clean the fridge bluepplesauce

Okay.  So I could have called it apple-berry sauce, or berry-applesauce - but bluepplesauce just sounds a lot more fun, don't you think? :)

Anyway - yay!  The weekend is here!  We all wait for these glorious two days where we don't have to get up at an ungodly hour, and trudge our way to our commuter train in the cold and dark for five days in a row, only to come home at night, hunker down to bed, and get up and do it all over again.  (Ummmmm....okay, maybe that's just me, but you get the picture).  Bottom line is, we look forward to time to ourselves so we can do fun things like - clean out our fridges!

Which is what I did this lovely Saturday morning - and in the course of emptying my crisper bins of all manner of science experiments (but responsibly donating them to my green bin!) I discovered I had a pile of apples and a box of blueberries that were on the edge of no return.  There was no way I was going to eat them all today - but what to do, what to do? 

BLUEPPLESAUCE people. 

Now, there are a few different ways to make applesauce - in the past my go-to method has been to chop up some apples, throw them in a pot with a bit of water and simmer them down until they soften - but today, I decided to try another method, from the pages of Meghan Telpner's awesome Undiet Cookbook (page 204 to be exact). Some of you may recall that I played a small part in helping Meghan create this cookbook, which you can read about here - and I've been far too late in mentioning that this gorgeous cookbook was published last fall to (deservedly) great success and rave reviews, and just go buy it, okay? :)

So here's how I did it today - SO quick and easy!

Start by peeling and coring your apples: 

I used about 7 apples of varying sizes and types (some honeycrisp, one mac, and one gala to be exact), because that's what was rattling around in my crisper bin - but of course you can use whatever type you like. A tip - "coring" to me always sounds like a lot of work that you'll need a special tool for - but I simply peel the apple, then cut away the sides of the apple from around the core. Cored!  

From there, I chopped the apples into small chunks, and placed them in a steamer basket with the blueberries (I used a full 6 oz. container of blueberries), over about 2 inches of water:

You can add any fruit that lends itself well to steaming to this mixture - but I had blueberries on hand, so that's what I used.  Cover, and steam for 10 minutes.  While your fruit is steaming, easy peasy lemon squeezy yourself 2 tbsp. of lemon juice:

BEST lemon juicer ever from IKEA

After steaming, you'll end up with something that looks like this:

From here, there are a few things you can do to get saucy with your steamed fruit: a) transfer it to a mixing bowl and mash it up for a rustic sauce, b) transfer to a food processor and let it fly, or c) do as I did, and transfer to a blender: 

(Not the sharpest photo, but aren't those colours pretty?)  Add your lemon juice to the blender with the fruit - and I also opted to add some cinnamon to taste:

And blend away! I believe any blender will do the trick, because after 10 minutes of steaming this fruit is pretty mushy - but if you're using a high speed blender such as a Vitamix (as I did), you DO NOT need to spend a lot of time blending this - I think I gave it a few seconds at low speed at most.

Et voila!  I give you bluepplesauce!!

While the colour is definitely influenced by the addition of the blueberries, the flavour remains decidedly applely (?)... but overall, tart, delicious, and not a drop of artificial flavour or sweeteners!  (And of course I know I don't need to remind you that blueberries are a fine source of antioxidants) :) 

So the next time you're cleaning out the fridge, think twice about tossing those almost past-their-prime fruits - there's a sauce of some kind just begging to be made with them! (strawpplesauce anyone?) :)

summer juice cleanse

Well, hello again!  I know, it's been another loooooonnnnngggg gap since I last posted, but guess I was waiting for something worthwhile to post about...so thought I would share some thoughts about how to make your body feel all clean and shiny from the INSIDE out... :)

I don't know about you, but for me, summer is the WORST season when it comes to maintaining a healthy diet.  It should be the other way around, with all that lovely, fresh, local produce out there just waiting to be consumed - but somehow for me, it's always been a license to indulge in the worst of what the season has to offer - BBQ'd burgers, sausages on a bun, creamy potato salads and coleslaws...well, I could go on, but you get the picture. I am weak, WEAK, I tell you, when it comes to summer eating - and something had to give.

Enter - the juice cleanse!  I've tried a three day cleanse in the past, and must admit, while I was in the midst of it, it wasn't the most pleasant experience I've ever had.  Oh, the juices were good, no complaints about the company I ordered from at all, they were great - I just like to chew my sustenance - and three days of "chewing my juice" (as one is encouraged to do) was more than enough for me.  The UP-side of the cleanse however, was more than worth it - after three days of liquid lunches (and breakfasts, snacks, and dinners), I felt probably the best I had in YEARS, without a word of a lie.  My everyday aches and pains had literally almost disappeared completely, I had lots of physical energy, and my brain was working at the top of its game.  So - for me, it worked!

This time around, I opted for a company that I'd heard very good things about, and who would also deliver directly to my office: Belmonte Raw.  Located in Toronto, Belmonte uses 90-100% organic ingredients, and although they cannot always use local ingredients due to Toronto's seasonal climate, they do strive to always use suppliers who provide organic, fair trade, and sustainable methods of agriculture.  Belmonte advises that ideally, one should cleanse with the change of each new season, to begin each phase of the year fresh and renewed - however, they also encourage cleansing at any time of the year as a treat for your body and mind. 

So with that in mind, and feeling the summer slugs setting in, my time had come. I opted for two days of Belmonte's "The Deeper" Cleanse: 

The Deeper

"This cleanse is for someone looking for big results!  A great way to rest your digestive system, this Cleanse boosts energy, and cellular repair.  Our mid-level Juice Cleanse is our most popular Cleanse, designed to accent your healthy lifestyle or detoxify and revitalize you from the inside out."

Um, yeah!  Exactly what I was after.  As mentioned earlier, another factor that drew me to Belmonte is their convenience - they delivered directly to my office (in the downtown Toronto core) - so no lugging a heavy cooler of juices with me to work - they were ready and waiting for me when I arrived.  Easy peasy. 

All well and good - but what about the juices themselves?  Well, I'm happy to report that each and EVERY one of Belmonte's juices (and one nut milk) were delicious, and oh-so-easy to consume - along with the juices I received a schedule that not only outlined drinking times, but listed ingredients, and the health benefits of each individual juice:

So basically, nothing left to do but be a good little girl and drink my juice! :)  

The Cons

The cons of a juice cleanse are really incidental when you weigh them against the benefits - but, there are some: 

I won't lie - for me, the first day especially was a bit rough - you really don't realize how much you enjoy solid food until you can't eat it - and by the evening of the first day I was a tad cranky and found myself staring longingly into my fridge at leftovers well past their prime for something, anything, I could chow down on.  (But I'm proud to report I did NOT cheat!)  It's not that I was even hungry - the juices were filling - but we humans must have an inherent and primal urge to CHEW...

Also, after the initial "wooohoo, I'm doing something good for myself!" honeymoon phase, it tends to wear thin REAL fast - especially when meal time rolls around and you're faced with...ANOTHER JUICE.

There may also be times during a cleanse where you actually feel pretty crappy - this didn't hit me TOO hard, but I found by lunchtime of Day 2 I felt as though I were coming down with a cold (achy, an overall general malaise).  Apparently however - this is also a PRO - because it means the cleanse is working, and those pesky toxins are heading for the hills!

Last but not least...this is 3000 ml of liquid (approximately 12 cups) you're drinking per day, in juice alone - (more if you include the Liver Cleansing Tea that is included with the package, + water) - so YOU. WILL. PEE.  A LOT. So plan your bathroom breaks accordingly.  Enough said. 

And now, for the Pros! 

As with my previous foray into juice cleansing, I can say with conviction again that YES - after two days of all liquids, all the time, all the promised benefits of a cleanse came to fruition - I have no way of measuring it, but I can assume that the cellular regeneration and detoxification brought on by a juice cleanse led me to feeling increased energy, greater mental acuity, and for me, the most important side benefit - a dissipation of aches and pains and decrease in inflammation (even my feet felt "skinny" for the first time in ages!)  Believe me, when I get home at the end of a work day, the last thing I want to do is clean the house - but that's exactly what I did last night, top to bottom - #energyburst! ;-)

Oh, and did I mention, I lost 3.6 lbs. over the course of two days??? :)  No question, a lot of it was water weight - and will likely be gained back quickly - but overall, there's nothing like seeing a dramatic drop on the scale to motivate you to keep up the good work - so a juice cleanse is a GREAT kickstart to a weight loss program.  Speaking of which...

Before and after a cleanse it is recommended that you "pre" and "post" cleanse by eating only raw, "clean" foods, preferably without meat or dairy.  Well, it just so happens that Belmonte Raw is more than just a purveyor of fine juices - they also offer Transition and Raw Food Cleanses, which include a selection of delicious and creative raw and vegan food choices. While one would think the temptation would be great to dive headfirst into a tray of nachos with a tall, frosty beer after a cleanse, the reality is that if you've just invested time and money to do your body GOOD, you're more apt to think twice about straying down the bumpy path of unconscious eating again. (I would highly recommend their Raw Burrito - delicious!!) 

So thank you, Belmonte Raw*, for helping me do what I set out to do! Oh, I'm sure before the summer is out I'll still enjoy a backyard BBQ or two, and will live to bask in the glow of many a chilled glass of vino again - but the bottom line is, the cleanse has me consciously thinking about what I'm eating again, and I'm feeling great!  Mission accomplished! :)

*Although Belmonte Raw provided me with a discount on their two day juice cleanse, my thoughts and opinions are entirely my own. 

in appreciation of food { thoughts after a juice cleanse }

A few posts back, I wrote about my intention to do a three-day juice cleanse, from Raw Juice Guru (located in the Greater Toronto area):

Well, as part of my "attitude of gratitude" series, I'm here to say...I did it!  My overall impressions?

Well, first off, I lost about 6 lbs.  Yay!!  :) (But promptly gained them back upon eating solid food again - boo!!). Haha, no biggie, my intention was not so much to lose weight, as it was to re-set my system, and to see if the claims I'd heard about juice cleansing were true.  I was particularly interested in these benefits:

More energy
More mental alertness
Elimination of aches and pains
Balanced hormones
Detoxified cells
A re-built immune system

And I'm here to say.....YES!!! I can't speak to the last three on the list without having undergone medical testing, but without question, by the time I was finished my cleanse, I can honestly say I felt all of the first three from the list above - a boost in energy, mental acuity, and probably the most important to me - a HUGE decrease in the amount of aches and pains I usually feel on a daily basis.

Now, I would say all these benefits occurred in the days immediately following the cleanse - during the cleanse, I didn't notice a great difference.  On the upside, I also didn't really notice a sensation of feeling nauseous during the first days either though (which is said to be a possibility due to the body ridding itself of built up toxins).  

I will say, I was never hungry - I just missed the sensation of chewing...(although you are advised to "chew" your juice to stimulate saliva and digestion).  If I'm being honest, however - by the last juice of the last day, I was MORE than ready to say sayonara to my juices - I honestly think 3 days is about the longest I would want to sustain a juice cleanse (the odd sensation of having "fuzzy teeth" at the end of each day isn't something I will miss).  But power to those of you who have extended a cleanse beyond three days - you have my admiration and respect! 

Overall, well done, Raw Juice Guru!! True to their word, the juice fairies at RJG delivered a frosty cooler full of 8 juices to my door every morning - all freshly pressed and ready for transport to work - couldn't be easier!  

It was nice to have a variety - every day a different selection.  I think my favourite of all was the day my stash included a juice made with lemon, filtered water, cayenne pepper, and raw coconut nectar (see photo at top of post) - had a wonderful tart and savoury bite to it - a real treat that I'll definitely be duplicating myself in the future. 

One aspect of the cleanse I didn't expect, however, was what happened upon eating my first solid meal after three days of nothing but liquid.  I opted to make a vegetable omelette - and I must say...it was pure heaven.  Yes, of course - it's a no brainer that the first meal after three days of nothing but juice was bound to be a treat - but this was something more.  I found myself savouring everything about that meal - preparing the veggies, seasoning the pan and eggs with just the right amount of flavour,  and then - instead of chowing down and inhaling it in seconds...I took. my. time.  I may honestly have never truly appreciated a meal as much as I did that one - and gave thanks for every last morsel.  It was, pure and simply, heaven.  I thought of taking a photo of it...but somehow, that didn't seem appropriate in this instance - the meal deserved my full and undivided attention.  Indeed, I've never been more grateful - not only for that meal - but for ALL the meals that have sustained me to this point in my life.  Who knew a juice cleanse could do that?? :) 

So how about you?  Are you curious to see what a juice cleanse would do for you?  If you're in the GTA (greater Toronto area), I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Raw Juice Guru!  (And yes, I'd do it again!) Thanks again RJG - for everything! :)

*Although Raw Juice Guru provided me with one complimentary day out of my three day juice cleanse, my thoughts and opinions are entirely my own. 

an attitude of gratitude

I have a LOT to be grateful for.  Three happy, healthy, beautiful, and intelligent daughters.  A loving and supportive partner who respects me.  A vibrant and beautiful mother who just stared down cancer and sent it running for the hills. True, loyal friends. A roof over my head and food on the table.  A job that helps pay the bills.  And an awesome cat! :) Does all this make my life perfect?  Of course not!!  I have anxieties, insecurities, worries and fears, just like ALL of us.  But I strive, as best I can, to keep a positive attitude.  Admittedly, there are days when this is easy to do, other days, not so much.  Lord knows, current events in the world of late have put all of us to the test when it comes to keeping an upbeat attitude - but when I started this blog, I made a conscious decision to keep the tone positive here.  It's not that I'm taking a hide-your-head-in-the-sand attitude, and please don't call me a Pollyanna - believe me, I'm MORE than aware of the ever-more-prevalent struggles the world faces as a whole, and of the private battles we ALL fight as individuals, on one level or another.

So do I sometimes think twice then, about the relevancy of a blog I started to basically talk about my hair? You bet I do.  But on the other hand....this can also be a little escape hatch, if you will, which I can turn to as a pleasurable outlet when times are good - OR bad.  And in turn, perhaps the same for you, in some small way. So I'm just going to keep plugging along here...yep, with an attitude of gratitude.

Have you ever heard of a happiness (or gratitude) jar?

A jar of happiness! (Source)

They first came to my attention through my favourite writer, Elizabeth Gilbert. The premise is simple - at the end of every day, write down one thing on a scrap of paper that made you happy (or grateful) that day, and pop it in the jar.  At the end of the year, you should have a years worth of happiness/gratitude to reflect upon!  A great idea in principle - but I must admit, I have yet to start one.  However, I do have this blog...and it occurred to me that over the last few weeks, I've been reminded by a few events in my life that I do have MUCH to be grateful for (besides the list I opened this post with) - and I may just be sharing some of them here as a sort of "virtual" happiness jar (and in the process, sharing a few practical things with you too!) :)

In the meantime...how about you?  What do you have to be grateful for? :)

true confessions - it's going to get RAW { three day juice cleanse }

(Source)

This morning as I was flipping through my Instagram feed, I came across the above graphic, posted by the good folks at Raw Juice Guru.  It was rather fitting that they would post that today, as I ponder my upcoming three day juice cleanse with them.  It's so true, isn't it?  Of course, this philosophy can be applied to any aspect  of life - but when it comes to our eating habits, it can be especially pertinent.  It seems we're either regretting the food/beverage choices we make ("Ugh, I'll NEVER drink again"; "WHY did I just eat that huge, unhealthy takeout meal?") - OR, we are killing ourselves with self-discipline as we strive (unsuccessfully) to fit back into those jeans that we haven't worn for years.

But hang on - that's the glass half-empty approach to the above thought, isn't it?  When you take the opposite approach, and take the glass-half-full approach, using these words instead as a tool to motivate - they can be a GREAT jumping off point to the start of something very positive.  At least, that's the approach I'm going to take as I head into my juice cleanse next week - because although I strive as best I can to eat clean and healthy most of the time, the reality is (here's true confession time), I'm not always as disciplined as I'd like to be, especially during these summer months where life in general is a lot less structured, there are BBQ's to attend, and drinks on cottage docks to be imbibed.  (I know, excuses, excuses, but hey - I'm only human, people!) ;-)

So when my good friend Lynn told me she was considering a juice cleanse through RJG, I realized the time was perfect for me to do the same - to use it as a "reset" of sorts, to clear the system of toxins that I had unconsciously (really, think about that last word) been plying my body with over the past few months. Now, I'm not going to beat myself up about it, because as I say, (sh)it happens!  We're not machines, and let's face it, life would be pretty boring if we were.  But I know when I've gone off the rails a bit, and for me, the time is NOW to get back on track to healthier eating.  (Believe me, my body tells me when it's time, because after all, we really ARE what we eat). What better way to start than with a raw, organic, juice cleanse? :)

Let's get started!! (Source)

I'm totally willing to suffer the "pain" of discipline for the next week while I clear out the toxins, and invite health and vitality back into my diet (and life) via my three-day juice cleanse from Raw Juice Guru* (who use 100% certified organic ingredients in their juices). What do I have to lose - other than REGRET? :)

This is a first for me though - although I've tried other cleanses/detoxes on my own in the past, I've never tried one from an outside source before (and never for 5 days - including the pre-and post cleanse days of eating nothing but raw fruits and vegetables). I already like the idea of it though - just the thought of having a days worth of healthy sustenance delivered to my door every morning makes me feel pretty fancy! (Not to mention it takes the guess work out of what to eat for the week!) ;-)

So stay tuned - I'll be blogging more about this experience (possibly during, but definitely after). How about you?  Do you live in the GTA (greater Toronto area)?  Have you ever tried a juice cleanse?  Want to join me?  If so, be sure to check out @rawjuiceguru on facebook, twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and pinterest - lots of motivation to be found there, and they have a large variety of different programs that you can tailor to your own needs - let's do this, and feel the pain of discipline together! :)

Raw Juice Guru is kindly providing me with one complimentary day out of my three day juice cleanse - however, all forthcoming opinions will be my own. :)

easy like saturday morning {banana muffin recipe}

I'm back!  Did you miss me? ;-)

Anyway, I've got a bunch of things I'd love to write about all of a sudden, so I'll start with this, and see how far I get.  First up - another recipe!

This is an adaptation of an old family favourite recipe that we've made more times that I can count, for banana muffins.  The original recipe comes from a book that's probably tucked away on everyone's recipe bookshelf (well, at least everyone in Canada?), called "Muffin Mania", by Cathy Prange and Joan Pauli - anyone recognize this?

It dates originally from 1982 - and honestly, I don't think I've ever made a recipe other than the banana muffins - because they were THAT good.  So when I looked at my fruit stash today and saw three large overripe bananas, I knew the time had come to turn them into muffins, before the fruit flies  swooped in and claimed them for their own.

I guess it's been a while since I made these babies, because I was somewhat astonished at the original ingredient list - wow - 3/4 cup of white sugar!? :(  The time had come to modify this recipe, hopefully not at the expense of the goodness of these little treasures - and I'm happy to say, I believe I rose to the challenge! Here's my own 2014 version of the "Best Ever Banana Muffins" - with thanks to the original authors for their inspiration.  Just keep in mind, even with healthier ingredients, these are still treats!  Depending on how many people are in your household, I would freeze any extra muffins before you're tempted to eat them all! :)

Even Better Banana Muffins 
Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients

3 large overripe bananas
1/4 cup organic cane sugar
1/4 cup sucanat
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 egg
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup organic all purpose flour (I don't eat 100% gluten free - feel free to substitute another gluten free flour of choice here)
1/2 cup pecan pieces (optional)
Walnut pieces for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Heat oven to 375°

Mash bananas:

Add sugars, maple syrup, and a slightly beaten egg:

Add the melted coconut oil, and mix all wet ingredients together:

In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients together (flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt), and then add to bowl with the wet ingredient mixture, and mix together.  Sorry, for some reason I failed to take a photo of that step - but I did manage to snap a pic of my salt of choice lately - Himalayan pink salt (a bargain for under $5.00 at Costco!):

Himalayan pink salt is an unprocessed salt, which not only beautifully enhances flavours, but is also rich in mineral content (as opposed to the processed white table salt, which can actually have added sugar in it!)

Finally, add your nuts (if using) to the mixture, transfer to muffin tin, and pop into the oven:

And 20 minutes later....voila!

Then came the test - could these muffins maintain their moist, flavourful, density without a host of processed ingredients??

I think (hope?) the answer lies in the following photo:

Okay, I know it's not possible to taste the flavour or consistency of food via photos (YET), but hopefully, this photo illustrates just how delicious these muffins were.  Every bit as yummy as the original recipe.  Is there anything better than fresh muffins, hot out of the oven, with a dollop of REAL butter on them? :)  Throw in a glass of fresh squeezed O.J., and you've got just about the perfect Saturday morning breakfast.  But since this recipe makes 12 muffins - you've got one for every day of the week (and more!)

Enjoy!

'tis a gift to be simple {pesto pizza recipe}

Well, I'm telling you, this blogging thing really does have a life of its own.  One second I'm feeling guilty for not posting enough, the next, the posts just seem to materialize out of thin air, for no rhyme or reason.  Case in point - ever since I read Meghan Telpner's "Pizza night" post a few days ago, about the virtues of making your own simple version of a pesto pizza, I've been CRAVING just that - with a capital C!

For some reason, kale & walnut was the pesto of choice that I was craving.  I have no idea why that combo seemed appealing to me - perhaps it was simply because I happened to have those ingredients on hand.  Which, dear friends, is exactly the point, right?  Simplicity.

I probably could have whipped up a pesto on my own, but because I was in a lazy mood and didn't feel like experimenting tonight, I googled on up "kale walnut pesto", and found exactly what I was looking for at Love & Lemons.  So before I go any further, let's give credit where credit is due - thank you once again Meghan, for being a never-ending source of inspiration, and thank you, Jeanine, at Love & Lemons, for your gorgeous website.  I will definitely be back when I have a bit more time to ogle all your beautiful recipes!  Please take a moment to follow the above links back to the full recipes from both Meghan and Jeanine - but just because I was in the mood to take pics, here's a little step-by-step pictorial essay on how and what I prepared and ate for dinner tonight. Sorry, they're all iPhone-d this time! Remember - simple is the key word here! :)

1.  Using 4-6 smallish kale leaves, I removed the heavier part of the stems.
2.  Boil some lightly salted water.
3.  Don't forget to put the lid on!  The water will boil faster. :)
4.  Add kale to boiling water to blanch for 30 seconds.  (Why was I thinking of lobster here?)

5.  Prepare ice water bath for kale.
6.  Remove poor kale from boiling water and plunge into icy cold water.
7.  To add insult to injury, squeeze the living daylights out of the kale, which is now in shock.
8.  Absolve yourself by tucking the kale into a nice cozy tea towel, and giving it a nice loving pat. :)

9.  Add kale, 1/4 c. walnuts, 1/2 to 1 clove of garlic (I used 1 clove because I am a garlic fiend) to food processor.
10.  Juice one whole fresh lemon, add to processor.  I didn't bother with the lemon zest - just not in a zesty mood tonight.  (i.e. I didn't feel like cleaning my zesting tool).
11.  I opted to include 1/4 c. of olive oil, along with salt and pepper to taste.  Then hit that process button, aaaaaaannnnddd...
12.  Voila!!  It was all worth it!  The kale lives again in a gorgeous kale & walnut pesto!!  :)

From this point forward, it's all about the pizza - preheat oven to 350°, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Spread pesto on tortilla or flatbread of choice, and add desired toppings.  You don't really need to add any toppings, but since cherry tomatoes are at their candy-sweet best right now, I sliced a bunch of those babies up and added them to my pizza:

Mmmmm, mmmm, mmmm.  I didn't really need to bake it at this point - but I resisted - and popped those beauties into the oven for 20-30 minutes (okay, let's call it 25 minutes):

Oh BOY, I wish you could have smelled how GOOD they smelled as they were baking!  You'll just have to take my word for it.  Or try it yourself, of course. :)

And by the time my kitchen cleanup was done, it was all ready to eat:

Or should I say THEY were all ready to eat - no guilt here, I ate them both. :) Perhaps the "after" pic isn't quite as colourful and pretty as the before - but OMG, it was DEElicious - the tortilla crisped up to a  perfect crunch, the flavour of the tomatoes was rich and, well, tomatoey, and the pesto was simply perfect!

So there you have it.  Writing a blog post wasn't at all what I had originally planned for this quiet rainy summer evening at home, but sometimes these things just have a way of writing themselves.

Thanks for stopping by, and thanks again to Meghan Telpner and Love and Lemons for your inspiration and recipes!

creamy (dairy free!) pasta primavera - recipe for a good cause

At one point when I was considering a transition to all out vegetarianism, and even considering going vegan (neither of which I have done, although I do attempt to follow a primarily plant-based diet), I wondered about how to replace those comfort food dishes which I've loved in the past - you know the ones I mean - those that involve a creamy, buttery, cheesy sauce, usually served over pasta.  How on earth would it be possible to duplicate such a sauce without using, well, cream, butter, and/or cheese?

Much to my surprise, I discovered that the secret ingredient to achieving a dairy-free, vegan pasta sauce is NUTS!!  Yep, those darn NUTS can be used for just about everything... :)

More specifically, for cream sauces, the nut of choice is cashews.  Their already creamy consistency make them a natural substitute when creating a cream sauce, and when blended in combination with a few other key ingredients such as nutritional yeast (which you can buy at Bulk Barn in Canada), you'll be pleasantly surprised, like me, just how delicious your dairy free cream sauces can be.  

Recently, as a graduate of Meghan Telpner's Culinary Nutrition Expert program, I was approached to develop a main dish recipe for an upcoming charity cookbook, the proceeds of which will go towards a very worthy cause - Organics 4 Orphans.  The one stipulation in creating this recipe was to incorporate an ingredient that is completely new to me - Moringa leaf powder.  I was surprised to learn that Moringa Oleifera, commonly referred to as Moringa, is the "most nutrient rich plant known to science"!   Among the many amazing things I learned about dried Moringa, it contains, pound for pound:

• 15 X the potassium found in bananas
• 25 X the iron found in spinach
• 17 X the calcium found in milk
• 7 X the vitamin C found in oranges
• 10 X the vitamin A found in carrots

Altogether, there are 92+ nutrients are found in the Moringa tree - if this has piqued your interest, you can find ALL the amazing details about this miracle leaf here. 

Wow, right?  And all you need to do is throw a teaspoon or two of this greens powder in your daily smoothie - or in my case, in a cream sauce for pasta.  

I'll let you know when the cookbook will be available for sale (I would assume it will be in e-book form),  but in the meantime, this recipe may give you a little sneak peek at one of the many ways you can sneak this nutritional powerhouse into your every day meals! 

I didn't have to experiment too long and hard to achieve what I believe to be an absolutely delicious creamy pasta primavera - and when you add the deliciousness that is currently-in-season asparagus, here's a healthful and delicious evening meal that will have you questioning whether or not you'll ever want to make cream sauce the traditional way again... 

Ingredients

1 c. cashews (soaked 4 hours or overnight)
1 c. water
2/3 c. nutritional yeast
1 tbsp. chia seeds (to thicken)
1 lemon, juiced
2 small garlic cloves
1-1/2 tsp. moringa leaf powder
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
Pinch of sea salt
2 tbsp. Italian parsley
3 c. dry pasta of choice (I used gluten-free)
1-2 tbsp. olive oil
1 c. shitake mushrooms, stems removed, sliced
1 red bell pepper, diced large
2 c. fresh asparagus, tips only
1-2 green onions, thinly sliced

Instructions

Place first nine ingredients in a high speed blender; blend on high until smooth and creamy.

Place Italian parsley in blender with sauce, blend in short pulses on lowest speed only until roughly chopped.

Place sauce in small covered saucepan to warm over low heat.

Boil pasta according to package directions.

While pasta is cooking, prepare vegetables as outlined above.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat.

Add chopped vegetables to skillet (reserve green onion), sauté until fork tender, about 10 minutes.  (Cover skillet for last 2-3 minutes to steam vegetables to further soften if preferable):

 

Drain pasta; transfer to mixing/serving bowl. 

Cover pasta with sautéed vegetables and sauce, toss to coat. 

Garnish with green onion, toss to coat if preferred. 

Divide between 2-4 people. 

Enjoy! 

Obviously, it isn't 100% necessary to add Moringa to the recipe; however, as mentioned above, this is a wonderful way to give an already nutritious meal an added kick of SUPER nutrition!  If you're interested in trying this superfood for yourself AND purchasing with a purpose (profits from the sale of Moringa powder go to support orphans and their communities through Organics 4 Orphans) just click the link provided earlier in the post above.  You'll be doing yourself and others a lovely favour. :)

are you ready to take the no sugar challenge?

This post contains affiliate links to products or services I wholeheartedly endorse. Should you choose to make purchases through these links, not only are you supporting the companies or products I believe in, you are also throwing a little support my way. Thank you! 

A few weeks ago, we went to see the fabulous (if somewhat terrifying) new documentary by Stephanie Soechtig, Fed Up, from the producers of An Inconvenient Truth.  If you're not familiar with it, here's the trailer:

Fed Up exposes the "inconvenient truths" behind the dangers of eating processed foods, focusing primarily on the insidiousness of sugar in our so-called Western diet.  I found the movie to be extremely compelling - and only motivated me to continue further on the path of clean and healthy eating that I've been pursuing for the past year or so. (I found this review to be quite succinct in summing up Fed Up's message).

At the conclusion of the movie, the filmmakers issue their "Fed Up challenge" - to eat sugar free for 10 days - something that I would certainly encourage everyone to try - if not for 10 days, at least for 1 or 2 to get started.  (It's not easy to give up a habit we didn't even know we had!)

If giving up sugar for 10 days is something you feel you would be interested in trying, (whether you've seen the movie or not - although I would wholeheartedly encourage you to do so), but you're not sure where to start, nutritionista extraordinaire Meghan Telpner, (along with her soon-to-be Registered Holistic Nutritionist intern Alina Islam), developed their own guided 7-day sugar free challenge to help you through the process. They've put together an AMAZING program that includes:

- a 7-day sugar-free, gluten-free meal plan (with vegan options)
- Over 25 recipes
- Tips on curbing cravings
- Sugar-free recipes (and that includes honey, coconut sugar and other natural sweeteners)
- Meal planning template for your own use

And best of all, it's only $10 buckaroonies!  That's almost the cost of one sugar-laden trip to Starbucks for your favourite chilled mocha-choka latte!  I mean, it's a no-brainer people - how much easier can it get? The only catch?  This e-book download (you can download it as soon as you purchase it), will only be available for the next two weeks - so what are you waiting for? :)

Click here, or on the graphic below if you're ready to join the challenge, and ditch sugar for 7-10 days:

I'm doing it, and I already know a thing or two about healthy eating - we ALL need a little boost now and then. Who knows?  Maybe it will help you towards healthier eating overall in the process!  You can thank me later. ;-)

it's just another day

This post may contain affiliate links to products or services I use, enjoy, and wholeheartedly endorse. Should you choose to make purchases through these links, not only are you supporting the companies or products I believe in, you are also throwing a little support my way. Thank you! 

Let's start here, shall we?  You may want to listen to this as you read... :)

So....after that little classic musical interlude -  (sorry, when I was thinking about what I would write in this post, that song came immediately to mind - and I had to share it!) :)

ANYway.....I was getting ready for work this morning, and it dawned on me.   In the past year or so, since I've been attempting to take more active control of my health by making conscious changes to my diet, lifestyle, etc., my morning routine has also changed somewhat (hopefully, for the better).  And as I was standing in front of the bathroom mirror partaking in the usual morning rituals that most of us do, whether we work from home or at an office, I thought it might be fun to do a little "day in the life" (or at least start to a day in the life) post about my morning routine.  Apologies in advance if this comes across as somewhat self-indulgent - but it occurred to me that I'm quite pleased with some of the changes I've made, and that you might also be interested in some of the products I've been using that I've been happy with.

The first pertinent thing I did today was something that is still very new to me - I took a therapeutic dosage (three capsules) of of this little miracle - SierraSil Joint Formula 14.

As one who has been suffering increasingly from joint/muscle aches and pains (age related/arthritic) - but also as someone who prefers to be as pharmaceutical-free as possible, I had pretty much resigned myself to the fact that with each passing year, this was a problem that was only going to get worse. But lately, those aches and pains had seriously been encroaching on my quality of life, and the occasional doses of Aleve were starting to become more frequent (NOT a good thing - Naproxen definitely helps relieve the pain, but the dangers can outweigh the benefits).  When I had a sudden onset of severe shoulder pain last week, I was ready to try anything - and decided the time had come to try something my daughter had been recommending to me for months (yep, the aforementioned SierrasSil).  She had never tried it herself, but is of course aware of my complaints - and had been hearing repeated testimonials to it from Erin Davis, a local radio personality here in the greater Toronto area.

Maybe Meg (my daughter) had just been tired of hearing me complain of all my aches and pains, but whatever her motivation,  the time had come to take her advice - so I ponied up $60.00 for a large bottle. Now, I've learned to be pretty picky about what I'm putting in my body, and to question the ingredients of everything....so after some fairly extensive google research, I discovered that SierraSil is a legitimately all natural mineral supplement (basically derived from clay from the high Sierra mountains - hello Shailene Woodley!), and try as I might, I could not for the life of me find ANYTHING negative about it on the web.  Nothing.  Nada. It was ALL good.  So I took my morning dosage as instructed (on an empty stomach), and waited to see what would happen.  And literally OVERNIGHT my shoulder pain (which was severely impairing my ability to lift my arm) was GONE.  Gone, people!  I awoke the next morning with full shoulder/arm mobility.  Since then, I've been taking it steadily for a week - and without a word of a lie, the aches and pains that I've had for AGES have dissipated noticeably. I have no earthly idea if this is totally a placebo effect or not, but whatever it is, it's actually working for me - and I have ZERO to gain from telling you this - I'm not being paid ONE. RED. CENT. to extol the virtues of SierraSil.  Now, keep in mind we are all different - what works for one person, may not be effective for another - but it seems to be working favourably in my case.  I'll monitor my progress and let you know how I feel after a few months... :)

So, next thing I did was open up my vial of lavender essential oil, and take a deep inhale:

Instant tranquility. Honestly, I wish there was a "smell-o-blog" feature so that you could all experience the gorgeous scent of this oil.  Essential oils are extremely therapeutic - even the simple act of inhaling their scent can release chemicals in the brain that stimulate emotions - in the case of lavender oil, it has the ability to release serotonin, thus promoting a sense of calm and relaxation.  It's important however, to make sure you're buying the purest of essential oils available - i.e. 100% pure botanical extracts, and not chemical replications (chemical duplicates will not evoke the same biochemical responses in the brain).  I purchase my essential oils from Living Libations.  I was introduced to the Living Libations line of products last year, and LOVE them. Not only do they make the purest of essential oils, Nadine Artemis of Living Libations concocts an extensive line of the most deliciously pure and natural beauty products I've ever tried (which I will happily be expanding on in a future post!).   But back to the essential oils - after inhaling the calming scent of the lavender oil, I put a drop in my palms, rubbed them together, and transferred the scent to a dry skin brush for a pre-shower round of dry skin brushing:

I have two brushes - a long handled and short handled

Always brush upwards in a circular motion - towards your heart.

You can purchase skin brushes in a variety of places - I got my long handled one at my local Rexall drug store, and my short handled one comes from the Body Shop.  Dry skin brushing is one of the best things you can do for yourself, and takes less than a minute - it's detoxifying, increases lymphatic drainage, and leaves your skin glowing.  All good, right? Take a look here to watch a short video from Meghan Telpner about the how-tos and multiple hidden benefits of dry skin brushing.  :)

Shower all done, I dried my hair whilst standing on another recent purchase - my Spoonk mat:

Pardon my lily-white legs!  And I definitely recommend socks when standing on the mat!

Yep, I know.  This looks like a device of torture - a literal bed of nails, if you will.  But it's actually quite the opposite.  Working on the principles of acupressure and shiatsu massage, the Spoonk mat offers you the ability to receive the effects of the above mentioned therapies without having to travel to a therapist - and you can take it with you wherever you go.  It energizes muscles and gets the blood flowing, but can also be used to relax muscles after a workout, help relieve headaches, and increase relaxation. Maybe it works because it distracts you from thinking about other aches and pains when those SHARP little pointy discs are digging into your skin ;-), but honestly, I find it to be extremely effective - and surprisingly, a "good" kind of pain. Again - NOT being paid to endorse this - I just honestly love the positive benefits I've derived from it!

All dressed and ready to go, it was down to the kitchen for a green smoothie, and to prepare a meal to take for lunch in my mini-crock pot, (which I wrote about here).

I'll admit, I don't always have the time to fit all these things in every day - most days it's a mad scramble out the door for the commute to work - but I find that when I DO have the time for these simple morning rituals, my day overall is better for it.  At least I think I look fairly happy as I'm about to head out the door...better to start the day with a smile on your face! :)

How about you?  Do you have any morning routines/rituals/products that get YOUR day off on the right foot? :)