Vegan Mac and "Cheese" - GF

People tend to laugh in your face when you say you're having cheese-less mac and cheese...but you know what? "Cheese-less mac and cheese" sounds a whole lot better than "mac and rice milk, Daiya and nutritional yeast"! This recipe is so creamy and rich, yet it takes the same amount of time and effort it takes to make regular mac and cheese and it's much better for you!

I won't lie to you. This recipe does NOT taste like Kraft Dinner. I have yet to try a vegan mac and cheese that does, but frankly, after already following a dominantly plant-based diet for a few months, when I tried KD again, it tasted much more greasy, salty, and fake than I remembered. So, no. This recipe does not taste like plasticky, processed junk food. It tastes more akin to a gourmet Parmesan mac and cheese that you would order in a fine Italian restaurant. It is so thick and rich, yet still light and fresh. You'll feel energized and satisfied after eating it, instead of the usual heaviness and sleepiness that tends to accompany boxed mac and cheese.

I include cubed tomato and a bit of tomato paste in my mac and cheese recipe, but feel free to omit it. I find that the added acidity helps cut through the richness of the dish. Look at it as the healthy version of putting ketchup on your mac and cheese. I use brown rice pasta, which is gluten-free, but use your own preferred pasta type and shape! This recipe also uses nutritional yeast. This yeast is chock full of vitamin B12 and has a light cheesy taste. Don't be intimidated by this ingredient. It's actually quite easy to find, usually in the natural foods section of your grocery store. I use Bob's Red Mill Large Flake.   

Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 cups cooked brown rice pasta
- 2 tsp vegan butter (eg. Earth Balance)
- 2 tsp tapioca starch (or cornstarch or AP flour)
- 1 1/2 cup rice milk (nut milks are fine, too, but they make it more sweet)
- 3/4 cup shredded vegan cheddar cheese (eg. Daiya)
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 cup diced tomato (drained), optional
- 4 tsp tomato paste, optional
- paprika, to serve

Method:

1. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the starch/flour. Let darken for about 5 minutes, whisking often.

2. Slowly whisk in the milk. Leave to thicken, whisking often. It should be suitably thick after roughly 10 minutes, but if it gets too thick, thin it out with more milk. If it's too thin, leave it a little longer.

3. Remove the white sauce from the heat. Whisk in the cheese substitute and yeast. After they're well mixed in and the mixture is smooth, stir in the salt, lemon, and spices.

4. Pour the "cheese" sauce over the pasta. Add in the tomato, if using, and stir it all up. Sprinkle with paprika and serve!


Enjoy your "mac and rice milk, Daiya and nutritional yeast"!
   

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Kale-Watermelon Juice

The benefits of kale are outstanding. The vitamins and minerals jam-packed into these funky green leaves are amazing for nourishing your body, inside and out. However, it has quite a strong and distinctive flavourful that I personally find difficult to pair with in smoothies and juices. I find many fruit and veggies to taste rancid or sour when paired with kale, or they completely cover up the kale flavour (I want to complement the kale, not hide it!). 

Enter the watermelon. Watermelon is quite sweet, which both contrasts and complements the mineraly taste of the kale, yet the fruit is mild enough that it doesn't overwhelm the kale. Plus, Watermelon is nearly all water and is not as carb-dense as other fruits. Side note: people usually think that fruit smoothies are super "healthy" but there's a surprising amount of sugars in them. Even if the sugar is from a fruit, it can still mess with your blood levels!

The juice is so simple to make. You literally just blend together a large handful of kale and about 1 1/2 - 2 cups of watermelon. That's it. It's so simple! 

I also prefer to add in some extra goodness, particularly gogi berries and Chia seeds. The Chia seeds thicken up the juice as they expand, so the mixture has a more smoothie-like texture.

This juice is so refreshing on a hot day and an awesome way to sneak in some greens for any kid or adult who claims to "hate" kale!

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Naturally Get Rid of Sunburn in 48 Hours

You always wear SPF 50. You always sit in the shade. You always stay inside between the hours of 1 and 4pm. You never go tanning. You are a very sun-smart person and are always prepared to go to battle against UVA and UVB rays...except that one day that inevitably happens every once in a while. And you get burned. Badly. Like, fresh lobster red. The damage is done and, while there's not much you can do to reverse it, you can at least lessen the discomfort and cosmetic damage.

For my entire childhood, my family were all strong believers of the ole tried-and-true aloe vera. There were always dozens of bottles and plants on hand, usually to be used up by my pale white, freckled, red-haired sister. While aloe is definitely soothing and cooling, I find its effects to be very short-lived. Aloe is sticky, leaves a dirty green residue and, in my experience, does not do much to reduce redness. I do still use aloe from time to time and definitely advocate that it has many wonderful benefits and uses ( I prefer my facial moisturizers to be aloe based, as they are more hydrating and soothing on my sensitive skin), but it's no longer my first line of defense for handling sunburns. 

After researching some natural remedies, I found this post on a blog called Butter Believer. I was amazed, although skeptical, at the claim of minimizing a burn overnight. Sure enough, I tried it out and...it worked! Withing 48 hours the burn was almost gone! I had seen apple cider vinegar come up many times in my research and, no surprise, this post also utilizes the multipurpose liquid marvel (seriously, is there anything ACV can't do?). The ACV rebalances the skin and takes out the sting and redness. However, this post then goes on to use coconut oil as a moisturizer. It is so important to moisturize a sunburn to avoid further damage, especially peeling. However, I find that my typical moisturizers absorb too quickly on sunburns or have fragrance that irritates the area even more. Surprisingly, the coconut oil is heavy enough that it isn't immediately sucked into the skin, but it's light enough that it doesn't suffocate your skin. As a bonus, your skin smells sooo good!

I find it best to do this at night before bed. Not only is that when your skin naturally does most of its regeneration, but the coconut can be a bit greasy and you don't want to be going about your day with slippery legs!

1. Soak a cloth in cold water and wring it out. Splash some apple cider vinegar on the damp cloth and dab, DON'T RUB, over the burn. Wring out a little excess liquid from the cloth and let it drip onto the burn. 

2. After the liquid has dried off, carefully apply some coconut oil over the burn. 

That's it! That's all you have to do. After only one night, my bright red burn has faded to a pink and the itch is almost completely gone. After the next night, any evidence of the sunburn is pretty much gone! 

Other tips I have include staying out of the sun with a burn, as this will a) make damage worse, and b) make the burn STING!!! Hydration is key. Drink plenty of water, keep the skin moisturized and take an Omega-3 supplement. 

There is no way to undo the cancerous damage of excessive sun exposure and the best method for getting rid of sunburn is always prevention, but no one is perfect. You're bound to slip up eventually, and when you do, at least you'll be prepared! 

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Chewy, Gooey Ginger Molasses Cookies

Without a doubt, we make a lot of molasses cookies in my house. Gingersnaps, Long Johns, Gingerbread, we love it all! Molasses and ginger inspires smokiness, spiciness, sweetness and some serious Christmas nostalgia! As soon as these go in the oven and the amazing smell wafts out, I instantly feel like going sledding, singing carols and decorating a tree. Though the flavours are very wintery, I bake these beauties year-round and trust me, they're still just as tasty!

Makes 50 cookies (I usually freeze half for later)
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 4 tsp ground ginger
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp ground cardamom (optional)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup molasses (Fancy grade for a sweeter cookie, Cooking grade for a more robust flavour)
- 4 cups flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar or demerara sugar, in a small bowl/dish

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Cream together butter and both sugars in a large mixing bowl.

3. Crack in eggs and beat until well incorporated.

4. Mix in all spices, baking powder and salt. Stir in the molasses.

5.  Gradually, stir in the flour until it's all incorporated.

6. Shape large spoonfuls of dough into 1 1/2 inch balls. Roll balls in the dish of sugar to coat the outside.

7. Place balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 10-12 minutes. DO NOT OVERBAKE, otherwise cookies will not be chewy, nor gooey and I'll be very disappointed in you!

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Alba Botanica Aloe & Green Tea Moisturizer Review

Source:iHerb

After diving into the world of natural skin care, I was pleased to find such amazing products that were vegan, organic, cruelty-free, et cetera, and yet were still effective. However, when the search for a good moisturizer began, the results were not as promising. I have combination skin that normally leans to the oily side, but dries out very quickly. It can be tricky to find a moisturizer that balances my skin's dual sides. I found many of the products I tried to be too heavy and oily, causing some serious shine all over and awful breakouts. Other products were way too light and were completely sucked into my skin within minutes, leaving it still parched. Then I happened across this little lovely.

    I initially came across this product thanks to my roommate, who had been using it for years. Standing, frustrated, in the natural living aisle at the store, I scanned through the various tubes and tubs that have already disappointed me. My eyes fell upon the Alba Botanica section and, remembering seeing it around the apartment and my rommate's gorgeous, glowing face, I bought it on a whim. I am so glad I did! 

The cream is white, semi-translucent and has a light flowery smell (there is a very small amount of fragrance listed in the ingredients). The texture is very light and more of a lotion feel, which is why I was very surprised by the high moisture this product was able to douse my face with. The aloe and antioxidants pack a surprising punch and my skin is left soft and dewy, without being greasy. What's more, is that after a few days, I found that my skin was smoother, less red, and my makeup went on so much nicer. A little bit is all you need. I use it morning and night. Sadly, it does not have SPF, but, to be honest, my face is quite sensitive to SPF and it is best when I can use my favourite sunscreen separately on top of a moisturizer.

The jar has 3oz. which lasts a surprisingly long time, and I was able to get it for $15. Alba Botanica's philosophy includes using natural, non-GMO, 100% vegetarian ingredients. They are Leaping Bunny approved 100% cruelty-free.   

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Victoria Sponge Cake

When it comes to birthday cakes, there are a lot of options! Chocolate, vanilla, cupcakes, ice cream cakes, and even cookie cakes! There are tons of decoration choices, too. Turn on the TV at any moment and you can always find some sort of reality show that documents truly insane cake designs. If you want a life-sized cake of yourself for your birthday, you can totally find someone who can make it. But when my birthday rolls around each year, I prefer a very simple, old-fashioned favourite: a strawberry shortcake.

There are a variety of methods you can use to make strawberry shortcake. I've tested versions with a sweet biscuit base, a shortbread cookie base, chocolate-infused whipped cream, and recipes that use only fresh strawberries in the filling. In my opinion, it's hard to mess up the classic combo of strawberries and cream, so these were all pretty good. But my favourite version is a recipe by Irish chef and vlogger Donal Skehan. His sandwich uses a base of vanilla sponge cake and a heavenly filling of whipped cream and jam. The original recipe can be found here. I added a few tweaks here and there to suit my and my family's tastes, but the product is still amazing! It also happens to be super easy to make and requires very few ingredients. The measurements of flour, butter and sugar are all equal so it's super easy to memorize. If you cut the sponge into individual circles with a cookie cutter, it is the perfect no-fuss dessert to take to social gatherings. The first time I brought this to a family reunion, it was the hit of the day and everyone was begging for the recipe!

Of course, you don't need a special occasion to make this cake. Whip it up on any summer's eve and enjoy a slice. Or two. Or five.

Makes 1 tall, fluffy, creamy, fresh, AMAZING cake
Ingredients:
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup butter
- 4 eggs
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup flour
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup whipping/double cream
- 1 cup of your favourite strawberry jam (I use one homemade by my grandmother)
- 5-6 fresh strawberries, plus extra to decorate
- icing sugar (to decorate)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. In a large bowl, cream the sugar and butter together with an electric mixer until pale yellow.

3. Mix in the eggs one at a time so the mixture doesn't split. Add in the vanilla extract.

4. Using a hand mixing spoon, delicately fold in the flour, baking powder and baking soda. If you find the batter is too thick, add in a tablespoon or so of milk.

5. Grease two 8 inch springform pans after lining the bottoms with cutout circles of parchment paper. Divide the mixture between the cake pans and bake for roughly 20 minutes each, until golden brown on top. Let cool before handling.

6. Whip the cream in a cold bowl. *Some people do not like the taste of true cream and prefer a sweetened version. If this is you, add a splash of vanilla extract and half a cup of sugar when whipping.*

7. Spoon the jam over the bottom layer of the cake. Dollop the cream on top of the jam. Thinly slice a few strawberries and arrange them in a single layer over the cream.

8. Place the top cake layer over the strawberries and press down a little until gooey jam and luscious cream ooze out the sides. Pile extra strawberries on top and sprinkle a dusting of icing sugar over the top. Enjoy!

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Banana Coconut Oat Muffins - Vegan

The texture of these muffins is gorgeous. The oats are soft and the banana melts in your mouth like caramel, but the coconut and chia seeds add a nice little crunch. Serve with some chopped mango to really play up the tropical vibe of the banana and coconut.

Makes 6 muffins
Ingredients:
- 2 cups oats
- 1 1/2 cups almond milk
- 1 mashed banana
- 3 tbsp chia seeds
- 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- small drizzle of date syrup

Method:

1. These muffins could not be any simpler to make. Chuck all of the ingredients into a bowl and mix until incorporated. Place the mixture into a lined muffin tin and bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes until pale golden brown.

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