Healthy Life Lessons

Did you ever have one of those days that just seems surreal?  That was my Wednesday this week. I had a terrible sleep Tuesday night after the daycare fundraiser.  I was just too wound up.  I just landed a new gig writing reviews of fitness clubs for BlogTO , a local online magazine.  Wednesday I was scheduled to check out a new fitness studio near where Adam works.  Adam had the car that day, so he recommended the best way for me to get there by public transport and suggested that an hour should be plenty of time to get me there, regardless of my legendary bad luck with the TTC. The bus arrived at the bus stop down the street from our house almost immediately - in an unusual stroke of luck for me.  I made it to the subway, efficiently caught the first subway going east, and then was thrilled to find the connecting northbound subway pulling into the station as soon as I arrived.  I hopped on and sat down relieved that the trip was going so sm...

The frenzy has begun for holiday shopping. I've already gotten all my Hannukah gifts, so I can relax, sit back, and give you all some ideas for those hardest-to-buy-for folks in your life.  It's much easier to be Jewish in December I tell you!! Recenly we received the Hammacher Schlemmer catalog.  I always find it amusing to look through.  Like every year, there are items that range from clever to outrageous.  Here are some of my favorites. The Peaceful Progression Wake Up Clock The catalog's description is as follows: More gentle than traditional jarring alarms, this clock uses gradually increasing light, stimulating aromas, and peaceful nature sounds to awaken sleepers. At 30 minutes before wake-up, the clock's light begins to glow softly, brightening over the next half-hour. The device can simultaneously release aromatherapy scents into the air to stimulate the olfactory senses. Fifteen minutes before wake-up, the clock generates your choice of six ...

If you have school-aged children, than you are probably frequently called upon to contribute to bake sales and/or treats for various functions and events.  Even for those of us who love to bake, this can sometimes get overwhelming.  If you don't bake, then it can be downright terrifying. But don't fret, there is no need to resort to buying the revolting 2-bite cupcakes in the plastic clamshell package from your local grocery store.  Other options abound. I whipped this up for the girls' daycare fundraiser last night and it was a huge hit.  It was inspired by my experience being one of the bake table salespersons at their school's spring event this past year.  I noticed that regardless of the actual product, some of the most popular items were those that parents had pre-wrapped, allowing them to be more portable, less messy and enjoyed later.  After all, there is only so many cupcakes or cookies people can gobble down at once.  Well, ma...

I love falafel but have never made them from scratch until now.  I always thought you had to use dried chickpeas or fava beans and grind them and it all just seemed to intimidating and time-consuming.  Then I saw Dreena Burton's recipe which uses canned beans and pan fries instead of deep fries them.  She dredges them with flour (I used chickpea flour) to get the exterior crispy.  I  loved this idea and knew I had to try making them myself.  Of course, as I always do, I adapted the recipe.  Among other things, I use zucchini instead of celery, and use a bit of konjac flour, instead of oats, to hold them together.  I hate hiding grains in food in a way that you can't appreciate them!  Kind of like I'd rather get my fats from nuts, nut butters and avocado, rather than oils hidden in dishes in such a way that you don't even know they are there.  I am experimenting with konjac flour (glucommanen) more and more these days as a binder an...

I started out trying to make chocolate mousse...I even almost followed a recipe!  I used Michael Smith's tofu chocolate mousse recipe , but instead of using bittersweet chocolate, I used unsweetened, and used xylitol to sweeten. At first it had the perfect mousse-y texture, but once refrigerated, it hardened into what was more of a ganache.  Oh well, I ended up with intense chocolate, sugar-free, high protein, vegan truffles.  I'll take that, thanks! Dark Chocolate Protein Truffles 225g unsweetened chocolate, melted 350g silken tofu 1 cup xylitol or powdered stevia 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/4 tsp salt Cocoa powder for rolling Puree tofu, sweetener, vanilla and salt in food processor until smooth.  Add melted chocolate and blend.  Refrigerate until firm.  Form into balls and roll in cocoa powder.  Keep refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

TGIF! I am so glad it's the weekend!! How about you? It's not that it's been a bad week, per se, but it's been exhausting. For the first time in a long time, I had insomnia.  In fact, last night was the first good sleep I've had since last Sunday night. This self-employment thing is tough for me sometimes.  The whole uncertainty of it.  You see, this week was looking pretty quiet counselling-wise, so I took on a whole host of other commitments.  Then at the last minute, the appointments started coming in and before I knew it, this week was completely jam-packed.  Not a bad thing, but I was feeling a bit overwhelmed. A lot of my stress is due to the fact that I'm on the fundraising committee for the girls' daycare and we have our big annual fundraising event next Tuesday.  I volunteered to take care of the catering, which I'm pleased about, of course, because I got to insist on healthier fare than past years, but going with a new caterer, i...

This super chocolately, decadent-tasting granola is actually sugar-free, gluten-free and oil-free.  Definitely makes you feel like you can have your cake and eat it too!  Amazing with yogurt, milk or on its own as a snack.  All the chocoholics in this house, even Little A who is not usually a granola lover, have been enjoying this. 1.5 cups unsweetened prune puree (baby food works perfectly!) 1/4 cup-1/2 cup xylitol or powdered stevia, or to taste 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 cup cocoa powder 4 cups large flake oats (gluten-free, if necessary) 8 large, unflavoured rice cakes, crumbled, or 6 cups puffed brown rice 1-2 tbls chia seeds 1/2-3/4 cup unsweetened dried cherries Optional: 1/2 cup chopped, toasted almonds or hazelnuts and/or sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc. Whisk together prune puree, sweetener, vanilla, salt and cocoa powder.  Place oats, rice, and chia seeds in a large bowl.  Poor prune mixture overtop and stir until ful...