Chickpea of the Sea!!

Hello Everyone! 

I hope you are all doing well :) 

Well. . . Two weeks till race day and I have to admit that I am a little bit intimidated. Yikes! I guess that's normal but I was really hoping not to be! Training this time around has been hard, like really hard, and for this marathon I am unfortunately just hoping to finish, never mind set a pb! Boo :( I just might have taken on a bit more than I can chew (you are right it is rare that I would ever admit to that); running the full marathon ten months after having baby #3 (and no, he is not sleeping through the night) Boo again :(

BUT

I am stubborn (like pushing a solid wood dresser up a flight of stairs by myself because I don't want to wait till Paul gets home kind of stubborn) and I will not back down!! So I am praying to the running Gods to carry me through. . . . I will let you know how that goes (I'm not holding my breath) but in the mean time. . . lets have a sandwich!

Today we are eating Chickpea Salad Sandwiches- I know- so yummy right? If you are not as excited as I am right now just scroll down to the pics and take a look at just how great this looks!! Seriously.

I love this recipe because it really isn't a recipe in the traditional sense; it's very flexible with what ever you have in the fridge and it makes a great tasting, healthy lunch, dinner, snack- whatever!

It's based on the traditional salad style sandwich fillings aka: tuna, salmon, ham- whatever but this one is compassionately chickpea based ;)- Yum!

I could eat this everyday- I'm not even joking.

Here is the recipe!

Chickpea Salad Sandwich (Vegan, Gluten-free)

Makes approximately 2 1/2 cups of sandwich filling or enough for 3 sandwiches or wraps

Ingredients: 

1 can chickpeas rinsed and drained
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup finely chopped red pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped cucumber and/or celery
1 dill pickle diced or 2 tsp pickle relish
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp capers
1 tbsp horseradish
1 tbsp Dijon grainy mustard
1 tbsp Veganaise 
1 tsp old bay seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste

Whole Grain Bread and Spinach or lettuce of choice for sandwich

Combine everything except bread and lettuce (duh??)  in a bowl and mash with an old fashioned potato masher and elbow grease - leaving as chunky or smooth as desired! Place between bread, on a slice of toast or in a wrap and add whatever fixin's you like! Manger!!

This recipe is totally adaptable- don't have red pepper- leave it out. Don't like cucumbers- no worries! Some great options are finely chopped radishes (Daikon is a great radish choice), carrots, green onion, hell, go crazy- what about artichoke hearts or water chestnuts- your fridge is your oyster people!! 

Let me know what you all think!

Eat good and be happy :)

Chocolate Cupcakes!! Vegan & Gluten-free (Amazing)!

Oh my goodness- it has been a while since I posted but you know things start to get away from you and build up and bang! you are constantly trying to catch up!! Aaarrgghhhh!

Before I get to the chocolate I have to share quickly an experience I think everyone should have once in their life- if not multiple times! I went for a 14 mile run yesterday, it was 18 degrees but cloudy so it wasn't too hot and around the ten mile mark I got caught in a complete downpour- and I mean pouring rain- it was really something, I got soaked right down to my undies! I actually had to wring out my clothes when I got home! It's strange because I have been running for a few years now and I can't remember it ever happening to me before (and I run rain or shine), and it was so exhilarating! It was amazing, I can't believe how fresh everything smelled and felt. The landscape was bursting with life and the air was so clean! People driving by must have thought I had completely flew the coop 'cause I had the biggest grin on my face (for about 20 minutes- and than I started to feel a bit of a chill.) But those 20 minutes were totally worth it! Now, I am not saying the next time there is a thunderstorm grab your runners and hit the puddles but. . . don't let a couple of clouds deter you from getting out there- you might just get to experience something real, something that will make you feel alive in a world we are so used to driving through!

Just some thoughts. . .

Anyway :)


On to the reason for this post- Love :)


I have fallen in love!
He is dark, smooth, rich. . . . and covered in frosting!

He is the Vegan Chocolate Cupcake and what makes him so amazing is that he is gluten-free and doesn't taste like a sponge soaked in tar!! This recipe is from Minimalist Baker and I have made it a few times now and it always turns out amazing! Here is the link.

This recipe is so simple especially since every time I make it I sub out the beet puree, which, don't get me wrong, would be amazing but I just don't have that kind of time. Instead I use applesauce and the cupcakes come out so fluffy- it's crazy!! I also usually sub out the almond flour (cause it's just too darn expensive and I can't seem to grind my own almonds super fine at home) with another 1/4 cup of oat flour and 1/4 cup of sorghum or all purpose flour blend. I am so glad I came across this recipe! Thank you Minimalist Baker!!

Here they are before frosting!

I do have to apologize as my photographic skills leave much to be desired!

I did not use the frosting recipe that is with the cupcake recipe- I've used a basic buttercream recipe that I make vegan but today I have tried a new recipe (trying to be on the healthier side of frosting, if that's possible) and I'm super excited because it only has two ingredients and it doesn't use any super processed fats like vegan butter or shortening. It is 2-ingredient Chocolate Fudge Frosting and the recipe is from the Oh She Glows website.

I had to add around 2 more tablespoons of liquid to the frosting to be able to whip it nicely and it turned out amazing!! It tastes really good, not too sweet but a rich chocolate flavour :) Must Try!!

Here they are all pretty in frosting!

If you have a gluten intolerance or are just staying away from it than give these recipes a try. You will not be able to tell it is a gluten free cupcake never mind vegan to boot! Yay!!

I just love it when things turn out!

Next up- my chickpea of the sea salad- perfect in a wrap or sandwich! Pair it with a bowl of steaming hot dairy free tomato soup and lunch is served- approved by my 5-year old son too :)

Have a great week all!!

Summer Spinach Salad with Kathy's Poppy seed Dressing!!

Happy Easter to everyone! I hope you all had a lovely weekend! We just wrapped up March break and we were able to spend most of it at Paul's family's cabin in Falcon Lake and it was great- though not as relaxing as I was hoping! Boston got sick and cut a new tooth at the same time (lovely) and so sleeping was just about impossible BUT I realize now that when you have such little sleep all the time it's almost as if you are living through a dream; everything is kind of surreal and hazey and, I'm not sure how to achieve this, but if you get just the right amount of lack of sleep you completely bypass the grouchy stage and kind of just become catatonically complaisant; it was great.
One of the things I most look forward to at the lake is running! Especially in the spring when the water's still frozen so your outdoor activities are limited to land. It is much harder there because of all the hills but that's what makes it fun! The best thing about running a hilly route is the fact that you get immediately rewarded after every up hill with a down hill :) Laugh (or scoff) if you want- but I love it!
Anyway, lots of eating at the lake, as usual, I think I gain ten pounds every time I go! Something about the lake I just have to have a little (or a lot of) junk food :) I did make one of my favorite salads so I have a little recipe and a link to the dressing recipe for you today. I love this salad; it is so fresh and summery and healthy too! The dressing recipe comes from Kathy Patalsky's web site Healthy Happy Life.com and it is soooooo good! The salad is really simple and you could change up the ingredients for what you have on hand really easily. I doubled everything to make a giant salad for everyone at the cabin. So without further ado:

Summer Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing (Vegan, gluten-free)
Makes a family sized salad

Ingredients:

• Bunch of Baby spinach
• Spring mix lettuce blend- I was lazy and bought a ready made mix by Dole but you could use a half a head of green leaf lettuce and a half a head of red leaf lettuce or whatever mix you prefer!)
• 1 cup white mushrooms, washed and sliced
• 1/4 of a large red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 large ripe avocado, peeled and chopped (best to do this right before serving so it doesn't brown or alternatively toss in  a little lemon juice)
• 1 large ripe mango, peeled and chopped
• 1 recipe maple sugared almonds, my recipe found here
• 1/2 large cucumber, chopped
• 1 cup of Poppy Seed Dressing

Throw everything in a big bowl (it's a salad people ;)) and top with dressing just before you serve!

I'm working on a vegan, gluten-free cupcake recipe right now so watch for the post!!
Have a great day all!!

Creamy Dill Ranch Dressing!

Okay, so most of the time when I try to make a creamy dressing using cashews it just doesn't come out that great, maybe I’m just looking for something with a little more of a punch, but the recipes I've tried just end up tasting bland BUT yesterday I created one that I am super excited about!! It is tangy and zippy and just plain great!! So much flavor without being super thick or overpowering; I call it Creamy Dill Ranch Dressing! Try it out, dinner was a bit of a rush yesterday so I just poured it over top a head of romaine lettuce but you could use it on any kind of salad and it would be great!

I used my Vitamix blender for this dressing so I didn't need to pre-soak my cashews or anything (I love my Vitamix, best Mothers’ Day gift EVER!!) but if you don’t have a high powered blender, no worries my friends, just use what you got and give the cashews a soak for an hour or so before blending. Also because I use a high power blender the dressing comes out slightly warm so I make it about an hour before dinner and let it sit in the fridge to cool down. I think the white pepper in this dressing really makes it pop, it's subtle, a little smokey without being overly spicy but if you don't have it on hand use black. If you’re not into salad this dressing would make a great dip for roast potatoes or fries or a bunch of raw veggies- broccoli would be great!

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Creamy Dill Ranch Dressing (Vegan, Gluten-free, soy-free)

Makes approx. 1 cup of dressing

Ingredients:

• ½ cup raw cashews
• 6 tbsp water
• 2 tsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 large garlic clove, peeled
• 3 green onions, mostly white part with about 3 inchs of green on each, chopped
• 1 tsp agave syrup
• ¼ tsp dried dill
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• 1/8 tsp, scant white pepper

Place all ingredients into a high powered blender. Blend until smooth. Place into a dressing or mason jar and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Running on Ceaser Dressing

Hey all!

Sorry it has been a while since my last post but a few weeks ago I started my training schedule for running the Manitoba Marathon in June and it’s been hard going! I got this training program off a website called State of the Art Marathon Training about three years ago and I've used it ever since. I highly recommend it though it does kick you’re a$$ at times! It has you running 5 times a week with two rest days or sometimes three and a long run on Sundays.  You gradually up your mileage so you get really comfortable with the long runs. I did 14 miles this past Sunday and I do 16 next Sunday so it also helps to train your mind- I try to mentally prepare for the long run all week! Thank goodness the weather has been so nice- running outside is so much more enjoyable than on a treadmill! I am getting excited about the running season this year- the last couple years I've been pregnant and couldn't really pour myself into it but this season is going to rock! I start out with the Winnipeg Police Service Half Marathon on May 3, than the Manitoba Marathon in June (fathers day) and I got the Fort Gary Rotary Club Half in September. I love the rotary run, it’s in my part of town, an easy out and back on the streets I usually train on and, with the exception of this past year, I've run in all of them! I just need to get my speed back up. My personal best for a half marathon is 1:47 but right now my 14 mile run last Sunday took me 2:12- yikes!! I really need to pull my socks up but I’m not going to be crazy about it because I don’t want to risk an injury since I’m still getting up once or twice a night with 7 month old Boston (sigh) and I find I’m a bit pooped! Anyway, I will keep my progress posted- my goal is to eventually qualify for the Boston Marathon (which is 3 hours and 35 minutes) but I’m thinking I might have to wait till next Manitoba Marathon unless I feel good about doing a qualifier in the fall. Just have to wait and see!!

Anyway I have an awesome recipe for you today- Vegan Ceaser Salad Dressing. This is NOT a creamy dressing but a savory vinaigrette with so much depth of flavor you just have to taste it! I make this probably once a week- and that’s saying a lot because I can’t stand repetition in cooking! I know that’s weird because people who know me know that I love, love, love routine and schedules’ but when it comes to dinners and cooking I just have to have variety- I remember the first year after I decided to become vegan I was so excited about experimenting with new recipes, methods and different ingredients I don’t think my family ate the same meal twice!

Anyway, it took me a while to come up with this dressing; Paul’s family has a staple ceaser dressing they have used for years made with the traditional anchovies, egg and Parmesan and that he grew up with so the dressing had to have that traditional ceaser vinaigrette feel without any animal products!  I tried a lot of different recipes; creamy ones made with nuts or tofu, vinaigrette's using nuts as cheese but I finally figured out a combination that satisfied.  In this recipe I use my home made vegan Worcestershire sauce that I came up with a few years ago- I like it much better than the ones you can buy because it isn't so thick and the consistency and flavor more closely resembles the original Lea & Perrins. My recipe is gluten-free too, so it's good to keep around in case Paul feels like a ceaser (the drink!). It is also so easy to whip up a batch and it keeps forever in the fridge, though I usually use mine up in a month. I also use capers, which are one of my favorite little ingredients to use because they add such a punch with a little hint of the sea!

Since Paul was diagnosed with celiac disease I do not make the traditional ceaser salad with croutons but instead I like to call it “build your own salad bowl!” I make the romaine and dressing and then I have a few different toppings to add to it; usually I do cubed avocado and roasted chickpeas (I have an awesome way to roast chickpeas that is so good I will share too!). The kids love to make their own salad and it allows them to make healthy choices. So give it a try, you will not be disappointed!!

Natalie’s Vegan W Sauce (Vegan, Gluten-free)

Makes approx. 1 cup

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp blackstrap molasses
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 3 tbsp Bragg’s soy seasoning
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 1/8 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp ketchup
• Tabasco sauce to taste, I use a couple drops
• 2 tbsp water

I put all ingredients into a mason jar (like the ones you use to can jam), put the lid on and shake well!

Store in Refrigerator.

Vegan Ceaser Vinaigrette Dressing (Vegan, Gluten-free)

Makes enough for one large head of romaine lettuce.

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup good quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• ½ tsp dry mustard (powder)
• 1 tbsp Nutritional yeast
• 2 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tsp capers, minced
• 1 tsp caper brine
• 3 tbsp lemon juice- or the juice of one large lemon
• 1 ½ tsp agave syrup, (you could use maple syrup instead)
• 10 grinds of black pepper
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar

Place all ingredients in a dressing or mason jar and shake to combine. Toss on romaine lettuce immediately before serving.

Easy Peasy Roasted Chickpeas (Vegan, gluten-free, soy-free) - inspired by Cool Ranch RoastedChickpeas by Veganyackattack.com

Makes about 1 1/2 cups of roasted chickpeas.

Ingredients:

• 1 19 oz can chickpeas, rinsed well and drained
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp dried dill

Place all ingredients in a bowl and stir to coat all chickpeas in seasoning. Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 30-35 min in 350° oven. Can be served warm or cooled.

I will be adding some pictures soon so stay tuned!

Have a great week everyone!!!!

French Inspired Navy Bean Soup!

Okay, so this week I have been struck down with a cold- boo! Just the garden variety runny nose and cough but it still got me down BUT I made this great soup on Tuesday ( I think it was Tuesday)! It is so easy and so comforting and with really run of the mill ingredients that we all have in the fridge and cupboard. I call it French inspired Navy Bean Soup! Why French inspired? Well- I used my Herbes Provençales spice mix I purchased from Victorian Epicure and it really made the dish! Now don’t fret if you don’t have this mix on hand; I have some substitute options in my notes below.

I only have one picture (and it was taken the day after as a left over bowl-shhhh) because I wasn't really thinking to post this or really make up a recipe at all until I served it for dinner and Paul said “Wow, you should post this!” Now, let me tell you, it is pretty hard to get Paul excited for 'whatever I have in the fridge' soup but this is a must try!
I served this soup with Socca- a traditional French street food; it is made with garbanzo bean flour and looks like a crispy flat bread. It is naturally gluten free and vegan and I will definitely post that recipe as soon as I get a chance as it has become one of my favorite gluten-free sides to make and it happens to go marvelously with this soup!

French Inspired navy bean soup

Makes one large pot of soup; enough for a family of four plus leftovers.

Ingredients: 

• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 5 small or 3 large carrots peeled and diced
• 1 zucchini diced
• 3 medium red potatoes peeled and diced small
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 cremini mushrooms; approx. a cup, chopped
• 19 oz  can navy beans
• 2 tbsps. Bragg’s all-purpose liquid soy seasoning
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 2 tsp Herbes  Provençales
• 2 Bay leaves
• ½ cup dried red lentils
• 2 bouillon cubes- I use GoBio Organic Vegetable BouillonCubes
• 10 cups water
• 150 grams or about 1 ½ cups dried gluten free elbow pasta

In a large pot over medium high heat place oil, onion, carrot, zucchini, potatoes and mushrooms and cook down till onions are translucent and vegetables are just beginning to brown, stir frequently. Add garlic, beans, salt, bay leaves and Herbes  Provençales and cook another minute.

Next add water, bouillon, red lentils and Bragg’s and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours.

Taste for salt and add the elbow noodles to the pot 10 minutes before you plan to serve.

Serve and enjoy!!

Notes:

The longer you cook this soup for, the better the taste and consistency it will have. You can definitely eat it after only 30 minutes but if you wait the extra hour the lentils and potato cook down to make the broth thick and creamy without the addition of flours or starches.  I recommend waiting the time or you could always throw everything into a slow cooker and go that route!

Herbes Provençales is a mix of spices traditionally used in the south of France. These typically include rosemary, savory, thyme, marjoram, tarragon, basil, oregano, parsley and bay. In North America, Lavender is added to this mix. My mix from Victorian Epicure contains lavender and I love the addition but if you do not have this on hand I would suggest: ½ tsp each of rosemary, thyme, marjoram and tarragon, 2 bay leaves that you remove before serving, and ½ cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley. If you don’t have one of these don’t sweat it- the rosemary, thyme and bay will do fine BUT I would strongly suggest either getting a mix with lavender in it or buying some dried lavender and making your own Herbes Provençales mix, you can use it for everything, seasoning vegetables, meats (if that’s your thing ;)), salads or I have even used it in a savory scone recipe! And it’s nice to pretend to be in the south of France every now and then :) 

Black Bean Brownies and a Dark Chocolate Glaze!!

Here it is!! My first dessert recipe and it is a gluten-free vegan chocolate black bean brownie!!! I know sounds crazy but it is decadent, chocolaty, moist, dense and in the words of my four year old “a little rich!”. 

Chocolate Black Bean Brownies

You definitely only need one of these babies to quash that chocolate craving! I first found this recipe on the website Minimalist Baker and it was awesome but I wanted to remove the oil and refined sugar so the following is my first attempt at doing so and I think it turned out pretty good- they aren't too sweet but I like to add a glaze which makes them perfect for a dessert but even without the icing (which is refined sugar free too, by the way!) they are a great little snacking brownie especially with a tall glass of cold almond milk!

I love this recipe because it is so easy to make- all you have to do is throw everything into a food processor and blend- That’s it! Right now I am using a small food processor- an adaption to my hand held blender so I had to make this brownie in two stages but it was still very easy. I first combined the beans, flax, water and applesauce and blended till smooth, then placed them into a bowl.

Dates, vanilla, seed butter and agave mixture.

Than I processed the dates, vanilla, seed butter, and agave (pictured above) and placed them into the bowl with the beans and then added the other ingredients to the bowl and stirred them together by hand- a little more labor intensive but now you have strong muscles! Once cooked I glazed them with a Dark Chocolate Glaze (the recipe follows) and topped them with a sliced strawberry.

This chocolate glaze is so versatile and easy to whip up in just a minute or two. I have made it using almond butter; which is my favorite, but you could use any nut or seed butter you like- peanut butter would also be divine, or hazelnut. . . there are so many variations! This recipe is very versatile; I have also made this glaze with the addition of some almond milk- about 1-2 tablespoons,  and used it as a topping for sliced strawberries! Yum!

I hope you all give these a try, even if you hate black beans- I guarantee you cannot taste them in this recipe and you get a punch of protein in your dessert! Bon Appetit!

Chocolate Black Bean Brownie (vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free)

Makes 12 muffin size brownies

Ingredients:

• 19 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 Tbsp. ground flax seed
• 6 Tbsp. Water
• 6 large Medjool Dates
• 2 tsp. Vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp. Sunflower seed butter (or other nut or seed butter)
• 4 Tbsp. Agave syrup
• 4 Tbsp. unsweetened applesauce
• ¾ cup Dutch processed dark cocoa powder
• 1 ½ tsp. baking powder
• ¼ tsp. sea salt
• ½ cup mini chocolate chips (optional) I use Enjoy Life brand

Preheat oven to 350° and spray a non-stick 12 muffin pan.

Throw everything except chocolate chips into a food processor and combine until smooth. The batter will be very thick- if it seems too thick to process add water a teaspoon at a time.

Divide batter evenly into the muffin tin and bake for 25 minutes, or just until the top looks dry and the sides are starting to pull away from pan. Let cool in pan about 30 minutes before removing. Glaze if desired and enjoy!

Dark Chocolate Glaze

Enough to glaze about 10 brownies

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup dark cocoa powder- I used dutch processed but I don’t think it matters
• ¼ cup agave syrup (could use maple syrup instead)
• 1 Tbsp. Sunflower Seed Butter (or your favorite nut or seed butter)

Mix together all ingredients till combined and use immediately as desired.

Feel Good Moment

Okay, so I was just giving Boston a bottle before his nap only about 20 minutes ago, and rocking him to sleep when I happened to take a look down and this is what I saw:

Gross!!!

AHHHHHHHH!!!! Oh my God what are those, they’re hideous, they are ugly, is it alive??? Oh, wait. . . those are just my toe nails L

I know its winter and no one see’s them but I decided I had to remedy this disaster ASAP and I wanted to share with you all how quick it is- it literally took me 15 minutes, to give your toenails a bit of a face lift. Plus after you’re done you will have this little secret about how great your toes look hidden inside your socks and boots in the middle of winter!  I know how hard it is to sometimes find time to do things like paint your nails or (if you look at the picture above) cut them. . .or file them. . . .

Anyway, for my own mental health and to make an effort to show that I sometimes have my s#$t together I cut, filed and painted my toenails while Boston had a nap and my two other boys demolished the ‘wasn’t so clean anyway’ basement!

Voila!!!!!

I used Sally Hansen Insta Dry nail polish in Sonic Bloom- I know awesome name, right- I think that’s why I probably bought it whenever I did. If you are a mom, or just someone who is really busy I would totally recommend the Insta Dry- it takes no time at all and now- after 15 minutes of cutting, filing and painting I can look down and say: “oh yeah, I got my s*#t together, look at those feet- those are the toenails of someone who is ready to take world by the collar and say I’m here!”

And you know what- it feels really nice to say that J So take the 15 minutes and you can too go the rest of the day feeling somewhat put together-even if you haven’t brushed your hair yet!

Boston’s up from his micro nap so. . .

Take Care All!

Spinach Avocado Salad with Warm Caramelized Onion Balsamic Reduction and Maple Sugared Almonds

Okay, so this is my first recipe post and I don’t want you all to go “Wow, a salad- how original for a vegan- yawn” but really this is an amazing salad and it was by request. After our trip out of town this past weekend Paul‘s stomach was really off and he was in need of a large dose of dark leafy greens and he’s not too into a giant bowl of kale so I came up with this! 

I am going to apologize now for the bad photos, at this point I am using my phone to take them and the lighting and my phone camera isn't the greatest!! Sorry!!

I plated this salad individually and it made two huge meal size portions and two smaller ones for the boys. You could plate this as four hearty portions for sure! The dressing is served warm, it’s sweet, savory and thick, more of a reduction so the flavor is potent and it is easiest to drizzle it over top already plated than make a giant family style bowl full.

First off I made the Maple Sugared Almonds. They are so easy to make and literally take 5 minutes. Place the almonds into a non-stick frying pan over medium low heat. Add the maple syrup and stir frequently. The maple syrup will thicken and the almonds will begin to stick together and then after another minute the syrup will start to crystalize and become opaque and when the almonds look like they are coated in sugar they are done. Remove and set aside on parchment paper to cool.

Second is to cut a large onion and caramelize it over low heat in 1 Tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and a dash of sea salt. You want the onion to cook down, turn a golden brown colour and taste sweet. It takes about 15 minutes of cooking to get to this stage.

Meanwhile you can wash all your spinach, mushrooms and grape tomatoes. Finely chop the red onion and peel and chop an avocado. I don’t usually use white mushrooms but I really like the flavor of them raw in this salad. I plated the spinach and sliced about two large mushrooms for each plate, sprinkled a teaspoon or two of the red onion over top, though I didn’t do this for the boys’ salad. I placed a handful of grape tomatoes on each plate and a quarter of the avocado. Now we can go back and finish the warm dressing.

To the caramelized onions, still over low heat,  I added the balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, apple juice and agave and reduced it down till thick, about 5 minutes. 

Drizzle the reduction over the plated salads and top with maple almonds. Enjoy!!

Recipe:

Spinach Avocado Salad with Warm Caramelized Onion Balsamic Reduction and Maple Sugared Almonds (Vegan, gluten-free, soy-free)

Makes 4 large servings

·         Large bunch of spinach

·         8-10 large mushrooms, sliced

·         3 Tbsp. finely chopped red onion

·         ½ cup grape tomatoes

·         1 large avocado, peeled and chopped

·         Caramelized Onion and balsamic reduction- recipe follows

·         ½ cup of Maple Sugared Almonds- recipe follows

Wash spinach and divide among four plates. Wash and chop mushrooms, onions,  tomatoes and finely avocado and arrange  on top of spinach. Drizzle each plate with a quarter of the warm caramelized onion and balsamic reduction and top with 2 Tbsps. Maple sugared almonds. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Maple Sugared Almonds:

·         ½ cup heaping raw Almonds

·         2 Tbsp. Maple Syrup

Place almonds and maple syrup in non-stick frying pan over medium low heat, stiring frequently cook until the maple syrup becomes thick and then begins to turn opaque and almonds become coated in crystallized syrup and no longer stick to each other, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool on parchment paper until ready to use.

Warm Caramelized Onion and Balsamic Reduction:

·         1 Large onion chopped medium

·         1 Tbsp. Olive Oil

·         5 Tbsp. Apple Juice

·         3 Tbsp. Good Quality Balsamic Vinegar

·         1 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard

·         1 tsp. Agave Syrup

Sauté the onion in olive oil over medium to low heat.  Stir frequently and cook until almost all the onions have browned and are caramelized and sweet. This will take approximately 15 minutes. Once onions have caramelized, add in the rest of the ingredients and stir until mixture thickens and is reduced by about a third. Remove from heat and use immediately.

Nutella Substitute Found!!

So while I was in Grand Forks I went to a co-op market called Amazing Grains. It’s right downtown and it has a great selection of organic produce, bulk grains, nuts and flours, and spices. It also carries organic meats, prepared vegan foods and gluten-free flours and prepared foods. Also natural body care items, all natural cleaners and they even have a little restaurant/café too! It was a really neat place and I suggest everyone pay it a visit if they are in the area! Anyway, I always stock up on a bunch of Endangered Species Chocolate bars when I go because I can’t usually get them in Winnipeg and because I am a full on chocoholic with little need for an excuse to go out and buy a bunch of chocolate ;) and guess what I came across- Justin’s Chocolate Hazelnut spread!! Now most of you may be thinking-who cares? That just sounds like Nutella- well it does but Nutella is not vegan and it really tore me up having to give up a childhood staple! But even if you do eat Nutella- here is a couple great reasons to give Justin’s Chocolate Hazelnut spread a try!

1.   It contains no refined sugar- now that is not to say it has no sugar- just not the crazy processed type that is like the legal heroine most companies feel necessary to fill their products with!
2.  It has over 50% less sugar than Nutella- Nutella has 11g of sugar per tablespoon and Justin’s has just 4g!
3.  Almost double the fiber and protein in 1 tablespoon!
4.  It tastes amazing!!

Okay so I think I have replaced the hazelnut spread of my youth! At least until I make up my own recipe-which I have plans to do as soon as I get a chance and I will for sure be posting that recipe!

If you are looking to try Justin’s Chocolate Hazelnut spread you can find it here!

Our Grand Forks Trip!!

Hey everyone! Hope you all had a great weekend!

This weekend the family and I went down to Grand Forks, North Dakota, to take the kids to the CanadInns Splasher’s of the South Seas Water Park! We drove down on Friday, well Paul drove and I was white knuckling the arm rests because of the weather- see below:

It was blowing snow like crazy you couldn’t see a thing! My parents' car is the car in front of us and at times we couldn't even see them! Once we got past the border it cleared up though so it wasn’t too bad. This was the first time we went as a family to the states, first time with Boston going anywhere, and overall, it went really well! Everyone was great on the ride down- no crying or fighting!

We had a great time at Canad Inns BUT- there are some things that I would do differently the next time we go- because I do think we will go again- the water park is just so much fun for the kids and it’s a great mini-vacation in the winter without crazy cost and a ton of time away. I was thinking of doing like a Do’s and Don’ts type of list but I don’t really feel comfortable telling people what to do (I’m sure Paul would insert a comment here lol) so. . . . Instead I thought I would list the things we would do differently the next time we go down J

For Next time:

1.       Look into getting a two bedroom suite on the main floor. We had a one bedroom suite this time on the seventh floor and the elevators are always crazy busy and it takes forever to get one. There wasn’t a two bedroom available this time that’s why we got the one bedroom and it worked out okay- Boston was in the bedroom in a pack n play and the boys were on the pull out couch- the only problem is when the kids go to sleep- you don’t really have anywhere to go! My parents came too and had the room next to ours so that was an option- but we didn’t really like leaving the boys in the room alone-even though we had a monitor for Boston.

2.       Actually- next time we would look at getting a two bedroom suite in a Hotel across the street. It was nice to be in the same building as the water park especially because Boston in only 6 months old but in the future, when Boston’s past napping 2-3 times a day I would definitely look into different hotels. The rooms at Canad Inns were nothing special and you can purchase water park passes separately and come for the day.  Canad Inns was nice but they were really understaffed- all the restaurants took FOREVER!! The staff was nice but there just didn’t seem to be enough of them. After we went to Aalto’s once (where Boston projectile  vomited all over the floor, me and my dad; but that’s another story) we learnt our lesson and we didn’t go to another.

3.       Definitely bring fruit, cereal and almond milk with disposable plastic bowls and spoons for breakfast again! This was a great thing to do! The rooms all have fridges and microwaves in them so you could even bring instant oatmeal if you wanted to. It was just so nice to be able to eat in the room and not have to do take out or restaurant food in the morning. Paul even asked me for a green smoothie when we got back to the city so I know it’s not just me that can’t do take-out food for two days!!

4.       I think going the two days without a kitchen is my max!! If we were going for any longer I would look at getting a suite with a kitchenette. It was not too hard to find places with gluten free options in Grand Forks but whenever I mentioned the word vegan to anyone their eye’s kind of glazed over and I got a deer stuck in the headlights kind of look as they proceeded to tell me they could probably figure out something which does anything but fill me with confidence! The one place we did go to that was awesome ,  (Paul and I, that is, my parents watched the boys one night so that we could go for dinner, which was so nice!)  was The Toasted Frog but I will be talking about that in another post!

I think that’s about it- really there wasn’t too much I would change and overall it was a great time that the kids and adults really enjoyed! Having my parents come along was also great! The kids have so much fun with them- and then my mom and I could go shopping and I didn’t have to feel  bad/guilty about leaving Paul with all the kids lol!

I think we will definitely be going back to Grand Forks as a weekend getaway in the future and if anyone else has gone and has some tips let me know!!

I will have a recipe soon for you! I got some neat ingredients while I was in the states so stay tuned lol!

Stay Warm out there!

What is this all about??

Hey! Welcome to Catching My Breath- a blog about my life being vegan, being a runner, being a mom of three boys, and just plain old being!
I live in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada and it is really cold here this month so I've had to do my training indoors at the gym. I made it out when we got a few nicer days a few weeks ago which was just so nice! It is so hard to get motivated to go to a gym and I can't wait for the weather to break so I can go running outside! I know some people brave the cold at any temperature but my limit is around -15 if it's sunny! I know that's kinda wimpy but I haven't been able to convince myself to go buy outdoor gear that is actually made for running in the cold so I end up in about 5 layers with an extra 10lbs of weight and its just not a lovely feeling! Never mind it takes me about 15 minutes to get dressed while the whole time asking myself "why?".
I love to read so I will probably be telling you about the latest book on my nightstand too. I have to confess I'm a sucker for 19 century fiction- I know-what?? But I just find it so interesting and the story lines are so much more complex and meticulous. I have been reading some more modern ones recently mainly because my mom was cleaning out the basement and was giving away a bunch, (thank you mom! I love getting used books!). I just finished The Cookbook Collector by Allegra Goodman. It was good- I found it might have got a bit slow in the middle but I would recommend it to any Jane Austen fan.
So, yeah, I got three boys; ages five, four and six months. They are truly the reason I get up every morning- besides the fact that they jump on me till I wake up! The picture at the top in the dandelions is my oldest son Rylan when he was just a babe. They are always helping me in the kitchen, well, when they're not running around in their underwear playing whatever game they made up that second! I can always count on their help when I'm baking or making desserts, surprise, surprise! Though my cooking has changed in the last month when my husband, Paul, was diagnosed with Celiac disease. I was familiar with it though because my Nonno has had it since I can remember but it was definitly a panic moment when I realized I now not only have to cook something that is vegan, and something that a non vegan (Paul) will like, and kid friendly, but also something that is gluten-free! It's been really going not bad though- (I don't only make him vegan food too- so that takes a bit of the pressure off finding something he will like). I will let you know what some of the better recipes are but tonights dinner will not be one of them! I made "whatever's in the fridge, vegan, gluten-free, sloppy joes" and its not the prettiest of plates but I have a pic anyway lol!

Oh and a vegan ceaser salad on the side- a little plain jane but Paul was working late and we are taking off tomorrow for a trip to Grand Forks- Yay!!! so I wanted to use up everything in the fridge!
Well I can't leave you with that kind of unappetizing picture so I'll leave you with this one:

Cheers!