Vegan Mac N Cheese with BBQ pulled jackfruit

I am back again with another vegan recipe for you all to try out and this time it is a vegan Mac n Cheese with BBQ pulled jackfruit! I got this recipe from BOSH again but through their instagram page so definitely go check that out here.
This macaroni and cheese is the ultimate comfort food that is so desperately needed during January. The January blues are creeping in but I am so desperately trying to holding them back by creating things like this. I am a foodie, I LOVE food and it genuinely brings me happiness and joy and I have always related food to family, my mum and celebrations. If you are feeling the sadness January often brings I recommend creating a delicious dish and sharing it with all your friends and family and I bet you will feel happier.

Ingredients:

For the jackfruit
450g young green jackfruit (I bought mine from Aldi and got the ones in water)
Salt and pepper to taste
2tbsp olive oil
250g BBQ sauce

Mac n Cheese
70g dairy free butter
50g plain flour
500ml plant based milk
200g dairy free cheese
25g nutritional yeast
1tsp garlic powder
1tbsp English mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
400g macaroni

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees.
2. Wash the jackfruit under a cold tap (this stuff is crazy, this was my first time using jackfruit and it looked so much like tuna?? weird and I got a bit scared at first but trust me the end result makes this weirdness worth it) and pat dry.
3. Warm the olive oil in a frying pan, add the jackfruit and salt and pepper to taste and fry this until the jackfruit begins to colour and crisp a little bit. Pour the BBQ sauce and 5 tbsp water over the jackfruit and make sure all the chunks are covered. Put a lid on the jackfruit and leave to simmer and stir occasionally.
4. Melt the dairy free butter in a separate pan, sieve in the flour (or don't I didn't bother) and stir into the butter to make a roux (we getting technical now). Pour the dairy free milk into the pan gradually, stirring constantly (it's an arm workout so be prepared) until the sauce is smooth and creamy.
5. Grate the cheese (I bought already grated cheese because I'm lazy) and add it to the sauce along with the nutritional yeast, garlic powder and English mustard and stirring constantly (you will have arms of steel at this point) until the cheese has melted. Add 6 tbsp pasta water, season with salt and pepper and turn the heat right down.
6. Drain the macaroni and pour it all into the sauce.
7. Pour your cheesy macaroni into your baking dish and then top with the BBQ jackfruit. Put in the oven for 15 minutes or until it's a bubbly goodness.
8. Get out the oven and serve to all your hungry guests or just yourself, I'm not judging.

I wish I had a nicer photo but I was just so excited to eat it that I forgot! But you can always check out my Instagram to see a rather satisfying video of it here. 

Let me know if you try this and if you do I hope you enjoy the cheesy goodness!

Thanks for reading, 

Alice xx 

Twitter: @alicejalley

Instagram: @alicejalley

Pinterest: @alicejalley

Vegan Apple Pie

If you read my last blog post you will know that I am trying to cook one new recipe a week and last week I attempted a vegan apple pie and I must say it didn't turn out too bad!
I got the recipe from my the BOSH cookbook (currently only £8 on Amazon!). It was so simple and easy to follow and did not require much time so perfect for any busy bee's out there. It was the perfect treat to have on a Saturday night with some creamy Oatly single cream and it could also be made to impress your family and friends at a dinner party!

For this recipe I used the following ingredients:

- Asda's Ready Rolled Shortcrust Pastry
- Granny Smith Apples and Red Apples (not sure on exact measurements, used 3 large bags though!)
- 1/2 lemon
- 2tbsp maple syrup
- 2tsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- pinch of salt
- 2 tbsp almond milk
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- OPTIONAL, Oatly Single Cream to serve

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
2. Roll out your pastry wider than your dish and lay your dish at one end of the pastry and cut around the base, this will be your lid.
3. Lay the rest of the pastry in your dish and press it into the edges and all the way up the sides (make sure there are no cracks or trapped air!).
4. Put your dish and pastry lid in the fridge for 15 minutes.
5. Peel and core your apples and roughly cut them into 1cm chunks. Put in a large bowl and squeeze over the lemon. Add the caster sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, flour and salt and mix.
6. Spread the apple mixture evenly into the chilled pie base and the lay the lid on top and crimp the edges.
7. Put your pie in the oven for 40 minutes and then take it out the oven to brush the top with the almond milk (or any other plant-based milk) and sprinkle with brown sugar. Put the pie back in the oven for 10-12 minutes or until crisp and golden.
8. Take the pie out of the oven and leave to cool. The serve with the Oatly single cream!

For those of you who have undertaken the Veganuary challenge this would be a perfect treat for you and I highly recommend trying the Oatly Single Cream (they sell it in most supermarkets) it's much healthier for you than normal cream and tastes just as good. This is also great recipe for my fellow vegans who just want to try something new, also if you make this for your friends don't tell them it's vegan because I bet they would never know the difference!

I am also going to be looking into getting a camera to take better photos of my food for my foodie blog posts and also life in general I want to take more photos on a camera rather than on my phone. 

I will be posting new recipes every Sunday so keep a look out for those!

Thanks for reading, 

Alice xx

Twitter: @alicejalley

Instagram: @alicejalley

Pinterest: @alicejalley

My 2019 Goals

Well, that is 2018 over and done with and what a year it was! I love looking back on all that I accomplished throughout the year and all the memories I have created. 2018 was the year of making decisions and my life has never felt more 'right' than it does now. Despite this, I actually hate the new year and not knowing what the future holds can often keep me awake at night so, to get over this fear I plan to take each day as it comes and focus on the now. To also keep me focused I create goals for myself and as a person who likes to plan and have structure, I find making new year goals very motivating. I like to make specific and measurable goals so that at the end of the year I know what I have achieved, so here are my five 2019 goals! 

Learn and cook a new vegan recipe every week

I have so many vegan recipe books and I am obsessed with watching cooking videos but I never actually make time to learn and cook new recipes. Being vegan means I have to experiment with my food and different flavours but honestly I have just got stuck in a pesto pasta addiction which needs to stop! So my aim is to cook one new vegan recipe a week and this can range from the smallest bakes to a large family dish but the main goal is to expand my skills and do something I really enjoy. 

Here are some of my vegan food inspo's: 

Lucy Watson - 'Feed Me Vegan' and 'Feed Me Vegan: For all Occasions' 

BOSH! 

Deliciously Ella - 'The Plant-Based Cookbook' 

Gaz Oakley - Avant Garde Vegan 

Run 5K

I am terrible at running, absolutely terrible but it is something I so desperately want to be good at! I get so jealous when I see people run effortlessly like please teach me your ways!! Obviously jealousy isn't a pretty trait so I've decided to get myself together and start running and my aim for the end of the year is to run a 5k without stopping. I might achieve this in the first few months and if that miracle does happen then I will increase the goal to 10k by the end of 2019. It's all about self-improvement am I right?! 

Practice yoga every week

I started practicing yoga in 2018 but have never taken it seriously so, 2019 is the year to up my yoga game. Yoga is great for flexibility and strength which will then help me to reach my other fitness goals. I also find it is also good for my mind as my brain does not shut up for more than 2 minutes I find yoga really helps me focus on what my body is doing and how it feels and for 30-45 minutes my brain becomes quiet (so bloody peaceful). Yoga benefits my mind and my body and makes me feel so good overall so practicing yoga at least once a week is non-negotiable. 

Spend less time on social media

The social media addiction has pretty much ruled my life for the past 4-5 years and I have decided that enough is enough! The introduction of screen time on Apple phones has been eye-opening to say the least and I am horrified at the amount of time I sit aimlessly scrolling through Instagram and Twitter. My 2019 and the rest of my life goal is to spend as little time on social media as possible, to get me started my aim is to spend a maximum of an hour a day on social media and my phone in general. I currently spend between 3-4 hours on my phone every day and 95% of that time is on social media (Instagram has taken over my life) and this is making me feel so disconnected from the people and the world around me. So it's time to put the phone down, stop scrolling through social media and focus on what is around me. 

Be kinder to myself and worry less

The final goal and probably the most important one, to be kind to myself. For as long as I can remember I have been my own worst critic and I always put myself under a lot of stress and pressure. I am also a natural born worrier and I constantly worry about myself and the people closest to me and this is something I have recognised in 2018 but I need control in 2019. Putting pressure on myself and worrying about every detail will not change anything and will only hinder my progression and happiness. Although this is not necessarily a 'measurable' goal if I am smiling more at the end of 2019 I see that as a win. 

See you in 2019! :)xx

My Vegan Skincare

Hi everyone, so this is going to be something different and not about New York! I am going to be telling you what vegan skincare I use, when I first became vegan I hadn't really thought about the cosmetic side of it so it took me a while to find products that I loved but also didn't harm any animals. Vegan cosmetics can be a bit confusing so I hope this post helps you with your first step to vegan and cruelty free skincare. 

The Body Shop have always been a favourite of mine but even more so when I went vegan. They make buying vegan and cruelty skincare and makeup so easy! For a couple of years now I have been using the Aloe Vera cleanser and toner, I have very sensitive skin which can flare up easily so this definitely calms my skin. 

Next is the Pixi Glow Tonic, every beauty guru I follow on Instagram raved about this product so obviously I had to try it too! I use this once a day (usually at night) as it contains glycolic acid it can be harsh for your skin. However, the glycolic acid removes dead skins cells which reveals brighter and fresher skin, it is definitely a favourite of mine and would love to try more products from this range. 

This range is an absolute life saver, I love the B. range in Superdrug as they have such good quality and affordable products and have such a wide range. This moisturiser is lightweight and hydrating for the skin and it also sinks into the skin so you aren't left with a heavy and sticky feeling. 

This Solait suncream from Superdrug was great in the summer and I found it a really good base for my makeup. Often suncream can break me out but this product didn't have that affect so I am hoping they will bring it back next summer! It has a mattifying affect which means you don't get that shine like you do from other suncreams and I also found it wasn't heavy on the skin at all. I get 30 SPF as I have pale skin and want to avoid skin damage as much as possible (on a mission to "stay looking youthful"). 

This one of my favourites from The Body Shop as it leaves my skin feeling so clean, soft and glowy. Its aim is to draw out any impurities on the skin and refine the appearance of pores which leaves you with beautiful and glowing skin. This face mask has a tingly affect so don't panic when this happens! It is a strong mask but my sensitive skin can cope with it so don't let that put you off. It is hands down the best face mask I have ever used. 

Deodorant was one the most confusing products for me when I first went vegan, all the brands I had been using such as Dove (who recently went cruelty free in October 2018) and Sure aren't cruelty free so it left me a bit lost. However, there are so many natural deodorant products out there which are better for you and the environment. This has been interesting to learn about so I will be switching to those products in the future but for now I am using Superdrug's deodorant which smells great and is cheap! 

I hope this helps people to live a more vegan and cruelty free life! Thank you for reading and I will see you next time. 

Alice x 

INSTAGRAM: @jalleyalice 

PINTEREST: alicejalley

My favourite places in NYC

Although I had already been to New York twice before we found so many new places to go in our most recent visit. The new places we discovered quickly became some of my favourites. In this post I am going to be telling you all the best places to visit from my most recent trip and my older trips.

Number 1

We visited Williamsburg on our most recent trip in October and it is one of the best places I have been to in New York and it is definitely a favourite. It has an abundance of quirky little shops, trendy cafes and flea markets and the buildings are much smaller in Williamsburg which gives it a homely and friendly feel.

Everything feels slower compared to the constant on-the-go attitude in Manhattan which I really enjoyed. The streets are quieter and smaller but still have a good energy about them with outside cafes, parks and hundreds of dogs! Manhattan can often feel cold (it is a concrete jungle after all) but Williamsburg is the complete opposite, the buildings are quirky and so are the people. The art scene here is amazing with art everywhere you turn, which make for great Instagram photos! 

One of the best parts of Williamsburg is the water front and the view Manhattan, I have lived by the sea my entire life and can often feel enclosed if I am not near the sea so this was a great escape for me. The waterfront was full of people walking their dogs and having picnics, it was really peaceful and it is definitely one of my favourite places to go. 

Number 2

The Rockefeller Centre has always been one of my favourite locations ever since our first trip, it's where the iconic Christmas tree is located so how can you not love it?! The views are some of the best in New York as you can see all of Central Park, the Empire State Building and all the way down to the World Trade Centre. 

I recommend going to the top of the rock on a sunny day to get the best views and sunset or sunrise are definitely a great time to go as the city looks beautiful. A tip is to get your ticket the day before you want to go as you then have a guaranteed time slot and won't miss your photo opportunities. The deck at the top is lovely and I could spend hours there just watching. 

There are also great shops in the Rockefeller building on the ground floor including a very necessary Starbucks! The outside area where the ice skating is located has all the flags of the world and a seating area which makes it a great people watching spot and watch the ice skaters in the winter. 

Number 3 

The World Trade Centre and the 9/11 memorial despite its devastating past is definitely a place you have to visit and is definitely one of my favourite places. The 9/11 memorial is a great place to reflect and although it's in the middle of the busy financial district it is so peaceful and surrounded by nature. 

Going to the top of the World Trade Centre is something I highly recommend you do, the views are incredible and you feel so high up! On our trip in October we visited the 9/11 Memorial and Museum and I am so glad we did, it is extremely hard hitting and emotional but also really informative and a lovely way to remember those affected by the tragedy. 

On our trip in October the Westfield World Trade Centre had opened, it really is an amazing building which brings a modern twist to the area. There are great shops and eating places located inside and the recently opened World Trade Centre Cortlandt subway station that was destroyed in the 9/11 attacks which is a great central station which we used multiple times. 

Number 4

Bryant Park is a 5 minute walk from our hotel and it is where we spent every morning with a breakfast from Jamba Juice (check out what I had for breakfast on my last blog here). It is the best way to start a morning, this park is beautiful it has so many trees and places to sit and you can watch people doing yoga and exercise classes on the green or we saw a hairdresser doing a hair dye tutorial which was so cool. 

There are so many seating areas to read your book, get your laptop out or just people watch. People play chess and table tennis and there multiple cafes to get coffee and waffles! I love the buildings that surround this park but I also love being able to see the sky and take a minute to breathe. The library is literally right next door and Times Square is just round the corner so it is perfectly located.

Number 5

Lastly, we have Brooklyn. I love you Brooklyn, you are the best, the atmosphere there is so fun, I love the buildings, cobbled streets and looking at the view off the Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan. The waterfront is one of my favourite places and the parks along the waterfronts are lovely. With so many different things to look at in Brooklyn you can never get bored. 

One of the best instagram shots is in Brooklyn in the famous DUMBO and when we arrived there were so many people trying to get the perfect shot with the bridge behind. I also love DUMBO for its more industrial feel and very similar to Williamsburg it has quirky shops and cafes. To get over to Brooklyn I recommend either getting the subway or getting the boat which is what we did, you pick up the boat from East 34th Street in Manhattan and it then goes to Williamsburg and Brooklyn and back. This way is really convenient and you get a great view of the city and Brooklyn. 

Thank you for reading and I will be back soon with another post!

Lots of love, Alice x 

Vegan eats in NYC

Hi everyone! I apologise for my lack of posts but I am now getting back into it and there will be posts weekly.
If you follow me on instagram (it is @jalleyalice for those who don't) you will know that I have recently been to New York. I have been to NYC twice before but this is my first time being a vegan in the big apple and it made it a very different experience! Instead of eating at the big chain restaurants, we went to independent businesses and had more homemade, natural food which felt great and it gave us the opportunity to visit different areas of Manhattan.
I am such a foodie and most of my day centres around what I am going to eat so I did a lot of research before we went, I highly recommend doing this as the worst thing ever is when you are hungry and can't find vegan options anywhere! So to make your planning a bit easier, here is a list of our favourite vegan eatery's.

By Chloe
We went for breakfast, lunch and for snacks at By Chloe because it is just so good! We visited the Rockefeller and Bleecker Street locations and both had a lovely atmosphere and beautiful decor which always makes the experience so much better. Take a look by visiting their website By Chloe, their entire menu is vegan which is amazing.
For breakfast I had 'The Sunrise' which included scrambled tofu, spice chorizo seitan, black bean salsa, avocado on a wheat tortilla and it was beautiful and so filling for a packed day in NYC. Pictured below is the 'Mornin Glory' my sister had and she loved it!

For lunch one day I had the 'Quinoa Taco Salad' which was huge and had so many flavours including the agave-lime dressing and it is stunning, drooling just thinking about this salad and I don't say that often!

One afternoon we were craving a sweet snack so we popped into By Chloe to pick up their Lemon Poppy Seed muffin and Matcha Blueberry muffin. Both were so good but I must say the matcha one was my favourite, loved the funky green colour of it too!

Overall, I would rate By Chloe a 10 out of 10 and I will definitely be visiting the London one. 

Green Symphony

This place is a great little health shop just off from Times Square, this was really convenient for us because it was right round the corner from our hotel. Green Symphony is fab for vegans and non-vegans and is stocked full of healthy drinks, protein bars, has a salad bar and homemade healthy cakes and everything they sell includes organic, healthy ingredients. Our favourite food from here was their 'Fakin BLT', I haven't had a BLT since turning vegan so this was life changing, it included vegan mayo and tempeh bacon and it was honestly wonderful. 

They also had a large smoothie menu, unfortunately I didn't get the opportunity to try one but whenever we went in there the smoothie were always a popular choice! They have so many different options and are constantly adding new ones. Couldn't praise this place enough for their varied menu! The food here is also very affordable. 

Green Symphony gets an 8 out of 10 from me! Would just love to see more vegan food options. Please visit their website for their full menu Green Symphony. 

Cinnamon Snail

To say this is the best vegan food I have ever had would be an understatement. I visited the Pennsy Food Hall location and they had such a variety of foods to pick from that I was slightly overwhelmed! I honestly wish I could have a constant supply of their food, I was as well met with great service and despite our large order our food came so quickly. 

I had the 'Beastmode Burger Deluxe' which is basically this huge ass burger topped with mac n cheese and it was the best burger I have ever had! I also ordered the 'Creamy Mashed Potato' with porcini mushroom sauce and I can't begin to describe to you how good this was, the mash was so creamy and the gravy had so much flavour. Visit their website to see all the delicious foods they sell Cinnamon Snail. 

I had also heard amazing reviews about their doughnuts so I had the smores and pumpkin pecan flavours and both were incredible and satisfied my glazed doughnut craving! 

Overall, Cinnamon Snail is a 10 out of 10 for me and I can't wait for the day I get to go back!

Jamba Juice

Jamba Juice was just round the corner from our hotel and was located in Bryant Park so it made it such a convenient place to go for breakfast. My go-to options were the 'Apples n Greens' smoothie or the 'Nutty Almond Butter Bowl' which were both well priced and good for on-the go. The smoothie was very refreshing and was a health kick from all the burgers and the nutty almond bowl was filling and the toppings were so yummy with the almond butter, blueberries, granola and strawberries! 

Overall, I would rate Jamba Juice 6 out of 10, their vegan options are great but be careful with some of their smoothies because many of them contain dairy. Check their menu here to see which drinks are suitable for vegans. 

Blossom Du Jour

I was desperate to go to this place and it did not disappoint! We visited the Hell's Kitchen location and be warned it can be quite easy to miss, we walked passed it a couple of times before realising! Trust me though you do not want to miss this place because the food is insane, on our first visit I had the 'Skyscraper Burger' which is a dream. It includes two onions rings, mushroom bacon, cheese sauce and it is huge! 

On my second visit I had the 'Philly Cheesesteak' which is packed full of seitan so it made it very meaty, it also included creamy cheese sauce and spicy peppers. Absolutely loved this and would definitely have both the burger and sandwich again. 

Blossom Du Jour gets a 10 out of 10, beautiful food and great service with great ethics. If you would like to see the rest of their menu click here. 

Smorgasburg

Every Saturday morning throughout the summer season Williamsburg holds the Smorgasburg food market which includes a variety of food stalls and is great for vegans and non-vegans. I was very impressed with the vegan food stalls and how many there were, including Chickpea and Olive where I had the pulled jackfruit burger below. 

This burger was stunning and included so many different flavours like the horseradish aioli and bread and butter pickles. The jackfruit was very meaty and it was packed full! Visit the Chickpea and Olive website by clicking here. 

I also visited the Koku stall which sell coconut ice-cream in coconuts! Their ice-cream is so beautifully decorated that I couldn't resit and I had to get one, so I got the 'Zen Bowl' and I was surprised by how good it was. It was very refreshing for a hot day in Williamsburg and I highly recommend them for the great instagram photo you get! Visit their website for more information as their ethics are great and they include amazing, healthy ingredients in all their foods Koku. 

I highly recommend both these business and would rate them both 9 out of 10. I will also be talking more about Smorgasburg in a future blog post so look out for that one!

I hope you enjoyed this post and it helps you find places to eat when you visit NYC. 

Happy Sunday :)

Lots of love, Alice x 

Introducing Me

Well I planned to start this blog in January as one of my new year resolutions and it's now September, but better late than never! So hi, I'm Alice and I have created this blog to share my passions and to have an outlet for my very tiny amount of creativity. Lets start with getting to know me.

Full Name

Alice Jalley, my parents didn't bother blessing me with a middle name as they found it so hard to choose my first name!

Zodiac Sign

I am a September baby which makes me a Virgo. I do not religiously read my horoscopes but I match pretty much every characteristic of a Virgo. I am a perfectionist and put a lot of pressure on myself and the people around me to be perfect, this is both a blessing and a curse and a trait I'm constantly working on. I have strong opinions and although I may not always voice them if I feel strongly about something you will definitely know about it! I'm organised, modest, an over thinker and worrier, analytical and sometimes bossy (a lot of the time). 

Three things I love

My family! They are the most important thing in my life, my mum, dad and sister are my best friends and I wouldn't change them for the world. I also love a good book and Autumn, my favourite season where the fashion gets better and halloween arrives! 

My best friend

My sister

The reason I started blogging

This blog is my own little project, something I can really work on and feel passionate about. I have started my blog for mostly selfish reasons including growing my creativity, gaining my own writing style and having something I can work on. I as well want to share the things I am passionate about including veganism, health, travel, self care and general lifestyle topics. 

Three habits I have

I have a green smoothie every day for breakfast, I bite my nails when I'm nervous (disgusting habit, I know) and I am a slight social media addict but that is something I am working on. 

My future goals

I am currently working towards applying for university next year to study Events Management, this is something I have wanted to do since I was 14. In the future I would love to be an events manager and maybe have my own events business eventually. I want to travel A LOT. I think it is so important to see the world, it makes you realise how much is out there and the endless opportunities that are out there.

My favourite place

With my whole heart I love New York. I have been there twice before and I'm going back in September (watch for multiple blog posts after that trip) and it feels like going 'home' every time. There is a different energy in New York, everything is so busy and exciting and everyone is their own person. It is full of different cultures and people from different backgrounds, the city is so diverse with its fashion, food, art, languages so you are constantly on your toes never knowing what you are going discover next. If you can do it, I highly recommend giving the big apple a visit. 

My favourite quote

"Loving yourself is the greatest revolution" 

Self care and self love are topics I am passionate about, I will be doing future blog posts on these so stay around for those! 

There we go! I hope you enjoyed my blog post and if you have any questions please feel free to comment below. I will be blogging weekly so I hope you come back again soon!

Stay cool, 

Alice x

<a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blog/19583549/?claim=psvzk7wy3gu">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>