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.
 

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.

New Things to Try

I've been trying so many new and wonderful things lately I just had to write a post updating you on each and every one of them! Keep in mind I am doing this under the supervision of a highly active, almost Mogli-style 8-month old that gets annoyed if I so much as glance at something other than him, so I am going to much effort to tell you about these things! (And he just smirked as he pulled a shredded hardcover Douglas Coupland novel from his mouth... cute.)

Wild Sweets Sesame-Wakame Chocolate  



The first is my Easter chocolate! My mom popped down to the health food store and had a staff member, Andy, point out whatever he thought I'd like. He hit the nail on the head: a natural chocolate bar with added sesame seeds, sea salt and wakame seaweed. So delicious! I have been savouring every square of it, attempting to combat the temptation of eating the whole bar at once, and I still have about 10% of it left so I'd say I've succeeded. Nothing beats chocolate and salt together! Good job Andy! You can find this at Quarter Master Natural Foods if you live in London, Ontario.




Boscia BB Cream
So I said that there isn't really a natural form of BB cream? I was wrong! A helpful Sephora employee kindly pointed out that Boscia mades an SPF 27 BB Cream but that I might not know about it because it is constantly sold out! She was able to slip me a sample and I'm absolutely in love with what I've tried. I can't wait to get my hands on a full size.

I will be writing more on this product in the future. For now, ask a Sephora employee if it's available in your store.

See the original post here.
See the UPDATE here.


Camino Hot Chocolate

Camino has quickly become everyone's favourite Canadian, Fair Trade, organic chocolate purveyor, fervently producing chocolate products with the highest quality ingredients and supporting family farming in South America along the way. (Okay, I can't say all that without mentioning my friend Dave's new business - Habitual Chocolate. This stuff goes beyond what you can find in a grocery store. It is artisan quality products made with ingredients that aren't just sourced ethically but personally, by Dave's many trips to producing countries. A real treat!) Camino's dark hot chocolate powder is rich and full of flavour. I like to warm milk to the perfect temperature then pseudo-froth it using a French press, for those days when starting up the espresso machine just seems like a lot for one mug of hot chocolate.

Lush BB Seaweed Fresh Face Mask

Lush never ceases to amaze me with their willingness to give out samples. Recently while killing time in a mall while other people had shopping to do (I hate shopping) I spoke with an employee long enough that she wanted me to take home some seaweed face mask. The stuff is fresh enough that you actually need to get it in the fridge within 4 hours. It smells like a basement (love it) and feels great on the skin. I can't speak for the ethics of this company, as they've come into question within the past few months, but I do know they use some nice ingredients and are hand-crafted.

Sircuit Skin Savant Vitamin-A Alternative Serum 

I've always known how great vitamin A, or retinol, can be for your skin but it's not always an option for everyone. Particularly pregnant women really need to watch how much vitamin A they are taking in, even if its not through food or internal supplements - facial products are very readily absorbed in the blood stream. Sircuit Skin Cosmeuticals has come out with an alternative serum that is formulated with botancials that act like retinol called Vita-a-like. It hydrates and smoothes but doesn't cause irritation like retinols can. It is an amazing anti-aging serum because it treats fine lines, wrinkles, photo-damage and hyper pigmentation, and it can be used for any skin type.