When all else fails; sneak in a liquid lunch!

 

Tempting, isn't it?  Everything at work is exploding into chaos and it's not even 11am. Just the mental image of sneaking out  to inhale few large glasses of wine(or insert drink of choice) brings a brand new, smiley perspective.

It is a tactic that most of us have used at one time of crisis or another. An office I am aware of had a massive bottle Bailey's stashed away in the mailroom when they had to deal with a certain someone who, above and beyond all reason, possessed the gift of creating drama and disorder upon every arrival.

While it can be fun to dream, we know alcohol is not a great solution to our problems. So I have provided the ultimate liquid candy lunch to the rescue.  This is so good, you won't need the alcohol. 

When I looked at the recipe; the ingredient amounts looked way overboard so I reduced many of the amounts and I am glad I did. My toned-down version turned out super rich and roll your eyes back in your head delicious; a definite stress buster.

The added bonus is the protein, nutrients and lack of sugar which will give you the afternoon energy boost you need to attack those problems or, if all else fails, run far, far away.

(my amounts are in the brackets)

1 frozen ripe banana
½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut (2 tbsp.)
2 to 3 tablespoons almond butter ( 1 tbsp.)
2 tablespoons flaxseeds
2 tablespoons raw cocoa nibs ( 1 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (1/4 tsp)
1 teaspoon vanilla
Almond milk and water, to desired taste


1. In a blender, place the banana, coconut, almond butter, flaxseeds, cocoa nibs, cinnamon, and vanilla.

2. Cover with almond milk and blend until smooth, adding more to achieve your desired consistency.

* I added a scoop of chocolate vegan protein powder for an extra dose of nutrition

The # 1 reason I will never leave my purse on the floor again

I have my own version of Murphy's Law: If it has never happened to anyone you know, it will happen to me.  Last week, I greeted the day to find the contents of my purse spilled all over the place. Like most people, I jumped to the conclusion that I had been robbed. However, upon finding everything in my wallet to be where it should be, I just shrugged it off and figured I had probably thrown my purse down a little carelessly the night before, knocking out the contents.

It wasn't until lunch time when I reached for the keys in my purse, that I discovered the true source of the disarray; there was a mouse in my purse and it wasn't moving.

Not wanting to freak out my co-workers, I picked up my purse and walked out of the office as casually as one can when harbouring wildlife in your place of employment. While it might appear impressive that I didn't scream, truth be told; you have to be breathing to scream.

Outside, I  gently shook my purse onto the grass. I couldn't help be a little sad once I saw his small, grey furry body lying there, lifeless.  Since there was nothing I could do for him now, I consoled myself that if he had to go, at least he went in style. My vegan black ESPE purse with red tulip tassels.

Why a vegan bag? Is leather not just a by product of meat?  Unfortunately, most leather comes from China or India where the cattle live in deplorable conditions and are killed very inhumanely. so whether we value creatures such as cattle, mice-or any other living creature. the very fact remains that they are living beings who suffer, just like us. Not to mention the chemicals released into the environment in the tanning process. Maybe the more appropriate question is "Why don't we care?"

You don't have to give up style to go cruelty free. I get compliments all the time about my
ESPE bags.  This company is Canadian, vegan and the purses and accessories are made with polyurethane which is more eco friendly and durable compared to PVC.
http://espe.ca

Another vegan, super stylish option is Matt and Nat. I have a wallet from them that has lasted for years, despite me shoving it packed full of useless cards..
http://www.mattandnat.ca.  I also have one of their hot pink purses that has been coveted by many. I have sold so many people on both ESPE and Matt and Nat simply due to their style; the company ethics are an added bonus.

Both these companies have raving fans that far surpass just the vegan community. You will not be giving anything up by going cruelty free. Don't take my word for it-check them out yourself. Maybe, you might also find one of those trendy purse hooks to come in handy. I know I will.

Natural deodorant that doesn't stink

 If you wouldn't eat it, would you put it on your skin? A reasonable question considering more and more studies are pointing to the dangers of chemicals in cosmetics. I know I should probably answer "no", but I hate to say it, vanity wins. Like most people, I want to look and smell good.

One cosmetics concern that has got my attention is the aluminum in antiperspirants being linked with breast cancer and Alzheimer's. Unfortunately, almost every natural deodorant I have tried either didn't work and left you sweaty or replaced body odor with an alternative, weird smell.

This recipe, which I got from a friend, not only works well as a deodorant but also an effective anti-perspirant and, because you made it yourself, you know it hasn't been tested on animals. (but if you want to try it on the dog, go for it)

 Since this recipe is comprised entirely of edible ingredients,not only do you know it is completely safe,  but, in case of an emergency, you have a light snack conveniently stored under your arm.

6 T coconut oil

1/4 cup (4 T) baking soda

1/4 cup (4 T) cornstarch

essential oils (optional; I didn't use them)

What to Do:

1.  Mix baking soda and cornstarch together in a medium sized bowl.
2. Mash in coconut oil with a fork until well mixed.
3. Add oils if desired.
4.  Store in small glass jar or old deodorant container for easy use

I saw the weirdest thing in the bean dip

When I saw this recipe, just the thought of it made my lip curl in disgust. I love hummus and I love chocolate but that doesn't mean they should ever be paired up.  Just like you love both your grandma and your step-son but you are never going to set them up on a blind date; unthinkable.

However, someone out there actually did think this up and since I consider myself to be very open-minded to trying almost anything at least once (with the obvious exclusion of anything creature-based, of course), I changed my initial "eww, why would you do that?" to "why not?"

Easy enough; just throw everything in a food processor and you are done. The flavour and texture reminds me of  a Reese's peanut butter cup which is a favourite treat of many people I know. However, I wouldn't recommend informing those you are serving of the ingredients; at least not until after they eat it.


 Cookie Dough Dip

1.5 cups chickpeas (drained and rinsed very well)
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp baking soda
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup nut butter
up to 1/4 cup almond or soy milk (only if needed- I left it out)
2/3 cup brown sugar (use sweetener of choice: agave, raw sugar, maple syrup, etc)
1/3 cup chocolate chips (President's Choice semi- sweet chips are vegan)
2 to 3 tbsp oats (for thickening)

Add all ingredients(except for chocolate chips) in a food processor(not blender) and blend until very smooth. then mix in the chocolate chips.

** This recipe is fairly sweet; you could get away with using less sugar. I suggest serving this with graham crackers

New Beginnings and Dessert for Breakfast

I know it has been almost a year since I have blogged, despite both encouragements and specific requests that I resume my cooking adventure.

Supporting Cody, my dalmatian, through his successful fight for life became a major pre-occupation, only to have my own 6 month health challenge to follow. Cooking -and blogging- faded to the background.

Having both recovered, I am more now than ever aware that good nutrition is absolutely essential to wellness. I have also recognized the importance of letting go of meaningless distractions and focusing on what really matters in life and, for me, compassion for animals matters. The vegan adventure has re-begun.

I came across this recipe on the web and the creator cooks alot like I do: glance at the recipe, improvise, throw in a bunch of stuff and then see what happens. A cooking blog soulmate?

This is beyond easy to make and an absolute treat to wake up to. Like eating dessert in the morning.

Banana Bread Oatmeal

• About a cup and a half to 2 cups of steel cut or large flake oatmeal
• 1-2 very ripe bananas (I used two)
• brown sugar to personal taste (I used vanilla flavoured agave syrup)
• chopped walnuts (no measurement I used a large handful.  )
• 4 cups water
• 2 cups almond milk
• cinnamon (I just shook some in)
• 1 tsp vanilla(my addition)

Add all ingredients into slow cooker and set on low for 8-10 hours or overnight. I added some extra agave and nuts to mine.