Glammed Up For A Good Cause

If you follow my mum on social media, you may have seen the buzz around Jono's Journey. Jono's Journey is a GoFundMe campaign set up by my mum recently. Here's a bit of the background story: Jono is my brother, who has Asperger's Syndrome - a form of Autism. As well as this, he also has Kyphosis (a severe curving of the spine resulting in surgery to have titanium rods inserted into his back). His condition is worsening due to our not-so-wonderful hospital waiting lists, which means he's in constant pain, finds it hard to breathe and needs help with some day-to-day tasks. Despite all of this, he is one of the most optimistic people I know, and he's always smiling and laughing. 

Often, people with Asperger's Syndrome have one particular thing they're extremely interested in - Jono's is Pokémon. You may think it's just a game you used to play as a kid, but for Jono it's a way to cope, to escape his pain and take his mind off things. Long hospital appointments don't seem so bad when you have a virtual reality to escape to. At this point, Jono is so good at the game he's ranked at number 3 in his age division of the best Pokémon players in Ireland. Due to this, he now qualifies to go all the way to San Francisco to play at the World Championships - no mean feat! 

Due to Jono's condition, he couldn't make it to America on his own without a little help. Because of money issues, my mum knew she just couldn't afford to go with him. It would absolutely break Jono's heart if he couldn't fulfil this dream, so my mum, on the advice of her friend, did something she never thought she'd do - set up a GoFundMe. We never ever thought it would take off like it has. The support has been absolutely overwhelming. The target was met in less than a day, and continues to keep soaring. When I read about the generosity of people, from all over the world, people we've never even met (as they say, "Strangers are just friends you've never met"), I started crying. Watching someone you love go through worsening pain every day is so hard, but watching them get the opportunity to live their dream is heartwarming, and I'm so proud of him. Because of all the wonderful people in this world, my mum and brother are now booked to head to the U.S. in August - and I couldn't be happier for them.

Many local businesses have lended a helping hand to the campaign - one of them is Sligo Hairdressing Academy, a hairdressing school located on Holburn Street, Sligo. They came up with the fantastic idea of running 'Jono's Journey Pamper Days', where you can get your hair done for a discounted price with the money going towards Jono's Journey. With prices starting from €8 for a wash and blow dry going up to €25 for a cut and colour, you can't go wrong! The work is done by experienced hairdressing students and is fully supervised, so don't let the name put you off - I promise you won't lose an ear ;-)

I headed along today for the first of the fundraising days to get a cut and a blowdry. It's not often I get my hair done so I was so excited to treat myself, and a haircut was well overdue. I was greeted by Frances, the lovely lady who runs the academy, who handed me over to David - one of the extremely talented students. He started by washing and conditioning my hair. I don't know about you, but getting my hair properly washed is one of my favourite things in the world. Then it was time to get cutting. I just needed a trim as I'm trying to grow my hair, and a restyle of my side fringe as it wasn't even a fringe anymore, just a flap of hair! For some reason my fringe grows like it's on speed.

I sat there looking like a potato with my wet hair and my hairdressing gown (you know when you go to the hairdressers and sit in front of the mirror wondering if you've always looked like an egg with hair?) while David quickly and competently trimmed my hair and got rid of all the straggly bits. He cut my side fringe back into shape so it swooped across my forehead. It's so nice to not have to keep shoving my hair out of my eyes or get a mouthful of fringe! David actually listened to how much I wanted off unlike some hairdressers who cut off too much and make you spend hours Googling 'how to make hair grow 10 inches overnight'.

Next it was time for the curls. I was looking for a wavey, curly look, so David decided to do some soft bouncy GHD curls. I used to have a GHD and this was one of my favourite things to do with my hair but I sold it *sob* so now I've become lazy and rarely do anything with my hair. I'm always a bit wary of anyone wielding a hair straightener near my head as I've had a few bad experiences of getting the tips of my ears burnt - ouch! I had nothing to worry about. David was so gentle and I didn't once have to duck under the chair.

The end result was gorgeously silky, bouncy soft curls. I was absolutely thrilled with how it turned out, and even more so that now, almost 10 hours later, the curls are still intact! That's so rare for me because my hair is quite thick so usually any wave or curl drops out after about 30 minutes. A truly fantastic job done by David.

I couldn't not show off my new hair, so my boyfriend and I headed to Sweet Beat for a smoothie bowl and then to Hazelwood for a picnic. Pics courtesy of Laurence! There's a bit of a photographer in him I think.

If you'd like to contribute to the campaign, or just treat yourself, you can find Sligo Hairdressing Academy here on Facebook, or call them on 086 400 9559. The next dates for the fundraising days are the 20th of June and the 27th of June. You can also check out Jono's Journey here. Thanks again to Frances and all at Sligo Hairdressing Academy for letting me come in and get my hair done, and for being so generous in helping Jono's dream come true.

Blue Skies & Brave Sheep

As I mentioned in my previous blog, my boyfriend and I love going out for a spin somewhere different every week or so (sometimes just to Tesco, 'cos we're so exciting). This time we went to Carrick-On-Shannon, Strandhill and Lough Easkey because we had a long weekend and wanted to make the most of it!

On Thursday Laurence picked me up from college and we looked round Sligo, which made a change as I usually go up to his so we're not down my neck of the woods very often. After having hazelnut hot chocolates in Sweet Beat, we decided to go for a wander around town. I wanted to bring him to StreetCart, one of my favourite places to eat in Sligo, so he could try their nachos. I also wanted to show him Cosgrove's Delicatessen because they have an amazing selection of health foods, vegetarian alternatives, cheese, nuts and fruit. We bought some vegetarian pies there for our Easter lunch (that looked a bit like dog food on the packet but tasted pretty good!) and then headed to StreetCart. He chose nachos with all the trimmings and I got a burrito, my new favourite from there. I'm glad we've been going out for a while now because lemme tell you, burritos are the least sexy thing to eat. You don't eat a burrito, you snog it.

On Saturday we headed off to Carrick. We wanted somewhere nice to have lunch and to do a bit of shopping. Laurence recommended the Larder Café to me and after reading some great reviews online we decided to head there. Unfortunately the café had run out of a lot of things (a good sign) but we weren't starving so we decided to just go for sandwiches. The owner of the café is a coeliac vegetarian so she knew our plight with eating out! She let us read the ingredients on anything we wanted and told us what breads were dairy free. I was very tempted to buy a loaf of their Guinness bread but I knew the minute I'd get it home I'd be under the table spreading peanut butter on it and inhaling it, so I resisted. We both ordered paninis: Laurence got a Greek panini with sundried tomatoes, rocket, olives and roasted red peppers, and I chose a homemade hummus, red onion, grated carrot and rocket panini. I also ordered a mint hot chocolate which was divine. The food was really tasty and fresh, and I have to commend the café for listing all allergens on their main menu - it was perfect.

We did a bit of shopping for a few hours - mostly food but I did get a dress from Miss Selfridge, and managed to pull myself out of Menarys because they had so many nice clothes that I can't afford - and then stopped off in Supermac's because we were both craving curry chips. #eatclean

On Sunday before having dinner at my house we drove out to Strandhill to look at the People's Market. I love the market but Laurence had never been so I said I'd show him. We got there about 30 minutes before it finished so it was quietening down. I ended up just getting a slice of cake from Wild Atlantic Food and promised Laurence we'd go again (earlier next time!) We finished our Strandhill trip with a drink from Shells Little Shop. They have some gorgeous giftware in there, I was so tempted by a little gold elephant necklace and a plate with a hot air balloon motif but I reminded myself I need to save money. My self restraint is getting better and better.

We had a family Easter dinner and Laurence stayed overnight *faints* so the next day we packed a picnic and took a drive out to Lough Easkey, as recommended by my mum, who is like a one woman Sligo tourism board. It was an absolutely gorgeous day; the sun was beating down and the skies were so blue. When we arrived at Lough Easkey we were both speechless, it was so beautiful. The drive up was reminiscent of Connemara and we even met a few brave sheep on the way! At one point it was like a sheep Mafia - they all ganged up around the car and were baaing aggressively, if that's even possible. I asked them 'What ewe lookin' at?!' because I'm funny. Ha.

Our picnic consisted of crisp sandwiches, couscous, fruit, hummus salad rolls, Club Orange, and potato salad. The most random Irish-exotic picnic basket ever. We ended up having to eat it in the car because 1) We saw a sinister looking wasp nearby (why are they even here?! It's only March!) and 2) It started hailstoning. Ahh, Ireland. All 4 seasons in the space of 1 hour. We still had a lovely feast and while the weather was nice it was gorgeous looking over the lake - it was so still and blue it was like glass. We're going to make it our mission to go back there in the summertime with a proper snazzy picnic - and take an actual camera!

As usual, thanks for reading. Hopefully your Easter weekend was as lovely as mine was!

Moooving On: How I Went Dairy Free

In my previous blog I mentioned that last year I went dairy free. I thought I'd do a blog to explain why, how and the ways it has benefited me, just in case any of you were considering cutting out dairy or realised it has started to cause you discomfort.  

In my case, I started to notice I'd feel sick after almost everything I ate. I won't go into the gory details, but it caused me a lot of discomfort. I couldn't figure it out for the life of me - I was sure it wasn't gluten anyway - so I decided to try cutting down my dairy intake to see if that helped.  

How now, brown cow?

I started by replacing dairy milk with almond or soya milk and noticed a big change already. Then, I started to cut out cheese and cream. I made my lifestyle change a gradual one and still ate bits and pieces of dairy such as goat dairy, butter, yoghurt and the occasional sneaky bit of cake or chocolate. However, as time went on any bit of dairy made me sicker and sicker - a sure sign of dairy intolerance - and I cut every part of it out of my diet. I am now 100% dairy free.

Now, I specify my dietary needs at restaurants and cafés and use dairy substitutes instead of the real thing. Always remember to check ingredients on whatever you're buying just to double check - it's surprising how many items contain milk powder, whey or some other variation of dairy! Even lots of crisp brands contain dairy. 

Is it annoying at times? Definitely. Is it worth it? Absolutely. In this blog I'll list a few of the benefits, limitations and my favourite dairy free eateries and brands.

The good stuff

Since going dairy free I've noticed significant changes to my skin. I used to suffer from bad acne and it's cleared up significantly since going dairy free. 

Before this lifestyle change I'd get a cold every 2 weeks or so - I was the most run down person I knew. I ate a lot of dairy so I reckon this caused an abundance of mucus and in turn made me continuously get colds. I haven't had a cold in months and months now - I can't remember the last time I had one!

I don't get that heavy, full feeling after eating meals now. I feel nauseous rarely and feel more full of energy. 

My boyfriend went dairy free in the past also and swears his asthma improved significantly, so this may be something to consider too if you suffer from asthma.

The bad stuff

The most notable pain in the arse bits I've experienced is the cost if you're buying specialty dairy free food items and - the hardest part of all - eating out. 

Dairy free milk can be almost twice the price of normal milk, with some exceptions.  Chocolate is a little more expensive depending on what brand you buy. Dairy free cheeses, again, are significantly more expensive, but it should be noticed a block of dairy free cheese can last me about a month. Dairy free spread is fairly reasonable, and again it lasts me ages. Cream substitutes are around the same price and are not something I'd use very often. It helps to shop around and limit your consumption of dairy imitations if you're very budget conscious.

As for eating out, I still find it extremely difficult. Sligo isn't the best place to be dairy free or vegan - sure, there are tons of places who offer gluten free options, but for us dairy intolerant people we're not as well catered to. If you want a simple cup of coffee most places offer soya milk, but if you want lunch or dinner? Not so easy. 

Don't fret!

I've found a few choices for eating dairy free, mainly in Sligo. StreetCart (mexican food, also offer vegan options), Sweet Beat (vegan), Vintage Lane Café (in Rathcormac, but one of the most helpful places I've found), Ósta (good for vegans too), Ardcarne Garden Café (in Boyle but an excellent choice for vegetarians and vegans alike), The Draft House in Strandhill, and a new find for dairy free soup (which is so damn hard to find!) WB's Café. Indian food is definitely the best choice for dairy free/vegan takeaway - just make sure you specify as some of the curries and breads contain ghee or cream. Bombay Palace in Castlerea and Poppadom restaurant in Sligo are my two favourites. Fast food restaurants also offer a fair amount of dairy free options - Supermac's Papa Johns are very helpful if you ask for your pizza to be made without cheese.

Top: Vegan pancakes made by my boyfriend, vegetable curry and hummus at Ardcarne Garden Café, vegan lasagne at Sweet Beat, bean hotpot at Ósta, soup and salad at Vintage Lane Café, vegetable curry (top) at The Draft House, almond milk hot chocolate and a raw cacao cake at Sweet Beat (bottom). See, I don't just eat air!

Let them eat cake

If you have  a major sweet tooth for cake and chocolate, you may find it hard at first to get used to life without them. Fear not, my friends, I did it and I don't cry in the corner about my lack of cake (not often anyway).
Joking aside, I've made some foolproof dairy free cakes and they're just as delicious as 'normal' cake. I've convinced even the most hardcore dairy eaters with them! Try this recipe from Odlums to start. Also check out the Free From sections in supermarkets and the ingredients in some supermarket cakes as I've been surprised sometimes by cakes and cookies not containing dairy. My favourite dairy free cake and biscuit picks are Oreos (yes, you read that right), Biscoff, Bourbons, Supervalu Free From Ginger Crunch Cookies, and the bog standard Dark Chocolate Digestives. Yum!

Choc-a-bloc

As for chocolate, I've found some delicious dairy free substitutes out there. My favourite brands are Moo Free, Booja Booja (their hazelnut truffles are TO DIE FOR - they're like the inside of a Ferrero Rocher), Choices, iChoc, and Cocoa Libre. It should be noted that ASDA, Tesco and Sainsbury's have their own range of Free From chocolate and it's all pretty tasty! I got my Free From advent calendar from ASDA and didn't feel left out when my brother ate his chocolate one. For my selection box - yes I am 5 years old - I got Moo Free and Choices selection boxes. I also recently discovered Lidl's version of Cadbury's Chocolate Snaps (remember them? Pringles shaped chocolate with crispy bits?) and was delighted to find the dark chocolate mint version is dairy free! Score.

But what if I want to cry into a tub of ice cream?

I hear you. We all have nights where we just want to snuggle up on the couch and inhale a litre of ice cream. Thanks to brands such as Booja Booja, Nobó, Swedish Glace, Okobay, and even Tesco Free From (they do dairy free strawberry and vanilla ice cream cones), I can still do that. But I try not to make it a habit. ;-) 

My favourite ice cream is hands down Almond Dream - their salted caramel ice cream is HEAVEN. They're also available in SuperValu which is so handy.

Keep an eye on Ben & Jerry's also - they're said to be releasing their own dairy free ice cream soon!

Cheese and milk and cream, oh my!

Ahh, the fun part. The hardest part most people find with going dairy free is giving up cheese. In fairness, I've never been a huge cheese fan, so I can imagine if you are it may be a bit harder. However, like any habit you break, you get used to not eating it. Brands such as Violife - my favourite for dairy free cheese - Tofutti, and VBites have some tasty cheese substitutes. Some melt like a dream, others are great in sandwiches and sauces, but none of them properly replicate proper cheese, I'd be lying if I said they did. Still, they're a nice substitute and I don't feel too left out when everyone else is eating pizza now! 

For cream and milk, Alpro and Oatly are my favourite picks. Both offer cream substitutes which taste deceivingly real, and their milks are also fantastic. I buy Lidl soya milk if I'm on a tight budget as it's only 79c per litre and is just as good as the leading brands. Koko coconut milk is a delicious creamy milk alternative which is great in tea, coffee and cereal. 

For sandwich spreads and butter substitutes I like Pure and Suma spreads. Sure, they taste more like margarine than butter, but they do the job. Cosgrove's Delicatessen in Sligo is a great place to pick up dairy alternatives - they even sell vegan mac 'n' cheese!

Saucy

I use a lot more condiments since going dairy free to add flavour and variety to my meals. I love Zest vegan pesto, Taste of Goodness sauces (check for the lactose free varieties), Biona, and the good old classic mayonnaise which, as most people are surprised by, is dairy free.

To conclude, with an evergrowing range of dairy free products, going dairy free isn't as hard as you may think. Obviously, if you can digest dairy with no issues, enjoy your cheeselicious pizza! If you're having discomfort or feeling nauseous from all the dairy deliciousness, or are planning on trying out veganism, I hope this blog was helpful in even some little way. 

For other helpful dairy free websites and blogs check out Dublin With Food Allergies, Dairy Free Kids, and Go Dairy Free.

If you have any questions on going dairy free, or if you can recommend some good dairy free cafés, restaurants and brands, please let me know! 

Life's Sweet @ Sweet Beat

If you live in Sligo you may know that an exciting new café has entered the scene. Sweet Beat is a vegan café serving healthy, fresh food. It's refreshing to see something like this in Sligo - although there isn't a massive vegan crowd in Sligo the café thrives and already has quite the following. I'm not a vegan or a vegetarian myself so from this review you'll see you don't need to be to enjoy what Sweet Beat has to offer.

I was greeted by Carolanne, the owner of Sweet Beat, and her sister Denise who was more than happy to show me around and explain the menu. If you frequent Strandhill People's Market you may know Carolanne under her pseudonym Green Warrior.

After a quick tour of the café and a study of the menu it wasn't hard to decide what I wanted to get. I did plan to get one of the super salads as the weather has been nice lately but when I went in yesterday it was a dull day so I went for the vegan lasagne, their Daily Warmer. They also do brunch - avocado toast (which has caused quite the stir, I hear), hummus toast and their own homemade beans on toast. I treated mum to lunch and she chose the hummus toast which she enjoyed but said it was a little too spicy for her taste, which I did agree with. 

As well as all those yummy offerings they also serve raw vegan brownies, chocolate and homemade smoothies and juices. I went for a Rocket Cow smoothie (I assume this is a play on 'raw cacao' - I like it!) made with almond milk, nut butter, banana and cacao powder. 

The service was very quick considering it was the lunchtime rush and they were rushed off their feet. Mine looked and smelled great so after taking a few snaps I dug in. I'm not gonna lie, I wasn't sure how a vegan lasagne was gonna work but it was delicious - so full of flavour. It did taste like a normal lasagne but 'cleaner' and obviously without the mince. It was served with 2 super salads - chickpea and green bean salad and carrot salad, both yummy.

The Rocket Cow smoothie also didn't disappoint - I make this kind of smoothie quite a lot at home anyway so I knew what to expect. It's like a healthy chocolate-peanut-butter smoothie and it was surprisingly filling. So smooth and creamy considering it's totally dairy free. Among the other smoothie offerings was a turmeric smoothie (not sure how I'd feel about that), iced coffee, wheatgrass shot, ginger shot and a beetroot, sweet potato and ginger juice - as well as the usual tea and coffee. 

I was extremely tempted by the tempting brownies on the counter but I decided to be good and I was extremely full up - my lunch kept me going for the whole day.

You can find Sweet Beat on Bridge Street (where Chapters used to be, sob) or check them out on Facebook here. I give it my (non-vegan) approval!

Thanks a million to Carolanne for inviting me along and for the yummy lunch.