Recipe – Coconut Milk Ice Cream

I’ve been avoiding cow’s milk dairy for the past few months for a variety of different reasons.  Does that mean I have to give up ice cream?  Nope!

I discovered an amazing brand of vegan, soy free ice cream called Luna and Larry’s Coconut Bliss.   It is made with coconut milk and it is truly blissful!  It is creamy and delicious and even if you eat dairy, you should give it a try.   Why?  It’s made from amazing ingredients – in particular, coconut milk.   Coconut milk is is super creamy and delicious but its fats are actually good for you!  Unlike the cholesterol-laden artery-clogging fats in cream, coconut fats are high in medium chain triglycerides (MCTs).   These MCTs are identical to those fats found in human breast milk, and contain similar antimicrobial and heart protective qualities.   The breastfeeding advocate in me just loves this!!

Fat in coconut is used differently by your body than other fats.  MCTs don’t need to be broken down – instead they can be used by your body immediately as energy.  In fact, coconut fat provides easily digestible energy that is ideal to consume before physical activity such as running, cycling or hiking.   Coconut fat stimulates your metabolism!

I buy Luna and Larry’s at Whole Foods or Noah’s Natural Foods here in Toronto and I definitely recommend that you try it.   If you can’t find it in a store near you,  I recently discovered that it is pretty simple to make your own coconut milk ice cream using the Vitamix.

Recipe – Coconut Milk Ice Cream

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Ingredients:

One 14oz or 400 ml can of coconut milk – (I used full fat, not the light versions)

Sweetener – maple syrup, agave syrup or honey to taste

Vanilla to taste

Mix your coconut milk, sweetener of choice and vanilla in a bowl.  I didn’t list amounts because the amount you use is really personal preference.   Start with 1 tablespoon of sweetener and 1/2 tsp of vanilla.   Give it a taste and add more if necessary.

Pour the mixture into an ice cube tray.   Freeze for a few hours until solid.

Place the frozen ice cube mixture into your Vitamix and blend!   It will become creamy and delicious and take on an ice cream texture within seconds.   Serve right away and ENJOY!

Recipe – Chocolate chip coconut oatmeal cookies

Yesterday I discovered a delicious blog – Chocolate Covered Katie.   Katie blogs about vegan healthy desserts.   Can you say right up my alley?  How have I not heard of her site until now?

I like to eat healthy, but there is still room for dessert made from satisfying and nutritious whole foods.   Katie’s blog has so many creative dessert recipes that I just can’t wait to try.

This afternoon, I was inspired by Katie’s Flourless Chocolate Chip Cookies.   I took her recipe and changed it up a bit.   Here’s what I came up with:

Recipe – Chocolate Chip Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

(Gluten free – if using GF oats, soy free, vegan)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup rolled oats

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/8 tsp. salt

2 tbsp. coconut sugar

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. water

1 tbsp. agave syrup

1 tbsp. almond butter

2 tbsp chocolate chips

Mix oats, baking soda, salt and coconut sugar in a magic bullet or food processor until oats are broken down into an almost flour like powder.  Place in medium sized bowl.   Stir in olive oil, water, almond butter and agave.  Mix well.  Mixture should be moist but still crumbly.  If you pinch the batter, crumbs should stick together.   If not, add a tiny bit more olive oil.  Add in chocolate chips and form batter into 6-8 small cookies.

Bake at 375 degrees for 6 minutes.

These taste absolutely divine warm out of the oven!  Don’t fret if you don’t have coconut sugar – brown sugar will work too, as per Katie’s original recipe!  (Although I personally love the coconut-y flavour of the coconut sugar).  Or you could try 2 tbsp of agave or other liquid sweetener (maple syrup, honey) and cut out the water.   I think they would also be amazing with raisins instead of chocolate chips.  Or sunflower seed butter instead of the almond butter.   The possibilities really are endless!  I may have to whip up another batch later…

2012 Goals – Running a half marathon

I started running in July 2011 and I’ve been having a lot of fun.   I trained all summer and ran my first race – the Yorkville Run 5k – in September.   It was such an exhilarating  experience – normally running is a solitary experience for me (other than sometimes pushing Ben in the stroller) and it was so great to get out there and run with hundreds of other people around downtown Toronto.   I felt so proud running across the finish line knowing that I had set a goal for myself and reached it.

After that race I knew I wanted to run another one.  I originally thought I’d try a 10k in the spring, but I now want to try something more challenging.   I’ve already run the 10k distance a number of times on my normal weekly runs.  I thought about training to improve my time but for some reason the long distance of a half marathon is calling out to me.

So I’m going to run the Goodlife Toronto Half Marathon on May 6, 2012.  That means I will be running 21km, or 13.1 miles with 7,000 other people!

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Running a half marathon definitely requires real prepration.   I’m going to be following a training plan set out in the No Meat Athlete Half Marathon Roadmap.    It is a 12 week training plan for vegetarian athletes (such as myself!).

I plan on running 4 times a week – with 3 short runs during the week and 1 long run each weekend.   I will likely be doing the short runs pushing Ben in the stroller and hopefully doing the long runs on my own.  We are going to be getting a treadmill so I can get runs in even if the weather is not co-operating.   My first choice is always to run outside but sometimes that can’t happen if it’s super cold or icy and slippery.

My goal with this half marathon is just to finish it.  I don’t have a specific time goal in mind.  I want to remain injury free while training and I want to have fun with this!

My half marathon is 14 wks away so my training officially begins in 2 wks.   I can’t wait!

I will be posting my training progress here over the next few months.   I hope you will enjoy reading about it!

Do you have any exercise related goals for 2012?  Are any of you training for spring races?

Hello 2012!

I’ve taken a bit of a blogging break lately.  Dylan was off school for winter holidays, we went away for 10 days, and now we are back in the swing of things.

You may have noticed a shift in my blog in 2011.  My blog started off as a place for me to write my thoughts about parenting and breastfeeding.  In 2011, I started writing more about exercise and healthy eating.  In reality, I think all of these themes are connected – my interest in parenting and breastfeeding ultimately led me to my interests in exercising and healthy eating.  I hope that the healthy habits I am establishing my own life will be an example for my boys!

Hopefully you have enjoyed the new direction my blog is taking, as I plan for it to continue to move that way in 2012.

Happy New Year readers!  I look forward to spending 2012 with you.

Recipe – Almond butter tahini oat cookies

I was recently given a lovely assortment of Mum’s Original products to test out from the friendly and passionate team at Borden Communications.  I truly felt like I hit the jackpot when I picked up my package!  It contained:  hemp hearts, chia, goji berries, oats, cacao powder, cacao nibs, coconut flour, coconut sugar, banana powder, rock salt, and quinoa.  Yup – pretty much all of my favorite super foods.

I was in the mood to test out a few of the products, and found a recipe online for Teff Almond Butter cookies.   I decided to swap out a few ingredients with some of the Mum’s Original products I had on hand, and the following recipe was born:

Recipe – Almond butter tahini oat cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce

1 1/2 tsp. Mum’s Original chia meal

1 cup Mum’s Original oat flour

1/2 cup Mum’s Original coconut flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. cinammon

1/8 tsp. Mum’s Original Himalayan rock salt

1/2 cup honey

1 tsp. vanilla

2/3 cup almond butter

1/3 cup tahini

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees celcius.

Mix apple sauce and chia in a medium sized bowl and set aside.

Combine flours, salt, and baking powder in another medium sized bowl, and set aside.

Warm the almond butter and tahini for about 25 seconds in the microwave.  Add to apple sauce mixture.   Stir in honey, and vanilla.

Make a well in the dry ingredients.   Add in the wet ingredients and stir to combine.

Scoop out a small amount of dough with a small spoon and roll into a ball using your hands.   Place on a prepared cookie sheet.  Flatten the ball with the tines of a fork.  Bake for about 10-13 minutes, until set.

The recipe will make approximately 24 cookies.

Delish!

I decided to stir in some Mum’s Original coconut cacao nibs to half of the dough.  It added a bit of a crunchy texture and some delicious chocolatey flavour!

These cookies will satisfy your sweet tooth, and will also fill you up, since they are full of protein, fibre and healthy fats.   I found that the cookies had a fudge like texture, and a delicate flavour, similar to halvah.

I highly recommend that you hop to the store, pick up some Mum’s Original products and try this recipe out.   You won’t be disappointed!

Natural Parents Network Volunteers – Best of 2011

I am proud and honored to be both a contributor and mentor with the Natural Parents Network (NPN), an empowering and inspiring community of natural-minded parents. When you visit the NPN’s website you can find articles and posts about Activism, Balance, Consistent Care, Ecological Responsibility, Family Safety,Feeding With Love, Gentle Discipline, Healthy Living, Holistic Health, Natural Learning, Nurturing Touch, Parenting Philosophies, Practical Home Help, Preparing for Parenting, Responding With Sensitivity, Safe Sleep, and so much more!

The volunteers who dedicate their time and energy to make NPN the outstanding resource it is also spend countless hours informing and inspiring others on their personal blogs. To close out 2011, NPN volunteers have come together to provide you with some extremely valuable reading material. Each volunteer has selected either her most viewed post of 2011 or her favorite post and shared the link below. Please take a few moments to visit posts that interest you.  Our intention is to expand our reach as bloggers and inform parents as we move through our own journeys. The volunteers have also provided links to other social media sites where you can follow them.

We hope you enjoy reading these posts as much as we enjoyed writing them.

Abbie at Farmer’s Daughter shares her Christmas Cookie Swap Blog Hop, which is her fourth annual virtual cookie swap and most popular post of the year. Please stop by and link up your favorite holiday recipe until Dec. 31. You can find Farmer’s Daughter on Facebook and Twitter.

Adrienne from Mommying My Way shares Fear vs. Faith, one of her favorite posts about how often living a life of faith can look like a life of fear, but the two are really quite different. You can also find Mommying My Way on Facebook.

Alicia of Lactation Narration retells the story of her oldest daughter’s 5 years of nursing and weaning in her favorite post of 2011, The Weaning Party. You can find Lactation Narration on Facebook and Twitter.

Amy of Toddler In Tow shares Finding My Mommy-Zen, her most viewed post of 2011. In this post, she shares her desire to balance her own self-esteem by choice in order to parent with peace and compassion. You can also find Toddler In Tow on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter, and follow Amyables (Amy W.) on Google + and Ravelry.

Arpita of Up, Down, and Natural shares one of her most popular posts titled Reflections. This is a beautiful look at the type of mother she wants to be. You can find Up, Down, and Natural on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Charise of I Thought I Knew Mama shares Why Do Children Have More Food Allergies Than Ever Before?, her most viewed post of 2011. This post explains the shocking info that one unsuspecting mother discovered when she started researching why her daughter had a violent allergic reaction to eggs. This is a must read post for ensuring the health of your family. You can also find I Thought I Knew Mama on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Stumbleupon.

Christine of African Babies Don’t Cry shares The Best First Food for Babies, one of her favourite posts of 2011. This well-researched post delves into the healthiest and most nutritious food to feed your baby. You can also find African Babies Don’t Cry on Facebook, Twitter, Google + and Pinterest.

Cynthia of The Hippie Housewife shares Gentle Discipline for Toddlers, her most viewed post of 2011. This post describes five gentle discipline tools for parenting toddlers. You can also find The Hippie Housewife on Facebook, Google +, and Pinterest.

Darcel of The Mahogany Way shares how Babywearing As a Way of Life one of her favorite post of 2011. This post showcases some beautiful woven wraps that she has purchased, traded, borrowed, and sold over the years. Darcel also talks about the benefits of babywearing from the newborn through toddler stage. You can also find Darcel{ The Mahogany Way} on Facebook, Twitter, Her Community for Mothers of Color, and Pinterest.

Dionna of Code Name Mama shares 50 Healthy Snack Ideas for Kids Plus Fun Serving Suggestions, her most viewed post of 2011. Most of these snacks are quick to fix and portable, so you can pack them to send with your child on play dates, at preschool, or to just have handy in the refrigerator for when your child wants to grab a bite to eat “all by himself.” You can find Dionna on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube.

Erica at ChildOrganics shares a post that is not only close to her heart, but also her most viewed post for 2011 titled Attachment Parenting in the NICU. This post shares her top 10 tips for parenting should you find yourself with a baby in the NICU. You can also find Erica on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Gretchen of That Mama Gretchen shares her personal experience of returning to work, expressing milk, and the ups and downs in between in her 2011 most viewed post, Mama’s Milk. You can also find Gretchen on GFC, Blog Lovin’, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Isil of Smiling like Sunshine shares how to make an autumn tree using pumpkin seeds, her most popular post in 2011. This post features a lovely craft activity that you can do with your kids! You can also find Isil on Facebook and Twitter.

Jennifer of Hybrid Rasta Mama shares 80 Uses For Coconut Oil, her most viewed post of 2011. This comprehensive post provides background information on the benefits of coconut oil as well as outlines 80 uses for it. You can also find Hybrid Rasta Mama on Facebook, Twitter, Google +, and Pinterest.

Jennifer of True Confessions of a Real Mommy shares her most popular post of 2011, Weekly House Blessing (Otherwise Known as Cleaning Once a Week). This post outlines a once per week cleaning routine for busy moms. You can also find Jennifer on Twitter.

Joella, the mama behind Fine and Fair, shares An Unusual Gripe with Bebe Gluton, one of her most popular posts of 2011. In it, she discusses the controversy surrounding a “breastfeeding doll” and offers her take on the gender role implications of dolls in general. Fine and Fair can also be found on twitter and facebook.

Julia of A Little Bit of All of It shares the story of how her co-sleeping relationship ended with her daughter, her most viewed post of 2011. This post shows how her daughter transitioned to her own bed on her 2nd birthday and the emotions involved for her mom. You can also find A Little Bit of All of It on Facebook, Twitter, Google +, and Pinterest.

Kat at Loving {Almost} Every Moment shares True Blessings: White Noise and Grandparents, her most viewed post of 2011. In this post, Kat talks about how she maximizes getting sleep and how grateful and blessed she is to have her parents be so involved in helping and spending time with her kiddos.

Kelly of Becoming Crunchy shares That Cup Does What?, her most viewed post of 2011. This post is one of a series of reviews and information on switching to all natural menstrual products – having heard so many different options and recommendations, Kelly decided to give a whole bunch of them a try and pull all the reviews together in one week for anyone interested in making the switch. This post in particular covers the ins and outs of the Diva Cup. You can also find Becoming Crunchy on Facebook, Twitter, Google + and Pinterest.

Kristin of Intrepid Murmurings shares a popular post from 2011, something she and her husband made for their girls for Christmas, great for open-ended play and construction: Handmade Tree Blocks. You can also find Kristin on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.

Lani of Boobie Time shares Helping a Fellow Breastfeeding Mom, her inspiration for starting to blog. This post discusses the importance of fellow moms supporting each other and some tips on having a successful breastfeeding relationship. Lani can also be found on Facebook.

Laura at WaldenMommy: Life Behind the Red Front Door writes about finally entering “spring” when her child with special needs begins preschool. After battling post-partum mental illness (post tramatic stress disorder) after the preterm birth of her third child, she finally begins to feel healthy and whole again in “It’s Fall, Ya’ll-Again.”

Lauren of Hobo Mama shares On not having an AP poster child, her (OK, second) most viewed post of 2011. Lauren’s first child shook her certainty that attachment parenting meant babies never cried and toddlers grew independent — and that’s all right, too. You can also find Hobo Mama on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Pinterest.

Luschka of Diary of a First Child shares Lactivism, Breastfeeding, Bottlefeeding and Mothers at War, one of her most viewed posts of 2011. This post discusses how the breastfeeding/bottle feeding debate causes a division between mothers, leading to the alienation of women and babies, while divisive companies prosper. You can also find Diary of a First Child on Facebook, and Twitter.

Mandy at Living Peacefully with Children shares how With Privilege Comes Responsibility, one of her most viewed posts of 2011. This compelling post explains her strong felt desire to stand up for those less privileged. You can also find Living Peacefully with Children on Facebook.

Melissa of Vibrant Wanderings shares a Montessori-Inspired Checklist for Choosing Toys, her most popular post of 2011. The article outlines some important Montessori principles and how they relate to children’s toys, translating that into some simple guiding principles. You can also find Melissa on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Pinterest.

Melissa of White Noise shares Modern Day Wet Nurse, her most viewed post of 2011. In this post, Melissa shares the benefits of human breast milk and human milk sharing. You can also find Melissa at Mothers of Change.

Momma Jorje shares Amniocentesis – What is it *really* like?, one of her most viewed posts of 2011. This open and honest series offers not only the technical process of amniocentesis, but also the emotions involved in awaiting (and receiving) the procedure and a diagnosis. Momma Jorje can also be found on Facebook.

Moorea of MamaLady: Adventures in Queer Parenting shares Fluoride: Another Reason Breast Is Best, her favorite post of 2011. This post provides research on the harmful effects of fluoride in drinking water for babies and toddlers and ways to limit fluoride consumption in your home. You can also find MamaLady on Facebook and Twitter and her Parent Coaching Site.

Rachael at The Variegated Life is Calling the Muse in her most viewed post of 2011. In this post, she describes how she uses ritual to help her tap into her creative spirit. You can also find Rachael on Twitter and The Variegated Life on Facebook.

Rebekah and Chris from Liberated Family shares Using Cloth In a Disposable Society, their favorite post of 2011. This extensive post provides a lot of information regarding the varied uses of cloth as well as the many benefits. You can also find Liberated Family on Twitter.

Sarah at Parenting God’s Children shares her most viewed post: Confessions of a Breastfeeding Advocate: I Couldn’t. She confesses her struggles with breastfeeding her daughters, but shares why she’ll continue the good fight. You can also find Sarah on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Seonaid of The Practical Dilettante offers a science- and reverence-based meditation on The Living Earth, her most viewed post of 2011. This meditation was originally written for Earth Day, but it provides a way to reconnect with your place in the living breathing planet at any time of year. You can also find Seonaid on Facebook, Twitter, and Google +.

Shannon at Pineapples & Artichokes shares I Recommend (But Moira Likes This Book Too), her most viewed post of 2011. This post is a review of a wonderful book that talks about all the different ways that families can be made up, along with some of why this topic is so important to her family.

Sheryl at Little Snowflakes shares her experiences with tandem nursing in Tandem Nursing – The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, her most viewed post of 2011. You can also find Sheryl on Twitter.

Stay tuned for some amazing posts from all of these tremendous bloggers in 2012!

Recipe – Quick and easy lentil dahl

Yummy

So let’s say it’s about 4:30 pm and you want to eat dinner in an hour and you are not sure what to cook. Let’s also say your two kids are running around at your feet and you need to make something quick and easy. How about a lentil dahl?

What is dahl you ask? Dahl is a stew typically made with lentils, peas or beans, and is a great source of vegetarian protein.

While doing my grocery shopping at my local Sobey’s last week, I came across two amazing Indian spice blends that really transformed my lentil dahl into an amazing, fragrant and flavourful dish. They are made by a local Toronto company called Arvinda and they are truly delicious!

Spice blends

I served the lentil dahl on top of brown rice, with a side of roasted broccoli. It was a great, fast, hearty vegan meal!

Recipe – Lentil Dahl

Prep time – 10 mins, Cook time – 40 mins, Servings – 3-4 for a main, 6-8 for a side

Ingredients:

1 cup dried red lentils

3 cups water

1 medium or large onion, chopped

1 tsp grapeseed or coconut oil

1/2 tsp – 1 tsp Arvinda’s Curry Masala

1/2 tsp – 1 tsp Arvinda’s Garam Masala

1/4 tsp salt (to taste)

Method:

In a medium sized pot on medium heat, saute onion with oil until onions are translucent and tender.

Add lentils and water to the pot, turn heat to high, and bring water to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer for approximately 20-30 mins until lentils are soft. Add more water if necessary.

Add 1/2 tsp Curry Masala, 1/2 tsp Garam Masala and 1/4 tsp salt. Taste, and add more spices if needed.

Serve over rice and ENJOY!

Recipe – Avocado spinach banana smoothie

I’ve been a bit obsessed lately with smoothies made in my Vitamix.   I tend to make a smoothie each morning for breakfast – there is no better way to start my day!

I recently made a delicious concoction that I wanted to share with all of you.   Here is the recipe:

Avocado Spinach Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 cup cold water

12 almonds

1/2 of a medium sized avocado

1/2 of a medium sized banana

1 tsp coconut oil

1 tbsp almond butter

1/2 tsp cinammon

1 medjool date

honey, to taste (I added 1/2 tablespoon)

1 tsp of chia seeds

1-2 cups of baby spinach leaves

1 scoop of Sunwarrior Protein Powder

6-8 ice cubes

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a high powered blender, and blend until smooth.   ENJOY!

Creamy healthy deliciousness

Don’t worry if you don’t have all the ingredients – experiment, and use what you have on hand.  Customize your smoothie to match your own taste buds!

I should add that every smoothie tastes better in a reusable glass straw.  Get yours here.

All done

So this is it.  The final post of NaBloPoMo.  I blogged 30 days in a row during the month of November and now I’m done.

Thank you readers for all of your support!  I hope to be back soon.

Can your smartphone make you fit?

Can your smartphone make you fit?

I say yes!

I recently switched over to an iPhone from a Blackberry, and I have been having a lot of fun with apps.

A favorite is Nike Training Club (NTC)- which is basically like having your own personal trainer, available whenever you are.  The app contains over 60 different workouts based on interval training.   I’ve done a few so far and they are fun and also challenging.  I thought my legs were strong from running, but the NTC workouts are finding muscles I never even knew I had!  It’s great to be able to do a quick workout in 30 minutes without even having to leave the comfort of my own home.  I love running, but as the days get shorter and the weather gets colder, it can be hard to find time to go out for a run.  I can see these NTC workouts keeping me active throughout the winter.

Do you have any favorite workout apps?