You’ll find everything you need at the supermarket and you can add some herbs or flavourings to make these tasty treats your own.

I choose to use the Chosen by You meat free sausage mix from Asda priced at just over a £1 you can make it up as described on the back of the pack and add a few choice extras if you wish – I usually add some sage and onion to my mix, my friend however prefers hers without any additions.

These sausages also fry well too and they have a good consistency when cooked. They contain no artificial flavourings and are seasoned with ground black pepper. As they are a dry product you can keep them in your store cupboard until they’re needed.

Puff Pastry  – call me a lazy cook if you like but when it comes to puff pastry I always buy ready made, making it yourself is probably better but it’s also time consuming something I don’t have.

If like me you opt for the ready made version then please make sure to check the ingredients on the back to ensure that animal fats (lard) has not been used in the manufacturing of it.

Both Asda and Jus-Rol use vegetable fats so I tend to use either of these – again well priced at around a £1 a pack.

These sausage rolls are great any time and perfect for packed lunches or picnics.

I find that they freeze really well and tend to make up loads of them so they are ready to pop into the oven when required.

Cheap and cheerful once you’ve made these you’ll never eat a shop bought vegetarian sausage roll again.

To make your own scrumptious vegetarian sausage rolls you will need:

1 x 500g pack of ready to roll puff pastry
1 pack of Chosen by You Sausage Mix

• Turn on your oven to 220ºC, 425ºF, gas mark 7
• Make up your sausage mix following the pack instructions and sit to one side
• Roll out your pastry until it measures approximately 25cm x 35 cm and is just about 0.5 thick
• Cut your pastry in half lengthwise giving you 2 long thin strips
• Roll your ‘sausage meat’ into a long sausage shape and lay down the centre of each strip of pastry
• Mix up an egg with a little milk and using your pastry brush egg wash down each side of your pastry strip.
• Carefully fold over and making sure the edges meet, seal it up. (I usually use a fork for this part – I find it the easiest way to make sure the roll is properly sealed.)
• Egg wash the top of your roll and cut into bite sized pieces.
• Place on a baking tray and put into your oven for around 20 minutes until risen and golden brown.

When cooked place on a rack to cool, after you’ve tasted one of course!

Enjoy on their own, as part of a meal for the children or with some delicious chutney.

First thing, go into the chip shop and treat yourself to a portion of chips, then head home make up a batter mix and make your own battered sausage to go with your chips.

Or is a quarter pounder supper the thing that you miss the most? Fear not, again go to the chip shop and buy yourself some chips, then head home and get a Quorn Quarter Burger out, cook it and put it into a roll with cheese or you could have lettuce, tomato & mayonnaise.

Whatever you miss from the chip shop, you can find a meat-free alternative so there’s no need to miss out on your chip shop favourites just because you don’t eat meat!

What do you eat as a meat-free alternative when visiting the chip shop? Comment below and let us know.

Fur used to be seen as a luxury item, and now it’s so cheap that prostitutes on the street wear it in some parts of the world and workers in China can have fur slippers where once had nothing on their feet at all.

Pelt prices have been slashed to the quick, and fur sellers are making it into everything they can, from linings to slipper tassels. It’s so debased that they even have to pass it off as faux trim.

Fur is dead, and the cries of “Fur is back!” that the industry floats about every year are laughable because cruelty is not back in fashion and only the ignorant and arrogant wear it now.

A recent poll showed that 95 per cent of Brits would never wear real fur.

We cannot rely on sales figures from an industry which makes its money by killing animals. If they have no problem killing, they’re not going to be opposed to lying to protect their industry.

The cruel killing of animals is just as repulsive now as it was 20 years ago.

The suffering of minks who go mad from confinement in tiny boxes and foxes who chew off their own feet to escape painful steel-jaw traps will never be “in fashion”.

Truly talented visionaries and trendsetters like Ralph Lauren, Stella McCartney, Calvin Klein and Vivienne Westwood are able to design beautiful, fashionable and popular clothing without getting blood on their hands.

With all of the chic, cruelty-free options available, including ones which are warmer to boot, to steal animals’ skins is not only cruel but also absurd.

Ben Williamson
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)

In the past 10 years sales have tripled as models and designers jump on the trend.

Now widely worn by celebrities including Kate Moss and Lana del Rey and seen on the Armani catwalk why has this disgusting fashion trend been resurrected?

It’s not so long ago that anyone seen sporting fur would be covered with red paint such was the public disgust.

PETA say that a recent poll from Times News Service found that 95% of British women wouldn’t wear fur, but figures from the British Fur Trade Association show that domestic fur sales have increased by 30% between 2010 and 2011.

 Globally sales have almost tripled since 2000 due the high demand for fur from the Far East, Russia and from designers who are reinventing fur as a material.

Are we likely to see more pelts on the streets? 

Unfortunately we just might, although many others including Stella McCartney who told Grazia ‘everything in my store and every single garment and accessory that you see is cruelty free in the sense that no animal has died to make anything in here.’

Thankfully she’s not alone as top stores including – Topshop, Miss Selfridge and Dorothy Perkins, All Saints, Vivienne Westwood, Calvin Klein, H&M, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols and Liberty have all pledged not to sell fur.

Heartless designers, including Burberry who are famous for their plaid fashions are now equally well known for the cruelty involved in using feathers from peacocks in their London Fashion Week coat.

With fake fur now looking and feeling so much like the ‘real thing’why on earth would we want to go back to the ‘real fur’ craze

How do you feel about the use of fur in fashion?  Is this one fashion craze that should be given the push?

Read more of this Daily Mail article

Since there are so many advantages to becoming vegetarian, it’s no surprise that celebville has gone veggie crazy!

Famous Celebrities who are vegetarian include;- Anne Hathaway, Carrie Underwood, Emily Deschanel, Natalie Portman, Ben Stiller, Bryan Adams, Mike Tyson and Russell Simmons.

There are lots more where that came from!

Some celebrities have shared their reasons behing vegetarianism, superstar country singer and American Idol winner, Carrie Underwood, says she became a vegetarian after seeing her parents using cows for their meat;-

“Mom after that was so mad at me cause I quit eating what the family ate. I couldn’t eat those precious cows. They were my babies. I bottle fed some of them. And now I knew where they went.”

Carrie also points out just how easy it is to be a vegetarian, and even mentions that restaurants are helpful with your dietary needs;-

“There are so many restaurants that will work with you – even steakhouses. My husband loves to eat meat and there’s a place called King Prime that we like to go to. They’re always really nice to me and give me veggies if I ask for them. There’s loads of newer restaurants in [Nashville districts] East Nashville and The Gulch that will cater to you too.”

Across the UK, restaurants are also jumping in to help their customers with their dietary requirements after a surge in vegetarianism and other requirements amongst their customers.

Def Jam music Mogul Russell Simmons talks about his reasons for being a vegan;-

“The more I opened myself up to the idea of the full scope of exactly what non-violence translates to, the less interested I became in consuming the energy associated with the flesh of an animal that only knew suffering in his/her life and pain and terror in its death. The more I learned about factory farming and the cruelty animals raised for food must endure before they are led (or dragged) to slaughter, the more I realized that I could not, in good conscience, be a contributor to such violence.”

Will you be following the latest celebrity trend of vegetarianism?

Increasing more people in the UK are adopting a vegetarian diet into their lifestyle.

The Vegetarian Society estimates that there are currently between 3 and 4 million vegetarians in the UK.

It may surprise you to know that there are twice as many women who are vegetarians than men.

Many who class themselves as vegetarian strictly are not, although they may have chosen not to eat meat they continue eating fish (Pescatarians) or chicken and turkey (Pollotarians).

A vegetarian is someone who does not eat meat or fish of any kind.  There are also different types of vegetarianism

If you eat eggs but not dairy products then your are an Ovo vegetarian

If you include dairy but not eggs your are a Lacto vegetarian

If you exclude all animal meats and products (including milk, honey and eggs), you may also exclude products tested on animals or clothing (such as leather) from animals your are a Vegan

If you include all of the above and eat only fresh and uncooked fruit, nuts, seeds and vegetables which can only be cooked up to a certain temperature you are a Raw Vegan.

If you only eat plant matter that can be gathered without harming the planet, fruit, nuts and seeds then your are a Fruitarian

The country with the highest percentage of vegetarians is India.

Around 50% of Indians are strict vegetarians while the other 50% rarely (some only once a week) eat meat.

Would you consider becoming vegetarian?  Do you find that your eating habits are changing and you now include more ‘meat free’ meals in your diet?

Get in touch below and share your favourite vegetarian recipe with us.

What will you need?

Ingredients:

1l milk
2 garlic cloves , bashed
2 bay leaves
500g dried pasta
350g broccoli , in small florets
75g butter
75g plain flour
a little freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp mustard powder
small bunch parsley , roughly chopped
200g veggie cheese , grated (cheddar, Gruyère, or a mixture)

How to make the pasta bake:

1. Bring the milk, garlic and bay leaves to the boil on a small saucepan and then remove from the heat and leave to infuse

2. Cook the pasta to al dente following the pack instructions (if you’re freezing, cook for 1 min less) and then add in the broccoli for the last 2 minutes and then drain

3. Strain the milk into a jug

4. Heat the butter in the pan until foaming and then stir in the flour for 1 minute. Add the milk a little at a time, stirring or whisking constantly to remove any lumps. Bubble for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly until you have a thick, lump free sauce

5. Remove from the heat and stir in some nutmeg, the mustard powder, parsley, three-quarters of the cheese and seasoning

6. Combine with the pasta and broccoli and put into one large, or individual, heatproof dishes

7. Scatter over the remaining cheese and cool and freeze or heat up the grill to high and cook for 2-3 minutes until golden and bubbling

8. If frozen, defrost in the fridge overnight, then cook at 220c/180C fan/gas 6 for 30-40 minutes until piping hot

So if your looking for something a little bit different why not give this recipe a go.

What will you be making for National Vegetarian Week? Comment below and let us know.

It surprises us just how many products we thought were suitable fro vegetarians are in fact not.

This is why UTCT has put together the 10 surprising foods/drinks that are NOT suitable for Veggies. Find what they are below:

1) Walkers Crisps – Smoky Bacon and Roast Chicken no longer veggie. After the re-branding of the Walkers ingredients, the company decided to replace artificial flavour with real meat meaning that veggie’s who used to love picking up a pack of their smokey bacon crisp’s can no longer do so.

2) Some Cheese’s including Parmesan.  Some cheese’s use what is called Rennet when being made. Rennet is usually sourced from newly-born calves, so the next time you are out for a meal and the waiter offers you Parmesan make sure and check it is Vegetarian Parmesan!

3) Jelly Sweets including some Haribo.  As i digged into a packet of Haribo, i decided to check the back of the packet to see if they were suitable for vegetarians and to my (very angry) suprise i found out they are not! Some jelly including Hartley’s and sweets have Gelatine which is a gelling agent derived from animal ligaments, skins, tendons, bones – so again please check for the V logo on the front of the pack if it’s not their its not for veggies!

4) Wine – What we thought this was made of just grapes!?!  apparently some wines are made with some animal products including pig and cow hooves in the production process.

So before picking up your favourite tipple check and make sure it is suitable for veggies!

5) Yogurt – Good for the heart not so much for the Vegetarian! Some yogurts which we thought were made from milk, fruit and some flavoring? They also have Gelatine in them.

6) Beer including Guinness and Fosters – Put down that pint, as both of these companies use isinglass, an ingredient made from dried fish bladder. The next time you are heading for the pub make sure not to order this if you are veggie!

7) McDonalds real fruit Smoothies.  They may have real fruit in them but they also have very real meat Gelatin in them too. Before you buy your next Big Mac make sure you get a juice which is suitable for Vegetarians.

Are you like us – now heading to the kitchen (and sweetie drawer) to check which products are suitable for Vegetarians?

Just because a product sounds like it should be vegetarian it doesn’t mean it’s safe, who would have thought a real FRUIT smoothie and Wine would need to have any form of animal incorporated into the making? Certainly not us.

Whatever the products, make sure to look out for the friendly suitable for Vegetarian logo and do not make the mistake many others have – “this has to be suitable” please check the ingredients.

Are you surprised by what food you would think would be suitable for vegetarians but are not?  and how do you feel that certain companies would change a product which was suitable for veggies into not being?

Comment using our comments box below:

Take a look at our exclusive Q&A with Linda McCartney Foods, where they answer our questions about what new products they have to offer new and existing Vegetarians, the new approach to going meat-free and just exactly what is ‘Meat Free Monday’ all about?

Q:  Linda McCartney Foods support ‘Meat Free Monday’. Can you tell us more about this and how to get involved?

A:  ‘Meat Free Monday’ was set up by Sir Paul McCartney and his two daughters Mary and Stella. The campaign aims to encourage meat eaters to go ‘meat free’ for one day a week, both for the benefit of their health, the environment and the animals. To get involved, simply go meat-free every Monday and if you’re really keen to contribute, register via the below link and tweet @MeatFreeMonday, to join the ever growing meat-free community. Now with almost 1,000,000 supporters worldwide, the campaign was pivotal in putting the international spotlight on the state of vegetarianism.

http://meatfreemondays.com/getinvolved/

Q:  In terms of diet, what are the benefits of being vegetarian in comparison to being a meat eater?

A:  Opting to choose a meat free meal or not to eat meat one to two days a week is fast becoming the norm in the UK and this attitude to eating is set to increase at a significant pace. Eating less meat has been scientifically proven to reduce mortality from heart disease, certain cancers and diabetes.

Q:  Would you say the general approach to going meat-free, has changed in recent years?

A:  We have seen a change in peoples’ attitudes towards vegetarianism since the brand was first introduced. Linda McCartney Foods has recently commissioned research into the changing face of vegetarianism – the research has confirmed that we are seeing a huge surge of interest in meat-free eating, with flexitarianism becoming more accepted. This is a hugely exciting time for vegetarian or meat free food. People can eat meat free all the time or if they prefer, we would encourage them to eat ‘meat-free’ at least one day a week. We are seeing that these values and the ethos of Linda McCartney Foods are being recognised by more and more people across of the world.

Q:  Have you launched any new products in the past year? If you have, what were they and how have they performed since launch?

A:  Linda’s aspirations for vegetarian food were pioneering – she steadfastly believed that meat free food should be healthy, delicious, and something to be shared with the family. Inspired by her dedication to great tasting meat free food, Linda McCartney Foods recently launched their chilled range into Waitrose, Ocado, Morrison’s and Tesco supermarkets around the UK.

The diverse new range provides vegetarians and meat-eaters alike with a variety of delicious, meat free meals designed for time poor consumers and those on-the-go. Featuring an array of different cuisines and ingredients, the collection is made up of eight chilled meat free meals including; chilli non carne with rice, vegetarian sausage and vegetable hot pot, lentil and vegetable cottage pie, vegetarian sausage and bean stew and sweet potato, spinach and quinoa kievs.

We have tasted the Linda McCartney sausages, chillie non carne with rice and the hot pot (plus a lot more) and can easily say they are not only tasty and low fat but you can make a fantastic meal out of all the products.

Maybe we should try some more – you know for research purposes only!

Thanks to Linda McCartney Foods for taking part in our exclusive questions and answer article.

We are using Rituals Gemstone foundation.

Finding the right colour of foundation for your skin can be a little bit of a nightmare.  There are so many different shades out there, different brands and it’s hard to know which foundation will be best for your skin type.

So how do you go about picking the right shade of foundation for your skin?

Below are a few tips that might help you on the road to getting the right shade:

1. The first thing you need to consider before even trying any shades of foundation is what type of skin do you have?

If you have dry skin you should look for foundations which are hydrating or moisture-rich. We tried Rituals Gemstone Foundation which has Amethyst and Pure Minerals and found this worked a treat for dry skin!

If you have oily skin, try and look for foundations which have the words oil-free, oil-control or mattifying or if you have combination skin (dry/oily) try and determine which you are most.

Do you have more oily skin than dry? or do you have more dry that oily?  Cream-to-powder base foundations can work well for combination skin.  Mineral foundations work well for all skin types.

2. Now you have your skin type sorted out, the next question you need to ask yourself is, what kind of coverage do you want, light or medium? We choose Rituals gemstone in number 1 for the lightest colour and for good coverage. As you will see by the picture the colour matches my skin perfect.

If you have good skin but want to even out some areas, consider a light coverage.  For those who have really uneven skin tone or blemishes consider a medium-cover foundation.

3. When you go to the shop/make up counter to get your foundation, go with a fresh, clean face. You can put on your eye makeup and even some moisturizer on your face but don’t turn up with foundation all ready on your face.

4. Pick out a few colours that you think are the closest to your natural colour.  Try yellow-based foundations, which look natural on most skin tones. However if you’re very fair try a pink, cooler shade. There are 7 Rituals foundations to choose from all with SPF 10 giving you a natural look and some sun protection for summer.

5. Apply a stroke of up to three colours on a cheek – the one that disappears is the right shade.

6. Take a good look – go and look into a mirror and see what the foundation looks like on your face. The one which will be the right shade will be the one that you can’t see because it blends in so well.

We at UnderTheChristmasTree choose to use Rituals foundation as it’s light texture makes it blend in easily (which we struggle to do with other foundations) and because it has pure minerals in the foundation you skin can breath and keep looking healthy.

You can buy Rituals Foundation at John Lewis

These are just a few tips to try and help you get the perfect foundation for your skin. What do you do when buying a new foundation? Comment below and let us know.