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Sweet Tooth?

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 02:59:49 +0100

Who doesn't love dessert?! I know I sure do, I know I will NEVER put my sweet tooth away for permanent retirement, it really does prefer working to laying low. But what I don't love is putting refined, sugary junk into my system. For a few reasons, first of all I don't like how it makes me feel when I eat white sugar, I get flying high for a while then crash, and want more sugar (what an evil cycle). I also don't like putting something into my system that is so refined and really not good for me, and lastly, I don't like missing an opportunity to get some good quality nutrients, even if it is dessert!

I get pretty crafty with dessert, I think it's a must to end a delicious meal, it's like not stretching after your workout... you HAVE to do it, it benefits you! Ok, maybe that's a stretch, but hey, I love me some dessert for real!

And nothing is better than simple, fun, flavourful, satisfying dessert, here's my no fail dessert when I'm looking for my closing ceremony....

This is as easy as it gets! I do this all the time, I just throw in whatever seasonal fruits I have laying around. This weekend it was garden fresh cantaloupe and raspberries, topped with plain Greek yogurt, a touch of agave syrup, topped with raw cacao nibs. Talk about a grand finale I can be happy with.

Snacks...in a hurry for school, work and play!

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 01:49:02 +0100

So it's that time of year again... the air has become cool at night, the floors are chilly as our warm feet hit them at 7am. Kids return to school, students begin a new semester, and adults return to the grind, the 9-5 grind that is! Over the last few days it's been more than evident summer is coming to a halt (tear), and fall is around the corner. That also means we're getting back on schedule, recovering from the last few weeks of indulgences (the beer won't drink itself right?!) and perhaps focusing again on our health. This means prep and organization, namely, packing and planning snacks for work or school to keep us healthy and energized as we get back into the swing of things.

I'm definitely a snack girl, I like eating regularly throughout the day, it keeps me going, improves my metabolism and prevents me from getting too hungry that I make bad, impulsive decisions. My theory with snacks is to try and have them handy, make them portable, and of course make them good for you!

That being said, let's browse some school, work and commuting snack options.

First up, yep you guessed it, fresh fruit and pre-cut veggies with delicious dips like hummus or baba ganoush. Fruit is a fantastic travel buddy, it literally requires no prep work, it's grab and go, and never fails to meet your nutrient needs. So my friends, find a fabulous fruit bowl and load that sucker up, buy a banana hammock, and hammock your bananas, and of course, make it visible on the counter, if you see it you'll eat it!
Always keep hummus on hand, hummus is my no fail snack option. It can even become a meal if I need it to be, throw it into a pita, add some sprouts, cucumber, tomato and you've got a great lunch.I love making my own, but if time is an issue, buying it pre-made is great as well, in fact I've only ever found 1 type of hummus with scary ingredients, 9 out of 10 of them are very clean. It's also very travel friendly and is a great companion for fresh veggies and crackers. I like getting into the habit of washing and chopping my veggies right after I go to the market or grocery store, that ensures I have a handy snack and don't let my veggies turn to liquid in a bag in the veggie drawer. Again, keep your chopped veggies in sight in your fridge, if you can't see 'em you won't eat 'em!

Here are some more no fail healthy snack options....

Another great option is rice crackers, pack with some almond butter and an apple and voila, delicious and nutritious.
organic corn chips and salsa with homemade guacamole
trailmix with dark chocolate or carob chips, try adding dried fruit as well, make sure it's organic, you want to avoid sulphites
make a fruit and protein smoothie the night before, pop it into the freezer and consume later in the day once it has thawed
air popped popcorn, top with sea salt and nutritional yeast for a high protein snack
invest in a small thermos and pack last nights left overs, like rice, stews, soups, beans and lentils
make gazpacho, no heating required!
pack good quality energy bars like lara bars, clif bars or vega bars
buy or make your own kale chip, a great alternative to the regular guys
cereal, grab a good quality box of gluten-free cereal and a box of alternative milk (rice, almond, hemp) and take this with you to the office

Have a GREAT first week back!

Strawberry Bonanza!!

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 22:13:40 +0100

So one of my favourite things to do on the weekend is basically anything outdoors! And this weekend was no different, the fam and I headed out to a local farm for some pick-your-own strawberries!

We are strawberry freaks, and we really hate buying US berries in the winter, they taste like crap, are over priced and just don't cut it. So we go out, pick our own fresh Ontario strawberries and freeze them for our smoothies all winter long. Picking your own food is very satisfying, it reconnects you to nature, you get to spend time talking with your fellow pickers, you get a great workout (hello squats!!!) and you save a ton of moolah! We got 4 huge containers full of berries, plus corn on the cob, beans, peppers and apples for $31.

You can tell you've got great berries when they aren't all enormous (can you say GMO?), are bright red in colour, and are juicy looking, nothing beats fresh strawberries. Strawberries are known for the protective antioxidant properties, and the fresher they are the more powerful!

So what's a girl to do with 7lbs of fresh strawberries?! Well I think it's no secret that I'm a huge smoothie lover, I have to have a smoothie a day, I just don't feel energized without it, and I love knowing how much nutritional goodness I can get in just one glass. I'm not just eating for myself anymore, I've got the little one to consider now and he won't have anything but the best and healthiest!

So here's what I did with my fresh strawberries.....

In this smoothie you will find, 1 scoop of Vega protein, full fat Greek yogurt, oat milk, flax seed oil, hemp seeds, kale, strawberries, blueberries, and pomegranate juice.

To save time I blend enough for the week and freeze

Share your favourite berry recipes!!

Simple Meals made FIERCE! Sexy summer eats

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 03:59:09 +0100

Ahhh summertime! How I adore thee. I can't get enough of the sun, the warm lake water, and of course the scrumptious food, found locally, and oh so fresh.

I'm definitely no chef, saying I'm a cook is even pushing the envelope quite far, but I do consider myself an 'assembler of food'. I thoroughly enjoy prepping salads, combining new flavours and chopping my veggies. In my house I'm known more as the bossy assistant, I order the meal, do a bit of the work and leave the heat and accuracy to the man! But hey, it works for us and dinners are always a blast.

I spent Saturday afternoon shopping locally at a few farmers markets, our garden, and our local friendly butcher (free range, grass fed antibiotic and GH free thank ya very much). But I still hit up my grocery store to find some cool, interesting items here and there.

Now that I'm a new Mom, I find the time I was once able to spend in the kitchen, BC (before child) are minimal, so meals have to be quick, packed full of nutrients (breastfeeding must be the equivalent of 2 full time jobs), and most of all, yummy!

So I thought I'd share my dinner in hurry, in case there are other new moms and busy workin' ladies and gents out there who also feel the time crunch with the refusal to cut out flavour and nutrition.

First up, salad! So simple, so delicious and so easy to pack full of nutrients.

In this salad you will find, kale (whenever I do kale raw I like to coat it with a little bit of olive oil to help tender it up), gooseberries, cucumber, apple and almonds.
My dressing was also pretty quick and simple, I used almond butter, red wine vinegar, chia seed oil, miso, agave, and a touch of tahini.

My next simple dinner item was a new find from Fresh Co, Jamaican pumpkin....

I tossed it with some safflower oil, cinnamon, agave, sea salt and pepper, boom. Side dish. Check.

Wrap it up in foil, and stick on the BBQ, it cooks up beautifully.

The rest of our dinner consisted of local chicken, which we stuffed with goat cheese, fresh basil and fresh red pepper, local corn on the cob and my fave pseudo-grain, quinoa. .....

Add a little vino, and you've got a wicked meal, made fresh, locally, and super tasty. Proof that dinners can be quick and satisfying to both your tastebuds AND your nutritional needs.

ENJOY!

Green Tea Gogi Limonade

Sat, 16 Jul 2011 02:13:18 +0100

So it's everyone's favourite time of the year- SUMMER! The days are long, the water is warm, your skin is bronzed... ahhhh! Nothing beats the heat! But what to do if your regular morning wake up is a nice hot cup of tea? It's a little too warm for most people to sit on their patio and sip a cup of earl grey. But fear not! I've got your tea solution... with one of my favourite combinations, green tea, ice and citrus.

If you're like me and try to avoid caffeine as much as possible, but every now and then still need that jolt of energy juice, try this beverage I created while attempting to start my day on 1.5 hrs of sleep (I love baby Zaine, but not what he does to my precious beauty sleep!) and realizing I just simply wouldn't survive without a small dose of caffeine.

So here's what I did....

Brew 5 cups of water with 3 tea bags of green tea (I like Traditional Medicinals Organic Golden green tea) for about 15 minutes and allow to cool.
Take the juice of 3 fresh lemons, leave a few rings to throw into the pitcher if desired, add to the tea
Take the juice of 5 fresh limes, leave a few rings to throw into the pitcher if desired, add to the tea
Add 2-3 tbsp dried gogi berries
3 tbsp raw agave syrup
*Depending on how sweet you like your tea, add raw can sugar, I used about 1/8 cup and found that was plenty for my palate

Serve chilled over lots of ice and you've got yourself a lovely refreshing, good for you iced lemon/lime green tea!

Waldorf Wheat Berry Salad

Tue, 31 May 2011 15:33:00 +0100

Who doesn't love a new version of an old favourite? I came up with this salad the day before I needed to go get groceries, so it was kind of a 'clean out your fridge meal'- but it turned out really well and I'll definitely make it again.

Here's the recipe, make it your own and add whatever additional ingredients you like

1/2 cup red spring wheat berries
1 3/4 cups water
pinch of sea salt.

Bring water, salt and wheat berries to a rapid boil, reduce, cover and simmer for about 1 hour, until the water has absorbed.

Once cooked, allow to cool in the fridge for about 25 minutes. In the mean time, prepare your dressing:

1/2 cup plain organic kefir
1 handful of raw, organic cashews, unsalted
1 tsp red miso
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1/2 tbsp tahini (sesame seed paste)
1 tbsp chia seed oil
pinch of dried parsley

Combine all ingredients and mix in your blender until smooth. Put in the fridge until your wheat berries are ready.

Salad:

1 large apple of your choice, cut into cubes
1 large pear, cubed
1/4 cup organic dried cranberries
squeeze of 1/2 lime
Crumbled Danish blue cheese... as much as you desire! (use feta if you're not a blue cheese lover)

In a large glass bowl, combine all ingredients, toss and enjoy!

Raw Kale & Avocado Salad

Fri, 13 May 2011 03:14:45 +0100

Ahhh yes, Spring is finally here! Gardens are being planted, birds are chirping, the daylight endures past 4pm and best of all, fresh produce is becoming readily available from local markets. It truly is one of the most bountiful and lively times of the year. It’s also a great time to start bringing your raw fruits and veggies to the dinner table!

I’m definitely a salad girl, I love an array of colours, textures and fresh, local ingredients on my plate. What I always attempt to do is simply- never re create the same salad twice. I love taking random ingredients I have in my kitchen and creating a dish I’ve never had before- you might even consider it an art. Sometimes it’s a masterpiece, other times it’s a bit of a mess. I saw some great looking kale this week at the grocery store and instantly I decided to make a fresh, raw kale salad. I wanted several things- so earthy flavours, creamy textures and zesty toppings. So here’s what I made, it was great, I made this salad for 2 other people and we all agreed, it was delish... and yet, so simple.

Here’s my Raw Kale and Avocado Salad

1 large head of kale, shredded

2 medium vine-ripened tomatoes, diced

1 avocado, cubed

½ yellow bell pepper, cut into thin strips

1 tbsp raw hemp seeds

½ tbsp black sesame seeds

The juice from 1 small lemon

2 tbsp chia seed oil

¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

Pink Himalayan sea salt to taste

2-3 handfuls of Live’s Zataar crackers, crushed gently as a topping

Did you try this salad? Thoughts?

Yummy Protein Dip

Thu, 05 May 2011 04:00:40 +0100

I adore dip. I like anything that can spice up my veggie sticks and give me some additional energy. I also love recipes that are simple, quick to prepare and pack a lot of flavour. This dip is definitely one of those recipes. I don’t normally use tofu, and I caution against over use of it, but once in a while it’s acceptable so I figured I’d give it a whirl and see what happened- it was impressive J

250g organic tofu, I used silken, but I think firm would have made the consistency a little thicker, which I recommend

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tbsp minced red onion

2 tbsp flax seed oil

½ tsp wheat-free tamari

¼ cup goats milk yogurt

2 tbsp Red Star nutritional yeast

A few leaves of basil

Pinch of dried oregano

A pinch of Herbamare seasoning salt

Combine all ingredients into a blender and blend well. Refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavours to settle.

Serve with veggie sticks, pita slices or crackers. I served mine with ricotta cheese spread over fresh red endives, drizzled the dip on top of and garnished with diced cucumbers- experiment with this dip and let me know how you made it your own!

Eat pure, eat well

The Toxic Ten- in cosmetic & beauty products

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 03:01:13 +0100

Do you know what's in your favourite beauty product? The truth is... probably not, and the scary part- we use thousands of products annually that can contribute to an overflowing toxic barrel (aka- your body) over the lifetime. Cosmetics are notorious for being laced with harmful, carcinogenic chemicals that are known to cause cancer, disrupt hormonal balance and induce allergies. These products are unfortunately something the majority of us use on a daily basis. Determine the safety (or lack thereof) of your beauty products with this list of the Top 10 common toxins found in our skin care lines, and avoid these words when shopping.

Triclosan

Found in: products labelled ‘antibacterial’, such as antiperspirants/deodorants, cleansers, and hand santitizers.

Fragrance or Parfum

Found in: various hair products, moisturizers, cosmetics, even those which are labelled ‘unscented’.

Dibutyl Phthalate

Found in: nail products

Pertrolatum (petroleum jelly)

Found in: various lip, skin, and hair products

Formaldehyde Releasing Agents (DMDM Hydantoin, Diazolidnyl Urea, Imidazolidinyl Urea, Methenamine, Quarternium-15 and Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate)

Found in: various hair products, moisturizers and cosmetics

Parabens (Ethylparaben, Methylparaben, Butylparaben or Propylparaben)

Found in: various cosmetics and moisturizers.

Sodium Laureth Sulfate & Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

Found in: products that lather, like shampoo, toothpaste, and body wash

Cyclomethicone, Clyclotetrasiloxane, Cylcopentasiloxane, or Cyclohexasiloxane

Found in: various hair products, moisturizers and cosmetics

Coal Tar-Derived Colours (P-Phenylenediamine, colours labelled “C.I”)

Found in: hair dye and cosmetics

BHA (butylated Hydroxyanisole) & BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene)

Found in: moisturizers, makeup and some fragrances.

Now, I'm definitely still a firm believer in plump lips, bronzed cheeks and sultry lashes- don't get me wrong, I'll never give up my makeup. I also refuse to smell like pine needles and borax, so I aim to find clean shampoos, conditioners and body washes and with great success, I've found many products I love even more than what I was using in the past. While it does take time to replace a large inventory of bathroom goodies it is well worth it. What I have been doing in recent months is looking at what is in my products and slowly replacing my items with ones that are safer for me, and the environment. Some brands I've introduced into my makeup case and beauty shelf include... Ecco Bella, Soap Works, Desert Essence, Physician's Formula Organic Line, Maiga, Green Beaver, Jason's, and Lavera

If you have a favourite beauty or cosmetic product you'd like to share, please comment!

My Top Picks from the 2011 Green Living Show

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 14:27:55 +0100

One of my favourite events in Toronto is the Green Living Show. It’s dedicated towards 3 things I strongly value, health, green environmental practices and delicious food! Each year I attend I look for new products, services and people who embody these 3 things. This year was no different, I got to experience like minded-people, environmentally conscious companies, organic products and food that would make you grin from ear to ear.

I’m going to highlight some of my favourite people, places and things from this years shows- now because I was working for an organic beauty care line at the show, unfortunately I wasn’t able to attend any lectures or seminars, but I did hear some great feedback from visitors, and if any one else attended, please let me know what you thought!

My top pick for Green Living Product is: Bee23 Natural Beauty Products.

This is a brand new company out of Thunder Bay, founded by mother of 4, Michelle Hamer. I met Michelle just as I was walking by her booth, noticing her tins of scented balms. Now, being pregnant, I was initially about to pass on by, not wanting to over expose myself to anything too fragrant, but something made me walk up to her when I saw the word “beeswax” on the products. Michelle started to educate me about her line and I immediately couldn’t wait to sample some of her handmade balms. The line was created based on her own experience with chemical sensitivities, a need for a natural product that doesn’t compromise lavish scent. Her balms are made in beeswax base, feel absolutely silky smooth on the skin. The rich essential oils and plant essences the products are mixed with create a light, refreshing aroma that is just at the right potency.

If anyone is looking for a clean, natural alternative to perfumes, moisturizer or lip balm, I highly recommend you check out Bee23, you won’t turn back!

My top pick for Green Living Person is: Viviana Marinacci

I met Viviana as she was walking past my booth, testing out some products. She noticed my bulging belly and we quickly started talking about pregnancy and birth. I immediately felt very comfortable around her and felt like I could divulge all my birthing fears to her. She seemed to really know what she was talking about! She asked me if I had hired a Doula, I said yes, we are working with a wonderful doula who has been a great source of comfort during this time. I asked her what type of work she did- she informed me she was a Labour Doula. I can tell you this- for knowing someone only about 5minutes, I felt like I could trust every special moment of my pregnancy and birth experience with her. She talked to me quickly about fears, about positive thinking, her own wishes in the future and most importantly gave me confidence I hadn’t really thought possible. When I got home I googled her website, A Sacred Path, and was amazed at the extent of her services. She truly is gift to all expecting mothers who are looking for a holistic, supportive, open-minded friend during their special time. Her spirit is beautiful and her passion for what she does is quite evident the second you start chatting with her. If you or someone you know is expecting or plans to conceive definitely check this girl out, she’s phenomenal!

My top pick for Green Living Eats is: Harmony Organic

While this doesn’t really qualify as food, I wanted to be different so here we are looking at the most delicious dairy products from a local source. I’ve never been much of a dairy fan, I could take it or leave it, but when it comes to chocolate milk, step aside, because nothing can stop me! And while rice, almond and hemp milk are fantastic alternatives, sometimes nothing satisfies the palate quite like a big glass of cow’s milk. This year I decided to investigate the milk I was most familiar with drinking, and actually spoke to the Director of marketing for Harmony Organics. I knew it was certified organic, but I didn’t realize how much more this company really was. First of all, if you’ve never tried Harmony, please do! The taste is beyond delicious. What I also always loved about Harmony is their use of glass bottles, yes, glass bottles, like way back in the day when milk was delivered to the doorstep. Not only are they giving consumers the option of glass bottles, they are using food grade hydrogen peroxide to clean them with instead of environmentally damaging chlorine. I love that the company’s website is very dedicated to informing consumers about its sustainable agricultural practices and environmental consciousness- for me, that’s a perfect product.

My top pick for Green Living Event is: The Conscious Food Festival

While this event has already passed, it is definitely one to look out for next year. This festival is all about bringing together great food, wine, beer, chefs, merchants, live music and consumer awareness. As more and more people turn towards sustainable food choices, this event is worth checking out so that you too can become educated, experience great products and engage with people who are like minded. You’ll get natural, delicious and local food, new and experienced chefs and restaurant exposure and have one heck of a good time doing it!