Just in the nick of time, I ended up thinking of a few things to make for my get together on Saturday. I worked hard all afternoon and of course made a complete disaster of the place. Is it ever possible not to make a disaster just before hosting a party? Don’t think so. Not to mention the mirror backsplash in this kitchen seems to double the mess. I need a kitchen sign that reads: Objects in mirror are less messy than they appear…I swear!

Sadly, the incredible one-bite pizzas weren’t one of my ideas on Saturday, but they will be making a comeback for future get togethers, this I know.

I’ve been dying to make chocolate covered strawberries from scratch for a while now. I made traditional ones on our second wedding anniversary in 2010 using melted chocolate chips and a touch of coconut oil, but this time I made them without chocolate chips. You can check out this anniversary post for a wedding recap and a couple recipes – “love butter” strawberry muffins and the original chocolate covered strawberries!

Lately, I’ve been experimenting with homemade chocolate. I’ve made recipes using cocoa butter, coconut oil, cocoa powder, raw cacao powder, vanilla, natural sugars, and nut butter, using all kinds of variations and methods. I have this habit of testing out a million and one variations before I am happy with these types of recipes. I annoy myself so much, but the outcome is usually worth it!

When the chocolate ingredients are heated together, it creates a rich chocolate sauce that you can pour on just about anything. Or you can dip strawberries into it which is what I’ve done here. Instantly, you have yourself a classy party food, with barely any effort at all.

It gets better! When the chocolate sauce is chilled in the fridge it firms up, but not too firm. The chocolate doesn’t get super hard and break off the strawberry like with regular chocolate covered strawberries; it remains bendy and easy to bite into! Always an unexpected bonus. My friends commented that these were the best chocolate covered strawberries they’ve had and loved that the chocolate wasn’t really hard.  I like to call it “bendy chocolate”. You could also use this on sliced bananas too.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries From Scratch

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Ingredients:

• Approx. 24-28 fresh strawberries
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder or raw cacao powder, sifted
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup (or agave)
• 1/4 cup coconut oil (no subs)
• 1 tbsp all-natural nut butter (I used cashew butter)*
• 1/4 scant tsp fine grain sea salt, or to taste
• Unsweetened shredded coconut, to garnish
• Optional pink glaze: 1/2 cup icing (confectioner’s) sugar, 1 large strawberry, 1/2-1 tbsp strawberry jam, processed in a mini blender (makes enough to glaze about 8-10)

1. Wash and pat the strawberries dry. Set aside.

2. In a small pot, whisk together the maple syrup, coconut oil, nut butter, and cocoa powder over low to medium heat. Whisk for a couple minutes until all the coconut oil is melted and remove from heat.

3. Dip strawberries into the chocolate mixture, coating most of the strawberry. Place onto a plate lined with parchment paper or on a wire rack. Repeat for the rest and sprinkle with coconut. Chill in the fridge to set.

4. If making the pink frosting: with a mini food processor, combine the icing sugar, strawberry, and jam until smooth. You may need to add a bit more icing sugar depending on the consistency of your jam. If you don’t have a mini processor I suggest not using the whole strawberry and just mixing in a bit more jam into the icing sugar until the right consistency is achieved.

5. Spoon the frosting into a baggie and snip off the end. Pipe frosting onto the strawberries and place back in the fridge until firm.

Here I am guarding my strawberries with my life!

In other news, today is my 29th birthday! Well, tomorrow if you are reading this Tuesday night. As my family jokingly tells me – it’s my first of very many 29th birthdays. hah. Time goes by faster every year I tell you..it’s a bit scary. I feel so blessed to be alive and healthy, even if it’s something I sometimes take for granted in the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

It’s hard to believe that 29 years ago, I was just a wee baby with no idea of what my life would hold!

Word to my loving mama and big sis.

Well, my partner in crime is treating me to a fun-filled birthday, so I’ll be back with the recap soon!

I’m the type of person who racks my brain forever before I can think of anything decent to make my family and friends when we’re having a party or get together. Or better yet, I put off meal planning as long as possible until I find myself at the grocery store rushing around in a flurry, desperately throwing things into my cart. You’d think meal planning would come easy to me given how many hundreds of recipes I have made over the past few years, but unfortunately that’s rarely the case.

Plus, don’t people have expectations when you have a recipe blog? Bloggers, do you agree? Or maybe they don’t care and I stress about these made up things in my mind, which I like to do. It’s also possible that I’m just burnt out on the creative front by the time Friday evening rolls around and the thought of throwing a bag of chips on the table sounds very appealing.

Either way, I spent a long time thinking about what to make for my party this past weekend.

And you know what’s funny? These pizza bites weren’t on the menu. Nope. This was the product of my hungover creativity on Sunday morning. Go figure.

Have you ever made your own tortilla bowls? It’s such a fun technique that looks impressive but is really easy to do. I saw this idea on Pinterest last year and filed it away for the perfect time (note: a day late, but who’s counting). Basically, you can make all sizes of crispy tortilla bowls, depending on the mold used. For this one-bite pizza, I used a mini cupcake tin, but feel free to use regular-sized tins if need be. It might turn into a 3-bite pizza though! You can also make big bowls and homemade taco shells, both of which I plan on trying out soon. My mind is just spinning with ideas and thankfully no longer spinning from the tequila shots on Saturday night.

I used a cookie cutter to make circles (I got 8 circles per tortilla) and then I pushed one circle into each cupcake mold. No need to grease the tin- they pop right out after toasting. I toasted them for 12 minutes at 375F and they were perfectly crisp and golden! If you want to use a regular-sized cupcake tin, just cut the tortillas into quarters.

While those were baking, I got to work on my pizza sauce. Initially, I was going to use store-bought pizza sauce, but then I decided to make a “loaded” pizza sauce which was much more fun than anything I could’ve found at the grocery store.

I loaded this pizza sauce with vegetables like red pepper, sweet onion, garlic, cremini mushrooms, and herbs like fresh basil, oregano, and thyme. It’s so good straight from the bowl!

For the base, I used a 14-oz/398 ml can of Eden Organic Crushed Tomatoes and a few tablespoons of tomato paste.

Once the sauce was made, I scooped a bit into each toasted cup. Followed by a sprinkle of Daiya cheese. One of my homemade cheeze sauces would also be nice!

Then, I broiled it on high for a couple minutes until it bubbled.

You know, it’s a good thing I didn’t make these for my party because it would’ve been really hard to share. In no time at all, we devoured almost the entire batch, save for a few that I left in the fridge for cold “leftover pizza”. Yes, it’s as good as it sounds.

Easy One-Bite Pizzas with Loaded Pizza Sauce

I suggest serving these warm out of the oven, but you’ll be happy to know that the crispy tortilla bowls didn’t turn to mush after sitting for a couple hours in the fridge. They hold up very well and taste incredible straight from the fridge, cold, like leftover pizza! Have fun playing around with the toppings and mix-ins. Just like a regular pizza, it’s very versatile depending on what you have in your fridge. Feel free to use the loaded pizza sauce on a regular pizza too!

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Yield: 24 one-bite pizzas

for the loaded pizza sauce: (makes 2 cups)

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup chopped sweet onion
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1.5 cups chopped cremini mushrooms
• 1 cup chopped red pepper
• One (14-oz/400ml) can crushed tomatoes
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 20 grams or 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• salt & pepper, to taste (I used about 1/2 tsp fine grain sea salt + some herbamare)

for the one-bite pizzas:

• large soft tortilla wraps (I used three 9-inch tortillas)
• About 1.5 cups loaded pizza sauce or store-bought
• Daiya cheese or homemade cheeze sauce

1. For the tortilla bowls: Preheat the oven to 375F and grab a mini cupcake tin or a regular sized tin. No need to grease it as they will pop right out.

2. With a cookie cutter (or even kitchen sheers), cut 2.5-inch circles out of the wraps and push into the mini cupcake molds. Repeat for the rest & save the scraps for later.

3. Toast at 375F for 10-12 minutes, watching very closely. They should be golden and crisp, but not too brown. If using regular-sized cupcake tins, cut your tortilla into quarters and push one into each mold. Cooking time may vary if using larger cupcake tins.

4. For the sauce (skip if using store-bought): In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Now add in the chopped onion and garlic, and sauté for a few minutes, reducing heat if necessary.

5. Add in the chopped mushrooms and red pepper and sauté for another 8-10 minutes over medium heat.

6. Now stir in the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste, along with the basil, oregano, and thyme. Reduce the sauce and simmer for about 10 minutes until thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

7. To assemble: Preheat your oven to the highest broil setting. Add a couple teaspoons of pizza sauce into the center of each bowl. Sprinkle with cheeze and place into the oven to broil on high for 1-2 minutes, or until the cheeze bubbles a bit. Watch very closely or it will burn. Serve warm!

If you make the mini bites you will have leftover scraps of tortilla. I have a fun way that you can use them up:

Rip the scraps up into small pieces and place into a bowl. Stir in 2 tbsp of maple syrup, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, and a pinch of nutmeg. Bake on a lined sheet at 350F for 8-10 minutes, stirring once halfway through.

You’ll be left with sweet chips that taste just like Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal. Oh yeah!

I feel like so many of my posts have started out with…

“On Facebook, I asked you about x,y, and z and you gave me 5 gazillion suggestions.”

Well, you’ve done it again. Do you charge a fee for this service? Maybe we can put it on my tab… =)

This time, I pestered you for tips on homemade or store-bought yoga mat cleaners.

It turns out there are a million and one ways to clean a yoga mat. Or maybe more. What began as an innocent journey into making my own mat cleaner, turned into a ton of reading and researching online.

There are as many different options as there are opinions on what to use. If you make your own mat cleaner, chances are you have your favourite mix. I think a good place to start when figuring out which mat cleaner will work for you is to check with your mat brand and see what they recommend. The “right” cleaning methods and ingredients can vary a lot from mat to mat.

Of course, I didn’t take my own advice! I started by making my cleaner first, only to find out later from a discussion with my mat brand- Lululemon – that they don’t recommend using essential oils on their mats because it can clog the pores of the mat.

Do as I say, not as I do!

However, I’m in the market for a new mat because my mat is cracking all over the place. The Manduka pro mat (or maybe the lite?) is high up on my list right now since it has a lifetime guarantee and is rated very well. I’m still not sure though.

I went on Manduka’s Facebook page and asked them if essentials oils would clog the pores of their mats.

Manduka: “Well, our mats don’t exactly have pores. We use a closed-cell technology on both sides of the PRO series mats and on the practice side (the one with the sea grass texture) of the eKO mats. Which means, essential oils after a cleaning should be just fine! A few drops in your cleanser is a great way to do both – that’s how we make our organic Manduka Mat Washes.”

good to know! I suggest checking with your mat brand to be sure.

This is what I used to make my mat cleaner:

• White vinegar
• purified water
• tea tree oil
• essential oil

I did a lot of reading online about various homemade cleaners and most people suggest using white vinegar. I used 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water, but the mixtures can vary a lot. You can also use witch hazel or lemon juice, but I find white vinegar to be more cost effective. If you are concerned about using vinegar on your mat, you can try using alcohol-free witch hazel which I’ve heard also works.

Here’s my yoga mat spray “recipe”

• 1 cup white vinegar
• 3 cups filtered water
• 1 tsp tea tree oil
• Essential oil (about 10-30 drops depending preference) peppermint, lavender, and thyme are nice, but use anything you like!

 

1. Place all ingredients into a large spray bottle and shake before each use.

2. Spray down your mat on one side and let it sit for a few minutes. With a damp cloth, wipe it down. Finally, wipe it with a dry towel or simply let it air dry.

3. Repeat on other side.

Thanks to ehow, 3 Healthy Chicks, and Eco Yogini for the tips.

Obviously this isn’t the only solution for cleaning your mat and I will probably play around with different methods at some point!

If you want to give your mat a super deep clean, you can place it in a bathtub with hot water (just an inch over your mat- not a full tub), some vinegar (maybe 1 cup?), and essential oil and let it soak for at least an hour. You can then rub it down on both sides with a soft cloth while it’s in the tub. Rinse it and then hang it on a clothing rack until completely air dry (note: this can often take 48 hours to dry completely, so be warned).

Also be careful with using liquid soap in your cleaner because it can get into the mat and suds can seep out while you practice. Some people get away with just adding a couple drops to a big bottle of water though, so I really think it depends on how much you add.

As for me, I’m still loving the classes that I’ve been doing since my knee injury:

• Hot yoga (in various styles) 1-2x week
• Hot Pilates 1x week
• Yoga with weights 1x week
• Yoga Spinn (45 mins spin class followed by 15 mins yoga!) 2x week
• Walking

It’s a wonderful balance of cardio, strength, and flexibility (and might I add, my spiritual practice and emotional well-being). I feel stronger than I think I ever have and I look forward to the variety each day.

My knee has been feeling great for the past couple weeks, so yesterday I finally decided to go for my first run in a month. It went very well and I had zero pain, although admittedly, I felt a bit out of my running groove. Regardless, it felt so good to be out there running again, even if it was just a shorter one. My plan right now is to slooowly build up my running, while still enjoying my other classes for variety. Injuries are frustrating, but sometimes they force us to try new things and discover a passion in other forms of exercise. For that, I’m very grateful.

I’ve grown to love the month of May. Weather wise, we just don’t know what we’re going to get. Some days it’s warm and sunny and other days it’s rainy and cool. Evening walks usually require a light jacket…or sometimes a heavier one when it’s raining and chilly…

Watching the days get longer and longer is also fun to do. I was previously never a big fan of the spring months because I only focused on the crummy weather, but I’m learning to enjoy the ups and downs that spring often brings.  Plus, it’s my birthday month so I have to like it!

With warmer temperatures in mind, I have not one, not two, but three snack recipes for you today!

It’s almost the weekend and I think you should celebrate all your hard work. Or maybe whip up a couple treats for your mom on Sunday and share the love.

First things first.

I’m on a popsicle making kick.

After a trip to Costco earlier this week, I was reunited with one of my favourite purchases- a huge bag of frozen mango chunks! It appeals to my lazy, don’t-like-to-peel-mangoes side and it lasts forever.

I think you know what happened next.

I ripped open the bag of sweet potato chips as soon as we got in the door.

Oh, right, we’re talking about popsicles here. I think you know what I did after ripping open the bag of chips that Eric said we should save for my party.

Oops.

I blended up mango, banana, almond milk, and a touch of coconut extract. Check out that action shot!

I proceeded to make a huge mess while pouring and snapping pictures simultaneously.

Then, I waited. Very impatiently. That’s the worst part about making popsicles! Maybe next time I will make them overnight so I don’t keep checking them every half hour.

Well, they were worth the wait and then some. Creamy, sweet, tropical…and best of all, just 3 ingredients. Don’t have a popsicle mold? Just use ice cube trays or drink it as a smoothie. It’s a reeeeally good smoothie.

I’m thinking I have to make margarita popsicles too?

(note: recipes will be at end of this post)

Up next, berry parfaits made with banana soft serve. It’s one of our go-to healthy desserts during the warmer months. Granted, I will happily consume this even when it’s chilly outside, but it’s even more fun to cool down with after a warm evening stroll.

It’s made with processed frozen bananas, my fav Lightened Up Summer Granola, coconut, instant chocolate sauce, and fresh berries.

Finally, a chocolate raspberry smoothie, also for two! This just might be my favourite out of all of them. Super creamy with a lovely chocolate raspberry flavour.

If my mom lived nearby I would be making her this smoothie on Mother’s Day. John, I’m leaving this as your special assignment!

As I mentioned, I’ve been loving raw cacao powder lately. It has a really intense chocolate flavour and so many health benefits. Feel free to use cocoa powder if preferred. Both will work!

Looking for more easy snack recipes? Check out my 22 Ways To Get Your Vegan Snack Attack On Post.

3 Ready-in-a-Jiffy Warm Weather Snack Recipes

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Tropical Mango Banana Popsicles

Ingredients:

• 2 ripe bananas
• 2 cups frozen mango chunks
• 1/2 cup almond milk (or coconut milk)
• splash of coconut extract (optional)

1. In a blender, add all ingredients and blend until smooth. Pour into popsicle molds (or ice cube trays) and freeze until set.

Easy Berry Parfaits

Ingredients:

• 2 large frozen, ripe bananas
• 1-1.5 cups fresh mixed berries
• 1/2 cup Lightened Up Summer Granola, or other granola
• Shredded coconut, to garnish
• Easy Chocolate sauce: Heat & whisk together: 1 tsp coconut oil, 1 tsp pure maple syrup, 1 tsp cocoa powder

1. Peel and freeze your bananas until solid, preferably overnight. In a food processor, drop in the frozen banana chunks and process until creamy and smooth. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. You can also give it a splash of almond milk to help it along. Nut butter is also a nice add in too.

2. Add the banana soft serve, granola, and fresh fruit in layers in a couple glasses or parfait dishes. Pour the chocolate sauce on top and serve immediately.

Chocolate Raspberry Smoothie for Two

Ingredients:

• 2 cups almond milk
• 3/4 cup frozen (or fresh raspberries)
• 2 large ripe frozen bananas
• 2 tbsp cacao powder (or cocoa powder)
• 1 tbsp chocolate + more for shaving on top
• 1-2 tbsp liquid sweetener (to taste)
• Shredded coconut, for garnish

1. Add ingredients to blender (except sweetener and coconut). Add sweetener to taste, pour into glasses, and then sprinkle coconut and shaved chocolate on top.

Don’t you love when you discover a new food that blows your mind, despite the fact that others have been raving about it for ages?

Some of mine:

• Avocado (I “hated” avocado until I ate my face off w/ guacamole in Mexico, 2007)
• Mushrooms (anyplace, anytime)
• Beets (raw, cooked, juiced, I like them all)
• Tofu
• raw cacao powder (a recent baking discovery…I’m obsessed!)
• Dark chocolate (it took me a while to appreciate the intensity, but now I love it)

My latest cooking discovery: Sundried Tomatoes!

Where have you been all my life?

I can’t seem to stop putting them in my food. My first recipe was Sundried Tomato Cheezy Kale Chips. Sundried tomatoes are just so flavourful and fun to add into so many dishes.

For some reason, I could not get the thought of sundried tomato basil pesto out of my mind.

I made two trials of this pesto using both oil-packed (shown today) and non-oil packed sundried tomatoes. Both worked wonderfully, however the recipe changes slightly which I will note below. If you are using non-oil packed tomatoes, be sure to soak them in water for at least 1-2 hours before making this pesto. Finally, look for organic, sulfite-free sundried tomatoes if you are concerned about consuming sulfites.

Don’t mind the upside down sea salt. It’s a long story that resulted in an exploded bottom with salt spilled over every nook and cranny of the kitchen. I won’t mention any names (cough, husband, cough). It now rests upside down with tin foil covering the jagged plastic bottom.

You will need about 20 grams of fresh basil which is equal to a 1/2 packed cup. Really pack it in so it’s overflowing!

Much like my Roasted Tomato Basil Pesto, this pesto isn’t the prettiest to look at, but it sure tastes incredible!

Ok, maybe it is kinda pretty with the right lighting! It’s a sunny & orange sundried pesto.

Lightened-Up Sundried Tomato Basil Pesto Pasta

This lightened up pesto has just 1/4 cup of olive oil, but I promise you won’t know the difference . The sundried tomatoes, walnuts, and basil create an extremely flavourful pesto that goes wonderfully with pasta, sandwiches or wraps, or mixed into some grilled vegetables. Can’t have nuts? Just leave them out. The addition of the walnuts was more of an afterthought than a main ingredient.

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Yield: 3/4 cup

For the pesto:

• 2 garlic cloves
• 20 grams fresh basil leaves (1/2 cup packed)
• 55 grams (about 7) oil-packed sundried tomatoes (see notes)
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 6-8 tbsp water
• 3-4 tbsp walnuts (toasted, if preferred)
• Fine grain sea salt  + pepper, to taste (I used 1/4 tsp salt)
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
• Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste

For the pasta:

• Your choice of pasta
• Walnuts, chopped and toasted
• Fresh basil
• Sundried tomatoes, chopped
• Pesto

1. In a food processor, with the machine running, drop in the 2 garlic cloves to mince. Now, drop in the basil and process until finely chopped.

2. Pour in the olive oil, with the machine running, along with the tomatoes, nutritional yeast (optional), and water (add slowly as needed). Process until mostly smooth.

3. Pulse in the walnuts until chunky and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Note: If using dry, non oil-packed sundried tomatoes, soak 30 grams in a bowl of water for 1-2 hours until very soft. Reserve the soaking water and use it in the pesto. I used 9 tbsp of soaking water, but you may need less or more depending on your preference.

Served with toasted crunchy bread, this meal was one to remember. I didn’t think I would ever like a pesto more than my Roasted Tomato Basil Pesto, but this one is now tied for first!

If you find yourself with leftover pesto, I recommend spreading it on a sandwich or wrap, along with roasted veggies, spinach, and avocado. Mmmmm, yes I highly recommend that. Or just mix some pesto into some roasted veggies for a tasty side dish. It should keep for a week in the fridge, but I doubt it will last that long.

This 60-second recipe happened as a result of a major chocolate craving over the weekend. If PMS is good for one thing and one thing only it’s for inspiring many of my favourite recipes. This weekend, I was craving this secret-ingredient chocolate pudding like a crazy woman, but I didn’t have a couple of the ingredients on hand.

What’s a crazy woman to do?

I decided to make the best of the ingredients I did have and make a spin-off of this recipe: an all-natural chocolate pudding sweetened only with banana and medjool dates. Dates and banana are popular sweeteners in many raw avocado pudding recipes so I thought I would finally try it out myself. Instead of making this a super rich pudding like my last one, I lightened it up and made it in the blender!

It did not disappoint.

This recipe is a hybrid of a luxurious chocolate smoothie and a decadent-but good-for-you chocolate pudding. Is it a p’moothie or a sudding? Thankfully I dropped those names from the title.

Technically, it can serve 2-4, but if you are like me, you might find yourself eating most of the batch on your own. I understand those days…I really do.

Crazy Woman Chocolate Blender Pudding

Adapted from secret-ingredient chocolate pudding.

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Yield: 2 cups

Ingredients:

• 1/2 large avocado, frozen (flesh only)
• 1 large ripe banana, peeled and frozen
• 1 cup almond milk
• 2 tbsp raw cacao powder or cocoa powder
• 2 medjool dates, pitted (or liquid sweetener)
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• pinch of fine grain sea salt
• shaved chocolate and shredded coconut, to garnish
• 3-4 ice cubes, add until very cold

1. This is the hard part: You need to freeze your banana and avocado beforehand! This results in an ice cream like texture, so it’s always a good idea to have some frozen bananas and avocado in your freezer for desperate times. If you simply cannot wait, then go ahead and make it with room temp ingredients, just amp up the ice so it’s super cold. But honestly, you have to try this with them frozen to really experience it fully! Trust me on this one.

2. Add your almond milk first into the blender (always) followed by the frozen avocado flesh, frozen banana, cacao or cocoa powder, pitted dates, vanilla, and a pinch of sea salt (amazing). Process until smooth. Process in ice until very very cold (you don’t want this luke warm). Pour into parfait glasses, mini bowls, or into a huge glass all for yourself. Like I said, I won’t judge. Best served immediately!

Shaved dark chocolate is a very good idea.

So is inhaling some pudding immediately after the photoshoot.

It’s really a miracle I could wait that long.

Eric has this new thing for kale chips.

Specifically, “cheezy” kale chips. The guy is practically obsessed. Every time we find ourselves in Organic Garage, he sneaks a bag of kale chips into the cart and then gets annoyed with me if I eat too many of “his” chips. I never thought I’d have to fight him for a dried up green leaf! When we first met, his vegetable consumption consisted of potatoes, lettuce, tomatoes, and corn. Eleven years later, I don’t think there’s a vegetable he won’t eat. Give me time and I can wear down even the toughest critic.

Well, this kale chip obsession motivated me to dig out my rarely used dehydrator and start making kale chips again. Have you ever had cheezy kale chips? They are basically “chips” made from torn kale leaves which are coated in a “cheezy” cashew sauce and then dehydrated until crisp. They are ridiculously addictive. I personally cannot figure out how to make a batch last more than 1 day.

I’ve made Doug McNish’s sour cream and onion kale chips many times in the past and they are always incredible. For this batch, I decided to make a new flavour with sundried tomatoes, basil, and other seasonings for a fun twist. Very tasty idea. I found myself just eating the sauce-covered pieces of raw kale before they even were put into the dehydrator. Always a good sign the recipe will be a success!

I spread out the batch on 3 trays and set the temperature to 105-110F. Then I left it overnight for about 12 hours until they were nice and crispy. I awoke to this.

Breakfast?

Sun-dried Tomato Cheezy Kale Chips

Like nachos only better tasting and better for you. Satisfy your every chip craving with these cheezy, salty, green, and crispy kale chips!

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Ingredients:

• 1 large bunch of kale, stems discarded and leaves ripped up
• 30 grams organic sundried tomatoes, soaked in water to soften for at least 1 hour (see note)
• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water for at least 1 hour
• 2 large garlic cloves
• 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp soaking water from tomatoes
• 2-4 tbsp fresh basil
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 3/4 tsp fine grain sea salt, or to taste

1. In two separate bowls, soak the sundried tomatoes and cashews in water for at least 1 hour, but preferably 1.5-2 hours if possible. After soaking, reserve the tomato soaking water and set aside. Drain and rinse the cashews.

2. In a food processor, with the machine running, drop in the garlic and process until minced.

3.. Add in the rest of the ingredients except the salt. Process until smooth, scraping sides as necessary, and add salt slowly to taste.

4. Wash the kale leaves and tear the kale into pieces, discarding the stems. Dry the leaves in a salad spinner (this helps the sauce stick). Place greens into a large bowl. Pour the cheeze sauce on top of the kale and stir with a spoon. Then toss the spoon and get in there with your hands to massage the sauce into the kale until well coated. Season with salt to taste. I used a few shakes of Herbamare.

5. Dehydrate for about 12 hours at 105-110F. Kale chips are ready when they are super crispy and taste magnificent. I dare you not to eat a full batch in 1 day.

Note: My sun-dried tomatoes were very hard and dry so I had to soak them first for about 1-2 hours. If you are using oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, you obviously won’t have to soak them first. I would add them to taste and then use filtered water as needed, rather than the soaking water

I bought my Excalibur dehydrator a few years ago when I was running the bakery. I have one of their largest models because I was making over 200 raw bars at a time in it. It was a bit insane. If I could do it again I would have a smaller model for personal use (they do have many sizes too). The Excalibur works well and I haven’t had any issues with it. I do find the “humming” noise to be a bit annoying, so I like to dehydrate overnight whenever possible.

If any of you have a dehydrator, feel free to leave a comment with the brand and model as a few readers have asked me for recommendations. Bonus points if you have a recommendation for a reliable dehydrator at a low price!!

Now, I know you are wondering…well, can I use my oven if I don’t have a dehydrator? I’ve been told that it’s possible. If some of you have made cheezy kale chips in the oven, please leave a comment below and let us know what temp, method, and duration you used. Merci!

I’ve loved thumbprints ever since I was a kid. Any recipe that tells me to jam my thumb into cookie dough and fill it with actual jam is a winner in my books. Did you ever eat those packaged cookies with the cream and gooey strawberry filling? Not technically a thumbprint cookie I guess, but they sure did taste amazing. I don’t even want to know how many sleeves of those cookies I ate growing up. I’m sure you’d still see a few clinging to my artery walls!

Today, I have a vegan and gluten-free version to add to my growing thumbprint recipe collection. This time, I set my heart on making a thumbprint with a lovely raspberry almond flavour using almonds, almond butter, almond extract, and raspberry jam as the feature ingredients. They turned out fantastic – lightly sweet, with a buttery almond flavour and pop of sweet raspberry goodness. If you are a fan of peanut butter and jam, you will love this “grown-up” version.

Served with a side of Gossip Girl on Monday night, it was the perfect balance of wholesome…and not so wholesome. Eric claims he isn’t a fan of both thumbprints and Gossip Girl, but I found him devouring both. Never trust a person who says they don’t like thumbprint cookies!

Raspberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies (Gluten-Free & Vegan)

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Yield: 18 cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 & 1/3 cups raw almonds, processed into almond meal (about 1.5 cups almond meal)
• 1/4 cup brown rice flour
• 2 tbsp ground flax
• 1/4 tsp + 1/8th tsp fine grain sea salt
• 1 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
• 1/2 cup raw almond butter (see note)
• 1/4 cup + 3 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 5-6 tbsp raspberry jam
• approx 1/3 cup shredded coconut, for rolling

1. Preheat oven to 350F and spray a large baking sheet with oil, use a silpat mat, or line with parchment paper.

2. If making almond meal, place raw almonds into a high-speed blender. Process on high speed until a fine crumb, making sure not to process too long or the oils will release. Alternatively, you can use store bought almond meal.

3. In a large bowl, whisk the dry ingredients (almond meal, rice flour, ground flax, salt, and baking powder). Use your fingers to break up any clumps of the almond meal. In a smaller bowl, mix together the almond butter, maple syrup, and almond extract. Add wet mixture to dry mixture and stir until combined.

4. Shape dough into balls (about 1.5 tbsp or so). If dough is too sticky, place in the fridge for 15-20 minutes to firm up.

5. Roll balls in coconut. Place balls of dough about 1.5-2 inches apart on the baking sheet. With your thumb, press into the middle of the ball and shape a small well with your fingers. Add 1 tsp of jam into each well.

6. Bake at 350F for 10-12 minutes, watching closely after 9 minutes. I baked mine for 11.5 minutes. Cool on sheet for 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack. Channel your inner grandma and enjoy with hot tea!

Notes: If making these completely gluten-free be sure to check all your ingredients to ensure they are certified gluten-free. The almond butter I used is very "drippy" so I don’t suggest using a firm nut butter here. If you do, you may have to add some oil to the mixture. You can also roll the balls in chopped nuts instead of coconut.

If you find yourself with some delicious in-season raspberries (or other berries!), you can try making your own raspberry puree or jam for the middle. I would probably just smash some with a fork and add a bit of sweetener to taste!

As May approaches and spring is in full force, I’m finding excuses to walk everywhere, lugging my camera in tote. I have a blister and sore right shoulder to prove it! Tulips, daffodils, and cherry blossoms are in bloom, tiny green leaves sprout, I’m sneezing like crazy, and our car is a lovely shade of bird poop.

Here are a few of my favourite shots that I took over the past week.

In addition to going on lots of walks, salads also returned to my life after a somewhat rocky and distant relationship over the winter. All I can say is thank goodness for Green Monsters or my body might not have seen a leafy green from November ‘til March!

I’m finally craving things that look as pretty as it is outside.

This dressing is inspired by my Strawberry Cherry Basil Smoothie, after falling in love with the flavour combination last year. Into the processor went fresh strawberries and basil, along with fresh lemon juice, a touch of olive oil, pure maple syrup, fine grain sea salt, & black pepper. It’s healthy and light, yet creamy and indulgent tasting. Definitely my new go-to dressing!

I just spooned it into my mouth over and over while I questioned if making a salad was even necessary. Luckily, the salad took only a few minutes to throw together and I was rewarded with one of my favourite dishes of the season. I can’t think of a better way to welcome May, other than perhaps being surprised with a car wash…

Spring Salad with Strawberry Lemon Basil Dressing

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for the dressing (yield: 2/3 cup):

• 1 cup fresh strawberries
• 1/4 cup packed fresh basil
• 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1-2 tsp pure maple syrup, to taste
• fine grain sea salt & black pepper, to taste (I used 1/4 tsp each)

for the salad:

• Slivered almonds, toasted
• shredded unsweetened coconut, toasted
• mixed greens
• strawberries, chopped
• chiffonade fresh basil

1. Preheat the oven to 300F. Toast the almonds for about 7-8 minutes and then remove and add the coconut. Toast another 2-4 minutes, or until lightly golden, watching closely so the coconut doesn’t burn.

2. In a food processor, add the strawberries, basil, lemon juice, and oil. Process until smooth. Add in the salt, pepper, and maple syrup to taste and process again.

3. Assemble the salad as desired. Leftover dressing should keep for at least a few days in a sealed container.

Congrats again to Jenny B. for winning the cookbook giveaway!

After dealing with a leaky (and often explosive) food processor for over a year, it was finally time to break down and hunt for a new one. Next to my blender the food processor is my second most used kitchen appliance, so I want one that does the job well. After asking for your input on my Facebook page and reading reviews, I decided to buy the Cuisinart 14-cup food processor. I heard mostly positive things about Cuisinart processors and figured it was worth a shot!

So far, it lives up to the hype! I’ve been using it for a couple months now and it works great. I also love the huge buttons on the front. It’s straight-forward and easy to use which is always a good thing for those of us who are appliance challenged. [This is coming from the girl who broke a previous food processor on the very first try. I blame the bone-dry honey dates!] I am looking forward to trying out the dough setting too.

My only complaint is that crumbs get stuck in the lid and I haven’t found an easy way to get them out. A butter knife seems to do the trick, but it’s a bit annoying that I can’t seem to take apart the lid. I read that others have this problem too, so hopefully Cuisinart remedies this in their next release.

Since my purchase, I’ve been making nut butter like nobody’s business. What better way to break in a new processor and see what it’s worth? This one today is a lovely “every day” nut butter just bursting with nutrition.

So far, the new Cuisinart is holding its own. I’ll report back at the end of cookbook testing. It could be a long road…

Kitchen Sink Nut Butter

My goal was to pack as many healthy ingredients in as possible. I ended up adding walnuts, almonds, pecans, flax, chia, hemp, pure maple syrup, fine grain sea salt, pure vanilla extract, and a touch of coconut oil for an ultra silky feel. You can’t tell by the photo how many amazing ingredients are lurking inside, but it’s packing a nutritional powerhouse. Feel free to play around with the seeds and nuts depending on what you have in your own kitchen.

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Yield: approx 1.25-1.5 cups

Ingredients:

• 1 & 1/4 cups raw almonds
• 1/2 cup raw pecans
• 1/4 cup raw walnuts
• 1 tbsp flax seed
• 1/2 tbsp chia seed
• 1 tbsp hemp seed
• 3 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 1/2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• fine grain sea salt, to taste (you want the flavour to pop!)

1. Preheat oven to 300F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a non-stick mat. In a large bowl, mix together the nuts, seeds, and maple syrup. Spread out mixture onto baking sheet and bake for about 14-15 minutes minutes or until lightly golden, stirring once half way through. Watch closely after 10 minutes.

2. Remove from oven and allow the mixture to cool for a few minutes before placing into a food processor. Process for about 10 minutes, stopping to scrape the bowl every 30-60 seconds as needed. The mixture will be very drippy and smooth when it’s ready. It may seem like it will never come together, but don’t lose hope. Add in the vanilla, salt, and coconut oil and process until combined and smooth.

3. If you’d like crunchy almond butter, stir or pulse in chopped nuts. Store in a sealed container in the fridge. Will keep for at least 1 month.

I don’t say this often, but the best part of this recipe is the clean up!

I’ll be back this weekend with my new blog header and winner of the giveaway! Have a great Friday.