Vegan Carrot Cake

I decided to stop making chocolate cake every time I do some baking and try something new, so made carrot cake instead!



I used this recipe: http://www.vegansociety.com/lifestyle/food/recipes/cakes/carrot-cake.aspx  Most of the ingredients seem to be things likely to be lurking in your kitchen cupboards anyway, or if not, should be easy enough to find in the shops.

Fairly simple to make. It's quite rich, which I suppose is a good thing since it stops me reaching for another slice straight away...!

The buttercream icing ideally goes on top, but I ended up making it as a sandwich cake after the cake tin I was originally planning to use decided to not work properly, so the buttercream went as a filling instead. Still works perfectly fine to make a nice cake.

Helping Hillside

A few days ago I posted about ways to help Hillside Animal Sanctuary, who are in desperate need of more funds.


One good way to raise some money for them are the new "Guess the Name of the Animal" competitions.

Me with the cuddly dog!

For £5 (which you can claim back later if you want), you get a cuddly dog or donkey toy, a big card with 30 possible names for your chosen animal, and an envelope containing the name of the animal. For a £1 a go, you get friends, family, and basically anyone you know, to guess the name of the animal. Once all 30 possible names have been chosen, you open the envelope to reveal the real name for the cuddly animal. The person who guessed the correct name wins the cuddly animal! It's a fun way to raise some funds for Hillside, and it also helps raise awareness, letting people know that Hillside Animal Sanctuary exists. I recommend ordering some leaflets (which are free, though of course you can donate to help cover their costs if you can) to give out when people guess the cuddly's name.

I went for the dog, which is very cute and soft, and a good size, too! It came with some back copies of Hillside's newsletter for me to give to those who take part to find out more about Hillside.


To order a "Guess the Name of the Donkey / Dog" pack, please visit http://www.hillside.org.uk/acatalog/Raising_Funds_for_Hillside_s_Animals.html

Book Review - Striking at the Roots

For many people new to veganism and animal rights, knowing how and where to start with outreach can be difficult. In "Striking at the Roots", Mark Hawthorne guides us through various forms of outreach, with plenty of tips from other experienced activists thrown in for good measure. Areas covered include leafleting, demonstrations, coroporate campaigning, and other important forms of campaigning.


The chapter, "Food as Outreach", struck me as one of the best parts of the book, and an area which more activists need to be aware of. After all, how many times have you been told by someone that they won't switch to veganism because "vegan food is dull"? By discussing how to promote veganism through activities such as food fayres and cooking workshops, Hawthorne shows us how to destroy the view that vegans live off salad leaves while promoting cruelty free living in a way which is friendly and effective. As someone who's planning to hold a vegan food fayre at some point (fairly soon I hope!), this is really useful stuff to know.


Another good inclusion is the chapter, "Animal Care: Activists are Animals Too". Being burnt-out is not good for anyone, so Hawthorne looks at why and how we can look after ourselves as activists.


Despite being an American book, as a UK activist I still found it very useful and relevant. Definitely recommended to new and experienced activists alike.


Available on many online shops, including http://www.animalaidshop.org.uk/guidebooks.htm