MANGO SORBET with BANANA + PINEAPPLE

Hey, guys! I have not been around for an entire week! I miss you all so much, simply keeping connected helps me stay sane... thus not communicating with you for 7 days is leaving me feeling a little ungrounded. Having said that, I am having the best time. The past week I stayed in a small town called Wells (9 hours north of Vancouver) with my partner, in his grandparents antique-y house. It was exactly what we both needed; time away from the city, just us too in a charmingly quiet home surrounded by trees and mountains. I will be posting photos from this adventure soon, but first I need to go on another one! I got back from Wells this evening, and tomorrow at 4 am I leave on a family road trip to Minnesota with my parents and younger brother! I am equally excited for this journey. But while I have a second on the computer before I disconnect for another 11 days; I figured I should share a recipe. Here is one that I offered up to the lovely Amy from Fragrant Vanilla Cake. She has the recipe featured on her site. Get the recipe here.

I have been obsessed - no, scratch that, addicted - to this recipe since I made it a few weeks ago. It has been SO hot here (30c+ degrees  everyday) and the only way the fam and I can bear it is with cold drinks! Mom realized early on that frozen fruit and booze do the trick for her and my dad. I took note of that, but swapped the vodka for bananas! You can add water (or better yet, coconut milk) to this to make it the BEST smoothie ever, or leave as is to create the perfect sorbet: creamy, cold, sweet and luscious. Who needs added sugar when you have the sweetness of the fruit!? I am quickly realizing mango will define my summer, and there ain't nothing wrong with that. Get the recipe here! 

CARROT CAKE COOKIES with LEMON CREAM FROSTING

Ever since enjoying all the amazing food and people at Eternal Abundance's raw potluck last week, I have not been able to get one dish someone brought off my mind. They were carrot cake cookies with cashew cream cheese frosting, and they were heavenly. I have made raw vegan carrot cakes before. In fact, they are my most popular recipe! So it's not like the idea is new to me. Yet something about these cookies was special. I realized it was that the carrots were shredded into strands, not simply grated into crumb-sized pieces. This inexplicably excited me and I have not been able to stop thinking about them since; so today I made them for you (okay... they're mostly for me (and my partner) (brackets on brackets) (bracket inception) (I will stop now)). I don't know why such a simple difference would have such an impact on the deliciousness of the recipe but I think it may be because it gives you a heartier bite. You have to chew, like a real cookie! It adds more texture, and makes for a more interesting cookie experience overall. Yes, a "cookie experience". We're getting snobby. Let's come back down to the chill level and just enjoy these orange bad boys together... they taste UNBELIEVABLE. I don't know why on earth anyone would eat a cake with white sugar, processed cream cheese from a package, or even baking soda; when you know you can make an even tastier version from WHOLE FOODS! Nobody gets hurt, you get healthy, the world gets better. All because of these cookies.

They are chewy, sweet but not too sweet, and bursting with flavour because they are mostly just straight up carrots. The frosting isn't even necessary but who can REALLY say no to raw vegan lemon cashew cream? The answer is: no one I have ever met. I could eat these for days. I plan to. The recipe makes 12 large cookies, and you will probably have leftover frosting. This will not be an issue. Make sure to spice them right! I think nutmeg is the magic ingredient in these, but cinnamon is equally important. If you don't want to add more than a couple tablespoons of coconut oil or maple syrup in total, you can substitute them with water, or leave them out entirely (see my notes in the ingredient list). Having said that, I have them listed for a reason. They make the flavour and texture top notch. I also gave rolled oats as low fat alternative to cashews in the cookies. See? I got your back.

In other news: anybody else heard of Boiler Room? UGH IT IS AMAZING. Basically the authority of underground DJ music. I could listen to the different bumpin' sets all day- oh wait. I do. Solo dance party in room? Done. That was my workout. Dancing is the best kind of therapy; I always walk (read: boogie) away with sweat dripping off my smiling face. Musical medication. Is it just me or am I really funny today? Hmm... I think I am just in a good mood because I have been jamming to the grooviest tunes since rising. Okay - make these cookies. Love me (You KNOW I already love you, baby). Peace out for now.

CARROT CAKE COOKIES with LEMON CREAM FROSTING

Cookies:
2 cups shredded carrots 
1 cup cashews or rolled oats
1 cup raisins 
Heaping 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
Heaping 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg powder
2 tablespoons coconut oil (or water) 
2 tablespoons maple syrup (or water) 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch Himalayan salt (optional) 

Frosting:
1 cup cashews 
Juice from 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon maple syrup (optional) 
2 tablespoons coconut oil (optional) 
Water, as needed 

To make the cookies: put the cashews or rolled oats in a food processor and pulse until they become powder. Add the rest of the ingredients - except the carrots and raisins - and process into a thick wet mixture. Add the raisins and pulse a few times until you have them incorporated, but still have some whole raisins. Throw this mixture into a large bowl with the carrot shreds and mix with a wooden spoon until it all sticks together. Form into cookies and place in the dehydrator, or use your oven at it's lowest temperature. I "baked" mine at the lowest temperature (200 degrees) in my convection oven for about 2 1/2 hours.

To make the frosting: blend all the ingredients together until smooth, adding the water as needed to get the texture you want: thick and creamy! Refrigerate overnight, then frost your cookies and enjoy! 

Did you like this post? Then *subscribe to my blog* and get all my posts by email!

BANANA STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM CAKE

Hello, all. How's everyone doing? This is a glorious recipe that is sure to brighten up anyone's day - who doesn't love ice cream cake? And what? It's HEALTHY, you say? Well, I'll be! It's a miracle! Actually it's not really a miracle, it's just momma nature treatin' us well and providing all the sustenance we need in the form of juicy fruits. Life is good when you've got ripe plants to eat. I am very happy with these photos, if I am being honest (and I am.) Then again, it's not hard to take beautiful photos when you have beautiful subjects to take photos of. The vibrant colours of nature are the thing to be admired here. I found these flowers at the farmer's market this morning, where a vendor was selling bunches of edible plants: 3 for $5.00! She recommended dipping the sage leaves in coconut oil then baking them with a pinch of salt until crispy... she is a genius.

Today I share with you a simple yet beautiful recipe for a sweet, creamy, fresh ice cream cake. It is made of 100% fresh fruit, and nothing else. Because when you care about the world, animals, and yourself - why eat anything but plants? Enjoying a plant-based diet is the best choice you can make to have the most positive impact on the health of our planet, our animal friends, and your own well-being. It is the intelligent decision, and the compassionate one. If you are a lover, you should let go of meat, dairy, and other animal products; it is that simple. I hope I don't sound preachy or judgemental in this post, I only want to spread a message of peace and equality. I have just been sobbing for an hour over the state of humanity. We support the systemized murder and torture of billions everyday, just to say "mmm... bacon!" It is literally insane and it must stop. I know the majority of people are not aware of the impact of their simple meal choices, and that is because there are huge corporations and massive amounts of money and power intentionally masking the truth and parading lies to the public. I do not blame the public. But I do think it's fair to demand an end to the killing. A sane person understands murder is wrong, so why eat meat? An animal is an animal - we are all animals. There is no categorical difference between us and all other living beings, so why kill one and love another? It doesn't make sense. I love my friends, so I do not eat them. Instead, I eat fruit. Let's eat cake, hug pigs, save the earth, regain our health, and love each other.

BANANA STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM CAKE

Ice cream layers:

4 frozen bananas

1 cup strawberries

Banana layers:

3 thinly sliced bananas

Slice the frozen bananas, then blend in a high speed blender until they get to the consistency of soft serve ice cream; it will take a minute but suddenly you'll have that perfect thick, creamy, fluffy texture. Add the strawberries one by one, until the mixture is pink but still thick. 

Now in a 4-inch cake mold, or other small mold, layer the sliced banana pieces with the ice cream mixture. Set in the freezer just long enough to make it hold together. Then cut around the edge of cake with a knife so it separates from the mold, then carefully take it out and enjoy! I decorated mine with edible flowers and sage leaves. 

Did you like this post? Then *subscribe to my blog* and get all my posts by email!

CHOCOLATE COCO MINT BARS

Hello, my love. Yes, you. How are you today? I am genuinely curious.

In case the interest is mutual, I'll let you know I am feeling swell. I mean, I've got these chocolate coco mint bars in my fridge... so what could REALLY be wrong, right? Even when I am not considering these healthfully decadent wonders, my week has been going very well. My Oma and Opa are visiting from Ontario, so the family has been spending a lot of time together. My younger brother recently graduated from high school, and my older one has just graduated from university, wasting no time in getting accepted into law school two days ago! So in September he will be moving a few hours north and be living on residence for 3 years. It will be unfamiliar territory without all of us here. Although we have our issues, my family is close, and we've always been in one big house together. Now as we get older, we are starting to head out and find our places in the world. Greg is leaving for law school, I am planning on moving out soon so I can have my own space... Daniel is a very independent person so I know once he has enough money, he'll be off. My parents, I think, are happy to see us each succeed in our own paths, but they must be a little nostalgic seeing us grow up as well. At the same time, this means a new chapter in their lives! One free from the endless verbal, physical and emotional noise that comes with three children. One filled with each other, and the prospect of this thing called "free time", which they probably cannot remember exists since they haven't experienced it in 23 some odd years. My dad is excited to retire soon, and my mom is having almost too much fun swinging back into her acting and theatre career, which she put on hold while she raised a family. They are looking at little islands around the coast to buy property on, but I think they may end up a bit north somewhere, close to the ocean, where they can have a big garden, and where there are great hiking and off road trails for my dad to bring his motorcycle on.

It's surreal, unsettling, and exciting to understand that where I am now in time - and where my brothers are, even where my family is - is so very temporary and still just the beginning! I feel like everything is the beginning until it's really over. (Although is anything ever really over?) The morning of the day I die, I will probably be thinking "it's just the beginning!" I don't say this out of naivety, but rather optimism; it is my way of looking at the world. Humans seem to have this tendency of seeing everything as finally complete in the moment. In other words, we look to the past and think "Hah! I was so young then, I am much older now and actually mature." I suppose what I am trying to say is that we see and consider ourselves in the past and present, but don't look to the future and consider it's influence. Of course, I believe deeply in the living in the moment. I have "BE HERE NOW" tattooed on my wrist! At the same time, I think it can be important and useful to think of ourselves as at a point in time, and never at the end! Another example is how we think this is the most modern and civilized time of all, but certainly 100 years from now people will look back and think "I am amazed they actually wrote on paper and used pens!?" Just like how we are fascinated by horse-drawn carriages from 100 years ago today.   We are in a timeline of infinity, and I like to think about that often. So in that sense, it's exciting to be experiencing all these changes in the dynamic of my family and our home. Where will we go and where we will be 5 years from now? 10, 20, 50 years? I have so much yet to experience, at times it seems overwhelming, but as I said said earlier; I strive for optimism, and so I am mostly excited for whatever is to come.

This is just the beginning.

CHOCOLATE COCO MINT BARS

Chocolate layer:

1 cup walnuts

1 cup dates

1 tablespoon cacao powder

Coco mint layer:
2 cups dried coconut flakes
1 tablespoon coconut nectar (optional) 
1-5 drops peppermint oil, as desired

To make the chocolate layer: put the walnuts in a food processor and process until they turn into a powdery consistency. Add the dates and process until it all begins to get sticky. Add the cacao powder until fully incorporated. Press half this mixture into the bottom of a small lined bread pan and put in the fridge. 

To make the coco mint layer: put everything in the food processor and process until the dried coconut flakes turn into a crumbly buttery-like mixture; this can take a few minutes, so be patient. Press this mixture onto your first chocolate layer. Refrigerate for until it's solid. Add the remaining half of the chocolate mixture on top and press down evenly. Refrigerate until solid. Sprinkle with coconut flakes if you like. Slice and serve!

Did you like this post? Then *subscribe to my blog* and get all my posts by email!

BANANA ICE CREAM CAKE with MATCHA, BLUEBERRY + VANILLA LAYERS

Heyo! To be honest, I wasn't too stoked on how this cake turned out, appearance-wise. I am still trying to develop my skills as a swirler (it's a word, shh), and you can really tell. If you wanna find the worlds best swirler, check out Fragrant Vanilla Cake! I am always in awe of her talent level of swirling. Anyhoo, back to my mishap: I messed up in the middle of the top of the cake, so I tried covering up my mistake with pumpkin seeds (don't we all? ... No.) Fortunately the lighting was nice today so the cake looks alright, but it still doesn't quite meet my standards in terms of prettiness. However, I am sharing it anyways because I love you. And since I love you, I of course want to give you as many delicious and healthy recipes as I can! Here's another one, folks. 

This is mostly bananas! As you may have learned from my reading my past posts and checkin' me out on Instagram - YES, I GOT INSTAGRAM! - I am eating essentially 80/10/10 now. That is, 80% carbs, 10% each for protein and fat. My diet looks a lot like *smoothiemania* all day (10 bananas per smoothie wasssapp!?) plus giant bowls of rice and vegetables for dinner. I ain't missing out on a thing! Even dessert! I love this lifestyle. I am so excited to eat everything all the time. And I have energy out the wazoo (we still do not have confirmation on the precise definition of wazoo though). Here I show you that you can have a tasty raw vegan treat, but it doesn't have to be filled with nuts and coconut oil! Those foods are awesome, but we don't need much of them; only a handful a day. You get just that with this cake. Actually, I'm gonna let you in on a secret - this cake is, for all practical purposes, a smoothie that is frozen in a cake mold. If that makes it seem unappealing to you, pretend I never said it. Blot it out from your mind forever. But if that fact makes it even MORE enticing... well, you're welcome. I think it's cool. Get it? 'Cause it's frozen? "OMG Em you are soooo funny!" Aw shucks, you're too kind. 

BANANA ICE CREAM CAKE with MATCHA, BLUEBERRY + VANILLA LAYERS

Matcha layer:

3 frozen bananas

1 teaspoon matcha powder

5 Medjool dates (optional)

Blueberry layer:

2 frozen bananas

1/2 cup frozen blueberries

Handful cashews

Handful dried coconut flakes

Vanilla layer:

3 frozen bananas

1/2 vanilla bean

2 tablespoon coconut nectar or other sweetener

Handful dried coconut shreds (optional) 

For each layer: just blend all the ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth and very thick! If your blender cannot handle it, add some coconut milk to keep things moving, and keep things creamy (if you add water it'll just make it icy). Reserve about 1 tablespoon of the matcha and blueberry mixtures. Spread each layer evenly into a 6 inch cake pan (mine is adjustable), with the vanilla layer being on top. Now drop little dots of the matcha and blueberry mixtures onto the top of the cake. Use a toothpick or chopstick and drag the tip through the dots - it makes hearts! Freeze until sold. When you wanna serve this, I recommend letting it thaw for a bit so it gets creamy. 

Did you like this post? Then *subscribe to my blog* and get all my posts by email!

SUMMER BERRY VANILLA CREAM TARTS

Yeah, desserts are back. Thought I'd left ya, huh? Nope. I was just a little burnt out after writing my first book which focused entirely on raw, vegan, gluten-free desserts... over 100 recipes invented, created and photographed in under 4 months... I needed a break. Plus, as you may have noticed in my previous posts recently; I'm going 80/10/10! This means I am choosing to get almost all my calories (80%) from carbs, and leaving the remaining 20% of my calories to fat and protein. My diet is almost exactly what it was before: giant fruit smoothies all day, then a huge bowl of steamed veggies and rice for dinner, and a raw sweet for dessert! The only change? I'm skipping the desserts, which are usually nut-based, and instead getting those extra calories from more fruit in the day time! However, I  know that nuts are definitely necessary in a healthy diet, as is fat in general, in whole food plant form. So of course my dessert recipes are good for you! But having said that, I am going to focus on lowering the nut and coconut oil content in them, so we can all eat even MORE tarts. Sound good? Good. 

These adorable babies are full of fruity goodness, and they had my girlfriends practically fighting over the last bites. You can make this recipe nut-free very easily, or you can leave the nuts in there if you want. It's all up to you! I heart cashews! (I had to say it, it rhymed). You can also use nut pulp for the crust, if you are often left wondering what to do with that extra stuff after making almond milk. Frugal vegans are happy vegans... happy vegans with delicious healthy tarts. Let's eat. 

P.S. I apologize for these weird-looking photos. I'm still getting used to the photo editor on my MacBook. (YES I GOT A MAC WOOO!)

SUMMER BERRY VANILLA CREAM TARTS

Crust:

1 cup oats, nuts or nut pulp leftover from nut milk

1 1/4 cup dates

Berry cream:

1 cup frozen or fresh berries

Water, as needed

Vanilla cream:

3/4 cup cashews or 3 frozen bananas

1/2 vanilla bean

1 tablespoon coconut nectar

Water, as needed

Note: if you use cashews, you'll have lots of cashew vanilla cream leftover. I ask for 3/4 cup because you need to use at least that much to blend them into a cream in a blender, otherwise you just get cashew crumbs flying around the blades for infinity. 

Make the crust: pulse the oats or nuts into flour in a food processor. Add the dates and process it all until it sticks together. Press into lined tart tins. Put in the fridge for 30 minutes. 

Make the cream: for each one, just blend all the ingredients until smooth. Fill your tart crusts with your berry and vanilla creams, and decorate with chia seeds, dried berries, coconut shreds and whatever else you like! x

Did you like this post? Then *subscribe to my blog* and get all my posts by email!

GINGER ORANGE CARROT JUICE (AND I GOT INSTAGRAM)

The title is pretty self-explanatory: I finally got Instagram, and I'm sharing a recipe for ginger orange carrot juice. First thing's first: follow me on Instagram if you want to (...  you want to). Secondly: make this juice and feel the good ole fruit and veggie vibes! Carrot juice and beet juice are my faves right now. I love adding ginger and garlic for extra flavour and nutrition; and cucumbers, celery, apples, oranges, bell peppers, greens and pineapple for volume (and equally because they're obviously super healthy). The colour of carrot juice is legit inspiring (same goes for beet juice)! You can't NOT want to drink up a glass of this vibrant, glowing juice filled with life. Get it in ya.

Now, moving onto Instagram! I mean I suppose there's not too much to say about it; but I am really excited to have this new social media platform to share my life with you guys on. My Instagram feed will be a good picture into my daily diet and lifestyle, which I sometimes don't show on my blog (instead I generally only share my "wow!" recipes, not what makes up the bulk of my diet). If you guys want to only see the food I eat, that's totally fine; but if you're also interested in how I spend my days personally, I'd be happy to share that with you too! Just let me know. *smile*.

In other news: I just got my manuscript for my second book back from my publisher today, with their notes attached for what I should change or fix. *excited*! I can't wait to bring this new book to all of you. It's bursting with juicy goodness and the food porn you've hopefully come to expect from me. *wink*. (I don't know why there are so many asterisks in this post). This book has 100 recipes for mostly juices and smoothies, as well as about 15 for energy bars and snacks. There are chapters for ingredients, equipment, methods, tips and tricks... everything you need to begin or master a juicing- and blending-filled life! Cheers to living long and being sexy (because you will, and you are)!

GINGER ORANGE CARROT JUICE

5 carrots
1 tablespoon chunk of ginger
2 oranges 

Wash, peel and chop as needed, then juice it up and drink it down! Mmm. 
Note: this is a snack-sized juice. Double or triple this to get a full tummy.... although if you do, watch out for the ginger. Even with huge juices, I keep my ginger to about 1 tablespoon. 

Did you like this post? Then *subscribe to my blog* and get all my posts by email!

WebRep

currentVote

noRating

noWeight

THE HEALTHY NUTELLA MILKSHAKE

I know my last post was about how I've gone all low-fat but ya know what? I got my period today and I also received a box of amazing goodies from Prana Organics, which included a jar of magical hazelnut butter. So I am marrying the jar of hazelnut butter today and my 80/10/10 ways can wait til my period is over. I need to continue talking about this hazelnut butter because you do not yet fully understand the magnitude of deliciousness that it is. My life changed when I dipped my spoon into the jar an hour ago, and it changed for the better. Imagine Nutella... then imagine it being approximately 1326 times yummier... then imagine it's healthy... then you realize that what you are imagining is Prana's organic hazelnut butter, and the only ingredients ARE HAZELNUTS. For real, guys. It's better than Nutella and it doesn't even contain chocolate or sugar. That is why I called it magical a moment ago. Normally I say any organic, ethical brand is a great choice for food, but I have to say that I cannot imagine any hazelnut butter tasting better than Prana's. Also, the texture is heavenly. It's like chocolate sauce. UGH IT'S TOO GOOD PLEASE GO GET SOME NOW. You can buy their wonderful treats foods here.

Moving on. To my period. (I promise I will eventually connect this all to the recipe). I have to celebrate my feminine fertility whenever this time of the month rolls around, because it's pretty freaking awesome that us ladies have a human-making system in our uterus', and when I research menstruation (yeah... I do that), I just get really excited and intrigued about what is going on in my body. Having said that, it doesn't change the fact that for 5-7 days every month I basically just roll around moaning and crying for no reason like a depressed bipolar beached whale... plus blood. But at least the weather is nice so I can groan and lay around in the sunshine, and I've got a sweet boyfriend who's gonna massage my bod later tonight. Until then I will just have to keep trying to do it myself... and keep failing. Have you ever attempted to give yourself a back massage? There's a reason humans are social animals: IT'S ALL FOR THE BODY RUBS, GUYS.

So I'm in whiny hormonal hopeless whale mode today and all I want is copious amounts of vegan mac and cheese - it's happening tonight, I am so glad I was smart enough to buy an organic butternut squash the other day - and more of that incredible, better-than-Nutella magic. Therefore I created a milkshake that is essentially just diluted Nutella. Obviously I love you so I made it healthy. Let's drink.

THE HEALTHY NUTELLA MILKSHAKE

4 frozen bananas
1 tablespoon cacao powder
1 tablespoon Prana's organic hazelnut butter 
6 Medjool dates 
2-3 cups nut milk or water

Blend it all up, adding as much or as little liquid as you want. Uggghhh yessss.

Did you like this post? Then *subscribe to my blog* and get all my posts by email!

RAW VEGAN CHOCOLATE CHIP BANANA MYLKSHAKE

My raw vegan chocolate chip banana mylkshake brings all the boyz to tha yard. 

(I am positive I have made that joke before with other shake recipes but let's pretend it's the first time and laugh at my highly intellectual sense of humour.)

Eyoo. How're you doin' today? I'm feeling great. It's been so warm and sunny all week here (thus far...) and I have been out power walking, running and hiking everywhere I can get to on my toe shoe covered feet. I've been high off the good vibes and vitamin D since Monday and I ain't comin' down anytime soon. I figured it'd be the perfect time to share a summery recipe that will keep you cool and smiling on the warmer days. But heck, I drink this recipe all winter too so don't feel the need to restrict enjoying it to only the hot seasons... make this everyday! I practically do. This is a wonderful treat to blend up after going for a hike, as a matter of fact. Maybe that's not a true fact, I mean there have not yet been scientific studies conducted on the perfectness of this particular mylkshake in relation to a post-hike situation BUT at least we've got my gut telling me it's a pretty damn good choice to try out this recipe. That's all I got for ya though. Sorry if it's insufficient. What am I even talking about now. My writing game has NOT been strong lately and I apologize for that, I'm just way too focused on other things in my life at this point but I swear on the life of my future pig companion (one day... one day...) that I will improve my prose pronto! Now if you will excuse me, I need to nourish all these boyz that have appeared in my front yard. 

RAW VEGAN CHOCOLATE CHIP BANANA MYLKSHAKE

4 frozen bananas

1/4 cup hardened raw chocolate

1-2 cups non-dairy mylk

1 tablespoon cacao nibs (optional) 

Blend everything together (except the cacao nibs) until smooth, but not too smooth - you want the chocolate to combine but still have little chips of it in the mix. Get it? It's a chocolate chip mylkshake! Pour into a glass or two and sprinkle the nibs on top if you like.

Did you like this post? Then *subscribe to my blog* and get all my posts by email!

LIQUID FEAST: DAY THREE

Hey, guys. How's your day going? If you are doing this liquid cleanse with me, how are you feeling? If you haven't joined in the liquid feasting yet - jump on in! We're on day three of seven and I am doing terrific. I'm jamming to this amazing mix right now and it has got me in the best mood. I wanna go dance. Alas, I have my final exam for archaeology tomorrow so I gotta have a quiet night in. Once my exams are done and my second book manuscript is finished I'm gonna party like it's going out of style (it will never go out of style though, my life is one big crazy party). 

Energy levels are great, I had a very deep sleep and woke up at 8:30 am like I usually do. I'll most likely stay up until midnight again. I did some light stretching then made a big blueberry smoothie pretty much the same as the one I had yesterday (get the recipe here) and it was amazing once again. Later my partner came over - he's doing this with me - and we made a giant blend of kale from the garden, apples from the farmers market and organic bananas. That recipe is below. Later I was getting hungry again and decided to make what my mind was telling me to: potato soup. MMM. It ended up being phenomenal and totally hit the spot. The potatoes are local and organic, that probably helped a great deal with the flavour and creaminess. The nice thing about just keeping this cleanse to liquids is that I can make super nourishing and filling soups for dinner, instead when I'm on a juice fast... cold juice for supper can sometimes leave you missing warm meals.  

While we were sipping drinks outside in the sunshine (the weather has been so great lately) we were talking about how although the smells and textures of solid food we see around are very naturally appealing, that doesn't mean they're at all tempting. Yes, those foods would taste good, but we have this thing called will power and it's pretty easy simply choosing not to eat solids at this point. I think this is because we are making sure we stay fully carbed up. When you are low on calories and carbs, your will power and rationality go out the window and you wanna grab anything edible that is in your arms reach and devour it. I am speaking about this in terms of a liquid cleanse, but I think this can be more importantly paralleled to people's everyday diets and their cravings for processed foods. They cave in and buy a doughnut and then feel guilty about it. I think most of us have been there, or somewhere like there (we all have different degrees). Why does this terrible cycle of guilt and unhealthy eating habits continue? Because we don't feed ourselves enough of the good stuff! The good stuff = whole fruits, vegetables, beans, grains, nuts and seeds. When we are REALLY full on these foods, we won't crave the junk we don't need. Unfortunately, I think a lot of people think they should limit their calories from fruit and that is tragic. I never count calories because I eat the right foods, so the more I eat the better! Having said that, I probably consume around 3000 calories a day and that is working out juuuust fine. Obviously, our bodies know what to do when we fuel them with the right foods. It's simple. It's easy. It's delicious. It's the answer. 

The power is in the plants. 

CREAMY POTATO & ONION SOUP (OIL-FREE, SALT-FREE)

6 potatoes

1 onion

2 garlic cloves

Enough vegetable broth to cover the potatoes and onions

Coriander, dill, fresh parsley 

Slice the veggies then cover with the broth and bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and let cook until tender. Put everything into your blender and blend until smooth. It is shockingly delicious! Add whatever else you like. 

KALE ME, BABY 

2 cups kale

4 apples

3 frozen bananas

1/16 teaspoon stevia powder

2 cups cashew mylk

Blend it all up until smooth. Drink it down. 

Did you like this post? Then *subscribe to my blog* and get all my posts by email!

LIQUID FEAST: DAY TWO

Hello, lovelies! I hope you're having a fantastic day; I definitely am. The liquid feast is going swell (but in any case life can't really be bad when you're listening to this). I've had decent energy levels all day. Actually... as I was typing that I remembered I woke up at 7 am today - an hour earlier than normal - because I couldn't lie still anymore! Hmm, so to correct myself: energy levels have been VERY decent. I'll probably stay up until about midnight tonight. My period has decided to align it's timeline exactly with this liquid feast and that is honestly for the best - I need all the instant nutrition I can get. For that reason, I will be adding cacao to some smoothies. Chocolate banana shakes, anyone? *everyone raises their hand as they sit at their computer - cyber unity*

My partner says he feels good and has more energy than normal. He did mention he was really noticing the smells of food when he was out and about and that makes sense because in my experience when you "fast", your senses are heightened. Of course, he likes a challenge and was much more anticipating getting over to my house to drink all the smoothies, juices and soups I made throughout the day. He tells me he is getting almost as excited about food as I am... this is the best news. If you and I ever get to eat a meal together, you will quickly learn I am very passionate about it. I scream, I moan, I fall over. As much as I love some good ole herbal medication, I really don't need recreational drugs when I have stuff like avocadoes, heirloom tomatoes, blueberry cashew smoothies, and super food truffles to enjoy. The experience of eating organic plants is trippy enough and my sensory systems are like "WOAH ARE WE ON SHROOMS OR WHAT?" Basically, yep.

You might be wondering if I have no life and if all I do is hug my blender and trip out on blueberries all day... well, you'd be partially right. These days I am spending most of my time whipping up juice and smoothie recipes, but I have REASON, OKAY? I am writing my second book, and these fab drinks are the main feature. So it's a perfect time to do a liquid cleanse, especially with another person, because my job is literally to make huge amounts of different juices and smoothies all day... every day. For real - my manuscript is due in a few weeks. I gotta hurry up. 

Here's what I made today that I will share with you: a blueberry cashew smoothie sweetened with dates, beet juice with garlic and carrots, and carrot and onion soup with tomatoes and bell peppers. I was awake for several hours before I made and drank a few different smoothies for my book, and the beet juice (saving half of everything for my lover), then I studied for my final exams for awhile and sunbathed in the nude. I got hungry again so I made the blueberry smoothie. Studied some more, went through my emails, etc. then at about 6 pm I made the carrot soup - it hit the spot. I might make super food hot chocolate later but I feel satisfied right now. I hope this feast is going well for you, too! Get my recipes below:

x

BLUEBERRYLICIOUS SMOOTHIE

1 cup frozen blueberries

4 bananas

6 dates

2 cups cashew mylk 

Blend until smooth and creamy. Mmm oh yes. 

RUBY RED JUICE

8 carrots

4 beets

1 garlic clove

Wash, peel and chop as needed. Put it all through your juicer and strain if you wish, then enjoy. 

CREAMY CURRY CARROT SOUP with BELL PEPPERS, TOMATOES & ONIONS 

4 cups carrots
1 onion
2 bell peppers
3 small tomatoes
Cumin and coriander 
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3 dates
Vegetable broth or water

Roughly chop all the veggies. Cover the carrots and onions with vegetable broth or water in a pot, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let them cook for about 30 minutes or until tender. Throw all the ingredients (including the veggie broth mix) into a high speed blender and blend until smooth and creamy, adding the spices as you like. Serve with tomato slices and cilantro if you like.

Note: if ya wanna keep this one totally raw, skip the cooking part! Simple. 

Did you like this post? Then *subscribe to my blog* and get all my posts by email!