Thriving Forward

Hi! Happy Monday!!

How was your weekend? Saturday was a good mix of everything I love in a weekend: kundalini yoga in the morning followed by coffee with the girls, groceries, tidying up the house and then chillaxin' with a movie. Derek was out with friends, so I had the house to myself.....it was kinda nice to have a lonely girl night!

On Sunday, I slept in 'til 10 a.m.! It was absolutely blissful!!! I had a family reunion and potluck in the afternoon, so I spent the rest of the morning whipping up my Festive Sweet Potato Salad - I added a chopped apple and it was fantastic - and Tosca Reno's Ooey Gooey Banana Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding. Both of these dishes are healthy AND clean and I got lots of compliments on both. WIN!!! I had just enough salad left to bring with me to work today and this was all the bread pudding I brought home ----- um, it didn't quite make it 'til today ;-)

As you may recall from my post last week, one of my goals was to fully embrace the Eat Clean Diet. So far, I'm doing great and I already notice a difference in how my body feels. My stomach no longer feels bloated and unsettled like it did over the holidays when I was enjoying every sweet treat and cheese tray that was passed my way.

To compliment my clean eating goals, I've also signed up to follow the Thrive Forward program that's been developed by Brendan Brazier (creator of Vega).

This is a FREE online program, personalized to your interests and goals, that will show you how to improve your health through plant-based nutrition. Now I'm a vegetarian, so this is  perfect for me, but this program will still provide a wealth of information for you meat eaters too!! The program includes written e-books, video lessons, email tips, recipes, meal plans and tons of really valuable information to kickstart your journey to a clean eating lifestyle. Now, I feel like I already 'get' the general idea of how to eat clean, but what I really, really love about this program is that it touches on so many other topics such as longevity, sleep, stress, libido, weight, sustainability, etc. When you sign up for the program, you are asked to select three topics most relevant to your interests - I did that - but I will definitely be reading EVERYTHING because there is just so much information about the way food and nutrition affect all aspects of our lives.

If you're interesting in checking out the Thrive Forward program, it's not too late! Click here and sign up today. Let me know what you think - we can support each other as we clean up our diets and become the best we can be!!

Food for Thought:

Source

 

What is something that you're 110% committed to right now?

 

Have a great day my friends,

 

Andrea

xoxo

 



Feeling the Love Inside & Out

You guys....I've had a really, really great birthday week.

I have received so much birthday love, it's been totally overwhelming! I've received cards in the mail, texts, emails, calls, Facebook messages and lots of lunch and dinner invites.

I've been out to eat ALOT, but other than a couple of meals where I strayed a wee bit, I've completely stuck to my clean eating plan. I've been pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to have delicious, clean meals without sacrificing taste & satisfaction!!

Not only have I been conscious about what I eat when out at a restaurant, but I've been playing around in my own kitchen as well. I don't want to completely give up some of my fave foods, so I'm determined to put my personal spin on some old classics to make them clean, healthy and totally delicious!!!

This recipe has been one of my most recent successes. Who doesn't love apple pie this time of year?! I put some of my fave apple pie flavours into a cool and refreshing smoothie and have been enjoying them for breakfast and post-workout snacks all week long. Adding oats to a smoothie, is a great way to give it some 'staying' power, so that you can go a few hours before the hunger beast takes hold. Between the oats and the optional addition of some protein powder, this smoothie is surprisingly filling and will easily tide you over until your next meal.

Clean Apple Pie Smoothie

Serves 1 hungry clean eating machine

1 c unsweetened original almond milk

1/4 c oats

1/4 c water

3/4 c unsweetened applesauce (my recipe works awesome minus the brown sugar)

2 tbsp plain Greek yogourt

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 - 1 tsp stevia

pinch cinnamon

Optional: 1 scoop vanilla protein powder

Soak the oats in the almond milk overnight.

When you're ready to enjoy your smoothie, remove the oat mixture and pour it into your blender. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. I like my smoothies to be silky smooth, so this one needed to be blended and blended because the oats give it a little more texture than your usual fruit smoothie.

  

This is a great breakfast or post-workout snack!

What's your fave fruit to use in a healthy smoothie?

I've definitely had received my share of love this week and now I feel the need to share some love for some great reads from earlier this week. Go check them out and leave some love for some of my fellow bloggers:

~ Jenna got engaged and she has a beautiful  engagement story

~ Kris shares her view on how our choices affect where our lives take us

~ David Kirsch did a great guest post that encourages us to make fitness and wellness a daily ritual

~ Tina had a very special celebration this week

Do you have any great reads I need to see? Link 'em up!  

Enjoy the weekend!

Andrea

xoxo

Healthy Autumn Salad

Hi guys! I'm so glad to be back - my nose is no longer stuffy; I can breathe and taste again!!! I started feeling better just in time for our Canadian Thanksgiving holiday {and for that I am thankful!}. This past weekend was full of family, food and fun.

I am still stuffed from two back-to-back days of Thanksgiving dinners  ~ can you say 'hello stretchy pants'???

Heavy meals, holiday parties and lots of comfort food can be pretty dangerous this time of year! I find that the Fall results in a lot more temptation and I tend to crave carb-heavy meals and can easily go a little light on my fruits and veggies.

After a weekend like this past one, it's critical for me to get right back on track with my eats. I created this salad on the weekend and while it's light and healthy, it includes some roasted butternut squash, which totally satisfies my love of comforting Fall fare.

Healthy Autumn Salad

Serves 4 - 6 as an appetizer salad

For the salad:

2.5 - 3 c chopped butternut squash*

1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp sea salt

6 c mixed greens

1large apple, chopped

1/2 sweet yellow pepper, chopped

1/4 c dried cherries

1/4 c dry roasted unsalted pepitas

2 - 3 oz crumbled goat cheese

*Slice the neck of your butternut squash into 1/2" thick rounds and then cut each round into quarters.

For the dressing:

6 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1/3 c extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp dijon mustard

2 - 3 tbsp honey

2 cloves garlic, minced

pinch sea salt & fresh ground pepper

Place all of the dressing ingredients into your blender or Magic Bullet and blend well. Refrigerate.

Preheat your oven to 350. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Place your chopped squash into a bowl and drizzle with the olive oil and sea salt. Spread the chopped squash onto your cookie sheet and roast for 30 minutes, making sure to flip about halfway through the roasting time.

Once roasted, remove the squash from the oven and set aside to cool.

To assemble your salad, place your mixed greens into your salad bowl. Add the squash, apple and pepper and toss. Top the salad with the cherries, pepitas and crumbled goat cheese.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

I served the dressing in a cute little pitcher on the side, so that each person can drizzle the dressing on themselves.

A good peeler is a huge help when dealing a squash.

I have a Tupperware peeler and it is the absolute best!

I like the look of the uniform wedges, but you can just chunk it up if you prefer.

Store your leftover dressing in a mason jar in the refrigerator.

A gorgeous colourful salad to be proud to serve to guests.

Or as a delicious dinner at home after a weekend packed full of FOOD!

 

The sweet-savoury flavour combo of each bite will rock your socks off!!!

What is your favourite healthy meal to make after a weekend full of indulgences??

Have a great day y'all!

Andrea

xoxo



Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

Why hello there.

So far, September has blessed us with several warm and sunny days, but the chilly evenings are a surefire sign that Fall really is right around the corner. The weather's not the only that changing; I'm starting to notice some changes going on in my garden too. The green beans, lettuce and zucchini plants are almost picked clean and the squash, tomatoes, pumpkins and corn are all getting really close to being ready.

I think I love the late summer veggies the most. Squash is one of my favourites and who doesn't love a fresh tomato picked straight from the vine?! The tomatoes coming out of the garden are so sweet and flavourful; I swear I'll never be able to eat another bland grocery store tomato again!!

Of course, you know I have an addiction to roasting every veggie that passes through my kitchen doors and now that the night's are cooling off, the oven keeps calling my name. I've roasted sweet potato rounds, zucchini, butternut squash and now tomatoes. Do you know how amazing your kitchen smells when you roast a combo of fresh tomatoes, olive oil, sea salt and basil?? The aroma is utterly DIVINE my friends.

Last night I took four huge beefsteak tomatoes and chopped them up and roasted them. Afterwards, I blended them up into the creamiest soup imaginable. This recipe is going to be some pretty tough competition to the traditional homemade tomato soup my dad and grandma used to make.

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

Serves 3

4 large tomatoes, each cut into 8 wedges
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 - 1/3 c fresh basil*
1 3/4 c unsweetened original almond milk (or 1% milk)
2 tbsp melted Earth Balance (butter)

Preheat your oven to 325.

Place all of your tomatoes in a large baking dish. Drizzle the olive oil over the tomatoes and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp sea salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper and the dried basil. Roast for 75 - 80 minutes.

Once the tomatoes have finished roasting, place them all into your blender. Puree until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients and puree until smooth. Season with additional sea salt and pepper as necessary.

The milk will probably cool the soup down too much, so pour it into a pot and warm it back up on the stove.

Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with toasted croutons, sour cream, diced green onion, shredded cheddar or whatever else might float your boat :-)

The result is a soup that's smooth and creamy and tastes like heaven in a bowl.

*I used 1/3 cup basil in my soup, but you might want to start with 1/4 cup and add more if it's suitable to your tastes because the flavour of the basil is quite distinct. Personally, I love it! 

When I say huge tomatoes, I mean it!!

I bought a basil plant for $1 and keep it in my kitchen.

It's perfect when I'm making meals like this!

Be warned that this will fill your blender right up.

If you have a smaller blender, you might have to puree the soup in 2 batches.

SMOOTH AND CREAMY!

I garnished with croutons, fresh basil and fresh ground pepper.

Deliciously fresh!!

What is your favourite way to enjoy tomatoes?

Enjoy the day and I shall see you back here tomorrow with a brand new What I Ate Wednesday post!

Andrea

xoxo

Peach Vanilla Chai Smoothie Bowl

Mmmm Breakfast.

The most important meal of the day.

It is so important to eat your first meal shortly after waking. I usually eat within the first hour, so that my body is fueled and ready to tackle the day. Eating a healthy breakfast not only gives your bod the kickstart it needs to start performing for the day, but it also gives your metabolism a kick in the butt to get working and we all want that metabolism to be working to its fullest potential, right?! :-)

I've always been a breakfast eater. When I get up in the morning, the first things I think are *get me mah coffee* and *what's for breakfast* --- you may notice that I often speak from the tummy ;-)

Usually I prefer warm savoury breakfasts, but we've had such a warm summer that I've found myself craving foods that are cool and refreshing.

Smoothies fit right into those requirements, but I never feel like a drink is enough to fill me up, so I decided to try my own 'smoothie in a bowl' combo and see if I could add a little bulk to make my smoothie 'stick to my ribs' a little longer. As bulk, I added oats, chia and some Vega One Vanilla Chai shake powder. I ended up make a huge, THICK shake and it was awesome! I ate half before I left for work, half when I arrived at work and was satisfied until noon.

I had some Niagara peaches left that were starting to get too soft, so I used them in my smoothie, but you can certainly use any fruit/veggie combo that suits ya.

Peach Vanilla Chai Smoothie Bowl

Makes one big-ass smoothie bowl for one hungry gal ;-)

1 large peach, chopped into chunks - I froze mine the night before

1/2 - 1 large frozen banana

1 serving Vega One Vanilla Chai nutritional shake powder *optional

1/4 c oats

1 tbsp chia seeds

3/4 c almond milk (or milk of your choice)

1/2 c water

1/2 tsp pure vanilla

*Note: If you do not use a protein powder that is naturally sweetened, you may want to add some sweetener or use vanilla sweetened almond milk - stevia or maple syrup would also be good sweetener options for this smoothie*

Place all your ingredients into your blender and blend until smooth. Pour into your fave cereal bowl, top with your fave toppings (chopped fruit, nuts, coconut, granola) and eat 'er up!

I got this as a free sample in the mail {score!}

This all-in-one shake mix has a great flavour and doesn't leave a chalky taste in your mouth. It is one of the few powders that I really, really like!

Thick enough to eat with a spoon - yummers!

 

Cool - check!

Refreshing - check!

Filling - check!

Healthy - check!

Oh so Delicious - check!

This is a new fave of mine for sure!

What is your favourite summertime breakfast?

Have a great day! TGIF!

Andrea

xoxo

What I Ate Wednesday ~ Back on the healthy train

Happy Wednesday! Oh how I've missed you over the past couple of weeks :)

There was only one thing that I really, really wish I'd snapped a picture of last week. Gigi's Cupcakes!!! Have you heard of them? Tried them? Do you love????? {SIGH} I <3 them with a passion. My faves were Merry Margarita and Southern Comfort. Hands down my fave cupcakes ever but perhaps not the most responsible of snack choices when we're supposed to be focussing on healthy and responsible snacks --- all in moderation my friends, all in moderation ;-)

...so, ahem....let's stop talking about all my indiscretions and focus on all the good stuff I've been munching on since I got home from Nashville. I promise that I've redeemed myself with some healthy yumminess.

 

Breakfast

Egg white scramble with veggies, cheddar and a pinch of cajum seasoning to spice things up. With coffee, of course!

Snacks

Pre-workout, I've been really lovng a plain brown rice cake with natural PB & J --- tastes like my childhood!

Fresh fruit is also another current fave. Fresh local strawberries are pure heaven!!!

Lunch

Salads and more salads....unfortunately, I've been more interested in catching up on my fave blogs during my lunch breaks and I've munched my salads down without so much as a picture. I've been sticking to my fave combo of  sundried tomatoes, goat cheese and dijon -- always a winner in my book!

Dinner

Spicy & Mexican. Yummmmmm......brown rice topped with black beans, corn and veggies followed by white cheddar con queso, jalapenos, black olives, tomatoes, guac and plain Greek yogourt. Holy deliciousness. This was last night's dinner. HEAVENLY good.

So, there are some of my eats....what have you been munching on this week? If you're looking for more snacking and meal inspiration, head on over and visit Jenn at Peas & Crayons and check out her weekly WIAW party. You'll find tons and tons of foodie ideas over there!

What is your fave cupcake flavour?

Do your eating habits tend to change depending on the season?

Have a great day and check back tomorrow for a refreshing bevie recreation!

Andrea

xo

(Absolutely No) Cream of Celery Soup

Happy Thursday! How has the first week of the New Year been treatin' ya so far? Life here in veggie land is pretty well back to normal. Most of our treats and sweets have either been sent out the door with our holiday guests or have been consumed by my husband....er, and maybe by me :-)

Now that we're trying to get back on track with our meals and snacks, I'm making a true effort to get back in the kitchen to whip up healthy and nutritious meals. I was really spoiled this holiday and barely had to cook a thing for myself and I've been super lazy when it comes to getting cah-razy in my kitchen.

Yesterday I opened up our vegetable crisper and was surprised to find us being taken over by an over-abundance of celery sticks!

A friend of ours had sent home a bunch of leftover veggie sticks after a Christmas party and for some reason all the celery was still waiting for us to show it some love. Derek and my Grandma L. have informed me that they just LOVE celery because of it's fresh and crunchy goodness. What?!

Is fresh a flavour?! The last time I truly enjoyed a piece of celery, I think I was about 12 years old and my celery stick was bathed in some delicious Cheese Whiz. When I was a kid, our household always had a jar of Cheese Whiz in stock. Nowadays, I don't really consider Cheese Whiz to be a food I want to consume, so the celery sticks remain untouched.

Now that we've had some colder weather, I decided that maybe I'd try my hand at celery soup. Even if it's not my all-time fave, I absolutely hate seeing good food go to waste. The end result was a creamy and tasty soup that is VERY low in fat and VERY high in healthy goodness. I used potatoes and almond milk and not a drop of cream! Suddenly, celery doesn't seem so bad!

(Absolutely No) Cream of Celery Soup
Serves 4 - 5

This soup is creamy and delicious and does not contain a drop of heavy cream. It was really tasty on it's own, so the only seasonings I used were a pinch of sea salt and pepper. It's delicious, fresh and makes a great warm lunch to pack for work. The best thing about this soup is that it is super EASY to whip up!

6 c vegetable stock
3 c chopped celery
2 onions, chopped
2 large potatoes, peeled and diced
3 cloves garlic
2 c unsweetened original almond milk
sea salt & pepper

Combine vegetable stock, celery, onion, potatoes and garlic. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add almond milk. Return the soup to a boil and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.

In 3 batches, add the soup mixture to your blender and blend until smooth. I like a smooth and creamy soup, but if you like some chunky veggies, just pulse to your desired consistency.

Return the pureed soup to the pot and re-warm if necessary.

I added a pinch of sea salt and pepper. A bit of shredded cheddar cheese would also be a great topping.

Serve & enjoy!

Mmmmmmm..............

What's your favourite wintertime soup?

Andrea

The Breakfast Cookie

Happy Sunday! Are you enjoying the last few hours of your weekend? I know I am. I'm finally home for good after a very busy weekend and I'm looking forward to putting my feet up and relaxing tonight. The temperatures have dropped quite a bit over the past few days, so I think we'll be cuddling up on the couch and hopefully catching a good flick. The perfect ending to the weekend if you ask me!

I discovered a fabulous breakfast creation last week and I've been dying to share it with you. I'm sure to some of my foodie friends, this breakfast is old news, but to me it's new and it's utterly amazing! I have totally fallen in love with The Breakfast Cookie. I was checking out some new blogs (because I don't follow near enough these days ;-) and I stumbled across The Fitnessista.This girl's rocks! I'm loving her workout ideas and so far this is the only recipe of hers I've tried and it is amazing! 

The Breakfast Cookie
Makes 1 cookie

This is a great make ahead breakfast if you're like me and you're always running late for work. You make your cookie the night before (it only takes a few minutes!) and all you've got to do is eat it up in the morning! This is also one of those breakies that can be customized by using all sorts of mix ins to make it perfectly suited to your taste buds. I have so many combo ideas ~ I think it's safe to say you're going to be seeing The Breakfast Cookie mentioned on my blog alot!!!

1/3 c oats
1 tbsp your fave nut butter (I used White Chocolate Wonderful in this one)
1/2 scoop of protein powder (I used Vega Vanilla Almondilla - you can use anything you like or sub in cocoa powder)
1/3 c milk (I used soy - you can use your fave milk)
Mix ins: I used 1/2 mashed banana and 1 - 2 tbsp coconut

In a small mixing bowl, add your oats, nut butter and protein powder. Stir until mixture is crumbly.

Add your milk and mix until moistened.

Add your mix-ins and stir until well combined.  I used 1/2 a banana and coconut with this one.

Other mix-ins could be chocolate chips, dried fruit, nuts, honey if you wanted your cookie to be a little sweeter and cinnamon.

Dump the oat mixture onto a small appetizer-sized plate and flatten.

Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Presto! When you get up, your cookie is ready and waiting for you.

DELISH! Great fuel to start your morning off on the right foot!
I was a little skeptical about this at first because I'm not into cold oats in the morning, but this was fantastic!!

....and yes, my cookie is on a Christmas plate ;-) I love this dish set and I rarely ever pack them away after the holidays! We have a really nice set of everyday dishes that haven't seen the light of day in 18 months ;-)

What would be your #1 mix in for a breakfast cookie?
Best thing you did this weekend - please share :-)!

Enjoy the rest of the weekend,

Andrea

Healthy Brown Rice Salad

On Friday night I made a stirfry with brown rice. For some reason, I always seem to make way too much rice and pasta. This time I had 3 cups of rice left, so I decided that I would use up the leftovers by making a rice salad. The only time I've ever had a rice salad is when my cousin, Linda, brings it to our family reunions. She & I are the only vegetarians in our family, so we always take care of each other with tasty meatless dishes.

Her rice salad is super delicious, but I didn't have all of the ingredients on hand, so I did a Google search and found inspiration to create my own version.

Healthy Brown Rice Salad
Inspired from recipe by Caroline Mili Artiss

3 c. cooked long grain brown rice
4 green onions, chopped
1 orange pepper, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 c. raw pumpkin (pepita) seeds
1/2 c. raw sunflower seeds
1/4 c. dried cranberries

Dressing:
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch piece of ginger, minced
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 c reduced sodium soy sauce
1/2 c extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tbsp honey
pinch black pepper

Combine the rice, veggies and dried cranberries in a large bowl.

Don't add your seeds until you are ready to serve the salad.

In a smaller bowl, prepare the dressing by adding all of the ingredients and whisking until well blended.
Pour the dressing over the rice mixture.

Refrigerate overnight.

Mix in your seeds when you are ready to serve and enjoy!

This salad is soooo delicious! I brought it for my lunch today and my stomach growled all morning in anticipation. I'm so happy that I have another bowl at home for tomorrow! I love the ginger in the dressing and the seeds give it the perfect amount of crunchiness.

DELICIOUS!!

What are you favourite make-ahead lunches?

I hope you're having a fabulous Monday,

Andrea