Identifying Vegan Wine

It is not always easy to find proper vegan wine as many people that produce wine, tend to use animal products of one sort or another. Animal fats are used as aids for processing during filtration and help to remove any impurities from the wine. The most commonly used animal products in wine making are gelatine, egg whites and milk protein. Vegan wine on the other hand consists of fermented grapes and no animal products are used in its production. Not all wine producers use animal fats in the wine making process, which means there are many different types of wine that are suitable for vegans. Minerals such as Bentomite and kaplin may be used during the filtration process rather than animal fats.

Along with vegan wines there are also a number of champagnes that are also suitable for vegans. Some wines are suitable for vegetarians but not for vegans as they are processed using egg whites, which are animal by products. Organic wines may not necessarily be suitable for vegans as some of them will have been processed using animal by products.  Not all wines that are suitable for vegans are labelled as vegan wine, in the UK wine may labelled as suitable for vegetarians, but that does not mean that it is vegan wine.

A major problem for anyone who is looking for vegan wines is that most wines do not contain a complete list of ingredients. In Europe, it is in fact, against the law to list the ingredients on a bottle of wine. The best place to look for wine that’s suitable for vegans is to get a copy of the vegan wine guide.

Toffeln Shoes, When You’re on Your Feet All Day

Whether you have a catering business or you are involved in the healthcare arena, Toffeln shoes are designed to make life more comfortable in the workplace. If your staff spend most of their working day on their feet, then comfort and adaptability are a must. When you purchase Toffeln footwear for your staff you can rest assured that they will last as each pair comes with a twelve to eighteen months’ guarantee. You need comfortable, supportive and affordable footwear if you want to keep a smile on the faces of your staff.

Toffeln shoes are designed for the specific purpose of providing the support that is needed along with all day comfort.  Shoes are designed for both professional and everyday purposes and are available in a range of soft leathers. When you need shoes that are designed to stand up to the rigours of the workplace each day, but that still feel soft on the feet, Toffeln has the answer. The shape of the toe of a Toffeln shoe is designed to let the foot spread out naturally. When a shoe’s toe shape is too narrow it can force the foot into an unnatural and uncomfortable position.

If you are looking for a shoe that has comfort shaped footbeds, specially designed and balanced to provide the support and comfort the foot needs, Toffeln shoes are ideal. The sole of the shoes is constructed from 100% polyurethane. Large numbers of tiny air pockets in the sole offer increased flexibility and cushion walking. Shoes are made to fit a wide variety of foot shapes, from narrow to extra wide Toffeln shoes help to eliminate static when you walk, which has been found to ease stress.

Gift Giving and Corporate Chocolates

With the Christmas holidays just a couple of months away, most people, including business owners, are thinking about Christmas gifts. Over the years it has become traditional for many firms to provide their major clients and suppliers with a suitable gift at Christmas. Some companies spend quite a bit of money on pens and diaries covered in their company logo. Most clients and suppliers receive a number of personalised diaries and pens around Christmas time. Why not surprise them this year by giving something different. If you are looking for corporate gifts that are not run of the mill, to give your clients and suppliers this Christmas, you might want to think about corporate chocolates.

You can purchase handmade corporate chocolates and choose the kind of centres you would like. Some companies offer lettered chocolates where you can spell out the message of your choice for when the box is opened. You can personalise the chocolates by having your company name and logo on the box and on the wrapping paper. If you want to give a gift that is totally bespoke then it’s worth taking a look at the various kinds of corporate chocolates that are on offer.

Surprise your clients and suppliers this Christmas by getting a gift sent directly to their place of work. Show your appreciation for the business you have conducted with various other companies in the past year by sending them a gift of bespoke, corporate chocolates.

Bright and Bonny Silicone Cake Moulds

Cake moulds are a reusable alternative to the little paper cases that you see in so many shops. In the past cake moulds were make of the same material as patty tins, and a little later on you could purchase non-stick cake moulds. The problem with a lot of non-stick cookware is that eventually the coating wears off and the moulds become impossible to use. The modern alternative to coated non-stick bake ware is moulds made from silicone.

Silicone cake moulds are still quite new and the reason most people like them, apart from the fact that the cakes are less likely to stick, is that you can get them in a range of colours and styles. You can use silicone cookware to bake your buns or cup cakes in the over, or you can microwave and then freeze them in the moulds. Silicone cookware is odour and stain resistant and most of them have a line indicating the mould is full and giving a much more even look to the finished cakes.

If you want to make a larger cake or a loaf style cake there are silicone versions on the market. It’s best to use a baking tray with a larger cake mould as it gives the mould a more stable base. If you can’t get silicone ware at your usual shop, you should be able to purchase them online as they are gaining in popularity.

Take the Stir-Fry Challenge!

Today, I can't help but devote some of the discussion to one of my favorite and most versatile dishes under the sun - lions, and tigers and stir fry - oh my! 

So what's the big deal about stir-fry, you might be wondering? Glad you asked. You will be too. 

1. There is a stir-fry for each set of taste buds -Don't believe me? Then you're not putting the right ingredients in your mix! You heard me right. The only reason you think you are not a stir-fry fanatic is your recipe, mi amigo. Confused? Don't be. It's quite simple. And easy to fix too! See, there are no rules for cooking a delicious stir fry. It can literally be prepared using just about anything you crave. Not real hot on the tofu staple included in some stir-fries? Get rid of it. Can't stand spinach in anything? Then what on earth is it doing in your otherwise lovely stir-fry? Goodness, that was easy. More importantly, what makes your mouth water? A water chestnut maybe, however rich with irony? Throw some more of those in there instead. This is your dinner, it should be made using your favorite stuff. Don't you agree?
2. Stir-Fry Demands That You Walk the Wok -Ah, yes. The magnificence of the Chinese cooking masterpieces known to us as woks. Don't you know? They are the oh-so-amazing rounded version of a pan, made of carbon steel or cast iron, that sits over raging hot flames. The wok is an essential element of a kitchen's character, none are truly complete without one of these breathtaking birth places of meats, veggies and sauces combined. I'd give away my husband before getting rid of mine. With just a splash of cooking oil, your dish is done and exactly the way you would want it.
3. Your Favorite Foods Are Ready to Eat in Minutes - Far less rude than any fast food, stir fry dishes made by your wishes, are hot and on the plate in front of you just as fast. With your wok at your command, saute your veggies and meat with just a few tosses of the hand. Lift the lid, and you're in business. Send it to the plate. Let cool. Enjoy!
4. Not Feeling Conventional? Throw Out the Recipes! - In my opinion, stir-fry is a food far too personal to write down in terms of ingredients and instructions. I don't blame you if you're less than impressed from some other person's perfect concoction. That's no way to eat. This is such an easily personalized treat, let's experiment and taste test it as we go. Trust me, you will find the irresistible balance once you start adding and subtracting whatever your stomach is growling for. 

Here's my own stir-fry story. Well, mine and my husband's. When we first started dating over two years ago, I absolutely loved the fact that he could cook. I'm a little challenged in all departments domestic, so I fully supported his culinary talents. By that, I mean I was quick to eat anything he made and was generally easy to please. 

He told me early on back then, one of his favorite dishes to make was a chicken and vegetable stir-fry. It sure sounded good to me at the time. So that evening, he fixed some up and dished me up a plate, then sat down to join me for dinner. All I knew was steam was rising off the fresh cooked food in front of me and it smelled better than I could stand. 

Digging into the lovely meal, I was pleasantly surprised. I couldn't remember the last time I ate any type of stir-fry, it must have been ages ago when I still lived at home. My mother made it every once in a great while. Man, that first dinner was so good. 

Well, it didn't take long before I started to get a better idea of just HOW much my husband liked to make chicken vegetable stir-fry. He wanted to eat it almost every other night. At least three times a week. Eh...his crazy Asian appetite was killing my taste for it! 

"Not again...!" 

"C'mon, we just had that!"

"Will you make me something else then...?"

He could eat chicken and vegetables like I could eat pizza. All the time and forever. Ahhh! Funny though, when I finally figured it out. I wasn't getting sick of the stir-fried dish. I just preferred different things in mine than he did his. That solved some of that conflict, though neither of us can ever turn down a trip to the local Mongolian grill restaurant. It's all you can eat buffet full of every stir-fry friendly ingredient you can think of. 

"How do they slice the meats into such thin shreds?" my husband asks, confused and amazed. 

"I don't know, honey. But you should figure out how." 

Maybe one day we'll investigate just exactly what they're using behind there.