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Je t’aime Montreal Day 2

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Je t’aime Montreal Day 1

Sunday morning we woke up early (per baby’s routine) and made some early morning breakfast and coffee.  Edie ate a few times and took a brief nap before heading out for brunch.

Once E woke we bundled her up and headed out for a walk while we debated between Aux Vivres and Crudessence for brunch.  We ended up deciding on Crudessence because it has been on our Montreal bucket list for year but in the past it has either not been open or we have run out of time.

We started with some beverages a shot of cold pressed espresso for Neil and the best kombucha I have ever tried for me.

As you can see E didn’t want to feel left out so she decided she needed to eat as well.

For brunch Neil and I decided to share two different items:

Öm Burger: A mixture of mushroom, sun dried tomato, flaxseed and mixed vegetables, served on chapati and garnished with fresh tomato, red onion, lettuce, homemade mustard, ketchup and our famous caper aïoli sauce with a side of salads which included greens, sauerkraut and carrot salad.

Breakfast Burrito: Sun dried tomato and corn tortilla filled with our “egg” paté, aubergine bacon, tomato, lettuce and sprouts. Garnished with avocado, crème fraîche and local microgreens

Both were good but the Breakfast Burrito was exceptional.  The “egg” paté was incredible and I really want to recreate it at home. The burger is one of the most popular items but I thought it was good but not great.  The carrot salad was wonderful and Neil loved the sauerkraut.

Neil and I had saved enough room for dessert but Miss E was getting a little fussy so we decided to grab a package of green tea spirulina macaroons to go even though we wanted the blueberry faux cheesecake. The macaroons were incredible though so we were happy.

We packed E up in the Boba carrier and took the Metro to Jean-Talon Market.

We spent a few hours wondering around the market sampling the produce, admiring the turkish sweets (a few of which we enjoyed) and sipping a wonderful coffee all while the baby slept.

We picked up a few items from the market for our dinner and headed back to the apartment to relax and cook up dinner. We spent the remainder of the rainy night eating a yummy pasta dinner and watching Netflix.

Stay tuned for part three!

{Review} Coco-Roons

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Before becoming pregnant I never really had a sweet tooth. I mean I loved dark chocolate and the occasional cupcake or bowl of coconut ice cream but it was never something I really craved. Then I became pregnant and all I wanted was fruit and coconut milk ice cream, seriously addicted. It seems that this craving has carried over past pregnancy and I have now developed a sweet tooth.

I make a good effort to limit my sweets and stick to goodies made with natural sugars rather than processed ones as well as items that are low in sugar. I recently was sent a bunch of coconut macaroons aka Coco-Roons from Wonderfully Raw and my sweet tooth has been on cloud 9.

I love that these are low in sugar and made with maple syrup. They are all super tasty but Neil and I both agree that the brownie and the lemon pie ones are our favorites.

What is your favorite sweet treat? Have you tried raw vegan macaroons? If yes, what is your favorite flavor?

Disclaimer: Wonderfully Raw provided me with their product at no cost. I was under no obligation to review them if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a giveaway. All opinions are my own.

Crazy Sexy Cleanse: Day 1

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Well we are finishing up Day 1 of the Crazy Sexy Cleanse and so far things are going well. Neil struggled a little this morning without his normal coffee ritual and to be honest I could have used a cup myself but instead with both had a mug of Infuse Your Mood Tea, a lemon water with cayenne and a big green juice (makes one quart: one bunch dino kale, half bunch curly kale, one gala apple and half a mini melon.)

As part of the cleanse and my goal of getting back to my fitness Edie and I got out for a 30 minute walk this morning.  I pushed her in the BOB which added a little something extra to the walk- sheesh it is so much tougher to walk when you have to push around a stroller, a baby and a car seat!

After our walk and nursing session I was feeling hungry so I decided to have a few slices of millet bread with avocado, a sprinkle of sea salt and nutritional yeast.

Lunch consisted of leftover quinoa salad (quinoa, cherry tomatoes, parsley, green onions, cucumber and a homemade dijon-balsamic vinaigrette), a big glob of lemon dill hummus and leftover roasted veggies.  It was tasty but not too photogenic so I decided to nix the photo.

For an afternoon snack I had a fig COCOMOJOE bar which was absolutely delicious and I am quickly becoming addicted to all of the flavors!

Dinner was the highlight of the day- I made two recipes from Crazy Sexy Diet, the teriyaki tofu and the hemp cabbage salad.  I knew that the tofu would be good but I was skeptical about the salad and to my surprise it was actually really good and the perfect pairing with the tofu.

One day down 20 more to go!

Today on Naturally Family I talk about my first official day as a stay-at-home/work-at-home mom.

CSA Week 2: Garlic Scape Pesto Pasta & a Hail Merry!

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Neil and I decided (very) last minute that we would partake in the Pete’s Greens CSA again this summer since we love their produce. Last week was the first pick up because we were away we ended up giving away most of it except the potatoes and garlic scapes that we had for our camping breakfast. This week we received:

  • Bag of Mesclun Greens
  • Beet Greens
  • Napa Cabbage
  • Sweet Salad Turnips
  • Garlic Scapes
  • Scallions
  • Zucchini
  • Easter Egg Radishes
  • Sage
  • Potatoes

Tonight is the first of many meals using these amazing organic and local ingredients. Enjoy- I know we did!


Garlic Scape Pesto Pasta with Zucchini

Yields 4 servings

Takes about 30 minutes total to make

Ingredients:

  • Garlic Scape Pesto
    • 1 cup raw walnut pieces
    • 1 bunch of garlic scapes (about 1 to 3/4 cup), chopped
    • 4 cups basil leaves
    • 2/3 cup olive oil
    • 1t salt
    • 1T sesame seeds
    • 2T nutritional yeast

Place the walnuts and garlic scapes in the bowl of a food processor and process until small crumble. Add in the basil leaves, turn the processor on low and slowly stream in the olive oil through the feed tube. Add in the salt, sesame seeds and nutritional yeast; process to combine.

  • Sauteed Zucchini
    • 2 medium zucchini, sliced into half moons
    • Cooking Spray
    • 1/2t salt
    • 1/4t black pepper
    • 1/2t garlic powder
    • 1t nutritional yeast

Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat.  Spray with cooking spray and toss in the zucchini and saute for 3-4 minutes just until they start to lightly brown.  Stir in the salt, pepper, garlic powder and nutritional yeast; cook for 2 more minutes.

  • 4 servings of pasta of your choice

In a large bowl toss the pasta, zucchini and 1/4 to 1/3 of the pesto together.  Serve warm, room temp or cold!

The pesto makes a lot more than you need for this dish so place any extra in a jar top with a layer of olive oil and seal tightly.  Store in the freezer until you need it again.  To defrost move from the freezer to the fridge 8 hours before using.

For dessert we shared one of these wonderful vegan, raw, gluten free tarts from Hail Merry.

It was one of the best desserts I have ever tried and I am looking forward to picking up the other 3 flavors over the next month.  It was so rich and the perfect balance of creamy chocolate, cookie crust and almond butter center- to die for.

Food Focus: Quinoa

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Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah), is a nutritional powerhouse with ancient origins. It was originally cultivated by the Incas more than 5,000 years ago; they referred to it as the “mother of all grains.” It contains all nine essential amino acids, making it a great source of protein for vegetarians. Quinoa is also high in magnesium, fiber, calcium, phosphorus, iron, copper, manganese, riboflavin and zinc.

(source)

While quinoa is widely considered a grain, it’s actually the seed of a plant called Chenopodium or Goosefoot, related to chard and spinach. Quinoa is a gluten-free grain and has a similar effect as other whole grains in helping to stabilize blood sugar.

It has a waxy protective coating called saponin which can leave a bitter taste. For best results, rinse quinoa before you cook it or even soak it for a few hours or overnight. When cooked, it has a fluffy, slightly crunchy texture. Try it in soups, salads, as a breakfast porridge or as its own side dish.

For quinoa, and whole grains in general, the majority of digestion occurs in the mouth through chewing and exposure to saliva. For optimal nutrition and assimilation, it is vital to chew your grains well and with awareness. A great meditation is to find a calm place, without distractions, to sit down for your meal. Make it a habit to chew each bite 20 times or more. See how this simple practice can help your digestion and overall focus for the rest of your day.

 

Recipe of the Month: Quinoa Pilaf

  • Prep Time: 3 minutes
  • Cooking Time: 30-40 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 2 1/4 cups water or stock
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/2 cup walnut pieces
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • pinch of salt

Directions:

  1. Rinse quinoa in fine mesh strainer until water runs clear.
  2. Boil the water and add quinoa and salt, cover and reduce heat.
  3. After 15 minutes add cranberries and walnuts to top; do not stir.
  4. Cook 5 minutes more, until all the liquid is absorbed.
  5. Remove from heat, add parsley and fluff with fork, cover and let sit for 3-5 minutes and serve.
© 2010 Integrative Nutrition 5/10

Here are a few of my quinoa recipes for you to try as well:

On the 8th Day there was Chocolate

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Fearless Chocolate sent me one of their raw chocolate bars to try. Fearless Chocolate has three times more antioxidants than conventional organic chocolate bars. The bars are certified organic, 100% kosher, dairy-free, gluten-free and soy-free. The chocolate unlike many raw chocolates Fearless makes theirs with rapadura sugar. Fearless Chocolate is crafted with whole raw organic cacao beans and the chocolate are not heated to more the 118F to preserve the natural nutrients, minerals, enzymes and antioxidants.

Okay so now that we cover what is so great about the chocolate lets get down to do the good stuff, does it taste good? YES! This chocolate is so good! My husband decided he liked it so much that I only got a few bites before he finished it off. So what can I saw it was delicious.

Fearless Chocolate are offering a complete set of our Fearless Chocolate bars for your give-away (5 bars total). Flavors include

  • Sweet & Hot Hibiscus Ginger
  • Super Seeds
  • Matcha Green Tea & Peppermynt
  • Midnight

TO ENTER: This giveaway is open until December 9th at 6pm. This giveaway is open to U.S. and Canadian Residents.

1. Visit the Fearless Chocolate and tell me something you learned . (required)

Additional Chances to win (PLEASE LEAVE A SEPARATE COMMENT FOR EACH ENTRY; also if you already do any of these ie. follow me on twitter/facebook, ect it counts so leave a comment).

  1. Follow Fearless Chocolate on Twitter.
  2. Like Fearless Chocolate on Facebook.
  3. Follow me on Twitter.
  4. Tweet about this giveaway “I want to win @cookveganlover @beingfearless Giveaway http://wp.me/pFVWo-1mC”
  5. Like Cook.Vegan.Lover. on Facebook.

Product Review: Artisana Raw Organic Nut Butters

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Artisana Raw Organic Nut Butters sent me some teasers of their amazing raw nut butters. These cute little jars had one serving of nut butter in them just enough to get a taste and leave you wanting more. These handmade and raw gourmet nut butters are a great treat. Although they are expensive they are amazing and worth the money as an occasional treat. My absolute favorite of all the samples was the cashew butter; it was amazingly creamy, silky and smooth.  The cashew butter was closely followed by the luscious macadamia cashew butter.  Of course all the others were tasty too.

Disclaimer: Artisana provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.