Vegan Banana Bread

March 12, 2013 by

Morning friends! After a few nights of after midnight bedtimes plus 5:20 wakeup calls don’t make the best combination in the world. Even so, it feels good to be back on a somewhat normal schedule. I mean, that’s what extra cups of coffee is for, right?

Besides coffee being a crutch for sleepless nights, I crave comfort foods when this happens. Banana bread, soups, anything of those sorts. I’ve had a few unsuccessful trials with the banana bread route. It’s tough to make a banana bread allergen free and have it come out both tasty and in tact. Finally, after much patience and practice I have the perfect recipe.

vegan buckwheat bake

[Read more...]

{17 Comments }

The Sweet Life

March 5, 2013 by

Good Morning all!

It’s been absolutely beautiful over here the past few days, I’m so excited for the Spring weather to come into my life. Dresses, skirts, and tanks for the win!

This morning, I got up early to do a nice pilates workout before getting to the days plans. Working out is always a sweet start to the day for me. I love getting in my workout early, and having the rest of the morning to do my usual routine.

Speaking of sweet things, I’ve always had a big sweet tooth. I’m not one to crave savory, I’ll admit that sweets will always win that battle.

cocoa buckwheat bake

[Read more...]

{34 Comments }

What I Ate Wednesday

February 6, 2013 by

Morning beauties!

I’m extremely happy it’s already Wednesday, just a few more days until the weekend. This week is flying by, which makes me very happy since last week seemed to last forever. Another reason to be happy, it’s another round of What I Ate Wednesday, hosted by the lovely Jenn from Peas and Crayons.

Per usual, spin was on the agenda this morning. I happened to wake up before my alarm this morning, so it was rather easy to get ready for class.

Breakfast -

buckwheat

[Read more...]

{44 Comments }

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

September 17, 2012 by

Good Morning! We’re back to Monday. And only 2 more weeks until my birthday! Yay!

Hopefully everyone enjoyed their weekends. Even though it is not quite Fall yet, I’ve gotten started on that Bucket List. I’m a little too eager for Fall to arrive I think. Today I won’t be sharing that pumpkin recipe though, that can wait for another day:)

 

I woke up this morning not feeling the best. I have been getting super anxious every night before bed, and well honestly this anxiety lasts throughout most of the day as well. It makes perfect sense, as I was discussing with my nutritionist plans to increase my calories.

I felt particularly lucky this morning, as I was reminded I had a batch of already prepared pumpkin overnight buckwheat in the fridge for breakfast.

This batch had 1/3 cup buckwheat cereal, 1 cup almond milk, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup egg whites, 1/3 cup pumpkin, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, stevia, 1/2 tablespoon chia seeds, and topped with the last of my cashew butter.

*******

I will be sharing a recipe I finally tried out for dinner over the weekend. Cauliflower crust has become increasingly popular, and there are so many recipes out there. Since I was unsure of which to use, I just sort of created my own and hoped for the best. Luckily it worked out well.

This cauliflower crust is the perfect base for your favourite toppings and its served for one. I don’t need a whole crust to myself, so I just adjusted it to my own needs.

Cauliflower is clearly not your typical pizza crust, as its made from a vegetable. But, it really is marvelous.

Cauliflower Pizza Crust (serves one, gluten free, grain free)

  • 1 cups cauliflower rice (100 grams)
  • 3 tablespoons egg whites
  • 3 tablespoons goat cheese (soft)
  • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
  • 1 tablespoon almond flour (you could use any other flour though)
  • dash of sea salt, oregano, and basil

Preheat oven to 400 ° F.

Process raw cauliflower (not the stems or leaves), until it reaches rice like texture.

Microwave the cauliflower for about 5-6 minutes.

Squeeze excess liquid from riced cauliflower (once cool), and combine all ingredients into a bowl.

Line a baking pan with a lightly greased sheet of parchment paper.

Spread mixture evenly onto the pan (don’t flatten or spread it out too much, or it will burn)

Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until edges are slightly browned.

I topped my delicious crust with some tomato paste, sauteed spinach cooked in coconut oil, and some extra nutritional yeast. I also had some broiled tempeh on the side, for some protein.

After dinner, I dived into a protein muffin. These have been great for night snacks, since I can change the ingredients all the time and have different ones everyday.

This particular one was made with 2 tablespoons teff flour, 1 tablespoon coconut flour, and 1/3 cup pumpkin, instead of the usual recipe. Served alongside coconut frosting and peanut flour paste.

Check out Katie’s round up of Marvelous in my Monday posts today too!!

*And don’t forget to like my page on facebook, since I just got one:)

Have you tried cauliflower crust yet?

What’s your favourite snack to have before bed?

Have a marvelous day, please!:)

{35 Comments }

Snacking Success

July 9, 2012 by

Morning everyone! Sadly, the weekend is over.

But, a new week has arrived, which means a fresh start! How was your weekend? Great, I hope.

It’s no secret that I love my overnight egg white oats, so what better way to celebrate a Marvelous Monday morning then with another batch of them.

*overnight oat bran with added hemp seeds, banana, and peanut flour paste on top*

Funny enough, as a child I hated oatmeal, or any sort of healthy item. My parents could not get me to eat anything whole wheat for the life of them, and I hated every vegetable out there, except for frozen peas. Yep, the only veggie I ever ate were frozen peas.

Now, I eat oats or oat bran in some form every single day, I guess its just sort of a habit now. Its just a food I reach to and know it will keep me filled up and thriving for the rest of the day.

My meal was accompanied by coffee. I don’t know what I’d do without my gold card. This is what mornings are made of over here.

Goldmembaaa (does this remind anyone of Austin Power’s as well? No? Awkward…)

I’m getting off to an extremely productive day so far, I’ve already crossed a majority of things off my checklist, which makes me excited that I have the rest of the beautiful afternoon to enjoy the day.

Marvelous Planking….

 (Source)

I’ve been working on being able to hold plank for 5 minutes. Thanks to Lori and Michelle for setting up this challenge. I thought it would be good to have a fitness goal, even if it’s small, just to have something to work towards. I finally got to that 5 minute mark and am now going to try and extend it further!

I’m also hoping to order an equalizer soon, so I can work on pull-ups. I can’t do nearly enough right now.

Marvelous Weather…

And we have a tremendous forecast this week! Yay for summer! You probably really don’t care about the weather where I live for the week, so I’ll stop talking about it.

Marvelous Snacks…

I came up with a new favourite topping for yogurt, oatmeal, dipping veggies/fruits, or using it to top my protein muffins.

Protein Coconut Cream.

I just mixed 1.5 tablespoons each of coconut flour and protein powder, added a teaspoon of coconut oil (you can omit if you’d like), a few drops of liquid stevia, and then mix in about 3-4 tablespoons almond milk until well combined.

I refrigerated it for a few hours after and the coconut oil had given it a nice texture once chilled. It’s splendid tasting.

I also tried making it into bar form, but added in a tablespoon of peanut butter to make it firmer. I forgot to picture is, but this was pretty dang awesome. And makes it a more suitable snack.

Marvelous Nails…

In the afternoon, I went outside to relax and paint my nails a lovely coral colour. OPI, baby.

It always feels good to get outside for a little bit, soak up some vitamin D, and this way I don’t get that nasty nail polish smell permeating through my place the rest of the day.

Marvelous Sunday Dinner…

*roasted broccoli slaw with a dressing made with mashed avocado, nutritional yeast, and hummus, had with an un-pictured homemade goat cheese stuffed turkey burger*

Dinner while basking in the sun, okay that’s a lie. I actually really dislike eating outside because of the bugs that like my food.
Hello bugs, this is my dinner not yours. I don’t want you up in my grill while I’m enjoying my meal. So I sat inside with the screen door closed, this way I could still get a view of the gorgeous outdoors.

Close enough.

Off to grab a snack and catch up on Pretty Little Liars. I’m so grown up.;) Make sure you check out the beautiful Katie’s page for more Marvelous in my Monday posts.

Have a great day!!

Is there a food that you eat every single day, simply because its become a habit?
How is your day marvelous today?

{55 Comments }

Thursday things

June 21, 2012 by

Happy Thursday, beauties!

Hope your day is off to a fabulous start.

Phew, I feel like this week has gone on forever, when I woke up and realized it was Thursday, a magical feeling washed over me! Literally, can’t wait for the weekend. I decided since this week is going so slow, breakfast in bed was necessary. (recycled picture)

How fun is it to eat in bed? Besides when crumbs get in your bedding. Don’t even get me started on how much crumbs bug me. Ick, I cringe at the thought. I actually look quite silly eating in bed or anywhere, because I hate when things get on the floor or where I’m sitting, so I have about 13 different napkins around me to make sure there is no mess….anyways that was my random tangent today. I’m sure you don’t care about my OCD weirdness.

*******

This post will be a quickie.

1. Snack I’m loving this week: coconut cookie dough, pumpkin instead of applesauce is mucho tastier.

pumpkin cookie dough

2. Words I’m living by.

(Source)

So true.

3. Kristin, I wanted you to know someone stole your flat kitty idea. There are now Ferrell Cats.

(Source)

They totally copy catted your idea. Not cool. I must admit, I do like this Ron Burgundy style cat though.

4. There are chip bandits where I live, guess I better pay close attention to when I take pictures of my food in my backyard, hopefully no one thinks of stealing my oats. Now that would be a crime.


(Source)

5. I am IN LOVE with Eva Longoria’s outfit in this picture. I want it all.

(Source)

6. And just for kicks, always remember…

(Source)

I’m off to get myself to a doctors appointment!

What are you loving this week?

xox,
Lisa

{37 Comments }

Vlog: How To Make a Protein Muffin

April 23, 2012 by

Hey heyyy friends!!

Hope your weekend was a blast!

Today I have a vlog for you that I put together. I had been getting quite a few questions on how I make my protein muffins. Plus it’s always fun to actually see someone in person. So, I just figured to make it easier for everyone, I would just make a vlog. Anyone else hate that word? It sounds weird to me…

I hope you enjoyed my first video blog, I definitely felt like a huge dork filming it. Next time I’m sure it won’t be so awkward ;)

It’s noted that I say obviously, and, and uh way too much. Yikes.

Instructions

  • Combine 3 tablespoons of any flour you want to use*
  • Add 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon stevia
  • Mix that all together using a fork, until combined
  • Add in 1/4 – 1/3 cup of canned pumpkin (or applesauce, mashed berries (jam), banana), the options are up to you
  • Add in a couple drops of liquid stevia (I add 7 drops)
  • Add in the 1/2 cup of egg white

*The flours I love to mix around with include: Teff flour, brown rice flour, oat flour, buckwheat flour, protein powder, almond flour, coconut flour, and peanut flour. You can customize with any type of flour you would like to use. Feel free to use a combination of different flours as well.

Grab your fork and mix all the ingredients together, very well. Making sure there are no clumps in the bowl.
Microwave for approximately 3-4 minutes. It will depend how strong your microwave is.
After it has finished cooking, remove from bowl, allow to cool for a bit. And enjoy! I like to eat mine cold, so I just place it in the fridge until I’m ready to eat it.

Benefits:
Teff Flour-

  • A whole grain that is high in vitamin C, thiamine, calcium, and iron. Naturally gluten free.

Sun Warrior Protein Powder-

  • Contains all 9 essential amino acids. High in essential nutrients (thiamin, phosphorus, potassium, riboflavin, and iron). Is an easily digestible protein powder.

Pumpkin-

  • High in fiber, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium, vitamins A & C, and phosphorus. Loaded with the antioxidants, alpha and beta-carotenes.

Egg Whites-

  • No cholesterol or saturated fat. High in riboflavin, selenium, and vitamin B.

I hope you all enjoy your Monday!
Have you ever made a video blog before?

{30 Comments }

Cookie Dough

April 17, 2012 by

Hello beautiful people.

Thank you all for your sweet comments on yesterdays post! You are all the best!

So if your like me, by the time the afternoon hits I need a little something in the snack department. I’m not one of those people who can eat 3 meals a day and be satisfied. Eating about 5 small meals a day keeps me in a happy mood. You know what happens when you get too hungry before a meal, yeah not too pretty ;)

These cookie dough balls are a perfect snack to help tide your hunger over until dinner. Especially if you are on the go. They are also great to have before a workout first thing in the morning, because of their size, they don’t weigh me down in the morning or make my stomach uncomfortable, which is great.

And is it just me, or do you prefer raw cookie dough over cooked cookies? As I kid I absolutely loved raw cookie dough. I would put it in the freezer and eat it from there. These are a little healthier ;) And I can still throw them in the freezer and not worry about getting salmonella poisoning. A plus in my books!

Ingredients (6 balls)

  • 1/4 cup protein powder (I used sun warrior)
  •  3 tablespoons coconut flour
  • 2 tablespoons raw cashew butter (you could use any nut butter)
  • 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1 banana (or 1/2 cup applesauce, or pumpkin)
  • 1-4 tablespoons almond milk
  • liquid stevia (to preferred taste)

Melt the coconut oil in a bowl, add the nut butter and banana, and stevia (or other sweetener), and mash until combined. Then add the protein powder and coconut flour and combine well (I just use my hands). The dough will be pretty thick, so if you need to add some liquid add in your almond milk (1 tablespoon at a time), until you can form them into balls. Refrigerate or freeze until your ready to eat.

And enjoy.

I’m off to get a start on my day, probably go to Starbucks (wow, I seriously have a problem) ;) , and then I am on a spring cleaning spree! My whole room needs a good cleaning!!

Do you prefer baked or raw cookies?
Have you started spring cleaning yet?
Have a great day all!

{19 Comments }

What I Ate Wednesday

March 28, 2012 by

Hello beauties :)

Happy Wednesday!

Everything I’m posting is what I ate on Tuesday, so technically it’s what I ate on Tuesday, but it’s Wednesday now, confusing?…anyyywayyys, onto the good stuff.

Making it to spin by 5:30 was a breeze today, I woke up with no alarm at 4:30 for clearly, some very odd reason. I moved my tush on over to the gym, got on my bike, sweat the hour away, and was out there by 7. I went back home showered and had breakfast awaiting for me in the fridge. Thank goodness for overnight oats I was hungry.

Breakfast – 8:00 AM – Overnight oat bran with 1/2 cup egg whites, 1/3 cup pumpkin, 1/2 tablespoon chia seeds, cinnamon, stevia, and left overnight in the fridge to thicken up. With a side of starbs.

Seriously, after this is cooked and then left in the fridge overnight it gets so thick and tasty! I was stoked on this bowl, I also topped it with peanut flour paste and banana slices.

Later, I wandered on over to the grocery store to pick up a few items I’ll be needing for the week, ran a few errands and by the time I got home, put stuff away, and did some laundry it was lunch time. It was cold this morning so I was craving some good ol’ baked veggies. Roasted kabocha it was!

Lunch – 11:30 AM – (yes, I know I eat lunch at the time 5 year olds do)

Baked Kabocha Squash with Raw Coconut Butter. I.love.squash. So good.

Then things went a little sour, I was coming up for a recipe for dinner, and who knew you can’t mix water and oil on high heat together. Oopsie! Let’s just say things were a complete mess after I realized this ;) but no damage was done to myself, so at least that’s a plus. I ended up starting over and then landed a success! Recipe to come tomorrow.

I went to hit up the mall after, to meet my dad for coffee and do a little spring shopping, I recently tidied up my closet and got rid of lots of old clothes I don’t wear anymore so I needed some new things. Exciting!

I didn’t get home until 4 and was a little hungry so made an afternoon snack.

I’m participating in the 7 day green smoothie challenge. So after I came back from the mall, I made a smoothie of frozen spinach, frozen strawberries, scoop vanilla sun warrior, and a cup of almond milk! Delicious, and the challenge is going smoothly (pun possibly intended). Smoothies rock. :)

Snack – 4:00 PM – Green Smoothie

By the time dinner came around I didn’t feel like making much, so I just heated up some leftover spaghetti squash with roasted veggies, defrosted a piece of turkey meatloaf (last one), I’ll have to make more soon. Also Chelsey’s best ever marinara and topped it off with the recipe I’ll be giving you tomorrow; a savoury goat cheese truffle. Divine.

Dinner – 5:30 PM  - Spaghetti squash, marinara, turkey, goat cheese truffle

Now time to catch up on some blogs, Real Housewives, and Chelsea Lately.

Enjoy your night everyone!!!

Snack – at 8:30 PM – will be a protein muffin (recipe to come soon!!), with (not pictured) peanut flour paste and coconut cream.

YUM.

What was the best thing you ate today?
Have you ever had a kitchen blunder that ended up good after all?
xox Lisa

 

{18 Comments }

Holy Crap, Skinny B, and Snacks

March 26, 2012 by

Hey all, it’s Monday!

<source>

Can you tell I like this website?

Hopefully everyone enjoyed their weekend! :)
I actually do not mind Monday’s too much, it always seems like Tuesday is the longest day to get through, and I like that it is a new start to the week!

I have a few different goals for myself this week, one including getting out of my comfort zone and trying new things. Including some new ingredients, recipes, and even eating at different times. I have to learn to be able to be less restricted in this sense.

Now on to something yummy from this morning, breakfast!

Oat Bran with egg whites, chia seeds, pumpkin, peanut flour and topped with new to me granola

this breakfast cereal is made in BC

great ingredients!

I ended up trying this Holy Crap on my oats this morning and it rocked! I’d say it is more of a granola though, not “breakfast cereal”. The ingredients are top notch, no added sweetener at all, and it really tastes good! I’m impressed. They also have another line called Skinny B, which I think I’ll like, so next time I’m at the store I’ll have to pick that up.

Later in the afternoon I got a little hungry and whipped up this snack.

Coconut-Cream Mousse

  • 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt (I used 2%)
  • 1/4 cup cottage cheese (I used 2%)
  • 1/3 banana, frozen
  • 1/4 teaspoon coconut extract (you could use vanilla if you don’t have coconut)
  • stevia
  • 1 teaspoon almond butter
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons coconut flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon guar gum and xanthan gum (to thicken) [optional]
  • 2-4 tablespoons almond milk (to get blender moving) [if needed]

First blend greek yogurt and cottage cheese together, then add in the banana, and extracts/stevia, next blend in the coconut flour and almond butter; at this point if you need some liquid add in the almond milk, and you can add in the guar/xanthan if it is not thick enough for you at this point. I used a food processor for this.

You can freeze it for about 10 minutes, so it will get super cold.
This was really good!

And if you don’t have any coconut flour feel free to add in almond flour, protein powder, or cocoa powder to replace it. I’m sure it would taste just as good!

Since my tailbone is actually pretty sore today, I opted to skip my planned workout, instead here’s a playlist I made last week:

<source>

Has anyone seen these toe socks for pilates or yoga?! I so want them! My feet are always cold! Maybe these would get me to try yoga more often than I do right now ;)

 

Would you buy toe socks specific for yoga or pilates?
Do you like Monday’s, or are they a drag to get through for you?

That’s all for now. Enjoy the day!
xo

{6 Comments }