Avocado Lime Popsicle

I'm just gonna pop this recipe on this blog because guess what - I have a massive list of sh*t to do, limited time (nap time) and a messy place that Im going to clean for what feels like the 8th time this morning. Aaaand its only 9:07am. Welcome to my life.

But this recipe will change your life. 

Which is a bold promise.

It definitely changed my mood while I was eating it. So in that moment it did change my life. And Hazel LOOOOOVED it which was a bonus for me and her. 

I boldly stand by that statement. 

Here she is eating it and clapping like the cutestlittlecutiepie in the world. 

This recipe will make 4-6 large popsicles. Yumyum. 


AVOCADO LIME POPSICLE

2 ripe avocado
1 cup coconut milk + 1/2 cup to top up
1/4 tbsp maple syrup
pinch of sea salt
juice of 2 limes

Blend it altogether until it turns into a beautiful creamy consistency. Taste test it. So good, right? Then pour it into your popsicle tray and top up the last cm or so with a little bit of coconut milk. It'll look oh so pretty. Freeze overnight.

xoSus

My Interview with Turmeric

It seems that every whole food gets to have its turn in the limelight. The attention usually begins to shift around the time that we start to get bored - chia seeds, hemp hearts, coconut water, coconut oil, they have all had their turn. 

Turmeric - step forward please. 

I received a very rare opportunity to sit down with turmeric and was able to ask a few, more personal, questions.


SM - Hi, thank you for joining us today, Turmeric. 

T - Yo yo yo, its great to be here. Thanks for havin' me, I mean, dude its totally my turn to shine y'know?

SM - Indeed, T, it is. You are so hot right now. 
        So tell me, what is your claim to fame? Why all the hype?

T - Check it, S. There are many things that are amazing about me. First, lets look at my radiant colour. 

SM - Yes you are stunning, a glowing orange would you say? 

T - Like the african sun. 

SM - Hahah yes. Anything else?

T - I've got time for five more, you cool with that? I've got to make the most of my fame while it lasts. 

SM - [nods]

T - Alright. Listen closely. If you have tummy problems, like what you are eating ain't mixin' well down below, you come to me, alright? I'm a gonna get in there and set things straight. 

SM - I think you are referring to indigestion?

T - Mmmhmmm. Moving on. I am off the charts amazing at decreasing inflammation and joint pain. You got a prob with arthritis? Give me a holla, eat me regularly, and I make you better. 

SM - Well that is truly miraculous. 

T - Yes, I am. Let me continue.

SM - [nods]

T - I am killin' it on the diabetes train by moderating insulin levels. You got blood-sugar imbalance? BAM - you come and see me! Two more. 

T - Three words - anti fungal, anti bacterial and anti vital. Your immune system is basically on steroids when you bring me into the mix. Pow pow pow! Together we take the bad guys down. 

T - And let me tell you, these days? You want me on your team in preventing various types of cancer. And thats all I'm gonna say about that. 

SM - Wow, T, you are invincible. 

T - And I taste pretty damn good too. You gotta add me to to mix more often and I'll spice you up. 

SM - Oh! [blushes] Well. I am afraid we have run out of time. 

Thank you for joining us and for all the work you do. Enjoy your fame.

T - Later [Puts on his sunglasses and give the peace sign]


Well, there you have it folks, I just wish we had more time. Keep your eyes peeled for a recipe with turmeric coming soon.

UPDATE: Here is a Turmeric Latte recipe/video.

Here is the recipe

Turmeric Latte 
(caffeine free, baby)

2 cups your choice of milk
1 tsp each of of turmeric powder, cinnamon, coconut oil, honey, grated ginger
Dash of pepper
Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes
Pour into blender and blend for 10 seconds
Pour into your favourite mug and drinky drinky

See video below to watch me make it.

Sus
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Raw Chocolate Banana Pie & Reflexology

Another weekend behind and no babe. Apparently there are things 
you can do to speed along the process - squats, spicy foods, 
acupuncture, reflexology, the list goes on. I am a little hesitant to 
speed things along because in truth, I am soaking up these 'calm 
before the storm' moments/days. 

Yesterday, however, Sam and I went for reflexology - Golden 
Feet on Broadway and Cambie is da bomb, you guys should go! 

I had been once before but Sam was not sure what to expect. He 
happened to get a pretty aggressive dude who pressed relentlessly 
on his tender spots. Sam's ego was crumbling right before my eyes,
it was entertaining to watch as I soaked up my gentle foot massage :)

Reflexology is really cool, people. Check out this chart below. 
It can be insightful to learn what parts of your body are out of balance. 
And if you already know, you will definitely know by how tender these 
points are in your feet. Pressing on these points can also support your 
body in healing specific areas. 

Apparently, the more you do it, the better health you will be. 
Sure, I am gullible and am also aware that businesses thrive 
off that statement, but I totally believe it. 100%.

Does anyone else think it's weird that I'm writing about feet 
and pie in the same blog?

Well, never mind, you want a piece of this pie or what? You gotta make it 
yourself and you wont regret it, not for a moment. 

This recipe, I made up on my own. Yup, all by myself! Somebody,
give me a sticker shaped as a star. Ok truthfully, it has been adapted from 
about 10 recipes I googled. Does that still get the sticker? C'mon.

Raw Chocolate Banana Pie

The Crust

• 2 cups nut meal (I used walnuts)
• 1 cup pitted dates (medjool prob works best, but I used pitted dates soaked in boiled water for 10min)
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• Blend together in a food processor and press into a 9" pie plate

The Chocolate

• 2 very ripe avocados
• 1 very ripe banana
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 3/4 cup carob powder
• 4 tbsp cacao powder
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 1.5 tbsp coconut oil
• Blend all these together in a food processor until you get an ultra smooth consistency. Pour over the crust and spread evenly with a spatula.

La Fin

• Slice a second banana and place them side by side around the edge of the pie - pretty!
• Put the pie in the freezer for a few hours or overnight. 
• Serve frozen - so so good!
• That is all, goodbye!

xoSus

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Oatmeal Cookies!

You're killin' me, guys. 

Every time I try a new recipe, I think it is very important to share them with you. But bloggin takes time, ya know? Editing, re-reading, re-writing...

Who am I kidding though, I got time. I'm hanging out waiting for this baby to come (you can still stay in there another week, baby), prepping food, going for walks, visiting the midwife, doing yoga - mostly breathing and squats, napping, getting acupuncture and blogging. If you are wondering what I am up to at any given moment, you can bet its probably one of those. 

So on to the recipes.

Here is the site for a 5 Ingredient Cookie. They are easy and pretty good. Truthfully I didn't LOVE them but they have that easy and healthy appeal that I just might make them again. I mean, 5 ingredients? C'mon.

The truth is, I have a favorite oatmeal cookie recipe that will put every other oatmeal cookie to shame. However, it is NOT HEALTHY. Do you still want it? Yes? Ok. 

This recipe has been in my cookbook for about 5 years. Many-a-men have wanted to marry me for this recipe and I have turned them all down. (My husband loves me for who I am;) 

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of softened butter
• 1 cup of light brown sugar
• ½ cup of powdered white sugar
• 2 whole eggs
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 1 ¼ cups of all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 3 cups of quick-cooking oats
• 1 1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Procedure:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, beat together the softened butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until creamy smooth.
3. Continue beating while adding eggs, one at a time. Stir in vanilla.
4. Add flour, baking soda and salt.
5. Fold in the quick-cooking oats, and chocolate chips.
6. Use the measuring spoon to scoop out uniform sizes of cookie ‘drops'. Do not grease baking sheets.
7. Bake for 12 minutes. For 5 minutes, allow cookie to cool on sheets before transferring to wire rack.

Yum yum
xoSus
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Raw Almond Butter Cups

So I'm 38 1/2 weeks now and officially in the 'going a little crazy' zone. I just spent the past week meeting up with my favourite friends and their super-cute babies/kids. But by Saturday afternoon I was officially overwhelmed. 

All the talk about diapers, sleep, delivery, breastfeeding, strollers, carriers, etc, etc, etc. I was done, exhausted. And scared. What's my life going to be like post baby? Who am I going to become? I like my life. I LOVE my life. And its all about to change...

So what did I do? I baked. A lot of delicious things. And I did feel better afterwards. It can be very, very beneficial for me to get out of my head and be doing something tangible - and tasty! (I also didn't mentioned that my sweet tooth has re-emerged).

See!

I began to distract myself by browsing the inter-web for mouthwatering healthy recipes, I came across this one and never looked back. 

My go-to chocolate bar as a kid was Reese's Pieces. Mmmmm I loved them. On Halloween, I would easily give up my Mars, Snickers, mini chip bags for one of those delicious peanut buttery goodness. 

This recipe is not mine. I am pretty smart, but not genius enough quite yet to come up with something this brilliant. This lady, however is very, very smart to create this. 

Her name is Angela. She is my newest crush and this is her site: www.ohsheglows.com. She is everything I look for in a wholesome health nut.

Raw Almond Butter Cups 

by Oh She Glows

Yield: 1 dozen mini cups

The Base

• 3/4 cup raw almonds, ground into a meal
• 1/4 cup rolled oats, ground into a flour
• 2 tablespoons raw almond butter (or nut butter of choice)
• 1.5 tablespoons coconut oil, warmed if necessary
• 1.5 tablespoons pure maple syrup (or agave nectar)
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• pinch of fine grain sea salt, to taste 

The topping:

• 3 tablespoons coconut oil
• 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup (or 2 tbsp agave nectar)
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• pinch of fine grain sea salt, to taste 

1. Add almonds and oats into a high-speed blender and blend on high until a flour forms. Dump into a large bowl and break up any clumps with your fingers.
2. Add the nut butter, coconut oil, maple syrup (or agave), cinnamon, vanilla, and salt into the bowl. Stir until thoroughly combined. The dough should be fairly sticky like cookie dough.
3. Line a mini (or regular) muffin tin with paper liners or use a silicone muffin holder. Portion the dough into each muffin cup and press down until even and smooth.
4. To make the chocolate sauce: Whisk together the coconut oil, sweetener, cocoa powder, and salt until no clumps remain. Spoon the sauce over top each of the cups, distributing evenly. Garnish cups with sliced almonds if desired.
5. Place in the freezer in a flat area for 30-45 minutes, until firm. Pop out the cups & enjoy immediately! These are best consumed straight from the freezer.

xoSus
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From Nutella to Natur-ella!

If you want to watch video on how to make this - click here:  

You might be able to relate with this scenario: Somewhere between the ages of 6 and 16 or so, you are walking down the grocery isle with your mom and suddenly you spot it on the shelf – it is unmistakable, glowing and so captivating, you swear it is radiating an aura: NUTELLA.

It is beautiful, chocolaty and exotically European-like. It’s practically screaming: “Buy Me! Buy Me!” So I cross my fingers and hope this might be the day. In my sweetest, how-could-you-say-no-to-me voice, I would ask: “Mom, can we get this?”

My mom, however, is a sensible woman; her priorities were budget, health and not giving into everything we asked for. The answer was usually a friendly but ever disappointing “no”.

Eventually I saw what my mom saw and even after I left home, Nutella barely made it into my cupboard. Like so many other foods that line the store shelves, it’s just not healthy. Sugar and palm oil are at the top of the ingredient list (even before hazelnuts) and it contains soy as well as artificial flavoring.

I recently realized: there must be a healthy and nutritious way to replicate this. And there is!

Why it took me until now to put this together, I will never know. But I shall make up for lost time by eating this every single day. For the rest of my life. My inner child is thrilled.

NATUR-ELLA

Or watch the video

1 cup raw hazelnuts

1 tbsp. coconut oil

¼ tsp. sea salt

1 small or ½ large size avocado

2 tbsp. cocoa powder

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

3 tbsp. maple syrup

¼ cup almond milk

Roast the hazelnuts at 400F for 5-7 minutes. Once they have cooled, rub them in a dishcloth to peel off as much of the skins as you can. Put the hazelnuts in your food processor with the coconut oil and blend for a few minutes. It should eventually turn into a buttery consistency. If not, add a little more coconut oil. Then add the rest of the ingredients and blend together. Spread it onto your favorite healthy toast and enjoy!! 

xoSusanne

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Natural Detoxifying Foods - Part 1

Spring. It's coming. The leaves are starting to sneak out and the blossoms are beginning to burst. The temperature is starting to shift and I swear it is even starting to smell a little greener. 

Naturally, many of us are ready to shake off the winter. Out with the old and in with the new. Hear, hear!

This is the very moment detox and cleansing companies are waiting for. They are rubbing their hands together, waiting for this golden moment. It is the moment you realize you have spent most of the winter eating comfort foods, you're feeling a little down about yourself, and are suddenly captivated by the hypnotizing and sexy words: Detox or Cleanse. 

But wait. Pause. Don't get too ahead of yourself. Know that this feeling of getting rid of the old and bringing in the new is a NATURAL feeling. It means you are feeling like you need a shift inside and out. That's cool. It is very, very normal. 

So now that we are on the same page, let's explore this a little more. I believe our bodies would rather us make lasting diet and lifestyle changes rather than be forced through a week-long juice and supplement fast once a year. Its like comparing running a marathon once a year to running two times a week for a year. The results, not to mention your health, will be dramatically different. 

Remember that your body is on board with this change. It is ready to feel refreshed, light and energetic. All of your cells and organs are ready to take you on their already impeccable and perfectly organized cleansing process. It knows what to do. It is already doing it. But it does need your help. 

Take ownership and true responsibility. Perhaps rather than buying a detox box on the shelf, eat foods that support your intelligent cleansing system that is already within. 

The foods listed below are excellent for cleansing and detoxing. If you add more and more of these to your diet, you're body will be well on its way to clearing out the old and bringing in the new. Some of them are vague and I will clarify them below. 

Berries - blueberries, blackberries, gogi berries, raspberries (go for organic if possible.

Spices - Turmeric, cumin, ginger, cayenne, cinnamon.

Leafy Greens - Swiss chard, spinach, all the different varieties of kale.

Nuts - Brazil, almonds, walnuts.

Seeds - Pumpkin, sesame, flax, chia, sunflower.

Fresh Herbs - Parsley, basil, cilantro, rosemary.

Fermented foods - Kombucha, kefir, sauerkraut.

Next week we will focus on additional things you can do or changes you can make that will help propel your healthy cleanse. 

xoSus

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