Tropical "Soft Serve"

Now, I'm not sure if you'd consider this a vegan "ice cream", a sorbet, or just frozen, pureed fruit, but all I know is that it is delicious. It's a great alternative to traditional ice cream, as it is sweet, a little creamy, and so yummy! It is great as is, served in a bowl, or you could put it into popsicle moulds and make sweet treats for those hot summer days. There is no sugar added, so it is especially great for kids as a treat. You can pretty much use any combination of fruits that you like, but banana is the best "base". I just happened to have some mango and pineapple in the fridge that needed to be used, and I had a can of coconut milk in the fridge waiting for an occasion such as this.

In Advance:

Chop 2 bananas into pieces and place in freezer. Also cut up your pineapple and mango into bite size chunks and freeze. You want to try and keep the pieces loose, as opposed to all stuck together in one lump. Also, you will need to put a can of full fat coconut milk in the fridge (the fat hardens and works better when refrigerated).


You will need:

2 frozen, chopped bananas
3/4 cup frozen mango chunks
3/4 cup frozen pineapple chunks (using fresh pineapple, as opposed to canned, gives the best flavor)
4 Tablespoons coconut milk/fat (it'll be the consistency of margarine )
1-2 Tablespoons Silk creamer (plain version)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract


Place all ingredients into a food processor (or even better, a VitaMix or similar), and pulse until the fruit chunks have somewhat broken down. Blend on high until you have a smooth, creamy texture. If the mixture seems to thick, you can always add a little more Silk. Spoon into bowls and serve immediately. Makes approximately 4 servings.

Burrito Time!

Well I'm sure that this "recipe" is nothing new or innovative, but it was a delicious, complete meal, that Hudson really enjoyed, so I thought I'd share:) I enjoyed it also! I basically made some mashed "re-fried" black beans using canned black beans. Soaking your own beans would be even better, but we were all out. The pre-made "re-fried" black beans you get in a can are loaded with salt, almost too salty for me to even eat, so I figured making our own was a healthier (and less expensive) way. There were no measurements in anything I made (beans, guacamole), just made to taste.... really you can make them however you prefer. The "odd" part of the burrito, which I kinda added last minute, was the mashed broccoli. I wanted to add some "greens" to the dish to make it healthier, and it ended up tasting really good... you wouldn't even know there was broccoli in it.  
Here is what I did:

Took one can of black beans and rinsed them thoroughly. Put them in a pot with a splash of vegetable stock (just enough to moisten the beans and make then mashable (if that's a word). Added some garlic powder, onion powder, and cajun seasoning (I just used the "Clubhouse" brand). I then mashed it all together with a potato masher. In a separate pot I steamed a couple cups of broccoli and then mashed with a potato masher. For the guacamole, I mashed 1 ripe avocado with some sea salt, onion powder and garlic powder. I then heated a whole grain tortilla in a pan, added some "cheese" (whatever brand you like), and then layered the beans, broccoli, guacamole and added some salsa on top. For Hudson's I skipped the "cheese" and just put beans, broccoli, guacamole, and fresh chopped tomato instead of salsa (it had a little too much kick for him).
Like I said, it's not a new or sensational recipe by any means, but Hudson really liked it and it was healthy and easy too.... so what more can you ask for? :)

                                                         Hudson enjoying his burrito :)

My Cute Little Man:)

This is Hudson. He is 16.5 months old (15 months old in the first 2 pictures) and is vegan!:) I got him the t-shirt from Karmavore vegan shop (http://www.karmavore.ca/), and it's still a little big, but still cute!:) I'm not sure what's going on with his hair in the pics tho... haha.

He is about 5 months old in this picture.... momma's little man:)

He is about 4 months in these pictures.... the last one is my fave. He started rolling backwards on the pillow and I managed to get his expression on camera... priceless.. haha :)

Double chocolate, banana and walnut muffins

I was in the mood for something sweet today, but wanted to add a little pizazz (and a little healthiness..... maybe?) to my usual chocolate cupcakes. I'll admit that they could definitely be made even healthier by using whole grain flour and possibly using something in place of the sugar, but I did cut the amount of sugar in half from the original recipe, added a large banana and some chopped walnuts.... healthier right? haha

You will need:

1.5 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup unrefined sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1.5 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup of water
1 large ripe banana, mashed
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/3 cup vegan chocolate chips


Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease or line a 12 cup muffin tin.
In a large bowl, sift flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Stir in sugar, walnuts, and chocolate chips. In a small bowl, mash the banana and add the oil. Mix with an electric mixer on low/medium until fairly smooth. Add vanilla, water and lemon juice and give it a little mix just to combine everything. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Divide evenly amongst the muffin tin. Bake for approximately 18 minutes (when a knife is inserted and comes out clean, they are done).

Spinach Pockets

Well I think that I am finally starting to feel better. This pregnancy has really been sucking the life out of me! But I'm halfway through the 2nd trimester now, so hopefully I only feel better from now on! I will try to post more often now!:)

Here's a great way to get some greens into your little one, or even yourself. These are pretty simple to make, fun to eat, and they are super delicious. A little reminiscent of spanokopita, but healthier. I used half whole wheat flour and half all purpose, but you could probably use more whole wheat and less white if you want. This was a trial recipe, so I wanted to stay on the safe side since using too much whole wheat flour can sometimes not turn out so well. Next time I will try with more whole wheat flour.

For the filling you will need:

3 cups frozen spinach, or equivalent
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons fresh baby dill
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 Tablespoon vegan margarine
1/2 teaspoon pepper

In a large skillet/frying pan, melt 1 tablespoon of the margarine. Add onion and cook on low/medium until the onions have softened (not browned though). Add spinach, and cook on medium/low until thawed, and some of the excess water has evaporated. Add in dill, lemon juice, salt, pepper and the other tablespoon of margarine. Let cook for a few more minutes so that the flavours can combine. You want the mixture to be moist, but not really wet. In the meantime, you can make the dough.

To make the dough you will need:

1 cup whole wheat flour (plus a little extra for dusting counter)
1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup cool water

Combine flours and salt in a large bowl. Combine oil and water in another bowl or measuring cup. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Mix together, and you should end up with a ball of dough. It might be a little wet at this point, but that is fine. Sprinkle some flour on the counter and knead the ball of dough a few times, just to make sure all ingredients are incorporated and that the dough is still moist, but not wet.
Roll dough into a large square, approximately 16"x16". The dough should be about 1/8" thick. Cut into 16 squares (4"x4" each) with a knife or pizza roller. Leave them in place on the counter, and add about 1.5-2 tablespoons of filling in the middle of each square. Fold square to make a triangle shape, and pinch the edges, or use a fork to press. You want to make sure that you press hard so that the filling doesn't leak out.
Place on greased baking sheet, or parchment lined baking sheet, and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Turn oven to broil, and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes to give them a nice brown appearance. Keep and eye on them though, as they can quickly go from perfect to burned! Make sure to let them cool a bit before digging in, as the filling will be super hot. Store extras in the fridge for up to 3 or 4 days. Reheat in the toaster oven when needed. Enjoy!:)

Homemade Granola

Mmmmmmmm granola:) I adapted this recipe from one that I found in The Kind Diet. This recipe makes a big batch of hearty, filling, delicious granola. Store bought cereal often has a lot of sugar in it, and it is expensive! Especially the organic/healthy brands. This recipe is totally versatile and can be made with whatever fruits/nuts/seeds/flavors that you prefer. You can leave out about 1/4 cup of the maple syrup if you prefer a less sweet cereal.

You will need:

6 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup raw sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon orange extract (optional)
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon  ground nutmeg
2/3 cups chopped almonds
2/3 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup flax seeds
2/3 cup raw pumpkin seeds (the green ones!)
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 dried apricots, chopped
1/3 dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place oats on cookie sheets or in a baking dish (I used a 9x13 Pyrex dish and did 2 batches), and toast the oats slightly for 10 minutes, stirring halfway through. In the meantime, mix the maple syrup, oil, sugar, vanilla, orange extract, and salt together in s small bowl or measuring cup. Remove oats from oven and mix together with all the nuts/seeds (except coconut) in a bowl (careful, oats are hot!) Drizzle the wet ingredients over top and mix together. Sprinkle on the nutmeg and mix. Spread on the cookie sheet/ Pyrex dish once again and bake for 15 min, stirring every 5 minutes to prevent them getting to dark in spots. Add the coconut in about halfway through. You want the oats to be a toasty golden brown, 15 minutes was my magic number, but it could vary depending on your oven. Remove from oven, and add in the dried fruits. Mix  together and then let cool. Store on the counter in an airtight container.

Check it out!

So I came across this great blog today, Zero Waste Home. To me, being kind to the earth is very important,  so obviously the less waste we have, the better. We definitely make an effort in our home to be as eco-friendly as possible, but there is always room for improvement! This planet is our home and we need to take care of it. It is the home of our children, their children and so on. It makes me so sad to think that we are destroying this beautiful earth that our future generations will one day call home. I think that people either don't think enough about the damage they are doing in their everyday life, or they just don't realize the impact that they have. It's like eating meat..... people just keep it out of their mind, and keep on doing what they do because it is easier that way. I could not live that way. I have always had a very strong conscience, which has guided me to where I am today, and I am very thankful for that. It can be a little stressful at times, but I can't imagine living without care for our planet or our animal companions. What do you do to keep your waste to a minimum? I'd love to hear your suggestions!:) Here's a list of what we do:

-use cloth diapers for our son
-diva cup instead of disposable feminine products
-recycle anything and everything we can
-reuse items where we can
-cloth shopping bags/produce bags
-"if it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down" (toilet)
-buy second hand clothes/toys most of the time
- shower every 2 days instead of everyday
-compost (in the summer... still have to find a good winter method)
-we use Norwex cleaning products. Their cloths in most cases do the job on their own, as they are "antibacterial" . The only place we use a cleaning solution is for dishes, toilet and laundry, but they are  all eco-friendly ones.
-we receive/pay bills online

That's all I can think of right now... it's late! haha. But just a few ideas:)