The Shift Movie Trailer- Watch It and Be Inspired!

This will cheer you up! It's so hopeful and makes us understand that everything we do makes a difference.

Summer images to make me feel better.

James on the beach.
This picture reminds me of how beautiful life can be when you don't have to wear two layers of long-johns under your pants to be outside. I will be posting summer images of Canada as much as possible until it rolls around again. In the meantime I'm doing a lot of reading on the awesome rooftop garden we will be making this year. It's going to be a MUCH bigger one with all sorts of veggies. I want to convince everyone to grow their own organic food- it's the only thing that makes sense.

Vegan Creme Brule! Finally.

This is possibly my favorite desert in the world I dare you to try it!

Creme Brule:
1. Put cashews, agave nectar, water, custard powder and sea salt in a blender for a few minutes until it is really creamy
2. Pour it into a small pot on minimum heat, stirring continuously until it thickens up a bit.
3. Pour it back into the blender for a few seconds to get out the lumps and make it really smooth. Hold the blender lid loosely over the top when you do this because the custard is hot and might make the lid pop up if it's on tight.
4. Fill small, oven-safe ceramic or metal bowls only half way because it tends to bubble up. Sprinkle 2 Tablespoons of granulated sugar (like raw chunky sugar) over top of each of the filled bowls, and put them under the broiler for a few minutes until you see the surface browns and becomes crispy.
5. Take out and let cool off before serving. In the meantime you can start making the berry compote...

Berry Compote:
1. This is very simple. Just simmer the berries, (you can actually use whatever berries you like), in a pan (I like cast iron pans), with 3 Tablespoons of agave nectar or maple syrup (or you can use sugar), for about 5 minutes until the juices come out, bubble and become thick (like syrup). Spoon a little on top of the creme brule just before you serve it.
Serve 4 (unless you eat it all yourself!). Just double the recipe if you need more.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this Vegan Creme Brule!

Creme Brule:

2 cups cashews (raw, unsalted)
6 Tablespoons agave nectar (or brown sugar mixed in 1 T water)
2 cups water (you'll see how these ingredients on their own make the cream in Creme Brule)
6 Tablespoons vanilla custard powder (most custard powders in stores I have seen are vegan until you add milk)
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar (turbino or raw sugar) to sprinkle over top of each dish

How to make it:
1. Put cashews, agave nectar, water, custard powder and sea salt in a blender for a few minutes until it is really creamy
2. Pour it into a small pot on minimum heat, whisking continuously until it thickens up.
3. Only if it is lumpy: Cool it a bit and then pour it back into the blender for a few seconds to get out the lumps and make it really smooth. Hold the blender lid loosely over the top when you do this because the custard is still fairly hot, and might make the lid pop up if it's on tight.
4. Fill small, oven-safe ceramic or metal bowls only half way because it tends to bubble up. Sprinkle 2 Tablespoons of granulated sugar (like raw chunky sugar) over top of each of the filled bowls, and put them under the broiler for a few minutes until you see the surface browns and becomes crispy.
5. Take out and let cool off before serving. In the meantime you can start making the berry compote...

Berry Compote Topping:

1 cup blueberries
1 cup cranberries
3 Tablespoons agave nectar or pure maple syrup

How to make it:
1. This is very simple. Just simmer the berries, (you can actually use whatever berries you like), in a pan (I like cast iron pans), with 3 Tablespoons of agave nectar or maple syrup (or you can use sugar), for about 5 minutes until the juices come out, bubble and become thick (like syrup). Spoon a little on top of the creme brule just before you serve it.
Serve 4 (unless you eat it all yourself!). Just double the recipe if you need more.

Somewhere Just off of Lake Superior, Ontario

Looks like some place out of Lord of the Rings! It was soo magical there. We were on our way to see some pictographs on a cliffs. It's that time of the year again when I get really bored of the cold and start putting up images of the warmer months. The last thing people want to see right now is snow I think (or maybe that's just me!).

Pesto Pasta With Leeks and Sun-Dried Tomatoes!

Pesto Sauce:

2 cup fresh basil (not dried) (leaves plucked from stem and washed well)
1/2 cup olive oil
juice of 1/2 a fresh lemon (about 2 Tablespoons)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/3 cup almonds or sunflower seeds (unsalted, raw, and soaked for at least an hour)
1 or 2 cloves of garlic
2 Tablespoon tahini
1/2 cup water

Toppings:

10 sun-dried tomatoes (soaked in water for 20 minutes)
2 large leeks (chopped and washed very well)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
pinch of sea salt

Pasta:

You can do either raw zucchini pasta, which is prepared with a spiral cutter that you can buy on-line (best thing I ever bought), or you can just prepare your pasta of choice as directed on the package.

Instructions:
1. Mix all of the ingredients for the sauce in a food processor for a couple of minutes.
2. prepare pasta of choice.
3. saute leeks in a pan with a bit of olive oil and sea salt.
4. Pour pesto sauce over the pasta and top with leeks and chopped up sun-dried tomatoes.
Now eat it!! The sauce can also be used to make pesto pizza (spread it over pita bread and add toppings), or used as a dip! I love it. Try it yourself.

Hiking in The Woods is My Gym :)

James and I went hiking behind the Toronto Zoo on New Year's Day. I am kind of a princess when it comes to doing physical workouts in a gym, so hiking and exploring the outdoors do the trick. I love walking in the woods, in the snow, canoeing, swimming, biking or anything outside. Get me in a gym and I feel like a duck out of water.

  

We had a wonderful time and saw the most incredible animals from the other side of the fence. We howled at some wild white wolves (not in the zoo), who howled back at us- actually that was kind of freaky because the light was failing at that point.. 

We saw some moose, a couple of elk and a yak that looked positively bored. This is the trouble with keeping animals trapped in compounds much smaller than what they would have in the wild. 

What a great way to spend the first day of the year. If the gym is not your thing, then get outside and get your heart going while surrounding yourself with beauty :)