lemon + ginger cola winter elixir

 

today's recipe is for anyone who gets sick as often as i do in the winter months! even though i work from home, i still can't seem to escape all the colds floating around outside. this drink is my twist on a vintage elixir that used to be served hot back in the day. it is a natural remedy for anyone suffering with a cold, sore throat, flu & upset stomach. the classic recipe calls for boiling coca-cola, ginger & lemon together, steeping it & drinking it hot. it sounds a little weird to boil something carbonated, so i thought i would turn it into a refreshing drink! but if you want to enjoy it warm, i won't stop you. i made it calorie free by using a sugar free cola made by zevia. it is naturally sweetened with stevia & has no colouring added to it which is why it is CLEAR! clear cola! so cool. i also added mint to freshen things up & add one more naturally healthy ingredient to the mix that soothes stomachs. stay healthy friends!

p.s. exlixir or not, this drink would make for a killer ginger cocktail! just add a shot of rum or vodka to the mix.

ingredients

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1-2 mint leaves, chopped * 1/2 cup zevia cola
  • ice, for serving
  • lemon slice, for garnish

directions

  • in a large glass muddle the ginger, lemon juice & mint leaves together.
  • pour in zevia & shake.
  • strain over a fresh glass filled with ice.
  • garnish with a slice of lemon.

black fig + honey oat muffins

 

so p.f. candle co. is launching a new scent on the last day of the month called "black fig" & asked if i would create a recipe for their blog to help bring the scent alive (in an edible way). being a huge fan of their candles myself, of course i said yes! plus it meant i got to be one of the first people to burn the new black fig candle & it smells so good. aside from my obsession with pumpkin scented candles, i am drawn to very earthy & woodsy scents. i dislike anything summer, beach or flower scented. probably because my two favourite seasons are fall & winter, so i want my house to smell like those seasons year round.

the obvious was to create a recipe using fresh black figs! these black fig + honey oat muffins turned out so good, that i decided i am going to share it with you guys as well! i have only made oatmeal muffins one other time on the blog WAY back in the day which were my maple oat muffins. these muffins are so moist thanks to the generous amount of yogurt & quite the healthy way to start the day! i know muffins are usually just mini cake that we pretend are a breakfast food, but for real! i used organic yogurt, raw sugar & honey to be the natural sweeteners as well as the fresh figs. you could even substitute half of the flour for a whole wheat flour if white flour isn't your jam (this month). if you have trouble locating fresh figs at this time of year, you can use dried figs or honestly any fruit that you think would taste good in a muffin! blueberries, strawberries, banana & so on.

xo

ingredients

  • 1 cup full fat organic honey yogurt
  • 1/3 cup canola oil
  • 1/2 cup raw sugar
  • 1/4 cup raw honey
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 cup fresh or dried figs, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped (optional)

directions

  • preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  • in a large mixing bowl with a wooden spoon stir together yogurt, oil, sugar, honey, vanilla & egg until well combined.
  • sift in the flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder, sea salt & cloves. Stir until batter just comes together.
  • fold in figs & walnuts if desired. evenly distributed amongst a greased twelve tin muffin/cupcake pan.
  • bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the tops just begin to golden brown.

chickpea chocolate chip blondies + global pulse day round up

 

happy global pulse day!!! i am celebrating over a big bowl of kale & white bean soup that i made live on NOM last night. it has been so cold, rainy & miserable here so i couldn't think of anything better then a comforting pot of soup to enjoy all week long! i am also sharing the recipe for chickpea chocolate chip blondies & rounding up ALL my favourite recipes i have made for the blog that include different types of pulses. yes, you heard that correctly... chickpea blondies! i actually can't even count how many times i have made these (& eaten the entire batch in one sitting, but it is healthy, so that's okay.. i think). they are so good & while they might not taste exactly like a traditional blondie they are good in a whole other way.

since it is safe to assume all our resolutions this month include eating healthier, these recipes will make that super easy. incase you aren't familiar with "pulses" they include various beans, peas & lentils that appear in all sorts of food that you eat! chickpeas, chickpea flour, yellow & green split peas, lentils, beans & so on. why should we eat pulses aside from all the delicious foods we make out of them? (i had to include TWO hummus recipes in this round up because who isn't obsessed with hummus) because they are good for us of course! working with pulse canada over the last year, i have been fortunate enough to learn about all the benefits pulses give us. they are the future of better nutrition & health, good for the planet, versatile & affordable AND my fellow canadian's we are one of the world's largest producers of pulses! this means they are pretty easy to get your hands on, canadian or not.

anyways, i hope you take the pulse pledge with me this year (click here to take the pledge or go to pulsepledge.com) & add pulses to your diet. just think, you can make a different flavoured hummus EVERY week or a cozy pot of chili for the cold winter days. below is a recipe link to some of my favourite pulse recipes as well as the new recipe for chickpea blondies!

xo

pulse recipe round up

1. split pea pesto spaghetti- a summer inspired dish made with split pea pesto & roasted peppers.

2. garlic hummus- a classic hummus flavoured with a touch of garlic. serve with warm pita or sliced veggies!

3. roasted balsamic chickpea salad- a vegetarian salad where roasted balsamic chickpeas become the main source of protien. tossed in a honey balsamic dijon vinaigrette.

4. black bean + turkey chili- my go to winter dish, turkey chili! you can substitute the black beans for any type of bean & the turkey for any ground meat. this dish is loaded with flavour.

5. roasted beet, onion & garlic hummus- my pretty in pink hummus that was a huge hit this month! it features roasted beets, garlic & onion. i serve it with harvest snaps which are a healthy split pea snack!

chickpea chocolate chip blondies

ingredients

  • 1 can of chickpeas, rinsed throughly
  • 1/2 cup natural smooth peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar (can substitute raw, brown or white sugar)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 pinch sea salt
  • 1 pinch ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips (milk or dark)

directions

  • preheat oven to 350 degrees & line a 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper.
  • in a blender add the chickpeas, peanut butter, coconut sugar, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, baking powder & baking soda. pulse until mixture is smooth.
  • fold in chocolate chips & spread mixture evenly into the baking dish.
  • bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges turn a golden brown.