Monthly Archives: July 2011

Chocolate Strawberry French Toast

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A lighter, healthier version of the classic. Golden french toast drizzled in homemade strawberry puree, agave syrup and topped with cocoa.

Chocolate Strawberry French Toast
Serves 2
Ingredients
4 slices whole wheat bread
2 handfuls of fresh strawberries. (Prepare the puree by blending strawberries until smooth – so simple!)
Prepare egg mixture using:
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup milk (I used unsweetened vanilla hemp milk)
1 tsp high quality vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp cocoa – set aside
high quality agave syrup – set aside
Preheat a lightly buttered pan over medium heat. Dip bread into egg mixture, ensuring the bread soaks up as much liquid as possible. Cook for approx 2-3 minutes each side, flipping once.
Top french toast with strawberry puree, a light drizzle of agave then sprinkle with cocoa.

I prefer agave as a sweetener (which I use sparingly), as its low glycemic. It doesn’t cause drastic blood sugar spikes and crashes (which I’m prone to) the way cane sugar does. With those blood sugar highs and lows brings cravings for more sugar, and can be a difficult junk food cycle to break.
However, keep in mind that agave is high fructose with some research advising it’s no healthier than high fructose corn syrup. So basically, enjoy your sweets responsibly and in moderation.

Fried Zucchini Blossoms

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My zucchini plants blossomed a few days ago… so I ate them.

Apparently zucchini blossoms are a delicacy, and I can see why – they’re delicious!

After washing and patting dry the blossoms, I made a simple batter;

1 egg
splash of milk
tiny bit of water
2 T flour
salt & pepper

Dip the blossoms, then fry in oil for a few minutes until golden and crispy.

I didn’t know what to expect, but they’re slightly sweet with a hint of zucchini flavour.

I wonder if I could try this with my tiger lilies?

(Healthified) Brownie Batter Milkshake

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Craving a thick and creamy chocolate milkshake? Without feeling like you have to log extra gym time? Then look no further!

When it comes to fast food shakes its not so much the calories that bother me (even though they can be atrocious) but rather the lack of real ingredients.  How is it possible that it takes dozens of artificial ingredients, chemicals and fillers to create a “chocolate flavoured” shake?

Try a real version instead – your body will thank you for it.

(Peanut Butter) Brownie Batter Shake
Makes 1 small shake


In a blender combine:


1 1/2 sliced frozen banana
1/2 cup vanilla almond milk
3 T cocoa powder (or more if you prefer extra-chocolatey)
1 T Dark Chocolate Dream peanut butter



Blend until it looks like brownie batter.


Court loved it! He’s usually suspicious of healthy alternatives (I tricked him into eating black bean brownies a while ago – he’s still not over it).

“O” Magazine recipe | Pineapple Avocado Salsa

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You know what iPads come in handy for? Recipe books! Oh Apple, I love you. I’ve taken over Court’s iPad with magazine downloads – O being my favourite iPad subscription so far. (I miss Oprah)
We recently tried out a recipe for pineapple avocado salsa, which is featured in the August issue. Yum!
It didn’t turn out as ‘pretty’ as the picture, but we both liked the sweet and slightly spicy flavour combo. We used the salsa to make grilled lime zested shrimp tacos.  

This meal tasted just like summer! The salsa reminded me of pineapple relish I tried with a Puka Dog in Hawaii. (A giant hot dog in the worlds biggest bun with mayo and tropical fruit salsa of your choice)
During warmer months we prefer ‘non-stove’ meals – we like being outside soaking up the sunshine rather than slaving in the kitchen. 
What are some of your favourite summertime meals? 

Saturday | Farmers Market

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I can’t sleep in on weekends anymore. At least not in the summer. By 7:45am on  Saturday morning I was wide awake and pestering Court to wake up so we could visit the Farmers Market. I wanted to get there before all the good stuff was gone!
Shopping for food and exploring new grocery stores makes me a little too excited. When I found Synergy and Chobani yogurt in a Montana grocery store a few weeks ago, I jumped up and down while clapping my hands and squealing, “I’m soooo happy! Yay!”   I’m 5 yrs old.

Upon entering the market, my eyes zoomed in on a table of cupcakes. I sampled a mini red velvet; Court had a caramel apple spice.  We bought a regular sized key lime cupcake to take home.

BC Fruit! The best part of summer.

We selected a few goodies, spent all of our money in approximately 3 minutes (how does it happen so quick?!) and headed home to create breakfast.

Our purchases:

Organic kamut bread, unsweetened saskatoon and strawberry jam, eggs, BC cherries, creamy goat cheese, the cupcake and a small bottle of organic raspberry wine.

Look at the size of this egg!

For breakfast we made eggs and slices of kamut toast, which had an interesting flavour/texture. The bread was dense – almost like a specialty loaf and was slightly sweetened with honey.

We also ate the key lime cupcake. It had a graham cracker crust and needed to be eaten right there and then.

We sliced up a couple of tomatoes for lunch, along with the goat cheese…. wow. They were the sweetest, juiciest tomatoes I’ve ever had!

I prepared my tomatoes on a bed of greens with sweet balsamic vinegar and a side of cherries.

Afternoon snack:

Mmm raspberry wine. I’ve noticed that I don’t get I.D.’d anymore.

Grilled Portobello & Eggplant Sandwiches

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A simple summer dinner. For one. Court ate $80 worth of sushi for lunch today and was still full by the time dinnertime arrived, so I was on my own.

I had a craving for bread and grilled veggies so therefore created a grilled portobello/eggplant sandwich on sourdough (my fave bread! *swoon*)

Ingredients
Makes 1 sandwich

2 slices sourdough bread – you can use any bread, but sourdough adds an extra layer of flavour
garlic mayo (1 T light mayo + 1/2 tsp minced garlic)
2 tomato slices
lettuce
2 eggplant slices
1 portobello mushroom cap – gills removed

Lightly brush eggplant and mushroom with olive oil, bbq for approx 7-8 mins on a veggie grilling pan.
After grilling, brush mushroom with sweet balsamic vinegar (balsamic and mushrooms are BFF4E) before layering the sandwich. Season veggies with salt & pepper.

Pair with a glass of merlot and a begging cat.

Dessert: Banana soft serve (1 frozen banana + splash of almond milk + 1 tsp vanilla, food process until smooth) topped with a handful of s’more trail mix

Additional foodie faves of the week:

ww waffles + greek yogurt + strawberry spread + chia seeds
It looks kinda gross but don’t knock it til you try it!

B.C. peaches

homemade iced coffee

ww toast + raspberry jam + eggs
Before you judge it… try it! It’s really good!

I’m off to enjoy my weekend!

Court’s 30th

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We celebrated Court’s first milestone birthday last weekend – the big 3-0!

I’m married to a 30 year old. I’m not far behind, but the fact that I’m leaving my 20s soon is freaking me out a little. 30 seems like the age where you “should” have your life completely together, or at least well on your way.  For the most part I feel like I’m on the right path, but I still don’t have my heart set on a career. When it comes to my professional life, I feel lost. I honestly have no clue what I want or should be doing. I love eating, traveling, drinking margaritas and exercising… so basically I’m aspiring to be a Real Housewife. (I wish! Court is an evil dictator and says I can’t quit my job)

I invited my parents and Courts parents over for a light dinner and cocktails.  I forgot to take pictures of the food, but I made chicken caesar salad skewers, chilled asparagus salad with roasted almonds, roast beef sandwiches and pasta salad. My Dad pounded drank ALL of my SkinnyGirl margaritas (3 bottles! I had two very small glasses!)

We all lounged in our backyard until a late evening thunderstorm forced us in.

Pre party. I HATE STREAMERS

Why are streamers so hard to decorate with?

 I’m sure the highlight of Courts evening was when he opened his gift. A collective contribution from all of us. An iPad2! Luckyyyy.

Obviously this was the highlight of my evening – dessert from my favourite cupcake bakery, Crazy Cakes. I’m obsessed with the mint frosting cakes -”Green Fairy”- rainbow sprinkle vanilla cake + vanilla buttercream) The “Hawaiian Crunch” cupcakes stole the show though… pineapple cake, cream cheese frosting and pretzels! I love sweet’n salty combos.

I somehow lost track of time  and before I knew it I was baking a pizza at 2:30am and breaking dishes. Classy.  I ate half the pie then yelled at Court when he refused to help me eat it. Happy Birthday Court!

On Sunday, I was overly-eager to get back to my healthy eating. One night of poor food and beverage choices really does a number on me!
To help detox, I made sure to drink a ton of water along with eating lots of veggies.  It was too hot to do anything productive so I lazed on the deck with a book and painted my nails a ‘summer theme’ (See? I would make an amazing Real Housewife!)

A few of my current favourite foods:

toasted tomato, sprout, avocado + creamy goat cheese sandwiches

heirloom tomatoes

toasted tomato + hummus + feta sandwiches

Plus this tasty, super simple homemade dessert

Crunchy Cookie Fro-yo

I creamed a large scoop of vanilla frozen yogurt with banana slices, crumbled cinnamon cookies and a handful of dark chocolate quinoa. Sweet, salty, crunchy and creamy. Multiple texture/flavour heaven!

Build a better bbq

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People often ask me how I “manage” to stay thin. “You eat more than anyone I know!” my coworker recently said to me. Anyone who lives a healthy lifestyle will probably agree with my explanation.

Eating “right” isn’t about restrictive dieting, but rather making healthier food choices. Pizza, burgers, fries and ice cream can all be part of a balanced diet when prepared properly.

Take tonight’s dinner for instance. I wanted a hot dog with ice cream for dessert.

I built a better hot dog by using a veggie dog, whole wheat bun, mustard, relish (look for a brand with low sugar content), red onion and sauerkraut. (I’m not promoting veggie dogs as a health food -  they’re super processed, but so are meat hot dogs. In my opinion, its a lose-lose situation, but I still opt for veggie versions)

On the side – grilled tomatoes topped with parmesan, oven roasted kale and spinach.

I prepared ice cold bowls of So Delicious vanilla bean coconut “ice cream” with sliced peaches for dessert. Ahhhh, summer peaches… heaven in my mouth.  Court and I are both obsessed with this non-dairy agave sweetened dessert. It was just the right amount of sweetness… it didn’t cause us to go back for seconds, the way sugary desserts typically do. (I find cane sugar to trigger intense cravings)

See, you can have your cake and eat it too – all it takes is a few simple improvements.

Daily Exercise:

45 minute walk
Elliptical -15 minutes
60 min leisurely bike ride

I like you, summer

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This gorgeous butterfly landed in my backyard the other day and stayed still long enough for me to snap a million photos! Have you ever noticed moths freak people out, whereas butterflies don’t? Aren’t they pretty much the same thing? Except moths are like the ugly stepchild…

Last week after coming home from Whitefish, my body was craving its usual healthy routine – lots of veggies, exercise and a good nights sleep in my own bed.
I had a couple vacation days left and I spent the remainder of my freedom puttering around the garden (pulling weeds is a great leg/butt workout!) going for walks, bike riding and snacking/reading on the back deck.  *Running update: I’m only doing 1-2 5k runs per week. My ITBS doesn’t seem to be improving and I plan to start physio soon.

Some of my favourite breakfasts this past week:

strawberry greek yogurt parfaits

Justins Maple Almond butter, sliced nectarines on ww waffles

strawberry protein milkshake

I really, really, REALLY love my bike. I’ve been riding it everywhere!

I also found some treats at the grocery store today. Finding new food is so exciting!

This coconut ice cream is great – sweetened with agave and only 9g sugar per serving. I mixed a blob of pb with it… Yum!

Now that I have a few at-home weekends coming up, I’m going to try out some recipes from my Babycakes cookbook.

I can’t decide what to make first – everything looks too good.  Court’s birthday is next weekend, but I don’t think he would appreciate a vegan cake. Although, he may not even notice the difference…

Birthday Celebrations

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I saved my favourite Whitefish restaurant, Tupelo for last. On a scale of 1-Roys (my favourite restaurant) it’s an 8 or 9. Court hadn’t tried Tupelo prior to this trip – I couldn’t wait for him to experience it!
This is what I chose to wear for my birthday dinner. Casual, summer outfit, right? Compared to how everyone else in Whitefish was dressed, you’d think I stepped out in a ballgown. I’m all for casual comfort, but I was extremely appalled  a little surprised to see everyone in crocs & khakis at dinnertime… on the 4th of July.

 Sneak peak at Tupelo’s menu… yum…

 We started out with ahi poke (oh, Hawaii I miss you)

 Court ordered chicken tacos as an entree, I got coconut curry scallops.

The best part of the meal was a complimentary birthday dessert… cinnamon sugar bread pudding topped with heaps of fresh whipped cream.  I’ve never ordered bread pudding, it sounds so unappealing. Was I ever wrong! Court and I were both overwhelmed by how good it was. We’re pretty sure it’s the best dessert we’ve ever tasted. You can’t go wrong with a butter-cinnamon-brown sugar combo!

After dinner we strolled around Whitefish admiring cute summer cottages. I want one!
I’ve already decorated my future vacation home in my mind. It’s going to be nautical/beach inspired with overstuffed white linen furniture, Ralph Lauren throws and a wrap around porch where I’ll drink spiked lemonade.

Since massive crowds make me homicidal antsy, we decided to watch the fireworks from a distance, on the side of Big Mountain road. What an incredible vantage point – you could see fireworks for miles over the Flathead Valley.

We lit a bunch of our own fireworks too. As a kid I hated fireworks and popping balloons. I actually still hate balloons, I get severe anxiety at children’s birthday parties. Haha.

After a full day of sun, swimming and fine dining, we called it a night. Good birthday. We headed home the following morning.

Until next time, Flathead Valley. My Dad keeps eyeballing properties – due to the crappy housing market, you can buy the whole town of Whitefish for approx $50 Canadian. What a steal! I wish he’d hurry up and choose something already!

Before leaving Whitefish, I made a stop by the grocery store and bought a cooler full of Synergy Kombucha AND….

Chobani!!! Canada basically only sells Go-gurt & Yop, so I made sure to stock up. I’ve decided peach Chobani is my favourite, with lemon in second place.