I got my final university grades back...

Just a quick post to highlight that I got my results back from university today... and I'm very pleased! We get our final classifications next week, but I'm pretty confident that I'm graduating with a high 2:1, which is fantastic.

I had some really tough times during the past three years, and became a very different person throughout. It's all been for the best though. I've come out stronger, wiser and most of all, happier. I battled depression for most of my academic life, and I'm pleased to say goodbye to both classrooms and academia respectively, as I progress into the big wide world. 

Ok, I can't wrap this all up without some kind of cheesy speech. So here goes - 

I am so proud of everyone who has got their results today, including all my classmates, the people I met along the way, and myself. I worked hard, and I got the grades I deserved. I had a wonderful experience at UEL, and am eternally grateful to everyone who was a part of this brilliant journey.

My Week at Vegan Life Magazine

Words to live by

Having just left university, I was scared at the prospect of making it on my own, as I'm sure most others are. However, I had previously arranged with the editor of Vegan Life magazine (my favourite!) to do an internship at their office, which is conveniently based only 7 miles from my house (meant to be or what?).

So with a thumping heart, I turned up on Monday morning at 8.55am (I forgot this hour existed) and prepared myself for office life. The early morning sun was already blinding, and didn't help the nervous sweat I was casually breaking into under my little black blazer. I strode over to the quaint, modern office building, my faux-suede shoes clicking on the car park tarmac.

I was greeted by one of the girls from the office, who brought me to the woman I'd been waiting to meet: Maria Chiorando. I'd stumbled upon one of her Guardian articles -for whom she is a contributor- focusing on vegan politics, which I used in the sources for my dissertation, so I was already in awe of her before realising that she edited my favourite magazine. Her kind smile comforted me in my haze of excitement and nerves.

After being introduced to the entire team, both Vegan Life and Om Yoga, I spoke to Maria about what I'd like to do during my time at the magazine. Having had no previous experience whatsoever, I didn't know what to reply with, so Maria suggested that I think of some ideas of what I'd like to write. Fast forward a few hours, and I was writing my first article - top 10 vegan apps (see previous post). Hopefully you might see it in a future Vegan Life issue (finger's crossed!)

Om Yoga magazine, the new Cook Vegan magazine, and the classic Vegan Life

As if that wasn't good enough, I also got to work on one of the regular features in Vegan Life: the 'Accidental Vegan' page! I scoured the internet to find 5 accidentally vegan products, which again might be used in a future issue! In the meantime I'm going to post them on my blog soon - watch this space.

Maria helped me with my writing a lot. She taught me the basic dos and dont's in magazine style writing, how to style it, what I need to work on, topics I should focus on, etc. She also helped me to sort out my social media presence, including Twitter - follow me @charleyEbone :) 

The early morning starts were the best part. I never thought I'd say that, but after the initial first day (it was the day after my birthday to be fair...) my body was used to it. This morning I woke up at 6.30am, sat in the garden eating my breakfast listening to the birdsong. It was so peaceful, almost as if I'd got some extra time in the day that no one else sees; this strange moment where it felt like only I was awake. Well, me and the birds. 

Getting used to that office life was both enjoyable and confining. Sitting at a desk all day isn't my dream, but being a journalist in a successful magazine is, and we all have to start somewhere. (They also have loads of dogs in the office, so you physically can't be unhappy). I'm hoping that this experience is going to open a plethora of doors for me. It's definitely reaffirmed my passion for journalism and veganism, which means I'm definitely on the right track.

Follow your dreams, no matter where you have to start. Allow your passion to integrate into your work, and like the quote says, you'll never work a day in your life. This past week hasn't felt like work; I haven't counted the hours down to finishing, or longed for the weekend. I've thoroughly enjoyed every moment. I only wish I could stay longer, but I've got some plans. I'm off to follow my dreams. :)

Top 10 Vegan Apps

How your smart phone can help power your plant-based life

Most people can’t go anywhere without their smartphone wedged firmly in-hand. And it’s no wonder-in this technological age, there is a wealth of information, quite literally at our fingertips. And apps are a great way to harness this info.

But what exactly is an app? The word ‘app’ is short for ‘application’. It’s a little piece of software than can run on a computer or smart phone, and depending on the type of phone you have, downloading an app is fairly simple and usually free. Android users can download theirs from Google Play, while those with an iPhone can use the App Store.

After exploring loads of those available on the vegan market, I’ve compiled a list of favourites. Travelling abroad and need to explain you’re dairy-free? There’s an app for that. Looking for somewhere you can eat at home or abroad-with the right tools, it’s easy to figure it out.

Here are my top picks.

Vegan Passport (£1.49)

Language doesn’t have to be a barrier when you’re travelling. This nifty little app from The Vegan Society is described as a ‘multilingual vegan phrasebook’ and offers users a massive 78 languages. Simply choose the native language of the country you are in and the app provides sentences (and images) explaining that you are a vegan, informing what vegans do and don’t eat.

Available on App Store and Google Play.

Green Vegan (£1.99)

Created by one of the makers of Barnivore.com-an online guide to vegan friendly alcohol-it’s no surprise this app is a guide to alcohol. Over 25,000 drinks are listed, meaning you can check the suitability of most of the drinks you’ll find in pubs, bars, restaurants and shops. It also has an offline database, meaning you can search even when you’re not connected to the web.

Available on App Store.

Eat Safe (FREE)

When there are products you don’t eat, it can be difficult to choose suitable restaurants. Eat Safe allows you to type in the ingredients you don’t want, and then filters the restaurants finding somewhere suitable. If you’re already at a venue, you can use the app to analyse the menu, saving time asking waiters and chefs.

Soon available on App Store and Google Play.

Animal-Free (FREE)

This app has a database of all animal-derived ingredients in food, cosmetics, and cleaning products. As well as a list, it provides information on each ingredient. Users can scan the database on the product to see if it’s animal-free, or enter items manually. Some users have said it’s worth bearing in mind the database has been built by consumers rather than experts.

Available on App Store and Google Play.

Cruelty-Free (FREE)

Cruelty Free International gives its ‘leaping bunny’ accreditation to grooming products which have not been tested on animals. This app provides a list of these items featuring a description of each.

It’s worth nothing some products which have the leaping bunny logo are owned by parent companies who do test-this app lists these cruelty-free subsidiaries.

Available on App Store and Google Play.

Is it Vegan? (FREE)

Search or scan any bar-code to determine whether a product is vegan, vegetarian, or neither. A list of the products ingredients is provided, along with a meter indicating how vegan friendly the product is. The app categorises hundreds of thousands of food and beverages already, but users can also add to the database, meaning it's continuously growing!

Available on App Store and Google Play.

Eat Vegan (FREE)

If you're lacking inspiration for dinner tonight, browse through Eat Vegan's hundreds of delicious vegan recipes and images! This app can even generate a shopping list for you according to the recipes that you choose. It includes sections such as breakfast, soups, and sides, making it easy to find the perfect recipe. You can also search by ingredients, meaning that stray carrot in your fridge will finally get used.

Upgrade and unlock all recipes for £2.29.

Available on App Store.

Yummly (FREE)

Making vegan meals can be difficult, especially if you have allergies, or you're cooking for more than one. Yummly's unique search filters and diet allergy preferences allow you to find the perfect recipes specific to your tastes, time, occasion, servings and more. You can save favourites in your digital recipe box, and receive recommendations 'Just For You'.

Available on App Store and Google Play.

Wholesome (FREE)

This app focuses on complete nutrition rather than just calories, optimizing your health. Use the food diary to track your daily food, and the app will show your consumed macro-nutrients, minerals, vitamins and antioxidants. Wholesome will inform you of what you're lacking or exceeding, suggesting recipes based on this. The app is also packed with recipes and foods, which you can search through by name, nutrients or colour.

Access tips on how to prepare foods and get Wholesome Pro for as little as £2.29.

Available on App Store.

Vegsafe (FREE)

Animal-derived products extend past food. Instead of scouring labels, simply search through Vegsafe's database, and discover which food additives, clothing materials and beauty products are vegan-friendly. Described as a 'personal vegan pocket helper', this app provides detailed information on hundreds of items. It also features an offline database, meaning you can use this app whenever you need to.

Available on App Store.

Brick Lane Vegan/Vegetarian Free From Festival!

So I went to Brick Lane for the first time! And as the name suggests, the lane is fairly surrounded by bricks, (though so is most of London).
I wasn't prepared for the abundance of curry houses, and so the men standing outside attempting to usher my friend and I inside was off-putting. I stand by the rule that 'if you have to try that hard to sell it, then it isn't worth buying!'
Anyway, to our glee, we discovered that hiding in a great hall, encased in - you guessed it - bricks, a little 'Free-From' festival was taking place, and filled with delicious vegan and vegetarian food.

The Boiler House, Brick Lane

Our stomachs were rumbling so we were keen to find something substantial to eat. There was such a diverse array of food to choose from, we struggled!

Slowly making our way round, we encountered some delicious vegan delights. The first - Romeo's vegan brownies. As rich and moist as they look, these decadent brownies were a blessing on the tongue! Made with cacao, linseed, coconut blossom nectar, coconut flour and coconut milk, the rich burst of flavour was a brilliant start to this vegan fair. We definitely had more than one free sample...

Romeo's Brownies, delicious and moist @romeosSFbakery

Next we found small cupcakes. There weren't any free samples for these, so we didn't get to try them, but they looked so delicious I had to get a pic.
All raw vegan, these sweet little cakes use delicious ingredients such as cashews, almonds, cranberries, vanilla and raspberries.

After admiring all the sweet treats, we stumbled upon some VEGAN CHEESE! I love sampling different cheeses, purely because in my experience it's the one food item that doesn't quite match up to the 'original'. I'm not a massive cheese lover anyway, but I want to be able to recommend great vegan alternatives.
This nut based cheese was creamy, soft and full of flavour, and probably the best vegan cheese I've tried. Made by Nutkin, you can find them here: www.wearenutkin.com

Some other great things we tried included 'Fravocado', which is a rich a creamy dairy free ice cream made with my favourite - avocados! (www.fravocado.com)

Nectar Foods also had a lot of great raw vegan cakes and savouries which we sampled. (nectarfoods.uk)

Eventually we settled on a delicious meal of spinach lasagne, broccoli, mixed salad, and a nutty stuffing type loaf (yummy). The sauce was also nutty and creamy, and of course, the entire thing was vegan.

It was fantastic to see such a diverse array of vegan products, especially those new businesses which were shiny and new. Veganism is definitely growing - and it tastes real good!