Vegan Homemade Peppermint Patties

I was desperately craving peppermint patties but couldn't help but recall my promise to be dairy-free (mostly) while I nurse Oliver.

The craving grew to the point that I was madly typing on my blackberry for recipes.

Not a moment later I began ransacking my kitchen for ingredients.

And just like always, my tummy got what it wanted.

So here's the recipe:





1. Melt down 1/2 cup coconut oil with a handful of peppermint leaves over low heat. The steam-deodorized brand of coconut oil may work best, but mine isn't and I thought the flavour was great.
2. Continue warming for 5 minutes or until oil has absorbed the mint flavour (don't boil). Fish out the leaves with a spoon and discard, or make into tea.
3. Add 1/4 honey, or agave, or raw sugar, or a tsp of stevia concentrate (haven't tried this recipe with stevia, might be gross) and stir to combine.
4. Leave in the freezer until barely frozen. It should still be workable. Depending which sweetener you use you may want to check on it every once in a while and stir it to keep the consistency.
5. Using a spoon scoop out small balls and place on a baking sheet or piece of parchment. Push down with the back of the spoon to flatten into discs.
6. Put the mint oil patties into the freezer.
7. Melt down about 1/2 cup vegan dark chocolate. Don't over melt/burn.
8. Pull the mint patties from the freezer and one by one dunk them in the warm chocolate, and place them back on the sheet.
9. Let re-freeze. And serve!

Autumn Must-Do List

With a new little one in the house I am very mindful of doing productive/educational things each day. Most of the time this ends up being an hour spent at the library, a learning walk around the garden or sharing some time under the animal play mat. Today Oliver thoroughly enjoyed getting to sniff basil, oregano, rosemary, dill and peppermint. He also expanded his vocabulary from "hi" and "agoo" to "ga-ga" so that was exciting.

I decided to make this list of fun fall things and I think you should do them too!

1. Go apple picking.
2. Choose a pumpkin. Carve it. Roast the seeds (with raw sugar, cayenne and sea salt - yum!)
3. Rake leaves. Make it a photoshoot. Wear plaid for it. My sister is a killer photographer.
4. Create homemade Halloween costumes.

5. Clean out the closet of summer things & replace them with fall things. Maybe get a leg up on winter things too (yikes?!)
6. Experiment with crock pot recipes.
7. Make a snood.
8. Host a Thanksgiving meal with friends. It's nice to see family but there is nothing like pulling off the full-out turkey, cranberry, stuffing shabang with a group of your best. We've done it for 5 or 6 years straight and I look forward it to all year.

Autumn is a beautiful time of year to look at, but it also boasts some of the greatest activities so don't curl up and get addicted to too many tv shows just yet (although Survivor and The Office already have me!).

The Mighty, Mighty Diva Cup

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that a good portion of my readers are female. Of those female readers, we must have a few menstruaters out there. Well, this post's for you!


I recently read on Alicia Silverstone's vegan blog that: “According to waste consultant Franklin Associates, 6.5 billion tampons and 13.5 billion sanitary pads, plus their packaging, ended up in landfills or sewer systems in 1998. And according to the Center for Marine Conservation, over 170,000 tampon applicators were collected along U.S. coastal areas between 1998 and 1999.”  


It seems a little bit unavoidable, right? Like what are we supposed to do, spend our fertile years constantly pregnant? Or live bare-bottomed in a lake for 5 to 7 days every month? I mean - we need a solution.

Enter the menstrual cup: a latex or silicone based "cup" that you insert to "collect" and then discard anything that may be leaking from you during your "moon cycles". It's not a new idea. They started producing these in the 30's, some say as a research method of collecting... well, anyways you get the picture. They've recently become a lot more popular with the increased awareness of environmental issues, as well as new research showing that the chlorine contained in conventional pads and tampons is potentially toxic. There are a number of brands of this menstrual cup idea, but the one I'm familiar with is the Diva Cup. It comes in 2 sizes (before childbirth and after, basically) and can last up to ten years. It costs about $30. Think of the savings!


They are simple to use. Fold the cup in half and insert, then allow to unfold. This should create a seal inside of you and can stay in there indefinitely as toxic shock syndrome is not an issue. When it's full or the next time you check it (every few hours is a good idea) you simply discard the contents in the toilet and reinsert. It's something you want to keep very clean for obvious reasons but a little hot, soapy water will do the trick. And you only need one - no more carrying around pads and tampons, packing practically a second suitcase for any period-ridden vacations. And if you're not sure if mother nature will strike today, just keep it in your purse in the handy cloth carrying case provided when you buy it.


The benefits of this system are great and I could go on all day about what a great solution is, but I imagine at least a percentage of my readers are male and by this point I've just about lost them so I will end this girly chat with Go Leafs Go!

Top Tips for a Happy Baby

So here I am, feeling overwhelmed with how much I've been blessed. Just off the top of my head, the things I'm so thankful for include: a quick, uncomplicated, very happy birth; no problems with jaundice, or colic, or crying at any length at all; rapid, healthy weight gain coming from successful breastfeeding; a very happy sleeping arrangement and a post-pregnancy body that feels pretty darn good if I do say so myself. No diaper rash, no mastitis, no depression, doesn't spit up. It's as though I've gotten the best of every situation.

So I don't want to sound like an expert, or imply that all babies are alike and respond well to the same things, but I've read a lot of books and tried a lot of things and I'd love to share some tips that have been helpful to me with enjoying a happy baby:

1. Prayer. I can't help but start off the list with the thing I credit all these gifts to the most. Prayer by me, by Calvin, and from our family and friends. We pray for our son often, and something tells me we get prayed for a lot too.

2. A healthy pregnancy. This means more than nutrition. Some people now believe that the 9 months your child spends in your womb is much more important than we think. I think my positive, relaxed attitude helped Oliver to feel content (yes, stress hormones cross the placenta). Use this time to totally abuse your public library and get as much information as you can. End your healthy, natural pregnancy with a healthy, natural birth if possible. I will be blogging more about midwifery in the future.

3. Breastfeeding. I probably shouldn't even get started or I won't be able to stop, but breastfeeding is the most amazing gift you can give to your child and yourself. It's so important to be ready for it so read some books (The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding by La Leche League) and even meet up with a lactation consultant or group. (Watch youtube videos - they're so helpful! And that way I feel better about the massive amounts of hits they get - I mean 3 million views on "how to hand express breast milk"? That just screams pervert...)

4. Attachment parenting. This includes baby wearing (invest in an awesome wrap, sling or snugly and keep your baby on you everywhere you go) and co-sleeping. The first period of your baby's life is almost like a 4th trimester, they need you around all the time. Read anything by Dr. Sears.

5. Reading baby's cues. First of all, I don't believe in "cry it out" - a baby's needs and wants are the same thing. They don't know how to manipulate - only communicate. A baby can't be spoiled. We rarely hear Oliver cry because we try to understand his needs before he gets hysterical. From trying to understand him I've come up with this:

Hungry: his cry starts with an "n" sound. It's an obvious one. He also opens his mouth, roots around and will suck on anything. N-ahhhhhh!
Uncomfortable: his noise starts with an "h" sound. Almost like the awkward noise you make when someone offers you something you don't want but you pretend to want it anyway. ("Hey, I heard you really like Tim Hortons coffee - so here you go - double double!" "Hehh...")
Trapped gas: a yell with an "a" sound, and lower than the others. Pretty much the same sound adults make when they have digestive problems, like auughhh. Possibly like the sound you'd make if you were punched in the stomach. Sometimes there's nothing I can do about this one but I give him a back or tummy massage anyways.
Needs a burp: kind of an "e" sound, although this one's rare cause I often feed him upstairs and when we bounce back down to the main floor we get it all out, ha ha.

Tired: starts with an "o", more like an owwww sound. Sometimes this means mom gets a nap too! Yay!
Lonely: this just sounds like one quick yell. It's really obvious to me that he's just saying "Hello! I'm still here! Put down your knitting and come hang out with me!"

6. Take care of yourself too. It's the oxygen mask theory: They always tell you on a plane to put your mask on before helping others with theirs. If you aren't taken care of you aren't able to take care of others. So I make sure to eat 3 meals a day and some snacks, if I don't get a full night's sleep I take naps and if I'm frustrated or lonely I tell someone right away. Moms don't need to be these crazy, sleep deprived zombies stuck at home and unhappy. I'm happy as a clam!

Enjoy these tips and ask me about anything you're unsure about or need more information on. Again, I only have 5 weeks experience (Happy 5 Week Birthday Oliver Wolfe!) but I'm really happy with the results these things have had.

Why I Love My Midwife

I don't want to sound like a shameless cheerleader, but I am really passionate about my experience giving birth to Oliver and I want all of my friends to know how much I recommend being cared for by a midwife. Here's why I love my midwife:

1. At my doctor there is a minimum one hour wait, and a window of 5 minutes for an appointment. At the midwifery clinic there is a maximum 5 minute wait, and a window of an hour for an appointment. I prefer the latter.
2. Two midwives all the time. That means appointments, birth, middle of the night when you think your baby's breathing sounds weird, a month later when you want to check his weight. Always available.
3. Frequent appointments, from pregnancy to 6 weeks postpartum.
4. Can't make it out? Midwives will come to you. You can even give birth at home.
5. Everything is my choice. If I ask "Should I opt for the vitamin K injection?" I am never given an opinion, only the facts. My midwife said it's her job to inform me so that I can make an informed decision.
6. Their modus operandi is natural, natural, natural. Allowing the cord to stop pulsing before clamping and cutting, risking a tear over doing an unecessary episiotomy, trying pain relief methods such as massage, a warm bath and yogic breathing, and allowing you freedom (for example, not insisting on continuous monitoring that ties you down to a machine). They are not trained surgeons or pharmacists - it's not the way they think.

7. Most midwives are not only breast feeding advocates but breast feeding experts.
8. They check on you at home for the first 5 days after the baby is born. This is an incredible way to monitor depression.
9. They can give you free stuff like pure lanolin nipple ointment, charts and measuring tapes for tracking growth, and bathing herbs for soreness.
10. The statistics show intervention (induction, epidural, c-section) is much less likely to occur with a midwife-supported birth.
11. They can recommend and are actually familiar with natural medicine such as homeopathics and herbs.
12. The relationship is not just medical - it is also personal.
13. They can still do bloodwork and order ultrasounds.
14. All their services are covered by OHIP.


Remember, if these things appeal to you: call early!