5 Minutes

We started a new class last night at school: Psychology of disease. We ended up talking a lot about intuition last night, especially about taking the time to listen to your subconscious. Our instructor spoke about a life changing challenge she took part in about 20 years ago, it was essentially the 5 minutes to a better life challenge.

What is it? what do you have to do?

What you need to do is take 5 minutes a day to meditate and just be with your thoughts for 100 days straight.

At first I thought, wow thats easy, only 5 minutes a day, I can do that. But then I really got thinking. Although I try to take some time for myself daily it usually involves my computer, my phone or my TV, its hard to really ‘check in’ with yourself with those kind of distractions. I’m definitely going to make an effort to take 5 quiet minutes a day. These few minutes will allow me to check in and really listen to what my intuition, my gut, is telling me about how I’m living my life, about the decisions I make daily. I’ve never really done any sort of meditation before so I plan on starting by just lying on the couch, eyes closed, focusing on my breathing and trying to clear my mind.

Why do it? At first I was a little sceptical but now I’m thinking whats the harm? It might be nice to take a few minutes each day to just visualize the things I want to accomplish and how I’m going to get there or to simply just quiet my mind- Im a bit of an over- thinker

What I like so much about this kind of challenge is that it focuses on something we all have- intuition- but don’t use. Think of how many difficult situations we would all avoid if we had all only listened to ourselves a little more. I don’t know about you, but when I slow down and really listen to myself the answer I’m looking for is always so obvious- almost shouting at me.

I’m hoping it will get my days off to a good start, wish me luck!

Now onto one of my current favourite treats.

Blueberry banana crumble for 1 (Paleo, gluten-free, vegan):

Filling:1/2 ripe banana sliced thinly, 1/2 cup frozen blueberries, 1 tbsp maple syrup… stir together and put in the bottom of a single oven safe ramekin

Topping: 3 tbsp unsweetened, un-sulphered shredded coconut, 1/4 cup almond flour, 1handful almonds chopped, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp coconut oil, 1 tbsp maple syrup… mix together and top filling.

Bake at 375 for 15 minutes or until nice and golden on top. I love this with a big dollop of organic vanilla greek yogurt, coconut milk ice cream or as a ‘cereal’ with a little almond milk poured on top.

Hope you enjoy it as much as we do

Filthy Fifteen…with a side of GMO deets

When I first started on this nutritional journey I was still pretty skeptical about this organic movement. I thought it was just another trend and a way for major companies to make more $$.

Well, now I’m definitely singing a different tune. I’m now happily apart of that organic crowd, especially when it comes to produce and animal products. I’m sure you have all heard that some fruits and veggies are sprayed with pesticides more heavily than others; I like to call these the filthy fifteen. (Side note- organic also means no GMO (genetically modified organism-NOT NATURAL!), any produce that you buy non-organic can potentially be GMO). Excess pesticides and herbicides are not only bad for our health but they are devastating to the environment. Extra chemicals being sprayed results in more chemicals in the environment as well as the creation of super bugs and super weeds leading to even more pesticide/herbicide use the following years.

In my opinion, pesticides are not the only reason to be concerned. GMO’s are not only bad for your health but they are also devastating to the environment. Merging DNA from different species creates GMO foods.

Why is this done? Mostly to combine the most appealing traits of 2 or more species into one, that way GMO corn for example, has the ability to kill the pests that eat it without hurting both their crop and capital. Other appealing trails are often to increase size, shelf life and enhance color. The problems with GMO foods are extensive but the big ones, in my opinion, are that GMOs have never been proven in a single study to be safe for human consumption- how can a food that has its own built in pesticide be safe! Apart from the obvious human health concerns there is also the health of the environment. A major threat is the extinguishment of vegetative and animal species through airborne pollution. Airborne pollution occurs when GMO crops transfer their genes to wild crops through either wind blown or animal pollination. This then results in a hybridization of the GMO crop with the non-GMO crop, which will drastically alter the ecosystem. Another concern with GMO’s are the increased use of herbicides and pesticides, because the crops are modified to be herbicide/pesticide resistant, farmers are more likely to over spray knowing their crops are resistant… what does this mean? much more herbicides and pesticide in our food and the creation of herbicide/pesticide resident weeds and pests meaning even more stronger chemicals the following year.

…wow quite the tangent, i started talking about organic versus non-organic and went off about GMO’s but as you can see they are not separate issues. Obviously I can’t force anyone to automatically switch from non-organic, GMO foods but hopefully by providing you with the information you’ll be able to make the right decision.

So with that being said, what foods should you avoid if you don’t want GMO?

The most common GMO foods are:

1-soy

2-corn

3-cottonseed (used in veggie cooking oils)

4-Canola

5-sugar from sugar beets

6-Hawaiian papaya

7-zuccinni (some varieties)

8-crookneck squash

And for the filthy fifteen, try to always always buy organic of the following:

1-apples

2-celery

3-sweet bell peppers

4-peaches

5-strawberries

6-nectarines

7-grapes

8-spinach

9-cherry tomatoes

10-cucumbers

11-summer squash

12-potatoes

13-hot peppers

14-kale

15-tomatoes

I know some people question the cost of organic non GMO foods, but in my opinion i’d rather spend the money on good quality food than on the eventual doctors bills…

So what should you do with all that yummy organic, non GMO food? eat a yummy fresh salad (or 2) of course.

First up is my mock whole foods sesame kale salad: 1 bunch organic kale washed and chopped, 1 tsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil, 1 clove garlic minced, 1/2 tbsp minced fresh ginger, 1/2 tbsp coconut aminos (or soy sauce or soy aminos), 1 tsp honey, 1 tbsp sesame seeds… mix all dressing ingredients together and massage into kale, let sit for about 30 minutes before eating and enjoy

Second up is my toasted almond, cranberry quinoa salad (submitted to wellness weekend):

1 1/2 cup dried quinoa, cooked and cooled, 2 handfuls dried cranberries, 2 handfuls almonds toasted then chopped,1 large handful cilantro- 1/4 cup chopped,1 pint cherry tomatoes cut into quarters, 1 red or yellow pepper diced, 1 bunch green onion diced

dressing: juice from 1 large lime, 1 tbsp maple syrup,1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of salt

toss and let flavors mingle for a while in the fridge before serving

And just because… Taffy says hi

For the love of coconut oil

You know that deserted Island question? The one where your asked what 5 things would you bring with you to a deserted Island… well 1 of my 5 would most definitely be coconut oil. I have a deep deep love for coconut oil. At first I thought it was just a phase, but here we are about 3 years later and i’m still crushing. I use coconut oil not just for baking and cooking but for hair care and face care.

(Note the size… I blow through this stuff crazy fast)

The health and nutritional benefits of coconut oil are endless! Not only is coconut oil naturally anti fungal, anti viral and anti bacterial, but it also promotes weight loss, is safe for cooking and baking and can be used as an all purpose body care product.

Yes coconut oil is a fat, mostly saturated fat, but, as stated before, it is composed of mostly medium chain fatty acids, which are very readily absorbed and used for immediate energy instead of being stored as fat.

So what are some of my favorite uses of this magical oil?

1-   Baking… I use it in almost every single recipe.

2-   Stir-frying, baking, roasting… there’s nothing like roasted veggies tossed in coconut oil, salt and pepper.

3-   Moisturizer… I use it as an all around body/ face moisturizer, bonus I smell like coconut.

4-   Scalp care… I have a fairly dry scalp and find massaging a small amount of oil into my scalp before bed a few nights a week really helps.

5-   Makeup remover… I have yet to find anything that works better.

6-   Hair conditioner… I use it as a over-night hair mask, your hair will never feel softer.

7-   Smoothies…I love a rich thick smoothie, the coconut oil adds a depth and richness that I can’t get enough of.

Sounds like a pretty amazing product right! Hopefully at this point everyone has some coconut oil kicking around the house and just needed a little reminder of how versatile it really is.

As I said before, my favorite use is for baking. I made these muffins the other day when I had a chocolate craving and they were a huge hit, hopefully you’ll enjoy them too.

Chocolate chip muffins (submitted to wellness weekend)

3/4 cup brown rice flour

3/4 cup millet flour

1/2 cup almond flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup applesauce

1/4 cup coconut oil melted

1/4 cup coconut milk

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 flax egg

1 cup chocolate chips

Mix dry together, mix wet together. Mix wet into dry, stir in chocolate chips, fill muffin tins ¾ full and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes (yields 12 muffins)

Any other favourite coconut oil uses out there?

Life Lately

Life has been busy lately, as it always is, but enjoyable busy.

There’s been lots of:

Lots of long hikes with my girl

And lots of yummy meals

Blueberry pancakes stacked with raspberry greek yogurt and coconut

Broccoli, kale, mushroom, sweet potato frittata: 1 sweet potato sliced thinly into coins, 1/4 cup chopped broccoli, 1/4 cup kale, 1/4 cup mushrooms sliced, 1/2 onion diced, 1/4 cup cheese of choice and 5 eggs whisked with salt and pepper…. bake sweet potato coins until cooked. Stir fry veggies until cooked. Line baking ban with sweet potato slices, top with veggies, sprinkle cheese and pour in whisked eggs… Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes, slice and enjoy.

Tomato basil seafood pasta: 1 onion diced, 1 red pepper diced, 4 cloves garlic minced, 1 can whole tomatoes, 1/4 cup chopped basil, 1/2 cup white wine, 1package of frozen prawns, 1 package of frozen scallops, 1 fillet of cod and a package of brown rice pasta… Stir-fry onion, garlic and red pepper until soft, add wine and reduce until half. Add tomatoes and basil and break tomatoes down in pot. Cover pot and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add seafood and simmer until cooked. Add to cooked pasta, top with fresh basil and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and your good to go.

Almond, flax seed pizza crust: 1 1/2 cup almond flour, 3 tbsp starch, 1 tsp baking powder, pinch of salt, 1/3 cup flax seed meal, 1/2 cup warm water, 1/2 tbsp coconut oil melted… mixed almond flour, starch, baking powder and salt together. In another bowl whisk flax seed meal with warm water and melted coconut oil… Add flax seed mixture to dry ingredients, roll out onto baking sheet between two pieces of parchment paper. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes, top and bake for another 10 minutes.

Hope everyone had a great weekend

Bananas for bananas

Not sure if you notice a theme here but I tend go through real food phases, one week its dates dates dates, the next I can’t get enough almond butter in my life and right now i’m in a real banana phase.

I think you’ll agree that another predominant theme here is my love of everything and anything sweet.

So when I combined the two…well it was love Creamy dreamy banana(ey) love

Raw banana cheesecake on a chocolate almond crust (Submitted to wellness weekend and raw food Thursdays):

Crust:1/2 cup almonds, 3/4 cup dates,1tbsp maple syrup, 1 tbsp coco powder… Pulse together in food processor until resembles a sandy texture, and then press into saran wrap lined cake pan. Place in freezer while preparing the filling.

Filling:1 1/2 cups cashews (soaked overnight, drained and rinsed well in the am), 1/3 coconut oil melted, 1/3 cup maple syrup, Juice of 2 lemons, 2 bananas, 1 tbsp cinnamon, 1 banana sliced up for the top… in a high speed blender, I used a vitamix, blend everything (minus the bananas) until very creamy. Pour half of the mixture in the prepared pan and then toss the two reserved bananas back in the blender until fully mixed. Pour on top of the first ‘cheese’ layer and freeze until firm. Right before serving, top with banana slices.

This cheesecake is not super banana(ey) but is complemented well with the hint of chocolate from the crust… Hope you enjoy

And… because I can’t help it, Taffy wanted to say hi

Pancake Sundays

Pancake Sundays, or more like big, elaborate and delicious breakfasts, are my favourite meals of the week.

A nice long sleep in, followed by a big delish feast in my pjs, whats not to love!

My go to’s are definitely omelettes, filled with whatever goodies I have in my fridge;

Simple eggs on toast;

or, fluffy pancakes

These blueberry pancakes were a great texture, fluffy and tender with the perfect amount of sweetness, I normally love pouring tons of maple syrup on my pancakes but these didn’t need any extra.

 Gluten free blueberry pancakes: 3/4 cup greek yogurt (any flavour you’d like, I used vanilla), 1 egg, 1/4 cup brown rice flour, 1/4 cup almond flour (sub 1/2 cup all purpose flour), 1 tsp vanilla, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tbsp maple syrup, and as many blueberries as you choose… mix everything together and let sit for a few minute, heat skillet on med-high heat, scoop 1/4 cup batter and cook pancakes in a little coconut oil.

Although I wish there was enough time for elaborate relaxed breakfasts every morning, it makes Sunday mornings that much more special, especially now that I get to share them with my new little cuddle buddy

Treats for Taffy

For the past few months monsieur and I have tossed around the idea of getting a dog. We both agreed we wanted to adopt, but we were a bit weary because I have 2 small nieces. After looking at all the options, a friend directed us towards Turtle Gardens, a great animal rescue organization that specializes in stray/feral dogs from First Nation Communities and Municipal pounds. We decided we would start fostering with the intention of adopting. We wanted to make sure we found a dog that we not only connected with, but that would be comfortable and safe around children. We knew it might take us a while to find ‘the one’ but we were willing to go through the process knowing we would learn a lot and meet some great pups in the process.

This past Sunday we headed out to meet the TG van that brought the dogs down from up North. We weren’t exactly sure what to expect, but when we got there, they were already unloading the pups. There were lots of different types, sizes and ages- it was an overload of cuteness.

We had been chosen to foster Taffy, an 8 month old german shepherd cross, but were told that she already had interested adopters and that she would most likely go quickly.

When we grabbed her she was a little reserved, pretty tired and super dirty- to be expected after a 12+ hour van ride with tons of other dogs. We loaded her up and headed home- first things first-a bath! She surprisingly didn’t mind the bath and in a few minutes she was squeaky clean

During the day she started opening up more and more and we fell for her… HARD! There was something about her, it just felt right.

I spent the better part of the afternoon/evening trying to convince monsieur that she was the one for us, there was just something about her, I knew if we let her go we’d regret it. We decided to sleep on it and see how we felt in the morning. Monday morning he went off to work and I took her for a walk. By 8 am I got a phone call questioning the paper work for her adoption-I knew I had him !

That was that, we filled out the paper work, paid the adoption fee and by about noon she was all ours!

Who could say no to that face!

We have already started training, and with that comes lots of treats. Obviously the foodie in me wanted to make my little girl some healthy, gluten free training treats.

Shocker- she LOVED them… what dog doesn’t like treats!? It definitely makes me feel better knowing she’s not eating all those crap treats- what’s even in those fake bacon treats?!

Peanut butter oatmeal doggy treats: 1 1/4 cup brown rice flour, 3/4 gluten free oats, 2 tbsp flax seed meal, 1 cup peanut butter, 1 tbsp honey, 1 egg, and 1 cup almond milk… mix wet, mix dry, add wet to dry. Roll into bite size ball and bake at 375 for 18-20 minutes.

Our girlie really loves them, hope yours do as well

Food memories

I don’t know about you but I associate foods with different people. When I think of my mom I always think of toast with honey and tea-whenever we were sick growing up, my mom would bring us toast with honey on a little tray in bed, it always made me feel better. When I think of my older sister, I always think of banana bread- it was the first thing we made together, well, she made it and I licked the bowl but still . And when I think of my dad I automatically think of beef B. Growing up it seemed my dad always had a pot simmering away on the stove. Even to this day, when I go visit him, I can smell the red wine, garlic and beef simmering on the stove about a mile away.

It’s funny how we associate smells with people and memories.

I have found myself walking down memory lane a lot these past few weeks, and this morning I woke up wanting to see my dad. He spends most of the winter out of town, so an actual visit wasn’t in the cards, but I went with the next best thing- I whipped up a big batch of his famous beef B. As soon as I started cooking, I couldn’t help but let my mind drift back to all those cozy Sunday nights with my dad, it was exactly what I was after.

I know everyone and their sister has a recipe for beef B, but honestly my dads is the best, most likely because of the butter and bottle + of red wine . It is a little time consuming, but well worth the extra effort I promise.

Beef B (beef bourguignon): A large ‘cheaper roast’ cut into chunks, 3 large carrots peeled and chopped, 3 large parsnips peeled and chopped, 2 large onions chopped, 4 cloves of garlic diced, 1 tablespoon dried rosemary, 1 bottle of red wine (I went with an Argentinian malbec), at least 1 cup beef broth, butter, salt and pepper…

Heat butter in a large pan, sear the beef on each side and add to a big saucepan (I do this in batches). When done, deglaze the frying pan with some red wine, and then add to the saucepan.

Add chopped onion and garlic to frying pan with rosemary and stir-fry for a few minutes until softened, add to the saucepan. Add the rest of the wine to the saucepan and let simmer. After 20 minutes or so add the chopped carrots, parsnips and mushrooms, season with salt and pepper (not too much because the sauce will reduce and you can always add more), you may need to add more wine or beef stock here. Let simmer for about 30 minutes and then turn off heat and let it cool.

The trick to my dad’s beef B is to cook it a day or 2 ahead of time and let it sit, he always cooks and simmers it for 20-30 minutes, then another 20-30 minutes the next morning and again simmers before serving, it keeps cooking as it cools down which intensifies the flavours and makes the beef super tender!

This is great served atop a big pile of mashed potatoes, but these days I prefer a big pile of mashed cauliflower.

Hope you enjoy

Lent challenge

Today marks day 1 of lent, I am not a religious person per say, but I really love a good challenge. My understanding is that lent is a time when many Christians prepare for Easter by committing to fasting or giving up certain types of luxuries as a form of penitence for 40 days. Every year I like to choose 1 indulgence to temporarily give up, in the past I have given up: chocolate, alcohol, pop, and chips. This year I have decided to give up refined, processed sugar/sweeteners. I don’t consume a ton of processed sugar but it does sneak into my diet via canned/jar sauces, the occasional frozen yogurt trip, a little gluten free treat while out and about, sushi rice, any gluten free bread…

I want to use these next 40 days to experiment with more homemade sauces, dips and dressings– things I tend to buy instead of make (due to pure laziness and convenience).

I will definitely be eating at home more these next 40 days, as it is often too hard to determine if sugar is added to you meal when eating out. When I do have to eat out however, I will be sure to avoid most sauces and dressings, opting instead for olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper.

I have admitted in the past that sugar is a problem for me and i’m hoping this challenge will help me cut down on sweets and quell my always-screaming sweet tooth.

One treat I am not giving up is my occasional glass of red wine, I don’t drink often, but I do enjoy the occasional glass of wine after a long week.

Seeing as I do have a pretty intense sweet tooth, I will be experimenting with lots of sugar free treats. To start off with, a few items that will become staples in my diet are: 

Dates stuffed with raw almond butter rolled in unsweetened unsulfured coconut;

Warm coconut milk with a sprinkle of cinnamon; 

Banana and date sweetened puddings (chia/avocado puddings);

Roasted sweet potato topped with almond butter (don’t knock it till you try it!);

And my latest experiment, a cinnamon, vanilla, banana pancake cooked in coconut oil topped with almond butter (recipe coming soon)

Is anyone else taking part in a lent challenge? Any tips out there to hold yourself accountable?

For me, i’m hoping that by just putting it out on the blog i’ll feel more pressure to stay honest.

What a weekend

Been a while since i’ve checked in… I was out of my kitchen for 2 weeks house/dog-sitting, but i’m back now and more than ready to make up for my cooking/baking hiatus.

This past weekend, one of my besties was in town visiting from Ottawa. Our weekend was jam packed- lots of delicious food, drinks, treats and little adventures.

Its amazing what a weekend with good friends does for the soul . I feel like a different person- my face still hurts from laughing and smiling so much . She was the first house guest i’ve had since I moved into my place over a year ago, and wanted to make her a little something special. I whipped up a batch of muffins thinking, who doesn’t love a blueberry muffin to start the day, especially on their holiday.

Blueberry streusel muffins:  1 cup blueberries,

1 cup rice flour,

1 cup Almond flour ,

1 tsp baking soda and 1tsp baking powder.

1/2 cup apple sauce,

1/2 cup maple syrup,

2tbsp flax meal mixed with 6 tbsp warm water (stir and let thicken), 1 tsp vanilla…

Mix wet together, mix dry together. Add wet to dry, fold in blueberries. Scoop 1/4 cup into each muffin tin and top with streusel.

Streusel:

1/2 cup gluten free oats (could sub quinoa flakes),

1/4 cup coconut sugar,

1tsp cinnamon,

1 tsp vanilla, 2

tbsp melted coconut oil… mix well and top muffins.

Bake at 350 for 35-40mins (clean toothpick test).

These were super yummy and kept very moist throughout the weekend, please please give these a try and let me know what you think.

Hope everyone else had a great family day long weekend