Full Moon and Chocolate Macaroons

Hey friends!

Happy Full Moon!

This is going to be a quick post because it's almost midnight.

I'm sensitive to energy and so the Full Moon makes me feel things intensely. This also lines up with my monthly cycle so it's a time to treat myself gently and do things I enjoy. That mostly means eating chocolate and ecstatic dance in the living room.

I grabbed some gorgeous chocolate macaroons on the way home from work.

These were perfectly chocolate-y and coconut-y. 

Bonus shot of my supper at work. Another Goddess Bowl plus a really creamy chocolate, avocado, almond butter smoothie that really hit the spot. I was so craving some healthy fats!

Wishing you a safe and reflective Full Moon.

May all beings be happy, healthy and free.

Elyse xo

Leftovers and Finding Joyful Moments

Hey friends!

I've been taking the time to sit in meditation for 15 minutes in the morning. I guess it's more kind of a lying meditation because I'm on the couch, but I'm making the effort to silence my mind and connect to my breath.

I have a crystal sitting in the widow and one of my daily joys is getting to see the moment when the sun shines through it and throws rainbows all over the walls and ceiling.

 I'm really grateful for green juice in the morning and the energy it gives me. I'm still feeling the coffee pull but as it's been leaving me anxious I'm feeling less inclined to indulge. I like the taste but dealing with an anxious mind for hours or the jitters is no fun.

 I didn't have a lot of options in the fridge for breakfast so opted for leftover soup. It actually felt really nourishing to have soup in the morning. Often I want something savoury but not too heavy and this was perfect.

This week I'm trying to hydrate more too by always having a mason jar of water in my sight.

I'm starting to plan food for the cleanse so hopefully the next few weeks of MoFo will be less winging it and more of a plan.

Lunch was more leftovers heated up with some fried mushrooms and smokey tempeh. My green drink was a mix of spirulina and greens powder. When I'm in a rush that is my go-to green drink!

I'm feeling kind of tired but also excited for this new adventure.

Hope your day is full of beauty and sychronicity,

Elyse xo

Green Juice and Good Food

 Hey friends,

I started the day with a coffee. I love the smell of it in the morning and I love the ritual of a hot drink to wake up my body after sleeping. Though after eating clean yesterday I was definitely more sensitive to the caffeine today. Something felt off. Thankfully there were ingredients for a green juice already in the fridge and I've committed myself to at least one green juice per day, so I had no excuses. Plus, I think green juice is the great balancer.

I immediately feel more energized and positive when I drink it. I love that it is essentially liquid sunshine and nutrition going straight to the cells of my body.

Every time I make a green juice I think of Jason Vale in Hungry for Change saying "add a little bit of pineapple, a little bit of lime, you can jazz up some of these juices so that they taste divine." He was not lying. (If you haven't checked out that amazing health documentary yet, do it.)

I was still hungry so I grabbed some seed flatbread and topped it with cashew butter and apple. This was a really satisfying snack.

 For lunch I had another green juice and a bowl of Love & Barley soup. This soup is one of my favourite things about the cooler weather.

I decided to eat in the living room, near an open window, instead of on the couch watching tv. I decided to see what it was like to be present with myself while I was nourishing my body instead of just eating as fast as I could or distracting myself with tv or music.

I took the time to smell my food, look at it, give thanks for it and settle into the process of enjoying it.

It was eating as a meditation.

So it shouldn't have surprised me that my monkey mind immediately started looking for something to worry about, something to be scared of. This time I'm not sure what changed but I was able to face it. Instead of distracting myself I looked at those fears and reminded myself they weren't real.

I am safe and I am loved and everything is always working out for the highest good.

Then I was able to really laugh at myself because I remembered that is the filter caffeine puts on my world.

And the the anxiety lifted, almost at once, after just a minute.

I believe the food we eat impacts not only how we feel in our bodies but how we see and interact with the world around us.

I finished my day with this beautiful mish-mash of a Goddess Bowl, with 60/40 ratio raw veggies to cooked food. It was spring mix, red cabbage, carrot, daikon, kale, quinoa, roasted yam, tempeh. Plus salsa, guac and flat bread.

I'm feeling tired but good. I'm feeling pulled to spend more time in nature. I'm feeling excited to plan out food to make when the cleanse starts next week.

Baby steps lead to momentum and momentum leads to change!

I truly believe that because I've lived it.  The last year has been a journey of transformation for me, but more on that later.


Elyse xo

Intentions and Nourishment - Happy Vegan MoFo 2017!

Hey friends!

I had such a plan for yesterday. Day One. I set my alarm early to give myself time to sit and pause and set my intention for the day and the coming month. I was going to drink a litre of lemon water, meditate, do some gentle stretching and feel myself into a place of excitement and purpose.

Instead, I woke up feeling rested but went into an immediate panic because it was 6:50am and I was scheduled to work at 7am. I rushed around, I got kind of teary and I so wanted a coffee. Coffee makes mornings better. But start as you mean to continue, right?

So instead I grabbed a hot herbal tea from Starbucks.

Do the best you can, where you are, with what you've got.

On the plus side, I got to see the sunrise over the city. 

I made it to work by 8am with no casualties and felt some gratitude that I work in a spot with a fridge full of cold pressed juices.

Green juice is gold this month.

After two juices, a beautiful detox water (cilantro, lime and cayenne - savoury and amazing), and zero caffeine, I definitely had a headache and a bit of a body chill but I'm familiar with this feeling at the beginning of a cleanse. The part where you feel kind of crappy but underneath you know your body is responding to the good.

For lunch I had this amazing nourish bowl filled with spring mix, shredded beet and carrot, sprouted mung beans, quinoa, falafel balls, sprouts and seed flatbread. It felt so good to be eating lots of fresh veggies again and taking the time to nourish my body.

I had a major melt down around 6pm.

Part of cleansing is dealing with the yucky emotions that come up. I felt a lot of fear and doubt. My inner critic was in full on attack mode. I'm learning to challenge that fear-based inner voice and remind myself it's okay to feel those things but most of them aren't real.

After that crash I realized I really should give myself a wean week to come off of caffeine a little more slowly. I'm generally the kind of person who thinks Go Big or Go Home but I need to be more gentle with myself than that right now. I deserve all of the kindness I give to other people. Its funny how it's hard to treat ourselves well sometimes.

Yesterday I learned that things won't always go as planned and I have to find a way to work with them. To celebrate the opportunities instead of getting stuck in the fear. To find what flows while staying true to myself and what I want.

So here is my intention for Vegan MoFo 2017. I've been thinking for years of blogging a cleanse so that's what I'm doing. One week to wean off caffeine, sugar, gluten, fear-based thinking, self-doubt and drama. Then Kris Carr's 21-day Adventure Cleanse. I'm treating myself to a month of radical self-care, mindfulness and the journey of connecting to my bliss.

Things I'm calling into my life:
colourful, vibrant, plant-based foods
hydrating, colourful drinks
movement that I enjoy
self-care time
beauty
joy
laughter
bliss
and deep nourishment on all levels

It will be an adventure. It might be messy, it might be beautiful, it might be intense, it might be exciting. Things won't always go as planned and that is part of the adventure. I'm going to do my best to be honest about what I'm feeling while going through the cleanse and what I think might bring value to whomever is reading this thing.

with a green juice smile and a nod to the Universe,

Elyse xo

Red Breakfast and Early Mornings

Quick post tonight. It's past my bedtime.

This is an on-the-go breakfast that I grabbed last week.

I'm lucky enough to work near a place that sells fresh food, so I'm always able to grab juices, fruit, salads, hummus and pita, etc.

I decided to try a red juice because I hadn't really had one before. It was beet, carrot, lemon and something. Sweet but not too sweet and it was such a bright pinkish red, the picture doesn't really due it justice.

I also grabbed some watermelon, going with a red theme :)

It was light and satisfying, especially at 6:30 in the morning.

Tomorrow is another early one but I'm so happy it's going to be Friday!

Wishing you an awesome end of week,

Xo Elyse

Spaghetti Squash and The First Day of Autumn

The abundance of different varieties of squash it one of the things that I love best about fall. Squash just feels so comforting to eat and I always feel like I'm getting a vitamin boost.

Spaghetti squash is one of my favourites.

Here I baked it, stuffed with lightly fried onion and red potato, mixed with a little olive oil, maple syrup and sea salt.

 Garnished with fresh chives right out of the oven.

Sitting down with a bowl of stuffed squash is one of my favourite ways to nourish myself as the weather gets cooler.

Hope your Wednesday has been full of nourishing food and positive thoughts,

Xo Elyse

Seasonal Produce and Quick Supper

Today is the first morning I could feel the fall in the air. It felt refreshing.

The sun was still shining in the afternoon so I decided to go for a walk on my favourite trail.

When I got back though I was really hungry and I didn't feel like making anything for supper.

Except it's Day 22 and it's Vegan MoFo! 

I thought I would make stuffed peppers but, alas, my peppers had gone bad before I got a chance to use them.

I had already made quinoa for the stuffing though.

After rummaging through the fridge I discovered a couple of zucchinis way in the back.

So, I chopped them up, plus a couple of onions, tossed everything with a bit of olive oil, sea salt, garlic and oregano and put it in the oven (at 400 for 15 minutes, stir and then another 15min.)

It was a pretty quick meal to throw together, about 35min from idea to bowl.

Hope your day/night is full of sweet dreams and awesome veggies!

Xo Elyse

Island Life and Endless Fresh Bowls

If I was stranded on an island I would want an endless supply of the All-Star salad from Fresh. It's one of my favourite things.

I don't know how this would be delivered to me on an island. Maybe dropped out of the sky. Like those planes on LOST that randomly dropped food rations and were never really explained.

But this is a fantasy so the logistics don't really matter!

Anyway, they pack so much goodness into one bowl:

Sunflower sprouts, the freshest, sweetest, coloured baby tomatoes, grilled sweet potato, delicious crispy tofu cubes,

Goji berries, cashews, cilantro, adzuki beans,

Quinoa salad, shredded purple kale and I'm sure a few things that I'm forgetting.

I always get it with the house dressing -- a vinaigrette with flax oil and apple cider vinegar that's slightly garlic-y and mustard-y.

I'm excited to read what everyone else would take to an island!

Hope your week is off to a great start,

Xo Elyse

Vegetable, Love & Barley Soup

The first recipe that popped into my mind with today's prompt "Veganize an Old Family Recipe" was my Dad's Vegetable and Barley Soup. It's actually Beef and Barley soup but when I first went vegetarian in university he made it as "Nothing and Barley Soup" -- all the veggies and none of the meat.

Left ot right: parsnips, adzuki beans, butternut squash, turnip, carrots, cabbage, canned tomatoes, onions, pot barley, celery (missing from photo)

I found out today it's actually a recipe that started with my Grandma Elsie (my Dad's Mom.) She made this soup with beef, tomatoes, cabbage, celery, onion and maybe carrot. My Dad added the other amazing veggies and grain that really make the soup -- parsnip, butternut squash, turnip and pot barley.

 
This is such an awesome, comforting soup. A complete meal in a pot with the addition of beans instead of meat. In my college years my Dad used kidney beans. Today I used adzuki beans because that's what I had but really, any bean would do.
That's the beauty of this soup.

Use what you've got.

Plus lots of love.

 

 
It keeps for awhile in the fridge and freezes really well.

It smells like sweet, vegetable heaven while it's simmering on the stove.

This soup reminds me of my family and the deep healing energy of these cooler autmun and winter months.

Sending you lots of love and comforting good vibes,

Xo Elyse

Love & Barley Soup

- 2 cups diced onion
- 2 cup diced celery

3 cups grated: (I used a food processor)
- butternut squash
- carrots
- turnip
- parsnips
- green cabbage

- 1tbsp olive oil
- 2 cans diced tomatoes (I used whole tomatoes and smooshed them with my hand when adding)
-1 cup pot barley
-1-3 cans of beans, depending on your preference, coloured beans look prettier

Sautee the onion and celery in the olive oil for a few minutes. Add the canned tomatoes. Simmer for about 10min.
Add the remaining veggies and enough water to fill the stock pot
Simmer until veg is cooked
Add pot barley and beans
Simmer until soup/potage is thick enough

Za Pizzeria and Dinner on the Go

Today's official prompt is lunch on the go, but it was more of a dinner on the go day for me. I had a late afternoon hair cut and was walking around the Annex neighbourhood, slightly stunned by the loss of 8 inches of hair, when I found myself staring at the sign for Za Pizzeria.

I remembered reading a post on Blog TO about the 10 best vegan pizzas in Toronto, with Za Pizzeria as number one. So I decided to give it a try.

They were right! The crust is crispy and fluffy in just the right places.

Topped with delicious, marinated zucchini, mushrooms, peppers and a creamy, macadamia nut/cauliflower sauce that added the right mount of richness.

They sell it by the slice, half or full pizza. I will definitely stop by again on a Friday night to pick something up for home. The souped up BBQ/oven that they use cooks the pizzas in 5min! Also my first experience there (today) was one of the best customer service experiences that I've had in the city. Definitely worth seeking out if you find yourself in the area.

This was my actual lunch today. An easy salad bowl at home.

Romaine with my usual vinaigrette, cauliflower roasted with turmeric and curry powder, lentils, red radish and sauerkraut.

Hope your day has been magical and uplifting,

Xo Elyse

Inspiration and Jaspercat

One non-human who inspires me to eat a kinder diet is Jasper, aka Jaspercat, aka The Grey One, aka The Cuddler, aka Munchkin, aka Little Bean, aka Kiddo, aka Sweetpea.

He's more my guide, my guardian, my brother from another mother.

He protects me when I'm vulnerable, cheers me up when I'm sad, and is always ready with a contented purr and a cuddle.

Jasper even knew when I broke my knee just where I was hurt and didn't leave me 24/7 in the first few months of healing.

He has taught me many life lessons and continues to teach me more.

Like the importance of stretching, eating when I'm hungry, napping when I need it, how it's necessary to make time to play and how to offer love freely.

He is such a calm, cool, grounded little guy, and I feel very lucky that he came into my life.


I love you, Jasper!


Hope your day has been full of cute animal pictures and happy thoughts,

Xo Elyse