The problem in most households is getting things done where everyone feels involved and appreciated—in other words, being a productive couple. It’s easy to get caught up in how much you do versus how much he or she does. It’s like everyone is secretly keeping score. This friction builds, and eventually, arguments bubble up, and resentment kicks in.

A 2007 Pew Research Poll revealed that “sharing household chores” ranks third in importance to a successful marriage, trailing only faithfulness and good sex. [continue reading…]

I love it when recipes come together out of a spontaneous mix of ingredients to make a quick lunch.  I had the grated carrot and purple cabbage chopped in the fridge from dinner the night before. There were some falafels in the fridge and some other random vegetables that needed to be used up. Well, they all worked so well together. So with half the job done, lunch that day took me no more than ten minutes to throw together. It looked so beautiful and tasted even better.

I quickly jotted down what I put in the salad and recreated it again the following week to make sure that it still turned out the same; however, this time, I made the falafels from scratch. You can, of course, use store-bought falafels for this recipe to speed up the process. I share a basic falafel recipe with you though that you can have for so many other things too. They can be frozen or kept in the fridge for a couple of days and reheated. [continue reading…]

I love falafels. They would have to be one of my favourite foods when combined with the right condiments.

Soft but crispy, they are a little ball of goodness. I’ve created a recipe that uses them in this beautiful colourful salad, and will soon create a recipe that shows off my favourite way to have it in a wrap. Every time I go somewhere and I see falafels on the menu, I can’t help myself. The worse that could happen is that they are dry, but you can easily fix that with some extra sauce. That’s what you get with a pre-made mix or too much flour in the mix.

These are super moist and shouldn’t turn out dry. You can store these in the fridge for up to 2-3 days and reheat them if you wish before eating them. A great savoury snack to have in the fridge or a quick and easy lunch in a wrap or salad. [continue reading…]

Unlike veganism, minimalism has no clear definition. There’s no real hard and fast rules about what it is and what it’s not. Has minimalism lost its true essence over the years with its popularity on the rise?

The feeling of having to start from scratch because you don’t have “the look” of how minimalist aesthetics have been portrayed on social media is what we talk a lot about in this episode. With YouTube channels boasting minimalist house tours, capsule wardrobe goals and everything in between, have we lost the real meaning of what minimalism really is? It’s not all about aesthetics.

We also want it to become a more attainable lifestyle. Seeing it as something that is helping you eliminate distractions, rather than create more work to decorate as a “minimalist” would. It’s the aesthetic that starts to trigger those insecurities.  [continue reading…]

How many of us have heard that we should be meditating? Most of us, right? The scientific evidence for the benefits of meditation have been proven time and time again, but still, many of us seem to ignore this fact. I know this all too well. I struggle with anxiety. I have for a long time. And with the known benefits of what meditation could do for me, I still struggle to sit down and do it. Why do I have so much resistance to it?

Now that I have a technique that I practice (well practice in theory), just reminding myself that I haven’t done it in a while can bring me even more anxiety. Counterproductive right? I say to myself, “I will do it as soon as I wake up after I go to the toilet and have a drink of water. Climb back into bed and get into it.” I feel like my day would start on the right foot if I did this. Yet, days, weeks, and months go by, and I still haven’t started it.

It’s interesting, I know that my anxiety will get better if I practice, but each day comes around, and I have a million other things competing for that time. So, as always, the meditation gets pushed aside yet again. Others things are a bigger priority, or so I think. What are these other tasks that take priority over something that should be as fundamental as eating and sleeping, in my opinion?  [continue reading…]

I grew up eating stews like this one all the time. I love them dearly. The perfect time to have them is when it’s cold or raining inside, and you make a big pot of lentil stew to share with your loved ones over by the fireplace with a glass of red and some fresh, soft and fluffy Italian bread.

I was recently reading a book about a Danish word that encompasses that feeling – hygge. That feeling of cosiness, comfort and sense of belonging. I love creating that feeling around food. And it’s meals like this French lentil, mushroom and sage stew that can easily create it. [continue reading…]

Before we became vegans and minimalists, we used to throw things away without thinking twice about it. But what we never considered is, where exactly is away? What we’ve come to realise now is that there’s really no such thing. Out of sight, out of mind, right? Well someone somewhere has to deal with it and work out what to do with it. It’s not sent off in a spaceship nor does it magically disappear. 

In this podcast episode, we discuss the issue of plastic—in particular, single-use plastic, what our waste-free journey has been like, the shocking truth of how destructive waste can be, how you can shift your mindset around waste, and what you can do about it today. [continue reading…]

Today I want to talk about blogging. I know it’s not a topic you’ve come to expect from The Minimalist Vegan—but my journey into minimalism and veganism started because courageous bloggers chose to publish their experiences on the internet.

Blogs like Zen Habits and Becoming Minimalist taught, inspired and challenged me to think differently about living with less.

I learned from Cait Flanders as she shared deeply personal stories about how she fought excessive consumerism with ruthless intentionality.

And Maša and I have been continually inspired by dozens of vegan blogs as their content helps to validate our values and try new delicious plant-based recipes.

But as much as consuming other blogs have helped to shape who I am today, the practice of creating content has been far more powerful.

Very few decisions have changed my life as much as blogging has. Big statement, I know. I assure you, though, after this post, you’ll understand why I’m so high on blogging. [continue reading…]

Every time I start to get sick, feel flat, have a sore throat, a cough or anything where I may end up in bed, I make myself this drink. My mum is a naturopath and created the simple mix of sage, lemon and thyme for when I’ve got a cold. I sip on it throughout the day and let is soothe my throat.

I’ve added some ginger to it as I love it and know that it’ll only compliment the rest of the healing ingredients. Before I became vegan, I used to use organic raw honey for this tea. Now I normally swap it for rice malt syrup or maple syrup. There are also honey alternatives; I personally love this one because of all the beneficial ingredients and the flavour combination works well. [continue reading…]