Recipe: Buddha Bowl for the Soul

Alright folks, we are nearing the end of Blogtober so I figured it was time to share a warm and comforting bowl of deliciousness that is a tasty lunch or dinner. The nights are getting chillier and it's about this time where I feel more inclined for comfort food dishes. However, some comfort foods aren't exactly the healthiest. Although I'd like to eat pasta every night for dinner, I know it would leave me feeling groggy.

I made this the other night for dinner and (shockingly) it was a hit. Ryan typically isn't a huge fan of the "hippie granola" things I make, though he added a little twist to his Buddha bowl to make it more his style. Of course, the whole idea was the same, but you can truly customize this according to your liking.

Ingredients you will need:

1/2 cup - 1 cup quinoa or rice

Sauteed kale (or a green of your choice)
Sauteed purple cabbage
Roasted beets

Roasted carrots
A touch of roasted yellow onion

1 scoop of kimchi (or sauerkraut)

1/2 cup chickpeas

(I warmed mine up in the oven for about 5 minutes with some garlic powder, salt & pepper)

For the dressing:

Add as many of these ingredients to your liking.

- Raw apple cider vinegar

- Tamari

- Water (to thin out)

- Nutritional yeast

- Garlic (I used two cloves)

Blend it all up and pour over your bowl. Once everything was plated, it looked something like this:

I ended up making two more servings of this to take to work for an easy lunch. It is filled with healthy fats, good carbs & protein from both the quinoa and chickpeas. You can use any protein of your liking, and can swap out the roasted beets for sweet potato or squash, if you like. It really is super easy to make your own, so feel free to experiment!

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I hope you all enjoyed! Let me know if you try the recipe or if you have a go-to Buddha bowl combination : )

Easy Slow Cooker Applesauce

Fall is the best season not only for the cozy weather, but for the flavours of fall as well. There is nothing I love more than dousing cinnamon and nutmeg on everything, so this applesauce was a perfect way to put those spices to good use. If you know me, you know I am not a fussy cook. It has to be easy, I have to know how to pronounce everything in it, and it has to have minimal clean up. Introducing: the easiest slow cooker applesauce recipe. I don't know if I would even call it a recipe because it is so, SO easy. It is perfect for putting on during a Sunday morning, and it fills the house with such a spicy, sweet aroma. Let's get into it!

Spices you will need: cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. I had an "apple pie spice" from Epicure (which is probably cinnamon and nutmeg, haha) that I added as well.

Step one: get a bunch of apples. I had tons of apples on hand so I can't remember exactly how many I used, but I peeled and cut enough to fill my crock pot with. The peeling and cutting is the most time consuming, but it doesn't have to be fancy. To make my life easier I cut the apples into slices rather than chunks.

2. Spice it up. I ended up having three "layers" of spices, and added some extra on top as well. For the vanilla I simply poured a touch in the middle of the crock pot.

Step three: Put this baby on high for 6 hours and let it cook away. The apples get nice and soft, it smells divine, and it is naturally sweet from the apples and cinnamon. I put my applesauce in jars and canned it, though you can enjoy this right away!

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Are you a slow cooker fan? What are some of your fave slow cooker recipes? I need to use mine more!

Easy Pumpkin Spice Creamer

So, does anyone else have the same pumpkin spice fever that I do? I go through waves in the fall when I want pumpkin spice everything - oatmeal, coffee, smoothies - and I am certainly in the PSL phase right now. However, I wanted to make my own version of pumpkin spice creamer since the typical Starbucks variety is loaded with sugar and ingredients I can't pronounce. You know me and needing to know what's in my food ; ) So, I conjured up this super easy pumpkin spice creamer and am currently drinking it in my coffee this morning. Tasty, tasty.

You will need:

Pumpkin spice (cloves, allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, in case you don't have a blend of spices)
Extra cinnamon, add to your liking
2 spoonfuls of pumpkin puree
Honey (or sweetener of your choice)
Cashew milk (or use actual creamer to get a thicker consistency)
Vanilla

To make:

- In a medium pot toast your pumpkin spice and cinnamon until it is nice and fragrant. Be sure to have your element on low heat to ensure nothing gets burned : ) 

- Add in your pumpkin puree and vanilla, and mix until the spices are combined. By this time it will be smelling like fall in your kitchen!
- Next, add your cashew milk or cream. I used about a cup of this, though use as much as you'd like!

- Whisk the creamer mixture and add in your honey/sweetener and vanilla

- Allow this to get warm on the stove before pouring it into a glass jar, or let it cool and put it into a container of your choice

VOILA! Super, super easy. I added a little bit more honey in the morning to make it a touch bit sweeter in my coffee.

The very last step, of course, is to make some coffee and pour yourself a big ol' mug! It makes a nice accompaniment to pumpkin spice oats, too ; ) 

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There we have it. Easy pumpkin spice creamer you can make at home. Let me know in the comments if you try it or if you are a PSL lover!

How To: Superfood Smoothie + The Health Benefits

To make this easy peasy smoothie, you will need a few ingredients. Some are pretty standard, every day items, but there are a few extras that you can find at your local health food store.

To make this smoothie, you will need:

1 small banana

1/4 cup frozen blueberries

1 cup fresh spinach
1 cup (or so) of unsweetened almond milk (I like the Silk brand)
1 tbsp almond butter

1/4 tsp spirulina/chlorella powder (you can buy a mix of the two at your health food store)

A shake of chia seeds (about 1 1/2 tsp)
A shake of hemp seeds (about 1 1/2 tsp)

Blend all ingredients in your blender until smooth. It should be relatively thick, but of course you can add almond milk (or your milk of choice) until you get the consistency you desire.

Now for the health benefits in this baby!

Banana: Contains tons of vitamins, such as vitamin B6, C, potassium, magnesium, manganese, and may help regulate digestive health and stabilize blood sugar.

Blueberries: Antioxidant power houses! These little babies pack a big punch, including vitamin C and B6. Blueberries can help support heart health and include fiber, potassium, and folate.

Spinach: High in zinc, niacin, fiber, vitamins A, E, K, B6, and also high in protein, magnesium, and iron.

Almond milk: High in calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc, and phosphorus. Almond milk also contains folate and vitamin E, which are great for skin health.

Almond butter: High in protein (and lower in fat than peanut butter), and high in GOOD fats. These are unsaturated fatty acids that aid in brain health, as well as skin health. Your hair, skin, and nails will thank you for adding this healthy fat into your diet.

Spirulina/Chlorella: Both are types of blue/green algae that are full of chlorophyll, which is the component that gives green veggies their deep green hue. Both are high in amino acids, beta carotene (hello, eye health), biotin, magnesium, and the range of B-complex vitamins. A little goes a long way, which is why you only need 1/4 teaspoon in your smoothie to reap the benefits.

Chia seeds: High in omega-3 fatty acids (more than salmon - what, what!), good source of protein and fibre.

Hemp seeds: Another great source of healthy fats, though hemp seeds have a ratio of 3:1 when it comes to omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Both of these help promote cardiovascular health. Hemp seeds are also known to naturally balance hormones and serve as a good source of protein.

September FAVOURITES!

Good morning, friends!

I hope you are all having a great morning so far. It is officially FALL now - anyone else rejoicing? - and it is time for another favourites round up. I will be recapping some of my favourite things, moments, recipes, etc for the month of September, and I would love to hear what YOU guys are loving in the comments below!

So, without any further chatter, let's get into the favourites : )

The Kelowna Wine Country half marathon that took place September long weekend in beautiful Kelowna, BC. It was the first time in so long (I'm talking like ten years) since I had been to Kelowna, so the trip was much over due and it was great to run the race with my aunt and enjoy race weekend with Ryan and the pup.

Yup, still obsessed with this Mexican black bean salad. It is packed with veggies and the flavours are so fresh. No fancy sauces or spices needed. Plus it lasts well in the fridge (in an airtight container of course), so makes great lunches throughout the week.

The SPCA Paws for Cause walk was a great event we attended with my family and the pups. I look forward to bringing Nala again next year!

Fresh salads and veggies all day, every day. I have been experimenting with more fall-inspired recipes, and this salad with maple tahini dressing did not disappoint. Tahini is such a versatile ingredient, especially in salad dressings as it adds a bit of thickness, so I look forward to bringing more of those recipes to the blog. You can't go wrong with a big salad!

And because this is so relevant to me right now. I am the type of person who complains about how hot it is in the summer and immediately looks forward to fall. There is something about the crisp air and changing of the seasons that I just love. On that note, I am also that person who is bundled up in 101 layers come fall/winter because I am so freezing. Yep, there is no in between for me!

During the middle of this month we started a training program with Nala. It is all postive-reinforcement and clicker training based. She is super smart (proud parent over here), and it is fun to see her catch onto things so quickly and respond to the clicker. Soon enough we will be phasing out the clicker as training progresses, so fingers crossed it is an easy transition! So far, so good though.

Last but not least, this shirt. It is my go-to for strength training work outs, looks cute, but does not make you feel restricted. Lululemon, back at it again with the best workout tops!

Pumpkin spice oats topped with a swirl of unsweetened applesauce and a spoonful of almond butter. If this doesn't scream fall, I don't know what does. Maybe if I ate it out of a real pumpkin.

Yep, I bet you saw this coming considering I have been making my way through all the Harry Potter books again these last few months. I am determined to finish by Christmas!

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What are YOU loving this month!?

Recipe Time! Easy Homemade Almond Milk

Ahh yes, coffee. The most magical morning elixir that ever did exist.

What do you guys like to add to your coffee? Are you a cream and sugar person? Milk and sugar? Honey? Flavoured creamers?

I personally like almond milk and either raw sugar, honey, or sugar free syrup in my coffee - depending how I am feeling that day. Almond milk has been my go-to for a while now since my stomach has a hard time digesting dairy. As in, I feel bloated and get the worst stomach aches ever from it. So! I thought I would try my hand at some homemade almond milk and share the results with you guys on the bloggy. It is even creamy in coffee, which is a huge win! Plus it is simple to make and tastes yummy.

Here's a step by step guide for how to make your own homemade almond milk:

You will need 1 cup of raw almonds, soaked overnight in a few inches of water.

You will also need a milk bag or cheesecloth to strain out the almond meal (the pulp left behind). I picked mine up from the local community farm store in town, but I'm sure any grocery store or health food retailer would have this.

Once the almonds have soaked overnight (you will notice they plump up and may feel a little on the squishy side), pop them into your blender.

Then, add two cups of water to your blender and blend for about 2 minutes.

I added about 1 tsp of syrup and some vanilla to my almond milk, though you can add however much you like!

Once your almonds and water are looking a little more like milk, you will want to strain them in your milk bag. This was a little tricky since my jar was not super wide at the top, so you can do this either in a wide-mouth jar, bowl, or any other container you like. Squeeze gently until you have most of the "milk" out of the bag. You should be left with a clump of the almond meal. If you would like to use the almond meal again, I recommend refrigerating it and adding it to oatmeal or muffins, or spreading it on a baking tray and baking it just until dry. This makes freezing it even easier since all the moisture will be gone.

You should get about 2 cups of almond milk from the 1 cup of almonds. At this point you can add in more sweetener if you want, or even add some cinnamon or nutmeg to warm it up. Be sure to seal this nice and tight and use within two or three days.

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Et voila! There you have easy homemade almond milk. I am going to experiment with soaking the almonds a little bit longer in an attempt for even creamier milk. 

Five Things Friday

Hey, hey, hey!

I am back this morning with our regularly scheduled Five Things Friday, where I share five things from the last week (or so) that I have been loving.

Let's get into it!

The BC SPCA Paws for a Cause walk. Click the link to read my recap on the event. It was our first time ever going, but it was full of family and puppy love! Gotta like that : )

So technically this is from last week, but I really enjoyed this seriously easy Mexican black bean salad. I am already thinking of other one bowl salads to make and share with you guys, so stay tuned for more.

I have been LOVING this top from Lululemon. I purchased it when we were in Vancouver for the Seawheeze, and it has been a go-to for work outs from strength training to running. I wore it for the Wine Country half in Kelowna and was happy with the fit and cut while I was on the run. Sometimes shirts bunch up, or it feels as if they twist around your body. This tank skims the body without clinging, and the fabric is lightweight and breezy. Win!

Okay, so. I love me these face masks. I am wearing one as I type this, to be honest. Ryan gets a kick out of them when he comes in the room and I have this sheet of gooey tissue on my face, but it certainly works wonders for adding some extra nourishment to the skin.

I have always wanted to make my own almond milk - just to try, not to continuously do as it is expensive - and so earlier this week I bought a pack of almonds and used some to get a little crafty in the kitchen. I will have the recipe up in the next few weeks, so stay tuned for that! ; ) Sorry, no spoilers here, but it has been a favourite of mine this week! Does anyone else like doing these fun little recipes? It's a nice way to try something new and switch it up. Plus, the left over almond meal (almost like the pulp left behind) is pretty tasty in oatmeal!

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What are YOU loving this week!? 

SERIOUSLY Easy Mexican Black Bean Salad

A picture of me grocery shopping this morning after cleaning out the fridge. Hello, produce aisle! ; )

Good morning, friends!

I am back from Kelowna, which means I am back to our regularly scheduled blog posts. I had so many blog ideas pop into my head while I was away, so stay tuned for some fresh content coming your way!

My Kelowna recap will be up on Friday (in lieu of a 5 Things Friday post), so for now I wanted to share a delicious Mexican-inspired salad I made this morning. It is super easy, doesn't require any fancy ingredients, and is packed with fresh veggies.

Easy Mexican Black Bean Salad

1 cup cooked wild rice

1 can black beans (rinsed)

1 can corn kernels (I purchased low sodium, otherwise rinse to reduce extra salt)

1/2 cup diced red onion

1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes

Buttloads of cilantro (or however much you like. I am a cilantro fiend)

Pink Himalayan sea salt & pepper (more pepper than salt, though I don't measure this)

1 tsp turmeric

A shake of garlic powder (depending how garlicky you like it!)

Juice of half a lemon

Mix it all up and VOILA! Easy peasy, lemon squeezey. 

And of course an obligatory Nala picture from our walk on the trail today. She is so stinking cute!

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See ya on Friday with my Kelowna recap!

Long Weekend Recap + Taco Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing

Good evening from this lazy puppy!

Sorry for falling behind on Monday's post. As I type this it is Tuesday, though it certainly feels like a Monday after the long weekend.

A long weekend does that to a person, hey?

For those who celebrated BC Day, I hope you all enjoyed the extra day off and got up to some fun and exciting things in the beautiful weather.

My long weekend started Saturday after work. Ryan and I ventured off to visit my parents, who were camping nearby. We took Nala with us for the adventure, and she had lots of "Ooh's" and "Awww's" from the other campers. I mean, can you resist?

SO DARN CUTE. I die : )

We stayed out fairly late on Saturday night, and I of course slept through my alarm on Sunday and woke up at 10am. This is unheard of for me. Fortunately Ryan was on puppy duty, so my sleep was, for the most part, undisturbed. That being said, I decided to use Sunday as my easy day and complete my long run on Monday. I will get to that in a momento!

Sunday was filled with running errands, which included a pit stop at Costco in search of an air conditioning unit. Of course, there were none when we got there, so we spent our money on organic fudgsicles, hummus, and giant boxes of salad greens. When at Costco, right?

Since I slept through my morning alarm on Sunday - and REALLY didn't feel like running in the blazing heat, I saved my long run for Monday. After breakfast was finished, I hopped on the treadmill and completed seven miles. Sometimes breaking a long run into two parts can serve as a good mental break, especially if you are doing it on the treadmill. Don't get me wrong. I LOVE my treadmill. In fact, sometimes I prefer the treadmill because it gives me a chance to give my body a bit of a break (and I can tune out and watch YouTube to pass the time). Additionally. all of my other long runs were completed outside, so I am more than accustomed to the time on my feet. That's what the long run is all about, after all!

After the second part of my run I refueled with another huge salad. Is anyone else not into hot food in the summer? I could eat salad for dinner every day and be happy as a clam. Ryan, not so much, but this salad was a hit! He even made a delicious avocado dressing that I am going to share with you guys. That's what friends are for, yes?

*Note: Most ingredients are organic as we have access to local produce pretty much year round, though some things aren't. It's all about the price!

In my salad I had:

- Organic spring mix

- Organic cucumbers

- Organic cherry tomatoes

- Yellow pepper

- A handful (or so) of chopped cabbage (great for extra crunch)

- Lean ground turkey sauteed with organic yellow pepper and organic pitted olives, sliced <--- This olive idea was SO delicious. Adds a great punch of saltiness without physically dousing your salad in salt.

- Lightly salted tortilla strips

For the dressing:

Add one ripe avocado, about a 1/4 cup organic plain yogurt, the juice of one lemon, Himalayan pink salt, cracked black pepper, garlic, and a dash of olive oil into your food processor. Cream together until smooth - you can add more liquid until it becomes your desired texture.

This dressing also makes a yummy dip for crackers, veggies & nacho chips!

Sooo, sooo good. Let me know if you try it out!

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I hope you all have a great day & I will catch you on Friday!

Seaside Sundays + Easy Egg Avocado Toast

Good morning!

A new week has begun and we are kicking it off with a weekend recap (as usual) on this little bloggy of mine.

Sunday morning looked a little something like this:

Wake up, put on run clothes & eat half a banana and a rice cake with peanut butter pre-run. I had 18km scheduled for my long run, so it was important to get this in early before the heat rolled in. It was funny because I had a dream Saturday night that I woke up SO late and had to do my long run when it was mid-day and scorching out. When I woke up, I thought to myself. Wait a minute. Did I already do my run?

Does this happen to anyone else? Not necessarily about running, but anything? Nevertheless, I got my butt outta bed and got out there. My run was a mix of trails and road, which was a nice way to switch things up. Once I was running back down our road on the way home, I noticed that I ran 18.75km. Does anyone else prefer to see round numbers? Yeah, I definitely do. So, I ended up running 19km.

The best part? I came home to coffee and pancakes! Ryan is a machine in the kitchen. He is a much better cook than myself (I specialize in very easy dishes), and had banana pancakes, a blueberry, raspberry & mango fruit syrup ready, and of course a hot press of coffee. Doesn't get much better than that!

Once we were up and ready for the day, we made our way to Nanaimo again. We were determined to find a new spot to adventure, so Neck Point it was! Both of us had never been there before (despite going to Nanaimo a billion times), so it was great to check out the scenery and all of the trails. There is a big loop around neck point that borders the ocean and entwines into the forest, and several look out stations are along the way. 

Nothing better than getting outside on a beautiful day!

We will definitely be back for another adventure.

Once we were done exploring Neck Point, we stopped for lunch and made a Costco run to pick up groceries. I am actually amazed at how fast we were in and out. Record time, baby!

That brings us to today!

Monday is going how Mondays usually go. Well, when you have the day off. Slow and easy, no where to rush to, no need to hurry.

And guess what? I did a thing today! A thing where I switched up my breakfast.

Gasp.

I know.

When the body wants avocado toast, you give it avocado toast... With a twist.

As you already know, avocado toast is as trendy as green juices and green smoothies these days. However, give me some avocado on some sprouted grain bread and I am a happy girl.

Doesn't take much to make me happy, clearly.

I used the Silver Hills The Big 16 brand bread. It is less processed than other breads on the market, and in the odd chance that I choose to eat bread, this is my pick.

Crack two eggs in a frying pan over medium heat. Sprinkle some pink Himalayan sea salt on there and black pepper. Cook the eggs to your liking. For me, I like mine over easy.

Then grab two slices of bread. Toast it, and mash half an avocado on your toast. You can add butter if you like, too.

While the eggs are sizzling away, throw some spinach in there for some extra greens. Why not, right? Top the spinach with some powdered garlic and chili flakes (if you like a bit of spice).

Once your eggs are done, layer the spinach on top of the avocado, then place your eggs on top. I drizzled a bit of ketchup on mine.

VOILA! Easy peasy. Now post a picture on Instagram #avocadotoast

Just kidding!

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I hope you all had a beautiful weekend & I will catch up with you on Wednesday!