Just a little extra winter please!

So I've decided to slow down a bit and only post 3 days a week instead of 5. A girl can only give so much! It'll allow me to take more time and write better posts (I hope) and frankly my schedule was just getting too tight!

So I'll more than likely be posting Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday nights. I'm posting tonight because tomorrow morning I'm headed up north! After a wet, cold, extra February day you'd think one would want to hide out in bed. Not this gal!

I am super excited and really crossing my fingers that there will be snow out there and that we will have good weather! Bryan and I are looking to do some cross country skiing, skating, tubing (my favourite!) and probably a little INDOOR swimming. All the choices in outdoor activities really make this my ideal long weekend getaway! Who can resist being out in the wild, snow up to your knees (unless of course you're wearing snowshoes), crunching snow, softly singing birds and clear blue skies?!

All the outdoor activity makes me feel way less guilty for splurging on snacks and drinks. I know I'm counter acting the good I've done, but I don't feel nearly as bad as if I'd done nothing!

I will give myself a little challenge and say no caffeine. Now I'm not the kind of person who has a cup of coffee or tea on a daily basis but I do like an occasional cuppa joe or a warm black or green tea - especially with brunch! But with all the fresh air, activity and extra sleep on a king sized bed I'll be getting I don't think I'll be needing the extra jolt! I will be needing the extra water though, so instead of my morning coffee I'll start my day with an extra large glass of water.

Stay tuned, I have lot's planned for March!

Buckwheat Graham Crackers...

Well my plan was to post about the delicious Buckwheat Graham Crackers from Sketch-Free Vegan that I made this weekend but things have not gone as planned.

I was all excited to try my first baked good with my newly purchased buckwheat flour and coconut oil. It all started out OK. The dough mixed well and didn't taste TOO bad. Once in the oven they smelled really good. My mouth started watering as I thought about a cracker with raspberry jam (my favourite! Tastes like candy!).

Reading the recipe I thought 25 minutes in the oven was long. But I've never made crackers before, and thought maybe they needed to be in that long to get crispy. They were crispy all right. Burnt crispy!

I should have gone with my gut and taken them out when they looked golden. I shouldn't have been trying to make two things at one time so I could pay attention to what I was doing! I should have thought more about how thin I was rolling these. I should have also thought that since I was using honey instead of coconut sugar I should have considered altering the bake time.

Next time!

Here's is the recipe. They look insanely good and I am for sure gonna try to make these again! See if you have better luck!

1 cup buckwheat flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Pinch of salt

2 tbsp coconut oil

1/3 cup coconut sugar (I used 5 tsp of raw honey)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup water

1.    Cream coconut oil and sugar (honey) together. Add vanilla extract.

2.    In a separate bowl combine all dry ingredients.

3.    Add the coconut oil mixture to the dry mix and slowly add some water. Don’t add it all, as you mix add water as needed to wet the dough.

4.    Form dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Put in fridge for about 15 minutes, enough time for the coconut oil to solidify again.

5. Roll out completely flat on a piece of parchment by placing plastic wrap on top and rolling it out with a rolling pin. Peel off plastic wrap. Cut into rectangles and poke a couple times with a fork. Transfer to a baking pan using a metal spatula. Bake at 350F for 25 minutes.

Amaranth, Quinoa and Corn Chowder

This weekend has gone by much too fast! I guess that means I had a lot of fun!

I took a trip to the health food store for the first time and found so many amazing things! It's easy to spend a good hour in there (which I did) and spend lots of money (which I did). I got a couple supplements that my nutritionist suggested I get and I stocked up on some buckwheat flour, spirulina, Brewer's yeast and amaranth!

Armed with new things to try I found a recipe for Amaranth, Quinoa and Corn Chowder. I actually found this recipe several places on the internet. So, as usual I used it as a base and added some of my own touches.

Like coconut milk! And onions! And Garlic Salt! And Brewer's Yeast!

Check it out -

Instructions: 
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1.5 cups leeks (finely chopped, white and light green parts)
1 cup celery (finely diced, peel, dicing if desired)
½ cup red bell pepper (finely diced)
½ cup onion, chopped
¼ tsp salt, to taste (I used garlic salt)
1/4cup amaranth
½ cup quinoa
¼ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp Brewer’s yeast
4 cups corn kernels (thawed if using frozen)
1 cup coconut milk
3 cups veggie stock
1 cup water


Directions: 

1. In a large pot melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Stir in leeks, celery, pepper and onions. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently until veggies are soft.
2. Stir in the veggie stock and amaranth, bring to a boil. Stir in quinoa and thyme. Return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.
3. If you’re looking for a thicker/smoother soup blend 3 cups of corn with 1 cup of water then add to the pot with the remaining 1 cup of corn. I didn’t do this, I just added all 4 cups of corn to the pot with a cup of water. I boiled for another 5 or so minutes.
4. Add the coconut milk and simmer for another 5 - 7 minutes. Add the yeast. I’ve read that you should add about 1 tsp per 2 cups of soup, I didn’t do this but I think the more you add the thicker and cheesier your soup will be.
5. Spoon in a big bowl and enjoy! I splurged and made Pillsbury Crescent Rolls to eat with the soup. Yum Yum!!

 Next time I think I’ll add some chopped potato and carrots. Bryan suggested some chicken would be nice too for all you meat eaters.

Gluten Free Grains

I finally got to meet with my nutritionist today to go over the protocol she's made up for me. It was really interesting and exciting to see how all my concerns and problems are connected and that a few small changes can really make a difference!

Some of the things we focused on tonight were various supplements and foods to avoid.

While I already try to avoid processed sugars and white carbs she suggested I try avoiding gluten for the next six weeks to see how I feel. I am actually really interested in trying this and see it almost as a challenge. Buckwheat, quinoa, brown rice and amaranth are some grains she suggested I turn my attention toward. Ok...but what the heck is Amaranth!?

Amaranth grain is actually the seed from the Amaranthus plant. These seeds can be ground into a flour, popped like popcorn, used as a thickening agent in soups or stews or be cooked and prepared like rice or quinoa. This grain is great because it is high in protein, iron and calcium, all things that my body needs! It has a nutty sort of flavour and can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 months.

I don't think I've ever come across amaranth in the grocery store, so it's my goal this weekend to find it and try cooking with it. I'll have to do some research but I do like the idea of using it in a soup. A big pot of soup simmering on the stove on Sunday afternoon sounds just perfect. And something like that would be great for lunches throughout the week.

With March around the corner I figure I can really crack down and start some new habits in the coming month. I'll cut myself some slack until then ;)

Have you ever cooked with amaranth? Do you have any gluten free recipe ideas to share?

I'm Pooped!

I'm making this short and sweet, Mostly because I am SO tired. Today was day 5 in a row of workouts. And not dinky workouts. Hard workouts. Going into bootcamp tonight was death. I was already feeling tired, sluggish and sore and was totally afraid of what was to come. And, did I ever get my ass kicked.

Had I taken a rest day yesterday maybe my performance would have been better tonight. Granted, the class was difficult but I didn't even have the mental capacity to keep myself pumped and motivated. So that combined with tired muscles made for a long class.

When I walked in the door tonight I went face down, on the floor, jacket and backpack still on.

Lesson: take your rest days! You're not doing your body any good by pushing it to the max 7 days a week. That rest time is just as important as the workout time to recharge your batteries and give your body a chance to repair it's self. Plus, if you've been working hard you deserve a little break!

Tonight, after a nice shower I'm off to bed early!

zzzz!

Butter and Egg Substitutes

Lately I've been giving the recipes on the back of food packaging more of a thought. I once made some really great oatmeal cookies off the back of a No Name rolled oat package. They went over well at work! On the back of my PC Organics Milled flax seed package is a recipe for Peanut Butter Flax Cookies I thought I'd try.

It's a very simple recipe so I thought I'd do some experimenting and replace the butter and eggs in the recipe for other ingredients to make them vegan.

There are many different options for replacing butter and eggs in cooking and baking but you need to be careful when and how you're replacing them or you change the nature of the dish.

I took a chance and learned that! Alright, I'll be honest. I'm still unsure if this is a fail or victory. I like the cookies but I'm not sure if I'd serve it to guests, at least guests that are expecting the standard cookie.

Butter in cookies, specifically, is what gives them their crispiness and what helps them flatten and spread out on your pan. So when I decided to use applesauce instead of butter I knew I was going to lose that property.

Eggs help stick all your ingredients together when baking. A mushy ripe banana is a good replacement for eggs and I've used them several times. However, there will be an unmistakable hint of banana in your dish. for the most part I like it! Banana's are my favourite and they can sweeten up a cake, bread or cookie. But, if you're making something like sugar  or gingerbread cookies you may not want that flavour.

(In case you're wondering I put a dab of honey on each of these cookies)

This combination of substitutions made my batter wetter to begin with and bake in the oven more like muffins than cookies. The first time around I spooned them out onto the pan and put them directly in the oven. They did not flatten out like I was expecting but stayed exactly how I had left them on the pan.

For the next round I decided to make them smaller, roll and flatten them like thumbprint cookies. This made them much rounder and smoother, but again they looked the same coming out as they did going in.

With the little batter I had left I decided to have a little fun! I rolled the dough and covered them in cinnamon sugar. When they came out of the oven the reminded me of doughnuts more than cookies!

Tough on the outside but soft on the inside these little cookies are dense! They taste more like doughnuts or muffins than cookies. With a hint of apple and the power combination of peanut butter and banana these little guys are easy to pop! They taste good with a glass of milk and I suspect would be nice with a cup of tea. A little drizzle of chocolate wouldn't hurt either.

Ingredients:
11/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup milled flax seed
11/2 t baking powder
1/2 cup white sugar (or use 1 cup and omit brown sugar)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 ripe banana, mashed
1 t vanilla

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease your pan with oil or use parchment paper.

Stir together flour, flax seed and baking powder. Set aside.

In another bowl stir together peanut butter, applesauce, banana, sugar and vanilla then add to dry mix. Mix well until batter is smooth.

Roll about 1 tbsp of batter and place on pan, then flatten with a fork or your thumb.

Bake for about 13 minutes then remove and let cook from a couple minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

If you're looking for some more egg substitutions in cooking and baking here is what I've found from Fatfree Vegan Recipes:

Substitutes for one egg:

• A flax seed mixture, mix 1 tbsp. flax seed meal (ground flax seeds) with 3 tbsp. water in a blender.
• Half a small banana, mashed, is a good binder. 
• 1/4 cup of any kind of tofu blended with the liquid ingredients in the recipe.
• 1/4 cup of applesauce, canned pumpkin or squash, or pureed prunes are binders. These give baked goods a heavier texture, so you may want to add an extra 1/2 tsp. of baking powder. They can also flavor the finished product, so use with caution.
• Use an egg-replacer powder such as Ener-G to replace the eggs in baked goods. 1-1/2 tsp. mixed with 2 tbsp. of water.
• A heaping tbsp. of soy flour or bean flour mixed with a tbsp. of water. This mixture works similarly to vegetarian egg replacer.
• 2 T of cornstarch beaten with 2 tbsp. of water. This, too, works much like vegetarian egg replacer.

And for more information on butter free baking I found this article from about.com to be helpful. 

Family Day Outdoor Workout

We were really lucky to have such good weather for Family Day! Hopefully you all got to enjoy this long weekend.

With such sunny, warm weather I knew I needed to get outdoors for a bit so I suited up (in my very attractive winter gear) and took my workout outdoors.

Because my knee is still a little sore I took it slow and started with a 10 minute warm up walk then a 10 minute slow jog around the park.

In the middle of my workout at the park a woman stopped me and asked me what I was doing. "Have you heard of tabatas?" I answered. Tabatas are 20 seconds of intense exercise with 10 seconds of rest, repeated 8 times. For those 20 seconds push it as hard as you can!

For those who are unfamiliar with tabatas, welcome to a whole new workout! This exercise really gets your blood pumping and lungs working! It's only 20 seconds so push it :)

There is a really great spot in the park near me that overlooks part of the city. There is a small paved circular area that I am able to do my workout on so it gives me lots of space to move around without getting muddy on the wet grass. So here's what my workout looked like today.

1. 10 Minute Warm Up Walk (to the park)
2. 10 Minute Jog 
3. Knees Up Tabata - running on the spot with my knees up as high as I could get them
4. Walking Lunges - with a kick, or just a knee up
5. Skaters Tabata - jump side to side landing on one leg, swinging the other behind you. Keep your knees bent and arms moving to help propel you. For a challenge touch the ground with your opposite hand to foot.
6. Walking Lunges
7. Jump Squat Tabata - this incorporates three different squats. Start with your feet together in a chair squat then jump out to a regular squat, then jump out to a plie squat, back to a regular squat and into a chair squat. Repeat. You can also do just a regular jump squat.
8. Walking High Kicks - kick your right leg straight out and touch it with your left hand. Repeat on the other side.
9. Jumping Jack Tabata - I mixed up my jumping jacks by doing regular jacks, split jacks and cross over jacks
10. 30 Second Sprint
11. 10 Push Ups - on a bench
12. 10 Bench Dips - on a bench
13. 10 Push Ups
14. 10 Bench Dips
15. 10 Minute Cool Down Walk (home!)

You can do tabatas with just about anything, sprints, burpees, jumping lunges, push ups, skipping, the possibilities are endless so next time you're out pick your favourite move and try it out.

Now off for some much deserved R&R!

Slow Boat Ribs

So how is your long weekend treating you? So far so good for me! I've been pretty lazy watching movies, catching up on crafts and hanging out with friends. I did manage to get a good workout in yesterday and a little something at home today.

I had a funny experience at the gym yesterday. I've gotten into the habit of doing wall sits with various arm raises. Yesterday I went to a Goodlife location I don't normally visit and found it hard to find open wall space as most of the walls are either mirrors or blocked by equipment. I finally found a decent spot behind a pillar and some old equipment people we not using. I did my wall sits then took a step back to do some burpees. When I turned around to return to my weights some buff guy was using my little 5 pounders for arm raises himself. I gave him a look and he immediately returned my weight and apologized, then continued doing arm raises with some other weight right next to me. I'm going to reiterate that I was in the most awkward spot in the gym, behind a PILLAR, far away from the free weight area. The gym was nearly empty. Why, why, why was this big gym rat using wimpy 5lb weights and why did he have to be in my little, secluded area?! This and the guy sitting behind me in the stretching area wearing dark sunglasses made for an interesting gym visit.

It's probably what drove me to eating a bunch of chocolate yesterday afternoon.

I'm also admiring these lovely roses Bryan got me for Valentine's Day. Sorry to rub it in. But, these flowers are beautiful and are only looking prettier with time.

Now how about some food?

Even though I won't eat meat I'll make it for Bryan if he buys the meat and asks nicely. So, the other night I made him ribs in the slow cooker. I've made them in the oven before but on a weeknight that's a lot of work. These ribs did go in the oven for about 15 minutes once out of the slow cooker but other than that they were really no work. And according to him they were delicious!

I found an easy rib recipe from Mmm...is for Mommy and went with it, making changes that worked for us.

The night before putting them in the cooker I wrapped them up in foil with a rub made from paprika, brown sugar, cayenne pepper and salt and pepper.

After spending the night soaking up the spices I threw them in the slow cooker, meat side down, and slathered them in a whole lotta BBQ sauce. My slow cooker is much too big so the more sauce the better  to prevent the ribs from drying out.

8 hours later on low they came out of the cooker so tender and smelled incredible. The meat was already falling off the bone but they still had some time under the broiler to go.

Using the BBQ sauce left in the slow cooker we basted the ribs and put them in the oven on broil for about 5 - 7 minutes each side. Basting each side as we flipped them.

Once on the table they didn't last long!

Ingredients

1.5 tbsp sweet paprika 

1 tbsp light brown sugar, lightly packed 

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper 

S&P to taste 

2 lbs pork (baby) back ribs - leave the membrane on the ribs to help hold them together

1 cup barbecue sauce (I used what ever it took to cover the ribs and more. You can never have too much, especially if you like it saucy!)

Directions 

In a small bowl, mix together paprika, brown sugar, cayenne and S&P.  Rub this mixture all over both sides of your ribs well. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.  

In the morning cover bottom of the slow cooker with some BBQ sauce then arrange ribs in the slow cooker meaty side down, flat on the bottom.  Pour barbecue sauce over the ribs, cover completely and cook for 6-8 hours on low (I did 8 hours).  

Remove the ribs from the slow cooker and place them on a baking pan, bone side up. Set to the side.  Turn on the oven broiler and make sure there is a rack 10 - 12 inches from the element.

Remove any fat that has risen to the top of the remaining sauce/juices from the slow cooker and throw it into a small saucepan.  Bring to boil and allow to simmer for about 15 minutes.  

Brush the ribs with half the sauce sauce and broil for 5 minutes.  Take them out and very carefully flip them over, and cover in sauce and broil again for approximately 7 minutes. The top will get a little chewy with the sauce but the meat will remain very tender. Serve and enjoy!

Eggplant Parmesan is in the Air

I believe spring has arrived. Today was warm and wet and reminded me of those first spring days when you were a kid and you could finally enjoy recess again! My friend Melissa and I were talking about how when we were kids you knew it was spring when all the girls got their jump ropes out again and spent recess skipping and singing rhymes. She sang one for me!

"Cinderella, dressed in yella,
went upstairs to kiss her fella.
By mistake she kissed a snake,
How many doctors did it take?
1...2...3...4...(etc)"

And I have to share another one I used to sing!

"Strawberry shortcake
Huckleberry pie
who will be your lucky guy
a,b,c,d,e,f,g (ect)."

Lol, I have fond memories of tripping on a letter and all the girls screaming a boys name in the class, then us all giggling in horror and disgust! Boys still had cooties then!

Skipping doesn't just have to be for kids either! It's a great workout and really gets your heart pumping! Try sneaking it into your workout sometime to mix things up. I guarantee you won't be able to stop that smile from creeping across your face!

For Valentine's Day dinner I decided to go all out. I made two dinners, one for Bry the meat eater and one for me, the vegetarian. We did share a salad to start and easy homemade Black Forest Cake for dessert. Tonight I want to share with you my delicious, delicious meal.

Eggplant Parmesan.

This picture really doesn't do the dish justice. It was perfectly crispy, cheesy, soft and saucy. Bryan suggested that you could even eat this as a Parmesan Sandwich instead of a casserole and I think he's brilliant for it! That's how I'll be eating the left overs this weekend!

It was pretty simple to make and was quite filling. It goes great with a salad but would also be good with pasta or couscous. I'd actually like to make it again but with some breaded zucchini as well!

I mean just look at it layered before the cheese was melted.

I was too excited to eat this that I didn't get nearly enough beauty shots of the final dish!

Try it for yourself and you'll understand what I mean.

Ingredients

1 cup unseasoned bread crumbs
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 t dried basil
2 or 3 eggs
1 large eggplant cut into thick slices
1 jar of your favourite tomato sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and lightly grease a baking pan.

In a small bowl mix the bread crumbs, Parmesan and basil well.

In a shallow bowl beat your eggs. One at a time dip the eggplant slices in the egg then set them in the bread crumb mixture to coat well. I coated them as much as possible! Then, place the slices on your pan.

Bake your eggplant for 15 minutes then turn them onto the other side and bake for another 15 minutes. Remove from oven.

Finally, grab a casserole dish (ideally 9 x13, mine was a little small) and cover the bottom with about 1 cup of pasta sauce. Place the eggplant slices over top then cover them with another layer of sauce then 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat the layering with the remaining ingredients.

Return the dish to the oven to bake for another 20 minutes or until the cheese has fully melted. ENJOY!

Now just for a tease, here is all that's left of Bry's dinner...

*Adapted from the Looneyspoons Collection

Ahh, Push It!

Anyone else got the Post-Valentine's Day Glow? Now get your heads out of the gutter! What I'm talking about is more of a hangover. After indulging on some heavy foods, sweet treats and one too many glasses of wine I'm feeling pretty sluggish today. And I won't mention all the chocolate I ate too! ;)

I've got bootcamp session number 4 tonight and am actually excited to go to sweat out some of the junk I put in my body the last two days. I might regret that later when I'm lying flat on my stomach unable to complete my minute of push ups.

My arms are not the strongest part of my body but they have come a long way in the last year and I'm pretty proud of the little muscle I have gained there. Some of that comes in thanks to push ups. I can actually do 10 in a row now! On my toes!

There are all kinds of different variations on the push up and it easily becomes a fully body work out with a few modifications. Below are a few common push up variations but if you do a quick search online you'll see that there are easily 100 different kinds of push ups out there. The best part about push ups is that they can be performed any where. So find yourself some space on the floor, outside, on the balcony, in the bedroom, anywhere and try these out!

Push Up - On your toes, hands/arms out just wider than shoulder distance, lower yourself to the ground with your elbows pointed away from you out to the sides. Keep your back flat and squeeze your bum to protect your back.

You can also do this on your knees if you're looking for something a little less intense. OR, to challenge yourself put your feet up on a stool or bench. Elevating your feet makes you work against gravity making it harder but also making you stronger!

Chaturanga Push Up - This should be familiar to all you yogis out there. On your toes or knees, hands shoulder width apart, slowly lower yourself to the ground keeping your arms tucked against your sides, your elbows should be pointed straight back.

Diamond Push Up - Regular push up stance but put your hands side to side, fingers spread and thumbs and pointer fingers touching. Lower yourself to the ground with your elbows pointed away from you, out to the sides.

Dive Bombers - This one is a little different, you are actually supposed to stick your bum up in the air! Set yourself up as if doing a normal push up, then stick your bum up in the air keeping your arms and back in a straight line. Keep your head down and look towards your feet. Bring your head and chest toward the floor bending your elbows out to the sides. This is going to feel weird, but try to keep your arms and back as straight as possible and think about touching the top of your head to the floor.

If you're feeling up to it, complete the push up by looking forward and push your chest through your arms and forward keeping your hips low to the ground. You'll end up almost in an upward dog pose. Push back to your start position and repeat.

Staggered Push Ups - Start in a regular push up, but put one hand a little forward more than the other and do a push up. Return you hand under your shoulder and repeat on the other side.

Half-Crow Push Ups - Let's get your core and legs into it. Start in a regular push up, as you lower yourself down bring your right knee out to the side to meet your right elbow. Repeat on the other side. You will be twisting at your core. Remember to keep your back straight and bum down.

Check out Chris' blog Little Black Dress Fitness Tips for some more push up variations.

"Pancakes is Ready"

Happy Valentines Day!

Take some time to spread a little love to friends and family, and don't forget to treat yourself!

xo

Peanut Butter Energy Bites

I'm getting ready to head off to bootcamp tonight and am starting to panic as I realize I haven't drank nearly enough water today. I find if I don't get enough water in during the day my energy levels just plummet as soon as I start working out. I'm going to try to get another glass in before class which should do the trick. Let's just hope I don't start doing the pee dance in the middle of my workout!

After a weekend of sweets and treats I think I'm just about back on track today. Besides the hot chocolate to try and warm up this afternoon I did good with a spinach-berry smoothie for breakfast, veggies with brown rice and lentils for lunch and carrots and an apple for snacks. Dinner will probably be some salad and a hard boiled egg. Until then I've got these little energy bits to keep me going!

These little things are like cookies, and once you pop one you just cant stop.

After making the Date Balls I’d been seeing a lot of different options for “bites” out there and was specifically looking for one that had oats in it.

That’s when I came across these Energy Bites. Modified from the recipe I found on Gimme Some Oven these delicious bites are filled with oats, dried fruit, nuts, and my favourite, flax seeds.

Bryan doesn’t really like coconut so I get these babies all to myself! If when I make these again I’ll omit it and try some chocolate chips instead – that will please his palate!

The recipe is pretty flexible so feel free to make your own substitutions, chocolate chips, raisins, almonds, even dried blueberries would all be good additions.
No-Bake Energy Bites Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup (dry) oatmeal (I used old-fashioned oats)
1 cup toasted coconut flakes
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup ground flaxseed
¼ cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp. vanilla

Directions

Stir all ingredients together in a medium bowl until thoroughly mixed. Let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour. Once chilled, roll into balls of whatever size you would like and eat! Whatever you manage to have left over you can store in container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

These soften up pretty quickly when not in the fridge so try and store them in a cool dry place when traveling.

Spicy Carrot Muffins

We went for a little road trip this weekend up North and as usual I wanted to make something special for the road. I'm a huge fan of car snacks! How can you not be? You, the open road and all kinds of goodies just jive!

I hadn't made muffins in a while and had some cute paper liners I wanted to use - decision made.

Now, I’ll admit, the last time I made muffins with vegetables in them I was severely disappointed. No matter what anyone says I just don’t think chocolate and zucchini go good together! But, I got a muffin cookbook for Christmas from my mom, and mom's usually know best, so I figured I had nothing to lose by trying this Carrot Muffin recipe.

These muffins looked just sweet enough but to add a little kick I decided to add cayenne pepper (risky!). I think it makes them kind of fun! I really like it, but, if you’re not a spice fan you can easily omit the pepper.

Grating the carrots was definitely the messiest part! If you’ve got a food processor throw the carrots in there, otherwise, a cheese grater and apron will do!

This is a pretty simple recipe and doesn't involve much more than throwing everything into a bowl and stirring. If you're lucky enough to have an electric mixer it will make your life a lot easier. But if you're like me, mixer-less, take the opportunity for an added arm workout and mix the s*** outta it with a wooden spoon!

These muffins come out soft and buttery with a kick!

Ingredients

¾ cups butter, room temperature
½ cup brown sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1 T water
1 cup carrots, grated
1 cup flour (I used whole wheat)
1 t baking powder
½ t baking soda
1 T cinnamon
¼ t nutmeg
¼ t cayenne pepper
½ t salt

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease a muffin tin (I used some pretty muffin paper cups I had!)

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy using an electric mixer or brute strength.

Beat the egg with the water and add to the mixture.

Stir in your carrots.

Slowly add the remaining ingredients and stir to blend.

Spoon into your muffin tin and bake for 30 - 35 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the centre of the muffin comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes before removing them from the tin.

A DIY Winterlicious

So excited for dinner tonight! Bryan and I are going to Ouzeri, a Greek restaurant on The Danforth, for dinner. We'll be trying their Winterlicious menu. For those who are unfamiliar with Winterlicious and Summerlicious it's 2 weeks (in winter and summer) where over 100 restaurants around the city offer a pre-fix lunch or dinner menu at a set price, either $25, $35 or $45. It's a great time to try new restaurants or more expensive restaurants you might not usually be able to dine at.

I found it a little difficult to find a place to go this year since I was looking for a menu that served great veggie dishes for me and something meaty for Bryan. We've never been to Ouzeri and certainly haven't been to the Danforth in a while, but we both love Greek food so it looked like a great option. I'll try to take a picture of my meal if I remember, if only to make you jealous!

We're headed up north this weekend to hopefully find some snow! I'm dying to get in a hike and there really is no better way to get your exercise in than being outdoors.

Now if I may geek out on something a little different today...

We're looking to spruce up our apartment a little more this year. We've been here for just over 7 months now but we agreed it doesn't feel quite like home yet. Since we can't paint we need to come up with some other ways to turn our cookie cutter rental into a personal paradise. We're thinking some new curtains, pillows and lamps might do the trick. I'd also like to do some little DIY projects.

Last fall I repainted an old desk I had, it was my mothers when she was a kid so I just couldn't bring myself to getting rid of it. I sanded it down and repainted it a cream colour then lined the drawers with some fun patterned paper and hodgepodge. I'm really happy with it now! Anyway, that project really gave me the DIY bug.

I'd thought it would be nice for me to have a corkboard next to the desk but since my desk is in the corner of the living room I'm thinking I need something a little more stylish than one you can buy at an office supply store. I did some digging and found a really cute idea from mint love social club!

Best of all it incorporates plants! I think it'll add some colour to the room, which is exactly what we're looking for, and give me a little but more office space.

While I was poking around the DIY world I checked out Mollie's blog Wild Olive as I so frequently do because her stuff is so adorable, and I found the most adorable project I MUST complete! I have left over felt from some Christmas crafts and would love to pull them out again and make this sweet slice of smiling cherry pie. Wouldn't you love to have this little guy looking back at you!

Have a great weekend!

Berry Banana Oatmeal

If you can believe it some mornings I’m just too lazy to make a smoothie. I know, throwing things in a blender is tough. Besides boring old cereal I wanted to make something for breakfast that was quick and easy.

Now let me side track a moment. When I was a teenager I was a lot pickier than I am now. In fact, in my high school yearbook from my graduating year my Words of Wisdom (written in ink, beside my photo, forever) were “Listen to John Mayer and never eat.” I’ll forever be remembered as the anorexic girl! This is funny because 1. I may have been picky but I was definitely NOT anorexic and 2. What I was trying to say was “Listen to John Mayer and never eat OATMEAL.” Never eat OATMEAL!!

I hope the yearbook editor was fired.

Well, I’m eating my words now because I do enjoy a bowl of oatmeal! To make my life super easy in the mornings I decided to make an oatmeal bake. It’s easy to make batch one night and reheat some in the morning for brekkie – instant oatmeal!

Those store bought packages of oatmeal are filled with sugar and never really fill you up. By making it at home you have control over the ingredients and I can be sure that this will keep my going until lunch time.

As usual, using what I had in the freezer I modified an oatmeal bake recipe to suit my needs. Feel free to do the same! Sub in apples, peaches or even cranberries for something different.

Berry Banana Oatmeal

Ingredients
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup walnuts & almonds, chopped
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 cup milk
1 large egg
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ripe bananas, sliced into 1/2-inch thick pieces
3/4 cup frozen mixed berries
Ground cinnamon to taste
Pinch of salt

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Grease or spray a 1 and 1/2-quart casserole dish with either butter or spray.
3. In a bowl, toss together the oats, half the nuts, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
4. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, milk, egg, melted butter, and the vanilla.
5. Place half the sliced banana in a single layer in the bottom of the prepared casserole dish. Cover with half your berries and half the oat mixture. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
6. Layer the nuts on top with another pinch of cinnamon.
7. Drizzle the milk mixture over the oats, making sure to distribute the milk as evenly as possible.
9. Bake the oatmeal for 35-45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the oats have set.

Now I messed up a little and forgot step three completely! So, I threw all the nuts and cinnamon on top. I whisked the baking powder and a pinch of cinnamon and salt in with the milk mixture. It all goes down the same way right!

Banana's = Potassium = Love

Thankfully I wasn’t feeling too sore today from bootcamp last night, I even had the energy to go to a BodyCombat class at the gym! I was famished after all that punching and kicking so wanted something protein rich yet light when I got home.

Smoothie time! I hadn’t had one for breakfast so I was also craving a liquid meal ☺ It just so happened I was also craving peanut butter, banana and spinach so I whipped it all up and poured into a tall glass. I tried to sip it but it just went down so smooth!

Bananas are a great post workout snack because they are rich in potassium, a mineral responsible for maintaining the fluid and electrolyte balance within your body. Basically potassium helps keep you hydrated. If you feel weak or crampy after a workout, try fueling up on other potassium rich foods like fish, oranges, avocado, bell peppers and nuts, to restore your blood cells and eliminate excess sodium built up in your body. Don’t forget to keep drinking water too!

Ingredients:
1 frozen banana
1 cup of soymilk (I used almond milk today because that’s what I had in the fridge)
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
2 tablespoons of peanut butter (and go for the all natural stuff!)
1 heaping tablespoon of ground flaxseed
2 handfuls of baby spinach
½ half-cup water as needed

Directions:
Drop everything in the blender, starting with the wet ingredients and process until completely smooth. Serve cold.

Delicious!

Burpees - Excuse Me!

Well tonight was the night. Back to the grindstone. Nose to the ground. Petal to the metal. Dive right in. Take no prisoners! It was back to Bootcamp for me! No, not booty camp (although my back side will benefit) and not the kind of bootcamp you see in the movies with big buff dudes screaming at sad looking participants. This bootcamp is for strong, warrior chicks, chicks that want to improve their fitness and feel sexier, more confident, happy and SWEATY. Best of all these badass chicks are doing this for themselves and no one else!

I started an 8 week bootcamp with Fit Chicks here in Toronto, with Head Chick Amanda. For some reason I was super nervous to get started again tonight and was sweating long before class began. But, it didn't take long to remember why I'd signed up for class again. It's fun!

Although I've been working out on my own at the gym and taking classes at Goodlife it's got nothing on Amanda and her workouts. The fast paced hour class is challenging I am not going to lie, and there are many times throughout the class where I feel like I just can't keep up. But, somehow you and the other girls in the room just keep moving. By the time you're stretching at the end of the class, sitting in a pool of your own sweat, you think for a moment "that wasn't so bad" and smile.

The full body workout gives your legs, butt, tummy, arms and heart a run for it's money. Amanda is really great at checking on you and will adjust you if you're doing a move incorrectly to make sure you're getting the most out of your workout. I think the best thing about Fit Chicks is the sense of camaraderie between the girls around you. If you're really struggling with a set of squats or sprint around the gym you know you can look to the girl next to you, flash a desperate smile and get a bigger smile back. You're in this together, to motivate each other and cheer each other on!

Tonight we did a lot of burpees. Burpees are my nemesis. If you're not familiar with what a burpee is here is the wikipedia definition...

1. Begin in a standing position.
2. Drop into a squat position with your hands on the ground.
3. Jump your feet back in one quick motion to assume the front plank position.
4. Return to the squat position in one quick motion.
5. Return to an upright standing position.

Do that in one quick motion and tell me how you feel.

Now bring it up a notch! Instead of just standing (in step 5) jump up in the air, arms raised, from the squat position. OK, now once in plank jump your legs wide then back together before jumping back to a squat.

Still not enough? Try adding a pushup when you're in plank position.

Yeah, not easy right. Nothing is harder than that jump out to plank!

To fuel up after my workout I had some plain greek yogurt with a few almonds, blackberries, oats and honey and of course lots of water.

Don't worry! I did make sure to even out all the good I did my body tonight by eating some leftover pumpernickel bread from yesterday - oops.

Pizza Roll Ups

The weather this weekend was incredible! If I didn't now it was February I would have thought it was April. Yesterday I was lucky enough to have a Rebecca morning, I went to my 10am yoga class then treated myself to a latte and a manicure. After a little walk in the fresh air I finally made it home.

That was the calm before the storm! This morning was hectic, I had to fit in some chores before having some family over for lunch. My mom, sister, aunt and two cousins all came over for a vegetarian pot luck lunch, some laughs and a look through our Bubie's (mom's) old jewelry. She had some wonderful costume pieces and some very pretty precious pieces. Of course there were a few "what were you thinking pieces" and that's what brought on the laughter!

I knew I wanted to have some fruit available to everyone but didn't want just a plain old fruit tray. I'd done a little research and found an idea for fruit kabobs!

I also decided to take advantage of having an oven and made vegan pizza roll ups. These were super easy and really delicious! The best part is that you can throw in any ingredients you want. I've been wanting to try Daiya, a vegan cheese product, for a while and thought this would be a good opportunity. The cheese didn't have to be the centre of attention so I wasn't too worried about finding out I didn't like the cheese.

For the crust I used Pillsbury Crescent Rolls. I rolled them out on a baking sheet and slathered them in pizza sauce.

Hawaiian pizza was always my favourite when I was still eating meat, so I wanted to see if I could satisfy my cravings with a vegan version, using the Daiya, veggie dogs and chopped fresh pineapple. I also made a few with red peppers and mushrooms for those who don't like fruit on their pizza.

I simply rolled them up and baked them for about 10 minutes as directed on the crescent roll package. They came out warm, soft, cheesy and oh so delicious! They seemed to go over well with the girls and no one realized it wasn't real mozzarella cheese - score!

Vegan Hawaiian Pizza Roll Ups

Pillsbury Crescent Roll Dough
A Veggie Hot Dog, thinly sliced
Thinly Chopped Fresh Pineapple
Diaya Mozzarella Style Shreds
Pizza Sauce

Preheat your oven to 375. Roll out and separate the crescent rolls on an un-greased baking sheet.

Cover the triangles in pizza sauce and place the toppings on the thick end of the roll.

Roll up the crescent rolls to completely cover the toppings.

Place in the oven and bake for 10 - 13 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.

Next time I think I want to add more sauce or heat some on the side for dipping. I'd also be a little more liberal with the toppings, it will make it harder to roll but I do believe bigger is better!

Cinnamon Popcorn and Chair Yoga

TGIT, am I right! Sometimes I feel more relief on a Thursday than I do on a Friday. Once I've made it to Thursday I now my week is over, who really works hard on a Friday?!

To help me get through the day I had a quick 15 minute yoga practice! My work buddy, Sam, is completing her yoga teacher training and shared a few simple moves you can do at your desk to stretch things out. Today 5 of us opted to sit in the kitchen for 15 minutes to do these poses and boy did it work wonders! I immediately felt more alert and refreshed! So thank you Sam for the mid day practice.

I came home tonight after some retail therapy and decided to have a little treat. Popcorn! Not movie theatre, buttery popcorn, just plain old dry popcorn. OK, not quite. I did add a little seasoning, sugar and cinnamon! Who knew they would compliment the popcorn so well? I did put on a little bit of oil to help the sugar to stick to the popcorn (you could also use some melted butter, I was too lazy). Mmm, it reminds me of when I was a kid and would butter a piece of toast and slather it in cinnamon sugar!

So tomorrow's goal it to get up early (ha!) and get in a little exercise. Even 15 minutes. If today taught me anything it's that it only takes 15 minutes to feel good. Some push ups, jumping jacks, squats, lunges and a few crunches should do the trick and it will put me on track for my busy weekend.

Saturday I'm hoping to attend Sam's yoga class in the morning. After days of rough workouts I'm ready for a good stretch. Her 10am class is the perfect time! I love getting home before noon knowing I've done my body good. It puts me in a great mood and gets me out the door early.

After some much needed cleaning I have a goodbye dinner for my sister to attend. She's headed out to LA to finish her BFA in Musical Theatre. I may be biased but she's got an amazing voice, you should all expect to see her on Broadway someday! We're going to a Chinese restaurant that also serves Canadian cuisine, so I'm hoping a vegetarian semi-healthy dish is attainable.

I'll have some fun recipes to share with you Sunday as the girls are coming over for a little potluck. Think colour, crescent rolls and Daiya.

Lesson Learned

Today was a great day! I got up and out of the house at a reasonable time. I had a chocolate avocado smoothie on my way into work. I was full until lunch! Enjoyed a slice of leftover pizza from the weekend, had some salad for an afternoon sack and went to the gym and killed it at my BodyPump class.

I needed something small to eat for dinner tonight and after debating between oatmeal and soup, the minestrone soup won! Mainly because all I had to do was boil it. I threw in some quinoa for some extra protein since it was just one of those dry packaged soups.

As that boiled I also made a couple hard boiled eggs to add to my salad tomorrow. I won't be going to the gym tomorrow so I'm making a bit of a heartier lunch so I can make it home for dinner.

Admittedly I had some crackers with delicious Rhubarb & Ginger jam from a small bakery up North while I waited. I just couldn't resist!

Finally my soup was done and I began to feast! That's when Bryan came into the room wondering what that great smell was. It did smell rather smoky and I wondered what gave it that scent, so I checked the ingredients.

There is was, staring back at me. Beef Fat.

For those who don't know, I decided to go vegetarian in November and besides a special work dinner at a non-vegetarian friendly restaurant early on, and a carrot soup where I was later told was made with chicken stock I have held true to that decision. But, in both those cases it was out of my control. Today, I was simply lazy and didn't check the ingredients. I know that worse could have happened, and it's not like I ate a steak! But, it's still the principle of it. I'm either going to do it or I'm not. So I'm a little disappointed with myself. Even when you think something is OK for you to eat, it's better to read the ingredients and be safe rather than sorry.

Needless to say Bryan is happy because he's got some leftover soup for free! The jokes on him though 'cause he's doing the dishes.