Chimmichirri

Of all the tastes, I am a "sour" lover. I can't get enough of acidic food. Salt and vinegar chips. Any type of pickle. Lemonade. Fresh salsa. 

This is why I love chimichurri sauce. It's almost like the thickest, most flavourful vinaigrette you can imagine. The pesto of the latin world, if you will. You can spoon it over meat, fish, vegetables, pasta, eggs ... anything...


Recently, Calvin grilled us some steak to put over a tossed salad and I asked Oliver to whiz us up some chimichurri in the food processor. It was amazing.

Ingredients
1 cup fresh cilantro and parsley, combined (If you prefer one over the other just make it the majority, I like half and half)
1/2 cup neutral oil, like grapeseed
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
3 cloves of fresh garlic
a pinch of red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp each cumin and sea salt
a big squeeze of lime juice

Method
1. Just throw everything in the food processor and buzz until combined!

My Ultimate Sweet n Sour Pork

There is only one recipe that I am willing to break all of my dinner rules for. Those rules you ask?
1. Quick to make
2. Quick to clean up
3. Relatively healthy
I mean, I'm okay to break one rule for let's say a really good one-pan brussels sprouts & bacon dish that's going to end up being easy to clean up and totally nutritious. Or I'm cool to make a few too many dishes if the final meal was fast to make and great for our health. Orrrr, I'm fine to throw in a quick meaty pizza every so often that only keeps rule 1 and 2. But breaking all three? How dare I!

Sweet n Sour Pork is the ultimate. It's meaty, it's salty, it's sour, it's sweet. It fills you up and leaves you so happy. It feels like the greatest indulgence (and it kind of is). I like to add tons of veggies to mine so I feel somewhat okay with feeding it to my family.

Ingredients

1 lb pork
1/4 cup San-J Tamari
For batter:
1/2 cup water
2 T flour
1 T cornstarch
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 egg
Pinch of salt
For sweet 'n sour sauce:
1 cup water
Pinch of salt
3/4 cup raw sugar
1/3 cup vinegar
1/4 cup ketchup
2 T San-J Tamari
2 T cornstarch

1. Cut pork into small cubes and marinate in tamari* for a few hours. Prepare batter by whisking all ingredients together, then set aside in fridge.
2. Heat a skillet, with about 1cm of oil, to medium high heat. In batches, pick up pork cubes, let soy sauce drip off, and dunk in batter, then place in skillet. Don't overcrowd skillet, this may take a few rounds. Let one side get golden then use a fork or wooden flipper to flip battered pork cubes over and cook until the other side is golden. Remove to a paper towel lined plate and continue until all pork is cooked.
3. Meanwhile, whisk together all sauce ingredients. Place in a small sauce pan and heat until thickened, it should only take a few minutes.
4. Stir together cooked pork, and thickened sauce. You can keep this over a low flame to let the flavours marry. Serve with cooked rice and steamed vegetables.

I love this tamari because it's organic and gluten free! They use a totally natural fermentation process and you can absolutely taste it in the final product: mild yet still rich and salty. I think it makes all the difference in a good Asian dish!

Healthy homemade gummy candy for kids

Although Oliver's toilet training days are just about complete he still often asks for a treat after using it. I've gotten pretty concerned about the number of smarties, Lindors and Easter eggs he's eaten and the trick of offering cherry tomatoes and blueberries just isn't cutting it anymore.

Solution? Healthy homemade gummy candies!

I came across the recipe, in various forms, a while back but could never remember to buy gelatin. Then when my mom had a package at her house, it was happenstance.

It takes only a few minutes to throw together and is ready to eat in about half an hour. 

Here's how you do it:

2/3 cup fresh fruit, washed and cubed

2/3 cup fresh lemon, lime or orange juice

2 T honey 

5 T gelatin powder

1. Warm the first three ingredients in a sauce pan over medium heat until the fruit is soft like a compote. Allow to cool slightly. 

2. Blend with an immersion blender or stand up blender. (This is too dangerous to do while the mixture is hot so don't skip the cooling step.)

3. Whisk in gelatin. If it gets lumpy send for another blend. 

4. Pour into an 8x8 dish and refrigerate until set (about 20 minutes). Then cut into desired shape. Alternatively, use a mini mold for ice cubes or chocolate to get great shapes. 

They are sweet and tangy and have the perfect chew for an addictively yummy treat!

Lemon-Ginger Labourade

Here is my recipe for a large jar of Lemon-Ginger Labourade, the quintessential chilled beverage for any mom who knows that a) birth is a marathon that needs fuel and b) lemon and ginger taste great!

1/2 tsp magnesium powder - I used a sweet, flavoured powder called Natural Calm, you could also open up a magnesium supplement capsule 
1 pinch sea salt
1 pinch baking soda
2 T honey
1 ginger tea bag, or 1 inch fresh ginger root
1 litre coconut water
1/4 cup lemon juice

Dissolve magnesium powder in 1 T water that has just boiled. Add sea salt, baking soda, honey, 1 additional cup of boiled water and ginger and stir to combine.
After 5 minutes remove the tea bag or fresh ginger. For added ginger flavour you can add a pinch of powdered ginger.
Pour in coconut water and lemon juice and chill until ready to use.
 

No-Noise Smoothie Solution

I've written in the past (or have I video blogged?) about my dilemma with making smoothies in the morning. I work early, early, early and I feel terrible cranking up a blender while the rest of my family is trying to sleep. So terrible, in fact, that if I only have whole bean coffee in the house I will brew it the night before to save the noise of grinding. (My brewer has a thermal carafe - no heating element - that keeps it fresh and hot for over 12 hours.) If I remember to have some ground coffee beans, then I go that route before I leave for work.

Well, this girl loves a fresh fruit smoothie. It's my second favourite breakfast, I think. My first is anything with eggs - also not a great "early morning, gotta get to work asap" option. So in conclusion: breakfast can be a little depressing for me unless I have the day off.

But today! I came up with a revolutionary solution. The no-noise smoothie.

The recipe is as follows:

2 standard-size jars of pureed fruit baby food (organic preferred, homemade if you're able)
1 cup almond milk
1 scoop any greens or protein powder you like

You simply throw it all in a mason jar - jam-sized works great - and shake it with the lid on. Then drink! The fruit is already pureed and it tastes great! No added sugar!

You may be wondering why the mom of a 2 year old, and an unborn-year old, has jars of baby food in her fridge. Plus I'm so pro-homemade, what's going on?! Well, it was actually for a baby shower game that I'd put together for a friend. I had a leftover jar of peaches, and pears. I had no clue what to do with it (I'd already thrown the jar of sweet potato into a soup...) so this morning I thought: you know what? Calvin, stay sleeping, I am making a baby food smoothie! I shook the peach and pear food with almond milk and was amazed! No noise.

One jar of baby food, even organic, typically goes for under $1 at any store. So this is a pretty cool recipe to have under my belt now.

Just thought I'd share my great excitement!

Whole Wheat Berry Danishes

One very delicious blog I follow called Seven Spoons recently posted a recipe for a rhubarb danish. Naturally, I had to begin baking immediately. With no rhubarb in the house, all markets and grocery stores closed, and my beloved rhubarb plant abandoned at our old house (along with my berry patch and perennial herbs - waaaah!) I had no choice but to use the berries in my fridge.

The blogger who created the danish recipe apologizes that it is tricky and time consuming but I didn't have much of a problem. I made a few adjustments and am very pleased!

Whole Wheat Berry Danishes

6 T milk, warmed
1 egg
1 tsp dry yeast
1 drop almond extract
1 heaping cup whole wheat flour
1 pinch sea salt
1 pinch cane sugar
1/2 cup very cold butter or coconut oil, diced up
coarse sugar for finishing

In a small bowl, mix milk, egg, yeast and almond extract together.
In a large bowl, mix flour, salt, sugar and butter together. Cut the butter, using two knives, into smaller and smaller pieces until it's basically lumpy sand.
Pour the wet into the "dry" and mix.
Place in the fridge, covered, overnight.

In the morning, preheat oven to 375.
Place dough on the floured surface and roll into a rectangle. Fold in half, and roll back into the same shape. Fold again and roll, repeat.
Cut the rectangle into 4 equal servings. For each, place a handful of blueberries and raspberries, a pinch of sugar and a dash of lemon juice down the middle line. Alternatively, spread a line of berry jam down the centre. Then, like you're making a soft taco, roll the edge with the berries inside until you have a large cigar shape. Make 3 large cuts along the top, and bend into a barely "C" shape. (This danish style is called a Bear Claw and it reminds me of working at Starbucks.)

Place on a lined baking sheet and sprinkle with coarse sugar. (These have a tendency to stick so buttering the tin foil or parchment may be a good safety net.) Bake until golden (about 20 - 25 minutes).

EASY Falafel Recipe

If you're trying to:
a) eat less meat
b) eat more chickpeas
c) eat delicious food

... this recipe is for you.

Falafels are chickpea patties filled with flavourful ingredients. They're like a meatless burger-slider. You can dip them in your favourite hummus or fill a whole wheat pita with them plus some pickled veggies and plain yogurt or even put them on a slider bun and eat them like a burger.

If you don't have a food processor or blender you could use a hand-stick blender but you may have to add a little extra liquid to get it to work, and then add extra flour to thicken it back up. If you don't have anything to blend, just mash the chickpeas up with the back of a fork and make sure to mince the onion and garlic really fine.

Amy's "Kids-Love-Em" Falafels

2 cans chickpeas, drained
1/2 medium white onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
handful fresh parsley, chopped
squeeze of fresh lemon juice
1 tsp salt, cumin, each
2 T whole wheat (or other) flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
oil, for frying


1. Blend up all of the ingredients except for the oil. (See note above if you don't have the right equipment.)
2. Preheat a skillet or pan, to medium, with a drizzle of oil.
3. Form into small patties (about 3 Tablespoons each) by rolling in a ball then flattening.
4. Fry/grill on each side until golden, about 4 minutes per side.
-- If you would rather bake them, this can work too. Place patties on a lined baking tray and bake at 375 until golden (maybe 12 minutes).

Pineapple Muffin Recipe

Most people have only a few "this just changed my life" food moments - I, on the other hand, experience about three daily. As a food-obsessed woman living in North America where we have the money for and access to all the food we want, I seek out deliciousness constantly. 

These muffins made me stop eating to think: is this real?

Pictured here with six other
muffin varieties (for Amy's Seed
Party 2013!). The ones in baker's
paper.

Here's the recipe:

3 cups flour (wheat or gluten-free all-purpose - you choose)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 tsp ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon  (+ any other spices you like)
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups sugar (I suggest organic raw)

 

2 cups mashed ripe bananas
3 eggs
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple
1 cup oil (you choose)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 cup shredded coconut 

1 cup dried cranberries re-plumped in a bowl of steaming-hot water, then drained

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Combine flour, baking soda, spices, salt and sugar.

Combine bananas, eggs, oil, vanilla extract, coconut and cranberries in separate bowl. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Do not overstir.

Fill paper-lined muffin tins a little more than half full. Bake about 25 minutes.

What would you like to hear about next?

I am totally, and regretfully, aware of what a bummer my post-infrequency has been lately.

Florida Sunscreen PROBLEMS

I don't think my life has been too busy (well, I am moving tomorrow) or that I've exhausted the list of topics I can write on (although I have almost 250 posts currently).

Maybe I'm just waiting to have the perfect idea for a blog post... Wanna help?

I'll start you off with a list of ideas. If you like one, comment below or email me. Or, feel free to suggest an idea of your own.

As for a quick update on my life, before the list to follow: we are in fact moving homes. From a 3+1 to a 3+1, detached to detached, small-ish backyard but really nice kitchen to medium-ish backyard with pretty nice kitchen. Not an up, not a down, just something new. It's the nomad in us - always moving. I was also major - like zombie - sick for a few days. Working around children has made my illness days per year rate fly through the roof - not pretty. Unsweetened applesauce kept me going. Oh yeah - and that's going to affect my Rockin' Wellness Challenge because I had to pause it for like 4 days. Have I even written about our Florida trip? Wow, blog shame. Well, we went and it was wonderful. Oliver turned 18 months and our marriage turned 3! Okay, on to the list!

So, do you like these ideas?

• The best natural makeup brands that you can find in a drugstore or Sephora
  
• Exactly how to make and store homemade baby food
  
• How to pack toddler lunches/snacks
  
• Menu planning for a family
  
• Why some people give up toilet paper (and how gross is that)
  
• How to get internet, phone & tv on the cheap! -- This probably only applies to Canada
  
• Amy's Insanely Awesome Egg & Cheese Popover Recipe
  
• Amy's Cuckoo Delicious Lemon Poppyseed Loaf with Ginger Glaze
  
• Amy's Blow Your Socks Off Tasterific Tuna Cakes, as stolen from Sprout Right
  
• Amy's attempt at "The Life Changing Loaf" by My New Roots
  
• My Garden 2013
  
• How to grow from seed, step by step
  
• What vegetables/herbs should I grow
  
• Daycare vs Stay at Home Mom
  
• Best Restaurants in London
  
• Best Restaurants in London if You Eat Gluten-Free
  
• Why I love the Fire Roasted Coffee Company (finally)

Okay, I spent a good 90 seconds on that list. Enjoy and give me your comments. And now I will go... you guessed it, put more things in boxes. Ack, pray for good weather in the morning.

Best of the Foodie Web: December

1. These guys are selling their bacon jam in mason jars for the Holidays, but you can make it yourself using the recipe here.

2. Ashley from Not Without Salt taught us how to make hot buttered rum which prompted me to want to invite 30 friends over immediately.

3. On to Baby featured a family photo shoot inspired by the farmers market. Too cute.

4. Sara Forte (who has a new book out) posted a brownie recipe on Sprouted Kitchen that will make any mouth water.

5. Also with the new cookbook out, the folks at Golubka posted a spiced hot chocolate recipe. Hipster food did too - with hazelnuts instead of spice.

6. Kinfolk promotes the age-old art of gathering over food. Volume six is available now. In the photo below my dear friend Adriana is enjoyed it over a mug of coffee.

7. Minimalist Baker suggested I make raw Mayan truffles. It took me 4 seconds to start pulling out ingredients.

Mini Blackberry-Oat Scones

I have been a die hard devotee of Heidi's recipe feed - 101cookbooks.com - for a long time. But like any blog-fan, I only manage to try the recipes every so often.

Today I knew I needed a scone recipe for the day care that I work as a dietary planner so, so I pulled up her Orange and Oat Scone recipe. I swapped the fruit and made them minis, and they were a huge success.

Mini Blackberry-Oat Scones

3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces
2 cups rolled oats
1/2 pint blackberries, chopped
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup coarse sugar, for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Combine the flour, 1/2 cup of sugar, baking powder, and baking soda in the bowl of a food processor. Add the butter and pulse 15-20 times or until it looks like sandy pearls. (If you are working by hand, cut the butter into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter.) Transfer the dough to a bowl and stir in the oats and berries. Stir in the buttermilk until just moistened.

Bring the dough together with your hands. If the dough is still too crumbly, stir in more buttermilk a tiny splash at a time, but try to avoid over mixing. After bringing the dough together, gently pat it into small rounds. Cut with an apple corer/slicer yielding 6 small triangles and 1 small-circle (baker's treat) per round. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet with some room between each scone. Sprinkle the tops with coarse sugar. Bake for 10 to 13 minute or until the bottoms are deeply golden.

Makes many, many mini scones.

Homemade Granola - Oh The Possibilities

You can't argue with me: granola is pretty freaking delicious. If I have a carton of almond milk chilling in the fridge it has no chance at surviving me and my trusty cereal bowl. I would eat granola for breakfast every day (if it wasn't for my love affair with toast - sigh.)

Granola is really easy to make and I'm very sad if you buy it prepackaged unless you have a valid reason like you're preoccupied with 15 children or you have no arms or you can't afford a baking sheet.

Here's my bare bones method.

Preheat your oven to ANYTHING. I suggest 375 or 400F but let's not get technical.

Line a baking sheet (the kind you make cookies on) with butter or coconut oil or tin foil or parchment paper.

Warm up a mix of butter (or coconut oil) and honey (or maple syrup). Maybe a 1/2 cup of each - don't worry about it.

Now fill a mixing bowl with a whole bunch of stuff. Go on. I would suggest oats but this isn't a dictatorship. It's granola making, lighten up. A recent favourite that I made contained dried blueberries, pepitas (that's hulled pumpkin seeds), shredded coconut, salted pretzels and dark chocolate chips. You can put nuts, seeds, spices, other cereal. Try granola crumbs. The sky's the limit but I wouldn't suggest ground beef or grape popsicles. At this point I add a pinch of salt but it's very naughty and I can't condone you doing it to your batch.

Go back to that butter-honey you warmed up. (It wasn't in the microwave was it? Use a pot on the stove you high-tech clown.) Pour the mixture over the bowl of odds and ends. Use a wooden spoon to toss it all together then spread it on your sheet.

Bake it for 10 minutes then take it out and stir it with the spoon. Keep doing this every 10 minutes until it looks toasty. Then let it cool and store it in a large glass mason jar.

Mmmm, see aren't  you glad you didn't follow a MarthaStewart recipe or anything like that? You go granola-maker!

Say hello to salted maple

Salted caramel has been overdone but - now - introducing its more Canadian, more sophisticated, all natural brother: salted maple.

Try this rich and decadent yet utterly easy recipe for a chocolate torte. It's 100% gluten free.


Preheat oven to 350.

Ingredients

• 6 ounces semisweet chocolate
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

For Glaze:

• 2 ounces semisweet chocolate
• 1 1/2 T butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoon almond milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons maple syrup
• 1/8 teaspoon maple extract

• Sea salt

 

Line the bottom of a 7 inch springform removable bottom pan with parchment paper and spray the paper.

1. Melt 6 ounces of chopped chocolate and butter in a heavy saucepan over medium low heat. Stir until chocolate and butter are melted and smooth.
2. Add sugar, maple syrup and salt and reduce heat to low. Cook while stirring for about one minute, until sugar starts to dissolve.
3. Remove pan from heat. Whisk in eggs, one at a time. The mixture will look smooth and glossy.
4. Use a mesh hand sieve to sift cocoa into mixture. This prevents lumps. Whisk until the cake batter is smooth.
5. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for about 25 minutes. The center of the cake should be just firm to the touch, but be careful to not overbake the cake or it will be dry.
6. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Invert the cake on a plate.
7. To prepare the glaze, melt 2 ounces of chopped chocolate and 1 1/2 tablespoons ofbutter in the same saucepan you used to make the cake. When melted and smooth, remove the pan from heat. Add milk and maple syrup and extract and stir until smooth and glossy. Let the glaze cool for about 3 minutes before pouring it on the cake.
8. Pour all of the glaze in the middle of the cake. Use a silicone or rubber spatula to spread the glaze evenly over the cake, allowing the glaze to evenly run down the sides of the cake. Sprinkle with sea salt.
   
   

Salted Caramel Skillet Cookie Recipe

This recipe is gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, egg-free, vegan, super healthy and delicious!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup raw nut butter (I used smooth peanut butter)
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3 cups almond flour/meal
• 4 oz chopped dark chocolate

Instructions

1. Combine coconut oil, nut butter, maple syrup, salt, and vanilla in a blender or in a glass bowl and hand blender. 
2.  Blend for 4-6 minutes until a sticky caramel texture. 
3.  Pour 1 cup of the caramel sauce into the skillet.  Save the rest for serving.
4. Add the baking soda and mix until incorporated.
5. Mix in the almond flour and chopped chocolate.
6. Spread the dough evenly in the skillet.
7. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-14 minutes until set. 
8. Serve with your favorite ice cream and a drizzle of the left over caramel.

Adapted from forkandbeans.

Dairy-Free Gluten-Free Coconut Cream Pie

Yield: One 9-inch pie.

Ingredients

Crust

• 1 box gluten-free ginger snap cookies
• Approximately 1/3 cup melted dairy-free margarine

Coconut Filling

• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/4 cups coconut milk
• 2 whole large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons dairy-free margarine
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut, lightly toasted

Directions

1. For crust, grind cookies finely and mix in melted margarine. Press into a high-sided 9-inch pie pan and chill until ready to fill.
2. For filling, stir sugar, cornstarch and salt together in a heavy-bottomed saucepot. Whisk in coconut milk, whole eggs and egg yolks. Heat custard on low heat, whisking constantly for 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium and continue whisking until custard thickens and becomes glossy, about 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and strain. Stir in vanilla, margarine and 1/2 the coconut and stir until margarine has melted. Pour immediately into chilled pie shell, let cool on the counter for 15 minutes, then chill completely.
3. Sprinkle remaining toasted coconut on top as garnish.

Gluten Free, Low Fat, No Sugar Added Cake... in 3 minutes!

My sister invented this whole foods based cake recipe that is so easy you will be eating cake twice a day!

In a coffee mug, whisk together:

1 T melted coconut oil
1 T yogurt
1 T orange juice
1 T maple syrup
1 egg
1 splash vanilla extract
3 T brown rice flour (or oat flour)
The zest of 1 orange, or lime

Microwave for 2 - 3 minutes (depending when it looks solidly cooked). Top with a splash more maple syrup.

31 Days: Days 28 - 31 - FINALLY IT'S OVER!

Well, this experiment of recapping every day for a full month has proven about as interesting as Sunday morning television. So to everyone who used to think this blog has inklings of coolness - I apologize! I will now get back to my regular programming: interesting articles on natural health and eco-friendly living, mixed with yummy recipes and fun DIY tutorials. I am hoping with being on mat-leave that I can really make something of this blog (during Oliver's naps of course) so I thank you in advance for your support!

Jessica!

On Day 28 I had the privilege of celebrating my friend Jessica's 23rd birthday. Her Youtube channel, featuring weight loss tips, fashion advice and every day rants and raves, has been getting extremely popular and I'd suggest you check it out. She's one hilarious girl so it was a blast to have her drive to town for her birthday, and get together with other great people. We began by eating at Moxie's Classic Grill downtown. I do have friends who work there, so I will watch my words, but I will say that it's certainly more of a hotspot for men, or women who like women... The dresses are short and the average hair-and-makeup time for the servers was hovering around 3 hours I would say. In their defense the food is awesome and I ordered (hilariously) a lobster & brie panini with a roasted red pepper soup. Then we went bowling at Palasad and, while I started out with 2 or 3 strikes in a row much to everyone's amazement, I ended up losing horribly. My only redeeming moment was a sweet reverse granny shot to take down one remaining pin.

The Real Kat Von D

On the 29th we celebrated Halloween at Chris and Bethany's house. I cannot believe I don't have a photo to show for it, but I was Kat Von D of LA Ink fame and Calvin was a lifeguard - in other words, he wore his old work uniform and blew a whistle every once in a while. I have to say Bethany pulled out a sweet costume by dressing up as a cavewoman. She also lit her house with only candles, played scary music on satellite radio and had Chris scare everyone upon arriving by sitting on the porch in a creepy get up and face paint. I brought some Bloody Eyeball Juice to share with everyone - recipe below.

Yesterday was the 30th and the day was pretty standard as far as Sundays go. We attended church and heard an incredible message on serving God our best, not our leftovers. Then had lunch at Calvin's parents' house (tuna on crackers, a quick one), picked up some apples and cider at Appleland, went back to the church so Calvin could play with his floor hockey team, then had a turkey dinner complete with apple crisp. We finished the night by watching home movies and the hockey game (a sad loss for the Leafs).

Today is a total write off, so I finish my 31 day challenge by saying today I am moping around the house because... I am sick! After all the oil of oregano, vitamin D and probiotics the cold-bug got me. I will say, I can tell I'm fighting it off like a champ, and I wouldn't say I'm down and out the way some people get when they're sick, so if you still trust me - tune in soon for a blog about natural ways to fight cold and flu.

I will finish with my Bloody Eyeball Juice recipe. If you're attending a halloween party I suggest making a batch:

Ingredients:
- a basket of concord grapes, or, 1 L grape juice
- mulling spices, your choice (I suggest cinnamon, allspice, cardamom and nutmeg - whole is best but use ground if you need to)
- vodka

Directions:
1. Wash and de-stem the grapes and place them in a large pot.
2. Add mulling spices. If using whole, I recommend 1 cinnamon stick, 5 allspice berries, 10 cardamom pods and 2 nutmeg nuts. If ground, try about 1 tsp of each. You can add more to taste. Keep at a low boil for half an hour, the whole time using the back of a fork to crush and mash the grapes. Try to extract as much juice as possible.
3. Turn off the heat and place a strainer, or a funnel with a coffee filter over it, on top of your pitcher of choice. Strain the mixture into the pitcher being careful to catch the spices and grape skins/seeds. Use the fork to really force it through and get as much juice as possible. Leave straining for as long as you're willing - more time equals more juice. (Add storebought grape juice, apple juice, or water to equal out 1 L if you're short)
4. Add 500ml of vodka. I used absolut acai-berry flavour.
5. Serve over ice. For extra spookiness, leave out a few grapes from the boiling process, then skin them to look like slimey eyeballs, and float them in the final brew.

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!

Rhubarb Crumble

Wow, short of the fiddlehead pasta I've been really slack on posting seasonal recipes! This was brought to my attention with the new books I've been reading:

and

So in all my guilt I've decided to post a recipe. Really after this one I'm not that far behind. I don't have anything brilliant to show you about asparagus (just cook it lightly and eat - can't get any better) so with fiddleheads, asparagus & rhubarb down I'm on to June which of course brings to mind strawberries so I'll see what I can do about that one soon! Roots are also available right now but because they're so easily stored I say enjoy them all year round.

Here's my favourite rhubarb crumble.

Preheat the oven to 350.
In a large bowl combine 3 cups chopped rhubarb, 2 medium apples chopped, 1 egg and 1/2 cup maple syrup. Sprinkle in a few nice warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. Pour into a large baking dish.
In that same bowl (don't bother cleaning it) combine 1 cup flour (I've tried this recipe with 3/4 cup rice flour and 1/4 cup tapioca starch - it was great), 1/2 cup sucanat or brown sugar and a pinch of sea salt. Then cut in 1/2 cup cold butter or Earth Balance.
Crumble this mixture over the fruit and bake for 45 - 55 minutes.



There's no picture. We ate it all right away. Every time.

Updates!

I start so many things and don't remember to let my blog readers know the progress or outcome. Very bad!

I am now almost seven months pregnant. I feel the baby kick, move and do daily P90X exercises probably 400 times a day. We don't know the sex - this has proven to be very exciting! I'm really happy that Calvin made that call and encouraged me not to find out because had I, we would have only the joy of a nicely coloured room and wardrobe and none of the joy of the excitement of not knowing. It seems like a small thing, and dull in comparison to the rush of seeing your baby for the first time, knowing they are healthy, etc. but I promise that the "it's a boy" or "it's a girl" moment is right up there is anticipation for both of us. We have some baby showers lined up which is great and we're putting together lists of what we want and need. We know for sure we'll be breast feeding, if all goes well. For that I'll be taking New Roots Mama Milk tincture and probably a daily tea of various herbs. (I'll also be taking red raspberry tea starting soon to help with uterine muscle toning.) We are still so undecided about vaccination because new pros and cons come up every day. Minor ones like chicken pox are a no brainer - my child doesn't need a needle to protect it from a few itchy bumps. But ones that impact the ability to attend school, and travel, are trickier.

My garden is growing and wonderful. I have a planter box attached to my deck of beautiful herbs, and another planter box that I call the salad box, which has various edible microgreens including spinach. Then there's a ground planter of mint (can be invasive, not going to put it in the ground for fear it'll take over) and a planter of cherry tomatoes so that I can grab them nice and quick right outside the sliding glass door. The main plot has a flower section (lilac and sunflowers), the berry forest (strawberries, raspberries and a cedar) and the veggie plot which has tomatoes, onions, carrots, zucchini, cucumber, corn, beans, squash, pumpkin, kale, broccoli, peppers and eggplant. I might be forgetting something but I think I have it all, short of an orchid in my front entrance.

I am exactly half way through my school courses. Two down, two to go. It is very interesting and definitely preparing me for wherever natural nutrition will take me, career-wise.

I will finish off with a "recipe" for a nice warm-weather drink, one that I am enjoying right now. You typically see recipes for whole pitchers of beverages but when you just want a cup for you here's an easy way to do it.

Mint Lemonade

In a heat proof glass or mug, mix 6 fresh mint leaves with 1/2 cup boiling water. Let sit for 2 minutes.
Add 10 drops stevia extract.
Add 2 T lemon juice.
Fill the glass or mug to the top with ice and drink, making sure not to swallow any mint.