Baking

It's Labour Day weekend!  Yay! Time-off work! Pals and pools! Air shows and cronuts ! Yes you read that right -- air shows and cronuts ...If you live outside of Toronto, Canada you may not have heard of the monstrosity that is the cronut -- a burger sandwiched between a croissant and a donut, slathered in bacon jam. Yes, you read that right too, jam made from bacon. This "delicacy" has been available this summer at the EX, or the National Exhibition grounds where millions flock each summer to ride roller coasters, watch air shows and concerts, not to mention eat funnel cakes, deep fried butter (you read that right too), deep fried mars bars, deep fried anything really. Everyone but me I guess. Yes, I never cared for the EX too much, probably because I am afraid of roller coasters and my liver issues make fried foods like funnel cakes a digestible magic trick that I have yet to be able to pull off...Ah well, on the upside I won't be coming down with food poisoning fr...

I eat a lot of salads -- big ones, loaded with fresh and cooked vegetables and homemade dressings. This may seem funny to those who read this blog as it must seem as if all I eat is healthier than average chocolate desserts. While I wish that were the case, its not and I really should share my salad recipes more often.  I find that I eat versions of the same salads over and over, each time evolving the recipes slightly with new add-ins or dressings. These days my 'usual' dinner salad involves lots of grated colorful vegetables, torn raw kale and swiss chard, raw red onion, chopped organic olives and some protein packed seeds for good measure. I have been adding chia seeds to my salads for months but only recently started incorporating handfuls of raw pumpkin seeds. They really add a lovely crunchy texture to a salad -- not to mention a whopping serving of vegan protein, vitamins and minerals. I love that they are so nutty in flavor as well. To learn more about pu...

Aren't these little seeds beautiful? I love their color! Sunburst green or something crazy like that. I have been so into pumpkin seeds lately -- buying huge bags of raw pepitas and sprinkling them on everything from salad to pasta to quinoa. They are a lovely crunchy snack that makes you feel great thanks to a ton of vegan protein, and essential vitamins and minerals. I have been eating pumpkin seeds often for years -- especially after developing an allergy to tree-nuts as an adult.  I think that roasted pumpkin seed butter is off-the-charts awesome. I use it as a healthy alternative to peanut butter as well as add it to a variety of savory meals. Pepitas are a major component of Mexican cuisine so adding them to something like tacos or chilli is a no-brainer in my opinion and really ramps up the depth of flavor. In fact, I have done just that -- click here for a great quinoa chili recipe that involves pumpkin seed butter. I also like using them in vegan cheeze sauce recip...

Hot chocolate and I go way back. I've enjoyed it so much over the years. It was a long-standing camp comfort food for me as a kid -- I would grab my forbidden kettle and boil some water in secrecy. Tear open a packet of hot cocoa, undoubtedly with little marshmallows waiting to swell up in the hot water, and relax, getting lost in the creamy warmth. When I got to high school I went through a period where I would buy a Second Cup hot chocolate after school every day. It was my special treat. Second Cup had the best hot chocolate without a doubt -- you could tell that Second Cup was using milk and real chocolate. It was creamy and frothy and warm -- never too hot. If you opted in you could get it covered in real whipped cream which I would then dust with cocoa or their vanilla powder. It was heavenly. As an adult, I rarely enjoy hot chocolate anymore -- probably because it is traditionally loaded with milk and refined sugar -- but ladies and gentleman, that is about to change.  Allow...