hi I'm Michelle the irritable vegan and today we're throwing ourselves into the
festive season with a selection of easy homemade gifts perfect for the vegan low
fodmapper in your life from a cheeky poo pourri to a peppermint pulse oil
botanical infusions for gin or tea and a range of fodmap safe spice blends for
foodies and if you're going it solo and don't have any real-life fodmap friends
then I encourage you to make time to create these things as a gift for
yourself or leave this video strategically play in where Santa might
see it we'll start with that public loo lifesaver
poo pourri simply spritz the scented toilet freshener into the bowl before
you go and nobody need ever know this cheeky gift is perfect for some
light-hearted relief in every sense of the word we'll also include a travel
version that goes wherever you go you'll need an attractive bathroom spray bottle
preferably not made of plastic and if you include in a travel version you'll
also need a small purse or pocket sized atomizer or spray bottle fill the bottle
with water leaving room for the spray mechanism to fit without spilling pour
the water into a glass or metal measuring jug to see the volume of your
bottles and calculate your ingredients for the base I'm using aromatherapy
grade rose water if this is unavailable to you use food grade rose water
available from most Asian supermarkets or even just plain tap water my bottles
came to 330mls in total so I use 250mls of rose water to leave room for the
other ingredients you'll need to use a ratio of roughly 20% vegetable glycerin
to water so I use 50 ml of vegetable glycerin and I find the most accurate
way to measure small liquid quantities is with a medicine cup or syringe add the
glycerin to your water base and don't worry that the two don't mix we'll take
care of that in the next step give it a good mix anyway before measuring out
your witch hazel you'll need roughly 10% of your original water ratio which for
me was 25mls again measure this out using a clean medicine cup or syringe add
the witch hazel to the mixture and give it a really good stir you should see
after a few seconds that the oily appearance of the
suspended glycerin clears and the mixture looks like plain water again
this is known as magic to some and science to others now comes the fun part
where you get to add in the lovely scents I chose the seasonal smells of
essential oils of sweet orange clove bud and sage these oils work well
together to produce a classic Christmas fragrance but as the spray's designed to mask
the smell of poop trust me when I say that any fragrance will do to keep
things nice and simple I use 10 drops of each essential oil which is 30 drops in
total as my rose water base was already scented this ratio worked fine if you
using plain tap water then feel free to increase the amount of drops of
essential oil up to a maximum of 4 drops of oil per 10 mil of base solution which
is a classic 2% aromatherapy ratio because this is designed to be sprayed
into the toilet before you go the aroma needs to be effective without
being overpowering or suffocating I also like to make sure that should it come
into contact with skin the essential oil ratio is safe give everything a good mix
up and pour the poo pourri into your bottle and screw the lid on
securely if you're not confident blending your own essential oils then
pre blended oils are readily available from health shops and aromatherapists
at this time of year you should be able to find some lovely seasonal scents but
just make sure that you're purchasing pure essential oils from a reputable supplier
or brand for the travel version keep the bottle plain and discreet I added dried
sage leaves for effect you could add dried herbs spices and flowers based on
the scents that you choose I only had a glass dropper bottle available but an
atomizer or spray bottle works best to evenly distribute the oils across the
surface of the toilet water for maximum effectiveness try to find a bottle that
can be easily tucked into the pocket of a purse or bag around a 10 to 30ml
size works best present it in a pretty reusable bag or basket with a note
explaining what it is and how to use it next up staying on the theme of
essential oils we've got a refreshing peppermint pulse oil for
discretely dabbing onto wrists and tummies for an instant boost I found
this pretty vintage perfume bottle at my local charity shop but feel free to
regift or reuse whatever you have to hand as before you'll need to know the
internal volume of your bottle before you start if you're using the water
method you'll need to thoroughly dry the inside before adding any oils I'm using
sweet almond oil as my base but any pure carrier oil designed for massage will
work for the blend I chose sweet orange peppermint and lavender essential oils
as this is designed for use on the body you need to stick to a 2% ratio which is
a maximum of 4 drops of essential oil for every 10ml of carrier oil I used a
40ml perfume bottle and added 5 drops of lavender five drops of peppermint and
six drops of sweet orange making a total of 16 drops for a 2% blend for accuracy
I mixed half of the oils together in two batches in a 20ml measuring cup if any
space remains you can top up with a little extra carrier oil but be careful
not to overfill the bottle screw the lid on securely and pop the bottle in a
pretty reusable pouch for a beautiful homemade gift anyone would be happy to
receive if you want to go the extra mile then you could always wrap the bottle in
a reusable handkerchief and this way they can decide whether to apply the oil
direct to the skin or put a drop on the hankie to use as an inhalant
throughout the day secure the handkerchief around the neck
of the bottle by tying a bow with ribbon or twine I chose to add a sprig of dried
lavender hand-picked from my garden and packaged everything in a pretty reusable
paper bag remember to include a note explaining that the purpose of the oil
is to put a dab on each wrist or even massage into the back and lower abdomen
in times of an IBS flare-up this refreshing but relaxing oil is great for
boosting mood relieving pain nausea and headaches or giving a gentle pick-me-up
when inhaled or applied to the body and now we're moving on to those foodie
gifts this delicious Chestnutella inspired by
the boys at Bosh! is every chocoholics dream gift this decadent homemade
Nutella is vegan and fodmap safe in 1 tablespoon portions and the best you've
ever tasted we'll begin by measuring out the ingredients for the chestnutella
you'll need 180 grams of roasted chestnuts 200 grams of dark chocolate my
favorite is Aldi's salt choc 100mls of milk
I use this Califa cold brew brand for extra flavour but substitute with regular
almond milk if preferred optional maple syrup according to preference and taste
and a heaped teaspoon of coconut oil roast the chestnuts for 10 minutes at
180 degrees Celsius heating them helps to release the natural oils break the
chocolate up into chunks into a heat safe bowl you can use either the
microwave or double boiler method to gently melt the chocolate add in 1
heaped teaspoon of coconut oil to the chocolate is not essential but does help
it to stay smooth and glossy I melted mine in 1 minute increments in the
microwave check in after each minute this is the result after 1 minute and
this is the result after 2 I opted to stir through the remaining chunks of
chocolate until smooth and melted rather than overheating after 10 minutes remove
the chestnuts from the oven and blitz in a food processor and this is where you
have to go freestyle because depending on the power of blender this step takes
anywhere from 5 to 25 minutes mine took closer to the latter I added one
tablespoon of maple syrup one tablespoon of toasted sesame oil and several
tablespoons of warm water one at a time to encourage my chestnuts to blend trust
me it will happen eventually but you're looking for the mix to turn
from crumbs to a rough dough and then finally into butter if you're in the
high-speed blender club you may not need to add any extra liquid so just give it
as much patience as you can before starting to add any in mine took almost
25 minutes of stop start scrape and
splashes of liquid to achieve a smooth butter when it's done the mixture should
resemble a smooth peanut butter now it's time to add in the chocolate if you
suspect it's gonna take a while to get to the butter stage then hold off
melting your chocolate until you're ready to mix it all together adding your
plant milk of choice and blend everything together until well mixed at
this stage depending on the chocolate that you used you can add more maple
syrup for sweetness or a pinch of salt to flavour it to your liking and blend
again spoon the Nutella into a sterilized recycled glass jar I believe
this one is an old olive jar I decorated the lid with some regifted gift tags
and ribbon cut from old Christmas cards this recipe makes 400 grams and is
FODMAPs safe that 30 grams or 1 heaped tablespoon serving due to the lack of
preservatives I recommend that you advise storing this for up to two weeks
in the fridge this means it's probably best to split
into two gifts of 200 grams each unless you know that you're giving it to a true
chocoholic the great news is that it freezes really well and can be used
straight from the freezer in smoothies it's also delicious in porridge on toast
or if your feral like me straight out of the jar with a spoon make this as
close as possible to gifting day include a tag with a use by date recipe
suggestion and storage advice all wrapped up in recycled paper and you're
ready to go next up is a two-for-one idea that can be used to flavour a
favourite tipple or as a base for a winter spice to tea I'm regifting these
old spice tins and filling them with winter spices perfect for a gin
connoisseur but for a fraction of the price of the branded versions you can
fill several tins with mix-and-match spices and the options are endless I
went with classic juniper berries and added other seasonal options such as
star anise coriander seed and cardamom pods you can base yours on your
availability budget and the flavour preferences of the recipient any gin lover
would be thrilled to receive these and the benefit of keeping the spices
separate is that not only can they be blended to taste but they can also be
used in everyday cooking making this gift even better value for money to keep
the cost down bear in mind the sizes of the tins that you choose and the cost of
filling each tin finally pop in a card or label the tins individually
explaining what they each are and that one teaspoon of spice can be infused for
a few minutes in a measure of gin before straining alternatively you can make
one tin of mix botanicals per gift which is a cheaper easier method but no less
lovely I don't have a set recipe for this but I blended 2 tablespoons of
juniper berries 1 tablespoon of coriander seeds 1 tablespoon of cardamom
pods 1 teaspoon of cloves several sticks of dried lemongrass several pieces of a
cinnamon stick and 3 star anise pods to make it more of a gift I included a
pretty measuring spoon a recycled bottle for infusing the gin and a handwritten
note card this mixed spice tin is equally giftworthy to a teetotaler when mixed
with black tea leaves to a pretty mug cup and saucer or teapot add the mixed
botanicals with black tea or these pretty tea bombs I also included a
pretty teaspoon and a tea infuser reusable muslin teabags or a nut milk
bag would also make a lovely addition package everything together and remember
to include some handwritten recipe cards describing your favourite recipe
for spiced chai latte and finally every fodmap foodies dream gift a selection of
classic onion and garlic free spice blends for cooking up a fodmap feast
let's start with a classic medium curry powder I prefer to use freshly ground
coriander seed but pre-packed ground coriander works too add 1 tablespoon to
a spice jar along with 1 tablespoon of ground cumin 1 teaspoon of ground
turmeric 1 teaspoon of garam masala 1/2 a teaspoon of asafoetida 1/2 a teasespoon
of dried ginger 1/2 a teaspoon of ground chili and 1/2 a teaspoon of
cinnamon if that doesn't fill your jar you may need to add increasing
quantities of each whilst keeping the overall ratios the same or use your
favourite curry blend recipe instead and as pretty as it looks layered in the jar
it will need shaking up before use to combine the powders to bulk out the gift
you can add a jar of whole or crushed dried chili peppers and some simple
flavoured salt I combined coarse sea salt with sprigs of rosemary using tweezers
to aesthetically arrange the rosemary in the jar but if you don't have the time
or the budget to blend your own then sourcing an affordable fodmap safe curry
powder and repackaging it into a lovely gift will be just as well-received and
if the curry powder you found doesn't include it already then I'd always be
inclined to add in asafoetida to replace that onion and garlic aroma and if you
want to go all out then packaging your spices in balti dishes wrapped up in a
sari scarf or fabric and a copy of your favourite low fodmap curry recipe would
take this personalized gift to the next level and if curry is not your thing
then how about a smokey spiced blend perfect for Mexican style dishes begin
with 1 tbsp of mixed dried herbs 1 tablespoon of freshly cracked black
pepper 1 tbsp of ground cumin 1 tablespoon of smoked paprika 1/2 a
tablespoon of smoked salt 1/2 a teaspoon of ground ginger and 1/2 a
teaspoon of cayenne pepper shake it really well to blend and you could add
in an optional 1/2 a teaspoon of dried chili flakes if spice is not a trigger I
packaged this one together with the flavoured salt and chilli flakes in a
mini cast-iron skillet this is another fabulous foodie gift that could be
packaged and personalized to suit whoever you have in mind to receive it
as always handwritten recipes and cards finish this off perfectly
and finally a mocha spice that can be used in everything from lattes to chilli
non carne in a pestle and mortar grind together 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
with 2 tablespoons of ground coffee decaf if preferred keep going until a
fine powder is created it took me less than five minutes to get it to this
stage add in 2 tablespoons of raw cacao powder 1 tablespoon of mixed spice
a small pinch of salt which I didn't measure and 1/2 a teaspoon of cayenne
pepper mix everything together really well
until fully combined pop it into a pretty recycled jar and in a previous
life this was a chutney jar I bought at a vegan food festival place it inside a
cup and saucer with directions to add 2 teaspoons to hot plant milk or 1
tablespoon to add sweetness and depth to a chilli and if you don't have the budget
for the extra bits and pieces then you could simply make a selection of spice
blends one of each of these is my suggestion and gift them together as a
set to a very lucky cook I really hope this gift guide has inspired you to get
your creativity going and think outside the box when it comes to thoughtful
personalized gifts for your loved ones this year
virtually every element of these gifts was made from things I already had on
hand such as the herbs spices and essential oils things I had purchased in
charity shops such as the perfume bottles repurposed spice tins and jars
and recycled paper and cards saved from Christmases past I wanted to show you
that you really don't need to spend a fortune this Christmas and you can honour
your own low waste sustainable vegan principles whilst also creating
something unique and tailored to the needs of the individual receiving these
lovely gifts showing your respect support and understanding of someone's
dietary needs or choices at this time of year is probably one of the greatest
gifts you could give and please remember if you don't have anyone to gift these
lovely creations to other than yourself then set aside some time to do just that
or point your loved ones in the direction of this video and of course I
couldn't create a vegan low fodmap gift guide without mentioning Got Guts Feast
Without FODMAPs which is the ultimate gift to give your gut this year as always
you'll find the links to that in the description box below I wish you all a
very merry giftmas and a joyful flare-up free time for the season to come I'll
speak to you soon byeee
[Festive Music] We're getting to that time of year again where family feasts
parties social events and holidays are rapidly approaching this year give your
gut the gift it deserves with Got Guts Feast Without FODMAPs it's your one-stop
autumn and winter survival guide for all things vegan low fodmap from delicious
recipes and menu planning to seasonal stacking and tips and tricks from fellow
IBS sufferers feast without FODMAPs really does include everything you might
need to see you through the best and the worst of the upcoming season take time
out from the shopping and stress to invest in yourself and make sure that
this year you thrive rather than simply survive for the same price as a couple
of spicde lattes you could be on your way to a flare-up free festive season you'll
find the link to purchase in the description box below
[Fireworks shooting and exploding, fire crackling]