Vegemite (can sub for miso paste!)
1 teaspoon of vegan Worcestershire
2/3 cup of water
1/3 cup of apple sauce
1 teaspoon of chilli flakes (optional)
1 teaspoon of mixed herbs (yes! more herbs!)
1 tablespoon of tomato sauce (aka ketchup also optional)
salt to taste
Steps:
> combine grounded mix nuts, grated carrot, mixed herbs,
nutritional yeast, dry yeast and flour together
> in a pan, fry with olive oil finely diced onion, minced garlic
and celery until golden brown
> add tomato paste, diced mushrooms, diced tomato,
Vegemite, chilli flakes, vegan Worcestershire, mixed herbs
and apple sauce and simmer
> add water and simmer for about 15 mins until the mixture reduces
> pour into dry mixture and combine
> taste test here and add salt according to what you like
> mix again
> oil muffin tray and scoop 1/3 of a cup into each muffin hole
(thingy - I still don't know what they are called!!
Now, this post isn't as professional anymore - anywho!)
> bake in oven in a low heat for about 40mins
> flip ball and place back into the oven until crispy on top
> brush tomato sauce on top and place back into the oven on
high heat until sauce caramelises
> take out of oven and let cool for 30 mins
> eat!!
I was fortunate enough to be invited to Rabobank’s 2019 Food Waste Report launch back in November. The launch was to highlight food waste habits of everyday Australians. And guess what? It turns out that we aren’t so good at keeping our food out of the bins. Yes! Even with all this low waste and climate change talk in the media!
The launch itself, was incredibly insightful and I learnt a lot from the panel discussion and even got tips from the brunch menu which was made from food waste and scraps.
First some stats before I get into the bones of why I’m writing this blog post:
Australia is the 4th highest food waste contributor globally In 2019 household waste in Australia rose to $10.1 billion (which was a $1.2 billion increase from 2018!)
Gen Z are the highest contributors to household food waste – approximately $1,446 of food annually, up from $234 in 2018. And you read right! Baby Boomers are least wasteful of all Australians, throwing out $498 of their food. And us millennials come in second worse for food waste!!!
Statistics include eating out and food delivery services
You might be wondering what the purpose of this blog post is, and if it’s purely to point out some statistics. The truth is, attending the event made me think really hard about what I was doing in the kitchen – including how my money was spent on groceries. What really was going into the bin? How much money am I really losing by my food waste habits?
Food waste is still a struggle. It’s getting better, but I’ll still go through stages where I will throw out a bag of food, just because I forgot about it or I didn’t feel like eating what I made. And sometimes, my tastebuds want salt and sugar – and honestly, when that happens I lose all rationality and think with my belly rather than my head!
But I NEED to think rationally with what I’m consuming. I’m not looking for perfection, but I know I could do better.
In November and (now) December, I made a conscious effort to use what I have in my own fridge and pantry. I’ve (admittedly) been a little sloppy, okay, VERY SLOPPY and in the previous months leading up to the event and let a lot of my “good” habits slide.
I won’t ever be at that level were I’m making a sweet dust from dehydrated mango skins, but I do what to be creative in the kitchen and make tasty foods from scraps and leftovers. What is the harm in learning a new skill like that?
My first steps to reducing food waste
I’ve already implemented leftovers week, but I’m keen to see how much food waste I’m producing. What’s the first step?
Well folks, this means, I’m going to do an audit of my food trash! I’ve never done an audit of my trash, let alone my food scraps – so, it’s going to be interesting…maybe even enlightening? How much food waste will I produce in a week?
The truth is going to be dirty and probably something I’m not quite ready for – particularly as someone who is in the “low waste” community. While, I don’t see myself as someone who represents the community, but I do sometimes feel the pressure to be perfect. Or even close to perfect. Because if I’m not close to perfect, then why should you look to me for advice?
Firstly, don’t look to me for advice. My advice would be to not give advice! I’m merely showing you what I’m going through. Even if that means I peel back the curtain and show you the ugly truth of my own food waste.
We talk so much about plastic and packaging we forget about the actual produce we buy, because if worse comes to worst “it goes in the compost” and therefore, doesn’t seem so bad. I’m going deep into this one friends!
You’ll pretty much see everything on Instagram, but I’ll do a deep dive in my “Project Reboot” blog posts. My reboot is more than just physical – I also want to reset my low waste habits and once again assess and critique my behaviours to see how far I’ve come or how far I’ve fallen.
simple-ish.com 