Vegan MoFo #7 Sunshine in a Glass

Hi Friends!

I have a super awesome quickie recipe for you today.  Over the weekend my mom made this amazing papaya juice for us and I absolutely have to share it with you.  I'm not a huge fan of papaya's on their own but I loved it in this juice.

Papaya, grapefruit, carrot.

   Papaya's are actually really good for you (as practically all fruits and veg are) and contain a lot of healing properties.  As everyone probably knows, it's high in vitamin C and B vitamins which is great for the immune system.  But, papaya is also said to help protect against free radicals and possibly prevent cancer because it is a rich source of antioxidants.  Which, by the way, also helps with skin issues, too, such as acne and premature aging.  Woohoo!

Here's the recipe:

Good Morning Sunshine
Serves 2
Ingredients:
1/2 papaya, peeled
2 grapefruit, peeled
4-6 medium to large carrots (peeled if not organic)

Directions:
Add all of the ingredients to your juicer in the order listed above.  Pour in a glass and drink immediately.

Til next time...

Love,
Ves xx

WIAW # 18, a Soup Recipe and Vegan MoFo #18 Oh, My!

Hi Friends!

This post is coming to you a little a lot late in the day and I have zero energy to be witty or clever or anything for that matter.  Today was super full with work (picture day!) and then an after work function, so I had no time for cooking let alone blogging.  Unfortunately this means that tomorrow's post will be a bit behind.  Sheesh!  I need to learn how to write 8 posts in one day!  Anyway, enough about my complaining, let's get to the good stuff!
Here's a day in the life of my eats... aka What I Ate Wednesday... aka what I ate at some point this week but, not necessarily on a Wednesday... aka what I ate to semi-cleanse from all of the really heavy meals I've been eating thanks to Thanksgiving and Birthday's... aka too many aka's!

Let's move on...

{First thing}: As always, I have a glass of water with lemon and cayenne pepper plus a probiotic or two for good measure!; {pre-breakfast}: Green Juice with celery, cucumber, romaine and lemon; COFFEE; {Breakfast}: Like most mornings I enjoyed a delicious Green Smoothie with romaine, celery, cucumber, mango and banana; {Lunch}: Salad!- mixed greens, avocado, tomatoes, chopped veggies, lemon, nooch and a touch of mustard; {Dinner}: RAW wraps with veggies and homemade hummus plus a salad; {Dessert}: Apple Pie Pudding and a coffee.


As always, thanks to Jenn of Peas and Crayons for hosting this link-up party!

And now for the recipe...

This is what is was like all day yesterday!  I'm glad I made this soup!

Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Soup
Ingredients
1 butternut squash, peeled and chopped
3 apples, sweet variety, peeled and chopped
a few tablespoons of olive oil
1 tsp of dried oregano
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chilli powder
pinch of sea salt
1 medium sweet onion, peeled and chopped
a little extra olive oil for sautéeing
3 cups vegetable stock

Directions:
1) Toss squash and apples with enough olive oil to coat, stir in salt and seasonings. Roast at 375 degrees until tender, about 30 minutes, stir halfway through cooking time.
2) Sauté onions in olive oil until very soft (about 5 minutes).
3) Add vegetable stock to onions, bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer. Stir in roasted squash and apple. Mash with a potato masher or an immersion blender until desired texture is reached. Simmer a few minutes until thick and bubbly. Taste, and add salt if needed. Garnish with roasted seeds for added crunch.

Ready for the oven!

Simmering on the stove.

I love this handy blender! 

I left some chunks in my soup because I was going for a more rustic feel.  If you'd like you can always put this soup in your blender to make it super smooth.

Ready to eat!  Is it a surprise that I plated the soup over a plate of arugula?  I doubt it!

So there you have it!  WIAW and a super yummy and "fall-like" soup.
Enjoy!

Love,
Ves xx

WIAW # 9 OR The Post That Almost Wasn't!

   I wasn't sure if I was going to do a WIAW post this week because I've been eating/drinking pretty much the exact same thing on a daily basis.  I've been on a juice kick lately and not just my usual green juice in the morning but an actual cleanse for over a week now.  I'm not strict about it so some days it's not just juice all day but for the most part I consume only fresh juices and the occasional light meal in the evening.  And by light meal I mean veggie sticks dipped in mustard or salsa (I can't help myself!). 

My lean mean clean green fridge!

   Why am I doing this?  Well, in a nutshell, I'm desperate to clear up my skin once and for all. I've tried every lotion, potion, pill that you can think of and it either doesn't work or it lands me in the hospital with excruciating back pain (hello, Accutane!).  I'm a firm believer of healing yourself naturally, without chemicals and I know that it can be done.  For the majority of people looking to heal their skin, I would suggest eliminating some things from their diet starting with dairy and wheat.  I would also look at their skin care routine and more than likely chuck most of their products as they probably contain harsh chemicals.  However, when it comes to me, nothing is as simple as that.  I already eat a vegan diet (no dairy - yay!) and it's usually high raw (no wheat!) so that doesn't help me even though it does do wonders for others.  Also, I use only natural products on my skin - we're talking 1 - 2 ingredients, and they're organic!  So obviously there is something else going on even with my clean diet.  I have my own theories and am working on them.  At the same time, it doesn't hurt to cleanse myself from the inside out.
   But enough about that, let's get to the eats!

As always, I start my day with a glass of water with lemon and (recently) a pinch of cayenne pepper.

I follow the water with a fresh green juice.

Coffee - black - so good!

Later in the morning, when I start to get hungry, I have my smoothie.

Pasta salad with tri-colored tomatoes, cucumbers, cheese, spices and dressing.

And since I'm such a weirdo I ate my pasta salad with some greens!

Veggie burger with vegan cheese, tomatoes and spinach.

   I don't always have dessert but when I do I never seem to remember to take a picture!  Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this episode of What I Ate Wednesday: Before I Started Cleansing!  Thanks as always to Jenn for hosting!

Ps: I'll share my summer staples next week!

Happy Hump Day!

Love,

Ves xx

WIAW #8 - The Totally Raw Edition

   Hello all!  I hope you enjoyed yesterday's Raw Lasagne recipe.  Today's episode of WIAW will feature more of my raw eats.  It's too hot to cook around here, plus I love the way I feel when I eat all raw all day. 
So here is a break down of my eats (from last Thursday - ha!)...

{Water with a squirt of lemon (always!)}

{Green Juice! Cucumber, celery, kale, lemon}

{Coffee - Black please!  I always have at least a cup of coffee unless I am on a juice cleanse.  I love my coffee!}

{"Green Smoothie" with blueberries and banana!}

{Veggies and raw hummus.  This is a recycled photo - I have a recipe for Raw Hummus here}

{Salad - romaine, tomatoes, onions and cucumber}

{Another smoothie- I needed a little extra fuel while studying!}

{Dinner - my raw lasagne}

   So there you have it, my raw eats last week!  Who said eating vegetables has to be boring? Mmm!  I hope you guys are able to stay cool in this insane heat we're having here in lovely Hamilton.  Stay hydrated!

Happy What I ate Wednesday!  And thanks to Jenn for hosting!

Love,
Ves xx

WIAW #5 OR What I Drank While Cleansing

  Hi guys and welcome to another episode of WIAW!  Thanks, as always, to Jenn for hosting this fun foodie link up party.
  This past weekend I decided to do a 3 day juice cleanse.  I figured since it was a long weekend it would be the perfect time to do one.  You know, just in case I became a raving B-I-T-C-H while detoxing, I thought it would be best to not be around children.  I happen to like my job and would like to keep it a bit longer.  Ha!  I'm just kidding.  I was definitely NOT a monster during my cleanse. 
   I love taking small breaks to do juice fasts.  What I don't love is doing them in the summer when everybody and their cousin is outside barbequing!  Ugh.  I swear my neighbors were firing up their grill at like 9am.  It's like they were trying to torture me with the smells of grilled veggie burgers.   Mmm...  Okay, I'm lying, they were probably not grilling veggie burgers, but a girl can dream, right?  I know it sounds like I was tortured the entire weekend, but you have to remember that I'm dramatic.  Plus, I happen to make some very tasty juices so I was definitely not bored or deprived.  So let's get to it, shall we?  By the way, I really do drink out of fancy glasses.  I don't believe in saving the "good china" for company. ;)

I started my mornings off with some hot water and lemon followed by a tall glass of water.

Each morning I made a different variation of my favorite green juice.  This one had:
 {cucumber, celery, kale, lemon and ginger.}

{Sweet potato, carrots, pepper, beets, apples}

All of these veggies...

...made the yummiest juice!  This one is a keeper.  (so is the cat!)

{Beets, celery, carrots, radishes, tomatoes, parsley}

Another green juice...

...with a dash of turmeric on top!

This was a "kitchen sink" juice on the last day.  It turned out to be a winner!

I had about 100 glasses of water throughout the day.

As a treat I would make this simple lemonade when I was feeling like having something sweet.  It's so sweet and delicious, you wouldn't believe it's good for you! {apples, lemon}

  And since this month is also focusing on fitness, I'll share how I stayed active while cleansing.

   I mentioned last week that I finally dusted off Jillian's (we're on a first name basis) DVD.  Well, I've been doing it all week and I must say, the soreness in my muscles has definitely improved.  During my cleanse though, I really wanted to focus on being kind to my body.  For the first two days I went for walks, did some stretching in the morning and a bit of yoga in the afternoon.  I also took a bath every single day.  (I know, I'm so decadent!)  But on the third day I didn't feel like doing anything and allowed myself the luxury of vegging out (while studying, of course).
   So there you have it; what I drank and how I moved while cleansing!

Happy Hump Day!

Love,

Ves xx

What's your favorite juice combo?

Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead

   Have you seen this film?  I've been wanting to watch this for a really long time and I'm so glad that I finally did.  This was a very inspiring movie.  And as someone who likes to sing the praises of a green juice any chance that I get, I was thrilled with the content and information in this film.  Joe Cross drank nothing but juice for 60 days to get his health back, while traveling 3000 miles across the country.  This movie chronicles his journey to do exactly that.

Here is an excerpt about the film from the website:

100 pounds overweight, loaded up on steroids and suffering from a debilitating autoimmune disease, Joe Cross is at the end of his rope and the end of his hope. In the mirror he saw a 310lb man whose gut was bigger than a beach ball and a path laid out before him that wouldn't end well— with one foot already in the grave, the other wasn't far behind. FAT, SICK & NEARLY DEAD is an inspiring film that chronicles Joe's personal mission to regain his health.

And check out the trailer:

So what are you waiting for?  Go and see this movie!

Happy Juicing!

Love, 

Ves xx

Oh, How Sweet (and Sassy)!

   Well, it's my third and final day of my Sweet Potato craze and you get not one, but two recipes.  Yes, you read that right!  I figured that since I gave you a meal and a snack recipe, that I should also give you a drink and dessert recipe.  So here goes...
   First of all, did you know that you can juice a sweet potato?  Well you can and they're really yummy, kind of sweet, and a super pretty color when they're juiced.  Plus it's super good for you too.

Sweet & Sassy Juice

Sweet Potatoes

Apple

Carrots

Wheat Grass (optional)

Toss everything in your juicer, pour in a glass, add a straw and enjoy knowing that your flooding your body with tons of goodness.

**Mine has a shot of wheat grass which is why you can see some green flecks.  I think it adds to the beauty of the juice as well as the nutritional value! 

And now on to dessert...

Click here for my take on Sweet Potato Pie.

It's a Lean, Mean, Clean, Green Kind of Day!

   The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, my cat's napping and I'm feeling kinda green today.  Huh?? Okay, maybe I'm not feeling green, I'm just seeing it!  As in, every time I open the fridge.  So, I've decided to make it a theme... Today is GREEN FOOD DAY!!  Man, I probably should have saved this one for St. Patty's Day! Ha.  Oh well.

   I should start off by saying that my body is going to be sooo happy with me today!  Green foods are one of the best foods to feed our bodies as they are the most nutrient-rich foods on the planet.  I know I sang chlorophyll's praises here but it doesn't get old. Chlorophyll is known to help cleanse the body, help heal wounds, fight infection, and promote the health of the circulatory, digestive, immune, and detoxification systems. And where can we find chlorophyll?  Green foods, of course!  

   I hope I don't shock my body with the abundance of healthy meals it's going to receive today.  I'll probably have a slice of chocolate cake later (vegan, of course) just to balance things out! Ha.  Just kidding.  Or am I? 

   On to the Green Goodness!

Green Juice!

Ooohhh... doesn't that look pretty? 

Lean Green Juice

2 bunches Broccoli

4 Stalks Celery

4-5 Romaine Leaves

1/2 Lemon

2 Wheat grass Cubes

Juice, drink, and be prepared for the abundance of energy that you're about to have!

**I don't like my green juice to be sweet but if you're wanting a bit of sweetness add an apple or pear to the juice.

Green Smoothie!

My green smoothie today was so yummy and easy to make.  You probably already have all of the ingredients (even if you don't have some of the powders) so go ahead and make this for your snack today!

Mean Green Smoothie

1 - 1 1/2 cups of Almond Milk (or water)

1 frozen banana

1 apple

2 large handfuls of Spinach

1 tbsp Almond Butter (you can use natural peanut butter too)

1 tbsp Goji Berries (optional)

1 tbsp Hemp Seeds (optional)

1 tsp Spirulina (optional)

1 tsp Chlorella (optional)

1 tbsp Maca (optional)

 

Add all of the ingredients to a high speed blender and process until smooth.  Pour into a glass add a straw and enjoy! OR do as I sometimes do and add a straw to your blender!  Why dirty a glass?? :)

* I know there are a lot of "optional" ingredients listed above but they will not change the flavor of the smoothie so if you don't have them go ahead and make this anyway.  I'm a little obsessed with adding "extras" to my smoothies. 

Green Soup!

   I made this soup last night because I wanted to use up some of the produce that was in my fridge before it spoiled.  I have leftovers for today which is perfect for my GREEN FOOD DAY!  Oh and just so you know, this is a RAW soup recipe.  Which really just means that I didn't cook it, I made it in my blender. (Man I love raw food!)  If you want a warmer soup you can definitely warm this on the stove until it's just "finger warm" - not hot, that way it's still technically raw (not heated above 108-115 degrees).

Clean Green Soup

1 1/2 cups water

2 (really) large handfuls Romaine/Spinach

1 small handful Parsley

1 large head Broccoli

3 Basil leaves

2 tomatoes, chopped

juice of half a lemon plus rind

3-4 Radishes, diced

2 cloves garlic

1/2 teaspoon celtic sea salt

Pinch Cumin

Pinch turmeric

Pinch cayenne pepper

Place all the ingredients into a high speed blender and process until smooth.  For a smoother soup consistency add a half or whole avocado.  I would have done that except that I never have avocado's lying around - I eat them immediately!  

Pour into a bowl, grab a spoon and enjoy!  If you want it warmer add a pinch more cayenne or see my note above.

If you try any of these recipes let me know by posting in the comments below!

(Oh, and it seems that I have been on a roll with "S" titles in the last 4 posts.  See here, here, here and here.  How weird.  Anyway, this post broke that strange little kick I was on... thankfully.)

Happy GREEN FOOD DAY... AKA Family Day here in Ontario!

Love, 

Ves xx

Merry Christmas! Feliz Navidad! Mele Kalikimaka!

   I love the holidays!  Especially spending time with my family, baking yummy treats, and eating tons of delicious food!  I'm really excited about the time off of work as well.  I wish I could say that I'd be relaxing, but what I really need to be doing is homework.  I've been neglecting it a bit, especially this week, which means I have lots to catch up on!

Aren't they cute!?

    But, I won't bore you with anymore homework talk.  And by the way, I do plan to spend a bit of time baking, hanging out with the family and of course, Boxing Day shopping.  If you're not Canadian, Google "Boxing Day" and you'll understand.  I also need to get over this cold that I finally caught.  Trust me, you're bound to catch one when you have tiny children sneezing on you all day and all of your friends and family seem to be sick as well!
   Anyway, I promised you some info about my raw food workshop that I attended and I'm sorry it's taken me this long to post!  Here goes:   

The location...

   The workshop was held at Marbles Restaurant where Renee (our host) is a Raw Food Chef.  It's a cozy restaurant with a charming atmosphere.  Renee was very enthusiastic and informative.

   She began by introducing herself and talking about why she went raw in the first place.  She initially went raw to try and clear up a skin disease when nothing else would help.  Well, she cleared it up and after 6 years on the raw food diet she's still loving it.

   We talked about what it means to eat raw foods (foods that are whole and unprocessed and still have there enzymes intact).  We covered some raw food basics like equipment: a blender and a knife is really all you need to get started.  You may also like to have a food processor, juicer and dehydrator down the line.  We also went through some pantry essentials, like raw nuts, seeds, herbs and spices, fresh produce, etc. 

Here's what we ate:

Pasta Marinara with sesame seed parm and microgreens

Chocolate truffles with cashew kream

   The food was of course super delicious and definitely great for people new to raw food.  No crazy ingredients to scare the newbies away!  I'm glad I went and would totally go to something like this again.

   Anyway, I also promised you some holiday baking!  Well, I'll definitely have more pictures and recipes soon, as we plan to do some baking tomorrow on Christmas Eve (fingers crossed that I'll be well enough to participate).  But, here's a pic of a couple of goodies that my mom made the other day (yes, they're vegan).

   She made way more than this and different kinds too, but they were gone by the time I thought to take a picture! Ha.  I'll try and do better tomorrow!

   Oh, and one last thing.  I've been trying to beat this cold for a while with lots of green juices and smoothies, and even though it finally caught up to me, I'm still going strong with them.  Here's what breakfast has been looking like lately:

Cucumber, lime, celery, romaine.

    If you haven't tried a green juice yet, you really should.  You won't believe how much energy you have after drinking it!

Have a wonderful holiday!  May it be filled with joy and laughter, family, friends, food and fun! (and maybe a green juice or two!) 

Merry Christmas!

Love,

Ves xx