Kinda Vegan Nanaimo Bars

Last weekend we stopped at Highway Girl  for a snack before heading home from Grand Bend. I had their vegan Nanaimo Bar and was amazed at how delicious it was! It inspired me to try to recreate the recipe at home, for this weeks sweet treat.

I did a little research and then just used what ingredients I had on hand to make my own, kinda vegan Nanaimo Bars. I say "kinda" because the cocoa powder I have, says that it may contain milk. I am very pleased with the way this recipe came out though especially because I improvised on some ingredients. Here is my take on vegan Nanaimo Bars.

Ingredients 
Base
1 cup walnuts
2/3 cup raisins
1/4 cup cocoa powder
pinch of salt
1/3 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
Filling
2 avacados
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1 Tbsp coconut cane sugar
Topping
3 Tbsp coconut oil
3 Tbsp cocoa powder
3 Tbsp pure maple syrup
1 Tbsp coconut cane sugar

Method
Line a loaf pan with parchment paper
Blend all base ingredients in a food processor until they get sticky
Press base mixture into lined loaf pan
Set base in freezer while you mix the filling
Using an immersion blender mix all filling ingredients together
Spread filling over base and return to freezer while making the topping
Melt coconut oil in the microwave then mix in the topping ingredients
Pour topping over filling and return to the freezer until frozen, 4-6 hours
Cut using a serrated knife then return to a container and store in the freezer

ENJOY!

How I Make My Bulletproof Coffee

The week leading up to Easter was a super fun one. I captured some moments and shared how I make my bulletproof coffee. I hope you will check out this video.

Butter from Rolling Meadow Diary

My earrings are from Nickel & Suede

Easter shopping done at Lambton Mall 

Featured Lipstick in Stately

Non Alcoholic Sippers

If you guys don't already know, I do not drink alcohol. I have been sober for almost 3 years now. I still love sipping something fancy this time of year while cooking, hosting and visiting with friends so here are some of my favourite non alcoholic sippers.

Cranberry Spritzer 
1/2 can of Cranberry Canada Dry (I love drinking this right from the can this time of year too)
1/2 cup of Orange Juice
Fresh cranberries
Serve in your favourite festive glass

Peppermint Hot Chocolate
Your favourite hot chocolate
Add a dash of peppermint extract
Dip in a candy cane and let it hang on your mug for style and extra flavour

Hazelnut Latte 
Cup of hot coffee
Splash of almond milk
Tablespoon of butter
Teaspoon of Hazelnut Syrup
Blend all of these ingredients for one minute in a container with your immersion blender
Pour into your favourite large mug and top with whipped cream and cinnamon

Here are some things you may need to create these drinks at home. Merry Christmas and happy sipping! 

        

Working On My Clean Eats

I love food! I have gotten into a habit of using my lack of sleep and sometimes being at home for days on end, as an excuse to eat whatever I want. I am working on making more healthful choices, learning to cook differently (vegan, vegetarian and gluten free sometimes) and increasing my activity to live a more full life. I want our family to crave good stuff! This being said, you will still find me eating pizza and drinking pop on Friday nights and sipping coffee and eating donuts on Sundays. I am not giving up treats completely, I am really just working on my balance. And, as I have learned in other areas of my life, balance does not just happen, it requires work. So, here is my first week of food work and a little video of my grocery haul. When I did this grocery haul, I was already pretty stocked up on produce. I personally love watching grocery hauls because I am so inspired by what other people cook and eat. It is very easy for me to get in a cooking/grocery shopping rut and I always feel my inner foodie inspired after seeing what other people eat.

The pictures of meals I am sharing below, are just a sample of what I ate in the week and there were of course a few treats in there as well. I also eat a lot of the same thing during the week. I love leftovers for lunch so I often make 2 extra servings of our dinners so Tyler and I have easy lunches the next day. Luke will eat leftovers but he normally shares with me and Lizzy is starting to eat solids but obviously not enough to require an extra serving yet lol.

week 1 grocery haul video 

chicken & green beans with almonds 

blueberries & coconut whipped cream

garden salad with cottage cheese dressing & hamburger 

avocado, hard boiled egg and cottage cheese dressing wrap 

steak, potatoes and bell peppers

vegan brownies & coconut whipped cream 

smoothie bowl with granola

scrambled eggs & vegan pancakes (mash lol)

cliff bar, hard boiled egg and banana 

Protein Powder

I love having protein powder on hand to add to smoothies, pancakes and simply drink on its own in shakes to ensure we are all getting enough protein each day. This is especially important for Luke as he doesn't love most meat. This being said, I can get sick of the same old protein shakes so I thought I would share a few recipes with you on how I have been using protein lately. The shake recipe is my friend Kayleigh's and I am fully addicted to it, its so yummy!

Homemade Protein Bars 

Ingredients 
4 cups rolled oats

2 scoops Vanilla Arbonne Protein Powder 

1/2 cup white chocolate chips 

1/2 cup nut butter of choice 

1/2 cup coconut oil

20 large marshmallows 

1tsp vanilla 

1tsp cinnamon

Instructions 
Melt your nut butter, coconut oil and marshmallows over medium heat in a pot until fully combined.
Mix in the rest of the ingredients.
Pour into 9X9 dish and let set in fridge for at least 4 hours.
Flip out onto cutting board and cut desired bars sizes, wrapping each one individually with plastic wrap.
Store in fridge.
Note: the bars still crumble a bit, I just put the crumble in a little zip lock and saved it for on top of yogurt. If anyone has tips on how to keep your homemade granola bars together I would love to hear them.

Protein Smoothies 

Ingredients 
2 scoops Vanilla or Chocolate Arbonne Protein Powder (it tastes great with either flavour)
1/2 cup almond milk
1 banana
1 tbsp peanut butter of choice
Pinch of nutmeg
6-8 ice cubes

Instructions 
Whiz everything together in a container and enjoy. I like to use my emersion blender as its easier to clean than my regular blender.

Let me know what your fav recipes are for using protein powder.

Happy snacking,
Audrey

Girl Date

What do you like to do on a girl date? My best friend and I love to eat! Meg and I have a lot of things in common but I would say one thing we have most in common, is our appetite and desire to try new foods. Meg has a slightly more adventurous palette than I do but for the most part I can keep up. 

We have lived in different cities for years now and really have to schedule time together to keep our friendship strong. I believe all relationships require effort to keep on the right path. With where we are both currently at, London works great for a meeting place to grab a meal and do a little exploring. During our last date we had lunch at Garlics of London and then strolled the Covent Market, both were an awesome food experience and gave us lots of time to chat and catch up. 

Sometimes it can be a bit of challenge to make these get togethers happen and I am sure this wont change as we get older and our schedules continue to fill but their value to me is priceless. There are certain things that can only be discussed between the girls and womanhood is a team sport that requires lots of support. 

We ate, we talked, we laughed and we made some great memories. Next time we visit London where should we eat? And what do you like to do on a girl date?

xoxo

Audrey 

Easter Weekend 2016

This Easter was a blast, so many good times with friends and family, we are feeling blessed and tired today! Our get togethers keep growing as my generation begins their own families and as Luke gets older things get more entertaining.

You guys know I love great food and treats, let me tell you, I am one spoiled girl to have some amazing chefs in my family! Ty's dad and my Aunt Tina stole the show this year pulling together some amazing, classic home cooked meals.

I also made time to reflect on the death and rising of Jesus because while all the egg hunts and chocolate are fantastic, I am most of all grateful to be saved from my sins and to have the Holy Spirit guide me as I navigate life.

I hope your Easter was blessed! Check out this fun video and pictures from our weekend below.

Wishing you faith, family, friends and great food!

My Baking List

I love to bake and eat sweets and these are the recipes I have been working on or will be tackling this holiday season. I have been trying to get Luke in the "mix" and have him help me as much as possible, things normally get really messy but we are having fun. I am freezing most of what I am baking and then during the week of Christmas we will pull everything out, make up some mix plates and deliver them to friends and family.

Here is what I am working on:

Peanut Butter Cheesecake Balls

This was my first time making this recipe. I tasted the cream cheese mixture before rolling the balls and decided I wanted my cheesecake a little sweeter so I added 1/2 a cup of brown sugar. Other than that, the recipe was delicious and easy to make.

Shortbread

It was my first time making shortbread as well but I was pretty pleased as to how this recipe turned out. I like my cookies on the soft side so I did not wait for them to turn brown at the edges and they were nice and moist.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I baked these cookies with Emily and Sara and Emily found this recipe. She is not a cookie person but she loved these and said they really were the best chocolate chip cookies she had ever had.

Sugar Cookies With Royal Icing

I made these cookies last year during our Baking Day, the cookies and icing were delicious so I plan on making them this week. My designs did not turn out as beautiful as the ones in the post but I did my best!

Oreo Truffles

This has become one of my go to sweets recipes because it is so easy and is always a hit at family gatherings. Again, mine do not always look as beautiful but once you take a bite, you don't mind what they look like. Sometimes I coat all of mine with regular chocolate and drizzle with white if I am feeling fancy.

I would love to know what your favourite baking recipes are?

Family Recipes

This year my sister Emily and I pickled for the first time. We recently popped the top on our pickles and are happily surprised at how well they turned out! I plan on giving some of my pickles away as Christmas gifts or hostess gifts this year but my pickle loving sister may keep hers all to herself :) (she has been obsessed with dill pickles since she was little).  

The recipe we used was from a friends mom, I am so grateful she shared her family recipe with me because I think it will now become a staple recipe in my family cook book too. Its really comforting for me to cook, bake or can with a recipe that has become a tradition in someones family. I like thinking about all of the memories that are wrapped up in that recipe, creating the dish and sharing it with others. 

I love to cook food because I love eating it but most of all I love how it brings people together and allows us to create memories. It is at the centre of almost all holidays and special events and I plan on making it a big part of my family traditions as our family grows up. 

What are some foods or recipes that are special to your family? 

xoxo 

Audrey

Cooking With Lynn

Last week I got together with my friend Lynn, to learn how I can save time in the kitchen while cooking great food for my family. Join us while we have fun cooking up a fresh pizza.

If you think the products in our video are cool, you can check them out for yourself by visiting the links in the video information box.

Thanks for watching!

Stuffed Peppers

I am trying to get creative in the kitchen by using what I have on hand so that I only go to the grocery store for one big shop a week.  I have been doing this a lot lately with only some success (there have been a few things I have had to throw away).  Regardless of the current success rate, I am having fun with my foodie experiments and I would say these stuffed peppers were a win.  They are kind of like spinach dip meats stuffed peppers.  I hope you like them, let me know what you think, or if you put your own spin on this idea with some other ingredients you had in your kitchen.

Ingredients 
One block of frozen chopped spinach

One block of cream cheese 

Four cloves of chopped garlic 

1/2 a carton of chopped cherry tomatoes  

2 cups of chopped croutons
2 tablespoons of Greek or Italian seasoning

4 peppers cut in half lengthwise 
Graded mozzarella for topping

Method 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Blend thawed spinach and room temperature cream cheese with a hand mixer
Chop garlic and add it to the mixture
Cut cherry tomatoes into quarters and add to the mixture
Chop croutons and add them to the mixture
Add seasoning of choice
Top with graded mozzarella
Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes  

Happy Friday

TGIF folks! It's the weekend woohoo! Sure, I don't work 9 - 5 but I still love the weekend because it means:

1. Dad is around more during the day! 

2. I get to stay up late! 

3. We get to eat big breakfasts! 

4. I normally get to fit in a Saturday morning yoga class! 

5. We get to go to church! 

And the list goes on and on. I try to make lists for each day and this weekend I would like to spend a little couch time reading some new blogs I discovered this week.  If you have a chance, maybe check them out too. 

Crowley Party

Bella The Blog

I will also be hunting for baby food recipes and pinning them here because I think Luke is ready to start trying real food, I am so excited for this.

I will also be hunting on Pinterest for some lunch box inspiration and pinning my finds here.  Tyler is getting sick of sandwiches and I don't blame him so its time to get creative and rock his lunch box!

I would love to hear if there is anything you will be checking out online this weekend or if you have any ideas for my pin boards.

Happy weekend friends!