Right, we're more than half way through the month guys, let's do this! Two things to note right now. First up, I still haven't watched The Game Changers on Netflix, I'm saving this for the final push, so that I can watch it with smug 'I've been vegan for a month already' eyes. Secondly, it's not nearly as much of a shock to the system as I thought it would be. I credit the Mindful Chef with this - I'm learning how to pull hearty meals together each evening, instead of chucking a few salad leaves in a bowl with a bean mix and thinking that life was reaching a whole new level of lacklustre - so Mindful Chef, I thank you. As for my biggest Veganuary revelations this week? Read on.
Milking It
I'm pretty sure I've wailed about this before in this Veganuary Diaries series, but I swear, nothing, I repeat, NOTHING, tastes as good in a cup of breakfast tea as bog standard milk. It just doesn't. I've tried it all. Unsweetened soya milk, oat milk, super expensive oat milk, almond milk (the worst, actually, in a cup of tea), rice milk, Pret's mix of rice and coconut milk. I've tried it all. And if you've got any better suggestions, please, hit me up. I've therefore resolved to swerve breakfast tea altogether, Earl Grey with a slice of lemon and peppermint tea are my new go-tos and I'm feeling very virtuous about it.
According to a very earnest Starbucks barista, oat milk is the best one to have in a cappuccino, it's got the froth factor.
That's not to say of course that I'm against milk alternatives. Hell no. I prefer oat milk lattes to regular ones and, according to a very earnest Starbucks barista, oat milk the best one to have in a cappuccino too, it's got the froth factor. That's one essential piece of intel right there, use it wisely.
Multiple people have recommended Oatly's Oat Drink Barista Edition, £1.85, as the pedestal-worthy option when it comes to milk alternatives. I've yet to try this one but I'll be sure to report back.
Porridge wise (I'm partial to a bowl of porridge on these wintery mornings), it's almond milk that hits the spot.
Date Night
Date night was always going to be a struggle. Despite him extolling the virtues of The Game Changers on Netflix, and proudly telling me he'd conquered a whole day without meat the evening afterwards, the eye rolls were unleashed with abandon when I first mentioned Veganuary, before panic flashed in his eyes as he asked 'do I have to do it too?!' In fact, why don't I let him do the talking here? Here's Ollie's round-up of his 'vegan's-plus-one' feels (heretofore to be known as VP1):
'I won't lie. The prospect of eating with a vegan for a month conjured up images of a hippy commune complete with hemp skirts, body odor (sorry hippies) and a guy strumming 'Imagine' in the corner. As it turns out, it hasn't been quite as dreadful as I'd anticipated. Probably because I still eat meat when we go out. The limitations, however, are subtle, but teeth-grindingly annoying. I bought almond milk so she could have muesli for breakfast, for example, and then it turns out she can't eat the bloody Alpen because it's got milk powder in the mix. Alpen!' - Oliver Billson (VP1).
Needless to say, when it came to organising date night and booking a vegan restaurant, I felt like I was playing with fire. If you've been watching my Instagram stories though (@annievischer), and you've seen just how bloody stunning the food is at By Chloe, you'll know why I was quietly confident. Here's how it went down with the bf.
VP1: 'When Annie suggested we meet at By Chloe after both of us had done a fairly intense gym session, various expletives had to be bitten back. I was tired, hungry, and at that point, quite frankly emotional. I couldn't imagine any amount of rabbit food was going to appease this hangry episode. Cut to a few minutes later and I'm chowing down quite happily on a burger and chips, of the vegan variety no less. I was more than pleasantly surprised. Much to my astonishment I left full and totally satisfied, and I'm fairly convinced I'll be heading back for more. I'm not wrong often, but I'll take the hit on this one, By Chloe was darned good.'
I'm pretty obsessed with this place (just check out the menu here). There are now a few locations in London. Langham Place (just up from Oxford Street) is my favourite, and there's also Covent Garden, Tower Bridge and the O2. If you're within any of those remits, you can order them via Deliveroo too. Give them enough love when you're in London, and who knows? Maybe they'll expand outside of the big smoke!
Top By Chloe Picks
Kale Caesar Salad - The smoky mushrooms make this dish. I'm a Caesar salad obsessive anyway, so this always hits the spot!
The Classic Burger - It's the one that kept my vegan-phobe boyfriend happy so it's got to be a box-ticker.
Chocolate Chip Cookie - This featured in a girls' movie night in and LORDY it's good! If you thought you couldn't get true US style cakiness in a cookie the vegan way, think again.